Khāṇa Tsogtsos's page

"It's the Internet: Where the men are men, the women are men, and the children are FBI agents."

― "Dr. Tiger Firehammer", City of Heroes player

Automatic card shuffler?

It's a thought.

Chronicle printed! A bittersweet conclusion (I'd forgotten about the other Boon; not bad).

Hmm; gotta wonder exactly how a Traveler's Any-Tool helps with Profession (Gambler)....

So I pretty specifically stepped on my own rake?

So it's all about the initial interaction with her?

I was kind of hoping my thought of giving her the journal would get us in...or at least another chance to get us in.
I hope I'm not being a nudnik, but is it really too late now?

Khāṇa Tsogtsos wrote:

"You're welcome to visit Geb sometime and say that. None there shall deny your freedom to speak as you will; after you speak, on the other hand...."

"All things must die, in their time—or when a contract seals their fate," Akkina responds, with a faraway voice. "Even the gods themselves must face death..."

"...So what happens when Death dies?"

I've got the "learn 7+ languages" Season 8 Objective covered!

Well this is really frustrating; the Boon I specifically replayed this for we once again failed to get.
Where did we go wrong?

"Convenient!" Khāṇa remarks as she tries to orient herself.

Inspired Knowledge (Local), blue-book bonus: 1d20 + 9 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 9 + (3) = 18

Then:

"Mind your tongue, dear investigator. Especially when you use it to glorify the undead. They are a scourge that should be eradicated anywhere it can be found..." replies Akkina matter-of-factly. She then turns to Cladara's journal to uncover her plans.

"You're welcome to visit Geb sometime and say that. None there shall deny your freedom to speak as you will; after you speak, on the other hand...."

Now:

"Why don't we take it to Pemak? I've got a good feeling about her, she'll know what to do."

Goodness, missed out on my own moment of glory! Let's see if I can make up for it....

"I've seen Chattel-zombies with better bedside-manner!" Khāṇa scoffs at Akkina's amateurish efforts before checking the bodies for herself (while a strange look in her eyes suggests she's reminded herself of some fond memory...).

Inspired Heal: 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (7) + 7 + (6) = 20

"Am I the only one that noticced Yellow sssurendering?"

Yes, I noticed.

Grandmaster TOZ wrote:

As Beryx cuts into her, extra layers of skin slice away, before the blade finally draws blood.

False life...or maybe ablative barrier (which I'm less familiar with)?

Still honestly curious about this.

ALSO: Lot of exotic names here; any of them derived from anywhere in particular?

I found mine with the help of Google Translate: 'Khāṇa' comes from the Hindi for something related to 'eat/eating/eater/to eat,' and 'Tsogtsos' is Mongolian for 'corpse'.

Naturally unaware of Hskomoro's headological machinations, Khāṇa approaches the man against the wall with murder in her eyes.

Move action to Study.

"Mind if I AXE where you think you're going...!? I've always wanted to say that."

masterwork greataxe, Studied Combat VS Red Rummy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
Time for folio reroll!: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
damage, Painful Stare, Studied Strike!: 1d12 + 6 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 6 + (4) = 14

As Beryx cuts into her, extra layers of skin slice away, before the blade finally draws blood.

False life...or maybe ablative barrier (which I'm less familiar with)? Or are we fighting a giant artichoke here? Oh noes, it's the dreaded VeggieTales Gang!

_______________

A riddle had been posed sometime earlier: What is black and green and black and green and black and green and black and green?

The man in the corner isn't sure, but whatever it is it's coming right for him from down the hallway with a huge axe!!!

masterwork greataxe, charge VS Red Rummy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
damage: 1d12 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Must have been really cruel for that one guy to open the last door and see none of his fellow assassins coming to save him.

I missed what you're referring to here.

Anyway, very unfortunate happened over the past 4 days; I'll not share details since too many seem to have lost sight of the essential boundary between public and private life, BUT please be prepared for my reduced participation for a while; no guarantees either way, we'll see how I feel.

Feeling a bit buffoonish, Khāṇa trudges her way back around the corner.

Oh look, Frodo; MORE double-move!

"Nice trick," she mutters.

Realizing she doesn't even know if the doors over here are locked or not, but obviously pressed for time, Khāṇa approaches the door and tries to open it the Orc way!

Str check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

Is the door open? If not, what grade of action will it take to do so (assuming you'll tell me)?

Khāṇa curses in Orcish at the frustrating new obstacle, but it doesn't take her much mental mapping to recall there was another way in there!

Double-move!

So what's with the doors over near Beryx? Did we notice them before? It wouldn't be metagaming to try rushing over there, would it?

I haven't kept up on my Expanded Narrative boon recently, but if you're GMing you'd be able to recharge the one star with that.

Hm, where does one get that from?

Once more Khāṇa seems to freeze in her own tracks, and once more she is surrounded by a winking halo of howling souls!

I do mean 'once more', too! That's the last of today's demonstrations of the exciting field of Necroforensics.

5-foot step, and move action to Study Cliff the Big Red Droog.

Hmm. What kind of Boon(s) would that be?

I do have my 1-Star DM replay; not sure how often I'd get to use that now that we're in post-Götterdämmerung territory.

Just out of range, unless I misremembered the distance.

Turns out it can vary a great deal - is there any airflow to speak of down here?

I already know my next action, but whether or not I can do it in a surprise round will, I daresay, make a difference.

As Akkina comes to the corner, she notices more assassins laying in wait. She manages to avoid attracting notice before ducking back, but can tell they are waiting for someone to round the corner.

Akkina has a surprise round action!

Did I not smell them?

Khāṇa gives a dummy a punch for punching's sake as she passes by.

"Hargh, pathetic," She says in a sibilant sotto voce. "Back in Geb, you can at least expect these things'll try to grab you, and they'll give you accurate expectations of carving into flesh...!"

She gingerly scouts the next room with her eyes, ears, and nose....

Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Inspired Perception: 1d20 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (7) + 10 + (4) = 21 +2 to find hidden things, +4 to find traps

Composite longbows and rapiers, non magical. The longbows are masterwork at least.

Do they have a STR modifier?

With their nuisance dispatched, Khāṇa eagerly turns to inspecting the chests.

Inspired Perception: 1d20 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (15) + 10 + (1) = 26 further +2 to find hidden things, or +4 to find traps
Inspired Knowledge (Local) to recognize the styles of the chests?: 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (13) + 7 + (5) = 25
Appraise: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28
As ever, don't forget Scent!

"I have HAD IT with the slippery eels around here!" Khāṇa rasps as she presses the attack!

masterwork greataxe, Studied Combat VS Red Scared: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
damage, first-ever use of STUDIED STRIKE!: 1d12 + 5 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 5 + (6) = 12 Auspicious!

"And it is a great ranged option when you have nothing else!"

"Yroh! It's been a husk's age, how ya' been?! How's the catering up north lately?"

Akkina, I forget exactly how it's done (having never bothered with them myself), but do you have any plans for learning to do the sawtooth sabre's signature bleed-damage trick?

"Oh no you don't!!!" Khāṇa declares, using her axe as a lever.

STR check, Inspiration: 1d20 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (16) + 2 + (4) = 22

Akkina tries to gain entry in the thug's armor.

"Ooh-la-la, what are you two getting up to over there...?" Khāṇa leers as she zig-zags her way over to Akkina and the shrinking violet.

Another move action for Studied Combat on Red Scared over here.

Fellow players, I am now torn; should I try to help the Super Nagaji Siblings over here with their guy, or Akkina with the runner?

So what ARE their (thus far revealed) weapons, specifically?

"So much for table manners!" Khāṇa quips as she leaves the man behind her to his carpentry, and rounds on her own current chopping-block-of-choice...

5-foot step to where I assume I am NOT any longer in a flank; if that is not so, I will wish to change my step slightly.

...and stares intently at her prey, mental gears grinding like monstrous teeth, as the lost souls around her again seem to become more agitated, as if eager to see another ushered their way...

Move action for Studied Combat.

"...not a 'fighter' but a sniper, dependent to a fault upon planning, teamwork, and quick kills...fully expected to have the element of surprise, and was not counting on someone like me!...are we looking at a failed Ninja here??...more 'cornered rats', but this time we're in their nest...best to press our initiative, rub their own consternation in their faces...!"

She seems to be enjoying herself, now!

masterwork greataxe, Studied Combat VS Jaundiced Giles: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
damage: 1d12 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Khāṇa is ready - eager, even! She bounds straight up to one, trusting in the furniture to have her back, and parleys her momentum into a mighty axe-chop!

masterwork greataxe VS Jaundiced Giles: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
slashing damage: 1d12 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

One standard OR move action, right? 5-foot stepping and drawing my axe if I can, and....

"WAIT..."

Khāṇa suddenly lurches forward and stiffens, and again the etheric anomalies surrounding her intensify into a chorus of wails and foreboding lights.

1 more point, 1 more minute of Whispering Spirits.

"...I smell an AMBUUUUUSHH!!!"

Should've seen it coming, too, they even WARNED US...!

Khāṇa proffers the violet venom to Daenerija as she passes by, having heard what her people can do with such things.

Anybody who can't beat an existing roll would do best to roll to aid another (unless there's some way a sheer 'number of successes' can accomplish something, I suppose).

Anyway, who wants the Boots?

Khāṇa follows (after a blitz detour to retrieve her bow).

Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25 Son-of-a-gun!!!

Inspired Perception: 1d20 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (12) + 10 + (3) = 25 further +2 to find hidden things, or +4 to find traps; don't forget Scent!

Khāṇa senses no magic on the bottle, but recognizes that the contents appear to be a dose of violet venom, made from the fungus the party just dealt with.

Stats?

Khāṇa cheerfully (and in a level of morbid detail some might find excessive) explains the liquid's properties to the others.

Hskomoro concentrates, and the filth on the boots sloughs off.

Prestidigitation

"What iss the liquid?"

DM implied the boots were the only thing of value, but did also mention that first, didn't he? Maybe it's not magical (in which case it might still be of value somehow), but in case it is, I'll do this while I still can:

Inspired identify Spellcraft: 1d20 + 17 + 1d6 ⇒ (16) + 17 + (1) = 34

Could be useful to hand off to a high Str character without a ranged weapon in the future...

My Cleric did make a similar choice: She bought an adamantine longsword partly with the expectation of lending it out to others - and to date, she has had at least one occasion to do so!

With a quiet shake of her head at the indept mages, Khāṇa once again pulls out her cigar-box you saw earlier, fishes through it a bit to find what appears to be a bog-mummified humanoid toe, and somewhat wearily chants...:

"Lost souls buried in the ooze, catch me up with these blue-dyed shoes..."

...Before putting the bit of bog-jerky in her mouth. As she chews on it, she studies their find.

1 more Necroforensics point, 1 more minute spent:

Inspired identify Spellcraft: 1d20 + 17 + 1d6 ⇒ (10) + 17 + (6) = 33

Khāṇa follows Akkina to investigate the loot.

Just in case she missed anything:
Inspired Perception, Scavenger: 1d20 + 12 + 1d6 ⇒ (19) + 12 + (2) = 33 further +2 to find traps

Sorry about going missing like that. Everyone was at range, and me without a bow... then I forgot to check in after a few days.

Regarding a bow, remember if you didn't already know: Get an otherwise-baseline masterwork composite bow, then give it the Adaptive enchantment!

*raises an eyebrow*

"'Tongue thing'? Ooh-la-la, tell me more...!"

Khāṇa knows the key to luck is knowing when not to press it...and to know an ace when she's holding one (or as the case may be, when it's holding her). Like so many of the cunning hunters of her homeland, she keeps to the bog, trudges forward, and delivers a fearsome overhead chop.

masterwork greataxe, Studied Combat VS Moody Blue: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
slashing damage: 1d12 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Khāṇa takes a moment to savor her victory as she prepares her next chop against the next fungus...

Move Action to Study Moody Blue. The following is on the assumption that I am in "deep bog" and cannot 5-foot step: