"Attack it from range? I certainly don't want to get within 60 feet of it."
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Ok, it's been a while. Remind me, we were assaulting Rasputin's camp?
"Well that looks...ominous. Any ideas?"
Likewise.
I like that.
I would kind of like to take a rest and come back later, since that's easier than combing back through the Gameplay to see how much I'd expended in terms of spells and whatnot. But is there a chance our foes would be ready when we came back? Do we need to do this now?
Take your time. the site isn't going anywhere.
Vasily casts Scorching Ray at the lady that's first in line to come in the door.
"If we go outside, we draw fire from the towers. Let's let them come to us. Jetro, can you get the door, make them come in single file?" Vasily says, looking to the other man.
Vasily follows Jetro.
"Probably best to use it to hem those tanks in, as best you're able."
"Let's find out what that approaching party is first."
Vasily inhales, then launches another blast of frozen air.
Vasily tries the door. If it opens, he steps in and uses his breath weapon on as many soldiers as possible.
Just before they go, Vasily launches a fireball at the next tower over.
Vasily watches Sigurd work nervously, but still isn't able to dodge the blast entirely. Should've cast Resist Electricity, blast it.
Vasily glances at the device, but merely shrugs. His understanding of modern technology is limited, at best. He moves to stay close to Duardlara, ready for the next teleport.
After dropping Jetro, Vasily flies across the tower and unleashes his breath weapon on the three soldiers who are conveniently lined up.
Vasily locks his clawed limbs around Jetro's waist and chest, and follows Duardlara up, dropping the human on the catwalk near the door. He positions himself just beside the door, ready to blast his breath weapon in at a moment's notice.
"Going up?" Vasily, in his silver dragon form asks, looking around.
Vasily will cast Mage Armor, Stoneskin, Resist Energy (Fire), Shield, Form of the Dragon I, Enlarge Person, Mirror Image on himself, holding off on Haste for the moment.
I have haste.
Any magic to help all of us see at night? I don't have anything special. Vasily scratches his head for a minute as he runs through his spells. "Not as such, no. I could turn you into a man-sized dragon for about a dozen minutes, that would greatly enhance your senses. But that's a powerful spell to use for so minor a benefit."
"Short of actually blinding them, then telling them falsehoods, no. Maybe one of you could provide a magical veil or something? Or, if we are clothed as soldiers, we could pretend to have taken you prisoner, bringing you to the chaplains for interrogation - it could work better, albeit I am not familiar enough with their protocol that I'm confident I could pull off this bluff-", Sigurd looks at Vasily expectantly, hoping his comrade was more confident in his abilities or could provide some magical solution. Vasily nods, slowly. ”That’s…possible, but they likely have some sort of password system in place, and unless we can capture someone and ferret out the word of the day, that will probably trip us up. It’s also possible that that scum Rasputin actually employs some trolls, but I don’t know.”
"I am...not unpersuasive. But I don't know that I'm that persuasive."
Vasily nods. "That would be my preference as well."
Vasily straightens his Russian officer's uniform. "That'd be helpful." he says in Russian, translating for the benefit of the non-Russian-speakers.
I...don't play high level full casters enough and forgot that some components cost real money. May need to dump my hand haversack for a regular backpack to buy some diamond dust.
Vasily looks slightly askance at Sigurd when he mentions his pagan deity, but he remains quiet. "I have the ability to make one more durable, or create phantom images, but each only effects a single person, unfortunately. I can also potentially blind a cluster of enemies."
Vasily blinks a couple of times. ”Not the sentiment I was expecting from a troll, if you don’t mind my saying.”
"My magic tends toward the destructive, but I do have some more defensive or generally applicable tricks I can use as well." he says, before launching into a long and detailed description.
"I suppose we should get this out of the way..." Vasily says, before removing his hat. As the hat of disguise ceases function, his true form is revealed My family are sorcerers, descended from an ancient silver dragon that took up residence here several millenia ago. Given that you speak this tongue he taught me, perhaps your world was once his home. Our line has watched over hidden places in this world ever since. In addition to the sorcerous powers that run in my veins, I'm not bad in a fight." he says, smiling a smile as toothy as it is mirthless, and cracking the knuckles of his clawed hands. Then he puts the hat back on and resumes his human appearance. "These changes only really began after puberty, the hat allows me to resume a form approximating what I would've looked liked, if not for my...origin."
”Blood-sucking ‘chaplains’. Vasily scoffs, ”By Saint Vladimir my forefather, is there no perversion he will not stoop to?”
Vasily will continue to translate. For himself, he says ”We have legends that speak of Baba Yaga. They are fairly common here in Russia. Largely stories peasants tell to frighten their children into behaving. Most people think they are only legends. I am no longer surprised to learn that “fairy tales” are truer than the commoners believe, though I must confess I do not know how much of what children’s stories say about her are true.” Vasily will then try to recall some of the details from a few of the tales he’s heard.
Vasily will translate for Sigurd. For himself, he says Common:
"I am Vasily Serebroskij, now Duke of Serebro, with my father's passing. If that even matters, given the state of the Empire." he gazes off into the middle distance momentarily, then seems to shake himself out of it. "I am sorry. Our nation has been through much upheaveal lately, our royal family killed and many nobles overthrown. My own family has suffered in this madness. I hold one man responsible: the false monk Rasputin. In my youth, a decade ago and more, I was sent to Moscow to study with and be raised alongside of the Emperor's children. I remember that man as a dark shadow in my childhood, always lurking, always a malign influence. My own family has...long watched over our Imperial cousins as guardians, albeit hidden ones. Even as a child I was taught what to look for; the signs of evil men. He is one, without doubt. But I was able to persuade no one, and indeed, he used his malign influence to have me sent away. Since that time I have redoubled my efforts, training all the harder to master our ancestral...abilities, in the hopes I could redeem myself. In the meantime, the Romanovs have all been killed, but rumor tells me that that man still lurks behind it all. We tracked him out this way, following rumors of strange goings-on at a supposedly-abandoned prison camp. I will see him dead, if it takes my last breath." If you're looking closely, you might notice that despite the warmth of the room, Vasily's breath still seems to fog when he speaks quickly.
Turning apologetically to Sigurd, Vasily replies. Russian:
Sorry. She asked if we knew the mad monk. You heard the tone of my response. She says they're no friends of his, and we can come in." Turning back to the thin woman, he says Common: With that, he follows Duardlara into the hut. "Forgive my associate, he does not speak the tongue of outlanders. The cold does not bother me, but I will be happy to come inside."
Unable to help himself, Vasily spits into the snow and snarls out a response in the same tongue*. ”Yes, I know that foul name. If you are in league with that accursed traitor, that false monk, the one responsible for the downfall and murder of the Romanovs, then we will have no more civil words.” *He doesn’t often speak common, so he has quite a thick Russian accent.
Vasily was a young man, if man was even the right term for someone like him, and he'd had a sheltered upbringing, but that didn't make him naive. In fact, he was more aware of the world's secrets than most people. But he was still pretty incredulous as he and Sigurd approached the chicken hut. Not so naive as to disbelieve it as something out of a fairy tale. Hell, he'd learned most of what he knew about magic from an honest-to-God dragon. But this...this was still pretty unusual. Incongruously, given his abilities, his hand strayed unconsciously to his officer's model Nagant revolver, but as he felt his hand brush the grip he pulled it away, not wanting to spook whoever was inside. He spread his empty hands wide as he approached. Russian:
"We come in peace!" he said, loud enough to carry over the cold wind. For the others, approaching you is a young-ish man with light blonde hair and ice blue eyes, wearing a Russian officer's field uniform with a heavy coat over it. And another...
Good day, comrades.
Ok. This is Ouachitonian's submission. I ended up going with a Draconic Sorcerer->Dragon Disciple, operating on the assumption that our world was not wholly lacking magic in those days, it was just well-concealed. I tried to tie him into Russian history as best I could (I also read some of y'all's gameplay to try to get an idea of how the AP treats things), while still being clearly fantastical. One question: I took the Favored Prestige Class feat. Normally that just allows the standard 1 HP/1 skill point, but would you allow me to continue progressing the Human Sorcerer FCB, in the same way that DD continues progressing the Sorcerer's Draconic Bloodline? If not I'll probably pick a different feat, I think I can find something more useful than 9 HP. For the 2 bonus skill points, I went with Profession (teacher) to represent that he was a budding scholar who might have become a professor, had he lived in more peaceful times.
Melkyzadyk is here, lurking. He is patient, for he has time aplenty.
Ok, here is Ouachitonian's submission; Melkyzadyk, the Silver-Blue Dragon, late of Triaxus, now of...how curious, what is this place, exactly? As I said above, he's basically an attempt to build a dragon with a PC race (Taninim) and class levels (Gestalt Draconic Exemplar/Draconic Sorcerer). I tried to hew closely to the flavor of dragons he's descended from, taking most of my spells from the Blue and Silver dragon Bestiary entries (and most of the rest are a mix of cold and electricity attack spells), similarly choosing Draconic Exemplar Gifts, Weapons, Defenses, and Essence to mirror his ancestry. Should be a hell of a switch hitter, able to close and hammer enemies with six natural attacks, or hover and rain his cold breath weapon, Lightning Bolt, Snowball, etc from on high. He has no items except a Bag of Holding II full of 11,500 GP. Because whoever buried him thought he might need a bed in the afterlife. I did use ABP; it just seemed appropriate. I see some of the others have offered multiple submissions. I might do that. Not sure yet.
GM, you missed me. Ouachitonian: Sir Rædwald, LG Agathion Paladin of Apsu/Draconic Sorcerer
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