Niche will grab a hold of Matthew, and toss him upwards as requested.
After that, he grabs Davian, and shifts him into a piggy back position behind him. With that, he activates his sandals, and starts moving up the wall.
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"I can Spider Climb. Shall we head in?"
He closes with another of the Brutes, driving a haymaker strike into its face.
Edit: With the first (probably) stunned, he pivots and attacks the second creature, dropping low and throwing a hook punch at its knee.
With the hit, the second balban's leg folds in, and the creature hits the ground hard.
I'm traveling again the next day or two (headed back home this time), so I may be afk for a bit. Bot me as necessary
He takes the creature's first surprise attack with a grunt, looks the demon up and down and called back over his shoulder, "Hmph, Balban Brutes. More mindless demon cannon fodder. Immune to Lightning, love smashing stuff, a bit of innate magic power. I wouldn't recommend trying to grapple one."
He skips into the creature with a deftness of foot that belies his size, sweeping his shin down at the monster's knee. "From what I can recall, the issue is usually controlling the masses without individuals marked out as greater in one fashion or another in order to delegate local responsibility." Since the creature fails to go down after the leg kick, he changes approach instantly, hoping up and striking the demon across the side of head with his heel as he completes a quick spin in the air. The kick connects perfectly, smashing into bones with a crunch. He lands neatly, and follows up the attack with two more swift Blows. The first pulls up short, as the beast recoiled from the kick, but a forth strike connects under the chin with a deadly uppercut. The creature flies backwards, lying dead upon the ground, his skull cracked and his neck broken. "In essence, how do you maintain control without the bureaucracy?"
Niche kind of shrugs as he listens to the others, all the while taking in the scene at the gates of the lord's manor. "I havent much use for laws and kingdoms. The only laws that can truly bind one are those you strive to impose upon yourself. It is only through the drive to hold to a higher standard that one can improve themselves; laws have a way of serving only the lawmakers." "I've read of high minded attempts such as that you speak of; attempts to enforce equality between the peoples. They have all failed, of course. Some because as much as they wanted an equal society, theirs could not muster the same forces as a corrupt one, and were crushed when the lords came back to claim what they felt was theirs. Rebellion, they call it." "Of course, most failed because of simple things, like Rosa alluded to; the crafters of the law thought they wanted equality right up until they had a taste of power - and from then on they had no desire to relinquish it. Corruption took its toll, and in short time the new kingdoms differed from the old only in name, and by virtue of who was the exploiter and the exploited." As Rosa cuts through the gates, he moved forward, taking the lead and presenting himself as the most obvious target. "A document outlining a set of principles is an interesting idea, but I'm not sure how you could ensure adherance to such a thing. Time has a way of dulling memories, and commitments fade." He draws out a wand and with a quick motion, renews his spell of Mage Armour, as the original faded away hours ago while fighting the fires.
"When it comes down to it, I've about as little use for clerics and gods as I have kingdoms, but I suppose I'm not completely opposed to the idea. What actually interests me is to see that once we have this anthill built, who comes to try and knock it all down; now that could be interesting..."
"As for right now, I would suppose we need to finish cutting out the rot before we can build anything new." He settles in the middle of the courtyard in a fighting stance.
Still here. Got busy irl and all my games fell behind as a result. I'd rather keep going if it is at all possible to save things, though perhaps a specific campaign or adventure might help things start moving more consistantly than the more sandboxy approach. Just an thought.
I'm travelling this weekend with intermittent wifi access; bot me as necessary, and I'll catch up when I'm able.
"Overkill? Barely a few mooks; not even two-score. And the big one ran away before we could even challenge him, so I doubt he was much tougher than the rabble he was running with." Niche is dirty and smudged with soot. The edges of his tunic are burned in one spot, but there is no detectable injury underneath it. Whatever his state though, he seems as bright and alert as ever.
"Hey, show the divine some respect, or I'll call down some lightning or something." "Ok, I guess we're going to have to fight the fires the old fashioned way. Hopefully, the locals don't give us too much trouble. Do me a favour and let them know I'm trying to help if they start showing up with torches and pitch forks. You look a bit friendlier than I do." Niche will spend the night helping put out the fires and then guarding the portal, unless he gets overwhelmed. If anyone in authority shows up, he'll direct them to the portal and suggest they get an experienced mage or cleric on the scene to get the thing closed.
”I appreciate the flattery Rurik, but I make no claims at divinity. As far as I know, there is little chance either of my parents were anything other than ogres. Any power I have accumulated since then has been merely through discipline… and perhaps something akin to enlightenment. In that respect, it can be taught.” ”I’m not a fan of portals either Rurik. However, Aukan has always been straight with me before; if he says the portal wont trap us, I believe him.” ”However, if demons are going to be harassing this region throughout the night, I doubt the local fire brigade is going to have much luck with these fires. Rurik, you can’t happen to do a water elemental form as well, can you?” While talking, he crosses over to a large water trough, presumably left out for horses. He picks it up in both hands and tosses the brackish water over one of the nearby fires. He then looks around for something else to use to smother the numerous blazes and walks off to grab a manure cart.
Round 4
"Aukan! Feel free to join, there is plenty for everyone. Just be sure to invite us the next time you mix it up!"
As the Goat demons move in with their swords, Niche moves through their attacks like wind, countering each blow.
A well aimed blow kills one (just barely), and more sport broken bones. After their initial rush, he moves into an offensive of his own, attacking each of the four he injured (spending 2 ki for extra attacks).
"Rurik! Keep them off my back for a moment, if possible." Niche leaps over the remaining Dretches, leaving them for the later cleanup like the distraction they are. As he lands, he lashes out with a massive powerhouse attack at on of the goat headed demons.
Round 1
Niche channels power into his grey flame amulet .
Round 2
Niche smiles at Rurik and the next wave of Demons closes in. "Glad to see someone else isnt afraid of a little challenge, or niave enough to jump through the first portal that appears in a crisis. What tactic to you favour? Shall we find a position we can defend and fight till a victor is decided; or shall we strike at their line and escape the net before it closes tight?"
Oh, I'm here. Been lurking for a while as I'm not sure what to say or do at this point. Personally, I think Rurik should stay in it, as he seems to be kind of kindred with Niche, and the two could be a good foil to the more divinely interested members of the party. I think the issue right now is that the party is divided, and we have no reason to follow the others. That leaves two options: 1). Niche and Rurik fight their way free of the demon attack and the rest of the party meets up with them tomorrow when they can planeshift again, or... 2). Niche and Rurik, who would never go through a portal to Hell willingly, get transported there unwillingly, say on a campaign shaped rail system.
Same with Niche. The last time he went through a mysterious dimensional portal, he was stuck there for multiple centuries. If he goes through the portal, it wont be willingly.
Niche gets a big grin on his face at Rurik's question,"Glad to see there is someone else in this company with a sense of adventure. Ready? I wouldn't have it any other way."
Niche eyes the portal and raises a skeptical eyebrow. "If you want to get me to hell, I'm afraid you'll have to defeat me first. Besides, it's my policy never to accept transportation to a place I have no way to return from." He gives Matthew a dubious glance. "I imagine she could demand a pretty good terms for providing that transit; even if the transit there was free..."
Niche drops from the ceiling, spinning as he does, and landing with strange grace for such a large creature. He lashes out, striking at the skeletal creatures that came through the door.
He drops into a tight sweeping leg kick, smashing the creatures legs out from under it, and sending it down, hard. The strike snaps the critter's femor, leaving his leg bent at an impossible angle. He follows the strike up with a jabbing punch, accompanied by the sound of snapping ribs, and then as the monster bends double, he crushes its skull with a well times knee that forces its head against the lintel post of the door. The things body drops still and unmoving, as a pool of icor begins to pool from the crushed skull.
Niche waits until seeing if anyone takes him up on the offer to borrow his wand , and then after getting it back, quaffs both the Barkskin and Invisibility potions. Moving to the larger common room, he tests the rafters to make sure they can hold his weight. If it does, he pulls himself up quietly and activates his slippers of spider walking to allow him to crouch down (up), as close as he can to the ceiling.
Niche correct me if I am wrong, I thought mage armor was s personal spell. Ya it is.
Lets assume that's what I meant, and not that I forgot how personal spells work. ;)
"Some action indeed! Hopefully it is something interesting, and not just a couple of Vermlek or Alu and such. Hmm, I'll take that Barkskin enchantment; as for the others... hmm should I go bigger? I do love being 20 ft tall. However, even at night, that might draw the wrong kind of attention. Anyone have anything to help see invisible? And I guess I'll go invisible too, if Rosa is going to be the designated hit-monkey." While talking to himself, he draws out a wand, and effortlessly activates it in order to cover himself in an invisible mage armour.
"Anybody want a hit of Mage Armour?"
Niche would not really be into getting tied down at this time either. He is still on his quest to improve himself by finding creatures too tough or different for him to defeat, thus giving him new areas to focus on. Kind of hard to do that if he gets bogged down in matters of court. In a few hundred years, sure he might be up for some king-ing, but at present it would get in the way of what he wants to do. He will probably advocate going the heist route for now while things are confused. Once we've got what is owed us, we can play it by ear.
"We are a far step from that, Master Dwarf. I think it a bit early to be making any talk of kings. There is a great deal of chaos about, and perhaps it is best to see what we might make of it before setting our sights too high. No matter how mighty, no one can be a king for long without either the people or an army behind him. He fares the best when he has both."
Niche was about to react to the statement calling him a demi-god when his brain registered what the dwarf had called Rosa. He paused for a split second, mentally debating if it might be worth it to see the inevitable reaction from the aforementioned Devil-Lady, but decided that in the interest of avoiding a murder at their first meeting, it might be better to intervene. "Lady Rosa, draws her lineage from Devils, Mr. Goldbeard. While you or I might not see a considerable difference between the two, I assure you that they do. As a note to everyone, if you'd like to avoid being on the receiving end of some negative attention from her ladyship, I suggest you make a note of it, and ensure you use the proper terminology in the future." Continuing on immediately, so that Rosa might have a chance to cool off before saying anything, he said,"As for myself, I claim no divine lineage. I am immortal, but I am no god, demi or otherwise. Not yet, at least. Irori was once mortal, just as I was, so in the long run, who knows. As for the royal blood her ladyship mentioned earlier, I have noted in my time, as well as in my studies, that there is no such thing. Every royal line that walks this earth is merely descended from a warlord who conquered and made himself a king. However, given the royals' predilection for incestuous unions, I might be halfway there; being of ogre stock, there is as good a chance my parents were brother and sister, or uncle and niece, as any other combination. Nobody does family like we do." He carries on, his lips curling into an involuntary smile as he talks, and giving time for his natural charisma to pull the conversation away from the dwarf's verbal misstep, and closer to survival. "Actually, I've yet to find any other language that has a many words for relations as you'll find amongst ogres. We have a word for a father that is also your grandfather, which is different from a father that is also your uncle, and different again from the word used when your father was also your mother's uncle. I remember trying to draw a genealogy for the monks during my studies. The most patient of them lasted about a day, and I think he'd pulled out almost the whole right side of that dangly mustache he wore by the time he walked out." Not my geneology, of course. Gods only know who my parents were... he thinks to himself.
Niche at last turns his attention from the conversation and finally addresses the drink in his hand. The bottle looks tiny in his giant fist, making it look like a toy of some sort. He takes a swig, and let's the flavours permeate his mouth. After another moment he takes another sip, and then smiles and raises the bottle to Clara. "That is strangely good. The idea of spice and a cold drink seem like an odd combination, but for some reason it works. Thank you. Much better than that dwarven swill." He suddenly realizes there is now a dwarf present and hastily adds, "No offense," to Rurik. Turning back to the others he formally greets the newcomers,"Good to meet you, master dwarf."
"And Rosa! We were just talking about you, actually. Speak of the devil, etc, etc, though I dont think most people have ever had a chance to use that phrase quite so literally. On vacation, eh? Perhaps we can talk about relaxation a bit later, and relive old times." "As for the Chorals; I was less attached, and more of a friend, to the latest Lord Choral. Most of our dealings were informal. Officially, I acted as his Housecarl on occasion, seeing off challengers and such, if they were interesting enough to catch my interest. However, like most of you, I am still owed debts for my service. I would imagine the new nobles would suffer my presence only were I to pledge my services to them. Of course, they would likely insist on oaths and such nonsense beyond even what Lord Choral requested. Not likely to happen." "It seems we have choices to make; cut our losses and walk away, or make a bolder step forward in the present chaos to make sure we get at the least what is owed us." "Were we to choose the first, I think the obvious solution would be to enjoy our drinks, reminisce about old times, and then each go our separate ways. So many individuals of reputation in one place would be likely to draw attention in the current climate; and with so much uncertainty, ours is a presence that would gave to addressed." "However, that does lead nicely into the second point; we do seem to have an interesting group assembled here, whether by intent or happenstance..." he nods to Aukan, "And the truth is that were such a group to work together, they might accomplish a great deal in a place where power has yet to settle in any one place. Definately worth giving some thought." He continues sipping at his tiny bottle of spiced ale, at the end, using his tongue to try and work out the last few drops.
Niche's smile fades into something a bit more sad and forlorn, and perhaps a bit disappointed. He speaks more softly now, his tone indicating an afterthought to the main discussion; the denouement to a argument already won. "If you cannot confront his arguments, instead confront the man. It appears this discussion is reaching it's natural end." "As you have changed your address to assessing my character, allow me the conceit of doing the same. The philosophers generally agree that when the discussion turns from the point at hand to the one's discussing them, that the discussion is over, and the victor already decided; all that is left is to recognize it." "You have accused me of a false assumption, but provided no indication an assumption is being made, nor that it is false. As for time, it was you that suggested more time might bring me wisdom, to see my strength as happenstance instead of achievement. Time can certainly bring the opportunity for learning, but nothing is guaranteed. You claim to see the truth of your own assumptions, but continue to project those same assumptions upon me. You forget that everything is relative, and there is always something stronger. An orc is stronger than a man, an ogre stronger than a orc, a hill giant stronger than an ogre, a War Bringer stronger still. You assume I view strength as an accomplishment despite it never being mentioned by me. If I get the chance to face a war bringer giant, it will not be strength that allows me to lay him low; it will be skill, it will be cunning, and it will be heart. "When you look at me, you see a dumb brute who lords his strength only over those smaller than himself, because that is the easiest thing for you to see. Making that projection keeps you warm at night. Да ме запознаеш и ќе најдеш дека сум ништо друго освен што претпоставуваш." Translated from Terran:
"Get to know me and you will find I am anything but what you assume." "The passage of time brings opportunities for learning, but one must be open to learning from those experiences, or the lessons will pass you by. Hopefully you will see those lessons when they come. Thus far, your assumptions reveal a need for more experience. You lump others into categories designed to protect your sense of self, regardless of whether those categories fit. It seems this far you have been lucky enough that this categorization and assumption has not gotten you killed. I pray it does not during our time together. Death can be a formidable teacher, though it is one that only benefits those that survive you." Relaxing after completing his speach, he turns to the half elf. "Thank you my lady, for your perspectives. I can respect a pragmatist, always! To each there is there own special skills, and I do not begrudge anyone for using the skills they have. I do enjoy a good sport, and prefer my opponents ready and facing me, though I must admit such is not always practical. There will always be a time and place for a knife in the dark. I admire as well one who is able to turn her skills from hunting, and using her ken of the predator to protect the prey. It is also heartening to see one not afraid to commit to a stand up fight when one is thrust upon her. Many who's skills lie in stealth fear direct confrontation and turn like the bully, to wait until circumstance weighs the scales again in her favour. And I am not above a little sand in the eye myself, when needed. It is through cunning and not strength that the leopard brings down the buffalo." He raises his glass to her, "Prost!"
The ogre grins. "It appears the attack has been sprung upon me, and here I sit, taken unprepared, for the weapons of choice are words." He tips his head forward as if in a bow of acknowledgement, but keeping his eyes locked with the druidess, as if before a bout. "I'm afraid you missunderstand me. Or perhaps you do not care to, for as you have said, it is by scoring the moral victory you sleep at night. You assume I choose the direct assault because there is no field of battle on which the advantage could be more my own. This is a childish assumption, based on what you think you know of me, and in truth, representative of nothing." "Think of where we are. In a city of men, humans by and large, though with many others besides. Say what you will of them, but of one thing you can be sure, they are no friend to my kind. Listen now; what do you hear?" He pauses long enough to punctuate the quiet of the city at night "Do you hear the alarm? The whistles of the night watch or the gongs of the tower guard? And yet here I sit, having crossed through all those streets, past sleeping shopkeepers, dozing goodwives, and past a drowsy watch, leaving each and all unawares because I felt it less a bother than explaining myself at the gates. Do you think it any harder to crush a man's skull in his sleep than it is upon the battlefield? No child, I choose to face my opponents eye to eye because I want to. Because even though I have forgotten more tricks than most will ever learn, there is no satisfaction in the kill if I take a man at anything less than his best. This choice I make not to limit them, but rather to limit me." "One may make his attack when he has the high ground, with his lackeys at his back, when his foe stands bare, fresh from his bath with the the sun in his eye. He might think himself cunning for choosing the time and place for the conflict, but how fare he then when his opponent stands fully harnessed for battle, with steel on his breast and in his hand, food in his belly, his brethren at his shoulders, and his steed firmly under him. Does his cunning then not desert him, along with his courage? Of a man who would willfully choose the first, and one that would with intent seize upon the second, which would you call 'bully'?" "Perhaps if you live a few more centuries, you will learn to observe first, and pass judgement second. You have a keen mind, child, perhaps you will one day inherit the wisdom to use it better." "But then, as you say, these are just words. You spar well for a pup. Allow me to refill your goblet, and toast to a match well fought."
"I'd still stand by what I said; in most cases, assassination is not particularly sporting. It can be, mind you, particularly if they know you're coming. My favorite is the one where they tell you they're coming. They say, 'I'm going to kill you,' and i say, 'I'll kill you first.' Then they come and try, and we find out who is right, and who is dead." "I'd disagree with you on the point about 'tougher,' it it's mostly a matter of semantics. Better maybe, more skillful or more cunning perhaps, but not what I would call tougher. The sneak attack is a great way to get advantage over something you could not normally face, but when it comes to who would win when neither has a better chance to prepare than the other, that's how you find out who is tougher." "As I said at the beginning; I hold nothing against someone that uses their skills to kill someone stronger or more protected than themselves - it can be very impressive when someone uses their skills to bring down a foe much more dangerous than others would label them. It's just doesnt interest me personally."
"It's not my fault being the biggest and the strongest; I dont even exercise." "Besides, I take all comers. I've faught undead, giant monsters, beasts, squadrons of men, wyvern, hill giants, frost giants, storm giants, and fire giants, and I dont complain just because there's more of them, or they happen to be bigger than me. As you said, nature's a b*+*+." "And in fairness to myself, I never said what assassin's do isn't fair; just that is isn't the way I prefer to do things. I suppose you could consider what they do just as sporting as the hunt is to the boar. If they dont see or hear you stalking them, they lose." He gets a bit of a distant look in his eye, like he is remembering something. "Aw, I kinda miss meat. Spent a few hundred years in a place where nothing can die; makes meat hard to come by unless you dont mind your food raw, screaming and wriggling. That isn't as much fun as I make it sound; it gets old pretty quick. I tried meat when I first got back to this realm; tasted so good I thought I'd die. Of course, after a few centuries of nothing but rice and veggies, I thought my stomach really was going to kill me after. Felt like that beasty was fighting me for every inch it travelled through me. After three days o'that, I havent bothered to try it again since. Miss the taste though."
The ogre grins at the little mixologist and says, "That spicy ale sounds interesting; would you mind fixing me one of those?" While he waits, he continues to make small talk with the others. He turns to the shadowy girl, "Assassin, hmm? Knives in the dark, poison, that sort of thing? His tone is matter of fact, and contains no hint of judgement. "Efficient if you want someone dead I suppose, but not very sporting. Plus it would tend to bypass the central question regarding which of two opponents is tougher, and I think it would be a shame to see that question go unanswered each time such a plan were carried out. Ya, I dont think I could do that kind of work; I'm just too curious. Knowing somebody died by my hand but never knowing if I was tough enough to defeat them in an honest fight would needle at me. I'd go crazy in short order, or snap and challenge someone straight on when the assignment said it was to look like natural causes. I suppose that's why we all hold to different roles though. I suppose it might also be hard for me to slip into a dinner party unnoticed as well." He pantomimes fixing a bowtie and holds his hand out as if holding a tray. "Would your lordship care for a drink? What, who am I? I was just hired on the staff. What, you dont remember hiring a 10 ft tall valet?" He slams a palm down on the table, generating a thunderous bang and rattling all the dishes. He then throws his head back in a booming laugh. A moment later, a few tears in his eyes and his grin large on his face, he calms his laughter and says, "Ya, and that would be about it for my career in espionage!"
Rosa is out, I think there was just some sort of misunderstanding Rosa. Wolf was saying that he thought you were playing a different character as opposed to Rosa specifically, so "Rosa was out." I believe you are still welcome unless I missed something as well.
"I'm afraid I havent seen her since the ziggurat; since before the ziggurat really, since we all managed to get separated in there. Dont know what happened to you guys, but I'm glad to see you made it out. Seems like the whole place was just kinda overhyped though. I didnt find a single decent challenge in there. What we did encounter, Aukan and Matt managed to kill before I even got a chance to swing at it. Aukan was tearing around with that sword I won for him in that challenge beforehand - with that warlord, ah, Ptelemizreon. You still have that blade, Aukan? Is Matt going to be joining us, or that little gecko fellow, Sly?" Niche takes a swig of the dwarven stout and winces. "Dwarves do a lot of things well, but I have no idea why their beer is so popular. Bitter enough to curl your nose hairs. A good beer should have subtlety, with dozens of different flavours complementing each other and working together, like a fine meal. Burned barley, too much hops, and an earthy taste like ... mushrooms? This has all the subtlety of a warhammer to the groin, which would probably be an appropriate punishment for whoever brewed this. Hopefully they can get to him before he has children, and teaches them to perpetuate this abomination." The massive man eyes the colourful little gnome as she introduces herself and lists of her diatribe at blinding speed, his eyebrows arching a little. "Fizzy drinks? Like ale? It's not too sweet is it? The last time I tried a gnome concoction I couldnt peel my tongue off the roof of my mouth for a week. I dont suppose you have a potion that would turn this abuse of the brewer's craft into something palatable, would you?"
The kitchen door quietly clicks shut as Niche closes the door behind him. He'd come in silently, over the rooves as was typical for him when moving in the city. Too many people were prone to panic if he just tried walking down the streets, and gates were always more prone to baring his path, or even attacking him, than they were to allow him in; even if he offered to pay double the gate tax. Far easier to just hop the walls and make his way silently through the city. Why they had to pick a meeting spot in the middle of a bustling metropolis was beyond him; they knew he preferred to be outside city walls. Not because he minded people, mind you, but because people always seemed to mind him, and the headaches caused by all the excitable little people scurrying about were rarely worth it. Nevertheless, this was the spot requested, and so here he was. Old friends were said to be involved, and the immortal ogre had few enough of those that he could choose to ignore a request from the ones he did have. Looking around the common room, he saw a few others summoned had already arrived. They were all clearly adventurers; that type always stand out. Aylan was there, and Davian, the thick tongued Varisian evangelical. The others were all new to him. Hmm, looks like they invited a few of the extra-tiny types. Hope I dont step on anyone... He'd made his way across the rooftops, using the dark to conceal his passage. Once he'd found the place, he'd dropped down into the alley, and come in through the kitchen entrance in the back. Used to moving quietly, he wasn't sure if anyone had noticed him yet. So he decided to introduce himself. How's my favorite runt holding up? You're looking young and strong; it is good to see!" He moves to embrace the goliath, picking him up of his feet as he sweeps up the shorter man in a bear hug. Setting him back down after a moment, he rubs the top of the short man's head. The newcomer is huge! Anybody that thought of Aukan as a giant gets something of a shock as he get swept up in an enthusiastic embrace by a man head and shoulders taller than him. This new visitor is easily 10 ft tall, and his head brushes the rafters, displacing dust from above with every near miss of the ceiling beams. Besides his size, placing exactly what he is is no easy feat either. He looks... human. Except for the ten feet tall part. He is dressed in what appear to be monk's garb, an off white wrap around top and loose trousers bound at the waist with a thick cloth belt. While simple in cut, the fabric appears to be a strong silk weave, woven double strength, for durability, as opposed to those that choose silk for decoration. Beyond that, he caries nothing, though there is a small punch on his belt (small to him - on a human it would make a decent backpack). His features are... perfect, for lack of a better word. Those visionaries that sculpt giants from marble, embodying them with every ideal and wish of what should go into a man, might well have used this specimen as their model. His skin is a sun-kissed intermediate shade, and his eyes clear and deep. His smile shows a mouth full of perfect teeth. His head is shaved and unadorned, except for an enchanted headband worn around his brow. The gap in his silk top reveals dips almost to the waist, revealing layers upon layers of perfect muscle. Were it not for his size, you would think him the Prince, or Shining Knight every maid casts to the role in their minds eye as they listen to the bard's epic stories. "And Davian! Good to see you old friend. Is Rosa here as well? No matter, come here!" With that, he grasps hold of the varisian cleric with an arm longer than the holy-man is tall, and yanks him into a group hug, once again including the goliath. Setting both down again, he eyes the refreshments, and instantly settles them on the dwarven stout. Scooping up a pitcher from a shelf he grabs the whole barrel of dark beer and brings it back to the table, setting it down in front of him. He silently scoots the chair from the head end of the table, giving him room to sit cross legged before it. Seated on the floor, he is still taller than most of the people in the room. As he begins to fill his pitcher with beer, holding it like a flagon, he says, "It is good to be among friends. I am the ogre, Niche."
Niche /nēSH/ Ogre (Technically): Niche was born to ogre parents, themselves slaves to hill giants. While most ogres are notoriously inbred, and externally resemble humans, except for his size, Niche could be human. In fact he looks like what a human should look like, appearing like the paragon of the Male form, or like a god walking the earth. His features are perfect, his body honed to perfection. While most would struggle to identify what exactly he is, most would only believe ogre because they could not find another term that fit. Dragon Scale Unchained Monk VMV Ninja: Niche spent a few centuries confined to a small pocket dimension where his only company was a remote monastery. This realm was suffused with life, to the point where nothing there could actually die. Unable to leave, and unable to kill anything, unable to even die, he eventually began to speak with the monks, learn their language, and then even to learn from them. Only when he had mastered their secrets was he able to overcome the challenges needed to leave the realm. He has been back on Golarion only a couple of years now. Immortal: Niche is immortal, and will never die of natural causes. Ogres rarely live to see 30, though no one really knows how long they live, as they almost always die by violence long before old age would ever be a concern. Niche is already hundreds of years old, giving him a perspective on things completely different than any of his kin. Weakness: still discussing potential curses and such with Wolf. In general, you could say he has a tenancy to take on all problems physically, and enjoys putting himself at risk to be weaknesses, but more weaknesses in character than mechanical ones. Meaninglessness: Niche's biggest fear is that he will never find an opponent or challenge that will give his life meaning. He fears that as an immortal, he will be destined to just exist, never finding meaning, never dying, but just eternally stewing in mediocrity. This probably drives him to take greater risks than he should, as he seeks to keep death a constant risk, and thus provide his immortal life with a little contrast.
Hooray, you re back! Brace yourself while we inundate you with our character specific questions...
Ya, life happens. If it is just busyness or other delays, I'll still be up for this game whenever he's ready, I just wanted to see if he's out there.
Wolf, you around? Havent seen you post in over a week, so I'm wondering if this game is going ahead, or dead on arrival...
Add into what? Her backstory or the notches on her belt? It sounded to me from what Wolf said that we are taking the events of the first session as canon/history, so having their mutual history noted makes sense, brief as their interactions were...
Same; Monks are notoriously under powered in regular games, but I think that is in large part because of the inherent MAD problems. In high power games, the class really comes into it's own, particularly when you start getting Dex stats of 20 or more, the Monk's Wisdom to AC bonus starts working really, really well, as anyone wearing armour will have their effective Dex severely limited, but the monk will not. My character for this game is an Ogre Dragon Scale (charisma based) Unchained Monk. The original reason for that was a template he had that offers a huge CHA bonus, but even though templates are no longer allowed I kept it the same, as it is a firmly established part of his character, and doesn't negatively affect him.
Oh, did I include those? Then I guess I did include part of it. I did a little copy-pasting, so I probably tagged them on without noticing.
Realized I haven't rolled hitpoints yet...
I have Niche fully updated, but haven't included his Wish or Super-Power, as I'm waiting for wolf to weigh in on those. Davian Are you going to take the opportunity to add a bit to your story and take a few more boons this time, or do you still plan on being the plucky everyman in a group full of giants?
Wolf's earlier posts basically just said No templates, but he might make an exception for lousy rolls. He might be more prone to just allowing you a reroll though, who knows. Hopefully we hear from him soon; he's been absent for a while now. As for backstory, line breaks are what they are teaching in classes these days, I believe, and I don't find them any harder to follow than indents, but maybe that's just me. I had to check as I couldn't remember what I did with mine, but it turns out I used line breaks too, though my paragraphs tend to be a little longer. I could check the wordcount, but I am not at all worried about coming in under. I'm thinking of adding a more classic 3rd person summary to this submission, simply because I have the time, and because there are parts of my backstory I thought up, but didn't really fit into the story itself. I think I've seen a few people that only wrote 5-6 paragraphs, and in my opinion, if you do anything less than the full 10 you are selling yourself short, and basically just leaving money on the table. Do yourself a favour and go the whole nine yards!
Matthew, Aukan and Sly: "Minotaurs don't sound like much of an obstacle, given how long this one lasted, so I would say quickest is best. I like the idea of facing an Undead Minotaur; it sounds more interesting than these chumps," he says, kicking the corpse at his feet, "But taking the long route doesn't sound like a great idea. The others will probably get themselves killed if we don't find them soon."
"We probably won't. In my experience, when adventurers get separated like this, it inevitably means that they have died. We should push on, and hope for the best, while expecting the worst."
"Ah yes, taunt the mysterious figures for not finding more inventive ways to kill us. A solid tactic." Lidras said with a hint of amusement. Niche walks over to the monster lying on the ground in its own blood. "Just a Minotaur? That's disappointing. It couldn't even stay alive long enough for me to hit it."
He looks at his companions, "Which way next? You think we'll find the others soon?"
Seeing his companions charge forward, Niche looks to see what made them bolt. "A minotaur? Is that all?" Raising his voice to project in her direction he says, "Hey she-bull, seen anything tough down here we could fight?"
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