Search Posts
"Enough of this." Semsephiel unfolds his two mantis-like appendages and slams them into the table. He stands up, towering over the bosun. His eyes emitting a baleful red glow, he locks gazes with the Bosun and speaks in a deadly whisper. "In the name of my god, rodent, you will comply. You will act in a manner becoming one of your position, or you will face the wrath of Raccoon, agent of the divine, the wrath of hell itself. Raccoons are not patient creatures, rat, and when we get frustrated we are liable to eviscerate. Tell me what you know." Sitting abruptly, forearms still embedded in the furniture, Semsephiel uses another arm to pick up a die twenty and roll it.
The Godscourge rips his claws out of the table, leaving splintery furrows in the surface. "I have a seven total. I assume that is sufficient."
Da Bosun looks around to each of you in turn as he speaks in a lower voice. Yous goes out ta try ta find da horse's horse house, but yous has no map. How yous gonna finds da way 'n' not gets lost? "I will keep a prayer in my heart," Semsephiel clasps one hand to his chest, "and trust in my god not to lead us astray."
This is inane. "I will slaughter the terrifying horse menace with my . . . healing racoon powers. Fear not, Big Chief Bosun, your loyal racoon minion is . . . loyal. And a racoon. We'll burn down him's horse house, don't fret." Evalee looks up from Semsephiel's character sheet. "Hey, Sephy, it says here that the Big Chief Bosun is your characters god." Does it? Semsephiel reads the paper. "So it does. I suppose that just makes burning down him's horse house all the more important."
Semsephiel will insist on taste-testing everything, in case it's been poisoned. Evalee eats quietly, thinking.
"I wouldn't advise it, Ms. Ribbinz." Semsephiel will lead the way into the tent.
"Here, let me look at that," Semsephiel says, worry evident on his face. The acid wasn't strong enough to burn through the sleeve Evalee's jacket (though it did discolor the fabric), so he waits for her to roll up the sleeve. Underneath, her skin is kind of reddish. More reddish than human skin is normally, anyway. ". . . Perhaps you'd best lie down."
Semsephiel is unperturbed by the cut in his flesh, though the hole in his coat is somewhat annoying. Some, the devil thinks to himself, would have deigned it appropriate to use the flat of the weapon, or one’s own hand.
Semsephiel swings his chain weapon across the ground as Malefect approaches, to no effect at all. Clumsy. Clumsy giving away his position, clumsy swinging his weapon, clumsy clumsy clumsy. It seems to be a pattern with him lately. I'd say I'm better than this but . . . I'm not. The mortal is in Semsphiel's face now, swinging at the fiend's outstretched arm with the flat of his blade. Semsephiel collapses the limb, bending it it five different places and pulling it close to his body. I'm not being clumsy. The former tyrant of a thousand spheres withdraws , whirling his flaying flying blade about him, digging furrows in the ground with the weapon and kicking up dirt. I am clumsy. This is reality now. I'm slow and stupid and clumsy.
Semsephiel searches for traps.
They set up the building overnight, it'd hardly take more effort to trap the place after twenty four hours' delay for us to let down our guards . . . After all, while it seems a coincidence that everyone in this room is in this room, it's impossible to be sure what Arcto knows, or who he knows and what or who they know. This could be an elaborate ruse, a snare set for him or Evalee. Or one of the other party members, and his summoner could get caught in the crossfire. He doesn't know the human, halfling, or goblinoids very well, they may very well have dangerous enemies. The demon eyes everyone warily, just to be on the safe side.
They're spread out, and we know their positions. Perhaps just cast mount several times before breaking the treeline, and then go with a calvary charge? Those who are tiny or can become so slip under, Ashak goes over the top, and Semsephiel tries to trip anyone who provokes an AoO.
"I stand vindicated," Semsephiel says, after rejoining the mortal members of the party on the material plane. "Clearly, my own presence is far more valuable than that of an elemental."
"No," the tired and frustrated fiend sarcasms, "after arranging to do so, informing you of our arrangements to do so, and embarking for the tiered city to make good on our arrangements, we ultimately decided to squander our borrowed wealth on . . . what is it you mortals squander your wealth on? Political connections? Dangerous secrets best left unknown?" "Books!" protests his summoner. "If I was so inclined to squander someone else's money, I'd squander it on books! And likely not even on the kind full of dangerous secrets best left unknown! Unless there was a really good deal! Or the title looked interesting. Anyway, we did get the rest of your stuff, Sephy's just lying. He can be prett-y deceiving."
Semsephiel takes an easy look around the room, and steps up to the counter. It appears this place is larger on the inside than the outside, some manner of extra-planar space. "I was actually looking for the Artificiery, a purveyor of magical items. It appears the store is no longer here, do you know where I might find it or when it might return?" Semsephiel tries to sound calm, bored even, but has a readied action to interrupt any spellcasting with a claw attack (dealing nonlethal damage). A little paranoia never hurt anyone. Well, it never hurt Semsephiel. It's hurt loads of people who aren't Semsephiel but got a little too close to him.
Semsephiel pokes the wood-again figure to ascertain it's animation status, before preceding Pogug inside.
I used to fly. It's a little thing. One little thing to pick out, out of all the things a low level eidolon cannot do. I used to fly. Under his coat, Semsephiel flexes the disturbingly long fifth digits on his second set of arms. If I could fly, I could have caught the chameleon sooner. I wouldn't have been scrambling behind the dancer and the acrobat. I would have fallen out of the sky like the wrath of a god, and ground the monster's lifeless body into the dirt. The onetime Godscourge looks around at the carnival performers, notes their excitement, their relief, the euphoria of triumph. It all seems rather pointless to him. The goblin will live slightly longer. Hooray. They won't all feel guilty until they stop feeling guilty later. Hooray. But the years will drag on regardless, one after another after another, and centuries from now I will still be standing here, watching over some other summoner, but they will all be dead. "That chase . . . took a bit out of me. I still need to catch my breath." The devil slumps against a wall, seeming to collapse in on himself. "I'll be with you in a moment." "Alright! Feel better soon," Evalee chirps.
Semsephiel suddenly realizes that he has no idea how to tell if a mortal creature is alive or dead. They have hearts, right? And if they're alive, the heart beats, if they aren't, it stops beating. Seems simple. But how are you supposed to know if the heart is beating without cutting them open? "I'm afraid I'm out of my depth. I normally take a more proactive approach to keeping people alive." Semsephiel tears Pogug's clothing into strips and begins wrapping it around his lacerations. "But as long as we keep enough blood inside him, he'll pull through, right? That's how mortals work?"
Semsephiel, making use of his enhanced size and multiple arms, tries to lever the creatures mouth open.
Now that he has the location of the chameleon, Semsephiel decides that after this long chase what he really wants to do is cut the lizard in half. He positions himself where he can get an AoO if it tries to run away.
If Semsephiel is in, or can get within, range, he'll swing his flying blade. On the plus side, him bouncing the unwieldy weapon off the cobblestones will help to encourage any remaining bystanders to get to safety.
If within range, Semsephiel will try to attack the lizard with his flying blade.
It wouldn't do for the chameleon to eat any of these people. Need to clear them out
In a calm and soothing voice (no need to cause panic) Semsephiel warns, "Everyone! Seek shelter in your homes. Those without walls to protect them are liable to be eaten, gruesomely and painfully." He pauses. "Not by me! I wouldn't eat you! There's an invisible monster running around. It might eat you. If any of your family, friends, or acquaintances of yours are eaten, it was probably the invisible monster, not me."
Semsephiel will keep chasing after the chameleon. Not a lot he can do unless it rejoins them on the ground.
Semsephiel shakes his arm, rapidly wrapping his flying blade around the limb so that it doesn't impede his climbing. He hands his net to one of his shorter arms, freeing both of his proto-wings for climbing, heedless of any bystander reaction. Day was, I'd just fly over this wall. I should talk to Evalee about upgrading my wings. He climbs the wall briskly, but not hurriedly. If you slip, you'll have to start over again, he reminds himself.
Semsephiel is somewhat out of breath, sprinting as far as he has with only a +1 CON modifier. "Hate ... this ... blasted ...plane," he wheezes.
Semsephiel will stick to the ground (he's not as good a climber as Ashak and Erin) and chase after Pogug's voice. Does a double move put the lizard in range of his flying blade or net? While he runs he imagines Evalee's face if she finds out the entertaining goblin got eaten.
Semsephiel's blade bounces off the cobblestone, sending up sparks. "It has Pogug!" he shouts to his comrades.
Semsephiel tracks the trail of blood with his eyes. It goes around the corner of the building, so Semsephiel follows it. Pulling one of his extra arms out of his coat, he draws a net while he walks while keeping both hands on his flying blade.
Semsephiel tracks the distended terrain as it attempts to escape. "Found you." He throws his flying blade at the lizard. "I am sorry for the inconvenience, but I don't think I'm quite done killing you yet," he apologizes to the lizard, snapping his weapon back to him before it can inflict property damage. If that thing escapes into the city ... The devil sighs and shakes his head. Remind me why I'm letting a monster devour me for the sake of people I don't care about? He's sure there's a good reason, but he's in a hurry and can't stop to think about it. "This won't be fun at all." Semsephiel takes off his coat while he charges the lizard (wouldn't do to get his coat all torn up and muddy) and wraps his extra arms around where he can see the monster is. Evalee takes the run action towards the guards.
Evalee steeples her hands. "I don't think Chi can glide that far, the trees are too far away ..." Semsephiel breaks in. "But the idea is sound. If we can't get past the guards, we avoid them altogether." Evalee is confused, so Semsephiel decides to spell it out. "The tent has no floor," he says slowly, leaving Evalee to realize the implications. His summoner slowly breaks into a smile. "We'd have to start the tunnel far enough away that they don't realize what's going on, and we'd need to put the dirt somewhere. Earth elementals can earthglide, but they couldn't take anyone with them. I don't think we can dig the thing in a day, but perhaps we can have it done by the time the carnival leaves. Uh, I'll have to see how fast the elementals can move dirt, before I can give a time estimate. In the meantime, we can make nightly assaults on the tent, hopefully succeeding long before the tunnel's complete."
Semsephiel thinks he can still make himself useful, even if disqualified. Talking is a free action, after all, and will hardly delay his leaving the grounds "immediately". Besides, causing panic and worry is one of the few pastimes he has left, walking the material plane as he is. The skeletal devil recoils from the halfling. The terror is evident on his ancient face as he stares, incomprehendingly, over her head. He stammers out the words in his inhuman voice, holding all four arms in front of him as if to protect his face. "Oh god. It followed me." He snaps out of his apparent reverie. He continues to speak, still staring vacantly into the air above the halfling's head, while quickstepping backwards. "You need to leave this circus. Everyone who's spoken to me, seen me. Get to the city. Hide in the crowd." Semsephiel turns tail and runs. He sprints like a devil possessed, but takes the time to scream over his shoulder,
"Not you, though," he whispers to the group, "You stay here and get that flag." To further add to the confusion, he's going to blow past the halfling and run for the main road. Might as well give them as little reason to go into the trees as possible. Evalee, meanwhile, makes a spellcraft check to see what the glowing orbs are, how they were activated, and how they can be gotten rid of. If Ashak isn't in the game anymore, then Evalee really has no reason to be on this side of the map . . . she'll make tracks for the treeline and hope to distract for Erin or Pogug later.
Semsephiel whispers to Reynor, "I'll try and sneak past the guard, likely be seen, if I'm not, I'll reveal myself. I'll lead her away, and then you can follow." Semsephiel moves briskly but silently, not yet breaking cover. He'll wait for Erin to tell him she's ready before moving closer to the light. Meanwhile, Evalee is heading for the front entrance. She's keeping a healthy distance, especially since she knows the tiefling probably has darkvision, but in case anyone has line of sight she'll try and keep her head down and feet quiet.
Evalee will message everyone. Semsephiel concurs. "I'll go for it then. We should have a distraction and an attempt on as many sides as possible." He takes off, trying to remain invisible for now but eventually planning on attracting attention away from the treeline. He's remarkably stealthy for such a tall creature.
"Unlikely. The elemental is no larger than you are."
"Our first order of business, once it has begun, is to conduct reconnaissance," Semsephiel begins, with airs that belie the fact that he does not, in fact, remember most of his military campaigns. "While I would prefer to take a more active role in the operation, I believe that an air elemental would be uniquely capable for our purposes. In the dark, and from sixty feet in the air, the elemental stands a good chance of seeing without being seen. After it reports back to us, Ms. Ribbinz should summon myself, as the ritual is a lengthy one and difficult to conduct in the field. Whitecloak, Ms. Ribbinz, and myself will act to distract the guards and lead them away from their patrols, while the more furtive of our number retrieve the flag."
"Righty then!" Ms. Ribbinz exclaims. "It's not exactly a detailed plan, but we don't really have the details to make one! So we'll just have to rely on people's abilities to solve problems as problems arise! Well, let's drop these stuff off with Doc and then, I dunno, go hide in the bushes or something." With that, she walks into the doctor's wagon. "Hello! Wait. Was I supposed to knock? Oops. I'm sorry. Anyway, I got the things you wanted, except the things you wanted that we didn't get, which is mostly ok because you knew we couldn't get them but we made arrangements to go back there tomorrow and pick them up except it isn't entirely ok that's why I said it was mostly ok because we couldn't find any sunstone, the shop we visited didn't carry any, and I don't think we'll be able to find a different shop that carries it because pirates have been attacking ships coming from the place, the place where sunstone comes from, you know the place, the aptly! named Sunstone Isles. Aptly. Pirates hit the last three ships that were carrying sunstone and the shopkeeper said we wouldn't be able to find any in the whole city but I think there might be some lying in a private collection somewhere maybe wait no it doesn't keep."
After leaving the shop, Semsephiel turns to the others and says, "We should head back to the carnival, to deliver these reagents and describe our inability to acquire the sunstone. After that, we need to decide on a strategy for retrieving the flag; angle of attack, what our distraction is, etcetera."
I'm really enjoying Sephy's inner monologue. It reads like an experienced role-player at a table with a bunch of newbies. You can tell he's been burned before. Thank you! But while Semseph is deliberate and risk-adverse, I'm one one of the least patient people I know. I get twitchy when the party stalls in front of a door for too long, mitigating risk to an extent that would please Sephy would drive me slowly insane. XD I once played Carrion Crown on the outernet. The party met to discuss composition before the game began. I, having memories of the group slowly making their way through a different adventure path, volunteered to play the party scout and trap disabler. The And not did I disable traps. (Well, haunts mostly.) Enter Sir Kyras Williams, a paladin that was more focused on saving throws and armor class then anything else. He was very eager to unravel the main plot, and would brook no argument for slowing his pace or displaying caution. I made many saving throws over the course of Sir Williams' career ... but he forged on regardless, undaunted. And I never had to wait for someone else to roll stealth, perception, then disable device. :P
If this was a trap, we'd have walked right into it. These people aren't nearly paranoid enough. Really, I should have gone alone to stake out the location hours in advance, only letting Ms. Ribbinz in when I knew for certain it was safe. And since we have the manpower, would it hurt to post guards on the roofs of nearby buildings? He shakes his head. He'd been missing an obvious precaution. Why should we enter potentially dangerous situations (such as entering buildings of any sort) ourselves when a street urchin would do it for copper? Wait, no. They'd likely steal the money and run ... what if we hired an urchin to speak with the supplier and establish a meeting place, a public place I can watch surreptitiously, and only then give them the money to make the transaction? This seems like a sound plan to Semsephiel, what it sacrifices in efficiency it more than makes up for with increased security. He resolves to suggest it to the party when they're alone. For now he'll take up position at whatever location gives him view of the most doors, preferably with his back to a wall. These people aren't nearly paranoid enough.
Semsephiel tries not to draw attention to himself while he searches for traps. It's occurred to him that with the guards distracting the others and no one else expressly keeping watch, now would be a perfect time for an ambush.
Behind him Evalee is saying something that he isn't paying attention to.
That is one impressive supermap conglomeration. How long did it take to make?
"We can further discuss strategy while we are making our purchases. Ms. Ribbinz, I believe you know the way to the Artificery?" "Yup!" Evalee is always happy to share her encyclopedic knowledge of everything (except alchemy) to everyone (except the people she doesn't particularly like). "Didja know sometimes people just call it the 'Ficery, which is short for Artificery but also sounds like 'Fishery'? It's 'cause the whole place smells like fish." "I did not know that," the devil rasps evenly, "Nor do I particularly care now that I do." Evalee keeps talking. "It's on the tip of my tongue . . . what's it called, when you use a homophone humorously? I can't believe I forgot." "I neither know nor care," reiterates Semsephiel, though he would, in fact, know, were he paying attention. "Pun! It's a pun." "That's wonderful, Ms. Ribbinz."
Semsephiel listens with bemusement as Evalee obliviously puts her foot in her mouth. "I don't think your voice sounds gross," she continues, "in fact, I think human voices sound pretty normal. But the people have spoken, and democracy is, uh, well, it's pretty cool." Semsephiel decides that he should probably say something. "This all makes a lot more sense in context," he says in his best human interpretation, a sound not entirely unlike scratching groves in a ceramic dish with a sharp piece of metal while roaches chitter to each other in the background. "And since you don't want to hear the context," this said in a voice weary of walking the mortal plane, "it's probably best to pretend you didn't hear anything. Zeera told us we should speak with you?" Having entered a new location, Semsephiel looks around for traps, exits, and any terrain or items that could be useful in a fight. He'll then situate himself wherever in the room has the best view of the entrances and exits, preferably with his back to a wall. He does this casually, out of habit.
"Speaking with Maleffect would require less walking. My vote is that we do that first." With that, the fiend takes off to find Mr. Meleffect, his summoner tagging along behind him. Semsephiel is glad to get out of the cramped quarters, and he folds his second set of arm/wing things beneath his signature tattered coat, and pulls his kerchief over his mandibles.
|