HP 40/45, AC 21*, Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +8, ArcRes 2/8 Active Effects: Heightened Senses, Defending Bone (45), Extended Shield, Unseen Servant,
Azlain understood the value of discretion, however, he also had a reputation to uphold.
"Winnow, you are Bound by Law. If you stand down and submit now I offer leniency to the extent of the law's allowance, and you will be under Hellknight protection."
Diplomacy:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33
Well, hopefully that's enough to get us out of the fight.
After years of ritual flagellation and other, grosser self-inflicted torture, ...after years of gazing into the abyssal-like nadir of The Shadow Plane toward The Midnight Lord and his twisted horrors, ...despite years of vainly trying to injure himself emotionally just to feel something as sacrifice to Zon Kuthon -- all pain now seems often banal. Bland. Little left is felt. Little left is truly torturous or emotionally disturbing.
But with the revelation of The Bogeyman's visage, some primal chord is struck within the cold heart of this slave to The Midnight Lord. And for the first time in years, and years, Winnow actually feels something: Fear.
.
What will the Ormyr, immune to mortal fear, do upon shaking of its Dazed condition? Punish The Midnight Lord's slave who Conjured it through the Profane Glass in prayerful ritual? Or go after its gifts of the children?
Magnius Arvanxi Investigator / Inquisitor of the Godclaw
.
Magnius moves cautiously back out of the empty, dusty house, with Winnow afraid of The Bogeyman's visage and the Ormyr temporarily Dazed. Outside with Yaos and Azlain he asks, "Shall we fully depart giving our Conjured allies a moment to continue their assault while The Bogeyman gets away? Or shall we allow Azlain's continued Diplomacy to negotiate with the terrified Pangolais agent?"
Female Half Elf Master Summoner 9 HP 65 Max 90 (9d8 + 18) Defence AC23 Touch 16 Flat Footed 18 Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +9 (+11 vs. charm and compulsion); +2 vs. enchantments Immune sleep Summoner Spells Lvl 1 7/7Lvl 2 56/6 Lvl 3 5/5 Summoning Master SLA 13/13
Yaos favours retreat as she has said. But she is not prepared to abandon her comrades unless to remain looks suicidal. Yaos remains invisible awaiting the response from Winnow to Azlain.
Winnow Gestalt Summoner / Priest of The Midnight Lord
.
Severely ill at ease about his failure to The Midnight Lord after Conjuring the Ormyr, and now frightened by The Bogeyman's visage of Hellish magnitude, Winnow flees -- in his Supernaturally Frightened state, severely Shaken after looking into The Bogeyman's infernal gaze.
This clumsy action provokes attacks from both the adjacent Bogeyman, and the long reach of Yaos' Summoned Air Elemental.
.
The Bogeyman knows that while Winnow is fleeing from his Hellish Visage, in truth The Midnight Lord's slave is really only Shaken and his fright will not last more than six seconds or thereabouts.
Winnow 19: Casts Dispel Magic on the Glitterdust BUT is Immediately Countered by Azlain -- continues begging the Ormyr for for mercy and starts to accuse the PCs
The Ormyr: Dazed
The Bogeyman 8.3: Adjacent to Winnow, reveals his Hellish Visage, Frightening the Shaken Winnow
Magnius 20: Double Moves out of the old house after The Bogeyman Frightens Winnow
Yaos 8.1: Holds
Conjured Leopards: Hold
Conjured Air Elemental: Holds
The Ormyr, surrounded by The Red Widow's Air Elemental and two aerial Leopards, still a preternatural grin on its bulbous face, nonetheless turns apoplectic in sanguine rage.
Winnow, a mere mortal slave to The Midnight Lord, has brought it through with his midnight mirror to offer child-gifts to Zon Kuthon for testing -- and has reneged on that gift. More outrageous, now the slave-Priest flees as though these pathetic Chelaxian infants seem more intimidating to Winnow than Zon Kuthon and his favored Ormyr!?!
Winnow shall pay for this outrage!
Eventually the Ormyr, by then back in his home deep in The Plane of Shadow at The Midnight Lord's Umbral Court, will learn who these impudent Hell-Fools are and return to this unbalanced Material Plane -- to enact his revenge on them.
.
The Ormyr floats toward Winnow, provoking the futile attacks of Elemental and Leopard -- and casts Dismissal on Winnow's Synthesized Eidolon of Shadow and torture. Winnow, wisely, does not resist the spell.
Twisting Fear damage (1/round so long as opponent is shaken):4d4 ⇒ (1, 3, 1, 3) = 8 Should I go ahead and roll for the subsequent rounds of damage? How many times? Or do you want to reveal to me the DC 10 + the target’s Hit Dice + the target’s Wisdom modifier) and I can calculate and roll accordingly?
Knowing that Winnow will quickly recover from his terror and heeding the advice of his companions outside, The Bogeyman retreats back into the shadows. On his way out of the abandoned building, he keeps an eye on Azlain and attempts to place him in position to make an opportune attack if ever Winnow returns...
Winnow Gestalt Summoner / Priest of The Midnight Lord
.
Knowledge: Society DC 27:
Winnow's panting squeak about having "a charter" seems to imply that he has the proper legal paperwork for a foreign agent owning these two children as slaves. ....Of course, he could be Bluffing -- it seems it would take a considerable sum and negotiation to get a child born to a Noble House of Cheliax into servitude to Pangolais! (the other child, though, a homeless boy by the look of him, maybe not as hard)
As is the case with many such Charters, there could be an astounding amount of fine print and complexity. Who knows what a proper sergeant-of-law could find in court? If it came to that.
SO the question becomes, IF Winnow thinks he has the proper paperwork with House Oberigo as an Agent of Pangolais in the Uskwood (if he's not Bluffing), what to do next.
In any case -- the charter likely means Nothing to the Ormyr who is going to 'punish' Winnow before it goes back to its home in The Shadow Plane, and then look to come back and find you to enact even more vengeance.
As the Bogeyman's Twisting Fear continues to wrack Winnow's mortal frame, for the first time He feels it rather than his Synthesized Eidolon, now Banished to a dark nadir of The Shadow Plane.
Winnow's Eidolon had taken the first eleven of the Twisting Fear damage -- now that the Ormyr has cast Dismissal on it (Winnow not resisting) -- Winnow himself takes his first eight points of damage.
And you all remember how Winnow looks, frail and weak of personal constitution, in addition to the clammy pall of complexion.
Female Half Elf Master Summoner 9 HP 65 Max 90 (9d8 + 18) Defence AC23 Touch 16 Flat Footed 18 Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +9 (+11 vs. charm and compulsion); +2 vs. enchantments Immune sleep Summoner Spells Lvl 1 7/7Lvl 2 56/6 Lvl 3 5/5 Summoning Master SLA 13/13
Yaos has her conjured creatures remain inactive for the moment. Still invisible, she gathers the two children close, making sure they are out of sight of the next room where all the violence is, and speaks to them softly, saying "I would get you out of those metal restraints, but I am short of time. Young lady, you look a lot like an Oberigo, is that right? And can you lead a group to your house?"
Yaos looks more closely at the metal on the children. Can they see and how much will it inhibit their movement?
A safe distance from the angry Ormyr inside the crumbling house, and held fast by her 'witch's bridle,' the little girl -- barely of age for formal schooling -- appears in equal measure fearful and defiant and uncertain at the disembodied voice of Yaos The Red Widow. And while the steel spike in her tiny mouth (still bruising the bloody palate around a loose baby-tooth) prevents her speech, she erects her face rigidly in response. She is a precocious girl for certain. Not crying. Not whimpering. But still frightened. Still proud but uncertain.
There is a clear note of both recognition and panic at the name "Oberigo" -- and her blue eyes and white complexion are a certainty of that House's bloodline -- as is her noble posture even in witness of such horror and in reaction to such violence. She is only six.
Mindy took a quick breath and adopted the crazed grin of someone who might be about to attempt something suicidal. Then she bolted from within her small fortress and buzzed through the air toward Winnow.
Flyby attack, steal maneuver. Keeping out of reach of the Ormyr if possible. Attempting steal in a square that I can get a Flank from.
In case I can't avoid the Ormyr- Acro:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
If Mindy snags teh nightglass she continues her movement with Flyby attack and drops it into Azlain's hand as a free action before ducking back into cover.
Mendacius, rather disconcerted about having to inside the house alone with the Ormyr and Summoner/Priest of Zon Kuthon and try to steal a sacred Nightglass of The Midnight Lord, nonetheless obeys as her Lawful obligation requires.
Magnius Arvanxi notices a look on Mendacius' face as she flies by him toward the Ormyr and Winnow. Was it a look of goodbye?
.
Winnow, writhing in terrified agony and no longer with his shadowy Eidolon's protection, is an easy mark, a shell of his former self. The Nightglass is hers.
More importantly, the Ormyr floating above can not reach her from is lofty place in the air above Winnow.
.
Flying back with her prize, unnaturally cold to the touch and telepathically whispering to her to look inside its glossy surface, Mendacius must struggle against the susurrant draw.
Winnow 19: Frightened and Shaken, runs away into the house's interior
The Ormyr: Moves (via Fly speed) toward Winnow -- Casts Dismissal on Winnow's Eidolon
The Bogeyman 8.3: Twists the emotional fear into Winnow's psyche while leaving the old house and hiding in the shadows of Westcrown's Parego Dospera.
Magnius 20: Holds in order to help Mendacius should she need it.
Yaos 8.1: Learns the baby girl is indeed of House Oberigo
Conjured Leopards: Hold
Conjured Air Elemental: Hold
Mendacius: Fly-By-Attack Steals Winnow's Nightglass and brings it to Azlain (DC 14 Will to avoid looking into the mirror) Azlain : Attempts UMD to activate the Nightglass blindly and
Azlain takes the Nightglass from the strong-minded Imp with aplomb and concentrates on activating it blindly -- literally as well as figuratively considering that the shadowy forms on the other side of the ebony glass look at you just as you look at them.
The age of the wondrous item is tangible. Could it have been crafted in the months or days shortly after Earthfall?
Its metal frame is an alloy of some shiny, silvered metals, warped together not by hand but by, one can not really say for sure, mist and fog made strong?
And the black glass is deep. As deep as the Abyss. And full of Shadow.
It whispers to Azlain in Shadowtongue. "Release ME and I shall give you power. ....I know what it is you seek; I have the knowledge of many things past and secret to the Infernal servants in Cheliax. Release me and I shall grant you knowledge the like of which you have not dreamt."
.
Azlain had earlier caught the barest glimpse of Winnow using the Nightglass in ritual to Zon Kuthon, Calling forth the Ormyr from its demesne in The Shadow Plane.
Perpetually smiling the Ormyr spies the little devil buzz in to Winnow not unlike a gnat or a butterfly. Floating above the failed Priest the Ormyr peels off the slave's Eidolon like an onion's membrane, ready to inflict discipline and sorrow on the mortal.
Then the Imp steals from Zon Kuthon.
.
Still smiling, the Ormyr turns away from Winnow, back toward the Chelaxian mortals who interrupted the test of the tasty children, the gifts to Zon Kuthon.
The Ormyr's face smiles wider, more grotesque, in zealous wrath.
It immediately floats to Azlain and the little thief.
Getting ever closer the Ormyr begins chanting the words to a spell, a profanity of The Midnight Lord as breath from its oversized lips. Like an elephant seal swimming through the air it begins to cast its spell.
Azlain holds the Nightglass, sacred to Zon Kuthon, in his mortal hands, listening to the whispering, manipulating its antique magic.
It's becoming obvious what spell the Ormyr is casting--
Harm.
But it's greater. There is an air of mythic power in the Ormyr's arcane casting.
It is both the spell Harm and the spell Poison, a spell from a mythic time with magic now lost to mortals.
Running out of time Azlain allows, just briefly, his magical essence through rigorous training to give a little something to the shadowy whispers beyond the Nightglass. He is confident with his studious knowledge and experience manipulating magical trinkets that he can activate the Nightglass without giving in to the Shadows of Zon Kuthon.
On the edge of the Nightglass a Nightwave swims close, almost close enough to swim out of the gate that is the active Nightglass.
The Ormyr draws closer, nearly finishing its Mythic Harm/Poison casting.
HP 40/45, AC 21*, Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +8, ArcRes 2/8 Active Effects: Heightened Senses, Defending Bone (45), Extended Shield, Unseen Servant,
Beneath his mask, Azlain was sweating. His hands shook. He wanted to drop the thing he held like it was on fire, but he was a professional. His resolve had been tempered by the fires of Hell. He simply wrapped the black mirror in his scarf and tucked it away in his haversack.
Then he let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Winnow, you are Bound by Law." he didn't have the focus to get through the rest. He tossed the Boogeyman a pair of manacles.
"Search the premise. Find the contract, and anything else of interest."
He focused on the job at hand, but a portion of his thoughts could not help but dwell of the immensely powerful enemy they'd just made.
"I would not have been so lenient," The Bogeyman whispers in Winnow's ear as he attaches the manacles. "Thank the Hellknight for your life and bow before the might of Asmodeus, or I will find you in the night and submit you to my own trial."
Female Half Elf Master Summoner 9 HP 65 Max 90 (9d8 + 18) Defence AC23 Touch 16 Flat Footed 18 Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +9 (+11 vs. charm and compulsion); +2 vs. enchantments Immune sleep Summoner Spells Lvl 1 7/7Lvl 2 56/6 Lvl 3 5/5 Summoning Master SLA 13/13
Yaos has her four surviving leopards move over to Winnow, where they ready an action to attack Winnow if he does anything except surrender. They might get an attack of opportunity as well.
Yaos uses her standard action to conjure a group of Constrictor Snakes with the Aeirial template. They are two squares from the Ormyr. The Air Elemental moves to join them. The snakes and elemental all ready an action to attack the Ormyr if it attacks any party members.
Constrictor Snakes:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Constrictor Snake Stats:
Constrictor Snake CR 2
XP —
N Medium celestial/fiendish animal
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +12
DEFENSES
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 19 [25] (3d8+6) [3d8+12]
Fort +4 [+6], Ref +6, Will +2; SR 7
Celestial – Resist acid, cold, and electricity 5
Fiendish – Resist cold and fire 5
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee bite +5 [+7] (1d4+4 [1d4+7] plus grab)
Special Attack constrict (1d4+4) [1d4+7], smite evil/good
STATISTICS
Str 17 [21], Dex 17, Con 12 [16], Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Base Atk +2; CMB +5 [+7] (+9 [+11] grapple); CMD 18 [20] (can’t be tripped)
Feats Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness
Skills Acrobatics +15, Climb +11 [+13], Perception +12, Stealth +11, Swim +11 [+13]; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Stealth,+8 Acrobatics
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Smite evil/good
1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus (+0) to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD (+3) against evil/good foes; smite persists until target is dead or the celestial/fiendish creature rests).
Surrounded by Magnius Arvanxi and a host of Conjured enemies, and still Shaken by the The Bogeyman's visage, Winnow desperately attempts his escape from the Material Plane wherein he shall surely die at the hands of these thrice-damned Chelaxians.
Mustering his courage against the torture and terror one' final' time' Winnow draws from deep within himself any Heroism left and Concentrates through the coming assault, attempting to Plane Shift to The Shadow Plane.
And Hell's fury is unleashed upon this Summoner/Priest slave of The Midnight Lord.
.
Winnow's adjustments for Concentration are Shaken (-2) and a Hero Point (+8). .... His DC to cast Plane Shift is 15 plus the Damage you all do with your AoOs, plus half the damage from Rd 5 of The Bogeyman's Twisting Fear ongoing damage. ....Frankly, his Concentration check may be moot as the damage may be sufficient to kill him whether he successfully Concentrates or not.
Magnius Arvanxi Investigator / Inquisitor of the Godclaw
.
Swiftly enacting his Judgement from The Godclaw of Hell to inflict even more profane damage, Magnius lashes out with the 'Star of Asmodeus'.
Flanking w/ Corrosive Morningstar:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
It's not clear to me if the Bogeyman could or could not have readied an action to now attack...? Also, if he can attack, Winnow needs to roll Perception to see The Bogeyman who, unless GM says otherwise, disappeared into the shadows...
For the Concentration DC, Winnow suffers all eleven damage from Magnius' attack, plus half of the eight from The Bogeyman's Twisting Visage (This was a surprise to me, half instead of full for the Concentration check.) -- making the DC 30 so far.
So the Air Elemental, Aerial Snakes and Leopards need to do 19 damage to Winnow in order for him to lose his Spell.
And incidentally, if they do 24 damage to Winnow, the Summoner/Priest will go unconscious and bleed out.
Knowing that Winnow will quickly recover from his terror and heeding the advice of his companions outside, The Bogeyman retreats back into the shadows.
On his way out of the abandoned building, he keeps an eye on Azlain and attempts to place him in position to make an opportune attack if ever Winnow returns
.
From this post I have The Bogeyman outside in the Shadows near Azlain and Yaos. And outside The Bogeyman intends to Ready an Action to attack 'if ever Winnow returns.' And you rolled a Stealth check.
....This is why I questioned why, in the next moment, you posted that you whisper something in Winnow's ear. ....But you're outside with Yaos & Azlain hiding in shadows; Winnow is inside.
....I wonder if the confusion came from my earlier post of Winnow's Actions, when he first had the Frightened Condition. He did not run outside the house with the Frightened Condition; he ran further in. But that was initially left open to interpretation on my first post -- I just said he flees. I made it clear in the Initiative post.
Initiative wrote:
Round 4:
Winnow 19: Frightened and Shaken, runs away into the house's interior
Sorry for the confusion.
Winnow is inside; The Bogeyman is outside. The Bogeyman can't take an AoO on Winnow as he attempts to cast Plane Shift.
Female Half Elf Master Summoner 9 HP 65 Max 90 (9d8 + 18) Defence AC23 Touch 16 Flat Footed 18 Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +9 (+11 vs. charm and compulsion); +2 vs. enchantments Immune sleep Summoner Spells Lvl 1 7/7Lvl 2 56/6 Lvl 3 5/5 Summoning Master SLA 13/13
At the first sign of movement from Winnow the menagerie of conjured creatures tear into his flesh from all sides and above like a school of ravenous, flying sharks.
DM Ray-I have made the attacks of my leopards as claw 1=AoO, claw 2=attack from readied action and have made a 3rd attack for the rake, should both claws hit. I think this is legit, in that there is no reason a) I can't get both an AoO and readied action attacks, b)they can't both be claws and c) therefore rake triggers. Just hought I would explain. If you don't agree, well just apply the attacks you agree are legit. In any event, I think Winnow's destiny is as the paint in giving the room he is in a crimson colouration.
Stats Leopard:
XP 600
N Medium animal
Init +4; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +5
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+4 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 25 (3d8+12)
Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2
Electricity Resistance 10
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.Fly 30' perfect
Melee bite +7 (1d6+5+1 electricity plus grab), 2 claws +7 (1d3+5+1 electricity)
Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +7, 1d3+5+1 electricity)
STATISTICS
Str 20, Dex 19, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6
Base Atk +2; CMB +5 (+9 grapple); CMD 19 (23 vs. trip)
Feats Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +8, Climb +11, Perception +5, Stealth +11 (+15 in undergrowth); Racial Modifiers +4 on Stealth in undergrowth
Note- get +2 on to hit +damage if within 30'of Pale Wing
XP —
N Medium celestial/fiendish animal
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +12
DEFENSES
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 25 ) [3d8+12]
Fort [+6], Ref +6, Will +2; SR 7
Celestial – Resist acid, cold, and electricity 5
Fiendish – Resist cold and fire 5
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee bite [+7] ( [1d4+7] plus grab)
Special Attack constrict [1d4+7]
STATISTICS
Str [21], Dex 17, Con [16], Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Base Atk +2; CMB +5 [+7] (+9 [+11] grapple); CMD [20] (can’t be tripped)
Feats Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness
Skills Acrobatics +15, Climb +11 [+13], Perception +12, Stealth +11, Swim +11 [+13]; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Stealth,+8 Acrobatics
This 18-inch-circumference mirror-like disk radiates Overwhelming Conjuration magic and Evil. It is ancient in the extreme and the alloy that comprises the back of the mirror is of unknown metals, though Silver is among them.
A Relic of The Midnight Lord, forged in The Plane of Shadow, this wondrous item is tuned to a disciple of Zon Kuthon and is used to Gate powerful Outsiders from The Midnight Lord's court in various Planar Ally-Like rituals. Preternaturally cold to the touch, it is easier for creatures from The Shadow Plane to enter The Material Plane (under 'control' or 'influence') than it is for natives to the Material Plane to bring themselves through the NightGlass into The Shadow Plane.
Disciples of The Midnight Lord use a NightGlass most often to Conjure forth an Aspect or Avatar of their Masochistic master, but such disciples also use a NightGlass to test whether prospective initiates have sufficient arcane or divine potential to Call forth and Control a creature from The Midnight Lord's court.
Bill of Sale House Oberigo of Cheliax and Winnow of The Umbral Court
You have Winnow's duplicate copy of a sale purchasing the prodigiously-talented sixth daughter of Lord Tiam Oberigo (a non-Titled cousin of Countess Tanith Oberigo). Lord Tiam and his House have been paid $8000 in gold and four samples of intelligence (labeled 1, 2, 3, 4) regarding the city of Nisroch. The girl child is to be tested and become a pupil of The Midnight Lord's temple in Pangolais.
The bill of sale goes on further to detail the weight of favors that either House Oberigo shall owe the Umbral Court if the girl child does not survive her testing and thereby does not fulfill her potential. Likewise, it details the weight of favors the Umbral Court will owe House Oberigo and Lord Tiam if the girl child exceeds expectations.
Essentially, it is an exhaustively long legal document wherein House Oberigo makes an ally of the Umbral Court in Pangolais and The Midnight Lord gets a future agent in the girl child.
The bill of sale is forty-eight pages in length and written in Chelaxian, referencing legal code from dozens of sources of Chelaxian law.
.
.
.
.
There is a second bill of sale, one page long, regarding a homeless boy being purchased by Winnow from The City of Westcrown, with the stamp of the Lord Mayor's office.
Winnow has on his person the following treasure and magical items:
Handy Haversack
Portable Hole
$1864 GP in gold, platinum, silver and gems
Ring of Protection +2
Cloak of Resistance +2
Headband of WIS & CHA +4
+1 Adamantine Sickle, Vicious
HP 40/45, AC 21*, Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +8, ArcRes 2/8 Active Effects: Heightened Senses, Defending Bone (45), Extended Shield, Unseen Servant,
I'd prefer him alive for questioning, but they're your critters. Also speak with dead and breath of life exist, so if we need answers we have options.
Azlain made sure the nightglass was safely tucked away, and then quickly fixated on the legal document.
As soon as we have some time, I'm going to Take 20 on a Barrister check to analyze the whole document for mistakes or irregularities. Right now, I'm just flipping through it to get a feel and see if anything jumps out at me.
Prof. barrister, aided by Mindy:1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 9 + 2 = 25
Also, portable holes are my favorite items in the game. If no one else has plans for it, I'd like to carry it for us.
Dead. The Bogeyman prefers swift justice. These children belong to Asmodeus. Perhaps that is a discussion worth having after Azlain explains the details of the legal contracts?
