Age of Ruin OOC: Facing down destiny

[Ozzy_G]

Yes, you do know it has no somatic component.

I am still playing Maryring's game. I'm waiting for the spirits to show us where to go.

[Lycar]

Maybe Maryring waits for you and Skenardo to post something like
'Karl looks at the fey expectantly, waiting for it to show the way.' ?

Hrm, so Orin knows that Saigon does not need a free hand to cast Teleport.

I suppose he will keep his eyes open but it seems he is going to come along quietly.

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Bren joins the circle by taking hold of the wrists of his neighbours in the circle.

Lycar

EDIT: wait, we still have a bit of time, yes? Could Orin use some paper and writing utensils he filched earlier to write a quick note on a slip on paer and drop it, so that the guild mages find it if they investigate ? If so it should read:

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Crown for ritual to raise Gothul. To thwart: man killed at Bronze Cauldron w. sunburst tattoo, resurrect him ASAP!

If someone asks, he's standing watch for guild wizards showing up.

[Ozzy_G]

Yep, that's fine.
Anyhow, this is your very last chance to do something before the teleport.

[Lycar]

Quite frankly, i don't dare do anything. Disarm an Oathsworn? A born warrior? I don't believe that Orin can pull it off. It would be awesome if Orin could pull it off but it would also be a desperate action at best.

Did he manage to leave behind the message for the mages? That way he might at least try and interfere if the resurrection spell gets cast and whatever posesses Sumner tries to stop his soul from going home.

If you are hoping for a big surprise for the others, when they try to perform the ritual and it gows awry because of that damn bard interfering... well, i would play along.

But right now i don't even know if having Sumner resurrected would mess up the ritual or if there even IS a way to have him raised within the next.. oh.. 48 hours at most i guess.

Sure. We could go ahead and let Orin try to do something stupidly heroic. But what is he supposed to do if he fails snatching the crown away from Sumner? Are the guild wizards even going to listen to him?

Besides, wouldn't you rather have the whole party in one place for a change? I mean, i truly appreciate that you went through all the trouble to basically run a solo game for me all the last weeks but do you want to keep doing that? If so, i won't mind playing along.

*sigh* But then again Azakan did plead with Orin to help him avoid his fate. I just don't know if Orin has any chance at all to do this if he misses that teleport.

Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

Did he manage to leave behind the message for the mages?

Yes, Orin did.

[Lycar]

Well, that settles it. We have teleport.

Okay now, at least it is far in the east and thus going dark soon. That means, not too much longer until we get to sleep.

Very well, Orin will stick close to Azakan for the time being. I assume, so will Tharok.

Now it's just tagging along, biding one's time until we come to a crucial junction where Orin can make a difference.

But then again, he is doing his job as an infiltrator.

At least that way Orin can still ask Azakan about what happened to his family. Also he wants a few quiet minutes to check the documents he pilfered. And those Kaleff took too of course.


Lycar

[Lycar]

When you don't know where you are, one way is as good as the other.

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"Right" says Bren "You ask where to go, i say right."

And did Orin just happen to have heard/read about that island that Saigon mentioned? Just north of Kadoth? Maybe the white cliffs offer a clue?

Bardic Knowledge: (1d20+10)[19]

Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

Sorry, I made a mistake. You are west of where you were before, so the sun should be higher in the sky, not lower.
I should have put more ranks in Knowledge Geography.

As to your knowledge geography, you know that there are a few islands north of Khadoth. That's all you could say.

[Lycar]

What's with the hurry all of a sudden? Need to clear the cliffs before the tide comes in?

At any rate, Orin will run too. Good thing that he's wearing light armour while appearing to wear medium armour. So he is just as fast as a barbarian wearing medium armour is supposed to be.

Also, this is your own world! How could you possibly not have epic levels of Know: Geography regarding it?

Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

Damn time zones... I should have just written a flat world. Then I wouldn't have had to do time zones...

[Lycar]

Uh-oh. It's the tide comign in, isn't it? Isn't it?

Well, here Orin hopes the others will lend a hand or two to help him up that cliff or he is screwed with his 0 skill in climb.

Unless he can make like Indiana Jones and use his scourge as an impromptu climbing aid.

Lycar

[Lycar]

So Tharok has the boots? Fine, Orin nods to Tharok to go ahead and use the boots to climb the cliff, awaiting his turn down on the beach.

Lycar

[Lycar]

Hmm... what to do, what to do...

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Bren takes time to get out of the magical boots and put on his original pair again. While he is bent over, he quietly replies to Kaleff.

"Keep them from killing each other off would be a start... you wouldn't happen to have another Shatter spell ready? Can you make yourself invisible? If i distract them, do you think you could get your hands on the crown? Or maybe i should try and use the scourge to whip the accursed crown out of Sumners hand. But then someone has to react and snatch it."

Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

Can you give me initiative please. Hopefully it won't be necessary, but just in case.

[Lycar]

Yes, let us hope it doesn't become neccessary.

Init: (1d20+4)[16]

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Bren answers Kaleff in his low voice again. "Sorry, no illusion magic from me. There is little magic left, it was a looong day. I would rather stick with Azakan though. I would not want Gothul to return and when i look at Sumner and add the fact that you were in Goramesh..."

Lycar

[Lycar]

So when Ismal opened her comm channels to Orin too, does he get to hear what Sumner's thoughts about the subject are ?


Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

No. Ismal didn't pass it on, and you're not reading their minds now.

[Lycar]

Just wondering about post #422.

Anyway...

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Bren takes a moment to answer Kaleff "Azakan doesn't want to be emperor of the empire we are about to create. He didn't mind becoming emporer by using the time amulet to shift troops from over there. Makes one think. Oh and he believes that Sumner is actually host to Gothul..."

Orin keeps watching the exchange between the dragon lady and the wizards. But he pays special attention to Sumner.

(Hrm. How to figure out if it's true though...)

So Ozzy... need a bit of help here. About Orin's master manipulator feat again. How about Orin just asks 'Sumner' if he happens to be host or is either Gothul or some other outworldly entity.

If he lies and Orin calls the lie (via successful Sense Motive), then Orin is supposed to be able to trick him into revealing the lie and the reason behind it. As far as the feat description goes this takes another minute or so of conversation and a Diplomacy roll by Orin resisted by Sumner's (or whatever's) Bluff.

Of course some DMs don't like RP o be influenced by mechanics like this.


Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

With post 422, you got what Ismal said to you, but not anything after that.

I'm fine with the Master Manipulator thing... but you have to get him to talk to you for a minute.

[Lycar]

I'm fine with the Master Manipulator thing... but you have to get him to talk to you for a minute.

Yes, that's the hard part, isn't it?

Very well, let me see if i can channel enough of Orin to get something workable. Nothing like jumping to conclusions.

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Bren smirks back at Kaleff "[COLOR=""]Because we are not suicidal? But heh, if there is one thing i know to do. Watch Sumner closely...[/COLOR]"

Walking up to Sumner and the others, Bren speaks up: "Speaking of which... there is still the secret of what caused a noble oathsworn of house Kesh to turn mighty green around the gills and sprout feathers."

Folding his hands behind his back, Bren looks Sumner over, like some interesting specimen of bug. His demeanor certainly does not fit to a cannibalistic barbarian.

"So then. How did you plan your comeback, hmm? Convince poor Sumner that you are really not the same entity which held its fould admantine grip over most of this continent for more then a millenium? Promise him order and stability did you. Well, one must admit, you certainly would have delivered on that one, now wouldn't you."

"Too bad for you that some know enough to listen to what you were not saying you extraplanar interloper! That's just your kind, boastful and proud when lording it over those too weak to offer resistance but as soon as you face real problems, you just revert to tricking, swindling and cajoling your way out of Goramesh, you worm."

Bren stops a moment to look around apologetically "No offense intended towards any worms, sorry."

Turning back to Sumner, he continues "You know, i don't really hold it agianst you, personally. I mean, you even aren't a person to begin with. Just some pathetic malevolent entity that can only ever dream of escaping into our world, where even something as utterly insignificant as you can feel like something."

"Really now. Did you really think we would not catch on to your little tricks? I'd give you the benefit of doubt and say, you were just hopeful. But knowing you, i'll have to say, yes, you really were stupid enough to believe you could get away with it."

"But what i'm really mad about is that you are using an honest and upright man like Sumner Kesh, who only ever meant to do the right thing, because it's the right thing to do, dammit, to bring back your own twisted, malevolent and, in a paradoxical way even comical version of 'order'."

"Explain yourself you utter twit of a fiend! How did you think that we would not figure you out? Huh? Huh? Come on, explain yourself! Can you even answer that, Gothul?"

Yes, he's talking in his real voice now. Nothing better to attract attention.

I'll leave dropping the illusion for later. Also totally going to distract Sumner, Saigon and the 3 most senior wizards with Orin's Captivating Speech ability.

Roll will or Diplomacy vs. Orin's Diplomacy: (1d20+20)[40]
or suffer -4 to Listen,Spot and Sense Motive as long as Orin keeps talking.

And yes, Orin is totally trying to coax whatever is posessing Sumner to break out into a rant. And to make him say 'I'm not Gothul!', so he can roll Sense Motive against that. Of course, if that one fails, the whole stunt falls down. Oh well, at least that is the kind of chance Orin is willing to take.

I have no idea if Orin should roll for anything. Bluff ?

Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

Ooh, you almost got to the revelations... though you did get to say that the possessing spirit had controlled the land for over a millenia, which is a big clue.

Bren's action is next, what do you want to do?

[Lycar]

Well, with all the spells going off left and right, Orin will stick to his i-am-a-tough-barbarian-hit-me-with-reflex-or-will-saves disguise a bit longer.

Seeing that Sumner is attacking the priests, Orin takes a step back and draws his scourge while yelling to Tharok.

"Tharok no! Kill the demon priests! The ones in the black robes!"

(Well well, time to see what that whip does.)

Orin lashes out at the head priest with the whip, trying to entangle his legs and make him fall. Since he has no Impr. Trip, he would provoke an AoO, but the whip has reach, so the priest can't retaliate.

Touch attack: (1d20+6)[9], Trip check: (1d20)[9]

Once the priests are neutralized, Orin will try to talk the Qusan wizards out of killing them. But first things first...

Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

Reflex save for Orin please, DC 21. If he fails, he takes 24 electric damage. If he saves, he takes 12.

[Lycar]

Aren't we glad now that Spymaster gets a good reflex save too...

Reflex Save: (1d20+12)[17]

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Bren yells as the lightning courses through his body, party out of pain, partly out of surprise and partly even cursing his metal armour betraying him such.

"Aaargh! Not us, them!"

Hrm. That leaves the question: Cure or Invisibility, what to cast now...

Better wait until Orin's turn comes round again.

But i strongly favour going invisible and leaving the last known position.

Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

Bren's go again.

[Lycar]

This could end ugly...

So Ismal is trying to bluff Saigon here. Let's hope that Orin catches on.

Sense Motive: (1d20+10)[16]

Either way, with him not able to do much good right now, Orin decides to bow out of this fight for now.

Next turn: Cast cure.

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Bren looks like he isn't really sure about what to do next for a moment, then he raises his left hand and gestures while intoning some arcane syllabies. Whereupon he promptly vanishes from sight.

As a move action, Orin just goes someplace else. WHips have quite a bit of reach after all.


Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

It's Bren's go again.
The situation currently is as follows:
Khorik and Tharok, as well as four Qusans and two of the black-robed Davethrans, lie dead on the ground.
Sumner seems to be obeying the orders of the gaunt wizard, who has just told him to kill Draven.
There is one wizard and one priest black-robed Davethran left.
Kaleff and Azakan have both vanished.
Saigon just got eaten by Ismal, who's polymorphed into a Remorhaz.

[Lycar]

(... what in Goramesh!? She actually ate him !??! Well... isn't it said the Pennefar family has some dragon blood... seems appropriate. In an odd way.)

(What to do, what to do? I should probably do something about that priest. But if he so much as casts a single spell at me i'm as good as dead.)

Orin feels the familiar dread of being hurt creep up his spine.

(No! No more fear! And even if he kills me, i at least died fighting, not cowering!)

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"No more fear!" yells Bren as he charges the priest, tackling him and doing his best to pin his arms and prevent him from casting anything. He has to drop the scourge to get his hand free though.

##

I just hope the guy doesn't get an AoO since Orin becomes visible only after the attack, right?

Touch attack: (1d20+6)[15], Grapple check: (1d20+6)[15]

And to speed up things, here the opposed roll for the priest's turn (if applicable): Grapple check: (1d20+6)[8]

Lycar

[Lycar]

Hrm.. let's see if Orin happens to know this spell. I guess some sort of teleport but...

Spellcraft: (1d20+5)[10]

So this is the day the NPCs (and a PC) died, eh.

Orin is just fortunate to be still alive.

Anyway...

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Bren lets go of the bloody corpse he is now holding. He looks around a bit and realizes that the battle is over. At least for now.

Rasing a shaking hand, he wipes his forehead, either to remove some blood or sweat, or maybe just to reaffirm that he is, indedd, still alive.

"... so much death... poor Tharok... "

Taking a step back, he sits down on the ground with a heavy thud. At least now he can rest his backpack and its's heavy and grisly contents on the ground. Looking between Sumner and Draven, Bren speaks up:

"To think that we entered the tomb of the dwarven king to raise the funds to have you resurrected... and then you just walk out of Goramesh. Kizima didn't walk out of the tomb and Livina didn't walk away from the encounter with the Illithid. So much death..."

Orin needs to talk to Sumner but first he has to deal with his post combat shakes. He may have gotten better at that courage thing but the constant reminders about his own mortality still get at him.

Lycar

[Lycar]

Uhm.. did you notice my last post?

Lycar