Arc 3 - Glimmers in the Dark (Main Roleplay)

[Psychofish]

The sound of metal on bone- and then the mage fell over.

"KUORI!"

It was halfway between a snarl and simple shock. The words in her defense simply made him frown- much as he agreed that he would rather simply begin with the ritual for the injured woman, well-

She flew across the floor, sliding over by his feet. The words from the woman to the medic at the sight only made him ground his teeth, though he'd not have believed it a few moments prior to this display. Jaw tight, Illikan stared down at her as the soldier's sidled up, looking coldly down at her, hand sitting on his hammer. Slowly, the air around him became crisp- not enough to sting, but just notably colder than the rest of the room, the sense of something larger watching sinking into each of the soldier's as primal power pulsed out of the man like the echo of a heartbeat- and then that cold sense would sink into Kuori as well.

[Mark all adjacent targets.]

"Alabaster," he spoke, looking up from the goliath to the mage. "We are still surrounded by the wounded and their caretakers. I'd ask that we not escalate things to violence inside this room. I won't stand by and let a brawl endanger them. Kuori-" he turned his head back down, frowning in thought for a moment, before coming to a conclusion he seemed to find a touch distasteful. He raised his shield slightly, taking his hand away from his hammer.

"I suggest you go peacefully. You won't like what happens if you make me pick a side."

If he was lucky, she'd surrender, the others would let it be, and they could take care of the ritual and then he could speak to the general about his guide. Or at least she could go outside peacefully before fighting it so he could choose to not get involved and aid the ritual instead. If anyone tried trading further blows in here, he suspected no one would like him shortly.

[Total Defense: +2 all defenses until start of next turn.]  

[Kowsauni]

Hospitality Revoked

The yellow lines are doors. The beds are difficult terrain to walk over. The chairs outside are difficult terrain and the tables outside take a 5 athletics check to climb on top of. H's are healers, IS's are injured soldiers, F is Faeleen.C is the ritual clerk. S's are regular soldiers working outside. I is Irene. Map info to be updated as needed.

Initiative Order
Alabaster:
Ilikan HP:60/75, +2 Defenses
Elite Soldiers: S3 and S5 marked by Ilikan
Revenge HP:64/65,
Ruin HP: 50/59,
Valac: HP: 69/69,
Kuori HP: 39/54, prone, marked by Ilikan
Irene:
Everyone else:

The soldiers next to Kuori look at Ilikan. He can see in their eyes they really don't want to fight him but they remain committed to carrying out their orders. They shout at Kouri. "Relinquish your weapons and you will be escorted to a holding cell! Resist and you will be taken by force!" They do not attack but look ready to do so if she doesn't obey their commands.

The rest of the soldiers fan out, with two of them moving up to Ruin and one moving up to Valac. There mauls are held at the ready and they look ready to react to any further aggressive action taken.

(Revenge up!)  

[Rain Yupa]

64/65 hit points

"Oh, come on."

With the reference to 'her' following the crash (which he would have otherwise failed to notice if not for the loud auditory cue to get his attention), he'd be able to answer Irene's question. "Kuori."

He'd look upward toward the sky. "If I said today had been going so well, that'd be a gross overstatement."

MOVE ACTION

With a sigh, Revenge would turn and approach the door.

MINOR ACTION

Revenge would open the door. Quick stock of situation.

MOVE ACTION

Revenge moves to become the cold cut meat in a Valac/Ilikan sandwich.

show spoilerhide spoiler

Space Q16 if Kowsauni needs it explained.

"No, no. Just... just stop. There's a misunderstanding that you need clarified first," the paladin would say to the mage and soldiers.

To not force too much free action speech in a round, the player will continue next round, unless the DM wishes for Revenge to continue. But his player is fine waiting a round, in case other players were gung-ho about any ideas of their own.  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

Ruin would get a slight laugh, at the large men approached to deter the 5 nothing short tiefling from taking any action. "Oh, goody. I have an audience." He joked before he lightly sang the dwarven song, he heard Kuori sing earlier. As a hidden nod to Kuori, he would back her next actions.

(He doesn't know Dwarven, so I don't see him pronouncing the words right.

Delayed Action, until after Albaster and before Illikan)  

[Mongooseh]

Watching the soldier walk up to him Valac begun sizing him up and didn't like their attempt to try and intimidate him.

As the soldier approached Valac's grin gained a snarling quality to it as he leaned in to get in the soldier's face and spoke through gritted teeth, "Go on... Give me an excuse..."

<20 intim just to make S1 a bit nervous.>  

[PupSage]

Kuori stands, takes a brief look to Illikan, then looks to the clerk at the ritual counter, "Clean your ears out lady, and maybe brush up on your religious symbols. I serve Kuliak, the God of Death and Exiles to the goliath people. I tried to purchase a service from you and instead you told me to stop a girl from getting possessed I simply pointed out that killing her would have the same results, a decision might I add, That these soldiers seem to support seeing as every minute wasted is killing that girl." She locks eyes with the soldier on her left, "Which innocent girl is dying today by your hand? You can fight me, and hell, if you all gang up on me you may even kill me, but my friends and I will likely bring a few with us to our collective graves, and with all of the injured soldiers in here there will likely be collateral damage. By the time that is all said and done the devil will be in control and kill more people before you eventually whittle down its vessel enough that it abandons her and she dies." She lets the air hang silent for a moment. "Or we work together, your boss sets his ego aside, we save the girl, that lady gives me the stuff I was going to buy anyways and I give you boys a nice shiny platinum afterwards to go report to the general about all the time Alabaster has wasted and the lives potentially lost because of it." She grabs the spear nearest to her, "Put it down, save some lives."

[Disarming is a thing right?

ugh, so are nat 1s]  

[Kowsauni]

Hospitality Revoked

The yellow lines are doors. The beds are difficult terrain to walk over. The chairs outside are difficult terrain and the tables outside take a 5 athletics check to climb on top of. H's are healers, IS's are injured soldiers, F is Faeleen.C is the ritual clerk. S's are regular soldiers working outside. I is Irene. Map info to be updated as needed.

Initiative Order
Alabaster:
Ruin HP: 50/59, +6 THP
Ilikan HP:60/75, +2 Defenses
Elite Soldiers S1, S2, S4 :
Revenge HP:42/65,
Valac: HP: 69/69,
Elite Soldiers S3 & S5: S3 and S5 marked by Ilikan
Kuori HP: 21/54, prone, marked by Ilikan, Bloodied
Irene:
Everyone else:

Valac can see by the hardened look in the eye of the soldier in front of him he is not intimidated. Given the nature of the war they just fought he feels the soldier has probably faced off against creatures even worse then himself!

As Kuori gave her speech one injured soldiers in a bed next to her would roll his eyes and shout. "You are so full of crap! I've been here listening the entire time. If you really cared about helping Faeleen you would have done so when initially asked. Face the consequences for your action and get out of or hospital!"

As Kouri disobeys the orders to disarm and tries to reach for one of the soldiers weapons, their readied actions trigger. S3 swings his maul around with tremendous force to strike Kuori but instead strikes Revenge Square in the chest as he dodges in the way. (22 damage). Revenge is sent flying through the air, landing prone in the courtyard. S5 then brings his maul down upon Kuori (18 damage), sending her flying out the door as well.

The two soldiers in front of Ruin eye him as he cast's his spell siphoning the life force of his comrades. However, they do not attack him.

As the two adventures fly out of the healing Irene jumps up from her seat in surprise and exclaims "Holy Crap!"

The soldiers siting at the table with Irene Jump to the feat they move forward but look unsure how to react. One of the other soldiers outside runs off to presumably get help while the rest move closer to the sounds of battle.

Back in the ward, the healers next to Faeleen carefully pick up her body and begin to move her towards a door in the back. The other healers begin to move other Injured soldiers towards the exit while some of the injured soldiers get up and move themselves. A couple of them even get up and look ready to assist their fellow soldiers in the fight.

Alabaster moves over closer to the door and shouts to the soldiers outside. "Take her to the Brig!" S3 and S5 slide two squares at Alabaster's command.

Alabaster turns his attention back to the adventurers in the ward. "Anyone else wants to go? Otherwise, please leave. We have a devil to exorcise and a life to save. Your assistance is no longer needed or desired. I trust you now about as far as I can throw you." Alabaster thinks about his comment for a moment. "Actually, I trust you much less then that. Ilikan, maybe you can escort them out of here and make sure they cause no further trouble."

Alabaster looks ready to respond to any further aggression.

((Ilikan can take his triggered actions against the marked soldiers if he desires but understands there will be consequences for attacking his fellow comrades in arms.))

((Ruin up!))  

[Rain Yupa]

IMMEDIATE INTERRUPT

Quote:

Martyr's Blessing

Divine
Immediate Interrupt
Close Burst 1
Trigger: An adjacent ally is hit by a melee or a ranged attack.
Effect: You are hit by the attack instead.

When the first soldier attempts to strike Kuori, Revenge would thrust himself in the way of the attack, arms spread out as he calls out "NO-", before the maul would impact him instead.  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

Life Siphon
Encounter ✦ arcane, healing
Immediate Reaction Personal
Trigger: An ally within 10 squares of you takes damage
Effect: You gain a +2 power bonus to one attack roll before the end of your next turn.
Infernal Pact: You gain (6) temporary hit points equal to twice your Constitution modifier.

Ruin would snack on the essance of Revenge's pain, following the paladin's heroic sacrifical dive.  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

“STOP!” Ruin would shout, “Everyone needs to calm down!”

Taking a step onto Faeleen bed, the short one would hold his hands up. “An hour ago, I was inside a Purple Worm. And 15 minutes before that saving a noblewoman and her people from Crawlers. And we still get to look forward to battling the Drow army and what crawls below our feet. Everyone on my team is tired, scared, battle-crazed, or so ******** up he can’t remember why he sold his soul.” He would point at himself for the last statement. Looking over at the Ritual girl, “I am sorry for that, but you really shouldn’t judge all adventurers with the same brush stroke. Some are out just for themselves and will hurt you for that belief. That was how I lost my parents and sister. That said, I believe the barter was Kuori’s way of trying to distance herself from Faeleen and the whole affair. She just wants to hear her older brother speak to her and was so willing to pay a coin for it, instead of making any other kind of deal for it. I am sure you can relate, with your need to hear Faeleen. Speaking of which, was it you who put the rest in peace ritual on the male goliath in the battlegrounds? If so, thank you." With a sigh, he would continue. "Admittedly, I am still lost on why the mind juju ritual is needed. And why someone would go for a random smo. When they have a better option nearby. But that is a moot point now."

Turning to the mage, “Kuori hit you, you hit her back, thrice. If you want to press the issue, which is your right. But Let me take her place. She is a central part of an mission General Valmet is backing, I am not. Take me, instead, and I will pay her price. And can Valac go in with you? He has done nothing wrong and only seeks the glory of facing strong opposition. Do this this and I nearly promise you he will settle down."

(Can I use the Diplomacy 23 I rolled earlier?)

Edited: Added Valac clause, because I am still on Team-Adventurer. xd  

[Psychofish]

"He is correct," Illikan would confirm Ruin's statement evenly, nodding to Alabaster. "She is the only fit guide to Lightlost presently. If she will cooperate, I could guide the lot from the premises and save us all any further trouble."

Illikan stepped through, standing beside Kuori and Revenge. He looked at Revenge a moment before turning Kuori, offering his hand getting up- and spoke, this time more quietly. "I am asking you. Please, no more displays of aggression. Put your pride aside, we'll simply walk out. After the mission is done, and we've learned about your people and regained you some good grace here, I will see that we have your brother returned, and the ritual as well if they're able. Last time I can ask politely." Since the headbutt she'd talked big, and tried to grab a weapon, but not drawn her own or actually attempted to hit anyone- hoping this would appease the officer she'd struck and stop any need of tangling everyone up in some effort to defend her or having to get pulled from the brig.

If she decided she wanted to fight her way out though... well, he was prepared for that.

[Move to T15 (provoking an OA from Valac if he wishes) ]
[Mark Revenge and Kuori.]

((No standard action this time, so if anyone requests I put a diplomacy roll to go with the words, for Alabaster or for Kuori, I can roll and add that.))  

[Kowsauni]

Ruin would grab the attention of everyone in the room and Alabaster's a would listen to what he had to say. After Ilikan confirms what Ruin said about the mission he would raise his hand to his soldiers and shout "Wait!" He would then address Ruin. "This isn't about Tit for Tat. We are a nation of rules and laws. There are consequences for breaking them. This is what keeps civilization going. You don't get to assault someone simply because you don't agree with what they've said and you definitely don't get to resist arrest and attempt to steal someones weapon and expect not face the consequences of the law. However..." Alabaster would let out a sigh. "If General Valmist tasked you with this important mission then I will let it slide just this once, for the sake of those we are trying to reach."

Alabaster would then directly address Ilikan. "Escort the Goliath and those involved with your mission to the gate and head on your way. I don't want any more disturbances here and I got a devil to go banish from a fragment of metal."

((If no one takes any further aggressive actions combat is over. I also would advise against any smart-alack remarks. Kuori remembers her brother is still sleeping in the back of the healing ward if she still wants to go talk to him before she is forced to leave. He miraculously slept through all the commotion. ))  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

Quote:

The general would suddenly chime in after listening to what Kuori and Ruin said. ".. It took the combined armies of my nation of Larethal and our neighbor Haverest, but we defeated him...

Ruin raised his finger and wanted to correct the mage in that they were a coalition of many nations. At least three, Larethal, Haverest, with Aria coming in later, if he understood the General correctly. But, wasn't sure if mentioning that would key another battle of the god worshippers. Nor, did he know if there was a Legion of Nations who this coalition of nations answered to... In the end, it just made his head hurt and he backed off before uttering a single word.

Instead, if there would be no hostilitie, he would leave to find the young human, who Revenge sent to find him.  

[PupSage]

Diplomacy 13 because I can't roll higher than 5 on a social check ...

Kuori stands, "I still need to cast that ritual. Even though we aren't paying for her extortion based pricing, I still have the gold." She looks to the mage like she intends to say something, then shakes her head at him, walking back inside to the ritual clerk. "Lady, I don't much like you anymore, and you don't like me much either, but before you started assuming things about me and my allies we were talking about an exchange of gold for services. You were the catalyst that ignited everything that just happened. You knew the fortress had an experienced team to for this kind of stuff and yet you tried to get amateurs to do it. The way I see it, you were trying to stir the pot, because even if we had gone right into things, they would be here when we got out. And that makes me unhappy that its you who holds the keys to making my life easier when I lead these people down there. You see, my mapping is about close to a decade out of date, but my brother is much more familiar with it. I need his soul to guide us past the cave ins and such, but more so in the enemy territories. My other option is to wait on my other brother to heal which gives the enemy time to heal as well."
She looks the lady in the eyes, "You owe me pot stirrer. You owe me a fair deal that we worked out before you reneged on it in favor of sparking drama. You obviously favor a spot in Arboria to Celestia, and that is on you, but honey, chaos begets chaos, and even Devil's respect the law. I guess you and I are no better than devil's in that regard, but then again its a fine line between your soul going to Arboria and your soul ending up in the Abyss. Seems to me you need some good to balance the bad out little miss pot stirrer. Unless becoming a demon of the Abyss is your preferred afterlife option."  

[Mongooseh]

With the tensions dying down and the prospects of a weird romp into a devil possessed sword fragment off the table or any fighting really, Valac threw his arms up in frustration.
"I was promised a devil fight! Someone owes me a devil fight...!", Valac griped loudly as he somewhat provokingly brushed past the Soldier in the door way out of his way and continued returning to where the woosh wagon was. Still whinging about not getting to fight a devil sword.