Computer was commandeered by wife for work stuff. New goal is Tuesday for chronicles.
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Amazingly, Nijena and ARkynn both high tail it faster than the prison guards, heading to the Dirty Troll tavern. Luckily, they head to a washroom and clean themselves off quickly and leave through a back door before the officer can place them in the crowd. The party regroups at the Woodsedge Lodge. Eliza is waiting there with the real Lofton as Venza/Lofton sighs exasperatingly. "Gods dammit, how could you let me grow such a beard?!" Scroll in hand, Eliza comments, "Don't worry, you can talk to him soon enough." Eventually, she casts the spell on the scroll, and the flower-wearing real Lofton slowly removes his smile and looks over the party and at Eliza before commenting, "Eliza, why I am I dressed in such ridiculous garb... wait, that is not a mirror.". He looks down and audibly screams as he looks at his hands. "What is this madness?" "Look, follow me to the river and things'll be back ta normal, alright?", Venza comments. The party escorts the two to a river after the coast is clear and performs the ritual. The two soaking men look relieved as they are returned into their normal bodies. Venza, smiles to Lofton, "Sorry for the umm... legal pickle you're in. You outta lay low for a while." Turning to the party, Venza then explains, "So the intel you're looking for. So yeah, the mastermind is some dude named Colson Maldris. Don't know why he did it, but he did say something about 'slavery insidiously poisoning even the halls of freedom.'" Venza closes his eyes as he ponders some the information. "Oh yes, one of the prisoners was a guy named Halmont Warrith. I remember he mentioned something about getting out of jail early after a key witness in his trial mysteriously disappeared. Colson and the Gardeners took him and some others to the capital, Isarn. Anyway, hope that helps ya. I'm gonna get outta here. Hear Taldor's nice this time of year." Now, the party can talk to the real Lofton who is still adjusting to being sensible and back in his normal body.
The party makes their escape, with the officer screaming bloody murder. Unfortunately, two of the party needs to hide out safely...
Zarzuket's elemental surprises the officer who is hit by the rock. Arkynn's fleeing apology falls upon raging ears. "You'll be sorry when I have your head upon a stick!"
PM me your email addresses and PFS info for your PCs and I can get chronicles out. You guys have basically finished this as most everyone can escape the prison, the rest is some RP. Zarzuket: I will say that your PC is released from PbP obligations, although let me know if you need XP/gold info.
The paladin is shocked by the man exploding in front of her, but she steels her wits and worries about the mission at hand and getting everyone else to escape. Flanking with Pip, she strikes at the officer with the flat of her polearm.
The officer gets slapped in the chest hard, but she takes the blow in stride and continues to strike with vengeance at Arkynn!
Arkynn avoids the dangerous blow by reading the easily telegraphed swing! Init Order (bold = up)
Arkynn suddenly appears as her rapier pierces the guard. Much to the party's horror, the electrified weapon causes the man's chest to explode violently, covering Arkynn and Nijena with quick-charred flesh and bone with the two broken halves of the Keeper of Records landing on the ground with a squishy plop.
"Il...Illian... you bastard!", the officer's eyes almost turning red as all of her rage at the current scenario is now aimed directly at the tiefling. Erevan takes this moment of distraction to pierce the prison leader with his blade, but her nearly raging instincts cause her to turn aside ad prevent the weapon from piercing deeper into her side. Pip ineffectually tries to get anyone's attention, but his peeping billy club does little to affect the combat. Meanwhile, Zarzuket prepares some magical trickery! Init Order (bold = up)
The officer, seeing the number of fleeing people, tries to keep at least one in the area, moving forward to trip Erevan!
However the half-elf easily moves the polearm aside with his blade! A voice yells from outside, sounding awfully like Venza/Lofton, "Hey, the outside guards are missing! Make a break for it!" Init Order (bold = up)
GM Dice:
Zarzuket works his way forward while the invisible Arkynn tries to through confusion into the guards... but fails. "Block the entrance and shut the doors!", the officer shouts forward. The gate guard heads towards the other side of the gate and starts fumbling with the keys to the gate!
Init Order (bold = up)
Pip pushes the red guard backwards; only Nijena's body stops him the guard from traveling more. "Keep your pervy hands off of my men!", the officer shouts at Pip!
Erevan puts the pressure on the red guard, following up and stabbing him in the leg! Init Order (bold = up)
Nijena is cut along her side, but she still gets up and moves forward. Arkynn invisibly bides her time... The officer then steps back closer to Erevan and works her polearm towards Nijena's feet again!
However, the flustered officer scratches the floor in her attempt! "Damn you, surrender yourselves!", she shouts! Arkynn hears the faster sounds of invisible foot steps moving towards the exit. Init Order (bold = up)
Zarzuket vanishes as well while Pip stands up, ready to swing . Erevan scratches the next guard, although he steps back to retaliate, shouting, "Hold back you cretins!"
However, the nimble fighter easily leaps over the swing landing in a dramatic defensive pose! Init Order (bold = up)
The paladin nonviolently strikes at the gate guard, hoping to just knock him out so Zarzuket can get out!
And with a solid blow, the guard falls to the ground, drooling over himself! She then presses forward, trying to take the next swings for the others!
She avoids the nasty trip attempt! The prison officer then steps up, swinging her weapon at Nijena's legs!
And with a thud the paladin lands on the ground! Unbeknownest to all, Lofton does something... GM Dice:
"Hey, something just bumped past me!", the officer shouts! Init Order (bold = up)
Erevan is strengthed while Pip leads the way...
Unfortunately, Pip's lead is halted almost immediately.
Erevan darts forward, leaping over Pip's form, and once more scratching the gate guard. With the party too close to him, the guard guard drops his polearm and replaces it with a longsword, swiping at Erevan!
But Erevan easily redirects the swing to the wall with his own blade. The keeper moves to flank against Erevan, swinging his polearm at the surrounded warrior!
And the nimble half-elf ducks under that attack! Init Order (bold = up)
A door between the two guards opens up, and a more heavily armored woman steps out, barking "Prisoners! Surrender now and the revolution may spare your lives!", her polearm aimed straight at the party... and right in front of Arkynn! Lofton chugs the vial and disappears... Init Order (bold = up)
Erevan scratches the fleeing guard, but tis only a flesh wound!
The guard takes the kick to the stomach, but Erevan feels the ab strength of a man who never skipped his situps and he maintains he footing.
The guard then bolts for the other side of the gate as he grabs his guisarme and jams his key into the winch, causing the portcullis to begin lowering. The metal barrier is already dropping to near head level. "We gotta breakout!", he yells over his shoulder. DC 15 Engineering or Intelligence:
You recall from before that it took about 24 seconds for the gate to rise before and given what you are seeing now, it will take the same amount of time... minus the time it has gotten now. From around the corner, the keeper of the logs comes around, shouting, "Blast it all to hell, I knew you all were some damned finks!" His pole arm is out, ready to stab at anyone who dares approach the second gate. Init Order (bold = up)
The guard thinks about it, then says, "Wait, how'd ya get such fun things?! Sumptins' wrong 'ere." It is about that time that Arkynn unlocks the door. "Wait, what are you doing?!", the gate guard asks, grabbing his sword with one hand and keys with the other as he starts to back up. Venza-Lofton, "Bugger it, we gotta make a run fer it!"
Inits:
Init Order (bold = up)
Before the guard can reach the vial, Pip's outburst gets his attention. "Whaddya lettin' 'im talk ta ya like dat? Mash his teeth in!", he snaps at Zarzuket, leaving the guard momentarily distracted.
Arkynn moves to hand Lofton the invisibility potion when it happens. She butterfingers. With an audible 'clank', the glass hits the ground, amazingly not shattering. Still, the others fail to distract the guard well enough for Arkynn to retrieve the potion and the guard asks, "What's that?", as he approaches the vial.
While Pip aids Zarzuket's attempt to distract the guard, Erevan's initial question does little to get his attention.
"Ahh, right-o!", the guard almost too comfortable sending an old man to a cell. He takes a key from his pocket and inserts it into the side of a winch that now loosens. He then cranks in several times, lifting the portcullis door to the ceiling. "I'll await, mates." The party is now in the cell blocks. The sole prisoner is on the right side. His eyes widen as the party approaches. In a loud whisper, he tries to contact the group. "Yo! You guys! Get me outta here! I ain't any use to you dead!" , the portcullis guard shouts, although he now looks intently towards the cellblocks after "Lofton's" outburst.
With Pip in tow, Nijena, Zarzuket, and Erevan lead the way with Ottavia following along for support. Arkynn tags along invisibly and hopefully quickly! "We finally found the peeping tom that's been spying on the mayor's wife.", Ottavia mentions to the guards outside of the prison. "Bout bloody time.", one mentions, opening the gate for the party to enter. "Wait, why are there four of you for just one old man?", the other asks. Ottavia pauses for a second before replying, "We need this many to make sure he doesn't just randomly drop his pants." The guard then nods in agreement. "Right, nobody wants to see that." With that, the party is escorted in. The keeper of records right inside looks up and asks, "Who is the guilty party and the person's crime?" "Pip, pervert.", Ottavia quickly answers, trying to leave little room for any rebuttals. "Right-o. Tell Sarrel cellblock three." Ottavia then nods to the party and departs, leaving the others to move forward on their own. The group then leads forward, although they are aware that the keeper looks intently on the party. At the end of the hallway, a lone guard blocks the portcullis to the cells behind him. "Oy, where's dis blighta goin'?", he asks.
The party decides to get some intel from Ottavia. They catch her just as she is leaving her post, and she thus requests everyone follow her to her favored haunt, the Drunken Morlock. After the group explains their plight to the guard, she sighs. "That is one pickle you are in. I can tell you about the place, but I can't help you more than that." She then leans in to whisper, "If word got out I helped you all with a jailbreak, it'd cost me my job, and only that if I am lucky."{/b] Continuing in a low voice, she starts going over the prison. [b]"So there will be up to a half-dozen guards at all times with a high-profile execution like this happening. The entrance will likely have a couple of them posted to make sure no one gets through without legitimate business... I can help you that much at least. But after those guards will be the Keeper of the Logs, who notes everyone who comes in. They also have to check any notes asking for a prisoner's entrance or release, too. " "Around the corner to the right will be the office for the prison officer in charge of the place... Raevelin Harlowe. Luckily, with such a major event happening, she'll likely be sticking to paper inside unless the alarm is given. Just past her office will be the portcullis that blocks off the cellblocks. A guard is stationed there with a key to the winch." "So the last thing I can do is I can get back into my guard outfit and walk you past the Keeper of the Logs, but only if you can find a nonviolent way to break Lofton free."
Sorry, had some more computer issues and basically had to reinstall the OS. Downside is having to reinstall all the apps and having no idea were some of the old install discs went for some important things like office /sigh.
Sorry, computer with all of my PDFs and stuff went kaput. Hoping to get a new one by tomorrow!
About five minutes after the raven is sent out, it is returned with a missive from Pentulegro: Please return Lofton to the Woodsedge Lodge, where we can keep him safe and honor our word to Venza to get him to safety for the information. The party makes their way through the forest and is about 30 minutes away from the Lodge when Pentulegro's voice can be heard in everyone's head. Pathfinders! The fake Alois Lofton has been arrested and 'tried' by the Gardeners! He is scheduled to be executed at sundown! Please rescue him from the Woodsedge Jail! It is currently 4pm, leaving the party only 3 hours to prepare and head to the jail before the execution commences.
"Oh that... he's been like that for years!", Fiffernetter exclaims. "Golly, I have tried everything I could to get him back to his senses, since he is a lousy conversationalist like this. But gosh darn it, he didn't get aaaaany better.", she pouts. "Maybe though, he'd get better if you got him back together with the other half that left wearing his real body and you undo the ritual that switched them!" Fiffernetter then gets a stick and starts drawing in the dirt, with a pair of stick men used for Lofton and presumably Venza. "Undoing the ritual is reeeeeeal easy! All you hafta do is is tie the two of them together with vines and throw them into a source of pure water, then sever the vines to break the link!" She looks at the blank, yet smiling face of Lofton. "Well, at least he's still happy in case you can't do the thing." Fiffernetter then gives Nijena one last hug. "Okays, he's all yours as promised. Ta ta!" With that, the small gerbie frolics back into the forest. DC 12 Intelligence check:
You remember that Venture-Captain Petulengro gave you an item to send her a message once you have figured out Lofton's state.
The man smiles at hearing 'Lofton', but does not make any intelligible words. DC 20 Kn: Arcana or Heal: If you had to guess, you figure that Lofton is afflicted with the equivalent of a feeblemind spell.
Indeed! Have fun and don't fall into the hot springs!
The party recovers what they can as well as themselves, and then heads back to Fiffernetter to return with the good news. Back at the Northern Venduran Collective, Fiffernetter awaits. She smiles as the party returns. "Ohh goody! I am glad to see you have returned completely uneaten! I'm so sowwy for making you do such a mean, nasty thing." She then begins to frolic. "This way, please! Your Lofton prize awaits!" The fey leads the party several hundred feet away towards a cave well hidden by the local flora. Moving some thick brush aside, the happy fey reveals a scraggly bearded man wearing a headband of flowers. He looks about in a dazed manner, making simple excited sounds at the arrival of guests. "Tadaaaa!", Fiffernetter exclaims, her small hand outstretched.
Between Nijena and the elemental's blow, the troll vomits some blood and falls to the forest floor unconscious. Erevan quickly lights a torch and presses it against the troll, ensuring its demise as Arkynn finally discharges her weapon into the foul giant.
The troll's body has some rancid smelling, if not useful gear.
Arkynn once more tries to run the troll through!
However, the troll manages to avoid the rapier once more and laughs as he now begins to heal up his injuries! Still seeing Nijena as the biggest threat, the troll tries to rip her apart once more!
Seemingly emboldened by his restored regeneration, his claws pierce through the paladin's armor, leaving her in a haggard state. Init Order (bold = up)
Nijena smashes the troll again, causing it to huff and puff as the battle damage is taking its toll on the giant. Erevan's stab fails to land once more. Init Order (bold = up)
Nijena and Erevan try to fell the troll!
However, the troll continues to swing his arms around, keeping the party at bay! It then focuses its attacks on Nijena once more!
Only Erastil's blessing protects the paladin from a savage bite!
Unfortunately, all of the flailing has stopped the fire upon the troll...
Init Order (bold = up)
Arkynn fails to land an attack the troll as the large foe is now more cautious given its health.
Arkynn heals her wounds while Nijena finally gives the troll an appropriate blow, her weapon leaving a nasty wound in its shoulder that isn't closing up. Erevan follows up with a jab with his blade, but fails to penetrate the armor and Zarzuket's elemental also doesn't harm the troll.
The troll, finally huffing and breathing heavily due to its injuries, doesn't seem to be willing to relent, lashing out with tooth and claw against the paladin!
However, the lingering pain from the repeated blows and the fire seems to have affected its battle prowess, unable to land a blow to the enlarged aasimar!
Init Order (bold = up)
Hey guys! I am alive. I sincerely apologize for the radio silence: part of it was Paizo induced with an issue logging in, but I also had some personal stuff come up that ate up time and will to do PbP stuff. But let's get back to troll stomping!
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