Enjoy the revolution!
Search Posts
Have fun, everyone. Like I said earlier, Kintargo GM is an excellent GM, so you're in for a great game.
snippy snip Thanks! I wanted something different enough from the usual builds that it was worth doing but still mechanically functional. It's definitely on the lower end of the power scale, especially when combining two-weapon fighting with the Vigilantes complete and utter lack of any way to boost accuracy, but it should be functional enough to serve for the game. I suppose the build does have an indirect accuracy boost via Steel Soldier at level 8, letting the Raven enchant both his gauntlets by paying the much cheaper cost to enchant his armor. I'm contemplating taking EWP: Elven curve Blade at level 1 instead of weapon focus - ECB + EITR + Lethal Grace is super solid all on its own and comes online at level 2- then continuing the build more-or-less as planned and retraining and switching to gauntlets around level six when it actually kicks off, and I may do that if chosen depending on the party, but I really hate the idea of just switching weapons half way through for no discernable story reason lol. I did think about the enforcer archetype as well as the teisatsu, Alexius did spend eighteen months in Tian Xia, but the Raven starting the game as chaotic good is non negotiable so that knocks out the enforcer, and teisatsu really only enables a shuriken build which, while cool, isn't really what I want to do with this guy. I also contemplated zealot, since it gets full inquisitor casting and the inquisitor spells have much needed accuracy boosters, but the Raven is an athiest so that wouldn't work either. If you were more flexible on the character story side of things than I am, I think Zealot would be the better way to go for this build, since it keeps the 2nd and 6th level Vigilante Talents to get Lethal Grace and Fist of the Avenger on top of spells like Divine Favor. I did put some effort into creating a build that I thought was different but still worked, so I appreciate your kind words =)
I submit the Raven! He's a little changed from last time. Since it's not 25PB, I moved the Charisma he used to have into Int because I'm a skill point addict, and took two traits to get INT to Diplomacy and Bluff. I took the Empty Mask Drawback. It makes sense, right? There are a few other drawbacks that would fit the character, if a different one seems more appropriate. With the 200 GP item from Child of Kintargo Trait I got Concealable Thieves' Tools (190 GP) The Raven:
==========Fallen From Grace========== is a relatively unimportant younger cousin of house Vashnarstill. Born and raised in Kintargo, he was destined to join the military and fulfill his noble family’s obligation to provide knights to the queen a certain number of months each year. Like all noble sons, he was trained in scholarly topics as well as martial arts, military strategy and so on. The boy was particularly adept at dueling with falcata and buckler in the manner of the Taldans and quickly found himself a rising star in the regions dueling circles. He attended – and won – many dueling tournaments, rubbing shoulders with prominent military leaders and royalty. It was just after one such tournament when the fates changed for Alexius. Returning to the family estate alone after taking first place, Alexius was set upon by three assassins, likely hired by a rival duelist from another noble family. Alexius was able to fight off, but not kill, the assassins, but not before receiving a grievous leg wound. The blade the assassin used must have been cursed, for despite having the wound healed with divine magic, not leaving so much as a scar behind, the young duelist was left with a prominent limp. Not even eighteen months at a healing monastery atop the Kullan Dei mountains in Tian Xia helped. Alexius’ military future was over before it had begun. Everything he had been training for was gone. His mother was not too displeased that her son would not be going off to war, but Alexius was. His attitude quickly turned dour and he turned to drink to ease his emotional and physical pain. He had no interest in following his family members into politics or business and spent the nights drinking and womanizing and the days sleeping. At least now he had something in common with the head of the household, Sendi. His family could only bear his loud, drunken rants for so long and they eventually built a small, single room cottage in a secluded corner of their property for him. His affinity for corvidae led to the family calling the cottage the Rookery'. The increased privacy seemed to suit him, and he spent years partying the nights away. The closest thing to friends Alexius could be said to have were other bored young noble men and women. They would gather to discuss banned topics and consume forbidden literature, always talking of how much better they could run the city if they were in charge. None of them meant any of it. Those spoiled nobles would be the last to do anything to jeopardize their lives of luxury and excess. While the higher ranking nobility certainly did not approve of these secret meetings (that everyone in the city knew about) there was nothing the royal family could do to stop them without angering many of the noble families that the crown needed to maintain control of the city and the region. Reason to Protest: Protest the Government! The hellish, Orwellian (he exists, right?), soul-crushing curfew placed by the new regime has Alexius’ social life. While he never drank tea before or after sunset, no one tells him what he can drink or when. Alexius Vashnarstill is a young chelaxian noble and he looks the part, his preferred outfit tending to draw the eye - an exotic costume he picked up on one of his oversea trips in his youth. He is tall and slender with trimmed brown hair and sideburns, brown eyes, and usually more than a couple days stubble. He wears black, fitted silk trousers and shirt, black calfskin gloves, a red velvet waistcoat, a high collared black longcoat and a tall top hat. The unusually tall hat and long, narrow coat exaggerate his height and slims his figure, lending him a somewhat unnatural look. He walks with a prominent limp and utilizes a fashionable cane, the silver head styled to look like a ravens beak. He is loud, brash, and selfish, with little patience for anyone but himself. Most nights he can be found closing bars or in bed with some lesser noble’s wife or daughter. He shows no drive or desire to accomplish anything with his life or improve himself in any way. ==========Hatchlings========== Like all children, especially the children of the affluent, Alexius always sought to rebel against his parents and society in general. He never felt much of an attachment to the other noble children and would oft ditch his chauffeurs to go exploring the city on his own, a brief respite against the boredom of endless classes on royal lineage and naval tactics. Already familiar with the high-walled gardens, well-kept estates, and fancy shops of the upper district, he began to roam further afield, to the lower districts his family rarely visited. One day, around the age of eight, he found himself in the Devil's Nursery: the slums on the southeastern corner of Kintargo where the tieflings and other undesirables resided. Initially, young Alexius was attracted by the colorful scales and horns the tieflings sported, though in the Nursery he was the one that stood out in his fine clothing. Most of the adults gave him a wide berth, not wanting to get tangled up in noble business. The noble child found himself drawn to a group of tiefling children dressed particularly flamboyantly, outfits fashioned after the dress of pirates and swashbucklers. Or at least what pirates and swashbucklers dress like in the minds of children. On first approach, the children lead Alexius into an dilapidated alley. They were intent on robbing the young noble, but the boy - years into his battlefield training at this point - recognized the oncoming ambush and, using a combination of his training and sheer size, managed to outwit and outfight the urchins. Alexius was intrigued by the lifestyle of the tiefling gang. He was aware that people often resorted to robbery to sustain themselves, but had never known any such persons in his personal life. It sounded more interesting than classes on heraldic banners. Alexius joined the gang, who called themselves the Hatchlings, and entered into their informal tutelage. The lives of the Hatchlings was the opposite of his own life of privilege. They were concerned with where their next meal was coming from, rather than grand political schemes. General Steelbeard taught Alexius to face opponents as equals on the open field or in the arena, to use falcata and buckler to cut down threats to the crown. The Hatchlings taught him that a well placed kick from the shadows will down an unsuspecting opponent with ease. Alexius' mother, Lady Elaida Vashnarstill, taught him of logistics and trade routes. The Hatchlings taught him to disable wagons in claustrophobic alleys, making them ripe for plundering. Sir Hawthorne taught Alexius to be chivalrous and honorable. The Hatchlings taught him to pick pockets and cut purses. Instead of marching forth, heraldry held high, the Hatchlings kept to the rooftops, their cloven hooves adepts at climbing the imperfect walls. Of course, Alexius engaged in larceny and burglary for the thrill of it, while the Hatchlings stole to survive. Despite the seemingly duplicitous nature of the tiefling gang, over the years Alexius found them to be better friends than the lords and ladies of the courts and far more honorable than most 'honest' businessmen. Beyond the Hatchlings, the denizens of the slums seemed to genuinely care for each other, where his peers in the upper city only cared about what one could do for them. He grew particularly close to an aiuvarin tiefling girl a bit younger than himself, Mythryssia Valxses. Mythryssia was feisty and temperamental, the opposite of the lordly gentleman Alexius was supposed to embody. As the years went by, fondness turned to youthful romance. Alexius only once mentioned 'rescuing' the proud tiefling girl from poverty. Such talked turned out to be a huge mistake, as Mythryssia aggressively did not need anyone to save her, and it took some time for the young man to get back on her good side, the gift of a simple but fine silver pendant of a raven helping him win her back over. Mythryssia played the helpless waif well, easily able to fool marks into looking left while the Hatchlings went right. She was in fact a naturally gifted actress and singer. Skilled enough that joining the opera was not an unrealistic aspiration, barring systemic racism against tieflings. She got some local attention performing in small, no-budget plays, but there was no future for her in Cheliax, which she and Alexius could both see. After many tears and arguments, Mythryssia finally accepted Alexius' offer to help, specifically to find her a patron - likely in Absalom - that could grant the aspiring actress access to the schools and opportunities she needed to have a chance at success without the oppression tieflings faced most anywhere else. Correspondence with various artist-promoting houses in Absalom went well, until Alexius - then seventeen years old - finally received a response from one lady Hightower, who was interested enough to want to meet Mythryssia and had extended an eager invitation for the girl to visit her in Absalom. The letter had been delivered to him on the Vashnarstill estate. Reading it filled him equally with melancholy and hope. Alexius' place was in Kintargo. As much as the idea of sending her away hurt him, he wanted Mythryssia to be happy, safe, and free more than he wanted her for himself. With trembling hands, he stowed the letter safely in an inset coat pocket and left the manor. He did not travel straight to the Nursery, his route instead plodding and winding this way and that throughout the city as he wandered almost aimlessly, trying to forestall the inevitable delivery of the letter that would take Mythryssia. He finally passed into the oddly comforting walls of the Devil's Nursery as the sun began to set, the city walls casting the entire place in shadow. None of the usual suspects had seen Mythryssia for a few hours, and she was not at her home with her parents. It was not unusual for the children of the Nursery, especially the Hatchlings, to disappear for hours or even a few days as they pursued their own goals, so Alexius was not overly worried. But as darkness fell and the night drew on, his worry grew, some unexplained voice whispering in the back of his mind that something was wrong. Increasingly panicked, he roused the Hatchlings that he could find, much to their collective annoyance, to help him search for her. They looked through the night with no luck. As dawn was breaking over the city, a scream from one of the Hatchlings marked the end of their search. Behind rotted crates in a dead end alley, they found Mythryssia. Brutally murdered, her only substantial possession, the silver raven pendant, gone. Nobody cared about one more dead tiefling. Even Alexius' mother, sympathetic - heartbroken for her son, even - though she was, was firmly dutybound to the family, and had never approved of his infatuation with the distracting tieflings. Despite his position of nobility, no amount of rage or bribery could convince local law enforcement or government to investigate, and his assertions that he suspected the murderer to be a hellknight were openly ignored. The nobility simply clucked their tongues and encouraged him to turn his focus back to his military studies where it belonged which, seemingly, Alexius eventually did. Alexius had grown up in two worlds. He did not enjoy his destiny as a warrior and diplomat, but the privilege was nice and he was good at it. His escapades with the Hatchlings were fun, but were not building up to anything meaningful. With the loss of Mythryssia, the needs of the Vashnarstills and the Crown didn't seem to matter anymore. Alexius Vashnarstill is dead. ==========The Raven========== stood on the city wall south of the Devil’s Nursery, gazing into the slums below him. He was an intimidating figure: steel breastplate over thick, knee length gambeson; sturdy knee-high leather boots and matching leather gauntlets; a ragged, hooded cloak that almost touched the ground and concealed his head. But that was not why they called him the Raven. A macabre steel mask shaped like a raven’s beak protruded from the hood and obscured his face. Large, flat glass eyes granting vision while protecting the face from harmful vapors or liquids. A hulking, brutal pugilist, blood dripping from the spikes of his black gauntlets. A Hellknight lay groaning and bleeding on the walkway behind the parapet on which the imposing figure stood. The Thrune dog rolled onto her back, the pool of blood rapidly spreading beneath her. ”You can’t just… let me die.” she gurgles, coughing up blood. The Raven turns his head to look from the slums to the dying soldier. ”I can’t?” he asks in a thick elven accent. He turns and drops to the walkway, squatting next to the woman, bringing up a gauntleted hand to tap the side of the beak covering his face. ”They say this is worn by doctors in some places. Doctors! I do consider myself a doctor…” He says, his voice casual and unconcerned. A dagger, the handle of which was intricately carved to resemble a large black feather, protruded from the woman’s stomach. The Raven grasped the dagger and pulled it free of the woman’s flesh and armor, increasing her blood loss and hastening her death. ”But not that kind of doctor.” He hisses as he lowers his beaked face near to the woman’s ear, his voice trembling with rage and hate. ”You pay for your crimes against that poor tiefling with your life.” The woman’s eyes flash with confusion – no doubt she could not differentiate one tiefling she had brutalized from another – and then the light goes out of her eyes as the life leaves her body. Suddenly overcome with weariness, he sits back on the parapet, dangling his legs over the slums, and sighs, rubbing his face through the steel mask he wore. How long can I keep doing this? What is it going to change. His actions had had effects on the new Thrune regime, but it was too little. Too slow. The impoverished people of Kintargo were little more than slaves, and that isn’t even to mention the literal slaves. He was only one man. He stands, glancing back at the woman for a final time to ensure she was dead. ”I need some friends. A lot of friends.” Stats:
==================== Male human (Chelaxian) vigilante 1 CG Medium humanoid (human(?)) Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4 (+6 while benefit from concealment or full concealment due to darkness or dim light) -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor, +3 Dex) hp 10 (1d8+2) Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2 (-1 penalty vs. compulsions, or -2 if they know your true identity) -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor) Melee dagger +4 (1d4+2/19-20) or . . dagger +4 (1d4+2/19-20) or . . spiked gauntlet +5 (1d4+2) or . . spiked gauntlet +5 (1d4+2) -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 14, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8 Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 16 Feats Agile Maneuvers, Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Noble Scion of Vashnarstill, Power Attack, Weapon Focus Traits child of kintargo, clever wordplay, cunning liar (any city) Skills Acrobatics +3 (-1 to jump), Bluff +6, Climb +2, Diplomacy +6 (+10 when in your social identity), Disable Device +5, Disguise +3 (+23 to appear as part of polite society while in your social identity), Intimidate -1 (+1 while benefit from concealment or full concealment due to darkness or dim light), Knowledge (local) +7, Knowledge (nobility) +10, Linguistics +3, Perception +4 (+6 while benefit from concealment or full concealment due to darkness or dim light), Stealth -1 (+1 while benefit from concealment or full concealment due to darkness or dim light), Swim +2 Languages Common, Elven, Infernal, Tengu SQ dimdweller, dual identity, empty mask, finesse weapon attack attribute, social grace, social talent (social grace), vigilante specialization (avenger) Other Gear breastplate, dagger, dagger, spiked gauntlet, spiked gauntlet, concealable thieves' tools, wrist sheath, spring loaded (2), 21 gp -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Agile Maneuvers Use DEX instead of STR for CMB Combat Expertise +/-1 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack. Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only). Deadly Aim -1/+2 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage. Dimdweller +2 to Intimidate, Perception, and Stealth when in conceal due to darkness. Dual Identity (Ex) Each identity maintains own alignment, can switch over 1 min. Magical means treat an ID as non existant while not adopted. Empty Mask -1 to Will saves vs. compulsion, or -2 vs. those knowing your true identity. Finesse Weapon Attack Attribute Finesse weapons use Dexterity on attack rolls. Noble Scion of Vashnarstill You are a member of a proud noble family. Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage. Social Grace (Diplomacy) +4 circumstance bonus to selected skill while in your social identity. Weapon Focus (Close Weapons) +1 Attack. ====================
Possible Build: I'm somewhat tempted to take the Psychometrist archetype, it would ultimately be stronger and more interesting and varied, but he would do, like, no damage until about level six so that's probably not viable lol. Level 1 (Avenger Vigilante) - FCB: +1 SP; Feat: Noble Scion: Vashnarstill; Human Feat: Weapon Focus (Close); Social Talent: Social Grace (Diplomacy)
I was in the first game. Kintargo GM is an exceptional GM. If you're looking for an RP heavy game with a very attentive GM you def want to check this out.
Sorry to hear that =(
The Raven takes some time to research the structure of the dottari so he may better play his role. Like a bird, he must be impressive, but not so magnificent as to invite hunters... He already has designs for the character he will play, but the fine details will depend on what the Fushi sisters find of the devil-worshipers stationed at the prison.
"So!" The Raven declares, clapping his hands. One of his spiked gauntlets has been replaces by a fine mithral one, gleaming silver in the flickering light of the Nest. "Pending the Fushi sisters information, we have most everything we need. A carriage to carry four prisoners will be easy to acquire, along with four horses plus one for Nyxra. I am not a carpenter, but it should not be difficult to slap some fake iron bars on the windows and locks on the door. Two of us can drive the coach and two will ride horses. As for you." The Raven inclines his head towards Nyxra. "It might be better for you to hang back and out of sight to make sure no one follows us once we leave with the prisoners. Our insurance carrier would probably object to all of us walking in to the lion's den at the same time, anyways. If a fight should break out, it would be nice to have one of our own on the outside of the structure so we cannot all be trapped by a simple closed door." "An Asmodean priestess would indeed be appropriate. Lady Eagle shall be my aide-de-camp and, ahh... No offence, dear Eagle, but it would be better if you tried not to speak. Your skills are numerous and impressive, but a good liar you are not. Lemma will be our bailiff. I - Zorander Dread! - have come to Kintargo at the personal request of Her Royal Majesty Queen Abrogail II to transport the traitorous Hellknights to Egorian so that she might make an example of them." Is the name over the top? Or not impressive enough? "As we will have all the appropriate documents, the transaction should be quick and painless. We take the prisoners out of the city, lady Falcon will meet up with us on the way to the temple once she has ascertained we have not been followed." The masked man looks around the room. His face may be hidden, but his voice does not hide his excitement. "Any objections?" Quessions: What do you want us to do for Dottari disguises? Buy them? Steal them? Just useth a disguise check? If procuring some decent uniforms will give us a bonus to our disguise checks I think that would be worth pursuing. Doth we know what ranks there are amongst the Dottari and what their organizational structure is like? The Raven will (ideally) impersonate someone who outranks any dottari who will be near/in the prison, but not like a Colonel or some serious big shot who's rank proceeds them, know what I mean
The Raven waves yet another dismissive hand. "The price of art can hardly be measured in coin!" He announces. "Although I do not carry that much gold about with me. I assume we can pay when you have finished the props?"
Is the gift from our supporters 750 GP or is it an item that's worth 750 gp?
The Raven waves a dismissive hand. "I would not dream of using any inferior craftsmanship in my production. After all, is the carpenter not as much of an artist as a director? A painter not as much an entertainer as an actor? I shall pay for the best! I was hoping you could fabricate us up a stack of prisoner transfer forms, to start with. As there will be countless subjects in my plays - for I plan to create a long running series, you see - you could leave the names of the subjects blank to be filled in as appropriate."
"To call it a play would be disingenuous, to be honest. It is more of a living artwork! I will not enthrall you with the details as I am sure you have other things to do today, but the short of it is we are assembling a series of plays based on significant Chelaxian trials of historical import." The Raven says in a droll tone. "Audiences will walk through the different sets in series, following a particular individual from arrest to the end of their journey through the legal system. Since the audience - including many officials, I might add - will be close enough to many of the props to interact with them, the props must be accurate! To the finest detail!"
I should be back to more regular posting soon. Been too tired and hot at the ends of days to set up my laptop :{
"but I don't have a good sense of where she'd stand on outright betraying the government." "Who says we are forging anything? We merely need duplicates for research purposes." ~~~~~~ "Half the animals on the bounty list are our codenames, so I for one am not terribly upset by this development." The Raven says of the recinded bounties. Once arrived at the shop, the Raven casually leans against the counter and announces "I am looking to fabricate authentic-appearing documents for a play of sorts that I am directing. Whom might I speak to about such a job?"
I'm still here. Busy with work, but still here.
Week 7 Action 1: Gather Infor (Fushi Sisters)
Week 7 Action 2: Earn Gold (Peddlers (T3); Red Birb)
Week 7 Action 3 (Bonus Action): Recruit Supporters
========== Good week overall. =)
"As I elucidated before, if we do this right, it will be days before Thrune is any the wiser to our actions. I would expect the prisoner names and ID's will be publicly available somewhere, or not burried too deeply. Prisoner transfer forms should also not be classified. If there is one thing this county is not in short supply of, it is paperwork. That is all your purview, I expect." He inclines his head towards Aisling. "I also imagine the name and rank of whomever is running the prison will not be hard to gather, so we can be sure to outrank them." "As a lover of theater, I can come up with some suitable uniforms with which we can imposterize as officers from Egorian. Looking the part with the proper forms, if we outrank everyone at the prison and claim to be on queen's business, the goons likely will not put up much resistance. We can find a covered 'prisoner' carriage on which to transport our prisoners so they are out of sight once in our custody. Watching the dottari and city guard patrols for a few days, we can work out a path through and out the city that will take us by the fewest dottari once we have our delicate treasures. Once outside the city walls, it is on to the weird church with all the dead sailors. Nothing could be easier!"
Good god. I ended up in Seattle, just in time for the hottest day on record. Spent two days in a blanket fort wrapped around the hotel AC trying to keep my german shephard from spontaniously combusting.
"You may have the others fooled, lady Eagle, but I knew you were a troublemaker from the start. It is always the priestess you least suspect. Setting a terrible example for young Magpie, you are."
I'll try to do a rebellion post tomorrow. Too tired today.
"Faking transfer papers would be less exciting than a jailbreak, but we have already done one of those." The Raven muses aloud, frowning beneath his mask. "And, if done correctly, a fake transfer to Egorian would not only attract less attention than a jailbreak, it could take Thrune several days to realize he has been had." His tone turns to one of amusement. "Between ourselves and the Fushi sisters, we would need to scout out the prison and see who the highest ranking Dottari is that is stationed there. It would be wise for one of us to impersonate an officer - one that outranks whomever is at the prison to discourage questioning our orders, but not someone of such high ranking as to attract attention. 'The traitorous Hellknights are to be transfered back to Egorian on Her Majesties orders!' The more I think about it, the more I like it. I do love theater."
We can forge transfer papers!
"If we kidnap one, we have to kidnap them all. At the same time. One Hellknight is freed, Thrune will lock down the others." The Raven takes a seat, leans it back on two legs, and begins fiddling with one of his daggers. "It would be difficult - nay! Near impossible!" He sounds rather pleased with the idea. "So many things to work out. So many things that could go wrong. Travel routes, guard numbers, schedules, and of course, finding the other Hellknights. This should be quite fun."
"We can stalk them and find out what path they take. Figure out the best place for a kidnapping."
"Open manhole. Pull our guy in. Close manhole, maybe use some kind of spell to block it whilst we make our escape. Could not be easier."
"So we ambush them when they are moving the prisoner and kidnap him. Nothing like a good heist to get the blood flowing. What were you able to find out, darling Magpie?"
"We shall dig a tunnel under the platform and he will drop right into our laps."
"Not everything can be solved with warrants and affidavits, lady Eagle. Sometimes you just need to take action when an opportunity presents itself, before things get worse. You may not like improvisation, but I am quite good at that sort of thing. You may think everything can be solved through the law, but the law..." He locks goggles with Lemma, but looks away quickly and mutters "The law does not help everyone."
I think this is definitely not something we're supposed to solve with our fists.
"Mmh. Shame that stage was not burned down a few hours ago." The Raven glares at Nyxra. Presumably. His masked face is swiveled in her direction, at any rate. "I do believe Hellknights can detect magic or deception or something like that, dearest Magpie. The time to act has passed."
Uncomfortable with the situation, the Raven chooses not to antagonize the Hellknight so they may hasten their farewell.
The Raven has a flashback to the underground battle with the polearm wielding Nox when he sees the polearm wielding hellknight. That went well. A fight with this man in this place would likely end the same. Regardless, he advances with his usual swagger. "So who is it that gathers up these drowned sailors and transports them here? If a sailor drowns, I expect his ship would be following him to the depths."
That was a pretty cool set piece. Goddess of sailors with a rope construct.
The Raven isn't sure who this devil-lady thinks she is, but this is not the place to be arguing, so he ignores her for now. "Oh look." He says in flat monotone, gesturing at the rope creature. "One more problem that could be solved with fire, but I guess we do not roll like that." The vigilante draws one of his tindertwigs and one of the tar bombs. This may do some good today after all. "Dearest Magpie, mind the ropes... the animate ones and the... regular ones. The coils can tighten around a limb and drag you under in a fraction of a second."
"I'm not really into that 'obeisance to the divines' thing."
The Raven lurks in the shadows of the shrine, pouting, but also warry a hellknight might jump out at them. Damn Nyxra and her damnable elven reflexes! That was no doubt the only chance they would have to destroy the platform before it could be used for whatever it is used for. It would have been good for Thrune to realize, even in the light of day, not all are afraid to go against him. "Why do you oppose the Lord Mayor?" "My tea import business has been ruined."
That having been said, I think Lemma puts her finger on a problem: leadership. Oddly enough, I've seen multiple re-recruitments for this game over the years that were specifically looking for a player/PC willing to be the leader. Guess it's a common problem with this AP. I hoped Aisling would take a leadership role, or at least act as a sort of advisor to the Raven to blunt some of his more impetuous decision-making. That's pretty much exactly what I was thinking. The Raven can be a leader - he has military training after all - but he's used to working alone and is impulsive and angry. This isn't a leadership issue though. The Raven just thinks this is the opportune time to set something on fire. I'm not sure why we didn't wait 'til nightfall to try to destroy the platform, though. Strike while the iron's hot! No one expects sabotage in broad daylight.
I just found THIS in the Discussion Thread of another game Sarah/Aisling runs. Not good news, but not entirely without hope of her return (eventually). =( =(Aisling's got a slower move speed than the rest of the Ravens and likely the dottari. The Raven is separated from the group because he intends to run away and some of yall might not be able to keep up. And there's no reason everyone needs to be involved. It's not like there's anything to be gained here lol
So we're just waiting on Eagle?!?! Where o where could she be????
Seems like a super slow week for PBP all over. All my games are slow. Probably people getting out and enjoying the warm weather before it gets too hot.
If the GM is against it and jesibel is against it we can probably just move on. The Raven will find something else to burn another day.
I figure it's best to light it up before they get a chance to use it and I'm modestly confident in the Raven's ability to escape. He has a plaza full of people between him and the guards after all. In the ravens defense they are not included intentionally. But if Aisling thinks it's a bad idea I guess he'd listen to her.
It's not a plan as much as a collection of loosely related ideas.
Let it not be said that the Raven ever quit, no matter how terrible the idea! After distancing himself from the stage and the other Ravens, The Raven retreats as far as he thinks he can throw the firebombs and lights two of them with the tindertwig, turning his back on the Dottari and using his ample elven cloak - as well as his own not-insubstantial mass - to obfuscate his actions and buy him a few seconds. Then he turns towards the stage, a burning ball of tar and rope in each hand... His target is the raised floor of the stage. With any luck, the dottari won't even see them land, giving the fire the precious few seconds it needs to spread. If their attentions turn too quickly to the yet-unkindled blaze, he may have to take drastic action to distract the dottari. The Plan (The Sequel): Use Sleight of Hand (I guess? Maybe Stealth) to just kinda turn away from the Dottari and light two of the bombs with a Tindertwig. The firebombs have a range of 10'. The Raven will stand 50' away (max range increment) and two-weapon throw the bombs to land on the stage. "A square" only has an AC of 5, so it shouldn't be that hard to hit... right?
"Stay away from me, strange lady!" The Raven declares overly loudly when Aisling accosts him, then mumbles "Do the words 'plausible deniability' mean anything to you, councilor?" as he slides past her and out of the shop with his purchases. Aisling is a fierce warrior, but he would not bet on her being able to ditch Thrune's lapdogs in the backstreets of Kintargo. The Raven walks around the edge of the plaza for a while, casing the scene. He watches the guards posted around the stage, watches for a pattern in their movements. Cowed as the population was, the guards were probably not expecting any trouble and they doubtless resent being posted out in the cold. Cold made people stupid. He only needed a few moments of the guards not focusing. After watching the guards for a while, he smoothly integrates himself into the foot traffic and approaches the stage... The plan:
The Raven finds himself a quaint alchemist's shop just off the main throughfare. He approaches the front desk and leans casually against it, knocking on the countertop with a metal fist. "Good morning to you, good proprietor. I find myself with a need to set something alight but alas! It is slightly too far away for my arms to reach. Might you have something to treat this horrible, distance-related affliction of mine?"
Apparently we're all secretly not from Kintargo!
"Well. Well. Well!" The Raven clucks as they walk past the strange stage. His strides slow, then halt altogether."Are my goggles fogging over, or does a tempting pile of tinder lie helpless before mine own eyes? Surely any bit of wood valuable enough to post guards at is worth..." He is not speaking to anyone in particular, but any within earshot would not miss the overt tones of mischievous intent in his muffled voice. He claps the new girl on the shoulder and starts to walk away. "Hold down the fort for me. May as well get my weekly shopping done while I am here."
"If anyone we question raises a fuss, dear Eagle, we can always stab them and run away. That has worked well enough for us so far." The Raven would rather do this kind of questioning by himself - or perhaps with Jessibel - precisely because he is so good at running away. But he was not the most trustworthy face. If rabblerousers gather at the Tooth and Nail, some of them may have heard of the good the Ravens are doing, and Lady Eagle is quite the diplomatic presence.
The Raven lets out a long sigh and shakes his head. "Well, the best place to start looking for someone is the last place they were seen, even if they're not there now." Hellknights would be powerful allies. If they can be trusted. "As for you ladies, where have you been these past weeks?" He turns on the Fushi sisters.
|