Esta Vyrelian's page

With eyes widened in awe, Esta gently takes her bag of platinum pieces from Justice Daramid with a soft thank you and holds it in her cupped palms. She finds herself staring at the small pouch, her mind swiveling between everything this small fortune could afford her.

I should at least start by sending some back home, she thinks to herself, and stuffs the bag securely into her small knapsack. She then helps herself to tea and a few of the small offered cookies, and settles herself off to the side from the others—still involved, but not too close.

Her companions speak of their future plans and goals, their murmurs becoming a gentle and surprisingly soothing background noise as she loses herself in thought, absentmindedly tossing one of the pastries to Oolong as she nibbles her own. She had no idea what her future plans were. She’s never really had a plan. As soon as she received her healing abilities, she made sure her parents would be okay without her and then left home. The only “plan” she had was to help as many people as she could.

She still wasn’t even sure how she ended up in Lepidstadt, in the middle of a murder case with a group of people that were starting to become not-strangers, and that bothered her. And she still didn’t know why Professor Lorrimor sent her the letter that led her here, and that bothers her even more. She bites a chunk out of a pastry and takes a swig of her tea, her nose scrunching in contemplation as the memory of their meeting resurfaces clear as day.

She remembered it well. Very well, in fact. And yet it still provided no answers, a fact that frustrated her greatly. She saw someone in need, so she helped. End of story. That wasn’t so out of the ordinary.

So why was she here?

Guess it doesn’t really matter right now, she thinks to herself as she washes down the last of her pastry with a gulp of tea. She was here, and firmly wrapped up in everything happening. She wasn’t going to walk away from it now—not when there were more people to help, and (not that she would admit this out loud) not when she had folks around her that seemed to want her there.

...”I am unsure how far Mr Wyatt's village is, and in what direction the Caromarc castle might be. It would be fortuitous…

Esta is yanked back to the present conversation, one that she has heard little to nothing of. ”I know where Schloss Car'marc is,” she offers quickly, stumbling slightly over the name, then pauses. ”I think, anyway.”

Esta is from Ustalav, but doesn’t have Knowledge: Local or Geography, so juuuuuust in case Intelligence might also be accepted?? :)

Intelligence: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Your letter made me tear up, Edison, thanks a lot. :P

Adam's crushing embrace squeezes most of the air from Esta's lungs, but she chokes out a genuine laugh of relief all the same. Once released, she takes a step away and links her fingers behind her back, craning her head to look at the hulking man in front of her. "We'll come an' see you, promise." She notices Oolong sniffing around Adam’s ankles and watches for a moment before gently shooing the animal away.

”Uh, well…” she mumbles, unsure of how to further their conversation. ”See ya.” Esta moves away awkwardly, taking a few jogging steps before coming to a halt and turning back. ”Be careful,” she says, and with a quick, shy smile, she hurries to join the others.

”I need a bath,” she mutters mostly to herself as she rejoins her group. ”And food. And a week of sleep.” As if on cue, a long, drawn out yawn escapes her. "So what’re we doin’ now?” she asks, rubbing her fatigued eyes.

Esta lets out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and all but collapses with relief as the verdict is announced — to see justice served, especially in favor of someone so easily swept under the rug... she feels a flicker of hope for Ustalav. A very small, nearly imperceptible flicker, but a flicker all the same. She chuckles tiredly at the thought, allowing herself a moment to ignore the agitated murmurs surrounding them before returning to the present as Adam's voice booms across the room.

Noticing Aduard's discomfort, she smiles at him in understanding and gives a nod of acknowledgement, standing straight to meet Adam's hurried, relief-and-glee-filled advance instead.

"I'm real glad you're okay," she says to Adam when he draws near, craning her head back to meet his eyes. She clasps her hands together behind her back, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet, and allows herself a rare grin. "I wasn't sure they were gonna listen."

"I don't think we're done yet, " Esta says as she joins the others, but she keeps her focus trained on the agitated crowd that surrounds them.

Their fear is almost palpable; the young witch can almost feel the congregation’s discontent spiralling through the space around them, ghosting over her skin in an uncomfortable wash of familiarity. The only emotion more prominent than their fear was that of displeasure.

Esta is no stranger to the way townsfolk could quickly band together against an outsider, especially one different from themselves. She's even witnessed her own hometown rile up into a mob when they thought their idea of justice wouldn’t be the one served, doling out their own due process in the aftermath of a trial.

It was violent then, and she fears more than anything that it will become violent now, those seeds of vigilante justice surely taking root amongst some in the crowd.

She watches the townspeople whisper amongst themselves, their glances casting over Adam before turning towards her group.

Sense Motive (to see if anyone looks especially conspiratorial): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Esta shakes her head. "I don’t like this,” she mumbles, scratching absentmindedly behind one of Oolong’s ears. She turns her focus to the others. ”I just... have a bad feelin’ somethin’s gonna happen.”

Esta grimaces as the suits of various kinds of flesh are revealed. She understands the reactions of those observing the trial, as her own stomach roils once again at the sight.

Pulling her eyes from the macabre evidence, she focuses on her answer to Adivion's question. "It matches," she says simply. "An' Elder Lazne said that he saw what he thought was Adam get attacked by a blood caiman, so..." She looks from the barrister to the suit of flesh, and then back again to Adivion, her expression hopeful. "That would've left marks."

Thank you, m'am. For the reminder of our purpose. My wife's got the good head, and sometimes my hackles get higher'n they should...

"You're welcome," Esta says quietly as the paladin retreats.

She then turns to Karras, intending to insist that she be allowed to accompany the men to watch over Adam for the night, but a large, drawn out yawn interrupts her request. As it fades, a wave of fatigue envelopes her; despite her desires, she knows she needs rest first and foremost.

She nods tiredly at the doctor, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her palms. "Yeah... yeah, that sounds good." She tries and fails to hide another yawn. "I need t' rethink my spells anyway, so..." Now that all there's left to do is rest, she struggles to keep her eyes open.

Turning towards the direction of the inn and a night of hopefully uninterrupted sleep, she takes a few small steps before pausing. She shifts slightly, turning only enough to peek at Karras out of the corner of her eye. "Be safe," she says simply, before wandering away to locate a constable to escort them back to the inn.

So I posted about a week and a half ago or so, but it looks like Paizo ate it or something. I clearly should have checked before now, so I apologize.

Esta's stomach drops as the man reveals his weapons and a solid build. "Ohhh no." She glances towards Edison who continues to glare at the mob leader, and also seems more than ready and prepared for a fight. "Ohhh no no no."

She hurries to Edison's side. "Mister Wyatt don't kill 'im, I'm beggin' you not to kill 'im." She speaks quietly, but with insistence. "He's bein' stupid, but stupidity isn't a crime! He's... he's just scared an' at his wits end with everythin' that's been goin' on, an' he prob'ly doesn't know what all else t' do now." She looks up at him with large, imploring eyes. "I really wanna see Adam freed, but not if it means killin' innocent people. Please. I know you can't back down, not with everythin' we've been workin' for at risk, but... please? I can help."

Happy holidays, friends!

Having stood back to observe nervously, Esta's patience finally cracks at the hardheadedness of the remaining crowd.

"Why d'you want 'im t' be guilty so bad, huh?" She pushes a step past Karras and glares at the crowd. "You want Adam dead so much, an' for what?" Her voice continues to raise as she speaks. "If you kill 'im, you'll only feel better for a minute b'fore the real person you're lookin' for kills someone else!"

She breathes heavily, adrenaline racing through her. "You don't even know what you're talkin' about! You got no proof of anythin' you're accusin' 'im of! But we," she yells, gesturing to the three men standing near her. Her eyes flash with anger. "We looked an' found plenty of stuff that says he's innocent, if you'd just listen!"

She feels the sting of oncoming tears in her nose and holds her breath to calm herself, blinking the wetness from her eyes. "You jus' don't like 'im 'cause he's diff'rent," she finishes, her voice monotone with a new level of tiredness. "He's diff'rent, an' it scares you, an' you don't know what t' do about it."

Esta's excitement rises with every word from the barrister in Adam's defense. They'd done it. They had all but exonerated Adam. Relief flows through her, her shoulders sagging a bit as much of her tension seems to disappear.

The relief is short lived, however, as she peeks out of the window at the growing mob outside. Without a second thought, she turns to follow Karras. "I'm goin' with you."

Outside, she stands nervously with the Doctor in front of her, watching the crowd as he tries to talk them down. This isn't her first observation of an angry mob. She witnessed several as a child, during the few instances that her parents acquiesced her requests to join them on their trips to the market. In those instances, she always waited for someone to step in to put a stop to the impending violence, but it never happened, and she never understood why.

But now, standing there between an increasingly agitated mob and the innocent man in their sights, she knew that she would never be one to stand idly by.

I love that video clip lmao

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

"Necromancy. Here," Esta says, motioning to the body. "And... here." She picks up a nearby wand, rotating it in her fingers in inspection. It takes little time for her to discern its purpose. "'S a wand of gentle repose. It keeps things from decayin'."

She looks back at the preserved body, her frustration growing. She breathes deep and turns to the others. "What now?"

Assuming everything is ok and nothing horrible happens:

At his request, Esta moves beside Karras and the coffin, having stayed some ways back to study the rest of the room. She takes a brief moment to use her healing knowledge, quickly coming to agree with the Doctor's assessment: the body did indeed seem fresh, yet cold. With a gentle press of her fingers to her chest, she casts a spell and begins her magical inspection—starting with the body in front of her.

Esta is casting Detect Magic on herself, and she'll start with the body. Ideally I'd like to look over some other parts of the room as well.

Yikes, that's a awful lot to happen at once. I hope things start looking up for you all very soon!

Esta runs a finger over the side of a coffin, and her skin comes away with a thin coating of dirt. "Fresh," she mumbles, rubbing the dirt between her fingers. "'Nother point in Adam's favor, maybe."

She stares somberly at the empty coffins for a moment before exhaling a weary sigh. Try as she might, she was sure she would never come to understand those with wicked hearts and minds.

Closing her eyes, she offers up a silent prayer for those whose eternal rest was disturbed, then turns to the others.

"Let's go," she mutters without meeting anyone's eyes, and waits to confront whatever horrors await them in the next room.

You have my eternal thanks again, Miss Esta; you have one helluva gift, and none of us would've made it out of here without you. The paladin gives the young woman a nod and a salute with his blade.

Esta fumbles briefly for a response before settling on a mumbled thanks of appreciation with a brief smile for the Paladin, a small swell of confidence warming her chest. As she listens to the others discuss the group's next course of action, she surveys the space around them, her gaze eventually coming to rest on an oddity of the room.

"Should we, uh... check those before movin' on?" she asks, nodding at collection of coffins. "Might be nothin', but... seems a strange place for those."

Esta shuffles back and forth as the brawl goes on, staying on the sidelines of the action as the fighters continue to attack, and watching with rapt attention as things progress.

When Edison swings his weapon, she notices that his wounds appear to be a bit worse than she previously realized, and with practiced movements, she traces another hex.

Healing Hex (CMW): 2d8 + 5 ⇒ (2, 6) + 5 = 13

I'm sorry I've kept you guys waiting, I was under the very wrong impression that I'd already posted.

Upon hearing Edison's warning, Esta promptly ignores it and scrambles up the ladder to assist. The small size of the room gives her pause as she emerges from the trap door's opening, and not wanting to set the place ablaze, she opts for something that may help her companions instead.

Her eyes focused on the beast nearest Karras, she traces careful patterns in the air before releasing the hex.

Moving 30ft up the ladder, then casting Misfortune.

Hey guys, I wanted to apologize for my absence. I don't really have a good excuse other than "life" and being sick with one thing or another for most of April (including a covid/bronchitis combo that was a lot of fun to deal with) but I'm here and ready to go again!

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

Esta takes slow steps away without any further examination, her entire attention focused on the grotesque contents on display in the cabinet in front of them. Something tickled at her mind, pulling and pressing as though to get her attention.

Why's this so familiar? she thinks to herself in slow-growing realization. Where've I heard...

She gasps, everything coming back to her in a rush, and she turns to Aduard and Karras.

"Remember that man named Karl? He was at Sanctuary as a doctor or somethin'. He was tellin' us 'bout his run in with th' Beast. 'It was huge, prob'ly seven or eight feet tall,'" she quotes, her hands moving animatedly as she speaks. "'Half-man an' half-beast, I remember fur an' scales an' pale flesh.' Right?"

She motions towards the cabinet. "Look. Skin. Fur. Scales. All together on a... on a skin suit." She swallows hard, turning away from the sight to address Karras. "When you were hurtin' him, Doctor Karras, his skin was just rippin' off of him like paper. Like it barely hurt 'im. So what if Vorkstag was wearin' th' skin an'... an' doin' all th' stuff that Adam's bein' blamed for?"

She wrings her hands, looking to Aduard. "I don't think I know anythin' about somethin' that could do that, wear skins an' run around, but maybe you do?"

She looks back and forth between the two men. "So what if that's what happened?"

Esta's eyes go wide as she takes in the abundance of books, tomes, and fascinating alchemical equipment set up and littered around the room. Though always inexorably cautious, she finds her fingers itching to leaf through as many books as she can get her hands on.

Putting her crossbow away, she walks through the room, careful steps ushering her towards the desk.

"This is amazin'," she breathes quietly and to no one in particular. "I've never seen so many books in one spot."

She stops in front of the desk, studying it as she makes a decision. She raises a hand, and after a brief moment a cloud of faint, shimmering light emanates from it, and she begins to inspect the room.

Casting Detect Magic.

"I'll go with you." Esta quickly follows behind Edison and Karras, peering cautiously around them and into the doorway ahead with her crossbow in hand.

Happy holidays! I hope it's been nice and relatively restful. :)

Esta plops down where she stands, resting her back against the wall and stretching her legs out in front of her. "Aye, I'm good too," she calls out tiredly. "Does anyone need any healin' right away?"

She moves out of Edison's path when he hauls the bodies up the ladder. "D'we wanna wake 'em up? For questionin', I mean." She does her best to assist the paladin with his cumbersome load. "I can try t' wake 'em up."

Esta sighs loudly as Vorkstag attempts another getaway, and moves to the end of the catwalk, crouching low to line up a shot.

Crossbow: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 7

Moving 10ft. (two squares) to the left on the map. I think I *should* be able to see Vorkstag from there.

So sorry to hear that. Please take care.

Esta releases the spell that has kept her summoned swarm active, the bats beginning to disappear slowly, one by one, and retrieves her crossbow from its holster. She nocks a bolt into the device and aims it at the man clinging eerily to the wall.

"You should just surrender," she says, watching Vorkstag carefully. "It's four 'gainst one. I don't see that workin' out in your favor."

Preparing an action to fire the crossbow at Vorkstag if he tries to run.

I'm glad you're feeling okay!

Esta watches Karras' focus hone in on what she can only hope is their hidden foe. She mutters a quiet apology to the doctor before sending a spell his way, a cloud of golden glitter floating down and enveloping the area.

Casting Glitterdust on the square above Karras.

Excellent!

Hey Karras, how upset would you/your character be if I dropped a Glitterdust directly in front of you? I can definitely do something else if that would makes things way too irritating for you. :)

Esta gives Karras an understanding pat on the arm and leans back against the wall to catch her breath. "We're... we're okay," she calls back to Edison. "I'm... not sure where Vorkstag went." She looks up at the transformed man next to her. "I reckon th' doctor might have an idea, though."

Delaying my action until Karras acts.

Panting as she finishes her frantic ascent up the ladder, Esta rushes to Karras' side, grasping him by the arm before he can dart away. Warm light emanates from the hands wrapped around his forearm and spreads throughout his body.

"Stop movin' away from me when you need t' be healed," she says through labored breathing, but there's more relief in her tone than condemnation as she looks up at him with a frown of concern.

Cure Serious Wounds: 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (4, 8, 7) + 5 = 24

Using my last 3rd level spell slot to cast CSW.

Ignoring Grine, Esta sprints through the darkness to the ladder, clambering upwards towards Karras as she prays quietly to herself that she makes it in time to offering healing.

Double moving up the ladder to get to Karras.

Esta looks around in a near frenzy, unsure of what to do next. Everyone, friend and foe alike, was too far away for her to do much without subjecting herself to the harmful fumes in the room, but as she saw the myriad of wounds that decorated the doctor's form, it seemed as though venturing into the haze was the only choice she had.

With a quick muttered prayer to her patron, Esta hurries down the ladder and into the depths below. Her back pressed against the wall, she sidles slowly towards the next ladder, her eyes trained on the darkness around her in case Grine makes an appearance.

Preparing an action to cast Silver Darts if/when Grine shows up.

Thank you! I feel much more useful now. :D

Hey guys, I'm so so sorry I've been holding the game up for so long. July was nuts at work, and then I realized that I'd shorted myself several spells for the past level or so, so GM R0B0 and I have been going over everything trying to get it all fixed up.

I'll try not to let it get so out of hand again.

"I've got neither, sorry," Esta replies, her voice wearied from the continual string of incantations she's been chanting to keep her companions going. "But I am real tired of these guys."

She takes a step forward, into the building just enough to carry out her plan. Vision focused on the darkness, she stares with irritation as the words of her spell slip readily from her tongue and into the air around her. Small wisps of smoke twist and swell around her, each shaping into the form of a bat before darting off to their master's specified position.

-Dropping Esta's hexes.
-5 foot step into the building just enough to have line of sight.
-Casting Summon Swarm just above the dark area. My intent is for them to go after Grine, but we'll see how that turns out. :D

I really need to update Esta's spell list next time we rest lol.

Hey Edison, how would you feel about tossing a small fox towards the wounded party later on if need be? If Esta can't reach whoever needs to be healed, and Oolong can't easily run to them, you could just... underhand toss him towards them?

That's what my post was going to be about until I remembered that I used the healing hex on you before, not Karras, and I'm a little bummed about it. :D

Healing Hex (CMW): 2d8 + 5 ⇒ (2, 6) + 5 = 13

Esta produces a hex of healing for Karras, then proceeds to another around of chants.

Healing Hex and Cackle.

Hissing as the bottled fire licks at her skin, Esta grits her teeth and stands firm in the doorway. The green of her eyes darkens dangerously as she finds the alchemist amidst the chaos, her chanting growing louder to fight against the din of voices raised around her. Her gaze firmly locked on her target, she traces sigils in the air, light flashing around her hands af the hex goes off.

With one hex down, she traces more patterns as she chants, enveloping her companions in a brief, muted light.

Casting Misfortune on Vorkstag, and then another Cackle. I think everyone is in range.

Esta finishes another two rounds of chants, her hands hidden from those inside as best she can as Aduard shouts into the room, the sound of her name catching her attention. She gives him a briefly confused look before she sets her shoulders back, nodding along with his off the cuff incentives.

Fortune for Aduard this time, and more Cackle.

I hope it's not problematic because I kind of love it haha.

Esta listens peripherally to the others discuss their next move, training most of her focus on her chant and hand movements to keep her hex on Edison. As she follows along behind the men into the building, she carefully switches her attention to Karras, granting him a hex of his own.

Cackle to keep Fortune on Edison, and then casting Fortune onto Karras.

Offering a quick nod of acknowledgement, Esta continues to chant.

Another round of Cackle!

Still focused on Edison, Esta chants under her breath. When she finishes, she then traces a new set of patterns in the air, also in the paladin's direction.

Healing Hex (CMW): 2d8 + 5 ⇒ (6, 2) + 5 = 13

Cackling to keep Edison's Fortune going, then her Healing Hex.

Seeing her hex fail against the golem, Esta turns her focus to her companions. Shifting her gaze to Edison, she traces another set of glowing, complex patterns into the air as she recites a different spell.

Casting Fortune on Edison.

With a yelp as the golem bites into Karras' arm, Esta makes her retreat. "No, I don't have any adamantine!" she says loudly to Edison.

Closing her eyes, she takes a few deep, steadying breaths. When she opens them again they immediately fixate on the golem, fierce and unwavering. Quietly reciting an incantation, her hands trace an intricate pattern, lines of white forming sigils in the space before her as her fingers dance through the air.

Casting Misfortune on the golem.

Esta nods and moves into action, trying to come up with something to say. "'Scuse me!" she calls out to Vorkstag. When she has his attention, she gestures towards the enclosure, moving slowly in its direction. "Sir, I'm so curious, can you tell me what's in th' kennel? Y'know," she says with a chuckle, "I been tryin' t' figure out what it could be since we got here, an' lemme tell you, I'm comin' up empty handed every time." She shakes her head and gives him an innocent smile—after years spent trying to placate the wary, twitchy townsfolk of her youth, she was used to donning the demeanor of a simple, uneducated bumpkin in order to put others at ease.