Sandstar

Apologies everyone, I truly thought I'd be able to post an update by this time, but work has meant I've had to postpone. I'll get it sorted over the next few days. Apologies again!

Casimir cautiously approaches the cliff face where Lothar and Arradon are methodically hacking away at the vegetation, taking care to stay away from the sharp blades. As the bare rock is slowly revealed, he carefully checks for stairs, footholds, or anything else that might make their ascent easier. The earlier observation of the uniform track or drag mark through the vegetation bothers him, and he begins to speculate, unhindered by actual knowledge. "Whatever made those tracks didn't have any feet to speak of. Perhaps a giant slug, or an ooze? Or possibly a construct?" He keeps a careful watch on his surroundings as the work slowly progresses. Actions Free action: Move action: Standard action: Perception check 1) to notice anything approaching the party, or otherwise hazardous in the wider area, 2) work out how to climb the cliff wall now that the plants are being removed. Mini stats Casimir Ivaldisson Male NG Human Cleric, Level 2, Init 1, HP 8/18, Speed 30 ft AC 16, Touch 11, Flat-footed 15, CMD 14, Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +7, CMB +3, Base Attack Bonus +1 Light crossbow (20 bolts) +2 (1d8, 19-20/x2) MW Mallet (Warhammer) +4 (1d8+1, x3) Dagger +3M/+2R (1d4+2, 19-20/x2) MW Lamellar armour, MW Buckler Abilities: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 8 Condition: None Weapon in hand: MW Mallet Spells prepared for the day: 0: Create Water, Guidance, Light, Virtue 1: Animate Rope (D), Cure Light Wounds, Magic Weapon, Protection from Evil, Shield of Faith Channel energy attempts: 2 out of 2/day

Combat, round 4 Ashril curses loudly as Bill the pony, bleeding from both ears, suddenly bolts forward onto the nearest artificial island, then carries on running onto the rickety wooden bridge at the other side, evidently trying to get away from whatever made the horrible noise. Ashril runs after the pony; he and Belyr subsequently hear a loud CRASH!SPLASH! as Bill breaks through the wooden barrier and plunges into the water, heading straight for the other shore. Behind him, the bridge evidently can't take this sort of treatment and starts to collapse, leaving a 10-ft gap midway between the two artificial islands. Raph's summoned frog smugly takes a leap towards the fanged lilypads and proceeds to latch on with its powerful jaws. Raph himself retreats back towards the shore where they came from, to give Belyr some room. Trying to ignore the chaos around him, the priest almost surgically removes another lilypad with a focused stroke of his scimitar. The plant-thing is looking significantly pruned at this point. As the ripples from Bill's splash reverberate across the pond, the plant suddenly swims backwards, then dives and disappears under the surface, heading North. Agitha manages to safely fall off her panicked gecko, who rushes to land and scurries off into the undergrowth, bleeding from at least one ear. Despite her sudden deafness, she continues her cackling as best she can, this time from a safe distance. Suddenly, her gecko collapses on the path behind her, apparently more heavily injured than was first apparent. Combat information Notes: Everyone: Bill has caused a 10-ft gap to appear in the old wooden bridge (indicated by the blue square on the map). The kawa akago is looking quite battered, but disengages from the main group to try and intercept Bill, further north. It is currently invisible, but the blue arrow indicates its last seen trajectory. , your gecko is currently at -1 hp, having taken the full force of the sonic blast. Initiative order: Ashril (NPC): 25 Raph: 23 Belyr: 21 kawa akago: 23 -> dropping to 21 to match Belyr's initiative Agitha: 21 Conditions: Ashril (NPC): kawa akago: 20/? dmg, under Misfortune hex Raph: 10/23hp, deafened for 3 rounds (2 to go) Belyr: under Protective Luck hex; Longstrider (lasts 3 hours) Agitha: deafened for 3 rounds (2 to go)

thanks for letting us know, and I am sorry to see you go! If this does end up being your decision, please know that I am grateful for your contributions and advice during this and previous games, and I look forward to playing with you again in the future. Take care!

Casimir gingerly crosses the ford alongside the others, trying to not draw attention to himself by making undue splashing movements. He is relieved when nothing more sinister than a few leeches are to be found. As they laboriously make their way through the marshy vegetation towards the cliff, he keeps a lookout for any evidence that anyone - or anything - has recently come this way. When they eventually reach the base of the cliff, he casts a skeptical look over the nettles. "I'm no expert, but those look like they might hurt if you fell into them. Do these look familiar to any of you?" He looks for ways that they might reach the cave opening while avoiding the vegetation, just in case. Actions Free action: Move action: Standard action: Perception check 1) to notice any recent paths, evidence of habitation or recent travelers, 2) work out how to reach the cave while avoiding the plants. Mini stats Casimir Ivaldisson Male NG Human Cleric, Level 2, Init 1, HP 8/18, Speed 30 ft AC 16, Touch 11, Flat-footed 15, CMD 14, Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +7, CMB +3, Base Attack Bonus +1 Light crossbow (20 bolts) +2 (1d8, 19-20/x2) MW Mallet (Warhammer) +4 (1d8+1, x3) Dagger +3M/+2R (1d4+2, 19-20/x2) MW Lamellar armour, MW Buckler Abilities: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 8 Condition: None Weapon in hand: MW Mallet Spells prepared for the day: 0: Create Water, Guidance, Light, Virtue 1: Animate Rope (D), Cure Light Wounds, Magic Weapon, Protection from Evil, Shield of Faith Channel energy attempts: 2 out of 2/day

in response to your recent query about Ride checks, I would suggest the following sequence of rolls to resolve your complex situation: 1) Roll a Ride check vs DC 5 (!) immediately, to determine whether you stay in the saddle while the gecko is panicking (and while you yourself have just taken damage). This should be doable unless you roll a 1. 1a) If the worst happens (you fail the above roll) and you do fall off there and then, please roll another Ride check vs DC 15 to check whether you successfully execute a soft fall onto the bridge. If you make this check, then all is well and you are standing on the bridge in square U41. If you do end up failing your soft fall roll, before anything else, please first roll a Balance check (DC 11) to see whether you remain on the footbridge (in square U41) while the gecko hightails it back to land. If you fail that check, please roll 1d6, where 1-3 implies you roll off the bridge into the water to the LEFT of the bridge (squares T40, U40 and T41 respectively), and 4-6 implies you fall into the water to the RIGHT of the bridge (V41, U42, V42, as per the map). Needless to say, the water on the right-hand side of the bridge is currently a more hazardous place. 1b) If you fail your soft fall Ride check, but save the Balance check, you end up prone in square U41 while taking 1d2 damage (since you don't have a huge distance to fall and the surface is wood, not stone. But at least you won't be in the water!). 2) Based on your post, the gecko bolts back down the bridge, implying you are not rolling a second Ride check (DC 20) to control your mount in battle. Please confirm whether this is the case. NB: I am assuming here that the gecko was not trained for battle - please confirm. 3) Assuming none of the above has resulted in serious problems, once the gecko has traveled 20ft down the bridge towards land, please roll a DC15 Ride check to safely dismount, as per your intent. Please advise if this makes sense, and amend your post accordingly if all this sounds reasonable.

Combat, round 3 Ashril fires another arrow at the fanged lilypads, but this one misses, hitting the water and sinking to the depths without coming close to hitting the thing. Raph attempts to summon an ally combatant, and concentrates on that. Belyr strikes at the creature, but misses. Agitha, cackling wildlly, by now strongly suspects that the creature is now under the effect of her Misfortune hex. The plant creature, meanwhile, changes its tactics. Instead of continuing to attack the creatures in front of it, it dives underneath the footbridge, provoking an attack of opportunity from Belyr, who is successful in chopping off one of its leaves. It resurfaces on the other side of the bridge, between Bill and Agitha, then opens up the central maw and emits a blood-curdling scream that lingers in the ears of all that hear it. Bill is badly affected, blood starting to run down one ear, and shows signs of beginning to panic. Combat information Notes: , : Please roll a DC14 Fortitude save to mitigate the effects of the kawa akago's blood-curdling scream on yourselves and the gecko, which upon a fail, bestows 12 pts of sonic damage + causes deafness for 3 rounds to all who hear it within 20 ft of the kawa akago. If you save successfully, the damage is halved and the deafness duration is reduced to 1 round. , Bill failed his save, which means he is now deafened for 3 rounds and has just sustained a significant injury. Up to you how you wish to play his and Ashril's response to that? Initiative order: Ashril: 25 Raph: 23 Belyr: 21 kawa akago: 23 -> dropping to 21 to match Belyr's initiative Agitha: 21 Conditions: Ashril: kawa akago: 9/? dmg Raph: Belyr: under Protective Luck hex; Longstrider (lasts 3 hours) Agitha:

Casimir considers their options, as laid out by Barlo, Arradon and Azgar. As is in his nature, he attempts to find common ground between the different proposals. "We could bring the oxen and the boat with us to the southern edge of this island, but then leave them on this side of the ford while one or more of us cross to investigate. That way, we retain maximum flexibility and some reassurance that we won't leave these valuable beasts unprotected." Actions Free action: Move action: Consult map. Standard action: Mini stats Casimir Ivaldisson Male NG Human Cleric, Level 2, Init 1, HP 8/18, Speed 30 ft AC 16, Touch 11, Flat-footed 15, CMD 14, Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +7, CMB +3, Base Attack Bonus +1 Light crossbow (20 bolts) +2 (1d8, 19-20/x2) MW Mallet (Warhammer) +4 (1d8+1, x3) Dagger +3M/+2R (1d4+2, 19-20/x2) MW Lamellar armour, MW Buckler Abilities: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 8 Condition: None Weapon in hand: MW Mallet Spells prepared for the day: 0: Create Water, Guidance, Light, Virtue 1: Animate Rope (D), Cure Light Wounds, Magic Weapon, Protection from Evil, Shield of Faith Channel energy attempts: 2 out of 2/day

Casimir nods to himself as Barlo and Arradon consider the option of the cave, then re-checks his map. "This island does not appear terribly large, so we should hopefully not have to spend a huge amount of time searching for clues... but then we would need to cross another waterway to reach the cliffs and the cave. That takes us further away from our wagon and oxen... I am just checking to see whether there is a way round over land?" He checks the map to make sure there is no road that would enable them to reach the vicinity of the cave by retracing their steps with the wagon. From memory, he doesn't think there is such an option, but he wants to be completely sure before leaving their wagon and supplies even further behind. Once he has satisfied himself, he falls in behind the rest of the party as they set off to explore the possible escape route from the wreck towards the cliffs. Actions Free action: Move action: Consult map. Standard action: Mini stats Casimir Ivaldisson Male NG Human Cleric, Level 2, Init 1, HP 8/18, Speed 30 ft AC 16, Touch 11, Flat-footed 15, CMD 14, Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +7, CMB +3, Base Attack Bonus +1 Light crossbow (20 bolts) +2 (1d8, 19-20/x2) MW Mallet (Warhammer) +4 (1d8+1, x3) Dagger +3M/+2R (1d4+2, 19-20/x2) MW Lamellar armour, MW Buckler Abilities: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 8 Condition: None Weapon in hand: MW Mallet Spells prepared for the day: 0: Create Water, Guidance, Light, Virtue 1: Animate Rope (D), Cure Light Wounds, Magic Weapon, Protection from Evil, Shield of Faith Channel energy attempts: 2 out of 2/day

Apologies, I will be traveling from today (Friday) until Friday next week, inclusive. I may not be able to post much during this time.

Apologies, I will be traveling from today (Friday) until Friday next week, inclusive. I may not be able to post much during this time.

Combat, round 2 Ashril hustles along the rickety wooden bridge to reach the island and attack this new vegetable menace. As he attempts to slip past Belyr and regain solid footing, one of the spiny leaves reaches out from the water and attempts to grab his leg. It is unfortunately highly successful, and Ashril feels a burning sensation start around the painful bite, but manages to shrug it off. He recalls hearing about these creatures before: called kawa akago, they haunt lakes and ponds and attempt to drag victims down into the water with them. Their bite causes affected victims to try and immerse themselves in water to make the burning stop. Undeterred, Ashril fires an arrow at the thing from mere feet away; the arrow pierces one of the creature's leaves and disappears down into the dark depths of the pond. Raph, hanging back, shifts into a defensive stance with his quarterstaff while attempting to recall potentially useful information about this kind of creature and, importantly, how to go about killing it. He recalls something about these creature being able to damage their foes by emitting a harmful wailing sound, but the details escape him for the moment Belyr feels he has the measure of this creature and slashes down at it with his scimitar, but the strike misses badly with the blade briefly embedding itself in one of the support posts holding up the bridge. Sensing an opening, the creature sends two fanged lilypad-like leaves up to grab the feet of first Belyr, then Ashril. It misses Belyr, but Ashril is once again hit with a painful bite. Thankfully, the effects of the poisonous bite once again fail to take hold. The creature then shifts slightly away from the island alongside the rickety wooden bridge. Agitha hangs back and attempts to maintain one hex while casting another. She believes she was successful, but will have to wait and see what the creature does next before knowing for sure. Combat information Notes: since we do not use 'Critical Fumble' rules (although happy to instigate this in future games!) no harm comes from Belyr's rolling a 1, just an amusing brief visual of him having to wrench his blade back out of the submerged wooden post. Initiative order: Ashril: 25 Raph: 23 Belyr: 21 kawa akago: 23 -> dropping to 21 to match Belyr's initiative Agitha: 21 Conditions: Ashril: kawa akago: 5/? dmg Raph: Belyr: under Protective Luck hex; Longstrider (lasts 3 hours) Agitha:

I can do that (we're then talking about grid square Q-46, correct?) but I just realized why I was so confused about Agitha's movement - I had forgotten the gecko had a 40ft move. My concern through all this was that, with Belyr under the influence of Longstrider, Agitha might not be able to keep up from the positions they both started in, although I am happy to tweak that given that combat started with the party becoming aware of the hazard at a safe distance. But that issue goes away once the movement of the gecko is taken into account. Apologies for the confusion - Agitha will definitely be able to reach a point within 30 ft of Belyr. Unless you do wish her to be placed at Q-46 as per above? Please let me know either way, I will amend the map accordingly in my next update. Given that hexes take a standard action to cast, and cackling represents a move action, Agitha can't do anything else this round. So, in the previous round, she would have had to get herself into a position within 30ft of Belyr for this to work.

Map is fixed - please let me know if this changes matters.

Casimir carefully pockets the captain's journal, intending to study it in more detail at some later point. He then gives the cabin one last wistful glance and follows Lothar and Azgar back outside. While the others search for evidence of recent activity, he spends a few minutes removing the plank with the ship's name to take back to Venza with him. Once this is accomplished, he scans the area based on what they now know were the captain's final orders before the ship was wrecked. "Not much 'higher ground' on this island", he eventually comments, "If our own map is any indication, the survivors might have been able to see the cliffs in the distance, and tried to head in that general direction? Whether they managed to get off this island or not, my suggestion would be to explore the southern part of this island first." Actions Free action: Move action: Take 10 (Craft (Shipbuilding)) = 15 to remove the plank with the ship's name from the hull. Standard action: Mini stats Casimir Ivaldisson Male NG Human Cleric, Level 2, Init 1, HP 8/18, Speed 30 ft AC 16, Touch 11, Flat-footed 15, CMD 14, Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +7, CMB +3, Base Attack Bonus +1 Light crossbow (20 bolts) +2 (1d8, 19-20/x2) MW Mallet (Warhammer) +4 (1d8+1, x3) Dagger +3M/+2R (1d4+2, 19-20/x2) MW Lamellar armour, MW Buckler Abilities: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 8 Condition: None Weapon in hand: MW Mallet Spells prepared for the day: 0: Create Water, Guidance, Light, Virtue 1: Animate Rope (D), Cure Light Wounds, Magic Weapon, Protection from Evil, Shield of Faith Channel energy attempts: 2 out of 2/day