Vante and Purrlock both look at the painting but don't see anything substantially off with it.
Apexi says, "There might certainly be a critique in store for this one, no?"
Against perhaps an expectation of what ought comprise the constitution of many living beasts, what at first appears to be a worm's tail, having previously retreated into the ribcage of it's master, pokes itself out to brush the display once more, the horror revealed at once therefrom, for out of the cylindrical creature's anus, indeed, another mouth and opposing pair of visual sensory organs unfold instead, but once again, it's singular heart burgeons brown, and once again, it retreats into the symbiotic safety of Wormcaller's chest cavity...
You've discovered that Baltaram's painting was almost certainly done by another artist. Armed with yet another fake piece of artistry, you set your sights on the last of the two major exhibits.
Apexi says, wandering away, "Curious, yes, very curious".
This garden of sculptures is made up entirely of animals wearing current fashion trends from various regions around the Inner Sea. Two women that look to be sisters and wearing matching large wigs discuss the sculptures in hushed tones here, trying to determine what city or nation each piece is from.
They turn to you almost in unison. ”Oh, hello there. I’m known as Audren Darrageau and this is my sister Lauress. Come to view the sculptures?”
Audren looks to a granite sculpture of a squirrel wearing a very fine coat and tie. The name plate states the title “Magnimar Bushytail”, and the artist is one Baltaram Crounotte. ”What do you think of this one?”
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"You have a nice collection here." Vante compliments the two women before they get to offer a look at a particular sculpture. "Well, for that one, hmmm... a squirrel wearing a coat and tie? Would that be the same if my cat here wears a fine dress?" he quips. "But, I want my cat to be still alive and not as a carved stone of course." he laughs at his own remark, as if android can laugh with emotion.
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Before he began traveling, Pib always imagined seeing sublime things that would touch the deepest depths of his heart and soul. This exhibition was causing him to greatly adjust his expectations.
"It is…a squirrel? In a coat? Is it supposed to be…ironic?" He looks to the closest person. "Is this one of those things only those from around here can understand?"
Ouroboros slithers in and slithers out, remaining ambivalent of the squirrel sculpture...
Norbwald knows that this squirrel is in fact a real creature turned to stone by magic. No sculpting was involved at all.
Pib realizes that there are no squirrels of this type anywhere near Magnimar.
When you point this out, the Darrageau sisters whisper intently to one another and move off through the gallery, rapidly drawing the attention of others who want in on the gossip.
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In this room, numerous carousels display sketches and diagrams depicting apothecaries and herbalists collecting and processing flowers, herbs, and other plants for various remedies and medicines. A tall vocal man is dramatically rotating and topping a carousel displaying sketches, loudly complaining that the sketches, which are supposed to convey scientific knowledge and processes, lack accuracy.
”I swear, the youth these days have no scientific rigor in them. We must adhere to process or we are nothing but animals!” He turns to you. ”Oh, see here, I didn’t notice you. Apologies. Fander Rolph, pleased to make your acquaintance. Come to view this pseudo-scientific slop?”
His chest puffs out as he inhales sharply. "Right here. What do you make of this latest Baltaram's sketch?!”
Rolph rotates the carousel to the journal of sketches of an apothecary grinding herbs for medicines. Look at this and tell me what you think, eh?"
Vante's keen insight notices the organization of information presented by the sketches is haphazard at best. It represents an amateur understanding of scientific principles.
Purrlock realizes that the plants depicted in these sketches are medicinally useless.
The typically boisterous Dr. Rolph merely raises an eyebrow, gives a silent nod, and strides off. His uncharacteristic response draws a hushed murmur from nearby attendees.
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After an evening of interacting with the artists, art critics, and other socialites, you follow the crowd into the main hall [ooc]see slides where Asrennia is preparing to thank her guests and announce her favorite pieces from the various galleries. She starts with several rounds of terrible jokes and descriptions of some of the winners from the minor galleries.
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Caller and Ouroboros menace over the display, grotesque in their diametric dinterplay conjuring the mockery of life from both insideout and rightsidein - one a collection of hard fleshless bone, the other boneless mass of writhing guts - together frightening away any prospective spectators, inadvertently advancing the agenda of the art critique...
Before announcing the winners from the four main exhibits, Asrennia says with a cutting smile, ”Before I announce the winners from the four main exhibits, however, I would invite our newcomers to give commentary and thoughts on what they’ve seen and experienced here tonight.” All eyes turn toward you.
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"Thank you for the honor," Vante moves forward. "As a fellow artist from another timeline, I appreciate the art presented in this wonderful event that you have here." he continues. "But I just noticed that they are riddled with... uhm, what word can best describe it? Maybe flaws? Yes, that could be part of any form of art but I just can't stand obvious errors such as planets orbiting in the wrong direction on one of your clockworks."
With a wave of her hand, Asrennia silences the hushed whispers as the accusations begin to fly. "I will not have such forgeries in my presence. I denounce the fraud known as Baltaram Crounotte. I do hereby promise to restore Trinsky
"That's enough!" A man pushes through the crowd followed by two bodyguards wielding saps. "I, Baltaram Crounotte am appalled at these accusations. I will defend my honor by all means necessary. Defend yourselves, horrid critics!"
**In Combat!**
Bold may act.
Current party buffs:
Round 1
Vante
===========================
Baltaram
Green
Purple
===========================
Wormcaller
Pib
Purrlock
Norbwald
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"You just don't call us horrid." Vante tells the accused. He then brings his clockwork cat, JK, into Overdrive.
He then commands JK to get moving and launch a electrified projectile at Baltaraam. He then draws his shortbow.
◆ Overdrive
◆ Command a Construct (◆ Stride, ◆ Strike with Projectile Launcher)
◆ Interact to draw Shortbow
JK launches an electrified projectile at Baltaram after he gets closer to him and his minions guards.
electricity damage
Baltaram is hit dead on by the electric projectile! He staggers back but the rage on his face only deepens. "This will not stand!"
He rushes in, palm out to give a big slap across the face to Pib, but completely fumbles it and stumbles over his own feet and just brushes Pib across the chest instead. He then backs away, realizing he might be overwhelmed.
One of the bodyguards moves forward to protect Baltaram with a sap, and lashes out twice at Pib, hitting once with a bruising hit, and missing wide the next time . The other moves and adopts a defensive position over Baltaram.
Bold may act.
Current party buffs:
Round 1/2
Vante
===========================
Baltaram - 7 DMG
Green
Purple
===========================
Wormcaller
Pib - 7 nonlethal DMG
Purrlock
Norbwald
Leaping to defend his master, two of mind, it is with cautious slithers that Ouroboros burrows forward, gnawing down on the closest assailant with half of his usual teeth.
◆) Act Together to Stride
◆) Strike
Behind him, Caller spins forth a whirling cloud of bones, surrounding Ouroboros as a protective barrier, inuring him from possible counterattack!
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Waving a crude implement - a common long spear scavenged from the swamp - our skeletal hero reaches a hand forth, which disconnects itself to interpose between Ouroboros and the adjacent assailant, ready to block any incoming attack!
◆) Act Together to Step
◆) Protect Companion
+
↺) Life Block
↺) Collapse
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Norbwald draws their hammer and takes a moment to ponder Baltaram
In the meantime he offers a sipof his drink to Pib.
Success You recall an important fact about the creature, learning its highest weakness (or one of its highest weaknesses, if it has multiple with the same value) but not its other weaknesses, resistances, or immunities. You can exploit either the creature's mortal weakness or personal antithesis. Your unarmed and weapon Strikes against the creature also become magical if they weren't already.
Failure Failing to recall a salient weakness about the creature, you instead attempt to exploit a more personal vulnerability. You can exploit only the creature's personal antithesis. Your unarmed and weapon Strikes against the creature also become magical if they weren't already.
Critical Failure You couldn't remember the right object to use and become distracted while you rummage through your esoterica. You become flat-footed until the beginning of your next turn.
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"Ouch! What will not stand, mister, is you getting violent over a bit of negative feedback!"
Pib dodges the last blow with a slight bow, flutters his fan on his attacker's face to briefly block the man's view, and strikes twice.
His movements barely resemble fighting—it is clear Pib is dancing, trying to distract his enemy and impress the crowd.
Halfway through the dance, he raises his shield arm while taking a sip from Norbwald's proffered drink.
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Vante instructs his construct cat with short commands to get close and scratch at Baltaram. "Don't let your eyes get off that fake one!" He then moves, like in a blur, next to his cat and shoots an arrow at him.
piercing damage
◆◆ Command a Construct
◇ Bend Time
◆ Strike
JK jumps into action by moving around the pillar to get close to Baltaram. it then punches his legs using his paws.
bludgeoning damage
bludgeoning damage
◆ Stride
◆ Strike
◆ Strike
Purrlock's claws rake the bodyguard in green across his chest. The man staggers back, clearly injured. Ouroboros's teeth does not find any purchase though. Norbwald attempts to find a weakness in Baltaram but JK's attack renders the floundering artist unconscious. The bodyguards look warily at each other, but their resolve seems to remain intact at least for now.
The bodyguard in green shakes off the effects of Pib's performance. He shouts, "I'm gonna get paid!" He strikes out three times at Pib, hitting only once. The guard in purple still attempts to protect Baltaram's unconscious form. He also strikes out at JK but misses.
Round 2/3
Vante
===========================
Baltaram - 18 DMG
Green - 17 DMG
Purple
===========================
Wormcaller
Pib - 12 nonlethal DMG
Purrlock
Norbwald
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Pointing his longspear at the Green Guard, Caller circles around with a clatter of bones, yet more pieces of his body leaving to incorporate around the giant Worm now flanking their common foe, overlapping scintellae of protective wards in the form of interposing hands and offensive bolsters in the form of reinforcing overplates girding the mass of writhing flesh and teeth through an opposite lateral!
◆) Act Together to Stride
◆) Protect Companion
◆) Boost Eidolon
+
↺) Life Block
↺) Collapse
◆) Act Together to Strike
Moistening the supple skin around it's teeth, Ouroboros expands the diameter of it's maw to suitable proportions as to swallow whole the poor guard, whose muffled screams are barely heard as he passes through the entirely of the Worm's inside body, bones crunching from the wild, thrashing pressure of it's taut inner viscera, emerging from the other beast's "mouth" at it's tail end covered in digestive slime and waste fluid...
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Though Pib takes the punches without interrupting his dance, it is clear the little kobold is starting to feel the blows. He throws his fan to the ceiling, strikes twice, grabs the falling fan, and takes a step away from his attacker.
He takes a defensive position, quickly moving his arms so his buckler is ready to deflect an attack.
The Worm Ouroboros takes a bite from the green guard's leg, and Pib lands a good blow to the man's chest. He staggers, clearly hurt. "All right, this idiot ain't worth dyin' over! Job don't pay that well!"
The purple guard says, "You bloody coward! I'll show ye how a real fighter does it."
Round 2/3
Vante
===========================
Baltaram - 18 DMG, unconscious
Green - 29 DMG, Surrendering
Purple
===========================
Wormcaller
Pib - 12 nonlethal DMG
Purrlock
Norbwald