Kyras could probably give a decent shot at smashing through the door completely, but it wasn't his intended action. Just him running uncontrollably quickly and knocking with his face.
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Kyras desperately wishes to release flames on his pursuers, but knows that Azami is right. It would likely make matters worse; not only would he waste precious time surging the fire out of magical energy, but he wouldn't be focused enough to run as fast as he can. She directs him to the door of House Sera, tugging on his wrist as she starts to run. He takes one last look upward through the narrow alleyway at the flying pursuers. He sees two more come out of the back door of the store; one is a white-haired, petite young woman, while the other a stern-looking older soldier. He is a blur, taking advantage of his long stride. He quickly overtakes Azami, and smashes at full speed into the door with a titanic crash. "Better than knocking," he says in a daze as he turns around. He holds his hands up, scanning the sky for the newest group of people trying to kill and/or kidnap him.
Regarding the prior incident, I explicitly did not simply act unilaterally. If you read it, I had him reach for the glass and rolled Initiative to show that it was something that others could react to and iterrupt.
Can we be clear on Initiative? I can't tell if it Round 1, Initiative 18 (in which case only Belsarious and Livain could have acted), or if we are in Round 1 with a later Initiative and they held their actions until after Azami and Kyras came out, or if we have rolled all the way back to Round 2... Any of the above is a possible interpretation of the posts we have so far. (The one thing I know we can't have is Belsarious casting a hex, then immediately casting a spell at the same Initiative.) Also, Belsarious: please at least make an attempt to post in anything resembling everybody else's style? It is jarring every time. The post in first person was especially bad.
Kyras feels a tightness on his chest. He snarls and lets his tremendous wrath take hold. He takes a deep breath and looks up with fire burning in his eyes and in his hands. "That weird elf..." His anger is palpable at their brazen assault on his person, having apparently stalked him and Azami after backing down earlier. "I'm killing him first. Hope he likes it warm," he spits.
Kyras has been uncharacteristically quiet for some time, seemingly lost in thought after the confrontation about him and the magnifying glass. Unconsciously, his hand occasionally slips down to the glass in his pocket, wrapped carefully in Professor Yeo's protective cloth, as if checking to make sure it is still present. He thinks on all that has happened, and all that will, as well as the great power entrusted to him in the form of the magnifying glass. "I can do great things with this," he mutters to himself. He notices the Hounds of Tindalos that follow him openly now, but the hideous creatures seem to be held at bay. When Azami mentions that she doesn't know if she trusts the Emperor anymore, he nods but doesn't ask questions. When she lists the litany of problems they face, he simply follows along. "Oh, is that all? It all seems so simple when you break it down like that," he replies. Kyras has to bend a bit to avoid hitting the door frame when they enter the semi-abandoned shop. This being Azami's task, he is happy to follow along and look like someone intimidating in case she needs his unique assistance. He keeps by the window, looking out to ensure that they aren't being followed. He feels the presence of the creature in the back of the room even before the crone mentions him. When Azami "almost" glances at Kyras, she sees that his eyes are fixed on her. "I'm ready to go if you are. Bethany will have to wait until this is done. I'm just about done in this city," he says. He hesitates and looks back at the door. "We've got more people coming, Red."
As you can imagine, it was a busy weekend for the police. I got back-to-back cases on Sunday at 7pm and Monday at 6am. Huzzah! I will hopefully get some posts in soon.
Just a friend? Hmph!
Kyras watches as Chu's magic ends the tense standoff (with the promise of another one soon). "Well, moment of truth," he says to Azami as he reaches down and wraps the cloth around the magnifying glass.
It's probably getting close to finishing up. Kyras beat the Intimidate DC by more than 15, which added three rounds to the duration. Activating the tattoo is a standard action, as the rules state that it is essentially the same as a standard item. You can't activate a magic item as an attack of opportunity.
Don't forget the -2 to the Initiative roll, Belsarious, from the earlier successful Intimidate. Chu seems to have the current lead at Initiative 25. In a high-stakes situation like this, let's be sticklers about the rules. We don't want this turning into Calvinball.
I rolled the Initiative for anyone to try to disrupt him. Belsarious will have to roll Initiative if he wants to interrupt it with the void. Let's at least get all the Initiative rolls in before we break out in heavy PVP. (And remember, don't kill another player in PVP. That's rude.)
What's going on with Dry Heaving Min?
"Nothing is wrong with me," Kyras snaps. "I'm right here, you know, and I'm not an invalid. I'm not marching off to Izmir, either to stand trial in some kangaroo court or to sever whatever link I've got to this thing. I didn't kill Na-Calanon, and I'm getting a little tired of all of this." Captain Citanu scoffs at his words. "You lie! I saw what you did, what you became!" He looks at the captain, somewhat sheepish. "I know what you saw... I was here as well, but I was looking on in as much horror and shock as you were. I actually got an even better glimpse at the endless void between worlds that it conjured. The Abyss took the Dragon away, gave me back control of my own body. I am in control, but I know that I've got my own part in this whole mess to pay for. I'm not going to give up the magnifying glass, or do whatever this guy," he gestures to Belsarious as he speaks, "is babbling about. What I am going to do is that I am going to use it to destroy Kalaroth, one way or another."
He takes a shimmering, surprisingly heavy-looking cloth out of his pocket. "I've got this to keep it under control. It seems that I'm the only one who can pick it up and use it now, so you're going to have to trust that I'm in control of my faculties. If you're going to try and stop me, now's the time." He reaches down to pick up the Abomination in the cloth.
I will post soon. I gave Azami permission to move him a little in her post, so that she can move things along.
Kyras lets out a long breath of air, as if he was holding in lungfuls. His eyes come to, though he keeps glancing to the magnifying glass as he speaks. "I'm fine," he says to Azami. "Sorry about that." He takes a look at the group glaring at him: a few local guards, one of the Lesothan warriors present when Kalaroth wiped Na-Calanon from history, a (relatively) small silver dragon, a blonde paladin who looks of an age that might get him into trouble in most lands other than Katapesh, a stringy-haired elf, and a half-elf currently pointing an arrow at him. It's been a long day full of violence for him, and he doesn't seem sure if he could fight off the group of newcomers - even if Azami and the others help him, which isn't really a sure thing in these circumstances.
He points at the dark-haired elf as he walks towards the Abomination. "Don't get near that. Do I have to repeat myself? " His voice raises into a dull, rumbling roar as he speaks. It is enough to put all of them back except the paladin, who is dumb enough to not realize how much danger she is in. "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. Now step away from magnifying glass."
"That is mine," he repeats in the same voice. He doesn't seem to acknowledge the words of the fair Citanu.
Kyras stops on the rooftop, looking down at the scene below. He acknowledges Azami with a silent, grim look - almost a pleading for her help. He is incapable of saying it, but he desperately hopes that she would know to incapacitate or kill him before he might activate the magnifying glass again. He turns back to the group that has gathered below to investigate the Abomination that Kalaroth used earlier in the day, noting that Chujitsuna and Wei are nearly upon the group down in the maze of alleys below. As if pulled by an unseen force, he hesitates before stepping off the roof. He descends slowly, still hovering above the group as they look up to see him. "That is mine," he intones to the group. To those who know him, his voice is free of its normal irreverence - but it isn't the voice of Kalaroth, either. He hovers several yards away from the Abomination, eyes fixed upon it with a hunger and desperation. Kyras has darkly-tanned skin, still somewhat covered in blood and gore - though his dripping clothes and matted hair suggest that he just went through a torrential downpour. His clothes are in tatters, as the sorcerer has not yet taken the time to mend his clothing. He openly displays several wounds, healed and re-healed by magic, that mar his skin with a pattern of angry, reddened scar tissue.
Isn't silly really the stated goal of the Urks?
Kyras draws in a swift, troubled breath. "I have to go," he says to no one in particular. His eyes seem glassy and unfocused. He draws together magic and rises into the air. For the second time in the same day, he flies off without much warning. This time, at least, he doesn't appear to be in the grip of his draconic transformation - and Azami has the means to follow him, thanks to his earlier casting of a flight spell upon her. Chu: Kyras reaches out with his mind to Chu, showing the serpentfolk an image of the foreigners huddling around the magnifying glass, as well as his uncontrollable urge to go to it.
Kyras looks grimly over at Chujitsuna. "Yes, the anthropomorphic snake points out that we gaijin are the strange ones." His dark humor comes off a bit harshly from his pain-gritted teeth.
Kyras will actively cheer.
Kyras quietly responds to Azami, "No, I'll be fine." He notes that her feet are firmly on the ground. "Why walk when you can fly? Come on, it's not every day that you get to tell gravity to piss off."
The water rushes over Kyras, who is pressed against the jail by Azami's powerful grasp. When it subsides, he collapses to the ground after Azami detaches herself from him. He breathes hard as the water begins to steam off his skin, evaporating into the air in tiny puffs. His body bears countless cuts, tears, and bruises from the many trials of the past few days - not least of which was a bodily possession by a dragon god. If not for healing magic, he would surely be dead or comatose several times over. He pointedly looks away from Azami, not wanting to talk about his impulsive and reckless act; fortunately, she is busy talking to Sera Zhongyi and not paying him any attention. With some difficulty, he stands up and presses a hand against the bars to steady himself. "Where did you all come from," he asks Zhongyi, "and what was with the flood? Is there anything else behind that door other than sharp-clawed uglies, a typhoon, and a small army of reinforcements?" He peers down into the distance of the tunnel in an exaggerated fashion to prove his point.
I am definitely going to try to go next year.
Kyras has to keep pushing the envelope.
Azami can barely hear Kyras over the rush of the oncoming water and his own muffled voice, "Well, that's more like it!"
He was back to his charming, handsome self. The ability to occasionally morph into dragon form is just a bonus.
I suppose he could grab them again, but his idea seemed better at the time.
Kyras is going to have some awkward half-assed apology to make after we get out of this.
Glad to not be rended into death by the hideous aberrations, Kyras weakly takes Azami's arm. He feels the blood running down his arm, running together at their clasped hands. He looks backwards quickly at the rushing waters headed their way, then looks back to Azami. Impulsively, he pulls himself towards the warrior woman, spins her around, and kisses her. As he does, he gathers together what remaining magical energy his body can muster and presses his hand against the small of her back. He pulls away, offering her a very slight and very exhausted grin, looking like a mere shadow of himself. He glances down with her eyes at her feet (not where she might expect him to look after doing what he did). Her eyes follow his, noting with some amazement that she is floating - ever so slightly - above the ground. "One of us has gotta make it," he whispers to her faintly.
I have my copy downloaded. Mythic characters are a whole world more powerful than regular PCs.
This is, of course, our 30th fight of the day or so. And Damian and the Skyknights are at full strength, so we'll be right back in the fire soon.
Kyras shifts into his draconic form, letting the mask of the dragon slip over his face. His fingers grow sharp and scaly as he slashes across the creature's incredibly tough hide with little effect. He lashes out with a maw of sharp teeth and a mouth still full of flame, but it also seems to glance off the creature's skin with no great effect. Kyras seems to have the dragon under control, but that is of little matter - his wounds would have killed a lesser man long ago. If not for Azami's interference in protecting him, he would likely already be dead.
Desperate and exhausted, Kyras gathers another breath and releases another terrible flame outwards. Both the monsters seem to shrug it off like it was a warm bath instead of a blazing fire hot enough to boil a man inside his own armor. As the flames die down, Kyras falls to a knee briefly and stutters, "Azami..."
It's only for one attack. However, she can make an AOO for each one of the attacks made against Kyras. If she succeeds on the third one, it would keep him up - barely. If not, he's unconscious.
Yep. That is how it works. I would have to go back and check, but I thought we had been doing it like that for a while. Perhaps it has not come up before.
So, Azami pointed out to me that I posted out of Initiative order. I may have forgotten, but I thought that was how we were playing it here. In my games, I let the players post in any order as long as they don't skip any NPCs. I find that it saves a bit of time instead of waiting on one person, thus speeding up combat. Let me know if you want to wait for the proper Initiative to roll around.
Kyras roars loudly as the hideous creature's horrifying limbs slice into his flesh. Tough as he is, his blood flows far too rapidly. He won't last much longer, even with his body enhanced by his draconic heritage. Briefly, he considers letting Kalaroth take over again, to take care of these things - but that would put everyone (and probably the world) at unnecessary risk. His bellow of pain grows louder until it erupts in actual flames coming from his mouth. He unleashes a furnace of fiery heat upon them. The one in front of him dodges low, but still gets scorched. The flames don't wash off of them like his spells did, giving him a bit of hope. The one in front of Azami, who is shoulder-to-shoulder with him, isn't quite as quick and takes the full brunt of the flame blast.
Kyras pulls together as much magical energy as he can muster, as quickly as he can. The desperate situation makes him desperate. He pulls a faintly shimmer conjuration of force into reality, granting him some slight protection against the claws and fangs of the beasts. It may make a difference, or it may not - but he won't simply stand here and wait to be shredded.
Kyras watches in disgust as most of the hideous creatures shrug off his flames as easily as if they were a cool bath. One of the things seems to take a direct hit from the fire, coming directly to him like a burning mass of flesh. Its razor-sharp claws affixed to its backwards arm slash him across his face. The creatures seem somehow lurid and wrong. He takes a step back, feeling his back on the metal bars, and raises his hands. Flames stream out of his hands, hot enough so that he can feel it on his own face. He sprays the closest one of the creatures, arcing the flame towards the one that menaces Azami and the one near Tokine. The fire flows around all three, leaving them unscathed. His spells clearly aren't having much of an effect. "Maybe we should try stabbing them," he calls out to the others.
Kyras at least has the excuse of a rapidly awakening dragon god's consciousness.
"That seemed easier than expected," Kyras grouses about the fallen vampire. "Might want to hit him again."
"Fire in the hole," he mutters to himself as he summons flames into his hands and prepares to rain fire down upon the goblins about to spill out. "You guys might want to take a step back. It's about to get pretty warm in here." As soon as the first one comes, he plans on flinging the bead of fire into the back of their ranks. If he aims it right, and there is enough room behind the stone wall, he should be able to miss Azami and the others at the door.
I laughed when you wrote that he can barely conceal his feelings - in a DC 31 Sense Motive check.
Kyras steps up besides Azami, blocking the entrance to the Prince's cell with his massive frame. A deep growl emerges from his throat, ready to fight and defend the young boy even without so much as a single blade. Azami glances at him, seeing the feral and bestial transformation on his face. He holds open flames in each hand, radiating heat and power.
Kyras is clearly the vivacious Ginger.
"Kyras," adds the Warbanian, his addition poorly concealed with a cough.
Kyras is gonna get slapped.
Kyras grabs the key from Chu. "Come on, Scales. The lady says free 'em." He glances at Azami as he inserts the key, waiting for a nod of approval from her. From her low position, she nods at him. Kyras turns the key and swings the cell door open. "Too bad I don't have any tea to give. Is that the proper protocol when freeing royalty from an underground prison? I missed that day of etiquitte lessons."
Kyras offers Wei a sly grin. "Don't underestimate the value of not thinking clearly. It's brought me some of my finest moments." He resists the urge to glance at Azami, having recently found himself having difficulty thinking clearly about her.
When Chu mentions souls captured in jars and says his name, he walks over and snatches it off the shelf. He shakes it, seeing that it is empty. "Well, I wonder if this was intended for me or for my sister. Fifty-fifty shot, I suppose. I'll just hang onto this one. Maybe they only work with the person written on them. I'd hate for someone's carefully-laid plan to go awry." He juggles it briefly between his hands, then tucks it away in his shirt. "Hopefully it doesn't get smashed to bits. That would be bad."
Kyras ignores the strange goblin and takes a look at the person in the second cell. "Can we get these open?" he asks the others. "There's someone in that one who might need Tokine's healing."
I'm unable to make the trip to GenCon this year (though I hold out hope that I will in a year or two). I plan on driving up to Tulsa at some point in the next few months to help Steve playtest his Bitter Manor module, though.
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