Joao Marcos's page

The rest that they took was helpful, in that besides getting some rest, it allowed him to think of several things that he would have to check up on in the camp. In this case, some of the time that the others were resting, he spent looking for any of the camp's enchanters. He was aware that there were things that could be done with the essence of things-- or so said some of the more interesting stories that he had heard.

In this instance, he went to find whoever passed for the camp's enchanters to ask them a few questions. He figured that they would be going after the troll next, since it was the next greatest threat and it had cost some lives. Provided he could find any, he posed the following questions of them:

"Would you be capable and willing to use parts of creatures and demons in order to craft your enchantments?", and if the response was positive, "I expect we will be assigned to remove the fiendish troll that has been plaguing the city. Would any parts of it be useful?" He was aware that it was possibly just hearsay, but no avenue was worth dismissing.
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A bit disjointed in the sense of the timeframe, but all of them haven't gathered yet, I presume, and I was wondering if you were inclined to use the "Special Materials" rule. The troll might be able to serve some purpose for the crusaders besides "Obstacle"

Joao left his place of concealment as the group left, and said nothing on the way back, though he was definitely taking in the change to the city as they returned. The new weapon garnered a raised eyebrow, but a quick look at everyone else said that there were no significant injuries to worry about. Once they arrived back at the headquarters, he took some time to talk with the crusaders that investigated Topaz Solutions, figuring that the others were going to take a short bit of time before heading back out again.

There was some conflict inside the house, but not enough for Joao to feel like he had to worry just yet. He was thinking that there was more to this than a single(?) person in the house. In this city, he was expecting traps within traps, so that was why he did not move from his place of concealment just yet.. He was expecting something else to rear its head.
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Hold to Reassess, just in case something comes down the road

Outside, Joao readied a nearby piece of debris, and gave a slight nod to Pytros when he spotted him. Deliberately looking both ways from his position, he displayed the piece of debris that he would toss to alert the others if he saw something.
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Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

Too clean. The house looked too safe, too inviting. 'Just my paranoia,' he thought, trusting the pair. Slowly, he drew his sword and kept it low to his side as he did what he could to fade away into a residence across the way from the door that ought to be their exit if nothing went wrong. He was expecting an ambush with the house as bait, but he was also finding that he was becoming quite cynical as well.

Joao sheathed the sword over his shoulder, searching the remains of what had been the demons, then turned his attention to the surrounding area, checking all the houses along one side of the square. It was his thinking that if anything remained in the houses, the demons had gotten to it first-- but the statue was the first noticeable thing about the square, so perhaps they had gotten here before they could turn their attention to the houses.

He couldn't help but wonder what they would meet when they reached the location where the weapons were stored.
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Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

It was a risky proposition, but Joao kept the momentum going, closing distance to the other, blinded demon and attacking again. Considering that these demons were destroying statues, he did not want to give them any chance at being able to destroy them the same way. If the demon was listening, the only give away before his attack was the crunch from his boots as he turned his foot with the strike for added leverage.

'Fitting', he thought to himself, the strike failing to penetrate the demon's tough skin. It would take a few seconds to set up another attack, and the demon would likely regain its sight by then. He would have to be ready.
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Attack(NoFlank): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Some creative maneuvering around the engaged demon let Joao flank it with Arwen, and in a moment that he would remember forever, his first attack against a real demon connected perfectly, almost striking a vital point and dealing a tremendous amount of damage. Heartened, a small smile grew on his face, even as his eyes remained empty.
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Move Action: position to flank
Standard: Attack
Attack@1: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 4 + 2 = 26, Confirm?: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 2 = 11, Damage: 1d6 + 2 + 2d6 ⇒ (5) + 2 + (6, 5) = 18
Abrikandulu #1: 3/32 HP left, and is blinded

It was a surprise to see demons so soon, but what was expected and what happened were always two different things, so Joao took it in stride, his right hand freeing the sword on his back as he pressed himself against the wall to let the others begin the fight. Much of his gear he modified as he could to try to make sure that it could be accessed quietly, but there were never any guarantees. A flick of his wrist switched the grip he had on the sword, and he prepared to let the others engage first. He just wished that his heart was not trying to pound out of his chest.

He hoped it would not impair what he would have to do.
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Letting the others act first to engage, Joao will flank what he can.

His arms folded across his chest, Joao watched Aglamore and Arwen, noting their positions and reasoning for things, making sure to understand their viewpoints. He could not disagree with any of the points that were rasied, however, he would have gone with the most efficient solution. His preferences were something that he realized had not been voiced yet, and he levered himself off of the wall to hook his hands in his belt, the magical shortsword over his right shoulder as usual.

"I realize that I may have not made my intentions clear. Please allow me to correct that: My reason for being here is to learn how to kill demons." His tone was even, calm, but rock solid in his declaration. "The more knowledge I can acquire that helps that purpose is my preference. As I see it, we need weapons, so that the influx can be further stemmed. Without us being on our heels, we are allowed the leeway of 'correcting' the cultists. With these 'corrections', the tide of demons is further reduced, and we stand a significant chance of removing their presence from this once-beautiful city."

Looking around at the others for any sign of disagreement with what he said, he nodded slightly, more to himself, most likely. Inviting discussion, he raised his eyebrows slightly. [b]"Are my thoughts wrong in this?"

As the others spoke, Joao quickly and efficiently searched the downed corpses, then took what time there was to make sense of what remained of the library. He was looking for a book on cults first, relative to this area, and then demons, but he would take what he could find. Despite the looks of the others, he said nothing unless addressed, letting his intent be plain in his motions and focused expression.

Joao came around the corner to raise an eyebrow at the scene, having anticipated a fight, only to see the results of a few seconds' engagement. Ever suspicious, he frowned at the sacrifice of one, and after a glance at the other, starts looking for any identifying symbols in the corpse's pockets. "Is there any magic on or near this one?" he said to the one who had requested help of them. His haste was not borne of greed, but concern.
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One glance around the corner of the door let Joao see that Aglamore was taking up most of it, and from what he could see, this was his best opportunity to cross the doorway, so he used them as cover to cross, intent on seeing just who was where. They had not seen him yet, so his entrance was certain to be a surprise if he did this right.
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Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11
Move to position on other side of doorway-- Oh, I'm LOVING the rolls. *facepalm*

While he was intending to get a good look at the place, the two more pious members of the group decided to go through the front door, which left him out. Still, there was something to be said for the direct approach. Since they were going in the front, he shrugged to himself and moved from his hiding place to the side of the main entrance doorway. If everyone was intending to go in, he might as well keep an eye on their rear.

With the sound of conversation, Joao looked from his position to the others, a question written in his expression. Pointing to himself, he described a half-circle with one hand, and pointed two fingers at his eyes, then pointed the same two fingers at the direction that the voice came from. Calm on the outside, he was looking forward to seeing if this were a cultist or just an unlucky brigand. Undoubtedly, there were some in this city still, though their survival had to be difficult.

Inwardly chuckling to himself at Aglamore's manner, Joao paused to bemusedly imagine himself as a "stout" hero. Personally, he considered himself neither as he shifted a little better into his cover, and kept an eye out for anything moving towards them. At least they were doing this while the sun was out, rather than attempting this in the dark. He would rather not be surprised by something from a darkened sky.
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No Trace applying now. +1 vs. Opposed Stealth checks.

Accompanying Ruarc, Joao is focused more on providing backup in case something goes wrong. He stayed nearby, was more concerned with the periphery of the area that they were entering.
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Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

"Cultists are a good start", Joao commented, thinking of the sigil of Deskari he currently possessed. With more sigils in his possession, he could better imitate them, and doing so would bring him closer to learning how to remove them. Cultists came first, then he would be removing the demons themselves.

"..A tall order without information", Joao mused, leaning against the wall. "Is there a time frame?" There was definitely an ulterior motive in his interest, even with a lack of information that he was used to getting. At least he had been able to track down some new clothes.

If they had time for now, Joao was going to explore the encampment, looking to see what they had in the way of a standing Alchemist, and whether or not the Crusaders had anyone that was more focused in his area of experience, which was "Infiltration and Acquisition", as he would put it. The state of the defenses was impressive to him, but he had a vested interest in remaining, so after this first day of exploration, he was going to find the others and see what he could do to progress his personal mission here.

The view from the roof was impressive, and while being aware of the current state of the city, he had to steal up there and look over what had once been the beautiful, thriving city that had weathered the siege of demons until now. There was dust and smoke on the wind still, though the latter was undoubtedly less than what there had been at the beginning. Thoughtful, he watched the sky, and finally got a good look at the city so he would have some idea of where he was-- the thought crossed his mind at looking to see if the inn he initially stayed in still stood-- but now, there was a proper rest to be had, and tomorrow work would start.

"I cannot thank you enough for bringing Anivia back to me safe. I had thought her lost, like so many others. If there is anything you need, I am at your service."

Joao was perfectly content to remain silent until she said that, then she had his attention, and a few requests that he was going to make of her later. For now, he followed after the others, as they went to be debriefed. This was a good beginning. There were demons to kill, and now he had the resources to do it. As they walked, he wore a satisfied half-smile, formulating plans the whole way.

It was a moment of effort for Joao to precisely place the dagger strike, ensuring that the cultist would not rise before he quickly went through any belongings on them. The larger parts of things were discarded, looking specifically for a holy symbol. It was likely that he would have a collection of various ones before this was over, but he was comfortable with that.

Once that was done, he headed back towards the others, not wanting to be too far from help in a city that was overrun by demons.
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Full Round: Coup de Gras

Placing himself into a vulnerable position like this was something that he disliked, but in this case, it was certainly a necessary thing. As the cultist ran, Joao readied himself, taking advantage of his momentary speed to strike at the fleeing cultist via a flying kick. Fortunately, the cultist's armor weighed him down enough for his attack to be delivered, forcing a stumble and then a fall. Joao did wince as the cultist's head severely impacted a piece of debris, however.
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Jumping KIIIICK!: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 2 = 13(Charge Action), Hit!: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

The statistics of the fight indicated that the others would be able to manage the attackers capably enough, and Joao was concerned that any escapees would put others on alert, or return with reinforcements. So it was with barely a moment of hesitation that he pursued the fleeing cultist. More demons in any vicinity would not be good.

Moving through the building quickly was difficult, and with any luck, the cultists did not see him, since that would make his task much easier. The house had seen some damage, most notably the walls where it seemed something had charged directly through the walls, but at least it was not too cluttered with debris as he feared, and his steps were sure as he paused just inside the opposite wall.

As he heard the shouts of his companions, he gripped the morningstar and stepped out, finding that he was in a surprisingly good position, and he did not want to waste it. The swing was smooth, but he was hoping that the prisoner and Ruarc was enough of a distraction that his opening attack would go momentarily unnoticed.
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5ft step
SA: Attack+Flank: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 4 + 2 = 22, Damage: 1d8 + 2 + 2d6 ⇒ (3) + 2 + (6, 1) = 12

Joao was realizing that a lot of these situations that they were getting into were not suited to his style of fighting, which resolved him to find a way around this problem. Moving to where Aglamore had positioned himself, he looked at the building to see if there was not a way that he could go through it to get to the other side. The less amount of time that he spent visible, the easier it would be for him to get into position.
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DM, is there a way through the building? If there is, then Joao will double move through it. What about over it?

With a warning gesture from Pytros, Joao faded off to the side of the direction that he had indicated, reflexively positioning himself to make sure that his being seen was not too likely. The amount of debris in this area compared to a normal town made it very easy to find a hiding spot. Once he had time, he would have to shift his clothes to something more fitting with the colors of the town. One of the metal spikes were in his hand but by his side, ready to throw once they ascertained what it was that they were encountering. Calming himself, he waited.
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Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17 DM, please feel free to auto-roll things like that for me, since that's a passive check, and it isn't really reactive for me if I fail.

Joao nodded when the others looked his way, his payment already tucked into the pack that was on his back. There was a scent on the wind that he could not quite place, and he had turned to look at what he could see of the city from here. He was not going to show it, but he was nervous. This was destruction on a scale that he had never imagined, and by comparison, he was very small.

Shaking his head to clear it, he forced himself to refocus on the task at hand. Everything seemed insurmountable when looked at overall, but it was the small things that enabled the bigger things to be accomplished. They had delivered Lord Gwerm to his manor. They would find the other crusaders, and make sure Anevia and Avar-- Arash-- the elf were delivered safely. After that, he had some reading to do, and then perhaps some practical application, if things worked out well.

Stepping out from where he was hiding, Joao looked at the crusaders, but said nothing. He considered asking them about where they were, but he had not been in town long enough to get the relative position of anything, save for the cathedral square. Even with that as a point of reference, there was little that he knew about in this fallen town. He could infer that this section was relatively safe, since these crusaders were here, but what he needed was a map. They had to get the others back to their homes...

If there were homes to return to.

Joao sighed to himself, seeing Pytros put his sword away. If this came to blows, it would make his approach harder. The next chance he got, he was going to have to get a sap. It looked like there were going to be a lot of misguided individuals from the outset, and the longer that misguidance continued, the weaker things would be when they finally rallied.

The mace was replaced on his hip and the spike returned to his sleeve as he listened.
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Continue to hide and listen

Pytros was content to take the lead on this, while Joao looked towards a more practical solution, should the attempt at diplomacy fail. He kept out of sight, but crept as close as he could to the potential hostilities. If something occurred, he wanted to be able to neutralize one or more of the individuals before they knew what hit them.
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stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
If there is no way to get within 30 feet without being seen, Joao will settle for getting as close as he can without breaking cover.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

At the sound of the scream, Joao paused to flatten himself against the nearest cover, and looked at the others to see what their responses were going to be. He already had the mace in one hand, but his other hand made a curious gesture, the point of one of his throwing spikes just barely visible. While the others may have been distracted by the scream, he looked around the area that they were in, suspecting duplicity.
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Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Are you backtracking through the game applications? I'm not averse to an arcane caster, but we are rather... "unorthodox", and I like the aesthetics.

Joao, Ninja (3)

HD: 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 + 1 = 9, Fav Class Bonus going into HP.
BAB +1
Fort/Ref/Will +1

Skills: Gained K.(Planes), Survival
Feat: Snake Style
Special Abilities: Gained No Trace, Sneak Attack +1d6

Given the benefits of Snake Style, that rather eclipses Adder strike, though I wonder if that will allow for use of Injury Poison on Unarmed Strikes? That feat tree will account for all of Joao's future feats, barring a Ninja Trick substitution, though. Still playing it by ear, but it looks promising so far.. Maybe I'll even get to use the Demon Hunter's Handbook. >=3

Joao's reaction to their careful emergence is slight, little more than a momentary reassessment of their situation, than any shock or worry. For him, they had been fighting underground, and now they would have to fight on the surface as well. Still, he kept as low a profile as he could, trying to place their location relative to where he had been in the city. He doubted that it was still there, but he had left his pack in the inn, and if he could retrieve that, he would not be without. A low priority, at best.

The items they found would likely help, but for now, they had to find out what remained. He knew little about the Demons, and as such, their practices or tactics were unknown to him. It was likely that there were not many lurking by comparison, but he was not foolish enough to think this town empty. One hand freed the mace, just in case.

If there were survivors, where would they be? Where would they hide?

What you play is your call. I like the luck of the draw, though. If you're inclined, can you not just work in levels of Paladin, if it would make story sense? I'd be a horrible paladin, I think.

Moving with the others, Joao slung the mace at his hip again, and made to move with the others. There were only two places left that they had not entered yet, and despite the risk, he thought that it would be prudent to make sure that no surprises remained. "Is the Maze or Hole next?"

Joao took all these things in, and also read the letter once it got passed back around. None of those names meant anything to him, though he figured that the blinded wizard that they left back with the other mongrelmen would know much. Still, they had names, and with each success, they came closer to leaving this underground to find what had happened on the surface.

Joao set about stripping what was salvageable from the bodies, relieved that they had survived another fight without anyone becoming severely injured as he had before. Once they had salvaged what they could from the bodies, he set about finding something to give off light, and lighting it. "There can not be many more occupants", he observed.

R6, I4, HP: 10/13, AC17/13/14

Joao came through the door, sweeping the room to see what was going on. Ruarc was attacking something that he could not quite make out, but he was able to make it up and onto the table. From that vantage point, little changed, but he was going to be able to reach the remaining opponent in a few seconds.

Fouling Pytros' angle was not something that he wanted to do willingly, but there was still a fight going on in the other room, and the more opponents that were removed from play, the better chance they stood in seeing the surface. Joao exited the smoke with no trouble, letting go of the breath that he had been holding as he turned the corner of the barricade and swung the mace in a short, low arc. Much to his dismay, he missed, and that did not bode well for him.
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5-ft step, Attack
Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

R4, I4
HP: 10/13, AC17/13/14

The snap of the whip was something he was learning that he should follow, and Joao darted forward, low and fast when he heard it. In this case, he had anticipated correctly, figuring that Pytros was attempting to disarm someone as usual, and while they were engaged in the test of strength, that left enough of an opening for him to close with them.

However, he was a little too far from where he needed to be, so what would have been a well-timed attack had he been closer, was instead turned into him moving closer to the fight, stopping in the smoke that he created with no difficulties, used to being deprived of one of his senses. Listening, he held his breath.
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Move: 30ft
[ooc]Std: Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

R3 I5
HP 10/13, AC:17/13/14

While the fight was going on, Pytros' indication of where their attacker was gave him an idea that could buy them time. If their attacker needed to see them, he wondered what would happen if they could not.. The smokestick was produced from his sleeve, and with a little help from a nearby torch, it was thrown into the area behind the two glaives.
Throw@10?: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
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MA: (this does presume the area is lit well enough to see) Ready smoke stick
SA: Set it alight with a nearby flame and toss into the area.

R2, I5
HP: 10/13, AC17/13/14

Feeling more confident about his survival, Joao descended the hole with alacrity, landing with a crouch, and a hop backwards in case Maeve followed him down. He would have hated to drop in between a fight, which was why his position was low and he hastened to note the others, as well as the distance between them. His nose informed him that someone had fallen before his eyes could, and with no cries from the others, he concluded that it was a hostile.

As he was still taking in the situation, he could do little but ready himself to survive however he might see fit, for their enemies were not likely to show mercy on them. Not here, and not now.
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

In his weakened state, Joao was going to be the last that went down into that room. He did not want to waste their resources getting attacked and falling, so he resolved to stay up there. As he sighed at the dilemma, his hand brushed his belt pouch and he frowned, checking inside it to find one of the health potions that the Elder had given them! Due to their smaller size, and that he never really carried them before, he had forgotten! Quickly, he uncorked and poured the small draught into his mouth, hoping for the best.

CLW Potion: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 {HP10/13}

Joao turned his head to Maeve starting to speak with a wince, and considered her words. If he was the worst off in this group, he was determined to not be the one holding them back, at least. Hearing her words, he looked to Pytros, then Aglamore, and glanced at Ruarc. In his own estimation of the group, he was the weakest link, and if there was a solution for it, it was something that he was going to take. "I will not be the cause of our delay", he stated with a shake of his head, though that gesture was quickly aborted due to the pain it caused.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forwards towards Maeve and looked at her. "If you are willing to aid, I will not refuse." Bracing himself, he tried to be ready for anything. 'I refuse to refuse-- that would have sounded silly', he thought to himself, a slight smile tugging at his lips before Maeve.

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Joao definitely forgot about the potions.. I'll have to check to see if he took one.

That was a curious question from Ruarc, and he rose with a bit of care, looking at him curiously. "The main room is a possible option. I can jam the locks much like I did the other door." Taking stock of himself, he did not like the way he felt. 'All part of the lesson that I have to learn', he thought to himself. Of course, he had to be careful to not jam the locks to the point that he could not unlock them again. "I wonder how far these tunnels stretch."

HP:3/13
With the Mongrelman finally falling, Joao collapses to one knee, taking stock of everything, and finding that of all the things that he has done, this day was proving to rank very high on just about any list that he would have cared to make. It was not so much an action of catching his breath, than an action of self-inventory. "Thank you", he said towards Aglamore.

R4, I6
HP: 8/13, AC 19/15/16

The one attack did not even come close to touching him, but at least this time Joao was being careful about choosing where he took damage. The swing from the mace was just more retaliation than anything, a response rather than a decisive attack, and he moved a step further into the room, each step moving him into a better position.

Attack: 1d20 + 2 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (15) + 2 + 1 - 4 = 14, Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

R3 I6, AC17/13/14, HP8/13
With Aglamore's introduction into the fight, his attack felled one of the Mongrelmen, which gave Joao a way into the fight, taking a step forward to engage, working to keep the club from impacting him at all. He was not going to attack until he got into position, but he had to keep testing its defenses. If an opening presented itself...
Fighting Defensively, AC 19.
Attack: 1d20 ⇒ 8

R2 Init6
AC17/13/14 HP8/13

Pytros' call pulled his attention off of the doorway and brought him at a sprint tinto the room where he had purchased space for them. He had moved at a run, passing Ruarc, who looked worse for the wear, and stopped behind Pytros, taking in the situation as he looked around the room. 'Two hostile individuals, and negotiation is out.'

One hand moved to the mace.

Double Move to get into the room