the Ultimate Conflict (We're On A Boat) IC

[Realms of Chaos]

Core OOC Thread (www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=253202)
Group OOC Thread (www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=253599)

Admiral Moqorro:Have you ever had that perfect sort of day, that day when everything seems to go your way? You probably have, of course, but few people appreciate them before they’re truly gone. Admiral Moqorro, as luck would have it, was just one of those people. The path to Sigil had been a safe but surprisingly interesting trip and the winds had been at your back almost the entire way. From the moment the Admiral strode into town, it had taken a mere ten minutes to reach the tavern and make the exchange with your contact. Hell, you’d even bargained the price even lower. The fool didn’t know what the scroll in his hands was worth. He didn’t know the value of its treasure.

Slade. Hard as adamantine and immune to most forms of magic. A sword of it could cut through enchantments. A suit of armor could wade through the worst of spells. You held a map to a great deposit of the mineral on Arcadia, enough to outfit a small army or to coat a couple of ships. Walking through the chilly evening marketplace of sigil, you can’t even feel the cold. Yes, everything seemed to be going your way. If you could round up the rest of your crewmates, you might even arrive on the site before the sunset. Just another day in the life of Admiral Moqorro.

Po Rai So: What a beautiful day it was. Even from your unorthodox position, you could see that the city of sigil was just as large and impressive as the good admiral said it would be. Though you’d travelled across the planes and seen people from all manners of culture, Sigil was simply something else altogether. Nowhere else in the great wheel would you find so many styles and cultures pressed together, distinct enough to pick out with the untrained eye and yet refusing to clash. Demons and angels walked alongside mortals and there seemed to be no end to the diversity of the passing crowd. Remaining so close to the ship yards, however, you had to wonder how much you were really missing. Perhaps you’d have time to run a lap around the city before it was time to go. If the crowds were as thick as the ones around you, though, even that was going to be tricky. Actually, most of the crowd around you seemed to be actively watching you. What, hadn’t they ever seen one-fingered vertical pushups before?

Yamamoto Masanari: Taking back your kingdom was but the first step. You and your brothers knew this from the moment you set out to restore order. Now that everything seems to have been put back in place, it is more important than ever for your brothers to maintain the appearance of strength and order within your homeland and to secure its borders. Of course, you couldn’t simply risk having history repeat itself so easily. This time, your kingdom is taking a far more proactive approach. You have sent out spies throughout the planes and into all neighboring kingdoms, keeping an eye on the actions of rulers. It is to you and you alone that these spies report. As soon as you landed in Sigil to chase some whim of Moqorro’s, an agent who had recognized the ship came to meet you. Now, sipping tea in an extradimensional café, you feel far more educated regarding the political scene of the godless city. A few factions may even prove useful in the upcoming years if things go according to plan. Wishing to keep the meeting brief, your contact departs with a short bow, leaving you to your own devices. Moqorro, ever on the move, will likely be ready to depart short enough. Until then, however, you’re on your own within the city of doors.

Voren Hellbreaker: All things considered, Sigil was a very nice place. Of the many places where Moqorro had stopped for supplies, nowhere else had Voren received such a warm welcome. Accustomed to unnatural beings as part of daily life, even the ignorant and unlearned treated the mercenary as they would a stranger of their own race. Among the more educated, meanwhile, Voren’s fame seemed to serve him well. At least twelve strangers had referred to him by the moniker of Hellbreaker within the past hour alone, two of which had offered to buy the fell tiefling a drink if he had the time. Even an Aasimar walking down the street had dipped his head in respect. For all of its eccentricities and all of the rumors you’ve heard of its warped politics, Sigil was a very nice place indeed. Until Moqorro decided to move on, you were going to make the most of it.

Raz Ruswing: If Moqorro was standing by your side in that darkened alleyway, he would likely object to your choosing to beat that elf unconscious with your fists. Though none of the men you travelled with were particularly “virtuous”, most of them would likely agree with this assessment. Even Voren, mercenary and tiefling though he was, might have been moved by the elf’s crying pleas and claims to have learned his lesson. This, in the mind of Raz, was largely their problem.

To be fair, you probably weren’t about to kill him, though you most definitely could. The elf hadn’t even been armed when you grabbed him and you could tell that the little thing was drunk. You’ve said far worse insults while you were sober. No, you wouldn’t kill because this wasn’t really about punishment. This was far more for you than for the elf, a way to take off the edge after waiting on that ship for the past couple weeks. Leaving him alive was your personal way of thanking him for opening his pretty mouth and volunteering to help you with this stress.

If Moqorro or anyone else had been with you at the time, you might not have treated the elf as you had just chosen to. Dropping its unconscious body to the ground, however, you are fully aware that this is not the case. At least until the group is ready to leave once more, Raz Ruswing was alone in the streets and alleys of Sigil. If the town failed to adapt, that was its problem.

[MasonDon]

The day couldn't have been more perfect. Everything was going as planned, and more importantly, moving along in a timely fashion. At the moment, he was ahead of schedule, and intended to keep it that way. He strolled back to his flagship,the Lead Zepelyn,a glorious ship he had spent vast sums of money and many years perfecting. A rag-tag crew of misfits, bastards, and glorious men he had assembled, and he was ready to lead them to the treasure that would be the highlight of his career.

But still, his century of life had taught him to be wary and ever vigilant. The day was perfect, but it might've been too perfect. He would see what would unfold. Raising his communicator to his lips, he activates it, magic mixing with technology as it broadcasts to each of his comrades, officers in charge of the ground crew, and the like.

"Play time is over, boys. Back to the ship. Po, Raz, Victarion, Voren, Yamamato. My quarters, on the double. I want out of this port."


Using Communications Device, let's go with, eh, 15 uses to contact everyone important? Everyone contacted gets to send back a message.

[SketchPanic]

(OOC: Sorry if I make things seem so crazy easy for Po, but he IS a Paragon after all... lol)

The town was vast, vibrant, and offered various wonders, located all in one place. It truly was a sight to behold. Po Rai So stretched, welcoming the temporary freedom that taking port would afford him. He was thankful that the good Admiral allowed him to tag along in the crew's travels, although Po Rai So wished that the Admiral would refrain from being so demanding. It wasn't that Po Rai So was unappreciative, it was just that the thought of "serving" or "taking orders" from anyone still left a familiar sting from his previous betrayal.

Not waiting a second longer, Po Rai So decided to check out the village the best way he knew how... through training. Traveling at speeds that few could pick up, Po Rai So sprinted around the town various times, running across the walls where crowds were dense. Not even out of breathe, he continued his training by running around the furthest ends of the town, this time on his hands. He was aware that the eyes of many townsfolk were fixed on him, but paid them no mind. It's not like they wouldn't be doing something similar if they were able to.

It wasn't until Po Rai So was in the middle of the town, doing one-fingered vertical pushups, that he heard from the Admiral. Surrounded by quite the crowd at this point, Po Rai So flipped forward, landing on his feet with relative ease. Dusting himself off, he nodded to the crowd as he politely passed through it towards the airship. It was a shame that he couldn't stay longer. Although he could never get used to staying in any one place for too long, Po Rai so felt it would have been nice to at least stick around for a few moments longer. He simply sighed and muttered to himself as he continued.

I don't see the point of getting off of the ship if we're just going to be recalled almost no sooner than when we first arrive...

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Masanari was sitting in a quiet, candle-lit booth, on a rather too-comfortable bench, idly sipping warm thistle tea from a delicate porcelain cup. He shifted slightly, ruminating over the news his contact brought, piecing items together, interlocking details in his mind the way a watchmaker might fit gears in place. Suddenly the message hissed in his ear and Masanari tried, with a small effort, to keep the surprise from his face.



"Play time is over, boys. Back to the ship. Po, Raz, Victarion, Voren, Yamamato. My quarters, on the double. I want out of this port."


Using Communications Device, let's go with, eh, 15 uses to contact everyone important? Everyone contacted gets to send back a message.

Keeping his voice low, he responded in turn:

"Understood. I'll be there in due time."

The Admiral had mispronounced his surname, by mistake or on purpose; normally Masanari would know which, but he found the captain of the airship difficult to read sometimes, and he admitted to himself with no small amount of embarrassment that he still wasn't sure whether or not the old man thought of him as good company.

Even still, there was time to finish the tea. Normally he preferred hot green tea; Bessho Hikosada, however, liked his tea warm, thistle, and in an ostentatious cup, and Masanari paid careful attention to details like that when disguised as his arrogant diplomat counterpart. The stakes were high at the interplanar level, and mistakes could not be made. Details were important.

It's all in the details, he thought.

When there was no more tea left in the cup, Masanari leaned forward and placed it gently upon the mahogany table. The single candle that lit up his booth was flickering, nearly expired, its wax mostly running down the sides of a silver candlestick. The ninja glanced carefully at his surroundings, then fixed his gaze upon the nearly-dead flame. When he was certain no one was looking, he licked his thumb and forefinger and snuffed it out.

The booth grew dark and Masanari fell backwards into shadow.

Using Shadow Walk, spending 3 ki

Despite his sharp senses, Masanari struggled to discern the form of his surroundings as he floated upwards through the Plane of Shadow. Even a slow ascent caused the landscape around him to blur past at a breathtaking speed. So he shut his eyes and began to count, ticking off the distance in his head, past experience telling him how far he'd traveled in comparison to his current rate of ascent. When he was sure he was directly above his target he stopped his flight completely, letting himself float in the near-darkness. His hands shot towards each other, clasping together, fingers interlocking in a somatic gesture, the result of which was a small bubble of air that formed quickly around his head.

Casting Air Bubble

With a conscious effort, he dropped out of the Plane of Shadow and back into the skies above Sigil. He was off-course by only a few hundred feet, thankfully, and so it didn't take him long to see it: a tall, white tower, shining in the sky, the arrays of whirling fanblades set into its sides making a humming noise as they worked to keep the whole thing afloat. Masanari took a moment to locate his landing spot, a long dock made of stone and wood that jutted out into the sky, and drifted toward it. Normally meant to moor airships, the dock nevertheless worked well as a point of entry for a number of excursions such as this one. Masanari landed on it and made his way towards the airlock, signaling his presence to the guards on the other side with a couple of loud, well-timed knocks.


...

Five minutes later he was sitting at the head of a long table, listening quietly, watching each of his advisers discuss the information he's brought them. Some suggestions here, a comment there, a small change offered, everyone nodding in agreement. Another five minutes and the meeting was over, everyone walking away with a set of new objectives involving Sigil and the moves that needed to be made in order to establish a new information foothold. Tonight, people would be bribed, wined and dined, cajoled, but not harmed or threatened.

Yet.

For now Masanari must tend to the whims of the wily old Admiral Moqorro. He thought of the centenarian now, and smiled.

Whether or not the old man cared for his company, Masanari rather liked him and his ship, he decided.

[Xerinous]

Voren sighed. Why was it that only a few hours could be spent here, yet they'd spent nearly a week in actively hostile towns before. Recently, even.

After grumbling quietly to himself, something about impatient dwarves, communications devices, and where they could both be shoved, he replies:
"Must we leave so soon? It's not like we've been here very long, and I'm rather enjoying being able to walk down the street without women screaming and men pulling daggers, or worse, men screaming and women pulling daggers."

But he knew the dwarf would not be dissuaded easily and so began walking back to the ship, where he tracked down Moqorro and the others.

"So, where to next?

[tarrmarr]

Raz released the puny elf, whose unconscious body slumped to the ground. It has been a while since he was able to vent his frustrations, and beating someone within an inch of their lives was a good release. In a rare show of kindness, Raz chucked the crumpled body of the elf towards the street were he would be found and attended to. Raz wanted to find somewhere to have a good bloody fight. Perhaps the local mercenaries or fighters guild would take up a challenge from an outsider, he pondered, before reentering the bar he dragged the elf out of.

Hearing the voice of Moqorro in his ear, Raz cursed the nervous dwarf for once again not letting them stay in port for any length of time. While sailing with the dwarf did lead to grand adventures and glorious fights, life aboard the ships grew dull and irksome. Constantly trying to keep his temper in check to keep from decimating the crew was a continual source of frustration for Raz, so stops in port were time for him to vent and cause a little mayhem.

"Moqorro you paranoid git! What is it this time? A black cat cross your path; some old hag mumble something in your general direction? Every time we get into a port you have some reason why we can't stay. If we MUST go, don't blame me when some of your crew starts disappearing."

Raz is exaggerating here. They have spent time in port before, but leaving this quickly due to a whim of the admiral isn't uncommon

[Realms of Chaos]

As you hurry back to the port, everyone in Sigil seems to be on the move. Hundred of whispering voices fill the air, ironically far louder than the normal city sounds. All of you manage to pick out a single fact from these mutterings. The Lady of Pain has made an appearance and is walking through the town of sigil towards the port.

Po Rai So, meanwhile has made a second observation with his highly tuned senses. He can detect a low rumble coming from the Outland's spire, as if it were caught in the midst of an earthquake.

Edit: Moments later, a large shattering sound can be heard from up above as cracks start to appear in the sky. At the sight of these great cracks, the huddled masses on the streets begin to panic.


R [roll0]
Ma [roll1]
Mo [roll2]
V [roll3]
P [roll4]

[SketchPanic]

Po Rai So's pace slowed as the streets filled with the voices of townsfolk. It was quite eerie to see the sudden change, from what seemed to be everyday life in Sigil, to the now buzzing of people that was occurring. He wondered to himself Just who is this "Lady of Pain" and why does everyone care so much that she is heading to port? His thoughts, however, were interrupted by the feeling of the Outland's spire trembling. None of this was boding well with Po Rai So.

Po Rai So was torn between heading back to port, in case things didn't turn out well, or checking out the reason for the low rumble that was coming from the spire. Before he could reach a decision, the sky itself began to fracture like glass. The sounds that echoed in the air were quite unsettling. He was entranced by the bizarre event for a mount, not even noticing the people that were pushing by him in a panic as this was all going on.

Po Rai So snapped out of it and shouted, still unsure as to how the Admiral's magic-tech still allowed him to communicate.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but something is definitely not right here... I'm not sure what's going on, but aside from the sky, there is something shaking the earth near the Outland's spire. I wonder if this has anything to do with this "Lady of Pain" the townsfolk have been going on about.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Note: Reposted. Originally posted around 1 PM today; did not show up in subscription feeds.

Masanari was on his way to the docks, his entourage following closely behind. The whole crew of five exchanged concerned glances as the small crowd in the streets grew to a throng, the whole group gossiping excitedly about the "Lady of Pain."
"Who is she?" Masanari asked, tilting his head toward Kagetsune, his cohort.

Two things happen here: Masanari uses Knowledge (Local), trying to remember if he's heard anything about this "Lady of Pain" while he's been in port; Kagetsune does the same, and then the two discuss. The rest of this post continues despite the outcome of the rolls.

Their conversation ends when the first crack streaks through the sky. All five look up at once, the shock spreading on everyone's face except for Masanari's. They watch as more cracks begin to split the firmament, slowly segmenting the heavens, and suddenly the crowds surrounding them begin to panic. Four sets of eyes fall upon Masanari and, after a moment, he shouts above the confusion.

"Start extraction. Kagetsune, warn the tower." The young Machinist nods, turning towards an alley and pushing past the crowd. "Ori, Makoto, Isamu," he says, turning to the others, "Gather our agents on the ground and prepare them." The three ninja rush off in different directions and are soon gone.

Kagetsune, meanwhile, has crouched inside an alleyway. He unshoulders his pack, places it on the ground, and reaches inside, producing a small, metal sphere.

He's pulling the equivalent of a Feather Token (Bird) out of his bag, 300 GP. He has 28,700 GP left of items for the day.

He writes a series of characters quickly on a small strip of paper and rolls it into a tight scroll. The metal sphere unfurls, forming a small, metallic bird with spinning gears and winding springs. Kagetsune pushes the scroll into a slot in its beak and pushes it up towards the sky. It shoots off, soaring up towards the distant tower. Once this is done, he shoulders his pack again and exits the alleyway.

Masanari and Kagetsune rejoin and take off towards the docks, pushing their way past the panicked masses.

[tarrmarr]

Raz racks his brain for any information about the lady of pain as he grabs one of the passersby and begins to question them about her. She may make for an excellent fight or know where to find one. The cracks in the sky cause him some worry, but it is not the worst he has seen in the past 2 and 3 quarters centuries of life.

knowledge local [roll0] diplomacy [roll1]

"Looks like you may have been right this time Moqorro. I am going to find this lady of pain character and see what she knows about this."

[Xerinous]

Knowledge (Planes): [roll0] to recall anything known about Sigil, the Outlands, the Lady of Pain, and the Spire.

Voren begins watching the sky anxiously, trying to figure out what might be causing it to crack. The only conclusion he manages to draw is that the Spire's shaking might be causing it, but what could be causing that eludes him.

He decides that if anyone knows, it's probably the Lady of Pain, who is said to be headed to the port. He walks to the entrance to the port from the city and waits for her to show up.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

OOC: Skill rolls related to my previous post. I couldn't insert them via editing that post, so here they are:

Masanari's Knowledge: Local - [roll0]
Kagetsune's Knowledge: Local - [roll1]

[MasonDon]

Moqorro shrugged off the variety of insults and pleasant ways of his crew telling him to "Go **** yourself," after all, he had been with them quite a long time and knew how they would react. Some would mean it in a joking manner, and some would be hostile, as sailors given such a brief respite in port tend to act. He knew that they would all come back to the ship in due time, and paid little heed to it.

However, as he walked and communicated, a strange thing began happening. Whispered murmurs of the "Lady of Pain" moving to the docks flooded around him, as the city whipped itself into a frenzy. He let out a load groan, thinking to himself about how it would be such a delay, his perfect day nearly ruined because of it. But as he would say in his common tongue, C'est la vie. He slowed his pace back to the docks, hoping to arrive far after this delay was gone.

That was, until cracks began appearing in the sky. He stared agape for the briefest of moments before cursing loudly, activating his communicator to Victarion only. "I want every hand, every crewmember, every god-forsaken rat back on the ships and accounted for in five minutes. Prep the fleet for launch. Hurry your rat-ass up!"

And so, it seemed, Admiral Moqorro would not have his perfect day after all.

[Realms of Chaos]

Regarding the Lady of Pain:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SniTwfm5BwE/SxRM-oCE9JI/AAAAAAAAB5I/Bwjy7rG0TCk/s1600/Planescape+Lady+of+Pain.jpg

The lady of pain is the silent lord of sigil who has never once left it. She is the one that prevents gods from entering the city, that traps would-be conquerors in impossible mazes, and that prevents any one of the factions from ever claiming control. She's also attributed with a couple of impossible wards in the city, including the blocking of gates and the astral plane. Nobody worships the lady of pain as doing so typically results in being found without your skin shortly afterwards. She has no castle, no home, and no structure dedicated to her, simply appearing on occasion and disappearing equally fast. No force has ever been known to hurt the lady of pain and even the slightest gaze has been known to fill creatures with grievous wounds as if from blades. Most smart people, when seeing the lady of pain, turn the other way and run like hell or at least duck low and attempt to avoid notice.

Po: You can feel the power of Moqorro's magitech give out before you can get out the words "...the sky". The limitations on that device were frustrating and hard to keep track of, though Moqorro could hopefully fill in the missing pieces.

Masanari: After discussing all you know (however little that is) about the Lady of Pain and splitting up to accomplish your jobs, the trip to the docks is not made easy due to the sheer number of people trying to run in the opposite direction. Eventually, though, the two of you get through the last of the running townsfolk, finding a single robed figure slowly walking down the middle of the road with its head turned up to the sky... presumably the lady of pain herself.

Raz: Finding the Lady of Pain, if you desire should be more than simple as people seem to be running away from someone by the docks. Considering all that you slowly recall, however (see above), the only question is if you'd really want to start that type of fight.

Voren:
You know that the outlands is thought of as the center of the great wheel cosmology (despite technically being an "outer plane") and that it is the only truly neutral outer plane. As for the spire, you are aware that it is supposedly the center of the multiverse and that magic is suppressed as one approaches and scales it. You know nothing that might cause earthquakes, however. Regarding Sigil, you are aware that it is a planar metropolis ruled by the lady of pain where gods are forbidden and where most forms of contact with other planes are cut off save for the many many portals in the city (earning it the moniker of "city of doors"). Though no one group rules over Sigil, it is roughly controlled by a series of factions.

You reach the opening of the port and can see the running mob of people trying to escape the lady of pain approaching.

Moqorro: Enough of your crew has assembled for you to take off if required, though your close friends seem to be lacking at the moment. You can actually see Voren by the opening of the Docks, apparently waiting for the Lady to approach. As for the others, you could only imagine that they might be having problems returning considering that one of the main roads to the docks was now flooded with panicked townsfolk

The cracking of the sky above you finally seems to slow and stop. This is not to say that activity has stopped, however. The cracks are filled with all manner of motion, eyes and claws and pincers and legs and far recognizable appendages seem to reach out from the full extent of the crack. thousands of beasts can be seen "behind" the cracks, trying to claw their way out but restricted by the narrow width of the cracks. Noticing this particular fact seems to have whipped the townspeople into a greater frenzy, though movement near the docks seems possible as most people have abandoned it.

[SketchPanic]

(OOC: Edit 1: Due to roll0 and roll1 showing up. Worked in dice toll test board, but not here for some reason. ; Edit 2: Due to rolls now showing up as 1d20+63. I hope I'm just not supposed to see the result, otherwise I'm going to flip this table! D:<)

Although Po Rai So has taken down many vile creatures, tyrants, and various other beings that disrupted the peace of the realm, never once has the name "Lady of Pain" ever been uttered or brought to his attention before now. With such a name, he doubted she would be someone up for a friendly chat over the current events. Even more so, it was hard not to believe that the two events went hand-in-hand with one another.

The sky finally came to a pause, but what came after was far more terrifying. The sight of a writhing mass of countless eyes, raking claws, gaping maws, and other monstrous appendages was enough to even give Po Rai So pause. If this "Lady of Pain" truly was behind all of this, a direct confrontation wouldn't be the brightest thing to do.

One thing was for sure. Po Rai So had to make it back to the port and to his friends. This was a task that at first proved difficult, considering the streets were still flooded with panicking townsfolk. Flying would bring too much unwanted attention to him, which was something he was trying to avoid as well. Looking around, a thought dawned on him. Taking a few steps back, Po Rai So crouched down for a moment and leaped towards the roof.

Acrobatics check to at least reach the roof to get on top: 1d20+63

It would be much easier, and quicker, to jump from roof to roof in order to hopefully make it back to port before the "Lady of Pain" did. He figured if the the others weren't already waiting, at least he could prove to be a good enough distraction, if necessary, until they could leave port.

Acrobatics check to jump from rooftop to rooftop while running: 1d20+63
Given Po Rai So can move 360ft a round, he REALLY wants to make it back to port before the "Lady of Pain" does, unless of course you had plans to do something otherwise.

Po Rai So hoped everyone was okay. Even though he was previously never allowed to have "friends", the crew of the airship, including the Admiral, was the closest things he has ever had to having any. He just wished that there was more time to explain the situation before the Admiral's magic talking device died out on him. Laughing to himself, he raced towards the port...

He's brilliant enough to build an entire fleet by hand, but can't manage to keep such a small device working consistantly... I just don't get it.

[Realms of Chaos]

Po: OOC: Well, you should've been seeing those rolls. Did you edit them into your post, by chance? I know that's messed me up before. Also, just checking if the rolls work at all here.
[roll0]
[roll1]


Po manages to make great speed on the road back to the port. Raz and Masanari both witness him as he travels from rooftop to rooftop and Po manages to get a decent look at this "lady" as well. Arriving at the port, Po can see both Voren waiting by the entrance of the port and Moqorro's ship in the distance. Voren can likely see Po as well.

[tarrmarr]

Raz realizing that the Lady is someone even he shouldn't fight, he determines that the best course of action is to ask her about the situation. She obviously revealed herself for a reason and he wanted to know what it was. The creatures in the sky also looked like they would put up an interesting fight, and he didn't want the Lady of Pain hogging it all to herself.

Flapping his large leathery wings, Raz rises above the crowd and flies to the docks searching for the robed figure that everyone is running from. When he arrives he lands near the figure and calls out:

"Oui! You the Lady of Pain?

[Realms of Chaos]

As Raz swoops down in front of the lady of pain, he can see Voren only 200 feet away by the entrance to the port. Behind the lady of pain, meanwhile, stands both Masanari and his Cohort, Kagetsune. At least one other man from the city has found the courage to join in as well, standing on a nearby rooftop.

In response to your question, the Lady of Pain actually halts where she is for a moment. Turning in your direction, the Lady looks directly at Raz.

Raz:
The force of her gaze was utterly unlike anything you could have expected, feeling as though she is literally drilling holes in your eyes. You can feel her gaze pass though and feel vitrious fluid leak from the wounds, can feel your skull crack and your brain slowly bleed and the knives of her gaze spreads to your mind as well. You can feel the gaze exit through the back of your skull, spraying blood across the cobblestone. Why was nobody helping you? Was anyone else even out there? Were they feeling this, too? As the knifes in your mind leak out with the blood, leaving you light-headed and weak, you can feel that something has been physically carved into your brain, a single short word torn into your cortex as with a serrated knife.

ship

That was the message that you were about to die for, the pointless four-letter epithet for your tombstone. Hell, that didn't even answer your question, though the rest of this process likely did the job for you. On the bright side, you've never heard of the Lady ever speaking with anyone. As far as endings go, that had to count for something, right? On that topic, why weren't you dead yet? Had you even fallen from your feet?

Almost at once, The Lady of Pain breaks her eye contact to look forwards once again. No longer can you feel the stabbing force of her gaze or, indeed, find any evidence that you were stabbed at all beyond the lingering sensation of exhaustion. Your eyes can see just fine and there's no sign of spilled blood anywhere around you.

OOC: You gain one negative level, ignoring your normal immunity. It will only last the next 24 hours and shouldn't prove to be too much of a hindrance in what is yet to come. Sorry if the above seems a bit mean-spirited. :smallredface:

Finally looking away from Raz, the Lady resumes her short walk towards the port, stopping after 50 feet as if waiting for someone to follow. If Voren wishes to talk to the Lady of Pain next, she could probably hear him if he shouts.

[Xerinous]

Ignoring the sense of impending doom taking hold of his heart, Voren calls out to the Lady:

"Hey, Lady of Pain! I figure that if anyone can tell me what's going on, it's you. So, what's with the sky? Is Sigil under attack somehow?"

Even as he calls out, he feels certain that doing so is a bad decision, but he cannot see any other way of determining what is going on.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Masanari and Kagetsune eye each other warily, neither wishing to cross the Lady of Pain (and thus cause diplomatic damage). Instead they both stand there and watch what Raz does, grimacing at the rather uncouth way he addresses such an important figure. They keep watching as his question is met with silence, and Masanari, sensing something is amiss, sucks air through his teeth.

Masanari is watching the odd display between the Lady of Pain and Raz and his subsequent behavior (as I'm positive losing a level probably has some observable effect at least on a subject's face). He'll use either Knowledge: Arcana or Spellcraft to determine what just happened; either bonus is the same: [roll0]

"Do you think that answered his question?" he asks Kagetsune bemusedly, a small grin forming in the corners of his mouth.
"I think she means to steal the Admiral's ship," the retainer remarks, an edge of concern in his voice. "I also don't think she means us any immediate harm; she's got to defend the city from whatever is presently tearing up the sky, hasn't she? I don't think she can fly."
"I agree, but that doesn't mean we're safe, either," Masanari replies calmly, coming to a decision. "Position yourself on the ship's prow..." - he points to the ferocious-looking metal dragon snout that forms that part of their vessel - "...and ready a shot in case of a 'total breakdown in diplomatic relations.'"

Kagetsune nods. He leans down and fiddles with a few small metal switches on his boots. They begin to hum, and he takes a step, becoming enveloped in folded space.

Kagetsune is using his "Boots of Teleport" to end up on the ship's prow; I'll say he's been there before, presumably to shoot at pirates/fish/meditate/what-have-you, so it's Very Familiar: [roll1]
He has two more uses left today. The rest of this post assumes success; I'll change my response if there's some kind of failure.

The Machinist spans the space between the dock and the prow with a single step, placing his feet together and dusting himself off out of habit. Reaching back, he pulls a long, scoped rifle from its holster and assumes a firing position, lying prone on the dragon snout.
Meanwhile, Masanari watches as Voren tries his luck at diplomacy.

[Realms of Chaos]

As if in answer to Voren's question, another onlooker drops down from a nearby roof near the Lady of Pain, a female possessed of such grace that her form seems to literally flow from one place to the next.

"Good news and bad news." she says brightly, by way of introduction. "Our guests aren't feeling actively malicious right now, though a couple of them are worryingly... well, hungry. So it's probably not a deliberate invasion. Bad news is, they have no idea what's going on either. At least, I don't think so. Seven dimensional thought-concepts don't translate well." she continues, apparently addressing everyone as a group, including the Lady. "If anyone else has any ideas, I'd be interested in hearing them."

She pauses, shooting a look at Raz, then amends her previous statement. "Unless conveying those ideas would lead to... whatever happened to him."

Before anyone can respond, the man who you spotted earlier, wearing a weary and pained expression on his face, leaps off of his building and lands nearby as well.

"Erika, no pain, no gain." he says, presumably talking to the otherworldly woman. The man bows slightly to the Lady of Pain but does not remove his eyes from her. "A pleasure. I, on behalf of my comrades and I, would like to offer our assistance in resolving this matter. If there is anything you would have us do to assist in dealing the cracks, we would be honored to do so." He allows his back to straighten and nods in acknowledgement to those of you assembled.

Suddenly, a groaning sound can be heard up in the sky, as if it bore some incredible weight. Looking up, the cracks appear fewer in number than they once were with only around 10 or 12 remaining. Then, almost at once, all of the remaining cracks burst open with a loud shattering sound, allowing allowing a swarm of creatures to float down from the sky on what appear to be spider webs. Each of the creatures looks something like a cross between a human and a scorpion with a black stinger in place of its head and suppported on eight humanoid hands. Several smaller ones seem to land in mid-air and scurry across it as if it were solid ground while larger ones drop down to the city below.

In response to these cracks, the Lady of Pain resumed her walk at a brisk pace, quickly walking past Voren and others to arrive at the Lead Zeppelin, standing directly in front of it.

From the perspective of Po and Kagetsune, both of which have the advantage of altitude, it is clear that the rush on the street has died down.

Roll Initiative
[roll0]

[Xerinous]

Initiative: [roll0]

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Masanari rolls initiative: [roll0]
Kagetsune rolls initiative: [roll1]

[tarrmarr]

Initiative:
[roll0]

[MasonDon]

Initiative

[roll0]

[MasonDon]

Moqorro stands at the bow of his ship, one white-knuckled hand clenching a railing, the other his magitech communication device, sending out messages to whoever has yet to arrive, warning them of a closing window of less than five minutes.

His tone is gruff and to the point - no fear, even when faced with swarms of these creatures pouring out of the sky. He wants his ship and his crew undocked and ready to leave. He gives the order for the fleet to begin undocking and make way to a safe distance from Sigil - that is, if more than 90% of the crew aboard those ships has arrived.

He finishes off his commands, spying a group of people trying to engage in conversation with what appears to be the Lady of Pain. He lets out an annoyed grunt, spotting Raz and Voren among them, and screams to them "Oi, you bloody fools, can't you see the place is falling to hell around us? Get the **** on the ship!"

No sooner would he finish his tirade than would the Lady resume her brisk walk to his vessel. A look of confusion, anger, and finally, a flicker of fear move across him as he summons Victarion from the helm and brushes himself free of dirt. He moves to the gangplank, giving a curt nod to her. "Err, what can I do for you?"

[SketchPanic]

Po Rai So looked to the sky at the twisted irony that he was witnessing. Twisted, vile, creatures were falling from the very heavens to invade the lands before him. Obviously this was not something he would stand by and idly allow. A slight smirk creeping across his face, Po Rai So cracked his knuckles, followed by his neck, in preparation for the inevitable fight that would follow.

Well, it's good to see that the "Lady of Pain" is no enemy, but there still remains the matter of these monstrosities...

[roll0]

[Realms of Chaos]

As the lady of pain leaves, the woman, Erika, simply comments, "Oh... well, those are new. Seems we might be under attack after all."

"You!" The other man shouts to Raz, "And you!" he says turning to Voren. "Can you fight?" Then, turning to Erika, he adds "Get back to the Queen and tell her start moving people into the Acropolis! We can figure out what to do with them later. Sebastian, Fang" he continues, calling to a pair of apparently hidden allies, "take cover and get ready to hit them hard as soon as they get in reach!"

I really don't think that's viable right now, Daniel." Erika says, with a casual smile on her face. She actually looks entirely unconcerned with the whole situation. "She's a little bit preoccupied right now, I should say." With that, she gestures towards the cracks, towards a humanoid figure lingering among the newly descended bodies

"I think I'll join her. Wouldn't want to abandon our gracious host in what might be a time of need, after all." That said, Erika reaches into what appears to be empty space next to her and draws a gigantic, two-handed sword forged from a strange golden metal. She holds it ready, and the ground rumbles before she launches into the air, slicing several of the creatures in twain as she flies towards her "host"

Looking not at Moqorro but at the Lead Zeppelin in front of her, the Lady of Pain slowly points to herself, followed by the ship, and finally to the cracks above. With this motion done, she awaits some manner of response.

We are now in the action step of the first combat round. Feel free to put up your actions.

[MasonDon]

His expression instantly changes from a stoic grimace into a more relaxed one as soon as the Lady is done with her game of charades. "Aye, lass, we'll get you up there! First time fliers, please belt yourself down!" With that, Moqorro turns to Victarion, ordering him to make ready for sail.

Victarion struts across the deck, moving to the helm, bellowing orders along the way. "Aye lads, battlestations! Run out tha' cannons! Warm up tha' engine! Make ready for maneuvers!"

Moqorro shouts to Voren, and anyone else on the docks, "Ride's leaving in thirty, better get your sweet asses on it!" He then pulls out his communicator, contacting the fleet and ordering them to clear a passageway up towards the cracks.

[SketchPanic]

Po Rai So turns to the airship for a moment and yells out to the Admiral. I'll catch up with you guys in a moment, just going to take care of a few things down here first. His attention turned back to the falling creatures from the sky. Drawing an arrow from his Quiver of Anariel, he threw it at one of the creatures the moment it fell within 100ft of him, with all of his might. As the arrow soared through the air, its form changed in appearance to one of Po Rai So's fists.

Using 1 Ki Point (Now down to 30 Ki Points) to throw a Ki Arrow treated as my Unarmed Strike. Treating Unarmed Strike as a Greater Vital Strike.
To Hit:[roll0]
To Confirm Crit (if there is one):[roll1]

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Kagetsune can hear Masanari shouting something, but he's already aware of the new danger descending from the skies. It only takes him a moment to catch an invader in his sights; once he's corrected for distance and windspeed, the Machinist fires his rifle, slides the bolt back to reload, corrects again, and fires off another shot, all while the sky has burst into savage, malicious activity.


Kagetsune is using The Old Man, a Distant Shot, Everloaded, Probability (+1) scoped rifle.
Attack 1: [roll0], targeting touch AC
Attack 2: [roll1], targeting touch AC

Masanari draws his sword and turns to stare at the Lady of Pain. His first instinct is to blink directly onto the ship's deck, but he decides against that action as enemies begin to crowd the dock. What happens next is a blur to the average onlooker: Masanari shimmers, vanishing completely from the docks. Suddenly, a streak of light cuts across an invader's torso, and another, and another, until four such enemies have been struck, seemingly from nowhere.

Masanari is spending 3 ki points: two for Abundant Step, one for Vanishing Trick. He has Dimensional Agility, Dimensional Dervish, and Dimensional Savant; his range is 240 feet, so he splits up this distance between four nearby (within 30 feet) enemies, using his last Step to return to the Lady of Pain's side (unless she's gone too far; then he just ends up on the dock of the Lead Zeppelin). He is under Greater invisibility for 30 rounds, and Dimensional Savant effectively lets him flank by himself, so I'm pretty sure each attack is a sneak attack (correct me if I'm wrong, please!). The streaks of light are his sword; he's using the SerpentStone inlay to light up each strike.
Attack 1: [roll2]
Attack 2: [roll3]
Attack 3: [roll4]
Attack 4: [roll5]

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Confirming Critical Hit, Masanari Attack 2: [roll0]

[Realms of Chaos]

The Round So Far:
Erika Launches herself to the "host", killing six airborne monstrosities on the way.
That host lights up the sky with dozens of rays of energy, targeting around 250 airborne monstrosities and killing 70 outright, doing a lot to open up the sky.
Lady of Pain boards the Lead Zeppilin and it begins taking off, removing her from the ground of Sigil for the first time in recorded history.
Po launches a ki arrow that misses its foe.
Both Kagetsune and Masanari successfully attack (damage rolls, please). Masanari gets sneak attack through invisibility and ends up on the bow of the ship behind the lady of pain.
A few hanging monstrosities seem to be fighting back against Erika and the person she traveled over to help
Raz may post his action in the reaction step.
Voren may post his action in the reaction step.
Larger monstrosities on the ground will start attacking buildings while smaller ones on the ground start swarming through the streets.

Time for the reaction round. On Monday, the conclusions will be posted.

[Xerinous]

Voren heeds Moqorro and returns to the Lead Zepelyn, running through the port and leaping aboard the airship, drawing his swords as he does so.
Using Peerless Mobility to move without needing to make a check to jump back onto the ship.

He turns to one of the crew members:
"Ready some rope ladders, we might need to pick up some passengers as we go."

[tarrmarr]

Raz upon seeing the monsters descending from the sky shakes off the shock of the Lady's gaze. Reveling in the chance to fight again, he rushes into the middle of the nearest pack of creatures and swinging his great sword cleaves into it.

Power attack with great cleave
first creature to hit [roll0] damage [roll1]
second to hit [roll2] damage [roll3]
third to hit [roll4] damage [roll5]
fourth to hit [roll6] damage [roll7]
fifth to hit [roll8] damage [roll9]
sixth to hit [roll10] damage[roll11]
seventh to hit [roll12] damage [roll13]
eight to hit [roll14] damage [roll15]

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Damage rolls for Kagetsune:
Attack 1: [roll0]
Attack 2: [roll1]

Damage rolls for Masanari:
Attack 1: [roll2] [roll3]
Attack 2: [roll4] [roll5]
Attack 3: [roll6] [roll7]
Attack 4: [roll8] [roll9]

[Realms of Chaos]

Initiative:
16 Monsters
19 ?????????
23 Kagetsune
27 ?????????
28 "Erika"
29 Po
31 Raz/Masanari
43 Voren
45 "The Host"
46 The Friendly Guy
50 ???????????????
55 Moqorro



As soon as the Lady of Pain takes her spot on the bow of the ship, the Lead Zeppelin blares to life with incredible sound, lifting off of the port and starting its journey towards the skies while the crew tirelessly works to continue the journey.

The sound of this departure, however, is quickly covered up behind a beautiful voice, a voice that you follow back to a previously unseen figure hanging in the sky by the cracks. Her voice fills you all with hope and fervor and your weapons glow with a bright blue light (all weapon attacks now deal +20d6 sonic damage). The figure descends with great speed towards one of the larger scorpions in mid-performance, hitting with the first strike and missing with another two before falling back.

The man who had just asked for help in the street now vanishes into thin air. Anyone trying to see where he had gone will find him now riding atop of one of the larger monstrosities nearby.

While one figure has filled the air with song, Erika's "Host" up in the sky fills it with light. Rays of judgement rain through the air, scorching and destroying the hanging monstrosities even as they leak forth from the fissures above. Only the lucky survive from such an assault, though a path for the Lead Zeppelin seems to have been blazed.

Voren, seeing his ship leave, runs, climbs, and leaps with incredible grace to end up back at the ship. The crewmen who hear his instructions quickly fetch the rope ladder, awaiting his signal to lower it.

Masanari vanishes from thin air before vanishing altogether, reappearing only to hit a few foes before vanishing once more and appearing back on the ship. It's almost a shame that the average man wouldn't be able to observe his finesse in combat.

Raz rushes into a large group of smaller monstrosities, slicing through eight of them with one fell blow, destroying them with the aid of the uplifting song.

Po unleashes his strike from atop of a building but it sadly misses its target. Even the best of the best were subjected to luck every now and again, it would seem.

It is now that Erika launches up from the ground and joins her host up in the air, destroying a fair number of the airborne monstrosities on her way.

Kagetsune, with a couple of well-placed shots, manages to slay one of the hanging monstrosities with concentrated gunfire from the tower.

Back in the air, all is not well for Erika and her host, both of which are under attack by the hanging monstrosities. Both manage to weave through the air and incredible speeds but it looks as though the host may have taken a hit or two.

Hundreds of additional creatures rain down from the cracks, nearly replacing all of those who had just perished. As if aware of the Lady's presence, a good many of the hanging monstrosities swarm to block the path towards the cracks.

Next Action Round

[MasonDon]

The Lead Zeppelin thunders into the air, Moqorro standing on the bow as wind whips through his hair. He looks over his gun, battered and notched after many a battle and smiles, loading a round into it. Victarion, overcharge the engine! Get us up there as fast as ya' can!"

"Aye, Cap'n!" Victarion grins, flipping a lever at the helm. Klaxxons blare as the alchemical engine begins thrumming loudly, magitech piping infusing Moqorro's own special blend of chemicals as the crew scramble frantically about. With a sudden burst of speed, the lead Zeppelin lurches forward at a blinding pace. "Who's crew be us? Moqorro's! Ain't nothing going to stop us, 'specially not these ugly-arses!"


Activating "Nitro" on the ship. Standard action to activate Inspire Courage, +2 to everyone who can percieve him. Free action to Weave Emotions - Joy on Moqorro. Also activating Live the Legend, which I believe starts the next round.

"Cannons, ready! Aim! Fire!" Screams Moqorro, as a cacophonous roar of explosions reverberate above Sigil, his fleet firing their cannons in unison, Moqorro following suit with a cannonade of his own from his gun.


Moqorro -
[roll0] if hit [roll1]+[roll2]
[roll3] if hit [roll4]+[roll5]
[roll6] if hit [roll7]+[roll8]
[roll9] if hit [roll10]+[roll11]
[roll12] if hit [roll13]+[roll14]

Lead Zeppelin - What would the be the AB for the cannons? I'm assuming level 1 fighters, but I'll change it if needed.
[roll15] if hit [roll16]
[roll17] if hit [roll18]
[roll19] if hit [roll20]
[roll21] if hit [roll22]
[roll23] if hit [roll24]
[roll25] if hit [roll26]
[roll27] if hit [roll28]
[roll29] if hit [roll30]
[roll31] if hit [roll32]
[roll33] if hit [roll34]
[roll35] if hit [roll36]
[roll37] if hit [roll38]

[Xerinous]

Voren signals the crew member to stow the ladder again, it won't be needed, especially not at the speeds the ship will be moving.

He looks to the monstrosities in front of the ship as a bit of recklessness strikes him. He leaps off the front of the ship, jumping onto, striking at, and then leaping off of each foe and on to the next.
Using Engage the Army in combination with Live the Legend.

After the last hit, Voren jumps back onto the Lead Zeppelin, rolling to spend any excess momentum.

EDIT: Revised my action to make use of Engage the Army.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Masanari's blade is a blur, streaking through four more foes, trying to cut them down as fast as they land on the deck of the ship.

Another two ki for Abundant Step, same deal as last round; 16 ki and 28 rounds of invisibility remaining.
Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage if successful: [roll1], Sonic: [roll2], Sneak: [roll3]
Attack 2: [roll4]
Damage if successful: [roll5], Sonic: [roll6], Sneak: [roll7]
Attack 3: [roll8]
Damage if successful: [roll9], Sonic: [roll10], Sneak: [roll11]
Attack 4: [roll12]
Damage if successful: [roll13], Sonic: [roll14], Sneak: [roll15]


Kagetsune holsters his rifle quickly and draws both of his revolvers, firing off a bevy of shots from both at whatever scorpion-like invaders he can see. He hopes that the airship's upward momentum will keep him pinned to its prow; if not, he's in trouble!

Kagetsune is firing both of his guns for seven attacks, targeting touch AC. One is the Blaze Gun, a Flaming Burst, Everloaded, Probability (+2) Distance Revolver (range of 40 feet):
Attack 1: [roll16]
Damage if successful: [roll17], Fire: [roll18], Sonic: [roll19]
Attack 2: [roll20]
Damage if successful: [roll21], Fire: [roll22], Sonic: [roll23]
Attack 3: [roll24]
Damage if successful: [roll25], Fire: [roll26], Sonic: [roll27]
Attack 4: [roll28]

The second gun is the Blast Gun, a Shocking Burst, Everloaded, Probability (+2) Distance Revolver (same range):
Attack 1: [roll29]
Damage if successful: [roll30], Electricity: [roll31], Sonic: [roll32]
Attack 2: [roll33]
Damage if successful: [roll34], Electricity: [roll35], Sonic: [roll36]
Attack 3: [roll37]
Damage if successful: [roll38], Electricity: [roll39], Sonic: [roll40]

[Realms of Chaos]

The Round So Far

Moqorro's cohort uses live the legend (effects start this round, last until start of next round).
Because of live the legend, all attack rolls are natural 20s (auto-hits). This means that Voren and Erika (also an unmatched dervish) are able to clear out the entirety of the sky in a single round through the engage the army class feature if desired (honestly can't believe I didn't see this coming).
All of Kagetsune's attacks as well as Masanari's attacks auto-hit and threaten critical hits (roll threat rolls and critical damage for each attack).
Raz and Po are free to declare actions during the reaction round. Remember the +20d6 sonic damage and the auto-hit/threat confirmation.
Moqorro's cannons auto-hit/threaten criticals as well on grounded enemies.
The man currently riding a monstrosity harms it (and possibly paralyzes it).


Reaction Round 2

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Masanari's blade is vorpal, but I rolled damage anyway.

Attack 1 confirm: [roll0]
Critical damage roll: [roll1], Sonic damage: [roll2]
Attack 2 confirm: [roll3]
Critical damage roll: [roll4], Sonic damage: [roll5]
Attack 3 confirm: [roll6]
Critical damage roll: [roll7], Sonic damage: [roll8]
Attack 4 confirm: [roll9]
Critical damage roll: [roll10], Sonic damage: [roll11]

Kagetsune's rolls (revolver is x4 critical):

Blaze Gun:
Attack 1 confirm: [roll12]
Critical damage roll: [roll13], Fire damage: [roll14], Flaming Burst damage: [roll15], Sonic damage: [roll16]
Attack 2 confirm: [roll17]
Critical damage roll: [roll18], Fire damage: [roll19], Flaming Burst damage: [roll20], Sonic damage: [roll21]
Attack 3 confirm: [roll22]
Critical damage roll: [roll23], Fire damage: [roll24], Flaming Burst damage: [roll25], Sonic damage: [roll26]
Attack 4 confirm: [roll27]
Critical damage roll: [roll28], Fire damage: [roll29], Flaming Burst damage: [roll30], Sonic damage: [roll31]

Blast Gun:
Attack 1 confirm: [roll32]
Critical damage roll: [roll33], Elec. damage: [roll34], Shocking Burst damage: [roll35], Sonic damage: [roll36]
Attack 2 confirm: [roll37]
Critical damage roll: [roll38], Elec. damage: [roll39], Shocking Burst damage: [roll40], Sonic damage: [roll41]
Attack 3 confirm: [roll42]
Critical damage roll: [roll43], Elec. damage: [roll44], Shocking Burst damage: [roll45], Sonic damage: [roll46]

[MasonDon]

Rolls for confirmation!

Moqorro -
[roll0] if confirmed [roll1] + [roll2]
[roll3] if confirmed [roll4] + [roll5]
[roll6] if confirmed [roll7] + [roll8]
[roll9] if confirmed [roll10] + [roll11]
[roll12] if confirmed [roll13] + [roll14]

Ship -
[roll15] if confirmed [roll16]
[roll17] if confirmed [roll18]
[roll19] if confirmed [roll20]
[roll21] if confirmed [roll22]
[roll23] if confirmed [roll24]
[roll25] if confirmed [roll26]
[roll27] if confirmed [roll28]
[roll29] if confirmed [roll30]
[roll31] if confirmed [roll32]
[roll33] if confirmed [roll34]
[roll35] if confirmed [roll36]
[roll37] if confirmed [roll38]

[SketchPanic]

(OOC: So pissed at myself for forgetting that I have daily uses of "Reliable Strike". Could have told that Natural 1 to kick rocks... lol)


Po Rai So stand there for a moment in complete and utter disbelief. It's been longer than he can remember since he has missed striking any opponent he has intended to. Although everyone, even the brightest and best, are the subject to failure at one point or another, this greatly upset him.

Po Rai So's train of thought was interrupted by one of the most beautiful voices he had ever had the pleasure of listening to. The unseen woman's words put his mind at ease, and snapped him back into focus on the current events. He looked to his fists, with pleasant surprise, as they we're enveloped in a swirling light of blue energy.

The same familiar grin appeared on Po Rai So's face as he launched himself through the air, gunning for the nearest giant monstrosity he could find. He pulled his fist back before slamming his fist into the creature with all of his might, followed by a thunderous kick to it's midsection.

Just as a reminder Po Rai So has a constant Ring of Flight that he is using to reach the creature. His attack is also a Greater Vital Strike. In case the first attack confirms crit, Po Rai So gains another attack due to "Roundabout Kick"

Roll for Crit-Threat on Attack: [roll0]
Roll for Crit-Threat on Roundabout Kick: [roll1]

Roll for Damage on Attack:[roll2] + [roll3]
Roll for Damage on Roundabout Kick:[roll4] + [roll5]

Roll for Critical Damage on Attack:[roll6] + [roll7]
Roll for Critical Damage on Roundabout Kick:[roll8] + [roll9]

[tarrmarr]

Not wanting to be outdone by his companions and these newcomers, Raz rages and seeks an even bigger dog-pile of creatures. Flying into a concentrated mass of the smaller floating and larger terrestrial creatures, Raz completely surrounds himself and spins blade out in all directions creating a grotesque blur of whirling steel, adamantium and blood. The shear carnage of the sight is enough to cause the average man to vomit, but it filled Raz with nothing but pure joy.

Raz enters his rage (health increases by 60) and using great cleave with power attack, attacks all the enemies within 5 feet of him. As he has surrounded himself on literally all sides he gets 26 attacks (did I do my math right? a 3x3x3 cube with him at the center). Live the legend grants auto hits and crits, which are also automatically comfirmed due to the Weapon Mastery trait of fighters. Also anything that isn't killed by the outright damage must make a DC 75 fort save or die due to devastating critical. Anything that somehow lives after that must make a DC 40 fort save or be stunned for [roll0] rounds and is exhausted no save(stunning critical and exhausting critical respectively).
Damage:
1.[roll1] + sonic damage [roll2]
2.[roll3] + sonic damage [roll4]
3.[roll5] + sonic damage [roll6]
4.[roll7] + sonic damage [roll8]
5.[roll9] + sonic damage [roll10]
6.[roll11] + sonic damage [roll12]
7.[roll13] + sonic damage [roll14]
8.[roll15] + sonic damage [roll16]
9.[roll17] + sonic damage [roll18]
10.[roll19] + sonic damage [roll20]
11.[roll21] + sonic damage [roll22]
12.[roll23] + sonic damage [roll24]
13.[roll25] + sonic damage [roll26]
14.[roll27] + sonic damage [roll28]
15.[roll29] + sonic damage [roll30]
16.[roll31] + sonic damage [roll32]
17.[roll33] + sonic damage [roll34]
18.[roll35] + sonic damage [roll36]
19.[roll37] + sonic damage [roll38]
20.[roll39] + sonic damage [roll40]
21.[roll41] + sonic damage [roll42]
22.[roll43] + sonic damage [roll44]
23.[roll45] + sonic damage [roll46]
24.[roll47] + sonic damage [roll48]
25.[roll49] + sonic damage [roll50]
26.[roll51] + sonic damage [roll52]

[Realms of Chaos]

As the ship's nitro is fired and the Lead Zeppelin accelerates towards the mass of monstrosities, Victarion lets out a single note of triumph, perfectly complementing the other ongoing performance and making time appear to slow down for everyone.

Raz and Po leap into the air at either end of the conflict, spinning like miniature cyclones and taking out over a dozen of the swarming monstrosities apiece (SketchPanic: I just realized that I think your critical hits on snap kick allow for more snap kick attacks, basically giving you whirlwind attack this round. Let me know if I goofed here). Up on the ship and between the two of them, the Masanari repeats his teleportation technique with far more lethal results.

This is not to say that those on the ground are ignored, however. The ship rains down violent destruction through its cannons on the skittering monstrosities below, landing every hit and delivering massing amounts of harm even as further gunshots from Kagetsune slay another 3 of them. One of the largest creatures, struck from above and below in a coordinated effort of an assassin and paladin, falls limply to the ground, slain.

Just as the ship risks ramming through the mass of monstrosities hanging before them, both Erika and Voren leap into action, inspired by the note of triumph and swarming across the battlefield like horrid tempests. Hundreds of the monstrosities simply fall from the sky, leaving the way wide open for the ship. As the two swirl about in mid-air, Erika turns to survey the Tiefling, calling out, "I'm impressed. You are, perhaps, the first person I have met capable of matching my speed. Tell me, where did you learn to do so?"

There is little time for a response, however, for at last the ship has approached within 100 feet of the cracks and the Lady of pain extends a single hand towards the sky. Pointing at the cracks above, they appear to shudder in place, slowly retracting and shrinking. As you continue watching, it is almost as if the cracks are imploding upon themselves. When at last the cracks are gone, the entire sky seems to shatter, revealing a second, flawless night sky behind it. Slivers of the sunlit sky rain down from the heavens like fireworks, each one fading out of existence long before it hits the ground.

The remaining monstrosities on the ground, regardless of their size and health, all skitter off of the main streets as if seeking to hide themselves (if anyone wishes to continue fighting, they may do so. The final XP reward, however, is 6,000)

Up in the sky, however, you see more than the moon and stars. A message has been written across the night sky in faint, glowing letters.


Po, Moqorro, Raz, Voren, Masanari:
"If you possess the strength to read this portent, know that the Great Wheel requires your strength"
"The gate to the meeting grounds has opened"
"May we all survive into the next golden age"

[SketchPanic]

(OOC: The combination of "Live the Legend" + "Roundabout Kick" + "Great Cleave" = Makeshift "Whirlwind Attack" or possibly infinite attacks on a single target. I thought about it, but originally decided against the exploit. If you're cool with me hitting everything that way, then I'm okay with it. I can just imagine my character doing a Ryu style whirlwind kick to multiple creatures while "Guile's Theme" is playing. lol)

After connecting with his first opponent, Po Rai So continued to twirl in the air, relentlessly kicking any and all creatures that were surrounding him. One after another, each kick hit with terrible force at whirlwind speeds. Pausing for a moment, he looks around to see what shape his crew-mates are in. He was astonished to see the crew working so well with the Lady of Pain, and the others who have joined the cause.

As the Lead Zeppelin rushed to the gaps in the sky with blinding speed, Po Rai So's attention shifted to the Lady. With only a single gesture she managed to clear the sky, in a brilliant fashion no less. It was now obvious why people respected her almost as much as feared her. Although his original notions of who she was were wrong, he was glad that it turned out that way. For the time being, things have returned back to "normal". He then noticed the message in the sky...

Anyone know of this "Great Wheel" that she is mentioning?

As naturally as if he were walking, Po Rai So flew through the air towards the airship, gracefully landing on the deck. He slowly headed towards the Admiral's quarters, still taking in the change in surroundings.

[Xerinous]

As the fighting winds down, Voren finds time to reply to Erika's question.

"I learned to move as I do on the burning plains of the Abyss, where to be slow is to die, or worse."

He then raises his head to study the sky, and the message written upon it. The gate to the meeting grounds has opened... but where, and who are we to meet?

He calls out to Moqorro as a grin slowly steals across his face. "Looks like it's time for a hunt, Admiral! The Great Wheel needs us and we need to find that gate!" He then heads towards Moqorro's quarters.

To clarify, italics are for thoughts.

[MasonDon]

His thunderous cannonade dying down, Moqorro rests the butt of his rifle on the ground, grinning ear to ear. "Well, that wasn't bad at all. Nice work lads! Don't think I've seen such a host go down so quickly. Next round at the tavern's on me."

His victory speech is interrupted by Victarion, "Oy', Cap'n, look at that!" He reads off the inscription in the sky, as Voren asks his question a moment later.

With a heavy grunt, Moqorro replies "By Iomedae's ****, today isn't my day, is it? Po, Raz, Yamamoto, Voren; my quarters. Victarion, assemble the lieutenants from the fleet and meet us there." He turns to the Lady and gives a bow. "Glad we could be of service, ma'am. We'll bring you back down as soon as we can." Pointing to one of the higher ranking crew members on deck, Moqorro sends him to the helm with the order to dock before striding off to his quarters.

[tarrmarr]

Raz releases his rage, temporarily sated by the massive bloodshed. Flying up to the Lead Zeppelin Raz cleans the blood from his blade, shield and armor.
Thats all this little skittering things got? I was just getting warmed up, well what ever is troubling the Great Wheel is bound to put up a better fight then this. And as for surviving, nothing I have ever met could ever kill me! Save you of course miss Lady of Pain. Moqorro, I say we set sail at once; I still hunger for a good fight.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Masanari slowly fades back into view as Kagetsune comes down from the ship's prow. They meet each other near the Admiral, each nodding to him, and then to one another. Masanari relays the message in the sky to his trusted retainer, who sucks air through his teeth and mulls it over for a moment.
"Whatever it means, we'll have to advise the Tower," he says at last. "I'm positive they haven't shifted yet. I still have time to get there and carry the message back home."
"No, no; I need you with me," Masanari states. He pulls the younger man towards the ship's bow and away from the bustling crew. They speak for a while, and eventually Kagetsune nods at his lord and kneels down, setting his pack down and producing from it another mechanical bird. He scratches out another message in long, vertical characters, rolls it up, and slides it into the bird's brass beak. Then it springs to life and flutters away at a high speed.

Kagetsune is pulling out another Feather Token (Bird), relaying a message to the flying tower. It's another 300 GP; He has 28,400 GP left today.

Masanari makes his way to the Admiral's quarters and awaits the others.

[MasonDon]

The Admiral and the rest of his crew pass the magic barrier that denotes the entrance to his quarters, and faint pop heard as the spells protects them from spying eyes. He paces to his desk, shuffling a few papers and charts around before setting his eyes on a fantastic item in the corner of his desk, taking up roughly a quarter of his desk. Moqorro lays a chart down on the box of it, a faint whirring emitting from the device. Moqorro then removes the chart and files it away before whispering a command word. The device activates, projecting a fantastic three-dimensional image of the chart. Making a few hand gestures, the chart fits with several others, forming a multi-layered map consisting of several different planes. As he finishes this, Victarion walks in with the captains of his fleet.

"Right, there's the reason we came to sigil." He waves his hand and the map zooms in, showing a course to a large deposit of some metal.

"Slade. Thing's harder than steel and can shake off any magic thrown at it. This is the biggest deposit I've seen, nay, heard of. It's enough to outfit an army, or some ships."

He sighs, zooming the map out to show an overview of Sigil.

"And this is Sigil. Where we've had an... interesting day. Now we've got something to do with this "Great Wheel" and protecting it. By Asmodeus's left testicle, what's a dwarf to do? I need your opinions."

[SketchPanic]

Po Rai So followed the Admiral through the ward into his private quarters. To this day, he still receives a chill whenever he passes through. Shrugging off the odd feeling, he stops right in front of the Admiral's desk and watches as the tinker's toys come to life. It was amazing to watch as the documents seemed to have been absorbed by the device and then shown in such a marvelous way. He understood that it was generated by a combination of magic and highly advanced tech, but how the Admiral was capable of creating such things was beyond him. A look of concern could be seen from Po Rai So when the Admiral questioned what the next course of action might be.

Although I'm sure it would be nice to aquire that Slade deposit and sell it to those who might need it, what good would such metals be if the "Great Wheel" were to fall? You saw how powerful the "Lady of Pain" was, and even she seem disturbed by today's events.

He looked around to the rest of the crew before letting out a heavy sigh.

I can't exactly speak for the rest of us, but I feel the only real option we have is to go to this "meeting place" and take action from there... I've enjoyed the time spent with the rest of you on this ship, it certainly has been... interesting. I understand that some of you have a job to do and a reputation to uphold as well. If no one else feels the need to protect the wheel, however, then may I suggest just dropping me off there.

[Xerinous]

Voren wanders in behind Po, chuckling inwardly at the martial artist's reaction to crossing the barrier. He watches as Moqorro sets up his device, still unsure of how the dwarf managed to get it working, and waits until Po is done responding to the dwarf's question before weighing in with his thoughts.

"Well, why not grab the deposit and help the Great Wheel? The Lead Zeppelin can move on, and we leave the rest of the fleet here. The captains are good at what they do, they can handle the crews while they grab the slate. When we find this "gate", we contact them and tell them where to head. They might even have time to start outfitting the other ships while we're searching.

Besides, who knows what kind of riches might lie beyond the gate?"

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Masanari had been listening to the discussion quietly, his arms folded and his head down. At Voren's mention of riches, however, he knew he'd have to interject before the prospect of wealth overwhelmed the group.

"Wait a moment," he said calmly, stepping away from the wall against which he had been leaning. "We should know exactly what we're getting into before we rush through this 'gate'. We might not be able to come back, for reasons I won't enumerate. It would be prudent to learn about where we're going, develop a strategy, and lastly," he sighed, his face becoming solemn, "...put our affairs in order. I have a Kingdom to go back to, with responsibilities that require a successor should it come to that. How about the rest of you?"

[Realms of Chaos]

Masanari:For your knowledge skill involving the lady of pain, Masanari and Kagetsune know what everyone knows (as put in spoilers earlier). For what the Lady did to Raz, neither of you are quite sure, though you suppose that it was some manner of communication. If I missed other knowledge checks somewhere, let me know.

Moqorro:Slade. I only correct because slate is a rock that actually exists in the world. :smalltongue:

[SketchPanic]

Po Rai So turned to face Masanari for a moment, never considering that death was a possibility, despite what unknowns they would be facing. His face turned from being equally somber, almost to a child-like grin. He placed a hand on Masanari's shoulder before trying to reassure him.

You have nothing to worry about my friend. We're all skilled warriors in our own respect. With our combined forces, I doubt there are many things that we couldn't face as one! Besides, we have you and the Admiral, two brilliant minds... I'm more than sure that the two of you could come up with a strategy by the time we make it to the meeting spot.

Just like the ever-changing seasons, in an instant Po Rai So seemed much more serious as he continued, looking from Masanari to the rest of the crew.

I'm afraid I have no home nor anyone I hold dear to come home to. Both were stripped from me long ago. The closest thing I have to any such attachments stand before me in this very room. I'll do the same thing as I've ever known... Do what I can to defend those who can't defend themselves. If I were to die, that would simply bring me one step closer to facing Irori...

[MasonDon]

Moqorro listens intently to the conversation, waiting until each of them have finished. He then nods and moves over to his rustic mahogany bookcase, searching it for a moment before pulling out a rather large leather-bound tome. He drops it on his desk with a resounding thunk, opening it and beginning to flip through it.

"I think that we should find out what this "Great Wheel" and meeting place are before we make any decisions. Anyone want to go ask the Lady? I believe she owes the Zeppelin a favor."


Knowledge Arcana: [roll0]

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Masanari steps forward at the Admiral's request. "I volunteer," he says, offering a short bow. "I am a 'diplomat', after all."

[Xerinous]

Voren turns to the Admiral's bookshelf and begins scanning the books held upon it.

"I will stay here and help search for anything about where or what the meeting place might be."

He then begins to explain what the Great Wheel is to Moqorro as he pulls a promising-looking book off the shelf.

Knowledge (Planes): [roll0]

[tarrmarr]

Upon hearing the talk of wealth, death, and the Lady of Pain; Raz barges into the room.
"Damnit Moqorro those damn wards always give me the willies! One of these days I am just going to dispel this entire ship. Anyways my vote is for fighting, and going to meeting place seems to be the fastest way to get to fighting. The Lady of Pain has already "communicated" with me *scratches head painfully* so if you don't get anything Masanari let me try. "

[Realms of Chaos]

Thankfully for Masanari, talkiing with Lady may not be so necessary. As Raz enters the room, both Moqorro and Voren recall hearing the term "Great Wheel".

The Great Wheel:The great wheel is another name used for the generally accepted "map" of the outer planes with the outlands in the center and the other outer planes running around it and transitioning from law to evil to chaos to good and back to law. Though not all planes are included in the map, you are aware that the term has been used to stand in for the entirety of the multiverse.

Voren: Thinking about matters cosmological, you recall hearing about some space known as the meeting grounds (more commonly known as common grounds) where deities can meet in peace. If what you heard is true, it's the one spot in the multiverse where violence is entirely impossible. It is said that the portal to the common grounds can be found in the center of the astral plane, though no mortal has ever stumbled across the portal in recorded history.

[Xerinous]

Voren returns the book he just took off the shelf as he remembers something he'd heard years before.

"Hold on gentlemen, I think I know where we're going. I've heard of a place called the meeting grounds, the portal to which is said to be in the center of the astral plane. It's the place where deities can meet in peace, because violence is impossible there. The trick is that no mortal in recorded history has ever found the portal, but based on what was written on the sky, we should be able to do so, if the gate truly is open."

[MasonDon]

Moqorro harrumphs, not knowing whether he likes the news or not.

"Right then. We set sail on the morrow. Bring the Lady back to port. Rael, Courn, Versuth, Tamiel, Na'Rok, Jade." He nods to each of his captains in turn. "Take the fleet to the deposit. I want a tight formation, no screw-ups. Anything goes awry, something too much for you to handle - retreat and set a perimeter. I will not risk my pride and joy." He gives a slight bow as all his captains bow in return, filing out to return to their respective ships. "As for the rest of you lot, we've got a gate to find."

[Realms of Chaos]

Landing back at the docks, the Lady of Pain silently debarks down one of the roads, vanishing in mid-step a few hundred yards away. Once it's become clear that the Lady is gone for the moment, the Lead Zeppelin is swarmed by curious and admiring citizens. Some are curious about the lady of pain, seeing as she has "interacted" more with you in the past 10 minutes than she had with anyone in the past few centuries. Others are curious about yourselves (especially regarding the captain of the brave ship and the sky-slaying Voren, though Raz and Po have collected interest of their own). Goods, services, daughters and more are offered to the brave adventurers for their efforts.

OOC: In effect, you are henceforth entitled to a more-or-less royal lifestyle (minus castle) while in Sigil without need to pay for anything except truly lavish expenditures (and magic items).

[tarrmarr]

Raz realizing that there would be some sort of conflict either on the way to the meeting grounds or after they have left it, didn't protest. A place where violence was impossible was one of his worst nightmares, and he was seriously wondering if he would literally exploded from anger if they were there too long. The idea of such a place alone was starting to anger him, and he told his companions through clenched teeth:
"All I have to say on the matter is that there better be some especially worthy opponents that are causing all this commotion, because after going to that place I will really need something to destroy."

[MasonDon]

"Aye, well, judging by the message, we should have a good fight on our hands sometime soon. At the rate, tend to your own duties before the day's over, lads. We leave at first light."

Moqorro scratches his beard, leaving the comfort of his sanctum. He issues a few orders for mooring and shore leave before he returns to his cabin, studying maps and books for the rest of the day, turning in for sleep late at night.

[SketchPanic]

Sounds like a plan... I'm going to head to my cabin and get some rest. Let me know when we've made it to the meeting spot.

Po Rai So left the Admiral's office, again shuttering as he passed through the ward, only to be surprised by the uproar of excitement and joy from the masses standing on the dock. Not caring much for fame or fortune, Po Rai So gave the crowd a quick smile and wave before heading off to his quarters.

Letting out a sigh, Po Rai So jumped onto the hammock that was set up in his room and stared at the wooden ceiling. A place of no violence. It was an interesting concept, but it was one that troubled Po Rai So to some extent. If there was a chance that Irori would be there, little to nothing could be done to make him pay for his crimes. Although, Po Rai So was usually very modest about his abilities, he felt that he had enough power to confront the deity once and for all. If he couldn't do it alone, he was sure that his crew mates would jump in, or at least the bloodthirsty Raz would. Po Rai So slowly drifted off to sleep, eyes feeling heavier each passing second.

[Xerinous]

After Voren left Moqorro's quarters, he quickly found himself in a situation he wouldn't have imagined himself in just a few years earlier. He was surrounded by people, and none of them were trying to murder him. He spent several hours enjoying the attention, answering questions and turning down several offers of marriage. As the crowd began to thin out, he slipped away, returning to his cabin for some rest.

[Realms of Chaos]

ooc: slight change of plans, apparently.

As Po and Raz return to their cabins and the gangplank is withdrawn, they see a couple of recognizable faces in the crowd. The polite warrior who leaped from a building is standing next to the shifty fellow who helped him slay one of the larger ground-dwelling monstrosities. Another shifty-looking fellow, apparently another ally, stands beside him.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

I like to "write", and sometimes I go long. But for you tl;dr types, I'll just provide a summary here:
Masanari and Kagetsune teleport back to the Sky Radish, where they have a conference with trusted advisors. Everyone resolves to warn the home demiplane, as well as other planes where they have agents, about what happened at Sigil. Afterwards, Masanari returns to the ship, though it is probably late in the evening.

Masanari excused himself from the Admiral's quarters, making his way into the depths of the Lead Zeppelin and approaching his cabin. Kagetsune, who had been inside fiddling with a prototype, rose from his work and bowed as his master entered the room. Masanari bowed politely in return.

"We're going back to the Tower," he said calmly, closing the door behind him. "I must meet with everyone before the ship leaves tomorrow."
Kagetsune nodded. "Of course; we'll leave as soon as you wish. May I ask what was discussed between all of you?"
Masanari launched into the details of their meeting; everyone's eagerness to chase adventure, his own misgivings, and the ultimate conclusion. Kagetsune tried, but ultimately failed, to keep the concern from his face.
"My lord," he began, the worry in his tone evident, "Why must this involve you? Why must we go with this crew into danger? Isn't our mission ultimately just to protect our Kingdom?"
"I AM protecting it," Masanari replied calmly. "What happened to Sigil, the sky splitting, the creatures descending, the unholy malevolence on the other side..." he paused a moment, remembering it all. "What stops this fury from being visited upon our home? Won't the time come when the skies over our Kingdom are also rent?"
The two men were silent for a moment, each imagining the terror. Finally, Masanari spoke.
"Those men upstairs seek to save us from that fate. And I will follow them. Do you understand?"
Kagetsune understood. But he didn't feel any better.


...

Masanari casts Teleport before the next narrative. Their target is the Conference Room in the Flying Tower, a location very familiar to the both of them.
[roll0]
Masanari and Kagetsune materialize from thin air, planting their feet firmly onto the heavy mat flooring of the Flying Tower's conference room. The guards, used to such an intrusion, immediately bow low to both transported men. One of them leaves to round up the usual conference participants: two colonels, a number of high-level magicians and machinists, three platoon captains, and Masanari's spymaster, all of whom arrive within ten minutes. They take their assigned seats around the room's long table, where a small, quick course of appetizers has been prepared and placed. Some eat, others don't, but all converse quietly amongst themselves, murmuring to one another or across the table until Masanari clears his throat. Talk dies down, and everyone turns their heads to look at him.

"I'm sure most of you are curious as to what occurred today," he begins. "Before we begin, I wish to explain those events in detail."
Everyone listens closely as he relates the events at the docks of Sigil: the Lady of Pain's sudden appearance, the rifts in the sky, the pouring of monsters, everyone's heroic efforts. A mix of emotions play across the assembled supplicants' faces; his story is met with surprised looks and concerned murmurings. When he is finished, Masanari sips the tea a servant has placed before him, lets out a short, satisfied breath, and asks, "What are our next steps? The floor is open to suggestions."
Colonel Jin'emon, a Wizard, is the first to speak. His wiry face scrunches up in worry, and he gestures as he talks with a bony hand. "It's clear we should warn the Kingdom," he starts, an edge of concern creeping into his voice. "This may not be an isolated attack. For all we know, there could be danger there right now!"
Several nod in agreement; others sigh. Masanari emotes nothing.
A man across from the Wizard speaks next: Colonel Ryouta, a Samurai and leader of Masanari's First Battalion. He folds his dark, muscular arms into the sleeves of his simple, grey garments and speaks with a gruff voice. "We must go back and spread this news throughout our world. A full diplomatic mission."
Everyone murmurs at this idea, filling the room with sounds of both agreement and disagreement.
Spymaster Yemon speaks, arms raised, hands splayed open in an attempt to still the talk in the room. "I agree with both of you. As always, however, I urge caution." The room simmers down, and Yemon places his hands down upon the table. "Send our Tower flying across the demiplane and all you'll succeed in is panicking every nation on our borders. If we must send word, it should be a single agent, and the message should be for our lord's brothers only."
This sparks a small debate; none of the words are impolite, but the talk is no less heated. Masanari listens for a few minutes and silences the room with a few short raps on the table.
"I've decided," he says at last. "I agree that all of Gears needs to know about this problem, but I also agree that panic is not acceptable."
He pauses to finish the tea in his cup, then continues.
"Kagetsune," he calls to his retainer, who looks up from his notes. "I want you to hail the other White Towers, both at home and across the planes."
Kagetsune nods, and jots down another few notes.
"Yemon," he continues, "Go with Kagetsune and contact each of our agents personally. Tell them to inform the Tower Captains of a change in our diplomatic mission: they are to spread the news to the leaders of our neighboring kingdoms, as well as to our interplanar contacts, in the most covert way possible. I will leave the contents of such a message up to you."
Yemon looks at Kagetsune, and both men nod at each other.
"As for the rest of you: our mission here in Sigil has not changed. We must make inroads here; the Lady of Pain is a powerful ally, and I don't want to see her become a terrible enemy."
At that last statement, everyone nods in agreement.

After the meeting, Masanari and Kagetsune Teleport back to the Lead Zeppelin. I'll deal with any hilarious teleportation errors in another post.
[roll0]

[Realms of Chaos]

The assassin takes a few steps back and leaps up onto the deck, gently flapping his wings symbolically. Upon arrival, his other shifty friend sprouts wings and flies up above the Lead Zeppelin as he calls down to you [/COLOR]"May we come a board? My friends and I wish to meet you, after all you did help kill several of those 'things'."

[tarrmarr]

Turning towards the new guests, Raz sizes them up and says

"Aye, you may come aboard. Anyone who fights as well as that is welcome as my guest on this ship. We are currently heading towards the meeting grounds if you want to tag along and meet the crew."

[Metroid33]

Ceasing to flap his wings Fang falls down on to the deck, then stands up and nodding his head in thanks. "So you're going to the common grounds as well? Our group is waiting on us to get back before we go. I take it you are the captain then?"

[Toska Moriarty]

Eying the same figure that Fang was, Sebastian rolls his eyes. No, you idiot He thinks; any smart captain wouldn'tve left such a powerful ship during a skirmish like that one...We haven't seen him yet

He continues to hold a smug smirk, outwardly ignoring Fang for once before chiming in: "Or, if you're not the captain of this fine, er, vessel, would you mind pointing me to his quarters?" He holds up the large, jewel-encrusted quicksilver oval, as though it were an obvious reason to let him though. "I have a gift for him, and would like to request a somewhat 'private' audience." He jerks his head at Fang and Daniel during his emphasis of 'private' before lowering the Aspect Mirror back to his side whilst standing as tall as he can and puffing up his chest a bit so his 'brooch', a very distinctive family crest, catches the light.

[MasonDon]

Moqorro sighs, flipping through one of several tomes on his desk. One of his least favorite things was research. He was more of a hands-on man, the various scars and blood stains on his weapons a testament to that. Bah, so much to sift through. There must be something that I can do. He grunts, shuffling around a few papers before standing up and leaving for the deck.

He bursts out the door on to the the main deck, shouting "Victarion! Do you still know that spe--" he interrupts himself as he notices Raz conversing with two new people by the gangplank. "Oy, Raz! Who are your friends?"

[tarrmarr]

Turning to the Admiral, Raz responds:

"I don't really know who these people are to be honest; all I know is that they fought well during the recent conflict and that makes them my guests. Apparently they are heading to the same place we are, and the one peacocking himself over there would like to speak with you."

[Toska Moriarty]

Peacocking? Sebastian is taken aback for a moment, stopping only a second. I LIKE it!

Clearing his throat, he saunters past the Large draconian-esc rampage machine towards the 'Admiral'. With a large, over-the-top, floor sweeping (And possibly sarcastic) bow, Sebastian greets him thusly: "Good afternoon to you, Sir. I have no doubt you are in command of this upstanding and magnificent vessel that we had the pleasure to see in action earlier, and it is an honor to have been invited onto it's deck. "

He straightens up, fresh demonic wings flapping almost...happily? Smiling ear to ear, he continues: " Outside of expressing respect and gratitude, there is a more-important reason for my coming aboard. Apparently you've seen the same warning we have, and are heading towards the same destination. Though I'm sure we would not mind operating as a single,powerful unit, we do not want to get in your way, or have you in ours... "
He trails off a second, letting that sink in a bit.
"I'm sure you understand, but perhaps it would be helpful if there was some manner of communication between us? I would like to offer just that, un-charistically free-of-charge, to you in thanks of your service, though I would prefer..." He shoots a look over his shoulder at Raz, Daniel, Fang, and the various crew-members, before turning back to the Admiral. "...To do so in a less populated environment. I doubt the entire crew has to understand how this will work, and it would all be easier to explain privately. I assume you have such a location on board, Captain?" He beams, still clutching onto the mirror with one hand, distinctive family logo gleaming on his chest.

[MasonDon]

Moqorro stands up straight, allowing his hands to rest behind his back as he gives the man a critical gaze, looking him over. After all that had happened today, he was not willing to leave any stone untouched.

"Aye, and greetings to you too. Can't say I remember inviting you or your friend aboard," he motions to the others that followed him, "But that hardly seems a problem now. Moqorro's the name, but some still call me the Admiral. And you are?"

He awaits the man's response, and once suitably answered, nods in response. "Aye, the warning. A strange thing. We've uncovered some information on it, but it's still a bit confusing. And as for communication," Moqorro pulls back his vest, revealing a small wooden box, humming with magical energies. "I've got this for me and my crew. I could whip another one up in no-time, but I'll take a look at what you offer. Come." He spins around, letting his cape trail behind him, clearly emblazoned with the sigil of Ossyria.

"I warn you; Try anything, and you will not see tomorrow. The day has been too full of surprises, and I must take no chances."

[Metroid33]

"Oh Sebastian would never try anything." Watching as the two of them walked away. So then when are you guys going to the common grounds?

[tarrmarr]

After watching the Admiral and Sebastian leave; Raz's hand falls to his sword hilt and raps on it impatiently. Turning to Fang, he responds
"I kind of hope he does try something, you guys look like you would put up a good fight. *chuckle* We are leaving at first light tomorrow, although I can't say I am too happy about the apparent impossibility of violence at the meeting grounds. I never cared for the diplomatic crap, usually I settle my differences with fists and steel."

[Toska Moriarty]

Sebastian shrugs off the 'invitation' comment, as event eh Draconic-looking fellow had only invited them after they boarded. Still smiling, he gives his standard introduction: "I am Sebastian Dettotoro, of the house with the same name from the long-lost White Marble City. A Pleasure to meet you, Admiral."

Perking an eyebrow at the gizmo, and more than curious about how it works, he says nothing, simply following The Admiral deeper into the ship, scoffing ever so slightly at Fang. While trying to pin-down any memory of the emblem, he cannot help but chuckle heartily at The Admirals concern. Still relaxed, almost alarmingly so, he ads: "Now Admiral, don't give me so little credit. Wither my name means anything to you or now, don't you think even the dumbest of murderous thugs would've had the sense to avoid detection if they had foul intent? If you can see me, you're safe, sir...
Besides, It would be a shame to bloody these decks. Not to mention a certain 'Higher Power' that prefers I only kill on command..."

He sighs, still pondering the logo on the leading man's back. "Though I feel I must ask, Admiral. The title implies more than one ship. A fleet, in fact, comes to mind. Are you in command of such a full-sized navy? Or is the moniker simply a nickname of sorts?" His tone remains openly curious, a tad arrogant, and, if anything, far from disrespectful. Just in case.

[hpboy111]

Now that Sebastian had run off on his own, not something Daniel was too fond of, he Daniel finally decided to speak. "Raz was it? I can understand your preference for violence, sometimes fighting is so much simpler than settling things peacefully. Unfortunately, if we always resort to our fists then the world just continues to get even more violent." Then is his own mind, Especially when we let the need for violence consume us...

Approaching Raz, Daniel holds out his hand, an offer of friendship. "It was a pleasure fighting beside you today. If you are headed for the Common Grounds, then I expect I shall see you there. My name is Daniel by the way. I look forward to working with you in the future and, should the need arise, fighting side by side with you."

[MasonDon]

Moqorro affords the man all his attention, his boots rasping on the wooden deck as they move towards his sanctum. "You'd be surprised. I've had men far bolder than you make attempts. All failed quite spectacularly though, might I add." He raises an eyebrow at the mention of a "Higher Power," but chooses not to prod.

"Aye, It's a bit of both. Some of the common folk took to calling me 'Admiral' when I first built this ship. But what's an Admiral without a fleet? Might've seen my ships earlier in the day. I sent 'em out after the battle, a personal errand. It's not the biggest, but they're my own handiwork. I know how they move, how they react, every in and out. Can't say the same for any other fleet."

Another moment later, they've come upon the entrance to Moqorro's quarters. The door is inlaid with a golden symbol of Ossyria, while the entire wall seems to swirl with magic, giving it a black hue. Stepping up, Moqorro opens to door, motioning for Sebastian to enter. "After you."

[tarrmarr]

Raz acknowledges the previously silent Human with a small chuckle.

"And exactly is wrong with the world becoming more violent? When people choose to settle things "peacefully" all the violence goes on behind the scenes, in shady backroom deals and assassination attempts. I had my fill of that garbage long ago. If I have a problem with you, I'll tell it to you face usually with my fists. *Shakes Daniel's hand* I too look forward to fighting, with you or against you doesn't much matter to me. Nothing better then the exchange of blows and wits. *Smiles a warm if a bit toothy smile* "

[Metroid33]

"What a shame, I guess I'll never be getting any gold from you. I'm one of those 'shady' assassins. Fangs the name, head of the Nightsong guild." Deciding not to extend his hand, Fang leans against the rails. "Well then how long do you think They will take down there?"Nodding his head toward the door Sebastian and the Admiral went through, "I wish to be off sooner rather then later, and I have a feeling that all the ladies back at our temporary base are going to start getting impatient."

[Toska Moriarty]

Sebastian chuckles off the idea of any man being bolder than he. Eyeing the masterful craftsmanship in the ship and the way The Admiral almost flowed through it, like part of a bigger creature, he cannot help but be honestly impressed. The Admiral, it seems, did not come anywhere near lying when he said he knew every inch of his ship.

Again trying to figure out that symbol, Sebastian pauses at the door before snapping out of it, giving a curt but thankful not to his host, and stepping into the room before him.
"Why thank you, Admiral. If you don't mind I'd like to get down to brass tacks with all this. I have no doubt my allies on board are already interacting with your crew. Knowing them, that's not a good thing. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if one of them is doing a 'world-peace' lecture and the other is bragging about his merry band of costumed bandits. Odd bunch, they are..."

He trails off a bit, walking further into the room, gazing about at the decor, the furniture, and whatever else may be lying about. Several seconds later he turns on his heel to Moqorro, holding the large, gem encrusted quicksilver disk up over his chest with both hands.

"So, my ever-gracious host, a choice for you. I have many questions regarding your crew, your passengers, your interaction with the Lady of Pain, and your fleet in general. I'm sure you have questions for me regarding my fellows as well." He shrugs, finding either choice less interesting impossible.

"And, on the other hand, I could go ahead and explain how your new gift works, should you choose to accept it. In fact, I think I see the perfect spot for it over there on the wall..." He nods towards a section that must've at one point held a map.
"Choice is yours, Admiral. What do we discuss first?"

[MasonDon]

Moqorro follows in after him, closing the door with a dull thud. Magic almost seems to permeate the air, and most would feel safe and almost isolated from the outside world in here.

Books are strewn about on his desk, most haphazardly flipped open, revealing that Moqorro was deep in study. The strange wooden box that holds maps still sits on his desk, however, it is turned off for now. Aside from that, the room is rather poorly decorated for a man of Moqorro's stature. Most of the room is instead taken up by various half-finished inventions and tools, the odd book and sentimental object strewn about.

"Oho, a good choice indeed. I am a man of knowledge, if you haven't already guessed. When something new comes in to my possession, I'd hardly leave it around without a second glance." He smiles to Sebastian, folding his arms.

[Toska Moriarty]

I never thought intelligent and engaging conversation would be missed this much. Must be hanging around with Fang too much.

Sebastian smiles wider, if that was even possible, and places the large mirror onto the desk, careful not to disturb too many books or smudge any parchment. After gently laying down the hefty and bejeweled item, he steps out of Moqorros way, pointing at the largest ruby, centered at the base of the frame.

"This device is called an 'Aspect Mirror'. It is attuned to another such mirror that I keep on my person at all times. Simply stand in front of it, touch the largest ruby, and think of me or my attuned mirror. Each of our faces will appear, and we will be able to communicate at a massive distance."

He turns, hands again clasped behind his back, easily forgetting the wings tucked like a birds behind him, and paces around the room.

"Now the interesting part, and certainly my favorite, is that not only does this work both ways, but the target mirror's owner need not be willing for this communication to happen. If you wanted to contact me and I wasn't aware, it would still go through. And vice verse. "

He stops pacing by the door, leaning up against the door frame in a surprisingly nonchalant manner. He spends a moment inspecting his hands, worried a bit that there may still be a bit of blood ( Ichor?) hiding there and letting the words sink in. Snapping back into the room, he quickly looks up at The Admiral, eyes carrying a certain sparkle.

"It's for this reason that most users of such a device not only keep them at hand, but keep them covered in some sort of cloth. I prefer silk, but again, even those choices are at your discretion. "

He sighs, realizing that he had skipped a very important piece of his speech. "And if you're asking yourself 'why' we would need or want to contact each other, any sort of agreements we could make are no doubt mutually beneficial. You have a massive, vast, and powerful fleet at your command, and I am more than willing to offer what I have, discrete, clean, death, for a fee at a job-by-job basis. Each of these things are unique, so I doubt either of us will have such an opportunity again."

His eyes wander along the door again, pausing for a second as he begins to recognize the logo emblazoned across the ship and it's captain. "If you need recommendations, I've worked for kings, dukes, dragons, emperors, demons, pharaohs and even gods. I back everything I say, and am simply happy to have the attention of such a commanding figure. With all that said, unless you have questions, free answers, an explanation of that little mechanical wonder you're carrying, or a desire to write up a contract right now, our business should be done and I can get back to keeping an eye on the second best assassin across the planes. "

He winks, waiting for The Admiral to absorb all of the information.

[MasonDon]

Moqorro listens to the man talk with a focus that rivals sages. when it comes to something new, he never leaves it alone until he's figure out all its secrets. As the man finishes, he smiles broadly, running a hand along the fine piece and taking a moment to bask in the magic that must have gone into the making of it.

He turns to Sebastian, extending a hand as he smiles.
"Many thanks for such a wonderful gift. I hope you don't mind if I... inspect it a bit closer on my own time. With the rabble I usually deal with, your skills would be wasted, alas. But there may come a time when I need them. You do have quite a reputation with a list of clients like that." He lets out a chuckle, giving the man one more smile.

"I believe after such a gift, I owe you something in return. Ask your questions."

[Toska Moriarty]

Sebastian beams, happy to have his gift accepted. Hopefully, he thinks, This will bring me a few more options in the future, should I need them. Good.

He shrugs, happy to be allowed to continue talking, every word making him seem more prideful: "Well, Admiral, I would expect no less than a very thorough examination from a man as seasoned in such things as yourself: Candy from strangers, eh?"

He chuckles a bit at his own joke, rolling his eyes enough to get his point across.
"And as for my questions, I happen to have several. Indulge me whichever you feel like, any answers at all are always appreciated.
First, I would like to know why you've made port, with your fleet, in Sigil. Surely there has to be a more specific reason than 'shore leave' for your appearance, especially if you plan on leaving so soon.
Second, would you mind explaining what you and your ships experience with The Lady of Pain was? Her interactions like that are unheard of, it seems.
The swordsman who stood by her on the deck of your ship, he moved so fast as to almost teleport from target to target and back again. What's his story? The other fast one, the one that was flying alongside our fem-fatal-as-an-army near the rifts, what can you tell me about that one?
And yes, I would very much like to know more about the hulking, angry Draconic person who 'greeted' us while we boarded."

[Xerinous]

Finally noticing the guests on deck, Voren works his way free of the crowd of curious citizens and hops back onto the ship. He saunters over to the group, unconsciously resting his left hand on his sword hilt as he walks. On his way he calls to the newcomers.

"Evening gentlemen. I do hope the big guy here hasn't been giving you too much trouble."

As he approaches he continues, recognizing one of the visitors.

"Some introductions seem to be in order. I'm Voren, and you've met Raz here."

[Metroid33]

"It's nice to meet you Voren, my name is Fang." Sticking his hand out in a friendly manner. "He isn't causing that much trouble, but anyways, we came here to make friendly contact, considering we're all going to the common grounds."

[MasonDon]

Moqorro takes in the questions, pondering them for but a moment before giving his response. "Ah, the reason I'm here? You'll forgive me, but I wouldn't be where I am if I told everyone what I was doing." He smiles at that, moving on to the next question. "As for the Lady, apparently she cannot fly, even with all her power. She needed a ride up to the cracks, and the Zeppelin was the biggest and most well-armed way to get there. He smiles widely at that, obviously taking great pride in playing such an important role for such an important figure. "As for the rest of my companions, well, you'll have to ask them yourself. I don't reveal their secrets, and neither do they reveal mine. But, there might be time for that, if business is concluded. Topside, yes?"

[Toska Moriarty]

"I can, of course, respect your caution in regards to sharing your secrets. Take them as you will, but let me say that my curiosity is simply that. Oddly enough this is a day where I'm feeling more well than ill. In fact, I don't intend ill much at all." And with the last comment, Sebastian offers a shrug, still content that his gift was given and he could head back towards the safety and solace of The Acropolis: and finally give these new wings a try.

Clever, Though. Sebastian thinks, stepping out of the way of the door. And he barely trusts me, if at all. I'm not sure if my reputation precedes me, but either way... Is he a smart man, or simply cautious? Kudos, regardless.

He offers a curt nod and gestures to the door. "After you, Admiral. I would lead myself out, but between the complex construction of your vessel and the sinking suspicion I have that the door is somehow warded, I do believe it would be best if I simply follow your lead."

Standing up tall, in some cross between serious arrogance and mock dignity, he straightens out his suit again, gears clicking away, before adding: "Though if you would be so kind as to indulge me some small assistance clearing a minor grievance with one of my own from earlier, I would be extraordinarily appreciative...."

[Realms of Chaos]

From aboard the bridge/tower, some sort of disruption in town can be seen quite clearly. It is unclear whether this disturbances are normal for the town or whether it is related to what has just occurred but the monstrosities seem to be congregating somewhere (though mass panic has yet to break out).

[Metroid33]

"Oh Great, I best be off to meet with our group." Running over the railing, Fang jumps off his wings appearing behind him and he flies off to where the ladies of the party are waiting.

[hpboy111]

"I am inclined to agree with fang at this point. It was a pleasure meeting you as well Voren. I'm sure I shall see the two of you again soon."

Channeling his Ki, Daniel quickly sends out a burst of energy, searching for Sebastian. With that burst of energy follows a message.


Using Ki Evocation to imitate a Sending Spell.

"The remaining monsters are up to something. Fang and I heading to check it out. Follow or meet us at Acropolis. Your choice.


With that, Daniel turns to the edge of the ship before looking out to spot a rooftop near the commotion. After stepping into thin air, Daniel disappears and reappears on the chosen rooftop, eyes on the beasts as they go about their actions.


Perception Check to see what can be seen: [roll0]

I'll also now be switching back over to my own forum. Nice talking to all of you.

[SketchPanic]

Slowly drifting off to sleep, Po Rai So's rest was thrown off by the sudden commotion coming from outside the ship. Springing to his feet, he made his way back to the bridge to the sight of some of the fighters from the previous battle.

Ah, it seems we have guests... I apologize for not greeting you sooner, but I was unaware of your presence.

Pausing only for a moment to get a better look at the group, almost as if sizing them up, he continued.

My name is Po Rai So, but my fellow crew mates see fit to call me Po.

He politely nodded to the group before turning his attention to the clamoring crowds near the dock. Wondering whether some of the creatures may have skittered back for a fight, he tried to peer into the distance, attempting to see what the fuss was all about.

Anyone happen to know what's going on?

[Realms of Chaos]

As Po Rai So returns to the deck, the assassin and paladin seem to remember something and head off in a hurry. Wherever they are going, it doesn't seem to be in the direction of the disturbance. OOC: Just confirming what just happened.

[Xerinous]

Voren watches the duo as they leave, wondering how a pair like that formed. He then turns his attention to the commotion coming from the city, attempting to discern the cause.

"If I had to guess, it would seem we missed a few of those things earlier. And now they've crawled out of their hiding places, probably looking for a snack. I think we should go check it out, make sure we got them all."

With that, Voren drops off the side of the ship, rolling as he hits the ground, and begins making his way towards the uproar, knowing that Raz, at least, will follow him to the coming bloodshed.

[MasonDon]

"Ah, well, those days we cherish indeed. Of course!" Moqorro smiles to Sebastian, breaking into a semi-regal strut, one filled with pride as he retraces his steps back to the deck of the ship.

"Ah, a job, then? I might have time."

[Toska Moriarty]

Closely heeling behind the Admiral, walking quickly and thinking of how to phrase his request, Sebastian stops for a second, shielding his eyes against the sunlight, and squints across the deck. Noticing a distinct lack of his preferred audience, he lets out an audibly depressed sigh. Maybe that annoying, pure and strong buzzing sound should've been taken a tad more seriously?

"Well Admiral, I'm sorry to say it looks like I should take a rain-check with my request. Just wanted to give my, er, companions a little 'jump'. I figured a bit of outrage on your part would do that, but seeing as they've decided to disperse..." He shrugs, annoyance obvious for a moment before he snaps back into suave mode.

"It was a pleasure meeting you Admiral. If you need anything, you know how to ask." While speaking Sebastian marches to the edge of the boat, leaps off, and takes off at full sprint toward the (former) portal to The Acropolis.

Crossover was fun, and sure to be fruitful in the future, I'm sure. Till then, back to my own board. Can't let the paladin run off on his own, who knows what trouble he'll get into without the Assassin around to ensure his choices are well made?

[tarrmarr]

Seeing the commotion in town and wanting in on the action; Raz unfolds his wings and begins flying towards the disturbance.

"Seems as though they haven't had enough, let's crush the remaining as a lesson to whoever sent them."

[Realms of Chaos]

Flying over the disturbance, Raz sees what looks like a twisted parody of a parade on the streets below. Two humans lead a march down the street, followed by the monstrosities that follow them like soldiers or pets as the humans release cries foretelling doom to the world and the planes beyond.

[tarrmarr]

Seeing the monstrosities and hearing the blasphemy, a cruel smile comes to Raz's lips as he is over joyed with the prospect of slaughtering these doomsayers. Folding up his wings, Raz falls from the heavens and lands on one of the men leading the parade. Releasing a mighty battle cry that shakes the sky, Raz draws his sword and shield.

Initiative:[roll0]
The battle cry is Raz going into his rage, and a signal to his comrades as to where he is.
I don't really know how much Raz weighs, but I would assume it is quite a lot. I am ball-parking around a 1000 lbs to 1500 lbs with all his armor on.

[Xerinous]

Hearing Raz's fearsome roar after seeing the half-dragon plummet out of the sky, Voren pours on all of the speed he can muster, heading for the soon-to-be killing field, knowing that any bystanders caught up in Raz's fury will likely not survive long.

Moving at a dead run here, so 900 ft/rd, which should get me there this round.
Initiative: [roll0]

[Realms of Chaos]

Voren and Raz arrive to see the two humans gazing about at their monstrous admirers. One of them is dress in dull black robes with pale white skin and eyes surrounded in shadow. The other is dressed in far more colorful garb, almost appropriate for a mere jester. Looking at him carefully, however, something seems incredibly off about him... almost as if he were something else wearing a human costume.

"Have you not seen the cracks in the sky," calls out the man in the dull robes, screaming in a monotonous voice, "The end is nigh for this flimsy multiverse. The gods cannot save you. Even the Lady only prolongs the inevitable."

"But why fear the end, my children?" giggles the jester, "when you can celebrate your new start beyond the fragile walls of the multiverse. Join us and we will protect you when the world come crashing down"

Raz crashes right into the ground, leaving a crater with his weight and instantly catching the attention of the robed human. The Jester, meanwhile, turns to face Voren a moment before he arrives.

[MasonDon]

Moqorro gives Sebastian a bow, waving him off. "Of course. Until next we meet."

Looking about, Moqorro notices a distinct lack of Raz and Voren. Spying Victarion, he calls out "Oy! Victarion! Where's the brute and flash?"

"They went off some away! Big commotion was distractin' them or whatnot." He waves Moqorro off in a general direction towards where the group went.

With a sigh, Moqorro retrieves his gun, resting it across his shoulder. He pats his ammo sack, ensuring it's full, as he trots off in to find his crewmates.
"Standard orders, Victarion. You're XO until I return."

[Xerinous]

Voren stops his dash as he approaches the commotion, pausing to consider the apparent leaders of the monstrosities.

The gods cannot save us, you say? Oh well, I was never one to rely on them anyway. And I fear not the end, nor do I need your protection. In fact, you should probably be asking for mine. My friend over there looks hungry."

He steps forward as he says this, stopping about 10 feet from the jester.

Using intimidate to demoralize the jester and the robed man:
Intimidate: [roll0]
The jester is also within range of my Threatening Presence, if he's not immune to fear, he's shaken.

[Realms of Chaos]

Instantly recognizing Voren's form from the hurricane of strikes up in the sky, the robed man attempts to run off at once, only for The Jester to grab at the back of his cloak to keep him in place. Slightly sweating, however, the Jester frowns as it looks from Voren to Raz and back.

"Considering the number of my kin you've killed within the past hour, I would be a perfect fool to face you on purpose... Hellbreaker, was it?" Turning his head, the jester seems to take full notice of Raz "And I doubt that the wearer of the fabled golem armor would be any less fearsome. At the same time, however, you must appreciate that my friend here is a harbinger of death. With a single thought, he can slay every peasant within a 10 mile radius. If that sounds better than letting us collect willing adherents or you believe you can kill him with one attack, you are free to attack. If he dies that easily, he isn't worth my alliance in the first place."

(You are welcome to a Sense Motive check.)

[Xerinous]

Sense Motive: [roll0]

[Realms of Chaos]

As far as you can tell, he's telling the truth.


*actual bluff roll result has been removed because secret roll.

[tarrmarr]

Sense Motive: [roll0]

[Realms of Chaos]

Raz can't tell whether the Jester is lying, either.

[tarrmarr]

Unable to tell if the jester is lying, but not really caring either way; Raz begins a viscous assault against the robed man.


To hit:
1st:[roll0], 2nd:[roll1], 3rd:[roll2], 4th:[roll3], 5th:[roll4]
Damage:
1st:[roll5], 2nd:[roll6], 3rd:[roll7], 4th:[roll8], 5th:[roll9]
If the first attack hits, it auto criticals (Its a x3 modifier) and the robed man is forced to make a dc 75 fort save or die instantly, if he makes that its a dc 40 fort save or be stunned, if he makes that he is still staggered for [roll10] rounds and exhausted.

[Realms of Chaos]

Charging right at the robed figure and ready to slay indiscriminately, he seems to speed up to an incredible degree, passing 30 feet back right before the first blow is struck. Whatever this is, it stinks of magic.

At this moment in time, Moqorro arrives to see the assault and the hooded one's cowardly retreat from it. If anyone else wants to act in the surprise round, you have 24 hours to do so before the combat starts in earnest.

[Xerinous]

Seeing Raz barrel in, Voren takes a step forward, drawing his swords as he moves. He then creates a storm of steel, cutting into the jester faster than the eye can see.


So many attacks...here, have a table:
{table=head]Attack Roll|Damage|Crit Damage
[roll0]|[roll1]|[roll2]
[roll3]|[roll4]|[roll5]
[roll6]|[roll7]|[roll8]
| |
[roll9]|[roll10]|[roll11]
[roll12]|[roll13]|[roll14]
[roll15]|[roll16]|[roll17]
[roll18]|[roll19]|[roll20]
[roll21]|[roll22]|[roll23]
[roll24]|[roll25]|[roll26]
[roll27]|[roll28]|[roll29]
[roll30]|[roll31]|[roll32]
[roll33]|[roll34]|[roll35]
| |
[roll36]|[roll37]|[roll38]
[roll39]|[roll40]|[roll41]
[roll42]|[roll43]|[roll44]
[roll45]|[roll46]|[roll47]
[roll48]|[roll49]|[roll50]
| |
-|[roll51]|-[/table]

The first set of attacks is the move action attack, second set is main hand in the standard action full-attack, third is the off-hand in the full-attack, and the 1d10+25 is from Two-Weapon Rend. If at least one attack from each weapon hits, the Rend damage is applied automatically.

Using Blink of the Eye to make an attack action as a move action, and a full-attack as a standard. Critical hits occur from 17-20 and are automatically confirmed thanks to the fighter's capstone, and any critical scored triggers Devastating Critical, DC 46 fort save or die.

Any hit provokes a will save, the DC of which I'm not clear on, or become frightened for 1d4 rounds (Piercing fear effect). On the Abyssal Warlord page, under Threatening Presence (feat) it says 10+class level for the DC, but I don't know which class. I'm assuming AW, so DC 20, I think.

[MasonDon]

Moqorro rounds the corner, stopping dead in his tracks as he notices the commotion. Sighing loudly, he brings his gun to bear. "I leave you lads alone for one minute and you start a fight without me. Arses!"

With a grin, Moqorro pulls the trigger.


Using Deadshot to make all my attacks in a single bullet. Also using my use of Perfect Shot to hit and threaten a critical with he first one.

First Shot:
Auto Hit.
Crit Threat: [roll0]
Second shot:
Hit: [roll1]
Crit threat:[roll2]
Third shot:
Hit: [roll3]
Crit threat: [roll4]
Fourth Shot:
Hit: [roll5]
Crit threat: [roll6]
Fifth shot:
Hit: [roll7]
Crit threat: [roll8]

Total Damage:
1 hit: [roll9]
If crit: [roll10]
2 hit: [roll11]
If crit: [roll12]
3 hit: [roll13]
If crit: [roll14]
4 hit: [roll15]
If crit: [roll16]
5 hit: [roll17]
If crit: [roll18]

[Realms of Chaos]

The Ambush RoundSpeeding towards the hooded man, Voren quickly lands slash after slash of the blade. The final two strikes to land, however, seem quite odd. As the tiefling's weapon rips through the hooded man, it doesn't seem to harm him at all. Quite to the contrary, the strikes seem to heal the man, repairing the flesh around where your attack landed. Just as this healing ends, however, A large hole is shot through the man's head by Moqorro, sending him back down to the ground. As the body collapses to the ground, however, it vanishes. At the same moment, the jester vanishes as well, leaving behind a crowd of angry behemoths and the townsfolk around you break into panic once more.

Po and Masanari can see that some sort of activity seems to have picked up in the distance where everyone has traveled.

[tarrmarr]

Your not getting away that easily!

Using Instant reversion Raz attempts to reverse what ever magic made the jester and robed man disappear.

[Realms of Chaos]

Round 1 Action Round So Far:
-Raz returns both of the figures back where they started
-Everyone else may take actions in the reaction round.
-Masanari and Po are free to join the action at any time.

Round 1 Reaction Round Start

[MasonDon]

Moqorro grits his teeth, gripping his gun with one hand now. This is some strong magic, saving himself from death. Good thing I know a trick or two. Moqorro's battle trance turns into a smile as he waves his his free hand about. Strands of magic that interweave through the world and coalesce into creatures and objects appear before him. His hand turns into a fist, and the strands begin warping and shredding themselves, Moqorro ripping the magic away in an area around him.


Using Unravel Dweomers, which has an area of 100 ft. I'm excluding myself, Raz, and Voren, along with all of our respective magic items, etc. If the jester is still suffering from Suppressing Fire, I'm assuming all my attacks hit, so he'd have a -12 to his save. Otherwise, the DC is a 44 for anything caught by it.

[Xerinous]

Voren watches as Raz does his work, pulling the foes back into the fight.

Freaking magic he muses as he steps up, drawing his swords and begins slashing.

{table=head]Attack Roll|Damage|Crit Damage
[roll0]|[roll1]|[roll2]
[roll3]|[roll4]|[roll5]
[roll6]|[roll7]|[roll8]
[roll9]|[roll10]|[roll11]
[roll12]|[roll13]|[roll14]
[roll15]|[roll16]|[roll17]
[roll18]|[roll19]|[roll20]
[roll21]|[roll22]|[roll23]
[roll24]|[roll25]|[roll26]
-|-|-
[roll27]|[roll28]|[roll29]
[roll30]|[roll31]|[roll32]
[roll33]|[roll34]|[roll35]
[roll36]|[roll37]|[roll38]
[roll39]|[roll40]|[roll41]
-|-|-
[roll42]|[roll43]|[roll44]
[roll45]|[roll46]|[roll47]
[roll48]|[roll49]|[roll50]
-|-|-
-|[roll51]|-[/table]

Same deal as last time, threaten 17-20, auto-confirm. Crits provoke fort save or die, DC 46. Hits provoke Will saves or be frightened for [roll52] rounds.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Round 1 Action Round So Far:
-Raz returns both of the figures back where they started
-Everyone else may take actions in the reaction round.
-Masanari and Po are free to join the action at any time.

Round 1 Reaction Round Start

I think Masanari at this point is in the Flying Tower, unless this is happening much later in the evening.

[Realms of Chaos]

The battle is ended nearly as quickly as it has started. Moments after recovering the two targets from their retreat, the magic is stripped from the two of them and Voren moves in to end the battle in another display of grace, blade, and blood. As the jester falls, so too do the tempers of the monstrosities. Freed from their pens, they meander aimlessly around you like oversized crimes against nature cows.

TwoHeadedBoy:Though it's a bit of a moot point now, I was just communicating that you could at least see the disturbance from the tower if you had wanted to disturb your meeting and see what was up.

[Realms of Chaos]

Time Skip

Once the jester and his friend are gone, everything quickly falls back into routine for the people of Sigil. If nothing else, the people are certainly resilient. No further disturbances find you over the night, aside from the sounds one might expect in a city that never sleeps. The next morning, all of you are refreshed, recharged, and ready to go (And Masanari's network has begun implementing his orders for the immediate future).

[MasonDon]

Moqorro rises early in the morning, spending several hours detailing his plans with his captains and making sure all the ships have been refitted and refueled. Dismissing them, he watches as his fleet leaves for the deposit of Slade from the bow of the Zeppelin, a faint smile on his lips.

He moves to the ship's wheel, taking firm hold of it. Even a passerby could plainly see Moqorro in his element, acting as though the ship was an extension of him. He raises one of the communications devices attached nearby, hailing the engine room. "Half ahead, lads! Put yer' backs into it!"

The engines sputter to life, the roar of alchemical engines drowning out the normal bustle of the docks as the Lead Zeppelin roars to life, lifting off towards the Meeting Grounds.

[SketchPanic]

Po Rai So had been training since the break of dawn. Consisting of shadowboxing, various forms of push-ups, numerous stances and maneuvers, and even some meditation; he intended to stay sharp for the meeting grounds. Although he was assured that violence was impossible there, he was only reminded of how the very fabric of reality was torn asunder the day before. Given all that he had seen so far, the word "impossible" seemed merely nothing more than an arrangement of letters.

He diverted his focus for a moment to the captain, who seemed in a particularly tenacious mood. It was rare to see him in such form, but also provided comfort for what was to come. Regardless of what may or may not happen next, it was important that they were all in high spirits when they got there. Hopefully the rest of the crew felt just as ready for their current destination.

[Realms of Chaos]

Heading out through an astral portal built into the dock itself, you all find yourselves amidst the astral plane. A few small cracks can be seen here and there in the distance but all seems to be well, more or less. A large group of ships all seem to be moving through the astral plane as well, all seeming to move in a single direction.

[MasonDon]

Moqorro hums aloud a sea shanty as his crew sing it themselves, tending to the menial tasks required during a voyage.

What would you do with a drunken sailor?
What would you do with a drunken sailor?
What would you do with a drunken sailor?
Ear-ly in the morning.

Keeping his hands on the wheel, he flies his ship straight and true, a wary eye kept out for any problems. Noticing the fleet moving far in the distance,he motions Victarion over, handing him the wheel.

Stick him in the scupper with a hosepipe on him,
Stick him in the scupper with a hosepipe on him,
Stick him in the scupper with a hosepipe on him,
Ear-ly in the morning.

He rummages through one of his pockets, withdrawing a clockwork spyglass. Putting it to his eye, the machine unfolds in a complicated series of gears, sharpening his vision and focus on the other fleet.

Weigh-heigh and up she rises,
Weigh-heigh and up she rises,
Weigh-heigh and up she rises,
Ear-ly in the morning.


Perception: [roll0]

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Masanari has been watching the Admiral as he pilots the craft with some interest. Although he's been on many airships before, he has yet to pilot one.

I'll have to start up a new hobby, he thinks to himself.

He's about to approach the Admiral and ask for lessons when he watches the elderly gentleman produce a spyglass from his pocket and point it towards the wide, nebulous expanse of the astral plane. As the gears whir and click and the scope extends to its full length, his eye follows its angle until he can see the faint image of the Admiral's larger fleet, heading off into the distance.

Approaching the man at last, he asks, "Worried about your future fortunes?" A friendly grin crosses his face.

[tarrmarr]

Realizing (or hoping) that conflict may be in their future, Raz says a few ancient words and razes a magical barrier around himself. Smiling to himself, Raz realizes that he can't actually remember when the last time he took an substantial damage was. He ponders that maybe if he hits someone hard enough it will break whatever is preventing violence in the meeting grounds. Nothing is invincible, except maybe him.

After preparing himself for the day, he sets about the ship.It takes great effort and many a bottle of rum to keep from throwing some of the crew overboard as they unknowingly irritate him with their horrible singing voices. Wandering up to the wheel house, he shouts:
Oi Moqorro can't you make this floating pile of scrap go faster?! I don't want to get there after that pansy pacifist paladin. He might convince everyone to become sissys like him.

Raz takes 10 to cast epic mage armor on himself raising his AC by 20 up to 127, the touch is still 39 though.

[Xerinous]

Voren wanders about the ship during the journey, trying to stay out of the crew's way but unable to stay trapped in his room for the whole trip. He eventually finds himself in the bow, watching the astral ocean, keeping an eye out for any threats that might lurk in the void.

Perception:[roll0]

As he watches, he begins singing along with the crew as they lead into the next shanty.

Fifteen men on a dead man's chest
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

[Realms of Chaos]

Passing through the astral plane, you soon come into sight of what you imagine to be your destination. A large astral pool hangs in midair, easily twice as large as the one your ship has passed through. Even looking right at it, however, you can't quite say what color it is... almost as if the color was beyond your comprehension altogether.

[MasonDon]

Cutting the engines, Moqorro keeps the ship "anchored" in front of the portal, spending a good few minutes studying it over. Pulling out maps and other informational booklets, he double, triple, even quadruple checks them to make sure it is the correct portal. With a slight grin, he moves back to the wheel, speaking in a commanding voice "All hands ta' battlestations! Load out tha' cannons and prepare yerselves! We're the first men in millenia ta' go through here, so we better make a damn good impression!"

With a grin the size of the astral plain itself, Moqorro engages the engines and guides the ship through the portal.

[Realms of Chaos]

Checking his maps and graphs, Moqorro is led to two convincing facts. First of all, though this astral pool doesn't appear on any maps, it is a notable gap within most maps. Secondly, it seems to be located centrally to portals leading to all other outer planes. While you check, other ships and a few people floating through the astral plane enter the ship right after teleporting out here.

Passing through the portal, the meeting ground looks nothing like the astral plane, a large room perhaps a quarter-mile in diameter. Every surface seems to be carved of ivory, down to the pillars that climb up to unseen heights. A large group has already assembled in the area. Fiendish, celestial, and everything in between, the inhabitants seem strong, canny, and armed to the teeth with such weaponry and dweomers that the room is filled with a soft buzz and clashes of metal on metal just from their attempts to move through the room. Up on a raised platform in the center of the room are several gods. Erythnul, St. Cuthbert, Vecna, and Pelor stand at attention as they survey the contents of the crowd.

[Xerinous]

Voren looks over the crowd already assembled, surprised so many would have come. He then makes his way over to the crowd, where he waits for the gods in the middle of the room to address those gathered.

[Realms of Chaos]

After a few seconds spent looking around, Pelor finally walks forward to address the masses.

"I hope you will not mind if I skip the pleasantries but there's no point in keeping you all for idle chitchat at the moment. As all of you have undoubtedly seen the cracks in the sky and have likely fought creatures emerging from them, I'm sure that all of you are wondering what is going on.

First, to clear the air, what you have witnessed and fought was not some "test". This is a serious matter deserving even our full attention and we may all see far worse in the future.

As for what you did see... it would seem that the multiverse is changing. More accurately, it is being wrenched, warped and distorted as an earthquake might do to a single region. Unfortunately, we are at a bit of a loss of how this has started or on how to stop it but it seems to be a mostly... natural event. Those cracks you have seen, unfortunately, may well be just the beginning."

[tarrmarr]

Yelling to be heard over the crowd and distance, Raz addresses the god
Then the abominations that fell from the cracks are also "natural"? In Sigil my group slew a Jester who seemed to have control over the beasts and was recruiting for some sort of doomsday cult. Obviously someone or something is behind all this. I say we find them and kill them before this gets any worse.

[Realms of Chaos]

Raz's statement riles the crowd with excitement, some of which seem all too eager to raise their blade at the soonest moment. A few moments later, though, another figure speaks out in a calm and civilized voice, somehow breaking through the commotion without raising his voice, "So what do we have to do with this? What possessed you to invite us here, and what do you expect us to do?"

This question seems to gather everyone's attention, quieting them once more as they look towards the platform of gods.

"First of all," Pelor responds, "the creatures you speak of are, unfortunately, natural. They exist in a space beyond the edge of existence and their world is inimical to us all but their world has existed far longer than our own. As far as someone causing this event... it seems highly unlikely," At this, the god's brow seems to furrow in thought, "if anyone has done this, it would require a being far greater than any god. If you still suspect that someone has caused this mess, however, you are more than welcome to try finding them and reporting them or killing them yourself if you think you are capable. I suppose that this would bring us to the next question. We have brought you here for a couple of reasons.

Until these events finally end, we will be spending all of our time and energy trying to minimize the effects of this disaster on the world. Even so, we expect that there will be more that we simply can't do alone. This was proven within the past day. Despite our efforts, many planets were left to fend for themselves and the inner planes... have been destroyed. If at all possible, we hope to provide some loose sense of organization so we are best able to defend the world from these disasters. Even if you wish to have nothing to do with us, however, it is the least that we can do to keep you informed. As the strongest among your kinds, you are in the best position to act if you should choose to act on your own."

[Realms of Chaos]

(assuming you guys are just listening for the moment)

A tiny insectoid creature from somewhere else in the area speaks up, achieving a level of projection that belies its diminutive stature, "Pardon me, mighty ones, but the Inner Planes have been destroyed? Surely you do not mean that the planes themselves have been removed from existence? The power that would take is unimaginable."

"Those planes are gone," Pelor confirms, "and you are right that the power that would take is unimaginable. As I've said, however, this does not appear to be some show of power but a series of changes at the basest level of existence. For now, we will focus our efforts on stabilizing the worst to come, en effort that will leave the world, however temporarily, without it's deities."

Pelor takes a deep breath "I am aware that some of you have... mixed views on our existence... but we ask that we put such matters aside until we are no longer at risk. As for what we need of you, we do not presume ourselves to be in a position where we could do anything more than recommend action. First, we acknowledge that there may be dangers far worse than those cracks in the future and, if any are willing, we are ready to keep you informed so that you may help while we are incapable of action. Secondly, if you wish to seek out some way to reduce or reverse this shift, none of us have had any luck but we are at a loss for a more noble cause. Finally, it would seem that the Fae have taken steps to preserve the multiverse, tethering the lives of those fated for greatness with the fabric of existence themselves. If you should meet such a being, do take care to ensure that they are safe."

[tarrmarr]

Letting out a loud grumble Raz mutters:
I hate it when there isn't a clear enemy to smash, if there is anyone behind this they will suffer.

Raising his voice to be heard over the crowd Raz responds to the sun god

Aye! I will help crush what ever pops up while the god are impaired.

[Realms of Chaos]

Someone from the crowd once again calls out "One of the cracks led to the Far Realms. It acted as a pathway between cracks. What do you know of this, and do you think it is connected?"[/QUOTE]

Pelor nods to quell the sudden surge of statements, vows, and questions. "It is true that the cracks extended out to the far realm. What we were seeing, or at least so I believe, was the cracking of the multiverses outer boundary. This barrier may become problematic again, though it is far from our only concern. For now, all that we can do while we try to keep things stable is coordinate and spread information." With that, small glass spheres seem to materialize from out of thin air, each one roughly the size of a halfling's head (though smaller and larger creatures receive ones of appropriate size). "With these, we'll be able to communicate with you whenever new knowledge is obtained or when organization becomes necessary. Furthermore, if you learn something of importance, they can be activated once each day to send a message right back to us. Finally, it would seem that we have a couple of the fae-chosen in this realm. In a few short moments, you will know who you are. After that, you are free to keep this information to your self or to announce it."

PoIf you've been chosen, whatever signal you should've received is far too subtle for its own good.
Raz:If you've been chosen, whatever signal you should've received is far too subtle for its own good.
MoqorroIf you've been chosen, whatever signal you should've received is far too subtle for its own good.
Masanari:If you've been chosen, whatever signal you should've received is far too subtle for its own good.
Vorren:You seem to be glowing a faint shade of blue.

[Xerinous]

Voren takes note of what's happening to him, and decides that if nobody else notices, he won't say anything for now. He'll tell the others later, when there are fewer people around.

He finds that he can't pay much attention to this latest development, however. The news of the Inner Planes being destroyed has distracted him, making him wonder if his sister managed to get to a safe plane before the destruction.

Voren holds his silence, wanting to see if anyone speaks up, making themselves known as fae-chosen.

[Realms of Chaos]

"If there are no further questions," Pelor says, looking over the room as everyone examines the spheres, "I believe that we've said all that needs to be said"