"A witch!" the fool recited, though quickly covered his mouth as if he uttered a curse. Franti remembered little of his father's words, but recalled that Ustalav witches were to be respected and feared in equal parts. Franti moved his hand, and spoke as though he was in a witch's company. "Staying in Kenabres even after Hulrun's Third Crusade?" he smiled, "they must either be a good witch or a powerful one."
Franti followed Karas around his abode, curious. "Dragons eat with silverware?" The fool shook his head. "I'll need to change half my limricks. A lot less words rhyme with "fork" than "claw," y'know."
Franti looked about the kitchen, somewhat disappointed. He wanted a bit more from Karas and Terendelev, in this house they seemed almost normal.
When the creature appeared before the fool, he smiled. "Your pretty cute, little fel-" The zap of lightning jogged his memory. "A Raiju!" Franti raced in after the electric badger. "Heard stories they're quick as lightning in the air!"
for , nonlethal. Applying disoriented, see below.
As Franti charged the creature, it lashed out at him with a clawed front foot crackling with electricity.
Does not confirm.
It caught Franti on the leg and made a small cut and stung him with another small lightning strike .
This did not prevent Franti's skillful sap from hitting the creature and inflicting a painful wound and leaving the creature a bit disoriented.
Surprise Round
Raiju: 28 (17 nonlethal, disoriented)
Franti: 19 (14 lethal)
Ellena: 19
Tauni: 15
Avelina: 5
Karas: 8
Anarya: -1
Elena moved into the room, just to the left of Franti. She didn't know anything about the creature, other than it attacked one of her companions. She strode forward with Radiance to eliminate the threat.
Attack.
Damage
As Ellena approached to defend her comrade from this strange electrical beast, she noticed a change in its appearance just as she was swinging at it. Its physical form seemed to shimmer and by the time her sword passed through its form, it swished as if passing through fog. Her magical sword seemed to affect it but not as much as the dissecting blow she would have expected from a sword passing right through it. It hissed, "ខ្មាំងសត្រូវស្លាប់", which sounded vaguely intelligible. . She felt a tingle as small amounts of electricity passed up her sword and into her arm, but it did no damage. Its form was apparently now completely electrical. Sparks were leaping from it and striking nearby objects.
Surprise Round
Raiju: 28 (17 nonlethal, 5 lethal, incorporeal, disoriented)
Franti: 19 (14 lethal)
Ellena: 19 (move, attack, hit, 5 to Raiju)
Tauni: 15
Avelina: 5 (surprised)
Karas: 8
Anarya: -1
Having heard the strange creature speak in its native tongue, Tauni commented "Well, I don't think there is any negotiating with this one.'Enemies die!' kind of carries the same intent regardless of language."
An elemental? Here and unaccompanied? Then Tauni remembered the trick the sorcerer used on them before, and the fact that a witch was involved in the attack on this home... She started casting.
Tauni cast a spell while Anvelina was distracted by something she noticed in the kitchen and was not prepared to react the the new adversary.
Karas moved into the room, sword at the ready but immediately dropped it at the sight of the creature. His features didn't change and his face read more shock and concern than anger.
He moved past Ellena and threw his hands up.
"stop. Stop. STOP!" he called out in worry,"It's not an enemy! It's our pet!"
He frantically tried to get the raiju's attention, "Zephyr! Calm down! No Enemies! Friends!"
He knew the elemental's temper was like his own though and would be a tough customer to calm.
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Anarya raises her hands, which are empty of any weapons, and steps forward. It seems to know who Karas is, and she stands beside him unthreateningly, trying to show she is a friend. Her voice is calm and soothing - the tone she is used to using when calming down patients who are in pain and need a comforting caregiver to reassure them everything will be alright.
"We don't want to hurt you, everything will be alright. We're friends. We're Karas's friends." She puts a hand out, partially blocking Ellena and Franti from hitting the creature again - more as a show to the raiju than to stop her companions from further attacks. "I'm sorry we hurt you, you just scared us a little, that's all. I can heal your wounds if you let me," she says softly with a smile.
You cannot use Diplomacy against a creature that does not understand you or has an Intelligence of 3 or less. Diplomacy is generally ineffective in combat and against creatures that intend to harm you or your allies in the immediate future. Any attitude shift caused through Diplomacy generally lasts for 1d4 hours but can last much longer or shorter depending upon the situation (GM discretion).
The normal DC for talking down a creature with a hostile attitude is 25 + Cha mod, which in this case is just 25. I would give Karas a +10 because the creature knows and trusts him and a -5 for the creature not being able to understand common.
In this case, I would rule we would need to use Karas roll for the primary, since Anarya is not known to it and it would be inclined to disregard her if it did not know she was with Karas. The DC Karas needs to meet is 20. The DC Anarya needs to meet to assist is 20 (accounting for the -10 for not speaking Auran).
So Karas got a 17 (the modifiers have been accounted for in the DC set down to 20). Anarya made her aid DC of 20, boosting his result to 19, still 1 short. But others can aid on their turn.
Finally, the rules say it takes a minute of interaction time to affect attitude using diplomacy. So the animal is not going to be affected unless and until another 9 rounds go by.
So if you want to deal with the Raiju with diplomacy, the best course of action would be to withdraw and hope the creature doesn't follow. Keep Karas talking to it and give it a chance to calm down.
Or you can try to subdue it. It is currently incorporeal, which limits what kinds of objects can affect it and what kinds of magic and as well.
Creatures with the incorporeal condition do not have a physical body. Incorporeal creatures are immune to all nonmagical attack forms. Incorporeal creatures take half damage (50%) from magic weapons, spells, spell-like effects, and supernatural effects. Incorporeal creatures take full damage from other incorporeal creatures and effects, as well as all force effects. See here for additional information.
An incorporeal creature can enter or pass through solid objects, but must remain adjacent to the object’s exterior, and so cannot pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own.
As Franti looked into the room, he spied a small badger-like creature with strange markings in its fur, resembling white streaks of lightning. Before he could react, the creature snarled and sparks--real sparks--played along its whole body and without warning a lightning bolt fell on Franti from above him. The quick reflexes of the jester-rogue meant he avoided taking a direct hit and the lightning just made his whole body tingle and his hair stand on end for a moment.
Franti stepped forward and swung his sap at the creature and managed to hit it in a place that caused more pain than damage. Tauni interpreted for the group, translating the words of the creature from Auran to common. Then she tried to see if there was an invisible threat conjuring creatures (seeing none). Karas cried out that the creature was a pet of Terendelev named Zephyr. Both he and Anarya tried to calm it down.
Avelina and Ellena were distracted by things they were looking at in the kitchen and did not do anything as Anarya pushed past them and action erupted in the study nook.
Zephyr hesitated a moment, but the pain and injury caused by Franti were stronger motivators and it flew at Franti. Franti was not able to avoid the creature, which passed through him, sending a jolt of electricity down his spine , and it flew around the room a few times. It ended in the far corner from the door, hovering menacingly, snarling in Auran, sparks jumping from his body to the walls, floor, and ceiling. "អនុបណ្ឌិតក្រុម KARA! ខ្មាំងសត្រូវ! ការវាយប្រហារឈ្មោះ Zephyr!"
Franti:
This fail and Franti points of electricity damage.
Surprise round
Raiju: 28 (5 nonlethal, incorporeal electric body)
Franti: 19 (7 lethal)
Ellena: 19 (surprised)
Tauni: 15 (casts spell)
Karas: 8 (5-foot step, attempts diplomacy)
Avelina: 5 (surprised)
Anarya: -1 (moves, talks)
Round 1
Raiju (5 nonlethal, incorporeal) (moves through Franti, causes 7 points damage to Franti)
Franti (7 lethal)
Ellena
Tauni
Karas
Avelina
Anarya
Elena wasn't sure, others thought this beast could be reasoned with. She held her sword, giving them one more chance. "Karas, calm it down or I'll have to take it down!"
"N-Not an enemy?" the fool cried out, flicking his head back to make sure he had heard Karas correctly. In the moment he turned, Franti was shocked, the creature passing through him, and bounced off the walls.
The fool let out a slew of curses as he spasmed from the jolt, adding to the panic. "And it understands that too, right?" Regaining composure and steadying his grip, he pointed the leather saps directly at the Raiju, trying to follow it's path.
The jester crept alongside the wall, giving space to Karas and the others to enter. "This isn't funny, Silver!"
for , nonlethal
Tauni stepped up to Ellena from behind and wrapped her arms around her, pinning her arms to her side. She whispered to Ellena "Don't resist." Then she shouted in the strange howling language of the elemental.
Prescience
Bluff to fool the elemental into believing Tauni has Ellena restrained,
Karas walked forward with his hands out in a non threatening manor as he looked first to Franti. "He understand that his home has strangers in it. He understands that something bad has happened and he has a temper like mine, Franti. He's still not our enemy here and he is again, my pet."
He kept moving toward the Raiju, "Easy buddy, nobody meant anything. Everyone is a little scared. We can fix up those bruises if you let us. Anarya," He gestured to the Aasimar, "Is a healer and love all creatures. You're safe now okay little friend?"
In the moment he turned, Franti was shocked, the creature passing through him, and bounced off the walls.
Avelina:
Ellena:
Franti:
Karas:
Tauni:
The sound of sparks reverberated in the small room and light and shadow played across everything and everyone in the room. The raiju hovered in the corner, snarling and eyeing both Franti and Karas, trying to decide if it was threatened of not.
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Anarya continued her attempts to soothe the creature. Her halo's light flooded forth comfortingly, healing both Franti and the Raiju. "See? We don't mean to hurt you. Everyone," she said to the others, "Let's all back away, give him some space. I don't think he's going to hurt Karas." Keeping a respectful distance from the Raiju she backed away a bit, giving it room.
If the result is 1 to 3, it will attack and remain.
4 to 7, it will attack and flee,
7 or less, it will make some kind of attack.
8 to 14, it will flee.
15 or higher and it will remain and stand down.
Raiju:
Target: 1-4: Franti; 5-6: Karas
Reflex save for half damage, (with evasion, this is reduced to no damage on a save) DC 13
Franti:
After Karas makes soothing sounds and Anarya heals most of its painful injury, the raiju quivers, sparks leaping left and right. It looks at Karas and seems to recognize him. But it's agitation does not abate. It suddenly looks at Franti and a moment later, another bolt leaps down on him from above. Again the agile jester side stepped the bolt. When Franti looked up, the raiju was gone. Karas saw that it had flown through the wall and could by this point be anywhere in the house or even outside. It was probably a good thing, as it would give it time to calm down.
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"How lovely! I am always happy to see a peaceful resolution." She spoke with her typical lack of self-awareness. "It's only proper that the Righteous should maintain a magnanimous mien in the face of even the strangest creatures."
She took Ellena by the arm. "Well, my Champion, where would you like to go now?"
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Ellena was glad her helmet was on as she flushed a bit at Avelina's touch. "Um...if there are more traps that Karas knows about, let's have him lead us on, Lady."
The paladin moved to look around he remainder of the room, now that the threat had apparently vanished.
Perception
Karas shook his head as Zephyr ran off. Hopefully the raiju would come back, he missed the spunky little creature. "He's gone for now. Hopefully he calms down. Maybe he ran to one of his hiding places."
He looked back over to Avelina, "That strange creature was an elemental trapped in this plane. He decided to stay with us rather than wander Golarion. He's a nice companion. Just has a temper."
Once they had searched the room for anything that held significance to Karas, he motioned for them to follow and moved for the stairs to the second story.
"Better now, Angel, thanks." The fool crossed his arms, keeping his saps handy should another pet rear its head. "Couldn't just have a dog, could you, Silver?" He murmured as he followed Karas towards the stairs, warily searching for traps or surprises.
As Franti walked and looked around, things looked different. His gloves had a particular glow he hadn't noticed, as did Karas' armor, Ellena's shield, and some of the other trinkets his friends wore. "Huh." He rubbed his eyes, smearing some of his face paint, but what he saw remained. Did the electric shock make me mad? he thought. "There's nothing, um, strange about your place, right, Silver? Place isn't haunted or anything, right?"
Franti:
This room, like the others visited thus far, was ransacked. Papers and books littered the floor, desk drawers had their contents scattered on the table and floor. Karas can spot a few valuable decorations missing, nothing of great sentimental value to either Terendelev or himself.
Franti picked a copper coin off the floor. "Like, does no one see this?" He flips it in his fingers, failing to identify the text. "It's like I spilled my glow ink on it! No one? Nothing?" He waves the copper at the others, though it appeared as just a mundane coin, exotic only perhaps in it's country of origin.
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Avelina raised an eyebrow at Franti. She never precisely know how she was supposed to take him, as she never knew whether or not he was joking.
"Is this another of your jests? A pun? A witicism? A pun in the form of a witicism?"
She wrinkles her face and her eyes look up, as if they could somehow gaze into her memories if they just tried hard enough.
"'All that glows is not glow ink?' 'A copper in hand is worth two in the purse?' Um...."
She trails off as she begins running through books she's read, hoping to find some memory of a punable witicism. Her mind went immediately, as it often did, to her three most beloved and well-read volumes of The Romance of the White Knight and Her Bright Lady. She quickly forgot any thoughts of wordplay and witicisms and enwrapped herself in the long passages of unspoken romantic tension between Lady Claribelle and the knight Serena.
Avelina leaned her head against Ellena's shoulder and sighed, having completely forgotten the topic at hand.
Tauni stepped over to Franti and his discovery. "May I?" she asked gently.
Franti rolled his eyes at Avelina, flipping the coin to the wizard. "All yours, Little Rabbit. Princess, for once I am serious. And 'all that glistens isn't gold' is what you're looking for."
Karas turned around as Franto declared his find. He walked back over as the coin was passed to Tauni and looked over he shoulder at the coin with curiosity.
Tauni:
Tauni:
Tauni:
"An interesting find, Franti. I can tell there is some magic about it, some type of illusion magic, but if the magic is active on it, I cannot pierce it. I would say the coin is Azlanti in origin, given these inscriptions. The images are a bit stylized, but these looks like grapes to me and"she rolled the coin over to its other side in her palm "a lightning bolt and a staff here."
"She kept a box in here. Things she had collected over the years. I never saw what was inside but... I um... once shook it and it sounded like coins. CAn I see that?" Karas asked of Tauni once her investigation had concluded.
Tauni nodded and passed the coin over to Karas.
Her brow furrowed, and she thought "If I missed seeing that, what else did I miss?" She reached into her satchel and scratched the back of Copplepaw's head. In response he poked his head out and together they took a closer look at around the room.
Taking 20 to search the room, but she will break off the effort if the others are ready to move on.
Anarya:
Avelina:
Ellena:
Franti:
Karas:
Tauni:
Anarya:
Avelina:
Ellena:
Franti:
Karas:
Tauni:
As soon as Karas speaks, the sound of singing fills the air coming from coin (where appears a tiny mouth).
Audio link: (just the first 50 seconds)
The voice is beautiful and the sound of it immediately brings tears to Karas' eyes and all who have ever heard the voice of Terendelev recognize it at once.
The words are not common but draconic. "Для того, чтобы ввести когда-либо в ярких чудо, создавать, создавать и создавать снова, всегда держать свои мысли и молитвы на богов и богинь, чтобы прибыть."
The music ends and the magic glow seen around the coin fades, leaving just a trace.
Close inspection of the room reveals no more discoveries.
"There was a hymn played that sounded a lot like one that was sung to Apsu, one of the main dragon gods.". She thought for a second further and turned to appreciate Karas's reaction. "I think it was Terendelev's voice."
"That's what a dragon sounds like?" The fool smiled, closing his eyes to picture a colossal dragon with that kind of voice. "Not a voice I'd guess to have scales, right?"
Then, Franti thought of Opaline's voice, and turned a rare frown. What he'd do for a coin containing his Opaline in song, or just a short sentence in which he said her name, or even just a giggle.
Glum in thought of his Ustalav "sweetheart," but relaxed after hearing the short hymn, the "glow" that the jester had seen on the coin and miscellaneous gear disappeared. Franti didn't say a word, and sheathed his saps.
Tauni listened, fascinated at the spell and its voice.
When it is done, Tauni said "For any who do not speak the tongue of dragons, it said "To enter ever into the brightest wonder, create, create, and create again, always keeping your thoughts and prayers on the gods and goddesses to come." " Then she repeated to herself "Gods and goddesses to come..." as she tried to puzzle out its meaning.
When Ellena mentioned Apsu, Tauni confirmed "Yes, Apsu. The god of all good and metallic dragons. But I don't think the words match that hymn, at least the version I've heard before. If she changed the words, she must have had a reason."
Then looking at the coin in Karas's palm again, she said "I think that was the magic it was radiating; it has been expended now. But the coin she chose is an ancient Azlanti coin. It would probably be worth much more than its intrinsic value to a collector."
Ellena nodded at Tauni. "Im pretty sure I heard different words but that tune was familiar. Now, which way from here? Upstairs or downstairs?". As she asked the question, she instinctively asked Karas. This building might not be his house anymore, but it was still his home.
Karas did not expect her voice to come from the coin. He hadn't expected to ever hear it again. It was too much for the tiefling. tears rolled down his cheeks as he stood shocked for a minute or two after the song.
He composed himself after a minute, "Um... ya... heh. T-That was her."
He grasped the coin tight and placed it in his bag. "Its most valuable to me."
He cleared his throat before leading the way upstairs. " Better to clear up first... and its where I stayed."
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Avelina's breath dashed away as she saw tears come to Karas' eyes. She held a hand up to cover her agape mouth and pulled Ellena's arm closer. Once he began to compose himself, she moved to comfort him, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him much as she might have smiled at a brother.
"Karas, you truly have a loving soul. Please, take as long as you need."
Her eyes dropped and her smile flattened.
"A loved one's death should be mourned." A tinge of admonishment colored her words, though not perhaps for Karas. Avelina did not know who it was for, at least not yet.
1 = basement, 2 = 1st floor, 3 = 2nd floor, 4 = outside
1 = Terendelev's bedroom, 2 = Terendelev's bathroom, 3 = Guest bedroom, 4 = closet, 5 = Karas' bedroom, 6 = Karas' bathroom, 7 = hall
The party finished looking through the study nook and then backtracked to the entry hall. Just next to the door toward the back of the house was an easy to spot door that opened out to reveal a narrow stairway down to the basement. More obvious was the stairway leading up to the 2nd floor, which Karas knew contained the main bedrooms for Terendelev and Karas while he lived with her.
The stairway up had nothing threatening on it nor any objects on the steps. The second floor was a hall that connected the stairway to the other rooms on the floor. Near the north end was a closed door that Karas knew lead to the master bedroom that Terendelev used when she was in human form and staying at the house. Three other doors (all opened) connected to the guest bedroom on the east side, a storage closet, and Karas' bedroom. Nothing threatening occupied the hall, although a single silver fork lay on the hall floor near the master bedroom.
Tauni stepped to one side, letting Karas take his time and lead them. She gently told him "We should check everywhere, even your rooms. We don't know what else she may have left for you, or where. We should not leave anything behind that may help us avenge her."
If Tauni stays beside Karas, Ellena will follow closely behind them, not wanting them to be attacked while distracted with looking through the remains of the home.
Karas took a deep breath as he lead the group. The looked quizzically at the fork on his way to his old room and picked it up. A quick glance at Terendelev's door filled him with anxiety so he determined to check the other rooms first. He studied it a moment before walking toward his old room.
"This is where I stayed," he whispered indicating a room to the south, "If we're lucky maybe a few of my personal things survived."
Franti peeked into each open door. Certainly the home of a dragon had something draconic within it, he thought. "You know, Silver," he began, "I've never been a host before, but the best hosts know have a bit more enthusiasm for their guests." Franti winked.
Gaining momentum, Franti pushed past Karas, pushing the door open with a finger. "How'd Levvy take it when you brought special girls back to your pad, Silver?" Franti peeked inside, curious. He turned back, continuing to prod the Tiefling. "You invited four beautiful woman and myself to your bedroom and you haven't even made the bed." Franti crossed his arms, closed his eyes, shaking his head as if disappointed. "I guess being handsome and muscular is enough these days."