Wight in the Feels

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Log Info

  • Title: Wight in the Feels
  • Emitter: Jinks
  • Characters: Paenitia, Braelnoir, Lysos, MAC-B1G
  • Place: Desolation: HECQUIN CONCERN
  • Time: Friday, June 24, 2022, 10:21 PM
  • Summary: A (maybe slightly-less-than) trustworthy oruch matron has a job for a handful of mercenaries! Her children have gone missing, absconding in the night to recover goods they were forced to leave behind when evacuated from their homestead at the edge of the Desolation. The trip through Alexandros is long but the road to the Hecquin Concern is easy enough to follow. A scouting attempt gone awry provokes the ire of a pair of wights that used to be hill giants. The oversized undead appear to be only half of the reanimated force as a ghostly knight and bisected, winged woman join the fray. The wights are quickly dealt with and the ghost's essence scattered. The grisly flying thing retreats after collecting a pair of legs. The group are left with wounds magical, physical, and mental. Scouting through the town in the wake of battle reveals three not-undead. Two dead and a third that's still breathing (barely). Goods and bodies are collected so the group can return to the city.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Braelnoir    5'11"    146 Lb     Human             Female    A tall, pale Acanian woman, branded in silver.
Lysos        5'6"     105 Lb     Human/Tsuran      Female    Dark eyed tsuran girl.
MAC-B1G      6'6"     303 Lb     War Golem         Neuter    Drab gray primarily metal humanoid with cyan-lit optical receptors.
Paenitia     3'0"     34 Lb      Halfling          Female    A Lucht knight, dark skinned in bold feathery finery.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Jinks        13s     3'4"     39 Lb      Gnome             Male      A gnomish fellow in fancy garb and jewelry.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

"Wonderful, hardworking and well-meaning kids. Salt of the earth." The purple-lipped oruch matron had gushed, taking turns between wringing her hands and playing with the over-abundance of cheap, imitation jewelry cluttering her fingers. "Poor dears couldn't stand to see their works left behind. We evacuated, naturally, as any sane person would-- wights, can you imagine?!-- but they just..." And she'd wiggled her fingers as if to indicate something floating away.

"We'd just love to see them returned to us, whole and hearty. Why, we can hardly sleep for our worry." She'd pouted and fluttered her long, curled lashes. Her attitude combined with her stature might've conjured the idea of a retired bar room brawler taking up work as a school marm.

So, that was the job. Missing employees (kids, nominally) foolishly returned to an evacuated town out east a ways.

Surprisingly, leaving Alexandria behind for eastern Alexandros and the edges of the sprawl known as the Desolation has led to an unusual improvement in the weather. The thick, coastal fog turning the whole world grey is a happily abandoned thing... if only you weren't heading towards Heth's invading force.

You're in the high desert now, it's arid and rocky and brown. Somewhere, miles to the south, are steep cliffs and the Inmost Sea far below. It's been a long trip. Then sun is almost down and shadows are long. 

GAME: Paenitia rolls sense motive: (15)+15: 30
GAME: Paenitia rolls knowledge/local: (9)+11: 20

"Okay!" The little Red Knight accepts the mission at face value.

Or seems to.

Once they've made it to the high desert, a place that reminds her of her arid homeland, she's more forthcoming. Paenitia turns her ever-grinning mask towards her comrades and says, "The Matron, she is worried, but there is more to the story. She keeps much hidden in the big bosom. She is not the refugee, she is a local. The kids, they would be too."

"Also," she holds up her gauntlet, a finger extended, "She have the very interesting tattoo. I think she is of the Guild of the Sly. I think they were sent out to loot, and have not returned."

The new landscape has brightened Lysos's mood somewhat. It's always nice to see the open skies and the sun again, even if the aridness and the boring brown colours can be a bit of a downer. She'd had a parasol, too, to offer a bit of shade during the journey. And what almost seemed like an endless supply of water skins, pulled out one after another from one of her pockets. And nearly anything else she needed. A spyglass for spotting? Check. What appears to have been a very clever collapsable chair for break time? Check. What currently seems to be a rather sizeable shawl to ward away the coming night's chill? Check.

They are amazing pockets.

Paenitia's story once they are well away from the city and closer to their goal has her frown. "Well, that wasn't very nice of her. But it's still important that she cares about her kids, right? I just hope they don't try to stab us when we rescue them."

The travel was occasionally accompanied by some mix of soldierly jodies, ranging from stirring war marches to bawdy cadences to make a sailor blush, interlaces with war stories swinging from solemn to braggadocious from the silver haired Korite, even as she'd kept her eyes scanning about them along the way. Now that they're in the wilds, so to speak, she settles into a sort of restrained readiness. There could be a fight soon, after all.

With the little Knight's revelation, Braelnoir looks past the front of a pauldron to regard her with a nods, sober, almost businesslike, "Figgers, ain't much differn't from home. We get a chance, luv, w'see if we cain't get a sketch o'that. Might be a lead worth chasin'."

There is a shrug, and the sun gleams from the pebbled mirror of her shoulder emblem, "Could also be an' old merc tag'r a slaver's mark from younger days."

With a glance toward Lysos, the warrior replies, "They could be'n investment, luvvie. They's trusted ta scout out loot, they got time an trainin' to't. She loses'm, she gotta start all over again."

MAC-B1G does not quantify travel on distance nor chronological investment. Rather, it does, but the values hold no impact beyond alerts for scheduled maintenance cycles. Following the task force briefing, during which it recorded key points such as location and expected quantity, they move again. It is not especially familier with Jodie, flesh-chassis art, nor sly guilds.

Like much of the wilds suffering the blight come, the sounds of things living and lurking off the trails is scant and muted in this part of the Desolation. Oddly, the greatest activity on the trip comes when the group finds a localized manifestation of aetheric instability-- a smaller, far less intense manifestation of the same energies that cause the iconic Everstorm. Small, static-y fluffs of ball lightning cling to a scarred boulder like off-white and pink dandelion fluff. The sound was initially mistaken for cicada calls and persists after the group leaves the odd phenomena in their wake.

A faded and desiccated post, listing to lean against a clump of yellow-brown succulents advises "HECQUIN CONCERN -->" and almost points along the rough road you've been following. 

GAME: Braelnoir rolls perception: (1)+13: 14 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Paenitia rolls perception: (20)+8: 28
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+6: (8)+6: 14 (Ramirez percep)
GAME: Lysos rolls perception: (5)+13: 18
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls perception: (4)+14: 18

"Smoke," The Red Knight says, gesturing with her guantlet, towards easily noticed tendrils of smoke rising in the east, stark against the dusk sky. "Do you smell it?"

'Ruaaah?' Ramirez does not smell anything. No.

"It wafts brackish. I hear also the low, booming grunts." Her mask is always grinning, but it sounds that underneath it she's smiling, "I guess, Giants, having the bolero." 

GAME: Lysos rolls knowledge/geography: (4)+4: 8
GAME: Braelnoir rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (11)+7: 18

Lysos misses a step, and stumbles to a halt. "G-giants?" Her eyes are wide, and she clutches her shawl tighter about her shoulders. "That's not where we need to go, is it? I don't think the Sly Matron would have giants as her kids, would she?"

Paenitia laughs, "Maybe that the piece of the story she keep in her chest. She have the great love for big babies."

MAC-B1G does not smell anything, as it is not equipped with olfactory sensors. It does notice the smoke (after it is pointed to). The announcement from Unit Designate Paenitia causes its faceplate to swivel to her than to the other task force members. Two short buzzes are uttered before it notes, "Little ones. Giants. Descriptors contradictory. Specify."

Braelnoir's lips draw back in a wicked grin, a certain light touching her eyes as a particularly challenging fight becomes a possibility.

There's a sniff, followed by a sobering series of followups, and she shakes her head slightly, "No, wait."

Her eyes narrow a touch, and, after another couple seconds' analysis, "That's a mine.... burning. Special kinda party, there."

She looks amongst her fellows, then, "Can we get us a good set o'eyes on that spot without givin' usselves away?"

Korite means she has to fight once the festivities begin, her training means she wants to know as much of what she's about to charge into as she can manage.

Lysos waggles her fingers, though she's not looking particularly eager to interrupt a bunch of giants throwing a party. "I can veil us. For a time. Make it hard for them to see us. But we won't be able to see each other, either."

MAC-B1G tromps along like a stealthful hunk of metal.

"Ramirez, he have the best eyes, but the better is if all of us go." Paenitia says, twisting around in her saddle to address everyone. "We creep up. Follow Ramirez, he will spread the wings."

"Hide behind him. No one will see you because they are looking at the great white peacock horse. Then no one will see Ramirez, because he hide so well. This plan, she will not fail."

Instructions, dubious instructions at best, given, the little knight and her great bird horse creep closer. He has his wings spread, just like she indicated.

Paenitia also adds an afterthought, "The baby giants, they are smaller than the full size, so they little and big at the same time." Hopefully this isn't as confusing as the dog-pig conunudrum. 

GAME: Braelnoir rolls dexterity+2-2: (6)+3+2+-2: 9
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+14: (16)+14: 30 (Ramirez Stealth)
GAME: Paenitia rolls stealth: (13)+16: 29
GAME: Lysos casts Invisibility. Caster Level: 12 DC: 21
GAME: Lysos rolls stealth: (2)+5: 7
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls stealth: (12)+-5: 7
<OOC> Paenitia says, "Pae 42 (32+10), Ramirez 40 (30+10), Lysos 51 (21+10+20), Brae 29 (3+10+16), MAC-B1G 21 (11+10)"
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+19: (5)+19: 24
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+19: (15)+19: 34
GAME: Lysos rolls knowledge/religion: (13)+4: 17
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls knowledge/religion: (14)+3: 17

The Hecquin Concern was obviously a combination mining concern and waystop. The roughworn road is rocky and dry and splits the aging, weather-beaten and utilitarian buildings to a north and south side. Finding the little settlement isn't hard; getting close enough to make out specifics without being noticed proves to be.

There's a small oasis on the outskirts of town and the fenced entrances to the mine are many. Smoke billows out of the mine entrances and the red-orange glow of fire occasionally peaks through the brackish clouds. A wagon is overturned and crippled and what used to be (probably) a pair of horses are smeared chunks of offal on the street.

At least two of the recent visitors remain behind, groaning and grunting back and forth. Their skin is unusually pale and chunks of it are missing to reveal the rotten workings beneath. Black veins crawl across their massive hides.

As the group progresses behind the beautiful-but-dust-smeared Ramirez, one stops and grunts, turning and standing tall. It raises a finger and roars, spittle and blood spraying out from between its lips and the tattered holes of its cheeks. 

<OOC> Lysos bravely runs away.
<OOC> Jinks says, "Alright!"
<OOC> Lysos says, "I was kidding."
<OOC> Lysos will use reach spell on a scorching ray and hit the 14,15 giant.
GAME: Lysos casts Break Enchantment. Caster Level: 12 DC: 24
GAME: Lysos casts Protection From Energy. Caster Level: 12 DC: 22
<OOC> Lysos says, "oops, was also using quicken to cast shield."
<OOC> Lysos has to cast higher level spells for the metamagic!
GAME: Lysos rolls 1d20+9: (17)+9: 26
GAME: Lysos rolls 1d20+9: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Lysos rolls 1d20+9: (18)+9: 27
GAME: Lysos rolls 4d6+4d6: (14)+(13): 27

Lysos's earlier summoned invisibility breaks as she.. well, it might be a panic cast. It's possible the evil looking, gross and terrifying giant walking dead didn't actually see them. Very likely they didn't see her. Unless the dead can see the invisible. But her nerves crept ever closer to a hair trigger the closer they got to the burning mine. So when the giant roars, she screams, then flings out her hand, "FLAMBO!" sending three beams of solid white light over the distance, two of them burning smoking holes in the closer giant while the third lances into the wall of one of the southern buildings. 

GAME: Braelnoir rolls perception: (8)+13: 21
GAME: Lysos rolls perception: (12)+13: 25
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls perception: (9)+14: 23
GAME: Paenitia rolls perception: (15)+8: 23
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+6: (18)+6: 24 (Ramirez Percep)
<OOC> Braelnoir says, "ok, i'm going to move to 2, 12 and cast shield, then rage"
GAME: Braelnoir casts Shield. Caster Level: 6 DC: 13
GAME: Braelnoir RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 24 temporary HP

"They're hungry, sounds like.... but there's still survivors they're tryin'a wait out." Brae whispers as the group tries to approach. Despite only being a portion of Ramirez's mass, she's also proportionally only so quiet, alas.

And like that, they're made, "Shit!" the Korite snaps as the finger pointing and roaring starts, "Guess we do this ugly. I'ma play speedbump, try'n focus fire I don't like th'look o that rot." <Trade>

She shifts the grip on her scythe, indexing the blade to align with her knuckles and she makes several jerky, almost spastic gestures with her off hand as she moves forward, growling and hissing in an ancient tongue. A disc-like shimmer appears in the air near her before another effect takes her.

With a convulsive shudder she brings her hands together on the scythe and the Korite's skin is peppered with tiny specks of silver that expand to transform her hide into an almost mirrorlike skein, her fingers sprout claws and, visible to the giants at their bearings, something happens to the teeth that inerlock for her feral snarl.

"I'LL SEND YOU TO HELL!" <Jotun> 

GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+13: (12)+13: 25 (Mindy's Attack)

The two slavering undead shamble forward, ground shaking beneath their rotten weight as they pick up speed. Both snarl and swipe with claws of exposed, jagged bones and blackened carapace that used to be hands. Neither manage to make contact with the large, raging warrior but both remain close to loom. They roar again and one has to pause to pull some of its corded guts back inside a stomach wound.

The air is colder around the monstrosities as the Grey Harpist's inescapable due is thwarted for the moment by black magics. Braelnoir can hear them chanting back and forth, 'meat, meat, meat, meat' as they slaver. 

<OOC> MAC-B1G wishes to move to -2,15, activate artifice as standard and activate titan armor as swift.
GAME: MAC-B1G casts Toughen Construct. Caster Level: 10 DC: 14
GAME: MAC-B1G activates its Titan Armor, gaining: +4 Str
<OOC> MAC-B1G effectively cast Barkskin on self for +4 NA.

"Threats detected," the construct informs all of the large, looming and potentially obvious. "Defensive countermeasures engaging..." Along its adamantine chassis, numerous cells glow only to be covered as additional plates telescope and ratchet across its surface, reinforcing structural integrity. 

GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+13: (11)+13: 24 (Mork's Attack)
GAME: Lysos rolls knowledge/religion: (16)+4: 20
GAME: Paenitia rolls knowledge/religion: Trained Use Only: 0
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+11: (3)+11: 14 (Ghost Touch)
GAME: Jinks rolls 3d6: (11): 11
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls will+4: (5)+4+4: 13
<OOC> MAC-B1G wonders of damage type as it has DR 5/Adamantine and Negative Energy Resistance 10
<OOC> Jinks says, "You are cursed! -4 to saves vs. Fear. (which will offset your bonus). It can also suppress immunity to fear."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Where's the negative energy resistance come from?"
<OOC> MAC-B1G says, "Deathless Armor enchantment."

Right through the walls of the buildings strides a knight, ethereal and terrible. The wind that picks up from seemingly nowhere pulls at their form, playing with their shape like a blue candle's flame even as their advance is not halted. They would be magnificent if solid and flesh. In the daylight. Dead at dusk it's a cruel mockery.

It strides ahead, unslinging a rounded shield bearing an elaborate coat of arms and drawing a blade with a crosspiece like the open maw of a dragon. A cloak of dark wisps flaps silently behind it. It swipes, once, and draws the intangible blade through the construct.

The visored helmet cocks to one side when it finds unexpected resistance. 

<OOC> Paenitia says, "swift to challenge Mindy, at 4,14, then charge and PA."
<OOC> Paenitia says, "If they have more than 5' reach, might provoke AOO"
GAME: Lysos rolls knowledge/nobility: (8)+4: 12
<OOC> Paenitia says, ""
GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon3+4-3: (15)+13+4+-3: 29 (+4 spirited charge, -3 PA)
<OOC> Paenitia says, "+6 PA, +10 Cav challenge, x3 for lance mounted in charge if hits, which I hope it hits"
GAME: Paenitia rolls damage3+6+10: aliased to 1d6+2+6+10: (2)+2+6+10: 20
GAME: Paenitia rolls damage3+6+10: aliased to 1d6+2+6+10: (1)+2+6+10: 19
GAME: Paenitia rolls damage3+6+10: aliased to 1d6+2+6+10: (3)+2+6+10: 21 (60 Total)
<OOC> Jinks says, "You explodify her! She comes apart in terrible, rotting goo."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Somehow it ends up all over Lysos."

The sneaking was going so well...

The sudden appearance of the giants didn't give the little lucht pause. It's not their size, it's their stench. She can taste the rotting meat even at this distance. Her mouth dries up, and it's behind a visor.

'Ruaaaah...' Ramirez is uncertain, for sure.

Paenitia adjusts in her saddle, gripping with her thighs, pulling her lance and calling out loudly at the first giant to advance towards them. "I am Sister Paenitia and this is the brave Ramirez! Ignore us at your peril. Gallop!"

They launch forward with a sweep of dusty wings, gliding just above the road. Paenitia brings up her lance, aiming squarely at the corpse's chest. Ramirez touches down for one last bounce to launch his mass, which his little mistress concentrates on the tip of her weapon.

She strikes! The point drives deep! Bones crack, the lance bursts out the back of the giant. It explodes into horrendous chunks. Chunks that land on Ramirez's wings and are immediately flicked off.

Mindy comes apart in terrible rotting goo.

Around Lysos, there is a split, a splut, a swift patter and then a rain of rotting meat as the wingswept corpse ends up all over her. 

<OOC> Lysos will attempt to trip mork with a quickened thunderstomp, and then attempt to hit the ghost with a reach force punch.
GAME: Lysos casts Telekinesis. Caster Level: 12 DC: 24
GAME: Lysos casts Telekinetic Charge. Caster Level: 12 DC: 23
GAME: Lysos rolls 1d20+12+9: (12)+12+9: 33 (CMB Trip)
GAME: Lysos rolls 1d20+9: (8)+9: 17 (Ranged Touch) (miss)
GAME: Lysos spends ONE use of IT WAS MEANT TO BE.
GAME: Lysos rolls 1d20+9: (15)+9: 24 (Hits!)
GAME: Lysos rolls 10d4: (19): 19

"What? Oh no.." Lysos cries out, dismayed, as gore starts raining about her. She tries to dodge, she really does. But she also has to keep her attention on the fight, drawing mana out of the sea on the fly. A burst gets channelled through the earth, erupting beneath the feet of the remaining giant wight, toppling it with a crash, and then she turns, almost like a dance.. almost like a.. kata? Yes, that's right boys and girls! Lysos has been training with a monk! She whirls about, releasing the rest of her pooled energy, and as her feet touch the ground again she thrusts her fist forward, crying, "Forzare!" The air seems to ripple as she punches it.. and the ripple speeds straight at the ghostly knight, impacting and sending it flying backwards.

And then Lysos gets smacked in the face by a piece of flying giant detritus.

It's like a strong wind or a shadow only there's a tangible substance. Something breaks from the shadowed husk of a half-burned building to the north and flies as furious speeds, half-seen, through the air. A chill runs down Braelnoir's spine as the thing passes and the curtains flap on what's likely a stables to the south.

It's only a heartbeat after its gone that the chill is replaced by a sticky warmth; the raging woman is bleeding from her back. 

GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+32: (10)+32+2: 42 (+2 Flanking)
GAME: Braelnoir rolls perception: (20)+13: 33
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+20: (9)+20: 29
GAME: Paenitia rolls perception: (4)+8: 12
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+6: (8)+6: 14 (Ramirez Percep)
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d8+12+2d6: (5)+12+(9): 26
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d2: (1): 1
<OOC> Jinks says, "So a stinky, fly-y blur zoomes from a northern building to a southern building and rakes claws along Brae on the way."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Very good chance it went into the sock-shaped building."
<OOC> Braelnoir says, "5' to 3, 12, power attack(furious focus on the 1st)"
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon1: (8)+21: 29
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 2d4+12+9: (5)+12+9: 26
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon1-8: (15)+21+-8: 28
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 2d4+12+9: (4)+12+9: 25

So heartsomely engaged, Brae's evasions manage to stave off the assault of the fetid giants, her breath hissing in empassioned rasps between her.... fangs?

A jagged maw parts in inarticulate cheer as the Lucht's charge reduces one of the foul behemoths to a geyser of tarry chilli, even whilst Lysos' spellwork spills her remaining dance partner to the ground at her feet.

"KORRRRRRRRRRRR!" is reminded that there are people... formerly, getting their asses kicked before Brae's knuckles pop around the haft of her scythe as she slashes the undead savagely across the midsection. She leans into her leading foot to soak momentum, reindexing her weapon...

It's then that the blurry streak rakes her flesh, trailing blood and tiny gleaming scales in it's wake.

New assailant well out of range, Brae roars wordlessly as she brings her grim blade back through the creature's ribs, raising an arc of chunky, inky ichor that will land who knows where.

She'll get to that zippy bastard in a second. 

<OOC> MAC-B1G will move up to 2,15.
<OOC> Lysos says, "Ready an action in case that fourth one gets near you."

MAC-B1G's faceplate pans to the less-than-fully-corporeal entity... as it is thrust away from it back through the wall(s). Traversal to the larger unliving creature, just before it is relieved of its structural integrity. Its manipulators then raise and scanning resumes. Threats may not be within line of sight, but at least one is still within the immediate vicinity. 

GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+11: (19)+11: 30 (Fall's Attack)
GAME: Jinks rolls 3d6: (11): 11
GAME: Fall damaged Paenitia for 11 points. 86 HP remaining.
GAME: Paenitia rolls will: (8)+6: 14
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4: (19)+14: 33
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4: aliased to 3d6+9: (9)+9: 18
<OOC> Jinks says, "Pae. You get its 1/day special curse."
Jinks pages: Paenitia basically has a Gaes to find the knight's body and give it a proper funeral so it can rest.

Unstoppable, the knight returns, shield readied and sword raised. The construct's fist passes through its shape, scattering it wide only for it to reform a moment later. From within the visor a terrible light flares, catching the lucht's eyes through her own mask even as the creature thrusts.

The blade slides through her defenses, the chill pulling her insides into knots. Then...

Flashes.

A life lost. A hero forgotten.

A corpse desecrated and abandoned amid crushed and scattered plates of armor. A broken sword. A shattered shield. A ruined crest. Sightless sockets stare endlessly into a tainted, black sky as a wicked beast of terror and void roars, passing overhead.

Then Paenitia is returned to the moment, a threat before her.

The Red Knight wheels her Ivory Steed around, seeking new targets, the barely seen blur that left her comrade's back a furrowed, bloody field.

Then the ghostly knight stands in front of her, stabs her, transfixes her, and she understands.

Her lance is put up. Ready, in case fighting resumes, to block with shield and weapons, but for the moment still.

"The apologies, I have not offered my proper name and title. I am Sister Paenitia Snapdragon del Harana, Knight of the Pillar, Paladina of Tarien, Defender of the common folk, bane of tyrants, time tripper and Mad Dog of Isobar. This is the brave Ramirez."

"I will take up the quest, to find your remains and give you the honour burial you deserve. Do not fight me further, this task I cannot do if we join you." 

<OOC> Lysos will ready to cast fire snake the next time she sees the flyer.
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+12: (2)+12: 14 (Fly's attack)
GAME: Lysos rolls perception: (14)+13: 27
GAME: Braelnoir rolls perception: (20)+13: 33
GAME: Paenitia rolls perception: (6)+8: 14
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+6: (17)+6: 23 (Ramirez Percep)
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls perception: (3)+14: 17
GAME: Lysos casts Fire Snake. Caster Level: 12 DC: 24
GAME: Lysos rolls 12d6: (48): 48
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+19: (14)+19: 33
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4: (12)+14: 26 (AOO)
GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon3: (16)+13: 29 (AOO - Miss)
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon1-3: (17)+21+-3: 35 (AOO)
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d100: (7): 7 (< 20% - miss)
<OOC> Jinks says, "My goodness."
<OOC> Jinks says, "On Brae"
<OOC> Paenitia says, "yes we are the forever clutzy derps the dice insist we are"
<OOC> Braelnoir says, "i'll use my reroll"
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d100: (45): 45 (< 20% - hit)
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 2d4+12+9: (5)+12+9: 26 (+3 Keen, counts as Silver and bypasses DR)

Lysos quickly wipes the... grime... from her face, eyes whipping about looking for whatever it was that she thought she saw slash past Braelnoir. There's something... as she waits, she draws power, and small flames start to weave about her hands and wrists... and then there. "Flamblazek," she says, and releases fire.

MAC stands guard at the dark archway into the abandoned stables. A single beat of leathery wings is the only warning before the torso of a nude woman, emaciated and splotchy flies overhead and past. The best of her torso flaps wetly in the winds behind her, and tattered entrails serve as a sort of tangled tail.

She hisses, red-eyes narrowed in hatred, and detours past Braelnoir to draw her claws across the warrior woman's face. She takes a shot from the sword in turn and pulls into a barrel roll, turning with admirable agility and flapping into one of the ruined buildings to hide once more. 

GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+22: (8)+22: 30
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d8+12+2d6: (4)+12+(12): 28
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d2: (2): 2
<OOC> Braelnoir says, "5' to 4, 13, power attack with furious focus"
<OOC> Braelnoir says, "which should set up flank with MAC"
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon1+2: (13)+21+2: 36
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 2d4+12+9: (4)+12+9: 25
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon1+2-8: (6)+21+2+-8: 21
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon1+2-13: (15)+21+2+2-13: 27 (+2 Flanking)

The hateful flap of wings precedes another incoming swipe, and the silver merc whirls, bloodrage stifling the pain of a scale-peeling rake that so nearly threatens her eyes again, and getting a piece of her assailant in the exchange.

With the batty bint sluttering off to reorient for another pass, Braelnoir snarls and steps forward to close a pincer with her allies over the spectral knight, sending her scythe through, trailing some of his plasmic essence behind her stroke. Her followthroughs, however, are less effective for all of her enthusiasm. 

<OOC> MAC-B1G will empower Titan Fists and full attack the knight, "+3 equivalent for the turn, if that matters."
GAME: MAC-B1G spends ONE use of CHARGE POOL.
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (10)+14+2: 26
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (14)+14+2: 30
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (17)+14+2: 33
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4+2: aliased to 3d6+9+2: (5)+9+2: 16
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4+2: aliased to 3d6+9+2: (10)+9+2: 21
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4+2: aliased to 3d6+9+2: (6)+9+2: 17

With the Incorporeal Knight Entity (I.K.E.) halting before its sensors, the assault construct acts swiftly. Swiftly for it, that is. It's pointed, tri-lobed fists are lifted and brought to bear against the mostly immaterial creature in a rapid one-two-three combination of lead, opposing, lead. 

GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+11: (2)+11: 13 (Fall's FA on Pae)
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+6: (8)+6: 14
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+13: (10)+13: 23
GAME: Jinks rolls 3d6: (11): 11
GAME: Jinks rolls 3d6: (12): 12
GAME: Jinks damaged you for 12 points. 74 HP remaining.

The ghastly knight stands its ground, battered from all sides by the mercenary press. It rolls a shoulder and sends the cape of fog between it and MAC-B1G for a moment, feinting towards Braelnoir before pressing into Paenitia.

Darkness flares a twinling blue again as the restless dead considers the mounted damage stabbing, slamming, and slashing with its weapons. 

<OOC> Paenitia says, "full attack Pae & Ramirez on the knight."
<OOC> Paenitia says, "Ramirez has eldrich claws feat which make his NA's count as Magic and Silver, I believe"
GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon3: (20)+13: 33 (THREAT)
GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon3-5: (9)+13+-5: 17
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+9: (20)+9: 29 (Ramirez Beak)
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+9: (17)+9: 26 (Ramirez Claw)
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+9: (20)+9: 29 (Ramirez Claw)
GAME: Paenitia rolls damage3: aliased to 1d6+2: (3)+2: 5
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d6+4: (5)+4: 9
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d6+4: (1)+4: 5

Another cold touch strikes the little knight. The dead one did not heed her appeals. Her voice is firm. "Your spirit is angry. You will be given the proper rest. Now, sleep."

And she stabs, a perfect strike just below the helm, just above the gorget, the lance tip going in beneath the adams apple and emerging between the fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae. It would decapitate a living being. Against a ghost, the effect is less.

Ramirez, likewise, snaps with eerie precision. His beak, his claws flashing as they strike the spirit. He would have pecked out the heart, rended the entrails. Against an incorporeal foe, it's more of a love-note. You would be dead, if you weren't already dead. 

<OOC> Lysos will ready another spell. Telekinesis, if the flyer flies out of the building.
<OOC> Lysos says, "The combat maneuvery version. Going to try to grapple it."
GAME: Lysos casts Telekinesis. Caster Level: 12 DC: 24
GAME: Lysos rolls 1d20+12+9: (17)+12+9: 38 (CMB)

Appearing from the darkness of the broken building, the ruined torso is carrying... legs? Fine skirts flap around a pair of stockinged limbs, dangling from a one-ankle grip. The creature's other arm holds a bundle of clothing as it flaps off into the dark space between the craggy rocks of the high desert.

Lysos finally finds a place to stand that isn't.. squishy. And she keeps her eyes on that... flying.. oh stars, don't think about it too much.

Her eyes stay on the building that the flying thing flew into, ready to cast... and there it is! One hand at her head, the other reaches out, attempting to grab the horrifying thing with magic... but it evades her. 

GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon1+2: (14)+21+2: 37
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 2d4+12+9: (3)+12+9: 24
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon1-8: (1)+21+-8: 14 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon1-13: (17)+21+2-13: 27
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 2d4+12+9: (4)+12+9: 25

Braelnoir ignores the blood seeping from the lines cut through her scales, her teeth gnashed in fury, probably incensed further beyond reason that the spectre so minimally ablates for her attacks.

Without the distraction of the flapper coming in for her piece this time, the Korite is able to land two blows upon the knight, dispersing more and more of his essence, though to her respect and ire in equal measure, the foe yet stands, denied the glory of the Halls. 

GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (19)+14+2: 35
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (6)+14+2: 22
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (5)+14+2: 21
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4+2: (19)+14+2: 35 (ReRoll)
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4: aliased to 3d6+9: (9)+9: 18
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4: aliased to 3d6+9: (11)+9: 20

MAC-B1G maintains its target. With the precise strikes and deft claws on one side, spinning sickles on another, it adds hydraulic reciprocating 'punches' to a third. The less-than-coporeal entity now appears to finally be reduced to not-corporeal at all.

Unseen eyes stay locked on the small Tarienite as the final blow is struck. The wind comes again, pulling through its form and smearing it in the space between the material and ethereal planes. It pulls up and away, turning into a streak of watered-down oil paints against a purple-black sky. North. To the north. It speeds away and fades to nothing.

The Hecquin Concern stills but for the raging fire in the mines.

The Dark Lucht holds the unseen gaze of the ghostly knight as he is pulled by the wind, dissolving into streaks, vanishing in the distance in what will be her new pursuit. She watches, hoping for further insight, which does not immediately come.

Drawn back to the immediate, she looks around, head turning and ever grinning mask facing the flames in the mines. "Ah, it is a small fire. The small woman might piss it out."

She is a small woman. She does not. The mines might burn underground for decades because of this oversight.

"We should check the wagon." She slips her lance into the scabbard, then calls out loudly, "Hola! Children! We are the rescue team send by the Matron. If you hear, now is the time to make the noise." 

GAME: Lysos casts Prestidigitation. Caster Level: 12 DC: 19
GAME: Lysos casts Prestidigitation. Caster Level: 12 DC: 19

Lysos shudders as the ghostly knight drifts and fragments away.. then carefully picks her way out of the gore as she weaves minor incantations to remove the signs of ichor and worse from her clothes and moves towards the others. She takes in the fire, then looks away from it to the wagon. "oh no! I do hope they're okay, and that the dead didn't get to them!"

In the wake of the ghost's dissilution, Braelnoir, breathing hard through her gnashing fangs, looks tither and yon for that last bit of meat that neads rendering.

Which.... seems to have absconded.

The scythe chuffs buttfirst into the sandy street as, with a sigh, the Korite allows her draconic rage to slumber once more, and the silver hide subsumes itself within her sundered human skin, even as her claws shrink back beneath the beds of her flimsier mammalian nails.

A pant...

Ok, three or four pass her lips then, "Yeah.... yeah... check'a wagon."

A cough, and her hand lifts to wipe at the blood streaking her face, "Where'd the flappy skank get to, anyone seen'r?" 

GAME: Paenitia rolls perception: (8)+8: 16
GAME: Lysos rolls perception: (8)+13: 21
GAME: Braelnoir rolls perception: (12)+13: 25
<OOC> Braelnoir says, "another 25"
<OOC> Braelnoir says, "that's getting spooky"

"She fly into the smoke, and I was busy with the lost one." Paenitia shakes her head, "I do not know. She the very unusual undead, to be cut in half and care enough to take the pieces with her."

The little knight shrugs, "there more to that story, who do it, why she stick around. Unless Heth is throwing all the undead he find at Alexandria."

The wagon is as easily searched as it is destroyed and the horse team slaughtered. There are items scattered beneath it; smelted bars of cold iron, a barrel of coke jostled open and spilled, a set of fine cutlery, and a torn painting of a gorgeous, severe, and angry-looking woman in fine clothing. A crate of wine seems to've survived, half-spilled out of loose straw padding. It's probably someone's personal collection based on the dusty and diverse labels.

No corpses, though.

The buildings have some more information. The most-severely damaged one is barely two standing walls around a crater. The battered and blasted remains of a small creature-- likely a gobber-- is twisted in a corner and sagging around a pulped skeleton. Paenitia can identify this as the coke-processing room, where coal biproducts are transformed into a refined fuel.

Lysos smother enough of the fire to explore the caves. She finds a soot-covered arvek-nar, blue-lipped with scratch marks around her neck. She's managed to reatreat away from the fire but run out of air long before rescue could arrive.

Finally, Braelnoir locates a third corpse under a trapdoor in what must've been the foreman's house. Bloodspill takes her from the street inside, and she manages to retrace the path to the loose planks. A human woman, burned and filthy and missing an arm had managed to stumble into the recess and pull it closed over herself. The undead didn't find her before you interrupted their search. 

GAME: Lysos rolls heal: (13)+3: 16
<OOC> Jinks says, "Lysos finds that the woman is alive, though greviously injured."
GAME: Braelnoir rolls heal: (7)+3: 10, "human improve gives me a 2 to use an untrained skill"
GAME: Paenitia rolls heal+5: (19)+15+5: 39, "+5 is 1/2 my cav levels for heal check on not me"

Emerging from the trapdoor after she's searched, Braelnoir, finally seeming to have her breath fully back, barks out with a Sergeant's urgency, "Oi! Gotta live one over here! She's tore up pretty bad, I'on't wanna move'r!"

That said, and signs of impending support incoming, she turns to ready the way for her companions to get to the survivor's position.

Paenitia aids in the search, though she isn't effective at spotting things and doesn't dismount from Ramirez. The torn painting gets her attention, and she studies it for a while, comparing it with the glimpses of the stricken vampire.

"The dead, we should bring back for the burial." No sense leaving resources for an undead army lying around.

"Okay! I am come to help!" The little lucht slides off her peacock-andalusian and follows Braelnoir's direction, rushing to the woman with her healer's kit. She is skilled, cleaning up the amputation and bandaging it, stabilizing the woman. She keeps up a running monologue as she works, more to try and capture the woman's attention than anything else. "Soon, you will be in Alexandria." 

GAME: Lysos casts Aqueous Orb. Caster Level: 12 DC: 22
GAME: Lysos casts Hydraulic Torrent. Caster Level: 12 DC: 22
GAME: Lysos casts Hydraulic Torrent. Caster Level: 12 DC: 22
GAME: Lysos casts Floating Disk. Caster Level: 12 DC: 20

People might wish to return... and despite that lingering fear of more undead returning and finishing what the first group started, Lysos doesn't want to leave the fire burning if she can help it. Because people might wish to return. So she sets her magic to dousing as much of the flames as she can... and in the course of which she discovers the body. Maybe it was one of the Sly Matron's kids. Maybe it was another fortune seeker. Either way, she struggles and grunts and lifts and manages to get the body onto her summoned disk of force. It trails behind her when she finally emerges from the cave, filthy once again though this time from soot and smoke. "We can put the other one with this one," she tells the others, gesturing to the body behind her.

Silently offering to be an extra pair of hands where needed, Brae stands by as Paenitia sorts out the survivor's injuries.

She sighs as it seems the little Knight has things under control, then, "Good on ya, luv. Betcha'da made a damn fine sawbones."

Once it's determined that the woman is out of immediate danger from her wounds, the Korite carefully scoops her up to carry to a safer point.

Dipped to a knee as she sets the wounded woman down, she regards Lysos as she returns with her own grim discovery, "There's probly gonna be more'n a few bodies out here, luv..." she begins, her tone less boisterous and more concerned as she wonders, "You gonna be alright t'keep diggin... or ya wanna keep a lookout?"

She's been forced too hard and too long to be comfortable around violence and it's aftermath to get squeamish about the state of the dead.

Doesn't mean she can't look to her companions who may be, blessedly less overtrained.

It promises to be a long, grim night...

Two corpses and one survivor to take back to Alexandria. Was this everyone? Perhaps the cagey matron should've been more descriptive when issuing her mission.

The worst of the flames are out at the topmost level of the mine but brackish smoke still billows out steadily from the system's various openings. The buildings scattered around the ghost town might be well beyond repair.

You stay through the hour, searching the various structures and hoping to find more survivors but none manifest. There might be others deeper in the mines but after the fate of the hobgoblin it's doubtful anyone else survived.

A low rumble brings you out into the streets well after the sun has well and truly set. Ghost lights and will o' wisps begin to dance on the horizon. The idea of the flying creature returning with reinforcements is an unsettling one.

You're done with the Hecquin Concern.

It's time to head home.

Ghoulish cp line.png

Combatty

 ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     26   Lysos            1  
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  >> 22   Fly              1   <<
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     22   Braelnoir        1  
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     18   Mindy               
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     17   MAC-B1G          1  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     10   Mork                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     6    Fall                
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     4    Paenitia         1  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================

Map
https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=mixjx2okjjj

Lysos pages: By the way, I loved the pose for Pae's stealth plan. Wish I'd properly responded to it.

The curse
Once per day, a the monster can curse a good-aligned cleric, paladin, or warpriest within 30 feet whose deity is opposed to the creation of undead to locate the fallen's remains and perform a funeral for it. The target must succeed at a DC 19 Will save or take a -2 penalty to each of its ability scores. Each day, the target can attempt a new saving throw; success keeps the target from accruing an additional -2 penalty to each of its ability scores. No ability score can be reduced below 1 by this effect. The ability score penalties are removed immediately upon completing funeral rites for the fallen. The target does not need to complete the rites personally, but it is responsible for seeing that they're carried out. The save DC is Charisma-based."

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