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Jerac Taking a closer look at the melted lump of platinum Jerac attempts to discern what it once was, if anything. Arcana: 1d20+16 32
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Dec 28, 2013 00:28
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Malakhad Malakhad leaned back in his chair and sighed dramatically. "So, you just used some previously unknown and extremely volatile magic on a bunch of warforged nobodies, entirely on your own initiative. But it was somebody else who blew them up? And you have no idea who, at all? Look, the brass is very eager to pin this whole mess on somebody, and right now that's you. If you don't feel like being the scapegoat in a high-profile open and shut case, you're going to need to work with me here. Starting with telling me the names and locations of every remaining warforged you know of who has been affected by this magic. And you're going to need to tell me, in detail, how you came to learn about the enchantments you placed on those warforged. Including how it works. If you know of anybody else who might know what you know and who would have a reason to set you up, you should tell me about that too. Don't try to send me on any wild goose chases on your behalf though, or I'm likely to hand you over to the hanging judge myself." Thundarr fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Dec 28, 2013 |
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Dec 28, 2013 00:35
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Ghorma He seems genuinely afraid. "Look! All I know is that every so often he sends me and a couple of guys down to the docks to grab a shipment, and all he gives us is the shipment number. The crates are all just sitting around, no one's seem to have raised a stink about em yet. I don't know what's going on with em, it's all fuller's plan." Anodyne and Jerac All Anodyne is able to discern from the lump is that it is, indeed, metal, and it makes a satisfying clink when he pokes it. To Jerac's eyes, however, it's general size and shape resemble a Docent, an artifact from xen'drik that has some relationship with warforged. But it's been melted beyond usefulness. Malakhad He seems offended, or at least feigning it. "Oh my, officer, please, I wouldn't lie to you now. The sooner I help you find the real culprit the sooner I'm back out on the streets rebuilding my good name. I've got a few different kinds of... persuasion in my repertoire, one of which comes with a very specific set of commands in a language I don't really understand, I learned it all rote with a pronunciation key in the book it came with. Near as I can figure someone was trying to ship this stuff to someone else. I... intercepted it, and once I figured out what it was I put it to use. I could give you a name, if you really wanted, but it's a fake. Because Fauhlan d'Cannith died thirty years ago and I highly doubt he'd be shipping Artifacts out of Xen'drik."
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Dec 28, 2013 02:17
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Enna Enna looks down helplessly at her notes. They are a meandering mess of trails of thought that go nowhere, run round in circles, and on rare, dangerous occasions, run parallel toward a completely wrong solution. Those are the worst, because you can't always be sure when it happens. She goes over the notes one more time, trying to see if she's missed any important clues. Did Fuller drop a hint that she skimmed past? Could there be a significance to the Elven word "Prophecy"? Insight: 1d20+15 26 Bored, she steps out of Malakhad's range--<Make some noise if anything happens in there, I'm going for a walk>--and begins wandering the station aimlessly, attempting to clear her head. Checking in on the pair in the labs, she offers, "Fuller is being surprisingly pliable. Like one of the hookers he got blown up, and probably just as dangerous if Malakhad probes where he doesn't belong. Which is Fuller's mind, I'm talking about telepathy," she offers for Anodyne's benefit. "Neither of you know anything about the late Fauhlan d'Cannith, do you? Apparently someone was using that alias to ship artifacts from Xen'drik. Hello, what is this?" Her eye is drawn to the Docent. "Dare I assume that we have some sort of magical means to examine this whatsit in more depth?
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Dec 28, 2013 11:36
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Enna It comes to mind that Elves use loanwords as much as anyone else, since 'Prophecy' seemed to be the only thing that was in Elvish, maybe it wasn't in Elvish to begin with?
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Dec 28, 2013 19:37
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Jerac Furrowing his brow Jerac chews his lower lip in concentration. It's possible that this is the connection they're looking for. Deciding this warranted further investigation, Jerac took to examining the other Warforged, specifically looking for a Docent that matched the other he found.
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Dec 30, 2013 00:47
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Ghorma That's what he was looking for. "The docks huh? Where are these crates stored? We bring you along would you be able to take us there?"
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Dec 30, 2013 04:09
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Jerac and Enna The brutes seem to have been under some regular, old fashioned, magical mind control. They weren't really doing anything out of their natures, and weren't being suicidal. The drunkforged, however, each have a single small metallic sphereoid rolling around their necks, darting beneath their armor plating if you try to get close. It's an annoying process, but obviously these things don't particularly want to be found. Ghorma "No, because it wasn't like that, he'd say a shipment was coming in, give us the crate number, and tell us to go empty it out. It was a sweet gig but I never saw the shipping manifests, so I'm not sure who's crates they were. Fuller didn't trust anyone he didn't have full control over, and I'm not being poetic or cute with that either." He shrugs. "I could tell you where fuller's base is but I'm not sure what would be any different there. Probably has his office booby trapped with poison breathing sharks or something."
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Dec 31, 2013 21:47
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Ghorma Fuller's base, perfect. Even if their is nothing prescient to the investigation, might be some valuable left behind by the warforged. "Where is the base then blaster? Last question for you, then we're done here. If I find that base as you say then I'll help you out."
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Dec 31, 2013 22:06
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Anodyne "Get out where we can see you, you little metal bastards..." Arcana: 1d20+16 28
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Jan 1, 2014 23:01
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Enna While Anodyne works his literal magic on one of the drunkforged, Enna performs figurative magic on the other. Thievery: 1d20+15 22
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Jan 1, 2014 23:21
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Malakhad "I'm going to need to know where that book is. I'll look into the rest, and if you're being up front about it then I'll see what we can work out." Malakhad pondered what Fuller had said. Whatever was going on, somebody had seemed to have it in for House Cannith. Whether from the inside or not, he couldn't say. He thought back on what he could remember about Fauhlan d'Cannith. Then he headed out to see if Enna had any luck translating the command words. History: 1d20+10 26
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Jan 2, 2014 04:51
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Anodyne, Jerac and Enna The sphere rolls out of Enna's grasp, but Anodyne's knowledge of the arcane arts and observation of it's movement patterns allows him to snatch his out before it rolls away. Of course, being a Warforged himself, that might not have been the brightest idea. Mind Control vs Will: 1d20+13 19 Unbidden thoughts try to worm their way into your head. Words and memories from an age long past try to lay themselves over your own. They haven't taken hold yet, but now the docent is trying to roll it's way up your arm. Ghorma "Down in the cogs, near where you found us. He's got a warehouse down there that we've dug out the back wall of into the bedrock. We've been raided but no one's ever found anything worthwhile." Malakhad "It's back in my hideout, safe. I'm telling you the truth. Thing's probably more trouble than its worth at this point, oh well, few months worth of work wasted." You don't recall anything about him really. If he existed he did nothing of any real historical significance.
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Jan 2, 2014 06:18
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Malakhad "What in the world?" While looking for the others, Malakhad stepped into the lab and noticed the sudden commotion. It was pretty clear that the docent was attempting to integrate itself into Anodyne. Malakhad reflexively threw up a mental barrier between Anodyne's mind and the artifact, and then strode across the room to knock it off of the warforged's arm. Arcana: 1d20+16 20 
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Jan 6, 2014 05:11
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Enna "NononononoNO! Not this bullshit again!" Enna draws her sword and grabs at the artifact with her other hand, hoping to catch it before it rolls too far up Anodyne's arm. Thievery: 1d20+15 19 She fails, and seeing the docent is almost at its destination, makes a split-second decision. With a cry of "Fuckit, I'm genuinely really sorry about this!" she smashes Anodyne across the face with the pommel of her sword, then immediately sets to work prying the docent out with her blade. Knockout vs Fortitude: 1d20+19 29 2d6+8 18 Non-lethal, Anodyne is unconscious, save or damage ends
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Jan 6, 2014 05:53
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The Docent seems confused by Anodyne's sudden unconsciousness. It stops rolling towards his neck but doesn't seem any more keen on actually being grabbed. Unfortunately for it, the arm lacks any real nooks for it to hide inside, all it can do is roll around in a circle.
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Jan 6, 2014 19:10
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Jerac Gripped in tense fear for a moment Jerac is glad Enna's fast action, while a little heavy-handed, was able to save his Warforged ally from an explosive fate. With a thud on the ground Jerac saw the docent attempting to find a host and the primordial flung himself onto it, trying to wrestle it off his comrade and contain the foul arcane device.
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Jan 8, 2014 20:25
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Jerac is able to wrestle the Docent away from Anodyne easily enough, though he's probably sacrificed some dignity to do so. Had any other officers seen what just happened you'd probably be the laughing stock of the entire Watch right now. Fortunately for you, there attention appears to be drawn elsewhere. Unfortunately for you, that attention appears to be focused squarely on Ghorma, as he is currently being dragged down the hallway by a squad of officers wearing the colors of the Menthis watch. One of the officers is reading off a litany of offenses from his time down in the Cogs.
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Jan 9, 2014 01:06
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Malakhad "See to Anodyne. I'll see what the fuss is about outside." Malakhad disentangled as gracefully as possible from the dogpile that had formed on top of the rogue docent, then headed out of the lab and into the hallway. "What's going on here?" Broadcasting a rundown of what he hears back to Enna in the lab.
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Jan 10, 2014 02:27
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One of the nearby guards inclines his head towards the swearing Dragonborn being dragged away. "Apparently he was running a protection racket down in the Cogs a while back. Someone recognized him earlier today wearing Watch colors and reported him." He sneers. "Good riddance, scum like him makes it harder for the rest of us."
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Jan 10, 2014 02:41
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Jerac Securing the docent in a container so that it would no longer pose a threat to Anodyne or any other nearby Warforged, Jerac watches his once comrade led away and the elemental can only shake his head. "The secrets of men weigh heavy on those around them."
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Jan 10, 2014 15:26
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One of the members of the black book, a middle age Gnome carrying a clipboard approaches you before you leave the building. "Our linguists weren't able to make much headway on those command words you told us about. Without the written texts it's probably not going to work that well. Also, seeing as how you're short a man, command called up one of the reserve officers. Another one of Halamar's men, honestly you'd think the guy doesn't believe in having subordinates with the number of transfer requests he puts out." At that he waves over a young-ish half-elf. "Also here, care package from the Book, not that we don't believe in you, we just definitely don't believe Fuller." --- Fullers hideout is as he described it, an otherwise normal storefront built into one of the support walls in the Cogs. It looks condemned but the door isn't obviously boarded up. The care package consists of 6 potions of Cure Moderate Wounds. Trier feel free to introduce yourself. Also: did you bring Fuller with you, or are you operating off of what he told you.
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Jan 14, 2014 03:04
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Elliot With a confident posture, Elliot approaches the group when waved at, and introduces herself with a short sentence. "Elliot Webb, former interrogator for the Dura Watch. Guess I'll be working with you guys now." She smiles and relaxes her shoulders. "You heading out? Great, you can fill me in on the way." She grabs a small bag, pulls a dark green cap over her half-pointy ears, and gestures for the exit.
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Jan 14, 2014 03:44
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quote:The care package consists of 6 potions of Cure Moderate Wounds. Trier feel free to introduce yourself. Also: did you bring Fuller with you, or are you operating off of what he told you. I'd rather not take him with us, he's too much of a liability. Dusting off his boots and making sure his sword is secured in his scabbard, Jerac prepares for the assault on Fuller's lair, unsure of what they'll find there. "The long and short of it, someone is weaponizing the Warforged, turning them into walking bombs. We're trying to back tracking the arcanist responsible. Suit up and make sure you're ready to duck when needed." Jerac warned as he headed out of the Watch, determined to make someone pay for the deaths on their hands.
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Jan 15, 2014 00:47
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Malakhad I agree, bringing Fuller with is just asking for trouble. Let's leave him at the station, preferably as far from other warforged as possible. "It's a shame about Ghorma but we don't have time to worry about him right now. That book is dangerous and has to be secured before it can fall into anybody else's hands. If you're ready to go, now is the time."
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Jan 15, 2014 01:45
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Enna Fuller stays in the cell. Lugging around a prisoner is not my idea of a good time. "I want to be surprised about Ghorma, but oh well." She recounts the highlights of the investigation to Elliot, adding in that Fuller is probably not as high up the totem pole as he wants to think. "All ready? Let's get dangerous."
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Jan 15, 2014 04:30
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Fuller's Account Follows- Well you've got my active crew either killed or locked up, so my hideout is empty. You'll need to break in since it's magically keyed to me and my boys, and I'm not going to give you my arm. After that, the entrance to the warehouse is behind the bookshelf on the far wall, and my office is at the back of the warehouse. The book and the ledger are both in my safe, combinations 12-32-65. Beyond that you're on your own. Do try not to get killed, I'd hate to get blamed for it. Perception Checks, En, M, A, J, El: 1d20+17 30 1d20+14 18 1d20+6 22 1d20+8 23 1d20+4 21 Unsurprisingly, the door is locked, and the windows are barred, fuller is a properly paranoid probot. The door lacks an obvious keyhole, Enna is able to spot tiny runes along the hinges and door jamb that currently are not glowing.
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Jan 15, 2014 05:06
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Enna "Well, the one time we need a giant muscly brute around, Ghorma isn't here. I'm going to pick this," she announces, "unless anyone helpfully tells me that these runes here and here are more insidious than just 'open if Fuller and company approach', because if they're explosive it would be great to know that now." She digs out her tools and examines the lock, but holds off on touching it till one of her more magically inclined squadmates chimes in. Did we get a full rest?
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Jan 15, 2014 18:53
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You got your milestone and a short rest, but not an extended rest. Though your Knockout is probably still expended.
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Jan 15, 2014 19:04
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Anodyne "Alright, let's see what we've got." Arcana: 1d20+16 23 This is a knowledge check, to see what I know. I am not trying to poke, lick, suppose, or otherwise handle the unknown and potentially dangerous magical items.
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Jan 15, 2014 21:04
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Jerac "Anodyne, you've misinterpreted that symbol there. It's not a reference to the prime-evil but instead the primordial darkness. A common mistake, but they aren't the same thing." Jerac lectured as he examined the symbols also. Arcana: 1d20+16 29
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Jan 15, 2014 21:46
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You find a few runes that are there as decoys, when touched they will cause the door to immediately and violently assume its final purpose. That purpose being exploding violently in the general direction of the person trying to open it and the adjacent street. Enna gets a +2 bonus to her thievery check
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Jan 15, 2014 22:34
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Malakhad Malakhad was watching the front entrance just in case any unexpected visitors showed up, but turned to speak to Enna. "The Path of Light grants me visions, sometimes. If you want, I can try to peek into the future to see the results of opening the door. There's no guarantee you'd like the answer though." I can use Cast Fortune to roll the skill check (and Enna's next attack roll and saving throw) so you know what the result is ahead of time. If it's high, great! If it isn't, at least everybody gets a chance to take cover first. 
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Jan 16, 2014 01:31
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Enna "No need. Either this goes well and we are in, or it goes poorly and we are in, but I need to dust the ash off my armor." She kneels in front of the lock. "Thank you for offering, and I appreciate your concern. Right now, the way you all can help best is to stand back and sit tight.." She gingerly slides her tension wrench and pick into the lock... Thievery: 1d20+19 +2 arcana, +2 thieves' tools  21 She pauses as she considers releasing her tools. If the lock is standard quality, she's easily picked it. She knows, however, that one of the Houses has been working on a special lock that, when picked the usual way, triggers an associated trap, such as an explosive rune. And she cannot tell whether this is the former or the latter. <Big trouble,> she tells Malakhad. <Need assist from Anodyne or Elliot. Dying OK, bullshit trap death not. Thoughts?> A successful assist would turn that roll into a 23. The hard DC for a level 11 lock is 27, and if I fail by less than 5 it shouldn't explode and kill us all. If the lock is higher level than that I'm hosed anyway
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Jan 16, 2014 18:55
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Elliot Elliot places her long thin fingers, spread out, onto the door next to the lock, and slowly her fingertips begin to glow a bright violet light. Tendrils of arcane energy reaches beyond vision into the doorway and suppresses the power of the runic enchantments. "It should be safe to go ahead. I hope."
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Jan 17, 2014 01:24
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As this trap is turning out to be much more dangerous than I would otherwise thought it would have been, feel free to all go roll your assist rolls and see what happens.
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Jan 17, 2014 02:34
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Jerac Seeing everyone struggle at the arcane induced trap Jerac cleared his throat and took another look, feeling a bit smug at his own knowledge and abilities. Arcana: 1d20+16 20 Suddenly the swordmage went cross-eyed as all the runes and symbols started to blur together. "Uhhhh, I think that one is for the Prime Evil...?"
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Jan 17, 2014 18:19
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Malakhad With only moments to spare before the trap was sprung and no time to puzzle it out, Malakhad acted on instinct and willed the door to stay shut. Hold Portal!?: 1d20+16 22 We are so boned. 
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Jan 19, 2014 01:24
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The massive amounts of energy and tinkering being directed at the door are not helping matters much, as it eventually reaches it's breaking point. The entire mass of the door is converted into energy in one one moment, and while Anodyne, Jerac, and Elliot are relatively unscathed, Enna and Malakhad suffer the full brunt of the blow and are temporarily blinded for their trouble. Kaboom vs Reflex @ Jerac, Anodyne, Elliot, Enna, Malakhad: 1d20+15 20 1d20+15 25 1d20+15 16 1d20+15 28 1d20+15 32 4d8+8 21 Enna and Malakhad take 21 radiant and are blinded (save ends...but we're not in combat, so it just wears off eventually). Everyone else takes 10 radiant Surprisingly cold air begins wafting out of the now empty doorframe, and those who can see note that there's actually some rime on the walls and the desk of the small storefront building. Other than the ice the description is just like Fuller gave.
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Jan 19, 2014 01:46
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Jerac Picking himself up off the ground and dusting off the debris from the arcane explosion, Jerac can't help but cough a little as he takes stock of his surroundings. "Anyone missing any limbs? If not lets start examining this place for any clues." Springing into full on investigation mode Jerac begins looking for further details hoping to glean an idea of what was really going on. Perception: 1d20+8 12 Arcana: 1d20+16 31
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Jan 24, 2014 03:18
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