lostsole31
 
     THE CURSE OF THE CRIMSON THRONE:
ESCAPE FROM OLD KORVOSA     
 
  “ They Walk Among Us!"  
   
 Fear stalks the streets of Old Korvosa as the Curse of the Crimson Throne continues! Anarchy, plague, and the mandates of a pitiless queen  have thrown the island community into chaos. Forsaken by the government  and cut off from the rest of the city, hundreds of unfortunates stand  helpless against the rising criminal warlords, each eager to carve out a  slice of Korvosa  as his own. Yet, amid the turmoil of warring gangs and sinister power  mongers hides the only man who might be able to restore sanity to the  beleaguered city. But why has remained silent for so long? What secret  of the new queen does he hide? And what fiendish power grows in the  shadows, ready to sink its claws into the heart of Old Korvosa?  
    
DRAMATIS PERSONAE    
      Name
[Player]
   
   Color
   
   Race [Ethnicity]
(Gender ID)
   
   AL
   
   Side 1
   
   Side 2
   
 
    Roshgog
[NPC]
   
   Green
   
 Half-Orc???
(M) 
 ??? 
 ??? 
 ??? 
 
    Vivino Dorso
[Moriar]
   
   Purple
   
 Human [Chelaxian]
(M) 
 N 
 Alchemist 7
[Internal Alchemist +
Vivisectionist] 
 Barbarian 7
[Invulnerable Rager] 
 
    Linzi, Dane's Cohort
[NPC]
   
   Golden Rod
   
 Halfling
(F) 
 CG 
 Bard 4 
 ??? 
 
  
lostsole31
      Dul'Dane "Dane" Thunderbreaker     
 
 
 Description  4' 8", 196 lbs.; Brown Eyes; Brown Hair

At 4' 8" with a strong, barrel-shaped build, Dul'Dane weighs close to 200 lbs. and has a long brown beard. He often has a smile on his face and is known well by his friends for his bellowing laugh. He has pale skin and wears full armor even when out drinking.

 Personality 

Jovial and caring, Dul'Dane enjoy's the company of other's, either hearing their stories and speaking fondly of others. He is quick to defend other's and isn't afraid of getting caught in the middle of a disagreement.

 Home of Record 
Korvosa

  
 
lostsole31
      Ernak     
 
 
 Description  6' 9", 270 lbs.; Brown Eyes; Bald (Dark Brown body hair)

Ernak is an enormously tall, muscle-bound man with rich bronze skin. He bears the marks of several scars on his legs, arms, and even his face, but the entire effect ultimately complements his rugged appearance and broad smile. His body is armored in light segments adorned with feathers, but while his general appearance might mark him as ethnically Shoanti--even proudly so--his lack of their traditional tattoos stands out as unusual for his people.

 Personality 

--Yearns to belong: has no tattoos b/c has not earned them from a Shoanti Quah, feels disconnected from life in Korvosa after Gaedren Lamm's slavery
--Fiercely loyal to those who earn his trust
--Gentle giant, cares for innocents as a formerly wronged innocent himself
--Curious about the world beyond Korvosa, its peoples and their stores
--Encouraging, supportive, and urges people to become better than they are
--Quick to guffaw, loves a good tale/boast, enjoys seeing a job done well
--Cares deeply about his dignity/honor after ages of colonialist discrimination

--Hard to earn his trust/respect and can hold grudges for a long time
--Talkative on general topics but very reserved/guarded about his inner life
--Struggles to grasp bigger picture, focuses overmuch on the present moment

 Home of Record 
Korvosa

  
 
lostsole31
      Jacintha Felix     
 
 
 Description  4' 10", 145 lbs.; Blue Eyes; Dark Brown Hair

A mousy, unassuming individual with dark brown, chin-length hair and dark blue eyes. Her build is a bit plump for her height, but this belies her speed and agility.

 Personality 

Jacintha is quiet, and doesn't open up much to strangers. She's constantly on guard around people, especially those she perceives as stronger than herself, which is almost everyone. She makes a note of whoever might be a threat, and keeps watch on them. She doesn't trust easily, but she can be polite, even friendly, with anyone who might be good to associate with. Finally, though she hides it well, she despises being bullied or taken advantage of, and will quietly plot her revenge against those responsible.

 Home of Record 
Shingles, Old Korvosa, Korvosa

  
 
lostsole31
      Vivino Dorso     
 
 
 Description  6' 2", 200 lbs.; Hazel Eyes; Brown Hair

Tall muscular human male wearing mithril breastplate with loose clothing that could be used to cover up along with leather gloves.  Across his back is a backpack and a greatsword along with a few weapons on his belt.  He is clean shaven with several battle scars and closely cropped brown hair.

 Personality 

I judge people based on their actions, not their words.  I will do whatever I can to bring my sister back into the family (will not tell people that she passed away due to drug addiction in Korvas).  Overall Vivino is cordial and good-natured but if someone wrongs him or his friends/family he will do whatever it takes to make sure they never bother again.  The extent that he will go often makes some leery of him but he has a hard time convincing them before they try something.

 Home of Record 
Korvosa

  
 
lostsole31
  
 
 
    K    orvosa has survived the hideous plague, but not unscathed. The streets are dull and muted, strangely empty except for when markets quietly open. People seem to be more interested in staying home than going out, and when they do emerge, they shuffle quickly to their destinations and conduct their business swiftly. The Order of the Nail has withdrawn from Korvosa, retreating to Citadel Vraid for the first time in Korvosa’s history. Some whisper the Hellknights are planning a full-scale invasion of Korvosa to seize control, but more knowledgeable sources know that dozens of Hellknights perished or failed to uphold their charges during the recent events, and that Lictor Severs has recalled his troops to punish the city for these failures.

City temples have their hands full tracking down the last remaining pockets of sick residents and disposing of the dead, while the Acadamae continues to keep its doors shut and withhold its resources for the duration, hoping to wait out these troubled times. The Sable Company is falling apart, and the Korvosan Guard has taken staggering hits to both its personnel and its morale. Field Marshal Kroft talks about recruitment drives to replenish the ranks, but helping Korvosa recover remains the primary goal—one made difficult by Queen Ileosa’s reduced support.


Yet the queen is not ignoring Korvosa. The energy and support once lent to the Korvosan Guard and the Sable Company is now funneled into the enigmatic Gray Maidens. Even as the number of Korvosan Guards on the streets dwindles, the presence of these armored warrior women increases. Regular patrols of Gray Maidens march along the major streets, and rumors spread that strike forces are breaking into homes and buildings reputed to house those who voiced dissenting opinions of the monarchy. Old Korvosa remains under a tight quarantine, with troops of Gray Maidens stationed along the Narrows and patrolling the Jeggare in swift barges to ensure that no one gets off Endrin Isle. The plumes of smoke as buildings burn and the periodic roars of riots that echo down from Old Korvosa alone are enough to warn away the curious.

The atmosphere of oppression and fear that fills Korvosa continues, with rumors of a new plague growing, even though Vivino Dorso helped develop a cure for blood veil.

 

Two of you already know Vudran merchant Master Shyamal, and several more of you received to join him along with two of the "Heroes of Korovosa" (Dane Thunderbreaker and Vivino Dorso) for a repast an hour past noon at his house on this day.

Except for the two aforementioned heroes, none of the new ones of you have ever met Master Shyamal, and likely have never even heard of him as you are welcomed to his beautiful home in the foreign quarter of the Midlands.

Lunch is an informal affair. Servants do not serve you, but make sure that the tables are full of food and good drink.

As you are overwhelmed by the surprising luxury you enjoy this afternoon, for some of you the most luxury you've ever enjoyed at a private home, Master Shyamal speaks with only a slight Vudrani accent in a soft voice that conveys warmth,   "I am Master Shyamal. I am no diviner but am in contact with one. By reading their own Harrow and talking with their informants, you have each been named. I have asked you to come, and so you have. Thank you. I understand that to small degrees, and yet with some discretion, each of you have voiced some consternation over the state of affairs in Korvosa at this time. I was wondering, would you each be willing to receive a Harrow reading? Please note that these readings are only for the specifically invited, and not for your valets, bodyguards, familiars, mounts, companions, employees, and so forth."    
 Spoiler: Runa 
Runa's roc wasn't permitted indoors, but was allowed to go to an unused section of the stables to not scare the horses. You were promised he would be fed well.
 

There is no need to describe yourselves, unless you want to add to what was written above. How do you each respond?
Moriar
"  Thank you for hosting us Master Shyamal."   Vivino begins with a nod towards Shyamal.
  
"Welcome new acquaintances, I look forward to getting to know you and appreciate your help in these trying times.

Master Shyamal, I think of no better way to begin new friendships than with a harrow reading. I would welcome a reading, thank you."  
Sienna
  "I can think of quite a few better ways to begin new friendships than a harrow reading,"   Runa says, pausing to wash down her food with a swig of drink,   "That being said, you've found a fellow traditionalist in me. You can count me in."  
Ason
Ernak smiles widely he enters the room and breathes its atmosphere in deeply. Composing himself before approaching their host, the giant of a man politely states with a bow of his bald head to Master Shyamal,   "You honor me with your hospitality,"   and adds with a smaller inclination of the head toward Vivino and Dane,   "  And you double that honor by drawing me here alongside heroes of the hour. Many thanks for your kindness."  

Taking his seat, Ernak delicately samples the food and drink as he listens to Shyamal's offer.   "It has been some time since I have had a proper reading, but I always love a good story... especially my own!"   he says with a self-deprecating laugh,   "And if we are truly alike in yearning for happier days, then all the better. I consent."  
Kvard51
Barris inclines her head towards Master Shyamal,   "Thank you for the beverage and the meal.
 I will bid you welcome in my shop, should you ever grace its doors.  And while I am unhappy with the current state of affairs, I am not at all sure why you have called me to this august company."  
Dusk Raven
Jacintha's primary focus was in filling herself with food - and packing as much away as she can for later. It's an old habit gained from living on the street, and while she can currently support a modest lifestyle, old habit die hard - especially those that were once necessary for survival.

Once mealtime is over, however, she shifts about, as if not sure what to do with herself.   "Thank you for the hospitality - and for the food,"   she says, echoing the others, though there is a touch of genuine gratitude in her words.   "I haven't had much experience with genuine Harrow readers, but I'll receive one, if that pleases you."  

She glances towards Barris. Though Jacintha says nothing, she too is a bit uncertain as to why she's here - and that fact makes her cautious.
Rithryn
Dane nods along listening to everyone speak.
  "Im fine with a reading, what could the harm be."  
lostsole31
  "In that case, allow me to introduce you to someone your predecessors knew,"   says Master Shyamal. He pulls for the Harrow deck that Vivino and Dane found in Lady Andaisin's lair and had handed to Master Shyamal for study.

  "It didn't help either of you,"   admits the master to Vivino and Dane,   "but it was my foster son Allen Phan who last held this deck, and before him the entobian Paxre. I know that some of you have a history with Gaedran Lamm, and you can thank our deceased entobian friend Paxre and his fellows - long gone now - for ending that low-rent crimelord's rise to power.

"Ladies, and gentleman, please meet Zellara,"   he says, then focusing on the Harrow deck.   "Zellara, come forth to make your readings."  

Appearing out of cloud emanating from the finely crafted Harrow deck is a handsome, though not beautiful, apparition of a Varisian woman of middle-age.   "Zellara was killed by Gaedran Lamm's thugs, and her spirit now occupies this Harrow, and she has a unique insight to destiny. This, by the way, is why each of you were contacted. With my admittedly weakened intelligence network, you were each identified and named as persons of exceptional training."  
 "My time is limited and I may not tarry,"  says Zellara. She telekinetically shuffles the cards and has Vivino touch the deck before she shuffles again and lays out the cards in a 3 x 3 formation of a total of nine cards (see "Vivino's Draw" in the handouts channel of Discord).

Zellara warns that the Unicorn card is likely misaligned, meaning a possible betrayal, poisoning, or a false friend. But the key card she notes for Vivino's spread, the one that resonates, is the Wanderer.  "The Wanderer is misaligned for you, Vivino Dorso. This signifies a loss of values, or the inability to see what is truly valuable in a person or situation. Your desire to remain morally and ethically neutral in the coming crisis may force you to choose, or to lose all. This ambiguity is further noted because you have no true matches with this spread. You will be tried, Vivino, and you will face a choice that requires you to forgo neutrality." 
 Vivino , any comment on your Harrow spread?
Moriar
Vivino eyes our new guest carefully and then the cards.

After slowly looking up says, "  I have to admit I've never seen a reading such as what you just did but I feel that I can trust your abilities.

As for the results, it wouldn't be the first time that I misread someone or a situation.  I hope I realize before it's too late.

My values...my values do mean a lot, but if changing them means protecting my sister then I may have have to rethink my approach. I would appreciate any further insight if you could my lady. "  
lostsole31
 "That is all the insight I have to give, Vivino Dorso,"  says the apparition Zellara, who then turns to Runa while the silver-edged Harrow cards seem to shuffle themselves.  "It is time to cut the deck, Runa Hjaltisdottir."
 
Assuming she touches the deck as a symbolic "cutting," the cards shuffle again before arraying themselves in a similar manner as they did for Vivino.

     
  Past
  
  Present
  
  Future
  
 
   Positive
  
  Forge 
    evokes strength through great diversity. The blacksmith represents those who can survive the mephits’ trial by fire, but The Forge’s fire is so strong it burns many to cinders instead. This card often represents a dangerous event that needs many sources of strength to overcome. 
 
   
  Peacock 
    is a creature of astonishing beauty, but it is a beauty that can only be retained if frozen like a cockatrice’s statues. Smarter people accept the passage of time and dance out of The Peacock’s way. Its appearance always signifies a sudden personal shift in attitude or societal change. 
 
   
  Foreign Trader 
    is the card of spies and peddlers alike. Any who   trade in information are subject to this card’s influence. A bargain made   under this card’s auspice always concludes true, but the ramifications of the   pact might be shocking for those who do not understand its implications. 
 
   
 
   Unclear
  
  Midwife 
    is a conduit to creation, although she does not   create on her own. This halfling is a key that lets new life or information   into the world. Her heart can see the good in even the worst situation. She   can see the import of any new arrival. 
 
   
  Teamster 
    is a driving external force that keeps the subject going, no matter what. This force can be physical or mental, as a person who exhorts others to continue on when they have no more strength to give. The force can be for good or ill but cannot be ignored. The half-orc  depicted is leading a life of constant toil, but for his own betterment. 
 
   
  Sickness     represents plague, pestilence, famine, and   disease. It can also indicate corruption of the soul or of a multitude of   souls. 
 
   
 
   Negative
  
  Queen Mother 
    is knowledge personified. The formian knows all but does not reveal anything to anyone who does not show her proper worship. She is fond of the powerless and the underclasses, for they serve her when the more powerful refuse. She represents the need to become part of a society, or to bow before those who know more than you. 
 
   
  Crows 
    are a dangerous bunch who indicate violent taking of that which is loved. When The Crows appear, murder, theft, or other shocking loss occurs. 
 
   
  Keep 
    is a symbol of quiet strength, one that can move   when necessary, yet stand firm through the greatest hardship. Those   represented by The Keep are not shaken by any force. 
 
  
    Misaligned, it can mean giving way to temptation   or falling in the face of greater strength. 
 
   
 
  
 "The Teamster and the Crows are true matches, Runa, and you will gain some boon in general for this. But your power card in this array is the Foreign Trader. Either you are the spy or peddler, or you will come in contact with one, but that is when you will need to be extra cautious." 
 Runa , any comment or questions?
Sienna
Runa cuts the deck as requested, watching curiously as the cards arrange themselves.

  "Not as surprised as I thought I'd be that the harrow reader is the deck itself... In truth, I have more questions than you likely have time for,"   she says, following along as best she can,   "Should I be worried about having a card like the crows as a true match? I  do  like birds, but that sure doesn't sound like a boon to me, you know?"  
  "Maybe it's best if I just focus on the important bits. No need to let myself get overwhelmed by every card in the spread."  
lostsole31
 "Nothing exists alone in this world, and so it is with the cards,"  says Zellara.  "A simple maxim that is oft forgotten by those in the city, but not by a Shoanti talespinner." 

This is the prompt for Ernak to touch the deck next after an initial shuffle, and once touched shuffle again before cards and drawn and arrange themselves.

     
  Past
  
  Present
  
  Future
  
 
   Positive
  
  Lost 
    is the card of emptiness and loss of identity. The bodak shown is forever mad, lost in a world of lunatics, insane asylums, and mass killers. For those under its influence, the world makes no sense. It evokes times where all is babble, as when meeting someone who speaks only in another tongue. 
 
  
    Misaligned, it can indicate clarity of mind under duress. 
 
   
  Beating 
    signifies coming under attack from all sides, but it can also indicate the dissolution of the self—mentally. Whether the strength is of the flesh or the mind, it dissolves under the relentless attack. 
 
  
    Misaligned, this card suggests that during the assault, undiscovered strength is found. 
 
   
  Snakebite 
    is a vile, poisoned weapon. Poison takes many forms—not all of them physical. The poison on the assassin’s blade represents the death of ideas and freedom, as well as the ability to turn friends against each other or poison the minds of the virtuous. 
 
  
    Misaligned, this card can mean a mental leap, a new friendship, or a discovery. 
 
   
 
   Unclear
  
  Liar 
    is love at its most treacherous. This is not the love that moves mountains, this is the love that rips the heart in two and causes lovers to leap to their deaths. This lamia can mean obsession, unrequited passion, or doomed love. 
 
   
  Mountain Man 
    signifies an encounter with a physical power outside of one’s control. The giant could personify an authority, an army, an earthquake, or even a desperately needed rainstorm in a parched land. Acceding to the force might be wise, but surviving it is paramount. 
 
   
  Brass Dwarf 
    shows an azer who represents invulnerability to a current danger. Although others might fall, he remains hale and strong. The Brass Dwarf can also mean a failure or dark fate for one, which in turn might save all others around him from a greater danger. 
 
   
 
   Negative
  
  Queen Mother 
    is knowledge personified. The formian knows all but does not reveal anything to anyone who does not show her proper worship. She is fond of the powerless and the underclasses, for they serve her when the more powerful refuse. She represents the need to become part of a society, or to bow before those who know more than you. 
 
   
  Cyclone 
    is a force that tears through whatever it meets. This disaster does not come in the course of natural order but is one that comes from the plots of intelligent beings. The Cyclone signifies war, arson, or other plans that destroy everything they touch. 
 
   
  Sickness 
    represents plague, pestilence, famine, and disease. It can also indicate corruption of the soul or of a multitude of souls. 
 
   
 
  
 "Ernak,"  informs Zellara,  "The key card here that is tied to your near fate is the snakebite. As with Vivino, you are more limited in what cards will help you in the future, and this card is your key. Because of its position so misaligned for a normally negative card, this is fortuitous for you." 

Ernak, any comment?
Ason
Ernak frowns with concentration as the cards are laid out, but at the reading's conclusion he grins eagerly at Zellara.   "It is strange to hear my story on another's lips. I do not like seeing sickness for the future, especially when the current plague is not yet in the past! But perhaps the snakebite means today's gathering is an especially auspicious one? I like that..."  

The man then sits back in his chair, stroking his chin with a thoughtful look on his face as the others' fortunes are read.
lostsole31
 "A snakebite survived is a testament to the stoicism of the survivor,"  says Zellara.  "But sometimes, knowing that the danger exists and avoiding it through intellect is just as good. For example, Barris Khouri ..." 

And Zellara holds the deck for Barris to touch after an initial shuffle, and then shuffled again once touched, and then revealed in arrangement ...

     
  Past  
  Present  
  Future  
 
   Positive  
  Fiend 
    depicts a devil swallowing innocents. It can indicate the deaths of many in a great calamity. The Fiend can also indicate that some sort of dark and intelligent creature is in the area, endangering the populace. 
 
  
    Misaligned, the salvation from the same calamity. 
 
   
  Cricket 
    is a grig, a creature whose mind is as quick as its body. It represents speed and quick passage. Although The Cricket is commonly associated with travel, the peach it sits by represents treasure at the end. 
 
   
  Snakebite 
    is a vile, poisoned weapon. Poison takes many forms—not all of them physical. The poison on the assassin’s blade represents the death of ideas and freedom, as well as the ability to turn friends against each other or poison the minds of the virtuous. 
 
  
    Misaligned, this card can mean a mental leap, a new friendship, or a discovery. 
 
   
 
   Undecided  
  Big Sky 
    shows an epic moment as the slaves of a nation are freed. The slaves’ freedom specifies momentous and powerful change, as old shackles are cast off in the light of day. 
 
   
  Hidden Truth
     symbolizes the ability to see past the obvious and the banal to a greater truth within. Sometimes this discovery is an esoteric one, sometimes it is a literal find, such as an item revealed within a room. Regardless, it is a card with the power to reveal secrets. 
 
   
  Desert 
    is an environment so bleak that none can survive it without aid. For those who find that aid, the journey across the wastes can lead to great things. The sphinx on this card can refer to a mystic or doctor bringing salvation in times of plague or illness. 
 
   
 
   Negative  
  Crows 
    are a dangerous bunch who indicate violent taking of that which is loved. When The Crows appear, murder, theft, or other shocking loss occurs. 
 
   
  Lost
     is the card of emptiness and loss of identity. The bodak shown is forever mad, lost in a world of lunatics, insane asylums, and mass killers. For those under its influence, the world makes no sense. It evokes times where all is babble, as when meeting someone who speaks only in another tongue. 
 
   
  Juggler
     represents fate, the gods, or those who play with the lives and destinies of others. If this titanic Juggler can keep up his rhythm, he will achieve his goals. 
 
  
    Misaligned, he falters, and tragedy and failure are assured for those whose lives he meddled in. 
 
   
 
  
 "Barris Khouri,"  begins Zellara,  "You have two notable cards here, promising some favor in the future. The first is the Cricket that is in perfect alignment for you, but the main power card here is Hidden Truth  , with you as the best here to find such a thing." 

Barris, any comment?
Kvard51
  "Thank you, Harrower.  I will keep these things in mind."   Barris pauses, then continues,   But what of the dark omens?  Are those to simply be discarded from our concern?"  
lostsole31
 "Less my concern, than yours,"  quips the fortune-teller's ghost,  "but Jacintha Felix, your telling awaits your eye." 

With Jacintha's mid-shuffle cut, the cards are again arranged.

     
  Past
  
  Present
  
  Future
  
 
   Positive
  
  Empty Throne
     has a sense of loss that is palpable. The ghost signifies that those who are gone will always be with us. They taught us important lessons, if only we choose to listen. This card can bring information from a far-off or ancient source. 
 
   
  Desert
     is an environment so bleak that none can survive it without aid. For those who find that aid, the journey across the wastes can lead to great things. The sphinx on this card can refer to a mystic or doctor bringing salvation in times of plague or illness. 
 
   
  Forge 
    evokes strength through great diversity. The   blacksmith represents those who can survive the mephits’ trial by fire, but   The Forge’s fire is so strong it burns many to cinders instead. This card   often represents a dangerous event that needs many sources of strength to   overcome. 
 
   
 
   Undecided
  
  Theater
     is the card of true prophecy. The puppets act   out a scene, just as the prophet acts out a scene in which she has no part.   The prophet is the audience and the prophecy is the show. She has no   influence on what she sees, and its importance is often not recognized until   too late. 
 
   
  Rabbit Prince
     is a quirky fellow who represents the vagaries of hand-to-hand combat. The Prince is battle personified and nothing if not capricious. As his broken sword symbolizes, any combatant can fall in battle, no matter how brave or skilled. This card sometimes stands for younger members of royalty or other powerful households. 
 
   
  Vision
     represents arcane knowledge. Such knowledge can take the form of madness or cryptic words. This card often means an encounter with a crazy person, but it can also signify a brush with genius. 
 
   
 
   Negative
  
  Trumpet 
    is a declaration of power. This archon is an aggressive force who wades into the direst situations without hesitation in the cause of right. It is a card that grants all or nothing at all. 
 
  
    Misaligned, it suggests the motives aren’t noble, bringing injury and crumbling strength. 
 
   
  Unicorn
     is a card that generously offers that which the   subject seeks, just as the charger in the picture offers up its fruit. 
 
  
    Misaligned, the card means betrayal, poisoning,   or a false friend. 
 
   
  Lost 
    is the card of emptiness and loss of identity. The bodak shown is forever mad, lost in a world of lunatics, insane asylums, and mass killers. For those under its influence, the world makes no sense. It evokes times where all is babble, as when meeting someone who speaks only in another tongue. 
 
   
 
  
 "Jacintha, yours is the most fortuitous spread yet,"  guides Zellara. " First, the Empty Throne is perfectly aligned in the positive past. You strike me as a being that senses opportunity where others see apathy or grief. Perhaps the trickle-down effects of the loss of Korvosa's king will be to your benefit? But be very wary, the Lost card in the future means you may sacrifice your heart and mind for what you want in the future. But for now, your power card is that of the Vision. Whether it is an increase in your own arcane knowledge, or literally what the card invokes, this card of the Book is perfectly aligned for you." 
 Jacintha , any comment?
Dusk Raven
Jacintha stares for a long time at the cards, as if trying to understand their meaning -- or deny it to herself. In particular, she focuses on the Vision card. But aloud, she says   "Interesting. I hope you are right about this spread being... fortuitous. Either way, though... so long as my fate is up to me, I'm prepared for whatever comes."  
Sienna
  "Prophecy tells only what is like to come. How you deal with it when it does is up to you and you alone... don't you think?"  
lostsole31
 "Finally, we come to you, Dul'Dane Thunderbreaker,"  says the apparition after shuffling and reaching out for him to make his contact with the Harrow before she gives the last spread.

     
  Past
  
  Present
  
  Future
  
 
   Positive
  
  Sickness 
    represents plague, pestilence, famine, and   disease. It can also indicate corruption of the soul or of a multitude of   souls.
    Misaligned, The Sickness represents either great   health or a chance to stop such a disaster (such as the recent blood veil). 
 
   
 
   
  Rakshasa

     is the card of dominance and mind control. The   creature sitting serenely upon the back of the slave indicates an exterior   force imposing itself upon another being’s mind. On occasion, the slavery is   literal, but more often it is mental enslavement to a force or idea.
    Misaligned, that enslavement can be cast off in   the face of new information. 
 
   
 
   
  Liar 
    is love at its most treacherous. This is not the love that moves mountains, this is the love that rips the heart in two and causes lovers to leap to their deaths. This lamia can mean obsession, unrequited passion, or doomed love. 
 
  
    Misaligned, the card can indicate a new relationship beginning, although disguised as something much less beautiful. 
 
   
 
   Undecided
  
  Teamster 
    is a driving external force that keeps the subject going, no matter what. This force can be physical or mental, as a person who exhorts others to continue on when they have no more strength to give. The force can be for good or ill but cannot be ignored. The half-orc  depicted is leading a life of constant toil, but for his own betterment. 
 
   
  Owl 
    represents the eternal wisdom of the natural order. It is the harsh realism that causes a pack of wolves to cull the weak in the herd. It is tragic for the culled deer, but through such actions the herd grows stronger. The needle The Owl holds binds life together, but just as easily can pick that life apart. 
 
   
  Winged Serpent 
    is a powerful being. Knowledge and prudence are   separate keeps bridged by understanding. The couatl represents this bridge,   knowing whether now is the time to strike. 
 
   
 
   Negative
  
  Queen Mother 
    is knowledge personified. The formian knows all but does not reveal anything to anyone who does not show her proper worship. She is fond of the powerless and the underclasses, for they serve her when the more powerful refuse. She represents the need to become part of a society, or to bow before those who know more than you. 
 
   
  Keep 
    is a symbol of quiet strength, one that can move when necessary, yet stand firm through the greatest hardship. Those represented by The Keep are not shaken by any force. 
 
  
    Misaligned, it can mean giving way to temptation or falling in the face of greater strength. 
 
   
  Desert 
    is an environment so bleak that none can survive it without aid. For those who find that aid, the journey across the wastes can lead to great things. The sphinx on this card can refer to a mystic or doctor bringing salvation in times of plague or illness. 
 
  
    Misaligned, it implies the subject cannot rely on   the help of others and will assuredly be lost. 
 
   
 
  
 "A moderate draw, but two cards demand your attention, Dul'Dane Thunderbreaker. First is that of the Owl, which is properly aligned for you. Be mindful of the present and how it informs of the past and guides the future. But your most important card in this draw is the misaligned Rakshasa card. Very likely, you will need the wisdom of the Owl to throw off the shackles of whatever subtle temptation or compulsion will be manifested by the Rakshasa." 

She had to speak quickly, and even she ended Dane's reading, she had disappeared, leaving her voice echoing out the last few words.

Zellara is now gone, though Zellara's Harrow Deck remains.
Moriar
  "That was...interesting  ," Vivino begins. "  What do you make of your reading Dane?  "
Rithryn
Dane stands confused thinking on what the apparition said.
  "My mind is my own, but I have heard of ways others can take it. This is a dangerous prediction if it is to come to pass."  
Sienna
  "Perhaps so, but dangerous predictions are the most useful. If all you expect is good fortune, you're like to grow complacent, but if you're expecting misfortune you can be better prepared for it."  
Kvard51
Barris' mellifluous voice drips with contempt,   "Bah!  I put little stock in Harrowings, even those performed by ghosts.  Or maybe ESPECIALLY ones performed by ghosts!"    She looks around at the assembled coterie,   "I think I will return to my shop for the evening and finish some work I was doing.  Feel free to drop in if you need alchemical supplies."  
lostsole31
  "Before you and your escort leave, Ms. Khouri,"   says Master Shyamal.   "Are you not curious why you were invited in the first place, as we have never met?"  
Rithryn
Dane looks around at the new faces and speaks up.
  "Now that mention it, why are we here? I thought we already dealt with the problem."  
Moriar
  "I believe that we have helped stem the tide of the blood veil,"   Vivino begins. "  But at least for myself I don't think we properly dealt with those involved.  Perhaps we need to figure out .... I'm just carrying on like I know more than the small part I gave played so far.

Please Master Shyamal,  could you please enlighten us on what else is plaguing this city and how we could best help?"  
lostsole31
Master Shyamal smiles,   "I asked you here - admittedly, while I mentioned this before - because a diviner of my association said I should gather those worthies I thought would fight for Korovosa rather than simply pull up tent stakes. And, as I said before, my information network pegged each of you as being exceptional or skilled in some way. But I told you this already.

"What I hadn't told you is that I should have you here at this day and at this time, for something will come to me that will affect you all. And here it is,"   and with that, he holds up a handwritten note.   "From a friend of mine. It seems Queen Ileosa had announced a surprise public address now that it is clear that the plague has well and truly reached its end. The announcement was to be held an hour after the criers put out the word. You may have heard bells ring while we had our repast, but my home has many internal waterfalls and is well screened from unnecessary noise. Well,"    and here he holds up another handwritten note, this one scrawled in a much hastier hand but with more information,    "it seems that my timing the meal as a proper host and the time of the Harrow as saved anyone from risky action. For this second missive is dire, and if any of you thought yourselves up to the challenge, it is likely you would surely be lost. So, will you agree or no, the diviner's merit is not only gathering you, but in knowing me well enough that you would be kept out of harm's way while  this  happened."   (That final emphasis is with him holding the second missive.)

He passes around the second missive for the group to peruse themselves. As fate would have it, it ends up in the smallest person's hands .... those of Linzi, Dane Thunderbreaker's newest personal assistant, to replace his most recent cohort's moving on to better things.

Linzi speaks, and in a clear, high-pitched, bell-like speaking voice, showing that the halfling girl was actually a master speaker,   "Master Shyamal, hearken well what has occurred, and set for yourself if you would stay here in this city if you could...

"We gathered to hear the words of Queen Ileosa II, especially now that it is public knowledge that Dr. Davaulus was behind the disease. Attending this address at the queen's side were her bodyguard (and some quietly and furtively accuse a more intimate relation) Sabina Merrin, clad in her breathtaking and intimidating suit of Gray Maiden armor .... and her recently posted advisor Togomor, whom the queen announced as taken up the duties of castle seneschal. Also in close comport was the commander of the Korvosan Guard Cressida Kroft, and the commandant of the Sable Company Marcus Endrin.

"As her address began, Queen Ileosa - wearing an unfamiliar, fang-adorned crown - announced triumphantly that the plague had been lifted at the cost of the life of its architect - the treacherous Doctor Davaulus - whose body has been cremated and ashes sent back to his family in Cheliax as an affrontery for the death he caused, for now there is no body to bury in his family's vault. The order of the Queen's Physicians has been disbanded as well.

"Yet, the queen marked that Korvosa remains wounded, for she reports that the Order of the Nail has shown its true colors and fled like cowards to Citadel Vraid. Worse, both the Korvosan Guard and the Sable Company have suffered terrible losses over the past weeks. Neither group is fully capable of continuing as Korvosa's protectors, and thus, to shore up this fault, Queen Ileosa names the Gray Maidens has the official new protectors of Korvosa, appointing Sabina Merrin as the city's new general.

"As a ripple of concerned whispers - and I must admit my own among them - spread, Queen Ileosa turned her attention to the Sable Company. Citing the fact that the care and feeding of the company's hippogriff mounts places too great a strain on the city's coffers (surely an exaggeration!); and the fact that the company's commander, Seneschal Neolandus Kalepopolis, fled the city rather than stay by her side in her time of need, Ileosa has decided to disband the organization and seize its holdings. At that point, she asked Commandant Endrin to step forward to surrender his badge of office.

"As Endrin did so, he trembled. He reached for his badge, but instead of handing it over, he threw it at the queen, striking her queen. Everyone (queen included) was shocked into paralysis for a few moments, long enough for Endrin to bellow out, 'Your shameful reign ends now! Korvosa will be free again!' An instant later, his bow was in his hand, aimed at the still-frozen queen. Endrin fired and his aim was true. The arrow struck Queen Ileosa in the right temple, sinking deep into her skull.

"Yet ... she did not fall.

"With incredible speed, she regained her composure and yanked the arrow from her skull. Before blood from the wound had time to run all the way down to her jaw, she’s standing before Endrin. Her free hand whips out and seizes him by the throat, lifting him off the ground and holding him up for all to see. An instant later, she stabs Endrin’s own arrow up under his jaw and out the side of his face with a spray of blood.

"As Endrin’s body crumpled to the ground, Ileosa imperiously shook his blood from her hand and cried out a strong, clear voice, 'This shall be the fate of all enemies of Korvosa! Mark well his punishment! It is only the first!'

"A moment later, Togomor stepped forward, taking Ileosa’s hand and presumably teleporting her back into the castle, for he spoke words of power and they did both disappear.

"There was a riot that resulted that was quelled quickly .... and brutally ... by the Gray Maidens. I am told Field Marshal Cressida Kroft fled to Citadel Volshyenek. I am stunned and horrified by what we all witnessed, knowing that things have indeed taken a turn for the worse in our city."  
Rithryn
Dane is stunned after hearing the contents and looks around wife much concern.
  "I must get back to my family,  if things are truly this bad than perhaps they should leave the city. At the very least I need to warn my uncle and friends."  
Ason
Ernak smiles as the last fortunes are read, though the chatter on their meaning turns that smile into a more puzzled expression. This confused but happy face sinks, however, as Master Shyamal hints at bad news, and it turns into an outright frown as Linzi reads the letter aloud.
  
"I'll need to check on my parents as well: what's bad for Korvosa is usually worse for its Shoanti,"   Ernak says grimly,   "I guess this is war between the Sable Company and the queen's Gray Maidens then? And who knows what the Guard are thinking. Bah!"   Ernak throws up his hands in frustration before furrowing his brows as he tries to make sense of the situation. Finally, he states more positively,   "My thanks again, Master Shyamal, for pulling us out of that fire then. My debt to your kindness grows."  
Sienna
  "Shot point-blank in the head, and none the worse for it, huh.     That... does seem to happen strangely often with royalty, doesn't it?    "   Runa says, tilting her head in thought,   "Is she really that unpopular? He made it sound like more than simply lashing out over losing his position."  
lostsole31
Master Shymamal looks apologetic.   "Please forgive, but I listen to the murmurings of the people, but have no sources in the castle. I cannot comment on what at this time is speculation."  

A servant comes in with another dispatch, but the simple vellum makes one think it comes from a different source. Master Shyamal reads it.   "But, before you go, Dane ... and Vivino. I have a dispatch just sent me from Field Marshal Cressida Kroft. She urgently asks that the two of you - and any other persons you might come to rely on or trust - go straightway to meet with her at Citadel Volshyenek. I have a feeling that what she says for the both of you, might benefit out new friends here as well?"  
Kvard51
  ”Al’ama!”  , Barris whispers loudly.  Her tone followed by a slightly sheepish look would tell you this was an epithet even if you don’t speak the language.

  “I just thought I would work tonight. If you will allow, I and my friend will accompany you.  I don’t know her, but I have admired Miss Croft from afar during the recent events.  I would here what she has to say after leaving the Queen’s service.”  , she says to Vivino and Dane.
Sienna
  "Not as if I've anywhere else to be, and some answers would be much appreciated. I'd like to come along as well, if you'll have us,"   Runa says, evidently referring to herself and Diva.
Moriar
As Vivino recovers from the shock of what he just heard, the processing begins.  Though unheard, it seems he mutters briefly to himself before turning to them all.    "Thank you Master Shyamal and Linzi for enlightening us about the situation.  I had no idea how bad things had become while we were concentrating on the blood veil."
  
Vivino looks at each face in the room that have gathered,   "Thank you for everything you do for this town and us Master Shyamal.

Master Shyamal has reached out to each of you for a reason, and personally I would welcome any and all help with this problem.  I welcome you all to join us and hope that you choose to travel with us to meet the Field Marshall.  Thank you for those that have already offered,"   nodding to Barris, Runa, and Diva.   "I can tell that you all recoginize the gravity of the situation and hope that you will join us as we seek to learn more and hopefully find a way to help the people of this city."  
Ason
Ernak's frown transforms into a grin as Master Shymamal reveals the second dispatch.   "I ask for the Guard's plans, and the gods send an answer!"   he laughs.

As the others share their decisions, Ernak looks troubled, though he nods at their words. Finally, he speaks somberly and slowly as he works through his conflicted thoughts aloud,   "I will join you. If Ileosa already ended the riot, there is time to talk with the captain first and with kin second once better-informed. Seeing the Field Marshal is a simple way to honor our host's kindness, and if it helps the city, more's the better. Yes, I will go, if you will have me."   All uncertainty fades from his face as Ernak relaxes into this new resolution with a large, easy smile once more.
Rithryn
Dane looks torn and says.
  "I'll go, but I need you to send someone to inform my family on my behalf. Is that something you'll do?"  
Dusk Raven
Jacintha pursed her lips, wondering what to say. She privately thought that if the Gray Maidens could get Korvosa under control, that would be an impressive feat, and maybe not the worst thing to happen to the city -- though she had a hard time imagining what the place would actually be like. Still, the way in which the Gray Maidens had so far risen to power was... concerning. Something told Jacintha that there was more going on than just city politics...

  "I will come along as well,"   Jacintha finally states.   "I'm probably the least affected by this of anyone here, but for all I know that could change soon. Besides, since you've welcomed me in so far, the least I can do is do something for you."   She had no idea how long she would stay with this group, but for the moment, they were allies, and that was something she didn't have a lot of. Best to follow along and see where this path would take her.
lostsole31
Master Shyamal says,   "I need to go out and view things myself, so I will contact them personally, Dane."  

With that, he sees the heroes(-to-be) out, being sure that they understand how to get to Citadel Volshyenek if they don't know.

Once the PCs get to the citadel, they might be shocked when they arrive to see the place so understaffed. Only one guard stands at the citadel entrance, and none train in the large inner courtyard. The citadel halls are silent and empty, with refuse and trash scattered here and there, dust gathering in empty barracks, and an overall state of creeping neglect hanging over the place like a pall.

Cressida Kroft looks haggard and tired when the PCs arrive; she ushers them into the central keep quickly, leading them into a smaller meeting room in the depths of the keep to a doorway that, when opened, reveals what appears to be a room filled with fog. Beyond is a plain-looking chamber with a single long table (on which sits a small closed coffer) and enough chairs for the PCs, their two cohorts, and herself.

After everyone is seated, she speaks in a low voice.   “Korvosa is dying. No, strike that. Korvosa is being murdered. Killed by our queen. The evidence you’ve uncovered that links her to the plague is damning enough, but now that she’s disbanded the Sable Company and reallocated our own funding to the Gray Maidens, she’s more in control now than ever. I dare not move against her, as my guards would be executed to the last fighter by her Gray Maidens before sundown. But she must be stopped. And I know of no one else but you to do this deed.

“Whatever foul magic the queen has wrapped herself in is obviously of the highest order. Endrin’s aim was true, and his shot should have dropped her. I had feared he was going to take matters into his own hands like this, but hoped he would find it within himself to find a better route. If only he could have waited.

“You see, just this morning, new information came to me. Vencarlo Orisini’s been one of my most trusted sources of information regarding the public; it’s hard for an officer of the Korvosan Guard to get honest opinions from the citizens, and Vencarlo’s observations on these topics have been a godsend, particularly since the plague started. When the queen quarantined Old Korvosa, I’d feared his messages would end, yet he managed to find ways to smuggle updates to me every day. Recently, he wrote of discovering something of vital importance regarding the queen. He mentions something about dark magic and a pact with a devil, but until the events of this morning, I found his claims difficult to believe. But even more astounding, he hinted he’d found a lead on Seneschal Kalepopolis, and implied the man might still be in hiding in Old Korvosa!

“That was the last I heard from him. It’s been several days, and I’ve started to worry for his safety. The rumors about riots and gangs seizing control of entire neighborhoods in Old Korvosa are disturbing. Certainly, the plumes of smoke we all see rising from fires on the island are proof that as bad as things are elsewhere, they’re probably worse in Old Korvosa.

“I can see a time in the near future when the Korvosan Guard is disbanded as well. Even now I lack the resources to mount my own investigations. Which is where you come in. Trusting Dane and Vivino .... and their predecessors ... may have been my best decision over the past several months, for you hold the possibility of Korvosa’s salvation. I ask you to seek out Vencarlo in Old Korvosa, and to learn more of what he’s discovered about the nature of our queen’s increasingly violent and destructive turns of personality. Ironically, you should actually be safer in Old Korvosa, since the queen’s quarantine has cut off the island entirely, and word on the street is that she plans on leaving it to rot. She won’t think to look for you there if you maintain a low profile and avoid confrontations with the Gray Maidens. Once you contact Vencarlo, we can only hope what he’s discovered will suggest a course of action we can take to save the city!”  

Cressida suggests that Vencarlo’s home near the grounds of the Orisini Academy (she can give directions) should be their first stop in attempting to track him down. She’s heard rumors about a new leader who has risen to power in the streets and is calling himself the “Emperor of Old Korvosa,” but hasn’t yet been able to determine who this man is. If Vencarlo’s not in his home, a meeting with the island’s new self-appointed ruler might turn up the swordmaster’s trail, but Cressida prompts caution here. Whoever this “emperor” is, he’s likely a dangerous man indeed.

Cressida goes on to say that as important as finding out what’s befallen her friend Vencarlo is to her, discovering what actually happened to Seneschal Kalepopolis is of even greater concern to the city. Not only might Kalepopolis have valuable insights into what’s going on with the queen, but his return may well give those who oppose Queen Ileosa a legal way to, if not remove her from the throne, at least wrest away some of her power.

  "I can't 'pay' you, but I small cache of potions and wands I am willing to give those of you willing to undertake this mission into Old Korvosa. Will you take this burden upon yourselves?"  
Sienna
  "I don't know if this is what Gozreh guided me here to do, but... it's hard to think of anything else that could be more amiss. It certainly sounds like there's more going on than mere political strife... and, well, you're clearly at your wit's end with the situation, else you wouldn't be asking treason of strangers, eh?"   Runa says, folding her arms and closing her eyes in thought,   "...I have some questions, though. Who is this Seneschal? And what's happened to Old Korvosa? I'm sure Dane and Vivino are familiar with these things, but... I'll admit that I don't keep myself versed in civics or the like."  
lostsole31
Cressida answers,   "The Seneschal Neolandus Kalepopolis disappeared mysteriously a few weeks ago when the king died and Queen Ileosa was crowned. The Seneschal technically has the power to call no-confidence in the reigning monarch, as their loyalty is to Korvosa first, the crown second. In such a case, he would call upon me and my Guard ... also Korvosa first, crown second ... to make sure that the crown in such a case were put down. Neolandus is well-liked by the people, and should he be present and formally charge the queen to lay down her crown, the rest of the city would stand behind him. Gray Maidens or not, the queen would then be hard pressed to control the whole of the city.

"Since the blood veil plague had hit, at its zenith Old Korvosa was quarantined for it is where the greatest number of the diseased had been, and it was seen by some of my contemporaries as a means of 'the poor and degenerate burning themselves out.'"  
Moriar
  "Thank you for seeing us Field Marshall, and offering what you can is these trying times.  I am not caught up with all the news as many don't like to talk to me much..."   Vivino looks away for a moment.   "But I can tell pain in the people and the city when I see it.  I will do what I can to help your friend and seek what information there is about what has happened to the Queen."  

Vivino then looks to his compatriots,   "I know that this may not be what you have thought to have signed up for, but I know that I will need your help going forward; not to mention those in this city itself, let alone Old Korvosa."
  
  "Marshall, is there anything else that you can tell us about your friend and the best way to get to his home or what to look for?  Anything would be helpful."  
lostsole31
  "I shall only give what little more I know to those who wish to move forward. If anyone wishes to back out, they do so now with no more information,"   she says.
Rithryn
  "If that is the case than my job isn't done yet. I joined this group to save the people of Korvosa, now they need us more than ever. Whatever you need I'll do what I can."  
Sienna
  "I thought the matter of the plague was all but resolved by now, but it's still quarantined?"   Runa asks,   "Guess I'd just end up looking into it on my own, anyhow, and I can already tell how well that would go. Sure, I'm in."  
Kvard51
Barris nods her head,   "I came to this city for the opportunity to start anew away from war and strife.  But if I am what there is to defend that freedom and peace, then so be it.  I will accompany you, Vivino."  
Dusk Raven
Jacintha nods.   Old Korsova's my home. It's not much, but it's home. And what I said before still stands. Besides, you might have an easier time finding your way if I'm around -- who else here is as familiar with the place as I?"   Truth be told, she was mostly familiar with the Shingles, but even so... she reckoned her street smarts would prove useful to this group.
Ason
Ernak takes in the decaying citadel with wonder, having never imagined  he'd freely see its insides. His eyes widen in shock at Kroft's  revelation of the queen's conspiracies and infernal magics and then  narrow in contemplation as she lays out her plan. The giant of a man  thinks inwardly about the various names the Field Marshal drops--Vencarlo,  Orisini Academy, the Emperor of Old Korvosa--wracking his mind for  anything he might have heard about them previously.

Finally, he answers Kroft's question of intentions. With a nod to Jacintha, Ernak states,   "Old Korvosa is my home as well, and I will will fight for her too. I am not much for city politics, so this is all largely new to me. But if what you say is true, this will sweep us up whether we want to or not, so we might as well go forward with eyes open instead of cowering in the dark. Plus...  it will be good to check on old friends there face-to-face instead of only through smuggled letters.  But does the plague still linger in Old Korvosa? I am no doctor, so I'm not sure how we can avoid catching the blood veil ourselves once inside. I suppose if you have a wand of remove disease, I would welcome it." 
 
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
If possible/permissible, Ernak will take 10 on knowledge checks (via bardic lore master) regarding Vencarlo Orisini, the Orisini Academy, and the Emperor of Old Korvosa. He grew up in the slums, so I'm curious if any of those names would ring a bell from his youth.
 
lostsole31
Cressida puts several items on the table, describing what they are and command words, where necessary.
 
 (4)  potions of cure serious wounds  
 (3)  potions of lesser restoration
  
  wand of invisibility  (10 charges) 
  wand of cure moderate wounds  (30 charges) 
 

After handing out the gear, Cressida urges the PCs to make haste to Old Korvosa and track down Vencarlo. She doubts the queen will take long to recover from the indignation of the failed assassination, and once she does, the field marshal fears she might make things very difficult for those who remain within the city walls. Assuming the PCs ask how to infiltrate the quarantined island, Cressida suggests swimming or taking a skiff from the northern banks of the Jeggare, optimally under the cover of darkness to avoid notice.

That is all the material and intelligence she can offer at this time.

How do you divvy/ recommend divvying the gear? What is the plan?
Rithryn
After looking over the items and listening to what they are Dane speaks up.
  "I possess the ability to heal myself so I have no need for the potions here, I am able to use both these wands if you'd trust them with me?"  
Dane waits to hear from his companions.
Dusk Raven
After examining the items, Jacintha voices her thoughts.   I  could  use the Wand of Invisibility, but I have no need of it since I can just  cast  that myself. So I have no problems with giving it to someone else. I have a few healing potions already, so if necessary I can forgo the healing potions. But one of the potions of  lesser restoration  would be welcome.  
Sienna
  "I've got a wand already. Diva can carry whatever's left over, if need be,"   Runa says,   "Should be fine to make the swim. He ain't a fast swimmer, mind, but he floats well enough."  
lostsole31
Linzi pipes up, cheerily but demurely,   "Actually, I'm sure I'm not even close to anyone else's combat skills here, but if it is a case of 'well, why not' and not 'what a perfect match!' I could use both wands. See, I can be invisible while cheering everyone in the group, and then go around with the healing wand to heal folks as needed .... if that's okay with my boss, that is. That's mainly what I did with my last group of friends ... inspire, hide, and heal."  

The stoic Keleshyte guarding Barris speaks to Barris,   "My lady, while I could use both wands, in truth, it is likely there are better things I could be doing if pressed. I am not for stealth; in fact, I want to be seen so as to draw aggression to me rather than yourself. And I am more comfortable as a warrior than a healer. However, if I could have a healing potion should I fail in my duties and still be standing where you would fall, I would appreciate the chance to revive you so that you may chastise me accordingly."  
Moriar
  "Linzi and you all do make good sense.  I like the idea of Linzi using the wands at least as a support to those that are busy in the front line or in other pursuits,"   Vivino says.    "I could use at least one of the cure serious potions as I tend to get hit a lot.

I also trust you Dane of course with the wands, but do you think that Linzi could use them better or would it be a better fit for you?

As for the potions, aside from cure serious for me, I would suggest spreading them out a bit?"  
Ason
Ernak listens to the conversation before offering his own thoughts.   "I too am proficient with the wands and currently do not know such spells myself. However, I already have a lesser healing wand and prefer a more direct approach anyways, so I think Linzi's idea is a fine one. I would appreciate one of the potions, however, either to patch myself up during battle or salve any lingering ailments afterward."  

Turning away from the items toward the party and Kroft in particular, he continues,   "But as I said, I'm not up to date on the most current events. Once we enter Old Korvosa, will we still need to worry about the plague? I've mostly heard rumors, as with the quarantine I know little directly myself. And it seems there is more to the blood veil than popularly imagined. Is there anything we should before we set off to ward off that illness?"  
lostsole31
So, it seems that Linzi will hold both wands in trust for use of the party (as described). Jacintha receives a  potion of lesser restoration . Vivino takes a  potion of cure serious wounds . Ernak also takes a  potion of cure serious wounds .

This leaves the following to divvy up:

 
 (2)  potions of cure serious wounds  
 (2)  potions of lesser restoration   
 

Cressida answers Ernak,   "I don't know, as quarantine affects the flow of information both ways, but my understanding from Vivino is that the blood veil likely has run its course through what he termed 'herd immunity?'"  
Rithryn
  "If everyone has their potions I can carry the rest and hand them out as needed, that way we can move on to dealing with the matter at hand."  
Dane looks around to see what everyone thinks.
Kvard51
  "While I can easily heal myself, my friend Ridwan should probably carry one of the healing potions.  He is far more likely than I to take a serious wound if it comes to combat, as he has been trained to take blows in my stead."  , Barris says, looking around in an attempt to gauge the other's usefulness in a fight.
lostsole31
Ridwan gets a healing potion, putting it at his belt. Dane takes the other three potions, putting them at his belt as well.

After disposition of the gear is finished, Cressida has duties she has to attend to, and escorts the PCs out of Citadel Volshyenek, wishing them a profitable mission. 
 Spoiler: Profitable Mission 
It might seem strange for what is not a mercenary affair, but it is a common well-wishing by those that worship Abadar, God of Cities. Presumably, succeeding in this mission will have an end-goal of being profitable for  everyone  and Korvosa's city health.
 

Okay, now outside of the Citadel, what is the plan? As a reminder, regarding infiltrating the island, Cressida suggested swimming or  taking a skiff from the northern banks of the Jeggare, optimally under  the cover of darkness to avoid notice.
Sienna
  "So, what'll it be?"   Runa asks,   "I don't mind going for a night swim, personally, but I don't blame you if you'd rather take a boat."  
lostsole31
Linzi tells Dane that she is fine swimming, but she'd rather take a boat to not be in spashing around in dirty city water.

Barris knows that Ridwan not only does not know how to swim, but is probably terrified at the prospect of having to do so.
Moriar
  "I am a pretty decent swimmer as well,"   Vivino says.   "Swimming might avoid more eyes.  But is there anyone that is not feeling confidant about swimming across?"  
Ason
Ernak shares,   "I am a decent swimmer and even have one scroll for gaining fins, should it come to it, but that won't help the return trip. And wet clothes might draw unwanted attention, while a boat gives us more options if we make it. It even might let us ferry out any new friends or wounded afterwards."  

Ernak pauses thoughtfully and scratches an ear.   "The other factors are how bright the moon is tonight,"   at that he looks up at the sky, "  for our ability to see and be seen... and how wide the channel will be where we aim to swim versus where we might row. I don't suppose one of you could just make the boat invisible? Or cast some communal spell of swimming or the like?"  
Moriar
  "That is a good point Ernak about the wet clothes or invisible boat.  Does anyone have the ability to dry clothes or as Ernak asked make a boat invisible/communal swim spell?"   Vivino asks.
Sienna
  "Why don't we just use the wand of invisibility on the boat?"   Runa asks,   "No idea if that actually works but it's dumb enough that it just might, eh?"  
Kvard51
Not wanting to embarass Ridwan in front of their new compatriots, Barris chooses to instead make it about herself,   "I am not an adept swimmer, so I vote for a boat."  
Dusk Raven
Jacintha frowns.   "I am... decent at swimming. But from the sounds of it, if one person can't swim, then we may as well take a boat, because  someone's  going to need it. It'll be harder to avoid detection, but... well, we don't have much choice, do we?"  
Ason
  "Well then,"   Ernak says, putting his hands on his hips,   "It sounds like we're looking for a boat! So, uh... where do we get one? Kroft said we should approach from the north side, I imagine because there'll be fewer eyes there. But did she say how we'd actually get or borrow a skiff without raising suspicions?"  
lostsole31
(She did not.)
Moriar
  "A boat it is then,"   Vivino agrees.   "Then lets head to the area north of Old Korvosa and start looking for either a boat to borrow or to convince someone to go across ...at night...and will keep their tongue quiet just in case.  If you all wish to convince someone, then I hope one of you gets along with others.  If we are borrowing a boat, does someone have passing knowledge of using one?  Though if we can get across on a big row boat equivalent I am good there."  
Kvard51
Barris looks meaningfully at Ridwan,   "A skiff would be easiest, as we could just pole across.  Perhaps you could locate one for us, my friend?"  
lostsole31
He nods.   "Where shall I return to you that I may report?"  
Kvard51
Barris looks to the others,   "Where shall we wait?  Somewhere near the channel, a tavern perhaps?"  
Sienna
  "A tavern's as good a place as any,"   Runa says,   "And probably a good bit less conspicuous, yeah? Not that there's anywhere Diva won't kind of stand out."  
lostsole31
Diva will need to be stabled at any tavern she goes to. She will not be permitted inside.

These are the three main taverns in North Point (your likely disembarkation neighborhood) ...

 Laughing Wave Inn  in North Point  is the oldest on the Mainland, named in honor of the naval hero Keyra  'the Wave' Palin. Korvosan legend states that the ghost of a Shoanti  woman known as the Barbarian Princess appears in the Laughing Wave three  nights of the year, on the solstices and the Riverwind Festival.

 Three Rings Tavern  in North Point  is run by a former Pathfinder named Theandra Darklight, a good-natured  woman (short a few fingers) who is always happy to swap stories of  adventure, often offering free drinks to those with the best tall tale.  Those who try to get rowdy in her bar, however, will have to answer to  her Shoanti bouncer, Tauk Par.

 Posh and Turtle   in North Point  sits at the west end of the mysterious Avenue of Arms, and bears a  reputation as the finest tavern and inn in all of Korvosa. The floor of  the establishment is glass over an iron latticework, looking down on a  wide but shallow sea cave which is home to a 20 foot long sea turtle  named Old Tom. The 'Posh' part of the inn's appellation is less obvious.  Most think it refers to the high quality furnishings and appointments,  but it actually hearkens back to a seedier time in the inn's history,  when it was known simply as the Turtle Inn, and was a haven for pesh  dealers. The slurred speech of the addict clientele soon corrupted their  search for "the pesh in the Turtle" to "Posh and Turtle"
Rithryn
Dane speaks up.
  "We should head to the three ring tavern, if we're looking to keep a low profile I trust an ex pathfinder to keep our presence quiet."  
Ason
Ernak smiles a little sheepishly.   "It's been a little while, but I have performed at the Three Rings before. Ditto the Laughing Wave. Great places and good enough people. I, uh, can  try  to keep a low profile there,"   at that he chuckles at his obviously large frame,   "and pray nobody remembers me. But if we want a cover story, I might also be able to say I'm drinking with some friends and scoping for future gigs. That  would  draw attention, ha, but it might give us a decent cover story for being east side too."

  Pursing his lips slightly, the giant of a bard adds,   "But I've never been in the Posh and Turtle. The more elite places often don't take kindly to Shoanti acts, so I never bothered."  
Moriar
"  Well  ," Vivino begins,"   since Ernak will likely recognized at the rings, let's meet up at the Turtle  ."
Sienna
  "It's all the same to me,"   Runa says with a shrug,   "Wherever you all think is best. It'll be my first time there no matter what we pick."  
lostsole31
So, that's two votes for the Three Rings, one for the Posh &amp; Turtle, and one abstain.

What do others think?
Dusk Raven
  "I think I've had enough of posh places for one day,"   Jacintha opines.   "The Three Rings Tavern, on the other hand, sounds like a good place."  
lostsole31
And with that, the party heads to the Three Rings Tavern. Runa, what do you do with your birdy?
Sienna
If there's a place to stable him next to the tavern, she'll do that, otherwise she'll find a spot outside the tavern that's out of the way he can chill at for a bit on his own, and failing that she'll just wait outside with him. If she does end up in the tavern, she'll make sure to order something to bring back for him to munch on.
lostsole31
So, one of the oddities of a fantasy world is that while yes, strange animal companions are strange .... they are not altogether uncommon. So, the Three Taverns has a pen (sorry) large enough that is used for bears and big cats by the random oddball that visits with such things. For insurance purposes, it must go in the iron-barred pen as animals of Diva's size can ruin wood. That said, if you define feed type (and aren't entirely picky), they are happy to pen Diva and feed her for a total of 55 copper (or, 5 silver, 5 copper). Diva will be fed old meat scraps since she is a carnivore.

Is that acceptable to Runa?
Sienna
That's fine! She'll still bring him back something, since she likes to spoil him a bit.
lostsole31
Done.  Okay, I think the party is filled with more paranoia than necessary. The idea that Ernak could be "recognized" at Three Rings is not an issue .... because he's frequented there, before. Just because you are on a secret mission doesn't mean the world at large knows that yet.

So, what now?
Moriar
Standing in front of the tavern, Vivino says to the others,   "let us get a drink while Ridwan acquires a skiff.  We can wait until then.

That ok to all and you Ridwan?"  
lostsole31
Ridwan looks to Barris....
Kvard51
Barris nods to Ridwan and says,   “I believe that is our best option, although someone who could watch his back would not go amiss.”  
lostsole31
  "He looks helpless,"   smirks Linzi as she looks to Dane.   "Want me to go as his armed escort?"  
Rithryn
  "Probably for the best,  I'd go myself but as you can see I wouldn't be of much help in a stealth mission. Stay safe out there."  
Dane taps hus armor to emphasize his point.
lostsole31
Linzi and Ridwan head out to secure a skiff, leaving the rest of the party in the Three Rings Tavern.

Barmaid comes to take everyone's order ....
Moriar
  "Greetings!"   Vivino says to the barmaid.    "We will take a round of ales to get us started.  Thank you"    Vivino does his best to smile soothingly but likely comes across as awkward/creepy.
Ason
Ernak stays quiet as the others debate where to go, content with any selection, but he grins eagerly when the Three Rings Tavern is at last picked.

As the party enters the tavern, he gives a respectful nod to the Shoanti bouncer. When Vivino orders the ales for the party, Ernak merrily chimes in with a friendly pat on his shoulder,   "This round of ales are on me, friends. I want you to enjoy your first trip to Theandra's."  

Once seated, the giant of a man then leans back with a stretch as he lazily surveys the place for anything beyond the ordinary barflies.
lostsole31
Drinks are brought out.
Sienna
  "Well, if you're offering, I won't turn down a free drink,"   Runa says,   "Nothing much else to do but sit tight for a while, so may as well make the most of it while we're here, yeah?"  
lostsole31
Ridwan and Linzi will return some time later. Linzi begins,   "It turns out, that nobody will 'lose' their skiff to Old Korvosa. The wall has so many Gray Maidens looking over into the water, they could never come 'back.'"  
  "'Back,' but not 'to',"   Ridwan interjects.   "Nobody cares about people going to Old Korvosa, figuring a few less agitators being among 'their kind.' But it's the getting back that's the issue.'"  
  "So,"   Linzi picks up,   "there are those willing to sell us rowboats for about 50 gp a pop, and it would probably take us two rowboats for all of us to get across, even if Northman-woman-girl flies on her scaled whatsit, hidden from above."  
Rithryn
Dane speaks up taking out a 100 gp gem.
  "I can purchase the boats, I'm not short this amount of money."  
Sienna
  "Works for me. Getting out is a bridge we can cross when we get there, I suppose,"   Runa says, scooping some of the food into a pouch for Diva,   "'Course, that also means that we can't easily come back for anything you've forgotten. Best double check that you've got all you need before we commit to this."  
lostsole31
Linzi sucks in softly with an "oooh" and a face that looks like it ate a lemon.    "Yeah, about that. They dropped the bridges going to Old Korvosa. They really, truly mean for that district to eat itself into the void."  
Moriar
  "That is terrible to hear that the people are being in such a fashion,"   Vivino says.    "As for going there I am sure my sister will understand going into the place as long as I promise to help the people there of course,"   he gives a wry smile at that.

  "Speaking of which, should we try to bring in supplies for the people there?"  
lostsole31
Linzi whispers to Dane, feeling that an open opinion, despite being Dane's valet, would be untoward. 
 Spoiler: Dane 
  "We don't know what we'll find, how we'll find, or who we'll find. I think you and your friends are the 'needed supplies,' because we can't help everyone in Old Korvosa with goods, but if we bring a bunch of stuff in, we might do more harm than good and get mobbed."  
 
Rithryn
Dane nods in agreement with Linzi before speaking to the group.
  "Perhaps we should avoid unnecessary attention to ourselves, the best and fastest way to help these people is to find out what is going on and solve it."  
Ason
Ernak's customary grin falls into tight-lipped concentration as the cohorts give their report.

  "We can't feed  everybody , but I  am  bringing something for my family over there,"   he says curtly,   "I'll see if I can order meals to-go 'for the group' from the tavern before we leave. Then I'll be ready to set out immediately."  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
I don't know this particular tavern's policy on doggy bags, but Ernak hopes to buy 2 days' worth of bundles/packages of less/non-perishable foods ( e.g. bread, cheese, pickled vegetables, jug of ale , etc). He plans to give these to his parents, should he find them, so they each have at least 1 day of good food. He'll buy the best less/non-perishable food this tavern has on hand ( i.e. good meal if they sell it, common meal if not, poor meal if not that either ).

While I would prefer Ernak buy enough food to last his parents more than 1 measly day, each days' worth of food for them comes out to 6 meals total. And while ordering 6 meals to-go would not be too suspicious given our 6-person party + 2 just-arriving cohorts, even Ernak would realize ordering much more might raise the staff's eyebrows. I can roleplay his request for to-go meals in spoiler tags or via Discord if you wish, but he's essentially going to act as if he's ordering food to-go for the party to have later on in the night.

If the tavern does not offer to-go meals, Ernak will wrack his brain for any places selling food that might be open at this time of night. He will not ask the party for ideas on such places, however, as he does not trust any of them enough yet to talk much more about a family concern like this.
 
lostsole31
There are no doggy-bags or carry-out orders. In fact, even though there was a recent pandemic, surprisingly Korvosa did not come up with a food delivery service.

There are also no 24-hour Stop-n-Shops, Giants, Eagles, Kroger's, or the like.
Sienna
  "Thinking they might not be as big a fan as Diva is about eating random leftovers out of a leather pouch, but I'll eat bugs off the ground sometimes so I won't judge them,"   Runa says, winking at the group as though she just said something incredibly attractive.   "...Jokes aside, I'm not sure we're in a position to spearhead some kind of humanitarian movement here. Don't overthink it, yeah?"  
Ason
Ernak returns from his chat with the waitstaff, shaking his head. He sinks into his chair and glumly states,   "It seems the question of relieving hunger is a moot point regardless, if the plan is to leave tonight. So I am ready to go posthaste."  

He then contemplates his ale quietly.
Moriar
  "Very well,"   Vivino agrees.   "Let us get in there as soon as possible to to help as best we can before we look to help the population as a whole."  
Rithryn
  "Alright,  let's head out under the xover of night and take the skiffs over."  
Dusk Raven
Jacintha had listened to the conversation in silence, her instincts being to observe rather than to interfere. But now, she speaks up.   "I'm as ready as I'll ever be. And for what it's worth, bringing food for people probably isn't the best idea. There's no way we could bring enough to make a difference, and we'd definitely draw too much attention if we tried. We might still stand out as it is."  
lostsole31
After waiting out the clock, and Linzi having already mentioned to the person that was going to sell boats to them that it would be after the sun had set, and after significant conversation and food (but only a careful ingestion of drink), the party ... such as it is now ... leaves for North Point.

Linzi smacks her head and feels bad. She was so focused on the fact that she heard that all of the  wooden  bridges to Old Korvosa had been burned and wrecked, but does mention that the stone Jeggare Bridge does still exist .... but you don't want any part of that. While it is a physical link between Endrin Isle and the mainland, it is crawling with all sorts of Gray Maidens and fortifications that whether or not one wants to be allowed to go to Old Korvosa, there are too many unknown or unfriendly faces looking at your faces.

The man with the boats - one Brado Buteo - is there with several men, drinking and lounging while waiting for you. He has two rowboats. Assuming Runa flies across with Diva, the rest of the party can split between the two boats in cramped quarters.

The rowboats are decrepit. You are likely to get a few splinters from the worn oars that haven't seen a sanding cloth or paint in some time. These rowboats are definitely at the end of their lives, but Brado protests and says they will get you where you need to go, but assumes you aren't coming back.

Do you quietly pay the man, or do you try to talk him down from the 50 gp per boat, or otherwise interact with him in some way beyond purchase?
Ason
En route to the seller, Ernak asks Ridwan and Linzi,   "Say... did you give the seller any cover story to excuse our late-night boat shopping? Did he seem suspicious? Either way, we should be as nondescript as possible when we meet the guy, lest he report us to the Maidens."  

During the sale itself, Ernak tries to read the general mood and trustworthiness of the seller and his friends. He also tries to keep any chatter during the exchange itself amicable.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Since it's not Ernak's money to spend, he's not going to make a call on whether to haggle or not, but he'll try to interject as needed to keep the situation positive. Depending on Linzi's/Ridwan's answer to his question en route, on his sense motive check to gain a hunch of the seller's trustworthiness, or on any dialogue that follows, Ernak may have specific dialogue later, but his initial goal is to just play wingman to the cohorts and Dane.
 
lostsole31
En route, Linzi mentions that the cost for sub-par boats that are going to be beached and left, possibly abandoned ... was the price of silence and no questions.
Sienna
  "I dunno about you all, but I like that price point,"   Runa says.
Moriar
  "Aye, let us pay the man and be on our way,"   Vivino says. "  Though I think that I will alter my appearance a bit just in case my appearance is known."
  
As they get closer to the man, Vivino's form shifts into that of a half orc of sizable portions.

 
 Spoiler: Disguise 


Using hat of disguise to appear as a hulking half orc of about the same size
 
lostsole31
Dane gives the man a simple sapphire, extremely tiny for that size of gemstone, and that teensy-weensy sapphire is good enough for Brado who mutters,   "Buono fortuna"   - a modern Chelaxian wish for luck.

The party and their decreit rowboats make the crossing now that it's after dark, rowing along the northern shore over the Jeggare River and then coming around on land to enter the city via North Bridge - the far side of the Narrows of St. Alika, where many buildings have burned or been partially destroyed by looters. These desolate places remain dark now at night, making it easier to avoid detection there.

Once the boats are pulled up on shore, they realize they are being approached by a wild-eyed human wearing an ill-fitting suit of leather armor, striding purposefully down the street toward Old Dock (and the party), sword in hand. He shouts as he approaches,  "Curse you and your kind! Death to the Emperor!" 

The man is 60' from the party. What do you do?
Ason
Ernak raises his palms up in a gesture of nonviolence. With a clearly puzzled tone and shrug of his shoulders, he calls back,   "Who's this emperor, and who do you imagine we even are? I don't know  who  either would mean, but  we  mean you no trouble."  
lostsole31
See, having a massively-built Shoanti warrior really plays into a lot of people's conception of a "savage warrior." And truth be told, Ernak's easy-going nature has been on display throughout the day in some low-key, simple social settings. But as he stands forward to show both strength and compassion, there rolls forth from Ernak's speech an almost regal quality to it that even makes Dane respect him as a senior speaker when not seeking violence.

The man continues to come forward, though not as sure as before.   "Well, I'll be ....."   whistles the man,   "if you were one a'th'Emperor's goons I'da' heard it by now."   He surveys the group, the boats pulled up, and the rather unsettling lizard-tinged bird that Runa rides.   "Yah, no chance you're with that bastard. Forgive my challenge. Name's Tesh Zobberdin. I'm the last surviving member of a family executed by the emperor for refusing to turn out their food stores and savings, and you can 'magine I have murder on my mind for he and his."    And here, he looks crestfallen. "  'Course, I know'd I was no match for the emperor or his goons, I was willin' to die before I saw your friendly voice and heard your welcoming face. What brings you the Hells on Cage?"  
Rithryn
Dane speaks up as he steps forward.
  "Were looking for an officer in the korvosa guard who should be here, do you know where we could find any guardsmen?"  
lostsole31
  "Guardsman?"   he gasps incredulously,   "Who are you looking for? Do you even know what's happened here?"  
Moriar
  "Though we don't know half of what has occurred here, we have come to do what we can to help,"   Vivino says.   "We are looking for someone named Vincarlo and any information that you can share about the state of affairs here.  I...We aim to do all that is in our power to put things right here."  
lostsole31
He scratches his head for a moment.   "A guardsman named Vincarlo? Never heard of him. I mean, there is a similar name I've heard .... the famous fight instructor Vencarlo Orsini, sorry."  
Sienna
  "So then,"   Runa speaks up,   "What  has  happened here? What's got this place all bottled up if the plague's already been dealt with?"  
lostsole31
Tesh, obviously suffering from PTSD, looks hollowly into the far distance,   "When they dropped the bridges t' leave Ol' Korvosa t' fend for it-self, that's when gangs rose up t' try and get power. At first, it was innocent, and some 'gangs' was tryin' t' do right by folks. But when there be no supplies, people's true nature show'd itself and the predators rose up. The one what came atop the mad scramble be someone calls himself, 'The Emperor of Old Korvosa.'"  

He tries to continue, but memories of his family overwhelm him and he breaks down in tears.
Ason
Hunching over hands-on-knees to get more onto eye level with the man, Ernak offers a regretful smile and says,   "I'm sorry for what you've endured. None of what this place is going through can be allowed to stand. It ain't right."   At that, he slowly offers a gentle pat on the shoulder as consolation.

After Tesh collects himself, Ernak then winces awkwardly and apologetically asks,   "I hope it's not a sore subject--and I know you've been through too much already, but I'm trying to get my bearings--but have the Gray Maidens been up to anything here since the quarantine hit? I know they're the ones boxing us all in, but I hear rumors they're acting more aggressive all over town. You hear anything about them we need to be looking out for in these parts?"  
lostsole31
He looks at the big Shoanti curiously.   "What's a Gay Maven?"  
Sienna
  "I mean, I am, I guess, but he said  Grey Maiden , which I'm guessing is news to you?"   Runa says.
lostsole31
Tesh seems to have no idea what you're referring to.   "Like, a cob-headed spinster?"  
Moriar
  "From what I understand,"   Vivino adds.   "Grey Maidens are basically agents of the Queen to enforce her will on the populace."  
lostsole31
Tesh laughs uproariously, even a little bit desperately.   "Would that the Queen cared about us at all! I think I know who or what you mean. Those weird, bland-visored ladies that protected the extremely few Queen's Physicians that came to us when the blood veil hit us? Like a couple days later, they dropped the bridges, and it seems that them beak-masked boys and their female protectors beat feet before they were stuck. I hear tell of a few maidens what got stuck and were piked and deaded. No, the Queen left us to rot, but that means she has no power here, either."  
Moriar
  "That is at least some good news that we shouldn't have to worry about the Queen or the Maidens for now  ." Vivino comments.   "We think that Vincarlo will lead us to helping the people here.  Though if there are things that we can help you with good sir do let us know and we will see what can do to help.  "
lostsole31
  "You lot look tougher'n' me. I don't know this Vincarlo guard, so I don't know how to help you find him. But if you do know someone more recognizable,"   Tesh offers,   "maybe I can show you where they lived 'fore everything went sideways."  
Ason
Ernak interjects earnestly,   "I believe my friend misspoke earlier. We are looking for  either  a trustworthy guardsman or Vencarlo the fighting instructor. We hope to start righting some of the wrongs here and are looking for goodhearted people as part of that, people like yourself. If you could point us in the direction of the Orisini Academcy, we would be grateful."  
lostsole31
The Keleshyte woman who has not talked much at all this day and eve speaks up.   "It seems to me ... that if things are as hostile as they are, that a quick and hasty exit should be ready. Ridwan and I shall stay at the boats here in case you need to return here as a redoubt and for a quick use of boats off the isle."  
Sienna
  "Will you be alright on your own? No telling how long we might be sticking around here, after all,"   Runa says,   "Might be good to have some kind of signal or a place to meet up if y'go with that plan. As for us, well, Vencarlo seems like a good place to start, yeah? Hearing about how things are is all well and good, but it'd be even better to have the context of seein' it firsthand on our way there."  
lostsole31
Barris says,   "Ridwan and I will be fine."  

Is the rest of the party (that hasn't chatted) fine with going to Orsini Academy?
Moriar
"  Though I'm not a fan of splitting up so soon  ," Vivino says. "  If this is the best path then let us learn more at this academy. Thank you for your help good sir."  
lostsole31
Led by Tesh, the group leave behind Barris and Ridwand and make their way to Orsini Academy. Or rather, what's left of the burnt out ruin.

Linzi is sobbing, and drops to her knees.
Dusk Raven
Jacintha folds her arms.   "Well... that's unfortunate."   She glances at Linza, before looking ahead to the ruin again.   "Do we want to try examining the remains for clues, just so we don't waste this trip?"  
lostsole31
Linzi looks to Dane through red, tear-soaked eyes.   "I didn't mention this, but I had hoped to learn from Vencarlo. I cam all the way from Pitax and the River Kingdoms to get a chance to study with him,"   she says while pulling out and showing the group a halfling-sized Aldori dueling sword before then putting it away again.   "I signed on with you to get the money for tuition while building up my own bona fides."  

Tesh shrugs while looking east down the street from the burnt out salon.   "Yeah, it a shame. Must'a been a message, though. 'cause thy left his home there untouched."  
Moriar
"  Linzi, let us find for you as well for our mission.  Perhaps not all is lost, let us search the home and wreckage for clues,"   Vivino suggests.
lostsole31
Linzi wipes her eyes, but still saddened.

Tesh says, his voice overdriven by tension and anger,   "Hey, 'member I told you about the Emperor? There's one'a' Pilts' Mobs now."  

A group of four ruffians is some distance away, but still see the (majority of) the group. Lewd comments are hurled, racial epithets howled, and all manner of insults are lobbed from the group to the mix of "heroes." While their attitude seems to be one of haughtiness and disdain, they have shields readied, but don't have any weapons drawn.

How do you wish to proceed?
Rithryn
Dane shouts loudly to the mob as he steps forward smacking his chest loudly with his plated gauntlet.
  "We do not seek a fight with you, but this is put of kindness from us not weakness. Be smart and continue on your way!"  
lostsole31
Dane's call is met with laughter and scorn.   "Hand over your weapons!"  
Moriar
"  It seems diplomacy may not be what these fellows are interested in,"   Vivino whispers. "  I'll head up onto the buildings to surprise them from behind if combat does ensue.  I will wait for a signal from one of you if combat seems inevitable. "  

At that, Vivino drinks a vial and begins to quietly scale the building to the east.

 
 Spoiler: Sneaky 


Drinks monkeyfish extract and then begin climbing the building to the east. Trying to be stealthy and unseen.

If there is time, will get to the roof and go roof to roof to try and get behind them from the roof if possible.
 
lostsole31
Vivino drinks the extract ....  sets his scythe down as he needs two hands to climb  ... and then begin to scale the building to the east.

The thugs talk amongst themselves, as something seems to be riling them up. 
 Spoiler: Initiative 
You  aren't sure if this is going to remain tense standoff or conflict, but  we will enter initiative now to define timing of actions and attempted  talk.
 

 Begin Round One ...

R1T28:   Jacintha ,  combat has not yet opened, but things are tense. The thugs do not have  any weapons drawn (though they've been walking around with shield  readied). What do you do?
lostsole31
 R1T28:  Jacintha delays to see how things unfold.

 R1T22:   Dane , what do you do?
Rithryn
Dane moves up in front of his companions, his earth breaker the drinking companion in hand the head resting on his shoulder. He speaks in a firm tone to his allies.
  "Stay behind me, they won't get past."  
Positioning himself between the two parties he looks upon the rabble.
  "If you wish to go unharmed than you will keep your distance, as a man of faith it is my duty to make sure you have the choice to avoid harm."  
Dane holds his hammer with both hands glaring at the rabble.
lostsole31
 R1T22:  Dane moves up in front of his companions, his earth breaker the drinking  companion in hand the head resting on his shoulder. He speaks in a firm  tone to his allies.   "Stay behind me, they won't get past."  

Positioning himself between the two parties he looks upon the rabble.   "If you wish to go unharmed than you will keep  your distance, as a man of faith it is my duty to make sure you have the  choice to avoid harm."  Dane holds his hammer with both hands glaring at the rabble.

 R1T19:  Red moves up, but keeps 10' away from Dane. He shouts loud enough for the PCs in the cheap seats to be heard, not just Dane.   "Big  words for a big dwarf with a big hammer. But we hain't drawn weapons on  you! We woulda' given' ya' a few knocks about the head if you don' come  with us to see the Emperor. But this is our turf, and if you come at us  with hammers and swords, we drawin' our axes."  
 R1T17:   Runa , you were not riding Diva, having gotten off once at the devastated riding school, but Diva is right by you. What do you do?

Jacintha delaying ...
Sienna
Runa sighs, patting Diva to try to calm him down, just in case.
  "...Look, is all this posturing back an' forth really necessary? Let's all just keep our cool for a bit. What's your issue with us, exactly?"  
lostsole31
 R1T17:  Runa sighs, patting Diva to try to calm him down, just in case (the latter of which delays).    "...Look, is all this posturing back an' forth  really necessary? Let's all just keep our cool for a bit. What's your  issue with us, exactly?"  
 R1T11:   Brown steps up next to Red.  "Listen, you hand over your weapons, and we'll take you to the Emperor. Otherwise, it gets painful." 
 R1T10:  Linzi moves up behind Dane.

 R1T9:  Blue moves up, this time right up to Dane.   "So, what's it gonna be?"  
 R1T8:  Meanwhile, Vivino continues to move among rooftops ...

 R1T7:  Green moves up next to Blue, but waits for an answer.

 R1T4:    "Your Emperor and his thugs killed my family!"   Tesh screams, enraged.   "We're gonna gut every one-a' you!"  

He moves past Linzi and Dane, but as he gets to an open spot, Blue launches a rising kick at Tesh's stomach that does  9 NL , and Green does a snap kick to Tesh's chest that does  5 NL . Linzi was readied for hostilities to break out, pulling out tiny fruit darts and a feather and enchanting the arcane phrase,   "Gitchy-gitchy-goo!"   Blue  shakes his head, but seems to ignore whatever was supposed to happen.  Finally, Tesh attacks with his longspear at Red, but attacking past a  closer enemy throws off his aim.

The thugs all look very angry, as up until now - and even including the kicks - nobody was actually trying to kill anyone else.

 R1T3:   Ernak , what do you do?

Dane on deck, Red in the hole, Jacintha delaying ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha has at this point had enough, and she moves out from behind the building, and takes up position next to Tesh and Dane, drawing her kukri along the way. Once in position, she draws upon an old standby, a spell she's used in the past when accosted by thugs of Old Korvosa. Her free hand works arcane gestures and she mutters an incantation, while doing her best to avoid any attempts to interrupt her.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move Action: Jacintha moves 2 squares down and 4 to the right, winding up to the N of Dane and W of Tesh. She also draws her kukri.

Standard Action: She casts Color Spray, defensively. The origin point is the SE of her square, and it's aimed SE. That  should  get all four goons without hitting any of her allies.
 
lostsole31
 R1T3:  Jacintha has at this point had enough, and she  moves out from behind the  building, and takes up position next to Tesh and Dane, drawing her  kukri along the way. Once in position, she draws upon an old standby, a  spell she's used in the past when accosted by thugs of Old Korvosa. Her  free hand works arcane gestures and she mutters an incantation, while  doing her best to avoid any attempts to interrupt her. She succeeds, and  throws out a handful of multi-colored sand that twinkle and then erupt  in a riot of color that washes over all four ruffians. The first three  are  stunned , but the farthest one was helped by the others being in his way and easily scoffs at the magic.

 R1T2:   Ernak , what do you do?

Dane on deck, Red in the hole...
Ason
Ernak stayed quiet at first, even as the gang hurled insults against his friends and demeaned his Shoanti heritage. But as spells are slung and weapons drawn, the big man stirs into action. Tightening his stance and exuding an aura of confidence, he jogs forward while drawing his earthbreaker, circling around the gang from the south side.

Commenting on the gang's status, Ernak calls out with a wry smile,   "You're mostly stunned into submission already. Why don't  you  surrender peacefully, and then  we  will decide whether we're visiting your emperor."   With an emphasis toward both Tesh and the ruffians, he adds sternly,   "This doesn't need to escalate."  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Free:  Activate  Rallying Presence , granting +5 morale bonus to Will saves vs fear/death/compulsion effects to all allies w/in 30 ft of his position ( ceases if Ernak falls to any such effect )
 Swift:  Adopt  Running Hunter's Stance , granting Ernak +10 to land move speed and scent special ability
 Move:  Move 40 ft. to the square just south of the green dot ruffian
 Standard:  Ready action to use  Disparity Blow  strike with Risky Strike against the first adjacent gang member who either tries to attack a party member or attempts to flee. If the former, Ernak does lethal damage; if the latter, Ernak does nonlethal damage. If he must pick which kind of damage to do in advance as part of readying this action, Ernak defaults to nonlethal damage.
 
lostsole31
 R1T2:  Ernak stayed quiet at first, even as the gang  hurled insults against his  friends and demeaned his Shoanti heritage. But as spells are slung and  weapons drawn, the big man stirs into action. Tightening his stance and  exuding an aura of confidence, he jogs forward while drawing his  earthbreaker, circling around the gang from the south side. The clutter  in the street, with what he is doing already, means he has to "hop up"  onto some barrels (and loses a chance for readied action).

Commenting on the gang's status, Ernak calls out with a wry smile,   "You're mostly stunned into submission already. Why don't  you  surrender peacefully, and then  we  will decide whether we're visiting your emperor."   With an emphasis toward both Tesh and the ruffians, he adds sternly,   "This doesn't need to escalate."  
 End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T22:   Dane , what do you do?

Red on deck, Runa in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane will delay having spoken his peace, hammer still firmly in hand blocking their way.
lostsole31
 R2T22:  Dane delays, having spoken his peace, hammer still firmly in hand blocking their way.

 R2T19:     "Snap outta' it, boyz! We gots a brawl!"     Red shouts excitedly. With a surprising amount of agility, he hops up  onto the crates to the side of him, and balances on the detritus to get  over to Ernak. And with a great heaving push with his shield, he knocks  Ernak off the crates. Ernak lands on his feet okay, but is no longer  enjoying high-ground advantage.    "Look, gents! I'm king-a-da'-mountain!"   
 R2T17:   Runa , what do you do?

Thugs on deck and in the hole, Dane delaying ...
Sienna
Runa gives a shrug. They've had ample opportunity to avoid this, so...   "Well, if that's how you want it,"   she says, motioning for Diva to follow her as she steps forward and casts a spell that washes over the rather congested alleyway.

 
 Spoiler 
Move, Standard: Runa will move two squares to the lower-right before casting Prayer to catch as many of the combatants as she can.
Swift: Enter Snake Style, unarmed for the time being.
Free: Handle Animal to have Diva Defend her.
 
lostsole31
 R2T17:  Runa gives a shrug. They've had ample opportunity to avoid this, so...   "Well, if that's how you want it,"     she says, motioning for Diva to follow her as she steps forward and   casts a spell that washes over the rather congested alleyway, her  prayers to Gozreh in this scuffle heard clearly in the night.

 R2T16.9:  Diva follows and takes to the air above to be able to defend Runa.

 R2T11-9:  Brown and Blue are stunned.

 R2T8:   Vivino , you are currently 15' off the ground. The nascent battle has not yet become a lethal one. What do you do?

Green on deck, Linzi in the hole, Dane delaying ...
Moriar
Vivino moves over the edge of the roof and tumbles down onto the ground, unlimbering his mace as he falls.

As he lands, his mace comes down with both hands onto the poor fellow with the aim of knocking him out cold.    "Perhaps we can squeeze out some information from them later...."    Vivino says as he gives an evil looking grin at the ruffians.

 
 Spoiler: Suprise! 


Climbs down off the roof, moving 10 feet down and then dropping the last 5' to the ground.  On the map it looks like there is an open spot just north of orange.

Acrobatics roll if needed:  (1d20+12)[ 13 ] 

Then makes a single nonlethal attack against blue to flank.  Hopefully higher ground, surprise, flank, stunned, and prayer will help.

Nonlethal (already including the -4 to deal nonlethal) to hit with mace  (1d20+8)[ 13 ]  and damage  (1d8+7)[ 14 ]  and sneak attack  (4d6)[ 11 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R2T8:  Vivino moves over the edge of the roof and  tumbles down onto the ground, unlimbering his mace as he falls.  But the  fall was a bit more effort than he expected. As he lands, he gives an  evil grin to the ruffians,    "Perhaps we can squeeze out some information from them later."   

That's  when he realizes that all of the ruffians around him are temporarily  insensate, so the evil grin is probably lost on them.

 R2T7:  Green is stunned ....

 R2T5:   Linzi unties and puts this enormous helm on her head - one that was  sized for a medium creature, but it resizes to her. It has an impressive  rack of stag's antlers on it. While the helm by itself could look  terrifying, on her it looks silly. Which might be what she was going  for, as she begins telling some pretty ... um, "  blue  "  jokes at the expensive of the thugs. She is flipping hilarious, with  many of the party - if not laughing uproariously themselves, likely with  a smile on their face as her insults seem to make the threat of the  ruffians something easily discarded.

 R2T4:  Tesh  is one of those laughing. Unfortunately, Tesh's laughter is not the  infectious kind, but more of an insane man's. Being the unstable link in  the sanity chain, he drops his longspear, takes out his greatsword, and  hacks at a stunned Blue with his greatsword for  19 .

That  sudden shift in the stakes of the battle is felt by everyone, perhaps  being what snaps the stunned thugs back into full awareness again.

 R2T3:   Jacintha , Tesh might just have forced this encounter up a notch. What do you do?

Ernak on deck, Red in the hole, Dane delaying ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha glances at Tesh, wondering whether to similarly escalate or fight as her other allies are - nonlethally. She makes her decision, flipping her kukri around to attack with the blunt end.

A shame about Tesh. Things were actually looking slightly comical before he had to go for the kill.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Standard Action: Attack Blue, going for non-lethal damage.
Attack Roll:  (1d20+9)[ 22 ] 
Damage:  (1d4+7)[ 10 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R2T3:  Jacintha glances at Tesh, wondering whether to similarly escalate or  fight as her other allies are - nonlethally. She makes her decision,  flipping her kukri around to attack with the blunt end, whacking the man in the head for  12 NL .

A shame about Tesh. Things were actually looking slightly comical before he had to go for the kill.

 R2T2:   Ernak ,  what do you do? You are on the ground again, but at least you're on  your feet. Linzi's comedy and Runa's prayer are making you feel good.

Red on deck, Runa in the hole, Dane delaying ...
Ason
Responding to that embarrassing knock-down and taunt, Ernak puffs up his  chest with wounded pride. He then calls out some tactical wisdom  to the party,   "They're crooks, not zealots: their hearts won't be in this fight."  

To  emphasize his point, Ernak thrusts up with the head of his hammer at  the talkative ruffian who knocked him down, trying to knock him over in  turn with a hefty uppercut.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Start of Turn Trigger:   Tactical Flanker , picking square immediately south of Ernak
 Swift:  activate  Primal Warrior's Stance , granting an annoying amount of size bonuses ( +2 sizes for weapon damage, +1 size for CMB/CMD, +1 size vs special attacks, can charge through difficult terrain )
 Move:   Inspire Courage +2  via Perform Oratory
 Standard:   Disparity Blow  ( nonlethal, no risky strike ) at Red Ruffian
 
  Attack Roll :  (1d20+15)[ 21 ]  ( doesn't  include inspire courage +2, Prayer bonus, or penalty for nonlethal attack with lethal  weapon; battle prowess irrelevant b/c doesn't stack with inspire courage ) 
  Damage Rolls :  (4d6+10)[ 20 ]  ( weapon dice adjusted for weapon size +2; doesn't include inspire courage +2 or Prayer bonus ) +  (2d6)[ 7 ]  
  Immediate Trip Attempt :  (1d20+14)[ 32 ]  ( doesn't include +4 from disparity blow, +2 from deft maneuvers, Prayer bonus, or CMB size bonus from stance ) 
 
 
lostsole31
 R2T2:  Responding to that embarrassing knock-down and taunt, Ernak puffs up his   chest with wounded pride. He then calls out some tactical wisdom  to  the party,   "They're crooks, not zealots: their hearts won't be in this fight."  

To  emphasize his point, Ernak thrusts up with the head of his hammer at   the talkative ruffian who knocked him down, trying to knock him over  in  turn with a hefty uppercut. The man tries to block and Ernak still catches him in his right tricep for  27 NL .  Ernak continues to push the haft of his earthbreaker up through his  grip like a billiard stick, making the man overextend and fall on top of  the detritus (but not off).

 End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T19:   The one thing about Red's position on the top of the detritus is that  he actually has some measure of cover from Ernak, allowing him to  standard unhindered. He weakly returns the favor by kicking Ernak in his  upper right arm for  5 NL .

 R3T17:   Runa , you are in snake style. What do you do?

Diva on deck, Brown in the hole, Dane delaying ...
Sienna
Well, seeing as how red has made himself an easier target by getting some high ground... Runa claps her hands together, calling forth a small storm on top of him!

 
 Spoiler 
Standard: Storm Burst on red; she'll step over to the East one square if needed for a clearer shot.
 (1d20+10)[ 25 ]  to hit Touch for  (1d6+3)[ 7 ]  NL Bludgeoning damage!
 
lostsole31
 R3T17:  Well, seeing as how Red has made himself an  easier target by getting  some high ground... Runa claps her hands together, calling forth a small  storm on top of him! A super-miniaturized stormcloud appears briefly in  Red's space, pelting him with all manner of inclement weather for  9 NL , before the thunderhead disappears.

 R3T16.9:   Diva hovers directly overhead, kicking up lots of loose materials and  debris and knocking it all around. Clear vision is now limited to 10',  concealment at 15-20', and you can't see past that.

 R3T11-9:   Red wasn't paying attention to Tesh, but the other thugs near him -  especially the one attacked by a greatsword - were definitely paying  attention. Brown takes out a finely crafted battleaxe, widens his  stance, and crosses axe-to-sword with the survivor. Blue does the same  and catches Tesh along the neck for  16 , dropping him; his axe continues at Vivino, but is deflected.

 R3T8:   Vivino , you just got attacked by a battleaxe. Now it's a party. What do you do?

Green on deck, Linzi in the hole ...
Moriar
  "Heal this man  ," Vivino calls out while gesturing towards Vesh on the ground.   "I will provide cover."  

Vivino then swings twice with his mace savagely at blue.

 
 Spoiler: batter up 


Using flank plus other bonuses, swings his mace two handed, risky strike at blue.

First swing:  (1d20+10)[ 17 ]  to hit,  (1d8+13)[ 19 ]  damage, and sneak damage of  (4d6)[ 7 ] 

Second swing:  (1d20+5)[ 10 ]  to hit,  (1d8+13)[ 18 ]  damage, and sneak damage of  (4d6)[ 18 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T8:    "Heal this man  ," Vivino calls out while gesturing towards Vesh on the ground.   "I will provide cover."  

Vivino then swings twice with his mace savagely at Blue, hitting him in the left upper arm for  29 , but the second strike is blocked by the man's shield.

 R3T7:   Green does as the others, getting into a wide-set stance before  power-swinging his axe at Ernak. It's a dirty low shot that skips off of  Ernak's left foot for  11  and then upwards into the side of Dane's belly for  16 .

 R3T5:   Though Jacintha's prayer is slowing the enemy strikes down, it isn't  quite enough. Still Ernak more than makes up for that. Linzi stops her  jokes whose efforts are worth double her own and says,   "Wow. Teach me?"  

But  she is only hero-worshiping for a brief second before it is business  for her. She casts the same spell as she had attempted before at the one  that just hit her boss. The strange dichotomy of being hit with a tiny  fruit tart in the midst of mortal combat must have broken something,  however, as Green stops attacking, starts giggling, and finally breaks  down into howling gales of laughter, falling prone and pounding on the  street in strange mirth. Linzi smiles at her spell working on the dolt,  and takes out her light crossbow though does say with some concern to  Dane, who has stood and done nothing,   "Boss? You okay?"  
 R3T3:   Jacintha , mithral kukri in hand. What do you do? Note that anything outside of 10' is harder to see.

Ernak on deck, Dane delaying, Red in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Time to get serious. Jacintha flips her kukri back around to its proper position, then summons psychic energy to form a blade in her other hand. It's beginning to look like this could be a long fight, and if that's the case, Jacintha wants to be at her full strength. Then, she shifts position, moving over Tesh's unconscious (hopefully) form.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Standard Action: Spending 1 psychic point to manifest a psychic kukri in Jacintha's off hand.
Free action: Five-foot step one square east.
 
lostsole31
 R3T3:  Time to get serious. Jacintha flips her kukri  back around to its proper  position, then summons psychic energy to form a blade in her other hand.  It's beginning to look like this could be a long fight, and if that's  the case, Jacintha wants to be at her full strength. Then, she shifts  position, moving over Tesh's unconscious (hopefully) form. She finds out  that stepping over a fallen body is much tougher than stepping into an  empty space, however, as Blue attacks her and she just manages to  deflect with her mithral kukri. 
 Spoiler: Jacintha 
Bodies are difficult  terrain, so it was a MA cost 10' of movement, and triggered an  AOO.
 

 R3T2:   Ernak , you are currently  inspiring your friends while in primal warrior stance, granting a  rallying presence, and with tactical flanker south of you. What do you  do?

Dane delaying, Red on deck, Runa in the hole ...
Rithryn
Having wavered at the idea of fighting back Dane raises his great hammer and delivers a mighty blow.
  "I warned you, so you'll feel the full weight of a dwarfs hammer."  
 
 Spoiler 
Using Vital strike (roll)1d20+15(/roll)  (roll)4d6+11(/roll)
Attacking blue Dane will move up into his square if he falls.
 
lostsole31
 R3T2.5:  Having wavered at the idea of fighting back Dane raises his great hammer and delivers a mighty blow as he says,   "I warned you, so you'll feel the full weight of a dwarfs hammer."  

He swings his hammer with measured force, though great, connecting with his foe's chest for  29 , the sound reverberating throughout the alley.

 R3T2:   Ernak , you are currently inspiring your  friends while in primal warrior stance, granting a rallying presence,  and with tactical flanker south of you. What do you do?

Red on deck, Runa in the hole ...
Ason
Seeing the fight turning lethal as Tesh falls, Ernak unleashes a proper battle cry,   "For Korvosaaaa!"  

With the two southernmost ruffians temporarily indisposed, the Shoanti warrior joins his allies in buffeting the one caught in the middle, but he still pulls his punches for now. Ernak fakes a giant swipe at the man's head before pivoting the hammer to thrust its head at his gut.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Start of Turn Trigger:  Tactical Flanker, picking square immediately south of Ernak again
 Free Action:  maintain inspire courage, granting allies w/in 30 ft +2 competence to attacks/damage and +2 morale saves vs charm/fear
 Swift:   Defending the Pride  boost, grants +4 morale to AC to all allies w/in 60 ft for 1 round
 Move:  feint at Blue, Bluff check via versatile performance  (1d20+17)[ 20 ] 
 Standard:   nonlethal furious focus risky strike attack at Blue  (1d20+15)[ 26 ]  ( plus -4 for nonlethal; plus any bonuses from  inspire courage +2, prayer, etc ), weapon damage with size increases  (4d6+16)[ 35 ]  ( plus any bonuses from  inspire courage +2, prayer, etc )

Ernak will take an attack of opportunity at Red if he stands up, if possible.
 
lostsole31
 R3T2:  Seeing the fight turning lethal as Tesh falls, Ernak unleashes a proper battle cry,    "For Korvosaaaa!"   

With the two southernmost ruffians temporarily indisposed, the Shoanti  warrior joins his allies in buffeting the one caught in the middle, but  he still pulls his punches for now. Ernak fakes a giant swipe at the  man's head before pivoting the hammer to thrust its head at his gut for  36 NL , dropping him.

 End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T19:   Red is already on his feet, so Ernak was a little muddled on what to  expect from him. He then does to Ernak what Ernak did to Blue, perfectly  faking out the big man with a low swing that strikes Ernak in the knee  for  22 + disoriented .

 R4T17:   Runa , what do you do? You are currently in Snake Style, and Diva is above you, guarding you (and kicking up a dust cloud).

Diva on deck, Enemies in the hole ...
Sienna
  "All in, huh? Sure. Have at 'em, Diva,"   Runa says, moving into the fray to provide Tesh with some much needed healing.

 
 Spoiler 
Free: Runa will attempt to have Diva flank Green.
Standard + Move: Runa will cast Cure Moderate wounds, then move two spaces east to deliver it to Tesh for  (2d8+7)[ 18 ] 
Immediate: If one of the ruffians has a go at her, she'll attempt to avoid the attack with Snake Style.
 
lostsole31
 R4T17:    "All in, huh? Sure. Have at 'em, Diva,"    Runa says, moving into the fray to provide Tesh with some much needed  healing. She casts a spell to Gozreh to balance the man's waters, fully  healing him of all injury and pain and bringing him back to  consciousness. The downside is that Jacintha and Tesh are now both  "squeezing" in the same spot.

 R4T16.9:  Without  having pointed to a specific enemy, Diva is confused on who to attack,  and continues to hover in the air, kicking up dust.

 R4T11:   Seeing both an enemy combatant brought back in AND a new vulnerability  for the same and the one standing over him, Brown maintains the same  wide-set stance. He does a low-to-upwards cut, slashing Tesh in the  upper left arm for  17 , and lands a soft crit in Jacintha's chest for  18 . He then steps away from the press of enemies.

The bad news is that Tesh is back under again. The good news is that Jacintha is no longer "squeezing" and vulnerable.

 R4T8:   Vivino , what do you do?

Green on deck, Linzi in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino moves into position to flank green and swings the mace two handed onto green.

  "Heal him again if you can.   These brigands must pay."  
 
 Spoiler: Swing batter 



Moves 2 squares south to flank green. Trusting uncanny dodge for not being flanked himself.

With flank and other bonuses, 2 handed swing at green twice.

Swing 1:  (1d20+12)[ 30 ]  to hit,  (1d8+7)[ 15 ]  damage, and  (4d6)[ 20 ]  sneak attack


Swing 2:  (1d20+7)[ 20 ]  to hit,  (1d8+7)[ 9 ]  damage, and  (4d6)[ 13 ]  sneak attack
 
lostsole31
 R4T8:  Vivino moves into position to try to flank Green,  but he didn't protect himself on the second half of his movement and  Brown clips him in the head with his battleaxe for  13 mod . Vivino makes a single swing at Green, hitting him in the man's lower back for  38 .

Vivino says to his allies,   "Heal him again if you can.   These brigands must pay."  
 
 Spoiler: Moriar 
You  had cover the first square you moved out of, but not the second. Then,  because you used a MA to move, you only had a SA to attack ... so only  one attack.
 

 R4T7:  Green manages to  pull himself together and stop laughing. Seeing what a terrible position  he's in, he focuses on defense and then tries to stand. Vivino hits him  in the upper right arm for  25 . Despite his disorientation, Ernak hits the man in the right lower arm for  36 , dropping him. Dane had already begun to attack simultaneously, and caves in the man's head with  Drinking Companion .

 R4T5:  Linzi casts a spell downfield, shouting,   "Not so fast!"  

A cloud of golden dust puffs out from behind Brown and enveloping him.

 R4T3:   Jacintha , Tesh is unconscious beneath you again, so you aren't as vulnerable as you were for a few seconds. What do you do?

Dane on deck, Ernak in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha resists the urge to shake her head at Tesh collapsing again. Instead, she pursues brown, shifting away from Tesh and towards her foe. This time she swings with both kukris, aiming to bring the goon down as hard and fast as possible.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Free: Five-foot step SE.
Full action: Full attack. Using Risky Strike.
Attack 1 (Mithral Kukri):  (1d20+13)[ 18 ] 
Damage:  (1d4+7)[ 11 ] 
Attack 2 (Psychic Kukri):  (1d20+15)[ 31 ] 
Damage:  (1d4+9)[ 13 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R4T3:  Jacintha resists the urge to shake her head at  Tesh collapsing again.  Instead, she pursues brown, shifting away from Tesh and towards her foe.  This time she swings with both kukris, aiming to bring the goon down as  hard and fast as possible. But though the man appears blinded, he seems  to have an uncanny knack for protecting himself from unseen dangers.

 R4T2.5:   Dane , what do you do?

Ernak on deck, Red in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane will step forward to block anymore incoming attacks on tesh before leaning down and placing a hand on him.
  "Refill his mug so he can fight again!"  
 
 Spoiler 
casting cure moderate wounds (/roll)1
2d8+7(roll)
 
lostsole31
 R4T2.5:  Dane will step forward to block anymore  incoming attacks on tesh before leaning down and placing a hand on him  after casting a spell and then calling out (while   healing 14  ),   "Refill his mug so he can fight again!"  

The majority of the man's wounds disappear as once again he is brought to consciousness.

 R4T2:   Ernak , you are disoriented from Red's last attack against you. What do you do?

Red on deck, Runa in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak grunts at Red's strike on his knee, hoping the injury would not  force him out of adventuring and back into guard duty. Too distracted by  the pain to pull his punches properly, Ernak strikes back at his  attacker with full force this time, throwing a haymaker strike with his earthbreaker.

Ernak then shifts northward slightly in order to encourage Runa with a hearty,   "Don't let that fellow get away!"  
  Hide
   
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Start of Turn Trigger:   Tactical Flanker , picking square immediately south of Ernak again
 Free Action:  stop performing for inspire courage;   lingering performance  feat means bonuses will last for 2 more rounds
 Standard:  furious focus risky strike attack at Red  (1d20+15)[ 31 ]  ( plus penalties for disoriented; plus any bonuses from  inspire courage +2, prayer, etc ); weapon damage with size increases  (4d6+16)[ 33 ]  ( plus any bonuses from  inspire courage +2, prayer, etc ), doing lethal damage this time around  Move:  5-foot step north
 Swift:   Pride Movement  boost targeting Runa
 
lostsole31
 R4T2:  Ernak grunts at Red's strike on his knee, hoping  the injury would not   force him out of adventuring and back into guard  duty. Too distracted by   the pain to pull his punches properly, Ernak  strikes back at his   attacker with full force this time, throwing a  haymaker strike with his  earthbreaker that strikes the man in the chest  full force for  36 , and yet not dropping him.

Ernak then shifts northward slightly in order to encourage Runa with a hearty,   "Don't let that fellow get away!"  
 Runa , you may take a MA to move (only) up to your base speed. What do you do?
Sienna
Runa nods to Ernak, ducking and weaving through the crowd as she moves to cut off the remaining thug's escape.

 
 Spoiler 
Runa will move three squares to the SE, which I believe she has just enough movement for - if I'm wrong on that, then she'll move 1 square SE then two squares E instead.
 
lostsole31
 R4T2 (Cont'd):  Runa nods to Ernak, ducking and weaving  through the crowd as she moves to cut off the remaining thug's escape.  Since she'd have to hop around on boxes she comes to the north of the  thug.

 End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T19:  Red withdraws acrobatically, moving south and then west around the corner (off map).

 R5T17:   Runa , what do you do?

Diva on deck, Brown in the hole ....
Sienna
Runa was asked to not let that fellow get away, and since she hasn't -quite- done that yet, she attempts to pull him into a hold before he can scoot.

 
 Spoiler 
Runa attempts to grapple Brown.  (1d20+15)[ 28 ]  vs CMD
 
lostsole31
 R5T17:  Runa was asked to not let that fellow get away, and since she hasn't  -quite- done that yet, she successfully pulls him into a hold before he can scoot.

 R5T16.9:  Diva stops hovering and flies forward and gets a soft crit on Brown for  15  before flying past and landing, partly in the golden cloud. At least there is no more dust being kicked up from Diva hovering.

 R5T11:   The man recovers from his wide-legged stance from before, but is still  blinded. He wrestles his way out of Runa's hold, but as he is still  blinded he doesn't go anywhere.

 R5T8:   Vivino , what do you do?

Linzi on deck, Tesh in the hole ...
Moriar
  "Let's finish this,"   Vivino says.

He moves to flank orange and then swings his mace with both hands viciously.

 
 Spoiler 


Moves SE one square. Then full attacks.  If it takes more than a 5 foot step to flank then swings once.


With flank and other bonuses, 2 handed swing at orange twice.

Swing 1:  (1d20+12)[ 23 ]  to hit,  (1d8+7)[ 15 ]  damage, and  (4d6)[ 17 ]  sneak attack


Swing 2:   (1d20+7)[ 19 ]  to hit,  (1d8+7)[ 15 ]  damage, and  (4d6)[ 13 ]  sneak attack
 
lostsole31
 R5T8:    "Let's finish this,"    Vivino says as he moves to flank Orange. Detritus in the street keep  him from just stepping to the southeast, so he hops up onto the crates  and then back down again before swinging his mace with both hands  viciously, striking the man in the upper back for  18 . Even blinded, this thug is unbelievably aware of the danger he is in, denying Vivino a solid sneak attack.

 R5T5:    "I  still  feel the song in my heart,"   says Linzi, amazed, to Ernak.   "I really need to pick your brain!"  

She  then moves forward, deftly hopping onto some of the boxes and pallets  in the alley and shoots her light crossbow to graze the man's left  obliques for  5 .

 R5T4:  Tesh stands and grabs his greatsword.

 R5T3:   Jacintha , what do you do?

Dane on deck, Ernak in the hole ..
Dusk Raven
Jacintha, fully committed to ending the fight, swings with both physical and psychic kukri at the last remaining thug.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Full-round action: full attack on brown.

Psychic Kukri:  (1d20+15)[ 22 ] 
Damage:  (1d4+9)[ 13 ] 

Physical Kukri:  (1d20+13)[ 27 ] 
Damage:  (1d4+7)[ 10 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R5T3:  Jacintha, fully committed to ending the fight,  swings with both physical and psychic kukri at the last remaining thug.  Psychic energy hits the man in the head for  16  even as real steel cuts into his right arm for  13 .

 R5T2.5:  Dane, what do you do?

Ernak on deck, Runa in the hole ...
lostsole31
 R5T2.5:  Dane leaves the last man to the others, turns around, and casts a spell. He touches Ernak to give the big man   16 healing   (and completely healing his NL).

 R5T2:   Ernak , what do you do?

Runa on deck, Diva in the hole ...
lostsole31
 R5T2:  Ernak's voice becomes a little more steady with  the healing he was given as he continues his tales of Shoanti bravery  and gives a nod of gratitude to Dane. He moves forward to the last thug,  readjusts his tactical flanking, and swings his earthbreaker into the  man's right upper arm for  28 . The arm snaps and the earthbreaker completely crumples in the side of his chest as he falls.

 Combat Ends ... 

Now what?
Moriar
  "Is everyone ok?"   Vivino asks.  He then begins searching the thugs for clues or for anything of use.

  "Tesh, should we head to somewhere more private and discuss more details about what is going on here and how can we help."  
 
 Spoiler: searching 


Vivino will search the bodies for anything useful such as weapons, money, or other items/materials
 
lostsole31
With no intention of getting the creepy weapon for him, Linzi says,   "Hey, you left your big grain harvester back there, Vivino."  

Of the three downed thugs present, two are dead, and one is merely unconscious (not comatose). They have the following:
 
 Masterwork Battle Axe (3) 
 Throwing Axes (15) 
 Masterwork Studded Leather (3) 
 Masterwork Heavy Wooden Shield (3) 
 Dirty, tattered peasant clothing (3) 
 

Stripping them of armor doesn't really make sense, and honestly, because of the weighty and awkward nature of what they carry, the group isn't likely to try to deal with all of their axes and such. Basically, if you are interested in a weapon, speak up.
Dusk Raven
Jacintha folds her arms.   "Well, if we weren't on the bad side of this 'Emperor' before, we are now. That one that got away will be reporting us soon enough, and then it'll be like being on the run from the law, which from the sounds of it, the Emperor  is  the law around here."  
Moriar
Vivino gives a greatful nod to Lizi and will go retrieve his Scthe and upon returning examine the axes.

  "Jacintha is right and we need to do what we can against this emperor quickly."   Vivino agrees.  "  How can we best help Tesh?  "



 
 Spoiler: Axe? 


If the thugs had a holder for the axes or Vivino cam fashion one so that he can safely carry one on his back or at his waist, then will take one battle axe.  If not then will leave it behind.
 
lostsole31
Tesh answers,   "Weren't we leaving the burned school to go to Orsino's home? Doesn't help me, but that's what I thought you were doing."  
Sienna
  "Thanks for not braining him while I was still holding on,"   Runa says, dusting herself off and petting Diva.   "Surprised he can just go around calling himself the emperor like that. Maybe the queen's well and truly abandoned the place after all. What's his deal, anyways?"  
Ason
Ernak cleans any stains of combat off himself using prestidigitation, stows his weapon, and offers to magically clean up anyone else who wants it.

  "I don't reckon any of you can track someone over city streets, huh? Or get a quick bird's eye view on the runner? I'd rather  we  dictate when the emperor learns of us, not that fleeing cutpurse, if there's still a chance we can catch him. But if he's well and truly gone, we might as well continue the original plan. Will you be okay, Tesh? Or do you need to rest up after all that?"  
lostsole31
Tesh looks to Runa and says,   "The queen abandoned us to our fate. The Emperor is a local warlord in an urban wasteland."  

When asked, Tesh tells Ernak,   "I could use some healing, yes."   (A quick shows it is a light wound.)
Sienna
  "Well, yes, Diva could, but..."   Runa starts, glancing at Diva as she moves to tend to Tesh with her wand,    "...He ain't exactly subtle. I could try to track him myself if you want, but it feels like  running through the streets might just have us bumping into more tough guys looking for a scrap. And chasing someone down and attacking them is generally not a great look to anyone watching, yeah?" 
  
 Spoiler 
Using a wand of CLW on Tesh for  (1d8+1)[ 4 ]  healing. If he's still hurting after that, she'll use it a second time for  (1d8+1)[ 9 ] 
 
lostsole31
Meanwhile, a touch of the wand fully heals Tesh.
Moriar
  "I agree with you Runa  ," Vivino agrees.     "Tesh, if you would guide us to Orsino home?  Thank you."  
lostsole31
Tesh nods and takes the lead, putting away his greatsword and again taking up his longspear.

Vencarlo’s home is a humble building just east of his academy—or at least, where his academy once stood, for the once-proud structure is no more. It was burned to the ground in a recent fire as you had seen. Yet, Vencarlo’s home still stands, nestled in the southern section of Fort Korvosa.

What do you do?
Moriar
"  Let's not waste time,"   Vivino suggests. "  Shall we go say hi?  

Unless others object will go up and knock on the door.
lostsole31
There is no answer at the door.
Ason
Ernak glances at any windows on the house--or failing that, any cracks between the door and frame--to see if any light or other signs of life peek out. He calls out tentatively,   "Hullo?"  
lostsole31
There are windows, and it is unlit inside.
Moriar
  "Let's try to get inside, might be clues on where he is or he might be hiding inside and doesn't know we are friendly  ?" Vivino says.

Then he begins searching around the house for a way to get everyone into the building.


 
 Spoiler: open sesame 


Using relevant senses and skills to find and or open a way into the house
 
lostsole31
Only because of his strange and alchemical senses is Vivino able to uncover what everyone else already sees .... the front door (no other ingress/egress).

What now?
Dusk Raven
Jacintha strides over to the front door and attempts to open it. If it's locked, she'll attempt to unlock it.
lostsole31
Jacintha moves up and simply opens up the door to reveal the entrance. Here, an elegant and colorful Vudrani throw rug covers much of the floor of this otherwise empty room.
Moriar
Vivino will slip just into the room being careful to avoid the rug and make sure that the room and then the next door is safe.

 
 Spoiler: Checking 


Vivino will step 5' into the room and first search the rug/room for any traps.  If all clear will say,   "Looks clear so far, come on in."    Then will use senses/skill to make sure next door is safe.  If this is safe as well, will say   "This next door seems clear as well, everyone ready?"  

If either the room or the door is not clear will say,   "Found something dangerous, hold on while I try to disarm it."    Then will try to disable said trap.
 
lostsole31
Vivino checks the room and then calls out,   "Looks clear so far, come on in."  

At the north end, on the western side, there is a hallway heading west. But, there is a door to the north. Vivino checks that door as the others move in and says,   "This next door seems clear as well, everyone ready?"  
 Runa , what will you do with Diva?

Does anyone else do anything?
Sienna
  "Thinkin' you'll give new meaning to the word housebroken if you try to follow us in, Diva. Stay out here and keep watch, okay? We'll be back soon,"   Runa says, reaching up to pat Diva's head and slip him a treat,   "Weird that it was just unlocked, though, 'specially with things being how they are. Didn't seem like someone forced their way in, did it?"  
lostsole31
The group senses no sign of forced entry.

Meanwhile ... Dane, Ernak, &amp; Runa .... you all smell something odd, like a scent of smoke in the air, but with a strange tang. You can't ID the smell.

In looking about and for clues, Runa and Dane note that the building hasn't seen much traffic for quite some time (exact time unknown).
Ason
Ernak looks slightly uneasy as his new friends enter the house further.   "Breaking and entering may not be the best way to make an impression on Vencarlo, if it indeed seems like all is well in his house. But if he's missing..."   Ernak lets his sentence trail off awkwardly with a confused shrug.

As the aroma in the air wafts over Ernak and the others waiting outside, he tentatively sniffs the air again. Having confirmed that something is there, he hunches his shoulders and juts his head forward before taking several deep breaths in through his nose, attempting to suss out what exactly is going on and where.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Ernak adopts the  Running Hunter's Stance , granting him +10 move speed, giving him the  scent special ability , and making him look like a giant dork now that they're not in the heat of combat. He then attempts to figure out more about this new smoky smell, both its nature and the direction from which it is coming.
 
lostsole31
Unfortunately for Ernak, not being a creature with natural olfactory increase means he doesn't have the intuitive "library" of scents such a creature might build up over a lifetime. He cannot identify the smell. There isn't a "trail" but "pools" of scent as this is more of a background scent that has worked its way into the walls, floor, and even furniture.

Now what?
Ason
Dropping his hunter's stance, Ernak resumes his normal posture, dusting himself off and pulling his head up high once more.

Ernak then steps inside the house, sniffs loudly for dramatic emphasis, makes an exaggeratedly disgusted face, fans away the air in front of his face with similar flair, and asks the rest of the party,   "Do any of you smell that? It's not from outside: just inside here... it smells like a tangy smoke has settled into Vencarlo's home. If our friend doesn't have a smoking habit, perhaps he's been rummaging through the wreckage of his burned-down academy and simply bringing the smells back with him? Maybe... he's at his old school right now?"  
Moriar
  "Vencarlo, are you home?  We came here to talk and hopefully help."   Vivino calls out.

 
 Spoiler: response 


If there is no response, then will say to the party: "  Should we keep searching here or go back to the burnt school?"  
 
lostsole31
Hearing no response, Vivino says, "  Should we keep searching here or go back to the burnt school?"  

Linzi looks at Dane with pleading eyes,   "Days since signs of passing? Strange smells? Burnt-down school? I can't bear looking at that charred wreck. Can we please look around and see if Vencarlo just didn't die in his sleep or something?"  
Sienna
  "If he did, it'd probably smell a lot worse in here,"   Runa says,   "Let's start checking rooms, I guess. Don't suppose your nose is pointing you to one in particular?"  
Dusk Raven
After giving the street one last look-over, Jacintha abandons her vigil outside in order to step inside the house. Speaking up, she says,   "I doubt we'll find anything more at the remains of the school. At least this place is still standing, and we might yet find something here."   Suiting action to words, she moves to open the first door she finds on her right, eyes peeled for traps or other dangers.
lostsole31
Visto stands in front of the door that Jacintha checks and opens - for Visto had already checked it clear before discussion began about smells and signs of passage. The room to the north is a well-stocked workshop for decorating and repairing bladed weapons. Several partially repaired daggers and rapiers lie on the table. None are particularly valuable.
Rithryn
Dane will start checking around the walls and floors knocking on them to see if there is a hollowness to them, checking if there are any cracks at the base of a wall.
  "Perhaps there is a hidden room we are not seeing?"  
Moriar
"  Good idea Dane, there may be hidden clues along the way. Continue searching as we go,  " Vivino agrees.

  "Let's see what we have here.  " Moving into the room begins looking around.

 
 Spoiler: Look 


Moves into the room to the north and begins looking around.  If room is clear will check connecting doors.

If all clear, will say "  This room and the doors are clear as well."  
 
lostsole31
The group does a basic search of the workroom, and doesn't find anything of interest, nor any other points of ingress/ egress besides the two windows. Tesh stands watch.

This room has been checked. Now what?
Moriar
  "Dane, did you want to check for secrets here as we check the next door?"   Vivino asks.

Vivino will move to the hallway and check the first door.

 
 Spoiler: first door 


Will move 5' south and 20' west. Then checking the door to the north.

If clear, will say "  This door to the north is clear, shall head this way?"
  
 
lostsole31
Vivino senses no danger at that door and calls out, "  This door to the north is clear, shall head this way?"  
Ason
Not wanting to wait outside alone, Ernak reluctantly trails at the back of the party with an uncomfortable expression on his face. He leaves the inspecting of rooms to the others and instead joins Tesh in keeping a lookout.
Sienna
  "No signs of anyone, huh? Does it look like he left in a hurry?"   Runa says, walking through the hall and taking note of the rooms,   "A secret room...? Is that common? Maybe he's got a cellar or something hidden under a rug. I don't know. I ain't really the homeowner type, but I saw that in a book I read once."  
lostsole31
Runa gets to the end of the hallway where to the west it opens up into a large sitting room and there are stairs heading upwards.
Moriar
  "Very well could be hidden basements etc.  I'm not normally allowed in most homes."   Vivino admits.  "  So far haven't seen much evidence of a mess or fast exit."  

Vivino then knocks on the north door and then opens it if there is no response.
lostsole31
Vivino opens the door, revealing a freestanding bathtub and a toilet.

What is everyone else doing at this time?
Dusk Raven
Jacintha advances with the group, slipping past Runa and Vivino into the sitting room and taking a look around.
lostsole31
Jacintha enters what must be the living room. Two large sofas face a brick fireplace. There are warm embers inside the hearth, despite the fact that the building seems to be abandoned.
Dusk Raven
Jacintha frowns.    "Someone's    been here recently."   She points to the embers in the fireplace. Since there aren't any doorways in this room, however, she goes back towards the others, stopping at the nearest door to the south and opening it carefully.
lostsole31
Jacintha is assaulted by bad smells as she opens up the door. This is the pantry, and it smells like the perishable food has gone bad.

 Dane , what do you (and Linzi) do?
Rithryn
Dane will follow along and search the room.
  "Sorry, theses short legs have a hard time keeping up."  
lostsole31
Of course, Dane doesn't check just any room, but strolls up behind Vivino, opens the southern door, and just walks in to what appears to be Vencarlo's study. A single leather chair sits at a desk, while two tall cabinets filled with stand to the east. Linzi follows him in, and they begin a search.

As they go, they find that the two tall cabinets are filled with books about sword fighting and philosophy.

The papers on the desk are mostly accounting documents and ledgers for Vencarlo’s academy. It appears that up until the death of King Eodred II, Vencarlo’s academy was doing rather well, but then business turned bad as students failed to show and Vencarlo took an increasing number of breaks from teaching.

Linzi is sure to share what she and Dane learned with the others.

Now what?
Moriar
  "Looks like one more door on this floor,"   Vivino says.   "The embers in the fireplace indicate recent use but other areas so far indicate a time since it has been touched."  

Vivino moves over and examines the door before opening it.

 
 Spoiler: Last door 


Moves west 2 squares and then examines the door to the south.  If safe, will open the door and if there are no are no enemies will examine the room.  Will tell the others of anything he finds.
 
lostsole31
..... but realizes that is the pantry that Jacintha had opened up already.
Moriar
  "Anyone want to check this floor further before checking these stairs?"   Vivino asks.

 
 Spoiler: stairs 


If people want to check further, vivino will help search.

If no one suggests to check this floor further, then will say   "Let's try to stay close as we move to another floor."   Vivino will check for traps on the stairs as they climb (hard to tell but think they are going up?)
 
Dusk Raven
Jacintha closes the door to the pantry (after making sure Vivino is out of the room, of course!).   "I think we've searched all we can on this floor."  
Sienna
  "I'll head upstairs, then,"   Runa says, making her way over to the stairs,   "Real weird that the fire was still warm, though. Maybe he was burning something he didn't want anyone to see... or maybe I've just read too many stories, ha."  
Rithryn
Dane follows closely by Runa looking for traps along the stairs.
  "Careful las, were not sure what we will find here."  
Ason
Ernak continues to bring up the rear, keeping eyes and ears out for signs of someone returning home while the party snoops through the house.

To Runa, he'll remark with a tone of puzzlement,   "Spoiled food but a warm hearth... those don't go together to me. Huh."   Again making an uncomfortable face, Ernak adds with a nod toward the stairs and Dane,   "But let's at least see this business through then, since we're committed already."  
lostsole31
The party begins to ascend the stairs, and even Tesh gets into formation as otherwise he would be left alone in darkness below.

 Runa ,  you are at the top of the stairs of the second floor as the party is in a close follow, not quite on the  second floor quite yet. You hear shifting and creaking in the rafters of  the house above. What do you do?
Sienna
Runa glances up at the ceiling, turning to the rest of the group and bringing a finger to her lips in a  shhh  gesture before pointing upwards to indicate that something may or may not be up there. She creeps forward as quietly as she can manage, keeping an eye out for any way up as she goes.
lostsole31
 Surprise Round ... 
 S29:  Runa glances up at the ceiling, turning to the rest of the group and bringing a finger to her lips in a  shhh   gesture before pointing upwards to indicate that something may or may  not be up there. She creeps forward as quietly as she can manage,  keeping an eye out for any way up as she goes, but as she steps up onto  the second floor, she thinks ... she thinks she sees a man hiding up in  the rafters!

 S23:  Downstairs, someone who was hiding under the stairs pops out and beheads Tesh!

 S9:   The figure that Runa sees charges her by jumping down at her. Runa's  sharp senses saved her from a more harrowing strike, but the strange  blade still rips into her left shoulder for  14 .

 Begin Round One ...

R1T29:   Runa ,  what do you do? You are being attacked by a guy in a bug costume, and  since Dane is still significantly down the stairs, you are in dim  lighting.
Sienna
  "...Is that a guy in a bug cost-"   Runa starts before she's interrupted by said guy in a bug costume stabbing her. Not having any time to really process the absurdity of the situation, she steps out of the way of her party and attempts to defend herself...!

 
 Spoiler 
Runa will 5-foot step to the south, or to the southwest if that's not possible.
Swift: Assume Snake Style; will use it to attempt a dodge if she's attacked again
FRA: Flurry bug-man, using Spin Kick on the first attack to (hopefully) go for FFAC.
 (1d20+14)[ 29 ]  for  (1d6+6)[ 11 ]  damage
 (1d20+14)[ 32 ]  for  (1d6+6)[ 12 ]  damage
 (1d20+9)[ 24 ]  for  (1d6+6)[ 11 ]  damage
 
lostsole31
 R1T29:    "...Is that a guy in a bug cost-"   Runa  starts before she's interrupted by said guy in a bug costume stabbing  her. Not having any time to really process the absurdity of the  situation, she steps out of the way of her party and attempts to defend  herself! She makes a skin kick that catches the assailant in the jaw for  11 . The man defensively goes into a low crouch, but run throws a knee into his right shoulder for  12 , and finally a left kick to his torso for  11 .

 R1T23:   Downstairs, the bug-man takes out something and throws it at the embers  in the fireplace. The entire area around the fireplace downstairs  lights up and is now on fire!

 R1T20:  Linzi, right smack in the middle of the stairs, here's something happening. She casts  CLW  on Dane for   8 healing  .   "Boss, what do you need me to do?"  
 R1T17:   Ernak ,  you didn't see the beheading, but you turn around to find Tesh's  headless body on the ground. Because of the stairwell, you have a moderately good look at whomever is down there, but they are one square west  of Tesh's body and have cover. You heard the "FWOOMP!" of an accelerant lighting up,  and now there is a massive orange glow coming from the east as well.  What do you do?
Ason
Ernak whirls around in surprise at the death of the party's slightly-deranged, newfound friend. The Shoanti warrior sizes up Tesh's murderer before yelping aloud to the party,   "Cayden's codpiece! Red Mantis Assassins! Fight for our lives!"  

He then hefts out his earthbreaker, slips into a flowing defensive posture, and shifts south to engage this new foe.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
 Start of Turn Free Action:   Tactical Flanker  immediately south of Ernak's square where Tesh's corpse is (made irrelevant by move action)
 Standard Action:  bardic  Lore Master  knowledge check on the bug-themed ambusher who killed Tesh
 Swift Action:  adopt  Circular Stance 
 Move Action:  five-foot step south into square with Tesh's corpse, draw earthbreaker hammer
 
lostsole31
 R1T17:  Ernak whirls around in surprise at the death of  the party's  slightly-deranged, newfound friend. The Shoanti warrior  sizes up Tesh's  murderer before yelping aloud to the party,   "Cayden's codpiece! Red Mantis Assassins! Fight for our lives!"  

He then hefts out his earthbreaker, slips into a flowing defensive  posture, and shifts south to engage this new foe.  
 Spoiler: Ernak 
Perhaps  it was because your Lore Master tapped into something, you aren't sure,  but now that battle is engaged with these strange foes, your mind has  an incredible clarity, something to do somehow with your power card from  the Harrow deck and The Snakebite.
 

 R1T14:   Dane , what do you do? You can't see the  enemy on the floor above, but you can sense they are 5' back from the  stairs and even briefly saw something drop down from the ceiling. Also,  Linzi is waiting for guidance.
Rithryn
  "Linzi support us from the rear, im going in."  
Dane moves towards the enemy.
 
 Spoiler 
Moving to the nearest enemy he can reach and vital striking with risky strike, if unable to reach them he will move as close as he can get.  (1d20+13)[ 22 ]   (4d6+17)[ 32 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R1T14:    "Linzi, support us from the rear; I'm going in,"    Dane says as moves towards the enemy upstairs and coming face-to-face  with a Red Mantis assassin. His earthbreaker comes in to smash the  assassin in the hip for  32 .

 R1T13:   Jacintha ,  you have your mithral kukri in hand. You can look up and see that Dane  is engaging someone one square to the west of the top of the stairs  where Dane is, though you don't know anything else about the layout of  upstairs. And then there's a ruckus below, but a lot more bodies. What  do you do?
Dusk Raven
Knowing that danger is at hand, Jacintha calls upon her psionic powers to produce another kukri, switching the material kukri to her off-hand. Then, she heads further upstairs, doing her best to make her way past allies and towards the enemy.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Standard action to conjure a psionic kukri.

Move action to head upstairs as best I can, to try and see what's there, then move into position next to a hostile enemy, if possible. A reminder that I have 60 feet of Darkvision thanks to the Dimdweller alternate racial trait.
 
lostsole31
 R1T13:  Knowing that danger is at hand, Jacintha calls  upon her psionic powers  to produce another kukri, switching the material kukri to her off-hand.  Then, she heads further upstairs, doing her best to make her way past  allies and towards the enemy. The farthest she manages to get is on the  last bit of stairs right behind Dane, but she sees the enemy now.

 R1T11:   Vivino , what do you do?

Blue RMA (Red Mantis Assassin) on deck, Runa in the hole ....
Moriar
Vivino shifts the down the stairs and swings around the corner at red twice with his mace with one hand.


 
 Spoiler: die bugs 


Moves 5' south.  Then while keeping hold of his scythe in one hand, swings the mace twice in the other hand.

To hit 1:  (1d20+12)[ 25 ]  and damage  (1d8+5)[ 11 ] 

To hit 2:  (1d20+7)[ 25 ]  and damage [/roll]1d8+5[/roll]
 
Moriar
 
 Spoiler: 2nd damage roll 


Messed up the typing for damage on 2nd roll. Do if it matters here is is

 (1d8+5)[ 7 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R1T11:  Vivino shifts the down the stairs, takes out his  mace and sings it over the banister at the assassin, with his mace  being deflected by the rounded bug-shaped form of the costume/ outfit/  armor.

 R1T9:  Blue reaches for something on his  belt. Dane swings Drinking Companion, the earthbreaker clipping off of a  gauntlet as Runa kicks the man in the left forearm for  11 .  The man takes out a large flask filled with a semi-cloudy liquid and  lifts his arm as if to throw it with his right hand. Dane tries to make  him drop it by hitting the man in the right elbow for  20 ,  though Rune fails to hurt him with a foot stomp. He continues his  action and throws the flask, he was going to throw it into the fire, but  Dane's hit to his arm knocks his aim off course and it hits the rug in  front of the fire instead. Even with that, though, what turns out to be  alchemist fire lights way too readily and quickly in Dane's experience.

 End of Round:  The fires on both floors begin to spread ... which includes spreading too quickly and readily into Runa's space. She takes   4 fire + catches fire  !

 End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T29:   Runa , you have caught fire and are burning AND are standing in the middle of fire! What do you do?

Red on deck, Linzi in the hole ...
Sienna
  "So do all y'all dress like bugs or is this just a you thing,"   Runa asks, shortly before everything goes up in flames around - and including - her. Things... have become rather difficult! She steps back, and starts casting a spell to hopefully douse the flames before things get too out of control.

 
 Spoiler 
5 foot step south, then she'll cast Create Water to try to snuff the fire before it burns her and the house down.
 
lostsole31
 R2T29:  Runa takes   4 fire   from the burning, and another   6     fire   from standing ... in the burning spot of the rug.   "So do all y'all dress like bugs or is this just a 'you' thing?"    Runa asks, shortly before everything goes up in flames around - and  including - her. Things... have become rather difficult! She steps back,  and starts casting a spell to hopefully douse the flames before things  get too out of control. She casts  create water , intoning the spell properly and properly making the gesture, but nothing happens.

 R2T23:   Red quick draws a mate to the blade they hold in their off-hand. They  cross their swords together and using more finesse than brute strength,  moves their blades around while in contact with Ernak's blocking  earthbreaker to reposition Ernak 5' to the east while following into  that spot themselves, now astride Tesh's body.

 R2T20:   Linzi moves down the stairs behind Vivino, takes a good look at the bug  silhouette outlined by the first floor fire. She fires, but Vivino 's  bulk throws off her aim so she only glances the armor.

 R2T17:   Ernak , what do you do?

Dane on deck, Jacintha in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak calls out to the party,   "They take and receive no quarter, so offer them none!"
  
The  Shoanti man then twirls his giant hammer backwards, continues the  rotation into a brutal forward uppercut, and then tries to slam it down  from above to batter the nimble assassin into the ground with brute  strength alone.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Start of Turn Free Action:   Tactical Flanker  immediately south of Ernak
 Move Action:   Inspire Courage +2 , granting +2 morale on saves vs charm &amp; fear and +2 competence on attack &amp; weapon damage
 Standard Action:  Disparity Blow vs Red with Furious Focus Risky Strike (rolls do not include inspire courage +2 or other temp/situational buffs)

 
  Attack :  (1d20+15)[ 29 ]  
  Damage :  (2d6+16)[ 18 ]  +  (2d6)[ 8 ]  
  Trip Attempt :  (1d20+16)[ 31 ]  (does include permanent +2 from Deft Maneuvers feat but nothing else) 
 
 Immediate Action (if triggered):   Sanguine Perseverance  on first save Ernak is forced to make or  Warning Roar  vs first attack on an ally that Ernak can see, whichever trigger condition comes first
 
lostsole31
 R2T17:  Ernak calls out to the party,   "They take and receive no quarter, so offer them none!"
  
The  Shoanti man then twirls his giant hammer backwards, continues the   rotation into a brutal forward uppercut, and then tries to slam it down   from above to batter the nimble assassin into the ground with brute   strength alone, and hits the man in the lower back for  28 ,  knocking the man to the ground. Ernak notes the briefly thought he saw a  shadowy double of the assassin before his weapon struck, but sees it no  longer.

 R2T14:   Dane , you hear what Ernak  said, but the noise of the fire (fire is NOISY!) and the echoes of the  stairwell do not give you the advantage of his bardic performance. What  do you do?

Jacintha on deck, Vivino in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane pulls his hammer to the west avoiding is allies and the wall and swings it towards the assassin aimed at his side while shouting.
  "You should have stuck to the shadows!"  
 
 Spoiler 
 Dane is using vital strike with risky strike.  (1d20+13)[ 24 ]   (4d6+17)[ 29 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R2T14:  Dane pulls his hammer to the west avoiding is allies and the wall and  swings it towards the assassin aimed at his side while shouting,    "You should have stuck to the shadows!"   

The earthbreaker slams into the chitin-like cuirass of the assassin for  29 .

 R2T13:   Jacintha , you have psychic and mithral kukri in hands. What do you do?

Vivino on deck, Blue in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Not even needing to take a look at the spreading flames, Jacintha decides discretion is the better part of valor.   "Fighting here is suicide! Let's go!"   With that, she draws upon her psionic powers to grant herself a burst of speed, and runs back down the stairs, keeping an eye out for a way to be useful.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Standard Action: Cast  haste  on herself.
Move action: Move 5 feet east, then down the stairs. Upon spotting the enemy downstairs, she'll try to move into a position adjacent to them, assuming she can do so without standing in the fire. Her new 60-foot movement speed should allow her to do so, again assuming fire isn't in the way.
 
lostsole31
 R2T13:  Not even needing to take a look at the spreading flames, Jacintha decides discretion is the better part of valor.   "Fighting here is suicide! Let's go!"    With that, she draws upon her psionic powers to grant herself a burst  of speed, and runs back down the stairs, keeping an eye out for a way to  be useful. She passes Linzi and Vivino and vaults past a prone  assassin, bouncing off the walls to land on the fire side (not yet  burning) of a flank position with Ernak against this prone assassin. She  is in fire ... but she's damn close.

 R2T11:   Vivino , you have a scythe and a mace in hand, and you have an elevated position against a prone assassin. What do you do?

Blue on deck, fires in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino puts away the mace and brings the scythe down in a vicious single risky strike.

 
 Spoiler 


MA to put away the mace.

SA against prone assassin.

To hit:  (1d20+11)[ 26 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+13)[ 18 ]  plus vicious  (2d6)[ 11 ] 

Vicious damage to Vivino :  (1d6)[ 4 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R2T11:  Vivino puts away the mace, but in doing so  triggers an attack from the prone assassin. Ernak shouts a warning,  causing the assassin to pull his attack short. Vivino then brings the  scythe down in a vicious single risky strike against the sword hand that  just struck at him for  31 , but takes  4  himself.

 R2T9:   A reddish-tinged cloud, almost like floating droplets of blood,  surround Blue upstairs. They then do a double-slash with both of their  saw-toothed sabres against Dane. The first grazes Dane's neck for  10  while the second is a reverse cut against his buttocks for  16 . The man then steps away from Dane and Jacintha into a corner with a training dummy.

 R2T0:   Fires continue to spread ... Upstairs, fire cuts Dane off from the  assassin before fire comes into his space, and now Dane and Runa are in  flames for   1 fire   each  and much of the upstairs is now on fire as something makes the fire  catch unbelievably quickly. Though Runa is already burning, Dane keeps  from catching alight. Downstairs, the fires spread as well, catching  into Jacintha's area as she takes   2 fire  , but keeps from burning as well.

 End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T29:   Runa , you take   3 fire   from burning. This entire second story that you see is engulfed in fire. What do you do?

Red on deck, Linzi in the hole ...
Sienna
Runa looks south at the window, and - figuring that the stairwell is probably packed, and that this would make a better story besides - decides to rush towards it and throw herself through it.
lostsole31
 R3T29:  Runa looks south at the window, and - figuring  that the stairwell is  probably packed, and that this would make a better story besides -  decides to rush towards it and throw herself through it. She smashes  through the glass, and not having checked where she was going she lands  hard ( 4 + prone ) and into an area below that is also aflame (  3 fire  ).  
 Spoiler: Runa 
You are no longer in snake style.
 

In  addition, there is a sudden oxygen pull-and-feed to the fires in the  building that everyone feels. The fires whip crazily and spread, and  those in fire get an extra dose of burning (Dane takes   4 fire  , Jacintha takes   3 fire  ). Fire also comes through the stairs to split Linzi from Dane and to cover Linzi for   3 fire  .  Both upstairs and downstairs, the area where the assassins are get  engulfed by flame, but if it harms the assassins, it doesn't show.

 R3T23:  Red starts to rise, and Ernak slams him in the right foot for  14 . Jacintha hit the assassin in-between shoulder plates for  13 . Vivino's scythe comes down to slash them in the lower right arm for  28 , while he takes  2  himself. Red regains his feet, a red mist apparently surrounding him in the flames.

 R3T20:  Linzi takes   3 fire  . She takes out a wand, taps herself, and turns invisible.

 R3T17:   Ernak , what do you do?

Dane on deck, Jacintha in the hole ...
Ason
Seeing the flames start to bite into his friends, Ernak calls out,   "Closing time! Emergency exit's behind me!"  

Ernak  then puts all his energy into two haymaker swings of his hammer. As he  catches the earthbreaker on the second swing's rebound, he lets its  momentum shift his body into a backwards lean as he readies for his own  escape.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Start of Turn Free Action:   Tactical Flanker  immediately south of Ernak
 Free Action:  stop performing  Inspire Courage +2 , though  Lingering Performance  makes bonuses persist for this round and the next
 Full-Round Action:  full attack with furious focus risky strike ( rolls do not include inspire courage +2, flanking or other temp/situational buffs )
 
  Bonk #1 : Attack  (1d20+15)[ 28 ] ; Damage  (2d6+16)[ 21 ]  
  Bonk #2 : Attack  (1d20+8)[ 14 ] ; Damage  (2d6+16)[ 18 ]  
 
 Swift Action:  shift to  Running Hunter's Stance , granting him +10' enhancement to land speed &amp; scent ability

 Free Action?   If possible, Ernak would like to see if his mental mapkeeping is good  enough for him to remember/guess which windows in A1 or A2 might lead  out onto a rooftop or balcony, so that way he's not attempting to  directly jump out a window onto the cobblestones below.

 Note:  Ernak's sheet needs to be updated to reflect the Warning Roar he used as an immediate action last turn.
 
lostsole31
 R3T17:  Seeing the flames start to bite into his friends, Ernak calls out,    "Closing time! Emergency exit's behind me!"   

Ernak  then puts all his energy into two haymaker swings of his hammer.  His first strike catches the assassin on the side of the neck where it meets the shoulder for  23 . The second is a miss, and as he  recovers, he lets  his earthbreaker's return momentum shift his body into a backwards lean as he readies for his  own  escape.

 R3T14:  Dane, you take   2 fire   as you are standing in flames. what do you do?

Jacintha on deck, Vivino in the hole ...
Rithryn
Engulfed in flames Danes steps towards the assassin and for good measurebrings his hammer down upon him.
  "One more jus in case your still kickin, these embers ain't nearly as bad as the family forge!"  
 
 Spoiler 
 (1d20+13)[ 14 ]   (4d6+17)[ 38 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T14:  Engulfed in flames, Dane steps towards the  assassin - and for good measure - brings his hammer down upon him,  shouting over the fire,   "One more, jus' in case you're still kickin'. These embers ain't nearly as bad as the family forge!"  

But  the earthbreaker connects with the training dummy and it collapses ...  and so does Dane, knocking up enough debris to blind himself.

 R3T13:   Jacintha , you are hasted and standing in fire (  3 fire  ). What do you do?

Vivino on deck, Blue in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha feels a very strong urge to get out of the fire. But first, there's an assassin to deal with. Making use of her enhanced speed, she attacks her target with her blades. She goes for accuracy over damage, trusting in her ability to hit her target's vital spots thanks to her advantageous position.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Full-round action: Full attack.
Attack 1 (psychic kukri):  (1d20+13)[ 29 ] 
Damage:  (1d4+9)[ 10 ]  Sneak Attack Damage:  (4d8)[ 20 ] 

Off-Hand Attack (material kukri):  (1d20+11)[ 29 ] 
Damage:  (1d4+7)[ 8 ]  Sneak Attack Damage:  (4d8)[ 19 ] 

Haste Attack (psychic kukri):  (1d20+13)[ 33 ] 
Damage:  (1d4+9)[ 11 ]  Sneak Attack Damage:  (4d8)[ 18 ] 

Modifiers for haste and flanking not included.

If this dispatches her foe, she'll take a five-foot step to the east.
 
lostsole31
 R3T13:  Jacintha feels a very strong urge to get out of the fire. But first,  there's an assassin to deal with. Making use of her enhanced speed, she  attacks her target with her blades. She goes for accuracy over damage,  trusting in her ability to hit her target's vital spots thanks to her  advantageous position. Her first strike slashes open the assassin's lower left arm for  32 , dropping them! She steps astride the assassin's fallen form.

 R3T11:   Vivino , what do you do?

Blue on deck, Fires in the hole ...
Moriar
  "Did someone mention leaving?"   Vivino asks.    "It is getting a bit hot in here. Might indeed be time to leave  ."

Then to back up his words, heads to the door.

 
 Spoiler: time to go 


Vivino heads south one square to squeeze and then head east 5 squares, then south 2 squares to be at the door.

If required, acrobatics roll of  (1d20+12)[ 23 ] 

Then if able open the door and says, "  Door is open, let's head out all"  
 
lostsole31
 R3T11:    "Did someone mention leaving?"   Vivino asks.    "It is getting a bit hot in here. Might indeed be time to leave  ."

Then to back up his words, heads to the door. The party never actually shut the front door, so once there he calls out,  "  Door is open, let's head out, all!"   
 R3T9:   Blue shouts out something like a nonsense word, and hearing no  response, he focuses on Dane. He slashes Dane across the belly for  16 ; then Dane's left hand for  11 ; then a flat-blade thwack to Dane's lower leg for  34 NL ; then a strike blocked by armor. He then repositions.

 R3T0:  The fires continue. Linzi (  3 fire  ) is now in the flames ... as is Jacintha (  2 fire  ), fallen Red assassin, Tesh .... and Ernak (  4 fire  ).

 End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T29:   Runa , you are in fire (  2 fire  ) and burning (  3 fire  ) and prone. What do you do?

Linzi on deck, Ernak in the hole ...
Sienna
Runa's stopped, and dropped (a considerable distance, at that), so all that's left is to roll, and hope she's able to smother the flames before she's too well done.
lostsole31
 R4T29:  Runa's stopped, and dropped (a considerable distance, at that), so all  that's left is to roll, and hope she's able to smother the flames before  she's too well done. She finds that being in an area engulfed in flames, she is unsuccessful in stopping the flames.

 R4T20:  Linzi takes   5 fire  ,  but keeps from catching alight. She is invisible, but lets Jacintha and  Ernak know she's passing them, and lets Vivino where she ends up on the  rogue just a few feet from the door.

 R4T17:   Ernak , you take   4 fire   from being in fire, but you do not catch flame. What do you do?

Dane on deck, Jacintha in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak yells out desperately and as loud as he can amid the fire's roar,   "This place's done for! RUN!!"  

He then urgently claps Jacintha on the shoulder toward the exit to emphasize his point, before running that way himself. Once outside, Ernak continues moving away from the blaze while searching for ways to battle or contain this fire.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Free Action (tactical flanker):   I'm not going to post about this feature again until Ernak is physically fighting someone, as it's irrelevant right now  (1 square south if I must pick one)
 Swift Action:   Pride Movement : give 1 free move action to Jacintha (or whomever it is next to him, if I've misread the token somehow)


 Move Action:  Move 40 feet (thanks to his swift hunter's stance) back out our original entrance and beyond it in a straight line out the front door
 Free Action (once outside):  Quickly look around for nearest water source or other viable fire-fighting means as well as for more bug-themed assassins
 Standard Action:  Move again (up to 40 ft) until he is clear of immediate danger from the fire, then use the rest of that movement to go toward the closest fire-fighting option that is not currently blocked by fire. If he can't see any clear water sources upon exiting the house, he'll still run out far enough from the flames to be safe for now as he gets his bearings. If Ernak does see more Red Mantis Assassins outside, he attempts to get clear of the fire while keeping his distance from them, then he moves around to line up a clear charge on them next turn while also avoiding the fire.
 
lostsole31
 R4T17:  Ernak yells out desperately and as loud as he can amid the fire's roar,   "This place's done for! RUN!!"  

He then urgently claps Jacintha on the shoulder toward the exit to  emphasize his point, before running that way himself. Once outside,  Ernak continues moving away from the blaze while searching for ways to  battle or contain this fire. Jacintha follows him most of the way out.

 R4T11:   Vivino , what do you do? The door is open, and Ernak and Jacintha just sailed out.

Blue on deck, Fires in the hole ...
Moriar
  "Going to help you get those last few feet to get out if you dont mind Linzi  ," Vivino announces.


Vivino will attempt to grab Linzi and carry her outside to be safely away from the fire.

 
 Spoiler: getting out 


Will make one attempt to pick up Linzi since she let him know where she is.  If unable to grab her, or unwilling, will then still use a move to head south 40'.

If not able to head a full 40'  then moving to a safe place outside.
 
lostsole31
 R4T11:    "Going to help you get those last few feet to get out if you dont mind Linzi  ,"  Vivino announces. Vivino then reaches for Linzi - who allows him to  "find" her - and carries her outside to be safely away from the fire.  Still, he doesn't move quite as far as normal as Linzi with her gear  weighs down the laden Vivino just enough to be felt, despite his  strength.

 R4T9:  Blue begins another attack run  of flashing sabers against the dwarf. This time, Dane - recognizing how  dangerous a swordsman they are - desperately parries the attacks. They then sidestep to block the stairs from Dane.

 R4T0:  Fires continue to spread and burn.

 End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T29:   Runa , you are burning and prone in an area of fire, taking a total of   7 fire  . What do you do?

Linzi on deck, Ernak in the hole ...
Sienna
Runa is on the ground, and on fire, and the ground is on fire; this is probably the worst day she's had in a long while, though she doesn't have the luxury of time to think about anything else at the moment - she scrambles away from the burning building as best she can, still trying desperately to snuff out the fire currently threatening to snuff  her  out.
lostsole31
 R5T29:  Runa is on the ground, and on fire, and the ground is on fire; this is  probably the worst day she's had in a long while, though she doesn't  have the luxury of time to think about anything else at the moment - she  scrambles away from the burning building as best she can, still trying  desperately to snuff out the fire currently threatening to snuff  her  out. The heroes outside see her coming and frantically patting at herself while moving away from the building a little.

 R5T20:  Invisible Linzi scrambles down from Vivino's grasp.    "Dane is still in there!"    she shouts in terror while making herself visible again.

 R5T17:   Ernak , your lingering song has ended. What do you do?

Dane on deck, Jacintha in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak shouts with urgent frustration to his comrades outside,   "I can haul him out, but I'll need fire defenses and healing to survive that deathtrap!"  

He then slumps off the sack on his back, drops his earthbreaker next to it, moves as close as he can to the building, and casts haste to hurry along the rescue effort. The Shoanti man then widens his stance in preparation for the mad dash ahead.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Free Action:  drop bag of holding and earthbreaker ( if his current square seems safe from burning for the next round or two; if not, he'll drop it after / while moving should that put his gear in a safer place than his starting location )
 Move Action:  move as close to the building as he can without risking fire damage while remaining outside and within 30 feet of Vivino ( to enable the next step... )
 Standard Action:  casts  Haste  on Vivino and all party members within 30 feet of Vivino, including Ernak himself
 Swift Action:  adopt  Primal Warrior Stance 
 
lostsole31
 R5T17:  Ernak shouts with urgent frustration to his comrades outside,   "I can haul him out, but I'll need fire defenses and healing to survive that deathtrap!"   He then slumps off the sack on his back, drops his earthbreaker next to  it and moves as close as he can to the building while widening his stance in  preparation for the mad dash ahead.

 R5T14:   Dane , between standing in fire and burning, you take   6 fire  .  You see the assassin, standing unharmed by the flames next to you, but  with the flames all around you see little else. What do you do?

Jacintha on deck, Vivino in the hole ....
Rithryn
Dane sweating in his metal armor clench's both hands on his hammer as he feels it getting ever hotter from the flames looks to the assassin with a determined look. He shouts as he moves to the assassin at the stairs.
  "You think this fire changes anything! I am a proud dwarf of the Thunderbreaker clan! We were born of rock, we have iron in our veins, we work with magma, and we drink fire! This trifling blaze will not save you from me!"  
As he moves for his blow he raises his earth breaker over his head bringing it down upon the assassin.
 
 Spoiler 
Move action moving to assassin, standard Vital strike + Risky strike.
 (1d20+13)[ 28 ]   (4d6+17)[ 33 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R5T14:  Dane - sweating in his metal armor - clenches  both hands on his hammer as he  feels it getting ever hotter from the flames and gives the assassin a  determined look. He shouts as he moves to the assassin at the stairs,    "You think this fire changes anything! I am a  proud dwarf of the Thunderbreaker clan! We were born of rock, we have  iron in our veins, we work with magma, and we drink fire! This trifling  blaze will not save you from me!"   

He need not move, for the assassin is right there behind him, and he  brings his earthbreaker down from on high to hit the assassin on their  stupid bug-headed helm(?) for  33 .

 R5T13:   Jacintha , you are still hasted. What do you do?

Vivino on deck, Blue in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
  "Well, at least he's still alive,"   Jacintha remarks as she hears the roar from within the building. She glances at Linza, then at her own singed armor, then back at the building, and then sighs. As the fastest person present, thanks to her magic, it makes the most sense for  her  to go back into the inferno to help Dane. And so, she storms back inside the building, moving as quickly as she can across the hall and up the stairs, seeking out Dane.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
This'll probably require me to spend my standard action to move, but... Jacintha will go back inside the building, heading back the way she came and back up the stairs. Upon seeing Dane and the assassin, she'll move to be next to the latter, flanking if possible.
 
lostsole31
 R5T13:    "Well, at least he's still alive,"    Jacintha remarks as she hears the roar from within the building. She  glances at Linzi, then at her own singed armor, then back at the  building, and then sighs. As the fastest person present, thanks to her  magic, it makes the most sense for  her  to go back into the  inferno to help Dane. And so, she storms back inside the building,  moving as quickly as she can across the hall and up the stairs, seeking  out Dane. She gets onto the stairs, near the very top, next to the Red Mantis assassin. She takes   6 fire   for her transit through the flames.

 R5T11:   Vivino , what do you do? Scythe in hand and Linzi is now on the ground under her own power. Runa is several feet from you, on fire.

Blue on deck, Runa in the hole ...
Rithryn
Having just brought his hammer down Dane uses the bounce of it hitting the ground to bring it back up to the assassins chin.
 
 Spoiler 
Vital strike + risky strike.
 (1d20+13)[ 22 ]   (4d6+17)[ 27 ] 
if the assassin is slain dane will make his way out of the building.
 
lostsole31
 Interrupt:  Dane takes a total of   8 fire    from standing in fire and burning. Having just brought his hammer down  Dane uses the bounce of it hitting the ground to bring it back up to the  assassins chin. But the strange mist makes it slightly hard to tell the  assassin's position. Though the earthbreaker clips the chin protection,  it is only a grazing hit to the armor and not the one wearing it.

 R5T11:   Vivino , what do you do? Scythe in hand and Linzi is now on the ground under her own power. Runa is several feet from you, on fire.

Blue on deck, Runa in the hole ...
Moriar
  "Linzi, do you mind watching out for my scythe?"   Vivino asks Linzi as he drops his scythe to the ground.    "I'm going to try and help Runa put out the fire if I can."  

As he moves to Runa, he begins helping to put out the fire.

 
 Spoiler: Putting out fire hopefully 


FA: drop scythe
MA: move south of Runa (hard to read the map, but looks like 20 feet to the west and 10 feet to the north to be adjacent to Runa to the south of her)
       As part of the move, hopefully can draw his bedroll from his haversack (if not will be patting out the fire as best as he can)
SA: assist her save to put out the fire with his hands (or bedroll if was able to draw it as part of the move to use it like a fire blanket) and any nonburning clothing such as a cloak that Runa is wearing.
 
lostsole31
 R5T11:    "Linzi, do you mind watching out for my scythe?"   Vivino asks Linzi as he drops his scythe to the ground.    "I'm going to try and help Runa put out the fire if I can."  

He moves to Runa and dangerously with his own hands tries to put out the fire on her. Vivino takes   5 fire   from contacting the flames directly.

 R5T9:   The assassin steps away from Dane onto the first set of stairs. Dane  hears a woman's voice speaking in continuous tongues as part of some  strange exhortation from the assassin's newer position.

 R5T0:   The fire continues to spread along the first floor, and the heroes  outside see that the fire has fully taken the second floor. And with  that fire, what seeps through seems to accelerate down to the first  floor far faster than you'd think. In fact, this fire has moved very  quickly to anyone who has ever seen a fire before.

A lot of  people are noticed having gathered, and now if one thing will bring Old  Korvosa together ... that's fire. Instantly, citizens start mobilizing  bucket brigades and the like to try and fight the blaze.

 End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ...

R6T29:   Runa , you take   3 fire    from burning. It would take a FRA to attempt to put the fire on you  out, and a bonus for stop-drop-roll. You are getting a bonus from Vivino  as well. What do you do?

Linzi on deck, Ernak in the hole ....
Sienna
Runa continues rolling on the ground to attempt to smother the flames!
lostsole31
 R6T29:  Runa drops to the ground, rolling back and forth  in the dirt as Vivino with his own burnt hands tries to help her. It's a  clumsy attempt, and the cobblestone streets do little to help; it would  have been better if it were dirt. But, in the end it was Vivino's aid  to his teammate that finally puts out the flames.

 R6T20:  Linzi just drops to her knees and breaks down in tears when she sees the entire building now aflame, sobbing openly.

 R6T17:   Ernak , what do you do?

Dane on deck, Jacintha in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak's jaw falls in shock as Jacintha races in ahead of him after Dane. Closing his mouth into a grim resolve, he shoulders his pack and earthbreaker once more and changes plans to instead coordinate the fire response. With a gesture to the gathering volunteers, Ernak says to Linzi,   "Don't weep, Linzi: you and I shall guide Dane's saviors."  

Using his sonorous voice, Ernak then booms out directions to better coordinate the gathering fire brigade volunteers.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Standard Action:  pick up Bag of Holding
 Move Action:  pick up Earthbreaker ( all dropped items should be recovered at this point ), five foot step toward largest group of fire relief volunteers
 Swift Action ( only if necessary for the next 2 steps to be feasible ):  activate  Stagger-Proof Boots  to move 30 feet toward a group of fire brigade volunteers
 Free Action?:  use Perform (oratory) and/or other social skills to make his voice heard above the roar of the fire and crowds; functionally Ernak is trying to make himself into a human megaphone to better coordinate any fire fighting efforts
 Free Action:  shift  Warlord tactical presence  to Indomitable Presence, granting all allies ( he's treating any fire fighters as allies ) within 30 feet the  Die Hard  feat and +5 to Fort saves vs death/fatigue/exhaustion/poison effects

I don't know what rules for fighting fires are at play here, so I'm not sure what rolls--if any--the volunteers will make to fight this blaze. If either Inspire Courage or Inspire Competence could help, please let me know, as I would love for Ernak to use either ability next turn if either would be relevant.
 
lostsole31
 R6T17:  Ernak's jaw falls in shock as Jacintha races in ahead of him after Dane.  Closing his mouth into a grim resolve, he shoulders his pack and  earthbreaker once more and changes plans to instead coordinate the fire  response. With a gesture to the gathering volunteers, Ernak says to  Linzi,   "Don't weep, Linzi: you and I shall guide Dane's saviors."  

Using his sonorous voice, Ernak then booms out directions to better coordinate the gathering fire brigade volunteers.

 R6T14:  Meanwhile, back inside ...  Dane , you take   11 fire    from the combination of ambient fire and you burning. The enemy stepped  away from you towards or down the stairs, but you can hear her voice  still chanting something. The combination of dazzling light and  difficulty to see, along with the destruction the fire is doing, means  that it is now difficult terrain to move in the building (so no 5' free  move). What do you do?

Jacintha on deck, Vivino in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane will make sure he is in range of the assassin and with a more aimed strike try to crush his foes head like a melon.
 
 Spoiler 
Vital Strike  (1d20+15)[ 29 ]   (4d6+11)[ 29 ] 
Dane will move to leave if he has a move action left and the assassin dies.
 
lostsole31
 R6T14:  Dane will make sure he is in range of the  assassin and with a more aimed strike try to crush his foes head like a  melon. While she is hard to see, her babbling voice sure is helpful! He  walks up to her and lands his earthbreaker right on her head, doing what  he had hoped to do ... completely crushing it like a melon as she falls  onto the stairs, being kept by falling downwards by Jacintha's  presence.

 R6T13:   Jacintha , you take   4 fire    from standing in the flames, but you don't catch fire. The assassin's  dead body lies on the stairs above you, and you vaguely think you see  Dane triumphantly standing at the top of the stairs. You have psychic  and mithral kukri in hand. Combo of light and fire damage makes  everywhere difficult terrain now. What do you do?

Vivino on deck, Fires in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha is both pleased and somewhat chagrined that her presence wound up being unnecessary. She waves to Dane, shouting over the din,   "Come on!"   before taking off back down the stairs the way she came.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Using my full movement, plus both standard and move actions, to exit the building and the flames.
 
lostsole31
 R6T13:  Jacintha is both pleased and somewhat chagrined that her presence wound  up being unnecessary. She waves to Dane, shouting over the din,   "Come on!"    before taking off back down the stairs the way she came.  Even hasted,  she just barely manages to cross the threshold to the doorway  downstairs, but as the entire building is now on fire, she is still  standing in a fiery square.

 R6T11:   Vivino ,  Jacintha appears at the doorway, having moved very quickly to get  there, but not quite clear of fire. You don't see any sign of Dane. What  do you do?

Fire on deck, Runa in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino moves to join the fire brigade.    "Lets make sure that the fire doesn't spread,"   he says.    "I shall help by making sure this one doesn't catch or spread the fire."    

He aims to make his first bucket full of water splash right onto Jacintha.    "Come on now, you are almost clear.  Did you see Dane?"  
lostsole31
 R6T11:  Vivino moves to join the fire brigade (off map).    "Lets make sure that the fire doesn't spread,"   he says.    "I shall help by making sure this one doesn't catch or spread the fire."    
 R6T0:   Something changes in the quality of the fire. Up until this point, the  heat emanating from the fire hasn't actually been impressive, all things  considered. And it burned with an almost too-red color, not enough  orange as you'd expect from a real fire, for those few of you who have  seen fire before. But now the fire is "digging in" and becomes the color  you'd expect ... some red, but more orange-yellow ... and much hotter.  Not unnaturally hotter. Rather, it seemed to spread preternaturally  quickly, but at a lower temp. Now, however, it seems to be turning into a  "normal" house fire.

This "bloom" causes   10 fire   to Dane, and   15 fire   to Jacintha (though she still resists catching fire).

At the same time, Ernak and Vivino are now off map as they begin working on the fire brigade.

 End Round 6, Begin Round 7 ...

R7T29:   Runa , you are prone, but no longer burning. What do you do?

Linzi on deck, Dane in the hole ....
Sienna
Runa wheezes as she staggers to her feet, staring at the burning building, a little bit dumbfounded at how badly things have gone out of control.

  "...****. Everyone make it out?"   she asks, stumbling after Vivino to do what she can to help control the blaze.
lostsole31
 R7T29:  Runa wheezes as she staggers to her feet, staring at the burning  building, a little bit dumbfounded at how badly things have gone out of  control.   "...****. Everyone make it out?"   she asks, stumbling after Vivino to do what she can to help control the blaze.

 R7T20:  Linzi sees the crossover of the flames, her eyes wide and tearful, and her face haunted.

 R7T17:  Ernak is coordinating fire efforts.

 R7T14:   Dane ,  you take 10 fire from a combination of the hotter ambient flames and  burning. Roll a Fort save as things begin to properly burn. What do you  do?

Jacintha on deck, Linzi in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane will place a hand on his belly.
  "I'm going to need your help on this one Lucky drunk."  
He than makes his way down stairs towards the exit.
 
 Spoiler 
 fortitude  (1d20+10)[ 28 ] 
Cure moderate as standard  (2d8+7)[ 22 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R7T14:  Dane will place a hand on his belly.   "I'm going to need your help on this one, Lucky Drunk."  He fights through the pain of being broiled to successfully cast his spell on himself for   22 healing    of both real and nonlethal. He than makes his way down stairs towards  the exit, getting to that part of the stairs that is more towards the  first floor.

 R7T13:   Jacintha , you take   7 fire    as the fires are now burning hotter BUT you have now caught fire! You  are standing on fire and in fire at the doorway to the building. What do  you do?

Linzi on deck, Dane in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha  really  hopes Dane can make it out on his own, because she herself is at her limit. And also burning. She finishes her mad dash to escape the flames, then drops to the ground and rolls in the same motion to try and extinguish the flames.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move action: Move south, getting away from the flame. Next to Linzi should be safe.
Move/standard (not sure which): Drop prone and roll around in an attempt to extinguish the flames.
 
lostsole31
 R7T13:  Jacintha  really  hopes Dane can make it out on his own, because  she herself is at her limit. And also burning. She finishes her mad dash  to escape the flames, then drops to the ground and rolls in the same  motion to try and extinguish the flames, but only just got to dropping, so she needs more time to give to rolling around.

 End Round 7, Begin Round 8 ...

R8T20:   Linzi sees a burning friend at her feet, and with resolve she wipes her  tears while still on her knees, takes out her waterskin, and pours its  contents over Jacintha, extinguishing the flames.

 R8T14:   Dane , you take a total of   16 fire   from the flames. Roll a Fort save. What do you do?

Jacintha on deck, Linzi in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane coughing as smoke fills the flaming room barrels his way out as fast as he can.
 
 Spoiler 
double moving if needed, if he still has an action when he gets outside he will take out his iron pot from his handy haversack, droppinghis hammer nearby.
 
lostsole31
 R8T14:  Dane coughing as smoke fills the flaming room  barrels his way out as fast as he can, but the burning rubble of the  fire and blinding light means he only really covers a total of 20' in a  double move.

 R8T13:  Jacintha, what do you do? You are prone, wet, and in pain.

Linzi on deck, Dane in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha stands up, her intended action having been rendered moot by Linzi. After a nod of thanks to the diminutive companion, she looks back towards the flames.  "Damn it,"  she quietly curses to herself as she thinks of something she could have done for Dane. She takes one of the potions of Cure Moderate Wounds out of her bandolier and drinks it, psyching herself up to go back into the fire.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move action: Stand up from prone.
Standard action: drink a potion of Cure Moderate Wounds.
 
lostsole31
 R8T13:  Jacintha stands up, her intended action having been rendered moot by  Linzi. After a nod of thanks to the diminutive companion, she looks back  towards the flames.    "Damn it,"    she quietly  curses to herself as she thinks of something she could have done for  Dane. She takes one of the potions of Cure Moderate Wounds out of her  bandolier .... getting ready to drink it while psyching herself up to go back into the fire.

 End Round 8, Begin Round 9 ...

R9T20:  Linzi delays ...

 R9T14:   Dane , you take   14 fire  . Roll a Fort save vs. smoke inhalation. What do you do?

Jacintha on deck ...
Rithryn
Dane covers his face and makes a quick sprint towards the exit barreling through anything in his way.
  "I ain't about to be done in by a little heat!"  
lostsole31
 R9T14:  Dane covers his face and makes a quick sprint towards the exit barreling through anything in his way.   "I ain't about to be done in by a little heat!"   

He ends up a few feet from the exit ... but still in the building.

 R9T13:   Jacintha , your  haste  ends. Meanwhile, you see Dane as he is almost out. What do you do?

Dane on deck ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha's magic may have run out, but she still has the speed granted to her by her boots. Anyway, she moves up to the flames, but doesn't proceed inside, nor does she drink the potion. Instead, she stands ready, watching to see whether Dane can make it out or if he'll fall.
lostsole31
 R9T13:  Jacintha's magic may have run out, but she still has the speed granted  to her by her boots. Anyway, she moves up to the flames, but doesn't  proceed inside, nor does she drink the potion. Instead, she stands  ready, watching to see whether Dane can make it out or if he'll fall.

 R9T14:   Dane , you take   13 fire  .  Roll a Fort save vs. smoke inhalation. You are almost out. You see  Jacintha there. She is holding up what looks like a tiny shotglass. It's  probably a quality rye whisky. You are really thirsty. You are really  dry. Your nerves are on fire. You really need to do the tier-barrel swap  at the brewery before the end of the month. What's a doughnut? You've  heard of them. The flames are really pretty. You could probably just lie  down in the comforting orange glow of the forge, but Jacintha brought  you a drink. That would be a crime against Cayden to forgo a drink.  You're really thirsty and dry. You want the pain to stop. What do you do?
Rithryn
Dane seeing what he perceives as a small shot glass walks past Jacintha heading towards Linzi, after moving 20 ft out of the flames he will retrieve his cooking pot and plops it on the ground.
  "Don't cry Linzi, we're going to be just fine."  
lostsole31
 R9T14:  Dane - seeing what he perceives as a small shot glass - walks past Jacintha  and heads towards Linzi. As he steps up to her he retrieves his cooking pot and plops it on the ground.   "Don't cry Linzi, we're going to be just fine."  
 R9T13:   Jacintha ,  you had actually unwittingly dismissed your psychic kukri to take out  the potion, but your mithral kukri is in hand. While you are no longer  standing in a burning square, the heat is enough to cause   5 fire  . What do you do?

Dane on deck ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha, it seems, had unwittingly stepped too close to the fire. She corrects this, immediately moving away and following Dane as he moves up to Linzi.   "Sorry I couldn't do more for you back there,"   she says, holding out the potion to Dane.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move action: GTFO. I'll move up next to Dane.
Second move action, or possibly a standard - put away the mithral kukri.
 
Rithryn
Dane shakes his head.
  "No worries, in a situation like that it is natural to think of self preservation. I'm just glad everyone got out."  
He waves a hand over his pot.
  "OH Lucky Drunk, bless us with the waters to quench this fires thirst."  
  "We can use this to help put out the fire, if people need water come to me and I can fill buckets!"  
 
 Spoiler 
standard action create water in the pot
 
lostsole31
 R10T14:  Dane shakes his head .... while he is still on fire. He says, while gritting his teeth in pain from the active burning,   "No worries ... in a situation like that ... it is natural to think of self preservation. I'm just ... glad everyone got out."  

He waves a hand over his pot and casts a verbal spell .... barely managing to control his spell through the pain and praying,   "OH Lucky Drunk, bless us with the waters to quench this fires thirst."  

He has no more time for speech, but the pot fills with water.

 R10T13:  Linzi comes out of delay, heaves up the pot, and splashes it over Dane to put him out.

Dane  and Jacintha want to help, but both are too wounded and tuckered, while  Linzi takes the pot to the others and firefighting is underway.

 Encounter Ends ... 

If there is one thing that brings people together, and something that Old Korvosans know how to do, and that is to fight a fire. And with Vivino's example of strength, Ernak's leadership, Linzi's pluck, and Runa riding her mount to determine hot spots from above .... the house fire will finally be put out. It still takes awhile, though, and while the bones of the house stand, it is effectively a total loss.
Moriar
After the fire finally goes out, Vivino just stares at the wreckage.    "Who were those people in insect outfits and why would they want this home to burn down so badly?"    he asks those around him.
lostsole31
It takes a total of 2-1/2 hours to finally kill the blaze.

Linzi shrugs at Vivino's question, but hands him his scythe.  She looks around. While sporting light wounds herself, she pipes up,   "I don't know, but that and the fire really did a number to our group. We have severe wounded, especially Dane and Jacintha."  
Sienna
  "Been stabbed before, and set on fire before, but never both in the same day,"   Runa says, taking out a wand,   "I'll see what I can do for 'em."
  
 
 Spoiler 
Runa will use her wand of CLW on Dane and Jacintha until the two seem reasonably healthy (or decline further healing)
 
Rithryn
Dane coughs a few times trying to clear his lungs of smoke.
  "I got a few healing spells in me to."  
Dusk Raven
Jacintha has long since put back the potion she had pulled from her bandolier, but she took out one of the lesser healing potions from it instead. She rotates it around in her fingers for a few moments, before seeing Runa take out a wand, upon which she puts that potion back in her bandolier as well.   "Anything you can spare would be appreciated."  
Ason
Ernak wipes sweat from his brow as the party finally has a chance to relax and debrief. He gives a tired but optimistic cheer to the party,   "I am glad we all survived the ambush! Well done, friends!"  

Ernak moves to pull out a wand of his own in conjunction with Runa, but when Dane mentions having healing spells prepared already, he pauses instead to let others cast what they have already prepared first. Should any wounds remain, the big Shoanti offers to use his wand to help them patch up a little bit more.

After any healing magics are cast, Ernak says to the party, more somberly than usual,   "Vivino: you asked about those insectoid warriors, yeah?"   he beckons the party to lean in closer so he can explain with a conspiratorial whisper (partly for dramatic effect and partly to avoid eavesdroppers),   "I've... I've heard stories about them, and not happy ones. They're called the 'Red Mantis Assassins'. They're a cult of hired killers who all worship Achaekek, some minor devil-god who's the source of their weird powers. Since they know they'll continue serving their mantis-headed god in the afterlife, they're known for reckless, self-destructive tactics like we just saw, as death holds no fear for them. The one other odd thing--I don't exactly know why--is allegedly they refuse to accept contracts on any current heads of state."  

He pauses to let that information all sink in, and then he continues,   "So I imagine someone-- maybe Tesh, rest his soul, maybe us, maybe the fencing master --someone nearby has angered a person powerful enough to hire a cult of very deadly people to silence them. I know we came here to solve one problem, but I suspect we just gained another in these mantis guys."  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Ernak is willing to spend up to two charges each from wand of cure light wounds on Jacintha and Dane, at least to start with on this first go around. This will happen only after any healing spells or abilities Dane uses, since Dane mentioned it. If Dane seems to be relying on a wand for his healing magic and not his own personal spellcasting, Ernak will instead join in alongside him with his own healing wand.

Ernak is sharing info with the party gained from his Lore Master check back at the very start of the fight.
 
lostsole31
Ernak no longer feels the focused mind that he did during the battle.

Dane, the compassionate doctor ... and Vivino, the dispassionate anatomist ... both possessed of equal skill in their approach to the matters of medicine, triage the group. Then all members begin healing as best they can where and how needed.
 
 Spoiler: Spells and Wands of Healing 
Runa casts CSW on Dane, tapping her out of 3rd-level spells. She then casts CMW once each on Dane and Jacintha.
Runa casts CMW on Jacintha, and is now tapped out of 2nd-level spells.
Dane casts CMW once each on himself and Jacintha, tapping him out of 2nd-level spells.
Vivino takes a CLW and a CMW extract each, and has the faintest abrasion remaining.
Dane then casts CLW four times on himself to fully heal himself while tapping him out of 1st-level spells.
Runa casts CLW on Jacintha twice, leaving her with barely a scratch.
Runa uses the wand on herself 9 times until she has a light wound remaining.
Dane uses his high-powered healing wand on Ernak only once to bring him to a light wound.
Linzi casts CLW on herself so she has only a light wound remaining.
 

The remains of the mostly burnt-out hulk of Orsini's home lie before you, and residents have all returned to bed, exhausted.

It is now approximately one in the morning. What do you do?
Rithryn
  "It would seem any secrets this place held were destroyed with the assassins, but it would hurt yo check. Shall we look once more through the remains?"  
Dane will starting looking through the remains of the building.
lostsole31
Any search of the remains will be effectively a T20 because of moving stuff around. It will take a good long while, but you are having to clear ash and rubble. Luckily, you have a big "crane" in the form of Runa's scaly-bird to help with excavation.

Do you want to do the search, even if to find Tesh's remains for respect?
lostsole31
The group has a small argument that is pretty close - to search now or later? It just comes to a vote of finding someplace to hide out first and getting some sleep.

  "Well, we sure made a ruckus here!"   exclaims Linzi, once the matter is settled to leave.   "Now that the danger of fire is past, and normal townies have headed back to a well-earned rest, I imagine it won't be too long before we might have to deal with a more resolved welcoming party sent by whomever sent those thugs. So it comes down to, where do we go?"  
  "I believe,"   says a timid voice, but one that was unexpected so makes the more reactive among you jump,   "I can help with that?"  

The man speaking seems to be a lean man in his early 20s .. not bad-looking, and seems to be a poor student ... which is to say, a noble with a decent doublet that is starting to go to thread, for otherwise he wears once-fine leather and has a noble's outfit but not much in the way of jewelry beyond a signet ring and a well-crafted rapier at his side.

  "My name is Amin Jalento, and I know a place we can talk quietly, but your small blond friend is right. We should get out of sight."  
Rithryn
Dane will look him over to get an idea if he is trustworthy.
  "Why would you help a group of strangers during these difficult times?"  
 
 Spoiler 
i want to do a check to see if hes trying to lure us into danger.
 
lostsole31
  "I just spent too long helping fight the fire,"   he whispers, realizing from the hours of firefighting that the loud fire made him forget how quiet the night is.   "I'll answer your question in safety, not out in the open."  

He turns and heads away from the party, but does so in an attempt to be stealthy ... not from the party that directly observes him, of course, but with a mind to not attracting other attention.
Moriar
Vivino eyes him warily.  He shrugs towards his compatriots and then follows this man stealthily as well.

 
 Spoiler: crunchy stealth 


Stealth roll  (1d20+13)[ 14 ] 
 
Ason
Ernak, having just coordinated and labored alongside the volunteer fire brigades, smiles at the man's mention of sharing in that work and gives him a once-over.

Seeing Vivino's shrug at Amin's proposal, Ernak raises his eyebrows with an amused smile and then gives his own shrug in agreement.   "Nothing gambled, nothing gained, I suppose,"   Ernak says before turning to follow the stranger as well.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Since they both ostensibly worked to fight the fire, does Ernak remember seeing this dude doing what he claims? I'm not sure what--if any--check is required for that. If Ernak doesn't recall seeing Amin in the fire brigades, he'll at least try to notice any evidence of recent fire-fighting activity (e.g. sweat, scorch marks, soot on clothing) during that brief once-over.

If any of the above doesn't quite add up for Ernak, he will pause to reconsider after turning to follow the man, with his subsequent actions to be determined based on the intensity/nature of his suspicions.

If everything seems fine, however, then Ernak will simply try to discretely leave the premises like this guy is doing, though after the red mantis assassins' last attack, he'll try to keep his eyes and ears open, just in case.
 
Rithryn
Dane shrugs.
  "Alright than, lead the way."  
lostsole31
Amin guides the group just back up the street to a partially collapsed building across the street from the burned out academy you had just visited a few hours prior. Amin has been squatting here for the past several days, it seems, where he tells you his story...

He was attending classes at Vencarlo’s academy when the quarantine hit, and when he was unable to escape back to the mainland and his home, Vencarlo graciously allowed Amin to stay at the academy as a guest. That stay ended not long after, when several Red Mantis assassins invaded the building. Vencarlo confronted them and took one of them down, but there were too many. Vencarlo was forced to flee, and Amin assumes the assassins burned down the academy as a warning as much as anything else.

Amin doesn’t know where Vencarlo has gone, but he does suspect who might. In the days after the quarantine, while he was Vencarlo’s houseguest, Amin noticed his teacher seemed restless and distracted. Vencarlo regularly left his house at odd hours in the night, sometimes not returning until morning. After one such return, Vencarlo’s clothes were bloody, and he said he had to fight off a thief, but Amin is sure there was more to it than that. Furthermore, in the days before the Red Mantis assassins attacked, Vencarlo had a singularly strange houseguest visit several times—a man with paint-stained hands, wild hair, and a jittery habit of looking about. Vencarlo introduced him as a friend, but Amin recognized him as a somewhat notorious local artist named Salvator Scream. Vencarlo and Salvator always met behind closed doors, three times in all, and on that last meeting Amin swore he heard Vencarlo’s voice raised in anger. Unfortunately, he has little more information than that. He’s been meaning to try to track down Salvator to ask him if he knows what happened to Vencarlo, but has not, of yet, worked up the courage to brave Old Dock, the place where Salvator’s home is located.

What do you do?
Rithryn
  "Than it looks like the next thing we must do is find Salvatore, after we rest would you like to accompany us in the search for him?"  
Dusk Raven
Jacintha folds her arms, saying nothing during or after Amin's talk. She isn't fully sure she trusts him, but the group otherwise has no leads, so it only makes sense to do as he says. In the meantime, she tries to recall what she can about the Old Dock district. Has she been there before? Would she be able to properly guide the group to and through it?
Moriar
  "Thank you for that explanation and sorry that you have had to go through such extremes.  "  Vivino says.
  
"If you do come with us it would be very helpful."  
Sienna
  "What's got you scared to visit the docks? Is it particularly dangerous? ...Though I s'pose few places here aren't, these days."  
lostsole31
 
 Originally Posted by Rithryn 
   "Than it looks like the next thing we must do is find Salvatore, after we rest would you like to accompany us in the search for him?"   
 

Amin thanks Dane,   "As long as you keep me safe! I am no hero."  

 
 Originally Posted by Dusk Raven 
 Jacintha folds her arms, saying nothing during or after Amin's talk. She isn't fully sure she trusts him, but the group otherwise has no leads, so it only makes sense to do as he says. In the meantime, she tries to recall what she can about the Old Dock district. Has she been there before? Would she be able to properly guide the group to and through it? 
 

Jacintha knows her general way around town, but she doesn't have a recent lay of the land if anything got changed up in the anarchy.

 
 Originally Posted by Moriar 
   "Thank you for that explanation and sorry that you have had to go through such extremes.  "  Vivino says.
  
"If you do come with us it would be very helpful."   
 

  "Thank you, brave hero."  

 
 Originally Posted by Sienna 
   "What's got you scared to visit the docks? Is it particularly dangerous? ...Though I s'pose few places here aren't, these days."   
 

   "It's why I hide out here and scavenge for food at night. The Emperor's Thugs are everywhere, especially the Docks!"  
Ason
  "Yes, thank you for sharing your story, Amin, hard as those events may have been on you,"   Ernak agrees,   "It seems that between this 'Emperor' and the Red Mantis assassins, we have our work cut out for us. We fought the former en route to Vencarlo's home, and the latter ambushed us inside it while we searched for him and started that fire. A gang of looters has motives I can follow, but do you have any clue why those assassins would hunt your teacher, in the middle of a quarantine no less?"  

Ernak nods his head at Dane's suggestion.   "I agree. We should try to Salvatore at first light, and if that fails, we might be able to shake out some clues from this so-called 'Emperor' at the docks. Do you know a place where we might hole up for the night in relative safety?"  
lostsole31
"At first light," as late as it is now, means not enough time for rest for those that need it.

Do you wish to amend leaving until the party can get full recovery?
lostsole31
It is the next morning. There is no ability to do recovery at this time (much of what was used in the previous 8 hours, anyway).  Everyone wakes up fatigued, as sleep was cut short and you had a very long day yesterday.

Amin knows that Salvator lives in Old Dock and did enough asking around to confirm that the artist lived in a building located at 140 Wave Street. He also knows that Old Dock is under the control of the Emperor of Old Korvosa. Amin’s heard plenty of rumors about the emperor—that he’s a cannibal, that he’s beheaded more people than died to blood veil, that he’s a devil hiding in the flesh of a man, and that his minions are almost as bad as he is. Although Amin doesn’t believe the rumors, he does believe the emperor is deserving of them, and wants nothing to do with Old Dock as a result. For that reason, he will stay behind here, now that he told you where you can go.

Jacintha, who lived adjacent to the Old Dock before she was trapped in main Korvosa during the epidemic, knows that Salvator Scream is a notorious artist whose gruesome and often scandalous art is held in relatively high esteem by several of Korvosa's nobles. His popularity is even greater among the lower classes, who are most familiar with his work at the Old Dock playhouse known as Exemplary Execrables, where his paintings served as grisly backdrops to that venue’s notoriously violent entertainments. Salvator himself isn’t a public figure, though, and beyond his name, few folk can say they know him.

Before heading out, Linzi asks (sleepily) Dane,   "Do you mind if I stay behind to watch Amin to keep him safe? I'm too tired and spent magically to be of much use, I think."  
Rithryn
  "That should be fine, will you be alright alone?"  
lostsole31
  "We'll take turns keeping each other safe,"   says Amin.
Rithryn
  "Very well, make sure you take care of yourself and we will see you soon. If things go south we can always meet up at the boats."  
lostsole31
And with that, the party (sans Linzi) follow Jacintha, who seems to know where she is going based on Amin's directions.

The group finds themselves on a rickety pier that  parallels the waterline on the so-called "Wave St." While there is a  pier that cuts north to the address Jacintha believes is where she is  supposed to go, next to it there is even more ruinous. What once might  have been a small house has been obliterated, collapsed from within by a  twenty-foot-diameter sinkhole. Water from the Narrows fills the hole,  creating a muddy pit strewn with jagged bits of timber and flotsam. The  edges of the hole are slick and patchy with fungus. Immediately south of  the sinkhole, the boardwalk has also collapsed, creating a dangerous  tangle of timber and crazily tilted pilings.

Oh, and in that big sinkhole are three big, disgusting-looking creatures just wallowing in the water that filled in the hole!

 Begin Round One  ...

 R1T23:  Runa, you are astride Diva. What do you?
Sienna
  "...Think we ought t'do something about these things or just find a way 'round?"   Runa asks, simply standing by for the time being in absence of any overt hostility from the creatures. They're just wallowing; who doesn't like a good wallow every now and then?
lostsole31
 R1T23:    "...Think we ought t'do something about these things or just find a way 'round?"   Runa asks, simply standing by for the time being in absence of any overt hostility from the creatures.

 R1T18:   Hearing someone speaking somewhere, one of the creatures lifts a  tentacle that was drooping in the water. That tentacle's bitter end  looks like something an ill cross between a Venus flytrap and a flypaper  with eyes stuck upon it. There is burbling at the water around it, as  if a gaseous release occurred. But this fell creature doesn't otherwise  stop its leisurely wallow.

 R1T17:   Jacintha , what do you do?
Dusk Raven
  "I'd like to avoid fighting if possible,"   Jacintha says, calling her psionic kukri to one hand and drawing her physical blade with the other,   "We're not at our best right now. But that might not be doable. Let's not make any sudden moves and see if they'll let us pass."  
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Standard Action: Conjure psionic kukri.
Move action: Move 20 feet to the north, drawing her other kukri at the same time.
 
lostsole31
 R1T17:    "I'd like to avoid fighting if possible,"   Jacintha says, calling her psionic kukri to one hand and drawing her physical blade with the other,   "We're not at our best right now. But that might not be doable. Let's not make any sudden moves and see if they'll let us pass."  
 R1T16-15:  One of those disgusting creatures makes its way out of the sinkhole while another clambers onto the rickety edge of the pier!

 R1T14:   Ernak , what do you do?
Ason
Ernak's face contorts in disgust.   "Otyugh: sewage-eaters. Best leave them be, if they're not harming anyone. Just move nice and slowly before they get any ideas."  

Putting his hands out before him in a "easy there" posture, Ernak shuffles north to place himself directly to the east of Jacintha.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Move Action:  move 5 feet west, 15 feet north, and 5 feet east to place himself directly east of Jacintha
 Standard Action:  change his  Tactical Presence  to Indomitable Presence (allies w/in 30 feet gain Die Hard feat and +5 morale to Fort saves vs death effects, fatigue/exhaustion effects, or poison effects
 
lostsole31
 R1T14:  Ernak's face contorts in disgust.   "Otyugh: sewage-eaters. Best leave them be, if they're not harming anyone. Just move nice and slowly before they get any ideas."  

Putting his hands out before him in a "easy there" posture, Ernak  shuffles north to place himself directly to the east of Jacintha.

 R1T13:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
Vivino eyes Ernak warily and says,   "Better start saying some of those pretty words or whatever one does to pacify those things."
  
He moves up a little and readies his scythe in a defensive position.

 
 Spoiler: Not in the face 


Vivino moves 5' to the west and then does an action for Total defense.
 
lostsole31
 R1T13:  Vivino eyes Ernak warily and says,   "Better start saying some of those pretty words or whatever one does to pacify those things.     He  moves up a little and readies his scythe in a defensive position.

 R1T9:   Dane , what do you do?

Green on deck, Runa/Diva in the hole ...
Rithryn
Hammer in hand Dane whispers to his group.
  "If were going we better do it now before the beasts come at us."  
 
 Spoiler 
readies action to move with the party if they leave or attack
 
lostsole31
 R1T9:  Hammer in hand Dane whispers to his group,    "If were going we better do it now before the beasts come at us."    
 R1T3:   The last of the three otyughs lumbers out and closes on the party, and  with a big, wet, clumsy command of Taldane it speaks with that big  central maw.   "Name Steve. You look tasty. You join our mouth?"  
 End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T23:   Runa/Diva , what do you do?

Jacintha on deck, otyughs in the hole, Dane with a readied action ...
Sienna
  "Ah, uh... Maybe some other time, we've got a prior obligation at the moment,"   Runa says, a touch confused at being politely asked to get in its mouth.
lostsole31
 R2T23:    "Ah, uh... Maybe some other time, we've got a prior obligation at the moment,"   Runa says, a touch confused at being politely asked to get in its mouth.

 R2T17:   Jacintha , what do you do?

Otyughs on deck and in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha, for once, hesitates - a dangerous thing to do, normally. Even so, she shuffles a little bit to the side, bringing her blades up in a defensive stance before adding to the conversation:   "Yeah! We're not food!"  
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Full action: Total Defense
Free action: 5-foot step to the west.
 
lostsole31
 R2T17:  Jacintha, for once, hesitates - a dangerous thing to do, normally. Even  so, she shuffles a little bit to the side, bringing her blades up in a  defensive stance before adding to the conversation:   "Yeah! We're not food!"  
 R2T16:  Red moves along the pier and then up on the mud, getting closer to Jacintha.   "We taste you, 'kay? See if you taste foody,"    as from 10' away it undulates its disgusting body to pop out its hip to  bite at Jacintha from 10' away. Jacintha easy dodges the attempt.  Frustrated, it bellows,   "Hey! Let us taste you!"  
 R2T15:   Blue doesn't even move, but whips a tentacle at Jacintha from a  surprising distance. Even with her parrying blades, only her acrobatic  skill is enough for her to avoid that wretched limb.

 R2T14:   Ernak , what do you do?

Vivino on deck, Dane in the hole ....
Ason
  "You wouldn't like us: we taste too spicy,"   Ernak says with a shrug to the three otyughs,   "Even our smell can sting the eyes."  

Ernak then begins to spin a sorrowful tale about how various monsters have tried eating the party before, only to spit them out again once their harsh peppery flavor was discovered.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Free Action at Start of Turn:   Tactical Flanker , picking the square south of Ernak
 Move Action:   inspire courage +2  bardic performance, as his sarcastic storytelling boosts his allies' egos
 Swift Action:  use the  Spellsong  feat to hide the spell he's about to cast with a Perform check
 Standard Action:  cast  Glitterdust , centered on the grid intersection in the middle of Red such that it also catches Green and Blue while avoiding Jacintha

A Bluff check may also be needed, since Ernak's storytelling is probably complete nonsense, but I'll defer to the DM on that one. If this is doubling up on skill checks too cheesy or what-have-you, Ernak will still do the Glitterdust and inspire courage actions but not Spellsong.
 
lostsole31
 R2T14:    "You wouldn't like us: we taste too spicy,"   Ernak says with a shrug to the three otyughs,   "Even our smell can sting the eyes."  

Ernak then begins to spin a sorrowful tale about how various monsters  have tried eating the party before, only to spit them out again once  their harsh peppery flavor was discovered brilliantly acting out his  monologue. But Ernak discovers a lesson in the matter of line of effect  as he can't form a spell inside of a monster (but could have gone over  it, which he didn't do). The  glitterdust  effect goes off as  soon as the magic hits the otyugh and erupts in a poofing cloud of  goldne particles that cover everything.  The monster is quiet angry as  it bellows from being blinded. The cloud does cover Jacintha, but at  least she isn't blinded by the effect.

 R2T13:   Vivino , you were evoking Total Defense. What do you do?

Dane on deck, Steve (Green) in the hole ...
Moriar
  "It doesn't seem like they are taking the hints,"   Vivino comments.   "Might be time to discourage them directly"  

Vivino tumbles up to green and strikes powerfully down with his scythe.


 
 Spoiler: Chop Suey 


Acrobatics to move 10' to the west:  (1d20+11)[ 23 ] 

Scythe risky strike to attack

to hit  (1d20+10)[ 20 ] 

Damage:  (2d4+12)[ 19 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R2T13:    "It doesn't seem like they are taking the hints,"   Vivino comments.   "Might be time to discourage them directly."  

Vivino tumbles up to green and strikes powerfully down with his scythe for  31 , but he takes  3  himself.

 R2T12:   At nearly the same time, Dane "moves with the party" and was going to  move forward 10' as Vivino, but he stops short as he realizes the area  of the pier he was heading to has a hole in it that he likely would've  gone through.

 R2T3:  Steve (Green) bites Vivino with his massive maw, the bulk of it striking Vivino in the neck for only  4 mod . One tentacle misses Vivino, and the other bounces off of Dane's armor.

 End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T23:   Runa ,  you are currently mounted on Diva, who is standing on the pier. No  weapon is out, and you are feeling as described in the Discord DM. What  do you do?

Jacintha on deck, otyughs in the hole ...
Sienna
  "Well... Can't say we didn't try,"   Runa says, hopping off Diva.   "Flank 'em, Diva,"   she adds, pointing at the one in front of Vivino and Dane as she raises her holy symbol to cast a spell.

 
 Spoiler 
Fast dismount, then casting Prayer!
 
lostsole31
 R3T23:    "Well... Can't say we didn't try,"   Runa says, hopping off Diva with alacrity.   "Flank 'em, Diva,"    she adds, pointing at the one in front of Vivino and Dane as she raises  her holy symbol to cast a spell, intoning primal words of power to  Gozreh. A wash of visible, aquamarine energy washes over all of the  current participants, filling the heroes with a sense that they can  overcome any obstacle.

 R3T22:  Diva dips to the  south and around to try and stay out of tentacle range for as long as  possible before committing to the command given, avoiding a tentacle  slap from Steve.

 R3T17:   Jacintha , you are currently using total defense. What do you do?

Otyughs on deck and in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Seeing Diva get into a good flanking position, Jacintha nimbly steps around the pier, looking to get into a flanking position herself. As she moves, she does her best to avoid the enemy's tentacles, dodging and weaving in unpredictable ways. Once she arrives in position, she swings hard overhead at her target.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move Action: Moving at half speed so-as not to increase the Acrobatics DC, I'll move one square SE, one square S, and one square SW, to get into a flanking position on green.
Standard Action: Assuming that succeeds, I'll attack green with my psychic kukri. Using Risky Strike.
Attack Roll:  (1d20+12)[ 17 ]  Damage:  (1d4+12)[ 13 ]  plus Sneak Attack  (4d8)[ 15 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T17:  Seeing Diva get into a good flanking position, Jacintha nimbly steps  around the pier, looking to get into a flanking position herself. As she  moves, she does her best to avoid the enemy's tentacles, dodging and  weaving in unpredictable ways. Once she arrives in position, she swings  hard overhead at her target to strike for  31 + disoriented !

 R3T16:  Red manages to clear its eyes and its eyestalk tentacle and attacks Jacintha with bite and tentacles.

 R3T15:  Blue moves south and attacks Diva .... clearly failing.

 R3T14:   Ernak , do you continue to inspire courage? What do you do?

Vivino on deck, Dane in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak's saga of the party's bad taste evolves into a tale about how their prickly defenses also make them unappetizing. He regales the party and otyughs alike about how--just last night--big red bugs attempted to devour them, only to be smashed into a pulp.

He then takes a deep breath of relatively clean air and flexes his muscles for the muddy, disgusting journey ahead. Ernak then walks westward and then slightly southwest, heading off the pier and into the mud to better surround the otyughs. The Shoanti man then swings his earthbreaker down at the northernmost otyugh.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Free Action (at start of turn):   tactical flanker  on the square directly south of him; maintain bardic performance
 Swift Action:  adopt  Primal Warrior Stance ; can ignore difficult terrain on charges ( irrelevant b/c fatigued ), gains +1 size if helpful for CMB/CMD/resisting special attacks; +2 size for melee weapon damage
 Move Action:  20 feet west off the pier onto mud, 5 feet southwest ( costs 10 feet of movement due to mud? ) to get into flanking position on Red with Vivino;
 Standard Action:  risky strike at Red; attack roll  (1d20+14)[ 25 ] ; damage roll  (4d6+14)[ 28 ]  ( does not include fatigue penalties on either roll, nor bonuses from various party abilities / flanking )

Ernak's maneuvers need to be reset from the last fight. He should not have been in primal warrior stance to start this battle, but he's adopting it now anyways and has gained now advantages from it so far in this fight, so it all works out.

Also, sometime after this battle, Ernak will want to spend 10 minutes during the next moment of downtime to change his readied maneuvers for the day, as I forgot to change them up during the rest. I will remember to call this out when that moment happens, as this is on me as a player, but I'm also stating it here for my own reference.
 
lostsole31
 R3T14:  Ernak's saga of the party's bad taste evolves into a tale about how  their prickly defenses also make them unappetizing. He regales the party  and otyughs alike about how--just last night--big red bugs attempted to  devour them, only to be smashed into a pulp.

He then takes a deep breath of relatively clean air and flexes his  muscles for the muddy, disgusting journey ahead. Ernak On his way, the  now sighted Red swings his tentacle at Ernak. it hits Ernak in the knee  for  4  ... definitely an accidental strike than a  dedicated one; had Ernak been closer, it might have been an opening for  him to instantly grab at the monster. Ernak does a hop down into the mud  into a position to better surround the creatures. He finds that the hop  down and the mud keeps him out of reach, so he closes as intended, but  Blue manages a tentacle smack against him at a great distance that slams  against the side of Ernak's neck for  8 .

 R3T13:   Vivino , what do you do?

Dane on deck, Green in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino nods thanks to Diva and then proceeds bring down two powerful strikes against green.

 
 Spoiler: harvest time 



With prayer and flanking (bonuses not included)

Risky strike 1: to hit  (1d20+10)[ 17 ]  and
      damage: weapon  (2d4+12)[ 17 ]  and vicious  (2d6)[ 5 ]  and sneak if allowed  (4d6)[ 16 ] 

Risky strike 2: to hit  (1d20+4)[ 19 ]  and
      damage: weapon  (2d4+12)[ 17 ]  and vicious  (2d6)[ 8 ]  and sneak if allowed  (4d6)[ 18 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T13:  Vivino nods thanks to Diva and then proceeds  bring down two powerful strikes against green. Both strikes hit, and  completely tear apart the otyugh, with Vivino taking a total of  5  from his weapon.

 R3T12:   Dane , what do you do?
Rithryn
Dane moves up to the creature ad swings his hammer over Vivinos head at the beast.
  "Duck Vivinno."  
 
 Spoiler 
moves next to vivino south of red and risky strikes vital strikes the otyugh.  (1d20+12)[ 26 ]   (4d6+16)[ 30 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T12:  Dane moves up to the creature and swings his hammer over Vivino's head at the beast, calling out,   "Duck, Vivinno!"  as he connects for  31 .

 R3T9:   The door to Salvator Scream's alleged studio swings open, right by  where Ernak was standing a minute ago! An elven woman stands there ...  tall even for an elven female at 6' 5", but surely not weighing more  than 120 lbs. Here eyes appear pitch black, as does her hair. She moves  to the western edge of the pier and jumps down into the mud. Though Dane  was flanking with Ernak, it seems that she is definitely threatening  the otyugh with her spiked chain and not the party, so he has flank with  her as well (and she with him). She calls out,   "Hi, everyone! I'm Laori Vaus! Quite a scrum you have going here, eh?"  
 End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T23:   Runa , what do you do?

Diva on deck, Jacintha in the hole ...
Sienna
Things are a touch crowded on the front, so Runa opts to hang back for the time being and leave it to Diva.   "Nice work. Onto the next one! Keep flanking them, Diva!"   she says, taking aim at blue!

 
 Spoiler 
Runa will use Storm Burst on blue!  (1d20+9)[ 19 ]  to hit for  (1d6+3)[ 9 ]  damage
 
lostsole31
 R4T23:  Things are a touch crowded on the front, so Runa opts to hang back for the time being and leave it to Diva.   "Nice work. Onto the next one! Keep flanking them, Diva!"    she says, taking aim at Blue! She quietly concentrates on a prayer to  Gozreh and a micro-stormfront appears above Blue to buffet it with  static bursts of lightning and rock it with high winds for  12 NL .

 R4T22:  Diva has to navigate a fallen otyugh to get to Blue, but does so and snaps at her target to hit it for  13 .

 R4T17:   Jacintha , what do you do?

Otyughs on deck and in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha finds herself in an unenviable position - she's not flanking her foe, and can't get to a flanking position without exposing herself to danger. However, they seem to have the upper hand, so she accepts this indignity and slashes at Red with both kukris, prizing damage over accuracy.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Full Action: Full Attack with Risky Strike.
Attack (Main):  (1d20+12)[ 29 ] 
Damage:  (1d4+12)[ 15 ] 
Attack (Off-Hand):  (1d20+10)[ 18 ] 
Damage:  (1d4+10)[ 11 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R4T17:  Jacintha finds herself in an unenviable position - she's not flanking  her foe, and can't get to a flanking position without exposing herself  to danger. However, they seem to have the upper hand, so she accepts  this indignity and slashes at Red with both kukris, prizing damage over  accuracy, both kukri striking for  32 .

 R4T16-15:  Red bites at the newcomer, but she slams the chain hard against its melon so that it is  dazed  by the impact. Blue attacks the big bird with a bite and both tentacles, failing to land a blow.

 R4T14:   Ernak , what do you do?

Vivino on deck, Dane in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak concludes his tale of the party's victories over all creatures who attempt to eat them with a resounding roar of triumph. He then drives his earthbreaker twice at the nearest otyugh, working himself into an offensive rhythm.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
 Free Action (start of turn):   tactical flanker  on the square directly south of him; stop bardic performance but  Lingering Performance  keeps it going for next 2 rounds
 Swift Action:   Encouraging Roar  boost, granting +2 to morale to attack/damage for 1 round to allies w/in 30 feet
 Full-Round Action:  full attack with risky strike at Red ( does not include fatigue penalties on either roll, nor bonuses from various party abilities / flanking; does include size increase from  stance  )
     Attack 1 :  (1d20+14)[ 17 ]  to-hit; damage  (4d6+14)[ 27 ] 
 Attack 2 :  (1d20+7)[ 11 ]  to-hit; damage  (4d6+14)[ 27 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R4T14:  Ernak concludes his tale of the party's victories over all creatures who  attempt to eat them with a resounding roar of triumph. He then drives  his earthbreaker twice at the nearest otyugh, working himself into an  offensive rhythm, killing it completely.

 R4T13:   Vivino , what do you do?

Dane on deck, Newcomer in the hole ...
Moriar
  "Welcome to the party new friend!  Now it might be time to get a bit messy...er"    Vivino announces.  Then he makes his way through the dead creature in order to help flank with Diva.

Then with a mighty slash cleaves into the remaining creature.


 
 Spoiler 


The goal of the movement is to end up 10' to the north and 15' to the west.

If able to tumble there:  (1d20+11)[ 18 ] 

If not able to tumble will still move there and take the attack of opportunity.

Once in position will make one risky strike at blue:  (1d20+10)[ 12 ] 

Damage if it hits:  (2d4+12)[ 19 ]  plus  (2d6)[ 10 ]  and sneak attack of  (4d6)[ 11 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R4T13:    "Welcome to the party new friend!  Now it might be time to get a bit messy...er,"     Vivino announces.  Then he makes his way through the dead creature in  order to help flank with Diva, but with the slippery mud and everything,  he doesn't get far before a tentacle slams against his armor. These  things have already proven their lethargy, though, so Vivino stops  trying to move delicately and continues with purpose, though having  tried to be acrobatic, jumping down off the pier, and then moving past  the corpse of the dead otyugh means he loses steam once he gets to the  enemy/

 R4T12:   Dane , what do you do?

Laori on deck, Runa in the hole ...
lostsole31
 R4T12:  Dane tries to navigate on or around the fallen  otyugh to get to the last active one, even as it snaps at him with its  massive maw. Once in position, he gives a mighty swing of his earth  breaker to hit it for  35 .

 R4T9:   Laori scrambles over the other fallen otyugh to get in position to  strike the last otyugh, but it took a lot out of her just to go that  small amount.

 End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T23:   Runa , what do you do?

Diva on deck, Jacintha in the hole ...
Sienna
  "Once more!"   Runa says, keeping up the assault on blue.

 
 Spoiler 
Another Storm Burst,  (1d20+9)[ 19 ]  to hit for  (1d6+3)[ 8 ]  damage
 
lostsole31
 R5T23:    "Once more!"   Runa says, keeping up the assault on Blue, pelting it with a mini-storm for another  13 NL . As luck and skill would have it, that knocks the otyugh unconscious.

 Combat Ends! 

Do you kill the unconscious otyugh, or what do you do?
Ason
After the last otyugh falls, Ernak pays it no mind and instead turns toward the newcomer, offering with a smile,   "Thank you, Loari, for the timely aid. It's a shame the city's sewers may not be as clean for a time, but otyughs can't just start gobbling up citizens. What brings you to Salvator's today?"  

Ernak also begins to repeatedly cast prestidigitation on himself, on his equipment, and anyone else who requests it in order to remove any sewage or stench left on them by the otuyghs.
Rithryn
Dane looks around at the group.
  "How's everyone lookin after?"  
lostsole31
 "It's Laori,"  she corrects.   "Quick, let's get inside the shack. Lots of noise and shouting and magic might bring some of those creepy thugs about. We'll see to the wounded then."  
Moriar
  "Well met and well fought Laori, and I agree with your suggestion."   Vivino says as heads towards the shack.
lostsole31
Laori guides the group into/through the southern door. You get the feeling that is not the main entrance, which makes sense given the pier, but that the door to the west is the main entrance. Still, this is where Laori brings you into the home and studio of Salvator Scream. Both of this room’s windows are tightly shuttered, yet the air inside seems strangely fresh and scented, no doubt because of the six large candles that burn within. Each candle has been affixed by a glob of melted wax to the crown of a gleaming, polished skull, and each of these impromptu and grisly candleholders has been placed atop an otherwise clear desk to the west, arrayed in a gentle arc. A chair sits before the desk, and a careful stack of papers and scrolls sits inside the arc of skulls. To the south stands a nearly empty cabinet, its shelves barren save for a few paintbrushes and a cracked pottery urn.

It's obvious that this chamber served Salvator as his studio, and it was here that he likely spent the majority of his time, committing the visions of violence in his head to canvas. His painting supplies, finished art, and easel seem to have been taken, leaving behind only the room’s few furnishings.

She begins in what will become a hyper-cheerful fashion you will know her for,   "Hi! Again, I'm Laori Vaus, and I'm a priestess of the god of darkness and pain, Zon-Kuthon! So, are you looking for Salvator Scream as well? I wanted to speak with him because his art has a lot of themes important to my faith. I was hoping you could help me get an audience with Salvator?"  
Dusk Raven
  "Well met, Laori,"   Jacintha offers after a bit of hesitation.   "Unfortunately, I'm not sure if we can help you with that. We came here looking for Salvador Scream ourselves, but obviously he's not here. I don't know if there's much we can help with, other than by searching this place for clues as to where he's gone."   After a moment, she adds,   "You're a lot more cheerful than I'd have expected from someone worshiping a god of darkness and pain."  
Moriar
  "I agree, it is refreshing to meet someone be cheerful about darkness...and pain?"   Vivino adds.    "Perhaps we can search this place together for clues."  
lostsole31
 "Great!"  she says.  "It's already crowded in this room, though, so .... after you." 
Moriar
Vivino will head on in and start looking for clues or anything else of note.
lostsole31
There's a door to the east and north out of the studio (not counting the exit to the south. Which do you take?
Ason
The more Loari talks, the more perplexed Ernak looks. Several times he opens his mouth to speak and then closes it again, clearly unsure what to say.

Finally, he changes the subject by saying with a shrug,   "Given Salvator's, erm, macabre reputation, we should be wary as we explore. I doubt an artist would boobytrap his own home, but the district is in chaos right now, so he may have taken precautions. Or if he's already fled, who knows what damage a half-finished artwork of his might do?"  

Ernak himself makes no move to inspect the door for dangers, however.
lostsole31
 "Oh, wait!"  Laori says, trying to remember something.  "Okay..."  she says to herself, trying to remember things,  "I already told you about the rumor that some emperoror has him. OH! I know! I found something in this room you might be very interested in..."
 
She takes out a scrap of cloth.  "I found and kept of an embroidery. I recognize it as coming from a government official's uniform, but I don't understand it's significance. I assume a bloodstained fragment of a politician's uniform would be of interest to you, though."
 
She hands over the scrap.  "Oh, I almost forgot! I heard that Salvator might be held by some emperor guy."
 
It seems a solid memory is not one of her crosses to bear in this life.

The group takes a look at what is obviously from a high-ranking Korvosan official, since the city's coat-of-arms appears on the fragment.
 
 Spoiler: Ernak 
Ernak, you recognize that this fragment comes from the uniform of the seneschal of Castle Korvosa.
 
Ason
Ernak crooks his head at Laori and asks quizzically,   "By 'some emperor guy,' you mean that gang leader taking over this area, right? If this torn fabric is whose I think it is,"   Ernak shoots a meaningful look at the rest of the party,   "then I think I know where we can find Salvator. But just to be sure, can you lead us to where you found that cloth?"  
lostsole31
 "Yes?"  she says very questioningly.  "I thought I was pretty well-informed of the political movers and shakers from Nidal through Varisia. I tried to be well-informed about the city-state of Korvosa before coming here, but since I got here, nothing is what I thought it would be. I don't think the queen has established herself as an empress? So, I am guessing it is some local guy with delusions of grandeur. Anyway, follow me!" 

She opens the northern door to reveal a fifteen-foot-long hallway with facing doors at the end.  She heads up and thumbs to the western door.  "That's the actual main entrance, but this,"  she opens the eastern door,  "is his bedroom. I found that scrap between the wall and the bed." 

A single bed, the blankets and pillows atop it scattered and in disarray, sits to the south in this room. More muddy boot prints mar the wooden floor here and a splash of dried blood decorates one pillow.
Moriar
  "Once we are done searching here, did you want to come with us to see and or free Salvator?"   Vivino asks Laori before proceeding to search the room.

 
 Spoiler: Senses 


Vivino will use his senses to search the room and also try to get a sense of Laori's honesty and sense of character.
 
lostsole31
The party does a quick-search of the bedroom, and do not find anything else of note.
Ason
Ernak pauses for a moment, glancing between Laori and the party members on the verge of speaking, before finally saying,   "That scrap of cloth belongs to the man we're seeking. I have no doubt about it now. The mud and blood in here tell me he didn't leave willingly. I can only imagine that gang leader has one--or likely both--Salvator and our friend, though I can't say why he would want to kidnap either man."  

He pauses to think through his next words carefully before continuing,   "I think we'll have to pay a visit to the Emperor of Korvosa sooner rather than later. While I'd prefer to work this out diplomatically, given our last scrape with his goons and the battle scene left here, I'm guessing it may not be much of a social call. Perhaps the boot prints could point us in our next direction, though?"  
Moriar
  "I agree with your assessment Ernak.  You mentioned that you knew where this emperor and therefore our sought after acquaintance.  Would you be able to guide us there in order to scout things out?"    Vivino asks.
lostsole31
Laori looks confused. She scratches her head. She stops scratching her head. She looks at Vivino with mouth open, and then closes mouth and looks down, before repeating the process three times more, each time looking more confused than the last.  "Did I say I know where the Emperor is? If I did, I don't know why I'd say that." 
Moriar
"  Good to know information that as well Laori, bit it had sounded like Ernak knew perhaps.  " Vivino clarified.
Ason
Ernak shakes his head at Vivino's suggestion.   "No, I merely meant that... the man we were asked to find? I'm pretty sure that bloody scrap of cloth belonged to his uniform. He was here, now he's gone, and there's signs of a struggle. Who else should I guess besides that emperor fellow? I suppose we could ask around, if we're not able to find clues or footprints to follow here, if that's what you mean. But asking around too much might draw the wrong kind of attention."  
lostsole31
Laori is trying to process this,  "Wait, so a highly-placed member of the government is actually an inspired artist? Who IS this Salvator Scream, anyway? You'd think he could afford a better studio than this one." 
Dusk Raven
Jacintha speaks up, finally.   "I think we've already attracted the wrong kind of attention, and it's only a matter of time before the 'Emperor' finds  us.  Unless we want to wait for his goons to find us, I think being proactive and speaking to people is a good idea."  
Moriar
 " My apologies Ernak.  Perhaps we should return to our original plan of discretely asking people around the docks for the Emperor or Salvatores whereabouts?"    Vivino states.
lostsole31
Runa nods and says,   "Agreed. I'm heading out to keep Diva company. Remember, though ... we did good here today, but we're also tired, and we've seen how it affected our ability to fight. Perhaps we should reconvene with Jamento or Pimento or whatever his name was and Linzi?"  
Ason
  "Amin, I think it was,"   Ernak clarifies.   "We'll definitely need a proper rest before we chase any leads the emperor, as given our last meeting with his crew the next one could get bloody."

"Laori, would you want to work with us to track down Salvator? It might be dangerous, and people could get hurt, especially if the emperor's involved, so I understand if you decline. To lay our cards on the table, Salvator had been meeting with a friend of ours, a local swordmaster who maybe knew where to find a different friend of ours who works for Korvosa's government. I imagine all three men are now kidnapped by the emperor you mentioned,"    Ernak pauses, taking in that fact, before adding sarcastically,   "so woe betide anyone else who gets named as a possible lead for our little band's search, I guess, heh."  
lostsole31
  "I'd be happy to!"   Laori chirps cheerfully.

Runa is already outside, is anyone/ everyone else good with this plan?
Dusk Raven
Jacintha nods.   "Sounds like a plan. I could certainly do with some rest."  
Moriar
Vivno agrees with this plan and heads outside as well.
lostsole31
The party manages to get to the burnt-out redoubt (poetry!) and meet with Linzi and Amin. Amin watched over Linzi so at least she's rereshed. Neither they nor the party on the way there meet with any trouble. You might see the odd Korvosan, but it's clear they are fearful and don't wish to interact.

Once the party meets up, Runa admits,   "Listen, it looks like you're doing well here for now. If you don't mind, so we don't have to continue running escort or ... no offense, Pimento ... babysitting, I am going to fly him during cover of night back to the main city. First, I'll stop by the waterfront of Barris and Ridwan are still there and direct them to rendezvous here."  
Moriar
  "Thank you for your help Runa.  " Vivino says

After Runa departs he turns to the others, "  While we wait for the others to arrive, anyone have any ideas on how best to track down this Emperor?"  
lostsole31
  "Sure!"   pipes up Linzi.   "Get some sleep and attack with a fresh perspective. You guys smell AWFUL ... like you had a fight with a sewer monster or something. And you look bedraggled as can be."  
Ason
Ernak furrows his brow in thought as he puzzles over the next steps near the wreckage of last night's fire.   "Amin or Laori, I don't suppose either of you know off-hand where this emperor's lair is, do you? I think all our leads are pointing to him, unfortunately."  

If neither native of the area knows, Ernak gives an appreciative smile before continuing.   "Well, Vivino... you, Dane, Jacintha, our two new friends, and I could probably ask around the nearby area while we wait for Barris and Ridwan to catch up. Six is the most we'd ever want for this sort of thing anyway. That's large enough to fend off any gang attention but probably just small enough to not be obviously suspicious."  

He pauses, again taking stock of things.   "Our initial contact is missing. The last person we know that contact was with was likely kidnapped by the emperor, and we found a clue suggesting the person we're truly looking to rescue is likely at the emperor's lair too. So visiting the emperor is all I can think of, and as I'm not much of an urban tracker or a diviner, asking around is I can come up with myself. If anyone has any better or safer ideas, however, I'm all for that instead."

    After his small monologue, Ernak pauses, considers Linzi's words, and then sheepishly adds.      "...actually, a rest might do us all some good. Maybe we freshen up and then worry about what comes next? If it is the emperor we're after, we'll need all our strength for the work ahead. Asking around can wait a few more hours anyways. It's not like a lair is going to move around on us, ha!"   
lostsole31
Ernak turns to see that Runa has already taken Amin away, and Laori just shrugs.

The fatigued party tucks in and hides, moving to sleep but setting watches nonetheless, covering the remainder of this day and through the night and into the morning.

During that time, everyone eats and drinks. Linzi didn't have any rations, so Dane has to give her one. Laori also didn't expect to be caught in "wildnerness mode" and doesnt' have any kind of pack or loadout.

 Ernak , you have the most food. Do you share with Laori?
Ason
Ernak gingerly holds out one of his rations to Laori and studies her expression as she receives the gift, trying to understand this strange woman.
  
"Tell me, Laori, where are you from?"   he asks as the party shares their meals,   "If you haven't met Salvator before, should I take that to mean you're not from Old Korvosa?"  
lostsole31
Laori is only too happy take the food.

Everyone beds down, witch watches being set, and it is a long long rest through the remainder of the day, into the night, and then the next morning.

Does anyone change their daiies the next morning?
Moriar
 
 Spoiler: morning prep 


Only thing Vivino will do on the morning is to replace reduce person with Shield.
 
lostsole31
    Starday, 16 Desnus 4708 AR (Waxing Gibbous) 
Weather: 70 / 55 F. Trace precipitation (&lt; 1/8" rain). Dry.   

The next morning, everyone gets up and performs their daily actions.

What now?
Rithryn
Dane wakes up to his usual ritual of putting on his armor and cursing Asmodeus.
Ason
After their usual morning routines, Ernak says to the others,   "So... unless anyone has a better idea, I suppose we try to find that gang leader now? Should we just ask around?"  
lostsole31
  "Sounds good to me!"   chirps Linzi.   "I mean, people are keeping to themselves, but this isn't a post-apocalyptic wasteland. It's still a very dense population, just one that's been through trauma."  
Moriar
  "Agreed, perhaps we should go back to the dock's?"    Vivino suggests.   "Neither myself nor my sister Varia are the best talkers, but she sometimes says I can be scary"  
Rithryn
Dane raises his hand.
  "I spent my youth in a bar, and trained with Cailenites. I'm good with people."  
lostsole31
The L-adies (Linzi and Laori) look about curiously. Linzi pipes up,   "Umm, is Sister Varia a contact here we should meet?"  
Moriar
"  Well, to be honest you have already met her to some degree,"   Vivino admits.   "A time ago, I was able to absorb her personality into my being when she almost passed away.  Now she 'resides' within me.  I'm hoping to be able and bring her back one day properly.

Though lately I do feel as if she is getting stronger  ," Vivino finishes with a somewhat confused look on his face.
lostsole31
  "Ohhhh!, Ha ... haha .... hahahaha, how charming!"   comes a forced laugh from Linzi who then whispers to Dane,    "He's crazy."   
  "Is, uh, is ... Sister Varia with us ... now?"   she asks Vivino off-handedly and no longer looking quite at him, before another side-mouthed whisper to Dane,    "Don't make eye contact, and don't run."   
Moriar
  "Not at this time no,"   Vivino answers.    "I'm sure you will know when she is at the surface.  She tends to use what illusion magic I have to make the appearance more like her.


Now, shall we go talk to people?"  
Rithryn
Dane gestured forward.
  "Aye, let's go."  
Dusk Raven
Jacintha frowns at the mention of Vivino's... other soul in his body, but says nothing.

To the suggestion of going out and talking to people, she adds,   "I'll do what I can to help. I know Old Korvosa, and I'm decent with people. And I'm eager to find  some  sort of useful lead."  
lostsole31
 
  
 
    D    espite Jacintha's willingness to talk to folks, it's really Ernak who leads the charge, seconded by Dane. Of course, their gift of gab means that they take a little longer than they necesarily needed, but they do good work in calming the folks they talk to. Still, four hours is a small investment of enjoying fellow human contact and learning several key points of information.
 
 The Emperor of Old Korvosa rules Old Dock from his palace on Silk Street. He’s seized control of several tenements there, and rarely leaves the place. Mobs of his fanatics scour the streets of Old Dock, seeking more conscripts for his cause. Those who resist are instead captured for other purposes. 
 The emperor sees Old Korvosa as his stage. He forces some of his prisoners to take part in violent, deadly games or gruesome performances, pitting them against his most ferocious pets and followers. Others he simply beheads with his favorite toy, an extravagant guillotine called the “Tall Knife.” 
 Those who seek to speak with the emperor must first earn his respect by providing him with entertainment. Of late, it is said that the emperor’s favorite entertainment is a brutal game he invented called blood pig. He’s converted a large rooftop inside of his palace into a playing field for this game, and the howls and screams of those playing and watching can be heard throughout Old Dock every evening. 
 Before the quarantine, the emperor was a man named Pilts Swastel, the owner of a notorious theater called Exemplary Execrables in Old Korvosa. 
 

The Emperor of Old Korvosa’s palace is located at 11 Silk Street in Old Dock, a collection of tenements and abandoned stores that barely escaped destruction during a recent fire that consumed much of the city block to the west.
Ason
As the party reviews all they have learned so far, Ernak looks up at the sky in an attempt to guess the time of day.

When the review is finished, he offers,   "So... what's the plan on going after this guy? I'm not sure kicking in the door will end in our favor, but bloodsports are not my favorite kind of performance either..."  
Moriar
  "Though bloodsports do fit into my area of expertise, perhaps we should try scouting out these places to get a better idea of what we can expect?"   Vivino suggests.    "Perhaps we would be able to locate our friend before things get out of control?"  
Ason
Ernak furrows his brows in contemplation.   "Scouting before we leap in sounds wise. Are you thinking sneaking around the place or bluffing our way in? I suppose we could always do the former and default to the latter if we're discovered. It at least would not hurt to see the outside of this place."

"But since Tesh started that fight for us with the Emperor's goons the other day, it's possible they'll be on the lookout for a group matching our description. Not much to be done about that, but at least I can..."   At that, Ernak activates his sleeves of many garments to shift the color and style of his nonmagical clothing to at least grant some differences in appearance. When the process is finished, he gives a what-can-you-do smiling shrug with a chuckle at his own expense.
Moriar
  "That is a good idea Ernak,"   Vivino agrees and soon his own outfit and face shimmer until he looks more like at typical dock worker.  He looks to be carrying a somewhat bent quarterstaff rather than a scythe.
 
 "Let us observe what we can from the outside.  Be  ready to do some smooth talking Ernak if we get spotted.  Let us head out and see what we can see of this hideout. " 
lostsole31
The party moves out towards where they've been told is the neighborhood of Pilts' Palace.

The streets surrounding the palace are littered with bodies, rubble, and refuse; feral dogs, stirges, drain spiders, and other vermin scuttle around with a bravery not seen in the city before the quarantine. The farther one ventures into Old Dock and the closer one draws to the palace, the fewer citizens appear behind boarded windows, and the more signs of the emperor’s mob grow. Vandalism, brutalized bodies hung up on display, remnants of fires, and other evidence of public violence are everywhere.

The Emperor of Old Korvosa’s palace is located at 11 Silk Street in Old Dock, a collection of tenements and abandoned stores that barely escaped destruction during a recent fire that consumed much of the city block to the west. The palace consists of six buildings, the lower floors of which have been gutted and destroyed by mob violence. Only the upper floors of the northern buildings remain intact; to the south, the roofs alone remain, leaving hollow shells of buildings below. Other than this, all of these wood buildings are stable and in no danger of collapse, despite the large amount of cosmetic damage the mob has inflicted on them in the form of graffiti, scorch marks, and weapon play.

Do you try to mingle in with the mob, or avoid the mob entirely and find a side way into the palace?
Moriar
  "Shall we try to merge with the mob and be our own group within said pack?"   Vivino whispers a suggestion.
lostsole31
  "Okay!"   Laori says cheerfully. She reaches down to the ground in her spiked elven chain with mithral spikes, her beautiful and exotic spiked chain hanging from her side. She puts s single finger in mud, and then boops her nose with it. She looks at the others through her completely black eyes and gives that beatifically creepy smile.
Ason
Ernak arches one eyebrow in amused skepticism at Laori's disguise before whispering back to Vivino and the others.   "I'd prefer to first try discretely slipping around the mob, if that's okay with you, Vivino. If that fails, then we'll have to brave the mob after all. It's just that 'a Korvosan, a Shoanti, an elf, and a dwarf walk into a palace' is how you start a joke. I'm not sure the rest of us can blend in as well as you can."  

Eyeing the 'palace', he adds,   "Plus, I'm no engineer, but six buildings with no real lower floors means there's got to be a few ways into this place. There might just be an opening on the other side. Let's circle around the palace and see if we can avoid the eyes of onlookers entirely."  
Rithryn
Dane lightly taps his armor.
  "Im not much for sneaking."  
Ason
Ernak shrugs and says optimistically,   "I think Dane and Vivino have me outvoted, unless Jacintha has any input to share. Blending in with crowds it is then! I'll just slouch to look less conspicuous, I suppose."  
lostsole31
Linzi, not represented in Ernak's joke, simply shrugs. She knows that she is not represented because halflings actually are sneaky.

 Jacintha  what is your input?
Dusk Raven
  "Hmm..."   Jacintha furrows her brow in thought.   "I'd prefer to sneak around, but a group is only as stealthy as its loudest member. Honestly, I'm not sure either option has much chance of success, but... let's try and blend with the crowd, see how that goes."  
lostsole31
As the party moves closer to the crowd, they are so exotic and mixed that they are easily noticed and the mob reacts to the party's presence as they jeer the newcomers. Lewd comments are hurled, racial epithets howled, and all manner of insults are lobbed at the party. Four thugs congregate to front of the mob to accost the party, with one speaking up,   "What's the meaning of your intrusion into the emperor's domain? Explain your presence in Old Korvosa."  
Ason
Ernak keeps his slouching posture and turns to the thug who initiated  the conversation. Drawing on his childhood days in Old Korvosa, Ernak  peppers his speech with neighborhood slang whenever he can to establish  his legitimacy.   "Everyone knows the Emperor's crew is tough, and you can see it's hard getting by 'round here looking like we do,"   he says while jerking his thumb back at the rest of the party amid the crowd's jeers.

  "But my friends and I have cracked a few skulls back in the day, and even Shoanti gotta eat,"   Ernak states with a grin.   "Plus,  I figure every emperor needs to have some 'exotic' goons, just for show  if nothing else. Taldor's got them Ulfen Guards, and Korvosa now has  those Gray Maidens doing the queen's dirty work. Since we don't exactly  'fit in', it's not like enlisting us would threaten the Emperor's  current movers and shakers, like yourselves, but we've still got the muscles to  do what needs doing. So we figured we'd come check out the Emperor's  place for ourselves and see what's to see around here."  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Reminder:  Ernak is wearing a  Headband of Social Competence , so if he is about to say something that will antagonize the main thug ( i.e. "worsen his attitude" ) then Ernak will stop his little speech right there, catching himself mid-sentence if need be.

Also, just for fun, I don't think Ernak has directly told a lie, though he's definitely lied by implication here.

Also,  because Ernak definitely does not trust this man, he is going to Sense  Motive throughout this exchange to assess whether these thugs are trying to trick or otherwise  take advantage of the party.
 
lostsole31
The Shoanti's desires to join are met with derision and scorn from the mob, but the guard waves them down, despite laughing with them.    "Fair enough, surrender your weapons to us, and we'll take you to be judged by the emperor."  
Dusk Raven
As Jacintha has little need of physical weapons, she doesn't hesitate in taking out her kukri and presenting it to the guard -- but she does glance to her teammates to see if they're doing the same.
Moriar
 " Beware the spiky bits,"   Vivino says with a grin as he hands over his scythe.    "Looking forward to getting that back  "
Ason
  "Judged?"   Ernak says quizzically, pausing before he hands over his weapon,   "That's a very specific word. Is there something I should know about what's ahead?"  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Ernak would like to make a Sense Motive check vs this guard and the other gang members around him, as he isn't exactly trusting of them.

He is not trying to be openly defiant or hostile to the guards with this question but rather is just puzzled.
 
Rithryn
Dane lets out a sigh as he looks at his weapons.
  "Aye, here."  
H hands them his earthbreaker "Drinking Companion", than from his back his Earthbreaker "Blessing", han hands them two light hammers.
  "Hope they aren't too heavy for ya."  
lostsole31
 
 Originally Posted by Dusk Raven 
 As Jacintha has little need of physical weapons, she doesn't hesitate in taking out her kukri and presenting it to the guard -- but she does glance to her teammates to see if they're doing the same. 
 

They accept her sheathed kukri.

 
 Originally Posted by Moriar 
  " Beware the spiky bits,"   Vivino says with a grin as he hands over his scythe.    "Looking forward to getting that back  " 
 

There's a round of laughter for the first part, and even louder for the second.

One of the guards points to  Vivino 's sling, and does a gesture for him to hand it over. Does he?

 
 Originally Posted by Ason 
   "Judged?"   Ernak says quizzically, pausing before he hands over his weapon,   "That's a very specific word. Is there something I should know about what's ahead?"   
 

He just smiles and grins as he takes your earthbreaker, and there's laughter amongst the mob, something about "jabber" and a "tall knife."

Meanwhile,  Ernak , you handed over your weapon (singular, as you put it, which likely meant your earthbreaker). They seem to be waiting for you to hand over your obvious bow, quiver of arrows, warhammer, and knives. Do you? 
 Spoiler: Ernak OOC 
The guard is gleeful.
 


 
 Originally Posted by Rithryn 
 Dane lets out a sigh as he looks at his weapons.   "Aye, here."   H hands them his earthbreaker  Drinking Companion , than from his back his Earthbreaker  Blessing , then hands them two light hammers.   "Hope they aren't too heavy for ya."   
 

The 32 pounds worth of weapons are not too heavy, but he does have to hand off to other guards (as he's been doing with the other weapons), because of the bulk. Meanwhile,  Dane , he looks you up and down at your armor and says appreciatively, breaking "character" just enough to say,   "Nice rig."  

Laori cheerily hands over her spiked chain. Of course, that spiked chain is her weapon. She also wears spiked chain ... as in an elven chain shirt with spikes. Coming from any other woman's mouth, what she says next would sound suggestive and sultry, but from her it is asked as innocently as a naive bairn.   "These other chains are attached. Should I take off my top?"  

That definitely garners a lot of catcalls.

  "S-s-sure,"   says the guard, hungrily.

And with that, she carefully takes off backpack and everything for outerwear so that she can then take off her elven spiked chain. The guard has to hold it carefully to not stab himself.

Linzi of course, has her finely crafted crossbow and her more mundane aldori dueling sword.  The problem is, you do not currently have Linzi for her to give up those weapons!  

Do you (plural) crane your necks looking around for her, or focus on the task at hand?
Moriar
Vivino will hand over his sling and though he won't crane his neck looking for Linzi he will keep an eye out for her.
Ason
With a last longing look at his earthbreaker, Ernak steels his face as parts with the rest of his weapons. A look of realization dawns on his face, and he says quietly and conspiratorially to the lead thug,   "Oh, you mean the Emperor's game? I'm looking forward to it, heh. I'll put on a good show for his 'loyal subjects', don't worry."  

 Straightening up from his slouch to his full height, he adds loudly with bravado for the crowd's benefit,   "So who's ready for some blood pig?! I promise I won't  hog  all the glory! Eh? We won't give you a  boar -ing show! Ha ha!"  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
If possible, I'd like for Ernak to make some kind of check here to attempt to curry favor with the crowd. He think he knows what's coming next, given the rumors we heard at the start of this section. He's going to lean into that guess, unless his headband of social competence tells him that's a really bad idea. He's not really gung-ho on the idea of violence as art, especially if innocents get hurt in the process, but he recognizes he doesn't have much of a choice at this point, so he's trying to make the best plays he can with the bad hand he was dealt. Maybe Bluff? But he's also trying to put on a show, so I could see Perform (Act) instead. Your call, but like I said, he's going to try to win over the crowd if possible.
 
lostsole31
Oh, there are a lot of cheers as Ernak says his bit and hands over his weapons and makes his claim. Plenty of jeers, true, but some support. The party begins to be led into area  C1  (Palace Entrance). The interior of this home has been gutted. A huge mound of rubble—broken timbers, bits of wall, ruined furniture, and other debris—lies heaped in the center of the room. Rickety wooden stairs wind up to a splintered hole in the wall near the roof above.

They are walked up the stairs, members of mob and guards leading and following all, and then guided across the rope bridge into Area  C2  (Guardroom). What was once an attic has been cleared of all clutter, leaving a large open area under exposed rafters and the roof above. Rope bridges lead to other areas outside of the room to the northeast and southwest, and a flight of stairs descends to a lower floor to the northwest.

While the northeast rope bridge is level, the southwest one climbs an additional 10 feet to area  C3 , turning the bridge into a somewhat unsettling (but still relatively safe) “rope stairway.” The wooden stairs descend to a floor that has been filled almost completely with rubble that blocks entry from below.

Finally, it's across that rope bridge and to area  C3  (The Emperor's Throne): This open-air balcony is shielded from rain and sun by a brightly colored canvas roof that extends up over the area like a half-dome, held in place by a wooden framework. The inside of the canvas has been decorated with scenes of gruesome debauchery; battlefields, executions, torture chambers, and human-eating monsters all vie for space. The balcony contains two major features of note. The first is a high-backed throne that looks like a poor man’s version of the Crimson Throne, a thing of blood-red cushions and silks and spikes. Directly west of the throne stands an intimidating device: a tall guillotine of carved wood and bone, its base depicting grasping demonic feet and the housing of its glittering blade a leering demonic face.

This balcony is where the Emperor of Old Korvosa holds court, 25' off the ground and overlooking a large rooftop.

Sitting in the throne is a an odious man—a thin Chelaxian cursed from childhood by acne, made worse of late by his recent bout with blood veil. Pilts has an extensive collection of costumes, and he delights in mixing and matching them to create an endless array of variations on what he believes to be royal attire. That his costumes are generally threadbare and ratty gives him the look more of a vagrant king than actual royalty, but all who have pointed this out to him before have felt the Tall Knife’s kiss. Despite his unsavory appearance, Pilts has an almost hypnotic speaking voice and a real talent for grandstanding and delivering compelling soliloquies; these are his greatest tools for gathering the desperate and cruel to his banner.

The Emperor is attended directly by four thugs and a small-sized, hooded creature. In addition, guards are about the heroes, and the main bulk of the mob is squeezed in wherever it cand find standing room.

After hearing whispers in his ear from a couple guards from downstairs, he nods impatiently and calls out in that voice that stands in such contrast with his dreadful look,   "How may the Emperor of Korvosa help these unfortunate waifs who have found themselves in his lands?"  
Rithryn
Looking between his companions Dane let's out a small sigh before  stepping forward with a short bow.
  "Greetings your lordship, we have come here seeking your wisdom. We are in search of a man named Salvatore  if you have any information on his whereabouts than we would like to purchase that information? We could pay in either a monetary form or some sort of agreement?"  
lostsole31
The line of guards keeps Dane from stepping forward, so Dane has to call out from his position. After he does so, the Emperor responds,   "Yes, it's true! I am the royal patron to the prominent artist Salvator Scream. In fact, he is my houseguest ..... but he won't be going anywhere anytime soon."  
Rithryn
Dane nods at the "emperors" words.
  "Would you allow us to speak with him? We have come far and through great dangers to ask him some questions."  
lostsole31
  "Ha!"   barks the Emperor, with a pause of several seconds before laughing fully, and his mob and crew joining in.

The Emperor is a master at conducting his crowd through the laughter before bringing it to a close.   "Even an Emperor would not dare intrude upon an artist at work. No, our houseguest's privacy is sacred."  
Rithryn
  "Your grace, we would like to pay for our grievances we have done against you? I hear you own a sports auditorium, might we wager a moment of your artists time against a time on the field?"   
lostsole31
The emperor's eyes go wide as does his smile, and then the lunatic claps once as if to signal the end of discussion.   "Hear, eh? With the gaming field below and right behind me? Must be a blind dwarf? Har-har-har-har..."   and so follows the crowd in laughter.

Once the laughter begins to die down, he says,   "If you and your people there can win a game of against my best players, the team known as the Shinglesnipes...."   and he pauses as the mob breaks out into a raucous cheer before continuing as that cacophony diminishes ...   "I will allow you five minutes with Salvator - under my supervision, of course! As you have honorably given up your weapons, I promise to return your gear to you safely, and see that you are granted a safe escort out of Old Dock after your interview if you win this game. If you don't win," and here his smile takes on a more malicious quality, "you will be taken before Jabbyr there and the Tall Knife."  

Cheering from the crowd.

  "Do you agree to these terms?"  

Something about his posture tells you that there is no more room for asking clarifying questions or seeking concessions.
Rithryn
Dane speaks clearly.
  "I agree!"  
He looks to his companions.
  "Are you all up for it, it is more than just my life at stake in this game?"  
Moriar
  "Aye Dane. I'm with you."   Vivino says.
lostsole31
  "I love games!"   claps Laori's hands exhaustedly, her childlike mania matching the emperor's lunacy step-for-step.
Ason
  "I accept."   Ernak says loudly.
Dusk Raven
Jacintha frowns, but says   "I'm in,"   with little hesitation.
lostsole31
With the last of the interlopers agreeing to play for their lives or a chance to meet an artistic genius, the mob cheers!

  "These are the rules!"   calls out the Emperor, creating a hush across the crowd.

  "The goal of bloodpig is to be the first team to score 5 points!  
  "A player scores a point for her team by throwing, kicking, dropping, or otherwise placing a pig into her team’s pit. Your pit is located over there..."   (here he points to area  C4f )   "...while the Shinglesnipe's pit is located there."   As he points to area  C4b , the crowd cheers on their home team favorites.

  "Each of these pits contains a starving wolverine. The pig, once thrown into a pit, suffers a violent and noisy, yet swift death."   (Cheers.)

  "At the game's start, a pig is loaded into one of two cages."   Here he points to  C4a  and  C4e .

  "Whenever a point is scored, a fresh pig is loaded into the cage on the opposite side of the playing field from the pit where the previous pig was killed.

"Each member of a team must start the game within her team’s square in the middle of the field. Your team must start in that area..."   (here he gestures to  C4d )   "....while your opposition will start there."   At the last he gestures to  C4d .   "Exact positioning in these areas is left to the game players to decide. No more than eight players can play on a team; but, since you don't have enough players to round out your team," the emperor shrugs, “At least you won’t be as crowded when the game begins.”
  
Laughter at the joke and cheers from the crowd.
  
"No weapons are allowed in a game of blood pig. Casting spells before or during a match is also against the rules. Each time one of these rules is broken, the opposing team gets a point. The use of fists and other unarmed attacks do not count as the use of weapons; players are allowed (and expected) to throw punches (lethal or otherwise) during a game.

"Players .... take the field!"  

Lots more cheering now.
lostsole31
The Shinglesnipes take the field to much fanfare.  The Emperor flips a  coin, and it must have come up heads, as a frightened pig is raised up  from the cage below on the PCs' side, right next to Vivino. Vivino looks  ready to pounce, but the Emperor waits a full round before he finally  cries,   "Go get your pig!"  
 Begin Round One ...

R1T29:   Jacintha , you are the first to go. What do you do? Vivino has yet to "get his pig."
Dusk Raven
Jacintha, without a better idea as to what to do, decides to go for some interference. She moves up to one of the enemy team and directs a punch their way.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Jacintha moves one space SE, then six S. Once there, she punches at Player Red.

Attack:  (1d20+12)[ 15 ]  Damage: Flat 1 damage plus sneak attack  (4d4)[ 11 ] 

EDIT: 2 base damage. For Debilitating Injury for this attack, I'll choose Hampered.
 
lostsole31
 R1T29:  Jacintha, without a better idea as to what to  do, decides to go for some  interference. She moves up to one of the enemy team and directs a punch  their way. She should have gotten him, but she learns that this is a  skilled athlete who is on the ball. He manages to move at just the last  minute so that Jacintha's ends up impacting neglibly against his studded  leather armor.

 R1T23:   Dane , what do you do?
Rithryn
Dane readies himself at the goal for the pig.
 
 Spoiler 
Readies action to knock the pig away (towards an ally if close) if it comes within reach.
 
lostsole31
 R1T23:  Dane readies himself at the goal for the pig.

 R1T22-20:  Green charges Ernak with a bull rush, pushing him back 10'. Blue hustles right up to Vivino.

 R1T17:  Vivino, what do you do?
Moriar
Vivino lets out a howl of rage as he takes on an animalistic appearance.

Then he grabs the pig and moves away from red acrobatically.

 
 Spoiler: pig time 


Enters rage.

Grabs pig.

Then shifts 5' to southwest.  Then tumbles away and looking to be 10 ' north of Jacintha.


Acrobatics roll:  (1d20+13)[ 32 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R1T17:  Vivino lets out a howl of rage as he takes on an  animalistic appearance. He reaches in to grab the pig as Blue fails  miserably in trying to trip him. With the squirming pig in hand, Vivino  jukes the incompetent Blue and darts to the south.

 R1T16:  Laori gets into some type of spooky pose and then hustles deep into the enemy field.

 R1T15-7:   Brown charges Vivino to try and steal the pig. Yellow intercepts Laori  and intimidates her. Purple comes up and steals the pig out of Vivino's  hands! Red-Blue takes the pit (goal), escorted by Pink. Red shifts  position to now be flanking with Purple and tries to elbow Jacintha, but  she deftly moves out of the way.

 R1T2:   Ernak , what do you do? The opposition now has the pig (Purple).

Dane on deck, Green in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak grits his teeth and squares his stance in response to the bullrush before yelling out to his teammates,   "Don't let 'em rest! Keep pushing!"   He then attempts to sweep the legs of the man to his left as he pushes past him to the southwest.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
 Swift:  adopt  Primal Warrior Stance 
 Move:   Inspire Courage  ( no range limit as long as allies can perceive him ) for +2 morale v charm/fear effects and +2 competence to attack / weapon damage ( the former should also boost CMB, I believe )
 Standard:  trip attempt on blue  (1d20+21)[ 24 ]  ( includes +2 from inspire courage, +2 from deft maneuvers feat, and +1 from stance's size bonus; no AoO because of deft maneuvers )
 Five Foot Step:  southwest

 Attacks of Opportunity:  Ernak will reserve his AoO to use against any opponent who moves near him while holding the pig. He will use a trip attack for that AoO.
 
lostsole31
 R1T2:  Ernak grits his teeth and squares his stance in response to the bullrush before yelling out to his teammates,    "Don't let 'em rest! Keep pushing!"    He then sweeps the legs of the man to his left as he pushes past him to the southwest.

 End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T29:   Jacintha , what do you do?

Dane on deck, Green in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha moves to flank the pig-carrying enemy team member, and delivers a quick jab to his midsection, hopefully hindering him enough so that he won't be able to carry the pig as far.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move 10 feet to the west, thus flanking Purple, before attacking him with an unarmed strike. Using the Arcane Accuracy Magus Arcana as a swift action to give a +5 (included) to her attack roll.

Attack:  (1d20+17)[ 27 ] 
Damage:  (1d3)[ 3 ]  plus sneak attack:  (4d4)[ 10 ]  and applying the Hampered Debilitating Injury.
 
lostsole31
 R2T29:  Jacintha moves to flank the pig-carrying enemy  team member, but in doing so she completely opens herself up. Purple  misses with a kick, but Red strikes Jacintha in a nerve point in her arm  for  14 NL + bewildered . Brown tries to trip her but fails. Jacintha gets to where she was going and delivers  a quick jab to Purple's lower leg for  13 NL + hampered  to hopefully hinder him enough so that  he won't be able to carry the pig as far.

 R2T23:   Dane ,  as you observe the goings-on, you realize that as long as you are next  to the pit, and as long as the pig has to cross within your reach to get  to the pit, you don't have to "ready" an action as such, but take an  AOO to block (even w/o Unarmed Combatant). What do you do?

Other team on deck and in the hole ...
lostsole31
 R2T23:  Dane does the only thing he really can do for now. He delays ...

 R2T22-20:  With Ernak isolated, Green sidesteps to flank with the prone Blue. He knees Ernak in the groin for  22 NL + disoriented .  Ernak is focused on the pig-holder, so Blue stands without worry, and  kicks Ernak in a vulnerable spot in his upper right arm for  18 NL + disoriented .

 R2T17:   Vivino , what do you do? Purple has the pig.

Laori on deck, Shinglesnipes in the hole, Dane delaying ...
Moriar
Vivino growls at purple.  Then swipes at the pig before taking a bite.

 
 Spoiler: My pig! 


Continue raging

CMB to grab pig:  (1d20+13)[ 29 ] 

2nd CMB if needed: [roll1d20+8[/roll]

Bite attack if able to hit of  (1d20+15)[ 27 ] 

Damage of  (1d4+7)[ 10 ]  and sneak attack of  (4d6)[ 14 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R2T17:  Vivino growls at Purple.  Then swipes at the pig, snatching it up easily, before taking a bite out of the man's cheek for  23 !  The man cries in pain, blood streaming down from his face, and for a  moment the crowd hushes before they erupt into a new cheer (they've been  cheering every major hit so far) and a renewed bloodlust.  The  Shinglesnipes, who until now have been playing dirty but not playing  deadly, suddenly all shout in anger themselves.

 R2T16:    "Wait!"   shouts Laori, still a little unnerved from one of the opponents,   "We're allowed to kill them!? Why didn't I think of that!"  

She  gets a gleeful smile on her face, and begins to hum a cheerful tune, as  she tries to sidestep her opponent. She doesn't so well, but he doesn't  trip her, either as she moves up to be in reach of two Shinglesnipes.  She attacks her former opponent using some type of bizarre martial arts  maneuver with her armor spikes. Despite Ernak's prowess, her own  nervousness catches up with her, and her desire to use more power than  necessary, as the man's armor barely stops the spine.

 R2T15-7:   Brown recovers from his charge and strips the pig out of Vivino's  grasp. He then tries to get out of Vivino's reach, but the big man  lashes out with a claw to hit Brown along his upper left leg for  7 ,  but Brown is finally free. Meanwhile, having been attacked by a deadly  weapon Yellow takes out a battle axe and steps to flanking, but his axe  tings against her elven chain. Though hampered, Purple withdraws away  from Vivino and Jacintha. The enemy goalie (red-blue) takes out an axe  as well against the one that used a real weapon, but Laori dances out of  the way. Pink moves downfield carefully in a hustle. Red moves  downfield and takes the pig from Brown. Red shouts to Ernak as he  orates,   "Hey, tell your animal and  crazy lady to put weapons away, and we'll do the same here. We didn't  start with trying death and lasting injuries like your lot! We're better with axes, and nobody on the field wants that, even if the crowd and Emperor would love it!"  
 R2T2:    Ernak , you are currently inspiring courage, though also a bit disoriented. What do you do?

Jacintha on deck, Shinglesnipes in the hole, Dane delaying ....
Ason
Ernak calls out to his teammates,    "Stay nonlethal, team!"   

Taking the opportunity, however, he jukes southwest before attempting to slam Green to the floor. Ernak then moves southeast and south toward the pig-carrier. From this new position, he yells,    "Steal it, Jacintha!"   
 
 Spoiler: mechanics 
 Start of Turn:   Tactical Flanker  on square to the southwest
 Free Action:  Rallying  Tactical Presence 
 Standard Action:   Disparity Blow  on Green; attack roll  (1d20+15)[ 26 ]  ( does not include any bonuses or penalties from inspire courage, disorientation, or anything else ); nonlethal damage roll  (1d6+7)[ 12 ]  ( adjusted for stance size change ) +  (2d6)[ 8 ]  nonlethal from maneuver

 
  Free Trip Attempt if Hits:   (1d20+23)[ 27 ]  ( includes +1 from size bonus, +2 from deft maneuvers, and +4 from Disparity Blow maneuver; does not include inspire courage, disorientation, or anything else ) 
 
 Move Action:  five feet southeast, five feet south ( hoping tripped + hands full with pig means only 1 AoO ) so he ends up directly west of Red and north of Pink

 Swift Action:  ready action to use  Pride Movement  to give Jacintha a free move action
 
  Triggering Condition:  if Jacintha ever is adjacent to Ernak, which she can be if she ends up directly south of Red 
 
 AoOs (if triggered):  depending on how this turn and Jacintha's turn go...

 
 If Jacintha is able to steal the pig and use that extra move action from Ernak to move away with it, Trip as AoO on any opponent who attempts to chase after her 
 If that is not the case for any reason, Trip as AoO on any opponent with the pig who tries to move past Ernak 
 
 
lostsole31
 R2T2:  Ernak calls out to his teammates,    "Stay nonlethal, team!"   

Taking the opportunity, however, he jukes southwest before slamming Green to the floor for  20 NL . Ernak then moves southeast and south toward  the pig-carrier; as he does so Blue and Green fails their AOOs vs. him.

From this new position, he yells,    "Steal it, Jacintha!"   
 End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T29:   Jacintha , you are no longer bewildered. What do you do?

Green on deck (literally), Blue in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Having been given a clear direction, Jacintha springs into action, skirting around various combatants before attempting to swipe the pig from Red.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move action: Move 1 square E, 3 squares NE, 1 square N, and 1 square NW.
Standard action: Attempt to take the pig from Red.
Combat Maneuver Check:  (1d20+14)[ 19 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T29:  Having been given a clear direction, Jacintha  springs into action,  skirting around various combatants before attempting to swipe the pig  from Red. It is one hell of a tussle, but in the end, Jacintha sees that  at least this guy is trained to stop exactly what she attempted to do,  and he maintains the piggy.

 R3T22-20:  Green gets  to their feet and sidesteps and throws a punch at Ernak, mainly to keep  his attention. Blue jukes around, past Dane, and to the west of Ernak  to flank him and while Ernak is focused on Green, Blue punches Ernak in  the jaw for  14 NL + disoriented .

 R3T17:   Vivino , you are raging. Team coach just said "no lethal." Red has the pig in your field. What do you do?

Laori on deck, Brown in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino answers Ernak by growling in frustration.

Then he moves up to red and goes for the pig.

 
 Spoiler: Poor claws get unused 


Continue raging

Moves 2 square east and then 3 squares north

CMB to steal pig, first try:  (1d20+13)[ 21 ] 

If needed, 2nd try:  (1d20+8)[ 27 ] 

If he gets the pig, will say   "Grab the pig team and go score"  
Will then let any party member take the pig.
 
lostsole31
 R3T17:  Vivino answers Ernak by growling in frustration  before he moves up to Red and goes for the pig. Brown and Red both fail  to trip him. Vivino briefly gets ahold of the pig in a tussle with Red,  but Red finally is able to wrench free with the pig.

 R3T16:   Laori, who managed to get over her momentary nervousness from one of  the players, listens to Ernak and gives her two aggressors a coquettish  smile,   "Oh, pooh. No fun. Oh, well. The hard way it is."  

She sidesteps to get out of flank and then leaps up to come slamming down on Yellow with some type of weird body drop for  13 NL ( +4 NL bleed ) . To his credit, Yellow isn't knocked down, but both he and the goalie look like they feel .... weird.

 R3T15-7:  Brown tries to knock down Jacintha but fails. Yellow takes   4 NL bleed  ,  likely not understanding what is happening to him; he fakes out Laori  but his strike impacts against her armor. Purple, no longer hampered,  hooks around on the field to try to shove Jacintha, who dodges. Red-Blue  puts away their axe, steps up to Laori, and fails to trip her. Pink  does an awful job of joining the dogpile on Ernak, and gets himself  turned around, unable to threaten. Red does a lateral handoff of the pig  to Green, who now has the pig.

 R3T2:   Ernak , you are still disoriented and your lingering performance is still going as you are in PWS ( Primal Warrior Stance ). Green now has the pig. What do you do?

Jacintha on deck, Green in the hole, Dane delaying ...
Rithryn
Dane will move up to flanking green and throw a plated punch into his back.
  "Sorry guys, was thinkin about somethin."  
 
 Spoiler 
Power attack + vital strike + Non lethal
 (1d20+10)[ 30 ]   (2d3+11)[ 14 ] 
 
Ason
With Dane charging into the fray, Ernak takes the opportunity to attempt to steal the pig from green and hand it off to Jacintha, urging her to run with it.    "Go, go, go!"   
 
 Spoiler: mechanics 
 Start of Turn:   Tactical Flanker  on square to Ernak's southwest, directly west of pink

 Standard Action:  CMB attempt to steal pig  (1d20+17)[ 20 ]  (includes size bonus from stance; does not include outflank flanking, inspire courage, deft maneuvers feat [I'm away from book currently and can't recall whether it affects this type of maneuver], disorientation, or any other bonus or penalty that may or may not apply)
 Move Action:  item interaction to hand pig over to Jacintha
 Swift Action:   Pride Movement  boost on Jacintha
 Five Foot Step:  if all of the above actions succeed, Ernak shifts five-feet southeast to occupy Jacintha's former spot; if that type of movement is mechanically illegal, Ernak instead shifts five-feet northeast to be directly north of red

 AoOs (if triggered):  if Ernak is able to get the pig over to Jacintha and she is able to get away, trip AoO on any opponent running after her for as long as she has the pig OR trip AoO on any opponent holding the pig attempting to move near Ernak (whichever trigger applies first)

Note: Rusty, I don't think you've been tracking Ernak's inspire courage rounds on his sheet.
 
lostsole31
 R3T3:  Dane moves up to flank Green and throws a plated  punch at Green's back. Green attempts a poor counterattack and still  gets hit in the back for  14 NL .   "Sorry guys, was thinkin' about somethin."  
 R3T2:  With Dane charging into the fray, Ernak takes the opportunity to attempt  to steal the pig from Green, and hands it out to Jacintha, yelling    "Go, go, go!"   
 
 Spoiler: ALCON: STEALING A PIG 
 Stealing a Pig : A character can grab a pig out of another person’s hands with a successful disarm combat maneuver check.
 

 
 Spoiler: ALCON: PASSING A PIG (not the same as throwing) 
 Passing a Pig : A character can pass a pig to a teammate as a SA if she is within reach of a teammate.
 

The pig gives a hearty squeal at three squeal-barks like Ernak gave in his shout, and the crowd gives a rousing cheer.

 End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T29:   Jacintha , Ernak is holding the pig out to you. What do you do?

Green/Blue on deck and in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Needing no further prompting, Jacintha takes the pig from Ernak, and does her best to weave around the attacks of the enemy teammates, making her way south until she reaches Laori, whom she hopes can take the pig and score a goal.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Standard Action: Take the pig!
Move action: Move 2 squares SE, 1 square SW, and 3 squares S.
 
lostsole31
 R4T29:  Needing no further prompting, Jacintha takes the  pig from Ernak (who lets her), and the pig lets out a terrified squeal  to the roar of the crowd. She does her best to weave around the three  attempts to take the pig from her by the enemy teammates; strangely,  Pink was daydreaming and missed their chance. Jacintha makes her way  south until she reaches Laori, and signals to her to take the pig.  The  crowd totally loves the sudden turnaround, especially Jacintha's  incredibly squirelliness at getting out of a tight spot.

 R4T22-20:   It is still a scrum upfield, though, as Green jumps up to knee Ernak in  the neck while holding the back of his head, striking ... not the  windpipe or the four main blood passages ... but right in something  important there in his neck nonetheless for  18 NL + disoriented .  Ernak feels funny, and has a strange taste in his mouth. At the same  time, Blue makes a left cross to Ernak in his right tricep for  20 NL + disoriented .

 R4T17:   Vivino , what do you do? The action is up here, but the pig is down south.

Laori on deck, Brown in the hole ...
Moriar
  "Let's get some points on the board,"   Vivino says as he tumbles away.

He moves down to flank red and gives a mighty slap!

  "Now, get that pit in the basket!"   he growls

 
 Spoiler: GIve 'em the back five 


Continues raging

Acrobatics roll to get away:  (1d20+13)[ 16 ] 

Moves 10' to the SE and then 25' south.

Second acrobatics roll to move into flanking red:  (1d20+13)[ 24 ] 

Nonlethal attack with claw hand: roll to hit  (1d20+11)[ 24 ]  with damage of  (1d6+7)[ 12 ]  and sneak attack of  (4d6)[ 21 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R4T17:    "Let's get some points on the board,"    Vivino says as he tumbles away. In doing so, he realizes that Brown and  Purple weren't really focused on him anyway, as their efforts had been  on stopping Jacintha. Vivino moves down to acrobatically flank Red and  gives a mighty slap! Yellow tries to block, but Vivino stings Yellow's  hand for  9 NL . He growls,   "Now, get that pit in the basket!"  
 R4T16:   Vivino and Jacintha notice that when they both got down here, Laori was  in some type of bizarre fighting stance. She reaches to take the pig  from Jacintha, and Yellow makes an incredibly valiant effort to trip  Laori, only to fail. Red-Blue just goes for the brute approach and  swings but Laori simply ducks away. She grabs the squaling pig which  then just slumps in her hand and moves up to the pit, tossing it in.

The  pig, once thrown into a pit, suffers a violent and noisy, yet swift  death—all part of the macabre entertainment for the emperor.

The newcomers score a point!

 Initiaitive Ends! Point One for ..... ??? 

Each  team has a full minute to get itself resituated, and to tend to any  medical emergencies it may have.  This time is enough for Vivino to recover from the fatigue he suffers post-rage.

Magic is allowed for recovery of  health. Your team discovers that Ernak is suffering from a ruptured  organ in his neck, and by the time he realizes and goes to Dane, he took  another total   3 NL   from bleed (yes, you can have NL bleed).

Okay, what do you do? Also, someone comes out and asks .... what do you call your team?
Rithryn
Dane will cast a cure moderate wounds on each injured team member than turn to the man approaching them.
 "Were the Bloody Badgers." 
He turns back to the team.
  "I got and idea for the next round, I'm slow but we Dwarves are hard to bowl over. If you can get me the pig I think I can get it there without problem."  
 
 Spoiler 
cure mod is 3d8+8 and starting with those bleedingfirst.
 
Ason
Even after Dane casts his spell on him, Ernak remains covered in bruises and welts. He croaks to anyone in the party who can heal him further,   "I'm a lot more injured than I look. They really ganged up on me, and I'm barely standing. Those dogpiles are brutal."  

Ernak proceeds to cast cure light wounds on himself four times.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Cure Light Wounds Rolls 
 
  (1d8+5)[ 10 ]  
  (1d8+5)[ 7 ]  
  (1d8+5)[ 9 ]  
  (1d8+5)[ 7 ]  
 
 
lostsole31
While all those spells are being cast, Laori goes to Jacintha and prays to the Lord of Darkness and Pain and gives her   10 healing  , but doesn't give more than that. Dane sees that a CMW would be overkill on what remains on her before returning to Ernak with another two CMWs and a CLW to fully refresh Ernak.

Okay, where do you want to position yourselves for the next round? Given what Dane said, Laori says she'd like to tend goal.
lostsole31
The pig appears in the enemy's pen downfield!

 Begin Round One!

R1T26:  Green runs all the way downfield to the hero's pit!

 R1T24:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
Vivino cracks his neck, and then runs over to the wall looking to drive an fist into greens throat.

To green he says, "  Thank you for volunteering...isn't that kind Laori?"   He gives green a bestial grin while the rage takes effect.


 
 Spoiler: Game on 


Begins raging.

Moves 5' south then 15' west and then 5' north to be next to green.

Unarmed Risky nonlethal strike to hit  (1d20+8)[ 17 ] 

Damage of  (1d4+13)[ 16 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R1T24:  Vivino cracks his neck, and then runs over to  the wall looking to drive a fist into Green's throat, but as Green  blocks it he makes a quick jab right to Vivino's nose. It connects but  Vivino doesn't feel it.

To Green Vivino says, "  Thank you for volunteering. Isn't that kind, Laori?"   He gives Green a bestial grin while the rage takes effect and the man looks shocked that his defensive jab had no effect.

 R1T23:   Jacintha , what do you do?
Dusk Raven
Jacintha moves a little downfield, but not so far that the enemy team could easily reach her, positioning herself between her team's pit and the pig.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move 1 square SW and 2 squares W. Ready an action to trip the next enemy team member to come into range.
 
lostsole31
 R1T23:  Jacintha moves a little downfield, but not so far that the enemy team  could easily reach her, positioning herself between her team's pit and  the pig.

 R1T22-21:  Instead of the two at the  cage, Yellow does a crossfield hook and then picks up the pig. Blue  hustles deep into party territory.

 R1T20:   Dane , what do you do?
Rithryn
Dane smacks his chest with his gauntlet and shouts at the man in front of him.
  "Your in my way!"  
He rushes head first towards the man in his way.
 
 Spoiler 
Bull rush charging south at blue and will follow if he pushes.
 (1d20+13)[ 22 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R1T20:  Dane smacks his chest with his gauntlet and shouts at the man in front of him,   "You're in my way!"  He rushes head first towards the man in his way, pushing him back only a few feet while he follows.

 R1T19-18:  The enemy goalie (Red-Blue) gets ready for any tricky counteraction while Red cuts east and moves downfield.

 R1T17:  Laori gets into that weird stance again and throws her body at the man to smash him against the wall behind him for  13 NL , nearly knocking him down. She then steps back by the pit.

 R1T16-7:  Pink  cuts all the way across and downfield to the west. Brown charges  Jacintha, who was waiting for him to come in as she trips him to the  ground. Purple hustles downfield to be right by Vivino.

 R1T5:   Ernak , what do you do? No presence or stance is current (everything drops at initiative).

Green on deck, Vivino in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak takes a defensive, cautious stance with his head on a swivel as the match starts. He encourages his allies, yelling,   "Hat trick time!"  

Then he calls out,   "Laori, incoming!"   to warn her and her neighbors as Green advances.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  square immediately south of Ernak
 Free:  adopt  Indomitable Presence  ( grants allies within 30 feet  Diehard  and +5 morale to saves vs death effects, fatigue or exhaustion effects, or poison effects) 
 Swift:  adopt  Circular Stance  ( not considered flanked unless rogue's level is 4 higher than Ernak's )
 Standard:   bardic performance Inspire Courage +2  ( grants allies who perceive performance +2 morale saves vs charm and fear; +2 competence on attack and weapon damage rolls )
 Move:   Aid Another  on Laori via  Tactical Assistance  ( grants +2 AC to all allies vs Green within 30 feet if succeeds )
 
 Aid Another roll  (1d20+15)[ 25 ]  ( only includes BAB + Str, assuming Str is the relevant stat here ) 
 
 Five-Foot Step:  square southeast of Ernak
 
lostsole31
 R1T5:  Ernak takes a defensive, cautious stance with his head on a swivel as the match starts. He encourages his allies, yelling,   "Hat trick time!"  

Then he calls out,   "Laori, incoming!"   to warn her and her neighbors as Green advances.

 R1T0:   There is a snarling sound, and a paw reaches out of the pit, trying to  swipe at Laori's ankle.  Laori sees this, assumes that is what Ernka  meant, and yells,   "Thanks!"  
 End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T26:  Green tries to trip Laori, but fails.

 R2T24:   Vivino , what do you do?

Yellow on deck, Blue in the hole ...
Moriar
Knowing that Laori must have a good if not devious plan in mind, Vivino makes his way past the lines and provide some flank as well.

Vivino moves to the south to help flank orange and throws a punch to their back.

 
 Spoiler: Duck and Dodge 


Continue raging.

Moving 4 squares south and 1 square to the east to flank orange.

Think 4 acrobatics may be required to get there.

Acrobatics 1:  (1d20+13)[ 14 ] 

Acrobatics 2:  (1d20+13)[ 32 ] 

Acrobatics 3:  (1d20+13)[ 28 ] 

Acrobatics 4:  (1d20+13)[ 20 ] 


Nonlethal strike to hit orange while flanking.  To hit  (1d20+11)[ 14 ]  and damage of  (1d4+7)[ 8 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R2T24:  Knowing that Laori must have a good if not  devious plan in mind, Vivino  makes his way past the lines and provide some flank as well. Starting  out is a problem, though, as Green fails to trip him but as Vivino  easily dips past him he goes sprawling courtesy of Purple. Being down  doesn't help, though, so he grunts in frustration and hops back up onto  his feet.

 R2T22-21:  The pig begins kicking in  Yellow's hands, but the player manages to hold onto the pigskin and  shoots down the field, right up to Jacintha. Blue steps aside of Dane to  flank Jacintha and throws a punch.

 R2T20:   Dane , you recover from your charge. What do you do?

Red on deck, Laori in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane moves with the swiftness of a dwarf in plate armor towards the pig and reaches out his plated hands.
  "Give it here!"  
 
 Spoiler 
moving sw 1 south 1 sw 1 for 20 ft and standard attemptingto steal the pig drom yellow.
 (1d20+13)[ 25 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R2T20:  Dane moves with the swiftness of a dwarf in  plate armor towards the pig. Blue tries to trip him and fails. Brown  kicks out at Dane and actually succeeds in slamming his foot into the  hobnailed boot but not doing damage (sunder attempt). Dane gets to  Yellow and reaches out his plated hands, growling,   "Give it here!"  

He  wrenches the pig out of the carrier's hands. The pig continues kicking  in Dane's hands and that has Dane drop the pig as it lands on its feet  on the field!

 R2T18:  Red cuts across the field and picks up the pig as it tries to bite him.

 R2T17:   Laori adjusts her fighting stance, not losing one but blending multiple  forms. She then gives a brutal knee strike to Green, slamming him  against the wall for  30 NL (+  4 NL bleed ) . It was so devastating that she looks at Purple, who now also feels .... uncomfortable.

 R2T16:  Pink does a J-hook and takes the pig from Red.

 R2T15:   Jacintha , what do you do?

Brown/Purple on deck/ in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha takes a look at the foes surrounding her and grimaces. Deciding to just inflict some damage on the enemy team, she strikes at the enemy she's flanking with Dane, aka brown. She fights defensively, but draws on some of her psychic power to aid her strikes.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 

Swift Action: Spending a psychic point to use Arcane Accuracy.
Full action: Full Attack on Brown. Using Defensive stance to gain a +2/-2 to AC and attack rolls.
Attack 1:  (1d20+12)[ 14 ] 
Damage:  (1d3)[ 2 ]  plus  (4d4)[ 8 ]  sneak attack.
Attack 2:  (1d20+7)[ 22 ] 
Damage:  (1d3)[ 2 ]  plus  (4d4)[ 12 ]  sneak attack.
For Debilitating Injury: if the first sneak attack hits, I'm going to inflict Bewildered on him. If the second one hits, I'll inflict Hindered.
Finally, I'll take a five-foot step north.
 
lostsole31
 R2T15:  Jacintha takes a look at the foes surrounding  her and grimaces. Deciding  to just inflict some damage on the enemy team, she strikes at the enemy  she's flanking with Dane, aka brown. She fights defensively, but draws  on some of her psychic power to aid her strikes, but not before Yellow  tries and fails to trip her. She kicks him in the shoulder for  12 NL + bewildered , and then kicks him in the head for  16 NL + hampered . He hampering kick means that his pain takes his mind off his bewilderment.

 R2T9-7:  Brown gets to their feet and then hobbles to the east. Purple ducks away from Vivino to jab at Jacintha.

 R2T5:   Ernak , what do you do?

Green on deck, Vivino in the hole ...
Ason
  "Don't get boxed in, badgers! Push through 'em!"   Ernak urges to his teammates. Spying a possible opening in the offensive line, he attempts to zip south before hooking around to confront the pig-carrier from the southeast. Should he succeed in reaching the pig-carrier, Ernak attempts to steal the pig in order to hand it off to the first teammate who gets close.

Should someone stop Ernak's movement with an attack of some sort, such that he cannot reach the pig-carrier, he stands back up as necessary and strikes back at the closest enemy instead.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  square southwest of Ernak
 Free:  maintain Inspire Courage +2 ( grants allies who perceive performance +2 morale saves vs charm and fear; +2 competence on attack and weapon damage rolls )
 Swift:   Defending the Pride  boost ( grants all allies within 60-ft. +4 morale to AC for 1 round )
 Move:  25 feet south, 5 feet diagonally southwest
 Standard:  attempt to steal the pig; CMB roll  (1d20+16)[ 32 ]  ( no bonuses or penalties from anything included, including no bonuses from deft maneuvers if it applies )
 
 Or if Ernak is stopped for some reason and so uses the attack action instead, here is that roll:  (1d20+15)[ 23 ] ; standing from prone doesn't provoke AoOs for Ernak in that instance thanks to his boots, should that matter 
 
 
lostsole31
 R2T5:    "Don't get boxed in, badgers! Push through 'em!"    Ernak urges to his teammates. Spying a possible opening in the  offensive line, he attempts to zip south before hooking around to  confront the pig-carrier from the southeast and steals the pig! The pig squeals with the transfer, and the crowd cheers.

 End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T26:  Green takes   4 NL bleed  . He sidesteps and knees Vivino in the stomach. It seems to have no impact on the broad-hatted juggernaut!

 R3T24:   Vivino , what do you do?

Yellow on deck, Blue in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino slaps green twice and then begins moving south.

 
 Spoiler: Double kidney punch 


Continues raging.

Then with flank Risky strike punches green twice, nonlethal.

To hit,  (1d20+8)[ 19 ] , damage of  (1d4+13)[ 16 ] 

To hit 2,  (1d20+8)[ 18 ] , dage of  (1d4+13)[ 14 ] 

Acrobatics to move away 1,  (1d20+13)[ 32 ] 

Acrobatics to move away 2,  (1d20+13)[ 16 ] 

Acrobatics to move away 3,  (1d20+13)[ 25 ] 

Move 5' to southwest, then 25' south, and then 10' east.
 
lostsole31
 R3T24:  Vivino slaps Green twice (not before an abortive attempt by Green to trip Vivino) for a total of  31 NL  before he steps a few feet away to the southwest.

 R3T22-21:   Yellow rushes down and steals the piggie! The piggie tries to bite him  but fails. Blue tries to sucker punch Jacintha but fails, and then  breaks south.

 R3T20:   Dane , what do you do?

Red on deck, Laori in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane moves to get the pig.
  "Give it back!"  
 
 Spoiler 
moving south 3 and southeast 1 than attempting a steal.
 (1d20+13)[ 20 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T20:  Dane moves to get the pig (Red misses him with an AOO),   "Give it back!"  but the Shinglesnipe keeps ahold of the piggie.

 R3T18:  Red adjusts to flank and fail a sucker punch at Ernak.

 R3T17:   Showing off insane levels of acrobatic skill, Laori foolishly leaves  her post at the goal to move downfield slightly, getting next to  Jacintha. She opens herself up as she punches Green, but Green and  Purple both fail their counters while she tags Green for  9 NL . As Green falls, she seems to be heartened by this and chops Purple in the neck for  7 NL .

 R3T16:  Pink adjusts to the east to flank Ernak and kicks him in the tailbone for  7 NL .

 R3T15:   Jacintha , your arcane accuracy ends. You were in defensive stance. What do you do?

Brown on deck, Purple in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Seeing that she's in a flanking position around Purple, Jacintha continues her offensive, this time on Purple. She delivers a couple jabs, not bothering to play defensively this time.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Swift Action: Arcane Accuracy again, bestowing that juicy +5 to hit.
Full Attack on purple.
Attack 1:  (1d20+12)[ 29 ]  Damage:  (1d3)[ 3 ]  plus Sneak Attack  (4d4)[ 11 ] 
Attack 2:  (1d20+7)[ 16 ]  Damage:  (1d3)[ 3 ]  plus Sneak Attack  (4d4)[ 12 ] 
In either case, I'll apply Bewildered as a debuff, should I hit.
 
lostsole31
 R3T15:  Seeing that she's in a flanking position around Purple, Jacintha  continues her offensive, this time on Purple. She delivers a couple  jabs, not bothering to play defensively this time. She hits him in the chest and arm for a total of  29 NL + bewildered(2) .

 R3T9-7:  Brown is no longer hampered and recovers from his charge. He hustles in and elbows Jacintha right on the top of her head for  17 + bewildered . Purple spins to face Laori, but fails to land a blow.

 R3T5:   Ernak , what do you do?

Vivino on deck, Yellow in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak tries to work with Dane to carefully steal the pig back. If he succeeds in stealing the animal, he tries to weave around yellow to end up next to Dane to attempt a hand-off.   "The pig's yours, friend!"  

If he fails to steal the creature, Ernak instead feints at Yellow and holds his position across from Dane.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  square north
 Free:  stop maintaining  Inspire Courage +2  ( grants allies who perceive performance +2 morale saves vs charm and fear; +2 competence on attack and weapon damage rolls )
 
  Lingering Performance  extends it 2 rounds 
 
 Standard:  attempt to steal the pig with Defensive Stance from elephant in the room feat taxes ( -2 attack, +2 Dodge AC; if this somehow cancels out PoW stances Ernak won't use it )
 
  CMB Roll   (1d20+20)[ 23 ]  ( includes +2 from inspire courage, +4 from flanking with outflank, -2 from defensive stance ) 
 
 Move:  five feet south, five feet southwest

 Immediate Action (if triggered):   Warning Roar  to protect himself against any trip or pig-stealing attacks during his own movement; after Ernak's turn is over, will use it on any attacks against Dane

 AoOs:  Trip attacks favored over damaging ones ( gets +2 from deft maneuvers ); will only AoO opponents carrying the pig or opponents chasing after Dane should Dane get his hands on the pig

 Feint (if fail to steal the pig):  feint as move action via Deft Maneuvers;  (1d20+18)[ 25 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T5:  Ernak tries to work with Dane to carefully steal  the pig back. He snatches the piggie, which seems to slump, and weaves  around Yellow to end  up next to Dane. As he makes a hand-off and the piggie squeals balefully  to the crowd's delight, he says,   "The pig's yours, friend!"  
 End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T26:  Green takes   4 NL bleed  .

 R4T24:   Vivino , what do you do?

Yellow on deck, Blue in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino eyes the poor trapped opponent eagerly.  Then he swipes twice quickly at purple.  Then moves to the south to assist the pig handlers.


 
 Spoiler: Double slap 


Keeps raging.

Then 2 swipes, Risky strike, nonlethal, and flanking.

Swipe 1 to hit of  (1d20+8)[ 23 ]  and damage of  (1d4+13)[ 14 ] 


Swipe 2 to hit of  (1d20+8)[ 9 ]  and damage of  (1d4+13)[ 14 ] 

Acrobatics if needed to get away of   (1d20+13)[ 33 ] 

Moves 6 squares to south. Then 2 squares to southeast
 
lostsole31
 R4T24:  Vivino eyes the poor trapped opponent eagerly.  Then he  swipes twice  quickly at Purple.  His first claw slams into Purple's  knee for  16 NL  but Vivino didn't expect the man to fall just with  the first and his second claw comes back to smack himself, but  otherwise not do any damage. He then moves to the south a few feet to  assist the pig handlers.

 R4T22-21:  Yellow and Blue quickly break south to help cover the goal.

 R4T20:   Dane , the piggie futilely tries to bite you as you hold it. What do you do?

Red on deck, Laori in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane grips the pig tightly and rushes towards the goal.
 
 Spoiler 
bull rushing red blue, will follow 5 ft and of i jave a clear spot to drop the pig in (and an actionleft) will drop the pig in the goal.  (1d20+13)[ 14 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R4T20:  Dane grips the pig tightly and rushes towards  the goal, but Blue stops him cold, and the pig drops out of his hands!  Dane is so incensed and his ego bruised that he can think of nothing  right now but attacking Blue, and all sense of tactics is out the  window.

 R4T19-18:  The enemy goalie picks up the pig and throws it to Pink. Red dashes deep to the Badger's infield.

 R4T17:   Laori dodges away from Brown back to her goal pit, and then drags Green  over part of the pit and releases him, his limp body partially  obscuring the pit.

 R4T16:  The piggie crits Pink for  1 ,  which he stoically ignores. He double moves between enemy and ally to  the end, getting right up onto the pit and dropping it into the pit.

The  carnage as the wolverine in the pit splatters blood everywhere helps  the Shinglewolf pull his beleaguered teammate away, and a stretcher  comes to carry him away to be quickly healed.

 Initiative Ends!
 
 Bloody Badgers.....1 
     Shinglewolves.......1   

Dane  was able to immediately recover from his bruised ego, and both teams  separate. One thing that the Badgers recognize is that anyone that was  hurt is pulled off and replaced with Shinglewolves that are waiting on  the bench. It seems that is the way it was before as well.

What do you do in the two minute break?
Dusk Raven
Observing the fact that the Shinglewolves have replacements, Jacintha states during the huddle,   "I was hoping to incapacitate some of them and reduce their numbers, but it looks like they have replacements waiting so that won't work for long."   She frowns.
Ason
At Jacintha's words, Ernak glances at the Shinglesnipe's bench to get a sense of how many backup players they have. Leaning back into the huddle, he says,   "She's right. It might be that stealing the pig, tripping, and the like are our only real options here, if we can't just bash our way through their bench-warmers. Though knocking 'em out like you did does even the odds for one round, at least."   

Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, he adds,   "Also, sorry for running ahead like that: I thought I saw an opening. But... next time it's their pig, we might want to line up directly opposite their pig cage so our strikers can charge at whomever grabs the pig."   Pausing, an idea sinks in,   "And speaking of which, we might want one or two of us set up a ways in front of the cage so they can't charge at whomever grabs it on our end."  
Ernak also casts cure light wounds once on Jacintha.
lostsole31
 Setup Round:  The pig appears on the Badgers' side!

 Begin Round One !

 R1T25-13:   The ENTIRE enemy field moves, or at least is ready, before ANY of the  PCs. Green, Pink, and Blue run deep into PC territory. Brown charges  Ernak, slamming him in the chest with a flying elbow drop for  13 NL + bewildered .  Yellow charges Jacintha but she stops it cold. Vivino one ups her as  Purple charges him and almost trips him (but doesn't). Red charges Laori  but she deflects the drop kick.

 R1T12:   Jacintha , what do you do?
Dusk Raven
Jacintha makes a jab at Yellow's legs in order to trip him, then moves northeast to protect the pig.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Standard Action: Trip attempt on Yellow.
CM Check:  (1d20+12)[ 14 ]  bonus for Deft Maneuvers.
Regardless of success or fail, Jacintha will move N 2 spaces, NE 1 space, and E 1 space.
 
lostsole31
 R1T12:  Jacintha makes a jab at Yellow's legs in order  to trip him, but no joy. She turns around to move to the pig cage, but  Purple kicks her in the back of the shoulder for  16 NL + hampered . Yellow misses their AOO, though Red does a painful jab to the inside of her elbow with a light crit for  19 + hampered . She manages to escape the gauntlet, though, and get to the pig cage.

 R1T11:   Dane , what do you do?
Rithryn
Dane shuffles over and grabs the pig.
 
 Spoiler 
taking a 5 ft step east and grabbingthe pig.
 
lostsole31
 R1T11:  Dane shuffles over and grabs the pig. As soon as he does so, the piggie squeal balefully, energizing the crowd.

 R1T10:   Ernak , you are currently bewildered, with particular trouble tracking Brown. What do you do?
Ason
Ernak attempts to trip Blue and then shifts backwards and westwards closer to Dane, at which point he yells,   "Don't get surrounded! Break on through!"  
 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  square north
 Free:  adopt  Indomitable Presence 
 Standard:  trip attack on Blue ( defensive stance for -3 to hit, +3 dodge AC ) CMB roll  (1d20+16)[ 36 ]  ( does not include -3 for defensive stance fighting, +2 from deft maneuvers feat, or any other situational/temporary bonuses )
 Move:  10 feet north, 10 feet west to end up immediately southwest of Dane
 Swift:   Dual Boost  for  Defending the Pride  to allies within 60 feet and  Pride Movement  on Dane
 
lostsole31
 R1T10:  Ernak attempts to trip Blue, but draws  counterattacks from Green, Brown, and Blue first. Green misses; Brown  elbows him in the neck for  7 NL ; but Blue counters Ernak very painfully with a crunching kick to his shoulder for  9 NL + sickened .  Painful as it was, though, that leaves Blue one leg to stand on that  Ernak brilliant disconnects from the ground as the Shinglewolf drops  into the mud. He then shifts backwards and westwards closer to Dane,  which in turn gets Pink to pound on him as well for  5 NL , at which point Ernak yells,   "Don't get surrounded! Break on through!"  
 Dane , you instantly get a tactical burst of speed. You may make a movement up to your speed. What do you do?
Rithryn
Pig in hand Dane moves with determination towards the goal.
 
 Spoiler 
moving 15 ft south, 5 ft south east, than 25 ft south.
 
lostsole31
 R1T10 (Cont'd):  Pig in hand, Dane moves with determination towards the goal.

 R1T7:   Vivino , what do you do?

Laori on deck, Shinglewolves in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino lets out a howl of exultation and then executes two swift kicks at the opponents legs.

 
 Spoiler: Leg sweep 


Enters Rage

Trip attempt against purple - CMB roll of  (1d20+13)[ 20 ] 

2nd trip attempt against purple (if not successful.  If trip 1 was successful will then try tripping yellow): 2nd CMB roll of  (1d20+8)[ 19 ] 

If successful, will say:   "Clearing the path for your run!"  
 
lostsole31
 R1T7:  Vivino lets out a howl of exultation and then  executes two swift kicks at two Shinglewolves who had over-committed in  their charge and were focused elsewhere, and knocks them both down. He looks to Dane with a toothy smile and says,   "Clearing the path for your run!"  
 R1T6:  Laori gets into a different fighting stance than before, and then just jumps at Red for  17 NL + prone . Green seems to be somehow affected by this, probably just by morale.

 End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T25-13:   Green steps astride Dane and takes a swing. Brown, Yellow, Purple, and  Red all recover from their charges. Brown steps down to try to swipe the  pig. Yellow tries to stand and Vivino claps him on the side of the ears  with his claws with a thunder strike for  13 NL + deafened .  He steps away from Vivino and fails to swipe the pig from Dane. Purple  also stands while Vivino is preoccupied; he also fails to grab the pig,  but then steps in front of Dane. Pink closes to flank Dane and fails to  grab the pig. Red stands and moves to block Dane in. Blue steps down,  swipes the piggie, causing it to kick wildly, and Blue then drops the  pig!

 R2T12:   Jacintha , you are still hampered (1/2 speed, no 5' step). The pig is uncontrolled on the field. What do you do?

Dane on deck, Ernak (no longer bewildered) in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha, hindered as she is, attempts to move towards the pig and pick it up, doing her best to avoid the strikes of the enemy team.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move Action: Move 2 squares SE, and 1 S.
Acrobatics check to avoid AoOs:  (1d20+17)[ 36 ] 
Standard Action: Pick up the pig?
 
lostsole31
 R2T12:  Jacintha, hindered as she is, moves towards the  pig. At the last instant, she maintains her speed - which is really  difficult to do while avoiding blows - and then snatches up the piggie  deftly. The piggie - who had just tasted freedom - is having none of  this and goes into a full-blow panic. It squeals (to the delight of the  crowd), bite at Jacintha, and then squirms out of her grasp so that it  drops back down to the ground again ... with even more cheers from the  crowd.

 R2T11:   Dane , what do you do?

Ernak on deck, Vivino in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane throws a punch towards the rival player to his east.
 
 Spoiler 
Risky strike + vital strike on green.  (1d20+10)[ 26 ]   (2d3+9)[ 14 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R2T11:  Dane throws a punch towards the rival player to his east, giving a low upper hook to his groin for  14 NL . At the same time, Green and a whole bunch of others try beating on Dane for his perfidy, his armor easily shielding the dwarf.

 R2T10:   Ernak , you are sickened. What do you do?

Vivino on deck, Laori in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak adopts a defensive posture and calls out to the team,   "They're boxed in! You've got this!"   He then shifts southeast nearer to Jacintha, and swinging down with his fists he tries to pummel Blue back to the ground.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  square south ( giving Dane flanking on Pink )
 Swift:  adopt  Circular Stance  ( cannot be flanked except by a rogue +4 levels higher )
 Move:  start  Inspire Courage +2   Five-Foot Step:  southeast 1 square  Standard:   Disparity Blow  maneuver on Blue -- attack roll  (1d20+15)[ 23 ]  ( does not include inspire courage or sickened ); unarmed damage  (1d3+7)[ 9 ]  + bonus damage  (2d6)[ 7 ]   Free, no AoO Trip Attack on Hit:   (1d20+16)[ 27 ]  ( does not include Deft Maneuvers, Inspire Courage, sickened, or +4 from Disparity Blow ) 
 
lostsole31
 R2T10:  Ernak adopts a defensive posture and calls out to the team,   "They're boxed in! You've got this!"   He then shifts southeast nearer to Jacintha, and swinging down with his fists he knocks Blue in the head for  14 NL , pummeling Blue to the ground.

 R2T7:  Vivino, what do you do?

Laori on deck, Piggy in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino growls in frustration and moves around the crowd with the aim of grabbing the pig.

 
 Spoiler: avoid dog pile 


Continue raging

Move 5' to NW

Acrobatics 1:  (1d20+13)[ 26 ] 

Acrobatics 2:  (1d20+13)[ 31 ] 

Then 5' to NE

Then moving 15' to east

Move 5' to SE

Move 5' south

CMB to grab pig:  (1d20+13)[ 29 ] 

If successful grabbing pig will say:"  Pig contained, come get it badgers and go for the goal."
  
 
lostsole31
 R2T7:  Vivino growls in frustration and moves around the  crowd with the aim of grabbing the pig, but with his initial acrobatics  and zig-zagging about, he doesn't quite have the energy to do so once  he gets there.

 R2T6:  Laori delays ...

 R2T0:  The piggy withdraws, trying to get away from everyone!

 End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T25-13:   Green withdraws from the scrum and heads towards the piggy. Brown goes  down and picks up the piggy. Yellow strikes at Dane before breaking off.  Purple does a drop knee to Dane's big ol' dwarven knee for  19 NL + bewildered .  Pink fails to strike Dane, and then breaks off, as does Red. Blue  stands, steps to the side, and strikes at Dane, getting nothing but hard  armor.

 R3T12:   Jacintha , your hampered condition goes away, and your mobility is back to normal. What do you do?

Dane on deck, Ernak in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Jacintha moves around the mini-melee happening near her, positioning herself between Laori and the bulk of the enemy team.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move Action: Move 2 squares N, 4 squares W, 1 square SW, and 1 square S.
Standard Action: Ready an action to trip the next enemy team member that moves into her threat range.
 
lostsole31
 R3T12:  Jacintha moves around the mini-melee happening near her, positioning herself between Laori and the bulk of the enemy team.

 R3T11:   Dane , you are still bewildered (affects AC). What do you do?

Ernak on deck, Vivino in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane gets into position to try to steal the pig back.
 
 Spoiler 
moves 5 ft west, than 15 ft nw than readiesaction to steal pig if they get in range.
 
lostsole31
 R3T11:  Dane gets into position to try to steal the pig back.

 R3T10:   Ernak , you manage to just overcome that sickened feeling you had. Do you maintain bardic performance? What do you do?

Vivino on deck, Shinglewolves in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak shifts westward, but unable to reach the pig, he elects to continue his grudgematch against Blue by throwing more attacks at him.

To his fellow Bloody Badgers, Ernak calls out,   "Nice defense, badgers! Here they come again!"  
 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  square south
 Free:  maintain Inspire Courage +2
 Five-Foot Step:  west 1 square
 Full Attack 
 
  No AoO Trip vs Blue :  (1d20+16)[ 27 ]  ( does not include inspire courage, deft maneuvers ) 
 (if attack #1's trip succeeded)  Punch at Blue : attack  (1d20+10)[ 24 ]  ( does not include inspire courage or prone ; does include iterative attack penalty); damage  (1d3+7)[ 8 ]  ( does not include inspire courage bonus)  
 
 
 (if attack #1's trip failed)  Trip vs Blue :  (1d20+11)[ 23 ] ( does not include inspire courage or deft maneuvers ; does include iterative attack penalty) 
 
 AoO:  attacks with his fists at the first opponent to trigger an AoO
 
  Punch : attack  (1d20+15)[ 18 ]  ( does not include inspire courage, prone, or deft maneuvers ); damage  (1d3+7)[ 9 ]  
 
 
lostsole31
 R3T10:  Ernak shifts westward, but unable to reach the  pig, he elects to  continue his grudge match against Blue by throwing more attacks at him.  He knocks Blue off balance and then punches Blue's shoulder for  10 NL  even as Blue punches Ernak in the stomach for  4 NL .

To his fellow Bloody Badgers, Ernak calls out,   "Nice defense, badgers! Here they come again!"  
 R3T7:   Vivino , what do you do?

Shinglewolves on deck and in the hole ....
Moriar
Vivino moves into position to help block and takes a strong backhand at blue.


 
 Spoiler: go 


Keep raging

Move 10,' to NW

Move 15' west

Move 5' south

Move 5' SE

Risky strike nonlethal at blue. To hit of  (1d20+8)[ 13 ]  and damage of  (1d6+13)[ 18 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T7:  Vivino moves into position to help block and takes a strong backhand down at Blue, smashing his foot for  16 NL .

 End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T25:  Green moves into the heroes' area and Jacintha trips him. He still tries to kick at her from the ground.

 R4T23-13:   Brown shoots across and downfield and laterals the piggy to Purple, and  the piggy just slumps in his hands. Yellow hustles into the "end zone."  Purple bolts around Ernak and then towards the end zone .... and throws  the piggy into the hole, despite an attempt by Laori to knock it away, where it is torn apart by the wolverine  within!

 Period of Play Ended. Begin 2-Minute Break ...

Shinglewolves 2
Bloody Badgers 1 

What do you do during this period?
Ason
Pausing to catch his breath, Ernak fishes a wand out of his haversack and casts cure light wounds on himself several times.

To the rest of the team, Ernak says encouragingly,   "That was a rough round: I don't know if we could have played that any better than we did, considering they got the drop on us like that. Anything new in mind for round 4?"  
 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Ernak will keep casting cure light wounds from his wand until his nonlethal damage is 6 or lower or he has cast it 5 times from the wand, whichever comes first.
 
  (1d8+1)[ 9 ]  
  (1d8+1)[ 4 ]  
  (1d8+1)[ 4 ]  
  (1d8+1)[ 5 ]  
  (1d8+1)[ 6 ]  
 
 
Rithryn
Dane looks at the other team than back to his.
  "We could try to hold the pig here and knock'em all out? Hard for them to stop us if their laying on the floor."  
lostsole31
  "While I like that idea,"   offers Laori,   "we don't know which side the pig comes out on. It seems kind of random to me."  
Rithryn
Dane looks around them at the other team and the audience.
  "That's true, we might want to think about what to do if we lose this game as well."  
Moriar
  "I wonder how hard it is to throw the pig?"   Vivino asks.     "That seems to be how they have beaten us last round."  
Ason
Ernak rubs a fading bruise for emphasis as he says,   "I can knock 'em down just fine, but throwing punches is not my forte. I'll do my best to keep making your jobs easier though, if it comes to that. But Vivino makes a good point: if they can throw the pig, maybe we can do a throw to pass the pig around their dog piles or even score?"  
Moriar
 " Since they tend to dogpile like Ernak mentions, lets take advantage  , " Vivino says.   "If we have the pig, and you are able to, try getting free downfield and whomever has the pug can try throwing it."  
lostsole31
Both teams are called to take the field!
lostsole31
And as bad luck would have it, the Shinglewolves start off with the pig  for this round!  The Emperor of Korvosa screams for work the play to  begin!

 Begin Round One ...

R1T22:   Jacintha , what do you do?
Dusk Raven
Jacintha starts off by moving downfield, before reading herself to trip the next Shinglewolf that moves into range of her fists.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move action: move 1 square SW, and 6 squares S.
Standard action: ready an action to trip the next enemy that comes into range.
 
lostsole31
 R1T22:  Jacintha starts off by moving downfield, before  reading herself to trip the next Shinglewolf that moves into range of  her fists.

 R1T21-19:  Purple falls back and  picks up the pig from the cage. Red hustles into the Badgers' territory.  Their goalie doesn't move, but is alert and ready.

 R1T18:   Ernak , what do you do?
Ason
Ernak adopts his usual defensive posture before calling out encouragements to the team.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square south
 Free:  adopt  Indomitable  tactical presence
 Swift:  adopt  Circular Stance  (cannot be flanked)
 Move:  start  Inspire Courage +2 
 Five-Foot Step:  1 square southeast
 Standard:  use  Warleader  to give everyone in the party the  Outflank  feat
 
lostsole31
 R1T18:  Ernak adopts his usual defensive posture before calling out encouragements to the team.

 R1T17:  Brown hustles into Badgers' territory.

 R1T13:   Dane , what do you do?
Rithryn
Dane moves south to deliver an uppercut to the enemy team.
 
 Spoiler 
moving4 squares south to attack red, vital strike + risky strike.  (1d20+14)[ 22 ]   (2d4+14)[ 19 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R1T13:  Dane moves south to deliver an uppercut to the  enemy team. While he is unable to affect the entire team, Red does miss  his AOO as Dane gives a shovel hook to dig right in the man's upper arm  for  21  ... note  21  ... not  21  NL  . There's a gasp from the crowd.

 R1T12-9:   Pink looks on incredulously as the dwarf on the opposing team just did  serious lethal injury to one of his own with a gauntleted fist that  wasn't pulled despite the agreement the two teams had. He then charges  downfield towards the vacuous Laori ... taking out a finely crafted  battle axe as he does so to hit her in her upper arm for  11   as he does so. The crowd then cheers at this sudden, bloody turnaround.  Yellow does the same type of axe charge to Dane, but his strike is  deflected by armor for his trouble. Blue sees Jacintha waiting for him,  so he rushes her way while drawing a much smaller axe but stops before  he's in reach and chucks the throwing axe at her, clipping the side of  her throat for  12 . Cuts across the field a little, but also throws an axe that hits Jacintha in the stomach for  9 .

 R1T8:   Vivino , what do you do?

Laori on deck, Jacintha in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino grins as the bloodshedding begins anew.

He howls in excitement and moves into position behind pink.  His clawed hand seeks to remove a kidney.
  
"Grab any weapons they drop."  
 
 Spoiler: Blood letting 


Begins to rage.

Moves 5' south.

Move 20' west.

Tumble 5' more to the west to end up flanking pink.
Acrobatics roll of  (1d20+13)[ 22 ] 

Claw attack, risking strike.  Plus flanking and other bonuses.

To hit of  (1d20+12)[ 16 ] 
Damage of  (1d6+13)[ 18 ] 
Sneak attack of  (4d6)[ 5 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R1T8:  Vivino grins as the blood-shedding begins anew.  He howls in excitement and moves into position behind Pink.  His clawed  hand seeks to remove a kidney, but catches an elbow instead for  18 ,  and realizing that since Laori wasn't quite ready yet he wasn't  flanking. He says, though without shouting it doesn't carry too far,   "Grab any weapons they drop."  
 R1T7:   Laori now snaps to awareness, and for her part, she doesn't "rage" so  much as she seethes and plants her feet solidly on the ground while  combining a stance that is at once spooky and implacable. She dog-piles  Pink with her armor spikes for  33  and knocking Pink  prone  and  destroying his battle axe . This freaks out not only Pink, but Yellow and Red as well. "Vivino," Laori says almost manically,   "Stick around to help protect our cage ....  because I'm not moving from this spot ."  
 End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T22:   Jacintha , your readied action didn't happen. What do you do?

Shinglewolves on deck and in the hole ...
lostsole31
 R2T22:  Jacintha simply reaches down and picks up both  throwing axes that had hit her before stepping upfield to engage the  clump fighting Dane.

 R2T21-20:  Purple moves  downfield and laterals the piggy to Blue. Blue catches it, but the piggy  kicks and Blue can't hold on as the piggy now drops. Red steps back,  fails to fake out Jacintha, and strikes hard against her mithral chain.

 R2T18:   Ernak , you are currently inspiring courage. What do you do?

Brown on deck, Dane in the hole ...
Ason
Spying the brawl to his west, Ernak cautiously calls out,   "Watch yourselves now!"  

He then charges south, throwing himself at Blue as hard as he can.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square south
 Free:  maintain  Inspire Courage +2 
 Swift:   Defending the Pride  boost (+4 AC to allies within 60')
 Full-Round Action:   charge  +  bull rush  (+2 CMB, -2 AC) (takes an AoO since lacks the feat)

 
  Bull Rush Check v Blue:   (1d20+18)[ 24 ]  (does include charge bonus +2; does not include Inspire Courage or any other buffs/penalties) 
  Bull Rush Check v Purple:   (1d20+14)[ 24 ]  (does include charge bonus +2 &amp; -4 penalty per bull rush #2 rules; does not include Inspire Courageor any other buffs/penalties) 
 Ernak will bull rush Blue &amp; Purple as far south as he is able, moving with them as far as he is able 
 
 
lostsole31
 R2T18:  Spying the brawl to his west, Ernak cautiously calls out,   "Watch yourselves now!"  

He then charges south, throwing himself at Blue as hard as he can. Blue  goes to punch him but Ernak is faster and Blue jams his fist painfully  at the charging body. He would've pushed him back, were it not for an  excellent stance from Purple, so Blue maintains his spot.

 R2T17:  Brown doubles back while taking out a battleaxe and he picks up the piggy!

 R2T13:   Dane , what do you do?

Shinglewolves on deck/ in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane looks to his companions embarrassed.
  "Sorry gang, lost my temper but I guess it's too late now."  
Dane throws two jabs at the foe before him.
 
 Spoiler 
attacking yellow, risky strike.
First jab  (1d20+10)[ 30 ]   (1d3+9)[ 11 ]  secondjab  (1d20+5)[ 19 ]   (1d3+9)[ 12 ] 
 
Rithryn
Danes first blow is delivered with extra umph.
 
 Spoiler: crunch 
  (1d20)[ 20 ]   (2d6)[ 7 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R2T13:  Dane looks to his companions embarrassed.   "Sorry, gang. Lost my temper, but I guess it's too late now."   He throws two jabs at the foe before him, but not before Yellow hits Dane in the left shoulder with his battle axe for  10 .  Dane's first jab is a crumpling blow; it should have dropped him to the  ground but to the Shinglewolf's credit he manages to keep his feet, but  suffers  25  for his efforts. The second jab is right to the man's chest for  14 .

 R2T12-9:   Pink takes out a throwing axe and swings at Laori, but it seems to have  been deflected. Yellow steps away from Dane and right to Vivino and  tries to attack him but Vivino ducks. Blue sidesteps Ernak, takes out  his battle axe and swings at a ducking Ernak.

 R2T8:   Vivino , you are raging. What do you do?

Laori on deck, Jacintha in the hole ...
Moriar
Now that Laori is primed he gives her a toothy grin.

Vivino turns into a blur of motion as he strikes out with ckaws and teeth.

 
 Spoiler: rip and shred 


Continue raging

Using flank and other bonuses

Risky strike Claw 1 vs pink to hit of  (1d20+12)[ 18 ]  Damage of  (1d6+13)[ 19 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 16 ] 


Risky strike Claw 2 vs pink to hit of  (1d20+12)[ 14 ]  Damage of  (1d6+13)[ 17 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 20 ] 



Risky strike bite vs yelliw to hit of  (1d20+12)[ 27 ]  Damage of  (1d6+13)[ 16 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R2T8:  Now that Laori is primed, Vivino gives her a  toothy grin. He turns into a blur of motion as he strikes out with claws  and teeth. His first claw slashes along the biceps and inner shoulder  of Pink for  37 . The man doesn't even have time to go  limp when the other claw gets the same upper arm and elbow on the man's  other side. Then, Vivino's jaws close over the man's jaw and face and  close, crushing the lower skull horrifically. The crowd not so much  cheers but loses their mind at the bloodlust and savagery that they've  never seen before.

When Vivino's blood-soaked face pulls away,  bits of brain trail away with it. Meanwhile, Vivino can't help but have  to deal with chewing bits of bone, skin, flesh, tongue, nasal passages,  ear, and brain.

 R2T7:  Laori delays ...

 End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T22:   Jacintha , you have a throwing axe in each hand. What do you do?

Shinglewolves on deck and in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
  "Ah, hell,"   Jacintha says, warily watching the carnage erupt around her. She decides to not add to it for the moment, and instead moves towards where the pig is bein carried, carefully avoiding Red's attacks. Once she reaches Brown, she drops one of the axes and attempts to swipe the pig from him.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move action: move two spaces E.
Acrobatics check for the first square:  (1d20+17)[ 29 ] 
Standard action: Attempt to grab the pig.
Disarm?  (1d20+12)[ 21 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T22:    "Ah, hell,"   Jacintha says, warily  watching the carnage erupt around her. She decides to not add to it for  the moment, and instead moves towards where the pig is being carried,  carefully avoiding Red's attacks. Once she reaches Brown, she drops one  of the axes and snatches the pig away from him. The pig kicks wildly, but Jacintha just barely manages to keep it in her grip.

 R3T21-20:   Purple comes along the side and takes the piggy right back - which has  no time to react - before handing it off to Brown. Red comes up and  swings at Jacintha with his battleaxe.

 R3T18:   Ernak , you recover from your charge as the boon you gave the party's defense wanes. Do you maintain your performance? What do you do?

Brown on deck, Dane in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak jukes around Blue to attack Brown from behind, trying to knock the pig-carrier down with a leg sweep.

   "A little help here?"   he calls out to the Vivino and Dane.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square north
 Free:  stop maintaining Inspire Courage +2, round 1 of 2 of  Lingering Performance 
 Move:  1 square southeast, 1 square northeast
 Standard:  trip attack Brown using Deft Maneuvers (no AoO, +2);  (1d20+18)[ 19 ]  ( does not include any +/- beyond Deft Maneuvers )
  Immediate (if triggered):   Warning Roar   to protect himself against Blue's AoO. If Blue does not attack during  Ernak's turn, then Ernak uses it vs the first attack incoming at himself or  Jacintha following Ernak's turn
 
Ason
 
 Spoiler: OoC 

  LET'S GET READY TO   not   FUMBLEEEEE!!!  
 (1d20)[ 11 ] 

No modifiers added, per instructions.
 
lostsole31
 R3T18:  Ernak jukes around Blue, but in so doing Purple  throws out a leg that misses while Ernak shouts down Blue's attack.  Ernak moves around Blue to attack Brown from behind, trying to knock the  pig-carrier down with a leg sweep that misses wildly.   "A little help here?"   he calls out to the Vivino and Dane.

 R3T17:  Brown passes off the piggy to Blue before stepping North.

 R3T13:   Dane , what do you do?

Shinglewolves on deck and in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane shuffles over and throws two punches at the mid section of his foe.
  "Fall!"  
 
 Spoiler 
Taking a 5 ft step to the east to flank red, Risky strike + improved outflank first attack  (1d20+10)[ 30 ]   (1d3+9)[ 11 ]  Second Attack (1d20+5)[ 7 ]   (1d3+9)[ 12 ] 
 
Rithryn
Once more Dane delivers a savage blow to his foe.
 
 Spoiler 
 (1d20)[ 15 ]   (2d6)[ 7 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T13:  Dane shuffles over and throws two punches at the  mid section of his foe. Red tries to counter but it is too late as Dane  punches that same countering fist with a savage blow, shouting,   "Fall!"  

There is a loud crunching sound as Dane's mailed fist hits the man's unprotected one for  21 (lethal) + 21 NL .  The man doesn't fall but ducks clear out of the way of a second such  seeming gauntlet of doom. But what he didn't expect was that same  vicious strike opened another one, as Jacintha hits him in the back of  his left shoulder with an axe for  20 + bewildered + staggered !

 R3T11-9:   Yellow does some fancy wrist work to fake out Vivino, and then strikes  him in the chest. For once, Vivino's nearly impossibly-well protected  vital organs are not so protected as the axe bites deep for  22 mod + bewildered .

Meanwhile,  Blue moves past Ernak and right up the wall, then cuts across the field  and right for the goal. Laori hits him along the neck with her armor  spikes for 11 as he goes by but it doesn't stop him and he drops the  piggy into the hole ... which has the normal amount of blood spattered  upwards.

The gong is heard.

 Period of Play Ended. Begin 2-Minute Break ...

Shinglewolves 3
Bloody Badgers 1 

What do you do during this period?
Moriar
Vivino drinks a couple of extracts and then says, "   Either we have to take them down faster or come up with a better plan.  Perhaps some sort of overall strategy?  "


 
 Spoiler: extracts 


Drinks one cure light and one cure moderate extract

Light:  (1d8+5)[ 10 ] 

Moderate:  (2d8+7)[ 10 ] 
 
Ason
Ernak casts cure light wounds into himself from his wand twice. He nods at Vivino's suggestion.   "Agreed. Two more goals and it's over for us."  

Nodding thoughtfully, he adds,   "I think I can steal one or two of their axes, which might help us block their rushes. I'm guessing Dane and I might be better blockers if so armed, if nothing else. But that's not really a gameplan, just a tactic. Anyone have anything larger-picture than that?"  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Roll 1:   (1d8+1)[ 3 ] 
 Roll 2:   (1d8+1)[ 9 ] 
 
lostsole31
The dead body is dragged off the field, and in the stands, a woman and two small children and an infant are in tears....
lostsole31
The Emperor of Korvosa calls a timeout while soldiers fetch the bereaved woman and her children to him to talk.

It looks like you have might have an extra minute or two to plan, if you take advantage of it...
Moriar
  "So it seems we have more time to come up with some sort of plan,"   Vivino says.  "  Nothing has seemed to work much for us so far.  If their bench is thin then lethality might work.  But unless we get better at that it won't affect much before the game is over.

If we don't start with the pig, should we form a line and advance ?

If we do start with the pig, perhaps advancing in a V formation with the pig carrier in the middle back.  Once close that person breaks out the go for the goal and throws it If gets bogged down?"  
Ason
Ernak nods at Vivino's idea.   "Blockers for our pig-carrier sounds like a good idea. I'll definitely need to steal a weapon if you want me running interference like that, but it should be doable. Each blocker should keep a space between them and the nearest ally, that way we can spread out while still covering each other."  

He pauses and then adds,   "And if they get the pig, we need to collapse onto that area of the field. Not everyone has to target the one currently with the pig: sometimes stopping a potential runner means the carrier has one less way forward. But we need to bottle them up and steal it back. Then whoever's stolen it hands off the pig to someone else who can run it forward?"  
lostsole31
As the above dialogue ends with Ernak's last words, the Emperor of Korvosa's voice is heard, commanding a hush across the crowd.   "My loyal subjects. We love our game of Blood Pig, do we not?"  

Applause is heard, though there is more of a sobering air than there was before, so there isn't as much vapid cheering.

He continues,   "But as your benevolent sovereign, we cannot have wanton death on the field. It does happen, but their dwarf used deadly gauntlets to begin a match that cannot be won but by warfare, and I will have no more widows from our people.  The spirit of justice is when a team loses and they face the Tall Knife.

"All weapons are to be turned in.  The Shinglewolves will not take the field with axes or shields.  The Bloody Badgers shall respect the game as it is and turn and drop all axes that they took from our Shinglewolves ..... the dwarf shall remove his gauntlets ... and as it appears to be a type of magic, a penalty is in play: if the wide-hatted man forms claws again - whether or not he uses them - his life is immediately forfeit to the Tall Knife and his team must continue without his aid. Am I not wise and merciful?"  

The crowd cheers in earnest this time.

As the Shinglewolves replenish, but also divest themselves of all axes and the shields the wooden shields they had behind them but didn't use, a wheelbarrow is brought down by a lone woman to the centerline, apparently as the drop point for axes the party has, and Dane's gauntlets.
Ason
Still unarmed, as before, Ernak shrugs at the wheelbarrow woman to indicate he does not have any more weapons, since they are still in holding from when the party was escorted in.

Turning to his teammates, Ernak whispers worriedly,   "Well... there goes my idea. I have no clue how we'll stop them from running past us now. What'll we do?"   Unsure of himself, he adds,   "Any objections to me trying my hand at flattering the emperor and asking for an equalized number of players? That may be our only shot at surviving now."  
lostsole31
Laori smiles,   "Oh, that is  wicked . Because once on our team, those two poor folk would share our fate and be sent to the 'Tall Knife,' I'm guessing. Well, I'm sure even if that were even close to possible, that it wouldn't be any of their folk, and would likely be someone that would get in our way, don't you think?"  
Moriar
  "That is worth a shot,"   Vivino says.    "They won't even allow me to use claws anymore.  We were struggling to stop them before and now without weapons will be tougher.

Good luck Ernak."  
Rithryn
While removing his gauntlets begrudgingly.
  "Probably a good idea, but I doubt anyone would join us at this point."  
Ason
Ernak pauses to collect himself, mustering his courage. Then he calls out,   "Wise and merciful Emperor! Your ruling is fair yet keeps the fun of Bloodpig! We welcome your majesty's fair play. We will gladly stop our deadly force in this match, though I hope your subjects enjoyed seeing our talents, ha! It's not every day your subjects are treated to a motley crew like ours, ha ha!"   He laughs while gesturing to his teammates, trying to sell the Bloody Badgers as a spectacle worth keeping around.

  "But, O fair and generous Emperor, since we Bloody Badgers now handicap our strength to play fair with the Shinglewolves... might you handicap their numbers on the field to be closer to ours? We shall give you the most entertaining and grand match we can. But since we cannot give your subjects blood with fang and claw... a closer number of players would let us still put on a show worth remembering."  
  "You do not delight in slaughter but in justice and fairness, O wise Emperor! Your ruling shows that! So let us put on a show with back-and-forth battles, neck-and-neck scoring... and not a boring, lopsided affair that will be forgotten tomorrow. Let us add some drama and flair to this game in your honor! Let us put on a show worthy of your grandeur and fit for your loyal subjects! Let us have similar numbers of players on each side, and we will give you a match for the history books, O great Emperor of Korvosa! Your fairness will let us put on a show worthy of you and your people!"  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
I'm guessing this is a Diplomacy roll of some sort, which I know you prefer to roll yourself. Ernak is trying to convince the Emperor, but he is also trying to win the affection of the crowd too, since the mob joining our side might help to force the Emperor's hand.

Ernak does have that  headband of social competence  to warn him if he's about to lower the Emperor's approval. He's mostly focused on not pissing off the Emperor, so he'll skip over anything thta seems like it will worsen his attitude toward us.
 
lostsole31
Ernak's delivery is incredible, and everybody feels it.

At first, the emperor looks shocked that you would even deign to shout up at him like some kind of barbaric monkey, but the verve of Ernak's words stop him as he thinks about it. He strokes his beard and slowly nods as if thinking and then laughs. A hideous, high-pitched, squeaky awful laugh before he stands up and says with that oddly commanding way that the short, ugly man has.   "You have spoken well of this honor among equals, my savage gladiator, has he not, my pets?"  

The crowd, having been given permission, cheers.

The emperor times it perfectly before he knows when - just after the lull of the cheer - he puts his arms up to calm the crowd. "Therefore, we shall have equal numbers on the field."

It is here that the Emperor's beaming smile turns dark and wicked.   "Jabbyr, have someone go fetch three of the condemned prisoners. Why not give them a chance to fight for their fate!" 
 
At that turnabout, the crowd cheers for their emperor.

In the meantime, Dane removed his gauntlets BUT I need to know that you put gauntlets and axes in the wheelbarrow (which has not yet been specified).
Ason
Ernak gives a sweeping bow of gratitude to the emperor but stays silent, content with the reply.
Rithryn
Dane drops the gauntlets in the wheelbarrow.
Dusk Raven
Jacintha puts the axe she grabbed into the wheelbarrow without comment.
lostsole31
And as all of those weapons are being taken away, three persons in chains are brought into the arena and walked up to the spot where the wheelbarrow was.

Neither of these three are human! 😦

The first creature looks like a very tall dwarven woman from core build, though leaner ... and tall enough to be as tall as most human women. She stands at 5' 6" but is her bulk, her wings (currently bound at the back joins in leather) and rocky hide probably put her weighing in just shy of 200 pounds or so. Her skin appears to be almost made of a red, rock-like substance, interspersed with other its of gray, sandstone, and even a little bit of blue. She has a small pair of horns protruding from her forehead. Her eyes are almost all glossy black except for red, almost luminous pupils of strange design. Her claws look 50/50 like they could be functional, the nails being of a sandstone hue as well. In addition to her rocky bits, she possesses facial scars, a small leg scar on the right, has patterned tattoos, as well as what appears to be old red warpaint.  She wears ripped clothing, though the strange glove/wrist wraps she wears look interesting. She also has a medicine bag on her right hip and some type of adornment on her neck that might be religious in significance. Her hair is dyed a stark mauve color in contrast to all that makes ... her ... her.

The second creature is a little more human. It is a half-orc male that is a hair over six feet in height, and easily around 250 or so pounds in weight. Eyes are red-orange with little tiny dots for pupils, and he seems much impressed with the bright light of day. His hair color is surprisingly more human than most half-orcs, as is his skin. No green or gray-green, but a sort of burnished brown. He has scars all about him, but also these russet-colored tiger stripe tattoos that don't seem to hide the scars so much as show them proudly. He has a small, hand-struck style drum at his hip. His nails are long, though it is less likely that they are effective weapons. The tusks in his mouth, however, are longer, more pointed, and seemingly more dangerous than any half-orcs you have seen before. There is a faint sheen about his skin that hints at the metallic, and yet isn't. The bottom half of his body wears better but more savage-themed clothing and fine boots, but the upper half is unclothed save for some type of tribal necklace and bone bracelets.

The last of them is far smaller, standing in at an even three-feet tall. It is Linzi, and she has been beaten up pretty badly and her weapons and all of her gear missing, with the notable exception of her leather armor and her gold ring with Shelyn's seal on it.   "Sorry, boss,"   she says to Dane.   "I went on independent ops. I think I found where they're keeping Salvator, and I was hoping to score an exclusive interview, but I guess they had the place alarmed because before I knew it I was mobbed by the Emperor's thugs."  
  "PLAYERS! TAKE THE FIELD!"   comes the command from the Emperor.
lostsole31
Teams take the field, as ordered. The Bloody Badgers go for a widespread zone defense for the most part.  Meanwhile, the Shinglewolves are a tightly packed backfield defensive position.

The gong is sounding, and finally, the piggy is on the Badgers' side!

 Begin Round One ...

R1T28:   Jacintha , what do you do?
lostsole31
 R1T28:  Not knowing what else to do, Jacintha goes for  "shock and awe." She races downfield to charge Yellow, drop kicking him  in the leg as hard as she can for  5 NL .

 R1T27:   Dane , Piggy in the netted section next to you. What do you do?
Rithryn
Dane will grab the pig the move south next to vivino.
  "Cover me and let's get this pig to the goal!"  
 
 Spoiler 
movingsouth 3 squares thand south east 1 diagnol.
 
lostsole31
 R1T27:  Dane grabs the piglet, which seems to just slump in his hands the move south next to Vivino.   "Cover me and let's get this pig to the goal!"  
 R1T26:  Blue exits the pig-delivery area on his side and rolls up on Jacintha. He doesn't physically attack but does say,   "Doesn't look good for your side if you lose, does it?"  

The reality of losing the next point jars Jacintha ( shaken ).

 R1T25:   The new half-orc looks around confused, but did see the physical  exchange with Jacintha's charge. He follows her lead and charges Blue  with a flying dropkick to hit Blue's knee for  14 NL .

 R1T23-22:   Brown charges Vivino with a leaping elbow to the big man's neck with a  powerful blow ... that doesn't hurt the big man at all. Brown's eyes go  wide. Meanwhile, Green charges the winged rock-dwarf-like woman to  strike her in the knee for  8 NL .

 R1T20:  Ernak, what do you do?
Ason
Ernak adopts his usual defensive posture before calling out encouragements to the team.   "Alright newcomers! Let's clear Dane's way!"  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square south
 Free:  adopt  Indomitable  tactical presence
 Swift:  adopt  Circular Stance  (cannot be flanked)
 Move:  start  Inspire Courage +2 
 Five-Foot Step:  1 square southwest
 Standard:  use  Warleader  to give everyone on his team the  Outflank  feat
 
lostsole31
 R1T20:  Ernak adopts his usual defensive posture before calling out encouragements to the team.   "Alright, newcomers! Let's clear Dane's way!"  

The half-orc man calls out, confused,   "Who is Dane!?"  
 R1T18-16:  Purple moves up to attack Jacintha. Yellow fakes out Jacintha before kicking her in the lower arm in a sensitive area for  18 NL + hampered .

 R1T15:  Linzi moves up to Ernak and Dane.   "What are we supposed to be doing? What's going on? We weren't told anything."  
 R1T13:  The enemy goalie readies for the charge.

 R1T12-11:   Ducking past the swinging half-orc as he goes by, Pink charges from the  backfield entry cage towards Dane. A valiant charge, but he his kick  had little chance of penetrating Dane's armor. Red likewise charges the  half-orc from the same point, but a deflection field throws off his aim.

 R1T10:  Laori readies herself for a turnover that might come her way.

 R1T9:   Vivino , what do you do?

Winged-rock-dwarf-lady on deck, Jacintha in the hole ...
Moriar
  "Dane is the one with the pig!"   Vivino shouts to the newcomers.

Vivino aims low with a couple quick kicks.

 
 Spoiler: clear path? 



Trip attempt vs pink:  (1d20+13)[ 20 ] 

If misses, will try second trip attempt at pink.  Otherwise trip attempt at brown.

Trip 2:  (1d20+8)[ 13 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R1T9:    "Dane is the one with the pig!"    Vivino shouts to the newcomers. Vivino aims low with a couple quick  kicks to trip Pink. Pink counters with his own trip attempt and misses,  while his charge also put him off balance and he falls. Vivino tries the  same against Brown; the two of them have a tussle, but neither trips  the other.

 R1T8:    "I don't understand what's happening!"    says the dwarf-rock-lady, but she takes a page out of Vivino's book and  she expertly plants both Green and Brown with some type of fancy  unarmed maneuvers before sidestepping downfield.

 End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T28:   Jacintha , you recover from your initial charge, but you are still hampered (1/2 move, no 5' step). What do you do?

Dane on deck, Blue in the hole ...
Dusk Raven
Well, this isn't a great situation to be in. Jacintha jabs at blue, but her focus is on defending herself, not bringing him down. Meanwhile, she shouts back to Linzi,   "We're getting that pig to the pit on the enemy team's side!"  
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Full attack against blue, using Combat Expertise to boost my AC to... 26, I believe.
Attack 1:  (1d20+12)[ 15 ]  Damage:  (1d3)[ 2 ]  NL
Attack 2:  (1d20+7)[ 8 ]  Damage:  (1d3)[ 2 ]  NL
 
lostsole31
 R2T28:  Well, this isn't a great situation to be in.  Jacintha jabs at blue, but  her focus is on defending herself, not bringing him down. With her first  strike against her target, Yellow and Purple fail to trip her, but  Purple knocks Jacintha to the ground ... hard. Jacintha's head smacks  against the ground and she is  stunned .

 R2T27:   Dane , you are holding the piggy, which remains slumped in your grip. What do you do?

Blue on deck, Half-orc in the hole ...
Rithryn
Pig in hand Dane moves towards the goal.
  "Gotta be careful about bein surrounded."  
 
 Spoiler 
moves southeast 1 square diagonally than 4 squares south, than 1 square south west diagonally to be to the west of the halforc.
 
lostsole31
 R2T27:  Pig in hand, Dane moves towards the goal, reminding himself as much as anyone else,   "Gotta be careful about bein' surrounded."  
 R2T26:  Blue tries to curb stomp Jacintha, but her armor protects her. Failing that, he steps back.

 R2T25:   The half-orc recovers from his charge. With Blue having just moved, The  half-orc moves back a little, and then drags Jacintha out of the way  behind him.

 R2T23-22:  Brown and Green both  recover from their previous charges. Brown gets to his feet safely and  then bolts downfield to cut off Dane. Green also gets to their feet, but  not before the winged lady socks him in the jaw for  11 NL . Green then also follows Brown downfield to begin hemming in Dane.

 R2T20:   Ernak , what do you do?

Opposition on deck and in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak zips down the field past Jacintha and the half-orc, throwing a  trip on Yellow as he skids to a halt at the line of scrimmage.

To Dane and the half-orc, Ernak yells,   "Half-orc's got an opening to drop the pig into their pit!"  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square west
 Free:  maintain   Inspire Courage +2 
 Move:  5 squares south, 1 square southwest
 Standard:  trip attempt on Yellow (no AoO b/c Deft Maneuvers):  (1d20+18)[ 38 ]  ( includes +2 from Deft Maneuvers but no other situational bonuses/penalties )
 Swift:   Pride Movement  boost on Dane
 
lostsole31
 R2T20:  Ernak zips down the field past Jacintha and the half-orc, throwing a   trip on Yellow as he skids to a halt at the line of scrimmage and Yellow falls to the ground.

To Dane and the half-orc, Ernak yells,   "Half-orc's got an opening to drop the pig into their pit!"  
 Dane ,  Ernak's leadership and tactics give you a single MA which you may take  for movement (ONLY, not "move-equivalent MAs").  What do you do?
Rithryn
Dane turns quickly taking advantage of the new opening .
 
 Spoiler 
dane moves east 1 square than south east 2 squares.
 
lostsole31
 R2T20 (Cont'd):  Dane turns quickly taking advantage of  the new opening. He starts to move east, but Green, Brown, and Red all  try to knock him down. Brown wasn't close; Dane and Green are in a brief  tussle, and as that happens, Red manages to successfully trip Dane,  halting his intended movement!

 R2T18-16:  Purple then sidesteps northeast and then elbows Ernak low in the back of his upper leg for  14 NL + bewildered . Meanwhile, Yellow gets back up on their feet and fails to trip Ernak.

 R2T15:  Linzi withdraws back to the friendly goal, now that she has a sense of what is happening.

 R2T12-11:   Pink gets back on their feet and runs forward to curb stomp Jacintha,  but somehow fails. Red sidesteps to flank Ernak with Yellow, planting a  knee firmly in the small of Ernak's back for  20 NL + bewildered .

 R2T9:   Vivino , what do you do?

Winged lady on deck, Jacintha in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino hustles into position.



 
 Spoiler: move it 


Double move
Moves 3 squares south
Move 1 square Southwest
Move 1 square west
Move 7 squares south
Move 4 squares east

Then says:   "I'm open, throw me the pig!"   Vivino shouts.
 
lostsole31
 R2T9:  Vivino hustles into position and shouts,    "I'm open, throw me the pig!"    
 R2T8:   The winged dwarf-like lady follows right along with Vivino, though ends  up more in position to catch a pig as she is in front of Vivino now.

 End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T28:   Jacintha recovers from being stunned. Focusing on defense, she tries to  stand. Despite that, Pink still elbows her in the stomach for  8 NL  and Red and Jacintha smack their heads against each other. Red is  stunned , but Jacintha falls  unconscious .

 R3T27:   Dane , you are prone. The piggy has been slumping, but now it kicks wildly, but you easily hang onto it. What do you do?

Blue on deck, Half-orc in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane stands up, pig in hand he tries to move passed the gap of the enemy players.
  "Don't got a clear shot!"  
 
 Spoiler 
Dane stands up than moves 1 square south, 1 square south west, than 1 square south east.
 
lostsole31
 R3T27:  Dane stands up, unmolested as the Shinglewolves  around them are spent. Pig in hand, he tries to move past the gap of the  enemy players.   "Don't got a clear shot!"  
 R3T26:  Blue tries to step in Dane's way, failing to take the piggy.

 R3T25:   The half-orc tries to juke out of danger, succeeding as Purple fails to  trip him. He closes on the goalie and tries to grab him. It's a  miserable attempt, but does show that he at least has enough training at  trying so as not to get beaned for his troubles.

 R3T23-22:  Brown and Green both move south, and Green manages to rip the piggy from Dane's grasp!

 R3T20:   Ernak , what do you do? You are a bit bewildered right now, especially as it befits Purple and Red.

Shinglewolves on deck and in the hole ...
Ason
  "Nice footwork!"   Ernak calls out to the teammates coalescing around Dane. He then shifts closer to the dwarf and attempts to steal the pig back from Green.

If he succeeds, he passes the beast to Dane, calling out to his allies,   "Hand it down the line!"  

If he fails to steal the pig, Ernak settles for unsettling his opponent with a feint.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
 Note:  Ernak's current PoW stance  means he cannot be flanked. If the bewildered came from a sneak attack  that required flanking to trigger, then neither that status effect nor  the extra damage should be applied. If bewildered / sneak attack came  from a non-flanking way to gain sneak attack, then  this note is irrelevant. I was AWOL between my last post and now due to finals, so I only noticed this potential issue today.

  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square southeast
 Free:  drop Inspire Courage +2,  Lingering Performance  round 1 kicks in
 Swift:   Defending the Pride
  Five-Foot Step:  southwest
 Standard:  attempt to steal the pig from Green;  (1d20+16)[ 34 ]  (no bonuses/penalties included)
  Move:  If Steal is successful, attempt to hand pig off to Dane
 
 If Steal is not successful, Feint vs Green via Deft Maneuvers feat 
 
 
lostsole31
 R3T20:     "Nice footwork!"     Ernak calls out to  the teammates coalescing around Dane. He then shifts closer to the dwarf  and steals the pig back from Green. The pig futilely tries to bite  Ernak, and Ernak gestures to Dane, but spent too much energy in getting  the pig in the first place. Still, he advises,   "Hand it down the line!"  
 R3T18-16:  Purple closes on Ernak and fails to steal the pig, as does Yellow.

 R3T15:  Linzi is with Laori in being ready to block a goal attempt.

 R3T12-11:  Pink closes and fails to grab the piggy. Red is stunned.

 R3T9:   Vivino , what do you do?

Winged rock-dwarf lady on deck, Dane in the hole ...
Moriar
  "Time to either throw or pass that piggy along,"   Vivino suggests the obvious.    "Will try to clear some space."  
 
 Spoiler: So Close 


Move 5' Northwest

Trip 1 attempt against green:  (1d20+13)[ 24 ] 

Trip 2 attempt against brown:  (1d20+8)[ 20 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T9:    "Time to either throw or pass that piggy along,"   Vivino suggests the obvious.    "Will try to clear some space."  

Vivino  steps more into the scrum. He and Green have a tussle, and Green almost  trips Vivino, but it is Brown who manages to work with his fellow to  drop Vivino. Once on the ground, Vivino still is struggling, and with  Ernak's song still in his mind, manages to pull down Green as well.

 R3T8:   Despite this min drama, while that is happening the wing-dwarf-lady  grapples the goalie (Red-Blue) to keep him from protecting the goal!  Vivino's violent suicide-trip and this tackle is enough for the crowd to  cheer.

 End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T27:   Dane , what do you do?

Blue on deck, Half-orc in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane shoves the enemy player nearby.
  "I'll try to push them away."  
 
 Spoiler 
 standard attempting to bullrush yellow, not moving with them if successful. Improved outflank +4. MA using boots of the earth.
 (1d20+13)[ 17 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R4T27:  Dane shoves the enemy player nearby. It's a  lackluster attempt, and yet with his specialized training and Ernak's  recent histrionics still stirring his heart, Yellow gets pushed back 5'.    "I'll try to push them away."  

There is then a thrumming of power underneath Dane as the ground shakes ever so slightly.

 R4T26:  Blue tries to grab the piggy from Ernak, but plows into the big man's armor and breaks his own tooth.

 R4T25:   The half-orc adjusts position and then opens up with two fists on the  held goalie. Unfortunately, in diving low to the ground in the grapple,  he headbutts the dwarven-like, winged lady and stuns himself.

 R4T23-22:   Brown adjusts and then begins trying to curb stomp Vivino, but for   Vivino's armor. At the same time, Green successfully rips the piggy from  Ernak's grasp. The piggy tries to squirm in his grasp to no avail, and  Green takes off downfield.

 R4T20:   Ernak , you are no longer bewildered and your oration is still strong in the air. What do you do?

Shinglewolves on deck and in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak frowns as the pig is finally ripped away from him and gives chase  after Green, shouting down the first Shinglewolf that attempts to attack  him. He then tries to steal the pig back from Green.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square east
 Free:   Lingering Performance  round 2
 Immediate (if triggered):  Ernak will use  Warning Roar  to protect himself against attacks of opportunity during his move
 
 If  Warning Roar  is not triggered during Ernak's turn, he will instead use it to protect the next person on his team who is attacked 
 
 Move:  1 square northwest, 3 squares north
 Standard:  attempt to steal the pig back from Green;  (1d20+16)[ 31 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R4T20:  Ernak frowns as the pig is finally ripped away  from him and gives chase   after Green. As Pink goes to attack him, Ernak shouts him down. Purple  tries to trip him and almost succeeds, were it not for Ernak's own skill  at avoiding such a thing. Blue throws a punch and misses. He then  steals the pig back from Green, and the piggy simply slumps in his  grasp.

 R4T18-16:  Purple and Yellow both move forward and fail to grab the piggy from Ernak.

 R4T13:  The goalie fails to get out of the female's grasp.

 R4T12-11:  Pink moves forward and attacks Ernak. Red recovers from his stun and closes and fails to grab the piggy.

 R4T9:   Vivino , you are prone. What do you do?

Ally-female on deck, Dane in the hole ...
Moriar
  "So close...."   Vivino growls.

 
 Spoiler: crunch 



Acrobatics roll 5' to NW:  (1d20+13)[ 31 ] 

Move 3 squares north to flank purple.
Risky strike nonlethal to purples kidneys. Flanking etc

To hit:  (1d20+9)[ 20 ] 
Damage:  (1d3)[ 3 ] 
Sneak:  (4d6)[ 15 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R4T9:    "So close...."    Vivino growls. He rolls to the northwest, finding it much more effort  to do some from his prone position than before, and crawling isn't  acrobatic no matter what you do. He realizes this as Brown and Blue both  kick him in the head and back (no damage). Vivino stands back up.

 R4T8:  Winglady continues to grapple the goalie for  12 NL .

 End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T27:   Dane , what do you do?

Blue on deck, Half-orc in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane moves up to try to make way for his teammate.
  "Outa the way!"  
 
 Spoiler 
moving to be just south of purple flanking him and attemptinga reposition maneuver to mov th guy sw of dane. +4 from outflank.
 (1d20+13)[ 24 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R5T27:  Dane gets FH1 from his boots before they deactivate as he moves up to try to make way for his teammate.   "Outta' the way!"  

Blue, Pink, Purple, &amp; Yellow each fail their AOOs, and Purple is moved pulled out of the way.

 R5T26:  Blue J-hooks around to cut off Ernak.

 R5T25:  The half-orc clears his head and gives chase, failing to trip Yellow.

 R5T23-22:  Brown stays away from Vivino and closes to cut off Ernak. Green fails to grab the piggy from him.

 R5T20:   Ernak , your lingering performance has ended, and you have the piggy. What do you do?

Shinglewolves on deck and in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak shifts southward and passes the pig over to Dane. He calls out,   "Pig's ours again, team: run it in!"  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square northeast
 Five-Foot Step:  1 square south
 Standard:  pass pig to Dane
 Move:  start  Inspire Courage +2  again
 
lostsole31
 R5T20:  Ernak shifts southward and passes the pig over to Dane. He calls out,   "Pig's ours again, team: run it in!"  

With that out of his hands, Ernak begins a stirring oration again.

 R5T18-11:   Purple and Yellow both fail to grab the pig, and Yellow adjusts  slightly. The goalie tries to punch his grappler. Pink fails to grab the  pig. Red steps down and also fails to grab the pig.

 R5T9:   Vivino , what do you do?

Winged lady on deck, Dane in the hole ...
Moriar
 " I'm ready, toss me the pig!"   Vivino exclaims.

 
 Spoiler: pig receiver 


Hold action.

Once pig received and caught:

Then move 2 squares south

Then move 2 squares east.

Then put pig in the goal.
 
😏
lostsole31
 R5T9:    "I'm ready, toss me the pig!"   Vivino exclaims.

 R5T8:  The winged lady loses hold of the goalie, so she steps north of him.

 End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ...

R6T27:   Dane , you are holding the piggy. What do you do?

Blue on deck, Half-orc in the hole ...
lostsole31
 R6T27:  Dane tries to muscle his way south to Vivino,  nearly losing the piggy to Purple; elbowing Yellow in the nose so that  Yellow has to sneeze ( dazed ); and brushes past Red's grasping hands. He makes it to Vivino and puts the piggy in the massive man's hands.

 R6T26.9:  Vivino sets off south then east and drops the pig into the pit.

The gong sounds as the piggy is torn to shreds by the wolverine therein!

 Period of Play Ended. Begin 2-Minute Break ...

Shinglewolves 3
Bloody Badgers 2 

What do you do during this period?   Note that Jacintha is unconscious on the field right now.
Moriar
"  What did do differently that time?  "  Vivino wonders.  "  Let's do that again!


Anyone have anything else for Jacintha?"  

Vivino then helps her drink a vial.

 
 Spoiler: Winning 


Gives her a cure light wounds extract

 (1d8+5)[ 7 ] 
 
lostsole31
Vivino gives Jacintha one of his own  cure light wounds  extracts ... but nothing happens!
Moriar
  "Can one of you that is more skilled in helping people figure out what is going on with Jacintha?"    Vivino asks.    "I can try to help with what I do know."  
 
 Spoiler: Healing 


Will either assist someone or use his own healing skill to help figure out how to help Jacintha
 
lostsole31
Laori will assist Vivino, who is actually the most knowledgeable in the party of medicine and anatomy.

Jacintha is not suffering from a special effect. She is simply unconscious from massive non-life-threatening trauma. You could attempt to revive her, but she would be staggered until such time as she recovers from that pain.
Moriar
  "Let's see what we can do to ease her pain,  " Vivino says.


 
 Spoiler 


Will first do what he can to alleviate the pain. If he needs help from another will ask the others if they have access to that spell or ability.

If that doesn't work then will wake her up and ask her if there is anything that can help.
 
Ason
Ernak once again pulls out his wand of cure light wounds. He puts two charges into Jacintha, as well as four into himself. He offers to use the wand to heal anyone else who may be injured.

 Turning to the newcomers, he takes a minute to explain the rules of Blood Pig to them--such as he understands the sport, at least--and to answer any questions they may have. He also takes a moment to introduce all the players to each other by name.

At the end of his speech, Ernak reiterates that lethal attacks and magic spells are banned from use in play, warning the newcomers that to be caught casting magic or striking another player to draw blood might risk the entire team being executed. 
 
 Spoiler: Cure Light Wounds 

 
   (1d8+1)[ 7 ]   
   (1d8+1)[ 7 ]   
   (1d8+1)[ 4 ]   
   (1d8+1)[ 2 ]   
   (1d8+1)[ 9 ]   
   (1d8+1)[ 9 ]   
 
 
lostsole31
That gets Jacintha on her feet, but she is still not in a great way right now.  Ernak feels much better, but is still a bit banged up, and the Bloody Badgers go back to their side.

  "I'm Bryngiel Craghaven, a warpriest of Gorum,"   says the winged lady.   "I'm neither dwarf nor gargoyle, but untold generations ago, the dwarves gave succor to gargoyles that fought by their side against darkness below. For that, over time, those gargoyles changed into my people. We are called watchers."  
  "I'm Roshgog,"   says the half-orc.   "And I don't mind a scrum, but I have no idea what is happening. What are the rules of this row?"  
Ason
Ernak nods his head at the others in greeting.   "I'm Ernak. The rest of us came here for an audience with the artist Salvator: he knows something that might save Old Korvosa in the right hands. Winning means we get that chat and walk free. Losing means they try to execute us. So win, okay?"  

Rubbing his bald head thoughtfully, Ernak continues,   "So... this game. This is 'blood pig'. Somehow get the pig into the other team's pit,"   he points at the Shinglewolves' pit,   "to score.     First team to five wins. We're 2 to their 3, but since we just scored, they start with the pig now."  
  "You gotta start inside our square of the field,"   Ernak gestures to point out the starting area,   "You can't use weapons or deadly attacks. But non-lethal hits, trips, stealing the pig, whatever else is fine. Magic in-game is banned, but healing between rounds is okay. I suggest you heal our injured ASAP too, if you can: Jacintha especially,"   he points to the injured woman,   "Break any rule, and the other team gets a point, which we can't afford."  

Pausing to collect his thoughts, Ernak adds,   "Our team's the Bloody Badgers, and they're the Singlewolves. My advice? They hit harder if they gang up, so don't get flanked. Dane's armor,"   he points at the dwarf,   "keeps him safer, so he's been our go-to runner when we can."  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Time permitting, after his explanation, Ernak uses his wand to cast another 1 round of Cure Light Wounds into himself and then 3 more into Jacintha.

 
  (1d8+1)[ 9 ]  
  (1d8+1)[ 5 ]  
  (1d8+1)[ 9 ]  
  (1d8+1)[ 7 ]  
 
 
lostsole31
Jacintha doesn't have any more "injuries," though she is still pretty well battered.

Laori says,   "Oh, no .... I noticed that it is actually random who gets the pig. There's no pattern to it.  

Roshgog just asks.   "So, each round of scoring ... if I get this right .... you been using resource after resource. And if we lose the game, we die. AND the ability to fight back is diminished .... because you been sucking away all your stuff between each round?  *** it, why not just storm the Emperor and his gnome lapdog and any who get in our way. Kill them, take their weapons those who need it, and run them over, slaughtering any who get in our way?"  
Rithryn
Dane approaches Linzi with a serious look on his face.
  "I didn't have the chance to ask during the match, are you ok Linzi? Did they hurt you?"  

He looks around at the others.

  "If we got time anyone who's hurt come over and I'll check you over, I still got a few healing spells."  
 
 Spoiler 
if she allows it dane will do a heal check and use healing spells on linzi, as well after he will use heal checks and spells on the rest of the party.
 
Rithryn
Dane looks at Roshgog and nods while treating Linzi.
  "Aye, I've lost my patience for this lot. We tried the nice way it seems like it's time we do this by force. Problem is we got no weapons, a few of us could handle ourselves without but it'd get hard for others. Got a plan for that?"  
lostsole31
  "Sure!  Fireball  dropped right on that stupid 'emperor's face,"   answers Roshgog cheerily.    "I imagine I'll catch more than a few of his thugs."  

Meanwhile, Linzi wasn't just beaten, but took actual injury putting her at about 50%.  While we're at it...
Bryngiel: Light NL bruising.
Dane: You know how you're doing.
Ernak: Light NL bruising.
Jacintha: Significant battering putting her at ~50% before she goes unconscious again.
Laori: Light wound.

Roshgog &amp; Vivino: Unwounded.

 Dane , what healing will you cast on whom?
Rithryn
Dane looks at Roshgog nodding his head.
  "That does sound like a good idea, let me see if I can get our weapons back first and you be ready with the fireball in case I fail. I got something special I've been saving, but healing comes first."  

Dane begins chanting his words of power for linzi a day Jacinto.

 
 Spoiler 
 will use a cure serious on linzi and jacintha and follow up with cure light to top up if they still arent mostly healed.
 
lostsole31
Roshgog shrugs.

Meanwhile, Dane fully heals Linzi, and Jacintha just has light bruising.
Ason
Ernak shrugs.   "They do outnumber us--and we're in a pit--but I'll follow Dane and Vivino's lead."  

Time permitting, he uses his wand of cure light wounds to patch himself and Jacintha up more, followed by Laori.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Cure light wounds rolls

 
  (1d8+1)[ 8 ]  
  (1d8+1)[ 9 ]  
  (1d8+1)[ 8 ]   
 
 
lostsole31
Time no longer permits, sorry, as you have to hustle to get into place for the next scrimmage.
lostsole31
The Shinglewolves, currently enjoying a 3-2 advantage, take the field.

The gong sounds, and the piggy shows up .... on the Bloody Badgers' side!

 Begin Round One ...

  R1T23-22:   Red bolts right down the western side of the field, getting astride  Jacintha. Meanwhile, Green charges Bryngiel, who manages to block the  attack with an almost sixth sense awareness of danger.

 R1T21:   Dane , the piggy is right there! What do you do?
Rithryn
Dane ignores the pig and turns to face the "emperor." He speaks his words of power.
  " I grow tired of your games, return our weapons and the man we came for or face the wrath of a Cailenite inquisitors inquisition!"  
 
 Spoiler 
 using swaying word on the emperor, and ordering him to give us our weapons and salvator. Dc 20 will save or dominated for 1 minute.
 
lostsole31
 R1T21: Dane ignores the pig and turns to face the "emperor." He speaks his words of power.   " I grow tired of your games, return our  weapons and the man we came for or face the wrath of a Caydenite  inquisitor's inquisition!"  

The Emperor, though  very visible .... is 85' away, elevated, and there is significant crowd  noise for this sporting event. What is obvious, however, is that magic  was definitely used just now ... and the gong is sounded.

The crowd now quiets as the Emperor calls out, his shrill voice piercing the now quiet arena,   "One  point to the Shinglewolves, as the Badgers have attempted some type of  magic. The score is now Shinglewolves, 4; Bloody Badgers, 2. Two minute  break to reset the field!"  

The crowd now erupts  into a flurry of even greater noise as they know that the next point the  Shinglewolves make will spell doom for the Bloody Badgers.

 Initiative Ends! 

Ernak, do you take this unfortunate respite to attempt the healing you didn't have before?

Does anyone else do anything in this two-minute break?
Rithryn
Dane waits till the healing is done than nods to Roshgog.
Moriar
Vivino will do what he can to further help Jacintha recover.
lostsole31
Updated healing checks shows the following...

Roshgog and Linzi are fine.

Bryngiel:  Only about 7% NL (light). No injuries.
Dane:  Light injury (~95%). Only about 12% NL.
Ernak:  ~ 5% NL. No injuries.
Jacintha:  ~5-10% NL. No injuries.
Laori:  Light Injury (95%). No NL.
Vivino: Almost neglible injury.
Rithryn
Dane casts divine favor on himself than shouts at the top of his lungs.

  "I HEREBY DECLARE MY FIRST INQUISITION OF CAYDEN CAILEAN, EMPEROR YOUR REIGN ENDS TODAY!"  

He looks to Roshgog.

  "FIRE!"  
lostsole31
 Surprise Round ...

 Dane casts  divine favor  on himself than shouts at the top of his lungs:   "I HEREBY DECLARE ...!"  

But  just the seconds of casting and the few words he has shouted so far and  already the canny Emperor of Old Korvosa, Pilts Swastel, is on his feet  and shouts,    "Minions, Attack!"   

As  soon as he calls for an attack, he begins to joke about the many  shortcomings of the foolish dwarf and the foolish upstarts. He is  actually incredibly insightful, and his insults seem to buoy all that  see him, meanwhile, the crowd quiets down because they aren't sure what  is happening.

 Begin Round One ...

  R1T29:   Sensing that it is "on" Jacintha tears down the field and cuts west to  the stairs that lead up to the emperor's area, stopping just short of  climbing the stairs. She casts a spell, and a burst of cold is seen  leaving her hands, but her target up the stairs is unseen.

  " ... MY FIRST INQUISITION OF   ..."

 R1T27:  Roshgog delays, waiting for the signal, and respecting a good "F-U" speech.

 R1T24:  Dane continues,   "... OF CAYDEN CAILEAN. EMPEROR, YOUR REIGN ENDS TODAY!"  

He looks to Roshgog.  "FIRE!"  
 Dane ,  do you still wish to take your actions for the round (no more speech),  or end your turn to allow Roshgog to do his action? Because your speech  took more than three words into your turn, you cannot delay.
Rithryn
Dane clenchs his fist.
 "Cayden Cailean grant me destruction and justice but hide my movements!" 
He than looks around trying to spot where their weapons are stowed.

 
 Spoiler 
 Swift activating the destructionand justice judgement, standard castinginvisibility. Than if i can using MA to attempt perceptionto spot their weapons.
 
lostsole31
 R1T24:  Dane clenches his fist, praying,   "Cayden Cailean grant me destruction and justice but hide my movements!"  

He casts a spell upon himself and disappears from view, and then looks around trying to spot where their weapons are stowed.

 R1T27:   As Dane is looking around, Roshgog moves to midfield and casts his  spell. He swirls his arms together to create a small red ball and then  lets it loose to fly up to make a low airburst right above the Emperor  and his goons. Red takes   38 fire    and one of his throwing axes on his belt is destroyed.  The other three  thugs protecting the emperor dive safely out of the way. Pilts tried to  get out of the way - and that scraggly boy can move - but still takes   21 fire   for his trouble. Still, his comical jibes continue, unabated.

It is after Dane looks and admires with a broad smile that  fireball   that the smile begins to fade ... because it suddenly comes to his  memory that the last place the party saw their weapons - was on the  grandstand with the Emperor!! 😦

It  should be noted that there were other people hanging around ... people  who were impressed into service in various ways ... and they are  completely burned, their death screams on their lips as they fall down  to wide-mouthed charred bodies littering the grandstand (not difficult  terrain).

 R1T22:  As the fire clears, the crowd  screams and begins to clear as quickly as they can. This includes the  Shinglewolves. While capable unarmed warriors, they are really more  high-end athletes that don't want to tangle with fireballs. In a stands  there is a near stampede, and several people get trampled. One person  who was far enough back on the grandstand to be unaffected is the weird  little executioner. A wordless, strangled cry erupts from his throat.  With small-sized greataxe raised, the little guy moves north along the  grandstand until no longer seen.

 R1T21-20:   Green-1 pushes Jacintha away from the stairs and farther out on the  field. Meanwhile, Purple-1 charges down the "stadium" seats to east  (northern section) to charge Linzi. The battle axe strikes her hip while  she is unaware, and she takes  28 + disoriented .

 R1T19:   Bryngiel makes a call to Gorum for war as she casts a spell and then  steps forward to touch Purple-1 on the chest. The dark energies jump  onto the thug and goes to his eyes, but he manages to resist the effect.

 R1T18:   Laori gets into a creepy fight stance and closes on Purple-1, ramming  her mithral armor spikes into his head with some type of special  maneuver for  22 .

 R1T17-14:   Brown-1 leaves the grandstand to skirt around Jacintha and close on  Roshgog. Blue-1 closes on Jacintha and crits her along the body for  22 + armor broken . Red-1 closes on Jacintha and strikes her in the left lower arm for  15 . Pink-1 charges from the southern stands to have some mild magical force deflect his axe.

 R1T13:   Continuing his unique comic stylings, the Emperor springs down from the  stands in an impressive jump and moves forward while drawing what looks  like a very nice straight razor. He calls out to something called  "Sifkesh" to purify his soldiers for battle.

 R1T12:   Ernak , what do you do?
Ason
Ernak adopts a more aggressive stance this time. He then fakes moving northward before actually shifting to the southeast. Dropping his coach persona at long last, Ernak instead simply cries out,   "Fight as one! Fight for freedom!"  

Ernak then casts Glitterdust down the field, attempting to cover a clump of enemies while avoiding Jacintha and  Roshgog.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square north
 Swift:  adopt  Primal Warrior Stance 
 Five-Foot Step:  1 square southeast
 Move:  start  Inspire Courage +2 
 Standard:  cast  Glitterdust , centered on the intersection between the east-west line dividing Blue and the token that has notes on it ( I think that's the emperor? ) and the north-south line dividing the 4 from the d in "C4d"
 
lostsole31
 R1T12:  Ernak adopts a more aggressive stance this time. He then fakes moving  northward before actually shifting to the southeast. Dropping his coach  persona at long last, Ernak instead simply cries out,    "Arise, arise, blooded of Badgers!   Fell deeds awake, fire and slaughter!   Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered!   A sword-day, a red day, ere the Bloody Pig rises!"       "Fight as one! Fight for freedom!" 
 Ernak then casts  glitterdust   down the field, attempting to cover a clump of enemies while avoiding  Jacintha and  Roshgog. While the Emperor seems fine, Blue-1 seems to  have been blinded.

 R1T9:  Disoriented as she is,  Linzi steps away from the bad man. She casts a spell on herself, and  seems to be inhabited by the essence of many halfling heroes who have  gone before her at this moment.

 R1T7:   Vivino , what do you do?

Jacintha on deck, Dane in the hole ...
Moriar
As Vivino walks his form shifts.  He gets larger, gangly, and the arms lengthen.


In a high pitched voice says to the Emperor,  " Your just a big meany!  "

 
 Spoiler 


Begins muatgenic form

Then moves 2 squares east.

Move 5 squares south.

The move 1 squares west to flank pink
 
lostsole31
 R1T7:  As Vivino walks his form shifts.  He gets larger,  gangly, and the arms lengthen. In a high pitched voice, he says to the  Emperor,  " You're just a big meany!  "

 End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T29:   Despite being surrounded, Jacintha struggles to focus but succeeds in  psychically creating a warping shield of force around her that turns  invisible as soon as it is made. She then rapidly manifests an energy  kukri, and steps back by Roshgog.

 R2T24:   Dane , you are currently invisible. What do you do?

Roshgog on deck, enemies in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane lumbers his way towards the stairs with the grace of a stuffed pig.
 
 Spoiler 
Dane moves 3 squares diagonallysouthwest, than 2 squares south, 1 square diagonallysouth west, than 1 square west. Double move.
 
lostsole31
 R2T24:  Dane lumbers his way towards the stairs with the  grace of a stuffed pig. He doesn't get quite as far as he had hoped  since he had to begin going up stairs. Of course, he almost bumped into  the gnome executioner on the way up as well.

 R2T23:  Roshgog steps back and away from Pink and casts a spell at Red.   "Hey, my friend, go see to the safety of the Emperor's subjects. I think some got hurt in the stands."  

Red  looks like he is waging a tough war, but finally the aid the Emperor  gives him wins out, and the half-orc's simple ploy to remove an enemy  from the field has failed.

 R2T23-20:  Just then,  the frothing gnome executioner comes into view from the stairs. Though  obviously raging, this gnome does so like a smaller animal that  instinctively understands that aggression must be tempered with defense.  His greataxe bites into Jacintha's right leg for  26 .  Green repositions and attacks, but Jacintha deflects the axe. Purple  overcomes his charge, and sees that he is terribly outnumbered. Still,  he steps after Linzi, nicking her belly with his axe for  14 .

 R2T19:  Bryngiel steps back from Purple, and casts a spell on Linzi for   8 healing  .

 R2T18:   Laori's face becomes resolute and she settles into a low crouch and  changes stance. She pushes forward to impale Purple with her armor  spikes, mainly puncturing his upper right arm for  52 .

 R2T17-14:  Brown steps away from Vivino to flank Jacintha. He sneak attacks her in the lower back for  26 ;  his blow continues past her to whizz right past Roshgog. Blue goes into  total defense, continuing to be blinded. Red closes on Vivino but  misses. Pink recovers from their charge and adjusts to flank Vivino; he  swings and clips Vivino's head but his training helps him keep the  damage just to  11 mod .

 R2T13:   The Emperor of Korvosa continues his jaunty jokes at the heroes'  expense, and its effects on the field have been intense so far. He casts  a spell, but aims it far downfield, accepting that one of his own might  eat it. Everyone to the north - hero and thug alike - resists the  emperor's magic. He then moves to the northeast behind Jabbyr.

 R2T12:   Ernak , what do you do?

Linzi on deck, Vivino in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak keeps encouraging the party, attempting to drown out the emperor's jests with his good-faith exhortations. He then zips south and then southwest to gain a flanking position on Pink with Vivino.

He then attempts to wrestle Pink's weapon out of his hands.

If he succeeds in that disarm attempt, he calls out to his teammates,   "Anyone want a free axe?"   in both an attempt at encouragement-through-humor and as a genuine offer of material aid.


 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square west
 Free:  maintain   Inspire Courage +2 
 Move:  3 squares south, 2 squares diagonally southwest
 Standard:   Disarm  attempt on Pink (no AoO b/c Deft Maneuvers feat)
 
  Disarm CMB Roll:   (1d20+19)[ 36 ]  ( does  include +2 from Deft Maneuvers and +1 from Primal Warrior Stance;  does not  include inspire courage +2, any bonuses from flanking, or any other situational modifiers) 
 
 Free Action:  If Ernak succeeds on the Disarm action, he takes Pink's weapon and wields it himself. Per  AoNPRD , " If you successfully disarm your opponent without using a weapon, you may automatically pick up the item dropped. "
 Swift:   Defending the Pride 
 AoOs (if triggered):  If Ernak successfully disarms Pink and picks up their weapon, he takes the first AoO he can against an enemy. Since I don't know the weapons stats, I'm not sure how to roll its attack/damage in advance and will leave it to you, Rusty.

If any ally does try to take the axe from Ernak, he lets them take it.
 
lostsole31
 R2T12:  Ernak keeps encouraging the party, attempting to  drown out the emperor's  jests with his good-faith exhortations, though sadly it doesn't work  that way ... the heroes gain from Ernak, the other guys gain from the  Emperor. Ernak then zips south and then  southwest to gain a flanking position on Pink with Vivino.

He then easily wrestles Pink's battle axe out of his hands and calls out to his teammates,    "Anyone want a free axe?"   
 R2T9:  Linzi desperately keeps stepping away from her pursuer, but this time sings a little song and gains   6 healing  .

 R2T7:   Vivino ,  what do you do? 
 Spoiler: Vivino 
Whatever abilities you use, please be  sure to properly name and spell them. It took me a bit last round to  realize you were using Mutation to get free benefits of your  mutagen.
 

Jacintha on deck, Dane in the hole ...
Moriar
  "Weapons will be useful soon..."   Vivino says in a high pitched voice.    "But for now, this bad people deserve a personal touch."    

The voice drops into a deeper growl as "her" voice extends into muzzle and hands elongate into claws.

Then begins to see what their insides look like with a delightful ... squeal?


 
 Spoiler: Claws out 


Begin raging

Claw 1 risky strike against pink: to hit  (1d20+12)[ 21 ]  and damage of  (1d6+13)[ 18 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 15 ] 

Claw 2 risky strike against pink: to hit  (1d20+12)[ 15 ]  and damage of  (1d6+13)[ 19 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 16 ] 

Bite risky strike against pink: to hit  (1d20+12)[ 20 ]  and damage of  (1d4+13)[ 15 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 10 ] 

Steps 5' to the west to flank brown.
 
lostsole31
 R2T7:    "Weapons will be useful soon..."   Vivino says in a high pitched voice.    "But for now, this bad people deserve a personal touch."    

The voice drops into a deeper growl as "her" voice extends into muzzle  and hands elongate into claws and breaking into a delighted ... squeal?  S/he stabs Pink in the back of the chest for  37 . Pink shrieks in pain, turning and getting clawed in their upper right arm for  39 . Vivino finally bites Pink in the left shoulder for  29 ,  completing cracking through the shoulder bone and into the top of their  lung. They drop, and now Vivino has a frothy blood in their mouth  before stepping up to menace Brown.

 End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T29:   Jacintha forms a second psychic kukri, despite her primary one  diminishing in luminosity a little. Despite the terrifying little gnome,  she isn't about to give up a tactical advantage, courtesy of creepy  Vivino. Her first attack strikes hard against Brown's fine studded  leather and into the chest for  30 + disoriented , followed up by her offhand for  19 + disoriented . Her primary re-attack is deflected.

 R3T24:   Dane , what do you do?

Roshgog on deck, Jabbyr in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane moves into the emperors stand looking for the weapons.
 
 Spoiler 
dane move 2 squares west tha south looking for where their weapons are.
 
lostsole31
 R3T24:  Dane has to continue up stairs and then -  without really looking too far - he sees a smoldering heap of weapons in  what used to be a couple burlap sacks that were burned away. He moves  up to the pile, but doesn't yet have time to really take stock of it.  However, it looks like that  fireball  that Roshgog set out really did a number.

 R3T23:   Roshgog steps back next to Ernak and gives a powerful half-orc war cry  while demonstrating what must surely be a terrifyingly effective unarmed  fighting style. It is breathtaking and awful to behold, and every enemy  (except the blinded one) - from the Emperor to the lowly thug - feels  that fear in their bones.

 R3T22:  Despite the  fear felt, the raging gnome sinks his axe into Jacintha's left thigh for  30, dropping her ... and then follows up with another axe to arm and  chest that stops everyone's heart - not just her own - with his  savagery. Jacintha is no more, and her psychic kukri dissipate. Jabbyr  then steps forward to engage the object of its fear ... the firebug,  Roshgog.

 R3T21-20:   Green steps up to Vivino and  feints him before using a power strike into Vivino's right elbow. It  hits Vivino right in the sweet spot that his internal disciplines do not  protect, and the axe does  25 mod + bewildered . Purple  continues to skirt around the scary elf in her blackened mithral armor  to chase after smaller prey. He successfully feints Linzi and axes her  right hand for  30 + hampered !

 R3T19:   Bryngiel calls out to Gorum to give Laori the power to destroy their  shared enemies. She then tries to reposition and starts out fine, but  towards the end of her loop ends up attracting an AOO which she deflects  with a wing.

 R318:  With Bryngiel having boosted  her and now in flanking position, Laori digs low to have her armor  spikes dig into the man's groin for  21 , both castrating and killing him outright. Laori focuses her attentions to the south now.

 R3T17-15:   Despite her death, Jacintha's infliction of pain still plagues Brown;  he fails to fake out Vivino and misses wildly with his axe. Blues  stumbles around to the south, but finally ends up clearing his vision.  Red steps up to Vivino and likewise fails to feint or land a blow  against the monstrosity before him.

 R3T13:  The  Emperor continues his jokes for the sake of his remaining and shaken  "soldiers," and then casts a spell upon himself - not a bardic cure  spell, mind you, but one calling upon "Sifkesh" - with that prayer being  answered with   14 healing  . He takes out his scepter of rule.

 R3T12:   Ernak, you are now holding a battle axe. Do you continue storytelling?  What do you do? 
 Spoiler: OOC 
I put your current stance-given bonuses w/  the masterwork battle axe in "Statistics Block" of p 4 of your character  sheet.
 

Linzi on deck, Vivino in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak circles around the pack surrounding Vivino, adopting a flanking position with him on Red. Calling out,   "I've got your back!"   Ernak tries to pound Red into the ground with a massive two-handed blow.

The Shaonti keeps a distant eye on the gnomish executioner, however,  wary of another deadly assault by the tiny man against another friend.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square south
 Free:  maintain   Inspire Courage +2 
 Free:  knowledge or spellcraft check of some sort to recognize what is going on when the Emperor says "Sikfesh"?
 Move Action:  3 squares east, 1 square southeast, 1 square southwest
 Standard:   Disparty Blow  on Red; Attack Roll  (1d20+16)[ 21 ]  ( does not include any bonuses ); Damage Roll  (3d6+10)[ 22 ]  +  (2d6)[ 6 ]  ( does not include any bonuses )
 
  Free Trip Attack (if attack hits):   (1d20+19)[ 24 ]  ( does include +1 size from stance, +2 from Deft Maneuvers, &amp; +4 from Disparity Blow; does not include any other bonuses ) 
 
 Immediate (if ever triggered):   Warning Roar  vs first attack the gnome executioner makes on any ally

 AoO (if ever triggered):  Attack Roll  (1d20+16)[ 24 ]  (does not include any bonuses); Damage Roll  (3d6+10)[ 18 ]  (does not include any bonuses)

If any ally tries to take the axe from Ernak, he will still let them take it.
 
lostsole31
 R3T12:  Ernak circles around the pack surrounding Vivino, adopting a flanking position with him on Red. Calling out,   "I've got your back!"   Ernak tries to pound Red into the ground with a massive two-handed blow to Red's lower back for  20 . The Shoanti keeps a distant eye on the gnomish executioner, however,   wary of another deadly assault by the tiny man against another friend.

 R3T9:  Linzi takes out a wand and touches it to herself for   17 healing  .   "I can either stay back and heal a little more, or I can take some more healing from someone, if they'll give it,"   she says meekly to the two women around her.

 R3T7:   Vivino , you are bewildered, especially where Green is concerned. What do you do?

Dane on deck, Roshgog in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino lets out a high pitch scream and the eyes take on a dangerous tint with the aim of seeing what else is inside of these bad people!


 
 Spoiler: Pinata? 


Continue raging


Claw 1 risky strike verse red: to hit [roll]1d20+14[/roll damage of  (1d6+15)[ 16 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 9 ] 


Claw 2 risky strike verse red: to hit [roll]1d20+14[/roll damage of  (1d6+15)[ 17 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 13 ] 


Bite risky strike verse red: to hit [roll]1d20+14[/roll damage of  (1d4+15)[ 17 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 13 ] 


If red goes down, will say to green and orange...  "I wonder what you naughty peoples blood tastes like.  "
 
lostsole31
 R3T7:  Vivino lets out a high pitch scream and the eyes take on a dangerous  tint with the aim of seeing what else is inside of these bad people! His first claw tears into Red's right thigh for  27  as his other claw tears into his chest for  32 , dropping him. He then the fallen thug's head for  32 , biting off his head at the ear-nose-upper jawline.  Spitting out skull and brain, Vivina says to Green and Orange,   "    I wonder what you naughty peoples' blood tastes like.  "

 End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T24:   Dane , do you spend a FRA to take stock of the weapons?

Roshgog on deck, Jabbyr in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane will dig through searching for his growing earthbreaker.
 
 Spoiler 
searchingthrough weapons if i have any movement after he heads towards the emperor.
 
lostsole31
 R4T24:  Dane's sees fiery death and destruction having  come to this stop. He moves slag and carbon and splintered wood to find  that both of his earth breakers survived ... barely. Both are badly  damaged and considered broken.  
 Spoiler: OOC 
Your round was spent going  through the weapons, not picking any up or moving. You'll be able to  grab one next round.
 

 R4T23:    "You wanna piece of me, gnome! Come get some!"   challenges Roshgog to Jabbyr. He looks out to his allies.   "Everyone else stay away! This squirt is mine to kill!"  

Roshgog  then begins his unarmed assault with as much power as he can muster. He  basically uses a type of TWF, but unarmed; yet in this case he is so  focused on his goal that he doesn't suffer from the normal accuracy loss  associated with TWF. He even throws in a bite for good measure. Still,  for all that, Jabbyr's guarded stance keeps any strike from being more  than an impact an armor.

 R4T22:  Jabbyr is only too happy to oblige the foolish half-orc, but the Emperor points to Vivino.   "Kill that thing!"  

Jabbyr smiles wickedly and nods and simply moves away from Roshgog, who in turn kicks the little guy in the rump for  13 mod .  He takes a really jaunty path while studying Vivino like a predator  before zooming in and swinging high to hit Vivina in the head. It was on  the side of the head where (s)he had worked to create fat deposits to  protect him, but the greataxe still does a respectable  26 mod .  Ernak tried to distract the gnome with a shout, but failed. Jabbyr is  already moving away before Vivina can even counter, but Ernak scores a  hit on Jabbyr's left thigh as he moves away for  24 mod . A little distance away, Jabbyr spins and snarls at Ernak.

 R4T21:  Green sidesteps and fails to feint Vivina, but still strikes her in the left claw for  13 mod .

 R4T19:   Bryngiel respects a fellow warrior enough to know that when they ask  for help, they mean it. She repositions downfield before giving Linzi  19 healing .

 R4T18:   Laori remains in her defensive stance, holding position in the  backfield from the combat, and yet she modifies this with a martial  stance to be even more defensive. She then casts a spell upon herself.

 R4T17-16:   Brown sidles to the north and feints Vivina, but the poor attack pongs  off of her armor. Blue continues to head south along the wall, trying to  clear their vision.

 R4T13:  The Emperor heads  southwards while still telling insulting jokes about the PCs and their  new friends, and then casts a spell on himself, a shimmering field about  him promising protection.

 R4T12:   Ernak , what do you do? Do you maintain oration?

Linzi on deck, Vivino in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak advances toward the gnome and attempts to similarly batter him to the floor.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square southwest
 Free:  adopt  Rallying Presence 
 Free:  maintain   Inspire Courage +2 
 Five-Foot Step:  1 square south
 Full Attack on the Gnome:  Ernak will attempt to trip  the gnome and then hit him once he's on the ground. If the first trip  attempt fails, Ernak will use his second attack to try again at tripping  the gnome.
 
  Trip Attempt #1:   (1d20+19)[ 21 ]  ( includes +2 from deft maneuvers &amp; +1 from stance size bonus;   no bonuses from bardic inspiration, gnomes being smaller than humans, etc included )( no AoO from gnome b/c deft maneuvers ) 
  Trip Attempt #2 (if necessary):   (1d20+14)[ 26 ]  ( includes +2 from deft maneuvers, +1 from stance size bonus, &amp; -5 iterative attack penalty;   no bonuses from bardic inspiration, gnomes being smaller than humans, etc included )( no AoO from gnome b/c deft maneuvers ) 
  Attack #1 (if Trip #1 succeeded):  two-handed attack with axe; attack roll  (1d20+11)[ 27 ] ; damage roll  (3d6+10)[ 21 ]  ( no bonuses from bardic inspiration, prone, etc included ) 
 
 Immediate (if ever triggered):  If an ally ever fails a saving throw from a spell cast by the Emperor, Ernak immediately casts  Saving Finale . If multiple allies fail, Ernak favors Vivino and Dane over the others.
 
 If Ernak is the only one targeted by a spell cast by the Emperor, he instead uses  Sanguine Perseverance  to protect himself. 
 
 AoO (if ever triggered):  two-handed attack with axe; attack roll  (1d20+16)[ 25 ] ; damage roll  (3d6+10)[ 19 ]  ( no bonuses from bardic inspiration, etc included )

If any ally tries to take the axe from Ernak, he will still let them take it.

Disparity Blow should be marked with E3, I believe. It's currently marked as still readied, which is not true.
 
]
lostsole31
 R4T12:  Ernak advances toward the gnome while  maintaining his oration and giving a little more volume to his words to  rally his friends. He then attempts to batter the gnome to the floor,  but after two attempts, Ernak finds he is unable to drop the little  monster.

The Emperor calls to Jabbyr, pointing to his aggressor,   "Target him instead."  
 R4T20:  Linzi checks in with herself to find she is no longer hampered. She uses the wand on herself for   11 healing   as she steps south a little.

 R4T7:   Vivina , you are no longer bewildered. What do you do?

Dane on deck, Roshgog in the hole ...
Moriar
  "Owie!  That hurt you mean little man!"   Vivino pouts as some of the wounds heal up.

Then turns into a flurry of teeth and claws.

 
 Spoiler: Nom 


Continue raging

Spontaneous healing for 5 hp.

Claw 1 risky strike on brown with flank
    To hit  (1d20+14)[ 34 ]  Damage of  (1d6+15)[ 16 ] 
     Sneak of  (4d6)[ 15 ] 


Claw 2 risky strike on brown with flank
    To hit  (1d20+14)[ 15 ]  Damage of  (1d6+15)[ 16 ] 
     Sneak of  (4d6)[ 10 ] 


Bite risky strike on green
    To hit  (1d20+14)[ 19 ]  Damage of  (1d4+15)[ 18 ] 

Then step 5' to southwest
 
Moriar
 
 Spoiler: follow up rolls 


Crit on Claw 1:  (1d20)[ 11 ] 

Fumble of Claw 2:  (1d20)[ 15 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R4T7:    "Owie!  That hurt, you mean little man!"   Vivina pouts as some of the wounds heal up (  FH5  ). They then turn into a flurry of teeth and claws.  Their first claw comes up from below on Brown with a low blow for  23 + sickened   as the man barely keeps his feet after getting clawed in the nards.  It's actually that very reflexive crumpling action that saves him,  because Vivina didn't expect him to go into a crouch and her next claw  misses. They almost fall from overcompensating but just lean into the  spin and land a bite along Green's belly for  20 .

 End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T24:   Dane , what do you do? You can now grab one of your earth breakers (a MA).

Roshgog on deck, Jabbyr in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane grabs his earthbreaker holding it up triumphantly and begins heading towards the arena.
 
 Spoiler 
move action grabbing earthbreaker, swa activating inquisitors bane choosing humans, standard moving 1 square diagonally NW than 2 squares north, and 1 square east.
 
lostsole31
 R5T24:  Dane grabs his earthbreaker holding it up triumphantly and begins heading towards the arena.

 R5T23:   Roshgog forms a pair of golden brown claws to mirror Vivino's own. He  slashes with each claw at Brown, but Brown somehow finds the energy to  dodge after having been stabbed in the groin. What he doesn't jump away  from, however, are Roshgog's razor sharp tusks biting into his upper  left arm for 9, enough with his recent injury to finally fall. Roshgog  adjusts downfield.

 R5T22:  Jabbyr switches his  focus to the enemy leader mirroring his liege's own increase, though  still is mindful of Vivino. Jabbyr strikes Ernak's right hand for  29 , following up his upper arm for another  28 . He then steps back.

 R5T21:   Green adjusts slightly, brilliantly feints Vivino, but then fails to deliver when he makes a wild swing.

 R5T19:   Evoking a warpriest's fervor, Bryngiel casts a battle spell on herself,  before casting a defensive spell on herself, a glowing aura around her  mimicking the emperor's own. She advances slowly.

 R5T18:   Laori is just fine staying in the backfield, but now she casts what  seems to be an offensive spell at the Emperor, but he easily resists the  magic.

 R5T16:  Blue moves forward now that he can see, and tosses a throwing axe at Roshgog.

 R5T13:   The Emperor continues his taunting, even though so many of his men lay  bloody on the field. He then juggles a couple small brown pieces of  something as he casts a spell as part of his bardic performance, and  tosses them by Vivino and Roshgog. Brilliant colors and a dazzling  display form with a strange strobe effect that covers Roshgog, Ernak,  Vivino (and Green)!

Ernak and Vivino, roll Will saves....  
 Spoiler: OOC 
Roll them here. Please do not roll them in Discord.
 
Moriar
 
 Spoiler: Purdy lights 


Will save:  (1d20+9)[ 28 ] 
 
Ason
 
 Spoiler: Will saving throw or won't saving throw 
 Will Save:   (1d20+12)[ 30 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R5T13:  In addition to the visual distraction, waves of  energy wash over the minds in the affected area, but all three of the  heroes easily resist.

 R5T12:   Ernak , do you continue your oration? What do you do?

Linzi on deck, Vivina in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak backs up next to Vivina and casts a spell on as many of his allies as he can.

He then urges Vivina and the others onto victory, pointing at Green and telling them,   "Only one goon left!"  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square southeast
 Free:  maintain   Inspire Courage +2 
 Five-Foot Step:  1 square northwest
 Standard:  cast  Haste  on Ernak, Vivina, Linzi, Roshgog, and Bryngiel ( Laori is too far away to be included, while Ernak has no clue where Dane is )
 Move:   aid another  via Tactical Assistance on Green for +2 to attack rolls to allies w/in 30';  (1d20+16)[ 33 ]  vs AC 10

 Immediate (if ever triggered):  If an ally ever fails a saving throw from a spell cast by the Emperor, Ernak immediately casts  Saving Finale . If multiple allies fail, Ernak favors Vivino and Dane over himself and himself over the others.
 
 If Ernak is the only one targeted by a spell cast by the Emperor ( and only if he is the only target of such a spell ), he instead uses  Sanguine Perseverance  to protect himself.  
 
 AoO (if ever triggered):  two-handed attack with axe; attack roll  (1d20+16)[ 25 ] ; damage roll  (3d6+10)[ 15 ]  ( no bonuses from bardic inspiration, etc included )
 
lostsole31
 R5T12:  Ernak backs up next to Vivina and casts a spell  on as many of his allies as he can. He then urges Vivina and the others  onto victory, pointing at Green and telling them,   "Only one goon left!"  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Moving  NW entered the square of a body ... difficult terrain. So that was your  MA, and you didn't have actions remaining for tactical  assistance.
 

 R5T9:  Linzi casts a spell on Bryngiel and then bolts to the south. She acrobatically avoids Blue, but even with  haste   doesn't have the steam to continue up the stairs ... putting her right  next to the second of the supposedly only one goon remaining.

 R5T7:   Vivina , the world has slowed down around you. What do you do?

Dane on deck, Roshgog in the hole ...
Moriar
  "You should have run,"   Vivina says to green.


 
 Spoiler: Slice and dice 



Continue raging

Spontaneous healing for 5 hp.

With haste:

Claw 1 risky strike on orange: to hit of  (1d20+14)[ 20 ]  and damage of  (1d6+15)[ 18 ] 


Claw 2 risky strike on orange: to hit of  (1d20+14)[ 17 ]  and damage of  (1d6+15)[ 21 ] 


Claw 3 risky strike on orange: to hit of  (1d20+14)[ 18 ]  and damage of  (1d6+15)[ 18 ] 



Bite risky strike on orange: to hit of  (1d20+14)[ 26 ]  and damage of  (1d4+15)[ 18 ] 

Then step 5' to southeast
 
lostsole31
 R5T7:    "You should have run,"   Vivina (  FH5  )  says to Green. They then turn to  Orange  Brown and completely  obliterate the already defeated (and stable) man. Body parts and gore  fly everywhere.

Strangely, Vivina had surely meant to terrify  Green with this display of savagery, and yet Green seems to have checked  out mentally. Very possibly, the terror was so heavy that Green just  couldn't deal with the gruesome barbarism that the mutant monster next  to him just displayed, and had a psychotic break as a result?

 End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ...

R6T24:  Dane, what do you do?

Roshgog on deck, Jabbyr in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane moves towards his foe.
  "Get back!"  
He brings his hammer down upon the man before him and turns to Linzi.
  "You ok?"  
 
 Spoiler 
Moves 2 squares East, Vital strike + Risky Strike + Bane (Human) + Improved Outflank + Broken Condition. Attack  (1d20+14)[ 30 ]  Damage  (4d6+18)[ 38 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R6T24:  Dane moves towards his foe, yelling,   "Get back!"    as a warning for Linzi. He brings his hammer around to a straight shot into the man's chest for  46 .

As Dane materializes he turns to Linzi.   "You okay?"  

She shakes her head.   "No! I am ..."  
 R6T23:    "Don't attack that guy, unless he attacks you first!"   calls Roshgog to those on the field, pointing to Green.   "He's confused. Just focus on the real problem."  

He moves forward to close on Blue and drop kicks the man's shield to do  7 mod  to the protective device.

  "... definitely not okay!"   Linzi says to Dane. She is wielding only a wand.

 R6T22:  Jabbyr darts west then northeast to close and hit Vivina in the belly with his greataxe for  23 mod . Before Vivina can even respond, Jabbyr has already ducked out of reach to the southwest.

 R6T21:  Green strikes himself with his own axe for  9 .

 R6T19:  Bryngiel cuts across and downfield to get to Ernak and Vivina, and casts a spell on Vivina for   22 healing  .

 R6T18:   Laori calls upon The Midnight Lord to expunge the field of filth. A  searing column of flame strikes down from the sky to land directly on  Jabbyr and all around him. The flame rolls out to hit Blue for   40 fire  , and he falls screaming to the ground before he is quiet. At ground zero, Jabbyr took more at   44 fire  ,  likewise screaming - but not falling. Only the Emperor farther  downfield raises a profane shield to just barely protect him where his  reflexes fail him, and he only takes   22 fire  .

 R6T13:   The Emperor continues his dark comedy, if even just for himself and  Jabbyr now, and Green should he snap out of it. He moves forward several  feet, walking right into the area with all of the golden flakes on the  ground. Where he tells himself and his bodyguard a good joke, for his  enemies there is nothing but vitriol coming out of his mouth. Ernak's  rallying presence does much to help diminish this magical effect married  to the biting wit of Pilts Swaste. Linzi and Ernak himself feel the  bite fiercely, seeing someone use such brilliant performance to such  dark ends. None feel it as deeply, however, as Vivino/Vivina, as it  strikes a chord with the domineering way of Gaedran Lamm.  Bryngiel  takes   4 fire  ; Ernak takes   1 fire  ; Vivina takes   3 fire  ; but poor Linzi takes   10 fire   ... all are  shaken . Roshgog takes no damage, but is still  shaken . Only the combination of Dane's dwarven stoicism and Ernak's leadership keeps the dwarf from feeling the emperor's bite.

 R6T12:   Ernak , what do you do?

Linzi on deck, Vivina in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak fakes toward Green but then clicks his heels together, rocketing him south and around the emperor's position.

He  then attempts to kick the emperor's legs out from under him and follows  up that effort with two two-handed swipes with his stolen axe. Keeping  up his performance, Ernak says to the emperor,   "One professional to another, comedy ages poorly. Find some new material."  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square southwest
 Free:  maintain   Inspire Courage +2 
 Immediate:  activate  Stagger-Proof Boots ; move 1 square southeast, 3 squares south, 1 square southwest
 Full Attack  :  Ernak makes 1 attempt to trip the emperor, followed by 2 attacks
 
 Trip Attempt:  (1d20+19)[ 37 ]  ( no AoO b/c deft maneuvers; includes +2 deft maneuvers, +1 size from stance; does not include bardic inspiration, haste, etc ) 
 Two-Handed Attack #2: attack  (1d20+11)[ 26 ] ; damage  (3d6+10)[ 20 ]  ( includes no buff bonuses; includes -5 iterative ) 
 Two-Handed Attack #3 ( haste ): attack  (1d20+16)[ 24 ] ; damage  (3d6+10)[ 19 ]  ( includes no buff bonuses; no iterative b/c haste ) 
 
 AoOs (if triggered):  attack  (1d20+16)[ 17 ] ; damage  (3d6+10)[ 18 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R6T12:  Ernak fakes toward Green but then clicks his  heels together, rocketing him south and around the emperor's position.  He  then kicks the emperor's legs out from under him and  follows  up that effort with two-handed swipes from his stolen axe. The  first hits the emperor in his right shoulder for  22 , and the second on the other shoulder for  21 . Keeping  up his performance, Ernak says to the emperor,   "One professional to another, comedy ages poorly. Find some new material."  
 R6T9:  Linzi says some words to those friendly to Shelyn (which includes Caydenites) and touches Dane for   11 healing   - fully healing his injuries while mostly removing his bruising. She looks at his dubious earthbreaker.   "You haven't seen my weapons have you, boss?"  
 R6T7:   Vivina , what do you do?

Dane on deck, Roshgog in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivina drinks an vial and grows in size  to become even larger.    "That was yummy like strawberry  ," is oddly uttered.

Then the large person tumbles away to avoid touching green.

"  Pardon me Mr. Roshgog, could I have your spot,"   Vivina gestures to the south.


 
 Spoiler: Getting bigger 


Continue raging

Drink extract of enlarge person

Tumble 20' to the west

Tumble roll :  (1d20+13)[ 22 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R6T7:  Vivina drinks an vial and grows in size  to become even larger.    "That was yummy like strawberry  ,"  is oddly uttered. Then the large person tries to tumble through and  over Green. Green fails to strike Vivina, but Vivina also failed to  tumble through him as well.

"  Pardon me Mr. Roshgog, could I have your spot,"   Vivina gestures to the south.

 End Round 6, Begin Round 7 ...

R7T24:   Dane the Human Bane , what do you do?

Roshgog on deck, Enemies in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane reaches over and places his hand on her head.
  "Cayden protect this one and mend her wounds. I'm not sure what condition it is in as Roshgogs fireball did a number but the gear they took from us is next to the throne where I just came from."  
He than stomps towards the battle.

 
 Spoiler 
Dane casts cure serious wounds on Linzi  (3d8+8)[ 25 ]  He than moves 1 square east, 1 square south, and 1 diagonal square south east.
 
lostsole31
 R7T24:  Dane - releasing the energy that makes him a man-killer - reaches over and places his hand on her head.   "Cayden protect this one and mend her wounds,"    calls out before casting a spell that grants completely heals her  injuries at the cost of enervating Dane, for he is now depleted of all  of his most powerful magic. He then looks down at her,   "I'm not sure what condition it is in as Roshgog's  fireball  did a number  but the gear they took from us is next to the throne where I just came  from."   He than stomps towards the battle and engages Jabbyr.

 R7T23:  Roshgog casts a spell upon himself and flies straight up 30' and some distance south.

 R7T22:  Jabbyr steps up to Vivina and hits her in the gut with his axe for  25 mod ,  for though knocked off his feet, the emperor still aids what few allies  he can with his dark humor. Jabbyr's second axe strike is deflected by  Vivina's breastplate.

 R7T21:  In existential crisis for having struck himself with an axe, Green begins to babble woefully.

 R7T19:   Bryngiel calls up to Vivina,   "Hey, Big Girl! Got some protection coming  your way, courtesy of the God of War! Don't hit me while I cast or  dodge my spell."  

She casts a spell and touches Vivina, and a faint glowing nimbus surrounds Vivina now.

 R7T18:  Laori begins casting a spell...

 R7T13:  Pilts Swastel continues his jokes, now at Ernak's expense.   "You're the one telling olden tales of savage men, where my jokes are just as effective, and yet extempore!"  

And  at the last word, the ruler's scepter in his hand lights up, and the  Emperor continues his jibes, but he says Ernak means to say ... and does  so even when Ernak tries to say something different.

 R7T12:   Ernak , what do you do?

Linzi on deck, Vivina in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak glares at Pilts and says coolly,   "Fine, a brand new epic..."  

The big Shoanti then shifts to one side, begins reciting his still-work-in-progress poem directly to the emperor, and starts swinging the axe wildly at him.   "  Tesh, Tesh, Tesh Zobberdin / The only one left of his family and kin  ..."   Faint tears appear in the edges of Ernak's eyes by the end of the salvo of strikes.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square north
 Free:  stop performing Oratory,  Lingering Performance  round 1 kicks in
 
 See my crimson-players-rp-channel post from 10/2022 about Ernak slowly developing a poem in Tesh's honor 
 
 Five-Foot Step:  1 square west
  Full Attack  :  Ernak makes 3 two-handed swings at the emperor, using risky strike

 
 Two-Handed Attack #2: attack  (1d20+16)[ 23 ]  ( includes no buff / flanking bonuses; no power attack penalty b/c  furious focus  ); damage  (3d6+19)[ 26 ]  ( includes no buff bonuses ) 
 Two-Handed Attack #2: attack  (1d20+8)[ 16 ]  ( includes -5 iterative ); damage  (3d6+19)[ 25 ]  
 Two-Handed Attack #3 ( haste ):  (1d20+13)[ 30 ]  ( no iterative b/c haste ); damage  (3d6+19)[ 31 ]  
 
 AoOs (if triggered):  Two-Handed Risky Strike:  (1d20+13)[ 29 ]  ( includes no buff bonuses; no iterative b/c haste ); damage  (3d6+19)[ 27 ]  ( includes no buff bonuses )

 Immediate Action (if triggered):   Sanguine Perseverance  if Ernak is ever forced to make a saving throw
 
lostsole31
 R7T12:  Ernak glares at Pilts and says coolly, being preempted by the Emperor,   "Fine, a brand new epic.."    "...new epic..."  

The big Shoanti then shifts to one side, begins reciting his  still-work-in-progress poem ... which word for word is pre-empted by the  Emperor (but, but 3 words! ...) ... directly to the emperor, and starts  swinging  the axe wildly at him.   "Tesh,     Tesh,     Tesh,     Tesh,     Tesh-OW!,     Tesh     Zobberdin,     Zobberdin /     The     The     only     only     one-Ha!     one     left     left     of     of     his     his     family     family     and-OOoof!     and kin  ..."    Faint tears appear in the edges of Ernak's eyes by the end of the salvo  of strikes ... the first hitting the Emperor in the head for  26 ,  with no seeming lingering effect of Ernak's performance, so completely  has the emperor spoilt and corrupted it! The second attack bounces off  of the Emperor's royal shirt, which curious is far more protective than  expected. But the follow-up hits the Emperor in the groin for  31 .

 R7T9:  Linzi speeds over to the weapons pile.   "Are you kidding me?! That was my Aldori dueling sword and favorite crossbow!"  

Meanwhile, the Emperor is doubled over in pain from that last groin hit, and crumbles, calling out,   "I surrender! Please!"  
 R7T7:   Vivina , what do you do?

Dane on deck, Roshgog in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivina giggles as the spell from  Bryngiel washes over her.     "Ernak, I don't think that emperor is a very nice man."   

With her elongated claws and bite begins to dig into the now flanked emperor.

 
 Spoiler: Sparkly fight 


Continues raging

Using 10' reach gained by enlarge person to attack emperor from where he/she is and flanking with Ernak.

Larger weapon damage not included below since not currently on the sheet



Claw 1 risky strike against emperor: to hit of  (1d20+14)[ 30 ]  and damage of  (1d6+16)[ 17 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 13 ] 
 
  
 Spoiler: Sparkly fight 
 Claw 2 risky strike against emperor: to hit of  (1d20+14)[ 25 ]  and damage of  (1d6+16)[ 21 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 16 ]   
  Bite risky strike against emperor: to hit of  (1d20+14)[ 28 ]  and damage of  (1d4+16)[ 17 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 13 ]   
 
 
 
 
lostsole31
 R7T7:  Vivina giggles as the spell from  Bryngiel washes over her.     "Ernak, I don't think that emperor is a very nice man."   

With her elongated claws and bite begins to dig into the now flanked  emperor ... completely turning him into shredded insides to the  outsides.  Then, looking at the destruction wrought and feeling  overwhelmed to do more, with great speed she hits the Emperor-Pile  (because it's not one item anymore) and flicks/smacks it into the  eastern wall. The good thing is that it is spread out enough that the  Emperor is no longer difficult terrain. Blood and viscera now cover  Jabbyr, Ernak, and Vivina.

 End Round 7, Begin Round 8 ...

R8T24:   Dane , what do you do? 

Roshgog on deck, Jabbyr in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane sees the emperor fall and nods his head in approval than moves to Roshgog.
  "Do you need healing?"  
 
 Spoiler 
dane takes a 5 ft step south east diagonally,
readies action to cast cure moderate on roshgog waiting on his reply.
 
lostsole31
  R8T24:   Dane sees the emperor fall and nods his head in approval than moves to Roshgog .... despite Roshgog now being 30' in the air.    "Do you need healing?"   
 R8T23:    "Thanks, ya sauced pebble!"   he calls down to Dane, beaming,   "but I ain't been hurt yet. Not a scratch."  

From  his elevated position he sends down a fireball that blasts Jabbyr and  nobody else (living). Even with rolling out of the way, Jabbyr still  takes   26 fire  .

 R8T22:   Though partially dodging the fireball, and still enraged, yet Jabbyr  stares in shock at the death of Pilts Swastel, Emperor of Korvosa.

 R8T21:  Green is no longer afraid, and now resolutely cuts himself with his axe for  6  ... the emperor is dead, and his jibes are gone, but still extant is the damage he caused.

 R8T19:   Bryngiel casts a spell on herself incredibly quickly, and now her  rock-like hide seems more like metal. She then take the normal amount of  time to cast a spell and touch Vivina for   20 healing  .

 R8T18:   Laori finishes casting her spell. Three vaguely humanoid creatures made  of pure darkness form on the field - two near Green, and one near  Jabbyr. Laori shouts out commands in an unknown language. One of the  bogeys passes its hand through Green for  3 STR , though  Green dodges the other's baleful touch. Jabbyr easily dodges the  dark-man. Laori then concentrates, not casting a spell, but a loud  report hits near Green (  2 sonic  ) and Jabbyr (  3 sonic  ).

 R8T12:   Ernak ,  you realize that the emperor's dying ability - tied to that rod - was  to mimic and frustrate you so that your bardic performance shut down,  and not even lingering performance helps. What do you do?

Linzi on deck, Vivina in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak gapes at Vivina as the gore of the now-dead emperor clinging to his bald head.

Composing himself, Ernak then turns to Green and Jabbyr and yells,   "Please, surrender! It's over! Pilt's gone!"  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Ernak delays his turn for now.
 
lostsole31
 R8T12:  Ernak gapes at Vivina as the gore of the  now-dead emperor clinging to his bald head. Composing himself, Ernak  then turns to Green and Jabbyr and yells,    "Please, surrender! It's over! Pilt's gone!"   
 R8T9:   Linzi comes off the grandstand and almost all the way down the stairs.  From her pouch she takes a tiny object and a feather and casts a spell  at Jabbyr, but the gnome is too much in shock to notice.

 R8T7:   Vivina , what do you do?

Dane on deck, Roshgog (30' altitude) in the hole ...
Moriar
"  You may be small, but you make up for it by being a bad baddie,  " Vivina says to Jabbyr.

Then takes advantage of the flank provided by the dark creature by rending the gnome.

 
 Spoiler: Gnome internal parts 


Continues raging

Attacks plus haste and flank

Claw 1 risky strike against Jabbyr: to hit of  (1d20+14)[ 19 ]  Damage of  (1d6+16)[ 22 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 10 ] 

Claw 2 risky strike against Jabbyr: to hit of  (1d20+14)[ 26 ]  Damage of  (1d6+16)[ 18 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 14 ] 

Claw 3 hasted risky strike against Jabbyr: to hit of  (1d20+14)[ 20 ]  Damage of  (1d6+16)[ 19 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 16 ] 

Bite risky strike against Jabbyr: to hit of  (1d20+14)[ 34 ]  Damage of  (1d4+16)[ 18 ]  and sneak of  (4d6)[ 14 ] 
 
Moriar
 
 Spoiler: bite crit roll 


Crit severity roll for bite:  (1d20)[ 19 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R8T7:  "  You may be small, but you make up for it by being a bad baddie,  "  Vivina says to Jabbyr. Then takes advantage of the flank provided by  the dark creature by rending the gnome. Good thing, too, because that  first claw just barely penetrates the hardened leather chestpiece for 31  mod; the next claw tears into his upper right arm for 31 mod while the  first claw again strikes lower on the arm for 34 mod, which completely  shreds and tears the arm off in a rend. As Jabbyr falls to the ground,  Vivina bites the gnome in the neck and tears his head off.

Laori shouts a correction to the flanking dark-man.

 End Round 8, Begin Round 9 ...

R9T24:   Dane ,  what do you do? Only Green is left, and Green seemed to have suffered a  self-harming psychotic break from a previous spell by the emperor.

Roshgog on deck, Green in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane turns and move to aid in finishing the last of the emperors cronies.

  "Best we finish this all now."  
 
 Spoiler 
dane moves 1 diagonal square nw, 3 squares north, and 1 diagonal square ne to flank green. Double move.
 
lostsole31
 R9T24:  Dane turns and moves to aid in finishing the last of the emperor's cronies.   "Best we finish this all now."  
 R9T23:  Roshgog just surveys from the air....

 R9T21:   Having been attacked by one of the dark creatures, Green's pychosis  turns to a murderous mania and he swings his axe, but with no body  weight to slow it down the creature just glides to the side of the  clumsy attack.

 R9T19:  Bryngiel recovers from her inflicted terror. She casts a spell on herself to get rid of all injuries and bruises.

 R9T18.1:  The dark creatures mob the last crony. One passes a shadowy hand through his stomach for   4 STR  . Another caresses his left hand for   3 STR  . The last moves forward and touches his right lower arm for   5 STR  .  The man is in terror, screaming with every attack. The final one has  him collapse under the weight of his gear, but he is still conscious.

 R9T18:   Before the creatures actually finish him off, and create problems for  the party in doing so, Laori dismisses them, and they disappear in a  swirl of darkness. The man lies there in tormented screams. She stops  whatever that power stance is that she was in, and doing so seems to  take a lot out of her. She walks calmly down field up to the screaming  man, his eyes wide with eternal terror and visions of darkness.   "You should put him out of his misery."  
 R9T12:  Right then, all the golden flakes floating around in the air and laying on the ground disappear.  Ernak , what do you do?

Linzi on deck, Vivina in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak stares motionless as the shadow beings tear into Green, and his worsening shrieks cause Ernak to visibly wince.

Finally, the Shoanti man's shoulders slump, his bravado-filled smile fades, and with a defeated air, he walks over to Green.

  "I'm sorry for your suffering. May you find light in the next world."  

With that, Ernak attempts to end the man's torment.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
No delayed action taken from last turn

 Move:  2 squares north, 1 square northwest
 Standard:  two-handed  Impaling Strike  on Green with Risky Strike; attack roll  (1d20+16)[ 34 ]  ( no flanking, etc included; no risky strike penalty b/c Furious Focus ); damage roll  (3d6+19)[ 29 ]  +  (4d6)[ 17 ]  maneuver damage; Fort save DC 19 vs  (1d4)[ 2 ]  Con damage
 
lostsole31
The shrieking ends.

as does ...

 Combat! 
Ason
Ernak pauses as the man goes silent. He then slumps into a relaxed posture, wipes the sweat from his brow, and lets out a long exhale.

  "We survived, thank the gods,"   Ernak chews his lip as he thinks for a moment before asking the others,   "I know we need to heal up, rescue Salvator, and get out of here fast... but, uh... on the way out could we steal a leftover pig for lunch?"  

Ernak casts Cure Light wounds on himself twice, using his bardic spells rather than the wand.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 

 
 CLW 1:  (1d8+5)[ 9 ]  
 CLW 2:  (1d8+5)[ 10 ]  
 
 
lostsole31
The weapons are brought down from the Emperor's Stage. Including what Dane took for himself, it is pretty brutal .... a testament to Roshgog's destructive power.

How the weapons fared after that fireball*....

Dane's Weapons:
&gt; *Drinking Companion*: Dane's Primary earthbreaker. Made save. 3:17 hp remaining. Broken.
&gt; Masterwork Light Hammer #1:  Saved. 5:10 hp remain. Broken.
&gt; Masterwork Light Hammer #2:  Destroyed.
&gt; *Blessing*: Backup earthbreaker. Failed save. 3:17 hp remaining. Broken.

Ernak's Weapons:
&gt; Attuned Earthbreaker: Destroyed.
&gt; Masterwork Longbow and arrows: Destroyed.
&gt; Masterwork warhammer: Destroyed.
&gt; (2) Daggers: Destroyed.

Laori's Spiked Chain:  Minor damage (22:30 hp).

Vivino's Weapons:
&gt; *Vicious Scythe*: Made save. Minor damage (8:10 hp).
&gt; Sling:  Destroyed, and bullets are all slag.

Linzi's Weapons:
&gt; Aldori Dueling Sword:  Destroyed.
&gt; Light Crossbow &amp; Bolts: Destroyed.
Moriar
  "Phew, glad that is over.  Those meanies sure did hurt.  Anyone have some further bandages for my owies?  Oh yeah, and my name is Varia.  Thanks for taking care of my brother,"   Varia (aka Vivino/Vivina) says.

She drinks an extract and some of the wounds heal as the claws and muzzle retreat back into hiding.  Then her look changes to closer of a school girl outfit (admittedly still of a large size person, even once spell effects ware off).    "Figured my brother would keep around this kind of weapon,"   Varia says as she carefully handles the scythe.


 
 Spoiler: Recovering 


Stop raging and began recovering.

Drink Cure Moderate wounds extract:  (2d8+7)[ 16 ] 

Use hat of disguise to alter outer looks/outfit.
 
lostsole31
Of course, the normal-sized scythe in her giant-sized hands looks like a toy.  Varia is fatigued, and begins recovering, much as Laori is recovering from her own fatigue.
Rithryn
Dane gathers his weapons and inspects them, he turns to Varia.
  "I still have a few spells in me today, I can cast it twice. If we need more than that I'm afraid you'll need to borrow ma boots."  
 
 Spoiler 
Dane has 2 cure moderate wounds spells and will cast them on those that request it.
 
lostsole31
Assuming triage is performed on the various members of the group, and assuming Varia "shows" her wounds as reality to help, this is what Vivino (aided by Laori) figure. Of those still wounded:  Dane : No injuries. Light bruising.
 Ernak :  Serious inury (~65%).
 Laori : Very minor injuries (&gt; 95%).
 Vivino :  Serious injury (~70%). 
Dane casts a CMW on Ernak first for   17   (bringing him to ~80%). He then casts the same spell on Vivino for   13 healing   (just under ~80%).

Dane has a bad nosebleed, headache, and even vomits some after casting that spell, and feels incredibly spent. He has specific blessings and orisons left to him as an inquisitor of Cayden Cailean, but has emptied himself of all other mana for the day.

Bryngiel channels energy which helps the two wounded, and even removes the last of the bruising from Dane, and then a second such burst leaves the faintest scratch on Ernak, and a light wound on Vivino. Bryngiel says,   "I'm sorry, but that's all for now. I have very little magic remaining myself. But we should check out the area nonetheless and then never return."  

Linzi says to Dane,   "We need to check on Salvatore Scream, Boss."  
Rithryn
Dane collects himself after having suffered from Mana loss.
  "Linzi is right, we need to find Salvator. We should quickly check if there's anything here usable and go find him, Ernakulam I noticed you lost your weapon so if you'd like you can borrow one of mine, though they've also seen better days."  

Dane holds out a masterwork light hammer and his earthbreaker "Blessing" for Ernakulam to choose from.
Ason
Ernak's usual smile fades at the sight of the destroyed earthbreaker.   "That was my grandfather's earthbreaker..."   the Shoanti man says quietly,   "It was all my parents had of our people's life before moving to Korvosa. I..."   He falls silent and shakes his head.   "I will fix it once we leave this island,"   he says quietly but resolutely. Ernak then gathers up the scraps of his now ruined earthbreaker into a sack and stores the bag in his haversack for the moment. His broken daggers, longbow, and warhammer he generally ignores.

  "I appreciate your offer, but keep your weapons, Dane. This little battleaxe won me my freedom, and it will do for now. Let's go find Salvator and leave this place. Did you see a way out of here up in those stands?"  Ernak will then glance up the sets of stairs leading out of the arena, anxious to depart.
lostsole31
Bryngiel reminds everyone to pick up the packs they dropped at the north end - such as Ernak's magic sack.

Roshgog says,   "I kinda' wanna pick through Pilts' provender, but you say something about a scream?"  

Linzi says,   "Someone we were meant to see. I was snooping around during Blood Pig when a silent, magical alarm I didn't notice gave me away and I was caught.

"Boss, do we wanna pick through the field's dead first, or see to Mr. S-S, Esquire?"  
Moriar
  "Shiny things?  Yes that does make sense,  " Varia says as she starts looking through the items left behind by the dead and magic sacks.

Though she does pause briefly to give Ernak a consolation hug over the weapon before being distracted by something shiny.

 
 Spoiler: searching 


Uses senses to search through the items.  Will announce excitedly everything found or noticed.
 
Ason
Ernak accepts Vivina's hug and gives her a whispered thanks.

Regaining his composure, Ernak turns to Linzi and says,   "Fair point. We lost a lot of resources in that 'game' of theirs. Let's give him and his lieutenants a once over before we go: that way when we find Salvator, we can leave directly. I doubt any remaining goons will care about an artist amid all the chaos we just caused, so we may have some time."  
lostsole31
All told, here is what the party does NOT COLLECT so much as inventories (it can't collect everything):
 Pilts Swastel's Gear :

 
 Masterwork War Razor 
 Masterwork Light Crossbow w/ (10) bolts 
 Magical Chain Shirt: Linzi IDs it as a  glamered chain shirt . 
 Vial of fluid: Vivino IDs it as  potion of barkskin +4  
 Royal Scepter: Linzi detects it as a  rod of wonder  
 Belt Pouch w/ 291 gold coins 
 Wooden Holy Symbol of Sifkesh 
 
 Jabbyr's Gear :

 
 Small Masterwork Leather Armor 
 Small Masterwork Greataxe 
 
 Combined Thug Gear :

 
 Masterwork Battle Axes (7) 
 Throwing Axes (38) 
 Masterwork Studded Leather Armor (8) 
 Masterwork Heavy Wooden Shield (8) 
 
 Jacintha Felix ' Body and her belongings:

 
 Mithral Chain Shirt (Broken) 
 Belt Pouch w/ 5 pp, 38 gp, 13 sp 
  Boots of Striding &amp; Springing
  
   Eyes of the Eagle  
 Bandolier w/ (2)  potions of CLW , (1)  potion of CMW , (1)  potion of lesser restoration  
  Handy haversack  (2 fire damage) w/ a variety of gear with the following
 
 Bedroll
 
 Flint &amp; Steel
 
 Mess Kit
 
 Mirror, steel, small
 
 Thieves' Tools, Masterwork
 
 Trail Rations (6)
 
 Waterskin (full)
 
 Gems:  (2) 500 gp; (9) 100 gp 
 
Moriar
  "Time for a clothing montage  !"  Varia says excitedly.  She tries on a battle axe, tucks away the war razor, the boots, glasses, and a couple hand axes. "  Wonder if the rod and crossbow clashes with my outfit?"  
  "For the gold and gems, should we split it up now or just tuck it away into my backpack?  It hold more than it should, like that one there."   She points to Jacinthas backpack.

  "If no one wants the bandolier I could take take but it doesn't quite go with my dress so I wanted to clash too.  Does anyone else think the items I'm trying on fit their clothing motif better?"  
Ason
Ernak straps a throwing axe to his hip and then points to his own bandolier and says,   "I'm fine on potions, so someone else might carry that one. We can split the coin up evenly once we're all  outside  the emperor's lair. I also suggest we swipe the scepter to sell once we're off-island-- since I do not trust that thing one bit --and Pilts' magic chain shirt-- unless someone wants to wear that out of here . I can haul all that in my bag until we get out of Old Korvosa, unless there are any objections? As for the rest, I'll carry the rations and waterskin-- since food is still scare here --for our collective dinner tonight."  
lostsole31
  "Actually,"   Linzi shrugs.   "Boss? I don't have any weapons, and it is caused a rod of wonder, not fear. I would like this awesome responsibility .... until we are out and your mates figure out what to do with it."  
Rithryn
  "That's fine by me Linzi, Vivina can you hand Linzi the rod? She lost her weapons to the fireball."  

Dane looks around at the gear.

  
 Spoiler 
 "Not much here for me, luckily most of my gear made it albeit worse for wear." 
 
 
Rithryn
  "That's fine by me Linzi, Vivina can you hand Linzi the rod? She lost her weapons to the fireball."  

Dane looks around at the gear.

  "Not much here for me, luckily most of my gear made it albeit worse for wear."  
Moriar
  "Have fun Linzi! That is one great looking scepter"   Varia hands over the scepter to Linzi.    "Did you or anyone else want the light crossbow?  Plus there are more hand axes and battle axes"

"If no one else wants the bandolier I would be happy to hold on to it.  Plus someone should definitely take that fancy backpack even if nothing else sounds your speed."  
Ason
Ernak nods in affirmation at the new proposals for the looted items.

After ensuring the others are ready to go, Ernak then will check out C3 to see if there are any ways out of the arena area from there. If not, he returns to the central area again, but if there are paths beyond it, he beckons them to follow.
Moriar
Varia will shrink to normal size and stow the gear safely before adjusting the look of her clothing to more of an explorers outfit.

Then she will follow Ernak and do her best to keep an eye out for dangers such as traps or enemy combatants.
Rithryn
  "I believe Linzi knows the way."  

Dane looks to Linzi.

  "Can you take us to where you triggered the alarm?"  
lostsole31
Linzi leads the group up onto the Emperor's Throne area. This open-air balcony is shielded from rain and sun by a brightly colored canvas roof that extends up over the area like a half-dome, held in place by a wooden framework. The inside of the canvas has been decorated with scenes of gruesome debauchery; battlefields, executions, torture chambers, and human-eating monsters all vie for space. The balcony contains two major features of note. The first is a high-backed throne that looks like a poor man’s version of the Crimson Throne, a thing of blood-red cushions and silks and spikes. Directly west of the throne stands an intimidating device: a tall guillotine of carved wood and bone, its base depicting grasping demonic feet and the housing of its glittering blade a leering demonic face.

She continues south to a door to the west. She opens the door, revealing a 30' long hallway that ends at a door before turning to the north. Linzi moves halfway down the hallway to two facing doors.    "These doors ain't it.  Are you exploring? or, are we mission-oriented?"  
Moriar
  "Though we are here for a reason, we don't want to get surprised from behind  . " Varia says.

And in a quieter voice says, "    plus there might be more shiny things"    
Rithryn
  "We came for Salvator and we made alot of noise, let's find him first than if we have the chance explore. I can take the front if ypur worried about traps or an ambush?"  
lostsole31
  "Besides,"   offers Linzi.    "This self-styled emperor stole from everyone else. We should just let people return when they will and loot the place. Otherwise, we're no better, and we've left this place - or at least the people here - worse than when we've found it, er, them."

   Linzi then opens the door to the north.  The air in this room smells sickly sweet—a combination of flowers and vinegar. The unpleasant smell likely comes from the fourteen poorly preserved heads mounted on the walls of this grisly trophy hall. Most of the heads are human, although two are those of elves and one is from a dwarf with a beard roughly sheered off to match the cut to the neck. To the north, a small, child-sized bed sits against the wall opposite a wooden table decorated with a magnificent set of silverware.

Linzi moves due north in the room to the next door.

Do you leave the pretty-pretties in the room alone for the citizens to reclaim, or do you loot them for yourselves?
Moriar
Varia will idly look through the room and play with things occasionally.
  
"What a cute kids set up....aside from the heads of course  ," Varia notes.


 
 Spoiler: Shiny  


Will be using appraise and slight of hand to obtain for the party to share later anything of particular value. Will leave behind everything else.

If caught, will pout and say sullenly:

If given grief over it, will put them back with a child like huff.

Will follow along with the others.
 
Rithryn
Dane looks at the grisly display in disgust.
  "I agree with Linzi, we've gained enough with the hear we got from the emperor and his cronies. Let's press on."  
Rithryn
Dane with look at varia disapproving.

  "It's better to drink in merriment instead of excess, but you have your own freedom to do as you please."  

Dane will than continue along to find Salvator.
Moriar
Varia for reason Varia pouts and follows along like a very tall kid.

   "....I wasn't drinking nothing...."    she says in confusion quietly but follows Dane.
lostsole31
Linzi says at the door to the north.   "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that this was the door that had a mental alarm on it. Beyond is Pilts' bedroom, and then to the west the cell where I  think  he keeps Salvator, but I had to deal with a quartet of empy's finest thugs before I could be sure."  

She opens the door. This extravagantly decorated bedroom would seem to belong in the richest of noble villas or monarchs’ castles—at least, until one looks a little more closely at the sheets on the four-poster bed and notes how stained and frayed they are, or examines the tapestries and bed curtains and sees the patches of mold and threadbare edges. A tall, well-stocked bookcase to the south turns out to be leaning against the wall for support; the contents of its sagging shelves are poorly produced books with violent or erotic names on their mildewed spines. Everything is slightly musty, stained with age, and well beyond its prime. Only the three paintings hanging on the wall hold up to closer examination, but their grisly subject matter might make them difficult to show in most public venues. To the north, a simple wooden door is secured with a lock and a heavy wooden bar.
Rithryn
Dane checks if there are any traps on the door, after taking some moments to look it over he will knock on the door.

  "Salvator, Salvator Scream are you in there? We've come to rescue you."  
lostsole31
There is no answer from beyond.
Ason
Ernak looks at all those accompanying him.   "Er... can any of you pick a lock? Otherwise, we may have to kick or hack this door down."  
lostsole31
  "I can try,"   says Linzi, taking out some tools. She makes an attempt and fails. But her second attempt is success! She opens the door.

The air in this room is an unpleasant mix of body odor and paint. A lumpy straw mattress lies on the floor in one corner of the room, partially covered by a few blankets, while in the other stands a large easel on which rests a nearly completed painting of immense fiends attacking a village. There is a plain-looking man dressed in paint-stained rags. Flea bites cover his skin, and his eyes are sunken since he’s barely been sleeping an hour or 2 at a time. The man is desperate, and wants only to escape the nightmare that has captured him. Upon seeing Linzi and the heroes behind her, Salvator immediately falls to his knees and breaks into desperate sobs, begging for rescue between each heartbreaking shudder.
Ason
Ernak gently claps Linzi on the back to celebrate her success in opening the locked door. Focusing on the sobbing Salvator, Ernak gives his first real smile since the pit fight turned deadly and says,   "That's why we came, Salvator: you're free now. We need your help ourselves, but first let's get you out of that cell you've been caged in. Do you need some food or water?"  
lostsole31
  "I ask only two things,"   says Salvatore.   "The death of the Emperor of Korvosa..."  
  "Done!"   says Linzi cheerily.

  " ... and to be escorted out of Old Korvosa to the mainland."  
Rithryn
  "Don't worry, well get you outta here. But you are in no condition to travel right now, perhaps we should find a place to rest far from this place?"  

Dane looks to his companions than step out to the hall to make sure the coast is clear.
Moriar
  "That Emperor guy was mean....and his blood tasted weird."   Varia says.

She will rinse her mouth a bit.  "  Want some food buggy man? Want some help?"
  
 
 Spoiler: food 


Will give him some food and or water if he wants some.

Then if he agrees to help will use skills to help best as possible right now
 
lostsole31
  "What about Vencarlo?"   asks Linzi.
Ason
Ernak interjects after Linzi's question,   "Yes, er, that was the help I meant we needed from you, Salvator, if the emperor's death eases your anxiety enough to talk a moment longer. We're looking for the fencing master and heard you might know where he is. If we're lucky, finding him means more lives can be saved."  
lostsole31
Taking a ration as offered by Varia, and about half of his waterskin as he does so, the man admits he spoke with Vencarlo on several occasions. Linzi asks about the tenor of those talks, and Salvator grows nervous. He’d rather not finish what he has to say unless he and the PCs are in a safe place where he can’t be overheard. Once he is convinced that all of the thugs are fled, he continues his story in a whisper, revealing that Vencarlo asked for everything Salvator knew about the fate of Castle Korvosa’s seneschal, Neolandus Kalepopolis.

Salvator explains his friendship with Neolandus, ending with a description of how the man showed up at his home, desperate, bloodied, and poisoned, early on the morning Eodred II died. Neolandus was delirious, but managed to convey to Salvator that he needed a place to hide. Salvator nursed him back to health, whereupon Neolandus confided in him that Queen Ileosa had murdered her husband, and that she’d entered into an alliance with the Red Mantis. They were the ones who tried to assassinate Neolandus, and his escape was as much luck as anything. Worse, Neolandus said there was something about Queen Ileosa that wasn’t quite right—that she’d changed recently. Grown “worse”... whatever that meant. Neolandus refused to divulge more to Salvator, saying that “the less he knew, the safer he’d be,” and that the seneschal needed more time to think things through and do some research before he decided on the proper course of action.

Yet an artist’s simple home was not a secure hideout, which both Neolandus and Salvator knew. Salvator had connections with the Arkonas (they were among his greatest patrons), and when he suggested that Neolandus seek them out for asylum, the seneschal grudgingly agreed. Salvator escorted his friend up to Arkona Palace late one night, just a few days before the quarantine occurred, and hasn’t seen his friend since.

Salvator says the Arkonas seemed friendly enough, and at the time he felt they could be trusted to hide Neolandus from the queen. After his recent meetings with Vencarlo, wherein the man convinced Salvator that the Arkonas were more criminal-minded than the artist suspected, Salvator has come to believe he might have just traded his friend’s danger for a different one. He suspects Vencarlo might have tried to infiltrate Arkona Palace to find out more, and when told by Linzi that Vencarlo has gone missing too, the artist grows pale and begs the PCs to find them both.   “Korvosa’s not a safe place for them—they need to escape the city!”   he cries.   “Me too. And you as well!”  

Laori Vaus says,   "I have my own questions for Salvator. I ask for some privacy with him, please."  
Moriar
  "Oooo....drama?"   Varia says excitedly and then sits down waiting.  After a short while, and likely a pointed stare by Laori, then Varia will leave the cell and start looking through the Emperor's bedroom in a bored fashion.
Rithryn
Dane is curious but will step out.

 
 Spoiler 
id like to make a sense motive to get an idea of his intentions,  than dane will stay right on the otherside of the door.
 
Ason
Ernak thanks Salvator for his story, and he nods his head at Laori's request.   "As long as you both are ready and able to move out after you chat, that's fine."  

Assuming all seems well, he then backs off to give them privacy.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Ernak still is unsure of Laori's sanity, so he'll do a sense motive to make sure she doesn't give off intent to harm the poor man. If he does sense something is amiss, I'll roleplay out his reaction.
 
lostsole31
There doesn't seem to be any sinister intent detectable regarding Laori. Dane has to deal with the fact that it was a thick door so that Pilts wouldn't be bothered by Salvator Scream's .. ummm ... screams, so if the intent was to eavesdrop, it is unsuccessful.

They both come out, Laori cheerful and Salvator actually perked up a little in spirits. She says, pointing to paintings in Pilts' rooms,   "On behalf of my church's interests in providing patronage for this artist, I would like those paintings to take with me. He and his art were my quest, if you remember. I shall personally leave you to escort this man to the mainland and safety beyond. Agreed?"  
Ason
Ernak nods at Laori's suggestion.   "If you two feel you can safely brave the waves and the gray maidens' checkpoints, who am I to stop you? But before you go, Salvator, can you give us directions to the Arkonas palace? And, erm..."   he winces awkwardly as a new question comes to him,   "I assume, since you said *were* your patrons, you don't mind if we attempt to rescue Vencarlo and Neolandus from the Arkonas? Any information you know about the Arkonas that could help--a password, less guarded doors, what kind of dangers we could expect, whatever--would be really appreciated. Sneaking in might save more lives in the long run on both sides."  
lostsole31
Salvator shrugs, not knowing anything useful.
Rithryn
Dane let's out a sigh.
  
"I'm glad we were able to save someone and rid this land of Pilts, but we are no closer to finding Vencarlo. By any chance have either of you heard of where we might find him?"  

Dane poses his question to Bryngiel and Roshgog.
lostsole31
  "Sure,"   says Bryngiel, as if it were a silly question.   "Arkona Palace is perched at the highest point atop Endrin Isle here in Old Korvosa. I don't know how to get there from here, but I am sure it wouldn't be too hard to figure out."  
Rithryn
Dane laughs happily.

  "That is wonderful news Bryngiel, than we should find a safe place to rest and set out after we have regained our strength."  

Dane will wait for the others and once everyone is ready make for the exit.
Moriar
Varia looks around at the shiny items a few more times but after realizing that she can't out wait Dane...she slumps her shoulders and heads out.
Ason
Seeing everyone seems ready to depart, Ernak nods and starts to leave as well. Bidding them farewell, Ernak says,   "Laori, thanks for your help surviving this. Salvator, thank you for your guidance. May the gods watch over you both on your journey. May they watch over us as well."  

To the others, Ernak adds as he joins them by the exit,   "A rest would be welcome, but let's get away from here first, before the gang fight for succession starts. Where to?"  
lostsole31
Laori smiles at Ernak's words.   "I like you guys. You really know how to cause pain in all the best ways. Bye-eee!"   and with that they are gone.

  "Let's figure out the 'where to go' on the way, but let's get the hell out of here instead of staying for a confab,"   says Roshgog.

The whole party leaves the "Emperor's Palace" and heads out into the streets, and the parties split up as intended.

It actually won't be too hard to find a home that was broken into and abandoned to use as a place to rest. What do you do?
Rithryn
Dane will offer his food to those who need it than set down his bedroom for the night.

 
 Spoiler 
dane has 3 rations and will offer all three if needed, he is willing to go hungry.
 
Moriar
  "Sleep does sound nice,"   Varia says with a yawn.   "I can feel my brothers thoughts coming back to the surface and likely when I awake he will be in charge again.  Was nice to meet you all.  So until the next time that I get to come out and play....  "

Varia will then find a comfy place to curl up and sleep.
Ason
Ernak, still perplexed about Varia's existence, will wave at her and say,   "Thanks for all your help. I'll see you again, I'm sure."  

Once the party locates a place to rest for the night, Ernak will ask the party about setting up a watch rotation and volunteers to take the first shift.   "While normally I'd only suggest a watch while out in the woods, with so many assassins and gangs around here, it wouldn't hurt to be be careful."  

Ernak will also do his best to secure the commandeered home, such as by putting wedges ( and breaking off bits of furniture to act as wedges if need be ) under any unlocked exterior doors to serve as door stops and by fastening windows shut. He will also offer from his rations and waterskins to anybody who needs any.
lostsole31
Bryngiel and Roshgog will both take the food Dane offers. Bryngiel has almost nothing, whereas Roshgog has an item or two more than almost nothing. They are not "outfitted" for adventuring outside a of a few choice items.

Here's the problem ... while Ernak and Varia both eat from their items ... Linzi, who wasn't expecting a prolonged camping trip in a city, likewise is out of rations.

 Ernak ,  Varia  .... do either of you give her a ration (which will work for her for two days as she's smaller)?
Moriar
  "I will need more snacks soon  ," Varia says.  "  But I'm happy to share what I have."  

Varia happily shares with Linzi.
lostsole31
The second night spent in Old Korvosa goes by uneventfully.

 
 
 
     
Starday, 16 Desnus 4708 AR (Waxing Gibbous) 
70/ 55 F. Drizzle (&lt; 1/8" rain). Dry.  
 
The next morning, does anyone change their setup/lineup for the day or take any unusual precautions?
Moriar
Varia will curl up to sleep.  Some of her wounds heal up while falling asleep and during the night changes back into Vivino.

 
 Spoiler: healing 


Uses the last of the Spontaneous healing before sleeping
 
lostsole31
Everyone will wake up without wounds, and there was enough old batting the house that Roshgog and Bryngiel - who are without any camping gear whatsoever - still get a full night of restful sleep.

After everyone does their morning routine, Bryngiel looks at Dane's weaponry with a doubtful look.   "Unless you let me call on the Lord in Iron to repair your weapons - or at least one of your weapons - they don't look like they'll be able to take much more punishment. Understand it takes me ten minutes per casting for what looks like in your case to be a minor improvement, but I can still add some life to your weapon."  
 Dane  (and party), do you let Bryngiel cast  mending  on your weapon(s), and if so ... how much time are you willing to give her for repairs?
Moriar
  "That is kind of you  ," Vivino says.   "Let's us spend whatever time is needed to repair as much as we can before exploring further  ."
Ason
  "Agreed,"   Ernak says,   "and that is kind of you to offer, Bryngiel. We have some breathing room, after all, since the Arkonas don't yet know we even exist. And er... while I don't know if it's salvageable, I'd be grateful if you could take a look at my ruined earthbreaker as well. It's been in my family for generations."  
lostsole31
Bryngiel begins with  Drinking Companion . It takes her 20 minutes to repair the earthbreaker enough that it isn't "broken" anymore (albeit still damaged). Another 20 minutes later, and  Drinking Companion  is fully fixed. Mind you, any long-term gouges or dents it had on it are still there ... it doesn't repair it to a flawless state, but repairs it to a completely undamaged state .... as it was when Dane showed up in Old Korvosa. 40 minute total evolution.

She looks at the slag and splinters of Ernak's weapon and she shakes her head.   "I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do for that. Your weapon has lived its life and now faced its end."  

Vivino permitting, she will caster her spell on his scythe. The scythe is resistant, and it takes her 20 minutes (2 castings) to fully repair the scythe.

She goes back to Dane to repair his second earthbreaker ( Blessing ). It takes her three castings (30 min.) just to remove the broken state, and then another 30 min. to fully repair the second earthbreaker. One hour for that.

So far, she has spent two hours with casting these spells. Because she was dedicated to two hours of spellcasting, she took  3 NL .

  "Am I doing your throwing hammers as well, or leaving them for later?"   she asks.
Rithryn
Dane looks overjoyed at the repair of his earthbreakers.

  "This is plenty, thank you for restoring them. If there's anything you need in the future don't hesitate to ask."  

Dane looks at Ernak and the splintered remains of his Hammer, he takes hold of Blessing and approaches him.

  "I know the earthbreaker you carried was special and you can't replace its sentimental value as you received it from your kin, but how about using one given by a friend?"  

Dane offers his earthbreaker Blessing to Ernak.
Ason
Ernak looks down at the ground sadly at Bryngiel's words.   "I understand. Thanks anyways."  

At Dane's offer, he raises his head again.   "You repeat your offer from yesterday?"   he says with a weak smile,   "While I am curious how a city dwarf came to wield traditional Shoanti weapons... I will borrow this-- temporarily --until I can acquire a new one and consecrate it with what I could salvage from my grandfather's hammer. Thank you, Dane. I am in your debt."   He hefts the earthbreaker in his hands a few times, testing its grip and weight in his palms.   "Yes, thank you."  

After stowing the earthbreaker, he then takes a deep breath and asks the party, with a bit of his usual bravado back,   "So... the Arkonas' then?"  
Rithryn
Dane smiles.

  "The activation word is Blessing, it grows in size but you'll still be able to wield it. And one more thing, I wasn't always a city dwarf, I spent my time abroad learning how to fight."  
lostsole31
  "This is still a whole big district of the city, regardless of the Emperor's recent stranglehold,"   says Linzi, looking to Dane.   "Boss, I'd really like us to take the time to look for any weapons shop that might have weapons sized for me. I only want to deal with the rod when it matters, not for every time I otherwise would have shot someone with a crossbow bolt."  
Rithryn
Dane looks around.

"  I have been away from the city for a while and even when I was here my focus was less on weapons and more on the brewery. Do any of you know where we might find a smithy, or shop that might still have such a weapon?"  
lostsole31
She shakes her head.   "We'll have to look or ask around."  
Ason
Ernak raises one eyebrow in curious surprise at Dane's revelation and breaks out into a smile, saying,   "There is more to you than meets the eye, sir. I'd enjoy hearing that story sometime, once we're out of this mess."  

Pivoting to Linzi, Ernak says,   "Prices may be sky-high due to the quarantine and gang wars, but no harm in looking around. It'll give us something else to do while we search for the Arkonas'."  
Moriar
  "Thank you for repairing my scythe  , "  Vivino says.


  "I may not be the best with people but I can help disguise myself and listen for rumors.  Let us do aa suggested and search for weapons and our quarry target."  
lostsole31
It will take four hours (taking the party until noon), but between Ernak's gregariousness and Linzi's knowledge of Old Korvosa prior to the quarantine, the party is able to get to a place that has some weapons that can be sold, It is not a full "store" ... such as it is.

Are there any weapons or ammunition you wish to try to find or purchase? There are no masterwork items (let alone magic) to find.
Rithryn
Dane looks at his gear.
  "I'm good for now, but Linzi if you need any other weapon while we are here I will cover the cost."  
lostsole31
She asks for a light crossbow and two cases of bolts. They don't have an Aldori dueling sword sized for her, thus the extra case of bolts.

The merchant will sell them for 60 gp ... a serious markup in these desperate times, and he will not be haggled down.
Rithryn
Dane will take out the money and pay for the crossbow and bolts.

  "I suppose that's a good deal considering the situation."  
lostsole31
  "Thanks, boss,"   says Linzi as she resets the manner her equipment is on her to best handle the new load.

Where to now? Straight to Arkona Palace?
Rithryn
Dane nods.
  "Aye, let's go."  
lostsole31
Though Old Korvosa wasn't built on a grid, it is still laughably easy to make your way across Endrin Isle and up the hill right to what must most assuredly be Arkona Palace. On the way there, as you enter Fort Korvosa (the portion of Old Korvosa they’ve kept under their personal watch during the quarantine), you will have seen various soldiers about that dress in livery that is not related to Korvosa's military. Linzi informs you that is the livery of House Arkona.  It seems that at least in the Fort Korvosa area of Old Korvosa, they are keeping the peace.

You get to Arkona Palace, and the palace doors have not been closed to the outside world. The PCs are intercepted by a patrol of six house guards who politely but firmly demand to know the party’s reasons for approaching the manor.

Linzi whispers to Dane,   "Lord Glorio Arkona is master of House Arkona."  
Rithryn
Dane nods to Linzi grateful for the information, than speaks to the guards with a firmness in his voice.
  "I am the eldest son of Dul'Duri Thunderbreaker, my name is Dul'Dane Thunderbreaker. My family should be known among noble circles, I have come to request an audience with Lord Glorio Arkonas."  
lostsole31
   "Three cheers for the killers of the Pilts Pretender,"    calls out a guard after recovering from his initial shock.

  "HUP-HUP-HUZZAH! HUP-HUP-HUZZAH! HUP-HUP-HUZZAH!"   the guards all cheer, even being joined in from a gardener or other worker or two.

  "Yes, absolutely, Good-dwarf Thunderbreaker, please allow us to escort you to Lord Arkona. He is upstairs in the bath now, but he would not stand on ceremony to make you wait ... and lord knows from the looks of things, you all could use a bath as well."  

Does everyone go with the escort as stated?
Rithryn
Dane will enter without a fuss, but will still keep a look out.

  "I guess a bath couldn't hurt right?"  

He looks to the others for their opinions.
Ason
Ernak shrugs and then gives Dane a nod.   "It's definitely an improvement from the reception Pilts gave us."  
lostsole31
The party goes from outside the main doors  ...

and are led into the palace entrance ( D1 ), whereupon the guards return to their patrol and the PCs are greeted by a tall, pleasant man who wears an eye patch. He introduces himself as Carnochan, the palace majordomo. He apologizes that normally you would be taken to the visitor's lounge, but the master has heard of your exploits and wants not to wait on ceremony and to follow him.

As far as the entrance itself, a black marble arch depicting dozens of elephants standing one atop the other frames a great ebony door in the south wall of this wide and airy entrance hall. Above the door, an elephant looks out over the hall, its single eye a glittering bloodstone the size of an apple. Tall windows grant a commanding view of the palace grounds, and a rich red carpet, ten feet wide and luxuriously thick, provides a pathway between doors to the west and north, and around a corner to the east. Each of these doors, as well as three smaller ones to the west of the northern pair, are decorated with images of a six-armed, four-faced woman who rides a tiger with human hands for feet.

[NOTE: True north is to your left on the map, so all room descriptions mentioning cardinal directions have to be offset in that way: north to the left, east is top, south is right, and west is bottom.]

It is a brief few steps to a door that he opens to the south east that lead to a set of stairs heading upwards

... and up but on stairs now on the second floor which lead to an Upper Balcony ( D12 ). This walkway overlooks the garden on the ground floor 25 feet below, and as such this area is generally warmer than the rest of the building as heated air rises up from the chamber below. The sound of birdcalls and the gentle babble of the fountain trickle up as well.  The party is led clockwise around the balcony looking below at a beautiful elephantine topiary amidst a lush garden.

Carchamon apologizes that while spacious, the bath cannot accommodate everyone walking in their at once. He asks that at this time, only the dwarf (Dane), the Shoanti (Ernak), and the plague doctor (Vivino, for that is his fame in helping cure blood veil) enter while the rest of you wait outside with him.

Are there any arguments to that?
Rithryn
Dane will nod.
  "That is fine by me."  
Ason
  "And with me,"   Ernak chimes in.
Moriar
Vivino nods graciously.     " I don't remember the last time I had a proper bath."  
lostsole31
Carchamon opens the door for the three headliners, and leaves the backup singers, stage crew, and opening act outside.  Once in, Carchamon closes the door quickly to not let the steam escape.   "My lord, the three top members of the group that threw down the Pilts, two of which are heroes from the blood veil problems last month." 

The air in this chamber is incredibly warm and humid, filled with steam rising from the bubbling oval bath set in the floor to the southeast. The walls, ceiling, and floor are polished marble tiles of alternating blues and greens, giving the entire chamber a pervasive aquatic feel. Three lacquered wooden benches sit just north of the bath.

  "Thank you, Carchamon,"   says a rich, cultured baritone from a man in the bath.   "Please see to some food and repast for our other guests."  

Carchamon wordlessly opens the door, leaves, and the door is shut.

  "Before we talk,"   says the man in the bath.   "We shall discuss matters of the world as equals - disrobe yourselves and enter the bath. It WILL be quite hot, but not enough to harm you. Once you get use to the temperature, I am quite sure that unless you've been to hot springs somewhere, you've never felt anything the like."  

What do the three of you do?
Moriar
Vivino will gauge his intentions.

 
 Spoiler: honesty 



Will use sense motive to see if he seems on the level.



Then if all seems good, will say "  Thank you for your hospitality."  

He will then disrobe and put everything within reach before getting in.
 
lostsole31
Vivino can only really depend on what he hears in the man's voice, as his features are obscured in the steam, but as it sounds as if he's on the level, Vivino says, "  Thank you for your hospitality."  

He will then disrobe and put everything within reach before getting in.
Rithryn
Dane will take off his robes.
  "A little heat is good for the body, it helps to form it like forging armor."  
Ason
  "You are a kind host, sir. Thank you,"   Ernak says as he follows the others' examples.
lostsole31
  "Well, come into the bath, don't be shy ... haahhaha! you might get your armor rusty, my dear dwarf. You may need help from your friends with that."  
Rithryn
Dane begins the process of removing his full plate and noble clothes.
  "This will only take a moment I assure you."  
lostsole31
He will definitely need help from another, as that is a tough task to do himself.

So, the assumption is that you all go as the gods intended - naked hairy butts and all - into the bathwater, correct?
Moriar
Yep!  Vivino will Dane with his armor and then get into the bath.
lostsole31
  "I am your humble host, Glorio Arkona,"   says the bather.   "And though I know of you, I would hear from each of you individually - rather than introduced by one voice - who each of you are."  
Rithryn
Dane looks at his companions while he more or less is crouching in the water to keep his head above.

  "Guess I'll go first, my name is Dane and my family has lived in this city for some time crafting Dwarven arms and armor and the finest spirits and ale. Surely you've heard of them?"  
 
 Spoiler 
Dane is attemptingto get a measure of if Glorio is trying to coax somethingout from them.
 
lostsole31
  "Admittedly, I am a lover of wine, though I have heard of your family's brewing label,"   says Lord Arkona.   "I must admit if I go for the lesser spirits is for a VPA."   
 Spoiler: OOC 
VPA = Vudran Pale Ale
 
Moriar
Vivino eases into the bath trying to relax but having trouble fully settling in.

  "My story is not the best..."   Vivino begins.  "  My name is Vivino and I came to this city smmany years ago with only my sister.  Once I was able to get a job in an alchemy shop things were relatively pleasant, albeit hungry, times.  Things worsened over time and I learned how to fight harder and harder every day.  Now here I am....though at least I've done some good to make my sister happier with the plague cure."  

Vivino looks away suddenly as if he doesn't usually say that much at once.
lostsole31
  "And I thank you for those efforts, Vivino,"   says Lord Arkona less bombastically, but with more subdued care,   "and you honor your sister in your efforts."  

Ernak can see Lord Arkona looking at him, awaiting a reply ...
Ason
Ernak eases back in the tub as the others tell their stories, clearly enjoying the hot water on his tired muscles.

  "My name is Ernak. I'm a local of Old Korvosa myself, though a man of your stature would have no reason to know my family. We're just ordinary Shoanti,"   he says with a shrug and leans back against the tub's wall,   "When I got old enough, I left to find better work, and now I'm back, doing what I can to help out my hometown."  

With laugh at his own expense, he adds self-deprecatingly,   "But if for some reason you happen to enjoy the cheap theater, you might have seen me in a play or two, or maybe entertaining folks with stories at taverns here and there. It's not glamorous, but it pays the bills."  
lostsole31
  "No, I apologize if I sound dismissive,"   says Lord Arkona to Ernak,   "but it isn't that it is lower class entertainment that keeps me away, but the medium. As a Vudran, we have much different concept of 'theater' and I find the Avistani form too spare and usually a bunch of talking heads. Very boring to me."  

He turns from Ernak and seems to address all of you,   "Congratulations to you and your cohorts on your success. You have done a great service to Korvosa ... to the beleaguered residents of Endrin Isle ... and to me. I have a magical ring I would like to give you for your services ... it is only one ring, but one helps all in matters of derring-do, am I right? it is a  ring of evasion . Itself is a fine ring should you decide to sell it to split amongst you, but I am sure putting it to use is a wiser course of action. There are those who are trained to roll completely out of certain area dangers like plumes of fire, and this ring can help a person not so trained do just that."  

There is a small personals shelf behind him and he take the ring and holds it up, a beautiful gold ring with a deep green stone, all crafted in a classic Vudran style.   "Who would honor me by taking and wearing this gift?"  
Moriar
  "Now you honor us  ," Vivino says.

He looks abashed but then says, "  I for one believe something like that could help me avoid those errant explosions we seem to find."    

Then quietly looks at the others to see what they think or say.
Ason
Ernak shrugs at Vivino's request and then says with a wink and a chuckle,   "You may do the honors, sure. But the next honors are on me, ha!"  

Turning to Lord Arkona, he says,   "My lord, we are grateful for the honor of this gift as well as the honor of this audience with you. If you wish to hear our tale of casting down Pilts, the false emperor of Old Korvosa, now that you know our personal stories, I am happy to recount the events. If not, for my own two copper pieces I will merely say our city has seen some sad days as of late, so we were glad to make things a little better. I pray that you and yours are faring well amid the chaos that plagues Old Korvosa."  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Ernak will be watching for Lord Arkona's reactions as he speaks, curious to see how he responds to this initially polite mention of current events. Ernak is trying to gauge Arkona's feelings on these issues so that he knows how much to divulge to him, if anything, or if another tack is required to handle this situation.
 
Rithryn
Dane nods.
  "I ain't fast enough for it to be of use, though I'm hardy enough to shake it off most times."  

Dane laughs.
lostsole31
Vivino puts the ring on one of his fingers.

That done, he asks,   "What do you ask of me, that you have come to see me?"  
Rithryn
  "We are seeking a man by the name of Vencarlo and we're hoping you could aid us."  
lostsole31
Through the steam of the bath you see Lord Arkona give you a rueful smile before he goes on to say,   "Ahhh, yes ... Vencarlo Orsini. And Neolandus Kalepopolis, too, no doubt. Sadly, just handing one ... or even both ... guests over to you may be a trifle complicated. You see, both men have been sent below to the Vivified Labyrinth. I apologize for difficulties, and I won't be able to retrieve either guest for you, but I will do the next best thing.

"Within the gardens on the main floor, there is a statue of an elephant - an animal from my homeland that has a long truke for a nose and two large tusks ....."
  
He tells them the secret of the elephant statue in area  D4 , how to access the caverns below the palace, and where to seek the secret door that leads down to the labyrinth entrance. He’ll even tell the PCs that the labyrinth can be adjusted by pulling key levers to rotate the four sections, promising them that both of the people they seek are hidden therein.
Moriar
  "I am curious  , " Vivino begins. "  What is this labyrinth?  What can we expect within? "  

After an answer will also ask, "  What did these men do to have them sent there?"  
lostsole31
  "Now, now, Vivino,"   chides Lord Arkona,   "that would spoil the fun. Look for your men, and all will be revealed."  
Ason
Ernak shifts uncomfortably in the tub.   "Thank you again, Lord Arkona, for the grace with which you continue to favor us. You have been far more than fair and generous. Is there something you want us to fetch for you from down there, besides the two men? Or perhaps a pesky beast you want us to slay for you to free up the rooms it has invaded? Some service you expect us to render beyond mere the entertainment our adventure might provide for you?"  
 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Ernak continues to try to read Lord Arkona's intentions as they talk. As his questions indicate, Ernak is confused why Arkona is helping the party at all while also implying danger may wait ahead in this labyrinth... so he's trying to figure that out.

I know Sense Motive isn't mind reading, so there's probably not much that he can learn, but Ernak--and I--are genuinely intrigued by Arkona's motivations here.
 
lostsole31
The noble is a complete cipher but smiles ne'ertheless.   "For you to fetch your two men to safety would surely be task enough."  
Moriar
Vivino looks uncomfortably between everyone, unsure of what meanings they were inferring.

"  Would you have a place that we could all rest before heading down there?  "  Vivino asks.
lostsole31
  "I will send you off with a brief but tasty and filling repast, but not to lounge for an hour and definitely not a night's sleep ... oh, no!"   Lord Arkona says patronizingly.   "I understand the Vivified Labyrinth is no proper place to be, and you ... heroes ... have two lives to save."  
Rithryn
Dane nods his head subconsciously accidentally submerging his face.
  "That's more than enough, every moment could spell the end for them if it's as dangerous as you say. Thanks for the hospitality."  
Ason
Ernak looks to Vivino and Dane to follow their lead. When Dane says yes, Ernak also nods his head in the affirmative to Lord Arkona's request.
lostsole31
  "Well, you will need your armor when you are done with this bath,"   he says, and points out where towels are. He gets out of the bath and the steam in the room protects his modesty while he puts a towel around himself, dries off with another, and then dons a sumptuous indigo robe with red and gold rim.
Moriar
Seeing his host get out of the bath, Vivino realizes that bathing is over.  So he finishes scrubbing as clean as possible very quickly, just in case the next bathing time us not going to be for a while.

Then Vivino will get everything back on in a rush.


When all done....  "Ready..."   Vivino says, trying not to sound out if breath.
lostsole31
No doubt you all help each other with the armor, especially with Dane's armor.

He then guides you back downstairs the way you came, but nobody is outside. He assures you they are in the visitor's lounge and you follow downstairs and to the north. He opens the double doors.

This comfortable room is warmed by a large fireplace, its marble sides and mantle carved into a parade of capering monkeys and tigers. A large sofa is against the north wall, while a few cozy-looking chairs sit to the south. There is a service with tea and repasts there, and Linzi, Bryngiel, and Roshgog all look quite content.
Ason
After drying off, getting dressed again, and aiding the others in re-dressing as necessary, Ernak gives a big relaxed stretch of relief.   "You are too kind, milord,"   Ernak says with a brief bow of thanks to Lord Arkona.

He pauses a moment in thought and then asks their host,   "By the way, you  described this 'elephant' creature of your homeland. If I may be so  bold, where are you from if not Korvosa? As the product of several cultures myself, I do enjoy learning of  others' cultures when I can."  
lostsole31
  "I and my sister are both Vudrani,"   he answers.
Ason
Ernak nods respectfully at their host's reply, then says with a smile.   "Then I must visit Vudra once Old Korvosa is no longer quarantined: these 'elephants' you mention sound awe-inspiring."  
lostsole31
He nods to Ernak.

Once everyone has had their fill, Lord Arkona asks,   "Are you ready?"  
Rithryn
Dane nods.
  "Aye, let's go."  
lostsole31
Lord Arkona guides the party out of the sitting room and south down the long hallway until getting to a set of double doors right next to the doors that led to the stairs you had gone up previously.

Your host opens the double doors to the space beyond. This chamber hardly seems to be part of a palace, but looks more like a clearing at the heart of a vast jungle, teeming with life. The sky above is a deep, cloudless blue, while in the distance, hazy towers rise above the verdant canopy. Exotic bird calls fill the air, the scent of dozens of unfamiliar flowers and plants assault the nose, and everywhere a riot of color demands the eye, whether it’s the wing of a tropical bird, the petals of a brightly-hued flower, or the glittering multicolored tiles that make up a round fountain to the north. The fountain’s central plume is a stone pillar around which entwine two cobra statues that clutch green gems in their fanged maws. To the south of the fountain stands an immense, life-sized jade statue of an elephant, a howdah perched on its back, its tusks and trunk raised high in greeting to the southeast doors. From inside the room, the doors look more like gates set into a wrought-iron fence that encircles the garden. Other gates set in this fence doubtless lead to other parts of the palace, and after a bit more observation, the somewhat static nature of the jungle and landscape becomes apparent—the walls of this garden are in fact an incredibly realistic and clever painting of a Vudrani junglescape.

The elephant stands on a 10' diameter stone platform. Lord Arkona makes his way along the underside of the elephant statue, beckoning you to follow him up and squeeze in.  He touches a hidden 6"-diameter pressure plate in the center of the platform floor and says something aloud in a language that none of you understand. Doing so causes the entire disk to slowly rotate 180 degrees.

As it does so, a curved opening appears, granting access to a flight of spiral stairs that descend into the ground ...

I am assuming the following marching order: Dane &gt; Ernak&gt; Vivino &gt; Roshgog &gt; Bryngiel &gt; Linzi?
Moriar
Vivino takes one last look at the 'outside' before following down in that order.
Ason
Ernak gives a discrete but appreciative bow to Lord Arkona and descends in that order as well.
lostsole31
The party descends, and comes down a wrought-iron spiral staircase at the end of their journey. This protrusion you now stand upon rises from a rocky beach overlooking the sloshing waters of a sea cave. Three rope bridges descend deeper into the cave, connecting three progressively lower ledges on the wall until finally reaching a stony protrusion at ground level.
Moriar
"  This place is definitely at odds with the city above  ," Vivino marvels aloud.   "  Let's head on down those rope bridges  to that extension to the southeast before worrying sbout what is below."  
 
 Spoiler: wary 


Will start circling around the opening and head to the southeast with others.

Keeping an eye out for danger and getting a better view down below.

Will make sure the bridge seems safe before continuing  down
 
Rithryn
  "We should check it first to make sure it can support us, I'm a little heavy."  

Dane will step forward to inspect the rope bridge.
Ason
Ernak nods his agreement.   "I'm no politician, but every story I've heard tells me this whole situation is a trap. We all agree Lord Arkona is toying with us, right? Then we best suspect every thing we find down here."  

Ernak then helps Dane and Vivino in inspecting the bridge for safety.

 
 Spoiler: ooc 
Ernak will take 10 on a Knowledge (engineering) check regarding the bridge, in addition to any perception checks that may be made.
 
lostsole31
The party has to go all the way around to get to the first rope bridge.  The air in this vast grotto is cool. An iron-framed flight of spiral  stairs winds up through a hole in the ceiling in the northwest section  of the room from the top of a semicircular ledge. The ledge winds down  along the cavern’s inner wall to a series of rope bridges that descend  even lower from ledge to ledge. The upper ledge is breathtaking and  strangely beautiful—a tableau of all manner of odd-colored fungi,  lichens, and molds. The fungi have been cultivated, shaped into  symmetrical patterns normally not seen in nature, transforming the ledge  into a sort of underground fungal garden. Here and there,flickering  torches burn in sconces above the fungi, while from somewhere in the  darkness below comes the soft splash of water against an unseen shore.

From  when you came in, it was a 100' drop to the water below, but the  cavern's downwards winding means that by the time you get to the first  rope bridge, it is only 50' to the drop below.
 
Surprise Round ...

S23/15:   As the three main folk are checking over the first rope bridge, Dane  and Ernak both feel something very powerful pull them bodily off the  ledge where the rope bridge begins! They each fall 50' to the waters  below. Ernak takes  12 NL + 9 , and Dane takes  6 NL + 8  ... a combination of hitting the water and then the surface underneath the water as they hit with heavy splashes far below.

Hovering over the ledge as if no need for ground are two floating, armored humanoids. They weren't there a split-second ago.

 End Surprise Round, Begin Round One ... 
 R1T25:   Roshgog, seeing that he can reach one of the new dance partners, moves  to the north and defensively casts a spell, but loses it in his rushed  pace.

 R1T24:  Down below, Dane is "off-balance"  (aquatic version of prone) and actually literally prone on a rocky floor  underwater. From the surprise of the attack, and confusion of the fall,  and hitting the water so hard, he was unable to get a full breath of  air. He does notice something speeding towards him quickly underwater. A  massive claw strikes him in the right knee for  13 +  5 mod poison  . More of whatever he is fighting - which is significantly larger than himself wraps around and constricts him for  19 .

 R1T23:   Above, one of these unknown assailants effortlessly floats away from  Roshgog and closer to Linzi, and incidentally stands inches off of the  ground. There is a sort of cloud that expresses from it, causing  everyone still on the ledge above to choke and cough and try to expel  out whatever they just breathed in. Bryngiel takes 2 mod poison, and  Linzi and Roshgog takes 3 mod poison, and while Vivino doesn't take  immediate damage, like everyone else his body will have to be fighting  off poison spores.

 R1T22:   Vivino , you are in a cloud of poison spores. Roll a Fort save vs. poison.

You  are holding your scythe. These suddenly-appearing creatures appear as  little more than masses of fungus that have grown over and throughout  the bodies of their long-dead hosts, appearing as fungus-encrusted  skeletons with gelid ooze and tufts of mold in place of flesh, wielding  scimitars, wearing chainmail, and bearing light steel shields ... all of  very fine Vudran make. What do you do?
Moriar
Vivino chooses not to breath in the spores and strikes at blue viciously twice with his scythe.

 
 Spoiler: Spore surprise 


Fort save with poison resistance:  (1d20+16)[ 31 ] 

Using breath mastery can hold breath for 18 minutes without preparation.


Risky strike 1 against blue:  (1d20+11)[ 14 ] .  Damage to blue:  (2d4+16)[ 21 ]  and  (2d6)[ 8 ] 

Damage to vivino from scythe:  (1d6)[ 1 ] 




Risky strike 2 against blue:  (1d20+5)[ 16 ] .  Damage to blue:  (2d4+16)[ 19 ]  and  (2d6)[ 8 ] 

Damage to vivino from scythe:  (1d6)[ 2 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R1T22:  Vivino chooses not to breath in the spores and  strikes at blue viciously twice with his scythe. The first attempt is  blocked by Blue's shield, and the second attempt skims off of its  quality chainmail.

 R1T21:  Bryngiel takes   2 mod poison  ,  but otherwise fights off what is in her system for now. She also holds  her breath, taking a cue from Vivino, even though that breath is  befouled. Studying her target, she gets into a fighting stance. With a  ferocious jumping leap she knees Blue in the head for  19 . She growls at it as she does so, but the monster seems nonplussed by her aggression.

 R1T20:   Dane ,  you are off-balance (prone in water) and submerged at an unknown depth,  grabbed by something immense and strong, and have half of your  available held breath starting out.

Roll a Fort save vs. poison. What do you do?
Rithryn
Dane realizing the dire situation tries to maintain some sense of calm given his situation than struggles to break the creatures hold of him.

 
 Spoiler 
save vs poison gains +2 to this result [/roll]1d20+12[roll]
Cmb tp break grapple [/roll]1d20+13[roll]
 
lostsole31
 R1T20:  Dane's dwarven body easily fights against  whatever poison is attempting to harm him now. Realizing the dire  situation, he  tries to maintain some sense of calm given  his situation than struggles to break the creatures hold of him, only to  find that his less-then stellar attempt doesn't even have the thing  budge.

 R1T15:  Red floats a few feet south. It strikes Vivino's groin with its scimitar for  8 mod , and then his head for  3 mod .

 R1T14:   Ernak ,  you are on the rocky bottom of some pool or the like, completely  submerged and with half the air you would have liked to have had when  you got it knocked out of you from the fall. Right next to you, Dane is  being held by some enormous creature. What do you do?
Ason
Ernak prepares himself for another fight, adopting an aura of endurance and widening his posture as best he can underwater. He then tries to caste a spell on himself and Dane, and regardless of its success, he swims upward to find air.

 
 Spoiler 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square west
 Free:  adopt  Indomitable  tactical presence ( allies in 30' gain Die Hard feat; +5 morale to Fort vs death effects, fatigue or exhaustion effects, or poison )
 Swift:  adopt  Primal Warrior Stance  ( if possible in this terrain )
 Standard:  cast  Haste  on himself and Dane
 
 Concentration Check for  Spellcasting Underwater :  (1d20+5)[ 18 ]  vs DC 18 (15 + 3 from spell level) 
 
 Move:  swim vertically upward to surface for air
 
  Swim Check :  (1d20+9)[ 12 ]  
 
 
lostsole31
 R1T14:  Ernak prepares himself for another fight,  adopting an aura of endurance  and then finding he has to get on balance before anything else. Once on  his feet on the bottom underwater, he realizes that while he can put his  body in the position for his stances, he is not used to the water  resistance in this alien environment and is unable to adopt his stance  for martial benefit. He then casts a spell on himself and Dane, but the  act of getting balanced and casting the spell keeps him from having the  time to swim upwards.

 R1T10:  Linzi takes   3 poison    from the cloud but resists what is in her system already. She tries to  scramble away, but not before Blue attacks, with her ducking under the  blade. Once some distance away, she begins an oration of stories to help  her friends.

 End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T25:  Roshgog resists what is in his system, but takes   3 poison    from being in the cloud as it continuously poisons him. He exits the  cloud of poison spores and casts a defensive spell, as a magical shield  forms faintly before him.

 R2T24:  In the water  below, the massive whatsit settles in on its prey after having charged  to get to it. It crushes Dane while still injecting venom for  40 +  5 mod poison  .

 R2T23:  Blue floats into flank against Vivino, nicking the back of his left calf for  3 mod  and then clipping his left shoulder for  3 mod .

 R2T22:   Vivino ,  despite holding your breath, and despite the spores not doing damage  initially, your defense isn't perfect, though your body is doing its  best to fight off the poison, courtesy of your internal alchemy. What do  you do?

Bryngiel on deck, Dane in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino continues to hold his breath and swings against blue twice.  Then he steps away to drop down to help Dane


 
 Spoiler: slash 


Swing 1 at blue with flanking:  (1d20+14)[ 33 ]  To hit.  Damage:  (2d4+7)[ 13 ]  and  (2d6)[ 7 ]  with sneak  (4d6)[ 9 ] 

Damage to vivino:  (1d6)[ 1 ] 


Swing 2 at blue with flanking:  (1d20+8)[ 17 ]  To hit.  Damage:  (2d4+7)[ 12 ]  and  (2d6)[ 5 ]  with sneak  (4d6)[ 17 ] 

Damage to vivino:  (1d6)[ 3 ] 

Then will move 5 ' to NE to drop into water to join Dane below
 
lostsole31
 R2T22:  Vivino continues to hold his breath and swings against Blue twice - the first striking the creature's shield forearm for  29  (and  1   to himself), but the second being blocked by its shield. He then steps  away to allow himself to fall so he can help Dane. The step away keeps  him safe from Blue, but the beginning of the fall doesn't keep him safe  from Red, who succeeds in getting past Vivino's hardened organs with a  light crit to his back for  8 mod . Vivino falls the 50' to the water below, taking only  4 mod   from the impact as he balls himself up and lands on the bottom  off-balance/prone. So solid is his art, that he only expended the breath  expected for 6 seconds of full activity and no more.

 R2T21:  Despite holding her breath, some of the spores get through and Bryngiel takes   2 mod poison  ,  though she continues to resist any further effects so far. She steps  southeast to try to screen the others. She does a quickened blessing on  herself, studies Blue, then jumps up to cup Blue's left shoulder from  behind while jamming her knee into the should from the front for  21 .

 R2T20:   Dane ,  something just rocketed into the water and to the bottom next to you.  Though most of all you see is cavitation from the impact, you are pretty  sure you can espy Vivino's  cappellano Romano  (his big hat) through the bubbles.  What do you do?

 Dane , roll a save vs. poison!

Red on deck, Ernak in the hole ...
Rithryn
Dane ever stalwart continues his struggle to break free.

 
 Spoiler 
 Fortitude for poison [Roll] 1d20+12 [/roll]
CMB to break grapple[Roll] 1d20+13 [/roll]
 
lostsole31
 R2T20:  Despite his dwarven hardiness, the massive creature's poison begins to affect the desperate hero as he is now  weakened .  Ever stalwart, Dane continues his struggle to break free, but with his  strength leeching out of him, he is finding he can't make the creature's  tentacles budge. 
 Spoiler: Weakened 
 Weakened:  A character weakened by  Strength   poison  suffers a –2 penalty on  Strength -based  attack rolls ,  damage rolls, skill checks, and ability checks. Her carrying capacity  is divided by 3. She is always considered to be carrying at least a  medium load.
 
Still, Ernak's  haste  spell gives him a burst of speed that surprises his captor with a much better second attempt ... but still not enough.

 R2T15:  Combat above ...

 R2T14:   Ernak ,  now you are on your feet on the bottom, holding your partial breath as  you are. Even with your presence, it seems that Dane is still enervating  in the grasp of this monster. Meanwhile, as the bubbles clear, through  the silt you think you see Vivino prone on the bottom now a little past  Dane. Now that you are  hasted , what do you do?

Linzi on deck, Roshgog in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak squints at the beast through the water, trying to understand what this creature is. He then tries to swim upward as fast as he can, trying to regain his lost air, and then attempts to swim back down again to aid Dane and Vivino.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square northeast
 Free:  Knowledge check to identify monster, taking 10 because bard
 Move:  Swim vertically upward to surface for air, hopefully now with the benefits of  Haste  affecting his speed calculations ( I know he doesn't have a swim speed, but I'm hoping Haste adds to his speed before swimming reduces that to 1/4 ). If replenishing his air back to full is a free action that happens as soon as he breaks the surface, Ernak will use any remaining movement to dive back down. If he needs to stop his movement in order to replenish his air supply to full, he will stop here to take that breath using whatever actions are necessary.

 
  Swim Check :  (1d20+9)[ 27 ]  
 
 Standard:   Depends on the situation after his move action. Action options are listed in order of priority, depending on his move action's results and your rules adjudication.
 
 
 If Ernak still has not surfaced, keep trying to swim to the surface. 
 If a swift action is required to fully refill Ernak's air supply, then he'll use that swift action and then move on to option #4. 
 If a standard action is required to fully refill Ernak's air supply, then he takes a breath. 
 If Ernak has surfaced and refilled his air supply, then dives back down toward the monster, aiming to engage it in melee from the north if possible. 
 
 
lostsole31
 R2T14:  Ernak squints at the beast through the water,  trying to understand what  this creature is, but is stymied. He swims upwards as fast as he can,  takes a second on the surface to full breath of air, and then swims back  down and to the north to aid Dane and Vivino, and ducking around a  collapsed pier as he does so, end ending back up with his feet on the  bottom. Underwater is not lit like above is, so it is dim lighting down  here.

 End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

  R3T24:  The water monster continues to constrict Dane for  30 +  13 mod poison  .

 R3T22:   Vivino , you are currently off-balance (prone), underwater, and on the rocky surface of the deck below. There is also not a lot of light down here (dim lighting).  Roll a Fort save vs. poison . What do you do?

Bryngiel on deck, Dane in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino makes out the dire situation and rights himself while keeping an eye out for trickery from the creature.

Then makes a savage slash against the creature in the hop that it frees his new friend.

 
 Spoiler: underwater cage match 


Poison save (with +4vs poison with alchemy poison resist):  (1d20+16)[ 22 ] 


Acrobatics to avoid AOO etc:  (1d20+13)[ 24 ] 

Swim check if helpful to get into position:  (1d20+8)[ 27 ] 

Risky strike the grappling creature (denied dex I think?)
To hit:  (1d20+11)[ 20 ]  damage:  (2d4+16)[ 20 ]  and  (2d6)[ 5 ] 
Damage to vivino:  (1d6)[ 4 ] 
Sneak damage:  (4d6)[ 10 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T22:  Vivino resists the last bits of poison from the  fungal spores that were still in his system. He makes out the dire  situation and rights himself while keeping an eye out for trickery from  the creature before making a savage slash against the creature in the  hope that it frees his new(???) friend. While diminished in mobility,  the monster is not defenseless as he had hoped. With Ernak likely  harrying it from the far side, the monster is distracted enough, though,  for Vivino to strike it for  15 mod  while he takes  4   himself. Despite Ernak's distraction, the dim lighting below keeps  Vivino from seeing a specific enough spot on the creature to enjoy a  precision attack, and swinging his scythe underwater took a lot of his  power out of the swing.

 R3T21:  Bryngiel takes   2 poison    from the spore cloud, despite holding her breath, but continues to  fight off the poison in her system. She misses her first but then stomps  on Blue's foot for  17  before moving to the outer edge of the spore cloud.

 R3T20:   Dane , roll a Fort save vs. the monster's poison. What do you do?

Red Garden Guardian on deck, Ernak in the hole ...
Rithryn
Once more Dane struggles to free himself from the creatures grasp and fight the poison.

 
 Spoiler 
 Save for poison +2 from dwarf   (1d20+12)[ 17 ] 
CMB to break grapple  (1d20+10)[ 13 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T20:  Once more Dane struggles to free himself from  the creatures grasp and fight the poison, but both struggles are  half-hearted and to no avail as Dane sees the writing on the wall as he  is now impaired. 
 Spoiler: Impaired 
 Impaired : A character impaired by  Strength   poison  experiences rapid muscle atrophy. She takes an additional –2 penalty on the affected  Strength -based rolls, and is always considered to be carrying at least a heavy load.
 

 R3T14:   Ernak ,  you are on the bottom - 15' below the surface (10' above your head to  surface) - and it seems that Vivino is distracting this thing from the  other side. What do you do?

Linzi on deck, Roshgog in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak tries to cast another spell underwater, aiming it at Dane's armor. He then draws his battleaxe and readies himself for to fight.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square southeast
 Standard:  cast  Grease  targeting Dane
 
 Concentration Check for  Spellcasting Underwater :  (1d20+9)[ 27 ]  vs DC 16 (15 + 1 from spell level) 
 Trying to cast Grease in such a way as to enable the final listed effect of Grease: "A creature wearing  greased   armor or clothing gains a +10 circumstance bonus on Escape Artist  checks and combat maneuver checks made to escape a grapple, and to their  CMD to avoid being grappled." Ernak is not trying to trip Dane underwater or make his weapons slippery, just trying to aid his escape attempts. 
 
 Move:  draw the Blessing hammer

 Immediate (if triggered):   Warning Roar  to protect the target of this monster's next attack.
 
 I'm not sure if that will even work underwater, but maybe his bubbling is very upsetting to the monster. 
 
 
lostsole31
 R3T14:  Ernak tries to cast another spell underwater, aiming it at Dane's armor.  He then draws the earthbreaker, and readies himself for to fight.

 End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

  R4T24:    Despite the protective coating put on Dane's armor, the monster seems  to sense the slipperiness and much more carefully spreads surface area  of tendrils and body to continue to compress Dane in a crumpling blow  that the mighty dwarf desperately attempts to do something against.  Ernak shouts in the water, but his attempt is too distorted and it  obviously fails as Dane is so completely wrecked as to practically  implode, and blood is belched in the water from the lifeless body of  Ernak's friend. 😦

It just lets Dane's inert body go from its grasp.

 R4T22:   Vivino ,  you are holding your scythe on the bottom and you know Ernak is on the  other side of you. It is dim lighting down here as you hold your breath,  standing on the bottom, though now that this thing no longer is focused  on Dane, it does move around more so you (and Ernak) get a better look  at it. What do you do?
Moriar
Seeing this creature a little better...Vivino aims his strikes with renewed focus and anger towards what his fellow seemed to have suffered.



 
 Spoiler: Sushi 


With flank:

Risky Strike 1: to hit:  (1d20+11)[ 23 ]   Scythe damage:  (2d4+16)[ 18 ]   Vicious:  (2d6)[ 8 ]   Sneak damage of  (4d6)[ 20 ]  and damage to Vivino from scythe:  (1d6)[ 4 ] 

Risky Strike 2: to hit:  (1d20+5)[ 23 ]   Scythe damage:  (2d4+16)[ 19 ]   Vicious:  (2d6)[ 7 ]   Sneak damage of  (4d6)[ 13 ]  and damage to Vivino from scythe:  (1d6)[ 1 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R4T22:  Seeing this creature a little better, Vivino  aims his strikes with  renewed focus and anger towards what his fellow seemed to have suffered.  Though both blows land, the dim light keeps him from enjoying scoring  precision strikes, as he does a total  33 mod  to it, and only taking  5  himself.

 R4T21:   Bryngiel's breath holding keeps her from suffering any more from the  poison. She touches herself in prayer for   7 healing   and is now  defensive. With a flurry of blows she misses twice and then soft-crits  Blue in the head for  22  before she then steps back out of the cloud. Blue crumples to the ground from the blow.

 R4T17-15:  Red steps down onto the ground and strikes Bryngiel across the belly for  11 , though she deflects the next attack.

 R4T14:   Ernak , what do you do?

Linzi on deck, Roshgog in the hole ...
Ason
Ernak fakes a lunge at the monster and then awkwardly swings the hammer at the creature with all his might, trying to cave in its chest.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
  Tactical Flanker  at Start of Turn:  1 square southeast
 Move:  feint at monster using Deft Maneuvers  (1d20+18)[ 26 ] 
 Standard:   Impaling Strike  risky strike with earthbreaker; attack  (1d20+17)[ 36 ]   (doesn't include underwater combat penalties, feinting, flanking, etc) 
 
 Damage  (2d6+19)[ 30 ]  +  (4d6)[ 15 ]  ignores DR; DC 19 Fort save v  (1d4)[ 3 ]  Con dmg on hit  (doesn't underwater combat penalties, etc)  
 
 Immediate (if triggered):   Warning Roar  to protect the target of this monster's next attack.

 
 I'm not sure if this will even work underwater, but maybe Ernak's bubbling can do the job 
 
 AoO (if triggered):  risky strike attack  (1d20+17)[ 29 ] ; damage  (2d6+19)[ 25 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R4T14:  Ernak fakes a lunge at the monster and then  awkwardly swings the hammer  at the creature with all his might, trying to cave in its chest. While  every ounce of his special martial training is useless underwater, it  seems his power and experience are enough to land a somewhat solid  strike in its chest for  15 mod , as half of the force is ablated by the water.

 End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...
 
 R5T24:  Having just gotten its attention, the big monster turns on Ernak. One claw slashes Ernak's left upper arm for  16  even as another claw cuts his right shin and calf for  13 .  Though there is a burning effect to tell Ernak that there is poison, it  isn't enough to feel that initial pain while he has adopted his proud  demeanor. The downside is that he is now scooped in and grappled by the  monster!

 R5T22:   Vivino , now Ernak is grappled. what do you do?
Moriar
Vivino unleashes a howl underwater and he unleashes against the beast.


 
 Spoiler: Rage 


Begins raging

Risky bite: to hit:  (1d20+14)[ 27 ]  Damage:  (1d4+16)[ 17 ]  Sneak if able: [roll4d6[/roll]

Risky strike 1 with scythe: to hit:  (1d20+13)[ 27 ]  Damage: (2d4+18)[ 22 ]  and  (2d6)[ 9 ] . Vivino damage from scythe:  (1d6)[ 5 ]   Sneak if able  (4d6)[ 15 ] 


Risky strike 2 with scythe: to hit:  (1d20+8)[ 11 ]  Damage: (2d4+18)[ 23 ]  and  (2d6)[ 10 ] . Vivino damage from scythe:  (1d6)[ 3 ]   Sneak if possible  (4d6)[ 8 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R5T22:  Vivino blows a minute's worth of air to unleash a  controlled howl underwater and he unleashes against the beast. The  first strike hits for a total of  11 mod +  9   (  5   to Vivino), but the second attack clumsily misses.

 R5T14:   Ernak ,  roll a save vs. poison!  You are grappled by the monster. All attempts  to utilize any maneuvers or stances underwater have (and will continue)  to fail in this alien environment. It is dim lighting. What do you do?
Ason
Ernak fights to overcome the creature's poison and tight grip. Should he break free, Ernak gets Vivino in eyesight, shakes his head side-to-side at him, and then swims up to the surface.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
 Fort Save v Poison:   (1d20+11)[ 14 ]   (doesn't include Tactical Presence, etc) 
 Standard:  attempt to escape grapple using CMB,  (1d20+16)[ 24 ]   (doesn't include flanking, poison dmg, etc) 
 Move:  swim toward surface, aiming to be close to the cliff wall
 
  Swim:   (1d20+9)[ 14 ]   (doesn't include poison dmg, if any)  
 
 
lostsole31
 R5T14:  Ernak fights to overcome the creature's poison but fails spectacularly and is now  weakened , which in turn keeps him from breaking free.

 End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ...

  R6T24:  The monster continues to constrict Ernak for  37 +  2 mod poison  .

 R6T22:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
Frustrated with its speed in the water, Vivino regretfully drops his scythe.

He keeps an eye on it for a moment to perhaps grab later.

Then looks to disembowl this creature grappling his new friend.

 
 Spoiler: slice slice bite 


FA to drop scythe

Continue raging

Spontaneous healing for 5 has.

Claw 1 risky strike:  (1d20+12)[ 20 ]   damage:  (1d6+14)[ 20 ] 


Claw 2 risky strike:  (1d20+12)[ 26 ]   damage:  (1d6+14)[ 20 ] 


Bite risky strike:  (1d20+12)[ 21 ]   damage:  (1d4+14)[ 17 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R6T22:  Frustrated with its speed in the water, Vivino  regretfully drops his scythe.  He keeps an eye on it for a moment to  perhaps grab later. He then looks to disembowel this creature grappling  his new friend. He tears into it with bite and a claw (one claw noped by  dim light) for a total of  37  even with those two strikes, lots of blood spilling into the water to make things even murkier.

 R6T14:   Ernak , what do you do?
Ason
Ernak again fights to escape the creature grappling him.

Ernak tries to make eye contact with Vivino and to shake his head side-to-side at the barbarian. Ernak then swims upward and tries to get out of the water.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
 Standard:  attempt to escape grapple using CMB,  (1d20+14)[ 21 ] 
 Move:  Swim toward surface, aiming to be close to the cliff wall. If it's possible in the same movement, Ernak will attempt to climb up the cliff out of the water

 
  Swim:   (1d20+6)[ 15 ]  
  Climb (if possible):   (1d20+6)[ 9 ]  
 
 Immediate (if possible under whatever his current condition is):   Sanguine Perseverance  counter vs next save Ernak makes
 
lostsole31
 R6T14:  The poison continues to wear at Ernak's strength  despite his attempt to sense the danger - but the effort isn't enough -  even as he again fights to escape the creature grappling  him. 
 Spoiler: Impaired 
 Impaired : A character impaired by  Strength   poison  experiences rapid muscle atrophy. She takes an additional –2 penalty on the affected  Strength -based rolls, and is always considered to be carrying at least a heavy load.
 

Ever enervated, Ernak makes eye contact with Varia and shakes his head  side-to-side weakly at the barbarian.

 End Round 6, Begin Round 7 ...

R7T25:  A bright burst of flame flahes far above, though brief, and is even noticed by those in the murky, bloody water.

 R7T24:  The monster holding Ernak continues to squeeze, despite Varia's powerful onslaught, doing  32 +  2 mod poison  ,  Ernak goes limp and his air is breathed out. The monster senses the  defeated food and releases him as Ernak slowly falls prone to the bottom  floor, turning its hateful and unknowable gaze upon the feral lady in  the big hat. With Ernak falling out, he no longer helps Varia to feel  indomitable.

 R7T22:   Varia ,  you are raging on the bottom, with incredible breath control. Ernak has  fallen, and now the monster has turned its attention upon you. What do  you do?
Moriar
With a scream of frustration Vivino moves away from the creature quickly.

 
 Spoiler: Run away 


Continue raging.

Acrobatics south 5':  (1d20+13)[ 28 ] 

Acrobatics south 5 more feet:  (1d20+13)[ 22 ] 

Then swim west to the wall: swim roll:  (1d20+8)[ 26 ] 

Then climb onto shore  (1d20+8)[ 16 ] 

Then move west as far as possible away from water.
 
lostsole31
 R7T22:  With a mouthless scream of frustration, even  that using more air than he should, Vivino attempt to move away from the  creature quickly. Someone is looking out for him, because in the murk  and blood of the water, the creature lashes out a tendril at him, but  Dane's armor is sticking up just enough to slice part of that tendril  lengthwise so the monster does harm (  1d6 bleed  )  to itself. He finds, however, that trying to walk underwater is not as  quick as on land, and his failed attempt (though possibly a godsend for  that) and dealing with the under-pier means just that ... he ends up  under the pier, still on the bottom.

 R7T14:   Ernak ,  roll a two Fort saves: the first is against the continued poison, and  the next is round one of your body trying to keep you from suffocating.
Ason
Ernak bloodily floats underwater.

 
 Spoiler: Fort Saves 
 Fort v Poison:   (1d20+11)[ 20 ] 
 Fort v Suffocation:   (1d20+11)[ 15 ] 
 
lostsole31
 End Round 7, Begin Round 8 ...
 
 R8T24:  The aquatic monster suffers   2 bleed   as it moves south to engage Vivino. A claw tendril lashes at Vivino's lower back for  9 mod + grabbed , but it doesn't entirely close on him - a loose grapple. The next tendril strikes his left foot for  13 mod ; then his left foot for  12 mod ; and, finally, his lower left arm for  10 mod . With the final tendril it scoops him up into a full grab, and from all four tendrils, the alchemist also takes a total of   16 mod poison  .

 R8T22:   Vivino , you are currently raging, but also grabbed by the monstrosity. What do you do?
Ason
 
 Spoiler: Ernak rolls 
 Fort Save:   (1d20+11)[ 25 ] 
 
Moriar
Seeing no escape, Vivino aims to destroy the creature first.


 
 Spoiler: Full attack 


Continue raging

Use Spontaneous healing

Risky claw 1:  (1d20+10)[ 17 ]  damage:  (1d6+14)[ 15 ] 


Risky claw 2:  (1d20+10)[ 21 ]  damage:  (1d6+14)[ 17 ] 


Risky bite:  (1d20+10)[ 23 ]  damage:  (1d4+14)[ 16 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R8T22:  Seeing no escape, Vivino aims to destroy the  creature first. His bite doesn't land, but both claws tear into the  beast for a combined  33 .

 R8T14:  To his odd credit, Ernak - though drowning - is successful for the first time against the poison.

 End Round 8, Begin Round 9 ...
 
 R9T24:  The monster takes   5 bleed  . It then constricts Vivino for  24 mod +  3 mod poison  .

 R9T22:   Vivino , roll a Fort save vs. poison. What do you do?
Moriar
Vivino rages in desperation as he tries to kill this thing before him.

 
 Spoiler: die foul beast 


Fort save vs poison:  (1d20+16)[ 32 ] 

Risky strike Claw 1:  (1d20+10)[ 29 ]  damage:  (1d6+14)[ 18 ] 

Risky strike Claw 2:  (1d20+10)[ 28 ]  damage:  (1d6+14)[ 16 ] 


Risky strike bite:  (1d20+10)[ 18 ]  damage:  (1d4+14)[ 18 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R9T22:   Vivino rages in desperation as he tries to kill  this thing before him, his body working overtime to fight off the  poison. One of the tendrils is wrapped around his neck, keeping him from  biting effectively, but his claws tear into it for  34 , even as his spontaneous healing helps him for   5 healing  .

 End Round 9, Begin Round 10 ...

R10T25:   A salvo of impacts is heard as the monster shudders from taking damage  from something above and behind it, but where Vivino is he can't see  what that was, or how much. Then there is a splash above, as Roshgog is  now in the water, 5' below the surface.

 R1024:   The monster takes   1 bleed  . It continues to crush Vivino for  19 mod +  3 poison mod  .

 R10T22:   Vivino , roll a Fort save vs. poison. What do you do?
Moriar
Vivino feels a bit of hope mixed in the rage.  Must...kill...this...thing.  He tears into it either his claws and tries to bite the tendril around his neck.


 
 Spoiler: no whammies... 


Fort save vs poison:  (1d20+16)[ 27 ] 

Risky strike Claw 1 to hit:  (1d20+10)[ 20 ]  damage:  (1d6+14)[ 18 ] 

Risky strike Claw 2 to hit:  (1d20+10)[ 27 ]  damage:  (1d6+14)[ 19 ] 

Risky strike bite to hit:  (1d20+10)[ 21 ]  damage:  (1d4+14)[ 16 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R10T22:  Vivino feels a bit of hope mixed in the rage.   Must...kill...this...thing.  He tears into it either his claws and tries  to bite the tendril around his neck. He continues to fight off the  poison being constantly injected into him. His first claw is thrown off  by the dim lighting, but his second claw and bite rip into it for  35 .

 R10T10:   There is something magical happening several feet above on the pier,  magical emanation of something at the monster, but nothing happens,  though now there is the shadow of a small person standing on the pier  where there wasn't before.

 End Round 10, Begin Round 11 ... 
 R11T25:   Roshgog lets himself sink several feet while he fishes out a scroll and  then tries to read it underwater. Despite the aqueous water on the  ancient parchment, the blood and murk in the water, and despite the  difficulties of trying to carefully intone a scroll underwater, Roshgog  succeeds and touches Vivino with     110 healing    !

In  fact, so powerful is this scroll that the issues Vivino had ever since  he got hit with the ungol dust trap in the underground temple of  Urgathoa in last adventure that robbed him of his sense of self, ALSO  goes away and is perfectly healed. It also flushes the current poison in  Vivino's system.

 R11T24:  The monster doesn't even know what happened as it takes   6 bleed  . Still, it does continue to savage Vivino in its clutches for  29 mod +  3 mod poison  .

 R11T22:   Vivino , poisoned anew, roll a Fort save vs. poison. What do you do?
Moriar
Feeling the best that he has in a long while, he gives a thankful nod to Roshgog.  Then he continues to carve his way through this creature.

 
 Spoiler: a new hope 


Fort save vs poison:  (1d20+16)[ 17 ] 

Continue raging

Risky claw strike 1 to hit:  (1d20+11)[ 29 ]  damage:  (1d6+15)[ 20 ] 

Risky claw strike 2 to hit:  (1d20+11)[ 15 ]  damage:  (1d6+15)[ 20 ] 

Risky bite to hit:  (1d20+11)[ 27 ]  damage:  (1d4+15)[ 19 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R11T22:  Feeling the best that he has in a long while, he gives a thankful nod to  Roshgog, even as he winces from the pain from the poison starting to weaken him at last. 
 Spoiler: Weakened 
 Weakened : A character weakened by  Strength   poison  suffers a –2 penalty on  Strength -based  attack rolls ,  damage rolls, skill checks, and ability checks. Her carrying capacity  is divided by 3. She is always considered to be carrying at least a  medium load.
 
  Vivino then continues to carve his way through  this creature. His first claw digs in deep for 18, and the monster  releases its grasp, but Vivino turns on the dying monster and continues  to tear it apart, making sure it is dead.

Roshgog taps him and  points upwards, though to be fair, there is a pier directly above to  contend with so when he can move, Vivino needs to move south away from  the monster's bulk.

 R11T10:   That smaller shadow on the pier above Vivino suddenly disappears.

 End Round 11, Begin Round 12 ... 
 R12T25:  Meanwhile, Roshgog continues to sink down to the bottom, tapping himself with a wand he already had in hand and getting   9 healing  . He seems to be hunkering down as if hiding from something above.

 R12T22.5:   Vivino ,  the monster might be dead, but you are still fighting off its poison.  Roll a Fort save vs. poison. Do you continue to rage? What do you do?
Moriar
Vivino gives Roshgog a thumbs up and stomps around the creature looking for his companions.

 
 Spoiler: search and rescue? 


Continue raging

Fort save:  (1d20+16)[ 18 ] 

If he can find one or both companions will try to get them to the surface. If one is intact and the other in pieces will rescue the intact one.

Swim check:  (1d20+4)[ 8 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R12T22.5:  Vivino gives Roshgog a thumbs up, but then  doubles over briefly as the poison continues to ravage him and he is now  impaired. 
 Spoiler: Impaired 
 Impaired : A character impaired by  Strength   poison  experiences rapid muscle atrophy. She takes an additional –2 penalty on the affected  Strength -based rolls, and is always considered to be carrying at least a heavy load.
 

Vivino  stomps around, looking for his companions. He gets out from under the  pier and makes it to Dane's body. As weak as Vivino feels, he is weighed  down and slowed down. There is some worry if he could even get the  burly dwarf in his heavy armor and gear above.

 End Round 12, Begin Round 13 ...

R13T25:  A flash of magic as Roshgog uses his wand on himself again for   6 healing  .

 R13T22:   Vivino , roll another Fort save vs. poison. What do you do?
Moriar
Vivino evaluates the dward quickly.

Then utters the word "  splinter  ."  He cloak wraps around himself and transforms into a rat.

Then this angry rat swims over the pier and climbs onto the underside of the walkway.  Eyes and ears alert for danger.

 
 Spoiler: rat time 


Continue raging

Fort save:  (1d20+16)[ 26 ] 

If able to do a free action health check of the dwarf to access  alive or not.  If not able to assess for free will move on.

Uses the cloak of the scuttling rat to become a dire rat.  Then using swim speed and its climb speed will move onto the peer clinging onto the underside.   Looking to be clinging to the walkway of the pier; on the side facing the water.  Not on the top side where would be exposed.

Then looking through the slats of the pier and listening to determine if there is further danger.
 
lostsole31
 R13T22:  Vivino's body rallies in fighting the poison,  finally ending any further threat from the dead monster. He looks at the  dwarf quickly, uttering the word, "  S    plinter  ."   He cloak wraps around himself and transforms into a rat. Then this  angry rat swims over the pier and swim-climbs up the pier, but finds  that he is too enervated even in the form of a natural climber to hang  onto the underside, so he is just out of water (breath refreshed) and  hanging onto a pier pylon.

That is when Vivino realizes ...  there was a very faint luminescence from the monster that allowed that  glow, but even that doesn't exist now, and all is dark. Without Dane or  Ernak to provide magical light, there may yet be severe issues. It went  from extremely dim light ... to pitch black.

 R13T10:   Vivino catches the flash of localized positive energy (like a cure  spell) in .... a direction just level with the pier, but no longer on  it, so perhaps the landing connected to the pier.

 End Round 13, Begin Round 14 ...

R14T25:   Just below Vivino-rat, a similar flash in the water - as Roshgog is  likely using that healing wand again, but trying not to draw attention  to himself.

 R14T22:   Vivino-rat , what do  you do? You aren't strong enough to T10 the dry part of the pylon to get  to the top of the pier. Also, you didn't really give yourself time to  listen for danger (i.e., a Perception check as rolled by me, MA, doesn't  provoke).
Moriar
Vivino-rat pauses to listen and then sneaks towards the glowing light flash that he saw on level ground.

 
 Spoiler: tippy toes 


MA to use senses to see/listen for danger.

Then doing stealth towards the light that he saw on possibly land.
 
lostsole31
 R14T22:  Vivino-rat pauses to listen and then sneaks  towards the glowing light flash that he saw on level ground. He knows  that in the dark and with his little rat legs and trying to be stealthy,  he isn't getting very far. 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Only 5' of actual movement, as a  MA was spent to get your bearings and move towards what was a  past-tense, temporary glow.
 

 R14T10:  Another glow from the direction Vivino is heading.

 End Round 14, Begin Round 15 ...

R15T25:   Another underwater flash, and IF that is also stationary (assuming the  last flash was also stationary), then it seems he is getting closer to  his destination, albeit very slowly.

 R15T22:   Vivino ,  what do you do? The alternating flashes (on land, underwater) are a way  of position-tracking in the otherwise complete darkness, so you don't  have to do a Perception check, but you do still move half-speed.
Moriar
Vivino rat dismisses the rat form and crouches in place without moving.

 
 Spoiler: soon.... 


Continue raging

SA: dismiss beast shape.

No movement but will use MA to keep a close eye on the land flashing of light.

(Please readjust dex back to normal since no longer grappled)
 
lostsole31
 R15T22:  Vivino dismisses the rat form and crouches in place without moving while underneath the pier.

 End Round 15, Begin Round 16 ...

R16T25:  Faint flash from below.

 R16T22:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
Vivino drinks an extract and then moves quietly towards the last position he saw the light ground level.


 
 Spoiler: dun dun dunnnn 


Continue raging

Drink displacement extract

Stealth:  (1d20+5)[ 14 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R16T22:  Vivino drinks an extract and then moves quietly  towards the last position he saw the light ground level. Too weak now  to trust himself swimming in armor, especially with trying to be quiet,  he less swims and more carefully moves arm over arm along the pylons of  the pier.

 R16T10:     "Roshgog, it's Linzi,"    comes Linzi's voice as soft as she dares make it, seemingly from right in front of Vivino (and possibly giving him a start).    "Please tell me that's you swimming towards me?"   
 End Round 16, Begin Round 17 ...

R17T25:   Vivino barely notices what seems to be a distant flash under the murk  of the blood and sediment underwater and on the other side of the pier  and several feet down.

 R17T22:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
"  Well met Linzi  ," Vivino says as he pulls out his light coin and climbs out of the water to be with Linzi.  "  Roshgug had saved me in the water.  Last I saw of him he was using a wand on himself and seemed afraid of something above.

Which I had thought was you...but I just saw some flash of light in the water over there; not where I had last seen Roshgug."   Points to where just saw the light.

"  Do you have a way to signal him to come up? Two of our friends are in the water but I fear the worst.

I'm feeling a bit weak but not sure if we are clear yet."  
 
 Spoiler: crunchy 


Continuing raging another round.

Then pulls himself along the pier to get out of the water and pulls out his light coin to better see around.

If he has a SA left will drink his bears endurance extract
 
lostsole31
 R17T22:  "  Well met, Linzi  ,"  Vivino says as he pulls out his light coin and pulls himself along the  pier to get to the edge of the wall leading to a ledge, but Linzi is  nowhere to be seen. "  Roshgog had saved me in the water.  Last I saw of him he was using a wand on himself and seemed afraid of something above.  
 R17T10:  Linzi says,    "I'm invisible right now,"     and she says this while she is in the water next to Vivino and not on  land. She either is not fooled by the displacement or otherwise lucky,  for she successfully touches Vivino for   14 healing  .    "Two garden guardians dead, but another three are out there somewhere."   
  "Which I had..."    continues Vivino, running right over Linzi.

 End Round 17, Begin Round 18 ...

R18T25:     "...thought was you..."  
 R18T22:  Vivino, you continue from before ...   "but I just saw some flash of light in the water over there; not where I had last seen Roshgug."   Points to where just saw the light. "  Do you have a way to signal him to come up?"  

Vivino  says all this with terrifying teeth and an intense demeanor, and  struggles to pull himself up onto the ledge and then come to a standing  position. He has a chance to look around now. At the bottom of the vast  cavern, a wooden pier extends out into a gently sloshing pool of blue  seawater. A shallow draft barge is docked at the pier, an unlit lantern  hanging from its bow. Supporting timbers and brickwork line parts of the  lower edge of the immense cavern to both the west and south, showing  where the original sea cave has been artificially expanded. To the  north, a twenty-five-foot-wide waterway provides an aquatic exit from  the cavern—the distant, muted sounds of the surf and sloshing water echo  down from that direction.

 R18T10:  The sounds of  a person coming out of the water, even a bit of a silhouette of a  halfling female. But once she steps out and the water drips for several  seconds the water that clings to her disappears as well.

  "Two of our..."    Vivino continues.

 End Round 18, Begin Round 19 ...
  
 R19T25:   At this point, Roshgog - likely having seen the light from Vivino's  light coin - comes topside and clambers onto the pier, though prone from  the effort, and taking in air greedily.

 R19T22:  Vivino continues his rage and speech until he is finished what he had to say while finding a second to pop down an extract,   "...friends are in the water but I fear the worst. I'm feeling a bit weak but not sure if we are clear yet."  
 Vivino , do you continue to rage?
Moriar
Seeing at least two friendly faces, Vivino slumps a bit in fatigue.

He drinks an extract and says, "  Do we know where those other things are?"   He looks around with newly enhanced senses.
 
 Spoiler: tired 


Stops raging

Drinks see invisibility extract and looks around for danger.
 
lostsole31
 Post-Battle ... 

Seeing at least two friendly faces, Vivino slumps a bit in fatigue. He drinks an extract and says, "  Do we know where those other things are?"  

He looks around with newly enhanced senses, but sees nothing.

Linzi's voice is heard next to him,   "I  don't know. The last we saw they were above. I don't know if they  turned invisible to give chase or not. We know they can fly, but we  don't know if they are limited on where they can operate. They killed  Bryngiel, and they put a hurting on me and Roshgog. He flew down here  quickly with a fly spell, while I turned invisible. I got tossed off a  ledge onto a smaller ledge first, but then came down by the wooden  bridges."  
  "I'm good now,"   says Roshgog walking over to Vivino and Linzi's voice.   "Used  one of my two heal scrolls to keep Big V in the game once I saw the  dwarf and the Shoanti were done for. Then, I hid underwater as best I  could, and used several charges of a healing wand for myself. With  Vivino's light burning as long as it has been, I'm sure them guardians  above don't care about us or they surely woulda' attacked by now."  
Moriar
  "If that was just the welcoming committee,  I'm not sure we could handle much more.  Do you guys think it's safe to pull out our friends and perhaps the scythe?  Maybe they had some means of holding their breath like me or feign death?"   Vivino rattles off questions.

  "We might be able to escape on that boat if we can't help our compatriots or we need to get backup.  I'm not sure if we can trust that Lord do you?"  

Vivino finally pauses to wait for responses.
lostsole31
  "My boss was tough, but nothing like that, I'm sure,"   says a glum Linzi on the verge of tears.

  "Hey, you know them better'n' us, but I say the best way out is through,"   says Roshgog.   "That wave action sounds distant, and I am guessing it is all underwater, so that's a fool's errand trying to escape via the sea cave."  
Moriar
  "Hmm.  Guess the boat might only work if the tide drops enough."   Vivino muses.
  
"Let's check on our compatriots and at least get them out of the water.  Question: can either of you check this ring that Arkona gave me to make sure it's not cursed or got some tracking magic on it?"  

Vivino starts preparing his rope to help pull the others out.
lostsole31
Roshgog - who is now stronger than Vivino as far as strength capacity - helps Vivino while Linzi studies the ring (assuming Vivino takes it off and hands it to her while they work).

It turns out that the men and their gear are too heavy ... and at a depth of 15' with no easy gradient ..... they can't manage it. The best Vivino can do for now is to get his scythe.

 Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
"  Thanks for trying Roshgug."   Vivino says.   "This poison from that infernal creature persists."  
  
"Linzi, how does the ring look?"   


Looking to them both,   "I suppose we have no choice but to continue on since going back up to Arkona might be a bad idea. Agreed?"  
lostsole31
Linzi nods her head in mute agreement, but Roshgog asks,   "Listen, I do have a second  scroll of heal , but I don't want to use it unless we really have to. I can't tell you how expensive each one is individually, and I just barely got you in the nick of time with the first. How bad is it with you right now?"  
Moriar
  "Thank you for that use of the scroll  ." Vivino begins. "  Health wise I'm doing well now aside from that creatures lingering poison making me feel weak.

I don't have much left in the tank for the day but I'll do all I can to help get us to a place of safety to at least rest and mourn."  
lostsole31
Roshgog asks,   "Is there a place of safety here? I have the feeling this is one big death trap."  

Linzi adds,   "I guess the garden guardians returned to their post or they would have attacked by now. And Vivino killed the big water monster. Most of the histories I read about battles ... the only 'safe place' is the one you manage to make after creating a beachhead. I say that this is as good as a safe space as any. If we open up more doors looking for a safe space, we could end up in a worse place."  
Moriar
  "Good points both,"   Vivino says.    "Should we camp in the boat or I wonder if that sea creature had an underwater accessible cave we could use?"  
lostsole31
Linzi shakes her head.   "That constitutes, 'exploration' ... and we can't afford to do that, unless we say we are doing that. As soon as we turn the corner, check a little farther, or see 'just what's in there' we are back in CQB footing. Either we make the conscious decision to press forward ... and I think a sea cave for an aquatic creature ... will be an underwater cave, anyway ... or we stay put. Hell, I would stay on this rotting pier, but you two probably won't want that and would go west to the ledge. I think being on the pier is the most central position we can take to be alert for danger ... including from above, where that garden and those creepy guardians were."  
Moriar
  "That is why my sister thinks you are the smart one,"   Vivino agrees. "  Let's get what rest we can. Though I hope this poison can be expunged soon just in case of further danger."  
 
 Spoiler: poison 


Using his own skills, Vivino would like to figure out what the poison is that's affecting him, how long it will last, and if need be how to get rid if it.  Perhaps making antitoxin using creature itself and or anything immediately local.
 
lostsole31
Without knowing WHAT it was that hit Vivino, he really can't tell much of anything about the nature of the poison itself, other than understanding it is a paralytic that saps a prey's strength. Without any type of lab, he can't synthesize an antitoxin. And it doesn't matter, since the venom itself no longer is impacting him .... but rather the  effects  the venom had on him.

As far as himself, he knows he needs time and rest, but when it comes to long-term healing, "physician heal thyself" is not a thing. 
 Spoiler: Heal 
A person cannot include themselves in long-term healing to increase their ability to heal hp or ability damage. They may only treat others in that specific regard.
 

  "We should set watches,"   says Roshgog in response to Vivino.   "Linzi and I are both arcane casters, so we need to have as unbroken a period of sleep as possible, but I don't know how that works with your healing, Vivino. I can take first watch and then wake you, and then Linzi will be last.  How does that sound?"  
Moriar
"  Sounds like the best plan we can hope for  ," Vivino agrees.


 
 Spoiler: sleepy time 


Thanks to endurance feat will sleep in his mithril armor.
 
lostsole31
Both Linzi and Vivino have a ration each, and Roshgog will have to go without for now.

In the meantime, Vivino, do you have a problem sharing your bedroll with Linzi for the first watch, and yup, getting snuggly with the half-orc for the second watch? Only Vivino has a bedroll.

Vivino can drink his water, but you have to still take more water in and trust that the water with the dead monster and your friends is safe to drink. If not, the onset time for filth fever or some such is the least of your problems, really.

In the meantime, are you going to do any healing top-off for yourself before going to bed?
Moriar
Vivino is ok with things getting cozy for the night.


 
 Spoiler: chug chug 


Cure moderate extract:  (2d8+7)[ 21 ] 

Drink 2nd cure moderate extract:  (2d8+7)[ 15 ] 

Cure light 1 wounds:  (1d8+5)[ 6 ] 

Cure light 2 wounds:  (1d8+5)[ 10 ] 

Vivino can try using knowledges to help treat or ID drinkable water
 
lostsole31
Moriar only needs to use his two CMW extracts before being tip-top.  Only he and Linzi get to eat. Everyone drinks, and prays to their individual powers that the water is safe to drink. People double-up and "hot rack" in Moriar's bedroll, and watches are held as mentioned before, and otherwise get what uneasy rest in this place that was designed as a death trap of some sort.
lostsole31
   Sunday, 17 Desnus 4708 AR   

After everyone has had a chance to rest fully - despite Roshgog being hungry - it is time for morning preparations.

Vivino, do you do anything differently for morning routine?
Moriar
 
 Spoiler: morning prep 


Prepares same ones as before
 
lostsole31
Linzi and Roshgog look to Vivino for guidance on what to do next.
Moriar
Vivino will first check to see if the tide has gone down enough for the boat to be used as an escape.

 
 Spoiler: if no boat 


If the water level is too high then says, "  We are back to basically two options,   " Vivino starts.  "  Either we try to sneak but up through the manor grounds or push on. Thoughts?"  
 
lostsole31
After determining that the water level has little changed in here, Roshgog shakes his head.   "My fire could never destroys the massive capstone at the top of the stairs, and even if it could, it would take us with it. We have to push on. I briefly noted two portals - one to the north across the water, and one we could walk to, located to the south of the center of the cavern."  
Moriar
  "That is a shame.  Would have been such a spectacle to blow that capstone."   Vivino says.

  "Since we already down here, let's check out the portal to the north across the water.  We shall have to be as careful as possible going forward.   Does either of you have a means to help me see in the dark?  Might help if I didn't have to have this light coin out."
  
lostsole31
  "I have darkvision,"   says Roshgog.   "Little help it does you, though. I can cast  light , however. I mean, what kinda' fire sorcerer would I be if I can't make light, amma right? White is a little too sharp for my light sensitivity. Do you mind torch-orange like the coin?"  
  "Sorry,"   says Linzi.   "I actually have a hooded lantern, but all of my lamp oil was left on my pony Lucky Star."  
Moriar
  "That's OK Linzi,"    Vivino says. "  Though if you like i do have some oil you can use."

"For now let's go with your idea Roshgog.  I'll keep my coin hidden away for emergencies.   Let's proceed as quietly as we can and see if we can find a way out of here through that water portal."  
lostsole31
  "She needs her two hands for a crossbow, her only weapon, and she's stealthy ... though she needs light like you,"   says Roshgog.   "And I don't need to be lit up. So, yeah, you can put the coin away'n'all, but I'll just put light on something you wear ... you aren't stealthy like Linzi, and I don't need the light on me. So, where ya' want it? and what color - red, red-orange, or yellow?"  
Moriar
  "Good points  ," Vivino says.  "  And how about red on my hat.  And off to the portal you mentioned  . "
lostsole31
  "Disclosure,"   says Roshgog after putting the light on Vivino's hat.   "We walk south and east along the, erm, shore. We will pass those double doors, then to the north and across a walkway to the northern door."  
Moriar
"  Double doors you say,"    Vivino comments.    "It was hard to see those doors previously.   Thank for you the light.


Let's check out those doors then first.   "

Vivino will move to the double doors and make sure it's safe before opening them.


 
 Spoiler: door 


Using his skills will check the doors for traps and locks.

Then use appropriate skills to disable and unlock as needed.
 
lostsole31
Linzi assists him, and they both open the doors together. Four lit braziers illuminate this vast chamber, a cathedral-like space made all the more immense by its lack of benches or other concessions to comfort. The floor is polished tan marble, with the walls rising up to form a domed ceiling sixty feet above. Alcoves line these walls, six in all, inside of which stand human-sized statues of a tiger-headed man. To the south, a few steps lead up to a pulpit-like area with three more statues of the same figure—the central one being twice as tall and holding out before him two lances from which hang flags. The left is the flag of Korvosa, while the right bears the Arkona coat of arms.

In the middle of the floor is a humanoid and two large snakes. One of the snakes have recently molted, it appears, and the strange-looking humanoid is sharing the bits of molt among them as a snack.

 Begin Round One ...

R1T26:  The humanoid, who  appears human but for a tiger's head and tiger-like features on part of  his upper torso, laughs loudly and cruelly.   "Go, my pets. Feed on fresh meat!"  

He  then casts a spell upon himself, using bits of hardened snake molting  as some type of component before darting to the northeast near an alcove  while pulling out a kukri.

 R1T22:  One of the big nope-ropes surges forward to charge Linzi, biting her in the knee for  19 +  3 poison  .

 R1T21:  The poison works quickly on Linzi as she is now  weakened (Con) .  She immediately grits her teeth through the pain and begins telling a  marvelous story - more to help her two friends then herself, and she  steps back out of the way.

 R1T14:   Vivino ,  you have nothing in hand as you were doing safety checks on a door.  There is a big snek in front of you right now, though it is slightly  overcommitted from a charge against Linzi, who in turn is inspiring you. You have a red  light  on your hat. The other snake is farther in the room, and the man you saw is no longer in sight. What do you do?
Moriar
Vivino lets out a howl of frustration and growls,  "  We just wanted to leave this place and you had to go and hurt my friend!"  

He drops into a stance as he claws and muzzle grow and begin to drip frost.

Then aims a vicious swipe at the snake.


 
 Spoiler: serving frosty freeze! 


Begins raging

MA enter elemental stance for cold.

Risky strike Claw against snake:

To hit:  (1d20+8)[ 11 ] 
Damage:  (1d6+11)[ 12 ]  and cold of  (1d6)[ 1 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R1T14:  Vivino lets out a howl of frustration and growls,  "  We just wanted to leave this place and you had to go and hurt my friend!"  

He drops into a stance as he claws and muzzle grow and begin to drip frost. Then aims a vicious swipe at the snake, but misses.

 R1T13:  Roshgog concentrates on a spell and casts on Linzi to provide her with   11 healing  .

 R1T12:  The other big snake moves forward.

 End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T26:   The tiger-man falls back to the stairs of the dais and casts another  spell, this one you can see him casting on himself, and a broad field of  force temporarily appears in front of him when the spell is triggered.

 R2T22:  The lead cobra recovers from its charge and then bites Vivino in the head for  16 mod +  poisoned  .  The bite is enough to completely take away the fortification he gets  from raging, and though he feels no pain, Vivino feels the tingle of  poison having been injected into his bloodstream.

 R2T21:  Linzi fights off part of the poison, but still takes   3 poison  . She continues her epic storytelling. She steps off to the side, takes out a tiny vial of antitoxin, and downs it.

 R2T14:   Vivino , roll a Fort save vs. poison. What do you do?

Roshgog, Red Snake ...
Moriar
  "That actually hurt!"   Vivino exclaims in a surprised bit of anger.

He then aims to see what this snakes insides look like.

 
 Spoiler: slicing 


Fort save:  (1d20+16)[ 34 ] 

Risky strike Claw 1:  (1d20+8)[ 18 ]   damage:  (1d6+11)[ 15 ]  and cold  (1d6)[ 5 ] 

Risky strike Claw 2:  (1d20+8)[ 10 ]   damage:  (1d6+11)[ 12 ]  and cold  (1d6)[ 1 ] 

Risky strike Bite:   (1d20+8)[ 23 ]   damage:  (1d4+11)[ 14 ]  and cold  (1d6)[ 2 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R2T14:    "That actually hurt!"    Vivino exclaims in a surprised bit of anger, feeling his body fight off  the poison, even though it is still working on his system. He then aims  to see what this snakes insides look like. His first claw lands for  17 +  5 cold  , his second claw completely misses, and his bite lands hard for  16 +  2 cold  .

 R2T13:   Roshgog steps to the side and begins playing the drums at his side  before then defensively casting a spell. His eyes burn like hot goals as  he glares at the lead cobra, but it resists him.

 R2T12:   Behind the lead, Red begins to sway warily.

 End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T26:   The tiger-man way back in the temple, continues backing up to the  south, getting to the top of the dais. He casts a spell, and four bolts  of arcane energy slam into Vivino for   12 force  .

 R3T22:  The lead cobra bites Vivino in his left knee for  9 mod , and though his internal training helps to mitigate the raw burning of poison, he realizes that a new dose was introduced.

 R3T21:   Linzi's tonic must be helping as she heroically fights off the rest of  the poison in her system. She then adds something to her oration so  Vivino, Roshgog, and herself are all filled with hope.

 R3T14:   Vivino ,  roll a Fort save vs. poison. Your are currently raging, and Linzi is  giving you some pretty powerful buffs from magic and her song. What do  you do?

Roshgog on deck, Red on deck ...
Moriar
Vivino proceeds to viciously and methodically disembowl the snake.

 
 Spoiler: crunchy 


Continue raging

Poison save:  (1d20+16)[ 23 ] 

Risky claw 1:  (1d20+8)[ 26 ] 
   Damage:  (1d6+11)[ 17 ]  and cold  (1d6)[ 1 ] 

Risky claw 2:  (1d20+8)[ 11 ] 
   Damage:  (1d6+11)[ 13 ]  and cold  (1d6)[ 5 ] 

Risky Bite:  (1d20+8)[ 18 ] 
   Damage:  (1d4+11)[ 12 ]  and cold  (1d6)[ 2 ] 


Will save dC 25 against using mutagen (due to suffering a critical hit or failing a Fort save):  (1d20+9)[ 17 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R3T14:  Vivino proceeds to viciously and methodically  disembowel the snake while undergoing a mutation. With a bite and claw  he drops - though not necessarily disemboweling - the big snake!

 R3T13:   Roshgog takes a 5' step to be see the other cobra, continues playing  his drums, and stares at the other big snake for no apparent effect.

 R3T12:  Red (snake) slithers over its fallen sibling and snaps at Vivino, catching him in his left shoulder for  8 mod +  poison  .

 End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T26:  The caster hits Vivino with the same spell for   11 force  .

 R4T21:   Linzi maintains her oration, maintaining her pace with Roshgog, and  then carefully casts a spell and intermixed with her oration are jarring  sounds directed at the big snake. It seems to work, as the snake seems  to be severely vexed ( nauseated )!  Seeing her success, Linzi calls out,   "The snake is going to be tweaked for the next half-minute. If it withdraws in distress, just leave it and bum rush the caster!"  
 R4T14:   Vivino , you are raging and mutated. Roll a Fort save. What do you do?

Roshgog on deck, Red on deck ...
Moriar
Vivino nods at Linzi in acknowledgement and drinks an extract.

Then flexes his claws as he fidgets in place waiting for the snake to move.

 
 Spoiler: waiting 


Fort save:  (1d20+16)[ 20 ] 

Continue raging

Drink shield extract
 
lostsole31
 R4T14:  Vivino nods at Linzi in acknowledgement and  drinks an extract while he directs his body to fight the poison. He then  flexes his claws as he fidgets in place waiting for the snake to move  while the classic temporary flare of a  shield  effect in place is exhibited.

 R4T13:  Impatient and not wasting more time on a spell  that is too weak for his prey, Roshgog casts a spell upon himself. He  flies past the bulk of the snake that is too much in distress to control  its area and beyond, and then a little bit up (15' off the ground).

 R4T12:  The cobra is in physical distress.

 End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T26:   The caster enchants a spell and fires a powerful bolt of lightning at  Roshgog. The half-orc spins partly out of the way, but still takes   8 electricity  .

 R5T21:  Linzi pushes past the big snake to go inside, and with her oration she adds.   "Actually,  finish that thing off, would you? Yeah, it can't fight back, but that  doesn't mean it won't be pissed when my spell ends."  
 R5T14:   Vivino , roll a Fort save to get rid of the last bit of poison in your system. You are raging and mutated with a  shield  active, but also weakened, despite buoyed by several of Linzi's effects. What do you do?

Roshgog on deck, Snake in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino begins to disect the snake quickly and viciously.


 
 Spoiler: cutting and chewing 


Continue raging.

Fort save:  (1d20+16)[ 23 ] 

Risky claw 1:  (1d20+12)[ 24 ] 
                 Damage:  (1d6+13)[ 15 ]  and cold of  (1d6)[ 6 ] 


Risky claw 2:  (1d20+12)[ 15 ] 
                 Damage:  (1d6+13)[ 17 ]  and cold of  (1d6)[ 4 ] 


Risky bite:  (1d20+12)[ 32 ] 
                 Damage:  (1d4+13)[ 15 ]  and cold of  (1d6)[ 1 ] 
 
Moriar
 
 Spoiler: severity 


Crit severity for bite:  (1d20)[ 16 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R5T14:  Vivino begins to dissect the snake quickly and  viciously, even as he fights off the last vestiges of the poison in his  system. His first claws strikes for  19 +  6 cold  . The second misses, but his bite crushes into the snake with a tiring blow for  21 +  1 cold  + fatigued .

 R5T13:  Roshgog hovers and glares at the spellcaster, but as with the snakes, he resists.

 R5T12:  In terrible pain, fatigued, and nauseated, the snake withdraws to the southwest corner of the room.

 End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ...

R6T26:  The caster sends several arcane bolts up at Roshgog, hitting him squarely for   16 force  . He then adjusts to the eastern wall of the raised section.

 R6T21:  Linzi continues her oration. She casts a spell on herself for   6 healing    before moving to the southeast and hiding from the caster as best she  can despite her voice carrying her poetry throughout the cathedral-like  area.

 R6T14:   Vivino , what do you do? Note that the body of the first snake is difficult terrain.

Roshgog on deck, retreating snake in the hole ...
Moriar
Vivino growls under his breath and moves into the room and drinks another extract.

Though in this case he grows to a massive size.


 
 Spoiler: Hiya! 


Continue raging

Move south 3 squares, then 1 square to SE, and finish with two squares to the east.

Then drinks Enlarge Person Extract
 
lostsole31
 R6T14:  Vivino growls under his breath and moves into  the room, but moves too far over a difficult megasnake's body to take  the extract he had hoped to take.

 R6T13:  Roshgog maintains his position in the air, and casts  shield  upon himself to protect himself from any other incoming  magic missiles .

 R6T12:  Red (snake) is still inoffensive...

 End Round 6, Begin Round 7 ...

R7T26:  From his position on the dais, the tiger-headed man casts a spell Vivino's way and says,   "You'll find that exiting the labyrinth the way you came will bring victory."  
 R7T21:  Linzi continues her oration, but casts a spell upon herself.

 R7T14:   Vivino , roll a Will save! What do you do you intend to do, if you maintain possession of your faculties?

Roshgog on deck, nauseated snake on deck ...
Moriar
 
 Spoiler: save and crunch 


Will save:  (1d20+11)[ 15 ] 

If still in control will keep raging, then move towards the caster (onto the raised portion i think),  and if he is still out of reach then drink the enlarge extract.  If can get in reach then attack.

Though hard to tell on the map where he is exactly.
 
lostsole31
 R7T14:  With a long climb ahead of him, Vivino breathes  out, and lets post-rage fatigue take him, his teeth and nails retracting  for now. At least his mutation kicked in when it needed to. He gets  outside and picks up his scythe.

 R7T13:  Roshgog hovers in position and sends a  fireball  towards the snake to incinerate it and put it out of its misery.    "Linzi,  stay with me and keep pressure on the caster now that his meat shields  are done. Vivino is whammied. I don't know what to tell you, other than I  think he's heading backup."  
 End Round 7, Begin Round 8 ...

R8T26:   The casters steps out from the corner, but doesn't see Linzi hiding  despite hearing her oration. Instead, he casts a spell to send a  lightning bolt at Roshgog. The half-orc was distracted from his  destruction of the snake, and is totally lit up by the lightning arc,  taking  23 electricity , which burns up the scroll he had his belt.   " Heal  scroll's gone!"   laments Roshgog.

 R8T21:   Linzi continues her oration and takes a single focused shot that  reveals her position even as her bolt is deflected. She calls out while  hoofing it north,   "Retreat to cover Vivino with me!"  
 R8T14:   Vivino does hear Roshgog's lament. Though focused on victory above, he  now knows that Roshgog no longer has another powerful healing scroll for  him. Victory will definitely come at a price. He takes an extract for   13 healing   and hops onto the first plank bridge heading up.

 R8T13:  Roshgog repositions and glares at the caster ineffectually.

 End Round 8, Begin Round 9 ...

R9T26:   The caster ignores him, snarls, and charges Linzi, slashing her upper left arm with his kukri for  11 .

 R9T21:  Linzi stops her oration now. She simply withdraws, moving outside and jumping onto the bridge.

 R9T14:   Vivino continues his upwards ascent, hustling upwards.

 R9T13:   Roshgog can be heard roaring out what seems like a challenge or  something from below, followed by him casting and what sounds like the  whoosh of another  fireball .

 End Round 9, Begin Round 10 ...

R10T26:  The caster's voice is heard casting.

 R10T21:  Linzi takes out a wand and taps herself, turning invisible.

 R10T14:  Vivino takes his other extract for   6 healing   and stops on the next landing to catch his breath.

 R10T13:  ...
lostsole31
 End Round 10, Begin Round 11 ...

R11T26:  Distant voice of the caster echoing in the temple below.

 R11T21:   A short flash of positive energy on the lowest plank bridge below, but  no visible person attached to that, nor any words of casting.

 R11T14:  Vivino takes an extract of CMW for   13 healing  , and now he only has the faintest scratch remaining as he begins cautiously across the next plank bridge.

 R11T13:   Down at the very bottom on the far western wall by the water is another  short burst of positive energy. Given position, that must be Roshgog  using a healing wand while flying, and the other must be Linzi. You  don't see either only because of the limit of your darkvision, simply  guessing the position of the far western wall and first rope bridge  because of the brightness of the positive energy discharges.

 End Round 11, Begin Round 12 ...

R12T26:   The caster's voice is heard - more clearly this time and without the  echo of the underground cathedral. A bolt of lightning flares up below  Vivino, a bit south of him, and going from roughly east to west.

 R12T21:  A flash of positive energy right next to where the lightning bolt began.

 R12T14:   Vivino wishes those below well, as he closes on victory. He was fooled  by the invisible guardians before. He won't fall for their trick a  second time if any are back at their posts as he takes an extract of  see invisibility   and continues to the next landing. And there, just at the top of the  next and final bridge, he sees one ... maybe two of those guardians as  before, waiting right at the edge and terminus of that bridge.

 R12T13:  More healing burst below in the darkness.

 End Round 12, Begin Round 13 ... 
 R13T26:  Another tear of a lightning bolt down below.

 R13T21:  Another flash of positive energy below.

 R13T14:    "You'll find that exiting the labyrinth the way you came will bring victory."    But without any special movement, you are going to have to go through  these garden guardians again. At least this time, you can see them.   Vivino , you are currently fatigued (and unable to rage).  Shield  and  see invisibility  are active and your  continual light  coin  is exposed, bathing the area in a red glow. You suffered from weakness  from the snake's poison that is still with you, and your mutagen is in  effect. (And, of course, so is the  suggestion .) What do you do?
Moriar
Not wanting to get into another combat in his current state, Vivino changes into a rat.

Then proceeds to sneak around the guardians by climbing up the cliff face.

 
 Spoiler: Sneaky 


Use cloak of scuttling rat to turn into a dire rat.

Then go as quietly/stealthily as possible by climbing up along the cliff face using the rats climbing speed.
 
lostsole31
 R13T14:  Not wanting to get into another combat in his  current state, Vivino changes into a dire rat. He changes form from a  buff, broad human into a rodent of unusual size. In doing so, his light  coin melds into his form, extinguishing the light, and his armor does  the same, no longer offering protection. The smells of the fungus of the  garden become far more piquant to Vivino's new rat nose. He then  proceeds to sneak around the guardians by climbing up the cliff face. He  finds in doing so that it is more difficult than expected ...  attempting to sneak in the darkness while his polymorphed form is still  weakened, making the rock face harder to climb than expected. Still, he  manages to crawl 5' carefully upwards.

 R13T13:  A flash far below of positive energy.

 End Round 13, Begin Round 14 ...

R14T26-26:   Vivino-rat suddenly finds himself engulfed in a cloud of poison. Even  in rat form he has superb control of his body so as not to take  corrosive damage to his lungs, but he will have to attempt poison  transmutation using his internal alchemy.

 R14T14:   Vivino , you are trying to climb on a rock face in the darkness when you can no longer T10. The very most you can cover in a single round if you try to be stealthy is 5' upwards, and you do have to roll any Climb check. Roll a Fort save. What do you do?
Moriar
 
 Spoiler: so much for stealth Fort save 


Fort save:  (1d20+12)[ 19 ] 
 
Moriar
The little rat continues to scurry up the side of the cliff.

 
 Spoiler: sneaky 


Continue climbing stealthy up the side of the wall.
 
lostsole31
 R14T14:  The little rat fights the poison still in its  system and continues to try to scurry up the cliff, but can't seem to  make any forward progress.

 R14T13:  A flash far below.

 End Round 14, Begin Round 15 ...

R15T26-16:  ...

 R15T14:   Vivino , roll a Fort save. What do you do?
Moriar
A simple rat named Vivino continues his scramble up the wall as quietly as possible.



 
 Spoiler: Fort save 


Fort save:  (1d20+12)[ 21 ] 

+4 to save if it's poison
 
lostsole31
 R15T14:  A simple rat named Vivino continues his  scramble up the wall as quietly as possible. He manages to get 5' up the  wall, but is still in the cloud.

 R15T13:  Another faint flash from far below.

 End Round 15, Begin Round 16 ...

R16T14:   Vivino , Roll a Fort save vs. poison. What do you do?
Moriar
The little rat does all that is knows to do and climbs!


 
 Spoiler: climb little rat climb 


Fort save:  (1d20+12)[ 16 ] 

+4 vs poison

stealth climb up the wall until reaching next landing that is near the entrance that they entered
 
lostsole31
 R16T14:  The little rat does all that is knows to do and  tries to climb, but still gagging quietly while overcoming the poison  of the could it is still in, and not making any headway.

 R16T13:  Another faint flash.

 End Round 16, Begin Round 17 ...

R17T26:  Footsteps across a wooden bridge are heard, and then somewhere not far below Vivino.

 R17T14:   Vivino , roll a Fort save. Also, you may roll your own Climb check. What do you do?
Moriar
 
 Spoiler: climb 


Climb roll:  (1d20+13)[ 29 ] 

Plus climb speed of 30 in tlrat form if that helps
 
Moriar
 
 Spoiler: Fort save  


Fort save:  (1d20+12)[ 20 ] 

+4 vs poison
 
lostsole31
 R17T14.2-.0:  Lil' Vivi rallies and pushes right to the  top of the cloud of poison, which just happens to be at the ledge. The  small rat goes to move into that area, but accidentally bumps into  something not stone. As soon as he blindly bumps into ... a moldy boot?  ... something strikes into his hyper-thickened natural armor without  cutting through, but the next cuts through, and he moves his organs just  in time to keep from suffering a crit, though he still suffers  7 mod . Vivino-rat maintains his position on the ledge, finishing his movement  under  the feet of whatever just attacked him ... he thinks.

 R17T13:  You no longer see faint flash below.

 End Round 17, Begin Round 18 ...

R18T26:   Footsteps on wooden planks below moving away, including a lot of hearty  coughing as whatever crossed from one set of planks to another must  have gone through the poison cloud and is now suffering from it.

 R18T14.2-.1:   The area is suddenly flooded with what must be another poison cloud!   Something stomping by Vivino, and then something getting deflected by  his  shield .

 R18T14:   Vivino , you  are no longer fatigued! You are at the top on level ground and in a new  poison cloud. Roll a Fort save. What do you do? 
 Spoiler: OOC 
You may not  give end goals and leave it to me so "you don't have to." If you move,  you have to tell me in which direction and how far. You are in pitch  blackness still. Yes, the suggestion still has you, so you are not all  the way back the way you came.
 
Moriar
The little rat scrambles to the north east as far as possible and then changes back into his own self(s).

 
 Spoiler: change 


Fort save: (1d20+16)[ 29 ] 


Does a standard move to the north east and then cancels the rat form turning back into normal
 
lostsole31
 R18T14:  The little rat scrambles to the northeast as  far as possible - which is really only 5' - and then changes back into  his own self.

 End Round 18, Begin Round 19 ...

R19T14.2-.1:   Vivino gets attacked in the darkness. Luckily, his form as Vivino helps  as his armor now helps him. One strike hits him in the upper arm and he  shifts his brachial artery in time to stop a crit and only takes  3 mod .

 R19T14:   Vivino ,  you are still in a poison cloud. Roll a Fort save. There appears to be a  wall going roughly east-west to your north, and then two opponents -  one east and one west. What do you do?
Moriar
Vivino lets out a howl of rage.    "I just want to get out of here!"   he yells at these new threats.

He arranges his stance to proper form and then attacks with a vicious claw that glows blue.

 
 Spoiler: Once again getting angry 


Begin to rage

Assume elemental stance for cold

Then risky strike against green.

to hit:  (1d20+10)[ 12 ] 

damage:  (1d6+11)[ 17 ] 

cold damage:  (1d6)[ 4 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R19T14:  Vivino lets out a howl of rage.     "I just want to get out of here!"     he yells at these new threats. He arranges his stance to proper form  and then attacks with a vicious claw that glows blue, but misses wildly.

 End Round 19, Begin Round 20 ...

R20T14.2-.1:  The two garden guardians attack. The one to the east catches Vivino with a soft crit to the back of his left calf for  8 mod  that he couldn't shift, and nearly hit him again with the follow-up.

 R20T14:   Vivino ,  you are mutated and raging with elemental stance. You have shield and  see invisibility extracts active. But, you are also weakened from  previous poison exposure and are in a poison cloud even now. Your  suggestion tells you victory is to be found the way you came, so you can  do a "moving combat" but you can't just stand and fight. What do you  do?
Moriar
Vivino eyes them and steps aside before attacking maliciously.

 
 Spoiler: popcorn 


Continue raging
.


Step 5' to southwest to get a little closer to the stairs.

Then attack green


Risky claw 1:  (1d20+13)[ 21 ]  and damage of  (1d6+13)[ 19 ]  with frost of  (1d6)[ 5 ] 

Risky claw 2:  (1d20+13)[ 19 ]  and damage of  (1d6+13)[ 14 ]  with frost of  (1d6)[ 5 ] 

Risky bite:  (1d20+13)[ 20 ]  and damage of  (1d4+13)[ 14 ]  with frost of  (1d6)[ 4 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R20T14:  Vivino eyes them and steps aside before  dropping his scythe and attacking viciously, but none of his attacks get  past the guardian's armor.

 End Round 20, Begin Round 21 ...

R21T26:   The tiger man is on this level, moving quickly around from the south  and east. He comes really close, but doesn't enter the poison cloud.  Though he stands patiently with two kukri in his hand.

 R21T16-14.1:   Vivino's sixth sense protects him as he dodges out of the way - another  guardian appearing after having charged and swung at him with his  scimitar (Brown). Red steps down to flank and slash Vivino's left  shoulder for  5 mod . When Red attempts the reattack, Vivino slams Red's scimitar to the side to score a light crit against Green for  12 . Finally, Green throws himself at Vivino as the latter's claw slams against armor, failing to throw Vivino off the ledge.

 R21T14:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
Vivino moves to the opening and strikes at green again.


 
 Spoiler: getting crowded  


Continue raging

Move 5' to NW

Claw 1:  (1d20+16)[ 19 ]  with  (1d6+7)[ 8 ]  and  (1d6)[ 3 ] 

Claw 2:  (1d20+16)[ 29 ]  with  (1d6+7)[ 8 ]  and  (1d6)[ 5 ] 

Bite:  (1d20+16)[ 31 ]  with  (1d4+7)[ 9 ]  and  (1d6)[ 4 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R21T14:  Vivino moves to the opening and strikes at  Green again. His first claw strikes the armor, allowing his second claw  to find purchase for  8 +  5 cold  , and then a bite on the guardian's left bicep for  9 +  4 cold  .  Vivino's bite discovers horrifically-tasting flesh; he doesn't take  poison damage, but it is toxic and that's another thing he has to fight  off.

 End Round 21, Begin Round 22 ...

R22T16-14.1:   Brown interposes himself against Vivino, flanking with Green. Vivino  deflects the first attack, but the second catches him in the left knee,  and Vivino moves his tendons in time enough to only take  5 mod . Red misses his first attack, and Vivino moves his lower brachial artery in his left forearm to only take  4 mod . Green swings upwards to Vivino's groin and he barely moves aside his bits and bobs to take  3 mod  to his inguinal tendon, and then he blocks Green's follow-on attack.

 R22T14:   Vivino , roll  two  Fort saves - first against the poison cloud, second against having ingested poison blood. What do you do?
Moriar
Vivino will try to move again before mauling green.

 
 Spoiler: one step at a time 


Continue raging

Fort save 1:  (1d20+16)[ 25 ] 

Fort save 2:  (1d20+16)[ 23 ] 

Move 5' to NW

Claw 1 vs green: to hit of  (1d20+16)[ 30 ]  with damage of  (1d6+7)[ 10 ]  plus cold  (1d6)[ 1 ] 

Claw 2 vs green: to hit of  (1d20+16)[ 18 ]  with damage of  (1d6+7)[ 9 ]  plus cold  (1d6)[ 6 ] 

Bite vs green: to hit of  (1d20+16)[ 29 ]  with damage of  (1d4+7)[ 8 ]  plus cold  (1d6)[ 6 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R22T14:  Vivino uses a brief, controlled peristalsis to  spit out the poison before it affects him while masterfully using poison  transmutation in his body to keep from being affected by the  ever-present poison in the air. He wants to move to the northwest, but  the northern wall keeps him from doing so. He starts his mauling action  on Green, slashing across the belly for  10 +  1 cold  . The second claw misses, but he bites Green in the left upper arm for  8 +  6 cold  . The bitter tang hits him, and he knows he will be fighting off ingested poison again.

 End Round 22, Begin Round 23 ...

R23T16-14.2:   All three guardians begins their attack on Vivino. Red positions south  of Vivino and strikes Vivino in the head, who in turn pulls more calcium  to his skull to protect the impact strike to only take  5 mod , but he fails to protect against Red's second strike - a soft crit to his chest for  8 mod .

 R23T14:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
After several hits, Vivino looks to just get out of here and moves toward the stairs.

 
 Spoiler: leaving? 


Continue raging

Fort save 1:  (1d20+16)[ 18 ] 

Fort save 2:  (1d20+16)[ 30 ] 

Tumble 5' SW. Acrobatics with dodge feat:  (1d20+11)[ 17 ] 


Tumble 5' W. Acrobatics with dodge feat:  (1d20+11)[ 12 ] 


Tumble 5' W. Acrobatics with dodge feat:  (1d20+11)[ 18 ] 

Move 10' to west to get to stairs.
 
lostsole31
 R23T14:  Vivino barely resists the poison from the bite  he had made. After several hits, Vivino looks to just get out of here  and moves toward the stairs, but he is not as agile as he had hoped.  Brown strikes him in the upper left arm, with Vivino managing to adjust  his body to only take  7 mod . Green doesn't hit him. Red opens himself up as Vivino moves and slashes the guardian in the chest for  13 +  1 cold  , but the reality of the guardian's tactic is revealed when Vivino gets knocked off his feet.

Vivino  knows that staying on the deck is death, so tries to stand, getting  ready to weather the blows. He is struck in the hip by Brown for  4 mod ; in the left shoulder by Green for  8 mod ; and in the lower back by Brown for  6 mod . But at least now he's back on his feet.

 End Round 23, Begin Round 24 ...

  R24T16-14.1:  Brown slashes Vivino in the chest for  6 mod . Red sidesteps to block access to the west, and then slashes Vivino in the head for  8 mod . Green fails to land a blow.

 R24T14:   Vivino , what do you do? Roll a single Fort save vs. poison.
Moriar
Knowing that his time is limited and not being allowed through, Vivino lines up to shove red out of the way.

 
 Spoiler: desperate  


Continue raging

Fort save:  (1d20+16)[ 18 ] 

Use Spontaneous healing to heal 5.

Hoping mobility helps against any aoo.

Bull rush verse red to push and move 5' to SW:  (1d20+13)[ 33 ] 

If successful then after bull rush, move
4 squares to west and then up stairs for remaining movement.

If bull rush unsuccessful,  use fighting defensive (or full defense if able) and enter stalwart stance.
 
lostsole31
 R24T14:  Knowing that his time is limited and not being allowed  through, Vivino lines up to shove Red out of the way (after self-healing    5  ), but not before the inevitable  counter as such a maneuver is tantamount to throwing himself on his  enemy's weapons. Brown and Green only catch armor, but Red's strike  catches Vivino in a way he can't shift his organs to defend against,  taking a soft-crit of  8 mod . Still, the insanely powerful man  tosses the guardian off of the cliff, and seconds later a splash is  heard far below. Vivino immediately begins moving, but gets struck by  Brown for  8 mod  as he gets past his aggressors. Unfortunately,  because he moved into the space of Red during the attack, he has no more  in him to continue moving west.

 End Round 24, Begin Round 25 ...

  R25T16-14.1:  This time, it is Brown's turn to throw itself at  Vivino, whose claw scratches powerfully against the rager's armor.  Brown fails to throw Vivino off the ledge before adjusting west of  Vivino. Green moves to flank and strikes Vivino's back for  7 mod , and then the back of his thigh for  7 mod .

 R25T14:   Vivino , here you are ... flanked again. Mutagen/  rage in effect (elemental stance). Still just inside the poison cloud,  so another Fort save is required. What do you do?
Moriar
Vivino tries once again to get around his foes watching them very carefully.

 
 Spoiler: until the end  


Continues raging

Fort save:  (1d20+16)[ 21 ] 

SA: total defense

Spontaneous healing for another 5

Then trusting total defense and mobility to leave.

Steps 5' NW

Walk 3 squares west.

Then rest of move up the stairs.
 
lostsole31
 R25T14:  Vivino tries once again to get around his foes  watching them very carefully. Both of them hit very hard against his  armor but his defensive focus saves him as he moves away and gets to the  base of the stairs.

 End Round 25, Begin Round 26 ...

R26T16-14.1:  Brown charges Vivino, but misses. Green moves in and around and hits Vivino's armor.

 R26T14:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
Vivino continues to watch carefully and defend himself to move up the stairs.

 
 Spoiler: first time not hit...keep it going? 


Continue raging

Total defense and mobility to keep moving up the stairs.
 
lostsole31
 R26T14:  Vivino continues to watch carefully and defend  himself to move up the stairs. Predictably, they both swing at him, but  he moves up and away from them. He moves 30' up the stairs until stone  blocks further movement.

 End Round 26, Begin Round 27 ...

R27T14:   Vivino , the guardians have not followed you up the stairs to the blockage. what do you do?
Moriar
Seemingly cornered, Vivino drinks an extract and pushes against the stone blocking the stairs.

 
 Spoiler: Push! 


Continue raging

Drink extract of cure moderate wounds:  (2d8+7)[ 12 ] 

Then push with all he can to dislodge/move/break through the stone blocking the stairs further up
 
lostsole31
 R27T14:  Seemingly cornered, Vivino drinks an extract for   12 healing    and pushes against the stone blocking the stairs. It doesn't even begin  to budge. He remembers the massive stone statue in the garden and it  surely is far heavier than he can even remotely budge, especially now  that he's weakened. Now that he's as close to the top as possible, he  isn't sure that he found victory. It just might be that the tiger-headed  man lied to him! The compulsion nagging at him to go higher and higher -  while one he is free to explore on his own as he desires - is no longer  present.

What does he do?

 End Round 27, Begin Round 28 ...

R28T26:  Vivino hears the sound of a man casting a spell, the echoes make it hard to tell how far it is.

 R28T14:   Vivino , now that your mind is yours again - albeit in the fog of rage - what do you do?
Moriar
Vivino shakes head to clear it.  Then he begins to calm down and drinks another extract.

 
 Spoiler: moment of peace 


Stopping rage.

Drink extract of cure moderate wounds. Heal:  (2d8+7)[ 21 ] 

Then if able will stay at the top of the stairs until recovered from fatigue.
 
lostsole31
 R28T14:  Vivino shakes head to clear it.  Then he begins to calm down and drinks another extract for  21 healing , though he is now fatigued.

 End Round 28, Begin Round 29 ...

R29T26:   Creeping up the stairs with a kukri in his hand is the tiger-headed  man. It seems he thinks that you can't see him, but when he casts a  spell, unfortunately Vivino has no weapon to react even though he can  see his invisible form. A lightning bolt zaps forth that Vivino doesn't  evade and takes   25 electricity  . At that point, the tiger-man is visible to the rest of the world.

 R29T14:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
  "Why are you chasing me?"   Vivino asks.    "I will leave you alone if you leave me alone.  I do owe you one for that lightning but past that is up to you."  


Vivino unlimbers his axe and delivers a blow to back up his words.


 
 Spoiler: payback 


Swing at Tigerman.  to hit:  (1d20+11)[ 27 ]  and damage of  (1d8+7)[ 11 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R29T14:    "Why are you chasing me?"   Vivino asks.    "I will leave you alone if you leave me alone.  I do owe you one for that lightning but past that is up to you."  

Vivino unlimbers his axe and delivers a blow that gets past a strong  deflection field, an outer layer of force, and barely penetrates a  second layer of force before the lower tip of the axe brushes against  its chest.

 End Round 29, Begin Round 30 ...

R30T26:  The tiger-headed man laughs.   "No,  for by seeing me, you know my family's secret ... we Arkona are  rakshasa. Besides, the tiger does not submit to the water buffalo. The  buffalo has mighty horns,"    and here he gestures to the axe,    "but the buffalo is still prey."  

Now  it is his turn and he attacks. Vivino blocks the first kukri swing, but  the second almost gets through his armor. He likewise fends the  rakashasa's claw and bite.

 R30T14:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
  "That is so funny,"   Vivino says.   "For I would not have put those pieces of information together about your family if you had not just told me."  

Then hoping to catch him off guard, swings the axe twice with both hands.

 
 Spoiler: Connecting the dots 


Swing 1: to hit of  (1d20+11)[ 16 ]  with damage of  (1d8+10)[ 13 ]  and cold of  (1d6)[ 1 ] 


Swing 2: to hit of  (1d20+6)[ 13 ]  with damage of  (1d8+10)[ 13 ]  and cold of  (1d6)[ 5 ] 

if elemental stance is gone, then ignore the cold.
 
lostsole31
 R30T14:    "That is so funny,"   Vivino says,   "for I would not have put those pieces of information together about your family if you had not just told me."  

Then hoping to catch him off guard, he swings the axe twice with both  hands, but the rakshasa easily deflects the first and then just moves a  little to be completely missed by the second attack.

 End Round 30, Begin Round 31 ...

R31T26:    "I  didn't give anything away foolishly, you are just a mere mortal who has  never heard of the greatness of the rakshasa. Surely, someone you would  recount this story to would know more than you ... and we can't have  that, now can we?"   and that last question is asked with a  truly malicious leer that comes to close to Vivino's face. Of course,  that wasn't the danger, as the rakshasa's curved kukri takes advantage  of Vivino's focus on the face and pulls out Vivino's feet so that he is  now prone.

 R3T14:   Vivino , you are now prone on the stairs and backed into a "vertical corner" if you will. What do you do?
Moriar
Vivino recoils from the breath and drinks an extract of hope.

"  Actually it's my sister who you should worry about,"   Vivino says as he taps his head.

Then he stands up.

 
 Spoiler: maybe helps 


Drink displacement extract defensively if possible and then stands up.
 
lostsole31
 R31T14:  Vivino recoils from the breath, and attempts to  drink an extract that might give a glimmer of hope, but not before the  rakshasa slices his inguinal tendon with a soft crit that does  8 mod . Vivino takes the extract, and feels the strange, faint lurching sensation common to a displacement effect.

"  Actually it's my sister who you should worry about,"   Vivino says as he taps his head as he stands.

 End Round 31, Begin Round 32 ...

R32T26:    "I am Avidexu, cousin to the lord. And what is the name of this brave morsel that has lasted so long?"   he asks of Vivino, with all of his attacks failing to connect.

 R32T14:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
"  Vivino Dorso at your service,  " Vivino says with a slight flourish.

As part of the flourish, Vivino tries to hide drinking a potion.

 
 Spoiler: Flourish 


MA to retrieve potion of cure serious

Drink potion to cure  (3d8+5)[ 12 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R32T14:  "  Vivino Dorso at your service,  "  Vivino says with a slight flourish. As part of that maneuver, Vivino  tries to hide taking out and drinking a potion. The ruse fails (mainly  because he has to reach into and fish around in his  handy haversack ), and Avidexu looks like he's going to knock the vial out of his hand, but the  displacement  protects him. The warming fluid goes down the alchemist's throat to provide him with   12 healing  . The rakshasa even gives a nod of admiration for effect, only now realizing what Vivino took the round before.

 End Round 32, Begin Round 33 ....

  R33T26:  Avidexu fails to land a blow, and her bite tried to trip him.

 R33T14:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
Vivino, pleased that the gambit work, goes to swing viciously at the tiger person twice.

 
 Spoiler: Risk it for the biscuit 


Risky strike 1 with battleaxe two handed: to hit of  (1d20+8)[ 17 ] and damage of  (1d8+16)[ 20 ] 


Risky strike 2 with battleaxe two handed: to hit of  (1d20+3)[ 11 ] and damage of  (1d8+16)[ 23 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R33T14:   Vivino , pleased that the gambit work, goes to swing viciously at the tiger person twice, and matching Avidexu's success.

 R33T13.1:   A loud, gurgling cry of pain is heard relatively close down below,  definitely from a male. A little more distant sounds a high-pitched  female scream of horror.

 R33T13:  Roshgog's voice, which sounds like it is near the entrance to the stairwell calls out and is strained by severe pain,   "Vivino, I hear your fight. I am slain by the last blow. Feronia watch over you, as I hope she watches over me."  
 R33T12:   Linzi's voice is heard somewhere outside with echoes, telling stories  of heroism. By the time it reaches Vivino's ears, however, there is too  much echo and distortion to do him any good.

 End Round 33, Begin Round 34 ...

R34T26:  Again, Avidexu fails to land a blow, but he steps down a few feet away from Vivino.   "Your friends will taste my blade, Vivino Dorso."  
 R34T14:   Vivino , what do you do now that the rakshasa backed away?
Moriar
  "That explains why you are backing away,"   Vivino taunts. "  You are failing to finish me off so you are seeking my already injured friends.

Leaving so soon coward?"  

Then he drinks another vial.

 
 Spoiler: taunting 



Drink bears endurance extract.
 
lostsole31
 R34T14:    "That explains why you are backing away,"   Vivino taunts. "  You are failing to finish me off so you are seeking my already injured friends.  Leaving so soon, coward?"  

Then he drinks another vial ... he's still fatigued, but he definitely feels a bump of health.

 R34T13.1:   There is the sound of a weapon cutting into flesh, but then followed  immediately by a metal weapon shattering against stone. Sounds of  Roshgog casting almost maniacally ... before the sounds of a building  spell fizzling out.   "Nooooooo!"  
 End Round 34, Begin Round 35 ...

R35T26:  Sounds of activity below, including heavy breathing from Avidexu, a tiger's snarl, and something biting savagely but weakly.

 R35T16-14.2:   Sword slash, sound of gurgling noise from a dying man, followed by  another slash and the gurgling ends. Distant sounds of footsteps moving  quickly over wood.

 R35T14:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
Vivino cautiously moves down the stairs.

 
 Spoiler: If Then 


Uses normal move to go downstairs and any remaining move to get to friend and or foe as listed below:

If he sees a friend, will try to stabilize. Heal check of  (1d20+12)[ 31 ] 

If he sees a foe and obviously dead (or no friends), then attacks: to hit of  (1d20+11)[ 26 ]  and damage of  (1d8+7)[ 10 ] 

If he sees no foes or friends, will go full defense.
 
lostsole31
 R35T14:  Vivino cautiously moves down the stairs. At the  bottom few stairs, he is blocked from getting to a downed Roshgog  (status unknown) by a wall of the rakshasa and garden guardians. Behind  them and next to Roshgog - invisible and yet giving  - is Linzi. Avidexu  sees Vivino comes down, and with Linzi's oration and the spell of  good hope   that is still there, Vivino shreds past Avidexu's hide and does ....  nothing. Vivino pegged him hard, boosted by a spell of hope and Linzi's  oration, and his own brawn ... and still didn't leave a scratch.

 R35T13.1:   Interestingly, Green is holding the hilt of a destroyed scimitar and  drops it. Covered from Vivino by the stairwell, it moves west out of  sight.

 R35T12:  Continuing her oration, Linzi gives enough of a breather to speak.   "He's gone, Vi. Butchered by the tiger-man, a raksasa - a powerful native outsider."  

Now  that Linzi has Vivino's wan red light from his coin (she was in pitch  black before, feeling around), she backs up several feet and shoots  Brown in the back for  17 . She loses her invisibility, and speed loads her crossbow.

 End Round 35, Begin Round 36 ...

R36T26:  Avidexu steps north and takes a breather, removing his exhaustion, but seemingly fatigued.   "Kill her!"  
 R36T16-14.2:  Brown charges Linzi and slashes her belly for  9 .

 R36T14:   Vivino , what do you?

Green on deck, Linzi in the hole ...
Moriar
"  These people are heartless,"   Vivino begins.  "  Let's see what we can do about removing what they consider a heart."
  
Vivino moves up brown and delivers a two handed blow.

 
 Spoiler: revenge? 


Moves 4 squares east and 1 NE to be next to brown.

Risky two handed strike: to hit  (1d20+8)[ 10 ] 

Damage of  (1d8+16)[ 23 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R36T14:  "  These people are heartless,"   Vivino begins.  "  Let's see what we can do about removing what they consider a heart."
  
Vivino moves out of the stairwell and as he goes Avidexu is to the north  and misses a displaced as Vivino ignores the attack and rolls up on  Brown and gets its attention with a two-handed swing.

 R36T13.1:  Green "runs" in his very slow form of flight to cross the chasm southwards.

 R36T12:  Linzi continues her oration. She steps back, takes out a wand and uses it on herself to disappear from view.   "Oh, Vivino, I am glad to see you are still alive."  
 End Round 36, Begin Round 37 ...

R37T26:   Avidexu closes on Vivino. While the big man is partly focused on Brown,  Avidexu steals the light coin lanyard from Vivino. He closes his weird,  backwards-facing palm of a left hand around the coin to snuff out the  light.  Linzi's voice shudders in terror, having only been giving just a  few seconds of light.

 R37T16:  Two attacks come from where Brown was last seen, the second pinging Vivino in the head for  6 mod .

 R37T14:   Vivino , you are in darkness now. The enemy's evil cunning likely put the nail in the coffin by taking his light. What do you do?
Moriar
"  Good to see you too Linzi,  " Vivino says.  "  See if you can get this lit"    

He pulls out a torch and throws it towards Linzi.

 
 Spoiler: light? 


MA to retrieve torch from handy haversack.

Foghting defensively, throw torch towards where he last saw/heard Linzi.
 
lostsole31
 R37T14:  "  Good to see you too, Linzi,  " Vivino says.  "  See if you can get this lit."    

He pulls out a torch, and in doing so he gets hit in the neck by a scimitar for  6 mod .  With the torch in his hand he tries to toss it to where his  proprioperception makes him think where Linzi last was. But his hands  fumble. The torch is heard dropping on the stone ground and bouncing  until the bouncing suddenly stops, followed by an impact sound farther  away, followed several seconds later by a distant "sploosh."

 R37T12:   A faint gasp, but Linzi bravely continues her oration for Vivino for  all the good that does, and it sounds like she is carefully moving away  as well.

 End Round 37, Begin Round 38 ...

R38T26-14.2:  All enemies attack Vivino, but with his uncanny dodge and  displacement , they all fail.

 R38T14:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
"  One last try,"   Vivino says as he carefully draws and throws another torch.

 
 Spoiler: light 2 


Fighting defensive draws another torch and attempts to throw to where he thinks Linzi is now at.
 
lostsole31
 R38T14:  "  One last try,"   Vivino  says as he carefully draws and as he reaches to get another torch,  Avidexu trips him, and then gets hit in the chest with a scimitar for  7 mod .  Vivino finally gets that torch though, and defensively from the ground  throws it blindly without having taken time to really listen for where  she is. Of course, in doing so he is attacked, but his defensive spell  and armor holds steady.

 R38T12:  Linzi continues her oration. A flash of positive energy.

 End Round 38, Begin Round 39 ...

R39T26-14.2:  Vivino gets nicked in the neck for  3 mod . That  displacement  doing more than its lack of weight in gold ...

 R39T14:  ... unfortunately, that  displacement   now dissipates, but at least it helped. Though that's gone, the good  news is Vivino gets his breath back and is no longer fatigued, but he is  prone.  Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
"  Light the torch  ," Vivino says. "  These cowards are afraid of fighting in the light  ."  The last finishes in a growl while getting up and the claws and a muzzle begins to work.


 
 Spoiler: if going down. going down fighting 


Begins raging

Stands up

Attack brown. Aka last known direction of brown.  If unknown then attack toward Avidexu who just hit him.

Claw 1 to hit  (1d20+15)[ 21 ]  and damage of  (1d6+7)[ 12 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R39T14:  "  Light the torch  ," Vivino says, finishing with a growl. "  These cowards are afraid of fighting in the light  ."

He begins to get up and he is struck by a smaller blade in his left knee for  7 mod ,  though with his rage he barely feels the sting. Two other blades clang  against his armor. Vivino gets on his feet and now armed with claws and a  muzzle - dropping the battleaxe - he begins to go to work, missing his  target.

 R39T12:    "What torch?"   asks a frantic Linzi as she continues her oration.   "Nothing landed near me."  
 End Round 39, Begin Round 40 ...

R40T26:  Vivino is stung in the belly by a small blade for  7 mod , and then his armor is struck. Avidexu tries to use claw and fang to knock Vivino down again.

 R40T16-14.2:  Brown and Red continue to try to get through Vivino's raging thicket of natural weapons and armor.

 R40T14:   Vivino ,  you are raging (2 THP remain), and you still have a battleaxe in one  hand. You are in darkness, weakened, but still mutagen active and  shield  spell holding firm. What do you do?
Moriar
  "Where did it go?"   Vivino asks in frustration.

Then he swings twice and bites at brown.

 
 Spoiler: slice? 


Continues raging

Battleaxe strike two handed 1: to hit  (1d20+12)[ 31 ]  and damage of  (1d8+8)[ 14 ] 

Battleaxe strike two handed 2: to hit  (1d20+7)[ 20 ]  and damage of  (1d8+8)[ 13 ] 

Bite: to hit  (1d20+15)[ 34 ]  and damage of  (1d4+7)[ 8 ] 
 
lostsole31
 R40T14:    "Where did it go?"   Vivino  asks in frustration before he swings twice and bites at Brown. His  first attack whiffs, the second bounces off armor, and the bite is made  low on the Brown's left knee for  12   + 0 poison . He knows that it might be a minute before ingested poison to affect him.

 R40T13.1:  Linzi keeps her oration going, but cries out in pain.

 R40T12:   Linzi's orating is trailing off to the south as she seems to be moving  away, but in this larger room - despite echoes - still affects Vivino.

 End Round 40, Begin Round 41 ...

R41T26:  A claw once again tries to bring Vivino down to the ground and fails.

 R41T16-14.2:  Lots of blows against Vivino's armor.

 R41T14:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
  "I wonder if tiger people can breathe under water,  " Vivino says in a quiet bit of anger.

He grabs for the body connected to the tripping claw.

 
 Spoiler: Desperation time yet? 


Continue raging.

If Vivino is able to grab the tiger man (tell by the claws/teeth and fur and that stinky breath)

Then the goal is to carry him towards where he lasts remember being an edge and water below.  Aiming to pick him up and carry him over the edge to plummet into the water below.  Vivino will aim take a deep breath before plunging into the water.  Hoping to dig his claws in deep to hold him in an embrace under water.
 
lostsole31
 R41T14:    "I wonder if tiger people can breathe under water,  "  Vivino says in a quiet bit of anger, dropping his axe before grabbing  for the body connected to the tripping claw. That same direction hits  him in his thigh with a kukri for  3 mod , just feeling the sting. A sword hits him in his belly for  8 mod . Vivino briefly gets hols of the tiger man before losing his grip.

 R41T13.1:  ...

 R41T12:  Linzi continues her oration, now moving closer.

 End Round 41, Begin Round 42 ...

R42T26:  Now Vivino is hit in the other thigh with a kukri for  6 mod , and both claw and bite try to trip him.

 R42T16-14.2:  The guardians attack, all missing or hitting armor.

 R42T14:   Vivino , what do you do?
Moriar
Vivino grits his teeth in frustration.  "  Shame you don't like water, you could really use a bath,"   he says as he mimics fanning a smell from his nose.

Then with a careful approach,  goes for a dive.


 
 Spoiler: Olympic dive 


Continue raging

If able to go defensive will do so but if not then trusting in mobility.

Aim is to jump off the edge of the cliff and get enough away from the rocks to get into the water with a dive.  Taking a good breath before entering water.
 
lostsole31
 R42T14:  Vivino grits his teeth in frustration.  "  Shame you don't like water, you could really use a bath,"    he says as he mimics fanning a smell from his nose. Then with a careful  approach, he tries to stumble away - catching a scimitar in his back  hip for  3 mod  - and stumbles his way off the edge. It  is unexpected as he was feeling his way in the darkness. He tries to  find a way to right himself, but flailing in the black and unbalanced in  his rage as he is, he falls what seems like an eternity as Linzi's  voice trails off above.

And with that, Vivino proved his mastery over his enemies in defining the house of his death, and not they.


 

And that is the end of yet another roster of those in Korvosa who have fallen to recent troubles.