"I've been better," Liette admits to Abigail with a hushed tone of voice, holstering her revolver as she turns away from one of the executed demons. Approaching the older woman, Liette reaches out and lays a hand on her shoulder, sending a warm wave of light deep through her bones and aching muscles, causing her blood to clot at her injuries and soothe her agony.
"Inheritor bless you," Liette murmurs, letting her hand raise from Abigail's shoulder. Only then does she check her own wound created by the demon, brows furrowed and lips pursed.
"That—looks awful," is said with a hoarse laugh as she paws at her own wound gently. "Explains the numbness in m'muscles an' the ache though."
Seeing the demons incapacitated, Liette casts a furtive look back to Viorel, then offers a brief nod before jogging ahead with jingle of spur and the crunch of earth underfoot. As she moves, Liette slides Valor into its holster at her waist and quickly draws out Valor, snapping the cylinder open and shaking the spent shell casings out onto the ground. As she comes to a stop just past Crissor, the paladin looks back to the gnoll briefly while loading rounds into her revolver.
When she's finished, Liette's attention turns worriedly to Abigail. She watches the older woman just long enough to make eye contact and motion to her, indicating that she's going to advance and heal her once the rest of this unpleasantness is settled. Looking back to Crissor she asks, "Should we take out the sleepin' ones?"
Thanks for clarifying that all, Jelani. I wasn't sure exactly what was going on. Now that it's s little more clear ill post an action this evening when I get home. It'll just be moving into position/reloading, however, so it won't change much for anyone else.
Taking a few steps forward, Liette raises Valor to shoulder-level and fires a single shot downfield towards the demons savaging Abigail's beast. The round whizzes past the demon, skimming just over shoulder-level. Cursing to herself, Liette slams the side of the revolver against the butt of her palm, ejecting the cylinder in a smooth motion. She shakes the gun to the side, flinging smoking casings to the ground, then quickly reaches down to the bullets in her belt and begins plugging them in, then snaps the revolver shut.
"Get her out of there!" Liette pleads to Thaddeus.
After being transported, Liette lets out a hiss of frustration from the ground. Without even standing, the gunslinger raises one of her revolvers and opens fire at the closest of the beast-headed demons she can see. Justice's report is loud, but the gunshot misses its target. SHaking her head, Liette thrusts the firearm into its holster and furrows her brow, letting out a huff of breath as she feels the venom in her injuries continue to course its way through her veins with numbing quality.
"We-- gotta get Abigail out of there..." Liette hisses the words out to Thaddeus, desperation clearly visible in her expression.
Hey guys, I'm alive! Superstar has sucked a lot of life out of me, however, though since I didn't win I won't be saddled with additional work that'll keep me away from my games. I'm going to take the rest of this week to decompress after everything that's gone on, and I'll be back to my normal efficacy on Monday. Sorry for how things have ground to a halt these last couple months, but that's past now!
If you need to GMPC me for the next few days, please feel free to, I won't mind at all. I should've said something to that effect before radio-silence kicked in.
Called back by Thaddeus' magic, Liette exhales an exasperated breath as she looks around, trying to reorient herself where she lays on the ground. Clamoring to her feet, Liette is quick to channel a surge of positive energy through her body that crackles down from her hands, up her arms and down her back and shoulders to the wound in her leg. Raising Justice, she trains her sights on the now distant demons and squeezes off a few shots at one of them, while offering Thaddeus a brief, side-long look.
Thanks will come later.
_______________
Buff Tracker:
Haste: +1 attack, +1 Reflex, +1 AC; 4 Rounds
Swift Action: Lay on Hands @ Self
> Healing:3d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 5) = 15 Full-Round Action: Full-Attack @ Nezirou #4 (Deadly Aim; Haste; 6 range increment penalties; assuming to have been summoned back to square AW23)
Valor:1d20 + 11 - 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 - 11 = 16 (hit)
> Damage:1d8 + 13 + 2d6 ⇒ (3) + 13 + (4, 2) = 22
For Liette, everything feels like it is moving in slow-motion even before the haste washes over her. The gigantic woundwyrm's wings unfurled blocks out the sun in ways she had never dreamed imaginable. WHile the demons surrounding the chariots are an immediate threat, her instinct is to take out the leadership and hope that — like their most recent battle — it demoralizes the weaker creatures.
Before Liette even realizes what she's doing, she's stepped forward on the chariot and drawn both Justice and Valor, raising the revolvers up parallel. "Inheritor," she sternly calls, "guide my hand an' lay low this enemy a'righteousness!" A surge of confidence flows through the holy gunslinger's body, followed by a pulse of divine power that rolls from shoulder to hands, then down into her guns and out with each golden-hued muzzle flash and streaking silver tracer of divine firepower.
Five shots blast off in rapid succession, each leaving a plume of wyrmsblood in their wake, punching wounds in the riftspawned creature's hide and exiting out the other side as twirling streamers of radiance.
______________________________
Buff Tracker:
Haste: +1 attack, +1 Reflex, +1 AC; 4 Rounds
Smite Evil: +3 AC versus Woundwyrm
Free Action: 5-foot step to AV29
Swift Action: Smite Evil @ Woundwyrm
Full-Round Action: Full Attack Woundwyrm (Deadly Aim, Two-Weapon Fighting; distance 50 feet, two range increments out; -2 penalty to attack rolls)
Shooting a wary look to Tiknesr and Thaddeus, Liette addresses Sibylle. "Reinforcements. One'f our number couldn't rejoin us, an' another chose not to, in spite a'the bargain. We required additional strength t'ensure... victory."
Snapping Justice open, Liette kicks out the empty shell casing to the floor of the chariot with a jingle and a clatter. Fishing another bullet out of her bandolier, she tucks it into place and with a flick of her wrist snaps the revolver shut. "That was... too f$#&in' easy." Glancing down to the rapidly decaying demon carcass, Liette exhales a huff of breath and holsters her revolver. "'Ey, nice work, Whiskers." Then, pointing two fingers in Tiknser's direction she makes a clicking noise with her tongue and levers her thumb forward.
Sorry for the delay, RPG Superstar has been a huge time sink. Apparently I'm going to be interviewed on the Know Direction podcast next week and-- there's just so much going on right now!
Free Action: Use a hero point for a free move action.
Move Action (Bonus): Move south to V35 (adjacent to the Chaaor).
Full-Round Action: Coup de grace Chaaor with Justice. Automatic hit, automatic critical.
Seeing one of the demons appear behind her chariot, Liette whirls around with wide-eyed shock. NO matter how many times she's faced demons, their ability to move directly into battle is always startling. Before that initial shock wears off, Tiknesr's magic drops the gigantic creature to the ground with a groan and a rumble of something like a snore. Bewildered, she glances at the ratfolk and then snaps her attention back to the fiend.
Knowing not how long she has to take advantage of the situation, Liette springs into action, leaping to the back of the chariot and landing in a crouch with the long trail of her coat fluttering down behind her. Her engraved revolver—Justice—is pressed up against the beast's huge head, hammer clicked back.
"Tell yer masters-- Nevermind." Liette scrunches up her nose and then gives her head a quick shake before firing, blowing a coin-sized hole in the top of the chaaor's head and a foot-sized hole out the bottom of its jaw. "I'll tell 'em myself."
Squinting ahead at the horizon, Liette steps to the side of the chariot and raises one gun parallel to the bridge of her nose, barrel pointed skyward. The other firearm is tucked into her holster as she makes a gesture with two fingers down towards the ground between the chariots. "Vigilant crusaders, heed this beacon of strength, and ride forth to vanquish your enemies!" As the prayer is spoken, a radiant pulse of light surges down Liette's extended arm, forming a briefly visible ring of runes around her hand, mirrored in a five-foot circle on the ground. These sigils flare brightly, then disappear in a sparkle of golden motes. "Pass through that mark and you will be blessed for a brief time!"
Then, turning her attention back to the approaching demons she calls out warning. "These beasts'r resistant t'magic an' all the elements, 'cept fer sound, and they eat lightning fer breakfast! The bear-like ones are dumb brutes! Go fer the ram-headed one, I dunno much 'bout 'em an' they might be the brains f'this ambush!"
__________
Free Action: 5' step west to T35
Move Action: Holster Valor
Standard Action: Cast rally point on T34 (7 minute duration)
Free Action: Draw Valor
Effect: A good creature who enters this square (even if simply as part of its normal move) gains a +2 morale bonus on attacks, saving throws, and 14 temporary hit points for 1 round.
The warning shout from Kenan elicits a look of concern from Liette. She waves a gloved hand in Thaddeus' direction, making a signal to halt the chariot's forward movement. As it comes to a rolling stop, Liette throws open her duster and draws Justice and Valor in a fluid motion, whirling them around in each hand. Crossing the barrels of those sanctified firearms, Liette shuts her eyes and begins speaking in a firm, clear voice the litany of Saint Clydwell in the tongue of angels.
"செயிண்ட் Clydwell, நீதிமான்! ஒளிமயமான வீரன், வாரிசாக சாம்பியன், Demonscope காப்பாளர், கணக்கிலடங்கா நுழைய முளைக்க! உங்கள் வானத்தின் செய்யப்பட்ட கவசம், எப்படி வீரம். நீங்கள் நினைவில், Gravehearst என்ற தியாகி!" As Liette speaks, a warm, golden light begins to spread around her. "நாம், உமது மகிமையுள்ள அறப்போர், உம்முடைய சிறப்பு பாதுகாப்பை பிக்கள். இம்மியும் உன் வலிமையுடன் தைரியம் ஒரு பங்கு இருந்து எங்களுக்கு பெறுதல்; நாங்கள் எங்கள் மீட்பர் ஒரு வலுவான மற்றும் ஒப்பந்தப்புள்ளி அன்பு மற்றும், ஒவ்வொரு ஆபத்து அல்லது தூண்டுதலுக்கு, நம் ஆன்மா எதிரிக்கு எதிராக வெல்ல வேண்டும் என்று பிரார்த்தனை! நமது இரட்சிப்பின் ஓ நிற்பவர்! எங்கள் கடைசி தருணங்களை எங்களுடன் இருங்கள் மற்றும் நமது ஆன்மா இந்த பூவுலக வெளிநாட்டில் வெளியேறும்போது, கிரே லேடி தீர்ப்பு இருக்கை பாதுகாப்பாக அவற்றை செயல்படுத்த, மற்றும் Iomedae உனக்கு நித்திய ஆனந்தம் இராஜ்யத்தை சீக்கிரமாய் எங்களுக்கு தாங்க ஏலம் இருக்கலாம். விழுமிய அழ மீண்டும் எப்போதும் எங்களுக்கு போதித்தருளும்: "? யாரும் விழ தயாராக இருந்தால் யார் நிற்க வேண்டும்!""
Then, as an aura of tranquility and peace surrounds her body by way of candle-light and crystalline chimes, she seals the litany with a single, "Amen."
_______________
Standard Action: Using saint's ward to activate sanctuary on Liette (duration 8 rounds; Will DC 14 to resist.)
Saint Clydwell, the righteous! Glorious paladin, champion of the Inheritor, guardian of the Demonscope, vanquisher of the abyssal hordes! How valiant you are, in your heaven-made armor. We remember you, martyr of Gravehearst!
We, thy glorious crusaders, yearn to enjoy thy special protection. Obtain for us from the Inheritor a share of thy sturdy courage; pray that we may have a strong and tender love for our Redeemer and, in every danger or temptation, be invincible against the enemy of our souls! O standard-bearer of our salvation! Be with us in our last moments and when our souls quit this earthly exile, carry them safely to the judgement seat of the Gray Lady, and may Iomedae bid thee bear us speedily to the kingdom of eternal bliss. Teach us ever to repeat the sublime cry: "Who shall stand if none are willing to fall!?"
FYI I'm saving the rest of Liette's money for now aside from the diamond dust. Probably going to use it to better outfit Sigmund once she takes him as a cohort.
Gods, I forgot how much the diamond dust cost. I guess two could be a good investment in that case, unless anyone has some spare cash to make up the difference for a Staff of Life (90k ish).
Knowing that the others have been lukewarm to the Hellknights at best, Liette takes only a moment to consider Vance's question before responding. "Liette d'Argent," she notes in the affirmative with a gesture of one gloved hand to her chest. "I suppose that will do. I feel we may see eye-to-eye more so than some of my other companions."
Standing up from her seat, Liette extends a hand to the Paralictor. "I hope one day to see that weapon put to the skulls of every demon in the Wound."
The sheer sum of money takes Liette aback, but the paladin tries her best to hide her surprise. Though she has no way of knowing the mace's full value, the figure asserted by Vance seems to not be insulting.
"We have performed some initial reconnaissance in the Worldwound in the areas near to the citadel, but have run afoul of a clan of aforementioned sand giants in service to Lamashtu. We believe that the ruins of Varriksburg, to the northwest, may be a seat of power for them and we plan on rooting them out." As she explains their plight with the giants, Liette slouches back into her chair and exhales a sigh, running one gloved hand through her hair.
"There's also the matter of a swamp witch..."
____
Before I have Liette go into more detail on that, would... it be breaking our contract if we sent the Hellknights after the witch? (or tried to, at any rate)
"I came into their association after the discovery of this weapon, but I can attest that it was indeed found in the halls of the Fort of the Nail." Liette leans back into her chair, hands folded in her lap. "As is... common, in the Worldwound, we have lost comrades and gained others. Ours is a group forged of two who both suffered heavy losses. We're interested in returning this mace to its rightful owners, and perhaps in return negotiating for some assistance in related matters."
Liette looks side-long to Viorel for a moment, then back to the Paralictor. "It has long been my assertion that having the Order of the Nail back in possession of their fort would be a boon to the whole of the crusade, and we would be willing to work in cooperation with you on that mutually-beneficial endeavor, in return for the Hellknights' assistance in a battle of our own with a clan of desert giants that serve the Mother of Monsters."
Then, not wanting to corner the negotiations, she adds, "The others may have different suggestions."
Alighting a gloved hand to Kenan's shoulder, Liette steps subtly to the fore of the group. "We're looking for Paralictor Vance, it's a matter of some importance pertaining to the Crusade and the Hellknights." Letting her hand fall from Kenan's shoulder, Liette glances back at Thaddeaus before continuing. "Do you know if he's here, or when he may return?"
Liette's had shit luck with horses, so I think she'll wind up sticking with Thad and the Phantom Chariot. The less she has to walk the more she can pew pew pew. If Kenan's Roc is big enough to hold two riders I could go for that too. DRONE STRIKE, SKREEE.
Crap, I was just about to write a post about Liette going to the Sarkoris scholar and then I realized Jelani wasn't talking to me. I take it no one has seen Barek for a while, ICly? If that's the case I'll have her persue something else, probably brainstorming things to do with the Hellknights.
Swallowing hoarsely, Liette waves off Thaddeus' offer with a gloved hand. She sweeps her tongue across the front of her teeth behind her lips, brushes the heel of her palm over one eye repeatedly, and puts some distance between herself and Nathaniel's father. "We don't have time to drink," is the gunslinger's harsh answer. "I need to try and find Barek."
The incredulous word comes from Liette as she looks over from a conversation with one of the inn's servants. The white-haired gunslinger gives the serving girl an apologetic look, then waves her off as she approaches Thaddeus. "You're--" expression shifting in mercurial fluidity, Liette seems unable to know exactly which emotion to feel when presented with Nathaniel's father. Drawing in a sharp breath, she interjects a sudden vomit of feelings across the older man.
"I'm sorry," are the first things out of Liette's mouth. She has no frame of reference regarding Thaddeus, no knowledge of how Nathaniel and his father interacted or their past. She only knows that -- in her eyes -- she failed Nathaniel in the most profound way possible. "I'm--" her voice cracks and she looks unable or unwilling to form the remainder of that sentence. "I'm so sorry." Tears have welled up in her eyes faster than the words came, ones that are fought back with difficulty.
Liette never says one way or another whether Thaddeus is welcome. In her mind that isn't even her place to say. Instead, she's up and away from the table, away from Thaddeus, kneeling beside her backpack and rifling through it like a madwoman. Eventually, she produces a dusty piece of tattered black cloth and stiff backing, looking like it had been trampled and gnawed upon. Hands shaking, she rises from her backpack and walks it back over to Thaddeus, teeth biting at her lower lip.
Nathaniel's hat.
"It's-- all we have left," is croaked out barely more than a whisper.
"Problem is, that spell ain't gonna give us answers 'bout things that ain't happened, or things that might change because'f our actions. Back when I was in trainin', they talked 'bout divinations n'stuff. Though a'bet that Vi," she wags one hand in Viorel's direction, "can probably talk circles 'round me on that."
Settling down at the table with the others, Liette rests her hands on her hips and exhales a slow sigh before leaning forward and folding her hands on the tabletop. "How 'bout we ask if the mace belongs t'the Nail, a'like that one. We don't really need t'know if'n they're lookin' for it, really. I think we can pretty much say it's gon' be valuable. Now on them giant questions Abigail posed, I like'm both."
Rubbing her gloved thumbs together, Liette gazes down at the table and furrows her brows. Then, looking up with one raised she asks. "Where's Barek, anyway?"
Then, grimacing, she adds, "Uh, that ain't one'f the questions fer ol' Spookyface, neither."
Just to give you guys a heads-up, I'm super busy because of the holidays and haven't been on the Internet outside of my phone in a few days. I'll be delayed in updating things till this weekend, most likely, though if I manage to steal a little time here and there I will!
"All of you," Liette strains, tensely, "calm the hell down. I get it-- this's not ideal fer anyone. But fer the sake'f the Inheritor turn that gods-damned aggression somewhere else other'n each other." Letting her gaze fall on the mace, Liette breathes in deeply and looks over to the Abbot.
"I'm sorry, if'n I'd known from the start that this was property of the Hellknights I'd have asked 'em t'go straight to them." The gunslinger's pale eyes flick back to Viorel, brows furrowed.
"It ain't ours t'claim, not unless it ain't what we think it is. Tik' can get a divination on it, figger' out where it came from, maybe who it belongs to." Her stare shifts over to the Abbot, "an' you have my word, I ain't gonna' let this break down our alliance with the Nail, Sir. Fergive m'friends, we've all been through a heap'f shit the last few weeks."
Exhaling a tired sigh, Liette runs one hand through her hair and watches Abigail leaving, then slouches her shoulders and sweeps that hand down over her face.
That went well.
____________
Diplomacy check to try and calm the Abbot's nerves a little. Diplomacy:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
Breathing in deeply, Liette exhales a sigh and turns to look over her shoulder at Viorel. "You neglected t'mention t'me that this was discovered on the property a'the Order of the Nail," she admits with a mild annoyance, having brought up the very topic of giving it to them without even being aware it may well be theirs. "Given that," Liette states with a brush of one hand through her hair, turning to look back at the Abbot, "I don't see much choice but t'return this weapon t'them, provided it's theirs t'begin with."
Resting her hands on her hips, Liette eyes Abigail for a moment, then Viorel and Crissor. "I stand by the Abbot's words, if'n it is the Order of the Nail's property, we'll hand it on over. However," she inclines her head to the side, "if that ownership is uncertain, I'm all fer verifying that before we present it to 'em. Maybe we could ask after the mace, by name, 'fore we go sayin' we have it."
The arrival to the Chapel of the Knights is a bittersweet one. Portions of this old building are intimately familiar to Liette, having come and gone through these halls frequently as a child. Ventcroft was not yet an abbot then, and she never knew him well as a child and knows him with even less familiarity now as an adult. Walking up with a jingle of her spurs, she carries herself taller than perhaps is warranted given her failures, but confidence is something her kind must exude by their very nature.
"Abbot," Liette offers respectfully, inclining her head in a nod. "We've a matter of a bit of import to discuss with you," is a delicate way of putting it. Looking back to Viorel, Liette's brows furrow anxiously before she looks back to Ventcroft. "I appreciate you meeting us on such short notice." Reaching up to scrub one hand at the back of her head, the young paladin glances back at Viorel again.
"I... I guess we should just show you," seems like a good idea to Liette.
I won't have a chance to post here until tomorrow night, guys. Just so you know! If you're waiting on Liette presume she recommends the group go together to see the Knights of Ozem. Mostly because she wants to not have to deal with them alone.
Scrubbing one hand at the back of her head, Liette looks down to the floor (and away from the hideous familiar's vicinity) as she considers the question. "Probably. My contacts ain't in like, the central church of Iomedae, but the Knights of Ozem. They're primarily undead hunters, it's a family thing I never much took to." Glancing to the side, her brows furrow. "My mum's a midwife of Pharasma, so there's a door left open there too a'guess."
Chewing on her bottom lip contemplatively, Liette looks back to the others. "I almost wanna deal with the Hellknights more," is said in half-jest. She had advocated for them more strongly before.
Keeping an anxious eye on Aroden, Liette has held her inquisition about both why does the rat have a human face oh gods above that is horrifying and why is it named for the Last Azlanti to the best of her capability. However, her face betrays some of her uneasiness with thw occasional twitch of a brow and clench of her jaw as Tiknesr continues to speak. It is the topic of the giants that has her finally coming back around towards the conversation, still standing beside the table.
"Fine," Liette mutters, running a hand through her short hair. "If you've got a personal grudge against those giants, I'm all about putting them in the ground together -- provided you can hold your own out there." Liette offers a look to Viorel and Abigail briefly, then looks back to Tiknesr.
"One condition, though," Liette turns her attention back to her companions. "We need to be upfront with 'im about the whole swamp witch thing, if you all haven't told him yet already."
Hey guys, just a heads up: December is shaping up to be a real bear at my office as law firms get in their billing in advance the end of the fiscal year, so I've been pulling overtime and generally working harder than usual. As such I've been pretty burned out when I get home so I may miss a day or two of posting here and there up through New Years. Please bear with me and any slowness to respond to stuff.
Squinting at the enormous rat creature as he speaks in an accented Taldan, Liette crosses her arms over her chest and shifts her weight to one foot. A single, pale brow kicks up at the creature's inquiry, and more pointedly to his hand. "Bad luck on two legs, Pointy," Liette answers the vermin-man rather callously. Then, on considering her response, she exhales a weary sigh and scrubs the heel of her palm against her brow lightly.
"Liette d'Argent," is a begrudging introduction, followed by an askance look to the others at the table. "Ostensibly these people's tactician," though the honor sounds somewhat dubious, especially considering more recent missteps.
Liette offers Crissor only a mild smile and little more, seeming to be having a hard time reintegrating herself with the others. With one last look at Tiknesr, Liette offers the rat-man a word of advice. "If you've got scruples, y'might just want t'mount up on yer, uh, steed..." she seems to have taken the mount comment literally, "an' get s'far away from here s'possible. This table's full of short lives."
Running a hand through her hair, Liette remains standing at one end of the table when Abigail makes her statement and inquiry. Brows furrowed and another sigh slipping out of her, Liette nods in reluctant agreement to the older woman. "I've-- I know some people, through m'family. Knights of Ozem, primarily. They're a sect of the Iomedean faith dedicated t'fighting the undead. My father--" Liette cuts herself off and changes the direction of the conversation.
"It ain't no high priest I've got connections with. But if we make it public what we've got," Liette shoots an askance look to Tiknesfr, then back to Abigail, "whoever we want'll come crawling out of the woodwork."
I could spend 10,000 to get the banner, which would prevent us from getting fatigued when force marching, meaning we could effectively travel for 22 hours per day without stop.
Alternately, I could get Liette a wand of sanctify weapons which aligns all weapons in a 20-foot burst to penetrate DR/evil.
Was anyone else aside from Liette formerly having trouble with alignment-based DR?
Did we still have Nathaniel's tophat? I know it fluttered down after he was killed. I was thinking of giving it to his father as a "this is all that was left" sort of symbol, so he'd have something to bury. That is, if everyone's cool with parting with it.
@Jelani: When I take Sigmund on as a cohort, next level, I'm going to strip the gear he has to NPC value and presume that the lost possessions had to be sold off to accommodate for all of his medical care. Does that sound feasible?
