Work Release IC

[Pyrophilios]

Nale Elan Aegis AC: 36 (21 T/28 FF) DR: 4 HP: 56/76 PP:33/37 Perception: +11 Initiative: +3+4 Conditions: Elemental Flux Stance (Air) (+4 ini +4 dodge Electricity Resistance 15, +2d6 electricity damage

Nale sighed:

"Darn junky cannibals... but I guess you earned yourself a dose for good behavior. Catch!

Nale tossed Jeffy one of the ZERK doses from the container.

[Esprit15]

Mentha tilts her head, pondering. She turns to the elf. “Miss. Is that giant the chief? Or just some warband leader?”

Of course, then someone else hands the junkie some before she can get an answer. “Or we can do that. But Jeffy. I want the bones mostly intact. Ribs are fine, limbs are not, tusks are not. There will be consequences if I can’t get what I want out of that corpse, understand?” The word ‘consequences’ has a surprisingly frightful chill to it.

As the goblin sprints off for happy fun murder times, Mentha stretches and walks over to the stuff pile to gather her things. “If we’re doing introductions, I’m Mentha Peprit,” the gnomish woman says from over the pile of stuff. “As I said back in the cell, I have a little skill in alchemy, and some skill with magic, especially as it relates to the once living. Don’t really do the healing, positive energy thing at all, since that stuff has burned me since birth, but I can use it from wands well enough. So I can still at least roughly keep you on this side of the abyss. Hopefully you all can do me that same kindness.

“Seriously though? Do not give me cure potions unless you want a little gnome corpse. I have my own potions here,” she says, flicking her cloak out a bit and showing the vials of black liquid. “Use them on me if the worst should happen.”

[jakarta]

Legolass answers, "Warband leader. They have been leading mixed groups of giants and goblinoids. Some other mercenaries. Mostly humans and half orks."

[Paddywagon Man]

(1d4)[2] strength boost from Zerk

As he chomps down on ogre and greedily enjoys the Zerk, Jeffy mumbles some instructions, holding out the suspicious liquid..

"Will do it... but pretty hurt right now, sick! Took this from morsel's labratory. Makes big wings, sometimes. Sometimes, get real sick. Which morsel can magic my stomach better first?

Or... Jeffy can read his scroll, chase! Easier. Less fast. Less fun!"

[Pyrophilios]

Nale Elan Aegis AC: 36 (21 T/28 FF) DR: 4 HP: 58/76 PP:33/37 Perception: +11 Initiative: +3+4 Conditions: Elemental Flux Stance (Air) (+4 ini +4 dodge Electricity Resistance 15, +2d6 electricity damage

Having accepted his role as minder for the goblin, Nale took a look at the scroll, making sure the sick goblin was cured.

"Here, don't get yourself killed just yet. There is more damage to be done."

[Stelio Kontos]

Torsten (now visible after having attacked, but if not will dismiss the spell) lowered his bow and extended his hand for a firm shake, if any wanted it.

"Torsten Kor. Best equipped to stalk and kill from a distance, preferably without being noticed. So don't be mad if I go running away if we get ambushed. Doesn't do to have anyone in my personal space. Cramps my style. And, uh, been a while since I've worked with anyone."

"Mr. Flagg, I suggest you get some warmth on those extremities before you freeze them off. Do you have a fire pit set up?"

[jakarta]

Greedily taking the zerk before chugging back the other suspicious liquid, a pair of huge wings like grotesque, fused goblin hands wriggle free from Jeffy's back. After a few steps he takes a great running leap and starts flying, clumsily but quite fast, upwards and after the fleeing mammoth and giant.

(2d8)[11] strength boost from Zerk

And (2d8)[11] healing.

[Paddywagon Man]

With the magic of the looted druidic scroll bolstering his limbs Jeffy goes sprinting in the direction of the fleeing mammoth, a huge and wicked-looking bow at the ready.

Spoiler

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With his land speed now at 50 and covering 200 feet per round, he'll be able to catch the mammoth, though given its head start it might take a little bit. Greater Longstrider will last 5 hours though so there isn't a particular rush.

[jakarta]

Those sickened by the teleport recover now that their is a moment to catch a breath.

Flagg retrieves a potion from his pack and consumes it.

"I'm alright. No fire. We need to get out if the open and moving.

Can you turn that off?" He looks to Lewis, referring to the storm veil.


"Get your gear." he commands generally.

---
Spot checks
---

Mentha:

Spoiler: while you gather your gear

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You find a black pouch with a skull patch on it and a note safety-pinned to it.

"Mentha, you should leave something behind for the giants.
-Waller"

Looking in the bag...should I put this indelicacy?...will soon need to change your "Hello Zombie Kitty" panties.

Spoiler: visual aid

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. https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1480...sr_gallery-1-1

Black Blood Rubies. Glowing purple from being pre- desecrated. 100 of them. The really good $#1+ !

1 per mouth for fleshy undead or 1 per eye socket for skeletons. (Limit is caster level, not expense. Does not improve the number you can control. So long as you aren't dealing with multi headed creatures you can make 100 zombies or 50 skeletons) .

Somebody wants some undead chaos in your wake.

[Esprit15]

“‘We just had these lying around from previous necromancers’ my ass,” Mentha says, cheerfully placing the rubies in her pocket. “Alright, orders from up top. We’re to leave a little carnage in our wake for the giants,” the tiny woman says. She reaches into the bag of holding, and pulls up several skeletons - mostly animals, but one humanoid as well. Ignoring the animals she addresses the humanoid. “Come on Georgina, gimme a hand and pull these guys closer together.” The skeleton slackly begins to move toward one of the ogres, slowly dragging it through the snow toward another ogre.

“Good, now pull that ogre over here.” As the skeleton continues its duties, Mentha hops onto the ogre’s body and unceremoniously scoops out the late humanoid’s eyes with a silver dagger, humming a little tune to herself. She places two gemstones in the eyes, and returns to trying to pull the ogres together. “Pairs would be lovely if you all wouldn’t mind?” she says to the group.

[jakarta]

Flagg is not happy. "What orders? We Do NOT have time for this!"

[Pyrophilios]

Nale Elan Aegis AC: 36 (21 T/28 FF) DR: 4 HP: 58/76 PP:33/37 Perception: +11 Initiative: +3+4 Conditions: Elemental Flux Stance (Air) (+4 ini +4 dodge Electricity Resistance 15, +2d6 electricity damage

Nale quickly went over the jumble to pick up anything he had missed, but looked up irritated at Flagg:

"Why the sudden rush? The giants have better mobility than our group and there is no chance to hide our tracks out here. Leaving behind a distraction will give us a far better chance.
You talked about a village - how far is that away? And why should we care about it? They are the ones settling in a giant infested region. Your army obviously doesn't care either and there was nothing in our mission briefing about saving civilians beyond the dwarf. Going off script might cause our watchers to trigger our collars."

Spoiler: spot check

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(1d20+11)[30]

[Paddywagon Man]

Jeffy will morph back into ogre form as he makes his pursuit... or retreat, as it hopefully appears.

(1d20+13)[17] Perception

[Xav]

Lewis Blackheart Tiefling Legendary Magus AC: 27 (18 T/20 FF) DR: - HP: 38/66 Perception: +14 Initiative: +7 Conditions: -

First thing Lewis does after the last visible enemy stops moving, is stopping that bothering flame from trying to burn him alive. Surrounding poisonous storm slowly looses it's intensity, and tiefling heads to his belongings, picks up his bag, pulls out a wand from it, and casts a healing spell on himself. Only then does he survey his surroundings and address the people around him:"Lewis Blackheart. Nice to meet you, ladies and gentlemen. This" - he points at the Storm, - "will calm down itself soon enough. And it won't hurt you. At least until you try to deal with me. So," - now he looks at Flagg, - "Looks like it's going to come down to a direct confrontation?"

Spoiler: ACTIONS

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Stopping fire
Wand of Infernal Healing - on myself
(1d20+14)[31] Perception

[Esprit15]

Mentha stops humming and looks up from her work at the man and indignantly hops down into the snow. “This one,” she says cooly to the man, handing him the slip of paper signed by Waller. She then turns around and returns to the ogre corpses. “And like Nale, I don’t see the rush. The goblin will take some time to catch up with the giant, kill it, and then return. You know, the thing you were so insistent on being important. And if we ditch him, he’s almost certainly going to go on a violent little rampage because his drug suppliers ditched him. And then my head may or may not explode. Bad ending.

“So no, I’ll continue doing what I’m doing, and you may help make it go faster, or not.” She finishes scooping the last bits of eyeball from the second ogre and places a gem in each of its sockets, like the other. “Jaiki, hezurdura odoltsua!” she cants, magic power ringing out in her voice. Flesh putrifies and melts from the bodies of the ogres into a black and brown sludge, leaving only bones that seem to endlessly bleed crimson as they are invigorated with unlife.

“But honestly, I’m a necromancer. I don’t need your help, your superiors merely enlisted mine.” She climbs onto the skull of one of the bloody ogre skeletons and proceeds to order the duo to gather their late and future companions, and begins the process of animating them as well.

Spoiler: Perception

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(1d20+8)[13]

Spoiler: Animate Dead

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So if the gems bypass HD, is there anything preventing me from just making bloody skeletons? Because normally those are just skeletons that you spend twice the black onyx on, and count as twice their HD for the purposes of price and how many you can animate at once. I can spend twice the rubies if you would prefer that (so four per ogre) or I can do two rubies and an extra four black onyx to match the spirit of how many extra onyx go into making them. Whatever you want to do.

Either way, four castings of Animate Dead, eight bloody ogre skeletons.

[Infernally Clay]

Leif Fochlucan Aasimar Druid HP: 46/75, AC: 25 Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1st: 6/6, 2nd: 5/5, 3rd: 3/4, 4th: 1/3, 5th: 2/2 Animal Companion: Iorek, Medium Bear HP: 44/72, AC: 25 Conditions: None

Leif casts Cure Serious Wounds on herself (recovering (3d8+9)[19] hit points) and Iorek (recovering (3d8+9)[20] hit points), visibly displeased that she was given no warning before being thrown into the middle of a war zone. If the group wants to argue amongst themselves they're welcome to. She isn't interested.

[jakarta]

Flagg stalks over and looks at the note.

Meanwhile, spot check result... Hey, where did that other guy go? The last one tossed in?

(the only one who might know his name is the un-introduced girl)

[angelpalm]

♫Eternal Black♫

Psycho Soldier Persephone Android Awakened Blade HP: 110/110, AC: 29 TA/FF 20/24 PP 50/57 Perception: 15 Stealth: 17 Conditions: None Spoiler: Buffs Show NA

The strange woman looks at her surroundings, more specifically the beads that hang off of her and her newly found companions.
"Greetings fellow combatants, it would seem that I have been thrust into quite a predicament. Pray-tell, what purpose do these serve?" She says while pointing at said beads.

"Oh, how rude of me, I am Persephone, a self-actualized and wholly self-powered Paladin of my own noble cause." She states as the air around her is temporarily shunted away from her as if by some unseen force.

"Ah that is better, so again, the beads?"

Spoiler: Actions

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She activates her portable psionic generator for a quick boost in pp in order to manifest Inertial armor. And just as quickly deactivates it and switches on her Thrashing Dragon stance in order to prepare for future encounters.

[Pyrophilios]

Nale Elan Aegis AC: 36 (21 T/28 FF) DR: 4 HP: 60/76 PP:33/37 Perception: +11 Initiative: +3+4 Conditions: Elemental Flux Stance (Air) (+4 ini +4 dodge Electricity Resistance 15, +2d6 electricity damage

Nale's left eyebrow rose and a sardonic grin appeared on his face:

"So, you are some kind of psionic construct, aren't you. Looks like you were classified by our overlords as equipment, or... luggage. Those beads are part of their transport and control scheme, intended to keep us in line and on target. Besides tracking and scrying on us, they can trigger our collars to let some kind of parasite gestate in us. And the beads likely allow them to recover our equippment through teleportation. I wouldn't try to remove them, unless you know exactly what you are doing. If I see this right, you're programmed with martial disciplines and have at least some training with ectoplasmic shaping. Not bad for a girl made from luggage."

[Stelio Kontos]

"Neat trick" observed Torsten as the self actualized whatevethehellitwas did its thing.

"So, where are we going?" he asked Flagg, picking through the pile of debris to retrieve his belongings and quickly slinging his pack onto his shoulders, while adjusting the various buckles and fasteners that had been thrown askew. "Probably need a bit of time to muster up. Weren't exactly wholly prepared to come out swinging. How much do we know about where they're encamped?"

[jakarta]

[TABLE][TR]


"So, you are some kind of psionic construct, aren't you. Looks like you were classified by our overlords as equipment, or... luggage. Those beads are part of their transport and control scheme, intended to keep us in line and on target. Besides tracking and scrying on us, they can trigger our collars to let some kind of parasite gestate in us. And the beads likely allow them to recover our equippment through teleportation. I wouldn't try to remove them, unless you know exactly what you are doing. If I see this right, you're programmed with martial disciplines and have at least some training with ectoplasmic shaping. Not bad for a girl made from luggage."

(close. The beads replaced the collars. It was implied that 1) the beads would kill you if removal was attempted. 2) they can kill you remotely. 3) If you spend too much time in an anti-magic field or otherwise remove the beads that the implanted parasite will kill you. 4)There is some teleportation-tracking function)

Flagg looks at the note.
"Dammit, Waller's gone crazy....and she probably meant to leave something behind in their compound when you leave, not to make an army and storm the place!"

He throws his hands up in frustration.
"Fricken Amateur Hour! Again!. I should have just stayed dead. I should have told Rhals and Waller where to shove it instead of agreeing to move to Fairy Land and LARP Dee-ANN-Dee!"

None of you have any idea what he is talking about, but Legolass starts standing behind him mimicking his gestures and mouthing his words as though she has heard it all before.

[Esprit15]

Mentha notes the woman’s reaction and smirks before returning to her work. “He always this much of a whiner I take it?” She raises two more of the ogres as bloody skeletons and has one carry her over. “Kid, let me give you a tip. Never stay dead. You get a second chance at life, you seize it like a neck. Most folks, this is the best shot they’ll get at a second chance,” she says, giving a slap to the ribcage of the ogre. “I dunno all the words you said, but we were all on death row before this. Anything but unending torture beats that. And if Waller wants specific actions, Waller can state what those actions are. As is, she handed me a delightful toy. It would be terribly insulting and wasteful to not make use of her gift.”

[jakarta]

"Sudden rush? Direct confrontation?"

Flagg is.... flagbergasted at your apparent stupidity.

"allRIGHT. If yall want to take on a hundred hill giants, 20 ogres, 40 bugbears, 10 bearbugs, 2 cave bears, a pack of dire wolves, half dozen stone giants, a few dozen orcs, flock of giant goats, and...what's the difference between cloud giants, mist giants, and fog giants again? Doesn't matter, they got at least one of each. How the frack are you going to directly confront all that WITHOUT get-n ya rescue target kilt?"

Flagg paces in a circle for a moment as he attempts to get his regional accent and temper under control.

"It was going to be hard enough to get you to base camp before nightfall without being spotted by the hobgoblin patrols, but now you want me to do it dragging 8 ten-foot tall skeltons? THIS week, of ALL WEEKS, you want to be standing around in a field with corpses? Walking around with corpses. THIS week."

Looking at the Elf, "You and me should have just picked a night and gone in and slit all their throats. But No. Waller wanted Intel.

Would you hurry it up? You Do know what this week is, Right?"

(During the rant you all have time to pick up your gear.)

[Pyrophilios]

Nale Elan Aegis AC: 36 (21 T/28 FF) DR: 4 HP: 70/76 PP:33/37 Perception: +11 Initiative: +3+4 Conditions: Elemental Flux Stance (Air) (+4 ini +4 dodge Electricity Resistance 15, +2d6 electricity damage

Nale's listened impassive to the rant and answered:

"Sounds a bit excessive for the whole army to roll out just to meet us - especially if they have a prisoner. If you wanted us at the base camp, then why the heck did you not port us there in the first place?
Have you seen our group? This was never going to be a stealth mission. This is a slasher play.
Anyway, some of us can fly, some can turn invisible. Shouldn't be too much trouble getting the dwarf out if they'd bring him here. Though I doubt that.

Oh and no, we don't know what week it is. In fact we don't know where, or when we are. The only thing we know is, that we must kill.

So how about, you explain the situation, instead of getting your panties in a twist."

[Esprit15]

“Correction: We have those resources. You just can’t see them yet. See the fun thing about these bad boys…” she says, slapping the bloody wet skull of one of the ogres and getting crimson on both herself and Flagg, “is that they self repair. I reckon each could take out a couple of the small fry, get destroyed, and nobody thinks anything of it until the bones pull themselves back together again and tear up more of their grunts before a priest gets involved and they learn how to actually destroy them. And every time they punch above their weight class, we have a new, bigger toy to play with. Which is why Jeffy killing that giant and his mammoth is important. If Johan is a warleader, they’ll likely honor his corpse and bury it once they destroy his skeleton the first time. Then it will get up and start killing again.

“Sounds like a wonderful distraction to me,” the blood tinged gnome says with a grin. “No direct confrontation, no glorious battles for us. If Nale wants to die valiantly, that’s his perogative. I have a prize to acquire.”

[Pyrophilios]

Nale Elan Aegis AC: 36 (21 T/28 FF) DR: 4 HP: 71/76 PP:33/37 Perception: +11 Initiative: +3+4 Conditions: Elemental Flux Stance (Air) (+4 ini +4 dodge Electricity Resistance 15, +2d6 electricity damage

Nale grinned:

"I'm all for convenient solutions. Before I die, I'll take to the sky and wait a few minutes until I'm healed up again. And if your pets are as useful as you say, I might even be inclined to give you a ride."

[jakarta]

Listen checks, and declare what space you are in.

[Pyrophilios]

[QUOTE=Pyrophilios;25833410]

Nale Elan Aegis AC: 36 (21 T/28 FF) DR: 4 HP: 76/76 PP:33/37 Perception: +11 Initiative: +3+4 Conditions: Elemental Flux Stance (Air) (+4 ini +4 dodge Electricity Resistance 15, +2d6 electricity damage

Nale cocked his head slighly. He wasn't sure if he just had heard something

Spoiler

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Perception
(1d20+11)[21]

Nale stands at C8

[Esprit15]

Mentha keeps her ears open, mostly for signs of the oversized goblin. Her skeletons stand in a roughly evenly spaced group around her.

Spoiler

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Mentha: G8
Ogre Skeletons: G4, G11, K4, K8, K11, K15, N4, N8

Perception: (1d20+8)[28]

[Infernally Clay]

Leif Fochlucan Aasimar Druid HP: 46/75, AC: 25 Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1st: 6/6, 2nd: 5/5, 3rd: 3/4, 4th: 1/3, 5th: 2/2 Animal Companion: Iorek, Medium Bear HP: 44/72, AC: 25 Conditions: None

Spoiler

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Perception: (1d20+19)[21]

Leif and Iorek will be pretty close to Nale by now.