The Count nods and looks at one of his attendents who claims the bottle from Lady Ekaterina. He politely says, "I appreciate such a fine gift. Ah wine with magical properties, that sounds lovely. Peaceful relations, that can easily be acquired. I will offer my aid when you should need to ask for a favor. 'Beneficial trading arrangements to mutually enrich each other', has a wonderful ring to it. Shall we talk about specifics, maybe adjourn to someplace more cozy?"
"No, well then please regale me with your intentions of trading with my city." He says a bit perturbed. He thinks to himself for a few moments before adding, "Or perhaps what services your guild can offer me?"
"In our prior world, we were adventurers of some renown. We have a great deal of experience providing... specialized services. We have dealt with all manner of monsters, dragons, Undead and more; warlords, warlocks, and dark magi. We have retrieved an endless array of artifacts, ancient and arcane, as well as the most modern and sophisticated. We bear knowledge of foreign techniques and obscure magics, from firearms and cannon, to clockwork creatures, and even exotic dishes. In essence, there is no telling the limits that the right partnership might reach. To those interested in friendship, we could engage in mutually beneficial relationship that could be indeed most profitable."
I am also known as a pretty effective force multiplier for any sentient military force. If I may demonstrate?
Ekateria starts performing as all who accept her performace gain the protection of spectral entities, shaped roughly like someone or something the individual in question would look up to for protection or support, as well as an improvement to their dexterity.
These Spirits are in essence powered by me, rather then by whoever accepts my performance, although the latter subconciously or consciously shapes their appearance.
This means that their slams are quite accurate, precise and powerful. In my experience, a regular foot soldier deals more then twice the damage he would normally deal, while under the effects of my performance. If I go airborne, I can sing loudly enough to affect a sizeable portion of a battlefield, oh, if you have cavalry with intelligent mounts, these would get affected too! I had a lot of fun charging together with a unit Winged Pegasus Hussars once!
::You may have heard about earlier, where we rescued several citizens who had been petrified by the basilisk. Those people are now back with their families. We subdued most of the basilisks and are planning on setting up a farm to be able to provide cures for others.::
The Count asks questions and states in response to you, "Would you be interested in sharing such knowledge with my advisors or would you want us to send an emissary? Concerning your expertise putting you on retainer would be too expensive for me. Though concerning any threats to my lands I would welcome your expertise. I have no need for such skills though I hear the Dwarven kingdom might. Excellent it sounds like you have already dealt with the most pressing matter, a reward of your choice is in order, would you like to hold a favor, gold, gems, or perhaps something magical?"
I would leave the choice of reward to my comrades that actually dealt with the beasts Ekaterina answers the easiest question first.
I think I can let the Succubus-Nyan-Cat out of the bag and show I am a half fiend, offering my profane gift to ensure possible technology transfers and communication. Votes on that
She telepahtically asks her present allies.
The bishop and several of his priests enter into the room looking rather frazzled to say the least.
As the Count acknowledges them and nods in compliance of Lady Ekaterina's request.
The bishop then offers his dearest apologies for arriving late adding, "We were dealing with healing those wounded in the explosions and lost track of time. Luckily there were not many fatalities and most of the wounds were easily repaired. What explosions you may ask and we still don't know the source. It is like a beam of fire cut down several houses."
Bob immediately gets up.
::Wounded? I can help if there are more injured. We should try and find what did this before it happens again. Please excuse the hasty exit your Excellency.::
"A beam of fire? Have you had issue before with rogue magi? You sound unaccustomed to such things, but there are several spells that could present in such a fashion."
I am casting a heroism spell upon myself to improve my mental abilities
Ekaterian announces
Let us see, Beams of fire? Did they generate smoke, length, size, any smell of sulfur? She rattles of questions and then:
20 because loremaster, 9 from generic boni, 2 from tears to wine, 2 from heroism.
Presumably comes up with a pretty good first answer as to what is going on.
The bishop replies to Bob, "There may be more injured among the rubble though it will take time that they likely don't have. Any help is appreciated."
Then he replies to Amadea, "Who knows what it really was all we have are reports from what our people are saying. Most wouldn't know the difference from a fireball and a cone of fire like burning hands. Besides the destruction of several houses by the beam of fire, there is nearly no sign of what made it. Maybe a wandering sorcerer came through town. I am likely one of the few excluding present company which know of such spells let alone recognize them properly."
He thinks hard for a few moments before relaying in response to Lady Ekaterina, 90 or 100 feet long. 20 to 30 foot swath. Smoke was coming from the rubble. No sulfur but the distinct smell of ozone."
You believe it would have been a high level caster.
Domayoku steps forward. I shall go and help with the recovery efforts. These muscles are good for moving rubble."
The half-fiend warrior bows before The Count. "By your leave."
Let us adjourn our meeting then until the current situation is dealt with, I have some specific skills suited for rescueing people.
I have a midly unpleaseant feeling about this
She communicates to the party, not including Alexandra.
The abilities would fit with our newest recruit, although I would wish to verify, to gather additional information and to hear her side before making a judgement, this is not something we should discuss in the presence of third parties, especially if they are justifiably aggrieved.
Do you wish to join us Lord Bishop? Any additional healing would likely be of great use. Directions would help as well.
Ginza moves along with the others...
His thoughts broadcast to those only in the group.
"If that's the case, It maybe best to let me approach her or the source of this fiery origin. having spent much time in the Kitchen, the heat doesn't bother me any way....."
"Sounds prudent. The rest of us will be nearby if needed. We don't know that she is involved, so I'd suggest starting with a soft query, as opposed to an accusation. If it was not her, she may even have sensed where and when it originated."
The Count waves and dismisses Domayoku at his request.
The bishop nods, "Yes we should go again, anyone you find in the rubble we can help heal. Count?"
The Count nods and says, "Yes let us adjorne and table these topics. We can speak again in a few days after the mess is dealt with."
With that the bishop and his priests leave the room promptly to lead the way to the rubble. Your group follows the priests and soon you are at the rubble.
Several houses have seem to be cut in half. The roofs have collapsed. You can look around, but no apparent threats are about.
Ekaterina starts performing in 3 round intervalls (making use of lingering performance) improving the constition of those who hear her, if her performance is audible an unconcious target automatically accepts it.
She supplements this detecting thought on the rubble, hoping to either pick up people buried, or to pick up where the spirits from her totem manifest, as these would certainly indiciate survivors.
Within sight of the Bishop, she unfurly her wings and flies slowly and very narrowly above the rubble, not wishing to cause any additional rubble movement by accident. She also lets her hair fly free at its full length.
(tears to wine and heroism, also using her performance and her detect thoughts creatively I hope)
Taking 10 via lore master.
Anyone have a wand of cure light wounds? She asks as she does so.
I could use my prehensile hair to activate it on people trapped, provided there is a way for my hair to get through, to give them some immidiate healing before we can free them.
I am revelaing partly what I am, best opportunity to do so, lets make some lemonade out of that lemon She announces mentally to the other players.
If there was anyone giving a display of power, Ginza was it. With his powerful frame hidden by his armor, he begins lifting up large pieces of rubble to help clear them with guidance from Ekaterina.
What ten men were needed was done by Ginza alone, with every rubble cleared he left the survivors to the care of the rescue crew. For all intent and purposes, he demonstrated only strength. Never using his own magical power while restraining his aura.
As Bob arrives, he listens for thoughts to find people who may be unable to make noise. When he finds them, he'll send a tendril through to heal them before they move things off of them.
Meanwhile, Sprout jumps off of his shoulder and begins worming his itty-bitty form into crevices looking for people.
If there was anyone giving a display of power, Ginza was it. With his powerful frame hidden by his armor, he begins lifting up large pieces of rubble to help clear them with guidance from Ekaterina.
Domayoku follows Ginza, lifting huge rubble off survivors, and assisting the graveknight when his strength alone won't help.
Amadea doesn't have any powers that might help her locate victims. She does however have the strength of 3 to 4 grown men. Like Domayaku, she moves in to grab and dig at the rubble, moving pieces almost as large as what the two men can lift together.
She pauses briefly to smile at bewildered looking townswoman, while standing in her sooty and torn new dress, holding aloft a timber beam that must weigh near a thousand pounds. She winks before tossing it casually aside.
I could move this rubble even faster in a Rage, but I don't think doing this recklessly would be a good idea. Don't want to collapse anything that hasn't already fallen over...
Speaking with her mind she says, "I have a Wand of Cure Light Wounds. I can also do about 6 castings of inferal healing. Luckily I have a near inexhaustible supply of demon blood close at hand!"
Edit:
The distance you can throw an object is based on its weight and your Strength. You can throw your heavy load 5 feet, which is also the base range for throwing. For every 5 points of Strength you have over the minimum required to lift an object as a heavy load, double the base range.
With your wonderful teamwork and abilities the four unconscious victims are quickly found, healed, and then safely and quickly free them. You do find a corpse of a young boy.
Domayoku carefully removes the dead boy from the rubble, and hands it over to one of the priest or family members who claim the body.
Tapping into the link to his guild members only.
"Has anyone found Alexandra?"
Raising the dead is beyond my current abilities, unless you had a scroll for it, but if you did you could cast it yourself. Ekaterina speaks with considerable sadness.
Lady Alexandra, where are you currently, can you update me on your current status? She communicates, letting the party hear it.
Once per day as a full-round action, a succubus may grant a profane gift to a willing humanoid creature by touching it for 1 full round. The target gains a +2 profane bonus to an ability score of his choice. A single creature may have no more than one profane gift from a succubus at a time. As long as the profane gift persists, the succubus can communicate telepathically with the target across any distance (and may use her suggestion spell-like ability through it). A profane gift is removed by dispel evil or dispel chaos. The succubus can remove it as well as a free action (causing 2d6 Charisma drain to the victim, no save).
Alexandra responds with telepathy, ::I am in a store, so many different pastries. I will bring some for each of you. Status... you mean how I feel or what?::
With nothing better to do, Domayoku stacks the larger rubble in a pile, and clearing any roads or pathways of debris.
"if it's not her, then someone else is playing with Fire...........literally."
Still witnessing the destruction, Domayoku continues to move debris and other large obstacles.
The Demon King takes an offered broom and begins to sweep the small rocks, stone and dust from the area. The locals are amazed that his mighty warrior is helping to clean up in such a through way, when most adventurers leave as soon as the danger has past.
Once completed with his cleaning duties, Domayoku takes an offered ale for his troubles. The monk warrior begins to ask the locals for any more information that might have come to them concerning the attack on their town.
After receiving his info from the locals, Domayoku confers with his fellow Götterdämmerung on what to do next.
As you speak to those who are cleaning with Domayoku, it seems there are many rumors. Some say it was a girl, a demon, or a pillar of fire. As you speak with them you find the few actual first hand accounts say it was a girl. The others were speculation and what others had said.
There has been a sizeable explosion in the town, multiple casulties, including children. We are providing aid at the moment. Ekaterina volunteers to Aleksandra.
She the enquires with the priests, if anyone else is possibly missing.
The fighter asks to be taken to the child eye witness.
Ginza clears the rubble and sees that the most of the civilians are seen too.
With his current skill sets, he gets to work doing what he does best. He finds and sets up a kitchen and begins cooking.
With this done, Bob will begin wandering through the city, letting his senses open. He thinks that the person who might have done this may be from the town and frightened. If he's lucky, they will get close enough to read thoughts, but he's also using the rest of his senses.
"There was a very rude person and he was grabbing for my body. I might of had a Flare up. Apparently I had a blackout or something for the next memory is being in front of this bakery." She relays neutrally.
The priests and the towns folk think everyone has been accounted for except for the mother of the child who died, and the baker's assistant. Who is a young male adult. They lived in the two main buildings blasted.
The eye witnesses are tracked down, an elderly woman, a middle aged carpenter man, and a sourly dwarf with a mining gear.
Bob picks up on a lot of fear and sorrow in the area. There is no specific person that is panicking or showing extreme fear.
Ekaterina very politely interviews, rather then interrogates, the eyewitnesses, specifically focusing on the possible whereabouts of the still missing persons.
Starting with the carpenter man, then the elderly woman, an then the sourly dwarf. She is entirely good cop, and rather openly makes notes of their statements.
She does seek to use that 2 persons are missing, and that their time may be running out, for greater urgency.
Her wings are folded in a cloak like fashion again, but the witness may have well seen that she can fly and do rather unusual things with her hair.
Ginza finishes what he was doing.
"I'll be coming towards you." He broadcasts to all.
"Stay where you are, I'll be along shortly to avoid further misunderstandings since there has being a rather unfortunate accident." understanding that the source might be her and the reason why might not exist anymore....
The carpenter has a seat and begins to retell, "It started off as such a nice day with blue skies. I looked down the alley as I was dragging my cart with wood. Stopped even in the shade to catch my breath. I saw a figure in the shadows. Then it erupted into flames and the flames sliced through the buildings, I am so glad it missed me. It was a girl that walked by me with a large smile on her... no it was a head of braids. I thought it was a face... I didn't see anyone else in the alley."
The elderly woman says, "I had to rest and saw a cart. Once I was sat down, the flames took down the houses. I saw a young lass exit the alley."
The sourly dwarf blows his nose onto the ground and then says, "I have had an eye for seeing trouble. I saw a lass run into the alley with a man following her. I followed but she didn't need help she blasted him away but it was like a beam or eldritch blast that affected the houses too. The man was disintegrated as anyone else that got hit by the ray."
I have Kazko, Ginza, Amadea and Domayoku moving major debris first and then cleaning.
Lady Ekaterina is interviewing the eye witnesses and relays what they say telepathically.
Bob is checking on the injured, curing as necessary and searching for more missing people.
Ginza is cooking up food for those around.
After 30 minutes the houses are clear of debris and there is no sign of the missing, not a blood splatter, corpse, or limb.