Hello, This is Why Stephen from Table Story. If you'd like this podcast,
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slash discord. Thank you joy. Our investigators awaken after a night of RESTful
sleep after arriving in the second most populated town in mendev Ageda. They've been
traveling for some time across the Lake of Mists and Vales and have finally gotten
a bit of respite in their long travels. After arriving, Malavik has been
wary of this place and getting closer to Mendev and Sarkoris as the World Wound,
a place where demons spilled out from the outer rifts into Galarian and frankly
caused mass havoc in the surrounding regions. World Wound was closed four years ago,
and AGDA has been on a bit of a decline since. That's happened.
It was a place where adventurers and travelers were able to not be directly
on the front lines, being in a well respected place, and to rest
and recuperate from the dangers of being on those front lines. And now it's
sort of lost a little bit of its place. It's still a port city,
and it's still the second largest city in Mendeth, so it's well built
up. There's a decent sized population here of varying races, but mostly the
people are human. There are various mixed ancestry tee flings, some halflings,
and various other races that are here. But you all have awoken in the
and shield in as you be convene for some breakfast and figuring out what to
do now and what to do next. Excuse me, excuse me? Yes,
Are you the one who is in charge of the hovel? What do
you call it? Are you speaking of mine? In? That's the word?
Are you the one in charge of here? I am the proprietor,
Yes, proprietor. Do you smell anything different the bacon and the sausage Aside
from the food, there's not some overwhelming terrible smell that you smell. Perhaps
you speak of the port. Perhaps I do just curious if there was any
way to get it out, to seize it. Let me help you.
He proceeds to, uh look around the uh the uh the counter. H
ah. You see, he's got this ancient handkerchief, tears strips off and
then approaches you and then kind of grabs you by the face and just starts
shoving blushing, starts blushing. It just immediately starts blushing, grabs you by
the face. Uh. Yeah, this this, this, this guy is
I imagine probably in his fifties or so human, and he's got you grabbed
by the face and he just rough flea shoves pieces of handkerchief into your nose.
Do you can call me names? After? How's that? Then it's
all right? You shakes his head and walks away, and here you're here.
You hear him like he's shaking his head. He walks away and he
says, holy blushing. It just goes back and sits down, takes the
things up. I've been watching this entire thing from the table. Mm hmmmm.
Anyway, good morning everyone. Did you get your questions answered? No,
I have anything. I have more questions. You look a little stuffy,
stuff stuff anyway, good morning. What's the plan for today? Is
Malvic not joining us? No, he will not be joining us. I've
asked him to look after a few of my things and do some maintenance over
my weapons and my armor. So I am a bit under equipped today.
Let's try not to get into any trouble. Hmmm, what the how possible
that's going to be? So what's on the agenda? Then we peruse the
city to see if perhaps there are any shops that are going to take those
paintings or yes, I would like those not be in my bag anymore.
M all right. I will be learning some news, I learning some new
skills. I would be going to one of the local crafters, seeing if
I can't persuade some of them for a consult. Would you like me to
go with you? No? No, I am pretty convincing on my own,
all right. Pride myself really in my ability to we in hearts and
minds. You certainly have a way with words in which I've never seen before.
Thank you. What a viewer, Ashark. You have any particular plans
anything that you'd wish to seek out? Any design? I have not been
in a city for a while. I think that Elvin one was the last
for all of us. I am unsure it is too cold here. The
paintings out of my bag would be maybe my hest priority. And eh,
I'm not sure it's seeing if I can find I've been playing around with inks.
I think I might be able to enchant them a bit. Perhaps we
can find some patterns here. Wonderful. Ah, we should also keep our
eyes and ears peeled for any rumors or information as well that would be beneficial
to us and our endeavors. Yes, we are here for a quest,
I suppose. I'm glad to know that we are on the same page.
And I begin to rise up out of my chair and I show a single
coin. I'll be right back, and I make my way carefully between the
tables and the seats towards the counter where the proprietors I think the night before
this person introduced themselves as Harlan Harstwood. Mister Harlan, Yes, I just
wanted to say what a delight breakfast was. We quite enjoyed it. I
was hoping to give you a little bit of a tip. And I will
solidly place the coin down on the table and slide it towards him. Please
make a diplomacy check. Lean against the bar, and I have my massive
titties, which are not covered by armor, by the way, so they're
plus two you know. Oh shit, that's not twenty. That's a lot
of pluses. Yeah, yeah, thirty four. Oh yeah, he got
the full view. Yeah, there's a bit of a like a Looney Tune
small worm. What you know, eyeballs shot out of his head. Uh,
he's not. The coin hasn't even registered to him yet. A tip
for you, perhaps a tip for a tip. Yes, I was hoping
to know. Are there any particular art dealers in the area, one that
you might recommend? What? I want to sell some art? Where would
you recommend I go? They are? Yes, I following scarf over my
cities. M hmm, hello, hello, I was hoping to find directions
to art dealer you might recommend. Ah. Yes, just now, noticing
the coin slides it across the table, takes it big smile. You haven't
seen smile once since you've been here, hones say, yeah, oh,
dealis all right. Well it's not exactly a city well known for art,
you see, but I suppose well the closest thing we've got might be uh,
well, it's the uh, the temple of a young day. You
could try selling something too, Uh, well, you can try selling something
the South Sou's sacred relics maybe, uh m hmmm. He's kind of taking
some time to look at the rest of your group and says, but uh,
before you go over there. Uh, there have been a few rumors
going about since you've arrived. Oh m hmm, like something about a ghost
ship. Oh, yes, ghost ship. What have they been saying about
a ghost ship? Well, you don't understand people here. We've been through
a lot, what with the world wound and all that for many a year.
So even strange happens around town. Well, strange new adventurers or guests
come through. People tend to notice. Hm hmm. Your arrival hasn't exactly
gone unnoticed, as you might say. You're a certain charming individual, and
well you might you might find yourself running into a few roadblocks here and there.
People a little wary of well, new faces in town, but with
skills like yours, He pointedly looks down, like such has come back.
You should do well, thank you. Any other particular rumors that might be
interesting for someone whom I've been you in town rumors. Oh maybe we are
looking for work, work, and you might run into the same kind of
trouble. I haven't heard of any work around the place lately. Uh,
but I suppose you might run into some people here and there might have a
few jobs. Uh. There's a fellow, uh, well, one of
the people that runs it. Uh. There's a committee, you see what
they call it, Committee of Moral Rectitude, a fellow named gar Steel Flair
Don don Man. He uh, he's one of the people who runs it.
I look for him, but he's uh, he's not too fond of
well, strange occurrences in town. However, you might find jobs here and
there. I don't have anything for you. Sorry to say no, not
at all understandable. Thank you. The matter of your your your payment for
the night. Normally for new adventurers in town, we usually charge five gold
pieces per room. Will and then say not that down at four. You
are very sweet, Thank you very much. You're most welcome. No,
slowly slide away, and I will tell my companions what I have learned to
a few different places to sell his eyeballs and what's rolled out onto the floor.
Well done, thank you. So we might run into some trouble then
in terms of everything, M. I suppose it might depend on how we
behave ourselves. People will be watching. Did you say something about a dwarf
yes, committee of moral rectitude? Does that ring any bells for any of
us? No, no role on that one Committee of dwarf rectitude. It's
worth of shots trying to find them. Certainly we could use the funds,
didn't I don't remember if I was in a conversation with Malevic when he mentioned
the city's leanings. I don't remember either. I think he talked with everybody,
though, I think so. I feel like he mentioned it to all
of you. I would rather die than take orders from an dwarf for I'm
not sure that's a good idea. Malevic mentioned this city has prejudices. If
there is a committee for moral rectitude, do you not think it may be
their morals? M. You know, it certainly is, and the dwarves
don't have the best morals. Forest. If you want to just absolutely decimate
the landscape, strip minded of every possible resource, then maybe the dwarfs could
be helpful. We could also just find out more information, as information is
the most valuable currency in all the land. Karoon is getting louder by the
way. And yeah, if if you wanted to get completely sho wasted while
you're doing so, that could be helpful. We could get a dwarf to
go get show wasted. Perhaps we can always say no, this is soorning.
I could see it conflicting with some of the group's ideals. Oh,
I get a sense that my ideals will get tested quite regularly here. Well,
I suppose the only thing we can do then is to try and start
making our way around the place. See if we can find out some information,
sell some things, buy some things, and then be on our way
as quickly as possible. Karen, I think I would like to insist to
join you. Really, Yes, perhaps you know strengthen numbers. If people
are watching us, then I can carry you away out of trouble. I
don't think I'll be in any trouble, but you're welcome to come with me.
Is that alright with the two of you? Mmm? Sure? I
have no quotems, of course, I mean, do we wish to split
up in general? Or do we want to go together? For everything?
We just stick together. Don't see why we should split up. I'll go
with you first, and then afterwards we can go to see a creft.
Johnny, sounds good to me. Where are we going, Glizard? Do
you have an opinion? No opinions? I wish it is the arts aracter.
There was a temple, and there was a relic place. I wonder
have a curiosity shop would be around here as well. Maybe that is a
curiosity shop relics to see ideal is our paintings from the first world and the
temple may wish for them, but only to burn them. Maybe it's not
no temples gm. The temple that was mentioned. The name of the deity
is that one that we might recognize. You would all recognize Iomi Day.
Iomi Day is uh probably one of the most common UH deities that people worship.
Galarian also very well known for having like a uh what is it called
the crusade basically to uh to basically fix the world wound uh happening four years
ago. But yeah, you're you're all familiar with Iomi Day. It's uh.
She's the goddess of righteous valor, justice and honor. Maybe we'd choose
the tenphless of baccap option. Mm hmmm, I don't baby bringing paintings for
the first world, deficting a shadow creature might be the best idea, unless
there was to buy them to burn them. Why wouldn't they just burn them
anyway? That is fair. And maybe you know in places where the light
shines the strongest, there's also a lot of shadows. I could put my
ears to the ground and see if there's anyone here who is a black market.
That also would be a very good idea, although judging by what our
friend over there mentioned, we may run into trouble with regards to trying to
get involved in the local establishments. They might not want to allow our centerance
into the black market because they'll bring attention. Well, it could be possible
with the right amount of gump chin. Are you trained in diplomacy or society
career? I am which one trained in one of those? Let me pull
you down society? I think before I'm trained in society. Can absolutely use
your eyes of the city skill, o lighty track creatures basically, oh,
no, creature is a human doo yeh? All right, Well, so
we could track our friends that we heard about, the dwarfing fellow Gars,
steel Flair. It won't be hard. Just follow them empty bottles of alcohol
behind them, dollar droppings and hair? Are you speaking of a cat?
Maybe? Maybe I hadn't they leaves and that would be a fun game.
Is it cat or is it the wharf? I don't think they drink,
though. I'll begin to collect the empty plates and mugs off the table.
I'll go ask for directions. Are you done eating that? I will know
I will keep eating these cheese crackers for as long as they exist upon my
plate. No, take your time. I will get to any human settlement
if they feed me these cheese crackers. Also just a curiosity of mine.
How many rooms did you all get last night I slept with the lizard?
How many are in a room? I would say you could probably get like
a double room. It's probably an extra gold though, hm hmm, But
that's still much cheaper than everything else. If you're a double mm hmmm,
yes, probably two doubles, so okay, So then it be twelve gold
altogether for that first night, and then you now for going forward, it'll
be four or five if you use the double m A and the rewards cards
rewards punch cards, all right, ten days you get a free steak sandwich?
Is the steak sandwich? Really a steak sandwich or is it synonym for
something else? What is a synonym for steak don't? I don't know.
Perhaps that was a misstake of a jew at my face. Again, we
need to leave, We need to leave now. I will put all the
empty cutlery onto the counter, ask for directions, and begin to meet us
out of the tavern. Okay, very well, are you all going to
explore the city a bit? Yes? So together? Alrighty? Okay,
So we will be entering exploration mode for you. And the way that exploration
mode works essentially is for situations like this where the group may want to take
different roles amongst themselves as they explore a location or a city or what have
you. You can do a bunch of different things. What would each of
you like to do as your exploration activity? I would like to make an
impression, because I know we are being watched. Okay, If there are
any people that are on house or begging, I would like to make a
donation to them. Perhaps I have a fair cloak offer them that instead.
Okay, uh, fair enough? What is everybody else doing? I'd likely
gather information speak to some locals trying to find out perhaps if maybe someone else
might know of any other work or perhaps more information about Garsteel fleff End as
well. Okay, right, I'll be working on sense direction while they're talking
with everyone, trying to keep an eye on where we are, where we're
going, that sort of thing. Okay, big city's never been in,
could be lost. Is it possible, gem to wield my eyes of the
city backwards to see if we are being followed as the creatures? So I
think that that you wouldn't be able to use that because I think that goes
you don't really know anything about anyone that is watching you or anything along those
lines, So I think you have to get some information first, all right,
I would work at probably the scout under explanation mode is the idea of
watching out for danger, unless you would like to use that in order to
find out about the dwarf and fellow and I could perhaps find out more about
the temple or something, yeah, or rumors anything of that sort. Yeah,
I will ask around and see if anyone has heard of the Ministry of
Silly Thoughts or whatever. It's a dwarfing thing, who knows? Okay,
So which exploration activity are you taking? Whichever one would let me do that?
Is it scouting? You can do gather information using diplomacy to canvas the
area to learn about a specific individual or topic. You can do is the
one that's not diplomacy that I could do this with well, with the eyes
of the cities. That's you can use diplomacy or society in order to attract
creatures and settlements. I'm not use society very well. I will use society
twenty seven. I'm quite social indeed. Okay, we're not at the rolls
point yet. I wanted to learn what everybody's doing for Oh sorry, no,
no worries, I got excited. No worries, No worries. Okay,
So I just wanted to get a feel for what everybody's doing so we
can kind of figure out how all of this is happening. So our cilia
is making an impression. Yara is gathering information. Karun is Uh. I
would imagine sort of talking with people, noticing things that are happening, the
way that people interact with each other when you're around, maybe trying to eavesdrop
those kinds of things. Definitely, yeah, rash talk. You're just kind
of on the lookout for danger, especially since like mallowick isn't with you guys
right now? I think you probably Oh yes, oh yes, that's very
accurate representation, A little bit of a head on a swivel. Okay,
som okay, We've got a twenty seven society role from karun Urcilia. Once
you give me a diplomacy role for your making an impression, all right,
Yara, the same for diplomacy in a rash taka survival role. Yeah,
twenty four, twenty seven okay, twenty pretty good. All right, So
you're gonna spend a good chunk of the day kind of making your way through
the city learning a little bit about it. I'm gonna give you a bunch
of information because you've rolled very well. First things first, let's see here
you are too many one knows that thing? Okay, you are? You
are gathering in from about what specifically? Well, I was looking for rumors
and whatnot, but I might I might correct that and say, perhaps for
learning about shops and like best deals or anything like that in order to aid
our group. Yeah, Yara. Going around the city, you're finding that
the prices are kind of crazy. Everybody's charging way more than you're expecting for
various items and things taking a peek in these various shops. And the thing
that you are learning here is that everyone's kind of got their eyes on you.
You hear whispers, probably karoon. You will notice this. A lot
of people talking, like, you know, secretly, and you can hear,
you know, like references to your group. You know, you hear
like, yeah, that's talk enough. Elf in the lizard and skinned of
a person. They are. They are new in town. I heard them
come aboard. They came to the port on the ghost ship. Lots of
whispers about your group. It really seems like this is that new people in
a in a city kind of thing you're getting taken advantage of. It seems
like this is something that is very much targeted towards your group. They're like
maybe people cover up prices or something when you're like inquiring about them and they
you know, you might catch a glimpse here and there, like a lesser
price. But the general idea here is that things are about one hundred and
fifty percent more expensive than normal. Jesus, Yeah, all right, you
learn this is a This is a pretty big place. There's a lot of
people around here, and there are a lot of shops and things. There's
all different kinds of shops, And that innkeeper was probably just trying to give
you the whatever idea they had for any sort of like art. Somebody,
somebody to be interested in art. This place was kind of a haven for
adventurers and things, adventurers that maybe were getting themselves ready to go venture in
towards Sarkorus and the world wound. So not really gonna be a lot of
art and stuff here, but you might be able to sell it. It
still might, it still might very well be possible. But you've gotten kind
of the lay of the land here about a few different shops, A few
in particular that might catch your interest, uh were Becca's General Store, the
Forge and Anvil, UH, the Arcane Emporium, the Enchanted Menagerie, the
Alchemist's Retreat, the Bookworms Haven, the Relic Emporium. UH. And these
are on top of the mentions from UH, some of the from the Innkeeper,
the uh Sooth's Sacred Relics, and the Steel Flame Armory. And out
of curiosity, I feel like one thing that I would sort of want to
know, and if this requires some sort of separate role later on, I
also would like to know if I'm able to find anything out about anybody who
sort of is in charge of the city, like a governor or mayor something
of that sort. There is, Yeah, it's it's probably talked about a
little bit when you all sort of convene to talk about the various things that
you've found. Karoon would have probably picked up on this perfect a lot of
this nonsense about this Committee of Moral Rectitude. There is a delegate that is
like an elected leader. Most people are talking about this committee. And from
what you've heard, it seems like there are three people that are in charge
of this committee. Gar steel Flair you've already heard about from the innkeeper,
Becca Rossam and Zolavelli Sooth, three business owners that own three of the businesses
we're mentioned here. It seems like this gar Fellow runs the steel Flair Armory
Karn. From what you've picked up, is for something, because this is
driving me crazy? Is it? Garth, Garbury? Garth, you gost
you Garston? Perhaps no, just gar is he a dwarf? Is a
dwarf, isn't it? It's a dwarf? Ah Hony And let's see,
uh, ar Celia, Uh, you got yourself at twenty on your diplomacy
role. There there are a lot of displaced people that live here, people
that maybe lived in Starkorus or part of the the Kellid tribes that were there,
people that used to be adventurers and such. So there's a fair amount
of of homeless people that live here, people that are just kind of begging
for money and whatnot. I think you see a lot of evidence that this
place isn't as well off as you might have first thought. You get a
lot of that, a lot of hints that like, oh, this place
is really in decline, Like they don't have this overabundance of adventurers anymore.
There's not people coming in to rejuvenate the economy that's going on here in the
city. But there's still a lot of displaced people and where are they going
to go. I take extra care with each of these people that I talk
to. Not only do that I offer them some charity, but I offer
them conversation, ask them about who they are, what they've been through,
trying to humanize them. A lot of talk of demons and horrific events.
The landscape of Sarkhorus is a little bit similar I think in in to like
the Grand Canyon, and it's kind of like it just has a lot of
plateaus and canyons, and the land has kind of been like cracked apart from
the world wound, and even with its ceiling, there are still demons about.
So you would have heard a lot about that, I think, and
people losing families and and members of their tribes and stuff like that. So
there's people that are I guess the equivalent of like veterans. You know,
there's a lot of people that are maybe missing limbs and such that have been
through it. I would like to ask on one of them, in particular,
if I seem to resonate with them and there might be some softness in
the conversation, with some understanding and compassion, I would like to gently ask
them, is there any forgive my ignorance, I simply do not know.
Is there any connection between the demons and teethlings? Essentially? I want to
see if it'll be dangerous for Malavik. Yeah, there there there's tee flings
around around town. You would definitely see them there. They're not nearly as
populous as the humans that are here, but there's a lot of mixed race
tee flings that are that are here. Uh, that might even be one
of the people that you that you run into. You can see that they
probably have half of their faces is kind of been roughly scarred. Their eye
has been put out. They they would have two horns, but one of
them has been pretty badly mangled. The horn itself is must have been ripped
out. It's the only way you can really imagine what remains being the cause
of it. And they're just kind of loosely covered in some cloth and just
trying to I guess stay warm, as it's not snowing right now, but
there's probably like a very like cold breeze. I think it's it's not quite
spring yet. I will shrug off one of my furs and wrapped it around
them. It's all right, I run hot. What what are you doing?
Just trying to keep another person warm? But why I don't know you.
That's all right. A little bit of kindness didn't end the world.
You're not from here, are you? No? I'm from very far away.
M hmm. Thank you for this's kindness. I was hoping that I
can ask you a question in exchange speak it I have a friend he is
also not from around here. We have heard a talk of demons. He
is a teeth. What is your question? My question is should he be
afraid? Are there horses here? It might hurt you, might hurt him.
Prejudices unkindness looks around a bit worriedly. Of course there are They don't
treat demon king will? Yeah, not at all? Okay, I suspected
as such. The world judges too quickly. I'm sorry for any trouble that
you've been through. Can Karun hear this? Am I near you? Am
I near enough to hear this conversation? If you want? Who doesn't treat
you very well? Most that make their way through? Is there any particular
type of person who doesn't treat you very well? Perhaps a squat little person
with lots of hair. I think what my friend means to say is perhaps
the council. We've heard of a few people that are in charge, Becca
Srouth, car Committee m and not of them in particular. Suppose looks absolutely
defeated, fine walks away. I know whom you speak, though they are
strange. I've heard rumors they there were rumors of some sort of tests.
They they performed some sort of tests, is what I've heard that that's very
evil, like to detect evil. I don't know they haven't targeted the teeflings
in Particula, but there are adventurers that might get way through here every now
and again. I've heard rumored them testing them. Be your god, you
might try to test us. City has eyes and years all around. Well.
I don't want to get you into any trouble, but if you are
hungry, I'll reach into my backpack and platter ashen mm real the stomach immediately
just sort of react upon seeing food. I'll put it into the bolt of
their hands and hold my hand on theirs. Oh please careful, slow down.
You will make yourself sick if you eat too quickly. Completely ignore what
you say, just devouring it. Thank you, and I will leave.
It's kind of nodding their head, and I will share what I've learned with
the others. Rash Talk World twenty four on your survival check. Yeah,
there's definitely people watching you. You can pick up on the obvious people chatting,
talking, pointing stuff like that. But with the twenty four survival here,
I think you notice that's just the surface. That's like obvious talk for
anybody that's new that's in town or what have you? Right, any any
small town that you would go to if somebody new shows up, everybody's talking
about them. This is a big place, this is this is a very
bus slang kind of city. So that's just the surface. There's also figures
that you might catch here and there, watching you, maybe following you.
Whenever there's someone following us, I do kind of moderate under my breath near
Celia and make very basic the black hooded one, the one wearing the gold
bangle on the left ear, things like that, and I'll make sure it
gives as much description as I can while keeping it vague enough that if someone
else is listening, they may not know m Whenever we are followed, I
will position myself towards very ear so time between them and the rest of my
companions. Okay, I don't take any of the action other than that,
though. Same very well where too. You've spent most of the day kind
of learning about these various shops and things, and you've kind of figured out
that you're being overcharged. What do you all do? Perhaps we should have
a little discussion on how we would like to move forward. Go over to
the end, get a little bit of lunch and discuss I think, for
one, I am absolutely in favor of this plane. Also, if we
are being overcharged by people here in the city, it might be well it
might behoove us to look for some places who might be sympathetic tick to you
know us, Does it make sense? I agree? Mm hmm, yes,
all right to the end. Then we will discuss the OAF food all
right, and cheese crackers. H I think we have a good idea of
where to go next after that then, yes, yeah, I would like
to see if we can get some supplies before we head out. And indeed,
he said they were charging us a mark up of about one hundred and
fifty. Could either of you convince those we deal with otherwise I can try
m to see if we can convince some want to buy things for us as
well. I don't know how that would go. Yes, we need to
make a friend mhm. I think that would be the first best option.
I think the innkeeper like you really, I meant a Celia, Oh,
you tried to choke you. That's not normally as some people do. That
is a sign of the fection. No, that's probably I don't want to
talk about this anymore, Ashok, let me introduce you to something called a
kink My tail gets that sometimes I need to work it through it in the
morning the fight sleep rong. I'll lean over to Ashok and give a textbook
definition of what a kink iss already gone? Why a commission are Oh,
well, if that is the Karun's thing, I would not judge. I
just do not understand. Well, I go way back to the end.
Very well. You start heading back to the inn, making your way through
the square. The n is kind of like just off the main square,
as the streets begin to widen to form like a path around a plaza.
Uh. There at the center of the plaza, there's like a metal sculpture
and you can all kind of recognize this as a sculpture of Iomi Day on
a stone plinth. She's holding her sword high, as if ready to call
down divine justice on any evildoers who dare enter the plaza. However, a
rash talk, you begin to notice some of those figures that you noticed before,
uh, sort of cropping up in some alleys nearby. They've started to
surround you. We are in the process of being surrounded. Are those following
us? Do we think perhaps it is this committee that would like to test
us of some sort, test as in costs, because we are not in
their moral purview. A chance, whatever it is, we should stick together.
Three of these figures are dressed in old Mendevian armor, and they step
into the square to intercept you, one of whom has a hand on the
hilt of his sword. Stop there. In the name of the Committee of
Moral Rectitude, I command you to leave Agda at once. Is it a
dwarf who is making this demands? A human? Oh? Even better,
I will you saying to me, I cannot understand your language. Hello,
I am Karun you are you are speaking the same language. I can't understand
the word he's saying. Sorry. Perhaps we let as Cilia take this one.
I will place a hand on Ascilia and caskidance. I will sweep into
a deep and graceful bow, utilizing my courtly graces. It is a pleasure
to meet you. I am Marsilia, emissary of the Burning Sun Clan.
To whom am I speaking to, and who issues this order? I am
Riago, which is a pleasure to meet you, Riago. I wish I
could say the same. Why do you say that we all know that your
group has made their way to Agada, our safe city guarded by Iomi day.
You have ventured here because some sort of disturbance. Tell the truth.
As a representative of the Burning Sun Clan, it is my sworn duty to
say nothing but the truth. We stand here in the plaza overseen by your
deity. Isn't it isn't it? Isn't it the belief that any wicked that
enter her present year would be smited under her divine fury? We have not.
We do not mean trouble. We are passing through. You are enemies
of all that is good and dacent, and we know that you are demonic
agents. You are here to spread your sin in this innocent city. Just
nudge the lizard. What's he saying? Stupid ignorant things? I would like
to speak to your committee. This seems like prejudice on unvased grounds. What
proof do you have? We have been nothing but courteous. We enjoy being
guests of Mendo. We all know that you have arrived to our ports city
on some sort of ghostly ship, a pirate ship. If some are believed
we came here on a ship, it is gone. We made sure with
a row boat. Please make a diplomacy check. Okay, plus one thirty.
They sort of like look at each other. I heard it's a pirate
ship. Wellness, it seems that it might not have been just stinkquiet.
What of your strange traveling companions. One is from the frozen North. They
are researchers. They are nosy strangers to our fair city. Your city is
rich and virant with great law. Sure, it's only natural for someone to
have questions and inquire on it, especially those of the scholarly sort. Please
make another diplomacy check. I am quite cool during this conversation. This is
literally what I've been trained to do. Twenty two. Very well, then,
why don't you tell us about those strange markings of yours? Their eyes
sort of like all furrow and you can see them searching all of you,
trying to find your marks, whether they be hidden or shown. Mine is
shown. Well, I want to be happy to would we not just being
a middle accosted in the middle of the squares and not really the best for
conversation, And yet here who we are, we could easily migrate to this
somewhere where we could have privacy together and discuss it. I think not.
We'll have this information here or you'll leave the city. I'll look at our
celia. We have traveled much of the world through means which are magic.
In all honesty, we do not know why we wear this mark. We
woke up with it. Please make another diplomas Jack, Now, I am
not lying to you. I will reroll that eighteen county. They all kind
of like laugh at your response. Woke up with it. And as you're
all talking rash tak, you notice another figure off to the side. There
is a push cart in front of him, and an older male dwarf stands
atop this cart's cargo, a large metal crate with a hatch facing the plaza.
Like the other members of this committee, you see them wearing burnished plate
mail of a Mendevian crusader. He has graybeard and it's been platted into formal
braids threaded through silver rings. Old shouts at both you and the others.
You've been observed by the Committee for Moral Rectitude, and you must now stand
trial. We keep Egada safe from lingering demonic influences, and myself and the
other fellow committee heads believe that you are sinners that have come to so discord
here in Negada. They let the human on the on the council head.
This is a oh yeah, all right, it makes sense. I can't
understand the word he's saying. Are these the city hired authorities are vigilantes?
Yes? They seem like bullies? Do they not? Should I do something?
I ask as Celia under my breath. I am still waiting to know
under whose orders that these have been directed to us. I think it is
the Dwarf that may be the one that was spoken of there in the cart.
He seems to command the authority of them. It's known the evil bears
the seeds of its own downfall. So if you are consumed here today,
your guilt is proven, if the evil does not kill you, and you
are free to go. And with that, he kicks open the chest to
let the evil out. And why don't we move over here? And we
can't get a day's break, Let's move you over here. I hate this
place. Indeed, I just want to sell fucking paintings. I've been carrying
them for thirty episodes. I know, buddy, I know people. I
want to show them. The dwarf is opening the pain but the box of
tormento box. We are all surprised. Look at my surprised face. So
we are rolling initiative. As he kicks open the chest, you see this
black sort of ooze spill out. It begins to expand and grow in this
large sort of amorphous shape. And let's now have your role initiative. Please
select your tokens first, let's show chat what they're dealing. Okay, rather
hook is not here with us. Also, I have a plus two circumstance
bonus two perception checks made this initiative roles. You also have a plus one
from a rash talks Ah, yes, exploration. Yeah, so everybody,
make sure you click on your initiative number in the turn order window there and
just add a plus one because you might need it. Yeah, yes,
considering our tank has no armor, yepkih okay, you know what I too
have though, rewards card. Oh this should be interesting. Uh, alright,
let's roll for this as well. Oh that's good, that's good,
and you actually what's hilarious? Did you actually all rolled and it's in the
correct order on the turn order list? Amazing? Why? Yes, yes,
it's suppressive. As the cart spills over and this ooze like substance begins
to spill out in front of you. And yes, Malvic is not here.
Sorry, get rid of him, rash Talk, it is your turn.
Yes, now I'm double checking one foot thing, one thing here?
Is he going to sing toxic love buying the chintz? Maybe if you're lucky
ookoo over time. It is radius wonderful. Rash Talk has been waiting for
this. He's hated their words, he has not enjoyed their company, and
so he is going to cause all of them a problem. Stinking cloud my
newest spell. It has a twenty foot burst, which is a radius forty
foot diameter. Okay, I would like to place it. Let's see.
Ah, yes, that's perfect. Look at that I'm putting it. The
center will be right here, oki doki, And that is a forty foot
radius. You said twenty foot radius. So if I put it, yeah,
if I put it here, it'll go yeah, by the way to
that and all the way back to them. Okay, I begin to summon
up. I will point out it does look like they've kind of stepped back
as this whatever is, I'm very aware of this choice made excellent. I
am not pleased with this city at all. I've had a very bad couple
of days. Oh, I have a I have an FX marker that's known
as death cloud. We'll use that. That's the upgrade diversion of stinking clouds.
So that fits. Okay, funny foot radius, so that is eight
squares. And I probably want to make this grid a different color because I
cannot, and I was putting it here right in front of him, the
center, and there we go, or five six, seven eight, So
you can put it right here if you like, or you can here,
let me move it to the back. Ah. It's twenty feet out in
every direction from the corner of the square you choose. Okay, so I
guess it would be four squares out from from here. That's where I wanted
to put it, diagonal to him. Okay, perfect, that's exactly where
I wanted. Okay, fair enough. Stink bugs crawl out from my robes
and begin to sprint and fly to that spot, hundreds upon hundreds of them,
all spewing this gas. Oh. I believe it doesn't do anything until
the end of their turn, so it don't seem to notice anything until it
kind of gets greener and greenery, and then I do that and twenty five
I run over here. Very well, hold on, I need to now
add them to this initiative. They made choices. Uh huh yeah Oki doki
Uh. However, they will not get their turn until the next round because
they were trying to watch and see what happened because of the stubby little legs.
Ah. I think, well, I'll leave that to GM discretion.
But that would be an entire round in that cloud, even though their turn
has not come up. Okay. Uh, and let's see, this is
a that's not a DC fourteen. That is a lie. That is a
DC twenty two. Okay. It doesn't like to do that if it's out
of my tradition, even though I can use that if it's on my witch
spell list, which it is, so here we are, I'll post it
again just for that. That's the correct one fortitude okay fail. Oh that
is sickond one second one and slowed while in the cloud in general. Gotcha,
I mean it's all always, all of it is in the cloud.
It's I don't know why it says otherwise, but because it's checked every round.
Okay, that's a success sickond Okay, fails in one success Sokay,
all of them are sickened one while they're in here, and three of them
are slowed. In addition, while in the cloud, okyoki second one and
slowed one. You said, yes, all the fields have a slowed one,
gotcha? Okay, uh ya, rah chur turn well upon seeing this
creatures, just you can all hear them by the way, sorry, because
just because I figure it might affect your turn at all, like hacking up
their lungs essentially, and you can hear one of them, uh probably the
same one that initially talked to you, yell out, say, guy,
you're right, I'm performing some sort of evil magic. A great question for
you goes the pudding that thing right there. I'm assuming that does not need
to make us save. Yeah, I'm double checking on that right now.
I think that is correct. It does not, but let me just double
check. Yeah, it's a poison trait. So if it had immunity to
poison, then no. If it doesn't, then I think it would be
affected. It doesn't say you need lungs. It does make it so it
is still sickened though. Okay, all right, well, I will go
ahead. Upon seeing this creature move in front of our celia channel of my
oracular curse, casting vision of weakness upon the creature. I am to learn
it's weakness if it has any, as well as its lowest saving throw.
Ky dooky, Uh that's the wrong one. No weaknesses, lowest saving throws
a reflex target its reflexes darlings very well, and from there, I will
go ahead. I have two actions left here, do I? I have
a plus two to an attack on it, So I am just going to
go ahead and launch some needle darts towards it. I will wave my hand
over my rape year with a plus two to the needle darts attack attacking this
creature for a twenty eight to hit. Yeah, that's it, beautiful.
That's what kind of damage? Cold iron mm hmm, piercing. Okay,
uh, And if it's a crit, there's more. But I assume there's
not a crit with the twenty eight. Uh, no, it is a
crit. Oh, so they take three persistent bleed damage as well if it
does bleed. Uh. If it bleeds, we can kill it, so
it would be a crit. But this creature in particular is immunichrets. Oh,
very interesting. Well, then fourteen damage it is, and that is
my turn. As you hit it, ar Celia, you can see,
yeah, the needles sort of making like uh like ripples in its strange viscous
form, and they start to tear a hole in this thing, and from
that hole you can see it begin split apart. Oh fuck, that is
my t ar Celia, to return. All right, I'll start off with
an exploit vulnerability to do an esoteric role on this twenty five. Twenty five
is not a success, I think. Let me just double check. This
is a weird one. Nope, that's a success. All right, you
highest weakness. You would said it has no weaknesses. Then I will activate
to my personal antithesis. I reach into my component pouch and I pull out
a handful of flour. I begin to smear it onto my hatchet. What
I see. I see that it's absolutely wonderful, amazing, Thank you,
And I don't too hit. Wow, that's not one. That isn't that
one. I think you just kind of slip in some of the snow.
It's just a complete whiff. Fuck. I try to swing back with the
momentum. Fourteen that's a miss. Yeah, I was checking to see Oh
shit, m okay, fourteen you said sixteen out of fourteen, sixteen out
of fourteen. Okay, so the sixteen was a natural one, which means
it's an automatic fail. The fourteen is actually a hit. Okay, so
it will take nine US five damage fourteen total. Got it? Got it
just out of curiosity. Uh. I gotta check on something real quick,
because this might be pretty bad. Hold on, it might be bad for
Yara. Actually, Malevic is out and then we tpk, you know,
then he comes back and we're just all dead in the square. I gotta
do a quick look up, Yara. How much mmmm? We themed this
to be Dronus's rapier? Was how you are using these needle darts? I
gotta find the hit points on a rapier. Oh oh no, because you
would have noticed as the needle darts returning, there's some sizzling and bad sort
of that burning metal smell. Mm hmmm. Doesn't matter if they are magical.
It doesn't mention that in this creature's special ability. And I'm not sure
if it's because it doesn't take the weapon and actually attack with it. It's
the description for yours says it gets needles out of a piece of metal in
your possession. So to me, that reads as like shavings, right,
but it is still damage that's being done to this because any of the shavings
that are going into this creature are being dissolved. So I am looking up
how much thin iron or steel has a hardness of five points of twenty it
is cold iron at least. Huh, that might be different. Okay,
let's see here. According to rules, cord iron has thirty eighth p per
inch of thickness hardness ten. Yeah, that's what it was went off of.
Okay, this could be bad. Okay. Uh. The rapier of
Dronis takes eight damage. Uh, And what this means basically is the hardness
is five so through three you basically it only takes three damage to its twenty
h P. But you can see like as it's it's sort of reforming,
like the little slivers of steel that have been taken from it launched out.
There's some bubbling and you see that the acrid smell coming up from it.
Yes, you would see a look of pure devastation on my face. M
h uh, are Celia roll me a D two please? Two? Okay?
Uh ope, So I just moved that by accident. Where was it?
It was like, right, there. Let's make that a map layer,
okay, uh because I need to decide where it's split it goes,
and it's gonna go right here. I know that the shape there. How
was the size descriptions? Is it exactly the same? Is it's two smaller
ones? Yeah, I'm checking. H I'm checking. Uh m hmmm.
They are identical, same space as the original and the other is it moves
to an adjacent space? But yeah, same size? Okay? Did they
seem structurally weaker? They're thinner? Maybe? Yeah? Okay, okay,
that's what I was asking. Okay, yeah, yeah, same height,
a little thinner yep. And Arcilia, that means you will strike at this
one just to the north of you, and yeah, as you hit it,
Arsilia, please make a reflex save all right twenty three. Oh that's
that's good, Arsilia. You maybe can smell like an acrid smell coming from
this thing, and as you strike with your hatchet, you try to be
especially quick, and you maybe can see like some pockmarks on the surface of
your hatchet where where it is sunk into this creature. But it definitely is
not good. Whatever this thing is made out of, it's definitely a cidic
in nature, and it's trying to eat your weapon. M you do see
like a a chunk fall off of it as you hit it. Be careful,
friends, it's eating away at our weapons. That's my turn. Oh
actually, I'm sorry. This is a slashing weapon and yep, never mind,
nothing falls off. You can't tell like you did anything to it.
No, do I still do the fourteen damage? What kind of damage is
your esoteric nonsense? It's considered magical okay, the hatchet itself is yeah it
so it's just as magical for this damage, whatever it is. Yeah,
here's the wall of text. Okay, so the very last one personal antithesis.
Uh sorry, hold on, it's treated as a custom weakness. So
sorry, you said it's a success. So under success the last sentences,
your weapon strikes against creature also become magical, if they weren't already. Yeah,
so maybe there's some minor damage that you say, how much is the
magical damage? So that would have been five magical damage? Okay, and
uh yeah, as you hit it it splits again. That's fair. I
do want to make note of the language in this. It does say your
unarmed and weapons strikes become magical, not just that little bit of damage.
The whole strike becomes magical. That's true in that so I think it would
be all fourteen, not the five. I don't know how the damage works
in Pathfinder, if the slashing damage is completely eclipsed by this magical damage or
not. What you say the strike, So what you say makes sense,
But I don't know that magical just overrides the slashing. And it does matter
any Pathfinder wizards in here happen to know, like for something like this,
does that magical damage just wipe out slashing? Does it just become magical as
opposed to slashing? It is important for this, yes, yes, if
you don't know, if we don't have a definitive answer, I will say
that it will just retain this magical uh stuff. It's magical damage because a
strike is a strike action. Don't say like your strike becomes magical, not
just yeah, nope, just when it's exactly clarified. So it seems like
it is exactly clarified. Yes, it says the strike becomes magical. That's
very specific. Okay, all right, okay, seven, Yeah, that
would be fourteen magical slashing damage. Okay, alrighty you take it out of
this thing and uh yeah, this flower that you've coated your your hatchet with.
You can see it sort of thicken, this pudding like substance as you
strike fucking groove. Aah, that's my turn. Okay, Karun, it's
your turn. You know what I'm going to do. I never do.
Everyone everyone here knows what I'm going to do. I have seen it with
my fairy eyes, this horrible little dwarf unleashing an awful plague upon these poor
innocent people. Is there any bystanders? Uh? It doesn't appear. So
wow, we're really all cornered alone in the whole city with no one watching
this. If farce the dwarf in farce very well, And I will take
my alchemist fire, pop open the top and just slam it down at the
closest how do I God's and there are three? Now right? There are
two there? Oh okay, I thought you said the last one split.
I guess it didn't magic damage. He did not, All right, Yeah,
it takes fire damage from blesh. So I just want to be clear.
You said that you were smashing it down on the ground, so you're
intentionally just trying to do an area of effect attack your blesh damage very well,
and you are I'm assuming you're just doing it up here. I was
trying to get it in between these two right there. It's just the way
that you described it was that you were just smashing it down on the ground.
So I want to Okay, so you're gonna throw it then? Uh?
Is it really that far? It's just as it's ten feet it all
right? And I would throw it at the ground, not at them.
The fire just kind of like spreads out from where it lands, the snape
like substance lands, and you can see it like this horrible like green black
smoke just pouring out thick like you don't want to smell this stuff whatever is
emanating off of these Yeah, it's horrific. Okay. I will also with
my little eleven eyes try to see where the books that they came from the
box from whence this creature comes? Is it still around here somewhere? Yeah?
So there's like, is this creature that's to the north of you here
is kindind of like partly on this wheelbarrow that got turned over when the when
the chest was opened. So when the dwarf opened the chest, let's not
use passive language here. When the dwarf unleashed this vile creature upon the unsuspecting
citizen, Sevega, Da, sure it's still there on the ground. Uh,
you can't see it? M right? I would like Uh, I
would like to use in my next little piece of my turn to try to
see it. Do you think I could move this way to look for it?
You can definitely make a perception check. Well, I have to move,
I should. You can make a perception check from where you are.
It took you one It took you one action to throw your bomb, and
you still have two actions remaining, so you can move and you can sort
of take a perception check if you want to do that. I will move
to a here and I will perceive the twenty four. Still can't see it,
right, You can make an assumption you think it's probably inside this creature
here? Ah, I see all right. I will just back over my
shoulder to the lizard, just say it's Put it back in the box,
put it into books where it came from, from books from whence it came.
I'm not touching that. Yeah, might not just blow it up.
I don't know if we can. It's getting smaller right, it's still on
fire. Is it making any noises? Like? Yeah, it's horrible.
Are Celia and you are right next to the to these things? You just
hear this horrible and you don't know where it's coming from either, there's no
mouth. I love the smell of el chemist fire in the morning. I
will take cover and that's my turn. Or I will just be it the
here and that is my turn. Okay, the black puddings turn. Okay,
it's time for some fun. Oh. I like to uzzy Oosbourne.
That's what I needed it in our little note section. That's very good,
very good. Okay, let's see the I like to go top to bottom,
left right. Usually when I do this stuff, this thing right here
to the north is going to go first. And let's see. Oh,
that could be fun. I could do that. I could do that.
A pseudopod extends outward and we'll reach towards let's find out. Let's roll for
some fun. Uh Oh, I can't move. We can do that.
I can take a step. Mmmmm, I can do that. That might
be fun. Yeah, let's do that. It's gonna take a five foot
step that way, and now I get to roll for three people instead of
two. Let's see who it could be. It is Arcilia. Arcilia pseudopod
reaches out towards you. I'm not wearing armor. This is a twenty five
to hit, twenty four to hit second right, thank you, that's a
crit. Oh shit, o arma, that's not good. It's so bad.
Okay, fifteen bludgeoning damage, which will be thirty bludgeoning damage. And
as like, the pseudopod like launches outwards and it hits you, probably right
in the sternum or celia. And as it does so, it spreads around
your arms and will grab you. Also, I need to have you make
a fortitude save thirty Okay, uh, you could treat it as a thirty
one, depending on how you want to do it. Okay, so that
is just a regular success. You're not going to take the acid damage here,
but you could definitely feel it, like on your skin. It's it
hurts and you are currently grabbed. Then it will pseudopod towards one of the
others. Let's see who this will be towards. Karun. It doesn't have
to be. That is a twenty seven to hit. It does hit,
but it does not create okay, that is for fourteen bludgeoning damage. This
pseudopod hits you, probably in the stomach, and then as it does so,
it begins to spread around and you are also grabbedugh. Okay, um,
let's see, I need you to make a fortitude save for me,
please karoon twenty one. Oh it is twenty two a second, I don't
know. You also take three acid damage ow, all right, and sorry,
it do a five foot step two of those yep, that is it
for its turn and you yara. You can see these pseudopods basically wrapped around
our celia and karoun. Let's add this just for effect, okay. Then
the other one, well, oh, and it also does take fire damage
minus. And then we gotta roll a D twenty. See if it goes
away natural twenty fire goes out on the one to the north. Okay,
this other one, uh is about to mm hmmm it doesn't yeah, no,
know that it will go here sort of undulates and rolls along the ground.
You can see bits of snow get like picked up by this thing.
It leaves a trail in the snow along the ground. And was that a
stride or a step? That was a stride, I'll respond, Okay,
you are grabbed, yep, I basically get to make a tackle opportunity.
Okay, that's your action. Can you do that when you are grabbed?
I think so with grabbed, flat footed and immobilized. Mobilized, you can't
use any action with the move trait. Uh, yep, you're okay,
all right? Patch it, kiah. Twenty six okay, now, fifteen
magical damage Okay, got it. You see the flower sort of get like
like taken off of the hatchet as you strike into it, hardening bits of
it and very cheesecake like slice slides off. Skull stink, and they said
that was fifteen damage. Yes, okay, it will move there and it
doesn't like that. It's gonna pseudopod you. Okay, that is a twenty
nine hit. That's a crit uh huh, don't forget your r y'all.
Thirty four bludgeoning damage now, uh, and please make a fortitude save.
It's an eighteen. Oh I'm gonna save my hero point. That's an eighteen.
Okay, that is a fail. You take nine acid damage as well,
and I go down, but then I get back up because of orc
stuff. But nobody did the song Nobody Nobody do it? Okay? Uh?
You at one hit point on the ground. Uh, you don't.
I think you sort of tough it out. You don't fall to the ground.
Correct, Yeah, you're not prone, says you refuse to fall from
your injuries. Yeah, or Celia, it feels like like something is something
important just got hit by this pseudo pod just striking you, probably like I
would imagine on your side someplace maybe like hit like your liver or something like
that. It's just brutal. You know that it was bad that you where
you just got hit. You can these are all like bruising injuries, right,
So it's just like, oh, you feel that, like the internal
damage more than see any sort of actual you know, slices or cuts or
anything like that. I cannot grab you since you are already grabbed, which
is a plus, but it will try and pseudopod Yara, now that second
attack, luckily that is a natural one of fourteen your fucker ticket, Uh,
Yara. You see what it does to Arcilia. You're immediately expecting this
other pseudopod to strike at you. Uh, and you're already dodging like out
of the way after seeing Arcilia get hit so hard, you know, you
can probably she like does that anime thing where she like coughs up the blood,
you know. Uh, And that is it for its turn. And
let's see we need to do a twenty roll fail so the fire stays on.
Okay, Uh, this is still that first round. The uh Committee
loyalists just are hacking uncontrollably in this horrible uh stink cloud that a Rastak has
farted out with his stink bugs gar steel flare. Uh will start the top
of the round off and he will just exit the cloud. Uh. Let's
see if he actually picks the right direction. Yes, it is concealment.
I'm scared. I'm scared. Mhm should I do this? I'm just gonna
run this way cloud. Okay, you just hear him like coughing up.
He's going to spend his turn trying to get rid of the sickness. He
has one action remaining, which I think it's just you use the action to
wretch and that's it. I don't believe there's a role. Then he is
going to get rid of the sickness. It's his turn, RuSHA, it's
your turn. M Are you dealing with the creature of them too. I
look to the rest of the group. I did that to keep them away.
I think we have more immediate problems. My eyes are just darting between
these two. Hell which God, can I tell? Which one looks a
little thinner? They're pretty close? Okay, ah, which one was Assilia
attacking? That's maybe a better one on the south is on fire? That
makes you yes, that is true. Was the one to the north the
one they were attacking more? Yeah? Uh, you've seen it's kind of
hard to keep Yeah, bro, you do see that the the one to
the north does has the two pseudopods that are currently grabbing our Cilia in Karoun.
Fair enough. Well, then I look to them, look see how
Arcilia is. Immediately cast life boost upon Arsilia beginning of your turn. You
will heal six for four rounds, and then I call in to my patron
to cast a new spell that I've received in a vision upon the southernmost creature,
chilling Darkness, which I will reroll. That attack role, I think
is anything. Why are you not? It never does these right, and
it annoys the hells out of me. Uh did roll a three? I
think I rolled a three? But there should be. It should be a
plus twelve to hit, not a plus eight. Right, So I guess,
well, you check your conditions, because if I think the conditions don't
get like reset properly correct, I have none. It shows correct. It
just didn't do it right in the spell, because of course it didn't.
That's a roll twenty problem. Uh So that should be a thirteen, is
what you're getting at. No, it should be a adding eight four,
So it should be plus it should be plus four more, it should be
a fifteen fifteen. Okay, feen is a hit? Oh okay, Oh,
yes, I guess because it is. It is still sickened as well.
All right, well, then it takes twenty one cold damage, and
if it happens to some horrific reason be celestial, it takes another fifteen.
Yeah, I don't think you have to worry about that. I don't think
so thinks black pudding, you know? Maybe al right twelve then it,
Yes, it takes twenty one cold damage. As this, it looks like
I'm about to cast another array of frost. But it begins to drip in
darkness, and it's a lot thicker and more viscous as it flies out you
see the spell explode as it hits the the black pudding. You see bits
of this thing fly off, and as they do, they fall to the
ground, shatter the pieces that fall off. Good. I do want to
make notes, just just in case that was not in line of sight of
any of them. It's mist obscures the warden from that spell. Okay,
just because it looked particularly evil, because it was literally the evil evil tag.
Let's said. The Mosquito queen is fine. She's fine, and we
love her very much. She's not an evil hes just misunderstood. Okay,
thank you. You gets it. I gets it. Evil is unleashing a
dark black pudding upon the innocent civilians. That is my turn, okay,
Arah, Okay. Seeing Osilia in the condition that she is, I will
pull forth my curse even further, casting a life link upon both her and
Karoon, healing both of them four four points of healing at first, and
I will be taking five points of damage for each of them if they get
hit in a round. From there, a couple of options. Firstly,
does it look as though o Celia has a shield at all? I do,
but I am you get the sense that without my armor, the shield
is not going to really help very much. All right, Well that took
one action, so for the next two, I am going to go ahead
and then cast I do you know what, I'm actually going to go ahead
and do battle medicine here on as Cilia go out and see that's a twenty
eight for twenty points of healing in the turn. Very nice, and I
still have one turn left, so I will use my exemption in order to
go ahead and continue working on her, utilizing my daily exception for battle medicine.
So normally I just kind of like let this go because I don't want
to take up too much time with it. But I'm so curious, how
do you think you find the Battlements clan who is currently the fuck out currently
grabbed by this weird black pudding sinews. Yeah, like, how are you
doing this? In my head and just my head canon for you, fae,
you just like grab my my wounds and you just start licking them.
That's just how I imagine. Why not, Well, I'm not sure if
that's how that actually works, but well, at first you'd see my curse
out pouring it stretched into my face. I'm freaking the fuck out. I
see that she's taken this immense amount of damage, and I reach into my
my herb pouch and I just start slamming like your own stuff onto things where
she's taken hits. And I'm accelerating the healing with my magic as well.
All right, So a second rule, I'm going to reroll with a hero
point. Oh, speaking of which, chat, I just thought i'd interject
this. I'm gonna give you two extra healing hero points because Faye, the
person behind Yara, went beyond overboard and figured out, using various resources online
items that the group might be interested in picking up for each of them,
and categorized them all and went ahead and did all this crazy extra work to
help everybody out. I just want to mention that and how awesome Fae is
as a human, So thank you. You like failing good. Now everybody
knows how a dork anyway, there twenty two points of healing. You you're
playing role playing games online, of course, all dorks literally costplay as these
characters. Ooh so yes, that's a break character. That is another twenty
two points of healing and my turn excellent, Thank you so much. Yareah
okay, and you can do the battle medicine twice to the same person.
Right, Yes, indeed, I have an exception with my my medic background.
Ar Celia. It's your turn. Oh, I swing life boosts at
the beginning of the turn. That is correct, Yes, okay, six,
this goes down by one. Fuck. I tried to swing as hard
as I can at the one up here. It's my hatchet. I mean
it would be great, it would be it'd be great if it could be
grit but it can't. Yeah, okay, so it's gonna be fourteen damage.
Magical, excellent, you said the one to the north. Yes,
this one here, yep uh. You are grabbed, which means I'm flat
footed. I've already applied it to my character sheet, so I can't move,
but I can swing. Second action. I will swing again at the
same one. Okay, there's another hit that's fifteen damage to that one.
Just all this viscous black goo that's been it went from. It went from
a putting like consistency to more cheesecake like consistency after you hit it, and
just these chunks are flying off. It's it about that. I still want
cheesecake, even though you described it in such fashion. But all right,
there with you last action, I'll do it again. Do you love a
cheesecake so I understand? Yeah, these are monster roles. Yeah, these
are really good. Please. There's a penalty the more you keep attacking on
your turn in this game, so you still get a twenty on attack number
three is pretty pretty freaking good. Yes, that is another hit, so
that will be for eight thirteen damage. Kidoki. Yeah, you're taken like
a big chunks out of this thing. It's still up, still gotcha?
Oh? Sorry, you wouldn't say. As I'm attacking after the orciosity has
kicked in. My muscles are bulging. You can see that my veins are
popping. The blood that I have been coughing out just oozes down. My
chin is purple pink and color, and I am in a frenzy. Now
that's my turn. Amazing, Okay, runs your turn. Is it possible
to I know that this is gonna what the how this is will sound?
But so given the fact that I am an alchemical savant and I can identify
al chemical items quickly, since I am now covered in one, is it
possible to identify what this is and perhaps glean any kind of tactical information from
this. Uh yeah, I think go ahead and make a crafting check.
Oh with a plus two. I don't know if you have the formula thirty
two. Yeah, this is a black pudding. This is a mindless ooze
creature. You definitely think you could use this as some kind of alchemical reagent,
but you definitely don't want it alive. All right? Do I have
an experienced anything like this before? Or no, anybuddy who has. I'll
leave that up to you with a with a thirty two on your role here,
But because you did, I think that was a credit. Hold on,
let me just double check. Either it was a critter. You missed
it by one, missed it by one? Oh god, dcs are lowered
by one because of sickened. Okay, sure, so that'll be a cred.
That's it does, say DCS. Yeah yeah, so, uh.
What I'll tell you then is I'll tell you everything it's immune to. It
is immune too, acid, critical hits, mental damage, piercing damage,
precision, slashing, unconscious and visual. So any of those tags showing up
in any spells or any abilities that you use against it do not work.
H all right, but fire is working? Yes, m all right,
good, I will relay this information to the team, and I will try
to become ungrappled by it. What do I make of fortitude? No?
Oh, so this will be either an athletics or an acrobatics check. Oh
no, we sure about that? I am positive? Right, Okay?
Seventeen is unfortunately not enough. It is not possible to smash the nap on
the alchemist fire on top of the little spin litle tender. It is gripping
me. Yeah, I mean you can do that. It just it's not
gonna have the mechanical effect I think that you're hoping for. Right, then,
I will do that. Okay, and he is now on fire.
Okay, let me go. You won't do it? That is my turn.
Okay, Doki, Black Puddings turned. Oh, here we go.
It will now constrict to those it has grappled. Doki, I need fortitude
saves from Karun and Arcilia. Nineteen actually one critical fail. It would be
a sixteen if that changes anything. Nope, still a critical fail. I'd
check d saving my hero point for when I was about to die, because
chances that's really high. Not a bad plan. Okay, So each of
you we're going to take the bludgeoning damage, and then the acidic damage is
for the fortitude save. Okay, this is onndy ondy eight plus seven.
Yes. Now remember I am taking damage for both Karun and Osceilia for both
of you. Okay, so this is twenty four bludgeoning damage or Celia and
then twelve bludgeoning damage for Karun. Seven I think, yeah, I'm so
sorry it wasn't twenty four bludging damage it'd be It was still the twelve because
the the bludgeting damage isn't applied to the fortitude save. I apologize. So
you should have only taken seven damage, so add twelve back to your hit
points. How much damage do I pick? You take twelve? Twelve?
Well you're taking five less yes? Seven yep? Okay, and I take
ten. And now the acid damage this will be doubled for our Ciliah okay,
ten acid damage to our Cilia and five acid damage to Kurun. The
longer this thing has you grabbed, you can feel the acids start to like
through clothing, make contact with your skin, and it's starting to burn really
badly. It feels like a chemical burn on your skin. Brutal. Okay,
then shall we do it again I think let's do that again. Yeah,
let's do that again. Fortitude Tapes twenty four thirty one one fail one
success. Yes, okay, this is gonna be one the eight plus seven
jigging me this us pudding. Okay, that's a thirteen bludgeoning damage to both
of you and then acid damage. Uh, this is gonna be five acid
damage to our celia, Karina, do not take the acid damage. Maybe
you're moving around and your clothing is kind of absorbing the the the contact here.
Oh, I am quite familiar with acids. God, oh kind immune
immune at this point, really recreational as well as painful. Okay, uh,
and fuck it, let's do it a third time because it's just so
fun. Where did you say it again? Please? Thirty one fifteen thirty
one again amazing, jeez, and this time fourteen bludgeoning damage is just constricting.
You feel your bones kind of like creaking a bit as it's squeezing to
both of us, fourteen to each of you. Yes, I will raise
my amulet here so I will let me take seven damage that uses my reaction,
okay, and a further six acid damage to our celia. Oh,
good thing you used it, cuz yep, that would have knocked you out.
Okay. Uh then the one to the south is gonna go and ummm
let me see what this is. Oh does the one up top take the
fire damage? Uh? No, I did forget to do that, thank
you. This one has definitely gotten quite a bit thinner and I have to
scream what was the DC on the fifteen? Okay, yep, it's still
on fire. This one has sensed a rash talk and it will try to
get in range. I had a suspicion get anyone else to get as many
people as possible grabbed, and it will send out a pseudopod towards Sos to
the world. It will send out a pseudopod to Yara to start things off.
That is a twenty four to hit. Yeh. That is for fourteen
bludgeoning damage. Yare As you're trying to figure out what's going on, you
lose track of the other one for a second as it oozes behind you,
and then like you feel this horrible strike to your back for fourteen bludgeoning damage
hitting you like probably just like in the spine, and then it begins to
spread around. I need a fortitude saved from you twenty five. Okay,
this one is second, so makes it breaks it luckily because that'll be a
twenty twenty five and it's lowered its difficulty by one, so you just nearly
made that. You are still grabbed. However, next pseudopod heading towards you
a rash Talk. Sorry, I had to move one more to do that,
and it did have the capability to do that, so it would have
gone there. That is a seventeen to hit that misses. Wow, that's
like the third time that's happened in the campaign. Ever. Ever, amazing
a rash talk somehow you see this creature undulating and rolling along the ground and
you actually see it and manage to dodge. I've been scouting. It's my
time. We get this close up of a rash talk's face. His eyes
are all bloodshot, like just horribly bloodshot because he's been so focused, like
he's been opening his eyes extra wide to see more. And you do dodge
very well. Okay, we do have one pseudopod connected to Yara and that
isn't for its turn. Okay, the loyalists are gonna get the fuck out
of the cloud. At least they're gonna try this one does it runs up
this way and we'll wretch, pecking their guts out, getting the sicken condition
off. This one here, uh, will run into the other guy and
stumble off to this way. Does not remove the sicken condition because he ran
into the other guy. We'll say this guy down here doesn't have much to
go very far. We're gonna say he's just able to do this, moves
out, wretches, gets rid of the condition. Okay, new round,
gar steel flare, he's gonna make a role Ooh that's interesting. That's very
interesting. Hmm gar steel flare yells, Uh, I didn't know we could
even do that. A RAS shocket shouldrink. This makes me not a ross
talk. Well, it makes a ross talk very happy too, now that
he realizes he got away with it. All right, Uh, this one
in front of me, he's going to be targeted by a new spell from
a scroll that I fed my little much roomy friend briny Bolt. I'm double
triple quadruple checking that the dang thing is actually using the correct Yes, good,
Okay, this one is no longer on fire by the other one down
here. Okay, just making dang sure good, it's actually using the right
thing A twenty three to hit with briny bolt. I pull water, specifically
saltwater from who knows where and cast it out as a bolt directly at this
hooding in front of me. Okay, okay, this one all right?
Yes, for it looks I don't think there's anything other than that two D
six Yes for two D six damage. It is also blinded for around h
okay, sorry, I'm just checking here. There's no tags on this spell.
Uh no, there should be one second. Oh, I think it
popped off because of it had to write it in because it wasn't in.
Oh yeah, the command one second. I'll add those after I get this
the tags attack, evocation, and water. Okay, so this is bludgeoning
damage, yes, okay a rash talk. It seems like there's no response
from this thing. It just kind of ripples, even though Karun yelled out
its weaknesses. I'm so sorry it does. It is a success. I
apologize, no worries. I wanted to check there may have been something else.
I wanted to make sure all right, it was piercing and slashing,
I thought, yees, so it takes nine bludgeoning damage from this, yeah,
instead of small ripples there's probably a large one, and it kind of
like shoots out a blob on the other side. It's a bit like if
you're a fan of Naruto when Oscar and Rudo were trying out their abilities on
the water towers. It's a bit like the Resengan. There's like a small
hole on this side and then on the other side. Okay, and then
for my final action, I run away. Yeah a rash talk. It
seems to track you, even though it's supposed to be blinded. You can
see it started to like turn. Maybe there's a pseudo pod that's like following
you. M I had a feeling it might It is eyeless, but uh,
I wanted to track me. It seems it is limited range with what
it's doing, so it might actually be helpful. So I've moved away first
and foremost, I would like to attempt to use the escape action in order
to break free of this grab. Okay, so I think it's acrobatics or
athletics the both one. So I'm going to roll acrobatics. I will reroll
that using a hero point. It's twelve, right, twelve eleven, that's
eleven. Fuck all right, Well, I'm going to reach your hand out,
and I will cast a level three keel for two actions on our Cilia
with my moderate curse in effect. That will be seventeen healing plus another twenty
four plus another three forty four, forty seven forty seven, Yes, so
forty seven points of healing. I'm looking at just Earlia. You need to
get the fuck out of Visit's hands, and that is my turn the whole
time, like Yura is doing like an underhanded one. You know, it's
like reaching underneath stuff, just like trying to heal you. Okay, Uh,
it's your turn, ar Cilia. Okay, I heal. The life
boost goes down by one. How fucked up is the one to the north
looking? It's looking a lot skinnier than it was before. God, I'll
just keep going at it twenty five Okay, what's the damage on that?
That's gonna be twelve damage? Okay, how do you end this creature?
Uh? Essentially, I will lunge forward, leaning into the pseudopod, and
I try to reach as high up as I can, and I split it
right down the middle, so you get you allow yourself to be pulled in
with the pseudo from the pseudopod. So you use the momentum and push off,
leaping in and you slice this think there's that moment where it just stays
in one piece, and then okay, and it loses all of its cohesion.
If you're watching a Great British Bakeoff show, you would see that they
needed more gelatine in this pudding. It just kind of falls apart as it
falls to two separate pieces. Instead of splitting and becoming new puddings, it
just loses the cohesion. Fantastic. I'm assuming I no longer grabbed correct all
right, as soon as collapses, I'll slough off the pseudopod and then I'll
begin to move. I'll do a five foot step here. Then my final
action I will swing my hatchet again. Is it possible for me to try
to aim for the pseudopod to disconnect it from Yes, I will make it
more difficult though, Yeah, fuck it, I'll just try killing it.
I aim for the body. Okay, twenty six, that is the hit.
What is the damage? That's ten damage? Magic again, you take
a chunk out of this thing. Cheesecake slice flies off. Hold on,
yarra, I'm trying to get you from That's my turn. Am I able
to see the dwarf. The dwarf now it's concealed by a rash talks stinking
cloud. Just all these stink bugs farting in a big cloud. Is the
box where the creature was from? Whence the creature came? Is it here
still? Has it been uh uncovered? It's been pretty Yes, it's not
looking great. Any metal that was on it has been sort of consumed.
The box from whence it came pretty much. I see, So there is
no putting the creature back. There's bits that are left of this box.
But yeah, it's been pretty wrecked. Interesting. So these dwarves just unleash
these creatures with no plan to bring them back. I see, I see,
now, very good. I will. I will take my alchemist fire
and toss it at here at this creature is a nineteen to hit. Yeah,
that's a hit karun mm hmm. How do you kill it? I
will tell you exactly how I kill it. I will begin walking slowly but
with purpose, next to the creature and off off handedly. I will begin
looking in one direction, but on capping the thing and tossing it behind my
back at the creature, and as it explodes in a horrible fiery tire fire.
I will continue walking towards the door where I last saw the dwarf,
and in dwarf in, I would like to say, I have seen with
my own eyes the depths of your witness Dwarf in treachery today, and I
will never forget it. And then violently starts coughing as she walks into the
pudding sort of catches the last bit of fire and you just see it like
it sort of solidifies into charcoal and turns to dust. Behind Karun, she
continues walking into the stink clouds. Looking near the stink cloud, does the
tiny menace say anything in return? I have spoken to him in his little
language. He does as he does. You are all out of combat.
As you see all of the members of this committee sort of looking bewildered by
everything that happens. Stink cloud dissipates, by the way, I just kind
of yeah, the the as this happens, you you you see the stink
cloud dissipate, and Gar and the other loyalists kind of like they're they're sort
of wretching any last bit of stink from themselves. And you can see Gar
like move like a little bit closer. Everybody's wide eyed, and he says,
I'm so sorry. I I you almost got us killed. I almost
killed the rest of the sound citizens. How did you plan on bringing them
back? Mindless, little creature. I never expected you to actually be good
because you never understand consequences of your actions. Its only do do more?
Did you can collect? Mindless? He bows before all of you. How
many people have you killed like this? The rest of the committee sort of
like look around a bit bewildered, and he says, only those that were
evil. I assure you, so strangers that you know nothing of that you
don't have a conversation with you decide to fucking try and kill and meet it?
Are you kidding? Wait? Wait, if they attacked us and we're
good, they're evil, then they all kind of like look around for a
second, a little bit confused. I don't know if he's right, sir.
Your God is probably fucking disgusted you are you are right? We have
misshugged you, and for that we are truly sorry. Wowful, there are
no evil creatures as we have suspected. The rest of the committee members intendants
look at you and they bow, we are we are sorry. For what
we have done. Osidia, you should do the talking before I rip one
of their fucking heads off me too. Also, can you ask for recompense?
I return and just start collecting whatever el chemical reagents I can get.
I will let the rest of you handle the speaking to this awful little creature.
I look fucked up by the way. I have a wound from the
art ferocity. It would have been like a horrible bruise, right because it
was all like internal damage basically that you were getting hit. Everything was bludgeoning
acid, so you would have like burn marks and stuff like that. I
don't know, I don't know how much is healed with yaas battle medicine and
her abilities. Yeah, look, we obviously need to have much longer and
comprehensive conversation, but this is not the time or place you are correct,
I apologize, oh what we have done. I will encourage you. However,
like more normally around town, we were walking through the plaza. How
much more normal can anyone be? You obviously have confused him. You've somehow
you can see something has broken in this person's mind. It's the equivalent of
speaking to you know, like a like an insane evangelical sort of person that
has had their their beliefs destroyed. He's kind of wide eyed and and he
just I suppose you're right. I okay, get the card. Clean this
mess up, ma'am h. I'll be sure to let the other merchants know
that you are what is your name? I am God steel Flair. We
will need to treat our wounds and sundel ourselves. Can we find an audience
with you later tonight at your armory? You own armory? Yes? Yes,
oh my time. Did I hear him say something about talking to the
merchants to be whispering to our Celia will let the other merchants know that you
are good, foul creatures seeking to in fact honored guests. You have proven
yourselves, So all right, let's got you with difference good. I'm collecting.
We will leave after Karan finishes collect Gar steel Fist and the loyalists sort
of clean up the square a little bit, begin to leave this horrific,
acrid smoke remaining from this this horrific black pudding creature. Karoun, you've rolled
a twenty on your crafting check. I'm going to say that you're able to
get one moderate set of reagents. Now that Dwarf wouldn't have stood half a
chance on one of these things. It's at this point that you hear this
familiar roar os and you see Malvic jump out the window towards you. Oh
my god, Hello, this is why Stephen from Table Story. If you'd
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