Okay, on review I do feel like this thread has cost me more stress than it's gained me enjoyment, so sure, let's just call the game.
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Brennus starts cawing raucously, hoping his allies in the tent get the point that he's warning them.
If I see a point he would, I will.
Brennus waits outside, perched on top of the tent. It's barely been a minute and he's already feeling impatient, but soothes himself by silently mocking the would-be magical symbols on Zograthy's tent.
Brennus flits from booth-top to roof-edge, trailing slightly behind the rest of the group. He lets his gaze run over the ground, as if he's just a scavenging bird looking for scraps, but in truth he's looking for signs of pursuers or other trouble around the others.
Did anyone take the dagger or the ring from the puzzle box? I assume we're splitting the silver.
Brennus considers for a moment then straightens and gives a slight nod. "Perhaps it is better for us to stay together. I'll keep watch from above while we speak with him."
Sounds good to me.
Brennus clacks his beak thoughtfully. "I could perch in some likely spots and keep an eye out for slaver activity, and perhaps then follow them to see where they're taking their captives. I would need to come back to the rest of you before acting, obviously."
Brennus perches on the back of a chair as he listens to Sheila's explanation. "Hmmm... searching for mysterious ancient artifacts or someone who might have a lead to them? I'm all for it, of course." He shuffles on his perch slightly, tilting his head thoughtfully. "Let's see, where to start... you probably have some information on places she frequents and the like?"
Brennus examines the ring once he figures out it's the only enchanted thing in the box. "Somewhat... disappointing, but useful for those without wings," he concludes. "If any of you are afraid of falling, this ring could be of use to you."
As soon as the fighting is over, Brennus flies to the now-open box to see if there was anything in it now that it had been emptied of mischievous creatures. Without turning his head from his investigation, he suggests aloud, "Someone should be ready to explain to Captain Heidmarch why we've made a mess of the library."
Brennus summons up another barrage of translucent force feathers to assault the remaining creature.
◆◆◆ Force Barrage
Brennus grumbles something about 'devolving into violence' under his breath, then summons some darts of magical force to strike the creature sawing through the chandelier's ropes.
◆◆◆ Force Barrage
Brennus notices the crystal vase getting knocked over and tries to save it with a quick spell, then flies over to perch on a nearby chair back. ◆◆ Telekinetic Hand
"By all means, go ahead," Brennus says to Caks. "Now, it seems strange to me that only a single part of the whole box would be relevant to the puzzle. Perhaps there's something Koriah hadn't noticed yet, or at least hadn't written any notes on?" The raven examines the five identical sides for anything that might be relevant (or that might not be exactly the same between sides), then the final side for anything beyond the single word that seems interesting.
A raven who had been perched on the back of a chair when you came in bobs his head and opens his beak. "I am Brennus, quite likely the only sorcerous talking raven you'll ever likely meet." He spreads his wings and gives an odd approximation of a bow. "I have a particular... fascination with arcane lore and magical artifacts, which is the part of dungeon delving I find particularly interesting. I'll leave the chopping to you."
A raven who had been perched on the back of a chair when you came in bobs his head and opens his beak. "I am Brennus, quite likely the only sorcerous talking raven you'll ever likely meet." He spreads his wings and gives an odd approximation of a bow. "I have a particular... fascination with arcane lore and magical artifacts, which is the part of dungeon delving I find particularly interesting. I'll leave the chopping to you."
I could actually go back to Brennus's original backstory now! :D I'm flying out to visit my parents tomorrow, so I may be a little distracted for the next several days.
I wouldn't try to connect the two, given we're transitioning worlds, just say we need to modify our backgrounds to reflect living on Golarion and becoming Pathfinders.
Hmmmm... Brennus *was* originally a Golarion character so I'd have no issue switching settings. I really like the Psychic archetype with him, though...
"Rail, don't get too close to them," Brennus commands his ride, then starts chanting and holding out a wing. Arcs of electricity start dancing along his feathers. ◆◆◆ Channeling horizon thunder sphere
Brennus debates acting, but a quick mental review of his options reveals he has yet to learn any enchantments particularly useful for battle preparation. He'll have to see what he can do about that... but for now, he waits to see what emerges, hoping he's not making a mistake.
"There must be a way around, true, but unfortunately it may be as simple as the trigger condition being set to 'anyone who's not on this list'," Brennus replies. "Hence my suggestion that a summoned creature would be more appropriate. We could try having them skirt the edges of the room and see if they can avoid setting off the rune."
"Isn't it better to spend a few minutes patching me up, then spend a resource?" "Given the power of the enchantment ahead, our only recourse after you triggered it might be to carry your corpse out," Brennus remarks, drily.
Brennus flinches, nearly flinging himself from Rail's shoulder. He flails for a moment to regain his balance, whacking his perch in the face with a wing as he blinks and shakes his head. "Sorry about that," he croaks softly, turning his head away from the fountain. "There is some powerful magic in the room ahead. Given what we've encountered so far, I doubt it's friendly, but I don't see a way around it." The raven gets his beak uncomfortably close to Rail's head again. "You might think about commanding one of those alien creatures you were just speaking of, this will probably be worse than anything we've encountered thus far." ...does Brennus sound a little excited by this fact?
Rail nods. "That's a great trick, Brennus!" "Trick?" Brennus scoffs. "I'm commanding the fundamental forces of the world to generate light where there naturally would be none, and you call it a trick?" He pauses dramatically. "Compared to what I'd like to be able to do, it is little more than a parlor trick, true." When the group looks into the next room, Brennus narrows his beady little eyes at the sights within. "No doubt there's more of those magical traps here. I agree, Barry, we should be at full strength, but I don't like waiting for normal medicine. You are a cleric, you have healing magic, yes? Now might be the time to use it, for I would not be surprised to find enemies approaching soon. Rail," he turns his head so his beak is practically in his perch's face, "Do you want to try your prestidigitation again? The rune looks carved rather than painted, but perhaps there is some paint to be worn away. As for myself, I'll search for magic." He uses his boosted detect magic to search for magical hazards, staying in the hallway to do so (since he mostly suspects the fountain, which is in range from here).
As the group enters the darkness of the halls, Brennus conjures an orb of light above Rail's head with a croak of command. "Now, who needs a personal light source? I can maintain up to four of these," the raven states.
Ah, I didn't think of Prestidigitation. Brennus does have Light, yes.
"Now that it's triggered, you could wipe off the remains of the rune to make certain of it--though it may be that it can only trigger once," Brennus suggests. He doesn't leave his perch on Rail's shoulder for now.
...so a rag wouldn't be a valid target? Or are you saying he wouldn't be able to control it well enough to try to wipe a surface with it?
Had I suggested Brennus using telekinetic hand to pick up a rag and use it to wipe off the symbol? I feel like I had and some problem with it had been pointed out, but I have to go to work now so I don't have time to hunt back and see if I'm remembering correctly.
"The alternative would be to somehow get to it without triggering it and simply scrub it off."
"It's likely the enchantment would only trigger on a living being. Though if you thought you could hit it with a rock hard enough to damage the rune, that might work."
"I could try simply blasting it with some force missiles, but my ability to conjure them is quite... limited," Brennus admits. "I've already expended half of my reserves of arcane energy for the day. With more practice I should be able to unravel the enchantments, but that remains a future magical raven capability, not a current one."
I could do that.
Once his beak is clear, Brennus explains, "It's enchanted, but merely to place a magical mark on things. It's the sort of thing used by spellcasters who wish to mark messages or works they've made with a personal mark. A useful trick, but nothing amazing. Though you can also use it to get a vague sense of direction to your most recent mark if it's not too far." Just before he starts to enter the tombs, Caks spots some familiar runes above the entrance. They are scribed on the top of the door frame so not evident from the front. Just as he starts to point it out the sharp-eyed Barry chimes in that he sees something strange as well. "Well spotted, though not surprising after what we've seen," Brennus comments from his current perch on Rail's shoulder. "Unfortunate that I've yet to work my way up to the power to dispel others' magics. Is it placed such that evasion is possible, or is one of us going to have to trigger it?"
"Ah!" Brennus croaks in delighted surprised and fishes a ring out of some of the collapsed bones. He flies over to Rail's shoulder and holds out the ring, held in the tip of his beak. Given he doesn't want to drop it, he has to wait and hope the elf gets the point before he speaks again.
Brennus, as usual, examines the area for magic, wondering if these undead arose naturally or if whoever set the traps in the shrines was a necromancer.
As Barry sets about treating wounds, the raven casts a wary eye at the sky. "Maybe we should get back in one of those shrines for this? This weather doesn't seem particularly natural, if you ask me."
Brennus judges the skeleton is probably near destruction, so he doesn't waste a good spell on it, simply summoning a small arc of electricity to try to finish it off. If that doesn't do the trick he hops a bit further away.
◆◆ Electric Arc
Brennus chants and summons up his feather missiles to blast skeleton #4.
◆◆◆ Force Barrage
Brennus tumbles from Telurion's shoulder with a startled squawk when the skeletons attack, narrowly avoiding bony fingers as he regains his feet. He croaks a word of arcane power that somehow manages to sound rude and tries to slap the arm reaching for him with a wing, magical flames flickering from his feathers as he does.
Then he awkwardly half-hops, half-flies to take cover behind Barry. ◆◆ Ignition
"There's more Empyrean script on the altar here, but nothing further that I notice. The traps do seem to be recent, however. Interesting..." Brennus tilts his head to one side and narrows his small eyes. "We must translate these as soon as possible. Either they're clues... or someone's just adding injury to the desecration of these shrines." As Barry starts patching up the others, the raven flits over to Telurion's shoulder. "Perhaps we can make best use of the time we have by examining your find together while Barry sees to the others' wounds?"
Brennus observes the small devil disappearing for a moment, then looks back to where the rune that summoned it had been painted. "Now the question is, were all of these traps to protect something that was left here? Were they simply a final act of desecration? Let us see." He'll examine the areas that were trapped closely for anything of interest.
I'm going to be away from home today through the 30th, so my responses may be sporadic.
Brennus decides this creature is annoying enough to justify a real spell. He again summons forth a barrage of translucent feathers that home in on his target with a commanding croak and a wave of his wing... that just narrowly misses whacking Rail in the face, given his current perch. ◆◆◆ Force Barrage
"Do be careful with that," Brennus says to Caks as the Ysoki starts to deliberately set off the traps.
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