Chronicle looks good - thanks.
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I'll spare you of my views and opinions on IRL issues, mostly because this is a gaming message board, and instead thank you for a few solid years playing alongside me and running games for me. You are easily one of my favorite players and game masters, and you'll be missed.
"I'd prefer not to spend longer here, and these kids have seen enough fish slurry to last several lifetimes, I'm sure," Sora begins collecting her things in preparation to leave, but first, she tries to recall where she might find a well-run orphanage for the kids to stay.
Sora begins her day with her ritual: setting out her harrow cards on the ground in front of her in a nine by three grid. Sitting in front of the card grid in the lotus position, Sora closes her eyes and concentrates intensely, wisps of magic burning off the cards and disappearing into her head. Spells Prepared:
1st: Charm Person, Command, Ill Omen Cantrips: Detect Magic, Guidance, Light, Message Afterwards, she collects her spell deck, and gets up, a grim smile on her face. "Looks like we've got something of a daycare on our hands if we keep this up, huh?" Given the sensitivity of the subject, Sora passes a message to the party so that the kids don't hear. "These kids... They probably don't even know who their families are, anymore. We can't just leave them here, and marching through the city with them all, especially after last night's chaos. Maybe there's a proper orphanage in town?"
Before Sora and the kids turn in for the night, the witch gets up and has another look at the mysterious items found in Gaedren's hoard. Perhaps she'd find more information there? She holds Zellara's deck up, allowing the spirit to come out and sense what the items' properties may be.
"Well, I can't say I saw that coming. Honestly." Sora sighs to Korrine as she watches the chaos from afar. "On the other hand, we were warned, weren't we? This must have been what Z meant." Sora grips Zellara's harrow deck tightly, knowing that it's likely only the start of help she might offer the heroes over the journey.
"Come, children, gather around Auntie Sora," the fortune teller flourishes, setting down a bedroll on which she and a few kids might sit. "Once Uncle K has you all fed, it's story time. Want to see my cards? They're magical, and," leaning in close, she whispers to the Lambs, "Shh. Don't tell anyone, but spooky ghosts actually live inside of them." A lifetime of toil, just like I had. And now, a city in chaos. What a wondrous childhood. They deserve a laugh. No... they deserve a life.
Heh! I really need to buy an ordinary deck of cards. I can't use my own spell deck to throw cards or it becomes useless, and I don't think Zellara would take kindly to me using her 'body' as a weapon :) Or I could wait until Level 3, when cards auto-return to Sora's hands after being thrown.
Sora Level 2:
Deadly Dealer: At 2nd level, a cartomancer gains the Deadly Dealer feat as a bonus feat, even if she does not meet the prerequisites. The cartomancer gains the benefits of the Arcane Strike feat, but only for the purposes of using Deadly Dealer. Benefit(s): You can throw a card as though it were a dart, with the same damage, range, and other features. You must use the Arcane Strike feat when throwing a card in this way, or else the card lacks the magical force and precision to deal lethal damage. A card is destroyed when thrown in this way. Harrow cards are treated as masterwork weapons when thrown using this feat, but are still destroyed after they are thrown. A harrow deck can no longer be used as a fortune-telling device after even a single card is thrown. A spellcaster with this feat can enhance a deck of cards as though it were a ranged weapon with 54 pieces of ammunition. This enhancement functions only when used in tandem with this feat, and has no affect on any other way the cards might be used. Only a character who possesses this feat can use an enhanced deck of cards; she must still use the Arcane Strike feat to activate the cards’ enhancement.
Sora places the deck in a safe place after Zellara's spirit drifts into it. "Looks like Z will be coming with us for the time being, and in fact, she can even conjure images and talk to people from within the deck." Could be useful for the shop. Imagine the look on the face of anyone naysaying my readings if she suddenly popped out! The fortune teller breaks from her brief reverie when Korrine suggests having a look outside. "I'm coming with you," with a wink, the witch joins Korrine in trying to get an idea of just what's going on out there.
Hey Larry, are we using average HP per level, rolling, or dealer's choice?
Sora is wide-eyed as the spirit rises up out of the harrow deck. Never had she seen such a thing. She looks on at the spirit, and back at the head, clearing her throat. "You were... dead this whole time? Lamm's dead, too. His remains are in there," she points outside of the room and down at the filthy waters, where the gator still roams. "His head is, anyway. His body's just outside the room. It's a ... gruesome scene."
You're doing a fantastic job, GM, and I'm loving all the characters here. Gonna be a fun-filled journey!
Sora pulls out the black wand. "Ah, a wand of magic missile, something I could definitely use! Mind if I keep this?" Of the trinkets, mundane or otherwise, she's quick to dismiss. "We should see if any of this belongs to the kids." After having a closer look at the items, Sora comes upon the head. "W-what?" She stumbles, stepping back from the box. "You're right, Dragas. We.. We just spoke to her this morning, didn't we? Was that.. was she not real?" She runs her hands through her hair, tugging at the roots, looking for an explanation, any explanation.
Lamm's death comes just as Sora is mid-sentence, and she pauses, watching as the head rolls off. Then, she continues as if nothing had even happened. "Ahem. How about we pop this box open and see what's inside?" While Kradel and Gerry head off, Sora locks her arm with Viggo and leads him to the rusty lock. "Or pass me the keys, and I'll do it. Why, you might ask? Answers, of course. Lamm's dead, but I'd be a liar if I wasn't curious what other ties he might have had. We might even find what to do with these kids." I'm gonna have to process what just happened sooner or later... But not now. Now's not the time.
Sora gulps hard at the sight of Dragas and his blade overhead. "I... don't think you have any intentions of listening to me even if I tell you to stop, so I won't. What was the geezer going to tell us anyway?" Just do it. Finish him. I can't bear sharing the same air as that scumbag. Sora lets out a sarcastic laugh, pursing her lips. "Yep, we are assassins today! Or are we heroes? March right into Lamm's fishery and kill him, ending a lifelong streak of terror. A fitting death to feed him to a crocodile, though personally I'd rather see him toil in the mines for the rest of his days. Or something. As I say, I don't care." The Varisian woman shrugs as she turns away again, moving back into the room, glancing at Viggo. "Say Viggo, don't you have some keys? Let's see what's in the box, besides more roaches."
"Ugh, you weren't joking," Sora holds her nose as she gets close to the room, the foul smell - and sight - flooding her senses. "I don't think any number of showers would make me feel clean after setting foot in there!" Sora instead uses the point of her dagger to move objects around, especially the strongbox, taking a few jabs at the rusty lock.
Sora hops down as Gerry and Viggo decide on Lamm's fate. The witch moves towards Gerry quickly, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Think I'm with Viggo on this one. As much as I'd like to see Lamm dead - trust me, I do - we might be able to learn more if we keep him alive just a bit longer, sound good?" As Kradel and Korinne arrive, Sora waves them over and calls across the room. "Nice of you to show up! Now serving one Gaedren Lamm with a side of gator. I should warn you, this particular dish reeks of fish slurry."
"It's great to see chivalry alive and well," Sora smiles at Viggo's advice. "Sure, I'll join Gerry back there, but not before seeing if I can also hurt that gator. I think this thing works like... this?" Fumbling with her crossbow, she fires a bolt at the reptile, then backs away.
Sora looks at the fallen Lamm with a smug grin on her face. It was almost too easy. Her internal celebrating is interrupted only by the WHACK of the massive gator's tail against Gerry. "Ouch! Looks like the gator will prove to be a tougher opponent than Lamm, and I'm a big fan of making Lamm its dinner!" Twisting her hand in precise movements, Sora attempts to get into the animal's mind.
Sora pokes her head out from behind Viggo's left shoulder, then shifts to his right, trying to aim her crossbow. "Well, I like that you're between me and the big bad, Viggo, but this bow isn't gonna work. It's alright, I've got a... better idea." Pulling a single hair of a black cat from a pouch, she holds a hand out, cursing Gaedren.
"Get your leathery face away from me," Sora balks. "Oh, I was talking about you, not the gator," she sneers at Lamm as she pushes past Viggo, taking out her light crossbow. "Nevermind how I found you. You should probably be more concerned with how you might leave here in one piece, because by the looks of it, you're outnumbered. Aaaaaand we've got a couple more friends showing up real soon. Now you'll be the one blending rotten fish for whatever is left of your miserable life."
I'm also interested in continuing, though I am on the other side of that spectrum. I don't mind, and actually prefer, a slower game, and have dropped games before for moving too quickly. It's the journey, not the goal and all that. A thought: Did we agree on a base posting rate at the beginning of this game? I could not find one in the Discussion thread. If we didn't, perhaps what you need to do is set one, and get people to add 'Bot Me' spoilers to their profiles for combat that can be used if they exceed your threshold. Second, I think taking on seven players should have come with the expectation that it would mean the game would not move as quickly as you might have hoped. That's one extra character to act each round during combat, and not everyone is checking the boards multiple times a day. Definitely interested in the campaign and I have really been enjoying playing with everyone at this table, so I hope you keep it rolling!
"I haven't got anything to slow him down, but let's see if I can't get inside his mind," Sora's eye flickers green as she stares down at the captor, pushing terrifying thoughts into his consciousness.
Sora passes through the small door, and makes her way to the west. It's then that she sets her eyes upon Gaedren Lamm, a chill spreading across her body like a frozen spiderweb. It takes her back, for a moment. Back to when she just another Lamm's Lamb, digging pits and hauling dirt, her body aching. Anything for a meal. But times were different, now, and Sora had come a long way. She shook free of her painful past, and stared Lamm down with all the pain he and his henchmen had delivered. "Lamm... Your days of enslaving and torturing kids are over." She points across the gator pit, shuffling her Harrow Deck in a single hand.
Sora holds her hands up as if she had suddenly become a boxer, her Harrow Deck in a tight fist. "You found him, huh? Finally!" Is it in the cards? Could it really be so easy that we walk into his Fishery and kill him? "Go on, Viggo. Get in there. It's time we bring this guy down!" Sora nudges him with a playful jab.
"No, no sign of Lamm yet. Unless perhaps that was what the noise was?" Sora shrugs. "I thought I heard something about spiders, and with Dragas there, I'm sure they'll be fine! I'm going with you and Viggo." She slips past Gerry and leans over Viggo's shoulder. "Hmm. If only half of us are here, best to bolster our chances a little, no? Who knows what's behind door number two." She smiles as she taps his shoulder, delivering some Guidance.
"Where is this guy?!" Sora throws her hands up with impatience. "Wouldn't he have heard the ruckus when we took down his henchmen? ... Come to think of it, maybe that's exactly why he's so quiet. Whatever. I've decided! I'm going to find Gerry, and then we're going to find Lamm. Come on, Viggo, bring that sword of yours. We'll need it." The Varisian woman walks back towards the boardwalk with purpose, and follows the same route Gerry went.
"Watch out for the rat-si-" No sooner had Sora called out a warning than Dragas' javelin summed with a spider made for the next carnival treat. "Ah, nevermind. Nice shot, Dragas. I think I'd pass on a giant arachnid-on-a-stick, except maybe in the worst of times," she smiles.
"Not so close," Sora whispers as Donkere steps out onto the plank, balancing herself against the side of the building. "I'm eager too, but step too hard or too fast and we're all going for a dunk in whatever fish slurry might be below us!" She scoffs, carefully shimmying towards Kradel, Viggo, and Dragas. "See anything in there, guys? Where did Gerry go? Probably not good for him to be wandering around alone, is it?"
"Okay, single file, then?" Sora cautiously puts her first foot on the boarding, testing its strength. She continues slowly and carefully, the noisy shifting of the wood fibres causing her to cringe with each step.
"Gotcha!" Sora claps her hands once as she spots the trapdoor, and stands back to let the others put in the elbow grease. "Might want to work on those forearms a little more," she snickers as Viggo fails to break through the door. "But anyway, smash it long enough and it has to give, right? How about we all smash it together?" She raises her right leg and stomps her foot down.
"Or perhaps a secret latch leading below?" Sora wonders aloud. She then begins to wander the area, searching for hidden exits.
Sora walks into the room late, and notices the dead animal. "I really wish we didn't have to kill the dog, even if it was trained as something of a bully. Animals don't always know better." Sidestepping the corpse, she joins Gerry and taps the door. "Hear anything? No? Guess we might as well just check it out. Lamm's gotta be in here somewhere, and I'm sure these kids are itching for a proper meal, huh?"
"Gross." Sora carefully makes her way back through the fish gut-covered floor. "Come on kids! Form a single line and start making your way upstairs. Don't ask, just do it. We're here to evict the big bad Lamm." She leads them back up the stairs and towards the exit, while Sora stops just short of Gerry and Donkere, her left eye already glowing red. "Ready when you are, boys."
Sora hikes her dress up, carefully making her way across the slippery floor while keeping it clean. "Don't worry, this will all be over soon," she leans over, reassuring one of the kids.
I don't think so...? Why do you ask?
Yeah, I opted to not get Slumber hex because I agree it can be OP... Plus Soothsayer fits this character so much better.
I don't see the AC penalty Sora inflicted in the tracker, and wanted to ensure its effect was taken into account when resolving the last few attacks.
"Now, now, quit your yelling," Sora calls, "Best to just shut it, and drop your weapons. We're here to bring Lamm down, and we're not going to just turn around and leave. So..." She whips her head forward to throw her long hair in front of her face. "Shut it." Her hair parts in front of one eye, her eye now as glassy dark as obsidian and swirling with shades of red.
"Here to shut them down...?" Sora gasps as Kradel taunts whoever may be in the room. Wasting no time, she's a flash of muted red and brown as she sprints down the stairs, advancing just ahead of Kradel. "Ah, yes, now I get what you meant. Another of Lamm's henchmen watching over another group of orphans. Or as I called them before, slaves." She insists. "Say, henchman, why not give up while you still have the opportunity, and grab a drink with me?" She sarcastically flirts, tossing her Harrow deck from hand to hand.
"It's okay, we won't be long," Sora reassures the children. She turns back into the fishery, only to notice Kradel and Korinne about to open the door above. "Alrighty! As my father always said, one good deed deserves another. Let's keep moving and liberate this fishery in the process, hmm?"
Sora rushes over next to Korinne and the kids, a concerned look on her face. "Hey, it's okay." She whispers, ruffling one of the kids' hair in her hands. "Don't worry! You're safe, trust us. We're here to help stop the bad guys. Mister Gruller can't hurt you anymore, and we're going to help stop that big mean Mister Lamm, as well. Can you help us, though? We need to know where he is. Maybe my colourful cards will help jog your memory." She takes out her Harrow cards, and allows the kids to have a look, hoping to distract them from the fresh corpse lying in the room.
"I never thought swearing at them would work, but hey, whatever gets the job done," Sora sneers, an impressed look on her face. "Okay Gerry, I'm going with you. Let's see if we can track down Lamm while this guy's busy trying to remember his own name." The Varisian woman flashes a smile as she scurries into the warehouse, approaching the next door in.
"We have more in common than you might think," Sora whispers to Korinne. "But we'll have to get to that later. Looks like Viggo's gone right in!" She pulls her big dress up and away from the muddy grass and she makes her way into the warehouse. "I kind of admire those that take action without having to obsess over a plan, especially when it works out so well," she beams as she steps up near Viggo. Sora gets low, and calls to the kids. "Come now, children, don't be afraid. Your days of gutting fish and smelling like canned sardines are over. Come on, run out this way, away from Mr. Gruller."
Child labor.. Gaedren hasn't changed. It takes everything in Sora to not throw the door open and start dishing out hexes. She storms back down the stairs, and walks out in front of the others. "It sounds like they're.. they're using kids as slaves," her voice quivers. "Upstairs, there's a foreman, or someone named Mr. Giggles, threatening what sound like children with a big stick. I heard the sound of splashing water and liquid being poured, but I have no idea what they're doing." She looks up the stairs. "Before, I just wanted to stick it to Gaedren, and now, I can't help but wonder just what's behind that door. I say we go right in and take these people down, before more kids get hurt."
Sora overhears the threats, and, with her jaw clenched, steps into the fishery. "Oh! There you are, Uncle K! ... Why would you wander into this place?" She links arms with Kradel. "Wouldn't the smell have given you a good enough hint? You're so silly." Laughing, Sora steps forward, pleading with Hookshanks. "I'm so sorry, sir, my distant uncle here is a few hooks short of a tackle box, if you know what I mean. Please, forgive us, we'll be right on our way." She spins on her foot, urging Kradel back outside, if he will go with her.
Either way, Sora makes her way to the secondary entrance to the north, and peeks inside.
"No plan, and I don't suppose whoever is in there will take kindly to the seven of us just suddenly dropping in," Sora agrees as she takes up position near Gerry and Viggo. "Oh! Perhaps I could offer them a discount the next time they stop by my shop. That's sure to soften them up, huh?"
"May Desna bless you and your talents. May SHE bless the heart and hands of those reading the Harrow." Sora folds her hands together, whispering back to Viggo in the language familiar to her. "Într-adevăr, Mama Lună să strălucească binecuvântări asupra noastră, pentru a ne ghida spre noroc." Varisian:
May Mother Moon shine blessings upon us as we seek out this crime lord. May she guide us to good fortune, and lay luck upon our way.
"You like to cook, huh?" Sora stands beside Kradel, staring up at the fishery. "Not crazy about the smell, but there are many streets in Korvosa with their fair share of interesting smells," she jokes. She turns to the others. "What's our plan here, guys? A knock on the door may be a little too direct, don't you think?" She taps her forehead sarcastically, but she's actually attempting to sense magical auras in the area.
Sora looked distracted as Zellara performed a Harrowing; it was something she was entirely too familiar with, having done it for years. She nodded along as Zellara explained each card, stopping herself from interrupting with her own mental library of Harrow knowledge. She felt right in her element. After Zellara relaxes, completing her Harrowing, Sora clears her throat. "It's like this," Her chair creaks back as she stands up. "Think upon your past, and yours," she looks excitedly at Gerry, then Korinne. "The Publican and its theme of fellowship? We were connected before we even knew it! The Beating? All of us have endured tragedy at the hands of Gaedren, or at least, it certainly seems like it, based on the depth of pain I felt in your earlier words," she nods slowly at Viggo. "Haven't we all lost something to Gaedren?" "And now, the present? The Winged Serpent. The same card you got," she turns to Kradel. "The time to strike is right now, there's no denying it." She emphasizes. "The Inquisitor tells us we are destined to face our reality, and seek out Gaedren Lamm, and that despite wanting to.. put it behind us.." She looks at the floor sorrowfully. "We simply cannot. The Hidden Truth means that we will soon unearth a secret, perhaps a place, or an object, or a person, related to Lamm." Sora then looks at the final three cards. "As for the future, often the spread my customers are most interested in, and also the trickiest, we must all carefully consider it. What is the political situation in Korvosa? No matter what it is, we will come to be involved in it, and we will need to be perceptive to underhanded figures who, well, play dumb, but actually have intelligent, nefarious schemes." The fortune teller sits back down, a glow in her eyes. "As I always tell my customers, believe in the heart of the cards."
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