Linnea the Diviner's page

Katrine gives Stayven an incredulous look. "Are you kidding me? Did you not see what was in their larder? We are food to them! Not potential allies! Any thinking being that eats humanoids in or near our territory is a clear and present danger to the people of Tamlyn." And she's made the proper response to such a danger perfectly clear. Animals are one thing. Most large predatory animals are smart enough to avoid settlements, and the ones who aren't are pretty simple to hunt down. But intelligent predators like trolls? They're a far more difficult foe, beyond the means of a village militia to fight.

@Elliot: I think I’ll take displacement, please. Didn’t have enough time to cast protection from evil what with three freedom of movement spells, so more defense would be great.

Once everyone's back in camp, Merixia tracks down her friends in the organized chaos. "Ah, I need to ask you all something real quick before we start in with moving tents and such. There's something Ragathiel can give or teach me- he wasn't very clear on that- but I need to make a sacrifice first. So I was wondering if I could use the chain shirt, scimitar, and battle axe we've found? All of those are equipment for battle that we took off of evil enemies, so they'll be suitable. If I add in one of my scrolls, I was thinking bleeding strike, that feels like it'll be enough."

Before she gets to that, though, there's a large tent and three people's worth of stuff to pack up, move, and unpack. The cleric opts to tie the rolled-up tent to her horse's saddle and move it to the bridge that way. She could take the weight by herself, but the tent's size makes it unwieldy. With three people, setting it up goes fast.

Next she checks on the wounded, who are all pretty stable and don't need her help at the moment. The bathing tent and cooks can both use water, though, and once she's created enough for the cooks they recruit her to peel and chop vegetables. Merixia isn't much of a cook, but it's hard to screw up basic peeling and chopping.

That’ll teach me to double check my math. Thank you, Verene, numbers are not my strong point.

Sounds good! I think I’ll use one of the bleeding strike scrolls instead, though, since that’s a spell unique to Baphomet. (Plus I have two of them.)

"Sorry, I wasn't clear." Irabeth shakes her head. "There won't be many troops here - just any scouts willing to volunteer to watch a hundred yards or so into Southbank as an early warning for you all." She folds up and stows the map to look seriously at the rest of the rest of the command staff. "Of course, you'll also be an early warning force. If you see an army of ghouls, send word back and sound the alarm. I'm not going to rely on you all to hold the bridge against hundreds of ghouls. You just need to hold out briefly - retreat if you feel you're at risk of being overwhelmed, alright?"

Sosiel glances up. "Aron, would you like to spend some time with them? I'd like to take a few watches myself." His lover nods his acceptance.

"Good. I'll assign you ten more Knights to watch the bridge alongside you all." Irabeth says. "Is everything clear now?"

"Works for me. I'll take the middle shift." Honestly, there is no ideal solution here. This sounds like the best they're going to get. And Merixia doesn't need eight straight hours of sleep to prepare her spells in the morning, so it's logical for her to take the midnight shift.

She looks to Azira and Verene. "I know moving our tent is a pain, but I think we should put it near where we'll be keeping watch. That way whoever's not on watch can sleep without getting rained or snowed on, and they can respond quickly in case of an attack." And from what Merixia has read, precipitation in the Worldwound isn't always just water. Rains of blood, acid, insects, and even stranger things have been reported. It's a bad idea to fall asleep without something over your head.

Move the tent, check on the wounded, see if the cooks and bathing tent need water, do her share of camp chores, and cobble together a sacrifice for Ragathiel. She'll have plenty to do before sunset.

"One last thing. A possible explanation for the aura of darkness around that tomb the undead seem to be emerging from, one that would make it seem dim even during the daytime, is a permanent unhallow effect that has a darkness spell tethered to it, such that the darkness is in force through the entire unhallowed area. Similar to the zone of truth tied into the unholy shrine to the Old Goat we found in the basement of the Tower of Estrod."

Merixia grimaces at the mention of a possible unhallow. It's a plausible explanation for the unnatural gloom. "If there's a spellcaster capable of casting unhallow over there, going in without our most powerful spells would be a terrible idea. I don't know about you, Verene, but I'm tapped out of those, and I don't have much wardstone power left either. Repairing the bridge took a lot out of me. I think a night's rest in a fortified area would do us all good."

Merixia still hasn't had a chance to clean the blood off her armor or repair the broken pieces when she arrives at the command tent. Yeah, she called it. Another mission today. She represses a weary sigh.

"I would recommend moving to Southbank. If we have to carry our wounded out of the cemetery after dealing with the ghouls, I'd rather have the camp closer." And by 'we', Merixia means herself. She is the designated carrier of heavy things and people.

Take your time, GM! Stress is a killer, we'll be here whenever things improve for you. :)

Finally got some time to formally write down my Hierophant 2 changes.

+4 HP
Amazing Initiative
Str +2 (bastard sword attack +11, two-handed damage 1d10+9)
Legendary Item (weapon tba once Merixia actually manages to damage a reasonably powerful enemy)

Verene blinks, but the worried line between her eyebrows eases somewhat. "I know that. I just have to be faster next time."

Merixia gives the wizard a wry look. "At least you accomplished something other than playing target and nearly getting killed. Whoever's in charge over there must have told the chimera to focus on people in heavy armor, probably assuming that any such crusader would be a paladin."

Well, even if all she did against the chimera was distract it from the real threats, perhaps she can be of some use against the demons currently fighting their army of knights. Strangely, it feels as though she has a little more wardstone power than she had earlier. A mystery for another time. Merixia casts a spell of strength, then reaches out to pluck a shield of wings from the sea of spells in her mind. Five enormous wings of fire ignite upon her armored back. A prayer for Ragathiel's favor in battle, and she's ready to rain Heavenly wrath upon the enemy.

Casting bull's strength, one MP for shield of wings, and then divine favor from spells prepared. I'm fine with either an actual encounter or just a narrative. Whichever is easier for our GM.

Merixia stares blankly for a long moment as the chimera falls, all three heads severed by her frog-shaped boyfriend. We lived. All of us lived. Thank you, Ragathiel, for your grace this day. Then she hears Verene call her name and shakes the paralysis off. There's more work to be done yet.

The most efficient way to both see which knights can be saved and actually save them is, of course, channeling positive energy. "Everyone who's wounded, group up in the middle of the fallen knights for healing!" The cleric limps over to where Verene is standing, clearly injured but still functional. Once the rest of her friends are within range, Merixia raises her holy symbol. "Ragathiel, grant me your healing light!"

Channel Energy: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 4, 1) = 11

That should do it for Elliot and Thesius, but it looks like the rest of us can use more healing.

Channel Energy: 3d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 2) = 6

Verene's words bring him back to the present and he whirls around, locking eyes with Merixia and quickly trying to addess the state of her injuries - and then he sees the extent of the dying nights and horses around them. "Damn. That could have gone so much worse. It almost did. Even for us, with wardstone power, we almost lost. Could we have done better...? How? Maybe if we more coordinated somehow?"

A worry for a later time. He takes out a potion of cure serious wounds and holds it up for his girlfriend, unsure of her current vitality but very sure of the amount of blood on display. "Would it help if you drank this first?" He offers to her. "And I'm so glad you're safe." He adds before standing back, keeping an eye on the battle further on.

Merixia smiles at him, still covered in blood with several armor plates mangled by the chimera's teeth. But it's clear that her channeling has healed the vast majority of her wounds, and what's left is mostly deep bruising. "Great job there, Elliot. The potion won't be necessary right now, but the battle isn't over yet." She steps closer and draws him into a brief but heartfelt hug. "I'm glad you're safe too. But I'm not kissing you until you un-frog yourself."

"Who's a good boy? You are! Yes you are! Storm is the best boy!" Katrine praises and pets her bloody-mouthed wolfdog, who wags his tail happily and pushes his head against her hand like a pampered pet rather than the deadly predator he is. She tosses him another bit of meat, then turns to see what Faerin found.

"Wow. I'm glad I have a pack mule, that's a lot of coin." She pokes at the gemstone with one long, pointed fingernail. "This doesn't look like the kind of stone I've seen in jewelry. It's kind of a weird shape. Pelipe, can you check it for magic?"

You're not allowed to kill Merixia until we have access to an NPC cleric who can cast raise dead! Merixia can probably raise the rest of the party with Relentless Healing, but I am very attached to this character and really don't want to try and replace her. I just had to replace a long term character in Rise of the Runelords (lamia matriarch fight kicked our butts, would have been a TPK if the sorcerer and oracle hadn't successfully run away). Now the survivors have to inform the families and friends of the deceased, they're planning funerals, and it's all very depressing.

Okay, Tier 2! Obviously increasing Str for my ability score boost. I'm torn between Faith's Reach and Legendary Item, though. Faith's Reach would let me heal from a distance, which is always handy. A legendary sword would be extremely helpful in combat, though. And of course there is the coolness factor. This is a mythic campaign, what am I even doing as a melee combatant if I don't have a legendary weapon at some point?

This probably wouldn't be the best time thematically, since Merixia didn't get a chance to land a blow on the Demon Chimera. But. Legendary weapon.

Uh, yeah, if Demon Chimera had rolled a little better in that first attack Merixia would most likely have been dead. It may have been a short fight but it was definitely a brutal one.

Pretty sure blinded enemies don't get AoOs. Don't your opponents have total concealment if you're blinded?

The agony is horrific. Try as she might, Merixia just can't dodge all three heads and both sets of claws at once. Only her mentor's strict training keeps the cleric on her feet with her sword in hand. She staggers back a few feet and gasps out the words to a healing spell, gripping her holy symbol in a blood-smeared hand.

5 ft step and burn a bull's strength for cure moderate wounds.

Cure Moderate Wounds: 2d8 + 6 ⇒ (4, 5) + 6 = 15

Once I manage to retrain I'm definitely taking Selective Channeling, Furious Focus can wait. I should know to listen to Verene by now. With my luck it won't be until after we take the citadel though, lol

Merixia: *exists*

Demon Chimera: KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT DEAD

Merixia ducks as the blast of ice roars toward them, barely managing to avoid the worst of it. Even with her infernal resistance to cold, the unnatural chill burns her lungs. No way in Hell am I fighting that thing without more protection. The cleric looks around at her friends; it seems that everyone dodged the full force of the dragon head's icy breath, so she begins chanting a spell of armor. Her skin turns gray, taking on the texture of rough iron.

Since everyone made their Reflex saves- thank you Mythic Surge- Merixia is casting ironskin for +4 natural armor bonus to AC.

Current total AC:
+1 Dex
+8 +1 banded mail
+2 deflection magic circle against evil
+1 dodge haste
+1 insight perfect placement
+4 natural armor ironskin
Total AC 27

Time to repair a bridge. (Hopefully repair a bridge.) Merixia follows Aron, Sosial, and a few burly crusaders recruited to haul rocks down into the riverbed. It's not an easy descent in heavy armor, but she manages with a rope. "Okay, Aron, show us exactly where you want these pillars."

Lots of snow outside, but otherwise I'm fine. :)

I hope things improve for you soon! Don’t worry about us, we’ll be here whenever you get back.

Okay, daily spells are prepared in my character profile!

Irabeth looks at Verene inquisitively when Elliot suggests the spell, and nods at her explanation. Listening to Merixia, she rubs her chin. "It sounds as though we've got a few options, then. Aron, have you had a chance to look at the bridge yet?"

The siege engineer nods, and looks briefly abashed. "I'm ashamed to have missed it before, but it's definitely not stable. I'd say that if we can get the stone up from the riverbed in columns, we could keep the bridge from collapsing. Probably we'd need..." He does some mental calculations. "Four such pillars? It's a post and lintel bridge, after all. Although," he frowns, "we'd still have to be careful of the boards not breaking and laming a horse."

Irabeth considers this in turn, then looks at Merixia. "Good enough for me. Do you know how many castings you'd need to do that?"

"The bridge is about thirty feet up." Aron adds helpfully.

Thirty feet, ugh. Why couldn't the builders of Drezen have made lower bridges? Or the Sarkorians, whoever built these stupidly high bridges. "Would pillars one foot square be sturdy enough? If so, I can just manage that with one day's worth of spells and wardstone power. If not, it will take more than one day." And then she'll be fighting an army of cultists without any of her most powerful spells or wardstone abilities. Unless... Merixia looks at Sosial. "Sosial, can you cast stone shape?" It would be immensely helpful if her fellow cleric could pick up some of the spellcasting burden.

He gives Merixia a nod. "And yeah, if things go south I'll definitely throw some kind of signal. I'll fight my hardest to get back to you, my love." He solemnly pledges, briefly blushing when he realizes he just said that aloud with the entire staff present. "A-anyway, Master, Verene, if you would cast the spells?"

Merixia blushes along with Elliot, silently cursing her pale complexion. "You better. Or I will figure out how to resurrect the dead just so I can bring you back and yell at you for getting yourself killed." Her mock-stern expression softens into a smile. "May Ragathiel's eyes fall upon you and his wings shield you."

She pauses. "One more thing. I received an answer of sorts to my prayer last night. If I'm interpreting it correctly, I need to make a sacrifice to Ragathiel. Ideally this would be a magical weapon, shield, armor, or some other item useful in battle captured from the enemy. If anyone comes across something of that nature that nobody in our forces can or will use, let me know? I would sacrifice my enchanted buckler, but I got that from the priests of Abadar in Kenabres. No idea whether or not the demons or cultists used it at some point. I can trade it for a better sacrifice though."

She considers the map again. ”As for the rest… what spells can you all offer in terms of building a bridge to the south? Or maybe just reinforcing the one that’s there?”

"I'm afraid I don't have any spells that would be useful in crossing the riverbed directly. I can cast stone shape if you decide to repair the bridge instead, though. At my current level of power, I can shape sixteen cubic feet of stone with one casting, and I can prepare up to three copies of the spell. If we need to carry stone to the repair site for this, I can also prepare communal ant haul, which allows up to six people to carry three times the weight they normally could for two hours each." Merixia would really prefer not to use all of her most potent spells for the day on bridge repair, but if it's necessary, she will. "I can also use the wardstone's power to cast stone shape without preparing it up to five times. That would leave me without a significant portion of my combat ability, but it is an option."

"Okay. So we are going with the sabotage first," Elliot surmises. When Azira makes her suggestion he nods. "True, if you are discovered and they manage to dispel the flight while you are above the tower, that would trap you there. I still think you are best suited to fight your way out, but I could go instead if we stick with giving Thesius one guard. I can reapply my flight if they manage such a thing and if not I can simply jump off of the tower and land softly." He wasn't entirely sure if his flight ability *could* actually be dispelled but it was a valid concern he supposed.

Merixia frowns thoughtfully. "That sounds like a good plan, but I suggest we arrange some means for you to signal us if you're discovered and need backup. Maybe an illusion of fireworks?" Elliot is a deadly fighter, but quantity has a quality all its own, and the demons of the Worldwound never lack for numbers.

While it's not a lot, Thesius also generally has his first level spells open and they get used for healing as a secondary source. Cure Wounds Wands are also great for after combat healing. Even more so when we have party members that can recharge them.

Maybe the party investing in a bigger healing wand would help as well. Something like a Cure Serious. Maybe with a higher caster level then minimum as well.

The problem isn't me saving spells for healing, I've been relying on channeling and the wand for a while. The problem is my tendency to treat my daily spells as Too Awesome To Use. That's what happens when you spend the vast majority of your tabletop RPG time at low levels. :P I just have to keep telling myself that it's okay to cast several buffs instead of one or two.

@GM: Rest up and feel better soon!

Merixia slowly makes her way back to the waking world, trying to figure out what just happened. Was that Ragathiel? I think so. Ugh, why couldn't he just talk, I know he can. She huffs irritably as she gets out of her bedroll and prepares for the day. A sacrifice, or an offering. Presumably he doesn't want something ephemeral like her memories or such, which is a relief. The best type of offering for the General of Vengeance is spoils of war taken from an evil enemy. Preferably a weapon, armor, or other item useful in battle, and if it's something like an unholy weapon or an inflict wand so much the better.

Well, damn. I should have asked back in Kenabres, that magic scythe we got off the lady guarding the wardstone would have been perfect. Water under the bridge, unfortunately. Merixia lays out her belongings, considering what she has and what she can live without. Her wand of spiritual weapon is almost fully charged, thanks to Verene and Elliot, and she took it from the leader of the Baphomet cult under Kenabres. That's a low level spell though, it probably won't be enough on its own.

Her buckler, maybe? The cleric bites her lip, considering. She had been so proud when she learned how to use a bastard sword in one hand; the proper way, according to her mentor. But... Father Darian is six feet six with shoulders like an ox and biceps nearly as big as Merixia's head. Merixia is none of those things. Maybe she could try fighting with a two-handed grip. It would certainly allow her to put more strength behind her blows. The buckler didn't come from the enemy, though, she got it from the priests of Abadar. I'll let the rest of the command staff know what I'm looking for. Elliot, Verene, Azira, and Thesius would probably just let me have a magic weapon or suit of armor, but if one of the others finds something, I can trade my buckler for it.

Washed, dressed, armed and armored (minus buckler), the cleric ventures forth to find breakfast and her companions. After a quick bowl of porridge and some hot mint tea, it doesn't take long to track down the strategy meeting.

"Good morning, everyone." She takes a seat at the table. "I think taking out the rest of the siege engines before we start making a crossing- whether we opt for the bridge or the riverbed- is a good idea. They might not be terribly accurate at this range, but all it would take is one lucky hit."

Elliot snorts, amused at first, then he contemplates the deeper implications. "...He might, yeah. What with the five of us each receiving visions of our respective gods before. One might assume they are unusually invested in us and our success." The swordsman continues, frowning. "Just, ah, if he offers to change you in some way, would it be because you wanted to or because you felt forced to? I want you to be happy," He clarifies. "And I love you as you are. Just know that you don't have to do such a thing. We've gotten by everything in our way thusfar and I'm sure we will continue to do so. Just..." He struggles to find the words. Whatever happened to Meri, he would have to live with that too. "So long as it's your choice."

Realizing it was getting late, he eventually disentangles himself. "All right. Shall we go off and have a bit to eat? I don't know about you, but I'm starving. And dead tired, too. We'll need to get a good bit of sleep while we can, probably." He smiles even though part of him was reluctant to break this tender moment amidst all the carnage of the crusade.

Change her? ...Oh. Merixia glances down at Righteous Eclipse. Yeah, in Elliot's shoes, she would worry about that too. "I may be Andoren by choice, but I am Chelaxian by birth. I'm not about to sign a contract without reading the fine print." She lifts her head and turns to look at him, a fierce look in her yellow eyes. "And I will never agree to a bargain that costs me my memories of you. Of us. Or of our friends, for that matter. What we have... this is something I never thought I would find. Someone I can trust not just with my life, but with my heart. And I will fight like hell to keep it."

A gurgling sound interrupts her emotional vow. Merixia looks down at her stomach, blushing. "Um. Yeah, food sounds like a good idea."

Elliot isn't sure where to begin; the time and place component was clear but there were feelings of inadequacy there too, which he himself had also struggled with in the past. Perhaps he still did, to some degree. But that wouldn't stop him from trying his best for her. ”All right. I’ll keep that in mind. Just know that you don’t have to pretend things are well. Not to me, at least – I wouldn’t think any less of you. Everyone has their off days; I certainly had mine below Kenabres.” He grins wistfully – it felt like a lifetime ago. In a sense it was, with parts of his memory replaced by that of another. ”And…” Mustering his courage, he gently takes her hand. ”I am your… partner, am I not? I’d like to think that if something ever did trouble you in the future, no matter what it was, you’d feel safe and secure enough to tell me. And if not, to tell me that instead.” There is an earnest warmth to his gaze.

”Besides, I do believe I owe you at least a few more pep talks,” He adds good-naturedly. ”It doesn’t seem entirely fair that when I feel down, you’re there for me, but when you feel down, you go to Verene instead. Or Verene gets to you first? Either way – when does a poor guy get to return the favor! ” The magus laments in decidedly overly dramatic fashion before rising up and taking a similar cliché heroic pose. ”Do you hear that, universe! I, Elliot Worthane, have empathy too!“ He boasts heavenward. ”I demand you let me use it!”

The sky was not visibly impressed. ”…Both demon and crusader alike are laughing at me, aren’t they.” Deflating back to normal, he chuckles. ”Let’s hope that one doesn’t make it into the history books.” He risks a glance at his companion. Maybe he’d lifted her mood? Made her laugh? Smile? It was all he could hope for.

Merixia laughs softly at Elliot's antics, resting her head on his shoulder. Thankfully her horns curve back over her head, otherwise this position would be uncomfortable for him. "It was just luck that Verene found me first. Luck, and possibly Thamyris, although I didn't see him." He's a tiny little bird though, so that doesn't mean much. "I'm still getting used to having a partner in life. I've never courted anyone before, so earlier I guess I just acted on instinct. On what I always used to do."

She sighs, tail reflexively curling around Elliot's waist. "All I can promise is that I'll try to open up more. Because you're right, this is what partners should do for one another, but the habits of a lifetime don't die easily." But she will try, and she will do her best. Elliot deserves that much and more. "Anyway, Verene convinced me that it isn't actually a sign of weakness to pray for guidance when I've done my best and it isn't working, and since Ragathiel is the whole reason I'm here in the Worldwound, he just might answer." Merixia chuckles. "An atheist counseling a cleric on a matter of faith. It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke."

Merixia wrote:

"Want to take a walk?"

...But resting would have to wait. "Of course. I know just the place." He smiles and begins heading towards one of the many only partially intact buildings to the north - probably still a holdover from the capture of the city by the demons in the past. Perhaps there'd never been a need for them to repair the lodgings, what with the demons' native resistances to most weather effects. Or maybe fixing things just wasn't in their nature to begin with. Regardless, it was easy to find and ascend one of the half-collapsed towers to get a decent view of both the citadel to the west, the making of camp below them and the bridge over the dry riverbed to the south.

Along with the setting sun, that was probably the best possible scenery one could hope for on a crusade, or so he figured. "We made good progress today," He says as he sat down on the edge, drawing and resting Righteous Eclipse on his lap for added sitting comfort. Starting with something positive and pretty much objectively true seemed a safe way to start the conversation. "The crusade as a whole, I mean. If we figure out how to move the army across the riverbed, at this rate we'll have all of Drezen's surroundings cleared out in mere days."

The momentary look of contemplatation over that logistical problem fades as he briefly shakes his head. "But that's not why we're here, is it? So... how are you holding up?" The magus follows invitingly, trying to read his lover's mood and intentions.

Wow, Merixia didn't even consider the ruins they built their camp around when she went looking for privacy earlier. Definitely better than squishing into a supply wagon. She sits down next to him, eyeing Righteous Eclipse curiously. It's a talking sword; maybe it wants to be part of the conversation? Hopefully it isn't too interested in its bearer's romantic life.

"I'm doing a bit better now. I don't know how Verene does it, but somehow she always seems to know just what to say to put things in perspective." Her tail hides itself behind her, a sign of nerves. "Um, I wanted to apologize for earlier." Merixia looks down over the camp and the ruined city. "I was so disappointed and mad at myself about completely failing everyone in that fight, it was all I could do to keep it together long enough to finish the battle, heal the wounded, and find a safe place to let it all out." She looks back up at him. "The one thing that always breaks my composure when I'm trying to not feel things is someone being kind. Somebody caring and asking how I'm doing. Which is normally a good thing!", she hastens to add. "The fact that you care so much is one of the things I love about you. Just maybe don't ask when I'm that upset and the situation isn't safe to break down emotionally? Come find me once we're in a secure place and I can cry on you then." The cleric's lips quirk in a rueful smile.

Merixia nods to the commander. "I'll wait to prepare my spells for tomorrow until we have a better idea of what we'll need, then." Irabeth is a paladin, she'll know that doing so takes about an hour. Fortunately Ragathiel isn't fussy about minutiae such as exactly when his followers pray for spells. He knows that war can be unpredictable.

She looks over at Elliot. "Want to take a walk?" Somewhere they can talk without half the camp listening in.

...how did I mess that up on my character sheet? Thanks Faerin! Uh, ignore the "crit" then.

He turns and looks south, in the direction of the rocky riverbed. Seeing Merixia, he smiles warmly and waves her over. "Hey! Feeling better now?" he asks, relieved as that was apparent enough. He'd have to thank his sister later - and it was probably best to not even allude to having been there himself even momentarily. Everyone had their bad moments. What was to be gained by lingering on them? Nothing good, in his mind. Still, maybe he could help out to restore her spirits further.

Merixia waves back and walks up to the group. Clearly Elliot wasn't discussing anything personal with the commander. "Hi, Elliot." Looks like this isn't the time or place to apologize to him. Hopefully this meeting won't take too long, and then they can find somewhere private (as private as it gets in this camp, anyway) to talk.

She listens for a bit, getting a feel for the topic of conversation. Ah. Getting back across the riverbed to deal with the army there. The sound of footsteps briefly attracts her attention; Verene. The cleric nods to her, but lets everyone else keep talking for a bit.

"I like Azira's idea of outfitting the freed prisoners with what we do have on hand and keeping them at range with bows until we can get them proper weapons and armor. If it were me, I would want any possible protection and ability to fight back I could get, as soon as I could get it. I also agree with Elliot that it seems crucial to deal with the forces outside before assaulting the citadel directly. To that end, when it comes to allowing the knights to cross the Ahari riverbed and attack the forces gathered on the south bank, tomorrow I would gladly help with bridge-repair efforts or attempts to disguise our movements as we cross with my spells. But not before then — for tonight, I am all but spent."

"Just let me know which divine spells you think the army will need and I'll be happy to prepare them tomorrow morning. I'm in the same boat as Verene for tonight, though. What spells I didn't use in combat, I used to heal our rescued soldiers."

Recalling what Merixia's impulse was at the awful fountain back in Kenabres where they found Old Arthek's body, and what it meant to her then, Verene steps forward and hugs her briefly but fiercely. "You already have, and I count myself lucky for that every day. I didn't say anything you don't already know. You aren't alone in this."

She smiles at Merixia, presses the flask into her hands once more, and lets her go.

The hug startles Merixia for a moment, then she relaxes and hugs back. (Gently. She's still wearing armor and Verene is not.) Ah, I needed that. "I have? Um, okay. Good." At least she's doing something right, apparently. Although she can't think of anything noteworthy that she's done for Verene. Talked her through the emotional aftermath of Iomedae's unwanted blessing, maybe? But that's just what you do for friends. Nothing unusual there. "I'll see you later tonight."

Now, where might Elliot be? Merixia makes a circuit of the camp, savoring the last sips of Verene's coffee as she slowly spirals in toward the center. It doesn't take long for her boyfriend's fiery hair to become visible in the fading twilight. Oh, he's talking with Irabeth. I'll wait until he's done.

Verene does not dispute Merixia's characterization of the fight, for it is clear that to bring up the success of her disabling chains, or the value of her healing, would be taken as a deflection. She listens closely, trying to understand, and is silent for some moments after she absently receives the flask again.

"You don't... want to pray for guidance." This is such an alien notion to Verene, even many years removed from her childish belief that anything would answer, that she struggles to contain her bafflement. Most of her life has been spent on the edge of the Worldwound, and there is nothing like knowing that only holy magic is holding back the ravening hordes of demons every second of every day to prove that mortals cannot solve all their problems on their own. "I can understand wanting to do what you can on your own without bothering a deity over every little thing, I suppose. But this is not a small problem to you, and the worst thing that can happen is you do not receive an answer and are no worse off than before. He is the entire reason you are here, after all. Surely he wants you to succeed, and to feel useful in the fight. Surely no one is more of an expert in his chosen weapon, or more capable of putting you in the path of such an expert to train you. Self-reliance is a virtue. But so is being able to ask for help when you need it.

"Don't you think... he might be waiting for you to ask?"

"Ragathiel already gives me so much, spells and channeling and everything..." Merixia sighs. "But you're right. I wouldn't have crossed a continent to fight demons if it weren't for him." Maybe she would have followed her original plan to become an Eagle Knight. Maybe she would have been a mercenary, or a Pathfinder, or something darker. The craving for battle has always been a constant for her, but there's plenty of that closer to home.

"Well. If he does answer, I suppose that will be a lesson for me on the pitfalls of pride." She uncurls herself with a creaking of armor and hops down from the wagon. "Thank you, Verene. Talking to you always helps. I should probably track Elliot down and apologize for brushing him off earlier." Merixia turns and smiles at her. It's a small, subdued smile, but it's there. "If you ever need to talk to someone, I'll always be willing to listen."

Verene returns Elliot's gaze with a slow blink of acknowledgement that is not quite a nod.

Merixia wrote:

"I think you mentioned that back in Kenabres." It seems like a lifetime ago.

Verene nods and pours a small amount of coffee into the cap for herself, then pushes the rest of the flask back into Merixia's hands. "Of course. I probably mentioned training with Azira." This is an exceedingly mild way to describe that interaction, but she skips past it to her point.

"I wasn't very good at it," she says candidly. "As you have no doubt guessed. I had just enough aptitude to convince myself that dedication and faith could make up for the rest. I never had any strong intuitive awareness of the world, or a feeling of oneness, or divine understanding, or just a sense for people and what they need.

"You do. More than anyone I've ever seen — more even than my mother, who has served Iomedae as a healer these fifty years. And perhaps more importantly, you have the ear of a god who recognizes and empowers that which is already within you. You are worthy. You have purpose." She sips from the cap, slow, her gaze on the distant citadel.

"But — forgive me — you do not seem happy. Not only today, but at other times as well." The words are quiet, neutral, nonjudgmental. Verene looks at Merixia for the first time, her grey eyes probing but kind.

Merixia just stares at Verene for a moment, wide-eyed. Verene actually thinks all that about her? Well, she said it, didn't she? Verene isn't the kind of person who tells comforting lies. She tells the truth as kindly as possible, and sometimes just doesn't say anything, but she doesn't lie. "Um. Wow. Thank you, although I'm not sure I'm as insightful as all that." Merixia takes another drink of sweet, sweet coffee to give herself some time to gather her thoughs.

"No, I'm not happy. It's not a crisis of faith or anything, Ragathiel's appearance to me after the whole wardstone thing was comforting in that regard." She'll never forget the experience of having her god kneel down to grant her his blessing. "Maybe the divine understanding and all would be enough if I served a different deity. But Ragathiel is a god of war, and I'm failing at that aspect of my calling." Merixia swallows hard. "I try and try, but you saw what happened today! I couldn't land a single hit on those brimoraks. And I don't know what to do to improve myself."

She sighs, staring out over the camp. "It was a long journey to Kenabres, with a bunch of other crusaders. I was so excited at first to spar and learn from the ones who would tolerate a tiefling. But none of them used a bastard sword, and I found out the hard way that my weapon of choice is just different enough from a longsword- and a greatsword, and a scimitar, and an Aldori dueling sword- that their techniques don't quite work for me. I guess there's a reason why people pay Father Darian to teach them how to properly use a bastard sword. You need an expert to get beyond the basics. And I was too impatient to stay in Almas long enough to learn his advanced techniques." The cleric takes another drink of coffee and offers Verene her flask back. She doesn't want to be greedy. "All I can think of to do at this point is pray for guidance and hope I get an answer. I hate having to do that. It's like admitting that I can't solve my problems on my own."

Around forty minutes after what she thinks of as the clean-up has begun, Verene notices that she has not seen Merixia in a while. She starts looking out for her while performing the divinations that take her in a circle around camp, and eventually sees just the end of a tail, moving restlessly underneath a supply wagon. Approaching the gap between stacks of food crates to its side, Verene politely clears her throat just before rounding the corner, to let the cleric know she's coming and not startle her.

"Coffee?" She offers a capped flask. Somehow during the organizational efforts, Verene has managed to find hot water and the time to take out her equipment and make some of the strong, rich brew. Nothing fortifies the spirits, in her experience, quite like a hot drink. One of the newly freed prisoners had actually cried upon tasting it. She hopes this was a reflection on the length of his captivity and not on her brewing skills.

Merixia hurriedly wipes her face with the now soggy handkerchief as she hears Verene approach. She was afraid of this. Verene obviously caught on that something was wrong earlier- no surprise there, Merixia is a terrible actress- and between the wizard's own sharp eyes and those of Thamyris, it's hard to hide from her. But the embarrassment of being caught crying quickly gives way to the heavenly aroma of coffee. Gods, it’s been forever since she had coffee! "Really? Thank you." Merixia accepts the flask, takes a much more moderate drink than she would like, and hands it back.

She leans against the crates, staring out at the forbidding edifice of Citadel Drezen in the distance. After about a minute of silence, she says, very casually, "I trained to be a cleric, you know."

Ah. This is going to be an emotional talk for both of them, it seems. Merixia nods. "I think you mentioned that back in Kenabres." It seems like a lifetime ago.

Before joining the battle

Merixia casts the spells she hadn't used previously, in her mistaken belief that there would be more enemies inside the tower. Not much point in saving them now though. She descends onto the battlefield with the last minutes of shield of wings, carving her way through the enemy with a detached calm she almost never feels during a fight.

Present time

The demons may have fled, but that's just the beginning of a cleric's job. Merixia cleans and sheathes her blade as she makes her way to the freed prisoners. "Gather round me, all who are injured. I still have two uses of channeled energy left today."

After a half hour or so, all of the prisoners who can be healed by ordinary positive energy and cure spells have been helped. The rest will need more potent healing such as regenerate. Merixia slips away from the crowd. Ordinarily this is a difficult task in heavy armor, but given that most of the army is wearing such armor, she blends in well enough. She should probably go conjure some water for the cooks... but the walls she's built around her emotions are cracking. And she isn't about to let that happen where anyone can see or hear.

Eventually she finds a supply wagon where just enough of the food crates have been taken out to make a convenient hiding spot. It's barely big enough for a tall, muscular woman in banded mail to sit, but Merixia makes it work. She presses a handkerchief to her face- it wouldn't do to rust her armor with tears- and lets it all out.

Merixia isn't nearly as good at hiding as she thinks she is. It shouldn't take a very high Perception check to find her, especially since there are few places in the crusader camp that offer any privacy.

It occurred to me that maybe you’re looking for more information about us outside the game. Thing is, I come here to get away from real life. :/ I hope that’s okay.

He was very curious how and where the two of them learned such feats, but there were more important matters to attend to.

Like Meri's decidedly dead look right then which hit him like a Brimorak's hoof straight to the stomach - and his face could very much attest to just how hard that was. He wasn't sure whether it was worse to see her enraged or like this following a similar fight like in the temple, but even he could tell it had to be addressed somehow. Still, he does as instructed, accepting the healing up to where most of his wounds were seen to. Then he lingers behind a bit when the process of tending to the others is over. "Thanks. But... are you okay?" He asks the cleric, concern evident. "If you feel like talking, I'll listen. Maybe offer some advice. Can't promise it'll be all that good but that's never stopped me before." He grins slightly at the last part. Maybe a bit of humor would help? At times likes these he wished he was more eloquent like most of his other friends here...

Oh gods. No no no. Merixia can feel her emotional armor cracking under the force of Elliot's kindness. She can shrug anything else off when she's like this, but not genuine concern. "Please, not right now." Closing her eyes, she tries to center herself again. To shove the feelings trying to make themselves heard back in their box and nail it shut this time. "I'm not okay. But this really isn't the time or place to talk about it." Merixia takes a deep breath and opens her eyes again. "I'll be fine to complete the mission. Don't worry about that."

Eager to escape the conversation, she looks around for a distraction. Verene still has a few painful-looking burns. Clearly she needs more healing! Right this instant! "Excuse me, Verene needs my help." Wand in tail, Merixia walks over to the catapult and touches it to the kobold-shaped wizard.

Healstick redux, on Verene this time: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

...okay then. Merixia's friends are bleeding from various wounds and/or charred, but they're still going right to the mission. At least I can be of some use keeping them alive. She's just about to channel energy when a thought strikes her. Are all of these demons actually dead?

While everyone else is going over the catapult, Merixia gives each fallen demon a cursory examination for signs of life. (The ones that aren't dismembered and don't obviously have their brains smashed in, that is.) Any demons still breathing get a bastard sword through the neck.

Grisly task completed, the cleric walks back over to the rest of the group, positioning herself to catch everyone in her healing. It's slightly harder to channel without her mnemonic, but Merixia doesn't want to do any unnecessary talking at the moment. Fiery golden light flares from her raised holy symbol.

Channel Energy: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 5) = 15

Hmm, Verene and Elliot are looking okay now, albeit a little singed. Merixia's own burns are completely gone. Azira managed to dodge each and every blow. But Thesius looks like he can still use some help. Merixia cleans her sword on a nearby corpse's clothing while she retrieves her healing wand with her tail. "Hold still a moment, Thesius."

Healstick 1: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Healstick 2: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Healstick 3: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

I think that gets everyone to 5 HP down or less. I'd appreciate it if someone checked my math though. If you want Merixia to heal you to full, just let me know.

Not a single hit. Merixia tried and tried and tried, and she couldn't land a single hit, while Elliot and Azira effortlessly carried her dead weight. She ducks her head and raises her arm to hide her face behind her buckler, taking a deep, shaky breath. Forgive me, Ragathiel. I've failed you, I've failed my friends, and I don't know how to do any better. You should have chosen someone stronger. More skilled, more agile, more educated in spellcraft, more everything.

This isn't the time or place for a breakdown. Well, Merixia's early childhood taught her how to deal with this situation. She ruthlessly stomps down the wave of emotion, locking it away to deal with later. (Slaves who cry get beaten even harder.)

There is no expression on her normally animated face as she descends to the rooftop again. "Gather round and I'll heal your wounds."

If you want to put together your requests as to what you'd like retraining into, I can give you tentative answers.

Okay, here we go! I'll put most of this under spoiler tags so as not to clutter up the thread anymore.

Okay, I took a good look at the Rage subdomain and the Anger inquisition, and I'm sticking with the former.

Rage (Su): At 8th level, you can enter a fearsome rage, like a barbarian, for a number of rounds per day equal to your cleric level. At 12th and 16th level, you can select one rage power. You cannot select any rage power that possesses a level requirement, but otherwise your barbarian level is equal to 1/2 your cleric level. These rounds of rage stack with any rounds of rage you might have from levels of barbarian.

(emphasis mine)

Compare:

Divine Anger (Ex): At 6th level, you gain the ability to rage like a barbarian. Your effective barbarian level for this ability is your inquisitor level – 3. If you have levels in barbarian, these levels stack when determining the effect of your rage. You do not gain any rage powers from this granted power, though if you have rage powers from another class, you may use them with these rages. You can rage a number of rounds per day equal to your Wisdom bonus, plus 1 round for every inquisitor level above 4th.

So if I wait two levels, I get a lot more rounds of rage per day, plus a rage power at 12th and another one at 16th. I can't pick powers with a level requirement, but that still leaves some good options.

As for Archon subdomain, I had not realized that Aura of Menace doesn't allow a save! Must have confused it with archon's aura. Tempting if I don't go the Divine Paragon route. Unfortunately, that would mean both of my 6th level domain spells suck. Rage has moonstruck which is only effective on humanoids, and Archon has planar ally with archons only. Why do they put planar ally as a domain spell? It's expensive AF and many outsiders want favors that are inconvenient and/or dangerous. Nobody can afford to cast that spell very often.

Might still be worth it for Aura of Menace though.

Wow, thank you both so much! I feel kind of stupid now... but like I said earlier, the vast majority of Pathfinder games I've played died around 4th or 5th level.

Things I don't want to change: I want racial subtype to stay the same for RP reasons, and I don't want to drop Int any lower than 10. Roleplaying a stupid character is not my idea of a good time.

Primary combat stat: It pains me to drop my Wisdom. But Verene is right, I won't be trying to get through SR for the most part, and more Str will definitely mean more combat effectiveness. If our GM is willing to let me mess with my stats, I'd go with the Str 20, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 13 option and invest in a Wis headband as soon as possible. (How do you wash your hair if you can't take the headband off without losing your bonus spells? Inquiring minds want to know!) While I like the higher Wis from the second spread, I don't want to RP Int 9.

Armor and shield: Yeah, I'll ditch the buckler. Goodbye +2 AC. I want to keep my heavy armor, especially if I use blood rage. +1 full plate is on my wishlist, she's wearing banded mail for budget reasons. Hopefully the demons of Drezen have a nice set of plate armor somewhere that they looted from an unfortunate paladin.

Buffs: This problem is another legacy of my past in low level games. I'm too used to having to ration my spells. I'm trying to be better about this, honest! Didn't know about blood rage though, that's pretty nice. Why can't the Destruction domain have that instead of rage? I keep forgetting we have a bless weapon wand. Oops. A wand of bless sounds like a good idea for when we don't have Wulfric along, as Flagbearer is also a morale bonus.

Feats: I agree with dropping Summon Good Monster. I think I like Furious Focus better than Selective Channel, at least for right now. It would be nice not to burn all my MP avoiding Power Attack penalties. I'll keep Mythic Power Attack though. Higher Str and being better about my buffs should help mitigate my +attack problems. Doubling the bonus damage on a crit before adding the multiplier is just too nice to give up, especially if I have bless weapon up to automatically confirm. If I'm still having attack issues, I'd probably go for Extra Traits so I can get both +1 attack with Fate's Favored and +2 initiative with Reactionary.

EDIT: Ooh, I just remembered the Crusader trait from the same book as Divine Paragon. +1 trait bonus to attack vs. outsiders with the chaotic subtype.

Domains & Divine Paragon: The thing with switching to the Anger inquisition is that Destruction has a few levels with subpar domain spells. Good helps fill in those gaps. You don't lose domain spells with Divine Paragon, just domain abilities from one domain. As for whether or not I take Divine Paragon, that depends on our GM's ruling as to whether I have to personally land the killing blow or just hit the enemy at some point. Given Merixia's initiative (or lack thereof), Azira and Elliot will still most likely beat her to the kill even with the above changes.

Again, thank you all so much for your help!

"Get back here, coward! Face your death like a warrior!" Merixia leaps into the air, Verene's magic lifting her like a leaf on the wind. She's slower in the air than everyone else thanks to her armor, but the brimorak hasn't got far enough to escape her quite yet. Teeth bared, she raises her heavy sword for a brutal attack.

Attack, Mythic Power Attack + divine favor (no prayer because even though Paizo should have made one of those a sacred bonus, they didn't): 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 10 + 2 = 14

Damage, Mythic Power Attack + Destructive Smite + divine favor: 1d10 + 5 + 6 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 6 + 3 + 2 = 18

You would think that, wouldn't you? Oh, Paizo. What are we going to do with you?

In other news, I really wish I had known about the Divine Paragon archetype when I originally made Merixia. I never use Touch of Good anyway, there are better things to do with a standard action. (Like flail uselessly at demons while the dice roller laughs at me.)

Why. Just... why. I think a group sacrifice to Desna is definitely in order.

Ooh, nice. The demon moved into a better position for Merixia to attack. She charges at the enemy, sword raised to attack.

Charge the turquoise brimorak with Mythic Power Attack and Destructive Smite.

Attack, Mythic Power Attack + prayer + divine favor + charge: 1d20 + 10 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 10 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 18

Damage, Mythic Power Attack + Destructive Smite + prayer + divine favor: 1d10 + 5 + 6 + 3 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 5 + 6 + 3 + 1 + 2 = 25

Merixia grits her teeth, reining in her anger with force of will. She has a moment to breathe and these demons are considerably tougher than she anticipated. Much as she hates to take the time, she needs a little more magical help. The cleric raises her holy symbol and chants a quick prayer to Ragathiel for his favor in battle.

Okay. Time to distract the fire-slinging demon from her friends. Merixia steps around the fallen demon and moves toward the one on the far side of the tower.

Cast divine favor for +2 attack and damage, and move.

Why hast thou forsaken me, dice roller? T_T