GM Silbeg's 5-00 Siege of the Diamond City (14-15) (Inactive)

Game Master Silbeg

"Yeah, I'm in favor of staying here in the Outer districts, at least until the Crusader Captain tells us he's good-to-go."

Slim thanks the roving Pathfinder service specialist for re-charging one of his level-3 spells. "Thanks, bro'. Don't ever let them call you a REMF."

"Ah, so that's what having solid support is like. So different from our usual far-flung expeditions." Ayako agrees. "Wonderful work Candi, Obsidian. You followed commands very well."

Refreshing that 3rd level slot as well. More Good Hope for everyone!

OVERSEER ANNOUNCEMENT
The Woundward District has been brought under control.

Sporadic attacks are being felt in all districts, and victory against the horde is far from assured...

Yep, this looks like the address for the party, so I vote we stay.

Candi spends the nine minutes and fourteen charges to bring herself and Donna up to full hit points. She’ll also refresh her 3rd level spell slot. While the infernal healing does its work, Candi will hack the head off the seaptis demon explaining…

I’ll boil the flesh off before nailing it the outhouse wall.

Finally, Candi will read a scroll of see invisibility to replace the earlier scroll whose duration is probably over by now and a scroll of stoneskin.

OK, time to cause trouble!

Donna will cast and renew guidance as necessary on herself and Candi. As some point, Donna will wriggle over to Sister Ayako and give a little hiss of thanks, but she also gives Ayako an odd look after the "following commands" line. Donna then returns to her usual place, under Candi's breastplate with her head sticking out.

All set for the next encounter.

"A jest, my dear." Ayako explains, offering a chin rub.

Venture-Captain Jorsal rides up to Nerosyan’s northeastern gate, quickly assesses the conflict outside, and hands down a soot-stained parchment. “Friends, I’m glad you’re here. There are still some Pathfinders nearby who weren’t able to make it on time to our gathering. I’ve plotted out their positions on this map, but I need capable agents to go and retrieve them. I have enough mounts to spare. Waste no time.”

There are three groups indicated on Jorsal’s map: the closest group is in the north-east, the middle group is to the north, and a third group is skirting the edge of the Worldwound to the northwest.

Which would you like to go to first?

"I have no preference either way, as we should help all of them anyways. So I will follow to whichever group the rest decides to go."

"To the northwest," Obsidian says with a smile.

Feeling feisty are we Obs? To the very edge of the Worldwound then! That’s where we’ll find the Big Fun.

"Indeed. I will still express concern that you are too fleshy to be in the middle of combat. You have good power, but you are still too fleshy."

I like to think of myself as firm, full-figured, and always ready to be in the middle of the action, any action.

The insinuation seems to go over Obsidian's head, "That seems unwise."

They begin their journey northwest?

After about 25 minutes of searching, Slim and Donna managed to find all the pieces of the torn up crusaders. Ayako is able to identify them as the besieged crusaders.

Where next? NE or N

"It seems wise to travel to the group that was north, then the one that was northeast."

"We were too late to help this poor group. If time is of the essence, let's head for the closest location. If that's the group to the north, then that's where I'd like to go."

Slim offers a silent prayer. Shelyn, bless them and keep them. May their souls find their way to a just reward and lasting peace.

Obsidian calls out to the leader bluntly, "You there! Human woman! If you lead these, we would speak with you!"

Candi is a little startled and a lot suspicious that they're making camp and have lit a fire out here in the demon-infested approaches to Nerosyn where everyone else seems to be dead or fighting for their lives.

Having a weiner roast are we?

Candi and Donna would very much like to make Perception and Sense Motive checks

"Hello there. You should join us for a rest" she says. "It is beautiful out here, isn't it?"

I'm waiting to hear from Slim what he's learned. However, at the risk of being metagamey, this "join us for a rest" and "it is beautiful..." has Candi ready rage and cast monstrous physique II on herself at the drop of a hat.

In a whisper, Slim informs his companions, "Something isn't right with her. I think she's under some sort of compulsion spell, most likely a suggestion, based on her demeanor."

Ayako lands lightly and smiles. "Quite a beautiful day, discounting the rude guests we've had to reprimand. If you don't mind, I believe you may have caught a bit of sunstroke that I could clear up. Would you mind gathering over here while I enact a healing ritual?"

Bluff: 1d20 + 30 ⇒ (12) + 30 = 42

Assuming that is enough to convince them to get within 30 feet of each other, Ayako will attempt to break enchantment on them.

CL Check: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 17 Oh bother. Maybe since we know the spell it's the spell DC? Maybe?

Obsidian will stomp a foot onto the ground (giving himself tremorsense 30ft, which he will maintain until one of his other party members deems the danger to have passed).

"Maybe we can diplomatically convince them to move with us regardless of the suggestion? If this fails I can also try to get rid of that enchantment."

I'm very diplomatical!

Candi has two runeward tattoos, one of evocation and one of enchantment. She got them mainly for the +1 insight bonus to saves, but they also do the following, "Each of these tattoos is keyed to a single school of magic. The bearer can use detect magic at will, but only to sense auras of that school. The bearer gains a +1 insight bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities of the keyed school and knows when such a spell or spell-like ability has been cast within 60 feet."

When it says "detect magic at will," I'm assuming that would involve some sort of action identifiable as casting a spell, correct?

Slim concentrates on the woman, just long enough to detect evil. (Move action; learning about the strength of any evil aura as if he'd studied it for 3 rounds.)
Bluff to be subtle in the attempt: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35

"My lady, the Crusaders fear for the safety of the city and its citizens. The danger from the demon hordes has not yet abated. We should see to the defenses before we roast marshmallows, right?"

He flashes a smile and a friendly comrade's wink.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (17) + 32 = 49

Candi nods as Slim speaks.

Yep, let's finish off these wretches from the Abyss and then we can break open a couple of bottles of smooth whiskey.

Candi pats her pack for emphasis.

Rolling to aid Slim

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (5) + 22 = 27

"Ah, roasting marshmallows sounds like the perfect way to end such a spectacularly beautiful day." she replies. "Yes, I think we should do that now! Omar, did you pack the marshmallows today?"

One of the men, who is whittling on a twig, looks up. "No, ma'am. We were not provisioned marshmallows today."

"Well, then!" she exclaims, "I think we should head back to town and get us some, don't you think?"

"Yes, ma'am. Right away"

The team starts... slowly.. to pick up their things and to head back to Nerosyn.

The team heads to the northeastern group, to see what is going on there. This group of four Pathfinders are on foot, making them easy to spot on the wide fields. Their obvious leader, a dwarven warrior is grumbling loud enough to be heard from quite a distance. They perk up when they see the team of veteran Pathfinders arriving.

"Hail an' well met!" he cries out. "Name's Holter Ironaxe, an' I am leader of dis ragtag group, eh?" The other nod, agreeing. He is accompanied by half-elf man in fine, albeit torn and bloodstained now, robes, another dwarf wielding a well-used warhammer, and wearing the symbol of Torag, the Forge-father, and a halfling with a bandoleer full of knives.

Holter asks, "Can we borrow a horse or four? We lost ours an hour back to the damned horde's attack. Bloody schir ripped 'em to shreds before we could save 'em. Me and me men are looking fer another fight!"

Elric turns to the party: "Well we got the mounts from Jorsal so why not give them to these agents that will need them more than us? If we need to get back to the city fast I can teleport us so we do not necessarly need them."

"Looks like you've already seen some serious action, Holter Ironaxe," Slim greets the dwarf and nods at his companions."[/b]

The half-elf scans the surrounding area. "Might be, more of the demon hordes are heading this way from the Worldwound. Care to make a stand here, with us?"

"Say, we're keeping an eye out for a dwarf named Thurl, a venture-captain in the Pathfinder Society. You haven't seen him, have you?"

OVERSEER ANNOUNCEMENT
The demons are trying to attack in greater numbers and regain control but the Pathfinders are clearing them out just as quickly. Reports indicate that the waves of enemy continue to grow significantly larger.

remember, these are Pathfinders

”Yeah, me and me mates have heard of him. ” says the dwarf. ”Ain’t been to his lodge or anything, but there is one in Nerosyn. Haven’t heard what he’s doin’ in the siege, though.

“If you can spare the mounts, that’d be great. Let us get back, pick up some supplies, and start hittin’ the horses agin. If’n ye want us to fight wit’ ye, that’d be fine. Me axe ain’t been annointed in enough demons blood, but I reckon ol’ Jorsal will be wantin’ us back, where he wants us to go. ”

Candi hops off her mount and offers it to the party of Pathfinders.

Never really feel comfortable fighting on horseback. I prefer the broader back of my faithful woolly rhino, G+&*+$nit! Alas, I left him back at Club Candi.

Is Elric going to teleport the team back to the camp? You do have 2 folks with overland flight, and a bloodrager that can move almost as fast as a horse. You could just go back with them, having two of them doubling up, if you wanted. You tell me.

Does anyone want to post their Aid Token?

"If we're done here, we might as well head back and give these young Pathfinders the horses we don't need."

Slim looks to Elric, "If you can wriggle your nose and whisk us back to Nerosyan, that'd be swell. Me, I can't maintain flight or footspeed long enough or fast enough to beat a horse."

"Thurl must still be in the city somewhere, maybe near his Lodge. We should try to find him."

(More than happy to post an Aid Token to a table that needs it. I must have missed the post that spelled out the procedure for this Special.)

"Then back to Nerosyan it is. Please all hold hands, so noone gets left here alone."

After this Elric begins casting Teleport once the formation is ready.

Candi takes Elric's hand.

Teleport is fine with me. I rarely hurl afterwards.

With the magic of Elric's spell, the team teleports back to report in with Venture-Captain Jorsal of Lauterbury. He thanks the team for the news, but does not that he has not heard from the northern group yet, and does not expect the NE group back for a bit, as you teleported ahead.

Success reported

Where to next? Stay in the Outer District, or try your luck in one of the others. If you wish to follow up on VC Thurl, you would need to go to his lodge in the Egelsee district.

"I still think we should stop the invading demons outside the city."

J Baby, that northern group of Pathfinders was acting all weird. You might want to send someone out to guide them back and to discourage them from roasting marshmallows in the middle of the apocalypse. I mean, that's 10 out of 10 for style, but no so much in tacticality department.

Candi and Donna have a short discussion, then Candi speaks again.

So, who is this Thurl guy? All I've got so far is that he's a VC, a dwarf, and missing. That last bit makes me think he could be in deep do do.

"I would serve best in the front lines."

"Everywhere is front lines now, Obsidean. Many of these fiends can teleport at will, let alone fly." Ayako nods to Candi. "If the Venture Captain is in need of aid, I think it best to find him and get him into the offensive."

Obsidian sighs impatiently.

Yeah, the demons would throw the heavy stuff at a Society VC. Sort of surprised that you’re still alive Big J.

Donna hisses in Candi’s ear, and Candi smiles at Jorsal.

Drink?

Appears we have two votes to stay outside (Elric & Obsidian), and two to go for Thurl (Candi & Ayako)? What does Slim think?

Slim regards Jorsal of Lauterbury with a frown. "I guess a Seeker needs to get used to the idea that a Venture-Captain knows little more than we do at times."

The half-elf considers their choices. "Both options have merit. Thurl should be able to hold his own for a while longer, but the city's defenders need our help now."

"Let's help stave off the demon hordes first, then track down the errant Thurl."

Outside the walls of Nerosyan, crusaders and Pathfinders alike move with haste to support those caught unprepared by the demonic onslaught. A single messenger bearing the Glyph of the Open Road on his steed's barding approaches. “Friends, we have one ship still in the docks. All the other vessels have all cast off, but this one needs to complete some last-minute repairs. Her captain is allied with the Pathfinder Society and has precious cargo bound for Absalom. Please go see to it that the ship is protected and gets out of port safely.”

Obsidian merely grunts and walks toward the ship.