Day 7 - Info for the Great Escape!

[Iron Dragoon]

Session Start: Wed Oct 15 11:40:31 2014
Session Ident: #dunes
* Now talking in #dunes
* Topic is 'Lucy(32)>Veren(27)>Moore(26)>Pepo(22)>Strange Thing(21) '
* Set by Kotono on Tue Oct 14 14:08:47


<Kotono> ------


<Kotono> The party has a chance to rest, recover and sort items. Down here in the basement, the sounds of the ongoing battle are muted. They organize everything and redistribute as it becomes downright quiet. OOC: Act y'all. You're still in the basement.
* Lucy attunes herself to the beacon she found, excited about the prospects it opens. One of the healing potions is put to good use in the meantime.
<Lucy> roll 1d8+1
* Hatbot --> "Lucy rolls 1d8+1 and gets 8." 12 [1d8=7]
<Moore> Moore looks around one last time. "So what do we do now? Try and find a boat, or... are we going to see if we can find anything else?"
<Lucy> "Confusing as this is, I would propose to isolate one of these pirates in the area and interrogate him. That way, we can decide whether the city is able of remaining independent."
<Veren> "I am inclined to stay with the power we know... Some-what know, at least... But if we wish to remove ourselves from their thumb, we should do so quickly."
<Pepo> 'I can determine our best course, but I will be powerless afterwards,' Pepo volunteers. But wisdom is a power all of its own!
<Veren > "For now, I agree with Lucy. We should find a pirate and interrogate him."
<Lucy> "How about we do that," Lucy muses. "And while Mister Pepo does that, Moore could fly high up while invisible and see the best course towards any ships we might take. Civilian vessels, I presume."
<Veren > "If we are to fight again, I would do better with a distraction. I prefer to strike from the sides and unseen."
<Moore> Moore nods. "Sure, that sounds fine."
<Pepo> 'Very well. It will take time, ten minutes at least, twenty to be certain,' Pepo says, curling up in a quiet spot and focusing his reduced but still potent mental energies into seeing through possible futures...
<Pepo> OOC: psionic divination, ten minute casting time
<Lucy> "We could manage that," Lucy agrees. "Mister Pepo, can we leave you here for the time being?"
<Kotono> OOC: Link me?
<Pepo> OOC: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/divinationPsionic.htm
<Pepo> 'I will be safe,' the cat assures them.
<Veren > "Alternatively, we could try to stay close and lure a single, or small number, of pirates outside and capture one there."
<Lucy> "I will do my best to appear helpless," Lucy muses, leaving her axe with the psychic cat. "Stay hidden and follow up if they catch on?"
<Kotono> OOC: Okay. Cat's going to stay back and goo all psychic, while the rest of you...?
* Veren nods and moves to hide in the shadows, changing his clothes to match the colors of the area to better hide.
<Moore> OOC: I'm going to invisible and start up to see if there's any clear paths to any boats. I'll put on the veil if I need to.
<Kotono> OOC: Okay.
* Lucy heads outside to observe the neighboring houses. It shouldn't be too hard to spot a lonely pirate and work her magic upon him.
<Veren > OOC: I'll be shadowing Lucy as she tries to attract attention and then ambush if need be.
<Kotono> OOC: Lucy and Veren in here, Moore in #evildunes and Pepo in #terror. This won't be a long split, but better than juggling it all in one room.


<Kotono> ------


Session Start: Wed Oct 15 11:57:44 2014
Session Ident: #evildunes
* Now talking in #evildunes
<Kotono> Moore heads out, invisible. A thick cloud of smoke looms over the city, fire after stone burning fire sending thick smoke up. Looks like he'll need to go up and through that to see much of anything.
<Moore> Well then, might as well! Hopefully the smoke doesn't block everything! He starts up!
<Kotono> The smoke is thick and miserable. Gah! It's hard to breathe. It's like choking on sooty air, as thick as a stone slurry. OOC: Make a Fort save, Moore.
<Moore> OOC: Am I able to take a swift action to switch my minor aura to Demand Fortitude?
<Kotono> OOC: You can after this, should it require another save.
<Moore> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Moore rolls 1d20+5 and gets 17." 12 [1d20=12]
<Kotono> roll 1d6 nonlethal damage
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d6 nonlethal damage and gets 5." 12 [1d6=5]
<Kotono> Moore coughs and hacks, but manages to rise up above it. His head spins afterwards and he's short of breath. Ugh. But once he's above the smoke, it's so bright. His eyes are dazzled quickly, making it hard to see. His veil is quickly put on, allowing him to see beyond that. The city is one great inferno now. About a dozen, black sailed ships dominate the docks. Each one has the emblem of a
<Kotono> green teardrop on the sails.  There are also other ships there, as well as Lady Asdra's petrified corpse. Near the docks you can see someone's set up stakes with impaled bodies and heads. Charming. Looking the other way, you can see ragged bunches of civilians and soldiers fleeing from the city.
<Moore> OOC: Any other ships besides the black-sailed ones?
<Moore> OOC: Derup
<Moore> OOC: Anything interesting about the other ships?
<Kotono> OOC: They're ships. Interesting in that they're new, but too far away for specifics.
<Moore> OOC: Okay. I'll switch to Demand Fortitude in case I need to go through the smoke again. Are all the Pirate ships in one group with the non-pirate ships in another?
<Kotono> OOC: The pirate ships - assuming they are, but you think so - are grouped together.
<Moore> OOC: Any one stand out more than the others, or do they all appear to be the same from up here?
<Kotono> OOC: The pirate ships look more or less the same from here.
<Moore> OOC: Okay. Are there any non-destroyed / easier to traverse paths through to the city to the docks?
<Kotono> OOC: Yeah. None are in great shape but you can see (as of now) a decent path to get to the docks. Could be memorized.
<Moore> OOC: Okay. I will memorize it and then head back! I will also try and avoid the smoke as much as I can.
<Kotono> OOC: Another Fort save real quick. Since you mentioned it, I presume demand fort is up.
<Moore> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "Moore rolls 1d20+13 and gets 33." 12 [1d20=20]
<Kotono> OOC: Success, I'll integrate you into #dunes once everyone's back together.
<Moore> OOC: Sure.


<Kotono> ------


Session Start: Wed Oct 15 11:58:00 2014
Session Ident: #terrorofdunes
* Now talking in #terrorofdunes
<Kotono> OOC: Okay. For the sake of posterity, repost your divination phrasing in here?
<Pepo> 'Will this city remain safe for our habitation in the near future?'
<Kotono> OOC: CL level since it matters for the roll?
<Pepo> roll 1d100 wild surge 5+ so I can get 9 instead of 8
<Pepo> OOC: 8, can't be bothered getting a bot
<Kotono> The answer is thus: The snake's den is clear, leaving all the other predators to stalk the former domain.
<Pepo> He could be a predator, but he's feeling a bit unwell after that encounter with the twisted mind. Assuming no one's come to collect him and he can't hear any ruckus outside, he'll attempt to divine the best course of action from here. 'Where can I prosper best of my available destinations?' whether it's here, the Breaches, the Dark, some nearby city, or on the light seas, no point rushing
<Pepo> blindly for one of them.
<Kotono> The answer is thus: Seek Old Kamhoff's ship, for prosperity is dead as the predators come.
<Pepo> Okay, now to go find his companions and get out of this hellhole!
<Kotono> OOC: I'll integrate you once everyone comes together.
<Pepo> OOC: fair enough, I did take a while on that


<Kotono> ------


<Kotono> Lucy and Veren come outside. It's smoky and darker now - a pall of smoke hangs over the city like a funeral veil. It's hard to breathe out here and it's strangely quiet, save for the crackle of burning manors. There's no rumbling booms of catapult stones landing, the streets empty save for corpses. It looks like you'd need to go a bit farther to possibly find a pirate.
* Veren surveys the area, looking for threats from his hidden location.
<Lucy> They have five minutes. Lucy makes sure to look for any ambient magic as she heads down the street in the direction she was originally following when they came to this district.
<Kotono> OOC: Perception, Veren.
<Veren > roll 1d20+12 Perception
* Hatbot --> "Veren rolls 1d20+12 Perception and gets 20." 12 [1d20=8]
<Kotono> The two start to look around. There's not much in the way of magic here - but after about three minutes, you go down an alley and to the next street. This one is rubble with burning buildings on either side. But you see a band of four scimitar-wielding pirates in front of an un-burning shop. They stand guard, about a dozen corpses around them. Looks like citizens and guards, mostly guards.
<Kotono> They don't seem to see you yet - you're just poking out and over.
* Veren hunkers down and draws a blade, getting ready for anything to go wrong.
* Lucy plants a suggestion into the head of one of them through her telepathy, the one looking directly away from her. 'You think you heard a woman's voice from the alley behind you. You don't want to share with the others.'
<Lucy> OOC: Will, DC22
* Lucy intends to hide and listen for the footsteps and any loud voices afterwards.
<Kotono> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+6 and gets 15." 12 [1d20=9]
<Kotono> One of the pirates turns to the alley and grins, starting to walk away. At this, another calls, "Aran, where are you going?" he says, sounding annoyed and tense. It just drips from his voice. "Sirne's orders, dumbass."
<Kotono> The pirate who started to go - Aran, you presume - turns and glances back. "Oh fuck off," he gestures, "I'll just be a couple in the alley here."
<Lucy> It sounds like this is working, but she's feeling terribly rusty. It would not go amiss to stack the deck a bit, and Lucy boosts her charms supernaturally, where it comes to Aran.
<Lucy> OOC: Charm Monster, Will DC23
<Kotono> "Oh the fuck you aren't," The other one snaps, "Going off alone gets you killed, idiot! You never go off alone in a hostile city! The fuck is the matter with you?" He comes forward and slaps Aran upside the head.
<Kotono> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+6 and gets 25." 12 [1d20=19]
<Kotono> Another one sighs, "Will both of you stop," His voice is higher pitched, sounding tired. "This damned job's almost done. "
<Kotono> "But I need to go to the alley," Aran adds, voice cross even as his face is unseen. "I don't want to share."
<Lucy> Easy come, easy go. It's time for her to retreat.
<Kotono> "Share what?" The fourth pirate pipes up, rather unremarkable. The rest is lost as Lucy falls back. OOC: Going to keep looking?
* Veren moves away along with Lucy, keeping her in sight as best he can.
<Lucy> OOC: Did I see what store they were guarding?
<Kotono> OOC: Yeah. Looks like some sort of fancy shop. Clothing, that sort of thing. Pricy.
* Lucy keeps on looking for now.
<Kotono> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 70." 12 [1d100=70]
<Kotono> Another street down you and Veren peek out of an alley. Here you see more burning buildings. There's one grand hall, which has about a dozen pirates outside of it. Several stakes have been erected here, under the fire, smoke and ruin. Bodies are impaled on them and heads are there. One is familiar - Mistress De'natha. Her body is impaled through the chest, and is now a withered husk. She is
<Kotono> decapitated, her head impaled above her body. She is most obviously dead, her empty gaze staring out and snakes hanging limply from her head in place of hair. Her mouth has been stuffed with something - if you didn't know better, you'd say they look like garlic bulbs.
* Veren stays hidden, playing off of Lucy's actions as she's the 'bait.'
* Lucy tries to see if she can spot any obvious leaders amongst them.
<Kotono> One pirate in particular stands out. He's short - four feet tall and most. He drags a warhammer twice as tall as he is along, which tears furrows into the dirt. His arms are crossed as he stands just before the door into the hall. The other pirates only glance at him, but instead maintain a perimeter around him, on guard.
<Kotono> They are about 150ft away.
<Lucy> There is no need for divinations after that display, or even interrogations. She slips away and starts heading back for Flanagan's mansion.


<Kotono> ------


<Kotono> Thus the party regroups in Flanagan's basement, together again. OOC: Go ahead and chat, y'all.
* Veren returns his clothes to normal and stands with the others.
<Lucy> "The city has fallen," Lucy says, picking up her axe again. "The rulers are quite vigorously murdered, and the attackers smarter and more orderly than the usual lot. We should leave at once."
* Veren nods.
<Moore> "There's a pathway to the docks that we could take that I think would work. There are several ships... most of them what I assume to be the pirate's ships. There are others as well, probably belonging to the members of the city."
<Pepo> 'Any who remain will fall prey to predators within the week,' Pepo informs the group once reconvened. 'Our best course will be on a vessel belonging to an 'Old Kamhoff'. I do not know if he is a pirate or citizen, nor if we should seek passage or take it by force, but we should make haste to find it.'
<Veren > "They also seem to be guarding all of the important buildings and shops. Looking for salvage would be unwise."
<Lucy> "We'll ask nicely first, and see where it gets us," Lucy voices. "And much as it would be nice to acquire more wealth or knowledge, there is no pressing need to do so now. Moore, please lead us to the docks?"
<Moore> "Do you know what the ship looks like, Pepo?" Moore asks. "I might be able to tell you which one it is."
<Lucy> "We can talk along the way."
<Kotono> OOC: Okay. Marching order?
<Pepo> 'No, all I had was the name of its owner,' Pepo says, padding up the stairs. 'We can interrogate pirates or search the harbor's... lists?'
<Pepo> OOC: I'll be next to Lucy wherever she is in order
<Lucy> OOC: I'll go second after Moore and spot
<Moore> OOC: I can go first but I'll be invisible.
<Kotono> OOC: Okay.
<Kotono> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 46." 12 [1d100=46]
<Kotono> The first block or two is empty of all save the dead. Peeking over at the next street on the path, you can see a band of four pirates are going down it. They seem to be looking around, at attention.
<Veren > "We could hide and simply let them pass..."
<Pepo> 'We need to know where to find the ship,' Pepo reminds the group. 'I could try and isolate one of them.'
* Veren nods.
<Veren > "If push comes to shove, I could try to imitate one of them."
<Lucy> "They refused to break away from the group before, but getting them to go in pairs would make them more manageable," Lucy muses. "We'll try to hide while you do that?"
<Pepo> 'Very well,' Pepo says, creeping up towards the group...
<Pepo> roll 1d20+33 stealth
* Hatbot --> "Pepo rolls 1d20+33 stealth and gets 49." 12 [1d20=16]
<Lucy> roll 1d20+15
* Hatbot --> "Lucy rolls 1d20+15 and gets 16." 12 [1d20=1]
<Pepo> OOC: is there anything interesting in the vicinity?
<Kotono> OOC: Stealth there, Lucy?
<Lucy> OOC: I'm super stealthy! I also presume I'm not hiding in the very same place Veren is.
<Veren > OOC: I haven't made a stealth roll yet. Need me to?
<Kotono> OOC: Sure.
<Veren > roll 1d20+12+4 Stealth; spending 1 Inspiration
* Hatbot --> "Veren rolls 1d20+12+4 Stealth; spending 1 Inspiration and gets 23." 12 [1d20=7]
<Kotono> The party hides as Pepo creeps up on them. They're walking along, but don't even seem to notice the cat that creeps up to them. OOC: Go Pepo.
<Pepo> OOC: is there anything interesting in the vicinity?
<Kotono> OOC: Just ruins and some fire. Nothing terribly fascinating.
<Pepo> Not much to work with, but he'll do what he can. First he touches the mind of the rightmost pirate, attempting to keep the display of his power damped while instilling a chronic aversion to fire.
<Pepo> roll 1d20+12 DC 16 concentration to avoid display
* Hatbot --> "Pepo rolls 1d20+12 DC 16 concentration to avoid display and gets 24." 12 [1d20=12]
<Pepo> OOC: Aversion towards fire, DC 16 will http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/aversion.htm
<Kotono> roll 1d20=6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20=6 and gets Error: Numeric values only." 12 [1d20=6]
<Kotono> OOC: 6+6=12, so he fails.
<Kotono> The pirate suddenly stops, looking around before quickly backpedaling away from the fires. Another stops and turns, "Hey!" he calls gruffly. "What are you DOING?"
<Pepo> Talky one next, this time Pepo goes the opposite route, making him fond of this particular ruin right next to him.
<Pepo> roll 1d20+12 DC 16 concentration to avoid display (aversion should be 17)
* Hatbot --> "Pepo rolls 1d20+12 DC 16 concentration to avoid display (aversion should be 17) and gets 29." 12 [1d20=17]
<Pepo> OOC: DC 16 will augmented 2pp http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/attraction.htm
<Kotono> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+6 and gets 10." 12 [1d20=4]
<Kotono> A moment later, he darts right to a bit of ruin and begins to study it. "Oh, this is good!" The other two stop and stare, going back and forth. "Something's wrong," the third one mutters.
<Lucy> 'Leave those idiots,' Lucy suggests to the remaining pirate. 'You must continue your mission and patrol.'
<Lucy> OOC: Will DC22
<Kotono> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+6 and gets 17." 12 [1d20=11]
<Kotono> The fourth pirate quickly picks up his pace and goes, leaving the third one looking about in utter confusion. "Huh? This can't be right, there's something going on here!"
<Pepo> There has to be something interesting in that alley back there, right? Definitely! Thinks the pirate after Pepo's had his way with him.
<Pepo> roll 1d20+12 DC 16 to avoid display
* Hatbot --> "Pepo rolls 1d20+12 DC 16 to avoid display and gets 32." 12 [1d20=20]
<Pepo> OOC: DC 16 attraction on suspicious alley, augmented 2pp
<Kotono> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+6 and gets 12." 12 [1d20=6]
<Kotono> The last one looks at the alley and nods, before going right to it.
* Lucy places a command of her own in the remaining pirate's head right then, as he enters her alley. 'You are in the presence of a powerful wizard. Bargain for your life and sanity or suffer the fate of the others.'
<Lucy> OOC: Suggestion, Will DC22
<Kotono> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+6 and gets 21." 12 [1d20=15]
<Kotono> OOC: You're visible, right Lucy?
<Pepo> Pepo follows him back into the alley, content to rely on his comrades for the information gathering side of thing now that he's split the enemy party.
<Lucy> OOC: I'm very poorly hidden, if his perception beats my stealth of 16 he can see me
<Kotono> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+5 and gets 15." 12 [1d20=10]
<Kotono> The pirate looks around with wide eyes, "I...I surrender!" he throws his hands up, "What do you want?"
<Lucy> "Who is your commander?" Lucy asks, a few steps behind him as he passed by her hiding spot just then. "What is your mission here?"
<Kotono> "Porghson," he answers, "Black Wind Porghson. We're here to lance the rotted boil of Rossalund."
* Lucy decides to try and read his thoughts, while she's at it.
<Lucy> OOC: Will DC 21
<Lucy> "Is this a personal affair, to rid the city of the serpents? Or are you mercenaries for a third power? If so, which one?"
<Moore> Moore flies over and whispers to Lucy, "Maybe ask how they prepared for this? It seems pretty organized..."
<Kotono> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+6 and gets 13." 12 [1d20=7]
<Kotono> His thoughts are a panicked mess at the moment: Just fear as he's trying to figure out what to do now. When Lucy's next question comes, he says, "It's our crusade," he says, "To exterminate the snakes."
<Pepo> 'Ask about Old Kamhoff,' Pepo reminds the group, his tail swishing impatiently back and forth.
<Lucy> 'I remember,' Lucy assures Pepo. "Whose crusade?" she presses on. "Where did it originate? Which powers and island nations support it?"
<Veren > "Is there a pass code we can use to get past patrols and out of the harbor?"