Round 6
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3
=================
Sahess (-59)
Jordan (25’ above ground)
Zhu Li (-27)
Arnaut
Kol Voss (-79)
Skelg the Ripper {Confused}
White (5’ above ground) {Confused}
Black (5’ above ground) {Confused}
=================
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"Great. Look, you've gone and gotten all of 'em. Think he can fly? Also, umm....what'd they all say? Like, I don't understand ANY of this crap!"
Jordan casts Haste, ensuring to catch Kol Voss in the mix as well.
"I'd rather not draw attacks until we see what at least ONE of these things are capable of."
Jordan also spends his move action ensuring he's as high up as possible. (I assume he is already?)
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"Something about hitting his head on a rock and not knowing what happened before that so he believed everything Adril told him like a good little puppy," Arnaut translates helpfully. "Zhu said that was a shame and perhaps he could use some medical attention, he said thanks but it would be too far to travel to see a doctor, and Zhu kindly offered to do what she could with her skilled hands."
"Oh," he continues cheerfully, "and Adril said, 'Well done, my little apprentices. You’ve bested my pets. Now face my CHAMPION!' Though I'm not sure which one he was referring to - do you think the left or the right behir is his favorite?" Arnaut exaggerates Adril's mannerisms, easily visible as a mockery from across the arena.
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As tired as she is (I do presume we didn't have like... a dozen rounds for me to un-exhaust), Sahess knows she must still be able to fight. She looks up at Adril and shouts, "You send these false dragons to contend with a real one? YOU WILL KNOW THE ERROR OF YOUR WAYS!" Then in something closer to sotto voce says, "Ancestors, guide me. I call on your strength." Her form shimmers, armor vanishes, and scales cover her form. All of it. The hints of white scale that show in her rage cover her completely, her maw elongating, white wings unfurling and a massive tail expanding from her backside. She , though she hasn't particularly grown in size, and looks around. Once she sees the foe behind the behir, she starts flying towards him.
Kol Voss momentarily looks at Sahess in surprise before his expression turns to that of anger.
”Dragon! What part of ‘protect the pretty-faced man’ didn’t you get?!”
The prince runs in front of Arnaut and bashes the hilt of his sword on his shield. ”Veni ad me, nothi estis Draconica!”
Skelg raises an eyebrow at Sahess.
”Una persona ad tempus, draco.”
The ulfen moves over to the nearby pillar, the chained up victims move away from the brute in fright. Skelg turns to Zhu Li, the bloodlust in his eyes growing in intensity.
”Jag väntar, kvinna! Visa mig din makt!”
The behirs absent-mindedly eye Kol Voss and Arnaut, drool pooling under them.
Round 7
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3, Haste
=================
Sahess (-59)
Jordan (25’ above ground)
Zhu Li (-27)
Arnaut
Kol Voss (-79; readied)
Skelg the Ripper {Confused}
White (5’ above ground) {Confused}
Black (5’ above ground) {Confused}
=================
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With a flourish, Arnaut finishes the final stanza of his song. "There you go, my lovelies," he concludes with a half bow. "Now fly, my pretties - fly, fly, ah hah hah ha!" he cackles as he taps Kol Voss with his wand again.
Arnaut bows again, this time only to the prince. "Tibi gratias ago tibi, mi princeps," he says respectfully. "Prope securi manebimus dum student et a vulneribus tuis sanabo."
Sahess moves to Skelg and bites.
Jordan, Zhu Li, and Sahess all feel their attacks bounce off of Skelg’s skin .
Skelg’s readied action goes off! .
The Ulfen man raises his axe high above his head, leaving himself wide open but swinging with ferocity!
”You’re not exactly a linnorm, but TODAY’S A GOOD DAY TO SLAY A DRAGON ANYWAY!”
Note that Skelg’s greataxe has the vicious property on it, but that his damage
reduction prevents any of the return damage the +2 vicious greataxe would deal back to him.
Kol Voss glances at Arnaut and smiles in something akin to appreciation before he steps up to the nearby behir with his sword at the ready! The prince snarls as he swings his sword about in deadly arcs!
Behir blood sprays into Kol Voss’s face as he slices deep into the flying beast’s flesh!
The behir, however, does not appreciate the prince’s efforts and returns the favor by biting into the Akitonian’s body!
The behemoth’s jaws wrap around Kol Voss’s shield as he barely manages to keep the beast at bay.
Black whips its head over in attention as it flies at an angle and stops just at Jordan’s feet . The beast snarls as its body blocks Skelg from Jordan . The behemoth snaps at Jordan!
Round 8
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3, Haste
=================
Arnaut
Jordan (25’ above ground)
Zhu Li
Skelg the Ripper (-75 from 3 attacks [before DR]) {Confused; targeting Sahess}
Sahess (-75)
Kol Voss (-39; readied)
White (-60; 5’ above ground) {Confused; targeting Kol Voss}
Black (10’ above ground) {Confused}
=================
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"Zhu, get away from that behir and hit it with a ranged attack."
"Jordan, once the behir's attention is off you, pop a couple of shots at Skelg and redirect his attention to you. I don't see any ranged weapons on his back, so the worst you might have to face is a sling bullet in return. If he could fly, he would be already."
"Sahess, back off from him and use your breath weapon from range."
"Kol Voss, please don't die."
Arnaut is back in stage director mode as he moves confidently to the center of the action. His inner monologue reveals a different story however. Please please please please please let this work, he pleads as he blows a chilling note through Three Reasons to Live. Lubricating his fingers with a bit of butter, he points at the warrior's axe. "I've heard that you need to keep a blade well-oiled," he jokes, "but isn't that a bit much?"
Skelg’s eyes dart to Arnaut as the ulfen swings at the incoming ball of grease with his greataxe like a baseball and sends it flying, splattering into the now-not-so-invisible wall.
”I don’t care for your jokes! I don’t care for your creepy music! Just DIE!”
Round 8
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3, Haste, Dirge of Doom
=================
Arnaut
Jordan (25’ above ground)
Zhu Li
Skelg the Ripper (-75 from 3 attacks [before DR]) {Confused; targeting Arnaut}
Sahess (-75)
Kol Voss (-39)
White (-60; 5’ above ground) {Confused; targeting Kol Voss}
Black (10’ above ground) {Confused}
=================
Jordan rains down arrows past the behir and into Skelg, hitting every single time! The ulfen turns his eyes up to Jordan in anger!
Round 8
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3, Haste, Dirge of Doom
=================
Arnaut
Jordan (25’ above ground)
Zhu Li
Skelg the Ripper (-197 from “4” attacks [before DR]) {Confused; targeting Jordan}
Sahess (-75)
Kol Voss (-39)
White (-60; 5’ above ground) {Confused; targeting Kol Voss}
Black (10’ above ground) {Confused}
=================
Move and swift actions to study Black, Standard to shoot a coin at Black.
Skelg roars as he steps forward and hurls his greataxe skyward at Jordan!
Adril’s jaw drops as he stares in confusion and astonishment at what just transpired before him.
Round 8
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3, Haste, Dirge of Doom
=================
Arnaut
Jordan (25’ above ground)
Zhu Li
Skelg the Ripper (-197 from “4” attacks [before DR]) {Confused; targeting Jordan}
Sahess (-75)
Kol Voss (-39)
White (-60; 5’ above ground) {Confused; targeting Kol Voss}
Black (-24; 10’ above ground) {Confused; targeting Zhu Li}
=================
Sahess rends into the Ripper, but even with her draconic power the man is still standing—if only barely!
Kol Voss continues his assault upon the massive beast!
Kol Voss slices through the mighty beast and its hulking body thumps to the ground. The crowd roars with approval at the prince’s kill!
The one remaining behir glares down at Zhu Li and snaps its jaw at her!
Round 9
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3, Haste, Dirge of Doom
=================
Arnaut
Jordan (25’ above ground)
Zhu Li
Skelg the Ripper (-290? from “9” attacks [before DR]) {Confused; targeting Sahess}
Sahess (-75)
Kol Voss (-39)
Black (-24; 10’ above ground) {Confused; targeting Zhu Li}
=================
Jordan shoots two arrows simultaneously and impales Skelg in both his shoulder blades, knocking the ulfen man to the ground!
Jordan redirects his remaining shots at the remaining behir! At the first shot the beast whips its head around in anger and at the second it sees an opportunity and snaps at the archer!
Even despite Jordan’s deadly blows, the behir is still conscious!
Round 9
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3, Haste, Dirge of Doom
=================
Arnaut
Jordan (25’ above ground)
Zhu Li
Sahess (-75)
Kol Voss (-39)
Black (-24; 10’ above ground) {Confused; targeting Jordan}
=================
Zhu Li flicks one final coin at the flying behir, the platinum currency flying straight through it and pinging off of the invisible wall. The behir plummets to the ground, dead.
Kol Voss wipes sweat from his brow and plants the blade of his sword into the sand as he looks up toward the luxury box and the entirety of the Crimson Forum silences. He shouts resolutely, making sure that his voice is well-heard by all.
The crowd turns to look at Hestram simultaneously. The man himself snickers with a mix of amusement and confusion on his face, as if he were about to say “Are you serious?” With a chuckle Adril Hestram responds to the prince.
Even those of you who do not usually read lips are able to see Adril’s response just from the inconsistent movements of his lips.
The crowd roars in anger and rage!
”Ignave!”
”Mors!”
“Mors et Bestia!”
“Death!”
“Death to the Beast!”
Adril is taken aback by the crowd’s reaction and his face turns red with anger as he jumps to his feet and leans over the edge of the luxury box, and shouts in rage!
The crowd grows more restless. Citizens begin climbing up the sides of the luxury box with looks of bloodlust in their eyes! Adril’s expression turns from rage to fear.
Just as Adril starts to turn to run he is ambushed by Princess Verrish, who wraps the excess of her chains around Adril’s neck!
”Tu ignavus! Vos integer scripta sunt contra te malum!”
The crowd of bloodthirsty Akitonians continue to climb the luxury box as the man they once revered claws at his throat, desperate for air!
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"I mean, there's a certain poetic justice to it, is it not?" Arnaut sighs heavily. "But if we are looking for justice, his death here will not restore Kyalla, nor will it bring those mistakenly slain by the Raven back. And Eliza asked us nicely - though I doubt she'll be so nice to Adril."
His voice carries easily above the cacophony.
The bard turns and addresses Kol Voss. "Odisse vos me hoc rogare, sed se vivere velit custodire. Certe propior esset, tamen facilius est ut curo..." He glances meaningfully at the chains wielded by Verrish.
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Jordan looks into his pouch, sees the existence of 5000 gp, and thinks to himself: We could have him answer for his crimes in BOTH places. I can afford a raise dead. before he finally glances at Arnaut.
"Should probably direct that dirge of doom at the people doing this. We definitely don't want to see this man die for what he's done. No, we definitely don't." Jordan's voice oozes an almost palpable sarcasm.
Adril’s eyes turn to meet Arnaut’s in pure rage! The man pulls out an adamantine dagger and slices through the chain choking him like it were butter! He grabs at the chains restraining Verrish and pulls her close.
”Nonne tu venis mecum!”
Adril runs out from the luxury box, Princess Verrish in tow!
The crowd finally manages to make it to the top of the luxury box! One Arlian picks up some strange-looking device and chucks it over the edge, impacting with the invisible barrier and shattering to pieces—once it does so it falls through the barrier into the arena; the barrier is now gone!
Kol Voss sees this and rushes to the edge of the arena and climbs onto the bleachers. ”You want this man?! Follow me!”
The Pathfinders and Kol Voss give chase to Adril Hestram through the maze of hallways below the arena’s stands, but the rogue Venture-Captain has gotten a significant lead on them.
A thunderous roar reverberates throughout the hallways! When the group finally makes it out of the Crimson Forum, they are met with the sight of a massive nautical ship—albeit with leathery wings and stabilizers—taking to the air away from a nearby dock, a thick trail of black smoke following behind. Several Arlians lie dead across the dock and several other similar ships are burning. One ship, however, is intact.
”Everyone, onto the airship! We still have a chance to catch the Beast!” Kol Voss repeats his demand in Azlanti.
*
”We know how to steer this ship, so just stay out of the way. Me and my men are going belowdeck to activate the artifact to get her airborne!”
Kol Voss and all but two of his men run down belowdeck—the remaining two stay abovedeck to captain and steer the ship.
The airship eventually lifts off and starts tailing Adril’s ship! Adril’s ship—and subsequently the Pathfinders’—rises higher and higher, the temperature drops more and more, eventually dropping to 10° F . It’s clear that Adril’s airship has taken some damage and it’s inevitable that the Pathfinders will catch up to—
The Pathfinders’ airship lurches starboard abruptly and rapidly begins descending! The captain and pilot barely hide their panic! They approach Zhu Li and Arnaut, who clearly understand them, and begin talking quickly!
”Corruptas machinas!”
“Si fixa iens fragore!”
“Quaeso! Adjuva nos!”
“If it isn’t fixed we’re going to crash!”
“Please! Help us!”
Arnaut and Zhu Li explain to the other two that the engines have been sabotaged and if nothing happens then their airship is going to crash!
*
The Pathfinders rush belowdeck to be met with a gory scene! The bodies of Kol Voss and his Akitonian allies are strewn throughout the room!
Arnaut realizes that the ship is likely powered by the diamond-shaped crystal in the center of the room. A bright, red glow dims and winks out from the crystal just as the group arrives.
At that moment, Arnaut, Zhu Li, and Sahess, with their blindsigh/sense, notice a group of something to the bow of the ship, clearly invisible and seeming to bide their time .
Round 1 Surprise Round
Field Effects: Good Hope
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Jordan
Sahess
Arnaut
???
Zhu Li
The Things
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As Arnaut glitters the creatures, it reveals them to be humanoids with half-rotted faces and tower over even Sahess by at least a foot.
Arnaut identifies these things as being adolescent frost giants—at least, they were. They are now cold zombies, a type of zombie that if in a cold enough area they lose their staggered property. However, if they take any amount of fire damage, they warm up enough that they become staggered for 1 round. They are also very susceptible to fire damage and have DR/bludgeoning.
The zombies all stare at Arnaut, none of them appearing blinded.
Round 1 Surprise Round
Field Effects: Good Hope, Dirge of Doom
=============
Jordan
Sahess
Arnaut
???
Zhu Li
Yellow Zombie
Red Zombie
Blue Zombie
Green Zombie
Purple Zombie
Cyan Zombie
=============
Sahess rages and moves to the nearest zombie, drawing her sword as she does so.
The zombies moan as they lurch forward, swarming Sahess!
Arnaut panics at the moving zombie, slicing at the air.
Round 2
Field Effects: Good Hope, Dirge of Doom
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Jordan
Sahess
Arnaut
Zhu Li
???
Yellow Zombie
Red Zombie
Blue Zombie (-34 from “1” attack [before DR])
Green Zombie
Purple Zombie
Cyan Zombie
=============
Even on a bad day Sahess manages to down Blue with her first two slices and with her final swing slices into Purple!
Round 2
Field Effects: Good Hope, Dirge of Doom
=============
Jordan
Sahess
Arnaut
Zhu Li
???
Yellow Zombie
Red Zombie
Green Zombie
Purple Zombie (-35 from “1” attack [before DR])
Cyan Zombie
=============
Arnaut pulls out the wand from his wrist sheathe and dances away from the zombies and is about to use the wand when he jerks his head over toward the aft of the ship and casts a glitterdust at the back of the ship!
Outlined by the glitter is a woman with a stare as icy as the zombies’ bodies! Perched on her shoulder is an owl that likewise glares at you all.
”When your bones are used as toothpicks for the great Kostchtchie, tell him that Natalya Yagevna sent you there for what you did to her husband!!!”
Round 2
Field Effects: Good Hope
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Jordan
Sahess
Arnaut
Zhu Li
Natalya Yagevna
Yellow Zombie
Red Zombie
Green Zombie
Purple Zombie (-35 from “1” attack [before DR])
Cyan Zombie
=============
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Zhu Li's mace clatters to the deck as she rushes the newly revealed Winter Witch, form blurring from Haste magic as she analyzes the witch carefully. "It's a Winter Witch!" She warns as she skids to a halt behind the woman.
Move: Studied Target
Standard: Move behind witch.
”I will have your—”
Natalya’s threats are cut short by the absolutely absurd number of arrows that volley toward her and pin her against a wall, killing her! Jordan directs his last arrow at Cyan.
The zombies attack all those nearby in an absolute clusterf*ck!
*
*
*
Round 3
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3
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Jordan (-29)
Sahess (-12)
Arnaut
Zhu Li
Yellow Zombie
Red Zombie
Green Zombie
Purple Zombie (-35 from “1” attack [before DR])
Cyan Zombie (-27 from “1” attack [before DR])
=============
Cyan is hit by two of Jordan’s shots before disintegrating into a pile of dust! The archer directs his next two arrows at Purple, knocking off a chunk of the zombie’s face!
Round 3
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3
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Jordan (-29)
Sahess (-12)
Arnaut
Zhu Li
Yellow Zombie
Red Zombie
Green Zombie
Purple Zombie (-79 from “2” attack [before DR])
=============
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Arnaut whistles in appreciation. "Excellent work Jordan. Now then, I'm certain you all can handle these remaining miscreants - I'll see if I can't stop the ship from falling out underneath us. Sahess, do be a dear and whack that last zombie for me." He blows an over-the-top, obviously-stage kiss to the raging warrior as he moves to the glowing crystal - and Sahess feels her limbs spring to action!
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Sahess is surrounded. It almost makes one sorry for the creatures surrounding her. She moves with a fury that would be beautiful if it weren't so terrifying. She starts by downing purple, once he is out of the way she shifts her focus to those behind her, moving on red and yellow.
It's unclear at which point she started cackling maniacally, whether it was the 2nd or 3rd downed zombie creature, but she is definitely cackling. She turns and looks at the remaining zombie and the cackling stops... as she notices that they aren't feeling fear. That was the trouble with killing the undead, they never felt fear. New goal. Find a way to make unintelligent undead feel terror. She smiled, chest heaving with the breaths of exertion that even supernatural aid can't quite quell.
Sahess massacres the remaining zombies!
Eventually, the Pathfinders manage to activate the artifact once again , but once the artifact has turned back on the ship does not cease falling from the sky!
Running back onto the bridge, the Pathfinders find it completely empty—the Akitonians are nowhere to be seen. Adril’s airship flies high above and ahead of the Pathfinders’.