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Dez nods in thanks to Erdija for blocking the attack. He makes a knowledge check (a free action in PF1e) to identify these creatures and any important info about them, such as weaknesses or particularly dangerous attacks:
He then studies the creature in front of him as a move action (studied combat) and strikes like a viper with his fiery rapier, a wild look in his eyes:
Dez shakes the fog from his head and is still reeling in confusion about what is happening, but seeing Erdija spring into action and the unfamiliar figures in the tent, he realizes the danger and instinctively grabs his flaming rapier and drinks his mutagen (+4 to DEX; +2 to natural armor; -2 WIS for 50 min), using his tail to pull the bottle out of his handy haversack.
Dez half listens from his bed of pine needles as the room spins around him, feeling both a little over-tipsy but also pleased at the night of revelry -- he was perfectly happy to be carried along on the tide of the centaurs' enthusiasm. He tries to pay attention to the information being exchanged, but eventually falls asleep/passes out. If there's to be a watch, it won't be Dez watching...
Although his countenance remains calm, Dezső is very moved by the centaurs' enthusiastic reception to his efforts to entertain. Following Korak's declaration and introduction, Dez thanks Korak most formally and then takes a mighty gulp of kvass and raises the horn in salute to Korak and the Voaldyn. He bows deeply and formally to Erdija and salutes her with another big gulp from the horn. "I am honored to meet you Erdija and thank you for your guidance. You can trust that we will follow your lead and fight fiercely by your side." Dezső will spend the night in revelry, letting his guard down more than usual, after the warm reception from the centaurs -- such warmth and acceptance being so unfamiliar to him. Even before the drink, he hardly feels the cold , and he again muses to himself that his natural comfort in the cold is perhaps a sign that his true home is in the colder climates of recent weeks. Dez will look for opportunities to bond with Erdija and Korak in the revelry, and do more tricks for the foals and any others. For fun, he will use his tail to hold his horn of kvass. If he overdoes it, as seems likely, he will make fun of himself and flatter the fortitude of the hosts (finding someone to help translate): (slurring)"I ... am but a puny two-legs... a skinny one at that ... how can I drink kvass like the mighty Vaoldyn?" But he promises Erdija he will be a capable traveling companion, despite his inability to handle large quantities of kvass...
Dez tries to use the opportunity to entertain the foals, even at risk of making himself look a little ridiculous. He moves acrobatically around the fires and and thrusts with panache to keep the fires lit. At a moment when a number of foals are watching, he uses his extract of long arm to tend the fires from a distance.
At quieter moments, he takes the chance while fire tending to observe the centaur camp, with fascination.
Dezső is torn between his fascination at the centaur camp and his awareness of the group's peril. He listens carefully, through translation, to the back and forth between Yrja and Korak. He says to Yrja, "Good job helping them understand we mean no harm. Ask him what we can do to convince them that we tell the truth."
Dez bows in imitation of Yrja, and uses his powers of close observation to follow the centaurs' bodily language and calculate some brief simple words that might assuage their concerns. He then, also calculating his movements to assuage, speaks some simple words in Hallit, which he knows is spoken in Brevoy (Iobaria's neighbor), in the hopes that the lead centaur (or another) might speak some. He then repeats the same statement in Common and Skald. "We come in peace and travel to Artrosa only because Baba Yaga compels us to do so. We will do no harm to you or these lands." :
Dez also glances towards Orik with a pleading expression, since Orik speaks Jotun...
Dez listens carefully to Yrja's translation and smiles in a reassuring and friendly way. He says to his companions in common, "Do any of you speak Jotun, Elven, or Sylvan? I'm embarrassed I do not, but I think they probably do. I think I heard them use the name of the one who sent us, so I think they may know how we got here. Maybe we just tell the truth? I'm assuming they are no friends of the frost giants the hut dispatched... It sure would help if they could point us in the right direction and warn us what dangers to expect."
Dezső follows Yrja's lead and does his best to assume a non-threatening posture.
Dez is comfortable with the cold in a way that makes him curious and enjoys the frozen quiet of the woods, but he immediately slips back to the group when he spots the centaurs. Dez thinks back to his voracious reading at the Lepidstadt University— does he agree with the group’s assessment of the centaurs?
"That sounds right to me. We need to pick a direction and I trust your lead in this area, Orik." Once the others are ready, Dez starts walking in the direction Orik indicated, walking about 15 feet in front of the party, stealthily and looking for traps, foes, or other dangers.
Dezső mirrors Yrja's reaction to the carnage. "It's rather unsettling to be bound in service to the master of a structure capable of such violence, but here we are. Is it clear to any of you what we are supposed to be doing here in Iobaria? Anyways, I will scout ahead a little bit."
Dez makes a 100 foot circle around the hut, looking for anything of interest, traps, or some idea of what direction to go.
Thanks! Yeah, sometimes the APs are not very thoughtful in how they set up encounters, and it can paralyze the players, especially in PbP.
Dez is pleased Ratibor loosened up at least a teeny bit. In response to Yrja, he comments, "I fight better small and quick than big and strong, so I do not think it makes sense to enlarge me. Although I will probably make my arm longer!" He chuckles with the last remark and waggles his arms. "Something that made me even faster would help, and I'll be sure to stay out of your fog!"
"If we're to go fight giants, I think we need to rest up, promise of help from the hut or no." With that, Dez finds a corner of the room to set up a bedroll and a space for sitting and taking some notes and undertaking some minor alchemy experiments (which, aside from sleep, is his way of resting). He'll do some little tricks for Ratibor, if the barbarian is interested, and he'll share the best of his foodstuffs with Ratibor as well. After enough relaxation to allow the adrenaline to fade, he'll rest for eight hours and do his preparations upon waking.
What's our status resources-wise? Can we assume we took time to rest? We should consider some buffing before we go fight giants... Dez will at least have extracts handing to consume, or consume depending on timing. Is there some advantage to Dev (anyone else?) turning invisible and positioning...
Dez's watches with wondering eyes as the hut shifts to reveal the full surroundings, but frowns seeing all the giants. "So, is Ratibor saying that the frost giants are here to attack the hut, or that they are here to defend the hut against someone else 'keen to bother Baba Yaga'"? And what does he mean when he says the hut can attack? Does he mean attack the frost giants? That would be nice, but that doesn't seem like something we can count on. In any event, there is no way we are fighting our own way out, as Yrja observes. Yes, some guidance from Zorka would really be helpful."
Dez returns to the group. "Bad news. There's a frost giant right outside the hut, and those creatures are MEAN. Unless we have some way of sneaking by, or unless we can convince the giant we too are working for Baba Yaga, we need to be prepared to fight it. Baba Yaga certainly doesn't make it easy to help her!" "Yrja, do you think you could point to the frost giant outside and see if Ratibor has any help to offer?"
Does Dezső think it would be likely to attack folks coming OUT of the hut?
(actually one higher for arcana, nature, or religion) Does it look like it is guarding the hut? Does Dez know what it is?
"Then I guess the only way out is on foot." Dez crosses the room to the exit door, acknowledging the warrior as he does, commenting, "I certainly hope there will be no need for us to fight when we return." Dez listens at the door out. If he hears nothing, he will open it slowly and quietly and peek out.
"Ok. I am confident of your judgment on the matter. It does seem clear that we are meant to leave the hut now and do... something... in Iobaria, so I guess we should do that. I am also open to Elbrynn's suggestion to make a deal with the hut to teleport us in an out, if such a thing is possible. I would not have thought so, but you are some kind of servant of Baba Yaga, right Elbrynn? Are you able to make a deal with the hut? We have not been able to communicate with it."
Well, she certainly is! And she might have some intuitive insight on how a witch would approach hiding such a ritual...
"Yrja, are you able to detect a magical aura around him that might give some idea of the nature of the compulsion he is under and how we can relieve him of it? By the way, if I haven't mentioned it before, I am so impressed by the abilities you have developed and your good judgment, and you are so valuable to this mission. Not to diminish anyone else's contributions, but I don't know what we would do without you." Dez will also look around the room to see if there is anything that might point to a loophole that will allow the group to return to the hut without fighting Ratibor.
Dez is relieved for Yrja's casting ability. He thought the language must be Iobarian, based on its general sound and the prior references to Iobaria, but he was unable to make any sense of the words. Dez responds to Yrja with a similarly lowered voice, continuing to make friendly glances at the warrior. "It is to my embarrassment that I continue to be confused as to what is happening. This fellow must be Ratibor, 'who guards the exit to the hut.' Are we now exiting the hut? Are we in Iobaria? Are you saying we can just exit the hut now but when we come back, which I guess we will need to do, we need to somehow break Ratibor's geas?"
And if there is no response at either, Dez will listen at both and search both for traps.
If, after that, he has no reason to choose one over the other, he will open the left door when the party is ready.
"So, do we ring the bells to speak to this Ratibor?"
Dez, not able to rationally think through all these strange happenings, tries to just concentrate on the pull of the geas and follows it to wherever in the hut it leads.
Dez watches in fascination as the stepping stones appear. Watching out for traps and other notable details, he ascends the stepping stones and, if no hazards are apparent, he claims the hourglass and returns to the group.
"Does the riddle contain the clue to which chalice to select? The raven said: 'I mark night’s coming,
If that's a reference to one of the items, it isn't obvious to me... The hourglass seems closest, since it marks time. But my mind does not really poetic language well." Just in case there are any clues from Dez's vast store of knowledge:
Dez throws up his hands, "More riddles! Apparently wit and knowledge are not the same thing, and I'm only of use with the latter." What does Dez know of Iobaria, in general and with respect to dragons?
When the group is ready, Dez will open the next door, after listening and checking for traps.
Dez wipes his rapier on the beast's hide. Those who have traveled with him for some time, Yrja and Orik, detect a hint of pride at a strategy well executed. He says, flailing his long arms about, "As I suspected, I could rely on the beast to continue its charge right into my trap." He watches studiously as Anyanka deftly de-tusks the boar. "I'm glad you can make sense of these riddles, Yrja."
Looking at the amulet, "This rune is for 'dragon.'"
Dez watches the beast closely, and decides to let it come to him. When the beast gets within 10 feet, he will strike with his rapier, using the advantage of his magically lengthened arms. He will also take a step diagonally back to the right as part of the readied action. Then if the beast continues to approach he will take an attack of opportunity, again using reach.
Due to sapping offensive, the beast, as my studied target, cannot take AoOs for one round (against anyone).
Dez sniffs the air and is startled to see the boar appear, but he quickly prepares for the fight that is sure to come. Seeing the size of the beast, he quaffs a long arm extract, and he studies the boar for weaknesses (studied combat). He waits for the beast to approach, rapier in hand.
"Now this is different. Anyone have any idea what to make of this?"
Dez listens closely, but his too literal brain is no good with riddles, which is not something he's thrilled to admit. Instead, of engaging with the others to figure it out, he peers down the passage to the raven's left...
... but his embarrassment apparently clouds his vision.
"I am happy to follow whatever decision the group makes, but I fear continuing to explore the hut will just lead to more dangers and confusion. My impression from the raven was that we could just proceed to Iobaria. But, again, I am willing to follow the decision of the group."
What does Dez know about Iobaria?
Dez listens carefully to Tryva and then watches with wondering eyes as the raven magnificently dissolves into the pool. He then turns to examine the amulet.
”The rune here says "Artrosa". It sounds like a name.” Dez rolls his head back and rolls the word on his tongue…
”Artosa… Artosa… of course! Artrosa is a place in Iobaria where there are a trio of giant carved statues… known as "The Three Who Watch". Are we meant to go there?”
Starting tonight I am out of the country for a couple weeks. I may be able to sneak peeks every few days so if I am able to access by my phone ok I may try to post. Otherise, feel free to bot Deszo with rapier attacks using studied target. Thanks!
"If you all haven't figured it out already, even our magical weapons are not fully effective against this spectre. I have no alternative, but I wanted to make sure we all knew..."
Dezső studies Yelizaveta's form (studied combat) and muses, "I don't know if we will have trouble harming her with our weapons, but there is only one way to know for sure." With that, he joins Elbrynn in attacking the apparition.
But (I suspect) Dez only manages to slightly blow around her dreamstuff. If that is a hit, the damage is
"I agree, Yrja. Hers was a most ungrateful response. Myself, I found Elbrynn's reasoning quite compelling."
Orik and Yrja may be lousy at bluff and diplomacy and Dez not bad, but me as a player am TERRIBLE at puzzles and riddles. So unless my recent action accomplishes something, or unless any of you PLAYERS want to metagame a bit with some very specific suggestions, or unless the GM wants to give an even bigger hint based on Dez being better at this than I am, I think we're at the end of the road here.
Dez approaches her to try to talk again, "I can understand your distress. It seems as if you are trapped here. Is there anything we can do to help you find rest? Would you like us to find Baba Yaga and tell her of your state?"
Dez spoke to the apparition and made a diplomacy roll but I don't think it was resolved...
Dez returns to the group and shrugs his shoulders, "Any ideas? I'd say we leave this sad soul alone, but the raven seemed to suggest we need to deal with it..."
Despite the pressing circumstances, Dez lets himself feel the pleasure of Yrja's compliment, quickly responding, "At the University I read A LOT of books." He proceeds forwards with her, and is impressed with Yrja's directness in addressing the apparition, and surprised by the answer.
Dez gently signals to Yrja to pull back and speaks quietly to her: "I don't think this is actually Yelizaveta, or even her ghost. I think it's some kind of dream fragment, an echo of Yelizaveta, but it's self-aware. She won't want to tell us anything, but maybe we can bluff her, bit by bit. It feels like we need to find out what she wants..." Dez again approaches, "Your highness, we may be strange, and we may not be jadwiga, but I can assure you were are no vision, and Grandmother has not sent us here to talk to you. Perhaps we can help."
"I can't make any sense of this room, it's almost as if it is designed with so many intriguing details that I can't settle on any one theory, and it keeps shifting. But that apparition is definitely Yelizaveta, the thirteenth daughter of Baba Yaga and former queen of Irrisen. She reigned from 4513 AR until 4613 AR, when she was taken away by Baba Yaga and replaced by the current queen, Elvanna. Basically, she left when she was told, unlike Elvanna." Dez's tail fishes into his coat and retrieves a small vial, which Dez drinks in one gulp before the group proceeds further into the room.
"I'm not much for poetry, but you're certainly right. I also have no idea how to fight a dream, but I guess we are going to find out." Having already listened at it and checked for traps, Dez opens the South door once the others are in position. Organized Play Characters
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Randy Burningbarrel
Reginald Ouchflinger
Monsieur LeJerk
Caduceus Hecate
Reofox
Roy G. Biv
Paragon...
D Tuchtenhagen
Love I Believe
The Conductor
Vinz Clortho Keymaster of Gozre
Grimlock-Rawr
SimonBelmont
Hymn-bo