Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is rolling with it...
"Actually? Yeah. Retail work environment these days is a lot more toxic and dangerous than good clean country living and getting out in the fresh air." the tiefling offers politely to the stand-offish fellow who just asked an on-point yet also kind of rude question.
"I mean, I could just quit my job and sit on my tail at home and collect unemployment but that's not in my character -- I was taught honest hard work was nearly its own reward, and I'd probably go nuts after a week or two."
"How about you? You ever have to deal with all those idiots back in what they call 'civilization' on a daily basis and wish you could just, y'know, start loading 'em up with arrows?"
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is curious, yet wary.
The human archer, nondescript and surly, gets Edie's attention as Klyto and Keeyan step into more of a prominent role with the others.
She'll use the movements of the party to sort of get closer to the archer, but also respect the hell out of personal space as she does so (within the confines of the camp, that is.).
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie thinks SOMEONE has to step up to the Killer Handshake...
Handcrushing:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19
"This is probably the strongest handshake I've ever encountered. Do you work out?" the tiefling offers as a compliment, though hoping that the pressure doesn't *increase* because she likes having intact hands.
"All kidding aside, we're city-folks-ish, so we're not used to whatch'y'all got cookin' out in these parts. Just startin' out, so, y'know, not quite up to the level of... y'know... 'experienced'?"
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is more social than this, dangit!
The tiefling watches the group warily, tail twitching as she watches for ambushes and the like. Part of her mind wonders *why* she's nervous, another part squashes that wonder with the typical reaction that folks have to someone who looks like they've crawled out of one of the Outer Planes.
She doesn't rebuff handshakes, but will indicate the claws at the tips of her fingers as a caution, so no one gets cut open trying to be peaceful.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie considers...
There's a quiet moment as the retailer stares into the distance of the WestVirginia hills.
"I used to think if I just got a thousand gold, that'd be 'enough'. Hit that 'milestone' over a decade of retail, but threw most of it away along the way not considering the consequences of it. So it's nice to work with folks who haven't done something like that."
"Guess I've been focused on the journey, and not the end-game. Something to learn from."
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is a bit confused...
The tiefling gives Bella a nod and a smile. "Thank you. And I know that, because the Ibis Matron teaches us that the most important thing in life is to be aware of ourselves, and by extension those around us."
...and then Keeyan starts.
Edie stares.
Then stares some more.
"So, ah, I get why Klyto's adventuring -- both to test out equipment and make money to buy better metal to make better armor, right And I get why Bella's out here. But... what's your call to adventure? No offense, but it's really baffling me..."
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is torn, but rolls with Bella 'opening up'.
"Well, growing up I didn't really fit in with 'normal' folks. Played a bunch of roleplaying games in the dreams of y'know, maybe someday? And y'all wouldn't've recognized me back then.
Went into the Navy with the Advanced Applied Elemental Power System Programme -- they make the bigger ships run by having huge air and water elementals bound in a container, and the steam they make is enough to run a ship.
Washed out of that because I wasn't smart enough to keep up with the math, spent a year or two feeling like hell because I couldn't find work -- no pun intended. Folks pretty much ostracized me at that point because 'I wasn't trying hard enough'.
Eventually ended up at Gem Drugs on a pure fluke -- they were hiring and I was desperate to get out of the house and *meet* people.
Well.
'bout five years ago, Corporate came down with this *great* idea for the PandeMagic Serum -- you might've heard about it being called the 'Mummy Flu Shot'. Nobody wants to get mummy rot, right? Right.
Anyways, due to how they put the thing together, I was one of the lucky rare few that got the cruddy side effects after they made every associate take the shot."
Edie flexes a winglet, stretches her clawed toes/hands, and bounces her tail around to indicate some of the side effects.
"...and then the legal fight began. First they tried to fire me because I wasn't 'the same person'. Then they tried to say that I should be put on permanent disability because of... well. Then they tried to give me all the a#%#!%% hours and short-schedule me. It's been a battle for the past three years after physical rehabilitation to try and get enough hours at work to pay rent.
Lawyers finally came down last year and got me a *significant* settlement for the 'workplace injury' that was really the Company's fault, but then Corporate started fighting *that* -- and I can't just quit the job without walking away from a LOT of money."
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Tomorrow is Day Four (of Six) in a row with a roller-coaster of a schedule (in some cases getting less than ten hours off between shifts) plus inventory on Thursday.
On the bright side, once we're past that, I'll be off for three days, but it's going to make my posting sort of garbage for the next few days, just fyi.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is waking up for real, honest.
The tiefling gives Bella a brief glance as she comes out of her watch-standing fugue, but reserves comment for the moment -- that was a private conversation and she's planning to leave it like that for the time being....
"Haven't thought it through, to be honest. Probably give a chunk to Fregna, put another chunk into trust fund, and then... I dunno? I'd like to avoid the 'All-in-One' magic macguffin, to be honest -- that never turns out well."
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie has the deviancy of the sleep-deprived
Edie collects up all their lances and finds a good tree that's a bit of a reach *for her* to shove them all in -- that should compensate for the 'not having a dogmount'. She WAS initially thinking of making a 'tiger trap' in the road using them, but meh, effort and she's no good at making traps, anyways.
"Let's not... sleep... so deeply this time just in case. They may come back with firebombs because they're little punks."
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is calming down *a little*
Seeing that the short riders have stopped fighting for the moment Edie takes great pains to force the very angry and greedy draconic blood roiling inside her to subside, though she watches the Halfling with the lance warily, hands curling and uncurling around the handle of her long hammer and tail lashing wildly.
Edie is Fatigued for four rounds(two rounds spentx2), though since we're effectively 'out of combat' this may be passing quickly?
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie ain' wastin' no time on no steenkin' armor!
With very little time to prepare, Edie goes the opposite direction of 'getting dressed in armor' and instead doesn't pull her shirt back on.
Clad in a sport bra and women's boxers, she tromps out of Fecklin's Campsite Mode with her Masterwork Lucerne Hammer then sprints to the 'south' to set up a strike on any rider daring to approach her.
Draw Weapon (MWK Lucerne Hammer) as part of move, move 40' as indicated by arrows, Free action to enter Bloodrage (HP 35/29, AC 12 (10T), Readied action to swing hammer at first to get within her reach.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Inside:
Edie is beaming
Edie accepts the hug and then returns it. "Not just one, but several. Like I said, kobolds have it down to a science and it's something that I'm looking forwards to! It's actually why I'm on this quest -- I'm looking for a nice ring that's not magical to offer to Fregna. She assures me that things in the 'snarls' are sometimes a bit poly, sooo I'm wondering when I'm going to get to meet the rest of her family, too."
"That's in the future, though. How can we help each other tonight?" the tiefling offers with a conspiratorial wink.
I'm okay with a fade-to-black and fun things happened.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie has a Great Poker Face!
"Like you said, we should continue the discussion inside." the tiefling offers as she heads on into the 'bedroom' area.
Inside the 'bedroom' area:
After Edie and Bella are in and the door closed Edie glances to a window before offering some clarification.
"You know that Fregna and I have been having a thing on the side. Well, shortly before the trip got word that what we'd been working on happened, so I've got some... added responsibilities in the future." the tiefling offers with bit of a warm tone and smile. "So Fregna's only major request was "nothing rough" meaning endangering those added future responsibilities, if you catch my meaning? It's nothing that's going to impact my capabilities adventuring or in bed -- she swears up and down that it's a perfectly normal thing and actually pretty easy to deal with -- kobolds have gotten it down to a science over the past few centuries. If you want some rough treatment, though... it's been a while since I let out my inner a~+#+@! and it could really use some venting before we get into a real fight?"
Edie glances to Bella thoughtfully. "Haven't said much to the guys because I don't think they'd understand it, and these 'future responsibilities' aren't the same sort of fragile like say, human women carrying their young?"
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is an explorer!
The tiefling's phone vibrates and there's a brief glance at the text message before it's dismissed.
"I'd be kind of curious to see how leather feels against scale if that's what you'd like to wear?" Edie offers with a conspiratorial grin. "But we may be getting into a bit of TMI for the guys here, so why don't we adjourn to bed while we rest up for our watches? Fregna had a request for 'nothing rough'', just fyi."
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is curious!
The tiefling tilts her head thoughtfully, then smirks. "Wear what makes you the most comfortable, I'm probably going to be doing the same -- having a comfortable rest is very special to me. No sense in wearing armor to bed, right?"
For Edie, this is a pair of women's boxers and a long black t-shirt (perhaps bought by someone she knows?) that has a green dragon curled up on it, almost like it's wrapping around the shirt.
The tone is slightly playful as Edie considers. "I don't recommend wearing armor to bed. I tried it once after our last trip as an experiment and there was a lot of pinching and not in good ways."
"Let me know when I need to be up for watch if I'm not on the first one, it sounds like I'm not at the moment, though?"
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is thoughtful.
"Maybe Fecklin has a microwave or Presto Cooker? Edie offers after consideration.
'Presto Cooker':
In PF the Prestidigitation spell can be used to heat something -- it'd only make sense for some automagical process to keep someone form having to concentrate on just the spell to cook something...
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is impressed.
"Well, we don't have a sewer hookup, so don't use the portable toilet obviously." Edie offers helpfully and half-jokingly.
A little bit later in the set-up process...
"Keeyan, are you SURE that the ridge pole for the awning goes like that? It seems sort of counter-intuitive."
Despite any concerns, the tiefling is still having fun with the process, even if it takes an hour or so to complete because it's not been done before by this team.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is attempting non-confrontation.
"Did say 'if needed' -- didn't want to be That Person that sleeps all the time and then barely does any work for the team." Edie offers diplomatically. "I'm fine with sharing, too."
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is cautious
"Camps might be okay, but we're in the wilderness..." Edie offers with a wary tone. "If we encounter one, we might need to stop for the night to lay minds at ease depending who's in the camp?"
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie need use Bathroom, BADLY!
The tiefling fishes out her flip-flops and throws them onto her feet with amazing alacrity as she scrambles out of the vehicle and towards the restrooms -- but not TOO quickly as to cause other issues.
After that business is taken care of, she'll look for jerky, a few different chocolate bars, a tin of hot coccoa mix (just add hot water!), and a couple of gallon jugs of spring water. If there's a map of the area, she'll buy that as well.
Once complete with that, she'll text Fregna really quick to let her know that the team is about to go out of communication and cel-phones may not get through.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is not Dead, Nor in Aeternal slumber lies...
The tiefling has slept through the stopping of the vehicle, yelling, poking, and even a mention that her phone has messages. Someone have a camera rolling?
She slowly, ever so slowly stirs as Keeyan starts mentioning curses and blearily cracks one eye partially open.
"Whazzuh? Time t' go t' w'rk?" she inquires as she absently reaches out with her right hand to slap at something and instead of slapping whatever it is she was trying to hit bangs her knuckles into the side of the back area.
"OW!"
This causes her to sit straight up... and bang her horns on the ceiling of the compartment. "ACK! OWWWW...."
Edie gives everyone present a Stare as she attempts to scootch out of the back of the vehicle. Said Stare promises pain, suffering, and the eternal damnation of one's free time for centuries even as she attempts to refocus on what exactly is going on.
Oh... right... going on adventure, getting a MacGuffin on top of a Mountain... ugh....
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie no haveth Fakebook on her phone
The tiefling nods and takes a few pictures with her phone and sends them to Fregna with a bit of a nod.
text:
Going to be riding in this up to the wilds of West Virginia, will try to look for a souvenir for you when I'm up there for your hoard. Retrieving something for a concerned party. Will try to be safe.
She then clambers into the sleeping area and almost as soon as her head hits the pillow passes the eff out.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie has an insight.
"Is Feck'in shy? If not, may I get a few pictures of them before I go take the nap? I GOTTA show Fregna this, she'll never believe it." Edie inquires as she pulls out her primitive phone to take some pictures of the armored vehicle.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is feeling a bit snarky today.
The tiefling cautions Keeyan about his wand usage...
"Just don't get those confused in a fight, unless your goal is to create an even bigger boom on the follow-up. Huh... a cinnamon-scented explosion.... that... might help with the usual 'burnt flesh' aroma..."
"Welp, I'm beat from my last work shift, so as soon as we get ol' Feck'in loaded up, I'ma gonna take me a nap in that sleepin' area. Anybody need earplugs in case I snore?" Edie offers helpfully.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is sad.
"Either we're going to have to go super-early for climbing training on Wednesday, or I'll need to call off because I gotta work Wednesday night. No saving throw, get warehouse in, gotta work it." Edie offers with a sort of dejected expression.
"As far as a car, can we get a Hummer or something like that? I definitely don't want to get trapped because our van broke down like last time -- oh, hey, did that ever resolve or are they still billing you for the rental?" she inquires after a moment's consideration.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is full of Questions
"Also, how high is this mountain? Do we need to do some acclimation training like folks would do for some of the higher Rockies? What are the salvage terms and medical coverage options for this gig? Are there supplemental payment options if we exceed the mission parameters in some way? Do we need to bring anyone along with us to obtain the object?"
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
K. Local:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
Edie is informed!
"That's a pretty rough stretch to say the least. Civilization doesn't stray far from the towns and cities in West Virginia --- lots of unbeaten trails and chances to end up in giantfolk cookpots or worse. Simple pick-up sounds easy enough, but what aren't you telling us/haven't told us yet?" Edie comments as she glances to the rest of the team, holding off on eating pastries for a moment for the arrival of some coffee.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
A little bit earlier
Edie has signal!
Priorities!
Edie, upon seeing Bella and Keeyan with signal drops a brief message to Fregna along with an approved selfie or two -- bikers that *don't* have criminal records or warrants and might not mind such a thing that is.
She's not going to be that person and get folks who are helping her out into trouble for helping her out if she can possibly help it.
After that very important series of communications she calls work and tells them that she should be back to work 'tomorrow', and to go ahead and charge her the extra vacation day for the time off to make the books easier.
During the ride, Edie will use her hands and tail to help balance her on the bike, not doing an arm-wrap around the person driving so as not to distract them -- unless they insist. Edie's already seeing someone, and doesn't want to make that any more complicated than it already is.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is tired
After the events of the past two days, the tiefling has been at a bit of a loss to offer anything more constructive or even helpful on the discussion of Grongar's daughter or the misguided elves who have gotten a relatively rude wake-up call that they've been led around by a charismatic cult leader for potentially decades if not centuries.
She does ponder for a bit though... could the elf from the mine and the elf that just bamf'd from here be related to each other, or know each other?
With that idle worrisome thought off to the side she attempts fitfull sleep, wishing that a certain smoldragon were here too.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is peturbed
After having gone on a search for Bella, and then the meeting of the Sunelves... the tiefling has been quiet -- it's their internal situation, no need for anyone to chime in, they have a chain of command, right?
...and then they all sort of hem and haw like that one supervisor at work when he's confronted with a decision and he faffs around for half an hour trying to figure out what to do, tries to do all the things at once and badly.
"You want going forwards? Sit. Down. And. Talk. To. Your. Neighbors. Keeyan's offering free beer. Your communities are in desperate need of each other's insight and wisdom -- the orcs ACT, but don't do well with long-term. You're very long-term thinking here, but you don't want to ACT.
The idea of miscegenation went out of vogue fifty years ago -- it's not just skin color, but I have a co-worker that shares heritage with giant folk and elves. It's hard to have freedom and the ability to make choices if the choices are 'Do this one thing' or 'Do nothing'." Edie leaves out the part about them being touchy-feely and not being keen on personal space...
"Sorry. It's been a long day, our van broke down, things have been sort of crazy and I don't believe in zero-sum games that don't have a good solution for all parties involved, okay? Don't live a life you've been told to live, live the life you want to live."
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is putting together an ugly picture.
During the conversation the tiefling has been sort of sitting aside, not sure how to speak up -- until Hallenwe makes that comment.
"You mean... Laria's been speaking for the Sun for a while now since she's been blessed by divine power?" she inquires.
Her reasoning, and possibly why Bella doesn't want to talk about it:
-- Laria had a kid with someone outside the community. Most communal arrangements tend to frown on that kind of thing unless the outsider is brought into the family -- how else do they grow?
-- Laria has incredibly vast power able to cover long distances like a certain other elf that was recently dug up out of a mine. She also had the power to go bright and shiny and if that was just an inkling of her power, then she'd be downright terrifying to an isolated community if they didn't have anyone else with that kind of power to speak up against her.
-- The orc assault couldn't have helped Laria 'make her case' for walls and defense and even more isolation from the outside world.
As she moves along this chain of thought, a disturbing and chilling thought occurs to her.
"When was the last time your community went to a hospital and/or a local healer outside of your community to get checked out for illness and other medical conditions?"
She looks over at Bella then holds up a finger. "While you're working on that, I need to go do something."
"Hey. Hey Bella? I know you don't want a lot of attention and want to be left alone right now, but you look like you could really use a hug. May I hug you?"
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is Frustrated.
"Hi. I'm Edie. Edie Squire. I know I don't look like I'd be speaking for honesty or goodness or light but this sort of deception that Laria is trying to pull off isn't any good for anyone. Between herself, Mahurra, and Grognar, the amount of damage that she's caused not just to your extended family community as well as Grognar's has led to your people getting attacked with *siege weaponry*. Do you know where she might try to teleport or recall to so we can bring her to face all parties involved in this and fix this, for everyone's sake?" the tiefling rambles.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie is Fatigued...
The tiefling, no longer seeing her quarry in sight lets out a kind of slumping grumble as she lets the anger go. Engaging in a killfest is not the way to fix this situation, which has just gone from stupid to asinine.
Spellcraft:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Whatever the spell was, she could care less -- for all she knows Bella's dumbass cultist parent may have immolated herself and her kid. However, if it was some sort of magic it might have to do with a favored memory or something from inside Laria's hovel... and those dishes should probably be done just to be a good guest.
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie attempts to end the issue in a non-violent fashion, but may have inadvertently allowed Laria a chance to escape in so trying...
CMD (Grapple Progress to Pin?, Not Improved), Bless:1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 1 = 10Does not provoke because target is Grappled, target takes -4 to Dexterity while condition persists
Bloodrage: 8/10 per Day Statuses: Fatigued (4 rounds)
Edie don' care.
The tiefling roars in frustration at the glowing blind-as-f*** elf and attempts to grab her once more!
CMD (Grapple, Not Improved, Provokes?), Bless:1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 1 = 9 It's unlikely that she was successful in her blind rage -- if anything, the fact that she's not going for rend/tear should be an indication of the limited restraint she's employing to the rest of the team.
