"No more fictional than you," Mittens answers with a grin at Superbird, "But now that you mention it, we are rather exotic, aren't we?  I'll need to remember to research ways to add credibility to my book or nobody will believe that the six of us even existed much less saved the world.  Never heard of a Shifter with a growing sword, but sounds neat!"

She can't draw any solid conclusions about Freedom's level, role, class, powers, alignment, intentions, willingness to help, etc from his appearance or from the conversation so far, so she's rather surprised when the Warforged is not only labeled devout but is invited to join the...

"A celestial tiger?!" Mittens gasps, "How awesome is that?!  Now I'm jealous."

Kitau of course remains silent.  If the Warforged is riding something from the Astral Sea, it's probably waaaaaaay out of this group's level and it would be best not to provoke it into a fight.  And diplomacy isn't Kitau's strong suit.  Of course, she did behead a dragon on her first outing, so she won't back down if the Warforged attacks.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:58, Sat 05 Nov 2011.

Freedom doesn't pay much attention to the side conversation between 'superbird and mittens' as he figures it is some sort of inside joke.

Instead Freedom considers Terdisas' and Callie's words and thus replies, “Perhaps you are right and that it was my destiny to come across you all. I am a Cavalier which is a form of Paladin, and as a Cavalier I possess the capacity to call forth a Celestial Steed.” Freedom glances towards Mittens as he adds, “While I am also capable of summoning a Celestial Warhorse, I prefer to summon this Celestial Battle Tiger.”

  Blake is still bitter at all the 'leather armor spell caster! That must mean you WORSHIP TEH SATAN!' leaps of logic.  Though certain sorts like Dido and Callie were walking advertisements of at the very least divine inclination.

  "Tweet, You have to summon your mount from another plane of existence?  Is that budget cuts or practicality?"

  "I have no doubt both you and your steeds will be of aid.  Though I would prefer of such aid expected did not happen so frequently.  Half a dozen or more attempts on our lives thwarted should not feel like a normal day."
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 01:34, Sun 06 Nov 2011.

Callie goes to put a comforting hand on Terdisas. She then looks at Freedom. "The goddess Sehanine has given me the power to heal people with a word, guide my allies' attacks closer to their mark, and give the undead something to fear. I have trained hard with the sword and can wield it effectively enough to be of aid." She looks at Dido expectantly.

Dido ohs. "I am, as Mittens pointed out, a paladin of Moradin and the Platinum Dragon. There are many kinds of paladins; Some heal, some go heavy on the offense. Some are protective. Still others are a balance of all. Myself, I am the kind to protect. I try, at least, but my allies still get hurt..."

Callie moves to put a hand on Dido. "Psst. Dido. Your allies are still alive."

Dido chuckles a little. "Yes. Yes they are."

The pair of halflings then look at Mittens, as if expecting her to continue the "here's what I can do" trend. After all, Wizards, more than anyone else, could do just about anything, so it's anyone's guess what a given wizard can do.

"A paladin you say?" Mittens asks, "Which deity do you champion?  And I very much agree with you preference for a tiger.  Not that I'd turn down the option for a celestial horse.  How much devotion does it take before your deity grants you the ability to summon one?  Could a fire focused wizard such as myself be granted such a boon?"

She smirks teasingly at Terdisas.  "Not a normal day but an exciting chapter in my book that changes the course of history for the better!  Today's looking to be one such day!"

To Dido she reminds, "We are fortunate our foes have been so foolish as to not focus all their attacks on you alone.  Experience has taught us that even the toughest combatants don't last long with all of us focusing on him.  You're tough, but not tougher-than-a-dragon invincible."

Kitau seems to be gradually lowering her guard some.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:38, Sat 05 Nov 2011.

Freedom looks at the bird and replies, “It is just the way it is. But I will admit it is rather practical and handy. I will admit that it saves me quite a bit on stabling costs.”

Freedom then turns to Mittens and nods before answering, “I champion the Path of Light, not a specific deity. As far as I know only Cavaliers can summon a Celestial Steed. I have never heard of a wizard summoning a steed, but I have heard of wizards summoning other creatures. Although I have also heard of magical items that will summon a creature, I'm sure there has to be a form of those that summon a steed of some sort.”

Throughout all this, the Celestial Battle Tiger remains calm, and seemingly 'professional', which is clearly a result of its 'training'.

  "I have only almost died.  Important detail there." Being at 1 HP really stings.  "I would find myself wondering how all of us would fit anywhere if we all rode noble beasts into combat."

Callie smiles. "Dido, Kitau and I would all likely be riding dogs, ya know. So it's not like we three would take up much room."

She arm-arounds Dido. "Mittens is right you know. Even I can't heal you that fast sometimes. Should I beat myself up over the fact I "allowed" you to fall in combat once?"

Dido blushes and headshakes. Callie smiles and says, "Good." then looks back at Freedom. "I just love your name, Freedom. How did you get it?"

Freedom listens to the conversation carried on by the group he has come across, but does not interfere with it.

When asked about the origins of his name, Freedom answers “I was named Freedom by the man who found me six years ago and taught me everything I know. It was him who taught me to be a Cavalier.”

[OOC: Probably should think of a name for the Cavalier who found and named Freedom, but I never really expected it to come up so I hadn't ever given it much thought. If someone wants to take a stab at it in case the guy ends up being an NPC later I wouldn't have an issue with it so long as it isn't a silly/joke name. As the only things about the guy that are set in stone are the individual's gender (male) and class (Cavalier).]

Mittens oohs and nods enthusiastically.  "Magic item summoned mount!  I forgot about that.  I'll have to look into it."

She snickers at Callie's point.  "That'd be awesome if you all wound up riding on the backs of a pack of wolves.  Oops!  Stealth pun!  Backpack!"

Kitau rolls her eyes and finally points out, "While we shoot the breeze people are languishing in slavery.  I'm going in." 

She moves to push the doors open.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:36, Wed 16 Nov 2011.

  Terdisas does not try to stop Kitau.  After all, the short tanks opening doors is the preferred method.  At least if there was something crazy like a spring loaded bucket of acid Kitau would vanish from sight, saving her the embarrassment of being seen with a sizzling bucket on her head...

  Imagination is weird.  "I feel it is safe to assume you will not be going in alone."

Callie and Dido follow Kitau in. Callie says, "With three people who can take punishment, I'm thinking now we can have one of you cover our rear."

Dido nods. "I'm sticking with Kitau unless told otherwise."

Callie looks over and up at Freedom. "You mind taking up the rear then for now? It's just a marching order thing for in case we get surrounded."

Freedom nods and says, “Given that I have the most mobility and speed of anyone in the party that makes sense as I can then also quickly move to where I am needed most if there is no one attacking from behind.”

Freedom then silently commands his Battle Tiger using the harness and his legs to 'fall in' at the back of the group as Freedom adds, “Also if at any time, you want me to dim or turn off my Delver's light let me know.” as Freedom realizes that by being at the back of the group he is less likely to give away the group's position due to his Delver's light being active and illuminating the area.

"Makes sense to me," is all Mittens is able to answer before Kitau opens the doors....

This is a large antechamber. Two fearsome-looking statues of
winged demons squat on either side of a stairway leading up to
double doors. Inscribed upon the doors is an image of a great
eye with multiple eye stalks, as well as a symbol of a circle with a
crossbar rising out of it. Heaps of rubble are scattered across the
floor, and to the north a balcony overlooks the room.

Perception Check
DC 10 1?: You hear high, rasping voices and the footsteps of several
creatures beyond the double doors.

DC 155 (and the listener understands Goblin): You can
make out the words; the voices speak in Goblin:
“When do you think Krand is going to divvy up the loot?”
“Keep quiet! We’re supposed to be on guard,” says another.

Balcony: The balcony is 15 feet above the floor.
Climbing the wall to reach the balcony requires a DC 2010
Athletics check. The balcony door is unlocked.
Ceiling: 25 feet high.
Locked Doors: The double door leading to Encounter
C2 is locked from the other side. Gently pushing the door
won’t alert the goblins, but pushing it forcefully, such as by
trying to enter without checking first to see if it’s locked,
does alert the goblins.
A PC can pick the lock with a DC 2010 Thievery check or
can break open the door with a DC 2010 Strength check.
Rubble: Treat these squares as difficult terrain.

https://docs.google.com/open?i...NjEtZmRlOGFjZWYwNjZm

---

(( Apparently I was a little confused about that picture earlier.  That picture is of the east wall on THIS area, not the area before.  Whatevs.  So now there's another set of doors to deal with. ))
This message was last edited by the player at 07:09, Wed 23 Nov 2011.

  "I suppose it would be too much to hope our enemies freeze like a Deer faced with a lantern, but for now I shall leave it to your judgment how much light is adequate for our circumstances Freedom."

  Terdisas grows more quiet as he notices the sounds of whoever screwing around past the next set of doors.  "While they can only go a limited distance, I am sure my familiar can at least examine what is directly past the balcony."  Prepare for disappointment, as he hasn't noticed the closed door up there from his viewing angle.

OOC Style: It's a miracle, Ter got an 11 on his perc roll.  Initiative Roll out of the way ahead of time, Terdisas Initiative: 14

Also, oh Module designers.  Why do you keep locking the story progression behind too high for their Tier DCs -.-;    Also, no checks at all to recognize the symbols?

Apparently not.  I searched and searched the pdf for a spot where the PCs are supposed to figure 'em out.  Nada.  Well I would say that to recognize the Circle+Crossbar symbol's deity is a Hard DC Religion check.  To figure out what's with the eyes is a DC holy-cow impossible for our level.  I dunno... ORIGINAL BOOK HARD DC!  *Evil laughter!*

Mittens rolled 20 using 1d20+6 ((14)).

Callie nods to Freedom's offer and assessment. Then when Terdisas offers to have Superbird scout ahead, she whispers back. "Sounds like a good idea." Callie grabs hold of her sword in a ready position, expecting combat to be imminent.

---

Callie and Dido both are apparently having a very hard time either noticing the symbols or slept through those lessons in their schooling. For religion, Callie rolled a 1 and Dido rolled a 5.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:38, Sat 26 Nov 2011.

Mittens grins and thumbs-ups at Terdisas' suggestion.  Kitau gives a nod.  Superbird of course finds a closed door at the top of the balcony.  "Why couldn't I have been one of those familiars that can use doorknobs? Tweet?"

"Likely locked," Mittens whipsers, "But I'm pretty good at stealthily unlocking doors."

She displays her lock picking set with a proud smile.  She then uses mage hand to loop the end of her rope around the base of the railing supports unless someone objects.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:17, Sun 27 Nov 2011.

  Somewhere backstage, Joe crushes his coffee cup in jealous annoyance that Mittens's possession of thieves tools doesn't cause instant interparty paranoia.  Then again, Mitten's has several levels of aiding her allies backing her instead of 'just met them five minutes ago'.

  "If you had been, you would also be one of those familiars who can't hold a conversation."

  Terdisas eyes the rope, and considers his 8 STR once more very glad he didn't fall to his death climbing rusty chains down to pools of blood.  Thank goodness for Take tens post level 1. "They will certainly not expect intruders nearly as much from an direction with no convenient means of entry."  He will climb it when convenient/nobody else would prefer to go ahead of him.

Freedom doesn't interfere with the others actions as right now is is content to observe them as he only just met them and is trying to learn more about them. The Warforged Cavalier simply waits for the group to spring into action as he maintains his position as the rear guard.

Freedom appears to grin, although with his face it is somewhat difficult to be certain, when he sees a rope is setup for the group since he knows he could climb that balcony easily, and that his Battle Tiger is an even more skilled climber so he'll not bother to use the rope.

[OOC: Rolled a Religion Check just because others were, result was 14... Then rolled initiative to get it out of the way and got a 5.]

Backstage Joe hadn't given pose order a chance to get suspicious. But while Callie doesn't say anything about it (And wouldn't in any team), Dido whispers in confusion, "...when did you get those?" after all, Mittens is a wizard... he NEVER pictured wizards as going around lurking and picking locks. Especially not with tools since he thought wizards could do so with magic. He then gives her a suspicious look. "And why do they make you proud...?"

Callie hears Dido and says, "Details. We'll find out later. What's important is accomplishing our goal."

Callie not only knows the obvious fact that thieves don't proudly parade their stuff, but even if Mitts is a thief, Callie serves what amounts to the patron deity of thieves. But Callie also notices Freedom's pride, gives him a smile, and waits to see why he's so proud.

She is sure to take Terdisas up on his offer to let her climb before him and lip-sinks a "thank you" to him with a smile.

---

Seriously... rolled three tens in a row. XD Don't get take-ten rolls that often, but especially not 3 in a row.
Callie Initiative: 10+3=13
Dido Initiative: 10+3=13
Callie Insight: 10+11=21
This message was last edited by the player at 17:22, Thu 01 Dec 2011.

Mittens gives Dido a "Where have you been?" look and whisper-answers, "Don't you remember?  Had 'em since forever.  I disabled Kobold traps in the Dragon's Lair with these.  Why wouldn't I be proud of 'em?"

When she discovers the door was unlocked, she gives an "oh well" shrug and whispers, "Wait here," before slinking through the open doorway as stealthily as a kitty.  Or a practiced rogue.  For about 5' then stops, ears perked, tail raised like she sees an enemy.  She then slinks back to the group and carefully closes the door.

"Looks like I found their bedroom," she whispers, "Down some stairs there's a sleeping bugbear with a morningstar handy, and two goblins in chainmail armed with crossbows and axes.  Also an opening to a hallway that suggests it might lead to those double doors down there.  Hard to say if the two I saw were the ones we heard through the doors earlier, or if there's more out of my line of sight, but I saw 5 bedrolls.  Not that the bugbear was using his."

Freedom glances as the others scramble up a rope and then signals for his Battle Tiger easily climbs up onto the balcony with no effort, although the Tiger starts to squeeze in order to fit onto the balcony without hanging over the ledge. “So we have found them, what now? That passage way looks a bit narrow for my taste, as my tiger would have to squeeze through that passageway.”

[OOC: Freedom's Battle Tiger has an Athletic's check of 1d20+20...so it should be obvious that Freedom was grinning at how easy it was going to be to climb up it...as the tiger couldn't fail the ridiculous DC 20 check...

Also in-case someone doesn't know the rules on the compendium for squeezing are:
- Fills space of one size smaller (So the tiger fills a 1 square space like a medium sized creature.)
- The tiger takes a -5 penalty to attack rolls while squeezing (Freedom doesn't suffer this penalty as he isn't squeezing.)
- Grants CA.
- When squeezing, if that causes you to leave a square adjacent to an enemy that movement provokes an AoO. (Basically squeeze and not end adjacent to an enemy you were previously adjacent to.)
- Can also move up to half move as part of same move action that is used for the squeeze.
While starting to squeeze is a move action, ending it is a free action, but requires room to 'expand' to normal size. The last square you were squeezing in must be part of the area used by your normal size/space. (2-by-2 for the Battle Tiger.]
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 23:40, Fri 02 Dec 2011.