The Shattered City: Chapter Two

[Nerit]

Placeholder.

Move: Stand up.
Standard: Second Wind. Regain 11HP +2 more to all defenses until start of next turn.

[NeoTiamat]

Chateau de Tarascons, Outside of Port-a-Lucine; Just Past Midnight of March 24th, 770
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Player Actions
Mr. Agale: Crits the Weird for 16 damage, makes himself invisible to most enemies.
Tomas: De-Dominates Cyrus, hits the Weird for 13 damage, gains +3 Temp HP.
Nicolas: Heals Tomas for Surge+9, misses the Weird, stabilizes for +6
Celeste: Gets a +1 AC bonus, hits Poincare for 14/2=7 damage and Immobilizes and Slides.
Kerrian: Backtracks and Full-Defends.
Nerit: Second Winds
Darius: Attacks the Weird, misses. Takes 5 Cold Damage.
Cyrus: Finishes off the Weird for 14 damage.
Lia: Magice Missile's Poincare for 10/2=5 damage.

"Aah!" Tomas shouts, pulling his hand away from Cyrus as though it were on fire, eyes wild. The...not a memory...gives the Weird another chance to smash him in the face. Tomas's normal dislike of water increased a hundredfold, it is, perhaps, not entirely surprising that the Lamordian turns on the handsy elemental with righteous fury, Ivorsen smashing into what Eisenwald figures is the closest it has to a face.

The dommer nodded appreciatively at Tomas and then swung his gleaming sword at the weird. He batted the creature's liquid lash aside and cut into it again. He knocked it off balance with his backswing.

The elemental opened its serpentine jaws to hiss at Tomas, the bloody chum within its form roiling as the Lamordian knocked it back. It readied to strike, when Cyrus slashed his blade into it once more.

It was as though a final link was broken. The Water Weird rippled, tiny ways rolling up and down its snake-like form. Then, all at the same moment, it lost its cohesion, turning into nothing more than a column of bloody water, which promptly showered Cyrus, Tomas, and Nicolas with damp goose-guts.

"You do not get to walk away!" Lia shouts again.

Dr. Poincare turned to look at the source of the shouting, and in that moment her foot caught and slipped, causing her to slide forward and twist her leg in what must have been a wretchedly painful manner.

"Doctor?" One of the passing cultists, a blonde girl no older than twenty asked. She and her companion, a stocky young man with thick glasses, stopped by Dr. Poincare. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Run!" Dr. Poincare said harshly, a sliver of emotion entering her voice for the first time. The two young cultists obeyed, scattering and making for the rear wall of the chateau compound.

Dr. Poincare smiled through gritted teeth and levered herself to her feet. She planted the glaive in the snow before her, and awaited her fate.

Recharge Rolls!
Cultist 1: 1, 6 (Recharges Tentacle of Ice and Water)
Cultist 2: 4, 6 (Recharges Tentacle of Ice and Water)
Cultist 3: 4, 4, (Nothing)
Cultist 4: 4, 4, (Nothing)
Cultist 5: 3, 4 (Nothing, and what is up with all of these fours?!?)
Cultist 6: 1 (Nothing)


Cultist #1 casts a Tentacle of Ice and Water at Cyrus. 16 vs. Fortitude. Miss. Then the cultist moves back.
Cultist #6 casts a Tentacle of Ice and Water at Darius. 31 vs. Fortitude. Hit for 15 damage, Darius slides 5 squares, and is Restrained (Save Ends). Then the cultist moves back.

Cultist #3 casts a Frostbite Bolt at Tomas. 19 vs. Fort. Hits for 12-1=11 damage, and Tomas is Slowed (Save Ends). Then the cultist moves back.
Cultist #4 casts a Frostbite Bolt at Cyrus. 21 vs. Fort. Hits for 10 damage, and Cyrus is Slowed (Save Ends). Then the cultist moves back.


Cultist #2 Double-moves right off the map.
Cultist #5 Double-moves right off the map.

Poincare Uses a Full Defense Action to gain a +2 to all defenses.

Ice!
Nicolas (+6) - Miss
Agale (+8) - Miss
Celeste (+6) - Miss
Cyrus - Hit - 13 - Ongoing 5 Cold Damage (Save Ends)
Darius - Miss
Tomas - Miss
Nerit - Critical Miss

Cultist 1 - Hit - 10 - Slides 3 squares straight up, which throws her off the map (?!). She's been in the square right above the '20' before. Falls prone then, so it's probably a wash as far as speed of escape goes.
Cultist 3 - Miss
Cultist 4 - Miss




Terrain!

Ice: I'm going to run this slightly like a trap. At the end of each turn, the Ice will make an attack roll against your Reflex Defense if you are on the ice. If it fails, nothing happens. If it hits, we roll a d20 randomly on the following table to decide what happens:

• 1-4: You slip and fall Prone.
  5-7: You slide 1d4 squares in a random direction (determined by a d8 )
  8-10: You slide 1d4 squares in a random direction (determined by a d8 ) and fall Prone
  11-13: You slip into some shallow water. You take 5 Ongoing Cold Damage (save ends).
  14-16: Extremely slippery ice forces you to move very carefully. You are Slowed until your next turn.
  17-18: Your foot catches in a crevasse in the ice. You are Immobilized until your next turn.
  19: You take a very bad fall. You take 10 damage and fall Prone.
  20: You stumble, causing a spray of freezing water to splash you in the eyes. You are Blinded until your next turn.

You may take a Move Action to steady yourself (DC 5+ Acrobatics). For every 5 points you exceed the DC by, gain +2 to your Reflex defense only against the ice. So if you got a 17, you get a +6 to your Reflex defense against the ice.

Water: Anyone who enters or starts his turn in a water square takes 5 Ongoing Cold Damage and is Slowed (save ends both). To move onto an Ice Square requires a DC 12 Acrobatics or DC 12 Athletics check as a Move Action.

Forced Movement & Water's Edge: If you are, by reason of Forced Movement, knocked into the water, you can make an immediate saving throw. On a result of 10-20, you remain on the ice, though you fall prone. On a result of 1-9 you are pulled into the water. Until you make the save, I shall leave your PC in between the two squares, and then you can count your origin square for the turn based on your save result.


PCs:
Cyrus Isfahani (C): 21/58, 8 HS, Oath of Enduring Wrath (+2 Saves), Bloodied, Slowed (Save Ends), Ongoing 5 Cold Damage (Save ends)
AC 18, F 18, R 17, W 19
Darius Isfahani (D): 8/60, 9 HS, Inspire Competence (+2 to next skill check), Bloodied, Ongoing 5 Cold Damage (save ends), Restrained (Save Ends)
AC 23, F 17, R 19, W 19
Sister Nerit Doherty (N): 16/47, 3 HS, Bloodied, Inspire Competence (+2 to next skill check), Second Wind (+2)
AC 18+2, F 14+2, R 17+2, W 21+2
Mr. Agale (A): 22/44, 6 HS, Bloodied,
AC 18, F 16, R 19, W 21
Nicolas Etienne de Castaigne (Nc): 17/56, 5 HS, Bloodied
AC 21, F 18, R 20, W 21
Tomas Eisenwald (T): 43/59, 9 HS, Resist All/1, Restrained (Save Ends), Slowed (Save Ends)
AC 24, F 18, R 18, W 20
Prof. Lia Mournswaithe (L): 44/50, 7 HS
AC 20, F 16, R 18, W 17
Kerrian Mauganson (K): 53/53, 3 HS, Full Defense (+2)
AC 17, F 19, R 16, W 20
Kerrian's Spirit (Purple Dot) Minion
AC 17, F 19, R 16, W 20
Celeste Viardot (Cv): 41/50, 1 HS, Spirit (+1 NADs), Inspire Competence (+2 to next skill check), Slowed (Save Ends)
AC 16, F 17, R 18, W 20

Enemies:

Dr. Nicole Poincare (P): -90 HP, Mark (Darius), Bloodied, Insubstantial, Immobilized, Full Defense
AC: 24+2 Fortitude: 18+2 Reflex: 22+2 Will: 23+2

Water Weird (W):DISCORPORATED
AC: 24 Fortitude: 22 Reflex: 19 Will: 20

First Cultist (1): Fled by means of slipping on the ice
Second Cultist (2): Fled
Third Cultist (3): -8 HP, Insubstantial, Recharging (Insubstantial Transformation, Tentacle of Ice and Water)
Fourth Cultist (4): -22 HP, Insubstantial, Recharging (Insubstantial Transformation, Tentacle of Ice and Water)
Fifth Cultist (5): Fled
Sixth Cultist (6): -1 HP, Recharging (Insubstantial Transformation, Tentacle of Ice and Water), Divine Sanction (Tomas)
AC: 20 Fortitude: 19 Reflex: 21 Will: 19

[Cronax]

"Do you not see that your current prospects are dismal madam? Your beast falls and your sycophants retreat. It would be so easy, don't you think, to simply lay down your weapon and drift into a frozen sleep." Agale's voice intoned across the frozen lake. Spiralling swirls in falling snow denoted an impressive discharge of strange energy at the erstwhile restorationist.

Move Action: Slogging over to N20
Standard Action: Nonlethal Ravening Thought at Poincare, critical hit for 18 psychic damage and ongoing 5 psychic (save ends)
Minor Action: Distract Against Poincare, The first attack of next round gains combat advantage against her.
Save vs Slow: barely a success because of the armor

[yalenusveler]

Kerrian was far less eloquent in his attempts to bring Poincare down. On one hand, her followers were responsible for the death, or likely close to it of Captain Cedolin, and had nearly cost Richard his arm. Killing her wouldn't be justice, but would fulfill a certain base urge essential to the human condition. Justice's less kind sibling, vengeance.

Fortunately for her, Kerrian was above his base urges today. His spirit wolf faded from existence where it stood next to Celeste, and resumed coherency in front of the Doctor, working to bite at her legs, trying to bring her off balance, or at least not going for the throat. The low growl the spirit let out suggesting that if she tried to move from the spot another attack would be forthcoming.

Minor Action to dismiss spirit companion, Free to re-summon it at E18, standard for Defending Strike Nonlethal, Wis vs Reflex, hit with a 29 for 11 nonlethal, and a +1 to the AC of all allies who somehow end up adjacent to my spirit companion. Readying a nonlethal spirit's shield targeting Ponicare if she tries to move without shifting, which is a Wis vs Will for 6 damage if it hits.

[Nathan of the FoS]

For just a moment things are going well, it's just like practice, with Cyrus on one side and Darius on the other, and down goes the elemental like a ton of wet cold bricks. And then...it's tentacles. Wet cold tentacles.

"Let...go...of...me," Darius snarls, hacking at the ropes of ice that have fixed him in place. "DAMMIT."

It doesn't have much effect in terms of breaking free, but at least he's keeping the blood circulating.

Using the daily ability of Panther Spirit armor to grant 7 hit points to Cyrus as an immediate interrupt.
Post-tentacle, Move action to steady myself, since I am not going anywhere 'til I save vs. restrained, is a 7, so +2? to my reflex vs. Ice.

Then, since I have no ranged attacks that will get anywhere close to the action, I will take another Standard/Move action to stabilize myself again! Result, 14. So, uh, however you want to handle that.

I do NOT save against being restrained, with an 8. But! I succeed on the save vs. ongoing cold damage, with an 11.

I don't wish to alarm you, NT, but you didn't count the 15 damage from the Tentacle...Darius is presently at 8 hit points.

[lostboy]

Nicholas watches the most recent barrage of ice going flying past, but as it does so he whips the humming blade out deflecting at least one of the deadly missiles away form its intended course.

"Thank heavens thats over" Nicholas says absently brushing goose entrails and that damned pine cone out of his hair. "Now lets see about keeping you all alive for a few moments longer until the good doctor ssees sense and gives up like a good girl. Here drink this Dommer, no arguemments it will warm your bones." So saying he thrusts the hip flask towards Cyrus.


OOC: Immediate Interrupt for Chord of Resiliance on Darius reducing the damage he received from last attack by 9hp

Standard Action: Heal 22 on Cyrus to allow him to pull a saving throw or use his second wind if hasnt already.

Move action: Acrobatics 10 to stabilize on the ice

[DocBeard]

"...!"

"...thank you, Ishfani." Tomas manages, still trapped in place by the so very tenacious icy tentacles. He freaking HATES tentacles. He's also all out of long distance tricks, but hopefully he can get to the other Ishfani in a minute. "Here, Nick."

There's a spark of electricity from Tomas's hand, but...the sensation is more comforting than painful, for some reason. Of course Eisenwald abruptly grabbing Nicolas by the chest and invigorating his battered body might still be a little disruptive.

Nrgh..., "Daruis, try and get close to me!" Tomas argues, ripping at those darn sticky tentacles! Seriously, Tomas thinks, what are these things made of?!

(Minor: Lay on Hands on Nick, I spend a healing surge, Nick can heal as if he spent one. Effect: My Virtuous Healing feat gives me Resist 2/all until the end of next round.
Move: Stabilize on the ice. Rolled a 14.
Saving Throw: 1. Obviously the cultist had a crush on Tomas.)

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Lia's shoulders sag slightly with relief at the cultists' rout. And perhaps it is this which throws off her aim - though she casts another projectile of force at Dr. Poincare, it just punches the ice next to her and sprays her with icy chips and drops, rather than thud into her body.

(OOC: Rolled a 17 on a Magic Missile attack roll on Poincare. Someone with a better Bluff score than I might try and make it look like a warning shot. Meh.)

[Nerit]

She simply would not give up. After her recovery from the fall, Nerit strode forward with the determination of a woman scorned (and bloodied, as the habit testified).

Move/Standard: Double move, N19. Setting up to be in range of P.
Minor: Full Defense (?) for +2. This should give Nerit a total of +4 defenses.

[Kaitou Kage]

Fluff coming later. I'm at tabletop D&D right now.

Move Action: Using Distracting Flare and moving to L18 and jumping across the ice, then finishing my move to H18. Since this is a running jump I only need a DC 5. Cyrus is invisible during this movement.

Minor Action: Oath of Enmity on Poincare.

Standard Action: Charging Poincare. Missed on both rolls. I don't have much of a chance of hitting her with my basic attack but I'll be engaged in melee.

At least it's a little harder for her to escape now.

[The Whistler]

And perhaps it is this which throws off her aim - though she casts another projectile of force at Dr. Poincare, it just punches the ice next to her and sprays her with icy chips and drops, rather than thud into her body.

Wait.

Okay, now that you thought about it for a moment, that clearly was not what just happened. Lia's aim was actually not off, and the Magic Missile actually caught Poincare square in the chest. Looked excruciatingly painful, too; there was a huge "bang", and everything. It was patently ridiculous to assume that anything else had taken place. You must have been thinking of some other pulse-pounding struggle against insane star-cultists.

Celeste had been looking rather gratified that Dr. Poincare had appeared to be giving herself up to the authorities, but winced a bit at the blow.

"Discretion, all: have a care! Though the road thereto has been--oh, far more grisly than we all would have wished, the time for complaisant discussion is again close at hand. Leave us be considerate as we approach it!"

Oh hey look, I guess Lia's magic missile really *did* hit Poincare with a 25 against Fort, but it did 14 points of thunder damage as per Storm Walk, instead of what it would normally do. Lia really should get that checked out. Meanwhile, Celeste shifts to K22 as the attack goes off, then rolls a 15 to stabilize herself on the ice.

[NeoTiamat]

Chateau de Tarascons, Outside of Port-a-Lucine; Just Past Midnight of March 24th, 770
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Player Actions
Mr. Agale: Hits Poincare for 18/2=9 Nonlethal and Ongoing 5 Psychic (save ends). Also Distracts Poincare.
Tomas: Heals Nicolas for Surge, stabilizes on ice +4.
Nicolas: Heals Darius for 9 HP. Offers Cyrus a surge or save. Stabilizes for +4.
Celeste: Deals 14/2=7 HP to Poincare.
Kerrian: Moves his spirit over and hits Poincare for 11/2=5 Nonlethal. Readies a Spirit's Shield on Poincare.
Nerit: Double-moves.
Darius: Heals Cyrus for 7, and steadies self for 14+7=21=+8 vs. Ice.
Cyrus: Charges Poincare, misses. Oaths of Enmity's her.
Lia: Misses Poincare with a Magic Missile.

Okay, now that you thought about it for a moment, that clearly was not what just happened. Lia's aim was actually not off, and the Magic Missile actually caught Poincare square in the chest. Looked excruciatingly painful, too; there was a huge "bang", and everything. It was patently ridiculous to assume that anything else had taken place. You must have been thinking of some other pulse-pounding struggle against insane star-cultists.

Celeste had been looking rather gratified that Dr. Poincare had appeared to be giving herself up to the authorities, but winced a bit at the blow.

"Discretion, all: have a care! Though the road thereto has been--oh, far more grisly than we all would have wished, the time for complaisant discussion is again close at hand. Leave us be considerate as we approach it!"

Dr. Poincare staggered, falling to her knees as yet another small explosion rended her body. Her stoic mask shattered, and the red-headed woman's face contorted in pain. She must've taken a dozen blows so far, and it was this last one which was the final straw. She could take no more.

The remaining cultists, those that were close enough to see, responded to their leader's fall with the fury of cornered alley-cats. One scrawny young man turned and twisted his arm, the bone-shard dagger conjuring up a tentacle of ice to throw Cyrus harshly back. If before the cultists had fought with enthusiasm and a certain cold calculation, now there was true anger.

But they kept running. Dr. Poincare's last orders held, even if the professor did not. She kneeled on the snow, the shadowy glaive clutched in her hand like a life-line. It shimmered and flickered in the pale starlight, then collapsed back into the rod of iron it had been before.

Dr. Poincare had lost a great deal. She was now a fugitive, her career and reputation lost. She would never live under her own name in Dementlieu again. Outlaw and alone, giving up everything for her task. Poincare looked up at you, her face a broken mask of sorrow.

She whispered one word.

"Faith."

The icy mists coalesced around her form, and a chill wind blew through the night. Dr. Poincare was gone.

Recharge Rolls!
Cultist 3: 3, 6 (Tentacle of Ice and Water)
Cultist 4: 2, 4 (Nothing)
Cultist 6: 6, 3 (Insubstantial Transformation)

Poincare takes 5/2=2 Ongoing Psychic Damage.
Cyrus takes 5 ongoing cold damage.


Cultist #3 uses Tentacle of Ice and Water on Cyrus. 24 vs. Fort, hits. Cyrus takes 10 damage and slides 5 squares and is Restrained (save ends).
Cultist #4 uses Frostbite Bolt on Kerrian's Spirit. Misses.
Cultist #6 uses Frostbite Bolt on Kerrian's Spirit. Hits with a 31 vs. Fort, dealing 8 damage. This is insufficient to disperse it.

All three cultists make for the hills.

Poincare uses a move action to fall back and get some altitude, then spends an action point, and Runs with both standard actions, ending the round about 28 squares from her starting location.

Kerrian uses Spirit's Shield, misses by 1 (the Combat Advantage was counted), and leaving Poincare to escape with 6 HP total.


And that's a wrap! You'll forgive me if I skip the ice round, I trust? I declare this combat over.



Terrain!

Ice: I'm going to run this slightly like a trap. At the end of each turn, the Ice will make an attack roll against your Reflex Defense if you are on the ice. If it fails, nothing happens. If it hits, we roll a d20 randomly on the following table to decide what happens:

• 1-4: You slip and fall Prone.
  5-7: You slide 1d4 squares in a random direction (determined by a d8 )
  8-10: You slide 1d4 squares in a random direction (determined by a d8 ) and fall Prone
  11-13: You slip into some shallow water. You take 5 Ongoing Cold Damage (save ends).
  14-16: Extremely slippery ice forces you to move very carefully. You are Slowed until your next turn.
  17-18: Your foot catches in a crevasse in the ice. You are Immobilized until your next turn.
  19: You take a very bad fall. You take 10 damage and fall Prone.
  20: You stumble, causing a spray of freezing water to splash you in the eyes. You are Blinded until your next turn.

You may take a Move Action to steady yourself (DC 5+ Acrobatics). For every 5 points you exceed the DC by, gain +2 to your Reflex defense only against the ice. So if you got a 17, you get a +6 to your Reflex defense against the ice.

Water: Anyone who enters or starts his turn in a water square takes 5 Ongoing Cold Damage and is Slowed (save ends both). To move onto an Ice Square requires a DC 12 Acrobatics or DC 12 Athletics check as a Move Action.

Forced Movement & Water's Edge: If you are, by reason of Forced Movement, knocked into the water, you can make an immediate saving throw. On a result of 10-20, you remain on the ice, though you fall prone. On a result of 1-9 you are pulled into the water. Until you make the save, I shall leave your PC in between the two squares, and then you can count your origin square for the turn based on your save result.


PCs:
Cyrus Isfahani (C): 13/58, 8 HS, Oath of Enduring Wrath (+2 Saves), Bloodied, Ongoing 5 Cold Damage (Save ends), Restrained (Save Ends)
AC 18, F 18, R 17, W 19
Darius Isfahani (D): 17/60, 9 HS, Inspire Competence (+2 to next skill check), Bloodied, Ongoing 5 Cold Damage (save ends), Restrained (Save Ends)
AC 23, F 17, R 19, W 19
Sister Nerit Doherty (N): 16/47, 3 HS, Bloodied, Inspire Competence (+2 to next skill check), Second Wind (+2)
AC 18+2, F 14+2, R 17+2, W 21+2
Mr. Agale (A): 22/44, 6 HS, Bloodied,
AC 18, F 16, R 19, W 21
Nicolas Etienne de Castaigne (Nc): 31/56, 4 HS,
AC 21, F 18, R 20, W 21
Tomas Eisenwald (T): 43/59, 9 HS, Resist All/1, Restrained (Save Ends), Slowed (Save Ends)
AC 24, F 18, R 18, W 20
Prof. Lia Mournswaithe (L): 44/50, 7 HS
AC 20, F 16, R 18, W 17
Kerrian Mauganson (K): 53/53, 3 HS, Full Defense (+2)
AC 17, F 19, R 16, W 20
Kerrian's Spirit (Purple Dot) Minion
AC 17, F 19, R 16, W 20
Celeste Viardot (Cv): 41/50, 1 HS, Spirit (+1 NADs), Inspire Competence (+2 to next skill check), Slowed (Save Ends)
AC 16, F 17, R 18, W 20

Enemies:

Dr. Nicole Poincare (P): Fled
-99+14N HP, Mark (Darius), Bloodied, Insubstantial, Ongoing 5 Psychic (Save Ends), Oath of Enmity (Cyrus)
AC: 24 Fortitude: 18 Reflex: 22 Will: 23

Water Weird (W):DISCORPORATED
AC: 24 Fortitude: 22 Reflex: 19 Will: 20

First Cultist (1): Fled by means of slipping on the ice
Second Cultist (2): Fled
Third Cultist (3): Fled
Fourth Cultist (4): Fled
Fifth Cultist (5): Fled
Sixth Cultist (6): Fled
AC: 20 Fortitude: 19 Reflex: 21 Will: 19

[Nathan of the FoS]

Darius screams.

He is covered with welts, bruises, and ice, but it is not a scream of pain; it is the sound of a great hunting cat that has missed its mark. There is something not quite sane in his expression as he finishes freeing himself and paces forward, sword flickering with arcane energies.

By the time he reaches the rowboat that element of his expression, whatever it was, has faded, and he is merely a young man who's a bit annoyed, has stayed up too late and is going to have a lot of aches when he wakes up. "Do you have more rope?" he asks Cyrus. "We can tow it to the pier, unload it there."

[DocBeard]

"No...no!" Tomas exclaims, horrified at the thought of what this woman could do free and desperate! He throws caution to the wind, hacking into his legs and the tentacles with his sword. Sure, it hurts, but he's free!

...and still too late. Tomas stumbles and slips on the ice, falling with a slam and groaning. "Damn. damn. DAMN!" A worrisome crack makes Tomas decide that further abuse towards the ice is unwarranted.

Slowly, carefully, the man stands up, brushes his coat off, and looks at their only clue: the abandoned wooden box.

[NeoTiamat]

Chateau de Tarascons, Outside of Port-a-Lucine; Just Past Midnight of March 24th, 770
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It was a fair-sized wooden crate, and the cultists had been quite right to use the rowboat as a sledge, as it was entirely too large to carry. Nevertheless, the crate had only been closed by fitting the lid back onto it, and at some point in the recent chaos it had been twisted half-open.

Peering down into the crate, you were greeted by the reflective glitter of stained glass, nestled amidst the thick cloth.