[Adventure] Rage of the Savage Lands (DM: Dekana, Judge: TwoHeadsBarking)

Yishim and Jarel-karn spend some time discussing Toeto's ritual and conclude that she must not have detected the spell effect radiating through the village, or she surely would have mentioned it (or at least calculated its effect in her ritual).

Eithal sniffs at the well but doesn't smell any contaminants. While the others search the village, she takes some time to collect the water samples that Dieter wanted.

Damen, Beatrice, and "Harold" all search for physical clues, but only the kenku has any immediate "luck." He finds a locked wooden hut in at the northwestern edge of the palisade and decides to force it open. When he steps inside, he is overwhelmed by the stench of death. Inside he finds four decaying lizardfolk, all dead from sword and spear wounds. One of them is sprawled on top of a table and pinned to it with a longspear. The others have their weapons still in hand.

The others do not find much in the village. There are no other bodies, although there are scattered bloodstains on some of the tents. There isn't even any sign of treasure! Didn't Toeto promise something like "the wealth of her village?"

After an hour of fruitless searching, Damen spots two more maimed lizardfolk in a pond about 50 paces past the wall of the same hut that Harold searched. Beatrice, watching the ravens more than anything else, hears another flock of the devils cawing distantly in the swamp - also to the northwest.

When the party reunites near the dead lizardfolk, Jarel-karn detects that the magic aura is stronger in this part of the tribe. It seems even stronger outside the village. Yishim adds that the magic uses Shadow as its power source.

GM: Round 2: Locate the source!
Lizardfolks may rely on shamans and witchdoctors, but you doubt they would willingly douse their village in shadow magic. All signs point to the damage being worse the closer you get to the source of the magical effect. If you can find it, you just might be able to stop it!
Primary skills: Arcana (to detect magic), Nature (to not get lost in the swamp). DC 23.

2 successes so far.
[sblock=skill challenge rules]You may use any of these skills: Arcana, Dungeoneering, Heal, History, Insight, Nature, Perception, or Religion. If you'd like to use a different skill, you need to have a compelling reason that makes it relevant to the challenge (and I still may impose a penalty to the check or disallow its use).

You have the following options during the skill challenge:

Bold Recovery: A player may spend an action point to reroll a skill check they have made. The player must take the result of the reroll.

Critical Success: A natural 20 on a skill check is an automatic success. In addition, the player gets one additional success.

Primary Skill: Every round, there will be one or two skills as the center point of the challenge. Players using that skill receive a +2 to their skill checks.

Unburdened: You may spend one healing surge and choose a skill that has an armor check penalty (such as endurance). For the rest of the skill challenge, you may ignore the armor check penalty for that skill. You may spend additional surges to select more skills.[/sblock]
 
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"Harold" is only too happy to get away from the evil-smelling bodies. "Decidedly not what I had in mind," he mutters. "Must plan my next trip to be somewhere more ... salubrious."

Unfortunately, "Harold" is very unused to the swampy terrain and keeps getting separated from the others, but they always seem to find him again, owing to the shiny amulet he wears.

[sblock=Perception check]Perception DC 23
13(1d20) +9 = 22
bah. I'll use my lucky charm's daily power to turn that into a success.[/sblock]
[sblock=”Harold”]Scarmiglione Male Kenku Rogue|Sorcerer 8
Initiative: +9, Passive Perception: 19, Passive Insight: 14, Senses: Low-light vision
AC:23 (--), Fort:17, Reflex:22 (--), Will:21; Resist 5 psychic
HP:59/59, Bloodied:29, Surge Value:14, Surges left:7/7
Action Points: 0
Blazing Starfall, Sly Flourish
[o] Explosive Pyre
[o] Low Slash
[o] Spark Form
[o] Swift Parry
[o] Songmaster’s Boon (item)
[o] Boots of the Fencing Master (item)
[o] Second Wind

[o] Trick Strike
[o] Thunder Leap
[o] Deep Shroud
[o] Shadowdance Armor (item)
[x] Lucky Charm (item)


Phase of the Sun: At the start of my turn, each enemy adjacent to me takes 2 fire and radiant damage; resist 5 cold
Phase of the Moon: Bonus to AC equal to number of conscious adjacent enemies; resist 5 psychic
Phase of the Stars: Whenever an enemy's attack misses me, I can teleport 2 as a free action; resist 5 radiant

First Time Bloodied: Change immediately to next phase.

Conditions: phase of the moon

Note: When Scarmiglione shifts, he gains a +1 item bonus to AC and Reflex until EONT (from boots of the fencing master)

Full sheet: Scarmiglione[/sblock]
 

Well it is a swamp all right. Beatrice mutters, sloshing through the mud. She has a hard time going because of her heavy armor and once almost trips on a tree branch. Muttering to herself and in an even fouler mood, she trods onward.
 

While Damen moved easily through the woods, he is less maneuverable in the swamp and it shows. He keeps an eye ahead, but the going is hard.
OOC: Perception fail.
 


"Ok, let me see where that source of power come from." Jarel-karn grab his bedroll and lay it on the ground and sit down on it. He lay down his sword on his knees and close his eyes. He concentrate like that for a few minutes before opening his eyes.

"It's been a long time I didn't do that... I use to do it to find corrupted source of energy in the valley of bones..." Jarel-karn stands up and point a direction. "It's coming from that way."

[SBLOCK=OOC]Arcane (1d20+15=28)[/SBLOCK]
 

Yishim takes the advice given given by Jarel-Karn, and spends an inordinate amount of time attempting to locate the source of the evil. He tries and tries again.

Ridiculous. I just can't figure it out. I've got to try something else.

[sblock=Rolls]
I am not sure if this works, but can I use Arcana again? If so, I do, and then blow an AP trying again, and failing.

First Arcana fail: Arcana (1d20+15=20)
Second Arcana AP: Action Point reroll (1d20+15=18)

Wow. three failures in a row.[/sblock]
 

GM: You can use the same skill each round without penalty. You just don't get the +2 bonus unless it's one of the primary skills for the round.

5 successes at the end of round 2. More soon.
 

[sblock=Eithal]There's nothing wrong with the water.[/sblock]
Jarel-karn is sure enough of where the magic is radiating from that he can lead the party to it. Unfortunately, the swamp is not at all easy to walk through, and "Harold" is nearly separated from the others at one point. It takes an hour for everyone to trudge through the slushy water to reach the final destination, and in the meantime, everyone begins to feel the effects of the shadow spell. At the corner of your eyes, you see quick movements - shadows, threatening to engulf you and then pulling back behind the trees when you turn your head to look. The frustration, unease, and even paranoia that some of you are feeling is irrationally amplified.

Up ahead, you see a single dead tree towering high above. Its limbs are twisted into menacing jagged shapes, and you swear that they resemble scowling faces if viewed from the right angle. As you step closer, you realize that the shadow magic is most powerful at the tree's base. It might even be dangerous for you to remain here much longer, lest you be afflicted by rage yourselves.

While you discuss how to dispel or otherwise end the shadow magic, several of you once again catch glimpses of shadows dancing along just at the edge of vision. This time, however, they don't disappear from view when you turn to look at them. The shadows all drift to ground level and sink beneath the swampwater or out of sight behind trees.

Then, you all see an unnerving sight. A rotting arm raises straight up out of the swamp water. The undead arm continues its rise until the body attached to it becomes visible. It's Kaz! For those of you that knew him in life, the elf certainly looked better when you saw him during the events of The Rerisen Tower. He's pretty clearly a zombie now.

Uuggggghhhh... he moans painfully.

Other shadows coalesce into solid form nearby.

[sblock=Damen]Your eldest sister walks out from behind one of the trees, tendrils of shadow whirling about around her. She speaks to you, though you don't see her lips moving.
"You should have stayed in the city, brother. Your pathetic effort to gain power will end in this swamp. You will not usurp my position!"[/sblock]
[sblock=Eithal]"I've finally tracked ye' down!" you hear a familiar voice call out. From behind one of the trees, out steps an unwelcome sight: Brastrix Avreskt', the dragonborn who held you as a slave for much of your childhood. He speaks to you, his lips not moving at all. "I dun much like it when my property runs off, missy. Yer coming back to the island - and you can come willin'ly, or I can chop ye' up into pieces and sew you back up when we get dere!"[/sblock]
[sblock=Scarmiglione]One of the shadows coalesces into solid form and takes on the appearance of a human man in expensive plate armor.
"I say, what a disgusting mode of transit." Strangely, you don't see his lips moving as he speaks. Then, the man looks directly at you and exclaims, "There you are, you accursed blabbermouth!" Wait a minute... you know this man! He's Sir Moynifried, the slayer of the Dragon of Asparth! And does he look ever pissed off.
"Perhaps you don't remember me. I'm the man whose marriages you ruined! And that's the last mistake you'll ever make!"[/sblock]
[sblock=Jarel-karn]One of the shadows assumes an almost human form, but it remains transparent and ghostlike. It takes on a familiar visage: that of your father. He floats up off the ground, scowls murderously at you, and then disappears once again.

You still feel his presence in the area.[/sblock]
[sblock=Beatrice]Some of the shadows race away from you to the edge of vision. A few moments later, you hear several people stomping through the swampwater. You then see four tall, broad shouldered men with brilliant blonde hair and shining, flawless teeth. They are all heavily armored in plate and carry shortspears. Their shields are emblazoned with the helmet of Pallas Athena.

By the dark gods! It's a party of pre-4th edition paladins!

The apparent leader of the paladins addresses you, although you strangely don't see his lips moving. "Beatrice Wellington! You are charged with theft, bribery, corruption of a minor, manslaughter, impersonation of a cleric of Athena, and consorting with the Dark Powers of Ravenloft! You are hereby tried, found guilty, and condemned!"

After the leader makes his proclamation, all four of the paladins once again turn formlessly into shadow and disappear from view. But you get the feeling that they're still in the area.[/sblock]
GM: You all see something slightly different. Each of you sees zombie Kaz, several solidified shadows advancing rapidly, and the figure(s) associated with your (and only your) sblock.

This is a combat, but I won't have a map up until at least tomorrow. Go ahead and roll initiative in the meantime.
 
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OOC: Dekana that was awesome! :D

Ahhhhhhh! Beatrice screams in terror.

Get back, foul racist pretty-boys! she shouts pulling out her sword and brandishing it. You'll never get me alive! Get near me and I'll donate a portion of your body to the local cannibals!

Stay back kids! she says. These creatures are a different breed from what you've seen! They follow a strict ever slackening alignment restrictions and have an insecurity caused by being generally weaker then other classes. Careful of the ones who can find paths though, they an be deadly!

What I am saying, she adds in horror, I'm starting to sound like my grandson!

OOC: init=20
 

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