Ruuk had drawn his blade as they ascended, closing his eyes to focus himself.
Once things started, he wanted to be fully ready, come what may.
He was, however, caught slightly off guard because of it, not ready for the door to open when they reached the top. [Initiative: 11]
This message was last edited by the player at 16:47, Tue 25 Apr 2023.

Willa looked into the circular room with apprehension.  She *really* didn't want to hurt any one if she could avoid it, let alone kill an entire umbrean colony.  Surely, there must be something that she, or more likely, her friends could do to avoid causing more harm?

Still, her rods somehow found themselves into each of her hands.

OOC
Initiative: 22

13:40, Today: Willa rolled 20 using 1d20+4.  Initiative - Are we the baddies?
This message was last edited by the player at 13:32, Tue 25 Apr 2023.

The symbols shone as the platform rose.  Gyr crossed his arms, closed his eyes in thought..."You're the spearhead and we're the haft, Brinor."  He meant that in metaphor, an encouragement in his time of need... but mentally reviewing the layout made him wonder if it was meant to be literal.

Initiative: 26

Drex readies himself for the coming challenge. But seems a bit distracted.

Initiative: 8
This message was last edited by the player at 13:36, Thu 27 Apr 2023.

    Brinor gathered himself quickly and marched directly towards the red stone at the chamber's heart.  Passing through the nearly invisible, gossamer like wall which separated the two chambers.  The remnant of whatever illusion which had concealed the existence of the elevator chamber.

  Noting stired in the chamber besides Brinor, and his companions as they entered.

[Initiatives for Phelan, Brinor, and Moonchild are: 17, 22, and 13 respectively.  Which means the total party initiative averages out to 17.]

Gyr stayed back as the larger, burlier, melee-r lads strode in.  His paws still glistened with the shiny residue of a hasty goo-walking ritual, a rather clever concoction that would give them a fighting chance warring in a giant pool of otherworldy ooze.  His focus narrowed on the Old Moon Chunk thrust from the very center... just like how Malus showed him... he exhaled.  Gyr looked up at Brinor -- their spearhead -- and readied his staff, glancing about at the unnerving lack of any welcoming committee...

The telepathic miasma affected him worse than he thought it would...

Gyr rolled 16 using 1d20+12.  Perception: Too Quiet on the Ooztern Front.

Goo-walkers: Brinor, Ruuk, Drex, Gyr
You or an ally can move on water goo as if it were solid ground. Rapids or choppy seas are considered difficult terrain. The target of this ritual can end its benefits as a free action. The target can immerse itself in water goo or swim underwatergoo if desired without needing to end the ritual.

The Ulh stooped to clap Phelan's back; a viney snake of pure primal magic slithered from his shaggy mane to coil down his arm and around the Narayah's shoulders and down his chest, tail spiraled around his heart to then form into a tattoo disappearing beneath his armor.  "We'll need all our wits about us," he said, "Let ancient knowledge about the gods and their machinations be yours for a day."

Serpent's Cunning
Daily ✦ Primal
Minor Action   Melee 1
Target: Phelan
Effect: The target gains the following benefits until the end of his or her next extended rest.
> +1 power bonus to Intelligence attack rolls.
> Training in one skill of the target's choice (Religion)
> +2 power bonus to Intelligence-based skill checks and Intelligence ability checks.

Move: F3 -> H7

CONTINGENCY:
Earth Roots
Daily ✦ implement, primal, zone
Standard Action
Area burst 1 within 10sq
Trigger: A group of enemies get w/in 3sq of Drex
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: 25, 19, 25, 16 vs. Fortitude (w/ -2; left-to-right, top-to-bottom)
Hit: 15 damage
Effect:  The burst creates a zone that lasts until the end of your next turn.
Any enemy that starts its turn within the zone is slowed until the end of its next turn.
Sustain Minor:  The zone persists, and you can slide one enemy within 2sq of the zone 4sq to a square within it.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:25, Mon 26 June 2023.

Willa had been made part of a plan.  She knew what the others wanted her to do, but that didn't make it easy.  And it was too much to ask of her.  She couldn't move a step closer to even touch Ruuk, let alone climb up on him, so she just froze.  Stood still, eyes closed, arms pinned to her side, waiting and wincing.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:59, Thu 08 June 2023.

Still unsure what dangers this room holds, Drex will attempt to ferret out some reactions by moving deep into the room.

Move Action: RUN Form G4 to L12
Grant Combat Advantage to all enemies until the start of your next turn.

Standard Action: Total Defence
+2 bonus to all defences until the start of your next turn.

Ruuk sighed and nodded. "Alright. Time to move. Pardon the intrusion, Willa."
The big serpent carefully but quickly scooped up the Umbryan, depositing her on his shoulder.
He pulled his weapon and slithered quickly into the room.
He slowed slightly past the doorway, trying to keep quiet so as to avoid waking the sleeping Umbryans unnecessarily.





Move: "Grapple" Willa
Action: Run 4+2 Squares
This message was last edited by the player at 21:55, Tue 20 June 2023.

Brinor locked his eyes on the Fragment. He grit his teeth, clawed feet pawing the ground.
As the door opened, he charged out after Ruuk, staying close enough for Willa to swap places.


Move: Run 4+2 Squares
Action: Ready to attack if something comes within range.

    Phelan walks forwards stand beside Brinor, trying to ready himself for anything he hefts his crossbow and scans about the vast chamber.

Phelan moves from E4 towards I9 and readies his crossbow.

**CONTINGENCY**
Immediate Interrupt: Shocking Feedback
Trigger: An enemy hits an ally
Target: Triggering Enemy
Attack: 14 vs AC
Hit: 19 Lightning damage. Attacked ally gets Resist 5 all until end of next turn.

  Moonchild slips forward across the ground to stand between the nearest wall and Brinor bracing himself for attack.

Moonchild moves from D7 towards J7 and takes a Total Defence action.


[NPC turns up next.]

    Stepping into the chamber the air is stale with a heavy sweet, and tangy smell of umbreans and mixed in with that a scent not unlike rain.  You immediately feel thousands of eyes upon you.

  Both Gyr and Willa are suddenly suffocated, drowning in a deep, tumultuous ocean of psychic energy.  Akin to a city but far larger and much more concentrated.  Part of Willa wanted to feed but she knew if she did she'd almost certainly collapse from overfeeding or worse, pop like a swollen waterskin.

[Both Gyr and Willa suffer a -2 penalty to all attack rolls, and skill checks, until the end of the encounter or unless they can counteract the effects of the dense psychic haze.]

  Between Drex and the pool the air ripples as curtains of red and yellow light spread out before him.  Blocking the path directly between the party and the pool.  The radiant barrier rose to just about twenty feet tall, and wove around a nearly 50 feet long, diagonal wall.

  The dark ooze of the Gathering stirs as parts near the rim bulge and sag, waves of ooze travelling near the rim towards the adventurers.

[Two large wavefronts are visible at K-L 18-19, and R-S 10-11.  And that's the end of the enemy turn as well as round 1, its the start of round 2 and the player's turn.]

Willa recoils from the wall of psychic saturation she is suddenly engulfed by.  Forgetting her normal hesitancies, she grips Ruuk tightly against the assault until she manages to somewhat adapt to the situation, at which point her attention turns immediately to her friends.  And most urgently, the little one she carries with her.  Momentarily putting aside the situation, she plunges her head into her pack to find the little octopus-like entity's box.'

Muffled words can be heard outside the bag as she talks with her head entirely inside her pack:

"P...Pedi, okay is?  Heads poppers no problem?"

OOC
Willa does nothign this turn, except checking on Pedi and staying on Ruuk.

Gyr braced the door frame, eyes wide and jaw slack at thousands of telepathic voices screeching at once.  His efforts to block it out proved useless and his only solace was that some cleverer Gyr asked the Dragon King for a telepathic barrier and is having a better time than he is now.

"It's a wall of pure telekinetic force," he finally managed, squinting through the pain at the obstacle before them.  "Phelan, you've got the best shot at disabling it, unless someone wants to punch it really hard..."


No action:
Gyr rolled 17 using 1d20+10.  Perception: Battlewise Druid.

Minor action:
Gyr rolled 7 using 1d20.  Arcana, for mental focus.

Standard Action:
CONTINGENCY
Earth Roots
Daily ✦ implement, primal, zone
Standard Action
Area burst 1 within 10sq
Trigger: A group of enemies appear w/in 10sq
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: 12, 27, 12, 10 vs. Fortitude (w/ -2; left-to-right, top-to-bottom)
Hit: 17 damage
Effect:  The burst creates a zone that lasts until the end of your next turn.
Any enemy that starts its turn within the zone is slowed until the end of its next turn.
Sustain Minor:  The zone persists, and you can slide one enemy within 2sq of the zone 4sq to a square within it.

    Phelan's brows furrowed as he looked at the curtains of light.  The additional red glow made Phelan's fur look completely red rather than his usual oranges and browns.  "No need to disable it." he shook his head.  "If it could've shield itself completely it would have." his brow unfurrowed but still crinkled a little as he added.  "That's probably all the telekinetic might it can muster, so it'll probably fizzle out shortly.  Hitting it hard enough should make a hole."

[The barrier has a duration of "EONT" and any section of the wall can be destroyed if hit by a single attack which deals 15 damage or more to it.]

  Phelan kept his crossbow at the ready.  Keeping to Brinor's side as best he could for the time being.

Phelan keeps position with Brinor moving from I9 to K8

**CONTINGENCY**
Immediate Interrupt: Shocking Feedback
Trigger: An enemy hits an ally
Target: Triggering Enemy
Attack: 31 vs AC
Hit: 21 Lightning damage. Attacked ally gets Resist 5 all until end of next turn.

  Pedi was out of his box and appeared to have been waiting for Willa.  As she peaked inside the tiny antiquitan quickly floated upwards and attached itself to her helmet.  His tiny, segmented tentacles holding onto the armour.
  It took here a moment but Willa realized the psychic roar around her had vanished, replaced instead by the long, distant echoes of otherworldly voices harmonizing to another melody so deep as to be all but silent.  All together the strange musics were beautifully haunting and eerie.  Like some great orchestra overheard before dawn.

[Pedi can block the psychic noise of one person he attaches himself to.  It takes a move action fro him to attach to a subject though.]

  Moonchild slips forward across the ground to stand between the nearest wall and Brinor bracing himself for attack.

Moonchild moves from J7 towards K11 and takes a Total Defence action.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:34, Thu 03 Aug 2023.

Drex follows Phelan's suggestion and attacks the red-yellow wall of light. Not sure what will happen next.



Standard action
Overwhelming Strike
Target: red-yellow wall of light position M13.
Attack: 17 vs. AC.
Hit: Miss
This message was last edited by the player at 12:19, Thu 06 July 2023.

Brinor growled, stomping his feet. He glared at the wall before lifting his falchion.
"We don't have time for this!"

He stepped closer, reaching past Drex to swing at the barrier. Unfortunately, his reach wasn't quite enough, missing the barrier.

He pawed at the ground, upset about missing his attack.

Move -> LM 9-10
Heedless Fury - 7+11 bonus - Miss
-5 to all defenses until end of next turn.

Ruuk, for his part, merely lowered himself, slowly coiling his tail beneath himself.
As soon as the wall gell, he was going to bolt to the Fragment and help Willa down so she could swap with Brinor and not crush his shoulder.

Ruuk Ready's action to Run
-Condition: The shield drops.

    As suddenly as it appeared the sunset veil faded.  And shortly there after two great, blobs, twisted mockeries of the forms of men waded from the black depths onto the stone.  No eyes or face, just streams of slime flowing around a vaguely humanoid body.  Willa just barely recognized them for what they were.  Vague memories, perhaps her own, maybe the weyr's Gathering.  These were Dwellers.  The terrible defenders of the umbreans, devised many millennia ago to be the colony's greatest defenders.

  Both of the gigantic, black oozes converge on the party as the first throws itself at Brinor, Ruuk and Drex, managing to snare the latter two in its oozey form while the second surged forward and struck Drex with a huge, malformed fist.

Gathering Guardian 1 (red) emerges from R-S 10-11 and moves to N-O 10-11.
This triggers Gyr's Contingency though unfortunately the attack misses.
Gathering Guardina 1 (red) then attacks Brinor, Ruuk and Drex with Engulf.  The attack misses Brinor, but hits Ruuk, and Drex.  The attack deals 26 acid damage and grabs both targets (escape DC 16).
The hits on this attack triggers Phelan's Contingency which hits the Gathering Guardian

  As the first of the two oozes attacked Phelan stuck back and his attack hit home.  His target crackled with electrical energy, and part of the great blob splatters to the ground and writhes and wriggles around as it quickly knits itself into a spindly, and miniature version of the greater beast from which it fell.  The fragment joined the attack on the already wounded Drex before it skittered off beneath the ooze which had spawned it.  Making its way towards Moonchild.

Guardian Splinter 1 (red) appears at M12.
Gathering Guardian 2 (blue) emerges from K-L 18-19 and moves to K-L 14-15 and uses Slam shifting (up to its speed) from K-L 14-15 to J-K 12-13 (flanking Drex) and attacking Drex, and hits dealing 21 acid damage.
Guardian Splinter 1 (red) attack Drex with Slam and hits dealing 10 acid damage, then shifts (up to its speed) from M12 to O8 .

  "I have seen you, and I will not allow you to destroy me!" a panicked tumult of different voices scream from the centre of the room as smokey tendrils, ethereal as cloud try to wrap themselves about Brinor only to be shaken off by the great keatyma.

Old Moon Fragment attacks Brinor with Mind Fray and misses.

[Round ends and its the Player's turn!]
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:53, Wed 19 July 2023.

Willa clambers back along Ruuk as the black ooze envelopes him.  She would be outraged at the things audacity, covering her friends in so much slime, were she not so disgusted by the  smell of acid-burnt flesh.

She tried to quickly assess the situation.  Their plan could not proceed for as long as the mannerless blob held her friend.  Or it could, but in a different way.  If she was willing.  She peered around her friend's assailant, barely able to see the fragment in the middle of the pool.  It might be possible for her to make it to the stone by herself.  But that would mean forsaking her companions.  Something she would never do!  But then again, willingly riding someone was also not something she thought she'd ever do...

She shook her head clean of those thoughts.  If they could just beat this thing, if not both of them, then maybe she wouldn't need to be so drastic.

It would help knowing what this thing was.  Willa didn't know it.  Or she did and didn't.
 Something inside her from ages past knew.  But could she too know?  Her connection to her previous lives' memories had always been fickle.  And it was so annoyingly so, like having a word on the edge of your tongue, but not being able to speak it.

She took a moment to think.

Whilst hoping for one of her pasts to be awake and willing to help, she reverted to tried and tested tactics.  A rod in each hand, she called out a curse upon Ruuk's attacker.

"Maybe umbrean thing, but in wrong being!  Release friends of Willa's, or will pop blob and spill innards!"

As usual, after declaring her outraged intent, a small, spoked circle etched itself into her target's menbranous skin. A stylised engraving of an umbrean pool.  As soon as the carving completed, she unleashed what had become her go to attack at this point, with brilliant luminance beaming down onto her foe...hopefully injuring it.

OOC
Free Action: Monster Knowledge Check: Gathering Guardian: Arcana: 26
17:27, Today: Willa rolled 26 using 1d20+9.  Arcana - Goology.

Minor Action: Curse Gathering Guardian 2 (b).

Standard Action: Dire Radiance vs Curse Gathering Guardian 2 (b)
To Hit: 30 vs Fortitude
(1d20 +Cha:4, +Expertise: 1, +Enhancement: 1, +Proficiency: 2, +Disquiet: 2, +Accurate Implement: 1)
Primary Damage: 7 (6 Radiant, 1 untyped)
(1d6 Radiant +Cha: 4, +Enhancement: 1, +1d6 untyped)
Effect: If Curse Gathering Guardian 2 (b) moves towards Willa it will take further damage:
Secondary Damage: 13 (6 radiant, 7 untyped)
(1d6 Radiant +Cha: 4, +Enhancement: 1)

Notes:
 - Willa does not have shadow Walk.
 - No Hidden Sniper bonuses to hit as no concealment.
 - I have no idea if the ooze crawling over Ruuk would cound as getting closer to Willa or not.  I assume not.
 - I also don't think she can claim 'Prime Shot', because Ruuk is actually inside the thing!

This message was last edited by the player at 17:14, Tue 18 July 2023.

Pain and confusion wracked Gyr's mind.  All of the tricks he learned living with telepathic brothers to shut out annoyances meant nothing to such an evil power.  He braced the doorway.  I just need a minute to think... he pleaded, and then reached for something in his pocket: the vial that Malus gave him.  Or maybe... just half a minute?  He glared through hazy agony to get a scope of where everyone stood.  "Moonchild, to me!" he bellowed over the psychic din, and commanded his Earth Roots to yank the Guardian Splinter out of the way.

Standard -> Minor:
Sustain Earth Roots
Slide Splinter Guardian 2sq to Q8

The Ulh staggered from his brace and hobbled as quick as he could to the very center of his cohorts.  I really hope this works...

Move:
H7 -> L11

Minor:
Activate Malus's "Give Me a Minute" potion.
Burst 1
All creatures in affected area gain 5 turns.
You'd be shifted in a space between the material and underworld.
You would not be insubstantial.
Able to move around and interact to a degree.
Any damage done would be done as though you are in the weakened state, so half damage.
Conversly any damage done to you from the material world while in this state (say a fire) would be reduced to by half.
Effects applied to those ENTERING the timestop has time run normally.
Effects applied outside will apply afterwards.

Ruuk grunted, trying to shove the Gathering Guardian away, but since he had curled his coils to move, he could barely position to push.
Ruuk rolled 12(+5) using 1d20+11.  Athletically Escape Grapple.
Thankfully, due to being partially out of sync with the Guardians, he managed to slip free, ducking under it's arm and continuing forward, likely proccing two opportunity attacks. "Hold on, Willa! I've got you!"

------------

As for Brinor, he was level-headed enough to know charging in on his own was a terrible idea. He made a short leap over Gyre and Drex, laying into the Guardian previously holding Ruuk.
Ruuk rolled 14+2 using 1d20+11.  Ardent Strike.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:16, Wed 26 July 2023.

    The thrown vial made a loud 'klink' as it struck the floor and it looked like it was going to bounce when in the blink of an eye the glass was criss-crossed by a spiderweb of cracks and the vial exploded with black smoke.  The smoke quickly flowed around the area, engulfing it.  Then it vanished.

  The world beyond was much the same as it had been, but the colours were muted, almost purely black and white.  Everything was strangely quiet and almost still.  The furious motion of the oozes was now a lethargic crawl.  The sounds the adventurers made were much louder than they would normally be.  A whisper nearly as loud as a shout.

  Phelan had been taking the time to prepare an infusion for Drex, to heal some of the harm he'd take from the huge oozes.  Before firing a shot from his crossbow.

Minor: Healing Infusion: Curative Admixture
Target: Drex
Effect: Heal for Surge+5

Standard Action: Magic Weapon
Target: Gathering Guardian 1
Attack: 32 vs AC
Hit: 7 damage

Minor: Reload.

  Moonchild glances around quickly and dashes from one giant ooze to the other, drawing down their blows.  The first blow was a solid hit but appear to have far less of an effect on Moonchild than it should have.  The second blow missed him completely so slow was it compared to the blitz of Moonchild.
  Stepping onto the ooze, Moonchild felt as though he was walking onto a stiff mattress.  His feet barely sinking into the unsteady 'ground' across which he moved.  Not wasting any time he seized upon the opportunity to attack the ooze before him and his spear slashed away a small piece of the ooze.  That separated landed not far from its source and began to move around atop the surface of the gathering pool.

Moonchild moves from K11 to N12, inviting attacks of opportunity from Gathering Guardian 1 (r) and Gathering Guardian 2 (b).  Both attack him with Slam.  Gathering Guardian 1 (r) misses, though Gathering Guardian 2 (b) hits (for 30), dealing 7 (half of 15) acid damage to Moonchild.  Both Gathering Guardians shift (part of the effect of their Slam attack) to 16-17 J-K (for 1), and 12-13 O-P (for 2) respectively.
Moonchild attacks Gathering Guardian 1 (r) with Piercing Strike dealing 4 (half of 8) damage.  Triggering Gathering Guardian 1's (r) Split power generating Gathering Splinter 2 at 11O.

[In the absence of Drex's player I'll play his turn for him, addendum to house rules for later.  Add to tactics a note that rather a 'will use basic melee or ranged attacks appropriate to the situation' clause.]

  Drex shortly followed Moonchild seeing a chance to flank the shifting mounds of ooze and using Moonchild's own dashing as cover for his own movement, to shield him from even more blows given his own injured state.  He suspected he'd probably be scolded for being so reckless but he figured that with time on their side he'd have an opportunity to compose himself before things became really dangerous again.
  His blow found its mark though much like the blows others had dealt it seemed woefully ineffective, though a chunk of ooze was still separated from the main body.  It too began to move of its own accord once it landed.

Move Action: Move from 12L to 12Q (moving around below the Guardian to achieve a flank with Moonchild).
Standard Action: Overwhelming Strike against Gathering Guardian 1 (r)
Attack: 33 vs AC (roller says 31 but I forgot to add in the 2 from the flanking)
attacks Gathering Guardian 1 (r) with Overwhelming Strike
Damage: 8 untyped damage (half of 16) .

[End of Player's turns.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:38, Sat 05 Aug 2023.

Gyr could breathe again.  That ephemeral realm let him think and hear without a splitting headache, and how wonderful it felt.  And then he saw his cohorts attacking the time-stopped umbreans.  "Guys, run past them!" he pleaded, and grimaced as one the Guardian split into the  smaller splinters.  "Snakes alive, they multiply when you hit them, like spores," he observed, "so let's not hit them.  Here, I'll clear a path.  Remember, we're for a task."  He pointed at the Old Moon Chunk.

Minor
Sustain Earth Roots
Slide Gathering Guardian 4sq to O8

Standard Action
Magic Stones
At-Will ✦ Implement, Primal
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One, two, or three creatures
Attack: 13, 23, 11 vs. Reflex (G.Guardian Blue, G.Splinter Blue->9Q, G. Splinter Green)
Hit: 9 dmg, push 3

Move
L11->S19
This message was last edited by the player at 15:16, Mon 07 Aug 2023.

Willa watched in wonder as the world slowed to graceful languidity.  The goolems almost beautiful in their time-lagged movements, were it not for the fact that they were trying to kill her and her friends!

"Is not spores." Willa quietly retorted to Gyr, whose words had boomed uncomfortably in her ears.  "Is all living stuffs.  Cut piece off, lives lifes by self.  Is more like, uh, worms!"  She declared having heard tales of the incredible creatures, though she'd never tried it herself.  Not wanting to hurt the little things.  "But only weapons do.  Magic not making new goolems."