Lope de Vega's page

Sense Motive DC 18: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
Lope's hand lingers on the pommel of Gloria, his eyes narrowing with a flash of knowing amusement. The blade hums faintly in his mind, sharpening his awareness.

"Ah... a jest poorly told," he says lightly, fixing the councillor with a courteous bow, as though to an actor who has flubbed his lines "Your eagerness betrays you, sir. You send us chasing shadows while the Earl sharpens daggers in the dark. Tell us, why waste the council's time with such playacting? Whose favor do you seek to earn with false trails?"

He lets the question hang, a smile never leaving his lips, though the weight behind it is undeniable.

Sense Motive DC 18: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
K. nobility: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Lope bows his head slightly, the flicker of a smile still on his lips "Then let us not waste time. Tell us, my lords, where does Earl Yander make his den? If we are to pluck this weed, we must know the soil in which it festers"

The Aldori takes note of the member of the junior council leaving the room, and makes a sign to Triphylla to give her an opportunity to follow, and to Diana, to give her a chance to identify who is him.
You can open the spoiler, a Knowledge nobility check is needed, but I failed

Do we know where to find the Earl Yander?

K. local DC 18: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

"My lord Autun" Lope calls with a smile "the arrest of Earl Yander will be no simple interlude. A man who plots with generals and commands the loyalty of horsemen does not fall without dragging others with him. Some among your peers..." he lets the words hang, a knowing glance sweeping the room "...already lean toward Pythareus' song of war. We must strike swiftly, lest their whispers turn into open chorus"

Then, his tone softens, and his gesture broadens to include his companions "Yet let this not be cause for despair, but for hope. Look upon us: men and women of different callings, united in purpose. This is how Princess Eutropia will govern, through reason, through proof, through the unlikeliest of allies bound together by a common dream. In us, you see the stage upon which her vision comes to life. Join her, and you join not just her claim, but the future we embody. We accept the task you set before us, and in so doing, we show you how she answers treason, with justice, with resolve, and with unity"

Perform Oratory: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28

Lope steps forward with an elegant bow, the kind more suited to a stage than a council chamber. His voice carries warmth, but also the gravity of accusation "My lords, my ladies, when last we spoke of dreams, you feared shadows. Now, we bring you the script of a far darker play: one written in false flags, betrayal, and the ink of treason"

He sets a sealed letter on the table with a theatrical flourish "Commander Staubel was not merely negligent. She served a hidden master styling himself the Grey Kingmaker, whose coin and orders came from Earl Yander, and behind him, all points towards General Pythareus himself. The bandits who bleed your caravans are no Qadiran raiders, but Taldan steel in disguise, meant to drag Yanmass into a war you did not choose"

The Aldori shows the evidence the party has been collecting "We have the letters, the orders, the proof. The question now, honored council, is not whether the plot is real, but how you will answer to this treason"

Perform Oratory: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (5) + 14 = 19

Yep, unless someone thinks we are missing something, I feel it is about time to face the council.

Linguistics DC 15: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15 +2 to detect forgeries

Lope leans back in a chair, his hear still soaked by the bath's steam, a letter held high and dry in his hand, a smile spreading wider with each line "Ha! The Grey Kingmaker, our faceless puppeteer finally shows his strings. And look, the play ends not in banditry, but in war. Pythareus himself could be behind this farce"

He tosses the page onto the growing stack of damning evidence, then glances at the others "The council will want this tale... but which act shall we play first? The bandits, the mercantile court, or our dear General Pythareus?"

The Aldori feels particularly happy about the findings, and he is willing to explain all the relations and difficult coding used in the correspondence.

Lope runs a hand along the spines of the correspondence, lips quirking in a smile "Ah... a whole library of betrayal. If we linger, it may also be the stage for our capture"

He looks to the others, voice lower now "We take what we can carry, letters with seals, anything marked urgent or personal. Enough to damn him without drowning ourselves in paper"

The Aldori picks up the correspondence, then points towards the door "We need to have a talk about what is going on with that frenzy and horns Triphylla... but not now. Time to go"

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
Lope quickly scans the room and nods to Valeria in agreement "We cannot stay here long. We need to find documents that tell the truth about the commander plans here"

He searches specifically for any locked furniture that might hold the documents here, and tries to use the keys found in the corpse.

Concentration DC 17: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13
Lope starts to load his blade with electricity but the tight position makes him fail and the spell gets disrupted. He though, displays spell combat prowess with a final attack to the commander "Your days of treason to Taldor come to an end!"
Aldori blackblade+pool-Spell combat: 1d20 + 12 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 12 + 1 - 2 = 30
Magical/Slashing damage+pool+AS+flaming: 1d8 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 8 + 1 + 2 + (1) = 18

Critical?: 1d20 + 12 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 12 + 1 - 2 = 23
Magical/Slashing damage+pool+AS+flaming: 1d8 + 8 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 8 + 1 + 2 = 14

Stepping 5' to attack the ram if the commander is down

Riving Strike for -2 if hits

HP 28/59 AC 27 TAC 21
shield 7 min
arcane pooled sword (+1, flaming) 1 min

Lope suffers the flames, but keeps fighting while his clothes burn aflame "And the zoo is on fire! Damn! That coat was just new!"
Aldori blackblade+pool+flank: 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 12 + 1 = 25
Magical/Slashing damage+pool+AS+flaming: 1d8 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 8 + 1 + 2 + (4) = 16

Riving Strike for -2 if hits

HP 28/59 AC 27 TAC 21
shield 7 min
arcane pooled sword (+1, flaming) 1 min

Sorry to hear you got through that kind of difficult time. I am thrilled to know you are eager to keep playing with us though :D

Maybe Diana was taken prisoner in the fort while she was investigating. Her token has been going with us for the most part during these months anyway, hehe.

Sorry for my own spottiness. The holidays have reached to an end, and I plan for routine to come back to my gaming.

Lope would have cast shield before moving into the commander's room.

With a quick dash, Lope double moves into the room making Gloria explode into flames and cornering Stauble to give Triphylla a flank "We know you sent your own men to die to the medusa in the abandoned tower!"

HP 59/59 AC 27 TAC 21
shield 7 min
arcane pooled sword (+1, flaming) 1 min

"Ah, if Diana was here she would know how to deal with the dragon. For now, I think we just try to avoid it as I have no silence"

Still traveling, sorry!

"She must be the Commander! We have to storm her by surprise. The problem is with that dragon. Good job Triphylla" Lope thinks about it for a second "Do you think you can lock the dragon? We don't want it to come to the alarm "

Sorry for the delay. I'm on a trip and I can post way less than expected. My posting will be slow for a couple of weeks.

"After you!" Lope casts vanish to have an edge at the task at hand. Then tries to bypass the guards and sets himself ready to ambush them if they do wake up.
Stealth+vanish: 1d20 + 4 + 20 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 20 = 27

Lope eyes the covered porch where Triphylla disappeared, and draws Gloria into his hand "We should get ready, this can turn into an all-in assault at any moment"

Accordingly, he produces the wand of mage armor and covers himself by the magic protection.
UMD DC 20: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19
UMD DC 20: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22

"No guards in sight, and no light but the storm" a flash of a smile breaks through Lope's soaked features "Feels like an opening act waiting for a bold entrance"

He gestures toward the structure shadowed edges "Shall we slip in and steal the spotlight? The storm is bothering but gives us an advantage here, I think"

He draws a hand along Gloria's hilt, steadying his breath "I propose we avoid the horses for now, as they might raise the alarm. I bet Staubel is in the finest structure here"

Lope scans the area trying to guess, but otherwise just proposes to start by the north-east.
Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

Survival: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (10) + 0 = 10
Lope stands up looking at the sun filtering its light by the clouds "Seems the time to act is approaching. Any last thing you think we need to have into account?"

The Aldori seems ready whenever the rest of the party is ready.

"I am fine to wait if you think it can give us an advantage" Lope accepts with a nod "It also means we will have to do with the light of the stars, because approaching with light sources would ruin the surprise"

Intimidate: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

"U, thanks Valeria, it feels much better now" Lope moves his arms a bit, making sure he is at full stamina for what is to come.

"I was thinking the first part of the plan is to get closer" the Aldori points towards the structure "Once we have a better understanding of the different structures, we can plan how we do sneak in. Get an advantage. Find the correspondence. Take Staubel to justice or to the ditch"

"Yeah, very exotic. I wonder where they got them from" Lope examines his arms where he got very but bleeding cuts "They were dangerous those ones... I think I will need some healing. How are you all faring?"

HP 37/59 (NL 15)

"I think we need to rest and recover a bit. Then we can follow the plan again. Try to approach and attack from a blind spot of the fortress"

Yeah, 15 of the damage was converted to non-lethal, which is freely healed when real damage is healed :)

We surely bought some healing wands to not abuse our oracle's magic, sure, we did. We did, yes? :D

"We are ready to fight" Lope remarks following the last statement of the traitor "Now, if you have any honor left, I do recommend you change sides and fight for the royal family, true heirs of Taldor, or just step aside of this war and go away to your own doings"

Lope point on the opposite direction of the fort "Now, I want you to take some miles on that direction before you have any thoughts of going give the alarm to the fort"

Lope swiftly moves his blade in the air menacing the bandit with a clean death "You better answer or I do not respond for my bloody friend here"

The Aldori negates with the head "Why all this treason to Taldor, you are Commander Staubel men, isn't it?"

Despite his strong bleeding, Lope tries to keep his position, trying to finish the yellow bandit with St. John, but if he already dealt with him, he focuses in the other one with Triphylla.
Aldori blackblade+pool+flank: 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 12 + 1 = 14
Magical/Slashing damage+pool+AS+flaming: 1d8 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + 8 + 1 + 2 + (2) = 15

With his blade slipping out of his hand, Lope performs a quick movement just to avoid losing al balance, and catches the sword in the air with the other hand "Aha! Distracted eh!"

HP 37/59 (NL 15) AC 28 TAC 21
shield 7 min
ablative barrier (35/50) 7 h
arcane pooled sword (+1, flaming) 1 min

Giving internal thanks to his previsions on protective spells casting, Lope switches again his position, looking to give Triphylla a flank and help himself as he slashes at the traitor!
Aldori blackblade+pool+flank: 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 12 + 1 = 18
Magical/Slashing damage+pool+AS+flaming: 1d8 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 1 + 2 + (2) = 20

Riving strike for -2 to saves on a hit

HP 37/59 (NL 15) AC 28 TAC 21
shield 7 min
ablative barrier (35/50) 7 h
arcane pooled sword (+1, flaming) 1 min

K. local: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Lope endures the terrible slices as best he can, and survives just because of his protection magics. Stepping back, closer to St. John, he finds Trip's flanking "You are no Qadirans', I smell your treason to Taldor at meters distance!"
Aldori blackblade+pool+flank: 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 12 + 1 = 27
Magical/Slashing damage+pool+AS+flaming: 1d8 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + 8 + 1 + 2 + (6) = 19

Riving strike for -2 to saves on red (1 round)

HP 37/59 (NL 15) AC 28 TAC 21
shield 7 min
ablative barrier (35/50) 7 h
arcane pooled sword (+1, flaming) 1 min

Mmm I may have missed Diana's turn! Diana, over to you!

Very regretfully, Diana has not posted since March :(

Lope's ablative barrier takes part of the lethality of the hit, while he maneuvers with a quick slash of his blade, trying to finish off the purple bandit while stepping back to avoid the flank.
Aldori blackblade+pool: 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 12 + 1 = 31
Magical/Slashing damage+pool+AS+flaming: 1d8 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 8 + 1 + 2 + (6) = 21

Riving strike for -2 to saves on purple (1 round)

HP 55/59 (NL 5) AC 28 TAC 21
shield 7 min
ablative barrier (45/50) 7 h
arcane pooled sword (+1, flaming) 1 min

"Good then, here we are!" Lope maneuvers, stepping back, closer to St. John, and trying to keep himself out of being flanked, while testing the defenses of the leading bandit.
Aldori blackblade+pool: 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 12 + 1 = 24
Magical/Slashing damage+pool+AS+flaming: 1d8 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 1 + 2 + (1) = 19

Riving strike for -2 to saves on purple (1 round)

HP 59/59 AC 28 TAC 21
shield 7 min
ablative barrier 7 h
arcane pooled sword (+1, flaming) 1 min

"What the...?? Is Triphylla! Fighting those men!" Lope quickly reacts cutting the space between himself and the men while casting shield on himself and making Gloria burst into flames.

HP 59/59 AC 28 TAC 21
shield 7 min
ablative barrier 7 h
arcane pooled sword (+1, flaming) 1 min

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
"Yeah, the smoke is strange John. But I have no idea what might it mean, maybe we should move forward, she might be in danger" Lope says forcing his eyes to see in the distance.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Only when Esinti raises her alarm, the Aldori reacts "Where?! Where is the enemy?"

Without further info, Lope resorts to casting a long lasting defensive spell, ablative barrier, and ready Gloria at his hand.

Lope nods silently and sees Triphylla turn invisible and then does not see her leaving. He leans on a rock and observes with tension the field, trying to determine where the bold halfling might be located, and paying attention to any indication things have gone wrong "Little valiant thing, she is going to see her head chopped one day, but I expect it would be after some grand deeds written in the annals of Taldor"
Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

"It is probably a good idea for you to scout ahead, but do not get too far from the group Triphylla" Lope explains his worries "Also, we can wait for when the Sun starts to go down, to make things a bit more easier for us. We cannot wait for the night though, as we cannot see without light magic and we are not familiar with the place layout"

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
"There are some horses there. Commander Staubel's troops, or the bandits, or whatever they are, must be there" Lope points out looking at the construction "I would say we approach to one side of the structure and climb up over the balconed dome. I can spider climb and drop a rope down. Better plan, than knocking at the main door I guess"

Unless anyone has anything better to offer, Lope will lead the group exactly to try that.

K. local: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
"I suggest we try to be sneaky on this one. I doubt Commander Staubel would surrender to any dialogue on our part. We better go in and try to reach her and deal with her and her men one by one" Lope suggests as the group approaches the place "I would suggest we first of all examine the place from afar. See where is activity, maybe any presence of guards and lights. Then try to access the place from the less guarded area"

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Stealth: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Lope nods in agreement "Seems good to me. We will need to use one of the assassins' bodies, will need to disfigure him and disguise him on the priests' clothes if we want to do this well"

"Then we march outside to check on Commander Staubel's doings while the news spread"

"That sounds like a good plan Triphylla. If we can make them think the Enumerator was assassinated, we can disguise as the assassins and approach to them, gather more evidences" Lope nods agreeing with the plan "The thing is, we go now, or we give it a day to arrange the new and let it sink in the city?"

Something tells me the cult is the main cause of alarm here, but I am not sure if we have all we need to deal with them right now. It seems pretty limited what we can do aside from confronting them directly on the excuse of the assassination attempt.

Maybe we should deal with the bandits (the Commander) first. I vote for that.

Lope raises an eyebrow as the corpses speak their truths, glancing toward Valeria and Triphylla with a slight nod "Poorly disguised, was she? A round cap and a veil won't hide celestial blood forever" he taps a finger against his lips thoughtfully.

"The Bower, then. If that's where they were to collect their payment, it stands to reason we should be there first. We might still catch whoever holds the purse strings... or the leash"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
"They lie!" Lope observes "No one would pay in advance for an assassination that can be a failure. Press them, they should have a way to contact the Aasimar, and it can be an easy way to find out more who they are exactly"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
K. local: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Lope folds his arms, a faint smile curling his lips as he recognizes one of the names "Ah... the Grand Uncle. I've had a good night there once. Or perhaps it was twice. A rather interesting woman, as I recall"

He steps closer to the salt circle, eyes on the twitching corpse "Ask them this: how do they contact her, the Aasimar, and where and when were they to collect their reward. Perhaps we might attend in their place"

Lope takes in the solemn preparations, the shrouds, the acolytes' wary glances, the scent of sanctified oils, and gives a silent nod of respect. He steps closer, arms folded behind his back "Yes. There are several things we must know before these wretches go to Pharasma"

He then thinks aloud a few possible questions "Who gave you your orders?" "What was your mission?"

And depending on their answers, if it makes sense, he can add "Where is the Immaculate Circle based, or where can they be contacted?" "Who else among the nobility is working with the Immaculate Circle or the cult?"

"Well then, we should find a way to further investigate that place" Lope accepts with a quick nod "But before that, I think we need to check on Commander Staubel. So, Talgrasses caravanserai next?"

I think we just had a night's rest before coming to the temple, but otherwise I am fine with resting

"The spell will help. Even a half-truth is more than silence" at the mention of the evening papers, Lope gives a short, sardonic smile "I always hoped for a certain notoriety, but this was not the road I imagined"

Lope's tone turns quieter, edged with curiosity "The Immaculate Circle. Tell us. All of it. The exact words of that Prophecy, if you have them, and how they came into your hands" he tilts his head slightly "Even the smallest detail might help here, even if it is just where to continue our search"

His hand rests lightly on Gloria's hilt, not in threat, but in readiness.

"A message, perhaps. But then, what was it? That no place is safe? That prophecy threatens more than doctrine?" He glances back at the corpses, lips tightening "Or simply that we were seen coming and someone panicked"

Lope wipes the blood from Gloria's edge with the assassin's own cloak, crouching down beside the fallen attackers. His eyes narrow, fingers moving with practiced precision as he begins rifling through their gear, checking for tattoos, insignias, strange coins, correspondence, or anything else that might betray who sent them.

He speaks without looking up, voice even but tight "These were not zealots, they were professionals. Mercenaries, or worse. Do you have any idea who might have send them?" he asks the Enumerator.

Then looks to the others as the topic of prophecy resurfaces "You said something about prophecy... about a return? Could this have anything to do with... the Prince of Taldor?" Lope's voice lowers, almost reverent, but his gaze sharpens "Or is it something else entirely that stirs beneath these tides?"

"Bastards! Leave the priest! Fight a real warrior!" Lope infuses Gloria with extra arcane magic as it crackles to strike the assassin once more.
Aldori blackblade+pool-SC+SG+flank: 1d20 + 12 + 1 - 2 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 12 + 1 - 2 + 3 + 2 = 32
Magical/Slashing damage+pool+flaming+AS: 1d8 + 8 + 1 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 8 + 1 + (4) + 2 = 18

Riving Strike for -2 to saves

HP 59/59 AC 23 TAC 21
arcane pooled sword (+1, flaming) 1 min