Shattered Star (IC)

[lostsole31]

"Please do not mock me when I have given you my name. At least honor me in that dignity, for little is left. I lost a valuable brooch when I sank my ship to the east of the Crow. Bring it back and show it to me. That is the least of what I could ask.

"To do my heart the greatest good, promise to take it to my wife Liza Jane. She worked as a washerwoman in Washer's Row last time I knew. Explain to her that you found the broach in the shipwreck but no sign of me. I want her to have this closure, but not to know of what horror has befallen me. If you swear to do this second, then I shall aid you against dangers to the south."

He exits the water to the south, the way you came. He is ready to jump back in the water at the first sign of attack.

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I'll post the picture here in a few minutes.

[TickleMeTemplar]

Rezah feels a deep, uncontrollable hatred well up at the word "ghoul". "Filthy, flesh-eating ABOMINATIONS!" he roars.

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(OOC)This was intended to be a reaction to the Ghoulie Capt *story, but a few beat me to the post.

*edit

[lostsole31]

Rezah is racing to recall what he knows, his mind filling even with discussion. But then he faces the disgusting creature and roars (as above). Holy energy courses in a burst from him, that energy just reaching Lockerbie at the outside edge. The ghoul is taken totally by surprise for 8 positive energy (PE) damage.

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Time stop. No one gets to say or do anything while I set up the battle tracker.

[lostsole31]

Marching Order, N>S:
Dorit + Paxre
Speckled + Hulya
Fenster + Rezah
Bessel + Clacky
Ichibod + Natalya

This means that the backline is actually the front line. It is a 10-foot-wide bridge, so only two persons can stand side-by-side, and everyone is considered adjacent.

R1T22:Lockerbie closes 10' and bites at Ichibod, but misses. It is assumed that Ichibod has his bow out, and Natalya has out her crossbow. Ichibod is face-to-face with it. And Natalya's fwd-R-quarter.

R1T19: Paxre surrounds himself in a strange ink of darkness and darts in front of Natalya so that the ghoul is now surrounded to front, front-R, and R. Brast bites at him as he moves into place, but he can't get at the bouncing ball of blackness.

R1T16: Ichibod, relative positions. N=Lockerbie; NE>SE=water; S=Bessel; SW=Clacky; W=Natalya; NW = Paxre. Normally, shooting at an adjacent target provokes an AOO, but Paxre did just give you an opening when Lockerbie bit at him. What do you do?

Bessel on deck, Natalya in the hole.

Rezah is the only member of the party, besides Paxre and now Ichibod, who may vocalize.

Dorit
Speckled + Hulya
Fenster + Rezah
Bessel + Clacky
Ichibod + Natalya
Lockerbie + Paxre

[Duce]

Rezah stand down! The Captain may be of aid, and his request is reasonable! . IC steps back defensively. Initiative (1d20+9)[11]

[AtomicBanana]

Bessel shouts to Clacky, "Net the ghoul!"

He turns his voice to the half-orc. "We need his information! You can save your prejudices for later!"

[lostsole31]

R1T17: "Big Green, stand down!" shouts Ichibod. "The Captain may be of aid, and his request is reasonable!"

Ichibod realizes that there is nowhere to make a simple step back, so he withdraws all the way to stand by the Scribe.

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I had to work with the desire to move away, and a withdrawal (a full round action that provokes no AOO from moving out of the first square) to a safe archer's position in the group was the best I could think of for this request.

Also, initiative was already rolled. I forgot that you and Bessel actually had the same init, so I changed yours to T17 since I already had you go.

Please put your speech in quotes. Thank you.

R1T16: Bessel shouts to Clacky, "Net the ghoul!"

He turns his voice to the half-orc. "We need his information! You can save your prejudices for later!"

Does Bessel do anything, or does he delay or ready? [This is the first time Clacky's initiative wasn't faster than Bessel's, so Clacky doesn't respond immediately on command.]

[AtomicBanana]

Bessel holds fast, waiting to see if Clack's net can subdue Lockerbie. The ghoul's knowledge about the further dangers in the Crow, combined with the insane ramblings of Atalatia about her mistress, seem to encourage caution over rashness.

[lostsole31]

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CORR: Ichibod is in the back next to Dorit. Hulya was being helped by the Scribe.

R1T16: Bessel holds fast, waiting to see if Clack's net can subdue Lockerbie. The ghoul's knowledge about the further dangers in the Crow, combined with the insane ramblings of Atalatia about her mistress, seem to encourage caution over rashness.

R1T15.9: Natalya, what do you do?

Dorit on deck, followed by the Scribe ...

Positions

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Dorit + Ichibod
Speckled + Hulya
Fenster + Rezah
Bessel + Clacky
Empty + Natalya
Lockerbie + Paxre

[TheCyberwoman]

Natalya not sure if reason or violence will win out here, decides to take a five foot step back and cast mirror image. It seems like the safe option.

[nasus]

"Excuse me, Antelope,"Dorit will switch places with Speckled, assuming he's willing, so that she can restrain the half-Orc.

Grapple : (1d20+8)[24]

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My understanding is that I can trade places with a party member if they have movement left. I can edit if that is incorrect.

[lostsole31]

R1T15.9: Natalya not sure if reason or violence will win out here, decides to take a five foot step back to cast mirror image. It seems like the safe option. She then looks at her position and realizes that a safe step would be a wet one. With nowhere else to go, Natalya once again for the day warily taps into her most powerful magic. The air in her area goes blurry as images of her doing exactly as she does shift and shimmer in and out and around and through each other, confounding anyone at trying to look right at her, as if you are seeing triple. (2 images + her = 3).

R1T15-11.9: "Excuse me, Antelope," says Dorit, and she and Speckled time it so that he backs up and guards the back end and Ichibod, and Dorit can step up to restrain the half-orc. As Speckled steps back, he pulls Hulya to the side so Dorit doesn't have to reach across her.

Jolly Green, you get grabbed from behind by Dorit in her plate armor. She only has you with one hand, but the shield helps brace and .... Zounds! she's powerful.

R1T11: "Hey, bubs!" Fenster says with a drooling snarl. "'ere's one not done in by yer rottin' stink!"

He spryly pops over Bessel and tries to grab at Lockerbie, the former's hands held in open palm but with fingers at each hand pressed together, bent at knuckles, and looks like a cross between an open palm and a claw. His bizarre grab attempt fails.

Paxre looks on amused at the street swine with a mixture of confusion, amusement, and admiration. "Tiger Style. Who knew? Then again, you just proved how ineffective it is."

R1T9: (Assuming Paxre pointed at Lockerbie, as constructs don't know from ghouls or girls, which would not have done, considering the natch '20' on its role...) Clacky fires a net from its launcher which plops perfectly onto Lockerbie.

R1T7: Jolly Green, while you were not unaware of the two behind you, they both moved with excellent teamwork, and her fantastic speed and strength have you grappled. She has you bearhugged from behind, and despite her unbelievable strength, and a mass that surprisingly exceeds your own with pure brawn, this blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty must be a terror against real enemies.

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Heh-heh-heh, look starting 8:43.

What do you do?

Positions

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Speckled + Ichibod
Hulya + Dorit***
Empty + JollyGreen***
Bessel + Clacky
Fenster + Natalya
Lockerbie + Paxre

[TickleMeTemplar]

"GET OFF OF ME, IDIOT WOMAN!" Rezah roars in a rage as he attempts to break free from the hold.

Break Grapple: (1d20+4)[19]

[lostsole31]

R1T7: "GET OFF OF ME, IDIOT WOMAN!" Rezah roars in a rage as he attempts to break free from the hold. It is an excellent effort, and still her strength holds him in place.

R1T6: Hulya stumbles away from the tustle between the two warriors to stand behind Speckled.

End Round Two, Begin Round Three ...

R2T22: Despite being netted, Lockerbie takes his claws to pull a small golden orb off of a necklace he wears wearing underneath his old studded leather armor, and he flicks it into the empty area between the ranks. It seems as if the whole bridge erupts into flame, including Lockerbie himself and Paxre.

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Hulya: Readied herself in case of anything that looked like an attack to dive deep into the water. No damage.
Speckled: Wanted to make sure Hulya was safe, not knowing she had mind enough for a tactic, so takes 12 fire damage. Still, despite his "geometric application of bodily form in minimizing increasing volumetric energies" not doing him much good, taking full effect is actually very light on him.
Ichibod: It seems what Ichibod was trying to learn from the Scribe didn't help him, but it is only as a result of Ichibod's lightning reflexes that he minimizes what fire damage there could have been, with his strange sorcerous resistance soaking up the rest.

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It occurred to me. Ichibod enjoys these fire abilities ... but he has no idea of his actual bloodline. Might be some interesting sideline stuff.

Dorit: Not so lucky, as her back gets blasted for a whopping 25 fire damage.
Jolly Green: Perhaps due to his connection with the goddess of the sun, Jolly Green uses his opponent's body (Dorit) unconsciously to block him well, taking only 7 fire damage.
Bessel: Another user of bombs was completely unexpected as the ratfolk takes 14 fire damage.
Clacky: The construct is also completely oblivious of the danger, taking 20 fire damage.
Fenster: The disgusting man is whalloped as well as the blast of flame sails over Bessel's head and wreathes around his head for 25 fire damage. He is badly, badly burned.
Natalya: Despite all of her acrobatic training, this is the first time she's ever dealt with magic this powerful! She takes 21 fire damage.
Lockerbie: Entangled, the ghoul couldn't move as quickly against his own attack, and takes 20 fire damage.
* On th other hand, the net is now completely destroyed.
Paxre: Paxre sees the flames coming and he tries to draw upon ancient forgotten lore in his mystical training, but it fails to help him as he takes 20 fire damage.

Wow. All of those combatants and only 2 saves (and one dive into water).

What doesn't seem promising is that it seems he has another small golden bead on that necklace of his.

R2T19: "So much for your diplomacy!" shouts Paxre, though whether he was shouting at the party or Lockerbie or all is unknown. He gives a slice with his silver katana as he goes by for a sturdy 5 damage. He disappears from sight.

R2T17: Ichibod, your resistance to fire and your adroitness saved yourself, but the entire party was devastated by fire magic beyond anything you've dealt with before. What do you do?

Positions

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Hulya (in water)
Speckled + Ichibod

DimGray + Dorit/ JollyGreen***
Bessel + Clacky
Fenster + Natalya
Lockerbie

[Duce]

IC hits the Captain with a blast of good old Disrupt Undead.

ATK (1d20+7)[15]
DMG (1d6+1)[2]

And yells "Captain Brast, stand down or I'll blast you right to the demon realms!!"

[lostsole31]

R2T17: IC hits the Captain with a blast of good old Disrupt Undead and yells "Captain Brast, stand down or I'll blast you right to the demon realms!!"

The cantrip only grazes him along the lower left jawline for 3 PE damage, equal parts necromancy, training, and magical force.

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The spell, PBS (which I added in, because it is a weapon-like spell), and your Havoc of the Society trait.

"Stand down?! You're the ones who started what wasn't necessary, but I will finish it!"

It is obvious that with the fire and other damage he's sustained, Lockerbie's ghoulish body is showing signs of more than just pustulated decomposition.

R2T16: Bessel, you delayed for the full round to get measure of the situation, but it's back around to you. What do you do?

Natalya on deck, The Scribe in the hole ...

Positions

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Hulya
Speckled + Ichibod

DimGray + Dorit/ JollyGreen***
Bessel + Clacky
Fenster + Natalya
Lockerbie

[AtomicBanana]

"YOU WANT TO PLAY WITH BOMBS, GHOUL?" Bessel roars in a surprisingly forceful voice, mixing a Precise Bomb on the spot and hurling it at Lockerbie.

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Precise bomb designated to ignore splash damage to squares that Fenster and Natalya are in.
Attack: (1d20+12)[13]
Damage: (2d6+5)[14]

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oh no! that's a crit fail on the bomb. stupid censor I'm swearing out loud right now.

[lostsole31]

R2T16: "YOU WANT TO PLAY WITH BOMBS, GHOUL?" Bessel roars in a surprisingly forceful voice, mixing a Precise Bomb on the spot and hurling it at Lockerbie.

Bessel mixes the formula too quickly. The components for the formula were already too heated from the fireblast two seconds ago, and the pain from that blast numbed Bessel's nerve endings briefly. He lifts the vial above his head and slightly back, but his burned fingers don't quite measure the strength of the container well and he breaks it.

"FA-WHOOM!"

It is significantly less powerful as the conflagration from the bead Lockerbie threw, but it is dangerous in its own. It is followed by a lesser flame sound and a "Zap-Pop!"

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Bessel: Despite critical, only 8 fire damage. But the blast of fame sets off the alchemist's fire and shatters the bottled lightning in his backpack. He takes another 5 fire and 2 electricity damage. Bessel is now in the yellow.
Dorit: 10 fire + 1 sonic. Dorit is now in the yellow.
Jolly Green: 6 fire + 1 sonic.
Clacky: 11 fire + 1 sonic . Clacky is very badly damaged.
Fenster: 11 fire + 1 sonic . Fenster drops.
Natalya: Moves so brilliantly so as to only take 1 fire.

Bessel is now on fire, in the yellow, and probably squeak-screaming. Dorit is also in the yelow. Fenster screams in pain and falls. Clacky is critically damaged.

R2T15.9: Natalya, you are suffering some strong wounds, though not at yellow yet. Things just wet terribly, terribly wrong. Fenster, beside you, has fallen. Lockerbie is adjacent to you. What do you do?

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Not that it matters, but you may stand over a fallen body without worries about occupied space. I don't see why you would, though.

"Dorit!" cries the Scribe. "We are in the thick. Let the half-orc go!"

The Scribe is on deck, and Dorit is in the hole ... (P.S.: It is a free action to release a grapple.)

Positions

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Hulya
Speckled + Ichibod

DimGray + Dorit/ JollyGreen***
Bessel + Clacky
Fenster + Natalya
Lockerbie

[TheCyberwoman]

Natalya's mind races, she sees that other bead and she does not want him to use it. Natalya throws a tanglefoot bag at Lockerbie. And prepares to dive if he goes for the other bead.

[lostsole31]

R2T15.9: Natalya's mind races, she sees that other bead and she does not want him to use it. Natalya goes for a tanglefoot bag, opening herself up to an attack. Lockerbie's jaws snap in, but Natalya's magic saves her as an image is taken away. That should be it, and she should be able to throw it just fine, but as she does so she is shocked by the ghoul's preternatural reflexes as he swings a claw at her hand to try to knock it away; even in that regard, such a move would open him up, but he seems to be crafty in his movements to disarm. This time, however, he simply misses, and Natalya still has one image remaining.

Natalya throws the bag at Lockerbie, which lands over him and even gets him stuck to the floor. Even that won't entirely stop him, and she gets ready to drop into the water if he goes for the other bead.

R2T12: Speckled moves forth to Bessel and readies an aid to help him put out the fire.

R2T11.9: Dorit, you are grappling Jolly Green, you are badly wounded, and Speckled asked you to let him go. What do you do?

Clacky on deck, Jolly Green in the hole ...

Positions

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xxxxx + Ichibod

The Scribe + Dorit/ JollyGreen***
Bessel + Clacky
Fenster + Natalya
Lockerbie

[nasus]

"Clearly, it's not me who's the idiot." she hisses as she roughly releases the Half-Orc, the entire situation sending her into a fury.

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BARBARIAN RAAAAAGGGGEEEEEE!!!

She will push forward to stand over Fenster and deliver a shield bash on the ghoul.

SHIELD BASH: (1d20+8)[14]
DAMAGE: (1d4+5)[9]

[lostsole31]

R2T11.9: "Clearly, it's not me who's the idiot," Dorit hisses as she roughly releases the Half-Orc, the entire situation sending her into a fury.

She spits and gnashes her teeth on her shield in a foaming fury and bursts to stand over Fenster's body. But the movement and having to be careful over Fenster keeps her from landing her blow as the shield clacks off of Lockerbie's studded leather, even with his being entangled.

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Yup, even when applying barbarian rage to your shield.

R2T9: Clacky begins the self repair process for FH2. (That means fast healing 2, Tickle.) Clacky then shocks Bessel as one of its mechanical arms swings at its master with full force. Even on fire, survival instinct takes over and Bessel ducks well low of the swing.

R2T7: Jolly Green, you are unarmed and unarmored. There are many, many wounded on the field (one even dying, but he is a loathesome and base creature). On the other hand, the dangerous ghoul is still standing, despite damage beginning to show one him.

What do you do?

Lockerbrie Brast on deck, Paxre (wherever he is) in the hole ...

Positions

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xxxxx + Ichibod

The Scribe + JollyGreen
Bessel + Clacky
Dorit/ Fenster + Natalya
Lockerbie

[TickleMeTemplar]

Rezah retrieves the sword resting at his feet. Better in his hands than potentially lost to the water or the ghoul. Then, acutely aware of the dire situation unfolding around him. Rezah closes his eyes and searches deep within himself. Rezah focuses on that fire deep inside him that had originally blasted the Ghoul. "If I am your child, Sarenrae, hear my prayers now..." Rezah utters to himself, almost inaudibly.

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Channel Positive Energy Healing the Living

[lostsole31]

R2T7: Jolly retrieves the sword resting at his feet, better in his hands than potentially lost to the water or the ghoul. Then, acutely aware of the dire situation unfolding around him. he closes his eyes and searches deep within himself. Focusing on that fire deep inside him that had originally blasted the Ghoul, he pleads, "If I am your child, Sarenrae, hear my prayers now..." Rezah utters to himself, almost inaudibly.

A blast of positive energy bursts out as before, but something is different this time. It is less dramatic, softer, and soothing. While having no effect on the ghoul, healing power courses through everyone.

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Bessel: 5 PE healing.
Dorit: 6 PE healing.
Fenster: 7 PE healing.
Ichibod: 7 PE healing.
Natalya: 5 PE healing.
The Scribe: 7 PE healing.
Jolly, himself: 10 PE healing.

Fenster is now conscious, barely ...

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T22: Lockerbie pops off the last and smaller bead, and then goes to throw it, being wary of defense. He creates an opening and Dorit misses with her shield, and Natalya with her short sword. This time the bead erupts at Ichibod's feat. The burst of flame is strong, but not nearly like the first.

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Bessel: Save for 6 fire damage.
Dorit: Save for 2 fire damage.
Fenster: Saves, rolling on ground, for 10 fire damage, but stilll goes unconscious again.
Ichibod: Unharmed.
Natalya: Evades, no damage, plopping into the water next to her.
The Scribe: Evades, no damage.
Jolly, himself: Saves with divine grace for 5 fire damage.
Clacky: Fails for 12 fire damage.

Bessel is still on fire. Fenster is down again. Bessel and Dorit's wounds are once again growing. Natalya jumped into the water beside her.

And Clacky? Clacky erupts and explodes with flying metal and gears, and the main hulk of the destroyed clockwork servant falls into the water.

R3T19: Paxre, surrounded again in his cloak of darkness, appears behind Lockerbie, cutting at him while flanking with Dorit. Paxre's surprise and flank inflicts 11 damage, a brutal strike that is taking a toll on the ghoul. Two claw attacks by Paxre miss. Paxre then goes invisible again.

R3T17: Ichibod, what do you do?

Bessel (on fire with Speckled ready to put him out) on deck, Natalya in the hole ...

Positions

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xxxxx + Ichibod

The Scribe + JollyGreen
Bessel + xxxx
Dorit (Fenster) + xxxx + Natalya (in water)
Lockerbie

[Duce]

IC yells "So be it!" while firing another blast of energy (Disrupt undead) at the Captain.

ATK (1d20+7)[12]
DMG (1d6+2)[5]

[AtomicBanana]

Bessel, crazed and on fire, screams, "CLACKY, NO!"

He whirls to the ghoul, draws his pistol, and pulls the trigger.

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Attack: (1d20+13)[14]
Damage: (1d6+1)[6]

Staring dumbfounded at his second horrible miscalculation of the last minute, and burning more and more, Bessel topples over the side of the bridge into the water after his automaton.

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That's it. I quit gaming forever.

[lostsole31]

R3T17: "So be it!" yells Ichibod while firing another blast of energy at the Captain. The target was using tactical defense and is incredibly quick, but being entangled Ichibod still hits for 5 PE damage.

R3T16: Bessel, you are currently on fire and Speckled is standing by to aid you in putting it out.

Scribe readied, Natalya on deck, Dorit in the hole ...

Positions

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xxxxx + Ichibod

The Scribe + JollyGreen
Bessel + Clacky
Dorit/ Fenster + Natalya
Lockerbie

[lostsole31]

R3T16: Bessel, crazed and on fire, screams, "CLACKY, NO!"

He whirls to the ghoul, draws his pistol, and pulls the trigger. Staring dumbfounded at his second horrible miscalculation of the last minute, and burning more and more. He takes 6 fire damage by not trying to put out the flame as the gunpowder erupts in his hand, destroying his pistol and causing 5 shrapnel damage. The shrapnel also blasts toward everyone else in his immediate area: Scribe (evades), Jolly (fails, 2), Dorit (fails, 5), Fenster (if alive, he takes 5), Natalya (evades).

Bessel topples over the side of the bridge into the water after his automaton. He is barely conscious, and though the fire dies out, he did a full dive into the water after Clacky.

R3T15.95: The Scribe takes out a potion, passes by Jolly, and jumps into the water after Bessel.

R3T15.9: Natalya, what do you do?

Dorit on deck, Jolly in the hole ...

Positions

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xxxxx + Ichibod
xxxx + xxxx
xxxx + JollyGreen + Speckled (water)
xxxx + xxxx + Bessel (water)
Dorit/ Fenster + Natalya
Lockerbie

[TheCyberwoman]

Natalya scans the bridge looking for a good way to climb back up, not seeing anything promising she sends brief prayer to her goddess Calistria that she may bless her deception and casts ghost sound.

In a whisper like stormy winds a woman's voice echoes through the room, repeating.
"My love, my Lockerbie, have you forgotten me?"

[lostsole31]

R3T15.9: Natalya scans the bridge looking for a good way to climb back up. Not seeing anything promising she sends a brief prayer to her goddess Calistria that she may bless her deception, and then Natalya casts ghost sound.

In a whisper like stormy winds a woman's voice echoes through the room, repeating. "My love, my Lockerbie, have you forgotten me?"

"Ha!" says Lockerbie. "Clever witch, but I know that is not she. If I had forgotten Liza Jane, I would not have asked you for these favors before your group attacked me."

R3T11.9: Dorit, you are currenty raging and flanking the entangled ghoul with Paxre. What do you do?

Jolly on deck, Lockerbie in the hole ..

Positions

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xxxxx + Ichibod
xxxx + xxxx
xxxx + JollyGreen + Speckled
xxxx + xxxx + Bessel
Dorit/ Fenster + xxxx + Natalya
Lockerbie