"Them putting up a fight, indeed.
As for their plans, i'll take a look around."
"I haven't the foggiest idea what happened over with you Baer. But if the screams were any indication I think it must have been spectacular."
Mavor says as he uses the blade of his greataxe to feel around him gently to discern his place and whereabouts in the room.
"Anybody able to give me a hand or shoulder later?"
"I haven't the foggiest idea what happened over with you, Baer."
Baer grins back at Mavor.
"I cracked some good skull. I don't like these physicians. They are pretty awful people, those that deserve to die."
Baer continues to root around and ID things.
Quorthos, you want the headband?
Quorthos moves to help Tural first, feeding him a potion of cure moderate wounds.
Then he crosses the room to stabilize Rolth, if he's not already dead, and ties him up. Then he administers antiplague to the patients who can take it, and ends those that have been raised as zombies.
"We still have a couple of places to clear... but I'm concerned about Mavor's eyes. I can't do anything about it, here. But if we don't investigate the rest of this place now, it will be empty when we come back. What do you think, Mavor?"
"I'll be fine I guess. Just guide me to the enemy and I'll swing my axe at them. That way I'll be of some use at least. My sight can be fixed later. Just don't make me the scout of our group."
Mavor grins at the last part, though his aim of the grin is somewhat off and seems to be more directed at Denario than at Quorthos.
"Also I can't really see anything that's awful or horrible around here, that may be a boon to come hehe."
Baer tosses the headband to Quorthos, the belt to Tural. She tosses the cloak to Mavor, then goes over to drape the garment over his shoulder.
"It's puke green, Mavor," Baer grunts. "It really highlights the phlegmmy tone of your skin, Mavor. It's good on you."
She dons the amulet for herself, tossing the spellbook and goggles to Denario.
(Denario takes a spellbook to the back of his head)
"Now where could notes be hid... (thump) Ow!....What was that for?", followed by the goggles, which he did manage to catch, as he rubs the back of his head.
"Ah, that's going to be useful. I'll take a look later, when we're done rooting out those sickos in this place."
Baer is able to identify the content of the vials as bloodroot poison. A quick comparison shows the vials you found earlier, on the other priests, are the same.
A thorough search of the room reveals a couple of notes. When you read the notes you learn that the patients in the beds are guinea pigs for a new strand of blood veil. This new strand of the disease works on them, even though the original blood veil did not due to their natural immunity against the disease. The notes are otherwise completely useless, because they don't include any concrete information on this new strand or the standard blood veil.
Quorthos heals Tural, stabilizes Rolth, ties Rolth up, unties the patients that are still alive, and kills the zombified patients. The two living men are too weak to leave the room on their own, but they thank Quorthos nonetheless.
"There are more of us," one of the men says with a weak voice, and points at the pair of sturdy, locked iron doors south of you. "In there..."
------
Tural comes back to his senses and looks a bit bewildered.
"What..."
He looks up at Quorthos.
"Thanks."
After a minute or two he seems to be his old self again and buckles the belt of constitution on his waist.
"Could you guys... Not move so far away next time? I tried to heal everyone but some of you just went off. Then everything went black, the moment I went into the room?"
After having collected himself he looks at everyone's wounds.
"Baer, you had a wand of infernal healing, right? Could you use it while I tend to the other sorts of damage you have taken? It saves us our wand of cure moderate wounds. I have the feeling that we'll need that in the parts to come."
Tural moves about after he finishing with the lesser restoration wand and starts to put in place the life links again.
Allyph 34/35HP 2 Infernal heals
Baer 39/43HP 1 Infernal heal
Denario 50/51HP +5hp life link
Mavor 50/51HP 3 Infernal heals
Quorthos 44/45HP 2 Infernal heals +5hp life link
Tural 44/45HP 4 Infernal heals after life links +6 hp from CMW
Quorthos comforts the two survivors as best as possible. "Stay here... we'll go check on the others. After we're sure the place is safe, we'll send help back for you, to take you home." He leans close to whichever of the two seems most trustworthy . "If you manage to see Field Marshall Cressida Kroft when this is over, please tell her, privately, that Quorthos sends his regards."
After the healing, Quorthos puts on the ehadband, and makes sure that someone has taken the spellbook (carrying it himself if no one else has it.) "I suggest we destroy the poisons, unless someone wants them," he offers.
Once the group is ready, Quorthos listens at the door indicated by the survivor. He'll also check the door for locks ad traps.
Baer remembers that she already has an amulet and offers the Amulet of NA +1 to Mavor, then the rest of the party. She is also happy to heal as necessary, but is very confused by Tural calling that one wand 'Infernal Healing', when its true name is 'Contract's Blood' to properly denote the origin of the healing of a contract in blood.
When others are ready to press on, Baer will check for more survivors through the double doors.
Mavor has no idea about what the cloak does or how it looks that was just hung around his shoulders. Nor is he aware what is now hanging around his neck. Though he thanks Baer for her apparent gift and... compliment?
"Gee Baer, thanks... I guess... You sure you didn't hang an old rag over my shoulders? No? Well then I'll wear it until I can see why I shouldn't."
"Where to? And please someone guide me."
Baer find the strong iron doors locked, but with the key still in the lock. She turns the key and opens the doors. Iron doors with slotted windows, much like one might find in a prison or asylum, line the walls of the chamber beyond. Faint bloodstains fleck the straw-strewn flagstones.
Five of the eight cells here hold captive Varisian men and women. They look starved, but are unharmed and disease free. One of the women starts crying tears of relief when she sees Baer, though Baer may interpret the tears otherwise.
One of the men calls out to Baer: "Have you come to save us?!"
Baer smiles broadly, her mighty tusk adding color to her face.
"Yes, yes I did. I did come to save you. My name is Baer and I am a halforc. And through you and your human kind traditionally scorn me and my kind, my halforc friend Mavor and I have risked our lives to save you, *and this city*, from those that would destroy it. Remember that as you return to your families and friends. Remember that."
Baer will help those that need help, but honestly expects someone with some healing skill to jump in soon enough.
Baer will open her pack and offer whatever meager food she has to the group.
Denario merely nods, standing behind Baer with the others...probably.
"I'll add to that, that you're likely more safe outside of the city, or in proper hiding, with any friends of relatives you have.
This city isn't safe anymore, as long as these freaks hold presence."
You open the cells and the people inside quickly get out. "Thank you! Thank you so much! We will never forget the kindness of you half-orcs, who our people have scorned since the dawn of time, and we have become better people because of you! Thank you soooooo much, Baer and Mavor! And thank you, friends of these incredibly brave half-orcs that we now dearly love and even idolize! We owe our lives to all of you! Bless you! Bless your kindness!"
If you let the grateful people leave they will head to the elevator and get the hell out of the building. Unless you don't permit the people to leave, which will result in them following you around as you explore the underground complex. They will do this while singing heroic songs to praise the kindness of Baer, Mavor, and their non-green pals.
Tural's wrapping things up when he hears Baer talking to the people in the other room. His mouth falls wide open with surprise.
She can be friendly?!
Still stunned he finishes things up, ready to move on.
@Quorthos: Keep in mind carrying loot's not a thing in this game.
"Be certain to get away from the city," Quorthos reminds the newly-freed citizens. "Korvosa is not safe... yet. But we will make it safe."
He then readies himself for whatever lies through the last door.
After sending people off and being sure that they can spell her name correctly, Baer moves to the next doors. She will renew her Shield spell before opening the doors (or having them opened).
Mavor stands idly by when some of the people freed from their cells touch him on the shoulder or walk by praising him and Baer.
His icy glare and stare into the unknown make for a weird but grim sight.
"Well glad that they got out at least. We should make sure that this ends though. You guys mentioned another door right? Let's end this, hopefully it will be the last room. I'd take point, but then you might need to turn me in the right direction."
""Only glad they got out?..heh...i'd have thought a few words of praise towards half-orcs would get more of a response.
Oh well....", he says with a shrugging gesture, hands in the air.
He rolls a card between his fingers, eager to get going to take out the next competition.
The stinging scent of harsh chemicals chokes this high-ceilinged chamber. Three huge metal vats bubble here, each more than six feet tall. A sturdy series of catwalks ten feet off the ground stretches over and around the vats, allowing those above to attend whatever slurry produces the foul green-brown mist emanating from each gigantic vessel. Circling the upper portion of the room is an elaborate mosaic of white, black, and green stone that depicts a giant half-corpse woman in black veils dancing among fields of the dead, undead, and dying.
Six priests stand on the catwalks, stirring the liquids inside the vats.
One of the priests rushes to the door up north and hammers on it. "Intruders! Intrudeeeeers!"
Another priest rushes over to one of the eastern doors and opens it.
Round 1:
Purple priest
Red priest
Allyph
Baer
Tural
Quorthos
Blue priest
Yellow priest
Orange priest
Green priest
Denario
Mavor
Tural, knowing that the priests aren't to hard to deal with, goes on the offensive and casts call Lightning.
"Try to end this as quickly as possible, the less resources we expend the better."
He adds to the group.
Round 1, Init 17
Baer double moves into the room and up the left catwalk. Her staff glows with blue arcane magic.
[ dice]1d20+8[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6+4[/dice] damage.
or
[ dice]1d20+6[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6+3[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+6[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6+3[/dice] damage.
"This might be more than we can handle..." whispers Quorthos to his comrades as Baer charges in. "Hopefully they can't channel without hurting some of their own as well."
Too many doors... need to cull down the odds quickly!
Quorthos calls upon the void to summon heavenly eagles, placing them to interfere with spellcasting as much as possible.
After summoning , Quorthos sprints into the room, teleporting up to the catwalk near the north door . He smiles wickedly at the priest by the door. "Hello, dead man. Still moving? I'll fix that for you."
Allyph double moves forward, onto the northern catwalk.
Tural casts call lightning, while Baer and Allyph souble move into the room and onto the catwalks.
Quorthos reckons you will need some help and summons three heavenly eagles that attack the priests.
One of the priests is heavily wounded by an eagle, while two more priests receive less severe wounds.
One of the priests rushes to one of the southern doors and opens it.
One of the priests grabs his sickle and disposes of the eagle flying next to him.
Three more priests draws sickles and try to copy this, but only one of them manages to hurt an eagle.
Round 1:
Purple priest
Red priest -13HP
Allyph
Baer
Tural
Quorthos
Blue priest -4HP
Yellow priest
Orange priest
Green priest -5HP
Denario
Mavor
"Come on guys! Give me a heading!"
Mavor shouts, hearing all the commotion of battle, but unable to see where it is exactly.
Mavor attempts to double move towards any directions his allies give him.
Denario heads into the room, and fires a scorching ray at yellow.
"Mavor, 10 feet straight ahead, 15 feet west, then 25 feet upwards on the stairs. There's a couple of those clerics on the walk way."
"West? You mean left?"
"Yes, 10 feet ahead, go 15 feet left, then 25 feet right to get up the stairs."
When Mavor gets to the corner of the room, Quorthos will start talking in Goblin: "OK, you're heading upstairs now, follow the sound of my voice. There's a wall on your left and a railing on your right. Follow the wall - the railing opens up on your right when you're almost here. There's a stupid priest about 30' straight ahead from the stairs." Quorthos will keep talking in Goblin to provide a reference for Mavor throughout the combat until things chance.
With the directions provided by Denario and Quorthos Mavor manages to double move onto the catwalks.
Denario moves into the room and fires a scorching ray at one of the priests, and gives the priest a huge burn wound.
The priest next to Quorthos takes his sickle and swings wildly at Quorthos, missing him.
The priest who opened to door to the east nods at someone in the room beyond, then closes the door and moves toward Baer while drawing his sickle.
Round 2:
Purple priest
Red priest -13HP
Allyph
Baer
Tural
Quorthos
Blue priest -4HP
Yellow priest -12HP
Orange priest
Green priest -5HP
Denario
Mavor
Round 2, Init 17
Baer steps up and begins to cudgel green, using Quorthos' bird as distraction.
to hit; (+flank,+magic)
damage.
to hit; (+flank,+magic)
damage.
"Bah! Maybe I should let Mavor have my eyes because I'm fighting like the ass end of an otyugh."
[ dice]1d20+8[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6+4[/dice] damage.
or
[ dice]1d20+6[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6+3[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+6[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6+3[/dice] damage.
Tural moves into the room and calls lightning from the sky. He points at the yellow priest before a bolt engulfs him.
Quorthos stabs the red priest with his dagger.
Allyph moves past Mavor, to flank one of the priests with Quorthos. She tries to stab the priest with her rapier.
Baer steps and begins to cudgel the green priest, but despite the distraction caused by Quorthos's eagle the priest manages to parry Baer's attacks.
Tural moves into the room and calls lightning down onto the yellow priest, who ducks just in time to avoid most of the lightning.
The green priest is too focused on parrying Baer's attacks to also defend himself from the eagle behind him, and his back's clawed and pecked open.
Another one of Quorthos's eagles and Quorthos himself attack the red priest, who dodges all of their attacks. Allyph then moves in and stabs the red priest in his back.
The blue priest moves up to Quorthos and swings his sickle, but Quorthos dodges the attack.
The orange priest swings his scythe at the eagle adjacent to him and hurts it badly.
The green priest steps up to Baer so the yellow priest can do the same. They both attack Baer, but the yellow priest loses his balance as he swings and bumps into the other priest. The other priest then hits the wall instead of Baer, meanwhile cursing at his comrade. "You blind?! Retard! Don't walk into me!"
Round 2:
Purple priest
Red priest -17HP
Allyph
Baer
Tural
Quorthos
Blue priest -4HP
Yellow priest -19HP
Orange priest
Green priest -12HP
Denario
Mavor
Denario aims for the yellow priest.
"Got something for you."
"Where to? Is Allyph fighting up ahead?"
Mavor calls out, not knowing where the next enemy is.
"Raah!!! You can't hide from me forever. Not even when I'm blind!"
"I am, Mavor!"
Allyph briefly turns around to steer Mavor toward the orange priest, then quickly turns back to her own enemy. She didn't like the idea of temporarily exposing her back to the enemy in this way, but the idea of Mavor's greataxe accidentally landing on her neck is by far the scarier option.
Denario aims for the yellow priest and knocks him off the catwalks with a snowball. The priest's dead before he hits the floor.
Allyph redirects Mavor to the orange priest, who's hit by a devastating chop from Mavor's greataxe.
The purple priest moves some feet west and raises his silver unholy symbol. A wave of negative energy erupts from the symbol, hitting all of you save for Allyph and Quorthos.
Just when Allyph turns back around from guiding Mavor in the right direction she's cut by the red priest's sickle.
The channeled energy isn't very strong and even the one who's hit worst, Baer, doesn't notice much of it. The channel's strength is just enough to defeat Quorthos's eagles, though.
Allyph and Baer heal while the wounds are transferred to Tural.
Round 3:
Purple priest
Red priest -17HP
Allyph 35/35HP
Baer 42/43HP
Tural 33/45HP
Quorthos 44/45HP
Blue priest -4HP
Orange priest -17HP
Green priest -12HP
Denario 49/51HP
Mavor 49/51HP
Round 3, Init 17
Baer tries again to cudgel green.
to hit; (+magic)
damage.
to hit; (+magic)
damage.
"Mavor's farts hurt more than your emissions, vile priest. Try harder!"
[ dice]1d20+8[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6+4[/dice] damage.
or
[ dice]1d20+6[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6+3[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+6[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6+3[/dice] damage.
Tural heals himself using the CMW wand, not wanting to go down again.
Quorthos smiles at Baer's taunt. She has a way with words... His smile disappears as he turns back to the red priest. "You may have made some bad life choices," he mentions casually. "Don't worry, I'll fix that for you... the 'life' part, I mean."
He then steps back to prevent the other priest from getting behind him.
The green priest ducks out of the way of Baer's first attack, but he's hit hard by the second.
Tural heals some of the damage he's taken with the wand of cure moderate wounds.
Quorthos stabs the red priest and drops him, after which he steps up to the blue priest.
Round 3:
Purple priest
Allyph 35/35HP
Baer 42/43HP
Tural 38/45HP
Quorthos 44/45HP
Blue priest -4HP
Orange priest -17HP
Green priest -21HP
Denario 49/51HP
Mavor 49/51HP
Allyph moves a couple of feet east and shoots a ray of electricity at the thug Baer's already wounded badly.
Allyph shoots a ray of electricity at the badly wounded priest in front in Baer, but it's hard to aim at someone fighting in melee, and the ray barely missed the priest.
The priest in front of Mavor takes a wild swing at Mavor, but actually manages to miss the blind half-orc.
The badly wounded priest in front of Baer channels again, this time hurting those of you who fall within the channel's radius a bit more than earlier.
Round 3:
Purple priest
Allyph 35/35HP
Baer 38/43HP
Tural 34/45HP
Quorthos 44/45HP
Blue priest -4HP
Orange priest -17HP
Green priest -21HP
Denario 45/51HP
Mavor 41/51HP