Tacca, the "Black Bat Orchid"'s page

Tacca's already level-2, so Silverhex Chronicles, Phantom Phenomena, and Honor's Echo are out. I think I've also played House of Harmonious Wisdom with a level-2 PC, so that might be out as well. (I'll double-check.)

I'd be interested in the further adventures of Team Leshy, too.

Tacca retreats back into the maze of tunnels until he finds a private spot where he can transform into his more social alter-ego. Then he rejoins his companions.

"Yes, I agree that it would be best for you and for the creatures of Mercy for you to continue to serve here as the Warmth and the Light. Will you agree to work with them and with us? The Pathfinder Society can learn much from you."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
VC Shirt Re-Roll+5 GM Stars: 1d20 + 8 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 8 + 5 = 32

"There is an acolyte, a priestess of sorts, named Zuri who lives in Mercy. Would you be willing to meet her? I'm sure she would be happy to learn more from you. As would some of our colleagues in the Pathfinder Society. Would you agree to meet with them as well?"

Beware benevolent beings who wish to 'embrace' the entire world. Such a hug can be crushing in its unintended consequences.

"Is there a message you would like us to convey? Some missive or token you might wish to send them? Such might help us express, on your behalf, your good intentions."

Tacca looks in awe at the giant, glowing seedling, carefully edging closer to better examine it.
Take 20 Perception for 25 or: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

"Can you talk to the seedling directly, Boom-Boom?"

"Still, we should bring Amenira's remains back to the Temple of the All-Seeing Eye in Katapesh. Venture-Captain will be interested in our report."

Tacca examines the seedpods. "Interesting. Properly tended, these vines might provide the villagers a useful export. Maybe we can even convince the villagers to abandon their murderous vegetarianism."

Tacca drops to one knee. "Want a ride, Nira?"

Tacca pulls up near the hanging vines. "Safe to pass through, Boom-Boom?"

"Well thrown, Cap'n Chlorophyll," Tacca congratulates the alchemist.

Turning to the doll, he says, "The Pathfinder Society welcomes you into its ranks, Nira. You've been a great member of the team." He hesitates before asking, "Is there more you can tell us about what happened to you and to Amenira?"

His eyes shine with interest, hearing from Boom Sticks. "I'm sure the priestess, Zuri, will want to learn about 'the Warmth and the Light'."

"Let's take a look around this place. Don't want to leave anything else behind."

Flanking the Space Ghost with Captain Chlorophyll, Tacca licks his knuckles again and throws another punch at the creature.
20% Miss Chance: 1d100 ⇒ 51
Unarmed Strike; Damage, MKH Rebel, Fist of the Avenger, Belier's Bite, Poison: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 6 + 2 = 171d2 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Belier's Bite Bleed Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3
(Fortitude DC13 vs Vine Leshy Toxin or sickened for 1 round)

Tacca's eyes widen at the animated doll's fury and her lethal burst of wood chips. "Whoa, there, Nira! We don't want you to get hurt."

He licks his knuckles, coating them with vine leshy toxin, then he steps up to the space ghost and delivers a roundhouse punch. *KAPOW!!!*
Unarmed Strike; Damage, MKH Rebel, Fist of the Avenger, Belier's Bite, Poison: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 251d2 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Belier's Bite Bleed Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3
(Fortitude DC13 vs Vine Leshy Toxin or sickened for 1 round)

"While you're talking to the vines, Boom-Boom, I'll start clearing away the corpse flowers. Can't hurt to start helping them now."

Tacca starts knocking them off with his silver morning star and carefully cutting away the remains with his cold iron dagger.

Tacca follows Captain Chlorophyll into the large cavern, uneasy with all the bats and their mound of droppings. "Stay close, Nira."

He takes a careful look around.
Take 20 Perception for 25 or: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

"Had a cousin we used to call Corpse Flower. What a glutton! Wouldn't get a job, either. Now I understand how he earned the nickname."

Tacca begins a methodical search of the area.

Perception Take 20 or: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

I rolled an 8, but I couldn't get the post to stick.

"Thanks for the magic arrow, Sheriff. I'll make good use of it," Tacca says.

---

Digging out his climber's kit, Tacca prepares to climb down the rope. "Thanks, Boom-Boom."

Tacca finds a quiet, private corner of the cave to put on his vigilante game face.

"If there's no trail to follow... " Tacca's voice trails off, thinking.

"The direction it was heading when it fled, do you think that was the direction of that cave we found?"

Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

"We're happy to help, Sheriff. Can we get our weapons back before we leave?"

"I think it would be good to try to follow the *space ghost* back to its lair. Get our weapons from the sheriff and brief him on the way to the gate. What do you think?"

If the GM allows it, Tacca will retcon to throw his alchemist's fire after Poison Oakley steps out of the swarm. That would eliminate the -4 in-melee penalty, making the ranged touch attack roll a 10.

Nerves shattered, Tacca moves to a position for a clear shot at the swarm of bats and tosses his flask of alchemist's fire.
Unnerved, Ranged Touch Attack vs in-melee; Fire Damage: 1d20 + 4 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 - 2 - 4 = 61d6 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 2
Miss Direction: 1d8 ⇒ 6

Knowledge (dungeoneering) DC15: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Will DC15: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Unnerved by the flying creature's low moan, Tacca draws a flask of alchemist's fire, steps a little closer to the bats, and readies to toss it at them, if the bats approach within ten feet of him.
Readied Attack; Fire Damage: 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (5) + 4 - 2 = 71d6 ⇒ 4
Miss Direction: 1d8 ⇒ 1

Using the light from nearby torches, Tacca tries to fashion a few basic shadow puppet messages on a wall:
*Stop attacking.*
*Who/what are you?*
*What do you want?*
Perform (Shadow Puppets) untrained: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (20) + 0 = 20
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Sense Motive DC17: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Perception (with darkvision and low-light vision) DC26: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Tacca curses, "Blast that sheriff for confiscating our means of defending the town!" He runs to try to help the young child near the caped creature.

Tacca runs to the sound of the screams.

As the party leaves Efua's home, heading to the guesthouse, Tacca asks Captain Chlorophyll, "All I got was a scent of oatmeal off the ointment. Did you find anything unusual?"

After they traipse into the guesthouse and greet Norv and Ruby, Tacca suggests, "Unless you guys have a place you want to check out after dark, let's set up a watch plan and find a place where we can observe what goes at night around here. Maybe on the roof?" Tacca helps put together a schedule.

"Say, Efua, what do you think is in this ointment, anyway?" Tacca takes a close look at the medicine, then raises an eyebrow and holds the ointment out to Captain Chlorophyll, encouraging the alchemist to take a look.
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

"That's a lovely doll, Robaria. What's her name? Can I hold her for minute?"
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

After examining the doll, Tacca nods, "Yeah, we should head back to the guesthouse. We can always explore outside the gates tomorrow, after a good night's rest."

"Whoah, that's a lot of bandages! Skateboard accident?" Tacca kids with a smile.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

Tacca looks in the direction of the child's voice, peering through the door and window, if possible.
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

"Coupla things, actually, Mizz Efua. Our colleague Amenira's missing, but you already know that. We're trying to help the sheriff figure out what happened to her.

He holds up two fingers, "First, In her letters, she mentioned the weaver had an special ointment? Do you have some we could get? P-Oakey's got a burning, itching rash, you see. Might help. Second, Amenira's hobby was making dolls. We've seen a few, and they all kind of look like her. Do you have any here we could look at?"

"Coupla things, actually, Mizz Efua. Our colleague, Amenira's missing, but you already know that. We're trying to help the sheriff figure out what happened to her.

He holds up two fingers, "First, In her letters, she mentioned the weaver had a special ointment? Do you have some we could get? P-Oakey's got a burning, itching rash, you see. Might help. Second, Amenira's hobby was making dolls. We've seen a few, and they all kind of look like her. Do you have any here we could look at?"

"Afternoon, ma'am. Name's Tacca. This here's Boom Sticks, Bad Seed, Poison Oakley, and Cap'n Chlorophyll," Tacca introduces everyone. "You Kato the weaver?"
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

"It sounds like Nira is trying to tell us the children might be in danger from this creature. We need to end its existence, before it harms others."

Tacca looks at this companions. "Let's make a quick stop at the weaver's. Then, warn the sheriff. Unless you've got another idea, maybe we should head back to that cave."

"Nira, you seem to suggest that Amenira's soul dwells within you. Is that true?" Tacca asks.

"I'd like to find its lair. Think we should head back to the cave? Maybe it was hiding or somewhere else while we were there."

Tacca considers the information he's recalled and shared with the team. "If a cloaker sometimes works on behalf of an ally, who might be calling the shots?"

He turns back to the priestess. "Besides Amenira, and us, anybody else new in town?"

Knowledge (dungeoneering) DC15: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20 Special Abilities, please.

"That's not a vampire, but I *have* heard of something that fits that description: a cloaker. Resembling hideously evil flying manta rays, cloakers are mysterious and paranoid creatures. A cloaker’s motives are hidden and confusing, and they distrust even their own kind. Their strange shape allows them to disguise themselves as a variety of cloaks, tapestries, and other mundane objects, and stories linger of cloakers that ally with other creatures, hitching a ride on their backs and aiding in their ally’s protection for their own inscrutable reasons."

Tacca gives Zuri a closer, not quite suspicious, look. "A rare few are priests of ancient gods, leading cults of cloakers and skum to undertake all manner of hideous rites and working toward singularly sinister goals."

"Do any of these items have any significance, Zuri?" Tacca asks. He describes everything they saw in the cave en route to Mercy. "Does any of it point to vampires or shadows of some kind?"

He glances at Boom Sticks. "Or space ghosts, maybe?"

Tacca gives the sheriff an exaggerated wink. "That's right, it'd just be somebody's wild imagination."

The leshy gets serious. "We'll keep you posted on the progress of our investigation, Sheriff." He turns to his companions. "Shall we visit Zuri on our way to the weaver's?"

"Em, of course we've few other folks we'll be talking to and places around town we'll visit yet today, but yes, it's quite possible the gravest threat stalks the darkness," Tacca says. "We'd like to help, but we'll need your authorization to be out after dark."

"Nina, can you tell the nice sheriff what you told us, please?" Tacca props up the doll.

"Cap'n C, can you test the water in the well?" Tacca asks the alchemist. "Maybe it's tainted.

He turns back to the sheriff. "Water might be fine, but it can't hurt to check, right?"

Tacca rolls his eyes. "His momma dropped him on his head, when he was a wee bulb."

"Seriously though, Sheriff, have you seen any strange creatures within the town's walls or creeping around the perimeter? Shadowy things, maybe, difficult to see sometimes?"

"Well, we're still investigating, Sheriff," Tacca says with a wave hello. "Big garden you got. Big family?" Tacca tries to engage the man in conversation.

He glances over at the stone well. "Say, does everyone draw their water from the same well?" Tacca asks. Might be a source of the strange blight. Should check it out.

Tacca gently picks up the doll. "Let's hang onto Nira until we get to the bottom of this. Seems there's a connection between her and Amenira. And we'll definitely need to conduct a night recon. Seems somethings only come out at night."

He's ready to move. "Sheriff, then Zuri again, then we try the Weaver's place before curfew, right?"

"Nira, tell us more about the shadow. What was it? Where did you and Amenira see it? How did it put out your 'light'?" Tacca asks.

What's wrong with this creature? What animates it? How is it connected to Amenira?
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Disable Device: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

"Hi, Nira." Ame-nira? Tacca greets the broken doll. "I'm Tacca. Like Boom-Boom said, my friends and I are looking for Amenira. Do you know where we can find her?"

"And please, do tell us more about what happened to you and what you mean by 'murder'."

Tacca takes a peek under Amenira's bed. "Hello? Anybody there?"
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

"If anybody's hiding under there, please, come out, we won't hurt you."
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Tacca suggests, "Why don't we visit them now, if there's enough time before curfew."

We can always pay them another visit after curfew... Tacca smiles at the thought.

Tacca considers what he and his companions have uncovered so far. "Good ideas, friends. Let's check out the weaver, examine the orange dye, and talk to Sheriff Molume again. We should also show the stuff from the cave to the priestess Zuri. Cap't C, can you take a look at this Robari blessing oil and figure out what's in it?"

Tacca's ready to get moving. ""Once we've done that, we can figure out what to do next. Zuri asked us to keep our concerns about Robari quiet for now. Seems reasonable, until we know more."

"Hi, guys. Say, you all should take a swig from P-Oakey's mug. Priestess Zuri blessed it herself. Leaves your breath fresh as mentos."

Tacca turns to the man who asked about the wooden dolls. "Fergus, you said your name was? Found the dolls in a cave on our way here, along with some other odds and ends. Creepy lair of a mutated pair of critters that ambushed us. Had some kind of foul altar in the place, too."

Tacca hands Captain Chlorophyll the flask of blessing water that Zuri gave him. "You get some time later, Cap'n C, you should take a close look at this stuff. Maybe wait till we get back to our guesthouse," he whispers.

"Thanks for your candor, Priestess Zuri." Tacca prepares to leave. "If you'll excuse us, we should find our friends and put our heads together. I'll take a flask of the blessing oil and ask our alchemist to examine it. Then we'll take a look at the hay and dye ingredients."

Unless his companions still have questions, Tacca goes to find the others and compare notes.

Arriving just in time to hear the reference to Amenira and her dolls, Tacca says, "Hello there. Name's Tacca. What's this about Amenira and her dolls? Anything like these wooden dolls we found in the cave on the way here?"

"Hey, we should get our alchemist, Captain Chlorophyll, to take a look at this blessing oil. Might figure out what's causing the blight in Robari." Tacca suggests.

"Mind if we take a look at the oil you use for your blessings?" Tacca asks.
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
Knowledge (dungeoneering): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

"Probably a good idea to avoid carrying out the ritual on top of Robari's roots," he suggests.