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Okay, to recap.
Prep: Sevegny disguises herself as a hobgoblin, and casts Invisibility on Coraline.
Round 1: Johnny the Hob casts Ghost Sound, distracting one of the sentries, and pushes him over the edge of the cliff.
Round 2: Tate, followed by Amie, Sevegny, Hans and Diego, sneak attacks the other sentry, and the combined effort kills the sentry. Simultaneously, Coraline sneaks across the front yard invisibly and pauses to listen at the front door.
Round 3: Amie locates the spooked cat and follows it to where it hid. Tate, Hans and Sevegny move over to join Coraline at the door. Diego snuffs out the fire on the hobgoblin sentry. Coraline opens the door and enters the foyer and begins looking around. An eerie wail erupts from inside the house, as it has periodically since your arrival.
Round 4: Coraline pauses inside the foyer and visibly shivers against the cold. Hans, Tate and Sevegny remain on the porch, presumably. Amie retrieves the cat and uses Handle Animal to calm it down, then picks up the cat and moves toward the porch.
Round 5: Coraline looks a bit confused, shakes her head and hands as if shaking off the cold, then moves purposefully toward the double doors at the end of the foyer. Diego, for reasons of his own, decides to leave the party. Tate leaves the porch and moves back out into the trees . Amie reaches the porch with the cat in hand and has a half round remaining (one move action, or one standard action). It is the current round for the rest of you.
Johnny paces back and forth across the yard to keep up the appearance that the sentries are still patrolling, in case anyone looks out the windows.
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Oops, I had forgotten that Coraline was still under the effects of Sevegny's Invisibility spell, so the rest of you didn't actually see her reactions to the cold when she stepped into the foyer. You could tell she was moving toward the double doors further in, by the sound of her footfalls, but no visuals, at least not until she attacks something.
Being that this is Memorial Day weekend, I'm going to be pretty busy for the next few days with a number of activities, so I probably won't have much time to deal with this game again until Tuesday. Hope you all have a great Memorial Day!
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Sorry posting has been very sporadic this week. We've been hit with storm after storm after storm (and expecting another one tomorrow), and it's played havoc with my internet connection. Oh, the joy of living at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers - we get every storm that even thinks of brewing, much like Chicago!
I've put up a re-recruitment thread in the Gamers Connection forum to get another player. I don't know how soon baron will get back to me about whether his friend wants to play Johnny or a new character, so I left both options open in the re-re thread, and we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it.
Yippee!!
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NEEVAN'S ENTRY
He looked at Neevan, his voice strangely even and calm, "You will serve a new master soon. I will deliver you as a gift to Lord Reginald Blackmoor in Nirmathas. He is a good man, with three daughters about your age. He will treat you well, far better than this ... er ... I."
His strange demeanor drew scoffing whispers from his underlings, and no doubt, plots were soon hatched to relieve him of his role as a leader among the Sczarni thieves. But Jarlun paid no heed to the whispers and rumors, and instead hired himself and you onto a merchant's caravan which traveled by boat and hoof across the Obari Ocean, through the arid heat of Katapesh and through the sandy dunes of Osirion, across the Inner Sea and over the verdant pastures of Andoran, Isger and Molthune. The caravan turned west to Nidal at Fort Ramgate, but you and Jarlun departed on your own north into the forested reaches of Nirmathas. Unaware of the growing danger of the goblinoids from the mountains to the west launching raids into the agrarian communities of Nidal and Nirmathas, Jarlun hired only a light guard to escort you the rest of the way to Blackmoor Manor, where you would be delivered to Lord Blackmoor himself.
It was just south of Skelt, a mere two days' travel from your destination, that you were set upon by a band of marauding hobgoblins. Jarlun was mortally wounded, and the rest of your guard was slain. Drawing upon her skills, Neevan was able to overcome the few hobgoblins that survived the blades of your guards and Jarlun's flashing daggers.
With a final effort, Jarlun withdrew a sealed scroll from his tunic. "Deliver this to Lord Reginal Blackmoor. This is the deed to your services. Protect it with your life. As well, all that I carry is now yours."
As Jarlun died, that same curious haze came over him once again, only this time it seemed for a moment to linger and coalesce into a form, a form with a familiar and beloved face, that of the old Katapeshi sage that had been your dearest master. It smiles once at you, then flows into the tree limbs above you, where you see a small spider monkey staring down at you. The monkey is translucent and ghostly.
Following the events noted above, you carefully secret the scroll away and pack up Jarlun's body (fireman's carry, or litter?). Making your way through the woods, and careful to keep to the cover of the trees, for fear that more hobgoblins, or worse, might be about, you make it to the grounds of the Manor without incident. The first thing you notice is that the house is in a sorry state of disrepair, it looks as if it hasn't been lived in in years. However, you also notice that you are not the only one with an interest in the place. You see a ragged band of adventurers stealthily moving in on the building, and a pair of hobgoblin patrols, as you approach cautiously from the edge of the surrounding treeline. The group of adventurers gathers together for a moment, confering about something, then one of them - gasp! a hobgoblin - steps forward from the group, moves nonchalantly toward one of the patrolling hobgoblins, seems to have a few pleasant words with it, then pushes it off the cliff when its back is turned. Taking the dead hobgoblin's place, the adventurer hobgoblin begins walking the patrol route as if he had been there all along. The rest of the group breaks and moves against the other patrol, quickly and quietly taking him down with arrows and flame. While this is going on, you also see the front door open by its own volition, but there is nobody there! Two of the adventurers converge on the front door - a halfling and a human in light armor, and a third - a female half-elf - chases down a small cat, gathers it up, and rejoins the others at the door.
You are now brought up to the current round.
Nightwish:
She was only certain of one thing, her master had given her an order, and she intended to follow it. She secured the scroll in her pack, not even thinking of reading it, and rigged together a litter to carry her master the rest of the way to Blackmoor Manor.
When she saw the state of the manor, she almost despaired. But then she saw the activity around it. Watching carefully from the trees, she noted the adventurers dealing with hobgoblins like those who slew her master. She did not know what to make of the hobgoblin among them. Maybe he is their slave? Her eyes widened in surprise at the door seeming to open on its own. After the strange people went inside, she rose from her crouching position and looked around carefully before attempting to quietly drag the litter out of the woods and to the front door. Stealth: 29
Once she made it to the door, she looked in to see if the strangers were still in sight. She knew now that they were no friends of the hobgoblins. After a long moment of struggling with the wisdom of what she was about to do, she resolved to announce herself. At best, they were here to aid the Blackmoor family or perhaps even members, at worst, they were intruders who had to be stopped.
"Please pardon this one," Neevan said quietly and politely, bowing in the doorway with her palms together but not taking her eyes off the strangers. "But are any among you of the Blackmoor family or their servants?"
She had to know their purpose. She may not have been Lord Blackmoor's property yet, but she fully intended to defend him and his holdings. She would not fail two masters in the same day.
Nightwish:
"Pardon me, miss, but this is not the best time!" Hans whispers. "We're about to fight a legion of axe-wielding hobgoblins, so you might want to stand out of the way..."
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Knowlegde Roll: 1d20+8=27.
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Those of you in the doorway hear Coraline whisper some words in an arcane language. It strikes you as odd, because the few times any of you have seen her cast spells, they have always been of a divine nature, not using the language of the arcane.
Anyone with ranks in Spellcraft can make a roll to try to determine what spells she is casting.
Coraline
Amie turns to the girl and looks her over, still holding the cat and stroking its ear. “We are here to rid the Blackmoor Manor of the evils that have taken residence with in it and rescue those who serve good, Khivatri.” She speaks quietly. “Why do you seek the Blackmoors? Perhaps you can assist us.”
Neevan looked embarassed by the halfling's admonishing. She now felt foolish for having rushed into a situation she did not fully understand. She was about to ask for forgiveness when the half-elven woman spoke.
She reached into her pack and pulled forth the scroll her old master had given her. "This one was ordered to deliver this scroll and herself to Lord Blackmoor by her old master after we were attacked by hobgoblins." She gestured towards the Varisan man's corpse on the litter behind her. She looked back at the strangers, her eyes now filled with hope. "If you are here to aid the Blackmoor family, this one will do all she can to aid you!" she said eagerly, bowing again, but this time respectfully averting her eyes.
Amie first speaks in Elven:
“What is your birth name, Khivatri?” She asks the girl, hoping the rumors of sucide are just that, rumors. “And may I see the scroll you keep? The information with in could help us here.”
Neevan haltingly replied, uncertain why these strangers would be interested in the birth name of a mere Khivatri. "T-this one's name was Neevan. But she will answer to any name her master gives her."
She almost jerked the sealed scroll back instinctively upon hearing the half-elf's request. "This one was ordered to guard it with her life..." Her hands shook as she struggled with the new dilemma. She was not told specifically to let no one else read it, but it was sealed. Surely it was meant for Lord Blackmoor's eyes alone. But if the information could help find him, as these people seemed to be here to do...
Her hand quivered as she slowly held it out, absolute fear in her eyes that she was doing something wrong. "O-only if it is to help Lord Blackmoor and his family..." she suggested, her normally clear voice faltering.
Amie slowly takes the scroll slowly, smiling gently to not frighten the girl. “Thank you, Neevan. You serve your masters well.” She sets down the cat and speaks to it quietly, “Please don’t run away again. No harm will come to you.” Amie will then break the seal and read the scroll.
Blackmoor
Yes.
Memories. Yes. Passions. Yes. Loves. Yes. Dreams. Yes. Our Home. Yes ... but ... Intruders! No. Here. No ! They are foul beasts. They have come into our home ! NO ! They must be broken !
Death
DEATH !!!
Are you saying all this aloud, or just thinking it?
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Amie
Naveen
Coraline
ALL:
Amie eyes swirl shades of brown as she reads over the scroll carefully. Her hand moves up to her chest to touch the amulet under her shirt, something she often does while reading. It’s then that she realizes something odd about her amulet, it was vibrating. She quickly reaches for it and pulls it out from her shirt holding it in her hand. “When did that start…” she begins to try and think back quickly, going over everything in her mind, she had been so focused on rescuing Yalla.
“Hold on everyone, I need to check something out.” She rolls up the scroll and hands it back to Neevan. “Thank you very much, Neevan. Keep that with you. We will need it later. By the way my name is Amie. Please follow me, I wish to investigate something. There may be another way in.”
Removing the amulet from around her neck Amie holds it up a bit like a pendulum and walks slowly over to the well.
"We have the advantage of surprise, let us not squander it. We have a hostage inside, do we not? Perhaps we should enter the house, and search for the prisoner, taking care not to move so far inside that retreat becomes impossible."
Nightwish:
Neevan suddenly seemed distracted, staring into a nearby corner with wide eyes before looking back questioningly at the strangers, and then back into the corner.
She snapped to attention with a surprised jerk when the half-elf spoke to her again. She carefully took the scroll back, and gently tucked it back into her pack before bowing in response to Amie's request. "Y-yes, Lady Amie." she replied, following after the woman whose eyes she could have sworn were a different color before she looked away. She looked back over her shoulder as she did so, as if looking for something half-seen earlier.
Nightwish:
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Recap: Johnny killed one of the hob sentries, and Tate, Diego, Red Feather, Hans, Sevegny and Amie teamed up on the other, just before Red Feather, Sevegny and Diego parted company with the rest of you. While you were fighting the sentries, Coraline, protected by an Invisibility spell (cast but Sevegny, I think, or was it Hans?), moved through the front door and into the foyer. While Amie chased the frightened cat, the rest of you gathered at the door to await Coraline's signal that it was safe to enter, and Amie joined you a few moments later, carrying the cat. Then Neevan showed up, seemingly out of nowhere, sneaking up behind the group, with a corpse in tow.
Coraline has not reported back to the group. The door stands open, and you do not see her inside, but you could hear what sounds like her whispered voice mumbling arcane words, which is odd, knowing that rangers cast divine, not arcane magic . Moments later, the double doors at the other end of the hallway open, but you still hear no word from Coraline. It's eerie. She seems to be either ignoring you, or to have forgotten that you are there.
Do you continue with the actions you emailed me about
YES
DEATH !
Tate will sneak through the door, and listen. He will also look for irregularities, tripwires and anything else that can mess up our day.
Bow ready but not drawn.
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Coraline
Roll your attack, and let me know if you're attacking the one walking toward the door (and thus, toward you), or if you're going to skirt around him and attack one of those seated at the table.
Your damage will be 3d6 if you succeed on a melee touch attack. Also, if your attack roll is good enough to hit his Flat-Footed AC (since you're still Invisible until you attack), then you can also do regular unarmed damage, which I believe is 1d3 (one damage category lower than a monk's unarmed damage) plus Str bonus.
Tate
Nightwish:** spoiler omitted **
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Coraline
Those of you in the foyer hear a sharp crack as of a hand solidly striking flesh, followed by a shriek of fear and surprise. Abruptly, Coraline flickers into visibility just past the double doors, and the hobgoblin steps into view, his eyes widen as he sees Coraline, who seems flush with new power and vigor, her eyes wild and seemingly unfocused. Then he sees the rest of you. A shout erupts from the back of the room, and it's time for everyone to roll Initiative!
Coraline: damage was 14 total, with 11 of it coming from the spell, so add 11 temporary hit points to your total (they will last for one hour).
Hans tries to stifle a whoop of excitement as he gets ready to fight again.
The +4 will apply (but the 18 will not be a crit for an unarmed strike)...
Coraline: damage was 14
Hopefully Tate has managed to get within thirty feet of the enemy. He draws his bow, and looses an arrow at the first foe to show.
"Johnny! To me!"
"First squad, to the roof! Third squad get into position! Mages to me!
Amie looks up suddenly upon hearing Tate. “Well, looks like I’ll have to investigate this more later. Lets go Neevan!” she says quickly as she makes a run for the battle readying her bow. “And don’t hurt the shiny one, he’s on our side!”
"Y-yes, my Lady!" Neevan stammered, seemingly trying to shake off some distraction as she charged alongside the half-elf. Her eyes were wide as she looked upon the woman who had just appeared.
She picked up her pace, intending to rush ahead and tumble past the closest of the hobgoblins before lashing back with a kick.