(OOC: Time for an Ahoyhoy montage! This assumes you are spending the rest of the day in Ahoyhoy.)
GUIDE TO THE TEMPLE:
Apart from the mud pits, the Typhoon Palace (a.k.a. Dangwaru,) is the only other structure/landmark in the Snout of Omgar island that is connected to Ahoyhoy by ways of a proper path. Instead of leaving the settlement through the north gate, you'd leave through the south gate and follow the path. Eeyal candidly tells you that you should not need a guide for navigation purposes, but she would be happy to join you for companionship and as a combat reinforcement, for a price. Kwilgok is also willing to join you for a price, which includes his pack-dinosaur, Deadly Treasure. He claims the ankylosaurus would be very helpful in carrying back whatever loot you are to find in Dangwaru! If you are willing to take Mudgraw away from Volo's care, he'll trust your decision and join you as a guide.
INFO ON THE TEMPLE:
The Typhoon Palace has stood for almost a century. Back then, a storm caused a ship to crash near High Horn. After pulling human survivors from the wreckage and the water, the tortles tried to make the humans feel at home. The ship’s captain was a charismatic woman whom the tortles learned to admired. She worshiped a sea goddess and told stories about terrifying sea monsters, great ship battles, and magnificent island palaces. The tortles built the Typhoon Palace for her so that she could feel at home on the island. Built by tortles using designs shared by the captain herself, the palace is a sturdy, multilevel stone edifice with terraces carved out of the mountainside and built to withstand storms, earthquakes, and the passage of time. Its name, Dangwaru, loosely translates to “high home” in Aquan. No one remembers the name of the cleric for whom the palace was built. The captain and her crew lived in the palace for the rest of their lives. The last of them perished more than fifty years ago. According to the tortle tales, the palace is dilapidated and haunted. Young tortles occasionally explore the ruins in search of treasure. Most don’t get far before strange sounds and shadowy forms frighten them away.
TRINKETS TO SELL:
The bazaar in Ahoyhoy will gladly buy items from you and pay you in gold, silver, copper, seashells, coconuts, or dried fish. They will pay half of the item's values if it classifies as a mundane item worth less than 25gp. Lizard meat trades as rations. They do not buy any mundane items worth 25gp or more (not even by half their value) as they don't generally find these transactions worth their scarce resources. That said, any precious items like gems, rare metals, or art objects are seen to maintain their value, so the tortles are willing to pay for them even if they are valued at more than 25gp. They pay up to 10gp less than the item's worth so they can make a profit on it as they are confident they'd be able to resell these to the sporadic merchant ship that passes by. (If choosing to sell a precious/art item roll a d10. That's the amount of the discout the tortles demand if a sale is to be made.)
SHOPPING AT THE BAZAAR:
The tortle vendors are, of course, more than willing to also sell items to the Snack Pack. They have quite the exotic offerings, some of which are new arrivals you have not seen during your previous visits (see spoiler below). They also sell any mundane items that do not exceed 25gp in value.
Cost
Goods
2sp
1lb. bushel of red blood hawk feathers
1gp
2lb. covered basket containing 4 poisonous snakes or scorpions
2gp
2lb. basket of ornamental shells or coral
3gp
eight rations' worth of coconuts sold as a discount bundle
5gp
5lb. wooden cage holding an untrained baboon
10gp
5lb. wooden cage holding a trained blood hawk
25gp
Dimetrodon egg or pteranodon egg
50gp
Domesticated giant lizard (pack animal)
50gp
Hooded, untrained axe beak on a rope leash
500gp
500gp diamond
GETTING A TATTOO:
Although there are no professional ink artist in the island, Mudgraw can scrounge together the supplies needed for simple-design tattoos. With the delivery of good news regarding the two-headed Plesiosaurus and the undead threat in the Sea Mare, Mudgraw is happy to provide this service free of charge. However, the old tortle won't waste the opportunity to "upsell" you. For the small price of 30/40/50gp per piece, Mudgraw will infuse the tattoo with some of his own druidic magic, allowing you to pick one of the following magical tattoos (ignore the bit about "special needles" as Mudgraw would give you the tattoo directly):
Masquerade Tattoo (50gp): Any design of your choice; requires attunement slot; cannot be un-attuned; permanent tattoo.
Illuminator's Tattoo (50gp): Any design of your choice; requires attunement slot; cannot be un-attuned; permanent tattoo.
CELEBRATIONS:
The young tortle is very happy to hear you have not forgotten about his achievement. Although delayed, celebrations are help and Gura is given a place of honor. He shares that he has even killed a blood hawk since his first successful hunt, so he claims he'll "soon be a veteran!" The celebrations are rekindled with news regarding the defeats of the two-headed Plesiosaurus and the undead threat in the Sea Mare. As usual, the tortles have a good time during their daily get-together. Kairus does not seem to be in the right mood for celebrations this time. A few tortles notice this and seem to share a general sorrow with the bard, joining him so they can listen to his melancholic instrumental music. Later, younglings join the circle for the evening's horror stories.
VOLO:
Assuming you stay in Ahoyhoy for the rest of the day, you are able to catch a moment when Volo is conscious, albeit barely so. The man is still in no condition to talk and his caretakers insist that his moments awake be used for nutrition.
(OOC: OH now /I/ want a tattoo. But sadly, as practical as Hun can be, body art ain't exactly his thing. Also, as a reminder for the list of sellable goods, see spoiler below for ease. Leaving it up to whoever would like to roll the dice of fate and sell'em. Though Hun will definitely want a cut of the profit!)
Two gold lockets with a painted portrait inside: one of a mustachioed human male and one of an elegant human female (worth 50gp in total) Two copper chalices with silver filigree (worth 50gp in total) A carved bone statuette of a rooster (worth 25gp) A small mirror set in a painted wooden frame (worth 25gp) An embroidered silk handkerchief; the design is quite abstract (worth 25gp) A stoppered bronze scroll tube (worth 25gp);
Hun winced and muttered a curse under his breath. "That darn young blue is starting to rub off on me even more." He complainted while messaging his temple. After a few moments, he looks up to Mudgraw and thanks him (in his own grumpy way) for entertaining the kobolds momentary lapse of madness prior to recanting the earlier offer. He then went on to ask if the elder Tortle had seen the "dino keeping youngling" about, before ultimately setting out to go find Kwilgok and "Deadly Treasure". Because whether he wanted to admit it or not, even the satchel of holding had its limits. And who knew just how much they'd find!
If reminded of the magical tats, either in Yulmiath's arrival and subsequent mentioning of them, or any closing conversation with the Elder, Hun seemed intrigued and even tempted for a second, before ultimately dismissing the idea of getting one in favor of completing other tasks. Such as caving into his worst kobold instincts yet again in trying to get 2 baskets full of poisonous snakes! And while at it, grab some ornamental shells and eight rations worth of coconuts to boot!
After all is said and done, any thought of getting to the Palace before nightfall couldn't be further at least from the kobold's mind. So short of the others going out of their way to try and convince him, Hun's content to spend the remainder of the day tinkering and preparing brand new inventions for tomorrow's explorations!
Purchases: - 2(if possible) baskets of Poisonous Snakes - 2 gp - 8 rations worth of coconuts - 3 gp - 1(if possible) 2lb basket of shells - 2gp - 10gp paid up front for Kwilgok's service (including combat assistance, if willing)
(@Lerus: If there's enough time in the remainder of the day and if Hun can reasonable scrabble together supplies, he'd like to turn the contents of the Roper's stomach into at least -A- vial or pot of Solvent. Still don't know what he's gonna do with it, but it never hurts to have an item to help BS one's way out of a problem!)
Kwilgok is happy to accept the offer from Hun and resume his guide duties without much fuss. "I had assumed you'd be willing to hire me again when it comes time to leave the island, given that I led your dwarven friend here by foot to begin with when we came across the lot of you on that beach. But until then, Deadly Treasure and I'll join you on the way to Dangwaru. I can't promise she'll be willing to enter a fight that is not demanded of her by self-defense instincts, but my crossbow will be ready at your call."
Afterwards, Hun buys all the snakes available in the bazaar (two baskets), as well as some food and seashells. The artificer even finds some time to tinker with the Roper's bile.
(@Ori: I'd say this is more of an alchemist's supplies roll, but if you add the right flavor in there, we can call it a tinker's tools or even cook's utensils check instead. These can all be INT-based.)
(@All: Let's get everyone's take on what Ahoyhoy has to offer before moving forward with the Temple exploration.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(@Lerus: In that case, let's go with Cook's utensils. Technically he could make himself some alchemist's supplies using his 'The Right Tools For the Job Feature'. But I think he'd try to distil from natural food based ingredients some kind of unholy cocktail using the stomach contents, lemon juice, hand made vegetable oil, and a few other natural solvents. So if flavor works, here's ze roll:)
-Cook Utensil's Check: 8.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
The tattoos on Yulmiath's body tell a story; his story, so any temporary tattoo's just won't cut it. They need to be permanant like his experences, adventures and choices. That said, he cannot help but mind his mind returning to the magical nature of some of the tattoos Mudgraw can offer. Selecting a simple image of a small bird, a wagtail, he chooses the inside of his elbow as it's location so he can better watch Mudgraw closely as he begins his work.
(OOC - Any rolls required for this? Yully is picking the masquerade tattoo so will lighten his purse accordingly.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The party spends the rest of the day in Ahoyhoy, generally resting, resupplying, and enjoying the tortles' friendliness as they rejoice in the many pieces of good news the Snack Pack has brought back to the settlement.
Hun finds some time to engage in purposeful cooking, slapping the hand of any youngsters trying to dip a finger into the pot. Some of them groan in disappointment once the artificer claims the soup-like recipe is complete but it is no soup at all. Hun bottles his serving of solvent and begins to daydream about what to eventually do with it.
Yulmiath is the only one who accepts Mudgraw's offer for a druidic tattoo, eventually choosing to add a wagtail to the inside of his elbow. It takes a few tries, but the dragonborn eventually gets used to the piece's fluid nature.
Time flies when you are enjoying it and, surely enough, it is soon time to call it a day here in Ahoyhoy. The group sleeps soundly and safely, waking up early and getting ready for one more trip in the island. Kwilgok and Deadly Treasure are ready to go as soon as the party tells them to. Exiting through the south gate for what might be the first time since arriving in the settlement, the Snackers hike down the marked path during the morning hours, enjoying the fact that they are walking down the coastline. The breeze is refreshing, the salty spray in the air smells like the ships many of the Packers called home for a long time, and the echos of marine animals in the distance sound more pleasant than the menacing grunts of the forest fauna they had almost grow used to.
Alas, this pleasant trek was not meant to last. It has been too long since this island's feathery inhabitants have caused some trouble for the Snackers and here they come again. You can see in the distance a flock of tall flightless birds with strong legs and a heavy, wedge-shaped beaks traveling up the path in the opposite direction. From spending some time at the Ahoyhoy bazaar yesterday, you know these birds are called Axe Beaks (the tortles had one of them up for sale). You count nine coming straight at you. They seem to have a nasty disposition and to be behaving quite aggressively.
It was a reflex, really, Kairus simply could not help it. A danger from above meant only one reaction -- Fog Cloud ("use", not from Cittern). First, hide and assess the situation, everything else -- later. The cloud covered the group and (maybe partially) the dinosaur. He did comment that can remove the cover, but only after it was already in place. Some encouragement could be used too -- not that people needed it, but stimulating words are never useless! "You know this dance, Yul. Let's dance!" (Bardic Inspiration on Yulmiath)
Yulmaith shouts his frustration to no-one in particular and keeps his anger in check, for now. Taking Krodhen's lead, he follows the half-orc and hopes to be able to keep these bird-brains from his squishier friends.
Planting his feet next to Krodhen, he readies to fend off any axe-beak that tries to take a nibble out of him!
Readied Attack: 7 Damage: 16 (7,16)
(OOC - Edited this slightly given that Axe-Beaks are flightless. Have left Yully's poor rolls, no BI can save a 1!)
"Dun' know why I'm not surprised there're so many murderbeaks on this island, Amethysina!" Rhogal says as he takes out a bright purple mushroom, moves up (to IF-17) and throwns it at the large birds. When it lands, it spreads is brightly colored, glowing spores on the front three.
Marking spores (top left corner is IM-20, Dex DC 16 failure marks them )
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Rhogal is not willing to wait until the birds get any closer. He moves ahead of the pack and launches a purple mushroom at the birds leading their own flock. As the mushroom puffs up in a cloud of purple spores, the three birds up front take the brunt of it. That said, despite the axe beaks' large frame, not enough of the sparkly puff clings to their feathers.
Kwilgok is ready to act as promised, flinging his crossbow forward and taking aim at the closest bird. "I'll sting them,"he shouts confidently:
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
As the Fog Cloud springs up, Krodhen moves toward the creatures at least half his movement "More damn island critters" and tosses a javelin at the nearest, watching it closely before retreating back into the relative safety of the cloud.
OOC: Sorry - should have read it more closely, given the cloud is not up Krodhen would just target them from where he is
Krodhen moves toward the creatures at least half his movement "More damn island critters" and tosses a javelin at the nearest, watching it closely before retreating back into the relative safety of the cloud then putting his hand to his flail and gripping his shield tightly, brace for the wave of beaks coming their way
Krodhen follows suit, also launching a projectile from afar. The javelin flies in a beautiful arc, piercing the same bird that had just been hit by a crossbow bolt. (Axe Beak#7 {IM-21} takes 10 piercing damage.)
Yulmiath takes a different approach, deciding to wait until the birds get closer before swinging his preferred weapon. Kairus notices something awkward in the dragonborn's stance and encourages him to do better (Bardic Inspiration).
The bard then reverts to another one of his go-to strategies. He forces a fog cloud out of his own gills, choosing not to perform this same trick from the cittern this time. The cloud covers all Snackers, but Kwilgok is only partially protected by it and Deadly Treasure is completely outside of its radius.
The Axe Beaks continue running forward, showing no intelligent hesitation when it comes to trampling straight through the fog cloud. As the avian front line reaches Rhogal and Krodhen, their heavy bladed beaks swipe at any obstacles they come across:
-> Beak vs. Krodhen (effectively blinded): Attack: 18 Damage: 4
-> Beak vs. Rhogal (effectively blinded): Attack: 7 Damage: 7
-> Beak vs. Rhogal (effectively blinded): Attack: 11 Damage: 6
The other six birds swing their own beaks back and forth as if attacking something, though they have no 'obstacle' currently within range.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(OOC: I always mess this up. They have disadvantage on their attacks because they can't see you, but also advantage on the attack because you can't see them. Hence, it should be a straight roll for each of the three attacks above. Going by the first die in each attack roll, we end up with the following attacks instead: 24, 7, and 19. The first attack was a Nat20, so here's a roll for the extra damage: 7 (2).)
Within the cloud, everyone is effectively blinded. In the unseen confusion of swinging beak-blades, Krodhen and Rhogal are each cut once. The dwarf feels a nick on his upper arm, while the half-orc's carotid artery is missed by mere inches. (Rhogal takes 6 slashing damage; Krodhen takes 6 slashing damage.)
Yulmiath thinks he has a chance to swing at the most advanced of enemies, but the fog gets into his eyes and he misses his target by a wide margin. Luckily, he also misses any potential allies standing next to him while also obscured by the cloud.
(Hun and Mr. Thicc are up next. They are both within the Fog Cloud, as are the rest of the party and the bird vanguard.)
(Yes Rhogal does attune to it during the break)
"Aye, perhaps we cen findout what anybody knows 'bout that temple we're goin' ta next?" Rhogal says.
Extended Signature
(OOC: Time for an Ahoyhoy montage! This assumes you are spending the rest of the day in Ahoyhoy.)
GUIDE TO THE TEMPLE:
Apart from the mud pits, the Typhoon Palace (a.k.a. Dangwaru,) is the only other structure/landmark in the Snout of Omgar island that is connected to Ahoyhoy by ways of a proper path. Instead of leaving the settlement through the north gate, you'd leave through the south gate and follow the path. Eeyal candidly tells you that you should not need a guide for navigation purposes, but she would be happy to join you for companionship and as a combat reinforcement, for a price. Kwilgok is also willing to join you for a price, which includes his pack-dinosaur, Deadly Treasure. He claims the ankylosaurus would be very helpful in carrying back whatever loot you are to find in Dangwaru! If you are willing to take Mudgraw away from Volo's care, he'll trust your decision and join you as a guide.
INFO ON THE TEMPLE:
The Typhoon Palace has stood for almost a century. Back then, a storm caused a ship to crash near High Horn. After pulling human survivors from the wreckage and the water, the tortles tried to make the humans feel at home. The ship’s captain was a charismatic woman whom the tortles learned to admired. She worshiped a sea goddess and told stories about terrifying sea monsters, great ship battles, and magnificent island palaces. The tortles built the Typhoon Palace for her so that she could feel at home on the island. Built by tortles using designs shared by the captain herself, the palace is a sturdy, multilevel stone edifice with terraces carved out of the mountainside and built to withstand storms, earthquakes, and the passage of time. Its name, Dangwaru, loosely translates to “high home” in Aquan. No one remembers the name of the cleric for whom the palace was built. The captain and her crew lived in the palace for the rest of their lives. The last of them perished more than fifty years ago. According to the tortle tales, the palace is dilapidated and haunted. Young tortles occasionally explore the ruins in search of treasure. Most don’t get far before strange sounds and shadowy forms frighten them away.
TRINKETS TO SELL:
The bazaar in Ahoyhoy will gladly buy items from you and pay you in gold, silver, copper, seashells, coconuts, or dried fish. They will pay half of the item's values if it classifies as a mundane item worth less than 25gp. Lizard meat trades as rations. They do not buy any mundane items worth 25gp or more (not even by half their value) as they don't generally find these transactions worth their scarce resources. That said, any precious items like gems, rare metals, or art objects are seen to maintain their value, so the tortles are willing to pay for them even if they are valued at more than 25gp. They pay up to 10gp less than the item's worth so they can make a profit on it as they are confident they'd be able to resell these to the sporadic merchant ship that passes by. (If choosing to sell a precious/art item roll a d10. That's the amount of the discout the tortles demand if a sale is to be made.)
SHOPPING AT THE BAZAAR:
The tortle vendors are, of course, more than willing to also sell items to the Snack Pack. They have quite the exotic offerings, some of which are new arrivals you have not seen during your previous visits (see spoiler below). They also sell any mundane items that do not exceed 25gp in value.
GETTING A TATTOO:
Although there are no professional ink artist in the island, Mudgraw can scrounge together the supplies needed for simple-design tattoos. With the delivery of good news regarding the two-headed Plesiosaurus and the undead threat in the Sea Mare, Mudgraw is happy to provide this service free of charge. However, the old tortle won't waste the opportunity to "upsell" you. For the small price of 30/40/50gp per piece, Mudgraw will infuse the tattoo with some of his own druidic magic, allowing you to pick one of the following magical tattoos (ignore the bit about "special needles" as Mudgraw would give you the tattoo directly):
CELEBRATIONS:
The young tortle is very happy to hear you have not forgotten about his achievement. Although delayed, celebrations are help and Gura is given a place of honor. He shares that he has even killed a blood hawk since his first successful hunt, so he claims he'll "soon be a veteran!" The celebrations are rekindled with news regarding the defeats of the two-headed Plesiosaurus and the undead threat in the Sea Mare. As usual, the tortles have a good time during their daily get-together. Kairus does not seem to be in the right mood for celebrations this time. A few tortles notice this and seem to share a general sorrow with the bard, joining him so they can listen to his melancholic instrumental music. Later, younglings join the circle for the evening's horror stories.
VOLO:
Assuming you stay in Ahoyhoy for the rest of the day, you are able to catch a moment when Volo is conscious, albeit barely so. The man is still in no condition to talk and his caretakers insist that his moments awake be used for nutrition.
(OOC: OH now /I/ want a tattoo. But sadly, as practical as Hun can be, body art ain't exactly his thing. Also, as a reminder for the list of sellable goods, see spoiler below for ease. Leaving it up to whoever would like to roll the dice of fate and sell'em. Though Hun will definitely want a cut of the profit!)
Two gold lockets with a painted portrait inside: one of a mustachioed human male and one of an elegant human female (worth 50gp in total)
Two copper chalices with silver filigree (worth 50gp in total)
A carved bone statuette of a rooster (worth 25gp)
A small mirror set in a painted wooden frame (worth 25gp)
An embroidered silk handkerchief; the design is quite abstract (worth 25gp)
A stoppered bronze scroll tube (worth 25gp);
Hun winced and muttered a curse under his breath. "That darn young blue is starting to rub off on me even more." He complainted while messaging his temple. After a few moments, he looks up to Mudgraw and thanks him (in his own grumpy way) for entertaining the kobolds momentary lapse of madness prior to recanting the earlier offer. He then went on to ask if the elder Tortle had seen the "dino keeping youngling" about, before ultimately setting out to go find Kwilgok and "Deadly Treasure". Because whether he wanted to admit it or not, even the satchel of holding had its limits. And who knew just how much they'd find!
If reminded of the magical tats, either in Yulmiath's arrival and subsequent mentioning of them, or any closing conversation with the Elder, Hun seemed intrigued and even tempted for a second, before ultimately dismissing the idea of getting one in favor of completing other tasks. Such as caving into his worst kobold instincts yet again in trying to get 2 baskets full of poisonous snakes! And while at it, grab some ornamental shells and eight rations worth of coconuts to boot!
After all is said and done, any thought of getting to the Palace before nightfall couldn't be further at least from the kobold's mind. So short of the others going out of their way to try and convince him, Hun's content to spend the remainder of the day tinkering and preparing brand new inventions for tomorrow's explorations!
Purchases:
- 2(if possible) baskets of Poisonous Snakes - 2 gp
- 8 rations worth of coconuts - 3 gp
- 1(if possible) 2lb basket of shells - 2gp
- 10gp paid up front for Kwilgok's service (including combat assistance, if willing)
(@Lerus: If there's enough time in the remainder of the day and if Hun can reasonable scrabble together supplies, he'd like to turn the contents of the Roper's stomach into at least -A- vial or pot of Solvent. Still don't know what he's gonna do with it, but it never hurts to have an item to help BS one's way out of a problem!)
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Kwilgok is happy to accept the offer from Hun and resume his guide duties without much fuss. "I had assumed you'd be willing to hire me again when it comes time to leave the island, given that I led your dwarven friend here by foot to begin with when we came across the lot of you on that beach. But until then, Deadly Treasure and I'll join you on the way to Dangwaru. I can't promise she'll be willing to enter a fight that is not demanded of her by self-defense instincts, but my crossbow will be ready at your call."
Afterwards, Hun buys all the snakes available in the bazaar (two baskets), as well as some food and seashells. The artificer even finds some time to tinker with the Roper's bile.
(@Ori: I'd say this is more of an alchemist's supplies roll, but if you add the right flavor in there, we can call it a tinker's tools or even cook's utensils check instead. These can all be INT-based.)
(@All: Let's get everyone's take on what Ahoyhoy has to offer before moving forward with the Temple exploration.)
(@Lerus: In that case, let's go with Cook's utensils. Technically he could make himself some alchemist's supplies using his 'The Right Tools For the Job Feature'. But I think he'd try to distil from natural food based ingredients some kind of unholy cocktail using the stomach contents, lemon juice, hand made vegetable oil, and a few other natural solvents. So if flavor works, here's ze roll:)
-Cook Utensil's Check: 8.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
The tattoos on Yulmiath's body tell a story; his story, so any temporary tattoo's just won't cut it. They need to be permanant like his experences, adventures and choices. That said, he cannot help but mind his mind returning to the magical nature of some of the tattoos Mudgraw can offer. Selecting a simple image of a small bird, a wagtail, he chooses the inside of his elbow as it's location so he can better watch Mudgraw closely as he begins his work.
(OOC - Any rolls required for this? Yully is picking the masquerade tattoo so will lighten his purse accordingly.)
DM's Screen:
d20: 12 -- 14 -- 11 --
d100: 22 -- 5 --
other: 6 -- 5 -- 8 --
d20: 20 -- 7 -- 2 -- 7 --
d100: 61 -- 59 --
other: 6 -- 7 -- 6 --
(@MB: No rolls need. You can add the tattoo to your inventory and attune to it over the rest of your time in Ahoyhoy.)
(@Ori: The flavor works.)
The party spends the rest of the day in Ahoyhoy, generally resting, resupplying, and enjoying the tortles' friendliness as they rejoice in the many pieces of good news the Snack Pack has brought back to the settlement.
Hun finds some time to engage in purposeful cooking, slapping the hand of any youngsters trying to dip a finger into the pot. Some of them groan in disappointment once the artificer claims the soup-like recipe is complete but it is no soup at all. Hun bottles his serving of solvent and begins to daydream about what to eventually do with it.
Yulmiath is the only one who accepts Mudgraw's offer for a druidic tattoo, eventually choosing to add a wagtail to the inside of his elbow. It takes a few tries, but the dragonborn eventually gets used to the piece's fluid nature.
Time flies when you are enjoying it and, surely enough, it is soon time to call it a day here in Ahoyhoy. The group sleeps soundly and safely, waking up early and getting ready for one more trip in the island. Kwilgok and Deadly Treasure are ready to go as soon as the party tells them to. Exiting through the south gate for what might be the first time since arriving in the settlement, the Snackers hike down the marked path during the morning hours, enjoying the fact that they are walking down the coastline. The breeze is refreshing, the salty spray in the air smells like the ships many of the Packers called home for a long time, and the echos of marine animals in the distance sound more pleasant than the menacing grunts of the forest fauna they had almost grow used to.
Alas, this pleasant trek was not meant to last. It has been too long since this island's feathery inhabitants have caused some trouble for the Snackers and here they come again. You can see in the distance a flock of tall flightless birds with strong legs and a heavy, wedge-shaped beaks traveling up the path in the opposite direction. From spending some time at the Ahoyhoy bazaar yesterday, you know these birds are called Axe Beaks (the tortles had one of them up for sale). You count nine coming straight at you. They seem to have a nasty disposition and to be behaving quite aggressively.
ROLLING INITIATIVE:
(Rhogal, Krodhen, Yulmiath, and Kairus can all take their first turns.)
It was a reflex, really, Kairus simply could not help it. A danger from above meant only one reaction -- Fog Cloud ("use", not from Cittern). First, hide and assess the situation, everything else -- later. The cloud covered the group and (maybe partially) the dinosaur. He did comment that can remove the cover, but only after it was already in place. Some encouragement could be used too -- not that people needed it, but stimulating words are never useless! "You know this dance, Yul. Let's dance!" (Bardic Inspiration on Yulmiath)
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
"Why is it always birds with this island?!"
Yulmaith shouts his frustration to no-one in particular and keeps his anger in check, for now. Taking Krodhen's lead, he follows the half-orc and hopes to be able to keep these bird-brains from his squishier friends.
Planting his feet next to Krodhen, he readies to fend off any axe-beak that tries to take a nibble out of him!
Readied Attack: 7 Damage: 16 (7,16)
(OOC - Edited this slightly given that Axe-Beaks are flightless. Have left Yully's poor rolls, no BI can save a 1!)
"Dun' know why I'm not surprised there're so many murderbeaks on this island, Amethysina!" Rhogal says as he takes out a bright purple mushroom, moves up (to IF-17) and throwns it at the large birds. When it lands, it spreads is brightly colored, glowing spores on the front three.
Marking spores (top left corner is IM-20, Dex DC 16 failure marks them )
Extended Signature
DM's Screen:
DEX save {DC 16}: 17 17 19
Rhogal is not willing to wait until the birds get any closer. He moves ahead of the pack and launches a purple mushroom at the birds leading their own flock. As the mushroom puffs up in a cloud of purple spores, the three birds up front take the brunt of it. That said, despite the axe beaks' large frame, not enough of the sparkly puff clings to their feathers.
Kwilgok is ready to act as promised, flinging his crossbow forward and taking aim at the closest bird. "I'll sting them," he shouts confidently:
-> Light Crossbow vs Axe Beak#7 {IM-21}: Attack: 18 Damage: 6 (16,3)
True to his word, the tortle dino-rider is the first to draw blood in this fight. (Axe Beak#7 {IM-21} takes 3 piercing damage.)
Sensing danger, Deadly Treasure begins to act defensively.
(Krodhen's turn is still up. He gets to act before Kairus has a chance to trow up a fog cloud, so the order matters here.)
As the Fog Cloud springs up, Krodhen moves toward the creatures at least half his movement "More damn island critters" and tosses a javelin at the nearest, watching it closely before retreating back into the relative safety of the cloud.
Javelin Attack: 15 Damage: 10
"Bubbles the Barbarian" (Locathah - Lvl 9) - Locathah Rising; Shai'ere Delatete (Githyanki Monk - Lvl 9) Rrakkma (deceased - MindFlayer); Saros Rockfoot (Deep Gnome Diviner - Lvl 5) - The Lost Kenku & One Grung Above; Tagret (Goliath Barbarian - Lvl 2) - Tales of Faerun;
"Bubbles the Barbarian" (Locathah - Lvl 9) - Locathah Rising; Shai'ere Delatete (Githyanki Monk - Lvl 9) Rrakkma (deceased - MindFlayer); Saros Rockfoot (Deep Gnome Diviner - Lvl 5) - The Lost Kenku & One Grung Above; Tagret (Goliath Barbarian - Lvl 2) - Tales of Faerun;
Krodhen follows suit, also launching a projectile from afar. The javelin flies in a beautiful arc, piercing the same bird that had just been hit by a crossbow bolt. (Axe Beak#7 {IM-21} takes 10 piercing damage.)
Yulmiath takes a different approach, deciding to wait until the birds get closer before swinging his preferred weapon. Kairus notices something awkward in the dragonborn's stance and encourages him to do better (Bardic Inspiration).
The bard then reverts to another one of his go-to strategies. He forces a fog cloud out of his own gills, choosing not to perform this same trick from the cittern this time. The cloud covers all Snackers, but Kwilgok is only partially protected by it and Deadly Treasure is completely outside of its radius.
The Axe Beaks continue running forward, showing no intelligent hesitation when it comes to trampling straight through the fog cloud. As the avian front line reaches Rhogal and Krodhen, their heavy bladed beaks swipe at any obstacles they come across:
-> Beak vs. Krodhen (effectively blinded): Attack: 18 Damage: 4
-> Beak vs. Rhogal (effectively blinded): Attack: 7 Damage: 7
-> Beak vs. Rhogal (effectively blinded): Attack: 11 Damage: 6
The other six birds swing their own beaks back and forth as if attacking something, though they have no 'obstacle' currently within range.
(OOC: I always mess this up. They have disadvantage on their attacks because they can't see you, but also advantage on the attack because you can't see them. Hence, it should be a straight roll for each of the three attacks above. Going by the first die in each attack roll, we end up with the following attacks instead: 24, 7, and 19. The first attack was a Nat20, so here's a roll for the extra damage: 7 (2).)
Within the cloud, everyone is effectively blinded. In the unseen confusion of swinging beak-blades, Krodhen and Rhogal are each cut once. The dwarf feels a nick on his upper arm, while the half-orc's carotid artery is missed by mere inches. (Rhogal takes 6 slashing damage; Krodhen takes 6 slashing damage.)
Yulmiath thinks he has a chance to swing at the most advanced of enemies, but the fog gets into his eyes and he misses his target by a wide margin. Luckily, he also misses any potential allies standing next to him while also obscured by the cloud.
(Hun and Mr. Thicc are up next. They are both within the Fog Cloud, as are the rest of the party and the bird vanguard.)