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"Well, that's an annoying combination," Twitter scowls as she identifies their long list of immunities and resistances. Then she notices that these things use their wings to fly...
"Hey Blan, if you go stand below one of them, I'll see about sending one of them down to you, whaddya say?" Twitter asks.
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Torrag raises a magical shield and Twitter readies an action. Van fires his wand at one of the serpentfolk, but the missile fades into nothing before it hits its target. Hakime fires two arrows at the nearer serpentfolk, but one misses and the other bounces off his tough scales. Blan gulps down a potion in anticipation of the serpentfolk using their darkness ability.
From their vantage point in the air, the serpentfolk hiss mockingly as they fly around to get a a better view of you. Seeing that you are all clustered together, they unleash an unholy blight upon you.
You take damage and are sickened for rounds as the unholy magic ravages your spirit. A DC18 will save halves the damage and negates the sickness.
After that, you take another and are sickened for rounds from the second blight. A DC18 will save halves the damage and negates the sickness.
If you failed both saves, you are nauseated for 1 round and then sickened for the remaining 3 rounds.
You take 4 damage and then 5 damage from the two waves of unholy energy. A DC18 will save halves each instance of damage.
Round 2
SE1 (flying 30ft, potioned)
SE2 (flying 30ft, potioned)
Torrag (shield)
Twitter (readied action)
Van () -
Hakime ()-1hp
Blanmieux -16hp (darkvision)
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Twitter chirps in anger as she resists most of the evil mojo, but keeps her courage as she knows that the snake-people can only do that once per day.
"Yeah? That all ya got? I ain't impressed, buster! Why don't you come over here and do that to Blan's face?"
Taking a deep breath, Twitter flies alongside Blan as he moves up, and spits a sticky stream of spittle at the winged snakeman. She tries to aim for his wings especially.
"Use the scythe, Blan! Use the scythe!"
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Twitter flies up to the serpentfolk, and down he goes as his wings are snared by the sticky fluids and entangled for rounds. As he looks up, he sees Blan running to him with his scythe at the ready.
Trusting the two of them to fight the serpentfolk to the West, Hakime shoots at the serpentfolk to the east. Once again, her first shot misses, and her second arrow barely scratches the serpentfolk, though this time is draws a little bit of blood.
The very eloquent captive on the altar yells out in Hallit and Elven.
Round 2
SE1 (flying 30ft, potioned, entangled 7, wings stuck, prone) -8hp
SE2 (flying 30ft, potioned) -1hp
Torrag (shield)
Twitter ()
Van () -
Hakime ()-10hp
Blanmieux (darkvision)-7hp
Hakime
Blan
Torrag Van
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Putting his faith in the barbarian and the paladin to defeat the creatures without the need for heavy, but not certain to work, magic, Van fires another magic missile at the serpentfolk still in the air. After his spell fizzles and hearing the man speak in Hallit about saving him before the ritual ends, however, he appears to be reconsidering his decision.
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Van is sickened by the first wave of evil energy, but the experience helps him to steel himself against the second. His magic missile fizzles in mid air.
Round 2
SE1 (potioned, entangled 7, wings stuck, prone) -8hp
SE2 (flying 30ft, potioned) -1hp
Torrag (shield)
Twitter ()
Van () -13hp
Hakime ()-10hp
Blanmieux (darkvision)-7hp
Hakime,
Blan,
Torrag
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Torrag endures the evil assault without much trouble at all, but his magic missile also fizzles out before it strikes the serpentfolk.
Blan tries to cut down the serpentfolk, but tries too hard to deliver a powerful blow and ends up only tearing a deep groove in the floor as the serpentfolk rolls out of the way. He hears a voice speaking in his head in a harsh, chilling, but foreign tongue he does not understand. SE1 gets to his feet (provoking from Blan), takes a 5ft step back and duplicates of himself step out from him. They duck and weave into each other for a moment, and soon it is impossible to tell which is the real one.
SE2 sees that Hakime, Van and Torrage are having trouble hurting him and confidently flies over above Van to threaten all three of them at once. Since Hakime actually managed to scratch him, he goes for Hakime first.
He hisses mockingly as his fangs sink into Hakime's shoulder, pumping venom into her veins.
Round 3
SE1 (potioned, entangled 6, wings stuck, 4 images) -8hp
SE2 (flying 10ft, potioned) -1hp
Torrag (shield) -4hp
Twitter () -4hp
Van () -13hp
Hakime ()-15hp
Blanmieux (darkvision)-7hp
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*********************************************************************
When Blan calls out to Ralph for aid, there is a sudden flash of light behind the force field, and the archmage appears surrounded by a crackling numbus of arcane energy.
"I cannot be caged!" Ralph snarls angrily.
The serpentfolk priestess behind the wall of force stops her chanting and prepares herself for her own battle.
*********************************************************************
Ralph's appearance gives Blan a surge of adrenaline that guides his arm as he takes another attack on SE1. His strike rips a wound across SE1's chest, leaving a trail of blood.
Round 3 (Inspire courage. 3rds)
SE1 (potioned, entangled 6, wings stuck, 4 images) -28hp
SE2 (flying 10ft, potioned) -1hp
Torrag (shield) -4hp
Twitter () -4hp
Van () -13hp
Hakime ()-15hp
Blanmieux (darkvision)-7hp
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Van transports himself to safety and casts a spell to speed up his allies. Twitter's acid ray destroys one of SE1's images, allowing Blan to cleave through the remaining two with his hasted strikes. Finally, Hakime fills the last serpentfolk with arrows, causing him so much pain he blacks out from it and falls to the ground unconscious.
*********************************************************************
The serpentfolk priest behind the wall of force casts a spell at Ralph, causing the archmage to reel for a moment as he clutches his head, but the moment passes and he glares at the serpentfolk even angrier than before.
"I cannot be controlled."
Ralph casts a spell that shoots a dark purple ray at the serpentfolk priest.
"Understand this as you die, ever pathetic, ever fool!"
Bloodied by Ralph's spells, the serpentfolk charges Ralph with a clumsy attack. Ralph makes little effort to dodge, but the serpentfolk suddenly spits out another incantation, and then they are both gone. The wall of force disappears along with them.
*********************************************************************
Round 3
Torrag (shield) -4hp
Twitter () -4hp
Van () -13hp
Hakime ()-15hp
Blanmieux (darkvision)-7hp
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The Azlanti speaks in Hallit first, then for some reason repeats himself in elven. Despite his dutiful words, he appears somewhat curious about you, and reluctant to leave without finding out more about you. Perhaps an attempt at diplomacy or a good bluff will make him stay to speak awhile? The opportunity to interview an Azlanti general from pre-historic times is precisely the sort of thing the Pathfinder is using the Sky Key to enable!
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Van translates the man's words from Hallit to Common, then speaks to the man in Hallit, "We are explorers here from another world. If we could talk to you for a little bit and learn from each other, then it could benefit both of our people. We can tell you what we've learned about the evil serpentfolk."
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A faintly glowing, vaguely humanoid shape emerges from Hakime's pouch, and a short moment later you each hear a voice whispering to you in elven (and translated to common).
"Greetings. I am... Twitter Knott Swiftwing. As my friend here says, we are explorers from another, well, perhaps another time would be more accurate. But please, be at ease. If you could speak with us for a moment, we would be much obliged. There is so much we could learn from each other, your people, your culture, your plight under these horrible horrible snakes!"
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Twitter's choice of appearance actually startles and unnerves Lac Suhn a little, but her skillful use of words quickly makes him comfortable once more.
"I suppose I can stick around to chat for awhile. It is the least I could do for my rescuers after all..."
He is a little hurt, and will thank you if you offer him one of the temporary healing potions. You estimate that they will only last another minute before they lose their potency anyway. He seats himself on the edge of the lowest ring of the spiral stairs and takes a deep breath.
“Our culture and people, you say? Well, how about we start with food? I have always loved my grandmother’s ittho bread. Only used the honey from her own bees, and only fed them blossoms her grandmother brought back from the Western Colonies. Nothing ever tastes the same now.”
He sighs. "“Sorry. I start to get nostalgic around Peacock’s Dusk. These damn family holidays. They always remind me I still haven’t taken my boys to the Western Colonies. They love their little-folk nanny, and I thought they’d like to see one of the cities her people built. You know, it has also been many years since we heard from my great-grandmother’s descendants, but I sometimes imagine that when I gaze into the sky and see the red planet, they can hear my prayers for the health of them and our empire’s colony.”
He laughs a little as talk of his family starts to put him at even greater ease. “My wife is always trying to tie my chiton like an imperator, not like a general. See how it goes over, around, then under?" He indicates his own garments as he speaks. "I ask if she wants her husband flogged, and she just says she’d rather have her husband sit on the senate. Not a… not a subtle lady. Hearing you speak in the Kellid tongue reminds me of her. Gods, I miss her. Her name’s Vanaschen. I know, I know—am I crazy to have married a woman of the Eastern Colonies? I thought mother was mad when she arranged the marriage. I shouted out the garden blessing, I was so damn mad. But I suppose we’re all like that at that age. Once my whiskers came in and I stopped thinking of myself, I saw her for who she was: this fiery, passionate woman who didn’t need any of my excuses. Her father and my mother still argue over whose family officially joined whose—if we’re still Azlanti or perhaps tainted by Kellid blood. I swear Vanaschen would conquer both peoples just to quiet them, if she didn’t find it so damn funny. The way she pushes me to step up into mother’s senate seat, I think we’re still Azlanti.”
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Lac Suhn sighs deeply. “I am well aware of the clout I have, but it comes as such a cost! I never do get to see the wife and kids anymore. Marrying into a colonial family may have helped avert a war, but these years of separation are a heavy burden on anyone’s shoulders. Imperator Emalliandra was right about the political dissent rising in the colonies. Drunkard or not, she’s got twice the political insight her father ever did. I don’t care if his great-great-great-whatever grandfather gave us ioun stones or water itself ! Imperator Illsmus is a headstrong fool, and his notions about raising mankind to godhood will end in embarrassment, at best.”
“And as if that were not enough, I lost my brother Urterre to the Silent Servitors, those agents who watch outside and within for threats to the empire. He ran coded messages between the colonies and the homeland, but was never quite the same after his ship was lost at sea for three weeks. His body healed just fine, but his eyes… they always seemed so distant and afraid after that. In the end, Urterre died in my arms. The dagger was warm in his back. Passed along the documents to me, but the only words he could muster were ‘Minister Erodel wears the veil. Amaznen save the senate.’ Whatever that was supposed to mean. Perhaps nothing. He seemed half-mad by then. We buried him at our family's private villa. It had a good view, peaceful too. South from the Mierani forests, hugging the coast east for four days and then a shot southeast from the southern cape. The waters there, pristine. And when the sun hits the water in the evenings... Ah, how I do miss home...”
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"I mean, sure, you guys got caught by the snake-people, but this time you've got us to back you up. Or you guys can just back us up. I mean, we won't be here too long, but long enough to turn the tide of this fight in your favour, you know. Everybody needs help now and then," Twitter says teasingly.
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Lac Suhn scowls a little at Twitter's taunt.
“My warriors can hold their own. They are no cowards! It's not as it they surrendered in the field! If these snakes hadn’t taken their sikkar—their coiled knives—they never would’ve let themselves be taken alive.”
Feeling a need to defend his men, Lac Suhn carries on talking, seeking to defend his soldier's capabilities and explain the circumstances leading to the capture of him and his men.
“We had separated into two regiments, with shield walls, and I sent the left flank wide to take the serpentfolk from behind. We’d been clashing near the mouth of the Ilssele for years, trying to push the colonies’ eastern borders. You see, the key to battling serpent-men is the night battle, or making your main thrust at dusk. Then the fatigue of battle hits the same time as the cold reaches their hearts. Slows them down. That was General Akorian’s secret to victory at Esrogas, when they tried to land on the homeland itself, and it still works all these years later.”
“Their war-beasts are indeed fearsome, but it was nothing we could not handle. Make no mistake, we did not lose in skill of arms. We did not fall for want of courage! Subterfuge was what tore our lines down. Their low, dishonorable machinations caused misinformation spread among the ranks; dissenters and the magically compelled turning on their own brothers. I’ve fought human opponents, and loath as I am to spill another man’s blood, I’d take that clean death over the slow, strangling suffocation these monsters mete out.”
“They took the lines at Ilssele. Broke our backs and killed most of my men. Olhas was perhaps a day’s march beyond. I doubt very much it’s still there. Once we are free of this place, that will be my first stop. If it still stands, we will defend it or retake it, and if it is no longer there, then we sure as the abyss are going to defend it!”
As he speaks about his men, Lac Suhn again begins to think about rejoining them.
"Thank you once again for the rescue, and perhaps it was good to talk. Spending some time to think of and speak of my home, and my country, and my men has helped me to recenter myself after my long capture. But I should be going now. A leader's place is with his men, and I should be down there leading them in their fight. I wish you well, travelers of time and worlds. Would that you could visit my family's villa some day and I could properly thank you. Perhaps some day. Until then, safe travels."
Having said his farewells to you, Lac Suhn begins heading up the stairs to rejoin his men.
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Hakime listens blankly to the man talk on, and tunes him out as Van translates for those who don't understand, like herself. She watches him walk out to rejoin his men, and gives him a 'modern' (for Golarion) military salute as he leaves. She wishes him "Good fortune to you and your men, Sir." though she knows he doesn't understand her.
She tries to place all these things he's spoken of in her knowledge of the past...
.. but sadly, her lessons in history were meager in relation to the distant past, and none of it correlates to what she knows.
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Twitter lets the light show fade out once the Azlanti general is out of view and ear-shot, and hops out of the pouch once more.
"Ok, guys, when all of this gets quoted in the Pathfinder Chronicles, I want it to be quoted as "Krahnaliara Lac Suhn's Twitter Account."
"My only regret is that it will be centuries before it is finally revealed that the one who out-foxed the great Azlanti general was a bird! AHAHAHAHA! Geddit? Out-foxed-hahahaha-by-a-bird-hahahahaha-'cos usually foxes eat birds? Hahahahaha. But this time the bird was the fox? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! "
You all have the novel experience of seeing a bird rolling on the floor laughing as her little bird-feet kick in the air.
When the crazy little bird finally recovers herself, she gets to the issue at hand.
"Ahem. So..... Where to now? If there's still fighting outside the temple, I think we should probably go help. Maybe Mr General Talks-a-lot and his troops will need our help?"