Age of Ice and Blood: A Pathfinder System Heroic Fantasy Quest
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
-
- Tags
- pathfinder open voting
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Yeah, that was really peculiar. I have no clue what's going on there, but I'm hoping he's not some sort of possessing spirit animating a meat suit and controlling some Undead puppets.
Last edited:
- Location
- ?????????
[X] Goldfish
- Location
- Texas
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Goldfish
Of course; just not a fan of actively wielding both a sword and gauntlet.
[X] Goldfish
Victory!
Edit: I wonder who the spider was, however.
Last edited:
No explosive reaction at least and you don't need to chop off his ring finger with a broken sword.
- Location
- Germany
[X] Goldfish
- Location
- Russia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
@Goldfish , maybe it's also worth Silver to look at Unke's corpse? Maybe his horse sense and detect magic will give him some advice?
Also, now I am very-very glad that we did not trade mounted combat for psionics. If I assume correctly, it helped as aplenty (I assume that "Mayhap if your friend were yet a common horse the strike might have landed, but he is not and so in two quick steps he dances out of reach" was mounted combat.
Also, now I am very-very glad that we did not trade mounted combat for psionics. If I assume correctly, it helped as aplenty (I assume that "Mayhap if your friend were yet a common horse the strike might have landed, but he is not and so in two quick steps he dances out of reach" was mounted combat.
It would have been harder to stay ahorse without it, certainly.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Silver's Detect Magic is a 1/Day ability, but Inge and Esha can use theirs as many times as they want. I would rather have him conserve it for now, just in case it could come in handy later.
I will have him give Unke a close examination, though, based on his keen senses.
Good idea. Adding that, too.
- Location
- Russia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I simply feel that Silver is a bit hindered in his... arcane studies. I am not sure how to handle it.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Who knows, he might become a Horserer at some point in the future, but for now he'll just have to be a Horse.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
The gate is still open, though, right? Does preventing it from being closed preclude us being able to parley with them?
Yes, as charging it would be a hostile action and one that takes the time you would otherwise spend trying to organize some kind of diplomacy.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
In that case, I guess I'll go with the diplomacy route. We need to get people healed, reorganize, etc., before trying to storm into the city.
[X] Take advantage of the lull in the fighting and Unke's fall to demand a parley with whoever is in charge of the city
-[X] Have our men secure Unke's body and equipment, along with what remains of our armor. Before Inge begins healing the worst of the wounded, ask her and Esha to examine Unke's corpse to determine if we need to worry about him seemingly rising from the grave once more, and whether or not the arms and armor he wielded are cursed, enchanted, or otherwise supernatural in nature.
--[X] Ask Silver to give Unke and his Undead an inspection as well, if he's feeling up to it. While he might lack the esoteric knowledge of Inge and Esha, more than once his sharp senses have saved us a great deal of trouble.
-[X] Unless Inge or Esha advise against it, the bodies of fallen enemies, especially the Undead serving Unke, will be placed on pyres and cremated (or a suitable alternative suggested by Inge, as both an Anwari and servant of Ikomi) to prevent them from rising again. If our enemies were able to make use of them before, they might be able to do so again.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
It doesn't seem like we can do that without tanking any chance of a diplomatic solution, according to DP. Considering the size of the city and the potential for armed resistance, I would prefer to attempt diplomacy first. We can always assault the city from the sea if necessary. It would be easier than trying to go through or over the walls.
Vote closed. I wanted to leave this open longer but I am concerned that I would not be able to get two updates up today if I did not start now.
Arc 12 Post 55: Of Iron Wrought
Of Iron Wrought
Sixth Day of Elnu-Hamba (Elnu Descendent), 1349 A. L. (After Landfall)
Armies do not move like fingers of a man's hand and warriors do not from the sight of blood flinch in the hour of victory, but this is no ordinary day, no common battle. A king out of legend has fallen, the dead, risen to fight again, have now fallen down among the sharp stones of the vale and yours was the sword that dealt the final blow.
You do not feel victorious, certainly you do not feel like a hero, mostly you just feel pain and the rush of blood to your ears and the sticky feel of blood still flowing from your leg, mingling with Silver's.
Under the arc of the gate the living warriors of the city waver, they had seen their lord wreathed in power and sorcery cast down, but some of them are still pushing to advance even as the bulk of the host seeks the safety of the city wall. Were you but three years younger you would have ordered a charge, were you but three years younger you would likely be dead on the field.
"Rally!" you shout. "Rally the drums! Men of Korman, men of Lirman hold!" It is not 'retreat' but near enough as makes no difference. As Inge's magic does its work, knitting flesh and sinew you glance up towards Ohun still circling above and wonder if he will agree with the choice you made.
The gates of Noromo shut closed soon after with a worryingly final clang.
***
By the time you had gathered up the dead, theirs and yours and lit the pyres the sun was already high enough in the sky to show clearly among the red stones withered grasses the glint of precious things. Here a dagger, set with whale bone for luck, there a talisman forged of pure tin from the White Lands wrought in the shape of Izil the Guiding Star that shows the way thence. The Fellowship of Saint Nicholas, thankfully all unscathed from the fighting bar a few scars and the rush to fear that always seems to come upon even the boldest once battle is done, does not partake. This is not out of the sort of contempt for the 'gleamings' of battle which you had encountered a time or two mostly on the part of knights far more wealthy than you, but simply because you had already made your claim to a prize greater and perhaps more perilous
As the battle waned the bodies of the dead men began to look less withered and uncannily more fresh, first blue and green and yellow of rotting flesh seeming to bloom like foul flowers over it and then even the healthy shade of skin... well as healthy as a recent corpse might get. All the dead that had fallen now look as living men new slain... and Unke as a withered corpse so ancient it shatters as Esha begins to take off the fine suit of armor.
Now that you can look at it under the light of day without shroud of shadow or the need to avoid that crushing fist you see that it is more finely made that even the armor you had worn into the Holy land, chain and plate expertly wrought each complementing the other such that the bare minimum of the warrior within within is unguarded...
"Could have done with a helm," Tom spits as he looks down at the body.
"Also with fewer daemon runes," Esha says more softly. She points at a passage along the left shoulder and down the arm. "That is a prayer to things that aught not be called on by light of moon nor sun. It consecrates a chosen foe to the dominion of the Neverborn and in exchange the bearer is girdled all the more against their blows. I think that even without that it should offer some protection from blows beside that which craft alone can do..." She looks you up and down, lingering upon your chest and you do not flatter yourself as to the cause. "No spell will mend your armor in time for battle, should the high folk of Korman refuse the parley. You are strong willed enough to wear this I think for a few battles at least..."
Gained Redman's Regalia
Description: Wrought of bronze and edged with bronze, carved with runes of ruin, this armor is the mark of a great king unbowed in battle til the last and it is the mark of secret sins that one can but guess at, a home of daemons wrapped around the heart.
Ability: Masterwork Fullplate, Dastardly +1
Ability: Masterwork Fullplate, Dastardly +1
"I would never bear such a foul thing," you reply horrified.
The sorceress shakes her head. "Foul in its use it may be, foul in its forging certainly, but the spirit within is still and cold for lack of its bearer. It shall do you no harm, this I vow." After a moment's pause she adds. "You almost died even with the armor of iron, it would be a great sorrow if you perished in the taking of the city because you would walk thence with no guard but your shield."
You open your mouth to say something, though you are not quite sure what, another denial, assurance that you would not die, as much as one might give it? Mayhap some recognition of that care, unsettling though the manner of it be? In the end you settle on asking: "What of the gauntlet?"
"That I can tell you less of, the power seems mostly of the iron itself, a tool of unmaking and the breaking of chains...." Esha sighs as she cradles the thing in her hands. "Ah such an instrument for opening he gates of power could have been wrought with this... instead it is a fine way to open gates of wood and stone."
Gained Bronze Breaker
Description: This Gauntlet is wrought of black iron in menacing guise with claws that tear, a grip that crushes, yet for all the eye can see of its fearsome form is weighs heavier in the mind, according to Esha able to break things far beyond the strength of men to do unaided.
Ability: This +1 Breaking Gauntlet can twice per day take on the properties of Adamant for one round, as a swift action. This allows attacks from the Gauntlet to ignore Hardness below 20 in any attacked or sundered objects.
Ability: This +1 Breaking Gauntlet can twice per day take on the properties of Adamant for one round, as a swift action. This allows attacks from the Gauntlet to ignore Hardness below 20 in any attacked or sundered objects.
"You could claim either... or both," Esha adds when you fail to reply. "I could not think of any pair beside you and Silver who would have made an end of him here before the gates."
The very much closed gates... you sigh inwardly. It is not that Ohun had not gotten any answers, rather the guards had first called down for the locals to return to their ships and their boats unless they wished to be counted the subjects of a dead king. Then, when the warriors of the outer villages had claimed Aina for their queen, the herald of the city had asked to meet with her for they knew her to be dead and so far neither side had been willing to give.
Hard to trust an invading host said one side, hard to trust the puppets to daemons said the other... and though it al rand the question: "Where is Obari?"
What do you do with the Redman's accoutrements?
[] Claim and use the Regalia
[] Claim and use the Bronze Breaker
Do you have any suggestions about the negotiations?
[] Show some trust
[] Stand firm
[] Write in
OOC: The reason why the vote about the strategic situation is so vague is that you guys do not have a lot of direct power due to past choices. Still, your suggestion might be listened to.
Last edited: