HOME | DD

Description
Pathstomper 3

Part 2 of 3

A white screen with big green, bold letters that read, “MONSTER FACTS” shows up on the screen before a pink, emaciated anteater-like creature walks out in front and center releasing a hissing cry before clearing its throat. Above it appears the heading “NOSFERU” in big, red letters. A narrator begins and sounds very much like Ansmaro, “Nosferu, more of a race than an actual monster species, are native to Ustalav and eastern Varisia.” With that, the elongated teeth in front of the creature’s mouth open and it releases a long-winded yawn and puts on a night cap. “Nosferu are primarily nocturnal and sleep during the day,” the narrator says as the Nosferu curls up into a ball on the ground and begins to snore. It wakes, yawns, and scratches itself very carefully as Ansmaro says, “The Nosferu have extremely sharp claws that function as natural weapons as does its long tongue that it uses to entangle and pierce the hides of prey with its sharp tip.” With that the Nosferu’s tongue darts out, strikes what appears to be a frog, and swallows it whole with lightening speed. “The only known creature that rivals this creature’s elongated tongue is KISS band member, Gene Simmons,” adds Ansmaro dryly. Upon the screen the Nosferu takes several leaps that seem to defy the laws of nature. “Nosferu are amazing leapers and seem like they have springs in their feet,” narrates Ansmaro as the creature bounces around haphazardly. “Nosferu also have bad reputations because they are excellent shape shifters and can mold their flesh to impersonate other species,” Ansmaro says as the Nosferu pulls at its face and molds it to look like a Silvergon and then a Salamandora, before its face returns to normal. “Despite everything, Nosferu are usually city-dwellers or under-city dwellers and are very rational and shrewd creatures,” narrates Ansmaro again, “even though they have their bad reputations, Nosferu can be excellent members of society.” With that the Nosferu looks at the screen, grabs a monocle, and takes a cup of tea and tastes it gingerly before the screen fades to black.

The scene opens up to the group crossing a river in a boat and Silver Fang looks at the camera, “Well, it certainly has been an eventful day.” The scene shifts to the city of Lepidstadt with people protesting in front of the courthouse with signs and burning effigies of a Nosferu and the judges. As the group moves through this flashback, Silver Fang narrates what’s going on, “The general disorder in the city was a rather big annoyance, because I am a strong believer in the rule of law.” “However, the local constables were taxed to capacity, so they could not wrangle in these rabble-rousers,” narrates the Silvergon as the group passes beside a group of Guts chasing what may or may not be a screaming Shaplay store clerk. The scene switches to what appears to be the inside of a great cathedral with an altar in front of them. An ornately-clad, Shaplay cleric in a stone-grey, great coat with Pharasma iconography stands behind it with two silent, solemn clerics that consist of one Pandon and one Guts. The group stands in front of the altar and looks upon it while the cardinal is chanting. The item upon the altar is Silver Fang’s scimitar. The chanting stops when a blue light engulfs the blade and the cardinal says, “Templar of Apsu, take your blade now that it has “Bane of Undead”, it shall strike down many of the rotting legions.” With that Silver fang narrates again as himself in the scene grabs and takes the blade, “We went to Gravecharge-the cathedral of Pharasma- to get a blessing against the undead ghouls we’d face at the ruined temple at Karb Isle. That meant paying a small fee and asking for blessing from High-Priest Cidaimoikis, the Shaplay cleric that runs the church of Pharasma in Lepidstadt.” The next scene shifts to them in the market quarter looking through stores and Vrondi grabbing a roasted toad and exclaiming, “These are not fresh spell components!” “We needed some supplies like rope and other gear to get into the catacombs, so we went shopping,” explains Silver fang.
The scene returns to the boat landing on the island seconds after returning to the present. The sun is setting and the group sees the island with ruins of a temple that have been overgrown with trees and dense brush. Ansmaro unfurls a map, “I got this from the clerics. The entrance to the main part of the temple where the lights were seen is west about two hundred feet.” The group looks around and makes their way toward that entrance. The dark of night descends upon them quickly as they come to an abandoned building. The temple’s main building is in a shambles from the outside as King Joe passes around sun rod sticks to produce light. Bonesmasher ripped the door off its hinges and the group peered around the room to ascertain what happened there. Around them were old, ruined icons of Aroden- the god of Ultras, Philosophy, Law, and Protection-a circle with an eye inside it with metallic fins on the sides. “After the fall/death of Aroden, his clerics lost their powers and his temples and places of worship were abandoned 106 years ago,” Vrondi says as he uses the sun rod to inspect the religious icons on the wall. “You did your homework, Vrondi,” retorts Silver Fang. Vrondi nods, but Bonesmasher directs their attention to the main altar, “Look!” Upon the altar is a magic circle made with chalk that looks like it was turned into a seat for someone, while right in front of it is another magic circle that looks like another circle was made around it. Within the center of the other circle is a charred, crumbling mass that looks like the misshapen form of a humanoid with a canine-like skull and hooves. The group runs over and Vrondi and Silver Fang talk to each other and come to the conclusion that it must be a ghoul. “Why would you use a ghoul in a spell?” questions Ansmaro as he also points out that the creature had its forearms shackled together. “Looks like some spell transfer system,” notes Vrondi as he examines the circles. Vrondi stands up and chants to cast, “DETECT MAGIC” and then sits back down besides the circles. “These were made a few days ago, they are still charged with a lot of power, and they are a curse transfer system,” says Vrondi collecting his thoughts. King Joe faces Vrondi and asks, “The circle around the first circle is a binding circle?” Vrondi nods. The group hears a sound from beneath them.
“What was that?” questions Ansmaro in a very distressed tone. “Probably undead…gotta be undead,” Vrondi comments immediately. The group uses their sun rods and notices a door that seems to be ajar. “Maybe a cellar to store things possibly? Or maybe what was the library?” Vrondi suggests as a faint smell of decay wafts toward them. “Bleh! I doubt it!” spouts Silver Fang. With that, Silver Fang inches slowly toward the door and pulls it off its hinges, revealing a staircase leading down to what WAS a cellar, or not possibly. Bonesmasher cries, “SSSHHHHPPPPAAAARR!! I wanna smash undead things!!!” Vrondi shakes his head after, “No thank you!” Silver Fang points downward, “Maybe we’ll find out more about what happened here.” Vrondi concedes very soon after, “Y-y-you could be right.” And King Joe chimes in, “My alkahest bombs are designed to deal with undead, however to just be sure…” The mechanized alchemist rummages around in some of his belt pouches and then pulls out a small vial with a sickly, grey, milky substance inside. He uncorks the vial and inserts it into a hole in his arm that is revealed by a secretive sliding compartment. His panels and eye visor glow wildly, while his arms wave around feverishly. He stops and says, “I detect undead!” “Detect undead potion?” Silver Fang remarks and looks at the automaton. King Joe simply responds, “Yes.” The group made the decision to go downward.
The smell of rot and decay fills the air as their lights pierce the bleakness of the dark. The group comes upon what was a cellar, and there seems to be the remnants of shelves and barrels, also in the middle, is what looks like a shallow fire pit that’s embers have dimmed to almost nothingness. A few figures are brought to view because of the light: a small group of three normal ghouls, a ghoul in what seems to be leather armor with a bone breastplate, and an ornately-garbed ghoul sorcerer. The group stops and faces the creatures that are equally surprised of their appearance and in the background a voice that seems to be a mere whisper in the wind says, “Roll for initiative!” The ghoul with leather armor pulls out of its scabbard, a long sword and charges at Bonesmasher, who conveniently falls down the stairs right in front of it. The scrawny, pallid creature’s mouth opens up and from between its multitude of needle-like teeth escapes a horrid cry as it slashes Bonesmasher with its long sword! Bonesmasher instinctively smashes the creature in the face with one of his fists, knocking the creature a few feet backwards reeling. Silver Fang comes down second, withdraws his scimitar, and uses “SMITE EVIL” on the ghoul sorcerer with Ansmaro right behind. The sorcerer begins to chant and motions at the three in front and a sickly, green light in the shape of an emaciated bull’s head appears in front of them. Silver Fang isn’t affected by this obvious necromancy spell, but Ansmaro and Bonesmasher are, and they feel weak and nauseated. “Bull’s Curse!” shouts Vrondi Piscine in reaction to this spell as he steps forward down the stairs. “You know what, ghoul?” with that he begins to chant and pulls from his robe three amber beads. The beads light up and he throws them at the ghoul, dealing severe damage to the wretched creature as they impact against its skin with brilliant bursts of yellow light. One of the ghouls charges Silver Fang and attacks him with a large, metal pick that penetrates his armor, but doesn’t do much damage except the look of discomfort from Silver Fang. Ansmaro still is weakened considerably, however he draws his pistol and takes a shot at the magic-wielding ghoul. The ball strikes the creature through its robe and brings the creature to its knees. King Joe forces his way to the front and strikes the pick-wielding ghoul with his metal fist, dealing considerable damage and making the undead thing drop its pick. Another ghoul furiously swats at King Joe, doing little damage as does another who strikes him with a metal bar.
Yet again, the ghoul warrior strikes King Joe with its blade, giving Bonesmasher a vicious wound. Bonesmasher fights through the pain and the weakness inflicted upon him and grabs his club with both hands. Then, he strikes the creature with his club and a shout, “POWER ATTACK!” with still a lot of force that causes the creature to fold back and reassess the situation. The sorcerer gets back up, pulls a scroll from its robe, and begins to chant. The scroll explodes in a blast of blue light and is followed by bits and pieces of burning parchment that waft through the air. A multitude of blue teeth appear around Vrondi and sink in, wounding the spell-caster and making him fall to the ground in extreme pain. Vrondi cannot regain his footing and still writhes on the ground in torment. Ansmaro reloads his pistol with great resolve and takes another shot at the sorcerer ghoul. It makes another wound on the creature, and it seems the ghoul is not faring too well. Silver Fang charges at the sorcerer with his scimitar ready for the kill. He passes the other two fighting King Joe and pushes the other ghoul that attacked him to the side. He slashes the ghoul in half and is covered in its thick, blackish blood when it sprays out, “Ewww! The smell will be stuck on my armor for days!” As Vrondi is on the ground crying out in pain, the ghoul that had the pick kicks him repeatedly as it shrieks in glee. King Joe pulls from a bag on his belt, an alkahest bomb and primes it. The two ghouls stop flailing at him and look at the object with curiosity. It explodes its contents on all three of them! The alkahest substance deals no damage to King Joe (thanks to his metallic skin and a little alchemical grease ahem*!) but sizzles and pops when it hits the two ghouls. They shriek in pain and one takes off toward King Joe and runs past him.
The warrior ghoul returns to fight Bonesmasher, grabs his long sword with both hands, and deals a critical hit that strikes Bonesmasher in the abdomen! Blood pours from the wound; however Bonesmasher uses his club to shatter the arm bones of the ghoul in a powerful hit. He then falls to the ground, grasping his chest and cries, “Shhhpppaaaarrr!” Silver Fang cries out in horror, “Bonesmasher!” and fires three of his blasts at the disarmed ghoul and the scene stops. Ansmaro’s face pops in front of the screen, “DisARMED! Get it?” He gives a look of disappointment, “Fine! It isn’t the best time for jokes,” he says and goes off screen again and the scene starts up again. The blue fire blasts strike the warrior ghoul and cause it to combust in a bright flash. The creature falls to the floor writhing as the flames consume it. Vrondi finally stops writhing in pain, strikes at the ghoul attacking it with his tail, and deals a minor electric shock attack that surprises the emaciated humanoid creature and it breaks off the attack. King Joe blasts the ghoul covered in alkahest in front of him with an electric blast that causes the ghoul to sizzle and smoke more from that than the alkahest’s effects of eating its flesh. While the other ghoul smells blood from Bonesmasher and gives into its base instincts by running toward the Red King and biting him deeply.
The Redking cannot defend himself and flails as he bleeds, trying to unlatch the ghoul from him. Silver Fang cannot reach Bonesmasher at the speed he is going, and the pick ghoul forces itself in his way. Silver Fang strikes the creature with his elbow, knocking its jaw out of joint, splattering more dark, foul blood from its oral passageway. Vrondi gets up and strikes the pick ghoul with “ACID SPLASH”! This causes the ghoul to writhe in pain as acid starts to eat at its purplish-grayish flesh. Ansmaro, however, opens his maw and spits his usual U-shaped beams at the ghoul on Bonesmasher with great risk not to strike the barbarian. They strike the creature that is still burning from the alkahest and force the creature to let go as the alkahest catches fire! King Joe strikes the other ghoul on the ground repeatedly with electric shocks that start to cook the alkahest substance and causes the creature to burst into flames. The flames quickly consume the creature and it falls apart into ashes.
With that, the flaming ghouls crumble into pieces, except the acid-covered one who takes a leap at Vrondi! He scores a bite into Vrondi’s arm before Silver Fang hacks its head in two with his scimitar. “Are you okay?!” asks Silver Fang with great concern. “I’m hurt, and I have been bit,” Vrondi says with a lot of deep breathes between words, “I hope I don’t get ghoul fever.” Silver Fang goes over and luckily stabilizes the bleeding on Bonesmasher with a rag and some blood block from his bag. Ansmaro goes and loots the body of the sorcerer. “No time for looting, thief!” shouts Silver Fang as he tends to the wounded Redking. “Medical help is going to cost a lot possibly! So these rings and amulet from the sorcerer are going to be helpful in paying them off,” responds Ansmaro sharply. King Joe goes over and props up Bonesmasher. The group quickly scans the room and sees nothing of value besides the three rings and the amulet of the sorcerer. They quickly leave this ruined temple and head for the boat. The scene fades to black….

The scene opens to a table with four players huddled at said table and with the GM with his horn rimmed glasses. The GM peers over his Game Master screen and looks at a blonde guy with stubble. This guy is wearing a grey button shirt over a black t-shirt as the front is wide open and shows a flying saucer logo on his black shirt. “Steve, you and Cedric are going to have to be healed. Better hope you guys don’t get ghoul fever,” the GM says grimly. Cedric, the player in a sweater with a red-brown hair, a beard, and glasses remarks, “Fantastic.” Steve looks at the GM and asks, “So it’s like zombie plague, but with ghouls?” The GM nods solemnly. “So we just turn into undead things that eat carrion?” Steve asks again. “Yes,” the GM answers while looking over his screen at the table. “So we may turn into purplish, corpse-eating undead from a fever?” The GM looks at the player, “Yes, Steve. Unless you get medical attention. The church of Pharasma is a good bet.” “So go Gravecharge, beg the cardinal to cure us, so we don’t turn into corpse eaters?” Steve questions. “Yes! Or in your case, bleed out,” the GM says again to express his point with a very audible amount of disgust in his voice. The player is about to open his mouth and the player that controls Ansmaro pipes up, “Just go to the blasted church, or you’ll die and become the undead!” The GM looks across the table, “Thank you Richard.” The scene switches to black before the next scene appears.

The next scene opens up to the next morning at Gravecharge cathedral’s outside before cutting to a waiting room that has Silver Fang, King Joe, and Ansmaro sitting together on a bench outside a door. Ansmaro and Silver Fang are napping and King Joe seems to be in a stand-by mode. The door opens and High-Priest Cidaimoikis walks out of the room. The trio wake up immediately and stand up to meet the high-ranking cleric. “Your friends are okay,” the cleric begins with a clearing of his throat. “The Redking in particular was injured very badly. We used magic and medicine to patch him back up. Your sorcerer friend was easier to fix up,” says the Shaplay cleric to the group. “So they are cured of ghoul fever, if they indeed had it, right?” questions Ansmaro. “Spoken like someone who has been in the legal system I see,” the Shaplay addresses that remark towards the Rayja pirate and he answers with, “Yes, that would be correct.” “By the way, ahem*! Thank you for the curatives last night against that necromancy spell,” Ansmaro says shyly. The High-Priest looks at the three in front of him, “Well, your thanks is not enough, I have a favor to ask you.” “The group looks at each other and Ansmaro says dryly, “Well doesn’t surprise me, you were going to charge.” “Yes, but not what you are thinking,” he says and ushers over another cleric who is a small-framed Nosferu. “This is Meitov, Krakov’s brother. He wants to help clear his brother’s name, besides we have to find out what is wrong with the mayor,” Cidaimoikis says solemnly while the Nosferu cleric tries to avoid eye contact. “He has been denouncing the verdict issues by the court the other day, and not only that, he has issued in the last four hours a city-wide lockdown. There is something wrong,” the cleric says again. “How are we going to do that?” King Joe autotunes away. “I can have some of the town guard stand down, because of a religious order that I have spread, and I have got an audience with the mayor today at 4’o clock. I have pulled some strings, but you four are going to be the ones who find out what he’s got cooked up,” the High-Priest says again. The group looks at him in shock and the Nosferu cleric responds in a meek voice, “But why us?!” “You’re my representatives. Besides, you want to help your brother right? The biggest reason, I think there’s something else afoot here,” responds Cidaimoikis while trying to push away the Nosferu who’s trying to hide inside the room behind him. “They’ll know who I am though!” cries the diminutive Nosferu animatedly. King Joe counters with, “Not if you have a Disguise potion.” “Wha?” utters the Nosferu who turns his head to the mechanized alchemist in surprise. “I have a few,” the Technic says and then begins to go through a few belt pouches before producing a vial with a bright, lime green fluid. He offers it to the Nosferu, “Drink it and think of what you want to look like.” Meitov does as directed and then transforms into a curvaceous Nosferu female in a leather swimsuit. “Wow!” cries Meitov and High-Priest Cidaimoikis responds with a “Cut that out!” and a “You wasted a potion!” King Joe actually hands another potion to Meitov, “I have one more.” The Nosferu grabs at the potion and King Joe snatches it back, “It’ll only work for a little more than an hour. So you’ll have to wait.” “So I’ll be sexy for an hour or so?” exclaims the overjoyed cleric. “Uhh yes…” responds the robotic kaiju. “I’m going to enjoy looking at myself in the mirror,” he yelps before the High-Priest sternly butts in, “Just get ready to go out within a few hours!” He jumps and runs off camera from the sound of the High-Priest’s cross voice. The scene fades to black.

Within a few hours, the group is outside down the street from the mayor’s mansion. King Joe pulls out the vial of green fluid and hands it to Meitov. He takes the potion, slurps it down heartily, and transforms slowly into what looks like a Shaplay inquisitor in Pharasma-related regalia. “We better hurry, this will wear off in 2 hours,” says King Joe. The group is about to get going, before Silver Fang asks, “Is what we’re doing legal? Because the law is the law.” “Well, if the mayor is doing all this for some corrupt reason, it’s the law’s job to remove him from power. If the lawmen under his control still serve him, a strong social group within the community with a representative of the law is required to remove him,” Meitov says with respect to Silver Fang. “That means the Church of Pharasma-me-and a soldier of the law-you,” he continues and Silver Fang’s widen. “Me?! Well, I am a templar, but this isn’t my community!” he almost shouts as he realizes it still is broad day light (well despite the cloud cover). “Still, you are a man of the law,” Meitov says smugly, while adjusting his jacket. The group sets off and the scene switches again to the group right in front of the door to the mayor’s office.
“Wow, we travelled fast. Those 15 minutes seemed like seconds,” Meitov says in confusion. Silver Fang responds with a smirk, “Yeah. Does so right?” The group waits in front of the door and passes the time for a few minutes just chatting about minor things. Ansmaro examines his loaded dice from a pouch from his belt, and the Nosferu disguised as a Shaplay inquisitor examines himself in a wall mirror. The door opens and a haggard voice calls out to them, “Come in.” The four go into the dimly- lit room and notice a tired Telesdon with bags under his eyes sitting at a desk with two Guts guards at each of his sides standing watch. “So, I been told you wish to speak with me?” the mayor asks quizzically as the candles of the room flicker in a sickening way. “YOU ARE ACCUSED OF HERESY AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES BY THE CHURCH OF PHARASMA!” screams Meitov in a furious manner while pointing directly at the mayor! The mayor gives a quick yelp of surprise and fear, while the two guards get in front of the desk, cross their halberds, and one counters “How dare you?!” “Failed your Bluff check with those two,” teases Ansmaro in the ear of Meitov. “Excuse me. Sorry, force of habit. However, we do have questions for you,” the disguised Nosferu says, while regaining his footing. The guards back down and the mayor regains his composure, “Yes? Do go on.” Silver Fang pipes up, “So, being a representative of the law, I must ask you: Why were most of the murder victims of “The Beast” political enemies of yours or is it all just coincidence?” The guards look agitated and the mayor starts to twitch and look upset, “What…what are you talking about?” “Or the facts that those murdered were primarily trying to fight your tax and trade policies” questions Ansmaro with a smirk and a hand close to his rapier. “Outsider, I doubt you even know what you are talking about,” the mayor grumbles. “No, we kinda poked around,” Silver Fang says trying to make sure he gives the impression outwardly of his resolve. “It is funny though, that it was noted by a few river boatmen that you set off to Karb Isle the night that the mysterious lights were seen,” Silver Fang adds. The mayor shrieks from the accusations and hides under his desk, while the two guards charge at the accusers. “We won’t let you bad mouth the mayor,” cries one of the guards. Ansmaro luckily slashes at one of the guards’ weapons to split his halberd in half, while Silver Fang just bashes the other guard with his shield and knocks him prone. “Back off, you guys and let the inquisitor do his job,” snarls Silver Fang. Meitov, in his inquisitor form, walks over to the desk and shouts, “Show yourself! Coward!” The mayor slowly and cowardly rises up to meet his accusers from behind his desk, looking at them with horror as he shudders uncontrollably. The guards try to reassert themselves, but the one on the ground is still reeling in pain and the other is disarmed with the loss of his halberd. “Stand up as a leader and have some respect for yourself!” cries Meitov harshly. The mayor reacts, “Alright. You got me! I admit I helped facilitate the murderers, but not cause them directly.” The two guards look dumbfounded and the mayor continues to speak as he looks down at his feet with shame.
The mayor fumbles in his front pocket while his massive jaws remain slack with either stress or total embarrassment. He finds what appears to be a key. “Let me show you something,” he says with a lot of sorrow. He marches out of his main office on the second floor of the mansion and walks down the hallway. The group passes a few doors and then after three doors down, there is a door the mayor places the key inside and turns it. The door creaks open and what is seen is a small bed with a young Telesdon girl with milky white skin instead of the yellowish copperish color.”Oh man! That’s some scary stuff…” mumbles Ansmaro, before getting elbowed by Silver Fang to shut up. King Joe exclaims, “This is because of some kind of curse! It’s obvious!” The mayor says in a somber tone, “Yes, it is. I tried using local alchemists and clerics, but they could not remove this multi-pronged curse from the Daemon Steed on my little one. She still bares the skin discoloration and a coma that breaks at times and when we least expect it, she falls back in, though.” ”Until the three mysterious Ultras came into town and offered their help. My issues were not made public, so I wondered how they knew,” the mayor recounts as he looks down on his comatose young daughter. “We made a deal, they would help me win reelection by removing my political enemies and supply a cure for the curse my daughter was under,” he says as he strokes her snout. “Then the murders happened, they returned, and made me allow Hupnaths to live in a part of the sewer system, so the creatures could maintain some sort of control while they were gone,” says the mayor again, now stroking his daughter’s prone form in his arms. “Hupnaths!?” cries Silver Fang with some restraint and is followed by, “Those evil outsiders?!” “What’s a Hupnath?” quietly questions Ansmaro to the “inquisitor”. Meitov answers with some fear in his voice, “Horrible, evil outsiders who are extremely powerful and fast that feed on blood/raw flesh-that and they can change forms.” Ansmaro looks at him, “Really?” and the following pause is so tense you could hear a pin drop. Meitov nods to break the tension as Ansmaro does a face palm. The mayor continues, “In return, we went to Karb Isle under the cover dark and with these mysterious Ultras’ help, we were able to pass on most of the curse to a ghoul.” King Joe muses, “What other things did this curse do?” “Rapid aging and made her subject to random tremors that would shake her body uncontrollably,” the mayor says with tears in his eyes that slide down his snout. “So she still suffering a bulk of effects from the curse?” questions Silver Fang. The mayor solemnly nods. King Joe opens one of his chest panels and starts to mess with an abacus, then putting it back, and pulling out a vial and a few other things. “What are you doing?” questions Meitov to the Technic. “I think I can make a quick “Remove Curse” formula to aid in her condition,” King Joe says as he adds a few fluids into the bottle and toys around with some other vials. “You think you can help?” asks the mayor, however skepticism is evident in his voice. “The others failed, so what makes you think that you can fix this?” questions the mayor again with a very skeptical tone in his voice. “Mechanized brain?” autotunes King Joe back and with that a puff of smoke and a flash are seen from the vial.
The scene quickly shifts to the table, the GM at the head of the table, behind his GM screen asks, “Larson? How are going to do this?” The portly guy with dark hair and green eyes responds, “Well, I just rolled a natural 20.” “That still won’t help THAT much, since it’s a powerful curse,” replied the GM. “I have a 44 in all,” the green-eyed player replies with a giant grin. The GM is absolutely shocked and shouts, “How?! How does that happen?!” He even loses his glasses as they fall off of his face from his jerky motions caused by his surprise. Larson gives a look at him and proceeds to talk with a lot of pride in his voice, “First of all, I have my base skill of “craft: alchemy” that is 11 +4 with my attribute bonus, then the feat: prodigy gives me +2 to “craft: alchemy”, and every level I have spent a skill point in that skill. I AM a level 7, so it would be 24, PLUS my natural 20.” The GM looks at him dumbfounded. “Ummm…WOW. Larson, give yourself a hand, you broke the curse,” he continues in a surprised tone before the scene switches back to the mayor’s daughter’s chamber.
King Joe walks over and cradles the young Telesdon girl’s head, before administering the formula. It goes down without a hitch and he lightly rests her head back upon her pillow. About fifteen seconds pass and she finally wakes up. Her skin returns to its normal color, she looks at her father, and says to him in a soft, sleepy tone, “Daddy?” The mayor embraces his daughter and cries out, “Sally?! Thank Pharasma you’re fine!” The small girl makes small talk with her elated father and after a bit, the group decides to wait outside. “I think the formula is wearing off,” says Meitov in a cautious tone as his pink skin starts to overlap on the goldish Shaplay skin. “Go, hide in a broom closet or something till it wears off,” Silver Fang commands, and King Joe follows up with a, “It will be worn off in about six minutes, so hurry.” So Meitov takes off down the hallway, luckily a few seconds before the mayor enters the hallway and with a look of joy asks, “How can I repay you?” “We can pretend all this didn’t happen if you do two things,” Ansmaro says before Silver Fang can even react. The mayor asks, “And those are?” Ansmaro cuts Silver Fang off as the word, “I” escapes his mouth with, “Well set free Krakov and tell us where these Hupnaths are.” The mayor nods and the scene darkens…