Pakshee mutters in her bastard Infernal, rolls her eyes, then moves up to Tulip once again drawing the small feathered wings on the dinosaur's legs. Then proceeds to cast the same spell on Faith, Sasha and herself. "No fall off," she comments to Zaine.
"Since when have you ever known me to fall off?" asks a slightly offended Zaine. "We really need to get her some flying... anklets? Greaves? Something."
Sasha looks up the rise, "If we stick close to the bluff and then the wall, we should be able to get up to the top without alerting the apes." Her eyes take in the gaps of their patrol, "Probably only take out one without the others noticing, but if we time it right we might be able to get over the wall and into the fort without them noticing." She shrugs.
"I love this plan. Let's go." Zaine spurs Tulip into the air.
"Wings? Áine responds.
"Thank you, Pakshee." she continues, eyes dancing, sitting cross legged from atop her carpet.
"I love this plan. Let's go." Zaine spurs Tulip into the air.
"As do I." Áine turns to Sasha in an aside with a twinkle in her eye, "I do hope that now happens to be the right time however." she follows suit.
Faith wobbles a bit and rises into the air. "I will endeavour to be stealthy."
Those that are stealthy determine the timing of the group as they near the top of the fortress wall, timing the pace of the dire apes. () Their timing pays off and the group descends into the open area of the fortress. The apes continue to pace the walls, giving you a moment to decide what you are going to do. There is a stone building within the fort, the large brass doors open into a training hall. Silent and stealthy, Aine sneaks ahead then flies back to describe a massive white-furred angazhani sitting on a stone throne. His only guards are the four dire apes that circle, looking outward for danger, leisurely fingering a large axe.
"Anyone want to talk to this thing?" Áine whispers to the others, "The big guy might have some useful information."
She nocks her single magic arrow for a possible surprise attack, in case the answer is no. "Hey big guy," she says to Faith, "don't suppose you could spare a blessing my way before this starts up?"
Áine's arrow flies long and true, burying itself to the fletchings in the massive four armed giant beasts chest.
"Anyone want to talk to this thing?" Áine whispers to the others, "The big guy might have some useful information."
"Be my guest," Zaine says, checking the load in his musket, "but when King Monkey decides he'd rather pound us flat, I'm going to put one through his skull."
Faith nods to Áine, and says, "I am willing to try talking." At the appropriate time, he leans over and touches Áine on the shoulder, "Blessing of destruction," .
When people are ready, Faith clears his throat, flies into the room, and addresses the angazhani, "Greetings. We are willing to talk, but not afraid to fight."
Faith repeats it in Polyglot, Infernal, Celestial.
The four-armed white gorilla starts at Faith's voice, his knuckles reflexively tightening around the shaft of his weapon. He growls low in his throat, "ناکامی. یہاں تک کہ ان کے ابتدائی ذہنوں کے ساتھ، میں کسی کو بھروسہ نہیں کر سکتا." Then his cunning gaze moves over all of you, "Intruders. Sent by the Radient Muse?"
"You want me in a red shift?" She asks, confirming.
Faith shakes his head. "No, we send ourselves. We wish to explore your territory. We will fight if we must, but this is a good vantage point, and we would rather learn what you know."
Faith does not need to be told twice. He allows himself to be lead, happily, to tower and to bedroll.
Zaine holds the musket cradled in his lap, leaning back in the saddle. He keeps an eye on the dire apes on the periphery.
"Like who and what is the Radient Muse, for example." Áine continues on Faith's refrain.
At Faith's words, the girallon commander slams to his feet, his words a terse growl as he paces back and forth before his throne.
Still growling, but speaking almost to himself, "All humans are the creatures of the Muse." Pace, red knuckled grip on his weapon, "She stoned the champion Angazhan sent us. She hates us."
He turns to the group, "Why did she send you? Did she want to punish you or me?"
Faith will attempt to draw more information. First he uses a move action to channel his spirit bear, then he attempts a ... Bluff? Intimidate?
For a brief moment, Faith is reminiscent of a bear standing on its hind legs.
Faith frowns at the commander, but does not move away. "I serve one with daggers and a deep hatred of evil. What need have I of being punished? I am faithful! Why would she punish you? Have you been meddling in her affairs? Again?"
Áine smiles coolly. A thin lipped smile showing no teeth, but portraying a cool confidence, ready to act as needed. She keeps the giant ape within her peripheral vision while her eyes lazily scan the area for movement from any other possible dangers.
The commander snorts, "So you're a zealot and you get others of her playthings riled up, maybe killed." He growls, "I haven't been in her territory since Akkituk first came to us. Since then they've all been against me, plotting." He growls in the direction of the walls of the fortress, "Even my wall guards, just letting you in."
He shakes his head, "No. That snakey winged red-head obviously wants your death not mine." His knuckles tighten.
He shakes his head, "No. That snakey winged red-head obviously wants your death not mine." His knuckles tighten.
Zaine frowns, glancing at Sasha. He might be looking for wings, but he'd be sure to deny it.
Though Sasha has trouble reading others, she's spent a lot of time with Zaine, and he's not exactly guarded in this moment. He's breathing is faster, his skin is flushed, and his eyes are dilated, all in service to him describing a fantasy to her. Apparently, a fantasy all around dressing her up in a specific way.
His breath catches. "That's what you meant about second part, right?" His hand goes rest on her hip, right where the chain would rest over the iliac points of her pelvis. "Or are you talking about what I'm going to do to you next?"
"Sorry, I am new to the area." Áine says, "when we heard of you, I knew I had to see one with such an impressive physique in person." she continues taking the time to admire his immense physical attributes and looks suitably impressed, "I can see their stories did not do you justice. And yet, your ability to command the brutes on the walls speaks to your obvious intelligence and leadership as well. Someone so powerful, must know the powers that be who are seeking to rival him in the surrounding lands. Other then the snakey winged red-head, who are those that are trying achieve your success and stature?"
Faith turns up his lip at the commander. "And you would have me go back to ..." He gestures out, away. "Which way is her territory from here? I got turned around in the secret tunnels."
Sasha, who had been carefully watching the girallon with her hands resting on the hilts of her swords, glances back at Zaine glancing at her. She has a clear, what? look on her face, but goes back to watching the clear and present danger.
"There is than can compete with me." The girallon snarls, "Only those who wish to undermine me, to sneak away what is mine, Akkituk with his scheming and everyone reporting to Ruthazek." He snarls at Aine, clearly unimpressed with adoration.
He scoffs at Faith's bravado, "You can't find your way back to the south of the lake?"
Pakshee takes a little step back, towards the door, the sound of her movement drawing a growl from the paranoid chieftain.
Initiative Zaine
Initiative Tulip
"Hey!" calls Zaine. "I'll let Ruthazek know you're dead!"
He lines up a shot and fires.
Confirm crit
As though to cement Zaine's claim to the throne, Tulip roars and charges, chomping the girallon with her powerful jaws.
grapple
"Well," says Zaine, "as it so happens, my desires involve seeing just how loud I can make you come. Before I bend you over and f+%* you as hard. How does that sound?"
He leans back. "I'm going to need your lovely thighs on my cheeks. I want to taste every bit of you."
Faith pulls Charity from her hiding place and addresses the girallon commander correctly. ”And you must die.”
previous surprise attack/now round post
"Bad move big guy. Too bad you never learned to take a compliment."
Faith pulls Charity from her hiding place and addresses the girallon commander correctly. ”And you must die.” Sadly the four-armed creatures fur and hide are thick and protects him from the shallow thrusts.
"Hey!" calls Zaine. "I'll let Ruthazek know you're dead!"
He lines up a shot and fires. The bullet comes a hair's breath to hitting the primary artery in the girallon commander's neck. It is still a devastating wound by not immediately lethal.
"Bad move big guy. Too bad you never learned to take a compliment."
As though to cement Zaine's claim to the throne, Tulip roars and charges, chomping the girallon with her powerful jaws. The blood and the creature's fur are just barely protection from Tulip. She looks confused as her teeth do not meet flesh.
Following the path of Zaine's bullet, Áine's arrow flies long and true, burying itself to the fletchings in the massive four armed giant beasts chest. And the girallon falls to the ground.
From the walls around you hear confused hoots from the dire apes, a quiet.
Very quietly, Sasha's voice barely reaching everyone in the room as she releases her grip on her sword hilts, "That was anticlimatic..."
"Nice shootin' Tex." Áine comments, then adds, "True. But I'd rather have this guy dead then tearing chunks out of a friend. Shall we continue?" She looks over the creature quickly for anything of value.
"That's how it's done!" Faith says, not bothered that none of it was his direct doing.
"Perhaps if the dire apes abandon their posts, we can get a look at the vista of the city from here."
"Nice shootin' Tex."
"T-rex," Zaine corrects absently while reloading the musket.
"Perhaps if the dire apes abandon their posts, we can get a look at the vista of the city from here."
"They have to have some kind of reaction to our killing the boss," Zaine observes, scanning the environs.
He puts his hands on the outsides of her thighs, pulling her sex close to him. He kisses her on the inside of either thigh, right where her pulse pounds through her. "Let's begin," he murmurs. She feels him as a mere brush against her at first, as though petitioning for entry.
"Maybe," Áine replies, "it didn't sound like he thought much of their ability to think. Guess we'll see soon enough." she says, glancing around at the walls. "of course there may be others as well." her eyes sweep over Faith, then return, "Thank you, Faith, your Blessings pack a punch."
Faith ducks his head in reply. "Any time."
"...and now we know the redheads are south of the lake," he looks to Sasha and continues, "present company excepted."
"Or at least one of them. Though since she was described as 'snakey winged', I think there's a decent chance she actually is a snake. Guess we'll have to investigate and see for ourselves."
"Redhead or snake is kind of a best case worst case scenario," Zaine observes.
"And the wings are neutral?" Faith shakes his head. "Too close to philosophy for me, lad."
"And the wings are neutral?" Faith shakes his head. "Too close to philosophy for me, lad."
"The wings are just... extra," Zaine confirms.
"You need a much lower cut back on your armor for wings, I think." Sasha comments, "And I feel they would be in the way in bed." A long pause. "I think the actually flying would be good though. What do you think Zaine?"
From outside you hear four thuds, from different parts of the walls. Then a loud howling of two voices in challenge.
"Their seems to be a fight to see who is top ape." Áine comments. "shall we see what else is around?"
"I accept this gift," Faith says.
"Let's poke around."
"You need a much lower cut back on your armor for wings, I think." Sasha comments, "And I feel they would be in the way in bed." A long pause. "I think the actually flying would be good though. What do you think Zaine?"
Zaine coughs, glancing around. "You want me to comment about what would be in the way in bed?" His tone suggests she might not have thought this through.
To the party, Zaine nods, following at a discreet distance.
Sasha pauses, her head tilted in confusion towards Zaine, then her eyes widen and she flushes. She shakes her head in denial, "Wouldn't it be amazing to be able to fly?" she clarifies explicitly. "I already figured out the other part," she mutters to herself as Pakshee snorts.
From the walls of the fortress you have a panoramic view of the city. To the north, just at the base of the cliffs supporting the fortress, you see a island marred by the jagged teeth of the clearcut trees. You see a multi-colored smoke leaking from cracks in the rock. As you watch you see a group of charau-ka disappear into breaks in the rock. About ten minutes later you see a different group of the monkey-men exit, moving towards the colonies of buildings on the shore.
Sasha pauses, her head tilted in confusion towards Zaine, then her eyes widen and she flushes. She shakes her head in denial, "Wouldn't it be amazing to be able to fly?" she clarifies explicitly. "I already figured out the other part," she mutters to herself as Pakshee snorts.
Zaine shoots Sasha a grin. "Well, Tulip seems to like flying. Once she got used to it, I mean."
From the walls of the fortress you have a panoramic view of the city. To the north, just at the base of the cliffs supporting the fortress, you see a island marred by the jagged teeth of the clearcut trees. You see a multi-colored smoke leaking from cracks in the rock. As you watch you see a group of charau-ka disappear into breaks in the rock. About ten minutes later you see a different group of the monkey-men exit, moving towards the colonies of buildings on the shore.
"Next step?" Zaine asks, nodding toward the charau-ka citadel.
"Next step?" Zaine asks, nodding toward the charau-ka citadel.
Áine nods, "Good as any, I think."
"Yes," Faith agrees. "Frontal assault or sneaky, I am in agreement."
He turns to Áine and mouths the words Frontal assault and winks.
Áine smiles and gestures for Faith to lead the way.
"How long does the spell last?" Faith asks. He takes a moment to perform some mid-air acrobatics , then heads cautiously toward the charau-ka citadel.
The spell of flight Pakshee cast fades as you search the fort for useful trinkets and magic horded by the paranoid girallon, but the former cannibal happily re-sketches her magic to make getting to the island belching smoke more easy. At some point Áine has melded into the background, until you get to the island where she camouflages from the barren ground where only twisted weeds grow.
The only entrance to the lair on the island is the one that you say used for a guard change, but there are a number of smaller breaks which allow for air to move into and out of the complex. The one with smoke billowing from allows glimpses of a large combination magical workship and alchemical space. An ancient charau-ka female works over the equipment, a number of large potion vials kept safe on one end of the lab. You see two guards in the room, keeping a close eye on the tunnel that must lead from the surface to the laboratory.
Zaine, sitting on Tulip, looks at the one entrance. "Well, as usual, everyone else get into position, and I'll ride in when you're all ready."
Áine recalls Aspect of the Falcon with a Pearl of Power and gets ready to recast it as soon as everyone is ready to move in.
Zaine, sitting on Tulip, looks at the one entrance. "Well, as usual, everyone else get into position, and I'll ride in when you're all ready."
She nods to Zaine. She is ready.
"Are we sneaking again?" Faith asks quietly. "Or is this a frontal assault?"
"Shame we can't fit through the little window."
A careful assay of the only entrance available (without magic of teleportation or transmutation) by the sneakier members of the group renewals that the entrance tunnel splits suggesting at least a small series of tunnels prior to teaching the laboratory.
"Are we sneaking again?" Faith asks quietly. "Or is this a frontal assault?"
"I guess we're sneaking until we're not." Áine smiles almost apologetically with a little shrug of the shoulders.
"Shame we can't fit through the little window."
"You might be surprised by what I can fit through, if it becomes necessary, but I'm not a cockroach." Áine remarks.
Áine points down the left hand tunnel and mouths "guard" while facing back towards the group.If the opportunity presents, she places her hands on the wall to get a better idea of who or what is in the other side.
2 helpful items Áine may be using:
Gloves of Reconnaissance
Price 2,000 gp; Aura faint divination; CL 3rd; Weight—
Each of these fingerless worked leather gloves look as though they have seen heavy use, and often bear the stains or scent of grass or wet mud. On command, the wearer can use the gloves to see and hear though solid material no more than 15 feet thick by placing both hands on that material. The gloves can be used for 10 rounds each day. The rounds need not be consecutive.
Corset of the Vishkanya
Price 3,000 gp; Aura faint transmutation; CL 3rd; Weight 1 lb.
This black corset fits neatly beneath armor. As a free action, the wearer can compress herself to fit through tight spaces as though affected by a squeeze spell (Advanced Race Guide) for up to 10 rounds per day. While using the corset's magic, she gains a +5 bonus on Escape Artist checks.
"Are we sneaking again?" Faith asks quietly. "Or is this a frontal assault?"
Zaine looks at Tulip. "Clearly, he's talking to you," the cavalier deadpans. Tulip squawks thoughtfully.
Faith thinks for a moment. "I can pray for a silence spell, then we can engage the guard."
"Will that dampen Tulip's enthusiasm too badly?"