GM_DBH's Shattered Star

Game Master DBH

1d20 - 1 ⇒ (19) - 1 = 18

With a disgusted grunt Gul got to her feet and began the perilous task of climbing. Comic relief. Comic relief! That is what she felt like. And it was not a good feeling. Even with only one hand free she managed to brute force her way up, the sheer adrenaline rush that came from embarrassment giving her all of the strength that she needed.

Not able to beat any of the DCs.

Grom waits for his turn to climb up, planning on executing a wrestle hold on the clearly affected woman.

Climb: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Know. (Arcana): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Axton's eyes widen in surprise when he finally sees Natalya Vancaskerkin, or rather, the shard of metal in her hand. Ignoring his summoned horse's judgmental gaze, he calls up to the Varisian woman.

"That shard of metal! Where did you get that?!"

Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

Looking curiously upon the shard, "Horacalcum? A rare metal indeed. I am equally as interested as my companion as to where you obtained that. And just to be clear, you are Natalya Vancaskerkin, correct? That is who I'm speaking to?"

Improvising from her earlier impression of haughtiness, Elena mentally kicks herself for failing to notice the obvious non-violent out.

"Wait. How dare we! That is clearly Natalya Vancaskerkin, our missing ruler and liege!" Elena says, poiting at the girl with what she hoped was a good impression of reverence and awe. "Oh, My Lady, we have all missed you so! Your friend and contact, Sheila Heidmarch, sent us to rescue you when you suddenly disappeared! Please, your Highness, would you allow us to escort you back to safety?"

Diplomacy?: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

I have no clue if this works or not but maybe it distracts her momentarily by playing to her pride? Bluff would be 5 lower, for 21 total.

Gul looked around incredulously at everyone, wondering if the world had gone insane. The combination of the rare metal and Elena's *very* convincing act had her wondering if she had missed a detail here or there stating that they were looking for a noble. With frustration and anger replaced by confusion, she lowered her weapon and waited to see what would happen.

"This?" The woman gestures with the shard she holds tightly. "I found it in the Crow. The moment I touched it I knew my destiny!" Her eyes glaze over as a vision seems to grip her.

Natalya accepts Elena's flattery completely. Accepting it as nothing more than her due.

What are you doing?

"This?" The woman gestures with the shard she holds tightly. "I found it in the Crow. The moment I touched it I knew my destiny!" Her eyes glaze over as a vision seems to grip her.

"I-I see! Um, your Highness, would you allow us to escort you out of here? It isn't safe. There's all sorts of ruffians, goblins, and... ah, 'waste' around that threaten your health! We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you before you could fullfill your glorious destiny, after all," Elena continues, unaware of the snake, still hoping this would get Natalya out of here without her coming to harm.

...Or, at least, more harm. Who knew what exactly had happened to her mind already and whether it could be fixed?

Seeing Gul's confusion, she winks at the half-orc with one eye and a half-grin.

Hit: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Damage: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

"MONSTER!" Gul thought, as she stabbed her pata at the goblin-snake. She had no idea what it was, but it was disgusting enough for her to know that it had to die. As much as she would have liked to roar a battlecry, she didn't want to alert it to her attack.

A hit but it's still alive.

Gromm is alerted by Gul's yell and turns around swinging. He finishes off the badly wounded Goblin snake.

Natalya is taken by the wisdom of Elena's sweet words. "Yes. The rabble here are not worthy of my presence. Take me to a more fitting place where we shall start my campaign."

Flattering her is obviously working well with whatever delusions have her in their hold.

What are you doing now? Natalya is putty in Elena's hands at the moment.

"Nice work!" Axton whispers to Elena. "Ask her if there are any other dangers that we need to be aware of as we escort her to the Alabaster District. I would do it, but I don't want to threaten or even intimidate her!"

Surprised by the change of attitude, "Very well. And I am in complete agreement that a 'more fitting place' is in order." Umazura allows Natalya to proceed first down the stairs before following.

"Nice work!" Axton whispers to Elena. "Ask her if there are any other dangers that we need to be aware of as we escort her to the Alabaster District. I would do it, but I don't want to threaten or even intimidate her!"

"Um, sure! I'll try." Elena whispers back.

She then clears her throat to re-grab Natalya's attention. 'Your highness? Should we sweep the perimeter here? Are there more dangers to us all that you're aware off? And is there anything you'd like to take along before we depart?"

Elena will continue playing to her haughtiness, but will suggest searching the perimeters as well. Perhaps there are valuable supplies/loot laying around here somewhere?

After finishing the strange snake-like goblin, Grom plays along with his companions, though he doesn't open his mouth. One thing is to follow the script, another is to pretend to be an actor.

Natalya gathers up her the meager treasures she'd gathered to finance her new army.

33gp, 86sp, 192cp, a brass comb worth 2 gp, assorted buttons made from semiprecious stones worth 30 gp total, and a faded printed handbill declaring its possessor to be rightful owner of the Grand Mastaba of
Korvosa (an obvious fake sold as a novelty at carnivals).

Elena's question proves precient however, as you scramble back down the ladder you hear movement coming from the entrance.

What are you doing now?

Halfway through everyone helping Nataltya gather her things/loot the building, Elana looks around when there's movement near the entrance. "Quick, down the ladder!" she says. "If they're hostile, we take the chokepoint on our side of the plank!"

Is that a door or window along the north wall of the room we're in? If so...

Axton opens the door to the north to see what there is to see.

”Up the ladder. Down the ladder. Fine.” She grumbled as she made her way down.

It's a boarded up window to the north. Only way out of the room is the door you came in. Or the sewer pipes. :)

A female voice calls out to you from the other room ."All we want is that traitorous b%&~& Natalya. Send her out and we'll let you go!"

What now?

"And if we refuse?" Elena replies, more to buy time for others to get back down the ladder than anything else. "Actually, that's a rather silly question, and I prefer not knowing. But what I would like to know, is who you are and why you need Natalya?"

She motions the others forward, hopefully leading to a workable defensive formation downstairs before the fight broke out.

Umazura awaits a response from the voice, curious if they have any intention of making this peaceful. I doubt it but we shall see, she thinks to herself as she makes her way down the ladder. Once down, she straps on her shield and draws her weapon, showing how 'positive' she truly is about this ending in peace.

"Because she stabbed us in the back when she stole from us and then ran off!" Comes the angry response. You can hear they are setting themselves to block you leaving.

Obviously the Tower girls haven't forgotten Natalya.

What now?

"Well. Seems like we're going to have some corpses worth looting." Gul said. "Ready to kill these fools?"

"Your disproportionate thirst for vengeance is perpetuating a cycle of violence!" Axton announces as he loads his crossbow and put his back against the wall. "Come forth and see what I mean!"

Keep in mind that the rafters can take us into the room where the Tower Girls are. You don't necessarily need to come down.

"Well, ladies, if you want her, you're going to have to come and get her. But be warned: You have angered several of my party members and I can assure you that you will not like them when they're angry."

You hear angry voices from the other room. The discussion seems to be between the woman and her thugs. Who are not keen on fighting through a choke point. She feels that as she's paying them they should damn well earn their coin!

What are you doing now? She will take a round or two to get them moving.

If Grom agrees to step back from the door, Axton will upend his bag of caltrops in front of the door.

With a shrug Gul made way, curious to see what arcane powers Axton had behind his mustache. She hoped that it was a fireball, or a bolt of lightning! Something fancy and big that would leave charred corpses. She waited expectantly to see the benefits of having a sorcerer around.

Axton is out of 1st-level spell slots because he's been greasing and color spraying things, and providing horse-ladders. He could either offer a lackluster acid splash or his handy spells crossbow and whatever's-in-this-bag. Good luck with your next acrobatics check.

Also...

If Grom agrees to step back from the door

With a shrug Gul made way

She still makes way. Because she’s that excited to see the 9th tier spells your lvl1 sorcerer is going to cast.

Out of magic, but not wits or channels - both of which were also important! - Elena hangs back. "Careful, everyone. If you need healing, fall back to me. Otherwise, let's make them come to us."

As you're ready & waiting you get a round of actions when the door is forced open by the Green Thug.

The party can now act.

Hit: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21 -4 penalty for attacking through doorway, right?
Damage: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
If Inspire Rage is up, then it becomes 22 to hit, 18 if cover happens, and does 10 damage

Have 1 mirror image up still

With the first enemy coming into view, Gul moved to Grom's side and stabbed at the man with her pata. It wasn't an easy thing to do, given how she was attacking at an odd angle through the door. Luckily though, the blade was perfectly suited for stabbing.

Axton fires his crossbow.

Ranged attack: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 2 - 4 = 7
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 1

It is not a very good shot.

Elena similarly attempts to stab the nearest foe, aiming her multi-barbed spear just barely past Grom...

attack: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4
damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

...But even as she does it, she realizes how rediculous the idea is and how likely to hit an ally instead, so she awkwardly hoists the polearm up at the last second and settles for a sure miss on everyone.

Umazura goes into a fantastic tale of how a halfling barbarian makes a valiant stand upon a hill against a multitude of enemies.

For those that accept it: Inspire rage: +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +1 morale bonus on Will saving throws, but also take a –1 penalty to AC.

AC 17; Hp's 16/16; Inspire rage (1/8 rnds)

Botting Grommush.

Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Gul wounds Green. Gromm splinters the rotten door frame.

Gul, Elena & Axton may act.

Seeing Grom miss, but definitely in the best position to attack the opposition, Elena prays to Shelyn for his success!

Grom has bit of luck, he rolls all d20 rolls twice for a round. Might help out his saves too if one enemy is a spellcaster. Oh, and Elena accepts the Skald Song if supernatural abilities can still be used during it. I think they can?

Hit: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

"RAWR!" Gul roared, as she pushed her way forward and stabbed at the man once more. She wasn't going to allow something as mundane as a door stop her...especially not in this house that she hated to much. Already the floor had bested her, and a ladder. She wouldn't allow a door to do the same!

Axton reloads his crossbow, but casts daze on the next person to come through the doorway.

Readied action. DC 13 Will negates.

Gul guts Green.

Red curses in Varisian

She takes a shot at Natalya with a hand crossbow.

handcrossbow: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Her small bolt quivering in the much abused doorframe.

Umazura may now act

With no room to really do anything, Umazura remains where she is and allows her fellow half-orcs to take care of the culprits.

She'll just delay and inspire rage.

AC 17; Hp's 16/16

Looking a little more angry now one of their own has been killed the remaining two thugs attack.

Yellow vs Gul: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Orange vs Gromm: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

They fail miserably and their employer shrieks in disbelief. "You were supposed to be good in a fight you scumbags!"

Elena, Gul, Gromm & Axton may act

Hit: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
Mirror Image 1/1

apparently yelling at his subordinates had the desired effect, as the foe managed to parry Gul's thrust. Her eyes narrowed as adrenaline flowed freely. She would have another chance...

Axton casts daze on yellow.

DC 13 Will negates

Gromm tries again.

Gromm: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Gromm ciritcal?: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

damage: 2d4 + 9 ⇒ (4, 4) + 9 = 17

Gutting Yellow nastily.

will save vs Daze: 1d20 ⇒ 11

Orange sees his two mates dead and drops his weapon. Holding his hands up shakily. "I give!" He squeaks.

Red turns to run seeing her minions are now gone.

What is everyone doing?

Axton aims his loaded crossbow at the remaining thug.

"Who is that lady who paid you? Tell me everything you know about her an her compatriots!"

Intimidate: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

"Don't let her get away!" Elena cries from the back, seeing the woman turn and run. "But I have to try and save this one first..."

She kneels down by the one gutted by Gul, and sees if he could still by mundane or magical healing. If she is able to stabilize and bring him back to consciousness, she adds, at knifepoint: "Your life was just spared by the grace of Lady Shelyn. To repay her for this second chance at living, you will no doubt go the rest of it betterig your ways and becoming a practitioner in an art of your choosing... right?"

The cleric smiles at him sweetly and regards him expectantly.