The innkeeper is at the front of the back and sees Malakai, he is very confused.
"Ahhhhh Phantoms really are attacking. Help, help!"
The rest of the crowd is just as confused by the shadow that has appeared.
The crowd starts to murmur 'What the hell is that thing?' 'What did we do to deserve this?' 'Come to work on the border guard they said, it would be easy work they said...'
The Knight now gets up and draws his sword. The sword is a jet black colour that seems to be so thin that you can't see it if you look at it side on. "Foul creature of the night, you do not belong in this world." The knight attempts to casts Channel energy on Malakai.
Leiara is lounging about with Zoom after whatever her interrogation uncovered - She looks up lazily at Min.
"Oh, I guess," She says with a slight yawn. She takes the note to read.
The note is written phonetically instead of the normal druidic text you are used to, you can read it all the same though.
"Rey, please make sure the perimeter of the forest is clear. I shall begin casting the spell to link this forest to the feywild.
Elisedd have you chosen a guardian or are you going to become that yourself?
I am going to guard the Kemanwati forest, the fey creatures may then pass freely between our two worlds. See to it that nothing can disturb me while the trees are being linked. Best of luck Rey, stay alive."
The note ends here.
Malakai, by the graces of the dark gods, is able to just withstand the knights positive energy assault and laughs manically at him "Your puny positive energies can not harm me, nor save you. You are mine!"
Meanwhile, her brother calls upon the shadows around him and launches a bolt of negative energy at the knight
"I am not so easily phased by evil's might. Though you shadow, if you shall not yield to the light's power, then feel the sting of the cloud chasers." He hunches down and brings the blade above his head pointed at a 45 degree angle towards the ground. He moves two of his fingers from his other hand from the hilt down to the tip. A crackling blue bolt appears along the length of the blade. Thrusting the sword forward a bolt of lightning crackles forward striking at Malakai.
While Malakai stares blanky from the bolt that strikes her, the tassals on the knights shoulder guards flap up in the wind. They turn into a pair of large wings for a brief moment surrounding the villagers and dragging them out of harms way. He then steps forward putting himself in between Malakai and the villagers. "So you're one of those types of creatures?" The knight draws out a set of holy vials from his belt ready to use.
"Went alright? Did you expect things to escalate between us then?" Shard asks Korina with a raised eyebrow.
He used his sheathed katana again as a walking stick.
"I can see those blessings Aittma passes down upon you are great, but the cost of dedication seems high at first. I guess I know what I would lose if I was a Blessed One." He shakes his head, trying not to think too much about it.
{b]"What can you show me about your city? What places should I absolutely see?"[/b] Shard is acting more like a tourist now, still very much intrigued by the dragonborn city, curiosty taking over from reservedness and diplomacy.
Korina rests her hands on her head. "Ah no, but who knows you might have been being coy with me and wanted to stab my father. I don't know, I too can be paranoid of nothing sometimes." She sticks her tongue out at you jokingly.
"The cost of the blessing is always high, stare in a mirror and you'll remember that. The marks even show through clothing, I tried to wear a headband once to make me try to forget in the beginning. That didn't work. So I ended up not looking into mirrors or into water for quite a while." She sighs. "What's done is done though, I don't regret it."
Her eyes light up when you start acting a bit like a tourist. "Oh oh, I know." She quickly grabs your hand and runs off to with you to one of across one of the bridges to another floating island. She bids you step on a small stone platform with her. After you do so you find yourself in an instant in front of a pool. She walks over to the edge and takes off the straps of cloth protecting her feet and hangs them over the edge into the water. Korina then looks up to the sky. "Oh dammit.. I think I came a bit early. We can kill time I suppose, something fun will happen in a bit." Korina then lies down on the grass behind her with her feet still dangling in the water. She looks back up at you and asks "Say, Shard of the shadows, what made you decide to become a ruler hmmm?"
Vaklam, still invisible, walks over to the group of villagers, "Leave my sister and I alone, or I swear, I will kill these innocents right now!"
The knight looks over his shoulder, clearly annoyed. Though likely at his own mistake. "Coward...And what you'll spare them if I leave? I doubt that, you'd kill them all the same wouldn't you? So maybe I should douse your sister here in 'bath' water?" He isn't making a move to attack though it does not look like he is going to back down either.
The knight is hesitating a little probably because he thinks he'll lose the villagers either way, though his threat is quite real.
Aurelie laughs as the zombies rise up. "Oh boy, look at all the angels, Mister Jingles! We're going to have some fun, now!" Clambering up onto the eidolon, Aurelie looks around. "Where's a town of bad people?" she asks aloud, both to herself and to Diaz . After receiving a response, Aurelie points the way and she and her horde begin to move. "For the angels!"
The knight hears sobbing sounds, coming from the near the villagers "P-please, l-leave my s-ssiter and I alone, and I p-promise I won't hurt the v-villagers. D-don't h-hurt her anymore, p-please"
The knight listens to the pleading. "Fine.. if you want to it that way, leave here and don't return. I shall cleanse this place personally so that you don't come back."
You see him put away the holy water though he still has his weapon drawn and at the ready. He has his back towards neither Malakai or the villagers currently.
Having a few thoughts I decide to send old Smoky a letter. I wait for the next accuser to drop by
Old Smoky I left our last meting in haste and forgot to ask a few questions
1.Do there happen to be any other evils/BBEG/Major Players on this content or near-by sea that I should know about just in case I ever need to distact the heros with a plot hock or am in trouble and need to ask a favor. (or send the hero to attack some one and offer to help them in their time of need)
2. Do you know of any Druids around these parts I am feeling a need for some Druid prisoners to increase my knowledge.
3.Do you know of any witches or hags around these parts I would like to recruit a coven.
If you don't know the answers to these questions see about looking into it. I have other things to do so it's not urgent yet, but I like to be prepared. By the way do you keep in touch with my spy masters? Now that we have such a much more efficient correr system it seems like we could have much better integrated data pool.
Aurelie takes her troop of zombies and charges head first into the battle lines of the enemy. As she charges forward a pair of large golems carrying poles with people on them emerge from the defensive lines. A pair of drake riders flies up and joins the front charging directly at her. On the defensive lines there is a slew of archers pulling back their bows ready to fire, there is about 16 of them in the nearby vicinity.
The drake riders both fly over the troop and let out fire breathes wreathing as much of Aurelie's group in fire.
Mr Jingles manages to come away only a little burnt whereas Aurelie gets burnt a bit more than her friend. The soldiers then let fly a volley of arrows onto Mr Jingles.
2 groups of the archers manage to land their arrows into Mr Jingles.
I had just given you a message in druidic and asked for a translation
The note is written phonetically instead of the normal druidic text you are used to, you can read it all the same though.
"Rey, please make sure the perimeter of the forest is clear. I shall begin casting the spell to link this forest to the feywild.
Elisedd have you chosen a guardian or are you going to become that yourself?
I am going to guard the Kemanwati forest, the fey creatures may then pass freely between our two worlds. See to it that nothing can disturb me while the trees are being linked. Best of luck Rey, stay alive."
The note ends here.
I also asked if you would join me in an expedition in the forest. We need to take over the place.
"I guess it was multiple things, two important ones. My former masters and fellow students thought I was weak and useless, but I had more discipline to train than many others. I have made it my life's goal to have the greatest school and country for martial arts, training mainly half-folk and outcasts similar to me."
He stays silent for a moment as he stares into the pool.
"The other is much more base I'm afraid. A powered desire and a desire for power. They walk hand in hand since my dismissal from the temple. I don't know how much your people or you know of me, but I have done almost everything to acquire or fulfill these things."
He sits down next to Korina, crossing his legs into a meditative pose.
"I am still glad to know I can enjoy things like this city, pool and new company in spite of these drivers of my ambition."
"What is it that is supposed to happen here Korina?"
He asks when he finished explaining what drives him.
Yep, Leiara would have agreed, taken the note, and then disappeared. She didn't mention going anywhere. But no worries, she'll be back soon!
THREAT DETECTED
INITIATE DEFENSE SEQUENCE
PRIORITY: AURELIE
CHECK ALLY PARAMETERS
...
...
...
ZOMBIFIED HUMANOIDS (8)
SKELETAL GREAT CAT
AURELIE
...
INITIATING CHARGE
The eidolon charges forward rapidly, its long strides carrying it right up to a golem, where it shoves its spiked hand forward, runes glowing briefly on the gnarled, infused bone and metal.
Meanwhile, the skeletal cat bounds forward, keeping pace with the eidolon, but as it has shorter reach, it cannot strike the golem this round.
The remaining zombies continue to move forward, their slow strides unable to keep up with the lumbering, towering Mister Jingles.
Aurelie shrieks as the arrows and fire rain down upon her and her eidolon, and once her Big Pappy engages the golem, she drops from his shoulder onto the ground, unleashing a blast of negative energy with a shrill scream. ""
As the knight puts away the holy water, Malakai leaves, rising up through the ceiling. Meanwhile, Vaklam begins to speaking in the language of the dead, calling upon mischievous spirits to mess with and distract the warrior
The golem that was hit reels back. It plants the pole it is carrying in the ground and the many on it starts to sing. The golem then sets himself infront of the choir.
The other golem retracts one of its hands into its arm. A small fireball is made in the gap and is thrown at Mr.Jingles.
The fireball is thrown short and doesn't touch Mr.Jingles.
The drake riders seeing the ability that Aurelie is using get worried and shout to each other. "That ain't a normal soldier, quick grab her. Might be one of the generals, she'll be easier to capture than that traitor elf."
Both of them go in for a flyby, Mr.Jingles reaches out to pummel one for getting closer to his master.
One Drake rider gets smacked while the other manages to pluck Aurelie from Mr.Jingle's shoulder and begins to fly up with her. The drake rider shouts down to the golems. "I got her, cover the retreat at any cost. Blow up the Niara cores if you must."
The soldiers start to cover the retreat by sending out smoke flares obfuscating the area the drake rider is going to fly into.
The knight looks around at the crazy swarm of monkeys "What is this folly?" He the glances over at Malakai who has now disappeared and grunts. "Damn it" He touches the diadem on his head and his face turns into that of a lizard like creature. The lizard like features though are unfamiliar to Vaklam.
The letter from Smoky seems to only confirm what you already knew.
1) Other evils known in the nearby area is an ogre tribe deep in the mountains, they don't come out often. There is a lighthouse to the east that boats keep going missing around though we are unsure what is there since no-one has gone to explore it. There is a set of deep red kobolds in the mountains as well, they have never had any real allegiance. Legends say they are allied to a Dragon but you know Dragons have never been seen on this plane. There is a set of black kobolds to the south underneath the waters they often used to raid villages of Kalvian.
2) There are Druids across both continents though they are a secretive and don't go around in groups. There are no conclaves as the druids have never seen a need for it. Most druids hide out as normal folk keeping their powers hidden unless they need to use them. I might have met some myself but I would have never known.
3) Coven is easier, south of the continent in the swamps there is a weather witch coven I know of. By the way the lighthouse acts I wouldn't be surprised if there is a coven there. I would not advise going there on your own there. Lastly there is an acting coven in diabolicus though we haven't found them yet. We have heard of their doings but I do not know what their goals are.
Korina shrugs "I didn't know much of you before you became powerful. Tales of your conquering became widespread knowledge very quickly. The greatest martial artist 'Skilgannon' was to be summoned back into the world to fight you and your friends. Though when he was summoned back he declined to fight. I don't know why."
Shard thinks for a moment and knows exactly who Korina is talking about. Skilgannon was the founder of Kalvian, he originally freed the plane from the grip of devils some 200 years ago alongside 3 other warriors. He was only human so died shortly after the founding, the old nobility of Kalvian seem to have thought him immortal because he was seen in the courts multiple times after his death. Amongst nobility circles there are many tales of his strengths, he is the only leader of any army who utilises no magic at all. All his prowess comes of training his body alone. Few alive today can say they've seen the results of his fight, fewer still can say they actually saw his swords move before an enemy was killed.
Korina smiles a little "Glad you like our little bit of paradise, oh it's starting."
The pool begins to change colour from sky blue to turquoise, even to purple and cherry red. While the colours change a spout of water erupts from the centre, a few moments later the spout changes into the shape of a long eel. The eel falls into the water and dances across the pond. It lands into the pond when it is blue at first, it jumps out of the water and some of the water comes with it. Leaving behind a pair of blue wings on its body. It forms into a circle flipping into the air and the water changes into red. The eel lands back into the water continuing it's display. When it jumps out again some red water comes with it latching onto its body turning into red wings. The dance continues until it has a pair of blue, red, purple, green, black, and white wings. Then upon it's last jump it explodes into lights of all the colours of it's wings and the pool calms once more.
Korina wipes away some tears after the display is over. Whispering under her breath though audibly. "Praise our protector Aittma." The clasps her hands together with her fingers extend as if to pray.
She turns to The shard. "That is what it was, beautiful is it not Shard of the Shadows?"
The Shard simply nods as Korina tells him of Skilgannon.
Skilgannon? He was one of the main reasons many studied the martial arts in the temple. That he should be summoned to take care of us is flattering yet disturbing. I wonder why he didn't want to fight? Perhaps he doesn't think us a challenge?
Lost in thought he looks on at the pool, until the spectacle begins and he is captured by surprise of the elegance of the dance of the eel.
"It is certainly captivating Korina, at one point I actually thought it might transform in to a miniature dragon. What does this display stand for?"
He looks around, expecting other people of the city to have shown up for such a thing.
"Is everybody else busy or are they afraid of me?"
He eventually stands up and offers a hand to help Korina up.
"If there is something else you want me to witness. I'd be happy to oblige, however I feel the need to return to my city of Roquefort and would like to do as soon as possible after we grab a bite to eat. That is if you don't mind eating with me."
Korina shakes her head "Usually there are a few other people here though not many." She points to the floating island beneath the one your currently standing on to a small crowd "Most people like to watch from afar instead of taking the teleport up here. Though knowing you were here could have scared off a few, I'm not sure."
She traces her hand over the rune on her head, almost like a comfort twitch. "The small dance is just reminder of Aittma's power and that she is still protecting us. The colours represent the connection to the powers of this world and the dance represents the coils she folds over her people."
She starts walking back to the teleport "I can take you back to ground level once we've eaten, I wouldn't want to keep you to long from your work. Err.. I take it you aren't a carnivore. Plenty of fruit to go round so let's grab some of that." Korina leads you back to the main island and takes some food from some supply room, she invites you to her small bungalow on the island. It is a simple house, doesn't have more than the necessary but enough to give you a satisfying meal. She waits until you are ready before leading you away.
The eidolon's fist slams out into the drake rider, but the soldier flies a little too fast to be grabbed.
As Aurelie is carried away, the Big Pappy emits a loud, rumbling groan as it lashes out at the interrupted drake rider, gripping the drake by the throat and slamming its spike into the beast.
Meanwhile, the skeletal cat rears up and rakes its claws along the golem that Mister Jingles already struck, clamping its jaws down as well.
In midair, Aurelie screams as the drake rider has her grabbed, but she calms for a moment and says a few cryptic magical phrases. She suddenly disappears from the beast's claws, landing on the ground at Mister Jingles' feet, lying down.
One of the capering, insane monkeys leaps up onto the shoulders of the warrior, and attempt to snatch his diadem
Vaklam once again speaks in the language of the dead, summoning forth a spectral vampire armed with a rapier that strikes a pair of vicious blows at the knight
Leiara does flap back to the capital eventually. She's a bat, with a shiny stone around her neck. She circles around looking for anyone who's made it back from ... wherever.
Shard and Korina eat a little until they are satisfied. The Shard enjoys the different kinds of fruit Korina has in her storage.
When they are done, he stands and bows for her.
"I would like to thank you for your hospitality Korina, are you going to travel with me directly for training or do you need to pack a few things first?"
If she goes with him he'll walk, if not he asks her to bring him to a point outside the city and he'll travel from there on. (via WildShape of course)
I'll head over towards Roquefort and relieve Pytha-Gora of his duties, I think he'll be glad of it.
The knight gets bitten at by the monkeys though he isn't nauseated by their jibs and constant prodding. However one of the monkeys gets away with the diadem. The knight shouts out "Oi, bring that back you damn infernal creature." Despite the diadem being off of the knights head his head still remains lizard like in appearance. The knight dodges out of the way of the two attacks that comes his way from a spiritual vampire. The knight then recoils back his head and a large lightning breath erupts attacking the monkey swarm.
"You continue to annoy me with parlour tricks."
One of the adventurers has had enough time to wake up in all the craziness. The half elf paladin looks around, "Sir Roderik the cloud chaser?! Let me aid you noble one..."
Sir Roderik extends his arm out. "No you fool, you'll only die be a good paladin and stay in that corner."
But... Roderik scowls at the young paladin and it slinks away terrified. The monkeys stop their attacks and scatter panicked for their lives. The diadem is taken with them much to Roderik's dismay.
The drake rider looks confused as Aurelie escapes from his grasp "The girl got away. Get rid of those shambling horrors and retreat! Now!" The drake rider that shouted the orders flies over the zombies and breaths another set of flames over them and flies out of reach retreating. The other one battered and wounded flies into the mist away from the group, before it reaches the mists it blows are horn signaling something on the battlefront. One of the golems also retreats into the mists whereas the other punches into it's chest revealing a small crystal powering it. The crystal then overloads and explodes the golem.
The golem in front of Mr Jingles explodes into quite a few pieces. With everyone near Mr Jingles now, Aurelie, Mr Jingles and Kitty all get caught in the blast. Aurelie knows that it was basically a magic bomb, but with know knowledge in the subject herself could not discern how it worked.
Little Aurelie and what's left of her motley crew stand there slightly battered. At least they forced the enemy into a retreat, though it seemed dangerous to push the lines now.
As the bomb goes off, Aurelie hides behind Mister Jingles' leg, avoiding most of the damage. Kitty suffers the worst, and the bones are badly chipped.
"My angels! Noooooo!" Aurelie screams, bursting into tears at the sight of the charred corpses. Holding onto Mister Jingles' leg, Aurelie sniffs. "I wanna go home..."
Diaz sees your group come back, he immediately sends over some troops to guard you the rest of the distance until you reach the base camp.
[dice=Aurelie Reflex]1d20+9
[dice=Mister Jingles Reflex]1d20+3
[dice=Kitty Reflex]1d20+5As the bomb goes off, Aurelie hides behind Mister Jingles' leg, avoiding most of the damage. Kitty suffers the worst, and the bones are badly chipped.
"My angels! Noooooo!" Aurelie screams, bursting into tears at the sight of the charred corpses. Holding onto Mister Jingles' leg, Aurelie sniffs. "I wanna go home..."
Leiara is in Min's city! :D She seems bored. She is currently creating water into a big glass tank-thing she made instead of a house.
RUN SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS...
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.
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SYSTEMS FUNCTIONAL, ASSISTING AURELIE IN EXTRACT FROM FIELD OPERATION.
The hulking eidolon, Aurelie on its shoulder and Kitty at its side, tramps across the countryside. As Aurelie dozes without actually sleeping, the creature turns to the commanding officer of the guard and speaks in a low, slow voice.
""
At my placing at the prepared summoning chamber I cast lessor planer binding to call a Daemon, Cacodaemon by it's true name.
When it's in the circle I tell it "OK same deal as last time you fallow me around invisible and you soul lock and give me the gems of the bodies I point out you do this 20 times. The payment for this service is I give you one of the souls back"
not mentioned of course is that if it till does not accept I torture it until it does. Still it's not a bad deal.
+ modifier for the deal
I use fortune to re-roll that.
+ modifier for the deal
Diaz looks up at the eidolon and says "Drakes? The ones Varien use? They are specially trained drake riders, when kids reach about 10 years old that can be selected to be bonded with a drake. I am unsure of the process but then they become companions for life. If one or other of them dies the other usually suicides. Odd existence that one. Is that what burned you MJ?"
"Okay boss, sure let's do this. Let me pick which soul yea?" It asks basically accepting the deal.