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Aerodus frowns, taking a seat at the table for a moment, laying the letter out before him. He began to try to decipher the code at the bottom of the letter.
He scratched his head and sighed. He couldn't make head nor tails of it as he couldn't even really see where it started, not to talk of what it actually was. He looked up at Rudwilla and stared at her before speaking.
"The Abraxas Egg, Rudwilla, do you know where and what it is?"
Gregary leans over and reads it over Aerodus' shoulder, actually chuckling a couple of times. From what casting he had seen of Rudwilla, she was a fairly powerful witch indeed, and apparently formidable amongst demon lords. "And what did you do to get the enmity of a demon lord's cult?"
Terra spends her time listening to the discussion with little to add for now as she checks her clothing for any damage it may have obtained due to the fighting. Having accomplished that her eyes light up at the coins and, more importantly, the gems, that are found in the bag. She almost purrs as she says, "Well now, aren't those pretty." She leans forward to examine them better holding a couple up to the light and watching the light sparkle with in them.
Cayosin eyes narrow on the gems that Terra is holding but he shakes his head and looks at Aerodus, "Does the demon have your tongue Aasimar?" Cayosin jokingly laughs as he playfully stings Aerodus. Cayosin listens intently to Rudwilla's response about the egg.
Give him time, Cayosin. Reading is serious work. Never had much time for it myself. Despair of my tutors.
Cayosin smiles, "Oh, I am just giving him a hard time Aliesah. This isn't our first quest together."
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Aerodus turns to Cayosin and smiles feraly, his eyes twinkling with dark promises, as he begins to speak in a harsh, guttural tongue. "मय तोङ्गुए बेलोङ्ग्स तो मोरे थन जुषत थे देमोन्स ओफ़् थिस् वोर्ल्द्, मय देअर् देअर् चयोसिन"
With the last word, Cayosin feels a tingle run through his body, as the word sounds slightly familiar. When he is finished speaking, Aerodus laughs softly before turning back to the letter.
"Aye, we have fought side by side before. We have our japes and our fun but Cayosin is a good man to have at your back!"
Terra puts the gems down and takes the offered bag of coal. The cleric begins to look at each of them politely as she tries to find a diamond in the rough amongst them.
Thank you, Rudwilla Aliesah takes the offered bag.
To the others she says Well, I guess we don't need to visit the ogre now. Oh and Aerodus, what was that you were speaking?
"Wait, why are we not visiting the ogre?"
Rudwilla's is (roughly) due south of the Abraxas Egg.
Nellus Alakart is (roughly) due south of Rudwilla's.
Jojo's is (roughly) due west of Rudwilla's.
Griffondale is (roughly) due south of Jojo's and (roughly) due west of Alakart's.
"Based off of the information that Rudwilla is giving up, it seems like a more effective use of our time to visit this...Abraxas Egg." says Gregary, to Aliesah's question. "We know that there are worshippers of thees dieties in the region, and we know that they're being active, obviously. And the Egg is close to where we're expecting the 'devils' to be." he finishes, even using air-quotes.
"Wouldn't it make sense to visit the Egg and search around it?"
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Aerodus looks up at Aliesah and smiles. "It is Abyssal, language of the Demonic. Positively hideous isn't it? I always thought it sounded like snake skin sliding over sand and crushed glass," He grinned turning back to the letter again, frowning. He would have to take longer to look at it, he couldn't get it now.
He stood up and handed Gregary the letter so he could read over it again, if he liked. "I agree with Gregary. Jojos is second in importance now. There is a race on to get to this Abraxos egg. Besides... I have been thinking. What if it is not a kidnapping at all. What if these two young men eloped? I mean... The town seems to be a little backwards after all..." He coughed meaningfully.
Cayosin sits back listening but seems not to care where they go next as long as it ends with combat, gold, or more cool gear.
Upon finding and reading the Sin Spawn's letter about her mission to seek-and-destroy some "traitors / cowards" who fled from their rightful master, Graz'zt, you all decide to skip Jojo's for now and head for what Rudwilla has named, surprisingly articulately, a big rock on the edge of the Verduran that some cultists of Abraxas, a long time ago, laired near.
For her part, Rudwilla makes sure everyone has plenty of healing before leaving which makes Naswig, her little Fremlin Familiar, all the more quietly fuming.
It is another three days of travel north to the edge of the Verduran, the landscape becoming wilder and wilder, before a great forest of which you cannot see the end comes into view, dwarfing the small woods and hills and ravines that have peppered your journey.
It is only a few hours more, then, before you find the first geographical feature described to you and you begin making your way through the forest's rim, looking for The Abraxas Egg.
Upon gaining your bearings as more and more of the described landscape is found, all while the sun is setting, you find a tactically solid place to make camp so you can search out the massive stone in the morning and either find the old lair (where the creatures are probably holed in) or tracks of the creatures for you to follow.
And while making camp and settling in, deciding who will be on watch this night (if it's the same as the last few evenings or different), you may decide to converse about the past several days.
And it's only twenty minutes later when,...
Perception checks, please....
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.
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"I don't follow. I thought we were looking for the missing people from town. It doesn't matter how backward the town may be." Wulfrun strides out to retrieve her horse. "I still think Jojo's is worth investigating so that is where I will go. I refuse to give up on them for the mere mention of an egg of whatever."
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Aerodus sighs and walks after Wulfrun, out to saddle Valour. "I meant that the town is quite backward in its beliefs, or would appear to be. Maybe two young men fell in love and ran off to be happy together, it is a possibility I am saying!" Aerodus shrugged.
"We are not giving up on them, rather we are focusing on something more threatening. Two missing people is little compared to the machinations of the demonic. The greater good would demand that we face the greater evil here!"
"If we find more of those Dark Stalkers, maybe it is best we aim to knock them unconscious, lest we get too heavily poisoned, hey?" Aerodus laughs as he begins to unsaddle Valour, letting the horse free from the armor and tack for the night.
Wulfrun has been quiet for most the journey. She is obviously disturbed about the decision to skip investigating the ogre's lair to find the defenseless townspeople before heading to look for the egg.
Earlier
Also striding to his horse and saddle up, Cayosin shrugs, "Well we don't really know the order to retrieve these missing persons. As long as we get them back safely, we succeed."
Now
While on Blarprymja, "Yes, I would love to knock out their teeth while knocking them out. Later, I noticed I had a bad hold on my staff and will no hit them more often if we encounter them again." Cayosin looks at the swords, "And I can't wait until I get use to these Darkswords, they feel well balance but require some getting use to."
"Wulfrun, the point is that the two occurences are connected." says Gregary for the fourth time during their journey. The cavalier had objected several times to their new decision, and didn't quite get why they were doing it. "I and the rest of your compatriots are theorizing that this...Egg and these darkfolk are connected to the little devils. Something new is happening and these things are part of it."
"I agree, all of this occurred far too close together, particularly with the witches' information. This egg, whatever it is, needs to be found and dealt with."
Cayosin does not take long to set up his camp, basically taking the saddle off Blarprymja, tying the horse up, and finding a nice place where the fire is going to be built and sets his saddle and backpack up there. You get the impression that he is going to use it as part of his bed. Then he addresses the group, "I will take last watch!" Then all of sudden he picks up his staff in his hand leaving the swords still sheathed, "What was that?!" And then looks in the direction(s) of sneaky 17 and 22.
"Zzzzz"
Seven Xvarts are 20' from the group and have just thrown poisoned darts.
Wulfrun, Cayosin & Terra Minora may act in the surprise round due to their Perception checks.
@ Wulfrun
I think we should roll-off to see if you get your Action before you succumb to the sleep dart.
Cutie checks perception
Surprise Round
Upon seeing the "Blue Devils", Cayosin yells "I see two Blue Devils sneaking up on us. To Arms ... To Arms!" Cayosin casts Shield Upon himself and allows himself to be very angry of being interrupted in his relaxation.
Normal Round
On his initiative, Cayosin bloodrages into combat which automatically activates his Arcane Bloodrage spell Blur (all free actions). Now blurred with a transparent outline which makes him look like he is burning with rage, his draconic eyes glowing, and his Quarterstaff held high he methodically walks up at the max speed of 50' to the first Xvart with a blood curdling, "DIE BLUE DEVILs! ... DIE!"
Raging Rounds: 12/13 rounds
Shield Rounds: 4 minutes (39/40 rounds)
Blur Rounds: 12/13 rounds
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Defense
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AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 18 (+5 armor, +2 Dex, +1 natural, +4 shield spell, -2 Raging penalty) - Blurred - miss 20%
hp 64 (4d10+24)
Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +0; +2 bonus vs. spells cast by self or an ally
Defensive Abilities blood sanctuary, uncanny dodge, Blur 20% Miss Chance
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Offense
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Speed 50 ft.
Melee +1 Quarterstaff +12 (1d6+11) or +1 Darksword +8 (2d4+8, 18-20, x3, +poison?) or
. . +1 Quarterstaff +10 (1d6+8), +1 Quarterstaff +10 (1d6+4) or
. . +1 Darksword +6 (2d4+8, 18-20, x3, +poison?), +1 Darksword +6 (2d4+4, 18-20, x3, +poison?)
Ranged longbow +6 (1d8/×3)
Special Attacks blood casting, bloodrage (13 rounds/day)
Bloodrager (Crossblooded) Spells Known (CL 4th; concentration +6)
. . 1st (2/day)—long arm[ACG], shield
. . Bloodline Arcane, Draconic
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Statistics
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Str 24, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 14
Base Atk +4; CMB +11; CMD 21
ouch!
Wulfrun charges the sneaky creatures placing herself within reach of as many as possible, and strikes with steely resolve.
Round one
Aliesah calls out to cutie while moving into action.
She gets up (move action), drawing her bow and slinging her quiver over her shoulder. (Standard action). Swift action aspect of the Tiger (+2 dex)
Cutie moves to Aliesah to guard, pawing the ground and snorting.
aspect of the bull currently running (+2 str]
Weeing the darts fly in at their group, Terra's mean becomes angered and vengeful, particularly as one dart hits her armor but bounces off of it without penetrating. "You scratched my armor you little bastards!" She casts a quick spell and points to one of the creatures as she releases the spell and then points to the one whose dart nicked her armor.
Gregary, who is checking the horses and not around the fire like the rest of the group, is not targeted by any of the xvarts (likely because they didn't notice him) turns to see his allies getting attacked by a number of blue-skinned goblinoids. He narrows his eyes and his hand goes to his sword-hilt.