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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: I bet Churchill would be proud to be remembered in fictional political debates ^-^
16 Lamashan
Viridian City; G5
Capital of Volga
Grigori folded his arms as Giles got out of the wagon after Kyrie, his face the picture of smug confidence.
"I've never been good at speeches... but I respect this man. Not for what he says, but that he has the courage to say it."
The orator's smugness faded slowly as Giles went on. This one was cleverer than he gave credit for. That was a dirty move, agreeing with one's opponent. His expression resolved into annoyance.
"It takes great courage to stand up and speak before a crowd but it also takes great courage to sit and listen. ... we cannot grow as leaders unless we are allowed to makes mistakes and learn from them."
Giles paused. He could tell he held the crowd's attention. Not every member had been won over, but he at had every pair of eyes on him, including Grigori at the back with his audience turned toward the newcomer. Grigori's nose twitched. At the pause he sucked in a breath and flew headfirst into the next wind-up.
"And just where do you suppose all this new-found wealth is going—"
"We have always tried to look ahead to the future to protect our people," Giles said loudly. Some members of the crowd suffered whiplash. "...but it is difficult to look further than you can see.
This man here condemns us for allowing you people the right to live without yours hands being held ... that we should therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the kingdom of Volga and its outlying lands last for a thousand years, men will still say, this was our finest hour, if we as a people can stand up to this land, the life of the barony may move forward, into the broad sunlit uplands and beyond."
The people gathered in the square fell silent. Some looked down in thought, others shifted uncertainly. Several looked back to Grigori to see if he was going to rise to the rebuttal.
The portly man huffed. It took him a moment to regain his footing. He glanced to those who awaited his retort. Maybe he had not lost them yet. He swelled with breath, thoughts racing. It looked like several of the fringe members of the audience were fixing to be on their way. He would have to speak quickly.
"Yes. Yes, listen well to your leader's words. Listen to how easily they tumble from his lips. Very fine rhetoric you will hear indeed, but what is the substance of the matter?" He grasped at straws, and it seemed found one. "He asks for your understanding when mistakes are made—for your patience while they learn their duties—yet the mistakes of a baron, or even a king, are not failures to be laughed off at the end of the day with a drink.
"Such rulers are held to a higher standard, are they not? When great minds make a mistake the results are equally great, I tell you. Do you believe this fledgling community to be the kind of place that would tolerate such mistakes? Or do you believe that a better, more experienced ruler should take over the reigns to guide the wagon steady where greener hands might lose grip?
"Listen carefully to their plans to defend you from danger and you will hear a fool's advice. How easy it is to say that the vagaries of fate cannot be helped. Powerful wizards might be able to see into the future, but for us we cannot know what the next day has in store for us, is that right? Perhaps that is true indeed, but does not the man who goes out into the rain take steps to protect his head from getting wet? Or does he say 'there is no helping fate' and leave his hat and cloak by the door? Does not the farm wife keep her hens safe from harm by keeping them enclosed in a pen, or does she simply sigh when one runs away or gets stolen by a wolf that 'such is fate'?
"Why, then, does he remind us that we live in the wilderness, and tell us that we cannot help our fate if by choosing living in the wilderness we should find monsters on our doorstep—yet not think to build a wall to keep the wilderness out and the good citizens inside? Surely all that treasure they have brought back from the wilderness is more than enough to fund such an endeavour."
"By their own admission these men and women who presume to lead you are not fit for the duties—and privileges—that naturally go with that office. That I leave you to consider, my good fellows. Think hard on what I have told you. Your very lives could depend upon it."
By the time he finished, some part of the crowd had already dispersed of its own accord. Those that remained did not cheer or mutter in agreement with his words anymore, but he had prevented the day from being a total loss. He only needed to keep the seed of doubt alive in their minds and the next big disaster—or maliciously spread rumour—would be the fertile soil that would bear the fruit.
The rest of the crowd returned to going about their business. Grigori stepped down from his ledge with a sigh. He brushed off his clothing. "I hope you're happy," he told Kyrie petulantly. "Damn near ruined a perfectly good performance, the lot of you."
(Assuming he is not interrupted or stopped as he is packing up)
With no further business the orator strode away from the party down the street.
Posted on 2015-08-22 at 04:40:46.
Edited on 2015-08-22 at 05:05:15 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: I should start following political debates for inspiration on twisting logic and ignoring valid poin
16 Lamashan
Viridian City; G5
Capital of Volga
Kyrie hopped off the wagon with a metallic clatter of armour. Though none of the people in the crowd seemed to notice her pushing though to where the orator stood, she caught Grigori's eye. "Well, who do we have here?" he asked of no one as she approached.
"Good afternoon everyone!".... "Please feel free to talk to me whenever."
Faces that had previously been inflamed by Grigori's rhetoric turned to doubt. Did they really believe this girl, who had been so eager to help on so many different occasions, would do hesitate at anything to ensure their safety? A few weren't so sure anymore.
Grigori for his part did not hesitate. He was not going to surrender the crowd so easily to one forthright, honest speech.
"Listen to this folks! She talks of what lies beyond the city's walls, as if we haven't seen firsthand as those very monsters are driven into the city. Think back to that unpleasant little matter in the outlying farms last winter. Winter comes soon again, my friends. I think it would be better to make sure these 'neighbours' of ours don't come asking for more handouts.
"It seems like they know it is more dangerous for them out there where our leaders are out hunting than it is in here where we cannot even protect ourselves. Sure we have the brave souls of the watch to guard the city, but just as surely I think it is too much to ask of these men and women to stand in the way of every monster that storms in while our leaders are away."
Kyrie could see the faces of the people unable to refute these claims. Even if they could not believe that the girl before them would intentionally do anything to bring harm to them, they could not deny Grigori's arguments.
The portly man, arms outspread, turned partway to gesture to Kyrie with one arm and the wagon with the other. "Why don't we let us then ask what it is that keeps our defenders out of the barony for three weeks out of every month? Meeting the neighbours is it? To that, miss, I say 'hah'! A fool's errand! No, I think there is a simpler reason."
The majority of the crowd still stood in concerned doubt, but Grigori was beginning to win over a few members. They knew this story a dozen times over. It was not hard to believe it had found its way even here.
"Who among us has not heard of the treasures said to lie lost out in the Greenbelt? Tell me what about the rumours of a dragon living in the depths of the Narlmarches? Where there's a dragon, there's a dragon's hoard. Surely these riches make a simpler and far more tempting reason to spend so much time away from their duties to the people?"
(Open for Giles' comment to jump in here)
Frodrick 58/58 -
Jargon 42/42 -
Giles 42/42 - 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 55/55 -
Miguel 41/41 - Cursed -6Cha, 18 arrows
Zeran 42/42 - 22 bullets
(Apologies in advance if Grigori's rhetoric ends up causing anybody too many headaches. He's basically designed to be a huge pain in the backside and I've seen enough Internet trolls fighting to make a showing of this if all goes wrong.)
Spells:
Frodrick:
Giles 0/0
Miguel 0/0
Posted on 2015-08-21 at 20:07:13.
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: The Rabble-Rouser
8-13 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
Over the next several days the Greenbelt party holed up in the keep to recover from their battle. They brought Stefan and the wagon into the keep, after disarming the trapped gate once more, and loaded up the Dancing Lady's heavy piles of treasures.
As they recovered to full physical and mental capacity, shaking off the lingering effects of the various poisons and bloodloss, it quickly became apparent that Miguel's curse was not fading with time. At Frodrick's urging, the party decided to turn back for home early this month to seek a remedy for the baron's condition.
Travelling G5
13-16 Lamashan
The rulers of Volga returned to their capital by way of Tatzlford again. This time no ambush of kobolds attacked them on their own roads.
The plan was to return straight to the fort and send for Jhod's advice on the matter, but passing through the town they noticed an unusual crowd in one of the public squares. As they approached, they heard the cause of the assembly before they saw him.
"I ask you my friends, what kind of rulers go gallivanting off into the wilderness, leaving the brave souls who followed them here to only to gods know what kind of trouble. Why, we don't even have to use our imaginations to speculate what kind of monsters wait out there to strike at us! Think only of the vile werewolf hardly a few months past."
As the Greenbelt party came around the corner, the man himself came into their view. At the centre of the crowd stood a portly man in fine clothing stood, projecting his eloquent speech over the heads of a modest gathering. The man clearly knew how to work the people, and his pauses were occasionally filled with mutters of discontent or even shouts of agreement. Even those faces that hadn't clearly bought into the speech showed conflict.
"What would have happened if the lord of the land had not returned when they did? How many more would be dead? And those poor souls who did perish—it doesn't bear thinking, but what if our so-called brave leaders had been here, where their duty lies, instead of stirring up trouble with the wilderness. Would they still have died if not for the negligence of our protectors?"
A man in uniform—Frodrick's captain of the guard and second in command—approached the wagon. He bowed his head first to Miguel, then Frodrick. "My lords, I apologise. I wanted to get to you before you had to discover this with your own eyes."
"This man, Grigori, arrived just days after your last departure. He has been making daily speeches in the town squares for the last week and a half. At first he got little attention, but he is persistent and persuasive. People are starting to listen." (+2 Unrest)
Grigori's speech rose to a pitch. "Even now, my friends, I ask you: where are your benevolent rulers now? What are they doing that is so important that they leave their capital city unguarded?"
Frodrick 58/58 -
Jargon 42/42 -
Giles 42/42 - 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 55/55 -
Miguel 41/41 - Cursed -6Cha, 18 arrows
Zeran 42/42 - 20 bullets
(We have about one week before it is time to enter kingdom phase. Grigori has already raised unrest in Volga by 2 (to 4, adding onto the little bit we had before leaving) and the longer he goes on without being stopped in some way, the worse the damage becomes. That said, be conscious of your public image. Silencing the rabble-rouser may do more damage than letting him continue depending on how it's done.)
Spells:
Frodrick:
Giles 0/0
Miguel 0/0
Posted on 2015-08-20 at 16:06:19.
Edited on 2015-08-24 at 22:22:47 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: Things get interesting. Again.
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
"I've been meaning to give you this all day," Zeran said, raising his pistol level to the Lady. He aimed carefully between Miguel and Kyrie, not wanting to blow any holes in his allies, and fired. The small lead ball bored into her chest below the breast. By now the front of the Dancing Lady's fine white gown was stained crimson with her own blood (-8dmg Lady Bloodied).
The Lady of the keep reeled back. Instead of issuing yet more condescending threats she simply bared her sharp teeth, her breathing becoming laboured. She struck out at Kyrie. The girl braced behind her shield. The fey's claws scraped uselessly over the metal surface.
Wildly, she turned to Giles and snapped in his direction almost like a feral dog might, though there was no foam on her lips to complete the image. The two together managed to avoid everything the lady could throw at them, but at the cost of giving the garden purchase to entangle their legs again.
Kyrie grunted. "I told you." She wrenched her legs free, putting her empty right hand on Giles' shoulder, channeling yet more energy (+11hp Giles 28/42). "I don't run." After she healed him she turned her power on her self (+15hp Kyrie 39/50) "...and I don't die."
Finally back in the game, Giles drew back his sword, the feybane magic practically causing the blade to quiver in anticipation. His strike was less about aim as it was releasing that deadly potential. The cold iron pierced into her abdomen, a few inches off from centre, like the skin belonged to a human, almost reaching through to the other side. "Maybe you should have surrendered," he said.
The Dancing Lady gasped, her wide black eyes growing distant and her lips working soundlessly (-27dmg Dancing Lady, Badly Wounded). She did not collapse as Giles removed the blade, proving only once again how inhumanly resilient the fey were for all their delicate beauty.
Her eyes remained focused on Giles as her body seemed to keep fighting back of its own accord. Frodrick threw a heavy strike low at her knees, not in attempt to hit her, but to force her to ignore Miguel's strike.
Miguel didn't have a cold iron feybane long sword, but he still filled his blade with what arcane energy he could muster to strike down the fey that simply refused to fall.
Unfortunately for him, he succeeded.
It didn't take much to bring the Dancing Lady down after Giles' attack. Her body went rigid the moment Miguel's sword touched her, with the actual cutting being an afterstatement (-9dmg Dancing Lady). Instead of collapsing the Lady's body hung as if suspended by an unseen energy.
Without warning her voice returned to her in an instant, doubled in strength. The words she had been silently mouthing burst out of her like a demon driven from her lungs, spilling unintelligible syllables out into the garden. Though her eyes remained vacantly focused on Giles, black tendrils of energy errupted from the side-wound the Miguel had cut, chasing the Lady's blood to his sword and plunging into his body.
Miguel's body was wracked with pain briefly while the energy of the curse took hold. Meanwhile the Dancing Lady's body fell unceremoniously to the ground, devoid of life (Dead).
The pain of the spell soon faded, but the effect remained. Though Miguel had not been phsyically harmed by any of the Dancing Lady's attacks, his mind had suffered more of a beating from poison and death curse today than most ever dealt with (-6Cha Miguel). He opened his mouth, but it was his turn to be stricken wordless. With nothing to say, he simply swallowed.
Frodrick 45/53 - Ice Armour, Challenge, Entangled, Ability Damage -4Str (-2 attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -3Con (-5maxhp, fort)
Jargon 42/42 - Entangled, Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 28/42 - Destruction, Heroism, Bane [Fey] (4/5), Entangled, Ability Damage -5Dex (-2pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 39/50 - -6LoH, Bastion, Faith (7/10), Ability Damage -3Str (-1pen attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort)
Miguel 41/41 - Inspire Courage (6/15), Cursed -6Cha, Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31(13)/37 - Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort), -1Wis, 20 bullets
Dancing Lady: Dead, Entangle
Teorlian: Dead, Planking
(Miguel has been stricken with a curse. Unlike the mere ability damage caused by the poison and blood drain that almost everyone has suffered by now, the charisma penalty from the curse is permanent until the curse is broken.)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 2/3
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-08-14 at 19:49:24.
Edited on 2015-08-24 at 22:22:30 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: Good thing she doesn't have fast healing like the redcap
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
Zeran's body caught up with his mind, and he let go of Kyrie. He did not like having his mind used like that. He drew his pistol, dropping a metal ball down the barrel that he hoped to feed to the Lady personally. For now he kept cover behind Kyrie. There was little chance of a clear shot in this confined space, but he bided his time.
Finally free of any bindings, Kyrie held her ground against the Dancing Lady's assault. She ducked one claw and sidestepped a following lunge. "Stubborn idiot. I will destroy you. Run now and you may live." She swiped at the paladin's face, forcing her to jerk away (-8dmg Kyrie 24/50)
Too bad no one ever told her Kyrie was immune to fear. She stowed her shovel, looking the Dancing Lady dead in the eye. "No." Kyrie tugged on the guige strap around her shoulder, pulling her shield into her grasp. "I don't run."
Giles, cold iron sword in hand, stepped in beside Kyrie. He was down and out for a few moments, but now he was ready to deliver a proper beating.
The fey lady backed further against the wall and window behind her, driven back by a swing from Frodrick's axe and a glancing blow of Miguel's sword. Haughty, imperious defiance remained on her face, but her miscalculation was going to cost her in the immediate future.
Frodrick 45/53 - Ice Armour, Challenge, Ability Damage -4Str (-2 attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -3Con (-5maxhp, fort)
Jargon 42/42 - Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 17/42 - Destruction, Heroism, B (3/5), Ability Damage -5Dex (-2pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 24/50 - -4LoH, Bastion, Faith (6/10), Entangled, Ability Damage -3Str (-1pen attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort)
Miguel 41/41 - Inspire Courage (5/15), Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31(13)/37 - Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort), -1Wis, 22 bullets
Dancing Lady: Injured, Bastion Target, Entangle
Teorlian: Dead, Planking
(Miguel disentangles before his attack, but still misses by a nautical mile. Better luck next time.)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 2/3
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-08-14 at 15:19:59.
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: Let's see if we can pull it together finally.
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
With Giles crawling out of her grasp, blocked by Kyrie and Frodrick, the Dancing Lady's attention snapped up to the glowing paladin. "So, this light of yours is what dulls my claws so?"
Kyrie didn't respond, far more occupied with healing Giles. The evil fey hissed in anger, reaching for the girl. Kyrie almost missed the first strike, turned aside at the last minute by the force of protection that shielded her body. The other claw was faster, and Kyrie had to duck away, even as both Zeran and the roots held her down barely able to dodge (-8dmg Kyrie). She twisted again as red-stained white teeth flashed toward her (-5dmg Kyrie 32/50).
Using Zeran's grip as leverage, Kyrie reached over to Giles' leg as he retreated. The Dancing Lady barely a secondary concern she kept her focus on channeling the light to mend his wounds (+11hp Giles 17/42).
While all this was going on, a notion penetrated into Zeran's mind. It absolutely seemed reasonable, for reasons he could hardly remember why, to bring Kyrie outside where the fresh air might help her clear her head, but he was going to be damned if he was going to hold her down while some madwoman ripped her open. His head started to clear.
Frodrick took a momentary breather to assess his options. He didn't have very much strength left. He could barely fight back as the creeping vine from the window pinned him down. If he could get free, he might focus his effort on a spell. He struggled to pull free of the enchanted plants, but the fey's magic was too strong.
Giles meanwhile crawled to his feet now that he was safe out of the reach of the lady. Once again he felt the poison in his body fading as he fought off its effects (Poison End). Grateful for the turn in fortunes, he moved to the edge of the stairwell where his cold iron sword still lay after being thrown there by the grimstalker. It was half-covered in the thrashing greenery of the garden, but the plants didn't seem to be trying to snare it.
With a song on his lips, Miguel mentally charged his sword. He hadn't been aware for most of the fight, and even now his mind could barely focus on more than one thing for too long, but he would make up for what he'd missed. With the combined strength of his magic, music, and Kyrie's faith, he struck a blow to her side. It was a shallow cut, but she noticed it like one might notice an unexpected cat claw.
"Oh, darling, no need to be impatient. I'll get you after I dispose of this little witch." Her voice was cold and dripping with acid.
Frodrick 45/53 - Ice Armour, Challenge, Total Defense, Ability Damage -4Str (-2 attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -3Con (-5maxhp, fort)
Jargon 42/42 - Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 17/42 - Destruction, Heroism, B (3/5), Ability Damage -5Dex (-2pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 32/50 - -4LoH, Bastion, Faith (5/10), Grappled, Ability Damage -3Str (-1pen attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort)
Miguel 41/41 - Inspire Courage (4/15), Entangled, Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31(13)/37 - Grappling, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort), -1Wis, 22 bullets
Dancing Lady: Injured, Bastion Target, Entangle
Teorlian: Dead, Planking
(I posted! Hooray! Zeran is free! Somebody actually did damage this round! Giles is alive! Things are looking up!)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 2/3
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-08-02 at 16:05:08.
Edited on 2015-08-02 at 17:17:32 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: If things don't look bad, how else would you know you were in a boss fight?
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
The Dancing Lady's head snapped up as Teorlian fell to the garden floor to fertilize the plants. "You have deprived me of a valuable servant and the satisfaction of killing him slowly myself." The Dancing Lady dropped Frodrick like a forgotten toy.
Giles was too beaten down and worn out to react. Frodrick threw his bulk in front of her first attack, blocking her clawed hand with his shield (-3dmg Frodrick), but she flew at the weakened Giles like a predator scenting the blood of her prey.
Even with the benefit of Kyrie's protection, he was in no shape to fight back. The Lady's teeth sank down into into his arm as he turned to fight (-2dmg Giles), while her other clawed hand found its way under his chain shirt. She tore through his soft, unprotected belly (-3dmg Giles -1/42), finally overcoming the limit of his body's endurance. With no more than a pained breath, Giles collapsed into the mess of grasping vines and flowers (Unconscious, Dying).
Zeran took a step in the direction of the stairs, attempting to drag Kyrie along behind him. She did not have the balance to put up a fight, so instead she let the tendrils binding her lower body do their job. Zeran pulled, but could not overcome the strength of the entangling garden, foiling their mistress' plans as eagerly as the Charter party's.
Rather than try to struggle against Zeran's grip, Kyrie simply stretched her arm over to the fallen soldier's body. She channeled more of the same sacred light that caused her body to glow with the power of her faith into his body (-4LoH). His most lethal wounds sealed, preventing further bloodloss, while most of his lesser injuries practically vanished (+10hp Giles 9/42).
Giles snapped back to consciousness and pain suddenly, sucking in the very same breath he let out when he collapsed. He was on the dirt-floor now, towered over by foliage. A bad place to be by any measure, but even worse with the angry fey woman actively seeking his death. A tactical retreat was in order.
Giles rolled over and crawled away as quickly as he could. He was not surprised by the searing pain of the Dancing Lady's claw tearing open a mercifully shallow wound across the back of his leg (-3dmg Giles 6/42). He pulled himself up next to the fallen tree-like body of the grimstalker. Something about strange bedfellows crossed his mind, but he had more important things to worry about. He couldn't quite see it from here, but he knew his cold iron sword must lay fallen somewhere in this direction (Poison Resist 1/2)
With Giles crawling away, Frodrick closed his guard tight to himself (Total Defense). He hoped the Dancing Lady would continue focusing her attacks on him now that he and Kyrie stood directly between her and her prey. He threw one arm around Jargon's neck and used her strength and support to pull himself free finally of the vines.
Miguel's wits caught up to him a moment and a half later. He couldn't remember what he'd been thinking about a moment before or what exactly happened between getting to the top of the stairs to now, but he knew his help was absolutely necessary. At once he filled his lungs and let out a strong, commanding note of encouragement for his allies (Inspire Courage).
Frodrick 45/53 - Ice Armour, Challenge, Total Defense, Ability Damage -4Str (-2 attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -3Con (-5maxhp, fort)
Jargon 42/42 - Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 6/42 - Destruction, Heroism, B (3/5), Poisoned (1/?), Ability Damage -5Dex (-2pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 45/50 - -4LoH, Bastion, Faith (4/10), Entangled, Grappled, Ability Damage -3Str (-1pen attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort)
Miguel 41/41 - Inspire Courage, (3/15), Entangled, Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31(13)/37 - Compulsion, Grappling, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort), -1Wis, 22 bullets
Dancing Lady: Injured, Bastion Target, Challenge Target, Entangle
Teorlian: Still Dead, Just Checkin'
(Things keep heating up each round. What happens next? Stay tuned until next week b/c apparently I just don't post very quickly these days XD But still, I'm rather excited to see you guys get home after this and to see what waits for you)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 2/3
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-07-22 at 16:29:13.
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: Can you blame me? If I didn't throw everything at you, you'd complain it was getting too easy
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
Whatever magic was compelling Zeran to act the way he was did not seem to be swayed by neither reason nor shovel. He took her by the shoulder with a firm grip. Kyrie spun and tied to push him away with a blow from her shovel, but he held on (-6sub Zeran Grappling). He took hold of her arm, then turned to look toward the stairs, telegraphing the next step in the instructions dominating his mind.
Kyrie grit her teeth. She was beginning to get frustrated with Zeran's antics. She didn't want to hurt the poor guy, but his interference was trying her patience. At least all she needed to do was remain in the area to help her allies, even if she couldn't fight. Rather than fight against the tendrils entangling her body, she set her stance to take advantage of the fact that if she couldn't move, neither could Zeran easily move her.
The Dancing Lady twisted Frodrick's axe arm behind himself, pressing her body up against his shield (Pinned). It was slightly awkward for the elf-proportioned woman to bend over to meet the dwarf's height, but she managed. "I'm going to be spitting out crusty old dwarf hairs for weeks. I hope you're happy." She pulled his head back and bit into his neck.
When she came away, Frodrick's beard was stained red, and she had a trail of blood running down her neck (-4dmg Frodrick, -4Str, -3Con), threatening to stain her dress.
Kyrie cast about for something she could do with Zeran hanging off her arm. Next to her Miguel was still staring vacantly at the lady's back as she knelt over Frodrick. "All right, that's quite enough of that." She said. Kyrie extended her shovel up to his face one-handed, blocking his line of sight with the metal head.
Miguel's eyes started to clear up. When his eyes refocused and he saw the lady for what she was, he froze. "Baobhan sith*," he said.
*ba-vaan shee
The woman shot a glance over her shoulder, seeing her last hypnotized victim set free. She finally stopped her dancing. "Damn Magdh and the rotten fate that brought you lot to my lair," she spat bitterly.
Giles quickly shifted to bane of fey creatures. "You're going to love this, then." He thrust with his sword, which seemed to come alive and guide his hand toward the Lady. His blade jerked in his hand as he struck and pierced through her armour-like skin (-15dmg Dancing Lady). It was not the lethal blow he'd hoped, barely penetrating into her ribcage, but it was the first time she seemed to acknowledge the pain.
The Dancing Lady glanced down at the shallow wound, leaking blood over her white dress (Injured). She shrieked with frustration, though it was impossible to tell whether in reaction to the injury or the damage to her finery. The vivid stain, matching the scarf tied around her waist, grew, making her injury seem far more life-threatening than it actually was.
Frodrick coughed, then called to his mare. She kicked through the thrashing garden and came to his side. He no longer had much of a free arm, so took hold of her reign with his teeth. "Pull," he grunted through grit teeth.
Jargon tugged back, struggling against the strength of the flowers holding Frodrick's lower body and the deadly strong fey pinning his upper. His strength gave out quickly. The bloodloss sapped his strength from him and he couldn't maintain the struggle.
Where Jargon had been standing hardly a moment before, a thick shrub suddenly shot up. Unlike the rest of the garden, the cause for it's movement was not the Dancing Lady's magic but that of another familiar form. The branches and leaves retreated into the grimstalker's back as he rose.
Before Giles knew what was happening, a woody arm wrapped around his neck, sharp claws at his throat. "I told you I'd not forget to repay you," Teorlian hissed into his ear. He slashed across Giles' throat, drawing four bloody reck marks (-14dmg Giles 4/42, Poisoned -1Dex). The soldier wrenched back, perhaps what saved him from having his throat ripped out entirely.
Giles twisted his torso as much as he could with the garden wrapped around his waist. The grimstalker hesitated, gambling on finishing the job. He'd obviously hoped Giles wouldn't have the power left to stand after the attack. The moment passed and he turned to flee once again.
Giles lunged after the bloody fey assassin, praying that the feybane magic in his sword would guide his wild strike. It worked better than he could have hoped. He swung a hard overhead attack diagonally down at the the grimstalker's head. By the will of his destruction and the fey-slaying magic in his sword, Giles's blade bit into Teorlian's neck and nearly took the fey's head from his shoulders (-26dmg *crit* Teorlian DEAD).
"Remember that." Giles said, the burning paralytic poison in his throat making him almost slur his words.
Frodrick 48/53 - Ice Armour, Challenge, Pinned, Entangled, Ability Damage -4Str (-2 attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -3Con (-5maxhp, fort)
Jargon 42/42 - Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 4/42 - Destruction, Heroism, Bane [Fey] (3/5), Poisoned, Ability Damage -5Dex (-2pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 45/50 - -3LoH, Bastion, Faith (3/10), Entangled, Grappled, Ability Damage -3Str (-1pen attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort)
Miguel 41/41 - (2/15), Entangled, Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31(13)/37 - Compulsion, Grappling, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort), -1Wis, 22 bullets
Dancing Lady: Injured, Grappling, Bastion Target, Entangle
Teorlian: WTF SURPRISE ATTACK DEAD
(All Giles needed to do to incapacitate the grimstalker was 1 damage. A mere 2 damage would have been enough to drop him unconscious. Anything more would have just made it more likely that Teorlian would bleed out by himself rather than wait to be finished. No instead Giles rolls a crit and destroys the grimstalker with 2[5+3+2+2]+7dmg -5 from DR)
(For back reference, a couple people broke/got entangled this round that weren't really noted in the text b/c sweet goblin balls there's only so many ways to describe becoming or escaping the entangle. Frodrick got re-got and Giles managed to escape most significantly.)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 2/3
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-07-11 at 17:16:45.
Edited on 2015-07-22 at 16:19:02 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: Kyrie does the most damage this round... to both parties
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
"I'm not the one who needs to snap out of it!" Kyrie protested. Zeran may as well have been deaf for all the effect her words had.
His stuck his pistol into his holster while reaching out for Kyrie with the other hand. Kyrie dodged back, slapping him in the gut with the flat of her shovel blade. "I'm sorry!" The gunslinger was winded but mostly unharmed (-7sub Zeran).
While Zeran was wrestling with Kyrie, the Dancing Lady moved in on Giles. "I hope you like to scream, mortal." He swung his sword at her in self defense, but she merely caught his sword with her hand before he wound up momentum. She stepped in behind his guard and seized him by the arm—but it wasn't his arm she caught.
Frodrick grinned at her mischievously. He was leaning half off his horse, but he had intercepted her. "Why not me?" he asked.
The Dancing Lady narrowed her eyes at the dwarf. "Very well." With a vicious wrench she dragged Frodrick off his horse. He stumbled when he hit the ground, but managed to maintain his footing (Frodrick Grappled).
Only moments after he hit the ground the garden was already attempting to retake his feet. In his current predicament he didn't have much hope of resisting. Giles and Kyrie, too, lost the battle against the omnipresent clinging vines and flowers (Entangled).
Kyrie pulled against the vines crawling up her leg, but it was no good. She was already firmly entangled. Instead she turned her attention and her shovel to the evil lady of the keep. Kyrie brought the shovel down on her exposed back as she stooped over Frodrick.
The lady flinched but hardly seemed to notice (-3dmg Dancing Lady). No matter. Even if it took twenty whacks with the shovel, sooner or later all weeds yielded to the diligent gardener.
Giles was having no better luck. His feet, too, were held fast, adding to the list of problems hampering his mobility. He took a chance, imbuing his sword with evil's bane. He didn't know what this elf-like woman was, but he was about to find out if she was some kind of planar being.
He swung his sword, but to his dismay the bane magic did not react. Worse still, his aim was off, and he barely glanced a blow off the lady's tough skin. She looked like an elf, but her skin was even better armour than the grimstalker's bark, to say nothing of her supernatural resistance to physical blows.
While the others attacked her flank, Frodrick was trying not to become her next meal. With her strength and height she had every ounce of leverage over him. Inspired by the proximity of her fangs, he tore his feet free of the flowers, but no matter how he pulled he had no luck trying to fight back against her hold.
Jargon reared, looking for a way to help her master by destroying his enemy, but unable to reach the malicious creature.
Frodrick 57/58 - Ice Armour, Challenge, Grappled
Jargon 42/42 - Entangled, Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 18/42 - Destruction, Heroism, Bane [Outsider - Evil] (2/5), Entangled, Ability Damage -4Dex (-2pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 45/50 - -3LoH, Bastion, Faith, Entangled, Ability Damage -3Str (-1pen attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort)
Miguel 41/41 - (2/15), Dazed, Entangled, Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31(7)/37 - Compulsion, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort), -1Wis, 22 bullets
Dancing Lady: Barely Injured, Dancing, Grappling, Bastion Target, Entangle
Teorlian: Out of Sight, Badly Wounded, Bloodied
(If you think the number of hampering effects on this battlefield are annoying to you, imagine having to keep track of all of them.)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 2/3
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-07-07 at 15:03:37.
Edited on 2015-07-07 at 15:27:53 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: Quick, does anyone have Knowledge (carnal)?
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
Frodrick roared and gave it all his effort. The plants clung to his body with supernatural force, but he finally tore free. Without a second thought he leapt into Jargon's saddle, where his feet were high off the ground. "A'right, 'bout time we started kicking some tails 'round here." (+Challenge)
Zeran himself finally managed to twist out of the grasp of the flowers. His mind was filled with singular purpose—he had to get Kyrie outside. He crossed straight to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder.
The Dancing Lady cast a sideways glance at Miguel, still dazed. She returned her attention to Giles. "I'll simply have to be rid of you myself." Giles looked for a weapon, but saw none. Instead he almost didn't see her lunge forward and lash out with her bare hand. Her nails had become blood red points, each better than an inch long.
Giles narrowly ducked the first, that might have torn out his neck with all the vicious instinct of a hunting wolf (-8dmg *crit* Giles). He put up his sword to defend himself, but the poison in his body was making his movements stiff and awkard. She caught his sword arm, digging into his flesh with the points, then dove in with a feral fanged grin, biting into his sword arm (-4dmg, -4dmg Giles 6/42).
The soldier came to realize the superhuman strength that Kyrie had been contending with as he pulled back. If not for Kyrie's protective shield, he might not have gotten off so easy. The blood-drinker hadn't gotten quite the grip on him that she had on Kyrie earlier, so she never even made an attempt to drain his body, but another few blows and he would be in less position to put up a struggle than Miguel.
While Kyrie channeled her faith to become a beacon of hope and light (Power of Faith), Giles doing a little channeling himself. He let the spiritual weapon he had conjured push the lady back as she anticipated its swing in perfect time. He chanted a spell to close some of his wounds and give him a little more energy to keep the fight going (+12hp Giles 18/42)
"You know, normally I like to get to know a girl before we get to the kinky stuff. Call me old fashioned." Giles quipped.
At the top of the stair, Jargon shook off the last vestiges of mind control. Once she had, her purpose was clear. She reared back, pulling her forelegs free of the grasses and stems binding them, and climbed the last step into the room proper. Frodrick rode up behind his allies, ready to block any of the Dancing Lady's strikes against them.
The lady laughed deeply. "Trust me, mortal, you will come to know me in the most carnal sense before my hunger is sated."
The spectral sword winked out of existence, the energy put into its construction finally depleted.
Frodrick 57/58 - Ice Armour, Challenge
Jargon 42/42 - Entangled, Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 18/42 - Destruction, Heroism, B(1/5), Spiritual Weapon (5/5), Ability Damage -4Dex (-2pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 45/50 - -3LoH, Bastion, Faith (1/10), Ability Damage -3Str (-1pen attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort)
Miguel 41/41 - (2/15), Dazed, Entangled, Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31/37 - Entangled, Compulsion, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort), -1Wis, 22 bullets
Dancing Lady: Barely Injured, Dancing, Bastion Target, Entangle
Teorlian: Out of Sight, Badly Wounded, Bloodied
(Oops, is it just me or is she still a modest threat even when denied the opportunity to use her special mechanic? (but really, her damage is nothing to write home about... it's all about that graps, yo). Also by the way, Giles has resisted the poison again, ending the damage.)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 2/3
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-07-03 at 03:34:51.
Edited on 2015-07-22 at 15:39:15 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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Topic: Happy Birthday Canada!
Subject: It's all about decorum
One day late is the best place for a lame joke. Really consolidates all the subtle nuances of the lameness of the joke into a perfectly wrapped package XD
Besides, no kidding, as a kid I could never remember whether ours was the 1st or the 4th. Independence Day always sounded like a riot to me, so I was rather disappointed when I learned that that one was for the US, not for us.
Posted on 2015-07-02 at 15:35:23.
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: Choices, some good, some not so good.
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
Frodrick hacked at the flowers around his legs, but they held strong to his legs. He snorted, then turned to Jargon. She had only barely made it to the top step when the Dancing Lady captivated them, but her forelegs were already wrapped up in creeping vines. "C'mon girl, we seen better before, aye?" He reached up with his shield and blocked her line of sight.
Meanwhile Zeran set his sights on the Dancing Lady, but this time with less vacant staring. The flora crawling up his body made lining up his aim annoying, especially as not to hit Kyrie, but no matter how he pulled, they refused to let him budge.
The Dancing Lady's expression turned cold and furious after recovering from her vassal's betrayal. "Very well, I shall just have to kill you all myself." Through all this her body never ceased its hypnotic motions.
"Screw it," Zeran said. He pointed and pulled the trigger. There wasn't much of an opening, but his aim was good. The shot burned past the Dancing Lady's arm, causing her to jerk right. The bullet ricocheted off her body, proving her body was no less supernaturally resistant than any of the others, but left an angry red mark (-5dmg Dancing Lady).
Kyrie and the Dancing Lady held position, the farmgirl hoping to distract the malicious supernatural being until her allies could group up. To this effect, the grunted through her teeth. "Going to take more than that to kill me quickly."
The Lady's composure into a frustrated snarl. Keeping her voice cold as ice, she said "You know, I always did prefer to eat my dessert first." She shoved Kyrie away from her and strode across the thrashing garden to Miguel. She glanced at Zeran as she walked, "Your friend has gone a little mad. Do be a darling and take outside for a spot of fresh air, will you?"
Zeran's eyes glazed over for a second, then refocused. He was still trapped by the vines and flowers, but his attention was singularly focused on Kyrie (Compulsion) as she scooped up her shovel and followed after the Lady.
Giles' sword also followed the Dancing Lady, chasing after her across the battlefield while he wrenched his feet free of the garden. As if expecting the attack, the Lady sidestepped the spell blade even as she descended on the helpless Miguel.
Giles mentally reassigned the divine power reinforcing his body into this sword, calling on the power of destruction. Rather than dive for his cold iron sword, he decided to cut straight to the heart of the matter (Poison Resisted 1/2).
The Lady saw that her back was practically to the wall between Kyrie and Giles. "Well, damn. Would that I had picked you to be removed from my chambers."
Frodrick 57/58 - Ice Armour, Entangled
Jargon 42/42 - Entangled, Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 21/42 - Destruction, Heroism, B(1/5), Spiritual Weapon (4/5), Poisoned, Ability Damage -4Dex (-2pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 45/50 - -2LoH, Bastion, Ability Damage -3Str (-1pen attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort)
Miguel 41/41 - (2/15), Dazed, Entangled, Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31/37 - -1G, Entangled, Compulsion, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort), -1Wis, 22 bullets
Dancing Lady: Barely Injured, Dancing, Bastion Target, Entangle
Teorlian: Out of Sight, Badly Wounded, Bloodied
(She was kind of hoping most people would be/remain entangled while she moved in on Miguel, not have at least two people, one of which who deals the most damage per round, grouping up on her)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 1/3
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-07-01 at 15:00:05.
Edited on 2015-07-01 at 15:02:07 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: This one is starting to go south for the Dancing Lady fast.
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
Half the party, including the horse, were still mesmerized by the Dancing Lady's supernatural motions. Frodrick's first line of action was clear. He stuck his axe haft-up into the ground and grabbed Zeran by the brigandine. Rather than let nature take its course, he dragged the pirate down to meet his eyes.
As Zeran's eye contact was broken, his mind started to clear up. He swallowed the drool that was threatening to dribble over his lip.
Frodrick waited until he saw the clouds fade from Zeran's expression. "That's enough gawking. Get Miguel, we've got another blasted fairy to kill."
In the middle of the room, the Dancing Lady was slipping from Kyrie's grip once more without any particular show of effort (Grapple Reversed... again). She took a hold of Kyrie's forearms and glanced at the back lines with a scowl. "Teorlian, do stop wasting time playing with your food. Hold this wretch down so I can get on to the more succulent meats."
The grimstalker, breathing heavily at this point and covered in his own red blood turned to his mistress, incredulous. It took only a second for him to assess his situation. "I'll not forget what you've done to me here." He told Giles.
He turned abruptly away from Giles, retreating, but not toward the wrestling pair. "Help yourself, you miserable trull," he spat as he clambered through thrashing flower to one of the wide, broken windows.
Without further comment the grimstalker crawled out the window the same as he had come in.
The Dancing Lady's expression progressed from shock to confusion to shrieking outrage in the span of a second. Kyrie tried to pull free, but the distraction made the Dancing Lady's grip even tighter, if anything.
With a thought, Giles' ink sword blinked across the room to Kyrie's side. It struck immediately and without mercy, forcing her to twist to avoid its thrust (-6dmg Dancing Lady Barely Injured). Meanwhile Giles made himself concentrate on casting a spell to heal up some of his wounds even as the poison inside his body threatened to seize up all his muscles (-1Dex) (+9hp Giles 21/42).
Frodrick 57/58 - Ice Armour, Entangled
Jargon 42/42 - Entangled, Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 21/42 - Resiliency, Heroism, (1/5), Spiritual Weapon (3/5), Entangled, Ability Damage -4Dex (-2pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 45/50 - -2LoH, Bastion, Grappled, Ability Damage -3Str (-1pen attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort)
Miguel 41/41 - (2/15), Dazed, Entangled Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31/37 - Entangled, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort), -1Wis, 22 bullets
Dancing Lady: Barely Injured, Grappling, Dancing, Bastion Target, Entangle
Teorlian: Out of Sight, Badly Wounded, Bloodied
(Oh yeah, Frodrick picks up his axe after he puts it down with the remaining move action he had left. Giles' sword is still out of his reach until he breaks the entangle and moves to get it. Remaining dazed party members are Jargon and Miguel (the latter of which who may be able to tell us just what the lady actually is, assuming not an elf at this point.)
(EDIT: Oh yeah, Giles' spirit sword wavers or something when it hits the dancing lady, as if the magic holding it together was briefly disrupted but not broken. Also I forgot to mention that Miguel and Giles have once again been entangled. Well Miguel for the first time.
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 1/3
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-06-28 at 01:48:53.
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: A little something to make this actually a challenge
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
The Dancing Lady pulled Kyrie closer to her body, her rhythmic swaying turning more intense, almost sensual. As she pressed herself up against the cold metal of Kyrie's armour, she pinned Kyrie's arms down with inexorable strength (Pinned). She bent her head down next to Kyrie's ear. "You're not normally my type, either, but for this I'll make an exception."
Before Kyrie had time to wonder at the meaning, the elf-lookalike's teeth became sharp, and she bit down into her neck (-5dmg Kyrie). Kyrie fought the urge to cry out in horrified pain and give the lady the satisfaction. The lady of the keep drank deep of the supply of life-giving blood flowing from her neck (Blood Drain -3Str, -2Con Kyrie 45/50).
Kyrie gathered her reserves of will and cracked the side of her skull against the Lady's. The inhuman fey was only staggered for a second, but the farmgirl redoubled her efforts. She jerked back sharply, almost tumbling over, finally freeing one arm. With that free arm she poured her strength into a crushing grip on the fey's other arm, eventually forcing her to let go by pure mechanical force applied to the wrist muscles than by overpowering her (Grapple Reversed... Again).
Teorlian paid no attention to his lady's struggle, confident that she would hold her own against a mere mortal girl. His eyes were focused on Giles and filled with hate for the one who had brought the touch of anathema. "You will immediately cease your feeble struggling if you want your death to be merciful." He lashed out with his claws. Giles dodged the first by ducking behind his sword, but took the second grazing a gap in his shoulder armour (-4 redux -2dmg Giles 12/42). His body fought against the poison, but the doses were adding up and beginning to overpower him (Poisoned, -1Dex)
"I think not." Giles said, drawing his other sword. It wasn't made of cold iron, but it would have to do. "In fact, I think it's time one of you blasted fairies died finally." He mentally imbued his sword with the power to smite down any fey creature that came under its blade (Bane [Fey]).
He struck at the same time his spirit blade thrust. The ghostly force blade forced Teorlian to dodge left as it sliced through his woody bicep (-5dmg Teorlian Badly Wounded) as Giles swung his blade from the right. His sword bit into the grimstalker's belly, an almost lethal blow on a normal human, but still damnably injuring to the fey (-13dmg Teorlian). For the first time, the fey assassin seemed to realize his mortality.
In the back the horrifying sight of the Dancing Lady sinking her teeth into Kyrie's neck was just enough to shake Frodrick free of the mental hold she had over him. Whatever he had previously been distracted by, the effect was broken and he saw only another vicious monster that needed to be put down. He had to be careful, though. This was no mere sprite to have had such a powerful effect over him. True to Tiressia's warning, the lady of the castle was clearly a dark fey of great malevolence and power.
Frodrick 57/58 - Ice Armour, Entangled
Jargon 42/42 - Entangled, Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 12/42 - Resiliency, Heroism, Bane [Fey] (1/5), Spiritual Weapon (2/5), Ability Damage -3Dex (-1pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 45/50 - -2LoH, Bastion, Grappling, Ability Damage -3Str (-1pen attk, dmg, cmb, cmd), -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort)
Miguel 41/41 - (2/15), Dazed, Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31/37 - Dazed, Entangled, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort), -1Wis, 22 bullets
Dancing Lady: Uninjured, Grappled, Dancing, Bastion Target, Entangle
Teorlian: Badly Wounded, Bloodied
(Surprise! Who doesn't love a little good ol' fashioned Blood Drain? That said, fortunes look to be rapidly changing around here. Honestly, though, it's kind of annoying that the Dancing Lady is so reliant on that Captivating Dance save-or-suck mechanic, but she does have at least a few other tricks for when that one crashes to the ground)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 0/3
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-06-26 at 00:57:00.
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: Well, things could get worse... I think...
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
The Dancing Lady turned her attention back to the farmgrl holding her arms captive. "As for you, you unfortunate creature, let me show you how we dance in the Fae." With a sudden surge of great strength, the tall lady broke Kyrie's grip and reversed it, taking hold of Kyrie (Grappled). Flowers and vines took a grip on Kyrie's legs as the lady of the keep took the lead.
Kyrie fought back, but the Lady's grip was too tight. She was being overwhelmed. She set her jaw, prepared to do whatever it took to keep the lady focused on her, giving Giles time to deal with his own problems.
Feet rooted, Giles struggled to dodge the grimstalker's venomous claws. He threw up his arms to defend himself, blocking one claw with a painful blow to his forearm (-5dmg) and letting his armour take the brunt of the other blow (-3dmg Giles 14/42).
As soon as he had a moment to think, he wrenched his feet out from the garden's grasp. With one less thing to worry about, he concentrated his efforts on casting a spell without letting the grimstalker take another shot. As soon as he finished the incantation, the calligraphy pen sword he had summoned earlier reappeared between him and Teorlian.
Though Giles was yet unarmed, the spirit blade struck for him while he sorted himself out. The blade forced the grimstalker back on the defensive, slashing at him and creating a shallow gouge in his wood-like skin (-6dmg Teorlian). Meanwhile Giles channeled his will to make his body become tougher, more resilient to harm. This was almost certainly going to hurt, but he wasn't going down without a fight.
"This is definitely too damn much work for any bloody statue," he growled.
Frodrick 57/58 - Ice Armour, Dazed, Entangled
Jargon 42/42 - Dazed, Entangled, Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 14/42 - Resiliency, Heroism, Spiritual Weapon (1/5), Ability Damage -2Dex (-1pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 55/55 - -2LoH, Bastion, Grappled
Miguel 41/41 - (2/15), Dazed, Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31/37 - Dazed, Entangled, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1Fort), -1Wis, 22 bullets
Dancing Lady: Uninjured, Grappling, Dancing, Bastion Target, Entangle (2r/?min)
Teorlian: Injured, Bloodied
(Kyrie has gone from being the controlling grappler of the pair to the one being grappled. Giles is losing hp fast, but since he's no longer flat-footed, the grimstalker can only do basic claw damage, minus the sneak attacks, until he finds a way to get back into hiding.)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 0/3
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-06-24 at 20:15:20.
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: Things get more interesting
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
The Dancing Lady took a step back from the party, beckoning Kyrie to come and get her. Kyrie did not need to be told twice. She brought up her defensive aura and became once more a bastion against evil, targetting the woman before her.
Kyrie tore through the writhing garden to get to the lady of the keep, stepping right into her gambit. The lady lashed out to grab Kyrie, but the farmgirl ducked back. The Dancing Lady's smile faded at once, her face twisting into something hateful and vindictive.
Kyrie threw down her shovel just as the Dancing Lady struck out at her again, this time with inch-long pointed nails. Kyrie caught her attack by the wrist, holding the alabaster flesh in a gauntletted deathgrip (Dancing Lady Grappled).
"Well, this has become awkward." said the Dancing Lady lightly. Despite being caught up in Kyrie's grip, the elven lady continued dancing, adjusting her steps as if she were merely taking on a partner. "Teorlian, do be a dear and take care of that wretched sword for me?"
Without warning the grimstalker appeared next to Giles, bursting out of the writhing garden like a rapidly growing tree. He struck, wrenching the cold iron long sword from Giles' grip with one clawed hand, casting it into the garden behind him. The sword disposed of he raked across Giles' chest with the other claw (-15dmg Giles 22/42 Poison Resisted).
The soldier suddenly shook free of his reverie, becoming alert to what was going on around him. He saw the grimstalker, looking much the same as when they last saw him retreat, and the flash of metal from his sword laying in the flowers behind him. The others were still trapped by the effect, and his legs were entangled by the garden. Even as he glanced, Zeran lost the struggle to avoid the plants.
Frodrick 57/58 - Ice Armour, Dazed, Entangled
Jargon 42/42 - Dazed, Entangled, Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 22/42 - Heroism, Entangled, Ability Damage -2Dex (-1pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 55/55 - -2LoH, Bastion, Grappling
Miguel 41/41 - (2/15), Dazed, Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31/37 - Dazed, Entangled, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1Fort), -1Wis, 22 bullets
Dancing Lady: Uninjured, Grappled, Dancing, Bastion Target, Entangle (2r/?min)
Teorlian: Injured, Bloodied
(Technically there is nothing in the book stating you can reroll against the daze effect, but also there is basically nothing that says the daze effect ever ends except if she stops dancing, so the ability is a potential instant TPK as written. Besides, it would make this fight awefully boring if we just had to watch Kyrie try to fend off against both foes by herself.)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 0/2
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-06-22 at 15:06:30.
Edited on 2015-06-23 at 17:27:07 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: I'm actually kind of disappointed my dice produced such a heteronormative result
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
Kyrie answered first. "Well, we're exploring the area, and this guy over here," she indicated Giles, "wanted to see if there were any Elven places around, and we got pointed to here, so here we are. The other two that we met so far weren't very nice though."
The elven woman smiled pleasantly, amused. "Yes, I'm afraid my associates are ever so zealous when it comes to defending me. I confess, I wondered whether we might have company in our part of the forest when I espied from yon window the black mark of a human infestation." Without ever stopping her swaying movements, she raised a hand casually toward the eastern window—approximately the direction of the area set ablaze by the party a few days earlier. Her face did not waver from its mild, pleasant expression.
Kyrie either did not notice or did not care about the elven Lady's insult. "Yeah, there was a dangerous tree over that way that we ran into. Very aggressive—and I guess hungry? Anyway, in the commotion fire was used and, well, we tried to put out what we could, but embers reached the tree tops and we didn't have buckets of water that we could climb up the trees with to put them out. Also probably would take too long. Hopefully it'll rain soon."
The lady of the keep stepped forward lightly as Kyrie rambled, still swaying with graceful, rhythmic motions that invited the eyes to linger. "How typical of humans. And dwaves." She directed this latter comment with a glance to Frodrick. "Burn down the forest to remove a single tree. I suppose I should expect nothing less from such ugly, disgusting creatures—" The lady of the keep paused by the waterclock, halfway across the room. Her gaze was fixated on Kyrie, focused on the streak of green in her hair.
Her eyes narrowed. "You. You are one of the marked." The woman's casual tone turned suddenly bitter as she spoke the word, as if it tasted aweful in her mouth. "I would that my People express less enthusiasm for debasing themselves with the creation of such abomination."
"Mark?" Kyrie blinked. "Oh, you mean my birthlock" Unconsciously she reached up and twirled the streak of green hair. "I've always had that. Mah'i and Mah'r always thought it was just something like a birthmark, just with hair. Come to think of it, I haven't ever seen anyone else with green hair... oh except that tree guy that attacked us just now..."
She turned to Miguel suddenly. "What'd you call him again? Grim-something?" She poked the bard while continuing to explain, "Guy seemed to be friends with that weed. Hard to understand why but, not my place to judge."
It was then that Kyrie began to realize that every one of her allies, all of the Greenbelt Charter party—including the horse—were staring vacantly at the hypnotizing gyrations of the dancing elf lady, completely agawk (Party Dazed)
"Uh, Miguel?"
"I'm afraid your friends are indisposed—since you alone resisted me, I suppose I'll just have to let them watch while I kill you." The Dancing Lady raised her hand toward Kyrie and suddenly the lush garden became a writhing mass of grasping vines.
Kyrie pulled free quickly. The dazed watchers resisted the clinging bushes and plants absently, unable to tear their eyes away from the 'elf'. Frodrick, one of Jargon's legs, and Giles were all ensnared, while Miguel and Zeran remained free.
Frodrick 57/58 - Ice Armour, Dazed, Entangled
Jargon 42/42 - Dazed, Entangled, Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 37/42 - Heroism, Dazed, Entangled, Ability Damage -2Dex (-1pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 55/55 - -2LoH
Miguel 41/41 - (2/15), Dazed, Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31/37 - Dazed, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1Fort), -1Wis, 22 bullets
Dancing Lady: Serene, Aggressive, Dancing, Entangle (1r/?min)
Teorlian: ??? (Injured, Bloodied)
(I swear, had it been almost anybody but Kyrie this battle would have started like 3 rounds ago. Instead I got to put in all the fancy dialogue I wanted to try squeezing into this interaction before the fight even started.)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 0/2
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-06-22 at 02:30:33.
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: It's always awkward showing up bringing a sword to a word fight...
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
Zeran shook his head, then waved his hand in front of his face. "Well, that was interesting." The unsettling visions left him very little worse off for wear. Frodrick carefully stroked Jargon's mane, offering soft reassurances. Their bodies quickly fought off the hallucinogenic poison, leaving them a little shaken, but not too stirred (Poison End).
Miguel was another story. In a moment he began hyperventilating (-1Wis Miguel). Kyrie tried to encourage him to take deeper breaths to help clear his head while drawing supplies from her medkit. His eyes remained unfocused, occasionally glancing at her or the others in the room, but clearly not seeing them rather than vague apparition in their shape (-2Wis).
Finally after a couple moments and a subjective eternity for Miguel, the visions passed and he was able to see the room for what it was, and not the hellscape that had been laid over it. Zeran was snapping his fingers in front of him. "You all right there?"
Miguel blinked a couple of times. His vision still blurred a bit at the edges, but his body finished absorbing the poison. "Yeah, I think I'll be okay," he said. "Probably gonna need to take a few days off after this, I bet."
Rather than dwell on the aftereffects of the violet mist, Miguel took position next to Kyrie again and led the way up the elegant stone stairs. They ascended from the hallucinary hellscape to a sight almost as strange. A riot of flowers, plants, and bushes sprouted from the thick loam that carpeted the circular floor, and vines crept in through the shattered remains of wide, panoramic windows, invisible from the outside. The effect was remarkably like walking in a fantastic glade elevated high above the forest floor.
The wooden interior walls had long since rotted away, leaving a wide-open space for the garden. In the centre of the floor stood a ancient-looking exquisitely crafted waterclock, positioned directly under the skylight, while the far side of the room appeared to be some form of open-plan bedchamber, and also held the room's only visible occupants.
Tucked against the far wall, there was a bed covered with a snow-white bearskin coverlet, as well as a finely carved wooden wardrobe and a bedside table made of rosewood. Beside these stood two elven women—one carved from alabaster, a life-sized statue of a dancing nude, and next to her another with skin just as pale, standing beside a harp as if having just gotten up from playing.
This latter, with solid emerald green eyes and golden hair, dressed in a flowing white gown, tied at the waist with a blood-red scarf, directed her attention at the bedraggled crew that had just entered her chamber. She took two steps forward, swaying delicately as she walked. The movement accentuated the beauty in the curves of her body.
"Greetings, travellers. May I inquire what business brings your fine company to my humble garden?"
Frodrick 57/58 - Ice Armour
Jargon 42/42 - Ability Damage: -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 37/42 - Heroism, Ability Damage -2Dex (-1pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 55/55 - -2LoH
Miguel 41/41 - (2/15), Ability Damage -1Con, -6Wis (-3will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31/37 - Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1Fort), -1Wis, 22 bullets
Elf Lady: Serene, Inquisitive
Teorlian: ??? (Injured, Bloodied)
(There is no heads nor tails of the grimstalker anywhere in here. This oversized 'room' has almost the exact same dimensions as the hall below it, but I'll be posting its own map, anyway.)
Map of the Upper Floor ~here~
(On the left side; it looks so much smaller than it actually is, but when you consider that the room is 30' in diameter, that puts it at significantly larger than my bedroom.
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 0/2
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-06-21 at 01:55:15.
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: No matter the situation, seeing 9000 year old dead elves dancing is not normal.
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
As soon as the grimstalker disappeared into the tower, Miguel focused his efforts on making sure everyone was as patched up as possible before the next battle. He pointed his wand at Giles, pouring charges into him while Kyrie worked to treat the poison (Poison Resisted) in his body (Poison Resisted/End).
Nothing jumped out at them over the next few minutes while Miguel treated the party's cuts and bruises. Soon the party was back in almost top fighting order (+25hp Giles 37/42) (+16hp Zeran 31/37) (+41hp Frodrick 57/58.) (CLW 5 charges remaining). Finally, he tucked his wand back away and cast a spell on Giles to reinforce his strength (+Heroism).
As soon as they were ready to move in, the party took their positions, With Kyrie and Miguel in front and Frodrick guiding Jargon in the back. They knew the central tower must be the home of the lady of the keep, and Zeran didn't want to run head-first into another unpleasant surprise.
The ground-level of the tower held the grand hall—a spacious room with a high, vaulted ceiling. Despite a layer of earth and undergrowth, the smooth, multicoloured stone tile floor was clearer in here than anywhere else in the keep. The walls were decorated with faded scenes of forest life, depicting elves hunting, feasting, dancing, and a bewildering array of other idyllic pursuits.
The west wall of the tower featured a graceful stone staircase curving along the inside up to the ceiling and second floor above. Besides the elves along the walls and the creepers along the floor, the grand hall was empty.
There wasn't time to look around, though. The moment Frodrick and Jargon entered into the room, the large circular immediately began filling with a thick violet mist, pouring in from all sides. There was no time to cover their mouths, by the time the party realized what was happening they were already beginning to feel the effects of the noxious gas.
The violet mist dispersed almost as quickly as it had appeared, but the effects lingered. Kyrie, Frodrick, and Giles' vision blurred and their surroundings warped before their eyes. After just a moment the effects of the mist passed for them with a mild sense of vertigo.
Miguel, Zeran, and even Jargon Hooves suffered from a stronger reaction (Poisoned). Not only did the poisonous mist set their world spinning, it filled their minds with vivid hallucinations of dark, moonless nights. The figures dancing in the stone frescoes on the walls came to life, the forest scenes filled with twisted, hateful looking trees, and the rivers ran red with blood (-3Wis Miguel, -1Wis Zeran, -2Wis Jargon), (Miguel/Jargon -1will).
Frodrick 57/58 - Ice Armour
Jargon 42/42 - Poisoned, Ability Damage -2Wis (-1will)
Giles 37/42 - Heroism (~50min), Ability Damage -2Dex (-1pen AC, reflex, range attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 55/55 - -2LoH
Miguel 41/41 - (2/15), Ability Damage -1Con, -3Wis (-1will), 18 arrows
Zeran 31/37 - Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1fort), -1Wis (no effect)
Teorlian: ??? (Injured, Bloodied)
(Remember that Wisdom damage also affects wisdom-based skills, but other than that I'm pretty sure it's mostly only Will saves. Luckily, Giles and Frodrick both saved, so they don't risk any penalty to their Wisdom-based spellcasting.)
(Anyway, Kyrie has time to drop her stuff and try to treat one of the victims before the poison goes further, with or without use of a charge from her healer`s kit (which is down by 2 as I recall))
Spells:
Frodrick - Ice
Giles 0/2
Miguel 2/1
Posted on 2015-06-16 at 02:04:34.
Edited on 2015-06-16 at 02:06:01 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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Topic: Christopher Lee dead - 93
Subject: Oh
Just heard about this on the news a few moments ago. Sad to hear, but dang did he have a full life. Definitely a legacy left behind with that one.
Posted on 2015-06-11 at 13:57:48.
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: Yay! Another battle... over... sort of?
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
Giles was having the stuffing torn out of him by the deadly accurate attacks of the fey assassin. Miguel pointed his wand at Giles and hoped it would be enough to stitch some of the holes back together long enough to put the stuffing back in (+5hp Giles 12/42) (19 charges).
The self-procclaimed soldier knew he couldn't hold off both sides at once—but there was nowhere to turn without tripping or being held down (-1Dex Giles -1pen to AC, ranged attk, reflex, init). Instead he fought back as hard as he could. The grimstalker wanted him because he was holding the sword that could burn through his magic flesh. Figuratively and literally, given the fire transmutation.
Giles pressed the attack, thrusting his sword at the centre of mass. Despite his resemblance in common with a tree, the grimstalker was fast. The fey twisted with superhuman flexibility, still not fast enough to avoid a burning gash across his torso (-13dmg, -2fire Teorlian Injured).
The grimstalker snarled, hatred plain in his eyes. Red blood flowed over his bark-like skin, telling the true extent of his injuries (Bloodied). Giles managed a smug look, despite his clear disadvantage.
Behind Giles, fighting on the other front, Zeran was deciding to throw caution to the wind. He pointed his pistol at the assassin vine from close combat. In the half second while he lined up the shot, the vine lashed down at him with lethal force. Its attack was sluggish, and as poorly as Zeran was doing, it was next to no effort to sidestep and adjust his aim. He lined up the muzzle of his pistol flush with the wood of the serpentine vine.
"Bang." The shot blew a clean hole through the vine (-11dmg Vine Dying), sending fibrous chips out the other side. The assassin vine, bleeding sap from the several injuries, shuddered, then went limp.
Kyrie weeds still wrapped around her leg, didn't pause when the assassin plant went down. She knew that just because you'd plucked a weed didn't mean you'd actually killed it yet. She set the blade of her shovel against the bullet hole, took a moment to steady her balance and draw up her strength, then stomped on the shovel, severing the vine clean in two (-28dmg *coup de grace* Vine DEAD).
As the vine's lifefluids drained out onto the grass, the large circle of thrashing plants suddenly fell away, returning to inanimacy the moment the magic passed. Frodrick took advantage of his newfound mobility to step up beside Giles. "If you want to get to 'im, ye'll have to go through me!" He bellowed at the grimstalker, warding off the assassin with a warning swing of his axe.
The grimstalker fixed his glare on Frodrick. "I'll gladly see both of you dead soon eno—" Jargon kicked him square across the jaw. The fey reacted as if he actually had been made out of living wood and not flesh, but the blow clearly did some damage (-4dmg Teorlian).
The fey chose not to finish his parting words, turning tail to escape getting surrounded by more foes than he could handle. He didn't have the incredible speed of his smaller cohort, but his long strides carried him readily to the base of the central spire. Without breaking stride his long claws came up and gripped onto the ancient stone and vines, and he started scaling the outside of the tower.
The fey was clearly a natural climber, scaling the relatively smooth stone with little difficulty at an impressive speed. Then suddenly, at close to 30' off the ground, he seemed to vanish into the side of the tower. There were no visible windows, but his body clearly and suddenly slipped into the white stone.
Frodrick 16/58 - C, F, Ice Armour
Jargon 42/42 - Mount, C, F
Giles 12/42 - Justice, C, F, Flames of the Faithful (3/5), Poisoned, Ability Damage -2Dex (-1pen AC, reflex, ranged attk, init), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 55/55 - -2LoH, Power of Faith (2/10), C
Miguel 41/41 - Inspire Courage (2/15), F, Ability Damage -1Con, 18 arrows
Zeran 15/37 - C, F, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1Fort), 22 bullets
Assassin Vine: DEAD
Teorlian: Injured, Bloodied, Gone?
(I won't call an end to this battle (thus ending Giles' Judgement) immediately, but for all intents and purposes, I assume this fight is over until the next one begins, unless someone should do something amazing to prove me wrong.)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 0/2
Miguel 2/0
Posted on 2015-06-10 at 19:47:38.
Edited on 2015-06-10 at 19:48:48 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: Everything hurts
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
Miguel raised his voice above the rustling of the bushes and vines, filling the air with his own magical hum. His song radiated through his allies, giving them the strength to fight harder.
Giles spun on the fey Miguel had called a 'grimstalker'. He realized that it probably saw that he was carrying the cold iron sword, and had come to kill him first. "You know," he said to the others, "the reward for that figurine had better be worth all this mess." He swung his sword at the fey, calling down divine judgement to fill guide his blade and smite his enemies.
The grimstalker saw the blade coming and threw himself back with elven grace, but he wasn't fast enough.Giles sliced open a wound across his branch-like arm, interested to note that despite his appearance, the fey did still indeed bleed red (-9dmg, -5fire Teorlian, Barely Injured). The fey hissed at the touch of the cold iron.
Zeran regained his footing after being released from the vine's grip. It was too busy with Frodrick now to pay much attention to him. He lifted his pistol to hardly a foot away from the broad, hand-like leaves, and pulled the trigger, blowing out a section of woody splinters (-6dmg Vine).
Beside him Kyrie drew on her power once again. She began radiating a light to boost her allies morale in tandem with Miguel's music, together turning the team into a focused killing machine.
Frodrick wrestled with the vines wrapping around his neck and now his feet. Rather than pit his strength against that of the vines, he clawed the ground next to him for the haft of his axe. As soon as his hands closed on the wooden handle, he swung it up furiously into the wooden tendril holding him (-5dmg Vine Injured, Bloodied). He couldn't get the right leverage, but his arm was strengthened by the power radiating from his comrades.
Meanwhile his mare was not doing nothing in his absense. He left her to keep an eye on Giles and Miguel from behind and that's what she did. She spun away from the grimstalker and kicked with her hind legs. The fey hardly seemed to feel the force of the hoof against his fairy-tough hide (-1dmg Teorlian).
"Forget the dwarf!" the grimstalker shouted at the mindless vine. "Move there, keep this one distracted."
As commanded, the assassin vine released Frodrick, leaving him to the plants wrapping around his legs. It twisted, winding across the thrashing grasses over to Kyrie, where it's great reach would put it directly behind Giles. The vine's ponderous movements gave Kyrie an opening, which she took, hacking at the overgrown weed (-7dmg Vine Badly Wounded). It wasn't made to take this kind of punishment, and its body was beginning to show the damage, bleeding sap out of several wounds.
Nevertheless, it paid Kyrie no heed while the plants around her legs started to find hold in her moment of distraction. Instead its attack hurtled past her at Giles' back. The soldier realized what was happening. When the vine behind him like this, he couldn't defend against both of them easily. The grimstalker relied on ambush tactics, but when those weren't available, a little distraction like this would do just as well to force him to open his guard.
With fierce growl, Frodrick tackled the thick vine before it ever got to Giles again, smashing it with his shield even as it slammed into him (-11dmg Frodrick 25/5 . With his feet still rooted to where he stood, Frodrick didn't have any footing to fight back when the vine started to wrap around him and crush the life out of him again (-9dmg Frodrick 16/5.
Then, just as suddenly as it struck, the assassin vine simply dropped him like an unwanted toy. That was bad news for Giles.
With the vine hovering over his back like that, Giles could only do so much to avoid the grimstalker's fast and viscious strikes. It ripped at him with both claws, the first thrusting like a dagger at his spare ribs. He tried to dodge, and his armour blocked part of the blow, but it still stung (-12dmg Giles 20/42, Poison Resisted). The second claw came for his head. If he had been any slower, he might have lost an eye. Instead white hot pain flashed through his cheek (-13dmg Giles 7/42). Between the repeated exposure his body was starting to succumb to the numbing effects of the poison on the grimstalker's claws (-1Dex (no effect) Poisoned).
Frodrick 16/58 - C, F, Ice Armour, Entangled
Jargon 42/42 - Mount, C, F
Giles 7/42 - Justice, C, F, Flames of the Faithful (2/5), Ability Damage -1Dex, 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 55/55 - -2LoH, Power of Faith (1/10), C, Entangled
Miguel 41/41 - Inspire Courage (1/15), F, Ability Damage -1Con, 18 arrows
Zeran 15/37 - C, F, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1Fort), 23 bullets
Assassin Vine: Badly Wounded, Bloodied
Teorlian: Barely Injured
(Well, we're making short work of the assassin vine, but the assassin fey is doing the same to our glass cannon)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 0/2
Miguel 2/0
Posted on 2015-06-05 at 14:00:19.
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: Frodrick is going to give that new feat one hell of a workout I suspect.
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
Miguel reached out for Zeran as he got dragged away. Instead of trying to fight back against the vine's tightly wound strength, he went in with a spell on his lips. The tightness in Zeran's chest went away, leaving him sucking in his breath (+9hp Zeran 15/37).
The moment he had air in his lungs again Zeran called out not a scream or cry for help. "How disappointing," he said. "Here I thought I was going to die screwing your lady!" He wriggled and twisted, trying to work himself free of the vine's grasp.
Giles himself also fought to free himself from the tangles of another vine insinuating itself around his leg. He tugged and yanked, and finally broke free. The remainder of the plant immediately dropped away as soon as it was severed. Without that little distraction, he raised his sword, chanting a spell. A burning rune appeared on his sword and it burst into flames.
Kyrie jumped to Zeran's aid with the shovel in her hands. She hacked at the vines with the blade of her shovel just the same as she would with any weed she found in her garden (-6dmg Vine Barely Injured).
Frodrick looked from Zeran to Miguel "I'm going in. Ye'll be a'right?" he asked. Miguel nodded, and the dwarf dropped out of his saddle in a quick motion. Without pause he charged past Miguel and Giles, tossing his axe down so he would have a hand free to take a hold of the gunslinger's arm.
"Drop that fool" the mysterious voice called. "Kill the one carrying the fire sword first!"
Without hesitation the assassin vine simply released Zeran, directly contradicting everything Miguel expected of the mindless monster. It reached right over Frodrick's head and went straight for Giles without even acknowledging the dwarf.
The dwarf snorted and let go of Zeran. "Not that easy!" he bellowed and threw himself in front of Giles, taking the brunt of the blow (-11dmg Frodrick). The assassin vine seemed just as happy to wrap one as the other (Grappled -8dmg Frodrick 36/58 ), cinching around Frodrick's neck.
Even as the vines wrapped around his body, the dense bushes and tall grasses wrapped around his legs (Entangled). The others managed to avoid being wrapped up and pinned down.
There was a sigh from somewhere too close to Giles to be comfortable. He glanced around, but didn't see the source of the voice until too late. A tall, slender man built like an elf but with skin resembling tree bark leapt out from cover with long, wicked sharp claws.
Giles threw his arm up to shield his face, taking a slash across his arm (-10dmg Giles). At once he felt his arm burn and begin to numb, but it passed (Poison Resisted).
Unlike the quickling, this new creature did not immediately flee back into the undergrowth. Miguel glanced back at the newcomer. "Grimstalker!" He shouted "Fey assassin! Venomous claws!" That was just about everything he knew condensed into manageable packages.
Frodrick 36/58 - Ice Armour, Grappled, Entangled
Jargon 42/42 - Mount
Giles 32/42 - Flames of the Faithful (1/5), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 55/55 - -1LoH
Miguel 41/41 - Ability Damage -1Con, 18 arrows
Zeran 15/37 - Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1Fort), 24 bullets
Assassin Vine: Barely Injured, Grappling
Teorlian: Uninjured
()
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 0/2
Miguel 2/0
Posted on 2015-06-03 at 17:40:35.
Edited on 2015-06-05 at 11:37:22 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: I really wasn't expecting this when I started.
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
Zeran quickly scanned the courtyard around the gate, where the majority of the fighting had gone down yesterday. He managed to retrieve three balls that weren't too mashed by the impact with the wood or terrain as to be useless to him. Waste not, want not.
Kyrie returned to where she left her sickle, while the others came in. Once everyone was set again (+6hp Zeran 28/37) (20charges), Zeran rounded on the nearest tower. The southeast tower was guarded by a rough-cut wooden door that was obviously newer than anything else in the keep.
Zeran shoved it open, pistol out in case he found anything ugly. The dark interior of the tower was unoccupied. Despite the lack of a roof, a thick mess of vines and leaves blocked out most of the daylight, leaving the humans to adjust their eyes. Like the other tower, the upper floors had fallen away, but here the debris had been cleared away and replaced with an almost cozy assortment of crude miniature furniture.
The party glanced around the small tower. It took a second, but the cozy atmosphere was marred by the discovery of a collection of scalps nailed to the walls like some kind of macabre decoration. Between the small wooden furniture and the decor, it seemed obvious who this room belonged to.
"This must have been where Rigg lived," Zeran said.
"You don't say?" said Giles. "Here I was thinking it was a kidnapped princess."
Glancing around the room, Frodrick spotted something higher up the tower shaft. "Oi, hush ye, what's that?" He pointed to a small alcove some 20' off the ground. It was dark and shadowed as much as anything else in the tower, but with his cave sight he could see the edge of something round.
"I'll get it." Offered Miguel. He sheathed his sword and easily scaled the wall to the alcove. At the top he removed a weighty clay urn, evidently filled with something worth at least a few pounds. He tossed it down to the others and returned to the ground without incident.
Climb Take 10 = 16
On the ground they removed the lid from the urn to find it was filled with at least two-hundred coins, gold and silver, as well as a colourful assortment of glittering gems. Rigg's treasure trove was clearly worth its weight. They stowed it to take back to the wagon and count later.
Inspired by treasure and the dangers that might guard it, Zeran led the crew to the last wall tower. Besides the central spire, this tower was clearly the most intact. High above it retained most of its roof, while the vine-covered mossy wooden door looked like it might have even been the original (any carving on it having long since faded away, albeit).
The tower itself was thick with vines, even moreso than any other. Near the top, someone had thought to add their own homey touches, stringing a neat collection of sun-bleached skulls through the vines. Above the door some of the vines were fruiting with ripe blackberries.
Miguel's hand suddenly shot out to block Zeran's progress. "Wait, no, bad," he said. He pointed to the collection of vines just above the door (distinct from the ones draping down in front of it). "I knew I recognised those leaf shapes somewhere. There's an assassin vine above the door, there. It's mindless, but it'll attack any living thing that gets too close."
Zeran took a single pointed step back. "What do we do with it?"
"It's a type of mindless plant monster. They get their fertilizer by ambushing prey and strangling it to death. They don't move very fast, but they are utterly single-minded in their hunt if they spot you, but otherwise remain completely still wherever they are."
"I got an idea." Zeran picked up a small stick that had snapped off one of the trees. "Let's see if we can make it move. Tell me what I'm aiming for."
Miguel pointed out to Zeran where the thicker vine trunk stood out among the vaguely hand-shaped leaves. Zeran took aim and pitched the stick at the plant monster. It struck dead on and bounced off harmlessly. The vine didn't react with so much as a twitch.
"Huh," said Zeran.
There was a chuckle from the wooded courtyard that came from none of the party. For a moment it seemed like Rigg had made a comeback, but this voice was far too deep to have come from that pipsqueak.
"While you may have done me a service in driving off that moronic idiot, nevertheless my lady would not be pleased if I let his death go unrepaid. Attack, my pet."
Without warning every bush, shrub, and blade of grass around the party suddenly sprang to life, growing to wrap around their legs. Of the party only Giles didn't react fast enough to escape the grasping vegetation (Entangled).
A great mass of vine dropped from the wall, landing in a writhing heap. It surged forward, undulating across the terrain with a slow and ungainly crawl. Now that it was off the wall, Zeran could more clearly see what tendrils were and weren't a part of the assassin vine. The main body of the plant was a 20' long thick woody vine, covered with offshoots that sprouted dozens of broad hand-shaped leaves, with ripe blackberries hanging between.
He had just enough time to observe all this before the faceless monster lashed out and struck him full in the chest (-24dmg *crit* Zeran 4/37). His vision blurred and he gasped for the air that had just been forced out of his lungs. Before he knew what was happening, the vine's tendrils wrapped around his torso and yanked back, dragging him toward the main body (Grappled).
Frodrick 55/58 - Ice Armour
Jargon 42/42 - Mount
Giles 42/42 - Entangled, 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 55/55 - -1LoH
Miguel 41/41 - Ability Damage -1Con, 18 arrows
Zeran 4/37 - Grappled, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1Fort), 24 bullets
Assassin Vine: Uninjured, Grappling
???: ???
(As a reminder of what the Entangled condition does, you are rooted to the spot, and take a -2 penalty to all attack rolls, and a -4 penalty on Dexterity. Those attempting to cast a spell must succeed on a concentration check. Breaking free takes a move action and a Str check or Escape Artist)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 0/1
Miguel 1/0
Posted on 2015-06-03 at 03:47:27.
Edited on 2015-06-03 at 17:45:30 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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Topic: Kingmaker Adventure Path 2.0
Subject: Time to pick up the pieces... no seriously, Zeran's got like a dozen bullets out there
8 Lamashan
Ancient Keep; H1
South Narlmarches
Frodrick had nothing to throw at the quickling, so he waited at ground level, ready to guard against a surprise attack in case the murderous fey wasn't quite finished with them yet. The trickle of blood from his side conspired to turn the muddy ice armour red, a steady but not immediately life-threatening flow (-2dmg Bleed Frodrick).
While the rest remained ground-bound when Rigg ascended, one blade had no such attachment to gravity. Giles' ink sword rose followed the quickling, trailing just a few feet behind him. It continued its attack, relentless so long as its target remained in sight. Though it was getting hard to see the quickling among the tree tops, his high pitched grunt of pain was enough to know he'd been hit (-5dmg *crit* Rigg).
Miguel, finally caught up with Frodrick, pointed the wand at him and spoke the command word that would stop his bleeding and restore some vitality to his body (+9hp Frodrick 55/58 Bleed End) (Wand 21c).
At the same time, Zeran pointed his own 'wand' straight up into the tree. He pulled the trigger half-heartedly, hoping but not really expecting to hit anything vital. A shower of woodchips came down around him as the quickling ascended onto a branch and vanished away hoping between the trees.
Giles sword vanished as soon as the quickling went out of sight, reappearing next to him, awaiting a new target.
Frodrick 55/58 - Ice Armour, B, F
Jargon 42/42 - Mount, B, F
Giles 42/42 - B, F, Spiritual Weapon (3/5), 18 arrows, 20 bolts
Kyrie 55/55 - -1LoH, Bastion of Good, Power of Faith (2/10)
Miguel 41/41 - B, F, Ability Damage -1Con, 18 arrows
Zeran 22/37 - B, F, Ability Damage -2Con (-5maxhp, -1Fort), 24 bullets
Rigg Gargadilly: Badly Wounded, Bloodied, Touch of Gracelessness (3/5) -3Dex (-1pen attk, AC, Ref, CMD), ESCAPED
(Yay! Quickling defeated. Let's hope him escaping won't come back to bite us in the backside in anyway somewhere down the line.)
Spells:
Frodrick: Ice Armour,
Giles 0/1
Miguel 1/0
Posted on 2015-06-02 at 18:49:24.
Edited on 2015-06-03 at 17:11:08 by Sibelius Eos Owm
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