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Navigating the Astral Sea: A NeoGAF Play-by-Post Pathfinder Game
- Thread starter ThLunarian
- Start date
Axelhortsemchi
Member
Ciel smiles after the vicar answers him. "No offense taken, good sir. Your answer suggests that my approach is a waste of time, at least given what we currently know. I will not trouble you further with setting up a poison bomb here, thank you for your cooperation."
With that, Ciel gets up with the others to leave, but has another idea.
"Actually, you guys," he says looking towards Menek and Mako. "Would you be able to tell if Cecil was listening in on this conversation, and in your opinion, do you think that is likely?" Should the others answer that there is most likely no observing going on, Ciel will pull out a smoke bomb and walks the vicar through its contours.
"This is an ordinary smoke bomb. As you can see, this slot is where I would insert poison, and it has not been interfered with. If one of them can set up a contingency on this, that will be sufficient to leverage a threat if it comes to that. You may be estranged, but I have never met a paladin who is unmoved by threats to their children, estranged or no, and you are not deathless, after all. Once this is enchanted, store it wherever you choose in this room or your bed room. In the unlikely event it has to be activated, the room will fill with harmless smoke that can be easily dispersed with an open door or window. As for the lack of any real danger if it comes down to threats? Well, let's just say I'm a good liar."
With that, Ciel gets up with the others to leave, but has another idea.
"Actually, you guys," he says looking towards Menek and Mako. "Would you be able to tell if Cecil was listening in on this conversation, and in your opinion, do you think that is likely?" Should the others answer that there is most likely no observing going on, Ciel will pull out a smoke bomb and walks the vicar through its contours.
"This is an ordinary smoke bomb. As you can see, this slot is where I would insert poison, and it has not been interfered with. If one of them can set up a contingency on this, that will be sufficient to leverage a threat if it comes to that. You may be estranged, but I have never met a paladin who is unmoved by threats to their children, estranged or no, and you are not deathless, after all. Once this is enchanted, store it wherever you choose in this room or your bed room. In the unlikely event it has to be activated, the room will fill with harmless smoke that can be easily dispersed with an open door or window. As for the lack of any real danger if it comes down to threats? Well, let's just say I'm a good liar."
ThLunarian
Member
((Detect Magic wouldn't do it. There is a Detect Scrying spell. I'm not aware of any other spells that would accomplish the same thing, but DeadPhoenix knows more than I do about Pathfinder))
Menek raises his eyebrow at Viss On the contrary Viss, it was a most useful conversation and an excellent start to our investigations. The Vicar helped us as much as he could and that is all we can ask for. We know far more about Cecil Fairhaven now than before. There is plenty for us to discuss but let us do so back at our camp.
KittenMaster
Member
"Indeed," Ozzang'ac concurs. Once they are outside, he says, "We're better prepared to find out more about Cecil without having to barge into his lair. We can hope to avoid another incident like with Baphomet and be prepared and well informed this time around."
DeadPhoenix
Member
((Off hand, as far as I know if you want to counter scrying you pretty much have to be prepared before hand either with spells or magic items. If he is still watching us we could find out with detect scrying and get a good look at him, but I doubt anyone has that prepared(i don't think shaman can learn it at all and i didn't bother to pick it up as a bard spell).))
"Yes, despite your unusual outburst, this was a very informative conversation. And quite frankly if the is still as honorable as his son seems to think he is, speaking with him directly may well be worth our time. But perhaps checking out this Tomb of Romarg first would be a good idea."
"Yes, despite your unusual outburst, this was a very informative conversation. And quite frankly if the is still as honorable as his son seems to think he is, speaking with him directly may well be worth our time. But perhaps checking out this Tomb of Romarg first would be a good idea."
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((Without certainty on the scrying, Ciel will decline explaining things to the Vicar and will just say that he may follow up on the idea later, when they have more information. Once outside and a safe distance away, he'll talk to the others about throwing a contingency on an ordinary smoke bomb))
Ciel doesn't jump on Viss's case with the others, but adds, "That went about as well as we could have hoped for such a meeting to go. I agree that checking out this tomb could prove useful, that should be our next stop."
Ciel doesn't jump on Viss's case with the others, but adds, "That went about as well as we could have hoped for such a meeting to go. I agree that checking out this tomb could prove useful, that should be our next stop."
ThLunarian
Member
Daylight has mostly receded by the time the group leaves the temple/mayor's office, and when they return to the site of the carnival, it's just in time to catch Sybil's prime time show (with enough time left over for Ciel to prepare for his).
KittenMaster
Member
Ozzang'ac decides to check up on Fleshbane, curious to how well he has fared making children happy the last few hours.
Viss is suprised to learn that her partners don't share her view of the events. Had they been at a different meeting?
"Really? It seems to me that we have learned little that we haven't already heard from Raven Queen and Heironeus. All I heared were lots of 'I don't knows'. And this idea that we should just openly talk to his father? I can understand that Edgar wants to believe that his father is still a good person. But I'm not convinced. Not convinced at all. If we just march into that city it'll end in a desaster just like last time."
After a moment of thought she adds,"There is nothing worse than a good person doing something evil while thinking they are doing the right thing. You just can't argue with those people."
"Really? It seems to me that we have learned little that we haven't already heard from Raven Queen and Heironeus. All I heared were lots of 'I don't knows'. And this idea that we should just openly talk to his father? I can understand that Edgar wants to believe that his father is still a good person. But I'm not convinced. Not convinced at all. If we just march into that city it'll end in a desaster just like last time."
After a moment of thought she adds,"There is nothing worse than a good person doing something evil while thinking they are doing the right thing. You just can't argue with those people."
One. We learned how this immortality of Cecil's works. Two we learned of Romarg. And most importantly we have learned that Cecil Fairhaven is not an evil man. Menek ticks off the facts.
Consider that Cecil has left the druids in the forest alone and more surprisingly the renegade worshipers of Heironeus who defy his rule have no need to hide their faith but practice openly. Look around Viss, children are playing and people are going about their lives, these passive resisters are being left in peace. Megalomaniac he may be, but Fairhaven is not a tyrant.
Consider that Cecil has left the druids in the forest alone and more surprisingly the renegade worshipers of Heironeus who defy his rule have no need to hide their faith but practice openly. Look around Viss, children are playing and people are going about their lives, these passive resisters are being left in peace. Megalomaniac he may be, but Fairhaven is not a tyrant.
Viss shrugs. "If 'some kind of magick' qualifies as good explanation for his immortality in your eyes, well sure, than we learned something. I kind of saw that as a given.
"The thing about the necromancer might be a hint, if only the vicar himself hadn't mention that we are unlikely to find something.
"And the last point, well, I already told you what I think of good people doing 'the right thing' or working for the 'greater good'. What you see as kindness towards the druids and the people in this town, might as well be born out of the simple arrogance that he does not see them as a thread to his cause. Something that surely won't apply to us if we reveal ourselves."
She takes a deep breath. "But I don't want to fight. Just know I'm not sharing the same optimism as the rest of you and leave it at that. Now we should talk to Sybil and see what her opinion is." She deliberate doesn't mention the construct, sure that it would only suggest to storm into the city and simply kill Cecil.
"The thing about the necromancer might be a hint, if only the vicar himself hadn't mention that we are unlikely to find something.
"And the last point, well, I already told you what I think of good people doing 'the right thing' or working for the 'greater good'. What you see as kindness towards the druids and the people in this town, might as well be born out of the simple arrogance that he does not see them as a thread to his cause. Something that surely won't apply to us if we reveal ourselves."
She takes a deep breath. "But I don't want to fight. Just know I'm not sharing the same optimism as the rest of you and leave it at that. Now we should talk to Sybil and see what her opinion is." She deliberate doesn't mention the construct, sure that it would only suggest to storm into the city and simply kill Cecil.
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
((In process of write up, posting this now to save it))
Fly Check Sybil: 1D20+20 = [5]+20 = 25
Diplomacy Sybil: 1D20+24 = [14]+24 = 38
Fly Check Scraw: 1D20+10 = [15]+10 = 25
Illusion Scraw: 1D20+11 = [7]+11 = 18
Handle Animal Syibl: 1D20+11 = [16]+11 = 27
Fly Check Sybil: 1D20+20 = [5]+20 = 25
Diplomacy Sybil: 1D20+24 = [14]+24 = 38
Fly Check Scraw: 1D20+10 = [15]+10 = 25
Illusion Scraw: 1D20+11 = [7]+11 = 18
Handle Animal Syibl: 1D20+11 = [16]+11 = 27
Menek sighs and takes Viss aside from the others as they head off to watch Sybil's performance In the future Miss Viss. Please refrain from insulting the people we are trying to gather information from. If the touch of his god had not been shining through us it might have gone very poorly. As well please be empathic to his situation, he is an exile trying to build a life for his people far away from the center of the disturbance we are charged with investigating Menek says in a low voice and then pats her on the shoulder Investigations are rarely simple, we may have to follow many different threads and maybe hit many different dead ends before we hit upon the truth of this matter? Patience.. hrmmm?
**
Later on Menek speaks separately to Ozzang'ac. Ozzang'ac there was no reason for you to jeopardize our conversation with Edgar by bringing up a delicate matter that he had not. We are here to serve the Raven Queen and you are to serve Mystra as well and neither of those objectives were served by throwing Edgar into a moral conundrum. What we needed from him was information and he might have very easily stopped co-operating.
**
Later on Menek speaks separately to Ozzang'ac. Ozzang'ac there was no reason for you to jeopardize our conversation with Edgar by bringing up a delicate matter that he had not. We are here to serve the Raven Queen and you are to serve Mystra as well and neither of those objectives were served by throwing Edgar into a moral conundrum. What we needed from him was information and he might have very easily stopped co-operating.
KittenMaster
Member
Ozzang'ac turns to address the complaint given to him, with possibly Fleshbane still nearby, "I admit I handled it poorly, but we must be cautious as to whom we work with. In our previous encounters it was very telling that there are many, gods and their denizens alike, that have agendas that conflict with our interests. It's.. very fortunate that Edgar was not one of those willing to use us for their own ends."
Fleshbane lumbers up to the returning party members, covered in the detritus of his combat with the mysterious and seemingly invincible stranger from across the stars. He offers no explanation for his appearance.
Is your curiosity sated, now? he asks as the crowd of children begin to sense that Fleshbanes performance has ended and disperse. Might we put an end to this traveling cavalcade of idiocy and proceed with ensuring that the denizens of this blighted sphere are subject to the same laws of entropy that govern the rest of the cosmos?
He turns and scans the crowd of people, as though searching for someone. I do not wish to linger in this cesspit any longer than is absolutely necessary
Is your curiosity sated, now? he asks as the crowd of children begin to sense that Fleshbanes performance has ended and disperse. Might we put an end to this traveling cavalcade of idiocy and proceed with ensuring that the denizens of this blighted sphere are subject to the same laws of entropy that govern the rest of the cosmos?
He turns and scans the crowd of people, as though searching for someone. I do not wish to linger in this cesspit any longer than is absolutely necessary
While Menek's words sound just a little bit to patronizing for her taste, Viss decides not to start a new argument and simply nods. "I might have gotten carried away there for a second. I just don't really like all this running around blindly. But who knows, maybe Edgar was wrong and we actually find something useful at this temple of Ro...what's his name."
As an afterthought she adds. "And you can drop the 'Miss'. It sounds strange. Just Viss is totally fine."
As an afterthought she adds. "And you can drop the 'Miss'. It sounds strange. Just Viss is totally fine."
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
((Sorry for taking so long everyone. tl;dr I've worked the last 13 nights straight without a single day off until today. I tried to use my rolls as measurements that would determine how well each character performed a certain part of the act.))
Sybil finishes her warmup exercises, and pulls out a silver pocket mirror to check one last time. Despite all she has been through since being chosen by Freya and the Raven Queen, the relief is still palpable when she does not see rotting flesh or sunken skin. And yet she feels it ironic that she can still find flaw in her living flesh despite this. She dabs a small powdered cloth to cover a blemish on her cheek.
‘I’m as ready as I’ll ever be’ she muses. Drawing herself up, Sybil clips her hair into a bun before calling to her young companion.
“Scraw...are you ready?”
The transfixed sorcerer struggles to tear his eyes away from the cataclysmic conclusion to the furious Fleshbane and the tumultuous traveler Tiberius’ chaotic clash of confidence. He impatiently scribbles a few symbols into the air in reply.
‘More time, dear Lady. I must see, I must. Who that man, who fights the statue?’
Letting out an exasperated breath, Sybil scolds him.
“Not this time, buster. We have kept the crowd waiting too long and you have gotten into too much trouble already.”
Grabbing him by the collar of his cloak, Sybil drags Scraw away to begin their show.
***
Scraw walks out onto the cleared pitch, stumbling over his large green cloak as it billows in the wind. Several children giggle as he nearly trips. Rushing his way to the center where a wooden platform is raised, he slips and begins to fall. Seemingly at the last moment he somersaults into a vaulting jump up from the ground.
Strangers might say he is cheesing for the crowd, but though those in the party know from experience this is just how Scraw is. He waves happily and opens his mouth to speak, before bright green fireworks interrupt him in an explosion which forms the words:
“Welcomes one and all, to the Angelic Aerial Acrobatics show!”
Sybil winces at the grammatical errors but remains silent.
Scraw does his best to break the ice with a few tricks, some illusions, others done by the help of Viss and Mako behind the scenes. He begins by releasing flocks of white birds from within the voluminous folds of his cloak, which fly up into the air before dive bombing toward the ground and disappearing in a shower of sparks. Then he approaches the crowd and opens his hands to reveal hundreds of tiny blue butterflies that swirl in a spiral up into the afternoon sky. Finally he conjures a glowing green tornado of wind that spins him around and around in a circle before dissipating with a pop, leaving him wild-haired and dizzy.
((Illusion Scraw: 1D20+11 = [7]+11 = 18))
Although beautiful, Scraw’s illusions do not nearly have the impact they should and Sybil worries those older than the children notice. Those studied in magic might even recognize some of the spells, and how curiously his hands shake and rush through some of the charms and incantations. A growing sense of excitement appears to have gripped the youth, and Sybil can only bite her nails as she watches from the sidelines before she marches onto the pitch to join him.
The paladin bows before the crowd and expands her wings to their full length, tearing through the green cloak covering her body. A heavenly light shines upon her, displaying the gleaming of her mythril plate mail, polished and shined to perfection. Her wings beat once, a powerful gust throwing the garment far off into the distance. Her blue eyes sparkle as she casts a smile to the crowd.
“Thank you for your patience everyone! You have just seen the wonders of my partner Rickard the Resourceful. He is a royal sorcerer of great renown in the lands from which he hails. And I am Lady Grace of the Magnificent Seven! We are here to show you the power of Asgardian Aerial Acrobatics in an awesome display of angelic flight!”
Beating her wings, a dust begins to swirl around Sybil as she closes her eyes and holds out her arms. Scraw quickly runs up and stands in front of her. He attaches himself to her by tying a rope from her belt around his waist, before winking to the crowd. Wrapping her arms around the sorcerer, Sybil finally bends her knees and kicks off the ground and the duo shoot into the air.
With a gasp, one of the children point up into the sky as Sybil hovers in the air. Scraw grasps the rope attached to her belt and begins to swing and spin around and around at high speed. Then the duo appears to sail through the air in concentric patterns, the paladin’s wings flapping powerfully in a rhythmic pattern. Soaring at a blinding speed, Sybil suddenly buffets her wings to slow their pace. They both begin to glide back down to earth, Sybil’s wings skimming through the air gracefully before releasing the sorcerer to hang on his own.
“Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!”
Soaring through the sky, Scraw hangs by the paladin’s belt with his hands spread out like wings. The air pushes back his hair and makes his eyes water, yet still the youth beams and shouts with delight. His voice echoes through the air as the first noise he has made with his vocal chords since being seen in the Astral Observatory. Behind him a trail of green and white sparks shower the sky and burst with the cracking sound of thunder.
As they come closer to the crowd, the paladin grasps Scraw once more, pulling him tight against her as she plunges into a spinning dive bomb. Swooping at the last moment, a rush of air billows over the crowd and the flying acrobats drift up into the sky once more.
((Diplomacy Sybil: 1D20+24 = [14]+24 = 38))
Sybil feels her skin glow with an extra radiance and her voice echoes with an assured and casual confidence that reassures herself of her performance. She even has the courage (at Scraw’s insistence) to drop into the hands of a small child a corked glass bottle filled with cloud that Scraw collects during their maneuvers.
((Fly Check Sybil: 1D20+20 = [5]+20 = 25))
Despite the extra vivacity Sybil does not feel she has given herself entirely to the performance, perhaps due to both her distracting thoughts regarding the result of the party’s meeting in town and also the impending test of Scraw’s ability to remain in control. Despite this, the natural strength and prevailing control over the sky her Valkyrie wings allow her to command ensure she performs her maneuvers adequately.
As they approach the finale, Sybil carries Scraw up as she flies higher and higher, her armor gleaming in the setting sun. The glare from the polished mythic armor grows brighter and brighter. Some would suggest this to be a magical effect, a cantrip perhaps. It is unknown but what is known is that the sky suddenly erupts with the sound of thunder in a bright green flash. Suddenly Sybil is alone, her form very small save for her outstretched wings beating to keep herself afloat in the sky.
With a gasp, someone in the audience points as the green cloaked youth tumbles through the air. The rope has broken and he is quickly approaching both terminal velocity and the ground below. Sybil shouts a bolt of lightning appears to strike her as she gains speed, hurtling toward the ground to catch her fallen companion.
Scraw appears to be gesturing wildly, his hands moving in a variety of strange movements and symbols like some kind of sign language. Just before he hits the ground, another clap of thunder and a bright flash of green lightning strikes the ground, causing a small eruption of dust and debris to be flung into the air, his form disappearing. To the more astute observers of the crowd, a conjured afterimage can be seen along with the beginnings of a true form spell.
Sybil finally reaches Scraw’s position too late. The powerful beat of her wings clears the cloud of powdered earth to reveal no sign of Scraw save for a torn and battered green cloak, which flutters before being swept into the crowd.
As the audience begins to murmur in distress, Sybil calls out to them. “Fear not for my companion and weep not for his end! For my Rickard is not all that he seems!” Gesturing across the plain, the following site greets all who look:
Standing with a yawn, the griffin stretches its powerful muscles and before taking off into the the sky, its powerful talons holding the very boulder upon which it rested. With a thundering roar, it hurls the boulder to the ground with a crash. The griffin's magnificent feathers gleam and whistle through the wind as he joins Sybil in a game of chase. The hulking and powerful form of the griffin soars after the graceful and now much eclipsed form of the angelic paladin.
((Fly Check Scraw: 1D20+10 = [15]+10 = 25))
Scraw flies quite well, matching Sybil’s Valkyrie-granted skills with pure natural talent, his lean muscles performing each maneuver with keen and longing remembrance. He roars with delight and performs moves and actions with masterful performance, many of which Sybil has not yet even dreamed of attempting.
((Handle Animal Syibl: 1D20+11 = [16]+11 = 27))
Despite her fears, Sybil is able to handle Scraw better than she believed she could. Also they land, he rears back as a few from the crowd approach. Steading herself, she whistles to get his attention and with a hand hovering above his beak, Sybil is able to calm him. Still, even her practiced methods to control are unable to force the sorcerer back into his human form for the rest of the day;
Sybil is forced to improvise by having the duo perform their last act purely as a combat flying display, using a glowstones attached to Scraw’s neck to illuminate the action. As he leaves the campsite to roost off in the wilderness, she can only shake her head and sigh.
“Oh Scrawny…please come back safe.”
***
((https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F3KhzpImm4))
That evening in Kaku reminded her of what made a mortal life worth living. Out here in the Faerun frontier, there was a special kind of magic that even their caravan of astral talents could never eclipse. The horizon appeared to stretch on forever, dotted with little fluffy clouds spread about the sky. The promise of a clear night lay upon the carnival as the clouds were scattered like a flock of sheep, swept away by the shepherding of a gentle wind.
Taking a deep breath, Sybil allows her consciousness to dive into the sensations of the midsummer eve.
The excited voices of children gossiping about the graceful and brave animal tamer, the powerful giant of destruction and the mysterious floating water spirit soon grew quiet. Horns and drums began to give way to softly played lutes and harps, a few local bards having joined in the merrymaking. A few sing and dance their own retelling of Mako’s riveting performance, while others weave tales of the origin of the pale archer. The hum of cicadas heralds the dying of the light.
The sickly sweet smell of blossoming flowers floats through the air. As the disguised archons stand idly by, green marks can be seen to stain their scythes and machetes, the work of clearing the field. The smell of freshly cut grass clings to their tools and the bags of shorn grass. Closer to the wagons is the mouth-watering smell of cooked meats and treats. For the patrons and performers alike were baskets of fresh, chilled berries bursting with flavor; thick legs of turkey dripping with grease; glazed sweet breads and mugs of amber ale to wash it all down.
The boastful bragging, feasting, dancing, and laughing only fades once the heat of the day finally saps what is left of the energy of those present. The sunset fights all the way to the end, a fiery splash of orange, casting the corralled clouds far in the distance in a mix of purple, red, and yellow.
As she watched the Faerun sun collapse into the horizon, the paladin felt the familiar, pleasant sting. The memory of a time, a person, and a place she held dear but could not quite remember. The rays of evening light slowly peeled back in layers until finally the warmth of the spring light receded to the cool touch of night. Glow bugs (some called them pyreflies or lightning beetles) began to dance slow circles in the air, illuminating the dark grass.
‘One day I will…find what this feeling exists for.’
Sybil finishes her warmup exercises, and pulls out a silver pocket mirror to check one last time. Despite all she has been through since being chosen by Freya and the Raven Queen, the relief is still palpable when she does not see rotting flesh or sunken skin. And yet she feels it ironic that she can still find flaw in her living flesh despite this. She dabs a small powdered cloth to cover a blemish on her cheek.
‘I’m as ready as I’ll ever be’ she muses. Drawing herself up, Sybil clips her hair into a bun before calling to her young companion.
“Scraw...are you ready?”
The transfixed sorcerer struggles to tear his eyes away from the cataclysmic conclusion to the furious Fleshbane and the tumultuous traveler Tiberius’ chaotic clash of confidence. He impatiently scribbles a few symbols into the air in reply.
‘More time, dear Lady. I must see, I must. Who that man, who fights the statue?’
Letting out an exasperated breath, Sybil scolds him.
“Not this time, buster. We have kept the crowd waiting too long and you have gotten into too much trouble already.”
Grabbing him by the collar of his cloak, Sybil drags Scraw away to begin their show.
***
Scraw walks out onto the cleared pitch, stumbling over his large green cloak as it billows in the wind. Several children giggle as he nearly trips. Rushing his way to the center where a wooden platform is raised, he slips and begins to fall. Seemingly at the last moment he somersaults into a vaulting jump up from the ground.
Strangers might say he is cheesing for the crowd, but though those in the party know from experience this is just how Scraw is. He waves happily and opens his mouth to speak, before bright green fireworks interrupt him in an explosion which forms the words:
“Welcomes one and all, to the Angelic Aerial Acrobatics show!”
Sybil winces at the grammatical errors but remains silent.
Scraw does his best to break the ice with a few tricks, some illusions, others done by the help of Viss and Mako behind the scenes. He begins by releasing flocks of white birds from within the voluminous folds of his cloak, which fly up into the air before dive bombing toward the ground and disappearing in a shower of sparks. Then he approaches the crowd and opens his hands to reveal hundreds of tiny blue butterflies that swirl in a spiral up into the afternoon sky. Finally he conjures a glowing green tornado of wind that spins him around and around in a circle before dissipating with a pop, leaving him wild-haired and dizzy.
((Illusion Scraw: 1D20+11 = [7]+11 = 18))
Although beautiful, Scraw’s illusions do not nearly have the impact they should and Sybil worries those older than the children notice. Those studied in magic might even recognize some of the spells, and how curiously his hands shake and rush through some of the charms and incantations. A growing sense of excitement appears to have gripped the youth, and Sybil can only bite her nails as she watches from the sidelines before she marches onto the pitch to join him.
The paladin bows before the crowd and expands her wings to their full length, tearing through the green cloak covering her body. A heavenly light shines upon her, displaying the gleaming of her mythril plate mail, polished and shined to perfection. Her wings beat once, a powerful gust throwing the garment far off into the distance. Her blue eyes sparkle as she casts a smile to the crowd.
“Thank you for your patience everyone! You have just seen the wonders of my partner Rickard the Resourceful. He is a royal sorcerer of great renown in the lands from which he hails. And I am Lady Grace of the Magnificent Seven! We are here to show you the power of Asgardian Aerial Acrobatics in an awesome display of angelic flight!”
Beating her wings, a dust begins to swirl around Sybil as she closes her eyes and holds out her arms. Scraw quickly runs up and stands in front of her. He attaches himself to her by tying a rope from her belt around his waist, before winking to the crowd. Wrapping her arms around the sorcerer, Sybil finally bends her knees and kicks off the ground and the duo shoot into the air.
With a gasp, one of the children point up into the sky as Sybil hovers in the air. Scraw grasps the rope attached to her belt and begins to swing and spin around and around at high speed. Then the duo appears to sail through the air in concentric patterns, the paladin’s wings flapping powerfully in a rhythmic pattern. Soaring at a blinding speed, Sybil suddenly buffets her wings to slow their pace. They both begin to glide back down to earth, Sybil’s wings skimming through the air gracefully before releasing the sorcerer to hang on his own.
“Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!”
Soaring through the sky, Scraw hangs by the paladin’s belt with his hands spread out like wings. The air pushes back his hair and makes his eyes water, yet still the youth beams and shouts with delight. His voice echoes through the air as the first noise he has made with his vocal chords since being seen in the Astral Observatory. Behind him a trail of green and white sparks shower the sky and burst with the cracking sound of thunder.
As they come closer to the crowd, the paladin grasps Scraw once more, pulling him tight against her as she plunges into a spinning dive bomb. Swooping at the last moment, a rush of air billows over the crowd and the flying acrobats drift up into the sky once more.
((Diplomacy Sybil: 1D20+24 = [14]+24 = 38))
Sybil feels her skin glow with an extra radiance and her voice echoes with an assured and casual confidence that reassures herself of her performance. She even has the courage (at Scraw’s insistence) to drop into the hands of a small child a corked glass bottle filled with cloud that Scraw collects during their maneuvers.
((Fly Check Sybil: 1D20+20 = [5]+20 = 25))
Despite the extra vivacity Sybil does not feel she has given herself entirely to the performance, perhaps due to both her distracting thoughts regarding the result of the party’s meeting in town and also the impending test of Scraw’s ability to remain in control. Despite this, the natural strength and prevailing control over the sky her Valkyrie wings allow her to command ensure she performs her maneuvers adequately.
As they approach the finale, Sybil carries Scraw up as she flies higher and higher, her armor gleaming in the setting sun. The glare from the polished mythic armor grows brighter and brighter. Some would suggest this to be a magical effect, a cantrip perhaps. It is unknown but what is known is that the sky suddenly erupts with the sound of thunder in a bright green flash. Suddenly Sybil is alone, her form very small save for her outstretched wings beating to keep herself afloat in the sky.
With a gasp, someone in the audience points as the green cloaked youth tumbles through the air. The rope has broken and he is quickly approaching both terminal velocity and the ground below. Sybil shouts a bolt of lightning appears to strike her as she gains speed, hurtling toward the ground to catch her fallen companion.
Scraw appears to be gesturing wildly, his hands moving in a variety of strange movements and symbols like some kind of sign language. Just before he hits the ground, another clap of thunder and a bright flash of green lightning strikes the ground, causing a small eruption of dust and debris to be flung into the air, his form disappearing. To the more astute observers of the crowd, a conjured afterimage can be seen along with the beginnings of a true form spell.
Sybil finally reaches Scraw’s position too late. The powerful beat of her wings clears the cloud of powdered earth to reveal no sign of Scraw save for a torn and battered green cloak, which flutters before being swept into the crowd.
As the audience begins to murmur in distress, Sybil calls out to them. “Fear not for my companion and weep not for his end! For my Rickard is not all that he seems!” Gesturing across the plain, the following site greets all who look:
Standing with a yawn, the griffin stretches its powerful muscles and before taking off into the the sky, its powerful talons holding the very boulder upon which it rested. With a thundering roar, it hurls the boulder to the ground with a crash. The griffin's magnificent feathers gleam and whistle through the wind as he joins Sybil in a game of chase. The hulking and powerful form of the griffin soars after the graceful and now much eclipsed form of the angelic paladin.
((Fly Check Scraw: 1D20+10 = [15]+10 = 25))
Scraw flies quite well, matching Sybil’s Valkyrie-granted skills with pure natural talent, his lean muscles performing each maneuver with keen and longing remembrance. He roars with delight and performs moves and actions with masterful performance, many of which Sybil has not yet even dreamed of attempting.
((Handle Animal Syibl: 1D20+11 = [16]+11 = 27))
Despite her fears, Sybil is able to handle Scraw better than she believed she could. Also they land, he rears back as a few from the crowd approach. Steading herself, she whistles to get his attention and with a hand hovering above his beak, Sybil is able to calm him. Still, even her practiced methods to control are unable to force the sorcerer back into his human form for the rest of the day;
Sybil is forced to improvise by having the duo perform their last act purely as a combat flying display, using a glowstones attached to Scraw’s neck to illuminate the action. As he leaves the campsite to roost off in the wilderness, she can only shake her head and sigh.
“Oh Scrawny…please come back safe.”
***
((https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F3KhzpImm4))
That evening in Kaku reminded her of what made a mortal life worth living. Out here in the Faerun frontier, there was a special kind of magic that even their caravan of astral talents could never eclipse. The horizon appeared to stretch on forever, dotted with little fluffy clouds spread about the sky. The promise of a clear night lay upon the carnival as the clouds were scattered like a flock of sheep, swept away by the shepherding of a gentle wind.
Taking a deep breath, Sybil allows her consciousness to dive into the sensations of the midsummer eve.
The excited voices of children gossiping about the graceful and brave animal tamer, the powerful giant of destruction and the mysterious floating water spirit soon grew quiet. Horns and drums began to give way to softly played lutes and harps, a few local bards having joined in the merrymaking. A few sing and dance their own retelling of Mako’s riveting performance, while others weave tales of the origin of the pale archer. The hum of cicadas heralds the dying of the light.
The sickly sweet smell of blossoming flowers floats through the air. As the disguised archons stand idly by, green marks can be seen to stain their scythes and machetes, the work of clearing the field. The smell of freshly cut grass clings to their tools and the bags of shorn grass. Closer to the wagons is the mouth-watering smell of cooked meats and treats. For the patrons and performers alike were baskets of fresh, chilled berries bursting with flavor; thick legs of turkey dripping with grease; glazed sweet breads and mugs of amber ale to wash it all down.
The boastful bragging, feasting, dancing, and laughing only fades once the heat of the day finally saps what is left of the energy of those present. The sunset fights all the way to the end, a fiery splash of orange, casting the corralled clouds far in the distance in a mix of purple, red, and yellow.
As she watched the Faerun sun collapse into the horizon, the paladin felt the familiar, pleasant sting. The memory of a time, a person, and a place she held dear but could not quite remember. The rays of evening light slowly peeled back in layers until finally the warmth of the spring light receded to the cool touch of night. Glow bugs (some called them pyreflies or lightning beetles) began to dance slow circles in the air, illuminating the dark grass.
‘One day I will…find what this feeling exists for.’
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((Goddamn Jackben, that's a hell of a schedule.
Also, assuming heroism and music buffs are in effect for the night performances, subtraction can be done if they aren't))
Ciel is busy getting dressed for his show and giving the archons orders on what to do when, so he misses the bulk of Sybil's performance. For tonight, he is presenting himself as a completely different person, toning his skin from pale to pure white, giving himself a slightly hunched back, and drawing a smeared black diamond around each eye. His outfit is a tattered robe, with the entire ensemble giving the appearance of an unsightly freak put through an ordeal.
When the base for the disguise is done, asks Mako to sing a dramatic note as he swirls around in the tattered cloak. A moment later, the cloak is no longer tattered and the costume is that of the same eccentric person prior to undergoing an ordeal.
Once the audience for Ciel's show has gathered before the thrown together stage, a cloak billows through the wind and towards the center of the stage. It swirls up and down for a few circuits before Ciel appears clad in it. He said this would be a show where no spells are cast, but ki is a different story.
With a gravelly voice, he bellows "Welcome to this experiment, brave audience! As many of you already know, spellcasting is overrated. Wizards, sorcerers, and other dabblers of spellcasting? Who needs them? Tonight is all about showing you that magic is something anyone can do." Ciel paces the stage, pulling out a deck of cards.
"Now, card tricks are something I imagine you've all seen before, but just in case, we'll start from the ground up. I'll need a volunteer... you!"
Ciel pulls a young lady up on to the stage. "Go ahead, look through the deck, pick a card, and reshuffle it. Don't let me see what you chose." Not sure what to expect, the lady goes through the cards, picks a jack of spades, and has the deck reshuffled. Ciel looks intently at the deck for a moment before pulling a card out. "Is this your card?" he says, holding up a 3 of hearts. "Umm, no," replies the lady. "WHAT?!" Ciel proclaims, seeming shocked for the audience.
"That's just a fluke everyone, let's try again. This is your card!" He holds up a jack of clubs. Again, the lady shakes her head no. Ciel gets increasingly frantic, guessing wrong through several more cards as the crowd begins to wonder if he knows what he's doing. On the verge of hyperventilation, Ciel composes himself.
"Ok, I think I see what the problem here is. You see, this kind magic requires trust and cooperation, a certain understanding between magician and volunteer. That won't work if you eat the card you chose." The woman gasps in confusion, and upon opening her mouth, Ciel's hand flicks forward and draws out the jack of clubs.
"But how...?" The woman is stupefied as the Ciel wins back the crowd. "A magician never reveals their secrets," Ciel says with a flashy grin. "I will only say that magic is something in everyone's heart!"
"Now, perhaps you all have heard of people pulling a rabbit out of a hat. I say that's too simple, too mundane. For my next trick," Ciel has a brief flashback of Viss's conversation about not doing the rabbit trick while posturing for the audience, "I am going to pull a hat out of a rabbit!"
Ciel holds up a live rabbit, taking a few deep breaths in and out. He holds a hand up, ready to pull this off. "Drumroll, please." The audience leans forward in anticipation; the tension is palpable. In an instant, Ciel's free hand shoots downward and turns the rabbit inside out. He looks down for a second before throwing it towards the front row of the audience. Shrieks fill the air as the rabbit makes a few final gasps. At least four children who were told to stay home but sneaked out are scarred for life. A tiny black hat awkwardly drifts to the ground as the shrieks go to dead silence. "Well, erm, that's not how that was supposed to turn out..." Ciel remarks, looking for an out. "Like I said, uhh... magic's in the heart, see?" He points to the still beating heart of the inside out rabbit on clear display. As if in response to his lame remark, it stops beating.
Before anyone can leave in disgust, a group of three men in guard-like uniforms rush the stage. "Freeze! You've violated the sanctity of this carnival and killed a defenseless animal in front of an unwilling crowd! You must be punished!" In reality, the "guards" are disguised archons that have been fed an exact script to run through, but the illusion is more than adequate to full the crowd.
"Now now," Ciel says, trying to back up, "this is just a misunderstanding. What are you thinking of as a punishment anyway? I'm sure probation is more than enough to-" "SILENCE!" one of the archons cuts him off. "You will be given a trial, and if you survive, you will be free to go."
Right on cue, two pillars rise one hundred feet into the air, one where Ciel is standing and the other one hundred feet away. An extremely thin wire connects the two pillars. "So, I just have to cross this?" Asks Ciel. "Oh, we wouldn't make things so easy for a freak like you," one of the archon guards replies. "Flip the switches!"
The other two archons flip a switch on each pillar, electrifying the wire. The wire was virtually invisible before do to the height and its thinness, but the coursing electricity takes care of this problem. Ciel gulps and turns toward the crowd. "Well, it looks like this may be it for me. I hope you enjoyed the show, and just remember. Magic is something we can all do without having to learn fancy casting, and if you dig deep enough, you can SOAR!" As soon as the last word is out of his mouth, he breaks into a dead sprint, dashing across the electrified wire. His feet seem to be touching it, but it's almost as if they're not really coming into contact with the wire. In a mere six seconds, he is on the other pillar, safe and sound.
((I pulled out a class ability for that one, so not really anything to roll there.))
The pillars safely lower down and Ciel approaches the three "guards." "So, does that mean I'm free to go now?" "Yeah, no problem." One of the guards says, only to get smacked in the back of the head by another. "No! He's a monster and a danger to the world! We can't let him go! We're going to have... an execution!" "An execution?" the two other guards gasp in unison. "Yes! An execution! And just to be sure we get the job done, we'll use two guillotines. One for his head, and one for his body."
As the props are brought out and Ciel is guided to the guillotine, he says "Don't I get a say in this?" "NO!!!" the three guards shout in unison. "Now, since we're not barbarians like you, we'll put your body in a box so the audience doesn't see the guillotine cut it in half. This basket will take care of your head." After some wriggling, Ciel is shoved into the box. A fake head is placed on the guillotine, but thanks to some maneuvering and his artistic expertise, the audience doesn't see a thing.
"Guys, this seems excessive, all I did was turn a rabbit inside" is as far as he gets before the first guillotine drops, decapitating him. Moments later, the second one drops, cutting the body in half. After time is allowed for the audience to gasp, one of the guards says "The grim deed is done. Can you expect the boxes to make sure it was a clean cut?"
One of the other guards opens the box the upper half of the body was to be shoved into, only for Ciel to leap out and yell "MAGIC!" "What, how? If you're in there and the head's still in the basket, then what's in the box where your legs should be?" The other guard opens the second half of the box only to see the inside out rabbit and the tiny hat. "Ok, now you're just taunting us. We're going to make sure you don't weasle your way out of this next one."
"If by chance I do, will you call it a night?" Ciel asks them. The guard that pushed for the execution in the first place says "If you survive this, Heironeous himself is looking out for you. Yeah, we'll call it a night if you survive this. The guards get rope and tie his arms and legs together. They then produce a straight jacket and put Ciel in it. Once this is done, the attach another rope to him so that he is dangling upside down. Once this is done and he is hoisted into the air, a giant vat rises up from the stage. The vat is filled with water, and a rather large shark is swimming around inside of it.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding," Ciel mutters loud enough for the crowd to hear. With that, he is dropped in and a curtain comes over the vat as the shark rushes the tied up Ciel.
"There's really no need to make you watch that," one of the guards says over the sound of shark mauling. "In two minutes, we'll lift the curtain to see whether he has drowned or was devoured."
When the curtain rises, Ciel is standing triumphantly on top of the shark as it swims around in circles, looking ragged and gnarled but otherwise fine. With a flourish, he flips out of the vat and back onto the stage. "I can't believe it!" The head guard stutters out. "You... you survived that. Heironeous must have something planned for you indeed. All right, I said you'd walk if you got out of that, and so you will. Just don't try anything like that again." As the guards exit stage right, Ciel turns to address the audience.
"That's the show, everybody! I hope you enjoyed it, and learned a thing or two. Check your pockets everyone, and remember, magic is in your hearts, not your ability to cast spells!"
The audience members reach into their pockets, and let out a final collective gasp. Somehow, and some point during the show, Ciel had snuck little wood heart carvings into everyone's pockets.
Ciel heads back to the party's quarters with a smirk on his face. This carnival thing could grow on him after all.
Also, assuming heroism and music buffs are in effect for the night performances, subtraction can be done if they aren't))
Ciel is busy getting dressed for his show and giving the archons orders on what to do when, so he misses the bulk of Sybil's performance. For tonight, he is presenting himself as a completely different person, toning his skin from pale to pure white, giving himself a slightly hunched back, and drawing a smeared black diamond around each eye. His outfit is a tattered robe, with the entire ensemble giving the appearance of an unsightly freak put through an ordeal.
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=91562]Disguise: 1D20 + 29 = [16]+29 = 45
[/url]
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=91563]Sudden Disguise: 1D20 + 44 = [5]+44 = 49
[/url]With a gravelly voice, he bellows "Welcome to this experiment, brave audience! As many of you already know, spellcasting is overrated. Wizards, sorcerers, and other dabblers of spellcasting? Who needs them? Tonight is all about showing you that magic is something anyone can do." Ciel paces the stage, pulling out a deck of cards.
"Now, card tricks are something I imagine you've all seen before, but just in case, we'll start from the ground up. I'll need a volunteer... you!"
Ciel pulls a young lady up on to the stage. "Go ahead, look through the deck, pick a card, and reshuffle it. Don't let me see what you chose." Not sure what to expect, the lady goes through the cards, picks a jack of spades, and has the deck reshuffled. Ciel looks intently at the deck for a moment before pulling a card out. "Is this your card?" he says, holding up a 3 of hearts. "Umm, no," replies the lady. "WHAT?!" Ciel proclaims, seeming shocked for the audience.
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=91571]Bluff: 1D20 + 31 = [8]+31 = 39
[/url]"Ok, I think I see what the problem here is. You see, this kind magic requires trust and cooperation, a certain understanding between magician and volunteer. That won't work if you eat the card you chose." The woman gasps in confusion, and upon opening her mouth, Ciel's hand flicks forward and draws out the jack of clubs.
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=91572]sleight of hand: 1D20 + 20 = [17]+20 = 37
[/url]"Now, perhaps you all have heard of people pulling a rabbit out of a hat. I say that's too simple, too mundane. For my next trick," Ciel has a brief flashback of Viss's conversation about not doing the rabbit trick while posturing for the audience, "I am going to pull a hat out of a rabbit!"
Ciel holds up a live rabbit, taking a few deep breaths in and out. He holds a hand up, ready to pull this off. "Drumroll, please." The audience leans forward in anticipation; the tension is palpable. In an instant, Ciel's free hand shoots downward and turns the rabbit inside out. He looks down for a second before throwing it towards the front row of the audience. Shrieks fill the air as the rabbit makes a few final gasps. At least four children who were told to stay home but sneaked out are scarred for life. A tiny black hat awkwardly drifts to the ground as the shrieks go to dead silence. "Well, erm, that's not how that was supposed to turn out..." Ciel remarks, looking for an out. "Like I said, uhh... magic's in the heart, see?" He points to the still beating heart of the inside out rabbit on clear display. As if in response to his lame remark, it stops beating.
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=91579]Bluff: 1D20 + 31 = [14]+31 = 45
[/url]
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=91581]Intimidate: 1D20 + 29 = [19]+29 = 48
[/url]"Now now," Ciel says, trying to back up, "this is just a misunderstanding. What are you thinking of as a punishment anyway? I'm sure probation is more than enough to-" "SILENCE!" one of the archons cuts him off. "You will be given a trial, and if you survive, you will be free to go."
Right on cue, two pillars rise one hundred feet into the air, one where Ciel is standing and the other one hundred feet away. An extremely thin wire connects the two pillars. "So, I just have to cross this?" Asks Ciel. "Oh, we wouldn't make things so easy for a freak like you," one of the archon guards replies. "Flip the switches!"
The other two archons flip a switch on each pillar, electrifying the wire. The wire was virtually invisible before do to the height and its thinness, but the coursing electricity takes care of this problem. Ciel gulps and turns toward the crowd. "Well, it looks like this may be it for me. I hope you enjoyed the show, and just remember. Magic is something we can all do without having to learn fancy casting, and if you dig deep enough, you can SOAR!" As soon as the last word is out of his mouth, he breaks into a dead sprint, dashing across the electrified wire. His feet seem to be touching it, but it's almost as if they're not really coming into contact with the wire. In a mere six seconds, he is on the other pillar, safe and sound.
((I pulled out a class ability for that one, so not really anything to roll there.))
The pillars safely lower down and Ciel approaches the three "guards." "So, does that mean I'm free to go now?" "Yeah, no problem." One of the guards says, only to get smacked in the back of the head by another. "No! He's a monster and a danger to the world! We can't let him go! We're going to have... an execution!" "An execution?" the two other guards gasp in unison. "Yes! An execution! And just to be sure we get the job done, we'll use two guillotines. One for his head, and one for his body."
As the props are brought out and Ciel is guided to the guillotine, he says "Don't I get a say in this?" "NO!!!" the three guards shout in unison. "Now, since we're not barbarians like you, we'll put your body in a box so the audience doesn't see the guillotine cut it in half. This basket will take care of your head." After some wriggling, Ciel is shoved into the box. A fake head is placed on the guillotine, but thanks to some maneuvering and his artistic expertise, the audience doesn't see a thing.
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=91582]Disguise: 1D20 + 33 = [2]+33 = 35
[/url]
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=91583]Sleight of Hand: 1D20 + 20 = [5]+20 = 25
[/url]One of the other guards opens the box the upper half of the body was to be shoved into, only for Ciel to leap out and yell "MAGIC!" "What, how? If you're in there and the head's still in the basket, then what's in the box where your legs should be?" The other guard opens the second half of the box only to see the inside out rabbit and the tiny hat. "Ok, now you're just taunting us. We're going to make sure you don't weasle your way out of this next one."
"If by chance I do, will you call it a night?" Ciel asks them. The guard that pushed for the execution in the first place says "If you survive this, Heironeous himself is looking out for you. Yeah, we'll call it a night if you survive this. The guards get rope and tie his arms and legs together. They then produce a straight jacket and put Ciel in it. Once this is done, the attach another rope to him so that he is dangling upside down. Once this is done and he is hoisted into the air, a giant vat rises up from the stage. The vat is filled with water, and a rather large shark is swimming around inside of it.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding," Ciel mutters loud enough for the crowd to hear. With that, he is dropped in and a curtain comes over the vat as the shark rushes the tied up Ciel.
"There's really no need to make you watch that," one of the guards says over the sound of shark mauling. "In two minutes, we'll lift the curtain to see whether he has drowned or was devoured."
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=91584]Escape Artist: 1D20 + 20 = [2]+20 = 22
[/url]
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=91585]Handle Animal: 1D20 + 18 = [5]+18 = 23
[/url]
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=91586]Ride: 1D20 + 25 = [4]+25 = 29
[/url]"That's the show, everybody! I hope you enjoyed it, and learned a thing or two. Check your pockets everyone, and remember, magic is in your hearts, not your ability to cast spells!"
The audience members reach into their pockets, and let out a final collective gasp. Somehow, and some point during the show, Ciel had snuck little wood heart carvings into everyone's pockets.
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=91587]Sleight of Hand: 1D20 + 20 = [12]+20 = 32
[/url]ThLunarian
Member
((Bear with me guys, sorry. The back end of this week has been kind of insane for me. Working, interviewing, traveling, etc. I'll catch up on everything on Sunday. Don't let that stop anyone from posting if you want to do a scene before that, though))
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
((No problem. A lot of us seem to be in busy places at the moment. I can definitely empathize with being quite busy. I will say I want to type up a scene with Ciel. I really liked the night show, Axel. Especially the morbid way you weaved the "magic is in your heart" theme.))
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((Thanks! I liked your night show too. Definitely wasn't expecting Scraw to be a griffin, that could make some future interactions awkward. XD
Yeah, I'm good for a scene whenever it works time wise.))
Yeah, I'm good for a scene whenever it works time wise.))
((I'm totally OK with that as well. I'm kind of thinking about giving Viss' act another try and embed it in a flashback. It just rubs me the wrong way that I haven't written it properly. Especially since everyone else's scenes were so great. And yeah, the whole Scraw being a griffin thing... I'm not sure how Viss thinks about that, yet.))
KittenMaster
Member
<I figured something was up when Scraw was revealed to have no tongue but a pulp in in his mouth.
I might post something since the last conversation seemed to have ended.
EDIT: On second thought I'm not sure what to post.>
I might post something since the last conversation seemed to have ended.
EDIT: On second thought I'm not sure what to post.>
ThLunarian
Member
Although there were a few rough patches from the party's perspective, to the townsfolk the carnival is a raging success. Word of mouth spreads quickly, and virtually the entire population is present for Ciel's finale performance. The entire town is firmly entrenched on the party's side, and will provide whatever aid they request, within reason.
((in game rule terms, everyone can consider the entire town of 400 people to be your followers, as per the Leadership feat. This also means that you can potentially lose the followers depending on your actions, but at this point they will provide assistance to the best of their ability while you're in town. They will not follow you around, though.))
After the performances are complete and everyone begins to mingle with the townsfolk, it's fairly easy to get information out of them.
Much of it is a repeat of what the party learned from Edgar, but there are a few townsfolk who arrived relatively recently, and who were a part of the team assigned to help renovate the Tomb of Romarg. It has been mostly excavated (having been an underground structure up until now), and turned into a museum. It has undergone a thorough spiritual cleansing by clerics and divine magicks, and is open to the public. For the most part, security is lax; there is only enough to help ensure the safety of any valuable artifacts that might be on display.
The party also gets a fairly complete picture of what the Holy City of Evrai is like. By most accounts, it's a lush, prosperous town. It adheres to a circular pattern, with everything radiating out from a grand palace in the center, where Cecil Fairhaven lives.
Menek's impression that Cecil is not an evil man, and is in fact fair and just, is corroborated by every interaction you have with the townsfolk. When questioned as to why they chose to leave Evrai, the most common answer is that they didn't want to be denied the joy of an afterlife in the Astral Sea.
((If you guys have other specific questions you'd like to ask, I'll provide the answers if it's plausible that a random citizen has them. The carnival went very, VERY well for you.
Apart from that, it's time for you guys to roleplay out a conversation where you come up with a game plan))
((in game rule terms, everyone can consider the entire town of 400 people to be your followers, as per the Leadership feat. This also means that you can potentially lose the followers depending on your actions, but at this point they will provide assistance to the best of their ability while you're in town. They will not follow you around, though.))
After the performances are complete and everyone begins to mingle with the townsfolk, it's fairly easy to get information out of them.
Much of it is a repeat of what the party learned from Edgar, but there are a few townsfolk who arrived relatively recently, and who were a part of the team assigned to help renovate the Tomb of Romarg. It has been mostly excavated (having been an underground structure up until now), and turned into a museum. It has undergone a thorough spiritual cleansing by clerics and divine magicks, and is open to the public. For the most part, security is lax; there is only enough to help ensure the safety of any valuable artifacts that might be on display.
The party also gets a fairly complete picture of what the Holy City of Evrai is like. By most accounts, it's a lush, prosperous town. It adheres to a circular pattern, with everything radiating out from a grand palace in the center, where Cecil Fairhaven lives.
Menek's impression that Cecil is not an evil man, and is in fact fair and just, is corroborated by every interaction you have with the townsfolk. When questioned as to why they chose to leave Evrai, the most common answer is that they didn't want to be denied the joy of an afterlife in the Astral Sea.
((If you guys have other specific questions you'd like to ask, I'll provide the answers if it's plausible that a random citizen has them. The carnival went very, VERY well for you.
Apart from that, it's time for you guys to roleplay out a conversation where you come up with a game plan))
KittenMaster
Member
<Can anybody in the party even think of what we'd use the 400 townspeople for other than asking questions? We already have archons as our servants, and I doubt the townspeople would be able to go to war for us (unless we happen to have some sort of constabulary or guard that would be interesting to roleplay Ozzang'ac around, but even then we still have to find out what we're up against if we're even up against anything at all.)>
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((Yeah, that's a tricky one. Ciel will want to know what kind of artifacts are kept in the tomb and what kind of positions Cecil's other two children hold. Other than that, I can't think of anything for now.))
KittenMaster
Member
<The better question would be what artifacts aren't in the tomb, and the fate of whatever may have been discarded from the tomb, including where Romarg may have been sealed off.>
ThLunarian
Member
Cecil's other children are Sarah, 17, and Peter, 13. Being teenagers, they don't hold any actual positions in court. They just live in the palace with their parents. His wife is Queen Rosemary; she holds no official title (other than Queen), but she is often involved in public works projects and is closely affiliated with the kingdom-sanctioned charity network within the kingdom.
The ultimate fate of Romarg and his remains is unknown to the townspeople. Some of the artifacts in the tomb are Cecil's battle armor and sword that he used during his crusade to eliminate undead from the continent, Romarg's staff and other magical items, the crown that was ceremonially placed upon Cecil's head when he became king, and an array of items with similar history.
There are also said to be wax representations of some of the more formidable foes that Cecil crushed during the crusade, but more specific details about them are unavailable.
The ultimate fate of Romarg and his remains is unknown to the townspeople. Some of the artifacts in the tomb are Cecil's battle armor and sword that he used during his crusade to eliminate undead from the continent, Romarg's staff and other magical items, the crown that was ceremonially placed upon Cecil's head when he became king, and an array of items with similar history.
There are also said to be wax representations of some of the more formidable foes that Cecil crushed during the crusade, but more specific details about them are unavailable.
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((Before I call it a night for early E3 tomorrow, Ciel should ask if anyone knows of any murders on the continent since Cecil's rise and if the victims returned to life. I think the vicar kind of covered that but just got to be sure or Ciel needs to experiment at some point))
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
Sybil bids the party to meet her in a purple tent behind the wagons of the carnival once each act has finished. A wall of beads cover the entrance, with several colorful woven rugs patchwork over the ground. The inside is lit by floating candle light and smells faintly of mint. The ceiling has been raised very high to accommodate the larger members of the group.
In the center appears to be an oaken table with legs removed. Around the flat table surface are cured animal skins that appear to be filled with cotton. Sybil kneels upon one, using it as a cousin, and gestures to the various bowls of fruit on the table for the party to eat as refreshments.
Clearing her throat, the paladin spreads out a roll of parchment onto the oak table surface. On the paper is a crudely sketched map of what they have learned so far of the nearby environment, including Kaku, the temple, and Evrai.
"First order of business is deciding our next destination. If someone could summarize the meeting with the vicar, I would be very appreciative."
In the center appears to be an oaken table with legs removed. Around the flat table surface are cured animal skins that appear to be filled with cotton. Sybil kneels upon one, using it as a cousin, and gestures to the various bowls of fruit on the table for the party to eat as refreshments.
Clearing her throat, the paladin spreads out a roll of parchment onto the oak table surface. On the paper is a crudely sketched map of what they have learned so far of the nearby environment, including Kaku, the temple, and Evrai.
"First order of business is deciding our next destination. If someone could summarize the meeting with the vicar, I would be very appreciative."
((At the very least the town is pretty much safe haven and a great place for our ship to stay.))
The Mayor and Vicar of this place is Edgar Fairhaven, Cecil's estranged son himself. He is a very devout and conscientious man. The personal blessing from Heironeous that we have obtained helped us immensely in our conversation with the man. It is fair to say that we everything he knows about what is happening in Faerun
Menek sighs
Which is not very much unfortunately. The followers of Cecil who die seem to come back to life in younger bodies and that's all Edgar knows about that. He did provide some additional information on his father's history however. To summarize Cecil slowly grew more arrogant and sure of his powers as his crusade against the undead met with nothing but overwhelming success and eventually renounced the faith of Heironeous. The cleansing of the Tomb of Romarg, the sealed and ancient lair of a powerful necromancer of old may have been a turning point for him. It is know a museum set up to the glory of Cecil
Menek sits back
And that is it. Other than the obvious conclusion that Cecil is not being tyrannical in his rule. Edgar and his small flock are not persecuted despite refusing Cecil's gift of everlasting life and his rule. A community of druids that might be expected to oppose Cecil's upending of nature's balance has been left alone as well.
((DeadPhoenix, how do we go about investigating magical things if we go to the Tomb of Romarg? Is it just Detect Magic and Spellcraft checks or are there some other spells or something that we should be using?))
The Mayor and Vicar of this place is Edgar Fairhaven, Cecil's estranged son himself. He is a very devout and conscientious man. The personal blessing from Heironeous that we have obtained helped us immensely in our conversation with the man. It is fair to say that we everything he knows about what is happening in Faerun
Menek sighs
Which is not very much unfortunately. The followers of Cecil who die seem to come back to life in younger bodies and that's all Edgar knows about that. He did provide some additional information on his father's history however. To summarize Cecil slowly grew more arrogant and sure of his powers as his crusade against the undead met with nothing but overwhelming success and eventually renounced the faith of Heironeous. The cleansing of the Tomb of Romarg, the sealed and ancient lair of a powerful necromancer of old may have been a turning point for him. It is know a museum set up to the glory of Cecil
Menek sits back
And that is it. Other than the obvious conclusion that Cecil is not being tyrannical in his rule. Edgar and his small flock are not persecuted despite refusing Cecil's gift of everlasting life and his rule. A community of druids that might be expected to oppose Cecil's upending of nature's balance has been left alone as well.
((DeadPhoenix, how do we go about investigating magical things if we go to the Tomb of Romarg? Is it just Detect Magic and Spellcraft checks or are there some other spells or something that we should be using?))
DeadPhoenix
Member
((Arcane Sight is an option, if you don't mind using a level 3 spell slot for an more user friendly version of detect magic, but i'd have to change my wandering spirit to use it(both of your classes have access to it though... you just need a scroll to learn it first).
detect undead and evil might not be needed... but having them on hand wouldn't hurt(although i think Sybil might be the only one who can cast detect undead... also hopefully we don't ping off of it).
Detect secret doors, might help, if only so we don't have to make perception checks ever room... i guess the same would apply to find traps.
Analyze Dweomer is nice if we need to hurry/are worried about making the spell craft checks to identify stuff(which you are not), but has a focus you need(cost is likely not a problem, but finding it in our current location might be). There is probably other stuff that would be useful, but nothing comes to mind right now.
almost none of this is on my spell list, or are too high levels for my bard spells. but i can pick up almost everything we might need off of the wizard spell list if i have to(i just lose a good chunk of my healing).))
detect undead and evil might not be needed... but having them on hand wouldn't hurt(although i think Sybil might be the only one who can cast detect undead... also hopefully we don't ping off of it).
Detect secret doors, might help, if only so we don't have to make perception checks ever room... i guess the same would apply to find traps.
Analyze Dweomer is nice if we need to hurry/are worried about making the spell craft checks to identify stuff(which you are not), but has a focus you need(cost is likely not a problem, but finding it in our current location might be). There is probably other stuff that would be useful, but nothing comes to mind right now.
almost none of this is on my spell list, or are too high levels for my bard spells. but i can pick up almost everything we might need off of the wizard spell list if i have to(i just lose a good chunk of my healing).))
Axelhortsemchi
Member
((It looks like both of those are witch spells, so that means Menek could prepare them with time, right? Though it might be good to have multiple casts ready.
Also, if we decide we need to take any of the items for use or deeper analysis, Ciel should be able to manage the infiltration and theft stuff.))
Also, if we decide we need to take any of the items for use or deeper analysis, Ciel should be able to manage the infiltration and theft stuff.))
KittenMaster
Member
After some pause and consideration, Ozzang'ac suggests, "The vicar had claimed that most artifacts were of no value, but we cannot be for certain not being of this world ourselves. While determining whether this is true, we should seek the history of the beings that were slain in the war. Their origins may provide further hints as well as ask about the process of renovating the tombs and what may have been discarded no matter how mundane it may have seemed to them."
<I don't think we were never told who the undead actually were prior to their zombification, or who actually zombified them since it was implied that Romarg is long dead, unless by some miracle the undead managed to remain on Faerun for, well, way too freaking long without getting destroyed but that is unlikely since the adventurers of the past would have had to blow past them as minions to get to Romarg.>
<I don't think we were never told who the undead actually were prior to their zombification, or who actually zombified them since it was implied that Romarg is long dead, unless by some miracle the undead managed to remain on Faerun for, well, way too freaking long without getting destroyed but that is unlikely since the adventurers of the past would have had to blow past them as minions to get to Romarg.>
KittenMaster
Member
EDIT: <Nvm. What I was thinking might not be possible by rules.>
ThLunarian
Member
((You can buy the spells here in town, it won't be a problem.
The Vicar confirmes that murders committed against worshipers of Cecil resulted in the victim returning to life soon after.
Still waiting on input from Viss, Fleshbane, Ciel, and Mako))
The Vicar confirmes that murders committed against worshipers of Cecil resulted in the victim returning to life soon after.
Still waiting on input from Viss, Fleshbane, Ciel, and Mako))
Axelhortsemchi
Member
"Hmm, what we've been told could be problematic. I will have to test whether our external qualities allow us to keep people dead once we get into Cecil's territory. Likewise, we will need to keep an eye out for anything that could potentially interfere with the deathlessness in the crypt, or at least give us some advantage in talking to Cecil. If we find no way to keep people dead, force and threats are out the window, we will be left with only persuading him to stand down; something that will probably be difficult without any leverage. And if he has ascended beyond death, the contempt of the Astral Sea may be a difficult selling point. This is quite the predicament if we don't find a good avenue in our next step of investigating..."
Ciel appears to be in thought about a way to handle this with most conventional approaches appearing to be out the window for now, and comes up with one more suggestion. "As things are, if we are unable to make an appeal to his conscious that works, the only solution I can think of is to 'kill' him, then abduct the body and take him to the Astral Sea, but while it currently sounds like he is the source of the deathless magic, that too would fail if he isn't."
Ciel appears to be in thought about a way to handle this with most conventional approaches appearing to be out the window for now, and comes up with one more suggestion. "As things are, if we are unable to make an appeal to his conscious that works, the only solution I can think of is to 'kill' him, then abduct the body and take him to the Astral Sea, but while it currently sounds like he is the source of the deathless magic, that too would fail if he isn't."
KittenMaster
Member
"If we find out the source of his power and remove it, we will have no need to be on Faerun any longer- we can allow his son to solve matters personally," he answers. "It is why I don't believe confronting him directly is our solution, at least not until we know the truth about the mass immortality. Once we know how to rediscover his vulnerability, then.." His mind flashes to a moment of his destruction, "Like all things, his political power will crumble- there is no such thing as a merman or his kingdom that will not see something greater crush him no matter how impossible it may seem."
DeadPhoenix
Member
"Strangely, I find myself agreeing with Ciel here... unless we find something worthwhile, avoiding a direct confirmation with Cecil does not appear to be an option. And while he is unlikely to willfully give up the information we seek, that certainly doesn't mean we can't find other ways to get it out of him, even with magic if need be. And if that fails... removing him from this plane may actually server whatever connection he has with his people that is allowing them to live like this. Assuming his powers aren't in fact divine at least."
"I would still advocate forcibly removing him," Fleshbane says. "Drag him kicking and screaming to his final reward before his forsaken god. If I cannot kill him myself, I suppose I will have to be satisfied with only witnessing his end.
"Who knows, he may even come willingly if presented the opportunity. I wouldn't be surprised if his ambitions go well beyond the limits of Faerun."
"Who knows, he may even come willingly if presented the opportunity. I wouldn't be surprised if his ambitions go well beyond the limits of Faerun."
KittenMaster
Member
"Very well.. If that is what everyone prefers, we should investigate Cecil's immediate surroundings and city when that time comes and use the carnival as a cover. The beings of Faerun seemed incapable of detecting us as emissaries, Edgar continued to think we were sent by Heironeous himself, not the Raven Queen; perhaps our Carnival cover will work to set Cecil's expectations of us in our favor."
ThLunarian
Member
SAED's time in Kaku draws to a close, after a quick visit to the local scroll shop, where Menek acquires a few spells which he feels could be useful in the coming journey.
As the archons (whose true forms are still unknown to the locals) pack up shop and prepare to get the caravan moving, Edgar arrives at the site of the carnival to see everyone off.
His face is very easy to read as his gaze falls upon first Sybil, and then Fleshbane; his expressions are approximately what one would expect from a holy man. Still, he keeps his composure.
Behind him, two stout men are carrying a wooden chest. When the Vicar stops, they place it down. "Please accept these gifts, as tokens of my appreciation, and offerings to Heironeous's chosen," he says. "I thank you all for visiting our humble city and bringing with you so much joy and spectacle. Know that we are your allies here, and that you are welcome whenever you wish."
He bows, and unless he is stopped for conversation, he gracefully withdraws to a respectful distance, to watch the party depart.
The chest contains Boots of Speed, a Periapt of Wisdom +4, a Holy Longsword +3, and a Collar of Uncanny Horsemanship ((homebrew item. For any animal equipped with the collar, its owner gets a +10 circumstance bonus on all Ride checks made while riding it. The animal's speed is also increased by 10 feet in each mode of movement that it can already use)).
Although Kaku is on the outskirts of the Kingdom's territory, it is not an overly long road to Evrai; even with the entire caravan making the journey, it is only expected to take five days of travel to get to the capital.*
The roads rapidly become more and more crowded, the further inland the party travels. It is not so excessive as to hamper progress, but by the end of the third day, word of the traveling carnival has likely already spread to the capital. There is a small, but dedicated, crowd of excited groupies that is actively following the carnival around, waiting for some kind of performance to begin.
The general mood of the people is one of cheer and high spirits. The people appear, on average, slightly more affluent than one would expect from any given kingdom.
On the fifth day, the Palace of Evrai comes into view along the horizon. It towers over the rest of the city (which isn't yet visible), and shimmers golden in the midday sun.
*((I figured you would want to hoof it, as opposed to taking the airship, so to get a lay of the land by traveling among the people.
I'm not sure exactly how you guys want to approach this, so I'm leaving it pretty open. Feel free to have scenes that occur along the journey if you want. I do need an approximate idea of what you want to do when you get to the city.
You guys can use your Carnival performances to gather information, but there's no need to do elaborate scenes again. This time you can just make a single roll in the relevant skill of your choice to represent how well you woo a crowd. This may not be relevant yet, depending on what you all decide to do on the way to town/upon arriving in town))
As the archons (whose true forms are still unknown to the locals) pack up shop and prepare to get the caravan moving, Edgar arrives at the site of the carnival to see everyone off.
His face is very easy to read as his gaze falls upon first Sybil, and then Fleshbane; his expressions are approximately what one would expect from a holy man. Still, he keeps his composure.
Behind him, two stout men are carrying a wooden chest. When the Vicar stops, they place it down. "Please accept these gifts, as tokens of my appreciation, and offerings to Heironeous's chosen," he says. "I thank you all for visiting our humble city and bringing with you so much joy and spectacle. Know that we are your allies here, and that you are welcome whenever you wish."
He bows, and unless he is stopped for conversation, he gracefully withdraws to a respectful distance, to watch the party depart.
The chest contains Boots of Speed, a Periapt of Wisdom +4, a Holy Longsword +3, and a Collar of Uncanny Horsemanship ((homebrew item. For any animal equipped with the collar, its owner gets a +10 circumstance bonus on all Ride checks made while riding it. The animal's speed is also increased by 10 feet in each mode of movement that it can already use)).
Although Kaku is on the outskirts of the Kingdom's territory, it is not an overly long road to Evrai; even with the entire caravan making the journey, it is only expected to take five days of travel to get to the capital.*
The roads rapidly become more and more crowded, the further inland the party travels. It is not so excessive as to hamper progress, but by the end of the third day, word of the traveling carnival has likely already spread to the capital. There is a small, but dedicated, crowd of excited groupies that is actively following the carnival around, waiting for some kind of performance to begin.
The general mood of the people is one of cheer and high spirits. The people appear, on average, slightly more affluent than one would expect from any given kingdom.
On the fifth day, the Palace of Evrai comes into view along the horizon. It towers over the rest of the city (which isn't yet visible), and shimmers golden in the midday sun.
*((I figured you would want to hoof it, as opposed to taking the airship, so to get a lay of the land by traveling among the people.
I'm not sure exactly how you guys want to approach this, so I'm leaving it pretty open. Feel free to have scenes that occur along the journey if you want. I do need an approximate idea of what you want to do when you get to the city.
You guys can use your Carnival performances to gather information, but there's no need to do elaborate scenes again. This time you can just make a single roll in the relevant skill of your choice to represent how well you woo a crowd. This may not be relevant yet, depending on what you all decide to do on the way to town/upon arriving in town))
KittenMaster
Member
Being previously thrust into the eager crowds of the Kaku village, inquiring information from the Vicar, performing his tricks, and otherwise being loyal to his duties has given Ozzang'ac little time to appreciate a world that is very foreign to him. The land which the land men dwell is layered with a vastly different palette than the bed of the ocean- the sand is hard, a vast expanse of seaweed fills endless distances in a glorious green and the reefs atop thick, natural pillars share the same green tone.
Most importantly, the sun glimmers with a gold freely through the land, like a king owning all that it gently touches. Ozzang'ac shudders, it is as if this very warm light that had prior only ever glimmered atop the sea has a presence and divine authority of its own.
Once the carnival makes its glorified entrance into the streets of Evrai, Ozzang'ac opts to keep himself hidden in the back wagon carrying the well of Ozz; however, he slides a bit of himself through a crack so that he can glance at the surroundings. If his body were to function like a man's would, he would do a double take. The marching through the city streets of the kingdom and the joyous dancing and celebration of the land folk thrust him into a nostalgia- remembering the times where he and other merfolk swam alongside the king and his carriage pulled by smaller whales, guarding the brand newly annointed king. Festivities were elevated with dancing dolphins, alluring merwomen, and lights harvested from monsters of the abyss (as it was sometimes called, the deep black depths of the ocean where even Faerun's mighty sun is unwelcome) strung along the path through the city. To Ozzang'ac, Evrai is oddly similar. It is as if all of the water was replaced with air, and the dwellers were trapped on the bed to always fight against the gravity that grasps them; the amalgamate of different and same continue to leave the sea dweller in constant wonder and amazement.
Most importantly, the sun glimmers with a gold freely through the land, like a king owning all that it gently touches. Ozzang'ac shudders, it is as if this very warm light that had prior only ever glimmered atop the sea has a presence and divine authority of its own.
Once the carnival makes its glorified entrance into the streets of Evrai, Ozzang'ac opts to keep himself hidden in the back wagon carrying the well of Ozz; however, he slides a bit of himself through a crack so that he can glance at the surroundings. If his body were to function like a man's would, he would do a double take. The marching through the city streets of the kingdom and the joyous dancing and celebration of the land folk thrust him into a nostalgia- remembering the times where he and other merfolk swam alongside the king and his carriage pulled by smaller whales, guarding the brand newly annointed king. Festivities were elevated with dancing dolphins, alluring merwomen, and lights harvested from monsters of the abyss (as it was sometimes called, the deep black depths of the ocean where even Faerun's mighty sun is unwelcome) strung along the path through the city. To Ozzang'ac, Evrai is oddly similar. It is as if all of the water was replaced with air, and the dwellers were trapped on the bed to always fight against the gravity that grasps them; the amalgamate of different and same continue to leave the sea dweller in constant wonder and amazement.
ThLunarian
Member
((Actually, sorry KM but I have to retcon your post a little bit. It's my fault; I wasn't clear enough about the timing and I also nearly forgot to have this scene. And to the rest of you, sorry about the double post))
Not long after the palace comes into view on the horizon, the crowd in front of the caravan begins to separate. Soon enough, it becomes clear that there is someone approaching.
Seven well-equipped humanoids come into view. Five of them are fully armored paladins, and two (toward the back) sport clerics' vestments, draped over armor. They are already in formation.
"By the authority of King Cecil the Miraculous, I command you to halt," announces the one in the center of the front line. She stands taller than the rest; the only features visible on her are pale skin and a bit of brunette hair that doesn't quite fit within her helmet.
The crowd is swept by a deathly quiet. The woman continues. "We have come to dispatch of the great evils which threaten to encroach upon our borders. You will surrender Xenocide Unit 055, aka Fleshbane, and Ciel, who has too many aliases to list. Comply, and the rest of you may proceed toward our fair city. Resist, and be met with deadly force."
Not long after the palace comes into view on the horizon, the crowd in front of the caravan begins to separate. Soon enough, it becomes clear that there is someone approaching.
Seven well-equipped humanoids come into view. Five of them are fully armored paladins, and two (toward the back) sport clerics' vestments, draped over armor. They are already in formation.
"By the authority of King Cecil the Miraculous, I command you to halt," announces the one in the center of the front line. She stands taller than the rest; the only features visible on her are pale skin and a bit of brunette hair that doesn't quite fit within her helmet.
The crowd is swept by a deathly quiet. The woman continues. "We have come to dispatch of the great evils which threaten to encroach upon our borders. You will surrender Xenocide Unit 055, aka Fleshbane, and Ciel, who has too many aliases to list. Comply, and the rest of you may proceed toward our fair city. Resist, and be met with deadly force."