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Shining Force Central Forums > RPG Gallery > Shining Force: The Chaos War Part III

Posted by: Rusty Mon Dec 11, 2006 5:57 am
((Rawr.))

Posted by: Lord Oddeye Mon Dec 11, 2006 1:03 pm
((Ok I'll accept as many potions of CCW as you wish to distribute and also one unit of each equipment, except for the dagger +2. I don't think I'll have great use of this one. I'm equiping with everything, even the mithral chain shirt which I intend to enchant with Twilight as soon as possible. (thanks to Alec for the suggestion ).
Also I'll sell my Bracers of Armor +2 to Derrik if nobody else need them.))

Posted by: Aldur Mon Dec 11, 2006 2:47 pm
((Kria takes an Amulet of Natural Armour, A Mithral Chain Shirt and 3 CCW potions. And a pair of booties. New AC: 25.)) Meanwhile, during the pyre, Kria stepped up and slowly watched her kinsfolk burn. She mumbled a prayer to the Holy Dragon, to grab their souls and grant them the rewards they had earned in his name. She sighed. Shaking her and turning away. She didn't have much to say. She barely raised an eyebrow when Derrik appeared, and spoke up when ways of keeping the tribe away came up.
"You can. Mother just needs to be defeated in Single combat. Then you get a favour, or leadership of the tribe. Normally only tribe members can do this but...Mother did enjoy a challenge. Or we could just..."
Kria broke off, thinking that battling their whole way through would be something everyone had thought of. And it hurt to say it. She shivered a little, no relishing the prospect of upcoming battles at all.

Posted by: Alpha Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:41 pm
((Tanis will take a Dagger +2. And three potions of CCW. I would say yes to the boots, but there really isn't too much point in him taking a pair. It's probably be better to sell them and get money instead. And he can't use an amulet either, due to having the Amulet of Health, which is probably better to have equipped, though if any of you think the AC boost would be better, do tell.))
Tanis looks around at the fallen bodies of those of Kria's kin, and of his race. His own tribe had not had to fight in any major battles for a fairly long time, due to the powerful cities in Northern Parmecia. And as such, he'd never seen so many dead catfolk or had a hand in killing any himself. And so, feeling saddened at the sight, he stands still, staring at the make shift pyre, the flames reflecting in his eyes.

Posted by: Cyrus Mon Dec 11, 2006 5:38 pm
[At some point in time during the purchasing process, Gail will buy 14 Delay Poison Potions, distributing them among the party with the except of Mahler, Gilliam, Adam, and Max, being as three/fourths of them are immune to poison, 1/4th was most likely ready before the party was gathered outside the gate. She will check, though, and if Max wants one, she'll pay for another. She takes no treasure or money for her own...though, we could probably make the Mithril Chain Shirts gear for the party to sleep in if we really wanted that type of insurance. Also, Gail will keep Sorel's potion on herself until such time he's ready to use it.
Price for the potions: 4200 gold.]

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Mon Dec 11, 2006 6:40 pm
(Sorel is also immune to poison)

Posted by: Tarethen Mon Dec 11, 2006 7:43 pm
((Farain will take his alloted share of the CCW potions. Level up coming in a little while. ))

Posted by: Rusty Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:44 pm
((Ombligo just wants gold.))

Posted by: Cyrus Tue Dec 12, 2006 2:33 am

QUOTE (VoxPVoxD @ Mon Dec 11, 2006 1:40 pm)
(Sorel is also immune to poison)

[Well, then, fine, spoilsport. I guess she'll save the potion incase Max needs it, then.]

Posted by: Alpha Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:42 am
After looking at the pyre for a time, Tanis returns to thinking of the current situation. If there were to be carrying straight on, prospects were not so good, as Tanis had lost some spells due to Amelia's dark blast. No doubt others had too. Remembering a potion he had read about once, he moves over to Derrik, and asks, "Would you happen to have any mana potions available?"
((I rolled a 19 for either Knowledge [Arcana] or Spellcraft, whichever is needed, so it'd be either 34 or 36 on the check. Hopefully that qualifies for him knowing of them))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:03 am
"A few, but not many. Three for a thousand gold each," Derrik says. ((Mana potions restore 1d4+1 'spell levels' of spells. For example, 1 3rd level spell, or 3 level 1 spell.))

Posted by: Alpha Tue Dec 12, 2006 1:35 pm
Tanis smiles and nods, handing over two thousand gold pieces to the merchant, leaving a potion for one of the other casters to buy if need be. "Many thanks," he says to Derrik. ((I'd like verification that we are indeed not resting before I'll have Tanis use them. Coincidently, I rolled two 4s for them. So when the time comes, 10 spell levels restored ))

Posted by: Dark Maiden Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:32 pm
[Kayla will take 3 Cure Critical Wounds potions, a pair of Boots of Elvenkind (She's a sneak ), a +2 Dagger, and an Amulet of Natural Armor. And now, her level up: Kayla gains a level in Assassin : Rogue 5/Assassin 3 (ECL 9) * Max Hit Points increases by 6
* Dexterity increases by 1
* Base Attack Bonus increases by 1
* All saving throws increase by 1
* All attack bonuses increase by 1
* Balance, Hide, Ride, Sleight of Hand, and Use Rope skills increases by 1 (Dexterity increase); Bluff, Disable Device, and Jump skills increase by 1 (Rank); Escape Artist, Open Lock, and Tumble skills increase by 2 (Rank and Dexterity increase); Move Silently skill increases by 6 (Rank, Dexterity increase, and Boots)
* Sneak attack increases to 5d6
* Kayla learns 3 second level Assassin spells; Cat's Grace, Invisibility, and Pass Without Trace
I will send my updated character sheet later.]

Posted by: Aldur Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:16 pm
Kria frowned. "Derrik, my mother had a kind of blast that...I don't know how to describe it. It made those who were hit feel less powerful than they were. Do you have anything to counteract that?" Kria nodded to herself, and then cleared her throat. "And like, anything that would make my blasts more...blasty?"

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:29 am
"I have four scrolls of restoration for the standard price, but nothing to enhance your power, sorry," Derrik says with a frown.

Posted by: DragonmasterDon1 Wed Dec 13, 2006 5:26 am
((Langston takes the 3 CCWs and that's all.))

Posted by: Dark Maiden Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:04 pm
((Well, since Kayla's armor is not enchanted with Twilight, her Arcane Spell Failure is 10%, as she does have spells.)) Kayla claims her share of the spoils and sorts through them. She puts the amulet around her neck, but she does not notice the affect this item has at the moment. She also sheathes the dagger she has obtained, and puts the potions in one of her belt pouches. At last she comes to the strange boots. The tiefling examines them for a moment before she decides to remove her other boots and put these boots on. Kayla walks around for several minutes, and she notices that her steps make very little, if any noise at all.
"I like them," Kayla says with a grin.
~These will come in handy for sneaking around, that's for sure.~

Posted by: Nightmare Thu Dec 14, 2006 12:20 am
((Gorrik grabs two potions of CCW.))

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:07 am
((Before we go Gail buys those six crystals that stop shadow demons with a 10k loan from Mahler party fund currently at 688gp))

Posted by: Alpha Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:20 am
((Tanis used one mana potion, as did Coventry. Both regained a 2nd level and a 3rd level spell))

Posted by: Lord Oddeye Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:37 am
((Just so that there's no confusion, I decided not to equip with the armor until I get the Twilight enchantment for it and I'll keep the Bracers of Armor +2. Current AC is 15.))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:49 am
"Thank you for your... SHIT!!!" Derrik yells as he ducks. An arrow flies over his head. "Sorry gents, that's my cue to ski-do!" The merchant says as he grabs the blue torch and slashes at the air with a dagger. A rift in the air appears, which the merchant hops through, sealing up behind him. More arrows begin to fly as the group finds itself surrounded by catfolk once more...

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:55 am
Scowling, Sorel raises his staff to the sky. Wind whips around the force, forming a tangible but invisible barrier. ((Wind Wall cast around the entire force. Arrows can't pass through, ranged spells have a 30% miss chance. Bullets are unaffected (assuming they count as massive ranged weapons)))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Thu Dec 14, 2006 4:07 am
Max begins pointing out positions of enemy troops and giving advice on how to best take them down quickly. ((Everyone gets an extra move action. Auras up grant +10 to Reflex saves and +2 to AC.)) Gilliam fires his gun, moving towards the southern portion of the catfolk. The gunfire strikes, but fails to slay the feline archer.
((Hit. 27 damage.))
Another archer is knocked off balance by a blast from Ignatius, but doesn't die.
((Hit. 17 damage.))
A mad cackle sounds across the battlefield as Amelia appears, laughing hysterically. Adam wordlessly moves toward her.

Posted by: Lord Oddeye Thu Dec 14, 2006 2:32 pm
Morgan glares at Amelia even as the warlock appears on the battlefield and laughs at them. The young wizard mutters a spell and gestures to the east... and a wave of black daggers flies towards the leader of the catfolk tribe and her near group.
((Mass Curse of Impending Blades centered 3 squares north of Amelia
-2 to AC for all enemies within 20ft. of this position. (Normally, that means all the catfolks in the forest and the other nearest one to the north-west.)
No save.))

Posted by: Kaihaku Thu Dec 14, 2006 3:04 pm
Astrid stares at Morgan in surprise for a moment, then takes a few steps to the south and speaks words of power. She holds her a finger and a beam of energy lances forward at Amelia, if she still lives. [Ray of Enfeeblement] [Ranged Touch Attack: 10 + 8 = 18]
[Strength Damage: 3 + 4 = 7]

Posted by: Alpha Thu Dec 14, 2006 3:37 pm
Noting the slight cluster of enemy catfolk to the right side of the battle field, Tanis takes a couple of steps back and begins chanting a spell. As it nears completion, those nearby can see flecks of white in the air. Upon finishing the spell, Tanis claps his hands together, and a storm of sleet appears over many of the enemies, blocking out sight of them.
[Cast Sleet Storm, centred http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a51/Thaziax/areaofeffect.png
I figure that as you said Gilliam moves south, and I said Tanis moves back a bit, none of the Force should be affected by the spell.
Sleet storm blocks all sight within it. You can walk within it at half speed with a DC10 balance check. Failure means it can’t move in that round, while failure by 5 or more means it falls.
Duration: 8 rounds]
Sighing in annoyance, Coventry weaves magical symbols in the air, and the Force are filled with energy.
[Cast Elation
Strength +2, Dexterity +2, Move +5’
Duation: 9 rounds]

Posted by: Aldur Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:10 pm
Kria's eyes narrowed as her mother appeared and she moved to attack her, readying her blade to strike, and then blinked as an ice storm appeared. She sighed, shaking her head in mild disappointment, turning instead to her kinsfolk. She surveyed them for a moment, and sighed, slumping a little in the air. She straightened as Max spoke, and nodded. No words needed to be said.
They were apparently a blight on the world, terrorising and killing in the name of a false god. For once all of her was in agreement. She'd sacrifice them all, and then...well, she'd have to see. She charged, activating her flaming aura as she barreled towards her foe, seeming like a pheonix, her blade gleaming with divine power.
(( Attacking Catfolk directly left. Using first move action to get there so two hits...
Attack 1: 19...confirmed.
Attack 2: 1...regular miss.
Damage from attack 1: 36 regular damage+9holy damage if they be evil+3 flame damage for being within 5 ft so 48 damage total. Note Kria's AC for this round is 28.))

Posted by: Tarethen Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:57 pm
((Farain levels up. Ranger level 3. (ECL 9) +1 BAB +1 Will Save +10 HP +3 Ranks to Listen
+3 Ranks to Spot
Feat: Endurance.
Full defense this round thanks to Vox's spell. ))

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:59 pm
((It's going to be going for another eight rounds so))

Posted by: Rusty Fri Dec 15, 2006 4:50 am
*Ombligo casts an ice cold Freeze spell at the catfolk archer south of him.* ((3 + 15 = 18 cold damage, no save to that catfolky foe.))

Posted by: Knight_019 Fri Dec 15, 2006 4:54 am
*Mahler could wait no longer. They were surrounded, but they had at least some advantage now. He could only hope he could fend off enough arrows to continue fighting. Mahler plods forward, increasing speed slowly but surely, until he rolled along at a quick trot. He continued straight forward, readying a fist. He then skids to a stop, letting his right fist fly forward at the catfolk archer's face.*
((Mahler charges, PA 5
1d20 + 15 + 2 + 1 - 5 = 5 + 13 = 18.
Damage
2d8 + 8 + 1 + 5 = 2 + 5 + 14 = 21.))

Posted by: DragonmasterDon1 Fri Dec 15, 2006 5:04 am
Langston cast an expectant look to Gail and waited for the woman to move. As she did so, he took off in nearly the opposite direction before cutting southward once more, skirting the edge of the Sleet Storm to nudge in as Gail's assault provides distraction.
((Delay action to flank off Gail.
If a Tumble is necessary to do so, Langston provokes an AoO with a Nat 1 on the Tumble check. Shouldn't be necessary with a double move, as Langston won't pass straight through the square if it's not absolutely necessary.
Attack: 6 + 6(Bab) + 6(Dex) + 1(Mwk) + 1(Elation) +2(Flank) = 22
Damage: 4 + 1(Str) +1(Elation) = 6
Sacred: 10 or SA: 9
Dodge to that enemy unless it dies, then dodge to the next catfolk not in the storm.
AC 26, not on the defensive))

Posted by: Nightmare Fri Dec 15, 2006 5:06 am
Gorrik rushes forth to aid his follow melee combatants. ((Attack a catfolk to the north around Mahler. Attack: D20(15) + 5(STR) + 9(BAB) + 2(Axe) + 2(Charge) + 1(Elation) - 5(PA) = 29 Damage: D10 + 5(STR) + 2(Axe) + 5(PA) + 1(Elation) + d6(Electric)= 5 + 13 + 2(Electric) = 18 + 2
AC: 30 (31 to closest catfolk not in melee)))

Posted by: Cyrus Fri Dec 15, 2006 5:16 am
The paladin sighed as the catfolk tirbe returned in full force, this time surrounding them on every side with arrows pointed at their skulls. She had hoped it wouldn't come to this...that they would be able to somehow slip by and encounter only small pockets, but that was impossible now. She just hoped that all this commotion hadn't given them away to the fiends they were so desperately trying to drop in on. Unsteathing her blade, she motions for Langston to follow, repeating the last battle's tactics as she closes in and tears into an enemy archer.
[Move 4 squares SE, FA on archer. Divine Might.
Attack 1: 20.
Confirm: 1d20(11)+8(BAB)+4(STR)+5(weapon)+1(misc.)=29.
Damage: 1d10(8)+4(STR)+5(weapon)+8(Might)=25*2=50.
Attack 2: 1d20(8)+3(BAB)+4(STR)+5(weapon)+1(misc.)=21.
Damage: 1d10(2)+4(STR)+5(weapon)+8(Might)=19.
50+19=69. It's dead, Jim.]

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Sat Dec 16, 2006 12:17 am
((Black spot means affected by Morgan's spell.)) The catfolk reel from Morgan's debilitating spell even as Ombligo causes one to shiver uncontrollably. Meanwhile Kria nearly slays one in a single blow, as Mahler charges forward to fall short with his mighty fist.
Adam rushes up to Mahler with speed belied by his heavily armored apperance, stopping by the golem's side to turn and level his cannon arm at the line of archers to his left.
: "Targets in range. Distance calculated. Disengaging safeties. Laser cannon armed and amplified. Discharging capacitors..."
A blinding streak of light that dwarfs Gilliam's own laser cannon rips across the battlefield, disintegrating one of the archers immediately and sending another two near death. The fourth dodges out of the way, panic on his face.
((61 damage to the archers lined up diagonally from Adam. One dies from massive damage, one evades, the others are in single digit HP. 5 turns to laser cannon use.))
The catfolk Kria attacked backflips away from her and fires his bow at the warlock, striking twice.
((Hit, Hit, Miss. 33 damage to Kria.))
Gorrik's opponent attempts to do the same, but leaves himself open and has to take time to rebalance himself, only getting off a single shot that misses.
The other catfolk near Kria nearly breaks his bow in his attempt to fire rapidly, accomplishing nothing.
The catfolk engaging Mahler slides back with ease, firing a trio of arrows at the golem. Nothing much happens, though, as his stone skin protects him.
((Hit, Miss, Miss. Fail to pierce DR, immune to skirmish.))
Another trio of arrows sails into Gorrik, most stopped by his armor, a single one sneaking through.
((Hit, Miss, Miss. 13 damage to Gorrik.))
Arrows fly through the air, but none seem to hit, as if some force of fate or luck were watching over the group. Catfolk barrel out of the Sleet Storm even as Amelia rises out of the whirling ice, a frown on her frost covered face.
"We are not amused," she says with barely restrained fury before lashing out with a wave of utter darkness at the group, the unholy energy passing right through the Wind Wall.
((27 damage + DC 24 Fort save or gain 2 negative levels to Tanis, Morgan, Farain, and Astrid.))
Next turn!

Posted by: Alpha Sat Dec 16, 2006 12:30 am
http://www.filelodge.com/files/room38/1059969/Picture%203.jpg

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Sat Dec 16, 2006 9:01 am
((Oh, Kria! Arrow Deflection A shield with this ability protects the wielder from ranged attacks. Once per round when he would normally be struck by a ranged weapon, he can make a DC 20 Reflex save. If the ranged weapon has an enhancement bonus, the DC increases by that amount. If he succeeds, the shield deflects the weapon. He must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. Attempting to deflect a ranged weapon doesn’t count as an action. Exceptional ranged weapons, such as boulders hurled by giants or acid arrows, can’t be deflected.
Your bastard sword is illegal. But even if I let that slide(likely with modifications), it's still only once a round. Take that second arrow for 17 damage.))

Posted by: Kaihaku Sat Dec 16, 2006 9:11 am
The blast of negative energy nearly sends Astrid crumbling to the ground. Her eyes waver as strength is drained from her body but she does not fall and instead quietly speaks words of power. [Haste] [9 - 2 = 7 persons per level] [Gilliam, Kayla, Sorel, Max, Iggy, Farain, Tanis]

Posted by: Alpha Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:44 pm
((What's Astrid's max hp, Kai?)) Still sighing, Coventry shakes his head, muttering to himself. Rolling around Max, he comes to Morgan, casting a spell to heal some of the young necromancer’s wounds. [CSW: 3d8 + 9 = 6 8 1 + 9 = 24 hp healed] Reeling slightly as the dark energy washes through him, Tanis grimaces before beginning to cast a spell at Amelia with the intention to give her as good as she dealt. Throwing a huge portion of his magical energy into the spell, a sound lance roars from his hand and hurtles into Kria’s mother.
[Sudden maximised Sound Lance, with a Spin Fate point thrown in (adds 1 to the DC)
Damage: (8x8) + 4 = 68 damage
Fort save DC21 for half damage]
[Tanis AC: 25
Coventry AC: 29]

Posted by: Kaihaku Sun Dec 17, 2006 1:32 am
(She has a max of 41 hp.)

Posted by: Knight_019 Sun Dec 17, 2006 1:38 am
((Not that Mahler was damaged, but a point of order nonetheless. The catfolk have to move at least 10' to skirmish, which precludes the use of a full attack. The only way to make a full attack and move 10' is to make a DC 40 tumble check to take a 10' step as a 5' step.))
*Mahler shakes his head, watching as the arrows break against his stone skin. Mahler makes a motion as if cracking his knuckles, then lunges forward for the archer once more.*
((Charge, PA 6
1d20 + 16 + 2 - 6 = 13 + 12 = 25.
Damage
2d8 + 9 + 6 = 3 + 4 + 15 = 22.))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Sun Dec 17, 2006 2:28 am
((I am aware of the tumble check. Not all of them made it.))

Posted by: DragonmasterDon1 Sun Dec 17, 2006 2:59 am
((Delay for Gail again since they're the only two really out on the south. Cyrus, if you decide to do something else I'll change the action. Avoiding AoOs, will roll Tumble if necessary depending on Cy's target. Attack: 16 + 6(Dex) + 1(Mwk) + 1(Elation) + 2(Flank) - 2(Defensive) = 24
Rapier: 3 +1(Elation) = 4
SS: 6 5 2 = 13 Holy
Dodge Priority: If enemy survives, dodge to that enemy. If not, dodge to the closest one.
Defensive, so AC 30 (31 to dodged enemy)
))

Posted by: Rusty Sun Dec 17, 2006 3:28 am
*Ombligo moves forward, finishing the Catfolk near Adam with a Magic Missile spell.* : "What are you guys doing? Spread out! At least until we can take down Amelia!" ((Move north 10' 3 + 4 + 2 = 9 on one, 4 + 3 + 4 + 3 = 14 on the other))

Posted by: Nightmare Sun Dec 17, 2006 4:04 am
Gorrik charges forwards to the north, laying into the elusive Catfolk. Attack: D20(20) + 5(STR) + 9(BAB) + 2(Axe) + 2(Charge) + 1(Elation) - 5(PA) = Threat! Confirm: D20(17) + 5(STR) + 9(BAB) + 2(Axe) + 2(Charge) + 1(Elation) - 5(PA) = 31 Damage: D10 + 5(STR) + 2(Axe) + 5(PA) + 1(Elation) + d6(Electric) = 5 + 13 + 2(Electric) = 18 + 2
[D10(10) + 5(STR) + 2(Axe) + 5(PA) + 1(Elation)] *3(Crit) + D6[5](Electric) = 69 + 5(Electric)
AC: 28 (29 to closest catfolk not in melee)))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:19 am
Partial Update. Ombligo's magic missles kill the two Catfolk that had failed to evade Adam's blast, the bolts of light burrowing into their flesh and erupting out their backs. Mahler's punch cracks ribs as it barely hits, the catfolk fast, but not fast enough.
Gorrik, however, cleanly lops off the head of his opponent, ending his fight swiftly.
Gilliam stops as he feels the magic of haste on him, firing his chaingun in an arc and killing not only his foe, but the catfolk that had evaded Adam's earlier blast as well.
((Hit. Critical hit! Two dead cats.))
Amelia shrieks in pain as she catches the Sound Lance head on, spinning in the air as the force of the blast causes her flight to become unstable.

Posted by: Cyrus Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:35 am
Gail moves to her next opponent, sure the rogue would follow. [5 spaces E, attack SW catfolk. The archer gets one AoO for Gail moving across his threaten area. Attack: 1d20(16)+8(BAB)+5(STR)+5(weapon)+1(misc)=35. Damage: 1d10(2)+5(STR)+5(weapon)+8(Might)=20.]

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:36 am
Sorel takes batform and ascends rapidly, thanks to Astrid's Haste effect. ((Wildshape into Hunting Bat. Ascend 45'. AC 33, Touch AC 30))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:11 am
Kria launches an eldritch blast, but the opposing catfolk easily sidesteps, bringing his bow up to counter. The catfolk dodges another blast as Ignatius tries to cover Kria, however the catfolk trips over his tail and crashes to the ground in evading the attack.
((Critical miss.))
Gail and Langston flank and slay another catfolk archer with ease, the pair making a deadly duo.
Adam turns to one of the catfolk recently emerged from the Sleet Storm.
Adam Attack: http://gh.ffshrine.org/soundtracks/2082/8240
"Attacking..." he murmurs in monotone, charging the feline archer and slamming a metal fist into the cat's chest. The cat reels back, gasping for breath as blood stains his shirt, his ribs broken. The archer attempts to backflip away, but with his injuries it's too much and Adam is able to exploit an opening, crushing the feline's head in his hands.
((Hit! Power Attack 10. 40 damage. AoO: Hit. 35 damage. Archer dead.))
Max charges out from the wind wall, slashing into a catfolk raider with astounding speed and power. The tenacious catfolk is still alive though, attempting to pull back and fire his bow at the hero. The catfolk proves either very lucky or very skilled, striking the famed hero twice. Max grunts as two arrows jut from his chest.
((Hit. 35 damage to Catfolk Raider. Hit, Hit, Miss. Max takes 30 damage.))
Meanwhile a flurry of arrows is directed at Gorrik, who is struck thrice by the missles.
((Hit, Hit, Hit, Miss, Miss, Miss, Miss. 59 damage to Gorrik over three attacks.))
A pair of the archers target Gilliam as well, but one's bow breaks, the other landed two hits that don't do much to Gilliam's metal shell.
"Hm. That won't work," Gilliam says as one arrow bounces off his armor.
((Critical Miss! Broken weapon. Hit, Hit, Miss. 5 damage to Gilliam.))
Yet more arrows fly at Gail and Langston, two hitting the ratman, one striking the angelic paladin.
((Hit, hit, hit, miss, miss, miss, miss, miss, miss, miss. 24 damage to Gail. 18 damage to Langston.))
Amelia growls with rage as she sends more crackling blackness at the group protected by the windwall. The dark energy washes over Coventry, Ombligo, Arbeiten, and Ignatius, cold numbness flooding their limbs.
((28 damage and DC24 save or gain 2 negative levels.))
Kayla charges, but misses Kria's opponent as Morgan casts a spell that sheathes him in light.
Next turn!

Posted by: Dark Maiden Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:37 am
Kayla charges the catfolk that Kria attacked before, knife in hand. Once the tiefling is close enough, she tries to stab the catfolk. She misses and curses in some other language. "Let's see you dodge again you little bastard." Kayla narrows her eyes and thrusts her knife into his gut. A somewhat grim look of satisfaction appears on her face as the Archer falls dead at her feet.
[Attack
1d20 + 15 > 19 + 15 = 34. Threat.
(Confirm) 1d20 + 15 > 11 + 15 = 26. Critical Hit.
Damage
2d4 + 8 > 5 + 8 = 13.]

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:43 am
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/4023/sfcwiiiwarlockbattleb3eg9.png Sorel's eyes cut through the night, sensing Amelia's wounded state. He brings his wings in more tightly, a defensive gesture. ((Full defense. AC 37, Touch 34))

Posted by: Alpha Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:31 pm
Even as the dark energy washes over Coventry and the three others, he is already casting a spell to heal Ombligo’s wounds, his hands quickly working magic in the air. [Fort save failed. He’s got the negative levels] [CSW: Ombligo 3d8 + 7 = 21 hp healed]
Then, noticing Arbeiten’s lack of healing, Coventry speaks up. “Still not much competition going on, is there?” he says, satisfaction in his voice, as he reaches out and heals some of Astrid’s wounds.
[Close wounds: Astrid
1d4 + 5 = 7 hp healed]
((It would be good to have Arby healing us too…))
Growling that his last spell didn’t take Amelia down, but also feeling some hope at seeing that she’s wounded, Tanis immediately falls into casting again, sending another sound lance at her. To his dismay however, this one is far less powerful than the last.
[Cast Sound Lance at Amelia
Damage: 6d8 + 4 = 3 4 3 7 6 4 + 4 = 31 damage
Fort save DC20 for half damage]

Posted by: Knight_019 Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:11 pm
It looked like another bout of running for Mahler. The cowardly catfolk kept running away, making it difficult to find a good place to attack from. Mahler noticed that Adam and Gorrik both had good positions to move to the next wall of archers above the sleet storm. This in mind, Mahler charges forward, moving just above the topmost archer and swinging around to catch him. Mahler jabs forcefully, looking to knock the wind out of the archer.
((Charge to 1 space NW of the northmost archer of those 2 standing side by side.
Attack, PA 6
1d20 + 16 + 2 - 6 = 14 + 12 = 26.
Damage
2d8 + 15 = 1 + 7 + 15 = 23.))

Posted by: Aldur Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:04 am
Kria sighed, looking at her mother, pointing and aiming, hesitating for a moment, her hand shaking as she pointed. The eldritch blast not as potent as usual, be it through bad aim or Kria's reluctance to hurt her mother. ((EB on Amelia. Ranged touch: 23.
Damage: 12.))

Posted by: Wandering Dezorian Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:53 am
I was out of town for the weekend. Who needs healing at this point?

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Tue Dec 19, 2006 1:56 am

QUOTE (Wandering Dezorian @ Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:53 am)
I was out of town for the weekend. Who needs healing at this point?

((Everyone in the Wind Wall'd area.))

Posted by: Cyrus Tue Dec 19, 2006 1:58 am
The thrum of adrenaline began to build as another archer fell beneath Gail and Langston's blows, a slight rumble in her ears as her breath moved in and out smoothly and quickly, azure eyes darting to lock on the next foe. Turning back to spot a large group of archers behind them, Gail motions for Lang to follow, rushing to the nearest enemy in the chain and, skirting in front of him, she spins around to drive a deep slash across his midsection. She hoped the distraction she was making of herself was enough to pull away the archer's arrows from the theif...she'd find out soon enough if that were true.
[Move 2 North, 1 North-East to strike the catfolk archer at South. DM active.
Attack: 1d20(19)+8(BAB)+5(STR)+5(weapon)+1(misc.)=38.
Confirm: 1d20(6)+8(BAB)+5(STR)+5(weapon)+1(misc.)=25.
Damage: 1d10(9)+5(STR)+5(weapon)+8(Might)=27*2=54.]

Posted by: DragonmasterDon1 Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:46 am
((Double Critical Failure)) Langston lunges forward, but the archer sidesteps the lunge, Broderbund embedding itself in the dirt. The archer kicks Langston away from the weapon, the ratfolk falling prone as the archer swiftly takes the sword.
Result:
Langston disarmed and prone, catfolk archer has Broderbund in hand. The catfolk slashes at Langston, barely missing the throat. He only nicks the rogue.
Langston quickly scrambles to his feet without his prized rapier, a panicked look in his eyes as his adversary holds the one object he gives real value to. "Hey, hey, give that back!" he exclaims frantically, the rat's usual jovial battle demeanor completely shattered.
((Kip Up as free action, HP 46/64 minus whatever the cat nicked him for. Roll was a 1, not sure if that was the final result))

Posted by: Dark Maiden Tue Dec 19, 2006 5:38 am
[That sucks...~.~]

Posted by: Rusty Tue Dec 19, 2006 9:08 am
((FORT save: 17 + 8 = 25. Pass.)) *The magic creature crackles with electricity, his emotions exploding in fury much like a storm.* : "Someone shut her up!!" *A bolt of lightning shoots from his tentacle as he casts a Lightning Bolt spell at Amelia.*
((6 5 4 3 2 4 3 5 6 1 = 39.
REF save DC 20 for half damage.))

Posted by: Lord Oddeye Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:20 am
((Moves 1 square south-west and unleashes Light of Mercuria Target : nearest catfolk to the south. Ranged touch attacks : 18 and 10... Damage : 2d6 + 2d6 = 6 5 and 3 3 = 17 damage total.))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Wed Dec 20, 2006 12:24 am
Max runs his opponent through as Morgan's magical bolts finish off the catfolk archer that Gail wounded and had stolen Broderbund. Kayla finishes off the archer she's engaged with as Amelia avoids the Sound Lance, getting hit full on by Kria's blast and Ombligo's bolt.
Gilliam strafes with his chaingun, but the agile archers roll out of the way. Meanwhile, Gorrik charges forward with his axe, covered by Adam who does the same.
((Hit, Hit. 17 damage to Mahler's archer. 30 damage to Adam's archer.))
Amelia draws a potion from her belt and drinks the contents, a great deal of her wounds fading from sight. She then lets the bottle drop to the forest below. "Traitorous child, it will take more than that! I've seen more winters than you shall ever view!"
A hail of arrows strikes Gilliam, sparks flying as the missles find uncovered sections in his armor and sever cables and wires.
((Upgraded Critical! Upgraded Critical! Critical Hit! Hit! Miss, Miss. 36 damage to Gilliam total after DR.))
"I'll take you to hell with me then!!!" Gilliam snarls as the attack ends and he still stands.
A hail of arrows strikes Gail as the catfolk archers move around her. As shaft after shaft justs from her body, one of the archers errs in his movements, stepping too close to the paladin and giving her an opening.
((Hit, Hit, Hit, Hit, Hit, Miss, Miss, Miss, Miss, Miss. 55 damage to Gail, Gail can counterattack one of the archers.))
Mahler is grazed by one arrow as another misses him entirely.
((Hit, Miss. 4 damage to Mahler after DR.))
Gorrik isn't so lucky, taking an arrow to the neck, then another to the gut. Blood gushes out from the wounds, coating his brother-armor that proved useless and inactive in his hour of need. The dwarf topples over, unconscious.
((Critical Hit! Hit! Miss. Gorrik suffers 47 damage and is at -6 HP, not stable.))
While musing on what action to take, Arbeiten heals himself.
((Cure Light Wounds cast, 11 HP healed.))
Next turn!
http://www.alphaalec.com/SFCWIIIWarlockbattleB4.PNG

Posted by: Aldur Wed Dec 20, 2006 12:45 am
Kria frowns, inside her heads both sides both had ways of deciding what to do. She shook her head, attempting to collect herself. "Oh that is it! Like, I'm not cheating! I don't need to run away and come back with more everytime like you do! Or swill potions down my neck just to stand! What's wrong Mother, feeling hard pressed? Why don't you just come over here, and let's fight this out!?"
Kria pointed with her eldritch blast at her misguided mother. She smiled, as it blasted out of her palm, particularly powerful this time round, and laughed as it shaped itself into a spear, flying much further that it normally could.
((EB: 20...confirmed.
Damage: 14x3 = 42 damage to Amelia.))

Posted by: Knight_019 Wed Dec 20, 2006 12:50 am
*Seeing no reason to hurry, Mahler plods forward toward the catfolk before him. He rubs his hands together, then lashes out at the archer with all his might. He could hardly understand these evil catfolk.* ((10' right Slam, PA -6 1d20 + 16 - 6 = 19 + 10 = 29.
Damage
2d8 + 15 = 7 + 1 + 15 = 23.))

Posted by: Alpha Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:08 am
Those immediately around him being healthy, Coventry heals some of his own wounds. With flair. [CSW: Coventry: 3d8 + 7 = 21 hp healed] Tanis turns around slightly, his gaze resting on Arbeiten. “Could you please spare me some healing?” he asks.
Then, noting his last spell had no effect against Kria’s mother, Tanis decides to aim at one of the remaining archers near Gilliam.
[Sound Lance: one of the two archers near Gilliam
Damage: 6d8 + 4 = 7 7 5 3 6 6 + 4 = 38
Fort save DC20 for half damage]

Posted by: Wandering Dezorian Wed Dec 20, 2006 3:50 am
Arbeiten shakes himself awake, and heals Tanis. Level 3 heal - 3d8 + whatever level we are now + 1 hp restored.

Posted by: Cyrus Wed Dec 20, 2006 5:40 am
Gail stifles a scream as arrow after arrow slides into her armor, cutting through soft flesh and sickeningly slicing into bone. Her breath becomes that much more labored as she struggles to remain concious, to stand despite the sudden onslaught of pain and the slow, grey haze that began to cast itself over her eyes. She manages to catch the catfolk with her blade, drawing a small amount of blood in return for her own being spilt. She then focuses positive enrgy though herself, forcing some of the shafts to fall to the ground as her wounds heal.
[32 damage healed on Gail. LoH 32/64.]
----
"Langston, get out of the way, I'm going to fire my laser cannon!" Gilliam roars over the din of battle.

Posted by: Rusty Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:55 am
*Ombligo attempts to take some fire off of Gail with a Freeze spell on the weakest foe near the Paladin.* ((7 + 15 = 22 cold damage. Rawr.))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:15 am
Langston retrieves his rapier and stands by Gail as Gilliam moves forward and fires his chest laser, the broad beam sweeping over the raiders and burning their fur. The archers scream terribly, but remaining standing after the beam ends. ((35 damage to the two archers near Gail and Langston.))
Mahler charges the catfolk, crushing his chest with collosal clout. The raider's body can't take it and he falls to the ground, dead. Adam takes a step forward, then his claw hand detached and launches towards the archer in front of him, attached to his arm by a long cable. The claw pierces the archer once, twice, thrice, then retracts and reattaches, leaving the corpse to hit the dirt.
"How could I have failed so much in raising you? I taught you everything you know, how could you turn against your own people like this???" Amelia screams as she downs another potion. "Look at you, striking at your own mother! Slaying the children that grew up with you!"
Ombligo's spell nearly slays a catfolk, but doesn't quite finish the job, leaving him swaying in place. Astrid remedies this with a swift magic missle spell.
Ignatius punches the space in front of him and a purple lance of enegy rips through the air to tear through the archer Tanis has just nailed with the Sound Lance. The archer crumples, Ignatius giving out a cheer.
((Critical Hit! 32 damage to the Tribal Raider! Tribal Raider defeated!))
Mahler is struck by a few arrows as his last opponent flips away from him, but they fail to pierce his stony hide.
Arrows fly throughout the air, but in the end, only Gail is struck in the shoulder.
((One hit out of all attacks rolled. Gail for 10 damage.))
Arbeiten restores feeling to the areas of flesh numbed by Amelia's abominable attack.
((26 HP healed on Tanis.))
Next turn!
http://www.shinola.radh.com/guest/Rusty/SFCWIIIWarlockbattleB5.PNG

Posted by: Kaihaku Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:15 am
"It does seem rather cold to taunt your loved ones so gleefully..." Astrid remarks indifferently to Kria, then she sends forth a wave of magical blasts, "They may be willing thralls of our enemy but they are not fiends. Surely they deserve some respect."
[Magic Missile - Targets Whoever]

Posted by: Alpha Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:32 am
Exhulting that the enemy numbers were rapidly dropping, Tanis sends two rays of fire exploding into the last remaining enemy near Gilliam. [Cast Scorching Ray. Only 1 ray though Ranged touch: 1d20 + 3(bab) + 3(dex) + 1(haste) + 1(elation) = 20...threat
Confirm: 1d20 + 8 = 22...should hit
Damage: (4d6)x2 + 4 = 24 + 4 = 28 damage]
((Coventry's action to come))

Posted by: Dark Maiden Wed Dec 20, 2006 4:46 pm
Kayla closes in on the catfolk Archer closest to her, and then she does something that most might consider showing off. As the Rogue moves close to her quarry, she performs a cartwheel in order to avoid leaving herself open to attack. Kayla lands on her feet gracefully and stabs the Archer.
[Tumble
1d20 + 20 > 12 + 20 = 32. Success.
Attack
1d20 + 15 > 18 + 15 = 33. Hit.
Damage
1d4 + 4 > 4 + 4 = 8]

Posted by: FreedomJu Wed Dec 20, 2006 5:03 pm
Brother...? Brother! When Gorrik fails to respond to Taklin's mental shout, the usually calm and composed soul reaches out to any of their allies in range, especially those who might have not seen Gorrik being wounded horribly. My brother... Gorrik is on the verge of dying; someone please help him before he bleeds to death! The mental plea carried a tone of desperation, as while Taklin knew that death itself was a minor event in the grand scheme of things, he still did not want his brother to die he finished what he had set out to do.

Posted by: Knight_019 Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:01 pm
*Mahler marches forward once more, one last catfolk in this area. As with the others, he lashed out with a single, stony fist.* ((Slam, PA 6 1d20 + 16 - 6 = 18 + 10 = 28. Damage 2d8 + 15 = 5 + 1 + 15 = 21.))

Posted by: Wandering Dezorian Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:12 am
Arbeiten suddenly realizes the terrible straights of the few holding the front. With a grunted, "Use your potions to tide yourselves over." he breaks out in a sprint, powerful legs propelling him towards the fallen dwarf and the remaining heros.
Action: x3 run straight north. Should put me just north of Max.

Posted by: Kaihaku Thu Dec 21, 2006 5:05 am
The Doctor arches an eyebrow as the heavily armored cleric breaks into a heavy shuffle towards the embattled northern troops. "Trying a hand at my game?" He questions mirthfully, then shakes his head, "You should leave the dashing about to those of us who can dash..." He grows silent for a moment then, considering showing up his rival by passing him and healing the fallen dwarf before the cleric had even neared the hero, instead he just continues in an amused voice, "Oh...and you do realize that Max has significant ability as a healer himself, don't you?"

Posted by: Alpha Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:49 pm
Still amused, Coventry takes a couple of steps south, chanting as he goes. Coming up on Astrid's left, he finishes his spell, healing some of her wounds. [CLW: Astrid 1d8 + 5 = 13 hp healed]

Posted by: Aldur Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:07 pm
"You're simply wrong. It's that simple. Futhermore, we didn't want to fight. You attacked us, and probably will continue to do so, despite the fact that you are losing. And will continue to lose." Kria smiled, pointing again at her mother, calling forth the baleful dark energies.
"Yeah! Like, give it up and run away now! I don't wanna hafta kill you, but I will!"
And with that simple, very Kria like statement, she attacked, the dark energy twisting and spiralling into a spear of light. Kria chuckled at this.
((Attack: 18 ranged touch.
Damage: 19.))

Posted by: Kaihaku Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:29 pm
"Could have fooled me..." Coventry chuckles at Kria's declaration.

Posted by: Cyrus Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:49 pm
Gail grits her teeth as yet another arrow sinks into her flesh, grabbing the shaft and snapping it before tossing it on the ground. She then takes a step to face one of the few remaining archers, loosing another set of slashes upon her opponent.
[5' SE, Full attack E cat archer.
Attack 1: 1d20(3)+8(BAB)+5(STR)+5(weapon)+1(misc)=22.
Damage: 1d10(10)+5(STR)+5(weapon)=20.
Attack 2: 1d20(19)+3(BAB)+5(STR)+5(weapon)+1(misc)=33.
Confirm: 1d20(20).
Confirm: 1d20(4)+3(BAB)+5(STR)+5(weapon)+1(misc)=19.
Damage: 1d10(4)+5(STR)+5(weapon)=14*2(3?)=28(42?)]

Posted by: DragonmasterDon1 Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:49 am
Quickly following suit with Gail, the rat barrelled past her and the enemy to lunge at the cat's backside, still a little shaken at the loss of his precious weapon. ((Tumbles 22, 39 Attack 13 + 6(Bab) + 6(Dex) + 1(Mwk) + 2(Flank) -2(Def) = 26 Rapier 2 + 1 = 3
SS 12
Total Damage: 15))

Posted by: Rusty Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:42 am
*Ombligo fires magical missiles at the catfolk near Mahler.* ((Magic Missile! 3 1 2 4 4 + 5 total = 19. Itz ded!))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:54 am
Tanis' Scorching Ray burns one catfolk alive as Adam moves to support Mahler, the pair of constructs smashing the northern archer nearly to death. However, the agile creature manages to survive, moving and sniping at Arbeiten as the cleric comes nearer. The catfolk slips on his own blood, though, falling to the ground and breaking his bow as the shot goes wide. The archer then dies as Ombligo and Astrid's magic missles tear into him.
((Adam hit. 23 damage. Raider: Critical miss.))
Amelia dodges out of the way, a look of fury on her face.
"I? Wrong??? Whelp, I've seen twice as many years as you have! The strong rule the weak! That is how it should and always shall be! Those who don't realize that will always fall in the end!" Amelia snarls. "If you can kill me than so shall it be, but you've chosen the losing side... And you'll see that soon!"
Gail slashes open the chest of one of the archers with a little effort, the constant dodging causing her first swing to go wide. Langston can only prick at the last enemy without someone to flank with. A torrent of gunfire swiftly rips the archer apart, though, courtesy of Gilliam.
((Hit, Hit. 40 damage.))
Max approaches the still Gorrik and bends down, channeling all of his healing power for the day into the dwarf.
((Gorrik is healed 70 HP. Max is out of healing.))
An arrow strikes Langston in the chest as the final archer appears.
((Hit. 20 damage to Langston.))
: "Oh my, this certainly hasn't gone according to plan, has it dear Amelia?" the all too familiar voice of Aelisnyx asks as the devil appears at the head of a small fiend group to the north. The devil division appears from thin air, with no warning or sign to foretell their arrival.
"Aelisnyx!" Amelia shouts. "What are you doing here?"
: "I should think that would be obvious, comrade in arcana. If ever you had a desperate hour, it would be now. Or do you not want our help?"
"...fine," Amelia says, locking her eyes onto Kria. "But the girl is mine."
: "Yes, quite literally. I know about your prodigal progeny. I'll leave this in your hands, with my quite capable strike force and lieutenant. Think of this as a trial to be conquered to prove your devotion to the Holy Dragon."
With that, Aelisnyx vanishes as swiftly as she arrived.
A fiery zeal washes over Amelia's features. "I will cleanse them from this forest in the name of the Holy One!" she roars. "And my daughter will either repent or be purged!"
With that, Amelia sends a cascading wave of black energy at her daughter.
((Hit! 21 damage to Kria and Kayla. DC 24 Fort save or gain 2 negative levels.))
Next turn!
http://www.shinola.radh.com/guest/Rusty/SFCWIIIWarlockbattleB6.PNG

Posted by: Arcdragnbreth Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:49 am
"Useless healer," a dwarf said, his voice a low growl. "Never there when needed, and now he's in the wrong place. I'll make sure he knows how wrong right now..." And with that he was off, a staggeringly fast blur for one of his stature. Coming up behind the half-giant, the drunken master did not hesitate to drive his fist into Arbeiten's gut with a resounding blow.
((Tumble auto-pass; no AoO for Stagger. Charge to the spot directly south of Arbeiten and attack.
Stunning Fist declared
Attack: 1d20 +5 (bab) +3 (str) +2 (charge) = 24
Damage: 2d6 (wpn) +3 (str) = 6
DC 17 Fort save or be stunned for one round.))

Posted by: Lord Oddeye Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:23 am
Morgan frowns deeply as the familiar dwarf charges at them but he says nothing. The wizard sends more black daggers flying towards the newly appeared group of devils to the north. ((Mass Curse of Impending Blades centered 1 square next to both the archer, the knight and the axeman soldier.
This hits every foes in a 20' radius area, so everybody but the leftmost knight.
No save. SR applies by the way.))

Posted by: Alpha Fri Dec 22, 2006 4:39 pm
((TUM, you forgot to move Coventry. He’s next to Astrid)) Moving slightly, Tanis positions himself just outside the windwall, and throws a fireball at the Devil Army group, aiming as he does so, to ensure he doesn’t hit an ally. ((If he’s 15’ up and 5’ right from Ombligo, he should have a line of sight of the Devil Arhcer in the middle of the group. I rolled a 9, in case he needs to aim for whatever reason. With mods and buffs, that’s 17. If something's wrong, let me know))
[Damage: 6d6 + 4 = 6 4 4 1 5 5 + 4 = 29
Reflex save DC20 for half damage]

Posted by: Knight_019 Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:42 pm
*Mahler is shocked to see Graigus, then appalled when he suddenly runs and lashes out at Arbeiten. Mahler knew what he had to do right then. In a dead run, Mahler runs at the Dwarf himself, his left shoulder dropped. With no time to react, Mahler catches Graigus square in the chest, the Dwarf left to hold himself against the solid, stone warrior.*
((Mahler charges at Graigus and attempts a Bull Rush.
Graigus must make an opposed STR check against
1d20 + 7 + 1 + 2 + 4 + 2 = 9 + 16 = 25
or be pushed back 5' + 5' for every 5 by which Graigus loses the check.))

Posted by: Tarethen Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:39 pm
Farain moved north towards the new enemies. ((Move 40' north. 10' west. Hasted. Attack 1: 1d20: 19 + 6(bab) + 6(dex) + 1(haste) = 32 Damage: Explosive arrow.
3d6: 6 + 1 + 5(explosive arrow) + 6(str) + 1(magic) = 19.
Firing at the knight near the river.))

Posted by: DragonmasterDon1 Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:37 am
"Somethin's going on past the storm," Langston noted, detecting the shift and direction of most of the party's attacks. "We'd better get up there Gail; probably need more hands by the sound's of it. Less ya think we oughta handle that guy first," he added, motioning to the archer to the east."
((Either head back north (Alpha said the Covster will heal Lang, who's down to 20ish) or down a potion and head with Gail to the east if Cy goes that way. Just wanted to get that in if you update while I'm asleep/at work.))

Posted by: Wandering Dezorian Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:48 am
TUM, can you roll for me? I guess I need to know if I'm stunned before I act.

Posted by: Dark Maiden Sat Dec 23, 2006 4:49 am
[Unless the radius is 30 ft., there is no way in hell that Kayla got hit with that spell. -_- But...just in case she did... Fortitude Save: 1d20 + 5 > 18 + 5 = 23. Failure. ... Son of a bitch. :damn it: ] Kayla growls in pain as dark energy courses through her and weakens her. Her eyes flash with anger, and she grits her teeth.
"God...damn it... That b-bitch..." she mutters.Why do I feel so weak?
Kayla pulls a potion from her belt pouch and drinks it.
[Kayla drinks a potion of ccw, as I know she has one. It restores 31 HP, which is enough to bring her up to full, I believe. I'm not sure how negative levels work either, so Arc can handle it.]

Posted by: Alpha Sat Dec 23, 2006 12:13 pm

CODE
A creature takes the following penalties for each negative level it has gained: -1 on all skill checks and ability checks. -1 on attack rolls and saving throws. -5 hit points. -1 effective level (whenever the creature’s level is used in a die roll or calculation, reduce it by one for each negative level).
If the victim casts spells, she loses access to one spell as if she had cast her highest-level, currently available spell. (If she has more than one spell at her highest level, she chooses which she loses.) In addition, when she next prepares spells or regains spell slots, she gets one less spell slot at her highest spell level.

((They will fade after one hour. And Don, just an FYI, if Lang moves east, Coventry won't be able to heal him.))

Posted by: Rusty Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:41 pm
*Ombligo, a tad frustrated, fires several magic missiles at the last catfolk archer, hopeful to be rid of the wind wall soon. He doesn't seem to notice that the dwarf up north is Graigus yet.* : "It figures that two of our enemies would join up like that! They're both the kind of people you'd expect to fight us, don't you think, Sorel?"
((Move 20' to the right
Hit that last Catfolk that's not Amelia in the lower right with a Magic Missile. Even though it doesn't matter against this foe, using my feat to raise the SR bit.
2 3 1 3 3 + 5 = 17))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:41 pm

QUOTE (Wandering Dezorian @ Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:48 am)
TUM, can you roll for me? I guess I need to know if I'm stunned before I act.

You aren't stunned, WD.

Posted by: Knight_019 Sun Dec 24, 2006 1:53 am
((Might as well put this in since Arc didn't post it. Graigus got a 19 on his opposed STR check, so he is pushed 10'. Arbeiten is entitled to an AoO if he so desires. Said AoO has a 25% chance of hitting Mahler.))

Posted by: Dark Maiden Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:03 am
[Ok, so Kayla takes twice the amount of penalties listed, then. Gah, that decreases her max HP to 51. @.@]

Posted by: Kaihaku Sun Dec 24, 2006 3:26 pm

QUOTE (Arcdragnbreth @ Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:49 am)
"Useless healer," a dwarf said, his voice a low growl. "Never there when needed, and now he's in the wrong place. I'll make sure he knows how wrong right now..."

"Hey!" Coventry exclaims with righteous indigination, "That's my line!"

Posted by: Cyrus Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:22 pm
Gail scanned over the battlefield, glancing first at the new threat to the north and then the lone archer to her right. She stared at the catfolk for only a moment before turning to her partner, a look of sudden concern fading as she spoke. "He isn't a threat by himself. As you said, we're needed elsewhere." She then rushed to the new front, leaving the remaining opponent alone.

Posted by: Kaihaku Mon Dec 25, 2006 12:31 am
(Assuming Lang moves to a position where I can reach him.) Suddenly, he almost shouts out words of power while swiftly outlining a symbol in the air... A faint whisper of healing radiates out from him, catching all those near him, barely sealing the most minor of wounds, but leaving them with a strange sense of safety.
[Stabilize: +1 HP to all creatures within 50 ft]
[Healing Kicker: Sanctuary : DC 25 Will Save to attack any creature healed.]
"If you have potions or want to move closer, now would be a good time to do so." The Doctor comments calmly. He then takes a few steps towards the wounded ratfolk, "If I'd known everyone was going to keep on popping in for a visit..." He pauses for a moment, then shrugs, "Well, I would have baked a cake...hired a band..."
[Move next to Langston]
He blinks at the sight of the ratfolk bleeding, "Goodness sake!" With a grin, he weaves magic in the air and taps his comrade on the shoulder. Healing energy courses through his battered body, restoring it to health.
[CSW: 6 + 6 + 7 + 7 = +26 HP : Langston]

Posted by: Aldur Mon Dec 25, 2006 12:56 am
((Note that Kayla still takes damage as well having her hp reduced. In other news. Fort save: 19+6 =25. Pass. )) "Mother! Have you become a pawn? Why? Can't you see! They serve themselves!" Kria winced as her mother's blast struck her. She frowned, her face set and determined. "Like, if you want like that...I can play as well! Let's go!" Kria fired back at her mother, ascending another twenty five feet in the air, activating her flaming aura, eyes alert for any arrows.
((EB Attack roll: 7+7+6 =19 ranged touch.
Damage: 15.))

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Mon Dec 25, 2006 5:51 am
((last round)) Sorel's muscles ripple and expand. ((Bull's Stength on self)) ((this round)) Sorel tumbles from the sky, expanding and whitening into a vicious slavering polar bear.
((wildshape into polar bear))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Mon Dec 25, 2006 6:41 am
((Red slash indicates those affected by Morgan's latest spells. The archers evade and take no damage. The witch saves and her fire resistance takes care of the rest. The Knight and two Devil Soldier each fail their save.)) Mahler rushes forward and pushes Graigus back, shielding Arbeiten from further harm.
Ombligo stands where he is, casting a magic missle towards one of the knights.
Gilliam moves forward, targeting the last archer as he fires a burst from his weapon. The catfolk reels back, but maintains his footing, the gunfire insufficient to slay him.
((Natural 20! Unconfirmed. 36 damage.))
Adam rushes forward and his boosted knuckle slams into the Devil Knight's face, causing him to spit out nearly all his teeth as well to cover his face in blood. Max dashes forward to finish the knight before he can charge, severing the warrior's head from his neck with a cauterizing swipe.
((Hit! 25 damage.AoO miss. Hit! 40 damage, Knight dies.))
Ignatius adds his own attack to Kria's the twin blasts impacting on the warlock. At this point, most of the fur covering the catfolk has been burned away, the flesh underneath now twisted and scarred. Amelia looks on her daughter with unbridled hatred.
"What would you know of servitude???" Amelia snarls, eyes locked onto her daughter. "You're a selfish little bitch who ran away from home and then returned only to be at the head of a band of murderers who proceeded to lay waste to your own tribe! This land is ours! OURS! It belongs to the people of the Dragon and we won't tolerate your besmirching it with your presence any longer! Die! Die and perhaps then the Holy Dragon will teach you the error of your ways!! Die, die, die, DIE!!!" Amelia roars, blasting at Kria with her free hand.
((Hit. 25 damage to Kria. DC24 Fort save, blah blah.))
Adam misses one of the knights as the fiendish centaur gallops right by him and jabs at Gorrik. The dwarf easily avoids the lance charge, however, having devoted his time to defense. Mahler isn't quite so lucky, taking a lance to the side that cracks his stony shell.
((Miss. Hit! 25 damage to Mahler after DR.))
Arrow streak towards Arbeiten and Farain as the Devil Archers take their marks.
((Hit, Hit, Hit, Miss, Miss, Miss. 10 damage to Arbeiten after DR. 6 damage to Farain.))
The two Devil Soldiers take a step forward each and swing their axes with surprising speed and accuracy. Max reels back as a large open wound is cut into his side, a small rend inflicted upon Adam's armor.
((Critical Hit! Miss, Miss, Hit! Upgraded Critical Hit!, Miss. 24 damage to Adam after DR. 61 total damage to Max.))
A trio of arrows thuds into the dirt next to Max, the Erinyes aflight and notching another arrow just as a black ray of energy strikes Max, draining the hero of some of his life force.
((Miss, Miss, miss. Enervation cast. Hit! Max gains one negative level!))
Next turn!
http://www.shinola.radh.com/guest/Vox/SFCWIIIWarlockbattleB6.PNG

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Mon Dec 25, 2006 7:05 am
Sorel's eyes cut across the battlefield to see Graigus. With a roar he barrels forward, rearing back at the last moment to bring a heavy white paw down on the monk's head. The blow connects, and Sorel follows through, pinning the dwarf to the ground.
((Charge, hit. 12 subdual damage to Graigus. Improved Grab allows a free grapple which Sorel wins. Graigus is grappled
AC 28, touch 19))

Posted by: Kaihaku Mon Dec 25, 2006 10:04 am
"No! Sorel!" Coventry exclaims in horror, "Don't eat him!!!" He lets out a pained squeal as the massive polar bear bears down on the dwarf, "Ahhh... I can hardly bear to watch..." Astrid moves forward to the side of Tanis. There, she speaks a few words of magical power and casts a spell.
[Defensive Casting: 4 + Something Low = Something under 7]
[Fly: Tanis]
Coventry weaves magic in the air with a chuckle and, for just a moment, color returns to his pale face and his strength seems restored, then he trembles as if struck and shrinks back down into abysmal weakness.
[Resurgence: Negative Levels]
[Fortitude Save: 1... Failure]

Posted by: Knight_019 Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:12 am
((Mahler should actually be 2 spaces to the left and the knight 1 space down. The bull rusher moves with the opponent. I'll put Mahler's action in once more information regarding Graigus is revealed. Mahler has access to one of the gems, but it will take 5 rounds of holding it to Graigus' forehead to cure him (revealed via a Knowledge: Religion check and being any of Sorel, a cleric, or a paladin). If he is pinned, Mahler will use 5 rounds to cure him, since to subdue him could very well take that long anyway. Any objections, speak up.))

Posted by: Alpha Tue Dec 26, 2006 1:26 pm
Feeling a sense of exultation as Astrid’s spell takes effect, Tanis quickly monitors the situation. Much of their Force was moving north, to engage the newly arrived devils on combat, but few were dealing Amelia much damage. Sighing that the weakness Amelia had caused within in him, and that all of his more powerful spells were gone, Tanis puts some distance between himself and any foe, and lets loose an acid arrow at Amelia.
[Move 40’ east
Cast Acid Arrow at Amelia
Ranged touch attack: 17. Should be a hit
Damage: 2d4 + 4 = 6 acid damage. 2 rounds remaining]

Posted by: Tarethen Wed Dec 27, 2006 4:18 am
Farain held his ground, lifting his bow to release a barrage of arrows towards the knight to Gorrik's right. ((Hasted. Attacking with explosive arrows. Attack1: 1d20: 15 + 6(bab) + 6(dex) +1(haste) = 28. Hit. Attack2:
1d20: 10 +2(bab) + 6(dex) + 1(haste) = 19. Miss.
Attack3:
1d20: 10 + 6(bab) + 6(dex) +1(haste) = 23. Hit.
Damage 1:
3d6: 2 + 3 + 3(explosive arrow) + 6(str) + 1(magic) = 15.
Damage 3:
3d6: 5 + 3 + 5(explosive arrow) + 6(str) + 1(magic) = 20. ))

Posted by: Nightmare Wed Dec 27, 2006 4:24 am
Gorrik breaks out of his defensive shell, stepping up to the centaur infront of him, and letting his axe fly. ((D20(12) + 9(BAB) + 5(STR) + 2(Axe) - 5(PA) = 23 + Buffs D20(5) + 4(BAB) + 5(STR) + 2(Axe) - 5(PA) = 11 + Buffs D10(2) + 5(STR) + 2(Axe) + 5(PA) + 3(Electric) = 17 + Buffs
D10(1) + 5(STR) + 2(Axe) + 5(PA) + 6(Electric) = 19 + Buffs))

Posted by: Alpha Wed Dec 27, 2006 12:30 pm
((Bear in mind people that you're still under the effects of Elation))

Posted by: Lord Oddeye Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:12 pm
Morgan steps out of the wind barrier and casts a protective spell on Gail. ((2 squares north and 1 square east. Protection from Evil on Gail.))

Posted by: Aldur Thu Dec 28, 2006 12:25 am
((Fort save! 18+6 = 24. Pass! http://www.bakuretsudigital.org/ftp/Music/Super%20Robot%20Wars%20Alpha%203%20OST/SRWA3%20OST%20-%20Aku%20o%20Tatsu%20Tsurugi.mp3 )) Kria sighed, shaking her head in disgust. Her eyes snapped open, the young catfolk staring at her raving and fanatic mother. She pointed, and glared. "Shut up! I am Kria Krystalpaw! The Warlock that Wrends Evil! Take my final attack! Kyaaaaaaaaaaa! Let this blinding light free you from your evil! Goodbye Mother! And I, I...sincerely hope you rest in peace!" She gestured and the familiar purple dark energy blasted out of her fingers, changing into a brillant gold in the air, turning into a lance of energy, spiralling towards Amelia bursting through her torso. Kria closed her eyes, and then opened them, watching to see if her mother yet stood.
(( 8+7+6 = 21 ranged touch.
Damage: 16.))

Posted by: DragonmasterDon1 Thu Dec 28, 2006 1:42 am
Langston moves like north and stuff, since standing that far out's kinda useless.

Posted by: Rusty Thu Dec 28, 2006 1:44 am
*Ombligo ominously fires many more magical missiles at a knight.* ((Magic Missile! Damage: 16 total Not that it matters right now, but SR bonus is up to +4.))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:24 am
"You'll have to do better than that, whelp!" Amelia snarls as she dodges the acid arrow Tanis summons to attack her. Farain fells one of the fiendish knights as arrows dig into the warrior's flesh before exploding, tearing open horrid wounds that drain his life from him.
Gorrik turns to bury his axe into the remaining Devil Knight's chest, the centaur reeling back from the pain.
"Impressive, but not enough to take me down!" the knight growls, thrusting at the dwarf with his lance. The blow misses, however, scraping off Gorrik's shield.
"We've got you now!" Ignatius shouts, sending a purplish blast of energy at Amelia who recoils and turns to retaliate with a blast of her own.
"Go back simpering to your twisted father, kit!" Amelia roars, blasting Ignatius with eldritch energy. Ignatius wavers in the air, coughing up blood but not falling.
((Hit. 17 damage to Amelia. Hit! 21 damage to Ignatius.))
It is then that Kria attacks, sending out a roaring lance of arcane energy that drives right through her mother, boring a hole straight through her chest. She stares blankly for a moment at Kria.
"I... I gave you life... Everything..." she mutters. Then her eyes roll back as her life and powers leave her, plummeting into the sleet storm below her, where she vanishes from sight.
((Hit! Amelia has been killed.))
"Gah! Stupid ball of goo!" the Knight roars as the magic missles impact into him.
"Stay still!" Gilliam shouts as his archer target evades his stream of gunfire once more with astounding leaps and rolls, coming up to a kneeling position and launching an arrow at him. The arrow merely bounces off Gilliam's armor, to which he laughs gruffly. "That won't work!"
Adam's laser arm glows blue as it fires a massive beam of energy that burns away the witch, the two wounded Devil Soldiers, and a large streak of woods. Max darts forward and slices apart one of the archers with two clean strokes.
Max grunts as three arrows jut from his body, courtesy of the Erinyes flying above him. The Death Archer tries and fails to hit the great hero.
((Hit, Hit, Hit. 31 damage to Max. Miss, Miss.))
Next turn!
Gilliam growls as he fires his minigun once more, this time striking and ripping apart the catfolk whose luck had finally ran out.
Langston darts to flank the last Knight with Gorrik, his rapier swiftly and surely finding the warrior's throat and slicing it open. The warrior collapses.
Between Max and Adam, the last archer dies with a gurgling scream. The Erinyes looks around, its forces decimated.
"Well. The rumors are deserved after all. Forgive me if I feel inclined to retreat rather than be slaughtered like a stuck pig," the devil says as she vanishes from sight.
Victory!
Level eight characters gain 2250 XP! Level nine characters gain 1700 XP!

Posted by: Alpha Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:40 am
Utterly exhausted from the continued detriment of Amelia's blast, Tanis leans forward, resting his hands on his knees as he regains his breath, getting ready to cast another spell. Looking around however, he sees that the enemy forces are gone and he's surprised at how quickly they had been decimated. Then, glancing up, he sees Amelia fall from the sky, into the storm he'd conjured. As she does though, the sleet dissipates, the spell expiring. Sighing sadly, he looks over to Kria, to see the reaction of his friend who has just killed her own mother.

Posted by: Aldur Thu Dec 28, 2006 4:29 am
(( http://beaugran.club.fr/cd/sf2/I%20Miss%20You.mp3 )) Kria looked around, seeing the enemy depart. She threw her sword to the ground, stepping slowly over to mother. The now orphan sank to her knees beside her mother, one bloodstained hand tightly clasping the limp, cold one that would never move again. Tears formed and began to freely fall from her face, loud racking sobs escaping the distraught girls throat.
"J-just like you said...never show weakness, during a battle. B-but...now..." Kria broke off into a loud scream of rage and despair, hugging her dead mother, the person that had raised her, helped her and mostly supported her. She stopped screaming and panted, out of breath as she looked around, seeing the fallen bodies of tribe, strewn all around. People she had known. People she had talked to. People she had played with. Gone, destroyed by her in a way.
"This...this should not be! Why? Why couldn't you listen!? WHY!? I justed wanted-I wanted you to see! That, that things didn't always have to be about slaughter! But like, how ironic, in the end...I'm just as horrible a murderer as you! You must be laughing! I really am your daughter after all!!!!!!"

Posted by: Dark Maiden Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:19 pm
Kayla wipes the blood from her dagger, and she sheathes it. She looks all around, seeing the dead bodies of their enemies shrewn about, and Kria knelt beside her mother's lifeless body. A sigh escapes the Rogue's lips and she shakes her head.
Kria cries for her mother, even though she tried to kill us... Despite all that, Amelia was still her mother, and now she is dead...
Kayla loses her train of thought when she realizes that now she is also starting to cry. Slowly, she reaches up and wipes the back of her hand across her eyes, and looks to be shocked when she sees faint traces of liquid on the leather glove.
What is wrong with me? Why am I crying now?
Kayla looks at Kria again.
Kria was the first person in this group to talk to me... She showed me kindness when no one else would give me a chance... Kria...she has been trying so hard to be a good friend.
Friends...I've never had any... That is my own doing, I suppose.
I'm not a good person... I am a killer, after all. Ending life is what I do...
There was a time when I enjoyed killing. The rush of adrenaline, and the stimulation it provided...I was addicted to it... Back then, I was known as the Crimson Angel of Death.
I've tried to put that life behind me. This cursed blood in my veins...it calls to me...it calls me back to that life... Everything that I have done...it always haunts me...
Tears flow freely from her eyes and fall from her face. She wipes the tears away once more.
I don't want to ruin any more lives... I will try to help others from now on.
Kayla walks over to Kria, but she stops about ten feet away. She knows that Kria needs space, but perhaps it would also help her to know that her friends and allies were nearby.
[Gah, fear the sappiness and the corniness ]

Posted by: Lord Oddeye Thu Dec 28, 2006 5:06 pm
Morgan watched this sad scene silently, a stern expression coming over his face. He could fathom how Kria was feeling after bringing death to those of her kin. The mother that gave her birth and raised her, the tribe wherein she had grown up and that she seemed to consider like a family... Though they were on the opposite side, all of them had merely fought for the cause they had chosen to defend which had been incidentally influenced by the devil army to serve their own motives.
But good and evil are simplistic concepts when all it is about is your family and the love you feel towards them, regardless of their actions. Having to end the life of so many loved ones for the sake of one of those concepts is something that one shouldn't have to go through in a life, if only for the pain that ensues thereafter. A sheer wound to both mind and heart that not even the most powerful spell could cure.
And still, that's what had happened to Kria...
The wizard felt compassion for the young lady catfolk, though he had no words to lighten her sorrow.

Posted by: Alpha Thu Dec 28, 2006 5:30 pm
Sighing, Tanis moves closer to Kria, but stops a few of metres away, thinking to keep a respectful distance away. He says nothing, just stands there, offering the support of presence to his friend.

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Fri Dec 29, 2006 2:15 am
"Kria..." Ignatius says, trying to think of something to say and failing. Max says nothing for the time being, but looks at the others then nods his head toward Kria, as if to get them to speak. "You just did what you had to do. Killing in self defense is expected and common in war time, and she would not listen to reason," Gilliam states. "She would've perished like this sooner or later anyway if she kept up her raids and service to the Dragon. Perhaps it is more fitting this way... Her death was relatively quick. Others might not have been so kind..." Gilliam looks around, suddenly conscious logic may not be the proper route. "I will secure the area," he says, by means of excusing himself as he leaves.
Max looks at the body of Amelia. "Take all the time you need, Kria..." he says, quietly. "Losing a loved one is never easy. Especially under these circumstances."

Posted by: Aldur Fri Dec 29, 2006 2:22 am
Kria simply nodded in response to them all, somewhat numb. She places her mother's hands together, over her chest as she slowly stands. Sad eyes take in the faces of her comrades and she attempts to smile, just like old times. "Well, like. I..." She faltered, breaking off turning to look down at the mutilated body of her mother. She sniffed, drying her eyes as she turned.
"Um, if everyone could gather my kin together...I'd like to send them off myself. And leave...l, leave my mother to me. I-I can...manage her."

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Fri Dec 29, 2006 2:39 am
Max nods. "You heard her. Gather the fallen. All of them."

Posted by: Knight_019 Fri Dec 29, 2006 3:09 am
*With Sorel's aid, Mahler holds Graigus down and the possession countering crystal against his forehead. The crystal begins to glow, growing ever brighter until it became unbearably bright. Still, he continued to watch even until the crystal gathered enough energy to shatter and then disappear. In the mix of the battle, the newcomers, and the situation with Graigus, Mahler had lost track of the situation between Kria and Amelia. It wasn't until he began helping Graigus to his feet and looking around once more that he saw Kria in tears and others gathered around. Realization set in, and Mahler knew that Amelia must have been killed.
Mahler wasn't exactly sure how to feel. He understood Kria's pain and wished to ease it for her. Amelia, however, was evil and set to destroy everything Mahler stood for. Mahler began to understand the dichotomies by which humans and other living creatures live more in that moment. Artibeus had taught him much, but it seemed some things could only truly be learned by experience.
Hearing Max's command, Mahler gestures to Graigus and Sorel that they should be off to aid Kria in her wishes. Mahler piles as many of Kria's fallen brethren into his arms as he can and brings them to the designated spot for her. Then, he waits. He wanted to say much, but he could not find a way to actually say any of it.*

Posted by: DragonmasterDon1 Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:11 am
Langston watched quietly as the bodies were all gathered with an arm folded behind his back. Nibbling on his lower lip, he asked "Gotta long road ahead," he said flatly. "Think we oughta salvage what we can 'fore it all goes up in smoke?" ((Taking 10, so Search 26))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:41 am
The archers don't have much, but they do have a composite longbow each of masterwork quality. ((21 Masterwork Mighty(+1) Composite Longbows found. 420 arrows found.))

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Fri Dec 29, 2006 7:25 am
Sorel is Druid 10! Sorel gains 7 HP! Sorel gains 1 point of BAB! Sorel gains 9 skillpoints, spent in Spot, Listen, Concentration, Spellcraft, Kno[Nature], Sense Motive, Diplomacy, and Ride! Sorel gains 1 FORT!
Sorel gains 1 WILL!
Sorel gains 1 4th level spell!
Sorel gains 1 5th level spell!
Sorel gains Damage Reduction 5/Magic!
Sorel gains Exalted Strike (+2, Good)
Sorel gains the feat Exalted Wildshape!
Sorel wilts back to human form, casting his eyes at Graigus. His gaze lingers for a moment, then moves on. The old man says nothing until he watches the corpses heaped together for destruction.
: "How many more pyres will we have built before this is done." he says in a flat, dull voice that lacks the intonation of a question. "Who would build ours if we fail." As if reminded of something, he turns his eyes back to Graigus.
: "Are you well enough to travel?"

Posted by: Arcdragnbreth Fri Dec 29, 2006 7:28 am
The dwarf simply nodded, his eyes on the ground as he slowly walked away.

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Fri Dec 29, 2006 7:47 am
Frowning after the monk Sorel follows him, a small bag in his free hand. : "Take this," he says, pressing the bag into Graigus's hands. "And stay here. We are stopping for a moment, and it will not be long before we stop for the night." (In the bag are three of the CCW potions and one of the amulets of natural armor)

Posted by: Arcdragnbreth Fri Dec 29, 2006 8:06 am
Graigus nodded again, accepting the sack before turning away from the druid once more.

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:00 am
Sorel's voice is firm. : "You are not the demon that possessed you. Remember that."

Posted by: Dark Maiden Fri Dec 29, 2006 2:57 pm
Kayla helps gather the bodies of the dead with a somewhat sad look on her face. She knows that they had no choice, but it still makes her sad nonetheless. Not only that, but seeing Kria upset makes her upset too. Kayla waits and she tries to say something but no words come out. It makes her feel even more like a fool.

Posted by: Alpha Fri Dec 29, 2006 3:24 pm
Coventry gains a level in Combat Medic! He is now Mystic 5 / Combat Medic 5! HP increases by 7! Gains the ability Healing Kicker [Aid] and Spontaneous Heal! Gains a new spell: Revivify!
Knowledge(Religion), Heal, Bluff, Diplomacy, Concentration, Tumble,
Profession(Healer)[+1]

Posted by: Dark Maiden Sat Dec 30, 2006 2:51 am
[I'm not sure if I leveled or not. Arc has my sheets.]

Posted by: Arcdragnbreth Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:31 am
((Nope... not at level 10 yet.))

Posted by: Dark Maiden Sat Dec 30, 2006 4:06 pm
[Thanks. *Sob*]

Posted by: Aldur Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:01 am
Kria smiled, raising from where she'd stripped her Mother's armour and other things away, leaving her in a plain robe. Kria sighed. She looked oddly serene. And as the pyre was built, the catfolk activated her flaming aura and set the pyre off. She looked at her burning kin and nodded.
"May the dragon find you. May he keep you, and reward you for your efforts. Battle no more and rest in peace." It was short and to the point, just like the majority of their death prayers.
Mother...I'm going to change things. Just you watch.

Posted by: Rusty Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:57 am
((The following are unclaimed items. I don't think we're going to sell the CCW potions, and we may not sell the invisbility potions, either. This is NOT including anything found on Amelia, which includes however many platinum pieces as well, so I'll edit this list once everything's been posted/IDed.
9 Amulets of Natural Armor +1 (2,000 * 9 /2 = 9,000)
9 Boots of Elvenkind (2,500 * 9 /2 = 11,250)
10 Daggers +2 (8,302 * 10 /2 = 41,510)
10 Mithral Chain Shirts +1 (2,100 * 10 /2 = 10,500)
3 potions of invisibility (300 * 3 /2 = 450)
25 potions of Cure Critical Wounds
21 Masterwork Mighty +1 Composite Longbows (500 * 21 /2 = 5,250)
420 arrows (21 /2 = 10.5)
12,000 gold coins total
1,000 platinum coins total (10,000 gold)
30,000 gold worth of bangles on Amelia (I don't know if that's buy or sell price. Probably buy, so we'd probably 15,000 gold))
Amelia's two rings, armor shirt, scarab, amulet, and dagger, all ??? until identified
Items identified (since we don't have people with Identify, apparently): 59 + Amelia's (6) = -6,500) ))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Sun Dec 31, 2006 2:05 am
"Kria... Are you all right?" Ignatius asks, as the others busy themselves. He scowls as soon as the words leave his mouth. "Well, that's a stupid question to ask..." Kria smiled at Ignatius. "Well...no, I'm not alright at all, but I think I kinda get what you meant."
Ignatius frowns. "I... I'm not sure what to say, but I felt I had to say something... I mean, I want to kill my dad, but I don't know hardly anything about him save what he did to mother and what I've heard... You... You knew your mother. If that were the case with me..." Ignatius shakes his head. "I don't know. I just don't know."
Kria blinked. "Wow. Someone's rambling! But you know, she was determined...so I kinda guess it was the only way." Kria laughed sadly. "So I'm an orphan now technically."
"Well..." a thought occurs to Ignatius. "Who is your dad, anyway? I mean, what about him?"
"Him? Well, he was my mother's consort." Kria turned away from Ignatius, implying this was a touchy area. "He...died when I was quite young. I kinda liked him better though..."
"Oh... Sorry..." Ignatius says with a wince. "I'm bad at this consoling stuff. Sorry..."
"Ehh, no worries. I'm not good at it either." Kria smiled. "So we move on now. More death. More killing. Ah, curse this cult to the deepest hell."
Ignatius smiles, slightly. "They probably already are, if it's any consolation."
"Ehh...I see what you mean." Kria sighs as she looks at the pyre. "How odd...I think I'm numb."
Ignatius just stares at the pyre.

Posted by: Dark Maiden Sun Dec 31, 2006 8:03 am
[I would like money please, and maybe a potion or two.]

Posted by: Rusty Sun Dec 31, 2006 9:05 am
((You already took your allotted potions. This was including the battle before.))

Posted by: Aldur Sun Dec 31, 2006 3:00 pm
(( Do note, Kria is in possesion of all her mother's stuff. Due to like preparing her and crap.))

Posted by: Rusty Sun Dec 31, 2006 6:52 pm
((At the moment yes.))

Posted by: Dark Maiden Sun Dec 31, 2006 11:10 pm
[Well, I didn't know that. Money will do just fine then. There is nothing else there of use, or that Kayla does not already have. Oh, and I would imagine wether or not Amelia's stuff is up for grabs is totally up to Kria.]

Posted by: Aldur Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:02 am
Kria sighed, having put her mother's things into her pack, with the supplies. She didn't feel right using them in battle so soon. It just felt wrong. Kria happily handed her mother's jewelry and money over, demanding she keep the rest for the time being. She gently and delicatly put them away and looked around. She didn't really feel much at the moment. It was like she said. She was numb.
So like...is that it?
Is that what?
Well...from what Sorel guessed at, I thought after...we...we...
You thought that if we settled things with Mother and the tribe we'd not be so...in two minds?
Like, yeah! But...did we really have to do that? Despite it all, she was mother. She raised me. Taught me. Looked after me...
Don't forget she made me...you...us; kill father and started off this whole thing. Save your pity for someone deserving. Now. We have things to do.
Are you, like serious!? I know she wasn't very nice but like...she was mother. And what now? With the tribe...do you think we should just keep going on?
The only response in her mind was silence as Kria's dual personalities for once, both lacked an answer to the present problem. The troubled warlock made her way over to Sorel, Gail, Max and the others.
"Are we...pressing on?"
((Note the stuff Kria is referring to is: Ring of Evasion, Mithral Chain shirt +5 of Acid resist, Amulet of Nat armour+2, Scarab of Protection, Brooch of shielding and Ring of Protection +3Unholy Dagger of Venom +4 after derrik appraises. Feel free to ICly ask Kria for her dead mother's magical items.))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:16 am
As Kria mourns, Max gathers the majority of the group for a meeting. : "We can't assault the Devil base in our current condition, and we've still a ways to go anyway. I think we should move a bit further, enough to distance us from this battle, and then make camp for the night. Thoughts?"
: "We should press the attack and neutralize the rest of Kria's tribe. These were their best and most able. It would be a small matter to destroy the remainder of the warriors now while they're disorganized and not expecting it. I'd rather not have them at my back when we make the assault."
: "You're suggesting we raid Kria's tribe?" Max asks, with an upraised eyebrow.
: "You saw how zealously they attacked. They're a danger to this region and allies of our enemies. It's our duty to destroy them now while they're weakened."
: "Our duty is to destroy the Devil base with the help of the Galam Army. If those are the best and brightest we just slew, then the tribe shouldn't be a threat anymore."
: "You say that now, but even if they're no longer our match in combat, they can still track our movements and feed the information to their fiendish masters. Why take the risk?"
Max shakes his head.
: "More of a risk to attempt the raid, I think. Without their leader, they'll be disorganized and unable to mount any aid to the devils or counterattack on us. We'll be safe long enough for us to complete our quest..."
Derrik saunters up at this point.
"I'm leaving soon and won't be back for a long while, so if you have anything to buy or sell, now's the time. I don't have much to sell, but I'll buy nearly anything at this point. I need to replenish my stock."

Posted by: Dark Maiden Tue Jan 02, 2007 2:43 am
Kayla looks at Gilliam, and a heavy sigh escaped her lips as she shakes her head from side to side. He was actually suggesting that they slay the rest of Kria's tribe, and in their current condition no less. Kayla then cocks her head to the side, and she manages a smile. For the first time in her life, she actually agrees with a Paladin on something.
"I agree."
Then, as Derrik appears on the scene, Kayla thinks about anything that she might need.

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:25 am
: "I doubt very much that whatever of Kria's tribe that remains would pose a threat. Their leader, their elites, twenty of their footsoldiers, dead. They are broken. It is done. Perhaps in time they will learn that vengeance will not heal their wounds, or ease their numb lonliness. That is the province of time." Sorel pauses. "But even time cannot heal the wounds you do not wish to heal. Let us default to practicality, then. They will not be able to regroup and mount a counterattack in their broken state, and on the off chance they do they will fall quickly." He casts a sidelong glance at Gilliam. "Then you will have your slaughter."
He looks about at the party, and Lunauga lands beside him.
: "Finish your business with the peddler."

Posted by: Dark Maiden Wed Jan 03, 2007 10:43 pm
Sheesh, he's in a bad mood! Kayla shrugs.

Posted by: Rusty Wed Jan 03, 2007 11:10 pm
((We already have 3 potions of invisibility, all of which are unclaimed.))

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Wed Jan 03, 2007 11:32 pm
((You guys can get another couple CCW potions if nobody else needs to take their allotted 3 And Kayla can have one of the potions of Invisibility))

Posted by: Tarethen Wed Jan 03, 2007 11:38 pm
((Farain claims a boatload of arrows. I'll sent my sheet to Arc later and see how many he thinks I can carry. Also... If Derrik has them, Farain is interested in buying a Greater Bracer of Archery.))

Posted by: Lord Oddeye Wed Jan 03, 2007 11:46 pm
((I claim 2 more CCW potions then.))

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Wed Jan 03, 2007 11:52 pm
((Also we sell everything and gain 123,010 gold. which is 8786 gold to everyone but Sorel and Kria, and 6 gold added to the party fund))

Posted by: Alpha Wed Jan 03, 2007 11:53 pm
((2 more potions for Tanis too.))

Posted by: Rusty Wed Jan 03, 2007 11:54 pm
((I'll claim my first and only 3 CCW potions. By the looks of it, if we sell the bangles, and everything I listed save the arrows, Amelia's stuff, and the potions, the following people will get 8,786 gold (unless otherwise-stated: for example if someone takes something from Kria, we might want to reshuffle some gold?) Either way, the selling price, after IDs, came out to 123,010 gold. Anyway, here's the names:
Ombligo, Morgan, Tanis, Astrid, Coventry, Graigus, Kayla, Gilliam, Gorrik, Langston, Gail, Farain, Mahler, Arbeiten))

Posted by: Dark Maiden Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:48 pm
[A normal quiver only holds 20 arrows, right?]

Posted by: Alpha Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:50 pm

QUOTE (Dark Maiden @ Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:48 pm)
[A normal quiver only holds 20 arrows, right?]

((Yes, but Farain's a large, quadruped creature, so it's very likely he can hold more. That is, if you are not referring to Kayla ))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Thu Jan 04, 2007 7:30 pm
((Derrik has one bracer of archery for sale.))

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Thu Jan 04, 2007 10:11 pm
Sorel's spell list for tomorrow Spells Prepared Orisons: 6/6) Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Dawn, Detect Magic, Detect Magic, Resistance Level 1: 6/6) Cure Light Wounds, Cure Light Wounds, Eyes of the Avoral, Entangle, Lion's Charge, Lion's Charge
Level 2: 6/6) Barkskin, Brambles, Bull's Strength, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Mass Snake's Swiftness
Level 3: 4/4) Crumble, Haboob, Spikes, Wind Wall
Level 4: 4/4) Arc of Lightning, Boreal Wind, Flame Strike, Freeze Armor
Level 5: 3/3) Bite of the Weretiger, Choking Sands, Owl's Insight

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:18 am
Gilliam stares at Sorel for a long moment before responding. : "I imagine you'd have a hard time truly seeing slaughter from that high horse you seem to be mounted on. You expect them to mend their ways? Spontaneously? Is even a single person's life worth that risk? Pfah. You know next to nothing of war or slaughter, most of all the fact that much of the time the two are the same. And we are at war. War is a terrible, brutish, nasty, and reprehensible business. But those who refuse to take up arms to defend themselves soon find themselves bound in chains or under gravedirt. This is the way it has been and will always be. War...never... changes. Don't you dare judge me until you know what I know and seen what I've seen."

Posted by: Kaihaku Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:25 am
"I don't think its a question of war changing but rather one of how much you allow war to change you..." The Doctor comments, looking at Sorel with a frown. Astrid frowns and shakes her head, "For my part, I çannot believe that it is wise to allow an evil to remain...even if they won't be a threat for a generation, they will still be a threat again."She glances around, "We are in a position to prevent innocents from suffering, we should take advantage of it."

Posted by: Arcdragnbreth Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:22 am
"Stop," Graigus said, shaking his head. "Just stop. Is that why you came after me, why you came after Mr. Dicem? So you could kill Kria's tribe? Enough people have died already... do we have to kill more, just because we can? If hunting down the last of Kria's family and making her help butcher them is what you want to do, then I'll go back where I came from."
Looking at his hands, he shook his head again. "Let's just do what we came to do and worry about everything else later."

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:53 am
: "Kill the tribe? Butcher them? Of course we should do that. It's key to our survival! We've got to kill them all, or we won't have enough bones to sharpen into toothpicks for our big baby barbeque next Tuesday. Are you people dumb or deaf?! I said kill their warriors, their raiders, I wasn't suggesting a total slaughter!"
Gilliam growls, then shakes his head, a mechanized whirring accompanying the action.
: "Mortals never cease to amaze me. Either way you've made your choice and it's fair enough. Success rates only drop a few percent points."

Posted by: Alpha Fri Jan 05, 2007 2:31 pm
Frowing heavily at Gilliam's attitude, Tanis says "I do not favour just proceeding and wiping out the remaining warriors. The situation has greatly changed since we first started out from Galam. Their leader has fallen, along with many, if not all of their warlocks, in addition to lots of their elite warriors."
He pauses for breath, sighing, and then carries on.
"Also, Kria did mention that if Amelia were to fall in battle, in single combat, tribe leadership would go to the victor. Admittedly, it was not single combat, but Kria dealt the final blow in addition to causing many of her injuries. As such, she could attempt to claim tribe leadership. This possibility should be consulted before we decide to wipe out their remaining troops, who are likely the tribe's last defenses."

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:20 pm
As the conversation continues Sorel's faces tightens into a scornful expression. : "I do sincerely apologize for my continued weakness. It seems I have yet to learn the true nature of good and evil, but as long as I have such infallible guidance I will surely come around. It may be slow going, for I" Sorel's eyes linger on Gilliam "am only human."
He shakes his head in disgust. "I will go keep watch. Despite their repeated and constant failure, our enemies seem overfond of ambush."

Posted by: Rusty Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:28 pm
*Ombligo, needlessly, outbursts at Gilliam even after Sorel said his peace.* : "Mortals? Mortals?! You're mortal too, you big lug! Stop acting high and mighty. We're not the only ones falling apart out there when the battles get rough. Remember that ambush outside Granseal? Sure, I couldn't cast spells anyway, but I did have wands - and the point is, I had to keep HEALING you so you would STAY ALIVE. So stop acting as if you're some immortal god just because you've been around longer!"

Posted by: Aldur Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:30 pm
Kria shook her head at Gilliam, her fist shaking in rage. Still, for once the catfolk managed to control herself. She looked around at those still present. "You will not lay one finger on my people. I'll defeat you myself...instead, I shall go to them. I shall make them listen, I have to make them listen to me, because...because otherwise, they'll remain in the dark forever. So. I shall go to my home...and demand they stay out of this. After that...I'll see about other arrangements. The children are taught things that would horrify and shock you from an early age. I must change that...or else this will merely repeat itself over and over. Death will not be an option for them. So...I will succeed." Kria looked around at everyone, and smiled wistfully. "Tomorrow I shall go there. Alone. And if I happen to not come back? Well. You'll know what to do then, won't you Gilliam? You'll get rid of them."
Kria turned without another word and went back to where she had stored her mother's things. She took them out and slowly donned her mother's armour and various protective items. In the light she looked very like her mother, the only difference being her sad, melancholy eyes.
Wow! Like, nice speech! But you know the chances of them kinda listening are low?
We still need to try. I know what Gilliam says is logical but yet...I won't let those children grow up to be slaughterers...not while I draw breath.

Posted by: Lord Oddeye Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:39 pm
((Memorized spells : Level 0 : Sonic Snap, Resistance, Resistance, Disrupt Undead, Disrupt Undead Level 1 : Nightshield, Protection from Evil, Protection from Evil, Magic Missile, Magic Missile, Magic Missile, Ray of Enfeeblement Level 2 : Spectral Hand, Light of Mercuria, Light of Mercuria, Ghoul Touch, Mechanus Mind, Blindness/Deafness
Level 3 : Bolt 1, Sound Lance, Sound Lance, Vampiric Touch, Mass Curse of Impending Blades
Level 4 : Confusion, Confusion, Bestow Curse))

Posted by: Tarethen Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:15 pm
Farain listening to the arguing, not saying a word. His eyes moved from speaker to speaker, finally stopping on Kria. When she had said her words, he looked away, turning from the rest of the group. His bow was still gripped tightly within his fingers, the realization that this fight wasn't against devils slowly dawning on him. He sighed and walked a few meter away, placing his bow on his back as he moved into shaded area, sitting on the ground. He just wanted to relax for a few minutes, decided he'd give himself a moment's rest before approaching Derrik for a few new items.

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:39 am
Gilliam is quiet after all have their say, then he begins to chuckle. The chuckling rises to a metallic laugh, though there is no good humor in it. : "I never said I wasn't mortal, for I can die all too easily despite my lack of age and metal frame... I too am a bumbling blind fool in the dark of the world. But that doesn't make you any less blind. Look at you Ombligo, leaping to the defense of your druid friend like a dog to his master. You're just a child. A dangerous child, with great potential, but still a child. Learn to think for yourself. As for you old man..." Gilliam says, turning to face Sorel. "I'd have further words with you, but I suspect time is going to do my job far better than I ever could. The war has reached the Fairy Wood, I hear. Perhaps when you see the stakes of war you'll better understand its desperate nature. Until then, boil in your own sarcasm and bitterness."
Gilliam turns to Tanis, stopping for a moment.
:"I know that. I just said the probability only dropped a few points. As for Kria's becoming leader, good. If you can find a way to make that work then the threat is neutralized with no bloodshed. At least you kept your damn head about you, and as for you," Gilliam says turning to Kria. "You'll defeat me if I lay one finger on them? You were laying more than a finger on them a little while ago, or is killing your family a right reserved for you alone?" Gilliam is quiet for a moment before continuing. "But yes, go and try to save them. By all means do so. What no one quite has seemed to grasp is that I do not want a slaughter, I do not want to attack them. But the cold fact remains is that it is dangerous to leave them there. If you can make them no longer a threat without bloodshed, then do it. I'll even cheer you on. If you succeed, great! I'll be glad. But I don't think you can manage it. This is one issue I shall be ecstatic to be in error on. Now if all the rest of you are finished ignoring what I have to say and assuming that I thirst for the blood of the weak, I'm going to patrol the camp. Anything further I say has an excellent chance of causing even further damage to the strained bonds of this band."
And with that, Gilliam turns and begins to tromp away.

Posted by: Aldur Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:43 am
Kria watched Gilliam's angry trompings and shook her head. She frowned, the beginnings of an idea forming. She moved after the robot attempting not to giggle as she caught up with him. "Hey. Gillie. You wanna come with me tomorrow? I kinda have an idea..."
Gilliam sighs, almost exasperatedly. "What is your idea?"
"Basically. I'm going to say I left because I had a vision. And then I found you and whoever else is with me. And you've been around since the dragon was first made. And then you're going to tell them what the dragon has told you. Are you following?" She smirked. "Can you see what I'm getting at?"
"Yes... But we'll need specifics to make sure we don't contradict each other. This isn't something to do on the drop of a hat."
"Indeed, and we do have elders, they're rather set in their ways. We'll also need to make quite an entrance. Who do you think I should bring? I first thought you and Adam because of your appearance, but what do you think?"
"That might work. The necromancer might also be good, since his style of spellcasting usually lends itself to these sorts of things."
"Hmm...Tanis maybe. He's not kin specifically, but he is a catfolk, and his powers tend towards the destructive like mine."
"He also keeps a cool head and is quick of the mind. A good choice."
"Well, yes. I did travel with him. Now...is that all? Maybe a smaller group is better, it lends itself to less complication, and too many hands spoil the broil I believe they say." Kria nodded to herself, gazing down at her Mother's armour. "They'll know I killed...Mother. That should grant us, or me...s-some respect."
Gilliam is silent.
Kria sighed. "Well. Maybe we should gather the required parties?" Kria nodded to herself again, her eyes growing distant for a moment. "Yeah like! We better plan this well! I dun wanna keep killing people!"
"Agreed."
Kria frowned, pouting. "Like, what's up with you? You're quieter than usual!"
"Nothing. I'm thinking."
"Oh. Rightio...Then I'll go get people I guess!"

Posted by: Cyrus Sat Jan 06, 2007 11:53 am
Gail merely watched the argument from a distance, feeling that her participation would only make it far more heated than it already was, another unneeded voice amongst a din of. Besides, it looked like it had passed now, a consensus being reached at, finally, despite the bitter words and tones. She need not say anything...it's nothing anyone would want to hear, anyway.
She turned her attention to the bright crimson pyre, the fire being fueled by the bodies of those they fell. She looked back on the conflicts, the risks these foes had taken...to throw so much at them, to assail them as if their lives depended on it...and doubtless it did, from both sides of the conflict. Even for fanatics, they fought to the last man, not stopping or caring for the wounds they took, just fought until they fell from blood loss or electrocution or however each one died. It was obvious that every those who would have thought the divine were on their side would not fight like this, that there was something more on the line to them. Perhaps, if they found the tribe here in these woods, all of them would already be dead, slain for failing their masters. Her eyes widened as she realized what she was thinking.
When did fighting become so natural, so mundane that she would draw her blade and cut into someone without thought? When did she become so used to blood that the sight was no longer sickening, but almost mandatory, something she expected to find anywhere? Did death not still disturb her, a glazed look signaling the shroud of darkness and sending a shiver up her spine? Did she truly think of them simply as "enemy"? She looked at her hands, still clutching her sword and shield, as if she would die without them. Had this war changed her so much, so quickly...or was she like this before, and merely failed to notice?
She continued to watch the flames rise, then fall, beginning to flicker as the bodies inside turned to ash. All at once, she felt her strength drain, rubbing her eyes as a great tiredness overtook her. She couldn't do this...everyone's strength was needed, especially now, and a sign of weakness could spell disaster. Pulling her hand away, she furrowed her brow seriously, masking the exhaustion overtaking her, and rejoined the group, preparing to press on to camp.

Posted by: Aldur Sat Jan 06, 2007 11:31 pm
Kria moved around the camp, gathering Tanis, Ignatius and Morgan, leaving the robot to the robot. When they had assembled she smiled. "Perfect."

Posted by: Kaihaku Mon Jan 08, 2007 8:45 am
As Gail stomps wearily back towards the camp, summoning up her resolve, she is suddenly struck up a sense of joy and energy. It is as if she was suddenly lifted up above the heavy weight of the smoke clinging to her into a higher place. [Elation]
The Doctor, walking a short distance behind her, smiles innocently if she happens to glance around.

Posted by: Cyrus Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:55 am
The paladin stops as the familiar energy fills her, like a sudden deep breath of clean, fresh air, clearing the smoke from her lungs and the fog from her mind. Confused, she looks around for the source of the burst of joy, and find only the Doctor a few yards away, wearing an unknowing smile. She simply stared for a moment, then let a small smile show through, turning before muttering a "Thank you," and walking away, her step lighter and her head held higher.
[By the way, I seem to remember Gail having taken out a loan from Mahler, so she uses her new income to help pay it off.
10,000 - 8,786 = 1,214 gold out of pocket.]

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Tue Jan 09, 2007 3:32 am
Kria and her small group leave the party that night, intent on stopping the threat of the raider village. Max allows it, but warns them that whether or not they return, the group assaults the Devil Fortress in two days. It's now nightfall, being a few hours after the small group has left.

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Tue Jan 09, 2007 4:18 am
While on patrol, Sorel hears what sounds like a pained human scream. Without a thought he rushes in the direction of the distant sound. As he gets closer, the sounds grow louder and more labored. With a running leap the druid takes batform and approaches the sound twice as quickly. As he closes in, his ears twitch. The cries don't sound as human anymore. They sound porcine.
Sorel comes upon the scene, a crude spiked pit with a boar impaled in the center. Wasting no time, he wraps his feet around the boar, pulling him off the wooden stakes. In its rage and pain, the animal lashes out at Sorel, who easily avoids the attack, and spreads its wings placatingly over the wounded animal, making soothing sounds. It calms, and a warm glow envelops it as the worst of its wounds are sealed. The boar stabilized, Sorel turns to examine the trap.
He quickly discerns that it was crudely designed, a clumsy attempt to imitate a hunting trap. With no magic present and no approaching figures, Sorel is confused.
This is not what it appears to be, but neither is it a trap. The only thing I have lost is distance and time-
The thought hits the old man like a thunderclap, and swiftly he leaves the scene, weaving among the trees as he flies with blinding speed.
Idiot! They wanted me away from the camp. And they succeeded. I must get back. It cannot be too late.

Posted by: Kaihaku Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:44 am
They killed me... The dark wilderness and the three figures standing over his mangled corpse slowly faded away... "...you dirty slut." He yelled at her. She looked at him, then picked me up and said something to him. I wanted to cry but I was afraid to. Then we left.
I could see him over her shoulder, he was yelling something...
We were going to see the water. I really liked to watch the birds dive into it. As we we were walking, we meet two women she knew. I watched a long bug chew on a leaf. I think they were afraid of her because they only said a few things. The bug was still chewing on the leaf when we started walking again. I looked back and the two women were staring at us strangely. I looked up at her and she looked like she did when she was angry. When I looked back again, the two women were talking and seem excited.
The strange man had been coming to visit a lot. He was strange because he wore a dress and he smelled like candy. Whenever he came he would pat me on the head and give me a treat. I think he only pretended to like me.
Sometimes we would visit him at his house. It was a big house with lots of seats, I think he had all of those seats for his other friends, he had a lot. He would always talk for a long time to his friends about boring things while they listened quietly. I wished we could go to the water instead of visiting him.
People were talking when we walked into the store. Then it was quiet. They were staring at us. She didn't seem to notice but I did. She walked over the store man and starting talking to him. I walked around the store.
I was looking at the seeds when someone outside yelled that word she didn't like. She looked angry but just kept on talking to the store man.
People had been visiting her for the first I could remember. She seemed happy.
We visited the strange man's house and he was not wearing his dress. There was a man there who was wearing a dress, I didn't get to see if he smelled like candy though. Then she was gone. One of the women who had been visiting her was with me. I was afraid so I cried. The woman told me to be quiet. I cried louder. The woman looked angry and gave me some candy. I didn't want candy so I pushed it back at her. Then the strange man came and I felt sleepy.
I woke up in my room. I went to look for her and the strange man was there. She was smiling and talking to him. From then on he was always around. He ate there. He sat around reading. He even slept in her room. He told me that I should call him dad now.
She told me that soon I'm going to have a little brother or sister. Thomas seems very happy about this. I think its strange that he is since I'm supposed to be his son now and he never seems very excited about me. At least he doesn't pat me on the head and pretend to like me anymore. He just leaves me alone. I'm afraid though. With Thomas and this baby, will mom have any time left for me?
Mom looks like she ate a watermelon whole. She says that the baby is inside of her there. I think that's really weird. Will it look like a watermelon? Did I look like a watermelon?
Thomas didn't say anything as he walked with me to the school. I wish that mom had come but she was with the little baby. I'm not sure why they made such a big deal about it; it's all ugly and pink. I wanted to cry because I was afraid but then I thought that Thomas might like me better if I were brave.
The school was a big building with lots of kids. They were all looking at me; people were always looking at me. I wondered if I looked so strange but I could never see anything in the mirror. Thomas started talking to the school woman and the kids started playing again. Some of them where still watching me though. I think maybe they were talking about something strange because none of them looked happy. I wonder if they were talking about how Thomas was wearing a dress.
After Thomas left, the school woman told me to play with the other kids. Some of them were playing a game with little glass balls. It was neat. You had to knock the glass balls into some circles in the dirt with other glass balls. The glass balls were called marbles. I wanted to play too but they told me that I had to have my own marbles.
The woman at the school was not friendly. She was always cross. I don't know why she was like that because she knew a lot of neat things. I thought that maybe it was because she wanted to play games too. I wanted to ask her if she wanted to play but I was afraid.
I had heard people use the word before, I didn't know what it meant. There were a lot of words that I didn't know.
"...we don't want a bastard." At first, I didn't know that he meant me. I just looked around but everyone was looking at me. I felt stupid and scared. What was a bastard? Why did it make them not want me on their team?
The other team looked upset. "We aren't taking him." I didn't understand, I had played with them before. I was good at this game. What made me a bastard today?
Mom was taking Sophie to see the water... No, it was called the ocean, the school woman had told me that. Thomas was at the house reading his big book. I thought now I could ask her about what a bastard was. I was too afraid of Thomas thinking I was stupid to ask him but Mom would understand.
"Mom, what's a bastard?"
No answer. I thought maybe she didn't hear me. I said it again louder.
"What's a bastard, mom?"
I know she heard me because she looked upset. I thought that asking her was a bad idea. She stopped walking.
"Has somebody been calling you a bastard?"
I didn't want to answer now. She might get angry and go to the school, all of the kids would make fun of me forever. I was quiet. I must have looked upset because she bend down and looked at me. She was very serious.
"Alastor... A bastard is someone whose mommy made a mistake but they get made fun of for it. "
I thought that was strange. Why would the kids make fun of me for my mom's mistake. I must have looked confused because she gave me a hug. Sophie started crying so we walked to the ocean. Mom was really quiet.
I was walking back to the house from school. My face hurt. I was crying. I felt stupid and upset. Luke was telling everyone how his mom had forgot to take him ashore. All of the kids thought it was funny. I thought it would be really funny to call him a bastard. Everyone got quiet and Luke looked really upset. I told him that a bastard was someone whose mom made a mistake but it just made him angry. He hit me hard. It hurt a lot and I started crying. Then the other kids started laughing.
Almost no one wanted to play with me anymore at the school. I felt very sad. The school woman was showing us how to use books. Thomas had lots of books but he never let me see them. The books at the school had neat drawings in them.
Mom looked like she had watermelon inside her again. She had told me that she was going to have another baby. I tried to tell Sophie all about it but I don't think she understood.
Sophie was coming to the school now. I thought that I would play with her but then I got afraid. Mom was her mom too. Maybe they didn't know she was my sister. If I didn't play with her, maybe they wouldn't call her a bastard and not play with her.
I read books instead of playing and Sophie seemed to have lots of friends. It made me happy that my plan had worked. No one called her a bastard.
Thomas and Mom seemed happy when the teacher, that's what the school woman was called, told them that Sophie was very bright. It made me think that maybe if I were bright too then Thomas would like me more. He almost never said anything to me. Mom was busy with Kate and Sophie. I thought that maybe Thomas didn't know that I could read and if he knew that he would let me read with him. He was always reading his big book.
I was passing the store on my way back to the house from school when I heard some people inside talking. One of them was the store owner, I knew the sound of his voice.
"Ye can't question Father Alfort's charitable character, look how he took in that wanton slut and her bastard brat." Mom hated it when people called her that. I had always been afraid to ask her what it meant.
One of the voices laughed, "Charity ain't had anything to do with it.... He's been pining after that wench since she had a pair of tits on her."
"That's enough. I won't have anyone besmirching the name of a holyman in my store." That was the owner. He was a good man.
I thought that I had better go before someone saw that I had been listening.
Thomas said that it was fine if I read his big book while he wasn't using it. I had hope that he would be happy but he didn't care. Maybe he thought that I wouldn't understand it. It doesn't seem that hard though, all it seems to be is a history of the world and lots of advice on how to live.
Mom had another baby girl. Thomas seems disappointed. Sophie is excited about the baby, she always wants to hold it but Kate seems really upset. I think she's jealous.
I think I surprised the teacher today. She was talking about the Ancients and asked if anyone knew anything about them. When I told her what the big book said, she looked happy but said that what I said was just one version. I wonder what the other versions are. Some of the other kids were upset, I think that they were jealous. They said some nasty things after school but I don't care, they don't play with me anyway, I hope the teacher will let Thomas know that I understand his big book.
I was eating breakfast when mom told me she had heard from my teacher that I was doing very well in school. She said that she was proud of me. Thomas didn't say anything and kept on drinking his tea. I felt a little sad that Thomas didn't care but I was happy that the teacher thought I was going well. I think it was the first time someone other than mom said that I was doing well. ...no, when I first went to the school the other kids said I was good at running but that was so long ago I almost forgot.
I was reading during play time when the teacher walked up to me.
"Alastor, I'm pleased that you are so diligent with your studies but you need to exercise your body as well as your mind. I want you to go outside and play with the other children." I wanted to stay inside and keep on reading my book, I didn't want to go outside and be reminded that I was a bastard. I thought about trying to explain it to her but I knew she wouldn't understand.
I think that the other kids were surprised when I came out.
Some just went right on playing but I think they were ignoring me. Some others just stared at me. Then there were a few who I think really hated me. Their leader was a boy named Ryan. He was pretty smart and I think he liked to answer questions. If I had stopped answering so many questions and let him have some, maybe he wouldn't have hated me so much. But I didn't think it was fair that he got to play outside and look smart answering questions inside so I tried my best to answer them before him.
After the teacher went back inside, Ryan and the other kids started calling me things like "brown noser", "teacher's pet", and "bastard." I wanted to make them stop but I didn't know how. I tried playing off by myself and then Ryan threw a rock at me. It cut my head and I was bleeding all other. This scared the kids and they ran off, someone called the teacher and she asked me what happened. I lied to her and told her that I had tripped and fallen. She wrapped my head in a cloth and sent me home.
Mom was out shopping when I got home but Thomas was there and he used his magic to heal me. I told him everything that had happened, I'm not sure why, and he looked at me like he really didn't want to talk to me.
"If someone wants you to react, the best thing you can do is to just ignore them." I thought that made a lot of sense. I had been doing that some of the time and I thought about telling Thomas that, wouldn't that surprise him? Then I decided that was a bad idea because he might think I was lying. He went back to reading his book right after he gave me his advice.
I was walking to school one day when Luke and some of his friends came up behind me and knocked me down by shoving me into the wall. I wasn't hard very badly but the book I had been carrying was torn. I was really worried because it was the teacher's book and she would be very angry if it were ruined. I felt like hiding and crying, I didn't want to go to school with the book like this. Then I knew what I needed to do, I don't know how I knew, I just started saying some strange words. There was warmth flowing in my fingers and I felt so powerful. The book slowly joined back together where it had been torn. I didn't understand what had happened, it was so strange but I felt it was a very good thing. Maybe the Light from the big book was making up for how mean everyone was. I hoped so, just thinking about it made me feel good.
I started walking along the ocean after this because I thought that I could feel the Light better there. This was how I found the engines. Everyone knows about the engines but no one ever goes to see them, at least not that I know about.
The engines are an interesting place filled with all sorts of things that I don't understand. I saw one of the engineers working on something but I snuck away before he noticed me.
Thomas has started training Sophie as a clerical priest, I think he wants her to become his adept and help him with the church. I watch him teach her the orisons at home and I want to show him that I know some of them already but he has never shown a lot of interest in Sophie before and I know it makes her happy.
I often visit the engines now and just watch them work flawlessly, the engineer is named Nigel. He's a bit absent minded and senile but he really loves the machinery. He keeps on trying to explain how they work to me but I only really understand the basics. He knows that I'm the bastard Coventry kid but barely seems to notice. I don't think he cares about much except the machines. He doesn't have a family and lives somewhere below with the machines.
Mom is with child again. Thomas is really anxious to have a son. I don't think he realizes it but I know some of the holy language that some of his books use. I heard him praying one day to the Light for a son and I wanted to yell at him that I was right here.
Lanette was born yesterday and ever since then Thomas has been withdrawn and melancholy. He had been working on teaching Sophie the Light orison but today all he did was read. I thought I would help her by showing her how to cast the spell but instead we got to talking about magic. She was talking about how she sometimes couldn't concentrate on praying for the orisons and it was then that it occurred to me that I had never prayed for a spell. While she was bearing Lanette, Mom was showing Kate the basic cantrips and now I realized that my blessing from the Light was like to sorcery. I decided to read more about it and didn't let Sophie know what I was thinking. I believe she just assumes that Thomas is training me too.
Our teacher said that we are fortunate to live in one of the few places in the world where the knowledge of the Ancients can still be examined in all of its glory. She explained that in much of the world only fragments of the old knowledge remain and that much that does remain cannot be put to use. She promised me that when I turned twelve she would allow me access to the reprints of Ancient texts that are stored in the library. Today is my birthday and I can barely contain my excitement to begin reading. The first text I began to read detailed the education system of the Ancient world; 'Doctors' and 'Professors' were apparently the most esteemed ranks of education...
So, that was it. I had never been favored by the Light. Sorcerers drew their power from magic in their bloodline and in some of the books I had been reading scholars mentioned that there existed Mystics who drew their power from a spiritual connection with the higher planes. There was not much information on Mystics, apparently it was uncommon. More common were clerics who appealed directly to the higher planes without going through the gods. No one else in my family had mystical powers, I didn't understand why I had them. The whole thing was confusing.
I asked Thomas to train me to be a clerical priest. He looked at me in a strange way but didn't say no. I showed him that I could cast orisons and he seemed surprised. I didn't tell him that I didn't have to pray for them. He gave me a few of his books to read and then went back to reading himself. I had hoped that he would be excited. The books were on religious ceremonies and how to conduct them. I had seen Thomas carry out a few of them.
I had been the top student in my class for a long time. Only the teacher and mom seemed happy about this, everyone else either didn't seem to care or was angry about it. I was walking to the engines one day when a father of one of the kids yelled at me. He called me a "upstart bastard" and told me to learn my place. I think he was upset because his son was a poor student. I didn't see why that was my fault and I still didn't understand what my place was.
Mom and Thomas were ashore visiting a monastery. Sophie was at the church filling the role of priest. I was reading a book behind the church when I heard some voices talking. I recognize them as a member of the bridge guard and I thought the other might be a mechanic."
"The Alforts certainly looked the part of religious ambassadors to the mainland."
"I know, I could hardly believe it myself. That Anwen has come a long way since she had that bastard with that dirty tramp."
"Ah, I hate that smug little bastard. I hear he lords his book smarts over all the other students."
"He thinks he's too good for anyone else, I don't think I've ever seen him playing with another kid."
"Just isn't natural..."
"Well... He is a bastard..."
It wasn't like that. I didn't want to read all the time, I wanted to play with the others. I didn't think I was better than them. Had I made a mistake? Maybe if I had just kept on trying to play with them they would have let me.
Ignoring the others had never worked very well. Instead of making them bored, it just seemed to incite them into a frenzy, they would do anything to get my attention. I found that the best thing to do was just avoid them. They would still find me sometimes...trip me on my way out of class, bump into me on the street, steal one of my books, toss a rock in my direction... I had gotten pretty good at avoiding them but I decided that maybe I needed to try playing with them again.
They were playing centaur shoes. I felt nervous to take this risk and I kept on reminding myself that I had nothing to lose. They stopped playing as I walked up and stared at me. I think they were surprised and maybe a little curious. There were silent when I asked them if I could play. Then one of them laughed and said that "my mom had done all the playing for me already." This got all of them laughing and saying things like that. Maybe Thomas had been right because after that they went even further out of their way to get at me.
I was watching the engineer crawl around inside of the machinery with his tools and oil can. He was spry for an old man. I had been thinking about what happened when I asked to play centaur shoes for a few weeks and I thought maybe if I asked someone else they might know something about it.
"Nigel..."
The engineer grunted in reply. I knew from past experience that he barely realized that I was talking to him and if I didn't say anything soon he would forget completely.
"I think everyone in my school hates me." I paused. It sounded so childish but he would forget anyway so I pressed one, "I think everyone in the town hates me."
He continued climbing through the machinery, oiling and tightening, and for a moment I thought he hadn't been listening.
"Back when I was a lad, I thought that my classmates hated me too but really they just didn't understand me." Was that the problem? What did he expect me to go tell the others how I felt, that would be a hoot for them.
"It's not always easy but I think the best advice I can give you is to just be yourself." Be myself... Who was I? All I knew was what everyone said I was.
I smiled, "So... I should be a little bastard?" I suddenly didn't want to hear what else he had to say, so I turned and dashed from the engines, "See you later, Nigel!"
The head of the withered old man, covered in grease, poked out from the machinery, his voice calling out after me, "Eh...that's not what I meant!"
There had been a bad storm the night before; Sally had been convinced that we would sink. Kate laughed at her but I felt sorry for her, I always enjoyed storms but I use to get scared about other things that seem silly now. Ryan and some of his cronies were standing around in front of the school when I got there. They were up to something. Some of the other kids were watching them and seemed nervous. I decided to try and walk pass them quietly, it didn’t work, Ryan stepped in front of me.
“Where do you think you’re going, bastard?” He was acting tough but I thought he was a bit nervous beneath it.
“School.”
“School? He thinks that he’s going to school.” He sneered at the others. I could see where this was going and I didn’t like it. I tried going around him but he pushed me and some of his cronies moved in closer. “You think you’re pretty smart, don’t you bastard?” He was more comfortable now. He was in control and he knew it. “You think that you’re better than us?” He shoved me hard and I almost fell as I stumbled back. I was at their mercy; all I could do was run or just take it. I was powerless.
The other children were watching nervously. None of them did anything.
“You aren’t wanted here.” Ryan declared shoving me back again. I wanted to scream…where was I wanted? I wanted to hit him but as soon as I did, the others would gang up on me. I was afraid.
It's not always easy but I think the best advice I can give you is to just be yourself. Who am I? I only know what people say I am… I should be a little bastard?
Standing there with them all around me, I smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile, it was a mean smile. “I don’t think I’m better than you, I know it.” I said it as smugly as I could. “You might as well not even have a mind considering how much you use it…”
He looked confused for a second; he didn’t understand what was going on. Then his eyes flared with anger and he hit me. It hurt…but it felt good. I was in control now.
I laughed at him. “You’ll be a street cleaner for sure…” He hit me again.
The other kids were confused; I could see that they were beginning to get nervous. I wasn’t acting the way they expected. I knew I could win. I just had to push him to the edge…
Thomas didn’t say anything when he came to heal me at the school. I had a broken arm but I was didn’t care. I had won. He had beat me nearly to death but I was the victor. The others still hated me but they respected me. I could see it in their eyes, they were afraid of me too. I was stronger than any of them and they knew it.
I was the one hurling insults now. I was the Bastard, the force of nature that they couldn’t match. Thomas was wrong, ignoring them was never the answer; you had to confront them. I was fearless.
I unleashed a reign of terror on my former oppressors. I cut them with my sharp tongue and then lashed out with my orisons. They were powerless to oppose me and I think really quite afraid. I soaked many of them with the water orison. I set some of them aglow with the light orison. I would cut myself in front of them only to heal the wound, chuckling. I think I convinced them that the gods were with me and against them.
Sophie was afraid for me, she warned me that if I was so reckless the gods would no longer heed my prayers and I would be stripped of my powers. I just shrugged. I couldn’t myself to mock her and I wasn’t about to tell her the truth. I was already freak enough without people knowing my secret.
“I heard that you’ve been causing an unholy ruckus.” I was surprised that Nigel ever heard anything down in the depths of the engine.
“I’ve just been being myself.” I replied with that mean smile.
I think Nigel had meant to scold me, mildly, but he didn’t say anything else after that. I felt bad for being so mean but I wasn’t about to let anyone take my new authority from me. I know he meant the best but he had just given me another idea.
I decided that I was going to make an even bigger splash. I called it an experiment, a chance to see if it were the Light that valued me or just something special about me. We were in class talking about the history of the empire when I raised my hand. The teacher was expecting some sort of insightful question, I think what she got took her quite off guard.
“Where were the gods when Imperial policy resulted in the starvation of those peasants?” I struggled to look earnest but I couldn’t help let that smile cross my face as I prepared to deliver my unholy ruckus, “I guess maybe they all had the day off… \or MAYBE they were all over at Mitula’s having a good time.”
The teacher was appalled, she stared at me with what I think was horror. Some of the children wanted to laugh, I could see it, but most of them were afraid. I think they really expected lightning bolts to rain down from the heavens.
Then the teacher recovered. “How…how dare you stand there and say such a thing with that smirk on your face.” She was furious now. I knew that she would never treat me the same way again but I didn’t care, she had never really liked me to begin with. Her favor had the price of studious labor.
“I thought school was supposed to be a place where we learned how to think, not how to regurgitate old legends.” I didn’t balk. The others were afraid now but I know that I hadn’t gone too far, not yet.
“Raised by Father Alfort and yet you speak such words…” She shook her head sadly, I was the bastard to her again, then she continued on with the lesson making a point not to question me.
Mom was with child yet again and I silently cursed Thomas for putting her through it. I don’t know why he thirsted for a son but the strain of four children was beginning to tell on her. He was a decent enough father to his daughters, he treated them well and was affectionate with them from time to time…though I could tell that he thought less of them for their gender. Even Sophie, his pupil, was second best in his eyes. I had learn what a bastard really was a long time ago and I could understand why he wanted nothing to do with me.
His eyes gleaming with pride and happiness, Thomas held his newborn son tenderly. I think Sophie noticed that great love he felt for the baby boy but she didn’t say anything, she was still his pupil and would be a full fledged clerical priest before Benjamin was ready to start his tutelage. It was then that I realized, once and for all, that I had no place here. Thomas had never wanted me and never would. Mom had five other children to care for and though she loved me could not be there for me. The townspeople all hated me. Even though I had confronted them and wrested control from their hands, my only friends were my sisters and the engineer.
I was walking along the ocean when I saw a bloodied cat limping along. It was a tom and must have gotten into a fight the night before. I’m not sure why but I felt sorry for that old cat and in that moment I knew that I could heal just as easily as I mended the book. It was not an orison that I manifested but my first spell. It gave me fell strangely at peace to help that cat. I felt…complete. It was strange.
I was soon devoured with a lust to do such deeds. I would heal the bruises and scratches of stray animals and little kids. I studied studying the old texts that the Ancients had written about medicine. I didn’t understand most of it but it did have maps of the human body that I got to know pretty well.
I was still carrying out my reign of terror despite healing a kid here and a mutt there. Ryan was hurt playing a game after school one day. I watched him clutch his knee wincing painfully while the others ran to fetch Thomas or Sophie. I walked over quietly and stood over him with that smirk. He looked up at me with hate and a hint of fear.
“Ah Ryan… As usually, all you can do is break things.” I shook my head while my hands were infused with sacred energy and I touched them to him with a cruel light in my eyes. I was the victor. His eyes smoldering with angry, he knew it too.
[Placeholder – Many scenes to be posted within]
"The others need us to be strong...not throw salt in open wounds." She was begging me to stop. I realized then that I couldn’t stop. I wasn’t really in control. Not any more… This barrier I had erected to defend me… This disease inside of me… This side of me… It was in control. It made the decision on how I acted and what I felt. I let it do this to me because I was afraid. I was too weak.
"I'll try.....but I don't think I can stop." I was powerless…
“I was afraid of that…” There was something strange about the way she said that. “All that skill and no potential.” She shook her head and made a gesture with her hand.
It was the other two. Why were they here? Had this been planned from the beginning? I looked at her questioningly but she said nothing.
It sprung to my defense as it always had. Perhaps it did control me but it always kept me safe. “What’s this a…” There was silence. Absolute perfect silence. I realized it then. I should have realized it sooner. They were going to kill me. I was stupid, I should have been prepared, had a few spells that I could cast without words. It was a waste to think of it now but I had been relying on them. Me, relying on them. I had trusted them. I turned to run even as they lashed out at me…
It was dark and cold. I felt numb…no, I felt nothing. I was alone, terribly alone.

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:25 pm
Sorel returns to camp to find everything seemingly in order... the fire crackles peacefully amidst the snores of the sleeping.

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Sat Jan 13, 2007 4:57 am
Sorel approaches Mahler, panting with exertion and looking haggard. : "Where is it? What happened?" *Mahler looks about, unsure as to what Sorel is asking.* "I saw nothing, Sorel. I know not of what you speak." The druid runs a hand through his hair, removing an errant twig. He is wild-eyed.
: "I... I did not..." He looks around. "Nothing happened?"
*Mahler takes another look around, then shakes his head.*
: "No, Sorel. Nothing has happened. Why do you ask?"
Sorel takes a deep calming breath.
: "About two hours ago I heard a cry in the woods. I followed it and found an animal caught in a very crude hunting trap. I thought that it was a distraction, to keep me away and allow an ambush." He looks about. "...It appears I was mistaken." he says at last.
: "Hmmm... wait..." *Mahler says pensively. Mahler stretches out his arm, sensing around him and focusing on the surrounding area.*
((Mahler does a 360° with Detect Evil, taking 4 rounds. He also looks and listens to the surrounding area. Also a 15 Listen, 18 Spot))
Sorel looks around as well, a certain hysterical light in his eyes.
((Spot 31, Listen 30))

Posted by: Alpha Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:34 pm
It wasn't too long, only an hour and a half before the group began to near their destination. "What precisely is the plan again?" Gilliam asked, looking around the trees. Kria nodded, clearing her throat. "Clad as I am, I'm going to attempt to basically order them to stay out of things. After all this cult nonsense ends I'll think on what to do. I'd also like to find out some things. Such as who swayed my mother."
"Will you do all the talking, then?"
"Nay. You're all going to help. Especially you.” She points at Gilliam." Kria smiled. "I'd like you to attempt to convince them that you met and conversed with the Dragon in ages past. And then...if they buy that..." Kria giggled. "Like, then you can say that what he wanted wasn't exactly what they happen to be doing..."
"I'll say some cockamamie story like the Dark Dragon was actually a created weapon of the Ancients to battle the Devils..." Gilliam pauses. "Then again that's a bit much for even them to swallow."
"Indeed. I'd prefer you kept it more like...he wishes his followers to distance themselves in quiet worship. Basically, to keep them outta things." Kria smiled. "Anything anyone else has thought of that's beneficial? Remember we all serve the dragon for this little...adventure!"
“Nothing in particular,” Tanis says. “It’d be good to avoid any violence, of course. But then, that’s a given.” Then he smiles. “Of course. Is there a title of respect we should address you with?”
"Hmmm...that's tricky. I only just donned my mothers armour, and they'd assume you've been with me for some time. I'd stick to generics. You are not of my tribe so you wouldn't call me Holy Priestess. Just use...Lady Kria."
Tanis continues to smile. "Of course." Then, indicating himself and Morgan, he says, "And what roles do you have planned for us?"
"Look...suitably evil. If you see or think of a way to aid in swaying them, then please do so. We may also have to fight our way out, so...well. Hopefully, that'll not happen!"
“I’d hope not,” Tanis agrees, nodding. “Many of my spells have been used up, and all of my most powerful ones are gone.”
"Mages. Useless in prolonged encounters." Kria shook her head and grinned to herself. "It shouldn't come to that." She continued moving on in the direction of her village.
((TheUnknownMarine: "That's what your mom said last night! Ooooh!"))
"We're being watched," Gilliam says, quietly. "In the trees."
"I see." Kria nods, stepping forwards. She speaks loudly and quite clearly. "If you worship the Dragon, the Holy Priestess demands you show yourself before her!"
A lithe form drops to the ground, a catfolk ranger appearing in front of the group. "You wear the High Priestess's vestments," he hisses. "Yet you are not known to me. Explain."
Kria glares imperiously at the member of her tribe before her. "Pfah! You...a mere hunter question me? I am Kria Krystalpaw! Daughter of Amelia Krystalpaw! I bring intriguing and important news from the most Holy Dragon."
"You claim to serve the dragon now? The entire village knows of how you ran from your mother and our ways," the scout says incredulously.
Kria stepped forwards, her flaming aura burning around her as she advanced, pointing her hand at the Ranger, the eldritch energy spiralling around her hand. "I did not run. I was called...and now I return."
((Intimidate: 18))
The guard quails a little, but doesn't seem to be sufficiently threatened.
“You would do well to believe her,” Tanis growls at the ranger, adding emphasis to what Kria had said.
((Intimidate: 5 … damn natural 1s))
Kria sighed, her flaming aura disappearing. "Anyway. I intend to go home. Will you attempt to stop me, and lose your life OPPOSING the dragons will? Feel free to let them know I return however..." She smiled, somewhat ferally at the ranger.
((Marine rolled an 18, and gets Kria +2))
Gilliam stomps forward, his voice a deep bass rumble. "I suggest you take the Lady's advice."
The scout finally growls and turns tail, leaving.
Kria waits until the scout is gone and sighed. "This'll be somewhat harder than I expected. Still, we need to try. And get this over with soon. I wish to aid the others." Kria looked around. "Shall we?" She continued on, towards her treetop home.
Morgan approves with a faint nod but says nothing.
Soon enough, huts begin to appear in the trees, feline eyes starting down at the newcomers as they near a massive statue of a three headed dragon at the center of the settlement.
Kria moves to the base of the statue, hoping her friends follow. She clears her throat, dark wings flitting out behind her. "Hear me. I am Kria Krystalpaw! I have returned! I am the Holy Priestess now! Who will speak for you?"
Tanis moves forward also, but keeps a few paces behind Kria, in a sign of respect.
A very old catfolk in robes makes his way to the statue. "I will speak."
Kria nods. Pointing to each of her companions in turn. "They are my bodyguards and my Advisor. They may introduce themselves now!"
The green haired catfolk speaks. “I am Tanis Nedassar, warmage and of the Flying Eagle clan, from North Parmecia. I protect the lady at all costs,” he adds.
"My true name isn't for the likes of you. You may refer to me as Gilliam, the name I've used since Ancient times," Gilliam says in a haughty manner. "I advise the Priestess on matters of tactics and lore."
"I am Waru Blackclaw, headman of the village when our Priestess is away," the catfolk looks at Kria. "You have slain her, then?"
Kria nods. "She would not listen to the importance of the news I had discovered about the most Holy. I was on my own quest, roving the lands for him...when I was told one night while I slept to return home."
"And what is your news?" the old catfolk asks.
She shook her head, possibly in disgust. "First things first old man. You have allowed OUTSIDERS to build on our holy soil. What is the meaning of this!?"
"They are the servants of the Dragon, why would we not allow them to build?" the old man says, blinking.
Kria stands taken aback for a moment. "They lie! How did they convince you of this? They do not serve the dragon! They are a cult of chaos! Appropriately named: The Chaos Cult! They worship only their own gods!"
"They were manipulating the Cult to serve their own ends, nothing more," the man says. "High Priestess Krystalpaw... The former one, confirmed it."
"The former High Priestess was fooled. Gilliam. Enlighten them about the cult. The news I recieved was to warn you of imposters. However...it seems we come too late." She looks over at the robot. "Heed his words well. He has been around since ancient times, speaking directly with the dragon at some points."
"The Dragon does not consort with those vile cultists," Gilliam roars. "He's too busy with his other plans! Plans you may or may not be a part of anymore! When his plan comes to fruition, you'll see what befalls those imposters!"
Kria nodded. "Indeed. We have been travelling around, stamping out this vile and unholy cult. And now I finally come home to find them well established...what has been going on Waru?"
"The Devil Army has promised to allow us to retain control of the forest. They will merely destroy the Galam infidels on our borders... Even if what you say is true, why not allow our foes to fight each other?"
Kria sighed. "Because if one or the other happens to win, they grow more powerful, and then it'll be harder to survive." Kria snorted. "Galam is weak. We should get rid of the stronger threat first."[/purple]
[color=black]The old man nods. "Before we do anything, you must undergo the Ascension ceremony if you're to lead us in place of your mother."
Tanis frowns. “What is this Ascension Ceremony?” he asks. “What does it consist of?”
"You claim to advise the Priestess and you know nothing of the ceremony?" Waru asks, perplexed.
Kria frowned. "He is my bodyguard. He does not advise me."
“Indeed,” Tanis says. “Now, please answer my question,” he requests.
"Well, it's a short song, a chant, and a prayer," Waru. "She also has to drink the Blood of the Dragon."
Kria nods. "Indeed. Very well. Then I shall undergo the ceremony. There are no objections?" She looked around raising a brow.
“None, Lady Kria,” Tanis says.
"Then give me a moment. I shall prepare the drink," Waru says as he shambles off. He returns clutching a golden chalice filled with a steaming red liquid. "All shall bear witness as the newest chosen of the Dragon becomes as one with him!" the elder proclaims as more and more catfolk cluster around the group.
Like...ewww! Stop. We need to do this. Kria extends her hand for the chalice, blinking once or twice at the advancing throng.
"Do you, Kria Krystalpaw, swear to take up the mantel of holy protector and guide of this village?"
She nods solemnly. "I, Kria Krystalpaw, swear to become the holy protector and guide of this village."
"Do you swear to obey the dragon in all things, to become his representative on this world? To strive against the self-proclaimed gods of light?"
Yeah right.... Kria nods again. "I swear it. On my honour."
"Then drink of His blood that his holy soul may enter and guide your own," the elder says, proffering the chalice to Kria.
If I like, spew all over the place, it's your fault! Kria took the chalice, and drank, downing the steamy liquid, enduring the taste as she finished off the chalice.
((and continuing on...))
As she does so, Kria falls unconscious, slumping.
Morgan's eyes widen as the catfolk falls to the ground. He turns his head to Tanis, unsure of what to do.
Eyes flashing, Tanis rounds on Waru. "What's going on?" he demands. "Surely this shouldn't be happening!"
"Indeed. Obviously Kria wasn't worthy of serving the Dragon," Waru says, with a sagely nod.
"What precisely is wrong with her?" Gilliam asks.
"She's just unconscious," Waru responds. "But I fear that this failure will prevent her from leading the village."
((Kria 2 meanwhile, still able to hear so Aldur can give snarky comments thinks to herself: You drink it.))
"Well, I'll bring her to the altar, where we can accelerate the healing process," Waru says, motioning for a pair of catfolk to pick up the body.
Slightly concerned, Tanis says to Gilliam, as quietly as he can, trusting that his sensors will pick it up. "What do you suggest we do?"
"I'm unsure," Gilliam replies. "Something about this whole situation seems... off. But I can't put my finger on it," Gilliam says. "I've got a bad feeling."
Tanis nods, frowning. "So....proceed...but be prepared?"
"I don't... Where are you taking her, anyway?" Gilliam asks.
"I said, to the altar to be healed," Waru says again. "She'll awake swifter that way, and be ready to serve the Dragon all the sooner."
Tanis frowns again. Gilliam was right....something was wrong. "Why an altar to wake her up? I have not heard of an altar healing people before."
Waru stares at Tanis as do many of the other catfolk present. "How familiar are you with our ways? Her unconsciousness is due to impurities within the soul that interfere with her loyalty to the Dragon. To serve him properly, they must be cleansed. Then she will awaken right as rain!"
Tanis stares straight back at Waru. "I am not familiar at all. I am not of your tribe, not even of this island! I am her bodyguard, and thus it is my job to ensure no harm comes to her. What would you have me do? Just let you do something to her unknown to me?”
"Agreed," Ignatius says in his best intimidating voice. "We must be sure no harm comes to her."
"What would you suggest? Do you want to view the rites?" Waru asks.
Still frowning, Tanis continues to stare at Waru. Finally, he nods, saying "Very well. If that will shed light for me on what you plan to do to her, show me the rites."
"That I will," Waru nods sagely, then points to the ground. "But you'll need to leave your weapons here. The temple is a sacred place."
Tanis nods, expecting as much and not really bothered about it. He unhooks his mace and javelins, laying them on the ground. He then unsheathes his daggers, and places them next to his other weapons.
Morgan joins up and drops the only weapon he has with him, his quarterstaff, to the ground with Tanis' equipment. He then nods at the old catfolk.
Gilliam heaves a metallic sigh and drops his gun.
Waru clucks his tongue. "Well... there it is. A true servant of the Dragon would never allow themselves to be disarmed. You almost had me fooled for a while."
A large number of bows are suddenly aimed at the group
"You may as well surrender now."
Tanis smirks at his weapons on the floor. "You think we're unarmed? I do not need material items to cause damage."
"Doesn't matter," Waru says. "A true servant of the Dragon would never allow for such a display of submission to an inferior. Not to mention that weapons are encouraged in the Dragon's holy places."
"Then why don't we blast you into submission until you agree to our demands? Wouldn't that be a Dragon-like thing to do?" Gilliam growls.
"You could try..." Waru says, a grin lighting his feline features. "But do you think you could handle it?"
Tanis nods, his eyes flaring. "Would you like to see what we can do? Do you know what happened when your warlocks and outriders came to attack us?"
"You killed them to the last... But you haven't had any time to rest since then," Waru grins, showing teeth. "And there are far less of you."
"Well? Whether you fight or surrender is fine with me, either way the Dragon will be pleased," Waru says. "But time is ticking."
Gilliam begins laughing, a terrible dark sound. "I hope you've made your peace with your deity then. Tell him I said hello and to frag off!"
Tanis smirks again, but becomes grim. “Fine, if you wish to die, so be it. It will not be easy to take us down, I guarantee it.”
Gilliam's chest opens up, revealing his laser. "DIE!!!!" he howls, firing the blinding beam as it cuts through Waru, then three catfolk behind him, then through the trunk of a tree.
((96 damage. 4 turns to recharge))
Morgan's hands are now crackling with electric energy as he chanels the power of thunders.
Kria moans, turning over...almost aware of what's going on, still in the peaceful realm of unconciousness.
The huge tree, housing a few of the treetop homes, creaks as it crashes to the ground. Screams echo from within the primitive structures.
((17 archers left))
Lightning bolts rain down from heavens, hiting a group of catfolk archers Four archers are sent screaming into oblivion as Morgan's spell crashes down among them.
((Empowered Bolt 1: 4 5 1 2 4 6 1 5 * 1.5))
((13 archers left))
Cursing that all of his powerful spells were spent, Tanis quickly casts a spell, two rays of scorching energy shooting towards the enemy catfolk. One finds its target whilst the other goes wide. The catfolk he hits is immolated.
((12 archers left))
"Take this!" Ignatius yells as he sends a blast of energy towards one of the archers. Another archer bites the dust as Ignatius blows a chunk of his torso off.
((11 archers left))
A shower of arrows greets the attackers, but only two arrows strike Morgan.
((Morgan takes 5 damage))
Next turn!
"ALL WHO STAND BEFORE ME SHALL BE DEFEATED!" Gilliam challenges, firing his gun into the archers again.
The hail of gunfire cuts down another two archers.
((9 archers left))
Morgan grunts as the 2 projectiles pierce his body. In answer, he sends magical bright projectiles fly towards one of the archers that attacked him.
((Magic Missile: 15 damage. An archer grunts, but doesn't fall.))
Ignatius throws another blast and another archer dies
((8 left))
Going with the same spell again, Tanis sends too more rays towards his opponents. The spell kills one archer and finishes off Morgan's wounded target.
((6 left))
The enemy catfolk then fire again. An arrow hits Gilliam, and another pair strikes Morgan.
"That's all?" Gilliam asks contemptously as the arrow fails to pierce his armor.
Morgan takes 12 damage.
Next turn!
More catfolk surge forward from the treetop homes, picking up the fallen's bows.
((10 catfolk villagers have entered the fray))
Cursing profoundly that more blood of his race is going to be spilt, Tanis begins casting once more, but he feels sadness as he sees the catfolk die. Soon, two more rays erupt from his hands. Only one hits, but that fells another archer.
((5 archers, 10 villagers))
Morgan winces at the shock, noticing that blood is now pooring down from his wounds. Mechanically, the young mage takes a potion from his pouch and drinks it fully.
((Potion of CMW. 6 hp healed))
"You think you can stop me? You're pathetic!" Gilliam roars.
Another two catfolk archers go down as Gilliam fires a series of rapid but supershort bursts.
((3 archers left, 10 villages left))
A stray arrow hits Tanis, grazing him.
((4 damage to Tanis))
A single arrow hits Morgan and Ignatius each as the civilians clumsily fire their bows.
((Morgan takes 5 damage))
Next turn!
Ignoring the slight wound, Tanis calls out to the remaining attacking catfolk, appealing to them. “Please!” he shouts. “Please stop this! There have been too many losses already! Think about the tribe! You can’t afford to be completely decimated!”
"Kill the heretics! Kill the heretics! Kill the heretics!" a chant begins among the catfolk.
Cursing profoundly, but feeling some solace in the fact that he had tried, Tanis speaks quietly. “Very well,” he says sadly, and returns to casting, repeating the same spell once more. The rays strike unerringly, and both kill an archer.
((One archer left))
Part of the wizard's wounds close up under the effect of the minor healing magic but all this work is nullified when he receives another arrow in the arm.
Gilliam shoots the remaining archer down, then guns down another two of the bow wielding villagers
Tapping into his inner powers, Morgan stretches out a hand, and instills a feeling of dread into one of the villagers. However, the zealotry of the villager shrugs off the spell.
((Save past, villager is shaken))
And once more, a barrage of arrows zooms towards the group. One more arrow strikes Morgan, the rest missing the others.
((2 damage))
Next turn! More villagers pour out of the treetop homes, grabbing for the bows of the dead.
"Pay for your sins!!" Gilliam roars, turning and blasting the clustered villagers with his chest cannon.
Morgan downs another potion in the hope to heal the wounds caused by all those arrows.
((10 hp healed))
Instead of casting again, Tanis goes to Kria’s unconscious body, and attempts to awaken her, trying to think what might be wrong.
((Tanis isn't able to wake Kria this turn.))
"Out of spells, warmage?" a familiar female voice asks.
Tanis quickly looks around, hoping that he had incorrectly identified that voice.
The soft sound of wings flapping causes Tanis to look up into the smug eyes of Aelisnyx.
Theme of Aelisnyx: http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/6679/18
"Well, Tanis?" Aelisnyx asks. "Are you quite tired of fighting? Or will you continue to slaughter until this village is dead?
Tanis spares Aelisnyx a glance, before going back to trying to wake Kria, this time with urgency. As he does though, he replies to the evil creature. “Against these people, Aelisnyx? Yes. I am loathe to slay any of my own race,” he says, quietly. “There are not many of us left anymore. And fewer now.”
((Morgan creates a Spectral Hand. 4 damage to Morgan))
"Ho. So be it then. Cast your spells, warmage. I won't interfere. This is quite a show," Aelisnyx says with a smirk.
“I am not putting on a show for you!” Tanis shouts. “What did I just say?! I have grown tired of slaying my own race!” He then turns back to Kria, resuming trying to wake her.
"You said yes..." Aelisnyx says, with a sigh. "I asked if you would continue. No matter."
"DIE YOU DEVIL BITCH!" Gilliam roars as he fires his chain gun at her. Aelisnyx grunts as bullets rip into her.

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:14 am
Sorel looks down at Mahler's fists in horror, seeing blood. Quickly he gathers the entire group together, noticing with mounting fear that Coventry was nowhere to be found. Swiftly he took the form of a wolf, and his heightened senses confirmed that the blood belonged to the Doctor. He led Farain into the wilderness, but the trail left by his blood went cold. Almost as swiftly as he had left he returned, and he began frantically questioning the Paladins, all of whom had blood on their weapons. Quickly he discerns that Gail was enchanted. He beckons Astrid over, demanding that she find out what was wrong.
Astrid speaks the words of the spell with a slight frown, then her eyes narrow, "She is under the affect of a spell of some sort…" She glances back at Sorel, "I cannot devise the school, whatever wove this spell had formidable skill." She turns back to the Paladin with a frown, a hint of concern entering her voice, "Do you really remember nothing?"
Gail turns to Astrid, before raising a hand to her furrowed brow. "...No...I can't remember anything very well." She says, her voice soft and strained.
The wizardess frowns slightly, glancing at Sorel, "Shall I dispel the magicks affecting her?"
"YES!" cries Sorel.
"I'm pretty sure I didn't get up during the night...I think...," Gail mutters as she continues to ponder what she was doing.
"You need to control yourself, losing your calm will help no one." Astrid states plainly, then speaks the words of magical power and weaves arcane symbols in the air.
"Well?" Sorel asks. "Did it work?"
"You realize..." Max says quietly. "That we have to attack the Devil Army base
tommorrow night."
Sorel bows his head, and heaves a weary sigh. "That is the first thing you choose to say. By all means," he says, gesturing at the camp in disarray. "Lead them into battle. The doctor is my responsibility and I will not stop until he or his body is found." With that he turns on his heel and leaves the camp.
"Stop," Max says, quietly. "And think about what I just said in terms that have nothing to do with what you perceive as mindless devotion to duty."
Have you seen anything to suggest that Alastor was taken by fiends?" Sorel asks, not facing the hero.
"The timing is very convienent," Max says. He frowns, eyes narrowing. "It was a mistake to not post more guards so close to the camp... Adam, have you..."
"No, Master Max. I have not picked up anything abnormal on my patrol route. However, my route is limited and the camp is large," Adam responds.
Sorel's jaw works, as if he is mouthing words without giving them voice. "Do you sense any evil? Surely a fiend powerful enough to have done this would leave some lingering trace?" he asks, faint hope in his voice.
"I was asleep..." Max says, quietly, almost ashamed. "And I don't sense anything around the area now." "Doesn't anyone have any divinations?" Max asks.
Sorel goes slack as his own folly sets in. A gesture turns the empty fire pit into a pool of clear, fresh water. Sorel looks at his hand and sees Coventry's blood there. He clenches a fist, and a single drop falls into the pool. He begins the incantation. Sorel sees a battered body crashing through a rapid river, the rocks mangling the corpse badly.
Max grimaces. "Assassinated."
((For those playing SFCW: The Home Game
1. Sorel got back, super paranoid, ran into Mahler
2. They looked around, saw nothing, but then Sorel noticed blood on Mahler's fists
3. Sorel gathered everyone in the party together, but Coventry was missing, and there was blood on all the paladins' weapons (except Max)
4. Sorel, Farain, Astrid, and Ombligo find out that the blood is Coventry's and there's a trail of it that goes cold in the middle of the forest. Also Gail was enchanted and no one could dispel it.
5. Then Sorel makes to go look for Coventry but Max pulls him back and convinces him to scry. He sees Coventry's body dashed on some rocks
6. People ask Gorrik's magic talking armor what happened, and apparently a bunch of super silent invisible things killed Coventry and framed the paladins
7. Sorel sent everyone to bed because we still have to march on the devil base tomorrow
8. lol))

Posted by: Cyrus Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:15 am
[]

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:47 am
Lunauga flies silently, with no thought but the hunt. His worries were lost in primal instinct. For a time he escaped the burdens of sentience, and he liked it that way. Tonight he had eaten well; he found a wounded boar limping away from a hunting trap -- easy prey. The owl is coasting over the treetops, allowing his meal time to digest, when his eyes flick casually to a riverbank below. His eyes crease as he begins a slow, lazy spiral of descent.
Upon landing Lunauga sees scraps of what look like the clothes Sorel's friend Doctor Coventry wears. He didn't seem to be nearby, though. Instead there are signs that whatever left those scraps of cloth was taken away.
: "Odd..." he says, the first word he had spoken the entire night. "Wonder if Doctor knows his clothes are missing." Silently he takes off, a scrap of cloth in his beak. His meal sat uneasily in his stomach.

Posted by: Alpha Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:54 am
((Be prepared...)) "Charming as ever, I see," Aelisnyx says, fitting an arrow to her bow. "The others have use, but I doubt your nature will allow you to serve us." A pair of burning arrows strikes Gilliam's armor. 16 damage to Gilliam after DR.
Sighing that he couldn’t wake Kria up, Tanis turns to face Aelisnyx, quickly chants a spell and fires off a small ball of electricity at her. However, the orb goes wide.
Morgan mutters a spell and points his index finger at Aelisnix. The summoned spectral hand suddenly charges at the erinyes.
The Erinyes flies around, evading the spells thrown at her.
"I think you have other worries, my friends," Aelisnyx says with a grin. "But soon you won't have any worries at all. Have you missed your dear leader? You're going to see him very soon!"
A host of arrows fly at you from the villagers. A flight of arrows bounces off Gilliam, but two find their mark in Tanis and Morgan.
((5 damage to Morgan, 7 damage to Tanis))
Kria stirs, turning over as she lies, blissfully unaware of the battle going around the village, nor realising Aelisnyx had made an appearance.
"I will admit, I was a tad surprised at this course of action when I was informed you intended to pursue it. However, I was quite glad to take the opportunity you presented me... By coming here, you've almost sealed our victory over Max for certain."
Noticing Kria stirring, Tanis groans in frustration. “Gilliam, I can’t wake her! “ he exclaims. “What the heck should we do? Take her to that altar, like they were going to?”
Gilliam doesn't respond, roaring in rage as he fires at Aelisnyx. Gilliam fires his chaingun again and again at Aelisnyx until the devil's wings are shredded and her body torn. Defiantly the devil looks at Gilliam and smiles.
"Forcing my retreat won't save you or this village," she says before disappearing.
Cursing in aggravation, but glad to see Aelisnyx was gone, Tanis says to Morgan, “Help me take her to this altar they mentioned. I can think of no other way to help her!”
"Alright!" Morgan answers, coming to help Tanis in carrying the unconscious catfolk.
A sense of sinister menace fills you as you enter the Temple of the Dragon, a hut filled with bones and piled treasure to appease the Dark Lord. There is an altar of obsidian in the middle of the temple.
Proceeding to the altar, Tanis and Morgan position Kria on it. Tanis then steps back, not really knowing what to do.
Fell energies surround the altar and Kria. Dark energy crackles around the catfolk as she arises, a dark gleam in her eyes.
"Thank you..." Kria purrs. "I was begining to get bored just doing nothing."
(( MARIONETTE MESSIAH: http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/6679/21))
Kria frowned a moment. "We must leave. The battle continues." Kria's wings emerge and she moves to leave, back to aid Gilliam in battle.
Tanis slowly nods, hoping inside that he hadn’t done anything wrong, and this was the Kria he knew. He follows Kria as she moves out.
Outside, Gilliam's gun still roars as the catfolk continues to mob the robot, firing arrows heedless of effect or cost. Driven by zeal, only the children seem absent from this fight, every able bodied catfolk rushing in to pick up a bow if one fighter falls.
Kria looks around, and smirks, pointing her hand at one of the more injured catfolk. "Ignorant fools..." She purred to herself as she sent a blast spiralling into her kin. One of the villagers dies by her hand.
Kria laughs suddenly, her wings and body bursting into flames as she flies high, her own warlock flame setting fire to the village. To the huts...where the children remain. She cackles, intent on razing the village to the ground.
Grimacing as he resumes casting again, Tanis fires off a small ball of frost towards one of the villagers. The villager hit shatters to ice.
((geddis the hero: Marine. did I make a good inferno?
TheUnknownMarine: You're setting things on fire.))
Kria continues her work, flames igniting the trees, turning the green village into a red one...
Ignatius fells one of the bowmen as he looks up. "Kria, what are you doing?" he asks. "You're setting the place on fire!"
"Let it all turn to ash!" Is Kria's only response to Ignatius, continuing to laugh madly as she speeds about the treetops, intent on her inferno.
The shrieks and cries of children echo from the burning huts.
Looking at the growing blaze, Tanis shouts to the others. “Perhaps we shouldn’t stay here much longer. I’m sure she’ll be fine though. She seems to know what she’s doing.”
"ARE YOU MAD?!" Ignatius roars. "SHE'S BURNING DOWN HUTS WITH CHILDREN INSIDE OF THEM!!!"
Tanis stops. He nods. “Let’s get them out then!” he calls back.
Ignatius flies up to the huts.
"AND LOVING EVERY MOMENT!" Kria laughs as she stops to observe her work, casually eyeing Ignatius. "I don't think I like you doing that. Come, listen to the music of slaughter..."
"What's wrong with you Kria?! You said you didn't want your tribe to die and now you're killing kids!" Ignatius says.
"Really? Well, didn't you know? I tend to be in two minds about these things." Kria smiled as she saw a child in a hut, looking frantic and casually fired off a blast at the poor catfolk.
“Kria!” Tanis shouts. “They’re children! You can’t just massacre them like this! Please!” he appeals to his friend.
"Why not? Think. They'll just grow into more of those fanatics down there. Better we put them out of the their misery." Kria smiles sinisterly down at Tanis, and then continues her inferno.
The child is blown off her feet and goes still as Kria strikes her.
“They don’t have to!” he shouts. “We can help them! And think about our race! There are few catfolk left these days! My own tribe grows ever smaller! Would you have the only other tribe I know about perish? I don’t think we can afford it!”
Ignatius puts the child down as all the arrows of the villagers focus on Kria now. A single arrow hits.
"Well, to be perfectly honest? I don't give a damn." Kria smiles sweetly down at Tanis, far below.
Kria frowns, looking down. "They're...attacking me?" Kria smiles, descending a little, firing a blast off.
“Enough, stop playing around and finish them already," a voice growls as a horned and winged devil appears behind Kria.
Kria sighs. "Very well...forgive me. It HAS been a very long time since I've had any fun..." She looks down at the others, smiling. And then back at the devil "Is everyone here now? Shall we begin?"
Two Hamatulas appear beside Morgan and Tanis.
"Please do. I'll destroy the robot. Capture the others alive."
Gilliam laughs crazily as he turns to see the devils appearing, blasting the Cornugon with his chest laser. The devil grunts in pain, but retaliates with a bolt of lightning.
"Alive eh?" Kria smiles, turning to Tanis. "You're up first." She looks down at him. Blasting him directly. You could surrender!" ((12 damage))
The two Hamatulas concentrate on Morgan, knocking the Necromancer out with little trouble.
Shaking his head, not believing what’s happening, Tanis casts a spell preparing to attack her, whilst moving away from the two devils attacking Morgan.
Kria smiles, charging down towards Tanis, blasting him again, while taking her dagger out. Her blast goes wide though.
Sadness wracking him, Tanis casts a spell at Kria, using up nearly the last of his spells. The spell strikes true though, though Kria is able to shake off some of its effects. ((39 damage. Not entangled))
Kria winces and swiftly drinks a potion, shaking her head at Tanis. "Why? I thought...we were friends?"
((14 hp back))
Tanis shakes his head. “We were friends, Kria. But…not now. Not after what you’ve done. I….I’m sorry.”
"Fall now, robot. Fall and witness once more your life burn around you," the Cornugon intones as it sends a bolt of lightning shrieking down at Gilliam. Gilliam gives one last cry... one of pain, not anger, and then goes still.
Ignatius looks around and vanishes from sight.
The Cornugon grins. "Cute. The half Vandal thinks we can't see him."
"Fool."
Backing away from Kria, Tanis again casts another spell, to ensure he’ll hit her with his next one. ((40’ away. True Strike again))
The two Hamatulas turn and slash at Tanis. ((33 damage))
Kria tilts her head at Tanis, vanishing from sight, moving to the side a little. "Can you hit me now?"
As the Hamatulas rip into Tanis, he falls to the ground, his lifeblood draining away. As he does, all his thoughts are centered on what his friend had become. And how guilty he felt about it. ((Subdual damage. KO’d and at -4))
Kria smiles at this, turning to Ignatius. "Why not surrender? You can't possibly win."
"I... I won't turn into my father!" Ignatius shouts, firing an eldritch blast at Kria.
((21 damage to Kria))
Kria winces, coughing a little, eyes flashing as she moves back, drinking another potion. "You'll pay for that..."
((18hp back))
The Hamatulas throw up clouds of greasy darkness that suck Ignatius' strength from him.
((31 damage to Ignatius.))
"Be a good boy and go to sleep," the Cornugon says, casting lighting at him. The spell rips through Ignatius, causing him to struggle to stay aloft.
"You're... not her..." Ignatius gets out between mouthfuls of blood.
"Perceptive child." The warlock laughs as she aims at the Half-Vandal, a look of sinister glee on her face as she fires off her blast. ((21 ranged touch. 17 damage))
Ignatius groans in pain and plummets towards the ground
The village burns around them as the devils drag their prey back to the base with them, allowing the fire to finish their work for them.
Kria laughs at this, genuinely amused. "And to think...they willingly sat her at the altar...fools." Kria looks back at the base, and flies away, laughing long into the burning night.
((everyone gains 2000xp))

Posted by: TheUnknownMarine Mon Jan 22, 2007 3:36 am
The village was filled with nothing but death and the charred remains of its past. Smoke still wafted heavily in the air. "Gilliam... Gilliam, are you all right?" Sparks were flying from the melt in his left leg. Most of the armor there was melted, showing pistons and wires underneath.
"I feel... so strange..."
The backpack, enchanted to hold more, was singed and burned, but still doggedly clung to the robot's torso.
"Gilliam... look at me. Don't look away."
It hurt. For the first time in centuries it hurt again.
"What? Why?"
The arms stirred, servomotors straining and whirring as mechanism moved and caused metallic hands to slam down on the ground and exert force.
"Gilliam... When the medics found you, you were nearly dead. Dead even to our methods of healing. We had to take... drastic action to make sure you survived..."
Back then it had hurt too. It had been hell for a month as he adapted.
"Ilyana, what are you talking about?"
Soldiers do that on the battlefield. They adapt or die.
"Gilliam... I... I can't do it. Gilliam, raise your left hand and look at your hand."
Gilliam couldn't die. He wouldn't let himself. Not while there was a mission.
"What? Wh... AAAAAAA!!!!"
There was always a mission.
"I... I'm sorry... It's the best we could do...
The steel and adamant shell's eyes flickered to life once more and haltingly began to rise with a great creaking and groan of metal.
But... you'll endure... You've always been at that... Aren't you my rock?
The hulk of pitted and charred metal arose from the ashes and haltingly began to stumble towards the woods.

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Mon Jan 22, 2007 4:16 am
Sorel hears a mechanical clomp clomp and sees a robot, resembling Gilliam but heavily damaged, approaching the camp. He peers at the advancing scrap heap. : "...Gilliam?" Gilliam doesn't answer at first, moving closer, finally, he fixes Sorel with his gaze, cold as ever.
: "Who... did.... it?"
Sorel studies Gilliam intently.
: "Did what?"
Gilliam's voice belies a barely restrained fury as he moves for the camp. Occasionaly static bursts obscure his speech.
: "Everyone... is gone. They knew... we were coming."
Sorel's grip tightens as his staff as he heads Gilliam off.
: "Who's gone? Who knew?" He pauses, and then speaks again in a shaky voice. "Where are the others?"
: "I TOLD... you..." Gilliam says, collapsing on a tree trunk near the center of camp. "Dead or taken... village is dead. Everyone... burned it."
: "Who burned it? What happened?" Sorel asks again, seeming to ignore Gilliam's pronouncement of death.
: "The villagers attacked us... So we defended ourselves... Then the devils showed up and Kria went crazy. They burned the village, then took everyone, and Kria was laughing, laughing, laughing..."
Sorel's expression shifts imperceptibly. His face seems to settle, the lines harden.
: "Coventry is dead as well," he says. "We were invaded by invisible fiends. Can you repair yourself?" Sorel looks into the forest.
: "With... time... Nanorepair unit is offline. I think I can restore it, but it'll take a few hours."
: "Suffice it to say we will have to rethink our approach to the devil base," says Sorel, still staring into the woods. "I won't wake them again. They will hear this in the morning."
Gilliam doesn't reply for a while.
: "I'm shutting down for an hour," he declares. Then his eyelights fade.
Sorel allows his eyes to fall on Gilliam, watching him approximate rest. The old man is as still as the robot.

Posted by: Knight_019 Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:52 am
*Mahler rested, but fortunately for him, he did not sleep. If he were to do so, he would be wracked by night terrors and conscience similar to Gail. How had he not seen nor felt the blood staining his hands? Mahler regarded the defiled holy symbols on his hands and wondered why. He did not recall the encounter with Coventry. He did not believe he could have done it, but the evidence is undeniable*
"You are not human."
: ... Not human... Not... Human...
*Mahler began to walk around agitatedly. What if Sorel was wrong? Mahler had been made to protect, and all through his life, if one could call it that, he believed that he was the protector of all. Defender of the meek. A wall standing between the good and innocent and the vile and harmful. Here he stood, the blood of a friend on his hand. Coventry and Mahler had never quite gotten along, yet Mahler still considered him a friend and ally, even if Coventry resented him.*
"What do you know of emotion?"
*Frustrated, and unsure of what he could do, Mahler plodded toward the nearest tree and grabbed firmly onto the trunk. He twisted his hands as he thought. Driven by grief, love, uncertainty, and a broad range of emotions he had not once felt in the decades he had been "alive," he ground his clenching palms into and around the tree. Bark flaked off into his powerful hands, his grip firm.*
"Who are you?"
*Upon removing his hands, he looked at the bark upon them. Destroyed and torn. Had he done the same to Coventry? He looked at the tree. Its underlying flesh barren, scraps torn from it. It had been barbarized by his own hands, and he felt remorse. He had done this out of anger, grief, or possibly some other negative emotion. Mahler could only stare at it and feel torn. Protector and killer merged as one. The golem dropped to his knees, looked up to the sky, and began to pray. To Mitula, to Artibeus, to anyone who would listen. Just as long as someone was.*
""To save and not understand is to trade their fall for your own."

Posted by: Cyrus Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:39 am
Flying. She was flying. The wind raced past her in a sibilant roar, hanging to her just long enough to whisper softly secrets that only the birds ever heard. It caught on the cloud white feathers of her long wings, keeping her aloft, high above the simple looking brown and green and blue below her. It all looked so small from the sky: the viridian carpet of the forests, the massive stone crags of mountain ranges that yearned to scrape the sky, endless sapphire pools of ocean that seemed as still and silent as the ground they crashed upon...The tiny red roof of a house, the shaped granite wall that surrounded a castle like a stiff blanket, waves of gleaming grey upon cracked, dusty brown that signaled the wars of man...it was nothing from where she was. The world, for all its impossible size, could not reach her here, so high above the lives it held and changes that took hold and faded.
She felt the air rush under her wings as she pulled them back, smiled as the gentle ache of flexing muscles lifted her higher and higher into the blue expanse. Even the breath spinning around in her lungs felt cleaner, tasted cleaner than it had on the ground. It was freedom. It was a freedom most sought for all their lives, freedom from concern, care and worry, from anyone and anywhere one finds themselves chained to. No more Terrestrial desire, no more crippling doubt of guilt, no more fear. The one thing that amazed her was how easy it had come to her. It was almost as if she had always been this way, that she had been born free and just not realized. She giggled at the thought: how could she not notice this? It was as if she had simply looked at the ground her whole life, not ever looking up to see the sun. The being looked to her body, saw the shimmerring corona of light that wrapped her body, kept the chill of the atmosphere from her, and smiled; she would look for all the world as a star, shining across the sky on its own accord.
A sight stranger than she gave her pause, halting her flight as she adjusted the whirling currents of the wind beneath her, floating on them as she pumped her wings lazily. A metal goliath, all iron black and slate grey, simply hung in the air below her, with inside it being held...a gnome, keen eyes told her. He must have been imprisoned, forced to bring himself precariously close to death and disturbance by some mad creator and enslaved to the controls he worked so furiously to keep this engine aloft. She stayed her desire to free him, however, as she looked upon the man's smile of pride and fulfillment. It was strained with toil and hardship, but still it shone, bright as the day that shone around her. Was this man mad? What could have possessed someone so bound to the earth to throw life and limb in peril and take to the skies? It was then that she looked to herself, and realized what was the point.
Was flight this important to those who could only walk? Was the yearning for such freedom so intrisic to them, they would risk their existence for a single moment of it? Was this what mortals were to reach for, despite all the odds against it? She looked to the pilot again, watched as he toiled and worked, throwing levers and watching gauges simply to keep the machine in the air at its modest pace...and she smiled warmly at his diligence. For all the pain and suffering they had to endure, perhaps they were blessed, as they had the will to survive and carve into reality the dreams they craft in their slumber. She wondered how they would be if they were like her, unchained and free to move as they wanted to...
And then she awoke as the blue fingers of dawn fell on her face.

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:34 am
As dawn approaches, Sorel checks on Gilliam, makes a patrol, and peeks quietly into every tent, to make sure no one else had been lost in the night. "We can safely assume that they know we are coming," Sorel says to the recently risen Max. "We should leave as soon as we are able."
"Why do you say that?" Max asks.
"What advantage is there in waiting?" Sorel asks. "They know we are coming, and every moment we wait is a moment we allow them to plan. Do you disagree?"
"No, but I would know how you think they know that we are coming?" Max says. "Did you see a scout during your patrols? A catfolk that escaped reporting back?"
Sorel makes a gesture at Gilliam. "The envoy Kria led to the remainder of the catfolk tribe was met with a trap. Tanis and Morgan were captured, Kria has gone mad, and Gilliam was nearly destroyed."
Max is quiet for a moment. "I see. Have they been scrying on us? Sending invisible imps to tail us when we least expect it? What sort of method are they employing to spy on us, I wonder." He inhales, slowly. "This attack is looking more and more grim and foolish... But if we don't proceed, then the entire Galam Army will fail in its attack and the island will be doomed."
"I do not like this any more than you do," Sorel says as he watches the milling about of the camp. "But there is little we can do."
"Gather the troo... No, I will gather them. We'll break our fast and then march as swiftly as possible to the base," Max says, breathing deeply. "May the future look on this not as folly, but courage..."
DragonmasterDon1 (10:36:29 PM): He really said "......"
"If we do not succeed there will be no future to scorn us." Sorel says quietly.
Max doesn't answer, merely staring into the forest for a while.
The troops muster and prepare to march, deep into the forest. After they march for a while Sorel sees a glint of gold on the side of the road, amidst the ruins of a long broken apart cart. Looking closer, he sees it's an exquisitely crafted golden statue. It's a little dirty from the mud and weather from being out. But it doesn't even take him a moment to recognize it. It's a statue of his wife.
"Gail," Sorel says harshly, pointing with a trembling hand towards the statue. "Do you see that? There?"
Gail furrows her brow as she looks out o the spot. "Yes, it looks like a gold statue. Must've been one of the wares whomever owned the cart was carrying."
"Do you sense any evil?" he asks, walking over to it even as he speaks.
"One moment," the paladin responds, her gaze narrowing. She shakes her head as the second sight passes. "As far as I can tell, there is no deception, if that is your concern."
Sorel doesn't seem to hear as he reaches down to pick the statue up.
As Sorel grasps the statue an inhuman shriek shatters the area as the tree comes to life!
Branches bend around and hold Sorel tight as a deranged-looking elven woman with leaves for hair and dark skin emerges from the tree, clutching a curved dagger.
"Wha... what do you want?" Sorel asks as he struggles feebly against his bounds.
"Sssssuffer!!!" the dryad cries as she plunges the dagger at Sorel, but he squirms out of the way.
*Mahler could not stand idly by and allow another to come to harm.* "Sorel! No!" *Mahler plods forward, willingly, toward Sorel and the dryad.*
"I can't get a clear shot!" Gilliam reports, angling his gun in vain.
"Stop!" Sorel cries, as he begins to struggle through the undergrowth. "Do not aim to kill!"
As Sorel seeks to leave the entanglement, the dryad's dagger lashes out and slices his shoulder.
"What do you want with me?" Sorel asks in Sylvan.
The dryad looks at Sorel with undisguised hate. "I want you to SUFFER!!" Then the fey charges with her dagger held high. Sorel dodges to the side as this happens.
*Mahler moves to the edge of the outgrowth, awaiting their next moves. He calls out to the dryad, attempting to get her to stop her assault before having to move in.*
"Stop this and put down your weapon! We mean no harm to you, and I do not want to come in there for you!"
"TRESPASSERS! DESPOILERS!!! SUFFER!!!!" the dryad howls.
Max arrives at the border of the entangle spell, hand on his Chaos Breaker.
Sorel struggles his way out of the entangle, before turning around to face the dryad. "Stop." he says. "We have done no harm to you or your grove. We are here to remove despoilers and desecraters. Stand down."
The dryad looks at Sorel with a crazed gleam. "Liar... I won't fall for your tricks again..." The dryad scratches Sorel again with her knife, pursuing the druid across the writhing plants.
Gail halts for a moment as Sorel attempts to calm the crazed spirit, watching as the efforts prove to no avail and wondering why he seems so intent on stopping her without words.
Sorel reaches for the dryad's wrists, in an attempt to hold them fast. The dryad lashes out with her dagger and breaks his old.
Max watches, his hand tensely ready in case the situation escalates.
Mahler locks the dryad in his stony grasp.
"Why do you attack us?" Sorel asks.
"Despoilers!!!! DESPOILERS!!!" the dryad shrieks, froth flying from her mouth.
"We despoiled nothing." Sorel says, looking carefully into her eyes. Sorel sees only the crazed glint of madness in those empty eyes. "What was destroyed?" Sorel asks, attempting to calm the crazed dryad. The dryad squirms, but is unable to break free.
The dryad just screams louder and louder, frothing at the mouth.
"Please," Sorel pleads. "Speak. Tell us what happened. I..." the old man casts his eyes downward. "We cannot let you attack us."
"Sorel..." Gail says, tearing her gaze from the mad dyrad to her companion, but checks her tongue for the moment, watching the scene unfold.
"I'll cut you!! Your blood will water the flowers!" the dryad shrieks, laughing madly.
The dryad again squirms, but is unable to break free.
The paladin moves forward, unable to stay still any longer. "We aren't here to injure the land, only to stop those who would see it destroyed. If something has happened to your forest, then please tell us. Perhaps we can help."
"Lies! LIES!!!" the dryad cries.
Gail looks somber at the dyrad's state before answering. "And what proof do you have that we are lying? We have not passed through here before today."
Sorel studies the dryad intently. "What was destroyed? What desecration took place? We cannot avenge an unknown crime."
"Liars LIE!" she hisses. "Liars LIE!!! Oh, you know... You know!!!" she screams.
Sorel raises the statue in his hand. "Where did you get this?" he asks.
"Hahahaha..." the dryad laughs maniacally. "You think you're funny!"
"I am not joking at all," Sorel says. "Where did you get this?"
"The trees! The trees gave it to me..." the dryad says, laughing hysterically.
Sorel looks to Max. "Do you have any experience with the insane?"
Max looks evenly at the Dryad. "Zylo. But we don't have any Lunar Dew on hand, and his case was caused by a specific poison... I don't know what's causing this dryad's insanity."
"A dryad cannot stray too far from her tree," Sorel says, "So if we can knock her out and move on she will not harass us further. But..." Sorel looks at the dryad again. "Who desecrated your forest?"
"Perhaps this is due to the influence of the devils? Maybe their presence is somehow tainting the land around them?" Gail ventures a guess, unable to think of anything else to cause the dyrad's dementia.
"You all did!!! All of you!!" the dryad roars.
"Entirely possible," Gilliam replies.
"What is your name?" Sorel asks the mad dryad.
The dryad doesn't respond, shouting a stream of gibberish.
"Knock her out." Sorel says.
"Sorel?" the monk asked, looking at the druid.
Sorel doesn't look at Graigus. "We need to press on. We have lost time in this." He hands the statue to Ombligo. "Hold onto this for me."
Ombligo: "Okay!"
*Mahler looks at Sorel, then to the dryad. With a pained expression, he nods, then proceeds to submit her to unconsciousness.*
The monk looked away, waiting for the group to continue in silence.
*With a mighty squeeze, Mahler drops the dryad to the ground.*
The druid looks down at the body, but says nothing and begins to walk on.
Gail grimaces as the dyrad is sent spiralling into unconciousness, staring at her limp frame for a moment before turning her eyes away and moving on.
*Mahler looks again toward Sorel, and again back at the Dryad. He kneels down and inspects her. She lives, but Mahler could not help but feel remorse. He squeezes her hand, wanting to take her with them, but knowing there was little they could do. The larger mission might yet save her and all of them. Wordlessly, he stands and walks on.*
After a half hour of walking, Sorel feels an odd weight within his robe. His hand strays to the pouch at his side. "I... feel strange..." he says. His hands close around something smooth and small. Sorel takes it out of the pouch at looks at it. He sees the statue glittering up at him. Sorel stops. "Ombligo, are you playing tricks on me?" he asks, staring at the statue.
Ombligo: "Huh?" *Ombligo looks genuinely confused.* "What are you talking about?"
"Ombligo, show me the statue I gave to you to hold." says Sorel.
Ombligo finds the statue is no longer there.
Ombligo: "What?! Where did it go??"
Sorel shows the statue to Ombligo.
Ombligo: "...How did it get there?" *The magic creature asks, worried.*
Sorel stares at it. "I... do not know." the druid holds the statue up for Astrid's inspection. "What magic is at work on this?"
Astrid speaks a few words of power and looks at the statue closing, taking it from Sorel and examining it with a frown.
"It appears to be enchanted with a transmutation effect..." Astrid replies after a moment, glancing up and offering it back to the druid.
"Is it cursed?" Sorel asks. "I cannot dispose of it."
Astrid frowns, looking at the druid for a moment, "I know only that it contains a transmutation effect..." A slightly condescending expression crosses her face, "The term 'curse' is one devised by those who do not understand the nature of magic. Applying some mystical terminology to a magical effect will not change the fact that it is a magical effect. In this case, again, a transmutation effect..."
"It slows me down," Sorel says. "I cannot dispose of it and it bestows a negative effect. Forgive me for not sharing your prodigious education, but I believe the word 'cursed' adequately describes it."
"No, a item enchanted with a transmutation effect adequately describes it..." Astrid replies wearily and shakes her head, "Regardless, I shall attempt to dispel it."
No effect seems to pass over the statue.
"Bah!" Sorel says, hurling the statue into the woods. "Let us move on," Sorel says, looking balefully after the object.
The group moves on for another ten minutes. Sorel feels a sudden weight within his robes dragging him down.
Frantically Sorel reaches into his pouch and pulls out the statue. "What do you want?" he says, forcefully, shaking the statue a bit. The statue doesn't respond, looking at him with the lifeless eyes of his wife. At Sorel's reduced speed the rest of the group passes him as he struggles to keep up, panting with exertion.
Gail and Sorel hear a nervous voice singing a tune up ahead.
Gail, so used to the druid taking the lead of the group, halts and turns to see the exaperated Sorel struggling to keep up with the rest. Before she can go to aid him, though, a haunting song reaches her ears...
"Everyone, halt," she commands simply, looking to the forest around them.
"Wait, wait," Sorel pants, gesturing toward Gorrik and Drogad. "Let me ride with you." He looks at the rest of the group. "Approach carefully."
"It's over there," Max says, pointing. "Everyone stay alert."
Not eased by the lack of anything to see, the maiden keeps her eyes to the trees and begins to move to Sorel. Seeing the druid already asking the dwarf for aid, though, Gail turns to the new threat, hand on the hilt of her blade as the group approaches.
A jittery looking young man in white robes is leaning against a tree, clutching a brown pouch with shaking hands. He's singing lightly apparently in an attempt to keep his waning spirits up.
Gorrik hops off of his Eight-legged friend. "Aye, go righ' ahead lad. Now be carful up there. Now Drggy, ye best make sure Sorel here ge's a smooth ride, ye go' tha'?" Gorrik pats his spider on the head, then readies his axe and shield.
*Mahler reaches out with his senses, searching for the nature of this wanderer.*
Despite his weakened state Sorel attempts to draw some dignity about himself. "Halt. We mean you no harm. What is wrong?"
"Thank the powers!" the man says, visibly relieved as the group approaches. He runs towards them, proffering the package. "I didn't agree to things like this. You have a thousand gold?"
"We are not here to make a transaction," Sorel says, "What are you delivering?"
"What? But you've got to be Max's group, who else carts a robot, a golem, a spider riding dwarf... Well, you get the idea..." the man says with a shrug.
Astrid frowns and pulls out her gold, "Yes, what is the item?"
"What are you delivering?" Sorel repeats.
"Derrik sent me to offer one last bit of aid, couldn't be here himself. Pressing matters or something. Sent me instead."
Ombligo: "What aid??"
"Oh? Thank you," the man says, pocketing the money.
"What is it?" The wizardess asks with a frown.
He withdraws a bulky looking bundle of what looks at first to be small sticks. "It's something the boss thought up but hasn't had a chance to try yet," the man says. "You see, he ended up with a lot of wands with only one charge left... Can't sell those for much, can't use them for much."
"So he piled them up until he could think of something to do with them," the man says with a shrug. "One day he talked with a wizard client who gave him the idea to try and attach them all together, then link
"So it casts several spells at once?" Sorel asks.
"Ah, yeah. Hopefully," the man says, nodding. "We're not sure what it does."
"But it's probably going to be big... Want to buy some flash goggles while we're on the subject?"
"So... wha' spells do they cast?" Gorrik says raising an eyebrow, intruiged by the items.
The man laughs nervously. "I'm... Ah... Not sure... He started making this wand years ago... We've lost track of which is which... Let me see..." The man starts poking around the bundle of wands.
Sorel looks askance at Astrid.
"Well this one's definately Bolt... That's a fireball spell... That one's news to me... I think that's Slow... Or is that haste? No, that one is haste. I have NO idea what this thing does..."
"So..." The Dwarven Defender says as he scratches his head. "I's a comination o' offensive, and suppor' magic?"
"I think this one is a cure spell..." the man says, rubbing his chin. "Yeah, looks that way. Hey, this central rod looks like one of those metamagic wands."
"Well... How woul' we preven' usin' the healin' an' suppor' spells on the people we wan' te be blastin' with the fireball?" Gorrik says as he continued the interogation.
"So we have a magic item that could just as easily be a weapon or a godsend...assuming we use the right part, and we can't test which is which, because all of them only have a single charge."
Sorel grimaces. "Fantastic."
"Well that's why it's only a thousand gold..." the man says meekly. "It's a prototype."
The paladin closes her eyes and rubs them tiredly, sighing deeply before turning her gaze back to the assistant.
Gorrik just shakes his head and looks at the ground as he mutters to himself in Dwarven "This isn't going to end well."
"A pro...nevermind. You said you had some idea which was which?" Gail says, hoping for some silver lining to this approaching storm cloud.
"I call it the Havoc wand. The boss says it should be called the Apocalypto Branch. I think that's a stupid name," the man says, frowning as he waves it around, quizzically. "Huh? Yeah."
"What does it matter what the thing's blasted name is?!" Sorel cries exasperatedly.
"Ah! Don't yell at me, I'm only trying to help!" the man says, wincing away.
"Uh...Why not call it SURPRISE?" *Ombligo grins at his suggestion.*
"Well once it's been tested, it won't be a surprise, so we can't market it like that," the young man says with a frown.
"I'm certain I can deduce the mechanisms of this device with minimal effort..." Astrid replies after a long moment, then shrugs, "It may prove useful."
"Do you have any other dangerous and unpredictable things to sell us?" Sorel asks.
"Do you have any other dangerous and unpredictable things to sell us?" Sorel asks.
"Er... No... but I have some scrolls and potions. Not many, though," the man says as he opens a pouch.
"Thanks. Oh by the way, the command word for the wand is 'Abracapocalypse."
"How fitting," the paladin says dryly, producing a pouch filled with a large sum from her haversack. "The scrolls and the water, if you would."
"Well if that's everything, I'm getting out of here... I don't want to be in this area when the fighting starts," the man says, running a few fingers through his hair, nervously. "It's creepy enough out here." The man withdraws a scroll, reads it aloud, then vanishes in a puff of acrid smoke.

Posted by: Dark Maiden Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:40 pm
Kayla marches along with the others, silent as the dead. Not that she isn't usually silent or anything - she just seems a little different than usual. Where she has always been calm and confident, her body quivers slightly and her movements seem forced. She is trying her best not to go completely insane, but it becomes increasingly more difficult the longer they travel.
[I'm hoping to get in a scene]

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:13 am
Sorel purses his lips, and strains to hear the advancing sounds of many different kinds of insects. He raises his hand. "Quiet," he says, "Something is coming..." Over the treetops, a massive swarm of insects flies. The swarm appears to be passing by... then it suddenly turns and begins to head toward the ground. It reaches ground level, stopping just in front of the party, a whirlwind of winged insects.
"This is no ordinary swarm, as if you needed to be told," Sorel says, studying the mass of life. The druid watches the insects and waits for them to do something.
Astrid arches an eyebrow and takes a step back warily.
The insects form into a humanoid shape, a gnarled staff emerges from the mass and it leans onto it.
Sorel looks questioningly at Gilliam and Max. "Have you ever seen anything like this?"
"So... who are these that stand before me?" the insect being asks in an oddly echoing, watery voice. "The hero and his robot I know..."
"I've never seen anything like it..." Max says.
"That voice..." Gilliam says, troubled.
"You are clearly far more powerful than we," Sorel states, "What prompted you to divert from your course?"
"Oh? I believe I asked my question first. Or do people no longer observe basic manners anymore?" the creature says.
"Manners are a formality afforded to the comfortable," Sorel says quietly.
"Technically, you stand before us as we were here before you." Astrid replies, "Basic manners would be that you should introduce yourself first." She sighs, "I am a wizardess of Galam."
The being chuckles. "And your name?"
"Names grant power to those who know how to use them." Astrid replies.
"Clever... Very clever..." the mass of insects says.
"Why have you come here, worm that walks?" Astrid replies impatiently, "We have little time for this..."
"I was enroute to a mission when I detected a familar pulse of magic..." the worm that walks turns to Max, then looks down at the sword sheathed at his side. "The Chaos Breaker... It's been long since I gazed at it."
"How long?" Sorel asks, with a sidelong glance at Gilliam.
"How long do you think?" the being asks Sorel, then he looks around. "Something else too..."
"You haven't told us your name," Max says, quietly.
"Names have power," the creature says. "But I have a pseudonym I use that will suffice."
Sorel chews on the inside of his cheek to contain his frustration. "What would that be?"
"I'm known as the Swarm."
"Witty..." Astrid remarks, unimpressed.
"You spoke of having seen the Chaos Breaker long ago. Are you an Ancient?" Sorel asks.
"I was," the being says.
"Orin!" Gilliam suddenly blurts out.
“Orin... Light above, that can't be you... But... I know that voice. Even with the insects, I know that voice...” Gilliam says, in disbelief.
"Gilliam?" the Swarm says. "Ah... it is you. I can see you clearly. Even with that heavy adamantite shell, I can see your soul shining brightly thanks to my new senses... But it has dimmed somewhat...”
“Orin... What happened to you?” Gilliam asks.
“I'm far more and much less than I once was, Gilliam. Fitting we should meet like this... Both our bodies have been traded to allow for our survival and new power... But we've lost power and survival of a sort as well, haven't we?”
"Orin... what..."
Sorel leans over and nudges Max, giving him a look that asked of Max sensed any evil.
Max stares intently at the Swarm. Then he grimaces. "Intense evil..."
A look of scornful triumph crosses Sorel's face briefly as he looks at Gilliam before he turns his attention back to the Swarm. "So this is why you have come, then? To catch up with an old friend?"
"I didn't know he was even still alive. So to speak," the Swarm says.
"Curiosity... and now I know why I felt something familiar," the Swarm replies.
"Because he sensed the Chaos Breaker..." Astrid replies wearily, "I thought that was made obvious."
Sorel ignores Astrid. "And why do you stay?"
"Curiosity. But you are correct. I should take my leave. I wish you luck with your upcoming battle. You will need it."
"Until we meet again," Sorel says softly.
"Luck is pointless." Astrid scowls, "Preparation and skill are what determine victory."
"Well..." the Swarm says with a hint of a chuckle. "You'd know."
Sorel looks at the Swarm pointedly. "I do not suppose you'd have any luck to spare?"
The Swarm laughs bitterly. "Look at what's become of me. What luck of mine would you want?"
"Clearly you are lucky to have lived so long..." Sorel pauses, "...for the low cost of your soul."
"Oh no... I only rose fairly recently..." the Swarm says. "I spent most of the last thousand years quite dead."
"Raised by the Cult?" Sorel asks with a raised eyebrow.
“My orders say nothing about you, so I can allow you to leave... But don't fight us, Gil. You have no chance. Find a hole and hide for another thousand years. This won't last... No matter what the Lords are planning, it won't last. You know it can't. Nothing lasts, you of all know that so very well... Time slays all its foes in the end... Just wait.”
“I can't... You know I can't," Gilliam replies, quietly.
The Swarm is quiet for a moment. “I know... And that is why I fear the future even more now.” The humanoid form discorporates into a whirlwind of flies, bees, locusts, and other insects, departing for the sky above once more.
"Well, that was stimulating..." Astrid remarks drily, "Shall we move on?"
"No," Sorel says flatly, "We shall stay here and formulate a plan of approach."
"Might I advise that we at least proceed to some cover else he inform the enemy of our location?" Astrid suggests.
"I doubt he would have had any trouble killing us," Sorel remarks, "And I doubt even more we are yet enough of a threat to concern him. But very well." Sorel looks skyward. "If only to avoid rain."
Astrid bursts into tears, "YOU MEAN OLD MAN." She runs away sobbing. ((<-- joke))
((TACTICAL MEETING))
Sorel looks about at the assembled party.
: "We face a far greater challenge than we faced just one day ago. We will need to proceed far more carefully. Suggestions?"
"We could call off this attack, that would be the most logical course of action." Astrid states quietly.
: "If logic dictates that we leave the Galam Army to certain death and doom the Island then I would suggest we abandon logic." Sorel says coldly.

Posted by: Arcdragnbreth Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:41 am
"If they already know we are coming, then why should we bother to keep planning?" Graigus asked.

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Thu Jan 25, 2007 4:05 am
: "The fact that our arrival is expected does not change the fact that there is a right and a wrong way to proceed. Surprise is not the only tactic, nor is it necessarily the best. Recall, Graigus, that prior to Dam's escapade we were ambushed constantly by the Devil Army, yet never failed to succeed."

Posted by: Kaihaku Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:15 am
"Ah, ye're awake? I told 'em ye weren't dead yet!" "...I'm thankful for that... When did you find me? What day is today?" "Eh? We found you only a day ago. You were washed up by the river. We thought you were dead at first...I saw that you 'er still breathin."
"Bit of a healer then? Good... It...hasn't been too long... I hope that there's still time..."
"What?"
"Ah... I was...part of an expedition...up river... Yes, it would be up river.... We were hunting down devils... Today, I think...I think we were going to assualt their stronghold."
"How'd you end up here?"
"I...I was attacked. Thanks for fishing me out of the river...must not have been a pleasant task."
"Aye, twasn't. Ye lost a lot of blood, ye look all right now, though."
"Yes... You did well bandaging my wounds... I should...try...to find my comrades... Is there a path across the river?"
"Aye, there's a secret crossing we use to... well, cross. Ye ready to leave so soon? You look better, but not that better."
"I know... My wounds are barely sealed and I can feel only the faintest of magicks but... I may be able to do nothing, but someone...reminded me that I had to try."
"All right, tis yer own life, I'll show ye the way..."
"I want to thank you again for everything... If I survive, I'll come back one day."
"I wish ye well... Try an' buy somethin' the next time ye stop by, eh?"
"If I had gold, I would now... Thanks once more..."
"Ye're welcome, lad. Ye sure ye have ta go?"
"Others may die...they need... No...my aid would be minor. I cannot afford to fall again. I'm... It's too dangerous to face them weakened... To face them without my full strength... No matter... No, I... You are right, may I rest here for just a few hours more?"
"Not a' all. Feel better this way."

Posted by: Arcdragnbreth Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:36 am
Graigus simply bowed his head, turning away. Looking up, he noted the tree in front of him and took to climbing it, reaching a sturdy branch a little way up where he perched, looking outwards into the forest and listening. ((Climb (at half speed): 1d20 +6 (ranks) +3 (dex) -5 (1/2 spd) = 15. Graigus is 15' up a tree.
Listen: 1d20 +2 (ranks) + 3 (wis) = 22
Spot: 1d20 +2 (ranks) + 3 (wis) = 14 ))

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:39 am
Sorel watches the monk climb when a thought occurs to him. : "Didn't you get your staff back? Gail, do you still have his staff?"

Posted by: Kaihaku Thu Jan 25, 2007 6:09 am
The paladin pauses for a moment then shakes her head, "Oh no, I broke it over the Doctor's skull... I feel really bad about losing your weapon, Graigus." Sinks into depression.

Posted by: Dark Maiden Thu Jan 25, 2007 7:20 am
Kayla remains silent during the tactical meeting, her arms crossed over her chest. She breathes a faint sigh of relief at Astrid's idea, but she is quick to frown at Sorel's response. The tiefling rolls her eyes and looks away. {Astrid was right; we should call off the attack for now. What good will come of us throwing our lives away for no reason?}
Kayla sits down near a tree, her back up against it.

Posted by: Kaihaku Thu Jan 25, 2007 10:21 am
"If we're going to continue with this suicide attempt..." Astrid states after the group has sat in silence for some time, "I have prepared offensive spells primarily with a few that should provide some support. Gail, Gorrik, and Farain will all recieve an Enlarge Person spell. Kayla will recieve Fly..." She glances at the rogue, "If the situation becomes too dire, I suggest you use it to flee." She then continues, "I will enhance my own endurance and cast a illusionary displacement spell on Ombligo. I will leave the casting of haste to the wan..." She frowns, remarking bitterly, "Ah yes, Kria had it. I had forgotten that she had fallen, that might make things difficult. I'll cast Haste myself then. Any questions?"
[Gail, Gorrik, Farain: Enlarge Person]
[Kayla: Fly]
[Astrid: Bear's Endurance]
[Ombligo: Displacement]
[Haste: TBD]

Posted by: Arcdragnbreth Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:07 pm
Looking down, graigus noted the familiar wooden weapon being retrieved by the paladin. Giving a short hop, he jumped off the branch he was on, grabbing onto another and swinging all the way around on it thrice, pausing at the apex of his final rotation before letting go and landing at the base of the tree. Walking slowly to Gail, he murmured his thanks and accepted the quarterstaff.
((Jump: 1d20 +5 (ranks) +2 (syn) + 3 (str) = 19
Tumble: 1d20 +12 (ranks) +2 (syn) +3 (dex) = 35
Climb (if needed): 1d20 +6 (ranks) +3 (dex) = 20))

Posted by: VoxPVoxD Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:15 pm
((Why are you enlarging Farain? Does he really need another -2 to hit? Really?)) Sorel tilts his head, thinking. : "I would like to request the benefits of a Haste spell for myself, to help negate my current predicament. I will bless Graigus's staff, as I have in the past."
((Buffs
------------
On Sorel: Bite of the Weretiger, Eyes of the Avoral, Owl's Insight, Lion's Charge
On Graigus: Spikes, Brambles, Bull's Strength, Lion's Charge
Available: Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Barkskin))

Posted by: Dark Maiden Fri Jan 26, 2007 12:38 am
((I'm almost sure that Cat's Grace will not stack with Kayla's Gloves of Dex. Kayla does have spells as well, but most of them are spells that the target is 'self' only. Sorry. ))

Posted by: Kaihaku Fri Jan 26, 2007 12:57 am

QUOTE
I was glancing through the archives and came across this bit of foreshadowing... "Answer swiftly before Coventry makes a joke of you having it 'rough' every night," Gilliam advises. "Ulgh. That's right, we haven't gotten rid of him, yet," Gail moans, asideishly. "I'm
surprised he survived the Lawful water incident."

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