Though highly suspicious of the letter they had received, the party set out to meet the inquisition as ordered.  The King's road, as remote and dilapidated as it may be, proves to be a very smooth journey, cutting through an idyllic county dotted with farms and pastures.  At one point during the journey they pass by a camp of rough-looking, armed vagrants that might have a bandit gang aiming to collect "tolls" from unfortunate travelers.  But if they were bandits, they clearly had no interest in starting trouble with a well-armed adventuring party, and their leader simply acknowledged the group's passing with a respectful nod.

Approaching the crossroads they had been instructed to meet the inquisitors at, the party was hailed by a squad of mounted warriors.  Even if the group hadn't been expecting betrayal, these men would have been suspicious.  They bore no heraldry to identify them, and approached in a clear mounted formation, though they made no move to immediately attack.

The majority of the men seemed like common men-at-arms: Burly soldiers in unadorned half-plate, wielding well-made but practical weapons.  Each carried a lance and shield in hand, with a longsword hanging from their waist, and sat atop a heavy horse in light chain barding.  Their leader, however, was clearly a man of noble birth.  Though he was smaller of frame than his companions, he carried himself with an imposing sense of command.  His plate armor was ornate and trimmed with gold, and he rode a massive, ferocious-looking bull.  His weaponry was lighter than that of his companions, with only a mace on one hip, a light wooden buckler on one arm, and a crossbow resting in his saddlebag.

The group's leader raised his visor in greeting, and waved the party to approach.  A friendly grin crossed his bearded, handsome face, though the smile failed to reach his cold blue eyes.  "Ah, you made it.  Wonderful!  I assume you had a pleasant journey here?"

OOC: Okay, everyone post your starting positions and preparations.  Buff effects are limited to 1 hour or more.  The party is approaching from the south, so you can't start any further north than the M row, though I suppose some party members could start further south than I've shown, if they wanted.

The immediate area around you is nothing but flat, open plains, with no obstacles or significant cover.


This message was last edited by the GM at 21:34, Fri 22 July 2022.

Koyrai walked beside his colleagues through the countryside until his feet began to hurt. At which point he cast his Floating Disk spell and rode atop it. He was lazily having it rise and fall fifteen or twenty feet at a time before lowering it back to near the ground again. There wasn't much to be gained from the higher vantage point, but it was a new trick he had recently learned and he liked the little lurch it caused in his gut when he went up and down.

When the horsemen came into view though, Koyrai stood more alert and focused on the task at hand. "So, these are the people meant to lead us to a secret location, eh? Seems legit," Koyrai commented sarcastically. He let one of their other party members approach to talk while he stayed back a bit, ready in case trouble erupted.

---

Koyrai is atop his floating disk at X17. Pebble shares his square.

Pre-combat effects:
Mage Armor on self. (AC 17)
Mage Armor on Pebble. (AC 22)
Use a Reservoir point to swap out Mage Armor spell.
Floating Disk, which I ride at 5 ft above the ground. (6 hour duration)
If it makes sense, I would also take my Antitoxin and Antiplague.
Protection From Arrows scrolls on myself and Pebble.
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic...tection-from-arrows/

Uluchi has busied herself with esoteric training and rituals since the defeat of the undead cadre. The results of obsession and long hours are apparent at a glance. Commanding the elements in battle is one thing, but she seems to have taken the first step towards embodying them on Golarion.

Her feet no longer touch the ground, but rather she is carried by a writhing nest of serpents composed of water, ice and steam that swarms up to her ankles and sometimes as high as her knees. The floating ice crystal that served as her inanimate bodyguard is now replenished and grown by a constant stream of mist and snowflakes that seep out of her pores and between her flakes rather like iron filings to a strong magnet. Her whole body seems to be a bit larger than previously, her arms and legs thick with muscle, her figure accentuated by clothing that was loose and now hugs her tightly. Already tall at six feet, the serpentine woman now towers with an additional four inches of height at least.

With these bombastic otherworldy manifestations has come a instability that is missing on today of all days. No profane tirades, no glares or snide comments. For this journey, Uluchi is once again calmer than cold and slows as they approach the band of men-at-arms. Her snakes and thus her feet continue to move in a crisscross loop, buoying her to the left and right again with a rhythmic swaying motion more appropriate to a dance hall than a road.

"Mercenaries are at least consistent as long as you pay them." Not quite bored, but definitely not invested, Uluchi lets the sway of her hips travel up through her spine into an exaggerated slow shrug. Her eyes are on the horses of the other group, running up and down powerful musculature and deliciously tight flanks.

---

Uluchi Sesa will start in R16

Ongoing buffs:

3 burn spent to enhance Shroud of Water, granting +8 Armor and/or +4 Shield, currently configured to Shield.

Elixir of Repression, granting +2 insight bonus to saving throws against any mind-affecting spell or affect, +4 insight bonus to saving throws against madness. Sesa is required to make a DC 13 will save to benefit from spells and effects that grant a morale bonus.

Blood-boiling pill, granting +2 alchemical bonus on initiative checks and on saving throws against cold effects. Damage from bleed effects is increased by 1.5 (rounded up).

Longstrider spell is applied from a scroll;
Longstrider
School transmutation; Level druid 1, ranger 1; Domain travel 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a pinch of dirt)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 hour/level (D)
This spell gives you a +10 foot enhancement bonus to your base speed. It has no effect on other modes of movement, such as burrow, climb, fly, or swim.

Slipstream spell is applied from the Waterdancer Utility Talent
Slipstream
School conjuration (creation) [water];
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M/DF (a few drops of oil and water)
Range touch
Targets creature touched
Duration 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw Reflex negates (harmless); Spell Resistance no
You create a low-cresting wave of water that carries the target along the surface of water or the ground. When moving across level ground, the target’s speed increases by 10 feet.
If going downhill, speed increases by 20 feet instead, but slipstream provides no movement bonus when going uphill.
While swimming, the slipstream increases the target’s swim speed by 20 feet-if the target does not have a swim speed, this spell grants a swim speed of 20 ft.

Status update;
HP: 75/75 w/ 18 nonlethal* damage
Initiative: +8
AC: 24, 15 touch, 20 flat
Fort: +14
Reflex: +13
Will: +8
Conditional: +6 vs poison, +2 vs cold, +2 vs mind-affecting, +4 vs madness (not stacking w/ mind-affecting)
CMD: 19
This message was last edited by the player at 08:50, Thu 07 July 2022.

Patagogi had gone along with the others but hadn't spent a lot of time with them in the last few weeks.  He had seen a lot of how they fought and though he wanted to get to know them he fought with himself because of the death he was still mourning.

Now with them again and heading to speak to the inquisitors.  Patagogi had led most of the time while the others had been close by or on the flank.

When he caught sight of the soldiers ahead he slowed down.  "Pleasant?  I wouldn't call it so.  The road is dusty and my feet are tired.  Have ya some fresh water on them fine mounts you have there?"

No buffs up
Will begin at P20

Puck, after consulting with Uluchi Sesa, spent the morning before the party started dancing around offerings he burned for "forest spirits" then bragged to the party about a blessing that will save him from fatal injury for a whole day.

The wild elf was much less cheerful when they left forests, hiding his face behind the hood of his cloak. When riders shown up in the distance he moved behind and to the side of Sesa while whisper-shouting to the party.
"Spear horse riders? Bad fighting in the open. No trees. No cover."

Then was silent, if tense, when the leader of the riders spoke to them.

OOC: Puck starts with Vision of the Body(Constitution) active. It lasts a day, he cast it in the morning. For the duration he have +6 HP. Once he can, as free action, burn the spell to heal d8+6 HP.

Fuses of all 3 grenades are cut short by Sesa earlier, as we agreed.

Puck stands on S18 in the grass.

Taliesin stood on the path, a couple of steps behind Uluchi. Even though he lately picked up the habit to turn into a tiny winged dinosaur for traveling, now he was completely human. Something was fishy about this whole endeavor, and he wasn't exactly familiar with a dinosaur's skin. Instead, he was clothed with a cloak of vibrant feathers with a simple-looking rod in his hand.

Fandor was slightly ahead of him and somewhat to left. He had a brand new necklace of what seemed to be jagged teeth and was considerably smaller than he normally is.

Tal, and after a whistle Fandor, stopped when the mounted men addressed them. The druid looked at the men. Already in formation. That did not bode well. Fandor turned his head back to Tal, asking a question heard by none. Another whistle was the answer, and those who spent time with the duo knew what it meant: Get Ready.

OOC: Taliesin is at T16, Fandor is at S14.

Taliesin Buffs: Ashen Path, Barkskin, Heightened Awareness (will be dismissed for initiative), Longstrider, Mage Armor, Blood Boiling Pill
Fandor Buffs: Ashen Path, Barkskin, Heightened Awareness (will be dismissed for initiative), Longstrider, Mage Armor, Reduce Animal, Feather Step, Greater Magic Fang (affecting all naturals)

All buff calculations are included in a separate character sheet for reference.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:55, Fri 08 July 2022.

Veana took up a position near the front of the group, warily trying to shield the more vulnerable members of the group from the shady knights.

The nobleman laughed easily as Patagogi asked if he could share some water.  "Water?  Oh, no, I don't touch the stuff.  But here, I've got a cure for what ails you.  A gift to go along with my introduction."  Reaching into his saddlebag, he pulled out an object that looked at first glance like a strange and bulging waterskin waterskin, or a strangely coloured melon.  As he tossed it to the ground in front of the party, they quickly recognized it for what it was: The severed head of their former employer, the cleric of Pharasma.

The enemy leader bowed slightly before continuing:  "Hello, my name is Vladimir Olinescu.  You killed my grandparents.  Prepare to die."  With that, he lowered the visor of his helmet back into position.  In front of him, the squad of knights lowered their lances in preparation for a charge.

OOC: Koyrai, Puck, and Fandor beat the enemy's initiative, and can act immediately.



This message was last edited by the GM at 02:35, Wed 13 July 2022.

So this was an ambush after all. It was nice of Lord Olinescu to confirm this for them. Koyrai wasted absolutely no time in taking the initiative. He spurred his Floating Disk forward, using a trick with it that he had recently learned. It rose higher and higher into the air as he moved forward, but this time it didn't dip back down again like when they were on the road. Pebble rushed to keep up with the arcanist in the air.

From his new vantage point high above the battlefield, Koyrai aimed one of his new spells in Lord Olinescu's vicinity, empowering it as much as possible. "You made a poor choice messing with us!" he called out. Then blasted an enormous ball of fire, engulfing the Lord and his closest templars. He felt bad about including innocent horses in his attack, but luckily most of the equines emerged unscathed. Their riders and barding must have blocked most of the heat for them.

---

Koyrai's Actions

Swift: Use my Spurn Gravity floating disk trick to gain a flying speed of 50. (See below)
Move: Fly 25 feet forward and 25 feet higher. Which should bring me to S17 at 30 feet high.
Free: Talk. Use an Arcane Reservoir point to increase caster level of my next spell by 2.
Standard: Cast Fireball at caster level 8, targeting the intersection just above Lord Olinescu's head, so that I get him and the nearby templars in the blast.

Lord Olinescu, his bull, templars 2 through 6, and horse 2 all failed their Dex saves and take 33 fire damage. Horses 3 through 6 take no damage due to Evasion.

Pebble's Actions

Double Move: Keep up with Koyrai, moving to S17, 30 feet high.

Spurn Gravity is a trick from the Floating Disk feat I have: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats...l-feats/magic-trick/
The remaining duration of my Floating Disk spell becomes rounds per level, but I gain a fly speed of 50 during that time.

10:22, Today: Koyrai Dellex rolled 14,23,19,19,25 using 1d20+6,1d20+6,1d20+6,1d20+6,1d20+6 with rolls of 8,17,13,13,19.  Horse 2 through 6 DC 19 reflex save .
10:19, Today: Koyrai Dellex rolled 4,17,12,8,17 using 1d20+2,1d20+2,1d20+2,1d20+2,1d20+2 with rolls of 2,15,10,6,15.  Templar 2 through 6 DC 19 reflex save .
10:13, Today: Koyrai Dellex rolled 10,10 using 1d20+4,1d20+7 with rolls of 6,3.  Lord and Bull DC 19 reflex saves.
10:11, Today: Koyrai Dellex rolled 33 using 8d6.  Boosted Fireball spell's fire damage.

"Undead aren't living people."

Puck sneered at the knight's provocation while his face turned predatory, then shot one of the knights in the head! The templar suffered a deep wound. Nobody noticed how the elf got a bow and arrows in his hand so fast!


OOC: Puck Quickdraws Longbow+2 and shoots Templar 6 vs AC 20 for 6 piercing and magical damage. Yes, I rolled Nat 1 on damage roll.

Feral Focus Str and Dex bonus +2 each.

EDIT: I forgot the rolls, apologies!
19:50, Wed 13 July: Puck rolled 6 using 1d8+5.  arrow damage.

19:49, Wed 13 July: Puck rolled 20 using 1d20+10.  shoot knight.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:48, Fri 15 July 2022.

Fandor's body tenses in expectation as the beast readied itself to bite anyone that came close.

OOC:
Standard: Ready Action: Attack (Fighting Defensively and Piranha Strike) any enemy that comes within reach. Attack roll hits AC22, Dealing 14 Damage. After the attack Fandor gains +3 dodge AC bonus until the start of his next turn.

Taliesin rolled 22,14 using d20+7,d4+12.  Fandor Ready Attack and Damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:58, Wed 13 July 2022.

Koyrai's fireball washed over the formation where the knights had (perhaps foolishly) gathered close together.  As the soldiers screamed and horses whinnied, their leader raised his holy symbol (A pendant in the shape of unbalanced scales) and called a wave of healing energy over his allies.  Then, the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth charged forwards.

The leader's massive war-bull plowed through the middle of the party, crashing into Veana, Uluchi, and Taliesin as it pushed through the group.

The most central of the common Templars raised his lance and let loose a wild battlecry, before circling the group on the lookout for an opening to attack.

Two of the riders attempted to pierce Fandor with their lances, but the nimble troodon was able to slip past both points and even land a vicious bite against one of them as it charged by.  Veana blocked the lance of one of the attackers, while another lance skidded off Patagogi's breastplate, just barely missing the armor's weak spot under his arm.

The Templar Puck had shot slumped over in his saddle, dropping his lance as he briefly lost consciousness.  Waking up as his Lord healed him, the wounded knight drew his longsword and rode towards Patagogi.  More focused on the deadly lance charge he had just deflected, Patagogi failed to block the flanking templar's blade.  Adding insult to injury, the templar's horse even bit him right on the ear.

---

Lord Olinescu
STANDARD: Channel positive energy, healing for 19 HP.
SWIFT   : Activate visualization of the mind, gaining +2 to all d20 rolls for 1 minute.

War Bull:
FULL    : Charge to W-X,16-17 south, trampling Veana, Uluchi, and Taliesin.  Veana takes 22 damage, Uluchi and Taliesin both make their reflex saves for half damage.

Templar 1
SWIFT   : Challenge Fandor (see OOC below)
FULL    : Charge vs Fandor, missing with a 20 attack roll, ending at P-Q, 11-12

Templar 2
SWIFT   : Challenge Fandor (see OOC below)
FULL    : Charge Fandor with ride-by attack, misses with a 28 attack roll. Ends at W-X,12-13
REACTION: Fandor attacks rider for 14 damage as he rides by.

Templar 3
SWIFT   : Challenge Veana (see OOC below)
FULL    : Charge Veana, misses with a 24 attack roll. Ends at M-N,14-15

Templar 4
STANDARD: Activate Lion's Call, giving all allies +1 attack and saves vs fear for 4 rounds.
FREE    : Direct horse to double move to S-T,26-27

Templar 5
SWIFT   : Challenge Puck (see OOC below)
FULL    : Charge Puck, missing with a 17 attack roll. Ends at P-Q,19-20

Templar 6
FREE    : Pass out from damage, staying in military saddle but dropping lance, regain consciousness from healing.
SWIFT   : Challenge Patagogi (see OOC below)
MOVE    : Draw longsword while riding to O-P, 21-22
STANDARD: Attack Patagogi with longsword, hitting AC 29 for 15 damage.

Horse 6
MOVE    : to O-P,21-22
STANDARD: Bite Patagogi, hitting 22 FF AC for 6 damage.

Templar 7
SWIFT   : Challenge Patagogi (see OOC below)
FULL    : Ride-by Charge Patagogi, missing with a 17 attack roll.  Ends at S-T,26-27

OOC: The Templar's challenge ability gives them +4 damage against their chosen target, +2 dodge AC vs the target, and -2 AC vs all other enemies.  AC modifiers are NOT included in the statblock.

All enemies have the "cavalry formation" feat, allowing them to charge through each other and share each other's space without penalty.

Horses turns generally won't be listed unless they attack.  Just note that any movement done by mounted enemies is actually the mount's action.




NOTE: All attack rolls are missing +1 high ground bonus from being mounted.

Templar 6's turn is a little confused, because I forgot military saddles keep you from falling out, and then I forgot that he would have still dropped his lance, and had to draw his longsword.

19:22, Today: Gorum rolled 6 using 1d4+4.  damage.
19:16, Today: Gorum rolled 20 using 1d20+8.  horse 6 bites Patagogi.
18:49, Today: Gorum rolled 31,15 using d20+14,d8+8.  T6 charge vs Patagogi.
18:46, Today: Gorum rolled 66 using 1d100.  did T6 fall off horse? (low falls).
18:32, Today: Gorum rolled 2 using 1d2.  Did fandor attack mount or rider?
18:15, Today: Gorum rolled 16,11 using d20+14,d8+8.  Templar 7 charge vs Patagogi.
18:09, Today: Gorum rolled 7 using 1d20+4.  t6 quick mount?
18:07, Today: Gorum rolled 4 using 1d6.  T6 falls off his horse.
18:05, Today: Gorum rolled 16,11 using d20+14,d8+8.  Templar 5 charge Puck.
18:00, Today: Gorum rolled 23,12 using d20+13,d8+8.  Templar 3 charge Veana.
17:57, Today: Gorum rolled 27,9 using d20+13,d8+8.  Templar 2 charge vs fandor.
17:47, Today: Gorum rolled 19,15 using d20+13,d8+8.  Templar 1 charge vs Fandor.
17:35, Today: Gorum rolled 18,33,21 using d20+7,d20+13,d20+4.  Reflex saves: Veana, Uluchi, Taliesin.
17:34, Today: Gorum rolled 22 using 2d6+12.  Bull trample.
16:58, Today: Gorum rolled 19 using 4d6.  Channeled heal.