"Actually, it was a (?flayed) skin, not a skeleton," Charles notes helpfully. "Glad to see you are doing better!"
"A skeleton would've been much easier to deal with." Guillaume mutters between heavy breaths, as he leans against a doorjamb and tries to recover from his rage.
"A skeleton would've been much easier to deal with." Guillaume mutters between heavy breaths, as he leans against a doorjamb and tries to recover from his rage.
"Agreed. Is there anything that would help with the fatigue? I haven't prayed for a 'remove fatigue' spell before."
A merciful item? In an evil game? Some author has a sense of humor. I certainly won't be using it against that hound archon.
Sercrutio interjects, "Fellzir, I believe it is commonly one of the mid strength spells that is also utilized for rejuvenating other inflicted maladies. Rejuvination? Or..no..Ah! That is right! Many simply refer to it as Restoration. A blanket term for a multi-faceted spell."
Charles attempts to be as diplomatic as possible.
"Dear Loredana, we have dealt with the Shredskin in the basement. That said, it *would* have been helpful to know about the monster beneath our feet before this..."
Loredana opens the door, her pale skin more ashen and her grey eyes large. "Dealt with the... what now?" She asks, her brow furrowed in confusion. But then she notices the pendant and chain and gives a sharp intake of breath, her hand flying to clutch at her own throat. "Father..." She utters in her shock.
She comes out of her room, wearing a modest dressing gown over her night clothes. She takes up the necklace and moves to the kitchen table where she sits down, wearily. "I could not tell you what I did not know. That his sprit was not at rest, I have long suspected. Something down there became... unquiet, from time to time. But then the noises would subside again. Something about this rebellion seemed to have stirred it up again. I felt sure it would stop soon. I guess it will now."
Her eyes narrow as she looks up, "It's not as if I asked you to go down there. If anything, I did what I could to further conceal the entrance. I haven't even gone down there since... since he died."
"But if you have finally put an end to these... disturbances. Well, you have done the Inn and myself a great service. You have my gratitude."
Charles eyebrows raise.
"Given only his skin was down their, and the rest of him was... absent... *someone* must have known about it... but I won't ask any more."
He then bows politely to her, and goes back to bed.
Isnt that the symbol of the shitty sin Socothbenoth? Effing Nocticulas Ex and brother because OF COURSE? Demonlord of rape, perversion and all the things Nocticula is to stylish and cultured for? F&!#, did I just compliment the big-boned-bat-b!!%!? Also, how much suspicion do I draw upon myself by revealing I know how Sucks-his-own-cocknoths symbol looks like?
Aurelius makes a bit of an identification mistake
She is hiding something, probably that she killed him, and probably good riddance. Hmm, Nocticula and Socothbenoth hate each other... Oh f~#$ is Loredana one of hers?
Aurelius keeps a completel impenetrable poker face as his mind jumps to some dangerous conclusions, taking into account both the unholy symbol and his suprisingly good lie detection.
"Madame Viorica," Sercrutio says with an eyebrow raised, "did your father worship Zon-Kuthon? And how did he die in a storage cellar?"
"Madame Viorica," Sercrutio says with an eyebrow raised, "did your father worship Zon-Kuthon? And how did he die in a storage cellar?"
"Yes." She answers the first question simply and easily. "We came here from Nidal when I was young, it is not an uncommon faith there. As a girl, when my mother still lived, I can remember him being more open-minded and worldly in his thinking. But after she died, his moods took a darker turn and he became more devout and strict with his faith. He spoke of returning to Nidal, with more frequency as the years passed."
She looks up at you with a sour twist to her mouth and an appraising look in her eye. Finally, she seems to decide herself and goes on with the story.
"I was not in favor of this plan. I don't remember Nidal. Kantaria and this Inn are the only home I have ever known. It was easy to discourage him from the idea at first. We would need a buyer or a caretaker we could trust with the Inn, we would need lodgings and to arrange for the trip. For a time, these obstacles were enough to persuade him to put the plans aside. But eventually, he would return to it. Finally, he was determined that we would return to Nidal even if we had to abandon the Inn. I argued that I could stay and manage the Little Uskwood myself and he would be free to return and devote himself to his faith. But he wouldn't hear of it. I wanted him to see reason... to take me seriously, and in my anger I grabbed a brass kettle and flung it down at his feet." A pang of regret and pain flits across her face then.
"I thought it was water. Hot water at the worst, but I was wrong. My father had grown more experimental in his methods for correcting slaves. It was filled with some sort of acid. A more caustic substance than I even knew existed. It splashed out in a font onto him and his legs were destroyed before I could even scream. It was horrifying, and as the puddle spread, bubbling and smoking... I ran for my life. I couldn't face what I had done to him. I closed off the entrance and never went down there again." She clutches her dressing gown about her as if feeling suddenly cold, but she does not weep.
"A skeleton would've been much easier to deal with." Guillaume mutters between heavy breaths, as he leans against a doorjamb and tries to recover from his rage."Agreed. Is there anything that would help with the fatigue? I haven't prayed for a 'remove fatigue' spell before."
A merciful item? In an evil game? Some author has a sense of humor. I certainly won't be using it against that hound archon.
"Just... give me a minute to catch my breath, I'll be fine."
As the others talk to Loredana, Guillaume stands at the back, catching his breath.
May I enquire about your own faith Lady Loredana?
My own actual liege, Lord Malacoda, known as the fatherless, known as the lord of Bastards, may have some... spiritual relevance. Although there could have been... better solutions to your issue, such as splitting. After all, if he returns to Nidal, why would you have to follow?
Aurelius asks, seeking an opportunity for manipulation
Do you still have the recipe for this acid? It would be quite useful against swarms and other enemies.
My own actual liege, Lord Malacoda, known as the fatherless, known as the lord of Bastards, may have some... spiritual relevance. Although there could have been... better solutions to your issue, such as splitting. After all, if he returns to Nidal, why would you have to follow?
"As I mentioned, I tried to appeal to him from a business-minded perspective. We would have sacrificed much of our wealth and position to leave without making proper arrangements for the Inn. I don't know why he was unwilling to consider my offer to stay behind. I suspect he had some plans that required my presence, though he did not share them."
Do you still have the recipe for this acid? It would be quite useful against swarms and other enemies.
Loredana shakes her head. "I don't know where he got the acid. I didn't even know he had it. He had... experimental ideas about methods for disciplining slaves. We had to bury some before he found some less lethal means to enact his... punishments."
The rest of the night passes uneventfully and you are not wakened for any pressing need before you are fully rested. Nicolae approaches you with the information about his intended quarry.
Jed and Leora, the halfling twins promised to Nicolae as slaves, now make their living as fisherfolk on the Sedna River. Enjoying their newfound freedom, the two take long trips away from Kantaria to fish along the river when not working for the Labor Guild. They know the faces of Nicolae and his bodyguards and are wary of allowing them to approach, but may be open to speaking with someone else.
Sercrutio attempts to gain an audience with Zaine under the pretext of academic study of magic for civic endeavors.
Fellzir and Guillaume purchase some ridiculously large sacks and some fishing gear. Anyone else want to tag along?
Giuliano joins the fishing trip preparations.
"Should we rent a boat for easier transport of our marks?"
Sercrutio attempts to gain an audience with Zaine under the pretext of academic study of magic for civic endeavors.
Sercrutio receives a note in reply inviting him to join Zaine in the early evening at the Kantaria Historicum.
Nicolae makes a show of getting ready to leave, his bodyguards leisurely packing their wagon with goods for their return trip to Nidal. Using a map on the common room wall, he indicates an area just off the road where they will linger for a while in case of a surprise delivery.
Fellzir casts eagles splendor to get the +2 to Bluff and Diplomacy and then approaches to the vicinity of where the halflings are and asks, "Do you mind if I fish nearby? I have never actually done this before. ha ha" He proceeds to look inept until throwing the rod down on the ground in disgust. "This was supposed to be relaxing..."
*********
Sercrutio shows up to the Historicum in the early evening, as requested. He is dressed in his academic finery that he wore when he attended the academy.
"How goes your exploration of the knowledge held here in Kantaria? Anything good?"
*********
Sercrutio hides nearby in the bushes with a rope in hand.
Now wearing his mask again, The Shrike has taken a position to hide in the foliage, and sneaks closer to the halflings to launch a surprise attack.
Guillaume casts a few times, catching nothing. "Less relaxing and more boring. I'd rather be hunting boar."
The two halflings, a young male and female, similar enough in features and coloring that they must be related, fish atop a small plateau that the river splits to flow around. The female casts into the larger, main branch of the river while the male rests in the shade of a tree, cleaning their catch.
The little fellow puts down his work and moves closer to peer down at Fellzir at his greeting. "'Tis a free river. Fer now, at least. Ye won't catch much makin' a ruckus like that though. Ye've got ta be peaceful-like. Let the babble of tha runnin' water soothe ye. I'm Jed," He offers and points with his thumb over his shoulder. "An that's my sister, Leora." She gives a nod of acknowledgement, but is mostly focused on her line.
Suddenly, Jed's eyes widen and he lowers his voice. "Don't look now, good sir, but a masked man is slippin' up on ye."
His stealth approach foiled, The Shrike feels he has little option but spring the ambush. But in the last moment he decides to continue the ruse, and launch himself towards Guillaume - in a most theatrical manner he tries to appear he'd be attacking the tiefling instead.
When Shrike leaps into action, Sercrutio casts Invisibility on himself and runs and leaps to grab the edge of the rise.
"What? Really? My friend will hold him off. Let's get out of here!"
Fellzir tries to lead the halflings away from the Shrike, hopefully right toward Aurelius and Charles. If they follow, Fellzir asks Aurelius and Charles, "Please, will you help escort us away from here? We were attacked!"
Attacked? Number, location and type of enemies. Aurelius says as he puts on his best tiefling Paladin impressonation.
If you do not know, location suffices.
"Ah! What is this!?" Guillaume exclaims, actually surprised by the Shrike's adlibbing. He attempts to grapple the masked man, or at least make it look good.
[dice=bluff]d20+14
Attacked? Number, location and type of enemies. Aurelius says as he puts on his best tiefling Paladin impressonation.
If you do not know, location suffices.
"No, I don't want you to fight, just help get us out of here, maybe to somewhere we can hide?"
The performance is not a bad one, Guillaume looks appropriately surprised and The Shrike frightening as ever, but as Fellzir and Aurelius urge them toward "safety" the halflings pause a moment, considering.
"Just a bit more, got ta grab our things!" Jed calls and heads back to where he was cleaning fish and he and Leora quickly gather up their tools. Leora's head jerks up as if hears something behind the tree and she moves west to the edge of the plateau. "Hurry, Jed!" She urges.
Round 1
-------------------
Charles - delays, possibly hiding
The Shrike - Performance Attacks Guillaume
Sercrutio - casts invisibility and moves, successfully grabs ledge
Guillaume - grapples with The Shrike
Jed - move, gather tools
Leora - gather tools, move
➤Aurelius
➤Fellzir
Round 2
-------------------
➤Charles
➤The Shrike
➤Sercrutio
➤Guillaume
Jed
Leora
Aurelius
Fellzir
Guillaume holds the Shrike and continues to grapple with him.
"Just let me lunge at them once they're closer..." The Shrike whispers to Guillaume while engaged in the pretend-wrestle.
Fellzir continues encouraging the halflings toward Aurelius and readies and action to run after them if they bolt.
The halflings look wary and have moved some distance away.
Sercrutio attempts to climb the rest of the way and then sneak closer (15ft).
I was hoping the conversation would bring them closer to us.
I was hoping the conversation would bring them closer to us.
Sercrutio slips as silent as a serpent and invisible as the wind, closing on the halflings.
Jed rises from his gathering and moves to join his twin on the far edge of the rise, aiding her as she nimbly scales down the far side of the plateau.
Round 2
-------------------
Charles - delays, possibly hiding
The Shrike - Performance struggles w/ Guillaume
Sercrutio - climbs and moves, undetected
Guillaume - grapples with The Shrike
Jed - moves, aids Leora
Leora - climbs down
➤Aurelius
➤Fellzir
Round 3
-------------------
➤Charles
➤The Shrike
➤Sercrutio
➤Guillaume
Jed
Leora
Aurelius
Fellzir
Sercrutio sneaks invisibly and crouches behind the rock drawing his rope as he goes. With a short incantation, ending in, "lepos" he casts a spell .
"Jed," he says in a hushed voice, "Use this rope to help you both."
Jed startles slightly at the sound of a low voice nearby and his eyes go wide as the Wizard pops into view, casting at him. But he quickly settles and sighs in relief. "Thank ye, good sir. I'm not sure what those fellas are about, but we'd rather not get mixed up in anything." He gratefully accepts the offered rope.
Leora seems to be eyeing the river for a path to safety.
The spell ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, an attack includes any spell targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe. Exactly who is a foe depends on the invisible character's perceptions.
Guillaume takes a wait-and-see approach, ready to spring into action if the halflings move his way.
Fellzir tries to follow Sercrutio up to the plateau, but quickly remembers his failings in the athletic world.
"Maybe we could escape this way instead of trying to jump across a river?"