Planted Problems
Good news, everyone! Through brave efforts (read: Kira's intense refusal to kill anything), a living plant monster was retrieved from the Aerie. This is considered a chance to learn a great deal about who's creating them.
The Progressive Arcanists have sealed it away in a force-prison beneath their guild hall, and it is here you have all been gathered.
A handful of arcanists stand, studying it as the moss-gargoyle-creature throws itself against the walls of its prison mindlessly over and over every time someone even so much as moves.
It's an instinictive reaction. Intelligent, it does not have.
You've all been summoned here, of course, /in case something goes wrong/.
Tara floats near one of the walls. "So.....that is not something to do." She she says as she lets a tarantula watch from her shoulder.
As per his wont the half-sil information fence Latenat assumes a casual poise, looking very much unimpressed wether he is or not. Having found a vertical surface to lounge against he shrugs by way of reply to the floating Tara's words,"Get trapped in a cage?" he ventures, busy in the midst of cleaning his fingernails with a toothpick,"I try to avoid it myself."
Garak puts hand on the force wall - from where he is on the outside of course. he watches keenly, to gauge the reaction if any. "I was with Kira at the Aerie when she captured this creature," he admits. "I suppose we should do our best to cure it of this condition."
"Well, this be new..." Ilmig's watched roads, caravans on the roads, out for raiders and bandits, and more. Thrashing plants in magic cages? Not so much. "What is it 'n what's the wrong of it?"
GAME: Aria rolls knowledge/nature: (13)+7: 20
Sarcis looks toward the group of them, she's frowning and staring toward the moss gargoyle creature. Her head tilts to the side and she reaches up with a manicured finger to tap her chin, "Hmm... Well, what do we have here anyway? What an odd creature."
Tarragon says, "Certainly odd to begin with, I'll say that." she then floats a bit closer....keeping her distance still..."
GAME: Aria rolls spellcraft: (15)+15: 30
"DARLINGS."
Oh that voice. Some of you may know it. Some of you may not. An outrrageously, flamboyantly dressed woman in a /beautiful/ dress with an equally outrrageous hat covering her scarlet tresses marchs down the steps and says, with a bright smile, "IT's so good to see all of you here, darlings. I'm Lady Gelfure, Headmistress of the Progressive Arcanists."
There's a rivalry, of sorts, between the fine scholars at the Progressive Arcanists and the equally fine scholars (cynical sorts would say reckless maniacs) at the Exploratory Associates of Alexandria. And so one member of the party seems to draw more than her share of baleful glances from the wizards as she stands here. Aria is certainly not the most dangerous artificer in the city. Yes, yes, she has, in the last month alone, caused one actual riot (not entirely her fault!) and was violently arrested for disorderly conduct at a public theatrical performance (entirely understandable given the circumstances), but she's not explosive. I mean, she literally is, if she were to sustain the right kind of damage, but . . . I'm not helping, am I?
"It's a pitiable thing, is it not?" she asks quietly. Her speech is practiced and fluid, and even if her tone is a little flat, she seems to be sympathetic toward the violent creature before her. Clockwork seems to be her thing, and in her hand is a tiny glass sphere filled with it, the artificer manipulating the gears within using her delicate copper fingers. When she finishes, she activates the sphere, the sphere glowing as it ticks audibly, a blue light emanating from it and tracing the outline of the monster. "It's natural, in a way, but not. This is well outside my area of expertise, but I feel there's something particularly perverse about warping nature in this . . ." She falls silent there as Lady Gelfure enters the room. "My god." Suddenly, she's showing a lot more emotion. "That . . . hat . . . That hat!" That's what she cares about? "It's _so_ *beautiful*. My lady, you are ever the grace of Alexandria with your sense of fashion."
Sarcis stares at this person who just called her a darling. Stares and then blinks. "Huh." She points at the woman with the rather flaboyant dress, a narrow of one crafted eyebrow as she ponders out loud, "So, are you a relative of Lady Sandiel? Because - I must say - your fashion is quite on point to be her doing. You could positively be her sister."
Ilmig isn't much for flamboyance or hats. "Darlin? Been called lots 'o things, ne'er that." Still, he's not rude. He lifts his cup in salute. Since his axe isn't needed yet, the cup is wielded.
Tara simply turns her head as she hears 'DARLINGS'.....and she tilts her head. "that's.....new." She says as she turns her body, and her hair braids itself. Oh yeah...this'll be amusing.
Eyelids raise although Latenat doesnt move much else at the intrusion of the florid tones and the person that comes with it. Grey eyes study the Lady Gelfure patiently, his brow furrowing ever so slightly before relaxing into smoothness once more apparently even underdressed despite his luxurious green cloak. With an internal shrug this time the scoundrel turns his attention apon the plantbeastie they have trapped since he has naught to offer just yet, this is really not his area of expertise.
The hat, indeed a pointy and shamelessly ridiculous thing, is taken off as she shakes out her long, very red hair befor3e offering it to Aria. "I /do/ love my haberdasher, you know. He's quite the stunning artiste. I could go on for hours, you know! Fashion is..." A glance towards Sarcis, "my particular area of expertise. Well, that an evocation and all manner of mysteryies arcane. So, what we have here is interesting. AS you've all no doubt noticed," she glances towards Sarcis with a finger held up as if to say she'll answer her in a moment, "it was captured alive from the GArgoyle aerie by a very insistant adventurer that it not come to harm. We agreed, but we feel we might be able to learn more about how whoeverit is is producing these things en masse in doing so. From wdhat we understand happened, they were creating twisted versions of the aerie's inhabitants in the shape of these plants from some sort of central mass. Truthfully, I've not heard of much like that. Whoever's doing this is, at least talernted."
Garak inclines his head ever so slightly. "Headmistress," he returns his attention to the mossgoyle. "Ah, so it wasn't a gsrgoyle originally?" He looks dissapointed somehow. All those hours this morning spent praying for the ability to remove curses and undo sinister magic...
Magnus was there as well, and it's for this reason that he's ended up at this impromptu fashion show. He bows, then straightens up. "Hm. No wonder..." He tilts his head and sucks on his cheeks, remembering. "That would explain the rich and aggressive flora."
"My own assessment is much the same, though I'm out of my element here," Aria offers. And then, more quietly, "you really must introduce me to your haberdasher after our business here is concluded."
"So it was a core initially, huh? It must've taken up a gargoyle form so it'll be more mobile." Tara says quietly as her hair finishes braiding. "I imagine it's acting like that because it wants to take up root agian, and it perceives us as threats...."
Ilmig scratches at his beard. "So it be a weed that don' be lookin like one? What made it, be makin th'others?" He takes a quaff and waves his cup at it. "It tell ye that?"
"Do you think so?" Aria asks Tarragon. "I have some knowledge of herbalism, as that assists me with my healing, but I have little knowledge of magical plants. So it retains some of its instinctual drives? It's not merely driven by some magical compulsion to destroy us?"
"Tch." Latenat's attention wanes from the unreasoning rage of the beastie and takes in each speaker in turn as they fill in the gaps of knowledge,"Ahh well, at least its in Alexandria this time. Heh, blasted wilderness is trying to sneak INTO this city this time around." he mutters to himself in the melliflous baritone of his and reaches for a pouch ait his waist, from whence he draws out a cigarillo and goes through the motions of lighting it up unhurredly.
GAME: Magnus rolls knowledge/nature: (15)+11: 26
The moss-gargoyle throws itself against the invisible force wall again, clawing at it madly for a moment before stopping and then doing it all over again.
It's not intelligent at all, really.
Gelfure beams a smile at Aria and then says to Garak, "No, not originally. It's a.. duplicate. We don't understand why any of this is happening. It's something to do with Am'shere, though. All the plant-life is Am'sherian in nature, ultimately, yet inside each is a coin from Alexandria. Someone is doing their best to muddy the waters, get the fingers pointed." A Look towards SArcis, "I understand you've had some thories on the matter from your own researc."
"A coin?" Aria asks, her curiosity clearly piqued. "Might I see one of these coins?"
Garak says, "True...we don't know how they were created, but they share something in common with other...incidents involving plants and nature." He reaches into a pouch at his waist and pulls out an old coin. On one side is an image of Altima, an ancient witch queen who once ruled Alexadria...or so the story goes. Garak holds it up and then hands it over to Aria.
Magnus considers, fingers scrubbing at his beard. He nods to Latenat. "It always is, you know. We just don't see it day to day." He pauses. "The Charnese, who always seem to muddy the water, and yet are operating in Am'shere?"
Sarcis looks back to Gelfure now, the crafted brows arching up far higher as she glances back toward the moss-goyle. "Well~" She tilts her head to the side, "~so, there's a few reasons. This whole has been a bit convoluted. The short of it is, it's probably not the Teacher and probably is someone that's able to pass back and forth through the portal."
The oruch gestures with a slender digit toward the creature, "They are created, by some means, in conjunction with coins. I'm not positive, but I believe that it has to do with the spell being on a time delay and attached to the coin in some manner. Though what the spell is has escaped my knowledge so far." Sarcis purse sher lips and tilts her head, looking back to Gelfure and the rest of the group.
"It's clearly someone that wants to increase tensions. I think there may be forces in Charn that would benefit, but the who isn't as important as the why and - well - I'm still working on that." Sarcis shrugs her shoulders, "I've been working on a list of possibilities."
Aria accepts the coin. She's silent for a long time, her voice twisted when she finally speaks. "Oh. Gods. I remember this coinage. I was there. It was legal tender in Alexandria once, not very long ago. Not so many decades have passed. Most of you weren't alive then, I imagine, but these were the currency when Alexandria lived in terror under the iron fist of the Sorceress Queen, Altima." It's not quite clear how old she is; her skin doesn't wrinkle, and her hair doesn't turn gray. She does sound afraid, though. "Why? Why would they be using these? This has to mean something, doesn't it?"
"A witch queen?" Ilmig snorts. "That explains all of it. Magic muckin things up, like its wont to do."
Tarragon says, "Not all magic is bad, Ilmig. Just the one who uses it.""
Magnus pauses. "That /is/ a lot time ago, though. At least for here. A lot of would-be conquerers under the bridge since then."
"Actually," Sarcis says to Aria, "I think that using the Sorceress Queen is more about causing fear than any other message. All of this seems like an attempt to cause strife, confusion, and mistrust."
Getting the cigarillo lit up finally Latenat's ear catches mention of the coin, finally some meat in the plant-based diet to date. The scoundrel nods distractedly in agreement with with bearded Aesir,"True true." he talks around the burning vice twixt his lips,"Little bit before my time, but not much."
The golem still sounds shaken. "It was a wise choice, then. To even invoke her name, to anybody who remembers that time, is a terrifying portent."
Sarcis gives a little flip of her hand to Gelfure, "It seems this Witch Queen is more important than anything I had to say about who it might be though, and where we should be looking." She gives a shrug and goes back to staring at the moss-gargoyle.
"Yes. The spectre of Altima hangs large over the city as you can all tell. You bring her up and everyone focuses on /that/, though as you've guessed, it seems to me that's the entire point of using her coins. But the question I wonder at is where they're getting them? Nearly all of them were melted down from what I understand. as part of a very large public works project. Someone had to get them from /somewhere/." She consdiers a moment, glancing towards Sarcis with a lift of her shoulders before she explains, "The Witch Queen died many a years ago, thankfully, but her symbol, her face, still resonates with the people of Alexandria. She did have ties to Charn, though. I wonder..."
The gargoylte throws itself against the force wall. THUMP.
Tarragon looks over towards that force cage. "How strong is that cage?"
Aria retreats to a corner for a few minutes while the others talk. She spends some time tinkering with additional contraptions. If this was a trap designed to distract, she has fallen squarely into it. She seems to be examining the coin for traces of magic, to those so inclined to understand that.
Garak flinches back instinctively at the thump, then forces himself to relax and watches what Aria is doing with the coin. "What kind of ties to Charn?" he says after a bit.
"And the coins might be an important factor into working out the rest." Sarcis nods her head slowly, "But - well - if we have a list of people first then we would have a much better chance of working out the person behind it using the coins as a means to verify. After all, only so many people would have some form of access."
Sarcis gestures a bit with her hand, then a glance back to Garak, "Well, Charn has been hunting and enslaving the Sith for a while now and seem to have a way in besides the portal. In this case, since many incidents happen around Alexandria, they seem to be using the portal or they're being /very/ inefficient." She glances back to Gelfure. "Do you have any ideas on that though?"
GAME: Aria rolls knowledge/local+2: (14)+7+2: 23
GAME: Aria rolls knowledge/local+2: (3)+7+2: 12
Magnus looks over at the thumo, slightly distracted. "Well, when I want to cover my trail, I use the materials at hand."
Aria finally returns from her corner of excessive contemplation. "I could find no trace of residual magic, though I suppose I wasn't expecting to." She looks around. "Are we . . . No, am I overthinking this, then?" She sounds resigned there. "Yes. You're right, of course, Sarcis. Obsession is not productive."
"Even if this is an attempt at misdirection, the coin does look legitimate to my eyes, and they are rare. They had to have gotten them somewhere. There were massive numbers of coins, as you might imagine. Altima ruled for decades, and even if Alexandria withered, it did have a sizable economy even then. So there was no way the authorities were going to find every coin, and several collectors in town have very sizable collections of exotic currencies. It's not something you advertise, but a collector certainly wouldn't let any coin disappear willingly; it's a preservation of history to them. Even if they have none, they might know who does or where to find them."
She starts to list names. They sound like . . . colorful people. "There's Gezzlerix. Gobber. He blows up a few coins every year as a display of wealth. He swears he'll stop when he runs out of fingers, but I don't believe him. Argustin Deephammer. A khazad. There are rumors about his relationship with coins that I pray are false. Jane Brighton. Ugh. Jane." She hates Jane, and she seems unable to hide that. Why does she hate Jane? "Those are the ones I know. Anyone else?"
Sarcis looks back to Magnus, a cant of her head to the side with a furrow of a crafted brow. She crosses her arms over herself, a raise of a shoulder and a move of her hip, "What...? I don't think anyone is trying to cover a trail." She shakes her head, "I don't really know where you're going with that." She lets out a sigh and reaches up to grab her forehead, rubbing it between thumb and index finger.
A courier runs in soon, looking around and then heading up to Sarcis. They offer an envelope which - frankly - she looks rather confused at before taking it and opening it. "Well. Speaking of the list i've been working on... Looks like the last bit of cross-referencing was just recently finished. Handy." She glances over it and then a look to Aria.
"I think they are legitimate. If we assume, perhaps, that they never let them go-" The Oruch offers the list to Aria then to give a look over, "Those are the people I've narrowed down which have access to Arcane Spellcasting and the ones who can travel through the portal - or have - multiple times within the timeframes of the attacks. Perhaps you might recognize one?"
Inclining his head in deference to Aria, Latenat nods agreeably as she spouts off the likely suspects,"Lets see, not to mention I could get one from Timmy two-hands, Timmy one-hand and Timmy no hands." the scoundrel holds up one of his own, counting each of them off in turn as he looks at the ceiling recollecting each nom de guerre with encyclopedic recall,"Family buisiness, terrible cut-purses but great fences." he adds as an offside and holds up another other equally long fingered hand,"Denai Efreethyn, Wunnot Mei from the Jade Islands. Couple of other more... legitiate collectors as well."
Magnus looks back towards Sarcis. "Much of what I've heard here suggests it -- or at least tactical reasons for invoking the Witch Queen's name." He opens his hands. "That said, I'm curious about this."
Sarcis shakes her head, "No, no, this isn't a haphazard means to cover their tracks. This is a thought out means to misdirect and distract to cause strife."
"Wonderful work," says Gelfure to Sarcis, then nodding to Aria and Latenat, seeming thoughtful. She'll take list once the others have had a chacne to look at it. The names are not terribly familiar, though. Most of them are arcane-trained merchants, really, and she does give a firm nod to Sarcis. "Agreed. But I think we're making some headway now. We can rule things out as a means to diminish tension."
THUMP. The mossgoyle just hit the force wall again.
"Don't worry," adds Gelfure. "That forcefield is imepenetrable."
Oh no. She said it.
She said those words.
THUMPCERRAAAAAAAAAAAACK.
GAME: Sarcis rolls reflex: (11)+6: 17
GAME: Tarragon rolls reflex: (11)+7: 18
Magnus just looks at Sarcis, squinting. He shakes his head, and then never gets out what he was going to say next.
GAME: Magnus rolls ref: (20)+9: 29 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: Aria rolls reflex: (14)+7: 21
GAME: Garak rolls reflex+2: (19)+6+2: 27
GAME: Latenat rolls reflex: (19)+12: 31
...the wall of force shatters /explosively/ as the plant creature's form expands grotesquely. It's tendrils lash out, reachging to grab hold of Gelfure, bindingf her up sdudenly. The wall of force's explosion knocks the others here prone, though the seasoned adventureres weather the storm with ease.
GAME: Ilmig rolls ref: (12)+4: 16
GAME: Tarragon casts S3: Haste. Caster Level: 8 DC: 20
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (2)+10: 12
Tara manages to avoid the tentacle trap, and fires off a spell to make time seem to speed up for everyone. Meanwhile, her tarantula takes cover inside of her shirt....
GAME: Latenat rolls 1d20+11: (18)+11: 29
GAME: Latenat rolls 1d4+4d6: (1)+(17): 18
Beasts, yes. People? Oh my yes. But when it comes to a magical beast when just burst apart a magic barrier like a soap bubble Latenat is going to take no chances. Reaching into his belt the half-sil whips out a leather thong that was attached to the inside a delves inside a pouch with another, retrieving a stone bullet that he loads up into the cup. Round it spins, once... twice... humming in the air until a stone thrums forward hurled by and overhand swing... sinking into the fiberous mass of vines and an audible snap.
Pursing his lips the street rouge notices the effect of the entirely mundane mode of attack, almond shaped eyes narrowing in satisfaction as he prepared his next approach.
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d20+11: (2)+11: 13
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d20+11: (12)+11: 23
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d20+6: (2)+6: 8
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d8+10: (1)+10: 11
Magnus volleys arrows, stepping back to get a bit of room from the tendrils. One shot is true, the other two are rushed and ping off of the stone.
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (11)+14: 25
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+4: (8)+4: 12
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (1)+14: 15 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (4)+14: 18
The creature had suddenly grown quite a bit, it seems, and has lashed out at Gelfure and then Ilmig, who's closest to it. The dwarf is able to absorb and deflect most of its blows, however, for the moment.
GAME: Sarcis rolls BowPBS: aliased to Weapon5 +1: (13)+0+1: 14
GAME: Sarcis rolls 1d8+4+1+2: (7)+4+1+2: 14
GAME: Garak rolls 12: (11)+12: 23
GAME: Garak rolls 12: (12)+12: 24
GAME: Garak rolls 7: (18)+7: 25
GAME: Garak rolls 1d3+10+2d6: (3)+10+(7): 20
GAME: Garak rolls 1d3+10+2d6: (1)+10+(8): 19
GAME: Garak rolls 2d6: (7): 7
Garak raises his arms, fists clenched tightly. An amulet he wears around his neck seems to gleam and then Garak opens his hands, holding the fingers extended and curled almost like claws. Stepping close to the creature he strikes at it with one hand and then the other. And his hands do indeed tear into the plantlike matter savagely, before he pulls them away, rending the creature even further.
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+11: (15)+11: 26
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+11: (9)+11: 20
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+6: (10)+6: 16
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d10+3: (2)+3: 5
Ilmig's axe slashes at the creature to some effect!
Tara tries to affect the monster's mind, but when the monster has no mind....you can't affect it. "Hmmm.....change of tactics then...."
GAME: Latenat rolls acrobatics: (16)+16: 32
GAME: Latenat rolls 1d20+12: (7)+12: 19
The hasted Latenat's options are opened up as his movements turn him into a whirling unpredictable dervish, the rogue dropping the thong of leather in his hand and darting forward directly into the skirl of melee taking place in front of him. The plant monster takes a swipe at the half-sil but this is avoided with the deft application of acrobatics, diving forward with a twisting flip that carries him just clear of the grasping vines that reach for him while unsheathing the rapier at his him. The attack he performs after being bought down to earth again seems more a token effort, hardly espousing good fencing form let alone efficacy.
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d20+11: (18)+11: 29
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d20+11: (2)+11: 13
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d20+6: (15)+6: 21
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d8+10: (3)+10: 13
Magnus fires another volley, though again only one hits the mark.
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (20)+14: 34
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (1)+14: 15 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (19)+14: 33
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (17)+14: 31
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (14)+14: 28
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+6: (11)+6: 17
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 4d6+12: (17)+12: 29
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+6: (5)+6: 11
GAME: Garak rolls 12: (15)+12: 27
GAME: Garak rolls 1d3+10+2d6: (1)+10+(4): 15
GAME: Whirlpool damaged you for 46 points. 48 HP remaining.
The plant creature attacks again, of course. What else can it do? Why it suddenly changed and grew is a question that's going to be asked. Right now, Gelfure is screaming and flailing in its grasp as it's vines smash into Garak instincitvely. Latenat too takes a throny swipe, leaving him bleeding, but Garak easily gets the worst of it.
GAME: Sarcis rolls BowPBS -2 +2 +1: aliased to Weapon4 +1 -2 +2 +1: (7)+10+1+-2+2+1: 19
GAME: Sarcis rolls BowPBS -2 +2 +1: aliased to Weapon4 +1 -2 +2 +1: (3)+10+1+-2+2+1: 15
GAME: Sarcis rolls BowPBS -2 +2 +1: aliased to Weapon4 +1 -2 +2 +1: (9)+10+1+-2+2+1: 21
GAME: Sarcis spends ONE use of BANE.
GAME: Sarcis spends ONE use of JUDGMENT.
GAME: Aria rolls 1d20+9: (20)+9: 29
GAME: Aria rolls 1d20+9: (14)+9: 23
GAME: Aria rolls 4d6+12: (17)+12: 29
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+4: (15)+4: 19
GAME: Garak refreshes spells.
GAME: Garak casts Neutralize Poison. Caster Level: 10 DC: 18
GAME: Garak rolls 4d8+10: (18)+10: 28
GAME: Tarragon rolls ranged+1: (12)+7+1: 20
GAME: Tarragon rolls 1d4: (3): 3
Swords and bows and even guns make for more recognizable weapons, but artificers tend to have more eccentric tastes. Aria's parasol had been leaning against a column, but when the creature breaks free, she lunges for it, tumbling as she brings it to bear. The canopy unfurls, revealing a series of fine copper tubes and threaded ports. The copper woman fishes a single white vial from her belt, uncorking it and inserting it into a port on the parasol, the vial draining empty with a hiss.
The canopy starts to spin, its ribs quickly glowing white hot, the smell of ozone and the crackle of electricity filling the air. Her Death Ray starts to audibly hum, then whine, and finally she fires, a crackling web of electricity flying toward the plant. It wraps around the creature, somehow, but it breaks free, if only barely.
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+11: (16)+11: 27
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+11: (6)+11: 17
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+6: (20)+6: 26
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d10+3: (10)+3: 13
Ilmig lands a solid chop to the vine, cutting one away from Gelfure who's lookinmg positively /annoyed/ about this. Her magical dress appears to be absorbing hte harm quite well, though.
Tara points her fingers at the gargoyle and a black beam shoots from her fingertips. the Gargoyle doesn't look quite as.....colorful as it didbefore.
GAME: Latenat rolls 1d20+12: (16)+12: 28
GAME: Latenat rolls 1d20+7: (2)+7: 9
GAME: Latenat rolls 1d20+12: (8)+12: 20
GAME: Latenat rolls 5d6+2: (21)+2: 23
This time Latenat's feet are beneath him and he he pivots and twirls, using his rapier's edge more than the point as he strips away moss and vine all the whilst thorn rends flesh and leather. This apparently is a fair trade however as the street rogue grits his teeth and doesnt let up. Retreat is as costly as victory at this point and if the tollkeeper charges the same fee, why not victory?
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (3)+14: 17
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (10)+14: 24
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (15)+14: 29
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (14)+14: 28
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+6: (6)+6: 12
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+6: (4)+6: 10
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+6: (9)+6: 15
Latenat is sliced across his aarm vy a thorny vine, tearing bits of flesh free of him in a painful strike that would scar badly without clerical assistance. Ilmig is struck twice as well, his armor proving no match for the vine's insistance. One lashes out at GArak, but misses.
GAME: Sarcis spends ONE use of BANE.
GAME: Sarcis rolls BowPBS -2 +2 +1: aliased to Weapon4 +1 -2 +2 +1: (16)+10+1+-2+2+1: 28
GAME: Sarcis rolls BowPBS -2 +2 +1: aliased to Weapon4 +1 -2 +2 +1: (11)+10+1+-2+2+1: 23
GAME: Sarcis rolls BowPBS -2 +2 +1: aliased to Weapon4 +1 -2 +2 +1: (14)+10+1+-2+2+1: 26
GAME: Sarcis rolls 1d8+4+2+2+2d6: (2)+4+2+2+(8): 18
GAME: Sarcis rolls 1d8+4+2+2+2d6: (7)+4+2+2+(6): 21
Sarcis knocks the first of her arrows, a draw back with a set of her lips into a grimace. Thanks to Tarragon it felt like she was just moving faster than normal. Thanks to knowing this was some sort of plant creature, she knew where to hit it. A little adjustment and she let the first one loose. The bladed tip slices deep into the creature, a quick grab at her hip quiver - another nock and draw - but the second was released as it shudders and moved from the first strike and the arrow skates off the creatures hide.
"Insufferable creature." Sarcis says with an annoyed mutter, and she reaches down for the third arrow from her quiver. A narrowing of her eyes as she knocks and draw, a little tilt of her head to look in line with where she is used to shooting from. The tip lined up where she wanted it and with a hiss the arrow loosed and struck in hard next to the first with the broadhead lancing in deep. "I hope you have more clues for us at the least."
GAME: Aria rolls 1d20+9: (7)+9: 16
GAME: Aria rolls 3d6+6: (17)+6: 23
Aria raises her parasol for a second strike, her arm waving as she struggles to land a proper shot. It's difficult, given the chaos of the melee, but the creature is a large target, and she . . . well, she casts a wide net. The canopy again begins to spin up, the same high-pitched whine sounding before she releases another shot. This shot manages to hit closer to the creature's center, the plant struggling as wave after wave of electricity course through it. Finally, smoking, it takes a few more staggering steps before slumping to the ground.
Garak straightens up, watching the cresture's remains for signs of movement. "Is everyone allright?" he finally asks. "Headmistress?"
GAME: Aria rolls 2d8+6: (15)+6: 21
GAME: Aria rolls 1d8+5: (1)+5: 6
GAME: Aria rolls 1d8+5: (7)+5: 12
The damn thing is dead.
After Aria's blast, it does indeed die.
Gelfure smooths her dress out and hmphs in the most hoity-toity of fashion.
"That... that should not have been possible. Not only did we scan the creature for active magical effects upon arrival, it was most secure behind a wall of force. Those are impenetrable. How did it break through? Riley!"
One of the mage's look up.
"I want every inch of the room rechecked for protection from scrying. If there are any gaps, inform me and our friends here immedaitely. We may well have been comrpomsied.'
Halting the dervish routine Latenat's movements stop their frenetic windmilling, ahh well he is no trained swordsman to be sure but does well enough in a pinch,"Enough." he breathes a little raggedly, slipping a hand into the vest underneath his leather armor to retrieve a wand... only to slip it back within his clothing as a friendly bearer of parasols assuages his shrieking nerve ends,"I dont know magic but I know Alexandria." he offers, payment for services rendered really as he downnods his thanks at Aria
Aria looks around. She's probably not the best healer in the room, and her talents might be better used checking for traces of magical tampering, but her focus seems ends up on Garak and Latenat. She heals their wounds, splitting her artifice healing between them to get them stable. It's not perfect, but they seem to be in OK shape when she's done.