Alikai's page

Alikai slurps her soup in a politely appreciative manner and belches gently after eating, to show respect for the good meal.

"We should be out of here as soon as we can, good hostess. Will you be able to provide us a guide to Whitethrone, or give us detailed directions? We should not linger here." She hesitates a moment. "Also, if you see a flame-haired man wandering on his own, will you give him hospitality and tell him where we have gone? His name is Malden - Malden Sunspark - and you will know him by his service to Sarenrae. We became separated at the portal that brought us here. He is a friend like brother, and I hate to think of him wandering this land alone."

Coming up from the rearguard position, Alikai stops by Ecaterina and regards the village. "Any orders, mistress?" she says loudly, with a slight wink at the witch.

As breakfast is being prepared, Alikai dresses for the cold, dons her snowshoes, and makes a circuit of the environs of the camp, looking for the tracks of anything that might have observed the group during the night without attacking.

Survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Upon returning to camp, she volunteers to either take point or rearguard, whatever the others don't prefer.

Alikai holds her blade up to the firelight, turning it from side to side to examine it, and testing the edge with a thumb.

"Do you not believe that all of us together could manage her? She cannot help what she does - it is part of her twisted nature. But perhaps we could relieve her of the burden of her life if we work together."

"Faugh." Alikai examines the edge on her blade. "We'll need to hunt something more substantial than rabbit, lest we starve." She stares into the snow where the stranger disappeared.

Alikai just stares at the strange stinking blue fey, whetting and oiling her scizore.

*shhhhick* *schiiiick* *schiiiiiiick*

Alikai studies the newcomer in silence, trying to discern the fey bard's nature.

knowledge(nature)+2 fey: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 = 8

Man, she's dumb as dirt. Oops, SM.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Not knowing what it is, Alikai retrieves her scizore and begins wiping the bark and moisture from it, keeping it in hand.

Survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12 Alikai searches around the portal for a while, but, with the portal not allowing return, satisfies herself that Malden has not come through and wandered off. Unable to figure any other course of action, she follows the others to the campsite. Instead of carrying her bow, she wears the scizore, with which she periodically slices a tree to blaze a trail, in case Malden follows.

Fort vs cold: 1d20 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 4 = 13
+1 vs cold effects, +4 vs nonlethal cold (Endurance)

She straggles along with the group, donning her snow goggles and snowshoes to make the going easier. She mutters darkly to herself along the way. She helps set up the camp with the strength of one working off frustration or anger.

"Malden, come look at Gaelin. He's bleeding." Alikai looks around for the cleric. "Malden? MALDEN? Did anyone see if he came through the portal with us?"

The ranger looks to their potential hostess. "Many thanks for the offer, but I fear one of ours may have strayed. I can't leave him in the cold." She looks back along their track, ready to check footprints.

Alikai was first through the portal so didn't notice if Malden didn't come through - which I assume is our mechanism for dropping the party members who didn't stick?

While Jeydavu fronts for the party, Alikai skitters to where Gaelin is sprawled, helping him up if need be. "Are you well? I feared that thing would pincer you in twain."

"By Kalma's keratic knees," Alikai blasphemes, "Kill it!" She draws another shaft and fires at the great beast, keeping well back and ignoring the presence of friends clustered around it. Her arrow neatly threads between them to sink to the feathers in a soft spot of the abdomen.

Shoot! +2 FE if fey: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Ow! +2 FE if fey: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
Precise shot

Daigle!!

Alikai silently runs forward into bow range.

She will join the combat.
Init: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
On her turn and when in range:
Shoot the bug! +2 FE if fey: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
dmg if hits +2 FE if fey: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Fort vs cold: 1d20 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 4 = 12
Break it down: +5 base Fort +4 trait vs cold (Tundra child) for 12 minimum.
Further possible bonuses:
+1 additional trait bonus if this is considered "cold effects" (Tundra child).
+4 additional vs nonlethal damage from environmental conditions (Endurance).

"B-b-b-b-brisk," Alikai shivers, "I v-v-v-vote we head for that village."

Geronimo!

Alikai's stats and stat line are up to date with the +2 bonus going to Dex.

K(nature): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 hahahahaaaaa

Alikai shoves the braid into Sahsara's hands and the mask into her own pack, then slings her pack back on and stands before the corpse, bow and nocked arrow in hand.

"Grandfather, we honor your trials and death with our action. Forward!"

And she leaps into the portal, bow at the ready.

Alikai nods agreement at Galen. "It was a good death. He will be celebrated in the Hall of the Valiant." She reaches out and gently closes the old man's eyes, then picks up the two items, rising to hold them out to the others for examination. "It would be good to build a pyre for him, but we should hurry through."

Alikai clasps her hands and touches them to her forehead in salute. "Our thanks, Grandfather."

Alikai gently shakes the dying man. "The keys - who has them? Where?" she asks urgently, hoping to get through before he goes completely.

"Are there more like you who oppose Elvanna? How do we reach them? We will help." She looks around at the others for comfirmation.

Alikai creeps forward, relaxing the draw on her bow as nothing further seems prepared to attack. She moves up behind Malden where he crouches over the man in time to hear the stranger speak. A confused frown furrows her face.

"Baba... Yaga? I thought she was a bad person? Why does she need to return to Irrisen? And how does her return affect winter's waxing and waning?"

I finally finished with my night job and am down to running my own business now, so things should improve once I finish 2017 bookkeeping and taxes - say in about a week.

"I sure hope not," Alikai frets, "But best to be prepared." She remains alert for perimeter threats as well as trouble within the frigid gyre. Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Alikai shrugs back at Malden. "What? Guy's brave enough to go in there, don't want anything to happen to his companion!" she hisses defensively.

She studies the vortex while moose-holding. K(nature): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

"I have no clue what that thing is or isn't..."

Alikai takes the moose's reins, looking a bit nervously at the huge animal, larger than the reindeer she was raised with.

"Well, if everyone else is going in, I'll stay here and, uh, guard the moose."

“They were trying to kill us I don’t doubt Alikai,” Malden says. He squeezes his friend’s shoulder.

"Oh, I know, but it's like defending yourself against a vicious rabbit. They don't look like they could do much damage. Unless they have venom, of course."

Alikai nods at Sahsara and likewise loads her bow. "Shall we go look?" She resumes heading to the igloos, stopping to peer into the first one, a quick duck of her head into the doorway and back out.

Already rolled unsolicited Perception, if needed.

Alikai obligingly hands Jeydavu the thing-on-a-stick and looks around for any more enemies.

Per: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

"I guess we should check out the igloos."

Alikai wanders over to examine one of the impaled bodies, shaking it slightly at Sahsara like some sort of weird flying puppet.

"I feel dirty. That was like shooting a dove. A cruel dove, to be sure, but a dove."

Knowledge(nature - only one I got): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

"I have no clue what the f@*% this thing is."

Alikai pulls one of her cold iron arrows and tries to plink a winging thing.

atk: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25 ...+2 vs fey
dmg: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 ...cold iron

ff is 14, so I should be OK.

"Gods, if those are what got Esme... we're in trouble, people."

+4 for 6, along with Sahsara.. Malden is at 3, Jeydavu, Tristan, and Gaelen at 4.

Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

We are all in agreement!

Alikai sidles up to Malden, watching him silently as he checks the body and offers prayers. When he's finished, she whispers, 'What could have done this? Have you seen anything like it before? I do not know how to guard against something we cannot see."

The Twangy Twins spring into action.

atk longbow +2 vs fey: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
crit confirm +2 vs fey: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
base dmg: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
crit dmg: 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (1, 7) + 2 = 10

Yellowstone? Awesome! Enjoy. Watch out for the supervolcano.

22 for Alikai (+4)

Sahsara rolloff: 1d20 ⇒ 6

Alikai remains crouched and skulking in the shadows, drawn bow with cold iron arrow at the ready. She could be a statue but for the searching eyes and occasional adjustment of her head to try to get a bead on the flutterer.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Alikai, seeing the reaction to Gaelin's weapon, pulls a cold iron arrow and fits it to her well-worn bow.

longbow atk: 1d20 + 7 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 7 - 2 = 25 +2 if fey
crit confirm: 1d20 + 7 - 2 ⇒ (11) + 7 - 2 = 16 +2 if fey

cold iron longbow arrow dmg: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9 +2 if fey
critical damage: 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (2, 6) + 2 = 10

"Warmlanders? Warmlanders?!" Alikai huffs, "No need to be insullting. Come herd reindeer with my family then call me that, blue man!" She raises her bow and fires.

atk longbow +2 vs fey: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

"So... so, just go away!" she yells at the aggressor as her arrow zips past his ear, "Last warning shot!"

"I hope there's not a whole group of these blue men," she murmurs to her companions.

I'm not even gonna roll damage anymore unless I can hit a 90yo commoner.

Esme +1 Tiebreaker: 1d20 ⇒ 15
Malden +1 Tiebreaker: 1d20 ⇒ 8
Gaelin +2 Tiebreaker: 1d20 ⇒ 13
Jeydavu +2 Tiebreaker: 1d20 ⇒ 12
Alikai +4 Tiebreaker: 1d20 ⇒ 3
Sahsara +4 Tiebreaker: 1d20 ⇒ 7

Party order with base init 16:
Sahsara 20
Alikia 20
Gaelin 18
Jeydavu 18
Esme 17
Malden 17

"Maybe this was... I mean is... a logging camp or something. We may be able to gain shelter here." Alikai trails off at the buzzing sound overhead.

"I'm hoping it's just a really noisy snowflake," she replies to Malden's conjecture, nocking an arrow and half-drawing her bow as she squints up into the snow.

Per: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

"I think it's another one of those things that knocked me off that bridge," Alikai responds, hoping that her companions will start remembering the event that way instead of the clumsy slip that it was, "I don't think they are very smart. They probably just moved in when the woods turned cold like they like. Other kinds live in the heat, like in volcanos or hot springs, but this kind likes the cold."

She digs a quick trench in the snow, places the thing inside, and covers it over. "Not the masterminds of the situation that we're looking for. I mean, really, if you were that size, would you out and out attack this group, alone?" She shrugs.

"Anybody injured? Should we proceed?"

Knowledge(nature): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21 +2 if fae

"Blue?" Alikai ventures, scratching her head as she kneels to examine the little dead thing.

The Twang Twins try again:

Alikai atk: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16 plus favored enemy bonus if fae
Alikai dmg: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9 plus favored enemy bonus if fae

Sahsara shortbow: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
shortbow dmg: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Alikai reflexively raises her ever-present bow and sends an arrow buzzing towards the blue meanie.

twang!: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17 plus favored enemy bonus if fae
thunk!: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 plus favored enemy bonus if fae

New keyboard tomorrow. Will resume posting then.

Oh, d'oh, I forgot. If the Supreme Monkey does that, the first init roll was a 15, which ain't bad!

Ali.Init: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Sara.Init: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Sahsara is using up all the Nat 1's. D:

Once camp is packed up and the morning meal is finished, Alikai and Sahsahra take point, leading the party towards the river below.

Ali Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Sara Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Perfect.