"Everyone needs shoes, I suppose - even ancient Osirions and their pharaohs. . ."
The priest's facial expression, however, makes it clear that he does not believe his own words.
Gandel looks at the shoes from afar initially. His curiosity peaked, as Karek enters the room, Gandel follows.
He heads to the shelf where the boots are located and looks to see if any are missing and if so how many may have been there prior.
Gandel will search the shelf for traps before attempting to grab a set.
Hal will look darkly at Xaven's expression, "Just know that if you threaten to poison yourself again with that pig-sticker, I will out you in a dwarven straightjacket Xaven. Make no mistake, nothing and no one will stand in the way of my mission".
Gandel looks at the shoes from afar initially. His curiosity peaked, as Karek enters the room, Gandel follows.
He heads to the shelf where the boots are located and looks to see if any are missing and if so how many may have been there prior.
-
There is indeed space on the shelves for more boots. It is possible several pairs have been taken.But it is impossible to do more than speculate. There may, for example, never have been more pairs than are found now.
There is certainly no disturbance in the dust found within the chamber to suggest anything was ever removed or handled recently.
Gandel will search the shelf for traps before attempting to grab a set.
-
The stone shelving has been carved right from the walls of the room itself. It has no moving parts and Gandel can detect no hint of a mechanism to suggest a mechanical trap. Event that strange blue powder of Xavens is vanishing.Confident Gandel procures himself a pair of stone boots. He can see that the soles of the boot are made from a different material. Rather than stone, they appear to be metallic.
It's lead. The bottoms of the boots are lined with a sheeting of lead.
Clearly made for a human, the boots are likely too large for Gandel's feet, but that wouldn't stop him from slipping them on if that's what he means to do.
Hal will look darkly at Xaven's expression, "Just know that if you threaten to poison yourself again with that pig-sticker, I will out you in a dwarven straightjacket Xaven. Make no mistake, nothing and no one will stand in the way of my mission".
-
Xaven turns to Xerissa and starts to flip out in a Primadona-like fashion.“OK that is it! I can’t work with a dwarf issuing a random threat every minute. I won’t do it! I mean, we bail you guys out and provide you with the way outta here and this is how we’re treated?”
“Either you guys accept us allies right now, and lay the #$# off, or me and Hrokon are outta here.”
“Frankly, I didn’t want to let any of you out of my sight as I can’t protect you if you wander off in your own and get yourselves killed--cause I strongly suspect that won’t go so well for me--but by Aroden, I’m ready to take my chances.”
“Hrokon buddy, if I suddenly topple over from this god-forsaken pact magic, pick up my body and get me outta here! It’s up to you now.”
Hal will look darkly at Xaven's expression, "Just know that if you threaten to poison yourself again with that pig-sticker, I will out you in a dwarven straightjacket Xaven. Make no mistake, nothing and no one will stand in the way of my mission".
Hurgah gives the hysteric halfling a hard, cold stare.
"You know, I really liked you better when you were hog-tied and gagged. Keep acting up, and maybe we'll just go back to that arrangement."
"Threaten you? You are the one ready to fill yourself full of poison at the drop of a hat. You are threatening us with that type of activity. I already told you that you deal fairly with us we will deal fairly with you. Yet you decide to keep the potions hidden from us? Perhaps we define fair dealing differently in our cultures!!"
Hal will look darkly at Xaven's expression, "Just know that if you threaten to poison yourself again with that pig-sticker, I will out you in a dwarven straightjacket Xaven. Make no mistake, nothing and no one will stand in the way of my mission".
"And I'll help 'im. Especially with all your constant whinin', Neversword."
Hurgah gives the hysteric halfling a hard, cold stare.
"You know, I really liked you better when you were hog-tied and gagged. Keep acting up, and maybe we'll just go back to that arrangement."
Breach, wishing he could remove the halfling's head with his axe, merely shakes his own. "I think that's a GREAT idea, Reaver. I'm really tired o' hearin' his mouth run," he says as a matter of fact while staring down the annoying halfling.
Breach, wishing he could remove the halfling's head with his axe, merely shakes his own. "I think that's a GREAT idea, Reaver. I'm really tired o' hearin' his mouth run," he says as a matter of fact while staring down the annoying halfling.
Moonpate lets out a low whistle of frustration and pats his prodigious belly.
"I am hungry and in terrible need of strong drink, but I'm to get none of that down in this cursed hole. Let's move on and be careful about it. Clearly these iron shoes are meant to be used either before walking on that pact stone to avoid its effects, or maybe after to cancel the pact. We should finish exploring the rest of the passages surrounding the main chamber and then make some decisions". He then looks pointedly at Xaven, "hopefully some rational ones".
Karek, ignoring the growing kerfluffle around him, takes one of the sets of boots and sticks it on his feet to see if anything might happen in the short term. He clanks down the hall to the Pactstone and stands on it for a few moments. If nothing happens, he shrugs, takes them off, and continues down the hall, following the bend left. (At least until his allies provoke another fight.)
-
That is accurate to the extent that following this most recent round of threats, Xaven now has his 'foreign object' back out in his hands and positioned inside his armor for an upwards thrust at his belly.
Breach, wishing he could remove the halfling's head with his axe, merely shakes his own. "I think that's a GREAT idea, Reaver. I'm really tired o' hearin' his mouth run," he says as a matter of fact while staring down the annoying halfling.Hurgah gives the hysteric halfling a hard, cold stare.
"You know, I really liked you better when you were hog-tied and gagged. Keep acting up, and maybe we'll just go back to that arrangement."
-
"Alright then. You won't have to. You guys are incapable of allying. Let's go our separate ways. You want to go north, so go north. We'll get out of your way and go south. Best luck to ya - try not to get killed."Once more Xaven and Hrokon begin to edge away from the Dunesquad, this time headed south back to the Pactstone chamber.
"See ya toots," he says to Xerissa. "Bye Muscles," he says to Karek.
OK, so Xaven and Hrokon are breaking off from the party. Hrokon has his scimitar and shield up, but is clearly backing away. I'm sensing different approaches amongst the group. Let me know if:
(a) This is a combat and there will be "ganking" as Xerissa calls it.
(b) Good riddance, they get to leave.
(c) There's a Diplomatic effort to salvage the relationship following the latest round of threats. (Unlikely, but Xerissa's Diplomacy does appear to be stellar).
(d) A fourth option of your choice.
-
"Alright then. You won't have to. You guys are incapable of allying. Let's go our separate ways. You want to go north, so go north. We'll get out of your way and go south. Best luck to ya - try not to get killed."Once more Xaven and Hrokon begin to edge away from the Dunesquad, this time headed south back to the Pactstone chamber.
"See ya toots," he says to Xerissa. "Bye Muscles," he says to Karek.
"Are you mad?!? By isolating yourselves you make a very tempting target for that devil, and if you die we all die. Quit making threats and you will not only increase your chances of surviving this pact curse, but you will also likely profit considerably. Your expertise and input will be considered and respected as we get through this together."
Moonpate will have his wand of hold person at the ready and will use it if Xaven moves another five feet.
While Xaven is still standing next to him, Karek reacts, lightning fast and without warning.
Karek roars at the Dune Squad in anger and frustration. The normally silent Karek is a slobbering mess right now.
Moonpate will have his wand of hold person at the ready and will use it if Xaven moves another five feet.
-
He will be - or at least trying to.
While Xaven is still standing next to him, Karek reacts, lightning fast and without warning.
-
Karek actually entered the "boot room" whereas Xaven did not, so they are no longer adjascent. That may not matter though, we shall see.
So! It looks like I've got 4 people acting (Moonpate, Karek, Xaven and Hrokon) - and not surprisingly it turns out their proposed actions are in conflict.
While I thank everyone for their kindness, even I have to concede we're now back to initiative.
My suspicion is that as soon as initiative occurs there will suddenly be additional players who will come out of the woodwork proposing significant action on the part of their PCs.
Rather than bar them, what we'll do is give the four people above +4 to their initiative to simulate that they are actually acting as opposed to reacting. However, as the dice gods have taught us, sometime people react really fast.
Send me your rolls, if you’re in, otherwise I’ll post the order and we’ll resolve from there.
Send me your rolls, if you’re in, otherwise I’ll post the order and we’ll resolve from there.
Initiative:
Initiative
Initiative
, and I guess I hope I outroll Xaven. If I don't, my plan is pretty well shot.
"Keeping Enemies Close, Redux"
Round 1
Moonpate will have his wand of hold person at the ready and will use it if Xaven moves another five feet.
-
Is this still current? Will Moonpate take a readied action triggered upon Xaven's movement?
Moonpate will have his wand of hold person at the ready and will use it if Xaven moves another five feet.-
Is this still current? Will Moonpate take a readied action triggered upon Xaven's movement?
Yep.
OK!
Then here is how it goes down.
Hrokon wants to evacuate with Xaven, so he is forced to delay.
Moonpate is on ready, so we skip him too.
That means Xaven goes first, just beating out Karek by a fraction of a second.
Xaven makes a break for it, headed south. He’s actually going to race past a huge line of Dune Squaders, but they are all flat-footed and unable to make Attacks of Opportunity (or otherwise electing to stay out of this).
That triggers Moonpate's readied action.
He cast hold person using Sceptre’s wand.
(saves)
That! Was! Close!
Technically Moonpate might also be eligible for an attack of opportunity as Xaven and Hrokon race by, but he does not threaten when wielding only a wand.
Xaven and Hrokon race south, down the stairs and back into the gigantic Pacststone Chamber. They hang a turn left (east) headed in the direction Moonpate recently sent his celestial dire bat.
For the moment, they are out of sight, but that assumes that no one is running after them, which might not be the case.
Karek, Hal and Gandel can still go this round, and the order may not matter. Anyone else who might be interested can jump in the round following.
Do we have pursuit? Or has the Dune Squad and "Xavkon" just gone separate ways?
"Wait! What?! What just happened?
If it will matter, the cats travel 80'. Xaven has a slower speed of 20 and Hrokon is staying with him. But they ran which gives them a x4 Speed.
"Steep stairs" are considered difficult terrain, but I wouldn't consider these ones to be. They can practically jump down them, they're so short.
(Hold a sec though - did I ever say otherwise somewhere? Cause if so, I should be consistent).
Also now that you raise it, if they are running, they can only travel in a straight line, so they would not have turned yet then.
Gandel and Karek are somewhat disadvantaged in that they are both currently in the "boot room". But presumably, depending on what their intentions are, that's just a matter of expending a move action to exit the room.
Feels a bit quiet/non-committal out there. I am getting the impression the masses have decided whether this conflict is 'on like Donkey Kong', or whether the Dune Squad is moving on, is going be placed on Karek's shoulders. In such circumstances I don't think I can GM PC him as I don't want to tilt the entire party into a course of action. But if I am wrong, somebody let me know.
-
Good! Cause you shouldn't - you have just proven me wrong (below).. . . but I do want to see if Karek gives chase.
-
Then I shall continue to sit tight.. . . If he does not Hal might lay the smackdown Angradd style on those two bozos... No way Hal let's that Halfling hold a poison dagger over his heart. That is also part of the reason hal wants to destroy the Pact Stone, he wants no part of that Pact! Gandel has a more moderate view and frankly just wants to get out of this alive, hopefully with a priceless artifact to bring back to the Pathfinder Society! He could really care less about Suekhan, he has been in here for centuries, Gandel is content for the Demon to stay here for just as long moving forward. I am not sure that is the position Max would have taken while he was playing Gandel, but that is how I see it.
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I appreciate the insights - it is good to know what our PCs are thinking.. . . Another point, Donkor may well want to do something here, he has bad blood with these two from the past...
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Also true. He was quite surprised to find them still alive. If you guys want Donkor to step in, just let me know.
Karek looks just about on the verge of action (to Gandel anyway, who might be the only one who can see him). As Xaven quickly outdistances him, though, Karek sags and spits the word Vools to no one in particular. Jes leab me in charge of the talkin' nex dime, why dond ye?
"No Karek! He cannot be allowed to hold us hostage, if he poisons himself we ALL die! If the Demon gets him, we all die! I will not abide by it! Angradd, smite these villains, show them the purity of your flames!!!" Hal has an absolute wild look in his eyes as he screams.
Hal drops a Wall of Fire, circling their position with the heat waves facing inward. Hal purposely gave Hrokon limited healing earlier sensing that they would try something like this.
Wall of Fire Damage
Pass through damage
Gandel's mouth drops open in disbelief at the scene unfolding.
The Pacstone Chamber lights up once more as gigantic wreath of flames forms at its center, trapping the two fleeing renegades dead in their tracks.
-----
-
Nobody has ever asked Donkor about what happened and he's been rather tight-lipped about it. Well that's not entirely true: Xerissa has, but Donkor seems to be ignoring her as best he can.As such, I preferred to keep this info out of your heads to avoid any meta-gaming. But I see how that now makes it hard for you to work him in this situation. So here goes:
(I was planning to make a few more cut-scenes out of this one day. . .)
As you may recall, Donkor was part of an adventuring party that explored the Veinstone Pyramid - the final resting place of the Four Pharaohs of Ascension - the same Pharaohs who built Ahn'Sehlota. Donkor's party was plagued by a competing adventuring company, one also intent on looting the Veinstone Pyramid. Xaven and Hrokon were hire on's in that band, mercs looking for treasure.
Originally, the two parties engaged in a fierce, but non-lethal, off-and-on rivalry. That lasted until the opposing band's leader, a Chelaxian priest of Asmodeus named Paracount Julistar proposed the parties unite in order to defeat a powerful foe on the lowest level of the pyramid - a massive mummified dragon. Julistar had also discovered that the entrance by which both parties entered the pyramid had become magically blocked. He proposed they work together to find a new way out. He believed the mummy dragon stood between them and the pyramid's exit.
Donkor was of the view that the rival band was using his team as fodder to defeat the mummy. He cautioned against betrayal. The coordination between the two bands was poor. The combat badly depleted both forces. After the battle was over Julistar attempted to take command of the remaining members in Donkor's party. Donkor channeled the crap out of Julistar and his allies with negative energy, Xaven in particular. Donkor then managed to escape to the pyramid upper levels, bringing only a few other party members (notably Auraun of the Lost Scroll who has been mentioned on these boards a few times).
Ultimately, Donkor escaped the pyramid - alone. The pyramid was then swallowed up into another plane of existence. Nobody else survived, or so he thought.
Donkor has vast amount of survivor's guilt associated with that expedition. He signed up for this expedition in the hopes of learning something about the Veinstone pyramid and its mystery plane. Might there be a way to find his other party members? This time around, he doesn't want to become too attached to anyone here, as he knows they may not survive. He also, has no trust for Xaven and Hrokon.
After subtracting 2 points of fire damage:
"Ahnnnn!" the Scarab cries, doing her best to muffle her distress.
"I can feel the fire! I think we're still tethered to Xaven in some way."
-
The good news here is that gallant inspiration is an immediate action, so Gandel technically doesn't need to actually have it readied to use it.But I suppose since its range is rather limited, Gandel could ready a move action to travel 30 feet to help place himself in range, if needed.
So I think that ends round 1.
If anyone else who skipped R1 wants to participate, roll initiative.
Otherwise, Moonpate will be up first.