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The man fires off an arrow as Braugher tries to headbutt the man from behind before launching into a barrage of invisible attacks while he flanks with the Lion Shaman, Fendahl's summoned feline. "You are losing your edge, assassin." he comments just before his beak tries to peck into the man's back, activating his magical prowess to increase the severity of his attacks.
---
Just after attacking, Braugher steps to the side but maintains his flank with the large cat.
Braugher avoids the first arrow, but the lucky bastard is able to land two more on the tengu as he pulls the fletchings from his shoulder. "You should have just submitted..." he warns as he unleashes his magical powers. His black and white feathers thrum with power as runes appear in the air and Braugher disappears from view. "Now we can have fun..." he says before moving silently under the guise of Greater Invisibility.
Easily shrugging off the weak enchantment, Braugher follows through with his plan. The tengu smiles as the man plummets to the ground. "You choose the bird over the beast and that will be your mistake..." he proclaims proudly as he charges the assassin, leaping into the air at the last moment and headbutting the man with his Helm of the Mammoth Lord.
The group appears to have the new additions under control so Braugher retains his gaze on the assassin on the rooftop. "Handle the divs and I will assist your summoned beast in the detention of the assassin." Braugher advises as he tumbles through the swarms of wasps, pulling clean without a single sting. As he stands, he blesses himself, Tico, Fendahl, Kirrah and Owyn with Haste.
As the group approaches the plaza, Braugher will cast a few arcane rites to prepare for the upcoming ambush.
As the group arrives, Braugher splits off and waits in the wings as he expects there to be some sort of attack in the vein of the attack on the Serenites.
"We should circle out along the edges of the crowd and, I think, Tico should stay near where the Prince will stand in case there is an immediate need for healing." he advises to the group before disappearing into the crowd.
Braugher appears out of the ether. His feathered body is caked in dried blood and the tengu looks extremely worn out. "Luckily, I didn't have to go all out..." he mutters as Tico commands the prisoners back to their cells. "We should make to the Prince's speech to ensure it's safety, but I need a moment..." he says, out of breath as he meditates on the floor of the prison, slowly rotating the Core Formation in his dantian as he recovers from the battle, spitting out black blood every so often as his inner wounds heal.
With a deft leap, Braugher avoids most of the blast of fire, letting the sweeping power of the explosion roll past him as he tears into the injured traitor in red clothes. "Why do you still resist after seeing the power of our Society?" he asks, honestly amazed that they haven't fled at this point. He imbues his body with his arcane power and lashes out with his dual-hued claws and beak, trying to fell one of the traitors.
"Weird, I thought assaulting those that are stronger than you resulted in injuries, hence I don't see this going well for you." Braugher says matter-of-factly as the fake guard reaches for his greatsword. "Give my regards to Pharasma when you see her in the Boneyard." he adds as he takes a deep bow to the man.
The half-black, half-white tengu nudges Algor in the side as he speaks softly to the man. "Grab their attention with your speeches. Perhaps that will agitate the guards hoping to cause problems. Mention that we need to detain the prisoners for a bit due to the div attack on the priests. Safety concerns and the like." he advises as he moves up to the guards. "Greetings." Braugher says with a small nod to the guards. "The Aspenthar prisoners should already be released and being accompanied by guards. Why are these prisoners being released? More importantly, why are they being released without an escort?" he asks. "The temple of Sarenrae's performance was attacked by divs, though we dispatched with them easily. No casualties. Lyheri thought that an attack on guards or military might occur so we came here. Is there a problem we can help with?" he asks, hoping to find out more from the problematic situation before acting.
Braugher appears from the ether as the channels wash over him. He enjoys the warmth from the Sarenrae energy, but finds that he has no wounds to heal. "My new spell is quite potent to add to my vitality..." he says to no one in particular. As to Lyheri's question, Braugher answers succinctly. "We received word from a trusted source that there would be three attacks on this festival, with this attack being the first." he says solemnly. "Prince Zinlo's speech and the release of the Aspenthar-born prisoners are the other two targets. We should regroup and prepare for those. I believe the prisoners should be released before the speech, so that is where we should head." "Do you have any knowledge about the release of the prisoners that might aid us, Master Lyheri?" Braugher asks with a respectful bow.
Staying within range of Tico's aura and being helped by Algor's 'lockbox', Bruagher feels that his power is increased, though the increase to his bravery is a bit disconcerting for the tactically-minded tengu. No stones seem to fall this time as the icy runes circle in the same spot before the ball of ice flies at Oswin's target once more, aiming to hit the creature in the face.
Fendahl:
Ah, I didn't see the small post above mine. So you saved against one of the initial poison applications with the 19 roll and failed one with the 2. (Total of 2d6 Strength Damage; DC 25 Fort)
Thus, you only needed one roll during your turn and you rolled a 5, thus you failed and it resets the counter and bring you to: 3d6 Strength (which you already rolled); DC 25 Fortitude Save; No consecutive saves; 9 rounds left. Make sense? Also, you should change your rolls to reflect the -5 you are taking to the grapples and damage. Oswin: You had a successful save against the poison last turn, but it is a two consecutive save poison and you were hit this turn by poison again. The save you posted will stop the application of the additional poison, but you still need to make a roll for the ongoing poison at DC 23. If you succeed then you have no poison in your system. If you fail, you take 1d6 points of Strength damage.
Fendahl/GM - Poison Explanation: So, I don't think EF answered your question posted above. First, each time you fail a save, you take 1d6 Strength damage. Second, it appears that you have one more save left to roll out for the poison acting on your turn since two attacks hit Kirrah this round.
First round, you failed the initial save and Kirrah should take 1d6 Strength; you made the second save on Kirrah's turn which means no additional damage (however this poisons requires two consecutive saves to pass). Second round, Kirrah was hit by poison twice. You failed both saves (based on the two rolls in the post directly above), so the DC jumped to 27 and the length of the poison was increased to 12 rounds. In addition to the poison becoming stronger, this means that Kirrah takes another 2d6 strength damage. As it stands, Kirrah should have 3d6 Strength damage; one successful save (2nd round) and needs up to 9 more saves to run out the poison. Also, Kirrah needs to make one more save of the ongoing effects for this round.
GM:
I will do the same set of actions this round as well, though my target is changing to Red. The talons scrabbling on the ruined stone wall seem to rotate north as the bluish div seems to be affected by the cold from the ice that hit his face. As the group sees the creature's movements slow, a disemobdied voice whispers. "That seemed rather effective..." As if this new tactic is the one that Braugher will stick to, the northern wall lights up with blue and white runes circling just north of the basin as another arctic chill descends on the desert. One more Snowball seems to be flung from the invisible Pathfinder as it careens towards the northern div. "I'm coming to help, Oswin." calls the man to the lone Pathfinder fighting this outsider.
GM:
Standard Action - Snowball; Move Action - Move; Still Invisible From Braugher's last position, you see ice blue runes appear in the air and circle around a small location as the air in the area coalesces into a ball of packed ice that flies at the nearest div.
On the wall, you hear the sound of talons scrabbling against the sand-swept stone.
Relevant Scenarios from the Paizo Poison Blog:
Scenario A: Valeros is hit by an arrow coated in greenblood oil. He fails the DC 13 Fort save and takes 1 point of Con damage. At the end of his turn, he fails a saving throw against the poison and takes 1 more point of Con damage. Before his second turn, he gets hit again and must attempt a DC 15 Fort save (because 1 dose is already affecting him). He fails this save as well, which deals another point of Con damage, increases the save DC he must make each round to 15, and extends the total duration by 2 rounds. Scenario B: Valeros is hit by a pair of arrows coated in greenblood oil, during the turn of one enemy archer. He fails the first DC 13 Fort save and takes 1 point of Con damage. He then must make a DC 15 Fort save for the second arrow. He makes this save and suffers no ill effect. On his turn, he must make a DC 13 For save (since only 1 dose of the poison is in effect). He makes this save and takes no damage, as the poison ends. If he is hit again on the next turn, his save would reset to DC 13.
Rake Description: A creature with this special attack gains extra natural attacks under certain conditions, typically when it grapples its foe. In addition to the options available to all grapplers, a monster with the rake ability gains two free claw attacks that it can use only against a grappled foe. The bonus and damage caused by these attacks is included in the creature’s description. A monster with the rake ability must begin its turn already grappling to use its rake—it can’t begin a grapple and rake in the same turn.
Braugher sighs as the Sarenite cleric falls to the first attack by the div. "This is not a strong church." he says aloud as he looks to see Tico rush to her aid. "Protect her. I will try to attack multiple enemies at once." he says plainly as he runs towards the wall, leaping at the last second to try and scale it cleanly.
The hollow-boned bird-turned-man leaps upwards just over 9' and grabs onto the edge of the ruined wall, trying to pull himself up.
As he tries to pull himself over the edge of the ledge, Braugher mutters a prayer in his native tongue. "私の敵、マジックの神から私を隠す."
Braugher sees the giant fish-like creatures and hears Algor's words about the needed weaponry as he looks down to his talons. "I doubt that my claws will be of much use..." he says as he snaps his fingers, enchanting the party and Lyheri with a boost of speed. "So, I shall leave the swordsmanship to you lot!" he says as he moves back into the alcove. "Protect your leader!" he yells to the grouped soldiers of the faith.
Braugher has keen ears for a tengu, likely due to his training in the Bold Strider monastery, so he hears a bit of what Tico is saying and yells to the man from across the ruins. Braugher smiles at the female cleric of Serenrae that he was talking to before he decided to push Tico into being more forthright. "Sorry about that miss. I felt that my compatriot should be as honest with your boss as I am being with you." As a leftover from his training, Braugher semi-consciously flexes his muscles as he remains perched on the fallen pillar, trying to appear more regal.
Braugher remains perched on the fallen, ruined pillar of the once-great temple. He spies a cleric nearby as he keeps watch for any problems and beckons to woman over. "Greetings madam. Nethys gazes kindly upon you on this day." he says with the bow of his head, presenting the amulet around his neck with a silver and gold eye. "Tell me, is anything different from the last time you were here? We heard rumors of a possible problem at the honoring ceremony." the tengu man asks, not caring for deception or mysteriousness.
"Disappointing..." he comments as they reach the site and he finds nothing to purchase. Braugher watches the clerics' display for a few moments before remembering that there is going to be an attack here. "Those of you familiar with the Dawnflower should speak to the leader here and get their opinion on our mission." he says. "I will keep an eye out for possible threats." he adds, before perching on a nearby ruined stone pillar.
Spells Cast in the Morning:
Extended Mage Armor; Extended Darkvision; False Life
"We should investigate the site of the honoring of the hero by the church." Braugher advises. "Most, if not all, of the church will likely be at that location." he adds. Braugher will then start moving in that direction, assured that his choice is wisest. As he moves there, he will look over passing merchant's wares. "Perhaps there is something to satisfy my curiosity." he says as his keen eyes glance at each of the wares.
Braugher nods as Algor finally introduces himself with the need for an aid. "Well, I'm sure you will be invaluable." he says, truthfully and honestly. As Lady Gloriana expounds upon the legend of the hero, Braugher takes in the knowledge, but does not think that it will be very useful. "Perhaps we should leave immediately." he suggests. "We only have a few days to prepare and we should arrive in Aspenthar as soon as possible."
As the final member of the team enters, Braugher takes the time to pour a sixth cup of coffee and presents it to Owyn. "Greetings Owyn. I am Braugher of the Bold Striders. It appears that you are just in time." he says with a smile, though his eyes see that the others are rudely ignoring the offered drink. Either way, Braugher quickly finishes his coffee and cleans the cups up with a snap as the coffee and its residue disappears in a snap of the man's talons. He quickly stows the glasses, grinder and Galtan Press before heading to the Merab. --- After Ser Farbellos' debriefing, Braugher bows to the man. "We will stop Prince Zinlo's attacks and minimize civilian casualties." says the tengu with respect. The tengu man looks oddly at the verbose academic when he mentions the Bold Striders. "I'm not sure what you speak of, sir. I am the first squad leader and this is the first I have heard of you. Well, I don't even know your name." he says as he extends a claw towards the man. "By the way, will you grace us with your name or are you content to run this mission in silence?" Braugher says with a hint of irritation in his voice.
Seeing that Oswin is unsure if one of the cups is for him, Braugher eagerly picks up the cup gingerly, trying to avoid scalding his claw. He passes the cup gently to the man as he offers his own cup up for another toast. "Please! Do enjoy!" he says. "I am glad that you have heard of our exploits. We are always looking for new recruits, so if you find anyone willing to join then please send them to Karu." he says jovially. "Perhaps he will assign them to my squad." he muses aloud.
"Ah... Interesting question, ser Fendahl." remarks Braugher as he sips on his coffee, using his booted foot to nudge the piping hot cup of liquid towards the half-elf who seems ignorant of its existence. "The Bold Striders were founded by Venture-Captain Karu after he slew the mighty Aeteperaxx of Belheim. He is following in the footsteps of Tuula Belheim and her own dragon-slaying mercenary company." he offers before taking another sip on the coffee. "We work primarily for the Society due to Karu's position within the organization, however, we are also free to pursue our own endeavors. Many of the newer recruits tend to take jobs protecting caravans in the area or guarding Belheim and its surrounding towns." the tengu man states plainly, offering no sign of particular allegiance to the Society as a whole.
The thin-whiskered man strides into the room and makes a grandiose gesture of introduction, but, as he takes the time to look around after the fact, he finds that only the feathered man with the bowl of ice cream is present, small wooden spoon frozen by his waiting beak. Realizing the man seems a bit nervous, Braugher greedily eats the ladled bit of dessert before pushing the oak implement back into the pliable foodstuff. "Greetings Tico. I am Braugher. The first squad's leader of the Bold Striders." he responds, bowing in kind. Braugher opens up a small pouch at his side and pulls out a glass Galtan Press filled with water and sets it over a small flame that he produces with magic. "I was just about to prepare some millet coffee from the exotic locale of Minata. Would you care for..." the tengu starts to offer as the doors open once more. As Fendahl and his cat walk in, the tengu seems enraptured by the large cat. "Oh, you have the most beautiful feline!" he says as he motions to Kirrah. "Here, kitty kitty." he says as he places the rest of his ice cream on the floor for Kirrah to lick on. "As I was telling our fellow Pathfinder here, I am Brau..." he starts as, even before the doors can close, two more Pathfinders stride through. After the first introduces himself, the second decides that introductions are unnecessary and begins to lecture on something about trees. The tengu man watches, rapt, but is brought back to reality as half way through some of the boiling water splashes onto his feathers. Ah! The water is ready! He pulls out a little spoon filled with dried Minatan millet mixed with some chunks of red and green out of the smaller pouch and hurriedly dumps the contents into the boiling water before replacing the spoon and setting the lid on top, leaving the plunger pulled high. This man is quite knowledgeable, but very hard to understand. I should meditate on this while I wait for the coffee to brew. Braugher closes his eyes and slowly counts to two-hundred and seven, the ideal count for this type of coffee. As he meditates on the matter, those interested can see the water has turned dark brown, but red and green seems to shimmer through the just-boiling liquid. He finishes meditating and quickly plunges the plunger, forcing all of the grit and millet to the bottom of the glass tube. He takes a quick head count, pouring out five cups of the steaming liquid and producing a tiny soy sauce bowl into which more of the coffee goes. Braugher stands as soon as the boring man finishes and eagerly grabs his hand, interrupting any thoughts he might have of continuing. "Ah, your knowledge will be valuable!" he chimes in a bright voice. "I just wanted to acknowledge all of you for being here." "I am Braugher, a sage of the All-Seeing Eye, Nethys. I command the first squadron of the Bold Striders and I have prepared a local delicacy from near my home. It is Minatan Millet Coffee. Please let it cool a bit before sipping it." he says as he thrusts the book back into the mystery man's hand with the slightly overflowing cup of coffee resting on top, leaving a ring of liquid around the base and staining the cover. "It is good to meet all of you! Tico..." he says with a nod to the strapping soldier. "Fendahl and Kirrah, I assume." he says as the edges of his beak curl up at the sight of the cat investigating the ice cream. He notices his lack of manners and quickly moves to place the small bowl of coffee on the floor next to the ice cream for Kirrah. "Oswin of Iomedae." he says with a serious nod. "And... whomever you are, good sir!" he adds towards the last person to join. "Cheers!" he says as he raises his small glass high before bringing it back down and taking a sip. -Posted with Wayfinder
Not usually found at the Lodge despite his rank amongst the Bold Striders, Trotter Flaxseed's messenger takes to the streets to find the elusive, but extremely noticeable Braugher. The woman traverses the lanes of Cassomir with practiced ease until she spots her prey playing with a group of street children. The half-black, half-white feathered man in white robes is quite easy to spot once you've located him. The messenger approaches calmly walking up to the man as he nods to her, a smile apparent even on the beaked man. "Greetings, Miss. Has the first squad been called up?" he asks kindly as his hand ruffles the hair of a particularly small, underfed halfling child. "Not the squad, sir. Just you." she says in reverence as she bows her head and holds out the missive. "Well that is quite interesting." he says as takes the scroll and breaks the Flaxseed seal on the parchment, reading the text. "Thank you for your immediate aid, miss." he says kindly as he hands the scroll back to the halfling messenger. "Please report that I will be returning to the Lodge shortly. I have one task to complete before arriving, but I will finish it post-haste." "Of course, Master Braugher." she replies, smiling at the child. She reaches into her waist pouch and produces a silver piece, giving it to the girl. "Be good, little one." she says as the child looks on in amazement, squeaking out an extremely quiet thanks. As the child is enraptured by the coin, the halfling messenger disappears into the shadows and Braugher wrangles the children. "Alright, children!" he says as he hoists a younger half-orc child onto his shoulders. "Shall we get some iced cream?" he asks cheerfully. A chorus of children's voices echo throughout the lane as they eagerly follow the tengu man. --- Finding that he is the first to arrive, Braugher places a cup of iced chocolate cream, replete with tiny wooden spoon, onto Trotter's mahogany desk. In his own hand, Braugher samples from a mixture of Mwangi Mint Leaf and Galtan Pistachio, thoroughly enjoying the pairing as he tries to scoop each flavor onto the tiny spoon simultaneously. "I wonder who else was called and for what I have been summoned." he wonders aloud, seeing no reason to keep his inner monologue quiet in an empty room.
The tengu nods and steps forward, sitting down on the sandy floor as he pulls out a scroll. Holding the rolled parchment between his feathery hands, he enters a meditative stance as he begins to chant softly. The scroll dissipates and the magic produced from the spell seems to form a 10' diameter sphere around the tengu that encompasses the group. "It is ready, Master Karu." he says as he maintains his concentration on the spell.
This is my Transmutation-specialized caster. I went Tengu for the Bite/Claws for Weapon Focus -> Feral Combat Training with Dragon Style and Dragon Ferocity for pumping up damage when you hit. From there, standard Strength build since most (if not all) Medium or greater shapechanges give +Strength, not +Dex. Undead Anatomy in particular gives you access to the Mudra Skeleton from Carrion Crown which is a four clawed skeleton, giving you four attacks while transformed. At my particular level (level 9), shape-shifting into the Mudra gives me four claws at +13 to hit with 1d6+14 on the first hit and 1d6+11 on the second through fourth attacks. Average AC for a monster at CR 9 is 23, so I have a 50% chance to hit, thus I am doing around 2d6+23 per round without any other buffs. If I can, Greater Invisibility will let me hit against Flat-Footed AC with another +2 to hit, moving my hit chance even higher. If something is ranged, then I blast it with Snowballs and Magic Missiles. I don't know if any of this helps, but that is basically the build I use for this type of character! Good luck! It is definitely a challenge. |
