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Message: <blockquote data-quote="two" data-source="post: 1246832" data-attributes="member: 9002">Session Two[Session 2 – PROXY’s Problems](Recap:  after defeating a small pack of jackals, PROXY is grilled by the PC’s who want to know why these typically shy animals decided to attack a well-armed group of humans).FILIBUSTER:  “Do you know why they attacked?”PROXY:  “I’m not sure… ever since I left Boudnib I have had the feeling of being watched… and a few times we (pointing to SHADY) just traveled all night instead of camping.  It seemed safer that way.”MR. C:  “Is that true?” (looking at SHADY).SHADY:  “True enough.  I didn’t notice anything unusual, but then, I’m not as used to the desert as you are… or PROXY is.  I just met him the day before we left Boudnib.  It seemed like a perfect chance to travel to your town.”PROXY:  “Yup.  And that’s it.  That’s all I know.”SOAPY:  “You never really did tell us what was wrong with your chieftain’s son.”PROXY:  “He was hit in battle by some sort of poisoned spear.  He collapsed immediately, and has been… weak as a baby… ever since.  Our Chieftain called a stop to all skirmishing until he is healed… he is our strongest warrior…”SOAPY:  “And who are you fighting?”PROXY:  “Those Figuig bastards.  It’s been going on now for almost a year.  Their village is about two hours away.”SHADY:  “And you are fighting them….”PROXY:  “The Chieftain demands it, and it is to him we owe our allegiance.”MR. C:  “Ah, one of those sorts of things.  Well.  There you go.”[The players discussed it a bit, asked PROXY a few more questions, but were content to let things develop.  PROXY, for his part, tried to make everything seem very reasonable; the forces opposing him were, he said, “evil and vindictive.”]SHADY:  “How abouts we get some sleep-eye?  I for one am beat.”SOAPY:  “Sounds good to me.  Oh, by the way, SHADY… can I speak with you in private a bit?”SHADY:  “Sure can.”[I didn’t know what was going on.  Turns out CAROL was asking GUNNAR to let her purchase/borrow/buy/use some of his scrolls…I think her plan was to use Use Magic Device on them.  At this level, it was not much of a power play, so I didn’t say anything.  Turns out she bought 2 scrolls of “Shell of the Black Beetle,” which was Gunnar’s version of the “Shield” spell.  It granted a +4 (shield) bonus to AC, and a +4 bonus to hiding, when hiding in shadows or the dark.  It offered no protection vs. magic missiles, however.  Spell effect was to grow a dark chitinous shell-like covering over the arms and torso of the caster, allowing the arms to block/deflect incoming attacks.   Also, incidentally, darkening the caster significantly, allowing for better/easier hiding.]The party  slept deeply that night, everyone taking shorter watches and waking a bit later than is typical.Day broke (crash) and the party headed out. The desert was hot, of course, but there was also a dry wind blowing, causing more than a little discomfort… the dryness penetrated the throat and lungs… everyone was struggling a bit, crossing the flatlands and dunes, following the wavering trade track… thinking about the previous night… and about their friend PROXY who, with his nervous eyes, narrow moustache, and jumpy hands, did not inspire confidence (fair or not) regarding his moral compass.The party stopped at 10am, when the heat was becoming unbearable, and pitched shade-providing lean-to’s, and rested – attempting to stay cool – until 4pm.  Trouble is, at 1pm, during the hottest period of the day, when the sun was blazing down “mercilessly,” as is said in novel after novel, there came from the EAST a swishing sound, as of footsteps lightly impacting sand.MR. C:  Looks like we have company.FILIBUSTER:  That’s odd.SHADY:  Well, what is it?Everyone looks to the EAST, and about 100 feet distant, striding over the dunes, is something that appears to be… a mound of… sand… but upon closer inspection, the “mound of sand” appears bipedal… Though it walks with more of a slow shuffle than your standing “march.”The party stand there and watches, with curiosity, as this thing mounts a tall dune and then, pointing at PROXY, curls a forefinger repeatedly.  Indicating, that PROXY should come forward.SOAPY:  Looks like it wants to have a talk with you.PROXY:  NO sir.  (PROXY gets out his dagger and a buckler).  No sir.  Keep that wild man away from me.  It’s a Figuig trick.  I’d heard that the wild men were working with the Figuig but I hoped never to see one myself.WILDMAN:  COOOooooooommmmmeee PROXY…… (in a voice that sounded like wind rushing down an old dusty hallway).PROXY:  No sir.FILIBUSTER:  What is a “Wild Man?”Just as this question was asked, the WILDMAN turns and walks back down the dune, disappearing from sight.PROXY:  They live out there, in the desert.  They don’t never need to drink or eat, so I hear.  They have friends out there, they talk with the snakes, and the rats, and the scorpions.  They’re evil.  They come into villages at night and mark babies, and the babies get old and leave and become as wild as wild can be.  They’re EVIL.MR. C:  That does sound… not entirely neighborly.SOAPY:  What does he want from you?  Or from us?SHADY:  I think we are going to find out. (Pointing towards another dune towards the SOUTHEAST, where the WILDMAN can again be seen).Everyone notices that the WILDMAN is beginning to wave his hands in the air and seems to be surrounded by some sort of building charge of energy…[“Here we go,” JOHN said, “Us vs. the WILDMAN.”“Should be interesting,” JOEY replied, “considering we don’t really know much about this dude.”“Every roll initiative, please,” say I.]SOAPY is the first to act.  He drops his saber and mace to the ground, grabs his short bow from where it is strapped on his back, and immediately looses an arrow in the WILDMAN’s direction.  The WILDMAN, 100 feet away, doesn’t have much trouble avoiding the arrow, which glances off his sand-impregnated leather armor.  [“Oh well, CAROL said, “he’s a bit out of range.”]The WILDMAN eyes the party calmly, without fear or (apparently) much interest.  With a quick move of his hands, a ball of fire suddenly appears in the midst of the party.  The WILDMAN nods his head to the left, and the ball rolls left over to SOAPY, who had so rudely shot at him.[“Make a reflex saving throw for SOAPY,” I said to CAROL, “just tell me your total and I’ll let you know what happens.”CAROL rolled a “9” and, after adding what she could, just failed the DC.“Roll 2d6 fire damage to SOAPY,” I said.CAROL cringed.  And rolled a “5” and a “3”]SOAPY, attempting to dodge the ball of fire, fails and feels his skin, hair, and clothing crisp and smolder.  With a cry of pain he drop to the ground, still conscious – but very much injured.“Great,” said MR. C, “another moral dilemma.”FILUBUSTER, seeing his friend SOAPY fall so ingloriously, is incensed.  In fact, he is enraged, and proceeds to foam at the mouth.  He rushes towards the WILDMAN, drawing his longspear as he does so.  However, the sand upon which the WILDMAN is standing is of the loose and unpacked variety (almost as if he had planned it this way!), and FILIBUSTER’s movement is greatly hampered.  In fact, even at a dead run, he only makes it 90 feet towards the WILDMAN.  [Movement through the deep sand is at half speed, unless you have special skill in such maneuvers]“It’s like you are running on the beach, along the edge of the surf, in one of those bad dreams where you are being chased by Duran Duran – “  I said, and they got the message loud and clear.MR. C gave SOAPY a terrible look.  He did something he really hates to do; that being healing in the middle of combat.  Moving over, and reaching down, he slapped SOAPY’s forehead, and one “BE HEALED, SON” later SOAPY was feeling a lot better.  In fact, completely better, due to a nice healing roll.“Much obliged,” SOAPY said, prone, still in close proximity to the burning sphere.“Guess it’s up to me,” SHADY said, moving away from the burning sphere as fast as he could, which amounted to 15 feet sideways into the slushy sand.  Then an “Obsidian Shard” shot out of his fingers and slammed into the WILDMAN, drawing blood.  If nothing else, it made the party feel better.[ROUND 1 OVER]SOAPY, no longer shell-shocked, but sitting on his ass, decides (sensibly) to stand up and move 15’ into the sand, away from the burning sphere and also in the opposite direction of SHADY.   Splitting the party, as it were.The WILDMAN, viewing everything (and nearly yawning), is seen to cast another spell, and a second flaming sphere appears, directly on top of  FILIBUSTER.  He then motions the first FLAMING SPHERE a bit to it’s left, into MR. C., who however is not burned [made his save].  Furthermore, from the WILDMAN’s feet there appears something slithering and sandy – it is in fact a desert constrictor snake, the largest the party has ever seen.  It had been hiding at the feet of its “master” for somebody to approach, that somebody being FILIBUSTER.It charges out and attacks FILIBUSTER, easily hitting the enraged, lightly-armored barbarian.  Its grapple check fails, however, as FILIBUSTER brushes away its attempt to wrap its body around his arm and squeeze until the blood stops flowing…still, it manages to do 6 points of damage…However, things are not so rosy.  FILIBUSTER fails a reflex save, and also takes 7 points of fire damage from the flaming ball of fire.  He’s shaken, but not giving up – yet.FILIBUSTER is in a bit of a pickle, however.  He’s 15 feet away from the WILDMAN, and engaged in melee with a big fat ugly constrictor snake.  He’s also enraged, and low in hit points.  He wants to brush by the snake and attack the WILDMAN but… will he survive the AOO?  Who know… I sure didn’t… and it was moot, because the enraged Barbarian simply stepped back 5’ and gave that snake a full power attack whallop.  [BAB=1, note].  It took a pretty good roll, “11” or so I think, for him to hit, but hit he did, for something like 16 points of damage.  It was a very solid THUMP and the snake make a nasty little hissing sound.  Almost a squeal.  If snakes could squeal.MR. C, now free of tedious healing duties, ran like a fiend away from that ball’o’fire, a full 40’ in the slippery sand.  Now stands 40’ away from FILIBUSTER and the snake.  Screams something nasty to the WILDMAN.SHADY, looking things over, does something interesting, I thought.  Sends an “obsidian dart” against the snake (after moving away from the Ball’o’Fire).  The snake is hit for 4 damage, and squirms a little.  For the first time, some emotion crosses the face of the WILDMAN.  He looks, well, concerned. [ROUND 2 over]SOAPY, taking the hint, moves 15’ into the sand and looses an arrow at the snake.  He misses, but the point has been made.  The WILDMAN seems to have made a decision.  He moves the burning sphere over, placing it very close to SHADY (but could not quite reach him), and moves back 30’.  Note that this did not give him a chance to try and crisp FILIBUSTER.  Note also, that the WILDMAN’s movement was not hindered by the deep sand, and he left (gasp!) no tracks in his wake.The snake, interestingly, disengaged from FILIBUSTER and moved 60’ back behind his “master,” gliding over the loose sand effortlessly.FILIBUSTER, thinking that this is his moment to shine, charges forward and just manages to cover 40’ and attack.  He hits, and does a respectable 16 points of damage to the WILDMAN, who merely grunts.MR. C., slow in his armor, continues to run, covering another 40 feet.SHADY, seeing the ball of fire next to him, attempts to run away but… is hampered by the sand.  Yet another “obsidian shard” strikes the snake, which looks pretty ill (as snakes go).[NEXT ROUND]SOAPY moves forward and starts to “inspire” the troops.  The WILDMAN, seeing the barbarian right in his face, takes a 5’ step inwards, brings down a knobby club (made of twisted pine roots), and hits low-AC FILIBUSTER for not very much damage.  However, it was more than enough.  He drops, bleeding.  Then, the WILDMAN gestures and the ball of fire near SHADY hops over and strikes him.  SHADY fails to dodge the ball, and takes 7 points of damage, dropping him as well.[2 PC’s in one round!  Not bad, thought I.][“Uh, John.  Can you, like, kill him now?” said JOEY.“Trying dude.  Hard to reach, you know.”The party was looking pretty unhappy about now.  While the snake was badly injured, the WILDMAN didn’t look too terribly hurt.  ]MR. C continues his heroic run, and manages to make it to the side of FILIBUSTER.  He’s sweating, panting, cursing, and… not sure what to do.[NEXT ROUND]SOAPY is not done yet.  He shoots an arrow, and the “inspired” arrow strikes the WILDMAN for 5 points of damage.  Every bit helps.The WILDMAN, seeing SHADY drop, retreats 30’ (the snake disappears from view) and moves the close ball-o-fire on top of MR. C.  One failed saving throw later, he was 8 hit points burned.  The other ball of fire disappears (out of range).[“GD that spell!  It’s eating us alive!” JOHN shouted.“Some bad rolls,” Gunnar said, “plus it’s a pretty nasty spell.”“Guess so.”]However, the WILDMAN had had enough.  As SOAPY approached, and MR. C took a moment to heal FILIBUSTER back into consciousness, the WILDMAN slowly faded into the desert sands.  His last ball-o-fire winked out, much to the relief of the party… nobody had died, quite… of course, they had not done any lasting damage to the WILDMAN, either…PROXY, who had played no part in the battle, and had run the other way at the first sight of the WILDMAN’s attack, congratulated the “heroes” anyway.  SOAPY, of all people, snarled something in his direction.  They were losing patience with him…Next Session:  "THE WILDMAN COMETH"</blockquote>

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