Harbingers of the Silver Flame

[Saskia]

Just die, dammit! I've fought more threatening moths in my parents' attic! She drops her crossbow and draws her sword, attacking the monster once more.

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Attack roll (1d20+5)[23] damage if it hits (1d6)[2]

[Gildedragon]

Zal sees the soldier collapse. Hey red, you good? he asks dropping to his side. Ari, you're a paladin type, aren't ya? Know any first aid or the like? asks he, giving the soldier a couple pats to see if he is conscious.

[Mantid]

Rolling onto his back, you find that the red hair is the only way you would have recognized Reng. His face is swollen, discolored, and covered in buboes.

"Oh, the Crye mercenaries," Reng groans, seeing you. "It's true. Sovereigns help us. It's all true. The barbarians have a demon with them. I don't know what he did... he just... pulled his sword out and people started falling. Ugh. I feel terrible..."

Aria

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You sword nicks the Vargouille as it flies about you. The creature struggles to stay in the air, dipping low and snapping toward your leg. The creatures teeth bite into your skin and you feel the poison stinging in the wound.

OOC: You take 2 damage and roll a fortitude save

[Saskia]

Breathe your last, fiend!

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Attack (1d20+6)[15] if it hits (1d6)[6]

[mistformsquirrl]

"I can't simply magically heal him I'm afraid... but I can make do with ordinary medical supplies if that will help."

Ari kneels next to Reng and gently sets her sword down behind herself. Then she goes to work to see if she can discover what's wrong with him.

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Heal Check (1d20+7)[19]

[Gildedragon]

Mocker's mitts!exclaims Zal, unwillingly, seeing the other's face. You'll be all right, just as pretty Zal tries to reassure the man, unsure of the truth of his words. But you said there's a demon. How'd your fancy cheese cutter do against it?

[Mantid]

"Didn't get a chance to try it out," Reng responds, while Ari does what little she can for him. [b]"When it pulled out that sword and people started falling to... this disease, people panicked. Those of us who tried to stand our ground were blocked by those running. And this disease just kept taking more of us down.

"You three aren't going to run though, are you. I can see it in your faces." He hold the dagger and ring out. "Take them and give those demons a licking. I doubt I'll be using them for a while, and I'm sure my ancestors would rather see them put to use to stop the demons than laying next to a sick man's bed."

Ko

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Your shadow familar slips back and informs you that Aria is not far away to the North-East. She is apparently protecting a group of villagers from some bat-like creature.

Aria

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You sword slices into the creature, knocking it to the ground, where it thrashes around as it slowly turns back into black mist and disappates into the breeze.

With the Vargouille banished from Eberron, the villagers are able to move again. Thiel checks that they are alright before hurrying to your side.

"You have quite the brave and noble heart, madam gnome," she says. "Thank you for stopping the barbarians from escaping with what little our congregation has, but I'm afraid I have to ask you to do more. That mirror shard that the barbarian escaped wtih, it is part of a holy relic."

The elderly preistess sighs and begins to dig around in the bag the barbarians dropped. "Are you familar with the Silver Flame's Cathedral in Fairhaven? When Thrane's government was taken over by the Church of the Silver Flame in the Last War, the people of Aundair quickly grew to resent, even hate, the Silver Flame. The anger grew became so intense that the Church was forced to abandon the cathedral. Knowing how difficult it would be to smuggle themselves, let alone artifacts, across the border into Thrane, the priests decided to take the cathedral's most precious and powerful artifact and split it into seven pieces, which were given to congregations here in the north, away from the front lines of the war, for safe keeping.

"I don't know what the barbarians intend to do with it, but I can't imagine it is anything good.

"Here, for saving us in the Sovereign Chruch and for protecting our itmes. They wil do better in your hands than sitting unused in our meeting house." Thiel holds out a potion bottle, a small diamond, and a silver badge.

[Nihilarian]

Kias found Aria to the north-east, fighting. Help her or the soldiers?

[Saskia]

Aria beams at Thiel's compliments. While the clergywoman speaks she sheathes her sword and picks up her crossbow. She takes Thiel's gifts with a gracious bow. Thank you, m'Lady, but it's my privilege to help. If these gifts can assist in any way then you can rest well assured that's what they'll do. I suspect my companions and I can have that shard back in no time. Aria looks around briefly, and adds Well, if I can find them. I can't imagine they've gotten themselves killed, anyway.

[Gildedragon]

How is she doing? says Zal, taking the dagger. I'd rather deal with the demon but we are a team. Either way we should pick now.

[Nihilarian]

Ko looks at Zal calmly. "Don't know. I can send Kias to help her and guide her to us, if need be."

[Gildedragon]

Plan. says Zal, twirling the shimmering silvery blade*, admiring how light plays off the metal. He grins, ready for a new confrontation.

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Maneuvers Readied:
Mind over Body
Moment of Perfect Mind
Mountain Hammer
Shadow Blade Technique
Shadow Jaunt

Child of Shadow (Stance)

* OOC: is it masterwork?

[Mantid]

Item info:

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Masterwork Flame-Touched Iron Dagger: Counts as good aligned for overcoming damage reduction

Ring of Concealed Thought: +10 circumstance bonus to Bluff. +4 to will saves vs effects to read wearer's mind (Read Thoughts, Discern Lies, etc)

With Aria:
Badge of Valor: 3/day +2 to next save vs Charm or Fear till next turn or +1 to bonus from Bardic Music for duration of its effect

Least Iron Ward Diamond: Armor attachment. Grants damage reduction 1/-

Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds

[Nihilarian]

Ko speaks to the soldier as he takes the ring. Thank you for the assistance. I'll return the ring once this matter is finished. He turns to Ari and says Arcutia, would you please get him somewhere out of the way, so he is not trampled or attacked while we're gone? Finally, he speaks to his familiar "Kias! Go to Aria to assist her as needed, and guide her to us once she's free to do so. If she has fallen, return at once."

[Mantid]

Kias flies off to the north-east, seeking the bard once again.

"Thanks," Reng says. "I just have to hang on till they get House Jorasco to us. The halflings will have me back on my feet in no time, I'm sure. Sovereigns, it hurts to move."

Aria

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The villagers do their best to save the remaining meeting house, but there is no controling the fires. As the salvage what they can from it, a dark, cloudy being swoops out of the sky to land infront of you. You've seen a creature like it a few times in the previous months hanging around Ko.

It says something in a language you don't reconize and moves back and forth, seemingly to becon you in its direction.

[Saskia]

Aria looks curiously at the creature for a moment, and looks back at the flaming building with a sigh. Be careful everybody, she shouts, you survived a barbarian incursion so don't get killed for some trinkets now! Stay safe! With that, she draws her sword and follows the creature, eyes scanning for hostiles along the way.

[Mantid]

While you help Reng move to the side of a building, Ko's familar returns with Aria in tow. A few more soldiers stumble around, but not barbarians. The village is now eerily quiet. For a moment, the sound of the waves is masked only by the sound of burning buildings and the occasional moan from a sick soldier, but soon the sound of splashing begins to reach you from the direction of the coast.

[mistformsquirrl]

"What's that noise?" Ari draws her sword.
"For some reason I'm not convinced it's just the ocean..."

[Saskia]

Aria sighs looking around at the plagued soldiers. I think that might be them leaving, Ari. I heard one of them say they were here to kill some Silver Flame followers, but we stumbled across another group taking a relic. I couldn't get it from them though, and they took off toward the docks. She snaps her fingers and produces a diamond from her jacket pocket. Oh, also I've got this magic rock. It apparently magically softens incoming impacts. I'm not sure who would make best use of it, but I don't think it would serve me very well.

[Gildedragon]

Put it on Ari. Big demon needs killin'. he says, before sprinting towards the docks. That sword of sickness intrigued the assassin.

[mistformsquirrl]

Ari follows Zal, fire gleaming in her eyes.

[Mantid]

You make your way through the center of town, passing by sick and injured soldiers. You spot several injured or fallen barbarians, but you don't spot any inflected with disease.

As you come between the last few buildings before the shore, you can see that the raiders are reboarding their boats, splashing in the water as they push them off of the sand and back into deeper water. One of their three boats appears to have been abandoned due to their losses.

As you come to the last buildings at the end of town, you see, standing at the end of water, a large humanoid. It wears scale mail and a helemt, but you can see its bare arms and covered in orange and black-stripped fur. It glances over its shoulder and, spotting your approach, turns to face you. Beneith the helmet it has a feline face, the scowling, feral face of a tiger.

You reconize the creature as a Zakya, the warrior caste of the Rakshasa.

The demon grips the large sword at its hip and draws out the blade, which seems to be forged from some strange yellow metal. You feel a cold chill run through your bones; your pact with Rat's Flame has acted against a magical effect targeted at those of good alignment.

"What do we have here?" the Zakya says, focusing its yellow eyes on Ko before moving his gaze to take the four of you in. "Not Aundair soliders. Not of nobel intent, I wonder? What do we have here?" The Rakshasa makes no move to attack, but keeps his bastard sword unsheathed at his side.

Ko

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You sense that the creature just tried to intrude into your mind. You're fairly certian you repeled its attempts.

Aria

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You quickly think over what research you've done on these creatures. You remember that their thick, furred hide makes the creature nearly impervious to damage, only holy weapons can hope to injure it. However you also remember reading somewhere that their hides are much easier to pierce than to cut.

You know, that like all Rakshasa, the Zakya have several natural spells at their disposal, including the ability to read minds.

Map:

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[Saskia]

You should already know that, zakya. What we have are some concerned citizens of a dead nation not keen on repeating old mistakes. What do you want, and why do you have to kill so many to get it?

[Nihilarian]

Ko looks grim. He says, quietly but loud enough the rakshasa can still hear, I care not who you are but keep your mind out of mine.

[mistformsquirrl]

Ari doesn't wait for the creature to continue - instead pressing forward to deal with the fiend in her typical blunt fashion.

"DIE ABOMINATION!"

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Ari charges the zakya, attempt to deliver a huge overhand attack to it's forehead.

Initiative: (1d20+3)[8]

Attack Roll: (1d20+11)[31]

Damage if hit: (2d6+5)[11]

Using a swift action to enter Martial Spirit stance as I go.

Rolling for Maneuvers Granted:

Maneuver 1: (1d10)[9]
Maneuver 2: (1d10)[9]
Maneuver 3: (1d10)[9]

1-2: Revitalizing Strike
3-4: Stone Bones
5-6: Vanguard Strike
7-8: Leading the Attack
9-10: Foehammer

Will reroll if any are duplicates.

[mistformsquirrl]

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! Natural 20, woohoo!

Roll to Confirm: (1d20+11)[18]

Additional damage if confirmed: (2d6+5)[12]

[Gildedragon]

Zal chuckles as Ari bursts forward and decides to be of aid. There is no way he'd leave a teammate to be eaten by a tiger... or get all the glory for it.
He slings a rope of shadow at the rakhasha's neck, hoping to choke it. He moves around it in a tightening circle, getting his next attacks in position.

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Initiative: (1d20+6)[11]
Shadow Garotte (RTA): (1d20+9)[29] (5d6)[13] Fort DC: 14
Child of Shadow: Concealment if I move 10+ft
Move, if with enough room, opposite to Ari in regards to the Rakshasa. Else just adjacent to it.

[mistformsquirrl]

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just realized I rolled 9, 9, 9 for maneuvers, lol... Okay then, rerolling 2 of them...

(1d10)[8]

(1d10)[10]

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Insurance policy against any more mishaps:

(1d10)[5]

(1d10)[5]

[Saskia]

Aria watches Ari in disbelief for a moment, and tells her teammates with resignation That thing's fur protects it against cuts, try to stab it if you want to injure it. She sighs and begins to sing a vibrant marching song from Zilargo to inspire her comrades.

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Initiative (1d20)[17]
Sing (1d20+23)[28] for inspire courage

[Nihilarian]

Initiative

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(d20)[9](9)