The padlock falls to the ground. The tiger squeezes its way through the back door. It proceeds to ignore the church and calmly walk through the streets of Villaki.

“Good Kitty.”

then to Razz

”I thought for sure it was going to eat you.”

"I guess it's alright if Viktor stretches his legs a bit. We shouldn't let him go too far away though," Kessintra murmurs with slight concern as he starts walking off. Now that the door is open, she leans in to check the wagon for anything useful.

Perception: 21

There's a hidden compartment in the front seat, but it's empty.

Kessintra notes the hidden compartment before closing it and heading to follow Viktor, wanting to make sure he doesn't wander too far or frighten any villagers to death. The Baron's spirit grumbles in clear disapproval, but overall he is less deafening now that Fiona is dead.

(To the DM: can Garrick as an artificer convert the tigers armor to something serviceable for one of the party members? He’d rather the party be protected than a animal lol)

You can, though it'd take a while. You probably couldn't finish it before the attack.

No, something for after

It'd take about a week to reshape the hunk of metal into half plate a humanoid could use. If you spent longer, you might be able to make full plate.

((Nice!))

Razz watches Viktor squeeze his way out and start a completely casual stroll through Vallaki, wings flicking as he processes the sheer audacity of the situation.

"Oh yeah, no big deal, just a massive, armored murder cat going for a leisurely walk. Nothing to see here, folks."

At Garrick’s comment, Razz shoots him a sidelong glance, arms crossing.

"Honestly? Same. I had a solid escape plan, though—it involved a lot of screaming and undignified flying."

His gaze follows Kess as she checks the wagon and finds an empty compartment. He lets out a dramatic sigh.

"Ah yes, nothing like the timeless tradition of finding a secret hiding spot, only to discover it’s already been looted. Classic."

He hovers slightly, rubbing his chin as he watches Garrick eyeing Viktor’s armor.

"So, we’re thinking about making functional tiger fashion into a party upgrade? I respect it. But just in case—should I, like, ask Viktor how attached he is to his stylish murder suit before we start making renovation plans?"

"Yes, and also tell him we need to wait for 'Vistani' near the church. We should probably come up with some command words so you don't need to do the ritual every time."

“Do we have any other preparations to complete before the fight?”

Garrick will make 3 tinkered objects with the sounds of large crowds of people talking.

”maybe if we play these recordings when it starts, it’ll make it sound like we have a lot more people on our side than we actually do “

Razz sighs dramatically, already pulling out the components to start ritual casting Speak with Animals again.

"Right, right—time to negotiate with our very large, very opinionated feline again. Let’s see if I can convince him that strategic patience is a thing."

As he focuses on the spell, he glances at Ada, a smirk playing at his lips.

"So, Ada—any thoughts on when you want to test-drive our murder machine? You wanna take Viktor for a spin now, or are you saving the grand entrance for after the fight?"

He winks, wings giving an idle flick.

"No guarantees he’ll be available for rides later, you know. Could get real busy after the battle."

Ada is absolutely thrilled when Razz reveals that Viktor will let her ride him. She is over the moon when she discovers his armor.

"Look at him!" she says, as if the tiger is a sweet little kitten and not a two ton murder machine.

Viktor starts strolling through the streets of Vallaki without a care in the world. "Oh, maybe I should go bring him back," Ada says. "Maybe he'll let me ride him now."

The paladin catches up with Viktor and tries to motion him back toward the church. She envies Razz's ability to actually speak to Viktor, but hopefully the big cat will understand her gestures.

Animal Handling - NAT 1 lmao

Viktor seems.... irritated as you mount him, but he allows it. He sees you gesture towards the church. He very clearly understands. However, instead of listening, he decides to quicken his pace and start running through the streets, taking Ada with him.

Kessintra gives a small gasp and dashes to catch up to Viktor, hoping to stop him...until another thought crosses her mind. She hops onto his back behind Ada.

“This is why I exclusively stick with animals I’ve built!”

Razz finishes the last incantation of Speak with Animals, exhaling as the magic settles in. He claps his hands together and stretches—only to glance up and find that things have escalated.

Ada, still very much aboard Viktor, is no longer alone. Now Kess is there too, because of course she is.

"Oh. Oh, we’re just doubling down on this decision, huh?"

He watches the tiger continue its unbothered, slightly-too-fast gallop through Vallaki, the two riders doing their best to hang on. Razz sighs, shaking his head as he lifts into the air to follow.

"Alright, so is this a noble steed situation, or did Viktor just upgrade from kidnapping one party member to two?"

He zips alongside them, calling out, wings flicking with amusement.

"Hey Kess, bold move. What’s next, jousting practice? Maybe we round up a whole cavalry unit?"

Then, clearing his throat, he shifts his attention to Viktor.

"Also, Viktor, buddy, pal—once around the square, and then back to the church, if you would be so kind."