Strange Aeons: The Thrushmoor Terror, Part 2 [IC]

[digiman619]

Rather than leave himself as a target, Flair rushes back into the room, readying himself to strike back at the assassin should she reveal herself.

Spoiler: OOC

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MA to get into the room with my allies.
I don't recall at the moment if my crossbow is loaded or not. If it is, ready an action to fire at the assassin if she comes into visual range. If it isn't, reload my crossbow.

[lostsole31]

R13T21.5: Rather than leave himself as a target, Flair rushes back into the room, readying himself to strike back at the assassin should she reveal herself.

R13T21: ...

R13T20: St. Dorn re-readies....

End Round 13, Begin Round 14 ...

R14T23: Brother Jaume, what do you do?

Flair on deck, Risi in the hole?, Vilma/ Winter delaying ....

[Blackhawk101]

BJ attempts to hop onto the table to his South. Whether or not he is successful, he readies himself.

Spoiler: crunch

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MA: jump up to the south
SA: BJ readies an attack with his fist should the assassin enter his threatened area. NL damage. No sauce.
to hit - (1d20+9)[17]
to damage - (1d8+5)[9]

[lostsole31]

R14T23: Brother Jaume hops onto the bureau to the south and readies himself.

R14T21.5: Flair, your readied action did not go off. What do you do?

Risi on deck? St. Dorn in the hole, Vilma/ Winter delaying ...

[lostsole31]

R14T21.5: Flair simply resets his readied action to attack the assassin if she comes into view.

R14T20: St. Dorn resets his readied action...

End Round 14, Begin Round 15 ...

R15T23: Brother Jaume, what do you do?

Vilma on deck, Flair in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Brother Jaume waits; ready to act.

Spoiler: crunch

Show

BJ will ready an action to strike the assassin is she appears.

[lostsole31]

And now, with everyone readied (and re-readying) and delaying ... several, several seconds pass.

Does anyone break the standoff because you're impatient, or do you maintain taut vigilance?

[digiman619]

Flair keeps his crossbow aimed. It wouldn't be the first time that an enemy went invisible and left him hanging for a few minutes before it was apparent that they were gone.

[lostsole31]

About 20 seconds go by. Flair feels both of his vestige major abilities return. Vilma, with her shield readied, moves just out into the corridor to block the doorway and protect her friends. Yet another taut fifteen seconds go by...

Flair, roll a Fort save. You are unaware of the danger and cannot choose to respond with an ability which you must invoke, which is not the same as "not knowing what the save is for." You cannot use your Deductive Leap for this saving throw.

[digiman619]

Spoiler: Fort Save

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Extra text!
(1d20+4)[9]

[lostsole31]

Suprise Round: There is a ruffling sort of thump behind the party.

Begin Round One ...

R1T25: More movement, and sounds like someone drinking something, with the faint tinkle of a tiny glass vial dropped and breaking on the floor. "Now I'm ready for the lot of you," says the assassin's voice.

R1T20: Vilma you spin to look into the sitting room. In addition to your standing (and still gobsmacked) party members, Flair is face down on the rug. There is a pool of blood fast spreading outwards from his head. What do you do?

[silphael]

Vilma looks around, trying to find the broken glass, before advancing to try to protect who she still can.

Spoiler

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Since some glass broke, there should be shard somewhere ? Then moving 1E 1SE, and readying an attack if I get a glimpse of her presence within my threatened area. (and I still haven't recovered my morningstar)

Attack in case - (1d20+10)[28]
Damage - (1d4+6)[7]

[lostsole31]

R1T20: Vilma looks around, trying to find the broken glass, and sees some just north of where Flair lays. She then advances to try to protect who she still can.

R1T19: Winter backs into the corner after she turns and sees Flair. She doesn't have to check his body, for a spell from Pharasma that has been running for many minutes still tells her what she now tells you. "Flair is dead. Not dying .... dead."

R1T12: St Dorn turns and looks at Flair and the noise, then listens to Winter. With a grimly set jaw, he steps over to the sitting room door to the hallway .... and shuts it. He then turns around.

R1T8: Brother Jaume, what do you do?

Vilma on deck, Winter in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Hearing the glass break and Flair fall, Brother Jaume leaps from his perch on one table to the larger central table; his bare legs and fluttering robe passing close to Vilma as he leaps past her. Landing with a thump, his muscles bunch and ripple as his form grows large. He readies to swing at the assassin should he detect her.

Spoiler: crunch

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MA:five foot jump to the East
SwA:enlarge. Expand to fill the table.
SA: ready an action to swing staff at assassin if he detects her location.
to hit - (1d20+8)[11]
to dam - (1d8+9)[10]

[lostsole31]

R1T8: Hearing the glass break and Flair fall, Brother Jaume tries to leap from his perch on the bureau to the larger central table, but falls ... his bare legs and fluttering robe passing close to Vilma as he lands prone on the ground to the south of her. Landing with a thump (and 1 damage), his muscles are sore as he the stands up, abashed.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T20: Vilma, what do you do?

Winter on deck, St. Dorn in the hole ...

[silphael]

Vilma moves to where the glass shards are, then keeps looking around there, especially down the stairs.

Spoiler: OOC

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Moving 1N, 1 NE, 1N, and looking around.

[lostsole31]

R2T20: Vilma moves to where the glass shards are, and in doing so finds the assassin and goes right up to her. "Here!" shouts Vilma furiously as her morningstar clobbers the assassin in the head for 13.

R2T19: Winter vaults over Flair's body and deals with the mess of the star vampire to come up next to Vilma, dagger in hand. "You like to kill? See what the stillness of death is like for yourself!" she says, tears forming in her eyes as she concentrates on something. A pale energy surrounds her open hand and she tries to touch the assassin, but Risi is too quick for her.

R2T12: Just as St. Dorn's battle spell falters on himself, he is called again to it. St. Dorn hops up onto the table and throws a Hail, Milani! pass as he casts a spell and then shouts. "Stop fighting! Everyone stop fighting so as not to break the charm ... just in case it caught hold. Risi Nairgon, hurt no other person. I seek parley."

R2T8: Brother Jaume, the boon Flair gave you before finally fades. What do you do?

Risi on deck, Vilma in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Brother Jaume will move up next to Winter; ready for whatever happens.

Spoiler: crunch

Show

MA: double move. 15’ North, 15’ East (costs 30’ difficult terrain), 5’ N, 5’ NW.

[lostsole31]

R2T8: Brother Jaume will move up next to Winter; ready for whatever happens.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T25: "What do you want, old man?" Risi calls out to the man standing on the table while she is seemingly ready to cause harm. "You and your friends made a nuisance here, and I've been asked to assassinate you. Maybe I let an old chowderhead like you go, and I'd be fine with that if go you did ... from Thrushmoor, and bother no more about this place. Just you, though. Your metal-skinned bitch here is gonna' die for hitting me like that."

R3T20: Vilma, what do you do? Do you delay, ready, or act?

Winter on deck, St. Dorn in the hole ...

[silphael]

"You stay there for now !"

She readies an attack in case Risi is faking her parleys.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Standard action to ready an attack in case Risi does anything else than talking.

[lostsole31]

R3T20: "You stay there for now!" Vilma snarls as she readies an attack in case Risi is faking her parley.

R3T19: Winter delays ...

R3T12: "Let me put it to you another way," says St. Dorn. "You have killed one of ours. Individually, you are more capable than any single one of us. But you have two clerics, an inquisitor, and a saint of good gods. We have the ability to consistently heal each other at a rate that outstrips your ability to harm. You may kill another one, or even two of us. But in the end you will be killed, and there are those of us who will still survive. Is your mission to kill as many as possible before dying yourself? If so, then continue to fight. But if not, then take your win of one dead and be gone from here with your life intact, and the rest of us with ours."

R3T8: Brother Jaume, what do you do?

Risi on deck, Vilma in the hole, Winter delaying ...

[Blackhawk101]

Brother Jaume readies to act if the assassin attacks.

Spoiler: crunch

Show

ready an action to attack if the Assassin makes a hostile move
NL punch, no sauce
to hit - (1d20+9)[27]
to dam - (1d8+5)[8]

[lostsole31]

R3T8: Brother Jaume readies to act if the assassin attacks.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T26-25: Risi takes a few long seconds to consider St. Dorn's words, and then says, "Agreed! I have killed one in Hastur's name, and Melisenn will be happy for it."

She then withdraws - but not before Vilma attempts a clumsy attack against her - and then down and around the end of the hallway, and you hear her footsteps fast moving downstairs.

R4T19: Winter drops her effect and immediately kneels down and tends to Flair.

R4T12: St. Dorn says, "I will make sure she heads out. Vilma, just let her go. Don't attack again or we risk losing the charm, and everyone is in peril for want of blood." He then heads downstairs.

R4T8: Brother Jaume, what do you do? The light just went away, so only wan candlelight from the various tables and bureaus is in this room, but Winter is trying to look over Flair's body in this dim light.

Vilma on deck, Risi in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Brother Jaume watches the assassin leave and then forlornly helps Winter with Flair.

[lostsole31]

Vilma, what are your intentions?

[silphael]

"We might see her again. Or not. Which might be an issue, but good enough for now, I hope."

She doesn't seem intent to follow for now.

[lostsole31]

St. Dorn will come up, bringing his light with him, a minute later saying, "She left out the pantry door, and I locked it behind her, for whatever good that will do. Watched her go across the field until from angles I lost her, but she was heading towards the gatehouse."

With the party's help, Flair's body is actually lifted and placed on the table for ease of autopsy. After several minutes, backed up by Brother Jaume (who could only just helpfully point), Winter informs the party, "Flair was killed in a single stab of a long, piercing weapon that increases width slightly ... in line with the assasin's rapier. The puncture struck him in the lower brain stem that influences autonomic systems - life systems, basically - and caused what is known as 'plastic paralsysis' .... basically, all electrical signals to the rest of the body instantly stop, including the contractions needed for muscular control to stand or grip. The rapier continued through several parts of the main bulk of the brain and out through his right eye ... the one that glowed. As quickly as the rapier went in, it was withdrawn. Flair was dead before he hit the floor. He never saw the attack, and likely never even felt it, so he didn't suffer."

"I recommend for now," says St. Dorn sullenly, "that we bring Jens' body up here to lie next to Flair until we can bury both properly. The star vampire is too big to move, so it seems that this room is going to be body-central for now."

He then goes to Vilma, laying a hand on her for only 1 healing and sighs.

St. Dorn looks to Brother Jaume, "My friend, if you can understand me ... Vilma is still appreciably wounded. Can you heal her? My healing is for emergencies, and doesn't come close to what you can do. Winter already told me she was exhausted."

[Blackhawk101]

Brother Jaume just shakes his head in frustration. He grabs his head as if in dire pain and then grasps his throat with both hands. He looks to St. Dorn and Winter imploringly.

[lostsole31]

"Time," says Winter. "If we had the luxury, I could give you proper psychoanalysis to help you get past this block, and even help you face past trauma to overcome the cumulative effects as well."

Jens' body is brought up and lain next to Flair's on the table upstairs, and useful items that Flair had are removed. Winter casts gentle repose on Flair's body, as she had done yesternight with Jens corpse. "There. Now I am all out of spells for the day."

St. Dorn goes to the SE corner of the sitting room and picks up a silver dagger and then gives it to Brother Jaume. "It's been sitting there all day. Be careful of leaving your things around, this dagger is important to you for five benefits you otherwise don't have ... it's high quality; it's silver; it cuts; it stabs; and it's a damn useful tool."

St. Dorn looks to the others. "With Winter out of her magic .... me out of most of mine ... Brother Jaume using all-a his channels ... Vilma, I don't know how you're doing, but I don't think even psychologically with the loss of Flair, let alone our current resources, it would be a good idea to continue. All in favor for calling it a day, raise your hand or say, 'Aye?'"

[Blackhawk101]

BJ raises his hand wearily.