Band of Foxes - Harmonious Wisdom of Foxes (Inactive)

Game Master Ietsuna

Onna's head snaps back as she sees stars. Fuzzy-headed, the bard tries to coordinate her attack.

Aid Hiiragi: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 Or not

Tien: "You scorpions hit like goblin whelps - your sting is like a gnat bite to an ogre!"

acrobatics to avoid AoO from Yellow scorpion: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 9 - 2 = 8

Ogre Smashes Rock vs Red scorpion, rage, bard, crowd control: 1d20 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 7damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 1 = 8 DC11 Reflex save or be pushed back into chairs and tables

Weirdly, something like 5 out of the last 6 D20s I have rolled in current forum games have been 1's. Dicebot he hate me.

Ogre Stomps Around: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

Maybe this will be enough to help some of you guys hit!

Seeing her friends not quite getting it sparks something in Hiiragi; she leans forward with a much harder stomp this time, then twists her fist into it!

Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Hiiragi is the one to finally land a blow. With a powerful thrust of her foot she kicks hard into Green.

Green Reflex Save, DC14: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Green manages to not lose their defensive focus.

Combat Round 3 - Bold May Act

Juzo
Hiiragi -2NL
Kenta -9NL
Itami
Ikari
Onna -5NL
Scorpions (Blue-UC, Green -7, Red -0, Yellow -0)

"Well, this is an unpleasant situation..." Juzo says feigning disinterest towards yellow while also turning his hypnotic gaze upon them.

Feint: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

Seeing Hiiragi land a successful blow, Itami moves to aid her in landing even more! "You ring great dishonor upon your school!"
________
Aid (Attack, IC) vs Hiiragi: 1d20 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (19) - 1 + 1 = 19

Juzo fakes out Yellow with a feint. Remind me next round to remove dex to AC please

Itami helps Hiiragi's next attack.

Red punches at Ikari

unarmed strike: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8 damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Yellow punches at Juzo

unarmed strike: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10 damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Green punches at Hiiragi

unarmed strike: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

All 3 miss.

Combat Round 4 - Bold May Act

Juzo (Yellow denied dex to AC against)
Hiiragi -2NL (Aid to Attack from Itami)
Kenta -9NL
Itami
Ikari
Onna -5NL
Scorpions (Blue-UC, Green -7, Red -0, Yellow -0)

Having little success flailing away or helping others, the bard decides to focus in on what she learned this afternoon.

Ogre something strike vs GREEN: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21 damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
CONFIRM: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16 damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

"Hey! I actually hit him!"

Inspire Courage ~ Round 4 of 8, 4 remaining.

Ikari attempts the same manoeuvre as before:

Ogre Smashes Rock vs Red, inspire courage, rage, crowd control: 1d20 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 8damage: 1d6 + 1 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 + 2 + 1 = 9
DC11 Fort save or pushed back into furniture for damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Tien: "A scorpion is, after all, merely a bug."

Onna knocks Green out with her Jade Ogre strike.

Ikari does not have the same success at targeting his own strike.

Combat Round 4 - Bold May Act

Juzo (Yellow denied dex to AC against)
Hiiragi -2NL (Aid to Attack from Itami)
Kenta -9NL
Itami
Ikari
Onna -5NL
Scorpions (Blue-UC, Green -UC, Red -0, Yellow -0

Hiiragi smiles as the brawl is now fairly heavily in their favor!

Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Unfortunately, even with Itami pointing out an opening, she’s a little distracted trying to keep an eye on everything, and her attack isn’f solid enough.

Ogre Stomps Around: 1d20 ⇒ 14 Target is denied AC to me this round.
Damage: 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5

Juzo attempts to keep use the ogre stomp to keep the yellow-garbed student off balance.

Kenta, with Ikari now distracting one of the last two Scorpions, attempts to make his blow extra powerful, "Ogre Swings the Club to KNOCK YOU OUT!"

Attack Yellow.

Unarmed + Flank + IC: 1d20 + 3 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 3 + 2 + 1 = 21 for Bludg/NL + IC: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 1 = 6

Juzo and Kenta team up and take Yellow down between them. Hiiragi, sadly misses.

Combat Round 4 - Bold May Act

Juzo (Yellow denied dex to AC against)
Hiiragi -2NL (Aid to Attack from Itami)
Kenta -9NL
Itami
Ikari
Onna -5NL
Scorpions (Blue-UC, Green -UC, Red -0, Yellow -UC)

"Your friends fall before you, you're next!" Itami taunts as he does his best to harry their remaining foe.
________
Readied to do this when someone steps into range
Aid (Attack, IC) vs Red: 1d20 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 + 1 = 5

Red makes a punch at Ikari

Unarmed Strike: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11 Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Combat Round 5 - Bold May Act

Juzo
Hiiragi -2NL
Kenta -9NL
Itami
Ikari
Onna -5NL
Scorpions (Blue-UC, Green -UC, Red -0, Yellow -UC)

Hiiragi circles around, stepping carefully around the bodies of those too bruised to stand. Once she's back within range of the guy in the red shirt, she makes another stomp and punch!

Ogre Stomps Around + Flanking: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Unfortunately, her foot rolls on a fallen bottle of sake instead.

Ikari tries a different Jade Ogre strike this time:

Ogre Scares the Foe, flank, controlled rage, ic: 1d20 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 26damage, nonlethal: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 1 = 7 DC11 Will save or lose STR bonus to attack and damage for 1 round.

Tien: "The scorpion's only hope is to avoid the mighty ogre's notice!"

After striking, Ikari takes a 5' step to leave more room for Juzo and Kenta.

Hiiragi misses, but Ikari hits hard with a knee.

Will Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

The Scorpion fighter is weakened.

Combat Round 5 - Bold May Act

Juzo
Hiiragi -2NL
Kenta -9NL
Itami
Ikari
Onna -5NL
Scorpions (Blue-UC, Green -UC, Red -7NL, Yellow -UC)

Juzo sets his gaze upon the red garbed students and attempts another stomp.

Hypnotic Gaze/Painful Stare.
Ogre Stomp: 1d20 ⇒ 19
Damage: 1d6 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 + 1 = 6

Kenta steps in, over one of the unconscious bruised thugs and attempts to finish the fight if it isn't already over, "You had your chance to surrender, you chose poorly."

Step in, Attack Red with Ogre Swings the Club.

Unarmed + Flank + IC: 1d20 + 3 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 3 + 2 + 1 = 15 for Bludg/NL + IC: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 1 = 9

Juzo uses Ogre Stomps Around to knock the last Scorpion down.

Combat over

Even though you performed well Jiang Fei seems disappointed with the demonstration. She sends you back to her appartment while she does her best to make the most of the situation with the onlookers.

We are in weird place where you won but didn't accumulate enough successes to show off well. You hit them too hard :) It wont make a difference though

About an hour later she returns home. I have done my best. Thanks for your help. So I guess I should show you the inspiration for Jade Ogre. It is only fair She pulls a jade comb from her hair. Her long hair over her shoulders she holds the comb out to you for you to see. The comb has an intricately patterned landscape on it. You are free to handle the comb to view it and copy it should you wish, but you may not take it with you.

Yeah, those scorpion monks were pretty awful.

"This is the information you have to share with Mai Chun?"

Ikari copies the landscape design into his journal.

AC 16, but only 9hp.

That is interesting. You don't usually get something where you are supposed to beat up the enemy slowly, lol.

"They can't have been that impressive or one of you cast a spell on me when I wasn't looking." Juzo says looking quizzically at his leg and then the downed student.

Hiiragi’s eyes blink on either side of her nine-tailed birthmark.

”Wait. Why didn’t I do that?”

You mission complete and the comb studied and studiously copied you return to your benefactor.

Mai Chun’s door is wide open, as if flung free by the cyclone of a woman pacing furiously around her house, referencing and cross-referencing books, scrolls, and maps. She suddenly stops her pacing, balancing two heavy books in one hand. Ah! Delights abound! What have you learned?

Mai Chun listens eagerly as you report your findings. As you speak and show her your drawings she makes notes furiously. Her table is now covered in notes and drawings, all on a mess of parchment atop the large map from General Zhen’s estate. She mutters under her breath as she charts things onto the map. Suddenly her voice gets louder.
Spring melts into a
Summer’s dark night sky where
Cynosure abides.

Ahh, the valley can be identified by the position of Cynosure, the north star, between two specific mountains.

Mai Chun pulls a heavily annotated book from one of her shelves. This is a chronicle of the Empire’s final days. I’ll be putting out a second edition when we’re through! Anyway, see here. She points to a page featuring a gold-and-gemstone statue of a sovereign dragon coiled around a jade scroll case. This scroll case is believed to contain the 29 final prophecies of the last emperor of Lung Wa. Only a true heir of Lung Wa can interpret them; if this interpretation can be made here in Shokuro, it ensures our nation a high political position among the Successor States. It was last owned by a princess of Lung Wa named Song Rui, but it has never been found. I believe it may be in the princess’s quarters at the Summer Palace. When you find the lost palace, seek out the princess’s chambers and find this scroll case. Even if we can’t interpret the prophecies, it still provides an excellent symbol of the lost empire. Having worked in politics, let me tell you: symbolism is everything.

You receive directions to the palace and orders to be off.

"...I think you missed a syllable back there," points out Hiiragi, holding up six fingers.

Kenta shrugs with his usual confused look after the fight ends and their patron seems unimpressed, "I don't know what you are looking for, but no one is injured and we won the display you requested." He takes his turn looking at the comb, running his paws over the intricately carved jade, definitely impressed.

_______________________________________________________________

He gives a big grin when the announcement is made of the palace discovery, "Good! Then we shall go find this scroll case. Do you think a descendant might still be there who could interpret it? How will we know if they are right? I mean this lady told me she could tell my future once but it all turned out completely wrong."

"I mean this lady told me she could tell my future once but it all turned out completely wrong."

"Oh, this I must hear! What was your fortune, Kenta?"

He gets a sad look in his eyes, which turns to a bit of anger as he speaks. "Some crap about serving my master granting me eternal rewards. And I fell for it, did everything I was told to do. Didn't matter, still got whipped half to death and left to die in a punishment box. I still don't even know what I did wrong, maybe they just wanted to set an example for the others."

Hiiragi considers; slavery was a sad reality for many. Though not explicitly hated by Daikitsu, a life of slavery did not allow for a proper community, and the difference between a farmer who chooses to grow crops and a slave forced to tend them was vast.

The enslavement of a child of Daikitsu, however, was explicitly against the rules. Hiiragi feels a pit of sorrow at the thought of kitsune in captivity.

Maybe when she proves herself worthy of Daikitsu's greater blessings, she will go with Kenta to liberate them.

Still, something does tickle at the corners of her mind regarding Kenta's prophecy...

"No master on Golarion can offer you eternal rewards, save the gods. Perhaps the prophecy was true-- but of Lady Taramyth?" she offers.

Kenta humphs, "I've thought about that, but I'm pretty sure the 'seer' lady was just a scammer brought in to keep the slaves docile. It was all part of the game they played between the religions they let us practice and everything we were taught in school. I'm sad I couldn't see it at the time, but fate or Lady Taramyth or whoever had other plans for me, maybe plans to tear the whole system down around them someday, maybe plans to do something greater."

"A civilisation needs rules. But that doesn't justify slavery. Besides, a person forced to labour is never going to be as productive as a person who chooses to labour at something for the benefit of others, or even for his own good. Slave owners spend at least as much energy trying to keep slaves subjugated as they would working with others as free and equal agents, and on top of that they invite violence and ruin from vengeful warriors like Kenta here. The whole industry is false economy."

The brown and white fox nods, "Very true, but those that enslave rarely care about what is best. Anyway, let's go find that palace! I've never been inside anything as fancy as a palace, even if it is in ruin."

The trip to the summer palace takes several days through the Gossamer Mountains, but the journey is uneventful.

The Summer Palace silently presides over a secluded valley, majestic despite its obvious abandonment. Its terraces and sloping roofs form a multi-tiered affair that seems to grow from the surrounding mountains.

You approach the ruins and after some exploration you find that many of the palace’s former rooms are buried in landslides or inaccessible due to thick overgrowth of vegetation. The rooms that remain are eerily peaceful and quiet.

Many rooms and halls contain mysterious puddles of stylish clothing and armor, sometimes filled with small mounds of ash. The rooms that remain seem to be a ballroom, a grand bedroom, probably the Emperor's, a solarium, a study and the throne room.

Hiiragi's forehead glistens with sweat, her birthmark hidden under a hat she's acquired to keep the sun out of her eyes. "I would suppose this is it," she says as they approach the palace.

As they come across the clothes and armor with ash inside, she frowns.

"Well, we found it. It may be wise to leave."

Onna studies the ash. "What could have done this?"

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

As before, I will check every room with Detect Magic.

"Got cold feet, Hiiragi?" Ikari smiles, assuming his kitsune form.

"Whatever catastrophe happened here, it was long ago. Now where do you suppose we'd find the princess's chambers? Maybe that bedroom?"

Ikari will start searching.

perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Kenta leads the way into each room once they have been scanned for traps and magic. Concern shows on his face at the piles of ash inside piles of clothes, "This seems to have happened very recently or critters would have moved in and disturbed everything. Keep your eyes out for what caused it. I remember one building we didn't use much, raccoons got in and destroyed everything with in six months."

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20

Onna, Ikari and Kenta all search around, but find nothing of interest.

Ballroom

This cavernous ballroom contains a long table and place settings for dozens of people. Cobwebs and dust attest to how long it it has been abandoned.

Emperor’s Bedroom

This bedroom is elegant but austere. A vast canopied bed dominates one wall, but much of the room is sparse and free from any other kind of furniture. A personal shrine against the opposite wall is surprisingly well-maintained for its age, and a few candles in the shrine are mysteriously lit.

Solarium

This stunning chamber was an astronomer’s paradise. A perilously long telescope of faded brass peers through one of the windows, its lenses cracked. Rusted orreries and faded star charts cover the walls.

Study

Although this room is filled with shelves of books and rows of gilded scroll racks, a section of the roof collapsed long ago, admitting rainwater and hanging vines. The contents of this room—once sufficient to put many civic libraries to shame—have deteriorated to nearly total illegibility. Some of the remaining volumes are books on magical lore that speak about transporting large numbers of people magically, but at great risk. The empty clothing around the palace—and particularly in front of the books explaining the complicated teleportation ritual—attest to the fact that the ritual went awry, leaving the Summer Palace eerily abandoned in a single moment.

Throne Room

Arranged like the rays of a midday sun, the primary corridors of the Summer Palace lead to an enormous throne room. The room echoes emptily, but is filled with a benevolent presence.

Meditating before the throne is a ghostly Tian-Shu woman with an ornate headdress and elegant robes. This woman was Song Rui, one of the last princesses of Lung Wa. Song Rui rises calmly from her meditation as
the you enter the throne room and bows with studied grace. She speaks with ethereal calm and introduces herself. I am the late Princess Song Rui. Who might you be?

The tour of the palace has Hiiragi on edge, and she finds her fingers straying to her forehead.

Upon finding the spiritual Song Rui, she seems more relieved than anything. With a respectful bow, she introduces herself. ”My name is Hiiragi; I am a shrine maiden of Daikitsu.”

Ikari also bows to the princess.

"I am called Ikari. A lay preacher, you might say."

I doubt a ghostly princess will have any interest in farming or honest labour. I wonder what keeps her here?

"This isn't nearly as extravagant as I expected. All worn down and grown over. It would take a small fortune to clean up." Juzo prattles on looking it over.

When the others head into the throne room he follows but peeks into the bedroom.

That isn't foreboding at all...

"I am Juzo of a far away land! Adviser to thrones...and it seems you may have needed a more skilled one yourself. " he quips while returning the bow.

"Why do you linger?"

Kenta feels calm and serenity entering the throne room, which is probably why he only sets his hand upon his blade instead of drawing it at the sight of the ghost. His mind races, A GHOST! THEY ARE EVIL AND CAN CORRUPT THE WEAK WILLED!

But his allies seem to not be concerned at all, instead talking to the spirit. He begins to listen to what is being said to determine what to do.

Seeing the others introduce themselves with little reservation, the bard decides to join in. With a deep bow, "I am Sionnach Brummagem. It is an honor to make your acquaintance."

I am honoured to meet all of you. It has been such a long time since I received any visitors, not since my mother cast her spell. Tell me, what has happened in the world outside. How fair the Lung Wa people?

Kenta's rusty hamster wheel of a brain kicks into high gear as he tries to figure out what is happening and as he starts working it out the words tumble out for everyone to hear, "Wait, okay so you are a princess which makes you the daughter of a king, but they don't use kings here so that would be the daughter of a... an emperor I think. So we were supposed to find a grandkid of the emporor to interpret the scroll case for us, but I guess a daughter would probably work too."

His eyes go wide with joy as it finally clicks, "We found what we were looking for! Praise be to the good Gods and maybe the neutral ones that lean to the good side." He moves up and offers a formal bow to the Princess, "Kenta Faux at your service, your majesty."

He checks his pack and then looks back at the others, "wasn't there a scroll case or something we needed interpreted? Who had that?"

"Praise be to the good Gods--"

Hiiragi opens her mouth.

"--and maybe the neutral ones that lean to the good side."

Hiiragi closes her mouth.

"What our earnest friend Kenta is trying to say, princess, is that we came to find your jade scroll case. The prophecies that it is said to hold may be vital to restoring the empire that was. You see, the Dragon Empire has fallen. Now, the Successor States war amongst themselves. Some regions are more stable than others. Some Successor States are better suited than others to restore the imperial peace. Your scroll of prophecy might help establish a claim. It is a document of utmost importance. Will you help us?"

I wonder if the empire should be restored. But it can't be denied, many of the Successor States are chaotic - Wanshou should not be permitted to spread its tentacles any farther.