Action 1:
Noravia ticked off the things they needed to do on her fingers. "So we'll need to plant something, maybe something we took from the Record's Hall or one of the Raven statues, in the Aulorian home. We need to have rumors spread that the Count was paying to have the Poison Pen's poems distributed. And we need to plant some Raven paraphernalia in one of the warehouses that belongs to the Aulorians. We'll need to involve some of our teams because that is a lot to do in a small amount of time."
She looked at Marquel, "I assume that you want to get your new poem out as soon as possible?"
Action 2:
Even though Noravia had given a few choices for Lord Mayor, she did agree that Jilia was the most logical choice. "Maybe we should ask both Jilia and Vandomir to see if they are even willing to be Lord Mayor? Let's talk to Jilia first and find out how she's recovering and if she flat-out refuses, we can approach Vandomir and see if he's interested. Last time we broached that subject with him, he wasn't exactly keen on the idea."
"We need to get the Song of Silver, ASAP. I'm going to try to see if I can get Jackdaw to help. I think if we can get a small band together to play the tune, it might help her. Let's save the extreme methods for later."
anyone else?
I plan on moving this along later today...
Action 1
Nothing
Action 2
Considering the debate between Jillia and Vandomir Tillia decided, "Jillia first, if she is willing then we appoint her interim and hold an election when her term would have been up." She looked at her companions for thoughts and said, "This way it would be like there was never an interruption and the way things should be will continue."
"SO." Caleb said, loudly, before he continued on in a more normal volume. "What do we know about dragins like this. Are they like the undead and constructs, where Tillia and my magics don't work? Because if not, I have an idea." he smiled evilly "We do the whole senility thing, while it's angry, attacking it dressed like people we hate; Asmodeans, maybe? We make it senile, it goes on attacking, we run full tilt towards the temple, then vanish. It keeps going, sees 'us' and blows down the temple."
"What do we know about dragins like this. Are they like the undead and constructs, where Tillia and my magics don't work? Because if not, I have an idea." he smiled evilly "We do the whole senility thing, while it's angry, attacking it dressed like people we hate; Asmodeans, maybe? We make it senile, it goes on attacking, we run full tilt towards the temple, then vanish. It keeps going, sees 'us' and blows down the temple."
"I only know of dragons from legends, and who knows how much of those stories is true," Eirik said, not looking best pleased as the rumours of a dragon ally of the Thrunes did prove all too accurate. He did not look forward to trading blows with a creature like that. "We have little choise but to meet it, no matter how big an advantage it will have. I have no doubt it will make good on its threat if we won't."
Action 1:
Excitement coursed through Noravia as Jackdaw explained how the Song of Silver worked. "That's amazing. Then we need to do this and we should do it now. Caleb can sing the song and provide some much needed protection for Kintargo."
Action 2:
Noravia sat quietly as Forvian's news sank in. Her mind was racing, mostly with negative thoughts. How in the world were they supposed to fight a dragon and survive? They weren't strong enough or smart enough or powerful enough to go up against such a creature. It was looking more and more like Noravia was going to be following in Rowan's footsteps and becoming a martyr for the rebellion.
She quietly added her voice to Eirik's, "It's not that we have little choice, we have no choice. If we don't go there will only be death for the citizens of Kintargo."
Then she posed a question to the room, "Does anyone know anything about dragons that isn't from legends and stories?"
Jillian nearly laughed out loud at the look on Caleb's face as Noravia suggested he sing the spell. She'd been around him long enough to know that he did have an amazing voice, but he seemed loathe to use it in public. "Maybe you could duet with Shensen? Wouldn't that give the spell more power?"
Action 2
The dragon reared back, shooting electricity from its mouth and nostrils. The Ravens cowered in fear, their clothes scorched and smoking. Jillian, disguised as a bank of fog, hovered on a nearby rooftop. As the dragon lunged forward, the slayer leapt from the rooftop, taking human form once again as she did so. Landing on the beast's head, she rooted her feet as she might have done on a ship at sea, and took her sword in both hands. With great balance and strength, she drove it down through the skull, between the hardened scales and solid bone, and straight into the brain beneath. The dragon stiffened and fell, dead before it understood what had happened. Easily balanced on the falling dragon's head, silver blood pooling around her boots, Jillian waited until the head crashed onto the cobbles below before leaping down, to the cries of amazement and adulation. Humble, she took a small bow, acknowledging their admiration.
The clanging of a metal stein hitting the floor startled Jillian out of her reverie. The others were staring. Her cheeks coloured as she picked up the now-empty cup. "Uh, sorry. Yeah, dragons are bad. We should kill it."
Caleb can cast it for you.
I also allowed you to rearrange your skill points. You're level 10 so you could have a +10 on UMD.
I'm sure there's also a feat that would give you another +3 on it.
Action 1
Nothing just now.
Action 2
Tillia listened with concern as the dragon's demand was reported. This is bad, very bad. Dragons are not to be trifled with."
"Dragon's are very resilient, have a multitude of special and natural attacks, and are often able to use spells like a sorcerer as they get older." She arched one eyebrow in question, "Do we know the name of this dragon? It might help us to better learn how to kill him if we can identify him."
Though she tried to remember any dragons that might have cropped up in the history of Kintargo it wasn't her forte and she drew a blank.
One Week Ago:
Rizolla hadn't been sleeping well of late, not since the attacks had started. It didn't help that she found herself waking in strange place with no knowledge of how she got there. It became more and more frequent as the attacks continued until one night she found herself in an ally, bits of guards everywhere, charred with burns that indicated she had used her electrical magic on them. It was the night that everything changed. For the longest time she called herself a tiefling, she was raised by them, lived with them, and her magical lineage let her pass for them, she always knew it wasn't the truth but she now found out just how wrong she was.
Looking up at the roof line she saw a great outline of a beast far larger than she, and winged, and rumbling with laughter. "How does it feel my daughter? How does destroying those who wrong you feel? They dared to try and arrest you for walking the streets while fulfilling my commands. You are as far above them as I am above you daughter, and you will earn to revel in your superiority to them."
Rizolla looked up in fear at the shape, the horror running through her and lending her uncommon courage, she cast a pair of spells and sent twin strikes of lightning at the creature above her. The splashed harmlessly off of the scales of the great beast, the dragon, above her and a flash of anger flashed through the monster's eyes.
"You would dare raise your magic against your mother!?" the great creature cried, "This is how you strike with lightning!" There was a great inhale and rumbling and then from the belly of the dragon came a crackling that shot down her throat and out of her mouth in a massive blast of energy that hit Rizolla dead center when she couldn't dodge it.
Rizolla let out a scream of agony as the lightning coursed through her body and left her in a huddled heap. She would likely have died if the dragon hadn't obviously pulled the strike so as not to kill her.
The dragon began to shrink then and came down to the ground and knelt, in a human form, beside the sorceress. Reaching out she lay a hand on Rizolla's head and said, "Good, you live child." She rolled the sorceress over and pulled her head into her lap as she pulled a wand out and applied it causing the wounds to start to heal. She sat there stroking Rizolla's hair and said gently, "There there daughter, it's over now. You must behave or you will wake the dragon, and as you've seen you won't like it when you wake the dragon." She smiled viciously, "You are mine child, never raise your hand against your mother again." Her expression became somewhat more kind then as she said, "But if you behave, and follow my directions, you will be well rewarded. Join me and we will rule this city, you will be second in power only to me."
Rizolla whimpered at the touch of this being that claimed to be her mother and lay there as she was tended to by the same being that had hurt her. "Mother, I will..."
Action 2
As the discussion of the dragon's demand went among the leaders of the Ravens another figure had entered, unseen, and said, "It's worse than you think. I know who this dragon is, it's Rivozair and she's plagued this city before." Her voice was shaky and her clothing charged, "It also turns out she is my Mother." The fact that Rizolla was there was kind of a shock as she had been missing for a few days. This wasn't unusual but it had been longer than usual and Hetamon had asked about her recently to see if anyone had seen her but shrugged it off when they hadn't. "She came to visit me a week ago and it's taken me this long to get away from her safely. She didn't say as much but I think she has allied herself with Brassy but I believe she fully intends to betray him at some point and take this city for herself." She staggered to a chair and sat in it heavily, "We have to stop her and we have to do it now."
"Look, I'm a street singer. I feel like if we're putting on a performance that'll mean the difference between life and death we should have... someone better! That's all." Caleb interjects. "I like the idea of doing it before we fight the dragon, if we can. If we can send it against the temple, it'll do better if they can't just teleport to safety."
Jillian stared at Rizolla as she told her tale. She hadn't seen the woman since helping rescue her from the tunnels - she hadn't even been sure she'd been healed. "Your mom is a DRAGON?!" she sputtered. "Like, actual mom, or are you talking abandoned and raised by a dragon? No, that's not less crazy. Seriously, a dragon!" She turned to the others, "Don't tell me I'm the only one freaked out by this?"
Coming to terms with the information, Jillian said, "Well, anyway, that's great, you must know everything about her. Blue means electricity, right? Anything else you can tell us? Weaknesses we can exploit?"
***
Turning to Caleb, she asked, "Could that actually work? I thought dragons were crazy strong and powerful. Do you think you could really cast that spell on it? It would be amazing if you could!"
Action 2:
Noravia was a little surprised to see Rizolla and was even more floored by her revelation.
Like, actual mom, or are you talking abandoned and raised by a dragon? No, that's not less crazy. Seriously, a dragon!" She turned to the others, "Don't tell me I'm the only one freaked out by this?"
The inquisitor shook her head slowly. "Not the only one, no."
Noravia moved over to the sorceress who looked a little worse for wear. "Are you hurt?" She handed Rizolla a glass of water since the woman looked a little dehydrated, "But it does explain a lot with regards to your abilities, Rizolla."
...Weaknesses we can exploit?"
Noravia added gently, "Jillian's right. You had said that we need to stop her now. So we need your help to figure out how to do that. Any information would be most helpful."
"Look, I'm a street singer. I feel like if we're putting on a performance that'll mean the difference between life and death we should have... someone better! That's all."
Noravia put her hand on Caleb's arm, "Just because you're a street singer, it doesn't mean that you can't do this. And Jackdaw said that you just need to be on stage at the Opera House, not that there has to be an audience." She lowered her voice so that only Caleb could fully hear, "Isn't singing on that stage something you've always wanted to do?"
But there was no way that Noravia was going to pressure Caleb into doing something he didn't want to do so she added, "But if you'd rather we ask Shensen, we can do that. But I do agree with Jillian in that maybe the two of you performing the song may have a greater impact. We wouldn't know unless we try."
Action 2 cont.
Rizolla accepted the water from Noravia and nodded as she said, "Yes Jillian, my birth mother is a dragon. I don't understand how, she didn't tell me, she was more interested in punishing me for attacking her when she cornered me in an ally and trying to get information about the Ravens and how best to hurt them." She looked worried as she blabbered, "I tried to resist her, but I don't know how much I said, I'm guessing I kept our bases secret but I don't know beyond that." She looked up, "I do know that she was immune to my electricity, it didn't even scratch her blue scales, and I was hurt so badly by her breath I couldn't tell you what kind it was."
Rizolla shuddered at the memories of what she had experienced and then said, "I'm not dying anymore, she took care of that, said she had uses for me." She looked up with fear in her eyes as she said, "Please, deal with her, quickly, she isn't lying when she says she'll raze this city."
"Alright." Caleb starts "I need to keep my calm if I'm going to be useful. These things sound terrifying. I'm going to need something to make me unafraid. Has anyone got anything to hand?"
"Alright." Caleb starts "I need to keep my calm if I'm going to be useful. These things sound terrifying. I'm going to need something to make me unafraid. Has anyone got anything to hand?"
"Terrifying is right," Eirik murmured, as Rizolla's tales of her mother's (now that hadn't been something he saw coming!) powers had done nothing to ease his mind. "Let's talk tactics, for we do not have long to prepare. She has chosen the field of battle, and it is all open ground. Perfect for her, since even a dragon should have enough space to move around and if she decideds to take to the air, there is little on the bridge to ovver us protection. Somehow I doubt the market shacks will make a difference is she decides to breath on us, or drop something on us from great height."
"I'd want to at least a couple of us to have access to flight magics for the battle, just in case she does decided to engage us from afar, or we manage to inflict enough damage on her to force her to change tactics if she does decide to open up with a "fair" melee," the monk went on. "Without such a spell, I for one would be useless, as the bridge doesn't even allow me to try and climb up high enough to make a jump at her when she makes a pass. Spells to defend us from her electricity would also be vital. I wonder if some of us might hide behind a veil of invisibility to try and surprise her... but she might well know how many enemies to expect. Perhaps illusions would fool her for a moment, as I doubt she knows us by sight."
"Alright." Caleb starts "I need to keep my calm if I'm going to be useful. These things sound terrifying. I'm going to need something to make me unafraid. Has anyone got anything to hand?"
Jillian gave Caleb a lecherous grin. "I'm sure that Noravia can think of something to help you relax. She probably has something "to hand", or maybe even closer than that." She elbowed the inquisitor conspiratorially, although doing that to somebody with plate armour turned out to be poor judgement.
**
"Ooh! Flying and invisibility, please!" Jillian raised her hand and jumped up and down, like an eager school girl. "What about weapons? Do we need like a special metal, or bashing or slashing, or anything specific?" She liked her tried and trusted combination of sword and shield, but would be willing to swap out one or more of her weapons if it would help take the dragon down."[/b]
Noravia's mind was racing and she tried to calm it by focusing on voicing some of her questions. "Rizolla, you said that this dragon plagued Kintargo before. Why did she leave and why did she come back? There has to be a reason she didn't raze the city the first time, right? Maybe we can do something similar to chase her off."
Noravia turned to Rexus, "You're our resident scholar. I've heard rumors that there are items that can help magic penetrate better and if stories are to be believed, possible weapon ammunition that are extra harmful to dragons. Is this true?"
"We need to start a clamour for the Dottari to fight this thing. I doubt THRUNE will follow though, but we can make him look weak. 'If the mayor is really in power, why is he scared to fight the dragon?' notes everywhere. We haven't got long, but we can capitalise on it." Caleb suggested.
Noravia's mind was racing and she tried to calm it by focusing on voicing some of her questions. "Rizolla, you said that this dragon plagued Kintargo before. Why did she leave and why did she come back? There has to be a reason she didn't raze the city the first time, right? Maybe we can do something similar to chase her off."
Rizolla shook her head and said, "I don't know, I think maybe the original Silver Ravens had something to do with it? She didn't really say, only ranted about what she was going to do to the place, sorry I can't be more help."
Tillia considered the problems this fight involved, they were unique and very problematic, but there had to be a way to win this. "What we need is a way to change the battlefield. If we can lure her into an area where there are buildings I can try to web her in place, that would help a great deal. If I can do that then I can create a foul smelling cloud that could make her ill, I can try that even if she isn't webbed down. I can try to make her despair for her chances as well. Likely the best chance we have is if I can blind her with the sparkling dust which would keep her from becoming invisible as well if she has the means." A thought seemed to hit her then and the mage clammed up as she began to think of something.
"Well, I can probably mess with her mind from a few hundred feet. I could hide just off the bridge. If she realises what is happening I can pretty much guarantee she'll go me." Caleb thought for a second "You could help out, and when she comes for us you could web her up. If it goes too bad I can jump us out."
sorry again; I do feel bad, but I had a long after dinner discussion with the girls and now it's just too late because I have to be out of the office and driving a lot tomorrow.
I hope I'm tiring you with excuses but they are true.
Here's hoping I can recap both Eberron and this game tomorrow.
Game on!
Fabian! Stop apologizing! Your family and life come first, especially with what you've gone through. Do what you can, when you can, and we're all just happy to play.
Agreed!
Ditto!
Yup!
@Tillia: okay with hitting her with spells from a distance, in the hopes she goes us?
Fabian! Stop apologizing! Your family and life come first, especially with what you've gone through. Do what you can, when you can, and we're all just happy to play.
I'm sorry about apologizing. :)
Seriously though, I still feel that I should keep you informed if I won't be able to post.
Momentum is a fickle thing in these games and I don't want to lose it, even though I realize that we are not keeping the same posting frequency as we had at one time.
That being said, we are all still here and enjoying the game (at a slightly slower pace).
So I'm doing what I can, not getting worked up about it when I can't, and enjoying myself along the way.
Thanks for the support.
Game on!
Recapping now...
No 'less than full' wands.
You may rearrange your skill points now.
There's a skill focus feat (next level) that would give you an extra +3.
Caleb looked blank for a moment, then caught the joke - though it seemed to fall flat for some reason. "Oh - yeah." He looked at Noravia "But seriously, I was thinking magic or something. Maybe we should try for the Song of Silver tomorrow morning? We should find out from Jackdaw how tiring it is."
"It's a good point." Caleb allowed "Worst case we can probably get Hob or someone to cast Fly a few times... it'll mean we need to be right quick, though. How long does that spell last?"
Caleb pointed at the scrawls he'd made on the wall. "So, Tillia and I hide in the buildings nearby. We need the rest of you to look enough like Asmodeans that if we can wipe her mind she'll go the rest of them. We need to make sure that if this turns out to be a really, really big trap there's a couple of ways for you lot to run off. And we absolutely MUST have protection from electricalution running."
Caleb pointed at the scrawls he'd made on the wall. "So, Tillia and I hide in the buildings nearby. We need the rest of you to look enough like Asmodeans that if we can wipe her mind she'll go the rest of them. We need to make sure that if this turns out to be a really, really big trap there's a couple of ways for you lot to run off. And we absolutely MUST have protection from electricalution running."
"It would be wonderful if a single spell from you could resolve the situation, but it's best to plan for the eventuality of her resisting it," Eirik said. "The bridge is quite long so if she decides to land in the middle of it she might be quite difficult to lure to where Tillia could stick her to a building. And if she sees us running away, she might breath on us rather than give pursuit. Even if we can get some magical protection, I doubt it could hold for long under what a true dagon can do."
"As for escape plan... I will be fine - I can always jump into the river and walk along the bottom for a few hours until pursuers lose interest," Eirik added, shrugging his shoulders. "But if we run, the people of the city will suffer for it. If we are ready to accept that, we should just ingore the challenge and plan for a way to ambush the dragon while she's busy hunting people on the streets and setting buildings aflame. Not that the reputation of the Ravens could easily survive that, even if we were to later bring her down."
"I like the flying and invisibility. But what about if it makes darkness, or it goes invisible? Can we get a potion so I can see it no matter what it does?"
Yeah, when I said NPCs, I meant non-player controlled NPCs (Octavio, Laria, Forvian, etc.).
We need to keep the others (the saboteurs) in case we need to fill in the ranks after this fight. Just sayin'. :)
There are 3 of each in potion form: fly, protection from energy, and energy resistance.
I won't wait until your buffs run out. That would be mean.
But the dragon is expecting the five Ravens...
Questions?
Game on!
No, let's not get carried away with all the buffs. When are we switching to 5e? :)
Only buffs provided by the 'active PCs'.
I intend to recap later but probably will not get you to the fight just yet.
Anyone else comment of Caleb's suggestion of the Song of Silver? Remember that it works for one week and then has a 'cooldown' of one month.
Questions?
Game on!