The chamberlain, the king, and the dragon (drobe)

[pemerton]

Am I right in thinking that Theren and Thurgon briefly witness this garden scene as we leap over the crack in the floor at the top of the citadel?

 

[Manbearcat]

Am I right in thinking that Theren and Thurgon briefly witness this garden scene as we leap over the crack in the floor at the top of the citadel?

The opening in the breezeway created by the boulder's impact has bathed you both in radiant moonlight. The moon is full and well lights the vast Royal Gardens beneath your high perch. With the two sets of eyes and Theren's passive perception at 24 its certainly likely you would take notice of the activity from on-high. If you guys are going to do something before you cross the threshold into the King's Chamber then retcon as you deem fitting.

@Campbell retain your action and roll (it is sufficient to hit) but I'm going to need initiative from you and @LostSoul . We will be engaging the combat resolution mechanics full-bore. I will compose an MS Paint for you guys of the scene and attach it so you can get your bearings and a strong understanding of the spatial orientation, terrain features, etc.

 

[Campbell]

Initiative: 1d20+10=16
AC 30, Fort 19, Ref 21, Will 23
92 hp, 7/8 surges

 

[LostSoul]

Initiative (1d20+7=9)

Lucann turns to Quinn: "I know you believe in nothing, but I'm sure you can see that nothing can come of her staying as she is - a shadow of her true self."

"No, Lucann - she's right. If the King and us - us humans - can turn on ourselves so easily, we deserve what she's wrought. She did not do this herself. It's our own weakness that brought this.

Quinn turns to the dryad. "I would pledge myself to you, as your lieutenant. But I must know that you act in sound mind, not out of simple rage.

"This kingdom - while it may be rife with petty infighting and the agent of its own destruction - it does not need you to act as the agent of its downfall. If you let it go - let these humans decide their own course - then I will help you seek revenge on the Goddess of the True Forest."

[Mechanics: ??? Perhaps it's a Diplomacy attack against Will? Anyway, I'll roll Diplomacy,,, ha ha, natural one: Diplomacy (1d20+11=12) Anyway, Quinn is serious about joining her.]

edit: And yeah, I'll move the brute from background colour to hard mechanics.

edit again: I'm not sure Quinn would ally with the dryad if he could understand what Lucann said... but he doesn't speak elven.

 

[Manbearcat]

[Mechanics: ??? Quinn is serious about joining her.]

Let me confirm your intentions here:

You will pledge fealty under the conditions that the dryad abandons its bargain with the dragon, has the army retreat, and leaves the city in peace.

Is that all correct?

This will be a Complexity 2 Skill Challenge; 6 successes before 3 failures, typically at least 1 Hard DC required but, in this case, any effort to move her off of her current path (which is kill king, bring city to knees so that the dragon may claim it; in return for use of the dragon's army to lay siege to the surrounding human lands) will be at the Hard DC. This is something severe you are asking (in every way), so the fictional positioning of anything deployed will have to be extremely tight to apply. You won't get an auto-success with an applicable daily but you can step down the DC. Again, any duplication of prior successful Primary Skills will be stepped up one DC. You will be losing Healing Surges for every accrued failure.

@Campbell , you can oppose Quinn if you'd like. The most sensible way for that to happen would be the inverse of supporting/aiding (sabotaging in this case); You can attempt Secondary Skills and with successful checks you can make Quinn's Primary Skill efforts more difficult; - 2 for success at Easy (DC 14) and - 4 for Extreme (DC 33). Failure at the Easy DC will Quinn a + 2 bonus on his Primary Skill effort.

I'll roll Diplomacy,,, ha ha, natural one: Diplomacy (1d20+11=12) Anyway,

"No, Lucann - she's right. If the King and us - us humans - can turn on ourselves so easily, we deserve what she's wrought. She did not do this herself. It's our own weakness that brought this.

Quinn turns to the dryad. "I would pledge myself to you, as your lieutenant. But I must know that you act in sound mind, not out of simple rage.

"This kingdom - while it may be rife with petty infighting and the agent of its own destruction - it does not need you to act as the agent of its downfall. If you let it go - let these humans decide their own course - then I will help you seek revenge on the Goddess of the True Forest."
I'm not sure Quinn would ally with the dryad if he could understand what Lucann said... but he doesn't speak elven.

[TABLE="width: 500"] [TR] [TD]0 Successes[/TD] [TD]1 Failure[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] "You must pledge more than just to me for my blessing means nothing. It is my patron who must accept you and that can only be done with a binding. If you wish to pledge yourself to her, you must seek out the deepest, most open darkness and open your heart to her knowledge. She will find you if you are worthy. Though I can feel her anger at the suggestion that I let these vermin draw further breath; perhaps you can feel it too? And my Lady does not harbor fools amongst her agents and a foolish thing indeed would it be to betray a mighty Red Dragon...especially when your goals are not at cross purposes.

You are of no small strength. The power you wield is significant. You will have to prove your worth...I want to watch you extinguish this weak-minded, betraying fool (nodding at your companion/lackey)."

Campbell, you may act now if you wish.

Initiative (1d20+7=9)

edit: And yeah, I'll move the brute from background colour to hard mechanics.

Initiative noted. I'll create the companion and post it for you to use should things go that route.

** Of note, if delay is what you're seeking, then I'll address the temporal aspects. Depending on how things go with your companions, its feasible that they may find their way into your scene here.

 

[pemerton]

If you guys are going to do something before you cross the threshold into the King's Chamber then retcon as you deem fitting.

No retcon from me.

The double doors are slightly ajar when you approach them. Entering the room is the simple matter of swiveling one of the doors on its hinges. Slipping into the room you witness a spartan scene before you. This is no king of a lavish life. The furnishings are simple rather than grandiose. The pelts covering the stone floor and lying on the bed were probably wrought by the hand of the man prostrate in the large bed before you. His sick wheezing is the foreground noise to the background vocals of the chill wind rusling the ample curtains over the large picture windows cut into the stone. There is no queen in sight. Not here. Nor in the secondary chamber. Only the King. Looking at him, he is an aged man but there is a fierceness to his presence, even in his ghastly state. He appears to be dreaming...of something terrible. He shudders every few moments, soft moan escaping his lips, fighting a demon or horde that you cannot see. Though he bears no visible wound nor sign of pestilence, his life is clearly ebbing from him as you look upon him.

Either one of you may act. Specify intent and action please.

I will approach him and Lay on Hands to try and keep him alive, then (subject to Theren's action) use Religion to try and ascertain what it is that is haunting him:

Heal check for LoH: +8 skill, +5 d0 roll = 13, hopefully the LoH expenditure is giving me some sort of bonus here!

Religion check to follow up - and I will take advantage of my love for the king, here in his presence (after all, no one else seems to be using them!): +11 skill, +4 from d20 roll = 15. Hopefully the Advanage took difficulty down to Easy, otherwise our challenge might be at an end, [MENTION=27570]sheadunne[/MENTION]!

 

[sheadunne]

Theren will attempt to examine the king for any arcane marks, like the ones we've seen before.

Perception (14+15=31)

If Theren finds any arcane source to his illness, he'll attempt to help Thurgon with his healing by pointing out that the source is more than natural.

Heal (15+19=34)

If the king still appears to be unaffected by our efforts, Theren will attempt to wake him up with a slap to the face.
[MENTION=42582]pemerton[/MENTION]. If all else fails, slap to the face! And why are my rolls only good when I'm attempting to help someone else! haha.

 

[Manbearcat]

No retcon from me.

I will approach him and Lay on Hands to try and keep him alive, then (subject to Theren's action) use Religion to try and ascertain what it is that is haunting him:

Heal check for LoH: +8 skill, +5 d0 roll = 13, hopefully the LoH expenditure is giving me some sort of bonus here!

Religion check to follow up - and I will take advantage of my love for the king, here in his presence (after all, no one else seems to be using them!): +11 skill, +4 from d20 roll = 15. Hopefully the Advanage took difficulty down to Easy, otherwise our challenge might be at an end, @sheadunne !

Theren will attempt to examine the king for any arcane marks, like the ones we've seen before.

Perception (14+15=31)

If Theren finds any arcane source to his illness, he'll attempt to help Thurgon with his healing by pointing out that the source is more than natural.

Heal (15+19=34)

If the king still appears to be unaffected by our efforts, Theren will attempt to wake him up with a slap to the face.
@pemerton . If all else fails, slap to the face! And why are my rolls only good when I'm attempting to help someone else! haha.

1) Resolution of the Support/Secondary Skill goes before the Primary Skill action goes first and easily passes the Easy DC.

Theron examines the king, finds no signs of the Arcane marks that were found prior. At this point, it is probably safe to say that those Arcane glyphs were imprinted by the Court Mage and they signified flesh golem constructs under his sway that he could ritually transfer his senses to at his discretion. The King is clearly flesh and blood. However, it appears that your examination reveals that his senses may be under assault. Something is stealing his life from the inside out. He has no wounds, no signs of sickness and despite his age, he maintains a youthful vigor. Thurgon's miracle-infused touch may be required here.

2) Thurgon gets a + 2 for the successful support action.

pemerton, we will save that Religion check for later. With respect to your Primary Skill action here, LoH, as a singular use, isn't a "Daily" so I'm disinclined toward an automatic success and a + 2 forward, unless you wanted to spend both of your uses (which you may need one later!). However, with 1 use (and the loss of your healing surge as you give your life to the King), I will drop this from the Medium DC to the Easy which you would pass with a 15 due to Theron's successful support action. If you want to spend both and have the + 2 forward, then let me know. This is successful with just the 1 use (and your healing surge).

On to the fiction:

The King gasps (!), sucking in air as a man returned from the depths of the sea. He sits upright at your Divine touch and transferrence of your life-force to him. Simultaneous to that action, he scrunches up his face and lets out a primal scream. When he does so, a disembodied spectre, a thousand ethereal tendrils, exits his body and reforms at his feet next to you. You both behold the graceful visage of the aged, beauty unravaged by time, queen (in facade only!). Knowing that there is no explaining this, the Night Hag immediately shifts to its normal disturbing presence; purple-hued, mottled skin...eyes as black as night...hands finished with trembling, terrible claws...black, oily hair disappearing into the darkness around it. It immediately attempts to assault you all with torturous visions (perhaps your deaths, that of loved ones, or causes lost) but specifically focuses her attention on destroying the King!
In advance, if you guys are going to attempt to shield the King fromt he mental assault, I will need a group Endurance check at the Hard DC. Either of you passing would yield a success. If that isn't going to happen, then whomever is up is at the Medium DC unless it is the second use of a Primary Skill (then it would be Hard DC).

[TABLE="width: 500"][TR][TD]9 Successes (6 at Hard DC)[/TD][TD]1 Failure[/TD][TD]4 Advantages Remaining[/TD][/TR][/TABLE]

 

[sheadunne]

1)In advance, if you guys are going to attempt to shield the King fromt he mental assault, I will need a group Endurance check at the Hard DC. Either of you passing would yield a success. If that isn't going to happen, then whomever is up is at the Medium DC unless it is the second use of a Primary Skill (then it would be Hard DC).

I think we will attempt to shield the king!

Endurance with Savage Effort (14+(4 or 14)=18/28, so 28)

 

[Manbearcat]

I think we will attempt to shield the king!

Endurance with Savage Effort (14+(4 or 14)=18/28, so 28)

Ok then! 28 is successful at the Hard DC so either of you passing is sufficient.

[TABLE="width: 500"][TR][TD]10 Successes[/TD][TD]1 Failure [/TD][TD]4 Advantages Remaining[/TD][/TR][/TABLE]
The abomination from the Feywild assaults your senses with nightmarish dreamscapes. As you shield the King from the worst of it, your senses are shunted temporarily from the real world.

[MENTION=42582]pemerton[/MENTION] Thurgon finds himself on a battlefield. You appear to be a battle captain in the King's army, embedded in viscious hand to hand combat with a terrible foe. You see the King leading the charge on your flank...but something is...off. Something is terribly wrong here and the battle isn't going in the direction it should be...or some important detail is slightly askew. What is this battle? What is wrong? Why is it so afoul of the real world account? The King is being pressed on all sides. The answer must come and come quickly.

[MENTION=27570]sheadunne[/MENTION] Theron is the King. You find yourself swinging a long sword and holding a battle standard in the other. You are a young man and the enemy is overwhelming the vanguard. This was your seminal battle. This battle wrote your story; the King who risked everything to save a few worthy, noble warriors who would gladly give their life for his. You waded into a throng of the enemies finest, and beat them back as your beleagured vanguard rallied. Never again would the King not be at the point of the vanguard. Does history repeat itself and you reassert your legacy? Or do you fail and your men die or perhaps you cower under the weight of this unfathomable burden?