Mike Danger"Diane..."a place both wonderful and strangeRegistered Userregular
edited August 2009
The sergeant cries out, "FOR KARRNATH!" as he attempts to strike at Maril one last time, but he strikes only air and falls to the ground dead.
Zod didn't really like this that much. The funny-looking man had done something strange to him, and now he felt bad (i.e. his hunger for brains had been somewhat confused and diminished). He grabbed at him and pulled hard on the first thing he got (hoping there were perhaps brains inside). Alas, no delicious mind spilled forth, but Cael felt it as most of the fingers on his right hand were dislocated.
---
Tendrils of lightning that have to be miles in length race across the cloud-draped sky. The new commanding officer of this division of the Emerald Claw strikes out at Maril and connects with a crushing blow to her head. "You may have taken Mallora and Bayrek, but the Claw is still strong," he gasps.
Cael takes 5 damage. Maril takes 11 damage. Cael is bloodied. Maril is bloodied. Note that all living(?) zombies have gained 5 temp. HP. Map:
8 - Cael: (K7) HP:10/28
—Action: Shift, Warlock's Curse on ZOD, Second Wind
—Buffs/Debuffs:Bloodied, Defenses up to 16/15/15/17 until start of next turn (Cael)
Sensing that the battle was near completion, Felix ignored the pain he was feeling through his body and moved behind the soldier Maril was fighting and swung his khopesh into the back of the mans neck.
Minor: Oath of Enmity on EMA Move: Move to P5, avoiding AOO and gaining CA against EMA Standard: Bond fo Pursuit on EMA Bond of Pursuit (1d20+8=27, 1d20+8=24)
Mike Danger"Diane..."a place both wonderful and strangeRegistered Userregular
edited August 2009
With a mad gleam in his eye, the sergeant attempts to wrap his flail right around Felix's wrist. He drops to the ground dead, and Felix is pulled down with him. The last thing he sees is his hand, the flail's barbs cutting deeply into it.
Felix takes 9 damage and has fallen unconscious. He will begin rolling death saves on his next turn. Note that all living(?) zombies have gained 5 temp. HP. Map:
Current Round (4)
24 - Emerald Claw Sergeant (EMA): DEAD
18 - Rotting Zombie (ZOA): DEAD
17 - Rotting Zombie (ZOF): DEAD
16.5 - Emerald Claw Sergeant (EMB): DEAD
16 - Felix: (L7) HP:-1/27 DEATH SAVES: 0/3
—Action:
—Buffs/Debuffs:Dying
13 - Rotting Zombie (ZOH): DEAD
12 - Rotting Zombie (ZOG): DEAD
9 - Emerald Claw Necromancer (MAL): DEAD
8 - Cael: (K7) HP:10/28
—Action: Shift, Warlock's Curse on ZOD, Second Wind
—Buffs/Debuffs:Bloodied, Defenses up to 16/15/15/17 until start of next turn (Cael)
Cael winced as that last zombie in front of him tore at his right. Cael managed to look briefly at his hand to assess the damage. He had several fingers poking in a number of different positions. Gritting his teeth, he glared back at the undead creature. Cael took a quick step back while quickly flicking his left hand to shoot out another blast of eldritch energy. The cold, blue energy only really knicked the undead but it was enough to fell the creature.
Move Action: Shift to J7
Standard Action: Eldritch Blast vs. ZOD (Ref 9) 1d20+4 = (12); 1d10+4 = (8) Hit
Rotting Zombie, ZOD, takes 8 damage and dies...again
Fate of the Void; +1 to a d20 roll next round (if there is one)
Mike Danger"Diane..."a place both wonderful and strangeRegistered Userregular
edited August 2009
Zod felt the chill wash over him, and suddenly it all made sense again. Past, present, future. He understood completely the complex socioeconomic facets of the Last War, the implications for Karrnath presented by them, and even what an appetizer was.
There was a light, and he went towards it.
---
As the last zombie falls--this fall being a little less impressive, since he only has to go half the distance--Felix lets out a moan from the ground. He's fading fast. ir'Gadden returns to the doorway, Arica slung over one shoulder. "Wait," he says, looking around at the carnage. "Weren't there five of you?"
Out of combat!
Someone's got to stabilize Felix or heal him up...lodwilk, if three people post after this and none of them successfully stabilize you, roll me a death saving throw.
XP totals and things will come once I see that Felix will actually get them.
Jeanne slowly walks outside as Zod falls to the ground, heading for Felix but keeping an eye on the sky. "Gods and demons, what's happening?"
She quickly pulls a few bandages out of her bag, patching up Felix's wounds before standing up and continuing to stare in the direction of Cyre, openmouthed.
"Could it really be? Five at the brink of desolation?"
Heal check for Felix! (1d20+7=25). He's stabilized! He'll be able to spend healing surges after the short rest and get back up, but I'm out of other healing powers.
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Mike Danger"Diane..."a place both wonderful and strangeRegistered Userregular
edited August 2009
As Felix stirs, a huge bank of gray mis lit from within by strange fires is sweeping towards you along the length of the Saerun Road. In moments, the armies fighting below are gone--obscured from view in the mist. You still see occasional flashes of fire in the mist, but a deathly silence has fallen over the hillside. You still can't see the road below, and no more cries reach you from the battlefield. That dead-gray mist hangs in the air like a wall around Cyre--just as it would begin to reach you, it seems to hit some invisible barrier and halts. Everything is far too still, and far too quiet. Something terrible has happened.
Behind you all, Arica suddenly lets out a hoarse scream. She is pulling at her clothes and scratching at her skin. She manages to rip her shirt in half, and ir'Gadden is quick to cover her with his half-cape--but not before you get a glimpse of her back and the aberrant dragonmark that now extends down her back, red and sore like a new burn.
Check out the OOC thread for what will happen now that our flashback is over. Hit me with a !ready whenever you feel it's time to move on.
Everyone gets 140 XP for defeating the Claw.
The following magic items are found on the members of the Claw. I used a semirandom treasure generator to pick out things that I thought would be useful. It's safe to assume given the forthcoming time skip that you can eventually find somewhere to sell these at full value, so let me know if you want something different.
Repeating Crossbow
Deathstalker Weapon (repeating crossbow)
This weapon leaves a wound that is black and withered, which continues to plague an enemy long after the attack was made.
Level: 4
Price: 840 gp
Weapon: Any
Enhancement: +1 attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 necrotic damage
Power (Daily • Necrotic): Free Action. Use this power when you hit with the weapon. The target takes ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends). Saves made to end this effect take a –2 penalty.
Cloth Armor
Agile Resolve Vestments
These embroidered vestments channel your resolve to imbue you with agility.
Level: 2
Price: 520 gp
Armor: Cloth
Enhancement: +1 AC
Property: While you are bloodied, you gain a +2 item bonus to Reflex.
Jeanne simply stared at the mist, eyes wide. Power on a level beyond anything she had ever seen, and it was terrifying. Mind-numbing horror blanked her thoughts, and her mouth opened and closed twice before she made words come out.
"What... what is this?"
After a few moments of staring, the artificer collects herself and moves back to Felix, ensuring that he's still breathing, then begins gathering her equipment and crossbow bolts, scattered across the battlefield. As her hands light upon the necromantic crossbow, she murmurs a few things about needing to make some proper adjustments to make it effective, then turns back to the others.
"I'll have to let House Orien know what happened here in my own words, and get Felix back to proper care. The Brelish can take care of their own, yes?"
Wyn stands beside the tower, her glassy eyes fixed unerringly on the sky over Cyre. Five at the brink of desolation... She looks over her shoulder, toward Jeanne and Maril and the rest. ... stand as one against the tempest's roar. Hugging her arms around herself, she shuffles back towards the group, keeping an eye on what would soon be known as the Mournland through her peripheral vision. Dragons.
She kneels beneath the necromancer and examines her corpse. The patterns stitched into the fabric of her robe catch Wyn's eye, and with a rather unceremonious yank she practically rips it off the body, folding it into a square and draping it over her forearm, holding it against herself. "The Brelish always take care of their own. I would very much like to leave now."
Cael stared the flame and watched it turned into a grey mist. The fighting was slowly stopping or disappearing and a deathly silence hung in the air. The silence extended to Cael's mind, which would normally be racing through different theories and ideas but this was different. He could feel that whatever had just happened was something very terrible and his way to cope with it was to not think, for the first time since he's known. He stood like that in silence, until he heard the elven woman cry out in pain.
He was silently thankful for something immediate that he could focus on. It helped to add perspective and set his mind more at ease to handle the situation. He saw the abberant mark placed upon her right before ir'Gadden covered her up. His notes and charcoal flew to his hands, he started sketching the mark as best he could from memory. This was another mystery to solve. As he sketched he addressed;
"Yes, I think I'm pretty much done. Guess its time to report back to my client."
Jeanne strides off at a brisk pace, pausing every few steps to wait for Felix. She does, however, keep a wary eye on the mists over Cyre, and her expression is troubled.
Wyn doesn't grant Felix the same courtesy, and takes off back down the road to Sharn as fast as her legs can carry her, her eyes on the ground, trying to ignore the wasteland just a ways away.
Mike Danger"Diane..."a place both wonderful and strangeRegistered Userregular
edited August 2009
The Mark of Prophecy Chapter 3: Ain't No Party Like a Dagger Coast Party
It was incredible, the rapidity with which he found you.
You have journeyed far since that day--certainly not desiring to stay any closer to the newly-forged Mournlands than need be. With time, and immersion in other matters--whether military, professional, educational, or otherwise--the memories have begun to fade. The horrors of that day still stand in your mind, though--if you'd just been a few hundred yards further and inside Cyre! The words of the Prophecy come to you from time to time as well, wondering just who these five could be.
And then, one day, a knock at your door--or perhaps only a clearing of the throat outside your tent. The name came to you after a moment's hesitation: Felix d'Orien. He hands you an envelope bearing a complex Sivis postmark, and you open it to pull out the card of expensive paper inside:
You are invited to a remembrance ceremony for those lost on the Day of Mourning.
The Summit of Dalannan Tower, Menthis Plateau
One o'clock in the Afternoon
Hosted by Lord Bren ir'Gadden
20 Olarune 998 YK
A small note is handwritten at the bottom: This is the least I could do. Dinner in Skyway afterwards is on me. -- B.
So, with a sigh, you have packed your things (unless already there) and gone to the City of Knives, the Gate to Xen'drik, the Door to Perdition: Sharn.
The Dalannan Tower is not difficult to find: one of the taller ones in the city's Menthis Plateau, you are close enough to get a clear look at the underside of the privileged Skyway district. It is clear to see why ir'Gadden has chosen this place: at this altitude, the noise of the city is mostly lost. A barely audible hum permeates the air, though, from whatever magic keeps Skyway aloft.
You have arrived late--one of the consequences of not having a private skycoach, you suppose. A climb up a staircase from the mooring point brings you into a surprisingly well-kept courtyard, where a fountain burbles to itself. A grizzled dwarf, his chest covered in the medals of Karrnath, speaks of remembrance, while behind him, sad-faced Cyrans sit arrayed as guests of honor. A warforged wearing an approximation at a formal suit looms over you, bending down to present a platter of champagne glasses. ir'Gadden waves to you from an upper level, and you see a porter holding the door open for you to ascend a staircase to the terrace. The guests appear to be from all walks of life--Wyn is fairly certain she spots a colleague from Morgrave on the terrace, and those of Orien see a few heirs of other houses discussing things quietly off to the side.
The dwarf finishes speaking to polite applause, and the guests begin to move about. You seem to be free to do the same.
Jeanne takes the shortest path possible to the staircase up to the terrace, pausing only briefly in her tracks when she realizes that the other four who had been at the Tower of Scars were at the event as well. Even the strange warlock, Cael, was there, very strange considering the general class of the people there.
Bren ir'Gadden. I suppose he feels that he owes us a debt.
Pushing through the crowd with only the slightest rudeness, Jeanne quickly made her way to the staircase, nodded to the porter, and headed upwards. I have no real time for parties and fetes.
Wyn ambles up the staircase, sipping at the glass of champagne. Remembrance. The word left a sour taste in her mouth every time she said it to herself. Who would want to remember the Day of Mourning? I would rather nobody ever speak of it, ever again.
She took a longer drink. I wonder if they'd still be so keen on remembrance if they'd been there to see the sky explode. Wyn kept her head down as she walked, her other hand buried in one of the pockets of her robe, thumb incessantly rubbing at a small piece of polished marble - a worry stone.
Quicksilver, sea salt, white lead...Cael listed off the magical reagents in his head as he through the courtyard. Placed within their segments and the words... Cael stopped in his tracks and shook his head ever so slightly. This was the fifth time since entering this place that he had recited the components, and all of the necessary steps for the ritual to conceal his Dragonmark. He was absolutely sure that he had completed the ritual but he couldn't help but feel nervous in this environment with so many obvious House members. Plus he always had his gloves to hide the Mark itself.
Still, he'd rather not be in his place at all but what happened four years ago still etched a mystery in his mind. Although it was a mystery that he didn't care to find out, or was it afraid to find out. Anyways, it left its mark, although moreso on Cyre than his mind.
He accepted the glass of champagne that's offered to him with a gloved hand. Cael had forgone his usually cloaked appearance and had only brought his usual clothes. They were plain but well cut, and newly washed. So he didn't appear to completely out of place as he had hoped he wouldn't. Although he had earned enough from various odd clients, he preferred to keep coin on hand to grease some palms and buy some information than on spending it on stylish clothing that would only be worn once.
Cael noticed that several of the people from that fateful day from the Tower. Anyone near him might have heard him let a the smallest of the sighs. It took nearly two months after the fact to find someone who could actually translate the Mark from the Tower for him. Its contents were...interesting to say the least. He didn't take much stock from prophecies but that day...
Cael's train of thought was broken as the Dwarf that was speaking finished his speech. His mind was now back on task and he preferred to not stay in this place for too long. Cael nodded as he passed the porter that was holding the door to the terrace where Bren ir'Gadden was presently.
AriviaI Like A ChallengeEarth-1Registered Userregular
edited August 2009
Maril doesn't move and doesn't speak for the entire ceremony. Only when it ends, when ir'Gadden waves to her, does she break from the ranks of the guards, heft her axe over her shoulder, and ascend the stairs slowly, pointedly looking away from the guests.
Applauding along with the rest, Felix takes the time to make a quick mental prayer to all those who had been lost on the Day of Mourning. So many lives had been lost by something that even after all these years no one understood.
Seeing Bren ir'Gadden wave towards him, Felix headed towards the stairs giving a polite nod to his companions from four years ago. House protocol dictated that he must thank and have small pleasantries with his host before speaking with anyone else.
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Mike Danger"Diane..."a place both wonderful and strangeRegistered Userregular
edited August 2009
ir'Gadden greets each of you in turn, shaking hands warmly with nary a reference to the day you met. "Come, come," he says, gesticulating with his own champagne glass, "I'd like you to meet my...friend...Gydd. Gydd!"
At the lord's call, a half-elven woman in a reasonably fit dress (no trace of an excessive Aundairian cut or a severe Karrn cut here) turns, squinting across the terrace in the light. She walks over and accepts a kiss on the cheek from ir'Gadden, taking his arm. "I have heard the stories," she says. "You must be Bren's friends from the war Gyddiola Nephret. I'm a Lecturer in Xen'drik Antiquities at Morgrave."
ir'Gadden shoots Felix and Cael a glance as he raises his glass slightly.
He glances over the terrace and nods as Gydd proceeds through introductions. ("Have we met?" she asks Wyn. "I could swear I've seen you around the campus. Stop by Shava House sometime and say hello.")
Eventually, she moves away to speak to someone else, and ir'Gadden motions for you to come in close. "I hope you won't think this...uncouth," he says, "but I have a business proposition for you."
AriviaI Like A ChallengeEarth-1Registered Userregular
edited August 2009
"I have little need for business these days, sir." Maril's voice is calm and clipped, the talk of a soldier waiting for orders, with no change over the years.
"With all due respect, ir'Gadden, the last time I was offered a business proposal I was almost killed by the undead on the Day of Mourning." Wyn takes another long drink of her champagne, draining half of the flute's remaining contents in one go. "Then again, you are not House Thuranni. What's this proposal?"
Jeanne gives Gydd a curt nod and nothing more. A social function like this was more than a little unnerving for her, as something she had tried to avoid ever since the accident that tore her apart. With a few mechanical clicks, she raised one arm to scratch at the other as she answered ir'Gadden.
"This perhaps is not the best place to talk business, but you, and the arrival of the others from... that day, intrigue me. Speak on, Bren ir'Gadden."
With a sense of calm and composure Felix flashes the half elf a pleasant smile. Accostumed to being used in inter house politics Felix immediately took the look ir'Gadden sent his way as a request for his services.
''Xen'drik Antiquities you say? I`ve always wanted to visit there but house or church buisness always keeps me busy. I wouldn`t mind hearign about that region, or how you came to become enough of an expert to teach it at Morgrave University.''
After exchanging a simple handshake and a few conversational pleasantries with Bren female friend, Cael noticed Bren quick glance. That coupled with the announcement of a business proposition picked Cael's interest. Perhaps going to this affair wouldn't be entirely fruitless afterall. Cael moves in slightly to engage in the conversation and to cut down on any potential eavesdroppers.
"A business proposition, and what exactly does it entail?" Cael mused.
Mike Danger"Diane..."a place both wonderful and strangeRegistered Userregular
edited August 2009
"Oh, there's not much to tell," Gydd begins, "I got hauled along on one of Professor Chass' expeditions to find the Mirror Hand of King Photopo as a grad student, and I sort of got bit by the bug then. I've been working on some interesting aspects of the flying giant ruins--I think there's more connections between them and the feyspires than we realize..." She continues talking, a small audience having gathered around her. Bren ushers you off to the side for a moment. Insight Check
She's not making anything up, and she's clearly in love with ir'Gadden. She is, however, clearly uncomfortable at this party.
"There's not really much to tell right now, I just wanted to be able to speak to you all on the side for a little bit," Bren says. "How are you? What have you been doing? I hope your trip to Sharn was alright--I had no idea how to begin to find you, but I remembered that there were Oriens among you, and I hoped that the Couriers would be able to track you down. The business proposition is just some property I'm planning on purchasing in Skyway that I may eventually to find investors for. For now, please, tell me how you are."
He leans back against one of the two trees growing on the terrace and takes a sip of his drink.
Passive Perception -- Success (All)
You notice a scar on his temple shaped like a love bite--this can only be where the zombie bit him years ago.
Jeanne shifts from side to side, slightly uneasy. "I'm well enough. The last four years have let me refine my artifice... House Orien is interested in using them to aid victims of the war."
She looks back at the gathering below, then blushes. "Well, the ones who are... still..."
Trailing off, Jeanne reaches for a glass on the tray of a passing servant, her metal fingers making an eerie clink as she lifts the drink to her lips.
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AriviaI Like A ChallengeEarth-1Registered Userregular
edited August 2009
Maril remains silent and still, the medals on her axe clanging gently in the wind on the terrace.
Cael borrowed a bit of his supply of willpower in order to suppress a very large sigh. Social pleasantries and irrelevant small talk weren't really his thing. He'd much prefer talk about something that needed to be found or investigated, but even this business that ir'Gadden might bring up didn't seem to be of much interest. Sure it might be worth invested to turn some sort of profit, but Cael wasn't one to care for money. He was growing weary of this whole place until he noticed the scar that ir'Gadden sported. Suppressing a grin, this time, Cael inquired about it politely, trying to read if Bren ir'Gadden was hiding anything.
"That's an interesting scar you got. I don't suppose you got it from that...place?"
Wyn tips back the rest of her champagne and swaps out the empty flute for a fresh one as one of the warforged servers passes by. "I've been worse. Morgrave brought me on as an instructor, so things have calmed down. The old illusion professor was in Cyre when it... blew up." She sniffs and takes a drink.
Mike Danger"Diane..."a place both wonderful and strangeRegistered Userregular
edited August 2009
"Really, though, it's rather interesting," ir'Gadden says. "Thuranni is selling off some of its property in the city to attempt to recoup some of the losses they had after that bad blood between them and Phiarlan, and you wouldn't believe what they're asking for the old op--"
When Wyn sets down her glass, it makes a thundering boom. For a moment, you think of the strange sounds in the Tower of Scars--but then you realize that it was the sound of a door downstairs banging open at the same time. Someone screams as the thick gray mist crawls across the lower patio.
For a moment you are absolutely certain this must be some kind of nightmare, but it is all too real. The Mourning has come to Sharn.
"The irony is palpable." With a sigh, Jeanne unshouldered her crossbow, the weapon she had wielded at the Tower of Scars now fused with the other crossbow she had found, black wood reeking of necrotic energy bolted in amidst the metal framework of the weapon.
Cael grinned at Jeanne's comment; it seemed to be most apt at this moment. He kept his grin as things just got more mystifying. He reached out to make sure his bond with patron as intact, but found that the being was allready aware and prepared.
The boom makes Wyn flinch, and she nearly drops her champagne. Hearing the screaming, she shuffles closer to the railing, peers down at the patio and the fog that consumes it, and gives a yelp of laughter. The noise is mirthless; desperate, if anything.
"Really? Really?" she asks, laughing again and shaking her head. Downing the rest of her glass in one gulp, she tosses it over shoulder and draws the orb from her belt pouch as the flute shatters.
Mike Danger"Diane..."a place both wonderful and strangeRegistered Userregular
edited August 2009
ir'Gadden scowls, although his eyes are full of panic. He grabs Gydd by the arm and wraps an arm around her waist. "I'll get the people on the lower terrace out!" he says. "I trust you can take care of this creature."
Remember that you have all reached a Milestone, meaning that those who spent their action point now have another one, and those who did not now have 2. (I am not counting the four years between encounters as an extended rest because of latent guilt from that killer necromancer power. :P) Jeanne seems to think this is somehow familiar...
Moving down the stairs entails a four-square move:
I-12 to I-11
I-11 to J-11
J-11 to Y-12 (accidentally cut off in the current map, better one will come later)
Y-12 to X-13
Alternately, those trained in Acrobatics can vault down to the lower level and reduce damage as per the rules in the PHB. I'll also take the DC 15 "acrobatic stunt" style of getting down there if you give me some juicy RP to go with it.
Map:
Current Round (4)
18 - Wyn:HP: 20/20 Buffs/Debuffs:
18 - Cael:HP: 28/28 Buffs/Debuffs:
15 - Felix:HP: 27/27 Buffs/Debuffs:
13 - The Creature (MOR):HP: 196/196 Buffs/Debuffs:Mourning Mists (see Notes below)
12 - Maril:HP: 31/31 Buffs/Debuffs:
8 - Jeanne:HP: 23/23 Buffs/Debuffs:
6 - Innocent Bystanders!HP: 1/1
Unit Details
JeanneAC: 17 F/R/W: 11/16/13 HS: 6/6 AP: 1
WynAC: 15 F/R/W: 11/15/16 HS: 6/6 AP: 2
FelixAC: 15 F/R/W: 13/14/16 HS: 8/8 AP: 2
CaelAC: 14 F/R/W: 13/13/15 HS: 9/9 AP: 1
MarilAC: 18 F/R/W: 17/12/11 HS: 12/12 AP: 1
Innocent BystandersAC: 15 F/R/W: 13/11/11
The Creature:AC: 17 F/R/W: 17/16/16
Notes Mourning Mists: The Creature has concealment against creatures adjacent to it (-2 penalty to attack rolls against it), and total concealment against attacks from other creatures (-5 penalty to attack rolls against it). This aura ends when the Creature is bloodied, its force of will no longer strong enough to bind the mists to itself.
Wyn is the first to move, and she throws the door open on its hinges as she rushes towards the stairs, beginning to descend them. She stops after a few steps, turns back, and ushers her companions over with an urgent wave of her arm. "Let's go, before that thing starts killing people!"
Whatever was happening was occuring below them. Cael followed Wyn as she starts making her way down the stairs. All the while, Cael tried to discern any kind of magical tidbit that might be helpful. As Cael moved, the light around him seem to bend and act oddly once again.
Move Action: Move to I11
Shadow Walk (3+ movement): Gain concealment until EONT
Minor Action: Arcana Roll to see if there's anything up with the mist 1d20+7 = (14)
Whatever's causing this we must protect the civilians first.
Without any thought to his own well being Felix runs over to the balcony and jumps over it. Using the hook end of his Khopesh he latches onto the top of the railing and then pushes off the walls, unhooking his khopesh from the railing and drops to the ground and moves to the now open doors, putting himself between whatever is inside the building and the citizens behind him.
Taking up a defensive stance he turns his head back and yells to the civilians, "Run now, and alert the city watch!"
Felix then turns back to the doorway and focuses and figuring out what is causign all this.
Minor: Draw Khopesh Move action: Move to E9 then jump down to T8. After landing he will use the rest of his movement to go to V10. Acrobatics (1d20+7=24) to reduce falling damage. Standard: Full defense. +2 to all defenses.
Posts
Zod didn't really like this that much. The funny-looking man had done something strange to him, and now he felt bad (i.e. his hunger for brains had been somewhat confused and diminished). He grabbed at him and pulled hard on the first thing he got (hoping there were perhaps brains inside). Alas, no delicious mind spilled forth, but Cael felt it as most of the fingers on his right hand were dislocated.
---
Tendrils of lightning that have to be miles in length race across the cloud-draped sky. The new commanding officer of this division of the Emerald Claw strikes out at Maril and connects with a crushing blow to her head. "You may have taken Mallora and Bayrek, but the Claw is still strong," he gasps.
Cael takes 5 damage.
Maril takes 11 damage.
Cael is bloodied.
Maril is bloodied.
Note that all living(?) zombies have gained 5 temp. HP.
Map:
24 - Emerald Claw Sergeant (EMA): (N7) HP: 5/37
—Action: Fial vs. Maril COLOR="Red"]CRITICAL HIT - 11 damage[/COLOR
—Buffs/Debuffs: Bloodied, Fighter's Mark
18 - Rotting Zombie (ZOA): DEAD
17 - Rotting Zombie (ZOF): DEAD
16.5 - Emerald Claw Sergeant (EMB): DEAD
16 - Felix: (L7) HP: 8/27
—Action:
—Buffs/Debuffs: Bloodied
13 - Rotting Zombie (ZOH): DEAD
12 - Rotting Zombie (ZOG): DEAD
9 - Emerald Claw Necromancer (MAL): DEAD
8 - Cael: (K7) HP: 10/28
—Action: Shift, Warlock's Curse on ZOD, Second Wind
—Buffs/Debuffs: Bloodied, Defenses up to 16/15/15/17 until start of next turn (Cael)
7.5 - Bren ir'Gadden: (K6) HP: 26/31
—Action:
—Buffs/Debuffs:
7 - Rotting Zombie (ZOB): DEAD
5.5 - Wyn: (J6) HP: 10/20
—Action:
—Buffs/Debuffs:
5 - Rotting Zombie (ZOC): DEAD
4.5 - Jeanne : (J7) HP: 22/23
—Action:
—Buffs/Debuffs:
4 - Rotting Zombie (ZOE): DEAD
2 - Maril: (M7) HP: 6/31
—Action:
—Buffs/Debuffs:
-1 - Rotting Zombie (ZOD): (K12) HP: 1+5/1
—Action:
—Buffs/Debuffs: Warlock's Curse
Unit Details
—Note: -
Wyn AC: 14 F/R/W: 11/15/16 HS: 5/6 AP: 1
—Note: -
Felix AC: 15 F/R/W: 13/14/16 HS: 8/8 AP: 1
—Note: -
Cael AC: 14 F/R/W: 13/13/15 HS: 8/9 AP: 0
—Note: -
Maril AC: 18 F/R/W: 17/12/11 HS: 9/12 AP: 0
—Note: -
Emerald Claw Necromancer: dead
—Note:
Emerald Claw Sergeant: AC: 16 F/R/W: 14/12/12
—Note:
Rotting Zombie: AC: 13 F/R/W: 13/9/10
—Note:
Notes
MOPEN2RND4
[Next Up: Felix] [On Deck: Cael]
Move: Move to P5, avoiding AOO and gaining CA against EMA
Standard: Bond fo Pursuit on EMA Bond of Pursuit (1d20+8=27, 1d20+8=24)
Damage (1d8.minroll(2)+5=8)
Felix takes 9 damage and has fallen unconscious. He will begin rolling death saves on his next turn.
Note that all living(?) zombies have gained 5 temp. HP.
Map:
24 - Emerald Claw Sergeant (EMA): DEAD
18 - Rotting Zombie (ZOA): DEAD
17 - Rotting Zombie (ZOF): DEAD
16.5 - Emerald Claw Sergeant (EMB): DEAD
16 - Felix: (L7) HP: -1/27 DEATH SAVES: 0/3
—Action:
—Buffs/Debuffs: Dying
13 - Rotting Zombie (ZOH): DEAD
12 - Rotting Zombie (ZOG): DEAD
9 - Emerald Claw Necromancer (MAL): DEAD
8 - Cael: (K7) HP: 10/28
—Action: Shift, Warlock's Curse on ZOD, Second Wind
—Buffs/Debuffs: Bloodied, Defenses up to 16/15/15/17 until start of next turn (Cael)
7.5 - Bren ir'Gadden: (K6) HP: 26/31
—Action:
—Buffs/Debuffs:
7 - Rotting Zombie (ZOB): DEAD
5.5 - Wyn: (J6) HP: 10/20
—Action:
—Buffs/Debuffs:
5 - Rotting Zombie (ZOC): DEAD
4.5 - Jeanne : (J7) HP: 22/23
—Action:
—Buffs/Debuffs:
4 - Rotting Zombie (ZOE): DEAD
2 - Maril: (M7) HP: 6/31
—Action:
—Buffs/Debuffs:
-1 - Rotting Zombie (ZOD): (K12) HP: 1+5/1
—Action:
—Buffs/Debuffs: Warlock's Curse
Unit Details
—Note: -
Wyn AC: 14 F/R/W: 11/15/16 HS: 5/6 AP: 1
—Note: -
Felix AC: 15 F/R/W: 13/14/16 HS: 8/8 AP: 1
—Note: -
Cael AC: 14 F/R/W: 13/13/15 HS: 8/9 AP: 0
—Note: -
Maril AC: 18 F/R/W: 17/12/11 HS: 9/12 AP: 0
—Note: -
Emerald Claw Necromancer: dead
—Note:
Emerald Claw Sergeant: double dead
—Note:
Rotting Zombie: AC: 13 F/R/W: 13/9/10
—Note:
Notes
MOPEN2RND4-1
[Next Up: Cael] <On Deck: ir'Gadden>
Standard Action: Eldritch Blast vs. ZOD (Ref 9)
1d20+4 = (12); 1d10+4 = (8)
Hit
Rotting Zombie, ZOD, takes 8 damage and dies...again
Fate of the Void; +1 to a d20 roll next round (if there is one)
[Next: Bren ir'Gadden]
There was a light, and he went towards it.
---
As the last zombie falls--this fall being a little less impressive, since he only has to go half the distance--Felix lets out a moan from the ground. He's fading fast. ir'Gadden returns to the doorway, Arica slung over one shoulder. "Wait," he says, looking around at the carnage. "Weren't there five of you?"
Someone's got to stabilize Felix or heal him up...lodwilk, if three people post after this and none of them successfully stabilize you, roll me a death saving throw.
XP totals and things will come once I see that Felix will actually get them.
She quickly pulls a few bandages out of her bag, patching up Felix's wounds before standing up and continuing to stare in the direction of Cyre, openmouthed.
"Could it really be? Five at the brink of desolation?"
Behind you all, Arica suddenly lets out a hoarse scream. She is pulling at her clothes and scratching at her skin. She manages to rip her shirt in half, and ir'Gadden is quick to cover her with his half-cape--but not before you get a glimpse of her back and the aberrant dragonmark that now extends down her back, red and sore like a new burn.
Everyone gets 140 XP for defeating the Claw.
The following magic items are found on the members of the Claw. I used a semirandom treasure generator to pick out things that I thought would be useful. It's safe to assume given the forthcoming time skip that you can eventually find somewhere to sell these at full value, so let me know if you want something different.
Repeating Crossbow
This weapon leaves a wound that is black and withered, which continues to plague an enemy long after the attack was made.
Level: 4
Price: 840 gp
Weapon: Any
Enhancement: +1 attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 necrotic damage
Power (Daily • Necrotic): Free Action. Use this power when you hit with the weapon. The target takes ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends). Saves made to end this effect take a –2 penalty.
Cloth Armor
These embroidered vestments channel your resolve to imbue you with agility.
Level: 2
Price: 520 gp
Armor: Cloth
Enhancement: +1 AC
Property: While you are bloodied, you gain a +2 item bonus to Reflex.
"What... what is this?"
After a few moments of staring, the artificer collects herself and moves back to Felix, ensuring that he's still breathing, then begins gathering her equipment and crossbow bolts, scattered across the battlefield. As her hands light upon the necromantic crossbow, she murmurs a few things about needing to make some proper adjustments to make it effective, then turns back to the others.
"I'll have to let House Orien know what happened here in my own words, and get Felix back to proper care. The Brelish can take care of their own, yes?"
"Ugh, yes Jeanne and I must report our findings to the house," with much effort he finally manages to stand up, and slowly regain his composure.
"It has been a pleasure working with each of you and I do hope to see you sometime in the future."
She kneels beneath the necromancer and examines her corpse. The patterns stitched into the fabric of her robe catch Wyn's eye, and with a rather unceremonious yank she practically rips it off the body, folding it into a square and draping it over her forearm, holding it against herself. "The Brelish always take care of their own. I would very much like to leave now."
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He was silently thankful for something immediate that he could focus on. It helped to add perspective and set his mind more at ease to handle the situation. He saw the abberant mark placed upon her right before ir'Gadden covered her up. His notes and charcoal flew to his hands, he started sketching the mark as best he could from memory. This was another mystery to solve. As he sketched he addressed;
"Yes, I think I'm pretty much done. Guess its time to report back to my client."
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Chapter 3: Ain't No Party Like a Dagger Coast Party
It was incredible, the rapidity with which he found you.
You have journeyed far since that day--certainly not desiring to stay any closer to the newly-forged Mournlands than need be. With time, and immersion in other matters--whether military, professional, educational, or otherwise--the memories have begun to fade. The horrors of that day still stand in your mind, though--if you'd just been a few hundred yards further and inside Cyre! The words of the Prophecy come to you from time to time as well, wondering just who these five could be.
And then, one day, a knock at your door--or perhaps only a clearing of the throat outside your tent. The name came to you after a moment's hesitation: Felix d'Orien. He hands you an envelope bearing a complex Sivis postmark, and you open it to pull out the card of expensive paper inside:
The Summit of Dalannan Tower, Menthis Plateau
One o'clock in the Afternoon
Hosted by Lord Bren ir'Gadden
20 Olarune 998 YK
A small note is handwritten at the bottom: This is the least I could do. Dinner in Skyway afterwards is on me. -- B.
So, with a sigh, you have packed your things (unless already there) and gone to the City of Knives, the Gate to Xen'drik, the Door to Perdition: Sharn.
The Dalannan Tower is not difficult to find: one of the taller ones in the city's Menthis Plateau, you are close enough to get a clear look at the underside of the privileged Skyway district. It is clear to see why ir'Gadden has chosen this place: at this altitude, the noise of the city is mostly lost. A barely audible hum permeates the air, though, from whatever magic keeps Skyway aloft.
You have arrived late--one of the consequences of not having a private skycoach, you suppose. A climb up a staircase from the mooring point brings you into a surprisingly well-kept courtyard, where a fountain burbles to itself. A grizzled dwarf, his chest covered in the medals of Karrnath, speaks of remembrance, while behind him, sad-faced Cyrans sit arrayed as guests of honor. A warforged wearing an approximation at a formal suit looms over you, bending down to present a platter of champagne glasses. ir'Gadden waves to you from an upper level, and you see a porter holding the door open for you to ascend a staircase to the terrace. The guests appear to be from all walks of life--Wyn is fairly certain she spots a colleague from Morgrave on the terrace, and those of Orien see a few heirs of other houses discussing things quietly off to the side.
The dwarf finishes speaking to polite applause, and the guests begin to move about. You seem to be free to do the same.
Bren ir'Gadden. I suppose he feels that he owes us a debt.
Pushing through the crowd with only the slightest rudeness, Jeanne quickly made her way to the staircase, nodded to the porter, and headed upwards. I have no real time for parties and fetes.
She took a longer drink. I wonder if they'd still be so keen on remembrance if they'd been there to see the sky explode. Wyn kept her head down as she walked, her other hand buried in one of the pockets of her robe, thumb incessantly rubbing at a small piece of polished marble - a worry stone.
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Still, he'd rather not be in his place at all but what happened four years ago still etched a mystery in his mind. Although it was a mystery that he didn't care to find out, or was it afraid to find out. Anyways, it left its mark, although moreso on Cyre than his mind.
He accepted the glass of champagne that's offered to him with a gloved hand. Cael had forgone his usually cloaked appearance and had only brought his usual clothes. They were plain but well cut, and newly washed. So he didn't appear to completely out of place as he had hoped he wouldn't. Although he had earned enough from various odd clients, he preferred to keep coin on hand to grease some palms and buy some information than on spending it on stylish clothing that would only be worn once.
Cael noticed that several of the people from that fateful day from the Tower. Anyone near him might have heard him let a the smallest of the sighs. It took nearly two months after the fact to find someone who could actually translate the Mark from the Tower for him. Its contents were...interesting to say the least. He didn't take much stock from prophecies but that day...
Cael's train of thought was broken as the Dwarf that was speaking finished his speech. His mind was now back on task and he preferred to not stay in this place for too long. Cael nodded as he passed the porter that was holding the door to the terrace where Bren ir'Gadden was presently.
Seeing Bren ir'Gadden wave towards him, Felix headed towards the stairs giving a polite nod to his companions from four years ago. House protocol dictated that he must thank and have small pleasantries with his host before speaking with anyone else.
At the lord's call, a half-elven woman in a reasonably fit dress (no trace of an excessive Aundairian cut or a severe Karrn cut here) turns, squinting across the terrace in the light. She walks over and accepts a kiss on the cheek from ir'Gadden, taking his arm. "I have heard the stories," she says. "You must be Bren's friends from the war Gyddiola Nephret. I'm a Lecturer in Xen'drik Antiquities at Morgrave."
ir'Gadden shoots Felix and Cael a glance as he raises his glass slightly.
He glances over the terrace and nods as Gydd proceeds through introductions. ("Have we met?" she asks Wyn. "I could swear I've seen you around the campus. Stop by Shava House sometime and say hello.")
Eventually, she moves away to speak to someone else, and ir'Gadden motions for you to come in close. "I hope you won't think this...uncouth," he says, "but I have a business proposition for you."
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"This perhaps is not the best place to talk business, but you, and the arrival of the others from... that day, intrigue me. Speak on, Bren ir'Gadden."
''Xen'drik Antiquities you say? I`ve always wanted to visit there but house or church buisness always keeps me busy. I wouldn`t mind hearign about that region, or how you came to become enough of an expert to teach it at Morgrave University.''
"A business proposition, and what exactly does it entail?" Cael mused.
Insight Check
"There's not really much to tell right now, I just wanted to be able to speak to you all on the side for a little bit," Bren says. "How are you? What have you been doing? I hope your trip to Sharn was alright--I had no idea how to begin to find you, but I remembered that there were Oriens among you, and I hoped that the Couriers would be able to track you down. The business proposition is just some property I'm planning on purchasing in Skyway that I may eventually to find investors for. For now, please, tell me how you are."
He leans back against one of the two trees growing on the terrace and takes a sip of his drink.
Passive Perception -- Success (All)
She looks back at the gathering below, then blushes. "Well, the ones who are... still..."
Trailing off, Jeanne reaches for a glass on the tray of a passing servant, her metal fingers making an eerie clink as she lifts the drink to her lips.
"That's an interesting scar you got. I don't suppose you got it from that...place?"
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When Wyn sets down her glass, it makes a thundering boom. For a moment, you think of the strange sounds in the Tower of Scars--but then you realize that it was the sound of a door downstairs banging open at the same time. Someone screams as the thick gray mist crawls across the lower patio.
For a moment you are absolutely certain this must be some kind of nightmare, but it is all too real. The Mourning has come to Sharn.
Felix grabs the railing infront of him and looks over the balcony to see what exactly has happened.
"Really? Really?" she asks, laughing again and shaking her head. Downing the rest of her glass in one gulp, she tosses it over shoulder and draws the orb from her belt pouch as the flute shatters.
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Remember that you have all reached a Milestone, meaning that those who spent their action point now have another one, and those who did not now have 2. (I am not counting the four years between encounters as an extended rest because of latent guilt from that killer necromancer power. :P)
Jeanne seems to think this is somehow familiar...
Moving down the stairs entails a four-square move:
I-12 to I-11
I-11 to J-11
J-11 to Y-12 (accidentally cut off in the current map, better one will come later)
Y-12 to X-13
Alternately, those trained in Acrobatics can vault down to the lower level and reduce damage as per the rules in the PHB. I'll also take the DC 15 "acrobatic stunt" style of getting down there if you give me some juicy RP to go with it.
Map:
18 - Wyn: HP: 20/20
Buffs/Debuffs:
18 - Cael: HP: 28/28
Buffs/Debuffs:
15 - Felix: HP: 27/27
Buffs/Debuffs:
13 - The Creature (MOR): HP: 196/196
Buffs/Debuffs: Mourning Mists (see Notes below)
12 - Maril: HP: 31/31
Buffs/Debuffs:
8 - Jeanne: HP: 23/23
Buffs/Debuffs:
6 - Innocent Bystanders! HP: 1/1
Unit Details
Wyn AC: 15 F/R/W: 11/15/16 HS: 6/6 AP: 2
Felix AC: 15 F/R/W: 13/14/16 HS: 8/8 AP: 2
Cael AC: 14 F/R/W: 13/13/15 HS: 9/9 AP: 1
Maril AC: 18 F/R/W: 17/12/11 HS: 12/12 AP: 1
Innocent Bystanders AC: 15 F/R/W: 13/11/11
The Creature: AC: 17 F/R/W: 17/16/16
Notes
Mourning Mists: The Creature has concealment against creatures adjacent to it (-2 penalty to attack rolls against it), and total concealment against attacks from other creatures (-5 penalty to attack rolls against it). This aura ends when the Creature is bloodied, its force of will no longer strong enough to bind the mists to itself.
MOPEN3RND1
[Next Up: Wyn] [On Deck: Cael]
[Next Up: Cael] [On Deck: Felix]
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Shadow Walk (3+ movement): Gain concealment until EONT
Minor Action: Arcana Roll to see if there's anything up with the mist
1d20+7 = (14)
[Next: Felix] [On Deck: The Monster]
Without any thought to his own well being Felix runs over to the balcony and jumps over it. Using the hook end of his Khopesh he latches onto the top of the railing and then pushes off the walls, unhooking his khopesh from the railing and drops to the ground and moves to the now open doors, putting himself between whatever is inside the building and the citizens behind him.
Taking up a defensive stance he turns his head back and yells to the civilians, "Run now, and alert the city watch!"
Felix then turns back to the doorway and focuses and figuring out what is causign all this.
Move action: Move to E9 then jump down to T8. After landing he will use the rest of his movement to go to V10. Acrobatics (1d20+7=24) to reduce falling damage.
Standard: Full defense. +2 to all defenses.
{Up Next: Monster}[On Deck: Maril]