Feeliong that Lilly is anything but okay with what's about to happen, Estian can't help but give in to her moral qualms. He sighs and steps forward, speaking with a voice full of resentment that's struggling to cling on to hope. Hope for things to get better, to be better. "He could swear an oath of service to me as I am an esquire ... albeit an errant one, well beyond the borders of Andoran. I'm uncertain how we'll get the attention of a God of contracts and or loyal service, like Abadar or Iomedae, without a priest, so eh, perhaps Desna would like to do the honors? Bind those who roam in places unknown, for them to stay together, faithful, regardless of the challenges they might face? For him to prove himself worthy of the grace of the Stars above, to live a life worthy of song and story?"
He's then quiet for a moment before giving voice to his doubts and reservations. "The Gods know, maybe Pharasma won't instantly send you to the burning Abyss if you choose to fill the rest of your life doing good, trying to be good, being a light to the world around you."
Estian is completely unsure how to react. The man has earned their utter contempt and has done nothing to deserve anything better than that, yet, haven't they all gone through hell and back since the shipwrecking? After the fight and the brush with death, Estian is too tired to squabble. "Well, well. I guess not even Pharasma wanted you, huh? Perhaps you ought to take this as a sign and make something of what remains of your life. The Gods are always watching."
Without any hesitation, Estian takes the ring and tries it on. Hadn't he been an absolutely fabulous bon vivant before enlisting with the Andoran navy? Oh, the first part of him to succumb to the briny menace that is the sea was his luscious curls. Soon after, the colors of his finest clothes followed suit. Not much later, said clothes were dragged to the bottom of those endless blues, and he was left with little more than rags. No, you deserve this, Estian. Don't let anyone put you down, ever, and shine!
With that out of the way, he turns his attention to the others and the more pressing matter at hand: the damned sharkmen. Maia's proposed plan is wicked, but the kind of wicked Estian can get behind. "Devious, Maia, I like it. Let's do it. "
LEVEL TWO TO THREE
BAB +1
HP +9
REF & WIL +1
FEAT: Power Attack
Skill 1 | +7 Perception (3)
Skill 2 | +8 Diplomacy (3)
Skill 3 | +6 Bluff (1)
Skill 4 | +9 Swim (3)
Skill 5 | +8 Intimidate (3)
Skill 6 | +7 Profession Sailor (3)
Skill 7 | +4 Handle Animal (1)
AIDE-DE-CAMP: the esquire acquires the services of a loyal aide-de-camp. This NPC functions similarly to a cohort, though the aide-de-camp must advance in a class that grants proficiency with all martial weapons and cannot multiclass until the esquire reaches 7th level (though the aide-de-camp can select an archetype). If the aide-de-camp is a cavalier, he must follow the same order as the esquire. The aide-de-camp gains Swift Aid as a bonus feat, and provides a +2 (rather than +1) bonus when using this feat to aid the esquire. As a move action, the aide-de-camp can retrieve a stored item or an item on the ground and hand it to the esquire. The esquire does not have to take an action to receive the item, though he must be conscious and have a free hand. This action does not provoke attacks of opportunity for the aide-de-camp or esquire. If the aide-de-camp dies performing an act that directly supports the edicts of the esquire’s order (GM’s discretion), the esquire does not take a penalty to his Leadership score. If an aide-de-camp dies, or is released from the esquire’s service, the esquire may gain a new aide-de-camp by scouting for potential candidates in a city or large town. This requires 1 day per 5 levels of the aide-de-camp to be recruited. This ability replaces mount.
TEAMWORK: At 3rd level, as long as an esquire and his aide-de-camp are adjacent, the aide-de-camp is treated as having any teamwork feats the esquire has. They also share any teamwork feats that function when two or more allies threaten the same target, as long as they both threaten the same target. This ability replaces cavalier’s charge.
Estian reaches out with both arms to help Maia get out of the water. With a voice full of concern, he states the obvious. "Take my hands, Maia! Quick!"
Aid Another on Maia to help her out of the water:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15 If he succeeds, and Maia gets out, he'll use his move action to stand up. If not, he'll stay prone since that's the position he'd need to be in to help?
Whenever the ronin fails a Will saving throw against an effect with a duration greater than 1 round, he can attempt another saving throw at the end of the second round of the effect. If he makes this saving throw, it has the same effect as if he had made the original save (negating part or all of the effect). In addition, whenever a ronin is brought below 0 hit points, on his next turn he can roll twice to stabilize, taking the better result.
Refusing to yield, a staggered Estian stumbles on until he finds himself facing Cekerite. Unlike Lightfoot, his way of stopping the damned evil nixie is not through a moral appeal, but through the use of force. The Andoran way.
"Oh yes, you better hide behind those two, because when we're done with you, not even Pharasma will be able to recognize you!" The words are born out of genuine anger and for anyone who throws a look at Estian, the man looks like his words aren't a joke: he's ready to tear the she-devil to pieces.
With nothing but his bare hands, if needed.
Perceptions vs 18 if applicable:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20 Swift action: challenge Cekerite
Move action: move around the hole if possible Std action: demoralize Cekerite Intimidate to Demoralize Cekerite:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Intimidate to Demoralize:
Demoralize: You can use this skill to cause an opponent to become shaken for a number of rounds. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + the target’s Hit Dice + the target’s Wisdom modifier. If you are successful, the target is shaken for 1 round. This duration increases by 1 round for every 5 by which you beat the DC. You can only threaten an opponent in this way if they are within 30 feet and can clearly see and hear you. Using demoralize on the same creature only extends the duration; it does not create a stronger fear condition.
Keeping a low profile, Estian grips the edge of a worn-out water-logged plank and peers at the 'village', hoping to somehow stumble upon a brilliant thought or impulse. "We don't have an alchemical bomb of sorts, do we? We could have our heroic friend Akaleesh drop one on their huts, fly on over, and taunt them from afar. Surely a contingent of them will chase after Akaleesh, even if the odds of catching him are less than zero. What I'm trying to say is that the numbers currently aren't favoring a direct assault and we're dealing with a foe that can be tricked ..."
Estian frowns at Maia, but doesn't say a word. It's pretty apparent he can't do that. "That sounds like a good plan. I do hope they aren't spying on us, and us visiting them two will bring them trouble ..."
It feels like we have no other real option other than a daring assault / infiltration of sorts. Correct me if I'm wrong!
By Rovagug's burning testies ... Estian has troubles translating his frustration into words, but going by the heavy frown that has settled on his forehead, it's clear that he's boiling with anger on the inside. "You did good. There's no shame in running when the alternative is certain death ..."
Unlike the sailors, Estian wants nothing else but to take a rowboat and make his way to this 'queen' so that he can return the favor by ending her miserable life. She messed with the wrong Andoran. "I know she'll be expecting us - she spat in our faces to ensure we'll be running straight into her arms, but this can't stand, this won't stand."
"Eh, it doesn't happy to be one of you's birthdays, does it?", Estian ponders as the eery silence and lack of activity wraps itself around his senses. Instinctively, he draws his weapon. "It sure ain't mine ..."
Do you mean the +1 sawtooth saber? Estian has been using it ever since we got it.
"It sounds wonderful. We need to wait for Akaleesh to return anyway, so we might as well kick back and prepare for the next foray. I'm afraid we'll have to go further out than we have so far ..."
Estian is more than a little reluctant to dig into the devilfish pot stew, but the picky Andoran eventually digs in and finds himself liking it more than he'll ever care to admit.
We need more salvage and we still have some crewmembers who we can/must befriend. I'm not sure how much it will matter in what's to come, but when a crew is tested, they better be ready to have each other's backs when things get hairy. If I'm not mistaken, we still have two question marks areas to discover just north of the reef (?).
Is it the creature's laughter? The icky sticky black residue Estian has to step on? The creature's thousands of horribly sharp teeth? Or just his own ineptitude? Who knows, but Estian swings his saber at the devilfish with no grace whatsoever.
The knight-errant puts his shoulder against the statue. He inhales deeply in preparation for what's to come and empties his thoughts. Like an Andoran first mate once told him, fear strikes those who keep on thinking when things get hairy. Luckily, shutting down his brain is an easy task for Estian.
And with the odds of the statue knocking the devilfish out cold being rather slim, one or two idiots most likely will get to dive into the water to finish it off. There's good reason for Estian to empty his mind and not give fear a chance to grab him by the balls.
With that out of the way, it's time to push. "Hey, ugly! Catch!"
Challenge the creature (only applies to melee attacks!), then push the lion on its damned head. And, with it being all head, Estian is sure he can hit its head! Attack:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22 Attack:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22 Damage:2d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 5) + 6 = 12
"Heavy? The lion statues from the Andoran ship, maybe, but such a thing would be so out of place. Even a fiendish nimrod will raise an eyebrow at such a ploy ... "
Like the others, Estian takes a look and strolls about. Unlike the others, he isn't expecting them to find anything and so performs the task half-heartedly.
The light's curtain call brings urgency to Estian's step. "We ought to find shelter. This day has sucked more than enough, and we need to finalize our kill-the-fiendish-octopus plan."
Estian has been annoyed and a little on edge ever since being forced to retreat from the Twigjack's lair. Now, with them discovering the ritual feeding place of the devilfish and said octopus not being home, he's aching to put his sword to use and reclaim some glory and respect.
"Yeah, you better run, because when we get you, we're going to break you into so many pieces, not even Pharasma can put you back together, you ... !!!"
Somehow Estian manages to avoid the worst of the creature's deadly hail of splinters, but the attack does rattle him. "You'll pay for that, you ... you sad excuse for a tree!" The insult might be terrible, but perhaps the lack of verbal oompf instills the creature with a false sense of security as the strike that follows is anything but lacking in power.
Reflex vs 14:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22 Charge:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26 Damage:1d8 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9 Full-round action: charge (challenging +2 to damage, charge +2 to hit and -2 to AC)
Ever the diplomat, Estian applies some Andoran tact and grace to defuse the situation with the rather tense-looking stickman. He speaks slowly and overemphasizes every syllable. "I DO NOT KNOW YOUR LANGUAGE. DO YOU SPEAK ANDORAN, BY CHANCE?"
Like Lilly, Estian cares not for the tidedragon and its antics. Powerful magics? Ha, right! No, his cunning plan, now that's worth Estian's full attention.
He does, however, wave at the tidedragon once the group leaves. Manners matter.
That sounds like a plan! What we definitely will need is bait, a decoy, and a place to make the magic happen. We'll have to somehow figure out where the darned octopus is, and take it from there once all the other pieces are in our possession, making the 'place to make the magic happen' possibly the hardest part to acquire.
Estian eyes the tidedragon up and down in an attempt to soak up its profile. What exactly would he need to recreate this majestic creature using the scrap and junk lying about this place? An old sack, like one they keep the flour in, stuffed with whatever to give the tidedragon some mass. A faded Andoran flag for the necessary blue. You know where to find one of those. Some rusted hinges or something similar, tied to the sack with rope, to give the illusion it has claws. That, and a bucket of whatever octopi - octopussay? ... pusses? - Estian sticks to octopi, a bucket of whatever octopi eat.
So what to do once the damned thing bites? Hrm, maybe the others got some ideas to fill that hole in his otherwise brilliant plan.
"Captain. My lady. Bukis," the knight-errant says with a voice that warns everyone present of the impending arrival of a terrible idea. "I got a cunning plan to draw the octopus towards the surface. Now, all we need is ..."
He explains the above to the others and ends it with a simple question. "Now, how do we manage to add a net or a snare of sorts to make sure the darned octopus can't escape? Surely it will come up to put an end to our friend and claim its rightful dinner."
So, decoy plus bait, placed in a zone beneficial to us if we dive in to engage it. Estian has no Knowledge Nature and I honestly got no clue how good an octopus's eyes are, so yeah, what could possibly go wrong!
With Lily succumbing to awe, it's up to Estian to make sure the cleric's words reach the 'dragon'. Heh, as if such a tiny creature deserves to be called a dragon! "She speaks the truth, dragon. Please, mighty one, let her tend to your wounds so that you might take to the skies once more and strike fear in the hearts of your enemies."
Estian tries his darndest to fool himself that the creature is actually a fearsome red dragon so that his words might carry respect and not mockery. It's a good thing that the knight-errant is susceptible to sweet little lies and convenient truths.
"Contrary to popular belief, size does matter so thank you, friend gnome, for alleviating our fears by confirming its non-formidable size!" Not even Estian is sure whether he's taking the piss or is actually relieved at the confirmation of the dragon not being of the gigantic and red kind.
"So, what now? Only Gozreh knows how far away it can fly before it has to settle down, rest, and heal, but if there is a moment to approach it, now would be it."
Lightfoot's words cause the knight-errant to furrow his brow. A dragon? Here?! Really now?!?! He waves the words away, but he remains visibly annoyed. "So, do any of you happen to be a trained and accomplished dragonslayer?"
Estian flashes Maia a capri(o)cious look that bounces between amusement and annoyance, but before he can strike back, the captain explains what the plan is for the day. "Sure, we'll finish our business in here and then get to putting into motion your grand design, captain."
He slips into his finest breeches (or worst, the jury has yet to come to a unanimous decision with regards to his sole pair of pants) and straps on a belt and bandoleer. Somehow somewhere, he manages to tuck away the sawtooth saber without cutting himself. "We don't have any halflings onboard, do we? I know it's superstition, but halflings bring luck to those they call friend."
The npc name list doesn't mention race, but if there are no halflings, I say we try to butter up Imrodel. Sounds like an elf =P Aid Another Lily:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Estian makes the best of the blessed moment of respite. Sure, some of the concoctions fed to him by Lily taste worse than a Thrunish breakfast, but unlike the sailors, he gets to do absolutely nothing.
--
>Salvage: 9/16.
Those blessed hours of sleep pass on by oh so quickly and before he can turn around and catch a couple more z's, Estian catches Lily doing what she can to get rid of the knots and aches plaguing her muscles. An old wiry sailor once showed the Andoran what he called 'a seaman's take on Vudrani yoga', and now is the perfect time to share his secrets with the poor cleric.
"Have you ever seen a bear? They love to scratch their backs by pressing their back against a tree and then rubbing themselves against the tree's bark vigorously." Hrm, phrasing Estian! He blinks and continues on as if what he's saying will go somewhere. "So, this old Andoran sailor once taught me a trick. He showed me what he called the bear's pose," and before anyone can comment on the darn name, Estian picks up the pace and hastily blabbers on. "The idea is that you find a mast, press your plagued muscles against the ropes that are wound around it, and do what the bear does."
As to how many resources they still need, the esquire leaves those sordid details to the captain and her first mate. Heh, mate. Estian's mind can be a wonderous place.
The knight-errant averts his gaze from Lily's sudden outburst of affection and awe, knowing well it isn't proper to stare. "I'm glad you do. It should do well against armored foes, whether they wear chain, plate, or thick scaled skin, and heh, t'should help you make a point when the need arises."
Estian himself picks up a buckler and the necessary straps and buckles to modify the suit of studded leather to fit his needs. Bukis, when it comes down to it, is more man than him.
On what to get: do we need any specific items? A weapon, armor, spellcasting components? Estian isn't specialized in any sort of weaponry, but some light armor (considering we might have to swim) and or a buckler would do wonders for his AC.
Estian tries to lift the sawtooth sword with one hand and groans in reply. Still, he manages to hold and wield it, but it's clear the shadow drained part of his vitality. "I feel like I went on a bender and had one halfling brews too many, but my legs can still carry my weight and my head ... well, my brain continues to do what it does."
Time the great healer will have to play its part now :\
When the cleric wrinkles her nose at the smell of the drink or potion, Estian frowns and tries to hold his tongue. He fails. "It's Andoran, it has to be good, Lilly. Unless ... unless this ship has been here for I don't know how many years ..."
Disheartened and with his spirit drained, Estian does not falter and continues to undo the wretched remnant of his countryman. The person's spirit deserves it. Pharasma demands it. Oh, and so too does Estian's own life, for the shadow is oh so eager to claim it.
Std action: attack Attack:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20 Damage:1d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 +2 from challenge, +1 from the magic weapon, +1 from the bard song?
"No, countryman! To Pharasma you must go! Ahhhh!", the knight-errant yells in what is almost a shriek as he surges forward and does whatever he can to banish the shadow to the nether realm.
Swift action: challenge the shadow (+2 to damage)
Full-round action: charge the shadowy fiend right into Pharasma's arms (-2 to AC, +2 to hit) Attack:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15 Damage:1d8 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14 I added a +1 to both damage and to hit for the sword being magical.
With a hushed voice as if whatever is on the other side of the door might hear him, Estian addresses the others. "There might be worse behind that door. Do we have anything that might help us fight more powerful undead? Blessed water, spells to bless our weapons, that sorta stuff?"
"Ah, no way! Countrymen, it is time to move on, you've fulfilled your duties!" The heartfelt words are accompanied by a bone-crunching blow as Estian strikes with the intent of bringing a final peace to the animated dead.
Std action: attack (two-handing the sawtoothed sabre) Attack:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21 Damage:1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 Unsure if the saber is +1, if so, add +1 to attack and damage!
The sight of the proud Andoran lions takes the swoon out of Estian's otherwise daring step. The skeletal remains cause his shoulders to drop. "I'm no priest, but some final words, some sort of burial rite, is the least we should be offering these poor souls. They were brave defenders fighting for a world worth living in, they deserve it."
Estian isn't exactly looking forward to the breakfast the faux Gozrehs will serve them, but when given the choice between no food and seaweed cakes, Estian will complain until the day ends while munching on the detestable seaweed creation.
And, being one to put as much food on his fork until it simply can't take no more, Estian is down with the idea of investigating the nearby wrecked ship. "It would honestly save our legs some unnecessary back-and-forth'ing, so we might as well check it out while we're nearby. "
