Death is always an option. Force their hand She stays mostly quiet as usual, But on speaking immediately going to what some may call an extreme. For her its just another decision, like any other I say we find them, prove ourselves the superior and get our answers. We have a higher calling than whatever this is She clutches something beneath her cloak near her neck, This place... Does not feel right to me. And hunting slavers is a duty I hold...to free those in dark and guide them
Well met traveler Shadowlord, thank ye for the help.
Ashling is involved because she was hired at first, after the
initial bits of the ap started.
then the Black Knight assigned the party to find baba yaga. Ashling being a warrior and having limited common sense, took this as a sort of warriors promise to see this through.
Ashling personally is barely an adult, the trauma of seeing her brother kill their parents has driven her to become an assassin willing to do anything to complete her goals. She has a sort of alternate identity called the Phantom, which is where she did her assassination work.
She made another vow to Letitia prior, to protect her should any dangers like Elvanna make themselves known.
Prefacing with context, I grew up in New England. I like to cook and recently i wanted pancakes but lacked flour. However i had cornmeal... So i played around and made pancakes from cornmeal...and they were absolutely delicious
Finally i have the full backstory done. enjoy. mechanically im still working but thats getting done sooner or later. The Fluff was more important
The Child of Fire and Watcher of Stars :
A prodigal child born from separate noble bloodlines in the Court of the Sun, who chose to leave to serve Desna and Pulura, The Stars themselves.
Ain recieved his gifts from Desna and Pulura, however, the divine and arcane powers swirling within him have effected his mind adversely.
Ain.... is considered a bit strange by even the churches standards, he wears a constant smirk that makes his look like he's plotting something when in reality he is actually a kind person, in spite of this kindness, he isnt afraid to kill, intimidate or threaten anyone who gets in the way.
He left his original sect, after recieving a vision of trouble occuring in Magnimar and Sandpoint. Ain himself has few goals outside of those assigned by his superiors, He seeks peace and safetly for those he watches over, both the people and nature. When he see's corruptions he wishes to stop them, be they lawbreakers or magical threats... He has decided to free the region, and Magnimar from the corruption of the murders, cults and the politicians.
He doesnt care what a being is so long as it isnt causing harm, be it human, fey or beast.
There... Is no hiding for me anymore...i do not know what we do this time...however i have recalled some old skills i had forgotten about or that had been taken... I am decent at archery. Killing is still my best skill Gabriels tone is louder compared to his quiet whisper from before his death.
Btw Gabriel picked up via rogue talent the Ninja trick pressure points which does 1 point in of ability score damage whenever he lands a sneak attack. So that minor debuff exists too
Gabriel rises, pulling himself free from the overgrowth, black ichor seems to stick to the ground and himself like glue. He pulls himself free of it, te black ichor detaching itself from his flesh. Free of the shadows, Gabriel looks...Different from prior, though his form is still lithe there's a bit more vigor in his eyes, his flesh loooking less like burned wood and more...alive , his ifrit flame dances a bit more, sparkles a sky blue.
He looks around silently trying to gather himself, take in his surroundings, he was always ready to die... but rising from it was a different story. I'm alive...and released... this is... He sits back down thouggh away from the shadowy corruption, still in shock
interesting thought experiment, but we are not. To maintaining compulsions over multiple targets while also adventuring as we are would be difficult for any spellcaster. Hells, even the one compulsion spell i know works for about 6 seconds before it fizzles out, admittedly she's a much stronger mage but magic does have rules, it can be scary but its no more dangerous than a metal pipe that spews fire and metal
Ashling quickly heads back and steps out of the dark, There is a Frost giant about 70 feet down the hall. He is having difficulties moving this way but he is. If we wish to handle him, now is the time while he is limited in movement
Mizuchi floats forward gracefully, his signature grin upon his face and a tail swaying back and forth, i shall volunteer, who better than myself? Though i do not know the way he tells a little white lie out loud or maybe its a joke? Its hard to tell, Mizuchi keeps his confident tone, not faltering when saying he doesn't know the way. Suffice to say, the young kitsune is a... confusing entity.
That...is how the darkness seems at first Samen...However, The shadows are more like a reflection of our world. Gabriel mentions, thinkning visibly on his next words I do not know everything about it mind you, like what it's true essence is...if i had to guess however, it would be reflection, What the world leaves behind. We have a saying, methods, those of us that learn too survive with the shadows. Gabriel makes a small flame dance on the edge of his blade, creating a dancing shadow with the light of the fire and the blade itself. You do not control the shadow, you do not fall into it, but dance along it's edge. Through the shadow, not of it He quotes, sheathing his blade, It helps to find a medium to focus the mind occassionally, Shadow dancers learn to read the signs through dancing alongside the shadows, that is where i sometimes disappear too. Perhaps that can help Abnaki, or even yourself and Abby
Have i never mentioned? There are others with abilities like mine, Shadow dancers. Most of us were rounded up by the inquistion shortly before they began going mad. Not long after i joined this group, i recieved a vision explaining that the moon could cure the shadows as if it were some kind of plague... Essentially, they possess scars like mine, except white.
Gabriel explains, surprised he had never brought it up prior, Too add, the only friend from the Shadow plane so far is my own shadow. One of the dangers is that the shadow plane itself is mysterious and dark, you learn quickly that nothing is as it seems and to take everything with a grain of salt. Gabriel Thinks quietly for but a moment, pensieve before deeming to explain, in an uncertain tone. precisely what had happened to him
I... am not certain what is going on actually, i usually only interact with the shadow plane purposefully, however sometime before this it seems...i slipped in. I had gone to look into Abnaki's calls and then... it happened. One of them appeared behind me, said it was free of the moons control and then asked if i was free of the darks...However i did not give proper response, the Dark does not control me it never has.
I dont think Gabe ever actually did explain this, so no worries.
Perhaps you're right...Let's try a change in tactics With that, Gabriel will turn around taking a 5 foot step backwards and cast Darkness using his gloom magic ability, while also pulling out his bow. Due to his see in darkness, Gabriel can see just fine.
Those who are "Blessed" Cannot comment on things such as balance, or good and evil...They'll take looks at certain beings and make assumptions and act without considering.
There's a bit of disdain in Gabriel's tone, All too often the Darkness is blamed for the light's corruption, like cities nobility for example...innocent men were killed, because the city allowed the upper class to grow lazy and selfish. The problem...Is the Moon and the Light. Gabriel takes a breathe and calm slightly.
My powers, and kind were created by the Inquistor's, before they collapsed, through some odd ritual... most of us were rounded up but not all...The Shadows don't control us, not if we don't let it, we move through it, take it's power because it can't stop us, it owes us, pays us so it can see and survive...I...Can tell it... That shadows, are connected to the Volcano somehow. My Shadow, is different, connected to me perhaps it is an elemental of some kind, but one unstudied due to how darkness is often treated by heroes.
Gabriel draws his hood up and follows behind in the shadows, avoiding the crowds and people in general as he is want to do, Heroes are nothing more than glorified killers, drawing innocent people to war. Stories and legends have their place...But without it's opposite, innocents will die pointlessly.
stealthing to stealth because gabriel:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32
Sitting the furthest away is Gabriel, a lithe Ifrit with skin looking like charred lumber, hair the color of charcoal and eyes as blue as water. His hand inches closer to his blade, uncertain if he should trust these people, he just got used to his current companions, his tone while stubborn, is quiet, I am Gabriel the Dancing flame. I dance, i fight, and more recently help start rebellions against the status quo
Gabriel doesn't actually realize they cant so he's just speaking out loud
They're jealous you're smarter than them, you are new to the group as am i, so... the only rules I've figured out are do good things and don't anger the smoke woman
gabriel doesn't have many skills to contribute for this particular goal of convincing the elemental, so he does what he thinks will work and offers her a bribe...a satchel of chocolates one would use to make his favored drink
Gabriel scoffs, Nobility disgusts him...how they treat those below them. That's one of the reasons he left his own house. Gabriel passes the ifrit, making his own off hand The nobility won't win this year, they're pampered children..
Gabriel walks over to the slyph orphans, takes a knee and offers a few gold coins.
Gabriel follows up by picking the locks on the chest and chain, then setting the unconscious guard in the chair. He will read the answers and record them in a journal.
perhaps... It is not a matter of who i am but who to trust and where i place my blade of vengeance Gabriel says plainly stating his intent, If this material can cause insanity then i do not trust it, the dark, if confusing, has always been direct with its intent and... For lack of better term pays it's rent on time. It is the light that has always been the one to wrong me. With that Gabriel pockets the Ring and Bottle's to be analyzed later.
I can sympathize...To...Stare death in the face, especially when it's related to someone you admire. It has a way of... making emotions complicated, everyone deals with these things differently... She removes her mask and looks back toward Letitia with a distant but certain gazed, You will not die, you will grow stronger and surpass those who seek your death. Strong though Elvanna may be, there are qualities you have that she does not and that is what will make you better. Letitia...if it comes to it, i will protect you. Where this sudden what passes for kindness from the normally stoic assassin comes from is difficult to ascertain, what goes through her mind tends to be an enigma. However, lost in thought, perhaps an old memory of her she doesn't speak of it out loud and continues walking... there is a tear in her eye she quickly wipes.
i understand, i am not trying to criticize. Distrust is... intelligent, trusting people can be difficult when one has a hard life or trauma. Ashling takes a moment once again to think before she speaks, The purpose of my question is to try and Understand Baba yaga and Elvanna. How their skills would work, magic operates on laws and rules so it stands to reason... as witches their magic would work as yours does... if so would The witch Queen not require a familiar of her own?
That was my thought, all my life i grew up hearing tales of how powerful Baba yaga and her riders were from my father. She had to have had help... from someone or something abnormal. Or Baba has some kind of weakness Ashling speculates, she does seem to be holding a more normal friendly tone with Llewellyn, however the young albino assassin seems to be thinking deeply, before she speaks , Letitia, a question if i may? How does your magic work? I know the basics some draw power from prayer, others like myself are simply given. But i do not see a spell book on you like my brother had
Gabriel excuses himself to somewhere private, likely outside the city as he needs to gather firewood to make a bonfire, which will likely take him until nighttime. At that point he waits until its as dark as possible before he sets the bonfire aflame.
Gabriel sets himself in between the darkness and the flame, he dances gracefully in between the flickering grey area between the two. Carefully avoiding the smallest of dark tendril along the ground but not stepping into the light. His body appears to blend within the dark without stepping into it, existing in the grey.
He does this until the fire burns out which is when he either collapses or wanders his way back to where ever the group is staying and sleeps .
i... actually am not quite certain. My power was obtained when a ritual performed by the inquistors was forced upon me. Linking me to the shadows themself. But... the abilities i possess are not exactly like spell and i am honestly still learning to use them... they are something to be treated with caution and respect so as to not allow the power to tale over. At the moment i can only cloak myself in shadow to hide, as i was doing earlier while we were moving. As for my gods, well... i do not worship. I prefer to have faith in myself and my friends rather than some ethereal force that remains unseen. This is... the most he has talked to anyone, but his tone remains even as he explains himself.
So, you only listen to stories and tales? or is it the art behind it Gabriel has been, no shocker... Quiet for a while. just listening in to the conversations at large, his tone now is one of curiosity.
Ashling looks over curiously, walking over to Letitia she'll touch her shoulder Let me... try something new... Ashling will cast Lesser restoration on her. well... that felt new
nature:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12 fort:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Lorelei starts wretching, from the stench, her canine enhanced nose smelling it far worse than the others Troglodytes... ugh, can you guys handle this one or do i really have to fight these things... they smell like a hippo that hasnt bathed in a month rolled around in rotted meat.
Ashling is going to take the adamantine longsword and slash the chains Everyone stand back! im freeing the hut and restoring some semblance of balance. The Hut is allowing me near, i do not know why but some magic or something is telling me its the Riders cloak as i suspected earlier, It was important. I do not know if it will react the same to all of you, the other two riders are here and dead as well.
Along the way she tries to respectfully move the other two rider bodies to the ground for some kind of burial or whatever she can muster
Gabriel draws his sword immediately, he's not going to attack someone who seems innocent so he'll scout around looking for a potential source of the magic or someone who may be nearby watching. Something suspicious
It has been a long day, heading back to discuss courses of action would be wise Gabriel stick his face out of the shadows long enough to speak and then retreats to his comfort zone
