The Queen's GPS
"There have been difficulties." The universal, understated phrase of diplomats everywhere. This one, Thanduth Nightgrog, utters it with the gravity such a statement deserves. His brows, miniature bushes, climb into his hairline and he peers at the lot of you over a set of half-moon lenses. The elder khazad wears his Queen's colors, from her lineage of the Great Mountain and apparently, "Her majesty is concerned, understandably. We are here to make these concerns go away."
Mr. Nightgrog reaches up, and taps the side of his lenses.
The lot of you are in an office, in Khazad Duin. The floor is stone, the walls are stone. The tapestries? Rich, and expensive-looking. They portray scenes of family and clan gatherings, and everything is in Clan Truhammer colorings.
Seldan blinks a few times as the scenery abruptly shifts, looking around him with some surprise. It takes him a moment to regain his equilibrium, but when he does, he ventures, "Minister ... perhaps you could tell us a bit more about what troubles Her Majesty?"
Braith nods her head as she listens, "Master Nightgrog, how might we be of service exactly?" her words do echo at least one of the others, though she asks in a slight different way. The storm dwarf lass glances around frequently.
Zeke stands in the back of the group, as far back as he can get. Once they arrived he had lowered the cowl of his robe so that his three sets of dark horns could be seen as well as his full profile. It's clear he's not entirely comfortable here however. Not with the way he keeps his cloak drawn so closely about himself. He hasn't offered to shake anyone's hand, just nodded politely and offered a brief introduction when asked for a name. Now that they're inside such a prestigious office he seems even more discomforted. His tail flicks back and forth. Back and forth.
"Whatever thisss one can do Minissster." The blue-scaled sith-makar bows his head to the kahzad.
Nizzi looks curiously at the minister, then shakes her head slightly, the gnome nodding along with the others, "Yes, what exactly did you need of us?" She scratches her head a bit, as if looking a bit puzzled about the whys and wherefores.
"A difficulty. Just a few years ago, Her and His Majesty united and their marriage brought an end to years of clan disagreements. We are one, now," Thanduth Nightgrog says, his voice as firm as stone, granite! GRANITE! Ahem. "Not only are their Majesties the heir to our kingdom, the clans are also seen as a stable place for diplomatic relations. Your Empress," he says, with a curt nod to Zeke, "sent a delegation here just two years ago. The Charneth did too, at the same time," he says. The khazad of Clan Truhammer smiles at that, though it's faint enough that such an expression may barely be seen through his august beard!
Another man might as well have said outright: Yes, it was an interesting meeting! Or: It was only thanks to our copious, diplomatic, and well-armed forces that there was not blood on the streets. Yet--this court-ridden diplomat barely cracks a smile.
He does clear his throat. A few times. "In any regard. Communication! Continued communication! is the key however, to such diplomatic peace. Communication and stability."
"Our Griffon Postal Service," GPS, "is under...harassment. The reports that we've received--excise me," he says. He steps over to his desk, and picks up a sheaf of papers. "Include reports of attacks by brigids. They report long, dark feathers. The local eirye claims it isn't them, and diplomatically, of course, we believe them."
GAME: Rishi rolls Knowledge/local: (18)+4: 22
Smooth features wrapped in a pensive frown, Seldan reaches to take the papers, reading through them one by one and taking his time about it. He does hold them in such a way that it is possible to read over his shoulder. One or twice, he brushes hair that has gotten a little too long out of his eyes. "Large dark wings," he murmurs, "and sudden changes in weather, including lightning strikes. Do all of these attacks occur in the same area, Minister?"
Rishi is there, leaning a bit onto her staff with a glazed over expression that says - 'Oh my Gods, if he keeps talking, shoot me.' She blinks, staring through the man really, which is why she missed that he was even offering papers out. Otherwise she might've grabbed them in earnest - instead she stared blankly until something niggling at her mind finally came to the front.
"What-a-minute, if you're Nightgrog, then aren't you one of that family of brewers that makes that famous stout?" Her head tilts to the side, "You don't look like a stout person though." The sith-makar inclines his head again at the acknowledgement. The attention it affords him causes his tail to flicker twice again, but he maintains his expression. He watches the papers exchange hands but makes no effort to take them himself. "Thisss isss troubling." Zeke offers his words quietly and after a moment glances toward the papers in question but doesn't ask to see them. Instead he listens intently to Seldan's words. "We ssshould look into the matter yesss? Where esxactly are thesse attacks taking plassse.?
Braith has quieted down to let the others do the talking. Sometimes it is better that was so she doesn't piss off the wrong person....again.
GAME: Nizzi rolls profession/brewer: (15)+3: 18
Nizzi asides to Rishi, "It's a very /fine/ stout, now." She grins a bit, "Inspired some of my own creations, to be honest."
Nightgrog stares at Rishi. He stares unblinking, unmoving for several moment. It's like a rock is looking at you--though, give the rock sentience, give it a pair of eyes. It's a stare that--
Does Not Waver. "Yes."
"...the name is unfortunate. Still, I take it as a challenge; something I must as a lifetime, strive to overcome and prove my honor and worth," Thanduth Nightgrog replies.
To Zeke, "They take along the GPS routes. Usually, closer to the edge of our borders or where the mountains provide more shadow than usual. In fact--I've arranged for your group to be part of one of these expeditions." Wait. What? What does that mean, exactly?
"Right, but if you're part of Nightgrog, then why are you such a stick in the mud?" Rishi stares back at him, giving in the same rock-like sentience in return. Though less beady eyes. Because she's got a cocked eyebrow above one of them. Perhaps someone should take a rock and attach googly eyes, that might make for a good pet.
But I digress.
Rishi stares back, waiting for the answer as to why Thanduth is such a stick in the mud for a Nightgrog.
Zeke blinks twice. Once with his outter lids and once with the inner lids. "How... exactly will we be traveling?" It's an important question. A very important one. If the idea is to ride a-gryphon-back clinging to someone else... Zeke shudders as subtly as he can manage and it's not nearly as subtly as he might like. He hopes however that his question will override Rishi's. He clears his throat just to be on the safe side.
At Rishi's comment, Seldan looks over at Rishi and coughs, ice-blue eyes cool. "I'm sure that this discussion could be had when we have learned what these dark-winged attackers are and ended their cowardice, mistress." That is all he says, though, turning his attention back to the Minister. "A sensible approach. If they choose to strike from hiding, then how better to expose them than to offer them a target that is prepared to strike back?"
"Consider it that I challenge myself," Nightgrog says to Rishi and Nizzi. His voice has taken on a heavy flatness like, well--rocks! Boulders! Those are heavy! He's khazadi, after all. There's just no escaping the metaphor.
He turns slightly, and nods to Seldan. "You'll be flying, griffon-back and dressed as members of the Post. This is why I've hired the best," he says. He nods to each of you. "Alexandrian Adventurers have a certain reputation, among us old soldiers," ahem. Does his beard poof up a little? Maybe. "If you suspect you may have an issue with mobility once in the air--" he says, and gives a light moue of the fingers, "--alchemy works wonders. There's a few items you may be interested in as you leave, if that's a concern."
Perhaps he's a Nightgrog, after all?
Nizzi nods, "Well, we're thinking of luring them out with some juicy bait?" She blinks at the mention of, "Flying? Like, on griffons? That's /amazing/!" She bounces a bit, looking quite eager to get started now. Who cares if this Nightgrog isn't like the others, it's time to FLY.
"No, I think it's pretty important. He's our employer, I'd rather know just as much about him and why he hates his family." Rishi stares - stares - then raises an eyebrow again on this rock-like stare with googly eyes attached to the flattest surface one can find.
"But, I mean, if we're fine just taking whatever is dropped in our laps as completely fine and sensible, just assume that everything is on the up-and-up, then by all means." Rishi shrugs, "Perfect - I figured we'd be on griffons. Where are they?"
Oh, stone! Oh, khazadi! The minister is both and yet, and yet...he gives a shiver. Such things in a khazadi, echo in their beard. There's a touch of bristling. "That will be enough, I think. If you need anything else--the GPS riders are instructed to assist you." The words have that finality--a door closing, firmly, diplomatically, in one's face. One could as well move a rock.
Or a khazadi.
Zeke blinks again, but more slowly and only once before flicking his tail and accepting his fate. Flying alone was better than the alternative by miles. Even if one had no idea how to fly a griffon. He was fairly certain of this. He nods low to the khazad and heads out the door first since he is closest to it. Politely however he holds it for the others, stepping back and away to be clear of the doorway while he holds it. This way once everyone is out... he's in the back again.
"Oh nono, clearly, we will ignore that you dislike your family - it is best to instead focus only on what you've told us." Rishi's tone is laced with what might be considered sarcasm. But it's only laced with it if someone were of the disposition to listen for it. Clearly, Khazad people who's names end in Nightgrog would be excluded from that - right?
"Off to the griffons for me." Rishi gives a swing of a bent arm as she turns and heads for the door. "Come fellow adventurers! Let's ignore any signs of things being slightly awry!"
For a space of maybe two breaths, Seldan's gaze returns to the khazadi and unfocuses. Then it refocuses, and he shakes his head at Rishi. "We have enough enemies without inventing them, mistress. I have no reason to think the Minister here inimical." Suddenly the ice-blue eyes go from cool to a boyish gleam. "And if you are suspicious, I see no need to be blunt to the point of needless insult. Let us go." He does glance over at the indicated crate. "Thank you, Minister."
GAME: Nizzi rolls profession/brewer: (17)+3: 20 GAME: Seldan casts Identify. Caster Level: 1 DC: 14
Nizzi hmmms, "Well, Nightgrog brews, definitely a quality brand, that." She grins, and then makes her way towards the griffons. Because GRIFFONS.
There's a slight holdup at the door but Zeke waits patiently for everyone right there. He doesn't want anyone to get left behind, and there seems like there's something to do with a crate?
On his way out the door, Seldan pauses, examining the crate a bit more closely. He murmurs a quick spell and makes a few gestures over the crate, then pulls one of the vials out, examining it closely. The contents are light and colorful, and as he tilts it sideways, there's a tiny whirlwind of liquid within the bottle. There are marks on the outside, ones that he seems to be able to read. "Magic to aid leaping and jumping. We will want these." If no one else picks up the crate, he will on his way out.
You're ushered, genteely, out the door (or perhaps you stride ahead of the servants!) and from there--down the hall. Clan Truhammer's carpeting is plush and generous. Well-made. One could scarecely hear an assasain coming! Different tapestries line these halls, their workmanship khazad-fine and depicting more of the clan's history. Inbetween some tapestries are shields or pieces of armor or weaponry; displays of the clan's craftsmanship and pride.
It takes a while to exit.
Eventually though, you're taken to a landing area in the mountains. The warm, summer wind is tempered, here--occasional, shocking cold interspersed with misleading summer warmth. The sunlight beats down in brilliance, the only shadows present, those provided by the mountains and the--
--the--
--That chirping sound.
Griffons. One for each of you, with a uniform laid across the saddle in a roll. One for each of you, and two extra--the two extra saddled and ridden by two khazad who have...who incline their heads to you in a way that you may've come to associate with as the "Clan Truhammer Nod."
Something about it. Something about it is warm, yet reserved at the same time. Perhaps the result of centuries of confidence of being of a noble house. Of khazad, of course. Perhaps it's the grog.
Nizzi did, at least, get a gnome-sized version of the GPS uniform. She keeps her chain shirt on though, as she's not that crazy. Crazy enough to get on a griffon and go flying, sure, but that might be about the limit.
Rishi blinks and tosses the cloak side, "Nope." Then the boots, "Nuh-uh." Pants go next. "Like hell." And then gets to the coat. She turns her head one way, then the other, and rips off the sleeves before shrugging off her own coat and putting it over top. She looks at the griffon that she'll be riding, points two fingers at her eyes then at its.
"I'll be watching you feathered one, don't mess with me, I won't mess with you." Rishi reaches up to grab hold of the saddle next.
As you mount up and suit up, the two GPS riders introduce themselves. "Clansfolk Dungrahilde Warguard and Grostrorli Kragbranch, or Dun and Grost, fer short," Grost says. He extends a rough, disk-sized hand in a salute. Dun inclines her head.
"Keep the reins low--move them the direction you want to go," Dun says, then. She holds up her hand, and demonstrates--right, and then left. The griffon follows her direction, one scaled foot in front of the other.
"Good to be havin' you along," Grost says, once she's done.
Following in the wake of everyone else means that Zeke knows exactly where he's going. He reaches their destination last, and has time then to figure out what he can do with the uniform. Eventually he takes a cloak and... sighs. Looks around. Gently he unpins his cloak and tucks it away into his pack revealing a crystal arm and leg on his left side. The limbs are incredibly beautiful, but he quickly hides them again behind his new cloak, looking around to see if anyone noticed the slip before he mounts his gryphon and follows the directions as instructed.
Braith disp her head a bit and nods as she does put on the coat and cloak, good enough right? And then moves to get on the griffin. She aint no coward but is really unsure about this.
Mountains? Check. Griffons? Check. Dun and Grost give a signal, and the griffons bunch underneath you. Their muscles twitch, the wings flex--and then they're running, running towards the edge of the pathway.
The wings expand.
And, takeoff! Wind hits like thunder, and you're all soaring over one of the greatest, most powerful kingdoms in all of Ea.
For a moment, Seldan's ice-blue eye gleam with sheer boyish glee at the sight of the griffon, and a grin spreads across his face as he approaches, setting down the crate he'd grabbed from the Minister's office. It's only after he spots the khazadi that he seems to remember himself and his manners, and he nods back to them. "ugh grunt grr beard hrump ugh hrmph hrmph grunt ugh ugh axe hrmph axe beard" he says before turning to examine the offered uniform.
Eventually, he decides to adopt all of the items save the coat, which doesn't work well with the breastplate. He disappears around to the far side of the griffon, where he cannot be seen, to change. His own clothing and the unused long coat he rolls unceremoniously and stuffs into a saddlebag. Before he mounts, he grabs one of the potions out of the crate and tucks it into his belt pouch. <unknown>
Rishi gets one leg over the saddle, then leans out from around her perch to look at the griffon in the eye again. She points two fingers to her eyes, then back towards the griffon's eye. This is repeated a couple more times before sitting back upright in the saddle again. "When are we leaving, Grost and Dun?" She picks up her reigns, moving them a bit right and left only for them to suddenly launch off.
"Whoop! Never mind!" Rishi's eyebrows shoot up as she's now airborn under a griffon that's moving its massive wings to keep them both aloft. "Oh my."
Nizzi shouts, "WOOHOO!" as she rides out on her griffon! Which, well, a gnome getting a whole griffon of her very own to ride is unheard of! Fortunately, the griffon knows the route a lot better than Nizzi does, and ignores the occasional tugging on the saddle from Nizzi as they fly straight and narrow on the route.
GAME: Rishi rolls ride: (20)+2: 22 GAME: Seldan rolls ride: (20)+3: 23 GAME: Nizzi rolls ride: (11)+0: 11
Zeke tenses from head to toe as the griffon takes off. There's one of the potions in his bag, taken at the last moment and then they're airborne. He doesn't seem to enjoy it as much as the others, but there's a certain light in his eyes that suggests that he's not opposed to it either. He follows the others now as he had before, staying to the rear and watching to make certain that there's no one following them yet. He stands out a bit though, and doesn't look very much like a khazad.
GAME: Zeke rolls ride: (20)+-4: 16
Rishi follows along with the group of griffons, the 'whuff-whuff' of the huge wings beating along under her. The shot of cold air through her hair and blowing the long jacket back behind her. She held on mostly with the knees, giving gentle bits of pressure to nudge a little one way or the other. "I'm still watching you. Don't even think about doing anything funny."
Judging by the gleam in his eyes as the wind whips his hair away from it, Seldan's quite having the time of his life. He's no stranger to riding, either, well-balanced and sure in the saddle, and doesn't seem to have any problems with it -- or with looking down at the green trees amid gray and brown mountains below. Fields and forests are as patches on a quilt; the people toiling below are scarcely more than multi-colored specks from his vantage point. The wind rushing by is clear and cold, and although his cheeks are pink, he doesn't seem to care.
GAME: Braith rolls ride: (19)+-1: 18
Zeke is amazed at how easy it is to ride the griffon. Something he attributes to the animal more than his own skill. He doesn't look down (more's the loss for him), but keeps his eyes up. The better to see the grand mountains set against the sky. The wide open yonder holds its own beauty though, and so too do the craggy mountains so close at hand. It seems almost as though he could reach out and touch one, but of course he makes no such effort.
GAME: Rishi rolls Knowledge/History: (2)+7: 9 GAME: Rishi rolls Knowledge/Local: (13)+4: 17
Braith isn't really that skilled, and it might be shown by the way she seems to have a deathgrip on the reins, but maybe it is her natural agility or something, but she doesn't do half bad, in fact maybe she has a hidden talent.
"Hep! If you look to your right, you'll see the Grand What tha Shite Hit Us, hole in the earth. My ancestors fought a battle there not too far below," Grost says, sounding as excited as...as stone can. So, sort of excited. "There's still tha indent where the canons flew."
"I don't think it's the egalrin," Dun says curtly as you fly. From out of nowhere.
Seldan obediently looks down and to his right, examining the quilt patch that is the identified hole in the earth. Not being a history buff, he has little to say about it, but the remark from Dun draws his attention. "Why would it be, Dun? I did not think that they had dark wings, or commanded the storm."
Braith cocks her head to the side, "Could be giants." she says and but then she thinks giants are responsible for everything. Dwarfs don't like giants, the Kneesmashers of Clan Skyhammer even less so. She shakes her head a bit, still holding tightly to those reins.
The blue-scaled sith-makar looks down at the spot with interest. It's a beautiful landscape. He keeps his speculations on what the attackers might be to himself. Whatever they are they will soon find out he is certain. Or they will be frightened off by the strange sith-makar in the middle of things. Unlikely but possible.
"No, they can have dark wings, and they're known for being in line with storms." Rishi glances at Seldan, "But, you know, that guy /clearly/ was an ally and no reason to ask questions." She cocks her head and smiles before turning her head to face back forward again. "That whole thing he talked about was probably a lot bigger."
A sigh, Rishi's mouth pulling off to the side, "No, I have a feeling this is playing into something much bigger. Like -- Alexandrian relations with Khazad, Charneth's impact on trade, grand." A little nudge of the knees to guide the griffon more to the right.
Below the slide of landscape, peaks and valleys with farm land nestled in. Plateaus with near impassible cliffs that have crops strewn out in a myriad of grids on top of them. A tapestry of greens and grays, browns and whites. Just not much blue. Nizzi glances down at the spot, then shrugs at the speculation, not too worried about it just yet because FLYING! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
"Too loud," Dun says, curtly. Grost expands, "The egalrin sound kind of like..."
Dungrahilde Warguard, or "Dun," tilts her head to the side. The other holds the reins. She grunts.
"No, not that one--"
"I was just thinking! It takes a moment to recall--"
"Well, flying does cause indigestion, sometime--" ah-hem. Grost coughs, himself, at the raised brow he's given.
"...The egalrin have more of a full-throat to them. Sort of what you'd hear from a mountainraptor, just ten times larger. This is--it's scratchier," Dun says. She looks back at the lot of you with a serious expression.
GAME: Zeke rolls perception: (14)+2: 16 GAME: Seldan rolls perception: (1)+2: 3 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Rishi rolls perception: (13)+9: 22
"I sensed no evil in him, and ... what reason do the khazadi have to anger Alexandria? If he wished ill ..." Seldan's shouted thought amid the wind is brushed away at Dun's words, and he's lost in thought at the described differences. If there's anything going on below them, he's going to miss it.
GAME: Nizzi rolls perception: (12)+7: 19
Zeke shivers as mist gathers about them. He sniffs at the clouds once or twice and looks around them more sharply. "Thisss one doesss not like thisss." There is something... wrong. Wrong with the /air/. He doesn't know how to explain it to the others. "Be on alert!" This much he can offer.
Nizzi frowns, "Hey guys, is it me or is the mist getting thicker? Feels nice but... um... is this normal because it seems like it'd be really easy to ambush someone if they can't see right?"
GAME: Braith rolls perception: (7)+8: 15
"The mist? --hold on. Hold--" Grost slows his griffon with a pull at the reins. The beast enters a hover and--there. There on the horizon.
Dark shapes. Large, dark wings like the reports had said.
But...not...egalrin? Not egalrin? Something else? Something else about that size and...it's a little hard to see through the clouds.
"Better drink those potions," Dun says, in flat tones.
Now that Zeke mentions it ... Seldan grips the griffon with his knees long enough to rub at his arms in the cloak, then re-gathers the reins. "It doesn't feel nice at all," he disagrees, pulling his own griffon to a hover as Grost does. "It feels like a bucket of spiders dumped over one's head." Even as Dun speaks, he's eyeing the horizon ... and reaches for that potion.
Rishi rolls her eyes, but she too noticed that the mist seemed a bit off. Beside Zeke spoke of being alert she was already wrapping a bit of cloth about her head. She slips up onto the saddle, perched on it - like a bird on a bigger bird - though she hasn't taken the potion yet. It's instead tucked into her robes, she's not going to drink it... yet.
Nizzi looks at the approaching shapes, then hrms and takes a drink from her potion. She's not much for fighting from griffonback, but she isn't adverse to giving some pouncing lessons either!
GAME: Nizzi rolls 1d20+4: (3)+4: 7
Nizzi aims her longbow at the nearest one, but she's not used to shooting arrows when /flying/ so braces herself. Still, the arrow gets close... and then it suddenly incinerates into ash! The gnome growls a little under her breath, not looking happy about that. Gnome Is Getting ANGRY.
GAME: Rishi rolls Acrobatics +10: (6)+9+10: 25
Incoming. Quickly, Seldan quaffs the potion and ties the reins off to the pommel, then stands in the saddle with a murmured prayer to Eluna to guide his blade, testing his balance and stance even as he shoves the bottle in his belt for later. Satisfied, he grins ferally. "I'll wager Father's never done anything like this," he remarks, though the words are likely lost to the wind.
Rishi pulls the cloth covering her mouth down for a moment, just long enough to down a potion, then it's back up. She takes a couple fast breaths, clenching her hands and then lets out a yell as she runs and JUMPS!
Her arms windmill, but she makes it barely. Landing on the back of the other griffon, Dun's griffon. "Hey! Get me in closer to those!" She points toward the black things flying ahead.
Zeke quaffs his own potion, but doesn't look as though he's inclined to disembark from his own griffon. He knows his role well enough in situations like these, and jumping around from griffon-back to griffon-back is not likely to be it unless something untoward happens. Or opportunity strikes. Either way he stays close for now.
Braith grumbles a bit, "I hates flyin, anyone make my griffin bigger, then I can reallys fight." she growls out a yell as she eyes what is coming towards them. She does grip a warhammer.
Thunder crackles in the distance. Electric. Static, and loud enough that you barely hear the: "Hello, lovelies--" in that raspy voice that Dun had been complaining about. Raven hair frames creatures' faces. Their--human--faces. Their--human--faces with pointed fangs, hooked noses akin to a falcon's, and dark, dark eyes. A predatory and unwavering focus, just like an eagle's before it strikes. Feathers begin just at the clavicle, then erupt along the backside into a pair of great, powerful wings.
The mist you'd felt crackles thickly around them. Two of them dive for Grost. Another for Zeke, claws extended!
GAME: Beaglefinder rolls 1d20+6: (9)+6: 15 GAME: Beaglefinder rolls 1d20+6: (15)+6: 21 GAME: Beaglefinder rolls 1d4+3: (3)+3: 6 GAME: Beaglefinder rolls 1d6+3: (1)+3: 4 GAME: Nizzi RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 4 temporary HP GAME: Nizzi rolls 1d20+8: (19)+8: 27 GAME: Nizzi rolls 1d10+5: (8)+5: 13
Nizzi growls, which is an odd sound for a gnome. However, her purple hair gets red and black streaks in it, as her eyes glow black. Wait, do eyes glow black?!? And um... she has /claws/ coming out of her hands and she grabs her greataxe. Or not-so-greataxe, considering it's gnome-sized, "ALRIGHT! TIME FOR YOU BITCHES TO /DIE/! KIAAAAAAIIIIIIIIII!!!" With that, she leaps from her griffon onto Zeke's, and immediately slams her axe blade into the harpy, blood splashing from the wound as she howls in gleeful rage!
Okay, maybe it /is/ a greataxe after all...
"Confound it! Get off me, you--I'm a POSTMAN! Not a damn soldier!" Grost shouts. He bleeds. He's cut open from chest so shoulder.
"I'm holding steady. You've got this," Dun says to Rishi. Because Dun is a woman of few words. But she's a damn good rider. Hundreds of feet over the mountains, her griffon hovers in perfect form. The wind picks up, warm and crackling!
GAME: Seldan casts Magic Missile. Caster Level: 1 DC: 14 GAME: Seldan rolls 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2 GAME: Rishi rolls Acrobatics + 10: (15)+9+10: 34
His balance settled, Seldan looks around as the creatures close with the group. Zeke has help, but the postman does not! Ignoring the dark, thick, crackling air around him, the Elunite casts a spell, and a bolt of blue-white force flies from his outstretched hand to slam into the dark-winged thing. It doesn't seem to do a lot, but blood does fly, and he shakes his head.
GAME: Rishi rolls Weapon0: (10)+9: 19 GAME: Rishi spends ONE use of STUNNING FIST. GAME: Beaglefinder rolls 1d20+1: (17)+1: 18 GAME: Rishi rolls 1d8+5: (3)+5: 8
Rishi turns toward the next griffon, a few tests with a bounce on the balls of her feet. Then she gives that last minute line-up, a quick breath and she leaps! This time though it's a lot more controlled, her fist drawing back and - as she's landing - she punches into the Harpie. "Hey! Get off him. And, like, put some clothes on or something. Seriously! What is it with Harpies and clothes?! SO STRANGE!"
GAME: Zeke rolls acrobatics+10: (3)+-4+10: 9 GAME: Braith casts Magic Missile. Caster Level: 4 DC: 13 GAME: Braith rolls 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2
The sith makar panics a bit at the sudden presence of someone else on his griffon. Okay more than a little. With a sharp yell of surprise he jumps for the griffon that the gnome had just vacated... and grabs a handful of tailfeathers. Just feathers. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
GAME: Braith rolls 1d4+1: (3)+1: 4
Braith still has one hand in a death-grip on the reins, even though she drank the potion. She gestures with one hand, still haven't gone into a rage yet. Two bolts of blackish energy fly from her hand to strike one of the creatures, "Hey feather head, get over here where I can smack ya." she calls out as her magical missiles singe some feathers.
GAME: Rishi rolls Weapon0: (11)+9: 20 GAME: Rishi rolls 1d8+4: (4)+4: 8 GAME: Zeke rolls will: (17)+6: 23 GAME: Beaglefinder rolls 1d6: (6): 6 GAME: Beaglefinder rolls 1d6: (1): 1 GAME: Beaglefinder rolls 1d20+6: (10)+6: 16 GAME: Braith rolls will: (3)+2: 5 GAME: Beaglefinder rolls 1d6: (5): 5
"Oh, that wasn't nice, my darlings! That wasn't--nice!" The harpy beats her wings. Feathers fly and the storm crackles overhead. She turns her eye on Zeke, her EYE, and stares him down. Energy crackles around the sith-makar. It claws at his scales, but fails to find purchase.
The second snarls, swinging at Rishi, but fails to find purchase!
The last of the Three Sisters sends a darkened ball of chaos at Braith. This one sinks in, crackling over her skin and leaving the barbarian slightly...clumsy. She closes in, talons extended!
GAME: Nizzi rolls 1d20+7: (2)+7: 9 GAME: Nizzi rolls acrobatics+10: (14)+5+10: 29 GAME: Nizzi rolls 1d20+7: (18)+7: 25 GAME: Nizzi rolls 1d10+8: (3)+8: 11
Nizzi snarls as her harpy flies away, "GET BACK HERE!!!" She /leaps/ after the harpy, landing on Braith's griffon as she winds back and SLAMS her axe where the wing of the harpy meets its shoulder and... well, it's very bloody, very messy, and the harpy shrieks in agony as it spirals towards the ground. Nizzi then shouts, "WOO! TIME TO CARVE UP SOME MORE CHICKEN WINGS!" She's raging and definitely having /way/ too much fun now.
"...I'm a POSTMAN!" Grost shouts at the harpy, like it's a battlecry. Civilian or not, he's doing damned well not to hide behind Rishi's legs. While he bleeds. And bleeds.
"Steady!" Dun responds. She whistles at Nizzi's old griffon, where Zeke is hanging--by feathers! It holds, holds steady. If Braith tries, she could leap there--and strike the remaining two harpies.
If Rishi doesn't challenge her to them, first.
GAME: Seldan rolls acrobatics: (19)+-1: 18 GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+4+3: (20)+4+3: 27 GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+4+3: (20)+4+3: 27 GAME: Seldan rolls 2d10+6+2: (4)+6+2: 12
His own spells inadequate to the task of taking these things on, Seldan fairly snarls at the harpy's comment about not being nice. "I see no need to be nice to a creature of evil. In the name of the Dreamer, fall back to whatever foul pit spawned you!" A quick and graceful leap to the back of the griffon where Nizzi landed, and he looks down quickly. "Tear it apart with that mighty axe of yours!" Without asking, he picks up the gnome and fairly /flings/ her, sharp ends first, towards the harpy harassing Grost. It's a perfectly aimed shot, like a fastball painted on the inside corner.
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! Nizzi howls in glee as she is launched into the air, divine energy crackling around her as she swings her axe around, easily cleaving through the harpy she's tossed at thanks to Seldan's help! Then she pushes off the corpse of that harpy and pivots in the air, parkouring over and landing on the back of the last harpy, grinning, "HI PUMPKIN!"
GAME: Rishi rolls weapon0 -2: (6)+9+-2: 13 GAME: Rishi rolls weapon0 -2: (4)+9+-2: 11 GAME: Rishi rolls weapon0 -2: (16)+9+-2: 23 GAME: Rishi rolls 1d8+4+4: (7)+4+4: 15 GAME: Nizzi rolls Ref: (12)+1: 13 GAME: Rishi rolls cmb+2+2: (2)+7+2+2: 13 GAME: Zeke rolls Athletics: (16)+-1: 15
Nizzi clings to Rishi, and grins, her eyes losing their creepy glowing as the rage passes, "Pity you're not like, three feet shorter." She winks and scrambles up onto the back of the griffon, nodding at the taller human, "Thanks for the save."
Zeke barely, just barely manages to clammor up onto the griffon. It's a very near thing, but he does his best and eyes the ground which had come a little to close for comfort there for a few moments. He swallows his fear which had come in numerous forms and sends a prayer to the Dragonfather for their safe return.
"We'll get you next time, my prett--" ...and the last of the Three Sisters falls, broken and bleeding, hundreds of feet to the mountain valleys below.
Above, overhead, your griffons snarl and caw, unsettled. Wings flapping powerfully and feathers showing their agitation.
"Better get them moving," is Dun's estimation. Yet, there's a problem. There's three people on Grost's griffon, and Grost himself, is bleeding and barely holding on.
They need to shift, and fast.
Rishi gives a dip of a brow, her face squishing off to the side, "Y-y-y-yeah." Rishi shrugged and scooted about on the griffon. With another 'oomph' she gets herself up and runs to try and jump off onto one of the other griffons nearby.
GAME: Rishi rolls Acrobatics + 10: (19)+9+10: 38 GAME: Seldan rolls acrobatics+10: (5)+-1+10: 14
Of course then Dun is talking about getting moving right as she's throwing herself off of the griffon. "Oh gods this is a ru-u-u-u-ush!" She was aiming for her original griffon, since it didn't have a rider on it. And, with an exhale Rishi lands, rolling, and up onto her feet before slipping back down into the saddle. She lets out a sigh, looks down at the griffon with a squint... and goes to pointing at her eyes and then the griffon again. "Still watching you."
Satisfied, Seldan looks down after the falling harpies, and then over to Nizzi and Rishi. Everyone seems to be all right, so he leaps back to his own griffon -- and nearly slips as the jump is off center! He settles himself, though, with help from the magic, and has the grace to look embarrassed, settling back into his saddle. He's spotted Grost, but cannot help, not yet.
With the world righted once again Zeke continues to pray to the Dragonfather, sending a pulse of healing energy through those that are riding on griffon-back. Particularly Grost whom is so clearly injured. It heals him as well of course, and he hugs himself closer to the griffon that he's flying on top of. The ground still seems... a little close.
"Thanks," Grost says to Zeke. The khazad looks a little blown away by the experience. Dun, well. Dun grunts. It seems to be her language.
Very expressive!
Working together, you aim the griffons back towards Khazad Duin. Their muscles surge, and the wings spread, catching wind. Minister Thanduth Nightgrog will be interested in your reports--and khazadi-egalrin peace will be all the better for it.
In a way--with so many ancestries, so many tribes and clans, and nationalities, the world may be, as well. A gnome, a khazad-mornir, a sith-makar, and a human--working together to save peace in Khazad Duin!
-End