Loreli, seeing that she has the time, sighs, "Alright everyone, down your Infusions, we're given half a minute to cast. Get into place!"[/b]
R1: She loads her launching crossbow with her previously drawn Tanglefoot Bag (FRA)
R2: She withdraws some smelling salts, and keeps it in one hand, while dispelling her created pit.
R3: She moves next to the bleechling, and uses her smelling salts.
R4: Move to move next to the cliff, swift teleport up, standard to top the smelling salt.
R5: She casts Create Pit in a more fit location, and begins a studied Combat vs the giant robot spider, granting +1 to AC and Saves vs it's attacks.
Extracts by holders
Chalkou: Enlarge Person (1st)
Mr. Norn: Enlarge Person (1st)
Ms. Breitling: Protection from Evil (1st)
Mr Fuzzankle: Vinestrike (2nd)
Grial: Long Arm (1st)
Lulu tensed as some sort of truce seemed to have been struck. As others began to put up their defensive spells, she began to follow suit, first quaffing Loreli’s infusion. ”Anyone hurt, get close,” she said. ”I’ll heal you as much as I can.”
Grail doesn't take his eyes off the frog-elf, but he does lower his bow slightly. He nods a grunt of thanks as the healing washes over him.
"You tried to kill us." Grial said to Valence angrily.
With a long breath, Chalkou calms himself. Looking around, he evaluates the remaining threats, and judges the spider the biggest. He moves to the rough center of the area, casting a spell to draw life from his dead foe as he passes by. Evaluating his condition, he casts some more spells, then downs the potion he'd been given earlier, and waits, attention focused on the spider.
Kazrek continues his slow approach to the spider creature, muttering a couple more prayers. "I don't know what kind a' game you're playin'..." he says, eyeing the frog-man.
"Ay! Swordy! Get down here and I'll show ya what sharp feels like!"
After a mere moment but what to him felt like an eternity Phaender stand up, leaning on Dorffurd ever so slightly as he does.
"Listen to me. All of this, all the things you see in front of you. It's all fake, an elaborate ruse. Frogface over there locked us all in this, admittedly impressive, illusion. The question is, why? What are you hiding Valence?" He looked up at the elf-thing when he uttered the last sentence.
”Illusions? I love illusions!” Lulubelle hopped excitedly. She then started waving to Valence, vying for his attention. ”Ooh! Ooh! Make us fight a fire-breathing dragon! A pink one. And instead of breathing fire, it breathes glitter and candy!! And instead of fighting it invites us to tea!”
Loreli calls to her companions, slowly waltzing over to her bowslinging companion, "I feel the urge to dispel the air of confusion; Perhaps you are unfamiliar with most mage's training, or perhaps you have a justified reason to fear for your lives, but I promise, each of you is safe."
She gestures to the spider, still ready to spring, "A wise move would have been to pin us down, or to dispel the pit that robs him of space, or simply to strike us down where we stand. But yet, it has done nothing. Locked behind a wall, it readies a pounce, and yet we're still alive."
She taps the arrow on Grial's bow, "It's a test. A common one, to see how well someone might survive against an assault. My teacher put me through a couple in the past, though none as extravagantly crafted as this. There is good reason; After all, who can tell what a fragile lady as myself can handle, how the archer responds to threats up close, or if the halflings madness would break us both."
She idly strolls back to adjacent to the halfling, "After all, he quite clearly cares deeply for Lady Kaijitsu, and wishes only the finest and wisest to aid her in her endeavor. But appearances are not always as honest as they might appear, something my family is quite aware of. And he wishes to ensure that we are as good as we seem."
She leans against the wall,
"If this is what he wants to do I'm out. This is complete nonsense. I did not come here to be deceived." He turned to Valence, "Do you hear me? Pull me and Dorffurd out of you fancy sideshow, we will have no part in this nonsense." His voice was calm, collected and monotonous as always and only the words themselves showed his annoyance.
"Wait... Why's everybody so mad..?" Lulu asked, seeming to just pick up one the anger and distrust some of her newfound companions had for mister Valence. "We're gettin paid lots! And don't you like trying a thing before you buy it? It's fair! Askin' him not to test us out is like...like... Like making an omelette without cracking a few eggs on the floor first -- for practice!! -- so you don't get shell bits in the eggs when you do it for real, and the weasel'll lick them up anyway, so STOP YELLING AT ME you stupid innkeeper!"
”WAAK!! Shutup! Shutup! WAAK!”
”I mean…” Lulubelle huffed and rolled her eyes. ”You know what I mean?”
When Phaender turned to Lulubelle his eyes were cold and emotionless, "Except, miss Breitling, we're not eggs and I refuse to be treated like some plaything. If he treats us like things now he'll have no qualms sending us to our death. We're just toys after all, replaceable. If you are too blind to see that and want to throw away your life for some shiny coins you have my blessing but I'll have no part in it."
"You mean I get ta fight tha' spider-thing an' it can't actually hurt me?"
Kazrek's eyes sparkle at the notion as he moves to stand as near the spider as he can get.
"Whatcha waitin' for?"
The dwarf brandishes his axes, the conversation going on behind him entirely ignored. This time his grin looks dangerous.
The gigantic half-orc’s eyes never leave the spider, but his voice emerges as an rumbling growl, like an avalanche. ”Challenges are made to be overcome. Let them come. They will see the truth of our strength.”
"I agree with the gnome." Grail rumbled. "I am not a plaything to be toyed with and I am done being tested. If you are so powerful as to do this, than you can make the voyage yourself."
|
With a shake and a creak, the spider-construct leaps from its perch, soaring far higher into the air than it should have been able; the shape suddenly falling from the sky is also far more dense than the ragamuffin of metal, and with a brilliant flash upon colliding with the barrier, suddenly appears on the battlefield as a massive, feral bear!
GM Says:
Loreli's face was cold and stoic as she gave Grial and Phaener a cold glare.
"Perhaps. But there's quite clearly a reason why he's hired us, and there's a reason why he's testing us. And if he's testing is, somethings quite clear if we pass: We're not replaceable. That's the whole point of testing. Making sure someone's qualified for the job is par for the course! Abadar's cursed ledgers, it's like you've never hired someone in your life!"
With the bear descending from the sky, Loreli begun another studied combat, expending a point of inspiration to do so.
"It took me five years and thousands of gold to even be allowed to be *Tested* to become an apprentice," she said, casting Darting Duplicant into the Dire Bear's space (Swift Action),
"It took my mother until I was *six* to get me allowed to take the test to get into boarding school," she continued, tossing a tanglefoot bag on the Bear,
"And I passed every test with flying colors. Being tested means they see potential, so perhaps consider that before yelling about the staging."
She ends her Tirade by taking a 5 foot step back.
Create Pit has 6/7 rounds left.
DC 16 Will save or lose your AoO
touch attack.
DC 15 Ref or be stuck. Entangle if hit.
Lulu fired off a shot at the newly arrived bear, and clicked her tongue to spur Pumpernickel to action!
Pumpernickel growled like an adorable little murder-beast, and lunged towards the giant prey with intent to kill...
Grial considered releasing the arrow he'd trained on Valence, but turned and fired at the bear. He looked practically bored.
Kazrek rushed eagerly toward the bear and took a wild swing with his axe.
"Let's play his game. Might be fun!"
A giant bear landing in front of him Phaender sighs. "The only reason I'll forgive you for abusing such a majestic animal is that he's fake."
With that he gives a short whistle and a nod, upon which Dorffurd retreats. Phaender then follows him and stands next to him, trying to com fort Dorffurd and force him to face the other way. How could he ever be expected to treat these folks kindly if he saw what they did to his kin?
Chalkou sweeps his massive polearm in a broad arc, passing over the pit before angling in at the bear.