Seeing the impostor run up the outside of the tower, the party heads across the second floor to the ramp leading up. Torrent and Liiros lag behind, their heavier armor weighing them down.
As the rest of the party get closer to the ball of light, its menacing aura is almost palpable. Hollister and Rashelle are overwhelmed and feel themselves weaken.
Rashelle is the first to start up the ramp and gain a clear line of sight to the glowing orb. It shoots two rays of light at her, but both go far wide. The orb floats 10 feet above the second floor, ready to shoot at the next person to come into view.
OOC
Now everyone goes again.
Hollister and Rashelle are both -2 to all attacks, saves, and AC for 24 hours.
New map attached. The Rivereye Badgerface impostor is on the map where you last saw him, since no one can see him now.
Not liking the weakness caused by the orb of light, Hollister decides to see how it fares against fire. He raises a hand, and flames explode around the ball of light. The wizard then ducks back out of sight.
AC14 (w/mage armor), Hit Points 10/11
Initiative: 22
(Mage Armor in effect)
Fiery Burst at ball of light. Then take cover.
Fiery Burst
2nd level fire spell ready: Fiery Burst has a 5' radius, range of 30', and causes 2d6 damage. Reflex save vrs DC 15 for 1/2 damage.
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
Liiros hustles onward to the next stairway, huffing as he tries to gets up to the next floor in time to help the others deal with the imposter. He tells the others "Get upstairs! If it follows, then we'll deal with it! I don't even know why it attacks!" The elf clanks along in his heavy armor.
ooc
Double-move again. My Will save bonus is +2 if needed.
Hollister's fireball explodes around the ball of light, but when the flames dissipate the ball remains. It returns fire with another ray of light, but Hollister dodges while he moves up the ramp. Hollister shoots another fiery burst, and this time he destroys the ball of light.
Plavin, Korrin, and Rashelle ignore the ball of light and continue running up the ramp to the third floor. The floor is unlit. The rows of storage lockers merge with the darkness beyond the range of lantern light. The group runs across the third floor to the ramp up to the the fourth floor, and then up again to the fifth.
One of the balcony doors on the fifth floor is open. Plavin, Korrin, and Rashelle run onto the balcony. They see the impostor Rivereye on the roof of a building adjacent to the depository tower grounds. Lit by the fires burning in the city, it's obvious he's really an elf. He's obviously fleeing, and is 45 feet away from you when Hollister catches up.
Torrent and Liiros loose sight of the faster party members when the two are only on the third floor. "Wait!" Torrent says. "This could be a trap. Anyone could be hiding in that darkness." She slows. "And there should be other guards here, too. Something isn't right."
OOC
I sped things up a little bit. I'm still figuring out the best way to handle certain situations in a pbp environment, I guess.
Every PC except Liiros are on the fifth floor (top floor) balcony, with line of effect to the rapidly fleeing Rivereye impersonator. Liiros and Torrent are paused on the third floor, near the ramp up to the fourth floor.
Plavin move forward 15 feet, and begins to concentrate. When he relaxes a ball of green goo is in his hand. He throws it at the elf.
ooc
I used Entangling Ectoplasm
The attack roll was Ranged Touch Attack (1d20+3=20)
If hit the elf will be entangled for 5 rounds. There is no save, and no SR/PR.
"A trap? Really?" The sarcasm in Hollister's voice is sharp. He shakes his head. "Regardless, we must catch the imposter. We need to determine his motives. The way should now be clear." With that, the mage hustles after his better armed and armored companions.
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
Plavin and company are on the balcony looking out at the impostor, who's running across the roof of a building near the depository tower grounds. Plavin can't more than a couple of feet closer to the impostor without climbing over the balcony railing and falling 80 feet to the ground.
The party has a whole round before the elf impostor elf double-moves away, so if you can come up with some way to get Plavin closer you can use the same attack roll.
Quote:
Originally Posted by concerro
Plavin move forward 15 feet, and begins to concentrate. When he relaxes a ball of green goo is in his hand. He throws it at the elf.
ooc
I used Entangling Ectoplasm
The attack roll was Ranged Touch Attack (1d20+3=20)
If hit the elf will be entangled for 5 rounds. There is no save, and no SR/PR.
Liiros hustles onward, up the damnable stairs, huffing as he lugs his heavy armor up yet another flight of stairs..... "What.....do we do? .....Go back down? ......Move on......to our objective instead? .....We don't need.....the gnome, or his imposter, do we?" the elf gasps out between breaths. He unlimbers his longbow from one shoulder as he climbs the last flight of stairs, knowing that there's no way he'll catch up to the imposter on foot.
ooc
I don't know how far Liiros has to move to reach the floor that the others are on, or to catch sight of the fleeing imposter. But if he can do so with 20 feet of movement, he'll fire an arrow at the imposter. Though I doubt he gets far enough with just one move action, so more likely he spends the whole round just jogging.
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It'll take Liiros a several rounds to reach the rest of the party
Liiros is down on the third floor. The party is up on the fifth floor. It'll be at least three rounds before Liiros or Torrent can get up there. That's why Torrent is planning on searching on her way up to make sure there aren't enemies hiding behing the rows of lockers. If nothing else, someone, or something, had to take out the guards who should be on floors 2-5.
Plavin is visibly upset as he realizes none of his powers will reach the elf. He decides the best thing to do is to see what everyone else wants to do.
Korrin looks to Torrent and asks "Do you know a way out of the city without your informant? If not, let's try searching floor by floor and maybe we can find him, otherwise we should get moving. Whoever he works for will find out we're here soon enough and will come looking"
"Yes," says Hollister, stroking his goatee. "We have to escape the city before we are overwhelmed and caught."
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
"You guys have the right idea," Torrent says. "Let's go see if we can find Badgerface, or at least all the guards that are supposed to be here."
Down on the fourth floor you find several tower guards and one gnome unconscious and tied up. Nearby is a dead half-orc guard (the only one in the group) who's cause of death is probably the horrible burns on his face.
Torrent recognizes the gnome as Rivereye Badgerface, your contact. She quickly revives him and explains what happened to the party. Badgerface says, "That impostor must have been one of the elves who jumped me. They took the case I was carrying, but I convinced them it was trapped and I didn't know the password. There's no trap, but the case is locked pretty well. The Lyceum will be able to open it, but don't be upset if you can't."
"Go back to the people who captured you," Torrent says. "If they have the case, we need to find them."
"Right, right," Badgerface says. "Well, I overheard the elves talking to with that ball of light. I don't speak elven, but the light ball spoke celestial, which I do speak. It sounded like they had a contact at Gabal's magic school. The case itself is black metal, about a foot long and wide and half a foot deep. The whole thing is adamantine, including the lock."
"Okay," Torrent says. "Unless you guys can think of anything else we should do, I'll go get the guards from outside."
"If they are going to Gabal's, that is an advantage for us..." says Hollister. Fire dances over his fingers as he speaks. "I have many friends and acquaintances at the school."
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
"Although I have no dealings with the school we should approach with caution as they might already have bribed or otherwise turned you contacts against you now that they know we're coming" Korrin replies
"Perhaps." The wizard shrugs. "If that is the case, then they shall burn for their treachery."
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
Torrent unties and revives the unconscious guards. You all explain what happened, including how the half-orc guard was killed. Those of you who pay attention to the guards' reactions notice that none of the guards appear to be especially upset at the half-orc's death.
Though they accept your story, they still don't let you leave the tower until they've inspected all the lockers in it to make sure nothing was broken into. By the time you're out of the tower, dawn is not too far off.
When you're away from the guards, Torrent says, "I know we need to get that case back, but I'm starting to fall asleep on my feet here. The resistance has a safehouse underneath the temple of Olidammara* that's just a few blocks from here. We could catch some rest and chow there. *yawn* I don't think anyone's awake over at Gabal's right now, either."
"I certainly appreciate all your help," Badgerface says, "but regardless of what you choose, I'm off to the temple."
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