[Adventure] Lost Love (DM: Velmont - Judge: Renau1g)

[twilsemail]

Pis, having spent a bit too much of his attention on some of the passing lady-folk, spots the group and joins them. “Salutations my friends. I am hoping everyone slept well. It seems to be a fine day to start an adventure, neh?”

[sblock=Tactics]After the first turn, Pis will be using Bluff for CA a good deal. He gains and extra die of SA with a successful bluff. He’ll also likely hold his second action until just before Susan, just in case he hasn’t gotten to use Warden’s Fury yet. He’ll be making an attack that provokes and OA and hoping that the enemy takes that chance. It’s also likely that one of these will be preceded by Sneak in the Attack so that Susan can surprise everyone with his rogue-i-ness. Will this mesh alright with the rest of the party? Between the Artful Dodger benefit and Talkrai’s Mantle, I probably won’t end up getting hit to frequently. With the harassment from Bluff checks, hopefully they’ll still try.[/sblock]

 

[Velmont]

A moment later, Jasper enter the compartment where you are sitting. "Sorry to be that late. I'm not use to travel through all those tower. I was lodging at higher ground and it took more time to come back here than I thought."

The man look around. "There is still missing one person. I hope your erudite didn't change his mind. While waiting for him, let me fill you with more detail."

"As I told you, one reason I could by such estate was the low price asked by the seller. The last owner died a few years ago, it was just after the war ended. His family tried to sell the land but only find someone willing last year when I choose to buy it. I was able to get a good deal. From what I heard, the last owner killed himself. I think the man had seen too many of his children dying in during the Last War. What a sad story isn't it?" Jasper pause a moment as he see a staff member of the train passing next to the cabin. "Sorry, could you bring some drinks." He hands off a gold piece to the man. "Thanks, I'll pay for them once you get back with them."

He sits back to his place "Now, as I have told you, there was rumors of that place being haunted. From what I have heard, it all come from a story that start over fifty years ago. The owner of that estate had a charming young lady who became crazy one night and killed her mother before killing herself. Since that time, the young lady souls is supposed to be lost and haunt the estate. That is ridiculous, just a bedtime story. I've been over 6 month in the last year in my estate and I have not seen an hint of something like that."

"The only real thing about that story, it is it scare my workers who seems to be the superstitious kind of the worst type. They were digging the earth where I want to build my small cottage in the wood where I go hunting. They were working on my wine cellar (what's best that a good and fresh wine with some juicy boar or deer steak) when they couldn't dig further. First, we thought we had hit a large rock. The land is kind of rocky and it's not easy to dig for the workers. But the more we dig around that rock, the more it became obvious it wasn't one. It was flat, and as we dig, we found the crack that limit the door. But whatever we are trying to do, no way to open that door. After cleaning the dirt, we found the scripture written on the door. Bu as I told you, the tutor of my kids, who knows many language, was unable to read it."

 

[twilsemail]

When the Lightning rail is made available, Pis is rushed inside by the loitering crowd. He finds his companions, and Jasper, shortly afterwards in the foremost cab. Pis remains relatively quiet during Jasper’s talk. His reactions are a bit pointed and exaggerated.

“What a sad story isn't it?"

Pis nods solemnly. It appears he might have known other who shared this fate.

“Since that time, the young lady souls is supposed to be lost and haunt the estate. That is ridiculous, just a bedtime story.”

An eyebrow rises, quirked in curiosity at that. He cannot seriously disbelieve the unquiet dead…

As Jasper wraps up, Pis cuts in, “We’ll ask a final time before heading back to the Shard. You hunt what in these woods of yours?” Pis attempts to read the mans face and demeanor as he answers the question, testing for the lie.

[sblock=Insight]1d20+9(Pis)+2(Talkrai)=25 I hope I did that correctly...[/sblock]

[sblock=Stats]Din “Pis Memish” – Level 4 Changeling Rogue
Initiative: +6 Passive Perception: 17* Passive Insight: 19*
HP: 39/39 Bloodied: 19 Surge: 9/9(7)
AC: 18* F: 13 R: 18 W: 17
*22 vs. OAs, 26 vs OAs when w/i 5 of Talkrai
AP: 1
Conditions:
Changeling Disguise
Sly Flourish
Deft Strike
Imposter’s Chain
Changeling Trick
Dazing Strike
Low Slash
Sneak in the Attack
Dynamic Dagger
Bluff for CA
Second Wind
Precise Incision
Imposter’s Chain
Dynamic Dagger

Din[/sblock]

 

[evilbob]

"Good morning to the both of you. I hope you slept well..."

Unit 16 starts to open his mouth to explain that he never sleeps, but keeps quiet as Talkrai finishes her story.

"Unless Priam chances to know to that sort of ritual already, I reckon we might end up just having to improvise."

Unit 16 nods in agreement.

[sblock=tactics]twilsemail - I never even realized you were a rogue until just now! That's actually great - I'd LOVE to set up some flanking with another melee character. (Thanks to Warforged Tactics, I get another +1 when an ally is standing next to an enemy, so flanking = +3 for me.) Anyway, I'm down with your plans![/sblock]
[sblock=platinum pieces]So I don't recall how much the rituals we need cost, but if there's any money left over from the 3 platinum pieces, should we get a healing potion or two for the group? I could do that "yesterday" if that's cool with folks.[/sblock]

"Sorry, could you bring some drinks."

Unit 16 holds up his hand to motion that he does not need a drink.

He listens to the rest of the story quietly.

 

[Son of Meepo]

Priam spent the remainder of the previous day running around town hoping to find someone who could sell him a Comprehend Language ritual for his book as well as some appropriate reagents that would be required to cast the ritual.

[sblock=rituals]Priam would look for the ritual and enough alchemical reagents to use the ritual 3 times.[/sblock]

Though he'd run himself ragged preparing for the journey, it's not the case that Priam overslept, in fact he'd hardly slept at all. The excitement was simply too much to allow his mind to drift to slumber. So he took a late night stroll around the city and simply lost track of time.

Now he comes running down the road, nearly tripping over himself, trying to catch up before it is too late.

"Hold the train! I'm coming."

He arrives on time, but out of breath. He looks at his comrades with a sheepish grin.

"Did I miss anything?"

[sblock=tactics]Priam moves enemies around, a lot. I'm not sure what the DM plans to use for mapping, but I'd like to suggest http://ditzie.com/. It's a fairly easy to use tool. The DM sets up an account and upload images for maps and tokens, then provides a link to the map. Each player can then update their own position on the map and then post the updated link (You save the map by pressing Enter. Every time the map is updated Ditzie provides a unique URL). I find that with static images I have trouble keeping track of where everyone is, especially if I'm the last one to go in a round.

Of course it doesn't completely resolve the problem for me as in most cases I only move the enemies when I hit with a power.[/sblock]

[sblock=stats]Priam d'Lyrandar Half-Elf Invoker 4
Initiative: +2, Passive Perception: 16, Passive Insight: 18, Senses: Low-light
AC:21, Fort:16, Reflex:15, Will:17
HP:39/39, 0 temp HP, Bloodied:19, Surge Value:9, Surges left:9/9
Action Points/Daily Item Uses Left/Milestones: 1/1/0

Powers:
Divine Bolts
Vanguard's Lightning
Thunderwave
Cloud of Daggers
Thunder of Judgment
Lightning's Revelation
Channel Divinity: Armor of Wrath
Channel Divinity: Rebuke Undead
Nature Sense
Silent Malediction
Quickbeam Staff of Forceful Rebuking +1
Hero's Finemail +2

Conditions:[/sblock]

 

[Antithetist]

Jarren shares Pis's feeling of consternation at Jasper's insistence that the estate's haunting is only a rumour. "Events like that echo on in the spirit world," he murmurs. "Don't write it off just because you haven't seen any obvious signs. If the workmen sense something wrong, there might be something to that. I suppose we'll see soon enough."


[sblock=Tactics]I've been scanning over Talkrai's sheet, and I'm struck by just how similar our capabilities really are. Both of us grant quite a lot of temporary hp, both of us need to use a Standard Action for a melee attack in order to grant Saving Throws. Both of us are focused very much on healing and defense rather than offensive buffs. The main differentiator I can see is that Jarren is a little better at multi-target healing whilst Talkrai can do more for a single target.

Some of our abilites (notably the temp hp-fest) will tread on each other's toes a bit, but others (like Jarren's power which increases the next 3 hp gains from any source on allies adjacent to his Spirit Companion) will synergise nicely.

Overall I think that we'll provide a very strong defensive backbone, and hopefully the synergy between Unit 16 and Pis will help to make up for some of the lack of offensive buffs from our leaders. Priam's debuffs and forced movement on enemies might also help quite a bit in that regard.[/sblock]

 

[twilsemail]

[sblock=Query]Does anyone have anything we should be adding to our stat blocks? Something like Talkrai's Mantle? Also, does her mantle affect our passive scores or just checks? I'm guessing just checks.[/sblock]

 

[LadyLaw]

Talkrai nods agreeance with Jarren's words. "Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it's not there."

When Priam comes in she greets him with another cheerful smile, a quick change from the seriousness of discussing undead and the full attention that she was giving to their employer.

"I don't think you missed much. We were just hearing a tragic story about a woman who killed herself on his estate. That's who is haunting it." You'll note that she said "is haunting" with certainty, not as though it is only a possibility.

Returning to the task at hand, she asks Jasper, "Just how far out from the main building is this door in the ground? You said miles. Half a day's walk? or something shorter?"

Her mind is still running through possibilities of what could be behind it. Somehow she feels the distance from the main building could be a factor in that.

[sblock=tactics]Yea, sorry Jarren. D: I've actually never played a 4th ed leader before, so I went for as healy as I could get and still be an ardent. Hopefully we can make it work out. I can at least try to target people with mine that don't already have yours.[/sblock]

 

[evilbob]

[sblock=tactics]Yeah, we are actually in a really good place: our offense is pretty strong with two strikers, and we have more than enough healing to outlast most foes. Hopefully with all the CA and such 16 can be more offensively effective as well. The only thing I think we'll need to worry about is the squishies taking too much damage: we have 4 ranged guys and 2 melee guys who work best when near each other, so being surrounded is a concern. (Then again, two of the ranged guys have over 20 AC so we're still doing well.)

Son of Meepo: did you have any cash left after getting what you needed? If you have at least 50g, can we spare a healing potion? If not it's all good - I think we're extra covered. [/sblock]

 

[Mezegis]

Ryda listens as others share their remorse for the lady, quietly thinking to herself about what a great cover story this to try and lure people in to be hunted. She smirks as Pis’s asks again what Jasper’s prey is, confident he’ll give some common answer like deer or bear to hide his true intentions. She remains quiet though, determined to not be caught unawares. She refuses any drinks of food offered, lest they be drugged to slow the body and cloud her wits.

[sblock=OOC]I shoot things, hard. I’ll pretty much never get locked down in melee since nearly every power allows me multiple square shifting. I’ll either cover a flank with Priam, or assist in dropping the main target that Pis/16 are hitting. Also, Ardents are Melee leaders, so Talkrai will be in there too.[/sblock]