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"One second, good Lady," Apex says as he briefly but carefully studies these strange people. The masked troll mentally goans as the chaotic, evil energies of the moon throw off his sense of judgement. He figures that he could tell if they were obviously dominated (ala Dominate Person), but that would be the extent of it.
I'm going to be really busy until Saturday, so I can't post until then.
"The door is unlocked and unmagical," Apex announces to the group. "Anyone want to go in first? If not, I will."
Apex is pleased at the clean dispatching of the moonbeasts. Thus far, the group's rescue mission has been going well. He recalls Mona's Pathfinders days where they typically had to fight the entire enemy stronghold down to its last man. Given how tiring those types of battle are, he much prefers the stealth approach. "I suppose we should inspect the door," says Apex as he approaches the tower's entranceway. The masked troll takes a few seconds to give it a good look over both with his normal sight and Detect Magic.
Seeing a chance to strike, Apex lashes out at the moonbeast his ally just tripped.
While the moonbeast makes Apex bleed, the resulting damage is much less than what it could have been. The masked troll barely seems phased by his wounds, which quickly knit as if nothing happened. After consuming some of his inner magic to enhance his accuracy, the mighty Apex unleashes a hail of powerful blows on his enemy. He swings Korrina with his usual grace and precision but also follows the assault with a swing from his free claw and a bite from his teeth.
His second sword swing goes ethereal just before it connects, but the rest of the attacks do not.
Jelani, I just found the position that would have put the easternmost moonbeast within my reach. I moved myself there if that's alright. The original position was just a five foot hop forward. I didn't see the new spot until I used the measuring tape.
Apex then takes a five foot hop forward to make sure that his next strike has more precision.
Apex the Trolling Mosquito takes an experimental swing with Korrina against the Moonbeast. Unfortunately, he goes ethereal halfway through the swing, which literally phases through the creature.
With Korrina drawn in hand, Apex throws up a Haste on the party and begins to advance toward the aberrations. "Iko, with me," the masked man says as he begins to move.
I'm a bit under the weather right now. I'll have a post up tomorrow.
Apex nods and asks Cael a question. "Was the effect multiple auras?" Depending on the answer, he does one of two things. If the illusion is just one effect, then Apex fires off a normal Dispel Magic. If the illusion is multiple effects, he consumes a level two spell slot, switch outs Veil with Greater Dispel Magic from his book, and fires that as an area dispel. Either spell is empowered by fuel from Apex's inner arcane reservoir.
"Blast it," the masked man mutters under his breath, displeased by how weak his spell turned out.
"I say that we dispose of them. While we are here to rescue Blood and the others, we should also ensure that the demons cannot just snatch them up again. I can try to dispel their illusion, and then you and the good Lady neutralize them in the confusion. I doubt that they'll be expecting much from some lowly bugs."
Apex pulls out his spellbook and takes a few seconds to read it. Soon, the Heroism spell is back in his memory (in place of Tongues) and Communal Stoneskin replaces Life Bubble in his mind. The masked man then casts Heroism on himself. He then makes sure that Korrina is drawn and that his Ring of Blinking is activate. He plans to renew the latter as necessary. "Gather around, everyone," Apex the Moon Bug says. "I am going to cast Communal Stoneskin on us. Do not worry about paying for it; I have us covered." Once everyone is in position, Apex lightly runs his blackblade against his arm. In an instant, the trickles of blood turn into diamond dust and then into nothing. Over the next few seconds, everyone's skin is covered by a powdery adamantine-like substance. "Ready when you are," the vigliante informs the group.
Apex casts Heightened Awareness to see if it helps him remember anything. Even with his magically enhanced brain, the vigilante has difficulties recognizing it. He attributes his failure to the energies of the plane throwing him off. "Cael," the masked man says as quietly as he can while still allowing his allies to hear him, "do you have any insight on the runes?"
Apex the Lunar Bug flies down to level himself with the sigil and manacles and then studies them with Detect Magic.
Apex nods his Moon Bug head a few times to show that he agrees above moving on. As much as he wants to take out the entire succubus operation, this creature does not seem like he would be much more than a servant. Wasting resources on fighting it would probably not be worth it.
Bugs, huh? Nice. So for the next sixteen hours (if they don't make the Will save), the lunar succubi are going to think four small bugs laying siege to their stronghold.
Alrighty then, it seems that we have a plan. Apex will switch Veil into his spells prepared and make everyone look like some local moon creatures. I'm sure that he or Cael would know some options. We will then all turn into mist form and cruise along the path, picking our encounters as we go based on the agreed list. Does that sound right?
Sounds good. I agree with your list.
@Iko: Huh. The text seems to contradict itself. It also says: "You can make the subjects appear to be anything you wish." However, I think your idea is good as well. We can even be succubi or those shantuks if necessary. @LG: Split three ways, Life Bubble will last over five hours, so it shouldn't expire any time soon. As for our decisions... what would you stop for? I would stop for anything out of place like another human.
Mind if we go a bit slower than 60 mph? I was thinking like 10-20 mph. We'd sail right over everything if we go full blast, and I want to be able to observe things on our own terms.
That's too random. She teleported, which means that she could have gone anywhere. That's why I say we try the path.
@Cael: I think LG wants to use the mist form because of its speed. As far as I know, flying under Wind Walk is by far the fastest form of non-teleportation travel. On second thought, we also want to conserve resources, so maybe avoiding some fights isn't a bad thing. However, as Jelani pointed out, we have no idea where we are going. We can't just rocket over to an unknown destination. The road is probably our best bet. How about a compromise? I might have an awesome spell that might provide an interesting alternative to fight or flee.
One of the succubi got away, so I'm inclined to think that she's telling everyone that some intruders are there. She knows what we look like. They'll be looking for four humanoids. How about we hide in plain sight instead? I can make us look like the night time lunar sky for sixteen hours. We can fly along the tree tops over the path and engage enemies on our own terms. Another Life Bubble for me, LG, and Iko can allow us to survive in space, so we don't have to stay confined to the jungle either.
Let's get this settled out of character. I would want to walk to make sure that we don't miss anything important.
"I would consider walking because we might miss something important. A hidden entrance for example or a useful object," offers Apex.
Apex puts a wand into one of his bandoliers and offers the other to Cael. Unless anyone in the group says otherwise, he throws the rest of the loot into his Portable Hole and rolls it up. Then using his amazing tracking skills, he points out the road. "Perhaps this will take us to our destination?" the polymorphed Troll muses.
Apex quickly taps his arm and Tinkers with the Spell to make it last longer than usual. If his math is correct, his current form should hold up for a little over twenty-eight minutes. Hopefully, that will last long enough for a battle or two. He then tosses his Portable Hole to the ground. "I have some experience with following tracks, but the demonic aura of this jungle will probably hamper my focus a bit," says the masked giant. He points a claw toward the succubi and adds, "We should search them for anything useful. They might have any keys for example." Some people might raise an eyebrow at Morgan's apparent kleptomania regarding her enemies' possessions, but she would just reply that fighting evil requires money.
Emboldened by his new regeneration, Apex quickly flies over to the remaining shantak and takes a swing at it with Korrina. He manages to time his attack quite well: the split second after he returns from his ethereal blinking. The Blackblade tears through the air with amazing precision, proof that the masked man does not carry around a sword simply for show.
@Jelani: When Apex turns into a giant/monstrous humanoid (meaning that he keeps access to his equipment), is it fair to assume that his gear morphs slightly to accommodate things like his mask changing shape so he can use his bite/gore attacks and his gloves getting little holes in them so he can use his claws without damaging them? I suppose this would also apply to Yulia. She doesn't have to worry about the mask, but her kimono has to deal with sprouting extra arms and such.
Apex frowns at the shantak's persistence. He was quite content to let the creature fly off, but its insistence to keep fighting him is bothersome. The vigilante supposes that he could start chopping away at this foe, but that would be quite time-consuming in his current state. Normally, polymorph spells (sans the mighty Shapechange) have the problem of not lasting very long, but Apex can make each use of his last nearly half an hour. Given the enemy infested nature of the lunar jungle, powering up now would likely carry over into the next battle. As such, Apex decides that there is no real harm in invoking a powerful spell sooner rather than later. After Apex utters nonsensical gibberish and makes a wild gesture with his free hand, the masked man's form begins to twist and expand. His already rather impressive muscles bulge greatly in size, his fingers turn into keen claws, his teeth sharpen and grow, and his dark tanned skin shifts to a blend of green and grey. As he falls back closer to Iko, Apex the Troll lets out a mighty roar to change the shantak to come at him. That way Morgan Nightwish won't feel so badly about having to put it down.
I have rarely met a foe smart enough to retreat, Apex both muses and sighs in his mind. Very well. I suppose I will assist
Without even looking, Apex points his free hand over his shoulder. A green ray flies out of his extended index and middle fingers and tears through the air in Iko's direction. It hits the succubus dead on, preventing her from escaping like her sister. Having no reason to fight the Shantak, Apex then flies away from the beast.
After cursing himself for not doing it earlier, Apex activates his Ring of Blinking, causing the masked vigilante to flicker between the Moonscar and the Ethereal Plane. He looks between the two fleeing succubi and decides to chase after the southernmost one. Apex quickly rockets to the lunar air, but even with extra speed from his Haste, it seems unlikely that he will catch them. A crack echoes through the air. In the next instant, Apex appears on the southern Shantak's back, right behind its succubus rider. However, he quickly hides himself from view. Even if he is not completely invisible, the erratic nature of his plane blinking and his statue-like stillness make it very difficult to notice Apex.
I suppose the better question is: what time did it get dark? @Cael: I don't think that we're still invisible. Jelani's post mentions some time passing after stumbling through the portal, and the Invisibility only lasted three minutes.
"I shall be with the frontliners shortly," says Apex as the masked man draws Korrina from her sheathe. "About time we saw some action, Zenith. I wanted to fight those fire giants," the Black Blade says mentally to her wielder. "They weren't hurting anyone; these creatures are," Apex counters nonchalantly in his mind. He then speaks aloud, "Let us fly with Haste!" The group feels themselves able to think, act, and react considerably quicker than usual.
About what time was it when we went through the portal?
Jelani, what say you on the matter? To me, it seems like activating the Ring tosses an Invisibility spell on your person. The CL of a Ring of Invisibility is three, so it should last for three minutes per use. Nothing I can find says that it ends once you take it off; unlike a Ring of Freedom of Movement, it isn't a continuous thing.
"I agree, Iko Ilue," says Apex. "While I did expend some spells for this stunt, I probably would have used more for a fight. For our stealth approach, we can pass around my Ring of Invisibility. Each use lasts three minutes, and with your Wind Walk Spell, it will be very easily to slip past them."
Once out of sight from the giants, Apex returns to his allies. "I have much to report. The giants were not... overtly hostile. Suspicious and curious, sure, but they heard me out and let me leave in peace. I assumed the guise of a Varisian Fire Giant named Zenith. He was sent to investigate these ruins by his liege King Pinnacle, who also happened to have his wife Ignia abducted by the lunar succubi, and warn others of giantkind about their danger. Otherwise, I told them the truth, though some details were altered. "Unfortunately, they do not seem keen on leaving that spot, but we now have a stealth option; their leader told me that the portal activates on its own at night. I saw no holy symbol among them, and they were much too armored to be arcanists, so Invisibility would likely render us undetectable to them. I was informed that they have no use for a portal that goes to the moon, so I believe that they will not follow us. Once through, I do not think that they will be an issue. Even if we have to stay longer than Cael Windstorm's Getaway spell lasts, escaping the moon will be trivial." "It seems that we will have to wait until nightfall to use stealth. There might be a way to manually activate the portal otherwise, but I learned nothing about it."
How shall I proceed? Even with most of the truth known, they don't seem to grasp the danger of the situation. It would take a lot to get them to relocate. Either a hefty bribe or a great deal of force, neither of which I readily have. I doubt I could fight them all at once, so I suppose I should just depart. If nothing else, this proves that they were never going to take us seriously from the start. "Zenith" decides to take his leave, but not before using every ounce of diplomacy he can muster. "I mere want to pass along the warning and to stress that the area by this device might not be safe. As I said before, they strike when you least expect it. Just be careful, alright?"
If allowed to leave in peace, the polymorphed Sylph does. If not, "Zenith" quickly taps into his arcane pool, warps away 160 feet, and then cloaks himself with his Ring of Invisibility. Either way, he makes his way back to the group as quickly as he can.
"I have been studying these ruins for a reason. I hail from the distant land known as Varisia. The ruler of my group is known as King Pinnacle. I am loosely named after the man. As far as I know, we are distant descendents of the survivors of Thassilon's fall. I served as a sage in his Majesty's court before he sent me to give others of giantkind a warning." Zenith scratches his chin. "This might sound... incredulous, but please hear me out. Many years ago, King Pinnacle's consort Ignia was mysteriously kidnapped in the middle of the night. It was disturbingly clean. We spent the better part of a decade trying to find out what happened to her, and what we eventually learned is... worrying. She was abducted by demons. "Are you familiar with the Moonscar, Your Majesty? It's that terrible gash across Luna's surface. The Azlanti accidentally created it when they tried to terraform the moon. Terrible demons now infest the area, and they have some agenda for this planet. These lunar monsters seem to target individuals of great power for some reason. Humans, dragons, giants, outsiders, no one is safe. One would think that our superior martial prowess would protect us, but they have powerful means of influencing the mind. They are also... sneaky; we believe that Ignia was taken in her sleep." "Zenith" gestures to the portal. "I have traveled the planet searching for the answer to how they capture so many so quickly. All my studies point to a magic portal device serving as their gateway to Golarion. I believe that artifact over there might be how they do it. In addition to spreading the word, King Pinnacle tasked me with seeing if I could find a way to get to the Moonscar for an eventual rescue mission. Hence how I ended up here." "Zenith" pauses. "I will not dispute that you were here first, Your Majesty, but I am concerned that your new home might not be... safe. Even if that device is not their gate, the lunar demons still lurk in the area, and they much prefer cheap tricks instead of honorable combat."
Before heading out, the Magus alters his mask into a swanky hat. It would be a bit pointless to disguise himself as a fire giant and then hide his face. If allowed, Apex takes a step back to give the other giants some breathing space. "Greetings. My name is Zenith. I am a traveling scholar, and I am studying the old Azlanti artifacts in the area. I was just searching the area for... that artifact right there actually." "Zenith" nudges his head toward the moon portal. "It seems that you all beat me here, though." Apex's lies come as easy as breathing.
Not a problem. I have Tongues in my spellbook. I can switch it into my spells memorized via Quick Study and cast it ahead of time.
Just a heads up. I'm going to be away on a family vacation from 12/27/2014 to 1/4/2015 with no computer access. I know that's a bit problematic since I'm going to be talking a lot for the next few days at least.
So Apex will learn as much as he can as a Fire Giant and then see if he can get them to leave the area. If anything goes sour, he flees; that shouldn't be a problem with his Dimension Shift ability and Ring of Invisibility. We then regroup and use stealth to get the drop on them.
Don't worry about it; many people are busy this week.
Apex has a +18 Diplomacy and a +28 Bluff right now. I'm sure that he can make something work. |
