Khellek the historian's page

Sorry. It's noted in the character sheet next to Sense Motive as "Use Oratory". I have several other skills where there is a "use X" noted next to them. I found that more helpful that putting the alternative bonus in as keeping them updated ended up being problematic.

I think I am already spoken for during hour two, and not everyone else has had a turn yet. But yes, happy to spend hour three on sorting the contract. Have to remember to use my DA pin on that. So many once/adventure bonuses that I never remember to use. I'm aiming to get through all of them this time though!

Khellek has +14 from his versatile performance with oratory.

Oopse, yes, -4 to my checks above from that headache.

Khellek during hour one, Khellek helps Numair try to persuade some of the librarians to assist in the search..

diplomacy: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 22 Auto succeed

Then, once Two-blades returns with a pile of contracts, he settles into a possibly very uncomfortable chair to start to study them.

linguistics check, archivist bonus: 1d20 + 20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 20 + 4 = 32 And I speak infernal if that provides a bonus?>

"But... the library... Surely we should go there first.." coughs out Khellek.

Yes, not enough money to buy a ring of fire resistance, sadly. My dark archive supplies will be a scroll of knock, a scroll of resist energy and two potions of cure moderate wounds

"Devil loving... or at least admiring. Demons are another thing entirely." corrects Khellek.

"Speaking of which, devils are demons have different types of vulnerabilities, which may be important for preparing ourselves. Weapons of silver are often found to be the most effective against them, where as cold iron is more effective against demons."

Khellek nods at Zarta. "Yes, the ahh, reinterpretation, of history by the winners of any given battle does tend to complicate the search for truth in the past. But that.." and here he turns to Doodle and Two blades "Is why this is such an important mission! First hand accounts are almost always the best. Think of the articles that could be written. Yes, yes, I know that Gellius will tell the story from his point of view, but everyone does. Thus one of the skills of the historian is to interpret such accounts."

Khellek sighs. "Oh I am sure there were a few honorable people in the house. But even Thrune likely had a one or two. Those times though, the strong and let us be fair, cruel, tended to rise to the top of the famlies. More often than not by standing on the heads of the peasants. We live in a more enlightened time... well, location. "

"And before you dispute that, recall how the crown changes hands. Not many queens die in bed. - Matricide, poison, vanishing! How does a queen just vanish? and then a spate of drownings." he shakes his head. "But maybe you argue that is just Thrune?"

He looks at Zarta. He had known her a long time and she had changed during that time. "On the plus side. House Davian were opposed to Thrune. I just think the evidence shows that was more for their own benefit than for the benefit of Cheliax as a whole."

"Ub, ahh, umm. err"

The thin air seems to have finally robbed the Old Man of words. Really, it must be the air. And the red face? Obviously windchill.

Nice catch. You have been waiting a while to say that!

The Pathfinder version is the Periapt of health. Does the same thing.

"Ahh, ancient Cheliaxian history. The tale of one family stabbing another in the back, and being backstabbed in turn. But the details, the stories, the why..." he begins to wax on one of his favorite subjects.

"Many of you know that the first Queen Abrogail of house Thrune the first struck a bargain with The Devil himself, trading her nations soul to the king of hell. House Davian, little better to be honest, challenged the Thrune at the Battle of One Hundred Kings, and lost. More than her life in all likelihood."

He pauses. "Both are ancient families, interestingly during the civil war, Thrune did well because of the skills of Alivia Thrune. Her brother was, I presume, the Gellius Thrune whose soul we are seeking. From what has made it to the current day he sounds like a wasterel. But perhaps I am too harsh. He apparently also had a fine legal mind when he could be bothered using it. He has a particular interest in contracts. I would be extremely wary of any deal he offers us."

His favorite topic expired he adds "Normal food and water may be hard to find in Dis, and the time taken for doing so may be precious. I suggest you make sure you are well fed and watered, and take some supplies with you. There are at least two other major powers in the city - aside from the ruler whom the city is named after. His wife, and the queen of the Erinyes also reside there. I imagine there are a host of other factions as well."

Feel free to open the spoilers above for me. Khellek will go on at length about absolutely everything he knows.

"Ancient Thrune?" echoes Khellek, his interest instantly aroused. "Now that would be interesting to know about. So little of pre civil war history is really known about Cheliax.."

He thinks for a bit more. "What more do we know of this Gellilus Thrune? And about Dis for that matter"
T10 spoilers for knowledge in my title bar.

A slight shudder goes down his spine. "To be honest I had hoped to avoid a trip to Hell at this stage in my life, but the knowledge that could be gained about the past... is considerable."

He pauses thinking a bit further, a shiver going down his spine. "And it will make for a warmer setting than my previous mission. Do we know anything more about Leventi or Vetrivides? Lastly - how are we to return, and what happens if we are still in Dis in 48 hours time?"

dayjob reroll, T10,stars: 10 + 14 + 4 = 28

Thanks very much for the game.

"Oh, a nice cup of tea would be very much appreciated." agrees Khellek.

"Then a quick trip down the mountain and back into air thick enough to enjoy giving a speech in."

With a clear shot, Khelleck reloads Bessies and fires!

attack, IC,haste,fatigued,into melee: 1d20 + 8 + 2 + 1 - 1 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 8 + 2 + 1 - 1 - 4 = 23
damage(P,magic),IC: 1d8 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 2 = 4

He continues to extol his students to higher deeds.
"That is it my students. Oh well done. Strike, strike as if your books depended on it!"

Maintains IC[

Much appreciated.

Khellek continues to offer instructions to 'his students'. "Coordinate your actions. Miriel, don't let yourself get surrounded. 'Target Rich Environment' is good for fireballs, not for melee fighters."

Taking out Bessie, he does his best to level the playing field.

attack, haste, IC, into melee, vs green: 1d10 + 8 + 1 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (1) + 8 + 1 + 2 - 4 = 8
bolt,IC: 1d8 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 1 + 2 = 6

But in his haste loads the bolt backward.

Full disclosure - they (the GM) have not posted for a couple of days.

Remember +1 to hit from haste, and +2 to hit and damage from IC. Total +3 to hit, +2 to damage, and an extra attack if you don't have to move.

Guess I am down to just having enough ranks in a knowledge skill.

No named texts? And I guess there are no scholars around to try and convert.
No planes or demi-planes involved today?
And I assume neither the ioun stone (or whatever) nor the bones count as a unique magic item to deliver safely to the society (although now I think about it, the bones are part of some magical ritual are they not? Would that count?)

That is my last haste. I hope this is the last combat!

I'm guessing more than three hours have past, so the extended heroisms are all worn off?

Sweating profusely, whether from the exertion, excitement or exhaustion, Khellek urges his companies on to one last effort. "Quickly, while we can, we may be able to save some of the people here, or the hut they are trapped within."

Casts haste

"Explore, Report, Cooperate!" he extols them. Calling out the pathfinder motto in an inspiring manner, while not getting any closer to the dangers of physical combat himself.

And kick off inspire courage as well.

"By all means, but their companions may end up doing that for us if we give them a moment or two and we don't have that much light..." says Khellek

"Well done Ezren. Those cowardly thugs turned and ran when they saw who they were up against!"

"Oh well done. We can only hope that third sled gets tangled up in the mess, or rethinks the wisdom of their ways." comments Khellek.

"Now would be a good time for that fireball you were wanting to throw.." comments the scholar who has the proverbial bit between this teeth.

"Come my students, we have this. Ready your spells and swords. Quickly"

drops a haste on the group

Even as he talks, he is trying to get the dogs to follow Miriel.

handle animal,heroism: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 + 2 = 22 Speed up

"This is exhilarating! I feel like I am only fifty once again."

If I am make a map suggestion. If we keep ourselves still on the map and just move the Aspis up by the difference between their speed and ours, that may be much simpler. When we start falling out, that won't work any more, but in the meantime...

"If it proves necessary to disuade them.." agrees Khellek.

"But one of those flaming spheres may be better if it delayed them. I recall the pass down was quite narrow, and if they get close them it may stop them in their tracks for enough time for us to get aboard."

Then, realising his breath was perhaps better used running, he hikes up his robe and takes an undignified pace back toward the sled, all the while wheezing in the thin air.

I'll do everything I can to keep us going as fast as we can.

"Would you like me to drive this time?" asks the slightly-too-sure-of-himself scholar. Memories of the narrow avoidance of an avalanche are obviously at the front of his mind.

"If we proceed down as we did up, I think we should be able to outdistance those creatures."

Suggest he keep to the safe speed - 5? If they get close then maybe risk a higher speed, but the chance of at least one of us failing a check is high.

"I suggest we hurry." says the elderly scholar, whose vocabulary does not normally include the word.

"Avoiding a fight with a tribe of the beastmen would appear to be the wise choice. As for the stone, try throwing it into the air around your head, see if it floats."

He continues on toward the sleds..

It is likely to be two weeks. But no promises on that. When does GD run until?

Thanks for letting me know. The GM has asked for an estimate on how long we have to go, but I'm assuming it is a couple of weeks if we are only half way.

"Come my students.[/]b" says Khelleck.

"[b]First we sketch the site, then we, respectfully, remove the artefacts." he concludes. "Perhaps you would like to say a prayer?"

"And well done Ms Magol." he adds appreciatively even as he recovers his cloak from her. "Very well done indeed."

He glances through the mist toward the sleds. "And then we return to somewhere with enough air to deliver a lecture." he finally wheezes.

Khellek backs off. "You have this Miriel. Just remember everything I taught you..."

Will switch over to inspire greatness. Which will give her some extra hp and +1 to fortitude saves. I'm guessing that will be more help than +1 vs fear which she is immune to, and charm. The heroism will be active for ages, and that is +2 to saves as well.

"Here, you look cold. Borrow my cloak. I really don't feel that cold that much."

Will lend +2 resistance cloak to her also. Unless anyone has anything better

After removing the amulet, he offers it to Miriel. "I have no idea what this does, but magical amulets are often of most use to warriors." he concludes.

He peers at the spirals as well to see if they have any magical properties. "Perhaps the spiral of Pharasma?" he muses as he looks at the hole.

"I think we must carry the remains back to the sleds."

I'm not 100% sure that Khellek will be free at the start of gameday, which may mean I have to pull out, or sub for a different character.

It's been along time since I played or GMed this, and I don't want to look... are we close to completion? I had Khellek signed up for gameday and just realised we are getting darn close.

"Excellent. Well done my students. Well done indeed. Which is what Miriel would have been if she had been swallowed. Those creatures swallow anything and everything." he gushes.

"But we have a mission. And it is sitting under that cairn.."

The elderly scholar pauses for a moment, thinking, and then slowly twiggles his cold fingers.

"I wonder if there is more magic here than appears at first glance. This does not seem like a normal spot for a creature like that to lay eggs."

Checking the cairn, eggs and body for signs of magic.

My undestanding is that you get the morale bonus of IC on your Spiritual hammers to-hit, but not damage, and oddly I think you would get the haste to-hit bonus as well as it is swung as if by you. But I am on less sure grounds about that.

The scholar gasps as he sees Miriel grappled by the horrid creature. "Hurry my Students, Miriel must be freed!"

Maintains IC

Keeping with the cold theme he thinks rapidly about the frozen north of his youth. "What type of fish to Polar bears catch at night?" he asks, before quickly answering his own question "StarFish!"

Yeah, dredging the barrel here in both combat ability and the punchlines.

Another hideous laughter, will DC 13

"Hurry my students!" calls out the elderly scholar, the excitement providing him breath enough for the moment. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Strike!"

Maintains IC

With a sigh, knowing there was little he could do in the combat he calls out to the creature.

"Why did the Remorhaz break up with the glacier? Because he felt like he was always getting the cold shoulder! "

Casts hideous laugher DC 13 save only, but hey, it could roll poorly.

Remmeber, Heroism +2 to hit, IC +2 to hit and damge, Haste, +1 to hit and AC (and reflex), those affected by all get +5 to hit, +2 to damage and an extra attack if you full attack.

He then moves so he can have a clear shot with Bessie.

"Thank you" says Khellek to the junior pathfinder. He then peers closely at the figure. "You still have not turned in your essay on the first Taldan civil war! How do you expect to be a Pathfinder if you don't know your history. Shaking his head he takes a comfortable seat and starts to read.

Only to be shaken by the sudden appearance of Two Blades. "Ahh, Mr Darkness! Did you ever do those changes to your Chronicle about your ventures in Bone Keep? The content was fascinating but the editing was poor. You are doing yourself an injustice, and the rest of the Society too, who could benefit from your experiences."

Then with a twiddle of his fingers light grows brighter and the book page turns itself. "There are many was to accomplish an objective. Magic is a very useful one, but hardly the only." he says with what might almost pass as a smile from the irritable old man.

Khellek does have a wayfinder.
He has ridiculously high lore skills, and will generally T10 on them (T10 are in spoilers) and share them with everyone.

Oh, and as he is somewhat old... slow XP advancement.

An elderly man looks impatiently around. He removes his glasses, polishes them, and then puts them back on again.

"Where is everyone?" he says with a voice that carries.

"I could be in the library, the books there won't read themselves."

Khellek will tell everyone what he knows about Remorhaz as he backs away from the eggs. T10s is my header spoiler, goes for immunities, resistances, vulnerability, SA,SD

"Take care my students. Cooperation is of the essence! Gather close to hear my words of wisdom!"

Start up IC and gets ready to drop a haste the moment it appears. It will only affect people up to 30' apart so make sure you are close enough!

Khellek takes a seat on the ice, watching as his students set to work.

"Careful of the eggs." he pants.

"We don't want to risk breaking them."

Khellek nods toward the cairn. "Over there I think.[/]b" he wheezes.
r
"[b]Were I a mage, perhaps I could summon a sphere of fire to melt our way through, but perhaps husbanding resources in case there are more beastmen would be wise. It is time for a dig! Archeology, remember is about discovering not destroying the past. So dig with care. "