Chapter the First: How, What, When, Why?

[Kuroimaken]

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Yes, you can assume the damage applied to the "temporary" bonus first.

The myriad ghosts seem barely affected by the red light. Why that is can be... unclear. But their nature as ghosts certainly seems to have something to do with it.

Even as they are barreled over, the child-like ghosts only really show any sign of reaction because they shed tears of blood from being 'hurt'.

Elizabeth's attempt to grasp the man falls short, as he winks out of existence and reappears not far from her.

"You didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?"

He makes it sound easy, but he's sweating profusely. He seems obviously worried and ready to take off.

With great effort, Claudia manages to wrest herself from the hands of the ghostly children.

They continue to ask that selfsame question over and over.

[oslecamo]

Slipping free of the multitude of the child army, Claudia performs a series of acrobatic jumps towards her true target.

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Rolled 1d20+14 : 6 + 14, total 20

[Kuroimaken]

As he notices the ghostly children failing to hold the two women down, the "vampire lord" does the only thing a brave, spirit-enslaving despot can.

He hauls ass and dives through a nearby window.

As he turns his back, Claudia sees an opportunity to strike, but her target proves too damn slippery. Worse still, the children refuse to let her go after her quarry so easily. Nor do they relent their pursuit on Elizabeth, attempting to hold her down.

Are you there? Are you there? Are you there? Are you there? Are you there? Are you there? Are you there? Are you there? Are you there? Are you there? Are you there? Are you there? Are you there? Are you there?

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You know the drill, right?

Rolled 10d20 : 3, 6, 9, 11, 2, 10, 15, 9, 16, 18, total 99

Rolled 10d20 : 4, 3, 7, 2, 17, 11, 9, 2, 1, 19, total 75

And then for Elizabeth's gropefest.

Rolled 10d20 : 20, 10, 18, 16, 18, 7, 18, 20, 10, 3, total 140

Rolled 10d20 : 4, 16, 14, 7, 4, 4, 15, 1, 17, 10, total 92

[Raineh Daze]

"GET BACK HERE!"


Not at all pleased by her quarry's decision to escape, Elizabeth was hot on his heels--completely abandoning the pretext that gravity was anything other than an interesting novelty and taking to the air, looking fairly ridiculous manoeuvring through the opening and then just appearing to glide. The bats that followed her? Well, they had a bit more trouble, but there was no stopping them from getting out entirely, even if it was a bit of a squeeze.


If he was just running, then there wasn't really much chance of escape. After all, all of those after him could fly.

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So, yeah,  chasing after him. 50' Perfect, and a bunch of 40' Good. Let me know if I can actually grapple the bastard--or at least try to--this round.

[Kuroimaken]

He's one slippery little bastard - man is probably on magical steroids - but if Elizabeth's bats charge, they can catch up and try a grapple.

He couldn't actually RUN through the window, so he'd taken two move actions. The Dire Bats may be really big, but their maneuverability is an asset in that they can afford to charge-grapple the guy.

[Raineh Daze]

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Added in +2 for actually charging, so their AC is only 18 if something wants to hit them.

Bat Attack Roll #1 1d20+7 : 17 + 7, total 24

Bat Attack Roll #2 1d20+7 : 20 + 7, total 27

Bat Attack Roll #3 1d20+7 : 9 + 7, total 16

Bat Attack Roll #4 1d20+5 : 13 + 5, total 18

Bat Attack Roll #5 1d20+7 : 5 + 7, total 12

Bat Attack Roll #6 1d20+7 : 2 + 7, total 9

Bat Grapple Roll #1 1d20+10 : 12 + 10, total 22

Bat Grapple Roll #2 1d20+10 : 17 + 10, total 27

Bat Grapple Roll #3 1d20+10 : 20 + 10, total 30

Bat Grapple Roll #4 1d20+10 : 13 + 10, total 23

Bat Grapple Roll #5 1d20+10 : 2 + 10, total 12

Bat Grapple Roll #6 1d20+10 : 14 + 10, total 24

[Kuroimaken]

Three of the bats actually manage to grab hold of the man as he tries to escape, while three others swipe and miss his leaner form. Their compound grapple doesn't hold, however, as the man poofs out of their grasp and reappears a few feet away.

[Raineh Daze]

Seeing that her bats had failed--failed--the vampire growled and shot herself at the man. Oh, how he would suffer for this. At the same time, what appeared to be blood-streak smoked wreathed itself around her arms, wafting towards her shoulders before fading entirely... he would not be pleased if the effects of that made themselves known to him.

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One blood charge to activate Energy Drain. If the attack hits, I get 8 of the things back if he's Human (4 of he's not)

5 BAB + 9 str + 2 Charge = 16, right?

Touch Attack 1d20+16 : 7 + 16, total 23

Grapple Check 1d20+14 : 5 + 14, total 19

[Kuroimaken]

"GAH!! FUCK!! GET OFF ME YOU HARLOT!!"

The man struggles rather excessively in Elizabeth's grasp, as if the very fact he was being touched by her was repulsive.

That somehow works in his favor, because he manages to slip from under her press, though the bloodied mists of power at her fingertips do wreak a little havoc.

[oslecamo]

With a "boomf" sound, Claudia disapears from inside the room and instantly reappears outside near the window. She whobbles around for a bit, aparently disoriented, but then her face focuses on the running necromancer


YOU CAN TRY TO RUN! YOU CAN EVEN TRY TO HIDE!
BUT YOU CANNOT ESCAPE OUR FRIENDSHIP DENIED!

Screams Claudia as she breaks on a lighting speed run waving her arms in hugging motions!

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Touch attack with scepter for Hideous Laughter DC 19 (I had drained 7 wis and lost 4 to the ghosts, so the DC is still +1 higher than normal)

Rolled 1d20+11 : 19 + 11, total 30

[Kuroimaken]

The ghosts begin to flow outwards from the hall, though by now they're not close enough to embrace Elizabeth and Claudia again. Sensing an opportunity to pin them down and make his escape, the "vampire lord" attempts to duck and weave his way between his attackers and move towards the ghostly children again.

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He'll try to tumble his way out of your AoOs.

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 9d20 : 7, 6, 18, 15, 20, 18, 3, 9, 18, total 114

[VennDygrem]

"Those two must be our contacts, angel... take care, though. They are not among friendly company..."

Maeve glides toward the action, gathering in ambient energy as she does so. The air around her takes on a fell chill. As she begins to approach the man, she says, "Well, well... what have we here? What sort of grown man is it that plays such games? Come, dear creature, won't you come to your Lady?"

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Fly speed is 60 feet, I'll approach to within 10-ft. And what the hell, I'll go ahead and try Luring Call. Will save DC 22.

[Geigan]

Silva glided up next to the "Vampire Lord" without a word and observed to see if Maeve's strange magical call worked. She gripped her glaive eagerly waiting in her invisibility to see if the creature failed to take the bait.

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I'll move up next to the him on the side closer to the children, and ready action to bestow curse if the poser does anything but move towards Maeve in reaction to her Luring Call.

[Raineh Daze]

Elizabeth once again decided to try and seize the man, impossible smoke coiling around her arms once more as she lashed out. Not, however, that she expected to succeed; she just wanted to drain him. Again.

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Another grapple attempt! AoO-provoking, but I'm wondering if he can hit my AC on anything but a 20.

Once again, two negative levels if hit. I think it's two, at least. And I get charges back.

Touch attack 1d20+14 : 13 + 14, total 27

Grapple Check 1d20+14 : 9 + 14, total 23

[Kuroimaken]

Silva's power washes over the man in seemingly harmless fashion, except he now knows where she is. Similarly, while Elizabeth's attempt to restrain him ends up botched once more as the man teleports a short distance away, she can see that took a lot out of him - he's drenched in sweat right about now. For some reason, his gaze darts skywards as if he expected help to rain down.

[oslecamo]

Stop running, you little bug!
Come here and give me a hug!


Claudia steps towards the man and her hats tips suddenly grow and extend, enveloping him!

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Attacking with Deepspawn tentacles, 15 feet reach, togheter with 5 feet step should be enough to get him. If not, charge and attack once

Attack 1

Rolled 1d20+12 : 4 + 12, total 16

Damage 1

Rolled 1d4+7 : 2 + 7, total 9

Electricity damage 1

Rolled 1d6 : 2, total 2

Attack 2

Rolled 1d20+12 : 5 + 12, total 17

Damage 2

Rolled 1d4+7 : 1 + 7, total 8

Electricity damage 2

Rolled 1d6 : 2, total 2

If any hit, automatic grapple attempts!

Rolled 1d20+17 : 19 + 17, total 36

Rolled 1d20+17 : 4 + 17, total 21

[Kuroimaken]

Claudia's grasp proves impossible for the man to break through. Apparently, whatever he used to get away from Elizabeth needs a little time to recharge before it can be used again.

Gasping and groaning through the pain, the man nonetheless seems to be fairly content with himself - because he begins to laugh.

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Venn's eyes only

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The guy is a kind of fey called a Soul Spinner. He creates traps for people by ensaring the souls of their weaker, loved ones, often in a domino effect - trap a child, get a parent, and so on and forth. The kids kept asking "Are you there?" because they're looking for their mommies and daddies.

Since you all made your spot check, here's the relevant part of this post.

You don't remember the sky having two moons.

[Geigan]

Silva shades her eyes looking upward as the man slips away from her grasp, noticing the new object headed their way.

"What is that?"

Before long she levels her glaive at the "vampire lord" and asks, "What are you laughing about?"

[VennDygrem]

Maeve eyes the man warily. Her face doesn't betray the concern she holds for the situation, instead maintaining a neutral expression. After noticing the object in the sky, she trains her eyes upon the man alone, apparently paying the object no more mind. In fact, its increasing presence weighs heavily upon her mind.

"Soul Spinner, I do not know what more you hope to gain here. With this town destroyed, have you not had your fill? Truly, I am surprised to find you even remaining long enough to be found in this place. And to find you in this façade... thinkest thee some fashion of 'Vampire'? You disgrace your heritage. Tell me, do you serve a court, or are you one of the wyld-fae?"

The Winter Fey regards the wannabe-Vampire Lord carefully, measuring any response to her words.

"I suppose it matters not. I suspect you have a different master, now; whether an entity true or merely your own Madness, 'tis certainly linked with that which is so imminently approaching from the sky. You have been nervously anticipating its arrival, have you not?"

[Kuroimaken]

The man just won't stop laughing. Whatever it is he finds hilarious about this situation is unclear for now.

"HAHAHAHAAHAHAAHA!! Destroy this town? Are you daft? I have no intention of destroying this town! No, I'm using it for my own designs!"

The "moon" grows greater and greater, until one can see it's no moon at all...

...but rather a massive, grotesque, winged aglomeration of pulsating corpses.

...OUR NAME IS LEGION...

...FOR WE ARE MANY...

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Any of you with arcane vision or similar, give me a holler.