Borders Logs (#laggyism)

[Laggy]

<Ran|GM> It's a hot, dry, sunny day! Then again, you ARE in the desert. It's probably normal in these regions and about. The three of you never spent all that much time hanging around in the Sograt areas anyway, so none of you are particularly accustomed to it - save Gildward, who seems to be dangling along just fine, hat brim providing an underestimated amount of shade.
<Ran|GM> So why are you in the desert? Well, long story short. Fearless leader apparently had a couple of unsettled scores, and the people on the other end of the equation decided to do something about it. This was back in Izlude, where after upon sighting the witless Diace fleeing from a bar and hearing the ascending screams of female voices, a mob of thugs proceeded to chase him down.
<Ran|GM> The two of you thought it may be a good idea to be discreet and quickly grabbed him and hauled him off to the nearest means of exit - that being the port, a leaving ship, getting onboard at the last minute as stowaways in the cargo hold. But rather than end up in pleasant Alberta or even the more civilized Lighthalzen, you've ended up here. In the desert. And Morroc is nowhere in sight. Plus, the voyage was a good six hours or so.
<Ran|GM> You're guessing it's another continent, as the three of you trail along the crudely carved path in the sand - marked by outcroppings of rock and boulders along its edge, with not another soul to be seen. Far up ahead, though, there seems to be a settlement of some course. Dry lips, wavering amounts of liquid left in your waterskins, and the overbearing heat of the sun make for an uncomfortable mix.
<Ran|GM> But you're alive. Going somewhere. Heaven knows where. Gildward remarked something earlier about a guess as to which continent you're on, but he can't be sure till you've reached civilization, and the closest match to THAT is up ahead. Begin session.
<Diace> "Look. I just want it understood that those wild allegations of tomfoolishness, petty theft, and virgin hunting are just as much untrue as they are wild," The lithe and ever-smiling man remarked, shading his eyes with a hand as he stared into the distance.
<Ran|GM> Your stare is met with the mirage-like effect of the desert's slowly numbing its way into your head, as the sky shimmers and wavers in the sunlight.
* Millenia groans in the steaming heat, sweating as her familiar blows air at her to cool her down. Hot, dry air. It wasn't effective, but the thought was that counted.* "Uh huh... How far...? So tiring..."
<Diace> "Is that what I think it is, up ahead? Yeah... yeah.. more desert."
<Gildward> *peers into the distance, putting a hand at the edge of his hat's brim for a slight bit of extra shade*
<Ran|GM> Something catches Diace's eyes for a moment, like a figure up ahead. But then it's gone. Could've just been another rock.
<Gildward> "And what allegations are those?  I've not yet bothered to ask you what the situation was."
<Ran|GM> And then there it is again! The movement's more distinct this time, the person or thing or whatever scurrying across the sand, hobbling. It looks short, shorter than you for sure, even at this distance. You can't make out more details, as it appears to be shrouded. It's a good hundred feet off at least.
<Ran|GM> The other two, should they be watching, notice this too.
* Diace shrugs his shoulders to adjust the pack that seems to get heavier by the second. "When I was asking for a night hotter than my last, I never thought it would come to this." He turns to his companion, perking a brow. "Oh, that? Well, let's just say that some mothers don't take well to their 'pristine' daughters being sullied by the likes of me."
* Gildward raises an eyebrow. "I see." His attention is caught by the moving object is ahead. "Hmm! Did anyone else just see that?"
<Diace> "You saw it, too? Maybe it's not just the heat, then. Let's pick up the pace, shall we?" Diace reaches around to where his two-bladed sword was strapped across his back. "Delilah," he called it.
<Millenia> "I... I did..." *She rolled the sleeves of her robes up for the billionth time that day, holding her hand above her brow to barely shade her.* "I think it might be a person... or... or..." *Groaned*
<Ran|GM> With your weapon drawn, you proceed across the bleak landscape, looking for signs of the creature. But it's not too obvious about making itself seen... Spot checks.
<Diace> d20 to spot like what
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20 to spot like what and gets 17." [d20=17]
<Gildward> d20 to spot shrouded dude
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls d20 to spot shrouded dude and gets 14." [d20=14]
<Millenia> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+1 and gets 17." [1d20=16]
<Gildward> (I forgot to add a +1 to my spot, anyway, 15)
<Ran|GM> Well! You're all attentive enough the heat to track its movements easily enough with his keen eye. It's garbed in a brown, ragged cloak, covering almost its entire form; looks to be about three feet tall or so? And a mouth, that you catch sight of eventually, with jagged teeth. It scitters around excitedly a boulder, seeming not to want attention from you.
* Diace motions covertly towards the area of the visitor, eyeing the spot as he spoke to his friends. "Shall we, or shan't we?"
<Millenia> "We should... it's the only lead we have at the moment." *Forced a tired smile, picking up her pace as she used her staff as a walking stick.*
<Gildward> "Don't be so hostile just yet.. until we know what it is."
<Ran|GM> The thing peeks its head from the boulder again, seeming to chitter quietly and watching you all from a distance. Its cloak is heavily hooded, preventing you from seeing anything except two yellow eyes. It seems content to stay there.
<Diace> "I'm perfectly disarming." Diace turns to Gildward with a cheesy grin, winking. He turns and begins to slowly advance on the creature, his sword at his side, hanging unthreateningly.
* Millenia hurries until she's beside Diace, trying not to seem threatening at all
<Ran|GM> It scitters back a few steps, muttering something in a language you can't decipher. Gildward, make a bardic lore check.
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+6 and gets 24." [1d20=18]
<Millenia> "What's it saying?" *Blinks a few times, stopping to indicate that she means no harm.* "H-hello, can you understand me?"
<Ran|GM> The thing scitters back again, seeming to nod excitedly at Milly but still preferring to keep its distance.
<Gildward> "I almost recognize that language.. strange though it is.  The little guy isn't hostile though.  Easily scared, too... don't get too pusy with it."
<Gildward> "Ah, so you understand, eh?  Then, could I ask you if you may know where the nearest settlement with our sort of people, is?"
* Millenia wets her lips with her tongue.* "We-we're lost and we need someplace to get water and shelter and it's hot..."
<Ran|GM> Then an echo thunders out over the area. An animal call of some sort... craning your heads, you see three... more of the things coming towards your direction. All are mounted on some sort of creature. Pecos? Not quite. They lack feathers and look a lot rougher.
<Ran|GM> The creature chitters at Gildward incomprehensibly and points one cloaked finger towards the settlement in the distance.
* Gildward is a bit startled and looks for the source of the noise.
* Diace takes the lull in activity to eye Milly's sweaty body before turning to the others. "Oh. Oh, excellent."
* Gildward turns back towards the creature and nods.
<Ran|GM> The three others ride up slowly to the single one, and they chitter and chatter back and forth eccentrically. Weird people. They don't appear to be armed, however.
<Ran|GM> One of them is carrying a stick of some sort, but it looks too unwieldy to be a mace.
<Diace> "Should we go, then?"
<Gildward> "Now that we have a general direction, we should, yes."
* Millenia doesn't notice Diace, her attention instead focused upon the three riders, waiting politely until they finish before speaking up.* "There is no problem with us going there, yes? We... we... wouldn't like to break any laws or anything..."
<Ran|GM> Then with a bit of more alien conversation, the lone one hops on one of the mount's backs and they all ride off towards that, following a route that's off the road.
<Diace> "Onward, or whatever." Trudge.
<Gildward> "Either that, or we take our chances continueing through the desert aimlessly.  Your choice, lass!"
<Ran|GM> Trudge! Trudge! After about another rough hour's walk you finally make it to the outskirts of the city. Its buildings are constructed out of adobe, in a fashion that seems incredibly archaic compared to Rune-Midgard's structures. The main gate is wooden, and there are lots more of the same short creatures walking in and out, some mounted.
<Ran|GM> But there's a familiar and more uplifting sight: there ARE humans here, all garbed heavily to protect themselves from the heat, and there appears to be two guards stationed at the gate, wearing white .. clothing. Bulky clothing, looks like flimsy armor.
<Ran|GM> They are both masked and seem to be questioning everyone who leaves and enters.
* Diace places his weapon back along his back strap, stepping directly up to the men. "Hail, what-what." He waves as he approaches, wearing a broad grin.
* Gildward nods to the guards and awaits their questions, familiar with this sort of city entry.
<Millenia> "Let's go..." *Started to trudge with Diace, again using her staff as a walking stick, her familiar practically riding her shoulder. Her eyes twinkle with delight at finally arriving at the city, though she soon cowers with embarrassment at Diace's behavior*.*
<Ran|GM> "Stop right there." One of them hefts a heavy black object which ominously looks like a really bulky crossbow. "State your business here."
<Gildward> "Simply looking for a place to rest our weary bones, my friend."
* Diace holds his hands up before him, waving them quickly. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Watch where you point that. You could hurt someone."
<Ran|GM> His voice sounds garbled through the mask. The other watches you all suspiciously.
<Ran|GM> "Where're you all from?"
* Diace points in the direction they came from. "Back, through the desert, across the sea, over the rainbow, took a left at Pitcher's Fork."
<Gildward> "I myself am from nowhere in particular, just a wandering minstrel.  I cannot vouch for them, however."
<Millenia> "Izlude was the last city we were at before we came here."
<Ran|GM> The two of them look at each other, pausing, heads tilted, like they're trying to figure out whatever the hell the three of you just said in unison. Then they look at you over again carefully and the first one shrugs. "Fine. Go on in. If you see any suspicious behavior, report it to us."
* Millenia gave them a small bow.* "Thank you."
* Diace gives a double thumbs up. "Just where are we?"
<Gildward> "Problems?  Very well, sir.  I'll do that."
<Ran|GM> The two of them ignore you all, already having moved on to harassing another entree.
<Diace> "I'll cut you..." Diace mumbles, walking past.
* Gildward walks into the city and immediately looks around, assesing useful locations like an inn or anywhere with water and rations.
<Ran|GM> The city itself is shoddily constructed, a loose network of non-linear roads, buildings. There's a main bazaar up ahead which is noisy and filled with... lots. LOTS of humanoids. Not all humans, either - some of the creatures are outright gruesome. You catch a few that look a lot like orcs! But they all seem to be communicating and behaving, bartering here and there.
<Ran|GM> It's a busy, roughshod trade town; ladders also seem to be the standard for getting around in buildings. You get some strange looks as you pass by, maybe because of your attire?
<Diace> "Oh, great, we're in the great Salad Mixer of civilization, and here am I, without my fork."
<Ran|GM> There is no obvious building that proclaims itself as "Ye Olde Inn" or "Pub and Tavern", unfortunately. In fact you can't read most of the signs.
<Ran|GM> But you DO hear music coming from one of the larger buildings! Or some semblance of it.
<Ran|GM> Diace's senses tingle.
* Gildward frowns. "Being in foreign lands is always a bit discomforting."
* Millenia chuckled.* "Ma-maybe we should adopt their form of dress... when in Gonryun... though I wish I bought a scroll of language comprehension..."
* Diace spins towards the directions of the music. "I... I've got this feeling."
<Diace> "I... can sense pus-- places of interest."
<Millenia> "Pus...?" *Blinked a few times, turning to him with a raised eyebrow, as her familiar did so in unison*
<Ran|GM> Well. It's a bar. There's pretty much zero doubt about that. People and rough looking types, everywhere, a world-weary, surly, well endowed waitress... she looks TOO good to be real. And with very little attire.
* Gildward can't help but be intrigued with the general layout of things; the language, the building construction, the attire, all the better for stories to tell.
<Diace> "P.U.S. An acronym." He says nothing else on the subject, and it looks like the wheels in his head are spinning quite furiously.
<Ran|GM> The bartender behind is one of those orc-looking like types, passing out large mugs of unfamiliar looking beverages to his patrons, of which there are plenty. In the far back a band of strange creature plays a set of equally strange instruments.
<Ran|GM> Of more interest to Diace, aside from the bar and its heavy stone tables and drinks and midsts of conversation, are a set of obviously gambling tables in the center! They seem to be playing cards, or something like it, chips as well.
* Millenia turns away from looking at the waitress immediately, gazing around at the layout of the place.* "O-oh, I see... Shall we talk to the bartender about lodging, or...?"
* Diace practically floats over to the waitress. "What would it take for a guy like me to get a bit of refreshment from a lady such as yourself?"
* Gildward moves about the room carefully, drunk beings aren't the sort you want to jar or startle, especially ones whom you can't understand. After reaching the bartable, he looks for an open seat
<Ran|GM> She smiles sweetly back. "Sorry, gentle, but I only serve patrons who are seated. Please have a table and I'll get to you immediately."
* Diace backs away, shooting her one of those finger-guns things and clicking his tongues. "You. Got it."
<Ran|GM> Gildward takes a seat at the bar, and the bartender immediately fires him a questioning look.
* Diace slides next to Gildward, looking suddenly even more cheerful than normal.
<Ran|GM> While all of this goes on, you hear some conversation in the back. "Oota-goota, Solo?"
<Ran|GM> "Soam peeta-lay, EE mal-ai tran tee-tachk-ma gee-ghkeet'na."
* Gildward asks the bartender what sort of drinks he has, of the mild to moderate alcohol content variety.
* Millenia stays behind Gildward, looking around for an empty table. Her eyes lock onto the two people talking loudly out of curiousity, and to avoid the bartender's gaze - even if it was not direct at her*
<Ran|GM> "Can't you read?" The bartender's voice sounds like as though someone was trying to strangle him as he gurgled. Up ahead, Gildward sees, is a list of drinks, all utterly unreadable to him.
<Gildward> "Unfortunately, no.  Foreign traveller, you see."
<Diace> d20+3 vulcan mind meld
<Ran|GM> "Jabba wa-neen-chi chko-ka a noo-ee shah-nee trai-tran-a-ee wan-ya rooska. Heh heh heh."
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+3 vulcan mind meld and gets 15." [d20=12]
<Ran|GM> Diace recognizes... itty bitty pits of the sound. It comes off as some twisted dialect of goblinoid.
<Ran|GM> Something about a price, head, and looking for it.
* Diace gets a strange look on his face. He pats Gildward on his shoulder, pointing to an empty table. Getting up, he grabs Milly's hand and drags her over to sit.
<Ran|GM> The bartender growls something unintellgible. "You can't read BASIC? Pay me somethin' and I'll fix the day's drink up."
<Ran|GM> "Chaski nya wich-yootzoo." Something about luck.
<Diace> "Time to get a drink, and then time to go see what they're gambling over there."
* Millenia follows Diace, mostly because she's been dragged, and sits down at the table. Her familiar floats along her side silently... except for the sound of a zephyr*
<Ran|GM> As Diace and Milly take their seats, the serving girl seems to be at their table almost instantly! Holy, she moves fast. She smiles down at the both of them. "What can I get for you today, gentles?"
<Diace> "More importantly, what can I get from you tonight?"
<Ran|GM> The girl only smiles back, seeming to bat her eyebrows at Diace, but not saying anything.
<Ran|GM> "El chai-ya chkoolka in-tai cool-a-coo-soo-a." Give it to me? Or something like that? This sounds oddly kinky.
<Millenia> "Do you have any kind of..." *Pauses for a moment* "fruit juice? Cold, perhaps?"
* Diace has a uncanny grin as he asks for some water and the tavern special."
<Ran|GM> "We serve a jawan twist that may be of your preference." The serving girl writes down Diace's order on her... paper? Book? Something.
* Diace leans in a bit, asking the waitress about the conversation he's been overhearing, looking to where it may be originating.
* Gildward shrugs, and hands the bartender a silver piece. "I'll take that, then."
<Millenia> "Oh, certainly, that would be lovely." *Nodded* "It comes cold, I hope?"
<Ran|GM> The serving girl jots Milly's order down as well and then... vanishes before your very eyes! Like a lost dream! She's just -gone-!
<Ran|GM> People don't just disappear?!
* Gildward doesn't mind to overpay, and waits for the drink.
<Diace> "Oh, well that is just dandy. My date is a figment of my imagination." Diace mumbles, "Wouldn't be the first time..." He turns to give a better ear to the strange conversation.
* Millenia stares for some time, unsure of -what- just happened. She soon regains her composure and tries to identify what -must- have been a spell.*
<Millenia> roll 1d20+12 Spellcraft
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+12 Spellcraft and gets 13." [1d20=1]
<Ran|GM> Milly, Spellcraft check. "Tsee-na hai chee-kee!" The conversation seems to be sounding more heated now. Something about being through.
<Ran|GM> Milly detects absolutely, utterly no signs of arcane use whatsoever.
<Diace> "Milly, darling, watch for our drinks." He gets up, ambling through the crowd to see what the area around the speakers is like.
<Millenia> "Now that's funny... it's not a spell... so I have -no clue- what caused that..." *Blinked a few times, looking over at Diace* "Maybe she's an illusion...? No, can't be..."
<Millenia> "Sure..."
<Ran|GM> The bartender regards Gildward's change strangely, then plucks it up without another word and gets to mixing a drink. (5 gp taken.)
<Ran|GM> Diace, that involves going through the mass of gambling tables, where conversation is loud and ale consumption even more so. The loudest guy you've been hearing appears to be in the back of the tavern, a weird looking scaled creature looming over a table. Presumably another person is seated there, but you can't see at this angle.
<Ran|GM> (correction, 1 sp taken, sorry)
* Diace frowns. Scales. Joy. He hangs back a bit, listening more attentively and watching.
<Ran|GM> "Hey, meatbag, you gonna take a seat or just stand around there?!" One of the more obnoxious guys at the table you're nearby hollers up, grabbing onto you and hauling your ass down into a seat. Strength check.
<Ran|GM> If you resist, anyway.
* Gildward continues to study the drink list, interested in the workings of this strange new language. "I'll have to make a note to try and learn this one." He mutters quietly to himself.
<Diace> (Escape artist to slip his grip?)
<Ran|GM> You can try.
<Diace> d20+9 zomg not the threads, mang.
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+9 zomg not the threads, mang. and gets 28." [d20=19]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 18." [1d20=18]
<Ran|GM> Your ass is parked down on the seat. Roughly.
<Ran|GM> The person in question looks more like an umber hulk than a humanoid as he growls, and the dealer shoots you a weird look.
* Diace wipes his chin, looking up at the guy. "And just who are you?" He stands back up, too.
<Diace> Oh.
* Diace stays seated.
<Ran|GM> hrhrhrhrhr
* Diace STILL QUESTIONS.
<Ran|GM> "Yer competition," he barks out in a crude laugh as the dealer eyes the newcomer. A set of chips suddenly materialize in front of Diace's hands on the table - three blue chips, five red ones and ten whites.
<Ran|GM> You are dealt cards!
<Diace> "Oh. Oh. It's like that? You want it like that? Don't start something if you don't want there to be something, pretty boy."
<Ran|GM> This nets you frosty looks from everyone else at the table.
<Ran|GM> One of the older types speaks up in a chipped tone. "Just shut up an' play."
<Diace> "I don't RECALL stuttering." He eyes everyone else, leaning back in his chair. "What's the name of the game?"
* Gildward slightly overhears Diace and mutters yet again "If he gets himself in trouble, I'm not saving him."
<Ran|GM> "Fools wild this round," the dealer remarks as he finishes dealing out the cards. Diace, you have five weird looking cards in your hand - they vaguely resemble tarot cards, a lot taller than normal ones, and slightly heavy. Depicted on them are various pictures - a lady, a tree, a tower, and two identical cards depicting fire. They're also color coded.
<Ran|GM> "So chkool ROOL ya pool ya-ya ool-ra si pachki chka coo-shoo-koo poo-yoo-wa twee-pee."
<Ran|GM> Something about useless and signs...
* Diace smiles winsomely. "This works," he mouths silently.
<Ran|GM> The patrons around you start tossing chips in, a sea of whites.
* Diace spins a blue chip on his pointer finger, eyeing the man across from him.
<Ran|GM> This motion is also greeted by everyone staring at you.
<Ran|GM> "KTRA! Jabba POO pa coom-PAK ni ACHKat AN-pa!"
<Ran|GM> "Oochlay yoo-ma... Chess bookoo-too ta chkeest-a CHKREN-ko, ya ol-chka."
<Ran|GM> You hear that last line translate perfectly. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time."
* Millenia waits patiently for te drinks, gancing over at Diace with a raised eyebrow.
<Ran|GM> So, Diace. You gonna enjoy the manly looks you're getting?
* Gildward is also awaiting his drink.
* Diace catches the chip into his palm, flicking out two whites. His smile remains.
<Ran|GM> Gildward and Milly are served their drinks, with the waitress suddenly appearing at Diace's side and rewarding him with a winning smile just at the right moment as she hands over his drink to him! And a cup of water.
<Ran|GM> Then all hell breaks loose as you hear something ring out, the sizzle of burnt flesh, and a body hitting the floor.
<Ran|GM> Everyone - EVERYONE - in the tavern jerk up from their feets and they're all pulling out weapons of some sort.
* Gildward only gets a sip before being startled and spilling a bit of it and turns towards the noise.
* Diace sticks a finger in the drink and sucks it off his finger, rolling backward to a stand as he makes what could only be a religious symbol over his chest. He takes out his double-sword accordingly.
<Ran|GM> Gildward even sees the bartender hauling a gigantic version of that crossbow thing the guards have.
* Millenia 's eyes widen as she notices everyone standing up. She immediately pushes her chair away and gets under the table, rather used to the standard procedure for bar fights. Her familiar follows her and she takes a sip of her jawan twist.*
<Ran|GM> The tension's high in the air as Diace notes that the loud guy who'd been yelling earlier is now on the ground. Quite dead, it seems. In his place, a brown-haired, mercenary-looking man - definitely human - waving his blaster around, and a huge tall furry-like creature stepping from the table too. "Calm down, we just had a little disagreement. Back to your games and drinks, fellows."
* Gildward has no idea what weird weapon the man is holding.
<Ran|GM> "No fightin' in the bar." The bartender growls at the two from across the distance. "Out, both of you troublemakers."
<Ran|GM> The human and his tall companion seem to oblige to this, sheathing their weapons as everyone else does the same, the tension in the tavern dropping notably. The people around you take a seat again as the duo walks past, brushing past Diace.
* Diace mouths a few words. "What the f..." He quickly drops some change on the table where his drinks are (10 cp) and makes his way outside, sheathing his sword. He makes a bird call Gildward and Millenia would recognize as a signal that he was on the move.
* Gildward goes back to sipping his drink. What's it taste like?
<Ran|GM> Very, very bitter, but a fire to it you can appreciate.
<Ran|GM> Diace, you not-so-conspicuously make your way out ahead of the two! This draws some looks!
* Millenia drinks more of her jawan twist as she gets up from the table, unsure if she should follow with all the looks he's getting.*
* Diace laughs wildly as he practically dives out the door, downing his drink beforehand.
<Diace> "So long, prettyboy!"
<Ran|GM> You stumble out of the tavern as you hear a loud guttural GROWL. Apparently that last remark was not missed! But you're safely out onto the desert-sun-filled streets again as you break out of the tavern's doors.
<Ran|GM> "Whoa, whoa, hold up there, kid," a voice from behind speaks. That same guy again, roughly your height, seeming to look you over. "You got someone after you too?"
<Ran|GM> Meanwhile the two of you hanging in your bar nurse your drinks and enjoy the lack of Diacetry.
<Diace> "You could say that." Diace licks his lips. Whatever that drink was, it was good. WHOOPS, buzz. HEehehe. "Ahem." He steadies himself, motioning inside. "Yeah, that could have been ugly. Thanks for the distraction, though."
<Ran|GM> "Wasn't doin' it to save you," he replies easily enough. His friend behind him - ...eight feet tall? Nine? With brown fur everywhere - roars something, sounding like assent. "What's your business here in Mos Eisley, fellow?"
* Millenia quickly downs her drink, savoring it, and places the cold mug onto the table. She looks around for the waitress so she could pay.* "Um, miss...?"
<Diace> "Mos... Mos... Well, running from other folks, really. I could hear that conversation in there, though. At least, that dead guy's part."
<Ran|GM> "Bounty hunters're a pain in the rear," ethe mercenary - at least you presume, he definitely looks the part with his rough cut clothing and demeanor - says. "Chewie and I are lookin' to get off this junk of a planet. You lookin' for a ride? I can be reasonable with rates."
<Diace> "Oh, yeah, we need to get out of-- planet?" Diace blinks a few times, his confusion slowly being replaced with a small grin. "Yes. Planet. Definitely need to get off this planet. What kind of rates are we talking about? I have a couple of friends who would need to come with."
<Ran|GM> "Friends?" The man addresses you quizically with a somewhat more suspicious look. "Well. I'm not all that keen 'bout letting more than one passenger, hard to watch with only Chewie and I. But if it's a fair price..."
<Diace> "Maybe we can do something to make us a bit more trustworthy. Besides, I wouldn't mess with a man with aim and speed like yours. I saw that."
<Ran|GM> "Trust is for sale," the man snorts derisively. "As are my services. We are kind of in a hurry, sorry to say, bud."
* Merc is now known as Merc-zzz
<Diace> "Then, what's the deal?"
<Ran|GM> "Get 'em out here and we'll negotiate, right here."
<Ran|GM> Speaking of which, the two apparently did not get Diace's signal, for they still have not shown from the bar!
* Millenia gets up from her table and goes to the bartender.* "Excuse me, sir, but how much would a jawan twist cost? I just finished mine, but I can't find the waitress..."
* Diace wipes his face. "Damn, they are DENSE sometimes."
<Ran|GM> The bartender looks disgusted and barks out the answer. "Fifty credits, miss, an' be quick 'bout it."
* Gildward finishes his drink, sets the glass down and exits the bar to see what's become of Diace.
<Diace> ""This is going to suck." Diace edges up to the tavern door and leans in. "God damnit, GET OUT HERE!" And ducks out.
<Millenia> "Credits...?" *Reaches into her bag of money and pulls out a gold coin, holding it out* "Wo-would this do?"
<Ran|GM> The bartender looks at you funny for a moment, then shrugs and swipes it! Whatever. "Fine. Off you go --" And angles his head angrily at the door as a certain man's head pokes in for a shout.
* Diace sidesteps a few paces from the door, dusting off his trousers and clearing his throat.. "They should be with you shortly."
<Millenia> "Tha-thank you..." *She quickly runs off with her familiar at Diace's shout*
* Millenia exits the bar, eeking at the gigant wooly man.* "E-e-er.... he-hello..."
* Diace stamps his foot. "Milly! MILLY! What have I told you about the call? Under no circumstances do you dilly, delay, dally, or what have you when the call has been sounded!"
<Ran|GM> "Miss," the man seems to acknowledge her, then sits back with a bemused look at Diace's rant. The large companion just growls something beneath his breath.
* Gildward is out here now, by the way
* Diace glares at the door, sighing audibly when Gildward comes out.
<Millenia> "B-but... I had to pay, and the drink was so good..." *Turns to the man, giving her a wave with an embarrassed smile, the bundle of air that was her familiar mimicing her*
<Diace> "This is them. My wonderful traveling companions. I'm Diace. Millenia, Gildward, meet...?" He turns to the merc with a questioning look.
<Ran|GM> "Two others? Alright, they don't look so bad." The man pauses for a moment, considering quickly. "And let's skip the name part. Fifty thousand credits, for all of you, and you're off Tatooine and far away from any Imperial Star Destroyer. Guaranteed.
* Diace wonders what fucking boat they stowed away on. "Over the rainbow, indeed..."
<Diace> "Okay, look. We don't use credits. We deal in gold. You know, the yellow stuff people wear on their necks and fingers."
<Millenia> "A pleasure to meet you, sir." *Gave him a small curtsy, the sweat still noticable on her face* "Tatooine...? Such an interesting name for a city... and what's an Imperial Star Destroyer?"
<Diace> "We don't fly to other planets, and we don't FLY... well, usually."
<Ran|GM> "Gold." The man throws Milly a completely off-kilter look, and pointedly ignores her question. "Let's see it."
* Gildward has no idea what this strange person is talking about.
* Diace holds up a sack holding a decent-sized pile of the coins.
<Ran|GM> Diace should know this probably means nothing.
<Ran|GM> Oh wait Wisdom check.
* Diace digs through it, pushing past altogether more things than should be in there, and holds up an handful of crap. He sift through it (wait a minute, you)...
<Diace> ...and gathers about 5 golden coins. "This is what we barter with. We sell weapons, armor, food, people whatever. Whatever credits are, we've never heard of it."
<Diace> d20-2
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20-2 and gets 6." [d20=8]
* Diace has no idea what's going on. He couldn't care less, though. This was fun. Who knows what a little fast talking could get you into (and out of, for that matter)?
<Ran|GM> The man eyes the coin carefully for a moment, looking a little surprised. Then he shrugs. "Can't believe what backwater you lived on that never heard of credits, but fine. Let's say... uh..." He glances over at his companion, who seems to roar something. "Okay, five hundred of those."
<Gildward> "Excuse me for asking, but what is this 'Star Destroyer' you speak of?  Is some wizard foolishly trying to black out the night sky, for whatever reason?"
<Ran|GM> "...I was right, you ARE from a backwater place. Credits and Star Destroyers." The man shakes his head in disbelief.
<Gildward> "I'd consider myself well-traveled, and have heard of neither.  Who are you?"
* Diace eyes Gildward as he begins to gather the necessary money. "You two owe me planetary fare."
<Ran|GM> "No more questions," the man speaks up abruptly, looking annoyed now. "I've half a mind to just take off without you strange fellows."
<Diace> "No, no, let's not be hasty, Mr. Lizard Killer."
* Diace dangles a pouch of the money and holds it out to him.
<Gildward> "Your the strange one..." Gildward says quietly to himself
* Millenia reaches to pull out her bag of coins, pulling them out.* "Five hundred for us all? Let's see..."
<Diace> "Hasty, we should not be."
* Diace was kicked by Ran|GM (Fried for Yodaspeak.)
* Diace has joined #laggyism
* ChanServ sets mode: +h Diace
<Diace> (H4x0r, you are)
<Ran|GM> Then the guy next to him, 'Chewie', roars something, and his head snaps up, looking across the distance. His hand instinctively draws the weapon sheathed at his belt, a small bow like thing. "Ah, dammit! Later!" The two of them start to run off!
<Gildward> "Oh well, wherever you plan to go, it s... well then!"
<Ran|GM> As you turn your heads around you see the town guards coming at you! Six of them! All carrying those crossbows!
<Diace> "Oh, my ass. Let's move, fellas." He turns tail and runs after the other two.
* Gildward does not run immediately. After all, the guards told him to report suspicious activity, and that man was definately suspicious.
<Ran|GM> Red bolts begin to fly across your head as the town guards start shooting at the pair, and now Diace!
<Ran|GM> Reflex save, my man.
<Ran|GM> roll 2d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 2d20 and gets 28." [2d20=10, 18]
* Millenia gazes at the guards, moving out of the way of the guards, toward the wall. She nearly shrieked as they seemed to fire spells with their crossbows, eyes wide.*
<Diace> d20+10
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+10 and gets 14." [d20=4]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 2." [1d20=2]
<Ran|GM> The bolts sizzle and bounce off walls and buildings but none manage to actually scrape a hit on you as Diace quickly follows his newly hired escorts through the streets of Mos Eisley!
<Ran|GM> Everywhere around you people are ducking and moving back to take cover as the guards in white armor take chase, storming right past Millenia and Gildward.
<Diace> "Oh, this better be good. This BETTER BE GOOD!" He screams as he tries to keep pace with the others.
* Gildward is very surprised at what the weaponry the guards are carrying just did. "Yeah.. definately not going to attempt to resist those men."
<Ran|GM> They look like rapid-fire crossbows that shoot fire arrows of some sort.
* Millenia and her familiar nod in unison.* "Indeed, though we should follow them just to make sure Diace is alright... yes?"
<Ran|GM> Eventually, the two guys ahead of Diace manage to make it to their... what the hell IS that? That's one -ugly- airship! They scramble up the rampway as the guards behind you give quick chase, Diace a hair behind!
<Ran|GM> "C'mon, get in, get in!" The man shouts out at the top of the hatchway.
<Diace> "Bullshit." He leaps for it, dashing up the hatchway.
<Ran|GM> Jump check.
<Diace> d20+22 for drama
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+22 for drama and gets 42." [d20=20]
<Ran|GM> You clear the space so impressively that you land perfectly, your feet positioned straight on the floor of the ship without a sweat, even managing to startle the mercenary.
* Gildward agrees with Millenia and starts to head in that direction.
<Ran|GM> The rampway rears itself upward - how? Magic? - and closes the hatchway with a hiss as you hear the sprangled sound of objects impacting behind it right after it does!
* Millenia follows the guards as discreetly as she could, though rapidly to keep up
* Diace would ask questions, but just doesn't care right now. "Well... I guess it's... well... yeah."
<Ran|GM> Diace gets no answer as the two scramble around... you guess this is the bridge? THe hairy creature makes his way down a hallway and disappears, as the merc takes a seat and starts punching things against the.. table.
<Ran|GM> More echoes of shots rebounding off. Gildward and Millenia are trailing behind, but they lose the traces of the guards quick - they were sitting around in that spot too long, and are soon lost in Mos Eisley. Though, people are beginning to creep out again with the guards gone.
* Diace crosses his arms, pinching his chin between his thumb and forefinger, looking thoughtful. Are there any windows?
<Ran|GM> Yes, one on the side, you can see the town.
* Diace pretends to be thoughtful and keep his thoughts together as he stares out the window. This is all too much. But too much is never enough. What about his friends? What were those weapons? Dayum.
<Ran|GM> Diace, spot check.
<Ran|GM> You hear a loud rumbling as the entire airship begins to vibrate, as though something violent were shaking it!
<Diace> d20
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20 and gets 14." [d20=14]
<Ran|GM> And down below you can spot Gildward and Milly wandering around in town looking lost!
* Diace steadies himself, thinking, "What a time for an earthquake." He spots the others, and looks at the pilot. "Just, uh, wondering. Do you have a... Retrieve Person spell or something for this whacky airship?"
<Ran|GM> "...what the hell? Just sit down and let me get us outta here!" The man ends this with a derisive snort as he pushes more... indentations and surfaces on the desk he's sitting at, and the rumbling continues to build up. Diace, upon looking at the window, realizes they're ascending into the air.
* Gildward can't help but notice a strange, large object rising into the air.
<Ran|GM> Oh yeah you do.
<Diace> "Right on." He finds a seat, if there is one, otherwise plopping down on the ground. He runs his hands through his hair, sighing.
<Millenia> "...."
<Millenia> "That is... quite an airship." *Blinked a few times, unsure of what to do. If only her messaging spell could contact those who she can't see...*
<Ran|GM> Diace indeed finds a seat and - oh hey what's that huge object out in the window? It's kinda shaped like a weird arrowhead... and then you hear the pilot let out a strangled scream of frustration. "One here ALREADY?! Dammit, Chewie, fire up the quad guns! We're going to have to fight our way out!"
<Millenia> "Sholia, go find Diace, will ya?" *She looks over at her air elemental familiar, waving it into the sky. It nods and complies, flying up into the sky to look around for Diace*
* Diace looks around and out the window. "Er, need help?"

[Laggy]

<Ran|GM> "Can you shoot?" Despite the looming figure of the that-can't-possibly-be-good ... ship? in front of them, the man in front of you is cool and professional even as he frantically works at what you presume is the steering wheel or some weird deviant thereof of the airship. Sholia flits around the airship, inadvertently becoming caught in a hailstorm of fire!
<Ran|GM> Reflex save for the familiar.
<Millenia> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+6 and gets 13." [1d20=7]
<Ran|GM> Fortunately, her relatively small demeanor keeps her safe from being hit by one of the various fire arrows that sizzle through the air as she flies up to the airship's window, spotting the two men inside!
<Diace> "Or course I can shoot!" he replies indignantly. "What am I shooting?"
<Ran|GM> "Get below deck and help Chewie out with the quad guns, then!" he barks out as the airship swerves to the side! The giant arrowhead ship in front of you is looming closer and closer!
<Diace> "Roight, roight.." He stands up, moving after the large hairy being carefully.
<Millenia> "She's spotted him!" *She looks up into the sky toward the humongous airship, interpreting her familiar's empathically communicated emotions. She points up at it.* "She's over there!"
<Ran|GM> Diace finds himself walking down a hallway and spotting a ladder that leads below easily enough. Gripping the handbars and sliding down a few levels, he sees Chewie sitting at one of two chairs, holding a giant... what is it? Some weird ..candlestick? Lever? But he's carefully adjusting it, and you note another seat with identical contraptions.
<Ran|GM> He roars at you as you enter, sounding questioning.
<Ran|GM> Diace, make a Spot check.
<Diace> "He sent me." He points a thumb back towards the pilot.
<Diace> d20 to see
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20 to see and gets 20." [d20=20]
<Ran|GM> Diace also catches sight of a tiny figure flying around near his presence, as he's in a transparent chamber of some sort with the seats - it's Sholia! And even more, down below, he can spot the tiny figures of Millenia and Gildward on the ground, looking up at the airship!
* Diace waves ruefully at Sholia, stepping slowly closer to the hairy fellow. "I'm here to help shoot."
* Millenia waves her arms, hoping to catch Diace's attention, beginning to move toward the airship.* "C'mon Gildward! He might leave us behind!"
<Gildward> "How do you propose we get up there?"
* Diace eyes Millenia's flailing, and raises a hand in her direction, beckoning her to him with a wide smile.
<Ran|GM> This moment is short-lived as the arrowhead airship in front of you all fires a massive fireball spell of some sort, a solid streak of red sizzling across the air and impacting dead-on onto the airship!
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 15." [1d20=15]
<Ran|GM> Diace barely hangs on for dear life as he's rocked back - it might be a good idea to take a seat! Chewie roars, alters the mechanism again, and - what? It's shooting out giant-sized arrows of the crossbows from those town guards earlier!
* Millenia couldn't really discern Diace's smile, but continued to move toward it.* "I don't know, but we have to find a way!" *Sholia quickly moves down toward the ground, afraid of those humongous arrows of DOOM*
<Diace> "Oh, that's awesome!" Diace watches the beast's movements closely as he seats himself, looking a bit longer as he starts matching familiar buttons and doohickeys.
<Ran|GM> There's some kind of indentation on one side of the lever-thing, and it moves easily back and forth, left and right and up and down as you test its movements. Chewie barks something guttural as he keeps up his rate of fire relentlessly, the arrowhead returning its own arcane volley!
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 2." [1d20=2]
<Ran|GM> This one soars right past the starboard side and lancets off into nowhere!
<Diace> "Hm... interesting, indeed!" He fiddles with the lever, trying to aim himself at the offending airship.
* Gildward looks to see if the strange airship is within reach from one of the building's rooftops.
<Ran|GM> It's still not moving very fast, and there's a building nearby you might be able to ... well, there's no obvious entry to the airship! But at least you'd be a lot more obvious in sight if you got up there?
<Ran|GM> Chewie yells something at Diace as he continues non-stop firing!
* Gildward points out a possible path to Millenia "If we're to follow him, we're going to have to hurry then!"
<Diace> "Okay, okay..." Diace pulls the button on the lever. "Let's see if this works."
<Millenia> "Alright!" *Heads to where Gildward pointed, hoping that there aren't too many obstacles inside the building.* "Which one do we go into?"
<Ran|GM> Yeow! Diace is slammed back into his seat at the sheer recoil of the weapon as he fires a volley of shots into .. uh, plain air! This rewards him with another vicious growl from Chewie!
<Ran|GM> There's a door, it's closed, a ladder that leads to the second story of the building but not the third or fourth - it's four stories tall - plus some open windows.
<Ran|GM> There doesn't appear to be anyone present.
<Ran|GM> There's also a series of other buildings farther up ahead which extend higher up, but you'd have to run to reach there.
<Ran|GM> And with another crackle of energy...
* Gildward gets to climbing, shaking his head at the absolute strangeness of the situation.
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 3." [1d20=3]
<Ran|GM> The enemy on the arrowhead airship apparently needs to learn some lessons in aiming as his shot nearly slams into the ground of the city!
<Millenia> "Let's go to those over there!" *She points to the tallest building nearby* "I don't think we can get to the roof there!"
<Diace> "Hey, I said I could shoot..." he retorts loudly, eventually following with a quiet mumble. "Never said I could shoot well." He tries to reorient himself, and fires again.
<Ran|GM> Strength check.
<Diace> d20+3
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+3 and gets 18." [d20=15]
* Gildward nods and begins to make his way to the strange ship. "I just hope we don't get shot with those blasts trying to get there!"
<Ran|GM> Expecting the recoil, Diace manages to keep a steady enough grip on it as he recalibrates his aim and sends a steady stream of shots towards their impeding adversary! The shots disappear before you can see them make impact, though!
<Ran|GM> roll 6d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 6d20 and gets 55." [6d20=4, 10, 9, 9, 17, 6]
<Ran|GM> Listen check, Gildward.
* Millenia runs over toward one of the tallet buildings, quickly scrambling up a ladder.*
<Gildward> roll 1d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+4 and gets 5." [1d20=1]
* Diace gets his blast on. "This is kinda fun."
<Ran|GM> Right. As you sprint across the landscape, you hear something behind you as the guards have apparently tagged you as hostile now and begin opening their fire! Diace sees the crossfire from his position, a ways below him!
<Ran|GM> Reflex saves for the two on the ground.
<Gildward> roll 1d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+8 and gets 23." [1d20=15]
<Ran|GM> "Chewie! We can't clear the atmosphere with this Star Destroyer here! I'm gonna bring us into the desert!" You hear the pilot's voice crackle in the air - is EVERYONE here some kind of spellcaster or packing some heavy magical equipment? - as the airship swerves around, giving Diace a clear shot at the white-armored men on the ground if he so chooses!
<Diace> Oh, he so chooses. He SOOOOOOOO chooses.
<Millenia> roll 1d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+4 and gets 22." [1d20=18]
<Ran|GM> Make your attack roll.
<Diace> "Those jive turkeys better recognize."
<Ran|GM> Millenia and Gildward effortlessly dodge the incoming fire arrows as they scramble! Scramble up the ladder and into the building - again with Diace's wide angle of vision he can clearly see where they are! They're not even that far off from them!
<Diace> d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+8 and gets 28." [d20=20]
<Diace> d20+11
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+11 and gets 29." [d20=18]
<Ran|GM> Diace's fire streaks without even a pause as it utterly mows down the entire squad of six guards, their armors disintegrating into nothing on impact and leaving not even corpses as his fire barely leaves a mark on the ground!
<Ran|GM> And oh hey the two of them are getting preeeeeeetty close to you, man! You gonna try to pick 'em up or something? How's to go about that? Oh wait arrowhead airship's still there.
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 14." [1d20=14]
<Ran|GM> *BLAM* The ship unsteadily rocks back again as Chewie mutters something that sounds suspiciously like a curse!
* Millenia waves up at him, glancing over at the large arrowhead airship. Just how OMGWTF huge is it again?*
<Ran|GM> Uh. Like "almost a mile" long. It stretches for quite a damn ways.
<Diace> "Er... keep firing!" Diace unseats himself after a hearty chuckle and scrambles up to the pilot. "Hey! My friends are right over there! Down on the building. There's got to be a way we can get to them! I'll take that ship down myself if I have to."
<Ran|GM> "The heck are they going to do, kid, jump on and hang onto the underside of the ship?! We're about to get blown out in the air here if we don't take off!" The man's face is aghast, a mix of concentration and worry.
<Diace> "You just said we can't take off, anyway. You've got skills, right? Make it happen." Diace pats the pilot on the shoulder, heading back down and reseating himself for some more boomstick fun.
<Ran|GM> "You don't understand, kid, I CAN'T do anything, 'less they can fly!" Diace gets that as he takes back off into the hallway.
* Millenia stares at the arrowhead airship with awe, then back up at Diace with worry.* "What're we gonna do?!"
<Ran|GM> Uh, dear, I highly doubt he can hear you over the blasting in the air and the considerable distance and airship walls.
* Gildward looks at it. Not possible to jump to the airship now is it?
<Ran|GM> No not really.
<Ran|GM> It's not FAR, per say, but it's still above you and you don't exactly have anything to land on...
* Diace wonders if his friends know Fly as he sits in the gunseat pondering.... Hum. Fire ze missiles.
<Ran|GM> Make your roll.
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
<Diace> d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+8 and gets 11." [d20=3]
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 9." [1d20=9]
<Ran|GM> Your combined efforts from the quad guns are wasted as they either go wide or ping harmlessly off the Star Destroyer's armor-plating as it returns fire again!
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 17." [1d20=17]
<Gildward> "I'm about at loss as you are."
<Diace> "Um, where should I be firing, Mr. Tall Dark and Grumbly?"
<Ran|GM> *BLAM!!* Diace feels a noticeable loss of control as the airship dangerously dips to the side, a direct hit!
<Diace> "We're going down, aren't we? How lame is that?" Diace scrambles back up to the pilot. "Okay, so what's the deal?"
<Ran|GM> Chewie roars defiantly as the pilot apparently has other ideas about sticking around here and you nearly fly off of the seat as the thing fires forward in rapid acceleration, threatening to make Diace lose his lunch and then some!
<Ran|GM> Yeah no you have no time to do that.
<Diace> Apparently. I'll sit tight, then.
<Ran|GM> Gildward and Millenia watch the airship take off right in front of their eyes, the inrush of air nearly knocking them over!
<Ran|GM> Sand. Desert. Blinding yellow. It all rushes up to Diace's eyes as he sits nearly paralyzed in the seat, his eyes frozen and only able to stare down as the ship jerks back and forth unsteadily across the landscape, careening dangerously from one side to the other! The pilot's obviously doing his best to keep the thing in the air, but it's not working so well!
* Millenia closes her eyes, grimacing.* "A...amazing... I didn't know they could go -that- fast..."
<Ran|GM> And then all the breath is forced out of your lungs as you hear a careening *CRACK*, the hiss of escaping air, and your vision being shaken to hell and back as the ship does a full 180' - vertically - and you're now staring at the sky, the mountains, and then the sand again AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! Wait what the hell's that in the distance?!
<Ran|GM> It's huge, long, like a giant worm as it burrows back down into the sand... and then blackness overcomes your mind.
<Ran|GM> ---------------
<Ran|GM> Some time later...
<Ran|GM> Diace's head aches. A hell of a lot. And there is nothing but HEAT all around him as consciousness slowly returns to his body.
<Diace> Spend so long trying to get out, and then spend the rest of your life trying to get back in... you know, it's not so great.
<Ran|GM> Opening his eyes, all he sees is the wreck that was the quad gun chamber he was in. He's flipped upside down, in a painful position, but nothing jutting into his limbs or other soft points which might cause permanent damage. Shards of metal and glass are all around, and the fried main structure of the thing is basically all around him, hanging twisted bars of metal.
* Diace takes a moment to listen for anything.
<Ran|GM> Dead, deaaaaaaaad silence.
<Diace> "That's comforting," he thinks to himself as he tries to move a bit and orient himself. Is there a way out that he can see?
<Ran|GM> Actually as you take a look around you notice a bloody, sprawled out mass of fur a few meters away from you, lying face-first into the sand.
<Ran|GM> With a little bit of caution you can get yourself out without stabbing yourself into anything unpleasant.
<Ran|GM> And there's nothing... NOTHING but desert all around you. As far as the eye can see. The mountains are waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too far off.
<Millenia> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+1 and gets 15." [1d20=14]
<Diace> Mother of all... figures. Turn back to the wreckage for a moment, then go over to the furry body and inspect for life.
<Ran|GM> Make a Heal check.
<Diace> d20-2
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20-2 and gets 10." [d20=12]
<Ran|GM> You faintly hear breathing coming from the thing's lungs. Wow. It's got blood all over and one particularly nasty looking gash right across his left leg, but he's alive.
* Diace frowns. "Ewwwww...." He turns the body over and perks a brow, thinking a moment before untopping one of his potions and tipping it down the creature's throat.
<Diace> Cure Light Woundage ftw.
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 20." [1d20=20]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 12." [1d20=12]
<Ran|GM> ...make a grapple check.
<Diace> d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+8 and gets 15." [d20=7]
<Ran|GM> With lightning-fast speed and suddenly wide open eyes, your throat is AGH YOU CAN'T BREATHE as Chewie suddenly lets out a massive pawed hand across your neck and constricts. HARD. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD.
<Ran|GM> roll 1d6
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d6 and gets 2." [1d6=2]
<Ran|GM>  2 damage. However, after the moment passes, the potion having spilled its contents on the side, he lets go and mutters out a vicious, insulted roar.
<Diace> "Oh. My. God. You owe me 1 year of my life and 50 gold, you giant furry mistake." Diace holds his neck, shaking a fist at the beast.
<Ran|GM> Chewie snorts derisively, like he understood you, and then tries to get up - but with a furious cry of pain he pauses, lifting himself up to a somewhat standing position anyway. He looks in horrible shape, sand rolling off his fur.
* Diace doesn't look twice as he turns away and aims himself for the cockpit.
<Ran|GM> What cockpit.
<Ran|GM> The rest of the ship is GONE. All you see is the shattered husk of the chamber you were in.
<Diace> "Garbage. GARBAGE!" Diace sits down, head in his hands. "Garbage."
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 5." [1d20=5]
<Ran|GM> Chewie angles his head up for a moment, roaring something. His hand, bloodied as it is, reaches for something strapped across his back. It looks like... a crossbow. No, a real crossbow this time. Wickedly carved as he seems to load it and stare off into the distance.
* Diace turns to watch, standing up and pulling out his two-bladed sword.
<Ran|GM> Diace, listen check.
<Diace> d20
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20 and gets 19." [d20=19]
<Ran|GM> You hear the faint hum of something approaching.
<Ran|GM> Definitely the direction that Chewie's looking at...
* Diace edges behind the wreckage to be out of sight.
<Ran|GM> There isn't that much cover, but you make do with what you can. I presume you wait?
* Diace peeks around to wait for it, hoping it's a really dangerous something moving really dangerously gast for a vulnerable part of Chewie.
<Ran|GM> A minute passes, then two... then the faint dot on the horizon appears as the humming grows louder. Then more, and more... and you see that it's... a ship?! Not an airship, but a tiny ship - bigger than a lifeboat, but not exactly an Albertan merchant vessel... it's about fifty feet long and twenty feet wide, and seems to hover above the sand. There's a deck with a traditional steering wheel onboard.
<Ran|GM> As it approaches closer, you notice the captain is a young lady, blonde hair, about five feet two and with a beautiful, angelic face. More notably, she looks just like an avian - small prominent wings on her back, except they are white instead of the more common brown.
* Diace stays where he is, waiting for Chewie's painful death to present itself more prominently.
<Ran|GM> She seems to notice the two of you down there and cranes her head around to holler out something.
<Ran|GM> Then step up on the deck two others... Milly and Gildward?! It's them, all right.
<Ran|GM> They've come to actually SAVE YOU! How touching! How heartwarming!
* Diace steps out with hands held high, although the fingers that are waving are but a simple pair.
<Ran|GM> The sandflier sputters to a slower pace as it begins to circle the wreckage, Chewie watching this affair suspiciously and keeping his crossbow ready...
<Diace> "Put that damn thing down, you spasmodic guttersnipe."
<Ran|GM> Chewie roars another beastial snarl as he pointedly ignores Diace's order.
<Ran|GM> Milly and Gildward, you can act now.
<Gildward> "...I'm rather glad we DIDN'T get on that airship now, honestly."
<Millenia> "Yes, it certainly was a blessing in disguise."
* Diace crosses his arms and stares at them.
* Gildward sees Diace and the wounded furry, uh, thing. "Good to see you're alright, you crazy..." Gildward trails off a bit "That smuggler you ran off with isn't with you, is he?"
<Ran|GM> The sandflier grinds to a halt near the pair, albeit you hear its aft or engine or whatever it's using still running, kicking up sand and sound as the girl on deck smiles and waves at both of you. Chewie mutters something and approaches, too, keeping his crossbow aimed down but still drawn.
<Diace> "I think he's 60 feet under with the rest of this ship. Sunshine over here, unfortunately, survived." Diace replaces his blade, stepping forward.
<Millenia> "Glad to see you two are safe!" *Waved to them as well*
<Ran|GM> This provokes a loud snarl as Diace feels a *WHAP* across his back! Ow! So Chewie doesn't take to that well!
* Diace continues on after a short stumble, not even turning. "I'll kill him, myself. Just you wait." He mouths to Millenia as he approaches, drawing a finger across his throat. Turning, with a quick smile and wave, to the blond lady, he greets her with a quiet, "Hey, there."
<Ran|GM> "Hi!" The lady offers a gentle smile, her wings flapping ever so slightly - it's alluring. She waves to the furry mass behind you, too. "Are you and your friend alright? You look really roughed up..."
* Millenia frowns at Diace, waiting for the two to come onto the ship.* "Do you have any medical supplies? I can try to treat him on the way to the next town."
<Ran|GM> "I can take care of it," the girl offers reassuringly with a nod and a wink! She steps closer to Diace, holding her hands together as though in prayer, kneeling down and closing her eyes! Diace feels a wave of ineffable goodness wash over him!
<Diace> "Oh, he'll be fine. Trust me. He'll be fine. I, however, have a fever, milady." He slides a bit closer to the woman. "I'm burning, if you catch my drift."
<Ran|GM> roll 2d8+7
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 2d8+7 and gets 18." [2d8=6, 5]
<Ran|GM>  18 hp healed, consider that getting rid of any impact trauma you might've hahd.
<Ran|GM> She stands back up with that same bright smile and nods, now turning to Chewie after having gracefully sailed down from the deck and approaching him! He roars a bit uncertainly, but doesn't back off.
* Diace rolls his eyes. "Let him bleed. It builds character."
<Millenia> "Oh, so you're a cleric? That's wonderful!" *She commented upon noticing the healing magic*
<Gildward> "Hmm, far better than any healing I could've applied.."
<Ran|GM> "You look really bad..." She speaks gently as she does the same motions again, a wash of yellow and blue aurora spreading across Chewie's form!
<Ran|GM> roll 2d8+7
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 2d8+7 and gets 14." [2d8=6, 1]
<Ran|GM> The blood dries away a bit, the gash on his leg patches up as he blinks in surprise and roars, more in awe than anything else! She beams him a smile and then turns back to the both of you. "Could you two let down the rope for them to climb onboard?" And with a leap she flutters and lands back onto the deck of the ship!
* Gildward nods and lets down the rope.
<Ran|GM> The anchor hits the sand with a thud.
* Millenia helps Diace, then waits for them to get back up.* "What happened? Did the ship take too much damage..?"
<Diace> "Whatever happened, I blame him." Diace hooks a thumb in Chewie's direction.
<Ran|GM> Chewie seems to roar something offensive towards Diace's vague direction as he gets onboard, but looks disgruntled. He's peering off into the desert.
* Millenia frowns at Diace.* "Stop picking on him! He isn't any more to blame for this than you are!"
<Diace> "He's certainly to blame for THROTTLING ME when I tried to heal his Loch Ness monster ass." Diace returns the frown with a glare twice as fiery.
<Ran|GM> The glare is wasted, as the furry mass seems to be keeping to himself at the side of the deck, staring off.
* Diace was glaring at Millenia, u.
<Ran|GM> "Well!" At least ONE person's being positive and happy. The girl smiles again, waving at you all. "I'm so glad that we managed to find both of you out here! It's dangerous, you know, an--" Her words are interrupted by the sound of something breaking!
* Millenia pouts at him, then looks away and -* "I'm sorry, he just gets into these fits of anger and....??" *Blinks, looking around for the sound of the breakage*
<Gildward> "Eh?"
<Ran|GM> Or rather. The ground breaking. Off in the distance, you see the earth bellow and groan as the sand shatters, being sent flying everywhere, as a giant, brown-scaled worm-like creature - the very same that Diace saw before - burrowing itself out and crashing across the landscape!
<Ran|GM> It moves at a frighteningly fast pace, darting across the desert as the winged girl gasps and reaches for the steering wheel!
* Diace points in the opposite direction. "I think we should go."
* Millenia stares at it for a moment, just -stunned-. That certainly wasn't a hode...* "Y-yeah, that would be best!"
<Ran|GM> Turns out someone is faster than both of you as the engine of the sandflier guns up into a loud roar again, the girl navigating the wheel with a noticeable degree of effort! And you're off into the desert, the worm behind you chasing you rapidly!
<Ran|GM> And it looks like it's catching up...!
* Diace points at it vigorously. "Well, are you going to fire at it?" Diace seems to be questioning Chewie.
<Ran|GM> Chewie lets out a roar in reply, then moves to the aft of the ship, fingering his crossbow!
<Ran|GM> Others?
<Gildward> "Looks to large to slow down, but no loss in trying!"
<Diace> How much time does it look like we have before it catches us at its current rate?
* Gildward readies his bow, looking for any eyes or other spots to shoot at.
<Ran|GM> It's gaining a bit on you every few seconds or so - maybe a minute? Two?
* Millenia reaches into her robes, pulling out a large bag. She reaches into it and pulls out a small crystal and a patch of fur. She begins to mutter words under her breath and gesture vaguely*
<Ran|GM> The worm looks the same all around and is moving waaaaaaay too fast for something that large, making it hard to discern any particular weak points.
<Ran|GM> Chewie roars again, aiming his crossbow, and pointing a bit before - swish!
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 18." [1d20=18]
<Diace> "Since when could worms do that, anyway?" Diace looks annoyed.
<Ran|GM> roll 3d6
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 3d6 and gets 10." [3d6=2, 2, 6]
<Ran|GM> The bolt fires across the landscape and even from this distance you can see it ping straight into the worm's scale, but it barely seems to notice!
* Gildward fires an arrow at the beast.
<Ran|GM>  -4 penalty on attack roll for range increment.
* Millenia walks slowly toward the edge, continuing to cast her spell. A moment after the beast fires, she points her finger out at the worm and a bolt of lightning flies out toward the worm!*
<Ran|GM> Reflex DC?
<Gildward> roll 1d20+3
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+3 and gets 22." [1d20=19]
<Ran|GM> Oh, and make a Concentration check - the deck of the ship isn't the most stable thing to stand on.
<Millenia> roll 1d20+17
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+17 and gets 31." [1d20=14]
<Ran|GM> Gildward's arrow fires across the hot desert air and is aimed true, striking the worm dead-on in one of its protrusions, but it still doesn't seem to notice. It's like shooting peas at an elephant!
<Millenia> (DC 17 for the reflex save)
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 1." [1d20=1]
<Millenia> roll 6d6 BURN BABY BURN
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 6d6 BURN BABY BURN and gets 29." [6d6=2, 6, 3, 6, 6, 6]
<Ran|GM> Millenia's incantations and calls of sizzling death from above are answered! A lightning bolt forms at the tip of the ship and careens across the sand, streaking a dark arc of burnt desert in its landscape as it neatly skewers itself straight into the center of the worm, striking its entire length!
<Gildward> "Nice shot!"
* Diace clicks his tongue with approval.
<Ran|GM> THIS is met with a loud roar and the not so pleasant smell of burnt flesh as the thing inadvertently changes directions, now rearing off to the side... to escape? No, not yet! It's trying to circle around to get you rather than catch up behind you!
<Ran|GM> Chewie aims and fires again, the pang of his crossbow loud and a pleasant distraction in the roar of the sandflier!
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 16." [1d20=16]
<Ran|GM> roll 3d6
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 3d6 and gets 9." [3d6=1, 5, 3]
<Ran|GM> Again, the shot strikes the scale, and the worm slows just ever so bit!
* Diace sighs, and starts practicing with his two-bladed sword. "Is there a spare bow around here?"
<Gildward> "My arrows have no effect..." He tries to think of a song that might help the others concentrate better.
* Millenia smiles with slight embarrassment, her eyes trailing the worm as he changes direction. With a sigh she pulls out another small piece of crystal and fur, and begins to concentrate upon raining more death*
<Millenia> roll 1d20+17 Concentrate
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+17 Concentrate and gets 30." [1d20=13]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 4." [1d20=4]
<Millenia> roll 6d6
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 6d6 and gets 17." [6d6=1, 6, 4, 2, 2, 2]
<Ran|GM> The second hail of electrical charges make the beast give pause as it cries out another furious roar, then dives away from them, into the desert, careening back and forth with massive waves and crashes until it burrows straight down into the sand, its entire length disappearing beneath it!
* Gildward tries to inspire confidance with a song to drown out other noises and help his fellows focus.
<Ran|GM> Gildward provides victory music!
<Ran|GM> Da da da da, da-da da-da!
<Ran|GM> The sandflier continues to pick up speed before topping at maximum cruising velocity, the winged girl finally turning back for a look at the others. "Everyone alright now?" She sounds a trifle worried.
* Millenia nods.* "Yes, we're alright. The worm has fled, so there's no need to worry about it anymore."
<Ran|GM> "That was a dragon," she answers uneasily as she shakes her head, eyes still kept on the vast reaches of sand below. "I haven't ever seen one until now, but I've heard of the one in the desert before."
* Gildward breathes a sigh of relief and continues to play to calm his own nerves and that of others.
* Diace contiues practicing, looking a bit too focused for Diace.
<Diace> "I'll be a minute," he huffs.
<Millenia> "A dragon? Don't they usually have wings...?" *Blinks a few times, moving to sit down on a seat close enough to the woman to converse with her* "They might be different in this place, perhaps..."
<Ran|GM> "Some do, but not all of them." She shakes her head gravely, holding a hand to her chest. "And they're usually not hostile like this.. I've never heard of one attacking anyone..."
<Millenia> "Ah. Hm. Well, let's just hope it won't attack anyone else anymore." *Looked over at Diace as he practices with his sword*
<Gildward> "We injured it, but not much..."
<Ran|GM> Chewie is non-commital to the discussion; for that matter, the girl remains quiet as well as she pilots all of you through the desert. The sun overhanging soon drifts away, its hot glow dulling to an unpleasantly warm one, and then outright chilly as it escapes and evening takes over. The cold of the desert is just as bad, if not worse, than the heat of the day; she recommends you all take shelter below deck.
* Diace finally wraps up, resheathing his blade with a frown. "Will it be back?"
* Gildward goes below deck, pondering perhaps writing a song and story to all the crazy events that just happened.
* Diace goes without complaint. "I could use some sleep."
<Ran|GM> The deck below is pretty cramped, designed for only a couple of passengers, but there are bunkbeds and a dim light. It's certainly a lot more comfortable than staying up aboard, where apparently the small girl will be flying the ship through the entire night...
<Millenia> "Will you be alright by yourself, Nina?"
<Ran|GM> Chewie, notably, deigns not to go below deck. Probably because the hatch doesn't fit him.
<Ran|GM> "I'll be fine, don't worry," she offers with the same gentle smile. "It's not too far from here to Chamba."
* Millenia returns the smile.* "Alright. I'll go downstairs. Call me if you need me anything." *She goes down the hatch downstairs, but her familiar opts to stick above deck, silently flying at the same pace as the ship*
* Diace goes to beddy bye.
<Millenia> "Diace...? How was the ship?" *Blinks as he goes into the bed, deciding to drop the conversation there if he didn't feel like it.*
<Millenia> "Diace...? How was the ship?" *Blinks as he goes into the bed, deciding to drop the conversation there if he didn't feel like it.*
<Gildward> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20 and gets 20." [1d20=20]
* Diace leans up, resting his head on a hand that was propped up by an elbow. "It was in pretty dire straits. It won't be flying again, is my guess."
<Millenia> "Ah, er, I meant, how was it inside the ship. I've never seen anything like it... It must take quite a bit of magic to power it."
<Diace> "Whatever it was, it was pretty impressive. Did you see those soldiers eat that laser? That was all me."
<Millenia> "Thank you for that. We would've been done for it wasn't for your help." *Gave him a smile*
<Diace> *I meant, er, bolt.
* Gildward thinks for a bit about the town Nina mentioned. "Ah, Chamba. I wonder why she wants to go there?"
<Gildward> "Mining town, it is.  Something bad happened to it, too.  Never got the news as to what."
<Diace> "Yes, well, I guess we're even, then."
<Diace> "So why don't you come to bed and make nice?"
<Millenia> "..." *Blinked, not seeming to get it* "Excuse me? And that is quite interesting, Gildward. Is it a small town?"
<Gildward> "Wouldn't worry about the populace though.  Friendly sort."
<Gildward> "Small now.. used to be larger."
* Diace snorts, turning over and closing his eyes.
<Ran|GM> And sleep soon takes it hold on you all as the sandflier sails on through the night.
<Ran|GM> ---------
<Ran|GM> Next morn... is it morn? Doesn't FEEL like it - but Diace feels a noticeable bump as the craft descends to a slow halt, the motion rocking him out of sleep from his limited room.
* Millenia stays sleeping silently in one of the beds, the blanket tightly wrapped around her
* Diace sits up, sneaking his way up to inspect the noise.
<Ran|GM> The hatch opens... ayup, no, it's not daylight yet. It's still dark out. You catch a sight of furry feet... and Chewie's apparently standing watch. Craning your head, you see that Nina's still nursing the wheel, albeit she looks pretty tired, as she weaves the sandflier into a parking spot near what appears to be a town made out of metal roofs and walls. It looks eeriely like Einbrech.
<Ran|GM> It's much smaller, though, and the town has some smoke from the coal you smell burning, but it's kept relatively clean, and tidy. The majority of the streets are a series of paved iron walkways and stairways. You see men, women and children all walking and running around, many of them in miner clothes and safety helms.
* Diace climbs up to stand near Nina. "Where is this? Chamba?"
<Ran|GM> "Yes, it is." Nina turns around, brightening her face up from its weary look. "You got up a little early. I was going to ask your friend to wake you up in a bit."
* Gildward stirs restlessly.
<Ran|GM> From below, you hear a worker signaling the sandflier in - his shouts manage to stir the rest of you down below awake, as Nina moves back to the wheel to comply.
<Diace> "Which friend is this?" He perks an eyebrow her way. "Both of my friends are asleep." He emphasizes the word 'both.'
* Millenia stirs, waking up and walking up the hatch with half-closed eyes, yawning. Sholia simply floats there, 'staring' at Diace*
<Ran|GM> Nina seems to take it in stride, just turning her smile gently and nodding downwards with a wave of her hand. Chewie roars something, then walks over to pluck the anchor down. At least he seems to be fitting in.
* Gildward also awakens, looks around seeing he was the last to get up, and heads up.
* Millenia looks around at her surroundings, questioning quietly.* "We're here? Great..."
<Ran|GM> You get the same vantage view of the town as people mill about. Even this early, it looks like people in this town are dedicated to getting to work.
<Diace> "They look so... industrious. I don't think I'll fit in here very well," Diace remakrs offhand.
<Diace> "Oh, well! To adventure! First stop, the tavern~ Are you familar with this place, Nina?"
<Millenia> "I'm not sure if they'll be open at this time.... despite all the people walking around us, though breakfast sounds good." *Smiled, looking over at Nina*
<Ran|GM> Nina shakes her head gravely, her wings fluttering with her words. "I haven't been here since I was little, and it was different then before the town was hit by the Carronade, so..." Her words sound a bit sad as she steps off to the side of the ship, gliding down with her wings, hovering in the air and then touching the ground.
<Ran|GM> She looks back up with that little wave of her hand again. "I'm going to go visit the town elder to talk about something, so if you want, we can meet up later!"
* Millenia goes down after her.* "Carronade? Bye."
<Diace> "Carronade?" Diace questions idly, turning to Gildward.
<Gildward> roll 1d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+4 and gets 24." [1d20=20]
<Gildward> "The Carronade... fearsome weapon it was.  Forcibly brought offline for being too destructive.  It's known to blow apart entire towns and leave and eerie fog making locations uninhabitable for years."
<Millenia> "How terrible!" *Frowned, glancing over at Nina as she presumably leaves.* "Well, I'm glad it's gone, at least. Shall we find a tavern..?"
<Diace> "Cute. Who had it?"
* Gildward shrugs "Whoever the other side was."
<Diace> "Useful, such information." Diace turns and slides down the anchor.
* Millenia walks off to ask a local where the local pub/tavern would be.*
* Gildward goes with Millenia.
<Ran|GM> The locals pointedly don't look very interested in conversing with you. But when Milly manages to catch one of them, they shrug and tell her that the place is closed this early.
<Gildward> "Well, not much for us to do with no current place to eat or stay.  Shall we look for Nina?"
* Diace kicks a rock on the ground. "I see no reason to do otherwise."
<Millenia> "I suppose." *She looks to Chewie for his opinion, if he's following them*
<Ran|GM> Chewie is not! As far as you know he's still on the ship, although you don't see him on deck if you crane back to look.
<Ran|GM> Nina, on the other hand, is now well of sight, although the large building at the top of the city - a good walk away, and scaling some ladders and on a hill - seems to mark itself out as either the town center or the main city building.
<Ran|GM> People keep to themselves here, walking back and forth, a lot of them carrying equipment.
* Diace gets to stepping.
* Millenia points over toward the large building.* "That seems likely the place where she was going." *With that, she walked toward the building, looking around to memorize their location and to get a feel for the town and its layout*
<Ran|GM> Carrying right along, your footsteps echo and clank off the metallic surfaces of the town's walkways. There's actually no door to the building, just a wide open doorway that you step through and catch a few of the locals standing in the main lounge. They're chatting it up, and pay you no attention.
<Ran|GM> There's a hallway leading back to a larger chamber from there.
* Diace struts on through!
<Ran|GM> Diace proceeds! What a shock, Nina is back there! Speaking to a more elderly man who is holding her hand and nodding gravely. "I understand, Princess, but it's terribly dangerous to walk through that section of Chamba right at this moment. The level of the fog is at its highest yet. It'll be a few more weeks before we can safely make a route across..."
* Gildward also keeps on going.
* Diace leans against the wall, clearly eavesdropping and not looking to be too concerned about it.
<Ran|GM> Nina is pouting a little bit, but shaking her head. "It's really important! I need to find out where Elaine's gone! And I know she took this route..." Hearing something, she turns her head and then smiles at the newcomers. Yeah, really. "Oh! I didn't see you there, sorry. Are you feeling awake now?"
* Millenia follows the three with her familiar, nodding at the woman's question.* "Mmhm."
<Ran|GM> "My, we haven't had this many visitors since Miss Elaine passed through that month back," the older man murmurs, looking to be like one of the town's leaders.
* Diace bows, stepping a bit closer. "Diace Slythe, at your service. These are my friends, Millenia and Gildward. We were rescued by your highness Nina just yesterday."
<Millenia> "Hello, sir." *Gave him a small polite curtsy, feeling a bit embarrassed.*
<Ran|GM> "Is that so? Princess Nina here does seem to have a reputation for finding those in distress, just like her sister," the mayor agrees without hesitation. "But even so, I'm afraid it's just too dangerous for all of you to go through. The purification process is going to take years to finish, and we've already lost so many due to accidents..."
<Ran|GM> There is then a loud, banging rap on the metal wall.
* Millenia blinks, turning toward the rap.* "I, ah, see... Go through where?"
<Diace> "The contaminated area from the Carronade, I assume." Diace turns, as well.
<Ran|GM> The rap accelerates by a loud knock. And then another. And then another.
<Millenia> "Ah. Isn't there a way around...?" *Asked, unsure of her question*
<Ran|GM> The banging is quite loud, and makes the mayor look uneasy and Nina shift her feet as she looks around too. "W-what's that...?"
<Ran|GM> BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.
* Diace whips out his sword, frowning.
<Ran|GM> The entire building seems to shudder in its formation, and you hear the workers back in the first room seeming to mutter something in consternation!
<Diace> "Well? Any ideas?"
<Ran|GM> The mayor, actually, has a sinking expression on his face as he stares over at the wall...
<Millenia> "Construction work, perhaps...?" *Became silent*
<Ran|GM> And you hear some scuffling, well, more like the sounds of wtfery outside as heavy metal footsteps clank against the ground.
<Ran|GM> Someone approaches.
<Ran|GM> It's round. It's short. It has a cape.
<Gildward> "...."
<SirAlex> It also has beady red lights for eyes and a goofy grin sloppily painted on the metal.  It regards the scene impassively.
* Diace makes a few sounds of wtfery himself.
* Millenia turns to it, blinking and gasping in surprise.* "H-hello...?"
<Ran|GM> "...ah." That's all the mayor says as he relaxes, albeit there's still tension on his face. Nina just stares at the thing herself.
<Ran|GM> "This would be Ershin. She's... she's been one of the primary people in charge of purifying the hexed areas."
<SirAlex> "Ershin is not a this.  Ershin is Ershin."  The alien voice emanates from somewhere within the armor.  "Ershin will take these people."
<Diace> "Diace disa-fucking-grees, pardon my Orcish." He gives Ershin a steady look.
<Gildward> "Ershin.. what are... nevermind"  Gildward figures he'd get the same answer to 'what are you'
<Ran|GM> The mayor looks ill-faced at that, but does not respond immediately. Nina only blinks again impassively. "Um... you can take us through?"
<Millenia> "Oh? Interesting..." *Blinks a few times* "A pleasure to meet you."
<SirAlex> Ershin walks up to Diace, disregarding any concept of personal space and bringing its grin to within a few inches of Diace's head.  It nods.  "Ershin will take these people through.  Ershin says it is a pleasure to meet you, too.  HA!  HA!  HA!"
<Gildward> "Nina, I have not yet asked, but where are you going?  We have no real clear path ourselves, but..."
* Diace falls over onto the round thing, hanging on it like a ragdoll. "I give. Take me away, Ershin. Take me to your leader."
<Ran|GM> The mayor speaks up at that, affirming his earlier position again, although his words sound uneasy in front of the now present walking tin can. "It's still far too risky, Ershin, they don't have the proper armor and equipment, and we don't have any spare steam armor for them..."
<Millenia> "Steam... armor? You can create such a thing with magic? This land has so many new and fascinating magics..."
<Ran|GM> "I'm following the route my sister, Elaine, took on her journey through the continent," Nina says in ways of reply to Gildward, holding her hands together. "She passed through all the major cities on the coast, and then disappeared. I'm trying to figure out what happened and find her..."
<SirAlex> "Ershin says you are in the presence of the leader.  Ershin is also not steam armor.  Ershin says such things are far beneath Ershin."  It nods again.
* Gildward tips his hat a bit. "Sounds like quite a journey! I wouldn't mind going with you then. I myself am a wanderer and interested in these new.. places."
<Ran|GM> Nina only smiles at that, nodding gently. "I wouldn't mind the company at all! To tell you the truth, I wasn't planning on going alone, but my parents back at Wyndia weren't all too... enthuisiastic about the idea, so here we are!"
<Diace> "I myself have given up trying to divine any sort of sense from anything anymore. I also have decided that I like being carried."
* Millenia chuckled at Diace's tomfoolery.* "I'll be glad to assist you."
<SirAlex> "Ershin will assist you!"
<Diace> "Apparently." Diace knocks on the thing's helmet.
<SirAlex> It rings, as though it were hollow.
<Millenia> "A golem...?" *Shrugged* "When shall we go? After breakfast?"
<Ran|GM> "Well, then!" Nina looks enthused now, stepping forward to everyone as a group and nodding with a smile. "I'm glad we're all together on this, then! Ershin, how do we get across?"
* Diace adjusts himself to a sitting position on Ershin's shoulders, should there be no resistance.
<SirAlex> "Ershin suggests flying, winged girl.  HA!  HA!  HA!"
<Ran|GM> Nina blushes at that, considering. "Well, I can't really... fly as much as you might think I can, Ershin..."
<SirAlex> "Ershin suggests laughter.  Ershin also suggests walking.  Ershin also suggests obtaining a door."
<Gildward> "Er, right then.."
<Diace> "Diace suggests Ershin gets on with it."
* Millenia chuckled.* "Why a door, Ershin?"
<SirAlex> "Ershin is aware that people generally object to Ershin walking in on them as Ershin has done."  It turns around and walks out again.
<Millenia> "Ahh." *Giggled a bit, then followed it out*
<Ran|GM> Clank. Clank. Clank.
* Diace sees the world from Ershin's shoulder, and has little to complain about.
<Ran|GM> And as you all trail the Ershin... thing... she... Ershin out, you have a mayor wearily shaking his head, a trailing along and hospitable winged girl, heading out to the town now in the full bustle of the morn...

[Laggy]

<SirAlex> "Clank!  Clank!  Clank!"
<Ran|GM> The town indeed! The full work force is out and about now, bustling throughout the town's many 'alleys' and bridges, the clanking of boots on iron floor echoing loudly throughout the area. Ershin's heavy inclination towards this doesn't suppress the noise in the slightest. The erstwhile princess Nina stays behind your mechanical friend, who seems content to be leading.,
<Diace> Diace does his best to stay steady on the lumbering Ershin. "This is oddly reminiscent of the Aldebaran pub's daughter. Or was that his wife? Wait, it was both."
<Ran|GM> And up, up you go - Ershin starts to puff steam and leads up a ladder, which makes it considerably hard for Diace to hold on!
<Ran|GM> Balance check if you want any hope of staying on the walking tin can.
* Millenia slows her pace to walk alongside Nina, looking up as Ershin climbs.* "Ah, er, is it safe up there...? Where are you taking us, Ershin?"
<Diace> d20+14
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+14 and gets 23." [d20=9]
<SirAlex> "Ershin says Ershin is taking you through the mist.  That is what you want, right?  RIGHT?  Right."
<Ran|GM> You grip onto the bulbous head, or what you presume is its head, for the moment. That moment doesn't last. Midway through the ladder, resident pimp loses his grip and falls right into the arms of whoever happens to be below, which just so is Millenia!
<Diace> "Do we need... uh.. masks?" Diace looks unruffled as he regains his footing to follow.
<Gildward> "Yeah, just how bad is this mist?"
* Millenia blinks a few times, completely surprised by her ability to catch Diace without letting him go. She winced, then spoke up to Ershin.* "B-but we need to eat first! ... Am I the only one who's hungry?"
<SirAlex> "Ershin says your survival is probable if you are careful.  And lucky."  It nods unconcernedly and continues forward.
<Ran|GM> Nina looks suitably worried as she starts to scale the ladder herself, her wings fluttering slightly. "The hex is said to be very dangerous to both the mind and the body. We better try to avoid it."
<Ran|GM> Ershin leads on ahead away from the rest of you, its pace ponderous but seemingly uncaring whether you fellows will keep up with it or not!
* Millenia climbs up after Nina with a groan.* "Hex? I see... Does it look different from the mist, or...?"
<Diace> "Let's just get on with it so we can resuce this damsel. If she's anything like her sister... she'll be very, er, grateful."
<Ran|GM> "The hex IS the mist," Nina explains patiently as everyone climbs to the next level of the town and onto a rickety metal bridge, which has - fun - no railings! Ershin, despite obviously being the least mobile of you all, doesn't seem to mind much though, CLANK CLANK CLANKing right along as the slope steeps upward into a fenced off area of town.
<Ran|GM> Fenced. It's at the top of the hill, warning signs and barriers all around. Peering past the barrier, you see nothing but utter darkness.
<Ran|GM> It should be noted that the CLANK CLANK CLANKing is .. actually... coming from Ershin's mouth. Its body jets along the floor, steam pumping from its sides.
<Gildward> "Eh... I've heard stories but I never imagined it was so dark."  Gildward looks at the darkness uncomfortably
* Diace eyes Ershin. "I need to get back on my ride."
<Ran|GM> "It's not that. This part of the town was sealed off, I think, and they never managed to regain power to it yet." Nina looks uncertainly to Ershin, her head bowing. "Have you been through here before, Ershin?"
<Millenia> "Ah... I see." *She replied with a bit of embarrassment, unsure of things, but continued regardless. She blinks, staring at Ershin's floating.* "Whoever built Ershin seems to have been quite the, er, builder." *She walks along the bridge carefully, uncomfortable from the sight of the darkness*
<Ran|GM> She isn't floating, just sliding along the ground.
* Millenia notes that silently, bowing her head in imitation of Nina
<Diace> "I guess we better keep our eyes peeled for zombies and other such things."
<SirAlex> "Ershin says Ershin has been through here many times.  Ershin says the shopping district is coming up.  Ershin wants to buy some food there."
<Diace> "Been too long since I had a good scrap. Ershin, there are maladjusted beings of less-than-benevolent intent for us to play with, right?"
<Millenia> "I'd hope not. The dragon was bad enough..." *Frowned, continuing to follow behind Nina.* "Then again, zombies coming from the mist wouldn't be much of a surprise."
<SirAlex> "Ershin asks if you mean fighting monsters, right?"
<Diace> "That's the general idea."
<Gildward> "While avoiding monsters would be nice... might be inevitable"
<SirAlex> It turns around abruptly, and advances to within an inch of Diace's face.  "Ha.  HA!  HA!!"
<SirAlex> After a second, Ershin continues forward.
* Diace waits until the right moment, then pounces upon Ershin to reclaim his throne.
<Ran|GM> Forward... to the barrier.
<Diace> "I'm so cleveeeeeeerrrrrrrrr"
<Ran|GM> Make an attack roll, Diace.
<Diace> d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+8 and gets 23." [d20=15]
<Ran|GM> You latch onto Ershin's head and.. maintain a grip there! It doesn't seem to even notice, or if it does, obviously does not CARE.
* Millenia blinks in surprise.* "What did you mean by that, Ershin? I am unsure of what you mean."
<Ran|GM> And you stay on as Ershin jets ahead to the barricade, the eerie darkness beyond it all the more prevalent now that you're right up closehand. It's basically a totally different part of town, and you make it the slightest twinkles of light.
<Diace> "This is creepy..." Diace hangs around the sliding Ershin, looking about. "People live here?"
<SirAlex> "Ershin says people lived here.  Ershin fought those people."
<Diace> "You bested their greatest warriors and ate their food as a reward? Where does the buying come in?"
<SirAlex> "Are you calling Ershin a liar?"
<Diace> "Just answer the question."
<SirAlex> "Ershin says Ershin quarrels only by the book, in degrees.  HA!  HA!  HA!"
* Millenia blinks.* "Why did you fight them? Were they hostile? ... Were -you- hostile?"
<SirAlex> "Must Ershin name you the degrees of quarrel?"
<Millenia> "That would help, perhaps... I do not mean to anger you."
<SirAlex> Ershin begins a sudden rapid fire chatter, accellerating its movement across the bridges ahead.  "The first, the Reply Couteous, DING!  The second the Quip Modest, DING!  The third the Reply Churlish, DING!  The fourth the Reproof Valiant, DING!"
<Ran|GM> Zooooooooom! Balance check, passenger!
<SirAlex> As it speeds forward to a totally unsafe pace, "The fifth, the Countercheck Quarrelsome, DING!  The sixth, the Lie Circumstantial, DING!"
<Diace> d20+14
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+14 and gets 31." [d20=17]
<Ran|GM> And you hold on for dear life as the tin can pretty much screeches across the floor with very little regard to, ah, reasonable velocity! Oh wait ISN'T THAT THE BARRICADE COMING UP?
<SirAlex> "And the seventh, the Lie Direct, DING!"  On this last DING!, Ershin abruptly stops, barely not touching the barricade... at least, not itself.
<Ran|GM> Reflex save, Diace.
<Diace> d20+10
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+10 and gets 11." [d20=1]
<Ran|GM> Aaaaaaaaaaaaah! A certain would-be passenger goes flying off of Ershin's cranium and lands in a tangle that one cannot consider healthy in any shape or form, whatnot with the large, blunt, heavy metallic objects and fences and posts that Diace finds himself plowing through, the human bowling ball! Ow! Ow! Ow!
<Ran|GM> roll 2d6
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 2d6 and gets 6." [2d6=1, 5]
<Ran|GM> He lands in an ungraceful heap, head implanted into the cold, iron floor as he hits something way too hard and skids to a stop. (6 damage.)
* Diace fails to move.
<SirAlex> Ershin continues speaking as though nothing had happened.  "And all of these can be avoided, except for..."  It pauses, obviously waiting for an answer from someone in the party.
<Millenia> "Ah, I think I get i- Eek! Diace!" *Hurries her pace toward him*
<SirAlex> "Except forrrrr...."
<Gildward> Gildward shakes his head and moves towards Diace "Need a hand?"
<Ran|GM> Millenia picks her way through the now-ruined barricade, stepping over the bent obstructions and approaching the fallen Diace. Gildward follows up. He's beaten up, but hardly anything he hasn't been through before, and then some.
* Diace rolls over and looks up at them, putting his elbows on the ground and leaning up. "Well, someone had to do it."
<Gildward> "Probably not a good idea to continue to attempt to ride Ershin."
<SirAlex> "Except for?!"
<Millenia> "How many of me do you see?" *She asked, holding out a hand to help him up.* "Except for... the courteous reply, Ershin?"
<SirAlex> "DING!  Except for DING!  Ershin says this is why you fall into barriers.  Clank!"
<Ran|GM> "Ah!" We seem to have forgotten our erstwhile Wyndian, who has now finally caught up with the rest of you, panting for breath and looking over at the mess. "Oh, my! Are you alright?"
<SirAlex> Ershin advances forward, brushing the debris out of its way without further comment.
<Ran|GM> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d100 and gets 88." [1d100=88]
<Diace> "That's all relatice, really."
<Diace> "Or relative. You know what I mean. Debris in my teeth." Diace spits some blood and takes their hands to get up.
<Ran|GM> Ershin's advancement is just enough to jar a barricade that was just slightly out of control at the same time Diace stands up, it causing a collosal of a chain reaction as a pile of heavy objects fall off from the bridge and land into the darkness below! You hear a tremendous clatter of metallic objects slamming against each other.
<Ran|GM> So much for a conspicious entrance. The caped crusa-- tin can moves merrily on, Nina looking down at the racket and holding a hand to her mouth. "I-is it safe?"
* Millenia helps Diace up.* "Ah, I see. Thank you for the insight, Ershin." *She turns to the Wyndian* "He seems to be well enough. No need to worry much this time, thankfully." *Gave her a smile and began to follow Ershin, surprised by the fall of the debris.* "O-oh, my..."
* Diace rubs the back of his head, much more concerned with his own suffering than that of some mountainous debris slides.
<Ran|GM> Ershin moves on without so much as turning its head to regard your own pacing. This could possibly pose some problem.
<Millenia> "It... seems safe enough, doesn't it, Sholia?" *Glanced over at her familiar, who went up ahead and checked the ground behind Ershin*
<Ran|GM> The ground rocks unsteadily and is without safety railings, and is sloping downwards into a descent of darkness - it should be noted that Ershin is not carrying any light source. At this rate, the tin can will disappear utterly from sight unless you get a move on. And no, Sholia does not resonate 'safe' thoughts.
<Gildward> Gildward slowly follows Ershin, looking about from time to time
<Ran|GM> Are any of you carrying illumination?
<Diace> But of course.
* Diace busts out a sunrod to make with the light.
<Ran|GM> Gildward trails ahead of the rest of you, and Nina looks around briefly before following straight behind the bard, clasping her hands together as she walks nervously down the path!
<Ran|GM> The sunrod gives off a static-like emission, then its tip bursts with a comfortable glow. Not much to pierce the vast blackness of what's ahead, but enough to light your progress - if you ever get up to your feet.
<Diace> I'm already standing, you.
<Ran|GM> Then get a move on!
* Diace brings up the rear with Millenia, putting a hand at the small of her back to increase her pace.
<Ran|GM> Oh. I see how it is. Right then.
<Ran|GM> Up ahead, Gildward barely makes out the back of Ershin's form as it pretty much slides down the bridge into... town? Yes, it looks like it. A dead town - the same iron walls, doors, windows that are barred, and an utter and complete silence. There is literally not a single noise of ambiance to be heard. You barely make out any features only thanks to Diace's sunrod from behind.
* Millenia seems uncomfortable, but says nothing as she increases her pace, though not enough to outrun Diace, for she fears for her own safety.
<Ran|GM> The architecture of the place is tightly clustered, and you spot some rusty pipes running across the ground and over the ceiling of the buildings; none of them look like they're functional anymore. Aside from the occasional hiss of Ershin's steam body, the stagnation in this place has almost a presence of its own.
<Gildward> Gildward decides to cast a minor spell of light to better see where he is going.
<Ran|GM> On?
<Ran|GM> "This is creepy...." Nina whispers beneath her breath as she walks alongside Gildward, craning her head every once in a while to try to make out anything inside the buildings, but to no avail. You just can't see inside of them, and the doors look cold, heavy and forbidding. "I wonder what happened to all of the people that lived here...?"
<Diace> "Wait... Ershin eats?"
<SirAlex> From far ahead, "Ershin says they all became like Ershin!"
<Ran|GM> With the arcane words uttered beneath his breath, Gildward's hand bestows an illuminating glow to an arrow that he grasps in his hand, giving the group a better radius of light! It is much appreciated, doing a little to help fight away the engulfing darkness about them.
<Millenia> "Apperantly... I wouldn't wish to learn how, though..." *Frowns, quickening her pace when they enter the place, catching up with Gildward and Nina.*
* Diace trails behind, catching up whenever he does, looking more curious than afraid.
<SirAlex> Up ahead, you hear a sudden sharp report, or maybe an explosion.
<Millenia> "Ershin! What happened?!"
<Ran|GM> Nina doesn't waste words or time, going straight ahead to check on Ershin ahead of the rest of you! "Ershin?"
<Ran|GM> She disappears into the black.
<Gildward> The bard trails after, not exactly wanting to be seperated
<Diace> "Uh-oh." Diace catches up with his buds by this time, moving with them.
* Millenia turns back toward Diace, then back forward, and runs to catch up with the others, Sholia by her side*
<Ran|GM> And Gildward, too, runs ahead, a beacon of light in his hand as he catches up with the winged princess and presumably Ershin ahead of them all. They rush forward as a group to find the tin can standing before ... a chasm? There are buildings to the side, but it looks like the end of the town, literally - a huge drop below. There is a bridge overhanging ahead, suspended by ropes, maybe twenty feet, which seems to be the exit... if you could reach it.
<Diace> "Oh. A ROPE bridge. How... convenient."
<Ran|GM> Mechanisms and pulleys tie all the ropes to a rusty, inoperational looking lever at the side. Which Ershin is standing near by. With its hand outstretched. And then a loud --
<Ran|GM> Attack roll, Ershin.
<SirAlex> 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "SirAlex rolls 1d20+12 and gets 22." [1d20=10]
<Ran|GM> The rest of you catch up into the general vicinity as you see Ershin's mechanical hand whirl, and then suddenly propel itself from its wrist and smash into the lever with a LOUD, ear-splitting metallic ring! It bounces off and disappears before you can track it by your eyes, the lever being significantly bent but little else! It almost looks snapped off from the glancing blow!
<Ran|GM> The ringing echo is incredible in the former silence of the town, making all your heads ring painfully.
<Diace> "This is worse than a hangover."
* Millenia winces, unsure of what to say, covering her ears with her hands.*
<SirAlex> "Ershin thinks that did not work."
<Ran|GM> Nina looks up at the bridge uncertainly, seeming to almost reach up with her hand for it. "Well... how can we get across if that's not working?"
<SirAlex> "Ershin suggests flight."
<Diace> "I thought you came here all the time?"
<Ran|GM> Nina blushes at that, holding the tips of her fingers together. "Well, I can't fly THAT high or that much..."
<SirAlex> "Ershin then suggests cutting the ropes.  Ershin says that every adventuring party must have a male leader with a sword at least that large."
<Millenia> "She likely never needed to cross the chasm..." *Frowned* "I don't know any spells of flight, unfortunately, and I do not know any other spells that could aid with the lever, although..."
<Diace> How high up is the rope?
* Millenia chuckles at Ershin's joke, walking over to the lever.* "Gildward, could you come over here for a moment? I need to see this more clearly."<Ran|GM> The bridge is about twenty feet in the air - the rope's hanging onto its railing, so another five feet, maybe. It's not exactly an easy toss if you try to aim it from here.
<Diace> Well, what's the rest of the place look like besides the bridge?
<Gildward> Gildward complies
* Millenia examines the lever closely. It is rusty, correct?
<Ran|GM> It's the edge of the... plate section of town that you're on, for a lack of better words. There are buildings around you, and the rooftops are scalable thanks to the ladder on their sides - you have to do some ducking and crawling to avoid banging your head on the pipes, but it's doable. It gives you a good ten feet up, at least, and the jump looks -almost- makable from there.
<Ran|GM> Not exactly healthy if you fall, though - you can't even see the bottom of the chasm. The lever is... well, you know, almost snapped off thanks to the force of Ershin's blow earlier - the gears do look aged.
<Diace> Health comes and goes. One must never miss the chance to look bad ass. "I'll be right back." Diace goes to scale one of said buildings, leading with his sunrod.
<Ran|GM> Up, up you go, your boots echoing up the ladder rongs and then on the rooftop. It's pretty unsteady, being curved and all, and you have to take care to keep steady footing.
<Millenia> "Hmm. Perhaps..." *She made a few vague gestures with her hands and muttered something under her breath. She began to concentrate upon the gears within her sight and tried to clean up the rust and aging using her cantrip: Prestidigitation.*
<Ran|GM> The rust on them fades a little bit, going from a dark hue to a more dullish orange.
* Millenia continues to concentrate on every single square inch until it gets as good as it ever will get, and moves on.*
<Ran|GM> There's not THAT much you can do - you suspect much of the wear is beyond your sight and part of the internal workings.
<Diace> When he arrives upon the top, he takes a moment to examine the jump a bit more. Is the distance to the ropes, or the actual bridge?
<Ran|GM> The distance is to the bridge itself, which would be the logical jumping point - the start of it, that you can hang on, maybe the railings to the side if you feel frisky. It's about... oh, well. Almost ten feet to leap across. You're definitely not going to make it without a running start. A running start on a curved rooftop, no less.
* Millenia frowns.* "Let's go back to the bridge. I can try blasting the ropes."
* Diace grins, sliding into something of a catlike stance. "Alrighty then." Crouching, Diace focuses on the jump, and he leans down to put his hands on the ground. "Tiger's Claw.... Hunter's Stance. Here we go~"
* Diace leaps from the building at the bridge.
<Diace> d20+24 to jump.
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+24 to jump. and gets 42." [d20=18]
<Ran|GM> With a dramatic leap, Diace clears across the impossibly wide chasm - for most people - and lands on the bridge! Or not. Perilously way too close to the edge, he slips and nearly tumbles off into the pits below before his hands snap out, grabbing onto the railing and keeping him hanging on! The bridge, mercifully, seems to be well constructed enough to handle his weight like this!
<Ran|GM> So now we have the pimp hanging onto the side of the bridge, trying to hoist himself up, while everyone else dicks around near the lever. Nina gasps a bit softly as he makes the jump!
* Millenia presumably leads Gildward toward the bridge, trying to get a good view of the ropes, but her thinking is interrupted with Diace's jump of awesomeness!* "Diace!"
<Diace> "Just... a minute..." lalalala, let's pull ourselves up, yes?
<Ran|GM> Climb check.
<Diace> d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+8 and gets 11." [d20=3]
<Ran|GM> You feel your fingers protest, their grip not solidly enough on the old iron handles of the railing as you lose a bit of grip and take one proverbial step closer to falling DEATH.
<SirAlex> "Ershin will assist you!"  An increasing whirr sounds as Ershin charges back, then forward, making a jet-propelled jump to Diace's back!
<Ran|GM> ...well, uh, Jump check.
<Millenia> "Sholia!" *She points at Diace, the elemental being flying off to assist Diace!*
<SirAlex> 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "SirAlex rolls 1d20+9 and gets 11." [1d20=2]
<Ran|GM> Chaaaaaaaaarge goes the Ershin! With a sudden burst of power it is basically leaping through the air, the blast blowing steam in all of your faces, making you blind for a moment as it reaches up, up... and no, not quite! But enough to latch a glove onto Diace's feet, already perilously off balance! Strength check!!
<SirAlex> 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "SirAlex rolls 1d20+6 and gets 20." [1d20=14]
<Diace> "Oh, this is some shit."
<Ran|GM> Diace, your check, please.
<Diace> d20+3
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+3 and gets 11." [d20=8]
<Ran|GM> You don't really have time to be making remarks!
<Ran|GM> Also, you just lost your grip.
<Diace> I always have time for remarks.
<Ran|GM> The rest of you see one Diace and one Tin Can now into straight freefall as the bridge buckles unsteadily beneath their weight before the former's grip loses, tumbling to their dooms into the chasms below!
<Ran|GM> A second... another second... and a loud, sickening echo explodes from below.
<Ran|GM> roll 8d6
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 8d6 and gets 31." [8d6=1, 5, 4, 5, 2, 4, 4, 6]
<Ran|GM>  31 falling damage.
<Ran|GM> Nina gasps again, staring down into the pit! "Oh no! Are they going to be alright?!"
* Millenia just -stares- as Sholia pauses in mid air to mimic her expression, shocked.*
<Ran|GM> Yeah you can keep staring all you want, you see nothing but utter darkness.
<Millenia> "I... I..." *She steps closer to the ledge* "DIACE! ERSHIN! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"
<Gildward> Gildward isn't sure Ershin is so helpful now.  But is more worried about Diace being, y'know, still alive.
<Ran|GM> You get no response.
<Ran|GM> Probably the being farther-than-you-can-see depths is part of it. Or maybe they're dead. That was a rather long fall.
<Millenia> "Sholia, go check on them." *The elemental nods and flies down into the chasm to find the two*
<Ran|GM> A few moments later, you hear some more noise - sounds like something moving down there. There's more racket, echoes of things falling and being moved, and you suddenly all feel an aura of revulsion and dread settle into your stomachs. Will saves for everyone up there.
<Millenia> roll 1d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+4 and gets 11." [1d20=7]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20+10 and gets 21." [1d20=11]
<Gildward> roll 1d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+4 and gets 9." [1d20=5]
<Ran|GM> Both Millenia and Gildward feel a despair creep into their heads, utter darkness seeming to revolve around in the corridors of your mind as your body reacts violently, shaking uncontrollably! (You are now both shaken.)
<Millenia> "Wha..wha..." *She struggles to say, staring at her shaking hand with surprise.*
<Millenia> roll 1d20-1
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20-1 and gets 5." [1d20=6]
* Millenia turns to Gildward and Nina.* "Do-do you feel that?"
<Ran|GM> Nina nods a bit, turning to both of them with a concerned look gracing her face. But she seems to be in control of herself. "The hex... it's said to bring negative feelings into anyone who approaches it."
<Ran|GM> Sholia flies up from the depths, looking perturbed as it approaches its master again.
<Millenia> "Ah... yes... we should just turn back, then. It's not like we'll ever find them, and..." *Trails off, turning to it. She asks of it what occured, and it replies, all in a language the others likely do not understand.*
<Ran|GM> Nina blinks at that, and shakes her head vigorously. "I can't go back. I need to find Elaine! Even if Ershin can't lead us... I'll still find a way to get through this!" She looks around again, then walks over and begins scaling one of the ladders, apparently up to something.
* Millenia looks even more into despair.* "The...they can't be found... there's something down there, it must have gotten to them... let's just turn around." *Closed her eyes, tears beginning to form and flow down her shaking face*
<SirAlex> Whirr!  Ershin suddenly appears out of the mist on the far side of the bridge, carrying an unconscious Diace.
<Ran|GM> Nina snaps her head up at that, her face brightening up into a smile, and raising her hand in a wave. "Hey! They made it across!"
<Millenia> "Wha...? Im...impossible! There's no way!"
<SirAlex> Ershin flips the lever on the far side, and the bridge swings down into place.  "DING!"  It then proceeds forth into the mist.
<Gildward> "..I... em.. maybe we should, go over there..?  See if he's alive.."
<Ran|GM> Nina hops down from the rooftop, running after Ershin across the now accessible bridge!
* Millenia follows Nina reluctantly, dragging her feet every step of the way, face gloomy despite the survival of at least one of their comrades.*
<Gildward> Gildward paces across slowly, obviously still alittle shooken up
<Ran|GM> The two of you drag your way across, losing progress as everyone else is rushed ahead, apparently! Nina soon disappears from your vantage sight, and Ershin carrying the comatose Diace across its shoulders, or whatever it has, has long since gone as well. The ineffable fear that creeps into your veins persists, the bridge rocking and seeming to be ready to fall at any time.
<Millenia> "Figures they'd leave me behind..." *Hurried her pace up a bit, Sholia drearily floating alongside her.*
<Ran|GM> roll 2d8+6
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 2d8+6 and gets 10." [2d8=2, 2]
<Ran|GM> Vision returns to Diace as he finds himself being not-too-comfortably hauled across by a large mechanical being that he distinctly remembers dragging him down the depths of CERTAIN DOOM and the rushing ground onward! But that passes quickly, Nina's cheery face - even in this blackened abyss - a winning signal as she removes her hand from his forehead. "That fall must have been awful."
<SirAlex> "Ding!"
<Gildward> Gildward looks at Diace's wounds and remembers he has a wand of Cure Light Wounds.   He takes it out, and uses it on Diace.
<Ran|GM> Nina is now stepping side by side with Ershin, looking unusually well given all the circumstances. Millenia and Gildward, in the meanwhile, are tumbling along, doing their best to fight off their uneasy feelings. The tin can halts abruptly as it turns its head around to inspect the area, giving them the chance to quickly catch up, albeit wearily.
* Diace just mumbles, dealing with the lack of comfort in favor of actually having to stand up.
<Gildward> roll 1d8+3
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d8+3 and gets 10." [1d8=7]
<Ran|GM> With a flick of his wrist, like a sterling magician, Gildward's gesture bathes a glowing warmness into Diace's chest, his bruises and wounds sealing up and otherwise making him feel more ... vital!
* Diace thumps Ershin's head as he rolls his way off, feeling good enough to walk on his own. He remains largely silent, although he does give Gildward a pat on the shoulder and a, "Thanks."
<Ran|GM> Up ahead is another series of passageways as they walk through the still dead town. Diace, as he slides off, feels his feet slip on something. Looking down, he sees the bone of a dead... fish? Yes, definitely a skeletal fish. It is cold, brittle, and shatters when he steps on it.
<Millenia> "Is... there a way to get rid of the mist's effects?" *She asks, more concerned for her own self than Diace's, sighing sadly, still shaking.*
* Diace perks a brow, but doesn't comment.
<Ran|GM> Ershin is heading off again, going straight across another bridge, this one.. wooden? Oh, god, that can't be good. It's actually a continual series of bridges that leads across town to the next section. Judging from the fish remains and the chasm, you would hazard a guess that there used to be water here.
<SirAlex> "Ershin says it can be purified by Purifiers."
<Ran|GM> Nina looks wearily around, and follows the tin can quickly, eager to keep up.
* Millenia follows, barely keeping up with her slothish pace.* "Where...?"
* Diace moves behind Millenia, leaning into her and almost shouldering her to force her to keep pace. "You're worse than a spoony bard, sometimes. Is it that time of the moon?"
<Ran|GM> As you make your way across the bridge, you see... that the mist is rising. From below, what used to be blackness is now a continual, steady ascent. The growing of dread inside Milly's and Gildward's guts arises again, as Diace starts to feel its effects too! Will save.
* Diace narrows his eyes, focusing to keep the gloomy feeling at bay. Moment of Perfect Mind.
<Diace> d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+9 and gets 27." [d20=18]
<Ran|GM> Diace shrugs off the feeling almost apathetically, although it remains an unpleasant tingle at the corners of his mind as they continue across the rickety bridge. There is, of course, the more obvious problem.
<SirAlex> Ershin  pauses for a second.  "Ding!"
* Diace shakes his head, recovering his stature and maneuvers. "Maybe we shouldn't all cross at the same time."
* Millenia grimaces.* "Time...? No, that was... last week, remember? It's just.... something..." *She looked like she wanted to jump atop of Diace as the bridge shakes*
<Ran|GM> The bridge, although steady, does appear to be holding your weight. Ershin has stopped in the middle of one of the later ones, though, Diace and Millenia trailing behind, Gildward in the center. For some reason they are all equally oblivious to the rising level of death-causing mist as they maintain their casual pace.
<Diace> "Whatever. Come on, let's get the hell on with this. I don't like the feel of this stuff." He starts to push Millenia faster.
<Ran|GM> Nina is the first to react, pointing it out to Ershin when the latter stops. "Ershin... the hex... it's rising."
<Gildward> "Maybe... maybe we should pick up the pace a bit."  He looks around feeling rather unsettled
<Diace> You might call the pushing something of a hustle.
<SirAlex> "DING!"
<Ran|GM> As Diace struggles to move Millenia, who remains unreactive for some particular reason, and Gildward looks around, you hear - yes, HEAR - something moving around, a splash, an echo, like something is swimming!
* Millenia hurries up as Diace wishes.* "We've already been affected by it... Nothing we can do, anyways. Sholia -could- make it dissipate, or whatever, but it'll knock off the brdige."
<Diace> "Let's get to solid ground and get it the hell off of us... like now."
<Ran|GM> And then up ahead there is a loud ear-splitting SCREECH that pierces the still air again, making you all clutch at your heads in agony! Fortitude saves!
<SirAlex> 1d20+ding!
* Hatbot --> "SirAlex rolls 1d20+ding! and gets Error: Number of sides must be integer greater than 0." [1d20=11]
<Millenia> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+5 and gets 17." [1d20=12]
<Diace> d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+4 and gets 13." [d20=9]
<Gildward> rroll 1d20+4
<Gildward> roll 1d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+4 and gets 20." [1d20=16]
<Ran|GM> Diace feels the headache overtake his mind as he collapses to his knees, stunned for the round as the creature appears! It swims and coils along the mist as though it were water, a monstrous skeleton of some large fish or shark as it rapidly accelerates towards their positions on the unsteady bridges and JUMPS!
<Ran|GM> Its form, gruesome and undead, lands on the wooden planks that separate Diace and Milly between Gildward, the support collasping and sinking into the depths below, disappearing into the mist! Milly and Diace are safe on their metal-reinforced pillar checkpoint between the bridges, but are now stranded!
<Ran|GM> Initiatives.
<Millenia> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+6 and gets 21." [1d20=15]
<Diace> d20+3
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+3 and gets 23." [d20=20]
<Gildward> roll 1d20+3
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+3 and gets 19." [1d20=16]
* Millenia grimaces at the screech, utterly scared by the beast as it suddenly appears, screaming in fear.*
<SirAlex> 1d20+ding!
* Hatbot --> "SirAlex rolls 1d20+ding! and gets Error: Number of sides must be integer greater than 0." [1d20=10]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 15." [1d20=15]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 3." [1d20=3]
<Ran|GM> Turn order - Diace, Milly, Gildward, Skullfish, Ershin, Nina.
<Ran|GM> Diace spends the round clutching at his head and reeling from the painful throb in his ears. Milly.
* Millenia mutters and gestures out a spell shakily, attempting to fire a fiery beam at the beast!
<Millenia> roll 1d20+3 Touch attack
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+3 Touch attack and gets 14." [1d20=11]
<Ran|GM> Hit, damage.
<Millenia> roll 4d6
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 4d6 and gets 11." [4d6=3, 3, 3, 2]
<Ran|GM> The sizzling line of fire streaks out from Milly's fingertips and rakes across the creature's bones, leaving an ashen gray mark where it impacts, but it doesn't slow down in the slightest as it swims rapidly around!
<Ran|GM> Gildward.
<Gildward> I aim with my bow and uh... well it's a skeleton, but let's see what happens!  Twang.
<Gildward> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+5 and gets 12." [1d20=7]
<Ran|GM> The arrow sails uselessly off into the mist, disappearing before you can make sense of its trajectory!
<Ran|GM> With a loud roar again, the skeletal shark wades across the mist and encircles back, leaping from the 'water' again and aiming straight for the first offender - Millenia - with a vicious bite, fangs beared out!
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 19." [1d20=19]
<Ran|GM> roll 2d4+1d4
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 2d4+1d4 and gets 10." [2d4=2, 4][1d4=4]
<Ran|GM> Grapple check.
<Millenia> roll 1d20+2
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+2 and gets 18." [1d20=16]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 14." [1d20=14]
<Ran|GM> Millenia feels an acrid burning on her arm as the skullfish's fangs bite in, ripping into her flesh and causing a gaping wound which is more pronounced by acid streaking across her skin from it! It attempts to drag her into the entirety of its mouth, but she jerks away just in time as it disappears into the mist again, wading off!
<SirAlex> Ershin takes decisive action!  
<Ran|GM> Nina frantics from her position, running across the bridge over to Gildward, even though the bridge to the two cut off is gone and missing! What could she be thinking?!
<SirAlex> It turns around, flashing and twirling the red cape!
<SirAlex> It bends over, arms covering its 'face' and head nearly touching the ground, curled up!
<SirAlex> It stays perfectly still!
<SirAlex> End turn!
<Ran|GM> Diace.
* Diace shakes his head again, moving between Millenia and the direction the beast flew off in, taking out his two-bladed sword and readying a Soaring Raptor Strike should the beast come back within range.
<Ran|GM> Milly.
* Millenia screams out in pain, staring at her wound. She panics and begins muttering a spell for protection. Soon, her body is covered in faintly glowing energy, as if she were using it as armor: Mage Armor*
<Ran|GM> Gildward.
<Gildward> I try and look for the creature, readying another arrow. Do I see it?
<Ran|GM> You do - rapidly moving across the mist, way out of melee range but enough for notch and release.
<Gildward> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+5 and gets 8." [1d20=3]
<Ran|GM> And the arrow uselessly sails into the sea of hex again, never to be seen again!
<Gildward> zing!
<Ran|GM> The fish dives into the mist, disappearing from sight again, before coming about face to give another vicious bite at what it considers easy prey, its fangs outstretched for Millenia! Diace, make your attack!
* Diace leaps into the air, jumping high above the beast to strike from above. (Jump Check vs. AC)
<Diace> d20+24
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+24 and gets 28." [d20=4]
<Ran|GM> Successful.
* Diace comes crashing down with his blade poised to... you know, stab.
<Diace> d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+12 and gets 17." [d20=5]
<Diace> d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+12 and gets 17." [d20=5]
<Ran|GM> Diace's blade slices right into the brittle skin of what remains of the skullfish, it shrieking out in agony as he lands a decisive hit! Damage.
<Diace> 1d8+4+6d6
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls 1d8+4+6d6 and gets 27." [1d8=1][6d6=3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3]
<Ran|GM> It cleaves cleanly through a side of the creature, long-dead scales and bones breaking off as he plunges through with enthuisiasm! But wait! The skullfish is no longer trying to aim for Milly - with the sudden stab of pain at its side, it rears off, straight down into the mist again and bringing Diace, who had inadvertently jumped, with it! Diace finds himself freefalling into the thick, black mist!
<Ran|GM> Fortitude save.
<Diace> d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+4 and gets 21." [d20=17]
<Ran|GM> Then a Will save.
<Diace> d20+9 Moment of Perfect Mind
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+9 Moment of Perfect Mind and gets 26." [d20=17]
<Diace> +11 if it's fear.
<Ran|GM> Fear and a burning sensation against his skin attacks him from all sides, but somehow he manages to persist, hanging on for dear life as the skullfish rides violently around, not too pleased with its occupant and then leaps into the air again, screeching loudly! Fortitude saves.
<Diace> d20+4 once again, now.
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+4 once again, now. and gets 15." [d20=11]
* Millenia screams again when the fish flies to her, then stares at it with fear as Diace attacks the thing, staring with horror as he is taken down into the mist.*
<Gildward> roll 1d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+4 and gets 24." [1d20=20]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 14." [1d20=14]
<Ran|GM> Everyone fights off the now familiar sensation of the undead cry roaring across the landscape as Ershin's turn rolls around!
<SirAlex> Ershin sees the fish flying away, with Diace striking mightily at it!
<SirAlex> Ershin uncurls an arm, and cries valliantly, "ERSHIN WILL ASSIST YOU!"  It fires its mighty fist!
<Ran|GM> Attack roll.
<Diace> "I'm going to regret this."
<Ran|GM> Then roll hit percentile against a grappled opponent in melee.
<SirAlex> 1d20+8
* Hatbot --> "SirAlex rolls 1d20+8 and gets 16." [1d20=8]
<SirAlex> Low = hit Diace.
<SirAlex> 1d2
* Hatbot --> "SirAlex rolls 1d2 and gets 2." [1d2=2]
<Ran|GM> Damage.
<SirAlex> 2d6+8
* Hatbot --> "SirAlex rolls 2d6+8 and gets 18." [2d6=5, 5]
* Diace gets the bulging eye thing.
<Ran|GM> The fist cleanly smashes through the ribcage of the skullfish, Diace feeling it reel back in a sudden movement of agony as it thrashes wildly around again! Meanwhile, the erstwhile Nina is... jumping?! Yes, jumping across the chasm, her wings fluttering as she valiantly glides towards the lone Millenia, her hands outstretched and glowing with an incandescent white hue!
<Ran|GM> roll 2d8+6
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 2d8+6 and gets 11." [2d8=4, 1]
<Ran|GM> Diace. Make your saves again, both of them.
<Diace> d20+2 will
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+2 will and gets 14." [d20=12]
<Diace> d20+4 fortitude
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d20+4 fortitude and gets 7." [d20=3]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d6
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d6 and gets 6." [1d6=6]
<Ran|GM> AAAAAAAGH! The pent up resistance that Diace had been showing up before breaks as the hex assaults his form from all sides! Seeping into his veins, pain and agony and the screams of thousands killed echoing into his heads as his eyes roll up, mental will shattering! In the meanwhile, his body writhes, charged with negative energy!
<Ran|GM> Inflicted by fear, and 6 temporary Con damage.
* Diace falls into the lol darkness?
<Ran|GM> And so the skullfish rattles off, leaving its former passenger free-falling slowly into the black mist as Milly gathers to her feet, wounds healed away, ready to act!
* ChanServ sets mode: +h Carthrat
<Millenia> "Tha-thank you..." *She says to Nina, turning away as she casts another spell, this one to strike true at the fish when it rears its ugly head again: True Strike. She orders Sholia a bit away from her current position. The familiar moves about 30 feet away and begins to turn. And it turns and turns and turns and turns until its vaguely humanoid form transforms into a whirlwind. With any luck, it will help with the mist problem.*
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 6." [1d20=6]
<Ran|GM> The skullfish rattles uncertainly as the wind suddenly picks up and causes an enveloping flow of air that blasts away the mist, at least temporarily, its throes caught in the middle of it all as it tries to navigate uncertainly! But with the mist gone, it hangs in the midair, a fish out of the water!
<Ran|GM> Diace now hangs inert, limp, descending inches per second with his brightly glowing in the temporarily hex-cleared expanse!
<Ran|GM> Gildward.
<Gildward> Gildward whips out his guitar and decides, well, if he can't hit the thing, he can try to fight agains tthe moody atmosphere for everyone else with a song of courage.
<Ran|GM> The song that strums from Gildward's strings fills the decisively black environ with a soothing melody, uplifting your spirits and rattling Millenia and himself out of shaken state! (Under the effects of inspire courage +1.)
<Ran|GM> roll 1d6
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d6 and gets 3." [1d6=3]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20 even
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 even and gets 16." [1d20=16]
<Ran|GM> With a sudden whiplash, the skullfish rips free from the torrent of the whirlwind, screeching out again! ...then proceeds to drop in a sudden fall with the lack of mist, disappearing into the depths below!
<Ran|GM> Ershin/Nina.
<SirAlex> Ershin remains curled up!
<Ran|GM> Nina remains looking onward helplessly!
<Diace> d10
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d10 and gets 10." [d10=10]
<Ran|GM> New round, stabilization check, then Millenia again.
* Millenia looks down into the chasm, trying to see if she could spot the damn beast, even the faintest glimmer of it.*
<Ran|GM> Make a Spot check, it doesn't look good, though.
<Millenia> roll 1d20-1
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20-1 and gets 18." [1d20=19]
<Ran|GM> No good - the mist is just that thick, and you can't really make it out.
* Millenia commands her familiar to float downward about 50 feet, then turns to shout at Ershin.* "Hey, Ershin! Get up! You're not helping anyone!"
<SirAlex> "Ding!"
<Ran|GM> The familiar floats said distance downwards, growing perilously closer to the mist, which remains at bay from the cascasding whirlwind - but that won't last forever!
* Millenia grumbles and casts shield upon herself, waiting for the beast to come back up.*
<Ran|GM> Timeskip a round as you all watch helplessly and can't do anything as the wind dies down and Diace continues his descent downwards, very slowly, very gradually, but descent nonetheless... make another check, Diace.
<Diace> d10
* Hatbot --> "Diace rolls d10 and gets 5." [d10=5]
<Ran|GM> The ring suddenly slips off at behest of a random freak occurrence and your descent turns from a foot a round to nine point eight meters a second.
<Ran|GM> roll 8d6 falling damage
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 8d6 falling damage and gets 32." [8d6=3, 4, 6, 5, 2, 4, 3, 5]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d6 con damage
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d6 con damage and gets 5." [1d6=5]
<Ran|GM> You do not hear a thud.
<Ran|GM> Diace's form disappears into the hex, engulfed by it, and fades from sight - the skullfish does not make a return, either, and the mist remains level, not arising again as Sholia returns to Millenia's shoulder.
* Millenia shouts out into the mist, tears forming in her eyes* "DIACE!"
* Gildward 's song cuts out as he shouts down as well. "Dammit! Why'd he jump at it?! Dammit..."
<Ran|GM> Nina turns her head to stare downward at the chasm, face impassive as she kneels down and looks at the dark depths below. Her shoulders shake gently, remaining silent.

[Laggy]

<Ran|GM> Scraping your way out of the hex-infested portion of Chamba, minus one particular teammate, your faces are grim even as daylight strikes and you find your way up to the main road again. Nina is brooding, quiet, and offers no comment as she looks about. Ershin, too, is impassive, its mechanical grin non-changing.
* Gildward would be happy to be out of there, but it's rather hard considering someone he knew just died. He looks to Millenia to say something, but there are no words.
* Millenia looks around the main road, turning to Gildward when she notices his eyes on her, and forces a strained smile. She continues to look at the main road for the moment after breaking eye contact, hoping to notice if anything is off with the road.*
<Ran|GM> Once out, Nina turns to exchange a heartfelt thanks with Ershin, which waves you all a merry grin and merely takes back off into the murky depths of the town you just came from. It seems to be totally impassive to the events that have occurred. Taking a deep breath, the winged girl had turned back to you all and stated your next destination: an upcoming rural town, named Kyria.
<Ran|GM> It is mid-afternoon when the three of you trot into this town, normal houses and buildings about, a few townspeople. Mostly farmers and kids. There's a gentle stream that leads into the village, a quaint wooden bridge being your means of access. Nina's face brightens up a little as you approach, turning around. "I think we should spend the night here, after all of that travel."
* Millenia too thanks Ershin as it leaves. Once in the town, her mood seems to brighten a small amount, and she nods.* "Yes, that would be best. I'm starving... I take it your sister has visited here as well...?"
<Ran|GM> "She came here during her visit, yes. The town she was heading for Synesta, which is up ahead from here. But it's a long walk, so we should take a break." Nina flutters her wings gently and steps over to the bridge, observing the river's flow.
<Gildward> "Haven't eaten in awhile, myself... if they've got a store for such supplies, we should stock up a bit.."
<Ran|GM> "Go up ahead, then," Nina says, turning back with an easy smile. "I'm going to look around town for a bit."
<Millenia> "You're not hungry?" *Begins to cross the bridge, looking to the woman.* "Or will we meet up later at the inn...?"
<Ran|GM> She's already gone, walking off into the village, and doesn't hear your voice.
<Gildward> "Well, let's find some food and a place to stay, then..."
<Ran|GM> So off you go! Who's leading?
* Millenia nods, leaving Gildward into the town and to the place where she believes is most likely to hold some kind of restaurant/tavern/whathaveyou: the center of the town.
<Ran|GM> As Millenia steps across the bridge, she feels an odd pressure on her foot.
<Ran|GM> Reflex save.
* Gildward just follows along, looking around for any obvious locations as to such.
<Millenia> roll 1d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+4 and gets 15." [1d20=11]
<Ran|GM> Gildward, also make a save.
<Gildward> roll 1d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+8 and gets 17." [1d20=9]
<Ran|GM> As you cascade across the bridge, you hear a brief explosion as something blows up beneath your feet, sending tiny shards of metal digging into your knees! Ow! Ow! But they sting and burn a lot more than grievously injure.
<Ran|GM> roll 1d6
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d6 and gets 2." [1d6=2]
<Ran|GM>  2 damage to both of you.
<Gildward> "...?! What the- ouch! The hell was that?!"
<Ran|GM> Well, obviously, it was an explosion of some sort.
<Ran|GM> It triggered when Millenia stepped across the bridge. What could it possibly be, you wonder?
* Millenia winces, sucking in air. She picks herself up as Sholia looks around for the source of the miniature blast - perhaps a mage or some hole in the bridge. Millenia picks at her the shrapnel in her feet, looking over to the Gildward. She tries to remember if there are any spells that cause this sort of explosion.*
<Ran|GM> Plenty such spells exist, indeed.
* Gildward examines his legs to see how bad it is, getting nasty metal out of his leg as needed.
<Ran|GM> Sholia, upon cursory inspection, finds the battered remnants of a metal disc of some sort embedded in the bridge. Which itself is kind of a wreck now - while still functional, it's certainly nothing pretty to look at anymore, with bent boards and splinters all over.
<Millenia> *Sholia points toward the disc with some shrapnel. Millenia reaches to grab the disk. Are there any odd smells?*
<Ran|GM> Yes. It smells BURNT.
<Gildward> "Whatever it is.. we can ask someone around here about it later.  We can't stand around here all day."
* Millenia tries to pry the metal disk out from the bridge. After she succeeds - assuming it is possible - she'll pocket it.*
<Millenia> roll 1d20+1 str check
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+1 str check and gets 16." [1d20=15]
<Ran|GM> ...yes, you have no problem lifting the shattered remains of the object, which weighs less than a pound now, into your pack.
<Millenia> "Hm. I'm guessing there's more than one." *She stares at the bridge, concentrating on detecting any magic. (Detect Magic)*
* Gildward sees if there's any local nearby to ask why there might be a rigged explosive on the bridge. Surely someone knows SOMEthing.
<Ran|GM> After a cursory scan, you detect no arcane sense inside of the bridge.
<Ran|GM> Gildward! As you walk off to find a local tending to his crops at a nearby farm, you feel your foot snag on something! Reflex save!
<Gildward> roll 1d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+8 and gets 18." [1d20=10]
<Ran|GM> Fortunately, you twist your ankle just out of the way in time before you hear a steely CLAP as the trap shuts. Looking down, you note that it's... a ... bear trap. What. In the middle of TOWN.
* Gildward puts a hand to his forehead and sighs "What is WITH this town..?" He moves a bit more carefully now, looking about before running off somewhere. Can he reach anyone to ask what's the deal here?
<Ran|GM> Well, you could just shout across if you really wanted to avoid moving around too much.
<Gildward> "OOI! EXCUSE ME, sir!!  Would you know who's leaving all these traps around town??"
* Millenia frowns, muttering a spell and pulling out a small cloak from her bag. The cloak then... cloaks the girl, providing a small amount of protection: Resistance.* "We should go ask for help, I guess." *She offers her opinion, waving Sholia up into the air to look for anyone.*
<Ran|GM> The resident of the town turns around. He appears to be an elderly type, wearing a sunbrimmed hat and glasses, running across the field with a rake in his hand. Turning back to the source of the sound in question, he squints, then cups a hand to his ear, as though he didn't hear.
<Millenia> "Excuse me, sir, we don't mean to bother you, but apperantly a hunter has been, ah, leaving his traps around. Would you happen to know anything about that?"
* Gildward tries to get alittle closer, somewhat more in earshot, and asks the question again.
<Ran|GM> The man frowns, then points with one finger in some direction near Gildward. The bard's head craning around, he spots a welcome sign to the town proclaiming - in plain Common! So he could read it, at least - "WELCOME TO THE TOWN OF KYRIA."
<Ran|GM> Beneath it, there is a paper pinned to the sign.
* Gildward nods to the man and makes his way over to the sign, now moving much more carefully, slightly paranoid now to be sure, to see what this note is.
* Millenia slowly tries to make her away toward the sign to read the paper, attempting to avoid any and all obviously visible traps, as she is looking at the ground beneath her.*
<Ran|GM> Spot checks, both of you.
<Millenia> roll 1d20-1
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20-1 and gets 14." [1d20=15]
<Gildward> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+1 and gets 21." [1d20=20]
<Ran|GM> Gildward!
<Ran|GM> You notice, very notably, a long pole that extends from the base of the sign! Hanging from a rope overhead from an extension of that pole is hanging a... large anvil of weight of some sort. Poised right above the town welcome sign.
<Ran|GM> As you carefully read the paper, it proclaims in a scrawled depicture of handwriting: "We are taking measures to increase the security in our town. Please be careful."
<Gildward> "You've got to be kidding.."
* Millenia makes her way to Gildward, then, and thusly follows him toward the sign. And, unless Gildward stops her, she'll likely get flattened from it.*
* Gildward points out the anvil to Millenia, then tells her what the note said.
<Ran|GM> MEANWHILE:
<Gildward> "I've... really never seen a town do this.  Gotta wonder why.:
<Ran|GM> At a tavern somewhere!
<Ran|GM> There happens to be one lass in the room nursing a drink. It's a lousy drink. The tavern is also pretty sparse, with only a few locals hanging around and a bartender who's idly washing mugs with an overly used towel.
* Millenia is thusly saved!* "Well, guess we'll have to be careful, I guess." *She looks around for small pieces of rocks to pick up, IF the town doesn't have paved streets.*
<Ran|GM> The place doesn't exactly scream environ, but at least it's quiet and leaves the person in question alone. Which is good. The rumors about Imperial troops being around in the region despite the cease-fire was somewhat unnerving.
* Corthala nurses her drink well. It's the only one she plans to buy from the rakehole of a tavern, and she'll savour what little flavour it has. Her appearance is distinctive, with something of a tribal air about her, and she has made virtually zero effort to talk or even get along with anyone, least of all the bartender.
* Millenia heads her way toward what might appear to be the town center, avoiding anything and everything that remotely looks like a trap, such as a small bump or a mound or suspicious looking patches of dirt. She tosses rocks in front of her to test for traps, picking the rocks to reuse if they do not activate and/or indicate traps. Even so, she keeps Sholia ahead of her, floating a few feet above the ground, in hopes of her detecting any lan
<Ran|GM> The people in turn seem to have gone along fine with this arrangement! No one makes an effort to seek her out or bother her with the trivialty of small talk. The bartender doesn't even so much look at her, not out of disrespect but out of apathy. It was a thoroughly dead town, in that sense - the people here with secluded rednecks and the traps...
<Ran|GM> The traps had been annoying. Fortunately, they hadn't been all that hard for her to pick out and avoid - and as stupid as it was, hey, if it kept the Imperials away, it was something, right? This thought is what curls around in Corthala's mind before she hears footsteps announcing the entrance of a new visitor into the tavern.
<Corthala> Corthala sniffs at the sound of entrances, her eyes swivelling briefly to look at the new entrants. Yeah, they might keep the Imperials away... but they weren't that hard to get by, and it was a fricking insult to think that a determined squad would be held back overlong.
<Ran|GM> It's a man dressed in the navy-blue uniform of an Imperial officer. A captain, actually, from the rank insignia, which you memorized and learned long ago. His face has a distinctively sinister bent to it, haughty and arrogant eyes sweeping over the bar, gloved hands insulting. He appears to be alone.
<Ran|GM> Search check, Milly.
<Millenia> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+1 and gets 9." [1d20=8]
<Ran|GM> Keeping a mundane eye about seems to free you the burden of triggering any more landmines, bear traps, or falling weights.
<Corthala> Right on time! Was he hunting her? Corthala didn't have a reason to deal with him, except for perhaps simple personal safety. Perhaps, either way, it was time to go. She stands up from her table as he walks in...
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 8." [1d20=8]
* Gildward continues looking for a decent public place to crash, now more aware about the town's trapped presance.
<Ran|GM> Easing away from her seat, Corthala doesn't find her name called out and sentenced to a speedy death. Yet. An eye on the Imperial officer ... wait, where was he? The tavern's a two-story building, with the entrance on the second floor, and from her vantage point on the bar she could no longer see him up there.
* Millenia then asks around - assuming, of course, any natives are willing to speak with her - for some place to eat, all the while continuing to actively search for traps in a manner befitting someone paranoid.
<Corthala> OOC: Does that mean I'm on the second floor?
<Corthala> OOC: Or the ground floor?
<Ran|GM> It does not. The main bar and tables are on the first floor, and you were looking up.
<Corthala> OOC: Gotcha.
<Ran|GM> Instead, you see two NEW visitors walk in - a blonde-haired man sporting a fashionable hat with a feather tucked aside, a guitar on his back, and a weary look. Along him, a lady with flowing blue hair and mundane robes.
<Ran|GM> They certainly look out of place in here. They don't exactly bespeak of town resident.
<Corthala> Three exciting visitors within seconds! Corthala raises an eyebrow as they enter- Imperial auxilaries? Or just other travellers? Corthala doesn't know, nor much care. Her face twitches a little, her nose sniffing more than a normal person's should.. OOC: Hunter's Sense. I have the SCENT ability, go me?
<Ran|GM> Corthala's keen nose picks up a particularly unpleasant odor from the two new visitors - adventuring smells, actually. And they had been somewhere that hadn't been all that pleasant - it gives off a mild stink of rust and rot. She also catches the telltale whiff of someone out of place from the local residents somewhere near her vicinity.
* Millenia enters the tavern very carefully, making her way toward the bartender as carefully as she walked around outside of town - that is, while searching for traps.*
<Ran|GM> In a flash, though, that comes to crashing revelation as the captain walks down onto the ground floor, straight from the stairs - damn, he'd moved fast and quietly - and with a smirk, staring straight over at Corthala! "Come, now. Do you think I forget so easily? You're a wanted woman, Corthala, but I'm sure you already know that." He makes absolutely no effort to stay quiet.
<Ran|GM> He also does not appear to be armed, upon cursory look - just the uniform, but the officers had always been reputed to be skilled at magic, so this wasn't exactly a great comfort.
<Ran|GM> Corthala, make an Intelligence check.
<Corthala> "Doesn't change the fact that I'm still the predator, here," smirks Corthala, hands starting to withdraw her twin swords.
<Corthala> roll 1d20+1 EPIC
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+1 EPIC and gets 13." [1d20=12]
<Ran|GM> "We'll see about that," the captain replies, drawing back his hand and suddenly whipping a card out from his sleeve!
<Ran|GM> Initiatives.
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 8." [1d20=8]
<Corthala> "Oi, bartender. Clear the room," she snorts. "The man before you has zero respect for life. However... now that I think about it, you're Rasso, right? Y'know, even with the cease-fire, I bet your scalp'd bring it in!"
<Corthala> roll 1d20+4
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+4 and gets 11." [1d20=7]
<Corthala> OOC: Hay is he flat-footed
<Ran|GM> Indeed he is.
<Gildward> roll 1d20+3
<Ran|GM> Corthala > Rasso.
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+3 and gets 19." [1d20=16]
<Corthala> OOC: How far away is he?
<Ran|GM> The people around you seem to react favorably to your words! The bartender flat out exits into the back room, closing the door as everyone else stands up from their seats and hurriedly, although not panicking, head up the stairs and out of the tavern! It's a conservative town, that's for sure.
<Ran|GM> Rasso is fifteen feet away from you, and you have a straight line at him - he's standing in front of one of the two stairways at the far ends of the sides of the ground floor.
<Ran|GM> He contempeously smirks at your words.
* Corthala spins her short-swords in her palms! "Let's see if you even struggle!" she shouts, springing at him with ridiculous speed! OOC: Gotcha; I'm going to use SUDDEN LEAP to jump at him as a free action, followed by FLASHING SUN to make three attacks.
* Millenia notices everyone going up the stairs, pausing to leave them room, unsure of why they're leaving. However, she's too tired to care, and continues on to enter the bar when the last of them walks past her.*
<Ran|GM> The two of you up there notice a sudden fight going downstairs! Corthala, make your attack rolls.
<Corthala> roll 1d20+6
<Corthala> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+6 and gets 13." [1d20=7]
<Corthala> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+6 and gets 23." [1d20=17]
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+6 and gets 16." [1d20=10]
<Ran|GM> One hit.
<Ran|GM> Roll your damage.
<Gildward> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20 and gets 14." [1d20=14]
<Corthala> roll 3d6+2
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 3d6+2 and gets 13." [3d6=3, 4, 4]
<Ran|GM> You cleanly slice against Rasso's chest, cutting the pristine Imperial uniform with a wide gash! No blood for some reason, but his face only screws up in anger as he negligently steps back away from you and flicks the card! "Joh! Portrayer of the current! I call upon thee for thy power!"
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 3." [1d20=3]
<Ran|GM> Unfortunately, him having been off-balance gives Corthala a wide-open shot to swipe at the pretentious captain again if she so chooses!
* Corthala most certainly does, stepping forward and striking towards his heart with a forward thrust!
<Corthala> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+10 and gets 25." [1d20=15]
<Corthala> roll 1d6+4
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d6+4 and gets 5." [1d6=1]
<Corthala> "Gambling isn't how the military works!" she gloats, laughing at his mis-thrown card! "Perhaps you should have reconsidered your career!"
<Ran|GM> The stab is true but seems to strike something hard, as though he's wearing armor beneath that uniform! Rasso's expression is replaced with a rueful smirk as Corthala hears a rumbling behind her - a turning of her head will reveal an eight foot tall, hovering ... thing, golem, construct of some sort resembling that of a samurai! It holds a giant morningstar and hisses like the wind!
<Ran|GM> Are the two of you up there going to try to get involved in this at ALL?
* Corthala quite rapidly gains a more appropriate expression.
* Millenia heads into the room, looking up at the golem with a sigh.* "Okay, what the Hell is happening this time? Can't you two just take the outside or solve this dispute peacefully?"
* Gildward isn't particularly sure who he should possibly assist at first, but something about the uniformed man seems decidedly more dark and vicious than what appeared to be his attacker. Not long after that thought, the uniform man summoned a golem... not good! Gildward comes up from behind the golem to help.
<Ran|GM> Right. I'll take that as a no.
<Ran|GM> Gildward, roll your initiative.
<Gildward> roll 1d20+3
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+3 and gets 17." [1d20=14]
<Ran|GM> Gildward > Corthala > Rasso. Bard boy, you're still on the upper floor, and they're down there. Unless you want to make the ten foot drop to get within range of the golem directly, which by the way doesn't look like the easiest thing to fell - the stairs are over THERE.
<Corthala> OOC: INSPIRE COURAGE YOU NIT
<Corthala> OOC: >_>
<Gildward> Jump?  Why jump?  He's got a bow after all.  "Hey, you're not alone here.  I'll help you!
* Gildward starts singing a song of courage as he readies his bow.
* Corthala ducks and rolls to the other side of Rasso, tumbling past in an attempt to spurn any attack he might make! OOC: DC 15, right? I like autopass >_>
<Ran|GM> Rasso merely turns in reaction but indeed does not move! You have an opening!
<Corthala> She clangs her swords together, creating a spart that hovers near the hilt of her right-hand blade! She drives it forward, the spark rapidly trailing off the steel towards his body! OOC: Death Mark lol
<Corthala> roll 1d20+11
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+11 and gets 19." [1d20=8]
<Corthala> OOC: Hit? >_>
<Ran|GM> Rasso swerves to the side, his face still that same damnable haughty expression as he all but laughs in your face! He doesn't appear to be concerned in any way whatsoever!
<Ran|GM> On the other hand? That giant morningstar? Yeah, Corthala has concerns. Unfortunately.
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 13." [1d20=13]
<Corthala> OOC: Yeah AC 22, ow.
<Ran|GM> roll 2d6+5
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 2d6+5 and gets 14." [2d6=3, 6]
<Ran|GM> The crushing impact of the blow smashes into Corthala's ribcage, leaving a searing pain and bones threatening to snap as Joh swerves across the floor, still hovering, but now moving to place itself between yourself and Rasso, its large and ominous visage right in your face!
<Ran|GM> Gildward.
* Corthala snarls in pain and anger, levity quickly forgotten in the face of actual, physical violence.
<Ran|GM> Or Millenia if she ever decides to do anything besides PREACH.
<Millenia> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+6 and gets 7." [1d20=1]
<Ran|GM> Gildward > Corthala > Rasso > Millenia. Go.
* Gildward notches his bow and looks for any possible weak points the golem may have. He lets it fly!
<Gildward> roll 1d20+7
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+7 and gets 10." [1d20=3]
<Ran|GM> You are firing into melee, y'know.
<Ran|GM> Oh well.
<Corthala> OOC: You punk -_-
<Gildward> Corthala, we have an OOC channel
<Ran|GM> The arrow doesn't even come close to hitting ANY target, instead neatly burying itself into the wall of the tavern with a loud THWANG. This causes Rasso to actually look up at the source, a measure of disdain on his face!
<Ran|GM> Swordsage girl, do as you please.
<Corthala> OOC: Does the golem appear to have eyes?
<Ran|GM> No. The head is a helmet that appears to float unattached to the rest of the body. It's a hovering plate mail, in all essence.
* Corthala abruptly vanishes from sight! Hidden from view, she takes a short step, actually closing distance with the creature, before holding her (invisible) swords together and meditating for a moment, on the necessary techniques required to overcome this!
<Ran|GM> Corthala's inaction is met with a metal fist aimed straight at her guts, the golem not being very impressed by the sudden inspiration to zen in front of it!
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 3." [1d20=3]
<Corthala> OOC: Curses! But it sucks.
<Ran|GM> However, quick as she be and fully expecting the blow, it goes wide as she easily ducks to the side!
<Ran|GM> Okay, resident sorcerer. Do your thing.
<Millenia> "STOP FIGHTING NOW!" *She yells out, firing three transluscent missiles of force at the darkne- er, at the armored jackass, as it's the only feasible target in her opinion.*
<Ran|GM> Yeah, magic missiles don't miss and all, so roll your bones, yo.
<Millenia> roll 3d4+3
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 3d4+3 and gets 8." [3d4=1, 2, 2]
<Ran|GM> The shimmering bolts of pure force project themselves across the air and unerringly slam into the face of one particular officer standing arrogantly behind his golem, the impact actually causing him to stagger back and snarl up in rage. "How dare you!"
<Ran|GM> Gildward, Gildward, he's our man, if he can't aim with a bow anyone else can!
<Gildward> You're damn right, he seems to be the worst shot with a bow ever, but he tries aiming at Rasso this time, who's currently distracted, shouting, and doesn't have a face made of metal.
<Gildward> roll 1d20+7
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+7 and gets 17." [1d20=10]
<Ran|GM> Roll hit percentile. It's a d100.
<Gildward> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d100 and gets 72." [1d100=72]
<Ran|GM> The arrow does NOT in fact strike Rasso but instead implants itself right into the plating of the golem. Oddly enough, although it appears to have left no impact, the thing flinches back for a moment, appearing to be affected by the hit!
<Ran|GM> Roll damage.
<Gildward> roll 1d6+2
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d6+2 and gets 3." [1d6=1]
<Ran|GM> Well. A glancing hit. But a hit's a hit, yeah?!
* Corthala spins her sword, eyeing the surpise the golem seemed to emnate! Rather than attack Rasso, she clashes her swords together again, and drives another spark-laded blow towards the thing!
<Corthala> roll 1d20+11
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+11 and gets 18." [1d20=7]
<Ran|GM> Hit.
<Corthala> OOC: ahahaha
<Corthala> roll 1d6+4
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d6+4 and gets 5." [1d6=1]
<Corthala> roll 6d6 explosion reflex DC 16
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 6d6 explosion reflex DC 16 and gets 11." [6d6=3, 2, 3, 1, 1, 1]
<Corthala> OOC: ..well, it fucks up everyone next to the golem but me.
<Corthala> OOC: And the golem.
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 20." [1d20=20]
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 12." [1d20=12]
<Corthala> OOC: And that's actually 6 damage on the first hit, not 5 >_>
<Corthala> OOC: ACTAULLY
<Corthala> OOC: It is... 9 damage.
<Ran|GM> The resulting explosion is spectacular to behold, nearby chairs being set ablaze and tumbling over from the traumatic impact as the golem outright crashes back, hitting the wall with a loud slam! Rasso lets out a cry as well, but it's still more towards the 'I'm going to KILL you' inclination than the 'I am gravely wounded' aspect!!
<Ran|GM> With a low roar that echoes through the air, like a rushing gale, Joh picks itself back up from the blast radius and swerves the massive morningstar above its head, but rather than swing it, Corthala feels the ground beneath her begin to buckle, the air begin to whip up fiercely, and before she knows it she's being caught up in a severing gale of wind! Reflex save.
<Corthala> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+9 and gets 24." [1d20=15]
<Ran|GM> roll 3d6
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 3d6 and gets 13." [3d6=5, 3, 5]
<Ran|GM> Fortunately, the lass is quick enough on her feet that she manages to roll with it and the resulting slam onto the ground allows her to get herself back up to a standing and fighting position rather than the sprawled-out misery a more awkward landing could have done! (6 damage.)
<Ran|GM> The flaming chairs that were in the vicinity also land ungracefully, shattering apart into their various wooden parts as they land on the ground floor of the tavern!
* Corthala flips and rolls back into position, nonetheless starting to feel pretty awful.
<Ran|GM> Millenia.
* Millenia ignores Rasso's yelling and the spectacular effects - which would have impressed her, had she not been starving, stinky, dirty, and angry at the time. She mutters a second Magic Missile spell, firing them at Rasso again
<Ran|GM> Damage, etc.
<Millenia> roll 3d4+3
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 3d4+3 and gets 12." [3d4=1, 4, 4]
<Ran|GM> Again, triplet shimmering bolts slam against Rasso's side as he twists around, not yelling this time but instead seeming to make some kind of motion as Gildward takes his action!
* Gildward decides to get closer to the action, as his aim has been rather poor. He wastes no time leaping over the banister to the lower floor.
<Ran|GM> Tumble check if you don't want to sprain something.
<Gildward> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+6 and gets 9." [1d20=3]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d6 falling damage
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d6 falling damage and gets 6." [1d6=6]
<Ran|GM> Ow! Your landing's not particularly graceful, twisting something as you land on the ground floor, but you're still up and conscious!
<Gildward> That really hurt, but Gildward can still move well enough to cast Cure Light Wounds on the mysterious swordswoman.
<Ran|GM> Your healing touch brushes against the shoulder of Corthala, a rejuvenative force filling her - oh wait there's that MORNINGSTAR TO THE FACE.
<Ran|GM> Teach you to cast defensively.
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 16." [1d20=16]
<Ran|GM> Gildward, make a Concentration check.
<Ran|GM> roll 2d6+5
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 2d6+5 and gets 11." [2d6=4, 2]
<Gildward> roll 1d20+2
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+2 and gets 5." [1d20=3]
<Ran|GM> Argh! Your face now has large red marks, is bleeding, and your concentration shatters as the impact nearly drives you to the ground, pushing you against Corthala and resulting in no respite and lots of pain!
<Ran|GM> Speaking of Corthala, up to anything, babe?
<Rat2> "Unwise," mutters Corthala, sparing only the briefest of glances at the man behind her! "But the thought, it is appreciated," she adds, before her blades spin, suddenly burst out with flashes of fire and heat!
<Corthala> roll 1d20+7
<Corthala> roll 1d20+7
<Corthala> roll 1d20+7
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+7 and gets 21." [1d20=14]
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+7 and gets 9." [1d20=2]
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+7 and gets 21." [1d20=14]
<Ran|GM> Two hits.
<Corthala> roll 1d6+8 normal
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d6+8 normal and gets 14." [1d6=6]
<Corthala> roll 1d6+8 normal
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d6+8 normal and gets 11." [1d6=3]
<Corthala> roll 1d6+5 fire
<Corthala> roll 1d6+5 fire
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d6+5 fire and gets 11." [1d6=6]
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d6+5 fire and gets 6." [1d6=1]
<Ran|GM> Your blades of searing flame slash across the armored form of Joh mercilessly, each hit causing the thing to recoil back despite no visible harm being done! No blood drawn, no falling parts, yet you FEEL something being struck as you sink your proverbial fangs into its flesh, tearing and rendering as it screeches out, louder than any wind, and then collapses before you into a pile of rubbish!
* Corthala flips back from her handiwork, admiring it for a moment before her face turns to Rasso, feral grin slowly returning.
<Ran|GM> Rasso stares over with burning anger in his eyes, stepping over the pile and reaching back into his sleeve and seeming ... drawing another card?! Attack of opportunity if you want it!
<Corthala> roll 1d20+11 why yes
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+11 why yes and gets 20." [1d20=9]
<Corthala> roll 1d6+4
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d6+4 and gets 5." [1d6=1]
<Corthala> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+6 and gets 22." [1d20=16]
<Ran|GM> The sword weaves and buckles - almost threatening to fall out of your hand even as you cleanly strike the officer right in the freaking chest!
<Ran|GM> And... draw... nothing! It's like hitting stone, your slashes don't even faze him! He reaches back and flips the card into the air!
<Ran|GM> Millenia.
<Corthala> "I've got more than one anyway, sweetheart," smirks Corthala, bending her knees for another assault.
* Millenia magic missiles the bastard again, just wanting him to fall over already
<Millenia> roll 3d4+3
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 3d4+3 and gets 12." [3d4=1, 4, 4]
<Ran|GM> The missiles cleanly slam into Rasso again, but his face doesn't even register the blow, it creasing into a look of extreme concentration!
<Ran|GM> Giiiiiildward!
* Gildward tries again to heal the lady, this time with no Mace to the Face, and with Cure Moderate Wounds.
<Gildward> roll 2d8+6
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 2d8+6 and gets 12." [2d8=5, 1]
<Ran|GM> Flowing energy streams from your magical fingertips to the damsel in distress, her wounds closing and a general good feeling flowing through her form!
<Ran|GM> Would the lady care to thank the man for his services, or is she otherwise occupied?
<Corthala> "You! Thanks!" snaps Corthala, grimacing. "Let's flank 'im!" she calls!
<Ran|GM> Rasso doesn't appear to be paying attention to either of you!
* Corthala steps around one side of him, calling on the strength of mountains to allow her to penetrate his iron defences! With a focused swipe, she simply attempts to power straight through as Gildward moves in!
* Gildward follows the commands, wiping the blood from his eyes. He figures he might as well try to hit him with *SOMETHING*
<Ran|GM> Attack rolls and so forth.
<Corthala> roll 1d20+13 mountain hammer ignores DR/Hardness
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+13 mountain hammer ignores DR/Hardness and gets 26." [1d20=13]
<Ran|GM> That's a hit.
<Gildward> "Well, it was a good guitar... shame I have to break it."
<Corthala> roll 5d6+4
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 5d6+4 and gets 20." [5d6=1, 3, 6, 4, 2]
<Gildward> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+5 and gets 11." [1d20=6]
<Ran|GM> The blow is -solid!- Corthala feels immense satisfaction as her sword slices straight into him, hitting flesh, and fresh blood that spurts from the wounds! Rasso's eyes widen in shock as he stares down, lowering his hand in now righteous fury. "You bitch! No one strikes me like that!"
<Ran|GM> With that proclamation, the ceiling suddenly collapses in a loud, echoing rumbling, boards and planks falling everywhere and flying across the tavern as a giant... THING materializes above of you! It's huge, twenty feet across and at least twice that much in height, a collection of metal plates and joints like the last golem, but it is -big-! And holds giant, threatening look metal knuckles!
<Ran|GM> Oh, and one of them aims for the unfortunate lady who just got blood over his good coat, the other against that annoying mage that has been pelting him.
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 17." [1d20=17]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 10." [1d20=10]
<Ran|GM> roll 3d6+18
<Ran|GM> roll 3d6+18
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 3d6+18 and gets 30." [3d6=4, 3, 5]
<Ran|GM> You feel fists of EXTREME ENDURING PAIN murderize themselves into your form as bones snap and air is forced out of the lungs! This is not good! This is not GOOD! Ow, ow, fuck! (32 to Cor, 30 to Milly.)
<Ran|GM> Everyone else can act now, yeah, stuff.
<Gildward> "I don't know who this guy is, but we can't keep this up!  I suggest we flee... now!"
* Gildward makes to gets past Rasso and back out the door, it's probably a good idea to try and follow while that golem's fists are still retracting
<Ran|GM> Rasso moves to backhand you as you are leaving!
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 1." [1d20=1]
<Ran|GM> Except not!
<Ran|GM> Because he sucks and chips his knuckle on the wall instead, earning him a wince!
* Millenia mutters and gestures another spell despite her pain, doing her best to stay alive: Mirror Image*
<Millenia> roll 1d4+2 images
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d4+2 images and gets 6." [1d4=4]
* Millenia and her 5 illusory duplicates attempt to make a break for it! FLEEEEEEEEEEEE!*
<Ran|GM> Milly is out of the door and running.
* Corthala likewise runs away, snarling in frustration. But there aren't any other options! Adredaline gives her strength, strength to start running up the stairs! As she reaches the top, she tries to take cover alongside a table, hoping for any kind of protection from the ominous fists of this thing!
<Ran|GM> Out of the corner of her eye, Corthala watches the giant... construct rear its ominous fists back again, the metal knuckled forms of doom lashing it to completely tear the tavern apart of any semblance of order! It aims its deadly fists against the table she conveniently acquired and the fleeing blonde man!
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 5." [1d20=5]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 3." [1d20=3]
<Ran|GM> The fist smashes itself straight into the cover that Corthala is utilizing, splintners flying everywhere and causing her to nearly lose her position, but it does not touch her! Likewise, the fist that shoots out towards Gildward instead break open a window and several tables, leaving a wake of destroyed property, but an uninjured bard! For now!
<Ran|GM> Take actions, men and women.
* Gildward continues fleeing the location, preferably out of town and in a more wooded area!
<Ran|GM> Gildward is outta the door 'fore Corthala can so much get up!
* Corthala continues running, in a direction that is away! It's virtually the same driection Gildward is heading too...
* Diace has quit IRC ("Her virtue was that she said what she thought, her vice that what she thought didn't amount to much." - Peter Ustinov)
<Ran|GM> Why, yes, yes it is.
* Millenia simply flees to the opposite side of town, dodging any and all obvious traps on the way there, and hides behind a building at the edge of it*
<Ran|GM> The three of you semi-meet up in a line of continual fleeing as you hear more property being destroyed behind you! As you turn your heads to catch a sight of pursuit, you see Rasso calmly stepping out of the tavern door as the rest of the building collapses unto itself, a heap of dust, ash, and debris, his hand going to his collar to correct it as he glares on with imperious eyes.
<Ran|GM> I presume you fellows run until your legs wear out in any convenient exit from the town?
<Corthala> "Bastard... he's near the top of my list, dammit," swears Corthala, though this bold declaration does not stop her hightailing it.
<Ran|GM> Some time later...
* Millenia does
<Ran|GM> The three of you, heaving for breath, have ended up in a wooded undergrowth outside of town, taking the only obvious trail - which has since then disappeared, giving you the illusion of unexplored wilderness ahead in the forest. You're pretty sure this place has been already mapped and searched by the local town, but it LOOKS rugged.
* Gildward is busy expending charges from his wand of cure light wounds to heal off the large amount of pain everyone's inflicted. It takes awhile, but it gets done.
<Ran|GM> You lost sight of Rasso, his summoned pet, or the town long ago and are now recuperating after a long, flee-for-your-life retreat. Several conveniently cut stumps nearby allow you to sit, and there is a nesting of apples on the ground for some rudimentary food.
<Corthala> "That cheating scumbag! Fucking can't fight his own battles!" rants Corthala, stomping her feet in rage. "Has the nerve to interrupt my lunch!"
<Gildward> roll 3d8+9
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 3d8+9 and gets 30." [3d8=8, 5, 8]
* Millenia is too busy panting for breath on the ground to reply in any meaningful manner, even after the generous healing that she was given
* Corthala is horribly wounded, with several bones apparently, with a somewhat mangled chest. But it doesn't stop her angry fury for an instant!
* Gildward tends to everyone's wounds, including his own, and puts the wand away. "Best purchase I ever made, I think..."
<Corthala> "What. The. Hell. I guess I should be more worried about officers on their own that squads, though," she mutters, dropping to her knees. "Thanks. Name's Corthala. Y'all criminals in the eyes of the Empire now- well done! Glad to make your acquaintance."
<Gildward> "Who was that vicious man back there?"
<Corthala> "
<Corthala> "Rasso. Fucking sadist," snorts Corthala. "Pretty evil guy. Out hunting for me, I guess, but I wasn't expecting no huge fucking golem to appear out of nowhere. Cheating slime."
<Corthala> "Captain of the Empire and all that entails."
<Millenia> "E-empire? WHAT empire?" *She asks, sitting herself on the stump after grabbing an apple. She begins to eat it tiredly*
<Corthala> "THE Empire, deary. Where'd you come from to not know?" asks Corthala, blinking.
<Gildward> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+6 and gets 24." [1d20=18]
<Millenia> "We're from.... another place, you could say." *Forced a weary smile, speaking after swallowing what was in her mouth*
<Gildward> "I only know of it as the Fou Empire.  On another continent, it is.  Thought there was a cease fire from the war they caused.  Guess that ass broke it.."
* Millenia sighs and begins to whine.* "All I wanted was a nice drink..."
<Corthala> "Hmph. Yeah, there was a cease-fire, allright. I got hired by the Levant Alliance. Wanted me to go ice some bitches," snorts Corthala. "Now, guess what? I'm stuck here, in the middle of the damn mess, and I can't count on any help from the Alliance. Fucking unofficial ops. But the hunts were good. I had fun. Pity that I'm being hunted now, eh?"
<Gildward> "We were with someone... an avian lady named Nina.  She might be wondering where we are... surprised all that destruction didn't get her attention."
<Corthala> "Avian, huh? Might be trouble if she was spotted with you," yawns Corthala.
<Gildward> "I don't think she was." Gildward notices the apples, finally.  "Well, it's not much, but looks like there's food."
<Millenia> "I... I see. Any reason why the war was started in the first place? Territory? Power? For the heck of it?" *As she spoke, she gestured Sholia up into the air, directing her to go back toward the town carefully. Sholia would do so, keeping her distance from any gigantic golems that might still be there, and staying up in the air.* "I should have just left with all the others... Are we near the border with the empire?"
<Gildward> "As for myself, the name's Gildward.  Traveling minstrel.  Not much for combat, as you saw, but I try..."
<Corthala> "Hah! I liked your song, boy," chortles Corthala. "I liked your healin' better, though. Hmph."
<Gildward> "I've never seen a human take so many fierce attacks and only suffer a single wound..." Gildward remarks about Rasso
<Millenia> *Blinks a few times, seeming to be ignored.* "Ah, er... my name is Millenia, miss. What is yours, if I may ask...?"
<Corthala> "Hmph. Anyway, we're not technically in the Empire, but their agents get around, as you see," adds Corthala. "Bah! He was cheating, like I said. Fucking metal skin or something. Had to use the Mountain-Hammer style to get by it.. didn't I say? Corthala, lady, Corthala."
<Corthala> "We're actually on the Alliance continent. Heh. In some shithole in the middle of nowhere, but if this punk keeps making a noise, he'll get caught by someone else sooner or later. Still, I can't hope for any official help."
<Millenia> "Ah, right. Sorry..." *She wipes her brow to keep the sweat off.*
<Gildward> "Hmmm... hey, Millenia, where is your familiar?  It wasn't left back there was it?" Gildward did not see what Millenia did with it
* Gildward turns to Corthala "With a man like that in their country, you'd think they'd be more worried. I'd hate to see what other sort of constructs he has on his hands."
<Ran|GM> You hear a snort nearby - a boar, coming out from the forest, and coming by to pluck an apple into its mouth. It regards you all with a snort and otherwise ignores you.
<Corthala> "You'd think. Wouldn't surprise me, I guess," she shrugs. "We better get moving. Hate to say it, but I don't want to stick around here much longer. You guys heading somewhere?"
* Gildward looks to the side and sees a boar. Oh, hey boar. Sup.
<Millenia> "He's very powerful indeed... I sent Sholia to look for Nina at the town. She'll lead her to us." *Watches the boar come and go, otherwise leaving it alone.* "We're heading, ah... what was it..?"
<Gildward> "Synesta"
<Gildward> "From what she said, it isn't too much further from here."
<Millenia> "Right. We're helping Nina find her sister, so we're following the route that she took before she disappeared. I suppose that Nina is off trying to get some information."
<Corthala> "It ain't, I think..." considers Corthala. "Yeah. That be a good place to go. Yeah, yeah, information, sister, disappeared, Nina, right. Care if I stick with you, at least until we get there? I ain't liking the idea of wandering alone just now."
* Millenia finishes her apple, grabbing another one if there are any left. Is the stream within sight?*
<Gildward> "I am fine with it.  Millenia?"
<Ran|GM> The stream has long disappeared, albeit you guess it would be somewhere in this forest.
<Millenia> "Ah, sure, we wouldn't mind. You are quite skilled, so having another would greatly assist us if we were to run into... well... anything again." *Sighed as she recalled the death of Diace, her mood lowering again.*
* Gildward also eats an apple. Beige Bard Needs Food Badly!
<Corthala> "Hmph. Yeah, nothing'll get in our way while I'm around," she affirms. "Path of the swordsage and all that crap requires me to hunt worthy foes, so if you got any of them, I'
<Ran|GM> Snort, snort, chomp, boar gets busy.
<Corthala> I'll cheerfully step up."
<Ran|GM> Snort, snort, .. oh my god no sense of personal space whatsoever. The not so pleasant smell of animal manure now fills your nose!
<Corthala> "And, fuck it, I'm *hungry*," she snaps, walking towards the boar brutally attacking it.
<Ran|GM> Oh, I see. So that's how it is. Attack roll.
<Corthala> OOC: Full attack ftw!
<Millenia> "Tha-thank you..." *Sighed, attempting to relax as she smells the boar's feces. She stands up and moves away, not wishing to witness such a massacre*
* Corthala sets her swords on fire again, tearing swiftly at the throat of the boar. It deserves a peaceful death, even as it shall be eaten!
* Gildward is somewhat surprised by Corthala's sudden violent outburst towards the crapping animal
<Corthala> roll 1d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+8 and gets 24." [1d20=16]
<Corthala> roll 1d20+8
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+8 and gets 10." [1d20=2]
<Ran|GM> That would be one hit.
<Corthala> roll 4d6+5+12
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 4d6+5+12 and gets 26." [4d6=5, 1, 1, 2]
<Ran|GM> You slit its throat anyway and more than that pretty much burn its entire underside of its neck off beyond recognition as it screeches out a cry of animal shock and then slumps over. Alive. But not moving.
<Ran|GM> Then you get a surprise as it leaps back up and BITES AT YOU!
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 20." [1d20=20]
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20 to confirm of lol
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 to confirm of lol and gets 18." [1d20=18]
<Ran|GM> But the strain is sadly too much as its tusks are about to rip into your face, quite possibly tearing off your nose, it lets out a heaving roar and slumps back down, breathing stopped.
* Corthala looks like she expected that all along, quietly and quickly starting to shave off pieces of fur, skin, and all-too-quickly beginning to make a crude meal out of the thing.
<Corthala> "You guys hungry?"
* Millenia has been looking a way the entire time, her stomach grumbling in affirmation.* "Y-yes, I am..."
* Gildward isn't too disgusted, after all, gotta hunt to eat when not in town. "Of course."
* Corthala creates a small fire, using her apparently ignitable sword to start one, and cooks the meat until it can *almost* be called not-raw, before doling out large slabs of it.
* Gildward eats the food, yeah.
<Gildward> "That familiar of yours isn't back yet... I think I might head back to town and see if I can find Nina."
<Gildward> "Hopefully that Rasso fellow has left by now.."
* Millenia also eats the food* "Thank you very much, miss Corthala." *Gives her a smile, then addressed both of them* "If you do not mind, I shall be going to the stream back near the town. I'm kinda thirsty, and my -" *She pauses, closing her eyes and taking the moment to interpret the feelings that her familiar is experiencing.*
<Millenia> "I think she's found her. We should hurry." *Frowned, beginning to head toward the town after picking up her haversack.* "Now that we know a bit about you, miss Corthala, would you like to know a bit more about me?"
<Corthala> "Sure. I guess," replies Corthala, blinking. "I mean, if you want..."
* Millenia waves the two over when they don't get up to follow her.* "If you don't want me to, I won't. I wouldn't want to bore or annoy you..."
<Corthala> "Whatever, I ain't bored or annoyed," snorts Corthala. "Ain't exactly interested, either. You wanna tell, I guess I'll listen. That is, if y
<Corthala> if y'think we don't got anything else to be doing."
<Gildward> "Millenia, can you maybe tell me where your familiar is?  If it's found Nina, I'll go to meet her
<Millenia> "Well, it -is- quite a ways to the town, so might as well do something besides walk in total silence, right?" *Gave a smile, turning away from them to continue walking to the town.* "Well, I'm from the city of Geffen in the kingdom of Midgard. I graduated from my studies about two years ago and I eventually met up with Gildward here and another person. The other person - Diace -" *Pauses* "In the town. We should hurry to meet them, I gues
<Millenia> s, because my familiar's frustrated about -something-!"
<Corthala> "Back we go!" replies Corthala, l
<Corthala> loping off back towards the town.
* Gildward nods and heads back to town. "If Rasso is there, and his golem has vanished, you might still get your chance, Corthala. Rather not risk it though..."
<Corthala> "Yeah, yeah, I hear that," she replies, rolling her eyes. "I ain't stupid."
<Ran|GM> So you all head back to down at an ambling, casual pace, all cherries and be - oh wait marching order. Milly's leading, eh? Give me a Reflex save.
<Millenia> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+5 and gets 21." [1d20=16]
<Ran|GM> Milly narrowly avoids trapping herself in another vicious bear trap on the way there, kicking it aside with a snap as you make your ways onward into Kyria! And just oft in the distance you can see one worried, frustrated-looking bird-girl standing in the fields, walking around slowly and seeming to question people as she goes!
<Ran|GM> Just behind her there appears to be something following her, a fairy in the air or something?!
* Gildward shouts out to Nina, and waves an arm. She see me?
<Ran|GM> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 14." [1d20=14]
* Millenia carefully makes her way toward Nina, actively searching for traps.*
<Ran|GM> She does, turning around and a smile coming across her serene face as she extends an arm and waves slowly in return! She stops in her tracks, waiting for you guys to come over! Milly, Search check.
* Gildward heads over in that direction, suddenly aware of hey-this-town-is-supertrapped again and moves carefully.
<Millenia> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+1 and gets 10." [1d20=9]
<Ran|GM> You do not blow up, get your feet snared in some trap, or have a crushing weight pound you into a pancake as you traverse the distance over to Nina. I presume Corthala is following?
* Corthala is!
<Corthala> "Hi!"
<Ran|GM> Nina doesn't seem the slightest bit phased by this newcomer! She nods gratefully and smiles back to Corthala. "Hi, there! Are you a friend of Gildward and Millenia, here?"
<Millenia> "Y-yeah, she is." *Replied Millenia* "Sorry for being gone for quite a while. We ran into some trouble and..." *Trailed off, unsure of what specifics to tell her*
<Corthala> "Sure. For life," replies Corthala. "I hear you're heading to Synesta. I'm coming."
<Ran|GM> "Trouble?" Nina gives a soft frown at that, concern creasing her face as she pauses and looks over all of them, seeming to assess their conditions. At Corthala's words, though, the frown is replaced with a kind look again. "Oh, really! That's good to hear. I've just been looking for the mayor of this town in the meanwhile..."
<Corthala> "No need for that, we should be moving on. There's a psychotic creep here who summons giant robots," states Corthala, boldly. "We should not be here if he's still here, which he might be."
<Gildward> "There's an officer of the Fou empire about.  We found him attacking this woman and, well, we failed to fight him off quite honestly."
<Ran|GM> Nina looks totally lost at that for a moment, holding a hand to her lips. "An officer of the Empire? But why would he be here in Kyria?"
<Corthala> "To wreak havoc and destruction, no doubt."
<Gildward> "If you're still intent on finding the mayor of this town, then we better stay close."
<Ran|GM> "That's terrible," Nina agrees easily with a nod. Nothing phases this girl, does it? But she shakes her head again, seeming to be troubled by something regardless as she brings up an earlier topic. "But anyhow, we can't leave this town to the road to Synesta without the mayor's permission! That's why I'm trying to find him."
<Millenia> "A-anyways, I send my familiar to find you and to see if he was here." *She waves over at the wispy 'fairy'* "She did her job, well, I think." *Smiled* "Er, no one has told you where he is?"
<Ran|GM> "The last man I spoke to just told me where his house his," Nina explains, looking a little crestfallen. "For some reason it feels like everyone in town has been trying to avoid me.. for some reason..."
<Gildward> "Wonderful..." Gildward mutters.  "I suppose we must find him, then."
<Corthala> "Why're we finding him?"
<Ran|GM> "Yes," Nina offers simply, turning around to look up in the distance again, raising her hand to shield away the sunlight. Evening is falling fast, actually, the sun setting over in the horizon.
<Ran|GM> "We can't leave town without his permission," she repeats again, patiently.
<Millenia> "I, er, guess they don't like strangers. Don't worry about it." *Smiled to Nina, hoping to be reassuring* "Let's go, then?"
<Ran|GM> She leads on! With not a care about the doubtless ten billion traps littered on their path!
* Corthala follows exactly in Nina's path, taking care to step where she does!
<Ran|GM> Somehow, miraculously, by sheer dumb luck or by being smarter than she looks, you all mercifully avoid the deadly outcomes that would have normally arisen from such blind navigation! After a few minutes, the four of you come upon a large house in the town, an active chimney with smoke rising out. Nina approaches the door and raps on it a few times, the knocks echoing in the evening air.
* Gildward follows Nina to the mayor's house, careful for those blasted traps as alwaus
<Gildward> *ways
<Ran|GM> There is no response. She pauses, and knocks again. "Mr. Mayor? Are you there?"
* Corthala ceases her wary, deadly stance, her nose twitching as she gives the building before them a sniff!
<Ran|GM> It smells of burning fire, ash, and... something else inside. A person, maybe.
<Corthala> "Shit!" swears Corthala, reaching to force open the door!
<Ran|GM> The door flies open!
<Ran|GM> You see... a burning fireplace! And that's it. It's a large room, wooden floors and walls, chairs and tables, bookcases - pretty much anything you'd expected. Another side door. A stairway leading downstairs to a basement. And... a parrot. Perched in a corner, without a cage, it sits on its own ledge near the fireplace.
<Millenia> "Wha-what's wrong?" *Blinks, oblivious to the fire for the moment. She looks inside as well as she can with Nina and Corthala ahead of her.*
<Corthala> "I smell burning," mutters Corthala, peering inside.
<Gildward> "Forced entry might not help our case of getting his permission, but whatever..." Gildward enters, looks around, and sees the parrot.
<Ran|GM> You indeed smell burning and see burning. The burning of logs in the fireplace, as it were.
<Corthala> "Well.. yeah," says Corthala, sheepishly.
<Ran|GM> The room appears to be unoccupied - the mayor not present. That seems obvious enough.
* Gildward can't help but go look at the parrot. He hasn't really seen this sort of bird very many times. Colorful critter!
<Ran|GM> Indeed it is, red and green and yellow and striped and oh my, it does appear to be such an exotic specimen!
* Millenia frowns.* "Let's close the door and hope he didn't notice... or hope that he did, but wasn't offended."
<Ran|GM> Nina steps in after all of you, looking reluctant but curious as she looks about in the room. Her wings flutter ever so slightly, that same habit.
<Corthala> "aha. Ahahaha! Let's just close the door, wait outside..." mumbles Corthala, rubbing the back of her head.
* Gildward pokes the Parrot. "Too bad this guy can't talk. Likely knows where his master went."
<SirAlex> "With ghosts and all, it's fantastic!"
<Ran|GM> Your heads crane around to see who just spoke.
<Ran|GM> wtf no one
<SirAlex> "Have to try to find out!"
<Ran|GM> Oh.
<Millenia> "You shouldn't..." *Frowned, looking around for the voice.* "How odd...." *Entered the room reluctantly with the others. She uses detect magic and takes a look around to detect the use of magic.*
<Ran|GM> Milly's radar goes BEEP BEEP BEEP when she scans her eyes over Gildward, Nina, and Corthala, but of no avail beyond that.
* Corthala attempts to sniff out the potential presence of a speaker!
<Ran|GM> You smell: 1x Parrot
<SirAlex> "Can't you be quiet and go out on some errands?"
* Millenia concentrates on Corthala, attempting to identify the magic. Perhaps a messaging spell...?*
<Millenia> roll 1d20+15 Spellcraft
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+15 Spellcraft and gets 30." [1d20=15]
<Corthala> "No," snorts Corthala- 'hey, what're you looking at me for?"
<Corthala> "That's creepy! Stop it."
* Corthala eyes the parrot instead. "Anyway. Why do we need permission to *leave*?"
<Corthala> "What, they're going to stop us?"
<SirAlex> "So you're the murderer, huh?"
<Millenia> "So-sorry... I was detecting magic from you, so I thought it'd be something besides your own natural magic." *Glances around again, then concentrates on the parrot.* "Are you a familiar, little one?" *Steps further into the room, closer to the parrot to get a good look*
<SirAlex> "I wouldn't know, I'm not allowed out often!"
<Corthala> "Natural- it's my gear, sweetheart," notes Corthala, dryly, before giving the parrot an evil eye. "I swear we're wasting out time." She starts walking towards the basement. "Oi, go detect down this way."
<Ran|GM> The stairway heads down to a heavy metal door.
* Corthala knocks on the door.
<Ran|GM> Your heavy knocking rings throughout the basement but is left unanswered.
* Gildward leaves the parrot alone and follows downstairs.
<SirAlex> "Isn't this my mansion?  You're the ones who should leave!"
<Millenia> "I see... Right. I forgot about that." *Follows Corthala, keeping her concentration on the spell in hopes of detecting other forms of magic, though it was unlikely to detect any magic beyond the door.*
<Ran|GM> Indeed, the detect magic spell goes completely blank at attempting to scan beyond it.
<SirAlex> "Hey, you're probably looking for the mayor, right?"
<Corthala> "Yeah, that's right," notes Corthala. "He be around soon?"
<SirAlex> "Looks like it's gonna be a red night!"
* Millenia shakes her head.* "Let's wait outside. We don't want to give off a bad impression, especially with the, er, ghost speaking."
<Corthala> "Aw, man," mumbles Corthala. "Seriously, Miss Nina. We need permission to leave... why?"
<Ran|GM> "That's what the villagers told me!" Nina says, pausing for emphasis. "That, and I saw a really big, mean, creature... with a large spear and a shield guarding the top of the hill to the road out! I don't think it'll let us just go!"
<SirAlex> "The one pin is isolated!  It's a safe tile!"
<Millenia> *with the, er, parrot speaking.
* Corthala tries to open the big metal door!
<Ran|GM> It does not budge.
<Millenia> "Enough, miss Corthala. We should leave the house and wait until the mayor comes back! He could just be on an errand or another..."
<SirAlex> "Hey, you're probably looking for the mayor, right?"
<Millenia> "We are!"
<SirAlex> "Can I talk about it?"
* Corthala eyes Millenia, and instead of leaving, she... has a closer look at the parrot, before glancing at the bookshelves.
<Gildward> "Uhm... ... yes?"
<Ran|GM> The books are mu

[Laggy]

<Ran|GM> Nina shakes her head wearily, blinking a bit at the parrot's words and staring at it. "Um... no, not that I can think of."
* Millenia heads over to the bird.* "Excuse me, could you please tell us -where- the mayor went?"
<SirAlex> "The mayor hasn't left!"
<Gildward> "Well where is he?"
<SirAlex> "Well, that's what the majority decided, so you'll just have to live with it."
<Ran|GM> The flames in the fireplace flick up a bit, licking at the walls as you all stand in the warm room, door closed. Nope, sure doesn't sound like the mayor's going to come home anytime soon.
<SirAlex> "The mayor isn't going to come home anytime soon!"
* Corthala walks over to the side-door, attempting to open that!
<Gildward> "Is the mayor the guy who laid all those traps?"
<Ran|GM> It indeed opens up! ....to a storage room. There's various newspapers, storage boxes, ... packs of parrot seeds. Lots of it. Wow. This guy take care of his bird.
<SirAlex> "I'm the master of traps!  Don't underestimate me!"
<Millenia> "Let's just try tomorrow, alright? I want to go take a bath and sleep well..." *Sighed, rubbing her arm. She turned and headed to the door, opening it and standing outside.*
* Corthala checks out the newspapers and boxes for non-parrot-related stuff.
<Ran|GM> Milly walks out to a night-filled city with absolutely NO people around.
<SirAlex> "You can't possibly be serious!"
<Ran|GM> In the meanwhile, Corthala rummages through the newspaper... it's the city's. Biweekly editions. Gossip, news... nothing of real interest that catches her attention as she gleans over it. The boxes are filled with mundane objects. Matches, blank paper, the like.
<Ran|GM> Absolutely nothing that seems out of place.
* Millenia turns to those still inside.* "Nina! Gildward! C'mon! ... and don't tell me Corthala left to explore the house!"
* Gildward shrugs, and leaves the house.
* Corthala grabs some parrot feed and heads over to the parrot, to.. feed it!
<SirAlex> "Thanks, snookums!"
<Ran|GM> Nina looks distraught, staying inside of the house as she watches Corthala... feed the parrot?
<Ran|GM> But she's fluttering her wings again, looking impatient as she glances at the door, and the parrot, and the house.
<Ran|GM> "If only the mayor were here..." Lamented words, as the winged girl steps back, leaning against the wall and letting out a pensive sigh.
<Corthala> "Bah, why'm I still here?" mutters Corthala, leaving the house. "This is stupid..."
<Ran|GM> Corthala: Intelligence check.
<Corthala> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+1 and gets 11." [1d20=10]
<SirAlex> "Hey, don't ignore me!"
<Corthala> "You the mayor, parrot?" snorts Corthala, rolling her eyes. "We missing something?"
<SirAlex> "Nothing except a little common sense!  What do you want, anyway?"
<Corthala> "Get to Synesta," replies Corthala, moodily.
<Millenia> roll 1d20-1 Sense Motive that shit! >O
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20-1 Sense Motive that shit! >O and gets 11." [1d20=12]
<Ran|GM> Nina speaks up on that, stepping forward. "We need to ask the mayor permission to leave for Synesta."
<SirAlex> "Well, why don't you just do it?"
<Corthala> "Can we go to Synesta?"
<SirAlex> "You could, if you could get permission somehow!"
* Millenia just blinks at the conversation, somehow doubting that this all was happening.* "Give us permission, then? We'll feed you more or give you a bit of money."
<SirAlex> "I wouldn't object to either of those things, although they're hardly necessary!"
<Corthala> "Where do we go to get permission?"
<SirAlex> "To the mayor, obviously!"
<Corthala> "Where's the mayor?"
<SirAlex> "The mayor hasn't left!"
<SirAlex> "A parrot?  What kind of joke is this, anyway?"
* Millenia facepalms.* "We're going in circles! Let's just go rest and see if he's here tomorrow! Unless you -really- believe the parrot is the mayor." *Sighed, not knowing whether to believe it or not.* "Yeah, you're telling me..."
<SirAlex> "A parrot?  What kind of joke is this, anyway?"
<SirAlex> "Well, that's what the majority decided, so you'll just have to live with it."
<Gildward> "What's decided?"
<SirAlex> "A parrot?  What kind of joke is this, anyway?"
<Gildward> *sigh* "You're a joke."
<Gildward> *frustrated*
<Millenia> "I guess they decided to make the parrot the mayor - assuming that it's telling the truth, at least." *Shook her head, turning to Nina* "Will you please lead us to wherever we're gonna stay?"
<SirAlex> "Hey, don't ignore me!"
<Ran|GM> "...wait, what?" Nina looks aghast at that, staring over at Milly. "The PARROT is the mayor?"
<Corthala> "This is pretty silly," notes Corthala, eyeing the parrot one last time. "Can you give us permission to go to Synesta?"
<SirAlex> "I could.  Maybe."
<Corthala> "Please give us permission?"
<SirAlex> "Ooh.  Say that again."
<Corthala> "I'm askin' you nicely; please give us permission to go to Synesta."
<Millenia> "Yes, it seems to be so. Maybe. It could be a parrot that gained intelligence through magical ways or... something. I don't detect magic from it, but it could very well be possible, what with the vast possibilities that magic can hold."
<SirAlex> "Nice, nice.  Now say that again, but lower your voice a bit, and bat your eyes.  Be sultry.  You go, girl."
<Millenia> "..."
<Millenia> "A lecherous parrot mayor?"
* Millenia takes a deep breath, and walks over to the parrot. She bats her eyes and acts as sultry as a stinky, dirty adventurer mage can be. Her voice is low and, despite her frustration, tries to remain polite.* "Will you -please- give us the honor of having your permission to go to Synesta?"
<Millenia> roll 1d20+8 Diplomacy to a parrot lol
* Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+8 Diplomacy to a parrot lol and gets 24." [1d20=16]
<SirAlex> "How bout opening that shirt another inch or so?"
<Millenia> "..."
* Millenia just smiles, straining to keep it sincere. She turns toward Nina.* "Your turn."
<Ran|GM> "Ww-w-w-wha?" Nina looks utterly embarassed, clearing her throat and stepping closer with a serene look. "Um... okay! Mr. Parrot, can you please give us all permission to go to Synesta? I'm trying to find my sister, so it's really important!"
<SirAlex> "Heh heh.  You're the princess, right?"
<Ran|GM> "Um... yes," Nina admits, sheepishly, her head turning away to the side.
<SirAlex> "Go on up and talk to Marlok there.  He'll... get you what you... need."
<Ran|GM> Her face brightens up considerably at these words, Nina nodding vigorously. "Alright! I'll do just that!" Turning around with a bright smile to everyone, she waves! "Are we all ready, then?"
<SirAlex> "Hey, I didn't say everyone could go.  Snookums over there has to take her turn."
<Millenia> "Yes! Please! I want to sleep!" *Smiled in return*
<SirAlex> "Not you, you were good..."
<Corthala> "Dry up and fucking die, parrot," snorts Corthala, storming out the room.
<SirAlex> "Hey!  HEY!  You wanna get to Synesta, right?"
<Millenia> "Er. I meant to answer Nina, not you..." *Looked away from everyone, too embarrassed to try to calm Corthala down*
<Ran|GM> The door serves as an excellent deterrent to storming out, unfortunately.
<Corthala> "Hey, hey! Synesta, nice place, serving the whims of a demented parrot, not so nice. I'm cool either way," replies Corthala, rolling her eyes.
<SirAlex> "If you wanna get to Synesta... KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!"
<Corthala> "Yeah, maybe after," mutters Corthla, OPENING THE DOOR.
* Millenia frowns, her embarrassment somewhat fading, turning to Cornthala.* "Please, just do it this once..?"
<Ran|GM> As the door opens, there's a snap of a chain and suddenly Corthala finds herself in the middle of a trap cage that was conveniently placed on the ceiling and is now encasing her from all sides, cold iron bars a definite problem in leaving!
<SirAlex> "I'm the master of traps!  Don't underestimate me!"
* Millenia just -stares- in surprise
<SirAlex> "If you wanna get to Synesta... KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!"
* Corthala slowly but surely starts carving away the bars, repeatedly refocusing her energy to slice each one with MOUNTAIN HAMMER.
* Millenia tenatively moves a bit closer to the cage.* "Please do it? I'll buy you a meal... we don't want to stay here longer than we have to, right?"
<Ran|GM> With a loud CLANG! And another CLANG! And a louder CLANG! Corthala slowly works her way into beating the cage around her into mincemeat!
* Millenia just -stares- in surprise
<SirAlex> "If you wanna get to Synesta... KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!"
* Corthala slowly but surely starts carving away the bars, repeatedly refocusing her energy to slice each one with MOUNTAIN HAMMER.
* Millenia tenatively moves a bit closer to the cage.* "Please do it? I'll buy you a meal... we don't want to stay here longer than we have to, right?"
<Ran|GM> With a loud CLANG! And another CLANG! And a louder CLANG! Corthala slowly works her way into beating the cage around her into mincemeat!
<SirAlex> "If you wanna get to Synesta, alive... KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!"
<Ran|GM> Enough denting of metal bars in that... oh, shit, they're packed too closely together! But she can smack them around enough into a tangible handhold to lift the cage off of her entirely! That requires her bending over, though.
* Corthala refuses to bend over! There is always another way!
<Ran|GM> Not MUCH of one as far as you can tell.
* Millenia steps back toward the parrot.* "So... Zod... is there anything that I can do in her place? Kneel? I'd rather hurry this along, if you don't mind..."
* Corthala sits on her ass, rather than *kneel*, and begins hammering together the bars in order to knock together said handhold.
<Ran|GM> Let's have a Dexterity check here.
<Corthala> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+5 and gets 6." [1d20=1]
<Corthala> OOC: ...
<Ran|GM> No. It is, in fact, impossible to do that. You drop on your knees trying to get the appropriate position to hammer it, despite your best efforts, your legs involuntarily buckling from the strain!
* Corthala does her business quickly and promptly extricates herself.

[Laggy]

[18:55] <Ran|GM> So.
[18:55] <Ran|GM> After dealing with a ... schizo... mentally deluded... freak of nature... bird.. avian... parrot. Thing.
[18:56] <Ran|GM> It is with no small amount of preamble that you all march yourselves out to the perimeter of the town, where you are greeted by a grotseque-looking creature, a giant ant for a lack of a better description, sporting a heavy metal shield and spear and looking quite monstrous. It takes one look at the group of you, however, including Nina, who seems noticeably intimidated by it, and then lets you pass. Maybe the parrot really IS the mayor? Oookay.
[18:57] <Ran|GM> the mayor. Ooookay. Whatever. As you the mayor's dark, moist passageway to Synesta, and fight off the swarms of bats and giant insects and various other irrelevant creatures that deem it fit to trouble your way, you finally do arrive at the town in question.
[18:58] * Gildward scratches at an irritated bug bite. "It's times like these I wish there was a 'Cure Itchy Wounds' spell."
[18:58] <Corthala> "We could've taken it," mutters Corthala, pouting. "So, now what, fearless leader?" she asks, glancing at Nina.
[18:58] <Ran|GM> Synesta is a large town situated at the top of a hill, overlooking a mountain range as a matter of fact - its buildings are large, red, and constructed out of brick and wood. The entire city's layout is ramshackle and built along all varying levels of elevation, such that you get a lot of balconies and overhanging buildings.
[18:59] <Ran|GM> And most importantly - it is large. A bustling trade center, it is at least ten times or more the size of the small and quaint Kyria - hopefully with a lesser number of traps buried within. The sounds of city ambiance, the bustle of traders and merchants going back and forth from the city gates, manned by a pair of young and bored looking sentries, brings new life to you all. Civilization at last, indeed.
[19:00] <Ran|GM> "Well..." Nina peers at the oncoming city, her wings doing that light flutter again. "Mr. Mayor said that I should look for a man named Marlok... so I guess we'll go around and ask for him?"
[19:02] <Corthala> "Hey, you!" says Corthala, her head twisting to face a sentry. "Y'know anyone called Marlok?"
[19:03] <Gildward> "Did the... erm... mayor... say anything to expect of this fellow?"
[19:03] <Ran|GM> The guard swerves back to look at you - a soldier of the Levant Alliance. No surprise, since Synesta is the largest stronghold on this part of the continent. He suppresses a yawn before snapping to attention. "Dunno, Brett and I here just got shipped in a few days ago. Doesn't ring a bell."
[19:04] <Millenia> "I, er, guess so, princess Nina." *Blinked at Corthala's direct method, scratching a bite on her cheek.* "Do we know anything about him beyond his name? His profession, perhaps...?"
[19:04] <Ran|GM> Nina shakes her head slowly, as all of you scale up the long and quite tedious stairs that lead into the main gate of town. "Not that I remember, no..."
[19:04] <Corthala> "Hmm. Righto. Know anyone who's been around a bit longer?"
[19:04] <Ran|GM> The sentry gives a non-commital shrug. "You've got the whole town to ask. Best to start in the marketplace, if you ask me."
[19:05] <Corthala> "Alright. How do we get there from here?"
[19:06] <Ran|GM> The sentry grunts and waves a vague hand towards the town. To be fair, the large amounts of tents, raucous conversation, and general milling of people and merchant type all clustering in one particular district of the town makes itself rather prominent.
[19:07] * Gildward nods and heads that direction, intent to ask around about this Murlok fellow.
[19:07] <Gildward> roll 1d20+14
[19:08] * Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+14 and gets 30." [1d20=16]
[19:08] <Ran|GM> You oddly find no one familiar with a Murlok, after a few cursory inquiries, although the merchants are friendly enough.
[19:12] <Millenia> *Frowns* "Maybe you should have asked for Marlok instead..." *Said helpfully as she turns to look at some wares*
[19:13] <Ran|GM> Meanwhile, as the rest of you browse the market and familiarize yourself with its layout, its bustling wares, the great extraordinary mix of people.. anyone interested in making a few purchases would probably find it best to do so here.
[19:14] * Gildward sighs and gets to looking for a potion shop. Having used them before on past adventures, he knows how useful they could be.
[19:14] * Corthala has... not much money to do so with, sadly.
[19:14] <Ran|GM> There are a great deal of mundane goods, but a bit of hunting nets you some of the more exotic adventuring needs that some shops will offer.
[19:14] <Ran|GM> (Prices are seventy-five percent of what is listed in the DMG, here, and all items up to a listed base value of 1,000 gp are available.)
[19:15] * Gildward browses the market idly.
[19:16] <Millenia> "If any of you don't mind, I'd like to go buy a few things that I need. New robes would be a start..." *Walked off with them and stopped to buy new clothing and searched for some mage shop*
[19:16] <Corthala> "Oi, you! You know a Marlok?" asks Corthala, asking people completely at random, with no sense of tact or grace.
[19:17] <Ran|GM> Make a Charisma check.
[19:17] <Ran|GM> Millenia finds a suitable clothing shop without much trouble, which offers fashions from the simple to the comfortable to the exotic, all handcrafted. The merchants here are extremely sociable and make small talk with you while you brwose.
[19:20] <Millenia> "Hmmm... this one looks good." *She reaches for some simple, modest... blue clothing.* "How are the paths here in the mountains? Pretty safe, or can they be dangerous? What would you recommend for, say, travelers here?" *She pauses to feel the fabric of a thick-looking coat*
[19:20] * Gildward looks for any potions like Bull's Strength or Cure Serious Wounds to purchase.
[19:20] <Ran|GM> Both are found without trouble, the merchants asking a reasonable price.
[19:22] * Gildward nods, and decides to purchase four potions of cure serious, and acouple Bull's Strength, adding them to his pack.
[19:23] <Corthala> roll 1d20-1 lolol
[19:23] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20-1 lolol and gets 12." [1d20=13]
[19:24] <Corthala> 1d20-1
[19:24] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20-1 and gets 8." [1d20=9]
[19:24] <Ran|GM> Well, at first you get a few strange looks, but it's soon gathered that Marlok is a wealthy merchant who's been running business in Synesta for decades now. None of the people you talk to have actually had firsthand experience or met him, though.
[19:26] * Corthala starts asking around for where Marlok can be found!
[19:27] <Ran|GM> Make another check to wow their faces off.
[19:27] * Millenia buys an Explorer's Outfit and Cold Weather outfit from the kind clothing people, as well as a few sets of less noticable clothing
[19:27] <Corthala> roll 1d20-1
[19:27] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20-1 and gets 19." [1d20=20]
[19:28] <Ran|GM> Not only do you find out where Marlok's main business headquarters are, you actually run right into it in the process of asking and poking around. It's a tall, red-brick building in the center of town, standing well far and above the ramshackle tents in relative to splendor - not too pretty, but well constructed and efficient. Two large oaken doors stand in the way.
[19:28] <Ran|GM> There is a large muscled man - shirtless, build rippling - standing with a wide smile and looking at bypassers, not so much threatening as he is... uh... showing off.
[19:29] <Ran|GM> Must be the door guard.
[19:29] * Corthala looks at Nina. "Lady, you're the one who wants to see him," she remarks, shrugging. "There you go."
[19:30] <Ran|GM> Nina is not with you!
[19:30] <Ran|GM> She took off on her own affairs talking something about visiting an orphange that her sister Elaine must have stopped by on the way here, and incidentally to do some information gathering of her own. Presumably.
[19:31] * Gildward , having bought what he sought after, along with perhaps some water and rations, sets out to find where everyone else went off to.
[19:31] <Ran|GM> It is with some small amount of relief that you are not alone as you notice a familiar feather bonnet-bearing blonde man walking the streets and noticing your presence, though, as Gildward joins up with you.
[19:36] * Millenia leaves the clothing shop and searches around for a shop with maps, thinking it'd be a great idea to get one in case if they get lost
[19:37] <Ran|GM> You find one and purchase a well inked map for a single silver piece. At the very least, the merchants around here seem to treat your currency cordially.
[19:37] <Corthala> "Oi. We've got to find us an orphanage, that's where Nina's gone," states Corthala, muttering something about flightly young do-gooders as she starts out to find it.
[19:37] <Ran|GM> Not hard - the district with all the little runts running back and forth screams it.
[19:37] <Gildward> "Well, I've done what shopping I've planned to do. Let's go."
[19:38] * Corthala LOOKS FOR NINA.
[19:38] <Ran|GM> As you cascade up and down stairs against the red-brick walls of the town, the sound of children playing, balls bouncing, and general city ambiance ringing around every corner, you spot the erstwhile Nina standing near a doorway, speaking with a figure in it. A priestess or nun of some sort.
[19:38] * Corthala finds her! And approaches rather speedily.
[19:38] <Ran|GM> Nina bows her head, saying something quietly, and the lady in question merely smiles back and bows in return before closing the door.
[19:39] <Corthala> "Found that Marlok guy's place," she comments, glancing distastefully at the children running around. "Coming?"
[19:39] * Millenia thanks the merchants for their wares, heading off to get information about the mountain range and the safety of traveling in them, such as weather, the quality of paths, incidence of landslides and the like.*
[19:40] <Ran|GM> "Oh!" Nina seems surprised at your presence, turning around with a brief smile. "Alright. I couldn't find out what Elaine had in mind from here, anyhow..."
[19:40] <Ran|GM> Milly: You gain such information, but this is pretty much the end of the line as far as civilization goes for the Alliance. The only other place to go is to cross the desert again to a port town near the coast, wherein houses the only gateway to the Eastern Continent - the Empire's domain.
[19:41] <Ran|GM> It is not without a small amount of influence of the town being the largest commercial center near the ocean alluding to its bustling success.
[19:41] <Corthala> "What were you talking about?" asks Corthala, starting to lead the way back.
[19:42] <Ran|GM> "Elaine stopped here when she visited Synesta, like I remember her saying she would," Nina explains patiently, as the three of you step back through town. "But she didn't tell Sister Theresa what she had in mind next, and just left one day.  I don't know where she would've gone from here, though..."
[19:42] * Millenia makes note of such things. How big is the desert, in terms of traveling time? A day, a week...?*
[19:43] <Ran|GM> A half-day in a sandflier, and utterly futile without unless you like to trek under the scorching sun.
[19:43] <Corthala> "What did she speak with the woman about?" responds Corthala, shrugging.
[19:44] <Ran|GM> "How the children were doing. Most of them were orphaned due to the war," Nina continues, with a slight flutter of her wings, "And she was looking into whether she could convince Wyndia to open an orphanage of its own. It's such a far away place, but they really do need a home, you know?"
[19:45] * Millenia goes check the sandflier rental shop/escort service thing for prices and availability.*
[19:45] <Gildward> "Such good intentions.  Your sister must be such a nice person."
[19:45] <Corthala> "Homes are overrated," mutters Corthala. "Guess kids need them until they can walk, or something."
[19:46] <Ran|GM> Oh snap. The sandflier shop is totally booked out! A recent overload in trading has had them all leased out to merchants, playing extravagant sums for their usage which you can't possibly hope to match.
[19:48] * Millenia frowns at this problem, making note and thanking those who provided her with information. Doubtless there is no chance of asking any of the merchants if she - and her friends - can hitch a ride?
[19:48] <Ran|GM> Maybe. You could always ask a merchant.
[19:51] * Millenia goes to ask any merchants that may be around the shop, believing that they would be most likely to rent the sandfliers than random ones selling their wares elsewhere in the town.*
[19:52] * Corthala continues to boldly walk towards Marlok's place, muttering about her stupid, STUPID parents.
[19:52] <Ran|GM> Except uh none of them are renting or owning a sandflier, because most of them can't afford it.
[19:52] <Ran|GM> Corthala! You lead the march to Marlok's building. That large muscled, gold-necklace wearing, shining teeth smiling macho man is still there.
[19:52] * Gildward follows.
[19:52] * Millenia shrugs and leaves to find the others, officially out of ideas!
[19:53] <Corthala> "Here we are, sunshine," says Corthala, cheerfully. "If you need me, just yell."
[19:53] <Ran|GM> Milly conveniently runs into the rest of you as you gather outside this building.
[19:54] <Ran|GM> Nina smiles and nods to Corthala, bowing her head slightly. "Thank you!" And she hops down the brief ramp to the doors, heading straight to them! But then the doorman doesn't seem to like this, and holds out a hand! "Wait wait wait there lady! I can't just let you in to see Marlok!"
[19:55] <Corthala> "Why not?"
[19:55] <Millenia> "Hi guys! I found out that there isn't any place to go in this mountain range besides to the Empire's land!" *Waves to them, speaking when she gets close.* "Unfortunately, it's across a desert and... am I interrupting anything?"
[19:55] <Ran|GM> The muscled man looks up contempeously at Corthala. "Because he's a busy man! And he pays me to keep people like you out!"
[19:56] <Gildward> "Sounds reasonable."
[19:56] <Corthala> "So, what. When CAN we see him? Tomorrow?"
[19:56] <Gildward> "But, would he meet with a princess?"
[19:56] <Ran|GM> The man shrugs, looking apathetic. "Don't ask me. I'm the doorman, not the secretary. All I know is that, without permission, you ain't going through."
[19:57] <Millenia> "Umm. Do you know if we can meet with his secretary, then?" *Looked up at the doorman, hopeful*
[19:57] * Gildward tries to think up some elaborate excuse as to why they should be allowed to pass.
[19:58] <Ran|GM> "I don't know if he HAS a secretary! I'm just here to keep you out, okay? Stop asking me questions!"
[19:58] <Gildward> roll 1d20+10
[19:58] * Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+10 and gets 15." [1d20=5]
[19:58] <Ran|GM> Nina huffles up a bit at that, looking aghast and putting up a large amount of sympathy in her voice. "But I need to see Marlok to find out where my sister's gone, sir! It's important!"
[19:58] * Gildward simply fails to do so.
[19:59] * Gildward shrugs.
[19:59] <Ran|GM> He's about to respond to that and then hears Gildward's excuse, then bursts out into laughter. "Ahaha! That's a good one! Beat it, rats."
[19:59] <Ran|GM> His eyes gleam for a moment, leaning closer, muscles in his form rippling. "Unless you're LOOKIN' for a fight. Then... in that case..."
[20:00] <Ran|GM> Was that just a lens flare?
[20:00] * Gildward looks to Nina "Up to you, princess."
[20:01] <Ran|GM> Nina looks conflicted, a bit of a pout in her look as she tries again to convince the man. "I don't want to fight! I just want to find my sister! That's all...!"
[20:01] * Millenia frowns.* "How about a bribe? I still have some money free."
[20:01] <Millenia> *money to spare
[20:02] <Millenia> roll 1d20+8 Diplomacy
[20:02] * Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+8 Diplomacy and gets 12." [1d20=4]
[20:03] <Ran|GM> "How much you talking?" The doorman seems to take a whole new air now, leaning closer with a wicked gleam!
[20:03] <Millenia> [20:03:35] <Ran|GM> "How much you talking?" The doorman seems to take a whole new air now, leaning closer with a wicked gleam!
[20:03] <Millenia> (That's the only thing you missed, Corthy)
[20:07] <Millenia> "How much.. do you want?" *Grinned, hoping she had enough to bribe him with*
[20:08] <Ran|GM> He leans back, folding his impressive arms and stature, leering at Millenia with an obvious amount of enjoyment. "That's for you to ask, miss, and me to answer."
[20:09] <Millenia> "Twenty gold?"
[20:12] <Ran|GM> This provokes long, hearty laughter from the man as he doubles back! Stepping back to the door and giving Millenia a now hard look, he breaks into laughter again! "You gotta be kidding me. You take me for a fool? I know adventuring types when I see 'em. You got more money than that. 'spcially with a princess by your side."
[20:14] <Millenia> "Two hundred?" *Shrugged, kinda laughing nervously in response to the man's laughter*
[20:15] <Ran|GM> Make a Diplomacy check, not that your negotiating ability leaves me in awe or anything.
[20:15] <Millenia> roll 1d20+8
[20:15] * Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+8 and gets 11." [1d20=3]
[20:16] <Ran|GM> "Aight." The man nods, holding out a hand. "Let's see it."
[20:18] * Millenia nods, reaching into her bag and pulling out 200 gold coins (and/or 20 platinum coins)
[20:18] <Ran|GM> The doorguard looks on expectantly!
[20:19] <Millenia> "Will you let us through, then?" *Mentally recounts the coins, making sure she has the exact amount.*
[20:19] <Ran|GM> The man offers a twisted smile, smirking back at Millenia. "Money first, talkin' later."
[20:19] <Corthala> "Fuck that."
[20:20] <Corthala> "You want money at all, you make the deal before we hand it over."
[20:20] <Ran|GM> "I don't remember you being involved in this conversation," the man shoots back, his considerable hands balling into fists as he shifts into what's dangerously looking like a fighting stance.
[20:21] <Corthala> "Hey, I remember something. It's you being all over the fucking floor," snorts Corthala. "How 'bout we skip all this money shit, and say that whoever is left standing chooses who goes inside?"
[20:21] <Ran|GM> "Fine with me," the man sneers, dropping full down hunched into a combative stance. "You'll know better than to mess with KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHN!"
[20:21] * Gildward is somewhat startled at Corthala's sudden desire for violence. This can't end well.
[20:22] <Ran|GM> Oh, and everyone make a Fortitude save.
[20:22] <Corthala> OOC: Mind over body wtf
[20:22] <Gildward> roll 1d20+4
[20:22] <Corthala> roll 1d20+11
[20:22] * Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+4 and gets 13." [1d20=9]
[20:22] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+11 and gets 24." [1d20=13]
[20:22] <Millenia> roll 1d20+5
[20:22] * Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+5 and gets 13." [1d20=8]
[20:23] <Ran|GM> Gildward and Millenia feel their worlds go white as a ringing shout of the word KAAAAAAAAAAAHN echoes in their mind in a repeated loop, rendering them completely stunned! Corthala shakes it off, though, and is ready and able to deal with the menace at hand! Initiatives!
[20:23] <Ran|GM> roll 1d20
[20:23] * Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 4." [1d20=4]
[20:23] <Ran|GM> Oh yeah Nina is also on the ground reeling.
[20:23] <Corthala> roll 1d20+6
[20:23] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+6 and gets 15." [1d20=9]
[20:24] <Ran|GM> roll 1d20
[20:24] * Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 9." [1d20=9]
[20:24] <Ran|GM> Corthala > Kahn.
[20:24] <Gildward> roll 1d20+3
[20:24] * Hatbot --> "Gildward rolls 1d20+3 and gets 4." [1d20=1]
[20:24] <Millenia> roll 1d20+6 Go go gadget initiative!
[20:24] * Hatbot --> "Millenia rolls 1d20+6 Go go gadget initiative! and gets 20." [1d20=14]
[20:28] * Corthala doesn't draw her swords, instead leaping forward with a sudden spring and kicking the man three times with blitzing speed!
[20:28] <Corthala> roll 1d20+6
[20:28] <Corthala> roll 1d20+6
[20:28] <Corthala> roll 1d20+6
[20:28] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+6 and gets 16." [1d20=10]
[20:28] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+6 and gets 13." [1d20=7]
[20:28] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+6 and gets 11." [1d20=5]
[20:30] <Corthala> roll 1d3+7
[20:30] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d3+7 and gets 8." [1d3=1]
[20:32] <Ran|GM> Your blow lands squarely in the man's chest! He grunts, but seems to take it just fine as he takes a step back, letting out a MANLY BATTLE CRY! "GWRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOAR!"
[20:32] <Ran|GM> roll 1d20
[20:32] * Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 18." [1d20=18]
[20:32] <Ran|GM> Next round begins. Nina > Milly > Corthala > Kahn > Gildward
[20:33] <Ran|GM> Nina stands back up, looking dazed, but then notices the two in the center fighting and holds a hand to her mouth! She lets out a royal gasp! And stands there, useless!
[20:33] <Ran|GM> Milly.
[20:35] * Millenia gets up rubbing her head. She turns to Nina, then back to the fight, stepping back to not interfere, obviously not wishing to fight. She uses Mage Hand to get her money back from the ground at the distance.*
[20:36] <Ran|GM> The coins trickle slowly toward at you as you do this! Corthala!
[20:36] * Corthala flickers and turns invisible, before striking at the man with another pair of vicious kicks!
[20:36] <Corthala> roll 1d20+8
[20:36] <Corthala> roll 1d20+8
[20:36] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+8 and gets 14." [1d20=6]
[20:36] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+8 and gets 10." [1d20=2]
[20:38] <Corthala> roll 3d6+4
[20:38] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 3d6+4 and gets 12." [3d6=2, 2, 4]
[20:40] <Ran|GM> Your kicks squarely impact against his unprotected back as he staggers back against the door, but still he doesn't relent! To the contrary, he firms up his arms, letting out another furious battle cry, like the bad macho man he is!
[20:40] <Ran|GM> Gildward.
[20:40] * Gildward shrugs, looks around and just plays a song for the fight. Make it look more like an event.
[20:42] <Ran|GM> Right! Inspire courage you do into Corthala, as she fights the... screaming doorman! Yes!
[20:42] <Ran|GM> Nina just starts shouting something but you don't hear it over the chaos, coins continue to trickle back into Milly's hand, and it's Corthala's turn to shine again!
[20:45] * Corthala certainly DOES shine... doing more zen-fu as she assumes a meditative stance! "Say uncle," she snorts, discipline quickly returning!
[20:46] * Millenia tries to listen to Nina while concentrating on getting her money back, pocketing it, but still stays out of the fight.*
[20:53] <Ran|GM> The man says uncle in a way you do not entirely expect but wasn't exactly not seeing coming at the same time, one outstretched hand landing straight for your face!
[20:54] <Ran|GM> roll 1d20
[20:54] * Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 1d20 and gets 11." [1d20=11]
[20:54] <Ran|GM> roll 3d3+18
[20:54] * Hatbot --> "Ran|GM rolls 3d3+18 and gets 21." [3d3=1, 1, 1]