Feast of Dust IC

[paradox26]

Misrolled. The rolls were (1d20+12)[21] attack roll, (2d6+4)[10] damage roll for AoO on Esmaeel.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Becka



Becka concentrates for a moment then teleports past the stalker and through the open door and pursues the ghoul.

Spoiler

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Swift action: Switch stances to : Stance of the Ether Gate

MV action : use Stance of the Ether Gate to teleport 30 ft

MV action: move 30ft to follow after the ghoul.



Note: Becka's AC drops to '27' as she leaves the 'Flowing Water Stance'

[Palanan]

—Mahasset glances at the scrum with the ghoul heading out the door, then back to the glittering stalker—

Spoiler: OOC Questions for DM

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Did the glittering stalker make its Reflex save against that last lightning bolt from the Aggressive Thundercloud?

Also, could we have a map showing everyone's current positions? Mahasset is considering an area-effect spell, but doesn't want to catch Esmaeel within it if at all possible.

[paradox26]

Everyone takes a moment to center themselves and reassess the situation, then continue the battle. The ghoul seems to just want to escape, but the invisible stalker seems to be very much up for a fight. Becka follows the ghoul out the door, but the ghoul is moving at maximum speed, and manages to stay ahead.

Spoiler: OOC Notes

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For the first answer, check the OOC thread, I rolled his save there, but have a question.

As for a map, I am not sure how to create a map. I always just use theatre of the mind. I always give the advantage to however you intend to act, however. So you can cast the spell, and I will just assume that you are casting it in such a way that you won't catch your allies. If you are in too small an area, and the spell would definitely catch everyone in it, then I will warn you in advance. I will never just trap you into hurting your allies.

[CasualViking]

Esmaeel Naffar "As you wish....", Esmaeel says, and bites back an impolite salutation to the rude stranger. He rushes back inside to slaughter the glittering stalker. Move action: Close the Gap to move, switch weapons and gain 1 Sequence. Standard action Brutal Strike, spending focus to increase damage. attack - (1d20+21)[32], damage dam - (3d10+47)[64] + battered 5 rounds, taking -3 to atk&dam while battered. If the stalker survives, swift action finisher to take an additional attack action, attack - (1d20+21)[39], damage dam - (3d10+25)[37], otherwise regaining focus as a finisher

---

Berserker stance * Perception +22 * (Double) Focused * HP 92/92 * Sequence: 0

[paradox26]

The invisible stalker is beaten to vapour by Esmaeel's blows. It disappears, and silence descends upon the room. You can still hear the rapidly departing steps of the ghoul as she runs out towards the desert.

[Palanan]

The instant the glittering stalker is pummeled into oblivion, Mahasset will spring out the door in hard pursuit of the ghoul-woman.

[Phantom Genius]

Frustrated that she wasn't grabbed, Bazir says, "Well then punch her until she falls down!" as he grabs the book she was holding before she ran.

The golem follows orders and double moves after the ghoul.

[paradox26]

The ghoul woman pauses in her flight, and turns to face the golem. She realises in an instant that she can't defeat a golem with magic, so she casts a spell and disappears into thin air, teleporting away to safety.

[CasualViking]

Esmaeel Naffar As the chase in the streets wind down, Esmaeel is pacing the bookstore, making sure there are no other hidden guardians.

---

Scout stance * Perception +22 * Double Focused * HP 92/92 * Sequence: 0

[paradox26]

No other enemies are found in the front room of the bookshop. You possess the book that was on the table, and which appears to be some sort of journal.

[Palanan]

Intensely frustrated that the ghoul-woman got away, and still not clear who these other people are, Mahasset will return inside to look at the journal the ghoul-woman left behind.

[CasualViking]

Esmaeel Naffar Esmaeel pages idly through the journal. He looks up as the irritable stranger returns. "So, stranger. Did you deal with the undead woman? And more importantly, who are you"?. He shows the journal, but holds it close to his chest.

---

Scout stance * Perception +22 * Double Focused * HP 92/92 * Sequence: 0

[Palanan]

“And who the saqh are you?” Mahasset snaps. “—She’s gone. I needed her.

“Now there’s only this,” and he gestures at the journal. “Can you read it?”

Spoiler: OOC

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Mahasset looks at whatever of the book is visible, trying to see if there are runes that match the scratched symbols on the jackal bones he is carrying, still wrapped in linen and tucked away.

Perception
(1d20+18)[21]

[paradox26]

Most of the books here are of only passing interest to any real collector, but a few interesting titles of value remain: Ancient Water Caches of the Parched Sands
(worth 100 gp), Dervishes: Technique and History (worth 150 gp), Genealogy of Janni Tribes (worth 550 gp), Mating Habits of Gnolls (worth 50 gp), and Rise and Fall of the Meraz (worth 250 gp).

Sayid’s accounts ledger sits open on the counter, full of notes scribbled in a different hand where Pershpia has attempted to track his comings and goings. His
journal sits nearby. Its last entry, dated a week ago, describes the symptoms of the curse befalling the town and labels it “The Feast of Dust.” It notes, “Has he returned!? No! Blade remains safely hidden in the private collection.” There are no notes in the same script as those written on the bones. It appears you will have to locate Sayid himself to unravel that mystery.

[CasualViking]

Esmaeel Naffar Esmaeel stares incredulously for a moment, then nods. "My name is Esmaeel Naffar, grandfather". The patient and gentle tone makes the honorific seem not quite respectful. "I'm here to seek the source of the plague, to burn it out". After skimming the last pages of the journal, he tucks it loosely into his sash, then goes off to see what's behind the double doors (A2).

---

Scout stance * Perception +22 * Double Focused * HP 92/92

[paradox26]

A small printing press dominates this cluttered workspace, while tools such as etching hooks, needles, lengths of twine, knives, and pots of glue crowd the counters. Lines of cord run back and forth at chest level in the room’s far end. The floor is a mess of torn papers, scattered type, and pools of ink.
There is a strong sour stink to the room. You find masterwork artisan's tool for bookbinding and calligraphy. You also find a dozen blank books, one of which is being used to press dried flowers, and which, on closer inspection, turns out to be a Blessed Book.

[Palanan]

“Can you read it?” Mahasset demands of Esmaeel; and then, “—Mahasset,” he grudgingly allows.

If the stranger responds, Mahasset will want to know what the book contains; if not, Mahasset will briefly consider the other peculiar strangers milling about, and will look around the rest of the shop.

[CasualViking]

Esmaeel Naffar "Mahasset". Esmaeel nods. "The journal describes the plague with horror, not pride, and mentions a blade hidden away in the private collection. You're welcome to read it later, when we've secured this building".

---

Scout stance * Perception +22 * Double Focused * HP 92/92

[Athaleon]

Majeed had come running at the sound of fighting in the shop, but by the time he arrived, it seemed all was done. "What happened here?" he demanded, as he swept his gaze across the room without addressing either of its occupants in particular.

Spoiler

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Casting Detect Evil. After all, we don't know each other yet.

[Paddywagon Man]

Someone more hideous than the fleeing ghoul pokes in through the door, lumpy pitted skin breaking up patches of mismatched scales. A viper and an angry breeze follow him in, a spark jumping between the fingers of his gauntlet.

"What madness to be found here then? A bookshop robbed with a golem! Explain yourselves, you seem rather too powerful to be pushing around common townsfolk, but that won't stop me putting an end to it if you are!"

[Palanan]

Mahasset nods curtly to Esmaeel, —is about to say more, but pauses as a new bustle breaks out at the entrance to the shop. Something is bellowing, someone else is running up, there’s a golem milling around and Mahasset wants no part of any of it.

Instead, he leaps to the countertop where the journal had originally been resting, and alights in the form of a desert fox, exquisitely sensitive snout a hair’s-breadth above the surface of the counter as he concentrates on any telltale odors the ghoul-woman might have left behind, any lingering traces of scent which might give a hint as to where she came from—or where she might have gone.

Spoiler

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Perception
[roll/1d20+18[/roll]


- Flubbed the code above, so I rolled in the OOC thread, natural 20 for a 38 all told.

[Gunhaven]

Edar’Kear-Throden, or more appropriately Ossalur, skitters down the road to the sound of some sort of commotion. The kobold stops the solifugid when the bookshop gets within eye sight and mutters quietly to himself. It sounds like trouble and they don’t look like the townsfolk, but that’s maybe a good thing.

Cautiously the kobold has the camel spider skitter down the street and when they’re within potential dart range he calls out to the group at the door. ”Umm… What’s…what’s happening? I’m”

Before he can continue he immediately starts hacking up a lung into the hide armor covering the pony sized vermin he’s riding, further insects taking the opportunity to scatter from the sudden loud noise and burrow within his bags.

[rypt]

A light-haired man in the dusty attire of a foreigner crouches in the street outside the Fabled and the Forgotten, his focus alternating between a seemingly ordinary spot of dirt and the procession of increasingly bizarre individuals streaming into the bookstore.

Should Mahasset follow the trail of the ghoul woman outside, he will find himself led right to the man's feet.

Spoiler: OOC

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Vesrin will use his Ritual Tracker ability to attempt to determine the direction and distance to the ghoul woman's teleport destination.

Spellcraft: (d20+20)[26] plus free Inspiration (1d6)[2]

[Paddywagon Man]

Warlish is distracted by the sound of coughing and turns his back on the bookstore bunch.

"Oh, my! Are you alright, little fellow? Do you need healing?"

A second viper uncoils from his sleeve and drops to the ground beside the larger one, then moments later grows to the length of a man, the two snakes watching the door of the bookstore with suspicion as Warlish hurries over to the kobold's side and examines him with concern.

"I'm Warlish, can I help you at all my small friend? And did you see what all the commotion was about?"

[Palanan]

Ignoring the chatter among strangers in the bookstore's doorway, Mahasset continues scenting with ferocious concentration while in fox-form....

Spoiler

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...using his 38 from his Perception roll.

[Gunhaven]

A couple more coughs are his immediate answer but then the offending locust leaves his throat and flies out. He gives a lopsided smile to the nice human who looks worse than him and says ”Oh, no. I’m…uh…I’m fine.”

He blinks a couple times and then quickly adds ”I’m Edar’Kear-Throden. This is Ossalur.” He gives the armored giant camel spider a few loving strokes, the bugs once more starting to spread out and get comfortable around the kobold.

He looks back at the bookstore and shakes his head, saying ”No, I was…I was gonna look but it’s kind of…busy?” Another couple ants try to crawl back into his mouth but, apparently paying attention this time, he just casually brushes them to the side.

[CasualViking]

Esmaeel Naffar "Good day. I believe I saw some of you at the caravanserai earlier? My name is Esmaeel Naffar. Loyal servant of the Satrap. I came to seek Master Sayid's advice on ending this unusual plague. But a ghoul woman was here instead, and fought back with sorcery when pressed. She escaped, unfortunately, while I was busy with her summoned servant". He looks over the new arrivals. "Brave people. A golem. Open spellcasting. And me. And none of them flinch. And they haven't attacked me yet, so they are not directly in the employ of the ghoul". "So. If any of you are willing to take up arms to end this scourge, I welcome your company".

---

Scout stance * Perception +22 * Double Focused * HP 92/92

[Athaleon]

"Very well. I assume the ghoul is gone, else you would have pursued her." The warrior relaxed and put his weapons away.


"I am Majeed, a servant of the Dawnflower. I too pursue the source of this curse, though I fear I am returned but lately to my homeland, and have found no clues as yet. What have you discovered so far? And are either of you in need of healing?"

[paradox26]

The scent of the invisible stalker and, especially, the ghoul, are very strong. They have clearly been here for some time, especially the ghoul. But her scent doesn't seem to have travelled beyond this room.

Vesrin determines that the ghoul has travelled for more than ten miles in a northerly direction.