Sheila raises an eyebrow, "You should work out these difference here and now. If you continue to work for me, I will need you all pulling in the same direction".
Ran:
As Sheila speaks, your eyes blink and you receive a vision of a black bird, a Crow. Sheltered beneath it is a pale blue rhomboid stone that sits within another Shard! This one made of black adamantine. It feels so close...
Sheila excuses herself for a few moments, then returns quickly with a scarlet-and-blue sphere ioun stone in her hand.
She places the ioun stone to the amulet. As she does it flashes with coppery light and fuses to the shard and its appearance changes to look
as if it were made of the same material as the shard itself!
Ran:
The strange feeling of possessiveness regarding the amulet instantly disappears. At the same time you feel an echo of it's power in your mind. This is no mere amulet.
Sheila clears her throat and speaks, “What you have found, my friends, is nothing short of a miracle. Varisia has seen its share of miracles of late—the discovery of Xin-Shalast and the defeat of Runelord Karzoug, or Korvosa’s release from mad Ileosa’s rule come to mind—but this discovery will soon be remembered as an equal to those events. This is a powerful Thassilonian artifact, a fragment of horacalcum and a portion of the Shattered Star of Xin: to be precise, the Shard of Pride.
I suspect that the shard’s current carrier already knows more about it than I do, in fact I bet that once you take possession of it once more Ran, it shall begin to tell you all about itself. The ioun stone I believe will prevent the very real curse that Zhai mentioned from dominating you as I suspect it did poor Natalya. Yes, this explains much about her behavior in these recent weeks”.
Feel free to re-evaluate PC choices as you see fit. I want to run lite here as the three of you have been dedicated posters so I don't want to introduce a random 4th at this time, maybe later but not right now.
The lack of a check might have been the best thing to happen, as it was de-escalating. As said, I have combat reflexes, so if you try something funny, even if you surprise me, I'll get to react to it unless you have some improved maneuvers. And once we start rolling in a pvp-manner, the situation is a lot more likely to spiral out of control.
This is why I didn't call for a check, I have only had 2 PbP's that I DM go by the way side on these boards and one was due to PvP.
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Ran holds out the amulet and Granite grasps it. Ran takes a few moments to relinquish his grasp. He wants it back but not bad enough to take it back, yet.
Ikit eyes the exchange quietly while Natalya still seems absolutely exhausted.
The four companions head back to Sheila's Manse.
After a brief wait, you are escorted into her library once more. Granite presents her with the amulet and her eyes widen and her jaw drops in shock. She reacts cooly to Natalya asking two of her guards to bring the woman to an upstairs bed room to rest, "See that you keep her under guard for now". Natalya does not resist nor speak, she just seems to lack any motivation at all or display the signs of mania she was displaying earlier in your encounter.
"Come with me into the parlor, let us sit and get comfortable, do you require food or drink? Of course you do, I shall send someone along with them", she nods to the butler that allowed you in an has been loitering about.
As you all enter the parlor she closes the doors, "I suspect I know what the amulet is, but in order to be sure, I would like to affix an ioun stone to the indentation in the shard’s face. If it is based on Azlanti magic similar to that the Pathfinders based the design of their wayfinders on, and if this shard reacts to an ioun stone in the same way, my hunch will be proven correct. Is this acceptable to you?"
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
As the group bickers over the trinket, Ikit comes down from the rafters and steps in between Ran and Zhai, "Curse, no curse. Someone need to carry thing to Sheila. We go, she remove curse. Yes?"
Just as Ikit completes his statement, Granite finally manages to break through the wall to the outside.
Natalya is indeed unconscious and its clear that she can easily be brought out of this place, well now anyway.
I see no reason why Zhai cannot come to that conclusion. However, as the group has succeeded at their task, let's just move on shall we? Are you all heading back to the Pathfinder Lodge next or somewhere else first?
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Zhai calls out for Ran to drop the necklace.
Ran:
You feel the weight of the item, it is a curious thing. You can feel that it is not some ordinary piece of metal to be sure. You hear what Zhai states but why should you, are you not the one that captured this woman, is this not your prize?
Ikit watches the interaction from afar while Granite looks for a way to get out of here more easily than they entered.
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
The pile of rags that is Ikit shakes it's head in the negative.
As Ran pulls the necklace over her head, Natalya's affect immediately changes. She appears disoriented and becomes withdrawn. Her struggles cease and the tension that Ran and Zhait from her immediately disappears.
Guys. I can't post properly without the app. So for now I have to bow out of a few of my games till I sort this out :( but if allowed I would like to join in as soon as it's sorted?
Sure, I'll keep you on the periphery and once you're sorted out, you can jump back in.
I'll be updating once more this week, RL got too hectic there to handle and post at the same time.
Magnimar - Underbridge - [ooc]Abandoned Boarding House Lead[/opc]
"Rescue? No, no rescue, they want it but I won't let them have it!" She attempts to struggle once more but Zhai is prepared, she slides down the chimney and secures Natalya's feet. Her struggles thereafter are in vain.
Ran, from your vantage point, you see that in her shirt, connected to a platinum chain is a piece of copper unlike anything you've ever seen before in shape and consistency. Its not copper but something else...
Knowledge Nature DC 25:
This is Horacalcum, the rarest of sky metals.
Granite Knowledge Dungeoneering DC 14:
You suspect that if you and Ikit can get to the other side where Ran and Zhai have her, you could punch through that wall to the outside with the right weapon.
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Ran grapples the woman by the legs and she immediately begins to struggle.
DM YS ONLY:
CMB 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Ran has her and his strength and size wear her resolve down. She even tries to fumble through a spellcasting but he is able to cover her mouth and prevent the casting from going off successfully.
Finally, after a few minutes of no one coming to her aid, she ceases. Still, with Zhai above and Granite and Ikit covering Ran and Natayla, the position here is precarious. There is no easy way to get her away from this side of the room should she begin struggling once more...
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Granite climb down in time to see Ran make yet another amazing jump across the floor in the next room. He lands in the fireplace, surprising the hell out of the woman.
Surprise Round - Ran and Zhai GO!
Granite and Ikit, you could both shoot into the melee as well with the normal -4 penalty or ready actions to shoot in case she gets past Ran your choice.
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Ikit shoots and kills the last stirge!
Zhai watches as she heads down the chute the woman is quite clearly a bit mad. What do you do?
Granite focuses on her filthy lair. A brass comb, buttons, a few gem stones, some gold and silver litter the floor of this "room".
Ran, Acrobatics DC 25 to leap to the other side. I'll lower the DC to 20 to swing across rafter to rafter but you'll need to make 3 rolls for that. Based upon what you see of the pit below, she'll likely head for a refuse pit. Of course, you'll need to be in the muck to cut her off that way.
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
"No! You just want it!"
She leaps down into the fireplace to get away from you!
---
Granite climbs up just in time to see the female human jump into the damned fireplace.
---
The Strige drains more blood lose 1 more point of constitution from Zhai and dislodges itself, seemingly bloated and full of her blood. It begins to fly away. Get an AoO if you want one Zhai. Ikit, you can shoot it, Granite, you can strike it in melee.
---
Ran, you hear a crash and see dust billow up from the fireplace across the room! You see two legs, soot covered, from your vantage point.
Ran, you can fire at her.
Technically, as no foes threaten your group, we are out of initiative.
Figured I'd just let the gm decide how to do it. The stirge can't move because it's plugged into, so it can't evade the wall, of course it couldn't evade the floor either yet the gm completely ignored the attempt, so who knows.
Personally, as a gm, I would say either the stirge is forced to let go to avoid the wall/floor or it takes some damage (i'd use an initiative check to see if it was fast enough to evade myself). But that is just me.
Think about it, a bug is latched onto your back so you slam your back into the floor. What happens? (there was even a stupid-humor movie that did it too.)
This is one of those world milieu vs mechanics milieu issues really.
I didn't think the Acrobatics check was high enough to warrant damaging the Stirge, they're not exactly common household bugs!
Sorry for the typos remember I juggle 50 of these as a PC and DM so typos are bound to happen. Generally, assume the Descriptives override the OOC notes as they are usually just a copy and paste to save time.
her slam certainly injures it but does not dislodge or kill it.
Damn typo, the Stirge on Ikit was dead and fell away, forgot to delete Ikit's name on the description as to the negatives for attacking the one on Zhai. Granite let's assume that you did not take that shot as you cannot see her at all. Granite and Ran you may both attempt to Climb the rafters and follow her to where she has gone. Go ahead and roll or re roll in Granite's case.
Ikit reloads.
A female voice from above, "Friends? What friends, you just killed all of my friends!" She peers down the fireplace looking something or someone...
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Round 4
Zhai jumps runs across the rafters and jumps into the brick room. Despite the desperate roll, the damn thi8ngs barbs still clings to her arm!
Zhai:
The crumbling, charred brick of the chimney has been chipped away to create a large hollow within, with a tangle of discarded planks and other rubbish now serving as a floor.
Kneeling there seemingly ready to head down a ladder into the section of the fireplace that leads to the first floor is a human female who fits the description of Natalya. She is unkempt though, terribly unkempt. Next to her open are two journals.
She stares at you in horror, "Cyvis aid me!" You do not clearly see who she is talking to but then you still have a Stirge trying to kill you!
---
As Zhai disappears somewhere up above the two below set their sights on helping Ikit.
Granite's shot misses hitting a rafter. Ran's just grazes the thing and its hold remains firm.
You both hear that same voice that screeched speak once more but it is harder to make out what it says as it is not said in a shout. It is a good bet that whoever it is, Zhai just found her.
Round 5
BOOM! The rafters shake with Kit's shot and his ears ring from how close the barrel as to his head. The Stirge though, clutching to his body falls away dead.
The stirge continues to sap Zhai's strength. Lose 1 more pint of Con.
Round 5 - Zhai, Granite, & Ran - GO!
As the final Stirge is latched Zhai and Ikit, -4 to attacks without the appropriate ranged attack Feat to reduce such penalties.
Round 6 - Ikit - GO!
Stirges 1, HUman Female
Zhai, Granite, & Ran
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Round 4
Ikit scampers up the rope subjecting himself to danger which manifests itself immediately as the Stirges split off each attacking one of the adventurers!
This time, the creatures manage to latch onto each Ikit and Zhai! Each of you loses 1 Constitution as the creatures begin to drain blood from you!
Escape Artist or CMB checks DC 21 to get these little f+&#ers off! OR Attack them with one handed weapons.
Round 4 - Zhai, Granite, & Ran - GO!
From your current vantage point both Granite and Ran can shoot the Stirges as they are essentially right overhead now having zoomed off after Zhai! As the Stirges are latched Zhai and Ikit, -4 to attacks without the appropriate ranged attack Feat to reduce such penalties.
As your eyes adjust to the elevation without rafters or part so the ceiling obscruring your view, you can see at the far end of the room a brick area, likely what was once a fireplace. It appears that part has been chipped away to create a large hollow within, it is before that hollow that one of the Goblin bodies now lies dead.
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Round 2
Zhai pulls herself up the rope quickly and is standing on the rafters. As her eyes adjust to the darkness, she hears a slight buzzing sound. From a space in the corner, two Stirges arise and set their eyes and noses upon you!
Yes Ikit, you can either stow your bow and climb the rope to the rafters or fire at the Goblins once more.
The Goblins fire once more but hit only the doorway.
Round 2 - Ikit's Action.
---
Round 3 - Ikit's Action
Goblins & Stirges
Zhai, Granite (no longer nauseated!), & Ran
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Ran manages to pull up Granite who is still retching off of the side of the landing but at least has cover from the wall. Ran steps to cover on the other side of the door frame as Ikit launches and arrow that makes a Goblin squeal!
Zhai looks at her options and pulls two ropes from her backpack, she ties one to the other giving it some extra weight and throws it up into the rafters, hoping it will tie itself up.
Roll to Toss the rope - 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
The rope wraps itself around one of the rafter beams.
Round 2 Ikit GO! From your vantage point, the Goblins still have soft cover as they are in the next room and up in the rafters in darkness.
Goblins
Ran (in cover), Granite (Nauseated till beginning of Round 3 - in cover), & Zhai
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Ikit and Zhai arrive at the edge of the room in time to see Granite fall unceremoniously into the pit of offal below. This chamber has no floor, opening directly into the sump of a sewage pit below. Likewise, the charred ceiling has fallen away, revealing the fire-blackened rafters above. Next to a hole cut in the southwest corner of the wall, a crude ladder that has been nailed to the wall provides access to the rafters above. Ten feet to the north of that position is a door which is closed. Neither is easy to reach!
Granite, make a Fortitude saving throw DC 13 or be nauseated for 1d4 ⇒ 2 rounds.
Ikit & Zhai the Acrobatics check to reach Ran will be DC 25 as you will need to run into the room, snatch one of the ceiling beams and swing to the doorway where there is a small ledge. Ran will need to move first before the attempt can even be made as with he and now Granite on the ledge there's no room.
Ran kicks open the door but sees his ally fall in and extends his spear to assist Granite in his climb back out but with the ladder right there Granite does not seem to need it all that much. However, the moment his hands grasp onto the ladder, it falls off of the wall immediately!
Make another Reflex save DC 11 to grab onto Ran's spear.
Ran, make a strength check DC 10 to ensure you can hold on.
Unfortunately, Ran hears about the worst thing he possibly can at that moment, Goblins!
Ran is struck in the shoulder by an arrow. Take 4 damage.
---
Initiative - Round 1
Ikit GO! From your vantage point, the Goblins have soft cover as they are in the next room and up in the rafters in darkness.
Goblins
Ran, Granite, & Zhai
Granite, assuming you make the Fortitude and Reflex saves and Ran makes the strength check, you'll be on the small section of the floor near the door and able to act this round.
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Granite swings towards the ladder but misses the damned thing!
Make a Reflex saving throw DC 13 to grab back onto that rope before it swings away and you are left free falling into the muck below!
Ran kicks at the door once, twice, three times s the charm as it goes swinging inwards.
Ran is unsurprised as he finds this room floorless, with only an exposed septic pit where the floor should be. A dry sewer pipe extends from the wall of this pit. The west wall is dominated by a massive brick fireplace that still remains anchored in place, overlooking the sewage. A ladder extends from the sewage to the fire-blackened hearth above. As in other rooms, the ceiling here has collapsed to reveal the attic space.
Ran Perception DC 20:
You hear voices whispering in the darkness above...
---
Ikit and Zhai have finished off the remaining Goblin. You can hear the sounds of someone kicking something from the other side of the house.
Can Granite try and smash the door with his swing? As in, feet front, slam into the door? He may loose momentum from that, but I think I could extend my spear and let him hold on, then help to make it to the platform?
Indeed he could!
Granite, if you succeed at that Acrobatics check without Ran's help, make a CMB check at a DC of 20, give the roll a +4 bonus for the weight of your body being added to the swing into the door.
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Round 5
Granite tests the gap in the corner but it appears to be made for Goblins by Goblins as he is simply too broad to pass though. Grumbling, he pulls the grappling hook and rope from his pack getting ready to swing across the room to the door.
Ran CMB - 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
Ran tries to kick the door in while at the same time not losing his balance but the handle and door do not budge. Though the house is for shit, it appears that at least this handle and door are fairly sturdy.
With Zhai providing the Ratfolk cover, Zhai brings down the last of the Goblins!
Combat Over!
Granite - make a ranged attack roll DC 10 to secure the grappling hook on one of the beams and swing over! Make a DC 12 Acrobatics check to land on the ladder and a DC 15 Acrobatics check to land on the small space near Ran. Ran may make an Acrobatics check to Aid Another if you choose to swing to his location./
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Neither spear nor mudball connect with Zhai or Ikit. Despite Zhai being unable to catch the spear, Ikit is clearly able to shoot. His shot brings down the first goblin leaving just the mudslinger to deal with!
DM YS ONLY:
Goblin #2 Here's Mud in Your Eye! @ Ikit - 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
The remaining Goblin flings more mud but comes nowhere near either Ikit or Zhai.
No movement from above has made an attempt to attack Ran, yet. Nor can Granite see anything above from his vantage, it's just too damn dark!
Round 5 -
Granite, Zhai, Ran, and Ikit - GO!
Foe Group 2
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Ran takes a few steps back and with a short running start lunges upwards for the beams above, he manages to grasp one and swings across to the small ledge next to the still closed door.
Granite makes his way to where Ran was standing and sees that the floor in the next room is non-existent, Ran is clearly a superior athlete to have made the jump without falling into the sewage below.
The door is locked, you'll need to make a disable device or CMB roll to bash it open next round OR you can climb the ladder nearby instead.
Zhai, make a Dexterity check DC 20 to catch the Spear as a Move Action. Of course an attack roll if you wish to throw it back.
Granite, you can move along the room just fine now that you made the prior Acrobatics check. The Acrobatics check to reach Ran will be DC 25 as you will need to run into the room, snatch one of the ceiling beams and swing to the doorway where there is a small ledge. Ran will need to move first before the attempt can even be made.
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Ran races along the edge of the room once the Goblins have been defeated and kicks open the next door. This chamber has no floor, opening directly into the sump of a sewage pit below. Likewise, the charred ceiling has fallen away, revealing the fire-blackened rafters above. Next to a hole cut in the southwest corner of the wall, a crude ladder that has been nailed to the wall provides access to the rafters above. Ten feet to the north of that position is a door which is closed. Neither is easy to reach!
Ran - Perception DC 17:
You hear something in the rafters above but see nothing.
---
Meanwhile, Zhai throws the spear just used to wound her back at the already injured Goblin, the throw misses by only mere inches.
The first goblins manages to catch Zhai in the shoulder with a spear, the second manages to catch his friend in the shoulder with a spear! His comrade turns and curses at him in Goblin screaming for him to pull the damn thing back out.
Zhai takes 2 damage.
Round 3 -
Granite, Zhai, Ran, and Ikit - GO!
Foes Group 2
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Round 2
Ran cuts down the first Goblin he injured as Granite simply cannot get a good look at the Goblins behind the crates.
Zhai wipes the muck from her neck.
Zhai Knowledge Nature DC 15:
Just by the smell you know that you will need to be treated as a Temple, this filth will most certainly make you sick in short order, even wiping it away will not be sufficient...
The final Goblin attacks Ran more out of panic than out of a sense of bravery and with ease Ran's spear deflects the clumsy dogslicers slice.
Playing in 20+ games and running 26 (soon to be 27) is time consuming. Outside of the boards I have a fairly busy work schedule and of course a life!
Often I find that if I fall behind in updates, I need to make time to simply update a Discussion Thread to inform the PCs of a particular game that I am either going to be posting later in the day or week or will be on a break form the boards for one reason or another.
To save time updating so many damn threads I am going to open this thread and link all of my DM aliases (and PC aliases) to this thread to inform people as to status.
Of course if people feel the need to ask other questions outside of PbP feel free to do so but mainly this will be a thread dedicated to ensuring that my PCs know my status and to assure everyone that even though I may have some absences away from the boards (or particular games) that new thread will always be up to date with my status.
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Round 1
Ran manages to leap across the pit and stab one of the Goblins over the crate they are using for cover. The Goblin shrieks but does not fall backwards as dead as Ran would have liked it to.
Granite steps onto the ledge dropping his rapier next to him and leveling his crossbow, with the cover the Goblins have, it is difficult to get a shot.
Zhai enters the room but hears a commotion behind her as a set of goblins emerge from the sewers. They begin to throw muddy filth at her!
Magnimar - Underbridge - Abandoned Boarding House Lead
Ran barges into the door The floor of this room has fallen away, leaving a narrow, charred ledge along the south and east walls. To the northwest, a ledge heaped with crates and barrels sits, while above the rafters of the attic lay bare to view. It is clear that the ledge will bring Ran around to the fortified position but it will be with some level of difficulty.
As soon as the door is opened, from the fortified position, one Goblin stands up and fires a crossbow at the masked man who attempts to intimidate the Goblin with a menacing stare. The bolt goes down into the room below as the Goblin sinks back into cover, "A longshanks, a scary one with no face!" shrieks the Goblin.
As Ran opens the door, Granite make a move to leap on gingerly when the ratfolk leaps ahead of him and surges across the plank as it if were the middle of a field. Forcing Granite to slow down his leap, still he manages to land on the plank on his feet.
Zhai stares at the ladder considering whether it can hold her weight. The sounds of Goblins guttural common snaps her from her reverie, it seems Ran has found the Masters of the home...
Zhai Knowledge Engineering DC 12:
That ladder is a trap it is cut in a few spots and rigged to fall.
Round 1-
Granite, Zhai, Ran - GO!
Foes Group 1
Ikit
Foes Group 2
