[IC] Destiny's Veil - Chapter 1: Frayed Threads and a Thousand Traces

[Thokk_Smash]

Never before has his woods felt so wrong. Tyrell's mouth is curled in a perpetual snarl as he stalks through the woods of his home, putting down one undead monstrosity after another. It's good he went ahead of the village remnants, if there were still undead so close to the village. Thankfully, they seem to be relatively weak.

And just as he thinks that, he comes across the current target of his ire. He supposes he should count his luck that he's only come across one intelligent undead in the area so far. Among all the undead he's come across so far, this is one he absolutely cannot allow to remain to menace his charges. He takes his time, from the shelter of the familiar leafy shroud, to aim at the undead before firing two deadly arrows wreathed in solar power.

Spoiler: Soulmelds

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Everspark Circlet
Descriptors: Lawful, Good
Classes:All
Chakra: Crown
Saving Throw:No

An obsidian-black glass circlet forms atop your head, floating just above your skull. It pulses in time with your heartbeat, bolstering your resolve and reassuring all who look upon you.

The Everspark Circlet calls upon the fires of life itself. Your inner fire is strengthened and reinforced, giving you an Aura of Courage as a Paladin of your meldshaper level, with a radius of 10ft per meldshaper level. It also enflames your force of personality, giving you a +2 Morale bonus on all Charisma checks.
Essentia: You gain an additional +2 Morale bonus on Charisma checks per essentia invested in this soulmeld.

Chakra Bind(Crown)
The circlet settles onto your head and expands, sheathing your head in a proper crown of blazing life.

You gain the Inspire Courage Bardic Inspiration feature as a bard of your meldshaper level. You can begin this as a standard action. With 2 Essentia invested, this becomes a move action; with 3 Essentia invested, this becomes a swift action.


Flamestrider's Boots
Descriptors: Good
Classes: Incarnate
Chakra: Feet
Saving Throw: No

I'll leave this fluff up to you. Don't want to give you shoes you don't like haha.

After shaping Flamestrider's Boots, you gain the ability to teleport up to 10 feet, as a move action, to any square within 5' of an active fire that you can see, including into the fire itself if you so desire. This includes any flame at all, such as torches, elementals, or even fire arrows in mid air. This effect is explicitly not like dimension door in the sense that you can still take actions after teleporting.

Essentia: You can teleport an additional 10 feet per essentia invested.

Chakra Bind(Feet):
I'll leave this fluff up to you, too

After binding the Flamestrider's Boots to your feet chakra, you can now teleport as a swift action.

Sighting Gloves
+1 Insight (+1/essentia) to ranged damage

Essentia Spending:

Cinderfoot: 1 Essentia (+2 Racial bonus to Dex, +5 Fire Resistance [10 Fire Resistance total])
Flamestrider's Boots: 1 Essentia (20ft move action teleportation)
Sighting Gloves: 1 Essentia (+2 Insight bonus to ranged damage rolls)


Bound Soulmelds:
Everspark Circlet (Inspire Courage as a 2nd level Bard)

Spoiler: Actions

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Assuming I can take a full attack, I'll take two potshots at the intelligent undead. Swift action to use Solar Wind's Horizon Wind Lancet--+1d6 damage on the first instance of ranged damage. Currently in Stance of Piercing Rays for an additional +1d6 fire damage on my ranged attacks. -2 for Rapid Shot, -1/+2 Power Attack, +2 ranged damage from Sighting Gloves.

Attack 1: (1d20+5)[16]+2 if I count as hidden. (1d8+4)[6] piercing + (1d6)[6] Piercing + (1d6)[3] Fire damage (12 piercing, 3 fire)

Attack 2: (1d20+5)[21]+2 if I count as hidden. (1d8+4)[8] piercing + (1d6)[6] Piercing + (1d6)[4] Fire damage (Ignore the 1d6 Piercing, that should only count for the first attack that hits) (8 piercing, 4 fire).

[Tyrann]

Ambushing the skeleton with a swift strike from the shadows, your arrow finds its mark and ignites on impact. The darkness is painted in greens and fiery reds as flames dance across the kneeling creature's bony frame. Its jaw, now half unhinged, charred and darkened, rattles with fury as it turns towards you.
As it does so, the four zombies flanking it take action. Two of them groan and lurch toward you, armed with swords and shields forged from the same strange dark metal you've seen before. Closing the gap, they haven't quite reached you yet, but they will in a few more seconds. Meanwhile, the other two undead guards remain in place, their eyes locking on to you without ever blinking.

While they move the burnt skeletal ranger winks out one of its scorched azure orbs as it meticulously aims and unleashes a pair of arrows, sending them hurtling your way with a surprising amount of grace for an animated sack of bones.

Spoiler: rolls

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Zombies move on init 14
Skeleton moves on init 12

Zombie A (50' away from you) does not move.
Zombie B (50' away from you) does not move.
Zombie C (starting 60' away from you) moves 30' towards you, putting it at 30' away.
Zombie D (starting 60' away from you) moves 30' towards you, putting it at 30' away.

The skeleton with the glowing blue eyes starts at 55' away from you.
It does not move, and takes two shots at you.

attack 1 - (1d20+5)[25]
damage - (1d8)[5]
attack 2 - (1d20+5)[22]
damage - (1d8)[2]

[Thokk_Smash]

The two arrows strike painfully true, and Tyrell snarls in pain. Outnumbered and outgunned, he'll have to stick to hit-and-run tactics. So with a gesture, he summons a fire elemental in the trees, such that the skeleton archer would not be able to see it. Then in a shower of sparks, he teleports into the boughs of the tree, attempting to hide away from sight of the skeleton archer. Then he focuses his mind, and the Everspark Circlet begins to thrum in time with his heart. He feels its inspiration course through his veins once more, fueling his strength.

Spoiler

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Same essentia allotment as before.

Swift action: create a fire elemental on a tree branch, 20ft back and in the air.

Move action: teleport within 5ft of the fire elemental, such that I am out of sight of the skeleton archer.

Hide as part of the move action: (1d20+9)[20]

Standard action: begin Bardic Inspiration (assuming I don't have to make noise to inspire myself, which would put a damper on hiding).

[Tyrann]

Perched up on a bough, the flames within respond to your silent call, dancing in tune with your heartbeat. The warmth emanating from the blaze in your chest becomes a manifestation of newfound inspiration, a surge of courage coursing through your veins.

Looking down, you've outfoxed both the skeletal archer and the zombie brigade snapping at your flaming heels. The zombies charge headlong at the flickering echo of embers left by your teleportation. After futile attempts at striking the spectral sparks they turn idle, almost as if waiting for new input.

Meanwhile, in the distance, the skeletal archer, still flanked by its two guards, unleashes another series of rattles in vexation.

[Thokk_Smash]

In order to get to the skeleton archer, Tyrell will have to deal with its undead entourage--pick off the weaker enemies before focusing on the strongest. Looking down at the two closer zombies near him, he quickly draws two arrows in quick succession. Stellar flames lick across the arrowheads as he sights down the wooden shafts. In two quick motions he fires at the zombies, raining solar raindrops upon them.

Then he expertly balances across the boughs of the tree to get to the other side of the trunk to keep out of sight of the skeletal archer. Even if he can't hide his location, he can make it move to find him.

Spoiler: OOC

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Swift action: Activate Horizon Lancet Shot, adding +1d6 damage to my first instance of ranged damage in the round.

Full-round action: rapid shot on the two zombies closest. I'll assume they're within 30ft, so PBS applies. -2 rapid shot, +1/+1 PBS, -1/+2 Power Shot, +1/+1 Inspire Courage, +2 Insight damage from sighting gloves.

Attack #1: (1d20+7)[26], (1d8+5)[10] piercing, (1d6)[6] additional piercing, (1d6)[2] fire damage from Stance of Piercing Rays.

Attack #2: (1d20+7)[8], (1d8+5)[11] piercing, (1d6)[1] fire damage from Stance of Piercing Rays.

Focus-firing one zombie, if the first attack drops it then the second shot goes to the second zombie.

Free action: 5ft-step around the trunk of the tree to stay out of eyeshot of the skeletal archer.

[Tyrann]

Your initial arrow finds its mark in the bewildered zombie's chest. Fiery meridians surge forth, tracing a path along its skin until the creature succumbs, belching a final puff of smoke as it collapses.

Your subsequent arrow ricochets off the second zombie's armor, leaving a large mark on the shadowed surface - much more than you'd expect on normal steel. Your solar fire seems particularly effective against the enigmatic alloy. As awareness dawns upon the second zombie, it clumsily advances towards you, thwarted by the height advantage conferred by your arboreal perch. Abandoning its weapons, the creature futilely endeavors to ascend the tree trunk.

The skeletal archer and its entourage maintain their stance, but the archer, arrow poised, is clearly waiting for something to shoot.

[Thokk_Smash]

Tyrell regards the distant archer with furrowed brows. It will obviously attempt to shoot him the second he allows it a clean shot. He will have to be even more careful about this.

But first he has to take care of the zombie below him. With confident motions he draws a single arrow and lets it fly. Then he summons another unearthly figure of pure flame in the boughs of a tree to the side. In a shower of falling embers he teleports right next to it.

Spoiler: OOC

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Standard action: fire an arrow at the zombie below me. -1/+2 PA, +1/+1 PBS, +1/+1 Inspire Courage.

(1d20+9)[12] attack, (1d8+4)[8] piercing damage, (1d6)[1] fire damage.

Swift action: Summon a fire elemental 20ft away in a nearby, different tree.

Move action: Teleport to the fire elemental. Hide check as part of movement: (1d20+9)[16]

[Tyrann]

Your arrow finds its mark, shattering the zombie's skull. The bough beneath your feet creaks, almost as if to approve, and with a thought a sizzling small elemental takes form on a branch 20 feet away. You discorporeate and reappear in a cascade of smoke and sparks, and attempt to meld with the shadows.

Across the clearing, the skeletal archer pivots its gaze, a glowing hollow socket aimed in your general direction. The air hangs tense with the anticipation of its still drawn arrow. Uncertain if it fully discerns your newfound concealment, you look at radiant residue of your summoned elemental and realize that may have been both an ally and an inadvertent accomplice.

[Thokk_Smash]

Tyrell silently curses. Of course a creature made entirely of fire would be noticeable, even if he isn't. Still, perhaps he can use that to his advantage.

He summons the fire elemental once more, twenty feet to one side. However, instead of teleporting to it, he instead hops off of the branch he is on. He grunts softly and tries to roll with the fall, then begins to pad quietly in the opposite direction of the fire elemental he had summoned. Hopefully the diversion will keep the skeleton archer's eyes off of him.

Spoiler: Actions

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Swift action: Summon an elemental 20ft away.

Free(?) action: deliberately drop down 20ft to the ground. DC 15 Tumble check: (1d20+7)[27]

The first 10ft is nonlethal damage: (1d6)[6]

The next 10ft is lethal damage if I fail the Tumble check: (1d6)[2]

Move/Standard action: Move around the perimeter of the clearing in the opposite direction of the fire elemental. New hide check if needed: (1d20+9)[12]

[Tyrann]

You make as whispered a landing as you can manage. The impact courses through your feet and clenches your jaw. With a roll you attempt to mitigate the toll on your body, but despite your best efforts an immediate headache throbs behind your eyes, and a wave of dull nausea rises from your beleaguered core. And, alas, what appeared as a gentle bed of secrecy above turns into a thorny labyrinth below.

Quickly confirming that you can still move, you dart towards a new shroud, and once there you quickly unstopper your healing potion and gulp it down. It works its magic, knitting together the worst of the scratches and scrapes, dispelling the drumming in your skull and pushing the bile back down to where it belongs.

Meanwhile, the skeletal archer releases an arrow into with a twang that echoes through the clearing, and from the corner of your eye you see the projectile sail through the small fire elemental.

The archer meticulously readies another arrow. Its hollow blue gaze now fixed on the tree from which you made your descent, while its undead sentinels keep flanking the skeletal archer with stoic determination.

Spoiler: Rolls and additional info

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- You do still have the potion. potion - (1d8+1)[7]
- The archer shot the elemental right as it popped into line of sight, I've just taken a few liberties in how I described the scene.

[Thokk_Smash]

Tyrell fights through the bile from the residual pain as he considers his next move. Those two zombies beside the archer seem poised to intercept his shots, but perhaps he can sneak one by them and then ghost away. He slowly draws and aims his next arrow at the skeletal archer. He lets it fly—then immediately drops to the ground and army-crawls to the side to make any returning fire less likely to hit.

Spoiler: OOC

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Swift action: activate Horizon Wind Lancet for an additional 1d6 damage on my first attack.

Standard action: Fire one arrow at the skeletal archer. -1/+2 power attack, +1 Inspire Courage.

Ranged attack: (1d20+8)[12]. (1d8+3)[9] piercing, (1d6)[4] additional piercing, (1d6)[6] fire from Stance of Piercing Rays My god, I can’t roll to save my life in this game. I forget if I do, but I hope I get a bonus to-hit if I’m hidden

Edit: I rerolled this attack and got a 19. Post is here: https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...6&postcount=79


Free action: drop prone

Move action: crawl at half speed away while still under the brush. Hide check: (1d20+9)[13], probably -20 for sniping. Please excuse any mistakes, posting from my phone before I go to bed.

[Tyrann]

Concealed within the foliage, you fire an arrow at the skeletal archer and immediately drop to the ground to evade any retaliatory fire. Just as you hit the damp soil, your gaze catches the arrow deviating off course. After a plea to mysterious forces that seem to be guiding you, the projectile miraculously corrects its trajectory. It strike the skeleton in neck and knocks out a vertebra, severing its head and setting both tumbling cranium and crumbling torso ablaze.

As the decapitated skull rolls, a tiny azure specter rushes out and hastily retreats in the direction opposite you. Having now lost their leader, and their orders, the two zombie sentinels stagger towards as fast as their undead legs can carry them. About six seconds stand between you and their drooping jaws.

[Thokk_Smash]

Seeing the two shambling corpses rushing towards him, Tyrell has to think fast. He doesn't even allow himself a split second of panic...or rather, he doesn't feel the panic or fear at all. Just supreme confidence. He glances up and in the boughs of the tree above he summons his trusty fire elemental. With a bare thought he feels himself engulfed in the flames of teleportation he is coming to be very familiar with. In-transit, he repositions himself so that he lands on the thick branches of tree with both feet.

In a fluid motion he draws and looses an arrow, wreathed in flame, at one of the zombies below. Like shooting fish in a barrel.

Spoiler: OOC

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Fifth verse, same as the first!

Swift action: Summon a fire elemental into the tree above.

Move action: Teleport next to the fire elemental. I assumed as part of the teleport I could change my position from prone to standing, but let me know if I can't.

Standard action: Shoot at one of the zombies. -1/+2 PA, +1 IC, +1 PBS.

(1d20+9)[13] attack roll, (1d8+4)[10] piercing damage, (1d6)[3] fire damage from Stance of Piercing Rays.

[Tyrann]

The zombie catches on fire as your arrow strikes it, and it collapses.

[Thokk_Smash]

Seeing the zombie burst into flame brings to Tyrell's mind the azure, spectral flame that had left the skeleton archer when it collapsed. At first, he had thought it might be impossible to intercept it, but now he realizes he must at least try.

Checking all the angles, he summons his fire elemental (he's summoned it so often in the past minute--does it exist when he doesn't call for it? Does it have a name? It might; stranger things have already happened in the past twenty-four hours. Maybe he should ask its name the next time) and then teleports down to it in a flurry of sparks. He had tried to angle his descent so that the azure specter is in his line of sight.

Taking a deep breath, Tyrell focuses harder than ever before. His hawkish gaze pierces through the foliage between himself and the specter, and as he draws his arrow back he can see in his mind's eye the arrow striking his target. And with a slow release of breath, he lets the arrow fly.

Spoiler: OOC

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Swift action: summon a fire elemental on the ground, such that there is a spot next to it where Tyrell can teleport to that is not adjacent to the remaining zombie and that he can see the blue spirit from.

Move action: teleport to that spot.

Standard action: Initiate the maneuver Curving Ray Shot: as a standard action, I make a Perception check against the target's AC before making an attack. If the Perception check is successful, the target's cover is negated for the attack.

Perception check vs blue specter's AC: (1d20+8)[27]

Attack roll vs blue specter, +1 IC: (1d20+9)[23]
Damage roll vs blue specter, +1 IC, +2 Sighting Gloves: (1d8+3)[8], (1d6)[3] extra fire damage from Stance of Piercing Rays.

[Tyrann]

The fire elemental moves in obedient silence. With a swift teleportation, you position yourself beside it, eyes fixed on the fleeing azure apparition in the distance.

As your arrow slices through the air, it harmlessly passes through the little blue ghost, leaving no mark. Yet, though projectile itself proves futile, your stellar fire does scorch it, eliciting a hollow shriek more laden with surprise and offense than with fear, before it dives into the earth and vanishes.

The zombies, still in awkward pursuit, are hindered by the undergrowth, impeding their charge. They have yet to close the gap, affording you a few seconds to breathe - though not more than a few seconds.

[Thokk_Smash]

"Hells," Tyrell curses as the spectral fire dives into the ground, away from his ability to affect. He can't help but wonder whether he could have done more to stop it, and what consequences there will be for his failure.

But for now, he can only do what he is able to do. Once more borrowing the figure of the fire elemental, he teleports into the tree branches above once more. From his elevated height, he is able to pick off the remaining zombies without issue.

Once the coast is clear, he climbs safely down the tree to the ground. Then he takes some time to inspect the bodies of the zombies and their armor. He also tries to find the tracks the skeleton was following.

Spoiler: OOC

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I was assuming if I could get into the tree then we could fast-forward killing the rest of the zombies.

Rolls for armor:

Knowledge (Planes), untrained: (1d20+2)[5]
Knowledge (Religion): (1d20+4)[5]
Knowledge (Dungeoneering), untrained: (1d20+2)[21]
Crafting (Weapon/Armorsmithing): (1d20+7)[8]

Rolls for tracks:

Search: (1d20+8)[11]
Survival: (1d20+7)[12]

[Tyrann]

You dispatch the zombies without issue.

Post-battle, you inspect the bodies and the armor. You don't notice many things you hadn't seen before, except that this metal seems to get damaged quite easily by the flames around your arrows.

The skirmish with the undead has wreaked havoc on the tracks, but amidst the chaos, the distinct imprints of Theo's hefty boots and Finn's shield-wielding strides are unmistakable. Stealth was never their forte. To the untrained eye, or perhaps even the eye unfamiliar with the forest, their trail points away from the grotto—an intentional ruse, no doubt, orchestrated by the twins to confound pursuers, if only temporarily.

You yourself know the forest well enough to know you're about a 20 minute jog from your rendez-vous point, and most of the path should be cleared for the villagers now.

[Thokk_Smash]

Tyrell takes a pauldron or similar smaller piece of armor from the sets available to him. Perhaps one of his militia or a villager would be able to glean more information from it.

The twins had done their job well, he can see. He can only hope it would be enough to buy them time. With a nagging pit of anxiety from the azure specter that had escaped, he can think of nothing else that stands in the way of the villagers and safety.

He decides to make his way to the rendezvous point and make sure the rest of the coast is clear. Then from there he can either send one of the twins to escort the villagers, or see what other options they have.

[Tyrann]

You trudge through the dense, familiar forest, the moon casting eerie shadows as it sets, while the scent of smoke hangs heavy in the air. Suddenly, you spot Nolan perched high in an ambush position, throwing you hand signs of the twins' own making. You think signals questioning if you were followed, to which you shake your head.

With relief, he mouths, "You beautiful jackass, we thought you were lizard food," before beckoning you over, cautioning about a hidden trap. As you navigate the psth through the undergrowth, you enter the grotto to find Finn leaning on his shield, Theo sharpening his axe, and Rowan's rapier glinting under the moon's gaze. Miles sits nearby, engrossed in a book, while a few civilians huddle together, seeking refuge.

Their faces light up as they exclaim, "Boss!! You made it!! How's everyone? Are they safe? Are the zombies out there? Iris went out scouting mission about 15 minutes ago, when the moon started to set."

Spoiler: ooc

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Apologies for the crappy editing. Forum lag apparently ate my previous post so I ended up posting this from my phone but I just wanted to start moving again.

Relevant info that Tyrell is aware of:
1. There is about an hour to go until dawn.
2. Iris wouldn't have gone far, but, like Nolan, would climb to a vintage point and lay a few traps. In fact Nolan probably knows how to find her if you asked.
3. It would take about 15 minutes to backtrack to the villagers now that the path is mostly cleared, and another 30 to get them to the grotto.

[Thokk_Smash]

A weight lifts from Tyrell's heart that he hadn't even known was there when he sees his squad...his friends safe. The smile he smiles is wider than any other he's given in his life.

"The rest of the survivors are on the way here," he explains quickly. "More than I was expecting, including the mayor. I've cleared out the path they are taking of zombies. Nolan and I will go meet them and escort them here--I want them here before sunrise. The rest of you, keep your eyes peeled and your wits about you. There are stronger enemies than plain zombies, I fought a skeleton archer and I'm pretty sure the spirit or whatever was powering it was able to escape."