Audria's page

Hearing what happened to Agnar's parents, Audria's eyes darken with the memory of that abattoir.

"I'm sorry we could only avenge them," she says quietly.

Taking a moment to put her disguise back in place and to hide her armor under illusions, she turns to Ethel.

"Do you think you can get Amin back safely across and let Kroft know what's going on? I'm not sure the Guard can get anything out of these two, but better to at least get them to the Gray District and let the Pharasmins handle them than leave them over here to rise as vengeful ghosts," she says to the guardswoman, hoping that she can at least get the young nobleman back home safely.

"Shane has the right of it, I think. Best be off to pay Salvator Scream a visit before a pair of bloody bugs do it." She turns to Amin, a little of her good cheer returning. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Amin. If you could, tell Brother Theolan and Sister Jennelyn at the Sanctuary of Shelyn I'm alright after you get back home safely. They're probably worried about me."

Once Audria has Agnar's permission, she concentrates on her connection to her goddess for a moment. Her eyes shimmer in iridescent colors as she looks at Agnar then at Amin.

I'm assuming no evil on either of them.

One thing is for certain, Audria can't bluff to save her life. The look on her face says that she hadn't thought of it until Shane had mentioned it.

"It didn't really help with the Red Mantis here," she mutters while waiting for Agnar's reply.

Whoops, Didn't realize I got ninja'd by the GM earlier.

"Oh, um--I just did what anyone would do," Audria says, blushing at Amin's thanks.

"Don't listen to her," Tally says from Shane's shoulder. "She not only faced down an angry mob without anything at all to defend herself with, she did it twice!"

"Whu?! Tally! Don't make me sound like some sort of crazy person," Audria protests, the blush getting darker.

===

Hearing the Amin's tale, Audria has to admit that she's very impressed by both Vencarlo Orsini's skill and Amin's presence of mind. She's not at all certain she could put together everything he has.

"I know Salvator Scream lives in Old Korvosa, but not where. If you know, we should try heading there, I think. If not, well." Herr blush returns as she looks off to the side. "We'll have to see if Madam Ioana knows."

"Oh," Audria says as Agnar explains where his mind went. She remembers the time she had to run from a spider swarm lead by an ettercap what seems like a lifetime ago when looking for the children that had scattered after Gaedren Lamm's demise.

"I'm not sure which is worse, a swarm of spiders or a Red Mantis that has taken you by surprise. If it wasn't for my friends, I'd be dead."

Audria blushes at Shrike's correction when they come inside. She takes a moment to drop the illusion she still wears, revealing a pretty, young woman with strawberry blonde hair and bright, blue eyes. She takes off her helmet so that Amin and Agnar can both get better looks at her.

"And the Red Mantis are the bug infestation we heard is coming," Audria explains before holding out her hand.

"I believe introductions are in order. I'm Audria Lumina, a Sister in the service of Shelyn."

Shaken out of her surprise by Agnar, she turns her attention to the heavily armed man.

"Well met, Ser Agnar. My companions and I wish no harm onto Master Orsini. Sadly, I fear that we know no more than you do of what became of him. Wary as you may be, I do not think talking out in the open is wise. Would you mind joining with me and my friends some place that isn't about to have a bug infestation? I give you my word as a paladin that we will not harm you nor Lord Amin. I haven't forgotten him from when we saved him from a mob shortly after King Eodred's death, even if I never did get the chance to learn his name."

”He is certainly not a red mantis assassin, but be careful all the same. We’re here if you need us. Try to get him off the street, we don’t need more attention right now.”

"I will, and I will," Audria promises before heading downstairs.

===

From Vencarlo Orsini's home emerges a young woman with brown hair, brown eyes, and plain features. She's wearing a suit of plate and carries a glaive with celestial runes burned into the flats of the head.

"Hello and well met, gentle--men," she says. Her eyes widen as she sees the young man reaching for the rapier at his side and recognizes him. Though her appearance is different, her voice is still the same one that had shamed the mob trying to hurt him, or worse, into dispersing.

"I remember you!" Audria points at Amin Jalento. "What are you doing here?"

GM, no worries! It happens. :)

Amin Jalento did, indeed, run off before introducing himself. Audria's going to recognize him when she sees him, though.

Knowledge(Noble) Amin Jalento: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6 Nothing but crickets.
Knowledge(Noble) Agnar Bromathan: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

"I didn't mean offense, Audria. If discounted any member here figuring it would be..."

Audria's about to let Shane know she didn't take any when Agnar Bromathan makes himself known, which also saves the embarrassment of puzzling out what Pava's comment meant. It also means she'll have to bring up Salvator Scream after they find out what's going on.

"I don't remember anyone named Amin Jalento. I think we should go see what this is about. Anyone able to move that quietly in that much armor is worth keeping an eye on," the young paladin says before concentrating on the magic in her hat and her armor, keeping her features non-descript while letting her armor appear to be a normal suit of plate.

"Mind if I do the talking," she asks the others.

Audria shakes her head when asked if she'd like to don Blackjack's mantle.

"I don't think I'm the right person for that. Besides, I don't think I've got the right build, either," she says.

GM, any results from Audria's Knowledge checks?

Before she can reply to Elric's other idea, she hears someone speaking outside. She moves to the window to see what is going on and frowns as she sees the heavily armored and armed man.

"How did we not hear him," she quietly asks the others.

Knowledge(Local) Painters who live in Old Korvosa: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Knowledge(Nobility) Nobles that have ties to Orsini and his academy: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Tally snickers when Shane mentions the only painter he knows being Trinia.

"I guess I'm just a figment of your imagination then," Audria teases as she tries to think about the painters she knows of in Old Korvosa. "As it so happens, Trinia's not the only one you know that can paint, and I've met a fair few painters since Ellie and I became acolytes." Her smile fades as she considers where to go from here.

"If we aren't going to try ambushing the infestation of crimson critters, then I think we should see if Madame Ioana could give us some place safe to stay at while we figure out where to go next. It'd also be good to know if Jessica's doing alright since they closed off Old Korvosa."

Woo! That'll be a fun callback.

I'm good with it! Looking forward to seeing how the first meeting goes.

That's fair. I mean, Agnar's about as sneaky in his armor as Shrike and Pava. He's definitely sneakier than Audria.

Nat 1's and breaking windows not withstanding

As Audria learns that, first, Pava has killed their prisoner, and second, that Vencarlo Orsini is Blackjack, her face rapidly goes through several expressions. Resigned exasperation, frowning puzzlement, dawning comprehension, and a mix of shocked disbelief and girlish embarrassment.

"I wonder what Elric would look like in that," she murmurs before she has complete control of her faculties again.

NO! Not the time!

She shakes her head then slaps her cheeks.

"Alright, so we know the Bloody Bugs are coming. What else did we get from him before he, y'know." Audria squirms as she shrugs her shoulders and waves vaguely towards where the now dead assassin is.

Welcom, Aldizog! I think Agnar is going to fight right in. I agree with Elric that retconning him as the one Kroft sent with us would the quickest way to get him in, and the reason he's been silent is that he was sulking after the fight ended before he could get involved. ;)

Finding nothing downstairs, Audria joins the others just as Pava is asking about what their next step should be.

"Shouldn't we figure out what to do with the Red Mantis we have tied up, first," she asks.

”Horrifying or not, these assassins would have had no qualms about using those sawblade sabers on you while you were helpless or risk setting the whole neighborhood on fire. They are killers without remorse,”

"I know," Audria replies in a quite voice. "I'm not trying to condemn Shane for doing it, especially not when he likely saved my life, but--" She shrugs as her voice trails off, unable to sort out her own thoughts and feelings enough to put them into words.

No, Elric's right, and that's why it bothers you so much. You know they'd leap for the chance to use something like that on you or anyone else.

She starts to say something else, but seeing Elric stripping the still living assassin to his skivvies has her turning away with a blush on her cheeks and her lips pressed into thin line.

Well, I can't say I dislike how decisive he is, but he could at least give me a warning before he goes stripping people!

Flustered, she decides to head downstairs to see if there is anything else that might point to what became of Vencarlo Orsini while the others work on their plan to interrogate the Red Mantis assassin.

Perception (Looking for anything of interest downstairs): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24

Sorry for not posting. Been busy with projects after work. Will try to have one up tonight.

That's a shame. I wish him luck and happy gaming.

I can reach out and see if anyone's interested in any of the games I'm in if that's alright.

I actually think we were, but more in the sense that we were snooping around Vencarlo's place than actual targets.

"Maybe they wanted to kill anyone that came looking for Vencarlo, or maybe we were their target," Audria muses quietly after hearing Shane's reply to Shrike.

Hearing his explanation of what he did sends a shiver down her spine that the Red Mantis had never been able match, even when they'd run into them while looking for Silver Sven for the information the old beggar knew.

"That's horrifying," she says softly after a moment. She looks at the man Shane had killed and shivers. "Still, you saved me from him probably doing the same to me. Thank you," she tells the illusionist.

As what happened sinks in, Audria's cheeks turn scarlet.

"Shelyn must've put in a good word for me with Desna," the young paladin mutters to herself as she helps put out the fire. "There's no other reason they couldn't have killed me before the others put them down."

With the fire taken care of, she turns her attention to the not quite dead assassin.

Heal to Stabilize: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

"Shane, could you tell me what you did to the other one," she asks as she finishes bandaging the assassin Pava and Elric had tenderized and skewered. "As far as I can tell, that one's unhurt, except for the whole being dead thing."

"Right. Fire. Put out the fire," Audria mutters as she pinches the bridge of her nose. After doing what she can to clear the fuzziness from her head, she helps put out the fire.

You're telling me! They even had the drop on the Paladin and had her practically helpless, and they still couldn't scratch her! :P

I'm surprised they didn't refuse the refund under the Act of God clause.

Audria blinks as the spell is broken and looks at the two, now dead, Red Mantis assassins.

"Whu--What happened?!"

Yeah, I think we'd have multiple things happening at once here. I don't think Shrike posting really changes anything.

Now, Audria rolling a nat 1 on her will save, That's going to cause problems.

Will DC 16: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 Welp, this is going to hurt.

Audria hears Shrike's warning just as she kicks the door in.

Rafters? But I looked up there and--oh. Oh, I'm about to get stabbed in the back, aren't I.

The young paladin whirls around just in time to catch the fireball that sets everything alight. Her body then relaxes as she watches the captivating dance the assassin before her does. She notes the graceful curve of the blades, the artistic expression of the dance, and the beautiful way the firelight glimmers off the steel blades. Her eyes widen in mesmerized wonder as she takes it all in and saves the scene in her mind to paint later.

Perception DC 27: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19

Knowing that the cacophony she's caused has ruined any chance of surprise from her end, Audria decides speed is her best option and hurries to get a grip above the window. She swings out from the building and leads with her feet to break the window open.

The smell tickles her curiosity, but she shoves the thoughts aside as she readies her glaive. She looks around, quickly, and looks up when she notices how open the space is. Not seeing anything amiss, she rushes for the only other door she sees and tries to kick it open.

Strength: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22 At least she's probably getting through that. :D

This isn't good. This isn't good at all! I just hope they go after me and not Shrike first.

Audra feels Tally's fear as Shrike mutters the word mantis. Truth is, Audria is more than a little afraid of them herself, but in the time since the group's run in with them while looking for the the last of the children that scattered after they took out Lamm and his cronies, Audria has seen other horrors and has grown at least a bit tougher.

"If you can take the door, I'll come in through the window. At the very least it'll divide their attention. Tally will let you know when I'm about to make my grand entrance," she quickly tells the others.

"Be careful," Tally whispers as she gives Audria a spark of divine guidance, and then does the same for whomever is going through the door first.

Using Tally's at will Guidance SLA on Audria and probably Shrike or Pava. She'll also use it to help Ethel have a bit more of a chance at sneaking up the stairs.

Audria nods and gives what she hopes is a reassuring smile before running outside and looking for a way up to the window.

Climb (Guidance): 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 1 = 23 Hot dang!
Stealth: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15 Uh oh.

Sweet!

Okay, that'll help with the climb check.

And yeah, Audria's not your typical Paladin.

Do we have a grappling hook and rope? That'd help. The only question is how do set it without making a ruckus? Ladder would also work. If Galewing's fairly quiet, we could just have him drop Audria off on the roof.

As for Audria being the tank; Shrike has the same AC and only 6 HP less, and Pava's got only one point less in AC and has more HP. I'm also pretty sure that for raw damage output, Shrike beats Audria. About the only thing that Audria has over either of them is that she can heal herself.

Pay? I thought at least one of us could cast mending.

And yeah, using Tally as a relay will work. I think we could have Team Doors at the door when Team Windows busts in.

GM, what do you need me to roll to make a sneaky climb up and a smashing entrance?

My clever plan is to try pincering the potential ambushers. Audria's got a decent climb even with the armor and she's pretty stealthy, so there's a chance that she gets drop on whomever is upstairs when she comes through a window. Admittedly, Her going in through the window means that if she doesn't she's going to be in for a world of hurt, but she's pretty tanky.

The main issue is coordination. If we're willing to do a bit of property damage now and fix it later, then Audria comes in loud through the window and the breaking glass will be the signal for the others to rush in through the door.

Thoughts?

After Tally reports back, Audria sends the songbird to let Shrike and Pava know about the other fire and what she's seen, or rather, hasn't seen.

Audria winces as Pava points out something that should have been obvious. That it wasn't worries her more than a little. Before she can act, though, Shrike motions for the Shoanti rake to hold and slips back inside Vencarlo's home and douses the fire.

"Tally, could you see if there's anything going on through the windows," she asks the little songbird.

Tally Perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (4) + 17 = 21
Tally Stealth: 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (11) + 26 = 37

"I could climb up and get in through a window. If they face us coming at them from multiple directions, they'll have to at least divide their attention, won't they?"

Sorry! Catching up now. Been one of those weekends where I was busy with work.

Sorry, not post tonight. Got slammed at work. Hoping to have what I need done tomorrow and then I can post them.

Getting the sense that something is very much off, Audria takes the lead and concentrates on that part of her connected to Shelyn. Her eyes shimmer in iridescent hues as she keeps an eye out for anyone with a wicked heart.

Lemme know when I need to roll again.

Audria listens at the door for a moment before gesturing for Shrike to look it over. Tally's observation doesn't really change what they have to do, and now that she knows someone is in here, she isn't willing to leave anything behind them without checking it first.

Audria Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27

Thanks!

No worries, and my sympathy to your wife. Thankfully, my mom doesn't do taxes, but she's still busy this time of year.

Still seeing the same map here, too.

Just to keep things moving.

After looking things over and hearing any other ideas, Audria takes in a deep breath and enters Vencarlo's home.

Stealth: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30
Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26

Tally Perception(Lowlight Vision): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (19) + 17 = 36

"Would that words always worked," Audria says. "Let us hope that anyone we find inside is willing to talk instead of trying to kill us."

I keep forgetting I can do that.

While giving a chance for the others to chime in, Audria takes a moment to see if she can detect anything amiss. Her eyes shimmer with iridescent color as looks over the building.

Casting detect evil. Doing the area scan.

Tally preens as she settles onto Shane's shoulder.

"I was thinking they'd be right behind me or a few steps back at most. I'd be the one in front because I'm more likely to not get hurt if someone gets the drop on us than they are, and I'm almost as sneaky."

Man, That does sound rough. Glad you're alright now and that everything's working out.

Woof, hope it's not like what my mom's dealing with since it's Tax season here in the States.

Also, I think this is the first time Ethel's heard Tally talk. She's a small songbird riding on Audria's shoulder. Have fun with that.