[Group 2] The World's Largest Dungeon - IC

[Mr. X]

Fredric nods, "Indeed, he does seem to have all his ducks in a row..."

As the party leaves the keep you hear a distant clamoring, as of brewing trouble, rising up off the refugee camp some distance south of the town...

[Quakes]

Elias perks up his ears, eager to find some problem that he can fix, something not quite so overwhelming as running from a horde or shepherding a group of tired refugees.

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Spot
(1d20+9)[25]
Listen
(1d20+8)[24]
Knowledge Local
(1d20+6)[14]

[Sucrose]

Kulkav turns toward the refugee camp.

"...Well. Perhaps we will need to get our affairs in order as well..."

[Mr. X]

The refugee camp sits about a quarter of a mile south of town, and is easily visible from the hill on which Lord Gyburn's keep sits.

From here, you can see that most the refugees have gathered in a great multitude near the center of the camp, and their voices rise in a chanting response of prayer and worship...

... You can't quite make out what they're saying, but there is a certain violence to their tone that leaves you feeling uneasy...

Suddenly, Vlorah shrieks out in pain and collapses to the ground, the silver circlet she wears searing white hot, her eyes rolling blindly back into her head, as she clutches and scratches at the burning metal... Slowly, the silver melts into her flesh, sheering off her hair beneath the circlet, and eventually disappearing, leaving only the gleaming teardrop emerald visible, embedded in her forehead... Now unconscious, she twitches slightly for a moment, before her eyes flutter open and re-focus, and she comes to.

For Vlorah:

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As you peer over the refugee camp, you feel a sudden searing pain in the center of your forehead, as the circlet's emerald burns and melts into your flesh...

Just as quickly, the pain abates, and you are falling... Falling into the blue abyss of the sky... In an almost lazy roll, you turn back towards the earth, and the landscape of the town and refugee camp spreads out before you... Then you begin to fall again, hurtling earthward at neck breaking speed, you streak over the refugee camp as fast as a comet, glimpsing the preaching priest and a thread of his words...

"... The gods demand their Holy City be liberated!! If the lords are to craven to see it done, then we shall free the Gods' lands ourselves!!

... And then you are passed, the hills streaming passed you like ripples in water, and in a mere moment, you are sailing over the smoldering remains of Holy Beluvah, it's streets and squares thronged with the squamous masses of the fungal afflicted goblins, and other more unspeakable creatures... Over the cracked dome of the Great Temple, where can be seen massive vats of putrid chemicals and potions, where screaming victims are dipped, either to be dissolved entirely by the solution, or to emerge, as terrifying mutated horrors...

... And again, you are flying, the miles blowing passed you like leaves on a strong wind, far to the north, to the hulking fortress of Citadel, sitting on the mouth of the Ancient's Way... And across that great chasm, between terrible cliffs, the barbaric hordes of the north are massed... Tens of thousands of them, all a rage and thirsting for blood, for Beluvah is a holy place for their gods too, and they clamor to be allowed to vindicate the sacrilege of the city's destruction, and are prepared to smash the gates of Citadel to do so if they must...

... And then, the diving, swirling vortex as you fall through infinity, smashing back into your body... The searing burn of the circlet fading, and you become aware that you are laying on the ground, your friends gathered concerned around you...

[Simba]

Vlorah

The little halfling girl opens her eyes wide as she comes to, shouting "No, you must not ..."

Then she stops and looks around: "They are preaching in the refugee camp, preaching war against the fungus, to liberate Holy Beluvah. If they attack all will die and our enemy will become stronger still, I fear. But we have a chance to make allies of ancient foes. Outside Citadel, a mighty army is making ready to liberate Beluvah, they will do it with or without our say so. If we talk to them, let them in, we gain an army and maybe an ally for all times. We need to act, Lathander has shown me what is going on, but we need to do something about it, my friends. We need to...."

Suddenly Vlorah seems to realize that she had been talking, shouting as if in a frenzy. Her words stop, her posture changes as she falls back into her usual role. "Help me save them!" she adds, her voice small and almost inaudible once more.

[Quakes]

we should go back to the fort and have them dispatch a rider for citadel immediately.

[Sucrose]

Kulkav nods.

"We should convince our friends to bide their time, until we can gain this army. Does anyone object to me speaking with them?"

[Mr. X]

Fredric grits his teeth, "By all means, and we'd best hurry... Gods, I'm blind, we should have seen it. They were already speaking of vengence when we arrived, and if, as Vlorah says, the northern hordes are marching already, then likely anywhere the news of Beluvah's destruction has reached, anyone who loves his gods and can hold a pitchfork will be marching too... There'll be no way to stop them..." He puts his hand to his head, aghast, "... They'll be slaughtered..."

He shakes his head suddenly, and you can see the light of an idea dawning...

"We might not be able to stop them, but we may yet give them a fighting chance... Lord Gyburn said he was meeting with the Silver Horsemen today, which means they must be prepared to respond to the disaster... As is, likely, every standing army on the continent... If we return to Beluvah, and learn the lay of the land, we may have a chance to tip the field in our favor when the battle begins.

On the other hand, while Citadel is months of travel away, there are other ways to get there besides puting one foot infront of the other... Kulkov, you once spoke of a high standing scholor you knew in Star Spire... Do you think she might have sufficient sway with the Colledge there to acquire such planer transport?"

[Sucrose]

Kulkav rubs his chin.

"...Well, perhaps. I didn't talk to her much about the College; I didn't know enough to appreciate anything she'd have to say. Still, it may be an option... and, at the least, we could sway them to lend some sort of aid..."

"For now, though, I'd rather make sure that the people we brought with us don't compound the problem."

[Fates]

Malthos looks to the hulking dragonborn quizzically. And how, dear Kulkov, do you propose we do this? I fear my arts aren't much suited for situations such as this; it seems that you and Fredrick are the only ones who may be capable of deterring them, be it by fear or by...other persuasions.

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EDIT: 1000th post! Huzzah!

[Mr. X]

"Well, regardless of what we may or may not be able to do about the situation, we should get down there and see for sure what's going on." Fredric replies, turning his mount down towards the crowd.

[Mr. X]

Making your way to the camp, you can hear the priest speaking before you can see him, and as you dismount and make your way through the crowd, you are surprised to find him both eloquent and well spoken, and while his tone is dangerous, his arguments are quite compelling...

For all:

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Priest Fascination check:
Perform: (1d20+15)[31]

All please make a Will Save, DC above roll, to avoid becoming fascinated.

[Sucrose]

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Will save - (1d20+2)[17]

CRAPS DICE, GOOOOO!

[Quakes]

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I only need a 27....come oooooon nat 20 gogogo!

will save
(1d20+4)[17]

hopefully he isn't high enough level to get all of us, lol.

Elias find himself drawn to the priest's words, his earlier concerns about the commotion here fading to a dull buzz.

[Mr. X]

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The sad thing is, he's really not even that high a level, and has only one buffer item.

[Fates]

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Come on, Malthos was BORN to make this will save. He succeeds on a 19 or a 20!

(1d20)[20]

If that fails, I'll go ahead and risk a reroll.

(1d20)[10]

Malthos does not like being fascinated.

EDIT: Huzzah!

Malthos is unimpressed by the priest's speech. He stares the man in the eyes unblinkingly, doing his best to look angry and terrifying.

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Intimidate: [roll]1d20+3[/roll]
Attempting to demoralize the man. He must make a check (DC above, roll 1d20+level+wisdom modifier) or be shaken. I am hoping this may at the very least disrupt his speech, and get him to notice me.

[Fates]

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Woops, forgot I was editing the post when I added that roll.
(1d20+3)[19]

[Mr. X]

... Nearly a week has passed since the unnatural forces destroyed all that is holy in this land. How could it happen? Where were the great lords and champions? Did they not know? Did they not see the signs that have been shown these past months?

Or have they forgotten their sacred duties, and now when tested, cower behind their high walls while the homes of the gods are pillaged and burnt?!

But their weakness is not ours, and the gods give us strength!

He makes a wide gesture over the crowd, passing over Malthos glare without a glance (like any good public speaker), and settling on Kulkov...

"Indeed, they have even sent their own among us! In the fires of devistation, the Godsent, the Dragonborn appeared to guide you to safty! Now he stands among you again to lead you against this foe, and bring swift redribution to the defilers of this world!!"

At this, the crowd suddenly becomes aware of Kulkov, and steps away from him in awe filled reverence...

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Malthos, just staring at him, I'm afraid, is not enough to get his attention sufficiently to have any effect. You are free to heckle him, however, and that might have some effect...

Kulkov, please give me another Will Save, DC 19, as the priest uses Suggestion upon you.

If you fail,

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you cannot help but feel he is right... Bahumat has carried you through impossible odds without fail. With the ring, he marked you as the Leader of all Men, and with even such a rag tag army at your back, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that nothing on this earth could stop you.

Meta-game note: Unless someone has Detect Magic, or a similar ability, active, there is no way to know that anything is amiss.

[Mr. X]

As all save Malthos stand mesmerized by the priest's words (and Kulkov entertains delusions of grandure), the thunder of approaching hoofbeats breaks the spell over the crowd...

A group of perhaps twenty horsemen gallope towards the gatherd crowd from over an Eastern hill, and at first, a cheer wells up from the crowd at the cavalry's arrival...

As the group approaches, it suddenly becomes apparent that they are not stopping before the crowd... The cheers become cries of panic as the horsemen fall upon the suddenly fleeing crowd, lashing out with whips and Bolas', and riding down any who cannot get out of the way, the second wave follows through the broken crowd with clubs and nets...

These are slavers...

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Please roll Initiative.

The Slavers shall move as a unit on Initiative 10.

The Slavers are mounted. Your mounts are at the edge of the crowd, and largely inaccessable, though if you make a concentrated effort, you could reach them.

The first wave of slavers charging forwards, dividing the crowd before them, while the second wave is taking prisoners.

Gray letters indicate the Slaver Group, while numbers indicate the individual slaver of that group.

The Map:

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[Quakes]

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Initiative
(1d20+3)[9]

The sound of galloping hooves and screams of terror break the spell the priest's words were holding over Elias. Shaking his head to clear it, he intones a request to the grass and weeds that will entangle the horses' feet.

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Cast entangle to get the most people possible, between groups b and a.
edit: or whatever gets the most possible since they move before me =P

[Fates]

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Initiative: (1d20+7)[24]

Malthos rushes forward, distancing himself from the bandits, and focuses on one of the horses that is being ridden. A pale light glows all about him, forming a spectral image of himself, which then rushes forward toward the horse, while Malthos begins to sway, as if about to collapse.

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Casting possess animal on one of the horses. It must make a will save (DC 18) or be possessed. If it fails, I possess its body, and mine falls lifeless. While possessing it, I can still cast spells, and maintain my mental ability scores and class levels, but cannot use any extraordinary abilities the horse might have.

[Sucrose]

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Will save 2 - (1d20+2)[9]
Initiative - (1d20)[13]

Kulkav roars in anger as his glorious army is set upon by monsters and fools. Striding forward, he prepares to meet the enemy charge...

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Moving toward the nearest slaver group, and readying an action to strike the first opponent to come close with the Stone Bones maneuver. If necessary, I shall roll Kulkav's attack.

[Mr. X]

For Kulkov:

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Yeah, go ahead and make that attack roll.

[Sucrose]

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Using Instantaneous Rage to suddenly acquire Large size, and attendant bonuses.
Attack - (1d20+9)[10]
Damage - (2d10+21)[36]
If this hits, Kulkav gains DR 5 for a round.

And, if the enemy passes through his reach
AoO attack - (1d20+9)[27]
Damage - (2d10+21)[39]

[Mr. X]

For Kulkov:

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Ooh, give me a percentile roll for that botch.

[Simba]

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Vlorah's initiative: (1d20+5)[10]

[Mr. X]

For Vlorah:

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If you'd like, go ahead and post your first action, and I'll resolve everyone's actions in a big post tomorrow.

[Simba]

Vlorah follows Kulkov as he moves to attack. Staying a few steps behind him she throws one of her daggers at the same attacker, making good use of his distraction.

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I hope this counts as flanking for sneak attack purposes.
attack with throwing dagger: (1d20+13)[21] (DEX bonus denied if sneak attack works)
damage: (1d3+3)[4] + (3d6+6)[18] (if sneak attack works)

crit confirm if rolling 19 or 20: (1d20+13)[25]
additional damage if crit: (1d3+9)[10]

[Sucrose]

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Botch check - (1d100)[82]

Dananana dananana botch roll, botch roll botch rooooooooolllllll

[Fates]

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So, what's the verdict with that horse? Did I possess it?