Oy, gameplay thread here!
Just checking in
It's a quiet morning in Phaeselis as you all get up. It rained last night, so the roads are wet. Still, it's enough for you all to get dressed and ready for your day. Your houses are built with two stories. The women are expected to stay in the woman's room through the day, working on womanly crafts and so forth.
Men are expected to work through the day, working at the fields or on men crafts. They then spend the rest of the day in the Andiron. It's the start of a beautiful day. Some spend their time in the Gymnasium, others spend their time at the market.
Everything's clean, so you all have your morning breakfast.
Vianna awakes as she hears the house stir with the sounds of children. She dresses and stows the mat and blankets that constitute her bed and joins her landlady Mela and her three children for breakfast. The meal is simple but wholesome, consisting mostly of bread with some olive oil and a few vegetables.
Having spent longer than she intended talking to and playing with the children, Vianna finally excuses herself and makes her way onto the streets. The modest house in which Vianna boards is located south of the Buddhist Temple and in the streets nearby the young cretan woman cheerfully greets some of her fellow citizens before making her way to the premises of the noble houses of Pericles and Ambrosia. It is these two noble houses that have provided Vianna with her best paid work in this city and she is heading there to see if her services are required again.
Kahoda Jagatap awakens and has some Foule and bread for breakfast. That done, he heads outside and strolls towards the School of The Chakras.
It is a beautiful day so he takes his time getting there, chatting with several acquaintances along the way.
As always, he is fascinated by the rich tapestry of life that makes up Phaeselis. He is especially alert for people of an ethnic origin that he does not recognize (although such sightings are relatively rare these days)
Zoe awoke. Despite her normally sunny disposition, she was not really a morning person, but, one could not remain in bed all day, after all. And so, she quickly got ready for a new day, and then head down to help the rest of the little group she worked and shared the house with get breakfast ready, before eating.
Niketas's breakfast is quick and light--a handful of dates and a bit of bread. He doesn't spend long with food or anything else before making his way to the Gymnasium, where he quickly begins his usual exercises and training.
"Again!" one of the trainers calls. The other athlete, a wiry and skilled Phoenician, lunges forward and wraps his arms around Niketas's midsection. He twists and sets his feet, but it's no good. The huge man simply grabs hold, levers his weight, and lifts his opponent into the air before slamming him into the ground. He takes a new hold himself, and keeps it only long enough for the other man to cry his submission.
So goes his usual fare in the Gymnasium. Niketas sighs and steps back, not missing the frowns several other athletes flash his way. But he can't help being so powerful, so large. It's simply who he is.
Okay, you all meet together at the Agora. The thing is, there is this red leech that seems to be on some people's necks. It was making them behave strangely.
It might be best that you know each other.
Vianna sees the odd phenomena of the leeches on people's necks and grows concerned. She moves behind one of the stalls in the agora to get a moment alone and casts detect magic and scans some of the people with the leeches, taking three rounds if any magic is detected.
Vianna then looks around for anyone she may know and quietly gathers them together, asking "Do you see those red leech-like creatures? Do you have any idea what they may be?"
Default to knowledge Arcana. A knowledge psionics roll will also work.
"No, I haven't a clue..." Zoe responded, eyeing the things with a mixture of curiosity and revulsion.
If allowed, would take 10 for 20. If not allowed
If allowed, would take 10 for 20. If not allowed
[dice=knowledge Arcana]1d20+10
[dice=knowledge Arcana (Psicrystal]1d20-2+2
[spoiler: Knowledge Arcana] It's a puppeteer. You know that they are not of this world and if there is one there could be more. Finding them all may prove to be dangerous.[/spoiler]
Isn't that a puppeteer? If it is it will be enslaving the person."replies Vianna after a moments thought.
"Puppeteer? Thats bad. Lets kill them, shall we? Nobody should be a puppet of anybody!"
"Except, perhaps, of me. Of course"
With that, "Kahoda" decides its perhaps time to have a weapon available and casts Claws of the Beast
"It is indeed bad. But let us see if we can determine how many puppeteers there are before attacking." replies Vianna, looking around while keeping her manner casual.
"It might be difficult to deal with so many, without hurting the folks they are on..." Zoe mused quietly.
Perception:
"It is indeed bad. But let us see if we can determine how many puppeteers there are before attacking." replies Vianna, looking around while keeping her manner casual.
[dice= Perception, Vianna] 1d20 + 1
Yeah, sometimes you do make mistakes. I used a colon instead of a equals sign. One of my real life players passed away in his sleep yesterday and I'm having some grief here. So a little mistake should pop up. Thanks for the tip.
Elton posted over in off topic that he is putting his games on hold.
I presume that includes this one.
Just thought I'd let people know. As I said above, I hope that he takes all the time he needs
Alright, we can continue. I'm okay. Although watching Endgame was bittersweet at the ending.
"It is indeed bad. But let us see if we can determine how many puppeteers there are before attacking." replies Vianna, looking around while keeping her manner casual.
Perception, Vianna: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
You couldn't see the slugs. You don't see them, you just notice the new fashion from Greece.
"It might be difficult to deal with so many, without hurting the folks they are on..." Zoe mused quietly.
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
You do see a slug, on one person's neck. He happens to be an Archimeniad or Persian sailor.
"Damn, I can't see any of the things any more. Can any of you locate them?"
"On the sailor," Zoe whispered, tilting her head towards the one she had located.
"Perhaps they will show up psionically. May be easier than trying to see them"
With that, Anueke throws detect psionics in a cone to catch as many people in the market as possible. With luck, they'll show up that way
"I don't think that will work Anueke. No harm trying but I believe they are difficult or impossible to identify with psionic or magical detection. I will try to put it to sleep." replies Vianna, who then employs the Slumber Hex on the puppeteer moving closer if needed to bring the creature within the hexes range.
Niketas had joined the others in the Agora after leaving the Gymnasium--once more, he'd proven his skill and figured a walk and maybe some studying would help things cool off. With the others, he notices the strange behavior, but doesn't notice the leeches, only trusts that his friends will better recognize how to deal with the threat.
"If that doesn't work, I can always just grab one," he comments, looking toward the sailor Zoe pointed out. "Keep him steady to find out what's going on."
"Don't grab them, the nasty little things can take control of your body. If they are in Physelis in numbers this is a serious threat." replies Vianna, who is too focused on the puppeteer to realise Niketas is unaware of those very creatures.
The sailor walks around, being controlled by one of the leaches on his neck.
Vianna hands her belt pouch to Niketas, saying "I am going to try and put it to sleep. If I succeed you can put it in here."
With that, Vianna makes sure the puppeteer is within 30 feet of her, then hits the puppeteer with the Misfortune Hex. Then [next round in game terms] she hits the puppeteer with the Slumber Hex [standard action] and then Cackles [move action].
The puppeteer had gone to sleep, along with the sailor. As the two are sleeping, one can remove the puppeteer.
Niketas stands back as the others do their thing, not wanting to mess with something he doesn't understand. Once the sailor drops to the ground sleeping, however, he looks to them and nods at the man. Once they give him a sign that it's alright to proceed, the big man walks over and carefully grabs hold of the leech, pulling it from the man's body. "Echh. Not very pleasant, are they?"
"No they are not. I'd put it in here" replies Vianna, handing Niketas her belt pouch "it might take you over when it wakes. Which leaves us with the problem of what we do now. My thoughts, for they are worth, is we should bring this to the attention of someone in authority. We don't know how many of these things are here. If it is just one or a few, it is no danger to the city as a whole, but if there are many Physelis is faced with a real menace. I would try to get to see somebody from the oligarchic council of Psions if possible. I don't know any of them sadly, but we could seek an audience. What do the rest of you think?"
"That sounds to be the best course of action, yes," Zoe agreed, "Though I can't imagine how these things got here, or what they are trying to do..."
"Agreed. The people in charge NEED to know about this"
"And I'll have to inform the Minds Eye as well as soon as I can"
"Well, if we are all in agreement..." says Vianna, pausing and looking at Niketas to see if he wishes to express a view "then we had best head for the oligarchic council of Psions. I don't know how the puppeteer got here either, or their agenda, beyond taking over people... nothing good I imagine."Vianna's voice trails off as she contemplates the subject. If nobody objects Vianna will head off to the council.
"Telling someone in charge sounds smart to me. If there's a threat to the city, we're probably not the only ones who should know." Niketas gingerly places the puppeteer in the offered pouch, eyeing it suspiciously the whole time.
"Well, if we are all in agreement..." says Vianna, pausing and looking at Niketas to see if he wishes to express a view "then we had best head for the oligarchic council of Psions. I don't know how the puppeteer got here either, or their agenda, beyond taking over people... nothing good I imagine."Vianna's voice trails off as she contemplates the subject. If nobody objects Vianna will head off to the council.
Yeah, I need to hire a good cartographer to do my city. As of such, nothing's happening. Anyhow . . .
The Oligarchic Council of Psions is made up of all the heads of the psion academies. They are in a large building that is usually reserved for the council. People wear the finest clothes here.
Niketas looks down at his simple, utilitarian clothes. "Well, hopefully they won't mind, since it's important."
"I hope not. I don't own the sort of finery that such wealthy people wear in any event." replies Vianna with a shrug.
"Well, considering the potential severity of the crisis, I'd certainly hope they are not going to get too hung up on our clothing," Zoe observed, as she was also dressed rather normally at the moment.
While the others aren't looking at her, Anuekes clothes change themselves to be a much better, cleaner version of the clothes they weren't a second ago
"Fortunately, I came out in my good clothes today. Had to talk to a man about a prospective job"