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Vanetta stands behind Othello, being uncharacteristically quiet as he hands over the plans. She gives Mara a hug afterwards, which the Kuthite seems slightly uncomfortable with since there's no pain involved. On the ride, she chats with Vali about what it was like growing up in Nidal with a sister, as she herself is an only (known) child. (Dad was a Pathfinder after all.) At the border as the team prepares to go their separate ways, she gives Vali a hug which is a bit less awkward. She pats Doris goodbye, and gives the horse her last sugar cube that she had stashed away for tea. She's not sure why everything is so blurry. Must be because the sun seems so much brighter after exiting Nidal. Yeah, that's gotta be it.
I think I have to agree. I like Vanetta more than Mara and sympathize with her plight but Mara wants to use that info to protect her sister and I think that takes precedence. "Awww, thanks. I like you, too, Hobbs, And you too, Erinaceinae, but I think you meant that you like Vali more than Mara. It's okay, all of us longshank ladies look a lot alike, I'm sure." {wink}
As the black stallion rises up, Doris rears up instinctively to make sure Vanetta can still reach the rider. Her father's favorite blade, bequeathed to her when he retired from his long and storied career as a Pathfinder, flashes out as if of its own accord. It's not much of a hit, but apparently just enough. When the dark horse flees riderless, Doris whinnies something in triumph. "You tell 'im, girl!" Vanetta echoes in relief as she hops down and runs to Othello's side. Even though she sees Isaku heal him, she feeds the champion the elixir that Hobbs gave her that morning. "Wake up, you damn fool," she says to Othello as she holds his head and blinks through the tears in her eyes. Tears both of relief that the fight is over and that the bravest warrior she's ever met did somehow manage to survive.
As the devil drops, Vanetta heaves a sigh of relief. That is until she turns to see the general stab Othello twice. "Hey, big guy, your girlfriend won't be coming home for dinner," she says with a smile as she prompts Doris to step carefully up behind the big black stallion.
"Unless maybe you meet up with her in Hell."
Vanetta easily dodges the lances of the depleted troop before Hobbs and Erinaceinae scatter them for good. "Nice blasting! Thanks for taking the pressure off!" Vanetta calls out to Hobbs. And Erinaceinae, too, of course. "Speaking of pressure, you gotta work on your grip if you want to keep me tangled up. I mean, seems like that's what you're into, anyway," she quips with a wink trying to get under the devi-b~#&*'s skin.
Whether it lands or not is hard for Vanetta to tell. Not that she cares; she knows she sounds cool.
She then raises her father's favorite rapier to parry any further attacks. Arshea, if I drop, just don't let these bastards take Dad's blade as a trophy, she says a silent prayer hoping against hope that they can get through this. Reaction roll:
Vanetta easily dodges the lances this time, and holds her breath just long enough for the worst of the smoke to pass. But her position isn't great, caught between the General and the Devil. She urges Doris to carefully move aside just a bit. "Aw, did your boyfriend come to rescue you from little ol' me? How sweet," she says, hoping to goad the devil before stabbing her again.
Reaction Strike:
So, do we flee? I mean, Jiki has the plans, and without him on the field, we're down 1 PC. I'm good with Jiki leaving, as it does accomplish the mission, please don't misread that. Do we think we can all get away? The General is faster than our horses. We saw the devil use a teleportation or translocation or some similar effect in round 1. Is there something that the Sisters can do (or that we were told they could do, but I've forgotten) to clear us a path? I'm gonna keep stabbing the devil, as it at least keeps her from firing off spells for now. But I'm thinking we should take the
Caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the devil woman, the Hellknights skewer poor Vanetta. She screams and rears Doris about, goading the horse to swing around behind the caster. "Nice outfit," she says with obvious snark and attitude through gritted teeth before stabbing the devil.
Reaction Strikes: vs OG on the Devil
Vanetta's blade instinctively slashes at the horse at it charges past
Her reaction to hurting the horse momentarily disrupts her focus, but Arshea's holy hand steadies the swashbuckler in the saddle. With a better sense of how tough this fight will be, she opts to head for the spellcaster to the west, stopping at the Hellknights first to say hi. She commands Doris to gallop alongside the formation and stabs at them when they close.
She's got a ranged weapon, but with a range of only 20. She's also got the feat that lets her use finishers with it. But she doesn't have a way to get panache on someone that far away, so it's moot. She can fly, she's got the wings tattoo for 10 minutes. I'm just afraid to leave the horse to go airborne what the consequences might be for this particular encounter given all the special mounted combat stuff, troops, and possible escape we might need to make at the end.
Vanetta swings Doris around the outcropping of rocks hoping to get some separation from the others to avoid getting caught in any blasts the General or his fiery horse might throw at them. "Okay, Doris, here we go. I hope bad boys aren't your type, cause that black stallion looks like he's straight-outta-Hell bad. So let's just send both of these guys running back to their mommies," Vanetta says mostly just to encourage herself but it certainly helps when Doris flicks both ears and gives a strong huff to the words.
Vanetta skewers the caster and laughs even as she gets bonked by the woman's staff. Whatever, Othello puts her down, and she races to catch up to the champion and the others fighting the dog. She cuts across the creature's flank and tries to duck between its legs..
but the dog moves just enough to thwart her and she stumbles back to stand beside Isaku. "Well, it was worth a shot. Still looked cool, though," she says with a laugh at both her own audacious maneuver and his "Chill out" Dad-joke before stabbing the dog in the leg.
Reaction roll:
Vanetta smiles as she puts the last devil down and Jiki and Othello work on the woman. She's a little concerned that Isaku and Hobbs got left to deal with the doggie. Though she has no concern they can dish out damage, those two aren't the toughest, but she also knows that putting the caster down just makes sense. She moves easily around the room to avoid any tricks the Chelaxian might have before looking one way then stabbing the other since she can't quite get to the flank.
Reaction roll:
Vanetta slips between Othello and the last devil standing and swings around it to end up on the other side.
With it disoriented from her amazing stunt, she puts her blade straight through its kidney. Though to be honest, she doesn't know much about medicine or devils, so where she thinks a kidney would be if devils even have them. She looks over her shoulder to the Chelaxian with a smile as she prepares to parry any attack.
Reaction Roll if needed:
"I don't know what you said there, but I'm betting it was either a weak-ass insult or an overly hubristic boast. Either way, you missed me," Vanetta says with a sly smile in retort.
Her blade moves faster than most can even follow as it carves a line across the pretty "angel's" cheek, leaving him bleeding before she raises it into a classic fencing defensive position.
Vanetta is ready to talk the man down quietly when he teammates arrive and treat the poor soul's suffering. "Thanks, guys. I wasn't gonna be able to help him, and after seeing how badly the horses were doing, I really felt bad for him too." She leaves the man huddled in the stolen blanket in a stall, out of the wind and cold, and hopefully out of the fighting to come. "No preference from me on whether we go in before or after the booms," Vanetta says just before she moves up to the main doors ready to enter at whichever signal the rest agree on.
Thank you, Arshea! Vanetta says in a silent prayer as they find shelter. I have to believe you reached into Nidal and nudged the odds for us. When Mara gifts her the talisman, she thanks the Kuthite and promises to use it to defend Nidal from the Chelaxians they will soon face. In the morning, before they set out, she tries to recall what she knew just days before about Chelaxians but the trauma of the journey has numbed her mind along with her toes.
Fair question, and it's not exactly obvious from how I've been posting it. She's not rolling Perception, she's using Diplomacy to Aid with the feat One For All. One for All: [◆ + ↺] With precisely the right words of encouragement, you bolster an ally’s efforts. Designate an ally within 30 feet; this action counts as sufficient preparation to Aid that ally. When you use the Aid reaction to help that ally, you can roll Diplomacy in place of the usual check and the action gains the bravado trait. Traits: Auditory, Concentrate, Emotion, Linguistic, Mental, Swashbuckler Combined with Cooperative Nature and Group Aid and Master in Diplomacy, she Crit Succeeds on anything other than a Nat 1, which just makes it a normal Success on the Aid check. And yes, Vanetta also has a pearly white aeon stone.
So cold. So damn cold. We've got to find shelter or we'll die, Vanetta laments internally. Externally, however, she keeps her brave face on. "Okay, this sucks, no doubt, but we're going to get through it. Watch for big swirls that reveal eddies in the wind caused by rocks or overhangs."*
Group Aid:
Your upbringing emphasized teamwork, and helping your allies comes naturally to you. After you Aid an ally at a skill check that doesn't have the attack trait, you can also Aid any other ally who attempts the same skill check for the same purpose that round. You do so as a free action rather than a reaction.
"Everyone, keep sharp! Remember your Pathfinder training (yeah, been a long time, I know). Ambrus said to keep your eyes moving so you don't stare into the same spot of whiteness for too long. C'mon, we've got this!" the ever cheerful Vanetta calls out in encouragement and advise. Though, if she were being honest, she's scared that they're going to freeze to death here in the shadows of Nidal where no one will ever find them.
"Mara, please listen to me. Yes, He sees. He sees everything in this His nation. And He sees that we are going to protect His people from the Chelaxians. Whatever else He knows is unimportant. Right now, we need to focus on protecting His people from the Asmodeans. Focus on that with me. Breathe. Focus." Vanetta lightly wraps her left hand around Mara's where she is holding the chain to provide some connection and calming touch to go along with her words.
Once back together, Vanetta would quietly and privately share Vali's request regarding the Chelaxian's war-plans with Othello, Ukh, and Jiki and ask them if Mara made any similar comments. She makes camp and ensures that Doris is fed, watered and groomed. The old mare and she are beginning to bond, and she hopes that no harm comes to Doris in the coming fight. In the morning as she eats her cold breakfast of biscuits and dried meat, Vanetta thinks about the Chelaxians and how best to get under their skin.
..."don't mention what I just said to Mara. I've seen her abduct friends of mine. Have little doubt she'd hesitate to do the same to even me." "Oh, don't worry about that. I'll probably just wait to see what she says first," Vanetta begins with a look across the magical stone bridge to the other half of the party, "either to me or to the others. Often times, being the diplomat is about just letting people talk," she finishes with a wry smile at exactly what just happened.
Once back together, Vanetta would quietly and privately share Vali's request regarding the Chelaxian's war-plans with Othello, Ukh, and Jiki and ask them if Mara made any similar comments.
Vanetta listens to Vali's plea with concern. Arshea is all about freedom, as is Vanetta personally. Perhaps that's why she venerates the Spirit of Abandon. Maybe that's why most people venerate the gods they choose - because that one particular deity or pantheon is the right fit for their personality or situation. When your god is chosen for you by where you're born, with no freedom to choose another, that doesn't really sit well with Vanetta. She nods to Vali, but ever the diplomat says, "I'm inclined to help you, but I would like to hear Mara's angle on this, too, just to be fair."
"Whoa, Doris, it's okay," Vanetta says as her "At least each group has a local guide. That's a blessing, right? So, we just work our way forward until we can double back on a different trail." She ponders other options she might have. "I can fly for short periods, but I can't carry a horse, I don't think," she offers.
She opts to just follow Vali's lead,
At the sound of Hobbs casting a spell, she turns back....
Vanetta sidles up to the group and tries her best to stretch her back in the saddle. "Most of us aren't used to riding this much, and certainly not our goblins. Maybe a short break wouldn't be a bad idea. I know I could use the chance to stretch and limber up," she says trying to be diplomatic. "And if we also appease Zon-Kuthon at the same time, that's not a bad thing."
Vanetta slips a pair of stylish dark sunglasses on. They've got a little logo on the side of a boutique in the Petal District of Absalom that makes bespoke magic items. "Sorry Doris, I don't have anything like this in horse-size." "Speaking of which, can the horses see well in the gloom?" she asks their guides.
Vanetta overhears a bit of Hobbs' story. She walks back past the horses and gives Doris a friendly swat on the butt. "Why am I not surprised?" she asks the horse (rhetorically, she thinks.) She's still smiling at the story as she approaches the dark niche where Mara is seated by herself. "Mara, your sister said you're a Kuthite priest. I don't know how much you know of Arshea, but she encourages us to learn about and try new things. So, I'd like to know more about your faith. Please." She tries to keep her gaze from locking onto the marks and scars, and really tries to focus on holding the dark-clad priestess' eyes.
Vanetta urges Doris forward to join the conversation, though she keeps her voice low as they are trying to avoid being spotted or noticed by any Chelaxian scouts. "I'm not sure I'd want a lesson in the 'deep strains' of Kuthite dogma, but Arshea teaches that we should try new things." She taps the small token that she got during a pilgrimage to an Arshea shrine in Korvosa now pinned to the lapel of her cloak. "We're also all about freedom, both of expression and experience, so maybe...."
"Doris," Vanetta says with a wry smile at the horse with the clipped ear that she was scritching behind the ear. "That explains why I was drawn to you. Doris was my mother's name." She goes over to where the Nidalese ladies are finishing up and gets a handful of oats for Doris. As the horse gratefully accepts her offering, Vanetta pats her flank. "Let's hope you're not the nag she was," she whispers to this Doris who responds with a flick of the ear and a snort but continues gobbling the oats. When the oats are gone, Vanetta wipes her hand on the saddle pad and vaults into the saddle with an acrobatic ease that hides her lack of experience on horseback. She pats Doris' flank again and signals to their guides that she's ready to go.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Vanetta says with a big smile as she tries to assuage Hobbs' fears. "I really don't know much about horses myself, but these do seem more docile and well-mannered," she says as she pats the nose of the one with a clipped ear. "I presume they each have names already," she asks Vali as Mara seems more shy. She can respect another's wish to be left alone, but at some point later will try to make friends with them both. |
