The Closed Eye, part II (DM: covaithe, Judge: garyh)

[covaithe]

[sblock=At Whiteside Barrows]The man smiles. "I apologize for the confusion. As you have no doubt guessed, I am not your old friend, I merely have the use of his body for a time. It is a most excellent body, uniquely suited to my needs, and I am very grateful to you for your part in the circumstances through which it came to me, distasteful as they must have been to you. I would like to express my gratitude in more concrete form, if you will permit me."

[sblock=Perception DC 10]There are no obvious wounds on him. While his clothes are scorched and torn, his flesh appears whole.

[sblock=DC 20 (Woe only)]He appears slightly paler than you remember Palindrome.[/sblock]

[sblock=DC 25]He is not breathing, except to speak. While Woe was talking, he drew no breath.[/sblock]

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[KenHood]

[sblock=In the Barrows...]

"Greetings. I have been waiting for you. I am glad the goblin did not inconvenience you unduly. He is... or perhaps was... an annoyance. I have much to discuss with you."

"Well, howdy-*****-doo to you, too, pardner. If that gawds-***** goblin happened to be YOUR gawds-***** goblin, then if you're so ***** glad that he didn't in-*****-convenience us, why didn't you ***** stop him?"

Hacker lights a cigarette. "Tell you what, while you compose your ***** answer, I'll check these here coffins for some valuables."

"Woe? Hacker?", Kathalia says quietly. "What is this strange young human talking about?"

"***** if I know," says Hacker, "Here, help me with this lid."

“Keep on your guard, Kath.” Woe whispers back. “He may look it, but that ain’t no chum of mine.”

[Cast Ghost Sound.] Though Hacker is making his way across the room, his voice sounds in Woe's ear. "All right, I'm gonna make my way around this here *****, pre-*****-tendin' to search for loot. Once I get on the other side and flank him, let's attack. Scratch your chin if you agree."

"I would like to express my gratitude in more concrete form, if you will permit me."

"Now, are you sayin' that in an ironic fashion, as in 'I'm about to kick all y'all's *****', or do you mean in a more palatable fashion, as in 'Here's a *****load of gold'?"

Hacker continues moving around the man.[/sblock]

 

[Dunamin]

[sblock=At Whiteside Barrows]

The man smiles. "I apologize for the confusion. As you have no doubt guessed, I am not your old friend, I merely have the use of his body for a time."

“Alright, Doctor Possessive Problems, let’s cut the act. You put one card on the table, I’ll give you that, but there’s a whole hand to go and probably a few extras up the sleeves.”

"It is a most excellent body, uniquely suited to my needs, and I am very grateful to you for your part in the circumstances through which it came to me, distasteful as they must have been to you."

“You give that body far more credit than should be due; last I checked the original owner was busy beating up his own hand to the point of permanent maiming. You might also want to watch out for extreme levels of bile, and a blood pressure that could pop eyes out of their sockets.”

"I would like to express my gratitude in more concrete form, if you will permit me."

“I don’t suppose it comes in the form of cold hard noble metals and sparkling cut gems? How about a wine cellar that never runs dry? Or perhaps you’re just craving to shine my boots?”

Woe takes to pacing, slowly, just slightly closing the distance and getting a good look at the tomb’s layout while they speak. He makes sure to keep drawing the conversation out without overdoing it, hiding his vigilance under a carefree attitude.

“Of course, why care for introductions when we can keep up this atmosphere of pretentious mystery? Oh no, I insist, really.”

The mercenary taps his chin with his spear, looks deeply thoughtful for a few seconds, then makes a dramatic gesture to parody a moment of revelation.

“Ah, yes. I feel the enlightenment within like the burning warmth of decades old Gaolean absinth running down my throat. Clearly, you’re the Ghost of the jolly bugbear Carejoy McFabulous, reincarnated in human form to go on a spree of happiness and joy.”

Perception 12, Insight 21

[sblock=OOC]Is there any sign of other entrances/exits? Including where the man came from?[/sblock][/sblock]

 

[Dunamin]

[sblock=At Whiteside Barrows]

[Cast Ghost Sound.] Though Hacker is making his way across the room, his voice sounds in Woe's ear. "All right, I'm gonna make my way around this here *****, pre-*****-tendin' to search for loot. Once I get on the other side and flank him, let's attack. Scratch your chin if you agree."

Woe scratches his chin, hard. Then he drums his fingers against his shield, as a sign of impatience.
[/sblock]

 

[KenHood]

[sblock=At the Barrows...]

The mercenary taps his chin with his spear...

That's good enough for me! (Though I have the feeling that Dunamin wrote his post at roughly the same time I wrote mine...)

"Kyaaaaah!" screams Hacker, twanging his banjo, "KILL! KILL! KILL!"

SURPRISE ATTACK! Standard Action: Blunder v. Will (1d20+6=25, 1d6+5=6) -- Slide the fake Palindrome two spaces towards Woe. Woe gets a free basic attack with a +5 bonus on the attack roll.[/sblock]

 

[Atriden]

[sblock=Atreus]
Working on a post right now.
[/sblock]

 

[Atriden]

[Sblock=Atreus]

You quickly duck into an alley, strip off your daggers and begin changing your clothes, but just as you finish squirming into a bright red tunic, a squad of tough-looking thugs in chainmail, festooned with weaponry, come to the corner and look down the alley. They immediately look right at you before you can pull up your hood. "There, that's one of them!" their leader cries, a bugbear with a patch of gray fur at his throat. "After him, lads!"

Atreus curses in Tsuego as he is discovered by the bugbear but wastes no time and heads out of the other end of the alley that exits out to a big plaza filled with busy customers of all sorts. Quickly he hides among the horde of people and is almost halfway through the market place before the group’s leader notices him again. “ STOP THE MURDERER “ he yells and points at Atreus. Everyone at the market place seem to stop dead in their tracks and stare at Atreus. Thinking quickly, he responds “ LIES, they are after my gold, THEY ARE BANDITS!”. Mass panic occurs as women and children start to scream while some bold young men that weren’t fooled by Atreus diversion start throwing themselves at him to hinder his escape. Dodging most of them he is still forced to escape into a narrow alley and for a split second he thinks he home free. Suddenly he realizes that the alley he ran into is an dead end and that is pursuers are right behind him. Finding no means of hiding in this alley he grabs his magic dagger and readies himself for the battle to come.
Skill Challenge: FAILURE
[sblock=OOC]Man, this sucks… +11 to both rolls and both fail… that’s just really bad luck. What do we do now Covaithe?[/sblock]
[/sblock]

 

[covaithe]

ooc: Atreus, check your PMs.

 

[covaithe]

[sblock=At the Barrows]

“I don’t suppose it comes in the form of cold hard noble metals and sparkling cut gems?"

Not-Palindrome smiles, thinly. "I believe there are some noble metals involved, yes, and..." But before he can speak further, Woe scratches his chin vigorously. Hacker's banjo strings twang, and Not-Palindrome stumbles forward into Woe, who takes the opportunity for a quick stab. Despite being caught off guard, Not-Palindrome easily evades Woe's electrified spear.

Whatever the current tenant of Palindrome's body is, it reacts much more quickly to this turn of events than the rest of you do. "I said, I wanted to talk," it snarls, revealing elongated, razor-sharp canines. "Very well. We will do this your way. I will have your aid, willing or no."

[sblock=Religion DC 5]Stay away from the fangs.

[sblock=DC 15]Vampires are one of the more powerful forms of undead. Drinking the blood of the living heals them.

[sblock=DC 25]This foe lacks the mindless hunger and recklessness of lesser vampires. It must be one of the rare ones whose will is sufficient to control its hunger, harnessing it to its needs rather than the other way around. Such creatures become lords of their kind, creating small armies of minions in their thrall.[/sblock]

[/sblock]

[/sblock]

Ignoring Woe, it turns its gaze to Kathalia, who hasn't spoken yet. Its eyes are suddenly huge, compelling, burning into her mind and destroying her will to resist. She finds that she is unable to resist the creature's demands.

Ignoring Woe proves to be costly, however, as the fighter plunges his electrified spear deep into the creature's side, sparking with power. No blood flows from the wound, though, and as Woe yanks his spear free it is already beginning to close up. Unperturbed, the creature gestures towards Hacker, and a ghostly tendril lashes out at the gnome. Hacker feels as though the tendril sinks into his chest and wraps around his heart, squeezing and rooting him to the spot. With another gesture, a similar tendril binds Woe.

[sblock=ooc]Hacker's Blunder hits for 6 damage. Woe's OA: 18 vs. AC misses.

Initiative: Woe 7, Hacker 5, Kathalia 12. Not-Palindrome: 26. So, uh, it goes first.

Not-Palindrome regenerates 10, bringing it to full.

Minor: dominating gaze on Kathalia: 24 vs. Will hits. Kathalia is dominated (se, saves are at -2), aftereffect dazed (se). This provokes another OA from Woe, since it's a different combatant's turn: 15 vs. AC misses. Also, a combat challenge attack from Woe, since I assume Woe marked him with the first OA: crit for 13+5=18 damage.

2 more minor actions: eternal hunger vs. Hacker and Woe: 24 vs. Reflex hits Hacker for 8 damage, and 26 vs. Reflex hits Woe for 8 damage. Both of you are grabbed (until escape, Athletics or Acrobatics vs. Fort 27).

Kathalia changes into beast form. She fails to save against dominated.

[/sblock]


[sblock=status]

Not-Palindrome: 18 damage, marked by Woe
Woe 38/46 HP, 6/11 surges, grabbed
Kathalia 36/36 HP, 4/9 surges, beast form, 2 failed death saves, dominated (se, -2)
Hacker 28/36 HP, 5/9 surges, grabbed

Not present:
Atreus 29/29 HP, 3/7 surges


Resources used:

• Woe: AP, Comeback strike
• Hacker: AP, 2 potions, stirring shout
• Kathalia: Amulet of Resolution, 1 daily magic item power.
• Atreus: AP, Blinding Barrage, Deathstalker dagger, 1 daily magic item power

[/sblock]

[sblock=monster stats]Not-Palindrome, elite controller 12. Medium shadow humanoid (undead) HP 248, AC 28, Fort 27, Ref 25, Will 25. Basic melee +16 vs. AC, 1d10+4 damage.
[/sblock]

[sblock=map]Going old school for this one.

   A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
1 .........S.S......S.S.....S.S.......................
2 ..................H.................................
3 ...........K........................................
4 ..............................S.....................
5 ..........W.N.................S.....................
6 ....................................................
7 ....................................................
8 ..........S.S.......S.S.......S.S...................
9 ....................................................
10....................................................

The S figures are sarcophagi.  They're 3 feet high, and provide cover.  Athletics DC 10 to jump up onto them.

[/sblock]


[/sblock]

 

[KenHood]

[sblock=At the Barrows...]Hacker looks down at the tendril piercing his chest and clutching his heart. He sighs and lights a cigarette. "Well, that didn't work, but--honestly--can you blame us for trying? How about we take a step back, calm down, and talk about us performing your task for monetary rewards that don't involve us being torn limb-from-limb as you feast on our life fluids?"

Words of Friendship + Diplomacy (1d20+10+5=32)[/sblock]