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Cool! Just to check, then, will the Quintessence Infusion work exactly as written (i.e., not on the material plane), or can I take or develop a feat or spell to enable it to function while still on the material plane? Once I have that sorted, I can post my full level up.
Thank you all for the feedback. I'm going to continue to progress Hadda through her bardic levels. I still need to decide on her new feat and her new 3rd-level spell, but that brings up an important thing: her new chronicler of worlds ability. This performance infuses allies with planar quintessence. At 9th level, while on a plane other than the Material Plane, the chronicler of worlds can use this performance to target an ally within 30 feet. For every 3 bard levels she has beyond 9th, she can affect one additional creature. Affected allies gain the plane’s basic infusion effect (see Planar Infusions). If the chronicler of worlds is 13th level or higher, affected creatures also gain the plane’s improved infusion. If she is 16th level or higher, affected creatures also gain the plane’s greater infusion. The first time each day a creature benefits from quintessence infusion, the plane infused is set for the day and additional infusions can grant only that plane’s infusions. Infusions that have limited uses per day remain limited in that way, regardless of how many times quintessence infusion is gained. Quintessence infusion relies on audible and visual components. Officially, this only works on planes other than the Material Plane. I don't know if this campaign ever visits any other planes, but we have certainly been engaging more with outsiders. The abyssal influence in this book has been strong. I'm not sure if Baba Yaga's Hut counts as a demiplane or anything like that, but travel is clearly a big part of what we do. So I'm interested in ways to enable this bardic performance to function on the Material Plane. I'm happy to spend either a fear or a spell on this, or both if necessary. The Eldritch Researcher feat makes reference to spell research, so that's one option. There are a few other planar-focused feats that could provide some flavor towards tearing open a temporary gate between planes to access planar infusions.
Awesome, Dom! Hadda is also probably going to dip, and I'm trying to figure out which dip makes the most sense. Option 1: Melee. Inspired Blade Swashbuckler would represent some training with Dom, nabbing a pool of 6 panache, weapon finesse, and weapon focus. The 9th-level feat would be fencing grace, which would allow for 1d6+5 damage before buffs. Option 2: Range. Lore Warden Fighter boosts her poor Fort save, only loses a small handful of skill points, and grabs two feats, which would go into point-blank shot and precise shot. This would indicate more training with Crasius and Ingrit. No deadly aim, rapid shot, or manyshot, obviously, not yet, but... Hadda has multiple times recognized throughout Artrosa that she is often unable to contribute effectively. She can cast useful spells, but then she's just trying to stay out of the way. It's not a great feeling for someone who knows a lot of things. So she has been looking for additional ways to contribute. There is Option 3, of course, which is continuing to progress her bardic capabilities and just going at the development of her martial skills more slowly. I love Hadda as a character, but it's tricky trying to find a good spot for her in the scheme of combat. Dom is a great front-liner, supported by frequent Wapiti devastation. Ingrit and Crasius are both great bowfolk. Rurik handily keeps us all alive and provides great divine buffs. Hadda is a knowledge- and skill-monkey with some useful arcane flexibility and the bard's suite of useful buffs. She and Crasius are already different bards, and I'm trying to differentiate them more. Thoughts? Am I worrying too much about her combat functions? Does anyone have better ideas? Thanks for the consideration.
Hadda briefly considers telling Jadrenka--at least she assumes this is Jadrenka, perhaps in a form cohering with the portion of Artrosa they were in--about what they had done. But as Adelia leaves their company and clambers up to her mistress, she guesses that the familiar is providing the report. She holds her breath, hoping that it will be a positive report. And then--based on the response--she assumes that it is. She has plenty of questions. Why did witches insist on speaking in riddles? But it's clear that Jadrenka intends for them to complete this final task on their own. Hadda makes sure that her bow and buckler are ready and descends down the gyn-stairs in her place. When at the bottom she sees the frost giants, she smiles. Finally, more enemies that she knew how to deal with. Fill them with arrows.
Hadda confers with her allies on their needs for comfort and safety, selecting the appropriate spell for the situation. All the while, she comfortably admires some of the decorations and motifs. The skulls are a bit much, but she had never especially been a fan of using them as decoration. They just crossed the bridge from macabre to be on-the-nose for her, like the decorator was insisting that they were to be feared. As she considers these things, she retrieves her picks, waits for her allies to indicate that they were ready, and picks the lock.
Or at least, she tries to. Hopefully this wouldn't be a repetition of the menhir circle, where the others stood awkwardly around for a while waiting for her to demonstrate that she knew what she was doing. Further attempts in spoilers just in case something else happens: Oh! The lock was reversed from the usual way that she was accustomed to encountering when on this side of the door. An interesting design, but not one that she couldn't handle. With a click, Hadda smiles and backs out of the way to resume her place in the marching order.
"No one's ready to enter the Boneyard," Hadda quips. "But if we delay, we give our enemies even more of a chance to prepare. We must continue."
"Enough, I warrant. Especially since one of Baba Yaga's chief enemies, and the one whose servants are responsible for a lot of this mess, is a demon lord," Hadda muses.
Hadda tilts her head to the side as Dom makes quick work of the hag, lowering her spellcasting hand in the midst of her spell. For the first time since they began traveling together, she reappraises the man even more favorably than before. He was a good man. She had known that already. He carried himself with the zeal of someone who thought of--cared deeply for--other people. When he saw someone in need, even if she was actively deceiving him, he was ready to protect her with everything in his power. But when presented with undeniable controverting evidence, he didn't hesitate. She appreciated that. A strong hand such as his was one to keep on her side, especially when those who stood in their way could do the same and worse if they had their druthers. Rescinding the arcane energy back within her, Hadda's hand trembles as she gathers herself into a gentle bow towards Nostafa. "Hadda Sogard, daughter of Mirnbay," she says. "Thank you for confirming that we were with a traitor. We had been looking for her these last couple of days." Rising, she retrieves the bottle and uncorks it. ---
Her own blood: well, that was Elvanna, yes? So at least Baba Yaga was aware, and able to actually send messages. That was good. Hadda didn't suspect that such a powerful geas would be so easily imprinted if the originator of the magic was entirely indisposed. But this brought a measure of comfort. She had so far been proceeding under the assumption that this was a task that could actually be completed instead of a hopeless cause. Otherwise, it would have been more tempting to find a way out of this enterprise. So, then: good. She was not eager to die. Not yet. She wanted to traverse the planes and experience new worlds under her own auspices, thank you very much. And Baba Yaga could lead her that way. So the way was clear. "To the Eon Pit, then."
If we are resolving in initiative order and Hadda gets the impression that Grishelmuk isn't going to be able to put up much of a fight, she would probably not cast Haste. I mean, it looks like she's taken 89 damage, so I can't imagine she's long for this world.
Oh no! I'm glad she's okay and back home now. That sounds dreadful...
There is no smile on Hadda's face as the night hag confirms what she had suspected about Vala-Grishelmuk. But there is satisfaction.
In spite of any wooziness she might feel from having gone from a woman to mountain and back to a woman again in the span of a couple of minutes, Hadda has her faculties about her. She pulls out her trust stick of licorice root (a good thing she liked the taste well enough) and chews a bite to paste on her tongue as her fingers begin weaving a rune in the air. As she gets into position, she and her allies feel time dilate.
It sounds like a complex anniversary, but hopefully still a happy one when all was said and done ^_^
"No, I don't see any--" Hearing something back in her own body--or at least she thinks she did--Hadda tries to return.
She feels stuck for a moment. But it's almost a willing stuck-ness, like a measure of comfort being in this state. But she needs to return.
Hadda's features return to normal and she sways slightly as she takes in...
...a night hag? This one hadn't been mentioned by Jadrenka as a part of the coven. Was she a free agent? Friend or foe? Hadda reaches to her left sleeve and pulls it up to display the sigil of the White Rider's Mantle. "I cannot describe the Black Rider, but I met Bright Morning before he died." She describes the White Rider in extensive detail, down to the wounds that he had suffered by the time she found him. "I last saw Red Sun after he was executed by the traitorous Queen Elvanna, impaled on a fence outside of the then-chained Hut of Baba Yaga." She similarly describes the Red, for what she could see through the mess of execution. Then she gestures towards Rurik, Ingrit, and Dom. "The three of them accepted a quest from Black Midnight to rescue the Dancing Hut, where we met them. They can provide his description, along with a description the hut's keys that they received from him."
Hadda takes in the majesty of transmutation-transportation-transubstantiation for the marvel that it is.
"It's remarkable," she says within the room, her speech stiff. "I am become Artrosa itself, able to see as the mountains do." Such words could hardly capture the experience. It was something that needed to be experienced. "I wish some of you could...see this," she whispers. "Perhaps Jadrenka would let you if you ask nicely." She tries to smile, back in her body. "Is there anything you want to know while I'm here?"
"Oh, absolutely not!" Hadda says as she looks back. "This is almost certainly an unwise course of action."
Hadda chuckles. "If I am reduced to ash or some other fine mist, then please remember me as I was." Stubborn.
Trying to blindly activate devices brimming with magic was dangerous, of course, but Hadda could not let such an opportunity go lightly. Beads of sweat forming on her brow, she grasps for the subtle tendrils of magic she knows are here, just being par.tic.u.lar.ly dif.fic.cult!
"Only, hmm?" Hadda says with a grin. "I'll take that bet." The idea of proving herself sounded tempting. She was no Rider, but she had the Rider's seal. Hadda strides boldly into the center of the circle, analyzes the auras around her, and attempts to activate the circle over Vala's impatience.
She frowns as she looks around, wondering if it had worked. "You may be right," she drawls.
A malicious thought crosses Hadda's mind as Crasius reveals that the flying broom is, in fact, cursed. They could give it to Vala. In fact, that might reveal--if she was false--how far she was willing to take her ruse. But... ...the others would likely disapprove. They were generally goodly folk... But... Hadda's face stretches into a grin as she leafs through the Arcane Cookbook. She had rather liked Ratibor. "I have found a rather curious ritual," she says, "That may prevent an unfortunate melee between us and our friend Ratibor." Far above the other benefits that a witch like Seke might be able to use the book for, Hadda mentally checks a box off of her extensive to-do list. --- When the Upasunda looks disappointed, Hadda grins once more. "I'm sorry to disappoint. But I'll tell you what. We're looking for a hag named Grishelmuk along with a centaur named Vsevolod. If you see either of them, I'd encourage you to tear them apart. I know what it is to feel stymied."
She tries hard not to be condescending. She knows she can come across that way sometimes. --- Hadda assesses the menhirs, opening her senses to detect and study the magical auras pervading the ritual circle. "Astute wariness, Dom," she compliments. "I already sense strong transmutation within."
The menhirs confound Hadda. This was more druidic, more primal, than what she was used to. Or at least, that odd space where the primal and occult intermingled in ways that made arcanists like her uncomfortable. Fascinating things like ley lines and planar substrates that bound whole worlds together across the void.
Hadda is positively delighted to search through what she assumes are Grishelmuk's shelves before leaving the room.
Hadda's eyes widen as she takes in the Upasunda: a beatific one! Oh, she had read of these! Although this creature likely despised humans, Hadda just wanted to converse with her! What sorts of knowledge might she possess? She listens to the riddle and looks at her companions. She holds her hand up to Dom and addresses the prospective enemy and her companions alike. "Hold your blades, beatific one and friends, and let us ponder the wisdom of the ages."
Hadda turns to her companions. Given the versatility of the asura, combat would likely be bloody and challenging. She would try to weave in some of what she knew into the conversation in case they were unable to puzzle it out. "A verifiable empirical fact, such that this is an Upasunda whose skin can only be pierced by a weapon imbued with holy light, cannot be the answer," she begins. "For empirical facts are not always known. The upasunda may not know that its skin resists acid and electricity, or that she with her form is better at fighting with her multiple implements than the common human would be, or that positioning is useless against her. If known, the truth-teller would answer factually. If not known, the truth-teller would confess ignorance. The liar could confess ignorance in either circumstance. And the asker must know the truth before asking." She continues. "Pure rationality then, beyond what spell-like abilities she could use to confound us and turn the tide of battle in her favor, must be the order of the day. Deductive rather than inductive reasoning or empiricism, such that there is only one reasonable answer from each." Satisfied that she has conveyed what she needs to convey, Hadda rattles off through her head the sorts of questions that could be asked. Will you tell the truth? Lie? Will they tell the truth? Lie? Which door is behind you? No, in each of these the answers would be identical. But ah! Perhaps... "A curvature around pure logic: tell me, friends, if you agree. We ask, 'Would she say that you tell the truth?' The truth-teller will answer 'No': she knows that the liar will lie. The liar will answer 'Yes': she knows that the truth-teller will answer truthfully, and will lie about her answer. Are my premises true and my form valid?"
A reason for every mistake. I'm watching you. "Lead on." Hadda follows warily.
"They do deserve death," Hadda agrees. "Those who knowingly subject others to the crimes that you have described, and those who lie or conceal to protect them, will meet the same deaths as Silyzil and Caigreal. Killing children. Kidnapping women. Nothing will save them from the wrath of our blades."
Secret Message:
"I still don't trust her. Stay on guard." As a skillful student of lies and liars, Hadda had learned to tease out the truth and how to conceal it. But it was still a tricky proposition to try to clue people in to the words between the words without someone else being the wiser. Whatever was the truth behind this woman...Grishelmuk in disguise, one of her willing agents, or a dominated pawn in the hags' games, she would meet her designated fate. "Before you lead us on: what is your name?"
Same! A holiday in Chicago for me and mine!
Hadda purses her lips once more and translates their exchange for the others. She's feeling a mixture of foolish and foolhardy, silly and surreptitious, as she tries to tease out the truth of the woman's words. The tale is a sad one if true, and she's increasingly inclined to believe it. "This Vsevolod...we are allied against him and the worshipers of Kostchtchie invading this place." That seemed safe enough to reveal.
The key with a good lie was for the specter of truth to remain at the core of it. Most of what the woman said was probably true from a certain perspective. But if there was a quaver to her voice, a subtle hesitation, a glance of the eye in a certain direction, Hadda would try to tease it out. For instance, the idea that Grishelmuk would have willingly allied against Baba Yaga with followers of Kostchtchie struck her as suspicious. Certainly the coven had been enemies with Jadrenka, but Hadda thought they were still all at least nominally loyal to Baba Yaga. She had been wrong about that before, and Jadrenka had corrected her. Of course, Jadrenka could have been mistaken. Or lying.
Blinking, Hadda recalls back to the initial descent, not so long ago, and a canny smile crosses her face. Jotun/Giant:
"You seem quite knowledgeable of the layout of this place for a prisoner." ,
Hadda's eyes are still recovering as she hears Ingrit addressing her in the feytongue. She responds in kind. "ಸರಿ, ಹೆಂಗಸನ್ನು ಗರ್ಭಿಣಿಯಾಗುವುದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅವಳನ್ನು ಚೇಂಜ್ಲಿಂಗ್ಗೆ ಜನ್ಮ ನೀಡುವಂತೆ ಒತ್ತಾಯಿಸುವುದು ಹ್ಯಾಗ್ಸ್ ಮಾಡುವ ಸಂಗತಿಯಾಗಿದೆ, ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಇದು ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಯಿಂದ ಹೊರಗಿಲ್ಲ. ನಾವು ಜಾಗರೂಕರಾಗಿರಬೇಕು." Sylvan: "Well, that bit about getting a woman pregnant and forcing her to give birth to a changeling is something Hags do, so it's not out of the question. We should be careful."
Nu, layno... "Or," Hadda says, "I've spent too much time second-guessing everyone I've met to see someone in need." She grabs Rurik's hand. "Come on. You'll be able to see by the time we get down there and she might need the help of a proper herbalist." Hadda starts carefully moving her way forward, trusting her feet to maintain the footing on a spiral staircase. As long as Adelia didn't randomly decide to walk in front of her and trip her into falling to her untimely death, she ought to be fine.
"That doesn't sound promising," the skeptical, blind librarian says to Rurik from a floor above.
Scrivener’s Versatility (Ex): A chronicler of worlds seeks to emulate history’s greatest scribe; studying the lore of Tabris grants insight into widely varying subjects, from anatomy to discourse. At 2nd level, a chronicler of worlds selects a skill from the following list: Bluff, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Heal, Intimidate, Profession (scribe), Sense Motive, or Survival. When attempting skill checks of that type, a chronicler can use her Linguistics skill bonus in place of her bonus with the chosen skill. At 6th level and every 4 levels thereafter, a chronicler of worlds selects an additional skill to gain this benefit. This replaces versatile performance.
Hadda's grin stretches wider, making it even more audible. "Are you feeling lucky? It could be positively catastrophic without us."
"Uncertain. I suspect Grishelmuk in disguise, but I can't well see to make any use of that supposition." She squeezes Rurik's hand. "We trust the others to make a smart decision, yes?"
"Done already?" Hadda calls out as she hears the large thud that she associates by now with a dying giant. She was glad that she was on Dom's good side. She lets her bardic magic fade and puts a fumbling hand on what she assumes is Rurik's shoulder. "Our vision should return to normal within half a minute," she says calmly. "And then we can rejoin the others." Unable to observe the wailing woman in the room, Hadda has no cause or method to suss out whether she was friend, foe, or other.
At the burst of pyrotechnics, Hadda tries to shield her eyes unsuccessfully. Frustrated, she assumes that the woman calling herself the giant's prisoner must be Grishelmuk, saying one thing and doing another. She had probably been the cause of that burst. Well, when Hadda could see again, she'd make her pay for that. Until then, she could be patient and get out of the way. Trusting her feet to carry her back, she begins swaying out past Rurik, Ingrit, and Seke, tapping Rurik on the shoulder as she goes. "Anyone blinded follow my voice."
With magic being tossed around, Hadda starts her own magic going. It's a hum at first, just to keep her calm while she blindly works her way back towards Wapiti. She puts a hand on the elk's shaggy shoulders and presses herself back against the stairwell wall so that the megaloceros could squeeze past her. Her song wouldn't do much to motivate, but it allowed her to focus to aurally monitor the magical situation in the next room.
--- Seke moves down behind Crasius, peeking around the draconic disciple and pointing a shadowy finger at the frost giant. "Luck bleeds out," she whispers, invoking the inherent curiosity of her patron .
Misfortune (Su): The witch can cause a creature within 30 feet to suffer grave misfortune for 1 round. Anytime the creature makes an ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, it must roll twice and take the worse result. A Will save negates this hex. At 8th level and 16th level, the duration of this hex is extended by 1 round. This hex affects all rolls the target must make while it lasts. Whether or not the save is successful, a creature cannot be the target of this hex again for 1 day.
"Not usually," Hadda responds to Rurik. Frost giants weren't known for talkative temperaments, and Hadda wasn't keen to be lulled into a false sense of security. Intuiting that Crasius would soon begin his battle oration, Hadda moves forward until she can see down into the room, scoops a handful of ground mica from her spell components pouch, and swirls her hands around as she chants. The gold-like dust rises into a whirling sphere in the librarian's hands and her eyes dart around the room. With a grin, she chooses a spot just east to the bottom of the stairs, where a 10-foot radius spread will capture both the giant and the woman. It's not a lethal spell, so if she actually is an innocent (which Hadda doubts), then all will be well. The cloud of gold dust disappears from Hadda's spinning hands and bursts down on the ground floor, covering the giant and the woman along with the stairs and the ground.
--- Seke likewise moves down the stairs ahead of Wapiti. Too far away to hex the giant with misfortune, she instead invokes a beneficial hex on one of her new allies. "Luck rains down." The witch can grant a creature within 30 feet a bit of good luck for 1 round. The target can call upon this good luck once per round, allowing him to reroll any ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, taking the better result. He must decide to use this ability before the first roll is made. At 8th level and 16th level, the duration of this hex is extended by 1 round. Once a creature has benefited from the fortune hex, it cannot benefit from it again for 24 hours.
I'll have a chance to post an attack later, but I am a bit confused by Dom's listing of a spear as a 19-20/x2 weapon, since it is normally a x3 weapon.
Hadda takes a look at the door, reserving her trapfinding spell for if they find anymore magical traps.
Hadda reviews her spellbook, passing it over to Seke in case she wants to prepare anything that she doesn't already know (before remembering that witches communed with their familiars for spells instead of studying from a book). "The other doors are reasonable places to start." It seems like Adelia agrees, moving to the southwest. "As long as she isn't sniffing around for rats, it seems that we have our direction." As they prepare to go in, not knowing what sort of light will be behind the door, Hadda takes stock with the four casters.
Personal Buffs:
Heightened Awareness: +2 competence bonus to Perception checks & all trained Knowledge checks [80 minutes] Seke Memorized Spells: I'd venture that Seke would cast False Life , so 10 temp hp for 89/79. She most also cast Heroism on someone: probably either Dom or Wapiti. She might cast See Invisibility, but I imagine she'd wait on that until there's an obvious foe.
I mean, it sounds like Seke will be gone until about August 25, and then Dom until September 21. So are we on hiatus until Seke returns? I'm willing to bot Seke, as I understand the witch mechanics decently. I won't do anything particularly dangerous. If I'm botting Seke, though, it would help if someone else took Dom-duty.
Over tea, Hadda begins discussing some light arcane theory with Rurik.
--- Hadda writes into the wee hours, recording the previous day's events with one hand while gently scratching Adelia's head. Their second day in Artrosa (and seventh in Iobaria) has been long, productive, and exhausting. They had slain two of the three members of the opposing coven: Caigreal and Silyzil. They had also met the tragic forlarren, narrowly avoided another melee, and traversed significant portions of Artrosa's tunnel complex. For the next day, if they could find her, that left only Grishelmuk of the fractured coven. And then, of course, there were the followers of Kostchtchie. This war was far from over. And Baba Yaga, wherever she was, was still far away. There had been no fiendish dire boar to feast on this evening. Hadda tries not to focus on the pit in her stomach as she settles down with Adelia and drifts off. --- Come morning, Hadda reminds the others of what they collectively knew about green hags. "As with Caigreal, it is safe to assume that she will try to appear as someone other than who she is. So be on guard if we encounter someone who tries to pass themselves off as helpless. We should also be prepared to heal muscular damage in the aftermath of the encounter." Previously Recalled Knowledge, Green Hag:
No DR, resistances, or immunities.
Spell-like abilities: Constant—pass without trace, tongues, water breathing At will—alter self, dancing lights, ghost sound, invisibility, pyrotechnics, tree shape, whispering wind Special Attacks: Weakness (Su) A green hag’s claws sap strength from those she strikes. Each time a green hag hits a foe with her claw attack, the victim takes 2 points of Strength damage unless he resists the weakness with a Fortitude save. Alternatively, a green hag can attempt to inflict even greater weakness on a foe by making a touch attack—this variant requires a standard action, and cannot be attempted in the same round the hag makes claw attacks. The opponent touched must succeed on a Fortitude save or take 2d4 points of Strength damage. The save DC is Charisma-based. SR: Yes. Special Qualities: Mimicry (Ex) A green hag can imitate the sounds of almost any animal found near its lair. Terrifying crones known to haunt foul swamps and tangled forests, green hags harbor an intense hatred for all beauty and purity. Making use of their varied deceptive abilities, these crones delight in murdering innocents, unhinging noble minds, and debasing the pure of heart. They are particularly fond of using disguise self to assume the forms of alluring young maidens and then seducing young men away from their lovers or families. In this form, they can infect such noble and upstanding citizens with all manner of debauchery and scandal. Some green hags prefer to reveal their true natures to their lovers at a moment precisely engineered to drive the man mad with horror and shame. Others drag out their dalliances and do what they can to utterly ruin the lives of the men they seduce before showing the broken shell that remains the truth. In the end, the luckiest of these unfortunate lovers end up being eaten by their green hag companions—for the unlucky, their final doom can be much worse, for the cruel imagination of the green hag is vast. A typical green hag stands between 5 and 6 feet tall and weighs just under 160 pounds. "There were four exits from the temple: three doored and one open, the latter of which our quarry begin to flee through. Unless Adelia or Seke have a clue about which direction Grishelmuk lairs, should we follow Silyzil's path or select one of the other exits?"
"Before we get too comfortable here," Hadda says, finishing the brewing of the tea and handing it over to Crasius to cool down, "We should withdraw to the mausoleum. If there are any devout of Mestama here, they might try to make their way here." Thankfully, the wisps were easy to take care of, and aside from the clear signs of battle, the witchfire (being incorporeal) had left little sign of herself in her final destruction. So hopefully any passersby would not be keen on taking revenge for "crimes" unknown.
The mausoleum sounds good to me. Anyone else?
So the Temple of Mestama isn't a [i]terrible[/b] place to rest, but we may be able to find something even safer if we withdraw further. Fewer lanes of ingress/egress are preferable. Hadda doesn't mind the current temple, but it depends on how comfortable/uncomfortable others are.
Hadda takes the opportunity to rummage through Rurik's pack and pull out a few dried flowers. "I think chamomile and lavender will be nice," she says. "And Crasius, if I could request you use prestidigitation to cool it down after it has been brewed?" The librarian sets to work making a pot of tea for her friend. "Anyone else? These flowers are good to facilitate reductions in inflammation and promote sleep. Rurik could likely tell you more."
The remarkable healing demonstrated in an instant by Rurik is something to behold indeed. It's not everything, but watching blisters proceed rapidly through months of healing, pink skin taking the place of charred, is remarkable. "Would the gardener like some tea? Hot or cold?" she asks as it seems like he's doing better.
Hadda smiles gently. She was no nursemaid to be sure but seeing her friend alive was enough to soften her comparatively. "I don't know precisely how you feel, but if it's half as bad as you look I'm sure it's awful. For your sake, I believe Milani is quite counter to Zon-Kuthon when it comes to healing injuries. Your complexion should return as it was before. Not glowing green, that is." She doesn't know quite how much had been healed yet by the wand, but with any luck the sensory nerves conducting pain signals were still burned away. "Please let me know if you wish any further charges from the wand before you begin your prayers," she offers. Meanwhile she identifies the two magical and two masterwork, special-material weapons. Of the four, she points the spear out as the most inherently useful of the bunch. "They're all useful in their own way, to cut through the defenses of various creatures, but Rurik, Seke, or I would most likely benefit most from the spear in our destined jousts with giants." She's inclined to consider herself the most suited for the task, but wants to give the others an opportunity to speak up as well.
"Ah, of course," she says. She had been quite other-focused for the last several minutes, but as her haste spell wears off (and Rurik demonstrates himself able to work on healing), her breathing calms. She tuts her fingers back and forth on both hands before pressing her outstretched index and ring fingers on her temples. Her eyes shift to a golden hue as she opens her vision to heighten her recognition of magical signatures. Detect Magic, Spellcraft:
Hadda smiles wearily. She was technically uninjured, and heavily protected, but she was feeling beside herself. "I am hoping that we do not have to face any additional incorporeal enemies while in Artrosa, but that does seem wise overall. It was a clear oversight on my part, which I did not remedy when we had an opportunity with our centaur hosts." She shakes her head. "The bow has always been secondary at best for me. And with you by my side," she nods appreciatively at Crasius, "I did not feel a need to further develop my archery talents. This error in judgment likely prolonged our most recent battle and nearly got us killed. I must do better."
Hadda is not paying much attention to the sounds of battle raging in the adjacent room as she struggles to revive Rurik. Her first three bursts from the wand restore bits of color to the cleric's cheeks and mask minor abrasions, but do little to the serious third-degree burns covering him. At last, her fourth attempt to use the wand causes Rurik to gasp back into consciousness.
Noting Crasius' question, Hadda responds. "I have expended my most powerful magics. My ability to contribute effectively will diminish, especially if I continue to proceed without a weapon imbued with inherent magics."
Planar Lore (Ex):
A chronicler of worlds can take 10 on Knowledge (planes) checks. A number of times per day equal to her Intelligence modifier, she can take 20 on a Knowledge (planes) check. This ability stacks with that gained by lore master at 5th level. A chronicler of worlds can attempt all Knowledge checks untrained. This alters bardic knowledge.
The librarian looks around, noting the mural on the left wall and instantly recognizing it. "Mestama," she notes. "The patron demon lord of hags. Relationship with Baba Yaga unknown, but likely unfriendly with both Gyronna and Kostchtchie." It was almost a shame that both Silyzil and Caigreal had been so keen to do violence instead of negotiating. They had a common enemy and could have at least stayed out of each other's way for a time. Instead, they were expending resources fighting each other. They would have had to die eventually, of course. Still. A shame. |
