Malvoisin's Savage Tide, Act 1 - There Is No Honor

With a few arcane words and elegant gestures first Kalen reaches up to adjust his fancy hat just so then smiles and moves near the front of the group.

"Ready for the unknown now, let us see what wonders your family's vault contains milady."

ooc mage armor upon himself. Kalen will want to be near the front but not front line, so he can search if need be and use his elven sight to see farther ahead.

Keoni stands in the street outside the taxidermist's, covered with the remains of the Rhadagossa. He silently waves Chongo farewell as the man heads for the arena. With half a day at his disposal, the young shaman wanders the streets of Sasserine, heading for the water. He ignores the stares of the citizens as he walks.

Open reaching the wharf, he heads out along the shoreline, walking for as long as it takes to reach open sea again, away from the filth and muck of human inhabitation. He swims out into the clear water, cleansing himself of the day's effort.

Evening finds himself back on the dockside, feeling much refreshed after a day free of the city. He stands on the pier, watching the sunset as he ponders the past two days, and what the future will bring.

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The morning arrives, and Keoni is waiting with the others, ready for an expedition to the vault. He chats idly with the others about what to expect as they follow Lavinia to their destination.

He stands by, examing the door as they wait to move forward.

"Did you parent's have warriors to accompany them here? Or did the guardian know them?"

[Sblock=ooc]Looks Like Keoni will be 3rd in line, to get everyone in his auras. Senses, by the way. +1 spot, listen, initiative

Chongo, Anar, Keoni, Kalen, Col, Bael[/sblock]

Seeing Anar begin to fumble w/ a torch, Col reaches in to his tattered clothes, pulls out a battered holy symbol of the Sun God, and bites of a a few words in Celestial. Soon, cool light blooms from the tip of his spear, the same tip still tapping the mysterious symbol on the door. "There, that should bright'n think a'bit. But perhaps Lady V might be illuminat'n us on this here Seeker symbol."

OOC: light cantrip.

stonegod said:

Col taps the star once with the end of his longspear. "You do be know'n that there sign? That be th'mark of th'Seekers or I just be a daft bastard. What yer family and that cabal of secrets be doin' together?"

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Lavinia seems genuinely puzzled. "That symbol does look familiar, but I'm not sure. You say it's the symbol of the Seekers? If my parents did have ties to the Seekers, I certainly know nothing of it."

hafrogman said:

"Did you parent's have warriors to accompany them here? Or did the guardian know them?"

Click to expand...

Lavinia looks apologetic as she answers, "I have no idea. I've never been here before, and I never really spoke with my parents about the vault...I just overheard a little. I always assumed they'd show me its secrets when they felt I was ready. Now...they'll never get that chance," she concludes sadly.

"Everyone ready?" Lavinia waits momentarily as Col and Kalen cast their spells, then she inserts her father's signet ring into the depression above the door's handle. The door flashes once with blue light, then slowly swings open on creaking hinges. She holds back, allowing Chongo and Anar to enter first, then she proceeds with Kalen and Keoni. Col and Bael bring up the rear.

In the illumination from Col's speartip, the group enters and sees a domed chamber whose floor is of polished green marble. Two fifteen-foot-wide alcoves have lower ceilings and feature marble pillars carved to resemble coiling snakes. In the center of the room, five similar pillars are embedded into the walls, rising up thirty feet to a dome overhead. Looking up, the dome bears a huge representation of the same eight-pointed star that was engraved on the door to the south.

(All Listen and Spot checks fail.)

Suddenly, from out of the dim shadows a shape rears up in front of Chongo and Anar. It's a serpentine construct of metal, about 3 feet long. It looks like a cobra made of dozens of circular iron bands fitted together to form a snakelike body. Unseen and unheard, it surprises the party, closing in on Chongo and Anar before they can react!

COMBAT

SURPRISE ROUND

The Iron Cobra slithers forward, closing within striking distance of Chongo and Anar.

ROUND 1

Initiative Order

23: Iron Cobra
21: Keoni (Aura:Senses)
19: Bael
16: Anar
14: Chongo
11: Kalen (Mage Armor active)
3: Col

Actions?

I want to try to conduct this combat without a battle map, as an experiment. I'm trying to streamline things as much as possible. Presently, Chongo and Anar are engaged in melee with the iron cobra; Kalen and Keoni (and also Lavinia) are 10' away from that melee, and Col and Bael are 15' away. If you want to act in such a way that would require precise positioning, such as move into a flanking position, just state your intention to do so. AOO's will be incurred only if you try to move past a threatening opponent, or if you try doing something distracting (casting a spell, making a ranged attack) while engaged in melee with an opponent. There are no 5' steps. Let's try it; remember, it's just an experiment. I'm open to your feedback. Questions, just ask!

Seeing the construct up close, Anar suddenly developed serious concerns about his ability to damage the thing with his rapier. Still, he had little choice but to try, and hope Chongo possessed the strength to cleave through the things armored body. Moving around the thing, Anar tries to get into position to attack from the rear, and to open a spot for the rest of his companions to attack from. With his new rapier grasped with both hands, Anar thrusts it forward.


OOC: 5' step around the creature, moving toward a flanking position. Attack +3 (1d6+4, mw rapier - wielded in two hands + power aura).

Chongo grunts and steps between the metallic snake and the rest of the party. As he does so, he pulls his flail from the leather harness he wears and tries to smash the creature in the head.

"Bosslady? Chongo think snake thinks we are robbers."

Kalen turns to Lavinia "Quickly! Flourish the ring and command it to back down!"

Kalen will look around and make sure this is the only one while shouting over his shoulder "Col, get that spear up here, I'll guard the lady."

COMBAT ROUND 1 (PARTIAL)

Initiative Order

23: The iron cobra bites at Chongo, but its venomous fangs are turned aside by the barbarian's armor.

21: Keoni (Aura:Senses)
19: Bael
16: Anar
14: Chongo
11: Kalen (Mage Armor active)
6: Lavinia
3: Col

Okay, I had the cobra go ahead and make its attack, but it missed. Keoni is up next. I also added Lavinia into the initiative order, so she can respond to Kalen's request.