"Murminin can go and see what's ahead. He's as quiet as a ghost-" at that, the raven perched on Seth's shoulder let out a cawing laugh, and Seth glared at the bird, "When he needs to be." Seth offers.
Gallindra agrees to escort your prsioners back to Yanmass, then you set out on a patrol of the plains around Tallgrasses, hoping to come across Fathrie Staubel's patrol. After a couple of hours, Murminin reappears on Seth's shoulder, excitedly telling the magus that he has spotted Fathrie! She is riding a desert drake alongside a pair of mounted warriors. You are a few minutes away--you have time to set up an ambush for them.
Katria takes a deep breath and looks around at the others.
"We should protect ourselves against electricity," she suggests. "And make sure Amelia and Seth can fly, so they can meet her in the sky. I have a couple scrolls that can help people fly. And make them invisible. And help protect them..."
"I can ward us against lightning."
Liam casts Communal Resist Energy. He uses the Lesser Metamagic Rod so it will last at least 30 minutes per recipient (180 minutes total, split five ways in increments of 10, so three at 40 and two at 30).
"Very well. I have some defensive spells I can cast upon myself, as well, and can become invisible for a few scarce moments, though such an enchantment would be appreciated beforehand." Seth agrees, "I appreciate your contribution of the ward, Sir Liam. Hopefully, we can take down these ruffians before they have much of a chance to retaliate."
As much as she wondered about the idea of flying, she knew she did not have the dexterity for such a strange request, "I have my bow, should we see the drakes flying I feel I would be more comfortable on the ground than in the air."
Seeing that they have time to prepare, the dandy casts a spell on herself to create duplicates, hoping to protect her from various attacks.
Maya says, "I can provide invisibility to whoever wants it. I can also provide us with a burst of speed just before the fight. Since it seems we may be more spread out during the fight, my usual performance may not be as helpful. If anyone is particularly afraid of getting hit, I recently learned a new spell to make it much harder for an opponent to strike you."
"Let us set up an ambush then. Take some time to find some cover, this might prove to be dangerous if they can hit and run us down." The dandy moves to find a hiding spot.
You lie in wait for the patrol, and soon enough, the group comes into sight. Two bandits ride on lean, Qadiran horses. Above them, a stout, powerful woman with short hair and large eyes--Fathrie Staubel--is mounted upon a desert drake.
When the group is still about 60 feet away from you, Fathrie's keen senses alert her to your presence. "Heads up! Ambush!" she cries.
HP 75/66 (inc. +9 from transmutation focus)
AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 18, CMD 21
Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +10
Speed: 30 feet
Inspiration (Knowledge/Linguistics/Spellcraft checks): 0/5
Mental Focus: 16; Abjuration [4/4]; Divination [4/4]; Enchantment [4/4]; Transmutation [4/4]
Resonant powers (+1 saves; +2 Perception, low-light vision; +2 Charisma
checks; +2 Con)
Spells/day: 1st [][][][][]; 2nd [][][][][]; 3rd [][][][]
Wands: Scorching ray 0/20; lightning bolt 0/20; magic missile (CL 5) 0/47; magic missile (CL 5) 1/35
Effects: resist energy 30
With their enemies still too far for most of her magic to work, Katria relies on the wand instead, firing bolts toward the drake!
Seth soars into action, jetting forward on borrowed flight as his sword lights up with runes along its length. As he plunges his sword deep into the drake's chest, he calls out, "Surrender! You need not throw your lives away on such a fruitless endeavor!"
Maya uses the brief time before the group’s arrival to try what has apparently become her speciality: blinding the enemy.
Maya's spell blinds both Fathrie and her drake. Katria blasts the drake with magic missiles before Seth charges forward and drives his blade into its chest.
"We will not yield!" Fathrie shouts as she draws a pair of scimitars, the main one bursting into flames. She slices at Seth, landing a critical strike despite her blindness! The drake bites at the magus and slaps at him with its tail but fails to hit. Both of them then recover from their blindness.
The two other bandits fire on Seth, but neither one hits.
HP 75/66 (inc. +9 from transmutation focus)
AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 18, CMD 21
Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +10
Speed: 30 feet
Inspiration (Knowledge/Linguistics/Spellcraft checks): 0/5
Mental Focus: 16; Abjuration [4/4]; Divination [4/4]; Enchantment [4/4]; Transmutation [4/4]
Resonant powers (+1 saves; +2 Perception, low-light vision; +2 Charisma
checks; +2 Con)
Spells/day: 1st [][][][][]; 2nd [][][][][]; 3rd [][][][]
Wands: Scorching ray 0/20; lightning bolt 0/20; magic missile (CL 5) 0/47; magic missile (CL 5) 1/35
Effects: resist energy 30
With Fathrie blinded, Katria turns her attention to the bandits, closing to 30 feet of them and trying to bind one.
Liam begins a half-hearted Inspire Courage. He rather feels bad for the clearly outmatched bandits.
"Onward, stalwarts of Taldor! Victory is ours!"
Then he uses Total Defense.
Seeing the bandits with their arrows, Amelia nocks some arrows of her own.
"This is... Unnecessary."
"Stay down. I don't want this."
Seth raises an eyebrow at the strike, looking "Not bad... but you shall have to do far, far better if you wish to evade justice. This is your final warning from me."
With his warning given, Seth erupts into a whirlwind of steel aimed at the drake.
With his blade finally coming to a rest, there is a brief flash of light from Seth's left hand as he turns invisible.
Deeming Fathrie to be the enemy group's most dangerous foe, Maya focuses her efforts on the woman. Perhaps she could be reasoned with, but the halfling doubted it. Maya casts another spell at the drake rider.
Liam inspires the group, then Amelia opens fire on the bandits. She takes one down and wounds the other. The second bandit resists Katria's attempt to bind him, and Fathrie resists Maya's spell of blindness.
Fathrie tries to steer her mount away from Seth's attacks, to no avail. The elf strikes the desert drake twice before disappearing from sight.
The mounted ranger cries out in frustration and slices her blades through empty air in a vain attempt to hit Seth. The drake, however, opens its jaws and spits forth a ball of electrically charged sand that bursts into a cloud, trying to zap the invisible magus! The other bandit fires back at Amelia but doesn't hit.
"Lay down your arms! See to your partner! You've seen what we can do!"
Seth attempts to block the torrent of electric sand with his shield, leaving him somewhat less defended, but he doesn't let that slow him down in the slightest, reappearing with his blade in the wyvern's neck, and only continuing from there, his blade a blur of light as he parries, cuts, and stabs at the beast at a breakneck pace.
Liam continues Inspire Courage and Total Defense.
Maya sighs. She supposes her good luck streak couldn't last forever.
Deciding to try a different tactic, Maya casts another spell, this time targeting Fathrie's scimitar.
HP 75/66 (inc. +9 from transmutation focus)
AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 18, CMD 21
Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +10
Speed: 30 feet
Inspiration (Knowledge/Linguistics/Spellcraft checks): 0/5
Mental Focus: 16; Abjuration [4/4]; Divination [4/4]; Enchantment [4/4]; Transmutation [4/4]
Resonant powers (+1 saves; +2 Perception, low-light vision; +2 Charisma
checks; +2 Con)
Spells/day: 1st [][][][][]; 2nd [][][][][]; 3rd [][][][]
Wands: Scorching ray 0/20; lightning bolt 0/20; magic missile (CL 5) 0/47; magic missile (CL 5) 2/35
Effects: resist energy 30
Seeing as Maya seems to have the two ground-based bandits well in hand, Katria rejoins Maya in spending her attention on the drake, sending another trio of magic missiles toward it.
At Amelia's urging, the wounded bandit drops his bow and raises his hands in surrender. "Coward!" Fathrie snaps at him.
Seth's first attack misses due to the cloud of sand, and Fathrie steers the drake away from the second, but the third tears open the drake's neck. It plummets to the ground, and Fathrie grunts as he leaps free of the saddle.
Maya greases Fathrie's scimitar, which slips out of her grasp and falls to the ground. Katria blasts her with magic missiles.
Yelling in fury, the ranger drops her other scimitar and draws her longbow, taking aim at Maya and firing on her out of spite! The arrow sticks into the halfling's leg.
HP 75/66 (inc. +9 from transmutation focus)
AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 18, CMD 21
Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +10
Speed: 30 feet
Inspiration (Knowledge/Linguistics/Spellcraft checks): 0/5
Mental Focus: 16; Abjuration [4/4]; Divination [4/4]; Enchantment [3/4]; Transmutation [4/4]
Resonant powers (+1 saves; +2 Perception, low-light vision; +2 Charisma
checks; +2 Con)
Spells/day: 1st [][][][][]; 2nd [][][][][]; 3rd [][][][]
Wands: Scorching ray 0/20; lightning bolt 0/20; magic missile (CL 5) 0/47; magic missile (CL 5) 3/35
Effects: resist energy 30
Katria closes in nearer the ranger and tries to lock her brain up.
Seth falls from the sky, dropping down onto Fahrie's head with a blow from his blade.
Maya looks down at the arrow in her leg. Not too long ago such a wound would have nearly been fatal to the halfling. How times have changed.
Smiling at Fathrie, Maya begins recounting an old tale of Erastil. One she's sure will throw off the drake rider just as she had been thrown off her drake. Then the bard casts a spell for good measure.
Liam heals Maya's wound and continues Inspire Courage.
"You aren't a coward, you're smart."
Seeing the melee that is breaking out, Amelia charges in with Koriana's Blade in hand and her longbow loosely in the other.
Fathrie succumbs to both Katria's magic and Maya's song, her body seizing up, though she manages to maintain her grip on the longbow, for all the good that will do her. Seth and Amelia rush in, slicing the woman with their blades.
Unable to break free of the paralysis, it's a simple matter for you to take her down--either killing her or knocking her out, as per your desire.
This thick copper bracelet bears rows of lightly engraved hearts. Once per week, when the bracelet is worn and touched to another worn lover’s bangle, the two become attuned and remain attuned until one of the bangles is removed or attuned to a different lover’s bangle, or until a bangle’s wearer is reduced below 0 hit points, is slain, or travels to a different plane. The wearer of the attuned lover’s bangle immediately knows that the attunement has ended, but doesn’t receive any indication about the event that broke the attunement.
Katria's eyes widen as she realizes what the lover's bangle is.
"They probably know something's happened to her," she says. "I don't think we're going to have the element of surprise..."
Amelia knocks the foe out, she has no desire to spill more blood than required. Going to the one who surrendered earlier she speaks, "I'll have to take your weapons, but I am a woman of my word." They were Taldan and they should be tried like Taldans.
"What is wrong Katria?"
The scholar noble explains what the bracelet can do.
Liam will stabilize the other bandit if possible. He speaks briefly to them. "Banditry is a serious crime, but I will ask for a merciful sentence. These are troubled times and you may have not known who to trust, so followed your commander. You may be able to serve loyally in the future under better leadership. In the end, the decision rests with the magistrates of Yanmass, though I will ask for mercy if you can state under a Zone of Truth that you committed no atrocities."
Liam prays to the Everbloom and heals Seth's wounds.
Seth watches as his new allies round up the group, lending a blade where needed to keep them in line and to ensure they aren't sneaked up on.
Maya shakes her head as Katria explains the bangle's function. "I guess we should get moving then. We at least want to meet them in open combat if it has to come to that. Glad we got to deal with these before going forward."
The bard looks at the two bandits and the unconscious Fathrie then says, "What exactly are we going to do with them this time? Fathrie kept fighting even once the battle became hopeless. Don't think we can risk just leaving them behind. They could flank us from behind when we move into the Tallgrasses."
"I generally respect others' choices to fight to the death, when it is clear that is the consequence.
I have not been diligent about that, but it is my preferred course of action.
The bandit that I saved did not really have a chance to surrender, but Fathrie did. And she made it clear she chose to face Pharasma rather than surrender. So if we just leave her here unconscious and unarmed and let Fate decide, that is fine with me.
The others I would let walk back to Yanmass (unarmed, of course)."
"I think we can leave her here because we don't really have any choice -- or maybe nearby in case the smell of blood attracts predators," Katria says, troubled, "but I don't think we should just plan to leave her here and not come back. That could be dangerous to us, and inhumane. After the camp, we should come collect her again. We have to be better than them if we want Taldor to be better than what they would have."
She nods decisively after coming to her conclusion.
Leaving your prisoners here for now, you make your way to Tallgrasses itself. Tallgrasses is a sprawling structure made of smooth gray stone. A strange mixture of Taldan and Qadiran styles, the building bears several arches, a large dome between two balconied upper levels, and an encircling covered porch. Several small, wiry horses are hitched to the porch posts.
"I think we can leave her here because we don't really have any choice -- or maybe nearby in case the smell of blood attracts predators," Katria says, troubled, "but I don't think we should just plan to leave her here and not come back. That could be dangerous to us, and inhumane. After the camp, we should come collect her again. We have to be better than them if we want Taldor to be better than what they would have."
"I can agree to that," says Liam. "because she has already been made a captive. Making the best of a bad situation. But I do not like taking prisoner those who actively tried to choose death over captivity. I would wish to respect their freedom in that, even if they are an opponent."
At Tallgrasses, Liam takes the metamagic rod and casts Extended Good Hope on the party.
"How to proceed? In the front? Through a window? With a distraction?"
She eyes the building, "They will be expecting us if Katria was right about the bangle. The front door seems the most obvious route to guard but then again..." She considers her options "A distraction... All we need to do is cause enough of a shatter somewhere else and approach from another end. Shouldn't be too hard, they'll be on edge already." Unraveling some rope, "Alternatively I can scale up, and drop this down for you and we attack top-down. It would limit our escape but give them a nasty surprise. High risk, high reward." A coin flips through her fingers before vanishing.
Maya considers the structure before them. She finds herself thankful that they took the bandit lackeys alive. Their information about the building could prove invaluable.
"Hmm. Perhaps we should consider drawing some of them out? Inside is undoubtedly more easily defended, but they might send one or two expendables outside. After we've thinned their ranks as best we can, we could still try to distract them from one direction and enter from another. I still have a fair bit of magic for the day, so could disguise our entrance with invisibility. Or one us could scout ahead."
"I can send my magic eye," Katria suggests when the idea of scouting comes up. "Let's see if they are really ready, and if so, I think trying to draw them out makes sense."
As a standard action, you can expend 1 point of mental focus to create a mind eye—a magical sensor through which you can see and hear. The mind eye is invisible and its size is Fine, giving it an AC of 18. Any amount of damage to the eye destroys it, but it can be harmed by only spells or magic weapons. The eye moves with a fly speed of 60 feet with perfect maneuverability and can travel up to 1 mile away from you. You must concentrate as a standard action to direct the eye and receive sensory images through it. The mind eye sees as your eyes see, including any additional senses you possess (such as darkvision or see invisibility). The mind eye lasts for 1 minute per occultist level you possess. You must be at least 5th level to select this focus power.