1.9: If this is a plan then I'm dead where I stand

[Sierra]

* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Luiza (21) > Santiago (20) > Morrison (19) > Leona (12) > dog-thing (9)'
01[12:02] <El-Cideon> The hour is noon as the squad confronts a thieving canine mechanism in Gloria's third-story bedroom. Seemingly caught in the act, this strange creature proves slow to react against its fellow intruders!
01[12:02] <El-Cideon> OOC: Luiza's up first
[12:06] <Luiza> Luiza dashes past her colleagues and around the mechanical dog to get to the window and slam it closed! "Stop!" she declares to the dog afterwards.
01[12:07] <El-Cideon> It doesn't seem capable of stopping her for now, at least!
01[12:07] <El-Cideon> OOC: Santiago
[12:08] <@Santiago> "Return your taken valuables!" Santiago bawls, flinging out a hand and coating the ground beneath the dog in slippery oil!
[12:08] <@Santiago> OOC: ref 15 or fall
01[12:08] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8 ref
[12:08] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+8 1,0ref --> 6,0[ 1d20=19 ]4,0{27}
01[12:09] <El-Cideon> It stays standing firm on its four feet so far!
01[12:09] <El-Cideon> OOC: Morrison
[12:09] <Morrison> "I don't think it understands you." Morrison says as he simply takes two shots at the creature!
[12:09] <Morrison> roll 2#1d20+7
[12:09] <Rei-chan> 6,0Morrison rolled :6,0 2#1d20+7 --> 6,0[ 1d20=2 ]4,0{9}, 6,0[ 1d20=19 ]4,0{26}
01[12:09] <El-Cideon> OOC: latter hits
[12:09] <Morrison> roll 1d8+2
[12:09] <Rei-chan> 6,0Morrison rolled :6,0 1d8+2 --> 6,0[ 1d8=4 ]4,0{6}
01[12:10] <El-Cideon> Morrison's arrow puts a minor dent in the dog's frame, but it seems highly resistant to physical attack.
01[12:10] <El-Cideon> OOC: Leona
[12:11] <Leona> Fully expecting the dog to jump through that window and try to flee, Leona extracts a scroll from one of her pockets and reads off it so as to boost her speed. "We might be better off letting it lead us to its master," she suggests. OOC: expeditious retreat, +30 speed for 1 minute
01[12:13] <El-Cideon> It looks quite ready to try and retreat: it turns around to face Luiza, then carefully coordinates its movements to avoid slipping--
01[12:13] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+4 acrobatics vs DC 10
[12:13] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+4 1,0acrobatics vs DC 10 --> 6,0[ 1d20=5 ]4,0{9}
01[12:13] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8 ref to not fall
[12:13] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+8 1,0ref to not fall --> 6,0[ 1d20=4 ]4,0{12}
01[12:13] <El-Cideon> --only to slip and tumble onto the ground!
01[12:13] <El-Cideon> OOC: doggo is prone. Luiza is up
[12:15] <Luiza> "I don't know what to doooooo!" Luiza complains. "I don't want to hurt a dog!"
[12:15] <Morrison> "It's just a construct, it isn't real." Morrison says blandly.
01[12:16] <El-Cideon> OOC: Santiago, Luiza's holding
[12:20] <@Santiago> "Leona has a point," Santiago says. "Let's let it go and tail it." He looks around the room for anything like paint or oil that they could throw on the dog, such that it might leave a trail of liquid breadcrumbs if they lose it.
01[12:21] <El-Cideon> It looks like there's some perfume and make-up on the desk, but that's about it at a quick glance.
[12:22] <Morrison> Morrison opens his mouth as if to say something, then shuts it.
[12:23] <@Santiago> Santiago snaps his fingers and banishes the grease from existence!
01[12:24] <El-Cideon> OOC: Morrison
[12:25] <Morrison> "I'm going on record as saying I think this is a dumb plan." He says as lowers his bow.
01[12:25] <El-Cideon> OOC: okay! Leona also holding?
[12:26] <Leona> "That's exceptionally helpful Morrison," Leona retorts acerbically. OOC: yes
[12:26] <Morrison> "So is trying to chase a stupid construct dog when we don't even know how fast it is."
[12:27] <@Santiago> "Well, if we lose it, it's a good thing we have a master tracker on our side," replies Santiago, with aggressive cheer.
01[12:28] <El-Cideon> The dog stands up and, quite heedless of whatever else might be said or happening around it, renews its efforts to leap right out the window--even if that means pushing Luiza right through the glass on its way out.
01[12:28] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11 CMB bull rush, provokes AoO if you want one
[12:28] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+11 1,0CMB bull rush, provokes AoO if you want one --> 6,0[ 1d20=7 ]4,0{18}
[12:28] <Luiza> Luiza ducks out of the way!
01[12:29] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+4 acro vs DC 15 to reduce fall damage
[12:29] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+4 1,0acro vs DC 15 to reduce fall damage --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{12}
01[12:30] <El-Cideon> roll 1d6 there'd be a 1d6 NL too but it doesn't care
[12:30] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6 1,0there'd be a 1d6 NL too but it doesn't care --> 6,0[ 1d6=1 ]4,0{1}
01[12:30] <El-Cideon> The dog dashes right through the glass and tumbles twenty feet straight down to crash loudly onto the pavement below.
03[12:31] * El-Cideon changes topic to 'Santiago (20) > Morrison (19) > Leona (12) > Luiza & dog-thing (9)'
[12:31] <Leona> Leona sprints out and leaps through the window after it!
[12:31] <Luiza> Luiza looks at the window, and then hops out herself, rebounding off windowsills as needed to land on the ground safely!
[12:32] <Luiza> roll 1d20+10 acrobatics
[12:32] <Rei-chan> 6,0Luiza rolled :6,0 1d20+10 1,0acrobatics --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{18}
[12:32] <Leona> roll 1d20+13 DC 15 acrobatics
[12:32] <Rei-chan> 6,0Leona rolled :6,0 1d20+13 1,0DC 15 acrobatics --> 6,0[ 1d20=7 ]4,0{20}
01[12:32] <El-Cideon> roll 1d6 success reduces it to this much nonlethal
[12:32] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6 1,0success reduces it to this much nonlethal --> 6,0[ 1d6=5 ]4,0{5}
03[12:33] * El-Cideon changes topic to 'Santiago (20) > Morrison (19) > Leona + Luiza & dog-thing (9)'
01[12:33] <El-Cideon> Luiza and Leona successfully land on their feet next to it, a little dazed from the fall but more on point then their quarry managed!
01[12:33] <El-Cideon> OOC: Santiago
[12:33] <@Santiago> Santiago indeed grabs a bottle of perfume and flings it at the dog, perhaps to assist in later evidence-gathering efforts!
[12:34] <Leona> Leona does a five point landing!
01[12:34] <El-Cideon> OOC: ranged attack roll, Santiago?
[12:34] <@Santiago> roll 1d20+5 I get +1 for height!
[12:34] <Rei-chan> 6,0Santiago rolled :6,0 1d20+5 1,0I get +1 for height! --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{15}
01[12:35] <El-Cideon> Santiago lands a hit with an expensive-looking bottle of foreign perfume while the dog is scrambling to regain footing from its awkward fall!
01[12:35] <El-Cideon> OOC: Morrison
[12:36] <Morrison> He shakes his head and simply jogs back the other way, intending to go back and outside. If the thing takes off, it probably won't be much of an issue to follow it...
01[12:37] <El-Cideon> "What in the world happened in there?" a confused Isabel asks, following Morrison downstairs.
01[12:37] <El-Cideon> OOC: L&L + doggo are up
[12:37] <Leona> Leona lets the dog take the lead before she follows it!
01[12:38] <El-Cideon> The creature stands up again, and dashes quickly out of the narrow alley behind the house and into the main thoroughfare that it fronts upon.
01[12:39] <El-Cideon> OOC: more AoO opportunity here, but I'll assume no one's interested still
[12:39] <Leona> Leona lets it go and follows at either a run or a jog depending on how it compares to her currently boosted speed.
[12:39] <Morrison> "We're apparently going to chase the... whatever it is back to whoever owns it." He explains. "...At least, that's the plan."
01[12:40] <El-Cideon> Leona is able so far to follow it to the end of the alley. The road that it joins here is a broad east-west thoroughfare that extends straight a good ways through town.
[12:41] <Luiza> Luiza tries to match speed with Leona as much as she's able to.
01[12:41] <El-Cideon> So far, so good! But it only had half a moment to run so far, since it had to struggle to its feet first.
01[12:42] <El-Cideon> OOC: Santiago
[12:43] <@Santiago> Santiago opts to head out the window after the dog and the girls, dropping into a roll when he hits the ground so he can keep moving.
[12:43] <@Santiago> roll 1d20+8 successively worse acrobatics
[12:44] <Rei-chan> 6,0Santiago rolled :6,0 1d20+8 1,0successively worse acrobatics --> 6,0[ 1d20=12 ]4,0{20}
01[12:44] <El-Cideon> roll 1d6 nonlethal
[12:44] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6 1,0nonlethal --> 6,0[ 1d6=4 ]4,0{4}
01[12:45] <El-Cideon> OOC: Morrison.
01[12:46] <El-Cideon> "Everyone just jumped out the window," Isabel states next to Morrison, as if to confirm for herself that this was a thing that just happened. "Does this happen a lot?"
[12:47] <Morrison> "Them making questionable decisions? Yes. It seems to work out in the end, though." He says as he continues making his way back the other way. "We'll catch up."
01[12:49] <El-Cideon> Morrison can get to the end of the house's street to the main road, and see the rest of the group (sans Santiago) clustered at the mouth of the alleyway about thirty feet down the road.
01[12:49] <El-Cideon> OOC: L&L + doggo. I take it folks still waiting & reacting on it?
[12:49] <@Santiago> OOC: well we're basically chasing it
01[12:49] <El-Cideon> OOC: okay!
01[12:51] <El-Cideon> The dog gears up for a dash and then tears off at full speed straight down the main road. It makes it two hundred feet in a matter of seconds.
01[12:51] <El-Cideon> OOC: full run.
[12:53] <Leona> Leona runs after it, letting it stay just a little bit ahead!
[12:53] <Leona> OOC: I can full run up to 240 but I'll let it keep the lead
[12:54] <Luiza> OOC: 120ft for me at a run, but I should be able to see Leona at least to follow!
[12:54] <Luiza> Luiza dashes after Leona!
01[12:54] <El-Cideon> OOC: Santiago. From your point of view in the alley behind the house, everyone just tore off down the main road to the west
[12:55] <@Santiago> Santiago tears off after Luiza!
01[12:55] <El-Cideon> OOC: Morrison.
[12:57] <Morrison> "Well, there it is." He says with a sigh. "Come on, we have to run after it now." OOC: Running after the others, speed is 120 but I won't leave Isabel unattended if I need to go more slowly.
01[12:57] <El-Cideon> OOC: Isabel can keep up for now!
01[12:59] <El-Cideon> The dog continues another two hundred feet towards the west, well on its way out of the neighborhood, metal claws clacking and clattering against cobblestones all the while. If it keeps on this course, it'll be headed towards the western market you passed through on your way into town.
01[12:59] <El-Cideon> OOC: L&L
[13:00] <Leona> Leona's still easily able to pursue it, letting it stay only a few feet ahead of her for now!
[13:00] <Luiza> Luiza does her best to stay in range!
01[13:03] <El-Cideon> Luiza does her best, but she's losing distance every second that the beast continues to run. It and Leona are gradually dwindling from sight as they get more and more ahead.
01[13:04] <El-Cideon> OOC: Santiago and Morrison
[13:04] <@Santiago> Assuming that the dog is probably taking the most direct route it can, Santiago sees little choice but to keep running straight after it (rather than make for some complicated outflanking maneuver.)
[13:05] <Morrison> Morrison simply keeps pace (relatively) with the others and continues to follow!
01[13:07] <El-Cideon> The dog's pace soon takes it out of the slumbering residential neighborhood and to the edge of the market district. Here it takes a slight break in speed to turn to the right and face into the market itself. It's a busy lunchtime shift in there, but it has an ordinary dog's advantage of being able to dodge and weave between clumsy human feet.
01[13:07] <El-Cideon> OOC: L&L
[13:08] <Leona> "Coming through, make way!" Leona shouts as she barrels after the dog, having a person's advantage of being able to shout at people!
[13:10] <Luiza> Luiza has her own advantages! Which are that people are moving for Leona just ahead of her, and that she's agile enough to dodge around them! She won't lose to some mechanical dog!
01[13:11] <El-Cideon> Leona has the additional advantage (probably?) of looking profoundly menacing at the moment, and quickly finds that this has great effect on scattering lunchgoers and hawkers into the peddlers' stalls and restaurants that line the street. There's no keeping your presence in this town quiet anymore, though!
01[13:12] <El-Cideon> OOC: Santiago and Morrison still keeping up, I take it. This puts everyone else 240 ft behind the lead, by my count
[13:12] <@Santiago> OOC: Luiza is ahead of me
[13:12] <@Santiago> OOC: and I think I'm ahead of Morrison
[13:12] <@Santiago> OOC: it's very silly!
[13:12] <@Santiago> OOC: otherwise, yes
01[13:15] <El-Cideon> The dog dashes on fifty feet into the market square, drawing all manner of confused exclamations from the scattering townsfolk, then turns left and runs into the road leading west. This will take it straight out of the city the same way you came into it if it doesn't deviate course again.
01[13:16] <El-Cideon> OOC: L&L
[13:17] <Leona> Leona remains in hot pursuit!
[13:17] <Luiza> Luiza does her best to find a shortcut, given their quarry and Leona aren't following a strictly straight path!
[13:17] <Luiza> roll 1d20+10 acrobatics?
[13:17] <Rei-chan> 6,0Luiza rolled :6,0 1d20+10 1,0acrobatics? --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{20}
01[13:20] <El-Cideon> Leona's headlong dash prompts mixed cries of "Call the militia!" and a few of "Call an exorcist!" as she makes her monstrous way through the crowd. Luiza finds that by leaping over grocers' & fishmongers' stalls, she can avoid some of the press of the panicked crowd moving back your direction and cut out a little of the distance--she can just make them out in the middle of one of the busiest Solfrina plazas, about to take course out of the city.
[13:20] <Leona> "I am the militia!" Leona shouts back over her shoulder.
01[13:21] <El-Cideon> "I can't see them anymore," Isabel gasps as she struggles to keep up by Morrison's side. Indeed, they've turned a couple corners by now--keeping up mostly means following the disturbances!
[13:23] <Morrison> "Just follow all the panicked people." He assures her. "So much for us not causing attention..."
[13:23] <@Santiago> This chasing business is getting too much attention, particularly as others are calling for the militia. So Santiago takes a moment to disguise himself as a nondescript Solfrinian, and decides to wait to see local militia presence that he can misdirect from the chase. After all, it would not be great if a group of soldiers saw Leona and decided she was a monster what needed killing.
[13:24] <@Santiago> OOC: disguise self to be a dude who isn't Santiago
[13:24] <@Santiago> roll 1d20+18 disguise!
[13:24] <Rei-chan> 6,0Santiago rolled :6,0 1d20+18 1,0disguise! --> 6,0[ 1d20=18 ]4,0{36}
01[13:24] <El-Cideon> With some of the crowd pushing back to get away from the chase ahead of you, that shortly becomes very difficult for those in the rear! Leona and her quarry will shortly be out of town on their own unless something changes at the lead.
01[13:25] <El-Cideon> The dog puts all of its speed behind another straightaway dash, and blazes forward on the western road out of town. It'll be headed in the general direction of Rocina, at this rate.
[13:29] <Luiza> Luiza can only keep on dashing and hoping that Leona has this in the bag!
[13:30] <Leona> Rocina's pretty far away! Leona's starting to doubt this is actually leading them to its master, but she keeps following for now anyway! Are there any buildings this way?
01[13:31] <El-Cideon> There are no buildings directly in the path. The road west will cross open fields, farms, and before very long the Tarquiz River.
[13:33] <Leona> Once her spell begins to wear off, Leona lunges at the dog to tackle it!
[13:33] <Leona> roll 1d20+8 cmb charge
[13:33] <Rei-chan> 6,0Leona rolled :6,0 1d20+8 1,0cmb charge --> 6,0[ 1d20=20 ]4,0{28}
01[13:33] <El-Cideon> OOC: hits
[13:34] <Leona> roll 1d6+3 grapple damage
[13:34] <Rei-chan> 6,0Leona rolled :6,0 1d6+3 1,0grapple damage --> 6,0[ 1d6=6 ]4,0{9}
01[13:37] <El-Cideon> About a hundred feet past the city gates, Leona's last burst of speed results in a successful hold on the creature. Even her claws struggle to inflict real damage on its metal frame, but she's at least got it held for the moment! It then struggles mightily to pull away from her and make another mad dash to freedom.
01[13:37] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11 CMB for grapple escape
[13:37] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+11 1,0CMB for grapple escape --> 6,0[ 1d20=7 ]4,0{18}
01[13:37] <El-Cideon> OOC: that's vs your CMD
[13:38] <Leona> OOC: 17, sadly
01[13:39] <El-Cideon> The creature slips away. In an open field just outside the city, with some passing traders looking on in stupefaction, it squares off against Leona alone.
01[13:39] <El-Cideon> OOC: your go
[13:40] <Luiza> Luiza continues to catch up!
[13:40] <Leona> OOC: is it actually stopping to fight me now?
01[13:41] <El-Cideon> OOC: it looks like it's about to
[13:41] <Leona> Clearly needing a bit more muscle to damage here, Leona makes her monster grow! And as she's inside her monster she grows as well.
[13:41] <Leona> OOC: enlarge person cast
[13:42] <@Santiago> Santiago continues after Luiza, keeping an eye out for interlopers on the way.
01[13:42] <El-Cideon> Back in the market square, a quartet of Solfrina militiamen hurry in to ascertain just what in the world just happened.
01[13:43] <El-Cideon> Without so much as a snarl or a bark or any other outward noise of aggression ordinary for a dog, the creature snaps its metal jaws twice at Leona!
01[13:43] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13
01[13:43] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13
[13:43] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+13 --> 6,0[ 1d20=16 ]4,0{29}
[13:44] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+13 --> 6,0[ 1d20=20 ]4,0{33}
01[13:44] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13 crit?
[13:44] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+13 1,0crit? --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{21}
01[13:44] <El-Cideon> OOC: also, you are Large size now, correct?
[13:45] <Leona> OOC: yes
01[13:46] <El-Cideon> roll 1d6+6
[13:46] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6+6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=6 ]4,0{12}
01[13:46] <El-Cideon> roll 2d6+12
[13:46] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2d6+12 --> 6,0[ 2d6=7 ]4,0{19}
01[13:46] <El-Cideon> OOC: there woulda been CMB here, but size difference thwarts that
01[13:48] <El-Cideon> The creature makes two ferocious bites through Leona's supernatural carapace, horribly goring her living armor--and yet, insofar as a metal construct can look perplexed, there's a brief pause as though something hasn't gone according to plan.
01[13:48] <El-Cideon> OOC: Leona's act. Everyone else is landing in the market just in time for the militia to turn up
[13:51] <Leona> Startled, yet thankfully unhurt for now - though the wavering of her second skin suggests another blow won't go so well for her, Leona falls on the metal dog with claws and fury to rend it into component parts!
[13:51] <Leona> roll 3#1d20+5 power attack
[13:51] <Rei-chan> 6,0Leona rolled :6,0 3#1d20+5 1,0power attack --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{19}, 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{22}, 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{16}
01[13:51] <El-Cideon> OOC: first two hit
[13:51] <Leona> roll 1d8+6+1d8+6
[13:51] <Rei-chan> 6,0Leona rolled :6,0 1d8+6+1d8+6 --> 6,0[ 1d8=1 1d8=8 ]4,0{21}
01[13:53] <El-Cideon> The second slash sends it reeling, but it still looks fairly lightly damaged, insofar as you can casually judge the quality of such an unusual creature.
01[13:54] <El-Cideon> Without warning or sign or other outward explanation for its behavior, the dog construct suddenly whirls about in place and dashes off at a full run again, towards the banks of the Tarquiz. Its course this time, if not altered, looks like it will take it into the river itself.
01[13:55] <El-Cideon> OOC: it's gone full run again. You can AoO here.
01[13:56] <El-Cideon> Back in the city, a small crowd has gathered around the militiamen in view of Santiago and Morrison. Eager but confused and scared Solfrina residents are energetically pointing to the west where the bizarre intruders so recently barreled through town.
[13:57] <Leona> roll 1d20+5 AoO away
[13:57] <Rei-chan> 6,0Leona rolled :6,0 1d20+5 1,0AoO away --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{13}
01[13:57] <El-Cideon> OOC: hits without DEX, which it lacks while running
[13:57] <Leona> roll 1d8+6
[13:57] <Rei-chan> 6,0Leona rolled :6,0 1d8+6 --> 6,0[ 1d8=1 ]4,0{7}
[13:57] <Morrison> Morrison simply moves as best he can with Isabel in a westerly direction -- though obviously his attempts at speed are more or less over for now.
01[13:58] <El-Cideon> This parting blow doesn't stop it from fleeing, however. Without another burst of extraordinary speed, it looks bound to make its way into the water in seconds.
[13:58] <@Santiago> Thinking fast, Santiago mutters a spell under his breath, and sounds a bloodcurdling howl coming from behind a building perpendicular towards Leona's movement path!
01[14:00] <El-Cideon> The frightened patrons seeking refuge inside the Horse and Bower suddenly find the pub to be a more terrifying place to be than the street they'd so recently fled; citizens come pouring out into the militia's path, and the guardsmen pile inside to see what the ruckus is about instead of pursuing Leona's path west.
01[14:01] <El-Cideon> Isabel slows to a halt next to Santiago, panting and bent double, hands on her knees. This is obviously more exercise than she ordinarily gets. "What...what was all of that?" she asks anyone willing to answer her.
[14:01] <Leona> She can't swim either! So Leona runs (much more slowly) to the water before summoning a giant frog to try and handle this for her! Sadly her meatsuit vanishes.
[14:01] <@Santiago> OOC: I don't even look like Santiago!
01[14:02] <El-Cideon> OOC: well, she's somewhere around anyway just because things are happening here!
[14:02] <@Santiago> OOC: Ok!
01[14:04] <El-Cideon> OOC: how giant a frog are we talking/where does it appear exactly? By you, or where directed?
[14:05] <Leona> OOC: where directed but within 30 feet. It's medium sized and can shoot its tongue out 15 feet to grapple stuff! Also it has a swim speed.
[14:06] <Morrison> Morrison just shakes his head. "A plan awry, it looks like."
01[14:08] <El-Cideon> An oversized frog pops into existence with a loyal *CROAK*. The dog then plunges into the river another hundred feet off, leaving only ripples and one terrified fishermen with poor timing in its wake. The frog could maybe pursue if it hustled!
[14:09] <Leona> The frog hops along hurriedly, Leona running with it!
[14:09] <Leona> OOC: frog is speed 30 on land and in water, Leona is speed 30 only on land
01[14:13] <El-Cideon> The frog dutifully leaps underwater to pursue its mechanical quarry! From then on, view from the land only permits mere glimpses of what's happening downstream after the amphibian closes in on its prey--
01[14:13] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3
[14:13] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+3 --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{13}
01[14:13] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13-5
[14:13] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+13-5 --> 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{19}
01[14:13] <El-Cideon> roll 1d6+6
[14:13] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6+6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=4 ]4,0{10}
01[14:14] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3
[14:14] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+3 --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{13}
01[14:14] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13-5
[14:14] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+13-5 --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{18}
01[14:14] <El-Cideon> roll 1d6+6
[14:14] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6+6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=1 ]4,0{7}
01[14:14] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3
[14:14] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+3 --> 6,0[ 1d20=15 ]4,0{18}
01[14:15] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7 !
[14:15] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+7 1,0! --> 6,0[ 1d20=12 ]4,0{19}
01[14:15] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11-5
[14:15] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+11-5 --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{20}
01[14:15] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3
[14:16] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+3 --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{17}
01[14:16] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13-5
[14:16] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+13-5 --> 6,0[ 1d20=5 ]4,0{13}
01[14:16] <El-Cideon> roll 1d6+6
[14:16] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6+6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=6 ]4,0{12}
01[14:17] <El-Cideon> Eventually, a badly bitten amphibian corpse floats to the surface, and the river erases any trace of whatever just happened underwater.
[14:18] <Leona> Leona snaps her fingers in disappointment, shrinking back down to normal. Healing her dormant second skin a bit, she lingers on the riverbank looking to see if the dog emerges out of the water anywhere in sight.
[14:18] <Leona> roll 2d8+6 healz
[14:18] <Rei-chan> 6,0Leona rolled :6,0 2d8+6 1,0healz --> 6,0[ 2d8=12 ]4,0{18}
01[14:19] <El-Cideon> If it's still down there, it doesn't show any sign of coming out while Leona's waiting.
[14:20] <Leona> Disappointed, Leona meekly makes her way back to the city to see if she can regroup with everyone else. Four armed monster? What four armed monster, she's just a nice half-elf girl!
[14:21] <@Santiago> Santiago dismisses his disguise once it seems no longer necessary, and heads after Luiza who is hopefully heading after Leona.
01[14:22] <El-Cideon> A collection of militiamen hustle their way out of town after finding nothing in the pub, but by this point Leona's just another quiet, unassuming citizen who they hurry right by without a second glance! Everyone finds each other again just at the edge of town. Isabel, still winded, wipes a sheen of sweat from her brow. "What happened?" she asks.
[14:24] <Morrison> Morrison waits to hear the answer to that, though it certainly seems obvious...
[14:25] <Leona> "It went into the river," Leona explains. "I tried to stop it, got bitten really badly for my trouble then it wriggled free and went under the water. I couldn't summon anything able to restrain or damage it, so..." she shrugs helplessly. "It certainly wasn't just some dumb automaton running home though. I waited a while on the banks and never saw it climb out anywhere in sight."
[14:27] <@Santiago> Santiago grimaces. "Bad luck," he offers. "But there can't be that many automatons like that around here. We might be able to find some ideas on who could be controlling one from the magician's guild."
01[14:28] <El-Cideon> "What *was* it?" Isabel asks in turn. "I've heard about magicians building golems for rich folk to use as guards, but I've never seen one in person."
[14:28] <@Santiago> OOC: knowledge?
01[14:28] <El-Cideon> OOC: Arcana
[14:28] <@Santiago> roll 1d20+9
[14:28] <Rei-chan> 6,0Santiago rolled :6,0 1d20+9 --> 6,0[ 1d20=4 ]4,0{13}
[14:30] <@Santiago> "Couldn't say exactly," replies Santiago. "An intelligent, mechanical dog used for fetching things sounds like something any magician might want to have in their pocket."
01[14:32] <El-Cideon> "Well, what was it doing in Gloria's bedroom?" Isabel presses. "I don't understand anything right now."
[14:32] <Leona> "But what was it fetching, and why?" Leona asks. "When I heard those noises upstairs I expected to find a zombie, not a golem!"
[14:32] <@Santiago> "Robbing her," replies Santiago. "It had a book and some jewelry stuck in its chest. Must've been sent for some specific items."
[14:33] <Luiza> "We... might have interrupted it?" Luiza suggests. "So maybe we should take a look to see what remains?"
[14:34] <@Santiago> "Did Gloria keep a journal?"
01[14:35] <El-Cideon> Isabel nods. "Oh yes. Every day I think she wrote something down. She said it helped her keep her thoughts in order."
[14:36] <@Santiago> "So who do you think might care about what she was thinking after her death?" asks Santiago, frowning. "Luiza is right. Let's go back."
[14:37] <Leona> "Couldn't hurt," Leona agrees.
01[14:40] <El-Cideon> "I don't think I knew anyone who cared about what she thought," Isabel says glumly as you set off back to the house. Everything's as you left it. The burgled desk has an open drawer with a collection of small and simple personal journals inside of it--save for one, evidently.
[14:41] <Luiza> "That's a shame," Luiza tells Isabel, even as she checks which journal is missing. Is it the latest one?
01[14:43] <El-Cideon> A quick check confirms this suspicion: the most recent book remaining in the drawer ends at the close of last year. It looks as though Gloria started a new log on the first of each year.
[14:43] <Luiza> "Did anything change since last year?" she asks Isabel after determining that. "Perhaps something that only jumps out now, in hindsight?"
06[14:43] * @Santiago looks about the rest of the room; it was the one the dog was on, and it may have still been searching for something.
[14:44] <Leona> "Well, it probably got ruined from going in the water so whoever took it won't get as much out of it," Leona says.
[14:45] <@Santiago> OOC: detect magic
01[14:45] <El-Cideon> "Other than the guild trying to run her out of business and all the nastiness with the apprentices?" Isabel asks. "Not so far as I can tell. I lived with her for three years and she seemed much the same to me. She went on sabbatical over the summer this year just as she usually did."
[14:46] <Leona> "Where did she go on sabbatical?" Leona asks.
[14:47] <Luiza> Meanwhile, Luiza looks around for any notes or drafts Gloria might have kept.
01[14:48] <El-Cideon> "Halinai," Isabel says, adding for those not in the know: "It's an elf community up in the mountains far east."
[14:49] <@Santiago> "It looks like this box contained something powerful," Santiago says, walking over to a jewelry box. "Divination magic... one of the gems or pendants here was enchanted."
[14:49] <Morrison> Morrison just shakes his head quietly.
01[14:50] <El-Cideon> Luiza can find plenty of account books and carefully-maintained logs of business transactions, but apart from the journals, that looks like it for personal writing.
01[14:51] <El-Cideon> "She never mentioned owning anything magical," Isabel says. "But that doesn't mean that she couldn't have. She didn't tell me everything about her private life," she adds, sounding a little wounded still.
[14:51] <Leona> "Hmm," Leona hums, scratching the tip of one of her ears. "I suppose our next stop then is to try the magician's guild, see if anyone knows about making or selling golem dogs?"
[14:51] <Luiza> "Is there anything else magical around?" Luiza asks Santiago, since it's just so incredibly unlikely they chanced upon the dog as soon as it was done looting the place.
[14:52] <@Santiago> "That was all in this room," replies Santiago, leaving the box where it is and turning to go through the rest of the house.
01[14:54] <El-Cideon> While Santiago can easily see that some rooms have been similarly roughed up during the construct's search for whatever it took, he finds no magical auras elsewhere. Isabel is happy to lead you around and show you whatever you like, but she doesn't notice anything else out of place. The only rooms that look to have been bypassed in the creature's search are an unoccupied guest room and Isabel's former bedroom.
[14:56] <Leona> "It knew which rooms to skip, that suggests familiarity with the layout," Leona mentions.
[14:57] <@Santiago> "A one-time guest, perhaps?"
01[14:58] <El-Cideon> "I don't remember having any recently," Isabel says with a frown.
[14:59] <Luiza> "On the one hand, they knew which rooms to avoid. On the other, they weren't sure exactly where everything was, since all these rooms were tossed but we only saw the journal and the jewelry box." So probably the zombified Gloria didn't send the dog.
[14:59] <@Santiago> "Let's check the last year's journal," suggests Santiago.
[14:59] <Luiza> "And especially what the retreat was all about before?"
01[15:06] <El-Cideon> Gloria's journals are written in elven, but fortunately everyone here can read that language. The penmanship is flowing and elegant, and the journals themselves quite full--it looks as though she insisted on writing something down every day, no matter how seemingly trivial. Last year is without serious incidents: there's some disagreements with the guild to detail, and promising appraisals of the quality of Isabel's work, and various arch observations about the well-to-do citizens of Solfrina who seem to have made up most of her clientele. The retreat Gloria describes as a journey of spiritual rejuvenation amongst elders of her race; if there's one note of discord in her visit to the community last year, it's her dispirited observation that the young seem less and less interested in what they have to say.
[15:11] <Leona> "There's nothing terribly interesting," Leona says after a skim through. "Though she was pleased with your work, Isabel."
01[15:12] <El-Cideon> That prompts a fragile smile in spite of circumstances. Isabel has made herself a little bit at home again, going down to the kitchen to make tea for any who want it while everyone did their reading in the sitting room. "I'm happy to hear that, but I don't know what to do now."
[15:13] <Leona> "Our only lead is the dog," she says. "Something like that can't be cheaply or commonly made."
[15:15] <@Santiago> "The guild, then," replies Santiago. "We can ask after any known necromancers as well."
[15:15] <Luiza> "So our next move is to have someone inquire with a local mage?" Luiza wonders out loud. "If we were to go as a group it might be connected too quickly."
[15:15] <Leona> "Santiago can do it."
[15:15] <Morrison> "You said it went into the river, right?" Morrison asks. "It didn't do so that long ago, if you want I can probably try and track it down. It didn't seem very good at actually hiding its own trail."
[15:17] <Leona> "Well, I can show you where it went into the river," she tells Morrison. "I never saw it come out though, unless you think you can track it underwater."
[15:19] <Morrison> "I can at least take a look. It's... likely that it probably just swam... actually, wait, how would it even swim? Well, I guess it's magic or whatever it is..." He shrugs. "There's no harm in looking, especially if it made wet tracks that leads somewhere."
[15:21] <@Santiago> "It could walk on the riverbed since it doesn't need to come up for air," replies Santiago, putting down the journal and standing up. "Alright. I can go and look up the guild now. I think we should leave the house alone now as well, so I'll see you back at the inn."
[15:21] <Luiza> "Right. So I'll just... keep Isabel company for now?"
[15:22] <Leona> "You two can come to the river as well!" Leona offers to Luiza and Isabel.
01[15:24] <El-Cideon> Isabel nods. "We probably shouldn't stay here after dark," she says. "The house is supposed to be empty. Someone will call the militia on us if they see lights on in it, I bet." She looks ready to go anywhere else, really; it's home of sorts, but it's plain to see that now it would be one full of sadness even if she owned it.
01[15:26] <El-Cideon> OOC: Santiago, want to roll diplo while I line everyone else up?
[15:27] <@Santiago> roll 1d20+10 every roll is a chance to succeed
[15:27] <Rei-chan> 6,0Santiago rolled :6,0 1d20+10 1,0every roll is a chance to succeed --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{24}
01[15:28] <El-Cideon> Leona soon leads everyone back to the riverside where the canine construct was last seen. It isn't far from the great stone bridge that enables traffic between Solfrina and parts west. "So it just walked into the river," Isabel repeats, still clearly coming to terms with some of this.
[15:29] <Leona> "More ran," Leona elaborates. "I can't swim so I summoned a giant frog to go in after it, but the frog died."
[15:29] <Luiza> "I don't really get it, either," Luiza agrees. "Perhaps I'm too sober to understand?"
[15:30] <Morrison> Morrison goes over to the river -- if necessary, he will hold his breath and put his head into the water to see if there are any signs that the creature walked through the riverbed. It hasn't been -that- long, so there may still be something...?
01[15:35] <El-Cideon> OOC: Survival?
[15:36] <Morrison> roll 1d20+8
[15:36] <Rei-chan> 6,0Morrison rolled :6,0 1d20+8 --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{18}
[15:41] <Morrison> He shakes his head. "Nothing I can see in the river, but it's possible it made some tracks further up when it came out. I don't know if it's worth it to go looking, though."
[15:43] <Leona> "Don't know where it came out or even on what side," Leona says. "Even whether it went upstream or downstream, really. I don't think we have any chance of finding a trace now - the water would've washed off that perfume Santiago threw as well."
[15:44] <Luiza> "Perhaps take a look in each direction all the same?" Luiza proposes. "Our other potential lead is two weeks away, so it's not like we have a better idea unless we get lucky."
[15:45] <Leona> "I suppose not, we'll have to go over the bridge and check both river banks though. Shall we split up?"
[15:47] <Luiza> "Better stay together in case we run across it, I think."
[15:49] <Morrison> Morrison nods. "I'll keep an eye out, then."
01[15:49] <El-Cideon> OOC: group or solo? Either way, which area's getting searched? (Upstream/downstream, east or west bank?)
[15:49] <Leona> OOC: I vote solo, since we'll generally be close enough to see each other anyway. If anyone finds any sort of disturbance on the bank we can then regroup and get Morrison to track from there.
01[15:52] <El-Cideon> OOC: well, if you're splitting up, everyone specify a side (NW/NE/SW/SE) and roll survival?
[15:53] <Leona> roll 1d20+3 SE for Leona
[15:53] <Rei-chan> 6,0Leona rolled :6,0 1d20+3 1,0SE for Leona --> 6,0[ 1d20=7 ]4,0{10}
[15:53] <Morrison> roll 1d20+8 NE, can search west on my way back
[15:53] <Rei-chan> 6,0Morrison rolled :6,0 1d20+8 1,0NE, can search west on my way back --> 6,0[ 1d20=12 ]4,0{20}
[15:54] <Luiza> roll 1d20+1 epic wisdom
[15:54] <Rei-chan> 6,0Luiza rolled :6,0 1d20+1 1,0epic wisdom --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{15}
[15:55] <Luiza> OOC: Let's say SW
01[15:55] <El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3 Isabel will go with Luiza
[15:55] <Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+3 1,0Isabel will go with Luiza --> 6,0[ 1d20=7 ]4,0{10}
[15:58] <Leona> After going about half a mile down the south east bank of the river, Leona gives up and heads back towards the bridge to reunite with everyone.
[16:00] <Morrison> Having not found anything of note himself, he returns to the others also.
[16:00] <Luiza> Once they all reunite, Luiza points to the south-east. "Last place left to look?"
[16:01] <Leona> "Worth a shot," Leona says, though she doesn't sound especially confident.
[16:02] <Luiza> roll 1d20+1 more epic wisdom
[16:02] <Rei-chan> 6,0Luiza rolled :6,0 1d20+1 1,0more epic wisdom --> 6,0[ 1d20=18 ]4,0{19}
[16:04] <Morrison> roll 1d20+8 lookin' around
[16:04] <Rei-chan> 6,0Morrison rolled :6,0 1d20+8 1,0lookin' around --> 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{25}
[16:09] <Morrison> Morrison will gesture at the tracks. "Right here, it came out here and headed south."
[16:10] <Luiza> "A bit of determination goes a long way," Luiza muses. "Let's follow?"
01[16:11] <El-Cideon> ~