Shadow rondo

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+86 aiding
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 106 > [d20=20]
> roll 1d20+53 for real this is one of the times I really think GI being folded into diplo is a bad, bad rule
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 68 > [d20=15]

> roll 1d20+49 perform (act)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 67 > [d20=18]

For Jessica here.

A few quiet taverns, a shopping square, an old inn keep. Jessica navigates them well until you come up to an older dwarf. Gray-shot and tired looking, several scars over his face - including a starburst over his left eye, which is somehow intact. Some brown hair remains as he sits at a tavern table, clad in travel stained heavy armor. A horned helmet rests on the table besides him. He drinks up - crystal clear water.

He slams the beer stein of water down before, "The one time women come to me and it's not about my cock." He grouses, and on seeing Antenora's expression drop, "A joke." He finishes his water off in one big gulp, "Thought you'd be the world worn sort who would get the humor. Got some blood on your hands, I bet."

"It's Ysgard, pretty princesses are only here as rewards," Jessica's own smile is rather amused. "My friend there is the prissy sort. Oh, she'll fight, but only when she looks fabulous. Every hair in place, looking like she's been made up and primped for hours. I'm not a man, but when I see her on a battlefield, I can see why they want her."

Must you?

I get so jealous of you when I see you take to battle. You always look perfect.

Oh, very well. In the spirit of complements.

That at least seems to silence Antenora's objections.

"So," The dwarf says after a few moments, "You want my attention, what do you want to know?"

"You're name's Holmar?" After a nod to that, "Heard you dealt with those golems that are running around." Jessica asks.

"Yeah, earned my most recent pay fighting them," Holmar agrees, "What do you three want to know?"

[Ebiris]

Alicia smiles at Jessica's teasing of Antenora, her own features shrouded by her hood. "Even a pretty princess can swing a mace around here," she says lightly. "But we're looking to track down those golems, and someone named Colke that's leading them? One of Tempus's?"

[Anastasia]

"That reasons out. I'll tell you what you want on two conditions. One, buy me lunch to save me the coin," he begins, "Heaven it may be, but one where coin earned in battle pays the way. At least here. Two, lower your hoods. Don't know who you are and why you're hiding, but I want to look someone I help in the eye."

[Ebiris]

"Perhaps we're like gorgons ourselves and trying to keep you from turning to stone at our visages?" Alicia speculates. "You can see my face here, and understand why we're keeping the hoods up." A Sylican platinum coin is placed down, face up showing Alicia's stern visage in profile before him.

[Anastasia]

The coin is taken, an inspection of it and then the three of you.

"Not a liar, are you?" Holmar pockets the platinum. "Gertrude! Four of whatever the special is today," he calls, and tosses the coin accurately across the tavern, to one of the waitresses, who catches it and gives the four of you a wave.

"We were hired to cover a retreat at the last moment. Rekkar's forces wandered down to challenge them and lost. From what I hear he underestimated them, or maybe overestimated his forces. We were what they could scratch up and they paid gold out of the nose for it." A pause as meals come for each of you - a great pile of breaded and fried potato chunks, as well as a wedge of white cheese and an apple, as well as dark beer.

"Thanks, Gertrude. No change," he waves her off as her face lights up in a smile. He pauses for a drink before, "I'd say the gorgon's good, but Colke lead it and lead it well. Knows how to lead an army. Chaos trained, too much flexibility and more importantly, smart flexibility. Some of Tempus's followers are Red Knight's in all but name, but he wasn't one of them. Slings a mean flame pillar too, threw those out to nearly break us. We held but barely, and we took some serious losses doing it. Our arrows and spells couldn't touch him."

[Ebiris]

Alicia helps herself to some potato and cheese while listening, chasing it down with the beer. "Fighting over any particular location or just a set piece battle for Rekkar?"

Planes on Rekkar, btw? Take 10 for 71

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia HP: 854+20/854
Active spells: Many moments of prescience (CL 39), extended mind blank (CL 40), extended nondetection (CL 40), greater heroism (CL 37), extended ray deflection (CL 40), epic mage armour (CL 37), sensual blessing (CL 37), greater foresight (CL 39), keen edge (CL 37 on sword), dance of the unicorn (CL 37), extended greater anticipate teleportation (CL 39), repelling shield (CL 39), freedom of movement (CL 37), greater visage of the deity (CL 37), recitation (CL 37)
Defences: AC 108, CMD 118, spell resistance 52, energy immunity (fire and cold), status immunity (polymorph, petrification, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, death effects, disintegration, energy drain, ability damage, ability drain, mind-affecting, and fear), nondetection (DC 55), freedom of movement
Stat buffs/penalties: +4 morale attack/skills/saves, +10 armour AC, +25 competence perception, +7 insight AC/ref, +4 str, +2 dex, +4 con, +2 int, +4 wis, +4 cha, +1 natural armour AC, +9 shield AC, +3 luck AC/attack/saves
Perceptions: Arcane sight, 5 mile tremorsense/blindsight/scent perception +87
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/16/16/12/9/9/14/9/9/8/8/5/6/7/7/3
Duskblade spell slots: 6/23/23/22/11/7/16/4
Moments of prescience left: 4

[Anastasia]

It's...well, it's tavern food, but competent tavern food. You've had far worse over your years. Antenora has some as well and Jessica eats up too.

"Set piece battle," Is the answer, "Really we were at the last minute so our entire participation was fluid. We bought them time and our survivors got out." He reaches up and taps his scarred eye, "Lost an eye to an arrow, had to regrow it. They don't even do much fucking archery, it was a fluke shot when I helped cover the final retreat."

"You're lucky to be alive, or very tough," Jessica observes.

"I'm great at getting better," Holmar states, "But regrowing something takes time and hurts like a bitch. The brain damage was minimal, but the eye took some focus and time."

Antenora's eyes flash the faintest blue. "More than Ysgard's blessings, I see."

The dwarf's jaw sets, "Figured out how to do it myself. Gotta force your body to want more life energy and take it." He swigs back his beer before, "Once I figured out how, it was like training any other muscle. Once I got it in shape, it settled into place. It's our own weakness that stops us from healing faster. A warrior takes weakness and crushes it."

"I've known a few who can do that and learned how," Antenora concurs, "Congratulations, it's the mark of an elite hero."

Rekkar is a warlord in Ysgard. A dime a dozen, but he mostly commands petitioners and a smattering of elves and eladrin, along with war hound special forces. Somewhere in the vast middle of warlords.

[Ebiris]

Well it's Ysgard, even if he had died it's not like it would have stopped him being here to tell the story.

"There's that famous dwarven endurance in action," she raises her alestein to him. "How far out from here was the fight, and how long ago?"

[Anastasia]

"Four days ago, and about 50 miles," Is the answer, "Over in Redrock Chasm, the outskirts before the chasm really starts. They got across the bridges there, but aren't heading this way."

[Ebiris]

"Golems can march hard but they leave a trail," Alicia says, biting into her apple for some sweetness after the meal. Apples of course being a troublesome fruit for her on Ysgard, but it all works out. Perhaps a good omen? "You hear Colke talk at all?"

[Anastasia]

"Just combat," Is the answer, "Good voice, he had no trouble being heard. Too bad he's not commanding real live soldiers, he has the voice for it."

[Ebiris]

"Surprised if he hasn't recruited any by now, but we'll see," Alicia says, finishing off her lunch before she rises. "We're much obliged for your story. Blessings on your next battle."

[Anastasia]

A nod back, respectful.

Once you're out, Jessica merely speaks in your minds. That's good information. It also suggests even more than the gorgon is under his thrall, magically or merely through words.

I didn't expect anything else. A charismatic leader that arises from nothing and quickly takes over is a time honored event. Someone when you meet them, they change your life forever.

Antenora's hooded gaze turns squarely to Alicia at that.

Your point is taken - this is territory we should know. That means if we need to end this, Colke is the target. If we don't, we still know Colke pulls the strings. Just as if Balmuria's heroes had fallen in its early battles, the city would likely have followed.

This still isn't that sort of mission until we have reason to make it that sort of mission. As of now Colke is doing nothing wrong in Ysgard and everything right. Let's not assume too far.

[Ebiris]

Antenora gets an unapologetic smile when directing that look at Alicia.

We've no reason to assume Colke is our enemy, this is just to learn more about 666. I'll take us to bridges over Redrock Chasm and we'll see where to go from there.

And she does just that, teleporting them over.

[Anastasia]

It is a deep chasm, nearly a mile drop before you see a rocky bottom. You stand on a long bridge over it, shaped stone that endures despite being well over a thousand feet long and wide enough for a great beast of war to cross. Several more of those bridges are here. On the far side are perhaps two dozen large stone golems, standing here on guard.