Sihir Aneh's page

“Dissent obviously should always be completely innocuous and obedient and not disruptive in any way. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, 'Our foremost value is to obey the law at all times and inconvenience nobody, because dissent must never lead to disorder. That’s why our Civil Rights Movement famously never has any run-ins with law enforcement.' He said this in one of his most influential works, 'Letter from Birmingham Candy Shop'.”

― Caitlin Johnstone

Have you tried concentrating on a Will save to disbelieve them?

Ceci n'est pas une pip...
Ceci n'est pas une pip...
Ceci n'est pas une pip...

"The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist."

― Hannah Arendt

Hm, why the missing gold?

In the absence of much else he can reliably do, Sihir also disappears again and flies ahead.

Another round of Invisibility Field spent, full-round action to forge ahead 3 spaces.

Trying the Sense Motive skill check with a +2 bonus for 40' land speed.

Greater speed correlates to greater empathy; TIL!

Burpl left behind and licking through the crowd slowly but inevitabaly.

Sihir looks down at Chirium's tiny companion.

"By the time that crowd has been scoured through," He muses. "the first second of eternity will have passed...personally, I think that is one hell of a toad!"

Sihir does something he's seldom done before, despite its being what drives so many to study wizardry:
He slips the bonds of earth and takes to the sky!

I cast fly!

CARD THREE:Fruit Cart:

Oh Yeah! (Strength Check DC hard)...

LOL does it really say it like that?!?

Sihir whips his head in the direction of the remaining cultist and opens his mouth freakishly wide, as if screaming beyond the capacity of his lungs, yet nobody hears anything...though the cultist definitely feels something.

ear-piercing scream, DC 19: 5d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 5, 3, 4) = 19

Do remember: Mondays are my "Internet Sabbath" this year.

Now I'm back, but confused: You say the cultist Brallenera hacked is still standing, but I don't see him now.

This is no good, Sihir thinks to himself as he sees the enemy's stalling tactics prevail. I never cared for Conjuration, and now look at all this, it's...say.

He lifts his hand to look at his most cherished possession: A handsome platinum ring in the shape of an ourobouros. Now there's an idea.

He looks to his two nearest companions - Chirium and Brallenera - and grabs a hand of each. A keen observer might see his ring seem to flow like mercury, or even the serpent's eye literally flash a wink, as the three of them vanish...

...and reappear on the opposite side of the chamber, surrounding one of the remaining cultists.

I've used my 1/day Arcane Ring ability to cast dimension door!

Actually, only the other two reappear - but for a moment, at least, they still feel Sihir's hand in theirs. Needless to say, the entire sensation is quite eerie....

Also using another round of Invisibility Field.

@DM: Chirium said he'd move his token "later", but does not appear to have done so. Would you object to tossing some puppet-strings down far enough that he could move over adjacent to Brallenera and I? I have a plan.

Since real time is against us, I'm going to take the liberty of preemptively acting as though you have.

Also, have we rested anytime since the "haunt the house" caper back there?

I know this is kind of awkward to ask in mid-battle, but I haven't changed my spell selection since then, and there are definitely at least a few changes I would've made.

And even though I have my own Wand of Mage Armour, I expected Sihir will spend his charge :)

I will if you move closer to me; for now, I just left the sleet storm radius, and I'm hoping to stay away from it.

I am also considering doing something more proactive this round.

@DM: How obstructed (or not) is my line of sight now, from where I am, to the remaining bad-guys?

Seems GM Aarvid added it for no obvious reason (confused notation? Reading unupdated stats from a previous encounter?) when I was AWOL; see near the middle of page 5.

I'd scratch it - and note I now have +21!

Chirium, are you saying you have your own mage armor wand?

Also, I'd still like to understand exactly what the deal is with your "Goblin-Wayang" spiel.

I'm guessing it started with a "We Be Goblins!" Chronicle? I've seen that approached in a few different ways.

@DM: Wait, did I take damage? When/how?

Knowledge (Planes) RE Bearded Devils: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (6) + 24 = 30 Let me know what I know, or how much I could; I've lost track of the original spoiler

Sihir becomes visible again, although (hopefully) his brief vanishing-act has afforded him enough time to hide in the shadows of the pillar and pew next to him.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

He slides ably enough away from the sleet.

Seeing he faces certain obstacles to contributing to the (mostly-won) battle with ease, he takes the opportunity to further ward himself in anticipation of continued perils ahead...I use my mage armor wand.

DayNight Job: Been there, done that.

Boon roll: 1d20 ⇒ 3

Oh no. Sorry to hear that Sihir. I have been playing at your tables for years and enjoyed it.

I honestly appreciate hearing that; in the meantime, I just did something, so it looks like I am still in for now!

A little wary of whatever else may lay ahead (or already be stalking unseen!), Sihir momentarily disappears, and casts one of his most powerful personal wards....

1 round of Invisibility Field spent.

Stealth: 1d20 + 45 ⇒ (5) + 45 = 50

greater false life, natron for +1 CL: 2d10 + 11 ⇒ (1, 9) + 11 = 21

Again I must apologize for my neglect of the game; frankly, I've just not been motivated.

It's come once again to the "I have to drag myself to something out of obligation rather than engagement" scenario (the newspaper funny-pages and World of Warcraft being two prior things in my life that ended for me that way - the moment I let them go, I immediately felt better).

FlaxSeed Lodge itself has been fine most of the time, but Paizo is simply no longer "a fun and friendly place", and its future looks no better.

I've not really contributed much to this adventure; if you wanted to let me bow out with no Chronicle (so as to "keep my slate clean", just in case things looked up in the future), that would work for me; OTOH, I could perhaps continue if you think it's worth it to keep me.

Please forgive my AWOLness on short notice, but then, I probably would not have been able to make too much difference there.

So...did I read we got to rest again before this encounter?

“What do you know about the 'Rushlight Society'?“

What does Sihir know? If you will permit me to utilize my puzzle-book bonus from earlier:
Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15
Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33

Upon the hellhound's departure, you all hear soft cackling emanating from your own shadows - recognizeably in Sihir's voice:

"Thus is solved the riddle: 'How does one torture a Hellknight?'!"

Stealth: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (12) + 25 = 37

Sihir endeavors to stay hidden from the newcomer without making that immediately obvious to the absent-minded Dr. Landis (a man after Sihir's own heart, mostly!); his benefactor obviously has some hidden force(s) behind her, so it is best, Sihir reasons, that two play at that game.

While it may or may not prove necessary, he takes the extra step of casting a spell by which he may confer with any of the others with some privacy...or set up a most entertaining trick should their host or the stranger prove in need of befuddling!

Duration: 100 minutes.
Targets: Everybody else.

Assume I did whatever I needed to make the above roll before Elixia showed up, and cast the spell the moment she did.

Sihir peers into the doorframe, head turning as smoothly as if his neck were mounted atop a wheel as he looks from Rinks to Chirium.

Sihir I assume that you wanted to open the door but wanted the door to seem to still be closed so you can see the Halfling but the Halfling is not aware of your presence. We will flow with that now as I set up this up like this now ... ;-)

Read my last post again; I'd intended the direct opposite, so let's not jump the gun.

"Of all the numbers, '2' is the wickedest liar," interjects Sihir, reemerging after a period of that silently-and-inconspicuously-lurking-for-so-long-you'd-almost-forgotten-it- was-there way to which Wayang seem so prone. "When faced with two ways, seek first another."

He shuffles up to (and just to the side of) the door...

Stealth: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (6) + 25 = 31

...and with barely a tap on the knob, it swings wide open!...or does it???

Will DC 21; I'm hoping this will make him actually open the door, or at least stand there and feel like he's not got much excuse not to talk to us...or blame us for breaking in.

'Clue making/Clue leaving
Brell, Arrias
Use Brells tailoring skill and Arrias history knowledge to make us a convincing piece of 'Thassilonian' attire - like a scarf or something basic - we can use that as a prop "you dropped this where you were standing at the auction, did you want it back"? "Oh it's not yours? But we saw you wearing it...". Maybe we can have a few other small items to find around his house.

Ooooh, I was just HOPING for a prop!

When Sihir sees what Brallenera was working on, he imbues it with his own finishing touch: A powerful, but subtle illusion marking it as a mighty - perhaps cursed??? - object of arcane craft! For all he knows, the lavish gesture may go completely unnoticed by their guest if he's no training or talent in seeing the Hidden World, but to the Wayang mind, a work of art that goes unseen is perhaps the most precious work of art of all.

DC 24 Will save, in case it matters; hard to tell if/how/when it would.

After hearing Lady Heidmarch's initial briefing, Sihir scarcely bothers to listen to the back-and-forth beyond it - this time, he knows EXACTLY what to do!

He decides to start small: A while after Mr. Sneve's arrival, after sundown and when he is alone somewhere (or at least believes himself to be, as the dark little man hides nearby, under the Veil of a forgettable human servant), the lights around him begin flickering, flaring, and dimming uncontrollably for a solid minute!

Disguise, Veil Bonus: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (4) + 22 = 26
Stealth: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (8) + 25 = 33

10 rounds of luminary chaos!: 10d100 ⇒ (5, 91, 75, 55, 33, 82, 88, 33, 65, 46) = 573

Will DC 20, in case it matters (it's Evocation, so it doesn't make sense who'd make it unless it's for the lighting fixtures themselves).

1: supernatural darkness
2: bright light
3: normal
4: normal
5: dim light
6: normal
7: normal
8: dim light
9: normal
10: dim light

We'll be resting/rested again soon, right?

Speaking of illusions (and of mistakes, I suppose), I tried memorizing illusory script for the first time ever, only to discover it's not exactly what I'd had in mind - and needs a 50-gp material component, to boot!

It could conceivably still be useful in this intrigue-laden adventure, but I'm hoping to reconsider my spell selection just the same.

I'm sorry; I had been anticipating Scarlet would still be a leading figure in all of this.

Sihir comes up behind Chirium and begins speaking to him in Wayang - a language normally spoken so softly to start with it can be difficult for others to make out even if fluent!

A moment later, Chirium has been turned into a heavily-armored Dwarf of appropriately Varisian complexion - and Sihir is nowhere to be seen, but in his place, striding out to meet the caravan-leader, is an imposing, officious Human in baroque armor!

1 Veil point spent.

Disguise, Veil bonus: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (10) + 22 = 32

He begins hectoring Barsuvius on the ins and outs of his cargo and its susceptibility to local laws, taxes, et cetera, et cetera....

In the event you'd let me use this as an alternative to Bluff under the circumstances:
Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26

My goal here is to either keep him good and busy while others make off with the gold, OR make him give up and head back, gold not necessarily in our hands but undelivered and unavailable for the auction.

I've got one disguise other spell prepared, who wants it? Feel free to suggest how I should disguise you if you've got any specific ideas.

Also, how's everybody's Bluff skill? Mine's +12 (+13 versus native Gebbites, +14 versus Dwarves from the Five Kings Mountains, not that I think it likely there are any of either present).

@Scarlet, you still sitting this out? I had anticipated you'd be pivotal in this effort (remember, the whole reason I did what I did was I did not register they were all asleep, so I figured "conventional" Stealth was either a non- or very very risky option) - this is still very much a "rogues get to act like rogues" sort of scenario, just in the opposite manner!

I apologize for breaking the expectation I set above; more things came up today than expected.

Okay, I just saw the outcome (I was a little busy yesterday, I've just begun grad school in earnest); color me surprised.

I'm not ready just yet, but I will post my next move later today.

Given especially that I apparently did what I did under an erroneous understanding of the initial setup (like I said, I'd assumed the party'd be 'on the scene' before the Aspis caravan), I see no reason not to vote

a)

From the four posts in the gameplay thread that preceded your post where the plan was being put into effect and progressing, which was based on the discussion with the gm in this discussion thread.

Two of us had stealthed into position and had identified the chest, the sleeping monster, and sleeping main npc at that stage, as well as the magical emanations coming from the wagons,

How does that make it "unrecoverable"? Nobody's fighting yet, and even if we went forward without the retcon, nobody'd need to. Perhaps we're not defining "recoverable" the same way.

I wake up 5 hours later and the thing has gone sideways and we’re now in an essentially unrecoverable encounter where we can’t get in and out without being seen. It was incredibly frustrating to see.

I have no idea where you get that from; that wouldn't be true even if the DM hadn't specifically offered a take-back...which you, not I, for some reason insisted 'no' to.

I saw a problem, and people giving up; I thought I had a solution.

What I saw people complaining about the ethics and feasibility of the encounter; I saw proposals, but no commitment to action with certainty they'd work. I thought I was solving both problems in a way that would minimize danger of anyone getting hurt.

Sometimes I have a hard time making sense of what I read on here, for reasons I don't care to share.

The DM offered a retcon; why would you - or anyone - insist on the worst of both worlds in a situation you're unhappy with?

OKAY, THIS IS IMPORTANT: I did not understand they were asleep; I had been more under the impression they were rolling down the road and there was time to set up the illusion before they even arrived.

How do we want to do this? I figured there'd been time to prepare.

Sihir quotes Dame Heidmarch verbatim, even mimicking her voice with alarming accuracy:

"I need you to ride out to the caravan before it gets within sight of the city walls and ensure that gold never reaches the Aspis Consortium at Bronze House."

Reverting to his normal voice, he continues: "I am rather hoping they will just give up and turn around or something; if they don't, I could use a volunteer or two...."

"Ah, what did I tell you?" Remarks Sihir, after hearing Sheila's plan. "Legal, criminal, what is the difference save the latter is more honest to itself?"

Once there...

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21
Knowledge (Nature): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

He points to the robed man. "I have actually heard of that one: Barsuvius geed, Aspis wizard." He looks over to Brallenera. "You say they are not slavers? This one comes close enough: The Consortium pays him handsomely - or so I must assume - for his proficiency in capturing mighty beasts like that one. No, I do not know what it is."

"In any case, I think I know what to do...."

Before the caravan comes any closer, Sihir casts one of the mightiest spells he knows, and suddenly the entire pass is blocked by a smuggler's worst nightmare: A bustling customs-inspection post and armory, complete with the harsh glare of purposeful torchlight, the odors of smoke, molten steel, moldy foodstuffs, the ringing of hammers, and the angry mutterings of soldiers and frustrated merchants!

Resilient Illusions: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

Will DC 27 (or, if you believe Greater Spell Focus would apply after Resilient Illusions, then 29) if/once interacted with!

Once back in (What he certainly hopes is!) the security of Heidmarch Manor, Sihir shares the revelations of his vision...

...and once out on the bandit-trail, he reveals what looks like an incredibly slender prayer wheel, made from a diverse array of semiprecious stones, each stamped with a different numeral from any number of disparate numerical systems. He waves it across (nearly) each party member in turn, and as he does so, everyone has the same experience: A cryptic fleeting epiphany fixated on, of all things, a particular number....

Aaaaannd this evening's lucky numbers are!:

Scarlet: 1d20 ⇒ 1 < --- We have a WINNER!!!
me and my shadow: 1d20 ⇒ 2
Zaigan: 1d20 ⇒ 6
Chirium: 1d20 ⇒ 15
Arrius: 1d20 ⇒ 14
Brallenera: 1d20 ⇒ 20 < --- We also have a LOSER! Say it with me now: AWWWWWWW!!!

Sorry, what did you intend to do with the bluff?

Send a secret message (AKA Innuendo, back when that was its own skill) to tell the party - in a way that could dodge whatever kind of magical surveillance might likely going on around here - that I've got something important to tell them, while also hopefully insinuating some of what I saw...

A Bluff roll of '15' should do it, shouldn't it?

No Sense Motive even necessary, I don't think.

Sihir returns to his mundane senses, mouth momentarily wheezing like a carp's; slowly, he turns and heads for his companions.

"When we are finished here, my friends, I should like to tell all you of a certain fine dining opportunity I have caught word of, perhaps much better than what we'd planned? Just a hole-in-the-wall, really...as they say...."

Bluff to innuendo: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15

Sihir has been hanging back so far, primarily so as to finish up that puzzle he'd been working on...

Intelligence check: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

...while penning in a few more twists and turns of his own that could've made it more challenging.

He catches up and looks around the assemblage:

Knowledge (Local) RE:
Falrig Sneve: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15

Kresch Vaor representing Underbridge Exports: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28

Dymal Rinks, independent: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28

The Duchesses representing no one: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29

Doctor Ernst Landis representing the Museum of Ages: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20

Maiveer Sloan representing the Aspis Consortium: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31 < - DM, take note!!!

Zimandi Kaddren: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25

When the Key is revealed, he is naturally quick to study it on more esoteric levels than most are capable:

detect magic/Spellcraft on Runecarved Key: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (20) + 24 = 44 +2 to identify Illusion magic

@Scarlet Scoundrel: What kind(s) of Barbarian/Rogue are you, and how ever did you get a Lyrakien Familiar - and from the looks of it, TWO Minor Artifacts???

Sihir makes a dry scoffing noise after listening to Captain Heidmarch's plan.

"The way it is described, a criminal approach almost seems more ethical - but as you say. Tricks and phantasmagoria, that is what I am here for."

He takes a barely-perceptible (though not deliberately-concealed) glance at Chirium.