As Hadza finds himself entwined by the folds of the animated banner, slowly having the breath squeezed from his lungs, the others quickly leap to his aid!
Dark sends another small bolt of positive energy, hoping to disrupt the possessing spirit, but is having a hard time connecting, the banner shifting all over, as it struggles with Hadza, becoming increasingly difficult to hit.
Ibona has little better luck in close, but Kahwen does! Taking advantage of Angela's distraction, he leaps in to range and slices at the banner where it connects to the rod near the top. His blade cuts through the cloth like it were... well... cloth. With one swipe, he almost severs it from its support, though it still fights on!
Hadza takes advantage of its damaged condition, to finally wrest himself free, just as Nigel flicks a second ball of acid its way... which manages to burn through another patch of cloth.
The banner, though heavily damaged, continues to defend the museum with mindless determination. Again, it lashes out at Hadza, not willing to let him escape quite so easily, but this time, the kellid manages to knock the fabric aside before it can wrap itself around him!
- Round 4 -------
Pathfinders (Hadzu -14 NL)
Banner (-29)
You guys are all up!
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Noting the unusual look on Ibona's face, A flicker of worry crosses Angela's thoughts. If some thing was truely wrong she'd say something... I would assume at least. But she's not in immdiate danger, so let's finish this banner off first.
She turns her attnetions back to the fight, giving a nod towards Kahwen. "Good! That's exactly what needed to happen. Now I thing just a few more hits and this thing will go down."
She moves back up to where she'd been standing before, and looks towards Khawen. "I can help keep this thing distracted, go for the kill!"
________________
Free of the banners folds, Hadzu and Kahwen are able to team up to great effect. Together they make quick work of what remains of the animated banner. What was once a shining symbol of the battle against the Whispering Tyrant, little more than tattered rags on the museum floor.
Throughout the museum, you can still here the sounds and occasional glimpses of other Pathfinders, still trying to quell the security measures gone amok... so you know there is still more to do.
In fact, Dark can see a number of guard dogs, even now, growling aggressively in the gallery to the south.
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"You know you're a Pathfinder when something you never dreamed was dangerous almost kills you!" Kahwen declares.
He keeps an eye out for other dangers while Hadza is healed up.
"It seems others have the rune things in hand, Friend Angela. I know you wanted to try your hand at them but I think we would serve the Society better by quelling those dogs," he says.
The next gallery over has an elaborately painted sign that reads 'Crusader's Chronicles', and is marred by ruined displays and broken furniture. The chaos has caused considerable damage. A humanoid-shaped figure made of shattered clockwork lies slumped over a nearby bench.
Near the broken construct, you see four trained security dogs, all of whom are riled up by recent events, and growl and appear to be attacking anyone that gets to close. One of them seems larger then the others, the obvious alpha. As he bares his teeth at you, the other three all follow his lead.
Unfortunately, none of you have any skills at handling angry animals, so it is not surprising when that all four of them turn to confront you as another set of intruders!
- Round 1 --------------
Hadza (-14 nl), Angela, Nigel, Kawhen
canines
Dark
Everyone but Dark can go.
As Hadza moves up and stands ready to defend his comrades, Nigel has other ideas, moving forward along with the kellid, spouting an arcane incantation. The two guard dogs to the right both give startled yelps, as the surface beneath their paws suddenly becomes far too slippery to stand on, even with four legs to provide balance. Both dogs suddenly go splaying out on the ground, their legs spread out all around them comically.
Neither one seems pleased by the predicament.
- Round 1 --------------
Hadza (-14 nl), Angela, Nigel, Kawhen
red dog (prone), yellow dog (prone), blue dog, alpha dog
Dark
Angela and Kawhen to go.
The following character options have received updates since they appeared in earlier publications, and characters must use these updated versions (pending the Pathfinder Rules Document update): brand of conformity, brand of hobbling, brand of tracking, Eagle Knight dress uniform, enlightened bloodrager, golden eagle epaulets, Golden Legionnaire, hellknight barding, lore warden, mammoth hide, Mounted Blade, Pathfinder savant, Qadiran horselord, Ritual Mask, shackle, Steel Falcon, talonstrike sword, Tribal Hunter, Tribal Scars, and wayfinder resonance. Earlier sources in which these rules originally appeared remain a legal source for accessing these updated character options.
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Kahwen laughs at the falling dogs. Not at their discomfort but just because they make a comical sight with their legs flailing about for purchase.
He is more serious as he comes to stand next to Hadza. He, draws his sword up over and behind his head, the curve causing the point to aim at his lower back. It is a position that will allow him to bring it down in a mighty arc when one of the dogs gets close.
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The Additional Resources for Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Adventurer's Guide notes that any material that changed when it appeared in this book (and underwent several additional rounds of development) would be the default version once the book's contents appear on the Pathfinder Reference Document. Until then, we've let both versions remain legal, for we're not going to institute a change that requires someone to buy another book to use a previously legal character. When we made that Additional Resources update, we expected the PRD would appear soon afterward. It's looking like it will be a while yet before it shows up, and consternation about one of the archetypes in particular—the lore warden—has been building enough that we're resolving it today.
Bolded solely for emphasis. Bolded "any material" less we get off on arguing whether he is only talking about Lore Warden or "any material" in the Adventuer's Guide that changed.
EDIT: I will add that this whole continued PRD delay is an issue.
EDIT EDIT: I'm discovering most (I knew the Lore Warden issue peripherally) of this on the fly. I'm just trying to make sure I do this right.
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Angela steps up when Hadza pulls out his wand, and looks around expetantly. "I'm not the fastest with a wand, but I can generally get them to work for me. Is there an activation word?" she holds the wand and waves it around once saying the magic words. it sparks a little but soon fizzles out. One more try gets a better response.
"I can keep going if you want, but I won't be much help on this in combat. I'd be too unreliable. We should see if someone is willing to help us out."
With her attempts at healing done, she checks her bag is safe where she dropped it and then rushes forward to help handle the dogs, taking a good position to handle the dogs in the grease in case they try to get up.
______________
Kahwen moves up, to take up a position beside Hadza ready to head off the incoming dogs, the two of them having fought side by side many times before, and are ready to take on the world... as long as the world consists of a few canines. Angela however, has different ideas, as the little halfling ducks right past them both, moving over towards where the other two dogs are having a tough time in Nigel's grease patch, hoping to take advantage should they try to get out.
,
And her goal pays off, as one of them does indeed try to get back clumsily to its feet, only to take a sharp jab from Angela's spear. But the sudden pain just seems to anger it and focus its ire. It does not prove to be enough to stop it from rising. The second dog also manages to get to its feet. Suddenly both of them slip their way out of the grease, still keeping their paws beneath them, and advance on the investigator, teeth bared.
The other two dogs both immediately move to support the rest of their pack. The first darts right into the grease, not realizing how treacherous it is... but somehow manages to keep its footing, sliding in between its two packmates, and snapping at Angela's legs.
She is able to knock the bite aside, but it proves to only be a distraction, as the Alpha dog races in on the far side! It is all she can do to twist, and spin away from its gnashing teeth, just barely managing to avoid getting taken down to get savaged by the entire angry pack!
- Round 1 --------------
Dark
- Round 2 --------------
Hadza (-14 nl), Angela, Nigel, Kawhen
red dog (-3), yellow dog, blue dog, green alpha dog
Party is up!
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Darn! That grease did not help as much as I hoped! I know I have spent what seemed like forever trying to get out of that stuff before. He stops to think for a moment... Maybe dogs don't like birds? He then makes the circle in the air again and an eagle flies out finishing forming next to the big dog. Then rushes in keeping to the wall.
A celestial eagle appears ready to rip apart a dog.
scr-EECH scr-EECH
It claws and bites at the alpha dog
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Angela gives an involuntary 'eep' of surprise and fear, she realizes that the dogs are all closing in around her. She dances hurriedly to try keeping out of their reach, and just barely staying safe.
"I could use some help here!"
Angela then starts trying to use the but of her longspear to prod the animals away from her, stayingf focused solely on the defensive. and slowly starts to back away.
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"Hello over there! Anyone seen three dwarves, a halfling and a wizard? I seem to have misplaced them...Oh, is that a guard dog? Good thing I took the nature class at the symposium though the number of druids and large exotic animals was a bit much."
"Don't look them in the eyes they think it a threat...wait, do look them in the eyes, it show dominance of will...or was that...Oh, I can't remember, the ape messed on my notes."
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"Friend Angela, NO!" Kahwen cries out as the halfling slips between him and Hadza to rush bravely at the dogs.
He looks away from what he is sure will be a grisly display as Angela's small body is torn apart by savage fangs and powerful jaws.
When all that comes back is a small "eek" he dares to peek over his shoulder.
"Hold on, Friend Angela! We're coming!" he shouts in relief and rushes into the fight.
Nigel calls up an eagle from the celestial realms, and sends it in to try and distract the alpha dog. Its sudden appearance seems to surprise the dog, and it gives a yelp as the bird manages to take a piece out of its flank with a sharp beak!
Angela, despite being surrounded and hard to see amidst the pack of canines, seems to still be up and active, as you hear her startled cries and can still see her darting around on the far side of them, doing her best to keep them at bay.
Hadza and Kahwen give up their defensive position, hurrying to her aid. The dogs are aware of your advance now, and the tengu is unable to connect with the first one he reaches. Hadza has no such troubles, as he does not even need too get to near, before bringing his lucern hammer up and down. He smashes that same dog to the ground, where it lay unmoving.
Somewhere behind you all though, you hear the calls, or at least somewhat confused musings, of a fellow Pathfinder, coming to your aid!
- Round 1 --------------
Dark
- Round 2 --------------
Hadza (-14 nl), Angela, Nigel, Kawhen, Haska
red dog (-3), blue dog, green alpha dog (-2)
Dark and Haska to go!
As the newcomer elf comes into view, the dogs continue to attack the intruders! Two of them surround Angela, continuing to harry the halfling woman from both sides. She tries to fend them off with her spear, but the long weapon proves hard to use once they get inside her reach, and in the end, only her quick reflexes manages to keep their jaws from getting hold.
The alpha dog turns to bite at the eagle that scored its flank, tearing the bird from the air and ripping it apart with one vicious snap of its jaws. The bird and scattered feathers quickly fade from existence, returning to whatever celestial plane Nigel summoned them from.
,
- Round 2 --------------
Dark
- Round 3 --------------
Hadza (-14 nl), Angela, Nigel, Kawhen, Haska
red dog (-3), blue dog, green alpha dog (-2)
The eagle appears and wants vengeance against the alpha dog.
scr-EECH
Hadza continues his assault, his hammer striking the alpha dog hard across the rib cage, eliciting a painful canine yelp, as it turns its fangs towards the barbarian. Nigel quickly summons another eagle from the celestial planes, before it can recover, and the bird, plumage shining like the heavens themselves were reflected off of them, dives in, beak tearing at eyes and talons rending flesh.
Righteous celestial vengeance, it would appear, wins the day, as the larger dog goes down under the onslaught.
His path clear, Kahwen skates across the greased area like it were the simplest thing in the world, using the momentum to slide all the way through and out the other side, coming up on Angela's flank. He uses his motion to propel his swing, and the curve blade cuts a long gash along the already injured dog's side, sending it to the ground with a whimper.
Only one guard dog remains!
- Round 2 --------------
Dark
- Round 3 --------------
Hadza (-14 nl), Angela, Nigel, Kawhen, Haska
blue dog