Finishing Strike (IC)

[Komodo]

Map: The Northwest Gate (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Arhj25pO_T6qdEVxTDZRT2VraFJ6M05IV1pueDJXR 1E)

Map: The Rosewolf Library (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Arhj25pO_T6qdGlvQkUwS3UzeXN0RFFlemxrX2d4a lE#gid=3)

The City of Finishing Strike is alive and active today.

Your arrival in the city was surprisingly unremarkable. Apparently, the city is used to housing the occasional adventurer or mercenary, and the city's reputation has made it a popular destination for some of the less-popular races. You did have to have a bit of entrance paperwork filled out, and the guards demanded those of you with weapons (ie, all of you) to fill out an agreement of non-aggression. This essentially gives you a license to carry weapons, but a member of The City Guard will have authority to arrest you if the weapon is outside of its proper sheath/the blade is unwrapped/you appear to be ready to use it within city limits. However, during your stay in the city, you pick up that it may be a good idea to keep away from the City Guard when you have weapons on you regardless. Or if you could possibly appear to be hiding a weapon. Or if you don't have weapons, even. In fact, just stay away from the City Guard. And keep a few extra coins in your pocket, just in case one of them starts talking to you, if you know what I mean. The human, they'd probably ignore him, but if you're green/scaly/feathery/possessing a tail? Yeah, keep your distance. You'll know 'em by the fancy armor and haughty look.

One of the nicer spots in the city is the Northwest gate. The reason for this, alongside the fact that there's less of the bloody Guard, is that the northwest gate connects the city to the road that leads to the caves. Here, friendlier Cave Dwellers enter the city with wares to sell or gold to spend or just stories to swap. Merchants set up stalls and call out to people of every race crossing by. Along with that, there is the Feather on the Scales Inn, one of the city's simpler but cozier taverns that won't ban you for life just because you started a brawl that one time, and the resident Temple to Pharasma. This was set here to cater to the Cave-Dwellers as well as residents of Finishing Strike. In truth, most cave-dwellers might have preferred a temple to Gorum or Calistria, but the empire of Tholoro doesn't typically smile on their worship. The temple to Pharasma is roomy and elegant, but not quite as well-adorned as the temple to Abadar uptown.

What brought you to this corner of the city...is your own business. Perhaps you were looking to buy, or looking to find work at the inn, or looking for a drink at the inn, but however it goes, you're here now. And my, is it lovely out. Sun shining steadily, wind moving but not too hard, the bustle of the people on the streets interrupted only by the bellowing cry of a high-pitched voice...

...wait a minute...

"Help! They're coming! Help!"

The voice is coming from a kobold just outside the gates, who should probably be complimented for getting such small lungs to muster up such an impressive volume. It's probably from the same aerobic training that's allowing him to run so fast away from the four or five skeletons that are chasing him down.

Choose your starting location on the map and roll initiative!

[Fibinachi]

It was a beautiful day, the kind of day that would go well with an apple. Or so the merchant in front of her was trying to convince her.

It been a good month since Liresha arrived in Finishing Strike. Getting settled and used to the somewhat curious routine of the city had taken time, especially getting used to the guards. She had had various scuffles with city watches in various cities and these seemed initially little different, strong men in fancy parade armor, sheltered with haughty attitudes. The major difference was their insistence on proper papers – permits for weapons, armor, gear, whatever they felt like issuing that day. They kept the peace with a good blend of competence and thuggery.

She had been asked for hers enough to work out a routine of smiling, nodding and paying them off with a few coins. By now, weeks in, her funds were running low and she had been forced to seek lodgings at a tavern – the Feather on the Scales – located near the Northwest gate. There were fewer guards here, more non-humans coming through to blend in with and a better atmosphere. Fewer shakedowns. Even the inn was enjoyable, so long as one didn’t mind the occasional bar brawl.

But now, something was happening, the crowd was shifting. And in the background there was some kind of noise, like a tiny person screaming. Or a dog wheezing.
Strange.

[Machinekng]

It was a day, just like any other. There were a few clouds, but nothing that suggested rain. There was a breeze, but it was light, and whatever relief it gave was cancelled out by the beaming sun.

The world was in perfect balance, equilibrium. It was like the calm before the storm, a point in which things are so normal, that they had to start swinging.

This was what battlefields felt like, before the battle. The air was mystic. Most everyone knew that the battle would take place soon, so the entire place would be abandoned. The grasses of the field were alone, rustling in the wind.

Until the horns sounded...

This was Halphax's fourth day in town. He had entered through the Northwestern Gate. The guards left him alone enough, they'd jeer occasionally, but they hadn't let approached him for a donation to the town's security.

It was almost sad. Sad how those who had power would squander it so. Halphax shook his head, rustling his cloak. Ultimately power was for the sake of power, for the sake of legacy. Yet these guards' lives were ultimately pointless; they would no more be remembered then the hunched burghers they harrased.

Halphax had stayed in the inn since his arrival. He spent most of his time at the inn in his room, meditating. Alcohol just didn't do much but make him dizzy, and he had to desire to spar.

He really hadn't done much since arriving. He'd walked the city, absorbing his surroundings. He'd lurk on the roofs, watching people mill around, finding patterns in the apparent chaos. The human idiom of "go with the flow" was almost literal, he'd learned. People definitely moved like water, flowing through the streets and avenues. Yet, philosophy didn't pay the innkeep.

He'd seen a poster on tavern's wall when heading up to his room, and had decided to take a look. It was a male human's portrait, nobody special, but the poster said there was a reward. Halphax had spent the next day tracking him down, and turned the criminal into the authorities. It was easy money, but unsastifying. He never even got a chance to learn the man's name.

Oh well, soon, soon, destiny would...

Hmm...

Perhaps there it is now.

Halphax didn't believe in altruism, it made everyone weaker, but the temptation was too much to resist. To really make his name.

Would it break his axioms?

He'd be making the kobold reliant on him, but only temporary, and it would be more of a personal gain then anything.

Yes, it was time to make himself a name in this town.

[Deathkeeper]

I arrived in the morning that day. I spent most of the morning doing nothing. Well, I spent what I had left of it after I had to file all that paperwork. I swear the guard with the mustache had been giving me the evil eye the whole time I was doing it.
Oh well, at least he didn't just outright refuse to acknowledge my existence. The ones back home did that sometimes.
I wasn't in any big rush to get a job on my first day and my rear was still sore from the wooden bench on the caravan, so I just relaxed, sampled some of the food vendor's stalls, and watched the crowd come and go. If anyone from the Inn disliked me leaning against their building, they didn't say anything.
And then some poor sap starts yelling for help.
Well, this looks like a job for...
Well, actually I've got no idea what it looks like, since I can't see it. But the people who can seem rather worried, so I assume it isn't good. I sigh as I leave my place at the wall.
I'd best take a look and do something; I'd hate for some bloke to get himself killed when I was right here.

(On my turn: double-move to U14)

[Machinekng]

Halphax dashed forward, ducking past the merchants and commoners. His hood fell, and his revealed visage startled some of the humans.

Pushing through the shoppers and stall-owners, Halphax rushed out towards the gate.

It was time to show the world what he was made of.


Double Move to T14.

[Nihilarian]

Abe stares up at the sky.

He'd been to the temple of Pharasma today. Over the past month, he'd been all over the city, in fact. He'd thought of joining the guards, convinced they were just in questioning the monstrous folk of the town more often. Yet he kept seeing coin exchange hands, and the monstrous folk didn't seem any different from the humans, and he wasn't really sure what to think. The thought of getting on a ship made him seasick, so he passed up the Sea Blades. He was still searching for something, and he wasn't really sure what. When he joined Wolfram Lane Unofficial, he thought that he would be helping people, yet it seemed they didn't trust him enough to set him to work yet.

Pharasma's priest had been fairly dry. Nothing had struck a cord today either. He accidently bumped into a woman, and was apologizing when he heard a scream. He whipped around and saw the commotion. He wasn't sure about the kobold, but the undead were not here to go to market.

Abe draws his crossbow as he moves, firing off a shot at the T3 skeleton.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

On a critical threat (19-20)
Crit Confirm: [roll2]
Critical Damage: [roll3]

[BTB]

It was Kizziar's second day in Finishing Strike. The first had mostly been spent convincing the more nervous villagers that he meant no harm, and although most people still shied away from him, those who'd taken the time to talk to him realized that he'd never hurt anyone who's time had not come. Today he stood outside the temple of Pharasma, preaching to those who would listen the values in death. He still had been able to make a few coins doing odd jobs, but anything he did make went back into food to eat. He spoke to a civilian by a mechant's stall.

"And those who would seek to make the dead walk, to defy the judgement of the Lady of Graves, shall be judged most harshly when they meet her atop the spire. Those men are the-"

He heard a scream come from outside the walls, and ran to see what was happening.

Move 30 ft from M18 to R17

Kizziar saw a Kobold, with several undead chasing him.

"The undead must be laid to rest."

He noticed a Paladin, that had moved up to the same area he had, but ignored him. Kizziar's focus was on the undead, and destroying such a being so disrespectful to his goddess. He draws his greataxe, weapon cord linking it to his arm, and prepares to fight.

Draw Greataxe, end turn.

[Fibinachi]

The screaming seemed to originate from beyond the gate As Liresha looked away from the merchants stand, half eaten apple frozen in the air, she spotted several people seemingly responding to whatever threat lay beyond the walls.
The crowds were falling back and guards reaching for their weapons.

And the half orc who had been preaching outside the temple earlier was striding forward while drawing his axe just a someone in a hood rushed towards the gate.

Clearly something was happening.

The professionals seemed to have it well in hand, so there was really no call to join in and be heroic. Besides, she had promised not to use her weapon within city limits. And she didn't exactly have enough gold on hand for any sort of treatment, or come to it, burial. All good reasons to run the other way.

She didn't.

move from AB 17 to V 14, using two move actions

Instead, she ran forward before to join the line of (what she hoped was) warriors forming near the gates, dropping her apple behind her as she went.

Whoever they were, they were not armed or armored like professionals. They looked a motley group next to the standard uniforms of the guards, but at least they had weapons. And they were looking out at an approaching group of what momentary looked like emaciated humans. Except humans generally had skin and organs. No wonder someone was screaming.

[Komodo]

"Gangway!" shouted the reddish kobold, sprinting for all his little legs were worth past the guards and into the city. Behind him the skeletons were in full pursuit. The guard atop the wall gave a shout to his companions, and they quickly mobilized.

Citizen's reactions were mixed. Some fled the scene. Others got a bit closer, letting their curiosity get the better of them. Others moved slowly into one of the buildings. Merchants either took their time to secure their wares or continued with business as usual, figuring the guards would take care of it. One merchant, standing in front of the Feather on the Scales, unfazedly began shouting "Maces! Fine maces on sale now! Four gold each!"

Halphax quickly ran forward and took position in the gate. A bit too fast, unable to quickly take his bow off his back. Reaching for it, he noticed his hood had fallen back, revealing the ophiduan's thin, scaley face. He noticed the guard next to him gave him a look, but only briefly. It's hard to be too concerned about a scale-skinned thing not attacking you when there's a skinless monstrosity that is.

Behind him, Kizziar ended his preaching to deal with more important matters, like hitting things with an axe. He was unable to reach the gate fully, but was close, and hand his weapon in hand.

Then the skeletons began to hit.

A few of the animate bone piles were charging for all they were worth, which looked rather silly, but covered the ground in between well enough. Others shambled behind at half the speed of their kin, but were closing in. None of them were armed, nor did they wear so much as a scrap.

The first one charged at Halphax. It was unarmed, but having all the skin removed from your fingers leaves you with reasonably sharp phalanges, as Halphax found out firsthand as the skeleton dug its pointy fingers into his leather armor.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Another skeleton, this one barely four feet tall, also charged up and began scratching away at one of the city guard. Despite catching him off-guard, it barely managed to scuff his shirt. The guard replied by whipping out his shortsword, but his swing went high.

A third skeleton, this one normal sized, ran up and brought its bony hands down on a third guard. He tried to block it, but the fingers dug in and left a few small but bloody gashes along his arm. The guard cried out in pain. "Screw this!" he shouted, dodging another blow as he turned and fled, barely noticing the felspawn and Tengu running up to take his place.

Halphax noted one of the guards who had been resting along a wall run up behind him, and heard him draw his weapon. Then he felt a small wiff of air move past him very quickly. In front of him, the skeleton that had attacked him jerked. Abraham's crossbow bolt shot true, going in right between a pair of ribs and striking the thing's spine. A spinal disc and a few loose fragments of rib flew out behind the monstrosity, and it quickly collapsed, making one last grab at Halphax. The scaled man brushed it off and prepared to take a shot himself.

However well the shot had been made, it was received less well by the guard running up behind Halphax, who had also felt the gust from the bolt. "Watch it!" he shouted at Abraham. It was an off-hand insult, without another glance, the guard drew his blade and prepared to join the fray.

Above, a note rang out as the guard on the wall ran into the tower and banged on the warning bell. The group noticed that there was a mechanism in the towers on either side of them. If things got sticky, perhaps the gate could be closed, if the controls could be found.

And sticky things could get. Somewhere up ahead, they noticed another skeleton approaching. This one was shambling, not sprinting, and was small, but was moving closer as well...

[BTB]

I see the guard running away.

"Well, so much for hoping they'd help."

A paladin and a guard are in front of me, one of the larger skeletons with them. I notice the gate can be closed, but pay it no heed. The undead must be brought to to their final destination, and it will be my job to bring them there. I step forward and raise my axe to bring it down upon the skeleton in front of the paladin.

[roll0]

I can think of no use for my move action, so I end my turn. On the off chance that attack actually hit.

1d12+3

[BTB]

For some reason I can't get that roll in my last post to work. Let's try it again.

[roll0]

Once again, that's damage on the very slight chance I actually hit them.

[Machinekng]

That, was close.

The skeleton's sharp claws had failed to do more that scratch the leater, but still, it had been a while since he'd been this sort of danger.

He'd like to say that it was exhilirating, but he believed he was a just wise enough to say that it was merely a physical response.

His mind was his own, and he did his best to push all emotion from it.

Focus, he needed focus.

His reptillian eyes darted around. Around him, others were fighting the monsters, a few guards, and some strangers.

He looked at the man who assisted him using the crossbow. It was a bit aggravating, he could have dealt with it himself, but at least no one would blame him for the Kobold.

Time to focus.

Halphax breathed in deep, drawing his bow, nocking the arrow with mechanical percision. He swung around his arms, throwing his body into a half-crouched stance. The arrow tip found itself pointing itself towards the skeleton to his left, engaged with the guardsmen.

Halphax breathed, made a few adjustments, and released the arrow, letting it soar.



Move action to draw bow, free action to load arrow, and standard action to attack the skeleton at R14.
Halphax recieves bonus from Point-Blank Shot.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage:[roll1]

[Fibinachi]

There was a bird near her, a bird armed with swords and wearing armor. This was not something she had quite experienced before - although, supposedly, if the dead could walk, it did not seem a long shot for avians to develop martial needs.

The guardsman fleeing left a hole next to the birdman though, and there was little to do now other than to step up. Out to the far left, a skeleton shattered as someone shot a bolt through it. So they were fragile, probably as a consequence of lacking tendons and muscles to hold their structure together.

Well, then.

Heart pounding, she let out a hiss and attacked, trying to deflect the attention away from the bird creature.

Skeleton, V 14.
Full attack, two claws.
Left hook
Attack: [roll0]
Possible damage[roll1]
Right hook
Attack: [roll2]
Possible damage: [roll3]

If destroyed, 5 foot step into the gap at V 14

[Deathkeeper]

Blast it, I've been careless.
The things moved way too fast for not having any muscles. I'd just wanted to see what was going on, and they'd swarmed me The Lady wasn't doing me any favors today.
The fact that the guards were barely helping brought some satisfaction, although it was mostly just annoying. Why, I bet this woman-
wait, when did she get here?
And why is she clawing the skeletons to re-death?

If adjacent skeleton is destroyed:
Not bad, Ma'am. Not bad at all. But more incoming.
Move action: Draw Short Sword->Standard Action: Defend Self

Else:
This isn't working. Did that man mention maces? A blunt instrument might work better, considering sharp things aren't. All that stands in my way is one successful duck.
Free Action: Speech. Be right back, Ma'am, need weapon.
Move Action: Move at full speed with Acrobatics check to avoid AoO. DC is CMD+10. Final square X19. (post exploded from editing a grammar mistake. The roll was a 1...)
Standard Action: Retrieve item from pocket (4 gold)
2nd Free action: Speech: Give me a light one, Sir!

[Komodo]

With masterful foucs of eye and limb, Halphax pulled and loosed his bow in rapid succession. The arrow found the small skull and struck it. The small skeleton flinched a bit, but quickly found it's footing. In spite of having an arrow sticking out of it's temple, it seemed none the worse for it. Kizziar stepped up and swung his axe at the small bonepile as well. The skeleton barely ducked, and the axe went high, cleanly slicing off Halphax's arrow but nothing more. Despite the blows it was being showered by, the small skeleton focused its blows on the city guard it had been attacking before. It's swing was deflected off the guard's shortsword.

Another skeleton worked its way up to Halphax and took a swing at him with gusto, but also with no more success than its predecessor.

Next to them, the tiefling hiss and spread out her fingers, revealing a set of sharp claws on each hand. She wildly began swinging them at the skeleton in front of her. Her first one went wide, however, and her second just glanced off the shoulderbone. Her sparring partner replied with a swipe of his own fingers, with a blow that found a gap in her leather armor. Lose three hit points.

Yet another shambling excuse for a corpse worked its way up to the Tengu and swung. Klen Moore found it easy to dodge, but the call of the mace-seller was hard to resist. He tried to perform a quick doge to back out, but his talons slipped on the pavement, and he wasn't as graceful as he'd hoped. He felt a pair of bony hands grab out at him. The first didn't connect. The second one ripped a piece of skin loose. Lose three hit points.

The catfolk merchant had been startled by the presence of skeletons, but his greed had outweighed his fear, and he had refused the opportunity to lose a good sale, or his entire wares if he fled. As the wounded tengu ran up to him, he quickly reached out a mace and took the money. "There you go! If you survive, do come back! I have a friend who can get you some healing on the cheap!" As he is handing it to you, equipping the mace will be a free action.

Off in the distance, a pair of smaller skeletons shambles forward, moving closer, but not rushing. An arrow is fired from overhead, probably from the guard on the wall, and it strikes the one furthest back. The skeleton visibly stumbles, and a bit of bone crumbles off it. However, it continues shambling forward. A perception check of DC 14 may inform you that the guard is using punching arrows.

The guard in front of the short skeleton tried to strike it with his short sword. It would have been a fine blow...if there had been some flesh between those ribs the sword rattled around in. However, the guard that had come up behind Halphax drew his falchion and brought it down on the three-foot skeleton, breaking through its collarbone and ribcage, finally dropping it. Seeing a gap, Abraham stepped over the deanimated bones, dropping his crossbow to pull out his hammer. Reaching another skeleton, he swung. The bones tried to dodge. They failed, and another skeleton went down in a pile of brittle bone bits and dust.

Two down. Four left.

[BTB]

Kizziar mutters something under his breath as he misses his target, but notices an arrow shaft that the blow did hit. He finally notices the rest of the group around him, the lizard-like being whose arrow he'd just destroyed, and some kind of avian creature running back. To his right he saw a fiend-like creature, but it was fighting on the same side as him, so he paid it no heed.

"Strike hard and true! Those who aid in battle against the undead now shall have health repaid later."

With that he rushed up to meet the skeletons, and energy flowed through him and was released.

Channel energy to do damage all undead within 30 ft (They all are by my math)

[roll0]

Each skeleton can make a will save of 15 to half

[Komodo]

Four skeletons suddenly stretch out their arms and lean back, their heads facing the sky and their mouths open in what might have been a scream if they had lungs. A white mist begins to evaporate from their bones, and soon, three of them collapse. The fourth one is shaken, but still moving.

The remaining skeleton is the small one at T5. Sorry to skip over Halphax's turn, but I figured you'd appreciate this more. I marked the location of the fallen skeletons with dashes, in case you wanted to make your turn as normal, otherwise, we can act as though you delayed your action. Since everyone else goes after Kizziar, I figured that this would make the next turn easier on everone.

[Deathkeeper]

All right, now I can-aaaaand most of them disintegrated. I know this is a good thing, but I was really hoping I could actually be useful. Which is, you know, why I bought a large smacking-stick. I'm going to use this thing, darn it!
I moved as quickly as I was able, shuffling past the obliterated bones and still-standing fighters. I set my sights on the last one.

(Double-move to V10.)
The man with the battle-axe stood nearby, right in front of it.
(Free action: Speech)
Allow me to offer assistance.

[BTB]

The avian creature appears at my side, mace in hand. Apparently retreat was not on hid mind when he ran back.

"If you wish to strike I will not hinder you. Those dead should remain that way."

[Machinekng]

OOC: I'll delay

Halphax blinked.

Well, it wasn't exactly a blink, he had no real eyelids, but it had the same connotation.

The stranger had just obliterated the monstrosites in a burst of light.

Just like that.

It, was, impressive...

Well, there was one left at least.

Halpahx ran forward again, nocked his bow, and took a casual shot at the skeleton.


Move to U9
Free Action: Nock Attow
Standard Action: Attack the Skeleton at T5 (Point-Blank Bonuses).
-Attack: [roll0]
-Damage: [roll1]

[Fibinachi]

There is a brief flash of pain as the skeleton finds a kink in her armor, strangely cold phalanges raking across her skin. That same skin, more scales than flesh these days, takes the worst of it.

And then, while she dodges back, there is a flash of something, four skeletons crumpling to the ground with whatever animating force breaking free of its bonds and heading skyward. For a moment, she feels dizzy - so someone (the tatooed half orc?) is definitively channeling energy straight from some nebolous divine realm. Lovely. Now she'll have an unfounded an urge to sneeze all day.

It's impossible to the deny the effectiveness of the magic, however, as most of the creatures have fallen to the ground and become little more than an assorted collection of bones. Well, an assorted collection of bones not
animated by dread forces from beyond the keen of mundane sentients.

The worst of it seems over or will be soon at any rate. Liresha, shaking her head and rolling her shoulders (no, nothing seems too mangled), casts a glance around for the kobold.

If spotting the kobold lower is a free action, wonderful! If not, Perception check:[roll0]

That done, she tucks her hat a little lower and kneels down to inspect the boneyard debris in front of her.

Move action to adjust widebrimmed hat and scarf so it's more difficult to notice the visibly fiendish features of scale and skin and move action to kneel down and have a closer look at the skeletons.
Suite of checks

Perception: To notice anything in particular about the bones, even if its just that they're brittle
[roll1]

Spellcraft: To detect any obvious influences of magic in the animation of these skeletons
[roll2]
Knowledge Arcana: To analyze any clues about the former discovered in any given way (Signs of divine influence or arcane trickery)
[roll3]




Everybody’s got a scary monster trapped inside
Grinning ear to ear revealing teeth so smooth and white
Is it any wonder that we’re all so terrified
In the middle of the waking night?

Skeletons (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdYtX9_PLyk)

Apologies if I am misusing the skills. If so, simply ignore the checks and assume Liresha spends some time adjusting her hat and scarf so it's less visible she's not quite human and people stop refering to her as felspawn.

[Nihilarian]

Abe lumbers forward, hammer in hand, and charges the skeleton. He swings his hammer at the thing, letting his momentum carry him forward, as he wordlessly roars.Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Critical Confirm: [roll2]
Critical Damage: [roll3]

[Komodo]

Halphax fired one more shot at the final remaining skeleton. Unfortunately, at the last second he twitched, and the arrow flew harmlessly past the skeleton.

Lirisha took a moment to adjust her clothes, and took a second to look around her. The kobold how had ran through earlier was long gone. However, a few more members of the city guard appeared to be running up behind them. Ignoring them for now, she took a second to look down at the bodies, or what had once been bodies but were now very literally piles of bones. Well, she figured it might have been a little odd for skeletons to be wandering about without a necromancer or something to direct them, but maybe not. Turning a skull over with her foot, she thought for a bit, but couldn't see anything odd about the bones. She was sure that the half-orc had used some sort of positive energy channeling to drop them, though.

For future: a spellcraft check is only useful when you can see the spell being cast. Or so I understand it.

The final skeleton, angered by the half-orc's spell, ran forward and began scratching like crazy at Kizziar.

Attack 1[roll0]
Damage 1[roll1]


Abraham charged up to the last skeleton and swung his powerful hammer. The blow connected. The skeleton, already weakened by the spell, was unable to withstand the mighty force of the paladin's hammer, and fell to the ground, most of it's bones broken and the rest no longer moving.

In the city behind them, things began to quite down as the threat began to be resolved. The city guards who had been fighting earlier now sheathed their weapons and stared out at the warriors.

[Machinekng]

Halphax gazed over the strangers around him.

The one who had destroyed the skeletons in a burst of light, a half-orc.

The warrior who destroyed the skeleton attacking him, a human.

The other warrior, a female tiefling.

And finally, the Tengu, a lowlife of sorts.

Most of them had contributed more than him, it was a bit annoying...

But also intriguing.

Halphax walked up to the one closest to him.

"Hello," he said, a bit unsure of himself, "I am Halphax of the Ophids. Thank you for your assistance with this threat."

[BTB]

I'll assume you're talking to me, since I'm closest on the map.

"Kizziar, formerly of Orc lands. I'd be more inclined to thank you. The return of the undead to death is my duty, but you risk your life because you want to," Kizziar replied. He looked down at the cuts the skeleton had given him. "Though my duty means keeping the living from death until their time comes as well. Tell me, are you injured?"

He then looks around at the others who helped, the human who struck at the skeleton that attacked him, the fiend-like creature and the avian who had fought as well. He speaks loudly, and his voice carries well through the air. "If you were injured fighting with the undead, come to me and you will be healed."

The weapon cord from his greataxe is now removed, and his weapon returned to it's sheath. He smiles. His job was done well today.

[Nihilarian]

Abe nods at Kizziar. "My name is Abraham, and thank you for the offer, but I'm unhurt." He slides his hammer back into it's straps and begins to turn around before pausing. "Ah, my next action might have consequences for you, so you may wish to leave, quickly." He picks up his crossbow and puts that away as well, before moving to the closest guard, "Sorry, I broke the agreement." He holds out his hands as if expecting to be arrested.

[Deathkeeper]

Klen sheepishly raises his hand, which is dripping blood from the cut in his arm.
Uh, yeah, I think I'll take you up on that offer. I think they got the lady over there,(gesturing in her direction with his good arm)
He looks at Kizziar but doesn't make eye contact, and quickly begins fidgeting with the pretext of finding a spot on his belt to slide the mace.

[BTB]

"Very well, I shall simply pray for the health of you all."
Channel energy to heal all living creatures within 30 ft (All of you). This includes myself, as well as any NPCs who happen to be within range.
[roll0]

[Fibinachi]

Old bones, some a little brittle but otherwise not in any particular way different from how old bones should be. Curious, given that a minute ago these same bones had been trying to kill everyone. Liresha stands up and shrugs in the same motion. More for her own benefit, given the stranger and stranger nature of the day so far.

"... got the lady over there."
""Very well, I shall simply pray for the health of you all."

The rolling motion provokes a brief wince of pain from her chest, brief because it is washed away in a soothing wave in almost the same instant. Liresha shudders, twitches and when she can't resist any further finally breaks into a sneezing fit.

Liresha healed 6 HP.
Foremost guard healed 6 HP.

While her sneezing and adrenaline fueled pulse abates she casts a glance at the two guardsmen to the left. They heave sheathed their weapons, so they can't be expecting any more trouble. That, or they assume the group up ahead can handle any other wandering collections of bones. Both guards look a little pale but otherwise seem fine, although the comrade of theirs who ran away is probably up for relentless mocking at the barracks later.
Oh wait. The moment the two of them recover from the shock of fighting skeletons, they'll start to ask questions and shout. Probably want to make sure no one is questioning their authority, like, say, a group of seemingly competent and heavily armed people who just proved themselves a little more on top of things that the guards.

She didn't draw her sword nor do anything any more conspicuous so if she just manages to say thank you to the group up ahead with grace and bow out, she can be back in her tavern room soon enough and indulge in as much self recrimination for the shameless heroics as she wants. And not have to escape from another prison cell. That would be great, she could keep her ten month streak going.

Liresha steps across the bones and walks 15 ft to U 11

So, how to accomplish this gracefully?

"It did get me, albeit I am better now. Thank you. Would this be because of you, Sir Priest?"The words are accompanied with a smile only almost blocked by her scarf. She nods first at the shifty looking avian - is he nervous? Why? - before attempting a half-bow, half-curtsey at the remnants of the group.
There, smooth.

"That was a bit of a scuffle, eh? Everyone unharmed? Rather impressive showing of abilities. I do not recall witnessing anyone ever keep their wits about them quite so well with a bow in melee before. And thank you for distracting the assailant, Sir... Bird. Uh. Sir. It might have drawn more blood if you had not. "

[Komodo]

Now, who is this girl coming up to talk to them? The group recognized it as the girl who had fought with claws not long ago, but she had done a pretty good job of covering up her more unusual features. Her hands were tucked safely under just-long-enough sleeves, and a scarf and hat covered any odd features on her face without looking overly suspicious. Had the group not seen what she was firsthand in battle, they would have likely not suspected anything out of the ordinary about her.

(rolled a disguise check for Lirisha, suffice to say she did well)

Meanwhile, Abraham approached the guard and offered himself up for arrest. The guard had clearly not been expecting this, and had his train of thought interrupted by the orc's healing spell. He did not have to react to the situation, however, as he was soon overtaken by a newly approaching guard, who was apparently high-ranking based on how his armor was decorated and how he shouted every other word. Behind him, he was flanked by two guards, one of whom had a scratched forearm.

"WHAT is going on HERE!" The official began, startling the other guards at the gate to attention. "I've got FOUR guards posted at the northwest gate, whose ONE job is to STOP the rabble that comes out the CAVES, and APPARENTLY that's too HARD for them! A few piles of BONES comes walking up, and APPARENTLY we need to start hiring FOOLS off the STREET to come and save our hides! And if that wasn't ENOUGH, we apparently INTEND to stand around with our THUMBS in our EARS while an ORC sprays magic all over the place! YOU!" He shouts at the wounded soldier, the same one who had run away before. "START picking up those bones! And YOU!" Here he turned to the group of four off to the side. "I expect you THREE to report to Silas here to check your papers and lay down your arms! You are officially UNDER ARREST for unauthorized use of WEAPONS!" As he says this, he points in a strong but controlled manner toward Kizziar, Halphax, and Klen Moore. He was apparently ignoring Abraham and Lirisha.

Behind the guard, Abraham saw two men, a half-orc and a tengu, run up. He recognized their vestment as that of the Wolfram Lane Unofficial, vestment he hadn't quite earned yet. He didn't remember the tengu's name, but the half-orc was Grazzom, the captain ("Captain" being a misnomer, as no-one in the Wolfram Lane Unofficial had any actual military rank, but its what most of the others called him.)

[Nihilarian]

Abraham momentarily frowns at the high ranking guard, but he seems more concerned with the captain. He seems surprised to see them. "Captain! What are you doing here?"

[Deathkeeper]

I knew I should have just bitten the stupid things.
Normally this is where I'd point out that I never actually used the thing, but unfortunately, I did read those papers. Ready-to-use my- Oh! Right, (extending a modestly talon-ed hand to Liresha)You may call me Klen, ma'am, and I'm a Tengu, for the record. He hoped he was hiding his slight irritation well, because this was fourth time today he'd been referred to as such. Being called "Bird" as an insult barely bothered him, but being called as such in that "Since-when-does-your-species-exist" tone was just annoying, especially in a city, where half of the time Tengus were more common than Elves.

(OOC: I think I'm changing colors to a lighter blue, because I actually can't tell the difference between navy and black in my earlier posts)

[BTB]

Kizziar though about running. He might have too, he was used to having to leave towns to continue his journey at this point. There was no evidence of anything that would remove his affliction in this town, from what he'd seen, and there were no real ties keeping him here. However, he still hadn't adequately resupplied for another journey, and he had no idea how far the next town would be.

However, arrest wasn't exactly an appealing option either. It looked like it was time to do something he'd done many times before when people reacted poorly to the "Orc spraying magic all over the place." Talk his way out of it. He strode purposefully to the guard who had been yelling, and launched into a speech.

"I assume you are a figure of some standing in this guard, judging by how you order your colleagues around. Which I'll also assume means that you, at least on some small level, care about the well being of this city, so allow me to pose a question: Do you honestly think your men could've ensured the safety of this town? I ask because I not only saw a band of creatures pulled off the street outfighting them, but because one of them flat out ran from the fight. Sir, if we had not intervened, your guards would've stood little chance against such a threat, and I'm sure any of them would agree that we drew arms only for the well being of this towns people, which would've surely been otherwise compromised. I cannot speak for my compatriots, but I assure you I will not draw arms again within Finishing Strike so long as the safety of your citizens is ensured, and I'd wager the others who drew arms would do the same.

I do apologize, but you yourself said the one job those guards were tasked with was too difficult for them, and so we stepped up for the safety of your citizens. I submit to the agreement we signed, and if you will have us jailed, so be it, but I do believe it is a great mistake on your part. If you'd allow us to go free, I'll gladly agree to leave my weapon sheathed next time I see your city in danger."

It was a tad more confrontational that Kizziar generally wanted to be when he tried to talk his way out of things, but the words were out, and the die had been cast. Now he could only await a response.

I believe in the future I'll attempt to make my diplomancing a little more, well, diplomatic. Either way, that was fun. Rolling diplomacy check.

[roll0]

[Fibinachi]

"... for the record."

Shaking limbs with a creature possessing more talons than fingers was interesting. Polite fellow, though.

"Much obliged, Sir Klen. Sorry about the... Bird thing. Uncouth, I take it. I simply have not encountered many Tengu up close. You would be the first, and a very good beginning, I suppose. I would blush at my impoliteness, but you would not be able to see it for the scarf. Forgive me? "

So far, so good. No one was pointing fingers or muttering about demons. There was shouting, but not the kind that hinted at immediate problems of the mob and pitchfork kind. This was the much more manageable problem of an officer attempting to coerce a scene to order. Lirisha let out a breath she hadn't been aware of holding in, and finally felt her nerves beginning to settle. She still had an urge to sneeze, yet that would fade soon and with not a soul pointing fingers, she could focus on more important matters. Such as trying to untangle the strands of what was quickly becoming a web of shouting, orders and arrests.

The half-orc - Kizziar? Kisser? No, no. The first one - was trying to stem the tide diplomatically. Eloquently, even. And if honour and reason worked their allure, perhaps a little perspective could bolster the decision process too.

"... If you'd allow us to go free, I'll gladly agree to leave my weapon sheathed next time I see your city in danger."

She nodded at the two figures in front of her quickly and, following an impulse, winked before raising her voice just enough to carry.
"... Heh, you think we're in trouble for saving everyone, Klen? Guys? I guess they will clamp us in chains and march us off while the people cheer, right? That would be a lovely parade. That will go over really well with everyone, I guess. If you fight to protect the life of guards and citymen, you will go to jail... If you are Klen, what might your name be, Sir Archer?"

Observe as I use a mere scarf and cantrip to become, before your very eyes, an ogre! DISGUISE CHECK. Sorry, couldn't resist.

However, typing dialogue in play by post can be difficult because it's easy to slip into a monologue. Anyone Lirisha is talking to can interrupt at any time, so feel free to just do so, since they're not frozen in time while she talks.

[Deathkeeper]

Klen wonders if anyone's ever cut themselves on those claws of hers. His weren't nearly sizable enough to actually deal much damage, but a few of his neighbors had claws nearly that size, so he wasn't bothered at all shaking her hand. To have them at all, though, she was definitely highly magic or not human (or both). The obvious hesitance to reveal her face implies the latter, but this really wasn't the time to try and figure it out.
Come to think of it, unless you group them together as being "outcast" races, it's unlikely Klen's ever even heard of Tieflings besides the meaning of the word, so I'll leave it up to a Knowledge: Local check to see if he'll have any ideas from the basic evidence
[roll0]

...Guys?
Actually, just us. I don't think there's a law against punching undead or being a woman, so I'd assume you're fine.

[Machinekng]

These pretenious worms thought they could arrest him! Lock him away in a cell to rot! To deny his freedom!

On what grounds!

Damn their government, damn their society, damn their civilization, as if it could be called that!

He would tear them limb from limb! He would rip out their throats and bath in their blood!

No, not here. Not now.

No reason to cause a fuss. Yet. Nothing to gain.

Halphax watched the others try to negotiate. As if angels would commune with ants! Huh.

Halphax himself stood back. He was never good with words. Better let the strangers handle it. He'd treat them to whatever forsaken poison they fancied for hedonistic temporary pleasure at the inn.

He did, however, study the angles.


Perception: What are the guards armed with? How close are they in relation to Halphax? Is there any clear exit paths?
[roll0]

[Komodo]

"Captain! What are you doing here?" Abraham asked.

Grazzom snorted, and then turned to Abraham. "I imagine the same thing you are, Abe. We heard the warning bell, and came running up to offer our help. Looks like a you and few others decided to do your part, and got the job done already." Grazzom casually spat, then continued, "And it appears Sergeant Harmony is taking it about as well as could be expected."

Next to Grazzom, the tengu said "Sergeant Harmony," and then a few words in the tengu language that didn't sound very polite.

"Don't disrespect him," Grazzom said, turning to the crow. "He may be strict, but he works hard to keep the town orderly and the shops open." Turning back to the scene at the gate, he added, "Not that that'll make this any easier."

Meanwhile, Sergeant Harmony was taking a challenge to his authority about as well as could be expected.

"OH! Excuse ME!" The sergeant replied to Kizziar. "APPARENTLY, I can now RETIRE, because it seems YOU are better equipped to deal with managing the CITY GUARD than I will EVER BE, despite my TRAINING and EXPERIENCE! Do you INDEED think that I am UNAWARE of the state of my own TROOPS, who report to me DAILY! Or do you BELIEVE that I should permit any YAHOO with a POINTY STICK to go ahead and CHARGE a SQUADRON OF THE UNDEAD!

"There are TWO reasons why I will not proceed to TIE your FEET together and HANG you UPSIDE DOWN for the AMUSEMENT OF CHILDREN right now! ONE! You seem to be GENUINELY concerned for the well-being of this GLORIOUS CITY! TWO! You are certainly WELL-SPOKEN, and I can RESPECT that in an INDIVIDUAL! So LISTEN! You all REPORT to SILAS here and come down to the COUNCIL for QUESTIONING! If you BEHAVE, that is the WORST that will happen, and we can all go about our day! GOT IT!" Sergeant Harmony's loud voice was turning out to be less of a tactic for commanding the guards and more of a mere habit. One might at this point be led to wonder if he did not use the same tone to compliment his wife's baked yams.

Behind the confrontation, a crow, a demonesque, and a psychic reptile each began working out how to deal with the situation in their own way.

Klen considered the woman with whom he had shaken hands. Thinking about it, he knew he had seen a few other humanoids with strange characteristics: discolored skin, tails, hooves, or tiny, useless wings. Tiefling had been the word to describe them, and those he had seen had come and gone from the city mostly unmolested. However, this was mostly because people were afraid of them. Few started a conversation with them willingly, and a few merchants outright refused to barter with them. For this reason, the majority of Tieflings who passed through Finishing Strike lived in the caves. As far as he knew, there was only one Tiefling who lived in the city. Apparently, that one managed a decent amount of the city's food distributors, and was quite rich. If nothing else, this meant that there was nary a restaurant that could turn away a Tiefling.

Halphax looked around him, and considered his options. Most of the guards were armed with shortswords, and wore the Emblem of Tholoro on top of what looked like chain shirts. One guard (R15) was armed with a falchion, and the shouting officer had a shield and longsword. He also looked a bit stronger and experienced than the soldiers around him. He was the closest to Halphax, about 25-30 feet away. As for escape paths, Halphax remembered that he was on the main road that ran to and from the cave settlements. Behind him, the ground began to get hilly as the road approached the mountains surrounding Finishing Strike. If he took off, he would soon be behind cover. That was, if they even bothered to chase after him. It was not uncommon for an individual who felt uncomfortable or unwelcome in the city to move into the caves.

Lirisha considered the proper balance of magic and scarf-manipulation to make herself look like an ogre. However, as she began to put her plan into action, she began to wonder how such a feat would be accomplished, and what she had intended to accomplish with it. She abandoned the idea, although it did make her chuckle.

[BTB]

"I thank you, for both the compliment and not arresting these fine people." He turns to face the others. "I bear good news, if you couldn't hear the yelling. We will not be jailed, however everyone except the fiendish-" He notices her concealing scarf and hat. He wasn't the only one prepared for negative reaction to race in the city, apparently. "Pardon me, everyone except the two humans have to come with Silas here for questioning."

He briefly looks back at the guards. He fears they'll quickly grow impatient. "I suggest we become better acquainted on the way."

[Nihilarian]

Abraham nods to the Captain. "One of the guards ran away. I think me and the half-orc took out most of them, though it was pretty hectic." Abe hesitates, frowning. "And now they're getting sort-of arrested. And I'm not. If I didn't know any better I'd say this city has it in for anyone not human."

[Komodo]

"If I didn't know any better I'd say this city has it in for anyone not human."

Grazzom grunted. "Finishing Strike is a city where many races can and have reached power and wealth by the merits of their own hands." He then gave his head a slight shake and continued, "but Tholoro is an empire founded and controlled by humans, and poisons at the root of the tree find their way to the leaves." He turned. "I have some business to attend to, Abe. However, I would like you to follow them. They might want your testimony anyway. Once that's done, could you bring them to Wolfram Lane? I should like to talk to them. If Sergeant Harmony gets uppity, give him this." Grazzom handed Abraham an unsealed letter, and walked away, the tengu right behind him.

Meanwhile, one of the guards approached Kizziar and the others. He was a dwarf, short and stout, with a starkly blonde beard. Reaching into his satchel, he pulled out a notepad and a rustic pencil. Apparently, this was Silas. In contrast to his commander, he was quiet and professional as he spoke. "Now then, everyone, if I could have your name, race, and citizenry status, please. Also, I'll need to take your primary weapon. Weapons will be returned at the council for a small fee, which may be paid within one week."

All of you should have your basic entry papers, and your citizenry status is "transitory", indicating you have been given a set stay to decide whether to stay or not.

Finally, the Sergeant made his way up to Lirisha, and began addressing her in a calm, gentlemanly voice (or at least, what could have been thought of as a futile attempt at a calm, gentlemanly voice)

"PARDON ME, miss, but would you MIND coming along with US? I could USE another PERSPECTIVE on the events that OCCURRED here, and YOU appeared to have been CAUGHT in the THICK of it. And EXCUSE me for asking, but don't you find it a bit WARM for a SCARF?"

[BTB]

"Kizziar, Half-Orc, Transitory." He unsheathes the axe and hands it to Silas. "I trust it'll be returned in good form." Not that he cared, he had other things he could do besides swinging an axe around, though it was certainly inconvenient. He shrugged it off. He'd have it back soon enough.

[Deathkeeper]

" except the fiendish-"

Ha! I was totally righ- wait a second. When in the Abyss did he have time to figure it out?!
He continued to grumble under his breath about holy men and their figuring out all the fun secrets before him as he takes his spot in the line'
Klen Moore. Tengu. Transitory. He holds out his hand with the mace (which I just realized he's been holding this whole time) to Silas.

[Machinekng]

Halphax relented, and gave the guard his bow. Bastard.

Nothing to be done about it, yet.

Progress was inevitable, however.

Halphax, Ophiduan, Transitory.

[Komodo]

The walk to the Council was not unpleasant. However, the next hour or two were spent in a drab room with a blonde Dwarf discussing the same thirty-second incident, after which he had the audacity to charge for the whole ordeal (4 gp if you have had your weapon confiscated, if you can't afford it, the city will hold it for one week) When the group left, they found the sun had disappeared from the sky. The sky was still decently bright, however, the sun had dropped behind the mountains that surrounded the massive crater within which Finishing Strike had been built. These mountains cast their shadows over the town, but the city stayed visible as civil workers with candle-poles moved down the street, lighting lamp-posts on their way. Street merchants and other shops were beginning to close up for the night. Other venues were just beginning to liven up.

[BTB]

The clerk tells Kizziar they'll hold his weapon for a week, giving him ample time to gather the money required. For now, the day was ending, and he had no real plans. What harm was there in spending some time with those he fought with? He exited with the others?

"Well, now what shall we do?"

[Machinekng]

Halphax responded to Kizzar's query.

I'm not sure.

Halphax stared towards the setting sun and the mountains.

The monsters had come from there.

Would they come again?

It's getting late. I owe you a debt, and I have a room at the inn near the gate.

[Deathkeeper]

Oh, right. I haven't gotten myself a place to stay. That could be problematic.
All right, let's see if we can't stay there, then.
He turns to the Half-Orc
I noticed you never got your axe back. If you really think you'll need it I can spot you on this one.
I realized I really shouldn't be tossing my money around like this, but there are times you have to help someone out, right?

[BTB]

I'd gladly take up on both your offers, but I'd hasten to remind you that neither of you owe me anything for my efforts. I'd believe the opposite is true actually. While it'd certainly be more convenient to have his axe back, Kizziar was somewhat hesitant to take favors from these people. He still wasn't sure why they were fighting, but they were of great assistance to his religious duty through it. If anything, he owed them. You will of course both be repaid sever times over for such generosity.

[Nihilarian]

Abraham approaches the odd looking group. He clears his throat, and says "Excuse me, my name is Abraham, and I work for Wolfram Lane Unofficial. We fought together earlier? My captain would like to speak to you." He notices that the half-orc is weapon-less. "You lost your axe?"

[BTB]

I didn't have enough to pay the fee to have it returned, but I implore you, don't trouble yourself over it. I'm sure I can gather the gold myself.

[Fibinachi]

"...gold myself"

Serendipitous timing. Liresha had been distracted so far, marveling at the way the streets were transforming. And to think they did this every night. Stalls out, people out, drinks being served somewhere. If you had some sort of esoteric sensory capacity, you could probably smell the hopes and dreams of night dwellers all over the city. Liresha sniffed the air once and smiled. A drink, a dance, something to eat - priorities all in all a little better than dodging blows from undead monstrosities.

"Hey, what if I pressure you into accepting help? I got a scratch, had a scratch and you took care of that. I'm not sure what the going rate on magic is, though, so an axe sounds like a good deal back. We'll split a pitcher of water, or something, and grab your axe in the morning?"

Given twelve hours to work with, she figured she could scrounge up enough coin by either asking, begging or loaning. A favor for a favor, that sort of thing. It'd be a good cloak for her curiosity, anyway.

"Oh. Sir Abraham, did you mean to indicate that your captain wanted to speak with us now? Because if so, maybe, he'd be up for trading an axe for some menial little errand. We-- you, Sir Kizziar, could even offer to find out where the skeletons came from?"

[Nihilarian]

Abe grunts. "No need for that. Whatever the captain wants you for, it's probably because of how well you fought. You're more use to him if I get the axe back for you." Abe will walk in and pay to get the axe back.

[BTB]

Kizziar nods. A favor to the captain seems much more agreeable than taking charity from those who helped me. Abraham, was it? If your captain wishes to speak with us, we should go. He jumped at the opportunity to earn his weapon back himself. He couldn't fathom why they thought THEY owed HIM. Did they not realize he only did his religious duty? That he healed them because their time to go was not now? That he fought the undead because they defied his deity? He shrugged it off. No point worrying over it. He apparently had more officials to see.

EDIT: Disregard, Abe replied while I was typing. Rather, Kizziar shrugs. He still wonders why they seem to think they owe him, but figures it easier if just accepts it and lets them buy the axe back. I see you'll not be convinced. Very well, I accept the offer, but I do insist on repaying you eventually

[Komodo]

After having conversed on the street after their conversation, the group consented to be led to Wolfram Lane, a short road just south and west of the Council. The half-orc had resisted the other members attempting to provide him charity, but eventually his pride was worn down and he consented to have the fine on his axe paid for him by Abraham. The paladin then proceeded to lead them to the offices where he had been hired.

The office of the Wolfram Lane Unofficial was decently simple. The main floor consisted of only a wide room with a series of benches and a few tables, laid out so that someone could give lectures or assignments to a group sitting on the benches. There was also an open spiraling staircase leading to the second floor, where there were a few offices. When Abraham unlocked the main door, he saw captain Grazzom, the tengu, and a third figure whose features were obscured by a hooded cloak.

Grazzom was a paladin like Abraham. He had taken off his light armor and was dressed more casually. Next to him was the tengu, which was wearing the same robe that it had been wearing earlier. It was distinguished by a purple ring painted around its beak. Klen Moore may immediately recognize the tengu as female. To everyone else, it's a DC 15 perception check. Finally, the cloaked figure looked humanoid, but their features were very well obscured. Any info on this one requires a perception check of unknown difficulty. Together, they were gathered in the front of the room, looking over a map and engaged in heated discussion over something. Grazzom looked up as they entered.

"Ah! Abe! Wasn't sure if you'd show up tonight. See you brought your friends. Excellent." He moved over to a table on the side. "There is something I want to discuss with you, but if you just came from the Council, there's more urgent business at hand." With that, he pulled at a cloth on the table, revealing a quartet of kegs marked Dwarven Beer, Tholoran Red, Mountain Milk, and Svassi Mead. There were also a collection of metal cups. "Perhaps once you've had your fill, you'll be a bit more favorably dispose toward what I'm going to ask."

[Nihilarian]

Abe nods, selecting a cup. He goes for the mead. "I waited until the council was finished with them. Seemed easier that way, though if it had gone on much longer I might have seen just how much that piece of paper you gave me was worth." He nods toward the cloaked figure. "Guest, or client?"

[Fibinachi]

The captain engaged Abraham in conversation straight off the bat and they seemed to get along well. Whoever the two figures in the background where, one of them had absolutely mastered the art of cloaking oneself in layers of obscurity. It was impressive. It also made it near absolutely impossible to gather any impressions.

Perception check:
Tengu:[roll0]
Mysteryious Figure:[roll1]

And that was what really what made Liresha relax. The Wolfram Lane office was the kind of simple place where people more focused on patrols than interior decoration hung out. Professionals or the kind of people who really wanted to be professional. And quasi military groups generally did not let obscured figures stand around if they were any danger.

She executed a quick bow and sidestepped towards the offered refreshments, gave them a quick once over and then stopped short. The Wolframs were offering a fair amount of good drinks, the same kind of drinks that normally meant waking up in a shady inn hours later with a blinding headache and stolen trinkets and knickknacks picked from random passersby.
She sighed, shook her head and grabbed a metal cup. She had her own water skin, and it would do. Well, it would do with a bit of fiddling.

Sitting down at the closest bench, ears primed to listen for the Captain's answer, Liresha takes a breath and attempts to slide enough intention past reality for her little will to flavor the water something better than tasteless.

Liresha will find a bench near the group to sit on and mumble a little for herself while moving her fingers around in a strange pattern. She is casting Prestidigation, the cantrip, to flavor her water. And then she will listen very attentively to the Captain's answer.

[BTB]

for Tengu
[roll]1d20-1 for cloaked figure
Huh. Didn't work. Lets try again.
1d20-1
Screw it, I'll go roll it in the OOC thread.


Kizziar largely ignores the conversation between Abe and the captain, figuring he'll be brought in when he was needed. For now he was to experience a pleasure often partaken in during his long travels; Taking a few random strangers and getting drunk beyond belief. Really, there was a simple joy in getting together with others and making collective fools of yourselves.

On that note, Kizziar quickly made his way to the Dwarven brew, filled a cup and downed it. He began filling a second cup. It would be a good night tonight, terrible morning be damned.

[Deathkeeper]

Klen enters the room quietly with the others, not saying anything but tipping his hat to his hosts. He wasn't entirely sure why he'd come, except perhaps that doing so felt like the right thing to be doing. Still, he's largely disinterested in the current affairs, although he is thankful that the captain is being civil. And the "ask" thing sure sounds like a job, and jobs usually mean pay, so this could be a very good thing. He takes a cup with a small sample of the Red, although he's swirling it gently more than he is actually drinking it.
Perception check: [roll0]

[Komodo]

I suppose I made my last post a bit ambiguous. They're standing right next to each other, I wasn't going to make you roll separately. If you rolled twice, I merely took the highest roll. Only Lirisha and the tengu were able to discern anything about tengu anatomy.



"Guest, or client?"

"All in good time, Abe," replied Grazzom, as he filled himself a glass of the dwarven beer for himself. Abraham noticed that his captain quarter-filled the glass with water before adding in the potent brew.

The other half-orc, on the other hand, charged ahead fearless and began downing a glass of undiluted beer. It was certainly strong, and gave an aftertaste of earth and grain. Smacking his lips around his tusks, he recklessly filled his glass again. Kizziar, roll a fortitude save.

Abraham and Klen temperately poured themselves samples of the mead and wine, respectively. The Tholoran Red was a decently strong wine, but sweet and refreshing. Abraham's mead was very sweet, nearly masking the alcohol. Halphax merely stood there, eyeing the drinks but not yet taking advantage of them.

As Lirisha finished her spell, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. The tengu - the one working for Wolfram, not Klen - was watching her. His - no, wait...the beak is too slender, and the body too curved - her expression was hard to read, but she seemed interested. Lirisha noticed the tengu wore a pouch on her belt, similar to the one she herself used to store her sells' material components in. Perhaps this crow was also a practitioner of the arcane arts?

As the group began to enjoy their drinks, Grazzom moved back to the table in the front of the room and stared down at the map. The map was labeled with a language none of the newcomers understood, but seemed to be portraying a series of tunnels.

"These," began Grazzom, "are the caves of Finishing Strike. The races dwelling there call it Pandavleni, and while clearly separated, it is treated as an extension of Finishing Strike and as such it is considered a part of the Tholoran Empire.

"Now, as Abraham knows, the Wolfram Lane Unofficial is a small group reporting to the viscountess whose job it is to maintain diplomatic relations with the caves and the tribes within. As long as the mineral trade is maintained, the emperor is content to let them alone in there.

"However, there have been recent...disquiet coming from the caves. Various monsters that we normally fight of for them have been escaping the their natural confines and reaching the city. Two weeks ago, it might be a swarm of rats, the occasional giant slug...annoyances, but nothing serious. Recently, undead have been showing up at irregular intervals. As you can imagine, that's been taken bit more seriously."

Grazzom wet his lips with beer, and the tengu continued in his stead. "Here is the first settlement, see? They're fine, although suffering from similar problems. However," here, the tengu pointed at a jagged line on the map, just before a few tunnels branched off going in. "This here used to be called the second checkpoint. There's no communication with the settlements beyond it, and nothing comes back but monsters and undead. We sent in a few good soldiers a week and a half ago. You see, because an expedition this far might take a few days, yes? But they haven't returned. We sent a few more to look for them four days ago. We haven't heard from them, either."

Grazzom set his beer down on the table. "Do you see where we're going with this?"

[Nihilarian]

Abe thinks for a long while, occasionally drinking. Finally, "You're looking to send us?" Abe guesses. "We've recently proven ourselves against undead. Soldiers are useful for fighting in large groups, but as a whole they know less about fighting in small groups than we do, who've done nothing else. So you're going to send a small group to slip in and get some information, maybe fix some problems, and that's us?"

[BTB]

Rolling fortitude to see how drunk I am.
[roll0]


Kizziar strides over to Grazzom, a slight stumble in his step and drink still in hand. A few drops spill out as his feet catch on each other, each one unsure of the other's place. His mind is slightly fogged, but most of his wits are still about him, if not his tact.

"So if I understand, you want us to go in there. On our own. And fight tons of monsters that probably slaughtered everyone beyond the second post. Sir, with all due respect-" Kizziar chuckles to himself a little before continuing. "You're crazy. Crazier than a bugbear in the moonlight, yep." A slight hiccup now, Kizziar takes another swig from his cup. "Though I do compliment you on your choice of beverage." With that Kizziar attempts to return to the drinking people, nearly running over Klen on his way over. Rather than apoligize, he just chuckles to himself a little more and carries on.

[Komodo]

Grazzom watches his fellow half-orc's antics with a bemused look on his face. As Kizziar returns to the drinks, he casually spat into a nearby spittoon and turned back to Abraham.

"You're half right," he said to the human. "We would prefer a small group, but not for quite that reason." He snorted and continued. "I'm not quite...what's the word...savvy?...on the politics of it all, but let me try...Finishing Strike's prided itself on its freedoms, especially for less prestigious races. The Viscountess in particular has worked very hard at maintaining a healthy relationship with the cave-settlements. However, if the situation were bad enough to send soldiers in, that would mean involving the empire..."

"Who would jump at the chance to get a foothold in a place that dares call out its overlordish policies, and who wouldn't leave when they cleaned up the problem, and whatever else they didn't like in there." This line was spoken by the tengu. Grazzom gave her a look. "What? It's a simpler version of what you were going to say anyway!"

Turning back to the group, Grazzom continued. "However, your companion is right," he said, motioning toward Kizziar. "We don't know how dangerous it is in there. We're asking your help because you've already shown commitment to protect others and fearlessness in a fight." He snorted. "We aren't asking you to single-handedly solve the problem. However, we do need some idea of how bad things are in there. All we need is for you to go in a bit, find something of interest, report it back to us, either personally or through a messenger. That's all."

Grazzom hung his head. "I know it's a lot to ask, but..." Here, he was interrupted. The cloaked figure spoke for the first time.

"A very delicately constructed balance and years of trust will be broken if we are unable to solve this without the help of the Empire. What remains of the Wolfram Lane unofficial either has duties here that cannot be left or refuses to venture further without greater knowledge of what awaits. I cannot blame them.

"I know you likely are new to this city. But if not for the city itself, then for the legacy of the city that drew you here, and for the courage that led you to fight on her behalf in the northwest gate today, I ask your help in this matter." The feminine voice was noble, but calm and kind, as though she were used to asking hard things of others before.

[Nihilarian]

Abe nods, and says, simply. "I'll help." He drinks more of his mead, the matter closed to him.

[Fibinachi]

Abraham makes up his mind quickly.

He must be a hero in waiting, some man with noble spirit and capable arms. He certainly is an able fighter. It was certainly some sort of impressive.
Liresha punctuates the thought by drinking from the mug in front of her, dipping her head momentarily towards the tengu with... different curves.
She has seen tengu before, even the ill advised joke at the scruffy looking Klen was more a try at calming things and get his name that anything, but never more than one in a day. At a market. During a festival. And here there's two, like a pair of mythical wonders out of some story.

There was something strange about Finishing Strike and it didn't just seem to be the inebriated half-orcs or the gangs of marauding skeletons. Something in her stomach coiled around itself like a whisper of some fragile emotion.
Or hunger.

Casting a quick glance around the room to revealed nothing new about her companions (... strange thought, that) or the three figures.
Albeit Kizziar did seem a little unsteady on his legs. Cracking a quick grin, Liresha dips her mug in a ceremonial salute towards him as well.

Everyone else seemed as deep in thought as her. Perhaps they were not, despite their readily displayed ability to make things dead and re-dead, mercenaries. Liresha opened her mouth to say something, stopped short and shook her head.
Well, it's a room at the inn, a stolen apple from some poor merchant, and a consistent curious inquiry as to why you wanted to rescue the world earlier today or it's just going with the flow until you figure out what's going on.
I dislike you, Inner Monologue
I know, Scratch, I know.

"I am in too. Hel-- Voidcrafted reason, why not. It is that or sit around in a room and brood over my nascent altruistic tendencies. I have a sword, Sir Abraham has a hammer and I can find my way in the dark. It is a talent. If you can supply a map, Sir and Ladies, I will go.

You would like us to nip in, have a look-see and come back?

And that's when it occurs to her that, well, inbetween the shakedowns and idle stares from guardsmen too puritanical to really want any different no one has really stared (too long) at or pointed fingers or claws or coils or appendages (too much) at her in days. It is fantastic. And the city is, what's the word, nice, the dockside is cozy for a night time walk and the pickpockets never quite as good or as fast as they think themselves.

It is not a bad place to be. Oh, when she is being clawed apart by monstrosities from beyond the grave she will be sure to regret every flimsy romantic whimsy and desire for a stable home for once but that will be days from now! Days! That's hours and hours of feeling worthwhile and heroic. Decent trade.

"What'll it be, fellas? Want to accompany me and Sir Abraham and his hammer into a deep, dank cave to see what semi professional soldiers dare not spot? It'll be fun, promise. Well, I mean, it'll be something, at least.

[BTB]

Another drink retrieved. Kizziar's mind is quickly going, the shreds of reason in his mind quickly grow faint. "You still never answered my question," he said, forgetting he'd never actually asked. Why exactly should I go in there and try to fight a bajillion things because you asked to? I bet not a person here can give me a good reason.

[Nihilarian]

"You're a devoted of Pharasma. I went to a sermon today, and apparently she hates undead. We go to stop undead. Do you need another reason?"

[Deathkeeper]

I was surprised at myself that I got all of that; my thoughts had been drifting in and out of focus for some time now. Still, I heard what I needed to hear. Big. Job.
Now, I'm not going to lie, I never cared about politics. When you're only marginally better off than the homeless and nearly every human treats you the same, you have a tendency to find higher priorities. So while that part sounded important, yeah, I'll just assume we'd be helping. But still, that woman's tone...and considering her collaborating with the captain, she must be important somehow. Helping important people is good. Well, helping most people is good, but especially important people.
And while I'm not sure my list of candidates would have included a drunken holy half-orc, a broody reptile, and an occasionally quiet clawed girl who switches between formal and sarcastic faster than I do, I can't exactly argue with their ability to dispatch creatures. And as for the refreshingly civil human with the huge hammer and the handsome young bird, well, no arguments there.
Know now that I will expect pay, but assuming that, I'm in. If it's as you say, it won't be much more than going in, finding something, and getting out. Which I'm rather good at. And if that goes the way most plans go, well, I can't say that I can't manage that either. After all, isn't a group of crows called a Murder?

[BTB]

...another reason?

Despite being quite inebriated, the word "undead" stuck out to Kizziar. One bastion still stood in his mind. He was a devotee of Pharasma, his duty stood.

"I'll-" A hiccup. I'll go.I-I owe them for the drink. Besides. Undead and all that business.

With that, he went to the bench in the corner of the room, sat, and hoped he would not be sick.

[Machinekng]

Halphax had been quiet, watching events unfold, but now it was time to make a decision.

Your offer intrigues me.

Halphax paused for a second, debating his answer. He had no obligation to help these people, and it would be a burden for him, but he was interested. Intrigued by the possible source of these monsters.

And for the moment, it was worth finding out.

I accept.

[Fibinachi]

The group accepted with various degrees of hesitancy and inebriation.

"Hah, cheers to us then! A murder of heroic souls.
Uh.
No, wait. No that doesn't seem quite what I wanted to say.
Captain, Ladies - you have your intrepid team. If I may, one question though."

No one seemed poised to stop her.

"Supposing we find something, a relic of ancient times misfiring and creating skeletons or a particularly bored young necromancer, and we report back? What happens then? If we find something or not, the situation still seems to be an inability to send in soldiers and the Pandavleni being in strange straits."

Somewhere beneath the warm glow of camaraderie, a little itch of disquiet is gently scratching at her brain. Something here, something just out of reach, just does not seem entirely right. On the other hand, five and a half decades of travel, grifting and wandering did breed some tendencies towards sticking to the shadows and this was definitively not being obscure so perhaps it was simply the same old need to avoid being noticed.

Still. Adventure. Expedition details and weeks of travel in total and good company.

[Komodo]

Grazzom and the cloaked lady grinned, both pleased at the acceptance the group was giving. The captain was the first to speak.

"Rest assured, little birdie," he said, addressing Klen, "That we'll be sure to recompense you. Is that the right word? Eh," turning and snorting again, he continued, "We'll give you the full salary of a usual member of Wolfram Lane, and any loot you find from killing monsters or whatnot is yours (so long as you make sure what you're killing is a monster and not a frightened citizen of the caves, mind). As for your question, miss," here he motioned to Lirisha, but turned to the cloaked woman. "You want to take that?"

The woman nodded. "Rest assured, we will help our underground brethren. We still have other members of the Wolfram Lane Unofficial-" She paused for a moment, then continued, "and the city can hire other fighters, if necessary. Hopefully, it won't be. We'd prefer to organize the Pandavleni settlements against the threat once we can communicate. However, we can do nothing until we know the nature of that threat."

"And we can't just throw mercenaries at it without them knowing what's there, 'cause then they start asking for loads extra pay, and in advance." This quip came from the tengu, and earned her another glance from her captain.

"Why don't you go get these gentlemen some supplies, Nylaba," said her captain, dryly. Nylaba tilted her head jovially and began moving her hand in a cryptic fashion while saying some odd words.

"Why don't you go get some supplies for the nice gentlemen," Nylaba echoed, talking to apparently nobody. However, a few seconds later, a door could be heard opening upstairs, and soon, a bag of provisions came downstairs, apparently floating.

"We'd like you to leave soon," said Grazzom, turning back to the group. "But we'll understand if you want to sleep through the night. Now this," he said, holding up the bag, "is Halfling Wandermeal. Filling, if not tasty. We can give you forty pounds. Even if you don't need it, we suspect that the cavern might have a food shortage, and feeding them would help you gain their trust." Behind him, a basket came floating down, and deposited itself on his table. Unfazed as ever, Grazzom began looking through it. "Let's see...two lanterns, a spare map...ugh, we havn't translated this one. I don't suppose any of you can read Undercommon? And this...these are two scrolls for a spell called Delivering."

"Sending," corrected Nylaba.

Ignoring her, Grazzom continued, "Unlike everything else here, these are not gifts. They are very expensive, and if they are lost, we will expect you to replace them. However, if you find something important and are unable to return, use them. Witnesses said that most of the skeletons were killed by a spell, so I assume one of you is a caster? To be safe, one is arcane and the other is divine.

"Of course, feel free to leave anything you don't need. If you think anything else might be necessary, ask, and we'll see what we can do."

[Deathkeeper]

I sincerely hope they don't expect me to carry any of that. I'm weighed down by my own stuff as it is. And of everyone I can probably least afford to be weighed down. But at the very least I can be useful in other ways.
Let me see that map. I might be able to get a few words.

[Machinekng]

Halphax set his mind to work, assessing what they'd need on the expedition.

The women's behavoir, along with the delivery of the goods, was odd, but probably due to magic.

Hrumph,

He cleared his throat.

Do you have blunt arrows? I need them if we meet those skeletons again. Regular ones just bounce off their bones.

He also note the Tengu's statement.

Perhaps we could be supplied a pack mule as well? It'd be useful, doubly so if rations run out.

He chuckles softly.

[Nihilarian]

Abe looks over the supplies. How much does it weigh? "I can carry near a hundred pounds more than what I have now before it becomes an issue. That does bring up a point though: Should we take horses, or go on foot? I'm no great rider, but the speed is probably worth it regardless."

[BTB]

"I am the caster that you are referring to. Divine." Kizziar laughed deeply at a joke no one made. "I guess I'll be taking that delivering thing then." He took the scroll, but a slip of the fingers caused him to drop it, sending it flying across the room."You know what, someone just get that for me tomorrow. I'll just drop it again and probably destroy the damn thing."

[Deathkeeper]

Hmm. Well, I would say that getting one for everyone might not be the best plan, considering that they'd never fit in the tunnels, and I wouldn't like just leaving them sitting outside for an indefinite period of time.

[Fibinachi]

Liresha

"Aye, mule good, horses not so much. Too much of a equine look of loathing in their eyes and the hooves, just, no. I'll walk. I think it would be difficult if we're moving through tunnels, too. They'll wind up getting smaller at some point, narrow. We'd need rope and materials for traversing slopping environments. Have most if it. Halphax makes a good point, though. Something deadly that works on creatures with no organs, no veins and no fear of a good kick. I'll whittle a staff or something if I can find a plank, or a piece of wood. How's everyone else for breaking bones?"

Tallying up her belongings, few as they were, took a thought and a momentary distraction. Not a lot to leave behind in case she tripped on a sword. Comforting thought.

"I can carry some of the Wandermeal. Let's divvy it up in equal portions, that way we all have something in case we fall down a dark, dank hole and wander aimlessly for days in a tunnel. Last time that happened I had very good use of my spare cheese."

Kizziars booming laugh rolled reverberated through the room. Apparently the man had the ability to go from pious to persuasive to plastered in seconds. With his professed faith he offered up a plethora of snarky alliteration. And he had the huge axe. "Comforting" thought.

"I can utilize the second scroll, if it pleases you. However, a favour. These things are clearly valuable - and we will take great care of them excluding that one little accident! Hahah slippery parchment - so two scroll cases would be a very, very good idea. We'll attach a rope to both, swing them over our shoulders - separate from our backpacks. With two pairs we should have a better than even chance of getting a message out even if we wind up ambushed after preparing camp and have to leave out other gear"

Abraham with the strong back and probably stronger arms, Klen could read the map and find the way and most likely scout ahead the slight thing, Kizziar was probably the better of all them against monstrosities from beyond the grave and Halphax had steady, steely nerves. Comforting thought.

"Thank you for your trust. I think we will do well, if we are careful. Lanterns, maps, food..."

Something. Wait!

"Yes! Books, Pandavleni. If, it is not too much to ask, would you have a treatise on underground plants? People live in these caves, so someone must have looked into this, maybe? "Fantastic Fungus", "Two months in a deep, dank cavern", "This One Cures Hangovers Thank The Gods!", that sort of thing? Just so I know what I'm getting into. I'm good with most common Tholoron plants and make a mean, mean stew. I just don't want to kill anyone if I try to make something against, say, wound infection or fever."

Or accidentally poison a well during a Harvest festival and give an entire hamlet blue tongues and breath like death for two weeks. Again.

"Last question, gentlemen.

What's your preferred meal?"

[Nihilarian]

The head of Abe's hammer is clearly visible over his shoulder. "Breaking bones should be no issue for me." He says, wryly. "As for meals, I like meat and potatoes mostly. Is that important?"

[BTB]

Kizziar successfully picks up the scroll this time and places it in the bag. "I'll eat pretty much anything, make my own water, prefer my own booze though. As fer breaking bones, I got channels, spells, and more reliably, a big hulking axe."

[Deathkeeper]

That girl has a serious thing for talking. Oh, well. I've dealt with plenty of people with the same tendency and weren't even smart enough to be interesting. There's a "bird brain" joke in there somewhere. But still, at the very least I'm dealing with people who know what they're doing. When they're able to stand, that is. I may have to watch that.
I've still got the shiny new mace from before. And food? I haven't really thought about, I've always taken what I've gotten.

And anyway, let's take a look-see at that map. I should be able to get SOMETHING out of it, even if just at first glance.
(Linguistics check)[roll0]

[Komodo]

The trio at the head of the room listened as the newly-hired adventurers began talking preparations. Grazzom's eye's widened as the divine Sending scroll flew through the air, and then proceeded to eye Kizziar for a bit with a look between anxiety and amusement. Fortunately, the scroll - both of them, in fact, were encased in cylindrical cases made of hardwood. The cases were labeled with a description of the spell within, written in magic runes, and whether it was divine or arcane, written in common. The divine scroll's case was scratched from the half-orc's drunken antics, but otherwise unharmed.

Once the adventurers began settling down, Grazzom and the cloaked woman began a small debate over the availability of pack animals. It appears that the Wolfram Lane Unofficial does not keep animals on call. They consented that local stablemen might be persuaded to lend some to them for a short borrow, but would under no conditions permit one of their animals into the caves unless they were fully paid for, and five horses could easily cost around 1000 gold, perhaps more. Grazzom argued that the Wolframs had never required mounts before, and that it wasn't a long trek between the underground settlements anyway. The cloaked woman replied that since two groups of Wolframs had failed to return, perhaps it was now time for a change in tactics. The two of them went back and forth for a bit, discussing finances, necessities, and possible disasters. A donkey would be simple and cheap enough to acquire, should the adventurers want it, but it could only serve for carrying supplies, and could easily become spooked by any monsters in the caves. The two of them finally reached a consensus that if mounts were to be used, one attractive solution would need be to persuade the denizens of Pandavleni to lend other rideable creatures used to cave-travel. Being in a dangerous situation, they might be led to exchange mounts for extra protection.

"It would perchance be easier to convince them," the cloaked woman said, "if we were to give these a diplomatic letter from the Viscountess." She smiled, her mouth the only part of her face visible. "Given a few hour's time, I believe I could persuade her."

"In a few hour's time, the northwest gate will close," replied Grazzom.

"We never said they had to leave tonight, and besides, there are other ways." When the cloaked woman said this, Grazzom cocked an eyebrow, but kept a neutral expression.

While the two of them had their conversation, Nylaba's Unseen Servant came down the stairs, carrying a quiver of 20 blunt arrows for Halphax. The tengu winked as the hovering quiver was pushed forward in offering to the Ophiduan. Meanwhile, Klen took some time to look over the map. Standing over it, beak nearly touching the page, he tilted his head and tried to decipher the language. Hmm...eh. He knew he had seen the alphabet before, and he could make out a few words...here a "beware, loose (rocks?)"... there was the second settlement, much bigger than the first...ugh. With more time and experience with Undercommon, he was sure he could figure it out, but it just wasn't coming to him right now.

When Liresha mentioned the possible necessity of books, Nylaba, who had been clearly uninterested in the conversation between her captain and the other one, snapped to attention. "Ooh! The Rosewolf Library! You haven't been there yet? Eh, I suppose I can understand missing it, it's kind of drab and formal on the outside, but inside is just beautiful! It's tall and big and there's artwork and study rooms and the head librarian's a blueskin, he makes sure that they let everyone in. It'll take some time, but it's worth seeing at least once."

Upon hearing this, and still not finished with his debate, Grazzom sighs. "Well. It seems we are not destined to begin tonight. Although that may be for the best," he said, glancing at Kizziar again. "Well then. I suppose we could go to the stables and try to haggle for horses for you, even though I'm still not convinced that's the best idea. Or, if you prefer, we could head to the library. Maybe while we're there, we can hire a translator. Unless you're having any luck with that map...what was it...Klen?"

[Deathkeeper]

That's it. And while I might be able to do it myself if you had any documents on the subject, if you have one on hand that would probably make everything easier.

[Komodo]

The group continued to talk for a bit more. Feeling rather awkward that the possibilities of price and unpredictability, the group's preparations slowly moved from mounts to books. Klen had been unable to translate the document to his satisfaction, and Liresha wished to prepare herself on underground flora. For these tasks, the Wolfram Offices found themselves unprepared. However, as the tengu caster brought up, the would likely have more luck at the Rosewolf Library. Normally, it was a very exclusive house of knowledge, but it would be welcoming to those representing the Wolfram Lane Unofficial. Grazzom and Nylaba gave the group their blessings, and their gear, and then retired for the night. The hooded figure elected to lead the group to the library, and then procure diplomatic letters while they performed their research.

You may decide amongst yourselves who will carry the ~47 pounds of gear and rations.

From the outside, the library was very ornate, if a bit simple. Smoothed columns rose around the entrance, and the stonework was smooth and polished. Within, the lights of the library gleaming through the windows (very likely some arcane illumination, as fire would never be permitted near the texts and tomes within) contrasted with the night slowly darkening around the rest of the city. The hooded woman promised to return very soon, and headed off in the direction of the Council.

Within the library, the peaceful exterior turned out to be misleading, as the stacks with in were rather loud with cries and light panics. Still, it was rather calm, relatively, compared to other places where there might be an attack such as this. A small collection of skulls, all floating, were working their way around the library, not showing any real direction, but generally making life unpleasant for those trying to study within. Particularly the ones that were also on fire.

As the group entered, they heard the rushed plea of a librarian rummaging through a closet.(D17) "The books, the scrolls...protect them!" As you pass by him, he pushes retardant blankets and sandbags toward you. Taking one of either from him is a free action, as he is handing them to you. You need a free hand to carry them. They can act as thrown weapons, but don't do much against something that isn't burning.

Map for the Library Available here. You should be able to edit it. (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Arhj25pO_T6qdGlvQkUwS3UzeXN0RFFlemxrX2d4a lE#gid=3)
This link will also be available in the Opening Post.

You start anywhere between rows 17 and 19. Roll Initiative, and declare your first move!

[Nihilarian]

Abe picks up the 47 pounds of gear without commenting.

At the library, Abe doesn't take the blankets or sandbags. Instead he rushes at the closest skull and tries to bash it's (metaphorical) brains out.

ActionAbe charges the skull at O-13, drawing his hammer as he moves.

Initiative: [roll0]

Attack: [roll1]
(Possible) Crit Confirm: [roll2]

Damage: [roll3]
(Possible) Crit Damage: [roll4]

[Deathkeeper]

Alright, can I just say that this is just just my luck? Can't even go and get books without someone (hopefully just almost) getting killed. Still, maybe this is a second chance to actually do something in a fight. In that case, smashy-smashy, you undead freaks.


Initiative: [roll0]
Move from F18 to G12, 30 ft.
Draw Light Mace.

[Fibinachi]

Liresha

Look at them go, intrepid heroes one and all. The doors open, screams roll out and their first reaction is to bolt towards (towards!) whatever fresh hell causing the commotion. Charging ahead, with Abraham carrying half a hundred pounds worth of extra gear without slowing down, Klen and the warrior clear the doors quickly.

The library is a beautiful place though. Albeit probably better without the skulls.
"The books, the scrolls...protect them!"
Well, duty calls. Can't be outdone by a bird and a man with larger biceps than her head.

"Thank you!" Liresha grabs one of the offered blankets as she moves past and into the library. With her left hand wrapped in the blanket, she moves further up. And once again her heart will be overworked for a while, against things that should be dead. Exciting.

"Here we go again! Guys, gek the burning ones!"

A flaming skull was haphazardly hovering around between two rows of tables while a librarian with a nonplussed expression eyed it warily. The blanket had a good weight, so perhaps if she...
Hah, yes.

Action

Initiative:[roll0]

Liresha enters building. Gets flame retardent blanket from helpful librarian (Left hand) while moving past. Free action. Speech, short: free action.
Move action: E 17 to H 14.

Standard action: Throw blanket at flaming skull in K9.
If treated as Net, range increment 10:
[roll1]
+3 for ranged, -4 for range increments 10 twice, so -1 total to the roll.
If treated as improvised weapon, thrown:
[roll2]
+3 ranged, -4 range increments, -4 pen improvised weapon.

[BTB]

Apparently this town had a far worse undead issue than initially expected. An attack at the city walls was one thing, but these had somehow managed to get into the library, and a more exclusive one at that. Not that it particularly mattered to him. Undead were undead, and they were to be dispatched as quickly and as efficiently as possible no matter the circumstance. Thus was his duty. A little burst of Holy energy worked quite well last time, so it ought to be an easy task. With that thought of confidence, he ran into the fray, not even bothering to trifle with his axe. His other powers would suffice here.

Move from L17 to M13. Channel to damage undead within 30 ft, will save of 15 to half.

Damage: [roll0]

[BTB]

I knew I was forgetting something.
Initiative: [roll0]

[Komodo]

Off in the back of the library, a group of floating skulls begin to cause mischief by attacking the bookshelves. Those that are on fire begin rolling around until that fire spreads around, starting small but growing fast. Those that aren't on fire begin to bash their heads...er, their entire selves against the shelf as though it was the most fun thing to do they've seen since they died. Which, to be fair, it probably is. At the head of the table, one skull flew around a librarian before knocking his head with its own. The librarian was dazed, but still standing.

Klen reached a feathered hand into his belt and pulled out a light but solid mace. It was still brand new and shiny, practically begging to be slammed against a silly floating skully n'er-do-well. He began advancing on a pair in the back corner.

Kizziar stumbles forward, still slightly dizzy from the beer, and began his by-now familiar practice of summoning up positive energy. He heard jawbones rattle around him, and wiffs of white vapor once again evaporated off the surface of animate bone. However, this channeling felt a bit weaker, and none of the skulls around him were damaged enough to fall down.

Liresha quickly and politely took the solid-feeling blanket from the librarian and flung it at the nearest flaming skull. She landed a direct hit: The folded blanket opened nicely in midair and wafted down on the unsuspecting head. The fiend quickly rolled its way out, but the blanket had claimed its precious fire. Wafts of grey smoke rose from the skull, which trailed behind it as it flew quickly toward the tiefling, ramming into her at full speed. Hit. Take one damage, however, this provoked an attack of opportunity from you.

Abraham charged full-throttle toward the skull standing at the head of two bookshelves, but his hammer swing went slightly wide. Moving out of the way, the skull opened its jaw and out of its empty throat came a powerful shriek. Abe and Kizziar, the closest ones to it, involuntarily flinched and reached for their ears, but it was too late, the scream moved past their ears and echoed through their minds...Kizziar and Abe, make a will save. Go ahead and act normally for next round, I'll adjust any modifiers as needed if you fail.

Seeing an opening, another skull flew in to strike at Kizziar, moving at a surprising rate of speed for its size. Charge and hit. Take two points of damage, however, this provoked an attack of opportunity from you. However however, you're unarmed.

Behind them, Halphax walked in, having lagged behind his team a bit, and only just noticing the battle. If Machinkng shows up, he can go ahead and move at the end of this turn, which will seem like the top of the next one, and then take his place in the initiative queue. Otherwise, I'll take lesser control of him until his player returns.

[Fibinachi]

Liresha
Attack of Oppertunity
[roll0]
[roll1]
Liresha attacks with her fist. Bludgeon damage, 1d4 +str, intent: lethal.

The smoking skull charged forward and crashed into her, mad rictus grin wreathed in smoke. The thing was charred, obviously mad and it was also beating her up. She felt herself stumbling backwards with the attack, almost tumbling. A jarring twist of her spine steadied her, and enough experience with fisticuffs made her strike out towards the hovering skull. She could feel her nails (hah, "nails") bite into her palms a brief sting of pain as she connected with the mad cranium. Having skin to pierce and nerves to flay was a problem with fangs like hers, so the charred skull was certainly ahead of her here. She could not tell if she had done any damage, but the thing was floating backwards in a lopsided spin, trailing smoke. She was clear for now.

Good thing the fires had been extinguished before she had gotten singed. The rest of the library wasn't so lucky. Bookshelves were being hammered and another two floating skulls were on fire up ahead, while indistinct sounds came from upstairs. Everything was wood, dry paper or quivering liberian. The entire place would light up like a log covered in oil once either skull reached a shelving unit.

Liresha blinked.
Oh dear

[Machinekng]

Halphax had been following the party with disinterest, his mind elsewhere, pondering philosophy.

But now it was back. It was time for action.

Halphax collected his thoughts. His focus sharpened, and energy flowed through his mind. He prodded it, pulled it, drawing a stream of invisible force into his bow, drawing it as he went. A ring, like that of bells tuned to perfection, rang out reverberating through the library.

It was time to return to the present, and to prove himself.

He would not be a burden.

Actions:

Intitiative: [roll0]
Standard Action: Manifest Metaphysical Weapon on Halpahx's Longbow.
Move Action: Draw Longbow

[Deathkeeper]

Alright, here's where being small starts to be annoying. I COULD run straight at the one in front of me and start smashing it...but in a two-on-one fight, I wouldn't last long. I'll just have to play it safe and hope that these things prove to be incredibly stupid or I get some backup.

Move to H6
Full Defense.

[BTB]

Whether it be to drunkenness or simple overuse, Kizziar could feel his holy powers weakening. It was clear they weren't quite packing the same punch as earlier. Still, he was being attacked, and his overconfidence in not drawing his axe was his folly. However, he was already going on faith in powers granted by Pharasma, might as well roll with it. These were undead. They had no right to exist here, and it was his duty to ensure they did not. Such was his way, and so again he let the powers flow through him.

Already damaged these skulls, should finish them off, low on channels or not. Second verse, same as the first, rolling channel damage.
[roll0]
If skull directly adjacent to me is dead, run 30ft straight north and yell "If any of you wish for magical protection from these creatures, call out so I may provide it"
If skull is not dead, 5ft foot step north and curse my, er, curse. Stupid standard action item retrieval.
In any case, down to one channel, so probably going to go all magic. Because it turns out I still have that.

[Fibinachi]

Liresha

Klen darted up ahead in a fluid movement but came to a stop near the corner. The walls gave away sharply and the nook could hide any particular fresh form of terror. Whatever the tengu was saying was enough to give him pause. He was further ahead than the rest of the group, and there was no one near to support him except a concussed looking librarian fending off a skull of his own. Liresha moved forward before she had really finalized the thought.

Liresha moves to H 8
"With you!"

This entire situation was strange and getting stranger. Floating skulls were widely known for their bibliophilia, sprouting ancient lore in some forgotten fairy tale or used by a wizard to store eons of knowledge. Not for harasssing workers in a library.

Off to the far right, beyond a both rows of tables, Kizziar, Abraham and Halphax were contending with their own mob of skulls. The half orc in particular still seemed to almost sway, which might explain why he wasn't dropping these skulls as easily as the others. Maybe his divine patron in realms immaterial didn't exactly appreciate drunken priests calling on up for aid. Still, he was doing something, channeling some form of force, because she could feel the same itching in the back of her brain and urge to sneeze as before. It lessened as she moved closer to Klen. Small mercy.

They were caught between the lonely skull on the right and whatever lay around the corner. The librarian didn't look like he was going to be able to help much, cowering as he was. They had to move.
Well, desperate straits. Maybe she could do something and just hope everyone else was too busy to pay much attention.

"You! Librarian! DUCK!"

Liresha stretched, finally uncoiling her tail from beneath her cloak. It felt fantastic, and now all she had to do was reach for the bandolier around her leg and pull out a flask carefully - like so - while pressing her claws together - like that - and then try to aim at the skull and not accidentally melt the librarian. She could feel the flask of acid shudder, almost twitching, in the grip of her tail. Ah, caustic fury in a bottle, so like the rolling, wretched sound in her ears...

Action, Turn 2

Move action: Liresha moves to H 8 to support Klen.
Swift action: Liresha uncoils her tail and uses it to grab a flask of acid from her belt
Free: Speech, yell at the librarian.
Standard action: Liresha casts Acid Splash at the skull in K 6, using the flask of acid as a focus component for +1 damage.

Ranged Touch Attack, K 6, into Melee (-4)[roll0]
Damage, Acid: [roll1]

[Machinekng]

Entered the eye of the storm.

He let his mind go blank, blocking out all sound.

His eyes darting around the room, casually observing the chaos around him, the shouting and the blazing furniture.

He stepped forward and drew an arrow, one of the blunt ones.

Which skull? Abraham and Kizzar had those closest to him.

Best the one near the other two. If they could knock it out quickly, it be easier to deal with the others.

Breathe in

Halphax nocked the arrow and swung his body into position, creating a straight line between him and the skull.

One of the civillians was in the way, probably wouldn't interfere, but he could get hurt.

Meh.

Breathe out.

Halphax made a few quick adjustments, and released his shot. As it flew through the air, he pushed the arrow with his mind, using the pyschic link he had just created. Hopefully, it would give him the edge he needed.

Actions:

Move: Move to J14
Free: Draw and Nock Blunt Arrow
Standard: Attack with Longbow (Bludgeoning) against the Skull at K6.
-Attack:1d20+4
-Damage:1d8+1

[Nihilarian]

With the skull next to him dead, Abraham flat out runs, trying to find a new enemy.

[Komodo]

With a deft backhand, Liresha knocked back the skull flying at her and sent it zooming back. The head hit a table and gave a loud "crack" sound. From that point on, the skull decided to change its lifestyle, opting to live a life inspecting the softness of the library's fine carpeting. Or maybe it was just damaged to the point of deanimation. Probably that.

Halphax prepared to enter the fray himself, pulling his bow and arming it, not with an arrow, but with the force of his mind...

ROUND 2

Klen moved ahead to face the skulls in the back corner. However, seeing the pair of them, one of which was on fire, he resolved to stay back until he had a helping hand to finish off these fiends. Instead, he held his mace in front of himself defensively, and braced himself for any attack.

Seeing an opportunity, a skull (not the flaming one) left off throwing itself against the wall and proceeded to throw itself against a tengu.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Coming up behind her feathered ally, Liresha summoned up a small orb of green energy-goo and launched it skullwards. Unfortunately, the librarian was too busy trying to avoid being hit by the skull himself to notice Liresha, and in her efforts to not hit him, her orb went wide. It flew for a bit, then fizzled away as it went beyond the range of the spell's ability to maintain it.

On the other side of the room, Kizziar summoned up his will and unleashed another burst of life-giving energy. The skulls around him hissed as white smoke evaporated off them yet again. Behind him, the skull that had hit him earlier fell lifeless to the ground, and two more similar thuds could be heard upstairs. The skull next to Abraham was shaken, but managed to still stay intact. Feeling the pressure on it, the skull fled between a pair of bookshelves, out of he way of the Paladin with the hammer.

Feeling a burst of confidence from the success of his spell, Kizziar moved forward and shouted to his companions, "If any of you wish for magical protection from these creatures, call out so I may provide it!" Then he jumped suddenly as he heard a loud, flat "THUMP" behind him. Turning, he saw a man in librarian's clothes lying flat on the ground, having apparently fallen from the second floor. He seemed conscious, although decently beat up.

Halphax moved forward and resolved to have better luck with the skull that Liresha had missed. Pulling an arrow as he moved forward, his reptilian eyes saw a gap as the poor fool ducked, and his sharp mind felt the path the arrow would follow. In one motion, he stretched and loosed his bowstring. An instant later, a cloud of bone dust exploded into the air as the blunt arrow smashed through the brittle cranium. Only the jawbone remained intact, and it fell harmlessly at the librarian's feet. The librarian proceeded to stomp on it, although it didn't move.

Meanwhile, the fire continued to spread, and the flaming skulls began to spread more mischief. The librarian from the closet ran forward, making sure to stay behind the heroes, while carrying as many flame-retardant blankets and sandbags as he could carry, continuing to fret about the burning tomes. Blankets may be treated as nets, albeit simple ranged weapons rather than exotic. Sandbags may be treated as splash weapons.

[Deathkeeper]

Now, these are much more favorable conditions. Although maybe I should have brought something for the flaming one. Oh, well. Lady Luck be with me!

5-foot step to: I5
Full Attack:
Mace: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Peck Attack! [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[BTB]

Kizziar attempts to prioritize what's happening around him. Undead are still flying about, and to make matters worse if left much longer they'd probably burn down the whole damned library. He could either begin fighting flames now, or continue to remove the undead from their unrightful existence.

Suddenly, a large thump from behind him. A librarian had fallen from the second floor. That's right, preservation of that which is not supposed to die was an important teaching too. Another course of action was now clear. He stepped back for a moment to the librarian, and touched him, casting a simple healing spell. "Pharasma bless you, now try not to do that again." After a moment's consideration he continued. "By the way, how would you feel about any books getting wet? As opposed to burned a crisp, I imagine it's not so bad." He stands back up, drawing his weapon and making a note to keep a cord attached more often if he couldn't go to a library without having to fight something.
Cast CLW on librarian. Roll for healing.
[roll0]

[Fibinachi]

Liresha

A blur of movement ended in a thumbing crash as something heavy fell from the second floor, while an arrow streaked past the librarian and through the floating skull. It exploded in a shower of fragments and dust. Lucky serendipity, the combination of bone dust and distance soaked up the flickering acidic remnants of her spell. At least the plush carpets wouldn't have any burn-- oh. Wait.

This entire library was a mad house.

Up ahead another floating skull, same clattering teeth and empty eye sockets as the rest, threw itself against Klen but he moved out of the way. Leaving an opening for her. Clever.

Liresha moves to G 6

They needed more blankets and more sandbags to contain the fires but if she left to get some, she'd leave Klen alone against the skulls. Ultimately Finishing Strike could rebuild the library and reacquire destroyed tomes, so there'd be little point in not taking care of matters first. She moved into the gap, curling her tail behind her to shelter the tiny vial of acid.

Matters turned out to be a skull with an insensate, deluded grin and bright flames licking its mandibles, bonfires in its eye sockets.
Matters were just consequently terrifying, weren't they?

Oh well, cry havoc and let lose the dogs of war against the burning, fiery monstrous skeletal menaces. The waves of heat coming of the flaming skull and the burgeoning fire eating through the shelves in back pressed were strangely inspiring and the floating things did seem brittle enough for fists. And it was then the otherwise quiet seeming tengu turned into a storm of feathers, talons, mace swings and snapping beak.

Liresha let a out a low grunt and joined in.

Move action:Liresha moves to G 6, flanking the skull in H 5 with Klen
Standard Action: She bashes the skull in H 5 with her fist.
[roll0]
[roll1]
Bludgeon damage.

[Nihilarian]

Abe spots the flaming skull, and changes course almost instantly. He charges the creature, bringing his hammer down to avoid smashing it against the bookshelves.

ActionAttack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

If I roll a critical, then

Crit Confirm: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [rollv]4d6+12

[Machinekng]

Halphax breathed in satisfaction as the skull burst into dust. He still had his edge.

Now time to use it.

He rushed ahead, his eyes spotting one of the flaming skulls. Landing into position, he drew another arrow.

Breathe in.

Liresha and Klen were in front of him, fighting another skull. They look like they had it under control.

He aimed his bow at the skull lurking behind Liresha, by the bookshelves, and nocked a blunt arrow.

Breathe out.

Wait a second...

Breathe in.

Liresha! Duck!

There we go

Breathe out.

The arrow slid out of his hand and rocketed forward, propelled by both the bowstring and his mental power.

It was a good shot.

Actions:

Move Action: Move to J8
Free Action: Draw Arrow.
Standard Action: Attack the Flaming Skull at F5
-Attack [roll0]
-Damage [roll1]

[Komodo]

ROUND THREE

Klen carefully moved forward and began to attack the skulls in the back niche. Stepping forward, he swung his mace, but slightly too high, and themace barely grazed the top of the disembodied cranium. The skull was unhurt, but was off balance just enough that the tengu saw an opening. He quickly jerked his head forward in a manner not unlike a rooster at feed or a woodpecker at work, and rammed the sharp of his beak into the skull's eye socket. As he returned to his fighting stance, he saw cracks running along the skull. Angered, the floating head-bone retaliated with a head-ramming of its own.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Seeing her feathered ally in combat with the skull, Liresha took the opportunity to slip in behind and lend a hand. Or a claw. Or five of them, as the case may be. Her fiendish claws found their mark: along one of the cracks Klen had created, and came down hard. Her claws dug into the crack and pried it open, pulling half the skull's face off. The other half struggled to stay afloat beginning to bite at the air with its loose jaw as though it could grab on to the air, but soon enough succumbed once again to the calling of gravity and the grave.

Across the way, Kizziar placed his hand on the fallen librarian's back. Concentrating, he conjured a few tongues of white light, which spread around the fallen man's body and then landed on his skin at various points, becoming absorbed into him. The man's bruises lightened, and his skin returned to the shade of black appropriate for a drow. Coughing, he stood up. "Gods bless you, too, orc," he spoke. "The books? As long as you don't submerge them, we can repair water damage. Thank you, and I pray you'll forgive me if I do not stay." With that, he pulled himself together and began retreating.

Halphax moved up just as Klen and Liresha finished off the skull. Not a second to soon in fact, as he noticed the skull was apparently having designs on a particular tiefling. Quickly drawing an arrow, he considered the best way to fire an arrow to maximize the amount of dead undead skull and minimize the amount of wounded teammate. Finding it, he loosed the arrow and directed it along its way with his mind. Liresha felt a rush of wind as the arrow slipped between strands of her hair, then heard a CRACK as the arrow connected with exposed bone. The skull was knocked back into a bookcase, where it hit a shelf and shattered.

Across from them all, the other flaming skull decided it had had enough of bookcases and decided to move on to a meatier target, and floated over toward Abraham. The paladin responded with a swing of his hammer. The swing was strong, but went wide of its mark. The skull quickly replied with an attack in kind.

Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] PLUS Fire Damage: [roll4]
However, this provokes an attack of opportunity from you, which could negate the attack entirely.

From up above, the two skulls that had been previously bullying the librarian flew down, one attacking Kizziar, the other charging Halphax.

VS KIZZIAR:
Attack: [roll5]
Damage: [roll6]

VS HALPHAX
Attack: [roll7]
Damage: [roll8]

Neither of you are armed with melee weapons, but you may make Attacks of Opportunity against these skulls with Unarmed Strikes, if you wish.

Around them all, the fire continued to burn. Seeing a brace of deanimated skulls, the Librarian moved forward and clumsily threw a sandbag. It succeeded in choking only a small section of the flame.

[Nihilarian]

Attack of OpportunityAttack:[roll0]
Damage:[roll1]

If Crit, then
Crit Confirm:[roll2]
Crit Damage:[roll3]

[Deathkeeper]

Tch. The fires are getting bad. But there's not much I can do. I can't make water with my mind and a prayer. And speaking of His Drunken Holiness, looks like he's got his hands full. Let's work on that.
Just as always, nice running start, deep breath, and SWING!


Move to M8
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[BTB]

The smell of burning paper fills the air. The librarian told him water damage could be repaired, meaning that water damage was irrelevant compared to the fire. Certainly made the job easier, if he didn't have so many undead to contend with. Looked like holding back wouldn't be an option if the library were to be saved. And years of travel had taught him never to be one of the "odd" races fleeing from a burning building, whether in a particularly tolerant town or not. Nonetheless, the undead all around him had to be dealt with if the fire were to be, so he prepared one last channel.


Standard Action: Channel Energy (Does not provoke AoOs, last use for today): [roll0]
Move Action: Move to M4. This will provoke AoO from skull next to me if channel does not kill it.

[Fibinachi]

Liresha

Under the combination of their claw and beak, the skull crumbled. Crumbled half into her hands, which was momentarily distracting, but crumbled nonetheless. Liresha regained her composure with a deft shake of her hand, flinging the lump of bone at her feet.
Alas, poor Yorrick, fellow of infinite jest and snapping mandibles
A victory short lived, however, as the prickling at the back of her neck became unbearable. There was still another burning skull behind her and --

"Liresha! Duck!"

-- she was dropping into a crouch in an instant. Something tugged at her hair, passing by her neck followed by a movement of air, a loud crack, another noise as the skull slammed into a bookcase. The temperature dropped as if the flames were less insistent without a skull to goad them on.

Liresha carefully adjusted her hat. Her hands weren't shaking. Much.
Halphax was a very, very good shot. Masterful, even. Clearly he couldn't be a unskilled shooter merely getting lucky, since every single part of that shot had to have been expertly executed with absolutely no chance of her suddenly being the subject of an impromptu lobotomy.
Clearly. A man to be treasured.

The librarian next to Klen looked nonplussed while the tengu himself was already turning on his talons, sprinting towards Kizziar. Skulls, more skulls. Dropping down from the second floor. Something was very wrong with this library. Liresha followed the tengu past the harried looking man of books.

"You've got the fire handled, yeah? Got something to do, be a sec!"

Well, favors are best returned. The librarian would have deal with the fires alone for now.

"Halphax! Duck!"

The catalyst was still close. Roaring flames and confusion. She clenched her right hand into a fist and threw...

Action
Free action: Dropping half the skull at her feet is a free action.
Free action: Speech.
Swift Action: Adjusting her hat is probably a swift action. :smallwink:
Move action: Liresha moves to I 5
Free action: Speech
Standard action: Liresha casts Acid Splash (Again).

Ranged Touch Ac: [roll0]

Acid Damage: [roll1]

[Machinekng]

Halphax took the cue from Liresha, and stepped back and under the orb of acid that flew past him. Careful to cover against retaliation, he took a few more steps back, and then swung his bow, using a blunt arrow, and fired at the skull near the Tengu. He wasn't sure, but it seemed like the acid would take out the one near him, while he wasn't so sure about the Tengu's swing.

Actions:

-5-Foot step to J7
Standard Action: Attack against the skull at N9.
-Attack: [roll0]
-Damage: [roll1]

[Nihilarian]

Abe takes a quick look around and sees only the regular skulls, so he sucks in a deep breath and bellows to everyone in the library, "THE FIRESTARTERS ARE GONE! GET WATER AND PUT THE FIRES OUT! SOMEONE CHECK UPSTAIRS!". Then he hefts his hammer and charges the skull south of him, bringing the sledge in a ponderous arc towards the brittle creature.

CHARGEAttack:[roll0]
Damage:[roll1]

If Crit, then
Crit Confirm:[roll2]
Crit Damage:[roll3]

[Komodo]

Though his first blow had gone wide, the flaming skull was too slow as it approached for another attack. Thinking quickly, Abe pulled his hammer back and pulled it back to jab at the skull. A bit of an awkward blow, but it sufficed. The hammer connected, and Abe slammed the skull into the floor, crushing it. Embers flew out in every direction as bone fragments flew off, but deprived of their energy source, they swiftly dissipated.

ROUND FOUR

Klen charged ahead toward one of the fewer remaining skulls and swung his mace in an unfortunate arc that failed to connect. The skull dropped out of the air just enough for the blow to hit the air above it, and then proceeded to fling its cranium at the tengu.

VS Klen:
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Provokes AoO that may negate attack.

Across the tables from them, another hovering skull bolted forward, targeting a scale-skinned archer...

VS Halphax:
Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Halphax had been aiming an arrow at the skull Klen had swung at. Distracted by a sudden high-velocity head suddenly taking up a rapidly-increasing amount of his field of view, Halphax loosed the bowstring too early, and his arrow went wide.

Before he had an opportunity to react, a green blob flew over his shoulder, missing him by what felt like a very narrow margin, and struck the skull directly in the nasal cavity, covering its face with green goo, that proceeded to steam and burn the unprotected bones like the acid it was. A glance over his shoulder showed him the source of the attack: His tiefling teammate, whose scarf failed to hide her bemused expression. As he glanced back, he saw the skull let off a by-now-familiar stream of white smoke, and the orc was in his casting stance, before bolting. Between the acid and the life energy, the skull collapsed to the ground and stopped moving.

Seeing the flaming skulls finally extinguished, Abe gave a shout and charged the final remaining skull within his sight. He missed. Out of the corner of his eye, Klen saw Abe make an expression as his hammer swung ineffectually through the air, but couldn't quite make out exactly what the expression was meant to convey. Eh, humans.

The fire began to be rather audible as it grew and ran its way over shelves. The librarian with the fire-fighting equipment dropped a blanket over a bit of burning carpet, then ran with all his might toward the fire on the other side. "The books, oh, the books!" he fretted. Glancing at the heroes, he yelled, "No need to find water, please! Grab a blanket, grab a sandbag, hurry!"

You notice that a few of the librarians began to work their way toward the stairs, probably at Abe's urging.

[Deathkeeper]

Before I do anything, let's see about that AoO, shall we?

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Komodo]

After having missed with the first blow, Klen had prepared himself to strike true on his next swing. As the skull brought itself close, Klen swung once again, this time, connecting, and connecting hard. The skull flew backwards with the force of the blow, knocking against the lip of the secone floor and coming crashing back down.

With that, the last of the skulls had been defeated. Or, wait, had there been one more? If there had been, it was out of sight, and likely less dangerous than a raging fire.

[BTB]

Undead all dead. Good. Fire everywhere. Bad. May want to take care of that.

Action: Move to O3, CREATE WATER ON EVERYTHING (Downpour on fire, focused on R2 and S2)

[Fibinachi]

Liresha

Her incantation had worked! The skull was defeated and Halphax was not acid scarred in the least. Liresha gave him a quick wink as she spun around to face the fires. Skull for a skull so they were even so far.

Her bemused smile quickly turned bitter. Flames were licking the shelves, fed on the ancient scrolls and books while the plush carpeting did little to abate the spread. And the librarian - after dropping a single blanket - had decided to try and make it to the other side. Her pockets were loaded with basic gear but nothing in the way of firefighting. It just wasn't the kind of thing she normally prepared for.

She shook her head.
Well, Kizziar and Klen would find a way. Abraham and Halphax could keep the straggling skulls away from anyone and, lo and behold, that left one fiery inferno for her.

Liresha cracked a quick grin.

Action
Liresha moves to F 5 and stepping quickly, stomps on the blanket to kill any remaining fires. Then she picks up the blanket, preparing to throw it at E 2 next round - without folding it or anything else.
d20+4
This is move action + a move action.

[Komodo]

With a quick prayer to Pharasma, Kizziar focused on the shelves and gestured in a practiced fashion. Instantaneously, a small gathering of thick clouds appeared between the shelves. Heavy with water, the clouds created a mini-rainstorm on the flames, creating a gush of steam and hissing as the fire was choked. There were still more flames, however.

Across the way, Liresha picked up the flame blanket and observed the shelves. Looking at them more carefully, she noticed the fire was spreading southward along the bookshelves. Perhaps it would be better to stop the smaller flames before they could spread further, rather than tackle the shelves that were already deeply burning.

The librarian, seeing hope as Kizziar and Liresha leapt into action, tossed a pair of sandbags toward Klen and Abe. "You two!" He called. "Take these and go down that shelf. Don't let it spread to the other shelves!" With that, he moved into the shelf he was himself closest to and began tackling the fire from the middle.

Before they could act, however, Klen and Halphax both noticed something out of the corner of their keen, inhuman eyes. Turning their heads, they saw one skull darting with as much speed as it was able out of a pair of shelves and flying up the stairs, beating the drow and the other scholar up the stairs. What it was planning on, they couldn't guess, but they did see that the skull was turned to look into what appeared to be a row of separated offices on the library's south side. Hmm...

[Deathkeeper]

Well, that's no good. But truth be told, these things weren't that tough, and the fires were currently posing more of a danger than the tiny undead. Decisions, decisions. Fine. But if I find out that all I'm saving is elven poetry, I will not be happy.
Turning to Halphax,
Get after that thing! We've got this!

Free actions: Catch sandbag, speech.
Move action: Move to R7
Standard Action: Throw Sandbag to T6

[Nihilarian]

Abe wasn't a genius but happily that didn't matter because he was still smart enough to know that fire was bad. He'd worked on houses before and understood how easily building could go up in flames; how hot would a library burn? Abe catches the sandbag and moves down the shelves towards the fire, trying to smother the life out of the flickering menace.

ACTIONFree Action: Catch bag (reflex?)
Move Action: Move to Q7
Standard Action: Throw sandbag at fire in U6 (No penalties are being applied)

Sandbag: [roll0]

[Machinekng]

Halphax called back to the Kenku.

"I'm on it!"

Halphax dashed out, around the tables, and up the stairs, readying himself for the shot. Couldn't see the skull from that angle, just needed to move in a bit closer...

Actions

Double Move to E14

[BTB]

Actions: Move to P5, cast Create water focused on T and U 6.
Better put that fire out before it spreads to the next shelf. The books themselves didn't mean much to him, but the faster they finished here, the faster they would get to the caves and get something done. There would be time for patience later. This many undead flying about could not be coincidence, clearly something was causing them, and he must stop it. For now though, a more mundane fire was the issue

[Komodo]

Abe and Klen deftly snatched their sandbags from the librarian's toss and duck behind the shelf. Klen throws first, and his sandbag weakens the flames. Abraham's chokes it out entirely. A portion of the shelf looked badly damaged, but they had prevented the fire from spreading.

Following his teammate's urging, Halphax began running toward the stairs. The skull was ahead of him, however, and seemed to be moving with some intent and direction, in odd contrast to the randomly destructive fashion the skulls had been showing to that point.

ALL THE ABOVE WAS ROUND FIVE
START OF ROUND SIX

Kizziar's second orison soaked the carpet, but put out the flames on the floor. The librarian in front of him ran ahead and began patting at the mildly burning bookshelves with a thick retardant blanket. It seemed the fire on this side of the library was contained.

Above and behind him, Halphax heard shouting. From the offices along the back wall, he could hear, "No! Protect the circle NO!!" From the bottom of the steps, however, he could not get a decent view as to what was going on...

[Deathkeeper]

Alright, problem solved. Now, to go find that hovering freak.

Double-Move to G10, barring failed Acrobatics to be posted in OOC

[Fibinachi]

Liresha

Deliberation, deliberation, deliberation, careful thought, which fire has the highest propensity for spreading? Good question. Now account for material density, plush carpeting and add a factor of three for each decade worth of written materials, factor in blanket, hope feverishly for success - there, there! That's it!

Liresha threw the blanket she had been holding on to. It didn't seem to do much to retard the spreading flames.

Okay, okay, new plan, she could still fix this. Stepping back carefully, Liresha took a deep breath (refreshing mixed with mild ash, a stains of smoke. Tasty)

"Anyone? I could use a hand here! All I've got is oil and acid and a spiffy hat, ain't gonna cut it!"

Action

Standard action! Throw blanket (finally) at fire in D 4.
[roll0]
Move action: take three careful steps backwards to I 5

[Machinekng]

Protect the circle?

Hmm...

"Klen!" Halphax called out. "Get into the offices! It sounds like someone's trapped in there, and maybe something else."

Halphax continued up the stairs, rounded the corner and ducking past the librarian. Assuming the door was open, he could fire another blunt arrow at the skull, but if it wasn't he'd have to continue this chase.

Actions

If the door at D18 is open:
-Move Action: Move to D11.
-Standard Action: Attack the Skull at D19 with bow and blunt arrows.
--Attack: [roll0]
--Damage:[roll1]
If the door isn't open.
-Move Action: Move to D11.
-Move Action: Move to D17.

[Komodo]

Halphax took the final steps up the stairs, bypassing the librarians, and turned toward the offices. The door, he noticed, had been battered, burned, and broken down, but that wasn't what caught his attention.

Looking into the office, he saw it, and stepped to the side just in the nick of time. Two lines of bright golden lightning shot past him, each one striking a librarian. The two of them recoiled in pain, but were still standing. Turning around, they saw it too.

"What is that?!" asked one librarian.
"I don't know!" Replied the drow. "Run!"

The former doubled back on himself and bolted downstairs. The drow, on the other hand, picked up the pace, and bolted behind a bookshelf.

Halphax was left alone, engaged in a stare-down with...In the office, there was the first skull, the one he had been chasing, but there was also another skull. Or rather, a skull-shaped...thing. This one was huge: nearly as big as the Ophiduan it was currently staring down (Medium size). And it didn't appear to be a normal skull, either. Rather than being made of brittle bone, this was red and fleshy. Where eyes should have been were two glowing electric lights that flickered and sparked. And lastly, a quartet of tentacles sprouted from its base. They looked big enough to be used for some strange definition of walking, but it appeared that the skull was able to levitate, as the skulls that had come before it. It appeared to have just entered the office through a hole in the ground (C19).
Halphax quickly fired off an arrow, but it went just wide.

On the floor below, Klen nimbly hopped over the study tables to get to the other side of the room. As he went, he could see the electric bolts hit the librarians, although he was not in a good position to see what fired them His hand involuntarily clenched around his mace.

Liresha managed to put out a small section of the fire, but the rest of the shelves on her side continued to burn.

Abe has yet to go in this round. After his move, round seven will begin.

[Nihilarian]

Abe rushes off towards the nearest fire. If there's any sandbags or blankets on the way, he'll stop long enough to pick it up.Double moved, the maps already changed.

[Komodo]

If Abe were to change his course to go through P5, the librarian could hand him a sandbag (free action), thought his may mean his move would end at L5. Or he could command the librarian to bring him one, he seems commanding enough. Round Seven is now begun.

[Deathkeeper]

Alright, this certainly doesn't seem good. But damned if I'm going to let the snake man alone with whatever lightning-shooting abomination surfaced here, Move to E15
and furthermore-
...
Okay, what the ****?

[Fibinachi]

Liresha

"Oh, hi Abraham. You look well. Very dashing. What's the commotion about? People are shouting - Excuse me..."

The former bookshelves were a conflagration, the flames high enough to lick the ceiling. However, the blanket had managed to snuff out some of the spreading fire - which left the rest almost surrounded by a good dead circle of ash. It left an opening for a to cut off the flames and let them burn themselves out. One does what one must.
Liresha gingerly picked her way forward to where the her bundled had landed earlier. The flames were gone here, but the heat remained and more flames surrounded her. The air was becoming harder to breathe and this close to the major fires the heat was intense. Not offsetting though. Appealing, in a way.

She ducked down to grab the heavy blanket, before twisting to toss it into the fires whispering near her head. There, that should do it. And it only left her starring into an inferno.

Liresha moves to D 4 (reluctantly)
Retrieving the flame retardant blanket at her feet (and stamping on it a bit to smother flames) is her standard action
Dropping it again on top of the flames in C 3 is a free action

[BTB]

There, that ought to take care of the fire over here. Good thing too. The last time I got caught in a burning library I had to skip town. Kizziar turns around and notices the tiefling across the room fighting more fire. Well, another day, another fire it seems.
Actions: Standard action to cast Create water on the last of the fire near me. Move action to J5

[Machinekng]

For a second, Halphax just stared ahead through the open doorway, analyzing the monstrosity that lay before him.

His serpentine eye, the right one, began to twitch.

Why was he here again?

Halphax questioned whether or not it be better to let the library burn than fight this thing, but if it was related to the other monsters the fire probably wouldn't have an effect.

Halphax shrugged, and let loose a blunt arrow at the smaller skull, backing away around the corner. He didn't want to let that thing get close, or worse, charge at him, and it was better to pick off the minor enemies first.

Halphax considered calling for aid, but decided against it. If the others came, so be it, but he wouldn't be crying for help anytime soon.

Actions

Standard Action: Shoot the Skull at D19.
-Attack:[roll0]
-Damage:[roll1]
Move Action: Move to G8.

[Komodo]

ROUND SEVEN

Downstairs, the tiefling and the half-orc continued their fight against the fire. Kizziar used his prayer one final time, and rained down to extinguish all the fire remaining on his side of the library. Many of the books and scrolls were now soaked, but the primary threat to the texts was gone. Liresha, having no prayers to create any water, was left to fight with the one retardant blanket she had, managing to put out all but one of the burning shelves.

Across the library, Klen paused as he saw the librarians suffer from electric bolts to the chest. One of them retreated past the tengu, and then he saw Halphax launch an arrow at something beyond his sight, followed by a piercing, otherworldly scream cut short suddenly. What new terror was this?

Above the tengu, Halphax's arrow sped true, and shattered the final remaining skull (or at least the final remaining bony skull) to smithereens. Unimpressed, the monstrous Far Skull landed on its sizable tentacles and began moving forward with impressive speed. Seeing the lizard had moved too far away, the thing glanced over the railing and noticed Klen at the base of the stairs below. Grabbing the edge with its foretentacles, it leapt over the edge and deftly landed behind the tengu, grabbing at him with its smooth, strong, fleshy red limbs...

Klen was previously on high alert, so this attack is not a hugh surprise, or at least not enough of one to deprive him of his dex bonus to AC. Also, you have not moved yet, so you are allowed to make your standard action as normal if the Far Skull's grapple attempt fails. No attack of opportunity on this one, I'm afraid.

[B]Grapple Check: [roll0]

[Deathkeeper]

Well, this is perfect. I just can't get a break with these thrice-damned things. One thing's for sure. Ick. Trying to grab me, huh? I'll show you!
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Attack (natural): [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Nihilarian]

Abe sees the commotion and starts advancing on the horror. "What is that?!"

[BTB]

Kizziar sees the giant skull abomination. He stops. He stares for a moment. Blinks twice. With a sigh, he pulls his axe from his belt as he begins to stride quickly towards the... thing. He mutters to himself."Just can't seem to catch a damn break today. Hope you can see this."
Draw Axe. Move to H8.

[Fibinachi]

Liresha

Small, smoldering fragments of parchment were still lazily flittering through the air and, yeah, that last bonfire was probably beyond her abilities to defeat, but, well, accolades given when accolades are due. This time she hadn't started a fire, she had (almost) put one out. A-glow both with the orange backlight of the last pyre and her own satisfaction, Liresha cast a glance around for Abraham and Kizziar. Both were gone, two blurs heading around the corner. Vague noises were echoing up from somewhere near the doors. Everything else seemed in order, no roaring flames in the other parts of the library and simply a somewhat nonplussed looking librarian standing watch.

Anxiety coiled itself tightly around her fleeting sensation of accomplishment.
Liresha took a deep breath, clasped one hand tightly around her hat and hustled.

Down the first lane, Kizziar was drawing his axe up ahead Abraham was making some sort of gesture. Clear case of lane congestion. She shot past the corner, grabbed hold of the an inviting shelf and switched her momentum to barrel down in parallel to her two companions.

Action
Full round action: Liresha runs from D 4 to G 14.
12 squares of movement.

Fibinachi makes the act of running take up too many paragraphs. Mwahaha, dramatization.

[Komodo]

(Abe's movement forward represented the end of round seven)

ROUND EIGHT

The heroes quickly approached this new threat, with the attempted victim of the grapple quickly replying with a quick one-two of mace and beak. Both attacks fall short, however, ether being dodged outright or deflected by a swift flick of a tentacle. The Far Skull then proceeded to ignore the bird it was tackling seconds ago and moved with surprising dexterity around Klem, onto the first few stairs. Hovering just high enough to reach over the banister, the skull's tentacles reached for a nearby devil-like magician...

Grapple Check Vs Liresha: [roll0]
The skull moves dexterously enough to avoid AOO's on Klen's behalf...this round.
Abe and Halphax have yet to move this round.

[Deathkeeper]

Gak! This thing's really annoying me! On the plus side, it's being distracted by everyone's favorite mysterious mage, which means it might actually get caught off-guard for once when I get smash-happy. Which I do believe it is time to do again. Here goes nothing! Again!


5-foot step to E14

Full round Sneak Attack (!):
Light Mace: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Sneak Attack: [roll2]

Natural Weapon: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4]
Sneak Attack: [roll5]

[Nihilarian]

Abe wasn't sure what it was, but he wasn't about to let that stop him from smiting it to the floor. He gets into position and bellows into the thing's face. "ABOMONATION! I WILL CAST YOU FROM THIS PLANE, FROM EXISTANCE ITSELF!"

Abe, full of righteous fury, swings his hammer with all his strength, straight down.

ACTIONSwift Action: Smite Evil (if this thing is an outsider or undead, I get +1 damage on top of the roll below)
Move Action: Move (already moved on the map)
Standard Action: Attack with Hammer

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

If Critical, then
Crit Confirm: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]

[Komodo]

Abe's movement ends round eight. This technically means that Halphax did not get a move on round eight, which I apologize for, but the battle must proceed.

As the Far Skull futilely reached over and attempted to grab up the tiefling, Abraham approached the austere abomination and, with an audacious auditory oath, assaulted it with an attack of righteous anger.

Alliteration aside, his hammer struck a serious blow, denting the skull's fleshy temple, and simultaneously searing the wound with a flash of holy light.

ROUND NINE

Next to the Paladin, Klen stepped behind the skull, which was busy focusing on recovering from Abe's hammer, and was also focused on dodging Liresha's devilish claws. With his quick roguish avian eye, he spotted a bit of flesh near where the base of the skull might be on a normal skull, where the flesh was softer. Lifting his mace behind his head, he brought it down hard. He could feel some odd resistance around the skull, but was swinging too hard to stop. The mace connected, and the tentacle's tensed, and the skull let out a sound that was somewhere between a scream, a gurgle, and a thunderclap. Not listening, Klen strove to follow up with a quick peck, but this time the resistance was more noticeable, as though an invisible wall of force protected the thing. He quickly withdrew his head as he realized he was being slowed too far to do any more damage.

PS: so you don't get the wrong idea here, I'm getting at you realizing that the Far Skull has a deflection bonus to AC.

Suddenly, without warning, the skull came alive with lightning, and a bright flash of light exploded outwards. Sparks ran out in each direction, leaving burn marks in the carpet, and shocking those nearby...

Everyone within 2 squares of F14, take 1d4 electric damage. Reflex half, DC 12.

As the light faded, those around noticed the Skull had disappeared. It's location remained a mystery not long, though, as a similar flash and screech upstairs revealed the creature to have teleported away. It was not retreating any longer, however, and it eyed the heroes with an evil, electric glare...

Far Skull has teleported upstairs, to the second floor, square N8. If you are having any further trouble with floors, or are accessing the game via phone, let me know, I'll make a separate doc for the second floor. Klen is the only one to have acted so far in round nine, everyone else's actions will be after the teleport, which is why I posted when I did.

[Fibinachi]

Liresha

Liresha ducks and covers! [roll0]
She takes [roll1] electrical damage

One moment it was there, and Klen was trying to clobber the thing while Abraham went straight through clobber, crush or kill and into ended up in righteous carnage. It lifted itself back up with an explosion of sparks after sustaining a heavy blow and then it just disappeared. The sudden shock arced across the plush carpeting, ground itself near the largest sources of metal.

Them. The people with weapons. It stung.

"That's cheating! That's cheating! I can't vanish! Anyone see it? Where'd it go?"

Yellow light flashed elsewhere, a jarring screech from elsewhere following it. This would be a great time to reconsider and inch out the door while everyone was busy fighting electrical monsters. She skittered backwards while shaking off the literal aftershock, tail twitching. This was all an interesting combination of near death experiences, nerve skittering and tentacles. Bailing now would cut the story short.

"Where's Halphax?"

She moved backwards, trying to gain more coverage by jumping on a nearby table. She deftly avoided landing on a awry scroll case - tripping would have been embarrassing for her nascent swashbuckler aspirations - and planted both boots firmly on the table.

"Second floor! Hahaha CATCH!"

Action

Liresha takes a few steps backward, ending up at L 13.
Acrobatics Roll:[roll2]

Then she readies an action to throw Acid Dart at the Giant Skull Boss Monster if it comes into range
Liresha casts Acid Dart once again! 1d3+1 for the focus item. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but acid would corrode them...

[Komodo]

At her current position atop the table, Liresha is 5 feet off the ground, and the second floor is 10 feet above the first. counting from there, I figure Liresha is 30 ft away from the Far Skull. From my reading of the Acid Dart rules, and the fact that I believe they say somewhere to always round up, I'll say that 30 is the maximum range for that spell for a 1st level Magus. Fire away!

[Fibinachi]

Liresha

The tiefling magus summons arcane energies by shouting "Catch!" and focusing outwards!
Ranged Touch:, [roll0]
Liresha fumbles her attack!
Weak, balefire substitute: [roll1]

She was dimly aware, as she thrust her hand forward and to throw churning, pseudo-energy goo at a floating skull awash in lighting and tentacles that the time for being subtle had probably passed a while ago. Well, deal with that in the aftermath. She pulled at the thread of energy in her mind, moved her hand that trailed green fire and...
... her throat was itching.

Wait, this was the table next to where Kizziar had been channeling not many moments ago--

Oh drat. Oh drat oh drat ohaaach--

She sneezed. Splatters of sputtering acidic trace remnants flew through the air. Tiny green stars that bit into the carpet or the table, sizzled for a brief moment then flashed out.

Swashbuckling was really difficult when you had certain allergies.

[Deathkeeper]

Well, this certainly isn't working. I'll need to do something about this. Not sure what, but-
Oh crap.
Reflex half: [roll0]
Damage:[roll1]

owowowowww, zappy. Why can't these things ever get along smoothly?

[Nihilarian]

Abe sprints up the stairs as quick as he can, trying to close in on the skull.