A Macabre Seeming, part 2
Log Info
- Title: A Macabre Seeming, part 2
- Emitter: Culix
- Characters: Paenitia, Aryia, Pasithea, Gadget
- Place: H02: The Felwood
- Time: Monday, May 24, 2021, 1:55 PM
- Summary: The last pixie surrenders and says she has a tale to tell. The adventurers gather to hear it, except Gadget who has to be brought back. She explains how the Thorn King came to play, but fell into a dark sleep, and drew darker fey to him, Worse than they are used to. The fairy leaves abruptly and the party advances with some acrimony. They wander the maze, and find a passage with flowers. Aryia attempts to sneak through them, and declares it safe. The others follow. It is not safe. Pasithea, Ramirez and Gadget fall asleep, and the flower start to move and feed on them. Battle ensues, with the flowers going for the unconscious ones. Gadget is taken to safety by Mr. Jinglewidget, Ramirez slumbers and the flowers converge. Pasithea awakens and sets fire. Paenitia manages to get Ramirez to withdraw as Ayria pummels flower after flower. Gadget attacks the hedge, attempting to cut a way through it as Paenitia moves to support Pasithea and Aryia. Gadget is taken outside the maze, and the rest of the flowers are defeated. Paenitia calls for a break to tend to her mount, who is ailing after the flowers attacked him.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--<* H02: The Felwood *>--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
The hills give way to trees, which grow black instead of green. The Felwood, once a part of the greater world, now stands apart from it. The trunks of its wood stand twisted in the way that trees will twist, yet somehow wrong, somehow off. Here, it's always cold, the weather just "something other" than what it should be.
Overhead, a continual storm brews. A blackened smear cuts the sky directly above the wood, a darkened rift that was never meant to be. Its creation is rumored as an unnatural thing, a crafting of the unnatural creatures that lie within these woods.
Now and then, the city sends out patrols to thin the creatures, and keep them from the main roads. However, travel here is dangerous, risky, and often painful.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Appearing, heaviest -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Aryia 4'8" 110 Lb Shadow Elf Female A heavily scarred mul with a curious look about her. Pasithea 3'2" 38 Lb Halfling Female Tall female lucht, willowy, Hair dark as night. Gadget 3'6" 38 Lb Gnome Female Beautiful and unnatural. Paenitia 3'0" 34 Lb Halfling Female A Lucht knight, dark skinned in bold feathery finery. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-= The best animal companions of all time -=-=-=-= Ramirez, the Ivory Steed Hippogryph Male An ivory peacock-gypsy-andalusian, Paenitia's mount. Mr. Jinglewidget Capucin Monkey Male An inventive monkey, Gadget's familiar. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Culix 3'2" 36 Lb Goblin Female Beady-eyed goblin female in leathers and hood. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Having 'defeated' the playful, if annoying and somewhat creepy, fairies- though by and large simply by putting them to sleep, save for the one which ran off sulking after having her wings singed, the last remaining one- one with a pale pink glow- has beckoned the party over to hear her story.
She takes a seat on the thorny hedge, between two of the thumb-sized spines. She pulls- with some effort- a little white berry with a red spot on it from the vine, taking a bite out of it while she waits for the party to gather. Once they do, she will begin her story.
"The Thorn King came here, because he heard that there were lots of sad fae. Fae who lost all their color and music, and couldn't play anymore. The Thorn king wanted to help them!" she says then. "But when he came here, he started to get sleepy." she says then, and looks at her knees for a moment.
"He got sleepier and sleepier the longer he was here, but he still wanted to save the sad faeries. Until one day, he fell asleep." she continues. "Only, it wasn't a nice sleep. Like the winter sleep, all warm in a burrow, or a summer sleep, under the sunshine. It was a bad sleep. A scary sleep." she says then. "He started having a nightmare. And his thorns- they were always so colorful and pretty before- they turned black, and they grew and they grew and they grew." she explains.
"And as his thorns grew, mean, horrid, nasty fae came. They liked his black thorns, and they bullied us away from him. Now they are deeper inside, and we're all the way out here." she sniffles. "And no one ever wants to play with us and everything out there is so grey and boring."
Nothing made Gadget stop freaking out and sit down for story time. The Fairy let Gadget run off and tells her story to anyone who'll listen. Gadget will keep running in a blind panic until she sees another fae. She's stuck inside for the time being, since the exit closed up while all were around the corner. She runs, because it's either that or cutting her way out.
Thus...
A freaked out Gadget runs eighty feet, either moving really slowly or during a very VERY quickly spoken story.
Sleep is something Pasithea knows all too well. Behind Paenitia and leaning against the knight she wakes enough to hear the story ro the small fey speaks. "The dreams pull at... all creatures that... sleep. Perhaps they lay ...thickest here.. in the forest."She yawns. "Everyone wakes... eventually."
"M'Lady Fey of the carnation glow," Paenitia bows in her seat, "I have vow to protect all present, and one run off. Honour demand I act. Please stay your story until I return."
"Ramirez! Chase." The Red Knight orders, holding onto Pasithea behind her so she won't fall. The peacock-andalusian carefully squeezes by the Fae, then Aryia, then gallops with long glides down the hedgemaze.
As he flies along, Paenitia calls out, "Mr. Jinglewidget the Steak Eating Monkey! Stop your mistress, she flies for no need."
GAME: Gadget rolls 1: (12)+1: 13
Aryia crosses her arms and listens, her raising a brow as Gadget speeds off. She gives a sharp whistle towards them, steppiing aside so the bird mount could give chase. The elf was still pouty that she was bullied by tiny people.
Mr. Jinglewidget and Gadget both take heed at once. "I'm not deaf, and friends don't trap friends in thorn mazes!" Gadget insists, though she's stopped running. Her hands till have blades jutting from them, preventing her from holding anything, but ready to defend herself, even though she's clearly not very capable of doing so, if her dismal performance getting out before was any indication.
Pasithea clings to the knight seated in front of her, somehow managing to close her eyes and gain a few seconds of sleep here and there. A sharp turn starts her sliding towards the ground but the lucht clings and stays up on Ramirez.
The fairy sitting in the hedge blinks owlishly as they all run off. "She's pretty cowardly for a tall folk." she observes, mostly to herself. However, she pushes off from the hedge, berry in hant, to flutter after them as they run off. "The hedge is part of the thorn kings nightmare. It does what it wants~" she calls out after Gadget. "And there are meaner things than us, deeper inside." she adds then, with a little nervous giggle.
Gadget called out, "Then why did you bring us in here to play? You call me a meanie for bruising you, but you may very well have killed us all! Reassure me, stupid little--" At this point, Gadget breaks into a string of gnomish curses that are as strong as she seems to know, given their, and her, intensity.
Ramirez pulls up and snorts, stopping out of reach of the daggers. He's turned a little to the side, allowing his rider to look down and address Gadget.
Paenitia does so, her Smiling Man mask fixed in its exagerated grin. "I give my word to you I will get you out safe. That you doubt is a slight to my honour. It is fine. Many doubt."
"They are not friends but the Fae are in need of aid. The way out is through, as a group. If you do not wish my protection, go on ahead, I must aid the other two of our party and cannot split myself." She laughs at this, "You would have two quarterlings and a hard time telling me from the other Fey. Now please, come back and listen. She gives details a smart mind might understand."
Gadget grumbles and glare at the lucht, but says, "Fine, but if one more fae so much as mocks me, I will gut her and hold her head on a stick as a warning to others." It's clear as she moves back that she's not even remotely comforted by the promise of someone who may also very well die or be mind controlled by fae. Apparently Gadget has very strong opinions on what fae may or may not be capable of and little formal education on the matter.
General knowledge about Fae is that they are capricious, flighty and varied. Some are friendly, some are malicious, some are neither- but the malicious ones don't always cause harm, and the friendly ones sometimes do, because their mindsets are alien.
Paenitia squeezes with her thighs and Ramirez wheels in the small space with some rearing to turn around, and the pair head back to the storytelling Fae. No response is given to the dire threat, but a greeting is to the fey upon returning.
"M'Lady Fey of the carnation glow, please continue the Fey Tale. The Bear King come to help, and fallen asleep, and draw scary fey to him?" The Dark Lucht is formal at first, though the tones in her voice because almost teasing, "Do you need some handsome princess to kiss the sleeping bear awake?"
To Aryia, it sounded as if the king just needed to strong slap to wake them up. She sighs, sticking her hands in her pockets and ambles back towards the party where they were having a discussion, just managing to catch the threat to the tiny creatures.
"We were bored... We tried to wake up the thorn king! We really did. But we couldn't wake him, and then the meaner ones made us go away. So now we're stuck in here as well." the Fae retorts to Gadget, not showing any hints of understanding at the stream of gnomish profanity. "Are you sure you're not one of the mean ones, too?" she wonders.
But her attention goes back to the friendlier faces, "These vines are the youngest, so they are fresh and green. Deeper in, older vines are darker. The blackest vines surround the sleeping king." she explains.
To Paenitia, she puffs out her cheeks in frustration, "The Thorn King! Not a bear." she says then. "Elk. The hedges change sometimes, so we don't know the way. But if you follow where it gets darker, you will find the way. If the thorn king wakes up, all this will go away. I think." she says then.
"But there are mean things. Other fae. Unfriendly fae, deeper inside. There's a swamp, full of Fuath, and we've seen Pugwampi riding around."
"Can I burn my way out?" Gadget wonders aloud.
The fairy seems shocked by that suggestion, "You'll kill all the little ones!" she protests, seeming quite distressed at the thought. "Besides bramble might get angry and bite back if you hurt it." she adds then.
"I want to live," the Mul'niessa mentions with a flick of her hand, frowning slightly at the musing. <Handspeech>
"Your information is... like a blessing..little fey." Pasi says with a sigh. "The only way out is ....through to the center. A burning ...of the hedge could ..trap and burn us. Kill us. This is another ...game. And we need to discover... the rules and how to ...win the game."
"Much apologies, my mind, she is addled." Paenita says, with a slight dip of her head and hat. Gadget's question gets her attention, which switches back to the small fairy when she responds.
"Ramirez! I dismount." The peacock-andalusian extends a wing and the Red Knight slides down it to land on her feet. She approaches the outer bramble wall, and looks at the Fairy, "With shield, and pole arms, perhaps we could pry bramble apart enough that those that wish to go could crawl through, without injury to either?"
She nods, looking to Pasithea, "Ramirez and I, we must go out that way, but if the others do not wish to follow, I would aid their escape now."
"Bitch, you trapped us here!" Gadget shouts loudly at the fae. "I'm not fond of the prospect of killing young ones, but hey, you seriously came TO THE DOOR and asked us to play. If any harm befalls us here, it is YOU LOT who are responsible. You are monsters, and I hate you!" She holds up a bladed hand. "I will end your thorn king's dreaming one way or the other. I am a trapped animal," and she starts screaming, "AND YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS TRAPPED ANIMALS ARE!"
The Fae squeaks at the sudden shouting, and then she darts away- launching herself into the nearby hedge, and wriggling her way through the tiny gaps far too small for the taller folks to follow her- leaving her half eaten berry to drop to the ground in her wake.
Aryia looks between the shouting gnome and the fae, eyes widening as their voice becomes screeching. She approaches, pulls out her journal, and lightly baps Gadget on top of the head. Scribble scribble scribble. Present.
- Chil. We not aminals. We wil get out. Stop.
GAME: Paenitia rolls perception: (1)+4: 5 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Paenitia rolls fortitude+1: (8)+7+1: 16
As the Fey flees and drops her half eaten berry, the Dark Lucht picks it up. She has a theory to test, and holds it under her mask to touch it against her lips. This is a mildly delicate maneuver, best not attempted with guantlets and an obsctruction. She accidentally squeezes it into her mouth. Gags! Spits against the inside of the mask.
"Okay. That is not the goodberry. Do not eat them." They might be safe for Ramirez, but she isn't going to offer and he doesn't snack while his mistress is on alert
Paenitia returns to the hedge, removes her shield and sees if she can push it through the brambles enough to make an exit. "Little ones, get out the way."
GAME: Paenitia rolls strength: (17)+1: 18 GAME: Gadget rolls Strength: (4)+-1: 3
The hedge is rubbery and strong, some of the vines are as thick as the Lucht's forearm, and they form a tangle nearly a full foot thick. Press as she might, her shield is not able to pry the vines apart wide enough for more than perhaps a mouse to slip through. The vines seem to push back, more than simple tensile strength would suggest, and quickly return to their former shape when no longer disturbed.
Gadget ducks in with the shield and tries to push her arms apart to get out, but makes no progress. She takes a step back and huffs. "Thanks," she tries, grumbling. "I am absolutely ready to risk dying in a fire to get out of here," Gadget says, "but not killing you guys to get out." She shouts out again, "Hey, fairy bitch! I'm being loud and obnoxious because that's how you wake people up without a bucket of ice water! GET OUT HERE AND TALK TO ME LIKE CIVILIZED SHOUTY PEOPLE!"
Aryia pauses. Turns. And walks back to Gaget. She kneels in front of them and puts a finger to her own lips. "Sssshhh!" she sushes them and points to her journal again.
- Chil. We not aminals. We wil get out. Stop.
Mr. Jinglewidget, if allowed, writes in Aryia's journal, Speak for yourself. Though, in fairness, the monkey has not let out more than breathing this whole time.
"This is not the way out." Paenitia says, her efforts futile and embarassing. She's not one for giant feats of strength and even with assistance gets no where. She withdraws her shield and replaces it.
"Ramirez! I mount!" Her peacock-andalusian extends a wing and sweeps her back up into the saddle. The Red Knight settles, ensures that her Pasithea passenger is still snug in the saddle as well. "I wish I know what a Fuarp, and what the other one, a Bunyigun? are, but we find out soon enough. Ramirez! Wary walk! Stay close to his tail."
The hippogryph starts walking.
Aryia reads the words carefully before blinking, reels back, and scoffs, looking like the words struck a chord and offended her. She snaps the journal shut and and joins the knight with heavy footfalls and a scowl on her face.
Gadget's shouting is met with a resounding- well, not silence, but not a vocal answer. The hedges rustle and shudder a bit, here and there, but the Fae don't seem keen on showing themselves again.
Around the corner, once the party reach it- they will see another long straightaway, like the one that they saw on the western side. This one, however, does not come to a dead end. It continues all the way to the far side of the maze, before turning towards the west. There is also an opening about halfway along, also to the west.
The hedge here is still bright and vibrant and green, spring-like, as the fairy put it. More juvenile Withclights live in the hedges, proving a pastel multi-colored glow to navigate by.
Pasithea is indeed still in the saddle, and had to be nudged to remove her head deom the hard leather. "Fey?..I do not know." She says to the knight. A look back over her shoulder at the others and nods slowly.
"Into the darkness. That the way." Paenitia says, clucking at Ramirez to continue. He does so, walking at a normal pace looking from side to side. Paenitia has her lance in hand, in case something that needs poking pops up. She doesn't disturbe the witchlights further.
Advancing halfway to the westward break, she looks around the corner, then asks, "Turn now, or ahead and turn, which way seem scariest?"
Peeking into the break, the inner wall- furthest from them, definitely seems a shade darker than the outer walls. And the flowers have more varied colors, instead of the pale white flowers prevalent so far. There are fewer Witchlights, too. However- it is still light enough for them to see that this particular path ends rather abruptly, offering no way forwards beyond a few dozen feet.
Gadget sighs. "Yeah, and if we go in that way, the hedge traps us in deeper and new ways open up. Remind me why we're on this thorny whirlpool of death?"
"Because play game or die," Aryia mentions with her hands before patting the knight's side and gesturing southwards as a suggestion. <Handspeech>
Pasithea wakes enough to give Gadget a tired smile. "Becausse.. we were ..paid to find out.." A long yawn and she leans back against Pae.
Straightening herself in her saddle after leaning to look down the side passage, the Red Knight shares her thoughts, "It darker, and it end, so unless it change it is not the way."
"We are here because we take a guild job to see what is here. The Guild might not pay if we say 'thorns and fey we don't investigate', so I convince you to look." Paenitia sums up, "Much apologies you are trapped, but the way out is only to go darker and deeper. I try make the door, this also not work."
Ramirez continues forward to the far corner.
"Yeah, but getting paid is not my priority, here. Firstly, surviving. Secondly, fixing this properly. Wouldn't this be something we should take to the druids?" She was mostly talking just to have something to fill the silence, her 'fists' raised as she walked back to back with Mr. Jinglewidget with the group.
Around the next corner, once more they see a dead end- straight ahead. But there is another break in the hedge, taking them a layer deeper to the noth. More of the colorful flowers line the hedges in this area, and the hints of the muddy edge of a pool of murky water- this may be the swamp the fae spoke of.
GAME: Gadget rolls Survival: (12)+1: 13 GAME: Aryia rolls Survival: (10)+3: 13 GAME: Paenitia rolls survival: (20)+2: 22
Some of the flowers are not part of the hedge, but of some other plant which seems to be parasitizing the brambles.
Turning the corner, there are two options, one that clearly dead ends. The other route appears to have some distant water, "The bog, he is ahead."
Paenitia adjusts her seating and Ramirez stops immediately. "The Guild did not send the druids. They send who they have, not who is best. I have not meet a druid since I come to the city."
She leans, and points, "See those flowers. They are not of the hedge. They another plant, that cling and eat it, like the Nobles squeeze the common folk. Those are good things to burn or shoot from afar."
Gadget speaks more quietly, "Why would you go INTO a city to look for druids?" she asks, hunkering down and trying not to die as the burnable things threaten to destroy them all.
Aryia shrugs at Gadget's musings, squeezing past Rameriez to step to the threshold of the opening to peer further down it.
Paenitia turns around in her saddle and pulls on a strap. A candelabra brace of weapons stands up behind, an almost peacock like tail fabricated from pole-arms. All sized small.
'Ruaaah!' Ramirez jolts his head up high.
"No! Do not display Ramirez, this is for the allies." Paenitia coaxes his hot blooded response down, "These are the weapons of the Mad Dogs. Long blades on poles, if you want to keep distance, I can give one."
She keeps the spread of weapons up a little longer, then lets it lie flat. Stowing her lance and shield, she makes sure a sword is nearby and takes out her bow, "Okay. I try shoot. I have see plants run fast, so be ready."
As Paenitia and Aryia draw nearer to the opening, and peek around it to take a look- they see more of the foreign flowers, they seem to have taken root in all of the hedge walls of this particular stretch. At the far end, the still water of the bog, coated in a layer of duckweed, continues to the end before splitting to the north and south.
Pasithea opens an eye and asks, "Is there... not a way to move... around them? "
The flowers are clinging to the walls. The party could pass between them, they aren't blocking the path.
Aryia gets the group's attention, points to herself, makes a walking motion with two fingers and points towards the hallway.
Paenitia nocks an arrow and raises her bow, drawing back. She lowers it and slowly backs off the tension, "You could walk down the middle, they are in the hedges, and pass by. Ramirez, he will brush them. He is very manly and does not like wearing the flowers."
The Red Knight nods to Aryia, "if you think is best. The flowers may not be friends, but the arrows will not hurt them, I think." She puts her bow away, switches to her shield and sword. "Ramirez, I dismount."
Moments later she is on her feet in front of him.
The elf takes a breath, steels herself, and slowly walks forward and keeps distance from the flowers.
GAME: Aryia rolls stealth: (8)+8: 16
As Aryia heads into the flower-lined corridor, the flowers begin to emit puffs of pollen- it smells exceedingly sweet and rich, like very fine perfume, and is in fact quite lovely- if slightly overbearing. But, aside from possibly offending her personal preferences as far as eau de toilette, the brawler suffers no ill effect.
Aryia suppresses the urge to cough at the scent, her putting her shirt over her mouth and nose. It didn't seem like anything crazy was happening to her yet, so she gives a slight thumbs up to the party before making and exaggerated creeping steps to them. She carefully goes further in.
GAME: Gadget rolls Stealth: (12)+4: 16 GAME: Paenitia rolls stealth: (12)+7: 19 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+3: (13)+3: 16 (Ramirez Stealth) GAME: Paenitia rolls will+1: (13)+4+1: 18 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+2: (9)+2: 11 (Ramirez Will) GAME: Pasithea rolls will: (17)+5: 22 GAME: Gadget rolls Will: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Gadget rolls 1: (13)+1: 14 (Mr. Jinglewidget Will)
Pasithea opens an eye from atop Ramierz and stops herself from chuckling as she notes the poofs of polen. "Pretty.. "
Paenitia swings her swordly lightly through the air, watching Aryia progress. She doesn't trust the flowers, but they remain quiescent. "Okay, we go tippy toe. Ramirez, softly softly. Everyone else, follow my man."
With that said the Red Night advances into the corridor, past the flowers, her peacock-andalusian creeping along behind her.
Pasithea feels the all too familiar feeling of sleep as they pass by the flowers. it's enough to make her yawn wide and then shake her head. "I think.. that they are.. wonderful. I should... see about taking.. one home." This as the grand creature she rides falls into the land of dreams. "I should.. dismount." And the small bundle that is the Lucht slips slowly off to one side.
Pasithea has dreams of keeping them at home in a small garden. They are hardy perrenials, they'll do great! They are, however, like Lillies- hazardous to pets.
Aryia itches her ear, feeling fuzzy once again from the effects. First it was a spell, now it was this. She glances back, seeing Gadget fall asleep. "Silence, finally," she snips with a single hand before peering at what seems to be water. <Handspeech>
Paenitia creeps into the flower-filled hedgerow, her peacock-andalusian faithfully following behind her. The pollen from the flowers, their scent, is overwhelming, making the Dark Lucht feel giddy.
There is a loud, yet soft thump behind her, as her feather-covered mount falls to the ground. Asleep.
The Red Knight stops, turns, and rushes to catch Pasithea as she falls asleep into a dismount. She lower the other halfling gently to the ground.
"Okay..." Paenitia stares at her sleeping bird-horse. There's another thump as Gadget is down also, and her monkey "I am not leaving Ramirez. I can't move him. I think how I wake him up. The rest of the party too.""
GAME: Culix rolls 1d3: (2): 2
Click-tock, tick-tock, click-clock, thud. The overgrown pocketwatch sounds of the gnome's limbs end with her dropping like a rock, so quickly that she doesn't even have time to turn around and try to flee before she goes down. Mr. Jinglewidget, meanwhile, shakes off the same effect and grabs at Gadget's legs, trying to drag her, in whole or in parts he can reassemble elsewhere, out of this hallway of very sleepy feelz.
GAME: Culix rolls 0: (9)+0: 9 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (1)+0: 1 (EPIC FAIL)
As Ramirez and Gadget drift off to the land of nod, the flowered vines amidst the hedge begin to rustle. Freeing themselves from their current perches, and seeking out more nutritious, warm-blooded food. Near Aryia, one of them lashes its thorny vines at her, but its too slow to catch her by surprise.
The gnome will lie there unconscious while Mr. Jinglewidget tries to drag her limp body in retreat. Or, wake her. If he gets so much as a scratch, Gadget is going to burn the whole place down. Because that will either wake the thorn king or kill him, and the world will be saved. Hooray! Heroic sacrifice!
GAME: Culix rolls 0: (7)+0: 7 GAME: Culix rolls -4: (7)++-4: 3 GAME: Culix rolls -4: (16)++-4: 12 <OOC> Culix says, "Wiffs twice."
Mr. Jinglewidget squeaks out in monkey panic as he slaps Gadget's cheek. The monkey ducks the flailing greenery before Gadget comes to, jerks awake, and rolls up, taking Mr. Jinglewidget in her arms as she flees as much as she can as groggy as she is.
As though sensing her wishes to take one home with her, another of the thorny flowery plants drops from the hedge right ontop of Pasithea. Its thorns get tangled in her hair, and despite much flailing, it fails to sink them into her skin.
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0-4: (10)+6+-4: 12 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (2)+2: 4 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (11)+0: 11 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (4)+0: 4 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (7)+0: 7 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (10)+0: 10
Aryia gasps as one goes for her, just missing. Ducking low, she kicks at it with her new boots so it wouldn't hurt and gets a solid smack in. Turning back, she sees how many there are between her and the party. Getting an idea, she sprints forward, making all of them try and hit her with her arms raised. Trying to clear a path. She whistles sharply at everyone and beckons them to follow, her running back to where she was before.
GAME: Culix rolls 0: (6)+0: 6 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (1)+0: 1 (EPIC FAIL)
The way might be somewhat safer for a time being.
As Aryia dashes down the corridor, back towarsds the party, and then back up again- the vines, still too slow, ineffectually chase after her. They swing, they miss, and then they swing again as she draws near for a second time, attempting to wrap around her ankles- but her boots fend them off well enough for her to slip her feet out of the thorny grasp before any damage is done.
GAME: Culix rolls 0: (8)+0: 8 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (11)+0: 11 GAME: Culix rolls 6: (3)+6: 9 GAME: Culix rolls 1d6: (3): 3 GAME: Culix rolls 1: (16)+1: 17
Pasithea yawns, opening her eyes which burst into flame. She casts her burning gaze at the flower which fell in her hair, stepping back. It is engulfed, but does not catch, only its petals wither.
GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon6: (4)+6: 10
"I see! Sorceress Pasithea, join Aryia. I must help Ramirez." Paenitia cries, stabbing with her sword at the vine that fell on her fellow Lucht's head. This misses, the point sticking into the brambles.
Waking her peacock-andalusian is probably the better idea, except she's isn't sure she can. So, she will give the other vines something to focus on. With a grunt, the Dark Lucht rolls over Ramirez's flank to land on the other of him. She waves her sword to get attention. Do flowers even have eyes?
"It is bad when the bouquettes come for you."
<OOC> Culix says, "7 and 8 take full round actions to start feeding on Ramirez. " <OOC> Culix says, "5 moves 5' closer to Ramirez. " <OOC> Culix says, "3 and 4 move 5' closer to Aryia, and #3 attempts to sting her." <OOC> Culix says, "Fort save x2 for Ramirez." GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+6: (2)+6: 8 (Ramirez Fort) GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+6: (4)+6: 10 (Ramirez Fort) GAME: Culix rolls 1d2: (1): 1 GAME: Culix rolls 1d2: (2): 2 <OOC> Culix says, "Ramirez takes 3 Con damage." GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+2: (11)+2: 13 (Ramirez Will) <OOC> Culix says, "Stinger at Aryia" GAME: Culix rolls 0: (14)+0: 14
The vines do not seem to have eyes, or even particularly care about Paenitia, when they have a sleeping victim at the ready. They slowly wind their way into Ramirez's feathers, roots seeking out his nostrils, eyes, mouth, any orifice they can find to begin sapping the fluid right out of him while he sleeps. The Peacock-Andalusian stirs, but does not wake from his heady slumber at this invasion.
Meanwhile, it seems Aryia has had better luck at gaining the thorny flowers' attention, they slowly crawl along the ground after her, vines lashing out towards her as they draw near enough- but still, far too slow to catch the nimble Mul'niessa.
<OOC> Culix says, "#1 moves 5' closer to Aryia and attacks." GAME: Culix rolls 0: (16)+0: 16 GAME: Culix rolls 1d3-1+1d2: (3)+-1+(1): 3 GAME: Culix damaged you for -100 points. 43 HP remaining. GAME: Culix damaged your companion for -100 points. 26 HP remaining.
Her first assailant, though, manages to catch her off guard as she keeps her attention on those behind- this one swings a long vine towards her- this one closer for comfort, snagging her trousers but failing to punch through to cause any real harm.
Gadget is overcome by desire. Mr. Jinglewidget seems to agree as he picks up a stick and holds it up for her inspection. She gets a wicked grin and with a snikt, her right hand is usable again as the dagger blade retracts. She vocalizes a poem in gnomish.
- "Deep inside, I call forth fire."
- "Burn this tiny thing with ire."
- "Not too much, though, just the tip."
- "Fire, don't you give me lip."
The end of the stick her familiar holds flares, and the monkey holds it out as far as it can from itself, wary of burning, apparently. <gnomish>
<OOC> Culix says, "#6 takes a full round action to begin feeding on Ramirez." GAME: Pasithea rolls 7: (18)+7: 25 GAME: Pasithea rolls 1d4: (4): 4 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+6: (9)+6: 15 (Ramirez Fort) GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+2: (2)+2: 4 (Ramirez Will)
Like moths drawn to a flame- or rather, away from a flame, the one which had been tangled in Pasi's hair decides to tangle itself up in the sleeping mount's feathers, as well. It climbs atop him, its roots seeking out sources of nutrition from the sleeping beast, who continues to sleep, blisfully unaware of the flowers that seem to have decided he is fertile soil for growing in. It does not even heed the fact it is nearly bisected by Pasithea, a section of its charred vine severed entirely.
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (12)+6: 18 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (3)+2: 5 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (5)+0: 5 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (14)+0: 14 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (13)+0: 13
Aryia sees that Ramirez, noble Ramirez, is in trouble. Abandoning her original idea, she sprints past all of the vines, dodging left and right as they whip past her. She takes a leap over the sleepy gnome and rails both feet into the vine that was siphoning off Ramirez's life force. She twists and just barely manages to catch herself on her feet, teeth set to bare and snarling at the res of the vines.
The vines are almost painfully slow, as Aryia whips back and forth in the passageway, they try to follow her but are hopelessly outmatched in the speed department. They wriggle and writhe along the floor, dragging themselves after her as quickly as they can- which is not very.
GAME: Pasithea casts Burning Gaze. Caster Level: 4 DC: 16 GAME: Culix rolls 6: (13)+6: 19 GAME: Pasithea rolls 1d6: (4): 4
Pasithea's eye open back up to show the burning glow of hellfire and things better left to nightmares. They flick towards one of the other plants that feast apon Ramirez and atempt to set it alight but the plant writes out of the way and the sorceress averts her gaze lest she set Ramirez alight. "They are not.. so pretty.. now."
<OOC> Paenitia says, "wake up Ramirez" <OOC> Paenitia says, "well he can crawl prone half his move, so that's 20' so maybe that gets him away from the flowers" <OOC> Culix says, "Alrighty, you both provoke." GAME: Culix rolls 0: (16)+0: 16 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (9)+0: 9
"Ramirez! Awake! They are not the loving kisses! They eat you!" Paenitia yells, loudly and firmly, grabbing at her mount and pushing on the flowers. His head is nearly as large as she is, cradled in her arms. His eyes open with drowsy awareness.
"Come! Come!" She does her best to drag her peacock-andalusian by his reins. He crawls, still half asleep, letting his little mistress pulling him to somewhere safer.
Safer, but not safe.
<OOC> Culix says, "4 and 3 move 5' closer. 5 attacks Pasi. 7 and 8 attack Aryia." GAME: Culix rolls 0: (19)+0: 19 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (11)+0: 11 GAME: Culix rolls 1d3-1+1d2: (1)+-1+(2): 2 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (4)+0: 4 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (4)+0: 4 GAME: Pasithea rolls sense motive: (16)+9: 25
As Ramirez drags himself free of the vines which entangled within his feathers, they turn their attention to the more immediate targets now that the sleepy one is awake. Vines lash out towards Aryia and Pasithea, but the vines are slow- Aryia deftly dodges, while pasithea sleepily bobs and stumbles and somehow evades each swish of the vines as though some unseen force guides her haphazard movements.
And still, the distant vines creep ever closer, slowly, inexorably... inching along.
<OOC> Gadget says, "In that case, I begin to try to burn my way out." <OOC> Culix says, "Alrighty, make an attack roll, improvised weapon so -4." GAME: Gadget rolls weapon0-4: (12)+2+-4: 10 <OOC> Culix says, "Hits. 1d3 bludgeoning +1 fire" GAME: Gadget rolls damage0+1: aliased to 1d3-1+1: (2)+-1+1: 2 GAME: Gadget rolls Reflex: (8)+1: 9 GAME: Culix rolls 1d6: (1): 1
Gadget turns, touching the burning stick to the thorny vines. Lashing out, the brambles slap along her arm and hit her back. She winces like she's been whipped, which she kind of has been. "You let me out, you wilted piece of kindling," she says. "It's you or me, now, twig!" <sylvan>
The brambles actively take a swing at Gadget. In revenge. In a magical fae bramble maze in a cursed forest, wit the rest of the party, at present, are fighting animated plants. It shouldn't be that surprising.
GAME: Aryia spends ONE point of KI POOL. GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (9)+6: 15 GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (7)+6: 13 GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (18)+6: 24 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (6)+2: 8 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (4)+2: 6 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (5)+2: 7 <OOC> Culix says, "You drop #5 in one hit, and finish #7 as well."
Aryia wasn't sure what clicked in her head, but she took a breath and focuses. Just as one lashes out her, she snatches it from the air, breaks it over a knee, and whips the other one to shreads with the rest of the vine in her hand before discarding it. She drops back into a stance, bouncing on the balls of her feet. This, this right here was what she needed to be put in.
<OOC> Pasithea says, "Burn 4." GAME: Culix rolls 6: (10)+6: 16
The Sleepy sorc turns about, nodding off and almost falling to the ground, the hedge keeping her upright. Her eyes open briefly to try and burn the nearest plant foe but slep drags her lids down too soon and she snores lightly.
<OOC> Paenitia says, "-2 AC for charging until my turn again" GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon6+2: (4)+6+2: 12 GAME: Paenitia rolls damage6: aliased to 1d6+1: (4)+1: 5
"Ramirez! Watch for flowers. Move away if they come." Paenitia calls out, a sleepy 'sqauwk?' is her response. He heard, possibly he understood. The peacock-andalusian is struggling to his hooves and talons.
"Raaah!" The Red Knight almost sounds like her mount, as she rushes back into the side passage to swing at a flower that was feeding on her loyal steed. She connects, a decent blow with her small blade, slicing away petals and some leaves. Not enough to fully dispatch the flower.
This will be a hard tale to turn into a triumph.
<OOC> Culix says, "1 and 3 inch closer. 4 attacks Pasi again." GAME: Culix rolls 0: (3)+0: 3 GAME: Culix rolls 5: (18)+5: 23 (Pasithea Will)
The creeping vines inch ever closer and closer to the party, though the party remain vastly more fleet- it is becoming clear why these particular plants seem to favor sleeping foes. Speaking of which, one of those nearest Pasithea emits a fresh puff of heady pollen, filling the air with sweet scents. Doesn't the grass look comfortable? Not comfortable enough to abandon the fight.
GAME: Gadget rolls weapon0-4: (11)+2+-4: 9 GAME: Gadget rolls reflex: (18)+1: 19 GAME: Gadget rolls damage0+1: aliased to 1d3-1+1: (2)+-1+1: 2 GAME: Culix rolls 6: (1)+6: 7 (EPIC FAIL)
Gadget does not want to be here. Survival first, fixing the problem properly second, the guild and money can both go to the nine hells; she's been homeless for the last year or more, she's not about to shy away from being slightly less wealthy. She's the only one reacting like a living being. Burn something, it recoils and moves away because it hurts. Trap someone in a hell that promises only death, then threat of harm is not a barrier for exit, and exit is the only viable option. Survival is the number one priority on ANY sane, living being's list.
Gadget holds the flame against the thrashing thorn wall. "Yeah, how do you like it, huh? You throw me outside, I'll stop burning you." She curves her body so the thrashing vine slaps against her metal arm.
"Druids hate it, so should you. My metal arm keeps fire on you," the gnome says, mocking the wall itself. <sylvan>
<OOC> Aryia says, "and bap" GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (6)+6: 12 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (4)+2: 6
Of course, working together while keeping your head on straight is reacting like a living being too.
Clap clap!
The elf smacks her hands towards Gadget's direction, just barely able to see them trying to get out of here. She whistles, jabs a finger at the vines trying to harm them and dashes towards the line advancing, cracking it with a swift kick.
GAME: Culix rolls 0: (7)+0: 7
The creeping flowers inch nearer still- a second one coming to back up the one Aryia just struck a telling blow to, its vines leaping out over the flowery top of its companion and snapping for the outstretched limb- but not before Aryia is able to snatch it back, keeping it from harm.
GAME: Culix rolls 6: (16)+6: 22
The sleepy one wakens with a startle as the last of the red glow fades from her eyes. She focuses her eyes too late apon her planty foe and misses her chance.. and instead steps up beside the quiet one's side to 'hold the line'. "Not.. liking these.. plants."
GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon6: (18)+6: 24 GAME: Paenitia rolls damage6: aliased to 1d6+1: (2)+1: 3
'ruuaaaahhh?' Ramirez caws, sounding drained and disoriented. It's not his usual enthusiastic challenge. He's feeling weak, and smells flowery. He does not like floral scents. These are not a masculine smell! He scraps at his beak, pulling the remanents of vines out of it. Blood tears trickle from where they were in his eyes.
"Stay Ramirez!" Paenitia gives an order which is easy for him to obey. The little Lucht backswings hard with her sword, a reverse chop to the one she just made. It impacts the flower and lops it neatly off.
"Ole!" She cheers, although it too lacks her usual happy tones. She quickly scans to see what her comrades are up to. Her fellow Lucht Siuil is definitely in danger. "Pasithea, we switch. I have the thick armour."
<OOC> Culix says, "Alrighty. 4 and 3 have a target each, so both of them will full attack." GAME: Culix rolls 0: (20)+0: 20 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (12)+0: 12 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (1)+0: 1 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Culix rolls 0: (1)+0: 1 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Culix rolls 0: (11)+0: 11 GAME: Culix rolls 1d3-1+1d2: (3)+-1+(1): 3
As the plants begin to bunch up against the bullwark made up of Aryia and Pasithea, their attacks begin to stack up- though not particularly adept, by sheer volume of strikes, the vines lashing out for Aryia finally manage to find purchase. They bite into her, the pricks themselves sting- but shortly therafter they begin to burn, the skin blistering at the site of the strike, around lightly bleeding punctures.
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (16)+6: 22 GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (18)+6: 24 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (2)+2: 4 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (1)+2: 3 <OOC> Culix says, "First drops #3, second hurts #2"
Aryia hisses as one stabs into her arm. She grabs at it and yanks it free from the wall, tossing it behind her while doing a small hop-skip forward and crushing her heel into the other one.
GAME: Culix rolls 0: (18)+0: 18 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (3)+0: 3 GAME: Culix rolls 1d3-1+1d2: (1)+-1+(1): 1
The vines twitch and writhe under Aryia's heel, the petals of the flower ruined by her strike. The vines reach up, scraping at her leg- and causing only minor damage, the tips of its spikes not even piercing the skin, but drawing welts upon it, which sting with the touch of acid within.
GAME: Pasithea rolls melee: (4)+3: 7 GAME: Pasithea rolls will: (2)+5: 7
Pasi strikes out with her spear, lancing a creature of mist and smoke..and then her eyes open to show that the dream was not as the real world. The speartip lodging briefly in the ground. She remembers Paenitia's request and shuffles to the side.
GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon6: (9)+6: 15 GAME: Paenitia rolls damage6: aliased to 1d6+1: (6)+1: 7 GAME: Paenitia rolls will+1: (11)+4+1: 16
Paenitia moves up as Pasithea steps to the side. The Lucht Siuils are swapping out, even if it's hard to tell from their names. As the Sleepy Sorceress moves to the side the Red Knight steps in with a decisive, dramatic thrust. She clips the flower right under it's bulb, almost severing it.
Almost.
"Die carnivorous carnation! I am Order of the Pillar, not the Blue Rose."
The flower struck hard by Paenitia's lunge seems to practically burst into a fresh cloud of sweet-smelling pollen, driven out by the force of her attack as much as the plants own volition- such that it has volution. The pollen fills the air, and once more both Lucht will have to fight to keep their eyes open- but only one will suceed.
GAME: Gadget rolls weapon0: (4)+2: 6 GAME: Gadget rolls reflex: (3)+1: 4 GAME: Culix rolls 6: (15)+6: 21 GAME: Culix rolls 1d6: (4): 4 GAME: Gadget rolls damage0+1: aliased to 1d3-1+1: (2)+-1+1: 2
Gadget begins repeating, "I hate you," over and over and over again as she holds the flame on the bramble, waiting for the thing to either catch fire or gore her badly enough that she dies. <sylvan>
Aparrently growing fed up of the repeated strikes to the bramble, one of the thick vines suddenly lunges forth towards the gnome assaulting it with a smouldering twig. The vine wraps around her neck, and yanks her bodily into the hedges, where inch long spines slice at her. She is ripped bodily through the brambles, and then deposited unceremoniously on the other side- out in the woods, alone.
Mr. Jinglewidget screams in abject terror as his apparent owner, or at least his compatriot is pulled through the brambles and deposited outside. From outside the hedge, Gadget's voice calls out, "Mr. Jinglewidget!"
<OOC> Culix says, "Boop the snoot." GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (4)+6: 10 GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (12)+6: 18 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (1)+2: 3
Aryia glances back at hearing the call for the animal. She huffs, turning back to the vine being annoying. She tries to kick it, but ends up missing because it was her hurt leg. Instead she just slaps it ungracefully. But it did its job.
GAME: Culix rolls 0: (2)+0: 2 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (4)+0: 4
With their numbers significantly thinned, the carnivorous flora continue to mindlessly advance towards ambulatory, nutrient-rich fertilizer sacks, but the fertilizer just won't stay still- and worse, it keeps kicking them. The plants continue to lash out with broken and trampled vines towards Aryia, but they fail to live up to previous sucesses, missing entirely.
Pasithea leans hard apon her spear. A familiar pose to some here as she sleeps on her feet. In her dreams the fight goes on around her in thrid person. Faceless knight and voiceless monk spingging and attacking wisp-like vines of smoke. She snores away enjoying the specticle.
<OOC> Paenitia says, "attack 4, if it dies move between 1 and the other one" GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon6: (9)+6: 15 GAME: Paenitia rolls damage6: aliased to 1d6+1: (6)+1: 7 <OOC> Culix says, "Move provokes x2" GAME: Culix rolls 0: (8)+0: 8 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (3)+0: 3
Kaff! Kaff! The Red Knight coughs as she gets a face full of pollen, and finds she's inside a cloud of it. She laughs, "Ha, that will not affect us!" As Pasithea slips asleep.
"Okay, you affect, but no more." With a viscious chop, Paenitia slices the flower off and advances, standing between the one crawling inexoriably forward, and the one being pulped by Aryia. She offers a few words of encouragement and appreciation to the Mul'niessa beside her. "Stand strong comrade, you fight well, you save us."
Oblivious to the fate of Gadget, yet hearing her call for her familiar, she responds, "We soon prevail!"
Ramirez preens, clearing his feathers, still woozy in head and body.
Mr. Jinglewidget can't attack, at all. He's stuck in here. Separated from his master without poofing in a puff of logic. Unless the wall grabs him and throws him out.
He's going to the hippogriff, the closest source of protection.
No, Mr. Jinglewidget, part of Gadget's very soul and the single most important being to her in the whole of existence who saved her from death and starvation and kept her alive in the forest in a baby buggy while she was an eyeless basket case. He won't remain separated from her.
He'll find his way out eventually.
GAME: Culix rolls 0: (5)+0: 5 GAME: Culix rolls 0: (4)+0: 4
Finally, after what seems like an age of dragging itself little by little across the grassy floor of the hedge maze, the very first of the plants to strike finally catches up with the adventurers. Its vines lash out for Paenitia's ankles, but it fails to even strike, let alone find purchase.
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (17)+6: 23 GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (6)+6: 12 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (6)+2: 8 GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 1d6+2: (2)+2: 4
The mute woman's gaze looks at the Red Knight with a sense of wonder. No one's ever told her that before. Her eyes sharpen and a sense pride wells within her as she jumps forward and crashes both heels into the first one. She pivots, snapping the vine before whirling around crushing the other with a swift roundhouse that breaks it in two.
She pants, a wry grin on her face as she holds up a hand up towards Paenitia for a high five.
She also nudges Pasithea awake with a foot.
"Ha ha! You will not get me." Paenitia is very sensitive about her ankles, most Lucht are. It's that barefoot thing. As she readies her sword, her creeping vine of a foe is stamped into oblivion by Aryia.
"Ole!" The Red Knight cheers, wildly overjoyed. Sounding like she's grinning as much as her mask is. Her sleeping friend is also rousing, "Okay! We take stock. I must check on Ramirez."
There's a snorting from behind the hedge. Yes, he wants to be checked on. Very much.
Pasithea snorts awake and looks around sleepily. "Oh.. done here too. Good." She yawns broadly, arms going up to strech. "Are we done... then? Wait.. no. Father to ..go." She sighs. "You both.. fought well."
Ramirez remains standng where Paenitia left him. His forelegs wobble, his feathers are all ruffled from where the vines burrowed in and he ripped them free. He has red streaks of crimson, looking almost like cheetah-stripes, coming down from his eyes. He makes a sorrowful squawk and whinny as the Dark Lucht approaches.
"I know Ramirez, I know. Flowers are not the brave opponents for you to face." She reaches high, to carefully stroke his upper legs, patting. "Lie down, I see to you."
She looks around for the others, calls out, "I need time. My friends, please wait with me while I see to him."
Please.
Combatty
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
20 Xtabay 1
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19 Gadget 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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18 Xtabay 6
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15 Aryia 4 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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13 Xtabay 2
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12 Paenitia 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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12 Xtabay 4
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10 Xtabay 5
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7 Xtabay 7
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6 Xtabay 3
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2 Xtabay 8
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==============================================================================
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 4 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
20 Xtabay 1 1
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19 Gadget 1
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>> 15 Aryia 4 <<
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13 Xtabay 2 1
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12 Pasithea 1
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12 Paenitia 1
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12 Xtabay 4 1
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==============================================================================