”Melisenn?” The name comes from your lips and the dark-eyed woman turns to look your direction.
”You have it.” She says, taking a heavy tome from your small hands.
”I told you, I have the Count’s full confidence.”
”Good. Very good.”
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We learned all that we can from her. I am inclined to accept her bargain and put her into the cell with food - in exchange for seeing the visage of Melisenn's companions (He's assuming that the summoner was Melissen). [b]
[b] We also need to be on the look out for the other Skum. We have a leader and a mage to still fight. The Mage probably fled and gathered reinforcements - like the leader.
So, how many Skum have we actually dealt with? If there's a dozen, we still have a lot to kill. Right? Who has a deathcount? Mariner, you are good at killing, did you count them?
BB thinks about an entry to the basements and cells. Trying to picture where it is.
Fearless grabs the Sliver to take her to the cells. As he does a vision takes root once again. "Melisenn is the summoner." He gasps. Looking down his hands shake. "I was working with her. Or I used to. I gave her some tome. She seemed pleased that I had the Count's full confidence."
He looks at all the bodies and grabs the Sliver again. "Do you know who I am? Did I help create all this?"
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Who has a deathcount? Mariner, you are good at killing, did you count them?
The Mariner holds up two hands, three fingers on the left, three fingers on the right...whether it adds up to the correct answer, he wasn't sure. Like Brother says, good at killing - not at counting.
He pats Cats on the shoulder, giving him some sense of sympathetic comradeship to bolster against his personal darkness. "Alright, enough banter from you, soulman - and don't try giving me the witch's sight either, or I'll make a pocket mirror out of you."
Tilsitari shakes her head at Fearless. ”I was only recently summoned. If you were part of this I am unaware of it.”
The Mariner’s threats seem to cow the soulsliver somewhat, and she poses no trouble as the Watchmen descend from the study down through the archives, cutting through the dining hall, to a set of stairs in one of the northern passages that lead down into the dungeons of Fort Hailcourse.
At the bottom of the stairs is a store room. The walls of this cool and surprisingly dry subterranean chamber are lined with sturdy shelves laden with chopped wood. A couple of axes sit propped in the corner, and a small hatchet is driven into a stump used to split smaller logs and make kindling. A large door stands across the room and a smaller reinforced door stands to the east.
”The cells are through the smaller door.” Tilsitari informs.
Cats moves into D6, still unable to fully look at Tilsitari. His eyes still flash to the vision and the memory of the wrongs he had done in his past.
I have to find redemption. I have to!
Leaving the prisoner with Pinkie, Cats examines the area for traps and trouble.
Perception - trap door and area
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The Sliver's reply doesn't ease Fearless anymore than he was hoping that it would. "Everywhere we go just adds more questions. This is as bad as the first season of that play where the dwarves in a sky citadel crashed down on a deserted island." Opening the door Fearless helps lead Tilsitari to her cell. Once she is in he tosses in a couple of rations. "We're not monsters anymore."
"We're not monsters anymore."
Still a bit dazed, Cats realizes that Fearless's words draw him back from the point of panic and despair.
"Yeah, we're not catsters anymore. We're redeemed. We can atone for our mistakes. We're different. Catrenrae redeems. Brother said so. And so it will be," Cats mutters to himself, clawing his way back from the precipice.
"Catrenrae saves."
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Brother Butterfly works some healing magic, restoring the Mariner and offering a spell to protect him from further harm. Cats clears the area and Fearless goes to open the eastern door, preparing to throw Tilsitari into a jail cell. He pulls on the handle but finds the door locked.
Fearless tries jamming his dented silver dagger in the lock again. "I really need to pick up some proper tools." Sighing he pulls back. "Can you get this Cats?"
Cats grunts in response to Fearless and gets to work.
Cats will first re-search Tilsitari for the keys to the cell (and anything else that might be used to escape...like mirrors, etc), then ask him where they might be, and only then will begin to address the cell with his masterwork thieves tools.
Perception (traps)
Disable Device
Disable Device
Disable Device
Disable Device
"I'll get it! I'll get it! Just give me a catting second. It's...it's really rusted..."
Disable Device
Cats check’s the door, then goes to work with his tools, taking longer then expected thanks to Fearless attempt to murder the lock with his dagger. The door opens into a dark hallway that leads to a row of three doors along the northern wall, each fitted with a small grate in the middle. A single door stands in the southern wall.
Unfortunately, the this area is not unoccupied. Three skum stand waiting with tridents.
INITIATIVE
INITIATIVE
Cats (38/38)
Butterfly (46/46)
Fearless (31/34)
Mariner (71/71)
Skum!
A couple of axes sit propped in the corner, and a small hatchet is driven into a stump used to split smaller logs and make kindling.
The Mariner waits behind the others near the steps, a little bored waiting for the locks to be picked. Glancing at the pile of wood, he shrugs and shoves the axes and hatchet into his belt.
Fearless jerks the Sliver back. "Tell them to stand down."
HP 31/34
AC 18 (22 w/ covering fire; 22 w/ mental barrier)
Spells: 1st 0/4 | 2nd 0/2
Inspiration 0/5
Tactician 0/1 (Rounds 3/3)
Challenge 0/1
Phrenic Pool 0/2
Round 1, Init 13
"Gah! Skum! Cat'em!" Cats drops his tools, draws his bow as he moves back 5' and shoots red in his skummy face.
to hit vs. FF;
damage.
to hit vs. FF;
more damage.
AC: 17
HP: 38/38
[ dice]1d20+9+1[/dice] to hit; (+PBS)
[ dice]1d8+3+1[/dice] damage.
Mini Smite: 0/1: Once per day as a swift action, you can add your Charisma bonus to your attack rolls and deal 1 additional point of damage for each class level you have against evil creatures for 1 round. You must have a good alignment to take this trait.
+4 Bab +4 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS -2 DA -2 Rapid=+6/+6 to hit
+2 Str +1 magic +4 DA+1 PBS = +8 damage
::SPPLOOOGGH!:: expecting nothing more than empty jail cells, the Mariner was taking relaxed gulps from the waterskin. "A TRAP!", he levels the lucerne and drives point through the threshold.
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Brother Butterfly reacts rather quickly, as if Mariner's counting session had tipped him off that there were more Skum to encounter. He says a quick prayer and touches Mariner on the shoulder.
Oh Traveler! Let him hunt and defeat.
Cast luck on Mariner. Mariner gets to roll his attack twice and pick the better result.
BB looks at SilverSoul - waiting for her to try to escape or backstab one of us.
Cats shoots an arrow through the heart of the closest skum as Fearless Prepares the group for a battle and Brother Butterfly prays for luck.
Tilsitari replies to Fearless demand with a shrug. ”I hold no command over them.”
The Mariner steps forward and thrusts his polearm through the doorway. The blade misses, but luck is with him and the weapon catches the creature in the back of the leg as he pulls it back.
The remaining skum fight back, jabbing with their tridents. Neither gets past the Mariner’s defenses.
INITIATIVE
Cats (38/38)
Butterfly (46/46)
Fearless (31/34)
Mariner (71/71)
Skum! (Yellow -12)
Round 2, Init 13
Cats fires through cover at yellow.
to hit;
damage.
to hit;
damage.
AC: 17
HP: 38/38
[ dice]1d20+9+1[/dice] to hit; (+PBS)
[ dice]1d8+3+1[/dice] damage.
Mini Smite: 0/1: Once per day as a swift action, you can add your Charisma bonus to your attack rolls and deal 1 additional point of damage for each class level you have against evil creatures for 1 round. You must have a good alignment to take this trait.
+4 Bab +4 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS -2 DA -2 Rapid=+6/+6 to hit
+2 Str +1 magic +4 DA+1 PBS = +8 damage
Fearless backs away from the door and hurls his dagger past Mariner and Brother Butterfly. "DUCK!"
HP 31/34
AC 18 (22 w/ covering fire; 22 w/ mental barrier)
Spells: 1st 0/4 | 2nd 0/2
Inspiration 0/5
Tactician 0/1 (Rounds 2/3)
Challenge 0/1
Phrenic Pool 0/2
"DUCK!"
"ARGHHHHH!!!! WHERE!??" the Mariner nearly pisses his pants. He drops the polearm and yanks the magical sword from the back
"DUCK!""ARGHHHHH!!!! WHERE!??" the Mariner nearly pisses his pants. He drops the polearm and yanks the magical sword from the back.
[dice=sword,power,furious,2h ]1d20+ 4-2+2
[dice= dam]1d8+ +4+4+2 [/dic.][dice=LUCK, sword,power,furiouse,2h ]1d20+ 4-2+2
[dice= dam]1d8+ +4+4+2
Cats looks for a shot, but fails to connect with his arrows. Brother Butterfly continues offering Desna’s luck to the Mariner, giving him a sudden opening to run through another skum and take it from the fight. Meanwhile, Fearless throws his magical dagger, distracting the last skum in a fight that is suddenly very lopsided.
The creature makes one pitiful stab and croaks in distress.
Alone and outnumbers, the Watchmen make quick work of defeating it.
None of the skum have real possessions of any value, nor have they stored anything of worth in the area. The three cells here are dirty, and the smell of waste and rotting flesh fills the air. The first cell is empty. The middle cell contains the partially butchered bodies of two humans. The last cell contains one a young man, curled up in the corner, hands over his ears, whimpering.
Cats moves into the new room, his bow training on imaginary targets to the left and right. After confirming the area is all clear, he looks to secure the first cell for the prisoner (as described above).
Hearing the whimpering, he looks at Brother. "I think he's catting your language. It sounds whiny..."
He also looks for keys and things of interest.
Perception
Cats finds nothing else in the area. Apparently none of these skum carried a key to the cells or to the door Cats recently picked open.
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Brother Butterfly bends down. Seeing that the man is in great distress and obviously not hearing - or wanting to hear things. BB uses sign language or at least basic hand gestures to convey that The Watchmen are here and he is safe.
Even pointing to the bodies of the Skum and giving a "GAWK" symbol across his throat to indicate that they are dead.
He offers food, and even breaks out two bowls - and magically filling them with water. Taking one of the bowls to Cats to give to SoulSilver.
Taking a minus 4 due to communicating without words.
With the skirmish squashed, the Mariner looks up from crown to crown, still apprehensive. I don't see any ducks or mallards, he considers as to not be an easy fool.
"Next time, let's try Get Down, Take Cover, Grab Your Socks, hmm?" he ruffles Fearless.
Fearless fails to see the confusion as is perplexed by the Mariner's line of reasoning. "Words mean things. I had time for Duck! You got sea water in between your ears?" Fearless smirks.
"Next time, let's try Get Down, Take Cover, Grab Your Socks, hmm?" he ruffles Fearless.
"'Cat down'? 'Grab your cats'!? Which one of those sayings might Brother listen to? It's like he's been trying to make every shot as hard as possible for me," Cats joins in the complaining.
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Hearing Cats,
With this bardic mouth - comes a wide body.
He says just that and smiles. Knowing they need him more than he needs them.
He's getting tired. He wants to sit and rest soon. He's been on his aching feet for like 20-30 minutes straight. It's an endurance record.
Can someone open these two doors?
He says, assuming Soul Silver is locked up and given food and the prone figure is not armed or harmful.
Tilsitari is placed in a cell, and though there are no keys to lock them, Cats is able to eventually work the lock with his tools and seal her inside.
Meanwhile, with soft words and a knack for saying the right thing Brother Butterfly soon draws out the young man from the cell.
”My name is Sholn,” He says, and Brother Butterfly is reminded of a girl that approached him a the Silver Wagon.. ”I was ambushed on the streets of Thrushmoor one evening by a group of cloaked men and women. They beat me unconscious and I woke up here. Guarded by those.. monsters. There were other prisoners, but every night the creatures came and took one away. None returned alive. Sometimes they brought back bodies, and the monsters... they ate them.”
Checking the southern door, you find it locked. When Sholn notices your interest in it he becomes agitated. ”Dddon’t go in there! I heard moans coming from the other side. Even the monsters seemed afraid of it!”
"The door is catted. Who has the key? Who locked these cells?" Cats asks Sholn even as he explores the south door.
Perception - south door
"We're here to clean this place out of evil. And if there is a bad catter behind this door, we'll have to get it too," Cats explains. "But it would be easier if we knew who had the keys for this place."
Cats turns his attention to Tilsitari.
"And you? I believe you owe us some faces. Time to cat up."
Sholn answers the question about keys. ”One of the monsters had the key. I think he was their leader. He was bigger, and wore chain armor. ”
Cats then turns to Tilsitari and demands another face.
”As agreed.” Tilsitari replies, and transforms. The form she assumes is of another human woman, young, pretty, with blonde hair, green eyes, and freckles. She wears trousers, a chain shirt, and long coat frayed at the edges from use.
”You aren’t done yet, are you?” The blonde stands ready on the balls of her feet, a rapier held at classic third position. A thin sheen of sweat beads her smiling face.
”The lesson is over for today Risi.” You hear yourself say.
”C’mon, old man. You can drink with the fool priest later. Show me how you killed all those demons.” The young woman tugs at her sleeve and gives you a seductive smirk. ”Let’s touch for clothes. First one naked, loses.”
You feel yourself grin and ready your curved blade in an eastern waki no kamae position, extending behind you. Hidden yet ready to strike.
”Sneaky.” Risi comments.
”Demons never played fair. Why should I?”
Kast stares at Tilsitari's form, his mind flashing back to happy(?) memories that he would never recall on his own.
He stares dumbly, trying to assimilate what he has seen. After a few moments, he is able to explain what he's seen.
"I know her. I catting know her. I...I...I used to train with her? Sleep with her? She...she...her name was Risi. She and I trained...and maybe we did other things. I wish I could remember. But...but...I wish I could remember. But her name was Risi. We were close," Kast relates dryly, trying to remember more.
He looks at Brother.
"She said...she said...that I used to like to drink with a catting fool priest. A fool priest," Kast takes his eyes from Brother and to the rest. "It might have been Brother. I don't know. I just don't know."
Fearless waits for Brother Butterfly to finish massaging his door fetish. "You had a girl Cats?" He thinks for a moment. "I just always kind of assumed you had a cat.......well at least more than 20 of them." He nudges Cats and winks at him "Or are you a dirty old man talking about the figurative Cat?"
"It might be safer for the lass to stay locked while we check the rest of the castle. That's up to you Miss.", the Mariner takes up position with polearm ready to the door.
Pinkie takes a moment to check and clear the door leading south from the storage room.
Brother Butterfly calls upon his holy vision to look beyond...
Many wooden shelves in this room are stacked with wooden crates, paper-wrapped packets, and small clay jars sealed with wax. Smoked trout and other dried fish hang from metal hooks fixed to the ceiling. A number of boxes and containers have been emptied and smashed, and now lie in pieces on the floor, along with discarded fish bones and other refuse. Three more skum crouch here, devouring a meal taken from the fort’s pantry.
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Whispering so as to not give the eating Skum a chance to avert surprise.
There are three more Skum beyond this door. There's also a hallway. That might lead to the leader in chainmail. If we do this properly, we can get the drop on them.
Kast, you might need to be more of a melee warrior for this. The quarters are tight. To aid you - Except this blessing against those that are Evil.
he gives a quick prayer.
oh Desna, Keep those that are Evil with a capital E away from Kast. Grant him the purity that makes truly evil beings recoil.
With that, he preps his Mace. When they are ready, BB opens the door so the others can rush in.
Cats readies his bow, happy to try to catch the skum off guard with a flurry of pinpoint arrows. He shakes off Brother's suggestion to ditch the bow, in close quarters like this, usually only one person able to melee...at least he can attack from afar.
Cats gets into position to shoot and Brother Butterfly casts a spell to protect him. The door is thrown open and the skum look up in surprise. One nearly gags on his fish.
INITIATIVE
INITIATIVE - Surprise round!
Fearless (31/34)
Cats (38/38) *Prot from evil 0/5 minutes
Mariner (71/71) *Shield of faith 1/5 minutes
Butterfly (46/46)
INITIATIVE - Round 1
Fearless (31/34)
Skum!
Cats (38/38) *Prot from evil 0/5 minutes
Mariner (71/71) *Shield of faith 1/5 minutes
Butterfly (46/46)
With the door thrown open Fearless quickly chucks his newfound dagger past and into the orange Skum.
As the dagger returns to his hand he pushes past Cats. "Looks like they were all down here in the basement." He whips it inot the room again to distract the yellow eyed skum before it can close in on the Mariner.
HP 31/34
AC 18 (22 w/ covering fire; 22 w/ mental barrier)
Spells: 1st 0/4 | 2nd 0/2
Inspiration 0/5
Tactician 0/1 (Rounds 2/3)
Challenge 0/1
Phrenic Pool 0/2
Round Surprise, Init 12
Cats fires at red as the door opens, aiming for a delicate underfin area.
to hit vs. FF;
damage.
AC: 17
HP: 38/38
[ dice]1d20+9+1[/dice] to hit; (+PBS)
[ dice]1d8+3+1[/dice] damage.
Mini Smite: 0/1: Once per day as a swift action, you can add your Charisma bonus to your attack rolls and deal 1 additional point of damage for each class level you have against evil creatures for 1 round. You must have a good alignment to take this trait.
+4 Bab +4 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS -2 DA -2 Rapid=+6/+6 to hit
+2 Str +1 magic +4 DA+1 PBS = +8 damage