Rangers Upon the Coast - Session 14

The giant beast circling Donenashoe is blinded, through the strength of Gest’s arm and the Onthloug-Blessed teeth of Mongfhind.

Party

• Mongfhind (Vivian)
• Unhindered Procession (Matthew)
• Þorkell Skaðison (Firbozz)
• Gest (Matt)
• Artair (Wren)
• Refereed by Danni

Intention

To track down the rumored city-sized beast.

Summary

The party travels to Ruislip to find the city sized beast, in hex 03.10. We discover that the beast essentially travels in a circle around ruins, called Donenashoe on the map, seemingly protecting them. It purposefully kills deer with some degree of intelligence, and then pursues us.

Procession successfully kites the beast, with the stamina granted to him by Onthloug. Mongfhind and Gest race up the beast, with Mongfhind easily ascending first and offering a helping hand to Gest, as success is always granted to the favored of Onthloug. Upon summiting the beast, they blind it, Gest with axe, and Mongfhind with a Blessed Bite. We leave it, the ruins now unguarded.

Boasts

Gest
“I won’t rest until I see the top of this massive beast.”

Mongfhind attempted to up the stakes “to show the glory of Onthloug, I will mount this beast first.” Gest took on this complication instead, to be the first atop it.

Thorkall
“If that light be a flame, I will extinguish it. If it be gem, I will shatter it. And if it be flesh, I will taste it.” (I will destroy the eyes).

Unhindered Procession
Procession shouts in a series of different languages as he dodges between trees so all will know: “This beast shall not harm me, for Onthloug protects me!”

Rumors

No rumors were discovered this session.

Full Notes

Day 36

• We begin with a sunny day, traveling south down the river through Culemwarden. End on hex 0409.
  
• Goals are discussed. Þorkell is restless and wants to accomplish great deeds. Gest wants to see the beast himself. Procession doesn’t believe the beast can be real and wants to confirm himself. Also wants to test the mettle of their delicious gifts. Mongfhind wants to spread the word of Onthloug. 
• Passes uneventfully. We beach the Karvi, hex 0409 is heavily forested. Denser than anyone has ventured to date in Albon.

Day 37

•  Westward breeze. Not felt much through the trees.
  
• There are no paths through these woods. Can not see any mountains in the nearest four hexes.
• Þorkell takes point, not out of eye sight but moving ahead of the rest of the group.
• We head through the forest in a southwestern direction. The forest is thick, a lot of methodical moving. About a watch in, on the border between hexes we feel and hear vibrations. Heavy, large vibration, accompanied by a din. Could be landslides, trees breaking.
• We come into a clearing. It is like the unnatural opening or fissure in the forest made by powerlines, just a corridor made through the thick wood. It is obviously a path, about 15 meters wide. Trees are felled. In the center we can see areas where large boulders were in the ground but have been crushed. Five foot diameter prints. 
  • As we enter, we feel exposed. We can hear the distant tremors, rhythmic, and louder than before. Further down we see deer, chewing on new shoots growing in this cleared area. 
  • Thorkell, Gest, Artair and Mongfhind try to take down some deer. We all fail.
  • Trees are fallen in a way that indicates the beast is traveling from the SE to the NW. The path seems a bit circular within the hex
• Sounds getting closer. Deer are running away from it, towards us. We hew to the east side of the clearing, to wait for it to come into view. 
• We wait a turn (10 minutes). About 300m away we see a mound of bramble and thorns coming into view. About 50 feet tall. 70 feet long. 

amongst ruins birds alone play as architecture walks waits, moans fur stone bronze each another carceral pillar

• It appears to have four hulking stone pillars for legs. The body is a thick shaggy fur entwined with arm sized vines of bramble and thorn. Hard to tell where body ends and head begins. There is however, a protrusion with which orange glows.
  
• Tho it appears to move in slow motion, we watch a deer annihilated under foot, like the pencil scene from the Dark Knight. It scrapes the deer paste from the underside of its leg. It lowers its head to the ground. We hear a low sound, like a sniff. And it begins walking towards us.
• Mongfhind tries to hail the beast in the Old Tongue (what the Blessed spoke in Michael’s recent post in the RP channel), staff up. Walking into the clearing from the trees. Procession strides with her. Gest tracks towards the beast’s rear with the hope of climbing the rear legs. Thorkell takes aim with his long bow. Artair readies for things to go bad.
• The beast is 250m away. At first it was moving as normal. But as it spots Mongfhind, it rumbles, and it moves more quickly towards me. There does not seem to be any recognition in it. We can see these glowing orange eyes, but not much else of a face. Eyes are volleyball sized
• Mongfhind and Procession run back through the woods. It moves onto an intercept course, possibly showing intelligence. Get the impression it does not have keen vision. Gest is trying to get behind it, getting as much distance as possible before it hits the edge of the clearing. He succeeds.
• We move to initiative, Gest and Artair act first. 
  • Gest attempts to use a grappling hook to climb up its haunches, and succeeds. He is on the leg, the beast is unaware of his presence.
  • Artair tries to shoot the beast in the eyes. Misses the eyes, hits between the two eyes and harmlessly bounces off. 
  • The beast tramples into the forest, looking for Procession and Mongfhind. Slows down a bit.
  • Procession tries to become the new distraction, bangs shield, throws a javelin at the eyes of the beast (misses).
  • Mongfhind sets herself up for a perpendicular climbing approach, like Gest
  • Thorkell follows behind the beast. Closes distance, and is solidly behind it.
• Our second turn. All bur Artair roll before the beast
  • Gest intends to climb. Back right hind leg. Fails the roll, stays where he was
  • Mongfhind has intent to get alongside it and attempt a grappling hook throw, on the opposite leg that Gest is climbing up. She succeeds in the throw, is off the ground and on its legs. 
  • Procession intends to run ahead of it and try a second javelin throw. He misses the eyes again. He continues to run. 
  • Thorkell intends to continue to follow behind, unless theres a chance for him to climb as well. Both Gest and Mongfhind stay on, so he is continuing to spot us, ready to provide aid if needed or try to climb as well.
  • Beast takes its turn moving at Procession. Maintains the same distance between them.
  • Artair joins Thorkell. 
• Third turn. All but Artair under again.
  • Procession is kiting it. Holding aggro. 
  • Gest tries to climb, fails again
  • Mongfhind tries to climb, and succeeds. Gets to the furry area, the point where the grappling hook is. Able to grasp brambles and thorns. One more turn to get to the top
  • Thorkell breaks off to attempt to climb the tree, and calls out to Procession “see if you can bring it around.” Procession only hears Thorkell call out, but not what he said. 
  • The beast will keep going to Procession. The gap between them widens. It lets out a frustrated howl.
  • Artair will also climb a tree alongside Thorkell.
• Fourth turn. All but Procession will act before the beast.
  • Gest succeeds in his climb, getting to the furry part of the beast. 
  • Mongfhind makes her way halfway up the beast, using agility, succeeding.
  • Thorkell will keep climbing tree. Finds a stable shooting pose on tree.
  • Artair will keep climbing the tree as well, and ready a shot.
  • Beast catches up, the last step is 5m away from Procession, who must save, and succeeds, against the impact.
  • Procession makes a cut across the beast, back towards the shouting Thorkell
• Fifth turn, Artair, Procession, and Thorkell under.
  • Procession scrambles, feeling a bit lower in the tank for stamina.
  • Artair takes a shot, misses.
  • Thorkell readies a shot
  • Beast runs at procession
  • Mongfhind makes it on top. Lowers rope down to Gest.
  • Gest is helped to the top by Mongfhind, praise Onthloug
• Sixth turn. All but Artair and Thorkell roll over.
  • Procession leads the beast.
  • Mongfhind intends to go up to its head and bite its eyes. Slips through with agility. Succeeds in the biting.
  • Gest intends to get to eyes and either set the vegetation on fire or use an axe. Powers through with constitution. Hews the eye in two with a battle axe, and begins bucking and howling.
  • Mongfhind grapples into a tree, swinging easily to safety. Gest throws himself into a tree, slightly miscalculates the distance and takes 5 damage. 
• The beast is now blind. We now see in this clearing, there is rubble, some very old settlement the beast was guarding. We return to the flotilla.
• Several taste the juices of the beasts eyes: Procession, Gest, and Thorkell