IC [3] Warriors of Blackvale

[BramsesII]

Silith

With the worm seemingly dead, the first thing Silith does is collect her bow and put it in her magical quiver. Then, she turns to the others. "Is everyone alright?" She looks around to make sure everyone is at least still standing, but she also realizes that the shockwave is not going to leave a lot of visual wounds. So, she takes a longer look at all the members of the party, especially those who were close to the worm when it died, and especially Lily because she'd already taken a few hits. "We're all still alive, right?"

Then, she notices the gnome. The naked gnome. Like this, he looks vulnerable. Nothing like the monstrous murderer they encountered earlier in their travels. She turns to Raka. "Raka, can you tell if this is real? Or is this another illusion of some sort? And if not... do we have any way of finding out if he's still... well... evil?"

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka, having been shocked out of the hallucination, had to take a moment to gather herself before she understood what Silith was asking. But she managed to pull herself together and check the area out for lingering magic.

Also, just in case:
Spellcraft:[roll0]
Knowledge Arcana: [roll1]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht & Starman

Groaning as they came out of the hallucination and were overcome by the pain of the icy shock of the Galathan-worm's death throes, knight and pupil pulled themselves up.


"Is everyone alright? We're all still alive, right?"
Halbrecht looked around. Adamant and Suntalon were also standing up, and though many of them appeared to be grievously wounded, none of them appeared to have died.

"I think so... Thanks to you. And I think maybe Miss Aisha and Miss Fare? It was hazy as I came out..."
Halbrecht nodded dumbly as he pulled himself up. Such wounds on everyone... and he'd just been nothing more than a heap of steel on the ground.

"Bone waterfalls of gore... laughing cherubs... such visions I do NOT care to see again." He then looked around, and there, on the stage, was Galathan.


"Raka, can you tell if this is real? Or is this another illusion of some sort? And if not... do we have any way of finding out if he's still... well... evil?"
Halbrecht narrowed his eyes. "The telling of whether he's evil, I think, should fall to Lilya. In the meantime, assuming that's really him... is he even alive?"

Drawing his sword and getting into a low guard position, Halbrecht did not move any closer to the body but did gaze at it carefully.

Perception (to see if Galathan is breathing): [roll0]

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Lilyanna looked at Halbrecht, eyebrow arched and the ghost of a smile on her face as he mentioned cherubs. "I didn't see anything. Aside from a large, ugly worm, that is."

"Yes, he detected as evil," the Paladin confirmed, "But it is not that simple. One can be evil, and yet not be deserving of death. While he attacked us, we had every right to slay him in battle, but if he is alive, we cannot outright murder him. If he is alive he should be made to stand trial. There he can offer proof as to whether what he did was of his own volition, or if he was under some sort of enchantment." Lilyanna knelt next to the body to check for a pulse. "If he is alive, we should first make sure he will stay that way, and then secure him in bonds for transport to a place of confinement, and judgment."

Heal check to see if he's still alive, and what sort of shape he is in: [roll0]
Perception if necessary: [roll1]

May as well throw in another Detect Evil, just to be safe.

[Felhammer]

Raen saunters up and stands over Galathan's body, "No one is killing him. I have known Galathan since the Gloom. Something has changed him, corrupted him, manipulated him." The half-elf looks over at Silith and says, "You are a Ranger. You know of his reputation. He is not a butcher." Raen then stares into Raka's eyes, "Believe me."

You detect no spells surrounding the gnome.

He appears unconscious.

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare, still wincing from the shock wave, flies closer to the group around Galathan's body. "Maybe, but I only know his actions, and....well, let's debate a little later how much he should be held responsible. For now, if this is really him, we should tie him up...securely, this time...and remember that unless all of his cronies were also under some sort of control, we're going to have a bunch of possibly angry people here soon with lots of questions."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht gave a weary sigh.

"Like Fare, I only know him via his actions since we know him - none of which have endeared me. But we will not kill him. Someone else will have to tie him up, though; I used my rope back at the gate. And speaking of the angry crowd that will probably be bearing back down on us: I don't suppose you could heal our wounds, Father? I'd much rather face them at full strength."

Specifically, if Voj could Channel Energy while everyone gather close, that would be the best way.

[Felhammer]

Voj gathers the group together and invokes the power of Sonbahar. The healing magic stitches all the gathered adventurer's wounds - both mental and physical. Silith and Raen tie the gnome up and ready him for travel.

[BramsesII]

Silith


"No one is killing him. I have known Galathan since the Gloom. Something has changed him, corrupted him, manipulated him."
"You are a Ranger. You know of his reputation. He is not a butcher."

Silith eyes Raen with a frown. "For the things he did, he deserves punishment." She crosses her arms. "All rangers are to be held accountable for their actions. And the things he did in Blackvale, Micklewaif and here..." The ranger doesn't complete her sentence. The others know the atrocities that the gnome had commited.

Her expression softens somewhat, and she lets her arms fall to her sides. "Still, there's reason enough to believe something or someone has been possessing him. Wouldn't be the first time we ran into something like that." She lets out a sigh. "I've orders to bring him back to Songwillow, to my commanding officer. He'll be judged accordingly there, and Almahara willing we may be able to break the possession somehow. I'm not quite sure how we'll get there quickly without our wizard, but we will find a way. Let's make sure he's tied up securely first."

Once the gnome has been tied up, Silith looks at her companions. "What's next?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"Next, I think we should delve inside here. See if there are yet any gnolls or other prisoners who can be saved. At a bare minimum, we may yet find some evidence as to what has been going on."

[Felhammer]

Voj flashes a questioning look towards Halbrecht, "You want to head into a building whose merest sound caused your ears to bleed?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"Mainly I was hoping that with the purple worm manifestation gone whatever was causing the noise would be as well."

Halbrecht sighed.

I'm going to take that for the DM warning that it is and scrap that plan.

"But when you put it like that... I suppose the only thing left to do is confront whatever remains of Galathan's mercenaries, drive them out-slash-kill them, and convince the townsfolk to go back to their ordinary lives."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Lilyanna remained silent at Halbrecht's exchange with Voj. Then, in a quiet voice, she spoke up, "Voj, can you make me deaf?"

Blindness/Deafness (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/blindness-deafness) is a dismissable spell, so in theory, (assuming he had the spell), Voj could make one of us deaf so that we are unharmed by the whatever-it-is that made Halbrecht's ears bleed. That person goes inside and sees if they can put a stop to whatever is happening, comes out, and Voj dismisses the spell, restoring the person's hearing.

[Felhammer]

Without asking, the imposing half-elf Cleric of Sonbahar points a finger at the paladin. Almost instantaneously, all sound vanishes. Utter silence. Nothing. The feeling is disorientating at first but Lily quickly acclimates.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Apparently," Lilyanna began, speaking perhaps louder than she normally would could she hear herself, "I need to be more specific in my requests. I wanted to know if you knew the spell before asking you to use it." Muttering to herself quietly about clerics in general, she turned to the others and explained her plan.

[BramsesII]

Silith

The ranger, standing beside the tied up gnome, arches a brow at Lilyanna's request and arches it even further at Voj's immediate carrying out of said request. "Uh... I don't think... Lilyanna, what're you..." She realizes that the paladin probably can't hear her right now. So, instead she just smiles and shrugs at the woman, listening to the explanation of her plan.

She then turns to Raen. "You say you've known Galathan since the gloom. Do you know when he changed? And where it happened?"

[Felhammer]

“That is a good question… If I had to put my finger on it…” Raen ponders the point for a minute or so before replying, “About 7 years ago. He went on a mission to southern Songwillow to investigate some new cult that had sprung up in the Marsh of Ancestral Dawn. He was gone for about a year or so. I figured he got caught up in the Banner War and the chaos that followed King Letnin’s death.

The next time I met him, he was in the Trogglands. He was bitter about the “animals” who had conquered the territory of old Veridiland. I figured he just had a few bad encounters. Little did I know he was a full-fledged xenophobe… Still, his new point of view is hardly unique. Lots of people feel as he did, so I didn’t think much of it.

About three years ago, I met him once more, this time in Blackvale. We stayed at some noble’s home. The two men had a few private conversations that I was not privy to. After that, we lost contact until about 6 months ago when he asked me to come up here to this frigid land to help his friend acquire a title of nobility.”

Meanwhile, Voj pats Lily on her back and mouths ,"Sorry, I thought it immediacy was paramount. I will return your hearing tomorrow."

[BramsesII]

Silith

The ranger nods. "I see... That marsh is dangerous..." She shakes her head. "Perhaps Songwillow holds answers to this question, then. Let's focus on our current situation for now."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

The Paladin turned toward the church door and grabbed hold of the handle. "Um, you all may want to stand back and stuff cloth in your ears in case this goes horribly wrong."

I'd like to give everyone a chance to buff before Lilyanna goes inside, just in case something nasty comes out. Lilyanna will be casting Bless (on everyone) and Protection From Evil on herself.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht looked on as Lilya began executing her plan. "Well, then. That's one problem potentially solved."

He shifted back into low guard.

"Not that that's call to stay off guard."

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka nodded in agreement, and pulled out her trusty Wand of Shield for what would hopefully be the last time that day. She declined the use of earplugs, though. Deafness often interfered with spellcasting

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith nods at Lily's suggestion. "Right. Be careful in there, Lily." She digs a few pieces of cloth out of her pack and shoves them in her ears. She gives the thumbs up to indicate she's ready.

[Felhammer]

The group hops off the stage and stands in the stadium seating. They watch Lily open the door...

Before you is a darkened room. You can see the back wall of the building but only along the sliver of light that the door is allowing in.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht steadied his breathing as Lily peeked in, idly whistling a tune from his youth (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXmXicxGwPM).

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Pausing to light a torch, Lilyanna sheathed her greatsword, drawing instead her battleaxe. Then she proceeded forward, axe in one hand and torch in the other.

[Felhammer]

As Lily enters the room, a hidden portcullis slams down behind her, trapping her inside!

As she looks around the torch-lit room, she sees many crates, most have been busted up and broken into. only one box remains completely unscathed. It lies at the far end of the room. It is a treasure-chest shaped box. The lock has been removed and dropped in front of the box. Two gold coins rest near the lock.

There is a door leading to east and a door leading to the west, both are closed.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Stepping a bit closer to the chest, Lilyanna examines it for a long moment.

If nothing seems odd about the chest, Lily will lift the lid with her axe and peer inside. If something looks hinky, she's going to leave it alone. Either way, she'll head to the west door next and examine it as well.

Perception on the chest. [roll0]

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith keeps an eye on Lilyanna as best as she can, but the paladin quickly disappears from view into the darkness. And then a portcullis comes slamming down, barring Lily's exit and everyone else's entry. The ranger almost immediately rushes forward. "Lilyanna! No!" She looks at Halbrecht and the others. "Her exit is cut off! I'm going to do something about that."

Checking the cloth in her ears to make sure she can barely hear anything, Silith rushes forward to the portcullis. Even in her haste she still takes the time to check it for traps before trying to do anything about it.

Perception: [roll0]

If it's trapped, Silith's going to try a disable device somehow. Disable device: [roll1]

If not, she's going to see if it can be lifted. Strength check: [roll2]

[Felhammer]

You pop open the chest to peak inside when... A long, red tongue rolls out and snatches your axe! The writhing, wiggling muscles slithers up the weapon, latching itself firmly upon the blade. You try to free the axe but the tongue is coated in a sticky-glue like substance!

Grapple! [roll0]

[Felhammer]

Through her cloth covered ears, Silith can hear the alien whispers of a language she does not understand. They invade her mind and addle it. The white cloth around her ears suddenly turn crimson, as blood flows from ears!

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Lilyanna bit back a curse as the chest came to life. "Somehow I expected this," she muttered. "Let...go...of...my...AXE!" she shouted at the creature, wrenching backward with all her might, and hoping it would be enough.

Strength check to free the weapon: [roll0]
Whether she's successful or not, she's going to back away toward the entrance. If unsuccessful, she'll release the axe and back away.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Feeling oddly calm, the ranger keeps looking for a way in. There's voices in her head in a language she doesn't understand, but it's not bothersome at all. In fact, it's calming, in a way. "I'll have this gate open in no time."

Not changing anything about the actions. Silith's still looking for traps then trying to open the gate.

[Felhammer]

Silith tries to lift the gate but her efforts are for not. She looks around for the mechanism but it is embedding inside of the wood. Perhaps there is a lever inside the room that Lily can get to?

Meanwhile Lily drops her axe in the jabbering mouth of the mimic and runs to the portcullis.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Okay, we've confirmed a few things. One, whatever's causing the ear-bleeding is still active. Two, magically deafening yourself counters it. Three, just stuffing cloth in your ears doesn't work.

"Silith, for the three's sake, get out of there! We've already got enough people with perforated eardrums!"

If Silith still did not get away from the portcullis, Halbrecht leapt in there and dragged her away as fast as he could before the sounds could get to him.

"Fare, is there any spell you can use to break through the walls, or weaken the area around the portcullis? Anything to let Lilya get back out."​

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare nods. "On it." Even though she's pretty sure she can't bleed in this form, she still keeps a healthy distance away from the entranceway as she magically warps the wood above the portcullis.

Casting Warp Wood, aiming for the area around/above the portcullis.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Undeterred by the presence of voices or the absence of an opening mechanism, Silith keeps working on opening the portcullis. She completely ignores Halbrecht's orders, her mind calmly focused on one simple task. Lilyanna is in there. I have to get her out. Simple. You can do this, Silith. Keep looking! You can't leave her in there.

Unfortunately - or is it fortunately? The ranger is surely leaning towards the former at the moment - she is suddenly yanked away from the entrance by a strong, gauntleted hand. Before she knows what's happening she's already several steps away, closer to the group. Calmly she addresses the man who just dragged her away from her important task. "Halbrecht. I had everything under control. Why did you drag me away? I'm fine. We need to get Lilyanna out of there. She's the one that matters here." When she plucks one of the pieces of cloth out of her ear and notices it is stained crimson with blood, she suddenly realizes what has been going on. "Oh. That can't be good."

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka stood in the center of the group, becoming more agitated and worried as Silith's ears began to bleed. She whirled around to Voj. "How many of us can you deafen? she demanded.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Spotting the lever, Lilyanna moved slightly toward it, keeping an eye on the "chest."

[Felhammer]

The Mimic waddles over and tries to lick Lily! Thankfully her years of battle training has lead the paladin to develop some fancy footwork, which allows her to nimbly dodge the mimic's lashing tongue!


I choose you, Mimic!

Use Lick!

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

Plus adhesive (he's sticky!)!

Body part: [roll2]


Right Foot
Right Calf
Right Thigh
Right Torso
Right Hand
Right Forearm



Using her magic, Fare rips the wood fascade off the church and reveals a clock-work mechanism. Thankfully, it is just within arms' reach of the half-elf ranger!

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Thanking her lucky stars that she was able to avoid the tongue, at least for now, Lilyanna darted forward and attempted to throw the lever.

I'm assuming move action to move and standard action to throw the lever.

[BramsesII]

Silith

When the mechanism suddenly becomes visible Silith surges forward again, bleeding ears - and one missing piece of cloth - be damned. She immediately begins working on it, hoping to quickly open the portcullis again.

disable device: [roll0]

[Felhammer]

Lily shifts around and throws the lever. Suddenly, the ceiling near the door collapses as four giant metal chompers burst forth and begin slamming down in rapid succession!

The Mimic quickly follows Lily and tries once more to lash the poor paladin!

Meanwhile, Silith fiddles with the portcullis mechanism and - even in her haste - finds purchase. She jams the fiddly bit into the twirly bit and pops the lock!

Go, Mimic! Use Lick!

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

Plus adhesive (he's sticky!)!

Body part: [roll2]


Right Foot
Right Calf
Right Thigh
Right Torso
Right Hand
Right Forearm




The Metal Chompers are spiked and look to be laced with an acid! They are literally coming down right next to the door! When you enter the room, the chompers will get an attack on you!

The Portcullis is unlocked but will require a dc 15 Strength Check to lift up. For speed, it won't lock up in the ceiling, so someone will need to hold the door open. :smallwink:

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Upon hearing Silith's report of the necessity of keeping the portcullis open, Halbrecht turned back to Voj.

"Deafen Silith, Fare, and Raka, in that priority, as the amount of spells you have permits. Silith can then hold the door open for the others and get in and help Lilyanna."

I doubt Voj has too many blindness/deafness' prepared, so I'm focusing on those who I think would be of most help to Lilyanna. Halbrecht would be best served by staying outside the temple, in case anyone comes back and he needs to convince them to stand down.

[Felhammer]

Voj looks apologetic at Halbrecht, I do not have another blind/deafen prepared but..." He pulls out his dagger and casts a spell on it. Suddenly the din of battle and the roar of the storms raging across other parts of the city disappear. Utter silence.

He cast Silence on his dagger. 20 foot no talking bubble!

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She hears Halbrecht's words, nodding her head lightly despite mentioning Silith specifically. She ventured forward to the gate. Her eyes focusing upon it. She leans down, grasping at the metal. She begins pulling at the heavy portcullis. She seems to pause a little bit though quickly gains her footing, lifting the gate up moving it up before situating herself under it, keeping it lifted up open on her own.


Strength Check to lift the gate: [roll0]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht looked at Voj, then nodded in approval. Looking at the rest of the party, he then gestured at them to walk out of the bubble of silence.

"So, who goes in, and who stays?"

After hearing Silith's suggestion, he nodded in approval.

"I concur. I will stay out here with Voj, Fare, and Raen, while you, Aisha, Raka and Starman go inside. We'll hold down the fort out here."

[BramsesII]

Silith



"So, who goes in, and who stays?"


Silith is about to make an attempt to open the portcullis herself when Aisha suddenly rushes up and lifts the heavy metal door with surprisingly little effort. The ranger smiles and steps forward to go and help Lilyanna when she hears Halbrecht yell. Calmly turning around, the ranger replies. "I'm going in with Aisha. I will need Raka and Starman with me as well. Halbrecht, you should keep an eye on things here with Voj and Fare. Raen can make sure Galathan doesn't try anything. Aisha, can you hold up the portcullis a little longer?"

The ranger makes no mention of the voices speaking in her head, and she ignores whatever is happening to her ears. She simply waits for the others to join her before turning around and cautiously heading into the church.

Perception check time! [roll0] (probably without hearing, but with scent)

[Felhammer]

Silith can smell the bitter-sweet scent of ectoplasm.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht turned to Starman.

"Starman, take Voj's dagger and place it in your belt. Do not get any farther away from the others than you absolutely have to, and if one of them asks to take it instead, give it to them."

"Yes, master."

Starman, then accompanying the others going inside, prepared himself to roll past the trap at the entrance...

[Felhammer]

Starman: [roll0] v Ref
--- [roll1] Damage and [roll2] Acid

Silith: [roll3] v Ref
--- [roll4] Damage and [roll5] Acid

Aisha: [roll6] v Ref
--- [roll7] Damage and [roll8] Acid

Raka: [roll9] v Ref
--- [roll10] Damage and [roll11] Acid

Acrobatics DC 20, half physical damage on a success. I will roll d20's you guys figure out if you passed or not.

Starman: [roll12]

Silith: [roll13]

Aisha: [roll14]

Raka: [roll15]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Starman

Letting out a silent scream of pain as he rolled through the acid-lined crushers, Starman thanked Sonbahar that he'd at least had the agility to roll with them and minimize the physical damage. Coming back up into a standing position, he promptly loosed two arrows at the fanged treasure chest.

Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Attack 2: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Rapid Shot: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith screams when she takes an acid-laced crusher to the shoulder, but fortunately no sound can be heard. Her face twisted into a grimace she pulls out her bow and aims for the mimic, loosing a small barrage of arrows and hoping she doesn't hit Lilyanna.

Free action to draw bow
Full attack (w/ rapid shot, manyshot, firing into melee: -6 atk):


Attack 1 (manyshot): [roll0]
Damage 1: [roll1][roll2]

Attack 2: [roll3]
Damage 2: [roll4]

Attack 3 (rapid shot): [roll5]
Damage 3: [roll6]

[Felhammer]

Starman and Silith fire off shots at the mimic, slamming arrow and after arrow into the little creature, turning him into a pin cushion! As the mimic dies, he lets out a disgusting belch of green fog that blankets Lily.

Fort Save!

[roll0]

As the smoke clears, Silith and Starman can see that Lily's eyebrow hairs have wilted away and fallen off her face.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Starman

Unable to suppress a rather unprofessional silent giggle at the sight of Lilya's missing eyebrows, Starman tapped his own by way of gesturing to her before taking in the sight of the room.

Perception (to get another description of the room, a list of available ways forward, and anything that Lilya may have initially missed): [roll0]

[HanaRei]

Aisha

Aisha ventured through, the acid burning at her as she doesn't seem to show any sign of screaming, instead making a noticeable cringe. She watched her allies quickly quell the threat of the Mimic. She relaxed a bit, glancing around a bit, softly chanting as she detected magic giving a quick look around.

Detect magic with perception!

Perception: [roll0]

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Frowning slightly at Starman's action, Lilyanna felt her forehead and appeared rather surprised to find her eyebrows gone. She gave the boy a somewhat mournful look before wresting her axe back from the mimic. "Mine," she mouthed to the now-dead creature. Well, sort of, she added in her mind. That finished, she held up her torch and looked back at the others for direction.

[Felhammer]

Even though the Mimic is dead, its sticky tongue is still attached to Lily's leg. Even if she tries to pull, the tongue will not budge. After a few tense moments, the tongue finally falls off. It seems without a stead source of glue-like saliva, the adhesive property wears off quite quickly.

Hana senses magic through the two doors.

Now that you have a moment or two to look at the doors, you find both have been booby trapped with a guillotine-like blade that will fly out of the ceiling and slice anyone waling through the door in half.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

The half dragon ventures forward a bit glancing to the doors. Her eyes focusing at them. "Trapped... perhaps done so through magical means." She commented in brief. She brushed herself off a little bit having a moment to do so. Her eyes looked over seeing Lilly's leg finally freed looking at the tongue. That was a strange creature... She pondered to herself briefly not quite use to seeing something like that.

[Felhammer]

As Aisha examines the door, she waxes poetic. However, due to the silence spell that was cast upon Voj's dagger, no one can actually hear Aisha talking. To them, she is simply moving her mouth.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith shoots Lilyanna a quick smile when the paladin notices her allies, but then looks worriedly as Lily's leg for a moment as the grotesque tongue doesn't come off immediately. She lets out an inaudible sigh of relief when the thing dislodges. Then, she takes a moment having a good look around the room to check for the traps and the like. She holds up her hand for everyone to keep still when she notices the trap, then grabs something out of her pack. It's a small piece of paper and a piece of charcoal.

The ranger quickly scribbles the following for the others to read: Doors are trapped. No touching! Where do we go? She hands the piece of paper to Raka first for all to read, then scribbles another message, specifically handing it over to Lilyanna with a slight smile. Silence spell on Starman's dagger. Can't talk. Good to see you alright.

Then, she turns to the traps above the doors, trying to discern if there's a mechanism that can be jammed or sabotaged before attempting to do so.

Disable device check, I suppose: [roll0]

[Felhammer]

Silith tries to fiddle with the guillotine but as she is fiddling, she hears a click, a snap and then the heavy blade comes down!

You failed the check by more than 5, so the trap is sprung.

Attack [roll0] // [roll1]
- Poison: [roll2] // [roll3] CON Damage

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

The Paladin watched Silith work at the guillotine and cried out silently when her companion was struck by the blade. Rushing forward, Lilyanna lay her hands upon the wounds and began to knit them back together.

Lily finally got her hands on Silith. Lay On Hands! Healing for [roll]4d6[roll] damage and caster level check of [roll0] vs the poison DC.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Apparently, Silith is distracted by her wounds, because while fiddling with the trap mechanism the guillotine suddenly comes down and nearly takes her head clean off. She manages to twist herself out of the way mostly, but takes a nasty gash on the arm. The ranger staggers back and falls to her knees, crying out in silent pain as Lilyanna rushes to her aid. The paladin's touch takes some of the pain away, but the quickly building burning sensation in her arm terrifies the ranger. Her eyes go wide as she realizes that the blade was poisoned.

Fear grips her heart when she feels that breathing is difficult. No. Not now, not like this! She scrambles to her feet, steadying herself against Lilyanna. For only a millisecond she stares at Lilyanna, just long enough for the paladin to see the terror in her eyes. Then, Silith stumbles backwards away from Starman, holding up her hand as if ordering him to stay away. Once she realizes she can speak again she calmly begins casting a spell, hoping to delay the poison at least.

Move action out of the silence bubble
Standard action to cast delay poison (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/delay-poison) on self, delaying the poison for 6 hours.

[Felhammer]

As Silith walks out of the silence bubble, her mind is assaulted by alien whispers. As she casts the spell, she grows nauseous. As she completes the spell, the half-elf vomits all over the floor.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Starman

Having jumped back immediately upon seeing Silith's hand signals, Starman rushed back over to Silith as quickly as he could once she'd completed the spell, trying to sign as best he could.

Are you alright?

[Estralita]

Raka

"That is it!" Raka growled, although inside the bubble it didn't matter. she stepped out of the bubble and focused her power, trying to figure out exactly what was causing this.

Spellcraft:[roll0]
Arcana: [roll1]

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Deciding to heal not just Silith, but everyone injured, Lilyanna took a moment to channel healing energies.

Spending two uses of lay on hands to channel positive energy to heal everyone hurt for [roll0] HP.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith collapses to her knees, evacuating the entire content of her stomach onto the floor. She clasps her hand over her ears in an effort to stop the voices, her face contorted in agony. Only when Starman rushes to her side does she seem to calm down somewhat. She looks up at the squire, not at all understanding what he's trying to communicate. Her mind still reeling from the alien voices, she notices Raka stepping away from Starman to do... something. The ranger holds up a hand and tries to yell, but there is no sound. No voices, but also no sound. This is not going to work. We need a better plan.

When Lilyanna spreads her healing energies across the party Silith's wounds close and her pained expression seems to relieve. The constricted feeling on her chest is still there though, and breathing is still difficult. We need to regroup. This is too risky. Pressing one hand to the wall, the ranger stands up again - slightly wobbly - and grabs a piece of chalk out of her pack. She writes one word on the wall, then looks at each of the party members to ensure they've seen it.


Retreat

When everyone has understood the message, Silith turns around towards the exit - and the crushers. We'll need to shut those down somehow.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

Despite the silence, she seemed oblivious to it in her own ramblings. Her attention shifted with a worried look on her face just seeing in time as Silith was suddenly struck by the trap. She stepped forward worried watching the others scramble to work to try and help her. She could see her vomiting, looking uneasy upon her. She saw her lift the note up, nodding a bit in response seemingly uncertain what else to do in response.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Blast it. Lilyanna walked over to Silith once more and laid both hands upon her companion, sending additional healing energies into the woman's body. This is not working, Lilyanna thought to herself. Finally, she pulled out her antidote kit and examined the wound Silith had sustained. If magic won't work, we'll do it the old-fashioned way. Tending to the wound, the Paladin used what she believed was the right remedy, sending a silent prayer to Almahara that Silith would recover. That done, Lilyanna returned to the lever that controlled the...whatever-they-were that rained crushing death upon the church's entryway and flipped it back to its original position.

Lay On Hands again. Healing for [roll0] and another CL check vs poison DC: [roll1]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Starman

Starman frowned at Silith's message as it was passed around.



Retreat


I know things aren't going well for us, but retreat? Just leave things as they are? Sonbahar would never stand for this.

But, nonetheless, he nodded, duty-bound to obey Silith as his master's second. He attempted to sign a signal in return.

Does anyone know how to shut off the trap at the portcullis?

It was a question that was quickly answered as Lilyanna flipped the lever, the crushers near the portcullis now still. Ambling over to the door, he gestured at Aisha to open the portcullis once more.

[Felhammer]

Lily tries her best but she finds the foul influence of this "church" to dampen her connection to Almahara, weakening the effectiveness of her paladin abilities.

All flavor text but I like it ;)

With the meat grinders shut off, and the barbarian holding open the door, the party quickly evacuates to the safety of the outside world.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Stumbling outside, Silith is the first to rush back to Halbrecht and the others. She looks a lot worse for wear than when she went in, and her expression is grim. One hand clutched over her chest, she holds up a hand for Starman to remain a bit further away so that she can address the others. "Voj, can you remove Lily's deafness? I need her to here this as well."

"Alright. Here's what we know. We haven't been able to silence the voices. They are... still there. Second, that place is full of traps." She winces at the thought. "If we're going to explore that place we'll need two things. One, we'll need some way to communicate in dead silence. I don't care whether it's basic hand signals or fancy magic, we'll need to communicate." Silith takes a deep breath.

"Two, we'll need everyone in there. That means Halbrecht and Fare as well; there's no knowing what else is lurking in there. And three, we'll need more defenses against poison. I wouldn't be surprised if half the traps in there is poisoned." A flash of regret passes over her features. "In fact, I'm sure of it. I uh... was hit with a hefty dose myself. I managed to magically delay it but..." She sighs. "I have about six hours. Then my spell runs out and the poison kicks in. I've no doubt it's strong enough to kill me." She looks down at the ground. "I uh... I'd appreciate it if you could arrange for me to return home when that happens. Sir Levian'll know what to do."

The ranger turns to look at Lilyanna. "You'll get plenty chance to study the orb in peace like this, Lily. I don't think I'll be needing it anymore." Another heavy sigh. "It's been an honor. Now, any objections to the plan?"

[Estralita]

Raka

Once they were out, Raka checked her own ears for bleeding. Upon seeing the blood, she began attempting to clean them as best she could. She grimaced as Silith voiced her concerns. "Whoever is in there, doing this is playing with fire. Using magic like this, it can drive them insane, mutate them, cause physical injuries like we experienced...I don't know what they're thinking."

[Felhammer]

Voj shakes his head, "I must wait until tomorrow to pray for the spells to cure Lilith of her deafness..."

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare coughs. "I, uh, hate to ruin the emotional impact of that, Silith, but...actually I don't. Since I rightly assumed we'd be fighting Galathan today, I'd prepared spells to deal with poisons. We still only have two tries, but it's not as hopeless as you think." She reaches out a cloudy hand to touch Silith's shoulder.

Place Magic to boost CL by 1, crossing fingers and casting Neutralize Poison.

CL vs Poison: [roll0]

[Felhammer]

Voj slaps Lily on the back and says, "Just kidding." Instantaneously, sound is returned to the paladin's ears. She can hear the birds chirping, her friends and the faint alien whispers which caress the edges of her mind...

Meanwhile, Fare channels the nature spirits and just barely cleanses Silith of the vile poison that was coursing through her veins.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She looked to Silith with a stern look on her face. She watched as Fare channels her spell, not really looking to see if the poison cleansed her. Her eyes were fierce looking at her. "Never speak like that again. If you just give up like that, you are only going to allow what you are facing to win. Don't speak in such a way again." She spoke showing some anger in her voice. It wasn't hard to tell despite her harsher tone when speaking she was upset hearing Silith speak. As well as she tended to hide her emotions (outside her fierce anger, something she was a bit less prone to disguising) she couldn't hide her worry for her companion. She cared about her wellbeing. Hearing her talk in that way bothered her greatly.

She looked to Fare curiously, not quite adapt at poisons or anything of that nature. "Is it cured?" She asked not quite certain how to really tell, specially with the disease being stopped temporarily.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht sat rather slack-jawed as the four members of the party re-emerged from Reinarra's temple and Silith elaborated upon her poisoning, then more so as Aisha spoke up... and breathed a sigh of relief as Fare worked her magic.

"Well, thank goodness for your foresight, Fare. I started this morning out not wanting to bury any friends, and I plan to keep it that way. But in any case... if we are to reattempt the cleansing of this temple at another time, as you imply, Silith, what are we to do in the meantime? Should we chance returning to Vlastov, and hope that we've gathered sufficient evidence to convince them to release Zid? Or do we stay here in Azbeta? Do not forget we still have Oksdorf and Verikora to think about."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Oh, thanks be to sweet Almaharra," Lilyanna breathed as they emerged from the church and rejoined the others. "Silith, I am so relieved that we were able to cure you finally." She cast her eyes at the ground and searched for additional words. "My magic and medicine both failed you in direst need. I am sorry." When she looked up again, the ghost of a smile was upon her face. "And I am glad to hear again. The silence was far too loud, if you catch my meaning."

[BramsesII]

Silith


"I, uh, hate to ruin the emotional impact of that, Silith, but...actually I don't. Since I rightly assumed we'd be fighting Galathan today, I'd prepared spells to deal with poisons. We still only have two tries, but it's not as hopeless as you think."

Silith looks at Fare and smiles sheepishly. "Uh... Right. I'd forgotten you can do that. Thank you, Fare. I uh... You saved my life there. I think... I hope." She turns to the others, who are all stating their relief. "I'm sorry about that. I may have gotten ahead of myself. I uh..." She scratches the back of her neck, looking awkwardly at the ground before turning to each of the others.


"Never speak like that again. If you just give up like that, you are only going to allow what you are facing to win. Don't speak in such a way again."

"Is it cured?"

Aisha's determined reaction has Silith slightly taken aback. "I was not giving up yet, Aisha. I was simply stating the facts and making my requests known in case... well, you know. Doesn't mean I've given up." She smiles slightly "Besides, you needn't care about me. What's important is that we get rid of whatever is in here. I'm not. It's sweet of you, though."

"And we'll have to see if it's cured. If I fall over dead when my spell runs out, we'll know Fare's attempt has failed, won't we?" She says half-jokingly.




"Well, thank goodness for your foresight, Fare. I started this morning out not wanting to bury any friends, and I plan to keep it that way. But in any case... if we are to reattempt the cleansing of this temple at another time, as you imply, Silith, what are we to do in the meantime? Should we chance returning to Vlastov, and hope that we've gathered sufficient evidence to convince them to release Zid? Or do we stay here in Azbeta? Do not forget we still have Oksdorf and Verikora to think about."

Silith then turns to Halbrecht. She gets straight to the point. "I'm not sure what to do in the meantime. For one, we'll have to lock up this place somehow, keep everyone away from here. If that's even possible with Galathan's cronies still running the town. Do you think you could convince them to leave, Halbrecht?" She frowns, holding one hand over her chest and coughing. "Ahem... As for Oksdorf and Verikora... I hadn't thought that far through, actually. Strategic decisions like that are beyond me. This is for you to decide, I think. I do think one of our priorities should be getting Galathan to Songwillow somehow, though."


"Oh, thanks be to sweet Almaharra," Lilyanna breathed as they emerged from the church and rejoined the others. "Silith, I am so relieved that we were able to cure you finally." She cast her eyes at the ground and searched for additional words. "My magic and medicine both failed you in direst need. I am sorry." When she looked up again, the ghost of a smile was upon her face. "And I am glad to hear again. The silence was far too loud, if you catch my meaning."

Then, Silith turns to Lilyanna. She walks over to the paladin and puts a hand on her shoulder. "You did everything you could. You healed my wounds, allowing me the opportunity to delay the poison, at least. You saved my life, and I thank you for that." Silith smiles. "And the silence may have been loud, the voices were louder. Believe me, they were not pleasant at all."

She grabs the orb out of her pack, looks at it for a moment, then puts it away again. "I'll be holding onto this, then. The offer still stands, though."

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare gives Silith a small smile. "You're welcome. And I'm pretty sure it worked, but like you said, we can always just wait and see." A corner of her smile rises a tiny bit higher. Then Fare becomes all seriousness. "But please don't give any more of those "in the grand scheme of things I'm not important" because...well, you are. It's kind of hard not to care about someone who you've travelled with for weeks on end and who's probably saved your life several times."

The druid looks like she's trying to figure out more to say, but gives up and turns to Halbrecht instead. "I agree with Silith. Let's worry about dealing with Galathan and his cronies first before the council. And as for the temple...I honestly have no idea, but I don't know if it'll be a good idea to let it just sit there while we go off investigating or whatnot. Besides the problem of keeping people from poking their heads in, there might be..." Fare struggles for words. "Something, I don't know, but letting such dangerous magic sit there for an indefinite period of time doesn't sound good."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Once we reach safety and have some peace to ourselves, I anticipate learning more about the artifact," The paladin agreed, nodding to Silith. "For now, we should decide quickly what to do."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht looked to the rest of the group.

"Before anything else, we must take care of the rest of Galathan's mercenaries, whether by force or diplomacy. Once that is taken care of, we grab Oksdorf. Once that's done, we go back to where we hid Verikora, decide her fate one way or another, and head back to Vlastov. With Voj and the frog's witnessing to everything that's gone on here, I think we have more than enough evidence to secure Zid's release. Then, we come back here tomorrow with a contingent of soldiers to help resecure this place, and our resources fresh and ready to tackle cleansing the temple."

[BramsesII]

Silith


"Once we reach safety and have some peace to ourselves, I anticipate learning more about the artifact,"

Silith nods. "As do I, Lilyanna." A small smile plays upon her lips.


"But please don't give any more of those "in the grand scheme of things I'm not important" because...well, you are. It's kind of hard not to care about someone who you've travelled with for weeks on end and who's probably saved your life several times."

The ranger then turns to Fare. "But I..." She sighs. "You have a point there. It's just... Thinking that way makes life a lot easier." A sigh. "I'll try to keep it to a minimum."



"Before anything else, we must take care of the rest of Galathan's mercenaries, whether by force or diplomacy. Once that is taken care of, we grab Oksdorf. Once that's done, we go back to where we hid Verikora, decide her fate one way or another, and head back to Vlastov. With Voj and the frog's witnessing to everything that's gone on here, I think we have more than enough evidence to secure Zid's release. Then, we come back here tomorrow with a contingent of soldiers to help resecure this place, and our resources fresh and ready to tackle cleansing the temple."

And when Halbrecht explains his plan, Silith's expression turns serious again. "That's a good plan, Halbrecht. I hope we can keep Galathan in our custody that long, though. I don't want to leave him out of my sight one moment. For the good of all of us, even..." She sighs and looks at the gnome, then Raen. "... even for Galathan's own good. I just hope I'm not going to regret this."

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She frowned a bit not seeming too pleased with Silith's response. She didn't see what she was saying in the way she tried to nudge it. She nodded lightly in response to what Fare said.She decided to comment after Silith responded to it. "It doesn't... not a minimum... just never talk that way ever... okay?" She spoke looking at her keeping her arms crossed. Her useless emotionless face remained plastered on her, though her worry still carrying through.

She nodded her head. "We can do this. I won't stop until we have everything sorted. I can't allow evil of any nature to flourish." She spoke her voice more stern showing her devoutness to finding a way through the problems they encountered.

[BramsesII]

Silith


"It doesn't... not a minimum... just never talk that way ever... okay?"

Silith looks at Aisha and for a good long while, trying to gauge her emotions before speaking. "I can't promise that, Aisha. It is who I am." She walks over and puts a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder. Her expression is serious as she looks Aisha straight in the eye. "Don't mistake that for me giving up though. I will fight till my final breath for my friends."


"We can do this. I won't stop until we have everything sorted. I can't allow evil of any nature to flourish."

The ranger nods with a slight smile. "We can agree on that at least." She turns to Halbrecht. "Halbrecht, how're we going to handle this mercenary situation?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"That is something of a puzzlement. One the one hand, if we were to lure them back all into one place, it might be more than we can handle, but taking all the separate groups on one by one will take a good deal of resources and time. Lacking a more decisive alternative, I would say that the best option would be to try to hunt for the larger groups, those backed by Galathan's lieutenants, and hope that their morale will break when their leaders are defeated or otherwise convinced to leave... if we're lucky." Halbrecht turned to Raen. "I don't suppose you know approximately how many men strong they are here?"

[Felhammer]

Rae shrugs, "Galathan has been sending men back and forth between here, Ft. Shieldtrap and Hulrik's camp to the south of Eselm via airskiff and Hellfire. He's also been receiving men, equipment and mages from Ironwidow. I suspect there are about fifty mercenaries still in the city, with about a hundred camped in the south and another five hundred near Ft. Shieldtrap."

Voj's jaw drops, "Th-that's... That is an army of soldiers!" He rears his head over to Halbrecht, "My lord! We must leave here immediately! We need to rally your forces!

"Hulrik has been planning this for a long time, or so I am told," replies the half-elven mercenary. "I do not believe he wishes to attack any time soon. He is waiting for mercenaries from Deepoath to arrive. I am told once word of a Blackvalian becoming Earl, the Deeproys were very amenable to sending troops. Doubly so once they found out who was in fact becoming Earl. Something about a score to settle, or some such. The Deeproys are deeply mistrustful of Hellfire and so are sending their troops the old fashioned way. They won't be here until autumn.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"Even so... so many soldiers, and so few of us."

Halbrecht breathed out a sigh.

"But on the other hand, it would be irresponsible to leave my subjects here after that display at the gate without doing something​. Thus, a compromise. We leave at once, to attempt to gather reinforcements - for make no mistake, we desperately need them - but any sign of a lieutenant or group, and as I stated before, we shall attack or diplomatize them as best possible. Does anyone object?"

[BramsesII]

Silith

Listening to everything being said, Silith sighs. We should've continued down that temple. This way, we're leaving it open for anyone to just wander in. The ranger shakes her head and looks at Halbrecht. "No objections. There's no way we're going to take on an army with just our small band."

Then, turning to Aisha, the ranger gives a cynical half-smile, half-frown. She leans over and whispers in the dragon-lady's ear.
"Don't try to argue, Aisha. We don't have time for arguments. Though, next time I run away from a situation because of something silly like being poisoned, stop me from doing so, will you? I only aggravated the situation. Me trying to stave off death may cost a lot of people their lives."

She looks at the others. "I suggest we move quickly. If we're going to leave without securing the temple here we may as well do it right now."

[Rysc]

Fare


"I suggest we move quickly. If we're going to leave without securing the temple here we may as well do it right now."

Fare's gaze darts to the temple entrance. Then she nods. "As much as I don't like just leaving it like this, the mercenaries are probably a more pressing problem. At any rate I think most people won't be tempted to wander in with the portcullis and...bleeding."

Well, most innocent people.

[Felhammer]

The party makes great haste for the northern gate. The way is clear all the way up until they get to the gate proper. A band of two mercenaries - armed with great axes - and five peasants are standing guard. The gate is currently closed. Everyone has their weapons out and have arrayed themselves into a defensive wedge formation.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She wasn't too fond of the idea of retreat, though even someone as bold as Aisha wasn't so reckless... at least when she had a more clear head. She blinked as Silith moved close, looking over not quite expecting her to have something else to say. She listened in, her expression remaining static at her words. She looked to her, despite not showing much of a response, it wasn't hard to see by her eyes looking at Silith.

"Fine..." She muttered out louder not caring for the volume in her voice particularly that she wasn't revealing anything about what she was saying. She still disliked Silith's mentality about her poisoning... although perhaps in part out of her childish naivety thinking they could have it all. Truthfully, her own desire to go after the dragon wasn't all that much different from what she finished talking about in the end.

Venturing forward, she looked to the group seemingly defending the gate. Her eyes narrowed a bit in response. Are they trying to get in the way? She thought though she cut herself short from speaking. She crossed her arms, restraining herself a bit from speaking up. It was important to be diplomatic after all, she didn't want to accidentally speak up in a way that might spark a fight when there was a chance of ending it without violence.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Regretfully turning away from the church, Lilyanna followed close at Halbrecht's heels, eyes alert and watching for signs of trouble. When they came to the gate, she gripped her greatsword tighter and waited for Halbrecht to speak.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht, letting out a small sight, strode to the front of the group, Rockblade gleaming in the sun and a no-nonsense look on his face. He addressed the mercenaries.

"This does not have to end in a fight. Let us pass, and I shall bear you no ill will. Fight, and you will fall."

He then turned to the peasants.

"Do you really wish to follow these men? To sit and chafe beneath them as they cut off all trade and keep you from the fields when you should be out there harvesting?"

Apologies for the delay.

Diplomacy: [roll0]

Incidentally, shouldn't we be heading for the southern gate, if we want to pick up Oksdorf?

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith nods at Aisha before the group departs, giving her a quick smile.

When they are stopped at the gate, Silith takes up a position slightly behind Halbrecht. She makes sure to stand between the mercenaries and Galathan, wherever the group is keeping him.

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare hangs back by the gryphons, keeping a wary eye on the crowd and a hand ready for spellcasting. She wonders if the mercenaries realize their leader (or one of their leaders) has fallen, but decides to see how the crowd first reacts to Halbrecht's words. She isn't quite sure whether the news will aggravate the people or molify them, anyway.

[Felhammer]

The mercenaries laugh as they confidently stride over to the party. Stopping thirty feet away one of the mercs calls out, "Pretty words coming from a..."

His words are cut short by a sharpened tine of a pitchfork slamming into the back of his head, through is brain and out the other side.

The two other farmers rush up with scythes and brutally hack off the merc's limbs as he struggles to un-sheath his weapons.

As the carnage ensues, the farmers yell, "Get out! Leave! Go!"

Hal and Lily rush over to the fruit shop and grab the bound Okswolfe who was waiting patiently, tied up in the back. With the villain in tow, the party runs through the gate, out the narrow door and makes great haste towards the hut where they left the battered gnoll. They rush inside and find that she is still resting under the straw.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"We'll be back with reinforcements! Just hold out until then!"
Calling out in gratitude, Halbrecht rushed by the farmers and out of the city, ready to retrieve the last people they needed.


***

Gently approaching the straw, Halbrecht called out softly to Verikora.

"Verikora? It's Halbrecht. I've come back for you."

Halbrecht gently brushed aside the hay, looking into the gnoll's blinded face.

"We got Galathan, Verikora. He... well, it's complicated. But he will face justice for what has happened here."

The cavalier cradled his ally's body.

"But his army is too big for us to handle alone, and we're going to get help. So... the choice must be made. Do you want to come with us and live, Verikora? Or do you want me to kill you, and let you pass on peacefully?"

I hate to bring this up, Fel, but we did also want to grab Oksdorf. Hal promised not to forget him, and he wouldn't abandon him like that.

[Felhammer]

Veroka nods as Hal mentions living. She shakes her head when he speaks of dying. Tears stream out of her eye sockets. Hal and Aisha lift the gnoll up and drape her across Adamant. Okswolfe sneers, "You didn't say you were saving cackle fiends! Bah, animal loving filth. If I weren't bound up, I'd end that cackle fiend's life. Ain't no use to no one in that state. Better dead than live for living's sake, I say."

"We can heal her. Undue the evil that your men have done to her," replies the cleric.

"I take offense to that comment! I wouldn't do anything like THAT and neither would my men. We butcher our animals all proper like, fast and painless. I don't like seeing anything suffer. If I saw my men doing this, I'd have half a mind to do the same to them. Ain't right. Ain't right at all. Then again..." Okswolfe looks back at Galathan, "That's what he preached. Mutilation was his forte."

Raen scoffs, "Dark forces have manipulated Galathan. He is a Ranger through and through. Sadism is not in his character."

"Tell that to the cubs he flailed alive..."

Raen says nothing, just bows his head in defeat.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

The half dragon glared hearing Okswolfe speak as she was helping to put the gnoll onto Adamant. She finished walking closer up as he conversed. Her eyes were stern as she finally came up punching Okswolfe roughly on the side of the head in a swift motion. "Quiet. Not even scum like you ever deserves to be viewed in such a way." She was sharp in her tone as she seemed to calm down a bit. It was a lingering bit of distaste she had that she was glad she could have finally off her chest.

Knock to the side of head! POW! Non-lethal given she doesn't have training. :P Rolling in case needed for attack for some reason then.

Attack: [roll0] for [roll1] nonlethal damage.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht, occupied as he was ensuring that Verikora was as comfortable as possible under the circumstances and trying to restrain himself from punching Okswolfe, could not intervene quickly enough to prevent Aisha from decking him in the head. Instead, the cavalier settled for speaking to both of them sharply.

"Aisha, enough. He is our prisoner now, and given the deal made, certain things are expected - and that includes refraining from punching him in the head just because he is being a jackass."

He then turned to Okswolfe and Raen.

"And as for you two... This gnoll right here would have been the key to preventing this entire barony from going up in flames, had Galathan not gotten to her. So, thanks for nothing." Halbrecht addressed the unconscious gnome bitterly before turning back to them. "She swore an oath to be my ally, and as such, I will do whatever it takes to restore her body. As far as Galathan goes, I have heard many a story of his supposed good deeds - but as long as I've known him, he has only brought misery." He hopped astride Suntalon. "In any case, it is out of my hands. Once we've extracted all the information we can out of him, it'll be off to Whitewillow to stand trial."

Halbrecht looked to the horizon.

"May justice be done."

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith, having been quiet as the group moved along, looks at Aisha in astonishment as the dragon lady punched Okswolfe in the side of the head. Involuntarily, she flinches, and is about to say something about it when Halbrecht beats her to the punch. The ranger shakes her head as she looks at Aisha.

She keeps quiet throughout Halbrecht's little speech to Okswolfe. It's not like she has anything to add to the knight's words. When Halbrecht mounts up to depart again, she does walk over to Aisha and puts a hand on her shoulder, whispering something into the woman's ear.

"Great going with the prisoner there, Aisha. I thought you opposed violence to the helpless? As it stands, Okswolfe is thoroughly helpless right now. You should know better than to treat your captured enemies like that." The ranger shakes her head and sighs, turning to Halbrecht. "So. What now?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"Now? We make a beeline back to the ship, get back to Azbeta, present everything we've found to the council, and get the ball rolling on organizing a division to retake Azbeta. And sign off on the guard's pay. I originally wanted to do that back at the original meeting but we kind of left in a hurry."

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare does not look particularly happy at Okswolfe's comments, but her expression fails to change as the half-dragon punches their prisoner. She considers saying something, but it seems both Silith and Halbrecht have the same idea--the knight ultimately addressing the others.

The druid only breaks her silence after Halbrecht outlines the group's next movements. "Lead the way, then. Let's hope we've demonstrated sufficient heroism, or trustworthiness, or whatnot." She gives Voj a half-smile.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Honor," the Paladin all but whispered, "Honor before heroism." She looked at Fare and quirked a half-smile. "But yes, let us go and present out findings, and our prisoner."

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka sighed deeply. "Hopefully, we've assembled enough evidence this time."

A thought occured to her. She turned to Raen "So. What is it you want to do now?" she asked, haltingly.

[Felhammer]

Okswolfe takes Aisha's might blow on the cheek, barely flinching. Before Halbrecht and dress both of them down, the mercenary whispers, "I will remember that."

The party loads up the boat with the prisoners, the mounts and themselves, then sets sail for Vlastov. Cleric Voj steers clear of the Cannon, preferring not to anger the beasts within. The trip takes very little time.

As the ship glides into the docks, the party can see the impressively tall glass monolith rising up from the edge the town's walls. Many people gather around the ship, eager to see the lord and lady, as well as the adventurers that accompany them. Many cheer when they see the gyrphons disembark. Quizzical looks wash over the audience when they see a passed out, naked gnome draped over the horse and a prisoner, shackled with mithral chains.

The party walks up the hill to the seat of power for the city. They are lead by the Ruby Guard up to the meeting room. There inside, they find Boland Svek, Laveta Haug and Nesinnis Frosthammer standing on the veranda, overlooking Westbow Lake. Boland is first to greet the party, "My lord, my lady, distinguished friends. It is good to see you." He comes over and shakes everyone's hands. Frosthammer and Haug remain on the veranda, giving the party the cold shoulder.

After a fashion, everyone takes a seat at the table. Unlike last time, everyone in the party is allowed to sit at the table. The Reverend Mother sits opposite Halbrect. Her expression betrays no feeling save cool indifference.

"Welcome... Friends," states Haug, "Tell us of your little adventure."

Voj stares at the sister of the Baron of Ft. Mastermore with a questioning look, then glances over at the party. Obviously the lady's demeanor is not what he had expected.

[Felhammer]

Raen weakly smiles, "I want to exonerate my friend." He looks over at Galathan and sighs, "No one will believe me. All they see is a mass murderer."

As the ship travels along the lake, he asks, "What will you do now, my dearest Raka? Off to another adventure?"

[Estralita]

Raka

To her own surprise, Raka blushed. "I try to go where I can be helpful. Right now, I think that is staying with this group.

As far as Galathan is concerned, I want those who are responsible for... that to be punished. But from Silith learned and what you've said, I'm not certain that the one truly responsible is Galathan. I'm likely not the best person to do this, but he needs to be thoroughly examined for magical taint or demonic control."

[Felhammer]

The half-elf walks over and gives Raka a hug, "Thank you for at least keeping an open mind about this. It means the world to me."

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka stiffens slightly at the hug.She hadn't really been hugged in a while. But after a moment, she awkwardly returned it. "Since I haven't as much interaction with him, I guess I can afford to be open-minded."

[BramsesII]

Silith


On the ship...

At one point during their relatively short trip - when someone else is keeping an eye on Galathan - Silith finds herself on the deck of the ship in a relatively quiet spot. She digs the magical orb out of her pack and stares at it for a few moments, pondering something. Whatever it is she's pondering, she decides against it, puts the orb back into her pack and returns to her duties.


On the docks...

Silith keeps close to the horse carrying Galathan when they disembark. Her attention is occasionally drawn to the crowd around them, but for the most part she keeps her eye on the gnome.


At the table...

Silith takes the seat offered to her silently, and doesn't speak when Haug addresses the group. Her arms are folded across her chest. Let the diplomatic people handle this one.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She looked in, shaking her head a bit in response. "I wasn't seeking to kill him, only to shut him up. Blame it on me alone if you like, I'm not going to stand still when someone runs their mouth on in such a way when they are in no position to do so." She spoke as her only defense giving a glare to the man before crossing her arms and looking away.

She had kept herself quiet after, refraining from doing anything else for the moment.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Leading the party up from the shore to the meeting room, Halbrecht's face was frozen in a rather concentrated look as he attempted to ssteady his breathing. After the way the morning had gone, he would need all the luck he could get if he were to turn the situation around and convince the others of what had needed to be done.

As Boland Svek greeted the again, he allowed himself to smile and relax, shaking the man's hand.

"My lord, my lady, distinguished friends. It is good to see you."
"And you as well."

As everyone sat down, Halbrecht then noticed it - on top of Frosthammer's persistent hatred, Haug, too, now appeared to have dislike in her eyes.


"Welcome... Friends. Tell us of your little adventure."
Gods damn it, not you too Haug. I guess the trip to see your brother did not sit well with you...

Sense Motive to see if either Starman or Hal can get a sense of what's making her act like this.

Hal: [roll]1d20+8[/rolll]
Starman: [roll0]
Halbrecht steadied his breathing and then began to speak.

"We saw many things... none of them good."

"We approached from a few miles away from Azbeta proper, of course. There were several gnolls that were in the vicinity, at one point - for we found several of them mutilated and left for dead outside of town. Among them was Verikora, the leader of the Axepaws, who swore to be my ally in the wake of the destruction of the Fire Giantess' sanctum. She is alive, thank the gods, but... she is mutilated beyond recognition. I have no doubt that her tribe is dead, and with them, any chance of a peaceful resolution to the gnoll civil war."

"Moving closer to town, we then saw three grypon-riders, all bearing the crest of Fort Shieldtrap, our 'friendly' neighbours. Once we got within sight of the walls, we found that the Romnid have completely taken over Azbeta and supplanted the local guard. Rather than letting the people there prepare for the winter ahead in the fields, they have been conducting a campaign of fear, keeping them on the walls as patrolmen. Those who object are threatened with being tossed into a pit full of rabid gnolls. As well as extorting the locals, the Romnid have been attacking merchants as they got close to town - Silith saw one of them vandalize a produce trader's cart, then kill the trader when he tried to resist."

"On an unrelated note, Galathan, according to rumors we overheard, is courting Theodofa Knightsdaughter. There is no evidence that we were able to locate confirming or denying this."

"Going into the town itself, we happened upon him." Halbrecht gestured toward Okswolfe, still chained up. "Okswolfe here was about to dismember one of the townsfolk for not getting out of his way - conveniently neglecting the fact that she was deaf. He was, however, willing to surrender and was kind enough to provide us with some pertinent information about the state of affairs, including that Briac and Hulrik are off wining and dining with the Baron of Fort Shieldtrap - and that Galathan had taken to mutilating gnoll cubs."

"Then... Ranger Hill. It was there that we discovered Galathan has killed every single Ranger within Azbeta's walls - a hundred of them in total. But Almahara was kind enough to leave a gift."

Assume Hal pressed for details so that he would know this bit.

"When Silith entered the tower, she was greeted by an apparition - a firey lion, who told her that 'A hundred of your flock have been felled by the wayward sheep. Yet fault lies not with the sheep but with the dark goose. Slay the goose, free the sheep. The sheep shall then lead the shepherd to the wolf who commands tribes numbering four. From him, the shepherd shall find the predator forgotten.'"

Assume Hal pressed for details so he would know this bit.

"Raka, in the meantime, had split up from the rest of us, and had infiltrated their ranks. Apparently, Galathan was about to set a gnoll aflame, and was ranting about purging filth and 'suffering not the beast to live'. She interrupted the ceremony, mercy-killing the gnoll before it could be set ablaze, and fled. It was there that we met him."

Halbrecht gestured to Raen.

"Raen came willingly, as apparently he has noticed Galathan's behavior growing more and more erratic - and hinting at the same thing the apparition did; namely, that Galathan was being controlled somehow. Setting up a distraction, we were able to confront Galathan directly. He used some kind of foul magic - sending most of us into a hallucination, and then turning himself into a monstrous worm - but we were able to defeat his worm form, at which point he fell unconscious. Then Raen delivered the really bad news."

"By his count, there are approximately 50 mercenaries within the city, and another 100 near his camp south of Eselm. He has been receiving men, equipment, and mages from Ironwidow, and has another 500 men camped near Fort Shieldtrap. On top of that, whatever Galathn did in Azbeta has corrupted the temple of Reinarra, for it has been enchanted with a spell that causes anyone not magically deafened to bleed from their ears, and it has been filled with traps."

"In summary, we need to take care of paying the Ruby Guard, since that got lost in the chaos of this morning, and then we need men to come help liberate and secure Azbeta. The sooner, the better. Father Voj can confirm our story, as he was with us the entire time."

"On an unrelated note, did High Priestess Windborn decide not to join us?"

He idly looked around for Hallow, wondering where the frog could have gotten to.

[Felhammer]

Haug and Boj stare at Hal as he recounts his story. They are stunned by the murder of cubs, the death of all the Rangers and the apparent manifestation of Almaraha. Frosthammer, however, remains cooly disinterested until the bit of Almahara comes up, at which point everyone can see rage boiling up inside of her.

"This... This... Voj, can you confirm all of this...?" asks Councilwoman Haug.

"I can and do. It is all true," replies the cleric.

Svek stands up and walks over to the veranda, "War has come to Westbow. We will need to call up the Ruby Guard and assemble your vassals. We will need to import weapons and mercenaries to support us. Send letters out to The Elector and his other vassals. We will need to consolidate the gryphons... There is much to do my lords and ladies."

Haug then comments, "If a hundred Rangers were truly killed, then the whole of southern Maghemia is likely defenseless. We will need a new Commander for the Rangers..."

All eyes fall on Silith.

Voj looks over at the Half-Elf and says, "You have helped save this realm from Galthan and the Giantess. You have more than proven your metal as a warrior and a capable leader-of-men. You are the bravest Ranger I have yet met. There would be no finer candidate than yourself."

Svek and Haug nod. The latter responds, "Then, if you are willing, you will be appointed the Commander of Southern Maghemia. I am sure the Commanders in the other regions will concur."

Frosthammer scoffs quietly but does not object.

Masterful explanation. Gold star :)

Haug was initially cold and distant. She seemed to look at Frosthammer a lot. After the explanation, her attitude shifted completely.

The matter of Wildborn is not addressed, as your shocking revelations have trumped the discussion of a missing council member :)

[Rysc]

Fare

As Halbrecht recounts the group's trip, Fare can't help but feel horribly nervous about how the council will react. Strange, how she could brush off encounters with monstrous abominations and still be more apprehensive about...this.

Then the council actually agrees. The druid relaxes, but her relief quickly turns to surprise and then something close to pride as the council members suggest a new commander. She glances at Silith, trying to figure out how the ranger will react.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

For her part, Lilyanna remained mostly quiet, putting in a word here or there when called upon for clarification. She kept her attention riveted upon Frosthammer, noting with growing concern the woman's disinterest and then apparent rage when the name of her goddess was mentioned. Lilyanna furrowed her brow and pondered the other woman's demeanor. A moment after Frosthammer's scoff, Lilyanna waged over a page and scrawled out a note that she quietly asked to be sent to Frosthammer.

Would like a sense motive check on Frosthammer. Wondering if this is out of character for the cleric, based upon Lilyanna's past history with her.
[roll0]

Also, the text of the note would read, "Reverend Mother, I wonder if when the council is finished, I might have a few minutes of your time."

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith listens to Halbrecht's explanation quietly, occasionally nodding to strengthen his points and showing some slight discomfort when he describes what she told him in great detail. She then calmly listens to the people on the opposite side of the table until...



Haug then comments, "If a hundred Rangers were truly killed, then the whole of southern Maghemia is likely defenseless. We will need a new Commander for the Rangers..."

All eyes fall on Silith.

Voj looks over at the Half-Elf and says, "You have helped save this realm from Galthan and the Giantess. You have more than proven your metal as a warrior and a capable leader-of-men. You are the bravest Ranger I have yet met. There would be no finer candidate than yourself."

Svek and Haug nod. The latter responds, "Then, if you are willing, you will be appointed the Commander of Southern Maghemia. I am sure the Commanders in the other regions will concur."

...she nearly falls out her chair in shock. The ranger is unable to hide the surprise on her face as she is suddenly asked to command the rangers in Southern Maghemia? Me? Have they lost their collective minds? Silith looks to Halbrecht and Aisha, then Fare, Raka and Lilyanna for someone to speak up, but it seems - obviously - everyone is waiting for her to reply. Hesitantly, she begins.

"I uh... I'm honored that you would consider me for such a position. But what of the current commander? We have no confirmation that she was one of the casualties. And even so, are there no other rangers left in Southern Maghemia. Rangers who know the lay of the land, who are born and bred in Southern Maghemia? I am a foreigner who knows little of your lands and customs."

"And I would assume that the remaining rangers would like a say in this as well. The commanders of the surrounding regions may concur, but what of the rest of the rangers? I... can I think about this? Perhaps discuss it with my companions in private? I'd like to know what they have to say."

"I uh... I'm honored, though. Truly I am." she adds hastily. Her voice has been shaky throughout the entire speech. She has glanced to Halbrecht and Lilyanna for support several times; it's obvious that she is not used to speaking in public, especially at official occasions like this.

[Felhammer]

Svek rubs the back of his head while everyone else looks away awkwardly. Lady Haug is the first to speak, "Maghemia is a very large realm but... The Rangers have never been incredibly numerous, as they are in the lowlands. We are a land of mages, farmers and mercenaries. The problem isn't one of recruitment, the recruitment numbers have always been as healthy as they are in the south... It is that the job is so much more dangerous up here in the highlands. Not just the vile-mage-enhanced creatures that prowl the wilds but the terrain and climate as well. We lose so many Rangers during the winter simply due to exposure..."

"If a hundred Rangers were killed..." Svek trails off for a moment to collect his thoughts, "Then that would represent over double the number of Rangers that lived and worked here in Southern Maghemia.

"We are defenseless, Silith. You are the last Ranger left alive for a hundred miles in every direction. You may not be from here but your destiny is bound to this land," adds Voj, delivered in an almost sermonistic manner.

Frosthammer is acting very strangely based on what you remember of her.

To your note, she replies, "Come to the church graveyard at midnight. Come alone."

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith listens to the explanations with mounting worry. No rangers? What do they expect of me? She turns to her companions with a look of near-desperation in her eyes. For a moment, it seems as if she's going to charge out of the meeting at top speed. Almahara knows she's considering it.

But she doesn't. She turns back to Haug, Voj, everyone at the other side of the table. "I see. Before I accept this, I want you to realize that I am not a leader. I'm a soldier, I have always been." She looks at Halbrecht. "Fortunately, I have a friend who can help me. I accept." The ranger turns back to the people across the table. "I'll command Southern Maghemia's rangers. Even if there's none left. I will need to inform my current commander in Songwillow first, though."

"And I need to get Galathan to him as well. That has priority over everything. He may be a very important piece of the puzzle here." She turns to Halbrecht, hoping to see a nod of approval, something... Anything...

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht, at the start, had breathed a sigh of relief as he realized the council had believed him - and that Haug's hostility, whatever may have caused it, had evaporated with his explanation.

The way ahead will be hard, very hard, but at least now we have allies, we have help.

Then, it happened. Just as had happened to him, Silith was offered a promotion. Holding his breath, Halbrecht did not dare speak, waiting for his friend to confirm or deny the appointment herself.


"I see. Before I accept this, I want you to realize that I am not a leader. I'm a soldier, I have always been. Fortunately, I have a friend who can help me. I accept. I'll command Southern Maghemia's rangers. Even if there's none left. I will need to inform my current commander in Songwillow first, though."

"And I need to get Galathan to him as well. That has priority over everything. He may be a very important piece of the puzzle here."

Silith looked at him, her eyes begging for some sort of reaction.

And she got it, as Halbrecht finally allowed himself to smile unreservedly. Unable to give her a hug in polite company, the Earl of Castle Clearwater settled for giving her a hearty pat and a shake on the right shoulder, grinning like an idiot all the while. "While I wish it were under better circumstances, Silith, let me be the first to say 'Congratulations'. You claim not to be a leader, but you have served with me long enough that I know you have it in you. And, of course, you will have my sword and my advice every step of the way."

Letting his gaze linger as if to solidify their bond of friendship, Halbrecht then turned back to the council.

"But in any case, Silith is correct - while priority number one has its fair share of contenders, Galathan must be delivered to Songwillow as soon as humanly possible, both for interrogation and so that he may face justice at the hands of the Rangers. Getting confirmation of Silith's new appointment from the Rangers themselves will also help, as well. To that end, if we have satisfied you all with our findings, I would like to petition for the release of Zid. While I am sure gathering forces sufficient to retake Azbeta will take a couple of days, the only way to completely ensure a secure transfer of Galathan from here to Songwillow quickly enough to return an oversee this operation is going to be via Hellfire, and we can't do that if we have no-one to cast it."

"Also, I think my last question got lost in the shuffle - where is High Priestess Windborn? I would have thought she would have wanted to hear the results of the expedition."

I'm not sure if we actually need it at this point, but if we do...

Diplomacy: [roll0]

...welp, there goes any chance of getting him

[Felhammer]

Those assembled in the room nod. "Then it is agreed. Silith will be the new Commander of the Rangers. Again, congratulations," replies a jovial Voj.

Svek gathers up some parchments and shuffels them together, awkwardly coughing as Halbrecht asks his last question, "At any rate. We have much to do..."

Frosthammer suddenly stands up. She glares at the balding Guild Leader, "I will take my leave of this council. The church does not support petty wars between quarrelsome nobles. Barons come and barons go but the faith is forever." The woman then saunters off out of the room, obviously quite angry, for some reason.

The Priest of Sonbahar levels his gaze at Svek, "What did you do, my friend?"

"I... That is to say..."

Haug rolls her eyes, "He pissed the Reverend off. He found out where Frosthammer was keeping your Drow friend. Boland then told Windborn who... Caused a kerfuffle... By using her magic to blow down a church dedicated to Almahara and free that friend of your's."

"Needless to say, the Reverend Mother is quite displeased..."

The Priest of Sonbahar laughs, "I didn't know you had it in you! HA!"

"The drow is safe, for now. He Hellfired back to Araland. He said he needed to talk with his "beloved" about something. I wish he hadn't left so quickly, we could have given him a letter to give the Elector. At any rate, I have a wizard who can get you as far as Whitewillow," comments Boland.

"There is still the matter of my brother's gold that needs to be brought to Vlastov." She locks her gaze on Fare, "Regardless of the armies that exist, the beasts in the Cannon are still a problem and we need that gold now more than ever. The Gem-cutter sighs, "It will take time to call up your vassals and a mercenary force... My lord... You are not exactly a wealthy man. How far in debt do you wish to go for this endeavor?"

Voj looks over at Halbrecht, "I am friends with the Castellan of your castle. Last I heard, you only had 20,000 gold left in your vault. Taxes are not due to be paid until the Holy Day of Autumn."

"My lord, I would be willing to front you as much gold as you need... At very attractive interest rates, that is," sheepishly says Lady Haug.

I ran some numbers recently, and if you wanted to buy the service of 2,000 mercenaries as a supplemental force, and keep them in service for three months, you would need to spend at least 54,000, more if you wanted higher quality troops and/or spell-swords. I do not know how many men your vassals can call up but the last time we marched to war, they only brought 3,000 men, most of whom were peasant soldiers."

"Then you need to worry about the harvest as well, come autumn. Those peasant conscripts will not want to fight a war when their fields need to be tended to."

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith only half-listens to the conversation going on in front of her. She mutters a quick "Thank you." to Voj's congratulations, but doesn't really comment on it further. She's far too busy kicking herself for accepting a position that is so obviously going to cause her a whole heap of troubles. Catching a few words out of the conversation, Silith does realize that Zid has been freed, for which she is glad.

Silith's mostly relieved that the meeting is over, looking at Voj with a questioning look in her eyes. "This is all very interesting but... are we done? Or my part in it, at least? I want to get ready to travel to Songwillow as quickly as possible. There is no time to waste on that front." She looks at her companions. "I assume you have some more things to discuss. You can find me outside."

If Silith is indeed excused from the meeting, she quickly walks outside without another word, finds a secluded spot where nobody can see her, and collapses with her back against a wall, head in her hands. This is not what I wanted at all.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht



"What did you do, my friend?"

"I... That is to say..."

"He pissed the Reverend off. He found out where Frosthammer was keeping your Drow friend. Boland then told Windborn who... Caused a kerfuffle... By using her magic to blow down a church dedicated to Almahara and free that friend of yours."

"Needless to say, the Reverend Mother is quite displeased..."

"I didn't know you had it in you! HA!"

"The drow is safe, for now. He Hellfired back to Araland. He said he needed to talk with his "beloved" about something. I wish he hadn't left so quickly, we could have given him a letter to give the Elector. At any rate, I have a wizard who can get you as far as Whitewillow."

"There is still the matter of my brother's gold that needs to be brought to Vlastov. Regardless of the armies that exist, the beasts in the Cannon are still a problem and we need that gold now more than ever. It will take time to call up your vassals and a mercenary force... My lord... You are not exactly a wealthy man. How far in debt do you wish to go for this endeavor?"

"I am friends with the Castellan of your castle. Last I heard, you only had 20,000 gold left in your vault. Taxes are not due to be paid until the Holy Day of Autumn."

"My lord, I would be willing to front you as much gold as you need... At very attractive interest rates, that is."

I ran some numbers recently, and if you wanted to buy the service of 2,000 mercenaries as a supplemental force, and keep them in service for three months, you would need to spend at least 54,000, more if you wanted higher quality troops and/or spell-swords. I do not know how many men your vassals can call up but the last time we marched to war, they only brought 3,000 men, most of whom were peasant soldiers."

"Then you need to worry about the harvest as well, come autumn. Those peasant conscripts will not want to fight a war when their fields need to be tended to."
Halbrecht ran his fingers through his hair, the stress on his face clearly evident.

"Well... It wasn't like mass wasn't already going to be awkward."

"But anyway, what's done is done. As far as going into debt for this endeavour, it will not do to repel the invaders only to have the Barony collapse from having no money. So once Galathan's delivered, the next priority will be to get that gold delivered. Galathan himself may also prove useful in that regard - if my sources are correct, he managed to procure a good deal of treasure along the way in his endeavours, and hopefully we might be able to extract the locations of some less well-guarded caches from him."

"And at some point, I really do need to get up to Castle Clearwater. Kriegbrecht did originally send me there to shore up its defenses, but with everything that's happened, I half worry Vexx is going to overrun the place by the time I get there."

So, just a reminder, how much Credit does Hal currently have from the Castellan and the gnomling friend we ran into?

And did we already put in the order for lots and lots of crossbows?


*** After the meeting... ***

Having noticed Silith's early departure, Halbrecht went looking for her after the meeting was adjourned.

She seemed a little stressed when that honor was originally instated, and she's never been so comfortable with that kind of responsibility... I hope she's okay.

Survival (to find Silith): 16

[Felhammer]

Voj straightens his back, "Since you have matters in Songwillow to attend to, I would be willing to go to your castle, my lord, and see to its defenses. I will take a mage with me, so that I can contact you once I make my appraisal of the situation."

Lady Haug nods, "Well, I think this meeting is adorned for now. When you return, we will make our plans for the gold."

As everyone leaves, Boland motions for Lily to come near him... The balding Guild-Leader leans in close, "I will be sending messages out to all of his lordship's vassals later today. I was hoping you could send one to your father, the Baron of Hightower. He has always been the most reluctant of the nobles. I believe a letter from his daughter would help convince him of his lordship's need for the Baron's men-at-arms."



As Svek calls on Lily, so too does the Gem-Cutter call upon Fare... "Greetings, Mistress. My brother's gold is most important to the realm and to the cause. I know this issue with Galathan will see you scurry off to distant lands but I do hope you will return soon. You are our only hope, after all. Even my brother agrees." She looks down, then warily makes eye contact, "My great-grand Uncle was a powerful priest of Sonbahar. Very important, ruled over a mighty Cathedral in Pavlova. When he passed, he gave to me his beloved staff. A potent force of good that had served both him and his ministry well, for decades. I am no priest and I am not a mage. As a token of my appreciation for what you are doing for my family - and his Lordship - I am giving it to you. I have sent it to your suite at the inn you will be staying at."

For ease of use...

She has given you a Staff of Courage (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/staves/staff-of-courage)

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/runescape2/images/e/e4/Armadyl_battlestaff_detail.png/revision/latest?cb=20130412180549

RakaRaen takes your hand and walks out onto the veranda overlooking the lake. "This place is very beautiful... Like you." He reaches down to grasp your hand. "I very much wish to save this place from the horrors of war. I know those horrors all to well. Seen them close up..." He trails off for a few minues then continues, "You are a brave woman. You entered Azbeta without the aid of your friends and without a plan for them to rescue you. I find that most remarkable. Courage is rare, my gem. Rare and precious."

Hal walks out but cannot find his Ranger friend any where. It is like she is hiding from... Everyone.

[Rysc]

Fare

The druid smiles uneasily. Being the only hope of someone--actually, quite a few people--does not sit very well with her. "Thank you. I'm sure I'll be able to put it to good use. And...well, I do realize how important this gold will be. I'll try to contact the Conclave before we go to deal with Galathan. They're probably keeping on eye on the Concord anyway. But I have to remind you again that the Conclave may be...occupied with others matters to do anything more than that."

Remember to talk to Hal about the Blight and the logging later.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

After looking around Silith in vain for a few minutes, Halbrecht let out a rather depressed sigh.

I can't talk to you if you go running off, Sil... Ah well. I'll simply have to do it later. She has to meet up with us again sometime.

Making his way back to the place where they'd been meeting, Halbrecht waited for the rest of the party to finish with their own conversations.

"So... What's everyone think about getting some dinner?"

Consider this your opening.

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka blushed even harder than she had before. She wasn't used to men paying her complements like this. And the times they did, like when she worked as a mercenary, they tended to be... cruder.

As he spoke, it hit her how recently she had met not only Raen, but now all of her new companions. The events of the day flashed through her mind. Going undercover. The watermelons. Her new armor. The poor gnoll burning up, and the sleet storm that she used to combat them. Galathan becoming the worm and falling into a stupor. The eerie sound of the magic in the corrupted temple of Reinarra. And through all that, Raen. Mysterious Raen. Loyal friend of a possible genocidal madman. Supposedly a thousand years old. And who knew what else

He called her brave, but Raka was just trying to do her best. And with a day as mixed as that one, Raka wasn't certain she had done so. She barely knew Raen. For all she knew, he was playing her, that he lied about everything. But right now, she felt like learning more. But how to do so?

"So is someone like you. I'm sorry our dinner date got cancelled. Can we reschedule?"

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She went through the meeting keeping silent, in some part perhaps her own defiance to what happened earlier... and another part perhaps herself being a bit too lost in the occurrences. It felt sometimes as if she had been gone from her own mind for some time. It was something she would really need to get checked out at some point if she ever thought more about it.

She looked over to Halbrecht as he mentioned going to dinner. "A dinner date? Sure, I could use something to eat." She spoke casually, not really recognizing the phrasing of her words being able to be taken in a certain way. She kept her arms crossed looking more relaxed now then she was before.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Lilyanna stepped over to Boland for a moment, curious as to what he had to say. She listened politely, and a frown creased replaced the stoic look that had been there throughout the meeting. "I will send him a message, Sir Boland, but you know how stubborn he can be." She sighed, frustration evident in her tone. "We may have to pay him a visit in the end. I will do what I can."

Following Halbrecht out, Lilyanna seemed slightly startled at Halbrecht's qustion. "Apologies, my lord. There are two pressing issues that should be addressed today. Sir Boland asked me to send a letter to my father. You see, in the past, he has been ever so recalcitrant about sending soldiers to aid the Barony, and Boland asked me to take a hand in the matter. I am hoping that is all it takes, but he may hold out for a personal visit from you." Lilyanna frowned and cast a look behind them. "The second issue is somewhat more concerning. I passed a note to the Reverend Mother during the meeting asking if we could meet later, and she responded. She requested I meet her in the church graveyard at midnight, alone. I probably don't need to tell you that I found this deeply concerning."

[Felhammer]

lady Haug puts her hand on the Druid's shoulder, "Thank you, Fare. Your efforts will save the Barony."

Raen pulls himself away from the majestic view of the lake and stares deeply into Raka's eyes. "I suspect the events of the day will lead us to Songwillow. I don't know if you have ever been there but it is a strange land. Their capital - Whitebuck - is one of the wonders of the world. I have a friend... A unicorn friend, who runs a small pastry shop. We should go see her while we are in the City of Trees, perhaps enjoy a few slices of pie before... Before we head off to Dawn's Light for Galathan's trial..." He trails off, his eyes returning to the lake.

Boland smiles, "Thank you, my lady! I should go, quickly, we have much to do!"

[BramsesII]

Silith

Not long after Lilyanna finishes speaking Silith appears out of a nearby alley and rejoins the group, a fairly embarrassed look on her face. She rubs the back of her neck and looks at the others. "I uh... Sorry about that. I needed a moment for myself." The ranger sighs. "Looks like things have changed seriously. Now, what's the plan? When are we leaving for Songwillow? Or is there something we need to take care of here first?"

When someone informs her of Lilyanna's issues, the ranger frowns. "Alone in the graveyard huh? I guess sometimes the traps are going to be this obvious." Silith looks at Lilyanna. "What're you going to do? I assume you want to go speak with her?"

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka looked into his eyes smiled softly. "That sounds nice. I look forward to it."

After a moment, she broke eye contact. "Well, it's been a long day. I need to meet with everyone else to see if there's anything we need to do before leaving." Then, with reddened, cheeks, she exited.

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare, having also just rejoined the group, looks thoughtfully at Silith and gives a small nod. Then she glances around the group. "Well, if there's something more suspicious than meeting alone at midnight in a graveyard I don't know what it is." She frowns. "Honestly we're not going to hold to the 'alone' part anyway...if you are going to show up."

She turns to Halbrecht. "Also, there's some things going on in the druidic world that you should know. Particularly about forests. The Baron of Ft. Shieldtrap is apparently doing a lot of logging in the Tirnan. The druids were hoping you could help negotiate a stop to that." She shrugs. "Something to think over while we're dealing with Galathan. I also have a feeling that this might help the Conclave feel more agreeable about the gold."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht


"A dinner date? Sure, I could use something to eat."
Halbrecht's eyes gogged, his cheeks reddened, and he began stammering.

"Eh... guh... Aisha, I -"

It was then that Lilya, thankfully, chose to speak, and Halbrecht turned his attention to his Highguard.

"As for a visit to your father, we will certainly do such a thing, if we can spare the time. As to Frosthammer... that woman is more and more suspicious all the time. Undoubtedly a trap." His shoulders sagged. "And not one I'll be much help with, either, considering how much noise I make - unless you have an idea. Perhaps a quick canvass of the nearby buildings for potential hiding places for evildoers?"

Then Fare spoke, and he turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "The same Fort Shieldtrap that is currently playing host to Galathan's army? Don't get me wrong, I'd be more than willing to help out the druids and with diplomacy but given the current circumstances, I'm guessing the odds of reaching a diplomatic solution on that problem is somewhere between 'jack' and 'squat'. Pardon my Infernal, of course."

[Felhammer]

http://s33.postimg.org/h819sgsnz/Humunculus.png

Eventually, the party is assembled out in the streets of Vlastov. A messenger boy runs up and gives Fare a note.

"Greetings Dearest Druid,

Where was my head? I forgot to tell you where you will be staying. You will be sleeping at the estate of Badko Starimuz. He is the wizard who (rather reluctantly) agreed to transport you, his lordship, her ladyship and your friends to Songwillow.

Warm regards,

Lady Haug, Gem-Cutter, Lender, Banker, Merchant, Sky Captain"

The boy points off to a dark back alley where Mr. Starimuz lives. The house itself is painted black and looks to be in a state of disrepair. It is wedged between two much larger and more impressive buildings. When the party knocks, they are greeted by a strange little creature with one massive eye, an odd collection of teeth and a muscular, if diminutive, frame. It does not wear clothes, nor does it seem to have any... Private parts. It is like a doll, in many ways. An ugly one, for sure, but a doll all the same.

The creature opens its mouth, "What do you lot want?" His voice is deep and raspy, "Can't you read? No visitors. No well wishers. No beggars. The great and powerful Master Starimuz does not have time to deal with," He looks each of you up and down; with a deep, exacerbated sigh, he finishes, "Scruffy looking, ugly, wretched rabble like yourselves."


#Podly

[Rysc]

Fare


"The same Fort Shieldtrap that is currently playing host to Galathan's army? Don't get me wrong, I'd be more than willing to help out the druids and with diplomacy but given the current circumstances, I'm guessing the odds of reaching a diplomatic solution on that problem is somewhere between 'jack' and 'squat'. Pardon my Infernal, of course."

Fare risks a smile. "Don't worry, I was expecting as much. I can now say that I've relayed the message, though."

***


"Can't you read? No visitors. No well wishers. No beggars. The great and powerful Master Starimuz does not have time to deal with,""Scruffy looking, ugly, wretched rabble like yourselves."

Fare glances at the note, then at the creature. "We're not visitors. We're actually clients. Your great and powerful Master Starimuz is probably expecting us--we were told that he agreed to let us sleep here and then take us somewhere."

[BramsesII]

Silith

Not having received an answer from Lilyanna to her question, Silith walks up beside her as the group makes their way to the wizard's house. "Whatever you decide about the graveyard, you should know that I'm not letting you go out there alone." She gives the paladin a stern look before turning her attention back to their surroundings.

***

Having arrived at the house, Silith stays at the back of the group, occasionally glancing around to check for potential threats. She gives the house a good long look as well. I don't trust this place.

Perception: [roll0]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht


"Don't worry, I was expecting as much. I can now say that I've relayed the message, though."
"Hopefully, assuming this campaign goes according to plan, we may be able to get them to stop as part of a treaty to end hostilities. Until then, though, I wouldn't hold my breath."


*** Back in the present... ***


"What do you lot want? Can't you read? No visitors. No well wishers. No beggars. The great and powerful Master Starimuz does not have time to deal with, scruffy looking, ugly, wretched rabble like yourselves."

"We're not visitors. We're actually clients. Your great and powerful Master Starimuz is probably expecting us--we were told that he agreed to let us sleep here and then take us somewhere."
Halbrecht raised an eyebrow at the creature. "Also, we are not rabble. I am Halbrecht, Baron of Lake Westbow and Lord-Protector of Vlastov, and these are my companions. Ask your master - he will corroborate this."

[Felhammer]

The strange creature nods his body, "So you are a client? Why have I never heard of you? Seems strange, if you ask me..." The Humunculous rolls his eye as Hal speaks, "A lord, you say? Well let me roll out the blue carpet for you." He proceeds to slam the door on you.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"As if I could stop you," the paladin said with a laugh. "Still, we should be cautious. I mean, nobody asks for private meetings in graveyards at midnight unless they're up to something. You don't do it for the ambiance."


***At the house***

To her credit, the Paladin maintained her composure during the entire exchange, although she was quivering with silent laughter. When the door was finally slammed in their collective faces, she turned to Halbrecht and asked, "Who's scruffy-looking?"

[Felhammer]

http://s33.postimg.org/4yo4qlnof/Wizard_Buddy.png

The party can hear some muffled yelling. The door soon opens again. The creature looks annoyed, "Apparently... The Great and Powerful Starimuz WAS expecting you. It seems he neglected to mention this to me..." Under his breathe you can hear him bitterly complain, "As he always does..." He then continues, "You will only be allowed in the living room. I do not know who you are and therefore, I assume all of you are greedy little wretches who would not bat an eye at the idea of stealing from the Great and Powerful Starimuz."

The creature leads you into a pleasant looking octagonal-shaped room that has five small sofas, a coffee table and a wondrous blue-and-white carpet. Five of the eight walls are covered with book shelves, two with doors and the last has a ten foot tall bay window... However, once you look through the glass, you see... A bird's eye view of a large town. Halbrecht and Aisha come to recognize it eventually, while Starman gasps, "It's... Verdna! My hometown! I recognize it all! The houses, the castle, the docks!"

"Indeed you should, my boy." An elderly voice calls out from behind the group. It is weak with age and tired from exertion. "You are looking at an ancient magical device that once allowed instantaneous travel between two points. Sadly, it has not worked properly for almost a hundred years. If you were to walk through the window now, you would find yourself anywhere BUT Verdna. I once had a young lad who walked through the portal and wound up in Hellfang Citadel, if you can believe it!"

The homunculous adds, "He was a fool. Deserved his fate. You told him not to touch the portal."

"Don't be so harsh Podly! He was only five. Even you were once filled with curiosity at one point..."

The creature scoffs as he pours tea for the guests. Everyone gets a full cup, save Halbrecht, who gets a half portion. Podly sneers at Hal as he does so.

"So tell me," Asks the wizened man, "Why do you wish to go to Songwillow? It isn't safe there, you know." He strokes his three foot long beard as he glances through a large tome.

Once Podly finishes serving tea, he carelessly sets the kettle down, then clambers up onto the sofa next to Aisha.

[BramsesII]

Silith


"Who's scruffy-looking?"

Before they are ushered into the house, Silith answers Lily's question with one raised eyebrow and a slight grin. "That'd be me, probably." She looks down at her armor, shakes her head, then glances towards the gnome strapped to the horse. "What do we do about him? Should we take him inside with us - if we are invited inside, at least - or do we post a guard?"


...Inside...


"Why do you wish to go to Songwillow? It isn't safe there, you know."

The ranger listens to the wizard bickering with Podly, not paying too much attention to the two until the above question and warning come up. Reminded of Songwillow, she feels home-sickness wash over her for a moment. With a slight crack in her voice, she speaks. "It's not safe anywhere. Unless it has gotten a lot more unsafe in the last few weeks, I think we should manage. I was born and raised there." She clears her throat. "We have a package to deliver to my commander. A package that could be of vital importance to the safety of a great many people. I have to speak to him in person about various other matters as well."

[Felhammer]

Very well. Be careful in that forested land, the forces of Foulbone have been spotted deep into the Dreaming Forest.

Starimuz stands up and reaches outside the door you did not enter through. He pulls a handsome looking staff out and brings it over to Fare. "I was told to give this to you."


With a wink, he looks to everyone and says, "At any rate, you all seem tired. I should let you settle in." The wizard looks to Podly, "Fetch the blankets."

The homunculous' mood sours noticeably as his grin turns itself upside down to a frown.

The wizard bids you farewell for the eve. Podly drops the blankets off in a heap and waddles off.

[Felhammer]

Night descends on Vlastov...

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"So... am I to assume that I'll hold down the fort while the stealthy people confront Frosthammer?"

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith turns to Lilyanna after Halbrecht's question. "I'll be following you from out of sight, Lilyanna." She looks at Hal. "You should probably stay and watch Galathan, yes. Starman as well."

"Raka, Fare, you're with me. Aisha..." Silith turns to the silver-haired woman. "...Do you think you can stay out of sight with us? If not, you should probably stay here with Halbrecht and Starman."

She turns to Lilyanna again. "That sound good to you, Lilyanna?"

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

The Paladin felt no fear, a gift from her goddess, but she did have concern for those around her and for Frosthammer, who she suspected of being influenced by something...dark. "It will have to do," Lilyanna replied. "But please, be careful to avoid being seen. This may be our only chance to find out what is going on with the Reverend Mother."

[Felhammer]

The party heads out. The cold Maghemian air washes over their skin, sending goosebumps down their backs. The party splits in half, with Lily heading straight for the Almaharan graveyard, while the others take to the back alleys.

The area around the graveyard is completely dark, no lanterns or lamps are lit any where near the church. Only the dim glow of the Almaharan Shield in the sky lights the area. As lily creeks open the iron gate, she can hear a woman's voice call out, "Is that you?" The paladin finds the voice immediately recognizable as that belonging to Frosthammer.

The area around the church is completely dark, not a single lantern or street light is lit. Only the dim glow of the Almaharan Shield in the sky lights the area. The graveyard is about a hundred feet by thirty, surrounded by an four foot high iron fence. There are three vantage points one could climb up to to get a better view of the cemetery - on the balcony at the back of the church, the city wall and the roof of a nearby building. There are some crates piled up on the western end that one could hide behind.

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare mutters, "Going to the roof." With a burst of primal magic, her form shrinks down into a tiny bat, which then flutters up into the night.

As she lands clumsily on the roof, Fare is pretty sure that anyone who saw a bat just waiting here would be rather suspicious. On the other hand, she's also pretty sure that most people won't be able to spot a bat on a roof at night. Hoping the others are also able to get into better positions, she peers into the graveyard below.

Wildshape into a bat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/animals/bat/bat).

Stealth: [roll0] (+16 normal mod, +16 from being Diminutive)
Perception: [roll1]

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith nods. To Raka, she whispers: "Going to try for the wall. You should probably stay out of sight on case we need backup."

The ranger then sneaks over to the city wall and tries to get to a point where she can get a clear view of Lilyanna. And hopefully Frosthammer and any potential assailants as well.

Taking 10 on stealth for 16+10=26
Perception roll: [roll0]
And if needed, taking 10 on climb for 11+10=21

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Before they had left for the graveyard, Lilyanna instructed her comrades to only break cover if they felt she was truly in danger, or if the Paladin gave some sign of being in distress. She wore her usual gear, though she'd left Jasper at the stable, of course. The axe she'd recovered was safely stored in her magical gauntlet, only a snap of the fingers away from her hand. Satisfied that they would follow her wishes, Lilyanna led the way, waiting for the others to find cover before heading through the gate. "Yes, it's me," Lilyanna returned. "Why, of all places, did you want to meet here, Nesinnis?"

[Felhammer]

The Reverend mother walks up and grabs Lily's hand, caressing it lovingly. "My friend. I asked you to come here because we have to leave. Together. The new Baron is not of good stock. My contacts in Blackvale have told me of his crimes. The Ranger is almost as bad..." Nesinnis leans in, "The Lord of Dreams is watching. Judging. She needs our help, Lily. You are a great and powerful Paladin. The Lord needs you. Needs us. We must flee this wretched land. Seek our allies." Her voice is bordering on pleading.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Who is this Lord of Dreams you speak of? Lilyanna asked, curious and concerned.

[Felhammer]

Frosthammer rubs Lily's hands warmly, "Our savior. The one who will free us from the shackles of ignorance and dogmatic belief in old, desiccated gods. The Lord of Dreams is here to save all mortals. To save you and I. True believers."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"And who are these allies we should be seeking? Where do we need to go?" Lilyanna was growing more concerned every moment. Was Nesinnis under someone's control, or had she been convinced to throw her principles aside?

[Felhammer]

"We're going to Ft. Shieldtrap. The Baron there will help protect us from your former friends."

[Felhammer]

Frosthammer looks into the paladin's eyes, "Come with me, Lilyanna. Together, we can save the world."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"I am not familiar with this Lord of Dreams you speak of, Nesinnis," Lilyanna replied cautiously. "I need to know more before I commit to anything. Who are these allies you speak of?"

I should probably throw a Diplomacy roll in there: [roll0]

[Felhammer]

Nesinnis looks into Lilya's eyes with a questioning look, "The Baron of Ft. Shield Trap, Lady Vexx and the other members of the Romnid. We are saving the whole of this archipelago, maybe even the whole world, my beautiful and fair friend. Halbrecht, the Ranger and the Druid are fighting against the inevitable future that the Lord of Dreams is trying to realize. They don't understand what we are trying to do. They are not evil, just misguided. Quickly, our enemies draw close."

[Felhammer]

You can see... Shadows, for lack of a better word, moving down the three streets/alleys that lead towards the graveyard.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She had been a bit confused by Halbrecht's response. He seemed to have a blushing condition over the most innocuous things... at least what she had said seemed to not have anything worth getting him a bit flustered up... whatever it was exactly causing him to get that way. She was still oblivious it all. She was a bit surprised as Starimuz and Podly came in, watching Podly sit down beside her after giving her tea.

When it came to the option of following along keeping out of sight, Aisha looked uncertain. She shook her head. "I... suppose it would be best if I were to stay behind. I am not the best at being stealthy..." She spoke admitting. While she wasn't the absolute worst, she knew she wasn't the greatest at stealth either.


______

Aisha sat quietly tapping her fingers against the desk. The silver haired woman found herself bored and a bit anxious. While she had chosen to stay behind, she couldn't help but feel as if she should of went. :They will be alright... it was better I stayed..." She spoke lightly in a low whisper to herself keeping her hand rested on her chin.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Noticing the shadows from the corner of her eye, Silith grabs her bow and nocks up an arrow, then looks around to try and see if she can spot Fare and Raka to see what they are doing. Get yourself ready Silith. Fight's coming.

Perception roll: [roll0]

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka hid as best she could, vowing to inscribe an invisibility spell in her spell book as soon as possible. She wasn't bad at sneaking, but this was a situation where you couldn't be too careful.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Lilyanna looked at her friend sadly, lifted a hand, and pronounced two words, "Detect Evil."

[Felhammer]

As Lilya casts her spell, Frosthammer recoils in anger. Before she can argue, the foul screech of abominations echo across the darkened city!

Three shadowy monsters rush forward the moment Lilya casts her spell, all of them gunning straight for the Paladin and the Reverend Mother!

Frosthammer is NOT evil. :smalleek::smalleek::smalleek::smalleek:

But the Shadows ARE! :smalleek::smalleek::smalleek:



Shadows won initiative! They use their action to rush forward as close as they can get to the two holy women!

You guys are up!

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht


"They will be alright... it was better I stayed..."

Laying upon his blanket, now dressed in his more comfortable casual-wear, Halbrecht looked toward Aisha.

"Honestly, given our luck? It probably could go either way. Certainly it was best I stayed behind."

Starman had turned in early, the boy snoozing quietly in the corner. Halbrecht looked fondly toward him, then back to Aisha.

"Care for a hand of cards? It's been far too long since I did anything just for fun."

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She picked her head looking over to Halbrecht. She seemed a little uncertain, not sure if he was trying to comfort her or make her feel bad. She stared to him quietly with a brief pause. She heard him question her about playing cards. She nodded a bit in response. She wasn't all the familiar with card games, though she had played at least a few times in her life.

"We could try that. Are we incorporating stripping in the act? Last card game I played when you lost you had to discard one article of clothing." She spoke softly, thinking little of the act perhaps out of a sense of naivety about it. Even though she wasn't that familiar with the game, Aisha had came out of that game practically fully clothed with all the men... quite less so much to their embarrassment and frustration.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

The Paladin hissed quietly. "Great, shadows. Get behind me, Nesinnis. When they get closer, channel positive energy." Hoping her former friend saw the shadows as enemies, Lilyanna took one step to the side and started concentrating as she called upon the power of Almaharra to summon Jasper. After a few moments, the gryphon appeared next to her, and she shouted an instruction, "Jasper, defend." The gryphon snorted and tossed his head, glaring at the shadows.

5' step to X8 in case Nesinnis has any AoO ideas, then Full-Round Action to summon Jasper to Y8.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht turned bright crimson once again at the mention of stripping - and particularly the thought of Aisha stripping - and began stammering like an idiot even as blood began streaming from his nose.

"What?! N-no! There will be no stripping involved! There was enough stripping the one time I accidentally ripped your top off in Verdna, and we don't need any more of that! Er, I mean, not that you're unattractive, or anything, the opposite really, but it's improper and I would really rather not take off my... *whimper*"

For the goddesses sake, Aisha, I am only a man! You don't know what you're doing to me!

"But no. Just run-of-the mill baccarat for us. Groats as tokens. Take our mind off your thi - my thi - off all the things. I'm sure that Lilya and Silith will be fine."

While Hal does believe what he's saying about Lilya and Silith, you detect a note of anxiousness in his voice.

You realize that this is because he's trying to get away from the topic of stripping.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Seeing Lilyanna under attack, Silith hesitates not one second. She steps forward to get a clear shot at one of the shadows, takes a moment to focus, then releases a barrage of arrows at the thing. Let's hope this does something...

5-ft step to H4
Swift action to use ranger's focus on shadow 1 (+4 atk, dmg)
Full attack on shadow 1 (w/ manyshot, rapid shot, deadly aim, ranger's focus, height advantage: +10 dmg):

Attack 1 (Manyshot): [roll0]
Damage 1: [roll1][roll2]

Attack 2: [roll3]
Damage 2: [roll4]

Attack 3 (Rapid shot):[roll5]
Damage 3: [roll6]

With the shadow distracted, all of Silith's attacks hit. They're not as effective as the ranger'd hoped, though. Hopefully the others have spotted the trouble as well.

[Rysc]

Fare

I swear if Frosthammer finds a way to blame this on us

Fare's train of thought is interrupted as she notices Silith step out and aim at the shadows. She still hesitates in her magic, knowing how much attention it'll attract. Then she brings down lighting on the shadowy figures anyway. People are bound to notice fighting going on in a graveyard at some point.

Lightning Lord on S2 and S3. S1 is just out of range :(

Reflex (halves):
S2: [roll0]
S3: [roll1]

Damage (halved for incorporeal)
S2: [roll2]
S3: [roll3]

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She blinked a bit puzzled by his reaction. He was doing his usual flustered response again. She truly wasn't certain just what triggered it. She had pondered the idea if it was because he found an element of attraction to her yet he only seemed to react in such a way to random comments or the occasional action. Her own clueless nature to some of the unintentional innuendo she uttered.

She didn't bother questioning or pushing him forward with it. She didn't think of taking his words as anything more or an attempt to redirect the conversation. Unfortunately for Halbrecht her not catching onto what he was doing only caused her shift back.

"Yes... your right... why is stripping an issue? We are comrades, it is just the act of baring one's skin. I understand the purpose of concealing one's body in public but I see no reason why it would be no issue in a private setting, particular around those you trust. She spoke with a nod not seeing at the element that might flustered Halbrecht. She didn't view things in the more 'perverse' way Hal did after all.

"Is it you being afraid I do not find you physically attractive? I find you suitable for mating if that is your concern? There is no reason to be embarrassed about the act. If it makes you feel more at ease I could try and help you and allow you to get more comfortable around myself being without clothing." She spoke very plainly having a very 'dragon' way of viewing the typical concept of attraction. She lifted her hand up as she seemed to be getting ready to undress in a completely naive way of trying to 'fix' the issue Hal was facing.

Fort Save to ensure Halbrecht does not faint and roll con to stablize from bleeding out from the nose! XD

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka swore under her breath. Just because the situation was almost guaranteed to go badly it didn't mean Raka had to like it. Focusing her magic once again on the past, Raka pulled up a ray of cold, and shot it at the shadow.

Attack Shadow 3! Even Spending a Pool Point to do so (Was surprised to see I've only spent one today)

Now Let's Snowball!
[roll0]
Damage (halved thanks to Incorporeal)
[roll1]
Staggered Save: [roll2]

I feel a bit rusty with this system of saves, so correct me if I did anything wrong.

[Felhammer]

Going to handle Frosthammer's attack, then mke another post for the shadows that survive.

The Reverend Mother leaps backward, behind her paladin friend. Holding up a holy symbol, Forsthammer calls out, "LORD OF DREAMS BANISH THESE ABOMINATIONS!" A wave of fire-red energy bursts forth from her symbol. The wave passes through the living with no ill-effect but when it strikes the shadow monsters, they writhe in agony!


Shadow 1: [roll0] // [roll1]
Shadow 2: [roll2] // [roll3]
Shadow 3: [roll4] // [roll5]

[Felhammer]

The Shadows hiss as they are attacked by the lightning, snowballs and arrows. They moan in pain as they are assaulted by the holy energy! Changing their tactics, two of the abominations head for Frosthammer, while the third attacks poor Jasper.

Lily and Jasper get an AoO on S3 as he flies overhead.

Shadow 1 attack on Frosthammer: [roll0] // [roll1] Strength Damage


Shadow 2 attack on Frosthammer: [roll2] // [roll3] // [roll4] Strength Damage


Shadow 3 attack on Jasper: [roll5] // [roll6] // [roll7] Strength Damage

Note these attacks pass through (ignore) natural armor, armor, and shields, although deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor) work normally against it.



Jasper and Nesinnis are grievously wounded as the shadows' attacks slice through all of their mortal armor and protections. "Lilya... We cannot win. The Wraiths are coming. I... I can feel them. We must flee. Please, my friend, we must go!"

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith curses as the shadows head into melee. "Bloody... No clean shot. Doesn't matter." She unleashes another barrage of arrows at the same shadow, being careful not to hit Lilyanna, Jasper or Frosthammer.

Full attack on shadow 1 (w/ manyshot, rapid shot, deadly aim, ranger's focus, height advantage, firing into melee: -4 atk, +10 dmg):


Attack 1 (Manyshot): [roll0]
Damage 1: [roll1][roll2]

Attack 2: [roll3]
Damage 2: [roll4]

Attack 3 (Rapid shot): [roll5]
Damage 3: [roll6]

Edit: I forgot to assign additional targets. Arrows fired after shadow 1 dies go to shadow 2, then shadow 3. With -4 on atk and dmg (no ranger's focus).

Again, with a bit of luck all her arrows hit their target. The first two do someting to one of the shadows attacking Frosthammer, the next two strike the one attacking Jasper. They're not nearly as effective, though.

[Rysc]

Fare

Wait, what did she...it probably wasn't "wraiths," right...

One of the shadows...well, dissolving? under Silith's arrows does little to distract Fare from what she thinks she's just heard. After tense glance into the darkness around the graveyard, she brings two more bolts of lightning down onto the shadows.

More Lightning Lord on S2 and S3.

Reflex:
S2: [roll0]
S3: [roll1]

Damage:
S2: [roll2]
S3: [roll3]

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Jasper, flank!," the Paladin urged. Then Lilyanna drew her weapon and glared at the second Shadow as she took a step toward it. Then, calling upon the holy power of Almaharra, she brought her greatsword down in a two-handed swing, bellowing, "SMITE EVIL!"

Here's the AoO (Jasper is not going to bother, as his natural attacks do not count as magical to deal 1/2 damage):
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Jasper moves around behind the shadow Lily is targeting, giving her a flanking bonus to attack (as well as an AoO from S2). He is also using a standard action to go Total Defense (+4 dodge bonus).

Lily 5' Step to W9
Move action to draw Greatsword +1
Swift Action to SMITE EVIL (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/paladin) on S2 and attack with Greatsword.
Attack (Power Attack w/Furious Focus): [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] (2d6 +1 for magic weapon +7 from strength + 9 from power attack +18 from Smite Evil)
(Lily also has a +3 deflection bonus vs S2 from Smite Evil now)

Edit: her attack roll should be 2 points higher due to flanking, but she hits anyway.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht


Aisha

She blinked a bit puzzled by his reaction. He was doing his usual flustered response again. She truly wasn't certain just what triggered it. She had pondered the idea if it was because he found an element of attraction to her yet he only seemed to react in such a way to random comments or the occasional action. Her own clueless nature to some of the unintentional innuendo she uttered.

She didn't bother questioning or pushing him forward with it. She didn't think of taking his words as anything more or an attempt to redirect the conversation. Unfortunately for Halbrecht her not catching onto what he was doing only caused her shift back.

"Yes... your right... why is stripping an issue? We are comrades, it is just the act of baring one's skin. I understand the purpose of concealing one's body in public but I see no reason why it would be no issue in a private setting, particular around those you trust. She spoke with a nod not seeing at the element that might flustered Halbrecht. She didn't view things in the more 'perverse' way Hal did after all.

"Is it you being afraid I do not find you physically attractive? I find you suitable for mating if that is your concern? There is no reason to be embarrassed about the act. If it makes you feel more at ease I could try and help you and allow you to get more comfortable around myself being without clothing." She spoke very plainly having a very 'dragon' way of viewing the typical concept of attraction. She lifted her hand up as she seemed to be getting ready to undress in a completely naive way of trying to 'fix' the issue Hal was facing.

Fort Save to ensure Halbrecht does not faint and roll con to stablize from bleeding out from the nose! XD

It was all Halbrecht could do to once again prevent his nose from bleeding and/or faint.

As it was, he found himself dealing with a rather tense problem down below, and his mouth ran dry as he vainly struggled to comprehend what was happening.

Is she that naive we may be comrades but we are not lovers it does feel kind of nice she trusts me that much and she finds you attractive and she says she finds you suitable for mating don't stop her boobies boobies boobies no get a hold of yourself you are a knight you do not take advantage of innocent shapely woman even if she does tend to repeatedly make unintentionally lewd comments oh sweet Almahara give me strength

"A-Aisha... we are comrades, it's true, and that does mean that there are more relaxed standards for what we can do around each other."

And thank goodness for that, otherwise I don't think we would have managed the trip to Verdna.

"But what you're suggesting - it's different from on the battlefield, where we have to change around each other for the purposes of survival, for cleaning wounds, for donning the appropriate gear. The kind of nudity you're proposing - it's a nudity that is shared between lovers. More intimate, something that is supposed to be one of a kind. And, well, I... I'm hopoing that one day Arna and I will be able to have that connection. So if I were to accept that offer... I know I'm not at that stage with her now, but it still feels wrong to me."

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She blinked looking at Hal, pausing her motion where she was. She looked to him hearing his voice not showing much of a reaction keeping her very plain empty expression on her face. Her eyes focused on him letting him finish not showing any signs of a reaction making it difficult to really judge just what she might be thinking.

"Do you think it would foster jealous from Arna if I did expose myself to you? I don't see her being the type to be jealous over such a thing. She gives the appearance of being very logical with her mindset from the limited time I had being around her. If you feel that uncertain I could keep your exposure to my nude frame quiet if it worries you still, she wouldn't need to know what we did." She spoke quite simply, continuing her unintentional poor choice of words.

She cocked her head to the side looking at him. "I am not quite sure I understand the link towards being intimate. It was simply a request for a game of which I had heard of with cards. The act was meant only to put yourself at ease so you wouldn't be so timid about being in such a state. I personally can't recall the notion of love..." She spoke looking up as she was in thought abut it.

It was still a strange concept for her to fully understand if she even had such a feeling before. "... love and the act of procreation are not two concepts that are not necessarily linked, one can function without the other." She spoke moving a bit closer placing her hands on his shoulder leaning in close. "I was not intending to give the impression I sought us as being lovers."

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka grimaced. She didn't like being so far away from the action, but she knew she probably wouldn't do any better up close. She vaguely remembered reading a spellbook about certain enchantments that would allow a weapon to damage the incorporeal as if they were solid. She had not taken the chance to learn that spell unfortunate, nor did she have a real handle on force missiles, so she ended up pulling out one of her wands, and shooting a weak dart at the last shadow.

Magic Missile! Raka really needs to learn the spell properly so she can do actual damage! Andy wizards around whose spellbooks she can peek at?

[roll0]

[Felhammer]

As one shadow falls, his vile essence spreads out to the graves surround him.

Frosthammer grasps her holy symbol and creates a magical circle that wards herself and the paladin from harm. "Lilya! We need to Hellfire out of here. NOW! The shadows will raise the dead. We'll be overrun!"

The shadows recoil in fear as they try to touch the two holy people.

The ground near three graves shakes and rattles. Slowly a skeletal arm reaches out of the dirt. Slower still, a fully formed undead skeleton clambers out from its place of rest.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Meanwhile, halfway across town, Halbrecht remained engaged in a situation far less dangerous to life and limb than the multitude of undead horrors threatening to kill his Highguard.

Although, if you'd told him the truth about the current situation, he probably would have preferred that to what he was currently facing. By some miracle, the cavalier's nose had not yet begun to shoot blood, though his mouth was dry and his hands were sweating and shaking as the limits of his self-control were tested. Now out of things to say, the cavalier stammered out a reply.

"U-um, anyway. While your offer is tempting, I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline, Aisha. How about we just play a normal game and aren't you getting a little close?"

Halbrecht gulped as Aisha put his hands on his shoulders and leaned in close, not used to being in quite such proximity to the half-dragon.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She looked at him as he spoke nervously back. She stared at him remaining ever so unaware as she had her hand on his shoulders leaned in. "Offer?" She repeated looking at him tilting her head to the side. She wasn't sure exactly what he meant... at least it seemed strange to her what she was saying would be considered as 'an offer'. She looked at him quietly for a bit.

"A normal game is fine... though I didn't think the thing I mentioned was that abnormal." She spoke looking up seeming in some thought about it remaining close without much thought to it outside his mentioning of it.

She kept her eyes locked to his. She stared curiously at him as silent had once again befallen Aisha. She slowly leaned in close. Her lips parted as they reached Halbrecht's. She kissed him, her arms wrapping around his neck as they were sealed against his. She held it for only a few seconds although the moment likely felt much longer for Hal. She pulled away slowly looking at him.

"I see, so that is what it is like." She spoke plainly, blinking a bit as she pulled her arms away quite casually seeming unfazed by what she did looking about.

"What card game did you wish to play?" She questioned him as if nothing had happened looking to find the deck.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"No, I cannot leave here. Get on Jasper and he will fly you out," she shouted. As the remaining Shadow stepped closer, Lilyanna again called down the power of Amaharra, smiting the Shadow to destruction.

Swift Action Smite Evil and Full Attack vs Shadow
Attack 1 (Using Power Attack and Furious Focus): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Attack 2: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Edit: And looks like the last Shadow is dead. Lilyanna takes a 5' step toward Jasper.

[Felhammer]

As the shadow dies, his essence floods into the earth and yet more skeletons are birthed!

The reverend hops on the mount. As she does, she looks down at the Paladin and says, "I'm sorry it came to this. I wish you could see things from my point of view. Know this, my friend, I will always cherish our friendship. You are my friend until the day we die." With that, she gives the mount a kick and he flies off into the sky and off into the distance...

The skeletons charge head long into battle, furiously raking Lilya and any other living being close by. The alarm bells toll, drawing forth the Ruby Guard from across the city. Over the course of the next several minutes, fully thirty skeletons are put down with extreme prejudice. Each death, causes a magical explosion, which grievously wounds any living being standing near by.

With the skeletons destroyed, the city returns to its normalcy. The guards pack up the wounded and take them into the church. After a few minutes, only the adventurers are left standing in the graveyard.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith watches as the fight below unfolds, deciding to spare her arrows. The risk of hitting innocent people is far too great. When it's done, the ranger climbs down to join Lilyanna. She rushes over to the paladin's side, a concerned look on her face. "Are you okay, Lilyanna?" The ranger looks up at the sky after Lily's answer. "Uh... I assume you're going to call Jasper back with Frosthammer?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht



Aisha

She looked at him as he spoke nervously back. She stared at him remaining ever so unaware as she had her hand on his shoulders leaned in. "Offer?" She repeated looking at him tilting her head to the side. She wasn't sure exactly what he meant... at least it seemed strange to her what she was saying would be considered as 'an offer'. She looked at him quietly for a bit.

"A normal game is fine... though I didn't think the thing I mentioned was that abnormal." She spoke looking up seeming in some thought about it remaining close without much thought to it outside his mentioning of it.

She kept her eyes locked to his. She stared curiously at him as silent had once again befallen Aisha. She slowly leaned in close. Her lips parted as they reached Halbrecht's. She kissed him, her arms wrapping around his neck as they were sealed against his. She held it for only a few seconds although the moment likely felt much longer for Hal. She pulled away slowly looking at him.

"I see, so that is what it is like." She spoke plainly, blinking a bit as she pulled her arms away quite casually seeming unfazed by what she did looking about.

"What card game did you wish to play?" She questioned him as if nothing had happened looking to find the deck.


As Aisha's arms wrapped around his neck, Halbrecht's eyes grew wide as saucers.

whatareyoudoingwhatareyoudoingwhatareyoudoing

And then Aisha kissed him. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx51eegLTY8)

It only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like forever to Halbrecht. The soft sensation of Aisha's lips against his, the fact that he could feel her heart beating against his, the closeness, the scent of a woman -

The realization that he would never be able to give his first kiss to Arna.

The realization that he had finally kissed a girl.

The resulting very, very conflicted feelings.

And then Aisha drew away and asked him what he wanted to play.

"...Baccara-"

And then the alarm bells started ringing.

"Oh hells. That has to be Silith and the other's work. Hopefully no-one actually got hurt. Quick, grab your sword and head for the graveyard."

Deciding that speed would be preferred rather than getting back into his armor, Halbrecht grabbed his sword and shook Starman awake, hoping against hope that his pupil hadn't been awake for any of that.

I will leave whether he was or not for Fel to decide.

*** A few minutes later... ***

Still in his civilian clothes, Halbrecht jogged up to see that, thankfully, the others had survived.

"Are you all okay? Where's Frosthammer?"

You sense that Halbrecht is looking rather flustered.

It reminds you rather a lot of those times when he's accidentally inserted his foot into his mouth and said something rather silly about romance - most notably, the time with the Carrot Wine back in Blackvale.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She heard Halbrecht's voice after as he seemed a little taken back after what she had done. It hadn't even phased her just what kind of conflict she could of started in his head. For her it was more so out of a sense of curiosity having heard when Hal had said to her. She shifted her attention as his words were interrupted by the alarms. She grabbed Raintalon, brandishing the blade before following with him lacking armor of her own.

______________________________________

She stood by Halbrecht glad to see everyone seemed to be in one piece. She kept quiet looking on just as prepared as Halbrecht was lacking her actual armor wearing her fine silken robe as it held onto her firmly custom tailored for her years ago showing only mild signs of wear. She wasn't one to care about that fine of detail, the outfit for her being worn more casually as something comfortable on the side.

[Rysc]

Fare

A few feet away from the others, Fare flutters down and shifts back to human form. "I think we're okay." She looks questioningly at Lilyanna. Then she turns to one of the now-empty graves by her feet and frowns. "The shadows...actually, let's get inside first. Whoever sent the undead obviously knew we--or Lilyanna would be here, and I'd rather not linger here."

[Felhammer]

The party scurries back to the safety of the Wizard's home. The homunculus rolls his eye when you return. "I thought you had left for good. You have disappointed me."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

The paladin was silent on the way back, trouble written on her face. Lilyanna looked at the homunculus and scowled. "Oh, shut up," she snapped, and burst through the doorway. "We have a situation," she said, and proceeded to explain what had happened. Before giving anyone a chance to comment, she held up a hand and pointed to the door. "Let's everyone go outside. I need to summon Jasper."

[Felhammer]

The group heads inside, then outside. The paladin calls forth Jasper. After a moment, the noble beast is summoned. He caws as he nuzzles his head against Lilya's hand.

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka followed the group inside silently. Her eyelids began drooping from fatigue, but she forced herself to stay awake. Details first. "So what exactly happened? Did that woman steal Jasper? I couldn't hear the specifics from my vantage point?"

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Pressing her hand to Jasper's neck, Lilyanna infused her mount with healing energy before answering Raka. "I told her to take Jasper to escape. A bit of a test on my part to see if she would merely fly to safety, or attempt to fly away. She chose the latter. That was Nesinnis, introduced to you as the Reverend Mother. Once she was my friend. Now? She tried to persuade me to run away with her to the Lord of Dreams, arguing that Halbrecht and Silith have committed crimes. She was to take me to Fort Shieldtrap, to meet up with the Baron, Lady Vexx, and other Romnid people. Shadows attacked us in the graveyard, and we slew them, but somehow their necrotic energy must have bled back into the ground and awakened skeletons. Almaharra was surely with us tonight!" The paladin paused as she considered the events of the night. "I did not detect any evil in Nesinnis, which leads me to believe that she has either been duped, or is under some kind of compulsion."

Using Lesser Restoration to heal [roll0] point of strength damage.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"The Lord of Dreams... an uncreative alias for the LORD OF NIGHTMARES, perhaps?"

Halbrecht scratched his chin.

"It is a shame we waited so long to call back Jasper. Now who knows where Frosthammer's got off to. As for the reason behind her evil, I would most likely suspect her of being duped, but... Unless we were to catch her and re-examine her for enchantments, I doubt we can say for sure."

Halbrecht sighed.

"In any case... does anyone have any idea if there's anything we can do about it now? If not, I suggest we get some rest. This has been a very... tiring evening."

[Felhammer]

The party heads to bed. For some, sleep comes easily, for others, sleep proves elusive.

In the morning, Podly delivers a platter of bacon and eggy toast. Rather than nicely laying things out, he just heaped the food into a foot-high pile. He drops the platter off with a clang, muttering something about waking him up in the middle of the night as he walks out of the room.

Later that morning, the council is summoned. All councilors save the priestesses of Reinarra and Almaharra are present. Vanova apologizes for her absence yesterday, stating that she was indisposed the afternoon previous.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Too tired to discuss anything further, Silith is one of the first to head to bed. Her sleep is hardly restful though; she's up almost all night tossing and turning and thinking about the events of the day, especially the whole "being commander of the rangers in Southern Maghemia" thing. She still feels rather bad after the incident with the trap, but at least she's pretty sure she's not dying anymore.

The next morning, she's relatively late for breakfast. For Silith, at least. After finishing her part of the breakfast pile, she takes the golden orb out of her pack and looks at it. "Didn't get a chance to look at this yesterday. Or on the boat." The ranger sighs, taking a good long look at the object. "I have no idea how this is supposed to work. I'll be back later, excuse me." Silith looks at Lilyanna for a moment before heading outside to take some time to study the orb in peace.

Later

At the council, she mostly wonders why they're there when they could be on their way to Songwillow.

[Felhammer]

The council bids the heroes a fast journey, providing Silith with a pair of adamantine manacles with which to binds Galathan. With the goodbyes said, the party heads back to the wizard for transport. Unfortunately, the Wizard is indisposed and.... Not actually present in the city!

"The great and powerful Badko Starimuz has left Vlastov," replies the homunculus, "The great and powerful Badko Starimuz is heading to Araland to help his lord - the Elector of Eaglemane himself." The little guy stands up straight and beams with pride. "In his absence..." His mood sours noticeably, "The great and powerful Badko Starimuz has asked that I, the great Poddly, transport you through Hellfire to..." He waddles over to a table and grabs a note, "Whitebuck." He looks up, "Why would you want to go there? Ugly elves live there. Also, a giant KING EATING dragon..."

After a moment he sighs, "Set on adventure are you? We may as well go now. I promised to bring a carrot cake back with me..."

The group heads outside and gathers around Poddly. The little guy begins to dispassionately chant, "Who has the right to rule? Hellfire. Who has the will to rule? Hellfire. Who has the blah blah blah? Hellfire!"

A burning orb manifests in the hands of the homunculus. "Touch it and let's get this over with."

You find yourself before the woman sitting on a throne. The throne room is completely black, shrouded in darkness. The only light is from the throne itself, which glows an eerie green. The woman wears an owl-feather gown. "Greetings Raka. You have returned. And so soon? I have another gift for you, my dear." The woman snaps her finger and out of the darkness bursts a red owl. The beast carries with it a beautiful golden ring emblazoned with five flying owls made from jade. "May it protect you on Songwillow. Tread carefully, my dear. Your enemies are gathered in Whitebuck... Before you can utter a reply, you are ripped away from the woman's presence...

Before anyone knows what is happening, the party bursts forth from an orb of fire and... Finds themselves in a darkened cave-like structure... Only the walls are not made from stone but... Wood. Dense wood... hard wood... The kind of wood that almost feels like... Iron. A single torch lights the thirty foot by thirty foot room, it rests comfortably next to a wide wooden cell door. Poddly looks around and grumbles, "Bah. Damn elves. They have a divergence enchantment cast upon the city. Seems we've been dropped off in jail..." Under his breath you can hear him mutter, "No wonder the master suddenly had "pressing business" to attend to...

A deep, guttural voice calls out from the far end of the room, "Halt! Who goes there? I am Lenfrey Coyne, Captain of the King's Guard." The heavy wooden cell door creeks open, revealing a four foot tall ratfolk. The man wears full plate armor made from thick obsidian. Over the armor, he wears a white, fur-lined tabard emblazoned with the symbol of the monarchy of Whitewillow (a cerulean sword stabbed into a mound of green earth). Slung around his neck is a mithral holy symbol of Sonbahar. A slender cold iron hammer hangs from his hip and a silver halberd in the shape of a crescent moon peaks over his shoulder. The ratfolk's body is nearly bald save for small patches of mint green and sky blue fur on his wrinkly pink skin. Lenfrey Coy walks down the seven steps that lead into the dungeon, "You will have to excuse the accommodations. We do not trust visitors who travel by way of Hellfire. The great enemy would use such means to attack us directly, if we dared not take precautions." He stops about fifteen feet from the party. His hand is firmly on his hammer. "I say again, who are you and what business do you have coming to Whitebuck?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht


*** Back in Vlastov... ***

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. As you may have heard the previous night, the Ruby Guard was called out to deal with a disturbance - a disturbance which, I am displeased to say, involved undead rising from one of the local graveyards." Halbrecht turned to Lilya. "Lilyanna will give the details, as she was present for the entirety of it."


*** Meanwhile, in Songwillow... ***


At Podly's remarks, Halbrecht replied, "Well, hopefully this misunderstanding can be cleared up sooner rather than later. We can't exactly do much from a prison cell."

At the entrance of Lenfrey, Halbrecht (who had opted to dress in his Earl's clothing) inclined his head in greeting and spoke.

"Greetings, Captain. My name is Halbrecht, Baron of Lake Westbow in Maghemia and a Starless Knight of Valor from Blackvale, and these are my companions: My Highguard, Dame Lilyanna Berngard, Raka Spelldaughter, Fare, Aisha Silverlight, and Ranger Silith Amastine. We have business with the Rangers, as we have a wanted criminal - " He pointed to the trussed-up Galathan - "To deliver to them, as well as other important news."

Diplomacy (if necessary): [roll0]

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

At the council...

Lilyanna stood before those assembled and began to speak, "At the meeting yesterday, I noticed my old friend Nesinnis - that is, the Reverend Mother - behaving strangely, particularly when Almaharra's name came up. I passed her a note during the council asking if I could meet with her after the council. Her reply was that we should meet alone in the aforementioned graveyard at midnight. This struck me as exceedingly strange, and my suspicions grew. I shared my concerns with my lord here and our other companions, and several of them decided to follow me. Once there, the Reverend Mother pleaded with me to leave them behind and join her at Fort Shieldtrap with Lady Vexx and the rest of the Romnid. She explained that my companions were fighting against what some "Lord of Dreams" was trying to accomplish, and wanted to use Hellfire to escape the graveyard once the undead started to close in. As it was my duty at that point to defeat the evil there, I refused. I would have anyway because I feared Nesinnis was under the influence of our enemies, whether through deceit on their part or if she was convinced of their ultimate goals, I cannot say. I summoned my gryphon, Jasper, and bade Nesinnis fly to safety on his back. This was partly a test to see whether she would simply get away from the graveyard or attempt to fly to her new allies, which she did. I slew two of the shadows by the power of Almaharra, but I believe their negative energy bled into the ground causing skeletons to wake. I am very thankful that Ruby Guard came in time. Upon arriving back at our current place of residence, I re-summoned Jasper and tended to his injuries. It is my belief that Nesinnis is somewhere between here and Fort Shieldtrap, if she has not already arrived there via Hellfire."

Lilyanna paused to let what she had said sink in before continuing, "It is also my fear that the Reverend Mother has been compromised in some way, or at the very least deceived. She should be officially relieved of duties in absentia and word sent out that she may be a danger to herself or those around her." The Paladin lowered her eyes and her voice grew somewhat softer. "It pains me to say this, as she was once my friend."

Diplomacy: [roll0]

Fel, I'm going to assume that Jasper got fully healed of his strength damage either the previous night or the morning of the council meeting, and that they had a short time available to visit the messenger pigeon place to send a letter to her father asking for troop support.

[Felhammer]

The ratfolk nods, "I have not heard of you but a Blackvalian is not something, or someone, I would ever sneer at." He turns to regard the half-elf, "Of course, I know Silith." He gives a firm handshake to the Ranger, "Welcome home, Commander. There is much we need to discuss." The King's Guard leads the party out of the cell and into a... Prison. It is massive in size, easily three hundred feet by three hundred feet, filled to the brim with plant-constructed cages and cells (like the on the party found themselves in initially). The cages are filled with goblins and hobgoblins, while the cells have xill and bugbears in them. "Foulbone hit us hard last week. Sailed around the Bay of Rain and hit Redview. Dropped off three hundred soldiers, who proceeded to race south into the Dreaming Forest. The Lord Regent, Lord-Protector Eoghan and the Venom Knights rode out on their centisteeds. It was a hard battle. Vetgur took a poisoned blade to the throat. He lived, thanks to Myrtle Sunnyskin's intervention. Without that the King's aunt..." He trails off.

"Regardless, times are hard. Rueserond has stepped up his attacks since the..." He looks at Halbrecht and the others from Blackvale, "Since his son hit your homeland. Three of our relief vessels were destroyed by Vrocks. No one knows where in the Hellfire they came from but the damned demons are flying above the sea, attacking every ship that dares to cross the straight."

As he leads the party out of the prison, the party notices a small girl held in a cell. She is very young, barely twenty. She sits on a chair, tears in her eyes. A tall, muscular guard looms over the lass, "I don't take kindly to pranks!" As you round a corner, you see the man's armor has been covered in pink paint, "It's going to take weeks to get this paint off!"

Lenfrey takes the group to a small elevator inside of a tree trunk. After a short sojourn, the party is deposited on a wide deck that wraps around the largest tree you have ever laid your eyes on. It is fully three hundred feet wide by itself! Its texture of the bark is hard, like iron. Men clad in beautiful armor and decked out with fine weapons trot about the deck, going this way and that.

As you make your way through the throng of people, you see it.

This city is a forest of massive trees, each wrapped in decking that snakes their way from the forest floor to the very tip of the trees. Hempen rope bridges span the gaps betwixt the trees, criss-crossing in strange and marvelous ways, creating a veritable web of connections. Some of the bridges even cross paths with one another, allowing for traffic to flow in fully four or even six directions! Rope ladders are strung up and down, connecting vertical bridges that connect different levels.

Vendors, merchants and hucksters walk the various bridges, selling their wares.

Besides the decking, each tree is also encapsulated by buildings, which hug the trunk of the trees, these places serve as homes, shops and more. The city is bustling with people. Not just elves but humans, dwarves, halflings, kitsune and ratfolk. The common folk look happy, taking joy in their lives.

Down below, on the forest floor, the party spies herds of pygmy elephants grazing on the grass, with will-o-wisps dancing around the beasts.

"If you've never been here before, it can be quite disorientating. Especially for people used to only having a single ground level." The ratfolk smiles as he treks off onto a bridge. When the group looks over the side, they see that they are nearly a fifty feet off the forest floor. As they head further and further out, it becomes obvious in the inner two rings look like nobles and wealthy merchants. The father you get away from the central tree, the more poor the people become. us that the great trees are laid out in concentric circles. The central most tree is clearly the largest and tallest. The trees surrounding the central one are of a good size. The decking and buildings are all ornate and well crafted. The second ring has a smaller number of much thicker trees, which are equally ornately decked out as the first. The next two circles have less ornate and more practical buildings and architecture, while the last circle has the smallest trees. The buildings on this final ring look far more slapdash and hastily constructed than anything else. Just as the buildings go from immaculate to fine, to slummy, so too do the people and their clothing.

Surrounding the entire city is a fifty foot wide moat filled with sparkling green-orange water. "The moat is magical. We can light it on fire. Not only does it keep the goblinoids at bay but it also blocks the undead from flying into the city."

The ratfolk guide comes to a halt as they near one of the trees on the outer edge of the city. Unlike the others, this tree looks like a military garrison, with troops of varying quality marching about and practicing their martial skills. "This is East Watch, the garrison on the eastern edge of the city. From here, I can extend the draw bridge that will allow you to safely cross the moat. Once you cross, you will need to head due east, over the White Hills and up into the Serenepeace Mountains. From there, the Commander should be able to find the trail that leads up to the peak of Dawn's Mountain, to the lonely tower known as Dawn's Light." He takes a deep breath, "I warn you. Our guardian dragon - Viasarius - has been captured by the force of Rueserond. The Mountains were always more of his domain than anyone else's. Without his protection (and our own forces stretched thin protecting us from enemies on two flanks), the mountains have been reclaimed by monsters and ferocious beasts. Be careful." As he signals his men to drop the bridge, he asks, "Is there anything else you need before making your journey?"


http://orig13.deviantart.net/27b0/f/2013/235/5/d/amethyst_isles_of_rimecroft__whitebuck__city__by_e lemental_elf-d6jfb4i.png

[BramsesII]

Silith

The ranger is about to introduce herself when the captain recognizes her. She nods with a small smile. "Greetings, captain. It's good to see you. I see news travels fast. Yesterday you'd still have called me Third ranger."

As they head to the city proper, the ranger looks at the others in her party. "Welcome to Whitebuck, everyone. Don't make any missteps. It's a long way down." She speaks with a grin on her face.

Her face lights up as the group makes their way through Whitebuck. It's obvious that the ranger is very glad to be back in the city she grew up in, even if it is only for a moment. Occasionally, she'll point something out to the others, something that she remembers or that has been important to her in the past. The group doesn't pass by the house she and her sister grew up in, unfortunately.

When they arrive at the bridge and Lenfrey gives the group an explanation, Silith keeps quiet and lets him talk, even though she knows quite well how to get to Dawn's Light. "So, not much has changed in my absence. I'm sorry to hear that captain."

"But I think we are good to go. Unless anyone else needs something I think we can get going to deliver our package." The ranger looks at Lilyanna, then the ratfolk. "Would fliers attract extra attention, captain? Because if not, I think you should cover us from the sky, Lilyanna. I'd suggest we travel in our normal formation for the rest, though." She nods determinedly. "I'll be taking point."

I'll roll perception in the OOC thread.

[Felhammer]

[SUB]
The councilors are shocked by the revelations that Lilya brings forth. "Never in all my days would I think Frosthammer an enemy of Westbow... We tank you, my lady, for your service to the people of Vlastov." Comments Vanova. "The Reverend is an enemy of the city and of the Barony. I will put out a warrant for her arrest. I heard there was an orc bounty hunter in town. I will be sure to send a messenger to him. As for trial... Only the church can do that. We have no power over the clergy. I will send a letter to the Almaharans in Scrollford, asking for their opinion."

Lady Haug sighs, "She knows our plans and contingencies. We must act quickly before she can relay that information to our enemies, before they can use that information to bring harm to us our our interests. Through my contacts, I was able to find five hundred mercenaries willing to rally to his lordship's banner. They are two weeks out and are not inexpensive. They are fine men though. Battle hardened, I am told. I will personally finance a quarter of the men, as a show of solidarity with both his lordship and the people of this fine Barony."

Voj is next to speak, "I will have my men craft arms and armor for the Ruby Guard, so that they may be better equipped for the coming war."

"There is little else we can do. The letters to all of the nobles have been sent out. We shall see what kind of aid they send come two weeks hence." She looks into Lilya's and Halbrecht's eyes, "Hurry back. War will not wait for the tardy."

[Estralita]

Raka

After Traveling via Hellfire...

Raka shook her head rapidly, trying to gather her thoughts. She mumbled under her breath about gods butting in and grabbing people, but without as much malice as normal. The goddess seemed only able to contact her when she travled through Hellfire, and wasn't so much ordering her around as giving her a heads-up. Although she might have expected there would be enemies in Whitebuck, they seemed to have enemies everywhere.

Also, there was the ring.More gifts.If she wasn't a goddess, Raka might joke about traveling through Hellfire more often. But even helpful seeming gods could be tricky. Raka examined it to see what it did

Good old Spellcraft and Knowledge(Arcane) checks

S:[roll0]
K(A):[roll1]

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare is very thankful when the captain turns out to be familiar with Silith and the party is quickly escorted out of prison.

The city is utterly fascinating. The druid is so preoccupied in trying to take in all the sights that, if not for railings, she probably would've fallen off the bridges and walkways several times over. Perhaps it's because she has multiple means of preventing herself from plummeting to death, but she also finds the heights and layers of the city quite awe-inspiring. Fare has to remind herself why they're here as the captain pauses to speak near one of the outer bridges. She does her best with all the new names and information, because that's definitely going to be helpful in the journey ahead, but she keeps drifting back to the marvels of the city.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht frowned as they passed by the girl and man in pink armor, but refrained from saying anything, not wishing to tread on local justice. He then turned to Lenfry as they reached the edge of Whitebuck.

"Barring any trouble as we pass through the White Hills, about how long does the journey to Dawn's Light take?"

[Felhammer]

The ratfolk looks out across the Dreaming Forest as he ponders the question, "The tower is not far from here but many thousands of feet up. If you are traveling by horse, probably a day, day and a quarter." He looks over the heavy warhorse and says, "They don't move as fast. Take longer with that one." Turning back to the group he continues, "If you are going by foot, then a day and a half, at least."

Lenfrey looks at the gryphons then comments, "Not sure what use they'd be. The Dreaming Forest is dense, with a thick canopy. It is a wild and untamed place. The gryphons could fly above the canopy but then they wouldn't be able to defend the walkers. Inside the forest, they wouldn't have that much room to maneuver. Once you get to the mountains, the mounts will prove very useful as it is all open terrain up there.

He walks over and gives Jasper a pet, "Amazing animals. Never seen two in the same place before."

As the ratfolk finishes his sentence, loud calls can be heard, shortly thereafter the calls become comprehensible - someone is yelling to lower the draw bridge. Moments later, five unicorns all clad in full plate armor gallop into sight.

"Damn. LOWER THE BRIDGE!"

With a clank, the bridge's mechanism fly into action. The wooden passage slams down across the moat with a bang. Seconds later the unicorns races across to the safety of the city.

The unicorns are all female, each decked out in obsidian full plate, like Coyen. All of the unicorns have ivory white fur, except the leader, who has patches of silver mixed in. The lead unicorn's horn is also long and more scimitar-shaped than the others. "My lord! Unit Seven reporting in! We spotted Xill in the forest. Seven of them. We engaged immediately. They were armed with paralysis blades. Felled three of my girls instantly. The mage, who was with us, was killed."

The ratfolk's eyes narrow, "Did they impregnate?"

"Yes. All three unicorns were impregnated by the Xill."

"DAMN!" Lenrey stomps on the ground, "Looks like we're going to have a gaggle of Uni-Xill in 90 days."

"I... I am sorry, my lord..."

"Not your fault. I sent you out there to find Lenna Galahad. Reports placed here out there near Redview. We had no idea Foulbone was sending a barge in that direction. You're luck you escaped." The King's Guard turns around to address the men of East Watch, "Our top priority is finding the cave or ditch the Xill stuffed the paralyzed solders in. I want units two through ten scouring the area near where the battle happened. They couldn't have dragged three full sized unicorns off very far. GET MOVING PEOPLE!" He then turns to the lead Unicorn of Unit Seven. "I am re-assigning your squad. You are to protect Commander Silith and her friends as they deliver a fugitive to Dawn's Light Tower."

The unicorn begins to object but a glare from the Captain silences her. "Aye. Sir."

The soldiers in East Watch hustle about gathering their kit and horses. Meanwhile the lead unicorn bows her head before Silith, "I am Solstice Swordhoof, daughter of Lord-Protectors Della Mercyhoof and Dineg Swordhope (who is also the Grand Lord of Arms). I am pledged to the King's Guard, the protectors of His Majesty, King Derek Hopeskin. I see you are adventuring with people from Blackvale. May I take a moment to express my love for the soon-to-be Queen - Elipeth of House Blackroy. May the two rule for an elf's age and bear many children... When they are old enough for such things."

[BramsesII]

Silith


"Not sure what use they'd be. The Dreaming Forest is dense, with a thick canopy. It is a wild and untamed place. The gryphons could fly above the canopy but then they wouldn't be able to defend the walkers. Inside the forest, they wouldn't have that much room to maneuver. Once you get to the mountains, the mounts will prove very useful as it is all open terrain up there."

Silith nods. "You're right, I hadn't considered that." She looks at Lilyanna and smiles slightly. "Tactics involving flyers aren't something you encounter much as a ranger."


"I am Solstice Swordhoof, daughter of Lord-Protectors Della Mercyhoof and Dineg Swordhope (who is also the Grand Lord of Arms). I am pledged to the King's Guard, the protectors of His Majesty, King Derek Hopeskin. I see you are adventuring with people from Blackvale. May I take a moment to express my love for the soon-to-be Queen - Elipeth of House Blackroy. May the two rule for an elf's age and bear many children... When they are old enough for such things."

Silith bows to the unicorn addressing her. "Thank you, Solstice Swordhoof. As captain Coyne said, I am Silith Amastine, daughter of the rangers Elor and Cecilia Amastine, who fought and died at the battle of Caldera. I was recently appointed commander of the rangers in Southern Maghemia. I am sorry for the loss of your comrades." The ranger sighs. "We are honored by your protection. With luck our journey will be quick so that you can return to your duties swiftly. Let's hope we can avoid those Xill."

"Fare, perhaps you should consider keeping a few spells ready to remove diseases. We might need those." The ranger turns to Fare for that last comment.

"Is everybody ready to get moving? As said, I'll take point."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Following Silith's example, Halbrecht inclined his head in greeting to Solstice.

"Your well-wishes are much-appreciated, Solstice Swordhoof - and my condolences for your comrades."

He then turned to Silith. "I am ready to depart."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Jasper leaned into Lenfrey's touch, clearly enjoying the attention, before tapping his beak against Lilyanna's armor. "Yes, and they're very courageous, aren't you Jasper?" Lilyanna scratched the gryphon's neck fondly as she listened to the rest of the exchange. When the unicorns arrived, she had trouble tearing her eyes from the magnificent creatures. A thought flitted through her mind that it would be wonderful to have one as a companion, but then Jasper nuzzled his beak against her neck, banishing any such ideas. She looked up and smiled as Silith was speaking, "I can also remove disease, should the need arise." After the exchange concluded, Lilyanna swung up into her saddle and grasped her lance, but wore a troubled expression, thoughts of Nesinnis turning over in her mind.


Apologies for my relative quiet. I intended to post more today, but I had an unexpected plumbing issue among other things.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She looked over to Silith giving a light nod. It was perhaps a bit of a strange place to be though she wasn't all that taken back by it. "I'm ready. I can stay around the middle. I can move around quick enough if we be attacked." She spoke quickly in response. She had traveled around enough to figure out such a thing would be a good idea. A dense woods would make a higher likelihood they could be attacked from the side or from behind. She wasn't really that familiar with traveling through such a place as it was or what dangers she might need to look out for.

[Rysc]

Fare



"Fare, perhaps you should consider keeping a few spells ready to remove diseases. We might need those."
"Is everybody ready to get moving? As said, I'll take point."

Fare nods, then takes a few steps forward and shifts into the familiar shape of an air elemental. "Ready when you are."

[Felhammer]

The party and Team Seven trek off into the Dreaming Forest. The trail leading away from Whitebuck soon disappears, leading into a trackless sea of trees. "Worry not friends. I know the Forest like I know the bottom of my hoof," states the confident unicorn.

After an hour of walking through the mire and the muck of a particularly wet/marshy expanse of the forest, Solstice says, "I heard you became the Commander of Southern Maghemia. Word spread like wildfire down here. It is such an honor to have one of our own become so important in such a distant land. I am sure you know this, but every one here in Whitewillow is proud of you, Commander Silith."

The party treks ever onward to the White Hills. The hills are covered in alabaster white rock, dotted with thick deciduous trees. Given the time of year, the trees' leaves are as large as a man's hand and as vibrantly green as Oathic emeralds.

Silith recognizes this area well for many neophyte Rangers are brought here to train. She herself likely spent many a month practicing here in the White Hills, honing her skills. King Letnin Hopewind was particularly fond of the hills, having often said that they reminded him of the beauty of old Songwillow, before the rise of Rueserond... Or at least as much as he could remember as he was just a babe when the dragon awoke and washed the eastern half of the isle in ash and lava.

As the party crests the hill, they look out upon the isle. Whitebuck can be clearly seen off in the distance, its immensely tall trees towering over the landscape. As they look to the north...

I roll dice, you add your modifiers :)

Silith [roll0]
Aisha [roll1]
Fare [roll2]
Halbrecht [roll3]
Raka [roll4]
Lilyanna [roll5]
Starman [roll6]
Suntalon [roll7]
Jasper [roll8]
Adamant [roll9]

You see movement in the canopy off to the north west. perhaps six miles away. Occasionally, a crimson-colored insectoid man jumps out of the forest, leaping high up into the air, then gently slips back into the sea of green. As you watch, you see about five, maybe six, of these creatures jumping around.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pR-H8wAQ1sM/UHUIKx19LyI/AAAAAAAAAuM/In2dyq_8dZg/s1600/xill_color_ryansumo.jpg

[Lord Of Mantas]

Starman

Initially, Starman had not spoken during the sojourn into Whitebuck, as he had been busy nearly twisting his head off trying to see everything - the trees, the multilayered city, the unicorns. As they crested the White Hills, however...

"Look! To the northwest, about six miles away - five, maybe six red insect things jumping out of the canopy!"

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

The paladin nodded, loosening her sword in its sheath. " I see them. Unfriendly, I imagine?"

[Felhammer]

Solictice's eyes narrow, "Xill. Probably the ones who killed my girls. Commander Silith. I hate to do this but..." The Unicorn charges forward, running over the crest of the hill and down the path that winds its way to the forest on the far side of the hills.

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka squinted at the approaching enemies. For some reason, her eyesight felt sharper than before, but the were so far away. "So, we fight?

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith curses herself for not seeing the Xill sooner. With the unicorn racing off and other party members preparing for a fight, Silith confirms Raka's question. "We fight. Doesn't come any more unfriendly than Xill, Lily."

"Solstice! Don't charge too far ahead! We need to stick together." She looks back at the group. "Follow her as best you can, everyone. Remember: Xill have poisoned blades and don't let them lay their eggs inside you!" The ranger takes a moment to cast a spell before running after the unicorn.

Casting Longstrider (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/l/longstrider) (lasts 6 hours)
Move action to follow Solstice, moving 40 ft.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Don't let them lay their eggs inside you! The paladin shuddered involuntarily with revulsion at the thought and urged Jasper forward after Silith, "Ride, Jasper. Show us the meaning of haste!" Lilyanna gripped her lance tightly in one arm, her expression set and determined.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Shuddering at the memories of the Xill from the ship and the scourging, Halbrecht spurred Suntalon forward.

"Ride, Suntalon. Fliers, stick to the ground - we will need the element of surprise if we want to catch these foul creatures off-guard."

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare curses under her breath, both at the Xill and at Solstice charging ahead by herself. She nods at Halbrecht's words, then speeds off after the ranger and the unicorn.

[Felhammer]

The party treks off into the trackless depths of the Dreaming Forest. The woodland is densely packed with trees, shrubs, vines and other plant life. The terrain is also rugged, with many round boulders tossed around the landscape, as if hurled by some kind of giant. The forest proves an overwhelming obstacle for travel, slowing the party's movement to a crawl. After an hour of travel, Solstice comes to a rest in a small grove covered in red roses.

"We should have found them by now! Damn Xill. They must have gone into hiding!" barks the Unicorn Charger. "Spread out and see if you can find them, girls!"

The other unicorns break off in random directions searching for the extra-planar creatures.


Silith [roll0]
Aisha [roll1]
Fare [roll2]
Halbrecht [roll3]
Raka [roll4]
Lilyanna [roll5]
Starman [roll6]
Suntalon [roll7]
Jasper [roll8]
Adamant [roll9]

After scouring the area, you find a massive corpse. It has long since decayed, only leaving a nasty skeleton covered in creep crawly bugs. As you look at the giant, you can clearly see that it had its head bashed in with a hammer and an axe or a sword seems to have smashed through most of his ribs.

After scouring the area, you find a massive corpse. It has long since decayed, only leaving a nasty skeleton covered in creepy crawly bugs. As you look at the giant, you can clearly see that it had its head bashed in with a hammer and an axe or a sword seems to have smashed through most of his ribs.

Near the corpse is a very large tree. It would look like another other in the forest except... It does not look quite real. The wind does not rustle the tree's leaves and the shadow it leaves behind isn't quite right, given its position and time of day.

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare mentally groans as the unicorns scatter, fairly certain that what with hidden Xill around there are...better options. There's really nothing much she can do about that, so she sighs and does her part in looking around the clearing. She does make sure to stay with the party, though.

At the first glimpse of the skeleton she flinches, half-expecting it to rise and attack, but it stays still and insect-covered. What's more interesting is the tree. Or rather, whatever's trying to seem like a tree. She frowns and nods in its direction. "I don't think that tree...well, it doesn't seem quite real. Someone's trying to hide something."

Detect Magic on the tree! And in case that doesn't bring anything up, Knowledge (Nature) trying to figure out what it might be: [roll0]

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith looks at the unicorn. "I'd advise against splitting up your forces, Solstice. They could easily pick them off one by one. Besides, Fare's right. There's definitely something about that tree that is off." The ranger turns to Fare. "Can you handle the tree? I'm going to see if I can find out what killed that... big one over there."

She moves closer to the corpse with her sword drawn, keeping an eye out for possible attackers. Should she reach it without being attacked, Silith'll begin examining the corpse to figure out what it was and what happened to it.

Perception: [roll0]
Knowledge (nature): [roll1]
Heal to figure out what killed it: [roll2]

Remember everyone: we're in a forest, which means +2 perception, stealth, survival and initiative to all the partymembers (Silith gets a +4 instead of +2)

[Felhammer]

You sense that the tree is an illusion.

The Giant looks to have died many years ago, quite probably in combat. It does seem odd so many little bugs are crawling over it, since it is mostly a skeleton now (the flesh long since rotting away).

The corpse looks like a giant. Probably a hill giant. You know that the necromancer known as Daedras Malavore has a fleet of slave ships, which scour the Southern Warblade Archipelago for, well, salves. His most prized slaves are the Hill Giants, native to the southern coasts of Warblade isle. Considering how often the forces of Foulbone attack Songwillow, it only makes sense a few giant corpses would be found laying about.


Solitice ignores the request to huddle up, "No. We need to find these Xill and exact our revenge. My girls can handle themselves long enough for us to rush over and help."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Yes, that tree does not appear natural," the Paladin agreed, eyeing the "tree" with deep mistrust. "Anyone care to test that theory? Can Xill use illusion magic?"

[BramsesII]

Silith

"I hope they can warn us before they get paralyzed, then." She looks over her shoulder at Solstice as she speaks. "It's your call." The ranger turns her attention back to the skeleton. "It's a giant. Or at least it was one. Nothing unexpected around here."

Silith turns back to Fare. "What about the tree? Do you think it's here hiding something?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

As Adamant and Suntalon nickered and clacked, respectively, in a rather mistrustful way at the tree, Halbrecht also eyed it suspiciously, then nodded his head as Lilya, Fare, and Silith confirmed his suspicions.

"Starman, fire an arrow into the middle of the tree. If it doesn't hit anything, we'll move forward into it."

Starman will fire an arrow at the tree to make sure no-one's using it to hide, then he and Hal will both move forward into it to try and see if it's hiding something.

[roll0] against the DC for Total Concealment if something's hiding inside - 1-50 hits, 51-100 misses.

Attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

If nothing cries out in pain or gives itself away otherwise, Hal and Starman will both move forward into the illusion, remaining mounted the whole time.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

The Paladin cleared her throat loudly at the prospect of both Starmand and Halbrecht riding into a mysterious illusion on their own. "My lord, perhaps the bodyguard should go first?" Without waiting for an answer, Lilyanna urged Jasper forward in front of the other two.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith holds up her free hand. "Starman! D..." She yells too late to prevent Starman from shooting. "Don't just randomly shoot things. What if it's an ally hiding behind an illusion?" Annoyance is apparent in her voice.

She sighs. "Let's hope noone friendly was hurt. Fare, Raka, Aisha, can any of you do something about that suspicious tree that does not involve shooting or charging in blindly? Maybe let us see through it somehow?" Silith looks at Halbrecht and arches a brow. Really Halbrecht? You thought that was a good idea?

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare looks at Silith, then the tree-illusion. "Well, if it's friendly we could just ask it." And look exceedingly stupid. "Though I do agree, maybe try with a stone next time instead of an arrow. This definitely is an illusion of some kind, but as for seeing through it...I can try dispelling it, but that might be more trouble than it's worth." She shrugs. "I don't really have a lot of experience with illusions."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Starman

Starman, who had just been about to release the arrow when Silith called out, lowered his bow just in time to keep from shooting. In the meanwhile...

Cancelling Starman's arrow test.

Remember kids, if the DM doesn't resolve it, it never happened. :smallbiggrin:

Halbrecht

Halbrecht looked at Silith. "If it was an ally, I would think, or at least hope, it would have said something when we got close. Either there's nothing behind there, or a very patient enemy." He turned to Fare. "Dispelling it would be the least trouble overall, if you think we can spare the spell."

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She looked over shaking her head in response. "I don't have anything of the sort to dispel magic." She spoke quite plainly in response looking to Silith. Her eyes darted back to the strange illusion tree scanning it contently. She kept her blade in hand, holding it out in her grasp prepared should something threatening decide to come out to attack them.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith frowns. "Halbrecht, whatever is behind it, shooting arrows into the unknown is never a good idea." She sighs. "But a stone is a good idea. If nobody can dispel the illusion, we should at least know if there's something behind that tree."

The ranger looks at Starman. "Go ahead, Starman." She holds her sword in her left hand, the blade near the ground.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht considered Silith's words and then shrugged. "That I will concede." He then nodded at Starman...

Starman

Who, dismounting Adamant, picked up a stone off the forest floor and, after giving it a ccouple of practice tosses, hurled it toward the illusory tree trunk.

[Felhammer]

The stone flies through the illusion, like a punch through fog.

As the party creeps up on the illusion, they see that it is hiding a five foot wide stone well. A wooden ladder has been dropped down into the cavernous hole. From your vantage point, there does not seem to be a bottom, although it could simply be that it is too dark to see the bottom.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht looked to the others.

"There's bound to be something significant down there, if someone went to the trouble of using an illusion to guard it, but I feel we should make sure that there are no Xill above ground first - or if there are, kill them. The last thing we want to happen is to not be able to respond to Solstice and the others."

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith nods. "Agreed. We should post a guard or two at the well though, in case there are Xill down there that decide to come out." The ranger turns to Solstice. "I take it your girls haven't found anything yet? Do you think they might have spotted us and gone into hiding?"

[Rysc]

Fare

When nothing horrible immediately crawls out of the well, Fare also turns her attention to the surroundings.

If I were a Xill...ha, when has something like that ever helped.

I forgot Fare has on-demand Outsider/Fey/Undead radar... so Spirit Sense! First down the well (range is probably not long enough but she'll try anyway), then she'll pick a direction at random facing out of the clearing. I there's time she'll try to face north/east/south/west to cover a wider perimeter.

[Felhammer]

The unicorn assembles her soldiers. Each reports that they have no seen any xill. Solstice shakes her head as she looks into Silith's eyes, "No sign of any Xill, Commander. Leave the boy, the gryphons and the horses up here. We'll cover you in case the Xill come for the well."

Once the party decides on a marching order, the group descends into the heart of darkness that is the well. The stench of excrement and blood is palpable once you climb fifteen feet or so down. The stone-made well is shaped like a potion bottle, with a long, narrow neck and a wide but stout base. The bottom of the well itself is thirty feet wide. A foot of water sits on the floor, coming up just HIGH enough to seep into your boots. The water reeks of stagnation. Six three-foot round pipes shoot off in separate directions. Each is half full of water and look to extend for at least a hundred feet.

Silith [roll0]
Aisha [roll1]
Fare [roll2]
Halbrecht [roll3]
Raka [roll4]
Lilyanna [roll5]

The smell of rot is strongest through the northern passage, the south-eastern one is the least smelly.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith nods. "Right. Let's hope this doesn't take too long." She looks Solstice in the eyes before descending down the well. Once down, the ranger takes point as usual. She considers casting a spell to enhance her sense of smell, but with the scent of rot already heavy in the air, the ranger decides against it. Bad idea.

She points at the smelliest passage. "Something reeks that way. I suggest we check that out first." Silith looks behind her. "I'll take point. Who's behind me, and who's bringing up the rear?"

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka's nose wrinkled at the smell. The smell seemed to be overpowering in all directions, but she had never had a particularly strong sense of smell. "Lead the way; I'll take the rear."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"If you want to be reasonably quiet, I'll take up the rear ahead of Raka; otherwise, I'll follow right behind you."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Ruffling the feathers on Jaspers neck affectionately, Lilyanna also left her lance strapped to his hauberk. "Keep an eye out, my friend," she said. "And watch over the others, will you? I'm not sure how long we'll be below." Then she joined the others at the bottom of the well and took a position in front of Halbrecht, greatsword out and at the ready.

[Felhammer]

The party drops to their knees and wades through the muck as they crawl through the pipe. The tunnel is about a hundred feet long. Hal and Lilya often struggle to squeeze through given their armor's sheer bulk. A thirty foot by thirty foot by thirty foot chamber lays at the end of the pipe. It is filled with corpses. Fetid, disgusting, bloated corpses. All manner of creature lay within - halflings, humans, elves, dwarves, etc. Also animals, like horses, donkeys, birds and more. The bodies look to have been dropped in from a hole in the ceiling. Perhaps another cleverly disguised well.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Well before entering the chamber Silith retches. "This is getting more disgusting by the minute." She nearly loses her breakfast when the sight before her unfolds. "Blegh... That's... horrifying." The ranger looks behind her at the others, then turns back to scan the room. "Eyes open. There may be something hiding in here. How is everyone doing?"

Perception check: [roll0]