Scoured by and blinded by the rain, Fran fires at the phantom but narrowly misses .
Lindevailë sends a burst of healing that mends much of the party's wounds
Jack tries to get the spirits to pass on through sheer occult will. But the congelaed mass of multiple pained souls resist his efforts.
Initiative
Eddie, need Reflex save
Fran, panached, buckler, need Reflex save
Briney 69/70 HP, clumsy 1
Jack 39/56 HP, 1 action left
Eddie also gets hurt and blinded for the moment from the rain but manages to accurately throw a biting bolt of frost at the phantom based on where it was. Those of you who have full eyes on it notice the phantom appears to shake off the worst of the cold, but the spell shows some effect.
Initiative
Briney 69/70 HP, clumsy 1
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"No wait... Is a Ghost!"
No good. Briney, who doesn't even believe in ghosts, tries to banish it with his mind!
"Go away!" Trying to use his screetchy voice to mindmeld it. Somehow.
◇) Devise a Strategfy vs Definitely a Ghost
◆) Stride
◆◆) Disable w/ Occultism
You can't attempt to Strike the target until the start of your next turn. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your next Intelligence-, Wisdom-, or Charisma-based skill check or Perception check involving the target before the start of your next turn. If you would gain your Pursue a Lead investigation bonus to such a check, that bonus increases by 1 instead of you gaining the +1 bonus listed.
Briney advances. Quickly analyzing that the moment's circumstances don't favor focusing on the phantom he too tries to appease the raging spirits.
Unforutnately just like Jack his quick argument falls on deafd ears. And they moan again, and the blood rain falls in piercing sting again!
The pahntom meanwhile turns their gaze onto Fran as it avoids the hatchets hurled at it.
you are so eager to toss your metal into the water. fetch it then.
Fran feels a blast of occult force trying to shove her westward into off the pier and into the harbor, but stands fast. A hint of annoyance fleetingly plays across the phantom's face as it then flies further backwards over the water.
Initiative
Eddie, need Reflex save
Lindevailë, elemental motion (fly)'d, need Reflex save
Fran, panached, need Reflex save
Briney 69/70 HP, clumsy 1, need Reflex save
Jack 39/56 HP, 1 action left, need Reflex save
Nanoc clumsy 1, blinded, need Reflex save
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Nanoc, though blinded, instinctively gives his cowbell a firm ring. The sound echoes through the chaos, but for now, it seems to have no effect.
The crimson rain makes things worse. Disoriented, he staggers toward the source of the moaning voices, until he bumps into an ally. Raising his voice in prayer, he calls out to the restless dead.
"Please... find your way to the Boneyard. Be at peace." he pleads, his tone a mix of compassion and desperation.
◆ Stride
◆◆ Disable Haunt
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"Briney Small but Mighty!"
And really, his might is his well-connected brain, for Briney, moment by moment, can remember his Entire Life. But. Can he remember where the Phantom was?
◇) Devise a Strategfy vs Definitely a Ghost
◆◆) Disable w/ Occultism
◆) Prepare to Aid Next PC
↺) Aid
To Next PC "I don't think he listen to Briney. Tell him he stupid too!"
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Lindevailë Tindómë feels the current winds and dances to avoid the rain.
She tries to connect to the spirits, as before in the streets. "Tell me your troubles, let me take the burden and bring you peace."
◆◆
She finishes with a dance routine consisting of a collection of occultist gestures around the world that are used to banish evil spirits, directed toward the phantom.
◆
The rain pelts down, blinding many of you even as it slices. Fran draws and throws another hatcher at the phantom, but it too *plunks* into the water. Eddie tries to summon a freezing orb around it, but the red rain coating his eyes makes the leshy's aim wildly off.
The rest of you attempt to once more quell the raging apparitions in the water. And once more your pleas seem unheeded. But Jack digs deep, calling up deep reserves within himself to channel his force of personality and mystic might as strongly as he can against the roil of pained souls. He forms a connection with the lost spiirts, and finally gets through to them to convince them to pass on.
With the haunting locus dispersed, the rain continues but only at a drizzle. But the phantom remains, floating to the east and hurling another dagger at Jack as it moans
i was killed here. so may of us were killed here. you will NOT trick me into forbearing my revenge with mere soft words.
for
It then launches another quickly-formed weapon out back at Fran as her hatchet flies by it, before floating to the east.
for
Initiative
Eddie 56/63 HP
Lindevailë, elemental motion (fly)'d
Fran 7073 HP
Briney 62/70 HP, clumsy 1
Jack 25/56 HP
Nanoc 39/46 HP clumsy 1
The water is 10 feet deep, though pretty calm looking.
That whirling pool of spirits seems more a haunt than a true individual creature. It might be able to be banished with repeated prayer (Religion, but will require multiple successes) or a complicated communion with the spirits’ lingering consciousnesses (Occultism, slightly harder but a single check will succeed)
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Jack takes a moment to recover, from his mystical effort as well as his injury. He slumps a bit, the fire in his head dwindling somewhat. The crow on his shoulder actually looks at him with something like concern.
Then he straightens up, the fire roaring back to life.
”YOUR REVENGE WILL BE EXTINGUISHED WITH YOU!”, he cries. Two more crows beeline toward the spectre.
B
B
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Lindevailë Tindómë looks at Jack with a worried expression: "That must have hurt, you can't take many of those". She gestures as if gathering some air and throwing it toward Jack with the call: "Envinyata!"", and a glowing wind does indeed flow between them, mending Jack's wounds.
She then dances with wide high arcs of her long legs and flowing skirt, trying to catch the phantom's attention.
◆◆
◆
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"If you are going to hurt us, better get back to where you come from." Nanoc then shoots the Glowing Floaty Thing
◆ Strike
vs Glowing Floaty Thing
P/B damage
Additional Damage: Highest weakness (fr Mortal Weakness) or custom weakness 4 (fr Personal Antithesis)
He reloads again and shoots another.
◆ Interact to Reload Weapon
◆ Strike
vs Glowing Floaty Thing
P/B damage
Additional Damage: Highest weakness (fr Mortal Weakness) or custom weakness 4 (fr Personal Antithesis)
↺ Ring Bell - Trigger: The target of your Exploit Vulnerability makes a Strike or Casts a Spell that would affect you or one of your allies.
Focus now firmly fixated on the phantom, Jack and Nanoc fling a fusillade at it. Two of the three shots connect , and while the phantom's incorporeality seems to absorb some of the strikes they do solid damage to the creature.
Lindevailë then mends Jack's recent damage and puts on a distracting show to hide the oft-targeted leshy from retaliation for a moment.
Initiative
Eddie 56/63 HP
Fran 70/73 HP
Briney 62/70 HP, clumsy 1
The water is 10 feet deep, though pretty calm looking.
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"Briney hurt Ghost with Ghost Bolt!"
LINK
"When you hit with an ability that grants you precision damage, you increase the attack's listed damage, using the same damage type, rather than tracking a separate pool of damage"
◇) Devise a Stratagem
◆) Strike w/ Ghost Charge loaded Alchemical Crossbow
◆) Reload
◆) Eye for Numbers
Our hero's mind in overdrive (as always), he counts the blue floating flames around it - each mote! - studying it for his next hijinx, as wanting to preserve the bomb's spiritual energy for well-aimed shots seems a provision worth doing.
Brix runs the numbers and fires a well-aimed shot with his crossbow at the phantom. And the bolt strikes it! ...but the creature seems unharmed by the vitality-damaging bolt itself. The goblins does count around 20 sparking motes generated by the impact though.
Fran dances at the phantom once more as she moves, though it seems less distracted by the swashbuckler this time.
Eddie tries to push the foe with some water himself. But it manages to dodge the wet attack.
The now somewhat damaged spirit floats a bit closer towards the mass of you on the pier. It's gaze passes over the spot Jack and his flaming/bludgeoning birds came from, but the flowing air currents from Lindevailë's dance obscure the leshy. Instead, the creature throws a pair of daggers at Nanoc.
for
for
Once more the poppet's bell doesn't seem strong enough to overcome the spirit, but Nanoc manages to dodge the first blade. The second it another matter - it pierces the poppet right to its core.
Initiative
Eddie 56/63 HP
Lindevailë, elemental motion (fly)'d
Fran 70/73 HP
Briney 62/70 HP, clumsy 1
Jack
Nanoc 11/46 HP clumsy 1
The water is 10 feet deep, though pretty calm looking.
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"Ack!" Nanoc snaps as the second blade finds his fluffy chest because he couldn't dodge it. "You'll pay for that scar!" the poppet snarls, then begins reloading.
◆ Interact to reload weapon
He keeps shooting the Glowing Floaty Thing.
◆ Strike
vs Glowing Floaty Thing
P/B damage
Additional Damage: Highest weakness (fr Mortal Weakness) or custom weakness 4 (fr Personal Antithesis)
He reloads again. "That's what you deserve!"
◆ Interact to Reload Weapon
↺ Ring Bell - Trigger: The target of your Exploit Vulnerability makes a Strike or Casts a Spell that would affect you or one of your allies.
Fran's latest hatchet finally lands on its target! The phantom takes only a scratch, but whirls at the swashbuckler in rage.
you would dare to cut me?!? then meet my fate: bleeding out in the alley
It's baleful gaze stays on Fran as it intones occult magic. Nanoc's bell tries to break the phantom's concentration, but Fran begins to feel prickly sesnatioons across her skin in long lines...
Nanoc's bell may not have defended their allies as well as he hoped, but going on the offense his shot is perfectly aimed and sends the spirit roaring in anger. It's starting to look much more tattered.
Initiative
Eddie 56/63 HP
Lindevailë, elemental motion (fly)'d
Briney 62/70 HP, clumsy 1
Jack
The water is 10 feet deep, though pretty calm looking.
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"Hmm" Briney opens one eye and stares down the barrel of his gun "Is working" and points again.
◇) Devise a Stratagem
◆) Strike w/ Ghost Charge loaded Alchemical Crossbow
◆) Reload
◆) Stride to the end of the dock
Brix runs the numbers and fires a well-aimed shot with his crossbow at the phantom. And the bolt strikes it!
...but the creature seems unharmed by the vitality-damaging bolt itself.AND THE PHANTOM IS INJURED BY THE WELL_AIMED BOLT AS IT PRECISELY PIERCES IT
Fran tries to fight off the phantom's retaliatory magic but to minimal avail. Bleeding wounds begin appearing all over the dancer's body.
Lindevailë tries to distract the phantom from Nanoc as she heals the poppet. The enemy spirit seems less fooled this time, but Nanoc's injuries fully mend nonetheless.
Briney and Jack continue to rain shots up at the floating phantom. Another bird and another bolt strike its breast. The raging spirit jolts at the impacts which tear through its ectoplasmic form leaving gaping holes in its body. It looks up at you, moaning i am just the latest. there are so many more who cry for justi.... before it dissolves in front of your eyes and fades into the aether.
As you lick your wounds and recover after a minute or so the red misty congealing spirits along the more distant waterfront fade as well. And Nanoc and Briney's limbs feel looser and fresher again The rain begins to subside and you notice the alarm bells have stopped ringing.
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The fire in Jack’s head subsides, as the crows crumble to ash in midair.
Looking around, he gasps and runs toward the corner of a nearby alley. A woman - looking remarkably like the phantom who had just been assaulting us and the nearby carnivalgoers - lies dead. She seems to have been stabbed multiple times, and from the state of the body likely was killed here earlier this morning and dumped to be left to rot.
He turns to the others with a pained expression. ”Who could have done this!?”
After you recover enough the six of you can make your way back north to the fairgrounds. Watcher-Lord Ulthun is leading an evacuation of the carnival site and is directing people to set up aid tents for those who require it. You notice Zarta and Khione nearby, speaking with some of the rescue-workers. Eando Kline seems to have made it over to the carnival after all and is currently helping check injuries at an impromptu medical station. Nearby that a pair of medics are tending to Lady Embersplitter, who seems to still be unconscious.
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Eddie looks down at the murdered woman and sighs "People are very mean, she needs to be composted." Eddie looks to some of the larger members of the crew to help carry the woman to the city's nearest compost facility.
"Yes, maybe Zarta knows." Eddie's head bobs in agreement as they carry the woman's soggy, stiff feet, nose twitching back and forth.
"This woman's spirit attacked us, and the party. Its angry and should be calmed and composted." They look down at the still unconscious Embersplitter "Why is she still down? Have you tried berries? Or other magic?" Eddie relaxes their grip on the feet, which land in a thud.
"Should I try my magic?"
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"I'm not certain" Zarta answers Eddie after taking in the leshy's report of your party's actions. "Lady Embersplitter has no clear signs of injury, but many were affected by the rain in strange ways."
Closer to Hesla, several of you see for yourselves that Hesla's clothes appear ruffled but otherwise in fine health - just seemingly asleep. The few medics treating her intervene to stop Briney from kicking or poking the noble, while Lindevailë can cast Cleanse Affliction. The magic does not seem to have any direct effect, but there is something unusual about her condition.
Suddenly Hesla's eyes snap open. The medics treating her start before trying to keep her still, but the lady insists she's all right. Getting to her feet and looking around to take in the assembled crowd she speaks out:
"I am glad to see so many of you are safe and all right. Today was meant to be a day of gratitude and joy, but it seems it also is a sharp reminder of the dangers we face." She gestures to the corpses of the recently-defeated undead still lying around awaiting disposal. "Look upon them! Look at the destructive potential of the undead! These angry spirits were but a taste of what we might face if Tar-Baphon were to strike! These were the angry spirits of ordinary people—not trained undead soldiers, armed to the teeth! Thank you all for your heroism today, whether you fought against the undead, or donated to the cause. Every gold piece will be used to battle the Whispering Way!”
With that, Hesla steps down and asks Ulthun to escort her home — she’s still not feeling that well. As they depart Zarta and Eando sidle over to you. "Well, it seems the day's events certainly haven't thrown her." Zarta muses wryly aloud. "I'm glad today isn't filled with even more death, but someone had better keep an eye on Miss Embersplitter. I still believe there must be more motive here beyond merely combating Tar-Baphon.”
Khione raises her hand to volunteer. “Ooo! Oooo! I’ll keep an eye on her! After all, I’m very good at finding things out and reporting on them. I can-” Zarta cuts her off with a curt nod, and Eando agrees before Khione can begin listing off her full resume.
Both then look to you/ "you've had quite the day of it. Head back to the Lodge at your leisure. Full reports of your perspectives will be needed of course, but they can wait until tomorrow. And I suppose we can try to find you another light mission in the future for a half-day off that may not devolve into calamity...."