Lilly simply shrugs: "Big magic event thing, long time ago? That's the legend anyway. If you want to fix my stuff, I won't say no. I don't carry my stash around though."

Aran shoots Akane a sideways glance. "Or you know, maybe calling them mindless."

The Ifrit then sighs and folds his arms. If magic was off the table, this would be an extremly bad day for him if it turned into a fight. "Can we just... go? This place gives me the creeps."

Lilly looks from Aran to Leonia: "This way then."

Lilly guides the party through the underbrush on to something that looks like an overgrown path, probably animal in origin. The dim light fades even more as the move deeper into the swamp. Lilly's hair, which looked fiery red when they met her, seem to dim and fade in the penumbra.

As she leads the way, slowly and carefully, checking the terrain with a stick before setting fot on it, Lilly takes her time to make some small talk. "What's a group of you rich people doing here anyway? You don't look like you need to wish fish."

Akane frowns: "Wish fish? As in, wish for fish? Or fish for wishes? Wait, you mean from the nixies? Huh... That's a way of putting it."

Akane casts Prestidigitationm then summons a deck of cards. The images on them are unlike those on any normal deck of cards, clearly meant to be visual aids for her tale.

Flip. A black sky with tiny dots of light. "Back when all the stars were young, before our bardic tales were sung... Sorry, wrong story."

Flip. A wizard in red robes surrounded by books and arcane implements. "Back when arcane magic was new, wizards were inventing new spells by the day, to the point that some spells used to have their inventor's names in them."

Flip. A cleric pointing her divine symbol, and a pillar of energy coming down from the sky. "The most powerful spell in existence back then was the divine Miracle. Which some don't even consider a spell, strictly speaking, but it was still the most powerful act of magic a mortal could call forth. Those who didn't have the favor of a deity, however..."

Flip. A large, muscular outsider, with red skin and eyes like fire. "They could always try to summon a genie."

Flip. A wizard, holding a parchment in front of the efreeti. "Back then, Afrit were always eager to answer a summon... And to strike bargains. Even more so than devils."

Flip. The same wizard, now looking like a desiccated husk, but apparently still alive, hunched over an altar of some kind. "And wizards were often careless in their bargains. Often they would seek divine aid to undo their mistakes... With varying degrees of success."

Flip. A different wizard fighting an efreeti. "Until the day some wizard decided that the power the genie held should be wielded by arcane spellcasters directly."

Flip. The same efreeti, now dead, in the wizard's laboratory. "With careful analysis, and studying the genies' powers directly from their source, wizardkind found a way to replicate the effect of an efreeti's wish. Nowadays, sufficiently powerful wizards can cast spells that replicate a genie's wish, as well as less powerful, more limited wishes, that ar easier to cast and less expensive in terms of materials."

With a "fwhomp" and a small burst of fire, the deck disappears. "And wishes are expensive indeed, as well as difficult to cast. Only very experiences wizards, or exceptionally gifted sorcerers, are able to express their wishes and have them turn reality. Which is why our employer is looking for the nixies."

Throughout Akane's story, Lilly has been concentrating more and more on the story, and less and less on the way, and the speed at which she's been leading the party has reduced accordingly. "He thinks he can carve a new wish spell out of a nixie? Like that guy in your story?"

Akane nods. "A much cheaper one than the current options, yes. And if, in the process, he can save all the people who try to get a wish from a nixie from falling prey to the fey, well, wouldn't that be nice?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:50, Fri 09 Feb 2018.

As Akane's story went on, Aran began to grow visibly more agitated. His eyes flashed a fiery-red and he growled in anger.

"Don't ever show me that again! What's wrong with you?"

Leonia looks sideways at Aran. "I used to get bored during history lectures, yeah, but never angry. Just what is your problem, young man?"

With a strange smile, Lilly interjects: "Kid's got a temper. I'd be mad too, somebody had me grampa cut up for spell components."

In his Anger, Aran forgot completely that he was supposed to be pretending to be human. Lilly's interjection reminded him, though it did little to stay his anger.

"I mean, is that Nixie actually dangerous and hurting people? We don't need to attack it if it's just for the sake of getting spell components, right?"

Akane shoots a glare at the halfling: "Okay, first of all, what was that supposed to mean?"

Still with that strange smile, she replies: "Little Lilly's being silly. Never mind me, tails-girl. Really."

Akane blinks, then blinks again, then turns to face Aran: "And second of all: what's wrong with me? What's wrong with you! Are you seriously trying to defend wish-twisters, of all evils? I've met demons with better morals than Afrit! They prey on the deepest desires of the people who seek their help, and turn their hopes and dreams to ash. I've met daemons that weren't as morally bankrupt! Bog Nixies may be marginally better, at least they use their prey for food, but don't expect me to lose any sleep about killing one of them, and even less about using the body to actually do something useful."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:58, Mon 12 Feb 2018.

"What? You're wrong! Ughhhhh!" Aran's eyes flash once more and he drops into a defensive stance.

Um... initiative?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:07, Mon 12 Feb 2018.

"We have been tasked with finding and catching some of these bog-nixies, not slaying them all, if I recall. What's gotten into you?" Dakash isn't caught flat-footed, but he is off his guard with this new line of conversation going on around him.

He pays close attention to the 'little girl' while all this is happening.


23:50, Today: Dakash Szagdala rolled 27 using 1d20+8 with rolls of 19.  sense motive (?).

Yes, I remember what Zhor said about the hearts also being needed but I don't want to bring that up IC right now.

Wary of 'Lily', Leonia casts Detect Magic again. She then ambles along with the others while maintaining concentration. Midnight flies above, scouting the area.

Lilly smirks and takes a couple of careful steps backwards. Dakash notices that she seems to be enjoying herself. It could be that she shares Aran's views.

Akane drops into a martial stance, but her whip and her dagger remain on her belt. "A bard is always ready for a dance."

Leonia detects multiple auras again, not unlike the last time. Not unlike the last time, it might be dangerous to keep the spell up too long.

OOC: Aran, if you are intent on having a fistfight, you may roll initiative.

Akane is perfectly willing to go a few rounds.

Here's the rules:

All creatures are competent with their natural attacks, including unarmed attacks.

The unarmed attack of a human (or similar creature) inflicts 1d3 points plus strength modifier in nonlethal damage.

Nonlethal damage heals at a rate of one point per character level per hour.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:25, Wed 14 Feb 2018.

As Aran began to square off at Akane, a little voice in the back of his head spoke to him.

Remember to pick your battles, son.

His father's words rang true in his mind. This was not worth it... this would only reinforce everything Akane was saying about his people and that's not what he wanted.

Aran relaxed and sighed. "So, you hold every Ifrit accountable for what some bad ones might have done? Should I hold every human accountable for every bandit that's slain innocent people  trying to get somewhere no the roads? Should I blame every half-orc for the few that turn out to be total jerks and take on after their more aggressive parents? Should I blame every elf or dwarf, or nixie, or WHATEVER for the actions of a few bad ones?

There are a lot of Ifrit. Wishcrafters are rare, and bad ones are even rarer. If someone was wronged by them, there's reason to be mad, but those few wish twisters as you called them are just jerks. Everyone has jerks. Right now, you're being one."

After his rant, Aran simply folded his arms and turned his attention away from Akane.

11:48, Today: Aran Kalisar rolled 10 using 1d20+8 with rolls of 2.  Intimidate Check [To Akane].
11:47, Today: Aran Kalisar rolled 7 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 3.  Diplomacy Check (To Everyone but Akane).

In reply to Mysterious Ancient Wizard (msg # 179):

Leonia points a loaded crossbow at Lilly. "Akane has never acted like this before. I suspect you are the cause. Drop whatever mind manipulation you are causing, or gain a pound of weight the hard way" Leonia threatens.

"Yes...the time for games has passed, little trisckster." Dakash sides with his companion, adding his considerable frame and presence to her threat - though he does not hold a weapon other than a harsh glare and a clenched fist.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:14, Fri 16 Feb 2018.

Akane sighs: "I'm a bard Leonia, we are rather hard to charm, as a rule. Making us mad? Not quite as hard. Please put down the crossbow, Lilly didn't charm me."

Lilly nods, though she doesn't look too worried: "What tails said."

Akane shoots a mild glare at Lilly, before looking at Aran: "Aran... I think you might have misunderstood me. I'm specifically talking about Afrit here... Eefrit, if you prefer that term. Unlike their mortal descendants, they aren't 'bad', or 'foul-tempered', or 'jerks', as you put it. Just like a fire elemental is 'fire', an efreeti is 'evil'. Full outsiders are an aspect of Creation: their nature is fixed and must be dealt with as such. Back me up here, Leonia, you're the scholar."

Silence stretches for long seconds, until finally Lilly breaks it: "And what about them mixed bagsies you want a-killing? Are they asses of cremation too?"

Akane turns to look at her incredulously: "Bog. Nixies. How hard is it to remember TWO! WORDS!? And they are neither stubborn equines nor rear ends, though setting them on fire is probably a fine way to get rid of them."

She sighs exasperatedly.

Lilly raises an eyebrow: "So, what are they then?"

Akane looks away when she asnwers: "They are fae, and fae are... Complicated. They are immortals, and immortals are often tied to their nature. Mortals can transcend their nature, they can choose good over evil. for instance, or vice versa. Fae... Whether or not they can transcend their nature is anybody's guess. Bog nixies are known to lure mortals to their deaths, however. They do eat their prey, which makes them marginally better than other other evil creatures... But they are evil nonetheless."

In reply to Mysterious Ancient Wizard (msg # 182):

Leonia shakes her head at Akane. "The theory is hotly debated. Personally, I believe that if you have self-will, you have the ability to choose your nature. Sure, you are influenced by your peers, family, and environment, but every thinking being can choose their own morality. Nothing, not even Outsider nature, fixes a person's behavior on one-and-only-one course."

Akane turns sharply to look at Leonia with a delighted look on her face: "Oooh... Spoken like a true heretic! Make Asmodean Good Again! Not that he was ever good... I don't know why I said that."

Then she clears her throat and continues: "Anyway! Are we still on the same page about killing the nixie? Otherwise we may as well call it a day."

Aran sighs.

"I don't mind fighting a threat to remove it. I DO mind mutilating and defiling something's corpse just because it's 'Evil'. If it's as simple as removing parts once the deed is done, that's one thing. But if this is something you wouldn't do to a human who has chosen the path of evil... which is WORSE than an outsider because they chose that path instead of being forced into it, then I don't want to do it to a Nixie."

Aran turns his attention to Lily.

"Also, Lily, are the the Nixie we're looking for?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:42, Mon 26 Feb 2018.

"Ama whatnow? How dare you, call me a mixedie! Hey, silent boy, don't just stand there, defend my honor! We friends ain't we?" Lilly winks at Levithian as she says that.

Levithian looks at her ccnfused: "Did you just... Try to cast a spell at me? I don't think it worked."

OOC: "Roll init."

Aran 17 + 8 = 25
Dakash 20 + 2 = 22
Akane 17 + 5 = 22
Leonia 10 + 4 = 14
Levithian 10 + 2 = 12
Lilly 4 + 5 = 9

IDK why I chose red for Lilly, when so many people already use it... I'll change it later when she unshapeshifts :P

Also, there goes half of my plan to get rid of Levithian. Then again, Lilly would have assumed him to be a humanoid, identifying him correctly is kinda tricky.

Eh.

This message was last edited by the GM at 08:31, Mon 05 Mar 2018.

Dakash observed everything - he was very perceptive, after all - but trying to tie all the loose ends of this multi-person conversation together was becoming more and more difficult as time passed.

However, hearing Levithian's comment, and seeing the action and reaction of Lilly, he decided to err on the side of caution [with a dash of aggression thrown in for good measure], drawing his scimitar and buffing himself with an aura of holy energy. Just in case.


Cast Shield of Faith on self. Prepare to defend Leonia or self if necessary.

Keep Liberating Command on the back burner for now.

Aran sighs, disappointed and embarassed,  as he holds his open palm towards Lily.

Readied Action to cast an elemental ray at Lily if she does attempts to cast a spell again.


14:51, Today: Aran Kalisar rolled 16 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 12.  Elemental Ray vs Touch.

Akane pulls out a dagger, and looks around warily: "I don't think it's safe to cast spells here."