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"You gentlemen go along without me. I've already seen what there is to see there. If anyone wants to find me, I'll be checking out the side show and the winding market." She studiously avoids all the gambling areas, sniffing to herself: "A fool and his money are easily parted." And of course, the games that require physical prowess of some sort--well, her talents lie elsewhere. Once the time draws near for the sphinx's show, however, she'll make a beeline for the entrance (and probably be irritated that the line is so long).
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Nilah smiles at Magdelina and makes an after you! gesture as they head into the wagon. Whatever was bothering her about teammates knowing she was getting a reading feels irrelevant with her. Perhaps it's her willingness to show vulnerability and not take an upper-hand, socially.
Nilah enters after Magdelina and chooses the Dance(r?).
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"Yes! Yes let's go!". Salmok is excited. He turns to the gnome and asks: "Do you believe in fortune telling? I'm new to this whole occult stuff, being a former druid and all.". The oread leans in and whispers, "What exactly is a harrowing? They didn't teach us about them in druidic summer camp."
The gnome raises an eyebrow.
“Gnomes are fey and I have seen many things so why should fortune telling not work?! And what I believe in ... Ahh ... I believe that everyone has their place in this world that those who have the power to rise should also have the power to decide ... for the good of everybody!“ he says and it seems as if he is touching something beneath his clothes.
“And you?! Oh and I would appreciate a private session if you allow?“
“I know that I am destined for greatness! Tell me how much power I will gain? How many will fear and respect me?“ he asks with anticipation!
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Hajeck nods to acknowledge your question, then has you cut the deck to find the card that will represent you most strongly if it appears in the reading. You cut to The Midwife card. "Ah, the Midwife is the neutral good card of wisdom. It represents the enabler or conduit of new creation, information, or arrivals." She nods again, and shuffles the card back into her harrow deck, having you cut it once more before she raises her arms and says dramatically in a mystical voice "Spirits, hear her request and grant me the knowledge to answer!" and starts laying the cards down in a 3x3 grid.
"The first 3 cards here on the left represent your past." As she lays down each card she gives a short description, and the significance of its positioning. The first card in the top left position is The Winged Serpent. "Ah! This is a strong position, as it is an true alignment match. The Winged Serpent is the lawful good card of wisdom. It represents the couatl, the bridge of understanding between the towers of knowledge and judgement." Second card: "The Empty Throne is the lawful good card of charisma. It represents those who are gone, or a ghost of the past that has taught important lessons." Third card: "The Idiot is the neutral evil card of intelligence. It represents folly, greed, blackmail, bribery, or hubris." She moves to the next column. "These represent your present." She flips 3 more cards, explaining each in turn as they appear. "The Demon's Lantern is the chaotic evil card of dexterity. Misaligned, it represents an opportunity or a guide arriving at a perfect moment to show the way. The Queen Mother is the lawful neutral card of wisdom. This formian is the personification of knowledge, who is fond of the powerless, the underclass, and those who will show her obeisance. The Keep is the neutral good card of strength. Misaligned, this card can mean giving way to temptation or falling in the face of greater strength." Then moves to the right column - The Future. As she flips the first card, her eyebrow raises as she says "Ah! A true alignment match! Portentous indeed. The Juggler is the chaotic good card of dexterity. It represents destiny, deities, and those who play with the fates of others." She quickly flips the last two. "The Beating is the neutral evil card of strength. It represents an assault from all quarters, or the mental dissolution of the self. The Bear is the neutral card of strength. It represents pure strength that cannot be truly tamed or trained." Her eyes skim over the layout, and she points to one card in each column - The Winged Serpent, The Queen Mother, & The Juggler. "These are the cards that hold the greatest significance to you, so I will interpret their meaning." She closes her eyes and begins to hum quietly. The single lamp in the wagon flickers momentarily - coincidence or evidence of spirits?
When she speaks again her tone of voice is significantly lower, and her eyes cut deep into your soul.
"The meaning is clear. Your past is where you have gained the understanding of others emotions. Your present represents your need to become part of a society to gain more training. Your far future shows that balance between your emotions and others may be difficult, but if you can keep up your rhythm you will achieve your goals. So yes, caring about others can be useful if you get training, and you balance your needs against theirs."
She blinks and shakes her head, then smiles at you. "Did you find the answers you were looking for? Thank you for visiting the All-Seeing Hajeck, let us move on to your friend!" then focuses her attention on Nilah.
Past: The Marriage is the lawful neutral card of charisma. It represents a union of peoples, ideas, or kingdoms that might be as productive or as ruinous as the bonding of a salamander and a water weird. The Tangled Briar is the lawful evil card of constitution. It represents a historical thing or creature that will have some influence on the question. The Rakshasa is a true alignment match, and is the lawful evil card of intelligence. The rakshasa represents domination, mental control, and slavery.
Present: The Waxworks is the chaotic evil card of constitution. It represents a place of torture, imprisonment, helplessness, and paralysis. The Dance is your role card, which we will come back to. The Mountain Man is the chaotic neutral card of constitution. This giant represents an encounter with a physical power outside of the subject's control.
Future: The Winged Serpent is the lawful good card of wisdom. It represents the couatl, the bridge of understanding between the towers of knowledge and judgement. The Carnival is also a true alignment match, and is the chaotic neutral card of wisdom. It represents illusions and false dreams. The Brass Dwarf is the lawful neutral card of constitution, showing an azer. It represents a creature invulnerable to a current threat.
Her eyes skim over the layout, and she points to one card in each column - The Rakshasa, The Dance, and The Carnival. "These are the cards that hold the greatest significance to you, so I will interpret their meaning." She closes her eyes and begins to hum quietly again. This time the lamp does not flicker.
When she speaks again her tone of voice is significantly lower, and her eyes cut deep into your soul. You hear some sort of commotion outside the wagon.
"The meaning is unclear. Your past is when you lost this person to some sort of slavery, be it literal or mental enslavement to a force or idea. Your present advises staying in perfect step with the larger dance of life, knowing your place in the greater good. Those who step out of the pattern do so at their peril. Your far future advises relying on whimsical forces can be risky, and that unrealistic ambitions are imprudent. It is unlikely you will find this person, but if you stray from the path you are currently on, you could find yourself in a much worse situation."
She blinks and shakes her head, then smiles at you. "Did you find the answers you were looking for? Thank you for visiting the All-Seeing Hajeck, please tell your friends!" then shortly ushers you both out.
As Nilah & Magdelina open the door to exit, the commotion outside gets much louder. Everyone on their way back from the Parade Grounds can hear it too - People are screaming about a dragon on the loose. You see people fleeing the Midway in all directions.
Nilah & Magdelina can immediately see what is going on - the "Baby Dragon" appears to have somehow gotten free, and is currently scurrying around the midway, hissing at the fleeing carnival-goers and snapping its jaws at anyone who gets too close.
Salmok & Magdelina based on your earlier Kn.Nature rolls you can recall some information about Monitor Lizards (Salmok can get 3 pieces of info, Mags can get 2)
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Magdelina blinks several times in surprise and wonder. "This was fantastic, All-Seeing Hajeck! This was a privilege and honor. Thank you. Thank you so much!"
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Professor Masaendri's ears prick up at the commotion; her expression, which had been tending toward bored and disappointed, perks up as well. She immediately turns and heads toward the nexus of the entropy. Ah! Let's see what has all these simple folks so panicked. The lizard? It's poisonous? Hmm. Well, that complicates things.
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After the mention of slavery in the "past" column, Nilah reflexively buys into the interpretations. At this point she seems a little ashamed and looks away a little. As the cards continue to portend strife she looks more and more crestfallen. She perks up at the end, but mixed between hopeful and quizzical.
Well, the end sounds somewhat better than the beginning, but I'm afraid those early parts may be quite accurate.
Just then the deeper explanation begins and she listens intently.
The "greater good"... indeed.
"It is unlikely you will find this person, but if you stray from the path you are currently on, you could find yourself in a much worse situation."
The last statement imposes a crushing feeling on her mind. Not only can she not accomplish her goals, but she's on a path not under her control?
She absent-mindedly answers the harrow-reader. The answers...? I'm... not sure if these are the ones I was looking for. They sound like a warning and I'm not sure if it was better or not to hear it.
Never-the-less she complies and exits the wagon, left immensely unsure by her reading.
Perhaps I'm giving it too much credibility... still...
Just as they exit they hear the commotion. Nilah looks at Magdelina and starts moving carefully towards the lizard. She hears Magdelina behind her.
Poisonous!?
Hmm, time for some simple delay while we figure this out.
She cautiously jogs forward, just enough to reach it with a spell...
She projects the sounds of another lizard, of the same type, just to its side to see if it can be made curious, and distracted.
If this works, perhaps it can be led back.
@Salmok:
Senses: low-light vision, scent
AC: 15, touch is worse
Saves (Best to worst): Fort, Ref, Will
@Molvil: Since we are in initiative timing, I moved your token back where it was because of your low initiative - you can move after the lizard has its turn.
@Nilah: You forgot to roll initiative
~**Initiative!**~
21 Magdelina - (disguise self & find meats)
20 Salmok
11 Baby Dragon / Monitor Lizard
10 ?secret?
6 Molvil
?? - Ejtehah, Nilah
Anyone who rolled/rolls higher than an 11 (bolded) on initiative can do their turn now.
~**Initiative!**~
Magdelina - (disguise self & find meats)
Salmok - (double move)
Nilah - (move & Ghost sound)
Ejtehah - (Are you skipping your turn, or delaying?)
Baby Dragon / Monitor Lizard
Phardaen
Molvil
@Magelina it is easy to find a meat stand it won't require your whole move action, you can spend the rest of that move action moving to it - already moved your token for you (had to change it back to your regular pic now that Phardaen is on the map)
The Lizard hears the ghost sound, and sees "Phardaen"/Magdelina, and lifts his head and sniffs deeply. Since he smells nothing besides stranger people and circus smells, he will move a few feet towards "Phardaen"/Magdelina and sniff again. When he can't smell the Panotti, he will panic and bite at a townsperson fleeing near him.
The Lizard's teeth sink deep into the townsperson's leg and grabs them tight. The heavily injured townsperson attempts to punch it, but is panicking and can't seem to hit it.
It is at this point than the real Phardaen comes running out of the Travelling Zoo. Once he sees what is happening, he exclaims "Oh no! Please, no one kill the Baby Dragon! It doesn't know what's going on. Oh no, oh dear" He hides behind the edge of the cage, and just stands there, wringing his hands in anxiety.
~**Initiative!**~
Magdelina (turn 2)
Salmok
Nilah
Ejtehah
Baby Dragon / Monitor Lizard
Phardaen
Molvil - (moved token back for double move)
Phardaen will run over and hide behind you instead of the cage.
~**Initiative!**~ (round 2)
Magdelina - (grab meats and move back toward Phadaen)
Salmok - (double move)
Nilah
Townspeople - (tries to escape)
Ejtehah - (double move)
Baby Dragon / Monitor Lizard
Phardaen
Molvil
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Hmm, that most decidedly did not work... What else?
Nilah takes a wide arc and glides counter-clockwise around the lizard to the Southwest.
She gesticulates and intones another incantation in abyssal, sending a glob of acid at the ground next to the monitor lizard .
Can I scare it back?
She stands her ground to see how it reacts.
~**Initiative!**~ (round 2)
Magdelina - (grab meats and move back toward Phadaen)
Salmok - (double move)
Nilah - (Acid Splash)
Townspeople - (tries to escape)
Ejtehah - (double move)
Baby Dragon / Monitor Lizard
Phardaen
Molvil
The lizard/Dragon drops the person it was grappling, hisses and cowers away in fear from the pink lady with the icky goo.
it runs away to the north in a haphazard zigzag direction.
It seems the rush of people have mostly cleared out of this area, at least for now.
It eyes the two Phardaens warily, sniffing the air and looking around for an escape.
Phardaen will continue to cower behind Magdelina. "Th-thank you for not hurting it! Oh dear, it's coming this way!" and wring his hands in fear.
~**Initiative!**~ (end of round 2 - round 3)
Magdelina
Salmok
Nilah
Ejtehah
Baby Dragon / Monitor Lizard
Phardaen
Molvil
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The Professor continues striding toward the source of the ruckus, determined to get to the bottom of this. It's probably something silly--Oh! The "baby dragon". Well, that's fair. It may hurt someone in its panic. How did it escape? In a flash of inspiration, she knows just what to do. Stopping a moment, she digs out her spell book and calls out to everyone nearby: "Keep it from running off! I have just the spell to subdue it without hurting it. Just give me a moment to prepare!"
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Okay, that worked a little. And it knows I mean business now...
She strides up behind it, following cautiously but not immediately. Clearing her throat to get its attention, she attempts to lock eyes and begin the same gesticulations for another acid splash, intoning a set of Abyssal words that won't do anything but could be the spell.
When most speak it, the language sounds harsh and guttural, but Nilah seems to deliver it smoothly like some sort of exotic silk.
~**Initiative!**~ (round 3)
Magdelina
Salmok
Nilah - (Intimidate)
*Ejtehah - (delay)
Baby Dragon / Monitor Lizard
Phardaen
Molvil
Molvil prepares her spellbook for the next round.
Nilah's intimidating performance successfully demoralizes the lizard. It seems much more wary of you, and if possible looks even less sure of itself now.
Salmok tries to jump on the lizard to tackle it, but the lizard dodges out of the way and bites at the new target instead.
The bite barely gets through Salmok's defenses, but does significant damage regardless, however the lizard isn't able to grapple him with the bite (due to being shaken).
The attack misses !
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Magdelina, now imbued with a fresh new panotti scent, closes the distance to the lizard, offering her stack of succulent meats to it with soothing words... "Yes... good boy... good baby dragon... good baby dragon who hasn't tasted Salmok's blood yet... eat this now... gentle... gentle..."
Deep within her, ancient forces begin to stir, out of self preservation... just in case the lizard decides to be a bit too friendly and not stop at the offered meats...
~**Initiative!**~ (round 3)
Magdelina - (Misfortune hex, lure w/ meats & disguise)
Salmok - (failed grapple)
Nilah - (intimidate/demoralize)
Baby Dragon / Monitor Lizard
Phardaen
Molvil - (quick study color spray)
Ejtehah - ??? (delay)
The bitten townsperson recovers from shock enough to 'run' away, slowly on its bad leg.
The Lizard/Dragon is entranced by the kind cooing of the ear-man with foods and will slowly approach Magdelina and start nomming on the food.
Phardaen continues cowering behind Magdelina whispering encouragements like "That's the right stuff!" and "It's working! Keep it up!"
~**Initiative!**~ (round 3 - round 4)
Magdelina - (Misfortune hex, lure w/ meats)
Salmok - (failed grapple)
Nilah - (intimidate/demoralize)
Baby Dragon / Monitor Lizard
Phardaen - (generally being useless)
Molvil - (quick study color spray)
Ejtehah - ???
(round 4)
Magdelina
Salmok
Nilah
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"There there... eat your fill baby dragon... eat the whole roast until you feel like having a nap in your nice cage... hmm hmm hmm hmm!"
Magdelina continues to soothe the baby dragon, carefully and nicely feeding him other pieces whenever he's done one, muttering soft tranquil laughter to soothe the dragon and pacify him.
~**Initiative!**~ (round 3-round 4)
Ejtehah - ???
(round 4)
Magdelina - (Cackle hex, lure w/ meats)
Salmok - (failed grapple)
Nilah - (ghost sound)
Baby Dragon / Monitor Lizard
Phardaen
Molvil
Ejtehah
The lizard is fortunately still distracted by the tasty tasty meats and easily squirms out of Salmok's grasp.
The lizard raises its head towards the new sound. It sniffs the air, but the sound is too far away . It does seem somewhat interested though.
Also don't forget:
Finally finished, she snaps the book shut and shouts: "Everybody stand clear! Get ready!"
~**Initiative!**~ (round 4)
Magdelina - (Cackle hex, lure w/ meats)
Salmok - (failed grapple)
Nilah - (ghost sound)
Baby Dragon / Monitor Lizard
Phardaen
Molvil
Ejtehah
The lizard is currently enamored of its snacks and Magdelina's cooing. For the next turn it will follow her.
Phardaen will keep Magdelina between himself and the 'dragon' if they move.
~**Initiative!**~ (round 4 - 5)
Magdelina - (Cackle hex, lure w/ meats)
Salmok - (failed grapple)
Nilah - (ghost sound)
Baby Dragon / Monitor Lizard - (nomming tasty meats, following Magdelina)
Phardaen - (generally being useless)
Molvil
Ejtehah
(round 5)
Magdelina
Salmok
Nilah