Tark's Council of Thieves: Rebels with a Cause (Inactive)

Game Master Tark the Ork

"I am true to Aroden, my lord," Tybain says, his voice carrying an almost enchanted tone, as a younger man would speak of a wench wooed for comic effect. "but I am also true in loyalty and kinship.

Tybain looks to Lazarod, and following the theme of the play like phantasmagoria II, everyone wants to bone Lazarod he continues in his almost feminine tone now, "This man, though half-fiend his blood may turn, is bound to me in brotherhood, as I stand bound to him. Our blades both matched the enemies of Cheliax, and what faith divides, common cause unites."

"You cannot sunder me from his destiny," Tybain asserts, his gaze hard when staring down the inquisitor of the prince of hell. "I stand trial at his side, as is my right, if I so beclaim it. Is it not so, Dentris?"

I wish I knew how to quit you, Lazarod...

With the sudden declaration from the pal-o-dine, Dentris turns toward Tybain, staring almost in disbelief. After pondering the question for a moment, Dentris turns toward the magistrate.

’Tis true, my lord. Pausing for emphasis. [b[ If the half-brained, light-blinded knight wishes to perish alongside my good master, he is within his lawful right.[/b] With this, Dentris steps back awaiting the response of the infernal judge.

Haanderthan waves dismissively at the paladin. "Very well. Burn with him, fool. Dentris Maltrada, you are hereby discharged."

Turning back to Haanderthan: Nay sir, though I wish nothing more. I turn my gaze from the magistrate to the accused. This boy, as wayward as his fancies take him, is in my care. Turning his gaze once more to the symbols of infernal law upon the walls of the courthouse, Dentris declares: I never waivered from his father’s service, and I shall not turn my back on the son. With this, Dentris steps beside the others.

"Surely, you’ve no wish to die?"

Smiling back at the Magistrate without a glitter of fear in my eyes: There are worse fates, magistrate, than even can be promised on the deepest level of your Hell.
Turning to address the audience with a flare of his hands. To walk alive in a world, my duty undone, my sworn oath broken, is to walk through fires more smolderous than any Asmodeus keeps below. Pausing for effect before turning back to the Magistrate. Though he be a fool, and possessed of a diseased wit, Larazod is my master, and I shall stand by him. After another brief pause, Dentris step up to bench. Do your worst magistrate. I’ve rolled bones with demons, and gazed in dragons’ hearts. Let us have these trials and be done with my life, if the lords of darkness so command. With this, Dentris steps back and folds his arms across his chest while staring at the magistrate awaiting a response.

Haanderthan shakes his head sadly at Dentris's small speech. "Doddering old sack of bones. No demon’s dice, nor dragon’s musings await you—only torment beyond the stars’ most infinite imaginings. When you mewl out for merciful death, I shall look on in pleasure, as your soul’s wake burns
from a withered old corpse."

Turning towards Krona Haanderthan points gavel at her in an accusatory fashion. "Krona of the Belzeken go back to your homelands and trouble this court no further!"

Krona's voice drips with content when she refers to Haanderthan in the line. "The Prince of Darkness himself could no more separate me from him then you from your own false sense of grandeur!" Krona spits at Haanderthan.

"Bring forth your trials!" Straining again on the chains for dramatic effect, Krona almost roars, "Let them be tested by me!"

|"Insolent wench you have no idea the horrors that await you. But enough talk! If you wish to burn for eternity then so be it! Make ready, supplicants. The trials begin anon. May Asmodeus take pity on your blighted souls."

If you have not already done so make your Perform hecks keeping in mind all the friendship and learning bonuses thus far. Add a +2 circumstance bonus to this check as well.

As the curtain falls things relax a bit as the councillor extras flee the stage at speed as a number of acolytes trailing behind the asmodean cleric wheel an iron torture device onto the stage. The "bailiff" chuckles as he sees the device. "Roight, now the fun part begins. Actually you should count yourself lucky berk. This is a rather appalling travesty of a torment compared to what we got on Avernus."

Levash is stripped down of all his gear and clothing leaving him little but a loincloth as he's attached to a device that is like a combination of the rack and the wheel pulling his limbs and twisting his body in horrific ways.

Delour is singing this whole time and the eerie, haunting melody is a shapr contrast to the rattling of chains and the dull chanting of acolytes as they begin their rites and prayers to ensure the working of the device.

Thesing watches with a gleeful grin on his face. Clearly he's enjoying the proceedings.

As Bloodless enters the stage one of the acolytes offers him a black whip with a bowed head. The whip glitters on its business end with shards of razor sharp broken glass. When he takes the whip the acolyte explains to bloodless carefully what he is to do in a calm matter of fact voice.

As the acolytes and the cleric vacate the stage the curtain rises once again and Thesing begins hardly giving you a moment to fully partake of what's about to happen.

"Good Keeper of Pain, Tormentor of Liars and Demonsuckling Miscreants, we are honored by your presence. Show these supplicants the favor of your stinging lash, and with rack and fire, purge lies from their lips. Break their souls, and let the mad and guilty appall our ears no more with ranting."

This act works in that after each spoken line Drovalid whips each one of the prisoners (Larazod, Krona, Dentris, and Tybain) once after each spoken line. Each time Drovalid whips Larazod the device turns twisting his body and dealing 1 point of nonlethal damage (a DC15 fortitude save negates this) the whip is a scorpion whip and thus deals lethal damage. Drovalid can attempt to miss you on purpose. However each time he does so he must make a DC20 bluff check or the part loses 1d4 popularity. The torture begins after Haanderthan's next line in response to Drovalid.

Perform(act): 1d20 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 1 + 2 = 22

Remember, I have Mage Armor active. I should be AC18.

"Magistrate Maleficarum, I come before you a simple hand
whose lash is guided by the greater glory of Asmodeus,
may my scourge do him and this devoted tribunal proud.
With your permission I shall begin our first trial."

"Sorry Lazarod. he whispers...

Attempt NON LETHAL attack with lethal weapon.
Attack 1d20 + 6 - 4 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 6 - 4 - 4 = 18
Damage 1d4 ⇒ 3

Haanderthan laughs a high pitched chortle channeling more Thesing then Haanderthan. "Begin at your leisure, Tormentor. End this fool’s mockery of our court with cleansing agony."

Not getting off that easy. Forgot to mention its against Flatfooted AC including your strength bonus and everyone gets a taste of the lash. That being said going for nonlethal is perfectly fine. Torturers don't want their subjects to die too soon after all.

If you have not already done so make your Perform hecks keeping in mind all the friendship and learning bonuses thus far. Add a +2 circumstance bonus to this check as well.

Perform (acting): 1d20 - 1 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (10) - 1 + 4 + 2 = 15 I've lost track of of the bonuses. I assume I have +2 Friendship, +2 Learning, and now +2 circumstance, but perhaps some of those don't stack?

Yeah I figured it was BAB+Str, -4 Non Lethal, -4 non proficiency Exotic weapon

Almost smiling as the lashes begin to fall: Fools, my good master may be a fool of a tiefling, but if you think to wrack his spine, and wheedle mewled recantation from his black lips, you are even greater fools than he.

I turn and scan back and forth across the assemblage: Larazod is no coward, and he sneers in the face of pain with true faith in Asmodeus—he cannot waver.

Then I walk beside the accused and turn toward the audience: He faced demon prince’s and hordes of their slime-ridden minions in battle. His coal-black soul did not quake then. He stands resolute now. You cannot break his spirit. I then turn back and continue to stare at the magistrate with a look of utter contempt. As the lashes fall, I simply smile (at least as long as he keeps missing the non-lethal attacks as even they hurt if they fall.)

Lol - I should have been the whipper. No Strength bonus and crappy BAB.

I mean even strength bonus to damage.

So counting STR Bonus that's 6 non-lethal
Fort Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
When he is stripped of his gear, LeVash will pop his Goodberry in his mouth, but not bite down on it...looking at the device, he realizes there will be no opportunity for healing, so he'll take what he can get....

As Aerith speaks her lines, LeVash quietly asides to Bloodless, "gouge flesh with the next one..."

Bloodless gives a slight nod as he re-coils the whip and prepares another lash...

Recant half-breed. Admit your twisted falsehoods, serpenttongued
traitor!

after the next lash, LeVash bites down on the goodberry, healing 1 HP and 1 non-lethal HP.

Again rolling Acting right at the beginning...

Perform (Acting) Untrained: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Lazarod looks upon Drovalid almost with pity, "Even an ocean of agony cannot turn truth to lie."

Similar question. Is it possible to cast a spell when off to the side of the stage. And if it is possible, could I use Mage Hand to push the whip aside so that it does not strike its intended victim - or at least to give Bloodless a minus to his attack roll?

You can, but keep in mind that it would be noticed as you have no ability to actively hide your spellcasting so it can have an effect on the versimillitude of the play.. He also needs to be making his attack rolls after every line :P

I know the script calls for torture at intervals but the trial is calling for it after every spoken line. And against each of larazod's group. Larazod only gets special treatment thanks to his fancy twisty pully seating.

Ouch just reread what you wrote earlier... I was being prompted by the script, seems they do indeed differ

Lazarod,
Attack 1d20 + 3 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 3 + 3 - 4 = 19
Damage 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Krona,
Attack 1d20 + 3 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 3 + 3 - 4 = 13
Damage 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Dentris,
Attack 1d20 + 3 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 3 + 3 - 4 = 14
Damage 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Tybian,
Attack 1d20 + 3 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 3 - 4 = 10
Damage 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

On the bright side. IF you still want to do nonlethal you can subtract 4 from those attacks. :P

Yes please :) Except Lazarod, because he wanted a little Bloodletting...

I am really glad I cast that Mage Armor before the show now.

Fort Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10...+1 Non-Lethal

...And against each of larazod's group...

Are you sure? In Haanderthan's first speech of Act 3, he says "This time, the trial is not yours alone to bear."...which seems to imply that the rest of the gang doesn't undergo the Act 2 torture.

The books kind of written funny. The script implies that only larazod gets tortured. The mechanics however point out that larazod's friends get whippings too. Considering that the actual tortures were not provided by the acting group, but paid for by the mayor and provided the cleric you can call this an oversight on their part. You can complain to them later. :D

Bastards! ;p

Hey guys, what's going on here? Late Perform Act check for Asmodia 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18 and wow! Bloodless couldn't hit her AC of 12, what the heck, great white hunter?

Are the rest of us (not LeVash) still wearing armor?

Yes.

Hey guys, what's going on here? Late Perform Act check for Asmodia 1d20+2 and wow! Bloodless couldn't hit her AC of 12, what the heck, great white hunter?

Non proficiency penalty for an exotic weapon, and besides, he's being cheezy and aiming for non-lethal damage with a lethal weapon... means he has less than a 50/50 of hitting, actually on non lethal its down to 30% chance to hit-ish.

Yeh - I like the -4-4 bonus. So, where is Drovalid? Our performance seems to have paused all of the sudden.

Indeed the audience demands more blood! More blood!

"Recant and end this trial! Swift death shall embrace you and Asmodeus smiles upon those who admit their falsehoods; he may not rend your soul completely, he may leave some semblance of your spirit intact."

Perform 1d20 + 1 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 1 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 20

Still need attack rolls from Drovalid...
Fort Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Lazarod slumps at first, looking at Drovalid, before suddenly twisting in the device, looking at Haanderthan, eyes blazing,

"I recant… nothing!"

Lazarod's attention moves away from Haanderthan, addressing the Council/the Audience.

"Grind on, honeyed torment. Sing sweetly as I may, no cries of 'recant' shall you hear. I hate lies, as I hate demon loving traitors."

As others are speaking, LeVash will quietly whisper to Bloodless, "Alternate..."

Bloodless nods at the comment to alternate...and begins aiming for lethal attacks.

Lazarod,
Attack 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 6 - 4 = 6
Damage 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Krona,
Attack 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 6 - 4 = 11
Damage 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Dentris,
Attack 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 6 - 4 = 6
Damage 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Tybian,
Attack 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 6 - 4 = 13
Damage 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Asmodia's Tybain might have howled when Drovalid's attack landed, but the force of the blow sent her reeling.

Asmodia's Fortitude Save 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Status
AC - 12
HP - 9/13
Thank you, oh kind Drovalid. Should we have established who is carrying the wand of cure light at the moment?

I would vote for the cleric since she is the only one who can use it without UMD.

When the blow lands (misses) Dentris wheezes like an old man while recoiling from the strike as though it had landed.

Whoops, thought there was an NPC next. Will post after work.

Yeh, I was thinking that it might be easier if each actor posted who was up next so that we would not have to check each time if we do not think it is us. So just put a:

Bejis is up next.

At the end of your post.

This must have meant to be an aside...

Bejis looks into the audience, head slightly tilt, and says with a touch of mournfulness,
"To hear such cries from my beloved quickens my heart."

Krona's turns subtlety towards Drovalid, eyes widening in surprise and uncertainty. "But who is this fierce man of the lash whose own prowess might drive me into passion?"

After a quick dramatic pause, Krona roars out, "No! I will not betray my heart or my love!" With Krona's voice full of spite, "Damn him to the darkest pits!"

Perform (acting): 1d20 - 1 + 3 ⇒ (1) - 1 + 3 = 3

LARAZOD is next.

Lazarod's voice drips with contempt, "Had enough, Magistrate? Can you withstand it any longer? Please, give in and recant, for the only torment I cannot bear is your continued duplicity."

"Recant, Magistrate! Recant your own lies, and the Dark Lord may have mercy on your slimy soul."

[ooc]Tybain is next[/b]

Wee, my few lines this act!

Tybain gives every appearance to be enjoying himself upon the rack, after all, he is a man of faith traveling with a demon spawn, he must be simple. "Ha! Even in the face of soul-crushing pain, he taunts this ridiculous Magistrate of Hell!" he proclaims, and likely very few see that Asmodia is sweating in the heavy make-up, her copper hair damp beneath her helm.

Tybain tilts his head as far back as it will go to address the heavens "Hear me, Aroden, if Asmodeus has such as Larazod in his employ, all our efforts are doomed!" he roars in his stuppor. "Would that you could command such steadfast loyalty as this one here, who laughs at death and grins at the grimmest pain."

Asmodia untrained Perform Act 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3 Gordon's alive? woooo... bad impression!

NPC, then Drovalid up next! hit me again!

Recant!

Bloodless demands, exhausted.

"NEVER!"

"Lash every inch of flesh from me, leave only a bloody ruin where I stand...that skinned wreck of a man will gurgle only truth. and. never. recant."

I don't hear the cracking of whiipppssss~