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Sorry, the site was down so long I forget to check. I never got a chance to give you guys advanced warning, but I'm moving this coming week and am currently in packing frenzy. Feel free to bot Willow as needed; I'll be back once we're settled for a few days.
I think my sheet is ok, nothing has really changed since I started.
Willow quickly realized her tiny dagger wasn't going to be much use against the snakes' Mithril plating -- but she followed Hel's example, and tried to harry the creature enough for Gallen to land a solid blow.
Willow winced at the first snake's bite, and tried not to think about the venom. She lashed out once as the other one slithered past... Her focus returned to the one between her and Gallen, and Willow looked for an opening; a chink in its plating.
Willow winced again, as the battle went poorly. She didn't know a whole lot about fighting constructs and doubted her little dagger would do much harm -- but she did know how to be a nuisance. She moved quickly, weaving between Wesh and Gallen, and tried to pass behind the serpents, following Hel's lead.
Willow grimaced as the silver serpent bit into Gallen, and raised her hand to toss the vial of acid. She knew there was no way to really hit the snake without hitting him in the splash, and blurted out a hasty "Sorry!" as she threw...
@Cole: Have fun at Pennsic!
Willow nodded as she took the bottles from Hel, and strung them to her own belt. She kept one in hand as the others prepared to open the door, not sure what to expect...but ready to react to whatever challenge hid beyond the doorway. She kept her eyes peeled for anything.
Willow nodded softly to Hel's whispered suggestion, but opted not to speak up; Cole was handling the boy quite well, and her mother had often advised against having too many cooks in the kitchen. She did listen closely to the boy's story, and while it made sense, it also sounded terribly convenient to her. "Gosh, he's a lucky boy," Willow 'whispered' up to Hel, albeit loud enough for the boy to overhear. "That thing we fought in the last room must've been sleepin' when he ran through..."
Willow nodded her agreement with Lutor, recognizing the language even though she wasn't fluent. She was soon much more interested in the newest room, and quickly got to work looking for any traps therein...or anything else that caught her eye.
Willow was relieved that the fight seemed to be over, but still didn't like the idea of lingering in the room any longer than necessary. "No traps here," she answered. "I'll check the other one..." Without hesitation, she padded over to the east door.
"On it!" Willow said at Hel's direction, and burst into motion. She slipped through the door, trying her best to avoid the mist, as she beat a hasty run towards the north door. She got to work, quickly looking the area over for anything amiss before getting too close.
Willow let out a sharp 'tsk' as she realized the mist wasn't even in place for knocking the lantern down to do any good. She kept her hand crossbow leveled and ready, in case it rose back up in a better position.
Hope it's ok that I posted out of order.
Willow had little time to look around before the red mist rose up from the grate. She didn't understand its words...but the fact that it spoke was enough to kindle her recognition. "RED MIST!" She cried out, knowing it by the name her family had used. There was genuine fear in her tone. "Burn it, burn it now! Weapons barely hurt it, and don't let it touch you -- it eats your blood and heals itself! Thinking quick, she leveled her crossbow on the lantern atop the pedestal. She held her shot, having no idea how quick the mist would burn or how large the conflagration would be. "Cole, out! I got the lantern!" OOC:
Willow slumped her shoulders at the wall of impenetrable darkness, and shook her head at Lutor's question. "You'll have to throw it, I can't see a thing until someone shatters that thing-that-blinds-us orb." Lacking or swarmsuit, or sleeves like Cole's, Willow simply readied her hand crossbow and prepared to stay out of the way. Sometimes being a good member of a team meant knowing when to hang back and let the more capable handle a given situation. "By all means, smash away," she said to Cole.
Willow looked past those ahead of her to see into the frosty room. She wrinkled her brow in thought, then her eyes went wide with sudden realization. "Mold!" she said. "If you get close it'll sap away your body heat... It's gotta be frozen to kill it. Once we kill it the room should be safe enough." She paused a moment to gesture to the footprints. "Oh, and I'm guessing we shouldn't follow those."
Willow looked down the path that Gallen had found, as Wesh offered to go first. She doubted the first room would be cruel enough to have traps before the secret door, but that was just one extra reason to be careful.
Willow gave a defeated "Ok..." when Hel mentioned the viability of her disguise. With a slight mental flex, her form shifted to a more normal looking halfling dressed as a Mitran guard; complete with big, hairy feet. Searching through the chamber, she pointed to the door. "Trap," she said, and pointed. "Don't get within ten feet of that door."
Willow nodded pensively to Gallen's clarifications. "Yeah, you got a pretty good point. I'd rather not walk face-first into an ambush." She said. Willow was visibly relieved when Tiadora left them. The introduction to the salesman in the basement was quite odd, however... She made a sour face while looking over his prices, and didn't anticipate buying anything from him, ever. In any other setting she would have considered him a solid mark, but wouldn't be so brazen as to rob one of the Cardinal's own men...even if the greedy fellow had it coming. Descending the stairs, she eyed the words above the archway with a smirk. They were wise words. Her face lit up with excitement as Lutor used the saying to segue into his revelation about their iron circlets. She had known something was up after Hel's appearance change, but didn't expect it was a gift they had all been given. Willow watched Lutor and Cole change their own appearances, and donned her circlet as well. After a few moments of contemplation, she changed her appearance to that of a small human girl with long, blonde hair and piercing green eyes -- what she imagined Tiadora must have looked like as a child.
Though Willow had spent part of their three-day interlude sneaking about -- particularly around the White Ravens and their rooms -- she shed her mousiness when they were called before Cardinal Thorn. She had a deep respect for him despite the short length of time they had known him, and listened carefully to the orders he gave. "Thank you, we will not disappoint you." She assured him with a measure of calm. Once they were out of his office, however, Willow was bubbling with excitement. "Nine testing chambers!" she gushed. "Papa only had one in our basement, and was mostly just fake doors and chests with practice locks. Cardinal Thorn probably has much better testing chambers. Do you think he's got traps, or some pets or monsters for us to fight?" Unless told to quiet herself, Willow continued her musings the entire time as they followed Tiadora. When Gallen spoke up about their proposed marching orders, she ho-hummed a little. "Well, yeah, I guess. But unless you're really, really good at spotting traps, you bigguns might want me where I can see where we're going."
Right! Ok, cut it to 2 doses of applecheek for 20gp, giving her 30 more left for 149; then spending 125 towards the wand, leaving her with 24gp and 5sp left.
Willow wants to add a few more purchases: Cold iron dagger, 4gp
Totals 149gp
Checks: Elise Zadaria:
Dostan Alfson:
Tallus Rackburn:
Titus Rackburn:
Willow slept well despite the little unpleasantness at the tail end of dinner. Being able to get a sound sleep in any circumstances was something she, and many other halflings, took pride in -- and these circumstances were more comfortable than the streets, a cell, or getting knocked out on the roadside. The moment her things were delivered, Willow dug into them to see if everything was there. She threw on the scarf first and had a go with hiding a few things in its concealed pockets, quite pleased with herself. The true prizes, however, where the tiny thieves tools and a hand crossbow, sized right for her! Willow made a mental not to get some silver and cold-iron bolts, and maybe a dagger of each, as had been suggested. On learning about the White Ravens, Willow was casually dismissive of them. At least openly. When she was certain no one was around, she snuck about their rooms, eves-dropped on conversations, and tried to learn about them all in her own clandestine ways. Hel: Willow is pretty much an open book to Hel. Regarding the other Branderscar escapees, she's optimistic. Having escaped from Branderscar, even with a little outside assistance, is no easy feat --and she does express that, even if she never outright says it. She doesn't know as much about Lutor, but has taken a shine to him for some reason. She sees the dynamic between Hel, Wesh, Cole, and Gallen; and Willow feels like she and Lutor aren't quite part of that 'team' yet.
As for the 'team' and her place in it, she's not used to being in charge and doesn't mind filling a role given to her. Hel already knows about the Burkle family, and Willow seems to want the group to work like her family did; a well-organized rogue's gallery who can work together on multiple projects, each able to operate on their own, but everyone still willing to put differences aside and eat dinner together every night. Regarding Thorn, Willow is deeply enthralled with him -- something Hel might not be used to seeing from her. The Burkle family were outed as diabolists, and even though Willow wasn't a witch, and wasn't active in the coven, she holds a deep reverence for them; and she regards Thorn with the same reverence she had for her Aunty, and the rest of the Burkle witches. Once Willow finds out about Grumblejack she avoids that room at all costs, afraid she might literally get eaten.
"What about you, Willow? Any recommendations on how to handle what we might face?" Perhaps the halfling filcher will give more practical advice on the immediate situation they look to be headed into. Willow had shrugged noncommittally when that question had come up. "Think on your feet," she said, mid-chew. She swallowed her food and drank half her cup. "Yeah, I know, you already knew that...well, I hope everyone already knew it...but it really is the best advice. You can plan all ya want, but we don't know what trials or training are in store, and we should be expect to be surprised. You never know how good a crew is until things go sideways...then you learn a lot about them." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Willow nodded her assent to Hel's assessment of their roles and strengths, trusting her to know the others better than she, herself, did. Willow inwardly cringed as some friction slowed the conversation. Arguing with each other was bad -- and storming off to bed was a bad way to start a partnership. The worst seemed to be between Wesh and Hel, but Lutor's comment to Cole made her frown as well. The last thing she wanted was to make matters worse by speaking out, but Willow didn't want the evening to end with lingering resentments, either. "Hey!" She half-shouted, as some of them were leaving. She stood up on the seat of her chair. "C'mon, come back? We're gonna need to work together, even when we're tired..."
In typical halfling fashion, Willow had dug into her food the moment her plate was in front of her. She had paused mid-chew when Hel requested a prayer, but gladly resumed when Cole said no prayer was needed. She listened to the conversation while she ate, a little perturbed by the thought that their 'trials' had already begun. "Papa always said, you gotta be able to trust your family," she said. "I guess it makes sense if the Cardinal doesn't consider us all family just yet. But I think we need to be family, with each other. No lies, no secrets, no paranoia...and we gotta have each others' backs, no matter what." She offered a knowing nod towards Hel. Willow paused to refill her plate, as the conversation moved on to strategies and abilities. She ho-hummed at Sir Gallen's talk of backup weapons, their material composition, and unarmed training...and knew she would need to shore up her combat skills.
Willow stretched and yawned when she heard Hel's knock at the door. She had dozed off after filling out the requisition form Mr. Enbarran had brought. It wasn't until then that she realized just how exhausted she'd been -- even after her impromptu nap on the roadside. She padded over to the door and opened it, then looked up at Hel mid-yawn, with half-shut eyes. "Oh!" She said, perking up a little. "Yeah, I could eat." She smiled; the promise of food was a well known weakness among halflings.
Thanks. :) Willow still had 118gp left, so she's up to 268gp right now. No trouble chipping in 125 for the wand, which is a really good idea.
Willow half-listened to the conversation while she browsed the contract. She had no doubts on signing it, but she knew only a fool signed a contract without reading it first...and her Aunty always said, Asmodeus had no need for fools in His service. When Cardinal Thorn conjured an actual Devil to answer questions, she was simply awestruck... Her Aunty's coven summoned a fiendish animal now and then, and even an imp or two -- with one to serve as her Aunt's familiar -- but never anything so grand or powerful. Between Gallen's amazing revelation and Dessiter's arrival, all while standing before a true High Priest of Asmodeus, Willow almost felt like she was in some sort of diabolist fairy tale. With no hesitation, she picked up the silver dagger and made a small slit on her left palm (it was closer to the heart, Aunty always said), and set her name to the page; Willow Burkle She took a step back out of the way, with a look to the Cardinal, then Dessiter, and then the others. "I won't let you down, any of you." She assured.
Hearing the contempt in Tiadora's tone, Willow only offered Hel a wan smile and said no more. Personal matters would have to wait... Willow looked around inquisitively at everything in the manor, particularly enticed by the rich trappings in the master's office. She listened to him with curiosity and suspicion, unsure what to make of his claims. Although her Aunty had led the Burkle family in worship, they were more a coven and a cult -- Willow knew little of Asmodeus' formal church, in its past glory. But if a truly ordained Cardinal had survived so long, he would be a powerful ally. She nodded softly after Cole spoke, not terribly surprised to hear him speak of his own place in their faith. Willow took a short step forward. "I'm in," she said, her tone stern and conspiratorial, a stark contrast to the way she'd spoken in the hall. "I'll do anything to help burn the Mitrans to the ground...anything."
Willow looked on as more people came out into the hall. Human men, and pretty tough looking at that. She smirked a little when Cole called her by name, but only shrugged at his assertion. She didn't know what Tiadora, or her master, wanted with all of them, but... "Willow? Burkle?!? What are you doing here? What are you doing here?!?" The moment Willow heard her last name, she whipped around to see who had said it. The familiarity of the voice struck her a split second before she laid eyes on the speaker -- and she was awestruck. Though momentarily stunned, with eyes wide and jaw agape, Willow's feet carried her quickly and she threw herself into Hel's embrace, her small arms holding as tightly as she could manage. "You're alive!" She practically shouted. "They said you were going to be executed right away... I thought you were... but you're alive!" Willow pulled away, still in disbelief, while a flash of guilt and sorrow crossed her face. Her own mind replayed everything that had happened since they'd taken Hel away, not sure where to begin. "Harkon's alive, too." She said, bitterly. "You hurt him pretty bad. I tried to finish him off...found where they were treating him and put a dagger in his back, but it wasn't enough." Willow rolled up her sleeve, to show the 'F' branded on her forearm, barely a day old.
Willow paid no mind to the slave while she bathed, ate, and dressed. Her reception had already been an odd one, but she had already made up her mind not to question it. With her wounds tended and her belly full, a hint of cautiousness and self preservation crept back into her thoughts. Sifting through the wardrobe, she selected some more subtle garments among those available; muted colors, easy to run in, and not so fancy it would stand out too much. When Tiadora arrived Willow was quick to follow, but surprised to find others gathering in the hall. She looked up -- way, way up -- at the tall robed man nearby. "Um... Hi," she said, affecting a sheepish tone. "I'm Willow..." She looked around at the other open doorways, curious to see how many others there were.
Thanks for the warm welcome! And before I forget (again), I'm going to roll my second hit die here...
Dotting in, and a huge thank you for picking my little Halfling!
My entry for a fun little halfling rogue! Crunch is in the profile but might need some touching up; I'll post her background both there and here for convenience. I'll try to get a separate personality/appearance entry written up soon. :) Background: Willow grew up in a populous city in Talingarde. The Burkle family was a large one; her parents had owned a clean and popular tavern uptown, while her Aunt ran an apothecary next door. Willow had three older brothers and a handful of cousins, with many more relatives scattered throughout the city. Outwardly they were typical, amiable halflings -- but behind closed doors the Burkles had a long history of witchcraft and diabolism, along with strong ties to the criminal underworld. Her Aunty presided over the family coven, with an Asmodean shrine hidden in the apothecary basement, while her parents kept strong connections with the rest of the family throughout the city, running con jobs, heists, and burglaries. Willow learned the ins and outs of the Burkle business as she came of age, and did her part to help out when she was old enough. While diabolism was the norm, she didn’t have much of a knack for witchcraft. With her small size she found her talent slipping into small spaces, jimmying locks, and filching goods in the marketplace. She might have had a promising future, but the Burkle family secret wasn’t kept carefully enough. A few years ago the coven was outed, and witch-hunters raided the family homes. Willow was the youngest child and too young to be implicated, but the rest of the family -- parents, aunt, and her three older siblings -- were taken and sentenced for consorting with dark powers. Willow would always remember the day the witch-hunters came, led by the worst of them all, Sir Balin of Karfeld... With her family headed to Branderscar -- some to their executions and some to a life in the mines -- Willow took to the streets. She still had extended family, but the black mark on the Burkle name made it hard to get by, and without any training in witchcraft, she only had her wits and petty theft to rely on. Willow shed her family name, and kept to the poorer areas of the city to escape notice. She grew accustomed to hiding, begging, and stealing to survive. With her stature and looks she had a knack for passing as a human child, often with minimal effort, and took advantage of that whenever it suited her. Pretending to be a lost kid could get her a hot meal and a warm bed in a pinch, or even distract some guards while co-conspirators slipped by. Once she was even fortunate enough to get invited into a guardhouse, to keep warm on a rainy night. She’d stole a peek at some of their schedules while there, and was surprised to find notes on none other than Sir Balin. With some forewarning to when and where the famed witch-hunter would be, she tried to scrape together enough gold to hire someone to kill him. She couldn’t find enough coin, nor anyone foolish enough to make an attempt on Balin’s life. While Willow was able to hold her own in a scrape, she didn’t dare test her mettle against him... Instead she sought to slip her way into where he slept, and plant a dagger firmly in his spine. Getting in was far easier than it should have been, but it didn’t go well from there. Balin was a light sleeper, and though she managed to score a solid stab, it was far too little to fell the man...and she was no match for him. Hardly a day later, and after a hasty trial, Willow found herself en route to Branderscar. She was a good slip, but knew no one had ever escaped from that hell-hole. With her small hands and a knack for locks, she managed to free herself and a handful of other captives. While others fought with the guards, she ran -- as far and as fast as she could. (Note: I don’t know any place names or specifics for the setting. I imagine Willow’s home was a large city with a sizeable population of poor people, but where halflings wouldn’t be too out of place in the middle-class areas.)
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