"Foul play, obviously. I say we go and search for tracks."
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Pyro reports his findings back to the group.
Pyro scrutinizes it carefully.
"Something."
Pyro uses his empathic link to try and discern more detail. Mounting his bat, he lets it carry him stealthily over to where the thing that caused its ears to perk up can be found.
"I did not." Pyro encourages the others to head off.
Pyro wakes early, and spends an hour carefully reading through his spellbook, enjoying the easy contemplation of the dawn light. After a time, he snaps it shut, has his breakfast, and stands. "Onwards, then, gentlepersons?"
Spoiler: Pyro picks up the note without reading it, tosses it into the air and incinerates it with a burst of flame.
Pyro walks back to the group and takes up his watch. Barring any further interruptions, he wakes the next watchperson ad their alotted time and tells them "I talked with a creature that hid itself from me; wanted to make a bargain with me for power. He might appear again to you, I suggest you ignore him." He goes and sleeps.
Relax fellas, it'll be fine. I'm not ironically called 'Pyro' for nothing.
Pyro conveys to hsi bat that he wants it to stay with the rest of the sleeping group; he creeps through the grasses towards the aura.
"You. I still have my watch."
"Whatever watched us vanished, then... we could move camp to avoid detection, but I suspect it would not help. To sleep, then."
Pyro wakes one person up and tells him the situation. He sets off with his bat silently into the woods, scanning the bush for auras of teleportation or anything else; with his bat's sonar and his stealth and magic radar, he tries to hunt the enemy down.
Pyro quietly walks to the nearest sleeping body and shakes it awake, quietly whispering of the aura in the bush. He repeats this until everyone is awake.
Cool. Take 10 for 18 on both to identify the aura.
Actually, I can just take 10 on the checks; would you mind?
Pyro shows no reaction other than studying the aura. Communicating his alarm to his bat, he encourages it to stealthily get closer to the aura and identify it.
Did I hit unsubscribe from gameplay? Damn. I'll take the First or Last shifts, so I get my full straight hour's rest to recover my spells. And next day I prepare White Ray instead of that Black Ray one.
Pyro leads the group on the minor detour.
"Not the most... well-designed spell." Pyro circles around the leechweeds, looking for a path for the others.
Pyro raises an eyebrow. Dipping low on his bat, careful not to touch the grass, he experimentally launches a black ray at it.
Pyro mounts his bat and flies over the brush, circling, watching for threats.
"I say that, regardless, we will need to avoid acting rashly." Pyro pushes his way into the undergrowth. "Come."
Pyro manages not to roll his eyes. "Onwards."
"Agreed."
Pyro flies around looking for information about the town's military. Any big walls around the town? How well armed are the guards, how many guards are there at each gate? Any big barracks?
Unfazed by the teleportation, Pyro mounts up. "Let's see..."
Standard Loadout 0- Dancing Lights, Prestigiditation, Message
"Wonderful." Pyro takes the book, holding it close and looking at it as if it were his own babe. "Thank you. I will return." He walks out into the main library, sits down and begins reading.
"That... sounds very acceptable. Thank you." The wizard gives a smile.
Pyro looks around and bows slightly to the woman. "I must confess, ma'am, that from the size and quality of your library I find it highly doubtful that any magical knowledge would be so vulgar as to be ill-fitting and already be replicated by another, worthier tome. I would prefer to study magic lore, particularly tomes on Evocation, if you would permit it."
Pyro examines the woman and sits down.
Pyro heads in, ignoring the sign; evidently the pursuit of power through knowledge is more desirable than the pursuit of power through random chance.
Pyro quickly sets himself up in the library, quite pleased at the opportunity; he sets himself up at a corner and starts steadily learning its entire contents and reading some of it.
Then all plants should die at sunset. Question is, with his weird metabolism, how long can he hold his 'breath'?
I suppose I was expecting that the artifact acted in ways that I know about from my Knowledge Arcana check. For example, that in this case it has forced a permanent Beast Shape 2 change on our companion, which can be removed temporarily by Dispel Magic or permanently by Break Enchantment or something. That sort of thing.
Pyro examines the queen, and bows his head politely when she curtsies. After her venture is outlined, his eyes flicker around the group before bowing again. "Victory or failure of your proposed endeavor seems based on how well you have judged ourselves. In this matter, I will not question a Queen's opinion, and from what I have seen... this well likely end well. I would join, highness." As everyone waltez one by one into the gambling room, Pyro voices a grunt of disapproval, and another when snake-tail comes slithering out. "Magic is no parlor game, treat it as such and the world can shake from the consequences. Now, let's see here..." Walking over to his new serpentine comrade, being careful not to touch him, he examines him closely.
Just to let you know, Lawful Good here isn't going to come quietly about the extra-legal squad the Queen is requesting... not without some significant justification.
The mage shakes his head disapprovingly. "A Queen who does not respect the law is brainless... but on occasion it is better to be brainless than heartless. It will require much to satisfy me that this is such a time." Drawing his robes together, Pyro walks over to his bat and orders it home; he joins and follows the man. "Lead on."
Pyro raises an eyebrow and regards this fellow coldly; nevertheless, stepping nimbly back from the collapsing lizard, he heads close towards him to hear what he has to say.
DC10 save to not get crushed by lizard body? Are you sure? Burning Hands does have a decent range...
"This ends." Stepping toward the great beast unafraid, Pyro throws up a bare hand, and mutters an arcane syllable. A torrent of ice and snow blasts out at the creature.
Pyro frowns, and turns to head back to the danger.
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