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Great, thanks for being understanding. Have fun spilling your blood under Absalom, everyone!
Okay, gang, I really hate to do this, but I'm going to have to drop out of this game. It turns out Blood Under Absalom will be run as a multi-table special at a local con here next month, and I'll get to play it live with my son. We go to all the local cons together, and playing Pathfinder together is something we love to do - which is really important to me, since it means my teenage son wants to hang out with me for an entire weekend. I apologize if this leaves you in the lurch, but I'm hopeful you'll be able to recruit another player to join this excellent bunch of role-players. Again, sorry to do this, and I hope to play with you all some other time.
I played lots of 1E, but never played that one. I recognize the pic, so I think my brother must have had the module. I played the first in the series, Slave Pits of the Undercity. And for bonus 1E cred, in the mid-90's I played for a couple of years with Erol Otus, who did the cover art for A4, In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords, as well as the cover for Deities and Demigods and lots of other great art.
Vahnt is surprised at how good the half-orc's ears are - and at the quality of his Galtan accent. Fortunately, Vahnt is quite a bit quicker than the burly ranger, and not unaccustomed to making a quick exit when others fail to see the value of his keen insight, and he dodges nimbly away from the smiling fangs. What in all ze planes is a 'amstehr'? he asks himself as he moves into the crowd, making a most unconvincing show of pretending to spot someone he knows. He almost breaks his stride on hearing the gnome's observations - Now zat sounds like a Pathfinder worth sharing a glass of Galtan red with! - but decides against it and continues his peregrination through the assembly, trying to discern why the meeting has been called.
Vahnt rolls his eyes ever so slightly as the burly fellow nearby gripes about the nature of the emergency meeting. "Why ever would zey send ze likes of you to make a good impression?" he mutters disdainfully under his breath, his words heavy with the tongue of Galt, before moving off in search of more useful rumors percolating through the crowd. Vahnt is a slender figure of average height, his skin so pale as to be almost a light grey, marked with the faintest tracings of blue lines in places when seen from the proper angle. A faint breeze seems to swirl about him as he walks through the gathering, his slightly hooked nose and piercing eyes scanning his fellow Pathfinders. He notes the presence of a Rakshasha-touched tiefling and a brownie with interest, one eyebrow arching slightly as he considers the diversity one finds at Society events. Spotting a pair of gnomes in the mix, he pauses in his wanderings and waits a moment, as the smaller race often provides opportunity for interesting observation.
Howdy gang, Khelreddin here (player of Mohok with a couple of you right now). Hi Revvy - it's been a while, but we've played together once or twice at least. I had originally told YiM that I'd like to play this character, which is at least part of why the tier got set as it did. He's a snooty Galtan investigator (though not Inspector Clouseau) who I enjoy playing a lot, though I may be better at the silly accent in person than in a PbP. In any case, I'm flexible on tier and should have characters available at any level. If we want to think about roles, Vahnt is my best skill monkey (and likes to use Combat Advice to tell others how they're doing it wrong, giving them a wee attack bonus), I have some very effective archers and some reasonable melee folks, and a divine caster or two as well.
Vahnt is about to strike when Sabrina's divinely charged blade strikes down the succubus! He's intrigued to watch the demon's form turn to ash, and can be heard counting to himself as he times how long the process takes. "Very interesting," he mutters, "there must be a relationship between the time of death and the time of...ooh, a book!" He scoops up the journal and studies it in rapt fascination, scarcely noticing that the party is moving back into the manor and speaking with Maldris until he's asked to explain the book. The outcome of the whole affair is rather gratifying, and has given him a good deal to think about.
It's obvious to Vahnt that Lady Morilla is quite concerned about Faelyn, the wandering servant, though Vahnt has his own suspicions about the man, given his reported 'taste' for servant girls, like the two whose faces were eaten off. In any case, he nods curtly at Sabrina's suggestion, moving quickly toward the garden and quaffing the contents of a pair of small vials on the way.
Vahnt gets quickly to his feet and moves over to his companions, letting them know what he's seen, "Did any of you see zat? Zere was a servant girl, standing near the rear of the room, with a devilish grin on 'er face. Ze instant I noticed her, she vanished!" He tries to think what kind of creature might have been behind the facade of the servant girl, with particular concern about the possibility raised earlier, of demons magically transporting themselves from the Worldwound.
As the shrill cry disrupts the party, Vahnt bows quickly to Lord Kerkis and hurries to Senator Naran's side, joining Lady Dyrianna as she assesses and assists the buxom young woman. He keeps an eye on the elf as she works, while checking Dalessa to be sure that she has been poisoned - and looking for signs of taggit poison - and that she has been effectively treated. While there are some few people he has come to trust since leaving Galt, he is well aware that things are not always what they seem.
"Have you tried zese capers?" Vahnt asks incredulously, but Maldris is already moving away. The Galtan studies the crowd and considers what they've managed to learn about them before deciding to approach Lady Dyrianna. He is most intrigued by the thought of her spy network, but he knows he must not reveal his knowledge of it to her.
"Non, quite to the contrary," Vahnt tells the venture-captain quietly, "dead servants with zeir faces eaten off, undead horrors, capers and other poisons. No, it would not do for zem to hear of it." He scans the room and cannot help but note the changed mood. "What has 'appened 'ere? Why do ze guests need to be set at ease?"
"I 'ave not ze means to identify zem," Vahnt says, after giving the servant girls a clinical study, "nor do I know what did zis to zem. We must continue our search of ze place, keeping in mind what we have found so far: human jawbones in ze dog's feed, perhaps belonging to ze servant girls; poison near ze kitchen - though how could one tell in a dish with capers in it? - ze bloodied uniforms of two servants; undead horrors in ze wine cellar." As he thinks, his gaze roams around the cellar and lights on a particularly interesting bottle of Galtan red, which he hefts and says, "Zis was my uncle's vineyard, before he went to ze Final Blade. I will drink it in 'is memory." He slips the bottle into a side pocket in his pack and starts back up the cellar stairs, asking, "Where to next? Shall we see how things progress at ze party?"
Avril - how did you do the crazy lettering you did in this post? Never seen that on the Paizo boards. Was it a copy/paste of some strange characters?
Vahnt lowers his blade and lays a hand on his side, a pained look on his face. "Zat creature's touch was most disagreeable. I feel weakened." He draws a wand from his belt pouch and asks that Sabrina use it to heal him, then asks again, his tone petulant, when the healing is not enough the first time.
When this is done, he looks around the cellar and says, "I will take a closer look at ze bodies, perhaps zey can tell us something. I do not believe ze creatures we fought would ave eaten ze faces like sat, it was something else."
Vahnt considers whether he knows what sort of creatures these are, but comes up with nothing. They have clearly been below his notice up to this point. Given their spectral nature, and hate-filled eyes, he determines that action is called for, quickly drinking down a flask of some strange concoction and drawing his rapier.
Although he finds the bones slightly intriguing, the slop they're covered in disgusts Vahnt and he hands them off to Sabrina, wiping his hands on her sleeve afterwards. "Sacre bleu! That ees foul indeed. Let us seek zee culprits of zis heinous act. Can anyone track zem?" Without waiting for an answer, he moves off, looking for further indications of trouble.
Well, that was a waste of my considerable talents, Vahnt thinks to himself, frustrated to have learned nothing of value - that, in fact, there is nothing of value - about the Andoren senator. He consoles himself with the more than passable chocolate mousse, and is a bit peeved when Major Maldris summons him away from it. Perhaps something interesting is afoot, though it's unlikely he'd know an interesting thing if it sat on him. He joins the major and his fellow Pathfinders in the waiting room, replying to Maldris' assertion, "I 'ave not noticed anyzing of the sort, Majeur, but it is worth investigating. We will take care of eet." With a quick glance at the others, he says, "Zis way," and moves off in a random direction.
Vahnt listens to the Andoren senator's thoughts on life, and can't help but agree - his own experiences in Galt have taught him that life is uncertain. At the same time, the man does come across as a bit of a fool, as do so many. Vahnt ponders what he knows of Augustyn Naran, and chats with his seatmates a bit to learn more.
Vahnt nods smugly at Lady Darchana's reply, saying, "Pleasure to be of service. I do hope you'll remember who pointed zis out to you, should the Society need aid." He turns away and moves through the crowd, scanning it for the notables they're supposed to make a good impression on. When dinner is served, he makes a point of finding a seat next to Lady Darchana, hoping to win further favor from her. He nearly forgets what he's about when he realizes what the little green bits are in the fish sauce. Capers?! How foul. Why would you eat an unripened flower bud? He picks at his meal a while, then sighs and pushes his plate aside before engaging the Archdean of the Arcanamirium in further conversation.
Vahnt deigns to speak to one of the servants, and the man unwittingly causes the Galtan scholar to think of an important point! He approaches Lady Darchana to make his case. "Good evening. I hope you are finding zis event tolerable, Lady Darchana. I am Vahnt, of the Pathfinder Society. It haz occurred to me zat, with ze wardstones fallen, zere is nothing zat stands in the way of ze Worldwound’s demons teleporting as zey wish about Golarion. It seems zat Absalom would be an obvious target for a demonic invasion, given ze city's great importance to ze Inner Sea region. You may be in a position to prevent such a, how you say, catastroaph."
As the Pathfinders set out for the party, a slender figure approaches and casts a quick eye over them all. He singles out the half-orc and says, in a tone dripping with disdain, "You must be Mohok. You're wanted elsewhere, I imagine something needs smashing. You're to report to Venture-Captain Heidmarch in Magnimar - though she'll probably turn right around and dispatch you on a mission to Osirion, as these things go." He turns away from Mohok as if he no longer exists and introduces himself, his accent strong with the tongue of Galt, "I am Vahnt Aygu. I understand zere is a party we are to attend? And a good impression must be made? I am certain zat ze lords and ladies in attendance will find me most interesting indeed." Once at the feast, he observes the arrival of the more eminent guests, his eye clinically appraising each of them and their attendants. His attention is caught by the last arrival, Lady Darchana, and he considers what he knows about her.
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