Dael gasps. "Bazo...did you just...comfort me?!"
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"Not exactly. My father was human. I only am half drow. If you know anything about drow, they made sure to make it abundantly clear that I was not truly one of them, in their eyes."
Dael and Bazo decide to accompany the wizard shopping, because frankly, nothing else to do, and he seemed to be the only one not freaked out by the demon in tow. He decides to buy a masterwork chain shirt while out and about and sell his old hide shirt. "Yeah, Vic, that's um...a lot of stuff. I have pretty much no idea what you're talking about. I'll be honest, nobody ever really taught me magic, so I'm not sure how much of this stuff will help." He swats Bazo on the nose when the demon starts to try to eat a random alchemical item. "No! That's a bad fiend from the abyss!"
Oh, so we're doing straight roll? I'm so used to 1/2+1 I forgot people still do that.
...and that's why I have not done it in years.
Dael shrugs, and shakes his pouch of coins. "I certainly have enough to rest for a while, but I have no plans otherwise. Provided the rewards remain profitable and we aren't doing anything overtly villainous, I don't mind traveling with you. We make a good team it appears."
"Not really, no, I couldn't. The longer we're bonded the more control I have over his physical form. I'm kind of...playing it by ear. I just intrinsically felt enough time passed where our bond was stronger."
"Fine enough. A few bugs and a dead guy got in the way. These kobolds f***ed the tower up trying to kill some wizard." Bazo opens his mouth to start to talk and Dael shakes his head. "I've had enough of your big mouth. Time to do something about that." He closes his eyes and concentrates, and Bazo's mouth starts to shrink, as well as the teeth in it - but his body starts to gain more and more mass. "Hm...not quite the result I wanted...oh well..."
Picked up Infernal Healing and Open/Close for my new spells. Skills were mostly the same, but instead of upping Handle Animal with my second Background Skill point, I put it in Knowledge (Geography), since we're wandering around on the surface. My new language from Linguistics is Draconic, since it's being blatantly spoken in front of me. As far as Bazo, I dropped improved natural attack bite, and used that point with the new point from the level to give him +2 strength from the 2-point evolution, which combined with his +1 str/dex for level 2, makes him pretty impressive at 17 strength.
"Seems like we got our answer. We were sent to find what happened, now we know. Good enough for me. Let's go collect our pay." Daelendross seems pretty uninterested in the politics of a race of scaly humanoids he knows to be mostly evil. "I'm not for slaughtering them, obviously, but whatever their petty power squabbles are isn't our problem. Let them tear themselves apart. Less for the humans to fight off in the future."
"If the tender paying us wants to know more, he better be willing to pay more, and we'll have to collect our coin he owes to find out. Wizards, dragons, whatever...that stuff doesn't come cheap." Bazo blinks silently at his master's coldness, and then grins. "No, you little s***, you can't kill them now that we have what we want." Bazo looks dejected.
"Well, you can start by answering the lizard's questions."
Sweat is beading on Daelendross's forehead, and he breathes in slowly, and out, like a yoga master in deep concentration. "You know, it would be easier to let him go. Speak quickly, little ones. For your sake I'm holding him back, but I'm tired, and frankly, I don't know you, and the kobolds I've met aren't worthy of saving from a simple slaughter. Prove. Me. Wrong."
"He's twice their height. If an ogre pretended to be a human, would you believe him, no matter what color he was? Let's just mention who sent us. He was a kobold after all."
Yeah, 750gp is a pretty huge chunk of our wealth right now. I think that will have to wait. It would take us pretty much pooling all our money we have, and I, for one, do not want to put most of my cash into a wand. Monetarily speaking, it would be better to invest in MW weapons for the two strikers.
Okay, I'll get it next level up that gives a spell.
GM, this reminds me: infernal healing is literally on the spellcasting list as a first level spell for EVERY SINGLE ARCANE CASTER, including the base summoner, except for Unchained. Personally, I think it wasn't included because it's not a core or APG spell and the Unchained classes are meant to be run with as few other books needed as possible, not because it didn't fit the class. Can I get that next time I have a new spell? Whether I get it or not, Vic, I hope you do so if Sis drops someone can perform emergency services.
Daelendross coughs up a mouthful of blood and slowly slides the chunks of stone from him. "Was it the stone spike imbedded in my chest that gave it away, Azruk?" He stares at the figure. "Well, that's a drow. I don't know much, but pointy ears, black skin, white hair...that's one of mom's people. You know, only...dead."
"Kobolds are crafty bastards. Individuals are weak, but groups, especially when in their homes, can be nasty...my people have legends of a tribe known as Tuckers...horrible stories."
"Yes, well, a pile of dead kobolds a floor up says I'd rather keep the expendable demon scouting ahead of me. You're welcome to walk ahead of him yourself as an ambassador, if you want."
"Don't ask me. I got here the same time as you, big guy."
"I have a backpack, but I'm not terribly strong. Bazo is a quadraped, so he can carry a good amount, but if should he receive enough damage or be banished some other way, anything he is carrying may depart with him until I can summon him again when he will return with all of it having not lost, given away, forgotten, or otherwise parted with it in any way that may possibly result in us losing so much as a copper piece worth of gear, am I clear?" The demon groans and mutters.
"It couldn't hurt, but then what will I save to punish him when he gives me lip again?"
Daelandross backs up a safe distance from the two meatshields and raises an eyebrow at Bazo's comment. "Funny, I feel like some dancing to go with my song..."
The weak half-elf, coughs, looks sidewise, and nudges the paladin forward. "Oh, seem to have slipped. Seems like you have another volunteer here!" He grins sidewise at the wizard. Spellcasters know the
Alchemical spell components, spell specialization...we got a fellow optimizer in the hizzouse. Someone will be getting a tattoo from Varisia inked on then around third level, I bet.
"Bazo! Behind you! Sic 'em!" Acid splash on the thing, and then back up as far as possible.
Daelendross tries the paper in the chest, thinking maybe that's the crest. Bazo presents his "family crest" by turning around and lifting his tail. "Aaahgh, Bazo, what the hell! Nobody wants to see your abyssal starfish!" The demon's grin is ridiculous.
"Well, this is just getting annoying..."
"Mother always said goblins just need a good beating when they're happy and a good meal when they're sad and they're almost as reliable out of chains as in. She also said my father was a boring diversion and watching the driders tear him to pieces was more entertaining than my conception, though, so her perspective is a little skewed."
Bazo indeed takes point (and you can assume that in the future unless otherwise stated) Dael shrugs and motions his head over to Bazo. "Out of the kindness of their heart isn't the way to get fiends to help you, but it doesn't mean they won't. Bazo - sing a song. One that would embarrass you if you had any feelings of shame. Something about the color pink. Now!"
"Your willingness and eager attitude to rip a creature's head off for no other reason than it's species may have colored my judgment of your ability to use foresight as well."
"Actually, my plan was to run someone to the other side with the rope and use it as a hand-guide to give us additional support when crossing, but...since we've already crossed...I really would rather not us all be tied together like some kind of adventurer-chain, where when Azruk wants to charge something and rip it apart you and I are pulled along for the ride. I prefer to keep a safe distance from my enemies and let magic and demon slay them."
Yeah, I haven't been able to get on with my phone at all since 3pm yesterday. I only have computer access on my breaks at work, and since I get off at 4:30, I was in the dark with Paizo all day after that. Glad to see my pessimism was wrong!
Why is it when we get a new player an old one goes quiet? Four times now.
Dael, ever more cautious than his companion, stops short, far before the metal bridge. "Um, that doesn't look safe. I have some rope we can use for bracing, if someone can get to the other side and tie it. I'd make Bazo do it, but...again...he has no hands." You can hear Bazo snickering maliciously at his master's frustration.
"Don't worry about him. He hates everything." Daelendross extends his hand to the newcomer. "I'm Daelendross. Dael, for short. The lizard is Azruk-Hal, and the girl is Azmaria."
Dael restrains Bazo from tearing apart their newest guest. "How much money does a kobold bartender make to hire so many of us to look at a tower...and why?" He scratches his chin in thought.
"Whatever it is, Azruk, it isn't magic. I have no idea. You and Bazo wanna take the lead in that pathway that opened up?"
Dael detects all of the magics...the scroll, the wall, he hallway. Assume that if he has six seconds, he detects magic.
Daelendross takes time to eat through the lock with acid splash, which takes a bit, but considering it's a cantrip, is no real drain on him.
"Little one, if you're a devil, are you not summoned here from another plane? I know it will hurt, but wouldn't you simply return home to where you came from if your body here came to end? Wouldn't they, in effect, be giving you freedom from your prison here? That's the way of it with demons, at least." Daelendross frowns. I understand why she wants to kill it. I know it's intent is wrong, but it hasn't actually wronged us...yet. Maybe I should remain neutral in this...
That was my default alias. Edited. Ha!
Me too. Stupid thing undotted AND hid itself. Annoying as all get out.
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