Shella also charges, anxious to attack the creature while it is still unaware of their presence.
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Shella smirks uncomfortably and shivers. "Are there such things as benevolent undead skeletons? If you think that's possible we could call out to it. Giving up the element of surprise to be sure seems overly cautious to me, but I would fane limit any enjoyment that my traveling companions can find on this dark journey."
Shella eyes the door with the hammer inscribed on it. "Shall we see what's deeper inside?" she asks, with a pointed look and a smile at Angahaar.
Shella gives Horgus a look, widening her eyes slightly and smiling at him. "I hope there is nothing dangerous in this strange building here in the middle of nowhere. Do you think it's a temple? Or maybe a tomb?" She crosses over to see what Naomi is doing, possibly to weigh in on what she sees over her shoulder.
Shella gestures floridly to Angahaar. "After you, sir."
Shella advances on the fly, keeping it between herself and the wolf, and drawing her katar. She strikes!
Shella casts guidance on herself, to prepare for the insect’s inevitable attack.
Shella stares at Angahaar for a moment before breaking into a great smile. "Ah! So, you think that anyone who distrusts the symbol of Heaven’s fiery general of vengeance is not worth associating with? What a fascinating perspective! Tell me more, how should we treat these survivors, if we should come across any?" She blinks innocently.
Shella takes advantage of the brief pause at the junction to cast a spell. "I'm assuming we will go and take a look at whatever that building is? In case the inhabitants are unfriendly, let me just see about some protection for my tender, tender flesh."
Shella stares at Naomi, then bursts out laughing. "I cannot deny that this is practical, Naomi, but it is also absurd. You are truly a ray of sunshine into our darkened world of late." She follows behind the wolf, encouraging the others to join her.
Shella tilts her head, her eyes wide. "Certainly! If there's a way out, we should take it!" She looks dubiously upward, unconsciously nervous on Naomi's behalf about the distance.
Shella shrugs. "If there are more survivors it might be worth our while to check, but there could be more hazards. It's risky. I'd advise pressing on unless it will bother anyone not to make sure."
Shella chuckles a bit at the interplay between Anevia and Horgus, but does not antagonize them further. She does separately give each of them a sympathetic glance when she thinks the other cannot see it. She nods to Angahaar, perhaps slightly sickened by the carnage as she glances at it in passing.
Shella smiles almost wickedly back at Angahaar. "I would love to hear more about your faith. I admit, I've never heard of Apsu before. Is he also a strong, strapping young man like you?" She claps her hands when Horgus offers a reward. "Wonderful, sir! I assure you we will do our best to escort you to safety. Your generosity will be rewarded in the next life, I am sure, but with our help you won't have to go there yet." She looks at him quizzically, noting that he was about to say something about his religion, but decides to let the matter drop and question him about it later. She nods to Anevia and Aravashnial. "I am sure the gods see everything we do, and match the spirit with which it is offered. Do not worry, together we'll get through this. Lead on, brave Angahaar! I will follow you closely and faithfully."
Shella stares at Angahaar. "It must be nice, to be wealthy enough not to have to work for a living," she says slowly. "Presumably your church looks after you? Perhaps a donation to their coffers would not go amiss." She smiles at Horgus again. "Mine own goddess looks very favorably on those who give generously to her followers."
Shella watches Angahaar admiringly. "Nice bladework," she murmurs in her lilting voice. She winks at Horgus. "You're very lucky, good sir, to have your safety vouchsafed by such a doughty warrior. Perhaps when we get out of here, you might see your way to reward him for his efforts on your behalf?"
Shella rushes forward as they take the centipede by surprise, and moves around it to position herself opposite Calliope before she kicks it solidly in the head!
Shella continues to chat quietly with Horgus as they travel, listening to his complaints and concerns and making soft sympathetic "tut-tut" noises in response.
Shella regards the corpses with a look of disgust, visibly contemplating what sort of creature would have laid these eggs. She shakes herself and nods. "We had better make ourselves scarce. Who knows what other horrors hide nearby, listening to us and plotting our demise?" A soft buzzing sound comes from the large, bird-sized wasp hiding inside Shella's cloak. "Oh, where are my manners? This is my friend, who I call Mother. Say hello, Mother. Do not worry, I have not been infested!" She laughs merrily as she extends her palm with her familiar perched in the center, but the wasp crawls back up her arm and ducks back into her clothing.
Shella moves forward in front of Horgus, circling to try and get behind the maggots so she can flank with the other heroic attackers.
As Shella draws out Horgus, she notices Angahaar and Naomi's companion collecting glittering scales, and she peers over at the collection to take one of them for herself. She winks at Naomi as she leads Horgus a little further away from Anevia and Aravashnial.
Shella clucks her tongue as she listens to their new companions air their grievances. "Yes, it is unfortunate that we have all been forced by circumstance to struggle along together," she purrs. "But fortunately, all is not lost. Come, master Horgus, you can walk with me, and tell me more about the life to which you will return once we reach the surface again." She brushes her hand against his arm as she helps him forward, and as she meets his gaze she gives him her most charming smile.
Shella gets herself under control and smiles her most charming smile at Naomi. "I am a little shaken," she says lightly, blinking her eyes several times, "but I seem to be uninjured." She watches the little woman tend to Anevia, and stares intently at her patient. I wonder if Anevia remembers me, she thinks. Probably better if she doesn't, or if she does that we keep each other's secrets. Out loud, she says "It is a great pleasure to meet you, Anevia, and you also Naomi, though of course I regret the circumstances. I am Shella." She gives a little sideways curtsey, looking curiously at the others through half-lidded eyes. "We will need to fashion some kind of crutch for your leg, good lady. There must be something in the debris here that we can use to help you. Excuse me, sir knight? Angahar? Would you help me lift some of these stones? Strong man such as you, your prowess would very much come in handy as we search the rubble for materials to fashion a splint."
Shella's expression darkens as Hulrun appears on the stage, and she mutters to her familiar some choice words about his parentage and physical attributes that cause the wasp to redden slightly. She turns away to scan the crowd and happens to be looking right at the Kite when the explosion tears through the crowd and the fortress vanishes. She stares in disbelief and begins to look wildly around at the others nearby, to confirm that they are seeing the same things she is. A tall human male in heavy armor with a greatsword, and a small gnomelike woman with a large canine companion, catch her eye and she stares at them unable to formulate a thought as everything collapses around them. She tumbles slowly through the air, head over heels; she cannot believe this is happening, and to her it feels like a dream as the silver dragon reaches out to them and then falls, decapitated by the demon lord. So beautiful, she thinks. Like the moon falling from the sky... Once she stops tumbling, she realizes she is laughing hysterically in the darkness. She gasps and coughs, and peers around through the gloom, her demon-gifted eyes easily piercing the shadows surrounding them.
So given that we're using feat tax rules, my build will change slightly. I'll pick up furious focus in place of power attack, and draconic manifestation in place of weapon focus. Oh wow, I've not seen that feat before. That's cool!
Can we implement the Elephant in the Room No Feat Tax rules? I really find they make the Pathfinder rules so much better. Basically, they remove some of the common feats that all martials have to take, and combine several others to make it possible to take other feats sooner or feats that otherwise you can never fit into your build. The first write-up is found here and it is pretty simple to use. It also means that most enemies we face also have these feats, which standardizes things and makes combat slightly more challenging, or at least balanced. The biggest change is that everyone basically gets Combat Expertise and Weapon Finesse, and can use Deadly Aim and Power Attack once they reach +1 BAB. Weapon Focus and other feats that require a weapon choice are with fighter weapon groups instead. And maneuvers are easier because there are only two improved maneuver feats, Deft Maneuvers (disarm, dirty trick, trip, reposition, and feint) and Powerful Maneuvers (bull rush, overrun, sunder, and something else I'm forgetting). Dodge includes Mobility for free, and Unarmed Combatant is both Improved Unarmed Strike and Improved Grapple.
Shella doesn't have to attend the festival, but she quite enjoys dressing up and seeing all the people of Kenabres in a daytime context. She watches some games of chance before she spots one of her family members working the crowd and leaves to avoid giving the game away. She eyes some of the food vendors' wares hungrily, but she decides she cannot afford to indulge in delicacies, especially when the prices have been inflated for the event. One day, though, I will be able to have whatever I want, whenever I want, she thinks. She senses her familiar is drawn more to the libations than the comestibles, and she subtly frees the wasp from her pouch so that she can explore the smells unhindered. "Careful, mother," she says quietly, "do not go far." She sizes up the shopkeepers and a couple of big spenders to try to decide if it is worth her time to lavish attention upon them in the hopes of courting their custom, but decides her prospects are slim while the sun is still high in the sky. "Let's look elsewhere," she whispers to her familiar, gathering her back up into her pouch. She admires the many would-be crusaders out wearing their fine arms and armor. Knights certainly like to show off their armor, and they are very proud of their swords-- long or short. She smiles to herself and cheers some of the warriors as they pass. Was that a lingering look? she wonders, as one strapping soldier rides by on a horse. Just in case, she blows him a kiss and follows the procession to Clydwell Plaza, where she sees that the opening ceremonies are about to begin.
Hello everyone! I'm here! And yes, I'm on discord as well.
RHMG Animator: I changed my character's alias, so if you update your list, can you copy and paste the new link for Hanso? Thanks!
This is eriktd. I've been working on this character and I feel I've got enough now to share it. I made a late decision to go Dexterity-based instead of Strength-based and I think it works out okay. :) Hanso leans pretty hard into nonlethal combat, and suffers pretty yucky penalties if he allows helpless living creatures to be killed (it's okay if they die in combat, just not when they're held or unconscious). If that's going to be a problem with the other characters I can drop the archetype, but it seems like I'm not the only submission who subdues rather than slaughters. It just might be tough if some of us are opposed to taking prisoners or leaving foes bloodied but alive. |