The Death of Golarion - Chapter 1: Pestilence

[Kvard51]

The pounding rhythm settles into Korbach's brain, driving him into a rage. Words of arcane energy roll from his tongue with practiced ease as he steps forward to grab War, thinking of nothing other than ending his song forever. As he reaches for him, crackling electricity wreathes Korbach's hands.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Cast Shocking Grasp and close the remaining distance. Melee Touch attack: (1d20+1)[16] for (1d6)[1] Electricity Damage.

[userpay]

Ahkox did have to give War some credit, at least it wasn't tavern drivel. The words and beat strike the half-orc to the core drawing his mind back to his days with the tribe. The fighting. The beatings. War might be his primary target but were those around him any better? With that thought burning red in his mind Ahkox turns and lunges for the closest person to him with an outstretched backhand. Laura.

Spoiler

Show

Move to Laura
Power attack unarmed strike (1d20+3)[13]
Damage (1d8+5)[12]

[Kallimakus]

Laura feels the effects of the song take over. She forgets herself, her entire world lost in the song. She feels lost in memory, facing a sparring partner in Mendev under the watchful eyes of her instructor. Swaying aside from the coming blow, she draws a blade that is strangely unfamiliar, swinging it with all her might at her adversary.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

(1d20+5)[9] Power attack
(2d4+9)[17] damage
(1d20+5)[20] Please don't crit
(2d4+9)[16] critical damage

[MesiDoomstalker]

As the music beat in Mal's brain, his vision blurred. A cacophony of orders barked in his ears, Olivia in one and Trom in the other. His vision swam and Brianna's form shifted and twisted to the miserable old Gnome. Shut up!
Shut up! Shut up! I don't have to listen to you anymore! Mal rolled together another explosive, hurling it at 'Trom'.

Spoiler

Show

(1d20+6)[8] vs. Brianna's Touch
(1d6+5)[8] 6 Splash (Ref Half, DC 14)

[NeoSeraphi]

Korbach's attack misses, but War has to make an effort to dodge it. As the half-orc closes in on him, War continues to play the song, but his eye remains on the half-orc and thus he is not able to concentrate. Several beats are missed, and the heroes (and Brianna) find it easier to shake off the effects this turn.

Anyone who comes to their senses will see a bloodbath in the streets around them. Bakers hitting customers over the head with sour dough. Blacksmiths smashing a customer's fingers against the forge with a hammer. A woman digging her high heels into a man's eye as he reaches up to bite her leg. Absolute chaos, madness and just violence from seemingly happy, normal people. Friends, even.

"Cross walks and
crossed hearts and hope to die
Seal the clouds with grey lining

So we can take the world back
from the heart-attacked
One maniac at a time,
we will take it back.

You know, time crawls on
when you're waiting for the song to start
So dance along to the beat of your heart!"

Spoiler

Show

Everyone gets to roll 1d100-10 this round instead of 1d100. As before, 1-49 is act normally, 50-100 is attack the nearest creature with your deadliest option.

[ArendK]

Brianna's mind was invaded by the music of the Chelish Opera House pounding in her ears. A heavy, thunderous song punctuated by belts of pain and discord melodically woven in. It quickened her pulse and filled her with rage directed towards this foul creature that hurtled that chunk of fire at her. She charged ahead and took a swing with one of her sharp claws.

Spoiler: Dice rolls round 1- Song of Discord roll is in OOC

Show

(1d20+3)[17] Claw + Charge bonus
(1d20+3)[9] Possible critical confirm
(1d4+1)[5] Damage
(1d4+1)[5] Critical Damage

Next Round

Brianna felt the bloodrush of her demonic heritage pulsing as she continued slashing away at the tiefling creature. Both claws slashed viciously in tandem at Mal.

Spoiler: Dice rolls round 2

Show

(1d20+1)[8] Claw 1
(1d20+1)[18] Possible critical confirm
(1d4+1)[5] Damage
(1d4+1)[2] Critical Damage

(1d20+1)[5] Claw 2
(1d20+1)[16] Possible critical confirm
(1d4+1)[2] Damage
(1d4+1)[3] Critical Damage

[MesiDoomstalker]

Mal's vision cleared as the song's true words started making sense. He shook his head, dodging Biranna's clumsy swipes. He was going to ask her why, but he remembered War was still beating his damned drum. Focus!
War is your enemy! Mal ducked around the writhing crowd, working his way closer to War as his tail nabbed the last remaining vial. As he drew closer, he hesitated before throwing another bomb. He would apologize to Ahkox later, but War must be stopped.

Spoiler

Show

(1d20+6)[20]
(1d6+5)[7] 6 Damage Splash, Ref Half DC 14

[userpay]

Red continues to flash across Ahkox's mind as he and Laura trade blows. Batting aside Laura's clumsy strike before going in for another thumping. War could wait. War wasn't going anywhere. The music was right there pounding away at Ahkox's mind with each beat.

Spoiler

Show

Power Attack (1d20+3)[19]
Damage (1d8+5)[9]

[Kallimakus]

Laura regains control of herself, witnessing the unfettered violence erupting on the streets. A quick appraisal of the situation suggests that she was able to throw off the effects of the foul song because War was being attacked. She couldn't stop the battle raging all around her by trying to stop individual combatants. Cursing her weakness, she charges War, hoping to strike him a blow that would stop his song.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

(1d20+7)[26] Charge attack
(2d4+9)[16] damage
(1d20+5)[8] Mythic attack
(2d4+9)[13] damage

(1d20+5)[7] Crit confirm?
(2d4+9)[12] Crit damage

[NeoSeraphi]

Malrut, Laura, and Ahkox's combined assault is enough to give War pause. He takes a step back and raises his hands. "Whoa now! If you start getting serious, I'm going to have to spend way too much time playing with you! I have to go deal with the summit, after all. Tch...I guess for now, I'll make a full retreat."

He grabs his gear and disappears into a portal.

The music stops, and everyone returns to their senses. There are some serious injuries in the streets, but no one is dead.

Spoiler

Show

Everyone hits level 2!

[ArendK]

Brianna looked at the mayhem of the streets, blood soaking the street from the chaos. The ones who managed to attack War, she could see their marks, cuts and wounds. The ones just caught in the frenzy of Wars song lay in the streets, half confused and covered in their own wounds. Briannas own ears echoed with the sounds of the Chelish Opera until she could hear a new song; warming and revitalizing as she focused on it. She quickly dashed to each of the warriors that attacked War and began channeling the music into them.

Spoiler: OOC 1

Show

Healing Hex to Laura, Ahkox, Mal, and Korbach in addition to their lackeys if they were in the area to get injured.

(1d8+2)[5] Korbach
(1d8+2)[8] Laura
(1d8+2)[10] Mal
(1d8+2)[4] Ahkox
(1d8+2)[10] Camille
(1d8+2)[6] Any other relevant companion I am not accounting for (Steve is a prick, Alicia is at the temple, Soul is not here that I can see yet, and I can't remember Mals companion)

Brianna gives Korbach and the others a shove towards Wars path. She yells loudly at them to make sure she is heard over the commotion "GO GET THAT THING, I'll WORRY ABOUT THIS!" Brianna turns as she begins moving quickly amongst the crowded streets, channeling her song further to try to save as many as she could.

Spoiler: OOC 2

Show

Barring any other surprises, she's going to run around using her healing hex on as many people as she can to help everyone injured.

[userpay]

With the music gone the red slowly clears from Ahkox's vision only to be greeted by the red staining the streets around him. The sight only made his fists clench. Once more War had made made a fool out of him. Granted the results were nothing serious now but who knew whether that would hold true for long now that War had gone skipping off. "This will not stand... This is only a taste of what he can do..." He rumbles, already moving towards where the summit were to be held. It might be to late already but the half-orc would be damned if he didn't at least try.

[NeoSeraphi]

Brianna looks around for people to heal. She spies a few people that she quickly tends to. The blacksmith stands up and thanks her with a smile.

One of the women she rescues gently brushes some dirt off her young son's face, before smiling at Brianna. "Thank you, so much. I don't know what that monster was, but you saved us."

*SMACK*

From behind Brianna, a woman in a black jacket falls to the ground. The pistol in her hands hits the ground and fires, hitting the wall.

Soul steps out of the alley and cracks his knuckles. "I'm going to enjoy this more than I should, Marie."

The woman on the ground stands up, her eye already swelling up. "Please, Soul, I promise I can get you your money. I have three customers later today, big spenders!"

Soul tightens one of his cestuses in place. "That's cute. And how does that pay off the debt you owe right now?"

------------------------------------------------------------

Camille comes out with a healer and walks towards the inn.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Mal started running after Ahkox before skidding to a stop and backpedaling slightly. He thrust out his hand towards Laura and quickly demanded. Dame Knight, I need your pistol. Please. The please came after a half pause, as if he only remembered his manner's at that moment.

[ArendK]

Brianna reacts as quick as she can, conjuring to mind the first spell she could to deal with Soul, directing it so she didn't get hit and hopefully (if possible) no one else did either.

Spoiler

Show

Sleep, DC 15 Will Save
(1d20+7)[13]Initiative (finally remembered that scorpion!)

[NeoSeraphi]

Soul dozes off.

Marie stares at the sight of the man slumping over, but quickly turns and dashes away.

[Kvard51]

Cat chases after War, Korbach hot on his heels. As he runs, he catalogues all the spells he knows and those he has even heard of, searching his memory for a way to combat War's song. The damage he does with that song is unbelievable. He could turn the whole city on each other.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Knowledge (Arcana): (1d20+8)[27]
Knowledge (History): (1d20+8)[20]

[NeoSeraphi]

Korbach knows that there are trained musicians who can actually play music that negates the magical music of others, but there is no such talent in his party.

[ArendK]

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" Brianna barks at the woman as she was running away. She figured Soul would be out for a good minute or two, so she set about finding a way to secure him. "Help me restrain him."

"Why didn't I bring any rope!?" she lamented to herself. She quickly checked Souls pockets and gear looking for more weapons and tools, setting them aside. Not finding anything to restrain him with (unless he has rope), she straddles Soul, planting her weight firmly in his chest.

[NeoSeraphi]

The woman has no reason to obey Brianna, and simply takes off.

Soul's pockets contain a few valuables, odds and ends that he probably stole, and an impressive set of lockpicks that look rather worn from use.

Brianna finds no weapons, but Soul is still wearing a pair of cestuses on his knuckles.

He stirs beneath her. "...Huh? You? Where did Marie...god DAMN it, woman!"

He starts struggling, trying to shake her off.

[Kallimakus]

Laura felt her blow strike home. She reaches out at War as he disappears, but in vain. She is puzzled. Moments ago, she was charging forth with last of her strength, and now she felt... invigorated. Powerful. Perhaps the stress and strain of combat had brought forth an awakening in her power. She is still caught in her reverie when Mal demands the pistol she had picked up back in Mendev. She absentmindedly takes it off and hands it over. "Careful. It's loaded."

She snaps out of her focus and takes off running after the others, looking to put an end to this War character once and for all. Followed by the mancat.

[NeoSeraphi]

War chuckles as Laura steps into the next intersection. "Careful, Blondie. Just because you picked up a pretty toy doesn't mean you know how to use it."

Charging and fighting in this area might be dangerous, but...War has stopped moving. Laura isn't sure what's going on.

[Kallimakus]

"Seems to be working pretty well" she replies, trying to remind him of the last exchange of blows. War should not realize it was a fluke. "And how do you even know that?"

[NeoSeraphi]

War raises an eyebrow. "Is that a real question? Look at your stance, it's all wrong. You're leading with one hand instead of putting the force of both hands behind your swings. You're trying to dance around like you have more balance than you do, or like you're looking to deflect an incoming bow. Everything about the way you stand, move and fight indicates that you've spent years training with a weapon and a shield. I bet you've never held a two-handed sword for longer than a few minutes in your entire life."

Okay, so that's not like Steve, then. Steve is just kind of creepy and seems to know things that he shouldn't. War is sizing Laura up, with just as much experience and skill as Kaiser would. This is bad. It's clear to Laura that this man is no joke when it comes to physical combat.

[Kallimakus]

Taken aback by her foe's insight, she adjusts her stance. It wasn't a foe she felt she could overcome even with her power. Not a step backwards she thinks to herself. You're wrong" Laura says. Technically, he was. She had trained comprehensively with all common weapon types, learning the basics of their use in order to better combat them. But that was only basics. She takes a steadying breath, forcing herself to take a step forward. Wondering what happened to the others chasing after War.

[NeoSeraphi]

War chuckles. "That's an aggressive step you just took. Are you really going to attack a man who isn't even holding a weapon? What would your gods have to say about that?"

[Kallimakus]

"Some men don't need a weapon to bring harm to others." Laura says, defiant. "I remember an incident a while ago in fact... Let's not repeat that."

She moves her stance to a more defensive guard, blade held by her side. "What do you want?" she asks, trying a different strategy.

[NeoSeraphi]

War bows. "What do I want? What does any man want? A roof over my head. A warm meal at night. A beautiful woman to kiss me and tell me she appreciates my hard work. And the total destruction of all humanity."

[Kallimakus]

"You know, you had me until that last part. I can't allow you to do that." Laura says. "You wouldn't happen to want to submit yourself to custody? I might not offer again."

[NeoSeraphi]

War chuckles. "Foolish woman. You won't be doing anything ever again."

Laura is confused for a moment, before she hears the shot ring out. Behind!

Spoiler

Show

Touch attack: (1d20+10)[22]/(1d20+10)[22]
Damage: (1d12+5)[16]/(4d12+20)[54]
Sneak Attack: (3d6)[10]

Laura needs to make a DC 15 Fortitude save or die, with a -4 penalty from her In Death's Sights feature.