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Bugbear in the Playground
Join Date: Mar 2010
Gender: 
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge VII
Now for Part II!
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Little Starry-Eyes
The memory of that night would haunt her for the next ten years. They had caught up with the green horror only to be ambushed by a dozen others. In the battle that followed the child had been dropped and drowned in the lake. Starry-Eyes had managed to grab the body before it sank into the depths, but had been unable, and the thought of what they may do with it below were the focus of many dreams. Furthermore, Warden had been killed. While protecting her. When she had dived for the child they had taken the opportunity to grab her, but Warden had fought tooth, nail and thorn, and she had managed to win free. The creatures had then driven them off, and Starry-Eyes watched with fury and crushing sadness from the boughs of the woods as near a dozen hurled upwards into the sky as the green glow suffused the night. Her only consolation was they were taking none with them.
The entire halfling nation had moved far away. She had begun to raise an army however, halflings, druids, fey creatures, and even several treants. Creatures who abhorred the unnatural presence of these kidnappers from outside the world. Starry-Eyes had become a local legend, a beautiful hobbledehoy of jade, or halfling as others called them, though she so petite some affectionately referred to her as a Quarterling, that could turn into an emerald nighthawk with the speed of the wind.
The comet was drawing closer each night, and they built camp around the lake. They waited for several days until the comet was right over, entrenching themselves in deep, but still nothing emerged. It was on the last night of the comet's approach that a message sounded in her head. The winged horrors had emerged from a well at a farm several counties over. They'd apparently been tunneling for a decade to connect the two water sources. Trying to stifle panic, Starry-Eyes leapt up and cried for all who could keep up to follow. She flew with all the speed she could muster, her eyes burning from the wind of her own velocity and leaving the others behind.
Starry-Eyes barely paused as she came upon the valley and saw houses on fire and heard the screams of others. Wheeling around and up and down were the winged beings. She dived and tore at them until wherever she flew was littered with tentacle and wing. Still, more came, dozens more than she had ever seen. Starry-Eyes began to despair when abruptly she recalled a dream that had impressed upon her great importance but until now she had never been able to recall. Her glow intensified until it was as if she was a green inferno. She launched herself out of one's clutches and gained height and began to weave in an aerial dance. The fire remained in the sky wherever she passed until a symbol filled the sky. The horrors that had given pursuit dropped out of the sky, falling like stones, many only barely able to spread their wings to avoid the houses. Several that held children dropped them as they plummeted, and only Starry-Eyes' quick action saved them.
She didn't have time to give words of comfort to the bawling young before she was skyward again. Her force had begun to catch up and were setting on the dazed abominations. One shouted a warning to her and she looked over. One of the kidnappers had avoided her symbol and was heading up. A steel resolve filled Starry-Eyes as she watched it. Not one more child would be taken. Not while she drew breath. She sped for it as it began its trip up. She slowly gained on it over the course of the night, but the breath in her lungs was coming harder, and each was colder than the most frigid winter. Still she struggled on, closing her eyes against the chill lest they freeze, and navigated by sound, only opening every few minutes to make certain she was still on its trail. Then there came a point where she could breathe no more. She tried to beat her wings faster, to reach them before all was lost... but she could not force them on. She had flown harder, faster and farther than she had ever dreamed before, but it was still not enough. This despairing thought was her last as she fell into darkness.
The body of Starry-Eyes struck the ground with such force she left her own small crater, but of her body, nothing remained after impact.
Starry-Eyes opened her namesakes and looking down at her was a familiar green face, green eyes and pointed green ears. Not so familiar was the smile of peace and contentment on his normally grim features.
"Warden..." she breathed and they embraced. Starry-Eyes wept with joy as she held him. She was vaguely aware that she was on an island of lillies, glow in the evening dusk, but her eyes were clouded with tears. After a blissful eternity they released one another.
"Am I dead?" she asked, not really certain how she felt about it.
"Yes. Than a doornail." he answered calmly. "But that's ok."
The deadpan expression on his face melted and he threw his head back with laughter, and Starry-Eyes joined him as they embraced and kissed passionately, the flowers springing up unharmed from their frolic.
"Oh Warden... I... I have so much to do still. I can't just leave them all..." she began, but he put a finger to her lips and nodded.
"I know, I know... your heart is so noble my dearest. I would have you here by my side for always, but I knew you would not rest. She thought as much as well, but we will have forever someday."
"She who?"
"The Queen of Stars..." Warden answered and nodded out to the sea. A ship unlike any she had heard of and a hundred fold as beautiful as anything she could imagine was sailing. The stars overhead were so bright despite the gentle glow of dusk that it seemed ocean and sky met as they reflected off the gentle waters. The boat pulled up along side the island and a bare foot stepped out onto the cushioning blossoms. Along it was a woman three times Starry-Eye's height, dressed not in a dress, but in starlight, constantly streaming down her slim body and puddling at her feet as she walked. The woman came over and looked into Starry-Eye's wondering gaze and knelt onto both knees.
"Good evening little Starry-Eyes." the woman said with a smile, and the spark in her eye was one Starry-Eyes had seen many a time in reflection. The same glow of adventure and wild abandon. "It wasn't time for you to meet me, but your sacrifice was so great and so brave that I came anyways. Name any one thing you wish and it will be yours."
"I have all I could wish already Star Mother." Starry-Eyes whispered. "But I cannot take it knowing that my loved peoples are left in such fear. I wish... I wish I could have the strength to protect them."
The lady looked Starry-Eyes in her eyes and then embraced her.
"Little Starry-Eyes, I name you Star Sister, for you are truly an angel of mercy." the Queen of Stars said into her ear. "You will have this wish, but I give you warning, if you are successful, it will be a long time by even the reckoning of us immortals before you will return."
Starry-Eyes leaned back and looked to the Queen of Stars, "The years will pass like falling rain for I know what awaits me."
The Queen of Stars nodded in satisfaction and stood.
"Then drink of one another one last time until the next."
Starry-Eyes and Warden clasped to one another, and as they embraced he seemed to wrap about her like a blanket. The beautiful island faded away in a rosy glow of warmth and happiness...
Level 15
(Sweet Spot)
Spoiler
Halfling Were-Chorvedoc 2, Bard 4, Ranger 1, Green Star Adept 6, Saint 2
Small Outsider (native, shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 4d6 + 9d8 +13 HD (76 hp or 92 hp Animal/Hybrid)
Initiative: +0 (+4 hybrid)
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares); Animal/Hybrid form: Fly 70 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 26 (+8 armor, +3 insight, +4 natural, +1 size), touch 14, flat-footed 26; Hybrid 33 (+8 armor, +4 dex, +4 insight +6 natural, +1 size), touch 19, flat-footed 29; Animal 26 (+4 dex, +4 insight, +6 natural, +2 size), touch 20, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+8
Attack:
Animal - Talons +15 melee (1d3+3)
Halfling - +1 War Sling of Distance +13 ranged (1d6+4/20x4/100 ft.)
Hybrid - Claw +14 melee (1d3+3)
Full Attack:
Animal - Talons +15 melee (1d3+3) and slam +15 melee (1d4+4)
Halfling - +3 War Sling of Distance +15 ranged (1d6+6/20x4/100 ft.)
Hybrid - 2 Claws +14 melee (1d3+3) and slam +14 melee (1d4+4) and bite +9 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (2-1/2 ft./0 ft. animal form)
Special Attacks: Bard spells, favored enemy (aberrations), fascinate
Special Qualities: Bardic music 4/day, bardic knowledge, blindsense 60 ft., countersong, damage reduction 10/adamantine and evil, fast healing 10, fortification 50%, immunity to acid, cold, electricity and petrification, inspire competence, inspire courage +1, low-light vision, lycanthropic empathy (birds), protective aura, resistance to fire 10, scent, tongues, unnatural metabolism, wild empathy
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +11, Will +13; (Hybrid) Fort +10, Ref +15, Will +14
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 11 (19 hybrid), Con 12 (14 hybrid), Int 10, Wis 16 (18 hybrid), Cha 22
Skills: Concentration +2 (+3 hybrid), Climb +5, Decipher Script +2, Gather Information +9, Hide +8 (+12 hybrid) (+16 animal), Jump +5, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +2, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (geography) +2, Knowledge (history) +2, Knowledge (nature) +6, Knowledge (the planes) +8, Listen +9 (+10 hybrid), Move Silently +2 (+6 hybrid), Perform (dance) +15, Perform (sing) +9, Profession (astrologer) +8 (+9 hybrid), Spot +12 (+13 hybrid), Survival +5 (+6 hybrid)
Feats: Combat Casting, Craft Wondrous Item, Dreamtelling, Flyby Attack(WereB), Knight of Stars, Nimbus of Light, Nymph's Kiss, Iron Will(WereB), Track(RangB), Weapon Finesse(WereB)
Traits: Quick
Challenge Rating: 15
Possessions: +3 war sling of distance, +5 leafweave studded armor
Alignment: Neutral Good
Level Adjustment: +4
Bard Spells: Caster level 12th. (Spells per day: (3/2/2/1); Save DC 18 + spell level):
0 - Dancing Lights, Know Direction, Message, Prestidigitation, Resistance, Songbird
1st - Feather Fall, Guiding Light, Ray of Hope, Swift Expeditious Retreat
2nd - Circle Dance, Eagle's Splendor, Luminous Armor, Summon Swarm
3rd - Invoke the Cerulean Sign, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
Blindsense (Ex): Starry-Eyes notices and locates creatures within 60 feet. Opponents still have total concealment against her.
Favored Enemy (Aberrations) (Ex): Starry-Eyes gains a +4 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against aberrations. Likewise, she gets a +4 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures.
Fortification (Ex): Starry-Eyes has resistance to attacks that affect other living creatures. When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on her, there is a 50% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and the damage is instead rolled normally.
Lycanthropic Empathy (Ex): In any form, Starry-Eyes can communicate and empathize with normal or dire birds. This gives them a +4 racial bonus on checks when influencing the animal’s attitude and allows the communication of simple concepts and (if the animal is friendly) commands, such as “friend,” “foe,” “flee,” and “attack.”
Nymph's Kiss: +1 to saves against spells and spell-like abilities.
Protective Aura (Su): As magic circle against evil and and lesser globe of invulnerability. Caster level 11th.
Spell-like Abilities: At Will - Bless, Guidance, Resistance, Virtue. Caster level 12th. Save DC's are Charisma-based.
Tongues (Sp): Continuous, as the spell, CL 14th.
Unnatural Metabolism (Ex): Starry-Eyes gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects. She gains a +8 bonus against poison.
Wild Empathy (Ex): Starry-Eyes can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. Starry-Eyes rolls 1d20 and adds +7 to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, Starry-Eyes and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
Starry-Eyes can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a –4 penalty on the check.
The 40th anniversary of the Green Eve was drawing near, though Starry-Eyes hadn't aged one day since she had awakened at the roots of the apple tree. Many that had seen her thought she a spirit, and in some ways she was right. She was no ghost though. There was a joy to her, a lessening of all her troubles that had eclipsed her radiance. She had back the mischievousness of her childhood coupled with the wisdom of a woman. All who met her could hardly help but fall a little in love with the green skinned, starry-eyed woman child. Starry-Eyes felt whole like she had not for so long, and the memory of Warden and the sea of stars was a vivid glow in her mind.
Another strange thing had occurred upon awakening. The sign she had created the night she died was engraved over her heart as if with a pen of fire, glowing even when she did not. It was a symbol of life, of rightness.
She had finally finished the last of the brew, surrounded by her closest friends and family. They had toasted the memory of Warden and rejoiced at those still alive and fighting. It had been somewhat of a shock, she recalled, how her heart had slowly stopped beating, her breath slowing. But there had been a sense of completeness. It wasn't like stone she had become, but instead she'd been frozen in that perfect moment of camaraderie and remembrance and hope. The Queen of Stars had been true to her word.
As always the green creatures arrived, but this time they were ready. Hiding amidst the dying coals was one of the frog-like creatures. She pretended not to notice and sat down as if to eat with her profile showing to it. With miniscule motions it gathered itself and leapt for her. Without even looking up she caught it in a slim green hand. It might have weighed a hundred pounds but Starry-Eyes held it like a feather. Looking it right in its triangular eye she constricted her fingers and the creature crumpled like a tin cup. She dropped it and its skin twitched and roiled before slowly disolving.
"They're coming." she announced to the gathering.
Though they this time emerged at a dozen different points, the patrols were privy to it. Starry-Eyes was anathema to them, starmetal infused with the life of this world and a symbol of the natural order. One had attempted to steal a child away but with a simple call of 'Stop' it had paused in the air. She had swooped to capture the child and the green horror had fallen, exploding into pieces upon the cobbles far below. Starry-Eyes winked at the child and fear seemed to drop from him. He whooped in return.
'Let's see it return from that.' she thought in satisfaction.
She slew many that night, but there were simply too widespread to capture all. A few slipped through, though none with captives. As they ascended higher and higher they wondered at the bright green glow in the distance, though far sharper and nearer than the comet. Below, the world was a globe upon which broiling clouds and mountain ranges could be seen. As they continued to fly the spark grew rapidly closer. Watching them come, in the frigid, sparkling airlessness was Starry-Eyes. And she was grinning.
There she remained, watching from above, descending to aid in battle against the unnatural and those in need. Then she would return upwards, ever vigilant. She danced across the sky, reading stars and dreaming dreams, waiting for the day the green men and their kind would be driven wholly from the world. Perhaps someday she would follow them and do battle on their home-front. Until then she would remain above.
If ever you are in need, wish upon the green star. It might come true.
Level 20
Spoiler
Halfling Were-Chorvedoc 2, Bard 4, Ranger 1, Saint 2, Keeper of the Cerulean Sign 1, Green Star Adept 10
Small Construct (shapechanger)
Hit Dice: 5d6 + 13d8 + 20 HD (104 HP)
Initiative: +0 (+4 hybrid)
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares); Animal/Hybrid form: Fly 70 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 35 (+8 armor, +3 insight, +5 luck, +8 natural, +1 size), touch 19, flat-footed 35; Hybrid 42 (+8 armor, +4 dex, +5 luck, +4 insight, +10 natural, +1 size), touch 24, flat-footed 38; Animal 35 (+4 dex, +4 insight, +5 luck, +10 natural, +2 size), touch 25, flat-footed 31
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+11
Attack:
Animal - Talons +17 melee (1d3+5)
Halfling - +5 War Sling of Distance +23 ranged (1d6+5/20x4/100 ft.)
Hybrid - Claw +17 melee (1d3+5)
Full Attack:
Animal - Talons +17 melee (1d3+5) and slam +17 melee (1d4+7)
Halfling - +5 War Sling of Distance +23 ranged (1d6+5/20x4/100 ft.)
Hybrid - 2 Claws +17 melee (1d3+5) and slam +17 melee (1d4+7) and bite +12 melee (1d4+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (2-1/2 ft./0 ft. animal form)
Special Attacks: Bard spells, favored enemy (aberrations), fascinate
Special Qualities: Bardic music 4/day, bardic knowledge, blindsense 60 ft., construct traits, countersong, damage reduction 10/adamantine and evil, detect aberrant taint, fast healing 10, immunity to acid, cold, and electricity, inspire competence, inspire courage +1, low-light vision, lycanthropic empathy (birds), protective aura, resistance to fire 10, scent, tongues, wild empathy
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +17; (Hybrid) Fort +11, Ref +16, Will +18
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 10 (18 hybrid), Con -, Int 10, Wis 16 (18 hybrid), Cha 23
Skills: Concentration +8, Climb +7, Decipher Script +2, Gather Information +11, Hide +8 (+12 hybrid) (+16 animal), Jump +7, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +2, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (geography) +2, Knowledge (history) +2, Knowledge (nature) +6, Knowledge (the planes) +10, Listen +8 (+9 hybrid), Move Silently +2 (+6 hybrid), Perform (dance) +15, Perform (sing) +8, Profession (astrologer) +8 (+9 hybrid), Sense Motive +8 (+9 hybrid), Spot +12 (+13 hybrid), Survival +5 (+6 hybrid)
Feats: Aberration Banemagic, Combat Casting, Craft Wondrous Item, Dreamtelling, Flyby Attack(WereB), Knight of Stars, Nimbus of Light, Nymph's Kiss, Iron Will(WereB), Track(RangB), Weapon Finesse(WereB)
Traits: Quick
Challenge Rating: 20
Possessions: +5 war sling of distance, +5 leafweave studded armor, cerulean sign +5 (will saves against aberrations)
Alignment: Neutral Good
Level Adjustment: +4
Bard Spells: Caster level 17th. (Spells per day: (3/5/5/3/1); Save DC 18 + spell level):
0 - Dancing Lights, Know Direction, Message, Prestidigitation, Resistance, Songbird
1st - Feather Fall, Guiding Light, Ray of Hope, Swift Expeditious Retreat
2nd - Circle Dance, Eagle's Splendor, Luminous Armor, Summon Swarm
3rd - Allegro, Haste, Invoke the Cerulean Sign, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
4th - Hold Monster, Legend Lore
Blindsense (Ex): Starry-Eyes notices and locates creatures within 60 feet. Opponents still have total concealment against her.
Favored Enemy (Aberrations) (Ex): Starry-Eyes gains a +4 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against aberrations. Likewise, she gets a +4 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures.
Lycanthropic Empathy (Ex): In any form, Starry-Eyes can communicate and empathize with normal or dire birds. This gives them a +4 racial bonus on checks when influencing the animal’s attitude and allows the communication of simple concepts and (if the animal is friendly) commands, such as “friend,” “foe,” “flee,” and “attack.”
Nymph's Kiss: +1 to saves against spells and spell-like abilities.
Protective Aura (Su): As magic circle against evil and and lesser globe of invulnerability. Caster level 11th.
Spell-like Abilities: At Will - Bless, Guidance, Resistance, Virtue. Caster level 12th. Save DC's are Charisma-based.
Tongues (Sp): Continuous, as the spell, CL 14th.
Wild Empathy (Ex): Starry-Eyes can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. Starry-Eyes rolls 1d20 and adds +7 to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, Starry-Eyes and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
Starry-Eyes can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a –4 penalty on the check.
Spoiler
Starry-Eyes is a little bit of everything. She can be a ranged fighter, a melee fighter, hit and run, or long and drawn out. Her spells also help out greatly.
Halfling
Halflings are just bursting full of little saves and bonuses that add greatly to any build. Their size also allows them to become were chordevoc's.
Bard
Though her BAB isn't phenomenal, it's better than taking wizard or sorcerer, and 3/4ths is as good as most other gish builds. Also, as Bards may wear light armor without spell disruption they meet the prerequisite Combat Casting feat of GSA. Finally, a bard can meet the heavy skill requirements that would drain almost any other class dry.
Ranger
Ranger may seem a dip to push that base attack 1 point up to meet the 4 BAB of GSA, but it was chosen for flavor reasons. The high Charisma that the bard uses reflects well with Wild Empathy. As well, Favorite Enemy aids much with the theme of the build by allowing Starry-Eyes to better fight aberrations. The bonus Track feat then melds with the Scent ability granted by the lycanthrope template.
Keeper of the Cerulean Sign
This class was taken for sheer flavor. However, it does aid in battle against Aberrations, and the ability to make a Cerulean Sign adds to the AC, as well as saves against aberrations. It also grants a much needed additional caster level.
Lycanthrope Template
Why a Chordevoc? Well, first thing, the flavor. It's a flying nocturnal hawk used by halfling for guardians. It fit perfect with the story. Blindsense 60 feet too? Booyah. Also, it has the highest fly speed of any HD 1 animal, and good maneuverability to top it off. Its dexterity is fantastic, and though the GSA lowers it, the halfling bonus evens it out again. You now have a creature with both great strength and agility with size modifier bonuses to both melee and ranged attacks. She's strong enough to lift heavy burdens while she flies and drop them on foes as well.
The additional slam attack from GSA now gives this fella 4 separate attacks that bypasses adamantine, evil, silver and magic damage reductions.
Then you have the natural armor which stacks nicely with the GSA. Throw in the Saint template and by the end you have an AC in the 30's without any armor or magical enhancements. With those you crank up this bad boy to an AC in the 40's.
If you simply want to hide, chordevoc and halfling hide bonuses make a nice little synergy together. Being able to become tiny-sized doesn't hurt either. Yeah, +8 additional to hide checks.
Saint Template
This may reek of cheese, but bear with me. I sacrificed 2 levels of casting and BAB to take this, as well as 3 exalted feats. However, these feats fit perfectly with the concept, and Nymph's Kiss in particular helps fill in the skills lost to PrC's (that really make no sense requiring them truth be told). The insight bonus meshes with the wisdom increase granted by the lycanthrope template. As well, the cold immunity now allows Starry-Eyes to remain in space indefinitely. Lesser Globe of Invulnerability blocks many force effects such as Magic Missile that would get through the many invulnerabilities of the GSA. Add in the at will Circle Against Evil and Starry-Eyes is now immune to mind-affecting effects, making her almost a pure construct in way of immunities. With acid, cold, and electricity immunity, fire resistance, and damage reduction that requires the weapon be both adamantine AND evil... good luck harming her even if you do manage to bypass her AC.
Then you have the +2 bonus to the Ranger's favorite enemy against aberrations, plus an additional 1d6 damage as most aberrations are evil. If they are outsider-type abominations it's 1d8.
Oh, and Fast Healing, this need not work only on living creatures. She's a construct that heals. This is tasty.
Saves
Despite the multi-classing, starry-Eyes has very nice saves to top what can actually bypass all of the above. Nymph's kiss bumps this up by +1 against spells/spell-likes. Against aberration spells and spell-like abilities she has no less than a +6 bonus to all saves.
Spells
Though all the spells were chosen to go with the theme, Luminous Armor is probably the best to the point of cheesiness.
It grants a +5 bonus to armor (yeah, like this build needs it higher), but the shining bit also makes them take a -4 penalty to attacks. This is like a +9 bonus to armor that lasts all day. With this sucker and some very minor armor enhancements your AC could be in the 50's by level 20.
However, here's where the cheese come in. The penalty for such a nice spell is you take strength damage. However, you are now immune to strength damage so get it free. Just something to think on.
Optional
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Quotebox
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Moron
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Optimystik
'Adding up numbers' is completely independent of roleplay. What you're saying makes as much sense as "peeling a banana is not a good way to drive."
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Last edited by Private-Prinny : 07-09-2010 at 09:58 PM.
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