Sorry folks, had a sick husband and we spent some alone time at a cabin with limited net capabilities.
If permitted, Prior to Combat:
Tityana will have her Shield going before setting up for the ambush for her full AC rating.
Tityana looks to Warren and after a moment, nods. If these are the dark ones that fashion the amulets, it is unlikely that her spells will have any effect, but the woman with the axes poses a viable threat.
Round Actions:
Tityana begins casting Sleep, she will center the burst when the spell is completed.
'I meant that as I am, I am of little use in making decisions in the field. If I had not watched that boy throw aside his arms, he might have been screaming that he would harm me, and I would not know.'
Tityanna wets her lips and looks toward the camp. 'I am trying to learn to read lips, but I am uncertain what good it will do to allow our guest to know of my current limitation.'
At the mention of Donal, Tityanna blushes, and she nods at Thad's suggestion that her spells should follow his arrows. 'I will follow your lead,' she confirms.
Let's hope level 3 isn't so far away. I cannot even roll for that.
Tityanna makes a way from camp so that someone can explain what is going on by writing in the dirt. She glances at the young man apparently speaking to himself and wonders, but has not basis for understanding what he is doing. Being told that she must pair with Imon for the watch, she approaches him before she lays out on her bedroll, and speaks softly.
Imon, Perception DC 25:
"If they have not already told you, I am deaf. Shouting will not wake me in... any event," her expression appears sad, and she looks to the young man. 'Their dark magics took my hearing. I can understand why he is afraid.'
Tityanna feels the boy continue to tremble behind her. Inhaling, she draws upon the natural elements in the wood, feels them turn in her stomach, fueling a magics she has yet to identify in herself. Exhaling, she touches the boy's leg again, and feels the magics flow through him, intending for him to calm, as there is nothing she can offer to whatever conversation is taking place that she cannot hear or make out on her companions lips.
Feeling the bandit tremble, Tityanna frowns. How much else need be lost to this troupe? Dignity, lives, and now pride. She turns and touches his leg gently, then speaks in the language of the wilds, which she is almost certain he is ignorant of. She tilts her head in the direction of the newcomer, her eyes appraising.
Sylvan:
'This boy is afraid. Might we find some place where you might communicate with me? I fear I am quite useless to you, now.'
Tityanna felt the bandit's weight shift behind her and breath near her ear. The thought that there was a man so close to her that was not Donal but an enemy had not occurred to her until that moment, and she stiffens.
She is not entirely thick, however, she recognizes that this device is a glaring signal that likely can be seen for miles, and that none are safe here.
'I would ask you to repeat that later,' she says, not knowing that she cannot be heard, and looks to Thad before spurring her horse forward again. 'We must find the priest.'
Tityanna draws reign well ahead of the orb, and attempts to decipher if it is anything she is familiar with, magically, since it obviously is not natural.
'Please remain calm,' she tells the bandit, then leans forward and pets her mount's neck.
i'm still here, but I'm guessing it's taking a few rounds to resolve this bandit thing, but I do believe i said that Tityanna was ambling ahead with the little guy to find warren.
Tityanna reaches down to assist the bandit onto the back of her mount, gripping him by the wrist.
'Hang on tightly,' she offers brightly, sparing a quick glance for Thad. Scarcely the example we wish to set for ourselves, she muses, but cannot argue the point without a patch of dirt to read his answer.
Tityanna stares at the bandit as he responds. That he is not removing a charm can mean one of two things, logically, that he hasn't one, or that it has already fused with him. If it were the latter, she supposed that he would be dying at this moment, as each bandit before him had.
'Leave your weapons and climb up on my mount,' she commands as the others continue to move forward without her. 'I cannot remain idle here.'
Without sound, the scene seemed to breeze past Tityanna without allowing her much time to comprehend the actions. Thad loosed an arrow, and ahead a bandit had dropped his weapon and lifted his hands. She held on to the Sleep spell, but with the vegetation about, could not see any to use it upon. There, Warren is rapidly disappearing after some target, she suspects, and pushes her horse forward to secure the surrendered bandit.
'You there, eyes forward please,' she says. 'If you carry a stag charm, please remove it now,' she adds.
Headed to Norway tomorrow afternoon. Will not be available to post till Monday at the earliest, depending on higher brain function/ability to get out of bed longer than three hours.
Tityanna continues to follow Thad, if he moves forward to meet the voices, she will follow. If the bandits come within range of her Sleep spell, she will cast upon them and hopefully negate the party a good deal of damage.
Seeing that Thad has nocked an arrow, Tityanna embraces her magics and the trees seem to lean forward to lend her their spirit as she casts casts Mage Armor on herself prior to continuing behind him. The magic scent of the wood is momentarily staggering, and there is a faint quality of bark to the force shell Tityanna erects around herself before it fades into ether.
Tityanna nodded at Thad's directions, and merely stared mutely when the gentlemen began speaking amongst themselves. Her eyes remained attentive, however, for subtle cues, and she gripped the reins of her horse tightly when they began moving again. When they stopped for the evening, she would ask one of the better horseman for lessons, afraid that the animal would simply kick out from beneath her if she brought it into combat.
Along the path, with her eyes ever searching for dangers, Tityanna recognized the unusual number of crows, and saw their beaks moving. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and she steers her mount closer to Thad, should Warren and Kams break forward again.
Tityanna waits until Thad moves his horse, and follows, knowing that she should not where Kams goes from previous encounters. As she moves, she thinks about asking Donal to procure some paint for chalkboards and paint the inside of her new tower shield so communication with the party might not be so cumbersome in the future.
I figure it would have been decided before we moved out that Tityanna would follow wherever Thad went, as he's been the most leader type in the group thus far.
Tityanna could only watch as Thad crossed the ford and then rode away, and in mute horror as Warren attempted to cross the channel rushing in front of her eyes. No strong swimmer, she lays down flat against her newly acquired horse's neck, clinging to it as she directs it to ford the river.
Tityanna untrained Ride 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
Clinging to the animal's back desperately, Tityanna crosses the river, meeting with Thad. She smiles and pats her horse's neck proudly, then slips down to pull whatever brambles or shoots might be stuck underneath the saddle and irritate its flank.
Tityanna attends her new mount, and is certain to have the party's attention before she bunks down for the night, close enough to the fire to be warm, and have as much light as possible.
'Shake me awake at light. I am not blind' she tells them, though she has no way of confirming if her words are even intelligible any more. She knows how they should sound...
By all rights, it should have been easier to sleep without the various noises of the party and its animals rustling about the camp, but it is the first night since she was wounded that Tityanna has gone to her bed without Donal being near. Her eyes remain open for several minutes as she considers how they are to progress now with her inability to hear, and whatever mission the gods have in mind for her.
Sleep is late in relieving Tityanna from her anxieties, and the peace thready with dreams. In one she watched a stag leading several does and fawns from the splintered stumps of their wood, and when she reached for them they bound through her, tearing at her flesh. She wakes with a start and grasps her stomach. When she sees that the fire has died down, she tosses another log on the embers and watches the flame struggle to consume the dense fuel until her eyes become heavy and she lays back down again.
Any direction you want to give with Tityanna becoming an Oracle?
I was planning on writing a pretty generic dream sequence featuring a stag leading a few does and fawns headed south. Be much more freaky when she starts casting divine magics, imho. :P
Tityanna, finding it odd that such a site would be left for others to find, walks about it searching for some manner of clue. Her aptitude for such is very poor, however, and she finds nothing.
Tityanna cannot hear what Donal is saying, but she feels the tension in him rise. Fearing that she is the cause, her breath catches in her throat. When Mistress Leveton holds out her hand, she nods, but rises to give Donal a gentle kiss.
Donal Egilson, Perception DC 25:
'Do not be afraid.'
She follows Mistress Leveton to her cart and sits down, her spine rigid.
'Last I heard was that thing screaming,' she says. 'I prayed to the good Lord and the spirits to protect us, and He did. Maybe this was His cost?'
Tityanna watches Donal's mouth move and tries to copy the movements with her own, to decipher what he's saying, but the effort proves untrustworthy. Without the hint of sound, it was just so much movement, even if she was skilled at reading intent from posture, which she was not. When he has stopped speaking, she places her hand over his mouth and leans close to whisper in his ear.
'I cannot hear.'
Tityanna removes her hand from his mouth and rests her forehead against his chest. She can feel his pulse beat against his ribs, and she closes her eyes and sighs.
Tityanna is present at any negotiations, although her eyes appear quite wild going from one speaker to the next, and during particularly heated conversations she appears quite flustered. She stares intently at the map provided, and dumbly, trying to make sense of the crude drawing. It is silly, she is no tactician. If her condition persists...
If her condition persists, she must find some way to communicate with the others. Communicate with Donal? Certainly there were benefits to being deaf around a forge, she would never be upset by the constant ringing associated with his trade, but then...
Tityanna looks up from the map and wipes damp from her eyes with her sleeve. For the moment she cannot help but agree to any plan of action the party comes to, hoping that whatever effect she was currently under will pass.
Tityanna follows Porter to the rock and remains a while. She scrubs the tears from her eyes and tries to calm herself, knowing that she is the authority on magic in the group, and that there are likely several persons looking for guidance concerning... the incident. The inclination to run to Donal and hide for the remainder of the day is overwhelming, but she will not allow herself to be responsible for terrorizing the settlers she escorted to these lands.
Tityanna Untrained Bluff 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Though she makes an effort, Tityanna's expression is grave when she returns to the others. Seeing that the children have been drawn away as she requested, she addresses the adults. The voice in her head is stoic, but she feels her mouth and tongue flub several words in her delivery:
'With the aide of the Good Lord Erastil, we have triumphed over evil,' she holds the vial up for emphasis. 'Please lend thanks in all your prayers, and ask for guidance. The trials that lie ahead of us will bind us as one community if we maintain our faith, and... love.'
Tityanna sees the shovel come into her view and looks to Kams. His mouth is moving but there is no sound. No sound... She picks up the shovel and places it upright, and uses it as a brace to pull herself up, but it is clearly a struggle. She ends on her knees, mutely gasping for breath. Mute to herself.
'Burn the host, and the soil,' Tityanna hears her interior monologue say. 'Let nothing of their sin remain to pollute the earth. I... cannot-'
Tityanna leans heavily over the shovel and begins crying. 'I cannot hear. I cannot hear.'
Tityanna bites her lip harshly against crying out with the charm’s final throes, then sits back on her heels as she watches its foul magics dissipate, leaving not but the husk of the man it previously occupied. She wonders if a charm so evil could influence his behavior as well, or, did the makers choose their victims so well as to determine the perfect hosts to mature their abominations.
Tityanna grips the flask of holy water, and offers thanks to Erastil, only… the voice in her mind that inspired her words was the only that she heard. Her eyes widen briefly, and she looks to Kams and believe she asks ”May I have the shovel?” but is uncertain if she is making the appropriate sounds to compliment her intent, for she can hear nothing but her interior monologue. She lowers her eyes and looks to the flask in her hand. Had she not prayed to the Good Lord for protection? What manner of change was this?
Ah, believe me, it's not just for healing. I rarely do anything for mechanics. Hence why I typically build sub par bards with full points in skills rarely ever even used in game, and clerics who can't fight. Tityanna is still young enough, and formerly so sheltered that she is still looking for a direction to go in. She is getting the inkling that her direction should be "oppose these really terrible things that would do this to a person."
Based on the fluff on that talisman being destroyed I am thinking Deaf curse.
okay guys, I am going to put this stuff to a vote. Druid is not a healer, paladin is a post battle healer and should be keeping himself going (though with an archer build, not quite so pertinent...)
Seems like we're going against some necromancers, so a dip for a level of Life Oracle might be appropriate. But since this impacts overall effectiveness of a sorc (whose spell progression is already butt) I will put it to you.
Tityanna nods at Porter's words, and opens the flask of holy water and pours it on the corpse. She is uncertain what dark magics have gathered to change its properties, but should the water fail, she will use the fire to burn whatever may be left.
"Good lord Erastil and the benevolent spirits of these lands, protect us," she prays as she pours the liquid over the densest concentration of dark magics.
Tityanna feels prostrate as she can do naught but continue to watch the dark magic swirling in front of her eyes independent of the catalyst.
"Kams, we must destroy the host. Now!" she says. She looks up at Porter's offer. "If you please, Master Porter. And, how far should we stand apart from setting this solution?"
Tityanna stands determined, yet mute as Kams pulls the relic from the bandit's chest. A second talisman could not be a mistaken find, and such powerful necromantic auras - these creatures were here in these very lands!
"Excuse me, but if someone could toss down a shovel and some kindling I would like to burn this creatures remains, and the earth that he fell upon," she calls up to their audience.
She looks to Kams then. "When I have finished here, I need for someone to tell me exactly what this lot said," she tells him firmly.
Tityanna Perception 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14 oh, one shy huh? why I oughtta!
"Unless you have attained arcane prowess without my knowledge, I will remain," Tityanna refuses Kams, her eyes still glowing ethereal blue. "We cannot afford to remain ignorant of our enemy's tactics," she continues firmly.
Tityanna continues to watch the curse swell. She is uncertain what if anything she could tell Kams of the effect and make him ready for... what? An attack?
Then she notices the movement in the corpses's chest cavity. "Kams, I believe that this man wore a charm like Happs, and we are soon to discover its true potential," she warns in a low hiss. "Please, prepare yourself..."
Tityanna is delighted to be of what little help she can be when plotting Donal's future. Her eyes narrow and she casts them down when Kams takes the prisoner away. She cannot say that she disagrees with Donal's assessment, but she did mean to abstain from judgment in any case. At the rush of magical energy, she looks up and swears in Sylvan.
"Not that I am aware of," she answers. "Please, ensure the safety of the children," she implores and begins moving in the direction of the blast.
Tityanna pauses to cast Detect Magic and keeps concentrating as she jogs to the scene, sees the corpse and his blood seeping into the earth. "Thad, please attend the settlers," she says decisively, her eyes a ghastly shade of blue as she continues to concentrate on the area.
Tityanna grins up at her partner, usually present flush receding. [b}"And here I thought it too much to hope you had not passed the comment off as a fever dream,"[/b] she says happily. "I will have to think on a sigil to grace my gargantuan shield. I am no rider, so a horse would be silly. A cat perhaps? Have you any images in mind?"
Tityanna tightens her embrace when Donal shivers. "That is exactly the response they wish to evoke," she says and looks up to smile at him gently. "They wish for goodly folk to fear and avoid them, so that they can continue to terrorize the weak." Tityanna pauses and sighs, "Admittedly, combating evil was not what I was expecting when I accepted the charter, but... "
Tityanna arrests herself and blushes again. "Several things have changed since I left New Steven," she admits softly.
"In any case, though it is certainly rational to be frightened of these... creatures, we are singularly poised to dispatch their sinful taint upon these lands. And so we must be as an example to those who rely upon us, no?" she purrs and smiles confidently at Donal.
Ah, I generally try to avoid Meta at all costs. Which has lead to some screw ups earlier in game with Thad and whether or not he was coming back with the settlers.
but umm, yeah. sure. just gotta.... think of words and things...
Hmmm, wondering if I should continue with Donal at this point. seems pretty heated in the land where I shouldn't be reading too closely because of Meta.
Yeah, i'm reading it, i just had some RL problems over the weekend that have been occupying. Meant to get back to Donal about some other stuff, but just... lost the ability to do so, really.
Tityanna listens quietly as Donal explains his plans for building and supplying his forge. She is pleasantly surprised to hear that someone has done some exploring of the area, if only to investigate its natural resources. That he intends to build his forge on a river, however, concerns her.
"Is not such a location... exposed?" she inquires. "We've no manner of knowing what can travel on the rivers, in terms of men or monsters, and wood and hills provide better protection from..." Tityanna trails, recognizing that she is likely being a nag.
Tityanna colors only faintly when Donal kisses her lips, as they are alone, and it just... seemed right. She slides her arms around him and allows him to be the anchor that she needs when so little else seems to be making sense. "There's so much to be done," she says softly.
Tityanna, blushing fiercely looks between the assembled party and Donal for a time, lost. Finally, she clears her throat.
"No, no plans," she answers and takes Donal's offered arm.
Tityanna tried not to look at Donal's face too often as they made their way to the gate, so she let her hand slip into his, and their fingers twine. "Do you really believe there is enough wood available to build a full forge?" she asked him while they walked, looking out on the stretch of planes so far as the eye could see. "Would not the cost of transporting lumber from elsewhere make this a less than ideal spot?"
Tityanna allows her eyes to wander to Donal when Fulton mention his name, but not a moment before, blushes and quickly returns them to the headman, listening intently. Surely, it was not the Donal's place to sit at the hearth while she went forth to conquer the wilds, but very little about their relationship could be said to make sense. He could not very well strike a temporary forge every place the party went, nor she slip into his bed without drawing Erastil's wrath upon them for long...
Tityanna's cheeks burn almost purple, and she casts her eyes down for a few brief moments, considering Fulton's proposal.
"It is good of you to volunteer such a program, Master Meyerson," she says when she has regained her breath. "Truth, with so few persons at our disposal to build upon this foundation, one must reasonably wonder where we are to recruit from in order to see our community thrive. I will lend my support to Master Meyerson's initiative.
"Now then," she says, the color having faded from her face. "I believe that I will excuse myself from these proceedings," Tityanna appears to surprise even herself when she speaks the words. "I have not the experience with violence to judge men and women that have come from it. I know only that it is my desire that we should come together as a community for the benefit of all. If I cannot look upon a man and say, 'this is my brother upon whose talents and heart my life depends' I will be make a poor facilitator to that end."
Tityanna takes a deep breath and rises. "Master Fulton, Donal, if there's any way I can lend my clumsy hands to your efforts this morning, please do engage me."
Ah bummer. Dunno if Tityanna would have been well enough in either instance to participate. After the bridge she was nearly dead, and nature magics to a fey blooded I RPed as her being high...
Ah well. Not like I was aiming for leader position anyway. Meta wise, it should be the paladin that gets that spot. He's nigh incorruptable and the only one that'll ever be able to survive an assassin toe to toe. Unless the assassin is one of those magical non evil aligned ones from Serpent Skull. Coz assassins are not Evil... apparently.
Tityanna listened to Kams argument and schooled her features to the perfect impassivity that she held them in the court. The only kin that she could rely upon was her mother, and the pair had done quite well for themselves in their village, or rather Leila had as a ranger and defender. Tityanna was always afforded the title of odd, having so utterly failed at the training, and requiring a wizard from the city to succeed in anything. She struggled with his perspective, having known little violence before joining the expedition.
"The lord and ladies of the wilds have testified about the little bad men," Tityanna reminds the group. "I believe that we can agree that it is quite likely that their eyes are far more numerous and discerning than ours. Those men tread into their homes..." Tityanna trails.
"I cannot understand Kams position," she states, "but I also feel that if we should execute a man for having erred to maintain his security, we set a terrible precedent."
Tityanna pauses and looks each of the group assembled in the eye. "That said, those found guilty of violent and willful crimes like rape and murder should be put to the sword, for the good of all."
