Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 3: The Silent Blade

As the political scene in Taldor explodes into chaos, heroes take on the mantle of agents, advocates, and saboteurs working for Princess Eutropia to help secure her claim to the Imperial throne and prevent the Empire from collapsing in on itself in civil war. Will they grow from relative nobodies to powerful politicians and spymasters in the deadliest political arena in the Inner Sea?

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Re: Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 3: The Silent Blade

Post by ManWithDoor » Fri Sep 03, 2021 8:19 pm

Wyssilka looks Astraea up and down, her grin getting extra toothy. "My my my, aren't you a treasure? Why couldn't we have recruited you as well, you look like you could take on my team all by yourself." Her mooks roll their eyes at this. "But where are my manners. My Contract, you say? Why, nothing simpler." She gestures dramatically, two knives appearing as though by magic. Facing Astraea she holds the knives by their tips, then blindly flings them backwards. They each bury themselves in the stone on either side of Martella's neck, cutting the skin but not anything deeper. "I just need to kill the Lady Martella here. The interrogation is for my own amusement." She then switches to a stage whisper. "And for any intel I could sell to the highest bidder, of course. Imagine what I could get if I also bagged the Princess?"
Obviously, in this world knives could appear by magic. In this case she's hamming up her Sleight of Hand act and pulling them from her sleeves, she didn't actually summon/create knives.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Re: Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 3: The Silent Blade

Post by GuyWithSword » Sun Sep 05, 2021 6:32 am

"You know what I think could earn you gold as well? Imagine how grateful a nobleperson would be if you saved them instead of harmed them! How about you free Lady Martella, and let her show her gratitude to you?" Aurelia knows this is unlikely to work, but she takes this time to scan the room with her magical sight, just in case there are any hidden or invisible foes.
Diplomacy. But it's more to stall for time than to actually change anyone's minds. Scan the area with detect magic.

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Re: Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 3: The Silent Blade

Post by Zorbeltuss » Sun Sep 05, 2021 9:29 pm

"Worth your life?" Mercutio quips. "This entertainment business has a future....assassinating nobles? Sooner or later, you'll get caught, and then you'll make one final performance on the gibbet, not a very memorable one either I would assume."

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Re: Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 3: The Silent Blade

Post by Vardaen » Sun Sep 12, 2021 3:44 am

Theodrix pulls the end of his cowl back over his head revealing his face, "Tsk tsk tsk. Your wrist sheaths are showing. Rather boorish actually. Are you supposed to be The Fantabulous? More like the cliché and so two years ago, in Varisia." He rolls his eyes and flops his hand.

He moves somewhat to the side and leans on something there, completely unimpressed. "You know who is Fantabulous? Jarmok of Westend? He puts on a real show, live pit vipers, each one brightly painted with some Garundi substance that makes them glow in the dark! Oh it is a true delight, not this has been sort of display." He glances at his companions as he continues to taunt her into moving away from Lady Martella and to confront him. "You were wrong Mercutio, you will have to pay up, this whole affair is a hack job, just like I promised."
Use whatever skill makes sense, but dump all my points into trying to get her so riled up she will attack me. Classic taunt int making a mistake
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 3: The Silent Blade

Post by ManWithDoor » Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:10 pm

The halfling performer appears to enjoy bantering with Aurelia and Mercutio, mocking their attempts at reasoned approach. She is not swayed in the slightest about her own eventual death, and oddly enough for someone with an assassination Contract she doesn't seem to care about the money either. It's the killing part that has her riveted.

But there is one thing that Wyssilka the Fantabulous cannot take - a heckler! Being taunted about the obviousness of her tricks, cliche threats, and a more impressive show by this Jarmok of Westend? That she cannot stand for! The assassin's eyes start actually glowing red, and she bares her teeth, only barely able to keep herself from launching herself at her taunter. Her minions sense her mood and brace themselves as well, ready to attack at her command.
Whether going Bluff or Intimidate, either way Theodrix is great at those. Well done on the Taunting!

If anyone else has something to add, feel free to go for it. Otherwise in a couple days I'm going to roll Initiative and start Combat.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Re: Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 3: The Silent Blade

Post by Grimbold » Sat Sep 25, 2021 3:26 pm

Bertram gets ready to cast Divine Favor.

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Re: Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 3: The Silent Blade

Post by ManWithDoor » Mon Oct 04, 2021 4:55 pm

Wyssilka charges forward with lightning speed, just a hair faster than Theodrix can be fully set for. He taunted her to attack, and he succeeded! A fresh dagger appears in her dominant hand, but this one definitely isn't for show. It has a dark aura around it, as if eating the light that gets near it. Her dagger goes straight for her Heckler, driving deep into his side! She curses him in her native tongue, and a shimmering aura surrounds her.

At her attack the assassins near her follow her on the attack, but are slower off the mark than she is. More worrisome however is a last halfling assassin appears behind Mercutio in the hallway you came in. He must have been hidden or something before, either using mundane or magical means, but the end result is you're boxed in!

Theodrix and Aurelia ...
Initiative:
Wyssilka = 19
Theodrix = 18.1
Aurelia = 18
Halfling Killer = 17.1
Astraea = 17
Mercutio = 13
Assassins = 10
Bertram = 9

Actions:
Wyssilka: Charge attack Theodrix. 22, Hit for 8 damage.
- Swift Action: Cast 'Shield of Faith'. (OOC - she is a Warpriest just like Astraea, so can use Swift Actions to buff herself)

HP:
Theodrix = 15/21
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Re: Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 3: The Silent Blade

Post by Vardaen » Wed Oct 20, 2021 5:43 pm

"Now that's a dirty trick!" Theodrix flashes his hand outwards and his blades are in them. He steps and slices with Feather Slicer, then stabs with his longsword into the woman. "Still, not really YOUR trick is it, its someone else's that you are just channeling." He winks and spins around his cape flourishing about as he does. He is bleeding, its not great, its not bad, but he keeps an eye on it none the less.
TWF line 36, 37 into the main woman that hit me
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 3: The Silent Blade

Post by GuyWithSword » Fri Oct 29, 2021 11:48 am

Aurelia has an aggressive option up her sleeve that she recently learned. She had been saving this particular trick to surprise her enemies. The busty enchantress does her motions of magic, but instead of the movement being a part of some distraction or some mind-fogging spell, a crackling, spherical storm cloud appears on one on the assassins! Since the assassins are a bit slower on the draw, hopefully this means this one won't be able to react as quickly in getting out of the way. "You like death? Well, taste some yourself!"
Aurelia casts Aggressive Thundercloud on the assassin that is 3W and 1N of Wyssilka. DC16 reflex save negates the 3d6 electricity damage.
Last edited by GuyWithSword on Sat Oct 30, 2021 7:18 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 3: The Silent Blade

Post by ManWithDoor » Sat Oct 30, 2021 1:28 am

Theodrix gives even better than he got, drawing more than twice the blood shed by Wyssilka, which is impressive given her small size. His longsword and axe splash twin streaks of red on the stone walls, and the halfling screams more in bloodlust than pain.

The Enchantress looks at the multiple backups ready to charge in, and intones in an arcane language, the sound hitting your ears with much more harshness than her usual melodious tones. The crackling, spherical storm cloud she forms surrounds the head of one of the assassins, catching him stiff with surprise. Lightning streaks back and forth within the cloud, and the assassin drops limp to the ground. What was once his face and burn black and red, his skull showing through in places where the magic completely blasted away his flesh.

From behind comes the ambusher, driving twin daggers into Mercutio's side. Luckily the halfling killer isn't as scary as Wyssilka, but from his competence is likely her lieutenant. They have both the group sandwiched between them, with little room to maneuver.

Astraea / Mercutio / Bertram ...
Theodrix: TWF (Longsword/Axe)
- Longsword: 23 Hit (Crit Threat: 7, no Crit) for 9 HP
- Handaxe: 18 Hit for 8 HP

Aurelia: Aggressive Thundercloud (Reflex 12, Fail) for 15 HP (fantastic roll for 3d6!) - Dead!

Halfling Killer: TWF Dagger Attack vs Mercutio (FF AC = 14)
- Dagger 1: 17 Hit for 6 HP
- Dagger 2: 15 Hit for 4 HP

HP:
Theodrix = 15/21
Mercutio = 16/26
Wyssillka = -17
Assassin 1 = DEAD

Initiative:
Wyssilka = 19
Theodrix = 18.1
Aurelia = 18
Halfling Killer = 17.1

Astraea = 17
Mercutio = 13
Bertram = 10.1 (upgrading from 9 to keep things moving faster)
Assassins = 10
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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