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Oh, whoops. I forgot. They're still there - the dominate person spells.
Irabeth considers the tiefling's request with regards to Staunton's funerary procedures, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You can bring Joran to the site of his pyre, but the soldiers are going to want to see it. Gods know I am. We're doing well here, but this? This will definitely help steady our freed prisoners' morale. A lot of them probably saw him personally, so knowing Vhane's gone'll do them good." Sosiel thinks. "We should do our little funeral tomorrow afternoon or the like. Make a bit of a to-do about it, you know? That'd be the best way of getting everyone together. It might also help sway our prisoners a bit, help them see that even the worst tyrants can fall." The Knight-Captain nods firmly. "Good. All of you are dismissed, then. Go get what rest you can. We'll need you prepared tomorrow." Verene:
Irabeth allows the trio to speak their pieces without interruption, though she does occasionally nod. "I think that alerting the camp to new faces is wise, although, as you say, there's a definite chance that any demon attempting to infiltrate us would masquerade as one of our number. I'll trust you seven to organize a regular scan for illusions." She looks at the four spell casting champions, Riftun, Sosiel, and Aravashnial. "Sosiel," she continues, "give me your assessment of the risk that a demon will try to infiltrate us, given what you know of demonic tactics and what our friends have said." The Shelynite rubs his chin - remarkably well-groomed even after all that has happened since the army left Kenabres. "Staunton is dead, and with him the one with the most personal drive to get rid of us. Even though the rest of the demons probably won't teleport out, that is an option for them. For him - well, he knew you were here, and he would've had to fly off on his familiar, absent greater magic than we think they have available. "Shadow demons are typically very keen on infiltration, though. I'm not sure how many there are in the Citadel, but Eustoyriax might come out to do so... assuming he's willing to abandon the Sword of Valor for any length of time. He might not be - another demon might use such a choice to discredit him in his superiors' eyes." Sosiel frowns. "But we don't know how potent he actually is from Vhane's journal. Still, I'd hazard that it won't be more than a single demon who tries - and that whatever this Janeamine did to hide her evil aura, it's probably unique to her." Irabeth nods. "Alright. Is there anything else you want to report?" She asks the champions.
Torra unleashes a blast into the waters beneath her, but the merrow takes advantage of her grasp on them and jerks her out of the way, sending the projectile down into the depths below. Atsuko offers a potion to the others that would allow them to dive into the waters much more effectively, aware that she wouldn't be the best person to do so personally.
Statuses:
"I'm somewhat familiar with the name, if not with the specifics..." Aravashnial acknowledges, sounding irritated with himself. "But if your speculation is correct, Verene, that leaves us with a few questions - why use the term murdered, how is it different than merely 'killed' and... which demon lord - or lords - were 'murdered' to create the crystals that were used on Vhane and this chimera?" Irabeth looks at the two wizards. "I'd like you two to do what research you can when you're able on that - it's not an immediate concern, but it is something that we should look into when we have the chance. But for now, it's mostly academic." She nods at Verene's comment - invitation? - about the spell. Clearly, she'd expected she would be present, though at least she doesn't seem annoyed that Verene felt the need to invite her. "Try getting rid of the enchantments on the Keystones, then." She continues. "If you can't, well-" "Whatever information you'd get would be suspect." Anevia interrupts her wife, who looks at her. "Sorry, but it's true. A succubus could be feeding them information telepathically even now." Sosiel and Aravashnial nod their agreement. The Knight-Commander sighs. "Well, I trust you to do what you can, but keep in mind the source." She winces at Azira's realization. "Dammit, you're right. Did you sense anything evil on her?" She asks the other paladin. When Azira indicates that she didn't, the half-orc grimaces. "We don't have a lot of people who can sense magic here. Most of us who can use spells are paladins." "Creating such a spell wouldn't be terribly practical, if we could do it at all." Aravashnial says. "Though it wouldn't be a bad idea to set up magic circles around the more critical areas..." He sighs. "Would she risk coming out here?" Aron asks. "Especially with all of us on alert and the Keystones rescued?"
Thanks for the advice, folks. I really appreciate it. I'll definitely be taking a bit of a step back from the PbP realm, and I think I might try Merixia's suggestion for a week or two, feel out how it ends up going.
Yeah, I'm just dealing with a great deal of busy-ness of late. You're doing great, in my opinion.
Reposting parts of this from my other games' discussion threads. I want to give a bit of insight into my current thought processes: I'm currently trying to get into doing productive and meaningful things for the first time in a while. This means that I'm pushing myself a bit since I've gotten into a variety of bad habits when it comes to mental exertion. These games I run via PbP are enjoyable - sometimes exhausting, but enjoyable overall. However, it does take a lot out of me, drawing from the same sort of focus/emotional wherewithal that the aforementioned efforts do. This means that when I attempt to pursue those things, I'm left with the distinct sense that I don't really want to post, as it's too exhausting to contemplate. In other words, it's not something I can do to relax, per se. It requires effort to post (obviously), and that effort is rewarded, but I just don't have the effort to give so regularly. This has been going on for a bit - a few weeks or so - but I'm beginning to fear that it's untenable to keep going on with one post every weekday, which leads to my next concern. Specifically, that if I lose the habit of posting daily, I'm going to lose that habit and become disengaged from the plot - it's hard enough to remember who the NPCs are, what their quirks are, etc. after a single weekend of not posting, which can only get worse if I take longer breaks between posts. I do enjoy these games, I think, but I'm not sure how easy it'll be to balance them with my increasingly involved schedule.
"Kirk," (which Bulvarius used) for those who don't know North Germanic languages, is "church." It's not a big deal, I just found it entertaining to share.
"If the Councilor is a spy, then our efforts are likely already doomed." Anevia agrees with Merixia. "I don't disagree with your mistrust of the high ranks, Verene, but I also agree that we shouldn't allow mistrust to poison our efforts." Irabeth nods. "I hate how deeply Kenabres was compromised, but I think Nurah was the exception rather than the rule... though we should probably ask her in more detail. Unless we already have?" She looks at her wife, who winces. "I'd... honestly forgotten to ask about that too much. I figured that the names wouldn't be very important at the moment, given that we've been, well..." "That is quite understandable." Aravashnial says gently. "But I think now would be a good time to ask." The Knight-Commander nods gravely. "Do so before the sending tomorrow." She commands, and Anevia salutes, still abashed. Sosiel chuckles, nodding at Merixia's explanation. "True. I suppose anything is possible nowadays." "Certainly more than it has been since before the death of Aroden." Aravashnial agrees, and there's a moment of silence as the comment reminds the entire command staff that he alone among them remembers the Age of Enthronement. He continues. "That being said, I am not certain we should send out the message about this Arueshalae. The main armies are not this far north, and given that she cannot teleport, it seems likely that she'll remain within however many days' flight range of Drezen as it takes us to capture the Citadel." "It could cause confusion, and I'd really rather not give any non-heretical succubi that advantage." Aron points out. Sosiel looks thoughtful. "If she has, indeed, somehow turned against the Abyss, we should do everything we can to preserve her safety." The Shelynite says slowly. "But as Aravashnial and Aron say, I don't think we want to spread word of her too far just yet." Irabeth looks thoughtful. "We'll table that thought until after we take Drezen." She decides. "But keep in mind, Verene, that the Queen is in the field at the moment. She may not have a lot of time to discuss what information we've discovered."
"A demon seeking redemption?" Anevia looks seriously dubious. "I... is that even possible? No offense to you or Ragathiel, Merixia, it just seems... he's a demigod, isn't he? Are the rules different?" "The average demon is the soul of an evil mortal - or a collection thereof - who has been made into a creature formed from the chaos and evil of the Abyss." Aravashnial muses. "It seems incredibly unlikely that one would want to seek a way out, even assuming it is possible." GM Rolls:
Sosiel looks shrewdly at Merixia. "Ragathiel is an extreme exception, Merixia." He says gently. "Nevertheless, I can't imagine what else a 'heretic' might refer to in this context. One that serves an archdevil or daemon harbinger?" Irabeth shakes her head. "Whatever this Arueshalae is, she's not our problem at the moment. Talking with Joran is a good idea, especially with regards to this corruption forge, but we should discuss all of the potentially sensitive information before we send for him." Verene's description of her plans prompts the half-orc to nod. "No, wait. Reach out to Irahai, instead. Her Majesty is likely protected by a number of enchantments and is busy besides. Let's not bypass all the proper channels." Anevia suppresses a chuckle, and Irabeth cocks a brow at her, but whatever their private joke is, they don't share it. "Our order's interest in the Blackwing wasn't commonly known, but neither was it a secret." Aravashnial nods at Verene. "But while we can't be sure that this leader is directly involved with the processing of this elixir, it is essential that we find and destroy the Ivory Sanctum - if not personally, then certainly via other crusaders." He looks seriously at Irabeth. "I cannot stress enough the dangers that the Adepts pose even on their own. If they are able to induce power such as our friends wield in themselves, other demonic slaves, and possibly even demons, it could change the course of the war even further against us." "None of that now." Irabeth says decisively. "I won't hold it against you here, but we don't need the morale dropping from our own command staff expressing doubts." Aravashnial pauses, then nods apologetically.
Elliot:
The black blade makes a noise of confusion, then speaks silently again. "No, it's... something is strange about it. It reminds me of-" Verene mentioning the forge cuts it off. "That! That is where I faced the change. Where I... ceased, for a time." Elliot recalls the vision, all the way back when he'd first emerged into Kenabres after Armasse - the forge hammer coming down, risking perverting it... which it resisted by ceasing to think, somehow. Aravashnial nods gravely at Verene, glancing at Righteous Eclipse. "We can hope that it might enlighten us, indeed." Irabeth glances at Sosiel, who nods. "If you'd asked me yesterday whether the demons could corrupt something like the Sword of Valor, I would've said absolutely not. I recognize some of the other names on that list, though, and I'd've said the same of them." The Knight-Commander sighs. "Understood." She looks back to Verene and Thesius. "I agree. We need to learn more about these crystals and the elixirs, and, if possible, stop their production entirely. But that's a strategic concern for the Queen and her generals, and not something we can immediately deal with. Still, keep an eye out for any signs of more information. In the meantime... is it possible for any of you to send word to any of the high command? If, Iomedaae forbid, we fail here, this information needs to get to them." Journal Continued:
Spoiler:
The Ivory Sanctum, it turns out, is the base for the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth in the Worldwound. It's led by a man named Xanthir Vang, also the leader of the regional Blackfire Adepts, who Staunton describes as singularly revolting, though he doesn't go into any detail. Instead, he writes that he has absolutely no desire to ever encounter the man again. Spoiler:
Finally, it seems there was a special prisoner held in the Drezen prison. This prisoner, a succubus named Arushalae, is some sort of Abyssal heretic - whatever that means, as Staunton himself seems uncertain about what it entails. Aponavicius apparently wanted her held as a prisoner until a special oubliette in the Rasping Rifts was prepared for her. Unfortunately for him, she broke out shortly after the marilith leader left for the frontlines. Staunton notes that her lack of certain demonic abilities - including teleportation and the ability to become ethereal - is one of the sole saving graces for him, as he is hopeful that she can be recaptured soon. The final note in the
diary talks ofhow he hired an annis hag cultist of Sifkesh to track her down as well, and that if this final attempt fails, he intends to seek out Arueshalae himself once "this matter with the so-called heroes of Kenabres is settled." "The Blackfire Adepts?!" Aravashnial's lips twist into a snarl, and his voice is an uncharacteristically venomous growl. "If one of their number is involved in the Templars, it is no wonder the Blackwing was burned down." Anevia looks at him, startled at his raw fury, and the elf takes a calming breath. "The Blackfire Adepts are the greatest enemies of my order. They are a group of... exploiters of planar energy, often aligned with the Abyss. They revel in wounds between the planes, and in causing more. Not surprisingly, there are quite a few of them in the Worldwound." Knowledge (planes) DC 35 - Xacarba (From Previous Post:
Xacarba are giant denizens of the Abyss, though they are not themselves demons. No one's entirely certain how they originated, but they appear as three serpents uncannily merged together. With strange blood, incredible intelligence, and the ability to appear as any humanoid (with some limitations on how closely they can imitate them) they are nightmares to do battle against. Though they are perhaps not on the same level as an elder wyrm, the fact that two of them died to this elixir is telling about how risky it is to imbibe. Knowledge (planes) DC 25 - Rasping Rifts:
The realm of Deskari, full of insectoid monstrosities. There, hapless petitioners are devoured or transformed by Deskari and his minions into new hive-minded vermin. Knowledge (religion) or (planes) DC 25 - Sifkesh: Sifkesh is a demon lord of heresy and suicide. Known as the Sacred Whore, the Whispered Doubt, and the Lady of Heresy, she and her worshippers promote despair and rejection of religion as a whole. Sifkesh is deeply unusual in that she was, once, an erinyes who abandoned Hell - one of Hell's first heretics, it is said. She seeks not only to destroy the flesh of mortals, but also to fully corrupt their souls - and some demonologists or other scholars are baffled by her - she corrupts like a devil, eats souls like a daemon, and yet remains herself a demon.
Supposedly, her greatest joy is to cause a good, devout person to slowly grow corrupted into apostasy, only for the realization to strike the now-apostate and prompt them to commit suicide. Her cults are typically disguised - a single true worshipper leading a number of oblivious thralls.
Irabeth looks troubled at the conversation about Soulshear, her brows furrowed. "I don't like the idea of leaving it undamaged, but..." She looks to Aravashnial. The elf wizard nods. "I believe that Verene is correct - I don't think it could do much harm if we followed her suggestions in how to secure it. I am not, however, certain that we need not destroy it." He shrugs. "But I see no reason why we shouldn't allow Verene to study it when she's able. I would be willing to help, for that matter." Elliot:
Righteous Eclipse hums softly. "I..." It trails off for a few moments. "I would like to spare it. There's something... I don't know. Forgive me." Something's troubling the sword, but it seems like it can't express it properly. Irabeth sighs, then nods. "Well, if our two magical experts say that they have it under control, I'm willing to - provisionally - let it happen. However, if anyone gets hurt because of it, I'll break it apart myself, is that clear?" Flipping through the book - which is neither magical nor trapped - reveals that it is, in fact, Staunton's journal. Although much will probably be of interest for later analyses, about five minutes of browsing allows the heroes to find several sections of note. It is mostly written in Taldane, surprisingly, but some sections are written in Dwarven.
Journal Overview:
The journal begins with a long chronicle of Staunton's life from his birth in the Five Kings Mountains, to his time in the First Mendevian Crusade searching for the lost Sky Citadel of Jormurdun, to his betrayal of Drezen, and his time spent serving Deskari and Baphomet alike.
This, then, he writes, will be his legacy - without children or reliable allies, this is how Staunton wished to be remembered.
Spoiler:
During the Second Crusade, demons burst forth from the Worldwound once more, and besieged Drezen, where Toragdan and Iomedaean crusaders held firm, the Sword of Valor protecting them from teleporting intruders. For two years Drezen repelled all demonic attackers, until Staunton met a woman he thought was a warrior-princess from Kyonin in 4638 AR. Unfortunately for Golarion and the crusade, she was not. Rather, she was a glabrezu named Jerribeth, and she convinced Staunton that Drezen was adequately protected - the Sword of Valor, she reasoned, should be carried into battle once more.
Staunton considered the leaders of Drezen cowards - and, from later notes, still does - who hid away their banner to spare their own lives, and so he stole the banner, bringing it out to Jerribeth. At that point, she revealed her true form, and made Staunton watch as Aponivicius sacked the city and claimed it as her own. He goes into visceral detail of the dead and desecrated of Drezen - the likely source of the ghouls. Finally, after the bloodshed had been completed, Staunton was offered a choice - death or servitude to Aponivicius. He writes with simple, blunt words that he chose the latter. There's neither pride nor resignation in the writing, but it's impossible to tell whether that was the case at the time.
Spoiler:
The next notable section is a long list of sacred items that Staunton claims to have tainted on something he calls the corruption forge, which, from context, lies beneath the Citadel. Attached is a brief description of the Sword of Valor (much of which they already know), alongside a few bitter lines about how Aponavicius' decision to keep it as a trophy rather than attempting to taint it like the rest. Spoiler:
There are several long and detailed pages ranting about Staunton's desire to torture Irabeth after she "ruined nearly everything" in Kenabres a year ago, which makes Irabeth chuckle somewhat darkly. Spoiler:
Another section of note describes Eustoyriax, an unusually potent shadow demon who came to Drezen a few weeks after Staunton fled Kenabres. Evidently, he came in the body of a possessed crusader named Meranse - who was turned over to the succubus Kiranda - and bore gifts from somewhere called the Ivory Sanctum - specifically, five elixirs brewed from powdered dust of Nahyndrian crystal.
Staunton was the first to volunteer to take one of the elixirs, and he describes how it seemingly unlocked some tremendous power within him - there's a certain level of eerie familiarity to how he writes of it... the heroes experienced something similar when the wardstone exploded. Three of the other subjects of the elixir - a dragon and two xacarba servants - died horrific deaths, twisting and mutating into vile monstrosities before boiling from the inside out. Other than Vhane, only the chimera Soltengrebbe survived. After this triumphant success (in the eyes of Aponavicius), the demon commander set Eustoryiax to guard the Sword of Valor in a chamber deep beneath the citadel, where he remains... at least when the entry was written.
Alvar sighs, relenting. "Apologies. My temper is a bit short at this time. However, you are not terribly stealthy, and some of us are. I'd rather know what we're facing without them knowing we're here, if at all possible." They shake their head, repeating themselves. "I apologize."
Quietly, they follow the half-elf towards the new room, scanning it as they do so. Ethyl & Iosif: "It looks like the corpses in here were ambushed. They've got injuries on the backs of their head."
Yeesh. I have no focus today, so no posts. Sorry. Normal posting should resume tomorrow, but I'll miss out on Monday. Some things coming up this week.
If it's in extra dimensional storage, it definitely wouldn't be able to summon a babau in the material area. Its only senses are sight and hearing, so having it shut in a box would probably prevent it from summoning a babau when you open up the storage... Sure, I'd think it's fine. Also, if you haven't mentioned the journal, you probably should...
"Had graves been dug up, I might agree with you, Audra, but a crypt being broken into? That seems like even more effort than digging up corpses." Kemras rubs his chin, wishing the stubble weren't so bothersome. "Also a good question, Audra. Perhaps that person was simply strong enough to beat the goblins enough to make them obey? And then promising them violence agains the town..." He shakes his head. "I'm engaging in far more speculation than I should. We need more information before we can make any serious conclusions." The half-elf glances at the knight aspirant. "You have a talent for bringing up some truly terrible possibilities, my friend."
Irabeth nods slowly at Merixia's commentary on Joran's current status. "If we had more paladins of Torag here... do we have any?" She looks to Anevia. Her wife thinks for a moment. "I don't think we do, no." "Blast." Irabeth sighs, rubbing her eyes. "Well, I suppose we'll have to do what we can to capitalize on that crisis of faith. Even if he can only be convinced to work with us, he might find a way back into the metaphorical light after a time... I'll try to talk with him, but someone else might have more luck. Sosiel-" "I'll look into it." The priest says with a gentle smile. "I can't promise anything, but it's possible we can find a way for him to be welcomed back into our ranks - or at least drawn away from those of evil deities." "We should ask Nurah whether there are any powerful priests in Drezen." Aravashnial suggests, with regards to Staunton's potential resurrection. "Either way, it was good thinking to remove his corpse." He and Sosiel both nod their agreement with the two women's assessment of the oil of life. "Sixth, it's possible that whatever she did to create the magical qualities of the scales severed them in some meaningful way from her 'body.'" Sosiel suggests, glancing at Aravashnial. The elf mage shrugs. "I'm not an expert in matters of the soul. Perhaps there were books on this in the Blackwing, but..." He shakes his head mournfully. "I have nothing more to add to those conclusions, other than to agree with them." Verene:
Soulshear gives no response to the wizard's comments. It's difficult to tell whether it is trying to pretend that it isn't sapient or if it simply isn't interested in speaking with her.
She manages to penetrate the magic misguiding her senses, and discovers that Soulshear is quite an unusual item.
Suddenly, she feels a powerful weight on her body - the weapon's own ego is rejecting her, and her strength is waning.
"We'll keep the option in mind. Verene, Merixia, Sosiel, Aravashnial can you perform the divinations?" Irabeth asks. Sosiel shakes his head slightly. "My attunement with Shelyn is not quite to the degree that Merixia's is with Ragathiel. I don't have access to spells that would help in this regard." Aravashnial coughs. "While I can offer some help, my own talents are currently not up to par with Verene's, either, and divination spells are not my specialty." Irabeth looks to the women. "I guess it's up to you." She says with a tired smile.
Irabeth listens to the reports, her expression thoughtful. "Hm. Sounds like you had a tough time... but if you killed that many enemies, the Keep will be that much easier to take if we try to storm it. I'm not exactly eager to do that yet, but I appreciate it nonetheless." "I've heard of Joran Vhane." Aron says. "Before the Hammers of Heaven were revealed," he nods at Irabeth, "he was supposedly a cleric of Torag." "I don't think we should trust either of them - at least not yet." Anevia agrees with Azira. "But if Verene's right, well. He'd know a lot that we could use." "Assuming we could trust him to be truthful." Irabeth says, though she sounds like she agrees. "From your impression of him, would you say that he'd lie to us if he thought we'd want to hear something?" She shakes her head. "No, that's not quite right. What I mean is: do you think that we can trust what information he gives, given that he's giving it to us out of self-interest?" "I'm reluctant to let Nurah any freer than she already is." Sosiel says slowly, shifting topics. "Maybe if she continues working to take the Citadel?" He looks to Aron, who seems uncomfortable.
Verene:
Given what she already knows, Verene strongly suspects that the glaive is under the effects of misdirection, though it's impossible to tell exactly what it's keyed to.
She also knows that without at least a larger portion of the corpse, the oil of life may not bring Terendelev back... There's a moment of silent surprise at Verene's final announcement, though no one seems to immediately grasp the implications save Aravashnial. "Truly? That is one of the most potent means of reviving the dead." He says, looking to the Knight-Commander. Irabeth immediately realizes something else. "Then it's good you took it - and Staunton's corpse. Otherwise, someone might've used it on Staunton's corpse." GM Rolls:
A more thorough search of Staunton's offices reveals little else of interest or value - at least without taking more time than they likely would prefer. Thus, the champions and their varied companions (and prisoners) teleport back to the town of Drezen, near the command post. The paladins on guard wave the group through, though one does give Merixia a severe frown as she pulls her "prize" inside, and then yet another as she pulls it out. 'You know someone's going to have to dispose of that, right?' the glare says. The paladins do take Joran and Nurah (unless challenged on the latter) Azira:
Radiance hums softly to her wielder, an approving noise. [ooc]Honestly, I forget whether it has speech by default. I think it does, but can't check at the moment. Irabeth and the rest of the command staff look at the champions. The Knight-Commander looks visibly relieved, while Sosiel offers them a smile. "Welcome back." The priest says, glancing over them. "A few minor injuries - you've exhausted a lot of healing, I assume." He unleashes a burst of iridescent radiance from his holy symbol, soothing the rest of the hurts the heroes have suffered.
"So," Irabeth says wryly as Merixia retreats to dispose of her prize. "I take it you got rid of Staunton." She straightens. "Full report, if you will." Verene Identification Spellcraft Rolls:
Thesius scans the room thoroughly, but sees no signs of any dangers. He moves towards the chest and stabs it with a dagger - which thunks heavily into its top to no effect other than to scar the thick wood. Verene detects a large number of magical auras, mostly focused on the chest. There's still no signs of any fiendish presences here. Using the key, he opens it to reveal a treasure trove. Treasure:
The chest contains: a great deal of coins , a pearl that gleams in the light that Wulfric's magic casts, a metal rod embossed with Dwarven letters, a scroll, a set of stone-carved dwarven figurines, a fancy set of vases, a silver coffer, and a small book.
Inside the coffer there are even more treasures - three potions of different sorts, and a single wand. Nurah lets out a low whistle at the sight. "Wonder where he got all of that? It can't all be from looting this place, can it?"
GM Rolls:
Verene:
It looks like it's been disturbed, but Verene can't recall exactly how they'd left it. It's probable that the corpse is like they'd left it, given how they'd needed to search through it so thoroughly. Thesius finds no signs of any traps on the door, nor does Verene detect any fiendish presences. Thus, Thesius uses the key he'd taken from Staunton's corpse to unlock it. Pushing it cautiously open, he reveals a plush bedroom. It is immaculate to the point of spotlessness. The bed sheets are tight against the mattress, and no splinters mar the floor near the well-used sparring dummy in one corner, despite its obvious heavy use. An inkwell, a blotter, and a black quill sit atop an otherwise bare desk, with a three-legged stool pushed out of the way underneath. A single large chest sits at the foot of the bed. Joran looks around, then snorts. "As meticulous as always."
Nurah considers carefully. "Maybe the succubus took them away?" She suggests, then shakes her head. "No, that seems... unlikely. She wouldn't have had the time, would she?" The halfling bard seems somewhat shaken.
Elliot advances into the next room, where there are yet more corpses, one of which is definitely the pile of meat that Azira left Staunton's corpse as. Elliot:
Wait... it looks like it's been disturbed. Or... well, maybe not. He's probably just imagining it - or it could've been from when the champions looted it. GM Rolls:
"Is he still in there?" Nurah follows after the magus, looking around him. "Looks like he is..."
Verene:
Verene has no trouble teleporting the Keystones she's able to with the wand. Irabeth, who is alone in the command center save for a handful of other knights, barks a harsh curse when she arrives, drawing her sword and readying it before she realizes whom it is. "Damn it, Verene. Don't teleport in here directly! I thought you were a demon!"
Still, she listens carefully to Verene's suggestions, and opens her mouth to reply, but the kobold-wizard disappears for the final time. Having decided to go to recover the documents and any valuables in Staunton's chambers, the champions make their way (somewhat cautiously) back through the Templars' Court and the hole they made in the wall into the Officer's Court. There are no signs of any demonic presence along the way. GM Rolls:
However, there are a handful of tieflings missing from the dead they'd left behind. Perhaps they'd missed a few? Fortunately, all of the half-fiend minotaurs are still there. "... we should've been more thorough about finishing them off." Nurah opines darkly.
Alvar drums their fingers on their spellbook. "Troubling. Whatever was inside the specimen case was either able to escape, as our swordsman friend says, or... something else broke in and took it." They consider for a few moments. "I'm not certain which would be more troubling." They look to Ethyl. "I'm not familiar with the matter myself, but it seems logical to find here..." They sigh softly. "But I don't think it will be of immediate use to us... unless there's something coded in there, but even then, it's not immediate." Realizing something, they chant a brief spell to scan for magical auras.
I don't think you could fail the Spellcraft check. Spellcraft if you choose to do so:
"Not his office." Joran supplies. "They'd be in his bedroom, which is back the way you came from. Door's in the room you killed him in." He considers. "It'd be locked, but you've found the key." GM Rolls:
Thesius relays the information he's discovered just before the armored succubus disappears, while Elliot and Merixia work together to knock the blinded Keystone out of commission. She collapses in a clattering heap, blood oozing out of some of the wounds they left behind. Verene steps out, kicking away the sole remaining Keystone's weapon, and Azira takes him down with a flurry of strikes from Radiance's flat.
Statuses:
"So..." Nurah begins. "How do we deal with these guys? There're six of them, and I definitely can't carry even one." She pauses. "Are we going to try to get the false Sword of Valor? Deal with the mimics there?"
There is a reason I want to keep it in rounds for a bit longer. I'll give Azira a bit to post, but if not, I'll assume she tries to knock him out again.
Wait, should we be thinking here that these two Keystones are now dying, or are they unconscious like White and Black? It would change what Verene does. For reference, from full HP, a creature would essentially have to take over 2x its maximum HP in nonlethal damage to start dying from that nonlethal damage. (Iomedae!Keystone was slightly injured from ear-piercing scream already, which makes it a bit more complicated to calculate, but same principle.) Oh, they're intended to be unconscious, wounded, but not dying. Apologies. Also, if creatures go unconscious without dying, could we please have them stay on the map but be marked in some way, so that we know where they are? I will try to remember that, apologies. Not sure where they all were, so I'll try to keep it in mind next combat you do some unconscious things. I... probably won't do it for the dying, because man that'll be a pain to track. Agreed, Thesius. We can help bot Elliot if he gives permission and you want us to, GM. Although, before we leave I think Verene would like to a) get any important papers Staunton might have had, and b) unlock and open a bunch of doors including the ones to the stairs to the dungeon, so her arcane eye can sneak through later. Anyone else botting Elliot would be greatly appreciated. I've got a lot of other mechanical widgets to take into account, so having a whole 8th Level Mythic character is a nightmare. She... can do some unlocking, but Joran would point out that Staunton keeps all of his most valuable stuff in his room, which you haven't visited yet. (It's right next to the strategy room where you killed him.)
Elliot rushes at the false Iomedae, slashing with the glowing black blade, which slashes easily through her guard and knocking her down. Despite the enchantment on the blade, blood sprays from her body as she topples. Working swiftly, he strikes at the next target , and she, too, collapses in a heap, blood spurting out of her injuries. "Her holiness falls! Slay them, slay them!" The Keystone cries. Thesius continues studying the auras, trying to determine what they are. Spellcraft Results:
Wulfric continues whirling his blade to invoke the Inheritor, beckoning the holy to their presence. Azira advances slightly, which prompts her target to respond, bringing his greatsword down on her with a mighty war shout. "For the Inheritor!" Fortunately, the paladin is easily deflects the attack, Radiance humming her agreement as she does. With a whirl of her blade, she lashes out, striking his helm with the flat. As he staggers, she shifts to slashing again, sending blood spraying across the chapel. However, he does not fall.
Verene takes the chance to step into Azira's place and cast a burst of color at the hapless remaining Keystones. The injured man staggers back with a yelp, stunned by the magic, but the woman behind him doesn't seem at all affected, simply shaking herself at the baffling display of colors.
Merixia rushes to deal with the blinded woman in a most chivalrous fashion, bashing her over the head with the flat of her bastard sword. She yelps in pain, but grips her bastard sword gamely and prepares to fight back. Through astonishingly lucky coincidence, she lands a blow that cuts through the cleric's armor, leaving a painful gash across her stomach.
The Keystone considers for a moment, and then disappears with a crack of displaced air.
Spellcraft DC 22:
That's greater teleport. That must've been the succubus!
Statuses:
I think, with Elliot knocking out Black and Merixia knocking out white, that Azira could have 5ft stepped forward as part of her attack to attack orange? Apologies if I read over it. The reason she couldn't was that orange moved there after she'd acted.
Elliot draws upon the arcane power within, and Righteous Eclipse is surrounded by its golden corona as he slashes at the warrior who struck at him . Although his attacks are thrown off by the corner between them, he still manages to land most of the attacks - one, however, the Keystone is able to deflect thanks to the wall corner's protection. However, the last attack lands, and knocks him off his feet and into unconsciousness. With that, Elliot ascends, climbing into the air and allowing another to get past him. "Beren!" Another of the Keystones cries out plaintively. "Fight for him! Fight for Iomedae!"
Thesius continues searching for any signs of the succubus. Thesius:
There are... a lot of magical auras present in the room in front of him, and the strongest is faint. GM Rolls:
Merixia dashes beneath her lover, swinging her blade with careful focus. The unfortunate [ooc]white-lined Keystone is unable to keep her from striking home, despite the fact that she's restraining herself. One blow strikes particularly hard, and by the time she's done, she's knocked her target out entirely.
Verene unleashes a powerful, silent scream at the false goddess, who winces, grabbing at her ears. Her gauntlets come away bloody. However, she manages to keep focused, and she glares at the kobold-shaped wizard. "Beware! Their foul sorceries are mighty!"
Wulfric summons up the swordsmanship skills he has been taught, demonstrating with surprising and inspiring adeptness the prowess of an Iomedaean. His knight, meanwhile, adopts a defensive stance, ready for anyone to come to attack them. Of course, the Keystones are well aware that the heroes have the advantage in the narrower confines of the corridor, and none rise to the bait. Instead, one steps out, pulls a javelin from a quiver, and hurls it at Merixia, who doesn't even need to dodge it, as it deflects off of her armor.
Another, slips around the false goddess, hefting his sword in preparation. The blinded Keystone - Pisha? - remains still, unwilling to risk tripping, while the final mercenary circles back to support his comrade. The goddess gestures grandly. "Come, defilers! Prove yourselves as 'just' as you claim to be!" Nurah advances cautiously, looking past the kobold-shaped wizard and the rest of the champions to see what's happening. She chants a quick spell. "Why not reveal your true shape, 'Iomedae'? Your toys won't care, and we already know you." She suggests.
Spellcraft DC 17:
That's a suggestion, to be sure. The woman laughs in her face. "Such foolishness. I am what I seem to be!" GM Rolls:
Statuses:
Oops. I forgot that I probably won't be able to post tomorrow. Apologies, everyone!
I'll give our other two a time to post their actions, but if they don't within the next day, I'll assume no one disagrees with searching the homes and docks.
To be fair to Alvar, they were fairly distracted when Ethyl shared her plan. Being, well, under the swarm of rats themself. ... It totally isn't that their player missed that she said anything.
Azira advances, mocking the false goddess as she does. The armored Keystones look at one another, then raise their blades. "Blasphemer!" One cries, voice only slightly muffled by their helm. Wulfric begins an inspiring tale, uplifting the others as he does so, while Thesius casts a spell to examine for auras. Thesius:
There's definitely at least one aura of magic in the area - but that could just be his compatriots', not necessarily the Keystones or the succubus.
Elliot conjures a burst of golden dust in the area, which covers the three furthest Keystones and their false deity. One of the Keystones cry out in agony, grabbing at their eyes as the blazing light blinds them. He quickly endows his black blade with the power to render those it harms unconscious, and readies for any attacks.
Verene readies herself for any signs that a spell is being unleashed, preparing to cast her own in response to it. Merixia and Elliot work together in the hopes of convincing the Keystones that they're aligned with the Crusade, while the former casts a spell on the one she hopes is the leader of the group "Very well. If you will not accept my grace, then you must be aligned with our enemies." "Iomedae" says. "Kill them, loyal crusaders! See how they strike at us unprovoked!" She gestures at the blinded member.
"For the Inheritor!" The closest of the Keystones roars a battlecry, striking around the corner at Elliot with his greatsword. Unfortunately for him, his weapon sparks and flares against the stone of the walls.
Another, this one probably a woman, takes a quick step around the corner and assaults Azira with a hail of heavy attacks. Azira, however, is prepared, and slashes out at her foe, cutting swiftly through the gaps in her armor and leaving a biting wound. This doesn't slow the Keystone, who just seems to get angrier. The first blow slams through Azira's guard, cutting deep into her shoulder, but she's able to get Radiance up in time to deflect the second series of heavy attacks.
"Pisha, get back!" One of the gold-covered Keystones sidesteps, readying their sword for something unclear, while their other seeing counterpart moves to guard 'Iomedae's' flank. The blinded Keystone staggers back towards the far door, her gold-covered armor flickering in the torchlight. Finally, the last of the Keystones steps around the back of the room, guarding 'Iomedae' as well. The false goddess levels a stare at Elliot. "If you claim to serve the Crusade," she intones, "you have clearly fallen to the wiles of the demons. Slay this false paladin, and you will be welcomed back into my embrace."
Elliot Knowledge (arcana) DC 26:
That wasn't just any magical domination attempt. That was murderous command. Nurah chants a quick spell, and suddenly shifts in space, appearing a few feet away from where she was. Spellcraft DC 18:
That's displacement.
Statuses:
GM Rolls:
The would-be scouts slip towards the village as quietly as they can, searching for any signs of life. One thing that swiftly becomes clear, even from outside its borders, is that this village has been abandoned for some time - there aren't any signs of human footsteps in the frost-packed earth, nor any markers of domestic animals. The buildings have been left in extremely ill repair, with some near collapse. Indeed, there are several fully collapsed buildings that were not obvious from the first glimpse of the village. Ritti: The door of the very first house she is able to enter hangs slightly ajar. Remnants of furniture, worn away by pests or the environment, are scattered across the area. A single ruined hide hangs from one of the walls, swaying gently in the wind.
Ritti feels a cold, choking certainty in her throat. There is no one here. There hasn't been anyone here for some time.
The tiefling chuckles at their sylph companion's words. "I merely hope to be-" Their smile fades as they examine the books, brows furrowing. "Whatever ate these avoided the words-" Alvar jerks their head upright, alarm flaring in their expression, but before they can warn anyone, the rats - natural and not - arrive. They take a quick look at the one creature that speaks, eyes narrowing as they attempt to identify it.
"Gods, I know what I look like, but I swear I'm not a devil!" They growl, annoyed. It's been awhile since anyone mistook me for a- They bite back an Infernal curse as the rats swarm over them, shuddering violently at the sudden tide of vermin attempting to gnaw at them. Cursing and staggering, they fight to focus despite the surrounding swarm.
The flood of furry bodies proves too much for their stomach to easily bear, and they attempt to stumble away from the swarm as swiftly as possible, all of their other focus consumed by keeping their bile from erupting out of their mouth.
The caravan sets out over the wooded hills, the bitter cold fighting them every step of the way, but as dusk falls and night begins to overtake the sky, the pack animals grow restive. "They smell water." Varrick says. "Then we're almost there." Sandru manages a satisfied smile. "Ulf, Inuliak, do you recognize where we are?" The Ulfen man looks around, brows furrowed, but nods. "I think so. It's hard to tell. When I'm this far north, I rarely move at night." He glances at Inuliak, who also nods. "Then lets keep going." Sandru says, and the two men lead the caravan onwards. Within a few minutes, the party hears the roar of a waterfall in the distance, and the trees open up on a small village that sits on the edge of a lake. Its buildings are humble, lodges and huts built of wood, but look cozy enough. Perception DC 15: Something's amiss. There's no smoke drifting out of any of the chimneys, nor any lights visible at all. Even at this hour, there should be fires...
Joran shrugs at Verene. "I figured they were mercenaries, and they all use greatswords. I guess none of 'em actually have any symbols of Gorum..." He scratches the back of his head. Azira:
Radiance hums with satisfaction as she grants her wielder the protection of the celestial realms. Once all are prepared, Thesius looks swiftly over the door. Finding no signs of any traps, he unlocks it using the key he discovered (and hopefully cleaned off) amidst the ruins of Staunton Vhane's corpse. Throwing open the doors reveals the chapel. Two rows of stone benches occupy face a raised dais to the north, on which stands a twelve-foot-tall statue of an armored woman with a sword and shield. Faded tapestries hang in tatters to either side, and a larger one on the south wall depicts the armored woman on bended knee before a man wearing green robes. More concerning, perhaps, are the multiple armed men and women - all fully armored in plate armor - with greatswords at the ready. One woman, however, is extremely recognizable - it is the woman the statue depicts, if she was wearing incredibly sexualized armor and had neither sword nor shield. "Iomedae" turns to look at the heroes. "Ah, champions of my crusade... please, come join us." She extends an empty hand out to them, a seductive smile gracing her lips. Azira:
Alarmingly... none of the people here register as evil to her eyes. Something strange is going on here. Is the succubus hiding somewhere?
Initiatives:
Statuses:
Your efforts are greatly appreciated, folks. It's not easy keeping track of all the buffs at this stage of the game. (And it's only going to get worse as we get more mythic and normal powers! Yay!)
Thesius:
The subject of countless foolish juvenile fantasies, trashy erotic novels, plays, and other tales, succubi are perhaps the most infamous sorts of demons. Born from particularly lustful souls that care nothing for anyone other than themselves (as any Caydenite or Calistrian will tell you, lust isn't evil in and of itself), succubi often take the form of beautiful women with oversized bat-wings, though thanks to their innate magic, they can take the shape of any humanoid from the size of a halfling to that of a particularly tall elf.
Succubi are always able to sense auras of good, and can communicate effectively with anyone who has a language. They resist weapons that are not either made of cold iron or aligned with the celestial planes, and share demonic immunities with the rest of their fiendish kind. As with most demons, they are resistant to magic, as well. A succubus can freely use magical charm on any sort of creature, can read minds at will, turn themselves ethereal, teleport, make very compelling suggestions, and drain life with a touch in combat. They are also able to dominate humanoids and summon babaus (inconsistently). However, more disturbingly, they drain the life from those with whom they are intimate. While having sex is the most infamous way to this, even a relatively chaste kiss is enough to grant one the chance to do so. Furthermore, a succubus is able to empower a humanoid with what demonologists call a "profane gift." It generally strengthens the target in the field that they are already most gifted in, but that's not always true. Joran grunts. "Janeamine's new pets are nothing to laugh at. Gorumites." Whether he speaks from concern or fear of retribution is unclear.
Aha! Thank you. Now that you've said it, I do recall discussing it. (The link totally had nothing to do with that.) Anyways, it's probably not important for the next encounter...
It was a bit of a slog yes, but i do feel the overall challenge seemed appropriate. So kudos for that from me, gm. This is probably the first fight where i felt like the mythic abilites were actually needed to win. That was the goal, yeah. It was, for the record, two encounters worth of enemies, plus an additional six. So, uh, yeah. Not going to happen every time, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't quite a walkover the way that some have been. (There were several templates assigned as well.) In the AP, it's just the vrock. Which might've been good enough for a 4 person 20-point built party as a warm up, but obviously not for you guys.
Thesius, sensing the enemy is nearly defeated, fires a few shots at the closest archer , who can't quite get out of the way of the arrows before they land, striking him in the shoulder and hip. Still, he doesn't give up - he has life in him yet. His luck swiftly runs out, however, when Merixia soars over to him, striking his head from his shoulders in a shower of gore. The last remaining archer doesn't have time to react to his comrade's death before Elliot is upon him, slashing through his ribs with a brutal attack. However, drawing upon the stubbornness of his heritage, he doesn't truly fall until Azira arrives to aid Elliot, striking him across the throat and dropping him to the ground, dead. Verene shimmers into view, tapping herself with the healing wand as she does so. This time, more of her wounds are washed away by the wand's magic, but she's still far from healthy.
Statuses:
After nearly a full minute of battle, the champions are left wounded and exhausted, but all are yet alive and conscious - though it was a close thing, for some. Now they are left in the quiet of the templar's court, with only the sound of their heavy breathing and the lighter, shallower breaths of their dying enemies to accompany them. "Is this what it's usually like, fighting with you?" Joran asks dryly, now visible - albeit with an illusory clone next to him - as he comes out from behind the wall and surveys the damage. "You got rid of Staunton and his crew fairly swiftly, so I didn't expect you to struggle so much with Konneshka," he kicks the vrock's body, "and... huh, you got Issen too." He glances across the room at the dead sorcerer.
Ameiko looks at Yuto gravely when he approaches her with Ritti's concerns. "I understand why you'd be worried. It's obviously possible that our enemies have people out here hunting us. Now, I don't think it's likely that Inuliak is one of them, but you're not wrong that it's a possibility." "She is right." Suishen murmurs. "Keep an eye on him, but don't make an enemy where none was before." The sword's tone isn't quite scolding, but it's close. "He doesn't have an evil aura." Helgarval observes. "Which means he's not an oni." Ameiko nods, lowering her voice to match the angel's. "Or he's using magic to hide the aura." She spreads her hands, resuming her normal speech. "I'll let the guards know to keep a close eye on him, but remember we're almost to Rimakak - he won't stay with us very long. Of course, there are other risks there, but nothing's without risk. Why don't you go talk with him, see if you can learn more about the area and keep an eye on him at the same time?" GM Rolls:
Thesius answers the hail of arrows with a barrage of his own. The first one catches his target in the throat, but she stares at him with a roar, forcing herself to remain on her feet. His next arrow slams into her chest, but still she does not fall, and his last is caught on her armor, leaving her as yet-uninjured Verene, realizing that the archer is nearly dead on her feet, and that the other is not terribly close to death, activates her wand to heal herself. While the wand activates - never an entirely sure thing with non-wizardly magic, for her - it does little more than assuage her pain. Nurah shakes her head at Verene's question. "Nothing. I'm just checking to see how bad things are out there. I don't know how much more support I can give like that, if you want to keep fighting." She smiles wryly. "Not sure how much I'm actually helping, anyways." Radiance blazes with power as Azira strikes a flurry of blows at the sorcerer. The first lands heavily on him, cleaving chunks of flesh off of him in spays of gore. The second lands on one of his magical reflections, shattering it, but the third carves him down the front of his chest, knocking him to wall and leaving him to bleed out. Elliot turns his attention to the least injured of the archers cutting a terrific slash in her chest. She stumbles back, glaring at him, but remains on her feet. Merixia's agile tail tugs out a vial of holy water and dumps it on herself which kills off the vines that were growing on her, causing them to fall to the ground, rotting into dust. The nigh-dead archer pulls her bow back with the last of her strength, and launches the attack at Thesius. Even as she falls to the ground, life dissipating, her arrow slams into Thesius' sternum, cracking it and piercing a lung. Blood surges up into his throat as he staggers back from the sheer force of the arrow.
The least injured of the archers falls back to the east, then draws back his bow and fires at Thesius. The arrow catches him in the shoulder, tearing through his muscle and sending a flare of agony up his neck and down his arm. "Sell our lives dearly!" He cries.
The last of the archers grimaces, stepping back from the two sword-wielding monsters, takes a deep breath, and launches a volley of arrows at both. However, the two comrades easily knock aside the projectiles, leaving the archer even grimmer.
Nurah takes a step forwards and chants a quick spell, touching Merixia's shoulder. Some of the life that the spores drained away returns to her, leaving her a bit stronger than before. "That should help a bit." She says wryly.
Statuses:
Alvar grimaces, baring their teeth in a feral scowl as they push through the curtain to bear witness to the Pharasmin's work. "Are you well?" They ask, examining Enoch carefully, before shaking their head. I'm not a doctor. They cast a wry glance at the doctor among their companions, then sigh. "I'd offer you a hand up, but with my strength, you'd probably pull me down rather than the other way around." The hellspawn says, before glancing at the door that the haunt had obscured. "Should someone stand guard against any potential intrusions from out there?" They ask Winter, before recalling the cultist their allies had captured. "Or from an escapee seeking to flee in that direction?"
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