Also still here, I was waiting on the GM to answer your question Zylah, I'm afraid I'd also missed that you had lifted the sheet. Hopefully everything is ok with Chapel
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Nodachi does a double-take at Nurse Latchke then back at the injured woman. She begins taking out her potion of cure light wounds to feed to the poor woman. If she has figured out what's going on, she will also shout a warning to her allies about Nurse Latchke, but I'm not sure how much she understands about dopplegangers.
"Oh, Nurse Latchke, you didn't say you had a twin" She proceeds to try to help her without alarm
Nodachi will investigate each body in turn to ensure that they haven't returned as undead, and say a prayer for them for peaceful rest. "The guards asked to see Doppleganger corpses. We have two here, but [i]finding[i] rather than making the corpses doesn't seem like it would convince them of our earnestness. Perhaps we should move on" She'll look around to see if there are any more clues here as to what happened but failing that will try to continue exploring.
Nodachi is almost overcome by pity for whomever this ghoul used to be. Tears well in her eyes as she puts it out of her misery.
With that done, and still holding herself together, she turns to take in the room. "What happened here? Do you think we are being punished? I just want to go home"
Heart racing, and not wanting to lose whatever is making the noise, Nodachi bounds over to the washbasin to have a look.
For the first time Nodachi starts to get the sense that something is not right with this "nurse". Junior has seen something though, so she extractes herself from the creepy woman and draws her naginita again. She walks to the door, nodding to the others and waiting until they're ready before entering. When everyone is ready she will step in attempt to cut down the curtain and reveal the silhouetted form.
Nodachi moves to help Lachke through the rubble, putting her naginita away on her back and offering her shoulder to lean on. "What about this room to the south? What's in there?" She addresses the nurse as she assumes she must know the layout of the asylum. She raises her voice to the others. "We can take all these things and return them to their rightful owners if we find them. If not, Nurse Latchke salvaged them so it seems to me that they belong to her"
"Oh really. Is that right?" She stiffens. One of them must be lying "Did you take his things?"
"I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding. Let's have a look at everything and it might become clear. Where did you say you got it from madame Latchke?"
"Juglan. I'm so sorry. If you wish to communicate, I will do my best to listen" She gives the old nurse her gear back and picks up her naginita again. "Well. The only way we're getting out of here is by finding some more of these so called dopplegangers. I suggest you come with us Maam, we can protect each other. You too Juglan. Safety in numbers Confirming that the others are ready, she makes to leave.
Nodachi looks off into the distance and says breathlessly "An Asylum..." After a second she collects herself and responds to Ironhand and Preacher. "There is no shame in madness." She smiles at their half-orc friend. "If we treat each other with kindness and look out for one another then we will make it through this." She then waits for the nurse's response to the strange halfling's question. The dopplegangers must be why no-one is going home. An attack perhaps? Or treachery? Let's see what she has to say for herself
Nodachi looks confused, setting her naginita down and going to help the woman with her scimitar and her bag. I don't think she could watch an old woman whom she is not suspicious of struggle with a bag without offering to help "You're a nurse here? What is this place? Why don't we remember our names? Do you know who were are?" She tries not to sound frantic, but she can't help herself.
Some lost memory of an older woman that needs help causes Nodachi's heart to go out to this stranger, all alone. Before she can react, Preacher's look and the reaction of the halfling cause the hairs on her neck to stand up. She stands her ground and waits for her reaction.
Nodachi calls out to the person in the yellow robes as they move to leave. "We should stay together, this place isn't safe. What should we call you?"
Nodachi reaches out with her feelings toward the ghoul to ensure her suspicions are correct. Confirming that it is an evil perversion of the natural cycle of life and death, she'll stand under it and cut off its head with her Naginita if it's within reach With that taken care of she'll try to help the two folks chained up by grabbing the keys and unlocking them. "It's OK, we're here to help"
Nodachi looks at the creature in disgust. "A Ghoul! We have to help them. Try not to get hit, they paralyze and carry a fatal disease. I'll distract it and give them a chance to get to safety" Sparing no time for any more words, she rushes in with her naginita held in a striking pose.
Nodachi clambers over the rubble, naginita in hand, and tries to skewer the nearest hand.
Should it provoke an AoO:
"Undead. Her head and hands have animated." Nodachi says in a mournful voice. "The hands will try to grab and the head can fly of its own accord, or so I seem to recall. Prepare yourselves; let's put an end to them" When her companions seem ready, she will move forward slowly and attempt to skewer the head from 10 feet away using her Naginita
Nodachi nods. "Two more." She sighs heavily. "I will help you, small one. We are better off working together." She looks to Preacher and Ironhand and gives them appraising looks to see if they agree before turning to the strange halfling. "Do you know your name?" The look of fear she has shows that she doesn't know her own, but she doesn't want to say so and make it real. "You can call me Nodachi, and this is Preacher. The stout one is Ironhand. We're all going to get through this."
With that she sets off to find more dopplegangers
Nodachi grips her naginita tightly as this folk-like creature emerges at the edge of her vision. She approaches the voice and is fooled for just a second. At the sight of the corpse though she gasps the hilt more firmly and peers at the girl using some sense she can't quite define.
Releasing the breath she didn't know she was holding, she asks a question. "Did you kill that thing yourself? It attacked us before"
"We need to keep moving" After saying a silent prayer Nodachi goes through the pockets of the corpse looking for anything of use, and glances around the room for the same.
If she fails to find anything she will lead the group north , switching back to her naginita to keep foes at a distance. "Keep an eye out" she whispers. "I'll watch your backs. We'll get through this. Preacher, please keep the light on, I can't see as well as Ironhand here"
Nodachi struggles through the pain and grasps her namesake blade again, trying desparately to ready herself against whatever that was. Once she collects herself she examines the room for dangers.
Hello all! It's a amusing coincidence that two of us have chosen the same avatar, right at the time that the forum is broken and we can't change avatars. I was never very happy with mine so I'll switch it as soon as it's working again, for now Zhao Fen is supposed to look like this
Merging the games works for me!
I'm sorry that sounds like a really tough few months! I know the stress that poor health can cause, and I can only imagine having an ill young one at the same time. I'm happy to resume. I was very sad when the campaign seemed to fizzle out, but hopefully we can get enough people back :)
I hope Chapel and family are ok too. I've got quite a few other games going on so I'm content to hang around and hope that this picks up again.
Thank you for letting us know, and please give Chapel my best wishes
Nodachi strikes reflexively at the nearest vermin.
The doorframe has other ideas however, as her long blade catches in it. She then steps back to draw them into the corridoor.
Nodachi moves to the northern most door, as quietly as she can. She places her naginita on her back ever so slowly, then draws her nodachi at a similar pace.
She holds up three fingers to Preacher and Ironhand, then two, then one, before finally tearing the door open with a flourish and returning her hand to her nodachi and preparing to face whatever lurks inside.
I agree that seems perfectly reasonable!
Nodachi nods to Preacher, and mouths the word "Where?". She makes eye contact with Ironhand, and approaches where Merius indicates slowly and quietly, her grip on her naginita firm.
"I like the idea Preacher, and I feel much stronger than I remember, as if I could climb a wall. Those guards give me pause though, it sounds as if they'd hunt us down and kill us if they saw us escaping like that." She's saying this as she's opening the door and looking in the room before trying the next door.
Also still here!
Nodachi blinks uncomprehendingly at the strange creature.
She turns to the others "This day just keeps getting stranger. I wonder if that creature had also lost its memory." Giving the rats a little fuss, she looks around the room.
Assuming she fails to find anything she will head back down the corridor and look to the next doors , turning the handle and giving it a try
Nodachi looks at the others to see if anyone understands, and if not slings her naginita onto her back and raises her hands in a placating fashion and speaks in common. "It's OK. We don't want to fight, you can come out" She waits to see if there's a response, and if not, will stoop to peer under the boiler just as Rogar did.
Nodachi waits to see if whatever magic Preacher is using causes them to want to not fight.
If the readied strike triggers:
If an AoO is provoked:
No need to apologise, that sounds dreadful I'm sorry. I do hope she's feeling better
Nodachi stands by, naginata drawn in both hands. On the way in she remarks "The guards mentioned doppelgangers, does that mean anything to anyone? Could we actually be doppelgangers, given we have no memory?"
Nodachi takes Preacher by the arm. "Come on, they're not going to let us out just yet, we'll have to survive a little longer in here." She meets the captains eyes and shares a look with him. A look of understanding, and forgiveness.
Nodachi calls in support of Merius. "Yes we're not dangerous, please help us out of here! What's going on? Where are we?"
As she does though, she takes on a slightly manic tone that's rather more frightening than she intended.
"I agree. If we assume the courtyard is in the centre, then we want to try to move away from it as much as we can" She looks to Ironhand as he listens at the door, and at his nod moves in with him to see what's in there.
Nodachi replies to Ironhand as she tries the door "I agree. Quiet and fast, stick together if we have to move" If it opens she'll step through and look around.
"I saw it too. I was powerless against it." Nodachi steps out into the rain, closes her eyes and turns her face toward the sky. The odd warmth of the rain makes it seem unclean somehow, and her torch is quickly smothered. She discards it at her feet and draws her naginita again. "If we see it again, we should run" She takes a deep breath. I will hold it off. I can do that much
Looking panicked at the sickly fog, Nodachi sweeps the torch across the walls of the closet looking for another way out
If she fails to find anything: "We have no way out but through. Hold your breaths if you can" with that Nodachi opens the door as quickly as she can and steps into the room beyond, looking for the quickest way through
Nodachi sheathes her weapons (which in the case of the naginita means strapping it to her back) and attempts the climb herself. Stepping on the corpses to free herself is a waking nightmare, but she repeats a mantra in her head to keep herself calm "I am the voice for those who go unheard, I am the eyes for those who cannot understand the truths of others who are not like them, I am the guide for mortal minds and souls, there is no shame in madness" She does not recall where she heard it, but it brings her peace. Especially when she realises it's getting darker and darker "Could you bring that lantern a bit closer?"
At the top she scrabbles up and draws a torch, fumbling around with flint and steel in the dark to get it lit
Nodachi startles out of her horrific reverie when she sees her new allies working together. Pull yourself together, you can avenge these victims, but first you have to live Muttering a prayer and apology under her breath, she tries to help Maria up the bodies as best as she's able, holding her arm out or stabilizing the pile as required, she then prepares to follow.
Nodachi stares aghast at the the scene of horror. Her face contorts in pain, and she has to push her words out between ragged breaths. "These poor souls. How...? Who ... who would do this?" She looks to be in shock, trying to make sense of it, trying to imagine how someone or something could have done this. She knows the key to compassion is empathy, but she can't imagine the mind that could have done this. It's clear that the thought of climbing atop the bodies hasn't even occurred to her, so she just stands there dumbfounded, her grip on her naginita getting tighter and tighter.
"That was very brave, thank you. If needs be I will go first, but lets check on our other options. Ironhand, have you found anything?" Nodachi will then approach the door that the creature left though, her naginita in both hands. "Would one of you mind getting a light?" She peers around that room looking for threats first, swiftly followed by exits. Any signs of the world outside would be welcome too
If she sees no present dangers, she will concentrate on her unfamiliar uncanny sense and detect evil in the room
Also still here, I will try the round / initiative thing in the next combat
Nodachi smiles warmly at Maria. "Of course, but be careful, we don't know what might be up there. We'll be right behind you as soon as you give us a shout, and we'll be quiet down here unless you give us the all clear" She peers dubiously at the vents and ponders whether her naginita will fit through it, but nevertheless stands by and gives Maria a push, then waits patiently
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