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A dull hum emanates from Skyreach as the ground trembles, trees sway, and glass shatters. A moment later, most of Skyreach’s northwest tower tears free from the keep; however, rather than crash to the ground, a visible aura holds the structure aloft and causes it to float above the Grand Lodge. Even the shower of stone blocks floats, swirling around the airborne tower in a nimbus of speeding debris.
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"A big party yes! Which reminds me of my cousin Tilly and her party this year. There was quite the kerfuffle when Tilly brought in a large mixed berry flan and then someone claimed that the berries in it were filched from the nearby human farmsteads and the farmers had gotten angry and blamed the birds - and the farmers were now threatening to fell the trees to clear out the nests! That would have brought their house down indeed. Anyway Tilly claimed innocence and said the berries came from another spot and that she had traded for them fair and square with the local Halfling cabbage farmers at the foot of the forest, and thats when things got REALLY sore because if you'd believe it, those farmers had just booted the local badgers out which upset the gnomes, and GNOMES went for revenge and stole farmers berries, but now we all realised the gnomes had gone and robbed the wrong farmers. So Tilly wasn't silly, though her fruit was in dispute, seems she had legit loot -but badgers all upset with some gnomes in cahoots had indeed nicked the roots from humans they'd mistaken as brutes and now the birds were about to be sent packing with harsh words and abuse. Quite the party. Nothing like this one at all"
"Cousin Cacumattus wasn't there. It wasn't him. I can back him in a sworn statement. He was fishing in a river that day and totally DID NOT steal any berries.
"Anyone have a pie?"
The Grand Lodge’s campus is overrun with marauders and monsters, while support staff, initiates, and visitors run in peril for their lives. Yet, nearby groups of Pathfinders cluster together and argue about what to do about it, which team should stand back and support the other, and who has the best idea of what is happening.
From the direction of Skyreach, venture Captain Ivulxtin approaches. As former head administrator, he knows the grand lodge grounds well, and he is ordering groups about as he approaches you Ah, finally some pathfinders with seniority. Look, the venture-captains are busy with the attack, but they have too much on their plate. I need you to give orders to the more junior teams of pathfinders standing over there. Give them a sense of the word 'cooperate'
The Repository and the Center House both have wards and defenses, but should still be cordoned off and protected from the outside. The Society also has a number of visitors and guests who should be escorted safely off grounds and reassured that everything is under control. Finally, Absalom’s district guards needs to be stalled at the front gates before they overrun the campus and make a mess of everything. These are important tasks but are not necessarily heroic. Get a group of pathfinders on each of these tasks. It is your job to lead and manage, not to perform these tasks yourself. Let's go!
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Scarlet moves over to one the junior teams.
"First things first, the Society needs you to pull together and protect our reputation! Get the visitors and guests safely out of here! Pair them up and move them safely - spare swords to the front vanguard, then the weak, frail, young, and tail it off with a rearguard... you and you, I am sure you will both shine - you are front person and rear person respectively... quick sticks!"
Diplomacy
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Marra nods in agreement "Yes sir, Right away!"
The small halfing steps up the a likely group of pathfinders, "You five there, quickly make to the front gates and stall the Absalom’s district guards from getting in here. What, Yes normally more guards would help, but this is not a normal attack it would only cause more confusion and disorganization as they try help. It would be a mess."
Seeing the group she addressed is unimpressed, Marra tries again standing to her full three feet of intimidating stature "I Marra ofDawnflower said move, now get moving and help out before I light a real fire under you!"
cast gallant inspiration {link} to help with the check
Scarlet makes her way to a dwarven ranger ranger, who is clearly the dominant personality of a group. Scarlet makes a good point, but the swarf responds I’m quite confident that Professor Nigel Aldain can find his own way to the front gate. What gives you the right to order us about? You’re no venture-captains!”
Marra is faced with another group of rather green pathfinders. They look a bit scared when the halfling makes her harsh stance, and with some hesitation oen of them - a female halfling fighter - asks What if the guard won’t take no for an answer? Can I be arrested? Will someone post my bail? Maybe a venture captain should be doing this?
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Rasamoro decided to help Marra in her negotiations.
"If you do not touch them, but just blocking the way, it should be ok ", he hesitated for a moment and then nodded: "I will pay fine if there will be some trouble, but you should follow the law and be brave. They won't listen you if you speak, like you're in doubt. "
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Rhanloi uses his knowledge of local laws and customs to sway a third group of young pathfinders. "Pathfinders! The Repository and the Center House both have wards and defenses, but should still be cordoned off and protected from the outside. Take your group there at once and stand guard to protect our Society's treasures!"
Marra bolsters the young group, and instructs them in the ways they can convince the guard to stay out, but helped by the legal advice of Rasamoro.
Scarlet tries to lie the pathfinder group into submission, but it takes the stronger words of Cacumattus to finally get the group moving. We'll escort them out. Pfft. Babysitting these civilians... the dwarf mutters as he gets on his way.
There's two more groups, and the center house and repository need to be cordoned off.
The team assigned to the center house isn't guarding it. Upon closer inspection, the leader seem to be somewhat shell-shocked by a recent experience in Ustalav. “Maybe you should ask someone with more experience? Or maybe it doesn’t need to be guarded? It is haunted, isn’t it?
But the place is dangerous, why don't you guard it? We can help out with that two-headed vulture over there.
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Diplomacy
"Were that our duty was to simply guard one spot - no we have drawn a lot of blood so far today, and there will be much more blood and guts fighting we need to do yet. We need strong and reliable people to stand their ground here and protect out flanks as we advance into the jaws of Hell, we are relying on you to be the shield sso we can be the spear!"
The group of pathfinders suddenly obliges, looking worried and seeing the gravity of the situation.
The group enter skyreach, and the place is a true maze to navigate: passages, corridors, stairs up, stair down. The sound of battle pervades the tower, from all direction. Finally the group makes it to a chamber that is a horrible sight to behold.
The table at the center of this rectangular room is completely contained within a rune-inscribed circle set into the floor.
Atop the table lies a Kelishite man’s body, spread-eagled and bloodstained. At the far end of the chamber hangs a ragged tapestry torn down its center. A peaceful wood with trampled undergrowth is visible through the tear, though the tapestry clearly hangs against a solid wall
The dead man is none other than Aram Zey.
Two creatures, similar to the 'zookeepers' the group encountered before, openly jeer and jostle as the group comes in: Aram Zey is dead! Ding dong! The wizard is dead!
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Cacumattus
Boram
Marra
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Lamia
Lamia
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Scarlet
Rasamoro
Rhanloi
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Cacumattus fires off a ray of fire, doing only the most superficial of damage to the lamia. Boram follows up with a bomb, and the ensuing explosion rocks the tower. Marra charges up to the lamia, but is clumsier than usual, much to the glee of the cackling monstrosity.
The noxious gases escaping from Boram's bomb fill the room with a stench that pinches the airpipe. The Lamia slinks back out of the cloud, managing nothing but a hacking cough.
The other Lamia hacks and slashes her dagger at Marra, swiping once then stabbing the halfling after a feint move. Finally, she puts a claw on the halfling's shoulder. Marra feels some common sense drain out of her, becoming rasher by the second.
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Scarlet
Rasamoro
Rhanloi
Cacumattus
Boram
Marra
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Lamia - Red(31)
Lamia - Blue
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As the dagger cuts deeply, Marra has seconds thoughts about the wisdom of charging in that is until the Lamia drains those doubts away.
Less wise, the small bard begins a battle dance as she makes another risky attack with her arcane enhanced scimitar, after all it worked so well the first time.
total = 34 +2 fire.
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Rhanloi steps into the room and targets the lamia across the table from Scarlet and Marra. He mutters an arcane phrase as he draws back on his bowstring, and a searing beam of fire leaps from the string at the creature!
Scarlet flies past the body of Zey, to land at the other side of the Lamia. Poppy tries to confuse the creature, with little effect.
Boram fires an arrow into the torso of the creatures, who now looks splits between clawing at Marra, Scarlet, or rushing forward to attack Boram.
Marra retaliates hard for the scratches she took earlier, and she driver her small scimitar down hard. Rhanloi just barely misses his beam of fire as Rasamoro steps up and comes to the aid of Marra, nearly taking out the increasingly cornered Lamia.
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Scarlet
Rasamoro
Rhanloi
Cacumattus
Boram
Marra
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Lamia - Red(31)
Lamia - Blue (60)
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Cacumattus touches the blade of the Lamia briefly. With a blue flash, the room fills with ozone, and when it is gone, the lamia lies jittering on the floor.
The other creature takes a moment's respite to cast a defensive spell.
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Scarlet
Rasamoro
Rhanloi
Cacumattus
Boram
Marra
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Lamia - Red(31, 7 doubles)
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Ceasing her battle dance, Marra cast a bardic Ear Piercing scream {link} at the second Lamia before moving half way around the table.
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- "Hey, those Vudrani tricks won't help you! Come and fight worthy opponent!", - Rasamoro called lamia for a challenge. He jumped over the table, closing as fast as possible.
using a momentum, he spawned near the enemy, and took a swing with his katana.
Too bad he couldn't catch his breath and that was terrible miss.
Marra causes the Lamia to grit her teeth, an opportunity that Rasamoro takes to make a flashy close, only to make a clumsy swing. Rhanloi fires a flaming arrow, which hits a double.
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Scarlet
Rasamoro
Rhanloi
Cacumattus
Boram
Marra
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Lamia - Red(38, 6 doubles)
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