Rhanloi - fires MM for 16 damage on Yellow
---------------------------------Round 3
Darren - 6 damage on Green
Reiko - 23 damage to Green
Selter and Sithiss - casts mirror image / crushes Blue for 11 damage
Odo - 19 damage on Green
Enemies
Rhanloi
---------------------------------Round 4
Darren
Reiko
Selter and Sithiss
Odo
Enemy
Rhanloi
Rhanloi steps out of the way and fires a Magic Missile at the quickling fleeing with the lorestone. The little quickling is struck by the infallible accuracy and felled by the elf's magical force and the lorestone falls to the ground, still protected by it's darkened aura.
Selter summons up a bevy of magical images to protect him as moves toward the lorestone, eager to retrieve it. Sithiss puts a final end to her foe, crushing the last vestiges of breath from it's body. The Blue creature seems to melt away into nothing as it slips from Sithiss' mighty coils and land upon the ground, shrunken down to the size of an actual gnome.
Daren, Reiko and Odo unleash on the remaining large foe and soon it sinks to ground, shrinking down to size as well and very clearly dead.
Frustrated to find himself now alone in this desperate campaign, Cyflymder zips toward the lorestone, pausing to take a swipe at Selter and his many images along the way. His strike seems sure enough, but he only manages to destroy one of the druid's images.
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shillelagh duration = 34 rounds
mirror image 4 images, duration = 39 rounds
Selter hp: 15 of 31
Sithiss hp: 14 or 34
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Selter smirks, Cyflmder ssseemsss to find himssself alone and bessset by foesss. Sssuch a sssurprissse for one with no true friendsss or alliesss. It mussst be sssad to know you only make the world worssse. and charges the fey with his spiked club.
, , if hits
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, if hits
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Sithiss, get over hear and crusssh thisss sssimpleton!
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Satisfied that the large creature has gone down, Odo sets his sights on the troublemaker at the center of this whole caper. "Cyflmder! You are the architect of murder and this pointless destruction and by the light of the Dawnflower, you will face the consequences!"
Odo strides across what remains of the battlefield to hem the quickling in (should he manage to survive Selter's gentle treatment).
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Once the enlarged fey creatures fall, the elf moves into the circle to get with range to use his scorching ray on Cyflmder.
Rhanloi fires off a scorching ray, but it only scorches the stone behind Cyflymder. Darren's arrow is much more accurate, though and skewers the little quickling, pinning him to the now scorched stone as he falls unconscious, bleeding out.
You secure the lorestone away from the destructive rays of the sun and your mission is achieved!
It takes some time and some vigilance, but eventually you encourage the fey to tell you the story of how this bloody day came to pass. The local logging industry is managed within the borders of the Verduran Forest by the Druids of the Wildwood Lodge according to the Treaty of Wildwood. But recently the loggers have pressed deeper and deeper into the wood, going beyond the outlines of the treaty. The backlash of the fey has thus been increasingly aggressive. Cyflymder was filled with hate and rage directed not only at the Wildwood Druids, who are too few now to properly keep the loggers in check, but all of humanity and their accursed greed which leads them to decimate the natural lands. The quickling practiced a ritual to bind any loggers he captured and infuse them with a dark taint of the first world, but now that he is slain he will taint them no more. Whether other dark fey know the secret of the ritual, the Spriggan does not know.
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With a thump, Venture-Captain Brackett sets a familiar looking rounded granite stone on his desk. The stone is polished smooth and veined with shallow carvings reminiscent of constellations. "This is a lorestone, from the depths of the Verduran Forest... some of you may have seen it before. It’s rumored to hold all of the secrets of the druids of that ancient wood. Just recently, a group of Pathfinders recovered this stone for us. We’re not much closer to cracking its secrets than we were on the day it was placed into our hands, but we have gleaned one interesting bit of knowledge."
"The lorestone tells of a lengthy ritual using an artifact called the Atavistic Splinter, a piece of charred bark touched by Gozreh himself. The ritual transforms humanoids into bestial creatures with preternatural resilience. We could use something with this kind of power for the upcoming Ruby Phoenix Tournament in Goka, so we need you to recover the Atavistic Splinter for us."
"We believe the artifact is near the gnome town of Wispil, deep in the Verduran Forest. A Pathfinder operative there — a gnome herbalist named Falbin — was investigating increased lycanthrope activity south of Wispil. Falbin discovered that a sinister cabal of druids in a compound called Briar Henge is using the Atavistic Splinter to perform the ritual, probably to drive out the local loggers, but he couldn’t recover the Atavistic Splinter from the druids by himself."
"Go to Wispil and contact Falbin there. He will provide you with directions to Briar Henge and recent intelligence regarding the situation around Wispil. Then use this information to infiltrate Briar Henge and acquire the Atavistic Splinter. Any questions, Pathfinders?"
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"Well, it is not everyday that you are asked to deal with an artifact, even as a Pathfinder," says the noble. Sitting in opulent robes, a cane at his side, the man has a pack on either side of him, but he looks as if he should never carry such things.
"I am curious, Venture Captain, if there are any rules saying that we can not use such things leading into the Ruby Phoenix. And beyond that, I am curious if know of any downsides to this preternatural resilience that one gains. If we have access to it and it has no drawbacks, would it not be something that every Pathfinder should experience?"
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A buff obsidian tengu in sharp Andoran-styled upper-crust garb sporting a well-cared for wayfinder at his hip straightens up as the stone is dropped into place. There's a bit of recollection of just how much at least one expedition had to go through to obtain a Lorestone. There are two bags at his feet, one appearing to be a standard backpack, the other a haversack with a bit of a magical glint to it for those who can see such things. In addition, it seems that canes are quite the thing, for he has one as well.
"Does the Society know a bit more about this town, the political situation, or what SORT of lycanthropic types are present?"
The mention of lycanthropes gives the stylish birdly being a bit of a pause and a thousand-yard stare for a moment or two, even as he absently fingers a grey dye job of the Master's rebus on his left hand.
Every day is a learning experience, Master of Masters. I can see Knowledge and Wisdom is penance, today. Thank you.
"Also, in regards to lycanthropes... would it be possible to have access to the Society archives in regards learning how to deal with nascent ones along with those who are... fully afflicted?"
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A strikingly beautiful half-elf with auburn hair and piercing emerald eyes uncomfortably shifts her weight from one doeskin booted foot to the other... By the looks of her elven scale mail bodice (crafted to resemble layered ivy leaves), hunter green cloak, and exquisidly crafted composite longbow, it is plain that she is more comfortable in the woods than with people. On her wrist rests a huge hawk. Bacchus' head darts hither and yon, his eyes covering the the others like fog in the Misty Vale, looking for any threat to his companion.
Quinn speaks firmly, but quietly, "I know little of such things as shape shifters or cabals, but I have spent the majority of my existence in the wild, so I will help as I can... My only question is do these beasts have any known weakness we could exploit?"
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Marco slipped off his gear and left it in the corner during the meeting. The slender, olive-skinned sorcerer stood near the desk as the Captain laid down the lorestone. He tilted his head and considered the vexing stone with a grimace of sympathy for the Pathfinders who undoubtedly spent countless frustrating hours trying to coax its secrets.
"I agree with Wei Ji," Marco nods to the familiar tengu, "if we could take an evening to research these creatures we are likely to encounter, it could only benefit our preparation... unless we find that lycanthropes borne of this god-touched ritual are unlike any naturally occurring lycanthropes encountered by our fellow Pathfinders previously. Hm, I suppose discovery is among our duties, however, if that turns out to be the case."
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A halfling in a well-polished breast plate with a pair of unmatched scimitars at his belt frowns a bit at the Venture Captain's briefing. "Bestial? Would that not make a participant in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament hard to control? If a fighting advantage is what you want, surely there are better ways of getting one without unleashing something unnatural."
"Be that as it may, if dangerous conspirators are using it to do evil, I will see that it is taken out of their hands."
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During the briefing an Ulfen shieldmaiden of celestial heritage adjusts her sword in its scabbard as if to verify it is still there and derive some small comfort. Satisfied with the feeling of the steel under her hand she tussles with a loose blonde braid. Her holy symbol proclaims her as follower of Ragathiel.
"I agree that such an item best find its way to more enlightened hands" - the Shieldmaiden listens to any further replies and makes ready to leave.
Brackett addresses your questions in turn, but with a clip to his words that communicates his typical impatience. ”As far as I know, the tournament allows any advantage a competitor can bring to bear. Whether the Atavistic Splinter can be of any use will have to be determined after you have retrieved it, assuming you can. There may indeed be drawbacks, some reports suggest that those affected by the ritual are robbed of their wits but imbued with physical power. That’s really all we know regarding their weaknesses. Despite their bestial appearance, these animal-men aren’t lycanthropes, Falbin assured me. He will know more.”
He turns to the tengu, ”I was told you were already familiar with the area and it’s politics. Located in the depths of the Verduran Forest, Wispil is a primarily gnomish town and it’s primary industry is logging. Taldor relies on that lumber but some of the druids native to the area… disapprove. It’s a tentative balance, to say the least.”
His eye twitches in irritation as Marco counsels a night of research. ”There’s no time for that, Pathfinder. I’ve arranged your transport and it departs promptly. If you need to read up, gather your books quickly and peruse them on your journey. Intelligence reports the ritual takes several weeks. But as it will take almost two weeks to get to Wispil from here, you’d better hurry on your way. If these druids finish the ritual, they might take the Atavistic Splinter away to some better-hidden location. The artifact is sheet piece of charred bark about two feet long, ten inches wide, and an inch thick. Make haste, my friends.” And with that he makes a shooing motion and calls for his next appointment to be shown in behind you.
It is easy to understand how animal-men might be mistaken for werewolves and the like seeing as Lycanthropes are a dangerous menace in the Verduran Forest. As a result, lycanthrope hunters often compete to earn lucrative bounties. Upon rumors of a lycanthrope uprising, opportunistic hunters quickly descend on the area.
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The obsidian bird-man bows politely to the Venture Captain. "I'm familiar with the traditional politics, I was more curious if things had changed of note recently. Thank you for this opportunity to learn." His words seem almost contrite, humble, with no hint of sarcasm.
After departing the office, there will be a few moments he steps aside to get into much more appropriate adventuring gear, with a lightweight breastplate, two bastard swords across his back -- one clearly of cold iron -- and what is sometimes known as a 'signature' weapon of a certain assassin's guild riding on his right hip comprised of the same lightweight metal that the breastplate is. Over the two large swords a dark wooden shield rides. The wayfinder is stowed for the time being.
He will also ask for a few moments to visit a friend in the Archives to see if she knows of anything regarding lycanthropes or beastmen in general. It won't be an in-depth research, of course, but perhaps his friend Janira Gawix might know something he does not.
"I am Wei Ji, humble student of the teachings of the Master of Masters. My skills tend to wander into the land of melee combat, however, the Master of Masters has shown me a path of wisdom in tending to the injuries of fellow Society members.
If anyone needs or wants to stop for a simple silvered weapon and is short on funds, I am willing to provide assistance on the acquisition of such provided that I'm compensated at the end of this expedition. The last trip I took to this region, something we encountered was particularly resistant to normal blades and we had nothing of the silver or the cold iron with us."
For the journey, Wei will have a sooty grey buckskin horse along, with light barding that he refers to as 'Char'.
Every evening when setting up camp, he'll set up string around the perimeter of the camp, along with four bells, testing each bell so the party can see they make different sounds, and so the party could possibly know what direction an assault is coming from at night.
Every morning around dawn he will be awake, performing meditation while practicing various forms with the two heavy blades, then a heavy blade and board, then the jagged blade and board. After that is done and a proper cool-down is had, he then makes notes in the back part of a volume labeled in Tien
During the course of travel, Wei will alternate between that thousand-yard stare and an almost childlike giddiness that one might equate with going home.
If there are inquiries on the stare, he'll offer that when he was a new Pathfinder, an expedition went really bad. No one in the expedition died, but... it changed him.
As far as the giddiness? "I was rescued from slavery by Andoran folk. This land is my adopted home as a result. Sure, it has issues, but what nation-state these days doesn't?"
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"If anyone needs or wants to stop for a simple silvered weapon and is short on funds, I am willing to provide assistance on the acquisition of such provided that I'm compensated at the end of this expedition."
Quinn's head slews to Wei Ji at this mention of financial assistance... as the newest Pathfinder of the bunch (by her estimation of the age and "swagger" of her companions) she has really nothing to her name besides what she carries or can reap from mother nature.
"From what I can recall from my short, compared to some of you, time in the field is druids often ally with fey creatures. With that being said I could benefit from some cold steel or silver broadheads for my arrows. No need to buy the whole arrow... I could affix them to my existing arrows myself during the journey."She finishes with, "Any idea how much something like that would cost?"
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"To be honest, I don't have a clue, I'm not big on archery though I keep a bow and some arrows just in case there's something we run into that we can't run up to and beat on. Perhaps someone else in our expedition might? Oh, and miss? Time with the Society is not always a guarantor of wisdom, wits, or success. Sometimes those of us with a few expeditions under our belts tend to start over-thinking things."
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During the course of travel, Wei will alternate between that thousand-yard stare and an almost childlike giddiness that one might equate with going home.If there are inquiries on the stare, he'll offer that when he was a new Pathfinder, an expedition went really bad. No one in the expedition died, but... it changed him.
As far as the giddiness? "I was rescued from slavery by Andoran folk. This land is my adopted home as a result. Sure, it has issues, but what nation-state these days doesn't?"
Odo takes an interest in Wei Ji's comment. "It seems we share a past, Wei Ji. I too have experienced slavery and was sheltered by folk of Andoran when I escaped. I feel it is my duty to come to the aid of my adopted homeland when I can and am grateful for a chance to do so."
"The fey folk of the Andoran forests have been quite restive lately and they have a dangerous way of dealing with loggers they think are encroaching too far into their domains. And I think they may have a point since the lumber consortiums seem to be cavalier in holding to their agreements. I do pray that a just and equitable settlement will soon be forthcoming and further bloodshed be averted."
Wispil is a bustling town built on a small scale—although humans and elves walk the streets, most buildings are built to accommodate the gnomes who live and work in Wispil. The scent of fresh-cut lumber wafts through the town. Falbin’s home is not difficult to find. It is situated on the south edge of the town, with a large garden spreading out behind it. Most of the garden is obscured by high growth, but the sound of a violent argument carries into the street. Although it is not yet dark, firelight glimmers from within the garden walls.
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"Actually, do not stress over it. I am a practitioner of the alchemical arts. And I do not ever seek to go into a situation without my companions being prepared. Please...take this..."
At that, Pan stands and begins pulling packets out of his backpack. Bags that there is no way they could actually fit in his bag, but somehow they do. He hands Quinn a packet labeled with a number one. Wei Ji with a number two. Frosty a number three, and finally Sage receives the number four. Then Pan looks to Odo rather apologetically. "My sincere apologies...I did not think to prepare a small pack, however..." he then takes out a potion and a pair of extracts. And Pan hands Odo a Potion of Good Hope, an Extract of Alchemical Allocation, and an Extract of Long Arm. "If you can please drink the extract marked with an 'A' before drinking the potion...then, as odd as it sounds, spit the potion back into the vial and return it to me at the end of this endeavor, that would be lovely."
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Reaching up, Pan slowly strokes his thin beard, "Honestly, if there is a challenge we can not overcome with this," he lifts his bag and shakes it, "Then I will be sorely disappointed in myself..."
Marco looks at the party with an amused grin, "Fine! I'll take the bait if no one else will. What's in the bag?"
He adds, outside the office, "It would be refreshing if some of the academics in the Society made it to Venture Captain once in a while. Maybe then we might get a mission with enough notice that we may prepare for what we might encounter. It seems like every one of my missions has been a race against some threat that has a head start."
"My name is Marco. I'm not the most useful Agent in a fight, but some people find peace in some aspect of my manner," he shakes his head bemusedly, "that I think aggression is sometimes deterred. I suppose I'm an adequate sorcerer. I've recently mastered a new spell to enlarge an ally, granting him or her greater strength and reach." He looks at everyone in the party, but lingers longer on the most heavily armored teammates, "Let me know if this would benefit you in case diplomacy fails during our mission - I understand it's an appreciated spell by warriors."
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The tengu will bow slightly to Pan with both palms pressed together.
"There is no stress when workplace synergy is attained in harmony with the gaining of wisdom." He'll straighten up a bit with a faint hint of mirth behind his tone as he relaxes a bit.
"Oof. Didn't mean to make it sound that horrible, people. Meant 'spring for an ale' after, not 'Cheliaxian gutter contracting'. Guh. My apologies" He'll hang his head a bit and shake it.
"I'm still picking up on the 'being social' thing. It's one of the things the Master of Masters has provided ample guidance on though life experience."
He'll offer to share his pack with Odo as necessary, and pull out a much used wand. "If folks take hits, don't be afraid to ask for healing. Been meaning to get another one of these, but this'll help make things a lot easier." He will also point to his belt where a few potions are kept now. "If I or someone else gets taken down, I've got a couple of healing draughts handy, as well.
"Marco, I'm reasonably set, but there are others in the expedition that could probably benefit from that. And don't sell yourself short. After all, the last time we were in this neck of the woods together, you covered my tail, right? And yes, it'd be nice to get an expedition once in a while that involved a week of unwinding and relaxing before things really took off. I'm not counting travel in that."
Upon approach to the house Wei's gut sinks. What IS it with folks in Andoran always doing this fire thing right as Pathfinders are trying to meet up with someone? Sure, there's wood, but this... this is getting a bit annoying! He'll attempt to move sneakily while keeping an ear open for what the yelling is about.
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Packet 1: Alchemist Fire x1, Alkali Flask x1, Thunderstone x1, Tanglefoot bag x1, Adamantine Arrows (10), Cold Iron Arrows (10), Silver Arrows (10), Arrows (10), Potion of CLW (14.5lbs)
Packet 2: Alchemist Fire x1, Alkali Flask x1, Thunderstone x1, Tanglefoot bag x1, Adamantine Arrows (10), Cold Iron Arrows (10), Silver Arrows (10), Potion of CLW (12lbs)
Packet 3: Alchemist Fire x1, Alkali Flask x1, Thunderstone x1, Acid Flask x1, Adamantine Arrows (10), Cold Iron Arrows (10), Silver Arrows (10), Potion of CLW (9lbs)
Packet 4: Alchemist Fire x1, Alkali Flask x1, Thunderstone x1, Acid Flask x1, Adamantine Bolts (10), Cold Iron Bolts (10), Silver Bolts (10), Potion of CLW (8.5lbs)
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"Uhh th-thank you, Mister Blackbourne?" the huntress mutters, sounding more like a question than a statement. She looks inquisitively at the packet labeled 'one' and wonders out loud, "Now what could this be?"
She unfolds one corner to peek inside and to her wonder, the interior is somehow 50 times larger than the exterior! It is as if she was holding an entire potato sack full of items, yet the size of the packet is no bigger than a letter. Upon realizing what the packet contains, Quinn's demeanor changes...
"Ohhh! Well That's quite generous of you, Blackbourne!"
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"It is not generous, it is merely good planning. I wish you to be prepared for just about anything. So I provide those things. Anything you do not use, I will take back at the end of our adventures, but for the time being, I would prefer everyone prepared for whatever eventualities might come our way. Far too often I hear tales of terror that someone did not have a means to deal with a mass of ants, or such. Or silver arrows to deal with things..."
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At the house, Marco takes cover against the wall with the others. "That sounds rather aggressive. Shall I attempt to distract them with an attempt at diplomacy while our ranged fighters round this building to flank them? And Wei Ji might be able to sneak around the outside of that garden there to flank them from the other direction."
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Quinn whispers to Bacchus and launches the hawk off her wrist. The hawk will light upon a high limb above the fray in the garden where he can react to hand commands from Quinn. The huntress will attempt to get her own "bird's eye view" by climbing to the top of the house they are currently hiding behind to provide ranged cover if the negotiations go poorly.
Wispil is a bustling town built on a small scale—although humans and elves walk the streets, most buildings are built to accommodate the gnomes who live and work in Wispil. The scent of fresh-cut lumber wafts through the town. Falbin’s home is not difficult to find. It is situated on the south edge of the town, with a large garden spreading out behind it. Most of the garden is obscured by high growth, but the sound of a violent argument carries into the street. Although it is not yet dark, firelight glimmers from within the garden walls.
As you move to take up positions to better observe what has gone on here, you catch some of the argument going on.
"Here, we should burn the house too." Says a rough looking bloke with ginger hair, dressed in black. "No! You'll anger them gnomes and we won't be able to come through here again." Snaps an elder man dressed in white furs. "Just light the belladonna and we're off." The third man, dressed in ruddy leathers, looks toward the garden enclosure to the north. "I still say we oughta finish that gardener, then whose to say it was us?" You follow his glance and spot an unconscious gnome lying on the ground. His small form moves slightly and groans in pain and the sharp, coppery smell of blood greets your nostrils as the wind shifts and a gust blows toward you. About that time, the fellow in ruddy leather spots Wei Ji as he moves nearer the gnome and yells an alarm. "Hey! Wotcher boys, we've got company!" Quickly, they move to pull weapons.
Surprise Round
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Quinn and Bacchus -
--------------------------Round 1
Enemy (Black, White and Red)
Quinn and Bacchus
Odo
Marco
Wei Ji
Frost
Pan