Arc 2 - Heart of a Monster (Completed)

[PupSage]

Without a word to her companions Kuori stood and drew her bow in the blink of an eye, firing two shots at the door to the inn as it closed on nothingness. Thankfully her height helped her get a better line of sight. "Its not proper manners to sneak into an establishment under a cloak of invisibility." If something didn't materialize after her shot Kuori would tell her companions at the table, "The door just opened and shut on its own."

14+9 = 23 vs ac for 15 dmg
8+9 = 17 vs ac for 12 dmg
If both hit, add 4 extra dmg  

[Kowsauni]

As the arrows sail through the closing door, everyone hears a loud girlish shriek from the doorway, although no one appears to be there. The sound of someone scrambling to their feet could be heard and the door springs all the way back, opened by some invisible hand.

Outside, Revenge and Abby see two arrows fly by from inside the inn, followed by a loud shriek. The inn door springs all the way open, yet no one is there. However, a bucket next to the door falls over as if someone had kicked it and Revenge sees people on the street begin to be shoved as if pushed by some invisible force. It looks as if some small invisible creature is trying to run away.

Back in the inn, the patrons all stop what they are doing and turn to look in surprise at Kuori, but no one has had a chance yet to do anything, though the dwarf innkeeper looks like he is about to come over.

(Skill challenge time! The party needs 5 successes before 3 failures to catch the invisible creature, if you choose to pursue.

An athletics check can be attempted to catch up with the fleeing creature, an endurance check can be done to force your way through the people on the busy street, while an acrobatics check can be done to maneuver your way around them to keep pace with the creature. These checks will help you follow after the creature directly.

A perception check can be done to try and notice the exact location of the creature. An insight check can be done to try and predict where the creature might be fleeing. A streetwise check can be done to find someone who might be able to point you in the right direction. A single diplomacy or bluff check may be made right now to try and smooth things over at the inn, which will count towards your successes. Other checks not mentioned can be done if role-played in a way that makes sense.

A character can attempt Athletics, Endurance and Acrobatics checks continually, until they fail one, upon which they will have to attempt a different check to get back on the creature's trail; once they succeed on a different check, continuous Athletics, Endurance or Acrobatics checks can be attempted again.))  

[Mongooseh]

Grabbing his sword and running for the door Valac begun pursuit a hound after the proverbial rabbit. Being Valac he first attempted to brute force his way through the crowd yelling the whole way,

"You're in my way!" Shove. "Oof!"

"I'm running here!" Barge. "Aah!"

"Just try and stop me!" Throw. *Wilhem scream*

(19 endurance check vs unknown dc.)  

[Rain Yupa]

Revenge was about to respond to Abby when the arrows hit the fan.

"... the hells?" Seeing the tell-tale signs of invisibility, and recalling the Arians' usage of it back in Lupa, Revenge initially tensed, about to make the decision of whether or not he should attempt to engage.

But Valac would then charge through the door immediately afterward. No doubt Kuori would be hot on his heels.

Revenge would not pursue, turning his gaze back to the wagon. "I'm not chasing anybody down in this armor, and I'm not leaving Petra alone with an Arian soldier," he would say aloud, though whether he was speaking to himself, to Abby, or to Sehanine was unclear. The paladin would remain where he was and continue his vigil.  

[AlphabetFish]

Twyla had but a moment to blink at the arrows flying and hear the girlish little yelp from nothingness when Valac charged out the door, sword in hand. Clearly, Twyla realized, it was going down. Also clearly, it was a bit of an awkward way for it to happen.

She acted quickly, leaping onto the table.

"Everyone stay calm! We're in pursuit of the suspect as we speak! We're experienced adventurers who have helped the city of Gladesdale before, so trust us to handle this crisis by doing just as I say. Please return to your seats and stay calm. No one is in any danger. With your cooperation, we'll have this person apprehended as soon as possible!"

((Diplomacy: 33! 3nodding I have a good feeling about this one...))  

[PupSage]

Valac cleared the path ...
Twyla talked down the innkeeper ...
Kuori took off out the door.

Revenge was staying with Petra and Abby ...
Was this teamwork? Everyone was playing their role.

As they hit the street Kuori began to pick up the pace, her long legs carrying her past Valac and towards the invisible person.

[Athletics 25]  

[Kowsauni]

Valac and Kuori leap into action, rushing out the door after the invisible creature. The small creature is making no attempt to remain stealthy, knocking into things and people as it goes. Valac and Kuori have no trouble tracking it despite its invisibility, and even seem to be gaining on it.

Back at the inn, the patrons settle back down in their seats at Twyla's explanation. Her swift words seem to put everyone back at ease. However the dwarf innkeeper Thanon comes over, smiling but still looking a little bit irked. "I appreciate you helping out the town, but please have your friend refrain from shooting her bow in my establishment in the future, aye?"

Back at the wagon, Abby looks to Revenge. "Are you sure you shouldn't help them? I can watch over Petra and her friend. It is quite odd for someone to be using that kind of magic here. Arthur said there shouldn't be any other Arians in this immediate area, other than himself, but there are others watching further away. I wonder if this could be one of them after all. That could be really bad for us."

All the commotion must have been noticeable from within the wagon for Aruthur would stick his head out and ask. "What's going on?"

((3 successes so far! Revenge and Twyla must make a check other than Athletics, Acrobatics or Endurance if they wish to catch up.))  

[PupSage]

[25 Athletics again! Another success!]

Kuori began to smile as she noticed that she was gaining on the invisible person. People being bumped into, things knocked over, she was gaining on the person.  

[Rain Yupa]

"For all I know," Revenge would state, "It could be some poor gnome that was trying to keep a low profile for completely unrelated reasons. Valac and Kuori are completely capable; my contributions would be minimal in this regard. If I knew the truth of the threat, if any, that might spur me to action. But until then, my place is here, by yours and Petra's side."

A pause.

"Also, full plate mail was not made for chase scenes."

When Arthur called out, Revenge would turn and simply shrug. He didn't know what was going on. The last thing he should do is be making irrational choices blindly.  

[Mongooseh]

(16 Athletics)

Valac decided to change tact from brutalising peasants to keeping up or outrunning Kuori but it might seem he was already too in the thick of it.  

[Kowsauni]

Valac and Kuori keep right on the creature's potentially invisible tail. Just as Valac thinks he might have lost sight of it, he lunges forward and manages to grab something. The he cannot see what he has, it is obviously a small creature and he grabs tight hold of it.

The invisibility finally wears off and he finds himself holding a little girl cloaked in a cape. The child struggles furiously in his firm grasp, yelling at him to to let her go. Valac can see she isn't human by the two small white horns protruding from under her hood. She looks up at him with two large red eyes surrounded by marble white skin. "Let me go or I'll bite you!" she growls, exposing her sharp, shark-like teeth.

Back at the wagon, Abby gives a more useful answer to Arthur. "Two of our comrades just went running after an invisible person trying to sneak into or out of the inn. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Arthur looked confused by this information, then a little worried. "You didn't talk to anyone else before meeting me, did you?"  

[PupSage]

[Knowledge Nature 23 to figure out if this is another experiment and what creature it may be based on.]

Kuori tugs back the hood on the creature. "Talk and we'll go from there. Why were you sneaking into the inn?"  

[Kowsauni]

Whatever this girl was, Kuori was certain she wasn't natural and could not identify any particular creature she could be based upon. As the goliath reaches for the girl's hood she reaches up and holds it tightly on. She bites Kuori hand with her sharp teeth(3 damage) preventing her from pulling off her cover.

Kuori and Valac can now see the girl's white hands end in sharp claws. Without answering Kuori's question, the girl continues to demand defiantly that she be let go. People walking by on the street were beginning to pay attention to them.  

[AlphabetFish]

Twyla would nod happily at Thanon. "Of course, of course! Won't happen again, sir! Now if you'll excuse me--"

She would hop off the table, curtsey to Thanon, then stride out the door after her two companions. It wouldn't be too hard to follow the trail of disgruntled people who'd been pushed out of the way, and soon enough she would spot them.

Running up, Twyla would say, "Hey hey, who's this?"

((Correct me if I'm wrong and Twyla can't find them--or I can roll a check?))  

[Mongooseh]

"No idea." Valac answered Twyla as he looked down at the girl.

"If you bite me I'll make sure you choke on it." Growled Valac as he brushed off the 'threat' from the little girl completely unimpressed by what she probably considered 'vicious' teeth. (Terrible 13 roll on intimidate if wanted.)

"I think we know why she was in the inn. I would kill for their lamb stew." Valac commented as he thought back to his ale and stew that was disrupted by this.