The elf struggles to resist but his resistance is futile, he had his chance to die and now he will just wish he had, betraying his people to of all things drow! Little does he know you are all so much more and so much worse...
"I do not think anyone else has been alerted to your presence. If you are here you have arrived at the final sentry outpost in the east. The ruins are not much farther. However, a powerful alarm spell rings the ruins specifically designed to warn of drow crossing over. Proceed and you will be discovered even if all we sentries fall..." He states with as much steel in his gaze as he can muster.
These elven scouts are no doubt brave and skilled in combat. Perhaps their thick web of nests would indeed prevent a group of drow from breaching these ruins. But you are not mere group of drow.
As the elves touch earth, it is the last thing they touch as three are slain by club, razor and fang.
Lener holds as Zelic gives a command not to slay the last of the living elves.
GM DS ONLY:
Will save 1d20 ⇒ 18
Saban lags behind a bit as he is only mortal but he arrives quickly enough to find that a sentry is finally taken alive! The elf cowers in fear, as he likely should at the swiftness, efficiency and brutal deaths dealt all around him.
The prisoner is a ale elf, seems fairly young, likely the greenest of the sentries on this "team".
My apologies for being vague in my last post and for the long absence.
The elves are in the trees. It will take them at least two rounds to get down so I'll allow you all two rounds to act. If you want to pinpoint EXACTLY where they are to attack, make a successful Perception roll DC 25. These woods are dense after all! HINT, if you are moving 200' you would JUST be able to reach them with that movement. Move farther and you will be ahead of them. BTW, I am a big fan of cinematics so feel free to do something cool with your actions! One last thing, any actions WILL be considered surprise actions as they would not anticipate any of you moving to their position so quickly.
Lener finishes off the elf and his alarm dies out. The question is, did the alarm reach the ears of other scouts? Grym sees there is some blood left, so there's that should he wish to satiate himself...
Again Zelic finds well crafted arms and armaments, to be expected of elven scouts but nothing psionic in nature.
All of the sharp sensed Vampires hear yet another set of elven scouts not far ahead, they attempt to slip off, at least you suspect as the sounds they make move away from your position. If they reach the city you're advantage will be lost!
They are ahead of you, tell me how you intend to get ahead of them!
The Orcs bring down the elf despite his ability to slip through Lener's grasp, he too falls to the ground below.
Negative energy cascades from Saban as his shadowy tentacles spring to life of their own.
Zelic is able to strike the one that he claimed, his strike cowers the pathetic wretch. Still, his trembling fingers are able to draw his blade as he stares at your group clearly intimidated.
Elven:
"S.. s... stay back. I am n.. n.. not here alone".
His voice trembles too much for the statement to carry much weight.
At this time, your numbers are overwhelming and he is already injured and intimidated. You can question or coup de grace him but combat is effectively over.
Not to in any way be obstinate, but; If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you cannot draw a weapon unless you possess the Quick Draw feat. You can’t use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn.
From the d20PFSRD on the Charge action
Heh obstinate is OK but I prefer it OOC.
Ah, yes, I see what you mean.
Alright, Charge UP to your speed and then attack seems clear based on this. Thanks for the cite!
That ability is actually what my archetype gives me in exchange for spellcasting. I suppose, if you're willing, I could reconfigure him without the archetype. I'm also fine playing him as is.
Sure go ahead and change him to increase effectiveness!
I just realized a large flaw in my character's design. Beacon of Evil imparts a morale bonus to AC, attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws against fear. The only thing you dead people get from it is fast healing 3 (does fast healing stack, though?). It does allow me to use my Touch of Corruption ability at range, so it's still useful, but I feel kinda stupid.
You can always swap that out for something else with an Archtype no?
Zelic's powers function as intended and the Elven sentries are stunned to inaction.
Round 1
Kitara's blade cuts one deeply, but the elf is tough and retains his feet, even in the trees. He is not so tough though as to live through the strike delivered by Grym who finishes what his lovely companion started and the Elf, well what's left of him, falls to the ground below.
D20 PFSRD Combat Surprise Round - If some but not all of the combatants are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin. In initiative order (highest to lowest), combatants who started the battle aware of their opponents each take a standard or move action during the surprise round. You can also take free actions during the surprise round. If no one or everyone is surprised, no surprise round occurs.
I thought so as well Kitara but it turns out I was wrong! I will retain attack and rolls though for Round 1.
The group gains another half mile until Saban steps on several dry leaves. A rustle i the trees about 30' up and away reveals another group of elves! This time four.
All draw their bows to fire at Saban, unfortunately for them, they've tunnel vision and only eyes for him.
Surprise Round - Remember, you can attack or move but not attack AND move.
Gry, Sir, Helt, KItara, Lener, and Zelic
For a moment, just a moment, it looked like the entire operation would be compromised. But not this operation and not this night.
Once the horn was cloven in two, the rest of the Shadows make short work of the elven sentries. No doubt there will be more as your group is still a mile out fro the city boundaries.
It seems the elves have spotted you all already as you can clearly see Helt head back to the a tree moving as if gliding on air even over dead leaves! Standing half-way up the tree are three scouts.
Kitara sees that one is pulling a horn from his belt, if he blows that, this stealth mission will become an all out war...
@Zelic; I wasn't aware of the relationship! I tried to put together a character sight unseen because I thought that would be more fun to play than someone else's. I am, however, certainly not opposed to the idea of that! Per Shadow's instruction, I've been with the Jair's so long everyone thinks I am one. We could easily be brother and sister in the Blood if that would suit you.
+1.
Assume that Kisara's "old" background, is this characters extended Background.
In fact Kitara, you should add Kisara's original Background to this one and read all posts in the thread for her as you are her. Even though she is not who the others believe her to be. The Family you picked was perfect for that purpose, this or Von Trisk anyway. ;-)
As you sate your hunger both for blood and for food, Ilnerik stands and motions for you to follow him. He leads you up the stairs of the Keep once more where yet more of his wealth is on display in the form of tapestries and art whose value is likely immeasurable.
You find yourselves on the roof once more and once more confronted by the cantankerous traitor to his people, Valth.
Set up on a table are the items that you requested the previous night. Valth has a scroll in hand and he looks to Ilnerik for leave to begin his casting.
Ilnerik though pauses to hand a piece of parchment to Kisara. See the new link above entitled Map of Celwynvian."Here is a map of the city, my notes are brief as you have only two objectives. Find the woman and proceed to the ElfGate. You will find it guarded. You will likely have to kill a few of the guards but be discreet about it. While I am sure your prowess in battle is formidable, if the entire contingent falls upon you before the Gate is opened you shan't survive the night. Good luck and beat those bastards to the prize".
Valth motions for you all to join hands and touch him, he begins to cast a spell and the familiar "POP" of translocation fills your ears. You find yourselves standing in a dark forest under a canopy so thick, the stars and moon cannot even be seen.
Valth directs Kisara to open the map and points to it the location dead center in the compass, "You are here. West is the city. I take my leave".
He unfurls another scroll and once more the familiar "POP" of translocation leaves you all alone in the woods. The sound of wildlife slowly begins to hush as the animals and insects know, a group of super predators is in their midst...
I'll get a dark grey cowled robe of the best available quality. Spider silk, if it's not too expensive.
Silkweave is 2x normal cost and 1/2 the weight.
Drow and some duergar have mastered the craft of weaving giant spider silk. Incredibly lightweight and durable, it is used to create various goods including clothes, light armor and utilitarian products such as sidepacks, pouches and the like. Silkweave garments and items are 50% lighter than their regular counterparts and are double the price. Silkweave is often shaped and soaked repeatedly in pools rich with lime and other hard minerals to create calcified pots, urns and other crafts of remarkable hardness.
Helt opts to not attempt to brave the sun as the rest of you do and heads to his quarters for the day.
Indeed the first few tentative steps are awkward and nerve wracking but soon enough, Grym and Lener are out on a balcony basking in the sunlight.
Zelic stands in the doorway, body drooping barely holding out as the presence of the sun's rays seem to sap his will to wake.
The eyes though, the eyes are having substantial difficulty adjusting. Your eyes are dazzled from its brilliance. While you feel the sun's warmth the pain in your eyes and the disconnection from the tissue that has engulfed you leave you feeling a bit out of sorts.
Soon enough you all drift off to the void of sleep, even Saban.
---
The next night you are magically summoned to assemble for a feast. Several servants sit around a dinner table having eaten something that has made them quite sleepy indeed as none are awake!
Ilnerik is seated at the head of the table. "It seems that if all of you are alive that this spell does indeed protect us from the sun's fiery light. Good to know...
My friends, please, find a vessel that pleases you. I would ask that you take enough to sate your desires but leave the victims alive unless you must just absolutely have more.
Tell me, is there anything else you believe you may need before you are sent along on your appointed task?"
List the drow gear you want up to 500 GP and you already have it as part of the gear of the body you have necro-morphed into.
Ilnerik responds, "If you wish to test the new form in the light of day, feel free to do so from the safety of this building. Once Valth teleports you, you will be in Celwynvian in the early evening.
I would suggest you locate the Shadow Key that Kaerishiel Neirenar currently possesses and get to the Elfgate as quickly as you can.
I will show you to your rooms now". Kisara follows the Councilor, "I'll stay in the darkness thank you".
Valth takes his leave to rest and study his spells for the next day while Ilnerik brings you to the third floor of the building where there none of the rooms have any windows at all.
Anyone who wishes to stay awake during the day and brave the sun, make a Will saving throw DC 15. Saban do you do anything by day?
In his shift, Grym's fur is even darker than normal, it seems the spell crosses over even to shapeshifted forms.
Sir Didymus has undergone the largest change, instead of being a halfling he is the size of a full grown drow elf. He is now Medium size!
"Yes, you have gained the abilities of the drow, well some at least. Your original forms may not need them but think of the advantage for mere humans? You can now see in the dark darkvision 120', are immune to the effects of sleep well for the Mortal among you this ability is useful, the amulet has also given you the abilities to utilize weapons prior you may not have known proficiency with the hand crossbow, rapier, and short sword, you are better able to resist spells targeted towards you gain SR 11+ level, and finally, the disadvantage the light of day will blind you leaving you a bit disoriented Light Blindness. Of course, if it means you do not burn to cinders while underneath it, that is a drastic improvement for your kind.
The magic possesses limited permanency. It’s tied to a focus item that, if compromised, releases the binding incantations, dispelling the effect. Should the focus persevere, it retains the spell’s power for approximately thirteen weeks. Tick tock, you are all now on the clock". He grins at his own joke.
With Kisara clearly gone and Zelic barely posting, I'll begin to move forward with Saban, Lener, Grym and Helt as the core four.
I have not seen any submissions for extra slots and I am starting to think we should keep it at 4-5 due to not only power levels of existing PCs but to speed up Gameplay so I am not waiting on the last post or two from stragglers.
Kisara and Zelic say nothing but lay on the slabs along with the rest of you.
Valth begins comparing the drow corpses for attractiveness and wholeness of condition as well as their relative size compared to each of you. Once he lays the corpses next to each of you, and Sir Didymus, he then steps over to one of the other benches and pulls out a wooden box etched with necromantic symbols.
He nears each of you and opens the box, within are several silver amulets each with a pale crystal in the center.
"These bloodlinks serve a twofold purpose. First, they grant the wearer abilities similar to those many drow possess. Second, the crystals at the amulets’ centers serve as the focus item of the recorporeal incarnation spell". Valth gives a bloodlink to each of you and bids you don them.
Over the next hour, the Wizard casts the spell from several scrolls. The spell is painless but the sensation of crawling skin as the flesh of the dead drow subsumes you all is odd to say the least.
Once the spells for each of you ends, Valth once again reiterates, "Remember, the Bloodlinks are the focus for the magic, destroying the items will dispel the connected disguises. Be wary of this. Now, get out of my lab".
Ilnerik stays until the end and sighs, "I will need you to translocate them to Celwynvian. Tomorrow though, the hour grows late. Tell me Wizard, will this extra flesh protect my fellow Kindred from the harmful rays of the sun?"
Valth pauses for a moment, "Hmmm, I do not know..."
Sorry for the long delay there folks. Now that the Ruins of Azlant Recruitment is humming along, posting will come much quicker!
That is the last new game I am recruiting for until something else closes down. It'll be a while before that happens based on the adventures I have going on right now.
The elf sneers, "For a bunch of creatures who do not breathe they are awfully skittish are they not Ilnerik?"
Ilnerik ignores the ill tempered elf, "Valth is telling you that you shall all be some of the first recipients of this spell and certainly the first of our kind to be subject to it".
Valth speaks once more, "My understanding is that the agents of Celwynvian have already received and survived the spell and they were living beings. Can we begin or do you wish to waste my time further?"
Playing in 20+ games and running 26 (soon to be 27) is time consuming. Outside of the boards I have a fairly busy work schedule and of course a life!
Often I find that if I fall behind in updates, I need to make time to simply update a Discussion Thread to inform the PCs of a particular game that I am either going to be posting later in the day or week or will be on a break form the boards for one reason or another.
To save time updating so many damn threads I am going to open this thread and link all of my DM aliases (and PC aliases) to this thread to inform people as to status.
Of course if people feel the need to ask other questions outside of PbP feel free to do so but mainly this will be a thread dedicated to ensuring that my PCs know my status and to assure everyone that even though I may have some absences away from the boards (or particular games) that new thread will always be up to date with my status.
Ilnerik smiles, "Oh, once this ritual is compete, I think you will need not worry about the sun overmuch, at least as long as you wear your false disguises. Come, let us find my Necromancer".
He heads through a trap door in the roof and down the stairs of this tall building. All the way down within a contained staircase where you hear and see no one at all. After quite a long trip and after entering a door that Ilnerik unlocks with a strange looking key you find yourselves in some sort of sub-basement. The moisture in the air and the moisture on the walls lead you to believe that is what it must be.
Down a short hallway Ilnerik leads your group through a heavy darkwood door. On the other side is a lab that an arcanist or alchemist would no doubt love to spend a great deal of time dwelling within. Beakers and tubes fill two large tables that run the length of either side of the room. There are no windows down in this place.
Hanging on the far wall like some sort of hunters prize are several drow corpses. All are nude. Beneath each one is a pile of equipment.
Standing in the middle of the room at a lectern studying a book intently is an elf with a pale complexion. He is clearly breathing though and is not one of you. He looks up as your group enters, "Ah Ilnerik, good of you to come. I believe I am nearly ready to complete this experiment. Are these the test subjects?"
"Excellent, then let us be on our way", Ilnerik removes a small bell fro his pocket and rings it. A few minutes later a horrid looking creature tromps down the stairs, its eyes pinpoint red.
"What is it you require now, Master?" its eerie hollow voice states the word with as much hatred as one can. Saban can literally feel waves of cold emanating from the creature.
"Come, come, why so glum? Therus, have I not given you release from your prison to enjoy a bit of mayhem and fun?"
The creature continues to stare at Ilnerik without response.
Ilnerik sighs, "I am my companions and their retainers require transport to location V".
The creature surveys those present, "It will take two trips".
Ilnerik grins, "Spare me the details".
I assume that you will gather your companions.
After two quick teleports you all find yourselves standing on a tall building at least 6 stories high in the middle of a metropolis. The city itself consists of islands and canals amid the center of a mighty river. It appears to be divided by three major regions through which these canals and the rivers run.
Despite it being night the city teems with life as thousands upon thousands of mortals wander the streets with what seem to be a thousand thousand lights.
