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 Nebra d'Cannith > 10 / 10 HP > 16 AC Nebra hands off the wand to Tharn then pulls free her scroll of Cure Wounds and makes her way to Cain. Where she calls forth the magic stored in the scroll to bring him back to his feet. Handing off Wand to Tharn, moving to Cain, using Scroll of Cure Wounds on Cain. 6 hp healed. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Passive: Perception (22) / Investigation (22) Effects: Item: Bolts (20) / Limited: HD (1/1d8) / Action Points (5/5) __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Oct 16, 2015 03:35
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 Elizara d'Sivis HP: 8 AC:15 Elizara shoots the Displacer beast that killed poor drunken lecherous Celio. Well, as far as she knows, he's dead. Hand crossbow: 1d20+5 16 1d6+3 8 ----------------------------------- Passive: Perception 11 / Investigation 14 / Insight 13 Spells:1st 0/2 Items: Bolts (17) Limited: HD (1x1d8) AP 4/5 -----------------------------------
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Oct 16, 2015 03:36
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 Bastion Nine > 6 / 8 HP > 14 ACThe half-elf sighs and comments, "Leave it to a Lyrandar to bring a knife to a panther fight." His immediate concern, admittedly, had been that the one beast within closing distance might have taken the opportunity to strike at him before he got properly situated on the horse. With it now succumbing to death by a thousand cuts from a dozen angry common folk, there wasn't much left to do other than deal with the situation, thankfully. He offers to Reava, "Hopefully, nothing else will emerge from the woods tonight." pre:Action: Ready to move 80' away if anything approaches within 80'. Passive: Perception (20) / Investigation (20) / Darkvision (60') Effects: Item: Arrow (20-2) / Oil (2) Limited: HD (1/1d8) / Action Points (1/5) Journal __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Oct 16, 2015 03:59
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 Celio d'Lyrandar HP: 0/10 AC: 15 Initiative: 10 Status: BLEEDING OUT, S: 0, F: 1 Celio begins to bleed out. At least he'll leave a pretty corpse. Death Save #1: 1d20 2 Quorum fucked around with this message at 00:03 on Oct 19, 2015 |
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Oct 16, 2015 07:12
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Tharn d'Cannith > 9 / 9 HP > 11 AC Daily Spells Prepared: Cure Wounds, Purify Food and Drink, Bless, Command plus domain spells Tharn, meanwhile, uses the wand on Celio, healing his wounds. Casting Healing Word: 1d4+3 5
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Oct 16, 2015 11:17
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 Reava 7/9 HP, 12 AC Another shot, another hit. Turning to Bastion she responds, "With how our luck's been going tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if Siberys just fell on us at this point." We know this song and dance. Hex, then shoot the nearest beast. Eldritch Blast vs. AC: 1d20+5 21 Eldritch Blast damage: 1d10+1d6 7 __________________________________________________________________________________________ Passive: Perception (16) / Insight (16) / Investigation (16) Effects: Item: Journal, Quill Pen, Scholar's Pack Limited: Spell Slots: 0 LVL 1 / HD (1/1d8) / Action Points (1/5) __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Oct 17, 2015 03:30
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It turns out Quadratic_Wizard actually is dropping out, so let's say that Nebra healed Colum instead. Then again, DaemonWyrm hasn't posted anywhere in a couple of weeks, so while Colum is welcome to act in this round, I'm not going to wait around for him. On the other hand, instead of bleeding out, Celio is actually in positive HP land again, and is welcome to go after the displacer beast again this round, if he wants to tempt fate some more...
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Oct 17, 2015 10:34
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Celio d'Lyrandar HP: 5/10 AC: 15 Initiative: 10 "--ffkskskffff what?" Celio sputtered as the healing magic coursed slightly painfully through his nervous system, jolting him back to consciousness and the pounding reminder that displacer beasts hurt. A quick glance around reminded him of the pressing situation: namely, the angry displacer beast currently being plinked away at by some remarkably plucky commoners. Right. This won't do at all. With the blur of magic still around him, he was relatively confident that this beast could be taken care of without too much further damage to his hairdo, but just to be safe he pulled out his crossbow as he leapt gracefully to his feet, aiming dead-center to the beast's mass. Despite his care, the bolt went awry; perhaps his hand was still shaky from almost achieving that close personal relationship with the Sovereign Host the priests were always prattling about. Hand crossbow: 1d20+5 11 Adding Hero Point: 11+1d6 12 Unless Celio has advantage for some reason-- a Help action from the mob, or something-- that misses, I believe.
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Oct 19, 2015 00:14
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The enchantress focuses her gaze upon the creature, speaking soothingly and hypnotically to it. Unfortunately, it remains beyond her control, and its tentacles once again snake forward, reaching for its prey. Fortunately, however, both Celio and the enchantress manage to avoid being struck by the writhing appendages. Wisdom Save: 1d20+1 20. Success against the enchantress's Hypnotic Gaze. Attacks: 2#1d20+6 8 11. But misses against the enchantress and against Celio. Meanwhile, Reava and Elizara both manage to hit it with their respective projectiles. Tharn and Nebra have successfully healed their targets, while Bastion keeps his eyes trained on the treeline, waiting for yet more threats to emerge. At present, however, nothing else does. Next round! Its displacement field is back up, so until someone hits it, attacks are at a Disadvantage again.
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Oct 19, 2015 01:29
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Nebra d'Cannith > 10 / 10 HP > 16 AC After doing what she could to bring back the dying from the brin, Nebra now looks into the matter of a warforged by the name of Cups. She tries to see if there is anything she can do for him. And if not perhaps he has some stuff that could be useful on the trip back, since that trip seems like it may be quite a bit more dangerous now. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Passive: Perception (22) / Investigation (22) Effects: Item: Bolts (20) / Limited: HD (1/1d8) / Action Points (5/5) __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Oct 19, 2015 04:47
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Tharn d'Cannith > 9 / 9 HP > 11 AC Daily Spells Prepared: Cure Wounds, Purify Food and Drink, Bless, Command plus domain spells The other man healed, Tharn turns back to the Displacer Beast. Summoning the light within him, he calls it down on the creature, hoping to overcome it through the divinity within him. Casting Sacred Flame: 1d8 2
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Oct 19, 2015 04:50
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Reava 7/9 HP, 12 AC *pchew pchew* Eldritch Blast vs. AC: 2#1d20+5 15 25 Eldritch Blast damage: 1d10+1d6 7 __________________________________________________________________________________________ Passive: Perception (16) / Insight (16) / Investigation (16) Effects: Item: Journal, Quill Pen, Scholar's Pack Limited: Spell Slots: 0 LVL 1 / HD (1/1d8) / Action Points (1/5) __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Oct 19, 2015 05:04
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Bastion Nine > 6 / 8 HP > 14 AC Maintaining a vigilant watch over the area, Bastion calls out to Celio, shouting over the din of combat, "You know, Celio, there's another horse. If you wanted to be a hero atop that and, say, not get murdered. Just a thought." pre:Action: Ready to move 80' away if anything approaches within 80'. Passive: Perception (20) / Investigation (20) / Darkvision (60') Effects: Item: Arrow (20-2) / Oil (2) Limited: HD (1/1d8) / Action Points (1/5) Journal __________________________________________________________________________________________ Waador fucked around with this message at 05:16 on Oct 19, 2015 |
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Oct 19, 2015 05:14
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Elizara d'Sivis HP: 8 AC:15 Oh, hey; he's not dead. Well, he probably will be soon. Hand crossbow: 2#1d20+5 19 9 1d6+3 6 Hits if the Displacer field is down, misses if it isn't. ----------------------------------- Passive: Perception 11 / Investigation 14 / Insight 13 Spells:1st 0/2 Items: Bolts (17) Limited: HD (1x1d8) AP 4/5 -----------------------------------
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Oct 19, 2015 14:06
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The displacer beast succumbs to the relentless barrage of attacks, with Elizara’s crossbow bolt finally putting it down for good. Seeing all of its pack-mates slain, the final displacer beast flees, scampering at top speed away from the ambush that proved more deadly for the attackers than the intended victims. Still, though the assault lasted only a few minutes, the death toll is significant, with more than dozen non-combatants slain directly by the beasts or trampled to death by the panicked crowd. Also among the casualties are the changeling that had initially attempted to abscond with the Lyrandar artifact, the other changeling who arrived in the wagon disguised as a scion of Orien, the goblin Gibkub, the warforged Cups, the brave baker Jolan Milana, and Philastia d’Phiarlan. There is presently no sign of Leshanna d’Phiarlan, Colum MacCullach, or — perhaps most worryingly — Councillor Thurik Davandi. During her examination, Nebra discovers a set of keys within the pocket’s of the warforged’s uniform. She also gets her first glimpse at the internal workings of the body of a warforged, though the one she is examining is obviously damaged beyond repair. Of particular interest to her are the clever mechanisms by which Cups’ shield and mace were compacted and stored in his forearms. Specific details can be gleaned with a successful Knowledge (Arcana) roll -- augmented by the appropriate tools, assuming she wants to effectively perform an autopsy right here and now (of course the same could be done later, more discreetly, provided she has the opportunity). The illusionist and the archer that had fought from the top of the wreckage hastily return to the Phiarlan private carriage and help their fellows to lift Philastia’s body into the carriage, while Jolan’s family tearfully approach the body of their husband and father. Meanwhile, the enchantress once again flashes her smile at the dashing Celio, before breathlessly sharing her thoughts: “Well, that was exhilirating, no?” Then, as if she is seeing his wounds for the first time, she adds, “And you have quite the memento of your heroism, I should say. If you would like to accompany me to my private carriage, I will be able to see to those scratches — after all, it is the least I can do for one who so bravely and selflessly fought on behalf of these others…” Still intently focused on Celio, she waves her hand absentmindedly toward the crowd that is only now returning en masse to the vicinity of the carriages, many bearing their dead or wounded. Celio may have been showing off for the ladies, but it turns out all those natural 20’s did in fact accomplish something! And we are (finally) out of combat! Everyone receives 550 XP for surviving the trainwreck and the displacer beast ambush. Feel free to level up immediately. Let me know what you’re doing in the aftermath of the battle; unless it’s necessary for me to adjudicate some conflict or interaction, you don’t need to take actions round-by-round. TychoBrahesNose fucked around with this message at 13:04 on Oct 20, 2015 |
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Oct 20, 2015 13:01
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Bastion Nine > 6 / 8 HP > 14 ACPlot posted:Seeing all of its pack-mates slain, the final displacer beast flees, scampering at top speed away from the ambush that proved more deadly for the attackers than the intended victims. pre:When the last displacer beast takes off, I would follow, to allow Reava a chance to kill it. With the mount dashing, we can likely keep it within a range of 100' and 120' long enough for a few shots. Eventually it will hit the treeline, at which point the risk of pursuing becomes non-zero and I would stop. The remainder is written to be neutral as to whether it dies or survives our pursuit. With the horse halted, Bastion brings his hands to his temples, and begins to massage them, as if warding off a headache. After rolling his eyes, seemingly at nothing in particular, he looks to Reava and comments, "Well, it seems we've scared off our attackers, at least for now. Do you mind helping put a bullet in each of the heads of the fallen ones? I really don't have the patience for one of them to be playing dead at the moment." With that said, he takes the horse on a circuit around the battlefield, helping Reava line up shots to ensure that each and every one of the fallen displacer beasts is well and truly dead. pre:Facilitating a couple of attacks at about 100' range to each of the fallen displacer beasts. Not taking any chances on any of them still being alive. A dozen or so blasts into the fallen 'tarrasque' are also probably warranted. Plot posted:Meanwhile, the enchantress once again flashes her smile at the dashing Celio, before breathlessly sharing her thoughts: “Well, that was exhilirating, no?” Then, as if she is seeing his wounds for the first time, she adds, “And you have quite the memento of your heroism, I should say. If you would like to accompany me to my private carriage, I will be able to see to those scratches — after all, it is the least I can do for one who so bravely and selflessly fought on behalf of these others…” Still intently focused on Celio, she waves her hand absentmindedly toward the crowd that is only now returning en masse to the vicinity of the carriages, many bearing their dead or wounded. In truth, he suspected the Phiarlan woman of trying to sequester Celio for her own purposes. He rather suspected that five minutes into her 'medical attention', Celio would find himself hypnotized, and his precious artifact would be swapped out for some false copy. Admittedly, Bastion's contract largely dealt with protecting Celio. It was Celio's job to protect the artifact. On the off-chance that was her plan, though, he took a special pleasure in making her day just a little bit closer to the kind of one he was having. He had no reason to suspect the Phiarlan woman was behind the plot, of course, as he didn't believe her house had any particular ties to the changeling agenda. Every single one of the noble houses were creatures of opportunity, though ...assuming she even was Phiarlan. With the presence of changelings apparently everywhere on and around the train, he really didn't want to take the risk of losing sight of his charge. At the moment, he had nowhere near enough patience to deal with the possibility of Celio being knocked out and replaced with a changeling. For all he knew, at the moment, the only people who weren't impostors were himself and Celio. Plot posted:Still, though the assault lasted only a few minutes, the death toll is significant, with more than dozen non-combatants slain directly by the beasts or trampled to death by the panicked crowd. Also among the casualties are the changeling that had initially attempted to abscond with the Lyrandar artifact, the other changeling who arrived in the wagon disguised as a scion of Orien, the goblin Gibkub, the warforged Cups, the brave baker Jolan Milana, and Philastia d’Phiarlan. There is presently no sign of Leshanna d’Phiarlan, Colum MacCullach, or — perhaps most worryingly — Councillor Thurik Davandi. pre:Trying to focus the civilians on useful tasks, like tending to their wounds, arming themselves, and helping anyone still trapped in the carriages. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Passive: Perception (20) / Investigation (20) / Darkvision (60') Effects: Item: Arrow (20-2) / Oil (2) Limited: HD (1/1d8) / Action Points (1/5) Journal __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Oct 21, 2015 01:38
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Elizara d'Sivis HP: ??? AC:15 Now that she knows they aren't going to die immediately, Elizara turns to doing what she does best*; bossing around less important people. She bustles around organizing and chiding the passengers into teams, delegating leadership positions to people who look bright and telling them to get on with things like starting campfires, stockpiling food and weapons, digging latrines, putting corpses in one train car to tidy up the place and prevent disease, etc. Then she hears Bastion, and shakes her head. "No. Unless you have a clear trail to follow, going after the Councillor is a bad idea. We're wounded, tired, spent, not at all woodsy, and even if we weren't all those things, it's going to get dark and blundering through the forest at night is just asking to get picked off by the remaining nega-panther." *Actually, translating fiendishly difficult cyphers is what she does best, but this is a close second. ----------------------------------- Passive: Perception 12 / Investigation 14 / Insight 13 Spells:1st 0/2 Items: Bolts (17) Limited: HD (1x1d8) AP 4/5 -----------------------------------
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Oct 22, 2015 02:08
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Celio d'Lyrandar HP: 5/10 AC: 15 Celio grinned crookedly at Bastion; this was more like the pain in his rear end that had accompanied him for the past several days. "I'm sure if anything goes wrong, you'll be on the case, Bastion. And the gnomic madam is right. Tracking someone through hostile woods with night coming on doesn't seem like it will end well. I'm more comfortable aloft than on the ground, anyway," he added with a faint grimace. "But these fine ladies have the right idea. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you accompanied me, if it helps you feel better?"
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Oct 22, 2015 18:07
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Bastion Nine > 6 / 8 HP > 14 AC The half-elf seems poised to argue with Celio, but stops himself, palming his forehead in frustration. "You know, it's probably fine. Even if they're changelings, it's not like they can reliably simulate your mark, so it's not a deception that would last." He laughs, shaking his head, "You've certainly earned some rest and relaxation with that flying aerial stunt, and bravely bringing a knife to a panther fight, hm?" With a shrug, he offers, "How about I hold onto your luggage while you go play doctor? Wouldn't want anything so trivial as responsibility getting in the way of a well-earned night off, am I right?" __________________________________________________________________________________________ Passive: Perception (20) / Investigation (20) / Darkvision (60') Effects: Item: Arrow (20-2) / Oil (2) Limited: HD (1/1d8) / Action Points (1/5) Journal __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Oct 23, 2015 22:35
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Tharn d'Cannith > 15 / 15 HP > 11 AC Daily Spells Prepared: Cure Wounds, Purify Food and Drink, Bless, Command plus domain spells "Are you all right, my dear?", Tharn asks Nebra, walking over to her. "We seem to have come out of this fine, in spite of ourselves. Shame about the warforged, though.", he says, looking down at Cups' body. "Damaged beyond repair, I'm sorry to say." He looks out at the milling crowd. "If you're up to it, we really should help that gnome over there start getting people organized. Most of them don't seem to know what they're doing, and it's dangerous out here." He looks at the corpses of his fellow passengers. It was all just a waste. Such a drat waste. Their life was gone, their souls trapped. If only he were stronger, or even if there were a talented necromancer here, they could at least get some use out of the bodies. Now, they were just meat. Epicurius fucked around with this message at 15:11 on Oct 25, 2015 |
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Oct 25, 2015 02:00
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Celio d'Lyrandar HP: 5/10 AC: 15 Completely and probably deliberately ignoring the nearly geologic layers of sarcasm in Bastion's voice, Celio shot him a sunny smile. "Exactly! And of course you can hold the luggage. It's been enough trouble for one day." Accompanying the ~~mysterious ladies~~.
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Oct 26, 2015 00:00
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Nebra d'Cannith > 10 / 10 HP > 16 AC Nebra pockets the keys, climbs to her feet and dusts her hands off. Giving a final sad look at Cups she responds to her fiance. "Yes. Yes, let's go do that." Then she accompanies him to the gnome. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Passive: Perception (22) / Investigation (22) Effects: Item: Bolts (20) / Limited: HD (1/1d8) / Action Points (5/5) __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Oct 26, 2015 00:33
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Bastion Nine > 6 / 8 HP > 14 AC The half-elf couldn't help but smile and share a laugh at Celio's enthusiastic response. It wasn't the desired result, precisely, but he did suspect it was the best he could hope to achieve. Alleviating Celio of the burden of his luggage, he pats him on the back and comments, "Don't enjoy yourself too much, hm? I'm going to keep an eye on things out here." pre:Since he seems fine with it, I will unburden Celio of his luggage, inclusive of the precious cargo. I have minimal desire to be sequestered and hypnotized, so I will stay outside while he goes off to socialize. It didn't take long for practicality to pull him away from his musing. The object was far too large to fit into his pocket, so the half-elf took some time to secure it in his bag, which he then proceeded to close and strap over his shoulder. Thereafter, he turned his attention towards a more pressing matter: the apparent changeling menace. He made his way to the corpse of each, and gave them a thorough search for valuables, anything that might be out of place, and some kind of clue as to what their motive had actually been. He assumed, perhaps erroneously, that they had been working in unison towards some larger goal. He knew in the back of his mind that it was possible that they had different agendas, but if that were the case they weren't a cause for concern, so it didn't warrant his attention. If he came up with nothing, so much the better, but ever was his approach to assume the worst-case scenario and plan accordingly. pre:After securing Celio's cargo, I will start searching the changeling bodies for valuables and clues. I am largely banking on passive perception and investigation of 20 to start connecting any dots. pre:After searching the bodies, I will make my way to the tree line, find a nice dark spot, and climb a tree to hide. Stealth 11+5 = 16 Thereafter I will take some time to commence a short rest. Passive: Perception (20) / Investigation (20) / Darkvision (60') Effects: Item: Arrow (20-2) / Oil (2) Limited: HD (1/1d8) / Action Points (0/5) Journal __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Oct 27, 2015 05:01
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Bastion gingerly holds Celio’s sack while the latter follows the enchantress to the door of the Phiarlan private carriage. Another, much older, elf stands frowning at the pair as they approach. The enchantress looks pleadingly at him; after a time he finally relents. “Fine. If you wish to share the intimate secrets of our troupe with every pretty half-breed you come across, I cannot stop you. But give the rest of us a few moments to prepare. Meanwhile, I would also have words with one of the others — that one,” he indicates Reava. “Invite her along as well, would you?” A broad grin crosses the features of the enchantress, even as she nods gravely. “I’ll be right back,” she says to Celio as she gives his hand a squeeze. She launches herself into the air, her cape billowing out behind her until she settles back onto the ground next to Reava. Offering a bow, she says, “You are quite deadly with that magic of yours. House Phiarlan would be honored to invite you to take your ease with us within our private carriage. If you would follow me this way, madam…” Meanwhile, the older elf retreats within the carriage, leaving Celio alone to wait for the enchantress’s return. At the same time, Bastion, Elizara, Tharn, and Nebra begin to wrangle the crowd into some semblance of order. Some of them are willing to follow orders immediately, but many of them are still either in shock from the attack (to say nothing of the crash). Some others do little more than declare how grateful they are to their saviors — at least those who have remained to direct their attention toward the crowd. While the dead are collected and the wounded are gathered together, it is discovered that Rando d’Jorasco is unfortunately in the former group rather than the latter, so there is no one remaining to take charge of the healing (or at least the triage) of the injured. And none at all wish to approach the corpses of the displacer beasts, despite the fact that they are clearly no longer a threat. At the moment I’m dealing with Bastion’s action that was declared earlier; Greyhawking the changeling corpses and going off by himself can happen next if there’s nothing more he wishes to do with the crowd. As far as the desired actions Elizara listed, Cain’s campfire is already going and a few Poors have set off to raid the kitchen, while others respond to her request to collect the weapons of the fallen and stand guard.
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Oct 28, 2015 02:15
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Bastion Nine > 6 / 8 HP > 14 AC The gnome and the others seemed to have the crowd well in hand, or at least seemed comfortable enough ordering them about. He had his suspicions about how 'safe' the area might now be, but priorities needed to be tackled in order of importance, unfortunately. pre:For my own part so long as the crowd is being directed by someone I don't feel a need to intervene. Since it seems like Elizara is ordering them about, I would continue about the changeling analysis and subsequent hidden contemplation.
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Oct 28, 2015 06:00
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Waador posted:For my own part so long as the crowd is being directed by someone I don't feel a need to intervene. The changeling slain as Bastion and Celio were pursuing it does not appear to have much apart from its (illegitimately-acquired?) Orien uniform. It had filled its pack with a few other miscellaneous objects gleaned from the crates in the cargo carriage, but clearly the cloth and the Lyrandar artifact were the most appealing items to it. There is no indication on its corpse of written orders or other correspondence from any co-conspirators. When taken in isolation, this changeling seems like nothing more than a thieving opportunist who managed to sneak or otherwise finagle its way on board the train in order to walk away with as much of the passengers' goods as he could. The other changeling has quite a bit more, however, including a dagger, a wand, a disguise kit (why would a changeling need a disguise kit?), and -- perhaps most interestingly -- a backpack that bears the Orien mark and various other runes. If this one was in league with the other, it may be that the pack has magic relevant to their assigned task. But were they really cooperating, or is the appearance of two dead changelings merely a coincidence? The race was not that uncommon, after all. If they were working together, was this a false flag operation by some other House, or by independent operatives? Or was House Orien actually behind an attempt to steal the Lyrandar artifact? And if so, would they really resort to derailing one of their own trains to do it, or was that an unrelated happenstance? So many questions, but precious few answers present themselves to Bastion. It does occur to him, however, that Councillor Davandi might have been a target of the changeling plot too, since some of his goods were also in the thief's possession. But at present, the Councillor is still missing...
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Oct 28, 2015 06:29
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Bastion Nine > 6 / 8 HP > 14 AC He took some time to piece together the situation as he gathered evidence, and in general he found it to be a curious one. The changeling that had been doing the thievery actually made sense to him, on the surface as well as in the details: no discernible markings of any kind, and no secret orders or master plans tucked up his sleeve or in the heel of his boot. If the creature had been an opportunistic thief, that would have been the way to do it. Nobody took their identification with them when out planning a robbery, after all. Well, most people didn't, he supposed. The same would have been true of an organized operation: nothing to tie it back to the instigator. The way the creature had packaged his ill-begotten gains also seemed to suggest that it was about the value of the cargo. The cloth was the most obviously valuable thing he had seen in the carriage, and the councilor seemed to have packed it from end to end. Making away with even a hundred pounds of it would have been a big score for most people, if his understanding of the market for glamerweave clothing was on point. It seemed as if the Lyrandar artifact had been an afterthought, stacked on top of the clothing pile as a curiosity: perhaps he'd only discovered the object halfway through the process of baling the cloth. It didn't matter, he supposed. One opportunistic changeling made sense to him, one way or another. Two at the same point in time, though? Maybe, if they didn't happen upon each other at the scene of a fairly well-executed train derailment, caused by a creature that he was fairly certain wasn't common in the region, and which probably wasn't even native to it. The House Orien backpack didn't make much sense, though. Was it hiding in plain sight? A House Orien agent comes to the 'rescue' of the train crash, and is slipped the artifact in the confusion, while Bastion and Celio chase after the supposed thief into the wilderness, only to maybe find him with a pile of cloth? It was plausible, but convoluted. It made about as much sense as the thief planning to get caught, in order to point the blame at House Orien, though. Which itself made less sense when you considered that two changelings would have had to be willing to die as part of the plan in order to point the blame in that direction. The runes on the pack were a curiosity as well. Identifying the nature of the object would have to come when time permitted, though he didn't expect it would reveal many mysteries: enchanted bags only tended to do a rather few specific things, after all. That said, an extra-dimensional pocket was an excellent place to hide a stolen artifact from the divination of the House from which it had just been stolen, given that most divinations of that nature didn't tend to scour alternate planes of existence. If one wanted to smuggle something out of the chaos of this train wreck, and also avoid the wrath of the owner, quickly placing it inside such a space would have been a decent way to go. Without any decisive evidence one way or another, he defaulted to the mathematics of the situation. Breland had a population, give or take, of about three million and seven hundred thousand people. It was commonly believed that about eighty percent of that accounted for the human, gnome, half-elf, elven, and halfling population. The remainder was more or less an even split between changelings, goblinoids, orcs, and other less socially acceptable sentient beings. It was impossible to know the actual number, of course, but that suggested a range of somewhere between one hundred and fifty thousand and two hundred thousand changelings across the region. A huge number, to be sure. In truth, in a pool of a hundred people or more, which this train definitely contained, he should have probably expected a few more changelings to be hiding among the chaff. Likely the peasantry, but who knew for sure? There were too many other pieces that didn't add up, though. Yes, a thieving changeling was hardly a novel concept. A noble changeling coming to the rescue of the train wreck was, although unusual in the social narrative, hardly unreasonable. They weren't monsters, after all, just people. If someone saw a disaster, they'd be at least reasonably likely to come and try to help, regardless of their race. That the thief and the savior happened to be of the same race might have just been a coincidence, given the numbers. But why had the train crashed to begin with? Because it slammed into a creature almost completely unlikely to be present in that particular place at that particular time. Now, the sound of that had almost certainly been heard for miles, which sort of explained why a pack of vicious jungle cats had attacked the survivors. But what about the other inconsistencies? Why had a half-orc shown up to be their defense, only to disappear from sight? Now that he thought about it, that was actually the concerning part. Several people had disappeared from sight. Not just that half-orc, but also the violinist, Leshanna, who was ...accused of murder... and the brutish fellow to whom he had lent his crowbar. The councilor, as well, was out of earshot, despite being the loudest person for miles. The panther attack had certainly been chaotic, but people didn't just disappear. Unless they ...were... ...changelings... The half-elf sighed as he started to stuff the valuables of the changeling into the creature's own backpack. He would need to take some time to observe the situation, without being caught up in it. Who was actually missing, and who had just done the sensible thing and hid from a bunch of jungle cats the size of horses that were trying to kill everyone in sight? Moreover, if this were a coordinated attack, there was likely a contingency plan, which would be presenting itself soon enough. If that were the case, better he be hidden from sight and away from the turmoil of the throngs of easily panicked commoners, lest he get trampled to death like Rando. pre:As noted, finding an area of proper darkness, with a tree to perch in, and waiting for the other shoe to drop for an hour or so. Waador fucked around with this message at 07:21 on Oct 28, 2015 |
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Oct 28, 2015 07:18
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Reava 7/9 HP, 12 AC Reava is quite surprised by the elf's offer. She was either the luckiest half-elf around or this was some kind of trap. If she went along, she might fall for the trap but she could also learn a lot about the Phiarlans. It'd also risk her charade if she refused for no real reason. And they have no real reason to doubt anything she said. Getting back into character, she says, "I'm honored you would invite me," she says in her best awe-struck voice. "I'd love to join you in your cabin," she continues, following the woman. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Passive: Perception (16) / Insight (16) / Investigation (16) Effects: Item: Journal, Quill Pen, Scholar's Pack Limited: Spell Slots: 0 LVL 1 / HD (1/1d8) / Action Points (1/5) __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Oct 28, 2015 07:19
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Elizara d'Sivis HP: 13 AC:15 Elizara watches with disgust as the disgusting letch goes off with the elven enchantress. The things people get up to in life or death situations.... When she find's the halfling healer's body, Elizara tactfully erases the floating illusionary balloon banner. It's no longer really in good taste. As long as Bastion isn't departing with the MacGuffin, Elizara is content to chill and wait for sunrise and, hopefully, rescue. ----------------------------------- Passive: Perception 12 / Investigation 14 / Insight 13 Spells:1st 0/2 Items: Bolts (17) Limited: HD (1x1d8) AP 4/5 -----------------------------------
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Oct 29, 2015 02:06
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Tharn d'Cannith > 15 / 15 HP > 11 AC Daily Spells Prepared: Cure Wounds, Purify Food and Drink, Bless, Command plus domain spells Tharn tries to keep from rolling his eyes. "If you won't go near the displacer beasts, at least dig a hole. We'll bury the bodies in there.", he orders them. Hey, there's nothing valuable on these Displacer Beast corpses, is there?
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Nov 2, 2015 05:26
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Bastion Nine > 6 / 8 HP > 14 AC He really wanted to take a bit of a break, but keeping the commoners busy had turned into an exercise in valuable resource disposal. Begrudgingly removing himself from his perch in the tree as that job starts up, he approaches the crowd and comments, "I appreciate your industrious nature, but these corpses are presently my property, and burying them isn't on the list of things to do today. If any of you happen to be leather workers, sound off, though, as I'll need a good man or two to help me strip and cure them once we transport the bodies back to civilization." He hadn't voiced the plan earlier, since the commoners seemed all too happy to avoid the corpses, but given the number of the beasts and their size he had intended from the moment they announced themselves to skin them and turn them into clothing. He was particularly curious to see if their displacement effect was supernatural in origin, or an activated effect that died with their minds: different breeds of the creature tended to have different traits, as he was given to understand. pre:It is mostly a 3.5 joke, but historically the displacement effect was defined as supernatural (Su). This resulted in it remaining active after death, and being used as flavor text in a few magic items. pre:Investigating the corpses of the fallen creatures for usability or other oddities. As usual I will fall back on passive perception / investigation of 20 for the assessment. Waador fucked around with this message at 05:58 on Nov 2, 2015 |
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Nov 2, 2015 05:35
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"'Ere now, wot's this?" one of the braver of the commoners says as he stops dragging the displacer beast toward the grave that his fellows were hastily preparing at Tharn's urging. After his outburst, Bastion and the others approach, and see the man pointing at a collar around the beast's neck. The leather is almost the exact shade of the beast's fur, making it difficult to see, but the flash of small gemstones set into the collar stand out noticeably against the dark setting. As they examine the collar more closely, they notice what appear to be arcane runes tooled into the leather.Epicurius posted:Hey, there's nothing valuable on these Displacer Beast corpses, is there? Nothing other than the collars, no. Knowledge: Arcana is the relevant skill if anyone wants to try to discern the purpose or significance of the collars worn by the beasts. Waador posted:He was particularly curious to see if their displacement effect was supernatural in origin, or an activated effect that died with their minds: different breeds of the creature tended to have different traits, as he was given to understand. Since damage temporarily negates the displacement field, I'm going to rule that it requires some sort of conscious activity akin to concentration, so the effect does not persist past death. That doesn't mean it can't be induced by subsequent magical effects -- after all, muscle tissue can be made to contract with direct electrical stimulation, independent of any body or brain that might normally control it. **** After a few moments, Celio and Reava are ushered into the Phiarlan carriage. Its appearance differs markedly from what Reava saw with her earlier glance inside. First, all of the accoutrements of the carriage seem to have reoriented themselves to the new "up" -- apart from the door now being on the "roof", there is no indication that the carriage is currently resting on its side. Similarly, the corpses seem to have been taken elsewhere, for they are not apparent within the spacious chamber. Within, lustrous wooden paneling reflects the light from golden candelabra held in sconces on the walls, while lush carpeting covers the surface on which the occupants walk. Comfortable chairs are arranged around a few low wooden tables, with trays of meats and cheeses and other delicacies set upon them. Decanters of wine and other beverages sit on serving tables along the walls. The handful of elves inside look with great interest at the two newcomers. "Be welcome," the old elf says. "I am Danvir d'Phiarlan. This is Ielenia d'Phiarlan," he indicates the enchantress, who once again flashes an inviting smile as she removes her cape and stores it in a nearby cabinet. "Lucian d'Phiarlan," he adds, indicating the elf who is placing his bow within another cabinet at the far end of the cabin, "and Riene", who takes a seat and lifts a silver goblet in her jeweled hand. A magically enchanted decanter lifts off of the side table (or perhaps it is carried by a magical servant?) and proceeds to pour a honey-colored beverage into her drinking vessel. The decanter returns to its place before two empty wine glasses float toward the visitors. Making her selection from the array of food, Ielenia meets Celio's gaze again, before asking "What is your pleasure?" Meanwhile, Danvir turns to Reava. "The skill you displayed in taking down the displacer beasts was quite noteworthy. And the ease with which you augmented your evocation to make it even more deadly -- the mark of a true expert in her craft, I must say. Tell me, are you beholden to any of the Houses currently? If not, Phiarlan can most certainly make proper use of one of with...talents such as yours. I am told such contracts can be quite lucrative, if that is what you desire. Alternately," he says, casting a sidelong glance to Ielenia as she begins to drape herself onto Celio, "there are other means of recompense available from House Phiarlan that you may find more to your taste." I am assuming that Reava does not have any outward sign of her Medani allegiance, as she was planning to engage in counter-espionage during the train ride? If that assumption is correct, we'll just proceed; but if that's not the case and she is advertising her Medani family connection, let me know and I'll modify the post appropriately.
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Nov 2, 2015 06:53
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Bastion Nine > 6 / 8 HP > 14 AC The collars were an unexpected bit of evidence. He gave them a cursory once-over, but the sort of rune-crafting applied by the local talent was hardly his area of expertise. Given the notoriety of their house for producing various objects of artifice, the half-elf looks to the Cannith duo, and inquires, "Any idea what these might be?" pre:Reads like a job for Nebra to me. Arcana 7 for my own part. Waador fucked around with this message at 07:53 on Nov 2, 2015 |
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Nov 2, 2015 07:21
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Reava 15/15 HP, 12 AC As Reava is led into the carriage, a shocked look crosses her face, not entirely faked. Phiarlans are efficient in their style. You have to give them that. Once she's seated, she responds, "'Twas nothing really. I simply had a good mentor." Once the house question comes up, Reava mentally prepares herself. Here's where the con sinks or swims. "No, I don't work for any of the houses. I'd love to, though. But, if you don't mind me asking, do a troupe of acrobats need with my talents?" Deception: 1d20+5 25! Investigation: 1d20+5 19 __________________________________________________________________________________________ Passive: Perception (16) / Insight (16) / Investigation (16) Effects: Item: Journal, Quill Pen, Scholar's Pack Limited: Spell Slots: 0 LVL 1 / HD (1/1d8) / Action Points (1/5) __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Nov 3, 2015 01:25
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Elizara d'Sivis HP: 13 AC:15 While the others poke the nega-panther with a stick, Elizara decides to do a little investigating of the non-stick variety. While organizing (re: bossing) the crowd of poors, Elizara makes inquiries into the disappearance of Councillor Davandi. Persuasion: 1d20+4 7 Nope! ----------------------------------- Passive: Perception 12 / Investigation 14 / Insight 13 Spells:1st 0/3 Items: Bolts (17) Limited: HD (1x1d8) AP 4/5 -----------------------------------
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Nov 6, 2015 02:57
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Nebra d'Cannith > 17 / 17 HP > 16 AC Nebra comes to the other Warforged's help. She takes a quick look at the collar, but is still a bit distracted from all that happened. Arcana 1d20+5 9 yeah __________________________________________________________________________________________ Passive: Perception (22) / Investigation (22) Effects: Item: Bolts (20) / Limited: HD (1/1d8) / Action Points (5/5) __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Nov 9, 2015 07:46
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Celio d'Lyrandar HP: 5/10 AC: 15 "A pleasure, my lord and ladies d'Phiarlan," Celio replied, shifting visibly into talking-to-important-House-people mode, which mostly entailed slightly less earthy street patois and slightly more syllables in his words. With a sidelong grin to Ielenia, he responded to her question with a murmured, "Whatever you are having will be entirely satisfactory, I'm certain." When dining with enchantresses, always drink whatever they're drinking, he thought. Unless they tell you it's a potion up front, in which case it's probably something more interesting than deadly. "If I may ask, what brings the charming folk of House Phiarlan out along the lightning rail to Sharn? Have you a performance scheduled? If so, it's only right that I make certain to see it, after your kind hospitality."
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Nov 10, 2015 00:02
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Tharn d'Cannith > 15 / 15 HP > 11 AC Daily Spells Prepared: Cure Wounds, Purify Food and Drink, Bless, Command plus domain spells "Darling, if I could see that collar? Remember, we have the sacred heritage of the Cannith in our blood, allowing us special knowledge of artifacts both mundane and magical.". With that, he takes the collar off the beast, and holds it in his hand. As he grips it, the gragonmark on his arm starts to glow a faint blue, and knowledge comes into his mind. No special arcane skill, so using Identify (as my dragonmark power) on the collar
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Nov 10, 2015 03:27
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Nebra and Bastion are stumped by the dark leather collars studded with a curious mix of Siberys and Khyber Dragonshards. Tharn, however, makes use of his Family's magical heritage to unravel the mystery. The former Shards, he discovers, are primarily used for increasing the natural magical capacity of those who bear Dragonmarks, while the latter Shards are primarily used in magical binding rituals (he also recalls that the Lightning Rail uses Khyber shards to bind an elemental to the engine). With those two pieces of information, the collar's purpose becomes crystal clear to Tharn: it is used to bind the will of the displacer beasts, allowing them to be controlled by whoever has the appropriate Dragonmark ability to do so. Given the strength of the magic in the Collar, Tharn suspects that it cannot be used at a significant range or over lengthy periods of time. So, then, either the beasts were not under anyone's control when they attacked...or the mastermind behind the assault may still be very nearby. It's a Collar of the Wild Bond. If you have the appropriate sourcebook, feel free to read up on what it is and what it does. As Elizara inquires after the Councillor, she is met mostly with blank stares. One of the Poors does offer his thoughts, however. With an indifferent shrug, he says, "I saw the other gnome about to get et by yon slavering beastie. But before it could finish 'im off, he up and disappeared. I wager 'e used his gnome magic to bugger off back to Sharn. Of course, the Noble Councillor didn't bother to take anyone else with him. Isn't that just like his type?" the man adds, looking his interlocutor up and down suspiciously as he tries to decide whether she is the same "type" as the Councillor. Judging that she likely is, he clams up and returns to his business of...whatever it was he was doing instead of talking to Elizara. TychoBrahesNose fucked around with this message at 12:33 on Nov 15, 2015 |
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Nov 15, 2015 06:15
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"Indeed we are performing at a whole host of venues during our visit," Ielenia responds to Celio as he takes a drink. "Although we seem to be down a member or two just now," she adds with a twinge of sadness, before perking up again immediately. "You are quite lithe...and agile...and muscular… too bad you’re not a Phiarlan -- we could have most assuredly found a use for you. "In any case," she continues after downing her first glass and holding it out for a refill from their enchanted decanter, "I shall personally make certain that you are provided with tickets to at least one of our performances. Unfortunately, the one that promises to be most exciting is one that is not open to invitation. But surely one as irresistibly charming as yourself has already secured an invitation to the ir'Tain New Year's Party?" Oh yes, Celio had been meaning to acquire such an invitation; he just hadn't yet settled on which of his many potential partners would be most suitable on his arm that evening. As Danvir poses his question to Reava, the others try very hard to feign disinterest, but she can tell that they are indeed paying very close attention to her. "To be honest," he responds, "the Shadow Carnival itself wouldn’t necessarily be in need of your services -- even though, as Lady Ielenia says, we will, sadly, be omitting a few of the more well-received acts from our upcoming performances. That said, there are…other tasks that the members of House Phiarlan perform for our clients, where the Mark of Shadow (or the concomitant skills) have proven useful. It is not widely advertised, but we have even, at times, made use of independent contractors who are not of our bloodline. If you wish, when we get to Sharn, I can put you in contact with one of my associates there, who can evaluate your suitability for such tasks." Danvir is not really a Phiarlan recruiter, per se, but he's certainly not going to let an opportunity to acquire a useful asset to pass him by if he can help it.
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Nov 15, 2015 12:33
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