"It is curious that the entire crop is in that state.. Lettuce don't move, so I'm thinking that..." Dion trailed off as he headed towards the pond, curious about the geese or anything else in the pond. Along the way he continued to look around, the edges of a thought in his head. If it is a disease, it would have traveled, perhaps. If it was something specific to the area, he would need more proof. It made little sense, but just as it was possible to get warm by standing near a fire, maybe this was something similar?
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Trying to play like a high-int character.
Hearing the story, Dion frowned a bit. The lettuce was one thing, but having someone die nearby was-- well, not uncommon lately, but there was something that he found curious. Had they seen her body? He remembered that he did not go into the room, thanks to his rebelling stomach, but he was fairly quick at putting things together. Curious, he looked around at the area, trying to spot any wildlife, if even a bird.
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Perception:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
1d100 ⇒ 65 Ring of Protection +1
1d100 ⇒ 17 Traveler's any-tool (curses!)
1d100 ⇒ 15 Universal Solvent (dern adventurers!)
Dion was still settling the Bandolier around his shoulders over his armor, and reflecting on the last time he even had to wear armor. The crossbow was new, but they were not that hard to use, and he would not have to use it long, anyway. The last time he even had to have that armor on was when he was arriving in Grundy, and he was relieved to see that it still fit, if maybe a bit snug around the shoulders. He guessed he had been doing a fair amount of work since he settled, and it was showing a bit.
The situation with a whole field of lettuce is curious, but not so curious as the farmer, though he could understand his ire. 'Truly many types in Grundy', he thought to himself.
Violet's staged reaction (or lack of one) almost makes him laugh, though he managed to forestall the snort and laughter. The only indicator of his amusement is the hint of relieved mirth in his eyes, and the "I'm-trying-really-hard-to-keep-a-straight-face" look that he eventually mastered. It was not until she relaxed to speak "normally", that he smiled wryly and could not help but be surprised at the information that she had gained.
"Bear, actually. It would have been nice if that would have been the limit of all that we encountered." Shaking his head, he sighed, relieved that he did not have a pack or equipment to drop, though he did carefully set one of the weapons that the.. Creatures.. used on a nearby workbench. The rod had been left with the Sheriff, since he personally had no use for it, once it had been identified. "What we encountered doesn't account for all the stories that the town has running around lately, and I'm not so sure we even found what is responsible for the odd deaths."
Pondering those things, he headed over to what was his "kitchen", which was just a basket on a table that he kept some food in. All of the foods he ate in his shop were things that did not require cooking, since he was a regular sight at any of the taverns for meals. He noticed that his bread had been reduced a bit from what he had earlier, but he did not mind. It was part of the reason that he bought as much as he did, anyways.
Taking a bite of the vegetable, he answered what he could of Violet's questions, though she had to redirect him back onto the topic, as he was certain that some sort of planar rift or shift was responsible. Once she was satisfied enough to let him get some sleep, he gratefully dropped off, knowing that Violet and her tinkerings would wake him up, if the sounds of the morning did not.
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In the morning, he woke and set about cleaning up, donning fresh clothes and re-pinning the badge onto his lapel. The empty space in the middle of his workroom was where he stood, starting the process of summoning the other half of him, using the circular equations as a bit of a chalkboard, doing some alterations that had come to mind that night. When the armor finally appeared around him, the most notable alterations were on one hand and arm. Gone were the ports for the blades, instead the re-purposed arm and hand had additional reinforcement, a bit bulkier than before.
Lifting his arm, a thought triggered the pressure valves on the wrist and elbow, testing their flow as the loud sound of escaping air echoed in the calm and quiet of the morning. Noting the difference in the weight and the reinforcement, he decided it was something that he could adapt to. It was not faster, but he would certainly hit harder. The application of a bit of extra magic helped repair some of the damage taken.1d10 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Satisfied with the alterations, Dion let the armor disappear, and went to go find the others after breakfast. There was also the matter of some of the work that he had been contracted to do, but there was perhaps still time for that. He was going to have to pass by and let Drev know that he would likely be having a reduced workload due to these new duties.
Dion thought for a bit, but could see the good-- and wisdom in Judd's words. "There are some ways I could modify myself to get nearly the same results", he said, meaning the armor. The distinction was not something that he really thought of differentiating between. "A fund would likely be greatly helpful when we least expect it." He wrinkled his nose, still smelling the Tannery and the stench of those beings. "Gah.. I just wish I didn't have such a good sense of smell with the armor present. I can't forget that smell..."
Dion was fatigued as well, agreeing with Marconis. "The armor I summoned sustained damage. A bit of rest would benefit everyone, I believe. No point in camping on the road when we can rest in our homes." Shaking his head he was almost too tired to be amused, now that the fighting for his life was over. 'One day of being a deputy, and already I've got stories for a while..'
Pointedly, he was not thinking about what came next, since what they had found so far was beyond what he could imagine for a simple crashed rock that fell from the sky. Still, he was more familiar with what they would encounter, and tomorrow-- provided they decided to go home-- they would be better prepared. Raising an eyebrow to Marconis' display, he chuckled tiredly. "Y'know.. I never got around to learning that."
Dion had dismissed the armor once they reached the town proper, though he did make it a point to take one of the things those.. Creatures had used on them. It was something that was easy to use, or at least, he understood it. He had not expected something on this level of "weird", and had a feeling that it was going to get worse if this was what they had found on the outskirts of the town. "I can.. figure out their purpose, with enough time. If they are not needed immediately, I'll know by tomorrow", he offered.
The pastry was gratefully accepted and eaten, making a positive noise about the taste.
The flames were mostly ignored, sharing some of his life to spare his armor that much damage as Dion took note of the creature in its ruined state and the area before the fire began to spread. Fixing the details in his mind was not difficult, just something that took concentration. Celen's aqueous invocation spared him the haste of trying to commit details to mind quickly, and he breathed a sigh of relief, stopping. Still, his observations were useful in the positions of things before they removed them, but he still had more questions at this point than answers.
His hands were sketching the receptacle for the Message spell again, relaying the brief and concise report for the sheriff, stating the situation as "under control" and the major threat as "removed". He was pretty sure that they would have to come in to be officially debriefed, but at least there was one less thing to worry about in this town. He still had not dismissed the armor, however.
"It is possible that the meteor's arrival introduced corollary effects that made crossing planes easier, else this is the result of influence on native life.." The answers were something that he needed more proof to be certain of his conclusions, though.
The psychic pressure from the creature is surprising, but Dion manages to retain his sense of integrity, the back of his mind curious about the effect, but not having the time to devote to studying it, what with the offensive threat on his physical integrity. The creatures themselves were offensive enough, the tannery's notable odor diminished by comparison. Realizing that he was going to have to withdraw for a moment, he knew that this was going to hurt, but he could not stay down. Hopefully, he would still be conscious after this.
Doing what he could to mitigate whatever attacks may be incoming, Dion tried to find his feet and take a step back.
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Will vs Action end effect:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18 Fighting Defensively as a Standard Action (AC21), Move action to stand), 5ft step back if not prone again.
The blades slid out of his arms with a loud 'CHK', and Dion stepped forward, focusing on what he had to in order to make it through this. What he could not help but wonder was how long this had been here at the tannery. Stepping forward increased the pressure from whatever that thing was, he was aware, but he was long since used to being able to force out distractions. One of the other things that he could not quite force out was the smell from one of those dogs, but still he stepped forward to attack, scoring a hit and being forced to resist the nauseating stench that landing an attack brought.
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Attack:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20, damage:1d4 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 Fort:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Fatigued, and surprisingly exhausted, Dion took a few seconds to "scatter" the cohesive energy that he had applied to create the grease effect, and looked in the distance of whatever it was that they had heard/felt/sensed. They were not out of the woods yet, but they were a fair way through. So he did not dismiss his summoning yet, and waited to see what the others would be deciding on before doing anything.
The weapons that they used were not too difficult to identify, though the process by which they worked was intriguing. He made it a point to mention their special properties, and got to wondering if he could incorporate something like that into the armor.. It probably would not hurt to look into it, at least. He did pull the scattered energy from their several spells to re-purpose it, sending word to the sheriff to let her know what was going on at the time.
Much appreciated for the cover, DM. I'm back now, and it's nice to see someone else's idea of the character you write. :)
Planted at his position, Dion's attacks were methodical in nature, and precise. The target was the same, so little deviation was needed, and efficiency was paramount. Dion seeking to see it fall so that Calli could stand.
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Attack:1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (11) + 6 - 2 = 15, 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 6 - 2 = 20 Damage:1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6, 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Unwilling to let his companions take too much damage, Dion steps forward to assist Judd, his arm swinging out in an arc as the 'hiss-chk!' of the blade springing from that arm sounds out. The motion was too evident, and the creature dodges, none the worse for the wear.
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Attack:1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 6 - 2 = 10
"Calli, step back!, Dion warned in that dual voice of his.
When she does take a single step back, Dion will do as Marconis has, and with a gesture of his hand-- a twist of his wrist, a glob of grease will leap from that gesture to land and spread on the floor underneath the two creatures that were menacing Calli. Hopefully, this would render enough of them out of commission to make this situation bearable. What they were dealing with was something that he had no knowledge of at present, and informing the sheriff was going to be an interesting discussion.
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Delaying action for Calli to take a 5ft step back.
Std: Casting Grease(DC14) underneath Orange and Yellow
The force of his head snapping back, as well as the shockwave that reverberated through the room (and him), made him groan slightly. His summoning would not normally be able to withstand much more damage, though. The doorway would act like a bottleneck for them, so Dion remained in the doorway until the others had taken cover, not worrying about trying to attack them yet, and just defending himself. "Take cover", he advised.
His mind was working as fast as he could, trying to figure a plan for when those creatures finally did close with them. Even given their position, they were going to have to work quickly to disable whatever these were, though he doubted that they would surrender at all. This was certainly something that he would be feeling in the morning.
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Full Defense, AC23
"It is certain that we have not found what has changed the dogs.", Declan said in that odd dual voice, one that was his, and at the same time something else mechanical. The blades that extended from his forearms retracted as if driven by a spring with a flex of his hands. Careful, Dion stepped out of the puddle of filth that the dog had dissolved into and through the doorway that Judd had ducked behind and into the next room, intentionally letting himself take up the doorway as he scanned the next room.
The armor that he had summoned even covered his back, looking more like a living machine than a person. Where there would be skin exposed by the armor, there was only that flexible mesh. What manner of armor was this?
A little less worried about what he was stepping in, Dion stepped forward to attack the other dog, the ratcheting sound coming again as he thrust the blades at the dog, one after the other. Perhaps rethinking his action, much like Calli, his footing proves to be just enough to cause the attacks to miss, one by a wider margin than the others.
2claws:1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 6 - 2 = 14, 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 6 - 2 = 5, Fumble?:1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 6 - 2 = 19
The stench of these things was such that even Dion was affected, though he really was not surprised, since he reacted similarly to the bodies. He would have had more thoughts, wondering about the creation of these things, but the stench was so bad the he could only think of one thing. 'These things have to die.' A second blade emerged from his other arm, and a pair of ratcheting sounds accompanied his attacks on the creature. The first attack missed due to the hound turning at the sound, but the second struck true.
2claws:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11, 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20 Damage:1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Dion hastened into the Tannery with even strides, the living armor that encased him aiding his movements and granting him a confidence that he knew would not last long if he got overconfident. Considering what he could smell outside, he was not happy about being in the Tannery like this. He would have to look into being able to enable or disable some of the capabilities. Thankfully, he would not have to try to follow any scents in here.
He also would not be able to reach the others, to engage whatever those things were, not yet.
Considering what they may be walking into, Dion vocalized his agreement with Judd, and took a couple of steps away from the group. "Give me a minute, please", he asked calmly.
This ritual was something that he had not quite figured out, but as near as he could tell, it was something that had to do with some part of him that he had not quite explored entirely. He had grown past having to sketch out the equations, since he could do them in his head by now, but the circle was something that he still felt he needed, so he made the equations his circle. He had figured out how to manifest some of the energy in the connection, so he wrote in the air with light that shone as if it were reflecting off of refined metals. For those that understood the math, he was writing out the process of the summoning as equated into the energy expended allowing for the connection, distance, strength and duration. There were several shortcuts that he had devised so some of the figures would make no sense, but as he completed the circle of the equation, some sort of armor built itself onto him.
From the ground up, the boots and greaves were all one part, with no visible straps, just a flexible connection between the plates that seemed like some sort of mesh, with plates assembling themselves as if watching armor grow from clothes. Smaller plates shaped themselves over the parts of his body that would need mobility with the mesh underneath it all. Even his face was covered, with no visible distinction for where his eyes and nose had been, save for what may have been a strip of glass over his eyes. The armor over his arms was interesting, with noticeable reinforcement over the plates that armored him, along with his forearms and hands.
Ultimately, he looked like someone had taken a suit of armor, smoothed out the distinctions between the armor and armored, uncannily blending them. As the light faded, he flexed his hands, settling into the feeling of the summoning, and nodded to the others. In a voice that was part his, and part mechanical, with an odd echo, he spoke. "I am ready."
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Using merged stats until otherwise indicated AC:19 , HP: 48
Dion watched the group work, and was surprised. He was mildly concerned about not having any offensive options short of pulling another clockwork creature through the aether, but thought the better of it as the group acted. Crossbows were not quite his style, but a method of doing damage that was not reliant on his magic seemed very attractive right now. His armor and other gear had gathered dust for so long in his workshop, he wondered if it was even where he left it. Instead, he waited, Calli was in the vicinity of the creature, but if it came at the others, or got a hold on her, he was going to do what he could to make sure that the situation changed quickly.
"There seems to be a running trend of things acting abnormal around here.. Even by simple deduction, I am not liking what we have not yet found yet."
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Delay Action to Reassess, depending on what the bear does
If Calli is grappled by the bear, GreaseDC14 on Calli
If the Bear charges the others, GreaseDC14 on the area it is entering.
Dion was thoughtful, looking at the trail, then to Marconis, frowning in thought. "Due to my --ehem-- 'reluctance' in viewing the bodies, I have to ask if there is still a benefit in seeing the other crime scenes.. Is there not?" The trail was a tempting thing, but the crash would always be there, since he had not known crashed things to rise again without some outside intervention.
He was thinking that they were dealing with several different things that may have caused the deaths, and he was hoping that the mention of "bug-men" was something else entirely. With all the information that they had obtained so far, he was feeling like he was in over his head, but he kept on. "One problem at a time", he had been taught, so the question was "Which problem is the most pressing?"
A grunt was Dion's offering to his opinion of what they found. If things kept increasing in oddity, he might take up smoking. He looked at the trail looking ahead to see what direction it led, then glanced at Calli to see what she was thinking. "I'm going to have to get a club, at least", he said, more to himself. While he was at it, he was probably going to have to grab one of his finer tool kits, but he was really at a loss as to what this may have been.
Is Calli older than Dion's 19? What time of day is it?
Dion remained outside, looking at the scene after removing the ratfolk, which more consisted of him dragging just outside of the cordoned area and tried to gain a sense of things. For him, it was more spatial relations of things, and enough presence of mind to note the relevant details, but there was little that he could do that the others were not doing already.
Given that there were already two of them examining the immediate area, Dion did not want to crowd them, so instead he set to looking about for things that were not related to the body. If this was able to do this to a full-grown man, then it had to be corporeal. Unless it was able to fly, it exerted force, and force meant weight-- which means there should have been tracks or traces. Not that he was all that adept at reading them, however. Still, the evidence or lack thereof would present them with information that would let them narrow down things.
Perception:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
"Incidentally, I talked to one of the lot that makes a game of taking things from my workshop when they think I'm not looking. The inn is something they avoid, and he mentioned something about 'making them see bug-people'." Standing up, he took in the scene as a whole, not entirely certain about the procedure for investigation. He did, however, wait for the others to get their first looks before moving towards the asleep ratkin. "I'll move him. Is there any lingering magic? Noticing something like that was never something I learned to do."
'You have got to be kidding me..' Dion was not amused by this. These people were impeding an investigation for the sake of their merriment, and it was making him angry. "You were warned", he stated simply.
Concentration Check:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13(SLA: Summon Monster I, Celestial(Clockwork?) Eagle.)
He had long wondered about the appearance of the things that he summoned, especially since his affection towards machinery often seemed to color the things that he reached with his magic. In this case, for this... "ability" of his, he had learned he could call a denizen of the planes to his aid, though what arrived appeared to be more and more machine, as though parts of it were engineered, or perhaps its natural appearance were but a veneer over the machinery, and the stronger he became, so much thinner did that veneer stretch. He had learned that he could summon "natural" looking creatures, but it was taking more effort to do so. Was he seeing closer and closer to the nature of things? Either way, it was an ongoing background project of his.
Of course, in this press of people, it was a question of whether he would be able to manage the.. "sending", if that was a good word for it. The old lady seemed set on injuring his pride, and he could not say better of the others. Perhaps he should pass by his workshop and retrieved the rarely used armor he kept on hand just in case.
If Summoned:"Injure, but do not kill, anyone not wearing a badge in this immediate area", he instructed.
Celestial Eagle:
N Small celestial/fiendish animal
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size)
hp 5 [7] (1d8+1) [1d8+3]
Fort +3 [+5], Ref +4, Will +2
SR 5
Celestial - Resist Acid, Cold, and Electricity 5
OFFENSE
Speed 10ft., fly 80 ft. (average)
Melee 2 talons +3 [+3] (1d4) [1d4+2], bite +3 [+3] (1d4) [1d4+2]
Special Attacks Smite evil/good
STATISTICS
Str 10 [14], Dex 15, Con 12 [16], Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 7
Base Atk +0; CMB -1 [+1]; CMD 11 [13]
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Fly +8, Perception +10; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Smite evil/good 1/day as a swift action (adds CHA bonus (+0) to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD (+1) against evil/good foes; smite persists until target is dead or the celestial/fiendish creature rests).
'Here's the trouble I was worried about', Dion thought to himself as he looked at the oncoming situation and reacted. A gesture and a sound put a spread of grease on the ground across the mouth of the alleyway covering the ground under the two guards that were just doing their job, and extending towards the oncoming group. "I am obligated to inform you that we are empowered by the law", he said calmly. "You are assaulting the peacekeepers of Grundy. This is your one warning to desist and disperse."
Grease cast to protect the two guards, and catch as much of the mob as possible.
While they were headed this way, Dion was considering what he had (or had not seen), so far. Some of the younger kids that he knew took things out of his workshop, he never saw directly. If the rules of the "game" were what he thought they were, the new kid was probably going to be down some points in their tally.. After all, they were not supposed to be seen, he thought. Settling against the weathered stone of a nearby building, he was going to have to ask Violet about it if he remembered.
The meeting and what followed was all well and good, but he did have to check his workshop for any new assignments or requests, and this would be a good time to check his traveling supplies, since with things getting more dangerous, he was going to have to be more careful. Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing the bodies (even briefly) was something else. Closing his eyes momentarily, he sighed into the warm breeze, smelling the scent of Grundy as he had come to know it. Dust, some dirt, the various smell of people, and the faint acrid smell of metal from the forges. As it was a ways down the road yet, he decided to wait for the others, and would check in later, if anything was needed.
In the meantime, he eyed the colorful throng waving up at the painter, and chuckled, waving himself when he thought she looked his way. He also kept an eye out for one of the many Handful that he suspected was out and about, beckoning one over if he saw them. That he was holding a pair of copper between his fingertips might help improve his odds of being listened to.
If one comes by:
"I saw someone with my calipers, squishing earthworms", he said with a slight smile, tapping his badge with the coppers. "Do make sure Violet knows, hm?" Dion had no doubt that the word would get passed on eventually, and the badge was something that would just help it along. If the Little was inclined to talk more, he would ask if anyone had heard anything more about what was going on, or what places they avoided now because of what happened.
At the smell of the bodies, Dion stopped dead in his tracks and shook his head. "Nope. Can't go in there." In fact, he seemed a little green, shaking his head as he backed up a couple of steps. "I'll--hurp Got to get some fresh air." Turning, he headed back up the steps, mentally willing to keep his stomach where it was, and off the path of rebellion. At least, he could head back to the outside of the temple, and see who that was that was using his calipers. The fresh air would help, anyways.
With surprised blinks, Dion stepped up to take the star from the sheriff, examining it. He had expected to be conscripted eventually, but did not expect to actually get deputized. Thoughtful, he pinned the star to his lapel and smiled. 'If Master Dainarv could see me now', he thought. 'She'd probably say something to the effect of making myself a target." He chuckled to himself softly.
"How are we proceeding, gentlemen? Shall we start out assuming the murders are done by something native to this plane?" Thinking for a moment, he recalled names.. "Judd.. Marconis.." Turning to Celen, he blanked in looking for a name before he caught Judd saying it. "Ah, yes. Celen."
'Well, at least I'm not tired for the moment.' Dion remained seated in his chair, but his smile was evident in his voice before anyone even looked in his direction. "Calling me to a meeting wasn't necessary, I'd have helped without it." Then, to belay any potential offense that may be taken by those who did not know him, he gave a deferential nod to Letka. "I appreciate the invite, however."
He understood the fear of machines. After all, they were not under the purview of any of the bigger deities, and they took no faith to believe in. For all he knew, they could be similar to another branch of magic. Although he did like the word "Technomancer", he knew that what he did with tools was not quite close. Dion pulled a necklace out of his shirt, hanging from which were three fused gears. The had fused rather fetchingly, save for some imperfections at their points of interaction.
"Machine, primarily. You.. own a shop, do you not?" Dion knew he had seen the man somewhere, but he was not too great with faces, and especially when he was fatigued as he was.
While he remained quiet, open eyes glanced around, watching the interactions between the others in the room. He was content to wait, as most of his contact through Drev needed no conversation at present, though he was chuckling or nodding with relevant points in the ongoing debate. He was honestly considering taking a brief nap until the meeting started, but was a bit unsure of his position here, and did not want to offer any unintended disrespect. Still, another yawn disrupted his train of thought just as he heard someone ask a question.
All he heard was "meteorite", but of late, that topic was becoming a very serious thing. "Undoubtedly." He looked around to see if anyone else was paying attention, since he would defer to any of the town's more notable personages. "The amount of work related to that has been copious for us all, I'd suspect." He shifted a bit, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, the wooden chair squeaking a little at his motion. "This may be a brainstorming session to see how much we don't know about things."
Dion had no doubt that they were facing something serious, if even half of the accounts were to be believed. Still, he realized he had forgotten his manners in his distraction. "Apologies. Dion Droverson, one of the resident Engineers." Giving a nod of greeting, he looked at the one having most recently spoken.
Arriving was something that Dion was fairly good at, provided it was something that was scheduled. As it was, he arrived before anything had started, much to his relief. The belt of tools that he was usually seen with when working on something was absent, and judging by his mannerisms, the absent weight of it was uncommon for him. He walked into the room easily, but the number of people in the room was something that he was surprised to see. Spellcraft:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
An eyebrow could be seen to rise on his face as he took in everyone, and tried to get a feel for the atmosphere, but it was evident that everyone was still waiting, so he greeted those that he knew, and made his way towards what seemed to be a good spot for this meeting, taking one of the number of wooden chairs between Drev and Tabitha. Her weaving was curious, but he had the feeling that he would not have needed this tools for this, so while she may want to occupy herself, he was going to take the small break. Absently, he flexed his right hand, making a fist and then releasing it.
He had changed into a simple shirt and clean work pants for this meeting, though the extra work that had shown up recently was starting to show in his face. He looked a little more worn than usual, and it seems that he was also fatigued, since not too long after sitting down, he stifled a small yawn. He offered nods to those that looked his way, but held his peace, more curious than anything else.
