for hits PB
for misses
for hits Vro
for
The derro, surprised somewhat by the capability of their enemies begin to regroup as a pair stab at Phantomblade while the third draws blood from Vrothum .
Round 1 Con't
6 Pinball : Double moves, draws CLW wand
5 Shardra : Evil eye at d1
Round 2
18 Misaki : Misses
17 Vrothum : Bites d3 for 9
16 Phantomblade : Misses
12 Derro #1 (evil eye'd, -2AC): 5ft, Stabs Phantom for 9
12 Derro #2 : 5ft, Misses Phantom
12 Derro #3 (9dmg) : Stabs Vrothum for 4, 5ft
6 Pinball :
5 Shardra :
Round 3
18 Misaki :
17 Vrothum :
16 Phantomblade :
Now Up: Everyone!
In furious rage, Vrothum bites and tears through one of the derro, hurling arms, legs and finally dismembered head to the ground .
Shardra narrows her eyes and wiggles a finger at another derro while continuing her dwarven chant.
Round 2 Con't
6 Pinball : Heals Vrothum for 9 with wand
5 Shardra : Evil eye on Derro #2 for AC, chants
Round 3
18 Misaki : Misses Derro #3
17 Vrothum : Tears Derro #3 apart
16 Phantomblade :
Still Up: Phantomblade
Surprisingly at ease in their Darklands setting, Shardra's chants take an otherworldly timbre, as if in her meditation she were possessed by some extraplanar force.
for
Phantomblade, beset upon by a pair of derro, does his best to fight them off. Yet, the dark seems to provide his enemy with just the advantage it needs.
for
for
However, it seems Phantomblade is starting to feel where his opponents strikes are coming from as neither of the derro's strikes finds feather nor blood.
Round 3 Con't
12 Derro #2 : 5ft, swing and miss
12 Derro #1 : Swing and miss, 5ft
6 Pinball :
5 Shardra :
Round 4
18 Misaki :
17 Vrothum :
16 Phantomblade :
Now Up: Everyone!
Misaki's blade slices straight down the derro's back, nearly severing him in half as he collapses to the ground.
Shardra will continue her sonorous chant, walking slowly toward the fray to the rhythm of her swinging thurible.
The lone derro staggers back a step after Vrothum's mighty blow.
As he looks around, he sees the rest of his companions, the other derro in the cave, have mostly fallen to the mites and prisoner's combined efforts. He throws down his weapon and drops to his knees, pleading for mercy.
A tattooed prisoner, years of hard life behind bars obvious on his face, steps up and slides a longsword up through his back.
He grunts at Vrothum.
"No mercy."
The mites, gathering up behind their leader, stand defiantly facing you all. The leader holds up his hands and makes the sign of an eagle.
Immediately, the mites all flee into small sized outlet caves, disappearing from sight.
The stone table in northern alcove is a shrine to Groetus. The pool is filled with dozens of corpses of prisoners, guards, mites, and a variety of recently kidnapped Cassomir citizens.
As you search the bodies of the fallen derro, you discover two notes. The first confirms that the Aspis Consortium agent Kafar funded the smugglers who in turn supplied the cult. The second letter details plans to penetrate other Cassomir buildings (such as the Admiralty Citadel and Harbor Watch) and perform additional mass abductions in the near future.
As you return to the surface, the rescued Swift guards assist you in ushering the prisoners back up to Swift Prison.
Once there, a member of the Cassomir constabulary steps up, asking everyone what they might know about the stolen chapel bell. You all honestly relate that you saw it in the chapel before descending, and the constable shrugs before hanging you a note that he found nailed to the front door.
It appears to be addressed to Hestia.
|
"We need to take care of these dead," Pinball says sadly. "It's not pleasant, but if we don't burn the corpses, they're going to rise. It's too late for them."
She sets about the grisly task of dragging all the bodies from the pool and building a fire from scraps of material and the clothing on the corpses. It's a grim task, but Pinball swings her prayer beads over the bodies and prays to Irori that the dead find, if not perfection, at least peace.
***
Upon returning to the surface, Pinball reads the note with furrowed brows.
"--what? How did they even-- it was HUGE--"
Shaking her head, Pinball passes the note off to the others. "...I don't think our venture captain is going to like that much. Hopefully all those trade bars we found can do... something to assuage her temper. We should give her the note-- scrying magic might be useful."
"The Darklands were not quite what I had expected. Nothing like the halls of my forefathers. Still, it has been... pleasant." Shardra says, with an awkward smile. "I will do what I can to consecrate the bodies and return them to the earth. It's the least we can do."
"That bell was a work of art... a great loss for Cassomir, and for the Society." she says, mournfully. "Let us hope we can track them down."