[IC] SOLO - Toot's Adventure

[DM Surranó]

Toot realises that the twisted evil creature must be an incorporeal undead. Though he's inexperienced in undead lore he guesses that it might be a wraith or spectre and since he was scared to death he can understand that Boo must feel the same, especially since as a druid he knows all too well how all animals (companions being no exception) react to anything unnatural. How the elementals would react, whether they could hurt it or at least hold it up he has no idea. One thing's for sure: Toot starts to understand the twisted thinking of this evil mind and expects that it will play around with the undead before proceeding with causing more harm to Boo or Toot.

Your turn!
(please roll for the elementals as well. if possible please add Toot to campaign 375 in Unseen Servant. Thanks)

Flattened ascii map:

. e U e t . . . . . B
. - empty square
e - small earth elemental
U - undead (as much as Toot guesses)
t - Toot + tunnel above his head
B - Boo
The tunnel starts to curve northeast between Toot and Boo so there's no eye contact between them but Toot can still see Boo's hind legs.

[Toot]

[OoC: Toot summoned the elementals on either side of where Boo was before he ran away.  They are earth creatures so they will appear out of the walls or even the ceiling.  And don't they go on my initiative since they would act immediately upon appearing?]

Toot's mind races for a way out of this situation.  This thing was obviously way too powerful for him.  And all paths of escape seem to be vanishing.  Toot looks sadly at Boo and thinks that in order to save himself, he may have to leave his beloved companion behind.  

Then Toot's mind strikes upon a possible plan...

"Pweeze Mister. <Sob> I'll do anything.  <whine> I even pwomise to bring others to you to eat.  <Sob> Wots of people," Toot cries out while genuine tears stream down his dirty gnomish face.  As a Jermlaine, Toot didn't give a shit about the tall ones [Everyone bigger than him] and if he had to he honestly would lead others to their doom if it meant saving his own life.  So he's not bluffing.

[OoC: Free actions: (Consume a negligible amount of time and one or more of such actions can be performed...)

Free action: Toot tells one of the elementals in it's language to make a 5' step to block the Spectre's view.  He figured it was a prudent move that the creature would likely understand and perhaps even enjoy the cat and mouse game of frightened prey.  And right now, Toot oozed mind numbing terror.  The other elemental, he orders to pick him up and move him away as quickly as possible [Move speed: 20'].  Keeping its body between the creature and Toot's, to give him Cover/Concealment. 
 
Free Action: Handle animal: Order Boo to do the trick: Perform.  Telling Boo to Growl Loudly or Roar!  Much like telling a Dog to Bark.  (Druids and Rangers may handle their animal companion as a free action)

Full round action: Toot begins to Whisper another Summoning spell.  This time ditching Cure Serious Wounds.  Hoping Boo's roaring will drown out Toot's tiny whispers.]

[OoC: I'm not sure if you're asking me to roll initiative?  If you are: 9    As I said before, I think summoned creatures go on my initiative. SNA states, It appears where you designate and acts immediately, on your turn.  But just in case you rule otherwise...  0   And since Boo has been doing nothing but running, I would think he would be delaying and waiting to be told what to do.  But just in case you rule otherwise... 18 ]

[DM Surranó]

Ooc clever! No init needed, all your summons come at same time while Boo and the opponent come at same time since it used a readied action on Boo. This also means Boo will start perform on his initiative, after the horrifying creature's next action. However the earth elemental's slurring, stomping gait gives sufficient distraction for Toot to cast unnoticed.

The rolls I meant are any rolls like attacks, checks, etc.

Now back IC...

The man chuckles and melds into stone, just to be followed by the earth elemental ordered to interpose, then back again, with the elemental getting in its way again.

"It was fun while it lasted" the creature says, apparently getting annoyed by the dodgy druid and outmaneuvers the clumsy elemental in an instant, resuming the chase.

As Toot is busy casting and riding the same time he can hear someone passing arcane syllables nearby but manages to keep his concentration.

The next thing he can see is the man bouncing off of some invisible barrier, this time getting seriously pissed.

"Keep running," a soft voice whispers to Toot's ears which he can understand clearly in spite of Boo roaring wildly just ten feet from his ears.

Then Toot finishes his spell.
Your turn again.

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[Toot]

Toot was surprised to hear the voice and to see the creature bounce off some unseen force.  He muses to himself, "Huh... So that's what an invisible barrier looks like."

Then as his spell finishes, a magnificent equine creature with a gleaming white coat, big, lively blue eyes and a single ivory-colored two foot horn growing from the center of it's forehead, appears beside Toot.  Automatically detecting the creature [Detect evil at will as a free action] it rears up on it's hind legs and neighs in defiance at the unnatural monster.  

Toot smiles up at the Unicorn and says to the evil creature, "Meet, Mr. Pointy!"

[OoC: Unicorns horns act as +3 magical weapons and they have a Magic Circle against Evil 10' radius.  All creatures inside the circle gain protection from evil.  So no evil creature can come into contact with the warded persons and they get +2 defection bonus and +2 resistance bonus on saves.

Toot then has the Elemental quickly help him onto the Unicorn's back.  For a moment Toot thinks about sticking his tongue out at the creature while riding away but decides not to antagonize the monster.  It was better to try to make a clean break and hope the invisible barrier was enough to deter it following them any further.  "Pwease don't follow us Mister.  I don't want Mr. Pointy to have to hurt you!  There's more Mr. Pointy's where he came from."  Toot hoped the magic circle the Unicorn was emanating would be uncomfortable enough to make the undead think twice about following them further.  

[OoC: The unicorn can't use it's Greater Teleport (At least I don't think so) So Toot spurs the unicorn to run away while calling to Boo to Heel, so Boo stays close to gain the benefits of the Circle of Protection.  Unicorns move 60'.  Boo moves 40' but he has the Run feat so he can run x5 speed while the Unicorn can run x4 speed.   Toot will make sure that the Unicorn doesn't out pace Boo so he can be protected by the Magic Circle.

The other Elemental will "run" after them while still trying to block the creature's view of Toot.  Unfortunately it's move is 20' or x4 = 80' at a run.  All creatures, if they can, are trying to stay within the circle of protection.]

[FYI: Boo is a male but I've been using the Pronoun of "He" for Toot because it's easier than using a gender neutral pronoun all the time.  Currently no one knows what sex Toot is yet.  ]

[DM Vitkyng]

[OoC not to interfere but I've been following along.. I don't think the elementals will have any issue keeping pace with the unicorn. In a tunnel any curve will interrupt the unicorn's run, but the elementals have earthglide, so the walls, floor, and ceiling are no impediment at all. The elementals can 'run' even in stretches the unicorn and Boo cannot]

[DM Surranó]

The unicorn trots northeast, trying not to bump his head or get his horn stuck into a sinister crevice in the tunnel. the bear and the earth elementals follow to their best and in a few rounds, the sinister curses thrown at the druid's back stop coming. Suddenly, Mr Pointy lowers his pace and stops, stomping his hooves and lowering his horn as if set to receive a charge. Beyond the edge of his protective circle, a figure appears out of nowhere. The red-hair male elf wearing an embroidered blue robe bows, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Toot remembers old Landgrave's teachings about the high elves. As sinister as beautiful, they are masters of wizardry, second only to the studious light kyralls.

"No ill intents, Mr Pointy," he says and Toot recognises the soft whispering voice from earlier. Then turns to the jermlaine. "An unusual species for a druid, I might say. Anyway, I have been tasked to find you and protect you by sacrificing one of the most valuable pieces of my arcane collection. And to hand you over a message. Elvenor is in need of a cave druid and the Coven of the Twelve has observed your talent and creative ways of communicating with Mother Nature and thus think you were the most promising. To prove their right go ahead and collect the nine pieces of Amelia's Staff. You will find the first one in the sunken castle a few miles ahead in this tunnel. Follow your instincts to find the rest."

[Toot]

Toot squints his eyes suspiciously at the Elf.  He was another big folk.  All big folk hate Jermlaine.  Now this one says he sacrifices powerful magic just to deliver Toot a Coven-a-gram.  Landgrave taught --or mumbled crazy jibberish, Toot wasn't sure which-- Toot many things including the saying, Out of the frying pan and into the fire.  Was it typical of the Big Folk to take each other's requests on face value?  And High Elves weren't particularly known for being the helpful, pointed eared, little tree-huggers spoken of in Fey legends.  

Even so, Toot carefully listens to the Elf attempt to flatter him into taking on some crazy quest.  Which was something totally out of the question for members of his race.  There were already plenty of ways for Jermlaine to get killed that didn't require quests.  So why volunteer to add a new way to the list. 

When the elf finishes, Toot ponders the message.  As he does, he slips off his soiled leather breeches, scrapes then flicks the droppings off the leather and then uses the soft, silvery unicorn mane as towel to wipe all his hidden bits.  "Mmmmmm.... the good stuff...." Toot whimpers to himself happily.  

Once clean Toot puts his breeches back on and replies, "Me thanks you for sacrificed JuJu but me not even know your name.  What do I get out of dangerous quest?  Doodads must have sent you with carrot to lure me like animal into dangerous sunken castle."

[DM Surranó]

OOC - maybe forgot to mention elves around this part of the multiverse are about four feet high but assume that still qualifies as big folk with the jermlaine. And no, they are no tree-huggers but city dwellers. Usually.

"My name is my business and druids' business is theirs. It's up to you how you make use of the message and the little time left before my wall of force wears off.
As the elf raises his nose Toot remembers what old Landgrave taught -- not only sinister but haughty of their high origin. Then secretive and insidious.

"I did what I have been tasked and will now leave."
With that, he steps back, utters some incomprehensible syllables and starts to fade until he becomes a patch of smoke and dissipates through one of the cracks on the ceiling.

[Toot]

[OoC: Jermlaine consider anyone taller than them to be "big folk."  Which is pretty much everybody.   ]

"Typical Big Folk," Toot squeaks in Jermlaine.  

Then turning his attention to his companion, Toot says, "And YOU, you lily-livered, Panty-wasted, Turd-Magnet; thanks for the backup.  What would I ever do without you charging to my rescue... and den promptly running away!  Bad Boo!  No meat nuggets for you!"  Toot then looks him over to see if he was permenently injured by the creature's attacks or if in 24 hours he will need special care (like a Bear's Endurance spell to boost Boo's Fortitude saves).

Knowledge Nature: 25 Free Action (Usually None: you simply know the information)

Once that's settled, Toot decides that at least for now, he doesn't have any choice but to run in the direction of this quest.  If he didn't comply, the only direction was back toward the creature which wasn't something he wished to do.  Toot also wasn't sure how effective running away from this incorporeal monster would work.  After all, the thing saw which direction Toot went in and it moves much faster than they do and it didn't have to worry about obstructions.

Sighing, Toot makes a couple of clicking noises with his tongue to spur the Unicorn on it's way, then holds onto it's mane and gallops down the tunnel.  When he sees the Elementals vanish, Toot will take that as an indication that the Unicorn is about to disappear too.  So he runs down the Unicorn's back, Uses it's long tail as a rope and then transfers over to Boo.  Toot then continues on his way as quickly as possible. [Boo has the Run and Endurance Feats.]

[DM Surranó]

The black bear's nose is pale enough for Toot to assume that something nasty is in works (OOC - yes, boosting his Fort is a good idea)

As time passes, so do the summoned animals. And indeed, as indicated by the elf called "My Business" he reaches the end of the tunnel within a few minutes. The tunnel is closed by a pile of rubble and intermittent colored stain glass fragments. This must be some collapsed wall of a fancy building.