[Collective Game] WRATH OF THE RAIN MAKER

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 5:31 am

Your illusion deftly dodges clear of every wight's pounce, eventually joining with others near the entrance to the Rusalka's cave. When they flee, the wights pause at the entrance, clearly suspicious of a trap. But that doesn't stop them from sending the orcs in.

After a few moments, you hear bloodcurdling shrieks from inside the cave, followed by loud splashing and a few sickening crunches. The wights recoil, clearly intimidated, and are about to retreat when the air suddenly thickens around them, clotting into opaque fog. A few more crunches resound from inside the cloud, and one wight is violently hurled out. It seems that the undead's head was twisted in a full circle, and now only hangs on by a few strings. The wight was barely moving when it flew out, and the impact against a tree is enough to finish it off. Now all you can hear is a woman chuckling darkly from inside the cloud.

It's probably quite fortunate that you are invisible right now.

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 1:52 am

Stay far away and stealthy. Observe for a bit. If she doesn't go after the rest of the monsters, or they don't come this way, conjure a super agile ice orc running back towards the rest of his party.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 6:31 am

The cloud gradually falls apart, revealing a scene of carnage but no rusalka. The water near her cave churns and bubbles, but you're not sure whether it's directly her doing. Perhaps Ashara is skulking around invisibly just like you are now? After peering around the jungle for a little while, you spot a couple strands of black hairs that may have come off someone passing between a couple of thorn trees heading south.

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 5:52 pm

Extremely cautiously follow the trail, keeping a lot of distance. If the trail gets cold or lost, head towards where the rest of the monsters were.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 5:30 am

You cautiously pursue the Rusalka, noting that she seems to leave a trail of odd ripples and whorls in the water. After a few minutes, you realize that you are closing in on the dryad's willow tree. Cat-sized lizard monsters are skittering around, hopping between branches and tree roots. A few circle around you, sniffing the air.

Ahead, two humanoids are conversing beneath a massive willow, gesticulating wildly. One has long black thorns growing out of her skin, and the other is shrouded in a cloak of mist. The latter giggles loudly, easily audible through the curtain of branches.

"No, dear, it's YOUR problem. The monsters are blighting the plant life, not the water. Besides, you need to live a little. Drag a few back here and kill them slowly, it'll do wonders for your mood."

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 6:35 am

Use Major Image to smell no different from the surrounding area. Wait and see what happens.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 7:36 am

The rusalka and thorn-covered dryad bicker for a few minutes, then come to some kind of grudging agreement. Both emerge from the enclosing willow branches, calling out into the jungle in Sylvan. A small army of dinosaurs and water elementals begins to emerge and form up around them.

As you continue to observe, taking pains to mask your presence with illusions, the dryad casts a few spells over the newly-assembled war party. Then they begin to advance toward the ice orc encampment, with the mini-lizards taking the lead and scouting ahead.

It looks like you have managed to steer the ice orcs into a pitched battle, and this time they're the ones with a numerical disadvantage.

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 9:31 am

Sneak out and head back towards the priests' hideout. Once near the hideout, but far enough so as to not be seen, scan Tenoc's Wand with Detect Magic, to better understand its nature.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 4:43 pm

You leave just as the battle starts, the sound of the clash between the two war parties echoing through the jungle.

Pausing on the outskirts of a clearing, you scan the wand again. You're fairly sure the priests could use it to magically scry on you, but the specifics of what else they could do depends on what ritual magic they can perform.

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 5:48 pm

Return to the priests' hideout and report everything that transpired. Then take a nap to restore spells and SLAs.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 7:38 pm

After scrying to confirm your report, they congratulate you on so deftly manipulating the situation. Tenoc decides they can trust you enough to open the refuge and let you access their stockpiles directly.

While you rest, the priests begin to plan a counterattack on Bavierre's forces. There are 26 surviving priests, some of whom have injuries that haven't been healed yet. That isn't a lot, but you're holed up in a secret vault full of magical scrolls and items the church wanted to keep hidden, which is a bit of an advantage. This isn't where the most powerful stuff is kept, but there are hundreds of scrolls in the shelves.

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:57 am

Examine the available scrolls

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:42 pm

Out of the piles and piles of low-end blood magic, a few scrolls stand out in half an hour of searching
- http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spell ... on-of-hell
- http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spell ... ue-carrier
- http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spell ... on-accuser
- http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spell ... ect-plague
- http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spell ... ernal-host
- http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/h/holy-ice

Each scroll's spell requires a blood sacrifice from the caster that deals 1 HP of damage per caster level.

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 4:00 pm

Take Summon Accuser, Insect Plague, Summon Infernal Host and Holy Ice. Ask Tenoc what he and the other priests are planning.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 12:49 am

The current plan is to launch a two pronged assault made of mostly of summoned monsters and illusions. One force will go north and aim for the upper floor's altars, and the other will go south. The northern attack is a diversion, allowing Tenoc to access the last solar intake and attempt to unseal the war-staff traditionally used by Tlaloc's high priest.

If you want, they can show you a map of the temple, along with their best understanding of enemy force composition.
{I probably won't have time to draw it until tomorrow}

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 5:47 am

(No worries, take your time)

Examine the map.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 3:12 am

Map: You are on the lower levels currently, and the two planned attacks are shown with purple arrows. The northern strike could interfere with the magic powering Bavierre's wall, the southern strike could liberate a powerful artifact. From there, they'll move to liberate the last solar intake.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg21 ... 9c779d.png

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 4:32 pm

Scout ahead of the southern strike.

(The text in the map is barely legible)

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 8:35 pm

{Okay, it's probably time for me to ditch photobucket.}

As the priests summon their devils and bind a few ahuizotls to aid in the assault, you go ahead, retracing your steps out of the jungle. A small party of ice orcs stands guard where the wight ambush used to hide, but there's only about a dozen of them, far less than checkpoints like the lilypad pool or the center of the ceremonial lake. Perhaps the battle against the fey in the jungle depleted enough of Bavierre's forces that they're starting to have difficulty manning every post.

You could probably sneak past the guards and move up to the second floor. Though it would mean diverting from the course of the priest's planned assault, you could also consider going through the lake and opening the secret vault. If you go to the upper floors, will you focus on the high priest's shrine or the final solar intake first?

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 3:24 pm

(Nevermind, wasn't opening it right. Keeping it here for future reference)

Summon an Accuser Devil and instruct it to teleport into the shrine and bring the war staff back with it if it can. If this seems to be impossible for it to do for some reason, ask it to report what it sees there.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sun Oct 19, 2014 5:58 pm

You summon the hideous flylike fiend and tell it to pop up to the second floor, grab the staff if it can. A few seconds later, BOOOOM! The whole temple shudders faintly from an explosion upstairs. You can faintly hear screams echoing down from the stairs a few rooms ahead.

The orcs guarding the checkpoint look at each other in confusion, then take off running, heading for the stairs to see what just happened.

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 6:16 pm

Follow the orcs unless they're not headed to the shrine. In which case, cast expeditious retreat and head towards the shrine.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 8:46 pm

You hurry up the stairs after the orcs, and find them fleeing away from the high priest's shrine towards the eastern room. The shrine's entrance is cracked and smoking, blasted apart by some kind of energy attack. Inside, blood-red clouds are pouring down acidic rain that smokes as it hits the floor, and arcs of electricity dance up and down.

To the north, the ice ogre rises to his feet and bellows after the fleeing orcs to come back.

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Tue Oct 21, 2014 6:01 am

Cast charm monster (multiple times if it passes the save(s)) on the Ice Ogre and then ask it what's going on.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Tue Oct 21, 2014 10:54 pm

Your first charm fizzles uselessly against the ogre's protective spells. It laughs, brandishing the pillar as it strides closer. "Now I see you, intruder! You won't trouble the Master any longer. Our trap in the high priest's room may have failed, but nobody will take the staff while Tlaloc's fury surrounds it. And you'll be dead before the magic fades." Bavierre's champion is now close enough to charge, but the creature instead opts for a spell, and a glowing axe appears next to you and takes a swipe at your head. Thankfully, you manage to duck in time.

A few ice orcs are coming back into the room, more terrified of their boss's anger than the magical storm to the south.