Rev
He holds the dwarf close, "I'll admit, I'm not sure I would have been able to confront Narissa alone. She is intimidating, I myself find most magic users slightly intimidating. It's something I've always been fascinated by but I don't have the natural ability to really understand it so here I am. I've got this ring here that I think might be magical and I'm trying to get it put back together."
"Do you plan on opening a shop? I wonder if she has seen something for your future." Gobi laughs and looks to Roswitha "Wait a second, are you saying I'm not competent looking enough to be afraid of?" he says playfully.
The Dwarf smiles at Roswitha as their food arrives, "Are you hungry? Thank you Della."
All
Gobi
"Oooh, sandwiches. That's a wonderful idea Della, thank you." Roswitha beams happily and eats.
Over your meal, she talks some more about her hopes for the future. "I don't think Narissa saw anything in my future, exactly," she says slightly evasively, "but she seemed to know about me wanting to be a weaponsmith."
"I guess a shop would be good, once I know what I'm doing. That's a beautiful craghammer, the workmanship is superb," she adds.
At the end of the evening, Roswitha looks at you and smiles again. "I'm so glad you came here. I never met anyone like you before and I really want you to stay." she says simply. Then she quietly leaves the room, taking the sandwich plate with her.
The next morning, the party assembles at breakfast to discuss their plans for the day. Vel announces she has an errand to run and Gobi proposes to spend some time constructing an alchemically enhanced tether. Reason appears in a new and remarkably stylish outfit and expresses his determination to render the remaining books harmless.
Arianwyn smiles at Reason's natty appearance, and says "I see that we shall have to beware. Our scholar is now student of fashion!"
Rev:
Kia
And you do. Childhood games with your brothers, before they started telling you girls should be ladylike. Shooting bows and arrows into the fruit trees using the silvery apples as targets.
Vel
Weltmann is waiting in his office, now swept clean of any remnants of the proto-tiefling infestation. "Morning. You got my note then. Did you incinerate it?"
Rev:
Vel
"You can listen to me and work with me. Nothing wrong with the results, but you're wasting energy. It's a matter of positioning your attacks and keeping your enemies off balance. Hitting them where they don't expect to be hit."
He looks thoughtful. "Most of that will come with time and practice, but you don't necessarily have that luxury. My proposition is this. Think now about rituals that will help you. I'll teach you what I can. If you survive, and I think you will, we'll talk more.
Rev
Kia appears for breakfast and greets the others, looking happier than she has for some time. She listens to the plans for the day and agrees that they should rescue Yusiri first.
"But I also need to buy a longbow. It will be more effective than the crossbow, I think. I don't think I'll be long"
Gobi
Kia
Gobi reminds you that Sergeant Hardshyp's brother-in-law, Albert Bearkin, is a purveyor of weapons and basic supplies. Bearkin is grumpy, but likely to be more helpful and offer a (slight) discount if you mention that you helped out Hardshyp.
Arianwyn has an unreadable expression on his face, as he contemplates times past and present.
Rev:
Vel
"Of course, donations to the university funds are always most welcome, but those are entirely voluntary," he remarks apropos of nothing in particular.
Kia
Albert Bearkin grudgingly provides you with a longbow.
Arianwyn
Gobi You spend a productive hour or so constructing the tether.
Reason carefully removes his new sartorial splendour and puts on his battered but comfortable darkleaf armour again.
Seraphiel has communed with his former selves.
Whiteclaw spends the morning sharpening her frost axe and grooming herself.
"Alright! Let us go and repair some books!!"
Rev:
All:
Daily Arcane, Illusion
Standard Action Ranged 5
Target: You or one creature
Effect: The target is invisible until the end of your next turn. If the target attacks, the effect ends.
Sustain Standard: If the target is within range, you can sustain the effect.
DAY 8
Vel
A short time later, Vel rejoins her companions and the group arrive in due course at the Arcane Tower containing Pirot. As before, Narissa's name works its magic on the gatekeeper and you experience no difficulty gaining entrance.
The tower door is firmly shut when you arrive although there is a note tacked to it on which the words "Come in." are scribbled. This document seems to be causing some consternation among the university population. Staff and students alike are giving the place a wide berth.
Unperturbed, Whiteclaw shoves the door open and leads the way into the study. While no tidier than it was yesterday, it now contains Pirot Samagal, looking significantly better and drinking a cup of hot, sweet tea. The centre of the room has been swept clear of papers and half-scrawled runes form the beginnings of a portal.
He rises as you enter, looking for a second as if he might be about to blast you all, but then relaxes. "Is the note keeping them out?" he asks.
"Yes," Vel answers, distracted by the runes on the floor.
Kia follows, smugly sporting her new longsword and distance longbow (+1) and smiles a radiant smile at Pirot.
"Well, you seem prepared as well. Nice runes. By the way, I would love to talk to you about runes in more detail some day as I find them rather intriguing. But when this is over of course."
"Possibly," Pirot looks hard at Kia and prods experimentally at the floor with one finger, slopping his tea as he does so.
"Previous experience has made me cautious about taking pupils."
He stops prodding. "I need to see the rune my ex-student corrupted for herself. This is a basic portal, but it needs focus. Hold the book for me please. I will not touch it myself."
Pirot examines the rune and shakes his head. "Nasty piece of work. I can't say I approve of the usage, but she knows what she's doing. Or thinks she does." A slightly boyish grin crosses his face.
"The gun-spiking starts here, ladies and gentlemen. Get that poor soul out of what will be a specially tailored nightmare. Try not to bring any passengers back with you."
Stepping back, he chants and a portal forms in front of you.
Through the arcane gateway, you see an idyllic pastoral scene forming.
The object of your search cuts a pathetic figure indeed, crouched wearing only towel and surrounded by a dark haze. Around him, all seems to be merriment.
A clearly drunken dwarf reveler crushes grapes in a large vat, egged on by the happy song of his fellow. Surrounding the haze and thoroughly enjoying their victim's ostracism, are more dwarves. These are clearly elders of great status and know it. Gobi recognises them as master vinters. Rare among dwarves, they have their own code of behaviour, inpenetrable to the ininitiated. With every comment they pass on Yusiri's inadequacy, the darkness presses closer, threatening to crush him entirely.
The portal continues to glow behind you as you wade into battle. Pirot Samagal is a master and it shows.
Vel takes in the situation, allows herself a small smile, and gestures dramatically. An orange bead shoots forth from her orb to the press, where it explodes into flame, engulfing four of the dwarves.
Vel's trademark flames wrap themselves lovingly around the dwarves. The revelers are so drunk that at first they barely seem to notice the danger they've been placed in, but the immaculately dressed vinters are clearly shocked.
Kia dithers a bit about whether or not to try out her new bow or her new longsword. In the end the more direct side of her wins. She moves to square G8 and attacks S1.
"Let's try to get this over with quickly!"
Warlord's favour vs S1. (1d20+11=29, 2d8+5=21)
Kia's new weapon serves her well and the vinter snorts with outrage as her attack bloodies him. Worse follows almost immediately as Whiteclaw surges through the trees, frost axe swinging above her head and moves to flank. "Mine," she growls simply.
Strength of Stone v S1 (1d20+14=23, 1d10+5=10).
Proving that new weaponry does indeed make you feel good about yourself, Gobi ignores the mixture of revulsion and curiosity the strange dwarve evoke in him and smashes S1 into the ground.
Holy Strike v S1 (1d20+11=30, 1d10+8=12)
Reason advances behind Gobi, and blasts a vintner.
Ioun's bookbinder drenches the sneering vintner in divine light. Try though he does, the dwarf cannot ignore the impact.
It retaliates in kind, gazing at Gobi as though he was little better than an insect.
"Gravel sucker."
Such is the venom the vintner puts on the words, that Gobi can't help himself. His head droops and the vintner sneers at him, putting the paladin firmly in his place.
S2 v Gobi: Out of Place (AC). On hit makes secondary attack +9 v Will (1d20+12=27, 1d8+4=9).
S2 v Gobi: Out of Place (secondary attack (Will). Ongoing 3 damage (se). (1d20+9=16, 1d6+4=6).
Spreading out, the other vintners follow suit. S3 targets Kia and S4 looks on Whiteclaw with disdain. Kia flinches as S3 denounces her as a social climber, but Whiteclaw is made of sterner stuff. "Fleabitten" has no effect on her.
S3 v Kia: Out of Place (AC). On hit makes secondary attack +9 v Will. (1d20+12=26, 1d8+4=6).
S3 v Kia: Out of Place (Will). Secondary attack. On hit target takes 3 ongoing damage (se) (1d20+9=15, 1d6+4=6).
S4 v Whiteclaw: Out of Place (AC). On hit makes secondary attack +9 v Will. (1d20+12=16, 1d8+4=8)
1d20+8=22 vs Ref, 2d6+5=11 fire damage
1d6=2 curse damage
Almost contemptuously, Arianwyn sends white fire arcing toward a lone foe. He then attempts to surprise the creature by running towards it!
White feyfire outlines the vintner, and the dwarf curls a sneering lip as Arianwyn hurtles towards him.