New Campaign: Athelos Darkening

BMR · Post by **BMR** » Tue May 01, 2012 2:39 pm

There is mostly silence, nothing calls out in response, but then again, nothing comes charging out of the trees either.

Post by **Bob the Hamster** » Tue May 01, 2012 2:58 pm

Beardthar wrote:Perhaps we should keep moving a little longer, and see if it follows us. ...I would like to find either a rock wall we can camp against, or a high hill we can camp on top of...

And then after glancing at bleary-eyed spittle,

Beardthar wrote:...or maybe we will be lucky and there really will be an Inn nearby... What do you think, Peanut?

Newbie Newtype · Post by **Newbie Newtype** » Tue May 01, 2012 5:24 pm

"I don't trust any establishment on this island anymore..." he mulls, "If we were watched at the last one, what'll happen at the next one?"

Spoonweaver · Post by **Spoonweaver** » Tue May 01, 2012 8:53 pm

Tim-Tim wrote:Well, I have an Idea. Beardthar was it? Perhaps, you could summon that big dog you summoned in the fight with the ogre to track down what it is that's watching us.

Post by **Bob the Hamster** » Tue May 01, 2012 9:15 pm

Beardthar, thoughtfully wrote:Not a bad idea... but the Dire Wolf is violent. Maybe we want to kill whoever is following us, and maybe we don't... I think a small pack of wolves would be easier for me to direct and control.

Beardthar begins casting Summon Nature's Ally III for 1d4+1 ordinary wolves

Beardthar, in the words of an ancient druid spell wrote:Nature-friends! Wolf-friends, I call thee forth, I call thee to the hunt! Here pups! Here pups! That's a good boy! (WHISTLE, THIGHSLAP)

BMR · Post by **BMR** » Wed May 02, 2012 1:36 am

After some time, 3 wolves burst into existence. They heed Beardthar's commands and run off into the woods in search of whatever was there.

You don't hear anything much for some time, but then a few minutes after they bounded away, you hear some growling followed by a roar and splintering of wood.

Knowledge (Nature) (1d20 + Ranks + INT)

Akbar: 7 + 0 + -1 = 6 Fail
Beardthar: 7 + 6 + 1 = 14 Success
Peanut: 14 + 5 + 2 = 21 Success
Spittle: 18 + 0 + 1 = 19 Success
Tim-Tim: 3 + 0 + 1 = 4 Fail

Judging by the roar, you'd guess it was a bear of some kind.

You hear what seems to be a scuffle among the wolves, but you can't quite see anything through the trees what with the fading darkness.

Then suddenly, the body of one of the wolves flies past you to smash, rather brokenly and bloodily, into a large oak behind you. This is followed by another massive roar.

Knowledge (Nature) (1d20 + Ranks + INT)

Akbar: 15 + 0 + -1 = 14 Fail
Beardthar: 16 + 6 + 1 = 23 Success
Peanut: 20 + 5 + 2 = 27 Success
Spittle: 6 + 0 + 1 = 7 Fail
Tim-Tim: 17 + 0 + 1 = 18 Fail

Now that was definitely not a bear. Judging by its strength and the sound of the roar, you're guessing a gray render or something similar. Knowing that gray renders tend to bond with other creatures or with groups of creatures, you're guessing that the wolves might have accidentally provoked whatever it was the gray render was guarding. Unprovoked, gray renders aren't especially violent unless hunting and it would probably have left you alone if you hadn't ticked off what it was protecting.

Post by **Bob the Hamster** » Wed May 02, 2012 2:50 am

Beardthar wrote:Damn, damn, damn! That's not a bear! I hope that isn't a Gray Render... I should have left well enough alone! Lets go that way (gestures) and hope it won't follow us...

Beardthar starts to move away from the thing that threw the wolf carcass

Beardthar wrote:But it probably WILL follow us...

Gizmog · Post by **Gizmog** » Wed May 02, 2012 3:14 am

Spittle wakes up a little upon seeing the carnage created by the canine's catastrophic concussion into the tree. He gets his weapon out just in case, but wordlessly agrees with the dwarf's plan of retreat by moving calmly, but quickly away from the wolf-flinging bear.

Newbie Newtype · Post by **Newbie Newtype** » Wed May 02, 2012 3:28 am

"I think it *IS* a Gray Render! Let's slowly back away from it... Away from where I saw it." He takes an arrow and points it to where he saw the creature.

Spoonweaver · Post by **Spoonweaver** » Wed May 02, 2012 4:34 am

Tim-Tim wrote:What the heck is a Grey Render?

Tim-Tim asks this, but from the other's reaction to the thought, he assumes he doesn't want to know. He releases the pack mule from the tree, attempts to hops on the thing and ride it in the direction beardthar suggested.

Post by **Mogri** » Wed May 02, 2012 4:47 am

"It's gray and it rends. What more do you need to know? Let's get a move on!" Holy Saint Akbar al-Akbar does his best to keep his composure.

BMR · Post by **BMR** » Wed May 02, 2012 5:19 am

Your party runs away from the clearing in hopes that you'll manage to get away from the gray render in time. Judging by the sound, there's probably at least still at wolf alive putting up a fight.

You don't make it far though, when a second wolf corpse flies through the air and smashes crumples to the ground. You hazard a glimpse over your shoulder and see a massive monstrosity standing there with blood dripping from its claws and mouth. It stands around 7 feet tall, but it's hunched over so you believe it might be even larger when standing. Running at you is a brown bear, it looks particularly angry, perhaps the wolves stumbled upon its cubs or something. Either way, it is extremely angry.

Spot (1d20 + Ranks + WIS)

Akbar: 14 + 0 + 1 + 1 = 16 Success
Beardthar: 5 + 5 + 3 = 13 Success
Peanut: 9 + 5 + 1 = 15 Success
Spittle: 10 + 0 + 0 = 10 Fail
Tim-Tim: 20 + 0 + 3 = 23 Success

You notice that the gray render is limping slightly, one of the wolves must have gotten lucky and took a bite out of its leg.

Initiative Roll

Tim-Tim: 19
Brown Bear: 15
Gray Render: 13
Peanut: 12
Spittle: 11
Holy Saint Akbar al-Akbar: 10
Beardthar: 10

Tim-Tim's Turn!

Newbie Newtype · Post by **Newbie Newtype** » Wed May 02, 2012 5:33 am

(OOC: Before Tim Tim goes, do Peanut or Beardthar know if the monster has any particular weaknesses that they can tell Tim Tim to exploit?)

BMR · Post by **BMR** » Wed May 02, 2012 5:42 am

Akbar: 7 + 0 + -1 = 6 Fail
Beardthar: 15 + 6 + 1 = 22 Success
Peanut: 18 + 5 + 2 = 25 Success
Spittle: 14 + 0 + 1 = 15 Fail
Tim-Tim: 13 + 0 + 1 = 14 Fail
[/list]
You know that the gray render is going to be fiercely protective of the bear. It has probably adopted it and will protect it with its life. On the other hand, if the bear attacks the gray render, the gray render will probably leave as it won't willingly attack the bear. It might even leave if its charge is killed, but you're not 100% sure about that.

Newbie Newtype · Post by **Newbie Newtype** » Wed May 02, 2012 5:53 am

Peanut begins to panic as the situation grows worse and worse despite their best efforts, "Where did that bear come from...!?" He then has a quick thought, "The 'Render might've started liking it...! It's trying to protect the bear!"