Despite how impressive the pillar of flame had looked, it was quite ineffective against Sevia, as she slyly twisted her body to avoid taking the brunt of the weak blast. "I guess the divine isn't quite on your side right now" Sevia taunted, and she stepped up to her opponent as he approached her, flicking her swords at him.
The Hellknight just shook his head. "I suppose I must train myself further - my expectations of you were clearly too high. This world is too corrupt for such laxness on my part." His mace whipped out again, even faster than before.
As the Hellknight swung - and a good swing it was, his mace only found purchase in one of her illusions, causing it to shatter and the real Sevia to laugh. "I never claimed the Gods were on my side fool, I draw my strength elsewhere." She replied as she lashed out with a dagger, stepping back to sheath her sword and try another bluff.
Expend 1 ki. 2/8 ki remaining
Bluff:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25 Ki Attack(Dagger):1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21 vs FF Don't think this is going to cut it
1 dice more than your previous opponents, plus the normal bonus HP for mythic characters. Though, if you're counting, you're probably wrong...
The dagger attack failed to get through the massive shield the Hellknight used to protect himself... though his voice sounded more curious than anything. "I see. Despises the law of others and doesn't rely on the gods... yes, narcissism sounds about right." he said. "Of course, they do say that pride goes before the fall."
His mace flicked out twice more, attempting to find you through the illusions.
Well, by my count I've done over 150hp to this guy, and even if I'm grossly off, that is still going to be way more damage than I did to Fes
"Narcissism? Mine is a sacred duty, that which transcends gods and mortals alike. And I will not relinquish it to any other. The power of these artifacts does not belong in mortal hands; I have already seen what disaster one has caused." Sevia said, as the knight advanced and struck at two more of her illusions. Panting, Sevia knew she'd need to finish this soon, she was running out of options and fast. Stepping back to reach into her belongings and produce another tanglefoot bag, she chucked it point blank at him before throwing her dagger at him hoping to bring him down.
Tanglefoot Bag:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15 vs TC Entangled Again. DC 15 Ref Save
Duration:2d4 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4
Spend 1 ki point
Ki Attack(Dagger):1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30 vs AC Damage:1d4 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16
"Are you listening to yourself?" the Hellknight asked as the bag came in. He sidestepped it as it splattered. "By its very definition, sacredness belongs to the realm of the gods, yet you're claiming you have a sacred duty while simultaneously rejecting the authority of the divines?" He paused for a moment. "Perhaps you need counseling. Though I do agree that mortals like you have no business dealing with such powerful magical objects or putting a claim upon them. Lord Ragathiel will deliver it into the hands of those who need it to fulfill their duty and take it from them when their duty is done - that is by far the best location for such a tool, and it is my task to earn it for him." The dagger impacted against his shield a moment later, and he lashed out again, working to fight through the images.
"I am not mortal." Sevia stated, suddenly deathly serious as she stepped backwards again and retrieved her Staff. Her chiding and humor quite gone in the face of his ignorant blasphemy. "And what you seek is not a magical item. It is much more than that." She continued, as she spoke a command word to unleash a barrage of magical missiles at him.
Damage(Force):4d4 + 4 ⇒ (1, 2, 2, 3) + 4 = 12
"Ragathiel is a noble and just deity. I do respect him greatly, but I don't believe for a second he would condone you preventing me from reuniting with that which came from me in the first place." Sevia explained coolly. She deliberately avoided hinting at her greater divine nature, she doubted someone so faithful to the divine would take kindly to such a claim. But she simply could not stand there and let that ignorant man keep babbling nonsense at her.
Throughout this battle, the Hellknight had shown exceptional resilience, able to casually toss aside numerous blows - but in this world, there were things that couldn't be tossed aside so easily, no matter how well-armored one was... and cheers continued to flow from the crowd as the spectacle continued and the magical missiles slammed unerringly into his body. At times, the simplest things were the best - which may have had something to do with why so many wizards had that particular spell in their spellbooks. It wasn't fancy, but heck if it wasn't reliable.
Sense Motive:1d20 + 17 ⇒ (15) + 17 = 32
"...I see." the Hellknight said, straightening and pulling back instead of rushing forward. "Then I suppose it would be better to observe this than fight over it." With one hand, he signaled the referee, who looked rather confused - as did most of the crowd as the Hellknight simply began walking towards the exit.
Though her mask had hid it, Sevia was not actually able to keep her mouth from going agape as the Hellknight had signaled her surrender. All she'd needed to do to make the man so set on his course step aside was to explain herself? She had not actually expected him to believe her in the first place, as she knew how blindly devoted some could become in the pursuit of their faith.
Watching the Hellknight back off certainly didn't feel like a victory, but she was appreciative of the gesture. "<Thank You.>" She said to him in Celestial as he turned around, removing her mask before giving him a polite bow.
Again using Mage Hand to collect her belongings, she walked to the referee. "I believe that makes me the winner then?" she stated more than asked.
Plot reasons. Also, I thought you'd feel better if you knew what the result was.
"Um... I..." the referee looked around a few times, clearly not certain how to react. They hadn't been expecting this - nor had anyone else in the audience, some of whom looked just a bit angry at the sudden change in the battle.
Oh, right... they'd been betting quite a lot of money on this, hadn't they? It wasn't easy to tell if the cheers or the boos were winning, but it was obvious that most of the crowd was confused.
However, a pair of men were quickly moving forward with a large chest held between them, opened to reveal a narrow belt formed of some unknown dark fabric. At this, the Hellknight simply stopped in place, turned, and waited. Even from here, you can feel the belt straining to get closer to you.
"Ah, l-ladies and gentlemen! Your attention, if you please!" the announcer called, using some kind of enchantment to improve the sound of her voice. "As I'm sure you're all very well aware, our top prize today is a truly fabled item! Nobody knows where it came from, and nobody knows who made it... but for the chosen warriors, it offers a rare and potent power! Let's find out if our champion is worthy of wearing it!" she gestured to the waiting box... and the fragment of your soul.
Sevia simply smirked, wondering what that oafish half-orc she first met would be sputtering after watching that. The second was probably cheering for his win. Truthfully she was almost as confused as the crowd though as she cast Infernal Healing, intent at least to recover some of her wounds.
Watching the chest heaved forward into the arena, Sevia simply took a deep breath as the lid was opened. The almost magnetic feeling she'd felt from the Raven's Talon immediately springing forth. Briefly she wondered if grabbing the belt would produce the same effect as well.
Walking forward to the chest, Sevia reached forward and pressed her fingers against the belt.
Ten thousand memories rush into your body. Countless faces, countless heroes... and the occasional villain. All of them embarked on a quest to seek out and destroy something, marching into battle to bring down their foes. Yet one thing is common to most of them - their power and armor. When they moved against their foes, they moved faster than anyone ever expected. Men in the bulkiest armor danced around like acrobats, but lost none of the power in their swings as they cut through their foes. From the lowest peasant to the highest king, all found use for the Belt of Grace... or rather, the Raven's Wing, an ancient belt woven from strands of raven feathers mixed with the energy left in the air as Death passed by a place. This is the fragment of your soul representing the reach of death, and its ability to come to anybody, no matter what burdens may attempt to slow it down. And as the fragment of your soul is regained, so too is one of your godly powers...
You have obtained the Divine Ability [Divine Armor Mastery]. Prerequisites: Armor Proficiency (light), Armor Proficiency (medium). Benefit: The deity does not suffer from armor check penalties or arcane spell failure. In addition, they are not limited to a maximum dexterity bonus as a result of the armor they're wearing, nor will armor of any size or style slow them down (this does not apply to slowdowns caused by other encumbrance).
As per standard Divine Ability rules, this is a passive effect that will last for 2 rounds/tier when activated.
From just forty feet away, the Hellknight watches you...
Wait so you got to spend 2 mythic power just to get the effect?
Stood silently as she received the memories contained within the belt, a brief moment that felt like an eternity. Then, she was back in the stadium with a gasp, before gently pulling the thin belt from its holding place within the chest. Without the portion of her soul however, it was little more than a fancy trinket now, and anyone divine or arcane would be able to tell.
Nodding to the announcer, Sevia walked to the Hellknight, belt in hand. "I thank you for reuniting me with the second fragment. I am now one step closer toward returning to my former self." She said sincerely to the expressionless mask that made his face, before looking down towards the belt in her hand. "You may have the Raven's Wing if you so desire, but you will find it no longer holds any power. It was always merely a vessel, nothing more." She explained, holding the belt up for him to examine if he wished.
Per standard rules, yes - which, honestly, does make it more helpful later on, when both cost and duration are more workable... Say, Bag of Holding + heavily-buffed suit of heavy armor + DAM when you know you're about to fight a boss, and figure 12 rounds would be enough... instant major increase in AC! ...And I might add something along the lines of 'counted as wearing no or light armor for the purposes of abilities restricted by them', too.
Also, you've earned 2100 XP.
"As was I." he Hellknight replied, pulling out a small green crystal and crushing it in his hand. Two strips of energy shot out of it and wrapped around his arm in a helix pattern before plunging though both the front and back of his armor. Moments later, a pair of wings began gro- no, that was wrong, wasn't it? They weren't growing, they were separating, and the outline of the Hellknight grew indistinct as a tall, winged being with emerald skin finished moving out of his body and hovered in the air behind him.
Not a single word was spoken by the crowd as the massive being simply raised one hand, then disappeared in a flash of light that shot up towards the sky. "I have no need for such an item, even as a reminder. For now, however, I must return to the Temple and report to my lord." As was so often the case for his kind, that seemed to be the only consideration he had on the matter. Duty above all - including relationships, relaxation, and anything else that might interfere with getting a task done. There were many who saw his order as much too serious... but when a world was threatened from within and without, could anyone truly say that their actions were too much?
Don't suppose I could trade...down? For some always on benefit? I doubt I will ever use that power - especially since there is a 1st level path ability that is better. Also, wtf just happened?
Sevia was equally as silenced as the crowd as she witnessed the Hellknight reveal his true nature. Now she understood quite well just who exactly she'd been fighting against - not any mortal at all, but a true agent of the divine. Well, she supposed being revealed to Ragathiel of all deities would not be so bad, and she didn't doubt he wouldn't puzzle it all out.
As the seemingly angelic being ascended to another plane, Sevia placed the belt into her backpack and made for the exit, intent on leaving before she got swamped by the crowd demanding answers. Maybe find Fes and give a courteous goodbye before leaving, she did hope to possibly see the girl again sometime in the future.
Somewhat shockingly, the being's identity is something you're actually familiar with - and the odds against that were pretty high. The emerald-skinned being was a Planetar, a type of angel serving as a general for the armies of the celestial realms. Odds are good it was affiliated with one of the deities of law - probably Ragathiel himself - and it's almost certain that the Hellknight had been benefiting from a special type of possession that enhanced his abilities further above the norm. Angels like that didn't wander around for no reason - its mere presence was incontrovertible proof that something important was happening here.
The appearance of the Planetar did wonders for distracting the crowd, though - and as you slip away, something tells you that whatever just happened is probably going into the history books... and there will be people who really, REALLY want to know what in all the planes of existence you had to do with it.
Fes wasn't in the crowd outside of the hall, but it's entirely possible that she's still in the area... though you'll have to hurry if you want to avoid the growing crowds.
Rest for 8 hours. After that, yes, you may ascend to 2nd Tier. ^^ You did, after all, accomplish one heck of a Mythic Trial in order to earn it. I think I'll make the next one will be easier...
Also, no divine powers are always-on - the theme of the campaign being that your form literally cannot handle them. At least, not yet... I think you'll be much happier when you get your fourth power.
Just noticed that I actually rolled a 20 on that knowledge check lol
A Planetar had been on a divine mission to acquire a piece of her soul? 'I guess that means be BOTH misjudged each other.' Sevia chuckled, though she wondered what he'd meant when he said 'As was I.' She doubted she'd heard the last of him. And the ramifications of his appearance in the material plane. Well, she could already tell the crowd was about to boil over looking for her.
Oh, what she wouldn't give to be able to use her Disguise Self spell, but of all days she needed to use it twice. Attempting to circumnavigate the crowds, Sevia decided to see if she could find Fes. She was curious where the girl and her master intended to go next.
After that? Head south and catch a boat back up north to Maheto she figured.
Stealth can be a wonderful thing - even if it is harder to do when there are crowds of people filling an area, spreading out, and mostly trying to figure out what just happened. They'd get over it eventually - mortals were good at that kind of thing - but it didn't take too long to locate where Fes and her owner were, since they still have their small (and private) pavilion. The girl was inside, carefully cleaning her blade to ensure it was absolutely spotless.
"Oh. Hello." she said as you walked in. "Congratulations on your victory."
"Great show. Made a fortune on it, too." Brent said, grinning widely. "And for that, my lady, I suppose I must thank you - we've finally gathered enough money for a purchase I've been looking at." his slave glanced in his direction, then turned back to her sword... looking just slightly miffed.
"What, did you bet on me?" Sevia chuckled, tempted to roll her eyes; typical merchant. "I just came by to bid you a farewell before I left, I figure I haven't much time to leave before the crowds swamp me. No doubt they want answers." Sevia said somewhat remorsefully, "I'll look forward to the next time we cross blades though. Where do you two plan on going now?"
Fes turned back to her owner. "Absalom." he said decisively. "You can buy just about anything there, after all, though I don't plan to be there for more than a few days. Just long enough to make the deal. Probably heading down to Jalmeray afterwards - Father wants me to establish some trade connections." he sighed and shrugged. "Should be a fun trip, though, so at least there's that."
"It's also a good place to train." Fes said, examining the edge of her dueling sword. She seemed a little irritated at her owner's excitement, though she wasn't actually coming out and admitting it.
"Hmm, going south then I see." Sevia nodded, noting the girl's apparent irritation with her master. A personal issue she supposed. "Then I suppose this is where we part ways for now. I hope you find fortune in Jalmery, and Shadows shield you from harm." She said, repeating the traditional farewell prayer, before leaving the two to their business and returning to the crowds outside.
Sevia will leave Ortalaca and head south for Zimar.
Several people call out to you as you leave - and a few actually give chase for one reason or another. However, your fast pace did manage to ultimately leave them far behind, allowing you to focus on the road in front of you.
A few things, at least, are known about the place ahead - Zimar is one of the major cities of Taldor, and heavily fortified... you've managed to avoid the bulk of Taldor's oppressiveness thus far, but that won't hold true if you spend much time in the city, though it shouldn't be actively hostile as nobody would look at you and immediately think of you as a Qadiran. Its relative importance in the country could also be a sign of a place that could be good for obtaining information...
Upon arriving in Zimar, Sevia will take some time to make a few shopping purchases, including bartering off her dagger. As well as spend a few hours checking the rumor mill.
Sell:
Ring of the Ram 600gp
+2 Ghost Touch Dagger 9000gp
Retraining:
(Change Spell) 200gp
+5933.5gp
+1683gp
7616.5
Diplomacy:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15Hours:1d4 ⇒ 1
After completing her purchases, and finding someone willing to take her ghost touch dagger, Sevia will rent a in at a room to spend 8 hours constructing a Handy Haversack and fitting most of her gear into it.
Spellcraft:10 + 10 = 20 vs DC 10 + 5 to speed up the crafting time
The next day She'll spend some time to seek a spellcaster capable of casting Mirror Image afterwards. Spending the next few days mastering the Mirror Image spell and losing access to Glitterdust. During that time, she'll also work on finishing enchanting her Wakizashi.
Spellcraft:10 + 10 = 20 vs DC 5 + 5 to speed up the crafting time
And tentatively begin work on her Mithral Breastplate, which would take significantly longer to complete.
Craft Armor:10 + 10 + 5 + 2 = 27 vs DC 16 + 10 to speed up the crafting time. Sevia casts Crafter's Fortune and receives aid another from her familiar during each craft check. It should take 6 weeks to finish.
After completing the 5 days her training will take, Sevia will look into finding a ship that will take her to Cassomir.
One of the nice things about having a large city is the fact that it can actually afford to buy rarer magical items - and the spellcasting services aren't too shabby, either. Unsurprisingly, there are a number of ships that can take you to Cassomir - passage will be about 2 silver a mile, and since it's about 500 miles by ship to Cassomir, that works out to a total of 1000 silver coins, or 100 gold pieces for a relatively quick and relaxing journey right to your destination.
There aren't too many rumors going on, but you do hear one item of interest - somebody affiliated with one of the local organizations has gone missing, and their superior is looking for discreet help getting them back. It may be worth your time to see what's going on.
After a few more quiet inquiries, you're able to get directions and find the person giving the job.
Captain Hestia Themis, a small, unassuming woman of Taldan heritage with dark hair and eyes, holds a large sheaf of papers in her small hands and clears her throat as you sit down to hear more. Her booming voice, the antithesis of her stature, fills the main hall of a small building in Cassomir.
“One of our own has been kidnapped. Cestis was taken just days ago from a relics auction in the Imperial Naval Shipyards, and we believe his disappearance to be related to the six dozen or so kidnappings of the last several months. Now that one of our own is missing, this has become a personal matter—something we’ll get to the bottom of.”
Themis gestures to a teenage boy standing beside her, who nervously regards his surroundings and sweats profusely, his thick brown hair matted and wet against his head. “This is Nefti, the assistant to the biggest thorn in my side in Cassomir—an agent of the Aspis Consortium named Kafar. Kafar is also missing, taken from the same relics auction along with Cestis and a dozen other citizens of Cassomir. Nefti was at the auction, saw where a small group of the kidnapped victims were taken, and his handlers in Cassomir have give us access to him so that he might guide us to our missing member. If you happen to find Kafar...” Themis grinds her teeth. “Let him go, per the agreement I’ve just made with his superiors. Your priority is Cestis, and I think Nefti can lead you to him. Your pay will be five hundred gold coins, and if you have to kill anybody along the way, I don't want to know about it and I don't care what you do with their things. Any questions?”
Also, for reference, a map of Cassomir has been added up top.
Didn't realize the job was in Cassomir. During the ship ride Sevia will take time to do retraining, details noted in the discussion thread
"Six dozen people?" Sevia asked almost incredulously, with the unsaid 'and nobody's done anything yet?' almost obvious. Given how important the city was to the Taldan Navy, she'd have expected this place to be locked down over something like this. Nevertheless, she listened on as Captain Themis continued on, gesturing to the boy next to them. 'Oh joy, he looks like he'll snap like a twig' she mentally sighed as the captain finished laying things out for her.
"Aside from Cestis or Kafar, how should you like me to handle any other abductees or their kidnappers?" Sevia asked, though she doubted the woman cared enough about them. She was already essentially being given carte blanche about this.
Afterwards, Sevia instructed Nefti to take her where he'd seen where the kidnapped victims were taken. "This relics auction, you were there with that man Kafar right, describe it to me. What was being sold? Who were the people generally there? How exclusive is it? And did you get a good look at any of the kidnappers?" Sevia asked as they walked towards the place, out of earshot of the Captain - intent on getting an idea about the profile of her captors.
What organization is Captain Themis a part of? The Guards?
She hasn't told you that information. Incidentally, if you're using Detect Evil on her, it doesn't find anything.
"Use your discretion when dealing with the others. Obviously, if you do something you really shouldn't, we'll have to turn you over to the guards." she said bluntly. "But they're incidental at best. Just get my man back."
With that answered, Nefti began leading the way to the destination. "I-it was a fairly normal auction." he said quietly. "We were competing bidders, of course, but the Captain and Kafar usually don't let things spill over into outright violence. N-nobody's going to want to buy things if they feel threatened, right? It was a normal selection of valuables - magical items, historical things, the sort collectors usually like. It's pretty exclusive." he nodded a bit. "I didn't get a very good look at them - I only got away because I jumped into the water and started swimming - but I think they're at the old Inn of the Unlucky Sailor."
Nefti leads the way through the city towards the slummier part of the docks - and once there, quietly gestures for you to stop. "The boards leading up to the building are old and rotted, so they creak like mad." he whispered. "The street-side entrance is boarded up, too, but you could probably break through if you wanted to surprise them." he explained. "Other than that, though, I think you'll have to go out onto the dock." He gestured to the two wooden piers leading towards the building.
A map is now available at the top of the screen. Entrances have been marked with green circles.
Busting through the side entrance would probably be loud, and she wanted to avoid barreling into an unknown situation. And despite her stealthiness, she wasn't apt to try how well she could ply the boarding on the docks. "You stay right here. I'm going to scout the building a little before I go in. I'll be out shortly." Sevia said as she cast Mage Armor on herself, before darting across the street to the boarded street entrance - scanning through the wood with Detect Evil as she began climbing up to the roof.
Sevia takes 10 on climb and stealth for a 15 and 27 respectively
Once up, she instructs Epyon to fly around the windows and look for an open one, while she walks across the roof to the northern wall, descending down the side enough to peek through one of the windows inside.
Detect Evil fails to discover anything as you move - though a visual examination is much better. None of the windows seem to have been opened, despite the renovations the building seems to be going through, but you do have the opportunity to glance through the northern windows and take a look at the inside of the place.
Map updated.
You are, however, reminded of the fact that many weaker people can't actually be discovered by that spell... and there are quite a few of them in there.
However, rather fortunately, they don't seem to have noticed you just yet... though that may not last forever, as some of those animals look like they'd be rather good at smelling enemies coming...
Spending another minute to look through the other windows and get a better appreciation of the situation, Sevia puzzled out her options. Even looking at everything, she wasn't entirely sure of the situation, but that one man seemed to be directing those large rats, and was possibly the leader.
Deciding that the direct approach was probably the best, Sevia didn't think too highly of her opponents. The most dangerous was obviously the druid it seemed. And judging by the group of people huddled in the corner, they were definitely the kidnappers.
Sneaking into one of the rooms through the north window, Sevia cast Mirror Image on herself and used Wild Arcana to cast Darkness.
Images:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Proceeding to the door she'd seen one of the Rogues leaning against, she drew her swords before opening it - immediately plunging all the light within 20ft one step lower and suppressing any light sources.
As usual, your critical rate is quite ridiculous. XD Also, remember that Mirror Image is ineffective while you're invisible.
Initiative:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
The rogue fell down with a gurgle and a scream, and the level of illumination within the area of the spell's effect did reach dim - but now the members inside had the chance to act, and there were quite a few of them... beginning with the druid, who called out commands to the rats within the room. Two of the dire rats moved about five feet forward, sniffing the air... then turned to face you as they caught the direction your scent was coming from.
The remaining rogue lunged out with his weapons a moment later, following the rodent guides to locate your approximate location and strike out with his short sword.
Attack Roll:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8Haha, nope.
In the meantime, the swarm of rats charged forward, moving thirty feet forward through the opening the other rats had made and moving much closer to you - though you had at least a few more moments before they arrived.
The strikes against the druid sank home, though it wasn't enough to kill him - and the obvious damage made it clear that he was much weaker than the elite warriors you'd been fighting before. In response, he slapped out with his club...
Attack Roll:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
He was far from the only warrior there, though - and the rat swarm darted forward as its companions moved around it, leaping forward in an attempt to bite you.
Swarms have always been difficult to kill. Your first pair of strikes do land home and kill a number of them - and by that point, they're crawling all over you, biting and chewing everything they can reach.
Swarm Damage:1d6 ⇒ 6 Fortitude (Distraction):1d20 ⇒ 1Nauseated for one turn. Fortitude (???):1d20 ⇒ 17
At the same time, the others are hardly standing completely idle - and both the druid and the larger rats swing out with their many weapons.
None of their blows came particularly close to striking you, and the rogue moves closer once more.
However, nauseated as you are - and focused on attacking the rats - there's nowhere else to go, and the enemies attack once again... as both the druid and the rogue flank you.
Your next pair of swings finally drop the swarm of rats, scattering it, leaving only the remaining combatants - including two other dire rats that join the fray.
However, despite everything, none of the attacks seemed to be able to hit you - not with your nigh-impossible agility (and worse, confusing images) serving to make you near-invincible.
Your next pair of blows took down two of the tire rats, leaving only the four other enemies to deal with...
Despite the amount of enemies she was dealing with, Sevia was a league above them - not being hit even once throughout their barrage, only having to shake off a some more annoying bites from the swarm.
Sevia continued by attacking the dire rats next, then stepping out of the Druid's flanking.
The rat fell under the force of the blows - not being terribly durable to start with - though it did open up the chance for the others to try striking once again.
Attack Roll (Druid):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18 Attack Roll (Rogue):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9 Attack Roll (Dire Rat Companion):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
The first of your next pair of blows failed to reach the rogue, but the second struck deeply, cutting down about half of his vitality before he could finish repositioning himself to flank you properly.
Attack Roll (Druid):1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25 Attack Roll (Rogue):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22 Attack Roll (Dire Rat Companion):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
Over and over, their blows failed to strike you - and your next blow slit the rogue's throat, dropping him for good before you landed a blow on the animal companion. This animal was far more resilient than the other individual rats - if not particularly dangerous in its own right - and merely squealed in ratty rage as it chomped out.
Attack Roll (Druid):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 Attack Roll (Dire Rat Companion):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
The next pair of blows struck it hard, and it reeled under their force, though it wasn't dead yet. Perhaps more importantly, this particular druid didn't seem to have many combat-oriented spells... and he was looking both frightened and frustrated as he slammed out with his club, unable to actually reach you.
Attack Roll (Druid):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15 Attack Roll (Dire Rat Companion):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
"I might be convinced to let you live if you drop your weapon right now and spill everything you know about this little kidnapping operation" Sevia said menacingly as she cut into the rat behind her again before turning toward the Druid. If she was going to get to the bottom of this, then she figured she'd at least needed one of them alive to interrogate.
Intimidate:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20
If he doesn't surrender, Sevia continues attacking with full attacks - using the bottom for reference
The first strike against the rat goes wide - the second manages to overcome its inherent evasion and sink into it, leaving it just barely mobile and clinging to life. "Who are you to get in my way!?" the druid roared in response to the challenge. "This world deserves to be rid of humanity!"
Attack Roll (Druid):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13 Attack Roll (Dire Rat Companion):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
He did, however, look a bit shaken by your next words, even as he (and his companion) continue their savage - yet ineffective - assault.
Attack Roll (Druid):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21 Attack Roll (Dire Rat Companion):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Neither of your next two blows managed to strike the rat, even as the druid spewed obscenities in his ongoing attempt to batter down your defenses.
Attack Rolls:
Attack Roll (Druid):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19 Attack Roll (Dire Rat Companion):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
The rat finally died, and the Druid went completely berserk, slamming out with his weapon over and over in increasingly worthless attempts to strike you.
The druid collapsed with a gurgle, his weapon dropping to the ground as he glared hatefully up... leaving the Raven Queen completely surrounded by death and the group of hostages tied up in the corner very nervous. Aside from them, an unconscious man was lying on the bar, with clear evidence of recent torture on his exposed stomach - though he's breathing, and probably not in immediate danger. The dead druid - and his companions - also seem to have a number of reasonably valuable items and coins between them, though it's important to ask whether grabbing the valuables or helping the people is more important to do first...
At any other time, such a blow would've been a positive not. Here however, her accidentally potent last blow managed to instantly kill her opponent. "Damnit - he wasn't suppose to die." Sevia clicked her tongue, wiping her blades of the mess, before moving to examine the unconscious man, casting Infernal Healing on herself and him. "There...that aught to help him get his senses back...Epyon, go fetch our little guide." Sevia told her familiar, who left with a squawk.
Moving over to the abductees, Sevia sheathed one of her swords and began cutting the rest free of their bindings with the other. "Are any of you hurt? I can provide some healing for anyone badly injured." Sevia offered as she did, "I'm looking for a man named Cestis, any of you him or know of him?"
One of the prisoners - who looked like the perfect mix between wealthy and servile (probably making him the kidnapped auctioneer) coughed slightly. "Your Pathfinder friend? I think he was with the ones they took to a ship called the Prancing Prince - I heard them saying it was moored on the other side of the harbor. He was guarded by some half-orcs — big, burly brutes. We don’t usually see their kind ’round here. Not sure where they was from, but they sure smelled bad — like they was stomping through the sewers before they came here."
On the bright side, at least you know who you're working for now - and that they couldn't handle it with their own resources said bad things about the state of this city. Nefti peeked into the building a few moments later, then rushed over to the man who'd been at the bar. "Kafar! Are you all right?"
"Don't call me that, kid." he wheezed out. "Bah, they thought they could turn me into a slave?" he looked up at you a moment later as the thought finally clicked. "You're with the f***ing Pathfinders?" he asked, instantly on guard.
"And I'll be willing to bet you were going to end up there next. Lucky for you I got here first." Sevia smirked, patting the man on the back, still - she couldn't imagine how things had gotten so badly the pathfinders were outsourcing rescue operations, and not even to the guard.
Walking back over to Kafar, Sevia's eyebrow perked at his surly attitude. "You're awfully defensive for someone who just got his life saved." Sevia responded, a hint of ire in her voice. "I'm not a Pathfinder, but I was hired by Captain Themis. Well, not to find you that is, but the Consortium lent her your assistant Nefti here hoping he'd lead me to you on my way to Cestis." She explained, gesturing to the boy. "The real question is, how badly the Imperial Navy screwed up that this 'little' operation hasn't been shut down by now if even the Aspis Consortium isn't safe in Cassomir, or who's pockets are getting stuffed to look the other way?" Sevia snorted derisively, crossing her arms.
Nefti coughed slightly. "They, ah, thought it might be better for both groups to have a... neutral third party... take care of things." he explained. Kafar looked over to the boy, frowning slightly. "The Consortium has reached an agreement with the Society - for the purposes of this rescue operation, we have a truce with them, and we can go back to hating each other tomorrow since these people were messing with both of us."
Kafar sighed slightly, but visibly relaxed just the smallest bit. "Ack, well, as long as you're not one of them..." he muttered. "Wasn't going down like a coward, but there were too many for me to kill on my... own..." he looked down at the bodies, then around the rest of the room, apparently getting a good sense of what had happened. "You've got my thanks, I guess - and if that b**** of a Captain cheats you, I'll see you get the money you were promised."
Well, from the way Kafar talked about her, it was clear the two had...quite a history together. But that wasn't her business. "Well, it really wasn't all that much to begin with. To be frank I'm more concerned with taking down this damned slaver ring, but getting paid as well is nice." Speaking of money, now that she'd made sure everyone was actually okay, Sevia bothered to search the captors. "You're all free to go if you like, I'll be heading for the Prancing Prince next and see if I can track down these guy's boss. If there's anything useful you can tell me though, I'd be much appreciated."
After finishing picking off anything worthwhile, Sevia will leave the Inn and head for the docks and search for a moored ship called the Prancing Prince. It was somewhat unsettling to just leave those dead bodies at the Inn, but she couldn't exactly burn them without starting a fire and bringing the guard down on her. She figured someone would eventually find them and deal with them then.
If casual observation can't find the ship, she'll check with the harbormaster
The rats themselves hadn't possessed much of value, but the others were a slightly different story - several of their items detected as being at least somewhat magical, and were probably worth keeping.
You've obtained: +1 Shortsword, +1 Studded Leather Armor, +1 Leather Armor, +1 Heavy Wooden Shield, and a Cloak of Resistance +1. In addition, you've obtained 276 GP.
There wasn't much the captives could mention aside from the presence of the half-orcs - none of them had been brought to it, but at least it wasn't very difficult to find where the ship was moored. The sun is down by the time you get there, with only a few last streaks of light in the sky.
As a tri-masted galleon, the Prancing Prince appears to be in good condition and floats lazily against its mooring along a wide, crate- and barrel-filled dock. No one appears to be aboard her, however, and the standard watch typically found at the gangplank of a docked ship is nowhere to be seen. Atop her bowsprit is a gaudily painted wooden man that appears to be the exact likeness of the Grand Prince of Taldor, Stavian III, hands on his hips, a huge smile across his face, and his legs bent as though he were dancing a jig.
A seemingly abandoned ship? Sevia didn't buy it for a second. Still, she couldn't for the life of her figure out why a supposed slaver ship wouldn't have at least a token guard.
Instead of taking the plank, Sevia decided to jump across the small gap of the pier to the side of the ship after giving is a cursory scan with Detect Evil, climbing around towards the back and looking for any windows into the concealed decks. She directed Epyon to look above for any entrances, for people in the crow's nest, or for any portholes on the other side of the ship.
The familiar isn't able to spot much of interest - though the ship seems to be a fairly standard construction, with a staircase in the northeast corner of the ship. (Lower right on the map) Perhaps more relevantly, you're able to detect the presence of three evil entities down towards the very bottom of the ship - and that far down, there are no windows looking out for anyone to peer in through.
Sevia will climb up onto the deck, and check through both grates in the middle of the ship to see if she can see inside before descending down to the next deck, calling her familiar back to her shoulder.
Map updated. You're in P5, and there's a door forward in the south/left area of the room.
These finely appointed quarters contain a table, some chairs, bookshelf, and a few barrels, all of which have been screwed to the deck. A stack of papers on the table is from the ship’s former life as a slave ship for Qadira and contain manifests and records of deliveries throughout the Inner Sea. This room is dusty and dirty and doesn’t appear to have been used recently.
