Shaester's Falcons IC

[bekeleven]

Bliss wades through carefully and joins the group.

[Illven]

Mellia also crosses the lake. Clearly not happy about it.

[NotScaryBats]

Now that they have traveled across the pool of seawater, the Falcons go ever deeper into the tunnel beneath Fairport. The passage gets slowly smaller and smaller, until the humans and elves must stoop and squeeze to continue. Matthew is comfortable.

The tunnel leads to a large cistern, with narrow passageways criss-crossing it. This area forms a sort of crossroads and one can reach many different parts of the city sewers if one can simply recall which unmarked tunnel leads where.

Luckily for the Falcons, Lucien and Matthew have spent enough time trekking through this labyrinth beneath Fairport that they recognize the architecture and crumbling statue of a woman with a jug of water.

Unfortunately for the Falcons, Lucien and Matthew have spent enough time down here that they have made some enemies. Two distinct swarms of rats muster upon the paths before you, while several dire rats of exorbitant size climb the walls and even tread water just off the path. Dominating the scene is a dirty-looking halfling girl who can't be older than 15. Her dark hair falls down her back in filthy dreadlocks, with bits of bone and coins woven into it. She wears rags of fused rat hides, and a short cape of the same. The girl glares balefully at the Falcons and shakes a totem made of bone and driftwood menacingly.

"Bloodsword Badmen return!" she shrieks in a very heavy accent. Something gives her pause as her eyes fall upon Mellia and she says, "Why Fey walk with Bloodsword Badmen!? Servant of Fatmanking Above!" at this, the rats seem almost to take up a chant of coordinated squeaks and chitters, while the girl continues, "Fey tricked by Badmen. Fatmanking Above no has Balance. Only eat. Only eat. Wren no want fight Fey."

The rats all look upon your group, but approach no closer. It seems Wren is waiting for your response.

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You have squeezed out of a small-sized opening in the wall and are upon a 5ft wide walkway. To either side is water of undetermined depth. The walls are rough, barely worked stone. your walkway goes about twenty feet before opening into a cross-shaped landing of ten ft wide walkways that lead in the four cardinal directions. This is where the swarms are. Many rats are in the water and on the ceiling and on the walls. Wren is about 50ft from you further down the walkway.

[Illven]

They are my friends and allies. I don't want to fight you either, let us talk this out. Mellia offered.

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Should I make a diplomacy check?

[NotScaryBats]

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yeah, you can make one

"Bloodsword Badmen friends? Fey serve Fatmanking!?" the girl replies in surprise and disgust.

[Illven]

No. They were. Mellia admits figuring it's best to be honest. But right now we just want to try to help the town.

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Rushed diplomacy (1d20+14)[23]

[NotScaryBats]

The girl squints her beady, dark eyes suspiciously, "Kill Fatmanking? Kill Cycle Breakers? Only way save town is kill Cycle Breakers," Wren points down a walkway to a ten foot wide corridor leading up and out of the cistern. "Cycle Breaker only eat. No live, no die. Very strong. Down that way."

[bekeleven]

"Is there only one cycle breaker? What is he? or it?" Too many variables. What was the girl talking about? Some type of undead?

Spoiler: OOC

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Aid another Diplomacy: (1D20+5)[24]
Sense Motive: (1D20-5)[-3] Edit: haha

[bcool999]

Lucien

Not wanting to upset Wren when the group is in such a tactically poor position, Lucien keeps quiet for the most part. When Wren mentions Cycle Breakers who are not alive and not dead, he turns to Mellia and says, "Ask Wren if she will let us use the path to these 'cycle breakers' unharmed. I would much rather save our strength then spend it here needlessly."

[NotScaryBats]

"Cycle Breakers break Cycle. No live, no die, just eat. Many. Fatmanking make more." Wren responds to the best of her ability to Bliss. When Lucien's question is filtered through Mellia, she replies, "go kill Cycle Breakers. Become Cycle Breaker, and Wren kill."

The girl whistles and shakes her totem and the rats begin to make a path for you, going up the walls and down other pathways so that you can reach the indicated walkway unmolested.

[Illven]

Thank you Wren. Mellia beamed as she started to walk to the cycle breaker.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Aiden followed, though he kept a wary eye on the girl and her rats.

[Doxkid]

Matthew's glare does not let up even as the group leaves with the girl's (closest equivalent to) blessings. The halfling girl offends him. Everything from the company she keeps, her tactics for maintaining the lives of that company, her hair, her manner of speech, what's in her hair...everything about her is just wrong enough for the thought of removing her from the sewers here and now to pass his mind more than a few times.

His grip on his Punching dagger, now the Rapier he seems to prefer over all of his other possible weapons, tightens to the point of the weapon being unusable.

What's worst than all of that, however, is the fact that she allowed undead to dwell in her domain. Her cowardice makes her just as guilty as those who serve the mayor and if Matthew has a say then the group will definitely come back after all of the undead have be routed to ensure this dastardly vermin-friend feeds in these sewers no more.

[NotScaryBats]

The group moves past Wren and her rats towards the 'Cycle Breakers.'

Passing through the walkway that separates the cistern from the sewer area, the group moves along dirty paths that are narrow and not meant for a party of adventurers to trek upon them. The room at the end of the path is thankfully dry. A thirty by forty foot room is carved into the side of the sewer tunnel, with a light carpet of debris and droppings. On the far side is a closed metal door. Occupying the room is a 5 foot tall bipedal rat person, wearing a very fine metal breastplate, a leather tricorn hat, and wielding a rapier in one hand. The rat person looks sickly and unwell, with fiercely glowing red eyes. It is surrounded by four rotting dire rats, animated by fell energies.

It seems both of you were expecting the fight, and neither of you gets the drop on the other.

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Fail fest initiative:
Falcons 6
Rats 3

It is your turns to act.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Aiden could admit it, he had been expecting ghouls.

Well...nothing to do for it. The creature was armed and primed for battle. Aiden darted in quickly, trying to get around behind the rat-man before it could react, kicking out with a hard blow that would hopefully have it stumbling forward into the attacks of his allies.

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Move Action: Move around behind the probable-wererat. Since it hasn't acted yet it hopefully shouldn't be able to AoO unless it has Combat Reflexes.

Standard Action: Vanguard Strike at (1d20+5)[21] for (1d8+4)[7] minus any DR. On a hit, all allies get +4 to hit it for one round. If I can get behind it, should also be able to provide flanking for someone.

Aiden: 12/12(/14). -1 Dex, -1 Con. Ghoul Fever.
Mellia: 13/13.
Bliss: 18/18(/20). -2 Dex, -1 Con. Ghoul Fever.
Matthew: 20/22(/24). -2 Dex, -1 Con. Ghoul Fever.
Lucien: 14/14(/16). -2 Con.

Chi Healing: 13/32.
Expended Maneuvers: Vanguard Strike.

[Doxkid]

Matthew interposes himself between the vermin and his companions as Aiden moves to get a good flanking position. He does not wait to access the success of Aiden's maneuver, immediately slashing at the face of the bipedical rat-creature with his punching dagger. He does not expect much, but his magic still calls upon the blood within the creature's veins in hopes of it being a living foe he can feed upon.

Whether either of his attacks are successful or not he smirks at the creature and leans in for just a moment to whisper "You should run while you can, vermin.".

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Moving forward (possibly to flank, but I'l leave that out just in case) and attacking the biggun with Matthew's Bloodborne Punching Dagger
Attack:(1d20+4)[22]
Damage: (1d3-2)[-1]

Collect Blood: (2d6)[7] and 1 con damage. Fort save DC negates the 1 con damage. Does not apply to undead (which is how the identification process begins for him.)

This'll be followed up with a Knowledge Religion check to try to determine if this one is just a ghoul or something special (1d20+7)[8], assuming it is undead in the first place.

[Illven]

Mellia calls upon her fey pact. Trying to blind the unholy creatures.

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Invoking Faeire dust on has many enemies as I can get without hitting allies.

Will save DC 16.

[NotScaryBats]

Aiden rushes up to the bipedal rat person and lands a solid blow. The creature's thin hide knits itself back together immediately after the damage is dealt, though it is still knocked off balance. Matthew stabs at the beast with his dagger, but doesn't cause any real harm either. Though he can feel warm blood within the creature, its blood has yet to be spilled, and Matthew cannot Collect any yet.

Mellia doesn't want to include her allies in her faerie dust attack, and opts to hit a pair of rats on one side of the melee. Her invocation blinds the shambling creatures.

The rat person is being flanked by Aiden and Matthew. Allies have +4 to hit against it for this turn from Aiden.
Mellia blinded two rats to the right of the melee.
Two more rats are unharmed on the other side of the melee.

Lucien and Bliss may act.

[bcool999]

Lucien

Moving up behind Matthew to cover him, Lucien sends his blades forward on either side of the halfling to assist him. "Let me open the tap for you Matthew." says Lucien cockily as he slams both blades into the off balanced rat-man-thing.

Spoiler: Positioning

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........R........
......SMG......
..................
........L........

.=empty space
R=Ratman
S=Longsword
M=Matthew
G=Greatsword
L=Lucien

Spoiler: Actions

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Move action: move self and blades into position
Standard action: Attack Ratman with blades.
Greatsword: (1d20+8)[18] Damage: (2d6+6)[11]
Longsword: (1d20+7)[17] Damage: (1d8+4)[6]

[NotScaryBats]

Lucien's floating greatsword cuts so deep the wound doesn't fully close, though it very well almost does. His longsword bounces off the creature's breastplate, which looks too well-made to be owned by a sewer-dweller like this.

It snarls at the elf that managed to harm it, ignoring the halfling's insult and spits, "Is that all you've got, surface-dweller?" Its voice is harsh and sibilant, "come, children, let us feast upon the fat flesh of elves and maidens!"

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You did include Aiden's +4 to hit on those rolls, right?

It is now Bliss's turn to act.

[NotScaryBats]

Bliss takes her cue from the rest of the group and ignores the rats, focusing instead upon the bipedal ratperson. She grows her quarterstaff and launches an orb of force at the creature. She aims the magical orb right between the creature's eyes, and in a one in a million shot, nearly snaps its neck with the incredible accuracy of the attack. Knocked off its feet by the blow, the rat person lets out a low laugh and sighs, "Finally free... Gird yourselves... heroes... for the horrors that lie beyond... this door... cannot... be... unseen..."

It then quietly dies.

The rats continue with their orders like automatons. Their jerky movements mark them as zombies, but they are clearly of superior craftsmanship. The rat that is near enough to menace Matthew does so, but its attacks are easily avoided. A rat tries to slam into Aiden, but the elf is too evasive. Two rats charge from the sidelines into Lucien, and while he avoids one's reckless bodyslam, another hits him with full force and deals much more damage than the professional ratslayer is used to taking from mere dire rats.

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Well. I rolled for Bliss, got a crit, and that's that.
The rats all miss (used up all the luck on Bliss I guess) except for the one that hit Lucien, dealing a whopping 7 damage to the elf.

It is now the PC's turn to act.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Aiden stomped down hard on the rat that came at him, and if he hit, the impact would come with a shimmer of energy that passed into Lucien.

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Standard: Crusader's Strike on the rat that attacked me at (1d20+5)[25] for (1d8+4)[8]. If it hits, also provides (1d6+2)[4] healing to Lucien (if it winds up the AoOs mean Lucien doesn't take damage, I'll direct the healing to myself instead to refresh Chi Healing).

Aiden: 12/12(/14). -1 Dex, -1 Con. Ghoul Fever.
Mellia: 13/13.
Bliss: 18/18(/20). -2 Dex, -1 Con. Ghoul Fever.
Matthew: 20/22(/24). -2 Dex, -1 Con. Ghoul Fever.
Lucien: 11/14(/16). -2 Con.

Chi Healing: 13/32.
Expended Maneuvers: Vanguard Strike, Crusader's Strike.

[NotScaryBats]

Aiden hits the rat with a solid blow, but the lumbering mass of animated flesh resists his bludgeoning fists.

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zombies have DR/slashing, so you do reduced damage, but you are successful.

[bcool999]

Lucien

Seeing the charging rats, Lucien sets his blades in their paths and wounds both, but despite grievous wounds, they continue forward and one slams itself into Lucien's ribs cracking at least one. After Aiden strikes his opponent, Lucien feels some of his energy return and rolls away from the attacking rodents before they surround him. Simultaneously, he brings his blades closer and strikes out at his assailants.

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Move Action: Tumble back 10 ft. and bring blades back so they are between me and rats (Blades provoke AoO which is resolved as a sunder attempt Blade AC = 19 but they both have hardness 10 so... good luck rats.) Tumble checks vs rats for Lucien's movement:
Rat1: (1d20+10)[28] vs DC 15
Rat2: (1d20+10)[22] vs DC 17

Standard:
Longsword (vs rat that hit me): (1d20+3)[4] Damage: (1d8+4)[7]
Greatsword (vs other rat): (1d20+4)[16] Damage: (2d6+6)[14]

[NotScaryBats]

The greatsword cleaves through a rat. As it dies, it explodes in a purplish-black burst of necrotic energy. Because Lucien attacks from a range, the rat-burst harms no one.

[Doxkid]

"Destructive pests, aren't they? I hope you don't mind finishing this one as well; I would rather not lose all of the blood that menace oh so helpfully donated just now."

From the humanoid being's corpse Matthew draws another gout of blood which disappears under the short man's robes. The satisfied look on his face speaks a bothersome itch finally being scratched for him, but he says nothing about this.

Matthew takes a step back once the blood has settled and flicks his dominant arm outward, casting forth enough borrowed blood to splatter the remaining rat. By his will that blood hardens around the undead vermin's legs.

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Matthew Collects Blood from the Rat Person yet again, draining blood from the fallen foe: it died within the last day and recently took damage, so it's still a valid target, but I'm going to assume it is only a valid target for 1 Collect Blood after dying. Assuming it's a Medium creature, he gains another 4 blood points from it (filling his Blood Pool since it is based off of his constitution modifier and his constitution is still reduced due to the Ghoul Fever.)

BP: 8/8(10).

After collecting his reward for particpation he'll take a five foot step away from the rat and use 2 Blood points to pay the cost for Blood Trap which he'll creature under the undead Rat and immediately activate. The rat must make a Reflex save DC 17 to avoid being trapped.

[Illven]

Mellia will take aim at a rat.

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(1d20)[9]
(1d6)[6]
(1d20)[15]
(1d6)[6]

[NotScaryBats]

Matthew successfully immobilizes one of the rats, and Mellia's eldritch blast strikes through one's tough undead hide. While Matthew's rat struggles against its bonds, the two remaining undead creatures continue their attacks. Aiden's rat lunges for him again and this time penetrates his defenses. Lucien's rat tries to charge him again, opening itself up to another counterattack.

Bliss targets the rat that is outside of melee -- Matthew's stuck rat -- with her orb of force. She seriously damages it.

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Aiden takes 4 damage
Lucien can take his AoO and maybe slay the rat, but if he doesn't destroy it, he takes a charge for 5 damage.

Two of the rats are bloodied, and Aiden's has only 1 damage on it.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Aiden hissed out a sharp breath as the rat caught him. Pounding on the creature wasn't going to do much good. He considered the situation, and his eyes fell on the longsword floating at ready guard. It was too far to reach while fending off the rat but... "Lucien! Might I borrow that, a moment?" he requested.

[Quellian-dyrae]

In the meanwhile, Aiden struck back at the rat, quick blows more designed to keep it back and its attention on him than cause much harm, and give him an opportunity to get a bit closer to the others.

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Full Round: Full Attack, Fighting Defensively at (1d20-1)[12] for (1d8+4)[12] and (1d20-1)[15] for (1d8+4)[5]. Aiden gets +2 AC this round.

5' Step: In the direction of the others (ehh...unless doing so will put me adjacent to another rat).

Party Status:
Aiden: 8/12(/14). -1 Dex, -1 Con. Ghoul Fever.
Mellia: 13/13.
Bliss: 18/18(/20). -2 Dex, -1 Con. Ghoul Fever.
Matthew: 20/22(/24). -2 Dex, -1 Con. Ghoul Fever.
Lucien: 6/14(/16). -2 Con.

Chi Healing: 13/32.
Expended Maneuvers: Vanguard Strike, Crusader's Strike.