" suppose bound elementals didn't have that problem, but I'd rather my ship not have a mind of its own." Aerdene said, leading you back to a cleared out space in the rubble.
Walking the deck, Doc smiles amiably at the remark. "Ah, but that same mind might have noticed your little artillery problem sooner."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Solarious
Quaen turns to Doc, asking: "How good do you think you are? If we can fix the contraption, it might be the best course if it can be done quickly."
Doc sighs and tags a drag off his cigar. "I could tell you a hundred ways to design the engine and identify its problems, but without a ship's engineer to actually thrash the metal, my skills are less than suitable." He looks around at the cloth, and turns to his distant kin. "What about the air bladder? If we can heat the air some other way, will it still hold? Or would we need to jettison some weight?"
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
"If you can keep both of the factions in the caverns busy for half an hour or so, I believe I can repair the engine and the burner. The soarwood hull and mithral engine give me some margin -- I think this concept can be made to work with ordinary wood and metal, though it would leave much less capacity for cargo and passengers.
"I've been trying to sneak in repairs when neither side was being too observant. The Cardinal has some spells that have been of use there, but I've never had much time." Aerdene said.
Sitting on the ground, her legs in improvised braces, and wearing the robes of a Cardinal of the Orthodox Church, was a flame-haired Khorvar woman who you'd guess was in her 40s (i.e. she looks like an early 30s-ish human, except for the ears). Save for the robes, it would be easy to take her for a factor of a great merchant house; Doc has seen many women that look much like her among the 'young' and ambitious of his house.
"I did not study magic for its combat aplications." Cardinal Avaliah Sarhain said. "If not for tradition nearly as strong as law, I doubt I would have learned the prayer to create food and water, and then where would we be?"
Knowledge(religion or history) DC 15
In the last years of the Cataclysm, Flamekeep was under seige, and the surrounding farms could not produce enough to feed the city. The Clerics of the Flame had been able to supplement their effort, and even aid it, but all but the most purely positive and negative divine magics began to fail, and the training centers for arcanists had been largely destroyed (leading to the current state where only healers, dread necromancers, and archivists exist as major casters). The rotes of the then-small Archivists order still functioned, though, and it was by their efforts on the margin that many of the people of Flamekeep avoided starvation in those last days. As a consequence, all members of the Archivists Order in the Church -- now much larger than it was then -- are taught the spells to create food and water as soon as they are capable of casting them.
The Keeper of the Flame whose sacrifice ended the Cataclysm was the last true Cleric on Eberron; visionaries in later years have usually had Healer's powers, though the few members of the Archivists order that have ascended to the Keeper's title have found their powers enhanced with the Keeper's mantle rather than replaced.
Doc nodded; he understood the significance of that spell to the Flamists. "I have a few tricks that could fill your bladder with air, though it would not be the hot vapors you require. But I am at your service the same." He looks out at the cavern, thinking. "Tell us about these two factions. Where to they attack from? Anything would be of help."
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
"There were dolgrim crossbowmen on another high ledge across the cavern from the necromancer's riflemen -- or perhaps musketeers; their weaponry does not look all that modern. I trust it was you that attacked the last of them a few minutes ago? Whenever Master Aerdene attempts to work on his vessel, they stop taking shots at each other and refocus on us.
"I am at a loss as to what either side wants, but more than that I worry about dolgrims on the surface of Eberron, especially this close to Flamekeep. I had thought the last in this part of Khorvaire, at least, had perished during the rise of the Empire of the Flame." The Cardinal said.
Grant walks over to the Cardinal and examines her wounds. "Let me have a look at those lady," he says as he gives her a winning grin. "I cannot mend the bones, but I can probably lessen the pain," he adds with a wink as he subtly runs his hands over her legs.
ooc
Use lay on hands(all 6hp) on the Cardinal. Trying to do it without others being clued in, still trying to keep the Paladin thing a secret.
It's really hard to model injuries as hit point damage, but since I don't think broken bones should require regenerate to heal from, I'm considering the Cardinal's broken legs to be 1/3rd of her hit points worth of damage that can only be healed magically, or heals at 1 hp/week. Grant's Lay on Hands was sufficient to cover that, because she's an Archivist without a Con bonus...
OOC: Doc is better at assisting than fighting, so if his knowledge of mechanics could speed up the process in anyway, he'd do that. Otherwise, he can assist in battle, but he isn't a strategist.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
"Beggin' yer honor's pardon and all, but it seems to me that we oughta be gettin' together some sort of defense, in case them monstrosities and brigands come back. " Horace grimaces as he says this, and then looks vaguely embarrassed at having strung so many words together at once. He moves off without waiting for a reply and begins scouting around for good sniper positions.
__________________ Originally Posted by Piratecat:
See, that's the thing. A half-vampire gelatinous cube ninja of legend is patently absurd. An unkillable blob of midnight slime that haunts the crevices of an ancient inn, that leaves slime-covered and blood-drained carcasses behind it as it slinks back into the shadows, is just plain scary.
If you're trying for style without player metagaming, change physical appearance and never label anything. As the Shaman and other folks illustrated, everything can be more frightening when you don't know what the heck you're facing.
"My pleasure Cardinal. Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?" He goes down on one knee helping her to her feet if she so desires. "I know little of such machines, but if the Cardinal wishes it I can help Horace secure the area."
"Thank you again." She says, a little unsteady, but standing up. "I believe I would be of more use aiding Master Aerdene and Master Soldaris than in trying to manage a battle."
OOC:
I need to stat out a few bad guys before you any further violence happens; so far, I've just turned the orcs with longbows in the adventure into humans with muskets, but there are some things coming up where that won't work. And Aerdene is an Expert, not a Bard, and the Cardinal (an Archivist) is my own invention...
Anyway, the earliest I'll have any of that done is tomorrow; feel free to talk (and Aerdene and the Cardinal will answer questions), but holding off the forces of evil while you try and repair the ship won't commence for a few days.
As Grant helps the Cardinal walk to the ship -- she waves him off once she is sure she can walk under her own power -- it becomes fairly obvious that their warnings are accurate, as Horace notices -- and points out -- a new trio of musketeers where the sentry you slew minutes ago once stood. A quick look around shows a trio of dolgrim crossbowmen across the way.
"I believe, with your help and the Cardinal's, I may be able to get the Cloud Walker airborne in ten minutes." Aerdene tells Doc. "Your friends will need to hold both sides off until then."
Doc, the Cardinal, and Aerdene enter to effect repairs. Horace, Grant, and Quaen are all that stand between them and either force on the perches. "Stop them!" A voice from the humans on one ledge ordered, loudly enough to be heard over the waterfall. An unintelligible cry went out from the dolgrims as well.
Initiative
Grant 22
NPC Allies 20 (probably irrelevant; working on repairs)
Human Musketeers 17
Horace 8
Dolgrim Crossbowmen 7
Quaen 4
Doc 3 (probably irrelevant; working on repairs)
Horace will move to cover and fire at the human musketeers.
__________________ Originally Posted by Piratecat:
See, that's the thing. A half-vampire gelatinous cube ninja of legend is patently absurd. An unkillable blob of midnight slime that haunts the crevices of an ancient inn, that leaves slime-covered and blood-drained carcasses behind it as it slinks back into the shadows, is just plain scary.
If you're trying for style without player metagaming, change physical appearance and never label anything. As the Shaman and other folks illustrated, everything can be more frightening when you don't know what the heck you're facing.
OOC: There's no way to reach the dolgrims without scaling a cliff face, using supernatural abilities, or going back into the caverns -- or waiting until Aerdene gets his device working and jumping; the cliff they're looking down on you from is even higher up than the one the human musketeers on the other side are on.
OOC: There's no way to reach the dolgrims without scaling a cliff face, using supernatural abilities, or going back into the caverns -- or waiting until Aerdene gets his device working and jumping; the cliff they're looking down on you from is even higher up than the one the human musketeers on the other side are on.
If there was not a reasonable way to get up would could I assume that I simply moved to cover and took a shot(at the humans?)
Grant 22
NPC Allies 20 (probably irrelevant; working on repairs)
Human Musketeers 17
Horace 8
Dolgrim Crossbowmen 7
Quaen 4
Doc 3 (probably irrelevant; working on repairs)
Grant's shot missed, hitting the cliff face rather than the human mercenary; revolver fire at this range wasn't easy. Their return fire was just as inaccurate, hitting the ground rather than any of the heroes.
Horace's rifle, on the other hand, had far more range than Grant's pistol, and even a bit more than the mercenaries' muskets. And he was a rather better shot than they were. So unlike everyone else so far, he scored a hit, then ducked back under cover to reload.
The dolgrim crossbowmen had the longest-range weapons of all, but they were firing from the longest range, and were not highly skilled warriors. Three bolts littered the ground. Quaen's revolver fared no better than Grant's did.
OOC: Unfortunately, between range penalties and cover, the shooting going on here (on either side) is probably going to be very inaccurate. Horace is the only one who can hit on anything other than a natural 20, barring action points.
Grant shakes his head, drops prone and reloads his pistol. "This is going to be impossible," he mutters to himself, he then yells, "keep shooting Horace!"
ooc
How many rounds back up through the caves? Would it leave me totally vulnurable to missle fire?
How many rounds back up through the caves? Would it leave me totally vulnurable to missle fire?
ooc
Assuming no opposition between here and there, six rounds. For the first two you'd be somewhat more open to missile fire than you are now (firing from cover).
Horace takes his time, aiming at each human first. When they're dead, he moves to the dolgrims.
OOC: Horace will take his time and if things seem to be especially dire, he'll break out the "special" ammo and use the extra damage to speed things up. Horace is a patient man and will take as much time as he needs.
__________________ Originally Posted by Piratecat:
See, that's the thing. A half-vampire gelatinous cube ninja of legend is patently absurd. An unkillable blob of midnight slime that haunts the crevices of an ancient inn, that leaves slime-covered and blood-drained carcasses behind it as it slinks back into the shadows, is just plain scary.
If you're trying for style without player metagaming, change physical appearance and never label anything. As the Shaman and other folks illustrated, everything can be more frightening when you don't know what the heck you're facing.
Quaen darkly mutters something elvish under her breath and stows away her revolver. Pulling her hands in and weaving them in a series of narrowing matterns, she focuses a pinch of her vitality and shapes it into a semblance of a hand, drawing a grimace from her features as she pinches it off from her own essence.
OoC
Quaen will cast Spectral Hand and use that to attack with her Charnel Touch. If someone troublesome comes along, she'll cast Inflict Light Wounds and use that with Charnel Touch. If she gets wounded, she'll use Bestow Wound to steal some hit points back. And if they start causing real trouble in a concentrated formation, Quaen will cast Kelgore's Grave Mist again, but she will refrain from using any more second level slots if at all possible.
However, if the Necromancer (if Quaen can identify that) shows up, and he/she/it isn't immediately identifiable as undead, Warforged, or something else obviously immune to paralysis, Quaen will cast Ghoul Touch and say hello to her fellow colleage.
Thus are my autopilot instructions for Quaen while I try to get things back in order.
__________________ I hate to interrupt, but I believe we're being followed. The Mimes on the street corner. No, don't look. ~ Mycroft, Broken Diamond
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Last edited by Solarious; 25th August 2007 at 06:08 PM..
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