Naelah's page

I'm gong to respond out of order, as it'll make more sense if I do.

Watching Slidell's struggles with Veren, Naelah laughs loudly, her voice full of strength and joy at seeing her companions again. Letting Veren have his fun, she waits until the mage gathers his wits^ before smiling warmly at him, letting her eyes say what her voice cannot - that seeing them all again was probably the best thing that had ever happened to her.

But right now, that gaze is just for Slidell - the first non-Shoanti man to ever show her kindness and friendship.

Striding forward, Naelah drops her quaterstaff with a clatter, and gathers the lanky mage to her breast, holding him tightly. "It is good to see you again, Stormraven!" She exclaims as she releases him from her grasp. "How I have missed you all so. And no, no sugar rocks today Stormraven."

Nodding to Malcom, she takes the offered seat, Veren lying by her side. "It is good to see you too, Malcom." She says, clasping hands with him in the warrior fashion as she sits. "Thistletop?" She asks, having never heard the name before. "An apt name. It is good that you are planning to leave soon, as I can only imagine that the number of goblins there are swelling if they are left alone for too much longer."

^-Yeah right! 'gather his wits' indeed. That's an AP in and of itself!

As the men discuss plans for approaching Thistletop, a somewhat dusty woman enters the inn. Casting her eyes about, she spies some of her friends - Slidell Vesh and Malcom, all sitting together and chatting with a tall, blonde, muscular-looking stranger. At her heels is Naelah's ever present companion, Veren.

"We are brought together once more!" She says joyfully, her face lighting up despite her tiredness. To any who knew her before, Naelah looks different. Not in any real physical way, but she immediately seems to possess a deeper level of tranquility, but also a greater presence. Veren bounds forwards and 'greets' the three men with a playful head-butt, as Naelah approaches the table.

Responses...

"I think I know where the goblins came from!" She says excitedly without preamble. "They traveled west along the coast, and there are signs of heavy traffic within one of the larger forests in the area."

Belatedly, she seems to realise that Vesh, Malcom, and Slidell have all changed.

"What has happened to you all? And where are the others? Ehlissa? Corran? The desert-woman?" She asks, still wondering who the blonde stranger is.

When Veren 'speaks' to her, Naelah quickly relays the information to the group. "Blood. Veren scents blood an fear." She says taking her position near the back of the group. "We must hurry, this 'Tsutso' is dangerous."

Naelah hefts the borrowed scimitar in her right hand, testing its balance.

Fabes, Ehlissa's sword 'glows like a torch'. You might want to keep it out.

Realizing they needed light, Naelah mutters something under her breath, her voice taking on rhythmic cadence. having her left hand in an odd-looking motion, her hand bursts into flam - shedding light into the corridoor.

Produce Flame - 2 min duration - illumination like a torch.

Having taken the blade offered to her, Naelah spoke softly in response. "Tha vath shtar lathilath ol najel.*"

Watching as quietly as he companion, her gaze lingers for long periods, first on Salome, then Vesh, then Slidell, her thoughts moving rapidly. Clearly, her absence had changed something - and this new woman, she knew not what to make of her. At once fierce and kind, strong and soft - she reminded Naelah of the ones she held most dear - reminded her of her family.

When Vesh pulled his trick with the entrapped door, Naelah's eyes widened. "The wind speaks to you also? Never have I seen so many people with wind-gifts in one group."

"Veren can lead the way. His strong senses will be a boon to us, I should think." She suggested, interjecting her opinion into the discussion. Once Ehlissa had been helped safely into the hole, Naelah whistles to her companion. With a slight huff, the gray wolf leaps to the floor below, his feet landing with little sound.

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Shoanti:

Her head clearing, Naelah follows the others, Veren at her heels. Once they reach the 'trapdoor', Naelah stays back, her knowledge of hidden things being sketchy, at best.

"I have no weapons, but I can still assist." Naelah chimes in during the discussion, "Veren will help too." The wolf's ears prick up at the sound of his name.

Once again he rushes by Salome, grabbing up Nealah in what would be a bear hug if he were not so skinny. He puts her down, but holds onto her arms as if afraid that she will fall over again. Smiling like a kid in a candy store, he looks her in the eyes and starts to say,... "OW!"

Releasing her, he grabs his temple with one hand. He blinks a couple of times, and shakes his head a little as Veren flaps to his shoulder.

*Trimmed Slidell's rambling*

Laughing as he hugs her, Naelah returns the hug, but doesn't really notice Slidell's discomfort.

At his wild rush of words, Naelah smalls at him, placing a hand to his mouth. "Peace. Otherwise you will tire yourself, and be of no use to anyone."

"I am well enough to help the others, who is hurt?" She asks the group, mentally steeling herself for the tasks to follow.

Remember, Naelah, the wind never truly stops blowing. So to, you must always be ready to act...

She's Ba-ack!

As her gaze swims slowly into focus, Naelah frowns in confusion. Her vision hazy, she sees a female face looking at her.

"Shethal*?" She asks, not realizing she is speaking her native language. "Vala ash a*?"

The room coming into focus, Naelah spies her beloved Veren, Slidell, Vesh, and all the others. "You have rescued me?" She asks, her voice soft. "It seems I was wrong, the wind will not let us part yet." Feeling life return to her body, Naelah hauls herself to her feet, using those nearby to assist her.

In a flash on insight, she realizes that the strange woman before her has brought her from the brink of death. "You have my thanks, the Shaman's touch is strong with you." She states, her voice warm and polite.

"What has happened? Where are we? Do you know that Ameiko has been kidnapped by a pointy-eared man?"

Assuming that JSL lets me (as she had rested, after all), Naelah will have her full complement of spells, allowing me to pull a few healing spells out of the hat.

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Shoanti:

Surprisingly, Naelah only has a CHA score of 13. However, the three of us (ie. Rags, Sant, and I), seem to have built this nice bit of three-way tension, with Naelah existing as a good influence on the pair of them. To Vesh, Naelah give him cause to be more than he is (better, smarter, more mature), and to Slidell, she is a calming influence, she can bring the tornado that is his mind to a halt.

It remains to be seen what effect these two men will have on her...

I also love the fact that the wind analogies (she's from the wind-clan) are so very powerful. I love playing this character!

EDIT: If someone could be so kind as to bring me back to waking, I would be happy. ;)

@JSL:

@Dreamer and Slidell:

So there!

:P

Naelah, clearly the most uncomfortable of the group, has kept her silence throughout the evening, betraying no emotion and attracting no attention. In fact, so good is she at this, that most of the others forget she is even there. The servants cannot ignore her, however, due to the large wolf sitting patiently just behind her chair. Naelah is wearing her clothes from the day before, but she has obviously washed as there is no longer any crimson in her long white hair. One notes difference is that she seems to have marked her face with odd tribal markings - a streak of blue paint starts at her hairline and travels to the top of her nose, and a matching pair of lines start underneath her eyes, traveling in straight lines to her jawline.

The markings lend Naelah a definite attractive quality, if a 'savage one'. As Slidell becomes more and more outrageous, Naelah seems to almost cringe, hoping that he will not make her bear the brunt of his apparently 'crazed' attentions.

The first moment she actually speaks is to one of the servants - requesting something for her 'dog', sending one of them scurrying off. Oddly, she seems not perturbed by the servants, which, considering how she has reacted to everything else so far, seems a little out of place.

As the meal continues, Naelah holds her silence on her story - she is far more interested in the others.

We have 1K XP now? Level two Druid here I come!

This message is appearing in multiple threads - I will be posting IC, or building characters as appropriate for the character I am posting as when I get home from work.

Thanks for your patience.

Lol.

Also zzzz-ing. No fun for you Slidell!

Oh, and Veren is zzzz-ing also.

Perception Check: Perception. (1d20+6=22)

As the storm of activity swirls around her, Naelah slumps back to the place Slidell had led her to only moments ago. Rubbing Veren's head, she hears the healer and one of his followers speaking. Do they think I dug up this person? But, that is not our way? She stays seated where she is as she ponders this conundrum, and gradually, her eyes begin to droop. The combination of radically new experiences, a long journey and a hard battle all converge on her at once. Shaking herself awake, Naelah staggers to her feet. "May the wind carry you all safely." She murmurs tiredly as she limps away from the group towards the Shoanti-owned inn, her grey (and somewhat blood-splattered) wolf following close behind.

I needed to end her this way - I'd been working up to her falling asleep on her feet, so this works good.

920XP? Awesome. 80XP to go! Great job everyone, and thank you JSL for making this game as fun as it is. 5,000 DMXP for JSL!

Her response almost automatic, Naelah quickly binds the bandage around his wounds, helping to stem the blood flow, before muttering something under her breath no-one can quite catch. In response, a soft, warm pulse of energy drifts through the wounded man, the blood flow slowing a little and the sharp edge of his pain fading slightly.

"Better? Even a little? It is not much, what I can do. You need rest. We all do."

Sacrificing a 0-level spell for cure minor wounds.

Finally, wound-shock from the previous battle set in, and she numbly followed Slidell, her brain not truly registering his concern. When Vesh came to her, he broke her from her torpor when he spoke in her native tongue - it was a slightly different dialect, and the accent could be worked on, but she understood him, responding in kind. "Ash shikh ash etha verath thath she, da ash theth."

When he ran off to see to Corran, she followed feebly. "A kath darath dash, a ratha."

Translations:

Surprised at the goblin's ability to escape being trapped, she turns to Veren.

"Veren, tari air pyrn."* With that simple command, Veren bounds after the goblin, his natural speed facilitating the chase.

The fight largely over, Naelah leans on her staff again, gasping for air somewhat.

Veren chases the goblin, attempting to bring it down.

Translations:

Hooray for XP!

I'm posting now - work was nuts yesterday.

Veren strikes out again, and again to no avail, the goblin skittering away from his sharp teeth.

Attack (with flank); Damage. (1d20+3=5, 1d6+1=6)

Naelah meanwhile shifts her grip on the staff in her hands, one end lashing out at the goblins chest.

Attack (with flank); Damage. (1d20+3=12, 1d6+1=6)

Perhaps she and her companion are tired - but Naelah and Veren seem to be making little headway on their opponent.

Veren continues to obey his mistress, striking out at the goblin again, and attempting to pull it from its feet.

Attack and damage. Trip attempt. (1d20+2=8, 1d6+1=5) Why does the Diceroller hate me so?

Seeing her companion lash out, Naelah forgets the pain she feels, and races towards the beset goblin, her wooden staff at the ready. Those nearby see what can only be described as some kind of wintry goddess made flesh - a creature of strength, of speed - pure, brutal, nature at its most alluring. She all but flies at the goblin, whirling her staff around and aiming it for the little creatures' head.

Charge attack from Naelah (can move 70ft. on a charge).
Attack roll (bonus for charge and flanking included). Damage (1d20+5=12, 1d6+1=6)
That's a little better.

Despite herself, despite the pain in her body, Naelah smiled as Slidell spoke. Even in the face of danger, he was still talking, and seemed more annoyed with the savage little creatures than scared of them.
Realizing that she was too hurt to fight properly, but also knowing that Slidell probably wasn't all that good in melee range, she repeated a short phrase to Veren. "Veren, shtata thash!"

With a short bark, he leapt to her command, bounding towards the goblin close by Slidell with breakneck speed, unleashing a mouthful of savage teeth.

Combat:
Bite attack after charge. (+2 for flanking and +2 for charge included in roll) (1d20+5=9)

That sucked. :( Looks like Vesh isn't the only one the diceroller hates...

Oh man, it feels good to return to actual posting.

You have no idea how much I missed you guys.

Then again, with what I wrote yesterday, maybe you do...

Knowing not what told her, Naelah suddenly knew that her newfound comrades were in grave danger.

"Veren!" She cried, turning to the wolf lying be her side in the Chapel. "Nath tha lajath!"*

Leaping to the voice of his mistress, Veren loped rapidly towards the closed door, Naelah close behind - leaning on her staff as she moved. Ignoring her senses that screamed crimson pain at her, she wrenched open the door, and threw herself out into the battle-soaked night. Following her companion, she felt a flicker of fear course through her. Wind give strength. She prayed. Give me the strength to get to them on time.

Unerringly, Veren led her closer to her companions, her senses detecting the sounds of battle as she closed in. Seeing the scene before her unfold rapidly, Naelah let out a cry of victory as she saw some of the foul goblins fall to her friends.

Calling to her companion, she sent him after the goblin threatening the first person outside the tribes who had made her feel safe.

"Veren, shtata thash!"*

Combat stuff.
Initiative. (1d20+2=4)
Bad roll!

Translations:

Haha, yeah. It would, at that.

In other news, can someone tell me which spells I have used so far? So far as I can tell, I've used Produce Flame and I've also used Cure Light Wounds (and thus one use of my spontaneous healer feat). Is that all? Just checking.

EDIT: Also, what was the XP reward for that last encounter? Has that been awarded yet?

I realize that I am off camera at present - JSL. would you like me to sit out this encounter, or come running in (Perhaps in a round or two)? I ask because a champion sounds bad...

Some of you will see a post much like this in another game I play on the Paizo forums, but I'll (sort of) repeat it here.

I'd like to thank you all for your patience, understanding, and concerns for my wellbeing and I'd like to say that there is only one other game (Thank you Flamifur) I have ever taken part in that fills me with such a joy when I see the group interacting. From Slidell's inability to stay silent for long (and apparent budding attraction?), to jumpy Vesh (again with the attraction?), to brave and stoic Ehlissa, to our knowledgeable woodsman, Corran, and our tricky Malcom, and lets not forget our wonderful DM JSL, you are an incredible group.

Not just an amazing group of players and people - but a gifted team of writers. Because that's what this is - a team of writers, coming together and making a story. We just happen to have dice to make things interesting.

It is my fervent hope that we will continue to play for some time (perhaps even running the gamut of the RotRL AP), and that when the curtain closes on our adventures together, that each of you will look back, and remember an eclectic group of players and characters that stuck it through think and thin, a group of very different, and yet somehow similar, people from all over the world, - and remember the journey we once embarked upon together.

To the members of this group, each and every one of you, I thank you.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled Discussion thread.

Aye, I have returned.

Its a long story. (A really long story). Involving disgruntled colleagues, threats, police action, removing his access to the system, that sort of thing.

So yes, I have returned.

What did I miss? I'll start catching up on what has gone on in my absence.

SORRY!

It's been crazy at work lately, what with long meetings, people quitting, and thus me being given more work to do. I promise that I'll be able to post in a few hours though.

And yes, I'll probably rumble those two goblins, like you thought.

Again, sorry!

I just wrote a cool post, and the boards ate it. So here's a short one.

Naelah summons the power of the wind, and her left hand bursts into flame. To get a better view of the goblins, she moves past the tables and into the view of the small fey.

Casts Produce Flame. Moves to H7. Veren moves to I7.

Perception Check: 10
Knowledge [Nature] Check: 16

Watching with amazement at the gathering, she stays quiet, nibbling on a meat-stick and trying to stay out of the way. Realizing this is an event of religious important, Naelah follows the customs of her clan, taking a small tub from a pouch, smearing some of the red paste in several lines on her face - down the center of her forehead, and across each cheek, angled away from her nose towards her jawline.

She was pleased by what she had the fortune of witnessing, even noticing the hungry dog - giving it a morsel of her food. When the goblin appeared, she was jolted from her reverie. "Stormraven!" She hissed at her companion, pointing at the creature.

"Kyrdol!"* She calls, in her surprise forgetting that most people in the crowd wouldn't understand her. Hefting her quarterstaff, she whistles to Veren, directing him to attack the nearest goblin.

Shoanti Translations:

Position: J4.
Init: 14

"She is Shoanti," says Vesh, finally finding his tongue, "that is how she did it." Turning to the Shoanti woman, Vesh bows in accordance to the traditions of the Shoanti that he met as a lad on the Velashu Uplands. In the dialect of the Velashu Shoanti, he tells the woman, "Sal o thys talol si eilostar. Air shar eir Ai tyr pai sai caer cos thys velol eirdae! Tia basti air Vesh os si Camelo tal ol si Velashu Val. Sor air tia tystalol, ei jhylar os sor syrn shyri basti air Shayliss. Ai shyr shi cylysaer sai jhaes si basti kolael o shia os vaedi."*

Looking at the young Varisian in surprise when he speaks her tongue, if haltingly, she replies kindly, keeping much of her attention on the donkey. "Ai eis cyrn eir Myrn Tor, eistyl tia vaedi. O tia tar ti Naelah. Shol tasia o maraelia."*

Recovering from her surprise, she replied to the question the girl had asked. "I am Shoanti. I speak to the wind. And I am Naelah." Her reply was simplistic at best, but whilst she was distraced with the donkey, she didn't have much brain power for conversation.

I'll continue to try and make the animal calmer. Should I make more rolls?
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As promised:

Oh, and sorry that you guys hate waiting for people to post - I know how it feels. I'll try and be quicker....

Random thing: Has anyone noticed we seem to have lost Malcom?

Following her excitable companion with an inhuman patience for his consistent chattering, Naelah was almost overwhelmed by the sights that assaulted her as they wandered through the town. Never before had she seen such a variety of people, all moving about their appointed tasks and chattering, always chattering.

She was beginning to realize why her companion talked so much - you never got to talk to anyone unless you talked faster than they did.

When he offered her the 'candy' she curiously took a green piece, wondering at its sticky coating. As she popped it into her mouth an explosion of sticky sweetness covered her tongue, and she smiled in pleasure.

Just as she was about to verbally express her enjoyment, she noticed the horse-like animal that was clearly having trouble at the presence of her companion. Gesturing to Veren, he stayed where he was, and she held out a stilling hand to Slidell, silently asking him to do the same.

Slowly, she approached the donkey, using her body language and slow, gentle movements to communicate her benign intent. With an aching slowness, she extended a hand towards the animal, every ounce of her being radiating calm. As she approached, she flickered her eyes in acknowledgment to the pair moving with the skittish animal, beseeching them with her bright blue eyes to do nothing, and let her and the donkey focus on each other.

Yeah, Slidell and I are in the White Deer.

I have to agree. JSL has to be one of the most well-written GM's I've ever had the pleasure of PbP-ing with, and all of you others, I'm loving reading your posts! Never before have I seen such consistent writing quality in a group of gamers before! Well done all!

Now, on with the show...
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From this point forwards, anything Naelah says in Shoanti (see above) will be marked with an '*'. At the end of each post, I will place a spoiler with the translations of what she says, for those who understand Shoanti.

Man! Dramatic week much? Anywho, on with the posting!

I scored a 5, so I know the first whisper around town.

For Slidell And anyone else who cares...

Mini novel of my own!

Naelah will have her quaterstaff with her, along with a a pair of pouches at her belt, and of course Veren.

Should we post our prepared spells in our profiles?

Yay for time travel!

Description and BG is up, just weapons armor and gear to go...

Naelah Snow-Child, Female Shoanti Druid of the Tamiir-Quah (Wind Clan). May the winds carry you home safer and wiser than when they carried you away...

Hey, I actually like that saying! Go me.