Kharya grins, though only Inferno can feel it.
"Go then. Let us know the count and we'll follow like clockwork."
Kharya paces back and forth, keeping her suit warmed up for the imminent battle.
"Barrier goes down first, we pile on one, I'll grab the other so he can't run and gun."
Cassiel and Timdok approach the barricade invisibly. They shove against the barricade, managing to shove it roughly aside to expose the two giants on the far side! The giants cry out in surprise!
Unfortunately, they recover quickly. Still unable to see either Cassiel or Timdok, the giants fire their wide-mouthed pistols at Kharya, reloading and firing again. The spray of pellets strikes those near the azer as well. The thunderous sounds of the gunshots echo through the cavern!
Tim enters his stance, closes on the giant he has marked, and smcks him in the back.
for and
for and
HP 114/116
AC 27
Fort +18, Ref +17, Will (mysterious resolve) +20
Halfling Luck: Skill/saving throw []; attack/Perception []
Hero points: 1
Focus Points: 1/2
Spells (DC 30): 1st [][][][]; 2nd [][][][]; 3rd [][][][]; 4th [x][][][]; 5th [x][][][]; 6th [x][][] GP []
Effects: Cursebound 0 (-0 speed)
"Less diva, Farrina, more helping!" Esirelle instructs, before her words are caught off as she catches some stray pellets off Kharya.
She frowns and reaches out with her magic.
Said diva rolls her eyes, but begins the gestures to a magical spell as she moves to catch both giants in the effect.
Farrina gives Cassiel a friendly shoulder shove. "Feel free to ignore her. You can stroke my ego all you want," she declares with smirk.
"I’ll keep that in mind, Farrina, but I think you’ve got plenty of confidence without my help." Cassiel responds, trying to get focused at the task at hand.
---
Trying his best to keep pace with Timdok as he flashes forward, Cassiel quickly gets winded from the sprint. Once they reach the point of striking, his blade flashes out ... and misses his target by a solid two feet. Breathing heavy and trying to catch his breath, he raises his shield.
Divine Grace
You call upon your deity’s grace, gaining a +2 circumstance bonus to the save.
Flash of Grandeur
An enemy damages your ally, and both are in your champion’s aura; Effect Imperious divine light flashes out from you to surround your foe. The ally gains resistance to all damage against the triggering damage equal to 2 + your level. For 1 round, the attacker is affected by revealing light.
(1) Exalted Reaction: In addition to the enemy affected by Flash of Grandeur, each other enemy in your champion’s aura (30') is affected by the revealing light spell for 1 round.
(2) Relentless Reaction: The enemy also takes persistent spirit damage equal to your Charisma modifier (4), and it can’t recover from this persistent damage while affected by the revealing light from your Flash of Grandeur.
(3) Brilliant Flash: Your light cleanses souls of fear. When you use Flash of Grandeur, the attacker is also off-guard for 1 round.
(4) Revealing Light
Range 120 feet; Area 10-foot burst
Defense Reflex; Duration varies
A wave of magical light washes over the area. You choose the appearance of the light, such as colorful, heatless flames or sparkling motes. A creature affected by revealing light is dazzled. If the creature was invisible, it becomes concealed instead. If the creature was already concealed for any other reason, it is no longer concealed.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success The light affects the creature for 2 rounds.
Failure The light affects the creature for 1 minute.
Critical Failure The light affects the creature for 10 minutes.
Reactive Shield
You can snap your shield into place just as you would take a blow, avoiding the hit at the last second. You immediately use the Raise a Shield action and gain your shield’s bonus to AC. The circumstance bonus from the shield applies to your AC when you’re determining the outcome of the triggering attack.
Shield Block
You snap your shield in place to ward off a blow. Your shield prevents you from taking an amount of damage up to the shield’s Hardness. You and the shield each take any remaining damage, possibly breaking or destroying the shield.
|
Recoiling at the powerful gunshots echoing through the cavern Cerulean pipes up. "That's bad, likely all the others in this place will know we're here now starlings. So we best wrap up the mooks quickly and prepare for the next set!"
Moving forward, and quickly mixing up a bottle of liquid with a small pre-prepared baggie of specially treated sand glass, they lob the bomb-mixture towards the giants hoping to slow their nerves enough that the others can capitalize on their lethargy.
The bottle impacts and then shatters into another roiling explosion of sound and electric blue bolts properly zapping the giant nearest Timdok.
Kharya rushes forward, holding one of the gunners in place while shoving her shield into the face of the other.
"Only the first shot's free, care to try another?" she taunts.
Farrina's spell causes the giants to sob uncontrollably, slowing them down. Esirelle's magic makes one of the giants extremely clumsy, allowing Timdok to score a hit with his stumbling strike. Cerulean scores a critical hit with their lightning, and while Cassiel misses, Kharya grabs hold of the other giant.
The crying giants draw their scimitars and attack Timdok and Kharya.
Cassiel grins when Kharya shrugs off the first hit, invites another attack and then is clawed in return. He slashes with his blade, expands his aura to 30' and then raises his shield again.
Kharya keeps the giant's gunhand forced down, muscling her shield up to catch the scimitar's blade with a satisfied grunt. Glancing over at Timdok to make sure he's out of ground zero, Kharya hammers an elbow into the giant's gut then flame rips its way out of every vent to tear through them both!
"Much obliged, Cas. These giants are out for halfling blood." Timdok says. "They don't know what a friendly guy I am."
Feinting a shot at the giant's head, Tim goes for two body blows.
for
for
for
HP 114/116
AC 27
Fort +18, Ref +17, Will (mysterious resolve) +20
Halfling Luck: Skill/saving throw []; attack/Perception []
Hero points: 1
Focus Points: 1/2
Spells (DC 30): 1st [][][][]; 2nd [][][][]; 3rd [][][][]; 4th [x][][][]; 5th [x][][][]; 6th [x][][] GP []
Effects: Cursebound 0 (-0 speed)
Esirelle smiles as the giant stumbles and blasts the clumsy one with a divine lance.
Farrina takes a moment to check her hair before gesturing in disgust, sending more flames at the sobbing giants.
Farrina's spell goes wide, but Esirelle barely manages a hit. Timdok strikes his foe twice, while Cassiel slashes at the giant's legs. Cerulean hits that giant with two bombs, leaving them very badly injured. Kharya punches the giant she has grabbed and then triggers and explosion! Her foe somehow avoids the entire blast, but the badly wounded giant is caught in the detonation and is thrown to the ground, where they lie still, immolated to death.
The grabbed giant sobs and slashes desperately at Kharya.
"Just put that sword down, friend. You're going to hurt someone. Probably me."
Tim slides over to the grabbed giant and tries to disarm him, following up with a punch!
or
for
HP 114/116
AC 27
Fort +18, Ref +17, Will (mysterious resolve) +20
Halfling Luck: Skill/saving throw []; attack/Perception []
Hero points: 1
Focus Points: 1/2
Spells (DC 30): 1st [][][][]; 2nd [][][][]; 3rd [][][][]; 4th [x][][][]; 5th [x][][][]; 6th [x][][] GP []
Effects: Cursebound 1 (-5 speed)
Esirelle gets a sudden glance of this giant's fate, honing her attack spell all the more as she blasts it. "It's too late to cry about it," she says. "You should have just let us past."
Kharya takes a half-step back as the scimitar cracks into her helm, but shakes it off and dives on the giant once more, raining down blow after blow as she forgoes all subtlety or defense in favor of a quick death for her foe.
Speaking to Tim without actually looking at him, Cassiel turns his head slightly and says "I won't let him hurt you, Timdok."
He engages by striking twice before raising his shield.
Divine Grace
You call upon your deity’s grace, gaining a +2 circumstance bonus to the save.
Flash of Grandeur
An enemy damages your ally, and both are in your champion’s aura; Effect Imperious divine light flashes out from you to surround your foe. The ally gains resistance to all damage against the triggering damage equal to 2 + your level. For 1 round, the attacker is affected by revealing light.
(1) Exalted Reaction: In addition to the enemy affected by Flash of Grandeur, each other enemy in your champion’s aura (30') is affected by the revealing light spell for 1 round.
(2) Relentless Reaction: The enemy also takes persistent spirit damage equal to your Charisma modifier (4), and it can’t recover from this persistent damage while affected by the revealing light from your Flash of Grandeur.
(3) Brilliant Flash: Your light cleanses souls of fear. When you use Flash of Grandeur, the attacker is also off-guard for 1 round.
(4) Revealing Light
Range 120 feet; Area 10-foot burst
Defense Reflex; Duration varies
A wave of magical light washes over the area. You choose the appearance of the light, such as colorful, heatless flames or sparkling motes. A creature affected by revealing light is dazzled. If the creature was invisible, it becomes concealed instead. If the creature was already concealed for any other reason, it is no longer concealed.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success The light affects the creature for 2 rounds.
Failure The light affects the creature for 1 minute.
Critical Failure The light affects the creature for 10 minutes.
Reactive Shield
You can snap your shield into place just as you would take a blow, avoiding the hit at the last second. You immediately use the Raise a Shield action and gain your shield’s bonus to AC. The circumstance bonus from the shield applies to your AC when you’re determining the outcome of the triggering attack.
Shield Block
You snap your shield in place to ward off a blow. Your shield prevents you from taking an amount of damage up to the shield’s Hardness. You and the shield each take any remaining damage, possibly breaking or destroying the shield.
With a muttered curse that she's been forced to engage via crude fire spells (or it could be self-recrimination in regards to her less-than-perfect aim), Farrina fires off another bolt of flames.
The giant stands little chance against the onslaught of attacks you bring to bear. He goes limp in Kharya's grasp, burnt and bloodied.
Now that you have a chance to make it past the barricade, you can see a sandy cavern with old, weathered carvings of angry faces covering the walls. Three particularly large carvings leer from an alcove to the east, the floor of which has been strewn with mattresses to give it the appearance of a giant’s throne. Elsewhere stand stacks of crates, several barrels, and some drying racks covered in strips of unpleasantly gray pieces of meat. To the northeast, a wide, smooth-walled shaft leads further up, and a wooden platform affixed to six ropes that wind up into the shaft sits on the ground.
Searching the containers turns up a few items of value, including 112 gp, three climbing bolts, two doses of spider root poison in a pottery container with an obsidian lid etched with an image of a spider (the lid is worth 125 gp), and a hefty iron box. Kept within the iron box are several of the desert giants’ most treasured possessions: objects connected with their rich oral history that have little value beyond the giants’ reverence for them. These objects include several dozen fingers hung from a great iron key ring—many bear crudely made rings crafted from fine ore, worth 250 gp in total, but one of them is a shadow signet. A broken maul sits atop a giant set of bagpipes made of exquisitely carved horns and antlers worth 150 gp. A leathery bag contains the preserved hair and beard of an ancient leader, a clay and lapis token depicting a rat riding a scarab worth 100 gp, and a preserved camel foot thrust into the mouth of a dodo skull with two large garnets for eyes worth 125 gp each. Stuffed into the camel foot is a bejeweled penny whistle that’s actually a moderate maestro’s instrument.
"A giant's treasure trove," Timdok looks over the takings. "Not much to fight over. I wonder what their new overlord promised them."
Kharya holds up the dodo skull dramatically in one hand. "What better to fight for than beauty? No wonder they're willing to die for the Silent King."
Timdok lifts an eyebrow at Kharya's comment and sighs. A long-running argument.
Money!
Cassiel listens to Kharya’s remark about fighting for beauty, turning to face her as he contemplates the concept. After collecting his thoughts, he walks over and joins the conversation. Much to absolutely no ones surprise, the champion does not suggest money.
"There’s truth in what you say, Kharya. On this we are aligned, I believe." This a subject Cassiel is quite passionate about and has spoken (at length) many times before. "Beauty is worth fighting for, but not just the kind found in treasures or relics." He places a gauntleted hand over his chest and continues "True beauty is in the light we bring to the world, the hope we inspire, and the example we set. For we fight not for hollow promises, but for a world where beauty can thrive-where it shines as a reflection of what’s good, pure, and right."
A rasping, grating noise works its way out of Kharya's helm, and she nearly doubles over, tearing her helmet off to breathe better as she wheezes with laughter. Tears stream down her brassy cheeks. "It's- it's a camel's foot jammed into a bird's beak. Truly, a face not even an upland mother could love."
A rasping, grating noise works its way out of Kharya's helm, and she nearly doubles over, tearing her helmet off to breathe better as she wheezes with laughter. Tears stream down her brassy cheeks. "It's- it's a camel's foot jammed into a bird's beak. Truly, a face not even an upland mother could love."
Cassiel is caught off guard by Kharya's laughter and watches as she doubles over in tears. As usual, he needs a little time to gather his thoughts.
After a moment he responds in typical measured and calm voice "Even in the most unlikely of places, there can be beauty. Perhaps not in the obvious sense, but in what it represents. History, tradition, even humor. And laughter-" He pauses briefly to motion to Kharya herself, waiting for her to recover from her fit, "-laughter is a beauty in itself, wouldn’t you agree?"
"Who knows what value it may hold to the giants of these lands though. I think there could be beauty in a story behind it at least. If we want to keep on that track that is."
Cassiel smiles, briefly touching his forehead and extending it to Cerulean as a gesture of affirmation. You’re right, Cerulean. There is always a story behind the things people hold dear, and in that story lies beauty, even if it’s not immediately clear to us."
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"Everyone fights for what matters most to them, and there's no reason to think that's the same for the giants. After all, we don't all fight for the same thing," Esirelle responds as she begins to return to normal time.
"That ring is something of value, though, regardless of who or what you fight for. I could use it, but Farina could too."
Kharya's laughter stills, and she replaces her helm with a "Your world's too tidy, Cass. Just because it fits together doesn't mean the world's a flawless masterpiece - sometimes a mechanism runs smoothly because it's already ground down everything out of place."
"You're right, Esirelle. No sense leaving thing to rot in the desert," Tim agrees. "Now: Ready to move on?"
He gathers all of the valuables while the group has their esoteric discussion about beauty.
"That ring is something of value, though, regardless of who or what you fight for. I could use it, but Farina could too."
"Help yourself, Luv," the entertainer interjects, waggling the fingers of both hands in the air, the multitude of rings adorning many of them glittering in the light. "I've already got plenty. And while I'm proudly avaricious I'm more interested in whatever coin they were hoarding."
She gives Timdok a less than subtle wink.
Esirelle smiles, and dons the ring.
"I didn't want to deprive you of anymore gold to weigh you down," she taunts.
Cassiel continues to engage Kharya while the others talk over the items.
Kharya's laughter stills, and she replaces her helm with a "Your world's too tidy, Cass. Just because it fits together doesn't mean the world's a flawless masterpiece - sometimes a mechanism runs smoothly because it's already ground down everything out of place."
Cassiel meets Kharya’s gaze with a calm expression. "The world isn’t flawless, Kharya. On this, we agree. It’s full of rough edges and imperfections and things that don’t fit. But that’s exactly why we fight to bring light and beauty into it."
He steps closer the armored warrior, softening his tone. "A well-oiled mechanism may grind away at what’s different or out of place, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We can choose to make room for the unexpected, to see value in things that others might overlook. Even in the broken, the strange, and the flawed, there’s something worth preserving. It’s not about perfection, it’s about seeing beauty in the struggle to find meaning, even if the world seems like it’s trying to grind it away."
Esirelle smiles, and dons the ring.
"I didn't want to deprive you of anymore gold to weigh you down," she taunts.
Did she just take a shot at our weight?
"No need to worry, Dear," Farrina replies with her stage smile. "If it weighs me down, at least I can always drop the bag and ... ta-da! I weigh less. Not all of us have that luxury."
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Since they are busy mostly tending to wounds Cerulean doesn't find much to add to the lofty discussion on beauty. Though they do think fondly on Cass's description of what they're fighting for they see it applying outwardly to all the things around them.
"Ahem perhaps we might be moving on soon, since we've collected the scraps here and dealt with this group of giants. There's no telling what may happen if we tarry overlong."
When you are ready, Timdok stealthily climbs up the shaft above the platform to scout the area above. At a height of 40 feet, midway up the length of the shaft, Timdok's hand passes through the wall! He disbelieves the illusion there, revealing a sizable alcove beyond the false wall. Here, a pair of scorpionfolk stand watch, likely ready to attack anybody trying to use the lift to ascend. They do not notice Timdok peeking over the lip of the ledge at them.
Timdok shimmies down the rope and advises the group. "Pair of guards--scorpionfolk this time--behind an illusionary wall about halfway up the shaft. Illusion magic--it's the Tomb of Hidden Eyes all over again."
"We found that, and our way through it," Esirelle says, "and looks like we'll have to do the same thing here. Probably best to just deal with these scorpionfolk now instead of leaving them behind us or bothering to have to sneak all of us past them."
She tries to think about what she knows about scorpionfolk.
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Cerulean shudders a bit, "To this DAY, I can't bring myself to wear that old coat, remember that terribly pungent slimy creature... what was it called again? I loved that coat a Jorandi original, cast away because of some foul smelling mucus."
They give an over exaggerated sigh at the loss, but quickly shake it off. "Well shall we make ourselves welcome. I very well doubt that if the giants were willing to betray us, these ones wouldn't have any qualms to do the same without even offering the bold faced lie. And I am NOT about to get stabbed in the front twice in the same day by some pitiful excuse for a mook."
"It would only be the Tomb of Hidden Eyes if some of the illusions could kill you," Farrina says with a casual shrug. Anyone giving her more than a cursory glance, however, can see that the reference has rattled the illusionist. "Let's go up and see how well the magic is put together."
She turns and gives Cerulean a judgy eye.
"And you can't tell me that you're broken hearted over a Jorandi. A Jorandi? Puh-lease ..." The eye-roll is as dramatic as it is forced. "It's not like it was a Tash-Phal or even a Bindu. A Jorandi? Really? I can create nicer things out of scraps ... drunk."
Jorandi did have a way with the sleeve-line.
Farrina shakes her head and mutters, "I'm surrounded by barbarians."
"But this time She won't be here to sing the enchantments out of our ears." Kharya doesn't raise her voice, and its almost swallowed up as she replaces her helm.
"Hard and fast then. Once you're ready."
"Tsk. Damnit. A moment more"
"Let's all go up together, and hail them before we clear the edge of the alcove." Timdok limbers up, in the unlikely event that his outgoing companions can't talk their way through this.
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Cerulean rolls their eyes just after Farrina mocks their enjoyment of Jorandi tailoring again. "Oh this agaaain Farrina. You know Tash-phal is only 'fashionable' to those with a garish sense of taste. Bindu on the other hand."
Humming and tapping their chin Cerulean nods, "Okay you've got me with Bindu though, the hems of their skirts are a to die for. Though hopefully not today."
Looking to Timdok and Kharya preparing, "So we give them the age old Swagger in like we own the place and let you lovely doves punch anything that dares get too froggy?" Gazing up to where the hidden perch was then off the ledge. "Dare I say that would be quite the tumble for either set of combatants however."
"Focus, please. We have a fight ahead of us, so let's please not fight about our favorite designers? Let's stay alive so we can fight about them later, or just all wear whomever we like best."
Esirelle concentrates for a moment and her sandals sprout wings, letting her fly up behind everyone else.
As soon as you draw near the illusory walls in the shaft, the two girtablilus move to attack! It seems they are uninterested in any attempts to parlay.
The scorpionfolk move swiflty, attacking Kharya and Timdok with their pincers. Each one grabs a hold!
Cassiel quickly moves forward to engage the attack striking at Esirelle. After swinging, he extends his aura out across the battlefield.
Divine Grace
You call upon your deity’s grace, gaining a +2 circumstance bonus to the save.
Flash of Grandeur
An enemy damages your ally, and both are in your champion’s aura; Effect Imperious divine light flashes out from you to surround your foe. The ally gains resistance to all damage against the triggering damage equal to 2 + your level. For 1 round, the attacker is affected by revealing light.
(1) Exalted Reaction: In addition to the enemy affected by Flash of Grandeur, each other enemy in your champion’s aura (30') is affected by the revealing light spell for 1 round.
(2) Relentless Reaction: The enemy also takes persistent spirit damage equal to your Charisma modifier (4), and it can’t recover from this persistent damage while affected by the revealing light from your Flash of Grandeur.
(3) Brilliant Flash: Your light cleanses souls of fear. When you use Flash of Grandeur, the attacker is also off-guard for 1 round.
(4) Revealing Light
Range 120 feet; Area 10-foot burst
Defense Reflex; Duration varies
A wave of magical light washes over the area. You choose the appearance of the light, such as colorful, heatless flames or sparkling motes. A creature affected by revealing light is dazzled. If the creature was invisible, it becomes concealed instead. If the creature was already concealed for any other reason, it is no longer concealed.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success The light affects the creature for 2 rounds.
Failure The light affects the creature for 1 minute.
Critical Failure The light affects the creature for 10 minutes.
Reactive Shield
You can snap your shield into place just as you would take a blow, avoiding the hit at the last second. You immediately use the Raise a Shield action and gain your shield’s bonus to AC. The circumstance bonus from the shield applies to your AC when you’re determining the outcome of the triggering attack.
Shield Block
You snap your shield in place to ward off a blow. Your shield prevents you from taking an amount of damage up to the shield’s Hardness. You and the shield each take any remaining damage, possibly breaking or destroying the shield.