All Part of the Plan...

Posts : 1078 Join date : 2008-08-21

Rolzup wrote:: OOC: I meant to grab Killian's heart, if it looked as though this could be done without damaging it. If he can, he'll bring it with him into the heart of the maze.

OOC: I should have mentioned something about that. I figured we were definitely taking the heart with us, if at all possible.

Posts : 1428 Join date : 2008-08-22

Rolzup wrote:: OOC: I meant to grab Killian's heart, if it looked as though this could be done without damaging it. If he can, he'll bring it with him into the heart of the maze. Will be moving slowly and all stealthy-like -- Stealth of 25 for himself, and 41 (!) for Dexter.

OOC: you can remove Killian's heart with damaging it, seeing as it's only alive at this point because of powerful magic that's still in effect.

Vox and his macabre familiar disappear into the ever-narrower trellis corridors of the maze. Vox can feel the pull of the vineyard's heart. Despite the twists in the narrow, crammed-in way it's easy for him follow it.

In the very center is something like a slender tree, covered in silver vines. Crucified on two of its lower branches is what appears to be a statue of a young man made from pinkish marble. The statue is breathing faintly. There's a hole cut in it's chest out of which a flower --a dahlia, in fact, is growing.

Vox doesn't see anything hostile here, at the moment, at least. Quickly shifting his vision to the mortal side, instead of a tree and statue, a motionless man with a bandaged chest lying on a bed of ivy being straddled by Concord (OOC: or whichever dryad escaped!).

Posts : 799 Join date : 2008-08-21

Nothing for it, then, Vox thinks to himself. Moving back around the corner, out of direct line of sight of Concord (or whoever) he begins to reverse the ritual, preparing to bring himself and Dexter back across the veil. Once more in the living world, he'll be able to take...action.

Posts : 1428 Join date : 2008-08-22

Vox steps back into the living world as Concord rises from the body of the real Killian Root. He appears to be sleeping. She appears to no longer be injured.

"Leave us, death-mulatto. You have no place in the Vaster Empire, and you have done enough harm here tonight" she says in a voice which sounds like it contains a multitude of distant thunderstorms. Apparently she's traveled well-enough to pick up one of the Port's many derogatory terms for Shadar-Kai.

Posts : 799 Join date : 2008-08-21

Vox shakes his head. "Not an option, I'm afraid. Killian there seems to have lost something; I've really choice but to return it to him. You understand, I'm certain." He takes a single step forward, turning to present his profile and leveling the point of his rapier at Concord. "And really, I haven't even begun to do harm to your operation. I'm going to file such a report..." he trails off, realizing that, as threats go, this one doesn't.

His empty hand twitches, passing something roughly the size on an apple to Dexter, who drops silently into the grass.

"So. Will you be surrendering now? Or am I going to have to get..." he makes a poking motion with his blade at the dryad, "Violent?"

OOC: Quietly pass the heart to Dexter, and send him scurrying stealthily towards Killian. I'm trying to picture precisely how a severed hand carries a human heart while locomoting upon its fingers, and I am forced to conclude: Awkwardly. Dragging itself along by its middle finger, or perhaps rolling.

Thievery to pass the heart: 31 Stealth, for Dexter: 34

Admin Posts : 759 Join date : 2008-08-21

The member 'Rolzup' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 13, 12

Posts : 1428 Join date : 2008-08-22

Rolzup wrote:: I'm trying to picture precisely how a severed hand carries a human heart while locomoting upon its fingers, and I am forced to conclude: Awkwardly. Dragging itself along by its middle finger, or perhaps rolling.

Thievery to pass the heart: 31 Stealth, for Dexter: 34[/i]

Vox's right-hand disembodied left hand manages to surreptitiously drag the Killian's heart behind his body. It then clamors on top of him and begins working the bandages around his chest.

In reply to Vox, Concord lets out a brief screech that the half-dead bureaucrat can almost hear. Three scary makeover girls boil out of the vines around him.

OOC: roll Init. They go on 18.

Admin Posts : 759 Join date : 2008-08-21

The member 'Mallus' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 13

Posts : 799 Join date : 2008-08-21

"Well, crap," Vox says bitterly.

OOC: Initiative: 17.

AC 25, Fort 21 Ref 23, Will 22

Will use Slayer's Escape as an immediate reaction the first time he's hit, teleporting 25' away, in the direction opposite Killian and Dexter, and turning invisible. He will, however, make taunting noises, so as to keep their attention focused upon him.

Admin Posts : 759 Join date : 2008-08-21

The member 'Rolzup' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 7

Posts : 1078 Join date : 2008-08-21

Mallus wrote:: In reply to Vox, Concord lets out a brief screech that the half-dead bureaucrat can almost hear. Three scary makeover girls boil out of the vines around him.

OOC: roll Init. They go on 18.

OOC: Scott, how far is Vox from Christabel and can she see anything of the space he's in? If it's within 100 ft and she can see it, I'm thinking of having her summon Oothoon near him and let the armadillo help out.

Posts : 799 Join date : 2008-08-21

shilsen wrote:

Mallus wrote:: In reply to Vox, Concord lets out a brief screech that the half-dead bureaucrat can almost hear. Three scary makeover girls boil out of the vines around him.

OOC: roll Init. They go on 18.

OOC: Scott, how far is Vox from Christabel and can she see anything of the space he's in? If it's within 100 ft and she can see it, I'm thinking of having her summon Oothoon near him and let the armadillo help out.

OOC: He's crossed the veil, remember? Spirtually, they are indeed worlds apart. But no worries!

Posts : 1078 Join date : 2008-08-21

Rolzup wrote:: OOC: He's crossed the veil, remember? Spirtually, they are indeed worlds apart. But no worries!

Whoops! I forgot about that. And that means we're all on the Other Side till he brings us back, so don't you dare die, okay?

Posts : 138 Join date : 2008-08-27

"Oy vey this is tense," says Fagin the Jew/Cyborg. "That skinny little bribe-taker... I mean bureaucrat, is our only way out of this place? Why oh why didn't I take his ritual book for 'safekeeping' before he ran on ahead."

Fagin pulls out an old worn violin from one of the many voluminous pockets in his Tardis-like coat. Then he starts playing a surprisingly beautiful, haunting, and sad melody, to put the grapes and other hearers into a mournful daze. He hopes his magical music can cross the thin veil into the physical world, to help that poor half-dead bribe-taker, bless his soul.

OOC: He plays the Lullaby ritual, getting a 34 on his Arcana check. Every creature that can hear him, other than his allies, gets a -6 to Insight and Perception checks for as long as he plays, and for 10 minutes after he stops.

Admin Posts : 759 Join date : 2008-08-21

The member 'Atlatl Jones' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 19

Posts : 1428 Join date : 2008-08-22

Rolzup wrote:: "Well, crap," Vox says bitterly.

OOC: Initiative: 17.

AC 25, Fort 21 Ref 23, Will 22

Will use Slayer's Escape as an immediate reaction the first time he's hit, teleporting 25' away, in the direction opposite Killian and Dexter, and turning invisible. He will, however, make taunting noises, so as to keep their attention focused upon him.

As Concord and the scary makeover girls prepare to lash out, Vox hears hauntingly sad and ethereal music drifting across the Veil from the Living Side. It's lovely, and it fills Vox with uncharacteristic impulse for charity, particularly towards hideous, not to mention intentionally, deformed children.

This has got to be Geppetto Jack's doing.

The makeover girls strike first with their long sapping vines...

... the first hits you and then you blink away, leaving the others tangling vine-like appendages in the air as the dryad lunges into the impromptu netting. The dryad recovers first, popping out of a trellis next to your new location on the far side of Killian's body. The makeover girls float over too, once they've cats-cradled themselves free.

You note that none of your opponents take any notice of Dexter, whose managed to get the other layer of bandages off Killian's chest.

OOC: Vox takes 5 points of necrotic damage --immune, is he?

Admin Posts : 759 Join date : 2008-08-21

The member 'Mallus' has done the following action : Dice Roller

#1 'd20' : 14, 12, 8

--------------------------------

#2 'd20' : 19

--------------------------------

#3 'd8' : 5

Posts : 799 Join date : 2008-08-21

Mallus wrote:: OOC: Vox takes 5 points of necrotic damage --immune, is he?

No such luck....

Humming to the tune of Gepettojack's music, much to his own annoyance, Vox bows to Concord and leaps into her shadow, throwing a Shroud upon her as he does.

OOC: That's 25 vs. AC, 19 damage, and if it hits....
"...and you shift 1 square into the target’s space and remain there until the start of your next turn. While there, you are insubstantial, you move with the target (this movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks), and any melee or ranged attack that misses you hits the target instead, unless the target is the attacker. At the start of your next turn, you slide 1 square to a square adjacent to the target."

If it don't hit, well, he'll Shadow-step 15' away, to as secure a location as possible. Always leading them away from Dexter and Killian.

Admin Posts : 759 Join date : 2008-08-21

The member 'Rolzup' has done the following action : Dice Roller

#1 'd20' : 7

--------------------------------

#2 'd8' : 1

--------------------------------

#3 'd8' : 6

--------------------------------

#4 'd6' : 5

Posts : 1428 Join date : 2008-08-22

Rolzup wrote:: [i]OOC: That's 25 vs. AC, 19 damage, and if it hits....
"...and you shift 1 square into the target’s space and remain there until the start of your next turn. While there, you are insubstantial, you move with the target (this movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks), and any melee or ranged attack that misses you hits the target instead, unless the target is the attacker. At the start of your next turn, you slide 1 square to a square adjacent to the target."

Vox skewers Concord and then, much to her chagrin, merges with her shadow. Even more to her chagrin, the failing tendrils of the makeover girls follow Vox in...

... and two hit Concord, anchoring the dryad in place and withering her slightly. With a brief, inhuman wail she vanishes, seemingly into the grass at her feet, only to reappear out of a trellis 10ft. away.

Vox notes that Dexter has Killian's bandages off. He is now attempting one-handed open-heart surgery.

Admin Posts : 759 Join date : 2008-08-21

The member 'Mallus' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 12, 19, 9

Posts : 799 Join date : 2008-08-21

Vox steps from Concord's shadow, and throws an obscene gesture in her direction as he lets himself fall through the shadow of the trellis, re-emerging a small distance away. He cups his hands together for a moment, and pulls them apart...leaving the little ball of darkness that the gesture had created hanging in mid air. Vox flicks it in Concord's direction....

OOC: Using Shadow Step followed by Nightmare Shades -- 19 vs. Will, 27 damage, and if that's a hit Vox gets Combat Advantage and a +4 damage bonus against her next turn.

And then steels himself for his makeover, raising his buckler and trying not to whimper aloud..

Admin Posts : 759 Join date : 2008-08-21

The member 'Rolzup' has done the following action : Dice Roller

#1 'd20' : 6

--------------------------------

#2 'd8' : 6

--------------------------------

#3 'd8' : 6

--------------------------------

#4 'd6' : 1

--------------------------------

#5 'd6' : 4

Posts : 1428 Join date : 2008-08-22

Rolzup wrote:: OOC: Using Shadow Step followed by Nightmare Shades -- 19 vs. Will, 27 damage, and if that's a hit Vox gets Combat Advantage and a +4 damage bonus against her next turn.

The Eternal Bureaucrat stabs the dryad in the faith, bloodying her resolve.

Quote :: And then steels himself for his makeover, raising his buckler and trying not to whimper aloud..

Two makeover girls hit Vox, sapping his already somewhat scarce supply of life-force. Concord, however, having just had her conception of her place in the order of the things shaken by the point of Vox's blade, misses terribly.

Vox takes 10 points of Necrotic damage, is Immobilized, and loses 1 Healing Surge.

Dexter, on the other hand, is fairing quite well. Unnoticed, he drops Killian's heart back into the empty cradle of his chest.

OOC: John, roll either Healing or Arcana (for Dexter).

Admin Posts : 759 Join date : 2008-08-21

The member 'Mallus' has done the following action : Dice Roller

#1 'd20' : 13, 3, 18

--------------------------------

#2 'd20' : 1

--------------------------------

#3 'd8' : 3