Trick or Treat 3
Log Info
- Title: Trick or Treat 3, Headless Horsewoman
- Emitter: Cryosanthia
- Characters: Nels, Sabina, Lucy, Braelnoir, Morgan
- Place: A07: Lower Alexandria Market District
- Time: Wednesday, October 14, 2020, 2:10 PM
- Summary: In the lower market, a frustrated noblewoman loses her head. Literally! A pumpkin lands on her noggin' and she pulls it off, immediately collapsing. A headless horsewoman on a nightmare steed appears and charges at the people who moved to assist her. Battle Ensues. Lucy, a keen-eyed gnome swashbuckler, sees a nefarious miniature Plague Doctor in a second story window and gives chase. He's carrying a head-sized box, but falls to her thrown dagger. Morgan, Lore Master, observes the magic in play and advises that they need to bring the pieces together. Meanwhile, Braelnoir and Nels fight the horsewoman and horse, while Sabina attempts to calm the headless, but still living body of the noblewoman. Nels mounts up and finds himself transported to a shadowy realm, where the noble-woman is battling demons that appear to be formed from black flame. He convinces her to mount up with him, and after some struggle with the horse, they do and attempt to ride it into the real world. Nels and the Nightmare arrive, the noblewoman does not. Lucy opens the box to find her screaming head, while Braelnoir attempts to disarm the phantasmal version of her. Somehow, they manage to calm the noblewoman enough she stops fighting. Sabina carefully aligns her head and Braelnoir retrieves and deposits the pumpkin in the box. This restores Lady Pendlewick, who is shaken but grateful. The nightmare turns into a beautifu arabian. The adventurers are thanked, the nobles return to the noble district, and the box is taken to the adventurer's guild where the odd assassination attempt is explained.
-=--=--=--=--=--=<* A07: Lower Alexandria Market District *>-=--=--=--=--=--=-
Just west of the Northern Highbridge and east of the arena, commerce blooms. Noisy and bustling, most anything may be purchased here for a price. Vendors from all cultures sell their wares from exotically colored carts, and the smells of different nations and far-off city-states mix with local ones from Alexandria and its riverbanks.
For all its commerce, visitors are advised to keep hold of their purses. Even the merchants possess a certain, cunning look. Most are positioned at carts or stalls as opposed to a formal storefront, with trade here being mobile, and visiting from all parts of the world.
Though the quality of goods suffers here compared to Upper Alexandria, the options are more diverse. Too, the oversight of the Watch is slightly less, and during times events are held at the Arena, chaos abounds. After dark, the square becomes a hangout for bards and other entrepreneurs whose business is best conducted by night; the shadows at the edges of the square often contain furtive figures engaging in their own brand of business.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Nels 3'7" 42 Lb Goblin Male Tall, for a goblin, and athletic. Close-cut black hair. Sabina 5'4" 130 Lb Human Female Tsuran woman of dark hair and green eyes Lucy 3'6" 36 Lb Gnome Female Dark-haired Gnome swordswoman. Braelnoir 5'11" 146 Lb Human Female A tall, pale Acanian woman, branded in silver. Morgan 4'10" 79 Lb Half-Elf Female Short pixy like half elf with fair skin -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
The sky is grey and cloudy. There are no shadows. A sour-sweet wind blows from the northwest, with a chill that cuts through most clothes.
The market is in full swing, as usual merchants both local and from far away are out displaying their wares. Of note is the Xian's, with their New Year's decorations. Their New Year is based on their Emperor's Birthday, causing some non-sensical date changes relative to everyone else's calendar. It's the eight year of the Obsidian throne, or somesuch, the year of the pumpkin. The Xian stalls are bedecked in orange, grey, purple and green, in pennants both garish and subtle.
Elsewhere, gnomes and goblins who have escaped goblintown compete in offereing safe explosives with which to blow oneself up. Nothing more patriotic than detonating a small part of your hometown. That's ownership. The more standard offerings of mystery street-meat, dried rats, gunpowder chili and dogfood rice. If one has a cynical nature, it's possible to imagine the meat passing from one station to the next until it reaches the end.
A few other things are of note. In an upper window sits a small humanoid wearing a plague doctor's mask and sitting beside one of the Xian pumpkins. He has been there a while, completely covered and watching the street. At the bottom end of the square, a human woman in expensive clothes is accompanied by another. She is clearly the mistress, and the other the lady-in-waiting and burdened with several shopping packages already. Both have high conical hats with tresses, but the mistress wears a full suit of plate with heraldry of an order on the breastplate. Finally there's... no, it's not three kobolds in a trenchcoat, that would be silly, just some lumpy looking sith'makar.
GAME: Sabina rolls knowledge/local: (3)+7: 10 GAME: Sabina rolls sense motive: (15)+7: 22 GAME: Lucy rolls knowledge/local: (13)+7: 20 GAME: Braelnoir rolls sense motive: (13)+2: 15
The 'Lady' is a local minor noble, poor, with a couple siblings. Lady Pendlewick. Generally 'not pleasant' to be around, very 'noble'. Also, the Plague Doctor small person is watching for something, not just watching.
Nels is here and shopping. It's convenient that he can get both gunpowder and chili from the same shopkeeper. Even in the same package. He puts his latest purchase in a padded saddlebag on his riding wolf, or perhaps it's merely a shaggy dog. It's so hard to tell in this town.
Sabina enters with cloak wrapped about her and to add to her warmth her familiar rides her shoulder. The peacock known as Emp sitting with his long tail feathers drapped down her back like a second cloak. She adjusts the coyote mithral half-mask on her face that llows her lips to be see and smiles at the chill and the bustle in the market, taking her time on her stroll.
Lucy walks through the market and gawks at some of the sights she sees. It would appear she is more interested in the people than the goods. The lady in armor draws her attention, but before she can examine the figure for long she has to sidestep to avoid being run over by a man carrying a barrel so large he doesn't see her. Lucy smiles ruefully after him and then goes back to watching the market-goers, the slight distraction apparently enough to make her forget whatever she was studying before.
<OOC> Cryosanthia: Reflex Save please Nels, Lucy, DC12 GAME: Nels rolls reflex: (18)+6: 24 GAME: Lucy rolls reflex: (4)+10: 14
Shrouded in a somewhat shaggy cloak for the chill....and perhaps for an internal giggle at the reaction drawn in combination with the scythe borne over her shoulder, Braelnoir navigates the market in search of something to get her mind off her recent paranoia. She catches sight of the ladies, though, a now habitual sweep of the rooftops draws her note to the hawknosed gargoyle perched up top. Hmmm. The woman draws near a stall and gives a brief lookaround to see what that one's waiting for.
"Honestly Odelia, do _keep_ up. I don't have all day." The noble woman chastizes her lady in waiting. She sweeps forward like a cutter through the waves, expecting people to get out of her way and using an armoured knee when they don't. This can be unfortunate for anyone short. Nels barely avoids one to the face as she passes behind him, zeroing in on the Xian holiday shop.
The lumpy sith purchases a large, lumpy sac from an alchemist, then heads into Fernwood pub. A moment passes, there are no explosions. Things are probably under control there.
The goblin chili-vendor calls out to Lucy, "Extra spicy special! Chili and Rice. Kills all germs! Try a sample?" She holds an encrusted, dripping ladle out to the gnome. There's a >clank< behind her, and a near miss from an armoured knee. Nobles.
Nels, at 3'7", really can't see very far in the crowd. Mounted, he gains maybe a foot, which doesn't help much. Braelnoir is both tall and someone he recognizes, so he'll call out a greeting, "Hello!" He manages to avoid being overrun by the armored noblewoman, and he considers shooting her in the backside, but decides not to. Brain injuries can be serious.
Lucy eyes the chilli curiously. She checks with a touch that a pendant is in place around her neck. Then she reaches for it. But glances back and then sidesteps again, out of reflex as the noble passes by. She glances at the assistant and then back at the noble. "You could have said excuse me!" she shrieks after the noble. Then she takes a closer look. "Lady Pendlewick?!" she says. "I should have known it was you!"
Sabina..being Sabina and of the faith of Tarien can't help but take this moment to step up and into the Lady's way at the holiday shop. Turning her smile on the noble as well as a small wave. "Lady. Good to see you out and about in town."
Morgan comes from the south part of the market with a near zombie look on her face, but to any one that knows mages know they some time stay up for a few days with out sleeping while working on something. She makes a stop to a table and starts talking to the one selling his items.
Braelnoir hrm's softly as the noble bulls her way through the crowd, though she overlooks then targets of her near-misses for the crowd density. She straightens some at the familiar tone of Nel's greeting and she turns her attention that way. There's an upnod and a, "'ey, luv, how ya doin'?" before she glances back up at that roof while the masked woman chats up the cakeeater in a can, not quite catching sight of Morgan from her vantage.
"Yes Lady Pendlewick, I'm sorry." Odelia grovels, struggling after her with the packages. She glances at Nels, "Sorry." Lucy is given the apology she wanted, "Sorry, excuse me," as the lady-in-waiting struggles to hold onto the packages as her mistress pulls up in front of the Xian shop. The Lady stops to look at Sabina. Her resting expression suggests she is sucking on a lemon, or an owl looking for a mouse. She pauses to consider the Tarienite, "Thank you. I don't have any alms right now.".
At that moment, the plague doctor stands in his second story window. He flings the pumpkin. It arcs perfectly, landing on the Lady's head. Her conical hat is knocked off. She screams, grabs at the unexpected headress-helmet and spins around, attempting to pull it off. Flames can be seen through the carved mouth and eyes.
There is no head inside the pumpkin!
She succeeds in pulling it off, and instantly collapses. Headless. The pumpkin rolls away, flames flickering.
Overhead, the grey sky darkens, and a swirling black mist leaks up from the flagstones in the middle of the square. Odelia screams.
The plague doctor drops inside the window, into the second story and out of sight.
Morgan is half way in talking to the gem seller but her atttion is taken away from that as she sighs, and takes a drink from her flash "Keep that gem over there." she points to one and takes 30 feet in the air to see what is going on.
GAME: Morgan rolls perception: (3)+16: 19 GAME: Lucy rolls perception: (12)+15: 27 GAME: Lucy spends ONE point of PANACHE. GAME: Lucy rolls 1d6: (1): 1 GAME: Lucy rolls acrobatics: (6)+14: 20
Lucy gapes at the suddenly headless noblewoman. "...Lady Pendleton," she says, choking back a sob. Lucy wasn't exactly a friend (or a fan) but the kind-hearted gnome hates to see anyone end up like that. Then he expression shifts to one of determination. She tilts her head back to look at the window. A hop and a swing off of a lamppost sends her halfway up the wall, and she grasps an overhang and pulls, then flings herself up to the window. Slightly out of breath she draws her rapier and points it at the figure. "Halt! Citizen's arrest!" She hesitates. That's still a thing in Alexandria, right?
GAME: Nels rolls perception: (5)+9: 14
Nels smiles to Braelnoir, the rude noble forgotten, and he calls out, "I'm all right. How're you?" He's just leaving a stall that sells gunpowder and chili powder, and he's just tucking a small package of the powder mix into his wolf's saddlebag. Then the rude noble lady is screaming and pulling her head off. "Serves her right," he grumbles. But the plague doctor-looking fellow is probably a villian, so he'll shoulder his thunderbelcher and chamber several brass cylinders, cycling them into the weapon with an odd sort of lever. But the fellow's gone now, so he waits patiently in case he shows up again, drawing a bead on the front door and waiting patiently. "Arrest?" he wonders. "Not if he shows his face in that doorway." Citizen's firing squad, maybe....
GAME: Sabina rolls heal: (3)+7: 10
Sabina's eyes go wide as the pumpkin lands and then no head.. No head..
She watches the body fall over and imediately kneels to check on the lady, hand passing through where the head should be. Then checks for a pulse. "She's alive!.. I think! There's magic going on here!"
Braelnoir is thirty-five feet away, Nels is fifteen feet from where Sabina is examining Lady Pendlewick.
The noblewoman collapsed like a puppet with her strings cut. Odelia drops all her packages, kneels beside the prone form, "Saffie! Saffie!" She's shaking her, there is no movement. It's as if the noblewoman has turned into a corpse. A corpse with a heartbeat, Sabina confirms. Odelia looks at the Tarienite in desperation, nodding, "What do we do?"
The billowing blackness in the middle of the market grows. Pedestrians, shoppers, are backing away. Some retreat slowly, others have decided to outright flee.
>>CRACK-KRAK<<
Lightning strikes! An armoured rider appears on a flaming steed, equipped with a lance. She's headless! Where her head should be is a flickering purple flame in the shape of a pumpkin. The headless horsewoman lowers her lance and charges, the cloud of darkness preceeding her as her steed exhales.
At Sabina.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "anyone who wishes may roll a Perception or K/noblity, DC20" GAME: Sabina rolls perception: (15)+5: 20 GAME: Lucy rolls knowledge/local: (18)+7: 25 GAME: Lucy rolls knowledge/nobility: Trained Use Only: 0 GAME: Morgan rolls Knowledge/Nobility+6: (14)+13+6: 33 GAME: Braelnoir rolls perception: (7)+8: 15 GAME: Nels rolls perception: (16)+9: 25
The Headless Horsewoman has 'exactly' the same armour and heraldry as Lady Pendlewick, although it's a darkened version, all shadows.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+14+2: (4)+14+2: 20 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 2d8+12: (4)+12: 16 GAME: Headless Horsewoman damaged Sabina for 16 points. 20 HP remaining. <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Sabina, need a Fort Save, DC16" GAME: Sabina rolls fort: (15)+7: 22
The headless horsewoman thunders down on the tarienite, stabbing into her with her lance. The group is surrounded by the dark cloud accompanying it. Odelia starts choking and coughing. The phantom makes a gesture at them.
"What did you do to me?" <Handspeech>
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon14-3: (15)+14+-3: 26
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 2d4+16: (6)+16: 22
<OOC> Cryosanthia: concealment, so you need to roll the 20 miss chance (1-4 on a d20),
also a DC16 Fort save."
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d20: (6): 6
GAME: Braelnoir rolls fort: (13)+11: 24
"Doin' alright, thanks" Brae returns casually, then...
Well, that spiced things up, didn't it? the merc straightens as the Noble gets an upgrade through a.... fairly unique manner, all told, and everyone starts springing to action. So, too, does she as the masked healer gets lanced by the spookified rider. With an impressive bout of speed for someone in her level of protective wear, the Korite readies her scythe and comes in on a diagonal, her grim weapon sheering through the phantasm and her charge angles off to the rider's right flank. She coughs and sputters at the fouled air, then calls, "It wasn't them, Cakeeater! Someone in th'buildin' behind us done ya like this! Cool yer shit down or I -will-!"
<OOC> Card 2: DC20 to leave. GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (7)+6: 13
"Never!" Comes the muffled reply from the Plague Doctor. He scuttles out the door and down the stairs. Unfortunately, he is a small person, so stubby legs. Also, he's carrying a head-sized box, which slows him. Try as he might, he can't escape the swashbuckler's line of sight.
GAME: Morgan casts Scorching Ray. Caster Level: 13 DC: 21 GAME: Morgan rolls ranged: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Morgan rolls ranged: (12)+9: 21 GAME: Morgan rolls ranged: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL) <OOC> Cryosanthia nods, okay, there is a SR. so you'll need a caster check on that. GAME: Morgan rolls 1d20+13+2: (11)+13+2: 26 GAME: Morgan rolls 3d6: (14): 14
Morgan says out loud "she is conected to the headless noble on the ground." With that she says in a deep voice as 3 lances from her fingers sending the fire bolts to hit the horseless rider only hurting it lightly.
This is proven as flames erupt from the body of the noblewoman.
GAME: Lucy rolls weapon8: (18)+16: 34 (THREAT) GAME: Lucy rolls weapon8: (17)+16: 33 (THREAT) GAME: Lucy rolls 2d3+8+8: (5)+8+8: 21
Lucy runs after the man, a dagger appearing in her free hand like magic. Exactly like magic. "Halt!" she repeats. "Haaalt!" She sights carefully, trying to pick out a particular spot. "Hilt to the temple - that should slow him down," she murmurs to herself and then flings the dagger. It turns end over end and then sinks blade-first into the man's temple, killing him instantly. Lucy stares. She lowers her throwing hand. She looks to the right and then the left. Then she turns woodenly and moves back to the window, the dagger appearing in her hand again. "Not /again-..." a small voice escapes her.
GAME: Nels rolls 1d20+12: (11)+12: 23 GAME: Nels rolls 1d20+12: (6)+12: 18 GAME: Nels rolls 1d20+7: (5)+7: 12 <OOC> Cryosanthia: "roll concealment miss chance, as well as fort save" GAME: Nels rolls 1d100: (2): 2 GAME: Nels rolls 1d100: (39): 39 GAME: Nels rolls 1d100: (95): 95 GAME: Nels rolls fortitude: (4)+7: 11 <OOC> Nels will take his reroll on that. GAME: Nels rolls fortitude: (5)+7: 12 GAME: Nels rolls 1d12+8: (10)+8: 18 GAME: Nels rolls 1d12+8: (12)+8: 20 GAME: Nels rolls 1d12+8: (3)+8: 11 GAME: Note Sickened -2 att dam save skil abil added to Nels.
Nels has lost track of the plague doctor, but there's a monster right here. On a horse, too. Well, in close, it can fight him, but he'll be too close for a charge, he hopes, shouldering his thunderbelcher and firing off three times. One of them looks like it ought to hit, but doesn't, the other two -do- hit, injuring the mounted figure, but now Nels is gagging and choking on the fumes. Not only is the body of Saffie on fire, it jerks as if shot when Nels puts the bullets into the headless rider.
The Tarienite gives a look of thanks towards Braelnoir, and then pulls the headless body of the noble off to the side under cover. She grabs the maid and drags her along too. Out of the way, she appeals to Tarien and casts a quick heal on herself.
The shopkeeper, tries to shove them out, "Store closed! Don't bring that in." Unsuccessfully, for the moment.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Headless gets off the horse, advances on Braelnoir, attacks with sword. Horse turns, advances, attacks Nels" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+14: (2)+14: 16 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+9: (7)+9: 16
The headless rider gestures at Braelnoir, slipping from the saddle and drawing a longsword. The blade seems unearthly keen, and a wave of cool air follows it as the apparation swings, and misses.
The riderless horse turns on Nels, gnashing with teeth, another cloud of smoke, sparks and ash billowing out of its nostrils. The bite misses.
"Get away from me demon!" <Handspeech>
There is a face, in the flames where the woman's head should be. A pumpkin's face.
GAME: Braelnoir rolls fort: (9)+11: 20 <OOC> Cryosanthia nods, "Okay. You make make a diplomacy roll. Also, a sense motive DC15 GAME: Braelnoir rolls diplomacy: (9)+6: 15 GAME: Braelnoir rolls sense motive: (11)+2: 13
Braelnoir cants her head a little with a wry grin, "Ain't been called that'n months!" She misses her scales.She almost absently jukes aside from the noble's sword swipe and she flicks a string of gestures back at the spook /Someone else put a spell on you. I'll let that swing pass, but if you swing again, I'll drop you./ Just to prove she means it, she flashes the back of her Kor branded gauntlet as she sets into a defensive stance.
Ka-thump, thump, scream. Ka-thump, thump, scream.
The box tumbles down the stairs, after each bounce there's an internal impact which shakes its trajectory, and a quiet, muffled scream.
GAME: Morgan casts Arcane Sight. Caster Level: 13 DC: 22 <OOC> Cryosanthia Nods, "Okay, make a spellcraft check. DC 20" GAME: Morgan rolls spellcraft+2: (2)+31+2: 35
A few schools of magic are at work. Necromancy, Echantment and Transmutation. It also seems mildly Fey. The Noble is connected to the headless rider, and some connection to something in the building. The pumpkin on the ground, also is connected some how, but it's not clear in what manner. It isn't clear if destroying the pumpkin will end the spell or kill her. The obscuring mists makes it hard to see the auras effectivey.
Morgan makes a few motions in the air as her eyes crackle a beautifull blue. She takes a moment before saying loud "She is tied to the rider like I said and something in that store with the pumkin. I think we need all four togeather."
GAME: Lucy rolls disable device: (7)+11: 18
The box has a lock, but the padlock is a little pumpkin. The stem goes up through the latch and back into the pumpkin. It seems like it grew that way somehow. And the box screams.
Lucy is on her way back to the window, not quite sure what to make of the sounds of fighting. But then her keen gnome ears pick up another sound. "The box!" she says out loud, even though there's no one in the room with her. She turns and runs for the stairs, leaping down rather than descend step by step - this is no time to be civilized. She adds a vault at the last to place her ahead of the box - the time to be dashing, yes always. But she can't seem to figure out what to do with the contraption...
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Nels a smoking horse is in front of you." <OOC> Nels will quick-mount it. GAME: Nels rolls ride: (3)+13-2: 14 <OOC> Cryosanthia: "It gets an AOO for you trying to do that." GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+9: (19)+9: 28 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+4: (2)+4: 6 GAME: Nightmare damaged Nels for 6 points. 47 HP remaining. <OOC> Nels is not sure what I'd roll to take charge of it. <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "That would be another Ride roll" GAME: Nels rolls ride-2: (11)+13+-2: 22
Nels sees a riderless horse in front of him, and the ghost of every infantrymen ever comes to him, and he dashes in close. It bites at him, but that doesn't slow him down. The stirrups placed for humans -do- slow him down, but he uses his rifle like a pole for vaulting, and after a bit of a scramble, he winds up in the saddle. Thunderbelcher's strap in his teeth, he grabs the reins, and after a muffled, "H'yah," the horse is now under his control. Maybe.
"Braelnoir, anyone, if you come here I'll heal you. I can heal her, but I don't know if I should." The tarienite calls out. She tries speaking to the body, "Can you hear me? Stop fighting. We're trying to help."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Full attack on Braelnoir." GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+14: (7)+14: 21 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+9: (13)+9: 22
The headless horsewoman continues to swing on Braelnoir, a cut down, and another in a backswing. The korrite feels the cold blade pass, close enough it would have hit if she hadn't been so defensive.
No response from the woman, the purple flickering flames remain in the shape of a pumpkin and where her head should be. The dark mist of her steed surrounding and concealing her.
The horse whinnies, and vanishes.
With its rider. It's simply gone.
Nels faces a hellish landscape of a nightmare's vision. Everything is grey, as if the clouds descended and became the world. It's barely recognizeable as the Lower Market Square. The buildings are in the right pace, but they are simply deeper, shifting shadows. The ground, a patchwork of black cobbles.
There are people, at least they might be people. There are forms of black fire, vaguely humanoid with indistinct weapons that howl indiscriminantly. Some are fleeing, some are attacking. The horse that Nels rides has likewise turned into shadow-flame mists.
Only one thing is clear. Lady Saffie Pendlewick is swinging her sword at one of the black fire-clouds, shouting and making gestures. "Ophelia? Where are you. What's happening to me?"
"Support? Where are you? What's happening?" <Handspeech>
<OOC> Braelnoir says, "ok, full attack, will try nonlethal so minus 4" GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon14-4: (19)+14+-4: 29 GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon14-9: (3)+14+-9: 8 GAME: Braelnoir rolls 2d4+7: (4)+7: 11 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Hits, damage" GAME: Braelnoir rolls fort: (11)+11: 22
Braelnoir shakes her head, evading some surprisingly good strokes, then she signs /I warned you./ and, in deferrence, perhaps, of Sabina's call, the silver haired Korite doesn't put all of her energy into the swings, perhaps buying time(?) though her scythe manages to draw.. smoke/fire on the first pass, she misses on the second.
The screaming from the box subsides for a moment. Anyone close and holding it, namely Lucy, can hear a muffled and desperate cry from inside, "Ophelia? Where are you? What's happening to me?"
"Interesting, the nightmare plane-shifted." The floating lore master says, "You need to bring everything together."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "DC20, control mount... okay, that works" GAME: Nels rolls ride: (14)+13-2: 25 GAME: Nels rolls diplomacy: (16)+0-2: 14
Nels rides over to Lady Snooty and try to get her attention, urging her to climb on behind him. He shouts out to the Lady, "Hey, get back here! You're in the wrong place!" He'll gesture for her to climb on board, in between dry-heaving. It's not like he's using the stirrups for anything. "Mount up, we might be able to get you back!" Very -might- because he's got no idea what he's doing. On the other hand, he's got the reins of the horse in hand, and he's on top of it. For most horses, that's a situation they're trained to comply with.
The horse, even nightmare horses, are trained to obey their riders. Being a nightmare, it's smarter than the average horse. Led over to its owner and master, it clues in that the rider it should be obeying is not on its back.
This infuriates the already infernal equine, and it tosses its head, then bucks, attempting to shake off the gun goblin.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "It will make a CMB, and you can make a Ride check to stay on,
DC will be whatever it rolls as the CMB"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+11: (16)+11: 27
GAME: Nels rolls ride-2: (9)+13+-2: 20
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Second Ride check to soft fall and take no damage"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "DC 15"
GAME: Nels rolls ride-2: (16)+13+-2: 27
The Nightmare horse bucks.
Nels is leading the horse over to the Lady when it decides that maybe he's not the rightful rider after all. What a time to reach that conclusion! Nels is bucked off, but lands cleanly on his feet.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Okay, here's her roll, DC20 to Fast Mount" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+7: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL)
"What? Ah, okay?" Lady Pendlewick moves, grabbing the reins and attempting to vault up on the shadowy horse. She swings at the figure in front of her as she does, but several things go wrong. First, she falls through the steed, ends up standing in the middle of its dark-fire form. Second, her sword catches on it, preventing her from completing the swing entirely.
GAME: Braelnoir rolls cmb: (10)+11: 21 <OOC> Cryosanthia nods, "Okay, rolling the AOO for her then. GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+14: (4)+14: 18 GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon14-9: (16)+14+-9: 21 GAME: Braelnoir rolls 2d4+7: (5)+7: 12
Braelnoir , not sure what she's just witnessed in the wake of Nels stealing/getting stolen by the horse and the resultant spasm in the phantasmic rider, decides to chance taking that sword off her hands. This.... she does not do, but, she leans into the swing to soak the momentum and, without reindexing the Scythe to bring the blade around, she manages to bring the dull side of the blade socket accross the Noble's flaming bean. /Clue in!/ she signs with an empathic look on her face.
The headless horsewoman dismounted and advanced on Braelnoir with a sword, the two are trading blows, though the horsewoman is failing to land her. Nels managed to get himself up on top of the Nightmare, which just vanished. Lucy has appeared in a nearby doorway, holding a head-sized box that is emitting muffled screams. Morgan watches sagely, advising, "They have to be put together." The body of Lady Pendlewick, under Sabina's care, is becoming injured as the spectre is attacked. The area is filled with a choking, smouldering mist.
GAME: Sabina rolls 1d8+4: (6)+4: 10 GAME: Sabina damaged Sabina for -10 points. 30 HP remaining. GAME: Sabina rolls spellcraft: (10)+13: 23 GAME: Sabina rolls knowledge/arcana: (16)+13: 29
Sabina was left screaming as she was pierced by the lance and takes the time to heal herself and then study what's goin on in detail. Tarien's faithful energies soothe her wound and closes it for the most part as she stands over the headless corpse of Lady P.
When she spies Lucy with a screaming box she has a moment of understanding. Morgan's call helps her as well. "Hey! Bring that over here! Please!" She yells at Lucy.
<OOC> Lucy will take it outside first if that's ok GAME: Lucy rolls disable device: (17)+11: 28
Lucy looks down at the box in awe. "Lady P...?" She raises the box, with both hands. For a moment all signs seem to indicate she's going to shake it back and forth. At the last second, she seems to think better of it. Instead she raises the box to hold ahead of her own face. She tries to estimate if there really could be a head inside. She raises the box a few inches higher - this would he a human's head, she reminds herself. And Lady Pendleton, she thinks to herself. One more inch. Then she lowers it to the previous height. No need to be rude. Finally she turns and runs for the door, and the street where she last saw the woman's body. "We'll save you!" she says to the box. Once outside she stops at the sight and then tries to open the box again, this time succeeding. The pumpkin lock pops open, and then the box flips on.
Inside there is a head, Lady Pendlewick's head. Which is screaming. Her eyes seem to be on fire with dark purple flames. It looks very painful. Although, she can hear, apparently.
"You... you will? Who are you? What's happening? Show me Ophelia."
"Show you..." Lucy tears her gaze away from the unexpected appearance of Lady Pendleton's head to look at the street. "Um...well that's kind if hard to...here." She carefully rotates the box and then angles it just so. Hopefully the head inside will be able to see ahead - without rolling out. The Lucy begins making her way towards the headless body on the street.
<OOC> Nels will try to fast mount again, taking the AoO. If I can get up, I will offer her a handup GAME: Nels rolls ride-2: (19)+13+-2: 30 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+9: (18)+9: 27 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+4: (4)+4: 8 GAME: Nightmare damaged Nels for 8 points. 39 HP remaining.
Nels hops onto the nightmare again, taking another bite for his trouble. He'll shoot this darned horse later, but for now, he reaches down with one hand to offer Lady P a handup.
GAME: Sabina rolls knowledge/arcana: (9)+13: 22
Bina takes the head out and almost hot potatoes it, blanching as she tries to reattach the head to where it /should/ go. Nothing happens outright and Bina looks about franticly. "Err.. Ah.. Um.." She spies the pumkin and the headless and horseless rider. "Give the rider a head! Pumpkin..Mellon.. anything!"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+7+2: (14)+7+2: 23
Somewhat confused, but willing to take direction from someone who seems to know what he is doing, Lady Pendlewick grabs Nels' hand and swings herself up on the horse. The shadowy-fire demons are ignored, even if she can feel their burning hands on her face.
The lady knight kicks with her heels and squeezes her knees. That must be the secret 'plane shift' command.
Nels and the Nightmare re-appear in a shower of soot and sparks, the beast exhaling across Sabina and Lucy. Crinkling ash lands like snow in their hair.
The lady knight herself is no where to be found. The headless horsewoman stands in front of Braelnoir, motionless, sword ready.
Brae is more impressed with the rider's prowess than she would previously have given a cake eater credit for and is about to say 'hell with it' and cut loose, when the horse and Nels reapear and Sabina's call to action is heard. She edges back toward the flaming gourd on the ground and scoops it up with the razored steel that encompasses her hand, not wanting to burn herself (right away), without taking her eyes off her opponent, despite her immobility. She straightens then, and extends her emburdened hand toward the Phantasm with a, "This yers?"
On the ground, Lady Pendlewick's head keeps falling over sideways. It's very easy to hold it in position, but it stubbornly refuses to re-attach. Her eyes continue to burn, staring blindly. Her voice is quite panicked, her body shakes with the force of her racing heartbeat.
"I don't understand. I have a head. That's not my head. What do you mean give the rider a head?"
Lucy still has the box in her hands, lowered now as it is empty. Her head turns to eye the Nightmare, but it doesn't seem to be attacking...yet. Braelnoir and the pumpkin draw her attention. She seems to remember something and then looks at the box. Then she holds it out for Brae to deposit the pumpkin. "This should work!" she calls out brightly. "please work," she mutters under her breath.
<OOC> Cryosanthia: "Drama between Horse and Nels. Contested rolls. So here is the horse's CMB" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+11: (1)+11: 12 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Nels rolls ride-2: (1)+13+-2: 12 (EPIC FAIL)
The nightmare horse has a rider. It has only ONE rider, and the one riding it, is not that rider. Its current rider must die. There is no doubt. The horse immediately twists and bucks like an untamed bronco.
Unexpectely, it slips, its back right hind-hoof sliding left. The horse goes down! It rolls, whinnying and spraying smokes and cinders like a collapsing forge.
The poor gun-goblin gets caught up in a stirrup. How? His feet can't even reach! He is dragged along across the horse's belly as it rolls over on it's back. With a snort it stands, a Xian banner wrapped arount its head. Nels, somehow inexplicably still on its back. Smoke drifts up.
GAME: Nels rolls sense motive: (16)+1: 17
Nels gaaaahs as the horse tries to buck him off by rolling on the ground. That's a move that wolves will sometimes do, he's never seen a horse do it. And it would have thrown him, too, if the first roll hadn't pushed the stirrup up around his ankle. Dragged all the way around the horse as it rolls, he's not clear how he wound up back on top, but he's clinging for his life. "The rider's in the same place the woman is, on the other plane. Knock her pumpkin off and put the head back on to the monst'er, maybe?"
The headless horsewoman doesn't look like she is going to take the pumpkin Braelnoir has. The head Sabina is holding onto objected, saying she already had a head. Lucy called for Braelnoir to put it on the box she's holding, while Nels suggested Braelnoir knock the fire pumpkin off the headless woman and put the pumpkin Brael is holding there instead.
<OOC> Cryosanthia nods, "Roll a heal check DC15 to keep her head aligned right. GAME: Sabina rolls heal: (12)+7: 19
Bina kneels down by the headless body and Lady P's head. She puts a hand on either side of the head and tries to ensure the neck and body line up correctly. Hopefully they belond together. "Lady. Please. Calm yourself. We're trying to assist you the best we can."
The headless horsewoman stands there, apparently staring at Braelnoir, her sword is ready but at her side. Her attack held, but she's ready to do something.
Over by Sabina, Lady Pendlewick's head continues to remain separate, her eyes continue to burn in an unsettling way and she still sounds panicked. "What ... what are you doing? How are you helping? It's a trick, isn't it. Why are you holding that out at me."
Ophelia leans in, brushing at her face, "Saffie, Saffie it's me. Just... just relax. Don't hit anything."
Braelnoir looks to the Gnome holding the box out expectantly her way, glances at the stationary rider and shrugs before she spills the gourd into the box and waits for something, or nothing, to happen. Something happens. Several somethings in fact.
The pumpkin falls into the box with a heavy thunk, then a green flame flares up, immediately replaced by a purple. The purple flame-pumpkin that was on the headless horsewoman. The pumpkin itself is now the rider's head. There is a lightness in the box, as the screaming purple pumpkin face occupies it.
The box snaps shut, the pumpkin padlock closing itself. As it does, the now pumpkin-headed rider vanishes, snapping out of existence. The dark shadowy mist that filled the lower market vanishes. The choking sooty cloud surrounding Braelnoir, Nels, Sabina, Lucy and the two noble women winks away as well.
Lady Pendlewick, Saffie, gasps and sits up. Her head is reattached. Perfectly aligned, thanks to Sabina's efforts. Her eyes are no longer aflame. Her breath is quick, but she's settling down, "What... what happened?"
The nightmare horse vanishes. In its place is a white arabian steed, with long golden hair in mane and tale. A horse of fine breeding, beauty, with pleasant demeanor and friend to all children. She turns her head and wickers at Nels. He's not a child, but is sized child-like.
Sabina lets out a shakey sigh and takes another look around at all the mad things going back to right. She assists the lady up from the ground and smiles. "I think that someone wanted to make a monster out of you. Believe it or not. But that has been averted that's to these folks here." She says waving hand to Lucy, Braelnoir and Nels.
Nels is suddenly riding across the Market District on a fine arab charger, possibly coming to Lady Pendlewick's emotional rescue. She must be in pretty bad shape if she's looking to Nels for that. "Uh, is everyone OK?" he calls, patting the horse's mane in a friendly, sort of placating manner.
Braelnoir blinks at the shift in the box contents, and turns to the rider, itself in time for the mystical farewell. "Huh." She smiles a little bit to the Gnome, "Nice thinkin'. Didn't have ta kill'r, after all. Ya get the culprit, then, luvvie?" while Nels brings a.... rather nice horse, actually, over to Bina and the Nobles, calling back, "Fine here, thanks!"
"A monster? Me? Who would want to make me a monster. I'm not a monster." The noblewoman says, sounding confused and uncertain.
Ophelia, carefuly does not express any opinions.
Quickly composing herself, the noblewoman looks at Sabina, then Braelnoir, who are closest. "You have my thanks. The thanks of Lady Pendlewick, Knight of the Lost Crown. You may address me casually as Miss Saffron."
Her head turns, carefully, she's still uncertain how well it is attached. She sees Nels riding her horse, to the rescue. She manages to bite back an impolite remark, saying instead, "Thank you as well."
Lucy is now holding the box at arm's length. As far as she can get it from her own head, without actually throwing it across the street. Something tells her that would not be a good idea. "Well, looks like everything worked out in the end, everyone was okay, no real harm done. Whew! Heh! Heh!"
Bina gives the Lady a nod of her head and then turns to reguard the box. "Ah.. I think that needs to go to the adventurer's guild. It's.. dangerous whatever exactly it is. Likely needing study and locked away or destroyed."
Nels peers at the Lady, but maybe this is her horse after all? No free upgrade for Nels, then. It's a bit big for him anyhow, he guesses, so he'll bow when she thanks him, and dismount, passing her the reins. He's got his riding wolf anyhow, much better suited to him, altitude-wise.
Saffie, Miss Saffron, Lady Pendlewick, isn't ready to stand just yet. Her maid does, taking the reins from Nels with a grateful nod. She pets the horse's neck.
"It was horrible," Saffie explains, "Everything went dark. Something was on my head and I tried to take it off, but it wouldn't come off. Then everything was grey, and on fire, and there were things. Not people, more like demons, flickering shapes. I saw them drag Ophelia... was it Ophelia? Was it me? I saw the shadows take a body. I tried to stop them, then they were attacking me."
Nels nods to Lady Pendlewick, "Yeah, you were fighting monsters on some other plane. You were able to send me back, luckily. The horse was very ... loyal to you." He rubs a couple bite marks. "Some fellow at the top of that building threw a pumpkin at your head. You need to be more alert to that sort of thing, this is Alexandria..."
Braelnoir saunters over to the noble, something about the name giving her pause for a moment. She frowns a little, then cants her head, "Someone 'slaved yer body to some kinda spook. It was fighin' me. Was tryin ta take ya down gentle-like, as it weren't yer fault, till the ladies here could figger out a proper fix." She claps the Korite gauntlet to her breast, "Got a good swordarm, luvvie, bettern' I gave ya credit for at first, an I owe ya'n apology fer that."
"People throwing pumpkins do not cause people to loose their heads.. literally. There was magic involved. Powerful magics. But I had no time to figure out what exactly." Bina says to the group. "Mayhap take care to discover who might wish to harm you?"
"That is true," Saffie agrees, with Ophelia nodding sagely. This is Alexandria, where one can fall into an unexpected dry well, or worse. The lady knight rubs at her neck, still seeming uncertain, and then her eyes. Her mascara looks exceptionally good, perfect smoked eyes. Perhaps not worth the pain. Her breathing has returned to normal.
She looks up at Braelnoir, attentive to her explanation, nodding and accepting the details. "You have my thanks. For your efforts and gentility. House Pendlewick has few funds, thanks to my squandering brother, but if you wish a recommendation or a good word, call on me and I will assist as best I can."
Saffie is siting forward, she seems unwilling to stand just yet, and Sabina's explanation gives her a few more minutes sitting on the ground. "I will look into it. I have some suspicions. Right now I want to get home and see if someone is going through my things. Perhaps you should go first Ophelia, annouce... " She glances around at everyone, "Discrete business, I shall handle it in private. Thank you all again."
Bina eases down to the balls of her feet beside the lady. Lord Emp, the peacock, arrives from whereever he flew off from and hid, fluttering up onto Bina's shoulder. "Lady. It seems to me you have need of friends now. Should you find yourself in need of such please seek us out. We are adventurer and priests and such, true. But assisting is what we do. Noble or commoner alike." She smiles and stands back up.
Braelnoir looks up to the lady on her offer, "Keep that'n mind, Miss Saffron, thank ya." She doesn't remark on the brother, though there's something in her eyes as she gets a little thoughtful before clapping her fist to her breastplate again, "Live free'r die well." she offers as valediction. She glances at the handmaiden, a quick appraisal, then those who stodd up to this particular... incident, "We oughta get the culprit ta a Temple, find out if he's the cause or a symptom o'this."
Saffie stands in a graceful motion, moving easily in her armour although she holds a hand out towards Ophelia for assistance. On her feet, the knight makes a small bow towards Sabina. She mimics the fist-chest thump given by Braelnoir. Her attitude seems much improved by her near death and headless experience. "I am very grateful. I will contact you, if I can't handle this on my own."
While her confidence is returning, it shows in her voice, she still has a shaken and lost expression. She takes the reins of her arabian from her lady-in-waiting. She looks at her parcels strewn about, waves a porter over and gestures at them, "Take these to House Pendlewick." She passes some coins over, "The same again if they all make it."
She looks over at her maid, she doesn't mount up, she seems to want to walk right now. Rubbing her neck, she does so, with a direct look around to Braelnoir, Lucy, Nels, Sabina and Morgan, "Once more, you have my thanks. You were very brave and intelligent."
The noblewoman might be about to say something more, when she's interrupted.
The Xian shop-keep comes out. "Store closed. Go away now. Leave. No pumpkins, no horses." A broom is waved.
The mysterious box ends up at the Explorer's Guild. The Plague Doctor, well, he's an unpleasant surprise for someone, then a headache for the guards, until finally some Temple officials come and claim him. This tricky sort of magic needs some deeper investigation.
Commentary and Combatty Stuffs
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I'm using the Chase rules, so you are on a 'card', you need to use a move action to get across the card, and a standard to exit it to the next card. Or, you can use the standard to attack. You can also try to get two cards ahead with a penalty using both Move and SA."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I am not sure if it will come up again, but I have used House Pendlewick before. So, you can remember that you have an 'in' or a favour with Saffie. Other GM's might be willing to accept it, don't know, I'll honour it in mine if it's relevant."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "And you got the good ending! There were at least 3 other unpleasant ones: Loose the box - bad; kill the headless horsewoman (Dullahan) - bad; and Pumpkin in box without head on body - bad. Also, the Dullahan was pretty tough and might have taken some of you out."
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| Name | Race | Class | CHP | HP | AC/FF/T |CMD |For |Ref |Wil |
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|Braelnoir |HUMAN |Brg/Ftr | 22 | 82 |22/19/15 | 26 | 11 | 5 | 2 |
|Lucy |GNOME |Swb | 82 | 82 |24/20/17 | 25 | 4 | 10 | 4 |
|Morgan |HALF-ELF |Lor/Wiz | 91 | 91 |17/14/13 | 19 | 9 | 9 | 13 |
|Nels |GOBLIN |Ftr | 44 | 53 |19/15/15 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
|Sabina |HUMAN |Clr/MTh/Wiz| 36 | 36 |18/16/13 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 11 |
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===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 6 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
22 Morgan 1
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>> 21 Lucy 1 <<
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21 Nels 1 Sickened -2 att dam save skil abil
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19 Sabina 1 Cast CLW roll when she's back
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16 Lady P 1
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11 Braelnoir 1
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3 Plague Doc 1
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