Yeah, I'm not filled with optimism.
He seems to have stopped posting in all of his PbPs, both as a GM and player. Probably a busy month.
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While Pinkerton and his stodgier companions decide what to do regarding mounts and a possible forced march, Sasbrek moves towards to Ardeshir. The kobold barely spoke a word to the desert guide, but now he sees a possible topic. “Hey. Man-archer. Hey.” he pulls the sleeve of the ranger’s vest. “So listen. Tall men from North of the Sea and priests talk a lot. But you and me, we should do thing. We don’t fear desert. We have red scales, yes?” he stops “Well, you have red skin, but is almost as good.” he chuckles. “You good guide, you know desert. I know tricks, and we are good at hiding, yes!” he shows a lot of pointy teeth in what should be a smile “We should be vanguard, go ahead and scout. We faster, you with smelly camel and me with Khossorx the Burning Scale! We go, we spy, we go back, and when priests and ox-man from north and that stupid monkey come, they know stuff we tell them, yes?”
Sasbrek squeezes his hoard bag, tapping where he thinks the vial with Julistar’s finger is Jackals with face of jackal and jackals with face of man he sentences after they’re done reading the diary.
<<>> Sasbrek breathes in the fresh, almost cold air of the night in the desert. He doesn't care for it - as a dragon, he welcomes the heat. Still, it is nice to be able to see properly, without sun painfully shining in his eyes. He quickly follows the wide and quite evident track he and the group left the day before when going to confront the gnolls - it doesn't really take an expert tracker to do so. Once he gets to the site of the battle, he is almost overwhelmed by the awful smell of rotting carcasses - the sun is not too kind on dead flesh. Covering his mouth and nose with a scarf, he reaches the bodies of the four pepole who where ambushed. He is fairly certain, from what he heard in the journal, about who Paracount Julistar is of the four. Not the halfling, for sure. And not the big half-orc either. Better be sure... he thinks. He observes the humans This one. He was beheaded because he was the leader. Better dressed. Fancy symbol on his vests. It is him. A surge of draconic power, something seldom attempted by the kobold, and from his hands sprout sharp claws YES! The Dragon lives in me!
He silently gets back to camp. From the group supplies, he steals a small flask of alcohol and puts the finger inside. Scampering back into his tent, he adds the flask to the bag containing his hoard. He lies down in his bedroll, using the treasure bag as a pillow - after all, a dragon sleeps on his hoard.
As Xander reads, Sasbrek is rather uninterested. His mind got stuck at one of the very first sentences, promising a reward for a body part, enabling a resurrection. Nobody seems to even take into consideration that. Cheliax can’t be that far… thinks Sasbrek. If the group rests here maybe I can go back and dig out a bone – hoping that dinosaur didn’t eat everything! His thinking is interrupted when Xander starts reading the halfling’s notes. Who are these people? They seem to know something about us, but we WHAT? A bluescale! Who do he thinks he is? This desert needs only one dragon! “He is no twin to Sasbrek!” screams back at Xander “Pompous bluescales don’t mix with us Shivfang! Bah! They be just dino lunch!” Sasbrek is really fired up now. “Bet he sleeps with the snakenecks down in the jungle...” he adds murmuring “Stupid bluescale.”
I'm not overtly fond of direct damage spells like magic missile. Burning hands I got becuase he is a dragon and a dragon always has a fire attack. I think I'll take grease and, if we finally manage to fight some really evil creature next level, swap burning hands for Protection from evil. Gravity bow is personal range, sorry.
Sasbrek, being fire-resistant, doesn't need endure elements. I think Ardeshir is resistant to fire too.
Sasbrek straps the crossbow back to his shoulder belt, stands up from his sniping position and cleans the dirt from his clothes.
He recognizes the wands once he manages to take them out of the weird barreled thing “Fire! Fire is good, fire is for a dragon!” he looks at the other two wands, recognizing them as receptacles for lesser spells, almost unworthy of a dragon. “Hey! Tall dark bigfeet Nexander!” he screams at the bard “What is this stuff? It looks fine in a hoard, I say!” he screams, eyeing greedily the pearl and stones, but keeping himself from taking them until the bard has shared his knowledge.
Ok, so. Sasbrek got his 3rd level of sorcerer
bloodline: he gets Draconic resistances. This means +1 to natural armor, and fire resistance 5. I realize this is redundant with his Draconic Heritage feat (I realized that when I built the character, but having fire resistance from the beginning was very important to my concept). Let me know if you feel generous and I can stack, at least partially, those two bonuses. He also gets 1 more 1st level spell slot a day, mage armor from his bloodline, and 1 more 1st level spell known. about the spell. I was thiking about enlarge person or grease. At 4th level I plan on getting scorching ray and trade burning hands for a utility spell (he must always have a fire attack spell in his arsenal, but I don't wish to cripple him further by over-specializing). This spell could be obscuring mist or maybe protection from evil if we come across some really evil stuff during the next level. any advice?
As for loot, Sasbrek would grab the wand of scorching ray as Gollum would grab the One Ring - and then wait for the other stuff to be identified.
I'll be on vacation with no internet access until Jan 3rd. Happy New Year everyone!
Sasbrek does nt like being targeted with arrows. That's something the Charu-Ka were fond of doing in the Mwangi.
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“Eh eh!” grins Sasbrek towards Gi’chak as he sees the goblin’s bullet get wasted on a rock. “You should have aimed at the sleeping ones, with that booming weapon of yours! Eh eh eh! Now they're awake, think you will do better?” His new friend/rival properly mocked, Sasbrek fires again, this time attempting a shot a bit farther away. ________________
Sasbrek looks impressed at Ardeshir’s display of archery prowess it feels as if he almost wasn’t there… and yet his arm is steady and strong.
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Guns don’t really agree with the Kobold Way, nor the Dragon Way for that matters. Noisy, loud! How can you ambush with that? thinks Sasbrek. And so much smoke for so little fire? Bah! Trying to avoid a sneer of derision to the clumsy (at least to his eyes) weapons of Nexander and Gi’chak, Sasbrek fires his weapon at the apparent leader of the gnolls. He groans as his bolt flies off a good two feet too high above the head of the target. "Rrmpf. Damn sunlight. This is the desert's fault, no shadow to ambush properly!" ___________________________
Sasbrek looks at The Hand like one would look at a fool. He is eager but unwise. Once the sound of battle seems over, Sasbrek pops up talking again “Battle is over, and the men-jackal are eating and looting now. They won’t leave much for us. But I want to make sure they don’t get our scent, yes? And see who they killed now.” The words of his vanishing spell ready on the lips and his illusion wand in hand, Sasbrek prepares himself to cross the rocky terrain in absolute silence. __________________
Sasbrek puts back his unused scroll, relieved to see that his companions have killed off the beast. He does not mourn Jack too much: the explorer who goes ahead by himself without knowing the terrain is the role of the fool in the kobold tribe. As for the treasure, he sets his eyes on the mask. It is a work of art, if crude and unimpressive art, art nonetheless. The spoil of an enemy… it will make a fine addiction to the Hoard! If no one else claims it, Sasbrek puts his claws on the mask and on an appropriate share of coins.
Sasbrek knows very clerarly what to do: flee. He cannot help in this fight, the beast is clearly above his expertise and power. The Kobold way ensures survival. And yet… he is now part of a group. His own chief, Hrisskar, challenged him, and this led to his tribe being enslaved. He will not lose another tribe. The Kobold would flee. What would the Dragon do? The Dragon would fly majestic above the battlefield and tear that enemy apart with claws and fire. You are not there yet. Be the Kobold. But this is not all. The kobold fights as a group. He will flee a hopeless battle, but this tribe… this new tribe makes the battle winnable. Also, I am not losing another scaly brother. He quickly moves as close as he can, his clawed feet leaving little mark on the shifting sand. As he runs he grabs a scroll from his pocket – one of the gifts the Nexian mages gave to him.
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Sasbrek, initially cautious in confronting the danger, and half-convinced of fleeing, gets a bit of courage back when he sees his allies getting closer, offering themselves as sacrificial targets to the monster. He dismounts, not wanting to risk Khossorx in the fight. He was getting pretty attached to the giant lizard.
Sasbrek watches from astride his gecko the elf getting gruesomely torn apart. His kobold insticts jump up: this is a predator, in an environment free of hiding places. There is not advantage of surprise, and no misleading tactics.
I'm not a fan of yet another account that will send me ad-mail I won't read, especially for a tool I'll use solely for a very small part of my life like online RPG. That said, if the majority votes we use it, I'll use it. I have little time right now, so I haven't even watched the tutorial video. I'll do it as soon as I can, then I'll decide if I like it or not.
Sasbrek bites his tongue trying not to gloat, but still smiles a hideously petty smile when he sees most of his companions, so tall and strong and mighty in battle, suffer from the heat like babies. His scales are scalding hot to the touch, but his cold-blooded metabolism (and the might of dragons that runs in his veins) make him feel more alive than ever. He is much, much more bothered by the light. His eyes are not made to withstand direct sunlight, and he ends up most sunsets with a splitting headache. Now, in the shade of the huge tent, his eyes have stopped watering. “The planets will align in a short while… ξένος will be close to… oh, sorry, ξένος is the name of Aucturn The Stranger in the tongue of the Trueblood. This is important, I know it! tell us more!”
I'm very happy to be talking to The Hand!
Sasbrek scratches his head as his fellow spellcasters study and identify the items – his complete lack of arcane theory and study shows how little he knows about his own powers. After years spent in the jungle, though, he packs fast: after Pinkerton pushes everyone to get ready and go, he is among the firsts to get to the stables, from where he emerges atop Kosshorx, the slightly larger giant gecko, and followed by Chief hrisskar. “I am ready to go, professor. Leave this men here for the scavengers!”
Sasbrek comes near one of the dying soldiers, and bloodies one of his claws on an open wound Fight like a kobold, survive. Grow. The days of the Dragon will come! he says to himself, looking at the blood dripping from his fingers.
Seeing that Halib is still breathing, albeit with great strain, he looks at the tall and respectable members of his group – Unafe, Aluriel and Nexander first and foremost “What now? Is our contract not worth money now that the fat man has been attacked? Why hasn’t…?” a thought dawns on him “The professor! This guard” he points at the fake Halib’s guard “was a traitor. What if others like him hit the professor! He is not here!” Sasbrek quickly runs towards the room in which they last saw the Professor. He keeps the words of his vanishing spell ready on his lips – you never know what you’ll encounter!
Sasbrek inhales, ready to unleash his fiery powers upon the captain and his guard: but he has to quickly swallows his spell, since his bigger, stronger and much more violent companions dismember in a rather gruesome way the enemies. He turns his attention to what is going on in the fog. He peeks from behind the corner and sees the archers fooled by his illusion Foolish humans! Even dumber than Gi’chak! he laughs within himself. However, a doubt occurs to him “Maybe even those fools of my companions will fall for the trick… mmm…” “Friends of the Most Honorable Halib!” he shouts at the top of his lungs “Fight the archers, but do not dare venture into the fog, for my magic is powerful as a Dragon's! Run around the fog if you value your life, as sure as the gold you've been paid with!” Sasbrek laughs within himself Let's hope those fools get it... Gi'chak probably won't... __________________________
Seriously, I just now realized that the beige colored ground Unafe is standing on now isn't a building. I was so sure that the only open ground was the paved square with the fountain. So now the shape of my fog doesn't make much sense.
<<>> Sasbrek spits and spurts as Gi’chak keeps him in a hold. His spell is finished, and was proven useless even before. In a matter of physical might, even a midget like Gi’chak had the upper hand on his weak frame.
Soon he even stops struggling to get free. He raises his face towards Unafe. “Blackeyes like you always take advantage of us spawn of the dragons. You hunt us, you kill us, you think us beasts. But now the real monsters have taken our home, and you ask for me to be an ally. Hah! I tell you.” the kobold makes a cynical grimace “You are a good fighter.” he says to Gi’chak “You are…” he bites his forked tongue, fighting against everything in his body telling him not to say what he wants to.
Bigfeet… in the jungle, you would kill me. You would kill him. You would be happy to see us kill the other. But here, you ask for us to make peace. I will make peace. I am wise as Great Wyrm, if not strong as one. he tries to muster up a bit of composure. “You win the fight today. You get to call me names.” he concludes towards Gi’chak.
“NOW YOU BURN! FACE THE BURNING WRATH OF THE DRAGONSENT!” thinks Sasbrek when he sees the captain and one of his men fall into position like chess pieces. He raises his hands in a cone around his mouth, ready to exhale fire on them NO! Be patient. Be the smartest of your brood. Fight like a kobold, for your dragon powers are still hatching. Sasbrek’s train of thought is reestablished. The Dragon’s way is pushed back. That foolish pest is going to get himself killed if I don’t help him. thinks looking at the wounded Gi’chak. His invisible hand fiddles at his belt, closing on the cherry wand. He points it at the opening where the arrows are coming from. “You face a power you do not know” his usually shrill voice becomes a low, menacing growl as it comes out of nowhere “You attack us… you play with force that should not be disturbed. The Dragonsent is not pleased.” fog starts rising from the ground, obscuring the archers men them fear the dragon… while they should be worried about the kobold…
Sasbrek's senses light up like those of a cornered animal: an assembly of bigfeet, all armed and led by someone shouting in a foreign language I knew I should have learned the local tongue! he lectures himself for a moment. When the shouting starts, the kobold is among the firsts to understand this will not end well. He had to survive both the jungle and several foreign societies: he can sense when bigfeet are going to attack.
This is the kobold way he thinks patient and prudent. Time will come for the Dragon’s way.
* * * * * * * *
And any smart dragon knows, it is better not to be seen. Calling on his magical powers, Sasbrek vanishes from the shadows he was hiding in, and starts moving towards the archers.
Why is there so much ooc discussion in the gameplay thread! Discuss here! So, Gi'chak is ok with my idea of a third party moderator, and both Unafe and Ardeshir offered to break up the fight between Gi'chak and Sasbrek.
Ah, if Eastern Armor is available, I'd like to purchase Masterwork Silken Cerimonial armor too.
finished my purchases: bought a bunch of scrolls and, since I didn't find any other 1st level spell worth a full wand, I filled up my Silent Image one. (OTHER PLAYERS ARE INVITED TO POINT OUT A VERY COOL SPELL IF THEY THINK OF ONE WORTH A FULL WAND). Sasbrek is only carrying 1 scroll per type on his person at any given time - the rest will be in a saddle bag. with the coins left he will shop for jewelry and small gems, keeping just a few coins - like 3 pp, 10 gp and 10 sp. The Hoard is contained in a pouch as big as a baby's head.
I think this quoted part is the best resolution. I would like to see if Gi'chak agrees, though.
<<>> Mmmm… Sasbrek thinks Nexander’s offer “The mages of Nex had a similar pact, but I didn’t have to pay because I am a Trueblood. You… mmm…” he ponders if the man is trying to con him “You bigfeet are not conspiring to steal a piece of my hoard? Are you acting with that monkey-tailed pest?” I guess not. Bigfeet don’t trust monkey-tails, no more than they trust us. “Fine. You can have a piece of my hoard if you want to be the healing person. We had one of them in our Nexian group ” of course they all died… “A priest of the Mask-Faced God. He was brown-skinned, like you. I hope you will be better than him...” __________________
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= <<>> “Argh! Don’t you dare! I am no lizardman, I am a Dragon… let… me… let me go! Raaargh!” Sasbrek almost goes crazy when Gi’chak gets the upper hand, feeling powerless.
Thinking I'm going to pick up some geckos as well :) Oh don't you dare...! ;-) EDIT: to Gi'chak and anyone else. what about having one of the others (Aluriel or Unafe or someone with a peaceful mind... ok maybe not Aluriel) stumbling upon these two and reprimanding them. I can see Sasbrek listening to a third voice as the one of reason... What I need here is someone that makes Sasbrek understand "survive this hard mission with Gi'chak's help, then when we're done settle your scores with him." I can even see Sasbrek becoming protective of Gi'chak "because you will die at my hands and my hands alone when this is done". Of course by the time this is done they could actually become friends. Meanwhile, we will enjoy the banter. does this sound like a fun route to pursue? Or should I try a different approach? RE-EDIT Master, I will finalize my purchase as soon as the fight is over. I think Sasbrek's next post can be the "truce" one actually.
<<>> Sasbrek grabs his wand with two hands and keeps it close to his chest “Powerful magic! And it is mine!” he adds, not that anyone was threatening to steal the wand. “It… it makes stuff appears! Not real stuff, but out of magic! And the fools believe it is real, yes! Very useful! It was tribute from Kilimerey, to my magical prowess!” he tries to explain, revealing his abysmal lack of formal magical education. “So… why are people giving you their hoard?” he asks Nexander after Aluriel and Gi’chak place down their platinum. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= <<>> Sasbrek is surprised at Gi’chak’s attack, but quickly regains his balance. “Hah! Black-eyed monkey-tailed pest! Only able to snatch defenseless eggs from the nest! If we were in the jungle you will starve!” he laughs at Gi’chak clumsy attempt to grab him, purposefully ignoring the fact that the goblin got the drop on him pretty seamlessly. “I will not take back any of my words! A dragon speaks once, and he speaks true! We are not like slimy snakenecks!” he shows his teeth.
“I’ve been in one too!” interrupts Sasbrek when Unafe and Xander starts talking about adventuring groups! “We went from Quantium to the ruins of Sothis and… they all died too… but it wasn’t my fault!” he remarks, just in case someone was about to accuse him. “They gave me this!” he shows a short wand of polished cherry wood “Kilimerey said that adventurers shared resources… so what will you give me?”
Proposed so far:
That's perfect - feel free to attack me any moment. In terms of CMB we aren't that different - CMD a bit more so. Sasbrek's only chance is to see you coming - so please roll Stealth vs Sasrek's Perception when you attack me.After reading your background, I see that you may have a beef with the serpentfolk that killed your sibling. One mention of that would be enough for Sasbrek to see you as a pontential ally. ...aaaand now I have this image of Sasbrek polymorphed into a dragon, ridden by Gi'chak carrying a Giant Mythic Gun, flying over the jungle towards the god Ydersius towering above the trees...
“…you can keep that stinking fur-beast!” yells Sasbrek cleaning the camel spit from his scarf “A Trueblood does not need furry mount with shovel teeth! I will spend my hoard elsewhere!” the kobold turn his back to the camel merchant and walks away.
The kobold walks just a few yards – he is looking for another merchant who will sell him a proper steed, when he is approached by a lanky Keleshite man. “Most honored patron, blessings upon you!”
The man leads Sasbrek down a street, then another, almost to the outskirts of Eto. Sasbrek is getting impatient Does this man wish to rob me? If so, why is he waiting so long? Maybe I scared him. That must be it. He realizes he is in the presence of a dragon. his train of thought is quickly cut short by his guide.
“May I show you the gem of our collection? A mount worthy of a great man, one you certainly are?” the Keleshite man is now in company of a second one, who looks very much alike to the first, the same lanky physique and long, greasy black hair. They escort Sasbrek to a corner of the corral “This… this is what you are looking for!” A couple of giant banded geckos, easily the size of ponies, lie on a flat rock enjoying a meal of hatchling scorpions. Between a mouthful of arachnids and the next, the beasts licks their eyeballs. They must be MINE! thinks Sasbrek.
Sasbrek looks at the merchants, then at the Gecko I shall name you Kosshorx, the Burning Scale! You will be my mount... and you… you shall be Chief Hrisskar, and carry my hoard! Eh eh! his hand goes to the large bag of platinum “Fine! How much?”
Everything that follows is out of character... Sasbrek would need some convincing before tipping in. the wand of endure elements sounds good. I was going to buy some scrolls, but if we all tip in the wand is a better investment. About healing, Sasbrek can use Infernal Healing - although Aluriel and maybe someone else is against it. The wand is less creepy than the spell itself since you don't have to anoint with devil's blood, but you still register - and I guess, you feel - like an evil being.
Gotta go to work, so I can't look at the numbers right now, but it might also make sense for us to all chip in on a bag of holding for the party to store food/treasure in. I don't know... a type 1 will cost us 312 gp each and carries less than a camel's Light Load. It would be useful for dungeons, that's for sure.
The gecko is a gentle creature with lovely eyes who drops its tail when in danger. Yakini is a murderbeast made of teeth and claws. leave my gecko alone! Should we decide here who wants to interact with whom during purchases? I really want to see Sasbrek interact with Thorgrim... But with the others too...
Ok, so in the end I'm thinking of going with a Giant Gecko, which is also among the riding animals that is posible to purchase in Animal Archive.
Since it's a medium creature with Str 13, it will probably be at Medium Load and thus will have a speed of 30 feet. Will this slow down the caravan?
I am also assuming the magical mount-feeding device of the Professor works for reptiles too.
Ok, so. Sasbrek would like a reptilian mount instead of a camel, and I figured in Golarion it should be easy enough to buy one.
Does anyone have any advice, or is it better to just go with a camel?
Sasbrek feels conflicted upon hearing Nexander’s proposal.
Scratching the green scale under his eye, the kobold thinks of an alternative. He never quite liked coins anyway. Gems, gems would be nice! If only this bigfeet traded with important stuff instead of this coins… uh, they’re shiny and beautiful, I’ll give them that…” Sasbrek keeps pondering as he turns and palms a single platinum coin in his scaly hands.
Sasbrek knows a thing or two about the usefulness of invisibility – his long hitched ride from Kibwe to Quantium would have been impossible without it. His gaze darts around the huge figure of Halib, hoping to see someone cloaked by magic revel his presence – a print on a fluffy carpet, a fly buzzing around a specific point in the air.
Turning his attention back to the contract, he grins. Now this Draconic is flawless, unlike the greeting from the servant – but unfortunately Sasbrek only recently learned to read, and the linguistic finesse is lost on him.
“Bah!” says Sasbrek, without waiting for a reply from Halib “There is danger, and the mighty creatures that crush dangers! I do not share the fear of the brown-skinned bigfeet!” he proclaims a bit too loudly “Nothing escapes a dragon! Nothing.” he says the last word gazing intensely at the empty space where he thinks it is most likely someone invisible is hiding. “I will sign and claim my hoard!” he does so, staining with ink both his hand and the exquisite floor.
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