Game Thread, Chapter 1: All the Kings Horses...

[VennDygrem]

As he stands around hidden by the invisibility, Cade can't help but fidget restlessly-- it's in his blood! He messages to the group:

<<Hmm, so where do you want me? Should I get closer to the village for faster ambushing? I can change shape to something with a somewhat smaller size, to improve my chances of remaining stealthy, then change shape back. It'd be simple... How far does this cloaking shield go, anyhow?>>

You can tell that Cade doesn't like standing still, and dislikes not being useful even less.

Damn, that's one smart bat! Must be polymorphed/alternate form or something. Explains the erratic movement though.

[Agita]

Bat... that means it doesn't need to see us. Can you hide from that? If not... we need to take it out, quickly. Ris-Janna glances in Marlowe's direction, even knowing that she can't see him. She does, indeed, have many skills - but killing something that's far away and in the air is not one of her better-developed ones.

[Kuroimaken]

"I'll trust you to be swift on the matter, shadow girl. I'm going to approach from another angle."

[Bozwevial]

Show me where. Marlowe squints along the sights of his crossbow, trying to line up a shot.

If Ris-Janna can indicate where the bat is, Marlowe will study the bat for a death attack. Does it have cover or concealment?

[PhaedrusXY]

Despite Ris-Janna's pointing, Marlowe can't make it out visually, nor hear it. The bat is flying among the tree leaves, and seems quite stealthy. But then again, it's a tiny (diminutive, even...) bat flying through thick tree tops in the dark... If it continues its course, it will be right on top of you in mere seconds.

The bat hasn't stopped moving, and is flying toward you both. I thought if you were going to try something, I'd give you a chance to act before I continued its action. We should probably roll initiative if you're going to attack it (or try to do something else) before it flies over you.

[Agita]

Dammit... Fine, look closely where I attack. Whipping out her two daggers, Ris-Janna readies to throw them at the bat.

Surprise round time? The bat should be unaware of at least RJ, but you never know if the DM won't throw something with Mindsight or Lifesense or something at you. RJ will try to attack the thing, that should show Marlowe at least the right square (cube?). Or kill it outright, if it's got crap for hp.

Init (1d20+10=23)

[PhaedrusXY]

It's about 40 feet from you and flying toward you, like I said. I assume you're going to wait till it is within 30 feet at least, right? Go ahead and roll attack roll(s), and damage. Yeah, I guess you should get a surprise round. It heard Marlowe, but hasn't seen either of you yet, nor heard you at all. It's flying in to "radar" the area, though.

Go ahead and roll initiative everyone, also. I'll get some maps up tomorrow. I have one for the village already made, but it is on my work PC.

[VennDygrem]

Initiative: 1d20(20)+1=21

Augh, the only nat 20 I'm ever gonna get in this game, I bet.

[Bozwevial]

Initiative (1d20+4=24)

Oh sure, NOW I roll a natural 20. Right when it would be least advantageous.

[Kuroimaken]

Initiative roll (1d20+2=20) Stick a fork in it, this bat's done.

[PhaedrusXY]

Created a new thread for the encounter. Let's post there until the encounter is over with.

[Kuroimaken]

"Now then. Anyone in need of medical care?" Raoul questioned while, ironically, he seemed to be one of those who needed it the most.

[PhaedrusXY]

"I think old big, tall, and furry there could use a band-aid, if you're feeling charitable." Sejanus says dryly as he walks out of the forest and wipes the goblin blood off of his ruby-tipped spearhead.

"You know... as I was contemplating the insanity of our quest... it occurred to me that there must be a large number of stupendously powerful beings out there that would definitely have a vested interest in our success. Now... as we know, stupendous power doesn't make one immune to being snuffed out like a candle by... our target...

However, I kept thinking, and realized that there must be at least a few stupendously powerful beings that would also have the ability to escape such a fate. That, coupled with Xuuvosic's rant about the powers of the... item... we're currently seeking, jogged a memory.

Ahem... sorry for the long lead in, but I remember hearing of a powerful arch-devil with great powers over Time. Some of you have probably heard of him also. I'm not sure if I should name him aloud, though, at least until we've decided whether we'd want to draw his attention, and risk drawing... other attention... by naming him. He is a servant of the Lord of the 2nd, however.

If he has managed to avoid being destroyed already, he might be willing to aid us, at least indirectly, if he thinks we might actually be useful."

Xuuvosic knows who Sejanus is talking about, as does anyone else that can make a DC 25 Knowledge (Planes) check.

OOC: It's Merorem, the Darkwind, servant of the Lord of the 2nd Layer of Hell (Dispater). He is an immensely powerful being with great powers over time, including the ability to travel through it, alone or with others. His name is feared by any that would have any reason to fear it. What exactly he does or has done however, is somewhat mysterious. It is rumored that he has acted as an assassin at least, traveling back and murdering threats to Dispater before they were even born.

He seems like he'd be the perfect "Patron" for you guys, although I'd probably limit any influence he has over you as basically acting as an armory. Basically, it would be a plausible way for you to enter the Wish economy without us having to RP the absurdity of chain-binding efreet, or whatever.

And of course... you're not going to be meeting him personally, or even any of his high level servants. You'd be dealing with his peons at best.

[Kuroimaken]

"Why patch what was born defective, I say." Raoul replied with a sneer.

"I figure we could give it a try. I mean, what the hell, we're up to our necks in this by now."

[VennDygrem]

Cade, upon the end of the Enlarging spell upon him, returns to his normal, large size. He attempts to wipe the blood off of himself using a few spare rags, and concentrates on the shiftweave which makes up his outfit to return it to its normal appearance.

He then calmly walks over to Sejanus, as though he had never gone on a murderous rampage, and says, in his normal, smooth, silken voice,
"Are you insane?"

Looking down at the Elan, he continues, "Most of us are of Demonic blood. Assuming that this arch-devil is still alive and willing to aid anyone, do you think he will simply put aside the Blood War and welcome us into his home? Make up a fresh pot of tea? I agree we could use all the help we can get, but can we reliably get it from this source?"

And you guys scoffed at me when I suggested seeking out a deity or creature that dabbled in Time. Called me mad! Well, we'll see who's mad now! Hahaha! Bwahahaha! 

Also, Kn: Planes roll- 1d20(16)+7=23
Wow, real close, but no cigar.

[PhaedrusXY]

"Well... he might. I mean... would you, under the circumstances? Anyway, it was just an idea, and I figure anyone else that might consider helping us, and actually be able to, is probably already dead. This guy, given his reputation, might have actually foreseen this whole thing coming and protected himself from it, somehow... I don't know... it was just an idea..."

Ok, I think I'm going to stop running him as an NPC now, and if InnaBinder doesn't show up to play him soon I'll probably have him leave the party somehow... So discuss it among yourselves, but you can use him as an indirect way of asking me questions in character if you want, at least for the moment.


With a DC 23 check, you haven't heard of Merorem himself, but you have heard of Dispater, his master, Lord of the 2nd layer of Hell/Baator. He is known as one of the most paranoid beings in the universe, and as far as you know pretty much never leaves his Iron Tower, which is an immense (rumored to be infinite) artifact, which has never been successfully breached in the history of the universe, rumored to have included at least a few direct assaults by greater deities.

You don't think he is all that involved in the Blood War from what you can remember, as he is more concerned with solidifying his own power within the hierarchy of Hell. The Lord of the First (and his layer, being as it is the one that adjoins the other lower planes directly) is more involved with the Blood War.

Dispater is known to be scheming (as all devils are), and to have contingencies for his contingencies... He is also one of the oldest still-sitting rulers of Hell, surely in no small part due to his paranoia.


And I am using Dicefreaks rules for deities and cosmic entities, if it matters (it shouldn't really...).

[VennDygrem]

"I'm not discounting the idea wholesale. I mere want to warn you that such an undertaking should not be made lightly. They will try to screw us over as early and as often as they can afford to."

[Agita]

Ris-Janna frowns sceptically, as if to agree with Cade. "I want as little as possible to do with humans... and even less with fiends... be they devils or demons or fluffy bunnies or whatever."

Paying attention to the conversation only nominally, Ris-Janna walks over to the bleeding, but still breathing barghest. Any assassin's first lesson: No taking chances. Although she knows he's unconscious, the girl leans over to whisper something in the wolf-goblin's ear as she presses a dagger to its bleeding throat. "Semantics of Violence 102: This is a 'final cut'... and an example." With that, she drives the point of the blade through its thick hide, puncturing the jugular and and trachea with gusto.

No, I don't think that a school in a fantasy setting would use such names for its classes. But who knows, maybe Reshar was ahead of the times.

CdGing the fucker. While his retching minions are watching. Because I totally trust Phaedrus to pull something on us while he's not technically dead yet.

Coup de Grace is delivered with full Power Attack because it's an auto-hit anyway. It's also a crit and I get to add my SA damage.
Coup de Grace damage (2d4+3d6+20=34)

If he survives that (unlikely, given that he's at negative hp, he still needs to make a Dc 44 Fort save or die. Buh-bye, I'd say.

[PhaedrusXY]

He was at -19 already (he had a feat that let him survive to -20), so yeah... he's really, really, really dead.

[Kuroimaken]

"I say it beats trying to get answers off a dead body. Or taking a trip into the Underdark. If we have problems with time, then we DEFINITELY should take the shortest, easiest path. We can solve the issuing problems with it later. I mean, seriously - the Blood War's been going on since forever. Even assuming they used the Lochnar to travel back in time to fight the demons in better terms or something, do you think we shouldn't take the leap anyway? It sure as hell beats the current situation."