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Zedekiah pre:Initiative - 10 Zedekiah had parked himself in the passenger seat of the lead caravan for the past several hours, sitting with his legs up in a reclining position and slowly making his way through a black leather-bound book with the words 'Fighting Man' labeled on the front in silver filigree, with smaller text reading 'by Manshoon' peeking out towards the bottom of the spine. He had taken up roost in that seat on the front wagon earlier in the day, when the group paused to investigate the smoldering remains of what once appeared to have been an inn. He was a little bit frustrated at the slow pace with which he was making his way through the book, on account of reading it one-handed, though it was an unfortunate necessity as caution demanded he keep his other arm strapped to his shield for the remainder of the journey. However, he was presently using the shield as a wall to rest against, so it wasn't a total loss. It had been obvious to him for several days that this journey was in for a rude awakening, as the charred inn had hardly been the first funeral pyre they had encountered since the caravan had set out from Berdusk. He had tried to caution his employer that these were not good signs, and that the caravan might want to consider taking a road less traveled yet still-populated, but such suggestions had fallen on deaf ears: though due to stubbornness, greed, or stupidity, he could not tell. In truth he assumed it was a mixture of the three. As a result of those previous conversations, he found it more than a little amusing that their esteemed employer was only now considering turning back, with the nearby sight of what he could only assume was their destination - Greenest - lighting up the night sky as someone proceeded to burn it to the ground. Rolling his eyes at the scene, predictable as it was, he slipped his book into the satchel at his side while lifting his legs slightly and rotating ninety degrees until they were hanging over the side of the wagon. At the time of the attack... As the vehicle came to a halt, he slipped onto the ground with a loud 'thud' as the two hundred pounds of muscle, and two hundred additional pounds of armor, weaponry, and other equipment he had strapped to himself reestablished contact with terra firma. Running a hand through his hair while taking in the scene, he took a final count of the enemy before retrieving his longsword from beneath his seat in the wagon behind him. There seemed to be about eight of the creatures, which he imagined they presumed were good odds. He suspected they were going to soon reconsider, as he saw the hulking form of Hager leap into the fray and almost immediately cleave one of the kobolds in half, while several of his other comrades-in-arms also appeared to be in the process of taking action. When the screams for help began, it became clear that his employer seemed to be under the impression that not getting involved might spare his cargo, or his life for that matter. Holding back the urge to roll his eyes again, he commented to the man, "Sir, get back in the wagon and take cover. I'll buy you time to escape, if you intend to flee. No need to worry about leaving me behind, I'll catch up." It sounded like brave self-sacrifice on the surface, of course - that was all part of the customer service you got when you paid Zhentarim prices. The truth was a bit more complex than that, though: if he didn't take the initiative and put himself between the wagons and the reptilian assailants, he might have found himself receiving an unfortunate order to let the kobolds rampage through the woman and children, which obviously wouldn't have done much to dissuade them from marching upon the caravan afterwards. He would have had to deal with the creatures one way or the other, he knew, and by inserting himself into the melee before an order could be given to the contrary, it became less likely that such a command would ever materialize. The likeliness of such a demand ever being made reduced to record lows when the caravan master took several rocks to the head, collapsing to the ground with a thud only moments later, however. Zedekiah winced at that end result, though it wasn't clear if the man was dead or not. Calling out to the healer, he inquired, "Janelle, is there anything you can do for Mr. Gerost?" He also frowned as the kobolds clearly gutted the woman who was endeavoring to defend her children, surprised at the speed of the little creatures. Roaring over the din of the brewing battle to draw their attention, he proclaimed to the kobolds in well-practiced draconic, "If you're foe: you should run. Or hide." Leveling his gaze at the remaining kobolds, he gave them a wink, as if to emphasize 'that means you, by the way.' He then proceeded to take several sure-footed steps forward, inserting himself between the kobolds and the children, and then directly into the melee without any regard for the threat the pathetic little creatures might have been able to present, slashing a killing blow across the throat of the one that Jared had singed with his recent warning shot. pre:Move: Approach the kobold gang.
Action: Attack vs. Injured Kobold
Hit - 20
Damage - 4 slashing
HP - 13 / 13
AC - 20Waador fucked around with this message at 21:07 on Aug 25, 2014 |
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Aug 25, 2014 16:51
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC He shook his head slowly as the reptilian 'archers' scampered away into the bushes, wondering why they even bothered to get out of bed in the morning. He was nearly done the process of preparing a witty statement to wound their pride before they disappeared from earshot when Ander bravely pounced upon the shrubbery they had fled into, cleaving both of them in half in a single fluid motion. Sighing, he mentally shelved his clever remark for a lucky kobold he was certain would happen upon him before the night was over. Looking down once more to confirm what he already knew, he again frowned at the lifeless body of the woman, whose children would now find themselves without a mother. If only he - or anyone - had acted a fraction of a moment sooner, he mused. Lifting his gaze and taking stock of the situation, it seemed that only one kobold remained standing, and it was also obvious that he was about to be simultaneously carved into pieces by Hager and incinerated by his brother, Jared. Not sensing a need for overkill, and not wanting to deprive Hager of his well-earned victory in combat meritorious, he spun on his heel and returned to the caravan where their employer was busy bleeding to death. Even from afar, it was obvious that the rock had carved the man's head open, leaving an impressively deep wound. Nonetheless he continued his approach, having resolved to do what he could for the man: or at least grant him the opportunity for someone to hear his dying words. pre:Move: Approach Presmer Gerost
Action: First Aid
Medicine - 1Waador fucked around with this message at 03:22 on Aug 26, 2014 |
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Aug 26, 2014 03:17
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC He looked plaintively at both Janelle and Ander, silently beseeching one or both of them to do something to save the man's life. He had been of the opinion that the man was an idiot for several days now, and recently enlightened to the fact that he was no small monster as well, given his willingness to let a woman die to try to protect his precious cargo from a raid. Still, Zedekiah had a feeling that more than enough people had already died tonight, making it poor form indeed to let another slip away when they could yet be saved. When Janelle finally intervened, and began to remove additional pieces of the man's skull in a laborious medical procedure, he raised an eyebrow to Ander - a literal hand of god - as if to inquire as to why the man had to suffer likely significant brain damage instead of enjoying a small amount of divine healing. He thought better of saying anything, though, after reflecting upon his previous assertion that the man was a monster, and admitting to himself that he might not disagree with the paladin's choice. To his surprise, the paladin began to apply divine aid shortly thereafter, leaving him second-guessing his previous assumption.
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Aug 26, 2014 04:01
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Addressing the man - Cuth, apparently - he inquires, "What sort of garb are these attackers wearing? This caravan was moving, among other things, bolts of cloth and dye. We could put together a ramshackle disguise of makeshift robes for the lot of us in a few moments, if we could cobble together something that resembles their own outfits." He admitted, belatedly, "It likely wouldn't fool anyone we run into up close, but from a hundred yards away, in the middle of the night, lookouts directing the assault might well mistake us for reinforcements." Waador fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Aug 26, 2014 |
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Aug 26, 2014 04:11
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Directing his gaze to the original civilian members of the caravan, he simply tells them, "You heard the man. Black and purple outfits. Now." Thinking on the subject for a moment, he adds, "And make as many as you can. We might run into additional innocents before we find relative safety."
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Aug 26, 2014 04:41
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC At the mention of the name 'Lennithon', Zedekiah's gaze immediately shifts towards Jared. He seems about to say something, but is interrupted by the thunderous roar announcing the arrival of the beast. pre:Knowledge (history) - 19 vs. 'Lennithon' Wisdom save - 12 vs. dragon fear A frightened creature has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls while the source of its fear is within line of sight. The creature cant willingly move closer to the source of its fear. His mind was reeling from the implications of the presence of the beast on the battlefield. Ten kobolds, a hundred of them, perhaps even a thousand were a problem he was equipped to deal with. Besting a dragon was another matter entirely, though he admitted to himself that it was preferable to do so above-ground rather than in the creature's own lair ...at least in some ways. The logical course of action was to turn around immediately, he knew: trudge on foot towards Baldur's Gate, or perhaps Candlekeep. Either location was laden with heroes fifty times over who were capable of slapping the upstart dragon back to his mountain home. That would take weeks, though, and would come with its own dangers. Plus, their entourage contained a paladin of Lathander: creatures notorious for their inability to feel fear. Which was brain damage, he assumed. One look at the man all but confirmed his intent to charge into the city and save as many innocent lives as possible. Sighing inwardly, Zedekiah resigned himself to slaying a dragon tonight, whether he liked it or not. At least he had the benefit of several hours to figure out a way to do so, he mused, muttering a prayer of thanks to the Red Knight. Looking to the others - particularly the civilians, now cowering in fear beneath the wagons and behind rocks - he stepped up to the challenge, at least for the moment. Orating in an effort to inspire them onwards to survive, he explained, "Yes, it's a dragon. Yes, it is powerful. But look at it closely: it isn't roosting atop the keep, savaging the defenders with its talons and tail." He slammed his own steel armor with a gauntlet-covered hand for effect, continuing, "It has a thick hide, like steel, but if you fire a thousand arrows at a dragon it will die, just as I would." Hazarding a guess, he suggested, "That creature doesn't yet know the defenses of the keep, and is keeping its distance until those defenses are dealt with by its weaker - but expendable - followers. The keep remains safer than we are out here, exposed, and with the right planning, that dragon might well be slain before the rise of the sun." He explains, emboldened by familiar dogma, "War is won by those with the best planning, strategy, and tactics, regardless of the apparent odds. Seek out your opponent's weaknesses and recognize your own; avoid an opponent's strengths and play to your own. That is how this night will be won." Approaching the wagon, he extends a hand underneath, silently offering to help the men cowering beneath it to rise back to their feet. Waador fucked around with this message at 21:07 on Aug 26, 2014 |
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Aug 26, 2014 05:48
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Prior to leaving the caravan wagons... With the courage of the group restored - at least for the moment - Zedekiah goes about the task of adding a finishing touch to each of their disguises: the armaments of the enemy. He first scours the corpses of the eight kobolds that had assailed the group, retrieving their blades, slings, remaining bullets, and any other armaments or equipment of note, which he promptly distributes to the adult civilians who had initially been part of the caravan. He then retrieves the shield of the fallen mother, delivering it to the surviving father, commenting, "Tomorrow night, it will be a token you can treasure to remember the bravery of that woman. Tonight, it protects you, who will be protecting your children, who will be protected by us.", he says with a sweep of his arm to Hager, Ander, and the others. Knowing full well that none of them may have never used a blade as a weapon in their lives, let alone a sling, he suggests, "Keep your weapons visible and do your best to look threatening. That will help sell the disguise, if nothing else." pre:I am not sure what all the kobolds had, but I will arm the civilians with simple weapons. If there is anything else of note on the bodies, let me know. Relevant data - PHB pg. 146: "Most people can use simple weapons with proficiency. These weapons include clubs, maces, and other weapons often found in the hands of commoners." Giving himself the once-over and focusing for a moment on the recently-cleaned cape - with black velvet exterior, gold thread along the edging, and a dark blue interior - he wondered idly on the colorings of the apparent attackers of Greenest. Moving his gaze on to the rest of his armor, which also bore the Zhentarim colors of black and midnight blue with gold accents, he dearly hoped he wasn't wandering in on the wrong side of a full-scale Zhentarim reprisal to this city. It wouldn't make much sense though, as the dragon wasn't an ally of nearby Darkhold, as far as he knew, and creatures as lowly as kobolds certainly didn't count themselves among the ranks of the elite mercenaries. Approaching the edge of town... He gives a silent nod of agreement to Janelle, Hager, and Ander. The civilians inside that tavern deserved to be rescued, and the six attackers at its door had to die as a result. He suggested, "The three of us should be able to handle it if we act in unison.", motioning to Hager, Ander, and himself. Looking to Jared and Janelle, he asked, "artillery support to pick off any wounded survivors on your end, Jared? And something defensive prepared to interdict if things go awry, Janelle?" Looking to the disguised civilians, he suggests, "I'd ready yourselves to avoid anything troublesome, just in case." pre:Recommending the civilians all ready the 'Dodge' action: When you take the Dodge action, you focus entirely on avoiding attacks. Until the start of your next turn, any attack roll made against you has disadvantage if you can see the attacker, and you make Dexterity saving throws with advantage. Waador fucked around with this message at 06:35 on Aug 27, 2014 |
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Aug 27, 2014 05:48
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC pre:Stealth: 15 [Disadvantage] Initiative: Literally Zero Stepping up to the dying creature's body, he gave the still-twitching hand of the kobold a kick with his armored heel, knocking the dagger it had been holding upwards and into the air. Angling himself slightly, he twisted and caught it on the upswing, and then completed a throw using the momentum of the twist to send it spinning towards the throat of the male cultist nearby, who seemed to still be caught up in the excitement of having finally gotten the door open. pre:Surprise Round
Move: M0>L1>L6 (30')
- Pick up the dagger of the defeated kobold (K6).
Action: Attack [Dagger: Thrown/Range 20'] vs. Cultist #1
Hit - 11
or 13 [Advantage]
I am not sure if succeeding on the initial stealth check
caused me to be hidden. If so, advantage might apply.
Damage - 6 piercing
Relevant data - Interacting with Objects Around You:
"Here are a few examples of the sorts of thing you can do in
tandem with your movement and action:
pick up a dropped axe"Waador fucked around with this message at 19:19 on Aug 27, 2014 |
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Aug 27, 2014 19:07
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Eyeing the savagely beaten humans, he looks to Ander and Janelle, suggesting, "A prisoner might be wise, if we can manage to quickly stabilize one of them and don't mind carrying them with us. We have no idea who these people are, and I wouldn't mind fixing that. What do you think?" pre:Looting the bodies. Arming any civilians who aren't yet armed, unless they are drunk. Zedekiah takes a moment to retrieve additional belongings and armaments from the slain creatures, thinking better of giving daggers or other weaponry to the drunks, but retrieving the actual uniform-cloaks and outfits of the murdered cultists and informing the two men, "Put these on. Leave the bottles. Until we're inside the keep, you're one of them. Don't make eye contact with anybody." Waving to the other civilians, he beckons one over, whispering, "An extra robe for the young lady, please.", now glad that he had the foresight to ensure they crafted extra disguises. After a moment of thought, he decides to spend a precious second trying to squeeze some strategic value out of the newcomers. If the building was truly constructed as a keep, rather than some lord's toy castle, it might have been designed by someone with a brain. He asks the woman, as well as the drunks, "Since you live in this city, I don't suppose any of you know of a way into the keep other than the front door? Assuming it was designed to actually weather a siege." Waador fucked around with this message at 23:33 on Aug 27, 2014 |
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Aug 27, 2014 22:28
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC He frowns a bit on the inside, not particularly liking the idea of trusting the fate of the civilians to a drunk. Still, if it was true, it was a good option. Looking to Janelle, Hager, Ander, and Jared, he inquired, "If there is an entrance bordering the stream, that might serve us well. Getting there is likely to draw less attention than walking down main street. What do you think?"
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Aug 27, 2014 23:35
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Although he didn't clap, for the obvious reason of not wanting to draw the attention of murderous kobolds, he was impressed and deeply appreciative of Janelle's efforts to open the grate silently. His admiration doubled in size when the woman offered to take point scouting down the pitch black tunnel. Turning to the others, he nodded in response to Hager's assessment. "I think we would all feel comfortable with you and your brother as rearguard, if you're both willing and able. The width of the tunnel will prevent any serious assault from behind, but if someone does try to sneak up on us, I'd be intensely surprised if you weren't able to beat them to death. And a little bit of artillery support from your brother might make a larger force think twice about following us in." Turning to Ander, he commented, "The two of us can function as vanguard, with Janelle scouting a bit ahead of us, if you wish. Given the amount of noise our armor makes - before taking into account the literal conga line of refugees we're bringing with us - I think it's a safe bet that anyone stationed down here is going to hear us coming. I intend to play it defensively in case someone looses a stray arrow before realizing we are allies, as such a misunderstanding could be forgiven given the circumstances." Looking at the man's armaments, he suggested, "Between the two of us, I should likely go in front, given that I have a shield. Unless you really want to go first, in which case, I'm not fussed." pre:I will follow Janelle, giving her as much space as she wants. It sounds like Ander will come along in the front row, before the civilians. Waador fucked around with this message at 04:20 on Aug 28, 2014 |
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Aug 28, 2014 04:11
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Approaching the hot mess of barrels, Zedekiah sighs and sheathes his longsword. Looking the pile over for a moment, he suggests, "I'd rather know what is inside these before knocking any of them around too violently." Reaching into his backpack, he retrieves a three-foot-long piece of cast iron, shaped like a crow's foot at the tip, with a wedge on the other end. In the dim light of the tunnel, given her observant nature, Janelle would likely notice an engraving in the Draconic language along the side of the tool, reading 'Whosoever holds this iron crow, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of a Freeman'. Approaching the pile, he begins prying open the crates and barrels with one hand, hoping to confirm they do not contain anything particularly dangerous. pre:Strength: 16 [Advantage] (or Athletics 18) Crowbar: Using a crowbar grants advantage to Strength checks where the crowbars leverage can be applied. Waador fucked around with this message at 06:15 on Aug 28, 2014 |
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Aug 28, 2014 05:38
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Rolling his eyes, he comments wryly to Ander, "At least they aren't crabs." Sighing, he takes one final look at his meticulously clean cape as the river of rats begins to flow around him.
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Aug 28, 2014 17:33
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC He looks on with incredulity as the morass of vermin scuttle around him, more than a little amused when a few of them get the idea to bite at him, presumably to spur him out of their way. He holds back any real laughter, though, deciding it to be reasonably wise to heed Janelle's advice regarding keeping his mouth shut. As the vermin-tide continues onwards down the tunnel, he senses an opportunity as it surrounds the area below Janelle, who appears to have shimmied herself halfway up the wall, bracing herself with both legs against its sides. Setting his crowbar gently against the side of the tunnel, he reaches into one of the four stuffed-to-the-brim pouches hanging from his belt and retrieves a clay flask. Removing its stopper, he hurls the flask like a baseball into the area beneath Janelle where the rats now linger, shattering the flask on impact and spraying the displaced vermin with a thick coating of oil. Looking at the creatures for a moment, their fur now slick with the substance, he comments flippantly, "Presumably a pity." He then flashes a glance upwards to Janelle, obviously encouraging her to do the honors. pre:Move: Dropping my crowbar, retrieving a flask of oil.
Action: Use an object
Hit - 17*
Effect - Covered in oil
Oil: As an action, you can splash the oil in this flask onto
a creature within 5 feet of you or throw it up to 20 feet,
shattering it on impact. Make a ranged attack against a
target creature or object, treating the oil as an improvised
weapon.
On a hit, the target is covered in oil. If the target takes any
fire damage before the oil dries (after 1 minute), the target
takes an additional 5 fire damage from the burning oil.
*I forgot to use dexterity instead of strength, so the roll is 17 but reads as 21 on Orokos.
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Aug 29, 2014 00:05
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC As the civilians go about regaining their composure, he picks his crowbar back up from its resting place along the side of the wall, twirling it around with one hand in a triumphant manner. When Janelle speaks regarding the disguises, he agrees, suggesting, "Removing the disguises would be wise at this juncture, yes. I'd recommend we collectively lower or sheathe our armaments for the time being, as well." He then looks at the door, now picked, and asks, "Should we ...knock?" When the civilians begin to remove their disguises, he passes a message down the line of them, "Remove and stow the disguises, but don't destroy them. They may yet be needed again before this siege is over. And as for the two actual uniforms being worn by those two drunk men, I will, unfortunately, need that clothing back." Waador fucked around with this message at 06:01 on Aug 29, 2014 |
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Aug 29, 2014 02:43
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Zedekiah offers to shake the hand of the dwarf with one of his massive, gauntlet-covered arms. With his crowbar, longsword, quarterstaff, and half a dozen other implements of warfare (including a battering ram) hanging off miscellaneous loops on his belt and backpack, to say nothing for his hulking armored form, he imagines he looks like a walking nightmare to the weary defenders of the keep. Answering the man's question first, he responds, "The five of us," - jerking his head towards Ander, Hager, Jared, and Janelle - "were on the way into town as guardians of a caravan for a Mr. Presmer Gerost. On our approach it became clear that the town was under assault ...by a dragon, among other things..., and we intervened to save the life of a man named Cuth and his children, who were in the process of being hunted by kobolds. He suggested the keep was still a haven for civilians, so we made our way into town with the members of the caravan, as well as Cuth's family, using makeshift disguises that our cloth-and-dye trade goods were fortunately able to allow us to create." Taking a breath, he continued, "On the way into town, we happened upon a tavern similarly under assault, and ...dealt with the assailants. The survivors in that building told us about the tunnel, which we figured would be a safer route of entry than the front door at this particular point in time. All told, I believe we managed to bring about nineteen civilians into the keep safely, although many of them were the members of our original caravan." Sparing a glance to the defenders lobbing arrows over the wall, he further explains, "On the way in, my comrades and I have sent fourteen of the attackers to their grave, though we haven't had the vantage point necessary to really assess their numbers. Have any of your men been able to establish a proper count of the enemy? What are we talking about here, one, two, three hundred attackers? More?" Frowning as the guards loose arrows wantonly beyond the walls, he inquires, "And, if you don't mind my asking, what are your defensive stockpiles looking like? If those arrows are in short supply, it would be deeply wise to stop firing them immediately: the lackeys are likely intentionally exhausting your reserves to make any approach of their dragon safer." Scanning the skyline, he inquires, "Given that I haven't heard the telltale sound of thunder, I assume that Lennithon the blue hasn't given the keep a serious test of its defenses yet?" Realizing he may be overstepping his bounds with the commander, he corrects himself, "Forgive me, that may have come off wrong. I am a trained military strategist, and siege warfare is one of the things I understand particularly well. Since the threat became obvious, I have been working on a few plays that may be available to you to successfully hold this ground against that dragon, but in order for any of them to succeed you will need to ration key supplies." Bowing as much as his armor would allow, he offers, "If you would accept my aid, I will do what I can to help you and your people weather this storm." He explains, "Though in order to do so, I will need a better idea of the numbers of the enemy, the number of warriors defending the keep, and the equipment stockpiles available to you." Waador fucked around with this message at 19:37 on Aug 29, 2014 |
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Aug 29, 2014 16:09
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC He nods appreciatively at the dwarf's explanations, but when interrupted by the messenger he says, "We should speak further on this when possible." So saying, he reports for duty upstairs where the dwarf indicates, unless his comrades have anything further to say that requires his input.
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Aug 30, 2014 03:50
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Zedekiah had to admit that he was surprised by the dragon's sudden assault. Still, the creature had stupidly wasted one of its more powerful weapons on the group - the gut-wrenching fear a true dragon could inspire in mortal men and women - hours ago. As a result, he steeled himself when the creature took up a hovering position just beyond the parapets, and set into motion the first of a half-dozen plans he had constructed since the dragon announced its presence. Giving a very pointed look to Jared, as if to implore him to be ready to act, he met the gaze of the dragon as it opened its maw to obliterate a line of archers, and did something he suspected the dragon would have never expected: he laughed in the creature's face. Speaking to the beast, he proclaimed, "Lennithon the blue, how brave you are to attack mortal men from thirty paces away in the air. Here's a lesson for you, though: don't announce yourself to a defended keep several hours in advance of your assault. And certainly don't let them identify who you are. Baldur's Gate, Candlekeep, and Darkhold are all only a few hours away by messenger hawk - and guess what we've kindly told our friends in those areas?" Letting his words linger for a moment, he continued, "I can't truly speak for the diviners of Candlekeep, or the miscellany of heroes in Baldur's Gate who will get the word, but I can assure you of one thing - even if they don't answer our call for aid, the Zhentarim of Darkhold will be very interested to hear that the lair of the lord of the Sunset Mountains is empty this night." Smiling confidently, he continued, "Which is to say, you can engage us in battle if you want. At best, you will likely take a few minor blows, and waste a few hours exhausting these men. But - while perhaps not at the moment - within the next hour or two, more than a few individuals equipped with the abilities of divination and teleportation will be helping themselves to your treasure hoard. So," he shrugged, "you do what you have to do." In so saying, he spun on his heel, turning his back to the dragon and looking again at Jared. Flippantly, he commented, "Forgive me, though: it hadn't occurred to me that the common tongue of men might be your second language. Perhaps my friend Jared can better explain just how thoroughly bad of a night you will end up having if you persist in this assault." Laughing again at the creature and shaking his head, he adjusted his cape arrogantly, and marched down the stairs and out of the dragon's line of sight. pre:Action: Help
- Giving Jared advantage on a charisma or deception check.
- The creature you aid gains advantage on the next ability
check it makes to perform the task you are helping with,
provided that it makes the check before the start of
your next turn.
Move: Moving 30' down the stairwell.
Hoping Jared clues in, and uses a bonus action to hit him with a no-save hex
(disadvantage on Wisdom checks), and then cements the commentary with telepathic
lies rolled at advantage.Waador fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Aug 30, 2014 |
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Aug 30, 2014 06:13
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Still within the stairwell, he shouts out to the men arming the battlements atop the tower, "Governor, you and your people should come inside. Engaging the dragon atop a tower shaped like that gives him the opportunity to fight back, and playing fairly is a way for good men to end up dead. Archers need to be positioned at windows around the keep and in hallways in the courtyard, enabling them to take shots of opportunity when the dragon crosses their sights and range, with a defensive partner right behind them ready to drag them back into the safety of the hallway or out of the window's opening." Jared's speech had been ... improvised ..., he knew, so he couldn't fault the man for his efforts. Zedekiah was glad that the arcane archer had caught on to what was happening in time. Whether or not it worked was anybody's guess, but either way it made sense to assume the dragon might continue to pepper the keep with his lightning barrage. "Jared, Hager, that goes for yourselves as well, there is no reason to be up there. Your range of engagement is far superior to the other archers of the keep, and is quite possibly beyond Lennithon's own as well. If the dragon would like to spend an hour or two getting shot in the eyes while playing a rigged game of whack-a-mole at every window in this building, let's show the man a good time." Zedekiah had no idea how good a dragon's hearing was, but he was shouting loudly on the off-chance that the wind might carry his words up from the top of the tower and straight to the creature. It was a message he was perfectly happy to send to their foe if fortunes allowed, which translated roughly to 'poo poo just got real.' He'd never faced a dragon before, but all the lore suggested two things quite plainly - first, dragons valued their hoard more than nearly anything, and second, chromatic dragons could rarely bring themselves to engage in a fair fight, let alone one where the odds were not in their favor. Having finished pushing the buttons necessary to inform the dragon it might be wise to go do something else with his time, Zedekiah continued down the stairwell and back into the keep.
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Aug 31, 2014 17:35
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC He responds to the dwarf, "Your governor is still alive, yes. I had a few words with the dragon, and I don't expect he'll be participating in this assault any longer. Unfortunately, my timing was less than perfect, and three archers paid for that with their lives. I'm sorry." He seemed genuinely apologetic for their deaths, even though the dragon was the one who had struck the killing blow, and the soldiers hadn't even been under his command. Looking to Jared, he inquired, "What sort of range do you get on that finger beam? More specifically, if you were to man the wall or even the tower, could you rain down a healthy dose of 'Eat poo poo and die.' to the enemy troops? The kobolds we encountered only seemed to be carrying slings, which would put your range well beyond their maximum. Even if a few of them have proper longbows, using the cover of the parapets and walls you could likely strike at them in relative safety, between the stone walls and the disadvantageous ranges and angles of any shots they could take in retaliation." The enemy would quickly retreat to a safe distance, he knew, but it would cordon off a zone of two or three hundred feet around the castle where the invaders would have to think twice to approach. And, on the off chance that they didn't give the keep a wide berth, at a rate of fire of six hundred shots per hour or so, a focused assault by Jared would quickly bring the enemy numbers down to a manageable level. Waador fucked around with this message at 20:06 on Aug 31, 2014 |
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Aug 31, 2014 19:59
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC He sighs, wishing for all the world he could have just five minutes to sit down and prepare a prepare defensive strategy for the keep. He comments to the others, "What do you all think? Personally I would prefer to head to the temple, as it is likely to have a library, and an empty book and some writing supplies would be of strategic value to me." His tactical assessment was a bit deeper than that, albeit not appropriate to share with the group. He knew that saving the lives of civilians would be seen as more heroic in the eyes of the townsfolk, and if their mill happened to burn to the ground as a result of the other force being less competent, it would be a simple matter to arrange for any number of Zhentarim-allied merchants and carpenters to arrive at the city to both repair the mill and sell them enough food to last throughout the rebuilding efforts. At a reasonable profit, of course. Waador fucked around with this message at 01:04 on Sep 1, 2014 |
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Aug 31, 2014 21:42
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Assessing the situation, he offers an option, "I think we should cut north when the patrol group bends around the far side of the church. We can circle around then, and boost Jared and Janelle atop the roof of the house overlooking the doors. With ranged support from the rooftop kept safe from getting mobbed by a dozen attackers, the three of us," he looks at Ander and Hager, "well, I mean, my preference is basically to murder loving everybody. Any other preferences?" Waador fucked around with this message at 02:24 on Sep 1, 2014 |
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Sep 1, 2014 02:19
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC He whispers sardonically, "Leave it to a kobold to try to set fire to a stone building. I imagine the doors being broken down are a larger issue, it may not be worth the risk exposing ourselves to handle a group of people who haven't even mastered the basics of fire yet." He shrugs, admitting "Although, slipping into the smoke cloud and cutting them to pieces would likely delay the next pass of the patrol group by a moment or two while they try to figure out what happened to their comrades." Waador fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Sep 1, 2014 |
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Sep 1, 2014 04:06
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Between the smoke filling his eyes, the mists of blood spraying everywhere, and the heads literally flying around within the hazy cloud, Zedekiah found it difficult to find a route of assault that wasn't already covered by one of his fellow blade-wielding maniacs. After two false starts towards opponents that were cut in half before he could get a foot off the ground, he decided to wait to see if anybody was even left standing before jumping into the fray.
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Sep 1, 2014 18:39
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Between the unrelenting aggression of Ander and Hager, as well as the eerily accurate headshots regularly being lobbed by Janelle, Zedekiah found himself not even needing to lift a finger in the carnage at the back end of the church. He got an early start around the side of the building as a result, edging his way along the wall to prevent the enemy from spotting him until he and the others were upon them. Everything was going smoothly until an intensely painful migraine struck him, causing him to reflexively bring a gauntlet-covered hand to the side of his head to soothe the pain. Unfortunately, this caused him to stumble slightly, as he had been using his spare hand to grip the wall to push himself along quietly, resulting in an unmistakable creak in his armor that the nearby kobolds and humans would assuredly hear. The worse of it, though, was that it felt like somebody had punched him in the brain, and he unfortunately knew exactly what the cause was: a sending spell cast by a particularly incompetent practitioner. He sighed, knowing that the enemy had been alerted to him, and also keenly aware that there was nothing he would be able to do to prevent the message from overpowering his sense of hearing with its words for the next few moments, distracting him and eliminating any hope of striking at the enemy before they could respond to his misstep. The message rang clear in his ears, despite the clamor of the fire, and the screams of terror from those inside the church: "Cousin, it's your cousin! Why don't you take me bowling? And afterwards we'll go get drunk, at the Blushing or the Splurging!" He sighed again when his sense of hearing returned, now with a dozen kobold and human eyes trained on him and his comrades. Knowing he would have to respond to the summons if he didn't want to endure another casting, which might very well get him killed, he muttered a response in full view of the enemy, enunciating just loud enough for the spell to catch the return-to-sender message, "Roman, what the hell? Now is really not the time. I am kind of in the middle of a quite demanding crime." Standing there in a bloodstained suit of armor, his sword drawn and making eye contact with over half a dozen armed kobolds and humans - while talking to himself and seemingly in his own little universe - he couldn't even imagine what might be going through the heads of the enemy at the moment. Other than Janelle's life-ending acorns, naturally. Waador fucked around with this message at 16:53 on Sep 2, 2014 |
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Sep 2, 2014 05:26
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC When Ander is cut down in front of him, Zedekiah only smiles at the cultist who dealt the nearly lethal blow. He remarks - in Draconic - "Oh dear, you've wounded our paladin. Good timing, though, because I have some news for you. This 'pathetic' city is under the protection of the Zhentarim. Your wife? Children? Parents? Friends? They're all dead within the next few days." He looks to the other cultist, as well as the kobolds, "That goes for every last one of you." He steps forward nonchalantly, taking a protective position over Ander's crumpled form, and slitting the throat of the cultist who had been praising Tiamat as an afterthought while he walks. Waador fucked around with this message at 05:13 on Sep 3, 2014 |
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Sep 3, 2014 04:13
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC Zedekiah laughs as the cultist finally breaks past his guard, leaving a painful-looking gash along the side of his shield arm. When the scimitar-wielding man begins to look on with a victorious smirk, he gazes into his eyes and winks, laughing as the wound literally begins to seal itself over before his opponent's very eyes: the blood steaming and bubbling in a sickening, inhuman manner. He remarks coarsely in response to the man's insult against the Zhentarim, "You see, the funny thing about that is: Lennithon didn't seem to agree. Didn't you find it odd that he wandered off after firing only a single blast of lightning atop the tower? He and I had a little chat, where I reminded him of his station in life." He shakes his head, sighing, "But, I don't really have time to explain things any further. Look out behind you, by the way.", he says flippantly as Hager very nearly cleaves the man in half, after carving his way through the kobold that was blocking his path. When the cultist drops to the ground and as his life begins to truly leave him, he gives a final farewell, "Give my best to Tiamat, naturally." In so saying, he sticks the prone man in the throat with his longsword, ensuring his death but ending his suffering. With that business concluded, and expecting the enemy patrol to round the southern corner of the church rather soon, he begins dragging Ander towards the front doors, giving them both another few moments before they are fully spotted. With any luck the patrol would happen upon the pile of dead bodies in the smoke and spare a few moments to investigate the matter, though he knew he couldn't count on that. pre:Bonus: Second Wind
- Heal: 8
Action: Attack vs. prone/dying cultist
- Hit: 9 (if required for dying opponent)
- Damage: 11
Move: P33 > O32 > O30 [Half movement]
- Dragging Ander with me.Waador fucked around with this message at 16:31 on Sep 3, 2014 |
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Sep 3, 2014 07:27
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC He isn't particularly surprised when the kobolds begin to flee: without a strong leader or overwhelming numbers, they were a predictably cowardly race. With Ander conscious once again, and Hager scaling the side of the church, he finds himself thoroughly in agreement with Janelle's recommendation of rallying atop the roof. He waits for the others to finish ascending the wall, with his blade still brandished to cover their defense just in case something rears its head. Once they are safely atop the roof, he sheathes his longsword, gives a nod to the all-powerful druid in the sky, and makes a quick grab for the scimitar of the fallen Jimitar, lord of blades. Catching its hilt between the notch of his belt and his armor, he follows his comrades, ascending the stonework with practiced ease. Once atop the wall, he offers the scimitar to the druid as requested. pre:Action: Dash
- +30' movement
Move: O32 > P32 [45'] > S29 [15']
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Sep 4, 2014 05:31
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Zedekiah 13 HP // 20 AC He follows Janelle and Hager down the wall near the backdoor of the church, suggesting to Hager and Ander, "The two of you might want to finish off those berries before we set off back to the keep. There's no guarantee it will be a safe trip." He then peers through the now-open door and into the building, looking about to see if anybody is injured and in need of assistance on the walk back. He is also looking for the cleric or equivalent in charge of the temple, curious if they happen to have a few spells of healing at the ready. Waador fucked around with this message at 06:45 on Sep 4, 2014 |
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Sep 4, 2014 06:01
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Zedekiah 20 HP // 20 AC Back at the temple... He comments, "The keep remains secure, we can escort you there." Looking to his injured allies, he suggests, "We will need a moment or two to bandage our wounds, but otherwise yes, gather your things and let's aim to head out within the next minute or two." Peering inside the temple, he inquires, "Do you mind if I take a quick look around for anything that might be useful to us?" Once he receives the blessing of the cleric to do so, he helps himself to a simple empty vellum book, some ink, and some writing supplies, finding nothing much else of strategic value within the building. pre:Liberating the following from the temple, if available... - Any readily available book suitable as an empty spellbook - Ink (1 ounce) - Ink pen At the keep... Having finally found a moment of peace and quiet, Zedekiah sets his mind to two very important tasks. First, he finds an empty room in the keep, lights a few candles liberated from wherever they happened to be lying around while he was searching for a quiet place to rest, and pulls out the vellum book he had taken from the temple. Thereafter, he sets his backpack on the floor, removes his armored gauntlets, and rifles through it - retrieving the book he had been reading before this disaster of an evening had began. He was nearly done a significant chapter, and had been looking forward to its conclusion for quite a while now. Before returning to where he had left off, however, he thumbs along the spine of the book, just beneath the silver lettering naming the author. Within the creases was a wax seal bearing the emblem of the Zhentarim, exactly where the chapter he had been reading earlier in the day said it would be. After removing the wax ball from its hidden cache, he hovers his hand over the vellum book and pierces it with his thumb and forefinger, causing a few drops of a crimson red liquid to fall to the empty pages below. Ignoring the fact that the liquid begins to dimly glow from the moment it hits the page, he then maneuvers the wax ball towards his face, tilting his head back and squeezing the last few drops of the liquid into his eyes like medicinal drops - again, exactly as the book had instructed. He could feel the effects of the concentrate working immediately, opening pathways in his mind that had been dormant, and strengthening those that had already been in use. Albeit decades old, the blood of the author was a powerful elixir indeed. His vision blurred for a few minutes as a result of the blood swirling around his cornea, but in time he was able to see well enough to pick up the copy of 'Fighting Man' and finish the chapter he had been working his way through. By the time he had finished the forty or so pages remaining in the chapter, he spared a glance towards the empty vellum book that he had doused in blood, and was only a little surprised to find that the liquid had rearranged itself into a series of eloquently written diagrams and expert calligraphy denoting phrases, actions, and frames of mind necessary to call upon the basics of arcane power. Thumbing through the now-verbose segment of that book, he dipped his newly acquired pen into the accompanying bottle of ink and traced over the lines of blood. One purpose of doing so was to hide the blood used as ink, of course, but the other entirely valid reason for doing so was to help commit each word and stroke to memory. Speaking to himself, he commented, "Well, isn't that interesting." Standing up, he closed the vellum spellbook, returned both books to his backpack, and attached his gauntlets back to his forearms. Flexing his arms, he made a fist: and was all too pleased to see it glow with the pale blue chill of the grave. pre:Level up!
HD: +1d6 [Wizard 1]
HP: +7 [4 Wizard + 3 Constitution]
Abilities gained:
- Spellcasting
- Cantrips (3)
- Prepared spells (4)
- Level 1 spells known (6)
- Level 1 spell slots (2)
- Ritual casting
- Arcane recovery (1 slot)
Spells gained:
- Cantrips
1 - Blade Ward [Abjuration]
2 - Chill Touch [Necromancy]
3 - Minor Illusion [Illusion]
- Level 1
1 - Expeditious Retreat [Transmutation: Concentration]
2 - Find Familiar [Conjuration: Ritual]
3 - Longstrider [Transmutation]
4 - Shield [Abjuration]
5 - Sleep [Enchantment]
6 - Unseen Servant [Conjuration: Ritual]
Spells prepared:
- Level 1
1 - Expeditious Retreat [Transmutation: Concentration]
2 - Longstrider [Transmutation]
3 - Shield [Abjuration]
4 - Sleep [Enchantment]pre:Short Rest: Regain use of Second Wind. pre:Spending ten minutes to ritual cast Unseen Servant, if there is time. For the moment, having him follow me around to polish and clean my armor. Waador fucked around with this message at 19:42 on Sep 4, 2014 |
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Sep 4, 2014 09:10
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Zedekiah 20 HP // 20 AC Emerging from the interior of the building and into the courtyard well after the argument became heated, Zedekiah frowns and thinks to himself, 'Probably shouldn't have let the commoners keep the weapons I gave them.' Approaching the soon-to-be melee confidently, he looks to Cuth and the other commoners watching the scene, and then casually points to Janelle and states, "She's right, Cuth. Your children need a father now, more than ever." Looking to the governor, he suggests, "If your governor is guilty of any wrongdoing, it will be settled in a court of law. And I will personally look for evidence to support your suspicion, if that is what it will take to lower your blade." Admittedly, he was a little amused at the man's brazen assault, and so he tosses him a bone, suggesting, "And for the moment, if you wish to channel your aggression into something productive, a captive member of the attackers was brought back from the temple. I imagine the governor's men are interrogating him as we speak, and perhaps he would be kind enough to let you ...participate?" He gave the governor a look, obviously giving him an opportunity to risk the life of an enemy instead of his own. pre:Persuasion - 15
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Sep 5, 2014 16:56
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Zedekiah 20 HP // 20 AC Zedekiah shrugs, commenting, "Plenty of other problems to deal with first." In so saying he follows the castellan up to the wall.
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Sep 6, 2014 00:53
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Zedekiah 20 HP // 20 AC Zedekiah sighs, looking to the castellan, and then to the governor. "I suppose I can murder him for you, too, if you want." Looking to Ander, some of his wounds still bleeding, he suggests, "You're literally bleeding through your armor and nearly died a few hours ago. Are you sure you're up for this?" Waador fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Sep 6, 2014 |
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Sep 6, 2014 02:46
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Zedekiah 20 HP // 20 AC He shrugs, responding, "Better qualified or not, you're half-dead on your feet. What am I supposed to do with my guilt if an injured man dies in battle against a foe I could have faced?" He wasn't particularly committed to the battle one way or another, but he was curious why the man was so focused on rushing back into battle. Waador fucked around with this message at 03:18 on Sep 6, 2014 |
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Sep 6, 2014 03:04
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Zedekiah 20 HP // 20 AC Zedekiah laughs, obviously a little happier that Ander can face his opponent in battle at his best, at least. He does add, though, "That handles my main concern about your safety. To be honest, though, if you kill him with your greatsword you're going to ruin him. I'd like to skin him and turn him into a suit of armor, if at all possible." ...he seems completely serious.
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Sep 6, 2014 03:20
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Zedekiah 20 HP // 20 AC He shrugs and relents, saying, "Fair enough." Looking down to the large amount of kobolds surrounding the gates as well, however, he suggests, "At least let me accompany you down to the ground, in case they prove dishonorable." In so saying he lets Ander lead the way.
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Sep 6, 2014 03:32
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Zedekiah 20 HP // 20 AC Observing the battle from about a hundred feet away, closer towards the courtyard, Zedekiah literally bursts out laughing. "Twice in one day. Amazing.", he says to himself as much as to the half-dragon. He begins casually walking towards the again-fallen paladin, intending to use the man's own healing kit to save his life. As he kneels beside the fallen paladin, he offers to the half-dragon, "Once I save this man's life and get him safely atop the wall, I'd be happy to give you an encore. Thoughts?" Waador fucked around with this message at 04:04 on Sep 6, 2014 |
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Sep 6, 2014 04:00
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Zedekiah 20 HP // 20 AC Zedekiah shrugs, accepting the half-dragon's explanation. "Unfortunate, but fair. Perhaps next time." He was obviously a little disappointed, though less obvious that his disappointment centered largely around not getting the opportunity to skin the reptile and make him into a suit. When Janelle returns, he goes to investigate the latest captors. "Where did you get off to? You missed the title fight of the year.", he inquires.
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Sep 6, 2014 04:31
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Zedekiah 20 HP // 20 AC He laughs at Janelle's description of the battle, not disagreeing with the assessment at all. "Fair enough.", he agrees, offering to take whatever documents she had left and read them over while walking with her to wherever the interrogation was to take place.
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Sep 6, 2014 04:44
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Zedekiah 20 HP // 20 AC Reading over the charred documents, he comments, "Not much left here, though it is neither encouraging nor damning." In truth he didn't care if the governor was guilty, though the opportunity to seize his keep was an appealing one. Looking to the castellan, he asks, "Do you think you could scrounge up a pound of charcoal, a brass brazier, and some amber incense? Cedarwood would also suffice, I suppose. Or vanilla."
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Sep 6, 2014 05:25
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