The Colony - Turn 15 - Monitoring Developments

First contact and, perhaps, first death?


Start Date: July 23, noonish
Start Status: The Jaws of Death?
Start Location: In the Wilderness (hex 39,27)

The Turn

White Tulip: Smoke, Rennard, Shade, Zenobe, Mendel, One-eye, Maarek, Hagan, Sim
Exploring: Xon, Adrienne, Nogg, Aaron, Brigg, Candle, Kessel, Jinx, Javiera

OOC: clarification. The party is 10 feet from the tangle of brush and the fallen tree that conceals the far end of the ravine. That junk extends a good 30 feet out from what you assume is the actual end of the ravine.

After advancing down the ravine to investigate what appears to be a monster's lair, the party is ambushed by a giant lizard with chameleon-like abilities.

Adrienne, Nogg, Jinx and Candle are at the front and nearest the charging lizard. Aaron and Javiera, guarded by Xon, are a short distance behind. Brigg and Kessel are on the ravine's upper rim, one on each side.

[Round One - Party Initiative]

The party reacts to the charging giant lizard with impressive speed.

Aaron considers casting Web, but realizes it will envelop the entire front line. He pulls a pistol instead. Candle prepares a spell [Barkskin]. Javiera prepares a spell [Magic Missile].

Aaron and Javiera both take a step back, and Xon takes a step forward, reversing the position of the two ranks. Nogg puts himself between the approaching lizard and Candle and hefts his heavy maul.

Brigg and Kessel get off the first shots from the rim of the ravine, sending arrows toward the beast. Brigg's shot hits [4 damage], as does Kessel's [8 damage]. Xon, Adrienne, Jinx and Aaron all discharge their firearms, filling the ravine with noise and smoke. Xon's shot sails over the creature, but Adrienne's aim is true [4 damage]. Jinx also scores a hit [9 damage]. but Aaron's shot is wide of the mark. Javiera launches her Magic Missile [2 damage], and Candle's spell goes off. Nogg swings his 2-handed maul as the lizard arrives, scoring a solid hit that cracks bone [11 damage].

Surprisingly, the lizard does not attack, It simply charges over the party members in the front ranks, knocking them all off their feet and trampling them soundly before it continues its charge into the shadows beneath the tangled underbrush! Aaron, Kessel, and Brigg manage final, desperate shots at the disappearing creature, and both archers to score hits [5 and 9 damage]. The creature vanishes, confirming the party's thought that there must be a cave under the tangled growth.

[Nogg 1 damage, Adrienne, Jinx 6 damage each, Candle 2 damage]

OOC:

Well, that was a bit unexpected, but the party did a lot of damage and made quite a bit of noise. I guess giant predators don't like to be hurt. Or I rolled a really bad reaction roll.