DM Carl Tuesday February 18th, 2020 6:53:25 PM
Looks like our heroes are going to parade in full battle mode. Nice. The Chancers' Invitational has decided to try and batter the Sea Dragons about. About time they show some teeth.
Heather guides the party through the throng, which dutifully parts to allow them through. Off in the distance, you can already hear Kozy Tinkwicket doing his thing. "There are several...insignificant teams to go through before the big hitters start their parade. Some are here on a lark, others don't realize how far above their weight class they're punching. There's always a few," she says with a chuckle.
Our heroes are led into a side entrance to the event's colosseum. Care has been taken to keep the competitive teams separate. With all that's been going on, that's not surprising. The space is wholly unremarkable. There are a few wooden benches in the small, stone space. The only other decoration is a huge mirror taking up most of the wall opposite the lone entrance. Anyone with an active detect magic spell going notices the mirror radiates with divination magic. "Teams are supposed to remain separate from each other, buuuuuuttt...I figured you may like to watch the proceedings anyway to size everyone up." She presses a hidden stone button in the wall, and the entire mirror comes to life.
An enormous crowd has filled the colosseum to capacity. Currently, a team of young, but well-armed women are walking across the field. The crowd doesn't seem particularly impressed with them. All across the audience, people can be seen talking to each other, drinking from simple metal cups, and eating meat served on a stick.
Kozy's voice comes through loud and clear from the mirror. "Jade's Gambit, folks! Let's give them some love. They're gonna need it!" There's a spattering of applause from the crowd, but that's it.
"Ok everyone. Have we seen enough of the B-teams?" Kozy continues. There's a wave of laughter from the crowd. The team introduced as Jade's Gambit gives him a dirty look, but the event's handlers are already escorting them off the field. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, deviants of all ages..." he pauses, and a hush falls over the crowd.
"Let's get this started, shall we?" The crowd erupts, but Kozy's voice still overpowers the assembled throng. "First up! Here for the first time, but already causing waves. I give you Fangs. Of. The. BEEEASST!" On cue, seven beastfolk enter the colosseum. The team consists of 3 catfolk, all female, a female ratfolk, a male dogfolk, a male birdfolks, and a very old male bearfolk.
Kozy introduces them by name, but Heather has more pertinent info to give.
"That's Mint," she starts when the first female catfolk enters. "Caster. Chief healer, but she packs a punch. That's Miri," indicating another catfolk. "Sneaky type. Watch the shadows when she's around. Last catfolk there is Kirri. She's another caster, but she's way more playful than Mint.
"The ratwoman there is Claw. She's a natural magic type. She's been in a bad mood all week. Dog-boy there is Runt. He's a good shot. Birdman is Sky. Watch out for him; he relies on being ignored until it's too late. That bearfolk there? Goes by Grandpa. Do NOT be fooled by his age, everyone. I know you're all tough, but one-on-one my money would be on him." She shrugs. "Nothing personal."
***
Putting this much info for every team in one post is way too much for one day. Plan is to post detailed info for 2-3 teams per day. Or, you can say you don't care and I can just rush through it w/ little detail. Up to you guys.
RobC - Tahni Wyrmrider -- AC 22/13/19 -- CMD 20 -- HP 143/154 -- See Invis,ArcaneSight,DarkVision Tuesday February 18th, 2020 9:20:47 PM
Kirri. Kirri is the one that (fake?)fawned over Tahni. Sky is new. "Interesting. How does someone rely on being ignored? Surely he contributes to the battles somehow."
She pays attention to how they present themselves. Are they dressed for battle like the Dragons, and have armor on and weapons at hand?
"Have they nominated which three will be participating in the gauntlet?"
------------- OOC: 2 to 3 teams per day sounds good
Rill (MarkB) HP 156/169 - AC 33/20/30 - SR 20 - CMD 27 Wednesday February 19th, 2020 1:16:23 AM
Rill smooths his gleaming white robes and adjusts his breastplate. He takes off his helm and sets his shield down as has a seat to watch the proceedings in the viewing room.
"So Heather, with all these visiting teams and bettors, people come from all over. But are there any aspects this year that seem to be particularly unusual? Like monks that are constructs but are altered so that they themselves ignore evidence they're not human. Anything weirder than weird that stands out this time? Any lords of the nine hells show up to casually place bets?"
Fang (Mitch) HP: 228/228(236 rage) AC: 30/21/24 (-2 while raging, +1 while hasted) DR 1 CMD: 22 Spell List d20+11=31 ; Wednesday February 19th, 2020 8:14:49 AM
Fang shrugs. "I've seen the type before, could mean one of several things. Hangs back, looks unimportant, then suddenly takes out key target or casts a spell that totally changes a battle." She looks at Sky and tries to figure out if he looks more caster-y or like an archer or whatever (perception 31)
Terser (Warren) [AC22/13/19 - CMD 30 - HP 255/255, DR 4/-, Regen 1, Mind Blank] (SR21, 25% no crit, rage 36/43, channel 5/7) Wednesday February 19th, 2020 10:54:27 AM At least we know the catgirl likes to summon things already. If we take her out quick, that's a lot less adds to take on for the rest of the melee.
Terser starts thinking about his own tricks and what he's given away to observers already. At least he didn't do much except for slashing and especially quick channeling. He's relying a little bit on the fact that most of the folks with his training don't get out on many adventures.
Jozhur (Brock) AC27 / Touch 18 Flat 19--CMD 33--HP 185/185 --Shadow Companion 92/92hp 3 STR damage Wednesday February 19th, 2020 2:03:08 PM
Jozhur is a little put off at the treatment of the lesser teams. They may not have much of a chance, but at least they had the courage to come play.
He listens intently as Heather describes each participant. "Thanks for the info, sorry we were hard on you earlier."
DM Carl Wednesday February 19th, 2020 5:15:24 PM Tahni pays attention to the Fangs' gear. They've shown up with a bare minimum of clothing and no gear. What they do wear is mostly furs and leathers. The effect really plays up their bestial nature. The exception is Grandpa, who wears a set of plate armor made from bone. It's a seriously nice set of armor. Squinting, Tahni can see every single bone in the set is covered with engravings.
Anyone who gets curious about detecting magic through the mirror finds it doesn't work. Only the divination aura from the mirror is detected.
"Yea," answers Heather. "Sky, Miri, and Runt. Sky's going to cause issues. He can't actually fly without magical aid, but those wings of his are still useful. Kind of curious to see if the rules are updated for beastfolk next year."
Rill asks about anything weirder than normal this time around. Heather smiles. "Well yes, as a matter of fact. A member of the Dragon Consortium is here this year. Don't underestimate what your presence here has done for attendance. There may be a Lord of Hell out there, but they're keeping a low profile if they are." She pauses a moment, frowns, then continues. "The monks are being much more permissive than normal. I meant what I said about teams being expected to look out for themselves, but even I'm surprised at how passive they've been."
Fang considers Sky. They don't carry gear, but Heather's able to illuminate the situation a bit more. "He's a caster. Spends some time flying over head, seemingly not even part of combat. Then, he starts picking off targets with his magic."
Terser notes it would be a good idea to take the known summoner out quickly.
Jozhur is put off at the treatment of the minor teams. Even the Sea Dragons were neophytes once upon a time, after all. He thanks Heather, who smiles. "Water under the bridge, but thank you."
Their moment in the sun finished, the Fangs of the Beast exit the arena. Kozy begins the next introductions. "Next up, another group of newcomers that's caught our eyes. Let's hear it for the Talons of Aisildur!" On cue, 7 well armed adventurers enter the arena. If one were to look up "adventurers" in a dictionary, one might see the Talons of Aisildur. They consist of a dwarf, a half-orc, a half-elf, a halfling, and 3 humans. Only two of the humans are female.
Heather steps up again. "Don't be too quick to judge this team just because they're from Aisildur. They're actually really nice. The dwarf there is Gort. He's the leader and a straight martial fighter. Cammie there is a priest of Flower, she keeps everyone else alive. The other woman in the bunch is Seabreeze. She's not originally from Aisildur. Grew up in the Red Hills beating up orcs." Her dress is very tribal. She stands out quite a bit from the rest. "Last human there is Majorie. He's a wizard, and not very nice. I don't think they'd put up with him if Lummox there wasn't his half brother." She indicates the half-orc. He stands with his left arm around Majorie's shoulder. The wizard does not look pleased with the affection. "Gort may be the leader, but Lummox is their heavy hitter. Half-elf there is Tasin. He's a skilled bow hunter. Last one is Whirrfoot, the halfling." Whirrfoot is all smiles. He waves wildly with one hand at the crowd. Gripped in his other hand is a sling-staff. "Whirrfoot's made a lot of friends here. Just a super fun guy. The odds are pretty far on the Talons, but they're definitely one of this year's more potent teams."
The Talons leave the field, and Kozy gets to work introducing the next team, but he is much more subdued. "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Last Whisper." A hush falls over the crowd as the next team enters. Heather blanches a bit. "These guys are real bad news, everyone. They're only here in the parade because they have to be, and no one really knows a lot about them other than their names. That's their leader, Xuffie. Her cohort is Kahloud." Both are humans. Heather points to the last human in the bunch. "Qid. They're not really what draws the eye though, are they?" She's right. The other three members of The Last Whisper are a tiefling, a six-armed snake demon, and an honest to goodness werebear. Heather introduces them as Caisyth, Blue, and Tencent, respectively. All are dressed in simple gray robes, but Tencent is carrying a large wooden sarcophagus on his shoulder. "That's odd," notes Heather. "I'm not sure what that thing's supposed to be, or why they're carrying it. Be careful with them, ok?"
Knowledge, Planes DC17, Highlight to display spoiler: {Blue is a marilith. She wears shackles on all six of her wrists.} Perception DC25, Highlight to display spoiler: {Something's off with Qid. There's an unhealthy pallor about him.}
Bralin eyes the The Last Whisper. "Mayhap the humans are not human either," he notes. "The one called Qid has an unhealthy pallor about him."
The dwarf studies the Whisper some more. He is very sure he does not like them.
The other issue is becoming apparent as well. "Our ploy with the biscuits is unlikely to be successful, as we will be the only ones on the field. We will have no reaction to gauge."
RobC - Tahni Wyrmrider -- AC 22/13/19 -- CMD 20 -- HP 143/154 -- See Invis,ArcaneSight,DarkVision Thursday February 20th, 2020 6:02:17 AM
Tahni nods in agreement with Bralin "Yes, and if I'm not mistaken Blue is a marilith demon. She could be tough one-on-one"
"Any that associate themselves with demons can't be good" she says, stating the obvious
Tencent catches her eye "What do your reckon? Vampire in the sarcophagus?"
---------------- Knowl Planes vs DC17: Autopass Perception vs DC25: Autopass
Fang (Mitch) HP: 228/228(236 rage) AC: 30/21/24 (-2 while raging, +1 while hasted) DR 1 CMD: 22 Spell List Thursday February 20th, 2020 6:05:33 AM "Didn't someone say the food was just poisoned to weaken us to elemental damage?" Fang suddenly remembers. "Pretending we're to sick to fight won't work if that's the case."
Fang (Mitch) HP: 228/228(236 rage) AC: 30/21/24 (-2 while raging, +1 while hasted) DR 1 CMD: 22 Spell List Thursday February 20th, 2020 6:06:30 AM Wait a demon? Can't we just banish her to her home plane then?"
Terser (Warren) [AC22/13/19 - CMD 30 - HP 255/255, DR 4/-, Regen 1, Mind Blank] (SR21, 25% no crit, rage 36/43, channel 5/7) Thursday February 20th, 2020 10:22:03 AM Aye, banish her and not feel bad about it. I sometimes feel for the poor folks that Rill seems to like to displace from here.
Terser checks out how intense the sun is right now. If they have a 7th that is a bloodsucker in there, it'll be at a real disadvantage unless all the competition is inside. Or it has a magic sunblock spell.
Rill (MarkB) HP 156/169 - AC 33/20/30 - SR 20 - CMD 27 d20+4=14 ; Thursday February 20th, 2020 4:29:28 PM
Knowledge Planes 14 - fail Perception - autopass
Rill will see if his Deathwatch ability works through this screen.
"You know, it's never a good sign when someone brings a sarcophagus to a party. It's just not going to be a very good party."
DM Carl Thursday February 20th, 2020 5:16:06 PM Bralin laments the failure of the biscuit gambit. Tahni identifies the demon as a marilith and ponders the sarcophagus. It certainly could be a vampire, or a Frankenstein(*), or Tencent's lunch for that matter. Probably not the latter, though. Tencent's undoubtedly very strong, but it's obvious carrying that thing is a lot of effort for him. It must be pretty heavy. Fang brings up the possibility of banishing the demon. Terser concurs and admits sometimes he feels for the creatures Rill banishes. The Wold can be pretty nice, but some things shouldn't be shared. Rill checks if his Deathwatch ability works through this mirror. It does not.
An obvious sigh of relief can be felt when The Last Whisper quickly exits the colloseum. Chatter picks back up immediately, as does Kozy. "Let's hope we never meet them in a dark alley, right folks! Moving on to another eccentric contestant, we have a lone entrant! Don't worry though. She brought lots of toys! Welcome I, Construct!"
Jada walks out on the field, followed by the constructs spotted earlier. Most of these you've seen already (**), but Heather provides additional commentary. She demurs from speaking about Terser's sister.
She pulls out her notebook before starting. "These ones have weird names," she says. She has to compare each to a few rough sketches.
Sense motive DC20, Highlight to display spoiler: {It occurs to you that this isn't some Chancers' Invitational program she's referencing. These are hand-written notes, probably obtained by Heather herself for your benefit.}
"Ok, that one with all the weird boilers is Nvidia. I think it spews elemental damage around. These are all guesses, by the way. Jada's secretive, and I'm not an expert on these things. That golden one there with all the extra heavy plating is IN993. Think it's just there to protect the rest. The clockwork one with the drills is Pentium. I spotted some dirt impacted in the drills earlier. Not that odd, but Jada keeps these things very clean typically. That one that almost looks human is AMD711. I swear I heard it speak like a person earlier. The rest of them don't do that. That one with all the holes is HP04. I don't know what it's game is. It looks incomplete."
There is one construct you have not seen before. It looks like someone bolted 6 arms and a set of legs to a furnace. Heather speaks up when she notices our heroes eyeing it. "That must be Wratheon, but it's the first time I've laid eyes on it." She shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine at this point."
IN993 walks forward and lowers it's hand to the ground. Jada sits on it and leans back against IN993's arm as the constructs begin their walk off the field. Her face is a calm mask of self-satisfied indifference to the cheering crowd.
Kozy opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. He looks confused as he tries again to speak, but fails. A confused murmur spreads through the crowd for just a moment before loud, raucous music absolutely erupts from everywhere. Sparks and flames shoot up from the field, and a thick haze settles as the music continues. After a few seconds, a sudden wind whips through the colosseum, blowing away the fog and revealing the next team. Their leader, towering blue half-dragon, holds an ornate rod in his hand as his companions continue playing their instruments. He speaks, and his voice is projected loudly by the device.
"CHANCERS INVITATIONAL. WE. ARE. DRAGON SOUND!" The music swells loudly, more pyrotechnics explode, and an illusionary horde of blue dragons fly high overhead. The crowd goes nuts, except for Kozy. He just looks irritated.
Dragon Sound breaks into song, but Heather turns a small knob and quiets the volume through the mirror. The sound of their bass can still be heard through the stones of the colloseum. They are very loud.
"These guys aren't here to win, but that doesn't mean they're not capable. Leader there was Han Valen(***) on vocals. That minotaur with the drums is Jon von Bovine. The two on guitar are Ace Feely and Cruemotte. That aasimar goes by The Foreigner, and the one with all the makeup is Zaggy Spacedust. They do backup vocals and use magic to amplify and enhance everyone else's playing. Last one there on the glockenspiel is Sir Elton. They're all bards and magic users. Only Jon von Bovine and Ace have any real martial ability.
"If you fight these guys, bring ear plugs."
----
* - Yes, I know it was Frankenstein's monster ** - Refer back to January 16th *** - Hey, DMs need to have fun too...
(StevenVdB) Aexana Gnome (S) HP177/177 - AC29/21/24 - CMD 27 and LEAFY (L) - HP89/98 - AC34/27/31 - CMD 20 Thursday February 20th, 2020 6:27:23 PM
(hmm missed a few... made DM posts in Tree and forgot my own character... sorry)
Aex has been observing the parade in awe... some interesting creatures have passed the show... Her hands do tingle in anticipation of the action that is yet to come. Leafy keeps an eye on Aex's back for the greenmage isn't paying much attention to her surroundings at the moment.
Bralin - MikeK - (AC40 T16 F35, HP 251/251) d20+6=9 ; Thursday February 20th, 2020 6:54:47 PM
[Sense Motive 9]
Bralin watches I, Construct and Dragon Sound march through.
"Jada is here to win," he notes. "That team will be difficult." He considers. "I would assume a hammer would be more effective than an axe," he posits to Terser.
Jozhur (Brock) AC27 / Touch 18 Flat 19--CMD 33--HP 185/185 --Shadow Companion 92/92hp 3 STR damage d20+23=32 ; Thursday February 20th, 2020 8:46:27 PM
Jozhur realizes Heather has apparently worked hard at scouting the other teams, "Really Heather, you've been a blessing to us. Thank you for everything."
He continues sizing up the other teams. Various adventuring parties, not all that different than themselves. This should be challenging and interesting.
Rill (MarkB) HP 156/169 - AC 33/20/30 - SR 20 - CMD 27 Friday February 21st, 2020 2:17:49 AM
Sense Motive - auto pass
"Thank you for your research on our behalf heather. I think you are right that we should bring earplugs is we go against Dragon Sound. You know, Han Valen is pretty good - good enough to perform by himself. He could do a Han Solo."
RobC - Tahni Wyrmrider -- AC 22/13/19 -- CMD 20 -- HP 143/154 -- See Invis,ArcaneSight,DarkVision d20+12=31 ; Friday February 21st, 2020 3:27:01 AM "An illusory dragon flying overhead? They're copying my stuff" Tahni smiles and gives a shake of her head.
Then something occurs to her. She doesn't want to say it out loud in front of Heather so speaks telepathically to the rest of the party "You know, someone poisoning us would only slow us down in the gauntlet. We wouldn't be facing them directly so they wouldn't beat us in a fight. This is more to do with stopping us from winning. Handicapping us. There's also the details of those poisons. One for elemental damage and one for poisons. Were they just taking a guess at what we might face in the gauntlet, or do they have inside information?"
She looks to Heather "After the gauntlet event is over for us, are we permitted to watch while other teams participate? I mean, the audience get to see everything that happens so it can't be too secret"
"It would be interesting to see if other teams fare poorly against those things. Perhaps some others were poisoned too"
-------------- Sense Motive vs DC20: 31=Pass
Terser (Warren) [AC22/13/19 - CMD 30 - HP 255/255, DR 4/-, Regen 1, Mind Blank] (SR21, 25% no crit, rage 36/43, channel 5/7) Friday February 21st, 2020 1:24:10 PM
Terser has a strange instinct to slap his forward with his palm at Rill's remark, but manages to suppress it. He shows off his gauntlets to Bralin. If a hammer turns out to be appropriate, these will do just as well.
Anyone happen to know where these poisons tend to come from? Maybe we can narrow down the suspects based on geography. They didn't sound super common.
DM Carl Friday February 21st, 2020 8:23:04 PM Aexana starts to get excited for the upcoming events. Leafy watches her six. Bralin identifies I, Construct as a difficult team to beat. Bludgeoning weaponry may well prove superior to slashing weaponry against the metal combatants. Jozhur realizes Heather's contributions. She looks up from her notes and smiles. "Thank you, Jozhur. It's nice to be appreciated." Rill wins the bad pun contest. There is no prize, only shame. Tahni wonders if the poison was chosen with knowledge of The Gauntlet's challenges in mind. Rill identified the poison already, and would know that it would take several days to wear off. That doesn't mean her hunch is wrong, of course. She asks Heather if they can watch once they've competed. "There's no rule against it, but it's not typically done. I think you'd find the audience wouldn't give you much peace. "Besides, your teams are going last. Those of you not competing will be allowed to watch from the beginning." Terser wonders where the poisons come from. That's a tall order for a detect poison spell made with a WIS check. Unless someone has some actual alchemical experience, that's likely not known to our heroes.
Dragon Sound finishes up with a 5 minute drum solo before they finally get off the field. Han Valen looks back at Kozy just before he exits. He gives a wink and a quick point, and Kozy's voice returns. Having been upstaged, Kozy stumbles a moment before he gets his groove back.
"Yes, well, what's a parade without music, right everyone? Moving on, it's my privilege to introduce the Chancer's sponsored team, The 1%!" Six humans and an orc walk onto the field. They are in some seriously choice gear. Were our heroes there in person to observe, the magic auras they could detect would be blinding.
"Ugh, these guys. Jerks, every last one of them, save poor Bokkun there." She indicates the lone orc as she says this. "Hired muscle, very capable, and very abused by the rest of the snobs in that group.
[b]"Let's get this over with. Pretty boy there is Khale. He is absolutely insufferable. I guarantee he'll send barristers after you if you best him in these events. The guy there who looks like he actually knows how to handle his weapons is Vickers. He's not as bad as the rest, but he's a real downer. The lone woman out there is Kate Bitters. She dabbles in magic. She's spent nearly every moment since she arrived rubbing elbows with the powerful. She seems ok, but I wouldn't trust her with my back."
She points to a man wearing a majestic set of full-plate armor with the symbol of Domi emblazoned on it. "Sir Gallant. Yes, that's really what he goes by. He will tell you he is the most brave and pious servant Domi has ever known. That he says he's the 'most pious' without any sense of irony should tell you all you need to know about him. He does wield some divine power, though. The short, bald one there is Bezos. I'm not sure why he's here. He just wanted it, so he bought his way onto the team. He's financing a lot of that gear they're wearing.
"Last one there is Captain Musk. He really is an honorary Knight Captain in the Mailed Fist, but only because he's sponsored so many expeditions with them. Don't underestimate him. He carries an entire arsenal of magic items and knows how to use them.
"None of them are a match for you without their equipment, but that equipment is literally the best money can buy." They start to make their way off the field. Bokkun doesn't notice fast enough, causing Khale to bump into him. The human shoves the orc forward with a look of utter contempt. Bokkun starts to react, but catches Captain Musk's eye and swallows hard. He turns and walks off the field with the rest, fuming a bit.
"Next up!" starts Kozy. "We have this year's Mailed Fist sponsored team, the Sapphire Seven!"
Seven familiar faces walk onto the field, fully decked out for the coming events. "You already know them. At this point, you've spent more time with them than I have. I will say to watch out for the good looking elf. Name's Hin, if you haven't been introduced. He seems crueler than the rest...doesn't quite fit in. The rest of them are very friendly. Well, Urlryn's not too friendly either, but the rest of the team seems protective of her. Not sure why that is."
Marshall, the man with the short black hair, wears a very eye-catching robe. It does look well made, but is incredibly ostentatious. He smooths it constantly, fawning over it. He's obviously very proud of the thing.
"Ok heroes, you're up. Once we exit this room and get out there, things are going to start moving very fast. This may be the last time we really get to talk before The Gauntlet."
Rill (MarkB) HP 156/169 - AC 33/20/30 - SR 20 - CMD 27 d20+36=51 ; Saturday February 22nd, 2020 12:45:42 AM
Rill uses Prestidigitation to make sure his clothing and armor pressed and clean.
His robes and pants are plain, but bright white. His armor and helm polished. Gargul symbol sits on his brow, and another hangs from his chest. An azure sea dragon on a black background is emblazoned on his shield. He will proceed with the others.
"Thank you Heather for all your help."
He keeps his eyes sharp. (Perception 51)
Fang (Mitch) HP: 228/228(236 rage) AC: 30/21/24 (-2 while raging, +1 while hasted) DR 1 CMD: 22 Spell List Saturday February 22nd, 2020 6:26:14 AM
Fang is getting a little antsy with the waiting. She bounces on her toes a bit before stopping and calming herself down.
Bralin - MikeK - (AC40 T16 F35, HP 251/251) Saturday February 22nd, 2020 8:52:38 AM
Bralin listens attentively.
"I wonder what several Dispel Magic spells would do to the Chancer's team", he muses.
At Heather's comment about Urlryn, the dwarf ventures a guess.
"The Seven are a true teams, unlike the One Percent or Dragonsound," he declares. "Tis likely Urlryn has history with her comrades."
With their turn approaching, Bralin decides to stow his hammer back into his haversack. Tis unlikely to prove that much of an advantage, but no point in displaying his secondary weapon. He will enter the arena with axe and shield, exactly as expected.
Thinking back on the parade, he makes another observation to his comrades. We were intended to be susceptible to elemental damage. The construct Pentium's drills show signs of recent activity, and the construct Nvidia discharges elemental damage. My apologies Terser, but tis a great coincidence.
Jozhur (Brock) AC27 / Touch 18 Flat 19--CMD 33--HP 185/185 --Shadow Companion 92/92hp 3 STR damage Saturday February 22nd, 2020 12:55:53 PM
Jozhur shrugs, he's not too interested in getting to the bottom of who is undermining them, as it seems to be expected.
They could do their own undermining, but what is the honor in that.
Jozhur nods to Heather to let her know he is ready.
RobC - Tahni Wyrmrider -- AC 22/13/19 -- CMD 20 -- HP 143/154 -- See Invis,ArcaneSight,DarkVision Saturday February 22nd, 2020 7:28:05 PM
Tahni rolls her head about to get those cricks out of her neck. As long as she isn't expected to give any speeches she should do just fine.
"Best of luck to us all"
(StevenVdB) Aexana Gnome (S) HP177/177 - AC29/21/24 - CMD 27 and LEAFY (L) - HP89/98 - AC34/27/31 - CMD 20 d20+23=28 ; Sunday February 23rd, 2020 12:35:31 PM
As it's almost their turn to join the parade, Aex gets a little nervous. No need to show off so she'll walk in leaning on her staff like 73 year old Gnome would, with Leafy at her side. She takes center position in the group and tries to keep an eye out for trouble (perception 28). But there's a lot of distraction about...
Rill (MarkB) HP 156/169 - AC 33/20/30 - SR 20 - CMD 27 Sunday February 23rd, 2020 6:29:45 PM
Rill says, "Remember, my commune spell told us that things would get dicey for us but the entire pantheon wants us to see this tournament all the way through. We will face constructs and outsiders in the challenges, but the actual challenges do not pose a significant threat."
"The question is - what will happen outside the challenges that will make things dicey for us?"
Fang (Mitch) HP: 228/228(236 rage) AC: 30/21/24 (-2 while raging, +1 while hasted) DR 1 CMD: 22 Spell List Monday February 24th, 2020 8:24:19 AM
Fang furrows her brow at the dicey comment. "Gambling involves dice right? But what does that have to do with threats?"
DM Carl Monday February 24th, 2020 2:33:45 PM Rill cleans up nicely. He thanks Heather for all her help. She smiles and puts her journal back into her dimensional pocket.
Fang is getting antsy.
Bralin wonders about dispel magic vs. the Chancers' team. It would be a risky move. The caster level on that gear is very high, there's a lot of gear, and it would only suppress a single item for 1d4 rounds. Still, his mind's on a potentially fruitful path. He also notes a potential connection between Jada's constructs and the poison they almost had for breakfast.
Heather speaks up when he mentions the 1% and Dragonsound. "Hey now, don't lump Dragonsound in with those jerks. This is their fifth year here with the same members. They're a close-knit bunch. They have big egos, and yell a lot, but they're close."
Jozhur questions the usefulness of discovering the poisoners. This place seems to attract that sort.
Tahni's glad there are no speeches involved. Not at the parade, but what if they win? Will she have to talk in front of all those people if they win? She wishes her friends the best of luck.
Aexana embraces her old gnomish self.
Rill still has his eyes on the big threat here, wondering what's going to make things dicey outside the challenges. Fang wonders what dice have to do with any of this.
Outside, Kozy begins ramping up his final introduction. "All right everyone. Our last team needs no introduction, but they're getting one anyway. After snubbing us for years..." There's some booing, which gets a grin out of Kozy. "Now now, just because the Gold Dragons, AND the Emerald Dragons, AND the Iron Dragons all snubbed us, we're not going to hold that against our new friends, are we?" The crowd cheers and begins chanting.
"SEA DRAGONS SEA DRAGONS SEA DRAGONS!"
Heather reaches into a small urn on the floor and pulls out a sunrod before striking it without warning. In the dark room, the sudden bright light is blinding. "Trust me. You'll thank me in a second." She blinks her own eyes a bit, adjusting to the new light. "This way, heroes..." She motions towards a door. Outside, the crowd is deafaning.
"I think we've made our guests wait long enough! Ladies and Gentlemen, the SEA DRAGONS!"
Heather pulls the door open towards her as light floods the room. She was right about that sunrod. You'd be stumbling out blind if she hadn't used it.
The view from the mirror did not do the crowd justice. 360' degrees around you is an unending throng of cheering, boisterous fans. The air is jubilant as they begin to chant your name again. The other teams may have given you grief, the Chancers may have refused to keep everyone in line, but this crowd? This crowd loves you. The entire audience leaps to their feet as you take the field.
Bralin - MikeK - (AC40 T16 F35, HP 251/251) Monday February 24th, 2020 6:48:14 PM
Bralin nods in acceptance of Heather's admonishment about Dragonsound.
The sunrod is startling, but again, he accepts her reasoning with a wordless nod.
The sound upon their entrance into the stadium is unlike anything he's encountered. The dwarf can actually feel the waves, peak and trough, as they flow through him.
It takes a moment to recall himself to the present.
Raising his waraxe high, Bralin salutes the crowd, section by section, as the group processes.
(StevenVdB) Aexana Gnome (S) HP177/177 - AC29/21/24 - CMD 27 and LEAFY (L) - HP89/98 - AC34/27/31 - CMD 20 Monday February 24th, 2020 8:23:05 PM "This is not my cup of tea..." Aex complains as they are giong through the crowd. She tries to smile which is rather unsuccessful...
Leafy though seems to enjoy the moment! He waves his branches wildly at the audience!
Terser (Warren) [AC22/13/19 - CMD 30 - HP 255/255, DR 4/-, Regen 1, Mind Blank] (SR21, 25% no crit, rage 36/43, channel 5/7) Monday February 24th, 2020 10:06:39 PM
Terser is somewhat familiar with sudden changes in light. Even though he hasn't been in the tunnels for a while, some instincts don't die.
He tries to suppress the thought of his sister being behind the poison, and thinks that it could be just as likely that someone would be trying to frame her. Either way, they avoided that trap, and avoiding all the ones sure to come will take even more care.
Jozhur (Brock) AC27 / Touch 18 Flat 19--CMD 33--HP 185/185 --Shadow Companion 92/92hp 3 STR damage Tuesday February 25th, 2020 1:53:15 AM
Jozhur enters the arena and is overwhelmed by the crowd at first. He quickly gathers himself and begins waving to the crowd. After feeding off the energy from the onlookers, Jozhur bursts into a series of handsprings as they cross the middle of the arena.
RobC - Tahni Wyrmrider -- AC 22/13/19 -- CMD 20 -- HP 143/154 -- See Invis,ArcaneSight,DarkVision d20+31=37 ; Tuesday February 25th, 2020 3:34:23 AM
Tahni waves back to the audience. She claps and points back to them, acknowledging them for being there and for their support.
For a bit of show, she casts a Dancing Lights cantrip and has the four glowing balls circle and whip around the party for effect, before sending them sky ward to wink out of existence.
Tahni would feel a lot more comfortable with all her spell buffs up. As it is she's feeling exposed. Vulnerable. It's a feeling she's going to have to get used to if she's going to see these challenges out.
------------------ Perception: 37
Fang (Mitch) HP: 228/228(236 rage) AC: 30/21/24 (-2 while raging, +1 while hasted) DR 1 CMD: 22 Spell List Tuesday February 25th, 2020 5:55:08 AM
Fang is startled by the sunrod, but figures out why shortly after. She too is familiar with sudden light changes and how it can cause problems. For the parade she would have loved to be all dressed out in her finest and impressed everyone with her regalness but for this crowd and with these enemies she prefers to look dangerous rather than pretty. She stalks through the streets with the practiced gate of an experienced warrior and eyes the area with the alert eyes of a predator.
Rill (MarkB) HP 156/169 - AC 33/20/30 - SR 20 - CMD 27 d20+38=57 ; Tuesday February 25th, 2020 11:45:29 AM
Rill heads out with the others. "Well, here we go. You know, based on my limited interaction with the Iron Dragons, I'm a bit surprised they never competed in these games. Bosk seemed to really like impressing people, and the Chancers seem like Restlin's people. I wonder if Restlin himself is here betting on these games.
"In any event, we represent the Dragon Consortium. So let's use this opportunity to remind folks that the Dragon Consortium is a force for good in the Wold, and a force to be reckoned with."
He will go out with the others and wave warmly to the crowd, keeping a sharp eye out has we go.
(Perception 57)
Then he remembers he was told that the rings allow us to speak to any DC member in the Wold, so he silently tries to contact Restlin. "Hey Restlin - we're here at the DC games. Are you here? This seems like the kind of place for someone that likes playing the odds."