Remy sighs with relief at Borgol's acceptance of her. She favors him with a radiant smile. "Yeah, he was a jerk."
"If it is of Cordwin, the Dark Meistro you speak of, then I ado not understand why his portrait should be hung here among the rest of the hero's whom he betrayed. He was among the original Sihedron Hero's, this is true, but after he was swayed by Xin, he … well, the rest of history. It is said he has turned to Droskar in the decades since. No one has heard of him, since the hero's triumphed."
Fergus is visibly stung. He had always heard of Cordwin as a hero and to hear him referred to as a traitor? No! It cannot be!
As they leave, he will turn to Flik, Cordwin was my cousin. Have you heard tales that say he was a traitor and not the hero I have heard him to be? Also, what do you know of this Droskar
Flik wracks his mind for all of the stories and rumors he's heard about Cordwin...
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Flik, you have a real good hard think about what you know of Cordwin Ironbeard, one of the six Sihedron Hero's of old. The more you focus, the more confused you get, "Cordwin...Cordwin, was a dwarf...yes, one of the hero's. He helped in the fight against Xin … but in the final battle something … something happened..." Thinking about it all makes you feel dizzy for a moment, and you need to sit down.
Wanting to find more information on his cousin, Corstela mentions, "I am sorry, for what they are saying about your cousin, Fergus, I know how unpleasant it must be to hear such things about ones family. If you want to do more research on the topic, I would recommend you peruse the library in this lodge. Heidmarch Manor holds the biggest collection of scholarly lore in the City of Monuments."
Once inside the library, you notice a young clerk working intently on ordering a pile of books which lay in disarray on the floor next to and old handy haversack. She looks startled as you approach, "Huh? What, sorry, didn't see you there. Were you after something … er, sirs? Please don't tell me you're Pathfinders here to unload more books into our collection, I promise you we have enough here as it is!"
…
Throughout the day, as some of you are wandering the streets doing your shopping, you notice a group of guards dragging a lanky, white haired man away towards the back end of town. The alchemist you recognise, looking scared quietly yells at the robed guards, "Please, i didn't mean for anything like that to happen, you have to believe me! The ooze, it, well, it wasn't supposed to come alive until i reached my labs! Please, this is all a misunderstanding!"
…
Later that afternoon, after a full day of shopping, you reconvine at the Gryphine. Located in the northern reaches of Magnimar's Capital District, the Gryphine is an elegant, two-story building of fitted limestone blocks, with artfully carved pillars supporting a long portico out front. You have been given accommodations on the second floor consisting of a suite of two bedrooms, each containing one single bed and one larger bed, flanking a cozy parlor. The rooms are magnificent, with fine linens and plump quilts on the mahogany-framed beds, flawless Qadiran rugs, hand-painted floral wallpaper, and portraits of Magnimar notables by gifted artists. Fires already blaze in each of the fireplaces of all the suite's rooms, and the windows look down on dimly lit backstreets of the Capital District.
Audrahni sighs, looking dully at the accommodation, "This is all, a little too much, don't you think cousin? I haven't stayed in a place like this in decades, not since … How can we even repay Lady Heidmarch for such kindness?"
Corla is with you for the rest of the evening, drifting between Fergus and Corstela, trying to keep out of sight, and out of mind.
A magnificent dinner fit for royalty is served in the parlor by uniformed servants. Once you finish your meal, you are able to settle into your fine accommodations, and perhaps appreciate the fawning service you receive from a staff accustomed to catering to the smallest needs of the pampered wealthy.
Remy frowns as Fergus frets about the conflicting stories about his cousin. "Fergus... In the place Maddie and I come from, there are stories of Cordwin Ironbeard. They call him the Dark Maestro, and say that he was corrupted by the sinful magic of Xin and turned on the other Sihedron Heroes. If that wasn't the case here in the past, then... It might mean more of our reality is bleeding into this one. All the more reason we need to put a stop to these dark plots and set things right once more."
***
Remy has no sympathy for Beckwood Roos as the alchemist is taken away to face justice for his crimes.
***
The monk lets out a low whistle when she takes a look at the accomodations Lady Heidmarch has paid for. "Now this, I could get used to!" She indulges in the fine food and drink, sends her clothes off to be laundered and mended, and reclines on one of the plush beds, enjoying the feel of the silk sheets against her skin and warming her bare feet by the fire.
Borgol spends the afternoon upgrading his equipment, then heads to the inn -- finding himself both enjoying and being made uncomfortable by the level of service.
Noticing Borgol's mixed feelings towards the luxurious inn, Remy pats the bed next to her, inviting him to sit down. "Relax! Take you shoes off. It's not likely we'll have many opportunities to enjoy comforts like these."
She turns to look at the priest thoughtfully. "You know, we've been fighting alongside each other for several weeks now, but I feel like I don't really know you all that well. You didn't speak much during Captain Sursha's dinner when everybody was sharing their stories. What's yours? How did you get your start as an adventurer?"
Fergus helps Flik sit down. Flik, my friend, what ails you?
"I am sorry, for what they are saying about your cousin, Fergus, I know how unpleasant it must be to hear such things about ones family. If you want to do more research on the topic, I would recommend you peruse the library in this lodge. Heidmarch Manor holds the biggest collection of scholarly lore in the City of Monuments."
Aye, Cordwin was one of the truest dwarfs I ever known. His loyalty to kin and companions was legendary. This...does not make any sense!
"Fergus... In the place Maddie and I come from, there are stories of Cordwin Ironbeard. They call him the Dark Maestro, and say that he was corrupted by the sinful magic of Xin and turned on the other Sihedron Heroes. If that wasn't the case here in the past, then... It might mean more of our reality is bleeding into this one. All the more reason we need to put a stop to these dark plots and set things right once more."
That explains a lot. If your world's Cordwin is usurping my world's Cordwin, then where is my kin?
Fergus is dismayed when the chapters pertaining to his cousin are either missing or jumbled. He goes to the librarian.
I think there is something wrong with your books! The paragraphs pertaining to Cordwin Ironbeard are either missing or jumbled!
Fergus hardly notices the opulence that surrounds him. Hearing the news about his cousin has left him with a glum, melancholy mood.
"Oh, I don't know! The timelines are jumbling, and it's hard to say what is true any more."
Flik looks for a monument to Zohls while they are out shopping. I'm not a religious gnome, but a prayer in the right place couldn't hurt.
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The rest of the night is quiet, and you enjoy each others company, and come up with a plan for the next day. What you have learnt about Fergus's cousin in unsettling, but luckily you are starting to piece more information together. Tomorrow should definitely be the day you find out what your next steps should be.
At some point in the evening, a knock comes from the door to the suite. Audrahni, who has been by her self most of the night lost in her own melancholy, answers it. "Was anyone expecting a package?" the elf says before calling her companions over. Corstala looks suprised, "A gift from Lady Hiedmarch? Well, she does owe me..."
The hallway beyond the door is empty save for a pair of small packages sitting on the floor. Both packages are wrapped in red velvet. One is tied with a black bow, the other green. A folded note is attached to the package with the black bow. The note, written in a feminine hand but lacking a signature, reads, "With admiration, a gift of sweet candy and a sweet smoke. Enjoy, new heroes of Varisia."
Remy eyes the presents dubiously. ”This seems suspicious to me.”
Borgol chuckles, "That obvious is it? I'm thinking that just a night in this place probably costs more than a week of what I'd be willing to spend." He raises his tankard and says, "I will say that it's a fine quality of ale, though."
He tries to follow the monk's advice and settles into the chair, then starts, a little surprised to find himself nervous, "Well, I've never been one to talk much about my past - it's over now, and it's not the sort of tale that makes a person too trusting."
He takes a pull from the tankard, giving himself time to choose words, then says, "Was born in Kaer Maga, mother was a Kellid arena fighter. Others assume that means I'd have a strange childhood - and maybe I did, but I've nothing to compare it to. Things were mostly good - mother was skilled enough to win or at least not be hurt when she loses."
He takes another pull, "And it was that skill that did her in. She won a fight she shouldn't have, and the people who wanted her opponent to win had her killed for it. Father was her manager -- that is to say, he helped arrange her fights."
He pauses a moment, debating how best to continue the narrative. Finally, he says, "I didn't realize it then, but in talks I had with Leandra after I got out, I realized that he was less a manager and more a parasite, living off her spoils... and that it was probably him that got her killed - because he's exactly the sort of person that would have taken and pocketed a bribe to throw a fight."
He takes another pull from his tankard and then continues the narrative, "Either way, he certainly showed what sort of person he was when, his source of income gone, he turned to his son, a boy not yet a teen, and threw him into fights. Basically, all but sold into servitude - I started living in a broken down barracks. Of course, the types of fights an unskilled, barely trained boy had access to were small and paid little - father kept his habits mostly through betting against me, in fact. It's why I have so many scars - magical healing was saved for the winners of those fights. Still, it's where I started learning to fight - and probably why I'm so reliant on my shield when I fight."
He takes another pull and says, "Long story short, father's habits and need for coin didn't stop, and the small amounts he could make betting against me weren't enough - and so he arranged a 'special' fight deep in the Undercity - something that fed darker appetites. I didn't know any of that, I just know that this time, it was a pit fight... and I was down there a few minutes before I realized that my opponents were dead... Well, undead."
He says, "I would probably have been torn apart, but the Sihedron heroes intervened -- it was a twist of fate, they was looking for a rune of some sort, and killed the undead - and some of the fight's organizers who had tried to have those heroes killed for other reasons. Free for the first time, I had no idea what to do -- and having learned what my father had done, I knew I couldn't stay. In that freedom, though, for the first time, I felt like I was being pulled toward a course of action by something inside me... Maybe because it was the first time I could choose where to go. Anyhow, I listened to that voice, and followed them that night, but I was a boy and they were skilled adventurers. Leandra was guarding their camp that night, and so I rather surprised to suddenly have a rapier pressed to my throat.... and even more so that she, effectively, took me in - brought me here, to Magnimar - they spent a few months here, and so I lived with them, learning as much as I could. When they left, Leandra arranged for my training and life to continue, and she checked in on me whenever they were nearby. And so I spent almost a decade here, growing into manhood, and learning to listen to that little voice -- learning, in time, it was the call of Erastil. And it was that voice that led me to Roderick's Cove."
Remy eyes the presents dubiously. ”This seems suspicious to me.”
Borgol nods, "Agreed. I'm almost insulted by the blatancy of the ruse."
Remy sips from a glass of fine wine as she listens to Borgol's story. The tale of his troubled childhood tugs on her hearstrings. She was lucky enough to have grown up in a loving home, with parents who supported and provided for her. She looks upon the scarred ranger with sympathy and sidles closer to him.
"Nobody should be made to suffer so much a such an early age. I am glad you were able to escape from you father's yoke and take charge of your own destiny. It seems that you've grown into the kind of man your mother would have been proud of."
The monk looks like she might say more, but the arrival of the packages interrupts the conversation.
"You all have a suspicious nature, but we should probably be wary of unexpected gifts."
Flik will detect magic and examine the packages as closely as he can without touching them.
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Being cautious at first, Flik does not notice any magical aura's on the box, however, he recognises that the packages were created with magic.
Borgol says, "That's the nature that kept me alive. I'm figuring those are from our 'friend' from the boat, personally. Or maybe that whole thing just erased any trust I might have otherwise had."
He shrugs, "If you really want the gifts, Flik, and if you don't worry they'll explode, we can bring them when we next speak to Lady Heidmarch to confirm she sent them. I just can't think of anything in a mystery box that would be worth the risk."
Remy nods in agreement. "They might be from Viralane, or somebody allied with Mozamer. Whoever sent them knows we are here. We should sleep lightly tonight."
"Well, I can barely contain my curiousity, but I see the wisdom of that plan. We should ask Lady Heidmarch in person."
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You immediately suspect the box, and the potential trickery of the actress, and are wise to put the box away somewhere safe and away from eyes. Corstela looks surprised, "I can see this is how you have managed to stay alive so long, you know, with so many people trying to kill you and such. I am impressed, very, impressed." She goes back into the shared lounge, and begins to work on her journal in the corner, enjoying the last bit of wine.
Audrahni spends some more time by the window, taking in the moonlight on her skin and enjoying the fresh air. She begins to tell a story, to anyone who would listen. ""I never told you why I left Magnimar all those years ago. I think the time has come."
"Like you, my dear cousin, I am... I was a priestess of Sarenrae, the Dawnflower. I idolized Bryla, and was trying to get a statue of her constructed in the city. But in the process of doing so, I stumbled upon a web of corruption that went all the way up to the city's justices. The sculptor I’d hired to design and construct the statue, an elven man named Ilsynor, was in truth a member of a cult of murderers called the Brotherhood of Seven. When I went to the city's justices, I discovered to my horror that the man I'd contacted, Justice Ironbriar, was none other than the cult's secret leader. He stymied my attempts to have the cultists exposed, then sent his assassins to murder the rest of my Sarenite allies."
The elf sighs, her tone morose. "Here I must make my confession. Overcome with grief and frustration that Sarenrae hadn't protected my friends, I chose to walk the path of darkness. I took vengeance by engineering the collapse of the scaffolding around the partially built statue of Saint Bryla. The collapse killed Ilsynor, consigning him to an unblessed grave—a sin so against the teachings of Sarenrae that I realized I had fallen from my goddess's grace entirely. Rather than face my crime, I fled Magnimar.
"Ever since, I have been plagued with nightmares that Ilsynor's spirit has been caught in the rubble, consigned forever to unlife as some sort of restless undead. Seeing your heroism these past few weeks... How you finally put Sir Roderic's spirit to rest...but even that wasn't enough..."
As the evening grows late, you decide to have some rest before your big day tomorrow.
Remy lays a comforting hand on Audrahni's shoulder. "We will help you make things right. Perhaps tomorrow we can visit the site of the collapse, after we have met with the Council. If Ilsynor's spirit truly is restless, we will help it move on to the next world."
She looks around the room. "We shouldn't let our guard down tonight. Let's sleep in shifts. Each guard should have a warrior and a spellcaster. How about Alustria and me first, Fergus and Flik second, and Borgol and Maddie third?"
Borgol nods, "That works... sadly, we don't have enough people with low-light or darkvision to have one on each shift." He adds, "I'd suggest we leave the doors to the suite open on each side -- so we're more likely to hear something happening on the other side."
While Maddie perks up at the sound of a box holding candy, she sulks slightly when she finds out they won't be opening the box to get at the sweets. Once they make their way into their room, though, Maddie immediately claims the smaller bed, jumping on it lightly to get a feel for it before falling asleep quickly, curled up in a ball, practically hugging her spellbook.
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Audrahni smiles warmly at the monk, "Thank you Remy. You and your friends have been kind to me since Roderic Cove. I had thought that it was only because of Alustria, but perhaps it is something more than that. I would be honoured for your company to the site tomorrow." She lets the evening fatigue take her, as she retires for the night.
Corstela sighs, "I guess I will keep the first watch, besides, I still have work to do...Unlike some other so-called-archivists..." The passing comment doesn't go unnoticed, but you have already gotten used to her snarky attitude over the journey to Magnimar.
You retire for the night, taking your respective shifts. The small gaps in the doors to the centre lounge gives a faint light from the candle by Corstela, who studies for most of the evening, until retiring in the later hours of the morning.
The night goes by comfortably for the majority of the time. The second shift comes, and Remy goes to wake up her small companion, who just before she goes to shake Maddie awake, wakes up with a ringing in her head.
As the girls calm each other down, Fergus in the other room wakes up as his gnome companion changes places with him. Fergus, still in deep thought over the repercussions of what he learnt last night hears an all to familiar voice through the door of his room. "Eh Fergus' ya in there?" Two soft knocks on the door, which only the dwarf can hear pound as if on the walls of his brain. "It's me, 'ousin! Et's Cordw'n! I 'eed y'ar 'elp! The otha 'eros - they've got it all wrong! Cousin' please! Ye got'a hear meh out!"
Fergus scrambles to his feet and rushes to the door, the blood not fully flowing to his legs. I hear ye, Cousin! Fergus says as he falls easily into his dwarven accent. I knew ye weren't no traitor! I jest knew it!
He opens the door to his room to see what he hopes will be his cousin....
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Fergus opens the door, his hope blinding him of reason. As he opens the door, the corridor to the rest of the luxurious space is dark, shadows creeping around the walls. Before his, is not his cousin liked he would have hoped, rather a thing resembling a gray, emaciated child, with cobwebs and dust for clothes and a fox skull for a head, holding the hand of a grayish humanoid creature which seems almost unfinished, with a narrow head, gaunt limbs, and a sinister, noseless face. It speaks with the same dwarfish accent, "'nock, 'nock cousin. How do you do?" The smaller creature begins to sob.
In the other room, a gust of wind blows open the window, almost shattering the glass with it. The cold air brings with it gray and black shadows and a mist which coalesces into a humanoid figure, its face a distorted mask of rage and hatred.
The shade flies forward, looking angrily towards the monk, rushing her with an extended arm. As she moves closer, she seems to touch the monks mind.
-
Remy sees the attack coming and moves out of the way just in time.
Round 1.0! Exiled Shade
@ Remy
@ Borgol - (asleep)
@ Alustria - (asleep)
@ Maddie! Dith-Ka
! Attic Whisperer@ Fergus
@ Flik - (asleep)
+ Audrahni - (asleep)
+ Corstela - (asleep)Remy and Maddie, Borgol and Alustria (aleep) may act!
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The hair on the back of Remy's neck stands up as the feeling of deja vu strikes her again. A moment later, the window blows open and the shrieking shade swoops at her. "Get behind me!" she shouts to Maddie, putting her body between the girl and the undead. "Everybody wake up! We're under attack!" she adds, trying to rouse the other women.
As she dodges the shade's first strike, the monk drops into her dragon stance and lashes out at the creature!
Borgol's eyes open at the strange sounds, the result of years of a pit-figthers paranoia of having one's things stolen while he slept. He sees the strange creature, and Fergus holding the door open, and springs out of bed, grabbing the longsword and willing it to burst into flames. He shouts, "Fergus, we're under attack! Snap out of it! Flik, I think he's enchanted!" He swings the flaming blade at the grey figure as he arrives.
+
Maddie rubs the sleep out of her eyes as she looks around, pulling the world to a crawling stop as her thoughts speed up, allowing her to take in everything that's going on. In an instant, she loosens her grip on the flow of time, allowing her and her allies to move ever faster.
Initial disappoint and shock turns to rage as the truth of the duplicity becomes clear.
Ye'll pay fer mockin' me cousin! Fergus roars, his dwarven accent in full display.
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The monk does a good job at landing her blows against the incorporeal creature, however, it manages to dodge some attacks. It's as if, this creature has fought you before. How is this possible? It eventually retaliates back, by swinging with more conviction than before, trying to grab Remy by her mind.
-
Maddie successfully casts a time spell, and the creature recoils.
Fergus and Borgol, manage to both greatly wound the small undead creature standing in the doorway. It then bites back at the dwarf.
-
Corstela and Alustiria both wake up with a scream, "Ah! What hte hell is going on?"
The doppleganger grins as the two martials block his way into the room. "Eh, wha't eva am ey 'onna do 'bout that?" He proceeds to move up the doorframe, and runs up the side of the wall into the room. "'at's better." He throws a small shuriken towards Borgol.
-
Round 2.0
! Exiled Shade -14 lethal
@ Remy -3 INT (haste)
@ Borgol -6 lethal DC 14 FORT, AOO!
@ Alustria - (asleep, haste)
@ Maddie - (haste)! Dith-Ka
! Attic Whisperer -42 lethalFergus - AOO!
@ Flik - (asleep)
+ Audrahni - (haste)
+ Corstela - ([/I])[I]Remy and Maddie, Borgol and Alustria (aleep) may act!
Remy cries out as the shade's touch burns like fire in her brain. She grits her teeth and tries to shake it off, focusing her ki as she retaliates with a flurry of punches and kicks!
Maddie keeps dragging her control of the timestream along, attempting to widen the gap between them and their foes even further.
At the sound of battle, Flik starts awake. "What the?!"
Taking in the scene of battle, Flik recalls some details about the enemies and shouts some advice. He points at the shade attacking Remy, "Take down that creature! It could make us all thralls!"
As the Attic Whisperer moves past him Fergus will swing at it.
Borgol winces as he feels the small wound... and it beginning to burn from the inside, even as he tries to strike with his blade.
for +
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Remy showers the shade with a flurry of powerful blows. She see's her fists cause ripples in the creature's incorporeal form as the blows sink through to the core of the creature.
Corstela showers magic missiles towards the incorporeal creature. "Great idea, Master Flik!"
Fergus manages to land a good blow on the walk-climbing creature, but Borgol misses.
The ghost looks almost offended, as she tries to resist Maddie's spell. It retaliates by moves towards the girl and attacking her mind.
-
The undead child keeps biting at Fergus's legs.
The creature on the ceiling laughs, "Good 'ight- my ranger friend." He waves at Borgol, who starts feeling woozy. He then takes out a sand tube blade, and throws it at Flik.
Round 3.0
! Exiled Shade -54 lethal (slowed)
@ Remy -3 INT (haste)
@ Borgol -6 lethal - MAY ACT TWICE!
@ Alustria - (asleep, haste)
@ Maddie -4 INT (haste)! Dith-Ka -7
! Attic Whisperer -42 lethal
@ Fergus -3 lethal MAY ACT TWICE!
@ Flik
+ Audrahni - (haste) - MAY ACT TWICE!
+ CorstelaEveryone may act!!
”Leave her alone!” Remy shouts as she continues to pummel the shade.
Maddie recoils as a cold fog descends onto her mind, "Eek! Get back!" Maddie cries out, casting her spell and blasting the ghost with a swarm of force missiles as she scrambles off the bed and into the hallway.
Fergus growls, I will smite you in the name of all that is good!
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Alustria will wake up, and immediately start casting a summon monster spell. As she releases her incantation, eagles pop up around the doppelganger on the ceiling and begin to assault him.
Flik continues his performance and cast's hideaous laughter on the doppleganger.
Borgol makes a fortitude save, as the poison seeps in.
He remains standing, as he takes out his weapon and slashes at the undead child.
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Fergus misses, leaving an opening for his allie to swoop down and destroy the undead child. Between Remy and Maddie and Costela's magic missiles, the shade stops moving, as it's incorporeal form starts to crack under the immense pressure from the force exerted by the women. It fades into nothingness, looking even more angry than it did when it first arrived.
Audrahni cast's bless on the party, even though it is probably not needed anymore.
The creature on the ceiling, believing he is safe from trouble get's assaulted by a group of angry summoned birds, who begin tearing him to shreds.
"Well, 'tat's not 'ery nice! All I 'anted was to see me cousin', you call 'is a welcome? Ts', tsk. I guess 'ats my queue to leave!" You watch as he runs past the eagles and jumps out the window into the streets below.
Round 4.0
! Exiled Shade -94 lethal (slowed)@ Remy -3 INT (haste)
@ Borgol -6 lethal -1 CON
@ Alustria - (haste)
@ Maddie -4 INT (haste)! Dith-Ka -17
! Attic Whisperer -52 lethal@ Fergus -3 lethal
@ Flik
+ Audrahni - (haste)
+ Corstela - ([/I])[I]Everyone may act!!
If the creature is still within range (40 ft.), Flik will cast shadow trap. (Reflex DC 17)
Remy leaps out the window in pursuit, trying to kick the would-be assassin upside the head!
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Flik bolts to the window to immediately cast a trapping spell, the assailant too evasive for the bard, "A'hahaha...uhhhhffff!" he grunts as Remy, who uses the speed granted by her shorter friend to catch up to the doppelganger and deliver a powerful blow to the sternum on the retreating creature.
He is completely frozen, grasping for air and holding one hand to protect himself from the assault that is coming his way.
Remy unleashes a furious flurry on the doppleganger to try to put it down for the count!