"Your People?...." Dusty begins, winding up, as the group can likely tell at this point, for a long speech "your people have stated what they want and it has fallen on the deaf ears of a cowardly ruler, a scared ***** who only knows how to control others by making them scared too. The so called 'peace' was broken in this town long before we arrived, you saw to that with your threats and oppression, the tools used by those who cannot handle diplomacy, so paint me surprised that you want to fight your way out of this even when provided with the chance to talk. 'Your people....' pathetic man. Each one of 'your people' that we have spoken to would rather slip a knife between your ribs than have a drink with you, NO MATTER how many names and titles you think you have!, You want to see how much these people are 'yours' why not walk out amongst them and see how long you last? see how loyal an abused population truly is? huh? In fact..."
Dusty looks back and forth between the party members present, weighing up his options and trying to guess the likely intentions of each person"we won't kill you, or... at least I won't, I think we should put my theory to the test, If you believe in 'your people' so much then let them have their day with you, let them decide your fate, If you die or are cast out into the sands, then they were never yours and your failure will be a smudge long forgotten in the history books and your family here walks free to begin anew."Dusty's demeanour changes at this point, his voice lowers, he becomes less confidently sarcastic and more serious as his face becomes grave, No insight is needed to know that the next words out of his mouth are the truth as close to what Dusty himself believes"BUT If you choose to fight us on this, and you deny your people their due right to try you for your crimes, then we will kill you and yours, your precious bloodline ends here with no chance for your kin to make up for your shortcomings in the eyes of the people for the future. Your head will sit at the gates as a reminder to the world that your god is dead and that you failed your people in pursuit of a fantasy, Do You Understand!?
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(Okay, after rereading the post as well as the Phantom rogue's abilities, I think I understand what Hugeo was trying to do.)
As the mayor approaches, dusty gets a good look at his face. It is flushed, his eyes bloodshot, staring, glassy. He stumbles forward, and it's clear that Dusty's words barely register with him anymore. He can probably hear nothing more than the pounding of blood in his ears. Then, quick as a bullet, Hugeo's dagger whips out, the spring mechanism of his mechanical hand firing it with deadly precision. The blade lodges itself in the young orc's outstretched hand, who was too slow to react to the mayor's movements. He cries out, and at the same moment, a deep red spreads across the mayor's front. His already deep wound deepens, widens, and his eyes widen as well as his legs fail him. A few feet away from Hugeo, the mayor collapses, the glass dagger slipping from his grasp. His mouth opens and closes like a fish, and then stills.
The young orc, witnessing the fall of the mayor, feeling the daggers splitting his hand, cries out louder. It's a terrible, gut-wrenching thing. A howl of misery. And then... the sweet, pungent aroma of ozone fills the air. The young orc's hair raises, stands on end, as coils of electricity begin arcing up his body. His eyes burn with an electric blue. Then, all at once, the arcing electricity runs down his arm, to his fingertips, and explodes out in a wave of lightning, scorching the walls, the floor, the mayor's prone body, and the entire party.
Everyone must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a fail, you take a bunch of lightning damage, half on a success. Dusty: 39 Hugeo: 35 Isoldus: 29 and his save: 12 Winchester: 42 (I think that's everyone currently here, since I think our new recruits have not followed the rest of the party up. Speaking of which, Marikell, Thardoran, if you want to be doing other things or asking me questions at this time, feel free to.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
((Ouch that's a lot of damage!))
Thardoran is monitoring things from outside via Cathy. I'm assuming that burst of electricity was visible/audible to them, in which case he's going to curse under his breath, send her towards the rail depot to check and see if Isaac has left, and start hoofing it towards the manor. He's currently 80 ft away, so can only get to 20ft from the entrance this turn with a dash.
Initiative: 14
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(Would it be possible to use Bite the Bullet in this case? "As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend one risk die to gain temporary hit points equal the number rolled on the die + your Constitution modifier." If so ill do it and see what happens, if not thats fine as well.)
Hugeo falls, a twisting, crackling snake of lightning striking him dead in the chest, singing away his shirt, charring his metal skin. Dusty manages to dodge the majority of the bolts, but he is not free from injury. Isoldus also manages to lift his shield in time, but his scales are blackened in many places. Winchester... well, Winchester is nowhere to be seen. The black, vaguely humanoid lump on the ground certainly shares his proportions, but there's no way that could be him. There's no way that could be his gun, lying among the ashes. There's no way that could be his hat, lying impossibly unscathed on top of the pile. Whatever that thing is, it's not Winchester. Not anymore. It may have once housed the thing that called itself Winchester, but that thing is somewhere else now. That thing is riding on the back of a celestial steed, spiraling up to Valhalla.
See you, Waste Cowboy...
But there is no time to think of such things, not now. Because right now, the party is half-dead, standing in a blackened room opposite a sobbing orcish sorcerer, his sleeve blasted away, a branching Lichtenberg scar newly carved into it. The older orcish woman is cowering in the back, from both the party and the young orc. The mayor is unrecognizable, just a heap of charred flesh, lying on the ground. It doesn't take a doctor to determine that he is dead. Winchester has departed.
"I think it is time we make a strategic retreat," rumbles Isoldus, as he limps back to Hugeo's prostrate form, laying his clawed hand on the ex-pirate's blackened chest, pumping what divine energy is left in him out into it. (15 pts. lay on hands)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
A vulture swoops up and lands in front of Isoldus, wings spread wide as it gives a hissing sound.
((Skip to 0:20))
It hops away from him, leading towards the front door. When they come within view of the entrance, they see the desiccated looking dwarf standing there, gesturing for them to hurry.
As they leave Dusty spits on the ground Infront of the younger orc, "this is what false gods have wrought, he made this happen, take a look at what following in those footsteps will bring.... " He points his rapier toward the charred remains of the mayor, Dusty's ill fitting suit still smoking from the patches burnt all over it, when he lowers his blade once more, he lets out a long angry sigh then hobbles out.
Whenever the party gets close to the entrance, the wizened dwarf speaks up in a rasp.
"Pleasantries can wait, you got any more business in town? I can keep Isaac away for a while, but he will be returning eventually... it'd go over poorly if we were still here when he does. Hopefully he doesn't take any of it out on Miss Red."
The vulture gives a hiss, and the dwarf looks at her and nods. She takes an ungainly hop or three down the street, beating her long wings before taking to the air, circling up, and heading in the direction of the depot.
((Having Cathy check on Isaac's progress, eg, has he taken Miss Red's train yet, or is he yet to leave? If her train is gone, circling up to spot the train and how far away it is before returning to him to report.))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Dusty nods to the dwarf and heads out back toward the train station, if he can he'd like to pop his head into the tavern and yell inside to no one in particular "lightning from the skies, the mayor has been slain by his own kin, spread the word!"In an attempt to get the town's people, rumour mill churning, he does this in several public areas on the way to the station as long as the diversion only takes a few seconds and doesn't desperate him from the group.
Dusty doesn't get much of a chance to gauge the reactions of the people in the inn, but the woman behind the bar certainly jumps, though in surprise, joy, or horror he can't quite tell. Meanwhile, as Cathy flies, Thardoran is greeted with a very concerning sight. Isaac is not, in fact, at the Railport. Instead, he is staggering up from it, trailing blood, his artificial arm mangled, and behind him... there is a creature, stalking him. It is a sandmount, or at least resembles one in shape. However, it is almost twice the proper size, and while most of the pangolin-like creatures are rather docile, though still capable of defending themselves, a primal rage burns in the eyes of this creature. Additionally, perhaps most unusually, its scales and skin are both a pale, ghostly white. They do not shine, but instead absorb the sky's light, letting it pass over them unhindered. The creature's mouth is bloodied, and the rest of it is spattered with red. It is unclear if the blood comes from it, or from Isaac, its prey. Looking back at Miss Red's train, the door to the one car it has is ajar, and the entrance somewhat warped, as if something large had forced its way out.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Dusty feels alive as he runs, not stopping for many seconds in each door before returning, his need to escape heavily out weighing his need for gratitude.
"Where to!? Do we head to the train with Markus and Irene?"
"I don't know who they are, but it seems Miss Red is a woman of exceeding resourcefulness!", the wizened dwarf crows with a chuckle as his eyes roll grittily back into place and he blinks the jaundiced orbs.
"In breaching her train, Isaac seems to have offended her guard dog! A white sandmount has gotten the best of him for the moment, are this Markus and Irene on your train?"
If so, and if Cathy can spot a route for them to get the train in the railport that avoids the angered sandmount, the dwarf will take point in leading them the long way around to the railport.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
(Sorry, are you aiming at the young orc, or the mayor?)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
"Your People?...." Dusty begins, winding up, as the group can likely tell at this point, for a long speech "your people have stated what they want and it has fallen on the deaf ears of a cowardly ruler, a scared ***** who only knows how to control others by making them scared too. The so called 'peace' was broken in this town long before we arrived, you saw to that with your threats and oppression, the tools used by those who cannot handle diplomacy, so paint me surprised that you want to fight your way out of this even when provided with the chance to talk. 'Your people....' pathetic man. Each one of 'your people' that we have spoken to would rather slip a knife between your ribs than have a drink with you, NO MATTER how many names and titles you think you have!, You want to see how much these people are 'yours' why not walk out amongst them and see how long you last? see how loyal an abused population truly is? huh? In fact..."
Dusty looks back and forth between the party members present, weighing up his options and trying to guess the likely intentions of each person "we won't kill you, or... at least I won't, I think we should put my theory to the test, If you believe in 'your people' so much then let them have their day with you, let them decide your fate, If you die or are cast out into the sands, then they were never yours and your failure will be a smudge long forgotten in the history books and your family here walks free to begin anew." Dusty's demeanour changes at this point, his voice lowers, he becomes less confidently sarcastic and more serious as his face becomes grave, No insight is needed to know that the next words out of his mouth are the truth as close to what Dusty himself believes "BUT If you choose to fight us on this, and you deny your people their due right to try you for your crimes, then we will kill you and yours, your precious bloodline ends here with no chance for your kin to make up for your shortcomings in the eyes of the people for the future. Your head will sit at the gates as a reminder to the world that your god is dead and that you failed your people in pursuit of a fantasy, Do You Understand!?
(Okay, after rereading the post as well as the Phantom rogue's abilities, I think I understand what Hugeo was trying to do.)
As the mayor approaches, dusty gets a good look at his face. It is flushed, his eyes bloodshot, staring, glassy. He stumbles forward, and it's clear that Dusty's words barely register with him anymore. He can probably hear nothing more than the pounding of blood in his ears. Then, quick as a bullet, Hugeo's dagger whips out, the spring mechanism of his mechanical hand firing it with deadly precision. The blade lodges itself in the young orc's outstretched hand, who was too slow to react to the mayor's movements. He cries out, and at the same moment, a deep red spreads across the mayor's front. His already deep wound deepens, widens, and his eyes widen as well as his legs fail him. A few feet away from Hugeo, the mayor collapses, the glass dagger slipping from his grasp. His mouth opens and closes like a fish, and then stills.
The young orc, witnessing the fall of the mayor, feeling the daggers splitting his hand, cries out louder. It's a terrible, gut-wrenching thing. A howl of misery. And then... the sweet, pungent aroma of ozone fills the air. The young orc's hair raises, stands on end, as coils of electricity begin arcing up his body. His eyes burn with an electric blue. Then, all at once, the arcing electricity runs down his arm, to his fingertips, and explodes out in a wave of lightning, scorching the walls, the floor, the mayor's prone body, and the entire party.
Everyone must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a fail, you take a bunch of lightning damage, half on a success.
Dusty: 39
Hugeo: 35
Isoldus: 29 and his save: 12
Winchester: 42
(I think that's everyone currently here, since I think our new recruits have not followed the rest of the party up. Speaking of which, Marikell, Thardoran, if you want to be doing other things or asking me questions at this time, feel free to.)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Dusty.
Dex save 19
Initiative 5
((Ouch that's a lot of damage!))
Thardoran is monitoring things from outside via Cathy. I'm assuming that burst of electricity was visible/audible to them, in which case he's going to curse under his breath, send her towards the rail depot to check and see if Isaac has left, and start hoofing it towards the manor. He's currently 80 ft away, so can only get to 20ft from the entrance this turn with a dash.
Initiative: 14
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
(Still waiting for Winchester's save)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
(Would it be possible to use Bite the Bullet in this case? "As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend one risk die to gain temporary hit points equal the number rolled on the die + your Constitution modifier." If so ill do it and see what happens, if not thats fine as well.)
Bite the Bullet: 10
Dex save: 24
Hugeo falls, a twisting, crackling snake of lightning striking him dead in the chest, singing away his shirt, charring his metal skin. Dusty manages to dodge the majority of the bolts, but he is not free from injury. Isoldus also manages to lift his shield in time, but his scales are blackened in many places. Winchester... well, Winchester is nowhere to be seen. The black, vaguely humanoid lump on the ground certainly shares his proportions, but there's no way that could be him. There's no way that could be his gun, lying among the ashes. There's no way that could be his hat, lying impossibly unscathed on top of the pile. Whatever that thing is, it's not Winchester. Not anymore. It may have once housed the thing that called itself Winchester, but that thing is somewhere else now. That thing is riding on the back of a celestial steed, spiraling up to Valhalla.
See you, Waste Cowboy...
But there is no time to think of such things, not now. Because right now, the party is half-dead, standing in a blackened room opposite a sobbing orcish sorcerer, his sleeve blasted away, a branching Lichtenberg scar newly carved into it. The older orcish woman is cowering in the back, from both the party and the young orc. The mayor is unrecognizable, just a heap of charred flesh, lying on the ground. It doesn't take a doctor to determine that he is dead. Winchester has departed.
"I think it is time we make a strategic retreat," rumbles Isoldus, as he limps back to Hugeo's prostrate form, laying his clawed hand on the ex-pirate's blackened chest, pumping what divine energy is left in him out into it. (15 pts. lay on hands)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
A vulture swoops up and lands in front of Isoldus, wings spread wide as it gives a hissing sound.
((Skip to 0:20))
It hops away from him, leading towards the front door. When they come within view of the entrance, they see the desiccated looking dwarf standing there, gesturing for them to hurry.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
As they leave Dusty spits on the ground Infront of the younger orc, "this is what false gods have wrought, he made this happen, take a look at what following in those footsteps will bring.... " He points his rapier toward the charred remains of the mayor, Dusty's ill fitting suit still smoking from the patches burnt all over it, when he lowers his blade once more, he lets out a long angry sigh then hobbles out.
(Where is the party headed now? You get the distinct feeling that you may not be entirely welcome in this town in a little bit.)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Whenever the party gets close to the entrance, the wizened dwarf speaks up in a rasp.
"Pleasantries can wait, you got any more business in town? I can keep Isaac away for a while, but he will be returning eventually... it'd go over poorly if we were still here when he does. Hopefully he doesn't take any of it out on Miss Red."
The vulture gives a hiss, and the dwarf looks at her and nods. She takes an ungainly hop or three down the street, beating her long wings before taking to the air, circling up, and heading in the direction of the depot.
((Having Cathy check on Isaac's progress, eg, has he taken Miss Red's train yet, or is he yet to leave? If her train is gone, circling up to spot the train and how far away it is before returning to him to report.))
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Dusty nods to the dwarf and heads out back toward the train station, if he can he'd like to pop his head into the tavern and yell inside to no one in particular "lightning from the skies, the mayor has been slain by his own kin, spread the word!" In an attempt to get the town's people, rumour mill churning, he does this in several public areas on the way to the station as long as the diversion only takes a few seconds and doesn't desperate him from the group.
(Dusty, make the charisma check you deem appropriate)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Going with persuasion, as technically he hasn't lied, 28
Dusty doesn't get much of a chance to gauge the reactions of the people in the inn, but the woman behind the bar certainly jumps, though in surprise, joy, or horror he can't quite tell. Meanwhile, as Cathy flies, Thardoran is greeted with a very concerning sight. Isaac is not, in fact, at the Railport. Instead, he is staggering up from it, trailing blood, his artificial arm mangled, and behind him... there is a creature, stalking him. It is a sandmount, or at least resembles one in shape. However, it is almost twice the proper size, and while most of the pangolin-like creatures are rather docile, though still capable of defending themselves, a primal rage burns in the eyes of this creature. Additionally, perhaps most unusually, its scales and skin are both a pale, ghostly white. They do not shine, but instead absorb the sky's light, letting it pass over them unhindered. The creature's mouth is bloodied, and the rest of it is spattered with red. It is unclear if the blood comes from it, or from Isaac, its prey. Looking back at Miss Red's train, the door to the one car it has is ajar, and the entrance somewhat warped, as if something large had forced its way out.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Dusty feels alive as he runs, not stopping for many seconds in each door before returning, his need to escape heavily out weighing his need for gratitude.
"Where to!? Do we head to the train with Markus and Irene?"
"I don't know who they are, but it seems Miss Red is a woman of exceeding resourcefulness!", the wizened dwarf crows with a chuckle as his eyes roll grittily back into place and he blinks the jaundiced orbs.
"In breaching her train, Isaac seems to have offended her guard dog! A white sandmount has gotten the best of him for the moment, are this Markus and Irene on your train?"
If so, and if Cathy can spot a route for them to get the train in the railport that avoids the angered sandmount, the dwarf will take point in leading them the long way around to the railport.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
"they should be, I don't know who you are but the help is much appreciated!" Dusty shouts over the commotion of current escape.
"Yes, yes, there'll be time for that later! Move quickly now!"
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock