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Mr Peppers pauses at the situation, places his hand on his forehead and concentrates for a moment "I can see you are looking for something which is broken? A weapon of some kind... a blade! Was it a dagger perhaps? Or Maybe a short sword? Something old and very powerful!" He pulls his hand away and leans up against the wall for support.
"I have said too much, I must rest now." He takes a few labored breathes, leaning up against Gallix for support.
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"How did you know?!" Medda asks, her face aghast. "These Blakros people stole our most precious heirloom." Medda retrieves a bundle of bloody bandages, then unwraps it to reveal a dagger hilt with only the fragment of a black blade. "It belonged to Ivvora, a champion of Vildeis who vanquished the great black evil from our land over 900 years ago. We kept it safe until the Blakros agents stole it three months ago."
Anok looks at Mr. Peppers suspiciously. "Indeed, you have said too much. In fact, you know too much. How?"
Medda shrugs. "The gnome says they are here to help, and I feel I can trust them. Let us go with them, Anok."
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Sirettis pauses. "Have you studied divination magic, Mister Peppers? You've been quite good at hiding it."
Sirettis sees Medda and feels like she should introduce herself, and yet... "This is all so confusing. Let us leave this haunted museum and clarify issues outside."
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Just as Medda begins to pack up the hilt and her equipment, rallying her troops to leave, a tremor tears through the upper study. The chandelier wavers precariously for a second, then comes crashing down to the ground. A tear opens up in the space above it, and a large, horrifying devil flies out, floating about 15 feet above the mosaic-tiled floor.
"Ah, more torture puppets. And nearly a dozen of them. Let's get started, then, shall we?" It taunts, its voice a horrid, low rumble.
"Warriors, stay back! Anok and I will purge this fiend!" Medda commands, urging the other Twinhorns away.
-- Bold is up --
Sir D
Devil
Longjing, Gallix, Medda
Cup, Mr. Peppers, Sirettis, Anok
Twinhorn Warriors and Companion
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Sirettis recalls that this devil has resistances to acid and cold, and, like most devils, immunity fire and poison.
The bony devil looks down at its targets. It isn't sure who to pick, but one of the Twinhorn warriors nearby looks like an easy plaything.
"You," it points. "Die."
Hovering 10 feet above the warrior, it unleashes a devastating attack.
It finishes by ripping the barbarian's arms and legs from its torso, tossing the limbless body across the room. Medda screams in horror.
-- Bold is up --
Sir D
Devil
Longjing, Gallix, Medda
Cup, Mr. Peppers, Sirettis, Anok
Twinhorn Champion, Skirmisher, and Companion
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Sirettis pauses. "Have you studied divination magic, Mister Peppers? You've been quite good at hiding it."
Mr Peppers smiles coyly from his resting place "I study ALL magic Sirettis, some just catch more of my fancy than others..."
As the Devil appears Mr Peppers apologizes "My second sight forgot about this guy!" He eyes him up and sees what he can't remember about its special attacks and defenses...
As he ponders he waves his hands around frantically, throwing some bit of a chewed up root in the air "Faster! Faster! FASTER!"
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Gallix breathes in the magic as Mr. Peppers's spell heightens his senses and energizes him to move at extraordinary speed. "Alright, folks, let's get dem bones dem bones dem bad ol' bones!" He lifts a foot as if to take quick step forward, then turns into a blur of lunging feet and flying fists as he strikes the demon almost from where he had been standing a moment before. As he unleashes his barrage of attacks, Gallix lets out a guttural roar, "rrrrrRRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!"
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Watching the akuma appear and tear apart the northern warrior Uesugi wastes no time in joining the battle before another is harmed. He moves up and attempts to jump on the table to get the floating akuma. However his armour is far too heavy and weighs him down from performing the feat.
He then takes out a wand and calls to Little Dragon. "Take this to Mr. Peppers or anyone who is able to increase my size."
He then takes out a wand and calls to Little Dragon. "Take this to Mr. Peppers or anyone who is able to increase my size."
Longjing snorts as he is handed the wand. “Noble Steed... Do you not see that I am a MIGHTY Dragon? Master of both combat and the arcane? Have you not seen my awesome ability to shapechange? If you need someone to operate this wand, I will do it!”
Waving the stick like a master conductor, Longjing concentrates...
...and begins casting the spell.
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Just when the bone devil thinks he's dodged every blow, Gallix hits him two solid punches - right where it counts. D reappears, zapping the devil with negative energy.
Cup knows that these devils have damage reduction to anything but good-aligned weapons, and that they can teleport and turn invisible at will, like Sir D in big, nasty devil form.
The Twinhorn warriors heed Medda's advice and flee as far as they possibly can, though one takes a claw swipe across the shoulder as he skirts by.
Medda wipes a bead of sweat from her brow, cursing. "It will kill as all if we lose sight of it. Anok, do not be brazen here."
"Forgive me, Medda, but I must protect you and the hilt." A loud hiss rings from Anok as his shape begins to shimmer and blur, the red phantom doubling in size. His fists become covered in solid metal and emit a neon blue haze.
Medda wretches, grabbing her stomach in pain.
The phantom throws its ethereal metal fists at the devil. The bone devil gurgles and hisses as he's hit with two solid blows!
_______________
"Foolish phantom, you will die just as quickly as that puny human."
Anok grunts from the onslaught, and fades slightly, but fights on.
-- Bold is up --
Sir D
Devil (-73)
Longjing, Gallix, Medda
Cup, Mr. Peppers, Sirettis, Anok (-36), ★Uesugi★
Twinhorn Champion, Skirmisher (-10), and Companion
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Sirettis steps over some of the glass and casts Heroism upon Gallix."You should feel more confident, Gallix."
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"Alright! I got my sister's helping me now, you big bony bastard! Get ready to go down." Gallix sidesteps, then repeats his lightning-fast barrage of blows against the devil.
ooc]5ft step; Brawler's Flurry, Combat Expertise, Outslug Style (with Lunge), Haste, Inspire Courage, Heroism in effect.
AC27 from Combat Exp/Outslug/Haste this turn.[/ooc]
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Sir D evokes a purple bolt of negative energy from his palm, burning up the devil's legs. The sight of Gallix reaching to punch the devil five times with unwavering determination is a funny one when he misses every punch.
However, Mr. Peppers has little time for this devil nonsense. He overcomes the devil's spell resistance, and lobs five force missiles at it, the fifth one a killing shot causing the devil to vibrate violently, screaming as it melts into a pile ash.
Anok returns to normal size, and Medda collapses from exertion.
"Your bravery is unmatched," she says to the Red Arm team. "You are worthy of the respect of the Twinhorns. I see we share an equal hatred of evil, too." Despite her pain, she rushes to Anok's side, touching him with a glowing palm. "As for you, Anok..."
And whacks her phantom on the head. "You could have been killed!"
Anok balks at her disapproval. "Or perhaps you would have been killed had it not been for these people and I. Let us not argue." He turns to you. "Take us to your leaders. We wish to speak more about the theft of the Hilt and how the Blakros agents were involved."
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Tall, dark, and deadly blows on his finger and holsters his machine gun before turning to the Twinhorns "We have an extremely high rate of 'not getting anyone killed' that has taken a hit today. Let us help you gather your dead and we'll go speak with the others."
Mr Peppers pauses for a moment to honor the fallen meatshield before turning to lead the others outside. Poor fella.
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“I am so sorry this happened, Medda.” Cup leans down to examine the fallen warrier with tears in her eyes. “You know, the Blakros family has deep pockets. I am wondering if we can get them to pay for bringing your warrior back, Medda. After all, it is partially Nigel’s fault that you all had to came here.”
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Medda is silent as Anok wraps the corpse of the fallen Twinhorn Skirmisher up. And silent still when you head back downstairs and out of the museum, which has taken on a strange calm what with the dozens of Pathfinders destroying any of the rogue guards. Outside, Ambrus Valsin speaks with Nigel Aladain, demanding he improve the security of his museum.
"Suppose these clockwork soldiers managed to escape the museum. What do you think would've happened to Absalom?" Valsin asks sternly.
Nigel shrugs, brushing off the sense of panic. "My, my, Venture-Captain. Let us not be so brash. You can see the situation is well under control, thanks to your Society's very capable hands. ... Oh? What do we have here?" He looks at Cup inquisitively, but his face falls when he sees Medda and Anok carrying out something heavy wrapped in cloth. "Oh dear. I'm afraid I spoke too soon."
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The crowd of guards, onlookers, and concerned citizens outside the Blakros Museum quiets as Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin approaches a woman clad in furs exiting the museum. “My Pathfinder agents tell me that you are Medda of the Twinhorn following, is that correct?”
“Yes, I speak for the following.” Medda glares at Nigel Aldain, “I have come to reclaim what is rightfully ours. His agents stole our most sacred relic after we refused to sell it. We have traveled through dangerous lands to claim it back, and still he refused—”
“My agents claim they bought it,” Nigel protests. “I’m not going to just give it to you because you stomp into my office demanding priceless artifacts.”
Valsin interjects, “Nigel, let us listen to her story and decide how to proceed. Medda, tell us about this relic. Why is it so important to you?”
Medda takes a deep breath. “Over 900 years ago, a powerful warrior named Ivvora came into our camp. She spoke of an angel named Vildeis who guided her hunt for a great dark evil she called Eshimka. Several of our scouts had recently disappeared, later found ripped into pieces. The elders insisted that we help banish this evil and ensure the safety of our following. They laid a trap for the evil spirit, luring it to our sacred standing stones on the winter solstice. There, Ivvora and the great dark evil, Eshimka, fought a mighty battle that raged for hours. Just as the night was darkest, Ivvora dealt Eshimka a telling blow, digging her dagger deep into its flesh. The creature tried to escape, but it only snapped off the blade and then collapsed on the center stone. The elders finished their ritual and destroyed it completely.
“Ivvora rested with us for the winter before departing to eradicate more evil from the world, but not before leaving us the hilt of her weapon.” Medda withdraws a bundle of bloody cloth from her bag, then unwraps it to reveal a small hilt with a bloody fragment of black metal. “She told us to bring the hilt back to the standing stones every year at the winter solstice to keep evil away. We’ve had to travel for so long to retrieve the hilt, I’m afraid we won’t make it back in time for the solstice. Please, let me leave now.”
Ambrus Valsin contemplates Medda’s story for a moment, then nods, his brow furrowed. “Nigel, you should send for the Blakros agents who ‘obtained’ the hilt and hear what they have to say. Medda, I’m going to send as many Pathfinder agents as you deem necessary to travel with you and your following. I want to ensure we return this relic to its proper place.” Nigel starts to protest, but Valsin cuts him off. “Nigel, you wanted my help; you are getting it. I’m helping you fix a mistake your agents made. As for your museum,” Valsin takes a moment to survey the heavily damaged museum, ”I’m told most of the damage was done by your own security, not Medda and her following.
“Pathfinders, prepare to head north to the Realm of the Mammoth Lords.”
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“My Pathfinder allies, thank you for bringing us much needed support,” says Medda, the Twinhorn following’s spiritual leader. She stands beside Anok, her phantom and constant companion. “After the orc ambush sapped our supplies and strength, we pushed north to our winter home. We are only hours away from the stone circle and our encampment—if we are going to make it there by midnight, we need to press on. Once there, we will use Ivvora’s hilt to perform our time-honored ritual and keep evil from our lands.” Medda produces the small hilt of a broken weapon with only a fragment of its black metal blade remaining. “Let us move. There are dangers in these ancient woods: orc raiders, bears that topple trees, and worse. Stay in groups and don’t get lost.”
As the Kellids and Pathfinders reach the top of the hill next to the Twinhorn encampment, they notice splashes of blood and the occasional corpse dotting the landscape. Medda raises her voice, calling, “My brethren, our families are under attack! Secure the camp and drive back any who oppose you. Pathfinder allies, join us in defense of our home!” The landscape opens into a burned hillside where blackened trees stand like lifeless sentinels. A crude blockade shields the entrance to a natural cavern.
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“Nigel! This death is on your hands. Your agents took a holy blade from Medda and her people, a blade they did NOT wish to sell. It’s a holy blade... They need it to keep an ancient evil in check. They travelled all this way, risked so much, and this man died because your agents messed up.” She looks up at him, hands on hips. “It’s time to elf up, Nigel! The Blakros family has resources. Please... Bring this man back so that he can continue on his quest. Otherwise... I am NOT coming to help you anymore, and I mean it!”
Then softer, she says, “You were a Pathfinder once, Nigel. You know we leave no ally behind. Please. It’s time to do the right thing.”
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Mr Peppers adds a brief bit to the gnome's insistent push for reconciliation for the fallen Twinhorn "Do not anger the fiesty Miss Cup. You aren't the one that's going to be traveling with her for the next few weeks. Pay your debts Nigel, its not your money anyhow."
Mr Peppers, aka Tall, dark and frosty, looks out on the field of burnt out trees and the hastily made barricade "Our time loop seems to be continuing, onward and inward to help these barbarians as quickly as possible." He subconsciously rubs his arms from the cold, even though his magical energy is shielding him from the worst of it.
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The samurai walks directly behind Madame Poshkettle as she tears into the curator. He nods in agreement with Mr. Peppers.
"The death was senseless. His blood will be the mark of ruin for your museum if you do nothing to rectify it, curator. You dishonour your name and those that will carry it after you have passed. Make good on this wrong you have had a hand in creating."
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"Little Dragon let us be prepared. At the first sign of anything that might be responsible for this. Use this shugenja stick on my blade."
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Sirettis enjoys watching the party shame Nigel. "Your agents have cost you dearly today, but not as much as the Twinhorns. Remember that other cultures deserve the same respect as us."
Sirettis enjoys another trip to the cold north. "I can enlarge your size, although you will have to be patient."
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Nigel rubs his hands together as if to moisturize them. "Yeah, okay. I suppose I could probably work something out with a local priest I know. Come along now, bring the body. I do hope you managed to scavenge the arms and legs, too."
He marches off with a huge sigh, but does as requested, and after visiting the priest, Medda is relieved to see her faithful Twinhorn warrior return to life.
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He joins you on your trip to the Twinhorn Camp, and remains in the encampment to defend it from the invading forces. Just outside the camp, three undead fiends slam at the barricade protecting the cavern. They've almost gotten through!
-- Bold is up --
Gallix, Sirettis
Red
D
Green
Uesugi, Longjing, Cup, Mr. Peppers
Blue
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Sirettis applies her wand of Mage Armor as they approach.
"I will prepare to enlarge you, Sir Uesugi. Please be patient."
Sirettis prepares to cast Enlarge Person.
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As the group comes upon the undead assault, Gallix pulls his usual mutagenic cigarette from its place in his chest pocket and lights it. "No sense in wasting time, right? Might as well throw what we've got at these guys before they wreck up the place anymore than they already have." As the transformation finishes, he draws a small vial from the pouch at his hip, ready to drink it down once he's adjusted to his musculature again. He takes a single step forward.
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Mr. Peppers recognizes the undead duo as Ragewights. Why, he saw them in this exact spot not long ago! They have no resistances other than those typical to the undead, and have the following special abilities.
Such spawn are under the command of their creator until its death, at which point they become free-willed undead.
He's less familiar with the lone, charred emaciated creature whose empty eye sockets seep trails of smoke. He recalls they're called Bodak, and they resist acid and fire.
The first ragewight turns as it notices your presence, and quickly shambles towards Gallix.
-- Bold is up --
Gallix, Sirettis
Red
D
Green
Uesugi, Longjing, Cup, Mr. Peppers
Blue
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Cursing the lack of unity within the group of undead, Mr Peppers pockets his bat guano and sulfur and instead speaks the words of rays of fire and aims and fires off a pair of them at the lead ragewight (red). "Of all the days to not prepare lightning bolt... look at them.. lined right up like a bunch of billiard balls!"
Tall, dark and upset is so beside himself that BOTH shots fly off into the sky like a pair of fireworks. "Fer cripes sake."
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♫ We’re closing on the bad guys
Something evil's a-lurkin' in the dark
Under the moonlight
Peppers tries his kickass Scorching Ray
The bad guys duck
But next time we’ll blow their asses away!
We’re the Red Arm!
As horror looks you right between the eyes
We’re not surprised! ♫
Then Cup looks at the Bodak, and decides that it’s bad news.
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Mr. Peppers actually manages to hit the red-eyed ragewight with both rays, melting a third eye in its face. The Bodak shields its eye holes from the shower of glittery dust.
Cup knows that Bodaks have the following terrifying special attack:
They do not have any special defenses, and Ragewights do not have any weaknesses outside of ordinary undead weaknesses.
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Mr Peppers rubs his eyes as his rays of fire are much more on track than he first thought "I think all this travel is getting to my head. Lets dispatch of these things quickly, I need to have some dinner and a nap." This is the kind of thing that happens when I've been forced to spend weeks traveling with a Gnome. I start going crazy.
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"Now Little Dragon. The shugenja stick.
With little effort Little Dragon wields the magic of the wand with the skill of master evoker and touches the wand to the blade. A soft glow surrounds both the katana and the wand for a brief moment.
"It is done Noble Dragon. Remove these cursed abominations from this land!"
Fully adorned in his tatami-do the weight of the heavy armour does nothing to slow the samurai from charging the closest undead creature. You watch as the red banner of the Red Arm flaps in the wind signaling that the Red Arm of Absalom has arrived!
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Uesugi gets buffed by the magically-inclined parrot dragon, then charges the undead with the hole in its face and carves a nice slice through the left half of its ribs. Blue shambles ahead towards the rest of you, a low growl escaping its grey lips.
-- Bold is up --
Gallix, Sirettis
Red (-56)
D
Green
Uesugi, Longjing, Cup, Mr. Peppers
Blue