Fallen World (Mature, Dark)

[Autumn]

By the time Ysande's escort has slipped into a long dress of diaphanous light gray silk. In the fashion of the demonic courts - a fashion dictated largely by Succubi - the garment is form-fitting and almost entirely transparent, leaving only just enough to the imagination so that the effect is tantalizing rather than crude. Her hair is coiled elaborately and secured with ivory hairpins, leaving a frond hanging down on either side to frame her face. Her outfit is completed with dainty slippers matching her dress and a liberal scattering of jewelry - a sapphire necklace reflecting her eyes, two interlocking gold bracelets on each arm and a pair of finely wrought golden earrings.

She doesn't make a fuss about leaving Kaj behind, having already expected it. He accepts the prohibition with impassive silence.

She passes the walk with her beautiful Even escort in pleasant chatter, carefully making no response to the despair she sees in the girls eyes. In a perfect world she would love to give her some sign of sympathy, but this is no perfect world and she knows how dangerous that would be. Likewise she shows no sign of anything but sincere admiration as she views the sublime hideousness of the flesh sculptures. Such things do not, in truth, shock her. Having grown up around horrors like these, she is numb to them, and it has long ago stopped being an effort to hide her disgust. She even makes appreciative comments on the finer details of the artistry, and smiles in pleasant indulgence of the girl's special mention of her father even as she blanches inwardly.

Finally she arrives for her audience and bids goodbye to her Elven escort. As the door opens before her she lingers one moment longer to bend down and retrieve one of the petals. With an enigmatic smile she tucks it into her hair, noticing as she does so that another has come to join her - a man, rather unremarkable in appearance. She nods a cordial greeting to him, surmising that he must also have been called upon by her Ladyship.

"Shall we?"

She steps forward and into the chamber. She walks at a measure pace, elegant and perfectly at ease. The improbable immensity of the chamber must presumably be supposed to be intimidating or unnerving, but if Ysande is intimidated or unnerved then she certainly shows no sign of it. She continues to approach, intending to stop at a respectful distance before Lady Yangava.

 

[Trollbabe]

Aeryk Voss

Time seems to stand still before the silence is suddenly broken by two loud crashes upstairs and two short figures, both clad in black from head to toe with their faces half covered tumble trough the door, the first of them taking a slash from Aeryk ( -11 hp) for a welcome, before taking a flanking position across from the second goblin. The second attacker throws a black bag at Aeryk's feet and ropy tentacles burst forth holding him in place. (entangled by Tanglefoot Bag).

"Rookies..." There would be time later to try and figure out how these vermin found him. Now was not the time... Aeryk strains to free his feet but they don't budge. He draws his longsword while swinging his dagger at the second assassin.

[sblock=OOC]I can't find what action is required to break away from tanglefoot bag (roll). I'll assume it is free but if not just modify my post accordingly. Move action to draw my sword and assuming the 2nd assassin is still in reach I swing my dagger of wounding (roll) at him. If I hit the damage is here.[/sblock]
[sblock=Jemal]

Trollbabe - I don't think seeing a dagger would startle anybody in this bar, most of them are probably carrying open weapons. (I don't recall reading anything about a weapon ban... did I? Maybe that's why I'm wielding a quarterstaff... I'm confused.)

There doesn't need to be a weapon ban to conceal a weapon. As for the spelling mistake I can think of worse things that could happen. =)[/sblock]

 

[Gli'jar]

“One hour has arrived?” Canthan remarks with a smile as the quasit returns. “I would ask your service in binding my hair," Canthan continues as he finishes the last leather cord on his long curly locks, but upon noticing the lesions, “but I so do wish to be presentable for the Hordemistress. Let us be on our way.” He finishes with a flourishing motion of his hands towards the door.

As they make their way down the hall, Canthan speaks in a detached manner as he marvels at the elven arcticture and the view, “My bathe was cold. I prefer warm bathes. That was the second one. Please see that responsible individual is punished.”

As they progress deeper Canthan makes note of the courtiers while feeling the oppressive burden of the change in architecture. He trails his fingers along the walls and as they pass the courtiers Canthan gives nods and smiles in muted recognition.

“Insight.” Canthan remarks. “Yes, beautiful, but it is lacking depth," Canthan inflects, “for such a title. It is lacking a multidimensional aspect. I would suggest a cube or a sphere. Yes a sphere,” Canthan continues with excitement in his voice, his pace slows, “The parts could be arranged as such that all the organs are exposed from the body in an exploded view so to speak. The eyes set back from the face, the brain removed situated above it, the innards arranged in a decorative fashion to simulate the actual placement”

He abruptly stops his rant as he watches ‘Creation’ unfold. “It is a beautiful allegory is it not. We feast upon that which came before, only to be consumed by that which is to follow in an unending cycle. Truly a beautiful work of art.”

Upon hearing the quasit squeak, Canthan is drawn from his query and quickens his step. He notices the door and in the foreground the beautiful woman standing before it, looking insignificant before its immensity. Canthan nods to the woman and stands before the doors, waiting. "Yes, let us proceed."

 

[WarlockLord]

OOC: If Mystic can't summon his many-legged friend in the bar (probably not) , he will shoot one of the assassins with enervation.

Ranged touch attack: 1d20+7=19

Damage: 1d4=1 negative level

ALTERNATE ROUND DESCRIPTION :
Mystic chants "Salathar-nadaKUM!" A jet of black fire, tinted slightly with red, streaks from his hand to blast one of the fools in black, draining his life away from him.

 

[Nephtys]

The alienist calls his unnatural ally into being, the huge spider taking up most of the room and towering even while crouching above the overturned chairs and tables in the middle of the dining area. The monster lunges for the nearest enemy, but the nimble rogue dodges easily out of the way.

Aeryk fails to break out of the entanglement, but slashes the rogue who entrapped him with his dagger draining away some of his life-energies. (rg2, -6hp, -1con) (ooc: I'll rule that attempting to break free of the entanglement is a move action, but you already drew your sword before the battle started)

The rogue, looks at you in contempt and slashes you repeatedly with his daggers, missing one strike but the other ones cutting into him with deadly accuracy. (9+17=26, 1d4+4+3d6=13) (9+12=21) (20+4=24, 1d4+4+3d6=20) "Rooky..." the blackcloak answers mockingly.
The other rogue laughs "You dont send rookies to statuate a public example, traitor. This time you're not getting away." He moves in and makes a series of attacks (19+9=28, 1d4+4+3d6=16) (19+9=28, 1d4+4+3d6=18 ) (17,4] = (21) as devastating as those of the first. Aeryk realises that these are no lowly Vermin, but elite Blackcloak Enforcers, and Enforcers always come in groups of five...

The barkeep snarls in rage, his voice cold and menacing, "I don't care if you slaughter commoners in the street but you have spilled blood in my bar and now I'm going to clean the floor with your ugly little faces." Jumping over the bar-disk he aims a savage blow against the nearest rogue, flanking him with Aeryk (19+15-6+2=30, 1d12+6+8=25).

Two more blackcloaks walk openly down the stairs, swaggering arrogantly, "Stay out of this," one of them sneers at the people in the bar. "We're just here for the assassin, the rest of you are free to go."

The common patrons in the bar, frozen by fear until now, take this as their cue to run for their lives. Terrified by the huge pseudonatural spider in the room "A Bebilith! A mother-ing Bebilith!", they try to exit trough the windows, trampling the weaker among them to death or near enough.

Windwalker, not fearing the likes of these scum, walks around the tentalced obstacle brought forth by his sudden ally and strikes the same unlucky black-cloak, his holy weapon plunging like a spear into the villains stomach and cruching his vertebrae with a sickening sound.


Mystic: +17
HP 66-1=65

Aeryk: +15
HP: 73-13-20-16-18= 6HP (ooc: Wow, those damn lucky unlucky bastards... They're really only 9th level fighter/rogues, but the with these dice it seems anyone can be deadly.)

Black Cloak1: +14
?-11=barely wounded

Black Cloak2: +14
?-1con-6-25-20=dead

Barkeep: +11

Black Cloaks 3: +10

Black Cloaks 4: +10

Random patrons (6): +7
2 unconcious or dead

Windwalker: +6

Bad Guy ?-?:?


I-------34--------b...
I.......................Mb...
Icc...........SSS......b...
Icc...........SSS......b...
I..............SSS..........I
I................WB.........I
I__cc_____1A2_d____

1234=blackcloaks
A= Aeryk
B= Barkeeper
c= commoner
M=Mystic
W=Windwalker
S=spider
b=bardisk
d=door
I=wall

 

[WarlockLord]

[sblock=Bleck'ogghcht's stats]
Huge Outsider (web-spinning spider)
HP: 8d8+32 (68 hp)
Initiative +3 (but he acts on Mystic's turn)
AC: 16 (-2 size, +3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
BAB/Grapple: +6/+20
Attack/Full Attack: Bite +11 melee (2d8+6 +poison)
Space/Reach: 15ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Poison (DC 18, Initial Damage 1d8 str, Secondary 1d8 str), Web (Web (Ex)

Both types of monstrous spiders often wait in their webs or in trees, then lower themselves silently on silk strands and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong enough to support the spider and one creature of the same size. Web-spinners can throw a web eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the spider. An entangled creature can escape with a successful Escape Artist check or burst it with a Strength check. Both are standard actions whose DCs are given in the table below. The check DCs are Constitution-based, and the Strength check DC includes a +4 racial bonus.

Web-spinners often create sheets of sticky webbing from 5 to 60 feet square, depending on the size of the spider. They usually position these sheets to snare flying creatures but can also try to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to notice a web; otherwise they stumble into it and become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape or burst the webbing gain a +5 bonus if the trapped creature has something to walk on or grab while pulling free. Each 5-foot section has the hit points given on the table, and sheet webs have damage reduction 5/—.

A monstrous spider can move across its own web at its climb speed and can pinpoint the location of any creature touching its web. B's webs have an escape artist DC of 18, a break DC of 22, and 14 hit points.), true strike, horrifying appearance.
Special Qualities: Spell Resistance 19, Acid & Electricity resistance 10, DR 5/magic, outsider traits, tremorsense 60 ft, darkvision 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 2
Climb +12, Hide -1*, Jump +4*, Spot +6,* Listen +2 (*Hunting spiders have a +10 racial bonus on Jump checks and a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks. Web-spinning spiders have a +8 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks when using their webs.)
Feats: Ability Focus (poison), Improved Natural Attack (Bite), Alertness

(As I think the pseudonatural template adds an int of at least 3, so I added feats. We should save these stats, as I'll probably summon this guy again)
[/sblock]

Mystic grins as he finishes his summoning (but moves away from the blackcloaks). "When you attack me, it becomes my business. Kill them." This last is spoken to the spider, who calls upon his link to the alien world beyond the stars to use his true strike ability on one of the black-cloaked fools.

OOC: A summoning spell takes 1 round to cast, so I couldn't have summoned him and missed in the round that elapsed. He'd be forming though. Anyway...
Attack: 1d20+31=40
Regular Damage: 2d8+6=13
Poison: (Fort DC 18) 1d8=7 strength damage.

[sblock=Spells Prepared]
(DC 17+ level):
0- detect magic (2), light, cure minor wounds,
1- bless, cure light wounds (2), snake's swiftness, silent image, charm person,
2- hold person, silence, mirror image, align fang, augury, align weapon
3- dispel magic, invisibility purge (2), evard's black tentacles, haste,
4- polymorph, divine power, enervation, flame strike, restoration,
5- raise dead, heal (2), summon monster V,
6-blade barrier, magic jar, mislead,
7-greater teleport, (1 used)
[/sblock]

 

[Jemal]

[sblock=ooc] Did I finish off the one I attacked? I think so from the way you described it, but I don't know which one I attacked, was it 1 or 2?[/sblock]

 

[Nephtys]

[sblock=ooc] Did I finish off the one I attacked? I think so from the way you described it, but I don't know which one I attacked, was it 1 or 2?[/sblock]

[sblock=ooc] The dead one [/sblock]

 

[Jemal]

"Rookies indeed. I've fought tougher imps." William grins and turns to the next black-cloak, smashing him repeatedly with his Staff.
"Mystic, that.. spider thing is under control, right? It's not going to try eating me?"

[sblock=combat info]
Staff : +19/14/9, 1d6+10 damage (+2d6 vs Evil)
Attack rolls: 6,6,6 OK.. That's really Ominous considering the setting. Ac's = 25,20,15.
Damage = 15,20,16
(Has anybody else noticed that Invisiblecastle has a tendency to roll the same number when you tell it to roll a single dice 2 or 3 times?)
[/sblock]

 

[Trollbabe]

Aeryk Voss

[sblock=OOC Question]

The rogue, looks at you in contempt and slashes you repeatedly with his daggers, missing one strike but the other ones cutting into him with deadly accuracy. (9+17=26, 1d4+4+3d6=13) (9+12=21) (20+4=24, 1d4+4+3d6=20) "Rooky..." the blackcloak answers mockingly.
The other rogue laughs "You dont send rookies to statuate a public example, traitor. This time you're not getting away." He moves in and makes a series of attacks (19+9=28, 1d4+4+3d6=16) (19+9=28, 1d4+4+3d6=18 ) (17,4] = (21) as devastating as those of the first.

Just a question regarding damage. Since tanglefoot bag only gives a -4 penalty to DEX (It does not deny it.) and with my Improved Uncanny Dodge I can only be flanked by a rogue 4 levels higher then me... Should the attackers not be denied their sneak attack damage against Aeryk?[/sblock]
Aeryk accepts that he has underestimated his opponents and this time it may end him. Seeing others in the tavern have joined the melee he calls out. "Five... There will be five of them!" Aeryk's blades whirl as he tries to finish one of his opponents, focusing on the one he already wounded.

[sblock=Attacks]Sword of Lifestealing: 19, 21, 11
Sword Damage: 11, 10, 13

Dagger of Wounding: 15
Dagger Damage: 6[/sblock]