As Sam bends down to cut Griff's binds he suddenly freezes, muscles locking in position, his mind racing but trapped inside a frozen piece of meat. Inwardly Sam screamed and howled out in frustration but outwardly could cause no reaction whatsoever.
"The Deal Is OFF!" Sam screams inside his head as Hector, the one who undoubtedly had so attacked and bound Sam, weaves his words and tries to seem reasonable and diplomatic. "We can find our own way! That was the plan originally anyway," Sam counters. Or would if he could. But he is locked inside himself. Held even more effectively than Griff. Sam was beginning to see the feathered fool's point, these people knew of no way but force...
Then it is Griff agreeing to this nonsense. Surely they most have gotten inside his head as well. Sam was never a big fan on the birdbrain but he knew that Griff was singleminded and he has no doubt he'd have never changed so except by being ensorcelled....
As Sam finally manages to break free of the spell holding him he drops the handaxe and instead takes up his maul. His hands grip the handle and he begins to wind up to swing at the dragonborn scum laying hands on Griff... but pauses. Elthana is already mounting one of the two headed monstrosities. Vin and even Neferox are seemingly on board with the trussed up Griff being served up like a holiday meal... Gewyn is providing the soundtrack to the madness. Are they all ensorcelled? Is the Hector in all of their heads, forcing them to a second location where the odds will only be further against them?
Sam roars out in anger, his rage and frustration breaking out and lashed with futility... Even he realizes he cannot fight them all. Not alone.
With that he drops his maul to the ground, the head thunking heavily upon the floor.
What now? Sam asks himself. Have to go with them, right? Even though it is wrong on so, so many levels? This siding with those who attacked them out of nowhere... Who attacked again after a truce had been mind... Who have invaded at least one of their minds if not all.... It is madness to go along with them, is it not?
If only his animals were here. Then at least he could make a fight of it...
Sam's shoulders slump in defeat. He had no choice. Not really.
^$*#
But an idea occurred to Sam... A long shot, perhaps, but it would give him no end of joy to pay back such one who meddled with his head... So Sam chuckles to himself and climbs aboard.
Muir jumps at Sam's outburst breaking his concentration on the birds. He walks over to Sam and grabs his maul to hand back to Sam. "Sometimes in nature prey work with predators to get what they need....Take for instance the Plover.....it will clean the teeth of a crocodile for food and the crocodile allows this to prevent infection. Are we the croc or the plover is the question Sam"
"Ah but you are, as am I, and everything around us, even this world all is connnected...but alas sometimes in nature and not nature as you say you are not a part of, we have to work with those who are not typically an ally....This is Elthana's conundrum to figure out with our guidance is she asks for it....He is her maker's brother...so for us we need to determine if we are the croc or the plover....”
"But if the plover and the crocodile work together so well then aren't they typically allies?" Sam asks, confused. "Or do the crocodiles typically dine on the plover except for yearly cleanings?"
As everyone climbs aboard their Smeagle mounts, the harnesses sit forward on the two necks of each beast, meaning that no one rider is technically the one leading the bird.
The dragonborn riding along with Muir, sends their bird forth first to approach the crystal plug at the bottom of this hole in the abandoned healers house, the stalagmites cleared from this side make a short runway and as the bird gallops forward a kobold engages the pulley system and the plug lifts up on a hinge making it an incline which the bird continues to gallop up. The winds from below the plug roar upwards and as soon as Muir's Smeagle feels it they open their wings catch the wind and sail upward, shooting upward through the hole past the forty floors that the group descended and into the air high above gojiin in an instant.
After the rush of wind the group see that Muir is gone. The plug slams back down as Gewyn and Vin's Smeagle dutifully follows next of its own accord. It gallops, the plug lifts, the wind roads and in a rush of upward wind vin and Gewyn disappear into the vast blue beyond Gojiin, the sled containing Neferox being dragged along behind them. Sam's bird goes next, much the same and finally Hector and Elthana with Griff bound and somewhat safe in their sled.
Once the rush is over the birds find eachother and begin to fly in formation, the destination beyond not visible, the rush of the wind almost deafening to any outside noise apart from being just able to hear the person sitting astride the same bird as you.
After an hour of flight Sam feels like he is not being observed enough to reach into his pack and pull out two pieces of paper and a small item, he shields the paper from the headwind and reads.
Elthana stares at Sam as he drops his maul and is clearly seething. She doesn't understand... they were getting help and it was from the person she was sent here to find. As they start mounting their smeagles, she turns to him, "Sam, please... we're just trying to get the dragon bone the quickest way possible. We won't let Griff come to any harm and we're all in this together." She finds herself worrying about what is going on as the bird takes flight and she finds herself in the air with Hector.
After four hours the group gain the benefits of a short rest and start feeling just a little better from the fight before.
The wind continues rushing by making talk for the group between the smeagles impossible, the smeagles themselves caw and bicker with between their heads but somehow stay a course known only to them.
All around you in the distance the group sees the sky whales, Blugufa, and massive jellyfish like creatures, hafgufa, migrating on the winds and flocks of birds both large and small. Even though the expanse between the giant falling isles is vast there are sporadic patches of smaller falling crystal shards, too small for people to inhabit but enough for wildlife to call home, along with slips steams of vapour that pour moisture through the air and upwards out of sight, caught in funnels of wind that move them around like snakes.
After a couple more hours of flight the group begin approaching one of these vapour streams and everyone but Vin spots a shimmering cloud of small birds beginning to come closer and closer.
Surrounded by the strange, otherworldly wildlife in this picturesque vista, Gewyn plays his pipes. Not like he usually does, however. There is no traditional melody, no recognizable key. It's as if rather than try to impose a musical structure on the scene, he is trying to learn from it. To let it fill him and instruct him in new ways
Vin happily dozes to pass the time as they travel, blissfully unaware that something is approaching. Even Gewyn's music does not rouse him, even though he listens to it as it cuts through the wind.
Are those indeed small birds? Sam wonders to himself. And are they flying such that they will pass right by or intercept??
Perception? 12
If they do seem to be heading right for the group, or if something does seem odd about them, Sam leans over to the dragonborn pilot and gets his attention. "Problem?" Sam asks in Giant.
As the shimmer gets a little closer, Hector, at the front of the pack, begins trying to lead the smeagles away but the temperamental birds seem to have their course and want to stick to it.
The dragonborn sitting next to Sam looks at him, understands his words but doesn't have to right vocabulary to answer. Instead he puts his hand out flat and wobbles it on its axis as if to say 'maybe?'
Before Sam can really interpret several small birds peel off from the main shimmer and start swooping and diving toward the group, Hector stands on the back of his Smeagle and shouts something to everyone but it is lost in the wind, Only Elthana hears him yell out "cockatrice! Prepare yourselves!"
And then the group is attacked by a handful of the creatures.
As a cockatrice dives and begins to attack a member of the party each, the group get a good look at the beasts, small creatures for sure spiny feathers surrounding their faces making their razor sharp beaks look all the more dangerous, Thier bodies skinny and malnourished, mostly leathery apart from sparse clusters of the same thin wiry feathers.
One snaps at Elthana (18 to hit) but misses as she expertly dodges out of the way.
One attacks Hector but also whiffs completely. (8)
Moving around Sam, one Cockatrice tears at his flesh as he prepares to hit back (20 to hit, 5 piercing damage and a DC11 CON save)
The second one around Sam attacks the dragonborn cracking armour and piercing skin (22 to hit, 2 piercing, Con save 9 failed) as the cockatrices beak scratches a line of blood in the dragonborn something takes hold, he stops moving and around the wound his body begins to turn to stone.
One Cockatrice attacking Gewyn has a hard time pinning him down (7 to hit)
The other circling them swoops at Vin and manages to tear a chunk from the boy (18 to hit, 3 piercing damage and DC11 Con save)
The two cockatrice circling and swooping on Muir and Eaos both manage to miss as they misjudge the wind whipping around them (13 & 4 to hit)
As the dragonborn next to Sam begins to petrify, everyone sees it and understands the danger that these small birds actually pose. With nowhere else to go there is nothing to do but fight.
EVERYONE IS UP, (If anyone hit fails their saving throw they can re roll at the End of their next turn)
Vin is completely shocked at the arrival of the cockatrice, letting out a grunt of pain as it tears at his flesh with it's beak. The wound starts to feel strange, as the flesh begins to harden, and he does his best to resist the effect but to no avail.
Even as that is happening, he sweeps a hand up, sending two blasts of eldritch energy at the creature from point blank range.
As the hardening of the skin around his wounds starts to spread, he doubles his efforts to resist the effect, feeling relieved as he shrugs it off
Con Save: 3+4=7 Action: Eldritch Blast - 2 at the cockatrice attacking him at disadvantage due to restrained and melee Attack 1 - To Hit:(6, 17)+8=14, 6+5=11 [force] Attack 2 - To Hit:(12, 8)+8=16, 3+5=8 [force] Con Save: 16+4=20
As a reaction Sam invokes his Cloud Rune to prevent the Cockatrice from hitting the Dragonborn pilot of his Smeagle and have it instead strike the other Cockatrice which just hit Sam himself... Sam has no love for the Dragonborn but he has no idea how to pilot this creature.
As the attack happens Sam's mind races with which tactics to use and, perhaps more importantly, not to use... Embiggening seems it could be problematic, the sudden extra weight upon the Smeagle not seeming wise. Even swinging his maul around seems it could be dangerous. Drawing his handaxes instead, Sam swings and tries to behead tehse ugly turkeys, aiming first at the one attacking the Dragonborn before the one harrying himself...
First Handaxe Attack: 19to hit for 7slashing damage Second Handaxe Attack: 12to hit for 7slashing damage Bonus Action Handaxe Attack: 25 to hit for 5damage
On the first attack that hits Sam invokes his other rune, the Fire Rune, and summons fiery shackles to bind the Cockatrice. These shackles do 5additional fire damage to the creature and it must make DC 14 Str Save or be restrained for 1 minute. (If restrained, additional 2d6 damage start of each of it's turns and can make another save try at end of it's turn.)
Whether or not the Cockatrice attacking his pilot is downed or restrained or not, Sam action surges and is looking to kill these things fast...
First Surge Handaxe Attack: 26to hit for 9 damage Second Surge Handaxe Attack: 22to hit for 6damage
((To be clear: All attacks on the Cockatrice attacking the Dragonborn until that Cockatrice is dead, then Sam starts defending himself and attacking the one on him. If Cockatrice is restrained by the Fire Rune then attacks after that would have advantage. If I need to make more rolls for that let me know. It's speed would also become 0, which I believe would mean it starts falling. If it falls before additional attacks can happen... I do not know? lol))
Gewyn reaches over and grips Vin's shoulder reassuringly. "Come on Vin, you've survived worse!" (Bardic inspiration of 1d8)
Then he puts his birdpipes back to his lips and yells out, "Hector, quick! What scares off a cockatrice?"
Then he starts weaving the first parts of a tune to distort perception and create a large illusion. (Major image of whatever Hector responds with, or otherwise a 20 foot dragon)
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As Sam bends down to cut Griff's binds he suddenly freezes, muscles locking in position, his mind racing but trapped inside a frozen piece of meat. Inwardly Sam screamed and howled out in frustration but outwardly could cause no reaction whatsoever.
"The Deal Is OFF!" Sam screams inside his head as Hector, the one who undoubtedly had so attacked and bound Sam, weaves his words and tries to seem reasonable and diplomatic. "We can find our own way! That was the plan originally anyway," Sam counters. Or would if he could. But he is locked inside himself. Held even more effectively than Griff. Sam was beginning to see the feathered fool's point, these people knew of no way but force...
Then it is Griff agreeing to this nonsense. Surely they most have gotten inside his head as well. Sam was never a big fan on the birdbrain but he knew that Griff was singleminded and he has no doubt he'd have never changed so except by being ensorcelled....
As Sam finally manages to break free of the spell holding him he drops the handaxe and instead takes up his maul. His hands grip the handle and he begins to wind up to swing at the dragonborn scum laying hands on Griff... but pauses. Elthana is already mounting one of the two headed monstrosities. Vin and even Neferox are seemingly on board with the trussed up Griff being served up like a holiday meal... Gewyn is providing the soundtrack to the madness. Are they all ensorcelled? Is the Hector in all of their heads, forcing them to a second location where the odds will only be further against them?
Sam roars out in anger, his rage and frustration breaking out and lashed with futility... Even he realizes he cannot fight them all. Not alone.
With that he drops his maul to the ground, the head thunking heavily upon the floor.
What now? Sam asks himself. Have to go with them, right? Even though it is wrong on so, so many levels? This siding with those who attacked them out of nowhere... Who attacked again after a truce had been mind... Who have invaded at least one of their minds if not all.... It is madness to go along with them, is it not?
If only his animals were here. Then at least he could make a fight of it...
Sam's shoulders slump in defeat. He had no choice. Not really.
^$*#
But an idea occurred to Sam... A long shot, perhaps, but it would give him no end of joy to pay back such one who meddled with his head... So Sam chuckles to himself and climbs aboard.
Muir jumps at Sam's outburst breaking his concentration on the birds. He walks over to Sam and grabs his maul to hand back to Sam. "Sometimes in nature prey work with predators to get what they need....Take for instance the Plover.....it will clean the teeth of a crocodile for food and the crocodile allows this to prevent infection. Are we the croc or the plover is the question Sam"
“Nature?” Sam scoffs. “I ain’t nature.”
"Ah but you are, as am I, and everything around us, even this world all is connnected...but alas sometimes in nature and not nature as you say you are not a part of, we have to work with those who are not typically an ally....This is Elthana's conundrum to figure out with our guidance is she asks for it....He is her maker's brother...so for us we need to determine if we are the croc or the plover....”
"But if the plover and the crocodile work together so well then aren't they typically allies?" Sam asks, confused. "Or do the crocodiles typically dine on the plover except for yearly cleanings?"
As everyone climbs aboard their Smeagle mounts, the harnesses sit forward on the two necks of each beast, meaning that no one rider is technically the one leading the bird.
The dragonborn riding along with Muir, sends their bird forth first to approach the crystal plug at the bottom of this hole in the abandoned healers house, the stalagmites cleared from this side make a short runway and as the bird gallops forward a kobold engages the pulley system and the plug lifts up on a hinge making it an incline which the bird continues to gallop up. The winds from below the plug roar upwards and as soon as Muir's Smeagle feels it they open their wings catch the wind and sail upward, shooting upward through the hole past the forty floors that the group descended and into the air high above gojiin in an instant.
After the rush of wind the group see that Muir is gone. The plug slams back down as Gewyn and Vin's Smeagle dutifully follows next of its own accord. It gallops, the plug lifts, the wind roads and in a rush of upward wind vin and Gewyn disappear into the vast blue beyond Gojiin, the sled containing Neferox being dragged along behind them. Sam's bird goes next, much the same and finally Hector and Elthana with Griff bound and somewhat safe in their sled.
Once the rush is over the birds find eachother and begin to fly in formation, the destination beyond not visible, the rush of the wind almost deafening to any outside noise apart from being just able to hear the person sitting astride the same bird as you.
After an hour of flight Sam feels like he is not being observed enough to reach into his pack and pull out two pieces of paper and a small item, he shields the paper from the headwind and reads.
Elthana stares at Sam as he drops his maul and is clearly seething. She doesn't understand... they were getting help and it was from the person she was sent here to find. As they start mounting their smeagles, she turns to him, "Sam, please... we're just trying to get the dragon bone the quickest way possible. We won't let Griff come to any harm and we're all in this together." She finds herself worrying about what is going on as the bird takes flight and she finds herself in the air with Hector.
Sam smiles and nods to Elthana. "I suppose I have issues with any keeping another bound," Sam admits.
"Still, don't trust them," Sam adds after a moment. "YOU do not know them..." He may have had more to say but there was not time.
Muir continues to talk the Dragonborn's ear off
After four hours the group gain the benefits of a short rest and start feeling just a little better from the fight before.
The wind continues rushing by making talk for the group between the smeagles impossible, the smeagles themselves caw and bicker with between their heads but somehow stay a course known only to them.
(Everyone give me a perception check please!)
Sam closes his eyes and feints sleep as he wonders whatever become of the furries he left behind...
All around you in the distance the group sees the sky whales, Blugufa, and massive jellyfish like creatures, hafgufa, migrating on the winds and flocks of birds both large and small. Even though the expanse between the giant falling isles is vast there are sporadic patches of smaller falling crystal shards, too small for people to inhabit but enough for wildlife to call home, along with slips steams of vapour that pour moisture through the air and upwards out of sight, caught in funnels of wind that move them around like snakes.
After a couple more hours of flight the group begin approaching one of these vapour streams and everyone but Vin spots a shimmering cloud of small birds beginning to come closer and closer.
Surrounded by the strange, otherworldly wildlife in this picturesque vista, Gewyn plays his pipes. Not like he usually does, however. There is no traditional melody, no recognizable key. It's as if rather than try to impose a musical structure on the scene, he is trying to learn from it. To let it fill him and instruct him in new ways
Vin happily dozes to pass the time as they travel, blissfully unaware that something is approaching. Even Gewyn's music does not rouse him, even though he listens to it as it cuts through the wind.
Are those indeed small birds? Sam wonders to himself. And are they flying such that they will pass right by or intercept??
Perception? 12
If they do seem to be heading right for the group, or if something does seem odd about them, Sam leans over to the dragonborn pilot and gets his attention. "Problem?" Sam asks in Giant.
As the shimmer gets a little closer, Hector, at the front of the pack, begins trying to lead the smeagles away but the temperamental birds seem to have their course and want to stick to it.
The dragonborn sitting next to Sam looks at him, understands his words but doesn't have to right vocabulary to answer. Instead he puts his hand out flat and wobbles it on its axis as if to say 'maybe?'
Before Sam can really interpret several small birds peel off from the main shimmer and start swooping and diving toward the group, Hector stands on the back of his Smeagle and shouts something to everyone but it is lost in the wind, Only Elthana hears him yell out "cockatrice! Prepare yourselves!"
And then the group is attacked by a handful of the creatures.
As a cockatrice dives and begins to attack a member of the party each, the group get a good look at the beasts, small creatures for sure spiny feathers surrounding their faces making their razor sharp beaks look all the more dangerous, Thier bodies skinny and malnourished, mostly leathery apart from sparse clusters of the same thin wiry feathers.
One snaps at Elthana (18 to hit) but misses as she expertly dodges out of the way.
One attacks Hector but also whiffs completely. (8)
Moving around Sam, one Cockatrice tears at his flesh as he prepares to hit back (20 to hit, 5 piercing damage and a DC11 CON save)
The second one around Sam attacks the dragonborn cracking armour and piercing skin (22 to hit, 2 piercing, Con save 9 failed) as the cockatrices beak scratches a line of blood in the dragonborn something takes hold, he stops moving and around the wound his body begins to turn to stone.
One Cockatrice attacking Gewyn has a hard time pinning him down (7 to hit)
The other circling them swoops at Vin and manages to tear a chunk from the boy (18 to hit, 3 piercing damage and DC11 Con save)
The two cockatrice circling and swooping on Muir and Eaos both manage to miss as they misjudge the wind whipping around them (13 & 4 to hit)
As the dragonborn next to Sam begins to petrify, everyone sees it and understands the danger that these small birds actually pose. With nowhere else to go there is nothing to do but fight.
EVERYONE IS UP, (If anyone hit fails their saving throw they can re roll at the End of their next turn)
Pulling out her longbow, Elthana aims for the one closest to her.
Attack: 16, Damage: 12
Attack: 17, Damage: 11
If the first one goes down, the next arrow to the one by Hector.
Vin is completely shocked at the arrival of the cockatrice, letting out a grunt of pain as it tears at his flesh with it's beak. The wound starts to feel strange, as the flesh begins to harden, and he does his best to resist the effect but to no avail.
Even as that is happening, he sweeps a hand up, sending two blasts of eldritch energy at the creature from point blank range.
As the hardening of the skin around his wounds starts to spread, he doubles his efforts to resist the effect, feeling relieved as he shrugs it off
Con Save: 3+4=7
Action: Eldritch Blast - 2 at the cockatrice attacking him at disadvantage due to restrained and melee
Attack 1 - To Hit:(6,
17)+8=14, 6+5=11 [force]Attack 2 - To Hit:(
12, 8)+8=16, 3+5=8 [force]Con Save: 16+4=20
Sam Con save: 22
As a reaction Sam invokes his Cloud Rune to prevent the Cockatrice from hitting the Dragonborn pilot of his Smeagle and have it instead strike the other Cockatrice which just hit Sam himself... Sam has no love for the Dragonborn but he has no idea how to pilot this creature.
As the attack happens Sam's mind races with which tactics to use and, perhaps more importantly, not to use... Embiggening seems it could be problematic, the sudden extra weight upon the Smeagle not seeming wise. Even swinging his maul around seems it could be dangerous. Drawing his handaxes instead, Sam swings and tries to behead tehse ugly turkeys, aiming first at the one attacking the Dragonborn before the one harrying himself...
First Handaxe Attack: 19 to hit for 7 slashing damage
Second Handaxe Attack: 12 to hit for 7 slashing damage
Bonus Action Handaxe Attack: 25 to hit for 5 damage
On the first attack that hits Sam invokes his other rune, the Fire Rune, and summons fiery shackles to bind the Cockatrice. These shackles do 5 additional fire damage to the creature and it must make DC 14 Str Save or be restrained for 1 minute. (If restrained, additional 2d6 damage start of each of it's turns and can make another save try at end of it's turn.)
Whether or not the Cockatrice attacking his pilot is downed or restrained or not, Sam action surges and is looking to kill these things fast...
First Surge Handaxe Attack: 26 to hit for 9 damage
Second Surge Handaxe Attack: 22 to hit for 6 damage
((To be clear: All attacks on the Cockatrice attacking the Dragonborn until that Cockatrice is dead, then Sam starts defending himself and attacking the one on him. If Cockatrice is restrained by the Fire Rune then attacks after that would have advantage. If I need to make more rolls for that let me know. It's speed would also become 0, which I believe would mean it starts falling. If it falls before additional attacks can happen... I do not know? lol))
Gewyn reaches over and grips Vin's shoulder reassuringly. "Come on Vin, you've survived worse!" (Bardic inspiration of 1d8)
Then he puts his birdpipes back to his lips and yells out, "Hector, quick! What scares off a cockatrice?"
Then he starts weaving the first parts of a tune to distort perception and create a large illusion. (Major image of whatever Hector responds with, or otherwise a 20 foot dragon)