City of Nine Stars -- City of Twilight (Inactive)

Game Master therealthom

Just saw Waif's post to Marius. And now it's gone again. Strange.

Drinking with Felmo: He's got stories of his sailing days which he will tell a great length. Not only did he sail the small coasters which Cheliaxian owners often crew with halflings because they think it will be cheaper, he sailed the big ocean going full rigged ships. He's been all over the world, Tian Xia, the Mwangi, Garund. Most of his stories come attached to some small memento, but the chase in the market of Katapesh is attached to a fine man-sized broad bladed scimitar.

Marius had generally tried to avoid attracting atention but when everyone aroud was at most half his size it wasn't easy. He chewed on the fruit he had brought but the sight of the flask in Waifs hand brought a welcome relief.

"Well if he thinks its alright

The stairs creaked a few timews under his weight but he made it upto the apartment safely and greeted Felmo before settling in a corner sipping the unfamiliar brew.

He examines the scimitar with a professional eye.

Raven listens to Felmo's stories with much interest, sipping from his cup now and then. "To say you have led an interesting life so far would be quite the understatement, if I do say so myself, Felmo," the rogue comments with a friendly smile.

Fiosa raises an eyebrow at some of Felmo's taller tales, but doesn't press the issue.

The scimitar is of masterwork quality. The blade is plain but the cross guard is formed into springing lions.

Zara's nipping out for alchemical nasties and cloth.

ANyone else or are you all going to wile away the afternoon with stories?

My next post will start the hunt.

Waifrin asks Zara to grab some sunrods as well, they could be useful.

Fiosa is ready to go.

Cannot really think of anything, other than the sunrods Waifrin just mentioned.

Zarabeta adds five sunrods to the shopping list. After what seems like weeks of skulking about and doing things in exchange for fuzzily-defined 'store credit,' it feels good to have coin in hand, and exchange it for tangible goods.

Noting the dwindling coin in her purse, she does note that she has to take some time off this 'revolution' business to make some money...

Marius returns the blade to Felmo.." A fine weapon that.."

He shakes his head at Zara "I need nothing more than the blades I bear..and i still have a sunrod or two in my pack"

Dusk. Zarabeta returns with the shopping. A slightly unsteady Felmo excuses himself and goes to his bedroom. He comes out wearing a leather cuirass and breeches under a bright yellow cloak. The cloak is lined with the purple color of storm clouds at sunset.

A gaudily jeweled scabbard houses the scimitar.

"Are we ready then? How do I look?"

*****

Felmo leads you down the stairs, out the door and into the street.

The old halfling leads you with his head held high and a purposeful stride. Pedestrians rushing home, and people looking out as they prepare to shutter their windows, take a moment or three to stare at him and his entourage. He smiles. He calls out to people he knows. He blows kisses to girls that he doesn't. He is certainly enjoying this.

*****

The street is dark. The tenements look worn and broken down. All the windows are either shuttered or dark. At the far end a single light torch burns to mark the intersection with a cross street.

"Sad, isn't it? Everyone who can afford to has moved out. It's like our own little Dospera."

"Well perhaps with some skill and a modicum off luck we can change that"

Marius eases his swords in their sheathes

"Are we ready then? How do I look?"

"Um...striking," Waifrin opts for the diplomatic answer.

"Sad, isn't it? Everyone who can afford to has moved out. It's like our own little Dospera."

"Well perhaps with some skill and a modicum off luck we can change that"

"It could be worse," Waifrin shrugs. "At least you still have your own homes." She peers into the shadows, pushing an unstruck sunrod into her belt and spanning her crossbow.

Fiosa casts Dancing Lights and sends the magical torches into the alleyway for increased illumination.

"So this is one of the worst streets in the quarter. Now what is the plan? March boldly to the center and proclaim our defiance of all beings shadowlike?"

"No, we need to lure them out," Waifrin says with a slight shake of her head. "Unless they are very bold, we will just send them into hiding. We let them come to us, by offering them bait..." she grins suddenly.

"Time to use that new power I discovered, think you not, Marius?"

Do the Dancing Lights reveal anything lurking in the shadows?

Not in the street.

"If you have some gift to lure them out, now would be the time to use it, Waifrin. Else, I can conjure some animal to attract attention, perhaps..." Zarabeta says quietly.

With that, she mutters an incantation, and surrounds herself with mystical wardings, in preparation for trouble.

mage armor, +4 AC for the next 5 hours.

I'm waiting to see what dabbler has up his sleeve too.

"All right, everyone let's move back and be ready, this could get painful for me. I'll make myself look like a helpless halfling, and head back down the street. I'll avoid the alleyways, but call out a lot. Hopefully something will try and jump me." She shakes her head. "I can't believe I just said that. Ah well."

Once the party have retreated or moved on from the 'hot spot' and are largely out of sight of it, Waifrin will hand her crossbow to Marius, wrap her cloak around herself. She focuses her mind and concentrates for a long moment, and starts to shrink in size, growing smaller and denser, her features flowing and appearance shifting until she looks a lot like the halfing girl at Felmo's.

Usinf metamorphosis, minor, no augment (1pp only). She is choosing the options to decrease in size (-2 Str, +2 Dex) and gain +1 natural armour, so she is now small sized, with dex her AC should be +2 to 18.

"I can only keep this up a few minutes," she tells them. "Try not to let anything get it's teeth into me too deep before you come to the rescue - and I'll try and leave something for you all to fight!"

Waifrin heads back toward toward the area, calling out: "Tiddles, where are you Tiddles, come to Mama!" she steers clear of the alleyways but stands back, calling down them. Under her cloak she keeps a hand on her buckler, and is ready to lash out with a swarm of crystals if attacked.

Bluff: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24 (to try and look helpless and edible)

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28 (to spot them before they get me)

Well, that's new. Zarabeta thinks, as Waifrin shimmers and transforms to the size and appearance of a halfling.

Felmo stands open-mouthed. "My lady, if it is bait you require I shall go. Felmo could not allow any woman to face danger while he waits in safety."

Fiosa blinks in surprise. "Impressive magic! But are you sure you're okay being bait?"

Turning to Felmo she adds, "I'm sure you know that women are quite capable of taking care of themselves sometimes, although bless you for your gallant heart."

Marius raises an eyebrow then passes Felmo a Sunrod.."you might find this useful my friend"

He draws his swords the metal slipping silently from the sheaths and stands ready to move.

"'Tiddles'? Really...?" Raven remarks with barely a chuckle as he too draws his rapier and stands ready for action, his eyes moving this way and that in an attempt to make out any foes as soon as they appear.

Perception 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

"My lady, if it is bait you require I shall go. Felmo could not allow any woman to face danger while he waits in safety."

"If the beasts recall the mighty Felmo, they might flee your presence," Waifrin admonishes. "But by all means follow me as close as you may."

"The two I've met can recall nothing, I assure you. They were close fights and I was lucky both times. Fortune loves Felmo."

"Then we go together."

"Together." The halfling agrees. He slides his scimitar up and down in its sheath to make sure it is free.

He bows low and sweeps his open palm toward the street. His voice is pitched slightly higher than normal when he calls in a loud stage whisper, "Tiddles? Tiddles?"

****

Fiosa's lights still show nothing.

Hogarth, how do you want to steer those lights WRT Felmo and Waif?

Fiosa moves the lights around the corner so that Felmo and Waifrin are waiting in shadow (for now).

Marius lets his eyes adapt to the dimmer light as the dancing lights move out of Line of sight..

Waifrin and Felmo step out. They move along the street's central gutter, calling for their lost kitten.

A mosquito, or is it two, fly whining touch and gos on Marius' left ear.

The bait is halfway down the block, when a dark vaguely humanoid blob detaches itself from the inky darkness below a stair flows into the street in front of them. It waves its arms in ritualistic menace.

Yeah I know Waif's not really a halfling. I'm working visually here. :0

Perception: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 8 - 4 = 7

"Felmo..." Waifrin whispers, and nerves herself up to unleash a blast of fire, but holds it in check to see if others appear. Held action: attack with energy ray.

Ah, Perception, that skill I stubbornly refuse to take!

Zarabeta 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22
Uqabi 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Her eyes narrow as she raises a finger to silence Uqabi, lest he squawk a warning that the enemy might hear, and then places her hand softly on Marius' shoulder, drawing his attention upwards to the skulking danger between their their position and the 'bait.'

The shadow-man's gestures become shorter sharper and end with him pointing at the halflings.

"That's enough!" Felmo cries and drags his scimitar clear of its scabbard.

In the absence of other actions we may as well go to initiative.

Initiative 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21 (Remember Waifrin has a held action she will unleash when Felmo speaks if not before)

Initiative 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Round One, Initiative Order

Zarabeta, 26
Raven, 25
Waifrin 21 + 4 for "held action" = 25

Pool of shadow 19
Shadow beast 17
Felmo 13
Shadowman 12
Marius 5
Fiosa 3

Map

Zarabeta attempts to quietly hiss the arcane syllables necessary to energize her companions limbs with arcane forces.

Haste on Fiosa, Raven, Marius and herself (Waifrin and Felmo are out of range). +1 to attack rolls, +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves, +30 ft. movement and +1 attack at full BAB as part of a full attack. Lasts 5 rounds.

Oblivious to the shadow behind her, Waifrin focuses her anger at so many lost friends and missing people. Her eyes' flare with fiery light that coalesces into a stream of fire aimed directly at the shadowy figure.

Unleash a wild-surged energy ray augmented to 5pts +2 from wild surge.

Enervation chance (15%): 1d100 ⇒ 46

Attack (ranged touch): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25 Damage: 7d6 + 7 ⇒ (6, 2, 1, 3, 5, 3, 5) + 7 = 32

Miss chance 1-20% 1d100 ⇒ 43

Waifrin's fire rips into and through the shadow man, leaving him glowing from within like a dying fire's charred coals. Then he splinters and collapses into a heap of smoking ruin.

Felmo raises his hands. "You did it lass! I've never seen one go down so easy!"

Raven?

"Maybe too easy, he was almost asking us to attack," Waifrin replies. "Still, I've grown stronger since the last one I tangled with."

Taking note of one of the shadow creatures positioned overhead, Raven moves forward quickly, his speed magically augmented by Zarabeta's spell. Taking out his hand crossbow as he does so, the elf fires off a shot as soon as he is within range.

Perception 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

Ranged attack (hand crossbow) 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 1 = 13
Damage (piercing) 1d4 ⇒ 1
Sneak attack 3d6 ⇒ (6, 3, 2) = 11

Not sure of miss chance and such or how the Shadow Child trait affects it, but he might as well attack, having noticed the beastie behind and above the baits... err, that is, Waifrin and Felmo. :-)

On another note, the forums are a bit... buggy? No notice of new posts existed.

I'm back now, and waiting for the shadow things to act.

Yes I didnt get a new post notification either..it is happening for some games but not for Thoms

Marius feels the Magic infuse his sinews with supernatural speed then his eyes are drawn upwards by Ravens shot at the creature above

Waiting for the shadow creatures

Raven's bolt narrowly misses the descending shadowgarm as it drops toward Waifrin and Felmo.

The pool of shadow flows toward Waifrin and Felmo, sliding up their legs, around their torsos and over their heads. Felmo shouts and his scimitar rises and falls in the space between him and Waif. The pair disappears in darkness.

The Shadowgarm touches down lightly and runs toward Waifrin and Felmo, skirting the pool of shadow.

It moves on the ground to H25.
Marius and Fiosa are up. Then top of round 2

Perception 1d20 ⇒ 13

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

Waifrin cries out in surprise and tries to spring clear.

Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

She struggles and twists but cannot seem to tear free.

Will: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

"They disappeared!" Fiosa cries out in dismay. "No, wait...I still see their faint, shadowy forms. They must be in some strange twilight state."

She picks up her pipes and begins playing an inspiring hymn.

Inspire Courage, +1 to attack and damage