The elemental hawk flying over the high ledge the side swooped down past the group, close enough for Mimi to score a hit. It pauses, briefly, over the open air before swooping back in a tight circle, dipping between Quadennellia and Pennypockets. As its wings sliced through the air past them, the air also sliced at the ysoki--and deeply into the goblin.
The smaller one attempted a similiar first gliding down the stairs to a closer--though also higher--position, then darting a quick circle sending cutting air towards Banterknell and Dennis as it darted between them--but not quickly enough to strike either Pathfinder.
The third moved from over one of the large holes in the floor to the other. It then darted around, cutting between Mimi and Sunshie of Happiness. The tip of its wing manages to tag Mimi, but its other wing aims not at the leshy but her most unusual mount--though it fails to hurt... it? him? It then circles around to a lower position, closer to the floor and easily within reach but also dangerously close to the edge of the world, glaring at the Pathfinders.
All PCs' turns.
Initiative:
Pennypockets (-20)
Dennis (AoO provoked)
Quaddennillia (-6)
Sunshine of Happiness
Banterknell (Lingering Inspire)
Mimi (-8)
Purple Zephyr Hawk (-8; 5 feet up compared to adjacent floor)
Weak Yellow Zephyr Hawk (-3; 10 feet up)
Green Zephyr Hawk (0 feet up)
for
for
for
for
for
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Sunshine flicks a small ball of flame to Purple before commanding Upuan to move and protect her. "Move, move, move!"
fire damage
◆◆ Cast a Spell, Produce Flame
◆ Command an Animal (◆ Stride and ◆ Support)
Close! But not quite quick enough to hit the darting bird-like elemental.
Pennypockets, Dennis, Quaddennillia, Banterknell, and Mimi's turns.
Initiative:
Pennypockets (-20)
Dennis (AoO provoked)
Quaddennillia (-6)
Banterknell (Lingering Inspire)
Mimi (-8)
Purple Zephyr Hawk (-8; 5 feet up compared to adjacent floor)
Weak Yellow Zephyr Hawk (-3; 10 feet up)
Green Zephyr Hawk (0 feet up)
Sunshine of Happiness
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Dennis watches in horror as Penny goes down. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees the goblin was just fooling. "That's a good one Penny! Now, let's get 'em!" Inspired by the music of the bards, Dennis takes an attack of opportunity against the hawk that attacked his friend.
Still enraged that the hawk nearly took down Pennypockets, Dennis chases after it and menacingly yells, "Stop. Hurting. My. Friends." He stabs twice in succession.
Dennis scores a telling blow against the hawk as it circles. He pursues it, and slices it neatly in two. The two halves dissipate into wisps of ordinary wind and vanish into nothing.
Quaddennillia and Banterknell's turns.
Initiative:
Quaddennillia (-6)
Banterknell (Lingering Inspire)
Mimi (-8)
Weak Yellow Zephyr Hawk (-3; 10 feet up)
Green Zephyr Hawk (0 feet up)
Sunshine of Happiness
Pennypockets (-12)
Dennis
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Mimi takes a cut to the arm from the swooping hawk. She glances at the wound and shrugs. "'Tees but a scratch. But eet vill pay for dat dearlee." Seeing that the creature made the mistake of straying too close to the ground, Mimi charges it, slides under it and unleashes a devastating attack before bringing up her rapier into a defensive posture.
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Dancing and playing for all he is worth, BK quickly throws up a shield spell, not really interested in getting all carved up. Then he toots out a jarring melody aimed at the bird that just attacked him.
*Shield
**Phantom Pain , DC 18 (+1 if mentor bonus applies)
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Attack flowchart!
◆ Recall Knowledge if they can be identified by Crafting +11 or Arcana, Occultism or Society +9. Do not attempt with any other skill.
◆ Strike Yellow
plus 1 splash.
◆ Interact to apply poison to a blowgun dart
If I don't know because I didn't make the check, I also have time to ◆ Strike.
, DC 19
◇ Bend Time
◆ Stride
Mimi proves her exceptional skill, tumbling past the elemental foolish enough to goad her with aplomb, touching the edge but remaining grounded. Her skewing would surely have been lethal to a creature of flesh and blood, and its not appreciated by the bird in any case.
Qen concludes that such creatures are unlikely to be affected by her poisons, and hurls instead a bomb. It strikes home, splattering is contents through the living wind.
The elemental is further ticked by Banterknell's spell, wavering in the air and starting to dissipate.
Initiative:
Weak Yellow Zephyr Hawk (-16, bloodied, 10 feet up)
Green Zephyr Hawk (-11, 0 feet up)
Sunshine of Happiness
Pennypockets (-12)
Dennis
Quaddennillia (-6]
Banterknell (Lingering Inspire)
Mimi (-8)
The smaller bird dives towards the tightest grouping of Pathfinders, zipping around Sunshine of Happiness and cutting into both her and her mount before circling around closer to the stairs.
The larger one, perhaps regretting its choice of positioning, glides a bit further out of reach--but finds it must turn its back on Dennis to get away from him in the first place.
It dives at its attack, tightly circling, the tips of its wings twice piercing their defenses.
All PCs' turns.
Initiative:
Sunshine of Happiness (-3, Companion -8)
Pennypockets (-12)
Dennis (AoO provoked, possibly -17)
Quaddennillia (-6]
Banterknell (Lingering Inspire)
Mimi (-8, possibly -25 total)
Weak Yellow Zephyr Hawk (-16, bloodied, 10 feet up)
Green Zephyr Hawk (-11, 10 feet up)
for
for
for
Dennis pieces the creature as it tries to fly away from him. It lets out a cry that sounds something like a normal hawk, but distant and echoey.
It cycles around, focusing is attacks on him, but his next strike punctures the creature squarely through the middle. Wind wisps away from it. There's little fiduciary now between it and normal air, though it remains dangerous.
Everybody except Dennis's turn.
Initiative:
Sunshine of Happiness (-3, Companion -8)
Pennypockets (-12)
Quaddennillia (-6]
Banterknell (Lingering Inspire)
Mimi (-8)
Weak Yellow Zephyr Hawk (-16, bloodied, 10 feet up)
Green Zephyr Hawk (-34, bloodied, 10 feet up)
Dennis (-17)
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Mimi curses at the hawks being out of her rapier's range. "Sacré bleu! Deez birds teenk dey can escape me? Ha, ha! I still 'ave von trick up my sleeve."
She drops her rapier, whips out her bow and sends an arrow into the almost dissipated hawk before quickly reclaiming her rapier from where it landed.
The arrow pierces straight through the bird, which vanishes into air with another strange echoing cry.
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"Accckkkk! How dare you?!" she exclaims at Yellow who just attacked them. "You are not going anywhere!" while she flick another ball of flame into it.
fire damage
She then kicks Upuan to move and give her cover.
◆◆ Cast a Spell, Produce Flame
◆ Command an Animal (◆ Stride, ◆ Support)
The ball of flame hits the remaining elemental, which bursts into nothing but steaming vapor.
A familiar hateful voice roars over an angry wind.
"How dare you defy me, servant?! You are nothing, and I will make you regret your insubordination. I’ll carve a reminder of your disobedience on your soul, Safa! Return at once!"
The elegant fortress is replaced by the decrepit walls of the lodge. Safa bows, the clinking of their thin golden chains clearly audible in the silent lodge.
"You have done everything and so much more, Pathfinders. I must do his bidding. I have only one gift that is mine to give."
A whirlwind forms in the genie’s hands before being released across the building, lifting dust and causing heavy, moth-eaten curtains to flap wildly. The wind subsides as abruptly as it arose, but there’s no trace of the djinni. The surrounding lodge appears transformed, gleaming as if untouched by the ravages of time. A small pile of riches lies a few feet away. To the tiny gems, one item has been added: A small figurine made of silver, a finely dressed Qadiran aristocrat with a reddened, angry face and small antlers. No, clearly his face is silver; how did the artist show so clearly that it is red?
The sleeping figures of the original group of Pathfinders lie nearby, and they start to move as they stir from their torpor. They open their eyes, looking around in confusion. A middle-aged Pathfinder with long gray hair stands up, ordering his colleagues around as they awaken one by one.
"Get up! We have to prepare the lodge for the opening ceremony! Vishka, did you..." he stops abruptly, realizing they are not alone in the room.
"Wait, who are you? What’s going on?"
"Hey, uh, did one of you drop this bag of tiny gems and a little statue of a really ugly man?" asks a goblin, "Because if it's not yours I'm keeping it."
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Mimi reseathes her rapier and tucks her bow back where it belongs as the sleeping Pathfinders slowly regain consciousness. When the aging man discovers them, Mimi replies. "'Ello dere my sleepy collègues! I am Mimi de Valence and ve too are Pathfinders. Ve vere sent 'ere to détermine your fate after you deesappeared vithout a trece. Eet appears dat a djinni binder 'ad taken offense at de Société's noo lodge 'ere in Sedeq and ordered 'ees djinni to shut eet down. You vere all placed in some sort of sleepeeng state until ve deed vhat vas nécessaire to release you and free de lodge of de djinni. No, no; do not thank us; ve vere merelee doeeng our job... dough quaite vell, if I do say so maself."
When the rapacious goblin starts eyeing the bag of goodies that Safa left behind, Mimi looks down at him. "I beleeve dat ees a gift left for us by de djinni for our rather, 'ow you say... flexeebel interpretation of de tasks ve vere given. As prettee as de baubles are, dey are now de propriété of de Société... leetel angree man figure and all."
"No no, that sounds like a misunderstanding," says the man to general agreement from his teammates, "We just got here yesterday ourselves. Although I do feel rather stiff. Why did we sleep on the floor again?"
"We're supposed to be getting ready to host the grand opening," says the goblin, cheerfully handing over the treasure, "but if you're Pathfinders, you should stay and help!"
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Mimi responds. "Eet may 'ave seemed like no time 'as passed to you, but rest assured, you 'ave been incommunicado for many veeks. De Societee vas most concerned as to your fate, thus our présence 'ere."
She then pulls out her wayfinder and displays it. "As you can see, ve are indeed Pathfinders like yourselves, and as dere ees some time availebel before our ship sets sail, I see no raison vhy ve cannot 'elp you prépare for de grande openeeng."
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And just that, after the last elemental vaporize into nothingness, they are back in the room again. She tries to look for the source of that angry voice but she remembers she doesn't want to be crushed by the genie. She shrugs off what is happening until the missing Pathfinders are returned as promised. She even takes the bag containing the gems and ugly statue while Mimi explains to them their presence to the rather surprised Pathfinders. "We take this, yes, this is ours, thanks." she tells the goblin. "And maybe we should report back first to Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin or he might be pretty worried if he doesn't hear anything from us soon before we can help them." she suggests to Mimi.
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When Sunshine's fireball takes out the last hawk, Dennis exclaims, "Hurray!" He turns to the goblin, "Thanks for taking care of me, Penny! Glad you didn't die." He claps the goblin on the back joyfully. Dennis looks around for any more hawks to hit, and is only a little disappointed to find none.
In the newly remodeled lodge, the young fighter welcomes the Pathfinders, but lets Mimi do the talking. But when he hears the master's mean voice, Dennis calls out, "Safa! I hope you're not in trouble with the bad man." He adds, "I hope I see you again. You're my favorite genie I've ever met." Dennis has met no other genies.
When talk of a grand opening occurs, Dennis brightens, "Another party??? Oooohhh! Maybe Vix, the little ice mephit can help with drinks! And Nar, the funny goblin chef from the boat can cook the food!" He practically dances around. "Oh, I do love parties!"
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BK sees Dennis dancing and finds it irresistible and dances along with him.
To the sleepers he says, "Seems like there is a control freak in town and he sicced a genie on you who put you to sleep. He was a lot nicer to US! Even gave me a present." at which point he shows his bauble and gives the others a reproachful look as if that was their fault.
"But you are safe now, BK to the rescue, again."
This is all accompanied by frenetic dancing, and, when he has breath and hands to spare, flute music.
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When Dennis mentions another party, Mimi perks up. "Ah, dat reminds me. I beleeve I 'ave a date tonight vith a certain attractive ifreet named Adina." She turns on her expensive heels and starts heading out the door. She calls out over her shoulder. "No need to vait up for me. I expect dees vill be a long night."
"No, we just got here."
"...didn't we?"
Meanwhile, Melika makes her way towards the best bakery in town. Not the one with the good bread, the one with the good sweet buns.
She's sure Dennis will find it.
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Dennis doesn't mind helping get the place ready for a party, but hangs back with Pennypockets at the mention of "clean-up duties". Instead, he suggests, "We're going to ..." he thinks and continues, "...check on some pastries for our party. Back soon. Bye!"
Before anyone complains, he turns to the goblin and says, "Quick! Before they know we're gone." As they're leaving, he asks Pennypockets, "Wanna help me find the best bakery in the marketplace? I might have a date. How's my hair?" He skips along merrily into town with his new friend, hoping to find the cutest guide in Sedeq.
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"Denny Denny has a date!
Leave your hair or you'll be late,
Put some pastries on her plate,
She'll think you are really great!"
"...did you need me to come by and serenade you later? A Goblin minstrel is pretty romantic, or at least that is what Gutwrench the Orc said when he was proposing to Snoutripper the Barbarian Queen after the bloody battle of the sands in the Belkzen hold to the tune of twenty screaming Goblins"