Kevin's Watch

"After sunset, I can help identify items. But then I would have no spells left for the fight tomorrow. Your strength will return in the morning, though. Maybe you should finish the rest."

I look at the large number of elves and a dragon with us. "I think we'll be safe from attack now."

Covering her mouth and yawning widely from five hours of intense concentration and singing after singing throughout the battle, the bard returns to the party with the Wand. "This holds thirty charges of Cat's Grace," she says wearily, replacing the wand in the pile.

Looking up towards the cleric of Cerana, Laurel takes hold of the amulet, clasping it wistfully. "This should be offered to one who has chosen to serve The Wild Bitch," she mutters quietly to herself. "Rather than to one who merely worships her..."

Hands shaking, she forces herself to replace the amulet along with the other items, and awaits the decisions of the others regarding how these items would be divvied up.

Skyseeker shakes her head..."The only one with any claim on these apart from us is Spirit Stalker. Were Bitch-Kissed over here, had she faced this Grey Slaad, then your idea would make more sense. Or perhaps trade this to her, certainly. But to outright hand it to her.....that has overtones of indebting her to you. I'm not ascribing such motives to you, but your ignorance of elven ways could lead to an unintentional insult here, and as your friend I wish to spare you that."

Indebted? Laurel shakes her head at her ignorance. Here I thought tales and songs had the answers to everything...

"You are certain it would be misconstrued, Skyseeker? I would like to claim this," as she reaches out again for the amulet, "but if it would be put to better use by someone else..."

Seeing the exhausted bard's yawn, Anna raises her hand to cover her own. "I hold no claim to the objects found. I have flail of my ancestors, and that should be enough to satisfy anyone. However, if anyone knows where I could get a few potions to replenish my stock, that would be lovely."

At Skyseeker's confirmation of her words, the bard removes her own pair of tiny dice from her neck and slips them in to her pocket. Placing the amulet on her own bosom, she excuses hereself and makes her way over to Hardy. She mimics a whinny of greeting over to Garven, then curry combs Hardy for twenty minutes or so. "You've been with me since I was a young girl, good fella. I am sorry to have been assigning you only the "beast of burden" role lately."

As she works around her pony's chest and neck, she removes the tiny dice and attaches them to a rivet on Hardy's halter. "I know better than to expect these to last long attached here," she smiles at her animal friend. "But may the Wild Bitch protect you as she watches over me..."

Replacing the curry comb and brush, Laurel removes her hand harp from Hardy's saddle bags and retrieves her bedroll. Spreading her bedroll out near Led's, she sits and strums a lullaby as the evening turns to night and she sees all gathered in the chamber beginning to settle in for the night. Her own party seems healthy enough that additional healing may not be needed, but perhaps her song will be heard and a benefit to others the clerics are healing throughout the chamber.

Her Hymn of Healing drifting off in to the cavern's echoes, the bard sets her harp gently down, gives a sleepy smile in Led's direction, then curls up and sleeps in preparation for the morrow.

Seven Words wrote:The plan, formulated for the morrow, is for Khaurum, shapeshifted into elven form, to accompany Spirit Stalker, Visty'ai, Skyseeker, CrushSpike, and (if he is willing) Led to directly brace the Protector. The elves still hold some small hope that a large majority of his support will dissipate with Kharum and Skyseeker's revelations. However, they certainly aren't planning on it. Kalindriel, DarkRock, and Vynarkus will induce a falling-out among the outsiders. Bitch-Kissed, Laurel, Annelysei and Sigrid will be joined by the seasoned warriors Knarr and Vilk of the Frusvolk, plus StarStriker and Hammerhand of the elves, an Arcane Archer and monk respectively.

[I think Vynarkus will be more useful in one of the two other engagements. He's excellent fire support and if everything goes properly, there won't be any fighting for the PCs in mine. If it goes poorly, it'll be flee, if not die, quickly...

Further if things get rough in convincing them, it might require a bit of... unpleasantness. Since Vyn's portrayal has him walking on the edge, I don't know if he wants to risk that shove off it.]

[Vynarkus is welcome to join my group. His ability to call shenanigans on what the Protector is doing as a Warlock would be the final bit of evidence to solidify our attempt to convert many of the Protector's allies to our cause. A dragon, a foreign elf, a civilized shifter, and a good warlock can only invalidate everything the Protector claims.]

Led Pighp wrote:[Vynarkus is welcome to join my group. His ability to call shenanigans on what the Protector is doing as a Warlock would be the final bit of evidence to solidify our attempt to convert many of the Protector's allies to our cause. A dragon, a foreign elf, a civilized shifter, and a good warlock can only invalidate everything the Protector claims.]

[Someone please tell me shenanigans is an actual spell or something. Because that would make my whole life.]

Annalysei wrote:Someone please tell me shenanigans is an actual spell or something. Because that would make my whole life.]

Not yet, but homeruled spells are always possible!

[Off the top of my head, it would either be a counterspell or maybe a disbelief roll on an illusion.

barring any objections, I'm inclined to move things ahead to the big event....

Vynarkus gets up from where he was preparing his bedroll, and walks over to Led.

"Led, earlier today an elf who uses a double-bladed sword offered to trade me for 'mine' (sarcastic tone). I believe that if I actually did so, both he and I would be far more useful in the upcoming fight, but as it is your sword, I told him I could not discuss such things immediately, and that I would talk to him tommorrow. I would only trade it if he can get some very specific and uncommon items for it, but as it is your sword, I do not wish to make such a trade without your permission. I want to know what you would think of such a trade."

A look of concern crosses Led's face. "Trade it away? But..."

He looks around at the others... "But... the thing is useless to me. And the value of it doesn't matter either, intrinsically. It's a... a token... a momento... a... a trophy of nearly dying but then not dying. I keep that dinged up old halberd, and it's not even magical."

He tries to calm himself down. "If your friend, or whoever this man is, needs to borrow it, that's fine. I hope we can trust him not to run off with it. But I can't bear to permanently part with it. I'm sorry."

Seven Words wrote:barring any objections, I'm inclined to move things ahead to the big event....

Move ahead.

I follow Kalindriel around. "Can I help?"

"Certainly! You can help me look for useful materials and let me know how my disguise is shaping up. Hop up so you don't have to walk on the snow."

Through the course of the night Kali scrounges through the camp and its outskirts. Aednat can be seen sitting on her shoulders, or hanging off her neck.

By morning when everyone awakens for the days events, she has assembled a Home Guard uniform.

A voluminous cloak has been pulled low over her head and is kept drawn tight. A bulge on her back seems to be a pack of some kind and her hood is somehow kept puffed up.

The following morning, there is a gathering.

The much-scarred Favored Soul of Missaryi is the leader, it seems. he addresses the crowd

"We have come together, here and now, for this day which is a day we doubted would ever come. When the Protector's lies would be bared before the people. But we have discovered his lies and villainy transcend even the blackest depths to which we had imagined he had sunk. We mourned the death of our race, when the truth was many fled the Golden Wood and great Jao at the Coming of Doom! This he knew, yet kept us huddled in terror, fading, a memory of a memory of glory we would become. But from our kin, comes Skyseeker. From the Darkened Wood, comes Led Pighp" he bows in respect to Led, "and lastly, from Valkhan himself comes Khaurum. Today, when the protector gives his speech about the dire straits our people are in, and the desperate measures necessary to fend off our demise, before all the folk of Home, we shall lay bare all his convoluted plotting!"

he pauses, becoming somber indeed, "There are those of us who would still side with him. Many do so out of a hunger for power...others from fear...and still others who genuinely believe in him. repugnant as elf killing elf is, we must not shirk, nor falter, for surely we would be destroyed by our foes, and then the Darkness which consumed the light of the Golden Wood would consume this fragile beacon of hope against the Endless Night. Yes, I said fragile! We are less than once we were...diminished in stature for perpetuating the shame of our pride. We created intelligent beings, and shackled them to our will, deluding ourselves that they needed our guidance, could not do for themselves. We here hold not to that vile creed, but we have not done enough to free those who languish under the weight of OUR sin, the Shifters and the WarForged. No longer! I will beseech the Radiant One Herself to turn Her rays from any here who seek to perpetuate our Shame."

He breathes deeply, and says, "The Sun is risen! Dawn is breaking! let us now break the web of deceit and liberate all of our peoples!"

Led grins wickedly at this, looking forward to dishing out revenge upon the Protector and his ilk.

Looking at those gathered, he approaches the one who serves Darethon. "My Lord. Long have I viewd your God as an enemy of what I protect. But here, now, in this moment, I realize that Darethon is all that I must embrace, in order to do the needful. Bloody Savage War is exactly what this moment calls for; and so, I come to you asking for your blessing, and Darethon's blessing as well." Led removes his robes to Serloth Lorekeeper, carefully folds them and sets them aside. Finally, he kneels before the priest.

Before the attack starts, I cast Sanctuary on myself. Because of Share Spell, it also effects Aednat.

I have these spells available:

• Cleric 0 -
  Create Water
  Create Water
  Create Water
  Create Water
  Cleric 1 -
  Sanctuary
  Shield of Faith
  Protection from Evil
  Protection from Evil
  Cleric 1 - (ring)
  Cure Light Wounds
  Cure Light Wounds
  Cure Light Wounds
  Cleric 2 -
  Bear's Endurance
  Bear's Endurance
  Bear's Endurance
  Sorceress 0 - (six)
  Acid Splash
  Arcane Mark
  Mage Hand
  Prestidigitation
  Ray of Frost
  Sorceress 1 - (six)
  Mage Armor
  Magic Missile
  Shield
  Sorceress 3 - (wand)
  Sonic Blast
  
  Turn Undead - (six)