Alexandra wants to face palm, but it's beneath her station. Just when she thought they weren't so bad, this happens.
"They engaged us. You want to keep them alive, you're more than welcome to knock them out. I prefer Sir Daubeny's approach myself."
She caught a wiff of the room inside and almost gagged. Almost. Who knew life outside the palace would test her graces?
Well, have fun! I'd help but wouldn't you know it, I must've left my dagger in my other bag. If you are having trouble, call for me and I'll daze them a bit."
I am not going in that room. End of discussion. Mud I can get out but stench!? I'll begin to look like a bloody commoner!
Amelia says "Don't worry Alexandria, I have a dagger right...shoot, it's gone!"
Lysander's bomb goes off and both of the creature are splashed with the fiery mix. They scream in pain as the fire burns their flesh.
As Daubney takes his stance both creatures throw javilins at him.
One misses completely and the other bounces off his armor. They both make a run for the door to the stairwell.
The lizard hears the explosion and hisses. It snatchs up the food and makes a run for the open door.
Chuckling as the creatures turn their back, Daubeny quickly shifts his grip on his bardiche, and shoves it forward with all his might into the first Troglodyte. Grunting with exertion, the knight rips the tip of his polearm free into a spin directing into the other beast, the sharpened edge of his weapon whistling a familiar tune to the Thoreand prince.
Do you believe they could be fleeing to alert reinforcements?!
"That, or they are fleeing the man who just covered them in liquid fire and his well armored, very tall friend with the polearm."
Alexandra says casually, picking bits of dirty of her shoulders from another on of Lysander's tower shaking explosions.
"You've let off two bombs in the space of 10 minutes. Unless very dense I would've assumed this whole side of the tower would know someone was here. Though, looking at the state of the place, it wouldn't be surprising if explosions were a common occurrence."
Lavender. Lavender, myr, maybe some sandalwood? A lovely, steaming scented bath is the first thing I'll order when I get back. Fresh clothing, imported chocolates, then a salmon steak from the Frozen Sea. I heard at least 2 people die per salmon. And then my nice, warm bed... oh god where am I going to sleep! This place is filthy!
The increasingly sooty and dusty alchemist opens his mouth to respond then pauses for a moment. He then replies
Both of your conjectures are perfectly valid. Perhaps my deployments of alchemical force are less than subtle and somewhat intimidating. I've had difficulty conceiving of them as other than an effective mixture of reagents.
For several seconds Iraonar stands in silent stunned horror at the filleted corpses.
They were running. We had won and they were running. He just stabbed them in the back!
Fear of the armored man with the blood soaked axe, and his pyromaniacal companion hits Iraonars heart at the same time the smell of death hits his nose. His dinner the night before makes a reappearance as he runs through the open room the party came from.
With a quick lunge and a slash, Daubeny dispatches the stinky creatures.
Alexandra pulls out a handkerchief embroider with her families sigil in one corner, using it to cover her nose and mouth.
Before entering the room, she thoroughly observes the floor for anything that looks like it could stain or stench her coat. Or shoes.
I need shoe coverings. Or a good pair of knee high boots.
She also scans the walls for anything useful, or expensive.
Confused, Lysander watches the fleeing Iraonar. He calls out to him, hastily fitting as many syllables in a shout as he can.
I do believe our use of force was merited and our current predicament precludes all courses of action in which we do not collaborate!!
But afraid he will scare the fancy noble further, Lysander does not pursue him. Instead, he begins searching through the room with Alexandra while looking back over his shoulder hopefully to see if Iraonar returns.
I do believe those of your means are possessed of a faculty for determining the arcane properties of items around them. Do you believe it is possible that some of these items possess such properties?
He looks for anything useful as well but particularly for a ranged weapon. The alchemist prince generally doesn't carry a crossbow on him when he leaves home but could use one to supplement his limited supply of improvised bombs.
Taking a moment to wipe the blood off his poleaxe, the knight turns to the running noble with a sigh. "Amelia, would you please go get Iraonar? I doubt I could convince him of anything right now."
As the smell of death and blood reaches his nose Daubeny snorts. Better than trudging through the bodies of allies and foes. Though the beasts could have kept a better room. Pausing for a moment upon glancing at the weapons rack, he asks their bombastic member, "Do you know how to use a more simple weapon? Such as a spear?"
Indeed I could make do with throwing such an implement but my range would be significantly limited. I would prefer a crossbow but it is possible the necessity of reloading such a weapon would render it impractical and the limited range of a thrown spear may not be a significant hindrance in these close quarters.
"Sure, I'll be right back." with that, Amelia goes after Iraonar. "Are you okay?" she asks, concern clear on her face.
Then as his sorrow and rage boil out he screams."What man butchers people like that! What says you must hunt down your enemies as they ! Were is the in that!"
Most of the few remaining arms and armor in the room have rusted away, making them useless in combat. However, the following items still seem to have some use left in them:
Masterwork Silver Dagger
Masterwork Light Steel Shield
Masterwork Rapier
Masterwork Spear
A search of the bodies revels that each had 10 silver pieces.
Two doors lead from the room.
Amelia waits until he finishes, and then as he sobs, she holds him, letting him cry out. When he finishes, she says "Just as you believe that they were running for their lives, Daubeny likely believes that they were simply trying to draw him into a trap. Unfortunately, there is no easy way for us to know."
Amelia releases Iraonar and then looks him in the face as she continues "What we do know is that as soon as they saw us, they planned on killing us, as they attacked before we could so much as say hello. This likely means that they have killed unsuspecting travelers before, and had we passed them by, they could just as easily have decided to attack us while we were dealing with another encounter."
"There are no easy answers here. We have agreed to acquire a set of powerful magical items, which will likely be guarded by beings that will want to take our lives. While we can certainly try to work things out non-violently, I believe that this will most likely not be the last time such a confrontation ends in death. You are going to need to come to terms with this."
Amelia stands and offers Iraonar her hand, saying "Whatever happens, running off on your own is a terrible idea. What if you had been killed because you fled into a giant spider's web and we had died trying to free you? Please, stay with the group."
She then turns to return to the others.
"I'm not fantastic with weapons but I'd like something to defend myself with if it came down to that. That dagger looks like something I could handle."
That looks small and well made. I could bear being seen with something like that.
After putting his harp in his bag, Iraonar heads into the room trying vary heard not to look at the dead troglodytes." Well I seem to have left my battle ax in my other bag so I'll take the spear."
Given the dangers of our situation, I will welcome any extra defensive apparatuses that do not compromise my mobility and utility. The remaining weapon is of no use to me but I suggest that, if none of us intend to use it, we sell it at a later date and share the profits as we divide all fungibles.
He then turns to Iraonar attempting to be polite.
Iraoanar, I understand that our course of action troubles you. Perhaps we should come to an agreed upon convention for dealing with inhabitants of this structure that we encounter. A set of criterion which merit the use of lethal force would be most helpful. I, for one, would be happy to employ non-lethal force but am quite incapable of doing so with my improvised alchemical devices. It would indeed be desirable to preserve life and further useful to inquire about the nature of this structure from a living, non-hostile sentient. But unless we are able to devise an agreeable algorithm for when we do or do not use force, we must abide by reasonable decisions that are made with intentions for the good of all members of this improvised group.
Lysander takes the steel shield and 4 sp and will place the rapier in his handy haversack if no one wants it.
Hoping his attempt at diplomacy satisfies the problematic noble, Lysander moves stealthily towards one door and then the other, placing his ear at each and listening for any indicators of what may be found upon the other side.
Putting his share of the silver in a small pouch, the knight pulls of his helmet, revealing weary grey eyes. "Iraonar,I swore an oath long before I donned my plate or wielded Thorn." Daubeny gives his poleaxe a nudge with his boot. "I swore I would protect the weak, and fight for those who could not defend themselves. Consider it me leveling my nations debt as mercenaries. As far as I'm concerned, at this moment you are all my charges." The man rubs at an old scar tracing his jaw. "I don't intend to let harm come to you, but you may judge me as you wish. Just remember, that spear bounced off armor, not silk."
His piece said, Daubeny dons his helmet once more, and follows behind Lysander. As he walks he opens the book attached to armor, and reads for a moment. Better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war.
At Daubeny's comment Alexandra rubs the part of her body where she would've been hit had it been her in his place.
She had her magic armor, sure, but with each passing minute she grew closer to needing it replaced. Steel armor could last many battles, years under the right circumstances.
She had little over 4 hours.
4 hours until I am simply a Princess in over my head...
She shook her head, this wasn't how she had been raised to think! She was going to be Empress of the great northern expanses!
She had been too shaken by Daubeny's reality check to notice the airs that Iraonar was putting on, another testament to how out of her element she was. Nothing slipped by her in the halls of Dom Volkov.
But she wasn't in the House of Wolves, this was one of giant spiders and primitive creatures. One of destruction and disrepair.
She was trapped in the House of Dragons and these 4 people were the only thing between her and the abyss.
"Where to, Prince Lysander? We saw the staircase through the door down stairs. While I normally favor a methodic approach, so clearing each floor, we all saw the state of the lower level. It might be worth seeing if what we're looking for is in the sturdier floors before going down to the floor thats on the verge of collapse."
Go up and risk being attacked from behind. Go down and risk being trapped from above. Go up and risk the first floor bringing the tower down around us. Go down and risk the tower coming down on top of us. There are no good options here and each reason I come up with gets countered.
I hate this place.
"I know that you don't really know me, but it's insulting that you think I wouldn't defend you from aggressors."
"Was anyone in our band injured in that battle?" asks Amelia as she rejoins the group.
After giving the spear a few experimental swings Iraonar frowns."It lacks a certain elegance. On second thought I think I'll take the rapier instead. Perhaps the spear will give Lysander something less explosive to throw if we face something made of fire or something." He offers the spear to Lysander and holds out his hand for the sword.
He adds as an afterthought,"I know I am not lysander but if I may suggest, we have no idea where this gem is. We should clear each floor so we don't miss it."
Lysander willingly exchanges the two weapons.
Lysander perceives nothing on the other side of the two doors.
Lysander turns back from the doors to the rest of the group.
I do not detect any audible signs as to the potential occupants of the chambers we have not yet reconnoitered. I am with our empathetic companion and recommend we gain more thorough knowledge of the contents of this level before proceeding to the superior one.
Lysander turns to the south door to check out the last chamber of the second floor and attempts to stealthily open the door and peer through it.
Amelia walks up and opens the door to the east.
Sticking close to the bombardier, Daubeny holds back to keep from being seen.
Lysander finds the room empty except for a javelin trap set to trigger on anyone opening the door to the east.
Amelia finds a dark stairwell leading up and down. Parts of the stairs have collapsed and fallen way but there is still enough to walk upon.
Lysander is too intrigued by the mechanical marvel to leave it alone. He attempts to disable the device and determine how it operates.
If that succeeds, he enjoys examining the device for a brief while then checks the rest of the room to make sure he isn't missing anything.
He then follows Amelia to the stairwell.
It seems we have completed our reconnaissance of this level and are prepared to examine the next one.
"Onward!"Iraonar says dramatically, pointing his new sword at the staircase.
Lysander begins to move quietly up the stairs, searching for any signs of trouble.
Sighing, the knight patiently hung back, absentmindedly scratching his boot with the shaft of his polearm. Stealth has it's place, but my Lord raised someone who acts. It feels wrong to lounge about while other pave the way.
Lysander lights his hooded lantern. He then turns to Daubeny.
My ability to move quietly is rendered void by my necessity to light my way and thus stick out as the only bright point in a dark environment. I suggest that we take the "straight-forward" approach. Would you take the foremost position as we enter new chambers in a more direct, abrupt manner?
Alexandra looks at Lysander, mildly insulted.
"You know that I have been lighting our way this entire time?" she gestures to the four floating balls of light that have been following them since they entered the tower.
"Not that I'll stop you from being the centre of attention if you wish. Go right ahead."
With that, she dismisses her dancing lanterns, sending much of the room into darkness lit only by Lysanders lantern. Alexandra may be an adult, but as a spoilt princess she is well known for slighting easily. So she is more than able to reduce her own vision in a pouting fit just to spite another.
In the darkness, no one can see you pout.
Lysander scratches his head, wondering how the darkness of the stairwell made him forget about the lights dancing very conveniently over his and his companions' heads. He shrugs apologetically toward Alexandra and follows behind Daubeny.
Stepping forward at Lysander's request, Daubeny shakes his head at Alexandra's extinguishing of her magic life. Holding his poleaxe in his right hand, the knight probes the walls with his cestus as he makes his to the next level. "I hope anything else bounces off as easy as that spear."
I think he was meaning the lamp to work with your lights. If one is in the front and one in the back the spiral of the staircase won't block as much light because it has two points of origin.Iraonar explains to Alexandra, completely missing both her pouting and Lysanders confused expression.
Lysander looks with surprise at the foppish noble.
That is a far better summary of the illuminatory situation than I was able to produce myself!
You reach the landing of the third floor and find a door. The stairs continue up.
Turning to look at his fellows, Daubeny holds up three armored fingers. Slowly counting down, the large knight throws the door open when he reaches a knuckle.
"We really should..."Iroanar begins to say as Daubeny counts down. At the last finger he gets to the last word, deflated by its irreverence "...Knock."Then sighs.
Alexandra places a comforting hand on Iraonar's should.
"Sweetie, if they didn't want people trampling all over the place then they'd live somewhere that wasn't a tumbled down old ruin full of rubble, vermin, and water damage. If we do run into anything sentient then we will of course pay for any damages.
Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, after all. As long as everyone feels good in the end, yes?"
This place better not be lived in. I definitely wouldn't mind paying to do the place up. Nice sized rooms, high ceilings, isolated, easily defended. I call dibs once we're finished.
Two stone alters, one black and one white, sit at either end of this large chamber, which takes up two wings of the tower on this level. The crumbling remains of wooden benches sag in front of each alter beneath rotting ceiling tapestries. Carved symbols and writings snake along the walls. The burnt corpses of two troglodytes lie on the floor in the center of the room.
Two humanoid skeletons, wreathed in eternal flame, inhabit this room. One lies on each alter.
Fiery Aura (Ex): Creatures adjacent to a burning skeleton take 1d6 points of fire damage at the start of their turn. Anyone striking a burning skeleton with an unarmed strike or natural attack takes 1d6 points of fire damage.
Fiery Death (Su): A burning skeleton explodes into a burst of flame when it dies. Anyone adjacent to the skeleton when it is destroyed takes 1d6 points of fire damage per 2 Hit Dice the skeleton possessed (minimum 1d6). A Reflex save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the skeleton's Hit Dice + the skeleton's Cha bonus) halves this damage.
"It's a lot easier to make sure everyone is happy at the end if you don't offend them at the beginning. Though I doubt these two care one way or the other."Iraonar replies as he sheathes the sword through his belt and pulls out a Pan flute made of swamp ash and laced together with unicorn hair.
Do not let them approach! Their combustible nature poses a significant risk to any creatures in close proximity!!
He takes a 5 ft step through the doorway to stand next to Daubeny, draws a flask of acid from his haversack (fearing his fire will have little effect on such obviously fiery creautres), and readies an action to throw it at the first skeleton that approaches within 20 ft.
7 splash DC 15 reflex for half.
Daubeny nods his head in assent. "They will not pass." Shifting his grip on his poleaxe, Daubeny readies himself to hurl the nearest skeleton.