Book Smart
Log Info
- Title: Book Smart
- Emitter: Ravenstongue
- Place: Society for Progressive Arcanists
- Summary: The Super Ultra Awesome Amazing Mates club, aka SUAAM, is trying to hold their very first meeting... of two people, and have invited everyone to come look at cool creatures and eat food. They've delivered on the sweets, but the only cool creatures they have are three liminal sprites that are very upset about being in cages. Eztli, Khepri, Patch, and Vaughn attend, and have to deal with the troublesome sprites when they free themselves from their cages (they weren't even locked)!
A short battle sees two of the sprites knocked down and dying, with the third running away when offered the chance to run. The two sprites are healed and carried off to be attended to elsewhere. Meanwhile, it seems that this meeting of SUAAM might be the last. (Or is it?)
- Encounter 1 - CR5 (1800 XP):
- (3) Liminal Sprite (CR 2, 600 ea)
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- Dramatis Personae =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- Eztli 4'6" 140 Lb Sith-Makar Female A two-toned, short sith-makar. Khepri 6'10" 300 Lb War Golem Male A tall, gangly war-golem draped in religious charms Patch 4'8" 100 Lb Dawn Elf Female A blond sildanyari with a port-wine stained face. Vaughn 5'7" 146 Lb Human Male A straight-backed Human witch hunter. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- As the GM -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ravenstongue 5'0" 99 Lb Half-Elf Female Short half-elf girl with violet eyes and black hair. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
- Society for Progressive Arcanists, evening.
The inaugural event of the Super Ultra Awesome Amazing Mates club, aka SUAAM, the latest 'underground club' on the campus of the Society for Progressive Arcanists, is in session.
Which is to say, there's one mousey-looking wild elf girl with short brown hair who keeps looking up at what is definitely an unusual sight: a tall jotun girl with tanned skin and blonde hair that cascades down to her back in waves, and they're both wearing mages' robes and hats. The shorter wild elf seems very, very nervous.
And, well, she has a good reason to be. The posters that the duo put up around the campus promised loads of food and weird and cool creatures. "All I could get were these sprites," she mutters, before she looks up at the jotun girl. "You're not mad at me, are you, Ygra?"
Ygra, the jotun mage-girl, grins brightly. "No, Alara, this is great! We have to start small, with humble origins, or we'll never get off the ground! After all, our club motto is--"
"Sink or SUAAM," Alara, the wild elf girl, replies. She fidgets nervously again as she looks at cages that contain three creatures, maybe about a foot tall, that wear impressive clothing and look rather elfish in facial structure--but differ sharply in that they have wings. "I couldn't get cold-iron cages, so iron will have to do..."
Ygra appears to not hear that last part. She instead turns to the tables of assorted sweets that's been displayed. "Please, everyone, come in! Have fun! The Grand Pixie show will start in a moment!"
Alara looks horrified. "P-Pixie show? I didn't..."
Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Khepri's tread is as heavy as an armored knight's, despite its lean, gangly appearance and long limbs. The golem has just stepped out of one of the campus buildings, studying a metal vial in one hand before depositing it in a hip pouch. The beaked countenance sweeps across the plaza, pausing on the assemblage of tables, the food set out, and... cages?
Khepri tilts its head quizzically, before starting to approach the display, the dimming light glinting off its hull and the prayer strips glued to its pauldrons fluttering in the early evening breeze.
Patch had been seeing those fliers all over the campus, her time spent split between here, the Bardic College, and whatever bar she's happened to walk by. This however, piqued the bard's interest enough for her to attend. Something about the lettering, or perhaps the overly expressive name. Despite the reason, free food, neat creatures, and the promise of fun brought her here, that is until she hears words about a show, ear twitching as thoughts shift. "Mm... those are not the most reassuring words." talking mostly to herself as she makes to eye snack and refreshment.
Vaughn was always a fan of nipping things in the bud before it became a problem. Unfortunately, Vaughn was never one to differentiate between innocent gatherings and actual heretical cults. And so, he is here at the doorway in his full regalia, squinting about and looking around and noting faces.
He is also easily distracted, apparently, as he finds himself drawn to the assortment of sweets, looking about conspiratorially before partaking. He shrugs noncommittally as his verdict on that end of things, chewing along as he watches the room and the entrance with a sugar-heightened vigilance.
Free food was enough of an encouragement for Eztli to at least consider showing up to a meeting. Though, she was already a bit concerned about the fact that they were holding pixies in the area.
The small makari idled near one of the tables, and perused the food. "You are aware that pixies are sentient creatures, right?" Eztli asks. "Did you get them to agree to this show you're talking about? I really hope you did."
GAME: Patch rolls perception: (18)+8: 26 GAME: Khepri rolls perception: (5)+10: 15 GAME: Eztli rolls perception +5: (20)+5+5: 30 GAME: Vaughn rolls perception: (15)+3: 18
The mousey wild elf girl looks at Eztli with quickly widening eyes. "Err... No...?" Alara squeaks. "I mean...! I'm just beginning to learn how to use magic, and I'm not very good at summoning things, plus the block on conjuration magic in the city means I can't anyway, so I had to use a trap because these were the only things I could think of--!"
Ygra, the jotun mage girl, spins around elegantly in place. She's a natural-born showgirl, it seems. "Please! Everyone get some more sweets! The Pixie show is happening in four minutes!"
The sprites, meanwhile, grumble in their cages. Eztli, Vaughn, and Patch pick up their chatter, as they're talking in Common rather than the Sylvan one might expect little fey creatures to converse in.
"Did the little one say these cages are made of iron? Not cold iron?" one sprite asks. "Also, how come the big loud one keeps calling us pixies? And is she going to keep announcing the time every minute?"
"Oh. My. Gosh," another one replies. "If they're not cold iron... Hey, Peony, try the lock."
Peony, one of the sprites, gives the lock an experimental push... and the door opens.
The sprites blink. Alara squeaks.
"Okay! So we can just leave now, right? Cool! We can head back home to the barbershop and..."
But Peony has a wide grin on her face. "No, ladies," she says, drawing her rapier. "It's been a while since we've had a little fun."
Just as Ygra's about to announce the third minute announcement, the sprites all draw little rapiers and leave their cages... And it looks like they're about to take their frustrations out on the two members of SUAAM.
<OOC> Ravenstongue says, "If anyone has the skill, you can roll Knowledge/Nature to see if you can identify what type of sprites these are. :)" <OOC> Patch can use Bardic Knowledge! GAME: Patch rolls 1d20+3+5: (11)+3+5: 19 (Knowledge/Nature check) GAME: Ravenstongue rolls 1d20+6: (3)+6: 9 (rapier hit) GAME: Patch rolls will: (15)+4: 19 (vs daze, pass)
The sprites get the drop on things. Well, two of them do. "Petunia! Come on, girl, let's go!" Peony cries out.
The leader of the sprites flaps over to Khepri and tries to take a stab at him. But... Well, that's a lot of metal. That's a lot of metal person, too. Her blade bounces off ineffectually, and Peony pouts.
Petunia, meanwhile, flitters over to the direction of the bard, and her hands wave about as she murmurs words in Sylvan... But the magic that she's attempting to conjure in her hands has no effect on Patch.
Patch had felt that spell weaving from Petunia, a flick of ear and a a shake of head and whatever magics the sprite was weaving were broken quick. She didn't even have time to register or think about what was happening, stepping back and drawing her thin blade, looking to the others before her. "They're Liminal sprites.... did they catch them in the theater district?" she asks, but she doesn't dwell on that, a deep breath taken as she bellows out a tone, no words, just singular voice hitting notes both high in low in a dirge of a melody infused with her inspiration, hoping and sending wishes through song to help.
GAME: Vaughn rolls weapon2+5+1: (13)+4+5+1: 23 GAME: Vaughn rolls damage2+1: aliased to 1d4+0+1: (3)+0+1: 4
Vaughn was already expecting something like this, despite the disarming notions and motions of the setting, and hand his hand on the hip-holster of his hand crossbow. At the advent of those cages opening and those rapiers being drawn, he had already aimed his weapon at the nearest sprite's head.
"Liminal sprites, hm? Soon to be dead sprites, if they don't surrender!", he demands of Petunia who is all up in his face - and as a taste of his genuine intentions, he lets loose a bolt right into their face and lands a hit.
GAME: Khepri rolls will+4: (10)+7+4: 21 (vs daze, saves)
The remaining sprite looks hesitant about getting into any of this. But then Peony yells, "Ladyslipper, you get in here or I am not inviting you to the next high tea I have!"
"Where, on the barber's back porch?" Ladyslipper mutters. She looks at the war golem inquisitor, however, and decides to try and wind some magic onto it...
But the magic meets the same fate as the spell that was attempted on Patch. It fizzles. Ladyslipper pouts. "I don't think we're going to have any high tea if we persist in this."
GAME: Eztli rolls intimidate +5: (8)+11+5: 24
Eztli stops, and looks up when the pixies are taking themselves out of the cages. The small makari sighs, and pushes away her plate for a moment.
"Okay, I'm pretty sure you understand common. In which case, you've drawn weapons, and not hurt anyone, and attempted to cast magic on us, which hasn't worked." She states.
"I'm giving you one warning, and one chance. Only one to stand down and not harm anyone, or I will personally incinerate your wings and the rest of you with it. Do I make myself abundantly clear?" She continues, walking slowly off to one side to keep an eye on the area.
<OOC> Khepri says, "I will also bludgeon them with my personality while drawing my khopesh. Swift action to activate judgement (Destruction), standard action: Intimidate (demoralize)." GAME: Khepri rolls intimidate+5: (13)+10+5: 28
The sprite's tiny blade skitters harmlessly off Khepri's hull. The magical spell seems to sputter against its icy demeanour. And the beak-faced Executor regards the sprites with a blank, chilly stare. "Cease and desist!" Its khopesh seems to -leap- out of its sheath into its hand, the holy weapon of devoted Vardamans, and it raises the heavy curving sword over its head. "I have no wish to destroy you, but you will NOT be allowed to cause chaos and injury here. IS. THAT. CLEAR?" Its yellow eyes flash, glowing fiercely, and a crackle of light runs down the khopesh blade.
GAME: Ravenstongue rolls 1d20+6-2: (12)+6+-2: 16 GAME: Ravenstongue rolls 1d20+6-2: (15)+6+-2: 19 GAME: Ravenstongue rolls 1d3-1: (3)+-1: 2
Peony, the little sprite and de facto leader of this... fey-rly small sprite squad, is definitely quivering. Her bottom lip trembles. But then she cries out, "I have my PRIDE to think about! I am a LADY."
And so she lunges toward Vaughn... And plink. It bounces off.
"Haha, I'm in danger," Peony squeaks out.
Petunia, meanwhile, switches gears. Casting doesn't work on the hurdy gurdy lady, so maybe stabbing does...? She slices out at Patch and does actually manage to score a wound!
GAME: Patch rolls weapon5+5: (8)+3+5: 16 GAME: Patch rolls damage5: aliased to 1d6+1: (2)+1: 3
Patch had been trying to help, and avoid a direct battle. As her notes come to an end, Petunia's rapier caresses and kisses Patch's cheek. She looks heart, a bit shocked, and then her brow knits. "I was trying to be nice you little sleepless asshole!" she snaps, poking the small fairy back with her blade, a half-thrust just to make it even. "How do you like that! I got a lot more too!"
GAME: Vaughn rolls weapon2+5+1: (2)+4+5+1: 12 GAME: Vaughn rolls weapon2+5+1: (9)+4+5+1: 19 GAME: Vaughn rolls damage2+1+1: aliased to 1d4+0+1+1: (3)+0+1+1: 5
Vaughn takes a moment to look about the field and positions of his friends and enemies after getting a glancing blow, murmuring a small benediction to himself as he decides to take a few steps back.
"Blessed are those who stand before the corrupt and the wicked...", he murmurs as he takes aim with one eye closed at Petunia. "...and do not falter.", he ends, and with that end lets loose another bolt at the sprite that strikes true.
GAME: Eztli rolls will: (8)+6: 14 (against Daze, saves)
Ladyslipper's trying her hardest out here, but she just can't seem to get it right. She tries to daze and confuse Eztli again, but she succeeds only in making herself look foolish. "Is high tea really worth it?" she mutters to herself.
GAME: Eztli rolls 1d20+5+2+5+1 -4: (8)+5+2+5+1+-4: 17 GAME: Eztli rolls 4d6: (12): 12
"And now you've actually managed to harm someone. You could have just stood down. " Eztli huffs. The small makari raises one hand, and summons a pair of fiery lances at her side. "Conflagrate!" she hisses, and a flick of her wrist sends them hurtling into one of the pixies, covering the fey in fire for a second before they fall to the ground. <Draconic>
GAME: Khepri rolls kastuvas+1: aliased to 1d20+7+1: (1)+7+1: 9 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Khepri rolls kastuvas+1: aliased to 1d20+7+1: (15)+7+1: 23 (free reroll) GAME: Khepri rolls 1d8+7: (7)+7: 14
Khepri sees Peony go down under the fiery onslaught, and raises its blade to finish it. But then the golem pauses, and looks at the sword in confusion, before swiftly moving to menace Petunia. The heavy curving blade slams into the sprite like an axehandle, smashing the tiny thing into the cobbles as Khepri intones, "Surrender and be spared the Harpist's court this day."
"You can stand down still if you want."
Patch mutters under her breath, the two sprites falling so quickly in battle cause her to raise a finger to cheek, checking the wound there. Not enough for death. Not to her. She moves, collecting Peony's freshly charred hide, and garbed the near life-less sprite by the foot, dragging her towards Petunia. "You're all lucky I am not in a foul mood over this." eyes shot to the two hosts whom stood and watched this play out, staring. "No one will die today. All will have their high tea, and YOU!" a complaint shot back at Ladyslipper. "You would be smart to just wait, and let me return your friends."
GAME: Vaughn rolls intimidate+5: (11)+9+5: 25
Vaughn shakes his head slowly and in clear disappointment as both Peony and Petunia go down. It's not clear whether or not he is disappointed the fight is over or that the fight happened to begin with. Either way, he takes the opportunity to reload his crossbow before flipping back the limbs and holstering it, then walking towards Ladyslipper with the all the swagger expected of an Inquisitor.
"You.", he murmurs sternly. "I can see you are not up for a fight, and so as a Redeemer I will forgive you this moment. But you have committed crimes against the State. You will turn you and your friends in for Assault. Daeus have mercy on you if you do not, because I will not."
He spins about then to the face the two SUAAM members, "And you two, are clearly guilty of Unlawful Capture. I will report this to your superiors. Learn from this, that you do not do this again."
Ladyslipper, the remaining sprite, wilts a little--which is appropriate of her namesake. "Okay," she says, wings fluttering behind her.
She looks at her fallen two pixies and says, a little more quietly, "I want to go home." With a flourish of fairy dust, Ladyslipper turns invisible and flits away on the wind.
Ygra and Alara, the two SUAAM members, have been hiding behind a table of sweets the whole time. Ygra's head pokes out a little higher than Alara's. But once the words 'unlawful capture' leave Vaughn's mouth, Alara springs up from behind the table.
"No, please, please don't get Ygra in trouble!" she says. Tears brim up in her brown eyes. "It was my idea to bring things to the event--"
Ygra stands up now, towering over Alara. "No, Alara," she says, resolute. "It was my idea. Alara here... She doesn't have any friends. None except for me. I started SUAAM so that she'd have all the friends she ever wanted, and to get a ton of people to show up, I thought, "Okay, cool, let's have like, some creepy oozes or something to show up." I asked Alara to get them because, heh, I'm no good with animals."
Tears roll down Alara's cheeks, and she hugs Ygra tightly from the side. Her face is flushed. "Ygra... Gosh darn it, no wonder why I..." She murmurs something.
Ygra's just oblivious, though. "So if you have to book anyone, make it me. Alara was just doing what I asked."
Khepri looks at its khopesh again, its head tilted in puzzlement, before returning the blade to its sheath. Once that is done, the golem looks down expressionless at the sprawled, crumpled sprites, before leaning down to the nearest and intoning, "The Grey Lady's beneficience knows no bounds. Be healed and do not come to her halls just yet." A soft glow emanates from the construct's metal fingertips to touch the battered form.
GAME: Khepri casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14 GAME: Khepri rolls 1d8+4: (2)+4: 6
Vaughn visibly pauses and then clasps his hands behind his back, walking towards Ygra to peer down on her. There is a huff from him, and then another beat of silence, before nodding. "You show courage, Jotun. Courage, and responsibility. I will let this pass for your sake and your friend's. Be more responsible."
Vaughn looking about, "Just, hm. Make sure you all clean up properly."
Patch glances at first in worry to Khepri, but his actions cause her to sigh in relief. She was in the midst of her own preparations, kneeling to take care of the other fairy-creature with a touch of hands, and low words. "Storms of song, and healing melody that makes up creation. Undo what has been done, and let flesh be whole and bring life." her words a moment taken as she stands, turning to Khepri, and offering a solemn nod. "Thank you."
GAME: Patch casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 2 DC: 14 GAME: Patch rolls 1d8+2: (3)+2: 5
The final fey leaves, and the makari visibly relaxes. That lasts for not very long when she has to turn and look at the pair left. "You do realize that I needed to incinerate a sprite because of this, right?" She asks, trying not to get too angry.
"You're both members of the society of progressive arcanist's. Which mean,s you need to do your research before you do things like this."
"Clearly you have some talent for this, as capturing sprites isn't an easy task. Just, like I said, sentient creatures. You don't need to bring in live specimens to attract people, just come up with things to talk about and keep conversation going. I'm sure there's a lot of people who would love to talk about magical creatures with you both if you structured it properly. And maybe get one of the faculty involved next time? So that any safety considerations is fully considered, next time."
"As far as I'm concerned, this never happened." Eztli shrugged. "Not that that's fair for the sprites here, but you can always give it another shot. People deserve second chances."
Ygra looks relieved as Vaughn lets them off the hook on the legal side of things. Alara looks like she's going to pass out. Then Eztli comes in with a magician's perspective and scolding, which really makes Alara look queasy. Ygra notices, and she just puts a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Hey, Alara, come on," she says. "We're not in trouble. She's right, too. We should probably get a faculty advisor if we're going to become a real club."
Alara looks up at Ygra for a moment, face flushing a little more from the hand on her shoulder. "No, that's okay," she says, wiping her tears away. "I don't need a ton of friends. All I wanted was to... impress you--"
The sprites rouse a little, no longer on the verge of death thanks to the healing efforts of the party. Ygra gasps. "Oh, hey!" she says. "Thanks for healing them! I can take it from here--I know a professor who's pretty good with the fey."
The jotun girl carefully takes the sprites--they look like dolls in her arms--and walks away with them. This leaves Alara, the mousey wild elf, standing there.
"Why did I have to crush on my best and only friend," Alara murmurs. She turns to the group and says, "Thanks for coming, but I don't think we'll be having a second meeting of SUAAM. Please take all of the sweets with you."
She stays for a moment longer, awkwardly as it seems is essentially her personality trait, before she runs away, presumably after the jotun girl.
Vaughn waggles a gloved hand after the two girls before turning to Patch. "Make them do a second one.", he quips.
OOC
Map: https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=m1w68phd5lb
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
20 Peony
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16 Petunia
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15 Patch 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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13 Vaughn 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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12 Ladyslipper
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12 Eztli 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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8 Khepri 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Name | Race | Class | CHP | HP | AC/FF/T |CMD |For |Ref |Wil | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Eztli |SITH-MAKAR|Sor | 31 | 31 |17/14/15 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 6 | |Khepri |WAR_GOLEM |Inq | 34 | 34 |21/19/12 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 7 | |Patch |DAWN_ELF |Bard | 16 | 16 |16/13/13 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 4 | |Vaughn |HUMAN |Inq | 12 | 12 |20/17/13 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 6 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------