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At the request for a song, Eric stands up and approaches the group eagerly.

"If I may, Lady Bloodmourn? Although I haven't joined the group on their latest trips around the island, I have been composing a song for just such an occasion! As exciting as Tucci's tale is, I think adding some melody to our exploits will fit this party much more!"

Perform (Sing): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (14) + 17 = 31

Eric launches into an epic song, detailing their battles on the island with exciting details, starting with the giant octopus at the bay.

He then moves on to their encounters in the fort, recounting their fights with the dream things and their meeting with both the hag and Bikendi's ghost.

From there, the song swiftly moves to their assault on Sumithia, and how the group almost brought down every one of the city's defenders in a single day, before coming back the next to finish the job, while also solving the riddle hiding the Dreamstone and getting it back safely to the fort.

His song takes a mournful turn for a moment as he describes how Bikendi's finished ritual finally allowed his crew's souls to move on instead of haunting the fort, and picks up again as he describes their raiding of Bikendi's secret underwater stash.

He then moves on to the smaller battles around the island, giving a prideful focus to their encounter with the harpies and how their song wasn't good enough to triumph over his.

Sing is Eric's best Perform skill, so that's what I went with, rather than Oratory, sorry, Tucci. And unfortunately I'm not a good enough writer to actually put all the above into an actual song :). And sorry I've been away for so long, things have been a bit rough again for me lately, and I just haven't been able to get into the right state of mind to post at the end of the day.

Sara's face drops noticeably at Marbyn's words, listening and nodding to the others' reactions, but not really adding her own.

She waves the others goodbye, and pulls Joanna along back to the manor - not urgently, but enough to make her realise she needs to talk.

I'm really sorry for disappearing again, everyone. The end of the year was particularly taxing for me, and I'm only now trying to get back into the games.

I still have to read back to see where we are (last thing I remember is us having taken the Earl in), but it seems we're investigating the cult and trying to sneak in? I have no idea yet on how my spells are for the day (or even which day it is), but I do usually have Invisibility prepared on my 2nd level bonus slot. Plus, if a simple disguise would do, I have some Sleeves of many Garments, if those suffice.

Will get a post up after I get up to speed.

Edit:

Unfortunately you might be right :( I'll have to think about recruitment but in the meen time the minions of hell grow weaker, however you grow stronger! I forgot to level you up earlier, you should be level 9 at this stage.

Right now we're in the last quarter of book 3 and my original intention was to run an edited book 4. I expect you to be level 13 at the conclusion of this game.

What level are we supposed to be? This post made me think we're supposed to be at 9, but I haven't leveled Diana past 7 yet. Mainly so I know what spells I'm supposed to have available :).

Welcome back, Ellie. It would be wonderful to have you aboard again!

As for what happened in-game, I believe we lost Ellie right before Isabella "Inkskin" attacked the rock, around here.

I seem to remember Robert saying we found a note from you alongside the boots I just finished crafting for you, saying you were leaving the Rock as pirating was not for you. But I can't find that anywhere, so I'm not too sure. Maybe it was a post in our discord channel?

As for Leadership, we were already leaving Eric out of things, right? I'm not opposed to retraining into something more useful, but I have no problems with keeping it in, either. Veronica's pretty powerful already, and it does make thematic sense in a way, with her being captain and all.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Veronica nods in agreement at Mac's comment, and then looks in confusion as everyone starts moving ahead. "Err, guys? I thought we were going to just magic our way right next to it? Just seemed safer, but we can go ahead and charge if you're all into it."

I'll delay until Mac's turn in case he still wants to try Dimension Dooring towards the creature.

I apologise for the extended absence. The last few weeks have been particularly hard on me.

If you're still waiting on an action from me, I propose a readied action below. I think it's both a good choice, and it fits with Diana's apparent hesitation.

"Thanks for the help, Mac. Time to make this thing pay for managing to grab me.

Unleashing her frustration at her own lack of contribution to this fight, Veronica lets loose with a vicious attack with her frost enchanted Black Blade.

Swift action: Arcane pool for +2 and keen, free action Black Blade Strike for +3 damage, Spell combat: Rime Frostbite

Concentration vs DC 17: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (11) + 21 = 32

Attack: Frostbite Spellstrike (Haste, Outflank, Spell Combat): 1d20 + 5 + 7 + 6 + 1 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 7 + 6 + 1 + 4 - 2 = 23
Damage (Black Blade Strike): 1d6 + 5 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 6 + 3 = 20
Frostbite(cold, non-lethal): 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15+Fatigue+Entangled

Attack: First Iterative (Haste, Outflank, Spell Combat): 1d20 + 5 + 7 + 6 + 1 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 5 + 7 + 6 + 1 + 4 - 2 = 40
Damage (Black Blade Strike): 1d6 + 5 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 6 + 3 = 20
Frostbite(cold, non-lethal): 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11+Fatigue+Entangled
Crit? (Haste, Outflank, Spell Combat): 1d20 + 5 + 7 + 6 + 1 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 5 + 7 + 6 + 1 + 4 - 2 = 33
Crit Damage (Black Blade Strike): 1d6 + 5 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 6 + 3 = 18
Crit Frostbite(cold, non-lethal): 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12+Fatigue+Entangled

Attack: Haste (Haste, Outflank, Spell Combat): 1d20 + 5 + 7 + 6 + 1 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 7 + 6 + 1 + 4 - 2 = 27
Damage (Black Blade Strike): 1d6 + 5 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 5 + 6 + 3 = 19
Frostbite(cold, non-lethal): 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14+Fatigue+Entangled

Attack: Second Iterative (Haste, Outflank, Spell Combat): 1d20 + 5 + 2 + 6 + 1 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 2 + 6 + 1 + 4 - 2 = 19
Damage (Black Blade Strike): 1d6 + 5 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 6 + 3 = 18
Frostbite(cold, non-lethal): 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14+Fatigue+Entangled

"I see, I let you all out of my sight for some research time and a couple errands for my cousin, and you go ahead and deal with all the troubles we came here to solve." Diana grins back at Triphylla and signal the waiter for a cup as well. "Although I'd like to hear what happened in more detail later. You mentioned a dragon? That's... A bit more force than I figured our enemies would be able to get. It's a good thing you managed to get by it unscathed."

She takes a sip of her drink, and nods. "Although I believe getting whatever proof you got to the Council should probably be our priority right now. The less time we give Earl Yander to prepare, the better. Hopefully we'll be able to bring him to justice and let Yanmass be peaceful again. Or as peaceful as it is possible in these times."

** spoiler omitted **

Forgot to react to Sara's offer.

Sergyn simply whispers back "Thank you, I actually need to do this."

Sara gives Sergyn a knowing nod. "I understand. As long as you're sure. But don't feel pushed into doing anything. Just let me know if that changes. I'll help out any way I can."

She gives him a reassuring smile, and turns to the rest of the group, as the halfling woman suggests grabbing some food first.

"Well, we'll be heading to Ameiko's once Joanna gets her stuff from my house, so we can return the things she lent her. Might as well grab something to eat at the Rusty Dragon if you're hungry."

She then chuckles heartily as she sees Joanna pet Esgean's bobcat, and approaches the woman.

"You might want to watch out for my cousin... I'm not sure she'll be able to stop petting and cuddling your companion now that you've let her start!"

"Ugh, this takes me back to the Wormwood... Veronica mumbles to Mac as the crabs pinch and bite at her, making her recall when she was nearly overrun by a wave of rats in the Wormwood 's bilges, with her stomach reacting in a similar way.

"Nicely done, Mac" she tries to nod approvingly at the cleric's actions. "I'll join you in a bit, soon as I get over these little guys bites."

She stands her ground and tries to stomp at some of the crabs as she waits for her stomach to get well enough to focus on the rest of the fight.

@GM: It might be best if you let us roll for the saves ourselves, because we have abilities that can modify them when we roll that we might want to use: Veronica has a Four-leaf Clover, that she'll be using on her next save to ensure she's not left out of the action again. And Tucci has Lucky Halfling as well.

I'd say there's a pretty good chance, yes (you might want to check the gameplay thread ;) ).

Sorry for being gone for so long, everyone, but I think things are finally getting back on track, and I'm feeling I can finally get back to posting with a decent rate.

I would love to join you all again (especially when you're about to delve into a Thassolonian ruin!), if you still want me along.

I'd like to apologise to everyone here for just up and vanishing for all these months. I went through a very heavy burnout at the end of February, and these last months have been difficult to deal with. I just didn't have the mental capacity to post anymore.

Things are better now, though, and I feel solid enough to try and get back to the games, although I'm afraid my posting rate might still suffer a bit. There's quite a bit to read up on, too, but I'd like to join you all again, if you're all okay with that.

Veronica nods at Tucci's words and eyes the newcomers appraisingly. "Heh, I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting so much attention so soon. Figured it'd come after the feast, not before. I guess news of your nice picnic spot gets around fast." Veronica replies with a grin. "Guess we might as well greet them, I figure they were standing around to meet us."

With a confident smile, Veronica approaches the newcomers and greets them. "Veronica Blackblade, captain of The Charm. I wasn't expecting visitors so soon, but I guess the island can get pretty interesting, if you're into hunting oversized creatures, that is. Care to share a drink and tell us what brings you here?"

Welcome, Arkhan! Thanks for helping the group keep going!

If I may make a suggestion, Maheen, one of our NPC officers is taking Fargo (the wererat captain) where he wanted to go hide, and will be making a trip back. Considering your character seems interested in the ancient Ghol-Gan empire from your campaign trait, and that we should be decently known around the Shackles by now, you could have tried to seek us out after learning about our island, and met Maheen on his way back.

Not too sure on the amount of time before he gets back, but that should get you here sooner than either the gala or a trip back to Port Peril (as we just took one recently).

I'm sorry, everyone. It has been a really though time for me in real life, and I just haven't been able to find the strength to post amid all the chaos.

Among all the games I was in, I'd really hate to let this one go, as it's been the one I've been most invested in, and you've been great players through it all. But I can't be certain I'll be able to post with any decent frequency from now on, and you deserve better.

I'll try to get a post up later today, to at least get us moving until you find someone to take my place. I'm really sorry things turned out like this.

Sorry for taking so long to post. Things have been rough for me for the past weeks but I think they're getting back on track. And I don't want to stall getting Trip back any longer.

"My thoughts exactly, Lope." Diana says, as she nods gravely when Lope hands her the scrolls. "If we have to pick someone else, Sir Dratavis is the better choice, considering he was investigating everything that was happening here before us, and might have relevant details to pass along."

After taking a good look at the scrolls with her Read Magic cantrip, to ensure she understands the magical writing within perfectly, Diana gives Triphylla's stony form a determined look, before focusing again one one of the scrolls.

"I... I should warn you all beforehand - this spell is a bit beyond my current abilities. While the scroll is a big help, there still exists the possibility that this goes... Horribly wrong. You might want to keep a safe distance during the casting."

When the others are ready, Diana starts chanting the arcane words. When she finishes and releases the spell towards Triphylla, she can feel its magic working correctly and lets out a relieved sigh as she sees it taking effect.

CL check vs DC 12: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

"Welcome back, Triphylla. The medusa's gaze got you before the others managed to bring her down, but we focused on bringing you back as soon as we could. How do you feel?"

She gives the halfling woman a bit to get her bearings, before returning to the scroll in her hand.

"We still have a second scroll, which we were hoping to use to get Sir Dratavis back as well. You might want to join the others at a safe distance, however. While yours went off without any problem, I can't guarantee the next casting will go so easy."

When she's ready, Diana will focus on the second scroll and try to heal Sir Dratavis as well.

CL check vs DC 12: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Mishap check vs DC 5: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
CL check vs DC 12: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
Mishap check vs DC 5: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13
CL check vs DC 12: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

The second scroll proves much more difficult, and she only succeeds in unlocking its power on her third attempt - thankfully, her two initial failures happen without any unwanted effects and without expending the scroll.

"Yeah, better come back with some flight of our own. And a supply trip tomorrow makes sense, too. We've got all the stuff we got from Bikendi and Sumithia to unload. And if there's stuff we can pick up for the fort, or to make our exploration of the rest of the island easier, all the better."

"I'm good if you guys want to push on on foot for a while longer for today, too. Assuming we don't run into anything that flies, I'm pretty sure we can still deal with whatever the next giant thing we'll find on this island."

Off the top of my head, I think we spent 7 days reaching the island, 2 days with the fort, 2 with Sumithia, 1 with the underground shrine, 4 with the wererat (2 days trip each way), and this one with just the harpies. So 17 days spent overall, if I'm not forgetting anything.

Coup de Grace: 1d8 + 10 + 20 + 12 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 10 + 20 + 12 + 6 = 49

Veronica quickly dispatches the unconscious harpy, and then nods to Tucci.

"Yeah, I figured we'd stick to our original plan and try to get that fence fixed, now that we've made sure your little picnic spot is safe." She replies with a chuckle.

Zorlen skin turns a deeper shade of red for a moment, but he ends up laughing heartily at Izzy's reply to Garen, and then nods to Erridon. "Doesn't upset me at all. In fact, it's nice, you know, being able to laugh at stuff like this again. Didn't realise how much I missed it these last few years."

He turns to Izzy, still smiling. "I appreciate the, erm, generous offer, but I think I'll pass at this time." he says with a chuckle, before his expression turns a bit more serious. "Right now, I think it's best if I stay focused on finding out who's behind the attack on the town. There'll be time for fun later, after we make sure the town is safe."

"Can't really say, Ari, sorry... Probably the topic, though - Fiendish races, wouldn't surprise me if it brought back some unpleasant memories..."

"As for your thoughts on what our thieves intend with the bodies... Doesn't feel quite right for them to be going after the transformation rigual and not know about Tobyn's and Nualia's relationship. Unless I understood something wrong, they'd have to be related to one of them - I mean, I suppose there doesn't have to be a biological bond between the caster and them, thinking about it... The focus was more on the need for a "betrayal of love by sacrificing a family member". I guess as long as they were close enough to both to consider them family, that would be enough. Would a distant relation count? I don't see who else could claim to be that close to them. Maybe someone from the church?"

"Joanna! No! No no no..." Sara looks on in horror as the two remaining goblins stab at her cousin, barely registering the one she just brought down.

She lets out a sigh of relief as Joanna steps back and manages to magically heal the damage she just took.

"Joanna, I'm sorry I couldn't stop you getting hurt. Please, just... Stay close. I... I'll keep you safe from now on."

Moving forward to place herself between one of the goblins and her cousin, Sara strikes at it with her starknife, hoping that her goddess' blessing is enough to ensure she hits.

Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Damage: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

Sara drops to her knees as the last goblin falls, sobbing quietly as she takes in the chaos around them. When Joanna hugs her, she hugs her back tightly, as she lets herself cry on her cousin's shoulder for a brief moment.

"Why, Joanna, why? This... This is all wrong..."

She feeezes when she hears the scream, and slowly nods at Joanna's words. "We... We should." as she follows along and picks up the starknife she threw at the first goblin. She gives a weak smile at Joanna's and Bulvarius replies to Kemras, and starts running behind Joanna.

"Thanks, all of you. For doing the right thing."

----

As they turn the corner and see the brutal way in which the goblin rider killed the dog, Sara stops and grabs at her holy symbol.

"Please, Desna, grant me your strength, and guide my hand. Help me keep everyone safe."

Her eyes go wide as Joanna gives her orders and starts charging the goblin group. "No! Joanna, wait! It's too dangerous! Let me go first, instead! Please..."

Casting Divine Favor. Would have joined Joanna on her charge, but can't reach the goblin from where I started, unfortunately.

Sara freezes for a moment, staring wide eyed and shaking as the goblin falls lifelessly to the ground. She blinks as she hears Bulvarius voice. She looks at him surprised, and then looks to where Joanna is pointing, seeing Kemras rise up and rush the remaining goblin.

"I... I... There's still one... Can't... Can't let it hurt anyone else..."

As if in a daze, Sara rushes over to Kemras side, readying herself to bring this one down as well.

Double move, I don't think I can charge the goblin with everything on the way. Should at least make it harder for it to get away.

Erik doesn't have Trapfinding exactly, but it's close enough - Guerrilla Rogues keep the ability to disarm magical traps, even if they trade the Trapfinding ability itself. So he's only missing the bonus to the Disable Device check.

I don't mind picking up a fifth player, and I don't think there's any spot that clearly needs to be filled. A support character is always welcome, of course, but I don't think we need one, specifically. I'm fine with whatever they want to bring.

"Thanks for getting me out of there, Mac. But, huh... What are we doing now? Do we fly back, in case they need help?"

Still in a panic as she sees the goblin continue to attack her cousin, Sara does her best to ignore the pain in her arm as she tries to move behind it, hoping it will help her attacks get past the creature's reflexes.

No no no no... Stop... You wretched thing, stop attacking Joanna!"

Attack (flanking): 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 5 + 2 = 20
Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Diana's eyes widen as Rhundle recounts what he can recall.

"Mr. Rhundle, I think the council will need to hear from you - I am sure your word will carry more weight than ours. That Earl Yander was directly involved is troubling, too. Bringing this creature here seems like a deliberate attempt at weakening your city. If this is somehow part of his plan to enthrone Pythareus... Yanmass should not let this stand! Do you think your words and your letters would be enough to sway the council to action?"

"But not before we escort you home and you manage to recover from all this, of course. Here" Diana takes off her Sleeves of Many Garments and hands them to Rhundle. "It's a minor magic item infused with glammer magic, that will let you change your clothes' appearance to whatever you might desire - it should let you hide that outfit until you can change into something more appropriate."

Her gaze then falls on the pairaka's body, and she shivers slightly as she considers the implications of her presence in the city.

As I suspected, this creature was called here, not summoned. Some powerful caster brought her here for this - was it grandfather? If so... Is he... Is he here right now? Does he know that we... That I... am working against his plans?

Will 1 vs DC 16: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Will 2 vs DC 16: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28
Will 3 vs DC 16: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Will 4 vs DC 16: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Will 5 vs DC 16: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
Will 6 vs DC 16: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

One of the harpies' songs manages to overcome Veronica's will, but before she can start gliding towards her, Eric's song snaps her out of it.

"Thanks, Eric. That helped. Now, let's deal with these things, shall we? Can't have them threatening our picnic spot."

Veronica casts Mirror Image, and follows Tucci (60ft only) - hopefully she'll draw some of their attacks, too.

Mirror Image: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

I'll do the buff list tomorrow, but I think the relevant ones right now are Veronica's defenses (DR 5/bludgeoning, Images, 16 temporary HP), and Protective Luck on everyone else. Tucci has Barkskin, and +4 to dex and con.

"Joanna! No! No no no no... I can't... I can't lose you too... Please..."

In a panic, Sara turns her attention to the goblin attacking her cousin, and tries to strike him down before he can do anymore harm. But in her frantic state, she fumbles her dance like movements and fails to land a solid hit.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

"I imagine this might all be a bit overwhelming for you, Mr. Navin. I wish I could give you more concrete answers to your questions, but I can only speculate for the moment. That blue skinned woman my companions so expertly took down was an outsider from one of the evil aligned planes." Diana gives a respectful nod towards Valeria. "My own knowledge of them is not as good as Miss Turanor's, but we believe it to be the cause of the nightmares that have been plaguing the town of late."

"We think whatever magical ability granted her power over mortal's dreams may have also allowed her some manner of control over the same targets - we have met with a group earlier in the day that attacked us, as if in a daze. They told us they had been having a hard time sleeping due to those terrible nightmares, and that they didn't remember much of what had happened to them recently. A weird dream about a sheep telling them what to do - and this creature assumed such a form when we first got here. Do you remember anything similar happening to you?"

Diana then looks thoughtfully at the fallen woman, and then looks around the room, hoping to find some clues of how she got here.

Sara blinks as she manages to clear her mind, and her face falls as she realises just how worse things have turned while she was dazed.

What do I do? Bulvarius needs healing, but... But... I'm surrounded, I'm not sure I can pull it off. I...

"I'm sorry, I'll heal you as soon as I can..." Sara whispers as she spins around and tries to hit the goblin that got behind her.

Attack on Yellow: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

"It's a nice plan, Tucci, but it hinges on him accepting our help. Not sure that's going to happen. Maybe if we let him in on what we've heard about him? Make him understand how dangerous things are for him, especially if he's going to Chelliax."

"Hmmm, Endymion has been away, then. Can you tell us for how long? That might... Explain a few things. See, we've heard some rumours concerning yourself, and well, things didn't really make sense. "

"Thing is, people are saying you might be spying for Chelliax." Veronica raises a hand to calm the other captain in case he means to refute the rumour. "Don't worry, doesn't matter much to me right now if that's true or not. The weird thing, though, is why Endymion wouldn't have acted on it sooner if that was true. The fact someone opted to spread that rumour when he's away is too much of a coincidence."

"Way I see it, someone wants you gone, eother because you DID spy for Chelliax, but have outlived your usefulness to them, or because they want to frame you for it, so Endymion or whomever else don't suspect them. Has to be someone who knew you'd be making this trip, though, for those rumours to work out how they hoped. And if they DO have ties to Chelliax... I don't think your voyage will end how you hope it does."

"So here's my proposal instead: we buy that rum off you, and help you get away safely from all this, so you can enjoy your retirement in peace - you're a clever guy, you proved as much up there. Say we take your ship and tell everyone we killed you, for spying for Chelliax. Whomever wants you gone thinks they've succeeded, so that's that threat gone. And then you just have us drop you off where you want to be, or where you can easily find passage there. Just a suggestion, mind, I'm open to other ideas. But I do think we're your best bet to get out of this alive."

I'm very sorry for your loss, Adam. My condolences to you and your family.

Diana takes Triphylla offered pill, and casts an Invisibility spell of her own before they ascend the tower.

"I don't have much more magic to help against the div, but one of the scrolls we found on my grandfather's secret study might help us deal with her."

I claimed a few wands and scrolls we had unclaimed on the loot sheet, that might prove useful. Of particular relevance is the summon monster IV scroll - should at least let me get a helper that can bypass her DR.

Sara lets out a small sigh of relief as her cousin assures her she's uninjured. Her relief is short-lived, however, as the cart bursts into flames and the goblins come rushing towards Bulvarius.

"Why?! Why is this happening?!"

She watches in horror and confusion as the warrior misses, and then falls to the ground, laughing.

She looks from Bulvarius, to Kemras, to the singing goblin he points to, and the group of four converging on Bulvarius. She finally looks back to Joanna and stammers nervously "I... I have to protect him, too!" before sprinting towards the fallen warrior, hoping to shield him from the coming attacks, and strikes at the closest goblin (pink)with her starknife.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

@Joanna:Countersong only works on allies within 30ft - you'll need to move a bit closer if you want it covering Bulvarius.

Sara lets out a relieved sigh as Bulvarius runs the last goblin through with his spear.

I guess that's for the best... Not really looking forward to engaging that... Thing... Up close.

With the immediate threat dealt with, Sara looks back to the rest of the group, to ensure they're safe. Seeing her cousin covered in blood, however, she rushes over to her, her eyes filled with panic.

"Joanna! You... You're bleeding! I'm sorry, I should have stayed close to you! Let... Let me heal you!" She exclaims as she frantically reaches for her holy symbol.

"Yeah, Arcane Trickery sounds right, guy just tried to mess with my mind, I think. Didn't work so well for him, though."

"I'm glad you know me, that should make things much easier. Right now, we'd like to have a little talk with you." Veronica's tone is calm, but it's clear saying 'no' is not really much of an option. "I'd refrain from trying any more magic on me if I were you, though. Or you might be facing some of my own, too."

Sara's eyes widen in surprise as she sees her starknife heading straight towards the goblin, but closes her eyes as it hits.

I... I know I've been training for this, but I... i never thought I'd out those techniques to use. I... No, I can't lose anyone else, I... I have to protect them. Keep Joanna safe.

Her eyes still closed, she focuses on her cousin's song as she takes another step forward, letting the song guide her dance like movements as she draws another starknife. As she looks around, she sees Joanna swiftly dealing with the goblin that attacked Kemras, and turns her attention to the one which is left, waiting nervously for it to make its move.

"Hey, you evil... Thing! Leave... Leave that poor dog alone!" Sara says shakily as she tries to get the goblin's attention, lest he decides to charge at one of the others. She keeps a firm grip on her starknife, but her arm is visibly shaking.

Thank you Audra! A happy new year to you all!

@GM Spazmodeus : Getting back to your question about saves, I'm perfectly okay with you rolling every save and the like for me on your turn, and would prefer it over prerolling additional dice during my turn in case they're needed. I do think Audra's suggestion is a nice compromise, though.

As for botting Sara, I'll try to add a botting section to her profile, but it's not like she has many options for now.

Veronica takes a look at both rooms through the wall, but doesn't enter any of them. The magic circle is interesting, given the similarities to the teleporting ones in Sumithia, but not interesting enough for her to risk going into a potentially trapped room alone with no backup.

As she gets back above ground and shifts back, she tells Tucci what she saw as they make their way back to the ship.

"Found a couple of rooms that were probably connected to the tower at one point - they were clearly made by the cyclops. There's another magic circle in one of them, like the ones we saw back at Sumithia. And then there's what seems like an amphitheatre, overlooking a giant cyclops statue. But let's focus on our rum and information gathering trip first, before we explore those extra rooms."

Zorlen smiles as he sees Erridon and Tot approach the group, hand in hand, but his expression grows more serious as they reach the sheriff.

Zorlen listens quietly, his brow furrowed and his fists clenched as he considers the implications of what they've just been told.

Father Tobyn... Why? First I lose him and the church to that fire, and now someone takes away his and Nualia's remains? Why?

"I... I can't think of anyone that would be after them, either. I mean, the town adored Nualia. Blessed by Desna, some would say, due to her celestial blood..." Mixed with the pain and sadness in his voice, is a slight hint of lingering envy at the way the town looked up to Nualia.

"And the fire, I always thought it was an accident... If there really are dark forces moving against the town..."

He freezes for a moment as his mind goes back to the fires and the awful nightmares he's been having, before he shakes himself back to the conversation.

"I agree with Master Garen, looking for clues around the graveyard seems like the best place to start."

And if all that happened really is the work of some dark forces moving against the town... I'll stand up to them, this time. I just hope... My magic is up to the task.

Veronica grin fades as Mac voices his concerns.

"That... Makes sense, Mac. Bah, I was itching for a fight and was really looking forward to taking his ship by force, but... Meh, trying to talk to him first does make the most sense when you put it that way. I mean, consider Endymion's position if those rumours are really widespread - the ex-chelish Pirate Lord is frequently working with a known chelish spy? I can't see that happening either way - if he's siding with Cheliax, he'd want to keep that hidden, and associating with a spy is anything but that. And if he's against Cheliax... He'd probably want him dead. I can't see him working with Vitterande and be unaware of these rumours."

Not that I want to interrupt the scene between Tot and Erridon, but I figure I'd keep the rest of the conversation going as well for the rest of us :)

Despite the apparent seriousness of the situation, Zolren can't help but chuckle at Isidiana's comment about the "nice humans". As he's about to give his view on Grod's suggestion, Tot takes off, followed closely by Erridon.

"I don't know what that was about, but I'm guessing it's best if we leave those two alone for a bit. I'm sure Ari will be able to find us when they're ready."

"As for what's waiting for us at that meeting... It's though to say, but that's a good possibility, Master Grod. Have us go scout out their base, or even attack if we're confident we can take them on, without the sheriff having to spare members of the city guards and militia that might be necessary if there's another attack on the town. What I can't understand is how Naffer Vosk fits into all this... He's the one who tends to the boneyard. Why'd he be called to a meeting of this nature?"

Are you counting Eric as well on those wand charges? He's using the Helm of Underwater Action, so he shouldn't need it.

Eric starts his inspiring performance and gets ready to throw the harpoon at the sharks if they close in.

IC +3, 20/21

Oh boy, starting with the natural 20s already, Joanna?

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Sara shrugs as she replies. "Maybe. But you know how he is. And it's always the same with these tales about the Devil - it's always foggy, so you can never be too sure if they really saw anything."

She then gives a nod to everyone at the table. "Well, you heard Robbik, they're about to consecrate our new cathedral. I, huh, should probably already be there and helping out." She looks away to the stage with an embarassed look. "Kinda lost track of the time for a bit. But it's been a pleasure talking to you all, and I hope we can talk more before you leave town!"

With a smile, Sara rises up and hurries towards the stage, trying to cut through the crowd already forming.

While Mac sets out to purify the fort, Eric uses his magic to make sure all the magic traps they'd left armed the last time they were here.

I think there were quite a few traps in the room where Ederleigh was hiding that we didn't take care of. Just wanted to make sure they were disabled before we brought the crew in.

Why wouldn't I be? I'm loving the interaction between you two as well, and I wouldn't want it to stop.

"It's done, then? We've got the stone? Nice job, everyone. Let's go back out of the room and decide what we're doing next."

Veronica flies cautiously down the stairs.

"So, Tucci got blinded as well? If we're going straight back to the ship, I'll gladly take that potion, Mac. There's a couple of spells I could scribe into my spellbook as we rest, which would be a bit hard to do while blinded. If you guys would rather explore a bit more, then I think Tucci should take it. My magic will last a bit more, so the potion helps him more than me. Although I think there's not much more for us to search around here. There's the dark, silent room, and that balcony to the southwest and whatever connects it to the big room we fought all those cyclops in."

Veronica ponders a bit. "Since we already took care of all the cyclops around here, I think we can safely go back to the boat and rest without endangering the crew like Bikendi did. We can always come back and see if we missed anything later - possibly with a daylight spell prepared to search that one room. We should explore the rest of the island, anyway, no reason we can't make a quick stop over here again when we do."

Still, he pays careful attention to Sara as she describes the local legend, rubbing his chin absently. "Do you believe it is real at all?" He asks. Is it some remnant of the ancient times? Or something more recent?

"Eheh, that's a good question. There's obviously stuff I don't believe about it, but some details are more or less common among unrelated tales, so there has to be some tru... Aaaah?!"

Sara's reply is cut short as she lets out a surprised scream that quickly turns into a laugh, as she realises what's happening when Joana lifts her up.

"Oh Joanna, I should have realised it was you right away! I've missed you so much as well!" Sara replies with a smile as she looks to Joanna "Oh, and your Uncle Darius came along as well! Will you two be staying here a while, or did you come just for the festival?" She waves towards the towering man, before turning back to her cousin and leading her back to the others. "Come, sit down and eat with me, and my new friends!" She chuckles "We've just met, actually. It started with me seeing Kemras here eating alone and deciding to keep him company and getting him to tell me stories of his travels." She gestures towards the half-elf, and then the other two. "Then Audra and Bulvarius joined us as shortly after."

As they get back to the group, Sara does a little bow and gestures towards Joanna, "Everyone, I'd like to introduce my dear cousin Joanna and her Uncle Darius."