A let's not take Maria into this mess we brought upon ourselves,
as for Hidden Demons let them evolve over time, depending on what actions she preforms, but none so far, Jane was papered almost all life, so only character flaw she could have is being spoiled, which she isn't.
Yeah, I'll go with this. And, I didn't vote last time mostly because I was just curious to see how things would play out / didn't really have an opinion either way.
I was thinking of Honor and Loyalty for a hidden demon flaw but well, she cheated which means unless she has a deep rooted pyschological flaw/double standard where it's okay for her to cheat but not them. . .
On that note, I guess we'll shape Jane's sense of honor as we go along. From what we've done so far: Jane is a noble and does have a certain sense of honor, but isn't above cheating to make sure that she can not only win something for a friend, but try and keep herself clothed. Whether or not she'd cheat for gold or something less we have yet to see/define I guess.
Besides... who says that sense of honor can't morph/degrade over time.
I'd rather go in without underwear than being winded from having to fight them. Also, we don't know what our situation will be when we come out. Having two friendly men waiting for us could prove useful
Basically the same as everyone else considering Hidden Demons. Wait and see.
C I'm going to go against the mold and suggest something else. Instead of offering up Jane's lingerie, offer them up a kiss instead just to try and keep Jane's clothing.
If that fails then default to A
Secondary Action: Examine the cave entrance for anything unusual or out of place, like markings of some sort that hint at any deeper meanings of the original inhabitants.
Secondary Vote: Try to get as much information from Riordan about the inside of the cave as possible (probably won't be much due to the language barrier, but it's worth a try).
Secondary Action: Examine the cave entrance for anything unusual or out of place, like markings of some sort that hint at any deeper meanings of the original inhabitants.
Jane thought about the deal, wondering if she should accept: itwould be an extremely simple trade having to give up a simple scrap of clothing for entry into the cave. She was aware however, that at this point she had already given up quite a bit. The idea of offering them a kiss also entered her mind for a bit, but she quickly dismissed it, deciding the best course of action would be to simply give the man what he wanted.
Jane reached out hesitantly, holding out the strip of silk. Riordan came forward slowly, trying not to frighten the two girls. He grabbed the garment, bowing his head in thanks before stuffing it into his pocket. He then retreated back beside Ulmag before giving the same sign to go ahead and get dressed before turning around and moving to pick up Maria’s spilled tankard. Ulmag gave one last, long look up and down Jane’s body before eventually turning around as well, helping his friend pick up the mugs, card, dice and what looked to be whatever else may make someone think the two girls were here.
Jane didn’t wait once their backs were turned, picking up each piece of clothing and slipping it back on. As she dressed, Maria spoke up:
“That was quite an interesting… delay?” She smiled, trying to take some of the tension out of the air.
“Quite.” Jane replied, trying her best to do the same.
“I was worried at first, but I’m glad we didn’t kill them: they seem quite nice… if somewhat perverted.”
“I suppose so…” Jane said, she alone having understood all the lewd comments and remarks they had made.
“That reminds me…” Jane continued. “The alcohol… how did… I mean…” she trailed off, unsure how to phrase the question.
“Ah, it was my father mostly, but I guess you could say it’s in my blood as well: The Chauss family has quite a history with drink.”
Jane remembered now, both of Maria’s parents were two of the best warriors during their prime those many years ago; they took care of some of the more… direct conflicts during the revolution. How strange, she thought, that their daughter would grow up to have such a love for magic.
“It’s interesting, really…” Maria Continued. “A daughter who loves magic and isn’t much for alcohol. Well, at least I can still hold my own when it comes down to it. Not to mention, it seemed to help with the or- er, Ulmag.”
She watched the orc as she finished talking, her eyes following his movements.
“Actually, hold on one second… I think I may have an idea…”
Maria then ran off towards the orc, leaving Jane to finish getting dressed as she worried about her friend.
---
Jane had just finished buttoning up her blouse as Maria returned – she was now fully dressed and ready to continue their journey.
“So, how did it go? What was this idea?” Jane asked as she got back, noticing she didn’t look any worse for wear.
“Oh, I left them a few of my arrows: I’m not sure if they understood me or not, but I’m hoping they can say they were attacked by someone, as we snuck into the cave – it would pretty bad for them if they admitted to simply letting us in.”
Jane was hesitant about Maria giving up her arrows, but didn’t question her on it.
With Jane now fully dressed – short one piece of clothing – the two girls were ready to continue on their journey. They walked towards the mouth of the cave, stopping for a moment as the two men stopped to send them off. It would have been a quick goodbye, but Jane stopped, curious to see if she could get any information about the cave from Riordan. She tried her best to utter simple phrases, words or terms that he may know and that would convey what she was asking.
He pondered for a moment, whether thinking of an answer or trying to understand her she did not know until he spoke:
“Um… ruins, creatures, er… enemies…?” He spoke the last word while pointing to himself, most likely warning them of the group he had mentioned earlier.
A simple response, Jane thought, as it told her what she already knew: there would be danger. She nodded before turning to go. Maria followed after her as she bowed to the pair, smiling at Ulmag. The orc grinned back, returning the motion. Riordan said a phrase in his native tongue as he returned the bow as well, swinging his arm under him as the girls departed.
---
Both Jane and Maria examined the outside of the cave, hoping to find any clue that may provide them some idea of what they may encounter. Sand and rock was the majority of what they found, but Maria had managed to spot something hidden beneath the sand, kneeling down to pick it up:
It seemed to be a small wooden carving. Oval in shape, it had crude markings on it which she had remembered seeing before: This was of goblin make, the square pendant depicting two circular shapes with some sort of column or pillar, the shapes surrounded by small, jagged writing. Neither of the two girls remembers hearing about goblins in the costal caves, but they did note how the pendant looked quite old however, as though it had been here for quite some time, its features worn and withered by wind, water, and sand. Still, that means goblins probably resided in this cave at one point or another – whether they’re still here or not had yet to be seen, Jane and Maria exchanging a worried glance at the prospect.
Maria puts the carving in her bag before closing her eyes and putting her hands together. She concentrated for a time before conjuring a small ball of light for them. It glowed pure white in her hands, illuminating the nearby walls.
“Ah, there we go…”
With a source of illumination for the next hour, they were ready to go, but something kept prodding at the back of Jane’s mind as she they began to go deeper into the cave. It was hard to pin down, but this fuzzy feeling made it so Jane couldn’t help but think that when she leaves this cave, she won’t be quite the same as she is now. It was a queer thought, yet when she tried to put a reason to it, it seemed to disappear, as though it had never been there at all.
---
The two girls had been walking for a time in the littoral cave, the ocean waters having long retreated from it over the centuries. The cave itself was quite diverse, its ceiling rising up to thirty feet in some places while falling to a mere ten in other areas. The pale, grey walls were the same way, sometimes widening into more open areas, but also shrinking to just enough to allow the two girls to walk side by side as they advanced. Small puddles and shallow pools of silt-heavy water littered the floor as they advanced, sometimes covering entire chambers. Their footfalls splashed in them, making the two girls uneasy as they advanced, each one scanning for threats. The two girls were used to cramped conditions, having explored ruins and other cramped corridors before, but those were usually on the surface: the cave provided a certain sense of foreboding.
The cool air of the cave gave made the girls shiver every once in a while, but it was also a constant reminder to Jane about the lack of underwear, a small draft finding its way up her skirt every once in a while. She tried to put it from mind, focusing on the darkness in front of them.
Eventually, the two girls entered a short, yet wide chamber: It was circular, with a shallow pool in the center and a donut-shaped path around it. There seemed to be three distinct paths that split off from the chamber, two of which were on the far side:
The left-most path, across the pool, was marked by what appeared to be an orange glow emanating from a torch, the flaming piece of wood jammed into a makeshift sconce on the wall. Jane also noticed a small chest peeking out from just around the corner, the lid to the wooden container lying open against the wall.
The middle path, which was also across the pool, was devoid of light, with few pieces of wood lay scattered about its entrance. They didn’t seem to have any particular markings on them, but something appeared off about them...
The final path, which seemed to stretch up and connected to the right of the chamber was the most curious of all: Small, purple patches covered the walls and floor of the tunnel, a moss of some sort which emanated a deep, orchid colored light about the tunnel. It stretched a little bit outside of the path, but seemed to end when it encountered the small pool in the chamber’s center.
Three different paths… but where were the ruins? Jane turned to Maria for the answer.
“From what I remember…” Maria began. “The main chamber of the ruins – where the cult congregated for ceremonies – was…” She trailed off, thinking for a time before answering.
“I believe all three paths lead to the temple, just different sections that are still all connected to each other further in. I’m unsure of which path leads to what section, but whichever way we go I think we’ll end up at the temple regardless… we just need to decide on which path to take.”
“Hm…” Jane pondered, thinking about which path would be the safest.
“Also, Jane…” Maria began again.
“I can’t explain it… but as we delved further and further into this cave, I have felt a sense of magic here, but not in the usual sense… something’s wrong... Not necessarily dangerous, but I just feel like this is a new type of magic I’ve never encountered before, as though it is its own… I’m not sure what word to use. Whatever it is, I thought you should know.”
“Thank you – hopefully it isn’t anything we can’t handle.” Jane responded.
Jane had to remind herself from time to time that while she was more capable in the use of magic, Maria was far more learned in the art: she may not be able to cast it as well, but she knew a lot more about how it worked and flowed.
Whatever it was that Maria felt, the two mages had to figure out which direction they should go… towards the torchlight, the dark passage, or the moss-covered path?
Voting:
Primary Vote: Which path do the girls take/investigate?
A) The left path with the torch. B) The dark middle path. C) The moss-covered path.
X Other/Different course of action
Z) Minor Actions
Fluff/NPC nudge: Small, inconsequential NPC actions: allows voters to give their own little touch to the story.
Jane:
+20 XP – Encounter resolved.
Jane Theriner.
Age: 20
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 128 lbs.
Breast Size: 34d
Hair: Brown. Shoulder length. Few bangs in front, rest pinned behind head.
Eyes: Green
Spells: Minor Cure Wounds (1 Mana): The caster concentrates on their wounds, healing themselves in the process.
Effect: Heal yourself for your INT + Base INT.
CT: Medium(20 Seconds). Range: Self. Gesture. Requires Focus.
Magic Armor(1 Mana): The caster puts a protective shield over themselves to ward off blows.
Effect: The caster has an armor value equal to their Base INT for 5 rounds.
CT: Short(3 Seconds). Range: Self. Gesture.
Fireball(2 Mana): The Caster shoots a ball of fire towards their foe that explodes on impact.
Effect: The target takes the caster’s INT die + Base INT in fire damage during the initial cast and 1d4 – 2 fire damage for the next 3 rounds.
CT: Short (5 Seconds). Range 30 ft. Gesture. Saving Throw: Dex (6+ to put flames out).
Wave of Force(2 Mana): A massive amount of force blasts forth from the caster’s palm, sending their opponent flying backwards.
Effect: Deals 2d4 + Base INT and send the target flying d4 x 5 ft.
CT: Short (5 Seconds). Range: Melee. Gesture.
Cantrips:
Comprehend Language: The caster closes their eyes and concentrates, able to understand whatever those around them are saying for a short period.
CT: Medium (10 Seconds). Range: Ear-shot. Duration: 5 minutes. Requires Focus.
Material Shift: The caster focuses, enhancing or weakening the strength of an inanimate material, such as wood or metal for a time.
CT: Long (60 Seconds). Range: Touch. Duration: 1 hour. Requires Focus
Create light: Create an orb of light to illuminate your immediate surroundings. This orb becomes solid once conjured and can be held, rolled, or otherwise manipulated.
CT: Short (3 seconds). Duration: 1 hour. Light Range: 20ft. Gesture.
Skills/Passives/Traits: Mercantile Mind: +2 on rolls to negotiate the price of goods. +1 on rolls for any perception or sense motive checks involving the value of an item. Charming: +3 to Charisma-based checks against Human, Elf, Dwarf, Half-orc and Half-elf males. Mana Reserves: After casting a spell, roll a d6: On the result of a “6”, the spell uses 1 less mana. Budding Diplomat : +1 to Diplomacy rolls.
Sexual Experience: None
First Kiss: Edwin Darnel
Stripped for Riordan and Ulmag
Head: N/A
Chest: Pale silver blouse.
Arms: Long Sleeves from blouse.
Legs: Dark grey skirt, extends to just above knee. Dark stockings.
Shoes: Flat boots, brown leather, flat heel .
Brassiere: Black silk bra.
Underwear: Nothing.
Jewelry: Necklace of invisibility - small silver pendant.
Maria:
Maria Chauss
Age: 21
Height: 5’ 6”
Weight: 122 lbs.
Breast Size: 32c
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Spells:
Daze (1 Mana): Make contact with an enemy’s head and daze them, causing mental trauma. The target suffers 1d4 Mental Damage and is unable to act next round.
CT: Instant Range: Touch. Gesture
Saving Throw: WIS vs. Caster’s INT (Can only avoid 2nd round of stun)
Blind (1 Mana): The caster produces a searing light, blinding enemies and making them unable to act effectively for a turn.
CTL Short (3 Seconds). Range: Line of Sight. Gesture.
Barrier (2 Mana): The caster sets up a large field that will keep anyone or anything from passing through it as long as it remains active. The shield has 20 health and has no roll to hit when attacked. Once its HP reaches “0” or the caster stops channeling, the shield dissipates. The barrier does not consume additional mana for each turn.
CT: Short (3 Seconds). Range: Melee. Gesture.
Disintegrate Object (3 Mana): The Material Shift Cantrip in a much more volatile form, the caster sends forth a bolt of energy that eats away at any solid, inanimate object it hits. Permanently destroys one piece of enemy equipment or armor.
CT: Short (5 Seconds). Range: 25 ft. Gesture
Cantrips:
Transfer Mana: The caster channels their mana, sending it to another nearby magic user. The caster can send up to 3 points of mana with one cantrip charge.
CT: Medium (10 Seconds). Range: 30 ft. gesture
Create light: Create an orb of light to illuminate your immediate surroundings. This orb becomes solid once conjured and can be held, rolled, or otherwise manipulated.
CT: Short (3 seconds). Duration 1 hour. Light Range: 20ft. Gesture.
- Mending: Repairs a simple object or a piece of clothing.
CT: Long (1 Minute). Duration: Permanent. Range: Touch. Requires Focus
- Detect Magic: The caster attempts to scan a piece of equipment to see if it contains any magic.
CT: Medium (30 Seconds) Range: 5 ft. Requires Focus.
Skills/Passives/Traits: Language: Ancient (Intermediate) Magical Theory Prodigy: +5 INT Studious Charm: +1 CHA Archaeophilia: You have an obsession with ancient artifacts and relics, both magical and mundane. Intoxication: Alcohol – Minor
Sexual Experience: ---
Inventory/Clothing:
Hip Quiver – Arrows: 17/20
Short Bow.
Damage: (STR + DEX) /2
Mana Potion (x1): Consume to Restore 5 Mana.
Corked Inkwell/Quill
Rations
Lantern w/ Oil
Blaze Rod
Rope – 20 ft. worth
Book: “The Tarmen Journal of Academic study and Archaeological Findings. Vol. XXXVI”
Goblin Carving
Hmm... It seems likely that if we go left we'll be going the same way that the group with the two in front of the cave. Not sure if that'd be the best. On the other hand, it's probably safe from any cave creatures. The middle path is just a mystery. As for the right path... I don't really trust things growing on cave walls
I choose B, the middle path. However, before commuting to going in the path, I'd have Maria cast Create Light and try to peer into the path with the light to find out any information if possible.
Ah, you remembered my idea about the arrows. Good!
My vote is X) First examine the pool and see if there's anything special/interesting about it.
Then get closer (preferably without making any noise) and examine each path in more detail. See if you can notice/hear/learn anything more about the paths before choosing which way to go. Focus on trying to figure out anything about the moss and who might have left that torch (as well as how many people might have taken the left path). An examination of the chest and its contents - if possible - also won't hurt.
The whole time search for any traps that might be there, be they ancient or recent. The last thing Jane and Maria want is to reveal their presence by triggering a trap.
Ah, you remembered my idea about the arrows. Good!
My vote is X) First examine the pool and see if there's anything special/interesting about it.
Then get closer (preferably without making any noise) and examine each path in more detail. See if you can notice/hear/learn anything more about the paths before choosing which way to go. Focus on trying to figure out anything about the moss and who might have left that torch (as well as how many people might have taken the left path). An examination of the chest and its contents - if possible - also won't hurt.
The whole time search for any traps that might be there, be they ancient or recent. The last thing Jane and Maria want is to reveal their presence by triggering a trap.
Boom, this one right here! Why rush things now that Jane and Maria are in the cave at this point? Do a thorough investigation of the area, examine the pool, search for markings on the pool, examine the moss, walls, wood, chest. Put that wisdom and intelligence to use and check everything carefully, leaving no stone unturned!
Also, I think the orchid path might lead to tentacle creatures. Just my two cents
Boom, this one right here! Why rush things now that Jane and Maria are in the cave at this point? Do a thorough investigation of the area, examine the pool, search for markings on the pool, examine the moss, walls, wood, chest. Put that wisdom and intelligence to use and check everything carefully, leaving no stone unturned!
Also, I think the orchid path might lead to tentacle creatures. Just my two cents
Boom, this one right here! Why rush things now that Jane and Maria are in the cave at this point? Do a thorough investigation of the area, examine the pool, search for markings on the pool, examine the moss, walls, wood, chest. Put that wisdom and intelligence to use and check everything carefully, leaving no stone unturned!
Also, I think the orchid path might lead to tentacle creatures. Just my two cents
Boom, this one right here! Why rush things now that Jane and Maria are in the cave at this point? Do a thorough investigation of the area, examine the pool, search for markings on the pool, examine the moss, walls, wood, chest. Put that wisdom and intelligence to use and check everything carefully, leaving no stone unturned!
Also, I think the orchid path might lead to tentacle creatures. Just my two cents
X – Examine the pool and each path in more detail. See if you can notice/hear/learn anything more about the paths before choosing which way to go. Focus on trying to figure out anything about the moss and who might have left that torch (as well as how many people might have taken the left path). An examination of the chest and its contents - if possible - also won't hurt. The whole time search for any traps that might be there, be they ancient or recent. The last thing Jane and Maria want is to reveal their presence by triggering a trap.
Yup – have an excel book that really helps with remembering things from 5+ posts ago. Hope I didn’t forget anything else though!
“The rest of the group Riordan and Ulmag were with… they probably went down that tunnel.” Jane spoke in a hushed tone, pointing towards the left-most path.
“Yeah, seems about right. If the rest of the group is as accommodating as the other two, that may be our best bet.” Maria suggested.
“Maybe… but if they aren’t then we may have to take one of the other paths. For now, let’s see if we can find any other hints about which way we should go.”
“Alright, I’ll see if I can find out anything about that moss there before meeting you on the far side – it may be the magic I’m sensing.”
“Okay, but hold on one second…” Jane sticking her arm out to stop Maria.
Jane found the structure of the chamber a little too… artificial, the pool of water in the middle causing her a bit of concern. She scanned the ground beneath her feet before picking up a rock a little smaller then her hand. She then crept forward, towards the edge of the water, trying to peer beneath its surface: it was a curious sight, but she managed to see what appeared to be a grid of steel bars just below the surface of the water, each section a little more than half a foot wide.
“Here…” Maria said, holding her light out for Jane.
Jane looked down through the water trying to clean whatever she could, but was unable to see below the water’s surface – the water was at least three or four feet deep, but the two girls couldn’t tell if it was any deeper. However far it did go, it seemed anyone who tried to dive in would meet the interlacing bars of steel just a few inches below its surface.
“How curious…” Maria whispered. “I’m not entirely sure but it seems that a portion of the temple here is flooded, or perhaps this grate was set up to prevent anyone from accidentally falling in…”
Whatever the case, Jane warned Maria about falling in before they made their way towards the purple tunnel.
As they drew closer, Jane got a better look at the plant-life, almost entranced by the light it gave off – if they went down this path at least they wouldn’t have to worry about lighting the way. Maria knelt down at near the edge of the violet carpet, hesitantly touching it curious as to what properties it held. Jane wanted to stop her, but felt that she knew what she was doing, watching intently as she worked. The tiny bits she managed to pick up instantly turned to dust between her fingertips, the tiny particles scattering into the air and floating away as she rubbed her fingers together.
“Interesting… it disintegrates so easily, no wonder it seems to grow in caves like this – you can see, there.” Maria pointed to a set of tracks where someone had treaded over the mat of moss, boot-shaped prints leaving nothing but small piles of pink dust.
“It gives off light… but that seems to occur naturally – At least, I don’t think it’s magical.”
“So… it’s safe then?” Jane asks.
“As far as I can tell… probably. Just try not to eat it.”
“I’ll try to remember that…”
Unwilling to venture any farther down that particular path quite yet, the two girls continue to creep up towards the end of the chamber, each one making sure to hop over the small strip of moss while also making sure they didn’t trip on anything or set off any traps the group ahead of them may have set up. They also listened for anyone of anything that may be nearby. As they get closer to the other paths however, Jane started to hear voices. She felt a small jump in her chest, but quickly realized the sounds were far off, what they heard simply the remaining echoes of conversation as it bounced down the tunnel – she couldn’t tell how many there were or what they saying, only that it was coming from the tunnel with the torchlight.
They continued to move up, now standing where the two paths met. Maria kept a look-out as Jane knelt down to investigate the wood: it was the same wood as the goblin carving they had found, each one also showing the shoddy workmanship of tribal goblins. Jane also noticed how it was in slightly better condition, but not by much, the wood having been here for quite a while. She scanned the area, looking at all the pieces that were strewn about: No carvings like the one they had found, but with all the wood that was lying about… some sort of structure or some formation must have been here.
“Look, here…!” Maria spoke up, pointing to the entrance to the second path.
She held her light in the entrance of the tunnel, pointing to a pile of wood and rope. She bent down picking up one of the pieces.
“See this?”
Maria picked up on of the pieces, holding the edge up for Jane to take notice.
“It looks to have been snapped in half.” Jane answered, noting how the end was splintered.
“Yeah it does, in fact…”
Maria stood up holding her light out as she scanned about where the two stood, wood creaking under them as she moved.
“A lot of them are: Whatever was built here seems to have been torn down...” Maria finished, pointing to numerous sections of wood, each one strapped with rope at various points around the entrance to the tunnel.
“Not only that, but I don’t think the group ahead of us did it.” Jane said, pointing with her boot to a particular piece on the ground.
Maria knelt down to examine it closer, noticing a set of claw marks embedded in the plank: each pattern a set of five lines, with four close together and one off-set from the rest. The two girls looked around a bit more, noticing quite a few of the boards and pieces of lumber sharing the same set of claw marks. Maria returned back to the first piece, staring intently at it.
“Hm, they aren’t bear or wolf marks, I can tell that much… but they aren’t like any I’ve ever seen…” Maria remarked. “Fortunately, it seems whatever did this, did so quite a while ago…”
“Hopefully…” Jane responded, eyeing the dark tunnel warily.
Jane had seen enough of this path, not only more interested in what the final path held but feeling the need to distance herself from this one. She took a step forward, but turned when she realized Maria was still sifting through the piles of wood.
“Maria?” Jane said, continuing to talk in a hushed tone.
“Oh, go ahead: I’m going to try and see if I can find any more carvings.”
Jane was a bit worried, but she would only be a few feet away.
Maria stayed behind to continue searching for any clues as Jane made her way to the left-most path. She knelt down, minding where she stepped as she approached the torchlight. She was keen to see what exactly was inside the chest, hoping it may grant her a clue as to who the other group may be or something she might be able to use. She peeked around the small corner where the chest laid, making sure to first look down the tunnel:
The left-most path was devoid of any other individuals as far as she could see, the only movement the flickering of torches, one set along the walls every couple dozen feet. Content that none of this other group was around, Jane peered into the chest to find… bottles.
She cursed under her breath.
“Who needs this much to drink?”
As she thought about it however, she realized it wasn’t as worthless a find as she had first thought. The label was from a brewery in Bayton, a town to the Northeast, a town filled with unsavory types such as bandits, outlaws, and pirates. Given Riordan and Ulmag’s general defensiveness; their lust for drink, gambling, and women; and their care-free attitude when it came to letting them simply stroll into a place they were placed to guard… it matched up pretty well with stories she had heard of those from Bayton: disloyal, lewd, and violent.
As far as what else was lying around, Jane managed to spot an assortment of broken glass, a few bedrolls, and a few small books, but nothing that seemed to be of any-
Maria let out a small yelp of surprise behind Jane. Jane turned just as a bright flash of light painted the walls pure white for a moment. Jane brandished her dagger, ready for whatever had startled her friend. She was about to run to her, but saw that Maria was almost to her now, a large tear in the woman’s scarf and dress as she ran. She turned back around towards the threat as she got close to Jane, moving to retrieve her bow.
Jane noticed Maria had dropped the ball of conjured light where she was sitting, the globe sitting in the middle of the center path’s entryway. Around it, stood three hairy figures, each one clutching at their face, writhing in pain.
“Ratfolk?” Jane said incredulously.
Each rat-man stood about five feet tall, their brown fur illuminated by the small globe of light. They stumbled about, each one rubbing at their eyes as they recovered from what Jane assumed to be Maria’s Blind spell. Jane didn’t know too much about them, as she had never encountered one before, having only heard stories about them and how they infested sewers and caves in the northern cities. From what Jane could perceive, each one was lanky, humanoid in shape but with distinctly rat-like features: A thin, whip-like tail, an elongated face, and pronounced front-teeth. Their hands and feet also sported a set of short, yet sharp claws on the ends on their spindly digits. They carried no weapons or wore any clothing, the three rat-folk devoid of equipment. The trio seemed identical
The trio seemed identical and, besides being blind, each one seems to be in full health and physically capable.
“I know, I thought that maybe the markings… b- but I never thought they’d be this far south… what should we do?” Maria spoke up, worry in her voice.
She had already notched an arrow, ready to fire at the trio. The question now was should they stay and fight, run, or take a different course of action?
Jane and Maria now stood at the entrance to the left-most path the other group took, the northern part of the chamber affording the two group a square twenty or so feet or open space. The three rat-folk – who were ten feet or so away from them - stood between them and the entrance to the middle path, although there was enough space for the two girls to dart past and into the moss-covered path while the rat-folk were still blinded. The route to their right, winding around the other side of the pool and back to where they had come from was also an option, although so too was chancing their footwork trying to cross the pond in the middle of the chamber. Whatever option they chose, the three foes seemed to be recovering
Voting:
Primary Vote: What course of actions do the girls take?
A) They waste no time and attack by... (Plan of attack) B) They retreat back into the torch-lit path. C) They rush past the three rat-folk, running into the darkened path behind the trio. D) They rush past the three rat-folk, the two girls attempting to escape down the moss-covered path. E) They rush back and to the right, towards the cave entrance, then… (Input)
X Other/Different course of action
Z) Minor Actions
Fluff/NPC nudge: Small, inconsequential NPC actions: allows voters to give their own little touch to the story descriptions and add their own flavor text.
Also, you’ll probably notice in the dice report that we had quite a few dice rolls this post. Only a few were combat-related, but you can see just how lucky Maria got with those rolls getting out of a grapple from someone who had snuck up on her, the Rat-folk having rolled insanely low for their dex/move-silently. For those curious, the way I would have had it play out if the rolls failed is we’d now be taking a vote on how Jane would react after hearing Maria scream and turning to see one of the rat-folk just grab her. With the rolls being a success, the ball is in Jane and Maria’s court now, with three temporarily stunned enemies.
Jane:
Jane Theriner.
Age: 20
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 128 lbs.
Breast Size: 34d
Hair: Brown. Shoulder length. Few bangs in front, rest pinned behind head.
Eyes: Green
Spells: Minor Cure Wounds (1 Mana): The caster concentrates on their wounds, healing themselves in the process.
Effect: Heal yourself for your INT + Base INT.
CT: Medium(20 Seconds). Range: Self. Gesture. Requires Focus.
Magic Armor(1 Mana): The caster puts a protective shield over themselves to ward off blows.
Effect: The caster has an armor value equal to their Base INT for 5 rounds.
CT: Short(3 Seconds). Range: Self. Gesture.
Fireball(2 Mana): The Caster shoots a ball of fire towards their foe that explodes on impact.
Effect: The target takes the caster’s INT die + Base INT in fire damage during the initial cast and 1d4 – 2 fire damage for the next 3 rounds.
CT: Short (5 Seconds). Range 30 ft. Gesture. Saving Throw: Dex (6+ to put flames out).
Wave of Force(2 Mana): A massive amount of force blasts forth from the caster’s palm, sending their opponent flying backwards.
Effect: Deals 2d4 + Base INT and send the target flying d4 x 5 ft.
CT: Short (5 Seconds). Range: Melee. Gesture.
Cantrips:
Comprehend Language: The caster closes their eyes and concentrates, able to understand whatever those around them are saying for a short period.
CT: Medium (10 Seconds). Range: Ear-shot. Duration: 5 minutes. Requires Focus.
Material Shift: The caster focuses, enhancing or weakening the strength of an inanimate material, such as wood or metal for a time.
CT: Long (60 Seconds). Range: Touch. Duration: 1 hour. Requires Focus
Create light: Create an orb of light to illuminate your immediate surroundings. This orb becomes solid once conjured and can be held, rolled, or otherwise manipulated.
CT: Short (3 seconds). Duration: 1 hour. Light Range: 20ft. Gesture.
Skills/Passives/Traits: Mercantile Mind: +2 on rolls to negotiate the price of goods. +1 on rolls for any perception or sense motive checks involving the value of an item. Charming: +3 to Charisma-based checks against Human, Elf, Dwarf, Half-orc and Half-elf males. Mana Reserves: After casting a spell, roll a d6: On the result of a “6”, the spell uses 1 less mana. Budding Diplomat : +1 to Diplomacy rolls.
Sexual Experience: None
First Kiss: Edwin Darnel
Stripped for Riordan and Ulmag
Head: N/A
Chest: Pale silver blouse.
Arms: Long Sleeves from blouse.
Legs: Dark grey skirt, extends to just above knee. Dark stockings.
Shoes: Flat boots, brown leather, flat heel .
Brassiere: Black silk bra.
Underwear: Nothing.
Jewelry: Necklace of invisibility - small silver pendant.
Maria:
Maria Chauss
Age: 21
Height: 5’ 6”
Weight: 122 lbs.
Breast Size: 32c
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Spells:
Daze (1 Mana): Make contact with an enemy’s head and daze them, causing mental trauma. The target suffers 1d4 Mental Damage and is unable to act next round.
CT: Instant Range: Touch. Gesture
Saving Throw: WIS vs. Caster’s INT (Can only avoid 2nd round of stun)
Blind (1 Mana): The caster produces a searing light, blinding enemies and making them unable to act effectively for a turn.
CTL Short (3 Seconds). Range: Line of Sight. Gesture.
Barrier (2 Mana): The caster sets up a large field that will keep anyone or anything from passing through it as long as it remains active. The shield has 20 health and has no roll to hit when attacked. Once its HP reaches “0” or the caster stops channeling, the shield dissipates. The barrier does not consume additional mana for each turn.
CT: Short (3 Seconds). Range: Melee. Gesture.
Disintegrate Object (3 Mana): The Material Shift Cantrip in a much more volatile form, the caster sends forth a bolt of energy that eats away at any solid, inanimate object it hits. Permanently destroys one piece of enemy equipment or armor.
CT: Short (5 Seconds). Range: 25 ft. Gesture
Cantrips:
Transfer Mana: The caster channels their mana, sending it to another nearby magic user. The caster can send up to 3 points of mana with one cantrip charge.
CT: Medium (10 Seconds). Range: 30 ft. gesture
Create light: Create an orb of light to illuminate your immediate surroundings. This orb becomes solid once conjured and can be held, rolled, or otherwise manipulated.
CT: Short (3 seconds). Duration 1 hour. Light Range: 20ft. Gesture.
- Mending: Repairs a simple object or a piece of clothing.
CT: Long (1 Minute). Duration: Permanent. Range: Touch. Requires Focus
- Detect Magic: The caster attempts to scan a piece of equipment to see if it contains any magic.
CT: Medium (30 Seconds) Range: 5 ft. Requires Focus.
Skills/Passives/Traits: Language: Ancient (Intermediate) Magical Theory Prodigy: +5 INT Studious Charm: +1 CHA Archaeophilia: You have an obsession with ancient artifacts and relics, both magical and mundane.
Sexual Experience: ---
Inventory/Clothing:
Hip Quiver – Arrows: 17/20
Short Bow.
Damage: (STR + DEX) /2
Mana Potion (x1): Consume to Restore 5 Mana.
Corked Inkwell/Quill
Rations
Lantern w/ Oil
Blaze Rod
Rope – 20 ft. worth
Book: “The Tarmen Journal of Academic study and Archaeological Findings. Vol. XXXVI”
Goblin Carving
Head: Striped Scarf around neck. Large tear.
Chest: Teal dress. Large Tear near shoulder.
Arms: Teal dress.
Legs: Teal dress. Simple cloth pants.
Shoes: Walking Boots.
Brassiere: Grey silk bra.
Underwear: Grey silk underwear.
Enemies:
Stats will be gleaned from enemies during combat if they have not been encountered beforehand. Ratfolk x3
Three stunned enemies that are going to be hostile?
A Obviously! Have Maria shoot arrows at the nearest woggly beast while Jane casts a Fireball at them. After the fireball have Jane charge with her dagger and attack the most wounded of the ratfolk after casting magic armor. Generally avoid Maria having to use magic so that she can Transfer Mana to Jane when needed.
X Afterwards, head down the torch lit path. I don't want to chance the orchid path, the darkened path may contain more ratfolk (probably will have more is more like it!). I would rather Jane and Maria run into people rather than monsters.
Since Fireball explodes can the explosion affect multiple targets? If so:
A) Attack! Have Maria shoot arrows at the nearest one while Jane casts Fireball at the one in the middle in the hopes that all three will be set on fire (I hope they are close enough to each other; also in both cases aim for the body to maximize chance to hit). After that focus on finishing off the most wounded one: Jane casts Magic Armor on herself and attacks with her dagger. She will target the victim's head and eyes in an attempt to at least blind him if she fails to kill. At the same time Maria continues to shoot arrows at the other rats.
If necessary (such as two opponents attacking her at the same time) Jane casts Wave of Force to get one of the opponents away from her (if possible target one that will get slammed into the wall).
Last, but not least, Jane should try to pick a target that is not set on fire by her fireball.
P.S.: For future info: Can Jane cast Magic Armor on Maria, or only on herself?
Since Fireball explodes can the explosion affect multiple targets? If so:
A) Attack! Have Maria shoot arrows at the nearest one while Jane casts Fireball at the one in the middle in the hopes that all three will be set on fire (I hope they are close enough to each other; also in both cases aim for the body to maximize chance to hit). After that focus on finishing off the most wounded one: Jane casts Magic Armor on herself and attacks with her dagger. She will target the victim's head and eyes in an attempt to at least blind him if she fails to kill. At the same time Maria continues to shoot arrows at the other rats.
If necessary (such as two opponents attacking her at the same time) Jane casts Wave of Force to get one of the opponents away from her (if possible target one that will get slammed into the wall).
Last, but not least, Jane should try to pick a target that is not set on fire by her fireball.
P.S.: For future info: Can Jane cast Magic Armor on Maria, or only on herself?
Since Fireball explodes can the explosion affect multiple targets? If so:
A) Attack! Have Maria shoot arrows at the nearest one while Jane casts Fireball at the one in the middle in the hopes that all three will be set on fire (I hope they are close enough to each other; also in both cases aim for the body to maximize chance to hit). After that focus on finishing off the most wounded one: Jane casts Magic Armor on herself and attacks with her dagger. She will target the victim's head and eyes in an attempt to at least blind him if she fails to kill. At the same time Maria continues to shoot arrows at the other rats.
If necessary (such as two opponents attacking her at the same time) Jane casts Wave of Force to get one of the opponents away from her (if possible target one that will get slammed into the wall).
Last, but not least, Jane should try to pick a target that is not set on fire by her fireball.
P.S.: For future info: Can Jane cast Magic Armor on Maria, or only on herself?
Since Fireball explodes can the explosion affect multiple targets? If so:
A) Attack! Have Maria shoot arrows at the nearest one while Jane casts Fireball at the one in the middle in the hopes that all three will be set on fire (I hope they are close enough to each other; also in both cases aim for the body to maximize chance to hit). After that focus on finishing off the most wounded one: Jane casts Magic Armor on herself and attacks with her dagger. She will target the victim's head and eyes in an attempt to at least blind him if she fails to kill. At the same time Maria continues to shoot arrows at the other rats.
If necessary (such as two opponents attacking her at the same time) Jane casts Wave of Force to get one of the opponents away from her (if possible target one that will get slammed into the wall).
Last, but not least, Jane should try to pick a target that is not set on fire by her fireball.
P.S.: For future info: Can Jane cast Magic Armor on Maria, or only on herself?
