Jak continued to urge his mount towards the battle, silently cursing himself for being so far away to begin with - not that he realistically had any way of knowing where the manticore actually would BE. But that mattered little to his subconscious mind as it berated him. He didn't take it out on Sharpwind, though. It certainly wasn't her fault, and she was doing her best to move them both to the battle.

OOC: Yeah just double moving or running to get there.

Morg clings to a loose strap of the saddle, having narrowly avoided being knocked completely off his mount by the other bird. His hippogriff is very upset, clearly not used to its rider being out of the saddle in flight.

The knight's mount circles around in a wide arc as Morg struggles to right himself. The other bird looks to be coming straight at Morg for another pass.

---

Morg, you can make another ability check as before to climb back in the saddle, etc. I'm going to hold off on posting a summary of Round 4 for a day or so to give Asano a chance to post.

Morg looks down wide-eyed while swinging from the strap, "That'll sober you right up!"

He races hand over fist up the rope, scrambles back into the saddle, and ties himself down again.

---

01:11, Today: Morg Danforge rolled 26 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 20.  Athletics check to climb back in the saddle.

Mayon grins to see the fight going their way, unleashing another burst of energy at the distracted, wounded Manticore. He just had to keep moving and hope it was too distracted to focus on the illusion, but his arm is jostled by the movement and the beam misses widely.


16:20, Today: Mayon Graycross rolled 7,3,11 using 1d20+5,1d4,1d10+3 with rolls of 2,3,8.  Eldritch Blast Manticore.
10 to hit for 11 damage, gonna assume that misses.
16:21, Today: Mayon Graycross rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6.  Phantasm Damage.
But hey, 6 psychic damage from Fake Knight!

Watching the creature loose it's barrage of spikes, Asano quickly unclasps a restraing from his leg. He slides around Savra's side, shouting an arcane word to activate his magical shield and hopefully keep either of them from bleeding.

With a mighty heave, Morg vaults himself back into the hippogriff's saddle and reattaches his lap strap in a single smooth motion. Still turning, the Feathergale Knight sits up in his saddle, then reins in slightly. A voice speaks in Morg's head then, over the rushing of the wind. "Ah, I ah, see you're back in your saddle. Well good. Shall we follow your friend towards the sound of our quarry then?"

Asano climbs around Savra as the spike flies towards her. "What are you-" Savra objects, just as the spike contacts Asano's shield. Despite the warding magic around him, the spike penetrates the shield and stabs deep into his shoulder.

Another spike slams into the vulture as she veers away from the manticore, trying to confuse its aim. The bird cries out in pain and surprise, and its wing beats weaken "That was very noble, and very foolish," Savra chides as she struggles to right the wounded bird's flight.

Zora's warhammer slams into the manticore's side at the same time her enchanted hammer crushes one of the beast's wings. It roars in pain and focuses its eyes on the cleric.

"I know when I'm beaten. But I'm taking you down with me." With a quick beat of its leathery wings, the manticore throws itself at Zora's giant vulture, lashing out with both its claws and ripping at the bird's throat with its teeth. The bird lets out a mournful screech and shudders with pain, fighting to get away. Mists start streaming upward from Zora and her saddle-mate's position on top of the bird as it begins to descend. The Feathergale Knight hauls on the reins, trying to urge the bird upwards.

Through a break in the mists, Jak's hippogriff emerges at last.

---

I've added Jak to initiative; assume you're about 60' away from the manticore but ~120' away from the others in the party.

Round 4 Summary:
Mayon casts Agonizing Blast at manticore - MISS. Manticore takes 6 psychic from Phantasmal Force.

Zora attacks the manticore with warhammer - CRIT for 13 bludgeoning. Spiritual weapon HITS for 8 force.

Asano cast Shield in the previous round, but the spike hits him anyway for 8 piercing . A second spike hits Savra and Asano's mount for 12 piercing.

Round 5!

Manticore attacks Zora's giant vulture - HITS with 1 claw and 1 bite for 6 slashing and 5 piercing.

Round 5 Initiative Order:

Who	Init	Status
Manticore	23	P. Force: d6 psychic dmg/turn
Jak	21
Mayon	12	Conc: P. Force; Blessed (+d4 to hit/save)
Zora	10	Conc: Bless; Blessed (+d4 to hit/save)
Asano	4	Blessed (+d4 to hit/save)

This message was last edited by the GM at 03:19, Wed 08 Nov 2017.

Not noticing the knight, Morg looks down confused at the hippogriff, "Uh, you can mind-talk?"

He takes out a javelin, gives his mount free rein, and says "Aye, let's go find the others."

"Oh, I have had about enough of this!" she cried as her mount fell back. "What was that you said before? get out of your domain? Gladly!"

She sent her spiritual hammer in again, but this time instead of hitting the beast with her war hammer, she focused her divine power into a single command. "Land!"

---

Swinging spiritual hammer at beast then using command spell with command "Land"

 Ignore middle roll, forgot to set to damage dice...
16:38, Today: Zora Jilkina rolled 6 using 1d8+3 with rolls of 3.  Spiritual weapon damage.
16:37, Today: Zora Jilkina rolled 13 using 1d20+5+1d4 with rolls of 6,2.  Spiritual weapon damage.
16:37, Today: Secret Roll: Zora Jilkina rolled 19 using 1d20+5+1d4 with rolls of 13,1.  Spiritual weapon to hit.

"Damn! Follow after that thing and Zora!" Mayon calls out to the rider as he looses another burst of magic, the illusory knight streaking after the Manticore as well to continue their invisible assault.


16:30, Today: Secret Roll: Mayon Graycross rolled 20,4,4,1 using d20+5,d4,d10+3,d6 with rolls of 15,4,1,1.  Eldritch Blast + Phantasm.
24 to hit for 4 Force damage and 1 Psychic from the phantasm.
Guys I think Phantasmal Force is my new favorite spell :)

Jak urged Sharpwind ever closer, but stayed back just a bit from the manticore. No sense in getting TOO close and being mauled....like the one mount seemed be getting! He shook his head but then yelled at the top of his lungs. "WHAT'S THAT THING FLYIN' AROUND? IT LOOKS LIKE A MONKEY MATED WITH A SCORPION AN' BOTH OF 'EM WERE DISGUSTED!!"

16:40, Today: Secret Roll: Jakrynn Redgate rolled 2 using 1d4 with rolls of 2.  Psychic damage if save is failed (Vicious Mockery).

Asano grimaces at the spike jutting from his shoulder. "It didn't work to plan," Asano grits his teeth, and rips the spike from his flesh. "Let's finish this." His focus-wand glows for a moment and six glowing balls of force shoot toward the manticore's hide. The indistinct missiles form into razor-sharp looking snowflakes before slamming along the creature's flank.


Orange>OOC:
Cast magic missile, and psending a sorcery point to twin it.

Magic Missile dmg- 25</Orange>

The manticore continues to grapple with Zora's mount as they both start descending rapidly.

At Jak's taunt the beast's fight seems to leave it. It disengages, just as bolts of force and magic streak toward it, slamming into the beast's form and singing it's scraggly mane. Eyes closed, it falls end over end into the mists.

"After it," Savra calls out, "to collect its head as our prize!"

---

The Manticore is defeated!

700 XP total
175 per PC.

She whooped in triumph and held on, urging her vulture pilot to follow the body down to the ground.

Morg hears Jak's shouts, and tries to urge the hippogriff on. "Stay frosty now, but we cannae let our friends fight the monstah all on their own!"

Mayon sighs in relief as the monster falls, having the invisible knight give a salute only he can see before vanishing like the illusion it was. "Let's fly down to meet the others." He calls out to the rider, holding on tightly now that he doesn't have to focus on spells.

After a fair bit of searching over the dim, rocky floor of the Sighing Valley, the remains of the manticore come into view below. Though the Spire isn't visible from the base of the canyon, the knights advise that it is not far away.

The beast's corpse lies among some other rotten remains scattered around the rocks. Already, a wild giant vulture seems to be picking at the manticore remains, and several large birds that resemble hawks circle overhead.

Savra turns to Jak. "Congratulations to you and your group, sir bard," she says airly, indicating Jak and Morg, who had just arrived with the last of the hippogriffs. "Though I think Jak struck the killing blow, the others of your party should share in the trophy. We shall remain apart to check over the mounts while you retrieve the manticore's head." She and the other knights move to help their guests out of the saddle straps.

Zora looks askance at savra but moved towards the corpse carefully, watching the giantvulture.

"Well done!" Morg says, seeing the manticore's corpse.

He looks up and tries to identify the large hawklike creatures while getting out of the saddle.

After getting his land legs, he walks over to investigate the nearest rotten remains to see if he can identify what they were and how they died.

---

12:32, Today: Morg Danforge rolled 23 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 20.  Perception check, looking up at large hawklike creatures.
12:32, Today: Morg Danforge rolled 17 using 1d20 with rolls of 17.  Investigate check, nearest rotten remains.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:39, Sat 11 Nov 2017.

The vulture looks up from its grisly meal and given the approaching group a warning screech. The birds above echo with loud calls of their own.

---

Morg sees that the hawks above have red-tinged feathers.

Morg also finds that among the dry, days-old gore lies shattered bones, probably belonging to a humanoid creature.

Jak landed and dismounted, grinning....even after he almost took a tumble. He put a steadying hand on his mount's neck for a moment and gave her a pat. "sorry we didn't get you close enough t'tear in to that thing, but thank you for flyin' so well!"

He then walked over and gave a nod of his head to Savra at her words. "Thank you! High praise indeed from those who fly and fight in the air."

He looked at Morg, gave a small shrug and gestured towards the manticore's head. "Wanna do the, um, honors?"

He carefully approached and looked around a little bit, not digging much, just moving things around here and there with his foot and such, while waiting for the head to be cut off.


11:35, Today: Jakrynn Redgate rolled 9 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 4.  Investigation if needed.

Morg takes out his 2 handaxes and looks around before walking to the manticore.

---

If no one else wants to investigate or have at the head, Morg will cut it off, put it in a sack, and hand that to Jak.

Zora joined morg and jakrynn, and anyone else walking up to the manticore. She kept her eyes open for any sign of attack, especially from the vultures.

---

Not sure if that's active or passive perception but will roll in case needed.

14:39, Today: Zora Jilkina rolled 11 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 6.  Perception looking for danger.

Mayon climbs down from the vulture as he and its rider land, giving both a polite nod and murmur of gratitude before making his way over to the others, a bit dizzy. Of all the ways to learn he has a fear of heights, this was probably the worst one.

Part of him absently wonders if Manticores are known to travel in groups, and he keeps his eyes on the skies and surroundings for any others that may try to avenge the fallen.


13:47, Today: Mayon Graycross rolled 17 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 13.  Perception--other enemies.

Neither Mayon nor Zora see anything in the skies other than the hawks. As Morg continues to approach the dead manticore, the vulture screeches again but takes a step back away from its meal.

The birds overhead, however, dive out of the sky directly at Morg. They stab him with their sharp beaks in a cloud of feathers and claws as the dwarf nears the corpse.

---

No map again for this encounter - assume for now you're all within 30' of Morg and the cloud of hawks.

6 hawks attack Morg - 1 HIT, 2 CRITS for a total of 19 piercing .

Round 1 Initiative Order:

Who	Init	Status
Blood Hawks	20
Jak	19
Mayon	17
Asano	8
Zora	6
Morg	3

Mayon swears in surprise at the sudden aggression of the birds, and the realization that his spells weren't yet replenished after the manticore. With that in mind, he ducks behind the vulture for now, trying to think of anything he may have heard about these types of birds that could give them an easier time of chasing them off. Unfortunately, nature wasn't one of his favorite studies back home, and nothing comes to mind, so he goes to Plan B: Shoot it with magic.


22:15, Today: Mayon Graycross rolled 3 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 1.  Nature check evil birds.
WELP. Mayon has never seen birds before I guess :P Ah, Mayon, speaking as an Animal Science major, you and your shitty beast knowledge is breaking my heart.
16:17, Today: Mayon Graycross rolled 21,5 using d20+5,d10+3 with rolls of 16,2.  Eldritch Blast a bird.
Hit a bird for 21 AC and 5 Force damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:18, Mon 13 Nov 2017.