Reine de Colère's page

“... but that process can be reversed with you... you can retrace Lowls’s steps to regain your memories and your whole self.'"

Outwardly, Reine made no motion, spoke no sound. Internally, she was rocked to her core.

"Regain your memories."

Did she even really want them any more?

"Your whole self."

What had been lost, with those memories? Who - what - had she been before? Would regaining that change who she was now?

What if she liked who she was now?

What if she didn't?

In any case, she had to know, didn't she?

And, the rage within her insisted, Lowls had to pay for what he had done to her. For putting her through this. For... "deconstructing" her - and the others - like this.

If going through the potential pain of "re-construction" was the cost to make that happen, well, she would just have to pay it, wouldn't she?

"We'll do it."

Reine's voice was harsh. A far cry from the liquid music it normally was, as though someone had dragged a sawblade across strings drawn so tight they'd have snapped at a feather's touch.

"We'll get your damned gifts, and we'll go see this madman of yours. We'll do it."

"I-" Reine had been about to answer the dreamshard being, when Hannah spoke up. So Reine waited a beat for the priestess to finish her questions. Then she chimed in.

"He has definitely sent me off on at least one journey he didn't expect to need to supervise," Reine said, "and now I'm back. I'm good at what I do, and finding the count is what needs doing right now. I suspect - no, I know he is in mortal danger."

Every word of that was true. The fact that Reine, herself, was intending to be the source of that mortal danger didn't make the statement any less factual.

"So as the lady said, can you help us?"

"He's a noble," Reine said to Grimes, "they don't do 'under arrest.' They send people to arrest other people." She smiled, and it was sharp enough to cut silk.

"That's OK though, Milord, we don't need to be bothered by legal niceties, do we? Why would we, if one can simply make people disappear?"

She did not move. She did not threaten. Her voice was music itself. And yet, any being with a modicum of intelligence or self-preservation could understand the danger she represented.

"Why would you not remember me?"

To Reine, the ledgers would likely have been illegible regardless. She didn't really understand the intricacies of that magic called "keeping books."

So she simply headed up the stairs with the others.

...Where she saw he man in yellow robes. Her expression went icy.

"Stand up, slowly," She said to the man, her voice sharp as a knife. "Keep your hands where we can see them, and tell us why we shouldn't end you out of hand."

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17 Anything important about the guy jump out at her?

Happy to avoid stepping into the ick. Though if I remember right (which I may not, given that I appear to have been wrong about the compression thing), this particular kind of ooze isn't actually mindless, so Reine *could* very well send it running in fear. But that would just mean it comes after us again later, all angry at being embarrassed... Yeah, I say no fight.

Just for general information, my understanding is that absent some kind of ability, a creature can only squeeze through an opening at least half as wide as it is. The spawn is 15' wide and the doors are 5' wide.

You might wanna check that. I think Oozes might have an exemption there.

Correct as far as Reine goes, yes.

"That isn't much different than our waking reality for the past... however long, I guess," Reine said, her tone dark, but not fatalistic.

Bath Save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Reine grabbed the pitcher before they left the room, tucking it into her backpack.

"There aren't a lot of physical objects laying around," she told the others. "This might be important, somehow."

Joining the others in moving the investigation forward, Reine also found herself feeling momentarily dizzy after glancing into the baths. She closed her eyes for a moment until her guts and her mind had settled, then opened them again.

"great. Another weird room. What is with this place?"

"Hate," Reine said, "or fear, maybe. Or guilt. Who really knows?" Reine didn't really know anything about hauntings, but she knew what drove people to do terrible things.

"I don't think the count is in here, either way." She took a look around the room with the others, anyway.

Perception AA for Hannah (auto-success): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22

Reine is useless vs. haunts - unless she's carrying holy water I don't remember. And 8-9hp of damage had it at "Moderate" which is close to half, so I suspect 1-2 more castings would be enough.

Reine had done her best not to crowd the doorway. If the boys wanted to rush into the room, she'd just watch the rear, for now.

Besides, if there was haunting happening, based on what had happened last time Reine had let her powers manifest, it might, she reasoned, be best if she kept herself in reserve.

Sorry guys, been a busy couple of weeks. Reine is basically just watching the hallway. She doesn't really have an anti-Haunt ability. Also, map updated.

While Hannah is playing handsy with the detective, can Reine do a room Search?

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

"Hmph," Reine gave a curious grunt. "It looks like nightmares can be killed, after all." "And frightened," she thought to herself, "Good."

Now, she wondered, what the hells did the whole dreamscape reacting to her powers mean?

No issues with Hannah grabbing the gem.

"Everyone else saw that, right?" Reine's question was both distracted and rhetorical.

She wasn't able to be frightened any more, even in dreams, but she definitely looked a bit nonplussed at the implications of what had just happened.

Then Lachen started pounding with his giant hammer.

Right. Bad Guy.

"I'm not sure," Reine said, as Lachen's hammer came down a second time, "That's going to have any effect on a dream-ghost." She wound down, curious to see whether Lachen's hammer connected or not.

I don't know if it's actually incorporeal or not. If it is, remember that magical weapons/spells only do half damage (unless it's Force or Channel Energy damage), and non-magical weapons can't touch it. Anyway, IF the thing isn't splattered...

"It's going to keep trying to run," Reine warned everyone, "For a while, at least."

Then she drew the magical rapier from her belt, and gave the thing a poke, just to see what would happen.

Attack with Rapier: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21
Rapier Damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11/2=5

Reine had expected something, but even with her paranoia in good form, the sudden backlash in her mind of the ghost-librarian's decision to attack - and thereby trigger the effects of her aura upon it - left her staggered for a brief moment.

A moment too long, as it attacked.

"Hey, ghost-boy," Reine called out, seeking to get the thing's attention off of Grimes (assuming that the two of them weren't playing some elaborate con to sucker the rest of them in), "no touchie!"

Then she focused her will on the thing, letting it feel something she doubted it had felt in a very long time - raw, unadulterated terror.

Everyone within 10 feet of Reine suddenly felt guilty, as if they had done something horrible, although they could not remember what might cause such a feeling. After a few seconds, the feeling faded.

And power surged from Reine towards the librarian.

Manifest Unearthly Terror on the AD, Augmented by 4pts (total spend 5pts).

DC 20 Will save (at -4 to the roll for her aura) or be Frightened for the next 8 rounds. Success = Shaken for the same duration.

I think Lachen said (or at least implied) that he had come in as well.

perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

Reine nearly jumped out of her skin when Lachen and the "detective" person followed her through the curtain. And then so did Hannah.

So much for her "I'll go in, be prepared to come in fighting if things go sideways" pantomime.

"Not sure what we're looking for, really," Reine said, turning back to the being before her. "I'm not from around here, so forgive me if it's rude to ask, but did you know your robes are smoking?"

Reine turned to the others and motioned, indicating 1 person on the other side of the curtain, and that they didn't look armed.

Which, of course, meant nothing.

She pointed at herself, then towards the curtain, indicating that she would go in first. Then she motioned for the others to be ready to come in fighting if (when, inevitably), the single, harmless-looking person, alone in an abandoned building on a lost plane of the dreamlands, turned out to be a terrible monster.

Waiting until the rest were ready, Reine then slipped through the curtain.

"Hello," she said, hands empty, but Power quietly at the ready, "I don't suppose you've seen any power-hungry nobles passing through here recently?"

She's not gonna manifest anything before going in, as she doesn't want to risk setting the guy off before she goes in. Please no one else cast spells to prep, but I can't stop you. Then she'll step in keeping as much of the curtain closed behind her as she can, and make sure she steps away from the door so that she's not blocking it, and so that the dude isn't looking at the door when he looks at her.

EDIT: I moved her on the map to where I'd like her to get to, but totally understand if he interrupts before she can get that far.

Hmmm. with 40% of the group on vacation for the next few days, perhaps we should pause until the 13rd or 24th?

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

Reine's ears also pricked at the faint sounds coming from the other room.

She caught the eyes of the others, pointed to herself, then the curtain, and held her finger to her lips.

Stealth: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34

Moving slowly and smoothly, Reine crept up to one side of the curtain and tilted her head to see if she could see anything through the gap, while she waited for the others to get into place behind her.

I doubt we'll actually have surprise, since No one was being stealthy on the way in, but let's see if we can at least not let whoever's in there know that we know they're there...

I've moved Reine on the map. Grimes would *not* be the end of the line. Probably not Thraag, either. Would prefer Lachen, actually, since he's probably the loudest, and the one who could smack the crap out of either Thraag or Grimes if either one got silly. Probably would be good to go Reine, Thraag, Hannah, Grimes, Lachen. But we can play the map as it lies for now.

"Earth?," "Reine asked the question with an odd frown. "Your world is named after the element? Do you have living rocks everywhere? I thought that was a plane, not a world."

Then she shook her head.

"Nevermind. For now, we should make sure there's nothing waiting to jump out and eat our souls." Then she began looking around the building.

"Pick a spot and work around the perimeter, I suppose." She gave the strange man a look.

"At least one of us is going to stay behind you for now, you understand? For your safety and ours."

Start at the West gate entrance and work our way widdershins?

Reine gave a wry smile as the others spoke up.

"And he seems to have betrayed me and some former colleagues of mine after having originally hired us to do... something... for him. Wiped our memories, gave us to some crazy, flesh-flaying people in an asylum, then either approved of, participated in, or otherwise was connected to some kind of ritual that turned the place into a nightmare realm - complete with a 'tattered man' killer of some kind - and left us to die. Meanwhile, he seems to have engaged in some other nefarious activity, put an entire town at risk, and then used magic to enter this place, seeking some kind of power." Reine shrugged.

"We all have reasons to want to catch up to the man. And varying levels of interest in getting questions answered and/or satisfaction for past wrongs. It's still yet to be determined to what degree those desires are compatible."

Though her voice was still lovely, and her tone seemed to be intentionally light, there was something in her eyes that indicated Reine was not one of those particularly interested in getting questions answered.

"I'm Reine, by the way. That's Hannah, that's Thraag." She indicated each in turn. Lachen had already introduced himself. "So, 'Detective Inspector Lawrence Grimes,' what do we do now?"

"Or kill us for sport. Or vengeance. Or..." Reine trailed off, realizing that she wasn't really helping the situation. It was still bothering her that both Desdemona and Broom (Broom!) had decided to stay behind on the ship. Or did they, Karl?

Her mismatched eyes narrowed as she took in (yet another) newcomer.

"He's not the count," Reine said to the rescued deckhand that had joined them in this place (and why had he done that, she wondered). Then she raised her voice to the stranger. "Friend or foe probably depends on how friendly you're feeling about Count Lowls, and how it is that you happen to be here in the Dream Lands."

To the stranger the voice that came from the tall, pale, dark-haired wisp of a woman was very close to musical. Lovely, smooth and warm - and yet, it also carried an undercurrent of menace, somehow. Her attractive features were almost as lovely as her voice, and yet... though she clearly was not trying to give offense, something unidentifiable and undefined tickled at his senses, and stirred the hairs at the back of his neck.

Whether she did or did not sense the danger in DI Grimes' stance, the woman did not reach for any weapon of her own.

And yet, something told Grimes that she was no less dangerous, for all that.

Reine gave Thraag a look out of the side of her eye. She wasn't terribly happy about this entire endeavor, nor was she completely sold on the idea of bringing the stranger along. They'd gotten to know a little about him since he'd come aboard, but he wasn't exactly family yet.

That said, she wasn't super excited about the idea of leaving him behind while they were all sleeping, either.

It was somewhat unsettling to her that neither thought - nor the thought of going into the dream world in the first place - actually frightened her. Again, the fear was just a stream that flowed into and through her, without touching Reine's own psyche.

She wondered if that would be true in the dream world as well. There was a small part of her that might have hoped it wouldn't be. She'd gotten used to being afraid. To using that fear to power her anger, and the anger, in turn, to power her through the insanity and danger that had surrounded them since waking up in that damned basement.

But, Reine thought, the group had met (and lost) many people along the way, hadn't they? People they'd trusted - had to trust - with their lives and sanity, within minutes of meeting them. Seconds, for some of them. In those cells.

She would have - should have - shuddered with remembered terror, recalling those first few moments regaining consciousness in the cells below the asylum. The screams. The bloody-

She cut the thought off. Not because of any echoes of remembered fear, but because it didn't help her to relive it. It had become like watching a play. Seeing it happen to someone else. She could still feel disgust. Remember the despair, the confusion. All of it.

She could even remember the fear, kind of. She remembered it had been there. Remembered how it had affected her.

But she didn't feel it anymore.

She did remember how quickly she'd had to trust the others, trapped in that place. People who, as far as she knew, she'd known for less than a minute, as they worked to free one another.

Thraag had been here significantly longer than they had had then, hadn't he?

There were so many people who'd been killed, or worse. Those who'd been scarred emotionally, psychically, forever. Some had chosen to be a part of their path - at least for a time - others had merely been standing too close to them. Put in the path of this destruction by pure chance - or so it had seemed - while they were simply trying to live their lives.

People who had deserved to know more about what was happening to them than they'd been told.

People who'd deserved more warning than they'd been given.

People like Thraag.

Reine sighed, then spoke.

"We're chasing a bastard," she said to Thraag. "The guy we told you about - Lowls - he put some of us into an asylum, tried to sacrifice us to a power from beyond this world, and then left. We think he either used, or is using the Dreamland to get to something dangerous. We're gonna find him, and... she trailed off.

"Make him pay," was what she eventually ended with.

"But I don't know any more about how this dream travel and Dreamland stuff works than you do," Reine admitted, "Just that we're gonna do it."

Going to handwave that we told Thraag a bit about what we've been up against so far, since it's been a day or two, and the research would probably be something he'd be interested in.

"It's your ship, Captain," Reine said, and she actually sounded like she meant it. "Your decision to make. I'm just a passenger. I apologize if I gave any other impression."

The smile Reine directed at Skywin was truly apologetic, and did not seem at all freighting. Which, in and of itself was something of an oddity.

But the newcomer didn't know that.

Reine had simply watched. Standing towards the back of the ship, with Broom and Des, Reine had been more alert for an ambush than she had been interested in the one survivor that had been so... fortunate.

"I don't like this," Reine had muttered to her two companions. But really, what Reine didn't like was how quiet the other two had become. Ever since the discoveries at the estate, both Broom and Des had seemed to become more and more withdrawn.

Nothing felt right to Reine. Nothing had felt right since waking up in that damned asylum.

She closed her eyes, sighing.

Who were they? Who had they been? What were they - what was she becoming?

Reine stopped to examine that thought.

In the past, it would have ridden on a wave of fear.

Fear of the unknown, fear of loss, fear of fear itself.

But now?

None of that.

Where before she'd have had to make an effort to control the fear, to mask it with rage, in hopes that the rage would be strong enough to beat back the terror, now Reine just felt the pool of power inside of her roil as more fuel flowed into it.

Reine was different now. So very different.

So, too, were those she'd begun to think of as friends.

At the very least, as fellow survivors.

But even now, Reine felt their detachment.

From Desdemona, that was almost normal. The small noblewoman had regularly drifted into and out of periods of aloof distance, but she'd just as often come back. Sometimes in terror, sometimes just when something grabbed her interest, like the books in that bookshop.

But Broom? That one had been a bundle of curious, weird, friendly energy and enthusiasm since the moment Reine had first met? - re-met? - her. To see that one stare into the distance so passively, rather than throwing herself into every mystery, or obsessively cleaning and repairing every surface of the boat? It was well-nigh heartbreaking.

Reine shook her head, shaking herself off of this train of thought.

"I'm going to join the others up front, see who this mysterious 'survivor' is. You two, stay and keep an eye out back here."

When Broom didn't leap at the opportunity to explore a mystery, and Des didn't immediately take umbrage at being told what to do, Reine sighed again.

She walked away from the two small women, towards the bow.

She arrived just in time to hear the survivor declare his wish to stay aboard their ship.

"You mean you wouldn't prefer to swim?" she asked him. Her tone was sarcastic, and yet musical at the same time. To the stranger - like almost everyone who first met Reine - her voice sounded like it should be that of an angel. And though her face was that of a very lovely (if pale) human, the set of it was hard, and her eyes looked Thraag over like she knew he'd stolen something.

There was something frightening about her, though she made no overtly threatening move or gesture. Even the smile that crossed her face was... it didn't seem welcoming, so much as that of a cat who had just welcomed a mouse into her front room.

"I know I wouldn't want to make that swim, anyway."

I'm traveling all day tomorrow (Thursday), but will hopefully be able to start posting regularly on Friday.

Occultist dip does give a lot, so I might go with that. I have some gold unspent, and I think I didn't have any armor yet. Just need to think what would fit the style of a otherwordly detective. Maybe mithral shirt could be worn under an inverness cape :)

Could always try a MW version of one of these.

I'm always partial to Parade Armor, as it's basically a uniform. No one says it has to *stay* a dress uniform (rip all the fancy braid and medals off, dye the jacket black, etc.).

Reine frowned, then shook her head.

"Unless we have someone who can slip back there and scout it out," she said.

Fishing to see if the DM wants to/can have an NPC-PC(s) send a magical companion back through the fog to see what's there...

"Is there still a boat behind us?" Reine asked. The voon-things had come from somewhere, after all.

Curiosity question: How many of the crew were affected by that "scary" yell-thingie?

Yeah you guys are manhandling these things. Wow.

It's much easier to do that when you can stun half the bad guys and then roll crits with an Earthbreaker. That burned almost half of Reine's PP for the day though, so it's not like we're OP - we just hit hard and fast the first time. :-)

The +2 from Prot Evil only works if the Vooniths are actually Evil though...

Reine glanced over in the direction of the howling Voonith and the look on her face was probably best described as, "unimpressed." She'd felt, very briefly, the... process?... of the Voonith's attempt to stir fear within her, and that something within herself that she still didn't understand had.. not blocked the fear, not prevented it, but rather, seemed to recognize it, and welcome it, but in such a way that the fear did not touch Reine directly. Instead, it simply flowed through her, feeding her power.

All in all, Reine would realize, when she thought about it later, it was an odd experience. Odd, and strangely empowering.

For now though, she was merely mildly irritated by what seemed an incompetent attempt to "be scary."

She would show them scary.

Reine moved to where she could touch one of the Voonith creatures that was hanging, stunned, off of the rear rail of the ship.

"Go," Reine said to the creature, as she sunk her claws into its top-most appendages and let the power of her captured and redirected terror flow into it, "flee, and tell your masters that they have chosen poorly."

Then she lifted her claws free, releasing the creature's hands, that it might be better able to obey her command.

5'NE (map updated), Swift to activate Terrified Escape Terror, FRA to use both claws vs. VRed, with DT and Terror channeled through it (attacks will be vs. normal AC, adjusted for Stunned (-2AC and no Dex bonus)

Claw 1 + DT + Terror vs. VRed: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
Claw 2 vs. VRed: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26
Claw 1 Damage: 1d4 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10 B+P Damage
Claw 2 Damage: 1d4 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10 B+P Damage
DT Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17 Untyped/Psychic Damage

So, 37 total damage, and a Will Save (with a -4 Penalty) vs. DC 18 or be forced to flee from Reine on the Voonith's next turn. (Assuming that didn't kill it)

If it does flee, she'll forgo any AoOs against it.

"You're a little taller than they are," Reine said, her tone dry, "And you're missing a few legs."

Then, she stood up, putting herself in direct line of sight of both of the creatures climbing up the back of the vessel.

"You have attacked the wrong vessel,", Reine spoke in no more forceful a tone than anyone had heard her do before, but now, her voice seemed to echo in the minds of everyone near her, melodious and yet amplified by some power, and carrying a promise of sure doom to those who disobeyed it. "Begone or perish! The mental echo of Reine's voice was so powerful, it was as if it left a subtle chime ringing in the minds of creatures within 15 feet of the vooniths at the stern.

The vooniths themselves began to feel their minds flooded with horrible visions of future possibilities.

Manifest True Terror, Augmented, but slightly differently than previously stated, since there are only 2 of them with LoS. (3 pt base, +1 to add a second creature, +2 to boost the duration to 2 rounds. Total cost 6PP. Every 2 PP of augment adds +1 to the DC.) So, DC19 Will save or be stunned for 2 rounds. And since they're both within 17' of her, they'll take a -4 to their save.

If anyone attacks her in melee and hits, she'll burn 3PP to use Sidestep and nullify the hit.

When the enemy didn't immediately slam into the back of the ship or leap up onto the deck, Reine shuffled herself to the center of the back rail, still ducking down. She reached into the well of power within herself - the one powered by the terror she no longer felt - and made ready to meet her enemy.

Moved her to the center of the aft rail. She's kneeling, so as to hopefully get whatever cover/concealment she can, while still looking over the top. Ready Action to Manifest either of True Terror (Augmented) once all of the enemy are visible to her, within 100', and not obviously non-living. If the enemy is clearly going to be immune to mind-affecting powers/spells, she'll manifest Concealing Amorpha, instead.

Reine followed Lachen's finger, and swore.

"'Ware the water astern!" Reine bellowed at the top of her lungs, "We're under attack!"

Unfortunately, Reine didn't really know whether the things in the water were going to attack the ship directly, or wind up jumping up and assaulting the deck. And each option suggested opposite courses of action for her and her companions.

If the ship was about to get hit, they needed to hang onto something - likely the rails right in front of them.

But if the enemy were about to come leaping aboard, having a weapon in hand and being free to move about would be better.

And each was the exact opposite of what one should do if she guessed wrong.

"Get ready," she warned the others, unhelpfully.

Fortunately for Reine, at least, she didn't need to take up a hand holding a weapon. She was a weapon all on her own. But that wasn't true for her companions.

Reine put one hand on the rail and squatted down, making herself as stable - and as small - as she could. If something jumped the rail, she's still be stuck between the enemy and a hard push over the side, but at least she wouldn't be helpless. And if the ship got hit, she'd be close to the deck.

As she ducked down, Reine seemed to fade from view for a split second, then reappeared as if nothing had happened, with a Harrow card in her hand. She flicked the card over the rail, even as she braced herself.

Unseen by anyone, the Keep skimmed along the wavetops for a few moments, before disappearing, having never touched the water.

Manifest Defensive Precognition, fully Augmented, so +3 to AC and all saves. I'll update her quick stats.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23

It had taken Reine some time to get used to the new things in her life. Not having to maneuver her way over endless waves of fear and terror was one of them.

It wasn't that the fear didn't exist. It was just... it was no longer an exhausting presence in the back of her mind, always threatening to escape and overpower her. Instead, if anything, she felt that she'd come to understand fear. Understand how it worked, where it came from, and what it could do to a body and a mind.

The thing that truly frightened her, she realized (and even that was only a vague, disconnected thing), was that Reine now understood how to draw power from fear, and how to weaponize it. Whether the fear was her own, or others'.

She'd always been able to do that, she realized. She just hadn't realized exactly what she was doing, or how. But using her terror - and the anger it had stirred in her as a defense mechanism - to protect herself and destroy things that tried to destroy or devour her had been something she'd instinctively learned to do, and she'd gotten good at it in the past weeks. Something about their time in the asylum, she thought. It had...

Well, she didn't know what it had done, but she'd woken up with the ability to funnel her fear and anger into both psychic and physical forms of attack and defense.

Up to now, that had all been instinct. Basically, she'd been throwing raw power at her opponents, and brute-forcing that power into crude (but effective) weapons or shields, as it were.

Now though, Reine knew, there was another way.

She had no real idea how to access that way, how to be more subtle, more delicate with the power that came from fear, but she knew it was possible.

Now, she just had to figure out how.

Also, she had to figure out what to do with her emotions. Now that she didn't need a shield of constant anger to hold back and direct the constant fear, she wasn't always sure how to react to people or situations. On one hand, it was nice to not have to always be bridling her rage.

On the other hand, her anger, she knew, was quite often a very useful tool for creating (or unlocking) fear in other people. And that gave her some very significant advantages...

She'd spent much of the trip so far leaning over the rails of the ship, staring at the sky or the water, pondering her new reality.

And then, the fog had parted, briefly.

Not the fog of her thoughts, but the literal fog the ship was sailing through.

Even as the fog closed behind the ship again, Reine was reaching for her weapons - the weapons of rage and fear.

Hannah came up beside her with her warning.

"I saw it," Reine said, "Someone is about to mess with the wrong ship, I think."

"Sail ho!" Reine called out, not really knowing what the proper procedure was in such a situation, but she'd heard the sailors yell similar things before. "Behind us - er...astern! Red Sails!"

Might as well give the crew every possible chance to minimize surprise, I guess.

"That," Reine said, softly, "will be quite enough of that." Her voice was still musical, and her volume rose not a whit, but there was a cold so deep in Reine's voice that frost should have formed on every surface within a dozen paces of her.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (13) + 17 = 30

"As the Captain said, Harbormaster, we have a schedule to keep, and a significant voyage ahead. Even if her sailors were able to move the wood without the aid of your men, to do so without a crane is to put them at needless risk of injury, which thus puts our trip at needless risk."

Reine's smile was nearly beatific.

"I. Will. Not. Have. That. Happen."

The words were, if anything, softer than anything else she had said. She let the incontrovertible fact that was her will hang there in the air for a moment.

Then she continued, in a conversational tone that nevertheless was not up for debate.

"You, Harbormaster, will call back enough men to operate the loading boom, and your men will assist Captain Skywin's crew to redistribute the cargo in an expedited and safe fashion. By working together in such fashion, we will have the situation corrected in less time than has already been wasted by arguing. After all, we'd hate to miss the tide and be here on your dock for another half-day or more, wouldn't we?"

The Intimidate is primarily aimed at the harbormaster. Reine knows she doesn't want the ship's captain pissed at her for the course of the voyage. But if she has to splash Skywin with it to stop the argument long enough to get her say in, she'll do it.

EDIT: This is the "Influence Opponent’s Attitude" use of Intimidate. Trying to get the Harbormaster to act Friendly for 1d6x10 minutes(times 1.5 for Rein's Memorable Trait) - which should be long enough to get the boom crew over and working, I think. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + the target’s Hit Dice + the target’s Wisdom modifier.

Reine smiled, and it was almost natural. She wasn't a diplomat, and she didn't try to be one. But she did know how to get people to do things, if needed - though they usually didn't appreciate her approach.

Still, not knowing all of he facts, or who the observing women were, Reine did her best not to immediately start threatening people.

Yet.

"Tell me," Reine said to the air between the two arguers, "who are the women over there?" She didn't nod or do anything to indicate whom she was talking about, and kept her voice pitched to a normal - if slightly quiet - conversational level.

"And are they likely to be animatedly discussing what's going on here because they're pleased or displeased by the position that each of you are currently taking in this little disagreement? In other words," Reine's smile went a little more predatory, "what's the goal here, what's getting in the way, and why are the two of you not working together to solve the problem?"

Reine gave Hannah a look out of the corner of one eye. The priestess was right. Reine then gave Desdemona a look out of the corner of her other eye. This kind of thing was where the smaller woman was normally wont to speak up and put on the "imperious noble" act, but today, in this particular instance, Reine didn't see any obvious indication from Des that she was going to take an interest.

Which was fair, Reine thought. After all, Reine herself had been acting - and feeling - different since the group's encounter with Melisenn. Something about that moment...

Anyway, Reine had slept surprisingly well that night, and awakened with a sense of... if not peace, then at least confidence. While the rage that seemed always to be just beneath the surface of her skin was still there, it seemed... more controlled, somehow. But the bigger change, as far as Reine was concerned, was that the thread of absolute terror that had always accompanied the anger was... not gone, but... different. Like something she could see and observe and understand, but it just... didn't affect her.

And for someone who had been grappling with that undercurrent of terror literally every moment of her life since waking up in that asylum (and probably before), suddenly being able to hold it as something at arms' length was... Well, she was still figuring out what that meant.

but for here and now, Reine gave a sigh, nodded her head, and stepped forward.

"I'll do it."

Reine walked forward enough to clearly be ahead of her companions, but not so swiftly so as to make it impossible for any of her friends to join her, should they want to.

"Hello," Reine said, her voice actually sounding friendly, without the dangerous hint of threat beneath it that her companions were so used to hearing from her. "What seems to be he problem?"

Reine sounding actually friendly? For everyone other than Hannah, that's... probably scarier than anything else.

Lachen would be mostly interested in having enough money to pay for a +1 enchantment on his armor.

Pretty sure you could get it to +2 for 4k gold, assuming it's already MW (pretty sure Mithral is automatically MW).

That should leave you with the cash for either a magical bow, or a Cloak of Resistance for your saves, or whatever else makes sense for Lachen.

But yeah, +2 armor should cost you 4k gold, and you just got handed 8,332.35 from your share of the loot, so it all works out!

Reine is Leveled.

Dread 7
+5 HP (d8x.5+1)
+1 BAB
+6 PP/Day (30 total)
Max Power level 3
+1 Powers Known
**Add Level 2 Power Thought Shield
**Retrain 0-Level Create Sound to 0-Level Unearthly Terror
Immersed in Fear Class Ability (Immunity to Fear)
+1’ to Aura of Fear radius (17’)
+1 DT Damage (1d6+11)
Lingering Touch now lasts 3 rounds (1 extra round for every 2 levels above 1st)
+1 Terrors/day
7th Level Feat - Psionic Body (Add 6hp - 2 per Psionic Feat)
+6 Skill Points/+2 Background Skill Points
Acrobatics, Autohypnosis, Intimidate, Perception, Stealth (all maxed)
Sense Motive (1 rank)
Background Skills - Perform: Sing (maxed), Sleight of Hand

Purchases
Cloak of Resistance +2 (4,000 gp)
Belt of Incredible Dexterity +2 (4,000gp)
Gold Remaining from 8,332.35gp loot: 332.35 gp

Pondering buying a few potions (Mage Armor, Prot:Evil, etc.), but other than that, she's ready.

I'm also on board for the cash, though I would absolutely be fine to see Broom in the Vestment. I think Des could use it, also/instead. If there's stuff people would like to keep, I say let them, and we cash out the remaining stuff, split the gold, and go shopping.

Holy POOP! When did we find an Ioun Stone? +2 Cha?

That's probably best used by Broom or Reine, as it's the casting/manifesting stat for both of them.

I'll continue looking over the loot list, but that one jumped right out at me.

Also, I've updated the list to show Reine with the Mithral Chain Shirt +1 and the Rapier +1

That releases a Chan Shirt +1 (which I think is already showing on the list) and a MW Rapier to the Party funds/goods.

EDIT: Upon further review, it seems that Des is using the Ioun Stone. Which makes sense.

I'm cool with a neat bow and exposition (and leveling up), but I do also understand Sam's aversion to leaving loot behind. :-) That said, unless there's a specific item up there that would apply to the ongoing storyline/future big-bad/key to an important locked room, the loot issue is easily solved by the Heroes(?) being provided an equivalent sum of gold and/or access to a stash of goods that (coincidentally) matches the things that we might've found upstairs (or possibly some more party-aligned items, depending on how much work the DM wants to do)... Easily explainable as the Society having located a stash of stuff that had our names on it (maybe the Count or whoever took it from us back before sending us off to the Asylum), or sharing their stock of supplies with us because we're tentatively "on their side" now. Whichever.

I'm cool with the group's decision, but personally I think it would be nice to move on. The only thing I'd really be interested in is any potential loot the second floor might provide. Lol.

Uh... also? Looks like the loot tracker hasn't been updated since August 2022? I could potentially take this over... but I don't know if there's an updated one, or what?

Any time Sam offers to take over loot tracking, I'm on board! Moving this to the Discussion thread from here.

"She's what?" Reine asked, though she didn't really expect an answer.

"Well then," Reine started removing some of her gear, including the magical chain shirt she'd only recently claimed. She then picked up Melisenn's brighter - and equally magical - chain shirt. Reine paused only a moment when she realized how much lighter the new shirt was. Then, with a wry smirk, she put it on.

"This should piss her off even more the next time we see her."

Reine strapped the other woman's sheathed rapier to her belt as well, then handed her discarded chain shirt and rapier to Broom. "Think you can carry these? Or do any of you want them?" With that last question, Reine had been looking at the rest of the group.

OK, unless someone else speaks up/objects, Reine will take the shirt and the rapier, and her other stuff will go in the party loot pot.

Right! The ring. Well, Lachen and Reine are both more off-tanks than tanks, but it might make sense to boost AC for one of them... unless Shadow can wear rings? Either Shadow or Reine at a base 23AC isn't a terrible idea.

"Humph," Reine grunted, looking down and Melisenn's face. "I don't even remember why she hated me so much."

Reine shrugged. The moment of peaceful sadness she'd felt while in the air was gone, driven away by the simmering rage that seemed always to be beneath the surface of her thoughts, her moods, her very skin. The curiosity remained, but even that was something minor, a distraction.

"Thank you," she said, turning to Broom, "that was a neat trick, with the floating thing. Let's remember that, if we ever need it again."

Reine could make use of both the shirt and the rapier, but she already has a +1 chain shirt, it's just not mithral. And she has a MW Rapier, which she will likely never use, unless we're up against something that touching with her bare hands is contraindicated, and/or is immune to her DT attacks. So... maybe. It might be nice for her to be more maneuverable with the lighter shirt, so if whoever else wants it would be OK with a "regular old" chain shirt +1, cool, let's swap! All of which is to say, if anyone else wants to claim them, they're yours. If not, Reine will take them rather than leave them behind.

As for the book... If it used to belong to Broom, let her decide what it is, and make it useful for her. Or burn it. It's a Big Evil Book, after all...