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Brother Butterfly, never one to be excluded from a conversation asks a blessing from Desna.
Rosetta Stone, Googletalk, voule-vou-couche-aveckmua-suswa.
And he asks a blessing to understand the zoogs.
Also, is anyone else a bit worried that we can't find Cats? This is very, very strange. Did he get catnapped? And when I say that, I mean I bet he's sleeping under a tree and not actually in danger.
Duration 70 minutes.
The zoogs chitter and squeak in reply to Fearless.
”Zoogs like felines. Zoogs loves pards.”
Another interrupts. ”You has cats?”
”Zoogs like cats too!” A third chitters.
The Mariner can’t make out much of the dialogue, he’s quite certain he heard the word “Cats.”
Cats continues to dawdle, waiting patiently to find something or be found.
Is this loneliness? Or is this heaven?
Cats reflects on the calm and isolation.
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Hearing Fearless, Brother bends in and whispers, Remember our research, I think these things hunt the cat things.
Brother then stands tall, looks at Mariner and tells him, Fearless is trying to communicate with them get on reasonably friendly terms and also see if they know where Kast went to.
Brother tries giving Mariner a quick 411.
Thr zoogs seem confused.
”That sound like human. Not feline. They not as tasty.”
One of them suddenly gives a curious squeak and points at the branch behind Fearless.
”Is that Cat-human?”
Cats stands on the branch, looking none the worse for wear, except for some blood (jelly) at corner of his mouth.
Fearless does a double take. "CATS!" Relieved that he is back Fearless continues his strange conversation. "We couldn't just leave him behind Shapeshifter."
”Huh? Catless? Where did you guys go?” Cats sees Fearless at about the same time as Fearless sees Cats but his exclamation is a bit different. ”Did you have a party without me? Did you save me any food?”
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Cats! What, When?
I sure do hate mysteries that my brain hasn't solved. Your disappearance is like those standing stones in Thrushmoor. I mostly figured those out, but they vexed me for a long time.
He turns to Cats.
Now Cats, y-o-u vex me. Where did you go and how did you get back here so suddenly?
Cats looks perplexed. ”I did’t go no where. You guys left me! Now where is the feast you guys were having? DId you save me nothing?”
”CATS!”
The zoogs jump, looking around for the feline. A couple vanish into tree boles with baby zoogs in tow.
”Nog cats?!”
”Zoog o vi cats.”
”Where cats?!”
”Zoog no see cats.”
After the confusion, the zoogs reveal that they ate all the pards in the area, but have some pard tails zooged away in their nests that they’d be willing to trade for some cat meat.
Or Cat meat.
Assuming you aren’t willing to part with the latter, the former are known to hunt in a higher, sunnier region of the forest.
"Huh, what, no we don't have any cat meat. His name is Cats." Fearless tries to explain as best as he can. "If you show us the way, you can have some of the Pards. I think we only need one."
"They say there are Pards higher up in the sunnier region of the forest." Fearless tries to relay what he can but the side conversation on Cat's return behind him distracts him. "We have been here the whole time, you are the one that left, fool!"
"We have been here the whole time, you are the one that left, fool!"
”Ah, catshit! I don’t know how you all did that, but it was a neat trick,” Cats replies to Fearless, assuming the halfling is now in league with the Shapeshifter. ”That was a good one. Next time, let’s do that the bad guy instead, so they are picking up forest forkwear.”
"They say there are Pards higher up in the sunnier region of the forest."
”The Pards. Who are they, Catless? Did you work with them to play that trick?”
"The Pards are what we are here for! Same as the ring at the dance. We need to get one." Fearless shakes his head. "Trick? It had to have been the tikbalang. Or..." Fearless turns his head to the Shapeshifter. "You do it?"
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I didn't do a thing! Goodness from Desna! She told me she'd help prepare a "traveler's welcome" if the Zoogs were hostile (calm emotions spell), but don't make me ask Desna to try that on you Fearless!
I don't ever use Desna's mindbending blessings on you guys, but Desna help me if you push me.
Yeesh... you guys play tricks and I'm here trying to be serious and take care of business so we get our memories back!
Yeesh... you guys play tricks and I'm here trying to be serious and take care of business so we get our memories back!
Cats nods in agreement. "Yeah, me too. I'm cattally serious too." Cats pulls out the fork he found. "I'm trying to figure out who as been leaving silverware in this forest. That's another mystery."
Cats looks at Fearless.
"Oh yeah. We're trying to find the Pards. Right. Right. I knew that," Cats says as he had already forgotten. "Which way are we going? And where is that creature we were fighting? I thought I had kilt it, but maybe not."
Cats looks ready to move on when others are ready.
"This whole conversation is driving me more insane by the moment", The Mariner points cross chested in left and right directions. His sight lingers on one particularly grotesque looking rodent, "...is that a finger?"
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Following basic directions from the zoogs, the Watchmen begin making their way up to the higher branches of the canopy. With muscle memory from years in rigging, the climb is simple for the Mariner. Being naturally agile, Cats and Fearless have little trouble as well. Brother Butterfly, however, is challenged by steep stairs on a good day, thus forcing the others to drag, pull, and lift his bulky form along at a snail’s pace.
A couple hours later, as the group pulls itself up onto another wide branch, a voice calls out from nearby.
”Greetings and well met!” Says a blonde man in forester’s leathers. Bound and staked to a large leaf with wide thorns, he gives a tiny wave with one restrained hand. ”Say, I’m in a bit of a pickle here. Don’t suppose you could cut me down?”
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Cats looks at her with his Cat’s Eyes...sniffing around her soul.
He moves up slowly and cautiously, looking for traps.
Perception
”Who are you and what did that?”
Says a blonde man
The Mariner holds Cats back a little, "Don't sniff him there, you don't know where he's been." He then says skeptically to the man, "We're looking for some pussy - Pards I think they're called.
Fearless nearly drops Brother Butterfly as the other two turn their attention to the leaf man. "Sonuva...Go on a diet. You can shapeshift and you chose this form?" Finally getting him onto a sturdy branch. "Hey Treehugger! How did you get here?"
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"Sonuva...Go on a diet.
Brother gives him a glaring look. A whithering look.
I thought this trip to The Dreamscape would be short. I thought Desna's flight and her other blessings would be sufficient for the duration.
Obviously, jungle scenes are NOT my idea of cloud cookooland dreams.
Hearing polite and pleasant conversation from above. Brother looks, and smiles.
By of course I'll cut you down! See, if our roles were reversed, I'd have called "hither too" in the same fashion! You must be a gentleman and a noble.
He then turns to Fearless.
And remember Fearless, when you are bound like that in sexual playgrounds, you always have a "Safe-word" you establish BEFORE you engage in S & M.
Hopefully Fearless gets that Brother isn't alluding to THIS forester's situation being an S & M moment, he was just trying to give the halfling good advise for when he visited the brothels next. Fearless was certainly "a submissive type" in that kind of role play.
Brother chuckles to his own internal joke as he moves towards the Forester.
Do you mind if I use a blessing of Desna to cut you from that plant - from a safe distance? Desna lets me use a sharp razor , it's be perfect for what ails you.
Cats begins to approach the man, but Brother Butterfly can see that the leaf the man is tied to is barely hanging from its stem. Any further weight would likely cause it to break and send the man plummeting downwards. Using his spiritual razor, he cuts the man free from a safe distance.
”Thank you, my big friend!” He exclaims. ”My name is Nestor Bindlay. I came to the Enchanted Wood pursuing a big-game hunter named Kelvetta Brix. She slaughtered her way across the Verduran Forest, then found a way here, looking for other rare trophies to add to her cruel collection. I don’t suppose you’ve seen her? Short black hair, a scar across her brow and nose? No?” Nestor sighs. ”Well, I was hot on her trail when I encountered a group of strange small winged elves. They overwhelmed me, then tied me up and left me hanging. I’m not sure if this is a game or joke, or something else.”
Cats waits to see what his Cat's Eyes sense.
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Brother opens his arms wide. Welcoming.
NESTOR!
He takes a moment to curl his mustache.
Well, it was a fine moment for us to help thwart those winged elves game!
Let's see if we can help each other out. A bit of Quid Pro Quo? We help you capture this Big Bad B*%$~ and you help us find a Pard? Is that a decent Quid Pro for a Quo?
Cats stands down, ready to welcome Nestor as he sees no reason not to.
"Small winged elves did this to you? Were they angry? How did a bunch of small elves cat you up?" Cats asks before remembering his manners. "Oh hey, I'm Cats, not Cats," Kast explains, though his own explanation seems weird to himself. "The small one there is Catless, and that's Catiner, and the round one is Brother Catterfly."
"Never said I was translating them. I was talking to them. Plus there were so many distractions!" Fearless tries to defend himself. "They said some Pards were higher up."
And you!" He points back at Nestor. "Not how did you get here." He points at the leaf. "How did you get in the Dream Realm?"
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Nestor looks from Cats to Fearless to Brother Butteffly. ”Ok, I’m more confused now.”
Turning back to Fearless. ”How did I get here? I paid a priest of Abadar to cast a plane shift spell, of course. Set me back a lot of gold, but I wasn’t going to let Kelvetta continue her hunt.”
Pulling a ring off his finger, Nestor presents it to Brother Butterfly. ”Never let it be said that Nestor Bindlay doesn’t pay his debts. I found this shortly after I arrived. It is a ring of psychic mastery. Powerful, but of little use to me, and as I’m sure you are aware, what is found in the Dreamlands, stays in the Dreamlands.”
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"This whole conversation is driving me more insane by the moment"
”Ok, I’m more confused now.”
The Mariner points a big fat finger at Nestor in sudden camaraderie, SEE?! He relaxes a bit, when the ring is presented and seemingly closing a peaceful end to the encounter where the Watchmen won't have to kill anyone.
Cats looks at Mariner and agrees. This entire place was confusing, what with the forks in the forest and Pards and angry small elves.
"You mentioned a Kelvetta Brix? Does she tend to lose a lot of silverware? This might be a clue, then? A part of the trail?" Cats produces the largest found spoon he has and offers it to Nestor. "I found these and others in forest."
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Jasper hands the wonderful ring on over to Fearless. The one whose splintered mind might just be able to get some use out of the ring.
Before putting it on, you will want to check it out to make certain it's not cursed. Those winged elves could have done more to our Gentleman Friend Nestor Bindley than overwhelm and tie him up. A gaggle of fairy elves might have used their magics to warp his items too.
He turns to Nestor. So... if we are to hunt this Kelvetta, any hints on her weapons of choice? Weaknesses? Desna prepared me for this forest and She has some devious blessings she can bring to the fore.
When Cats shows his spoon as a possible Kelvetta clue, Brother jumps in with a quip.
Ah, women troubles and the mess they leave behind. I myself recently had a heaping *SPOONFUL* of women troubles in Razmaran.
If he takes the above well and with interest, Brother tell him the story of the Golden Masks and the political intrigue he deftly escaped.
Nestor looks bewildered as he examines the spoon.
”Uuuuhhh.. I suppose this could be hers, but if it’s a sign, I don’t know what to make of it.”
To Butterfly, ”Like most hunters, she carries a bow, and is pretty good with it.” He chuckles a the quip about women problems. ”Kelvetta is not the type to cause that sort of trouble. There is nothing soft or inviting about her. All sharp edges and iron nails. The only love I imagine she has is for a good kill.”
Cats shrugs, taking his dream spoon back.
”Well, we should get moving. Which cat do we go, Pard’nearest?” Cats asks, unable to solve any mysteries here.
"They just said up. Highest spot in the forest." Fearless points up into the trees. "Not sure what this woman could possibly have to do with Pards, unless she is one?" He questions this whole insane place.
Cats looks around for a way to climb higher.
Survival
"You know as much as I do. Higher is all I know." Fearless explains the little information he seemed to get outside of the creatures wanting to eat Cats. "Can you maybe fly up there and see how much higher we need to go?"
With a new companion in tow, the Warchmen climb higher. Up near the canopy roof the trees cast deep shadows over the boughs and leaves.
They also provide excellent camouflage for the green tigers that hunt here.
PERCEPTION
INITIATIVE
”Well, no sign of Kelvetta. Or anything else for that matter.” Nestor says with a shrug, right before a tiger pounces on him from the shadows!
As Nestor screams and flails three more tigers emerge from the trees, led by a giant sabertoothed cat.
The tigers pounce on Butterfly, Fearless, and Cats. The big one, perhaps smelling old fish, leaps at the Mariner.
INITIATIVE
Tigers
Smilodon
Mariner (63/105) *grappled!
Brother Butterfly (37/60)
Cats (11/52) *grappled!
Fearless (19/46) *grappled!
Nestor (-34hp/?)*surprised *grappled!
Fearless tries to wriggle free from the tiger's grasp, his entire outfit soaked in his blood. He gasps trying to catch his breath and think for a moment.
HP 19/46
AC 20 (26 w/ mental barrier and BoF)
Spells: 1st 3/5 | 2nd 4/4
Inspiration 5/7
Tactician 1/1 (Rounds 3/3)
Challenge 1/1
Phrenic Pool 2/3
Wand of Magic Missile (3rd) 14 charges remaining
-she carries a bow, and is pretty good with it.
The Mariner looks awkwardly at the composite bow he tried to use with pathetic accuracy against the horse creature earlier. He says to Cats, "You just keep lobbing them so I can close in and plant a hard edge in her skull-!"
"Arrgh!!!" he curses as a ball of fangs and fur slam into him and takes him to the ground. "Get off of me you flea bag!"
The Mariner tries to break free and roll to his feet, then urging the animal in, "-come to papa."
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Round 1
Ah cat! Ah cattitty cat! Cats echoes cusses in his mind. He is right and truly f~&#ed, and expresses that.
Cats draws a dagger and tries to cut his way out after quickly praying for healing.
to hit; damage.
healing
[ dice]1d20+11[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+6[/dice] slashing damage.
[ dice]1d20+6[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+6[/dice] slashing damage.
AC: 20
HP: 11+7/52
LoH: 1/4 used
[ dice]1d20+10 damage.
[ dice]1d20+8[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d8+8[/dice] damage.
Catrenrae’s Gift: 0/2 used.
Mini Smite: 0/1 used: Once per day as a swift action, you can add your Charisma bonus to your attack rolls and deal 1 additional point of damage for each class level you have against evil creatures for 1 round. You must have a good alignment to take this trait.
+6 Bab +4 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS -2 DA -2 Rapid= +8/+8 to hit
+2 Str +1 magic +4 DA+1 PBS = +8 damage
The tigers tear into the Watchmen, shredding clothes and flesh in a nightmarish bloodbath!
”I’m not going out to a bunch of pu$$ies!” Nestor screams. ”If you have any healing, nows the time, ‘cause I’m about to make things very hot around here!”
Nestor holds out his hands and fire begins burning between them.
INITIATIVE
Effects: blessing of fervor
Tigers
Smilodon
Mariner (20(36)/105(21) *grappled!
Brother Butterfly (9/60) *grappled!
Cats (18/52) *grappled!
Fearless (19/46)
Nestor (-46hp/?)*grappled!
Fearless steps back and connects his mind to the primal tiger's mind, shattering it as much as his own.
HP 19/46
AC 20 (26 w/ mental barrier and BoF)
Spells: 1st 3/5 | 2nd 2/4
Inspiration 5/7
Tactician 1/1 (Rounds 3/3)
Challenge 1/1
Phrenic Pool 2/3
Wand of Magic Missile (3rd) 14 charges remaining