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Vuloo watches as Levelle offers up a long sword and Andel offers up a dagger. "Helanda, these weapons are all that we can offer - they will have to suffice. We don't have any armor, but I'm sure we'll come across something that you can scavenge." Vuloo pauses and considers the renown martial abilities of the Gray Maidens. Perhaps it is best that she remains unarmored until she can prove that she is not a threat.
Vuloo turns to the others, "The living quarters seems like the only option we have. Are we ready to go there now?"
If someone wants to go back and come up with a list to date, I can track it from here on out.
Moving back to the cavern, Relan and Helanda take point. The woman carries the sword comfortably like it's something she's used most of her life. She checks the party is ready and states simply, "They will fight," and presses the large panel in the middle of the red door .. an image of Sorshen in an extremely awkward sexual position with a minotaur.
Inside you see, a long, wooden table of ancient design sits in the center of the room, surrounded by uncomfortable-looking wooden chairs. Three of which are occupied by armored women eating dinner. Crates and chests are scattered against the walls, and several doors line the north and south walls between the crates. Huge red panels of painted murals stand to the east and west.
The women looked at you stunned, "Helanda?" One states confusedly.
You chose to sacrifice Helanda. We saved her. Now she fights for us. You to have a choice. You can join us or you can be defeated. Relan proclaims as he charges the a seated woman, knocking her from her chair to a prone position and hitting for non-lethal damage. Stay down!
Vuloo sighs. "So much for diplomacy."
He extends a life link to Relan.
Andel studies the gray maidens and looks for any weaknesses that he can pass on to the group. "The Gray Maidens are renown for their aggressive swordsmanship. They often over-commit on their attacks. A fast counter strike will breach their defenses!"
Braelex, apparently distracted by something as the door is opened, is slow to react. She watches dumbly as Relan springs forward and takes down the Maiden. She readies a grenade in case they don't take the ultimatum well.
Levelle waits for Relan to make his entrance and draws a bead on one of the women, threatening to loose if they do not yield...
Levelle holds an arrow primed while Helanda delays and follows Relan's lead to the right of the table and moves in shoving the other Gray Maiden as well. They both knock down their opponents, Relan tripping his, Helanda knocking hers into a stool. Relan bashes the woman with the haft of his pole arm and she looks at him dazed.
Braelex holds a bomb ready while Andel recites what he knows.
; success!
LEvelle is content to wait to see things unfold...
Not believing these fighters will surrender Relan continues his attacks but using non-lethal blows.
Relan advances 30' forward.
Levelle continues to hold her nocked arrow like a taut line ready to loose at a moment's notice. Relan smashes the stunned maiden at the table again and her eyes roll back in her head as she loses consciousness.
Helanda on the other side punches her sister with the hilt of her weapon, but catches her on a pauldron and fails to do any damage.
; miss
The Maidens, while initially stunned, fall into immediate military response, slamming helmet visors down over scarred daces and moving to try and maintain position. Several converge from the outer rooms and one barks a sharp military formation command.
From the northwest room, a Maiden steps out with a massive crossbow ... nearly a ballista. She flips down a bipod stand and lets loose a bolt nearly the size of a spear with a whomping twang. It careens off the side of Relan's armor causing him to stagger, but he doesn't take any damage.
; miss
He doesn't get much time to regroup as two more assailants approach him warily both getting closer but maintaining an exceptionally defensive stance hiding behind their shields and not stepping inside the warrior's guard.
Near Helanda, the first woman draws her sword and stands dodging a blow from the former maiden. The one behind her steps to her left and draws and swings her sword in a single smooth motion cutting the unarmored woman easily
; miss
; HIT!;
These maidens do not seem to be trying to do non=lethal damage to me. Relan observes.
Vuloo will move into the the room and will cast bless, which should affect everybody - +1 to attack rolls and saving throws.
Andel will cast allegro and will then move into the room with his quarter staff drawn.
Levelle looses at the nearest target while she sends Talaay after the woman with the large crowssbow...
; fail
; success!
Andel casts and moves while Vuloo blesses the party.
Levelle fires at the crossbow wielding woman and then sends Talaay to harry her. Her arrow strikes true and the swooping bird of prey catches a chink in her armor and rips flesh with a bite.
Relan swings at his nearest opponent, opting to attempt to trip her and continue to rain non-lethal blows.
; success!
; HIT!;
; miss
Helanda swings with the flat of her blade at her opponent
; ; no;
Not wanting to attack with lethal force, Braelex readies another stink bomb and holds position.
Braelex holds fast with another stinking pot ready to hurl ... and make others hurl.
The Gray Maidens continue their militaristic approach, fighting and flanking as best they can. You hear shouts from the east. More are coming.
The woman fighting Helanda who isn't vomiting on herself continues to beat against your newfound companion. They are equally skilled, but the lack of armor is going to be a problem for Helanda as you note she isn't very agile.
; HIT!;
The women fighting Relan shout commands at each other. The one on the ground going into a complete defensive crouch as the other one steps inside Relan's guard to take a swing at him that he easily deflects with his polearm.
; miss
To the northwest the woman with the giant crossbow steps back, dragging the thing with her, cranking the lever back quickly and then loosing another massive bolt, this time as return fire at Levelle. The projectile smashes against the door jam and causes no real harm to anything.
While continuing to recite the gray maidens' weaknesses, Andel blasts the gray maiden closest to him with a Chord of Shards
; DC15 reflex save negates.
Vuloo retrieves his scrolls while extending a life link to Helanda.
The Lore Warden, believing that these maidens have to be put down and that parley is impossible continues to fight. But hearing more enemies coming he chooses to deal lethal damage against those that he had already scored non-lethal hits on, trusting that his earlier blows will prevent the maidens from dying from his new wounds. His first attack goes against the prone enemy trusting that her prone condition will negagte any advantage she has from being defensive.
He then steps and attempts to trip the standing maiden near him. If he trips her he attacks with an AOO to do non-lethal.
Levelle utters a low whistle to tell the bird of prey to continue its work while she herself shuffles fowrard in the room and shoots at HElanda's foe...
Braelex continues to hold her readied action and observe the melee.
Andel sends a raking blast of solidified musical notes at the Maiden with the bow cutting up her armor while Vuloo opens up to Helanda. Levelle follows up with an arrow embedding it in a seam at the shoulder causing the wound to bleed profusely but the Maiden stays on her feat.
Relan batters past the prone woman's guard and she passes out. He steps away and turns away, tripping and striking the southern Maiden.
Helanda swings at the Maiden she's fighting and comes away with another bloody cut.
The Maiden with the crossbow steps back and takes cover on the table, setting her bow down and firing once more at Levelle sending another bolt splintering wide.
Relan's opponent moves to stand as the door to the east bursts open and 4 more Maidens carrying longswords and shiels ... and wearing nothing else rush in to surround Relan
Braelex watches with a furrowed brow.
; fail
; miss
; HIT!;
; miss
; HIT!;
; HIT!;
; miss
; miss
; HIT!;
Vuloo partially absorbs some of both Relan's and Helanda's wounds .
Vuloo cures himself from a scroll.
Andel moves forward and blasts the maiden across the table again with another chord of shards.
Levelle urges the bird of prey to continue while she herself shuffles continues to shoot at Helanda's foe...
Relan's opportune attacks knock out one Maiden and trip the other two sending them stumbling over one another.
Andel shreds the Maiden with the crossbow from across the table and she collapses in a sea of bloody cuts.
Vuloo pulls and uses a scroll while Levelle bounces an arrow off the armor of the Maiden fighting Helanda.
Relan, comfortable at being outnumbered as long as he has room to maneuver steps back 5' and attempts to trip both standing enemies in front of him.
Braelex sees an opportunity and jogs forward, hurling a stink bomb into the cluster of new arrivals.
Relan swings and distracted by fighting nude women, makes a rare tell and his first attack is easily avoided but trips and smacks a second woman as she falls.
Braelex moves in and carpets the area in nauseating fumes incapacitating 2 of the women.
Relan's still fighting opponents get up and move in, the warrior cracking one's skull so hard her eyes roll back in her head and she collapses in the cloud. The last one moving in the bunch moves in with her blade. Relan, a literal whirlwind of blade and wood, deflects it easily.
Helanda and her opponent continue to trade blows, both scoring impressive hits.
; fail
; success
; fail
; success
; miss
; ; CRIT!;
; HIT!;
Worried that all the poison clouds are going to hem him in, Relan steps back and attacks the enemy he can still reach, trying to trip her before pummeling her.
Vuloo partially absorbs some of both Relan's and Helanda's wounds (+5 HP healed each).
Vuloo cures himself again using a scroll.
Andel uses the speed from his allegro spell to move around the table to Relan's flank where he then blasts the maidens in front of him with a chord of shards .
Braelex holds, expecting the fight to end swiftly.
Levelle signals the bird to come back towards her and attack that the foes facing the parties new ally while Levelle moves to interpose herself between Vuloo and other threats while continuing to fire on Helanda's foe...