The Dying Earth [IC]

[NecroRebel]

"Stand still? I've told you before, if my people stand still, we die!" Reed shouts back at Variel. Still, he does not move far, only shifting enough to feint clumsily with a second dagger before his black blade bites at the thing that attacked him.

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Current Status:

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HP 57/73 Surge 18 Used 0/6
AC 27 (33 vs. OAs) Fort 22 Ref 28 Will 24
As always, if a foe dies to my Blackshroud Dagger I get concealment.

I'll stay put, using Sly Flourish on Pale2 and otherwise wait for Variel to take me out of this flank.

Attack vs. AC - (1d20+23)[15](38)
Damage if hit - (1d4+13)[4](17)+Sneak Attack - (3d8)[4][6][6](16)

[Vox Clamantis]

Laertius

Slamming his staff upright into the ground, Laertius claps his hands together dramatically. Instantly two sheets of ice coalesce and slam into the creature from both sides, crushing and pinning it in place. Retrieving his staff, Laertius stands his ground.

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Standard: Bigby's Icy Grasp (provokes OA)
Attack: (1d20+18)[23] vs Reflex
Hit: (2d8+11)[3][2](16) cold damage and the target is grabbed. The hand uses my Reflex or Fortitude when the target attempts to escape.

AC vs Opportunity Attacks: 32

78/78

[Tequila Sunrise]

Map

In a flurry of crackling lightning and graceful blades, Variel and Reed destroy the pale man between them. In the confusion though, the northern-most pale man nearly hits Varile (take 17 damage) and tears bloody gashes in Laertius’ face with its overgrown fingernails (crit! Take 38 damage). Dolgan’s attack smites his foe into oblivion, while Laertius’ spell securely grips his foe. The prone and injured pale man opts to retreat speedily into the river rather than continue fighting. Another pale man lunges for Reed, but widly misses the nimble Halfling.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Dolgan Glanbek, Priest of Moradin

"By the Sultan's beard, I've run out of enemies" mutters Dolgan under his breath, almost unhappy about it. Turning around, he sees Laertius' face almost ripped off, and realises that the battle is far from over. He jogs next to Reed, and smashes his axe into the demon before him, while at the same time sending a healing prayer towards Laertius.

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HP 86+8/86 Healing Surge 21 (0 used /9)
AC 29 Fort 25 Reflex 24 Will 27

Move to the hex west of Reed (north-west of Pale 6)
Standard action: Healing Strike @Pale6 Str. vs. AC; Radiant damage
To Hit Pale6 - (1d20+17)[16](33)
Damage - (1d12+10)[7](17)
Critical - (2d12)[1][1](2)
Extra Healing - (1d6+5)[6](11)
If it hits, Pale 6 is marked until the end of my next turn. Laertius gets to spend a healing surge and add the extra heling I rolled above.

[Crucival]

Variel

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Hp 88/100 AC 30 Fort 23 Ref 25 Will 23

Variel winces as the monster's claws scrape across his flesh, and returns the favor by spreading his Aegis of Assault over it. With an arrogant sneer, his blade suddenly goes silent, and when he shoves it toward the nearest Pale Man, the blade erupts with arcane force, cutting at the beast's flesh like shards of glass.

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Minor: Aegis of assault on Pale5
Standard: Spikes of Agony Encounter Power:
Int vs AC on Pale5: (1d20+18)[9](27) for (2d8+10)[4][3](17) damage
If it moves at all next turn, it takes 8 damage

[NecroRebel]

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...Stupid false roll count stupidity stupid. Stupid.

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[NecroRebel]

Reed dodges around his assailant, slashing wildly at the inevitable gaps in its defenses, before jumping away again.

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HP 57/73 Surge 18 Used 0/6
AC 27 (33 vs. OAs) Fort 22 Ref 28 Will 24
As always, if a foe dies to my Blackshroud Dagger I get concealment.

If Dolgan's move hasn't already happened, use Ferret Out Frailty encounter utility on Pale6, giving me combat advantage against it until the end of my turn. Either way, then use Deft Strike on it to move to the hex down-right of it before my attack. If Dolgan has already moved, he would be flanking it with me.

[roll0]
[roll1]+[roll2]
...Rolls are in OOC thread.

It gets an opportunity attack against me from my movement. Then, if it is still alive I shift right 1, or if it dies I move to to the square left of Laertius, avoiding the squares adjacent to Pale5.

[Vox Clamantis]

Laertius

Staggering back a step and bringing one hand to his face, the devil-spawn bares his fangs in a truly evil smile as he flicks his own blood at the held demon. Accelerating to incredible speeds, the specks of blood punch through the creature's body as though it were cheap parchment.

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Move: Shift N
Minor: Sustain for (1d8+11)[18] cold damage
Standard: Magic Missile
Attack: (1d20+18)[36] vs Reflex
Hit: (2d4+11)[16] damage

[Tequila Sunrise]

With weapon and spell, you each pile further injuries on the pale men. Finally realizing the futility of their position, they attempt to flee toward the river but are each cut down well before they touch water. Congratulations, the heroes are victorious this day!

[Vox Clamantis]

Laertius

Looking with distaste at the grotesque corpse still trapped in the ice of his spell, the arcanist waves his staff. The ice begins to melt, and in a moment evaporates completely, dropping the unmoving body onto the bank.

I find myself wondering whom exactly these things were waiting for. Could it be that we're expected?

A thin smile stretches Laertius' lips.

Had I known we've an appointment, I'd have packed my dress robes.

[NecroRebel]

Reed wipes his dagger clean before it disappears back into its sheath. The halfling passes by the corpses warily as he approaches the river, looking for anything else that might attack before commenting, "If something is waiting for us, we'll deal with it. You guys handled yourselves well, so I think we can take any demon or monster that might get in our way."

Ceasing his scrutiny of the water momentarily, he looks back at one of the bodies. "Speaking of demons and monsters, lots of them are worth something. Think we can get anything for these fellows?"

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Perception - (1d20+10)[17](27)
Arcana - (1d20+5)[13](18)
Religion - (1d20+5)[5](10)
History - (1d20+5)[3](8)

[Crucival]

Variel

Though Laertius' joke was right in the vein of Variel's own sense of humor, by the time the last Pale Man dropped to the ground, his sword had gone dull and glamorless and he had begun squatting by the corpses, ignoring almost everything around him.

He examines each Pale Man in detail, noting the anatomy, using his magical senses to dissect how the Soul of Chaos might have created them, or perverted them from existing species. And of course, for each Pale Man, he attempted to pluck at the linger thread of Chaos energy, to trace the creatures' connection back to the source and better understand how to improve his own, jury-rigged version.

He takes a few samples, digging an eye out of one creature's palm, removing a claw, an area of skin, and so on, before stuffing them into his bag of holding for future analysis.

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Arcana check for analyzing the Chaosness of the Pale Men:
(1d20+17)[12](29)
Perception for anything else: (1d20+5)[3](8)

When he finishes his moment of intense examination, he stands and turns to the others.

"I apologize for my earlier...fit. This has been a valuable experience after all."

He turns to Reed, then Laertius. "Do you think there might be a connection between our crimson follower and these creatures of Chaos? Perhaps it alerted them to our arrival."

[Vox Clamantis]

Laertius

Poking his staff into the ground, Laertius walks over to pick up his discarded pack. Throwing it casually into the canoe, he retrieves his staff and prepares to set out again. At the Variel's question, he stops what he's doing and turns.

Our red shadow seems to hide whenever we make a show of noticing its presence. That behavior bothers me. Most predators will stalk a prey only until they're discovered or they find an opportunity to strike. His persistence and patience suggest that our hunter is intelligent.

Since we can deduce that he's intelligent, I think it likely that these chaos demons were merely a test. If they are a serious attempt to destroy us, our red phantom would have ambushed us while we were dealing with them. In a decisive battle, one never withholds resources.

He pauses and frowns.

That does presuppose a connection between them, of course.

[Crucival]

Variel

Variel listens patiently to Laertius. Having examined the Pale Men seems to have calmed him, like a drug addict who's finally had his fix and can relax for a while without jonesing for his next hit.

"Your point about intelligence is well-taken, but I'm not sure that implies that we are being tested. For all we know, our red shadow is simply waiting for us to find the Plague Cure, so it can snatch it from our hands for its own purposes."

He pauses, in thought, then continues. "Even chaos demons need to feed. Perhaps they lay in wait for any kind of prey that may pass by via the river. Did you get the sense that these creatures were intelligent? At least, more so than any other predator that hunts in packs?"

[Vox Clamantis]

Laertius

Hm. No, the one that attacked me was inarticulate in its expressions of frustration. Perhaps we should have made some effort to capture one alive...

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Dolgan Glanbek, Priest of Moradin

Dolgan spends some time after the battle winding down, letting the battle lust fade and returning to his more pleasant self. As is his custom, he sits and cleans his axe carefully with a steel mesh and then carefully applies a fine covering of oil. He listens carefully to all that is said around him, and he finally raises his voice to speak.

"I cannot tell if they were intelligent or not. Lack of clothing and language, and poor tactics beyond 'rush at the enemy' would indicate animalistic behaviour, but with chaos demons, who can tell? They did seem to be waiting for lunch, rather than specifically for us. But they could be a guard post for a nest in the city, in which case I regret one got away." Taking a pause, he then addresses Laertious, "As for a connection, I am not that certain myself. Has anyone detected the red creature since we got into the river? We were paddling downstream - if it could keep up with us, it must be able to fly. If it can get ahead to set up ambushes, it must be quick indeed."

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Damn my need to sleep! I've missed all the post-battle discussion. Sorry

Tequila: I assume there is nothing valuable in the corpses?

[Crucival]

Variel

"I wouldn't put it past our red shadow to have some form of magical communication. But I sensed no connection to Chaos when Reed tried to stalk it back in the town. Whatever it is, it is not a Chaos demon like these things we just killed. " He gestures to the corpses splayed around them.

[Tequila Sunrise]

Upon examination, the pale men are living breathing creatures--or were at least. There is nothing truly unique about them as creatures of Chaos, except for their two nose-holes, which act as some type of gills.

As you speak of your red pursuer, you hear a faint humming sound coming from the nearby forest. Whirling around with weapons ready, you find yourselves facing a solitary creature hovering in the air--a woman of about Reed's height wearing a crimson gown. The gown is ragged and stained with dirt in places, and the woman's eyes have bags under them. She has very angular features, long ears that would put any elf to shame and wild red hair. A blur of constant motion at her back, very much like the blur of hummingbird wings, allows her to so effortlessly hover. Variel, Dolgan and Laertius recognize her as a fey creature of the Faerye realm.

"Hello, I am Ms. Took, and I have a proposition for you." She says.

[Vox Clamantis]

Laertius

Although he doesn't like being surprised, for the moment Laertius' curiosity overcomes his caution. Moving a little closer, he tries to identify her species. Her words he leaves to the others; he's not much for conversation.

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Arcana: (1d20+16)[22]
History: (1d20+16)[21]
Religion: (1d20+11)[25]
Dungeoneering: (1d20+11)[15]
Nature: (1d20+6)[14]

[Grey_Wolf_c]

"Hello, I am Ms. Took, and I have a proposition for you." She says.

Dolgan Glanbek, Priest of Moradin

Dolgan turns about to regard the newcomer and immediately bows and answers in his calm voice, "Welcome, m'lady. I am Dolgan Glanbeck, Moradin's servant. I must say, this is rather unexpected, and much too rushed for an old dwarf's taste. I am willing to hear your proposition, if you are willing to answer a few questions of our own. Will you share a meal with us, in the meantime?"

[Crucival]

Variel

"We are far from the comforts of even Rhiannon, Ms. Took. I, for one, second Dolgan's offer to discuss your proposition over a restful meal."

He seems finished, then pauses, looking up. "Oh. Right. Variel Rhyann, Warrior-scholar, at your service."

[NecroRebel]

Reed watches the interloper carefully, trying to gauge her ability and intention, but looks more closely at the wilds surrounding the group. Where there is one previously-unseen creature there may very easily be more.

"A meal sounds like a fine idea, especially with such a lovely lady as yourself," Reed lies. "For my part, I am Dalbert Highroad, Ranger out of the Western Mountains."

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Reed will also attempt to determine exactly what Ms. Took is along with what she intends and whether or not she is truly alone while also attempting to convince her that he is in fact telling the truth.

Insight - (1d20+10)[13](23)
Perception - (1d20+10)[10](20)
Bluff - (1d20+14)[13](27)
Arcana - (1d20+5)[18](23)
Religion - (1d20+5)[20](25)
Nature - (1d20+5)[7](12)
History - (1d20+5)[19](24)

[Tequila Sunrise]

Laertius recognizes Ms. Took as a humming sprite, appropriately enough. Humming sprites are somewhat rare, and are known for their speed, maneuverability and stealth. During your conversation with her, she appears to be trustworthy. You see nor hear signs of any other creatures in the immediate area.

"I'd love to share a meal." She says with a sigh, "It's been so long since I've eaten anything but berries and roots." When she settles down to eat, her eyes constantly shift about as if expecting foes to leap upon her from the nearest bush. Her wings stop their blurry dance, but they regularly twitch as if in agitation.

"You see, those beasts of Chaos stole something of...well it isn't mine, but it's my responsibility. I can't get it back myself. I was hoping that those Children that came this way the other day would help me, but they thought I was a Chaos monster! Can you believe that? Anyway, they didn't last very long when the beasts found them."

[Grey_Wolf_c]

"You see, those beasts of Chaos stole something of...well it isn't mine, but it's my responsibility. I can't get it back myself. I was hoping that those Children that came this way the other day would help me, but they thought I was a Chaos monster! Can you believe that? Anyway, they didn't last very long when the beasts found them."

Dolgan Glanbek, Priest of Moradin

Dolgan quickly and efficiently starts a small cooking fire, and sets a few rations to boil in a small pot, with some water for a nice gruel. Keeping a careful eye on the fire, he notices their guest's nervousness. "Relax, m'lady, relax. These chaos creatures will not hurt you. We will protect you, if it comes to a fight. If we are to help you, we will need some details on this object you are charged with. But before we get to the gritty details, for my peace of mind, are you the one that was observing us since we nighted at the pass keep? And what are these "Children" you refer to? Eladrin or elves, maybe?"

As he ends his questions, he scoops some of the thick soup into a earthen bowl, and takes it to their guest. He then proceeds to offer some to the others, ending with himself. He does his best to calm the flighty creature.

[Crucival]

Ever suspicious of the fanaticism of less reasonable members of the mortal races, Variel shakes his head.

"I believe she means the Children of Light, Dolgan. The ones who left us such a lovely funeral pile back at the keep."

He looks up at the creature of Faerye.

"Ms. Took, do you know why there was a pile of humanoid bones in that keep, with Children of Light slogans written on a burial marker?"

[NecroRebel]

"You say the beasts stole from you, but you still cannot retrieve it even with their reduced numbers? Do you know where they lair, and how many more there are in the region? If there are more, it may benefit our other business to simply go and clear them out now so they cannot waylay us again. You could recover whatever you've lost as we dealt with the monsters, and we benefit as well."

[Tequila Sunrise]

"Yes, I have been following you off and on since you left the Keep. I'm usually friendlier, but this place has me on edge." She says, glancing nervously from the forest to the river.

"And yes, I meant the Children of the Light, as they call themselves. If you found burned bones within the Keep, the Children most likely found them dead already and cremated them. I haven't seen lights in the Keep for years."

"Yes, I know where the monsters lair, and that there are quite a few more. They lair under the river, in some kind of burrow. I've seen the entrance, but haven't dared to approach it, as it is guarded by pale men and other creatures."

[Vox Clamantis]

Laertius

Having dragged a log over for the sprite to sit on (an uncommonly polite gesture, coming from him), Laertius has seated himself near the cooking fire, absently sticking his hand in from time to time to keep it going with a burst of magic.

Could you describe those other creatures? One never knows what bits of information might prove useful.

[Crucival]

Variel

Variel suddenly becomes excited, and though he tries to hide it, his efforts are only partially successful. He leans forward, a glimmer of interest lighting his eyes.

"So they're intelligent? Pale men deployed as guards, and other creatures commanding and directing?"

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Variel

Variel suddenly becomes excited, and though he tries to hide it, his efforts are only partially successful. He leans forward, a glimmer of interest lighting his eyes.

"So they're intelligent? Pale men deployed as guards, and other creatures commanding and directing?"

Dolgan Glanbek, Priest of Moradin

"Or maybe they are like ants or bees, with clearly defined roles." Dolgan offers back. Then, pensatively, he adds, "Mind you, I would consider some ant colonies more intelligent than some of the people I have met over the year. I've seen some of the warrens of the red desert ants, and they are dwarf-worthy in their complexity" Becoming all business again, Dolgan continues, "Nevertheless, if we are to help you, we will need details on both their under-river warren and the object that was taken from you. Are we talking about a jewel or a scroll? And why would chaos creatures be attracted to it to the point of taking it?"