Zoli casts Eugeni a look. "I think Svevenka has a point here.
"If you created a bunch of servants in my image, I think I'd find that weird too."
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While Jeevika and Eugeni talk with Svevenka, Zoli puts her arm around Ameiko. "I'm so so sorry, my friend. I know I can't truly understand what you're experiencing, but I am here as your friend, to listen or support you in any way you'd like."
Zoli smiles. "Well I guess we'll have to make due with that then, eh? And if the gods have need of your sword, well, maybe they'd appreciate mine as well! "In the meantime, you've gotta come visit the Rusty Dragon. Admittedly, it's just a street-side food stand while it's being rebuilt, but the curry-spiced salmon and early winterdrop mead are as good as ever!"
Zoli felt shock and dread as Lion and her were vibrated apart by Karzoug's wail. Chaldira Zuzaristan, wait!! ...Then, moments later she was blinking back to consciousness in Ayruzi's arms. Ayruzi scoops Zoli up in his arms. ”Allow me, Hero,” he says as he carries her through the air and dives through the portal behind the other Rangers! Zoli smiles, throws her arms around the angel's neck, plants a big kiss on his cheek, and says, "Awww. It's nothing any other amazingly talented, brave, and good-hearted halfling swashbuckler wouldn't have done." Then, looking around, she adds, "Did we get him!?!?!"
"Of course we should bring Xam back. He's screwed up plenty in his life, but it seems he's learned from it, and he died trying to do what was right. "Ameiko, how do you feel about kissing crocodiles? That's Ryli's specialty. And of course if he doesn't like the body he comes back in...well it's as simple to fix as a Miracle, right Jeeves?" Pausing and eating a handful of peanuts, she adds, "For myself, I'm excited to get back to Sandpoint. I've been thinking of starting a school. What do you think of The Chaldira Zuzaristan School of Swashbucklery?" ”The giants below are dispersing! The Runelord’s lieutenants must have known he has fallen. They are squabbling among themselves, and the freed giants are taking this chance to evacuate. I provided them a small bit of cover,” he says as he appears and lands. His wings vanish as he shrinks and takes on an appearance of himself the size of a man but without wings. ”You have done great work here today, mortals. I shall pass along word of your deeds upon my return to the Higher Planes,” he adds as he sheathes his sword. Zoli's eyes widen. "Will you talk to Chaldira Zuzaristan herself? Oh, please, tell her how grateful I am that she watched over me as I charged forward into danger. I know Karzoug would've succeeded without her aid." After a pause, she adds, "But about you leaving...I'd sure be inclined to see you from time to time. Maybe I can show you my place in Sandpoint before you go back to Nirvana? Or, hey, I'd love to see your pad in Nirvana too! If you'd like that."
Hey team, Thron just--understandably--needed to get some sleep. Currently under determination is if Z survived K's latest spell. Details if you have thoughts: 0. Shield Other active (with Lion shielding Zoli). I'm not clear on exact number but started at something like Lion at ~30 HP and Zoli at ~140 HP.
What happens then?
Thoughts?
Zoli says, "Alright, big guy, you ever heard the phrase 'The bigger they are, the harder they fall'? "Let's give it a test, shall we?" She flies just a bit closer and swings in a massive flurry. DICE!:
When Karzoug retreats, Zoli successfully draws her first blood. Zoli hops onto the air elemental...but not as quickly as she'd hoped. Still, a free ride got her close, and gave her a chance to swing twice, drawing two more red lines across Karzoug's arm and chest. "Take that!" _________
Zoli sees Eugeni fly past her briefly and then cry out in pain. The Former Highlady nervously calls "Eugeni?!?!" Then--tears streaming--she hollers, "You bastard!" and takes off flying through the cloud. She goes toward where she last remembers seeing Karzoug, only to have to make a hard left turn when she sees that he's moved. As she approaches she raises Wraithblade to swing, but fails to connect. Chaldira help me, I'm going make you pay!
"Whaa--hey, NO WAY!" Frustrated to be cut off, Zoli clicks her heels together and then flies straight up over the wall, and forward a bit. She looks down into the fog and hollers to her companions: "Stay bold and Chaldira Zuzaristan will watch over you!"
Zoli is about to speak when she sees Jeeves stab the ball. "Uhh, oh wow! Well, Chaldira Zuzaristan favors the bold, eh!?" Zoli watches with curiosity while Lion scuttles into his familiar satchel. Ayruzi hovers at a more cautious distance, but with his blade in hand.
Zoli says, "Don't worry about me, with the grace of the Calamitous Turn, I can handle these guys easily!" and then tumbles and weaves up to the giant, swinging her black scimitar. _______
If attacked:
Tracking: AC 52 (+2 vs 1st 3 attacks against her) HP 148/148 Luck 13/20 Panache 5/5 Charmed Life 6/6 Luck o’ the Scene 1/1 Lessons of Chaldira 1/1 Lion's HP 74/74 Active effects
Zoli hustles in until she's beside a huge misshapen creature. "Why, you're ugly enough to star in Restivus' Ballad of the Blubbering Boils. What brings you here?"
If attacked:
Tracking: AC 48 (+2 vs first 3 attacks against her) HP 148/148 Luck 13/20 Panache 5/5 Charmed Life 6/6 Luck o’ the Scene 1/1 Lessons of Chaldira 1/1 Lion's HP 74/74 Active effects
"Sorry--Ceoptra, is it?--I might've misheard. Did you say that you surrender now? If so, we accept!" Zoli grins at her.
Zoli tries her hand at the wall, but after a few swings she says with frustration, "Sorry Jeeves. I can carve living things to pieces fast--especially if they're evil--but I don't think this wall's a good match for my fighting style."
"Thanks, don't mind if I do!" As Olympus flies near, Zoli tumbles through the air, landing effortlessly on his back. She makes several lightning-quick slashes at the demon, but finds herself a little off-kilter on Olympus's back and misses a couple swings she should've made. ________
"Ooooh, how can you not want to poke through and see what's over there?!? "We should really see what else there is to find here though, first." Zoli (and Jeeves if she wishes) will scout a bit ahead, invisibly.
Zoli purses her lips. "How long will this take away from our race to stop Karzoug's return?" Shaking her head and shrugging, she adds, "I mean, I guess we've gotta either way. If we don't, whatever beast that is is bound to appear behind us at exactly the wrong moment. "Can anyone scry back toward it? If not, maybe we walk back a bit, watching and listening. Jeeves and I can walk invisibly, a bit in front."
"Oh buttered bulettes! Eugeni, any idea what that thing is?"
Zoli says "Hang on a sec, I've got an idea!" and then pops back out into the hall to, chat with Ayruzi. "Hey Beautiful, you can tell if someone's lying, right? Can you squeeze into the room for a sec. I think you might be able to help us discern whether it'll be worse to let them continue or to stop them."
Zoli and Ayruzi reenter and see a blood-soaked Jeevika standing over a pile of corpses. "Ok, now that Ayruzi is here, let's give them a chance to expla...oh."
"Oooo. OK, um, I guess that's settled then." Zoli shrugs and smiles at Ayruzi. "Shall we?" Zoli follows Setsu's Angry Mama into battle, attacking one and then getting ready to parry (as Lion chirps helpful warnings from her shoulder).
If attacked:
Tracking: AC 48 (+2 vs 2nd and 3rd attacks against her) HP 148/148 Luck 13/20 Panache 5/5 Charmed Life 6/6 Luck o’ the Scene 1/1 Lessons of Chaldira 1/1 Lion's HP 74/74 Active effects
Zoli's eyes go wide. To actually, truly get to visit the wonder and horror of ancient Xin-Shalast first hand. Maybe we don't need to destroy it completely, maybe just disable it... She shakes the fantasy from her head. No, the risk is too great. "Eugeni, I suppose you're right. "Ayruzi, I liked your hopeful thought that we consider leaving them be. Certainly, it's not our job to attack every evil being in the multiverse...but just as certainly, we can't let them create a portal into ancient Xin-Shalast. As awesome as that would be to get to visit and experience, Eugeni's right about how much more power it would give Karzoug. "Do we go and demand that they cease or suffer the consequences? Can we trust them? I suspect our only way to end this will be with the blade, but I'd love to be proven wrong."
Zoli thinks for a second, and then points and suggests "Let's all walk in to there. Why don't Ayruzi and I take up the front, with yall right behind. Then--if they don't come after us first--we can rush them."
Zoli grins. "Hold my Andoran Pilsner."
Zoli stands next to Jeevika, not sure what she just said, but smiling in the hopes of improving the Denizens' disposition. Isn't that one of those languages Setsu used to use when she talked in her sleep, or got stressed out? Man she has a weird family...
Zoli scratches her head, and then pops back to talk to her fellow Rangers. "Oh! There are some weird peoplish things in there working with some crazy machine. I can't be totally sure, but the way they cover their faces and their loose robes are spot on resemblances from a play I saw once: Lovers Leng, by Dariun Duvenhall! "I suspect they're actual plane-traveling Denizens of Leng. If so, they use these strange black ships to travel the planes in search of slaves. "I wonder what Karzoug is doing, working with them?"
"Hey, good idea, Jeevika! "I'll take a peek." Zoli steps, Wrathblade in hand, forward and peeks through the hole in the wall.
Zoli hops and flips back to the ground. "Did someone cast Air Walk on me? Because I feel like my feet still aren't touching the floor. "Ayruzi, do you need any healing? Or just some time? I don't know how long you've been trapped here. And do you know anything of the area ahead? "Once you're ready, we should keep going as it seems that Karzoug is gaining strength rapidly."
Zoli leaps through the air and hugs the angel around the neck. "Oh I'm so so so so so glad we don't have to kill you!" She shudders involuntarily. Still clinging to it, she says, "Good to meet you, Ayruzi. I'm Zoli, and we're the Varisian Rangers. We've slain Khalib, and we're on our way to defeat Karzoug...or hopefully just prevent his return. "What will you do now? Will you join us in vanquishing Khalib's master instead?"
Zoli--as she recovers--kneels, and brushes away one of the massive angel's tears. "What in Golarion could make that angel attack us? Especially given that Eugeni saw no charm on it? "Jeevika, now that we have time, what do you think about casting Break Enchantment on it? We can bind it and keep it unconscious while you do."
As Wrathblade clatters to the floor, Zoli just stands there stunned, and cries for the angel before her.
OK, I just did 203 to it (56 of which was nonlethal). It seems pretty beat up. Let's try to take it down, but not kill it. Z (and I as player) would still love to figure out what gives here.
With tears in her own eyes, Zoli steps forward and says, "You're much too beautiful a being to slay, but if you insist then we will disable you. If we don't, a great evil will fall upon this land. "Understand that I am ready to stop this, if you can explain why you're fighting us, or let us know what it is you seek." ____________ Details: Swift: Dizzying Defense Full: Attack (with the first swing being nonlethal and the rest being lethal)
Zoli holds her hands up and steps a few feet forward. "Peace, friend. "What makes you move to attack us? And what is the heartbreaking distress I see in your face? I know Karzoug and his minions are great tormentors. We are here to stop them! "Will you speak with us, before moving to attack?"
Zoli quietly (re)opens the door (while staying visible) and says, "Hello! I am Zoli Tileani. What, may I ask, is a Planetar doing in the Halls of Greed?"
Zoli takes a moment to listen at the door, and to search it for traps. Seeing no traps, but hearing something breathing, Zoli slips off her ring--becoming visible--and puts her finger to her lip to signal that she heard something. Then she slips the ring back on and quietly opens the door...and then quietly closes it again. Zoli reappears and motions to step back 10' from the door. Then she whispers: "It looks like there's a Planetar in there. You know, the classic angel! I've never seen one in person but they were in, like, every frigging play for a few years.
Oooh, that reminds of a line from a the Thassilonian play The Grapes of Greed: "Spend an hour's work just to get one thousand two hundred fifty gold? What am I, a farmer?" After a second, she allows, "...maybe it's funnier in Thassilonian. "At any rate, I hope we don't need three scrolls of resurrection...but I won't lie that I feel a bit better with them. "For now though, Jeeves, let's go invisible and keep on leading the way down that big hall."
After a bit of time, the confused Lion's eyes seem to regain their familiar twinkle. "Glad to see you back, little buddy" Zoli says, while stroking his head. "Why don't you ride in my satchel for a bit. If I need you, you can come on out." Come on gang, let's keep going.
Zoli pokes it tentatively with Wrathblade before confirming it's dead. "Yikes, that thing was nasty. What was it, anyway? I think it just tried to shift me to some hellish plane of flames and torture."
Out of the corner of her eye, Zoli sees Eugeni attempting to bite the daemon. "Um. Hey buddy, you feeling alright?" With one concerned eye on her old friend, she shakes her scarf with panache and then leaps up, making four quick slices at the Eel-daemon. "It's UNAGI TIME!" Her first strike looks like an easy hit, but suddenly the eel daemon isn't there. With a wicked grin Zoli shifts left, and her next three strikes connect. __________________
"Gaaaaaggghhh!!" Zoli screams as she feels the life being sucked out of her. Her face goes white as she flashes back to her horrifying abuse she suffered from Delvahine...but Ryli's timely spell helps Zoli stay steady. She steps forward, swinging, her eyes filled with a rage she hasn't felt since she lost her mantle as Highlady of Righteous Anger. "That's. Enough. From. You!"
While Zoli feels on top of the world right now, after looking down she notices that she's been walking on the ground for the last little while.
Zoli's eyes go wide. "By the Calamitous Turn, what are you?" The swashbuckaelogist formerly known as Lil' Highlady floats into the doorway, and attempts to slice the huge monstrosity into cold cuts. _____________
"Hmmmm, anyone mind if I wear this?" Zoli asks about the Periapt. Unless someone else wants it, Zoli uses it to latch on her cloak. She then goes to the closed door before her to listen and look for traps.
... Not hearing anything, Zoli puts back on the ring of invisibility and--with Jeeves--advances, a bit ahead of the group. They find a short hallway with a door and a double-door. Zoli listens at each.
Cough! Cough! "Thanks. My turn!" Zoli tumbles up to the not-quite-real-Claimer and bops her sword through his face. "Tag, you're it!" Once he dissipates, Zoli air-walks up to the door to listen and check for traps.
"Hey Ryli, if you can blow this cloud away, I suspect I can send Special K back to his hidey hole!"
"Oh, and poor lil Lion got a bit singed by that fire blast. He wouldn't mind a couple taps from a wand, before we go further."
Zoli shrugs. "Okay then, I guess we better hustle! "We have the hall off the throne room. We have that hallway we skipped, off the hall where we rescued Ameiko, and one door from back there as well. "Jeeves, I don't think any of us should scout solo with Karzoug able to pop out of nowhere, but I'm happy to scout a bit with you. Let's try the throne room hallway first. "Oh, and I wouldn't mind a couple taps from a wand. I guess I'm a bit scuffed up after those last few fights." With that, Zoli slips on her Ring of Invisibility (taking off her Ring of Resilience) and leads the way down the throne room hallway.
"We've heard that, but do we know where it is and isn't in effect? Are we even sure it's real? I wonder. "I mean, you're right that scrying doesn't normally let one appear and start casting spells...but could he find us if he couldn't scry us?"
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