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The next morning Broom was brimming with barely contained excitement which was at odds with her slightly haggard appearance. The dark (unusually so) circles under her eyes suggested that she had not gotten a lot of sleep the night before.

She greeted everyone for breakfast but was uncharacteristically quiet for the meal even though by all appearances she was eager to say something.

After breakfast was done and the plates cleared she quietly ushered everyone to her room. "We have something very exciting to show you!" she exclaimed, relieved to finally be able to let everyone in on the surprise. "We have had some, um, troubles lets say when We go looking for other thoughts. But then We found some thoughts that had a way to fix that, so We decided to try it out. But none of that is important!" She waved her hand dismissively at her own words as she continued to babble.

"Anyway, We have a surprise! But, We were told that you might be uh... concerned so We wanted to let you know that it is all OK. Ready?"

Broom went to a table neatly stacked with simply alchemical devices and little envelopes and bottles of herbs and chemicals along with her doctors kit. At the centre of the table was a large platter with a copper bowl placed upside down on it. She directed everyone's attention to the bowl and waited a moment before lifting it to reveal the creature beneath.

The creature's body was shiny black. Its teardrop shaped body sat atop six slender spiderlike legs and tapered back to a long thin flexible tail tipped with a notched white needle. Two slender arms up front ended in thin, delicate looking claws. All together it could be vaguely described as scorpion like, however its most odd feature was that the front of the teardrop body was made up of a mass of little white eyes that tended to blink and look around independent of each other.

Upon being revealed, the little creature focused all its little eyes on the group and waved its little claw at them before skittering back and forth across the platter, finally doing a little twirl. It's long thin tail undulated rhythmically. One would could hardly be faulted for describing the creature's antics as 'happily'.

Broom beamed as she placed her hand down and let her creation skitter into her palm. Its legs made it easily span the size of her hand. She held it up proudly. "This is Us! We made Us last night."

Us made a quiet and slightly unnerving screechy sound.

"Oh, right!" Broom responded. "Us suggested that We explain that Us is called a familiar, but a little different than the kind that a mage makes." She paused for a moment and Us made some more little screechy sounds as Broom listened.

Broom cleared her throat and spoke as if reciting an essay "Unlike imbuing a common animal with part of their spirit to awaken the familiar, binding it to its master, Us was made from Our own, blood through an alchemical process. So Us isn't just a part of Our life, but also a part of Our body."

Broom beamed as Us squeaked something at the group.

"Us says you can't understand Us. Us says hello. Oh! And watch this!"

Broom cupped her hands together, holding Us between them. Us nestled in and immediately started melting into a black viscous liquid with its little white eyes bobbing on the surface. The liquid was quickly absorbed into Broom's hand leaving what appeared to be a black tattoo roughly in the shape of a scorpion on her palm.

The black shape began to slowly ooze up Broom's wrist, disappearing under her sleeve as she giggled. "It tickles when Us moves around like this."

After a few moments, the black tattoo re-appeared, oozing up from under her collar coming to a stop on her neck. Broom tilted her head slightly and a black liquid began seeping onto her shoulder, first forming a shapeless blob which quickly reformed itself back into the scorpion like creature.

Once alone in her room, Broom busied herself with setting up everything that she thought she would need for the project. She summoned up a couple of her invisible friends to help with the preparations and act as assistants during the procedure itself.

All the alchemical items that she had purchased were carefully unpacked and placed on the table near the window looking out over the water. She took just a moment to listen to the calling from the deep dark place before shaking the thought out of her mind and getting back to work.

There was grinding and mixing to do, both facilitated by the unseen freinds. As the minerals and dried plants were reduced to fine powders she carefully set her mind out to find those thoughts that had originally given her this idea. She stayed as close as she could, trying to avoid the attention of whatever was out there looking for her. Even now she felt it searching. It was an oddly familiar feeling.

Although she wasn't able to find the exact thoughts, she did find others with the same idea so she focused very hard on them, trying to make those thoughts her thoughts like she could sometimes do.

It was a little tricky though, some of the thoughts on the subject were from things that weren't people.

Having found a set of thoughts that satisfied her, she began reciting instructions to her helpers who dutifully started mixing powders; adding liquids; creating pastes, suspensions and solutions; and other tasks. At one point the odours started to become quite intense so she opened the window and used her cantrip to try and mask the smells.

It turned out to be a good thing that the window was opened, one step in the process required the reduction of a mixture of herbs and chemicals to a fine ash. Burning these items produced a little smoke that filled the air with haze.

After the final reagent was properly prepared the entire collection was carefully added to a shiny copper bowl and it was time for the final steps. The ones that made her pause for a moment in trepidation.

She carefully opened up her doctor kit filled with all the tools and impliments that she at once had never seen before yet knew exactly how to use. Selecting a syringe and one of the larger needles she directed a helper to tie a strip of linen around her arm. She watched with interest as her slowly writhing veins bulged to the surface, becoming darker black in colour as they did so.

Pausing just a moment longer to make sure this is what she wanted to do, she carefully inserted the needle. There was a little pinch, but it didn't hurt nearly as much as she was expecting. Holding the needle steady she instructed a helper to draw back the plunger. Watching the glass cylinder slowly fill up with her inky black blood was both fascinating and disturbing. What was even more fascinating than the process though is the ease with which she found herself able to perform it, like it was something that she had done a hundred times before.

She had never thought that she would be pulling some of herself out of herself on purpose. But as curious as the process was, she knew that she needed to work quickly. The bit of her that she had taken out would not last long. As soon as the syringe was full, she unscrewed it from the needle and instructed her helper to empty it into the copper bowl with the rest of the reagents. Once done she had her other assistant slowly stir the mixture while she proceeded to draw another vial of blood.

It would take another five draws before she had enough to proceed. She removed the needle and neatly and proficiently tied a bandage around the wound. It was now time for the final step. With her helper still carefully stirring the mixture Broom conjured up the feeling and images of the deep dark places. The purplish sparks started to dance about her fingers. Usually this was where she attempted to touch a foe to stop them, but this time her sparks would be used for a very different purpose.

Confidently Broom grasped both sides of the copper bowl and the sparks were discharged through the mixture of her own blood and the alchemical concoction. A brief crack and the room filled with the familiar smell of ozone.

The stirring spoon dropped into the bowl. Broom was concerned that she might have accidentally shocked her helper as she no longer felt his presence. She would have to apologize next time, but for now she waited with excited anticipation as the black liquid began to ripple and undulate. Ever so slowly the contents began to pull away from the sides, forming a glistening black mass in the centre of the bowl as whatever was happening started to give itself shape and form.

At the same time, Broom felt another presence. She shared in the thrilling experience as her little formless blob started to become aware. She laughed happily as little white bubbles floated to the surface of the blob and resolved themselves into little eyes. Perhaps a few too many eyes, but it didn't matter as she experienced its... no, that wasn't right. As she experienced the feeling of Their first glimpses of the world.

The shiny black blob coated in little white eyes then began to stretch and elongate slightly into a vaguely teardrop shape. Long thin appendages emerged from the lower half of the blob, nine in all.

Eight of the appendages formed into slender arachnid like legs, six ending in points while two others ended in slender little claws. The last appendage was a thin little tendril that ended in a notched spine.

The little creation lifted itself up on its new legs and took its first tentative steps, slowly skittering around the copper pot until it felt confident enough to climb out and onto the table where it began exploring all the equipment and apparatus.

Broom felt their curiosity and shared in their excitement. It came quite as a shock to broom when the rather large spiderlike creature turned its too many eyes towards her and made a faint little screechy sound that she understood completely. "We are Us?". Broom picked Us up and patted it, its many eyes watching her hand approach and then blinking shut. Us' tendril tail undulated happily. The whole project seemed to be working out so far.

She could only share Us' feelings, Us wasn't completely part of Their thoughts but that was by design. Broom would be able to cast her
mind about nearby looking for thoughts and keeping far away from the Other while Us could cast her mind out as far as she wished. Roaming freely to look for the most distant thoughts without attracting the Other's attention if all went as planned.

Us did her little screechy sound again "We should clean up the table before We are introduced to Our friends.". Broom nodded "That's a good idea Us."

She placed the scorpion down and Us immediately began skittering about the table top dragging things around and helping to tidy up.

Although Teos was still blinded by the magical sparkles, Nimaethep suspected that Vash would be the target of the dragon's ire should it survive his barrage of arrows. She quickly moved over to him in order to provide what protection she could in the event of a counter attack.

Move over to Vash and use defensive aid if needed

"We are staying at the Yellow Juggler. We have a private room that we meet in. I have something to attend to this afternoon and into the evening, but why don't we meet up at the yellow Juggler at, oh lets say 11:00. We can plot under cover of darkness. We will see you then Artegall."
-------------------
Later that afternoon the guests were led to the shrine under the Yellow Juggler. It was positioned such that the sounds of pleasure, as well as the occasional secret from the rooms above could be heard, but today it was quite as it had been for some time since the onset of the plague.

The slightly hazy air in the dimly lit room smelled of pleasant incense. Lengths of yellow silk festooned the walls and drapes of heavy velvet sectioned off parts of the room into areas private from the others but still open to the shrine to Callistria built into the wall.

The only light in the room came from yellow lanterns positioned about the small altar while smoke rose lazily from thuribles hanging from each lamp. On the altar itself was a statue of Callistria, beautiful and seductive. Despite all her allure, a particularly astute observer would notice the hint of a dagger in the folds of her dress, the suggestion of a whip in the ornate belt about her waist and the ambiguity of whether the clasp in her hair was meant to be an actual wasp or merely a decorative adornment.

Twilight greeted each of her guests and directed them to the private partitions. Nargun and Atticus each to their own and Mirella and Devan together in a third. A pile of silk cushions and a loveseat decorated each section along with a low table.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation to this very special ritual. I know that the timing is inconvenient, however it is imperative for its success that I not delay it any longer. I had hoped that after the ceremony we could enjoy the rest of the evening in a little revelry, but I think that a night of subterfuge is equally appropriate." she said, giving a sly smile.

"Before we begin, understand that rituals such as this are full of symbolism. Small acts that may seem insignificant on their own, but represent greater ideals. I have crafted this ceremony based
on traditions both newer and ancient. As such there is an element of risk involved to myself if Callistria is displeased with the results. Sometimes it may be unclear whether or not something is part of the ritual, I ask that you don't interfere unless I ask."

"Each of us here participated in an act that Callistria deems divine, but we must not forget that there is one other honoured guest among us. Madame Zellara who herself was murdered by Lamm. Who's thirst for revenge was potent enough that she forsook her own afterlife to become an instrument of Callistria and bring us all together on this divine endeavour. Who in fact still guides us from her harrow deck. I welcome her to this ceremony and giver her a place of honour."

Twilight motioned to Atticus and took the harrow deck from him. With reverence, she bowed before the shrine and gently placed the deck on the altar to one side, fanning the cards slightly as she did so.

"We were all wronged, in one way or another by the actions of Lamm and it was by our own actions that our vegneance was satiated as the man suffered and died." Twilight took her silver holy symbol from around her neck and removed it from its chain. She held up the holy symbol to the audience, the points of the three daggers glinted in the lantern light "On that day I collected from Lamm his final humors: A tear from a man who spirit is shattered as he has seen his own fate in the eyes of all those who he has wronged over the years; the blood from a man who's body is now battered and broken, treated with the same callousness and disregard he has shown to others; and spittle from one who's mouth has uttered a lifetime of lies and deceits, who has used his words to influence others to perpetuate his own transgressions and thus multiplied them beyond what he was capable of himself."

She turned to face the statue and presented the holy symbol "These I offer to you Callistria. While others counseled me that there was nothing more that could be done, to let the law run its course, to let it go and move on, you took me in and nursed my burning desire for vengeance. You gave me the tools and conviction to seek out satisfaction on my own terms and when I was ready, you gathered a group that likewise thirsted to see Lamm pay for his deeds."

She knelt down and bowed, placing the holy symbol on an ornate stand on the centre of the altar and offered a prayer:

"My life is my path, and none will sway me from it.
I devote myself to the pursuit of my passions.
I take what I desire, by trick or by force. If others resent my actions, they may attempt to take vengeance against me.
All slights against me will be repaid tenfold.
I am the instrument of my own justice. If I am wronged, I will take vengeance with my own hands."

She then softly rang a small silver bell and a woman dressed in sheer yellow silks entered the room carrying a dark wooden box covered in carvings of wasps. The servant quietly placed the box before Twilight, bowed and left.

Twilight raised her hands to the statue "I offer myself for your judgement by the old ways, to know if my actions have pleased you and whether you deem that I have stood true to your tenners."

She undid a strap about her neck and allowed her blouse to fall about her waist, baring herself to Callistria.

Grasping the wooden box on both sides she shook it strongly three times, uttering a short prayer after each before setting it back down before her. With great deliberation, she oped the box and then prostrated herself before the altar and began a lengthy prayer.

The moment the box was opened an exceptionally large wasp angrily emerged. Slightly larger than a grown man's thumb and striped brilliant yellow and glossy black, the agitated insect buzzed about the room menacing the onlookers before coming to a rest on Twilight's bare back.

She continued her chanting as the unusually large wasp skittered skittered across her skin, occasionally taking flight only to land again moments later its abdomen pulsing threateningly the whole time. Twilight braced herself for what she expected to come as the wasp finally plunged its stinger into her shoulder. Without interrupting her prayer she endured the intense pain and waited with anticipation. One sting was expected, it had always been a single sting and she knew precisely what it was that displeased her goddess, her willingness to at times put other people's needs above her own, but as long as it was only one sting she could proceed.

She waited for several minutes as the fiery pain from the sting spread across her shoulder. She could feel the painful welt pulling he skin taught. The wasp continued to traverse her back seeming to taunt her with the threat of more pain before finally leaving her and coming to a rest on the statue.

Twilight finished her prayer with relief, a smile crossing her face. With a final thanks to Callistria she donned her blouse once more, wincing only slightly as even the gentle caress of the yellow silk sent pain shooting through her shoulder.

Having been deemed worthy of continuing Twilight turned to the audience once again "For the ceremony to proceed, I need to perform a small obedience. Devan would you grant me the pleasure of a single kiss here before the lady?" She smiled and held out her hand for the bard to join her before the altar.

Gently taking the bard's hand she knelt down with Devan before the altar. As she drew close the fire in her eyes betrayed more than simple passion, there was a fervour that lie beneath.

"Callistria, I dedicate this act to you" she whispered breathlessly before embracing Devan in a deep and passionate kiss. The pain from the welt mingled with the pleasure from the kiss as it lingered. She relished the moment for as long as she could before Devan gently drew away from her. A sharp pain caused him to suddenly pull way from Twilight. Devan raised a hand to his lip where she had bit him. "A small sting, to match the one to my pride when you chose Mirella before even giving me the pleasure of a single evening" she smiled wickedly.

"And you..." she took a small yellow silk pouch from the side of the altar before turning to Nargun. "After observing a particularly dazzling display of archery, you vowed to donate to Erastil. But despite having benefited from the The Lady's blessings and succor before and since, you have never offered coin to her temple. Tonight I give you the opportunity in Her holy place before Her image to make make amends." She gently lay the yellow silk pouch in front of Nargun before going back to the altar and retrieving a well worn book with many bookmarks. "And finally Atticus, when Callistria was there ready and willing to offer aid, it was Desna that you called out to seeking assistance." Twilight opened up the holy text to a marked page "A short prayer of thanks to Callistria before her shrine to show gratitude for those times she has nudged fate in your favour."

Twilight waited a few moments as her companions decided whether or not they would make amends for the small slights against her patron. Satisfied, the zealous fire faded from her eyes as she relaxed.

"Thank you for assisting me in my ritual, it was important that we all participated for it to succeed. As I mentioned, I had originally hoped that the rest of the evening would be filled with revelry but that is not to be. The rest of the ritual will be somewhat esoteric, but please stay and enjoy what hospitality of the Yellow Juggler I was able to arrange. Otherwise I will meet with you in the meeting room when I am done."

With that, Twilight rang the bell once more and then turned to the matter of the holy symbol. It sat shining on the altar, the yellow light reflected in its blades. She cast a spell and examined the magical auras, the rigid blue lattice of the arcane power already bound to the symbol, and the formless yellow divine magic that pooled within. But now, with the proper rituals the air was charged with divine acts, passion had been indulged, trickery had been employed and binding it all latent vengeance filled the air. With Callistria's permission, Twilight began weaving the divine magic about the arcane and for the first time it held. The power of Callistria, instead of slipping from the arcane magic and collecting in the centre now flowed like yellow droplets along the arcane lines, still mercurial in nature but now primed to be given form when called upon.

While Twilight completed her ritual, servants dressed in the colours of Callistria entered the room bearing delights for a variety of tastes. The little luxuries offering to bring a brief respite from the horrors of what was going on outside. The velvet curtains were pulled a little tighter offering more privacy while still giving a narrow view of the altar and shrine itself.

A pleasant man and woman brought scented oils and offered to massage their stresses away, or leave them to their privacy if they so desired.

For Nargun a small table was set up and a man set up a small collection of very fine spirits and ales. Before offering his wares, he presented Nargun with a exquisite crystal decanter and a fine goblet of dwarven design carved from a single piece of granite. "Before any other drink, I was asked to present this to you. Water borne from the depths of the elemental plane so I was told.

Acquired through arcane rites at the Academe it has touched nothing more than the air and the decanter it is. It is in the truest sense the purest water one can have short of drinking from the endless elemental waters directly."

A pleasant young woman in modest dress suggested a game of wits to Atticus, either Fox and Geese, favoured by Twilight or a game of chess. She was quite good at both games and asked Atticus about his academic matters showing an interest in his studies and thesis. Although her knowledge on any subject was not deep, she knew just enough that coupled with an exception skill at conversation was able to keep a pleasant discussion on almost any topic going for quite some time.

Hello everyone, we are currently reviewing the applications including Oriana and Kevan.

Another thanks to everyone that showed interest.

Hello again

We discussed the blackblade/bladed scarf and have concluded that the bladed scarf, even with the scarf dancer's ability to wield it in one hand is still a two handed weapon and is not eligible to be a black blade. Sorry.

The improved familiar feat is all good and the magus arcana looks good as a prerequisite.

Thanks to everyone for their submissions! We will be going over them this weekend, but if there are any more coming in or being finished, we will consider them as well.

Hello again.

We will make our final choices by Sunday the 25th. We will be considering submissions that include a complete character and background.

To answer some more questions:

For the harrow deck, we will be following the book which indicates that the cards are consumed when used.

This is a pbp game that will be played on this forum. A link to the game can be found embedded in the first post.

You don't have to worry about paying for modest lodging from your starting funds. If you are looking for something special we can discuss it.

I will ask the gm about the mithril shirt.

Nimaethep shakes her head disapprovingly. "This isn't right, there is no law or rite that I am familiar with that require this trial by combat. Why are we pitted against an honoured servant when we should be working together? Surely letting Ajin take care of the undead in the necropolis where there should be no risk of bystanders while we take care of the city of the living where a more measured response is needed is a better choice than pitting us against each other, halving our numbers in the face of the enemy."

She frowned as she grimly lowered her mask.

I may have had to google Marie Kondo, but Broom would definitely be a fan. And in this campaign it wouldn't even be out of place if Broom started talking to the things she was about to clean up either

Or maybe Mr. Nippy might be more fun.

Vash wants to have them lead us to the priest to make sure they are telling the truth before potentially releasing them.

Ah, sorry. I thought the suggestion was to have these guys go and get the priest for us. Having them lead us to the priest sounds like a great idea.

It seemed to Nimaethep from the conversations that there might be an opportunity to talk things out. She is still dedicated to getting inside to rescue the priest, and is willing to resort to violence if she must, but if that can be done without a fight she would rather pursue that avenue.

That being said, I'm fine if Vash has a different opinion on the matter. He was the one attacked after all and Nim wasn't there when the shooting started. As a group, we have also only known each other for a very short time. What better way to get to know one another than a little personality/alignment friction?

Broom kept eyeing the mess on the ground and muttered "We need a mop and bucket of water to clean up properly. There were some back at the janitor closet..."

She suddenly looked up at Reine's request "Oh! Yes, of course! We are sorry John. And We might be able to help a little bit with the smell as well."

Broom took out a couple of towels and aided by her magic began busily tending to the matter of cleaning off the filth and sick from John. As she did so, she also took a moment here and there to freshen up the air a little. "Do you think they are what killed those other people and stole pieces from their insides?"

She glanced at John's torn pants and her cheeks turned an odd dark grey colour as she quickly averted her gaze and glanced uncomfortably around the room "Ummm... If you take those off we can fix them now. Or We can take care of it later if you want to wait."

After dinner, Twilight retired to her room and brought out the two wands she carried. As she had done before, she studied their magics to see if she could glean any more insights into how they were made.

After a short time she sighed and put them aside. She had already learned all she could from them and investigating them further revealed no new secrets. The time for study was over, she wanted to actually apply her knowledge and craft her own wand. But for that she would need supplies which would have to wait until tomorrow.

She took out her holy symbol and examined the dual magical auras that played about it. Her expanded knowledge of melding magic with physical objects along with her deepening understanding and faith in Callistria had brought her to the cusp of her project. It wouldn't be long now until she was ready to perform the ritual that would forge a link between her arcane knowledge and faith in the divine. And for that preparations would have to be made.

With a yawn she stretched and prepared for bed. She glanced at the closet and her crypt outfit that hung within. She had hoped that she would never have to wear it again. "Moldy crypts, filthy butcher shops, polluted waters and now a true sewer. I was supposed to by ingratiating myself into the ranks of nobility and dining among the elite, how did I end up so far away from those goals.". As she laid back she though "This is all the queen's fault, and for that I will have to repay her inconveniences in kind"

The next morning she awoke early and performed her daily observances before spending a little longer in the chapel as she began to make her preparations for the ritual to come.

After a quick breakfast, she headed out to do a little shopping herself. Normally she would have gone to Tasha and Alexi's shops, but with them closed and the Acadamae also barred shut, she was not certain where else to buy materials for the wand she had in mind. As a result, she spent the morning asking about for an alternate supplier.
diplomacy(gather info): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

If there is an alternate shop that is open, Twilight will purchase materials for a protection from evil wand (375 gp}, otherwise she simply returns to the inn and is ready to go.

As the party reconvenes, Twilight dons her the heavy coat and boots along with the scarf stuffed with perfumed herbs. "Do we want to stop by Lavenders? If they are selling plague cures they might also be a source for anti plague concoctions. I have none left and it would seem prudent to stock up before heading into the sewers and facing lycanthrops."

I just learned that a shadow lantern is a real thing. I was thinking that it was a Pathfinder magic item.

Is this one just patterns, or does it depict a scene of some kind?

"We should go. The dead have broken the divine pact and risen again from their graves to harry the living and that cannot stand. As I interred them when they passed from life to death, so shall I inter them as they pass from undeath back to death."

She knelt before An-Cleo "Before we go, may I have your blessing."

She spoke an ancient prayer to Anubis
" I will wear your jewelry to mourn
those I love as priests have worn your
masks.

Anubis hear my prayer. Comfort me when
I feel lost and alone. Give me strength when
I feel weak. I will respect the dead as much
As I respect the living. I will stand by you as
You will guard me in life and death. "

She then lowered the jackal mask that she head just recently purchased over her face. "It is time to go."

Prayer by RoseMoon27

Broom take a sharp little breath and stiffens for a moment as Rostam carves the X. Her surprise passes quickly, but for the rest of her time in the room she keeps glancing at the vandalism.

After having chosen an acceptable outfit to plunge into the river's depths in, Twilight settled in for the afternoon until the potions arrived. Since she had the wands at hand, she decided to do some more research on them.

She recalled the basic theories of wand construction from her courses at the Acadamae, but she had never attempted to craft one herself. Now, with a variety of wands to study she began to understand how it could be done.

Drawing on her own experiences with priming then binding arcane magic to her holy symbol, and her efforts to recreate the process with divine magic as well she figured that binding a spell to a wand should be a similar process. Her arcane bond was a reservoir of shapeless arcane power that she could draw upon once a day. The wand's power was already set when created which should make the process easier. It simply required a greater investment of power to begin with as its reservoir was much bigger.

It had also crossed her mind that divine spells were commonly held in wands as well. Perhaps if she attempted to bind a simple divine miracle into the wand she would gain better insight on how to complete her project with her own holy symbol.

She had begun drawing up a list of items she would need from Tasha's and Alexi's when Devan came to the door with Mirela's concern. She was torn for a moment between pursuing her study and helping Mirela. In the end though she agreed to accompany them.

Still, since they were going out anyway..."We might want to stop by Alexi's Alchemicals on our way. I only have one anti plague left. We might want to purchase more. If Atticus knows how to make them, he might be able to purchase the materials to craft them as well."

Broom had no idea what a hypothesis or an octopi was. She looked off over Xander's shoulder, her eyes going unfocused for a moment as she cast her mind out into the void to see what she could find out about octopies.

Kn(nature): 1d20 ⇒ 1

As always, her mind brushed the minds of things utterly alien. At first she found the thoughts that gave her a picture of a thing that resembled the decapi (she thought it had been called a decapus, but maybe she was wrong).

A bulbous creature with strange eyes and tentacles hanging down. At first it appeared that was all the creature was, but as she searched for more information on it, she discovered from other minds that the octopi also had a squat body, clawed limbs and with leathery wings even. The minds that held this information were apparently in fear and awe of the octopi, at least the ones that still appeared sane.

The further she pursued these thoughts, more confused she became. The octopi apparently even had a name in the strange language of aklo. How could anyone eat such a thing?

The closer she got to understanding more about The Octopi, the harder it was to find a mind that was not shattered by gazing upon it. Finally the onslaught of madness caused her to instinctively pull back.

She blinked her eyes as she returned to her senses with the words "Ia, Ia" whispered harshly on her lips. After a moment of composing herself she smiled "Thank you Xander" she said, the bright words at odds with her trembling.

With what she considered to be Xander agreeing that the beast was indeed edible she began to consider how she would go about cleaning and butchering the strange thing.

Twilight perused the familiar halls and dusty tomes that had once been her life. Even as she help Atticus, her thoughts strayed to those times spent with Wyninn.

She gathered up the material for the professor and also one book for herself. As Atticus pored over the volumes she idly flipped the pages of the book on the theory of enchantments. There, exactly where she expected it to be was a small doodle. A petty act of vandalism that would have scandalized the librarian had he ever become aware of it.

Wynnin had drawn the little cartoon after becoming bored with their late night study. It was a little scene of Twilight casting a charm on him.

Callistria taught that freedom to do as you please was life's greatest goal, and that love was a form of bondage. Enjoy the company of whomever you please, but don't become beholden to them.

She indulged in a moment of poignant nostalgia for a few moments before taking a breath and letting it out with a sigh. As the feeling faded she closed the book and put it back on the shelf. That was the past, and that past had been dealt with.

I have put up a request for a new GM.

Feel free to add anything else to the thread or comment on any applicants.

Aviel nods"To be clear, if you do purchase the weapon with your own funds you do so with the understanding that any matter of repayment is between you and Pris. That being said, I think it is a good choice."

Being from Chelliax it was second nature for Aviel to be careful about clarifying the terms of anything that could potentially be construed as a contract, whether verbal or written.

Later, back at the Inn Aviel takes a table and orders a mead. She records the day's events in a journal and then composes a letter to her brothers back home. The journal is written in common while the letter is in the extremely precise and convoluted script of infernal.

Goldurim and Tethris

Aviel Firan Taithrosima

It wasn't unexpected, but it was disappointing none the less. If Trinia was in chains Twilight needed Atticus' skill with locks to free her. Twilight possessed neither the skills nor the enchantments to free the bonds and even invisible it would be difficult to get Trinia out if she was bound.

The other problem was that she could not trust Atticus to keep this plot from the authorities now.

Twilight sighed "Is there any way to sway your opinion Atticus? We might be able to polish the plan and work out the specifics in more detail, but we can't do this without your skills. If you are against trying to free an innocent from the danger that we put her in, then we will have to content ourselves with watching the grisly culmination of our mistake from the sidelines. I'm not going to force you to do anything that you are opposed to though, the choice is yours alone. If you change your mind, let me know but until then I guess we are done here. Have a good evening everyone, I will see you in the morning."

As the group leaves, Twilight calls out "Nargun, do you have a moment?" She waits until they are alone before calling to a server for one more drink.

"I know that the chance at a glorious death against insurmountable odds was probably your main reason for agreeing, but I wanted to thank you regardless." Twilight takes a sip from her wine before continuing.

You and I have both seen the world for what it is. We both understand that there is no real justice beyond what we make for ourselves. While Devan and Mirela try to forget the past and seek comfort in each other's arms, and Atticus rationalizes away that justice was served in the end with the return of his ward in one breath and accepts that the injustice with Trinia in another, you haven't let go. You have had the satisfaction of personally bringing vengeance to one who has wronged you greatly, but you haven't forgotten how deeply you were wounded in the first place."

Twilight takes another sip and then leand forward, jabbing the table with her finger for emphasis "In fact, you draw strength from that memory, use it to make sure that you have the power to overcome anyone who would cross you. I think that is admirable. Whether you choose to forgive someone, or have exacted some appropriate vegeance against them to even the score, never forget that the wrong or slight occured in the first place."

She leans back in her chair and gestures vaguely toward the city "But beyond than that, you also care about those that can't defend themselves." She glances down into her glass contemplatively. "There are many among my faith that would write them off, after all if you can't find justice for yourself, do you deserve it? And there are a few that go further and actively abuse people under the belief that if someone can't find justice for themselves then you have the right to do anything you want to them." She look back up at Nargun "But there are a few, like me, and I hope like yourself, who believe that it is legitimate to be the instrument of someone else's vengeance. Callistria encourages her followers to find their own way to pursue her works, for better or ill."

"I just want you to consider that perhaps at this point in your life, after all you have seen and done and endured, there is someone who would be more appreciative of what you have gone through and reflect your new understanding of the world better than Cayden." She finishes the rest of her drink "Give it some thought. For now though..." she stands up "We should get some rest, we have an execution to witness in the morning."

This is just an observation from the group of players I play with, so take from it what you will

Players in my group all had things they liked or disliked to varying degrees, but the one thing that they unanimously disliked was resonance.

Before we even began the general theme was why are we being arbitrarily limited on how many items we can use? If we find the magic gizmo and someone can benefit from the magic gizmo then they should be able to just use the magic gizmo.

So we played and the first magic item found was a healing potion. When the rules on potions were read the dislike for the system became an intense dislike for resonance.

Everyone had 1 resonance point, and for the entirety of first level everyone played as if they had zero points. The consensus was that nobody wanted to risk not being able to drink a potion when they needed it. Thus, an item or two were simply never used.

By second level a priority list had been made up for resonance points. First priority: Keep one point for a healing potion (this despite the fact that nobody had been in a position to need a healing potion at first level). Second priority: Constant on items. Third priority: If you have any left, maybe on a consumable.

I think that the system may have been more palatable if wands, potions, scrolls and other consumables did not use resonance, but as it is everyone in my group hated the system.

Overall the general opinion was if you didn't want us to use magic items, then don't give us magic items. But don't give us magic items and then tell us we can't use them. In essence, they wouldn't mind if they didn't get many magic items, but they were irked that they couldn't use the ones they were given.

A tangential observation, it was pointed out that this system effects everyone unequally, bards and sorcerers are naturally going to have much bigger pools than anyone else, so while the fighter/cleric/rogue/wizard are starting with 1 or 2, the bard/sorc will have 5. If there were either of those classes in the party they would essentially have been given all the consumables as they would be the only ones with the luxury of being able to use them without putting themselves at risk (by this group's reasoning). The thought was that this was also an unfair burden on the fighter/rogue because they relied more heavily on items than the sorc or bard but had the least points.

Re: Occutist enhancing weapons (legacy weapon)

...
You can also imbue the weapon with any one weapon special ability with an equivalent enhancement bonus less than or equal to your maximum bonus by reducing the granted enhancement bonus by the appropriate amount. The item must have an enhancement bonus of at least +1 (from the item itself or from legacy weapon) to gain a weapon special ability
...

Emphasis mine.

It looks like as long as the dagger itself is already +1 he can use the bonus to increase it to +2 or add a special ability.

Twilight winced at the clamour of yet another sound burst. ”I am going to have to find a way to put a stop to that” she thought. She stepped up to Devan who was clutching his ears. There was nothing she could do for him, but she could help prevent someone else suffer a similar fate by granting them divine resistance to magic.

She stepped forward ”Grant this woman your divine ward against the magics and afflictions that our enemies may attempt to bestow upon her.”

She couldn’t help but grin as Mirella denounced the Derro as a follower of Urgathoa. She wondered what Mirella would think if she knew that her church had dealings with one of Urgathoa’s disciples. While the Pallid Princess was best known for her association with the undead and disease, people often forgot that she also presided over a much more pleasurable domain as well.

She thought back to an event sponsored by Callistria's faithful and secretly co-sponsored by Broderick a disciple of the Pallid Princess. As a champion of gluttony and carnal excess, the foods and drink Broderick put on offer were incredible. She had never tasted anything like them before. The entire evening was filled with hedonism and debauchery. And to make it even sweeter, the whole event was underscored by a friendly competition to see who could tempt more guests to either the dining room or boudoir.

With that she then pulled a tanglefoot bag out of her pack and got ready for whatever came next.

perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12

Mashiki looks out into the courtyard. The wrecked shed and trampled flowers bothered her. She looked at the bloody trail leading to the other door and knelt down. She carefully examined the mud, taking a small bit of it and rubbing it between her fingers to get a feel for the texture and composition. "Hmm, sandy soil" She looked at it closely before looking upwards at the overcast sky and the tall, walls blocking out the light. "Shady conditions". She then considered what the orderly had said about them still being near Thrushmoor "Temperate climate"

prof(farmer): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

Mashiki stood up and cleaned off her hand. "Is it weird that We know this spot would be Ok to grow carrots and maybe beets if you wanted a little garden?" she asked quizzically.

Twilight saw Nargun get savagely raked by the thing’s claws and could hear the fight behind her. They had barely descended the stairs and Nargun was already looking worse for wear. Twilight, already irritable by having to crawl around in the crypt to begin with had already had enough of this.
"By Calistria's searing passions, return to your graves and vex us no more!" she called out as she held aloft her silver holy symbol.

channel NRG (will DC=13 for half): 1d6 ⇒ 1 30' burst vs. undead.

Unfortunately, even though her ire was genuine her muffled voice and bundled up appearance made the presentation more comical than fearsome.

Calistria was unimpressed.

Why not just let the player wear whatever he wants, skip the whole "atunement" thing and just let him activate a special effect that he wants, when he wants from his resonance pool? Wouldn't that be straight up simpler? (Ignoring consumables for the moment). It is just silly to me to sit there thinking should I keep my armour running? Or maybe I might need my boots today, but then I would have to move my stuff from the magic bag."

My +1 sword is always a +1 sword, but if I want it to fire a laser I spend a point. you have your special ability limit with the weirdness of my armour doesn't work today because I turned on my shield.

...

I'm making this point once more not because I'm picking on you but because I want to hammer it home to the community at large.

0 Resonance does not mean you can't use items.

It means you start making a check to see if you can use the item. If remember correctly only a fumble result means you can't use non-invested magic items for the rest of the day. (Paizo Person correct me please.)

0 resonance means you start gambling with a coin toss whether you waste a consumable for no effect and lose an action, AND gain a chance where you straight up can't use any more magic for the rest of the day. When are you going to take that risk? Only when you are forced to. When would be the worst time to fail that roll? In a situation where you are forced to take that risk.

I know its just an opinion, but there it is.

If a GM doesn't want the PC's to "spam" consumables, then don't give them consumables? Why hard code this limit into the system to solve a 'problem' that should be nothing more than the GM deciding what power level he want's to play?

If the issue is thematic, you don't like that the players sit around for a few minutes poking each other with sticks, then make higher level healing more affordable so instead of 10 pokes with CLW, its economically reasonable for them to do 5 pokes with CLW or 2 pokes with CSW.

If it is the fact that the wand is doing the healing, why not just tweak the wand/potion paradigm a bit and say healing and boons are in potion form only while negative conditions and damage are reserved for wands? Then you fly/healing/magic armour/restoration etc magic are potions and your Melf's/curse/magic missiles are wands.

If the issue is healing between encounters, I just have to say that I've played with many different groups from all over the place and the have all had different tolerances for pressing on with different levels of resources, but the one constant that was always a hard limit was HP. Wizard out of spells? We can keep going. Cleric out of healing? Well, we are full on HP so we can risk it. Fighter down to half hp? We're done here. Personal anecdote? Yes, but take it for what its worth.

Hey there all!

.....
I will say this before I go to run more demos at GAMA. Players have rarely run out of resonance in our games, and there is a lot more healing to go around than you might think.
.....

If resonance didn't limit anything, then what was this system doing? And if there is a lot more healing going around than one might think then all that has happened is that healing has been changed from a wand into something else?

Of all the changes so far this is the one that has given me the greatest pause. As has been asked before, what is the problem this system is addressing?

The best change to magic items I've seen so far was simply removing the stat/save boosters that had become must haves and opening those slots up for more interesting things. I've seen several situations where a player says some variation of "that is cool, but it takes the shoulder slot so I can't use it".

The reason my group never bought more powerful wands was just that their cost was out of whack with their efficacy. They absolutely loved finding a CMW or CSW wands, but would never purchase one because paying 6x the cost for 2x the healing or 15x the cost for 3x the healing just wasn't worth it.

I'm Canadian. If anything happens that offends me I'll let you know by apologizing for being offended ;P

Not to jinx it, but that was a really good round for all of us =D

As the group settled in to the abandoned building and started to survey the butcher shop Twilight quickly became bored. She poked around the building a bit and suddenly had an idea. She intoned a quick little spell and the dust was magically blown from the top of a crate. "Prestidigitation is such a handy little cantrip, why did I ever give up casting it?".

With a clean makeshift desk to sit at she took out the materials that she had bought earlier and began her preparations. While it wasn't a perfect environment the windows let in enough light to work by and the place was quiet and free from distractions.

She took out the feathers and carefully cut one in a way that it could be used as a dropper, then used it to carefully measure out the various reagents into the pot of ink. The Urist gum would be a binder to help mix the components with the ink while the troll styptic would provide the sympathetic reagent that would bind the healing magic. A pinch of silver dust to help conduct the magic into the ink and the easy part was done.

Next she took another two feathers and meticulously cut them into fine quills before she began. It had been a long time since she had done this so she took a little extra time to make sure it was done right. She inscribed each letter on the vellum in painstaking detail, any mistake would ruin the whole project. Unlike an arcane spell which would require esoteric words and diagrams to hold the magic, this one was a simple prayer to Callistria.

As the time wore on her fingers started to hurt and her eyes ached but the writings finally took shape, the black ink on the page had a slight sparkle from the silver dust. With the last letter penned she took a moment to add a little cosmetic flourish, a symbol of Callistria in the lower right corner of the page. In the Acadamae it was customary for wizards to leave their personal marks on any items they crafted, but in this case it was Callistria's magic that would imbue the scroll and Twilight thought it was more important to recognize that than the author who penned the page.

With the writing complete, the last thing to do was to imbue the words. Twilight undid one of the spells she had prepared in the morning and gently directed the flow of divine power into the scroll. The letters on the page began to glow with a yellow radiance as they took up the magic. It only took a few moments but as the glow faded Twilight was immensely satisfied to see that the magic held true.

She carefully rolled up the vellum, a little disappointed that she didn't have time to get the yellow silk ribbon she had wanted to bind the scroll with and with a look of pride presented it to Devan. "This is for you, a spell of healing to help if Mirella or I are unable to.".

Scroll of cure light CL 1. DC to craft was 5+1=6 and I have a spellcraft of 8.
Oh, and I figured survival might have also been applicable for the meat testing skill.

Oh no! pbp withdrawal!

The entrance to the shop is unusually narrow, the whole store front apparently being built into the width of an alley between two larger building. It had the appearance of a well kept store, the narrow windows on either side of the door had small flower pots with well tended plants and a cheerful sign over the door reading "Alexi's Alchemicals" painted in red and arcing over the top of the sign while painted in blue and bowing along the bottom of the sign in cramped script is "Tasha's Thaumaturlurgicals".

Opening the door sounds a small chime. The room beyond constitutes little more than a landing at the top of a flight of stairs leading downwards. At the bottom of the stairs is a short hallway leading off to either side. A sign on the wall directly ahead is a replica of the sign outside, but a red arrow points from the top to the left while a blue arrow points from the bottom to the right. Stepping into the hallway it becomes apparent that the shops are actually located in the basements of the buildings on either side of the alley above.

To the left is a very neat and orderly shop. Racks upon racks of carefully labelled bottles, jars and cabinets dominate the room containing all manner of alchemical supplies and reagents. The pungent odour of chemicals and preserving fluids mingle with those of herbs and extracts. A Chellish man with black hair and beard dressed in red clothes is carefully placing new stock on his shelves.

To the right is a cluttered shop. Items are piled or placed haphazardly on shelves, the only order seems to be that items of roughly similar types are put in the same piles. The shop is full rods and wands of a variety of materials. Shelves hold a plethora of vials, various arcane devices clutter another table while a large bookcase sags under the weight of a myriad of blank books. A Varisian woman with long red hair dressed in blue clothes idly reads a tome while a feather duster flits about the room of its own accord cleaning random spots in the shop.

Twilight heads into the shop on the right. The woman behind the counter looks up from her book with a smile. "Hello! Welcome to my shop. Is there anything I can interest you in? I have a fine selection of potions or scrolls to choose from." She gestures to a rack of variously coloured liquids and some shelves filled with rolled up scrolls behind the counter.

Twilight briefly looked around the room. "I am looking for some scroll quality vellum please, four sheets. I also need a dram of fine gallic ink, some powdered silver, a dram of urist gum and if you have it some troll blood, fresh if possible but I'll settle for dried if that's all you have. Oh, and I'll need some quill grade feathers, lets see here..."

Twilight looks through a large box with a wide variety of feathers before holding two of them up for inspection "Hmm, what do you think Atticus, crane feather for rejuvenation or cardinal for health?"

The proprietor heads to a large stack of vellum and picks some out "I can help you with everything except the troll blood and urist gum, you'll have to ask Alexi about those." She leans around the corner of the doorway and calls down to the other shop "You hear that Alexi, I'm sending customers your way!" Some unintelligible muttering can be heard from the other shop.

After paying for her items Twilight heads to the other shop. "Welcome to Alexi's alchemicals. How may I help you?"

"I was looking for some urist gum and some troll blood, fresh if possible but dry will do." she replies.

Alexi takes a quick glance at the items Twilight bought at the other shop "It would seem you are intending on scribing some healing scrolls? If you don't mind me asking, how powerful is the magic you intend to bind? Troll blood, even dried is quite expensive and really only needed for more powerful inscriptions. In the interest of fairness to a new customer, if you are going to be crafting basic healing scrolls may I suggest troll styptic instead? You will find it to be less expensive and I assure you that it will serve your purposes just as well."

"Thank you for your advice, I'll try out your suggestion." Twilight replies. While he is preparing Twilight's order Alexi asks "Is there anything else I can get you? I have a fine collection of alchemical items that I'm certain individuals such as yourselves would be able to put to good use."

Once she collects her items Twilight prepares to leave.

50 gold on supplies for 4x cure light wounds caster level 1

In the morning Twilight wakes up and after having a bath heads down to the shrine in the basement for her morning prayers. There she leaves the yellow silk bag with 60 gold coins by the altar and takes a new silk bag from a small wooden box next to the shrine. The tithe will be collected by one of the other priestesses during their daily rounds.

Twilight then heads to the private room and takes a table. When Mirela shows up a little later she smile brightly and waves her over. After a some small talk she asks "So Mirela, have you ever considered practicing your aunties' profession? Even if only for a hobby having a patron like Sabina could be both fun and rewarding. If you were interested I could show you..." Twilight trails off as she looks up and sees Devan stumbling down the stairs.

"By Calistria's barbed words!" She gets up and helps him into a chair, wrinkling her nose and cringing a bit when she gets near. "You are not a well man Devan. Let Mirela have a look at you."

Twilight listens as Mirela makes her diagnosis. "Filth fever? You need to get some bed rest. The last thing you should be doing is traipsing around the city on some random guard errands. But, if you must... Mirela, if you think you can treat the disease I can get someone to help with the symptoms."

Twilight motions to one of the staff "Could you send for Sister Joy please, I have someone in need of her services." Twilight then turns back to Devan. "It will cost a little bit, but she should be able to restore some of your vigour and get you back on your feet. We can't have you looking like this on the first day of our new position, it would look bad for everyone involved."

Looking for a casting of lesser restoration or two. If you are using spellcasting services in the book, 10 x spell level x caster level so minimum 60 gold per casting. As well, Twilight tithes 60gp as a matter of course. Also switched out cantrip open/close for prestidigitation.

Twilight puts on some glasses and pulls out her spellbook, holding it as if she was referring to it during a lecture. Adopting a droning voice characteristic of many professors at the Acadamae she intones "Well actually, Devan, Imps are of the class infernicus devilshea impicoli which places them as natives to the planes of Hell. Perhaps you are thinking abyssea demonicus quasitea or the common quasit which are native to the planes of the Abyss? I'm sure my colleague, Professor Atticus would be able to provide a more detailed analysis of the differences and similarities between the two should you be interested in pursuing the subject further."
;p

Twilight quickly headed to her room and began rummaging around in the closet, eventually pulling out an old chest. Inside were her Acadamae uniform and books on top of which sat her tome of spells.

The first thing she picked out of the chest was a text book on soul binding. She quickly flipped through, pausing only on the relevant pages to refresh her memory on the ritual. Even in the Acadamae she had eschewed the traditional imp familiar for a simple object to hold her bond. Truth be told the imps had always made her uneasy.

When she left the Acadamae she had destroyed her school bond in a fit of pique, but it was no great loss. Though the pain of that had come with that act was wholly unexpected, the bond itself had been weak and riddled with imperfections as would be expected from a first attempt. She had always planned on replacing it and here she was now.

The particulars of the ritual returned to her more easily than expected and she began the process. She spoke the formulae and traced the patterns as she felt the tugging at her spirit. It was a little unpleasant, not at all like when she was using divine power. The divine power was malleable, fluid. It wanted to mingle with the spirit and welcomed change. Divine power was very forgiving, the words and gestures were not as important as the faith and commitment of the one wielding it.

Arcane magic on the other hand was rigid and precise. It resisted change and demanded perfection. It cared not for who was wielding it, only that they knew the proper rituals and secret lore and had the will to take control of it and mould it according to one's wishes.

One by one she took fine threads of her own being and anchored them on her holy symbol, weaving a lattice around the spark of divine power already within. When she was done she enacted the final rites and the lattice began to resonate with her own soul. A torus of arcane potential took shape within the lattice, ringing the divine power at the centre and it was done, for now. Going forward she would try to use the arcane lattice as a scaffold for the divine power. The plan was to try to weave the divine around the arcane and pin it in place to create a duplicate lattice that would hold a divine potention alongside the arcane one, but that was work for the future.

Satisfied for now Twilight picked up her spellbook and began studying, the words and formulae coming back to her quickly. She only paused for a few moments to reminisce about those days when she came across a page with little notes scribbled in the margins, playful notes from Wyninn.

Having finished her studying, she pulled out her old uniform. "Well, if this is the path I'm going to follow, I might as well look the part. But it does need some changes."

She carefully removed the Acadamae patches and insignia from the uniform, she had no desire to represent the school. Then she replaced the white blouse with one of pale yellow. Satisfied with her clothes she spent time on her makeup and hair before heading back to her companions.

She opened the door to the private room but her grand entrance was cut short upon seeing Devan's conditions. A look of concern crosses her face as she joins Devan and Nargun at the table. "What happened? You're not looking well, should I have someone fetch a healer?"

Twilight awoke with a smile as the sun streamed in. She felt good.
All this time she was so focused on one thing that she had shut out everything else, and today it was like she was seeing the world around her with new eyes.
She spent a few moments looking out the window just watching the city knowing that however small a mercy it was, there was one less horror in it today.

She took in a deep breath of the spring air, tinged with smoke as it was. The past was finally put to rest and now it was time to look forward.

Twilight reverently took her holy symbol and held it out before her. Today she was not performing the usual prayers. The events with Lamm had satisfied multiple goals for her all bundled into a single act. It was because the revenge was of such a personal nature that it held particular importance. Dedicating the act and performing the ritual anointing of the holy symbol gave it a special significance, priming it to receive Calistria's divine favour.

She spoke the prayers she had researched during her studies. Some were older prayers while others she had carefully reworded to better reflect more modern practices in pursuit of Calistria's ideals. As she spoke each prayer she put a little of the divine energy Calistria granted her into the symbol. Coming for her the divine energy was mingled with her own soul granting it a personal connection. At the culmination of the ritual Twilight was rewarded.

In that brief instant she felt Calistria's favour more intensely than she ever had before. She gasped and stumbled to the floor under the intensity of the experience and whispered a final prayer of gratitude before taking a couple of moments to recover. When she was able she examined her holy symbol once more. Outwardly there was no change, but she could feel the tiny spark of power nestled deep inside it now, tied to her own soul. It was just raw power at the moment, it still needed structure to be useful for anything and it would take a long time before she was finally able to work out the best way to focus it but she knew exactly how to begin the process. Wizards had been doing it with arcane energy for thousands of years. She just needed her Acadamae books and enough time to adapt the process and she was certain she could replicate the final effect.

As she got dressed Twilight commiserated that these simple peasant clothes she had used the night before didn't seem to fit her mood at the moment. Yet another reason to head back to the Yellow Juggler. She joined the others in the dining room, smiling brightly as she joined them.

"Good morning everyone!" She took a seat at the table and ate the hearty breakfast that had been laid out. She listened to their host talk about the situation at the castle and participated in some small talk with them. She paid particular attention to her companions as they went about the morning routines. The church had taught her the importance of getting to know those around you and had taught her the skills to do so, but her focus had been on other matters and she had never really practiced those skills until now.

Sense motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

She wasn't able to glean any new insight about her companions beyond what would be obvious to anyone else paying attention. It was expected given her lack of experience but would be a skill she would need to practice.

"If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion. I propose that we head to a cemetery to make appropriate arrangements for the departed, then proceed to the Yellow Juggler where I have a little business to attend to. While I am in dispose, you could take the time to do a proper assessment of our gains. From there, the castle is not too much further, we can return the brooch. I understand there is a reward for it and I believe that our new queen's favour is worth more than whatever extra gold we may be able to get if we pawn it."

Now I'm not going to be able to unsee that

"This is not entertainment for me. I am not here just to amuse myself with someone's torment. I just need him to suffer for all the pain he has put me through before he is finally put out of his misery. As the teachings go, all slights against me will be repaid tenfold."

Twilight turns back to Lamm.

"It seems my companion's discussions were much gentler that my own. Even now when faced with one who has hurt them so much there are still lines they will not cross due to their good natures. That makes them better than you, and possibly even me Mr. Lamm. While you have shown you would do anything to achieve your goals whatever they may be, Calistria has taught me that there are few lines that should not be crossed in persuit of revenge.

Twilight moves to stand before Lamm again and lashes him a few more times with the whip. What she lacks in strength and skill she makes up for in zeal and enthusiasm.

Then she takes up her holy symbol, the silver glinting in the dim light, and holds it before Lamm.

"Calistria, you have guided me and given me purpose through this most difficult period in my life. In payment I have given myself to your worship. Now I can think of no greater way to thank you for this opportunity than to dedicate this moment in your name."

"As the eyes are the window to the soul, accept this tear from a man who spirit is shattered as he has seen his own fate in the eyes of all those who he has wronged over the years. Those returned to seek revenge.

Twilight gently wipes a tear from Lamm's check with one finger and uses it to anoint one of the tips of her holy symbol.

"As the body is the instrument through which thought and purpose are put into action, take this blood from a man who's body is now bloodied and broken. Treated with the same callousness and disregard he has shown to others.

Twilght dips a finger in the blood from one of the whip strikes and anoints another point on her holy symbol.

"As the mouth is the means by which the mind announces its intent to the world and influences others, accept this spittle from one who's mouth has uttered a lifetime of lies and deceits. Who has used his words to influence others to perpetuate his own transgressions and thus multiplied them beyond what he was capable of himself. A mouth soon be silenced forever by those he and his associates have wronged.

Twilight wipes a little drool from the corner of Lamm's mouth and annoints the final point on her holy symbol.

"Calistria, accept these gifts as I reconfirm my dedication and thank you for your teachings."

Twilight bows her head for a moment then looks up at the rest of the group, a zealous fire burning in her eyes

"It is time!"

She walks behind Lamm and loops a coil of her whip below his chin, pulling his head slightly back while placing the dagger tip to his neck.

"Make ready the instrument of choice for your vengeance, when we are ready we strike as one. We can consign his corpse to the sharks when he is done."

"If any of you feel particularly thankful for this opportunity, you may recite my prayer. I assure you that I will not hold it against you if you choose not to"

Twilight gives a wry smile and waits for everyone who wishes to participate to get ready.

"I am the instrument of my own justice. If I am wronged, I will take vengeance with my own hands."
With that Twilight gives a nod and her face twists in anger as she drives the dagger home, giving the dagger a final twist out of spite.

"Atticus, one of the keys around Lamm's neck looks like it would unlock those manacles"

Once Lamm has been bound to the chair, Twilight fills the room with her divine power her healing her companions and Lamm as well.
Channel healing: 1d6 ⇒ 6

"We aren't done with you yet Mr. Lamm. I know I have a few things to say before we send you off and I think there are others here who would like a final word with you as well"

Twilight gestures to the assembled group.

"Before we begin, understand that anyone who wishes to have a word with you will have their chance. After that, I have a small ritual to perform and then your life will come to an end."

Twilight toys with the whip while she speaks

"I won't bore you with the details Mr. Lamm, but suffice it to say that Wynnin was everything to me. The first person who was interested in me for who I was. Who didn't see me as an inconvenience or was only interested in my talents. While I can't say for certain what our life together would have been like, I do know that it was an experience I wanted to share with him."

Twilight sighs wistfully

"But then things changed, as they often do and he fell afoul of you or one of your minions. Since then I've only had one goal in mind, and that was to see you suffer Mr. Lamm. The church of Calistria's interest in me was no necessarily altruistic, but they did see great potential and gave me what I needed, though not without some significant sacrifices on my own part along the way. But dedicating myself mind body and soul to Calistria was the best choice I made after Wynnin's death. And so, as a reward for my dedication, here I am."

Twilight turns her back to Lamm, speaking with a mocking, regretful tone.

"I had originally envisioned taking your sight from you and hobbling your legs before casting you out to the mercies of the streets you helped create. I would have visited you in the gutter each day to revel in your misery, casting a chunk of stale bread or copper coin your way making sure that you never knew who your benefactor was. Sometimes the bread would contain a pin, or the coin laced with a substance that would burn your fingers. I would make you fear the generosity of others. And I would continue this way until the city finally swallowed you up. But today, I am with companions. Some of which do not have that kind of patience, others who do not have that kind of inclination and so we will make this encounter a comparatively brief one."

Twilight glances back at Lamm over her shoulder

"Shall we get started Mr. Lamm? I understand that you have a particular interest in rings."

Twilight turns and proceeds to run the whip across Lamm's hands and fingers for a bit before turning to the rest of the group.

"Does anyone else have anything they wish to discuss with Mr. Lamm?" Twilight moves to stand behind Lamm and brushes his long, dirty hair away from his face before gently running the leather along his cheek and holding out the whip. "Aleira?"

Twilight waits patiently while anyone who wishes to talk to Lamm does so before proceeding.

Twilight looks around as it seems her companions begin to falter, and then she has an epiphany. She suddenly understands why these people were brought to her and how she has failed to adequately prepare her companions for this. She also realizes and what she must do now.

Despite the chaos around her she takes a deep breath and lets it out, the fire still burns in her eyes, but her demeanor is much calmer now.

In a loud, clear voice she speaks above the din of combat, trying to parse her liturgy with the somber tones of Devan's music

"We have been brought together this evening to partake in the divine persuit of vengeance. Within all of us here burns a need to see that the wrongs committed against each of us to be answered for by this man, Gaedren Lamm.

Nargun, you best of any of us know the value of taking control of your anger and drawing power from it, use it!
Mirela, an animal of the wilds stands between us and our goal. Show me what a favoured of Erastil can do with the bow!

Twilight lays a firm hand on Mirela's shoulder Bit O' Luck: Roll twice for each d20 rolled this turn and take the better

"None of us have come this far to die for Lamm's amusement. See the obstacles and use your anger to overcome each in turn!

Savour your vengeance!"

Twilight appraises Atticus with a bemused look.

"Why Professor, you are a fickle man! You had the Lady's attention and still sought to catch the eye of Desna. And now that you have found Desna's touch to be cold and indifferent you seek out Calistria's warm caress once more?

Despite the cramped conditions, Twilight crouches down next to Atticus and gently places a hand on his shoulder while she leans in close.

"Because of the importance of what we are doing here, I will beseech Calistria to overlook your slight... for now. Whether or not she chooses to help, we can discuss how you can make it up to Her another time."

She takes up her holy symbol.

"Calistria, I beseech thee to aid this man in the name of achieving our greater endeavour secure in the knowledge that as your humble servant I will see that, no manner how minor the slight, he will make amends."

Blessing of the Faithful on Atticus: +2 to skill checks

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

Twilight looks up momentarily and scans the city skyline for a few moments before turning back to the task at hand, her features hardened with resolve.

"Let the Korvosan guard sort it out. They need something to do when they aren't ignoring murderers and letting the likes of Lamm do as they please." she says, not even trying to mask the bitterness of her words.

Even as she speaks a quick prayer and calls upon aid to help Devan across the treacherous looking walkway she has a nagging thought.

"Oh Calistria how you test me. Whatever is going on it is the common people that are going to get caught in the middle of it and suffer the most. I want to help, but I've been given so much for this moment and already compromised once on its outcome. I can't make any more concessions. I have dedicated myself to this path now and it must be my first priority, to do anything else would be an affront to The Lady and an unforgivable failure on my part."

Blessing of the Faithful Devan: +2 Sacred bonus to skill checks for 1 round.

Twilight raises her hand slightly and takes a little breath as if ready to do something then pauses and raises an eyebrow as Atticus calls upon Desna for assistance. She then gently exhales and lowers her hand with a very slight shrug and patiently watches Atticus continue.

Twilight steps over and places a hand on Kester's shoulder. Seeing a self serving opportunity, she speaks up.

"If I could suggest a compromise? Devan is right that denying Kester would be unfair, but Nargun's concerns are also justifiable. Calistria takes a dim view on those who die in pursuit of their vengeance. At the fortune teller's house I had asked that if it was possible we could take Lamm alive. If we can do this I would be deeply grateful myself, and Kester can be given his opportunity to personally explain his dissatisfaction with his treatment to Lamm without putting his own life at risk, and he would not necessarily have to get blood on his hands to get his point across."

Twilight pats the whip coiled around her waist.

We could also extend this opportunity to any of the other children that wish to have a talk with Lamm before we send him to Pharasma's court. I believe that after everything they have been through the fairest course of action would be to provide them this opportunity and let them decide if they wish to take it. Does this sound reasonable?

Much like Devan Twilight cringes at the smell, putting her arm over her nose in a futile attempt to lessen the stench.

Being the last one in the room, the others are already speaking with the children. Although Sister Lydia constantly chastised Twilight for being too soft and getting too easily distracted from her goal, the sight of these children moved her. Even if it meant risking giving Lamm a few more moments to attempt an escape, Twilight knew what she must do.

Twilight descends the stairs and smiles as Atticus introduces her. She goes over and crouches down near the children so she is on their level.

"Hello children, I am sister Twilight. As Mr. Atticus said, we are here to make sure that Lamm never hurts anyone again. Sister Mirela and miss Aleira were lambs like you a long time ago, but they escaped and now they are back to make Lamm pay for all the stuff he did to them and you and all the other children he has hurt. I am here to help them."

Twilight motions one of the children forward

"I know that there were times where you wanted to get back Lamm or his lackeys for doing bad things to you or your friends its OK to want that, in fact its good to want that. It means you don't think people should be allowed to hurt someone else and get away with it. We have to be quick because we don't want him to get away, but if you tell me your name and what he did to you I will make sure he hurts just as much as he hurt you. Calistria wants you to have a chance to pay back Lamm for what he has done and she has sent me to help you get back at him."

Twilight listens intently to any of the children that come forward, committing their name and story to memory. A zealous fire burns in her eyes. Each other member of the party was experienced and resourceful enough that they could have likely faced Lamm and satisfied their vengeance in their own ways. Helping them was simply making the endeavour easier. But now she was representing those who did not have the power to seek out vengeance on their own, and that was an exalted act.

As each of the children finish Twilight holds her holy symbol and bows her head, performing a quick symbolic gesture she says "By Calistria's will, your suffering shall be his."

Twilight hesitated for a moment upon hearing Atticus' request for assistance. She had no problem tending to Nargun's injuries, but Calistria approved of both of Atticus' wounds. In fact when she had tried to interfere with the boy's vengeance by trying to ward Atticus against the second attack Calistria ensured that the strike was particularly grievous. As such it would be inappropriate for Twilight to undo what the kid had done.

However, once the kid died his claim to vengeance ended. He was no longer alive to savour the pain he inflicted, admire the damage he had done. He was the bee, not the wasp.

"Of course Atticus, one moment"

Twilight removes her holy symbol from under her shirt, displaying it prominently now. She focuses on her connection to the positive energy she has been using to aid her allies and draws upon it more heavily now as the faint yellow glow now suffuses all those around her.

"Calistria, sooth the wounds of those who would pursue your blessed work"
Channel Heal: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Whereas the power Mirela channeled brought with it a sense of strength and vigour, Twilight's is accompanied by faint warmth and a momentary tingle of pleasure.

"We should move swiftly, there is no telling what that man may do to the children and we don't want him assisting Lamm regardless.

Ongoing: Shield of faith on Nargun. +2 deflection to AC for 2 rounds.