Sister Dianora's page

Will (master), resilient, resolute faith: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (7) + 29 = 36 frightened 2 and slowed 1 from fear as long as they remain frightened, but doesn't feel worth spending a Hero Point on it

Dianora happily follows Yuki -- it was sort of tempting to kill the azatas for being stupid, but if that were a crime, she'd have to kill way, way, way too many people. Where would it stop?

"Well, that sounds just awful of them," Dianora says, nodding sagely. "Maybe we should go help? Just in case the valkyries need help. I was always told growing up to look for the helpers, so ... Speaking of which, why aren't you helping?"

Her voice turns more menacing.

"You're not siding with the assassins, are you? Maybe you have an assassin you really like or something?"

"Oh, we're looking for some assassins. They tried to kill us, so now we need to kill them. Or maybe just thank the valkyries if they're taking care of it already?" Dianora says. She looks at her companies. "We're OK if they take care of everything, right? I don't think we called dibs, or at least they had no way of knowing that we were going to take care of them..."

"Anything good on the telescope?" Dianora asks lightly.

"Can anyone read this?" Dianora asks. "I'm sure it's all about love, and puppies, and cheeriness -- not that there's anything wrong with those things! -- but it might be nice to know. If it says something like 'No assassins allowed,' or 'insects, stay out,' I might be offended."

She cranes her head as she looks up. "Not a happy thought, but that seems like a long way to walk up. Maybe we should fly?"

Bless Achaekek!

Dianora level 17!
+1 to everything
+13 hp
+2 9th-rank spells/day (was planning to prep overwhelming presence and weapon of judgment, though not sure if the former is affected by Elysium traits)

+ancestry feat: TBD, I guess.

+skill increase: Religion to legen-wait for it-dary!

"Wow," Dianora breathes. Sure, Gorum's nothing compared to He Who Walks in Blood, but he's still pretty impressive.

She pulls her sabers and nods to the others toward the lighthouse, before beginning to walk in that direction.

Do we have access to our new spells?

"So, back from whence we came," Dianora says. "Or, should that be from when we came. Or where, I suppose. Where and when/whence, if we want to really be pedantic!"

She turns on her heel, leaving the aged elf behind without a second glance, as she prepares to invade Elysium.

"What elf? Priestess of whom?" Dianora asks. "Or should it be who? I always get those confused. I don't know if you'd believe this, but they didn't actually talk about that too often in the Gorumite orphanage where I was raised. It was much more about stabbing. Which was also very useful. But I do wish I knew who-whom better."

"Jakalyn has been good to each of us," Dianora responds. "Why should we trust your word over her and those who are now trying to betray her, who have been our enemies as well?"

Dianora, unusually quiet, considers what they've been told. And what would He Who Walks In Blood think of all this? It doesn't seem to be following his edicts of conducting assassinations, but it's not really breaking an edict like kill a rightful ruler, so...[/ooc]

Sense Motive: +27 Perception
Recall Knowledge: +27 Religion

Also, interesting bits from Divine Mysteries that I noticed while looking up edicts/anathema that I hadn't recalled: Rumors often fly about gods hiring Achaekek to assassinate another, but none of these claims have ever been proven. ... Red Mantises believe their assassinations are a sacred rite: just as their deity stays his hand against rightful gods, the assassins refuse to strike against rightful rulers—but all others are fair game.

"And how you got here, if you please. I'd normally think about having to make a threat to kill someone to get them to talk -- though honestly I find you attract more flies with honey than vinegar, unless maybe it's a nice, sweet balsamic vinegar -- but in your case, I'll make an exception. Talk or we'll leave you alive!"

She chuckles amiably at the offer.

"Oh, these are nice swords," Dianora exclaims, examining them briefly before passing them on to Yuki.

"I'm surprised whoever searched here left them, but maybe they already had their own. We seem to be just finding and leaving sawtooth sabers all over the area."

She hands the books to Crystal to peruse as she looks around the bedroom to see if the earlier searcher may have missed anything.

"Well, they were lovely," Dianora says. "Asuras? More like A-sure-friendly-as!"

She heads for one of the unexplored areas.

Dianoa's eyes widen at the latest secret. Who could Achaekek be planning to assassinate? Depending on their importance, it could change all of Golarion!

She decides to reveal another secret:

"There is a mysterious druid known as Mantis Speaker who acts as caretaker to the strange Mantis Stones in the jungle just west of Rivergreen. Turns out its a leshy. A leshy assassin! Isn't that just the neatest thing?"

"You first," Dianora says. "We'll alternate, give it the ol' two-step. Like when you stab with your left sword, and then slash with your right!"

"Not just words!" Dianora says. "I just recently had my way with my sword and a bird in the other room. Not sure if you know what's in the other room, but we could certainly trade you that information."

Religion (master): 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (6) + 27 = 33 Phew, made it by the skin of my teeth. I really wanted to know what these are. Oh, or I could have just read Kimmich's response.

"That's a great question," Dianora replies, also recognizing the asuras. "What brings a woman anywhere? You could argue it's my legs and feet, since I wouldn't get anywhere without them. Well, unless I could fly (which I can). Or I got a wheelchair (which I could). But maybe you mean in the bigger picture? But even then ... is it that we killed some people and were set up? Is it Achaekek moving us at His will? Maybe it's Jakalyn or the traitorous vernai? There are so many ways you can answer that."

Dianora shakes her head -- they don't know for sure where Jakalyn is now, so no time to read -- and heads for the next room. Center area that's go they yellow figure on it?

"I remember a man I knew once saying he was sure he was going to go to Elysium when he died. He said it was amazing, but that no one should go before their time. It was better to have as much time in the Universe as you can get," Dianora muses. She pauses for a second.

"I really could tell how important that was to him, and maybe he was right? I'd say we could ask him, but, well, I killed him, so who knows. I did give him a couple extra seconds on the Universe, and then it turns out it was his time. Well, it was his time the second I arrived and killed his two bodyguards, but he got a couple of extra seconds at least."

"Anyway, maybe he's right, and we should spend a couple of extra seconds here, exploring before we go on?"

Society (trained): 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (17) + 21 = 38

"Oh, look, someone went through the portal," Dianora says breaking a coded note?. "Too bad the weather's so nice here, but I guess it's true what they say: Any portal in a storm."

She tends to everyone's wounds.

That belt is nice. Maybe a good one for Crystal? She's got the least HP of our melee folks (2 less than me), and I have ways to heal myself already. I think the eye of the mantis can go to Yuki, unless someone else wants it. I'm content with my current saber.

Forgot Replenishment of war last turn, so that's +8 hp
Reflex (expert), resilient: 1d20 + 27 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 27 + 1 = 38

"You're like a little bunny, running around here and there. Which I can understand, because just like a little bunny, you don't want to be killed and eaten," Dianora says, then pausing as she cocks her head. "I wonder if that's why they call buns buns. Maybe they're made from bunnies? Or to hold bunnies? What do you think?"

She barely notices the heat as she flies full speed after the scaredy-catbunny. She nearly misses as she swings her saber, but her deity loves her -- and Yuki probably does too, since she puts the dead meat into teamwork -- and the magic helps her blade hit home once, and then a second time.

◈ Fly, ◈◈ Channel Smite, ◈ Strike (grr, I do wish haste could be a little more versatile sometimes)
Saberflash (+2 greater striking, shifting sawtooth saber stormflash) (agile, finesse, twin): 1d20 + 27 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 27 + 1 = 33
Saberflash, twin target: 1d20 + 27 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 27 + 1 = 47 Oh, that paid off nicely! Thank you, Yuki!
Slashing: 3d6 + 5 ⇒ (4, 1, 6) + 5 = 16
Electricity: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Channel Smite (8th-rank harm), automatic failure, or crit fail on a critical hit: 8d10 ⇒ (5, 7, 3, 10, 9, 5, 1, 9) = 49
Living creature that critically fails its save is drained 1
When you cast a harm spell and damage at least one living creature, you regain Hit Points equal to the spell rank of your harm spell.

Saberflash (+2 greater striking, shifting sawtooth saber stormflash) (agile, finesse, twin), iterative: 1d20 + 27 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 27 + 1 - 4 = 43
Slashing: 3d6 + 5 ⇒ (3, 2, 2) + 5 = 12
Electricity: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Replenishment of War: When you damage a creature with a Strike using your deity’s favored weapon, you gain a number of temporary Hit Points equal to half your level, or equal to your level if the Strike was a critical hit. These temporary Hit Points last until the start of your next turn.

"Don't be scared, I'll try to make this as painless as I can," Dianora says, swapping one of her swords for a potion. She downs it and then takes off after the peri, slashing it with her blade.

Swap sword for potion of flying, drink the potion, Fly, Strike
Saberflash (+2 greater striking, shifting sawtooth saber stormflash) (agile, finesse, twin): 1d20 + 27 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 27 + 1 = 42
Slashing: 3d6 + 5 ⇒ (5, 1, 1) + 5 = 12
Electricity: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Reflex (expert), resilient: 1d20 + 27 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 27 + 1 = 46

"If I had a mother, I bet she would have told me I shouldn't play with fire, because I could get burned. Unfortunately for you, I didn't have a mother. And you seem to barely be smoldering -- not enough to burn me -- so ... I guess I am going to play with you. By which I mean I'm going to play 'let's see how many times I can stab a bird before it dies!' "

She closes in on the creature, swords up -- and then reaches out to cast a spell vs. the peri!

Google Slides is acting up again for me, so going to assume I'm just a Stride away:◈ Twin Parry (+1 circumstance bonus to AC), ◈ Stride, ◈ Cast Down, ◈ Cast a Spell: harm
Harm (8th rank), basic DC 35 Fort, drained 1 on crit fail: 8d10 ⇒ (4, 3, 4, 6, 5, 3, 6, 4) = 35 Ouch, bad roll
Cast down: The target is knocked prone if it takes any damage from the spell. If the target critically fails its save against the spell, it also takes a –10-foot status penalty to its Speed for 1 minute.
When you cast a harm spell and damage at least one living creature, you regain Hit Points equal to the spell rank of your harm spell.

Dianora casts heroism on herself and moves in to attack.

Cast a Spell (heroism), Stride x2 (and hope this light doesn't hurt me!)

Dianora scowls. "Stupid bird!"

Realizing that the angel's a long ways away from them, Dianora moves about 25 feet from her companions and calls on her Achaekek to show the dumb bird how mantises are just as happy to cut a bird's head off as another mantis'.

Stride; cast 6th-rank vision of death at the bird (DC 35)

"Moon fry?" Dianora asks, mostly to herself, apropos of nothing.

"No, no, you have it all wrong. We're friends. He was trying to kill us, but ran away when he realized we were going to kill him! And then you killed him instead, which makes us almost like siblings. Or maybe parents. Last time I killed someone a Red Mantis wanted to kill, they took me in and raised me as their own. Which is nice, when you think about it. Usually it's taking in the children of whoever you've killed, but taking in children who do the killing for you seems so much the better, don't you think?"

She blinks, barely visible behind her mask. "Why is there a portal to Elysium here? And have you seen anyone go through it?"

"Well, if there's a secret, that usually means it's good ... which is strange, if you think about it, because if there's something good, wouldn't you want to tell your friends about it? So maybe the secret is to hide things behind the not-secret door, because everyone will want to go through the secret door if they find it. And how hard was it really to find?"

As the group decides where to go next, she binds everyone's wounds. Assurance, and all the Medicine feats, so that shouldn't take too long.

"Well, that's rude. You should never leave without saying goodbye! Why, I remember when I was just a girl, the head of our order rudely left dinner without saying goodbye. And then she died when I stabbed her, which meant no one knew how she really felt about them. Though to be fair, if I hadn't done it, Jakalyn was about to. Oh, maybe this will happen the other way. I was about to kill him, but maybe now Jakalyn will."

She leaps over to the other shelf and stabs downward.

Long Jump, stab
Saberflash (+2 greater striking, shifting sawtooth saber stormflash) (agile, finesse, twin): 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (5) + 27 = 32
Slashing: 3d6 + 5 ⇒ (3, 4, 5) + 5 = 17
Electricity: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Though I'm not sure I can reach him from up here/there's any position I can get to him in melee

"Oh, well done! That's really good dodging, and something we can build on! If you surrender now, maybe we can teach you to be better assassins. Or we can just kill you. But remember, you always have a choice!" Dianora encourages her fellow red mantises after seeing them dodge Yuki's electricity.

She turns back to the dwarf. "Do you know why we all wear red? It so people can't see when we get your blood all over us." She does another quick testing slash before driving her second blade into his chest, then raises her blades in a defensive pose.

◈◈ Double Slice, ◈ Twin Parry (+1 circumstance bonus to AC)
Saberflash (+2 greater striking, shifting sawtooth saber stormflash) (agile, finesse, twin): 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (3) + 27 = 30
Slashing: 3d6 + 5 ⇒ (1, 1, 3) + 5 = 10
Electricity: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Saberflash, Double Slice: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (12) + 27 = 39
Slashing: 3d6 + 5 ⇒ (5, 4, 5) + 5 = 19
Electricity: 1d6 ⇒ 2

"Oh, this is lovely fun, Dianora says brightly. "We're killing them, you're killing them. Did you want to join us? I can understand if you do, and you're welcome. We're the Red Mantises who are actually loyal to the church and the Vernai, not the ones trying to backstab them. We're backstabbing the backstabbers, you could say."

Deciding the dwarf is more likely simply incompetent, Dianora lightly hops over to the next bookshelf and slashes at her fellow assassin.

◈ Jump, ◈◈ Double Slice
Saberflash (+2 greater striking, shifting sawtooth saber stormflash) (agile, finesse, twin): 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (3) + 27 = 30
Slashing: 3d6 + 5 ⇒ (4, 1, 6) + 5 = 16
Electricity: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Saberflash, Double Slice: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (11) + 27 = 38
Slashing: 3d6 + 5 ⇒ (1, 5, 1) + 5 = 12
Electricity: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Reflex (expert), resilient: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (15) + 27 = 42

"I don't know if you've ever heard this story," Dianora says, swapping one of her blades for a potion. She quickly pops the cork off with her thumb, and then drinks down the fizzy contents. "If you want to fly, you have to think happy thoughts." She grins up at the dwarf. "Of course, what's happy for me might not be happy for you, but we can't all get what we want."

She takes off, flying up to the top of the bookshelf.
Swap, Drink Potion, Fly!

React to Dodge Away [reaction] Trigger You are the target of a melee attack. Requirements You’re aware of the attack and aren’t off-guard. Effect You use your acrobatic prowess to evade an attack, using momentum to keep yourself moving if you choose. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to AC against the triggering attack. If the attack misses you, you can Step after the Strike. If you’re a master in Acrobatics, you can move 10 feet for this Step instead of 5 feet.

Bleed: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 6) = 9
Flat: 1d20 ⇒ 16 Bleed ends

I crit succeeded vs. the poison above.

Reflex (expert), resilient: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (19) + 27 = 46

Dianora shakes her head as her god recognizes her service by protecting her from harm. She dashes forward, ignoring the mantis limbs, and reaches out to touch the gray-clad assassin.

"I bet he likes you even more than me," she says. "Probably enough that he wants to call you home to him right now.

◈ Stride x3, ◈ Cast a Spell: harm
Harm (8th rank), basic DC 35 Fort, drained 1 on crit fail: 8d10 ⇒ (3, 9, 2, 5, 5, 10, 5, 4) = 43
Living creature that critically fails its save is drained 1

Fortitude (master), resilient: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (4) + 28 = 32

Dianora shakes her head as she ignores the poison. It might as well have been iocaine powder for how ineffective it was. She'd trained with that for ages.

Dianora nods, but keeps an eye on the carvings to make sure they don't animate. "You never know. Sometimes people become statues, and sometimes statues become people. These things are always a-stone-ishing."

"Yes, it's always better to cast a spell too soon, rather than too late," Dianora agrees, pulling out the scrolls earlier and casting death ward on each of us.

Once done, she reclaims her swords and gestures toward the opening.

Dianora pauses for a moment, her whole form just radiating surprise. "Well, that's just grate..."

She looks down and shrugs, casting a quick spell before raising her blades in a defensive stance!

Stride to the grate, cast void warp; Twin Parry
Void (DC 35 Fort): 9d4 ⇒ (1, 3, 3, 1, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1) = 17
On a critical failure, the target is also enfeebled 1 until the start of your next turn.

I wasn't expecting that...

"You know what the best part of a good book is? The ending!" Dianora maunders. "I bet the same is true for a librarian."

She quickly casts bless, then glides forward, slashing with one of her blades.

◈ Stride, ◈◈ cast bless, ◈ Strike
Saberflash (+2 greater striking, shifting sawtooth saber stormflash) (agile, finesse, twin): 1d20 + 27 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 27 + 1 = 33
Slashing: 3d6 + 5 ⇒ (1, 5, 3) + 5 = 14
Electricity: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Replenishment of War (if I hit, but I doubt I did): When you damage a creature with a Strike using your deity’s favored weapon, you gain a number of temporary Hit Points equal to half your level, or equal to your level if the Strike was a critical hit. These temporary Hit Points last until the start of your next turn.

Reaction 1: Dodge Away! Trigger You are the target of a melee attack. Requirements You’re aware of the attack and aren’t off-guard. Effect You use your acrobatic prowess to evade an attack, using momentum to keep yourself moving if you choose. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to AC against the triggering attack. If the attack misses you, you can Step after the Strike. If you’re a master in Acrobatics, you can move 10 feet for this Step instead of 5 feet.
Extra Reaction to Twin Riposte Trigger: A creature within your reach critically fails to Strike you. Effect: A clever parry with one weapon leaves your opponent open to an attack with the other weapon. Make a melee Strike or Disarm action against the triggering opponent.

Dianora looks at the murals with a sense of confusion. All know He Who Walks in Blood chooses to not kill true divinities. Apostates claim that he cannot, but Dianora knows better, but still this scene seems strange.

She seeks magic, before casting a spell of her own: see the unseen.

Any idea how to get through this? Is there a custom response to such an aphorism?
Religion (master): 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (2) + 26 = 28

Perception (expert), mask of the mantis: 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (20) + 26 = 46

Dianora easily spots the words, though she doesn't understand the language though maybe with that roll she does! :D

She nods at Yuki and Kimmich's question, ready to give tribute to their deity. Unless those words strike me as odd once someone translates them.

"Let death be final, for we are not the keepers of graves," Sister Dianora says piously quoting one of the deity's aphorisms as she passes his servant, sabers drawn.

"We come in the name of He Who Walks in Blood," Dianora replies, fully vested in her armor and mantis mask, with her twin sawtooth sabres -- the Mantis God's favored weapon -- in her hands.

"I don't know that I know how to mindward, and I've heard deaths are incredibly overpowered, but you may see it differently," Dianora replies, taking the scrolls from Yuki. But holding off on casting for the moment.

Dianora takes a pair of wands of bone flense, knowing she can cast them ahead of time before her hands are occupied by her twin sabers.

Yuki, perhaps some scrolls of true target to help deal with the astradaemon?

Dianora shrugs and nods as Kimmich said. "That's pretty much it. We're targets because they're scared of us. Honestly, they're probably pissing themselves right now, which is an unfortunate thing that happens to little children and people who know they're about to die. Maybe look around to see whose pants are clean? As for why they want control of the Red Mantises, well, we haven't figured that out yet. But probably not for any good reason."

Society (trained): 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (5) + 20 = 25 Again, just using a different skill, since I think that's more fun. But with that roll, it's not going to matter. Which seems appropriate for her comment.

"I believe in a lot of things," Dianora rambles. "Well, I believe in the soul, the small of a man's back, the hangin' starknife, high fiber, good scotch, that the masterwork of the Mad Poet Abdul Alhazred is self-indulgent over-rated crap. I believe Jaclyn acted alone. I believe there ought to be a deific anathema outlawing difficult terrain and amateur assassins. I believe in the sweet spot, soft core mangos, opening your presents Mantismas morning rather than Mantismas Eve, and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.

"But I do not believe that we are victims of a conspiracy. I know this to be true, mostly because we've determined it in the only way a true Red Mantis assassin does -- in blood. Take this letter we found in the back of a ledger. We broke the cypher -- easily! -- and it alone seems incontrovertible."

Religion (master): 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (3) + 26 = 29 Mixing up my skills a bit, even if the Lore is probably a better choice. Ugh. Going to Hero Point that. 1 remaining.

Religion (master): 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (5) + 26 = 31 Barely better... :(