Ruins of Azlant (Inactive)

Game Master Nathan Goodrich

Thanks GM. I was planning on Taty taking the same action this round. Unless I need line of sight for haste? The spell doesn't say so, so my assumption was that I didn't, but if LoS is needed, I'll likely be doing something else.

Thanks GM. I was planning on Taty taking the same action this round. Unless I need line of sight for haste? The spell doesn't say so, so my assumption was that I didn't, but if LoS is needed, I'll likely be doing something else.

"Some spells have a target or targets. You cast these spells on creatures or objects, as defined by the spell itself. You must be able to see or touch the target" -- Magic section of the core rulebook, sadly. Haste has targets, so. However! I can get closer.

GM, I'd like to use a Hero Point to regain a 4th level spell, won't matter precisely which.

Zay flies closer to Taty and Aurelian and can just make out the potion in his hand through the mist. With a nod of cloud, they shift to just behind Tatienne's at-the-moment-still-unconscious-body and begins chanting again. If I had a cure left, I'd be using it, but I'm hoping that giving the elementals something else to focus on instead will be more useful as far as our escape goes. Start the first part of a full-round casting, summon nature's ally 4, using my just-restored spell to do it. I'll have to use my standard next turn as well, am fine with that.

"We're trying to get her on her feet now! If you can run, Kassiani, do so, and we will run after you! If not, tell the colony our fate!"

Zay got my intent right: the targeting thing. I haven't recently double checked if you have to be able to see something to target. While that sounds right, if anyone wants to double-check me on it that's fine.

Zay sinks into the mist to join the party as they attempt to revive Tatienne. Meanwhile, the largest elemental continues advancing on Kassiani, abandoning the constrictive generator.

Attack result is 36 vs Kassiani for 13 damage and 6 electricity damage. I'm counting the metal bonus and I know of no penalties on that critter vs Kassiani.

A few quick rulings for the next round regarding things that look likely to occur. I'm assuming Aurelian continues to administer the potion. Lacking other direction I'm going to choose that the potion-feeding provokes once without regard to the turn it is on, but not twice. Since the beginning of his effort didn't provoke, this next turn will (elemental is close enough).

Also, my understanding of cover vs large creatures in the configuration that the elemental, Aurelian & Tatienne are in is that Aurelian gives cover to Tatienne, so she can act in her current space without provoking. If it was a huge or larger creature in the same position, that wouldn't be true. I forget the geometry used to reach those conclusions, but my local PFS group worked it out closely a while back. If we want to review that, we can.

Initiative Order:
Aurelian, Kassiani & Tatienne
Purple Elemental (bloodied) & Blue Elemental (bloodied)
Zay
Red Huge Lightning Elemental (squeezing)

Those rulings are fine.

Aurelian finishes pouring the potion down Tatienne's throat. "Quickly, you must get up and flee! Aurelian Fache will protect you!"

Despite his brave words, the swordsman is clearly badly hurt and can't take too much more of this fight. Down to 20 hp He pulls another potion out of his pouch.

Standard action to finish giving the potion, then move to draw another potion, of cure moderate wounds. I'm going to stay here to keep providing cover for Tatienne so she can stand up and cast, though will vacate the premises next round if possible. Haste gives us maybe a chance!

Tatienne's eyes flutter open, confusion crossing her face for just a second. Ohhhh no, she thinks, as the last few seconds play across her mind. A quick appraisal of the situation didn't seem to be any better than when she was knocked out, though there was a fog, strangely enough, wafting about the room. Part of the machinery?

Spying Aurelian and a wisply Zay nearby, Taty scrambles to her feet, and calling upon her studies, casts a spell that will grant them alacrity. "Go! Go! GO!"

More or less copy/paste from earlier post. Good luck us! Swift: Archaeologist's Luck, Move: Stand from prone, Standard: cast haste. Should effect Aurelian and Zay.

Kassiani has no intention at all of being a lone surviver again. She continues to try keeping the closest elemental busy.

"Just move it!"

Attack (Power, Two-handed): 1d20 + 14 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 14 - 2 = 15

Damage: 2d4 + 3 + 6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3, 3) + 3 + 6 + 2 + 2 = 19

Kassiani, from your current position, the big elemental can strike at you. If you backed up one square (after attacking) there wouldn't be room for both to get in attacks unless they coordinate better than they have been. If you want to move back on this last turn, go ahead.

Aurelian successfully revives Tatienne as the elemental near him continues its assault. Opportunity attack result vs Aurelian for provoking (potion to Tatienne) is 28 for 10 damage & 6 electricity damage. It full attacks him on its turn, getting a 24 on its first attack for 10 damage & 5 electricity damage. Its second attack gets 20 for 4 damage & 3 electricity damage. I think the second attack in the sequence barely misses Aurelian due to Haste and he stays up, but it's close. Miss chance was considered on all attacks but never made a difference.

Tatienne blesses her allies with speed to aid their escape.

Kassiani's swing goes wild and fails to connect with the lightning elemental before it swings its fists in her direction as they crackle with electricity. Attacks include metal bonus & pain penalty. First attack is 22 for 10 damage & 6 electricity damage. Second attack is 24 for 4 damage & 3 electricity damage. With her buffs considered, I think the first attack misses at least.

Initiative Order:
Zay
Red Huge Lightning Elemental (squeezing)
Aurelian, Kassiani & Tatienne
Purple Elemental (bloodied) & Blue Elemental (bloodied)

I think you are correct that it just misses thanks to haste. My quick stats "macro" didn't appear to have been updated, but I just did that.

I'm not sure if I'll be here for my next round, but I will use Acrobatics to tumble away from the elemental and do my best to get out of the room. Even with haste, I'm not sure I'll have enough movement, but depending on where Zay's next summons lands, I'm hoping I can avoid having to tumble past blue (i.e. it will have used its AoO). I'll use Inexplicable Luck to get away from pink, giving me a +8 to my roll, for a total modifier of +21. If I really botch the roll, I'll use my Defiant Luck.

Using the option for summons 4 that gives me a d4+1 of a 2nd level or lower summons...

How many: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 Woot! About time something went right.

Sploosh! A number of small water elementals appear around Zay, seeming to congeal out of the humid mist.

"Շնորհակալություն գալու համար! Ես ներողություն եմ խնդրում այն ​​բանի համար, որը պատրաստվում եմ ձեզ խնդրել անել ..."

Aquan "Thank you for coming! I apologize for what I'm about to ask..."

Zay shouts in Aquan to the tiny fountains, who burble in response.

Giving them orders in Aquan to draw AOOs, basically. I have five to work with; I'm sending some east to try and draw the fire of the other two, and notating this on the map in a hopefully clear way. And... also really hoping the ellies don't have combat reflexes *laugh*. Let me know if anything's not clear-- I'm showing them at their starting locations, and their movement paths, instructing them to use the 'run' action, since their base movement speed's not very high. If possible, I'd also tell 2 and 3 to delay a bit so that they go AFTER Red's turn, and use up its AOOs so that Tatienne and Aurelian can go then instead.... but these are elementals with a 4 intelligence, and it would be within the GM's prerogative to say that they're not smart enough to follow that detailed a command, or that I don't have time enough to give that detailed a command in six seconds, either. I'm willing to use a hero point if it makes a difference to your ruling.

1 provokes from red
2 provokes from blue for sure and possibly red
3 provokes from probably both blue and red
4 provokes from red
5 provokes from Purple

Due to my aquatic summons thing, they each have +4 more HP than normal, so their stats are AC 17, HP 17, small size creatures

"Okay! My friends are going to try and get their attention so that we can all run safely! Now we need to GO!"

Zay follows their own advice-- a hasted cloud, tearing through the mist and leaving a little vortex of it behind them.

With haste, my base flight move is now 90 I believe. I'll be hoping that my babies did the job of drawing the AOOs, so I'll just be flying out of there, path indicated in white.

That's a single move so.... what the hell, I'll start a summons 3 at the end of it, converting greater magic fang.

(Addendum, I cannot start the new summons, since I had to use my standard from last turn to complete this one. Other than that, the turn is correct.)

Sure, Kassiani will take that step back. The 1st attack does miss, but not the 2nd.

A torrent of sparks & electricity-charged water fills the large chamber as electricity elementals smash their smaller cousins to pieces.

Ugh. I just lost a ton of text about resolving attacks vs the elementals & some of the dice results are gone. But I remember the final result:
* Water elemental #1 is dead
* Water elemental #2 has 3 hps left
* Water elemental #3 has 0 hps left (but is still standing)
* Water elemental #4 is dead
* Water elemental #5 has 1 hp left

Importantly, none of the electricity elementals took more than one opportunity attack. None of these attacks got the metal mastery bonus, which seems both obvious and funny.

Initiative Order:
Aurelian, Kassiani & Tatienne
Purple Elemental (bloodied) & Blue Elemental (bloodied)
Zay & water elementals
Red Huge Lightning Elemental

Things the party should be aware of:
#1 - red elemental has its opportunity attack back after it took its post-Zay turn. Given that it is Huge, I don't see any way Aurelian & Tatienne will be able to leave the room without someone provoking (absent Acrobatics - keep in mind speed penalties unless you slow down). The small elementals count like medium ones for cover purposes, but it just won't help against something so big I think.
#2 - The corner of blue elemental looks fine to move past without the need for any squeezing or Acrobatics to move through its square.
#3 - the AP doesn't tell me at all whether the stairs leading out of the room go up or down from where you are at. Due to that, I'll just rule that they aren't going to cause difficult terrain.
#4 - a Haste-enhanced double move should be enough to get you to the stairs somewhere, but not a ton more than that. We probably need you to count out your movement individually.

(A summoned creature at 0 HP is gone, not disabled, just for clarity, so #3 is gone. Also, ty for the straight line thing-- I thought I remembered something about that, but couldn't find it when I was looking up run, so was like 'welp then?' Oh well.)

Zay winces as they feel a number of tiny watery lives getting shunted back to the plane of water, but it's for a worthwhile cause...

Kassiani casts Hedging Weapons, producing two floating hammers of brassy golden energy. She then runs to join the Zay's little elementals as a distraction while Aurelean and Tatienne run past for the stairs.

Standard action for casting. Move action 20' to new location on map. Hedging Weapons adds +2 to Kassiani's AC for a total AC of 24 vs. red border elemental, and 27 for the blue bordered elemental since its missed attack adds another +1 to the bonus from Anticipate Thoughts.

Her magically enhanced legs carry Tatienne around the large energy column and to the other side of the next closest to the entrance. Judging that she doesn't have enough time to get through the next two elementals without getting clobbered again, Tatienne casts a defensive spell she learned from the Andorran mage Aldous Beauturne, a dour - if dependable - mage she met in her many sojourns to Almas. Duplicates of the woman spring into existence blending into each other, hopefully causing confusion for her foes.

"Stay in the cloud!" she shouts to Aurelian. "I'll draw their attacks in a few seconds. Hopefully they attack my magic, and we can squeeze by!"

Move 60' and cast mirror image. Taty can't get through the elementals without drawing an AoO from the huge one which will autohit barring a one, so there's no point in her running for it this round. Aurelian and Kassiani, if you want to, you can piggyback off of Taty's movement next round. She can go first to draw the attacks, which hopefully hit the dupes, and then you can run by after.

images: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 OK, could be better, could be worse.

Unless these elementals have a whole bunch of AoO's available to them, wouldn't Kassiani be drawing most of them as she moves? That's specifically what she's trying to do.

Unless the elementals are being super sneaky about it (and they don't seem to be) only the red elemental has an opportunity attack right now. Kassiani seems willing to provoke, and if she does Aurelian & Tatienne should be able to move to the stairs safely this turn.

I haven't thought through the next enemy turns and I haven't looked at where Kassiani ended up, but they are positioned fairly close to blocking off the stairway. The escape window may be limited.

Time to move things along. If either Tatienne or Aurelian want to revise my interpretation of their actions, they can do so.

Kassiani gains the largest elemental's attention as the room crackles with electrified water all about her. Opportunity attack result is 25 for 17 damage and 1 electricity damage. It rolled really well on the damage...

Seizing the opportunity available to him, Aurelian dashes out of the room and into the stairway while Tatienne casts her protective spell.

Initiative Order:
Zay
Red Huge Lightning Elemental
Aurelian, Kassiani & Tatienne
Purple Elemental (bloodied) & Blue Elemental (bloodied)

"Why.... Nnnh." Zay closes their not-really-properly-existent eyes and begins to chant again.

Calling out Aquan instructions. Each elemental will attack once, and if you as the GM will permit, I will tell 2 and 3 to move AFTER Red's turn, so they draw red's AOOs. I'm fine with delaying my turn for that to happen if that's the most sensible way to handle that. So... arguably, Zay just shouts "WAIT" in Aquan right this second, lets RED go, and then shouts "ATTACK AND RUN" at the elementals, who do so. Where they move won't matter, any hit kills any of them. And then Zay starts a summons 3.

Elemental's attacks, probably don't break DR even if they hit, and either 2 or 3 may already be dead after Red goes:
Vs Purple: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
Vs Red: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Vs Blue: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Damage vs Purple: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Damage vs Red: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Damage vs Blue: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

"RUN. Please. I can take at least one more hit, all of you look about to collapse."

Urk. I just realized that the large elementals didn't take their turn when I resolved the Aurelian/Tetianna/Kassiani turn just above Zay. At first my reaction was 'Oops, but I guess they'll just go after Zay'. Then I realized that would be worse for you guys if I ordered things that way. Their opportunity attacks would land on the small elementals, then they would get new ones right away on their turn.

Should we back up Zay's turn and let the large elementals go?

Sure *shrug*

I think so as well.

Sorry for the delay.

The elementals continue to pound at their watery counterparts, smashing them into oblivion in a shower of sparks. All of the water elementals are gone. The purple elemental didn't need its second attack & moved after the group.

Initiative Order: (for real this time)
Zay
Red Huge Lightning Elemental
Aurelian, Kassiani & Tatienne
Purple Elemental (bloodied) & Blue Elemental (bloodied)

"Too slow... too slow... I need you now!" Zay hisses, the cloud-mass of their body spinning in agitation, like a tiny cyclone. "Gozreh, mother-father, your child calls, please!"

A flare of green light answers Zay's words and the cloud gasps out a brief "thank you!" before once more calling water over to this plane.

Using the Hero Point as discussed to quick-summon a d3 of small water elementals.... 1d3 ⇒ 2 Meh. Three would have been nice but I should be glad it wasn't one, eh. I'm doing the elementals because I need to be able to communicate with them to give instructions via Aquan, as opposed to getting a larger number of a 1st-level option that I wouldn't be able to tell what to do.

Summons are appearing as shown on the map.

"You! Wait!! You-- run forward!!" Zay calls desperately in the burbling tones of Aquan.

Directing Light Blue to run forward as per the arrow, which will simultaneously trigger attacks from Blue and from Red. Unless the dice are extraordinarily kind, this will probably destroy Light Blue. If they are NOT kind, it might destroy Light Blue just off the first hit. :P Once Light Blue has resolved, Zay will yell at Dark Blue to go in and get as close to the final spot for Light Blue as possible, and attack Red if it survives to get that close (there's no point in rolling the attack because I don't think I break DR on Red). (eta If through some miracle light blue does NOT die, dark blue will stay where it is)

Goal is to trigger the AOOs, of course, and then to also give Red a target in range that is NOT Kassiani, for Red's turn which is next.

Tatienne, if you use the WITHDRAW action on your turn you won't provoke from Purple. Red will get its AOO, but as you say, hopefully your mirror image can keep you standing through that. Kass, just run like hell-- after Taty!!-- you're not hasted so you need as much distance as you can get from these guys. Aurelian, you also can't take a hit at this point-- with 36 remaining HP, I can take at least one hit, and with my hasted move and the quick runner's shirt I can catch up more easily than anyone else. So don't worry about anyone leaving me behind. Sorry if I'm being micromanaging here or explaining things people already know, I just want to be annoyingly over-clear because text is a medium that it's easy to miss things in that we wouldn't miss if were all sitting at a table together.

"Go! Run!" Zay cloud-shrills at everyone else, back in the Common tongue. "I can catch up!"

ETA again-- water ellies have 17 AC, 17 HP, sorry, forgot to say

New water elementals appear in a flash of grace from Gozreh as Zay's spell completes. The new elementals rush in against their larger electrified cousins and are hopelessly massacred. The huge elemental attacks both the last elemental standing against it and Kassiani.

Light Blue water elemental got hit twice as it drew opportunity attacks & died. Dark Blue water elemental died in one hit from the red elemental (with exactly 17 damage) and then the red elemental second attack went to Kassiani. Attack result is 30 with 11 damage & 1 electricity damage. If I'm reading right, that leaves Kassiani with 1 hp left.

Purple Elemental and Red Elemental have their opportunity attacks remaining, but Blue Elemental does not.

Initiative Order: (for real this time)
Aurelian, Kassiani & Tatienne
Purple Elemental (bloodied) & Blue Elemental (bloodied)
Zay
Red Huge Lightning Elemental

"Come, it is time for us to go now!" Aurelian calls out, drinking his potion as he waits to see if the women escape. Assuming they get out, I will also move 25 feet south into the hallway, but I won't leave people behind.

2d8 + 3 ⇒ (7, 6) + 3 = 16 Nice!

"Tatienne, go now! Keep running and make sure the others do the same!"

Kassiani approaches the elemental nearly blocking the path out and attacks to keep it occupied a little longer.

Attack (Power, Two-handed): 1d20 + 14 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 14 - 2 = 18

Damage: 2d4 + 3 + 6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2, 1) + 3 + 6 + 2 + 2 = 16

Whatever Kassiani was up to, Taty had to trust that she had a plan in place. Tatienne moves past the elementals trying best to pick her spots and avoid their furious attacks.

Withdraw 60' down the hall.

As Aurelian holds the stairs, Kassiani strikes at the elemental with her estoc, driving the blade into its side.

The elemental on the far side of the room acts first, lightning crackling off the ground as it barges in toward Kassiani and swinging its fist at her. Despite the tight confines of the Azlanti engine, it smashes into her, knocking the inquisitor off her feet. Rolled randomly to determine which acted first, counted metal mastery & squeezing. Attack result was 29 for 8 damage and 6 electricity damage.

The remaining elemental closes in on Aurelian and Zay, striking at the swashbuckler as it approaches, though it fails to connect. Natural 1 on the attack.

Initiative Order:
Zay
Red Huge Lightning Elemental
Aurelian & Tatienne
Kassiani (bleeding)
Purple Elemental (bloodied) & Blue Elemental (bloodied)

Zay groans at watching Kassiani fall. "Fache! Run! You can't get to her without killing yourself!!!" calls the cloud.

Giving Aurelian a chance to post as per OOC

Frustrated at the situation but realizing Zay is right and they have no chance to help, Aurelian retreats back out the door, urging the others to follow. He will return later for Kassiani, hoping she will survive to be rescued, like the faceless stalkers' victims.

The small cloud exhales briefly, then nods, and zips after Aurelian.

Withdrawing, but not going my maximum double move of 180'; I'll basically stay next to Aurelian and just behind him so that if they do catch up, I'm the closer target than he is; I'm hoping Taty can weather Red's attack due to her M.I. and then keep going past us both. I think (but could be wrong) we are collectively in full withdraw at this point, whether or not that will save us. They move fast, so it may come down to whether or not they choose to pursue past this chamber.

Agreed. I think the hope is they don't pursue out of this chamber. Or can't open doors!

Combat is over! See Discussion

Badly beaten by the rampaging elementals, the party is forced to fall back a second time from the Faceless Temple, this time leaving a friend behind them.

The hour is late when they begin their return journey, but they still manage to notice the oozes they encountered earlier in the day, forcing them to take a detour to avoid the relentless hunters. More disturbingly, it seems that the oozes have been following them.

By the time they arrive back at the shoreline, the party is badly fatigued. Sarine and the colonists at the base camp have made good use of the time and even from a distance you can tell they have cleared the ruined tower of some of the debris covering it.

You can go over to investigate the happenings at the tower or just go rest.

"....those oozes are following us now. That's... not good. We may have to deal with them at some point," Zay observes needlessly to the other two. They look as haggard as Zay feels, though Zay knows their form as an air elemental won't display much in the way of their distress. Roiling clouds aren't very expressive.

It's stupid to feel too much over the woman's death, Zay thinks. For one, they barely knew each other. For another....

...that's what humans do. They die. They live their lives, short lives, and then they die. Like Father.

The pedantic part of Zay's mind points out that the woman had been a half-elf, not a human, but Zay's logic remains. Enough human short-livedness had been a part of the Kassieni's nature that Zay was still likely to have outlived her.

So what point did it have, to be-storm one's self over a death that was earlier rather than later? All things are reclaimed by Gozreh's cycle in the end, in one way or another.

"Perhaps I can drop rocks on the oozes. From very high up," Zay says to distract from the thoughts of morbidity. "Either way, we should be wary for them, and make sure we post watch to give us enough time to relocate if we have to..."

And then the tower and the camp has come into view, and Zay flits ahead to convey the unfortunate news.

***

As soon as Zay's told the other colonists at camp about the loss of the blond woman, and explained that there are slow-moving but dangerous foes trailing them, and also explained they got the stuffing handed to them by large lightning beasts, the mood is successively soured.

"Any GOOD news?" someone in the group asks, grimly.

Zay does a few flips in the air. "...we're not ALL dead? I'm going to go check on our prisoners."

Zay will do just that.

Taty is quiet as the group makes her way back to the tower, lost in thought. There would be writing of course, a tale of their journey, a way to commemorate her friend for the ages. Travelogues of foriegn lands and exotic locations were popular back in Avistan, and Tatienne had no doubt that she'd be able to capture Kassiani's character in an accurate and flattering light, and do some honor to the woman. But that was later; now, she needed to get back to the tower - they needed to get back to the tower and regroup, and things were way to raw anyways to reflect upon, let along put thoughts and words to page, making what happened seem even more real.

Instead, Tatienne nods, a grim and silent agreement, to Zay's observation - they would have to take the slimes on at some point, and likely soon.

----

"I think it is best if people stay in the tower tonight, and we keep a watch of a few people at all times." The colonists didn't take their grave news well, nor should they, and Tatienne, for the first time perhaps, begins to reflect on just how much trauma these folk have endured. "We've survived worse." she says, her voice flat, and retires to the tower to rest.

Aurelian's normally undaunted spirit seems dimmed, his whole body dragging as they make their way back home. Kassiani had died -- and while he'd barely known her, but just like so many of the colonists, he'd been helpless to do anything. And if she had died, so confident in her own abilities, he can't help but wonder for the first time if Tobias and Marguerite may also have been killed. If so, there was no end to what he would do to these things.

He looks up, a spark of fire in his eyes at Zay's words about the oozes. "Let them come!" he says, "and they will learn not to be so eager to cross paths with Aurelian Fache!"

For the newer players, this is the GM's former PC account. I'm using it for this post since Sarine can NPC a bit here.

We're a bit asynchronous in time, but I'll post to move things along a bit. Just have to make a few assumptions about how things will go with the newer players, but that will buy them a bit more time to get things sorted on their end.

Sarine hefts another piece of rubble and throws it off the tower onto the seaward side of the building as the party approaches. She begins to wave at you, but pulls her hand short as she realizes that only four returned from the Faceless Temple.

She climbs down the ladder in the tower's small courtyard to meet you. "I'm sorry about Kassiani," she says, judging the essential part of the story from the group's somber mood.

"Two of our colonists have come out of whatever those things did to their minds...at least I think they have. The way these creatures operate, they could just be trying to get us to let our guard down and release some of their thralls. They look fine to me, but we've kept them bound for now."

She gestures toward the top of the tower and climbs the ladder again. At the top, the colonists have constructed a makeshift cell door leading into the chamber where you encountered the mimic earlier out of widely spaced logs. Moving the logs aside to enter is a simple matter, though it requires some heavy pushing.

New PCs are the ones awake. They have an opportunity to do things before you arrive, but it probably won't change the outline above.

"Aurelian Fache will get to the bottom of this," the swordsman says, face still unaccustomedly grim.

He enters the area, staring down the two awakened colonists. His hand rests on his hilt, though the blade remains sheathed. "All right, then. Prove to Aurelian Fache you are truly all right now!" he demands.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (15) + 15 = 30

Invandi comes to, and the resonance of the scream against his gag changes from madness to the low whimper of realized terror.

"What have we. No, what have I done?" he asks himself as he regains control of his actions. He quickly attempts to shift himself to sit upright and better assess the room. He is not at all thankful of the light, with which he can see the discoloration on his fellow captives, and his own already blue-ish skin. He catches his own birthmark across his torso and instinctively attempts to cover it by closing his damaged vest.

He notices that he is unbridled with most of his gear, and scans the room to see if his shield or some other means of defending himself is available. Unsure of his status with the old captors and the new, he begins to try and slip out of his bonds...

Escape Artist: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24

As one of the new captors enters the room, he stops his actions...
"I'm a recorder. Did I... hurt anyone... before?" he asks, bright blue eyes looking upon Aurelian's boots in fear of the answer.

Woot! action

Zay hovers near the ceiling, reluctant to yield this form just yet.

"Oh. You're speaking. That IS encouraging. Mostly it's been growling. As for your question... I'm not entirely sure, actually. If it helps, I don't think you killed anyone. I'm Zay. If we untie you, are you going to attack us?"

"And what do you mean, you are a recorder? What do you record?" Aurelian asks, a little less willing to release the man yet. Sometimes, keeping someone tied down is the best way to proceed for a time.

The younger sylph face becomes slightly more hopeful on the news that he may not be responsible for anyone's demise.

"Uh.. who are you? You're not... one of them are you? Is this a test? I would defend myself if provoked but would be thankful to have my shield in hand."

"I take notes, sketches mostly. Some editorial. Someone needs to document the efforts of excavation here for the researchers back on the homeland."

"Have you known them to be small, talking clouds before?" Zay asks curiously.

"As I said, I'm Zay. I'm trying to help the colonists. You're one of them-- we think you got mind-controlled. I'm not sure we feel like giving you back much of anything until we're sure you no longer are..."

"I don't recall, things are a bit foggy." He looks up as he realizes his words, "I mean in my head. Sorry."

"My name is Invandi. I feel like I'm back in control of myself. I'm not much of a magician though, could it happen again?"

"Aurelian Fache does not know if it is possible, but he will make sure it doesn't happen!"