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We really ought to get Guiness a reach weapon or consistently make him big, or both. Guiness with 20ft reach and a longhammer (using the Shielded Brace feat) would make him a terror in a dungeon I'm taking another level in Crimson Templar, I'll get Ziva leveled asap but my spouse has covid and I'm either coming down with something or just sleep deprived so I'm going to go get a nap right after work
Kargas coughs into his hand, seeming oddly nervous. "Yeah, uh..." he looks down at the ground, then back up to meet everyone's eyes. "I'm not coming, this time. If we hadn't gotten here before the attack, Sandpoint would be a smoking ruin right now. Whoever we're up against--they have giants and dragons running their errands, and I can't leave this place undefended. So when Captain Ziva showed up I figured, her helping could free up one of us to protect the town." His eyes flicker towards the kitchen, where Ameiko is bustling in and out. Reaching under the table, the half-orc pulls out a four foot long bundle, tightly wrapped in oilcloth. "I figured you would want this, Kellek, and you lot will need it more than me. Just don't cut yourself, wizard. If you ask nicely maybe Captain Ziva will knight you."
"Jorgenfist? Is that what he said?" Kargas frowns, thinking hard. "That sounds familiar..."
"That's a terrible idea, who's gonna keep the magic going when Astrid leaves town?" Kargas snorts and shakes his head at the concept. "Can you try to pull something from one of the giants too?"
"Oh hey that's Gurnir, he used to come to poker night on Wednesdays..."
The party should form an LLC and open a joint investment account in Magnimar, so save Kellek the trouble Tomorrow is Easter and my wife's family celebrates so I'll be occupied for part of the day, but I'll try to get a few divinations for Astrid going in the afternoon.
With an amused but tired snort, Kargas pushes the plate closer to the bird. "We all did our part, but I am particularly impressed by the heroics of a certain half-orc who just destroyed a marauding red dragon." "A lot of that was Kellek," Kargas demurs, but still looks pleased with himself. To Ziva he adds, "That's the wizard. He's kind of a jerk but he keeps sticking his neck out for us, so he can't be all bad."
Leaning back in his seat, Kargas snorts mirthlessly. "Damn, another cult? Those bastards really get around--you're actually not the first person to find us while hunting them, believe it or not." Glancing around the inn, then shrugged. "Our wizard's in Magnimar or something, or at least that's what he told us. The rest of us are out and about somewhere nearby--Colvyn's a little ysoki fellow with a bow, Guiness is the only dwarf in Sandpoint that I know of, and then there's our priestess Astrid." He points at the raven peering in at the two of them through the window. "And that's her bird, Muninn. He makes jokes." He pauses and blinks tiredly as he stares back at the severe-looking woman across from him. She waits silently, so after a few moments Kargas continues. "For whatever it's worth, I'm sorry that they got to your people too. We've been trying to stop them, but...we're not really sure who they even are. They've got lamias working for them, and giants too--or at least they did. But whoever's calling the shots...we don't know who that is, or where they are, or what they want." His hands curl into fists on the table, and his voice drops into a growl. "And now they've attacked Sandpoint--lotta people got hurt, some more got killed, and I don't even know who to go after!"
Sorry, clarification for both Kargas and Ziva: is this tracking just a short-to-medium thing to check on where the giants came from? Or is this the group setting off into Book 5? I/Kargas was assuming the former, which is why the post was so short. I kind of envision Ziva spying the still-smoking town as the boat she chartered draws near, and was planning to introduce her that way. Kargas does also want a more formal goodbye if the party is headed off long-term, though, and Ziva's introduction would need a rework
"Hey, you lot go on ahead. I'll stay here and keep things safe," Kargas waves the others off and goes back to helping to clear rubble from one of the burnt down buildings from the day before.
Sorry for getting no posts up today, I got re-certified for my first aid/AED/CPR and it's been a weird week. I will be putting the finishing touches on my replacement character and running it by Cellion for approval, should have a post up beginning her introduction in a day or two! :)
Blinking in surprised delight, Kargas enfolds Ameiko in a gentle hug and reassures her and Rig that he's alive. "Careful with my ribs, they're all smashed up," he grunts with a pained grin before the three of them make their way over to rejoin the others. As the celebration picks up the half-orc limits himself to just enough mead to dull the pain, and otherwise contents himself with watching the exultations of the town he'd just helped to save. "Heh. We killed a dragon!" "We seem to be needed in two places at once...If I stay here and train the town defenders, I will worry that our implacable foe grows stronger left unchallenged and will soon strike the killing blow. If we continue the chase, we leave those we care for vulnerable here behind us. What should we do?" Kargas grunts in agreement, surveying the thin curls of smoke still rising from the burnt town as visions of devastation and destruction dance behind his eyes. "Yeah...I don't think it's good to leave Sandpoint undefended again. We have a lot of enemies, seems like."
As one of the people whose posting rate has fallen off in a big way, I apologize. I know I've said that before but all the same. I had discussed this with Cellion on the side, but I was actually hoping to use this point in the story to retire Kargas and replace him with a different character. When the first few versions of this campaign didn't get off the ground I got the chance to play Kargas in an IRL campaign and now he feels a little redundant. However I haven't been particularly on the ball as far as getting backstory and NPC connections put together, though I am progressing on that front. My personal preference: I think being able to swap Kargas out for a new character that can go through the adventure with some mechanical and narrative novelty will help immensely. That said, I think it's ultimately up to our GM who has put in a lot of work, and if Cellion isn't having fun then we're defeating the purpose. If Cellion is okay with giving me "one more last chance" then I'd like to continue, but if we wind down the campaign I understand.
"Hey, you there," Kargas wearily waves down one of the cheering townsfolk. [b]"Big hero here, could you bring a ladder? I'm pretty sure a few of my ribs are broken and I don't want to stay up here all night."[/b[]
Kargas alights on a nearby rooftop mere seconds before his lightning wings dissipate, and the azure glow fades from his scar-sigils. As the pain of his accumulated injures catch up to him, the half-orc sits down heavily. "You lot have this, yeah?"
"In your next life, try to know when you're beaten!" Kargas cuts at the injured giant's neck, then withdraws from the fight as he feels the last dregs of the thunderbird blessing.
With a roar Kargas plunges down towards the giants, his elongated arms giving him the extra reach needed to strike them down without exposing himself to their retribution--yet.
Flying over to the now enshrouded ruins of the Old Light, Kargas feels the thunderbird blessing starting to slip. "Drop the cloud, wizard, I can't kill them if I can't see them!"
With a grim nod, Kargas flies after Kellek, homing in on the Old Light and whatever the giants there are up to.
Lifting off the rooftop, Kargas flies close to Astrid and Kellek, but his attention is drawn to the ground, straining to see if he can spot Ameiko and ensure she's alright. "Alright, who dies next?" he asks the two casters as he draws closer.
Kargas ignores Kellek and stares down at the fallen dragon, cupping a hand behind his ear as though struggling to hear. "Mok-murian will...what? What will they do, huh? ...that's what I thought." Satisfied that the fire-wyrm wouldn't not be rising again, the half-orc turns and flies over to the nearest rooftop. "Astrid, I hate to ask again but I gotta," he calls through cracked and blistered lips. "That thing did a number on me, and the thunderbird blessing won't last forever."
Kargas would be so distraught if that happened
Burnt and battered, Kargas' stormborn fury redoubles and lightning crackles across his limbs. With a rumble of thunder the half-orc answer the dragons blows with his own.
Forgot to mention: if the dragon attacks and gets through the mirror images, Kargas will use Windy Escape
"Thanks Astrid, I'm running low on spells," Kargas gives the priestess a grateful nod, but whirls back towards the dragon at her shouted warning. "Back for more, eh, you overgrown lizard?" Kargas' lightning wings flex to hurl him forwards with staggering speed, a wordless war-cry tearing free of his throat.
"There you are," Kargas swoops down and scoops up his falchion, then flies back up over the rooftop to get eyes on the dragon.
Awakening with a pained gasp, Kargas gives Astrid a look that is half grateful and half annoyed at her quip. "Everybody's a critic," he mutters, then whispers a spell that leaves half a dozen injured half-orcs spinning around him. A crackle of lightning from Kellek draws his attention. "Hey! That's my thing!"
Kargas may be down, but that dragon is taking bleed damage so we'll see who gets the last laugh!
Surprised at Kellek's courage--then immediately ashamed for being surprised--Kargas recognize's the mage's dangerous position and lets out a howling battle cry as he charges in to the wizard's rescue!
"Time to kill a dragon!" Kargas announces before hurtling towards the fiery wyrm as fast as his crackling wings will carry him.
Kargas slashes at the obstinate giant, hoping to dispatch it quickly and turn his attention to the dragon. "Two more groups of giants still...but I think we need to deal with the firedrake first," he announces as fresh columns of black smoke rise from the burning houses ignited by the dragon. "Are we ready?"
The mental image of a huge brawl of dinosaurs, giants, and super bears makes me happy :) Pathfinder: great game, or greatest game?
"This is taking too long, we need to kill them faster." "Now that they've stopped running that can--hrrk!--be arranged," Kargas grunts as he's clipped by a boulder, gritting his teeth as he feels at least one rib fracture. With a defiant roar the half-orc plunges past the brawling bears and dinosaurs, down towards the giants!
This is fun! Feeling a little nervous with several bands of giants converging and a dragon on the way, but having the whole town as a battlemap is great!
Gritting his teeth, Kargas wings his way towards the middle group of giants, rapidly closing the gap while they take cover among the buildings.
Limbs crackling with electricity, Kargas redoubles his assault on the injured giant, still roaring in Orcish. "Go to your gods, and tell them Kargas Stormscar sent you!"
"Hack them down!" Kargas bellows in Orcish before falling upon the rock-lobbing rearguard like a thuderbolt.
Launching himself forward with a snap of his lightning wings, Kargas draws closer to the giants--growling in irritation when the brutes just wade across the shallow crossing. "Should have buried stakes under the water," he grumbles to himself, before sending a pair of crackling lighting bolts towards the nearest giant.
"That thing's maybe half a minute from getting here," Kargas says, jabbing a finger at the approaching flying shape. "Let's kill these fools and then give it a warm welcome!"
Kargas peers in the direction Astrid indicated, a fierce grin breaking out. "Too soon, scaly. Should have waited for the giants to hit us first," he growls at the growing speck in Draconic.
"I don't like this. First attack is almost always a feint," Kargas grumbles as the dwarf takes off. "Guiness, come back!"
"You don't think it's a trap, to bait us out? Not sure I want to fly over into whatever surprise they've got for us. Let's give it a minute and see if they get bored and break cover."
I, too, would like to step up our posting rate (and I take full responsibility for my own slacking lately) back to the 1-a-day as much as possible, though of course like Guiness says real life happens. If that's not doable I think a 48hr bot policy is reasonable.
I'm sure others are in a similar situation, but Fri-Sun I'll be out of town for family holiday stuff, posting will be sporadic at best for me. Happy holidays to all who celebrate!
"Oh! And, uh, also with you?"
"And don't bunch up!" Kargas barks at the assembled militia as he strides up, mithral armor gleaming and and falchion unsheathed, resting on his shoulder. "If you see more'n two or three giants in a group just try to delay them, don't get yourselves killed before we can come handle it." "The only way they could have gotten so close with no warning from our scouts is by powerful magic. We must beware of enemy spellcasters." "Maybe, but I don't think so. Giants aren't quick, but that doesn't mean they aren't fast. They can cover a lot of ground--if they forced a march overnight they could have come nearly forty miles. Still, never hurts to keep an eye out for a gods-damned evil wizard."
Hacking each tree off a foot and a half (or so) from the ground, Kargas cut down several dozen trees that had grown close to the town wall to the north. For several hours he labors, leaving a tangled logjam of fallen trees behind him. Once that is done, the half-orc collects several dozen reasonably straight branches and quickly sharpens them into crude stakes that he hands off to a work crew to plant around the town. He repeats this process for the next several days, even dragging several fallen trees into more useful places--though that takes considerably longer.
I'll get the map marked up after work, sorry for falling off a bit there
Kargas sits at the table for a long moment after Ameiko leaves for the kitchen, losing the battle to contain his grin. He does manage to restrain himself to a small whoop even once he's outside. "Alright, what's the plan? Trees? You want me to chop trees? Ha, watch this!" Armed with an adamantine sword and an indestructible boost to his mood, the half-orc tirelessly drives the treeline back. |
