Game Thread The Path to Perdition - Page 3

TeufelHeunden · #31 Jun 27th, 2016, 01:32 AM

This wasn’t the first time Thangaurdt had been in a city under siege, though generally, it was from an army outside the gates rather than those inside. As they trudged through the streets, he inhaled in the fragrant smell of sulfur and brimstone as the black flakes fell like a winter snow upon the streets. He was almost at home. He did have compassion for those suffering; he had lost many brothers to such times in the past, although back then it was for a cause, gold can be a cause can’t it.

When Kyra told him of Brom’s fate, he felt a sudden hollowness in his chest. He stumbled a step or two as he paused, a distant almost empty look in his eyes as he spoke in a flat monotone voice, “Nae, they didn’t git Brom too. Both in tha same day. We were a team that nothin' cou' defeat when we fought together. Thank ye lassy, at least ye set me heart at ease nae ta look for him anymore, I only hope he ken recover and fight in yer brother’s name again once more.” His eyes went glassy as he motioned for them to continue and they picked up the pace.

As they came around a corner, he was near the rear as he usually was and he happened to look up and catch the burly priest toss a coin to the baby and her mom suffering against the wall. He was beginning to doubt whether he was truly a man of the cloth or no, but he had known his kind before and felt better about him for doing so. He was aware that many clerics that fought alongside them in harrowing battles. Even though they were rough on the outside they had their soul still intact under all those layers, he was a battle priest and Thangaurdt would be proud to stand alongside him.

As the group stopped to debate investigating the ally he caught up to them. In a wheezy tone catching his breath he agreed that they should go to the Wench and sort things out, “Radcliff be right, what ever tha elf cou' find from tha original crime be gone by now and what be left will be thar after we git a few drinks in us. Let’s go and figure out what our plan be and we ken come back here ta see if thar be anythin' after that.” He started on the way to the Wench hoping to get a few steps ahead of everyone else.

SophieValentine · #32 Jun 27th, 2016, 11:36 AM

Though Lee is relieved that two of their number had prevailed upon the good lady to hold off until after they'd had a drink and a sit-down and perhaps a brainstorming session, he couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't going to let the matter go. He was going to have to go there eventually - there or somewhere else - the guard station perhaps? To see what he could-

'Wait. What? Did he just say...elf?' Agent Smith took a bewildered look around, trying to take note of the group's make up. Radcliffe - human. Kyra - human. Thanguardt - Duergar? Bombast - human. Once again, slow on the uptake, Lee realized the nice little man meant him. He really was about to protest when the group moved once more, headed for the Saucy Wench.

Sighing, he shook his head and changed direction once more. He supposed he really shouldn't be upset about it...theoretically there was elf blood in his lineage somewhere, and in the years that he'd been in Absalom he'd stopped letting it bother him when people asked. But the offhand way Mr. Thanguardt had said it threw him a bit. It'd been a while since anyone had asked or made comment. Then again...it'd been a while since he'd actually been around someone new long enough to have anything akin to a conversation.

moozuba · #33 Jun 28th, 2016, 09:40 PM

The Primarch's champions wove their way through the Wise Quarter without incident. Shops were closed -- one scrollworks owner, a thin man with a pointed beard and narrow face, was in the process of boarding up his store and watched the five strangers pass with suspicious, narrowed eye -- and residents peered out through slats in the window blinds.

As they passed through the high gate separating the Wise Quarter from the Ascendant Court, the eerie emptiness of the courtyard encircling one of Golarion's holiest sites testified to just how much had changed since their confrontation with Lord Utgar and the Black Butcher. Vendor tents and food carts sat abandoned along the Avenue of the Hopeful and within the God's Market, surrounded by litter of a common and uncommon nature. Even the facades of the many temples, chapels, and sanctuaries lining the court appeared dark and unpopulated. A lone, pale face appeared from within a small chapel that Radcliffe knew well -- Sarenrae's Chapel of the Shining Star. The figure waved urgently at them, eyes wide in his bloodless face.

With Perception check DC 21 to realize what's about to happen. Success means you evade the spell. No damage and no Reflex save required.barely the time for the quintet to register the peculiar circumstances, the air in the court sizzled with accumulating magical power. Less than a breath's space later, a streak of bluish lightning crashed into the cobblestones where the champions stood, leaving behind charred stone and the smell of burned ozone. The thunder clap shook the court and temporarily deafened the champions.

Overhead, atop the battlements separating the Wise Quarter and Ascendant Court, floating a few feet off the stone, hovered what appeared to be a massive ball lightning, crackling and snapping with the power of the storm. Upon closer inspection, the deadly orb proved not to be an elemental entity, but a person -- a woman, to be exact, back and neck arched as if it the throes of a spinal spasm, surrounded by an energy field of raw electricity.

The woman began to raise her arms. The air of the Ascendant Court sizzled with the accumulation of magical power. Though her back remained arched, the woman's eyes, glowing a fierce and unnatural blue, strained to peer down at the four men and their dwarven companion who had ventured into her dominion.

SophieValentine · #34 Jun 29th, 2016, 12:58 PM

Peering around in the shadows of the carts and tents, Lee was still on guard for whoever or whatever might come their way when he spotted the lone man willing to be out at this hour in the streets. A man Lee had never seen before - beckoning them over? 'What in the world is he so concerned about? The earthquake is over...'

He was just about to look and see if anyone else recognized the man, so they might adjust their course when he felt it - the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, the court took on an unearthly blueish glow. Agent Smith threw himself backwards and away from the group even as the lightning struck and scorched the cobblestones inches from where he'd been standing.

As he leapt backwards, a flash of silver, and a dagger was thrown skyward. Baffling as to where it was supposed to be going, it nevertheless sparkled in the glowing aftermath of the electric arc, and came clattering back down to the ground. As it landed, it revealed its actual purpose - Smith was goneStealth - DC: 25 Perception to manage a glimpse as he blends into the shadows of the outbuildings under the mean zappy lady..

TeufelHeunden · #35 Jun 30th, 2016, 01:00 AM

As the cluster made their way deeper into the city, the acute sense of uneasiness from the residents permeated the air and soaked into Thangaurdt’s skin like a cold, wet rain that you couldn’t escape. The streets here were nearly deserted except the few scurrying like rats escaping the farmer’s cat as they moved to cover. Those already in their homes or shops had them locked tight with the occasional one-eyed glance through a pulled shutter.

Soon they passed through the gate from the Ascendant Court into the Wise quarter, the emptiness felt complete. Carts and merchandise in the square were left behind from the absconding public and merchants. About halfway through the plaza, a man appeared from within the chapel, anguish upon his face as he waved his arms. Thangaurdt must have been consumed thinking about the possibility. As some of the others leapt from the corner of his vision, his eyes were instead drawn down to the glowing stones beneath his feet.

The suddenness of the thundering blast caught him by surprise, unsure if it was the electricity rampaging through him or the following thunderclap which shook him more. He turned and caught sight of the lady hovering over the gate and then the elf tossed a dagger in the air and disappeared. He felt from experience that forward was the only way to go so he ran as quickly as he could to the chapel seeking cover.

Rolzup · #36 Jun 30th, 2016, 03:33 PM

"Oh, I say!" Thomas, shocked in both the literal and figurative senses, looked up, jaw hanging open and hair standing on end. Some preternatural sense had warned him, caused him to slow his step for a few precious strides...and it may well have saved the sorcerer's life. "Not before getting a drink," he protested, "That's hardly cricket! I'm of a mind to...."

Jasper, exasperated, gave his master a sound thump on the head. Startled, Thomas broke into a run, angrily wagging his finger at the hovering figure. "We'll not stand for this," he called, "And the very minute that we're done running I promise you that you'll regret this rudeness!"

Melchior · #37 Jul 2nd, 2016, 02:29 AM

It was testament to Radcliffe's rather preoccupied state of mind that he had somehow forgotten entirely about the fact that the quickest route to the Coins from Azlanti Keep took them straight through the Ascendant Court. Straight through the court on the side which would bring them into direct line of sight with the Temple of the Shining Star. Considering how poorly his most recent visit had ended, the temple currently ranked very highly on Radcliffe's list of 'the absolute last places he wanted to be at the moment'.

Unfortunately, by the time that fact had dawned on him, they could already see the ornate spires of the Starstone Cathedral rising high above the buildings ahead of them. They were practically in sight of the court, and it was much too late to try and manipulate the others into taking alternate route. And openly protesting and requesting they make a lengthy detour would have raised question Radcliffe didn't feeling like dealing with. His best hope was to move quickly and just hope that he didn't see anyone he knew.

Just running for it - and damn the consequences - was beginning to seem more appealing as well.

Any hope Radcliffe might have had of using the crowd to screen them was dashed as soon as they passed through the gates. The Ascendant Court was empty, which was strange on any day, but especially so now. During a time of crisis, Radcliffe would have expected to see more people here, seeking aid and comfort in faith.

Movement out of the corner of his vision caught his attention. It was hard to miss, as it was the only thing moving in the court aside from them. Radcliffe grimaced as he recognised the figure leaning out of the Temple of the Shining Star waving to get their attention. So much for hoping to not run into anyone he recognised. He and Brother Winston - who served the temple as something of an unofficial groundskeeper - had never talked much, but he would have recognised Radcliffe on sight. Running for it leaped up a few more places in Radcliffe's list of options.

Before he could pursue that possibility however, Radcliffe felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He had been around enough mages to recognise the feeling when someone was performing spellwork nearby. The faint smell of ozone carried on the breeze. Eyes widening in recognition, Radcliffe hastily threw himself forward, just as a ball of crackling electricity slammed down where they had been standing. A loud peel of thunder tore across the courtyard.

Radcliffe looked up to see the source of the lightning. A woman flouting above the battlements, wreathed in lighting. Her dress was enough to tell him that she belonging to one of the Scholastic guilds, but not much else. Though with the way she was floating above them, his vantage point from the ground offered him a clear look straight up her-

The growing ball of electricity in the woman's hand quickly encouraged him to abandon that particular enterprise. He might have been lucky enough to avoid the first, but he really did not want to see if the woman could improve her aim with practice. Smith had disappeared somewhere while Radcliffe was distracted, and Bombast appeared to be running for the cover of the many carts scattered around. The dwarf was sprinting for the temple, and with some surprise Radcliffe found himself following. Apparently his instincts had been to run for the safety of home, and by the time his higher thought processes had even realised what was happening he had already gone far enough that to turn back would have meant leaving himself exposed to the renegade mage. So cursing his treasonous legs the whole way, Radcliffe ran for the temple.

"Evening, Winston," Radcliffe remarked, almost conversationally, despite the fact that he had just practically dove through the door, throwing himself around the wall for cover. "I don't suppose you'd be able to explain why it the Ascendant Court appears to be under siege from one of the mage guilds."

ItsaVerb · #38 Jul 2nd, 2016, 09:40 PM

Kyra noticed the woman before the light of her spell revealed her. A second before, she'd gotten the feeling, a vague and yet certain sense that something was about to happen, and for that second, she analyzed the scene, the distance between her and the figure atop the battlement.

In the next second, she saw the light begin to flare, and her eyes flashed across the courtyard, and she saw the man standing at the chapel's entrance waving his hands in a silent beckon. Time had slowed, and Kyra had to make a calculation, even as she thrust herself forward, aware of a sizzling arc that whipped like a snake in her direction, not knowing which path she would take, she saw the single-story building was close to the wall, in two hops she could stem herself from the ground to the outer wall of the building, then spring back from the wall and reach the overhang of the building's roof... but to reach the top of the wall even from there, without a visible hold--too risky.

The arc connected to the finger that reached up from the stone pathway and Kyra felt her hair stand up and eardrums being sucked outward as the the trough of the first wave of sound from the lightning bolt's blast arrived. It hit Thangaurdt.

She'd kept all of them at the front of her vision, and only Smith had escaped it.

The others were heading in the direction of Kyra's plan B, and she was already a full sprinter's stride along in that direction. She reached out, and grabbed the dwarf's hand. Her momentum was behind her, and he was tough. If he was dazed at all from the attack, maybe she could help make sure he made it safely to succor.

moozuba · #39 Jul 5th, 2016, 12:16 PM

Agent Smith disappeared with a flourish and a puff of... dagger. Nonetheless, the trick worked. The thin man was nowhere to be seen.

Thangaurdt took the brunt of the mage's assault. As the others scattered to the four winds, the spread of lightning drew inward, attracted by the dwarf's

heavy metal gear, it channeled through his shield and armor. The smell of singed hair and charred Duergar skin filled the immediate surrounds, a rich and heady overture to the subtler scent of burned ozone.

The other party members -- Thomas, Radcliffe, and Kyra -- reached the relative safety of the Chapel of the Shining Star with Thangaurdt, still smoking, following close behind. They were ushered inside by Brother Winston, an acolyte of the Dawnflower and master of Reception. The man, abnormally pale yet surprisingly calm, smiled at them as they arrived. "Brother Radcliffe, you have returned," he said before turning to the others. "Welcome to the Shrine of the Dawnflower, children. You may shelter here from the storm."

Unlike most of the churches lining the interior of the Ascendant Court, Sarenrae's chapel was a humble, open-air house of worship surrounded by pillars rather than walls and a glass roof to allow the sun to shine down upon the faithful. Crowded into the chapel, huddled among the pews and the altar, were better than a hundred frightened-looking refugees. Below, Radcliffe knew, were chambers mostly hidden from the sun where the administrative offices of the church were housed, including the office of the Scion Lady Xerashir and chambers appointed for the exercise of the healing arts.

Winston blinked vacantly at Radcliffe. He was a good man. Obedient. But not the most socially adept. He often wore a glassy, empty expression and repeated himself often. "Not siege, brother. That would imply the intent of conquest. This one seems intent only on causing harm. One man and a child were struck in the first attack. They are below, along with some others, being tended to by the Scion. I regret to inform you that she is not taking appointments at this time." He frowned, a practiced, plastic expression that did not look at all natural on his face. As such, it seemed wholly insincere. The fact that he presumed Radcliffe had come for an audience with Xerashir, however, was revealing.

Across the courtyard, Lee Smith crept back through the gate and outbuildings connecting the Ascendant Court and the Wise Quarter. With a bit of luck and careful planning, he reasoned he would be able to reach the mage. Maybe take her out of commission, maybe just distract her long enough for someone else to come to the rescue.

SophieValentine · #40 Jul 7th, 2016, 06:36 PM

Having been struck by an idea, Lee tried to weigh the merits of it as he carefully and silently uncoiled the silk rope for his grapple. This was either a stroke of brilliance or a flash of idiocy. If Maur was here, he'd probably tell him it was the latter. Results notwithstanding, Lee was apparently the poster child for bad ideas.

He recalled a mission from the past - a test, really - and he'd passed. He got what he was sent for...and more. The next day, standing on that little veranda in the hot sun, he'd passed right out. Turns out the sewer chutes, while sneaky, are not the best places for one's health. He could recall, sometime later, awaking, that pair of mismatched eyes looking down at him. He remembered being scolded for passing out in the middle of being congratulated. And he remembered being told he was a good agent...in the same breath he was called a moron.

Agent Lee Smith knew his theory was sound...well - it was sound if it were actual electricity and not, you know, magic. There was a quirking of his lips (that might even be mistaken for a smile) as he checked the line one more time. Time to be a well-paid moron.

Taking aim, Lee pulled the trigger and let arrow fly, watching as its little prongs loosed from the shaft. Feet of wet silk strung out behind it, uncurling from its watery home in a half empty rain barrel. The Agent quickly moved away from where he'd taken the shot and towards a set of stairs on this side of the wall - hoping to make at least some progress before being electrocuted.

Rolzup · #41 Jul 11th, 2016, 02:48 PM

Panting a little, Thomas sagged against a nearby wall. "Does this sort of thing happen often?" He waved an arm in the general direction of the mage. "Because, I must say: it's more than a little off-putting. One expects to be welcomed to the comforting bosom -- can I say 'bosom' in here? Is that allowed, saying 'bosom' in a place of worship? Goodness I hope that it is -- to the comforting..." Thomas made vague gestures at chest height "...of the church, old boy. Not to be struck by bolts from above, which have a particularly unsavory connotation considering our present locale."

Having caught his breath, the sorcerer straightened up and fussily adjusted his lapels. "That said, shouldn't something be done about the lady responsible? I'm hardly an authority on matters theological, but I would imagine that striking children with lightning has to be some sort of sin. Sort of thing that only the gods are allowed to do, what?"

Melchior · #42 Jul 11th, 2016, 08:27 PM

Radcliffe had never liked Brother Winston all that much. That might have been strange, considering that the groundskeeper was largely a rather humble and inoffensive individual, but to Radcliffe he had always come across as disingenuous and a little dopey. Today, he wore that same glassy expression he always seemed to have: as if he were so caught up in his own little world that he barely noticed you, and seemed put off by the fact when he did. In fact, considering Willam as well, Radcliffe often wondered if there was something strange in the water from the temple's well that made so many of it's member act such. It was the reason that Radcliffe preferred alcohol.

Well... it was a reason, at least.

"Ah yes, well that is unfortunate," Radcliffe said in response to Winston's unprompted revelation that the Scion was unavailable. In truth, Xerashir was the one of the very last people he wished to deal with right now, ranking very narrowly behind the crazed lighting spewing woman out in the courtyard.

Radcliffe peeked around the corner to get another look at said lightning mage. For now the temple was a safe haven, but he realised that fact was more to do with the disinterest of their attacker than anything else. An open air complex such as the temple of Saranae was not exactly the best refuge from the wrath of someone who called down lightning bolts. But she had not followed them, and so far it seemed as though she was content to remain doing whatever it was she thought she was doing.

"Well Master Bombast, I imagine it has a lot to do with which god you ask. Most though, would probably not approve." Radlciffe ducked back into cover and pressed his back against the wall, before turning his attention back to Winston, "Speaking of other gods, are all the other churches are content to let that madwoman float out there? A rogue mage seems like the sort of thing Nethys' men should be taking care of. Or Iomedae's. We have an entire building just down the way stuffed to overflowing with paladins and none of them have come out to stop this?"

ItsaVerb · #43 Jul 22nd, 2016, 12:12 PM

Kyra's mind whirled with possibilities once she ducked out of the view of their magical roof-climbing assailant. The woman seemed to be attacking indiscriminately. At this juncture, it wouldn't have surprised the monk a bit to learn there was an assassin on their tail. The expeditions Khair and the others had taken to explore that blasted tower had caused all manner of trouble, and raised the ire of more than a couple of Absalom's residents--some powerful ones, too.

This one seemed to be acting chaotically. Kyra couldn't be sure if the woman was simply unable to control the magic she used, or if in fact she meant only to harm for harm's sake. There was also the possibility she didn't have control of herself. In the day since she'd arrived in the City at the Center of the World, Kyra had become far too familiar with the idea of mind-control--a notion that bothered her to the foundation of her beliefs. Muar Gauthfollow had easily manipulated her some hours before, directing her actions as if she were nothing more than a marionette, with the spell lord as puppeteer, pulling her strings.

Puppets... a chill ran up Kyra's spine as she remembered the vision. Khair, the fair-haired woman, the throne... puppets.

Feiya had controlled the brute Mikael in much the same way, and the malevolent spirit of the butcher attempted to do the same to Kyra inside the keep. It seemed mental manipulation was a popular pastime in Absalom. Very unfortunate, but somehow the idea helped Kyra calm herself--to presume the woman bringing lightning down on the defenseless people in the Ascendant Court was not acting of her own accord made it easier to think clearly. Easier to press back the feelings of judgement, and anger.

Brother Radcliffe once again proved you should never presume to expect what the priest would say next, and what he said made a lot of sense in Kyra's assessment. The Seventh Church of Iomadae. She owed it a visit. Genedair the Faithful might be interested to learn what had happened since his meeting with Khair, and perhaps could somehow lend aid.

The fact she suspected Radcliffe to be in possession of the artifact Iomadae's high-priest sent Khair to find had less to do with her beckoning than the fact she agreed with his reasoning, and furthermore, she didn't want to separate. Not from him, Thangaurdt, or Bombast. Though they remained veritable strangers, they were in this together. Agent Smith seemed to have his own agenda, and locating him was not an urgent concern for Kyra. Not now. But Brother Radcliffe's suggestion certainly was.

"Great point," Kyra said between pants, replying to Radcliffe's statement about the temple full of holy warriors. "I want to go there. To the Seventh Church. Perhaps we can find help there." She'd become aware of the air of discomfort bristling around Radcliffe, suspecting he wasn't delighted to be in Sarenrae's temple--perhaps not only for the fact it didn't provide much cover from above.

"Will you come with me?"

TeufelHeunden · #44 Jul 30th, 2016, 02:04 AM

Thanguardt had begun to run to the chapel, seemingly the only place of cover from this wild witch tossing lightning bolts at them. The shock to his innards was gruesome yet he had been here before, and ambush whether in the mountains or here in the heart of the city was one in the same. His skin tingled from the electricity and he felt a sudden coldness deep in his bones as he was stunned, but Kyra grasped him and guided him in the direction of the open air temple.

He held an unbelieving stare or dazed look as they rounded the corner, several, no more than a hundred innocents hid amongst the pews of this sanctuary. “This ken’t be good,” he uttered as they rounded the doors and pursued shelter. He tussled to regain his breath as the others spoke. It seemed that Radcliffe was a frequenter here.

As the others bombastically negotiated to find refuge in this chamber Thangaurdt knew just one thing, whoever this demon of the night was that prayed on the innocent was, they had to be neutralized. “Thank ye Kyra,” he acknowledged knowing full well that without her guidance he would have been up on the fryer again.

He pulled out his bow, “Now let’s see what we ken do about this lightin' mage.” He quickly stepped just barely out the door and let one of his arrows fly before ducking back inside. He didn’t even take the follow through to see if his arrow had found its mark.

moozuba · #45 Aug 17th, 2016, 12:40 PM

The grappling arrow wobbled in its trajectory as it flew toward the lightning mage. It looked as though it might pass as much as a foot to the right of the seething ball of electricity surrounding the woman, but at the last moment dipped and caught the stone directly behind her. The lightning surging around the mage drew together around the grappling hook as a focal point. Below, the rain barrel began to steam, then bubble.

The shield of electricity diminished visibly and the magus turned, shock-white eyes staring directly at the slender man in the dark clothing huddled in the shadows and clutching a recently-fired crossbow. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but lightning poured out instead, a white-hot radiance that crackled with the power of the storm.

Across the courtyard, Thangaurdt fired blindly into the night. His arrow fell far short of the mage atop the battlement, but at that precise moment, the rain barrel at the base of the wall burst as the water within reached a full boil, spraying the area with scalding hot water and fragments of steaming wood and half-melted iron.

Beneath the shelter of the Dawnstar's chapel, Brother Winston smiled placidly at Radcliffe. "Some did."

He gestured to an area not far from where the quintet of adventurers had entered the Ascendant Court. There, unnoticed amidst the wreckage, lay an array of charred bodies near a smoldering kebab stand. Ali's Kebabs, which had been high-and-beyond the best kebabs in Absalom, was now burned to ash -- not to mention the loss of the paladins or whomever the brave souls had been who died beside it. The kebabs, however, would be sorely missed. Ali had a secret spice recipe and always managed to get the lamb so succulent and sweet without sacrificing the light char (and accompanying crunch) on the outside, not unlike the char on the skin and armor of the paladins that lay sprawled around the much-beloved Qadiran street food stand.

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