Legacy of Fire

Game Master Megan Robertson

Round 1

Snake's initiative 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

You first, Silena. It's slithered out from behind a desk and is rearing up to strike... and yes, it's a combination of scent and vibrations that alerted it to your presence.

Silena smirks and withdraws having the initiative...

She flees hoping the snake will follow.

Standard Action: {Total Defense +4AC}
- This will provoke an AoO, but Silena is out of adjacent squares... she is STILL invisible.
Move Action: 20'ft toward Exit & Party

"Hold back Erizi, she will call for us if she needs us. Let her bring the snake to us."

From the sounds of it, the snake is indeed coming out. It doesn't bother to take a strike, but follows the scent and vibrations, probably not very pleased at having been disturbed when napping.

Erizi moves to the side of the opening, and prepares to strike...the snake that is...not the girl...as it emerges.

Sonya slides away from the entrance moving about 15' from the doorway. She stares at the crude hammer Erizi wields curious if it can be effective in battle. She ponders why, if he is such a proficient warrior as he claims he uses an oversized mallet instead of a proper weapon like a scimitar.

Jengren steps farther away near the Erizi but behind him.

Knowing the snake is close behind and her party is Still out of direct line of effect Silena called upon the power of the Midnight Lord and unleashes his dark power channeling the negative energies of his divine might filling a 30'ft radius with ebon lighting-like burst of negative energies... harming and perhaps killing all life in the area, but focusing her will she images in her mind's eye her companions Jengren and Sonya will the power to flow away from them and exclude their life forces from the wave of life-slaying energies.

Standard Action: Channel Negative Energy 1d6 ⇒ 1 Will Save DC13 for half damage please! {Damn but I HATE this dice roller! Silena NEVER rolls well on ANYTHING! :(}

- Despite the 30'ft radius the party should still be behind stone as she is still inside the slave market when she does this, Silena is not going to take a chance so she does use her feat selective channel to exclude the two companions she can. Should only Jengren and Erizi be in the area she will of course exclude Erizi instead of Sonya. Sorry Erizi.. she knows them better and can currently only exclude two. But the party 'should' be out of line of effect.. channel positive/negative energies does not go through walls and more then a fireball does.

Silena exits the Slave market front door and comes to a graceful spinning halt some 10'ft from the door. With a silent act of will she drops her Night Hunter - Invisibility... and there is only the clatter of metal armor heralding her sudden appearance 10'ft from the dark entrance as she pirouettes bringing her cold-iron spiked chain to bear spinning it menacingly in hand awaiting the snakes arrival.

She smiles wickedly.. eager to inflict harm...

Move: 15'ft
Free Action: 'Drop Night Hunter - Invisibility {3rds used - 2 remaining}
- As Part of Move Action {BaB +1} Draw Weapon - Cold Iron Spiked Chain

There is an angry hiss from behind Silena as she releases coruscating black lightning.

As she spins out of the slave market, the snake - a giant black creature with a few bright green patches - slithers out and rears up, opening its mouth to hiss, venom glistening on its fangs.

We'll now begin combat. Everyone participating roll initiative & state/roll for their first action, please.

initiative 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

Sonya watches as Selina appears from nothing just a step in front of her and smiles happy her faith in her friend was rewarded. Sonya turns her attention to the snake seeing the venom, knowing she's not ready to be healing diseases and poisons yet she commits in her heart to ending the battle as quickly as possible.

"Burning justice meted by a righteous blade. End the beast quickly my friends." Sonya speaks her words firmly as she channels the Everlight's flame into Selina's chain causing it to erupt in flames.

Sonya casts sun metal on Selina's weapon. The weapon will deal 1d4 fire damage for the next 3 rounds, no further action.

init: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Jengren releases two small balls of force that strike the snake true.

magic missile: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (4, 1) + 2 = 7

Erizi swing his mighty hammer at the snake as it emerges...his eyes red with fury. Why did he feel a weakness overcome him for a moment.

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6 Initiative

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14 Will Save

1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14 Raging Earthbreaker Blow.

2d6 + 7 ⇒ (3, 3) + 7 = 13 Pounding Damage

Round 1 (of the fight outside the Slave Market)

Jengren hisses some magical words as he unleashes glowing balls of force that strike the serpent unerringly.

Silena whirls, her chain flying... OOC: do you wish to strike the snake?

Sonya pops into view, chanting as she points towards Silena's chain, which bursts into flames.

The snake hisses like a tea-kettle, and strikes at Sonya.

Snake attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16, damage 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1

Erizi steps up swinging his hammer and smashing it down on the snake's head, crushing it!

Combat over, well done!

Why does everything want to eat me :(

Sonya jerks back avoiding the snakes bite as the others quick strikes end the snakes life.

"Quick and efficient." He looks at Silena, "Lets' gather what we need from this snake and then take a look at this lair."

Jengren will step inside and begin with detect magic looking around.

lol. I was waiting to learn the initiative order before I acted as my last action was a full round action. Effectively the party should have gotten their 'ambush' actions as the snake came out... "effectively" the party had ready held actions. I figured IF {and it was a very big IF} the snake survived the party's first round actions... Silena would strike. But the snake did not survive... Flawless Victory! For a Tactician to win without fighting her/himself.. is the GREATEST of Victories over a foe! {Qapla'!!! "Success!" :) }

@ Sonya: Because your sweet and pretty and go well with a side-order of fries and a Coke! :)

Silena chuckles wickedly looking over the ruin of the snake's corpse. She breathes a single word, "...flawless!"

Silena turns and gathers the snake corpse into a large sack; tying it securely and hanging it off the ground on some nearby handy portion of ruins to keep... while the party searches the ruined 'slave market'.

She then hefts her chain to follow Jengren into the the darkness of the building... triggering her Wayfinder to provide the light of a torch centered upon her for her ... surface-dwelling companions to see.

Silena searches the interior of the Slave market not really looking for loot as much as living ...or dead threats to protect Jengren as he searches she is close by easily in reach ready to defend him...

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Qapla' balth Daqawlu'taH!

It's a pretty big snake, a good 7 feet long and as thick around as a man's thigh.

The ruins of the Slave Market bear mute testimony to former horrors. Some slave-handling equipment (chains, whips, hoods and so on) strewn around, the narrow cages in which slaves awaiting sale were kept, and the more luxurious areas where purchasers were entertained... now ruined but with the odd scrap of fine material and a solitary gilded cup remaining. Apart from the odd spider and insect (all normal, non-threatening and given to scuttling away from you) there's nothing else alive here, and nothing dead manifests itself.

{Big Grin!} "You will be remembered with Honor!"

Noting the empty ruins of the slave market...
She pauses at the slave cages... and tries to find out how sturdy they are...

In Silena's opinion... would the slave cages hold a large raging Katapeshi Leopard? If yes... Silena will look around to find a key to a suitably intact cage.

Silena exits and gather's her snake corpse sack.

"Looks like we can scratch this place off the 'to-do' list... lets get this to Umdrella then turn in for the night."

Silena looks up into the skies her gaze seeking the moon to read its phase... muttering, "time is short..."

How soon until the next full moon?

The cages were designed to hold humanoids, not wildlife, but look pretty sturdy. Most still have padlocks, some have the keys in them.

Full moon is in 3 days' time.

Silena will pause briefly to locate a reasonably large and intact cage with a padlock and key. She will take the key and padlock from that cage ... and pulling a piece of wound binding cloth for m her belongings... tie a bit of cloth to identify that cage.

Then she will leave the slave market... making her way to Umdrella's abode.

Who all is going to Umdrella's and who back direct to your campsite?

Erizi don't make her carry such a large beast on her own. Grab the other end.

As large as the snake is I think two of our stronger characters would need to carry it. That said, I think Selina and Jengren will want to give her the beast and Sonya is not foolish enough to go back to camp alone.

Jengren will go back with Silena. He nods to Sonya's statement. "Yes, your strength would be appreciated. Sonya you should not travel back to the camp alone, so come along with us."

Jengren has a 7 strength; so, he's all for someone else helping to carry the snake.

"That one seems to want to do everything by herself". "I will help her if she asks me...if not she might bite my head off". "I will not make her go there alone however".

Silena hefts her burden of the sack containing the snake's corpse retorting with a chuckle, "Well if you want something done right... I don't need help... but I will not refuse if its offered. I don't bite... not anymore.. too risky.. As long as some brutish male does not think that's an invitation to try drag me off to his sleeping furs! I probably don't need an escort.. but.. thank you anyways.. it is appreciated as I am weary of the day's efforts."

Its as close a thank you and request for aid as the petite, proud half-elven, woman-child, warrior-maiden is likely to yield ... for now.

Umdrella is pottering amongst her pots and potions as usual when you get there.

Silena swaggers in bearing her burden, "Oy! Umdrella... is this that big nasty snake you wanted? It really died quickly... Didn't remember what parts you wanted so I brought the whole thing...!"

She dumps the corpse out of her sack.

Umdrella comes over, smiling a gap-toothed smile.

"Eee, there's lovely... it was the head I wanted... but the rest will do just grand. Lessee... I have something for you."

She reaches into the front of her ragged dress and produces two keys. When she hands them over, whoever takes them finds they are still warm from where they have been.

"This is a key to the north door of the Battle Market, and this one opens the hallway and cells there. It might help you to know that the smugglers currently visiting the battle market have only a tenuous allegiance to Kardswann, and that they might be convinced to sit out any battle with a sufficient gift and a promise to let them live. If you wish, I'm willing to show my good faith by warning these smugglers and keeping them out of the final fight... if, that is, you'll promise to let me continue living here after you've cleared Kardswann and his gnolls out of town."

Silena smiles taking the keys graciously, "I can agree to that on one condition... you have to bathe, allow me to instruct you in keeping yourself womanly presentable... oh and not eat other sentient beings who don't attack you out of hand or threaten your life! You got such a lovely figure and your feathers under all that grime and dirt I can tell must be beautiful to behold... a woman should present herself with more care... plus I can't have you charming and eating the neighbors... its bad for business and property values!! If you agree to this.. I promise.. I'll use the power of the Midnight Lord, once I can access such divine magics, to restore your wings... so you can fly once again. What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

Erizi follows Silena in trying to take everything in as he goes. He tries to help her with the snake burden, but keeps falling behind, as she sets forward, her goal in reach. When he sees Umdrella for the first time, he stops in his tracks, and stares open-mouthed as Silena bargains with her.

Then when it seems his mouth can drop open no further, she takes the creature to task for it's cleanliness, and he finds a whole new level.

What was this woman. So brazen and confident.

Jengren wryly comments, "I'm not such a stickler about that not eating another sentient being." He begins to ponder the keys.

"Deal," says Umdrella, spreading her battered wings. "It would be wonderful to fly again."

Silena smiles warmly, "Excellent! Now let my companions and I make our plans..."

Turning Silena walks over to Sonya and whispers softly to her, "...this is an opportunity to turn a creature of evil from the path of evil... not with preaching.. but with inspiring an 'enlightened self-interest' with the seductive lure of respect and social identity within a community of peers. Will you follow my lead in this? She may never be 'good'.. but with careful attention.. we could turn her from following evil. Trust me."

Then stepping away she addresses the party, "Well it has been a long day... I think Sonya and I will stay just a bit longer to discuss ...'womanly matters' with Umdrella... and we'll be along shortly. I'll see to it Sonya and I return before long for it is not safe for one to travel alone at night in this city."

[ooc - Table Talk: Pausing here for others to make their posts... Silena's intent is to sort out the Harpy... first with a bath and a chance for Silena to look closely at her wings to diagnose the full extent of damage to her wings. Silena is going to attempt, hopefully with Sonya's assistance, with flattery and tenderness... nothing sexual, to turn Umdrella's heart by showing concern and general friendliness to her care and keeping {cleanliness, clothing and general health} - not like a pet but a close intimate school-friend. Basically, picture a setting of teenage girls in a bedroom consulting over clothing, makeup, boys..etc.. to turn Umdrella's heart from evil. It won't be done in one session or two .. but to inspire someone to change their ways you must first present them with a desirable alternative... in this case nonjudgmental friendship. I'm resorting to this 'Table Talk' as in a sit-down game I could easily explain this with cross-table talk.. and everyone would know what my intentions are. Play-by-post is hard to do that without slamming you in the face with it... as you can't read my intentions in post unless I tell you all directly.]

"Silena let me have the keys. The rest of us will go back towards the camp and perhaps we will do a bit of advanced scouting." He extends his hand for the keys, mentally noting where the harpy mentioned the locks were located. "Eziri lets go have drink or two with a smuggler."

Sonya smiles warmly at Selina's request. "Of course I will aid you. It will always be love and kindness that brings one from the dark, not a greater darkness."

Silena tries to his her personal inner-joy at Sonya's acceptance but, the excited joy in her expression is not possible to miss in her smile.

Striding over to Jegren, "Sure Jen.. here...", and hands him the keys.

Turning back to Umdrella and Sonya, "Now let's get started... I don't have my beautification unguents but we'll work with what we have... Let's start with cleaning you up a bit 'Umi'... and then I can get a good look at how much damage has been done to your wings. I am a professional torturer/interrogator... but part of that is the skill is mostly keeping your subjects alive... so I'm also a skilled surgeon. I can diagnose just what needs healing to restore your wings. By the way... what clothing choices do you have available Umi?"

As she bundles Sonya and Umbrella inside...

To Sonya it is clear that Silena is still a woman-child and has likely never had the intimacy of an actual close female friend to do the things that teenaged girls have a fancy to do in their pre-womanhood. Silena has been forced by her life to grow up VERY fast... especially for a half-elf but, the young girl in her is still there... even if hidden under a brooding wariness. She must feel very comfortable to relax her guard with Sonya like this.

[ooc - Table Talk: I'm pausing here to let YOU Megan set up the scene inside Umdrella's abode... so I'll know what is available. Silena will be looking for a cauldron/pot big enough to bathe Umdrella in. Likely - considering Harpies proclivities for eating other sentient beings she may indeed have such a large cook pot. So I leave it to you. I want to perhaps post two more of these post of RP between Sonya-Silena-Umdrella... and then move on so we do not slow the game advancement down too much but do convey what Sonya and Silena are trying to accomplish if that is ok with everyone else. Its not the Silena show after all!]

Inside her lair, Umdrella has half-a-dozen large cauldrons any one of which would suit Silena's purposes - or would once the foul contents of loose body parts, narcotic oils, blood, and less savory substances are tipped out!

Silena will look around with some distaste... then set to work finding three smaller kettles. She will pour whats in the big man-sized cauldron into the three kettles to save whatever rude concoction Umdrella was working...

"Don't fret Umdrella... you can come back to... whatever this stew is afterward."

Silena will clean the cauldron out and set a the cauldron back on the coals... then cast, multiple times, create water to refill the cauldron as the water warms up.

"Sonya let's clean up this place a bit... so we establish some order and clear a living space so Umdrella can maintain being clean after her bath."

Silena is not going to rearrange the entire place in a more orderly fashion... as would be to her lawful liking .. but cleaning the refuse and dirt out of the living space is sufficient for now.

Once the water is warm to the point of just being shy of uncomfortable to the touch... she shifts the cauldron off the coals. Pulling from her pack a brick of soap she approaches Umdrella with a smirk and a... somewhat naughty expression on her face.

"Now 'Umi'.. let's see what those feathers really look like when not encased in filth...!"

Silena helps Umdrella into the pot and is ... actually kind of gentle scrubbing with soap and wash-rag smiling gently as she washes the dirt and grime away revealing the colorful feathers of the harpy woman's flanks and tattered wings...

She whispers furtively to Umdrella, "...would you please sing for us 'Umi'...?"

During the bath Silena will make a very tender medical examination of the Harpy's injured wings...

Heal: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

It takes quite a lot of scrubbing, you reckon it is years since Umdrella washed. She looks quite nervous to start with but eventually relaxes.

As the grime is washed away, it turns out that Umdrella has rather beautiful red and black plumage. The damage, you are relieved to discover, is mostly down to neglect. Some battered and bent feathers, many of them matted with filth. Now they are clean, there are still gaps which will have to regrow before she's airworthy.

"You want me to sing?" asks Umdrella. "Very well..."

She throws back her head and emits a strange yet beautiful atonal cry, that is reminiscent of the wind blowing over the desert.

Sonya aids in casting the water into the makeshift tub. She shyly casts glances around the room before slipping out of her robes and begins to scrub the filthy creature.

sorry for the slow and short posts in the process of moving so super busy and no internet only my cell.

Erizi shakes his head in wonder at this development. I will never understand females. He then turns with Jengren, to walk back towards the camp.

"I think that has we stayed to watch what is happening there we would be scarred for life".

Silena grins and begins to add her voice to Umdrella's song as she tenderly massages Umdrella's wing muscles.

Perform: Sing {Take 10!} 10 + 2 = 12

Silena pulls a small brush that she personally uses on her own hair and begins to preens the feathers of Umdrella's wings. But she is very careful to only brush very lightly to smooth the feather out filling what gaps in her plumage and not pull more down from her threadbare plumage.

Silena embraces Umdrella in a tender sisterly fashion, whispering soft complements to her about the beauty of her wing feathers and plumage as she moves to washing her back, arms and flanks to reveal the womanly flesh beneath the grime. She teasingly chides Umdrella warning her that she will have to be careful to hide her new revealed beauty... not only from Kardswann but also the other even less savory ruffians of Kalemarane who will undoubtedly come to beat down her door to sample her womanly charms...!

Finally With Umdrella clean, and preened Silena will help her out of the tube and will pats her down dry with her cloak and dress her in one of Silena's own clean outfits.

Silena will speak to Umdrella, "Now.. my magics of the Midnight lord have begun their work... you will have to keep your wings clean meticulously, mind you! And you must brush them regularly for the feather to heal properly... in perhaps as much as three or four days.. your flight shall return. Will you give thanks to Zon-Kuthon?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14
- To touch Umdrella's heart with her kindness, tenderly sisterly concern and openly offered friendship.
Healing: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
- To offer her best medical advice in the care and keeping of her wings so she may indeed recover quickly.
Bluff: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
- To claim she has used Zon-Kuthon's 'magics' to heal her wings... it sis more of a claim that due to the presence of a servant of Zon-Kuthon she has been healed... but its not strictly the 'truth'.

She smiles, "Now you will have to forgive me, because I have little in the way of spare clothing for you to wear until we have washed all your clothing and gone through what can be salvaged. You poor dear.. have you had no sisters to council you on your fashion? well fret not for Sonya has impeccable taste in clothing and I have the lascivious eye for what will make one irresistible to behold!"

Silena then labors to slide the cauldron full of filthy water out back and unceremoniously dumps it! Empty she carries it back in setting it on the hearth and starts to rekindle the dying embers. Again Silena casts her orisons to create water to fill the pot again.

Then nodding to Sonya she searches the abode for every scrap of clothing that Umdrella identifies as clothing she wears and bundles it all into the hot water to begin scrubbing it all clean of the dirt and grime.

Silena lets Sonya take over some of the washing as she pulls a rope and strings a drying line outside the abode for which to hand the clothing to dry.

Sonya pauses a moment then offers her own outfit, a blue silken robe, to Umdrella. "Take mine. The goodness of mercy has provided me with a new outfit back at camp this very day so that I could gift this to you. A reminder that darkness seeks only to destroy, but that which is good and holy seeks to help those in need."

Once complete, Sonya will dry herself and replace the snug fitting armor that hides beneath her more modest robes. Preparing herself for an embarrassing trip to camp.

Sonya will cast any number of cure light wounds needed but has no access to higher level spells yet to try anything. Megan what would be necessary to restore her wings? Heal check 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Umdrella smiles.

"I believe in no gods, but will give thanks to kind people. Amongst harpies, cleanliness and adornment are not customary, yet I confess it feel rather... nice."

She looks down at the blue robe and her own black and red plumage.

Ladies, you think time and keeping the feathers clean and preened will restore Umdrella's flight.

Silena chuckles and hugs Umdrella affectionately, "Perhaps.. but the gods rely not on mortal's belief in them or not... they are quite real and exert their power on the mortal world."

Silena take the clothing shes been washing int he caldron and begins to hang it up to dry on the line she has raised outside.

She grins, "Yes, cleanliness ... is its own reward. but {yawn!}.. I an Sonya must part it is late and we do not wish to be weary on the morrow. Tomorrow evening.. I'll return and teach you how to brush your teeth.. so your breath is not a detractor from your loveliness..."

"Come along Sonya... let us return to our companions before they begin wondering if we've been shoved into a cooking pot..."

Silena escorts Sonya back to the bivouac campsite, her natural Darkvision seeing perfectly clearly in the night... even still she avoid any deep pools of darkness. No need to tempt anything that stalks the ruins nocturnally...

[As promised only two posts on this.. so as not to slow the game down too much.]

Sonya keeps ahold of Selina in the darkness but does not cast a light so the shadows can cover her immodest form traveling into the camp.

Once back in the camp she sets back to the priestly robes she took off the undead creature. She continues to mending and letting the robes out to better match her form. Once she is satisfied with her work she lets out a large yawn before setteling into her bedroll.

Erizi shakes his head in wonder at this development. I will never understand females. He then turns with Jengren, to walk back towards the camp.

"I think that has we stayed to watch what is happening there we would be scarred for life".

"I shudder at the thought - my friend."

Back at the campsite, there's a small fire burning. Dashki is asleep (and snoring!). Calain is still awake.

Erizi casts an appreciative gaze at Sonya's revealed form, as the two re-enter the camp.

"Look Jengren". "Maybe we should have stayed and see what would be revealed".

He then gives a gigantic yawn, and stretch. "So what is our watch order for the evening"? "I suppose I have a middle watch, since I have no prayers to utter, or books to study".

"I can take the first watch, but I need plenty of rest for my powers."