CH. 15: There and Back Again

[spyguy1503]

Gallath's face clouds over at the mention of demons. "She was by my side, helping me kill demons. That is a serious accusation. Can you back it up?"

[Breila]

Ouragna goes back to studying the glass cannon with Thaddeus.

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn Blaine (The Seleya, Captain's Cabin)
Saren sighs. "That is very true. But it's a sad, lonely life. They say it is better to have loved and lost than never loved at all. Tell me, do you think you would be happier if you had never known your mother at all? What about if you could fix it so you had never met Ethan? You would lose all of the painful memories of having lost them, but you would also lose all of the happy memories of better times? Do you think giving up the latter makes up for losing the former? Do you believe that would make you happier?"

Ouragana Stormbride (Aboard the Bullring)
Ouragana finds Thaddeus going over the cannon. It looks to be made more of iron or steel than glass, though. He mutters to himself absently while tracing the runes on the cannon, then pulls out a scroll and makes notations on it.

Baeros and Drav (Edge of the Ruined City)
"Nice to meet you. We're waiting for our cleric now," says the gnome. "Oh, there she is."

An elderly woman wearing blue robes approaches, holding a staff. She was the same woman Baeros saw speaking with Elisa earlier. "I apologize for being late. I had another task to complete."

"Should we set out then?" asks the elf.

Val Urgan (Ocean, 200 yards from shore)
Val fires another spine at a sahuagin, trapping it in a web, too. The other four sahuagin reach her and start stabbing with their spears and tridents. She takes a couple of minor scratches that burn like hell in the salt water, but it's nothing too serious.

==========

Initiative
Val (1d10+3): 3+3 = 6
Sahuagin 01 (N/A)
Sahuagin 02 (1d10+6): 9+6 = 15
Sahuagin 03 (1d10+6): 1+6 = 7
Sahuagin 04 (1d10+7): 3+7 = 10
Sahuagin 05 (1d10+7): 10+7 = 17
Sahuagin 06 (1d10+7): 10+7 = 17

Round 1!

Sahuagin 01 is stuck in a net.
Val fires a net of snaring at Sahuagin 02. It saves vs. BW [TN 17] (1d20): 8, fail. It is ensnared.
Sahuagin 03 stabs its spear at Val [TN 13] (1d20): 15, hit for (1d6): 1 damage.
Sahuagin 04 stabs its spear at Val [TN 13] (1d20): 9, miss.
Sahuagin 02 is now trapped in a net.
Sahuagin 05 stabs its trident at Val [TN 13] (1d20): 15, hit for (1d6+1): 3+1 = 4 damage. Val is now lightly wounded.
Sahuagin 06 stabs its trident at Val [TN 13] (1d20): 4, miss.

(OOC: When Invisible Castle is down, I make the rolls, as always. Actions for Round 2?)

Gallath (Ruined City, South)
"Is the word of a demon hunter not enough for you?" asks Penta. "Fine, then behold." She pulls out a small pouch and tosses it to Gallath. Inside he finds...what appear to be...toenails.

"I collected those from the last inn room I tracked her to a couple of weeks ago," Penta explains. "They continue to grow even after they have been clipped!"

"That's gross," Naishe comments. "Who collects people's toenails?"

"What's more, she acts very suspiciously," Penta continues. "Always on the move, always keeping an eye over her shoulder."

"I don't like being in the same place for a long time," Naishe objects. "And excuse me if I'm a bit paranoid! I am being chased by a demon hunter, after all."

Penta shakes her head. "It matters not. I can sense demons, I know she is one. I suggest you step aside before you sucks the life out of you."

Naras Stonebreaker (Ruined City, Market Square)
The slaad is sixty feet away from the patrol. Komal steps forward, her hand on her cutlass hilt, but does not draw it. "Sir, please step away from that thing. It's incredibly dangerous."

The genasi looks over the slaad, then back to the patrol. "Dangerous? Please, it's only a red. Now if it were a grey or a black, you might have a point. I wouldn't have been able to paralyze it so easily then."

"Sir, I think it would be best if you come back with us in town," Komal says. "Please step...err, float down here. We don't want any trouble."

The genasi sighs and pulls out a small needle from his sleeve. "Bored now." He quickly chants some kind of spell and throws the needle at the patrol. At once, they all freeze completely in place, save for Naras. She seems to be the only one unaffected. "That's better," he says. "Really, they're part of the problem. Trying so hard to help the people of this city, but at what price?" He shrugs. "Anyway, as I said, I calculated a 89% chance you would follow me, despite how completely out-classed you are. Gontorians are so terribly predictable. But that's why you'll never win," he mocks.

[Chris1234]

Naras wonders about the spell, ~??Timestop??~
and then waits, studying the Slaad meanwhile, looking for any inconsistency. {Disbelieve Illusion}

[Nuke]

Does she not get an attack in round 1?

Val attacks again, hopefully twice before attempting to ensnare another. Sho positions and moves to get closer to Mist. 'Just let me free her.' Val thinks

[HorizonsDream]

"It probably wouldn't make me happier," Jocelyn admits. "Even though I don't really know what will make me happy. I've been so focused on this pirate thing that I haven't thought about it. I..." Jocelyn pauses for a few moments, as she isn't even really sure she wants to admit what she was about to admit. "I didn't even realize how much I missed Ethan until you mentioned his name."

[Breila]

Ouragana approaches Thaddeus cautiously, she doesn't want to startle him. When she has his attention, she asks: "Have you found out anything interesting?"

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn Blaine (The Seleya, Captain's Cabin)
"He was a pirate," Saren says. "A thief, a murderer and a rapist. And yet, there was still some good in him. He was capable of love and of being loved. Octhanus teaches us this is true of everyone. We aren't born with darkness within us, rather we are infected by the evil of those around us. Some embrace the darkness, others reject it. You have done neither. You've simply shut yourself down, refused to feel anything. So the darkness simmers inside of you, like a sealed pot of boiling water."

He leans forward, resting his arms on his desk. "And this is wherein the crux of the issue lies. You cannot be an effective priestess of Octhanus if you can't feel anything. We are more than just healers, we are friends, lovers, and family. Mending broken bones, sealing wounds and cleansing diseases are good acts, but if you don't care about the people you are helping, it hinders your effectiveness. You'll eventually stop seeing them as people, only as obligations. You'll come to resent them. Helping others will not be something you want to do, but something you feel you must do. The darkness within you will grow, until it consumes you. And you'll become a husk; uncaring and dead inside. I've seen it before. In the church, we called it 'the burn out' and it has led to the downfall or many a good cleric."

Ouragana Stormbride (Aboard the Bullring)
"Hmm?" asks Thaddeus absently. He then tears his gaze away from the cannon long enough to look up at Ouragana. "Oh, uh, yes, perhaps." He points to a series of runes that surround the fireball runes that Ouragana noticed the other day. "I believe this equation here is meant to maximize the effect of whatever is within it. It's a sort of...enhancement algorithm. I've never seen anything quite like it, but I remember reading that the Eonians often used 'metamagic equations.' These were meant to improve spells, empowering them or increasing their effect. I think that might be what this is for. If that's true...this cannon might be capable of some extreme damage. Certainly enough to sink an entire ship, at least."

Val Urgan (Ocean, 200 yards from shore)
Val evades the two tridents coming at her, but gets a couple of cuts from the spears. She fires her third and last spine at a sahuagin, but now that it knows what is coming, it is able to evade the net entirely. She swims the rest of the way to Mist, the remaining four sahuagin right behind her.

==========

Initiative
Val (1d10+3): 9+3 = 12
Sahuagin 01 (N/A)
Sahuagin 02 (N/A)
Sahuagin 03 (1d10+6): 6+6 = 12
Sahuagin 04 (1d10+7): 7+7 = 14
Sahuagin 05 (1d10+7): 3+7 = 10
Sahuagin 06 (1d10+7): 2+7 = 9

Round 2!

Sahuagin 01 is stuck in a net.
Sahuagin 02 is stuck in a net.
Sahuagin 06 stabs its trident at Val [TN 13] (1d20): 9, miss.
Sahuagin 05 stabs its trident at Val [TN 13] (1d20): 2, miss.
Sahuagin 03 stabs its spear at Val [TN 13] (1d20): 19, hit for (1d6): 1 damage.
Val fires a net of snaring at Sahuagin 03. It saves vs. BW [TN 17] (1d20): 20, pass. It evades the net. She then swims up to Mist.
Sahuagin 04 stabs its spear at Val [TN 13] (1d20): 14, hit for (1d6): 1 damage. Val is now moderately wounded.

(OOC: She did get an attack. She fired a net of snaring at Sahuagin 02, capturing it. As I stated before, you cannot use a magical item function more than once per round. You also cannot make a melee attack and use a magical item function in the same round, either. One action per round, that's the normal core rules there.)

Naras Stonebreaker (Ruined City, Market Square)
Naras stares at the frozen slaad, but cannot see anything that would suggest it isn't real. Then again, having never seen a slaad before, she wouldn't know what kind of discrepancy to look for. It might look nothing like a real slaad, as far as she knows.

"Well, are you just going to stand there, slack-jawed?" asks the Son of Crizza with a hint of impatience. "Actually, come to think of it, what exactly was your plan here? Take another run at me with your pointy stick?" He glances skyward as a flock of gulls fly by, and he seems to admire the sight. Then he looks back at Naras after they have passed. "Hmm, what was I saying? Oh, right. So did you do what I told you, and warn the people of Narin? I calculated a 93% probability that you would. It wouldn't be much of a war if one side completely obliterated the other, after all. No element of surprise for either side."

(OOC: Naras saves vs. illusion [TN 14] (1d20+4): 1+4 = 5, fail.)

[HorizonsDream]

"So I need to open up to people more," Jocelyn says. She finally lifts her head to look to Saren curiously. "...Aren't I doing that with you?" she asks.

[BishGada]

"Yes, yes... Lead on. Unless you want me to lead with the dogs ahead?" Baeros asks while throwing a look at the Seleya.
After the group starts moving Baeros asks the cleric without seeing he is being rude "What did you talk about with Elisa? What other business did you have? Are you a priest of Ochtanus as well? Have you removed Slaadi eggs from people bodies? Or animals? In how many patrols in the city have you participated? Can you help Drav?" he gestures to Drav.

[Nuke]

Val draws her dagger and begins to try and cut Mist loose, trying to avoid incoming attacks.

[Chris1234]

"Are you actually that good? Or do you just posture, making up numbers to sound good, possibly in compensation for what you believe to be an inadequate manhood?" replied Naras, moving slightly forwards so as to protect the patrol, if that's actually possible.

[Breila]

"That's very interesting" Ouragana tells Thaddeus as she looks closely, trying to understand the algorithm herself. "It would be very useful to understand this kind of magic. »Metamagic«" she says dreamily. "That sounds almost too good to be true." Then she snaps back to reality. "Not just for destruction" she explains. "Ways to enhance magic could be just the right thing to learn..." She applies herself to the study of the Cannon with Thaddeus, discussing finds when appropriate.

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn Blaine (The Seleya, Captain's Cabin)
Saren smiles. "Yes. And that's a start. But only a start. Hopefully a good one, though."

Ouragana Stormbride (Aboard the Bullring)
Thaddeus agrees. "Theoretically, it could be use to increase any aspect of a spell. Its duration, its area of effect, its range, and so forth. An entirely new school, or rather, an old school of magic could be derived from this. Although that would probably take years, even decades. Still, it's quite exciting. I think first, though, we need to test this cannon. We need a place where we can monitor the level of destruction, but obviously someplace where people won't get hurt."

Val Urgan (Ocean, 200 yards from shore)
Val draws her dagger and starts cutting through the netting that is holding Mist while the sahuagin continue to attack her. She manages to evade most of the attacks, but does take a spear to the leg. Her blood clouds the water around her a bit. Hopefully there aren't any sharks in the area.

Mist is freed and swims in a big circle, happy to be able to move again.

==========

Initiative
Val (1d10+3): 3+2 = 5
Sahuagin 01 (N/A)
Sahuagin 02 (N/A)
Sahuagin 03 (1d10+6): 6+6 = 12
Sahuagin 04 (1d10+7): 7+7 = 14
Sahuagin 05 (1d10+7): 7+7 = 14
Sahuagin 06 (1d10+7): 3+7 = 10

Round 3!

Sahuagin 01 is stuck in a net.
Sahuagin 02 is stuck in a net.
Val cuts through the net with her dagger. Mist is now free.
Sahuagin 06 stabs its trident at Val [TN 13] (1d20): 7, miss.
Sahuagin 03 stabs its spear at Val [TN 13] (1d20): 4, miss.
Sahuagin 04 stabs its spear at Val [TN 13] (1d20): 17, hit for (1d6): 2 damage.
Sahuagin 05 stabs its trident at Val [TN 13] (1d20): 9, miss.

Baeros and Drav (Ruined City, South)
They move into the city proper, walking down the street while keeping a close eye out. The buildings seem deserted and many are badly burned. Baeros remembers well when the whole city was burning and the people were fighting each other in the streets, only a couple of weeks ago.

The old woman chuckles. "Goodness, aren't you an inquisitive young man? If you are interested to know, then so be it. Flores asked me to speak with an old genasai woman living in the shantytown. That's why I was running late. She wanted to know about someone called the 'Son of Crizza.' Never heard of him myself, and the genasi had not heard of him, either."

She pulls out a medallion of a dolphin, much like the one Jocelyn wears, from under her vestments. "I am a cleric of Octhanus. Well, almost. I'm an acolyte, still finishing my training. I've not removed slaad eggs before; that is beyond my ability still. I've been in several patrols...I suppose 6 or 7, if you want a more exact number." She looks to the young elf. "What is wrong with him?"

Naras Stonebreaker (Ruined City, Market Square)
Naras realizes that the entire patrol is not paralyzed. The two on the outer edge seem to have escaped the spell's effect, but seem instead more paralyzed with fear. They are one of the men and the dwarven woman--Naras never did get their names. Komal herself was in the center of the spell when it hit.

The Son of Crizza chuckles. "Are you asking me for a demonstration of my power?" he asks. He holds his hands out and electricity begins to cackle between them. "They're fish in a barrel, but I have just the spell in mind, if that's what you wish."

(OOC: I believe your character's name in this game is Naras, not Shima, by the way.)

[Chris1234]

Naras Stonebreaker (Ruined City, Market Square)
Raising an amazed eyebrow, the dwarf responds, “Which part of ‘..do you make up the numbers?..’ sounds like ‘..please strike down these people that are no challenge to you..’ ?”

Naras takes another few paces forwards, to best draw the attacks from the Slaad, should it be real and released, thinking ~No reason the patrol should die on my account.~

“Well I can’t say you’re boring. Go on, impress me then, why would I not have come here 11% of the time and with what outcomes?”