Simone D. Sallé's page

JAMES CASE DOES IT AGAIN <3 This was perfect!!

CONNIE! I love this ❤️

Elated to see this. Congratulations, all!

I can't even choose my favorite, they're all terrific and Eleanor's art is A++!

We're so lucky to have you all as part of this community! :)

boiled owls

hahaha!

Thanks for a great game, Jacob! Us trailing off at the end was no reflection on your GMing or the scenario and had everything to do with, well, everything else in the world. I still had fun :)

Hope you all stay well! Maybe Tess will catch you again soon. Let her know if you ever need to get out of a court case. :D

Congrats all!

Whew, what a week! I'm heading off-grid for my first backpacking trip in 12 years. I'll be back on Monday. Please feel free to bot me in the meantime should the need arise :)

Tess snarls at the bandit who fended her off. "Why are you doing this?!" she yells, full of adrenaline. "Leave these people alone and run, or your road ends here!"

Intimidate: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

She presses her attack to prove her point, rapier flashing menacingly (if not very ably):

Rapier: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Rapier: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9

Ugh. Hope it clears up soon :(

Hi all, I'm so sorry for going dark with no notice! I had a frantic deadline to meet on Tuesday, the same or a similar windstorm as Sandstone (I did lose power for about 5 hours), and now I'm on the border of the fire evac alert zone in Portland. Please feel free to bot me as needed and I'll try to keep up this week as best as I can!

Do we still have our scripts?

I think Tess's got wet? But she might have salvaged it. I'm super down for this.

Tess's eyes light up and she begins digging through her pack.

I don't want to interrupt the conversation, so this will be Tess's reply once Blue and Teki have gotten better acquainted!

Tess watches the new party member with interest, smiling at Blue's enthusiasm as always. She misses Grams already, especially since this is such a serious and family-oriented mission, but she's excited to have the newcomer aboard.

"Greetings, Teki," Tess says respectfully. "I'm very glad you've joined us. I'm Tess, a ... legal advocate and court monitor. This will be my fourth assignment for the Pathfinders."

The young woman turns to Yigrig with an earnest air, seeming far more confident and sincere than the hapless newbie who showed up at a goblin theater not long ago. "We fully agree that family is of the utmost importance, sir. Rest assured we will do absolutely everything we can to protect yours. And if your son is anything like you, I'm sure the operation is in good hands." Frowning, she adds, "Do you have any ideas as to who might be responsible for these attacks? Is there anyone who would benefit from this deal falling through?"

Edit: Oops, looks like Scratch and Tess had the same questions in mind :)

Yes. The world is exceptionally heavy. I've been battling depression pretty severely the past few days. Today I got out on my bike and I think that helped.

I'm so glad that helped! Fresh air/moving outside does wonders for me, too.

I was visiting family last week for the first time since the pandemic, and it was so good for me!

Yay!!! That's excellent. My family is in WI & MA (I'm in OR) and I'm daydreaming about a 6,200-mile road trip to go see them, but it'll have to wait at minimum til those 15-min self tests are more readily available so I can be certain I don't pick anything up on the road. :( Really glad zoom calls exist in the meantime!

Whew. Things have been ROUGH lately. Looking forward to another adventure with y'all!

Hooray! Will have slight changes after Spirit Road :)

Player: Simone / Virsa
Character Name: Tess Montgomery
OPF Number: 337378-2001
Faction: Grand Archive
Downtime: Lore (Legal): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
Current XP: 5
Current Fame: 5
Reputation with Grand Archive: +5
Reputation with Vigilant Seal: +2
Training: Scrolls 2, Swords 1; minor healing potion

Reflex: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

"Blech!" says Tess, eloquently agreeing with Loola. (Then she groans, though grinning, as she gets the joke.)

As the fearsome arboreal crashes to the forest floor, Tess yells, "We aren't here to disrupt the forest! Go on, leave us alone!" at the remaining spruce.

Intimidation/Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

She doubts that her rapier will do much damage, but prepares to attack if the tree persists, making sure the kitsune is safely behind her and her allies.

Tess, hoping her intimidating (more or less) companions fully hold the kitsune's attention, attempts to reclaim the relic!

Thievery: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

I have no idea if this has a chance of succeeding, but I'm going for it!

Speaking of stealing... Tess thinks as she surreptitiously looks around at the trees. She takes advantage of the trees' agitation and general chaos and attempts to fade back from the party to see if she can get behind the kitsune — in case he tries to make a run for it or she needs to attempt to steal back the relic.

Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

"Of course," Tess says warmly. "We're so glad to find you in one piece — more or less," she adds. "The Venture Captain will be so relieved. We're happy to take on the next stage of the relic recovery for you! Perhaps we can meet back in the village?" Tess looks to Grams and the others to see if this makes sense to everyone.

Noticing Scratch picking up a trail, Tess walks over, eager to begin the chase and wondering if they'll encounter any other kami on the way.

Hi all, sorry for vanishing. Between protesting and freelancing and my day job and worrying about friends' health, I got super burned out last week/this weekend.

I haven't played any 2e besides right here, so I'm game for anything!

Damn it, Blue, you got me! :D

Tess had been fully neglecting her Pathfinder duties and not really following the conversation, lost in the glee of the snowball fight even if she hadn't successfully snuck up on Scratch. She was just taking aim at Sandstone when Yanu fell and began to scream.

Dropping the snowball at once, Tess rushes over to the scene a half-step behind Grams, following the experienced woman's lead. She kneels down in the snow next to the other worried children and smiles encouragingly. "Not fear," she says in her best broken Tien, "Grams is help! Problem small."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

(Tess doesn't think she got the pronunciation right.)

Tess doesn't have medical training, but closely observes Grams and stays ready to assist if she can be useful.

Though she doesn't speak goblin, Tess grins at Blue's rollicking rendition and hums along with Grams's familiar tune. Fishing in her pouch, she pulls out a seashell and shows it to the worried children, launching into a tale of a courageous mermaid explorer and hoping that her tone and pantomimes will help fill in the gaps from her broken Tien (which is starting to come back to her).

Performance (Oratory): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Tess spends much of the early part of the journey in quiet wonder, appreciating the lush forest and browsing her book on Absalom by night, hunting for useful loopholes. As the weeks wear on with no sight of the agents, she grows more discouraged, but still immensely reverent when interacting with the landscape.

-------

Grinning at Scratch's antics, Tess looks at Blue and holds a finger to her lips, then gathers her own handful of snow and tries to sneak up behind the hardy dwarf.

Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Before we get down to business:

Tess gratefully accepts a midnight blue garment with a bird motif (slightly oversized to avoid hindering her movement, just in case).

When everyone is seated with Amara Li, she breaks her policy against paying for her own food and eagerly orders several sushi options to share, as well as a tea flight for herself and Sandstone. Filled with enthusiasm, she's chattier than usual, eagerly sharing highlights from their voyage with the Venture Captain. Though out of habit she's not particularly forthcoming with personal details, Tess does mention she's employed as a legal clerk in Absalom and comes from a family of brewers. "And yes, perhaps someday we can visit and I'll get you samples," she adds wryly.

Tess is so blissed out from the great food and tea that her attention wanders momentarily, but she snaps back when Amara Li mentions possible misfortune to other agents. Somberly, she asks, "Do you have any idea what might have befallen them, Captain?"

Tess whispers in Blue's ear about new "costumes," like in the goblin play! Then she looks up and smiles at the woman. "Thank you so much for your kind offer. We would love to freshen up after our travels."

As they head inside, Tess begins to gush about the intricacies of tea to Sandstone. "Just wait, friend, I think you'll love it. Maybe we can get a flight with all seven varieties..."

After that abysmal Perception (on both Tess's and my part), Tess gets lost in the shanties and is the last to notice that we're moving to a new table, but she gets there eventually.

I need to give up my perfectionism and just write.

If you figure this out, please let me know (: Staring down an imminent deadline myself and the blank-page panic is real!

Enstrengthened by his embarrassment, he manages to wrest the lid free to reveal several bottles.

I'm extremely here for the word "enstrengthened."

Tess is eager to stretch her legs and start exploring. Hopefully Hlar has a tip on where to begin, otherwise she'll suggest that we start with the first pub we find! She's parched. :)

Tess has long since given up any hope of staying dry on Pathfinder excursions, so this seems pretty typical. "Well, that was... refreshing," she says wryly, attempting to lighten the mood. She checks to make sure she still has the scroll secure among her other sodden belongings and takes a look around.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Tess laughs and accepts the beverage, remembering a few caffeine-fueled nights researching obscure bylaws for her mentor. "Sounds like we're in for a good time." Frowning at the perpetual salt spray (and wondering why she always ends up drenched on Pathfinder missions), she adds, "Say, that contract isn't waterproof or something, eh? I don't have any scroll cases with me this time."

She takes a large sip of the coffee and tries not to react the same way Loola did. "That's... that's quite strong, that is." she manages in what she hopes is a tough, approving voice, and tries to surreptitiously pass the mug off to Grams in the hopes that the hardy older woman will have more of a taste for it.

Earlier, Tess beamed at Sandstone's mention of sending the "bonus" recruiting content for his new friend. That's just her style. Maybe they'll be lucky enough to work together someday!

Oh gods, the hat! Maybe Tess was too busy pondering legal precedence for theater ownership to remember, hahaha

Tess mentions to Marcon and VC Dreng that she's at their disposal for any legal legwork for both Marcon's case and the goblins' theater ownership. (Lore/Legal and Perform/Oratory skills are on standby if needed!)

She returns to the theater with the others and attempts to help straighten up, though she's not the handiest woodworker. While she attempts to make herself useful sweeping up the aisles, she comes upon Sandstone and his natural decorations. "Very nice," she says appreciatively. "Say, did you know that guy from the merc crew? Seemed like maybe he wasn't all that into working with them. You think he'd ever consider joining the Pathfinders instead?"

craft, untrained: 1d20 ⇒ 2 Yep, she'll stick to sweeping!!

Unless it makes sense to hand over before leaving, I think Tess would probably keep the deed for now, so she can work on establishing the goblins' claim.

Tess tries not to grin at Sandstone's comment and turns to the Venture Captain. "Yes, sir! We were fortunate to, er, encounter this gentleman under the theater. Captain, this is Marcon Tinol, and I believe he does have quite the story for you..." Tess nods encouragingly at the ghoul, inviting him to share his tale in his own words. Unless her companions jump in. :)

Tess is well acquainted with the wealthy figures in Absalom, both through her daytime legal work and her... less legal after-hours roguish pursuits. She shares what she knows with her companions, noting "Goodman Hugen, Ednathian Candren's descendant, has done some good with his wealth, particularly on the behalf of those enslaved in Absalom, but I'm not one for burying secrets, either. I agree with Iqu and Grams. Let's escort him back to the Lodge and hear him out." She does her best to politely keep her composure as she sees him for the first time. "Maybe some sort of disguise would be... prudent?"

Tess is inclined to believe him about not hurting anyone, but he does look a bit frightening...

Perception (Sense Motive): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Edit: welp, seems honest to me!

Society: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Lore (Absalom): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

Puzzled over the discrepancies, Tess wonders aloud who might have painted an Aroden with webbed fingers...

~

In the records room, she mutters under her breath about being "wet, cold, and nearly full of holes*" as she wades through the standing water, but quickly forgets her complaints when Sandstone discovers the scroll. "The goblins can definitely make a case with this!" she exclaims with delight, already crafting the argument in her head.

~

As we approach the wall, Tess prepares to venture forward and peer inside with the flickering light of her waning torch. (Someone with better darkvision can go instead, but Tess is happy to look!)

*Please tell me someone's read the Abhorsen books by Garth Nix and can appreciate my favorite Mogget quote. :)

Tess draws her rapier and darts forward, moving into position behind one of the brutes to flank with Grams. "I'm afraid our brains aren't up for grabs, chaps!" she shouts, slashing at the zombie with her rapier.

Actions 1&2: ◈◈ Stride
Action 3: ◈ Strike

Rapier: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Slashing damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Sneak attack (flanking) damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Sorry everyone! Was afk all day today hosting a virtual pride party. Eek, zombies!

I FORGOT I can do that! (Edit: Nope! Ah well.)

Tess can tell her rapier is an annoyance to the beast at best, but at least she's making contact. "Not today, fell sewer-beast!" she cries, dancing around its tail to strike again.

Rapier: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1

Rapier: 1d20 - 6 ⇒ (11) - 6 = 5

"...Welp, maybe today," mutters Tess in frustration.

This is the best play ever. :D

(After the rest of the party chimes in)

Tess takes a page out of Velvek's book and imitates her exasperated mannerisms, looking from her fellow actors to Velvek and Zusgut as if to say, you know what I'm dealing with here! Raising her hands in an earnest plea, Tess-Ulthun appeals to Loola-Zusgut: "Please, my lord, we beseech you and ask the help of your mighty tribe." (She gestures to the audience, clearly the mightiest goblins around, to encourage cheering.) "We are but mere humans and lack the cleverness and skill needed to escape the clutches of the undead." Ad-libbing, Tess adds, "We know we'll only have a chance if your fierce warriors lead the way. Please, King Zusgut," — Tess returns to the script to deliver her final plea — "Will you aid us?"

I'm absolutely picturing Tess as the over-dramatic Fire Nation actress playing Katara right now. And Loola as Toph? :D

Performance (Oratory): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

The soggy Tess, clad in paper armor, jingles a few coins in her pocket to emulate clinking plate mail as she bows with a flourish to goblin monarchs, both real and superbly impersonated. "Oh mighty chief of the goblins, whose wit and skill are unsurpassed, I am called Ulthun, Watcher-Lord of Lastwall." Pausing for dramatic effect and looking mournfully out at the audience, she cries with exaggerated distress, "Alas, that land has been overrun by undead and is no more!"

(Thanks for the clarification! Happy to help fix up the theater during my downtime as well, then.)

Tess thinks back to some disruptive courtroom drama witnessed during her early clerking days, but decides against actively attempting to sabotage such an enjoyable trainwreck. Instead, she focuses on her own lines while grinning appreciatively at Loola's antics.

Tess examines the soggy "chain mail" suit. "I am already wet, so I'd be happy to play Ulthun."

Tess has Perform (Orate) from her legal background, which will hopefully be helpful here. :)

(Whoops! On the same page :D )

Tess stops wondering if "the goblins lit my homework on fire" will be an acceptable excuse to her employer and focuses again on Zusgut. "It's clear we've found a true thespian," she says to the goblin king. Her voice takes on a more charming timbre and her posture straightens, the "hapless clerk" image falling away as she approaches and gestures grandly to the decrepit hall as though it were the finest opera house. "Perhaps we could regale you with a tale or two of our own?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Turning to Scratch, he says, "I move quietly, but also...I can be hard to see."

As if on cue, a disheveled human woman rounds a corner behind the group, her silent steps incongruous with her disorganized appearance. She catches sight of the group and halts, blinking wide eyes. Pushing loose, dark hair out of her face, she squints at the files clutched in her hand. "Pathfinders, I hope?" she calls, ruining any hope of a quiet approach. "Gods curse it—" the woman mutters as she nearly drops her papers in a puddle. It has been A. Day.

Catching the eyes of her presumed colleagues, the woman grins wryly. "Um, hi. I'm Tess."

(Character creation is complete! Grabbing some dinner and then will get all the forum formatting & info sorted out. Stay tuned for a roguish introduction!)

Hi all! This is my first PbP campaign, my first time posting on the Paizo boards, and my first 2e experience, so... please bear with me :) I'm still working on my character but am super excited to be here! I finally have a free night tonight and hope to share a more robust update then. Thanks for your patience as I get up to speed!