|
Markus sighs in relief as the two men come round and begin conversing with Nella. He walks away, wiping his bloody hands on his trousers. It's a good job Jillia and Nella were here, I should have worked harder in that field first aid course.
The Mausoleum is, as Markus expected, somewhat creepy. The atmosphere takes turn for the worse when daggers start flying down the passageways. Before Markus can react, Nella steps in to heal Kharg's shoulder. Looking around the corner, Markus sees the man who threw the blade. Leaning round the corner, Markus extends his hand toward the man, and a length of thick green vine whips around, grasping for the man's leg.
Markus rushes up to the prone form, and shoves his morningstar in the man's face as he shouts "Stay down! Stay down!"
Markus' vines wrap around the legs of one of the men, who falls down. Jillia's arrow strikes true, and Nella's healing brings the unfortunate pin cushion Kharg back from Staggered
Another one of the looters opens the door near Julia, and attempts to get behind her, but doesn't quite have the angle.
Although Smiley grapples Red, Red manages to squirm loose
The brigand Markus tripped attempts to stand and stab at Markus.
Markus' completely unexpected and out of character attempt to be in melee puts his assailant off balance, apparently.
|
|
The man in front of Markus stands up, and Markus cracks him in the chest with his morningstar, to the surprise and astonishment of both the brigand and Markus.
"You should have stayed down," Markus tells the man, before stepping back away from him. Markus stretches out a hand, which crackles with lightning. His eyes turn the dark blue of thunderclouds, and he calls out in a loud voice.
""Hněv bouře přijde na vás!"
The wrath of the storm comes for you!
Jillia misses with her attack.
Blue will be running for a round!
Kharg strikes true with his attack, and White goes down reeling to the ground, giving Smiley and Jillia a bit of breathing room.
At least the dead body won't have to go far to the morgue.
|
Though part of her realizes that everyone getting sandwiched in a long hallway has its risks, Nella also realizes that she needs to be able to see everyone in order to use her abilities to the fullest. She quickly darts past Kharg and nudges the fallen looter aside with her feet as she comes to a stop in the corner.
"You're already a man down!" she calls as she focuses her attentions on bolstering Smiley's combat prowess. "Surrender while you still have the chance!"
Red stabs at the troublesome dwarf! The power of lots of extended family shines upon Smiley, however, and the shortsword deflects into his shoulder (getting stabbed in the neck might have hurt less in the short term, though.) The other intruder, frightened by Markus' spell, runs deeper into the Mausoleum.
|
Jillia gets a bit of a running start, and attempts to wall-walk her way past Smiley to the backside of Mr. Red, but two steps up the wall her footing gives way and she stumbles awkwardly to the floor with no momentum whatsoever. Swallowing her pride, she picks herself up off the ground, nigh-defenseless.
This is going to hurt more than just your pride.
|
|
Afforded some breathing room following the 'retreat' of one of the brigands, Markus realises he is now in the corridor some way from the rest of the group. He moves back towards Kharg and Nella, and gathers magic into his hands, ready to launch acid at any brigands who dare to come back up the corridor.
Smiley's attempt to hug and Jillia's attempt to tumble only reward in Jillia getting a flash of metal in her face, that luckily misses. Kharg does a better job, and tumbles through.
|
|
Nella sighs to herself as the remaining looters seem intent on continuing to fight.
You should have just surrendered...
Hoping that Kharg and the others will be able to handle the looter they've surrounded, she draws her crossbow and turns back toward the direction the fleeing bandit went, ready to let fly with a bolt.
Red continues to attack try to bring down the unflappable Smiley. Blue returns around the bend... gets splashed in the face by acid and a crossbow bolt whizzes by his head. He apparently decides that bravery is the better part of valor around this time and ducks around the corner.
Smiley punches Red, who reeling, fumbles right into Kharg's vicious attack. The double team results in the pair cutting him completely in half! On the plus side, given the ruined remains of their enemy, there should be supplies to clean up the mess afterwards.
Blue looks like he's booking towards the doors. You can try to stop him if you desire, or just let him flee.
|
|
Nella cringes as Kharg and Smiley make short work of the second looter. "They were warned," she grimaces at the mess. Though she catches the sight of the remaining looter bolting for the doors out of the corner of her eye, she doesn't look inclined to give chase. "Let him run; he probably won't get too far by himself. And even if he does, we've seen his face."
The last of the wounded intruders runs off into the Lodge, presumably to caught by another group.
Surveying the Mausoleum, you note that the place has been pretty ransacked, tomes and notes scattered. Given the time they would have needed to have made such a mess, you assume there were at least double the number you encountered once there, although you don't see any trace of them. It does look like the dead were mostly left alone, with most attention paid to the small storage rooms and necromantic experiments.
Further investigation allows you to find in one of the back rooms a strange metal cage filled with dancing ethereal mists infamously known as The Cage of Soul Echoes, a dangerous artifact. The wards appear to have held, luckily for both you and the intruders.
Last, but certainly not least, in the Slabs the Grand Lodge uses as a Morgue, you find under one of the massive stone tables a store of supplies, including two potions of lesser restoration
|
|
The thunder of hooves nearby captures your attention as Seelah of Katapesh, Paladin of Iomedae, rides by. A host of Pathfinders in her wake spread out in every direction combing the area for enemies, Pathfinders in need, and the wounded.
Seelah draws up her steed, pulling it around to face you.
She says "Blessings and well met, Pathfinders! You look as if you are heading into more trouble."
She tosses you lot a whistle, like the ones you've seen soldiers on the field of battle use to direct troops.
She then says "If you are ever in need of aid, blow the whistle and Pathfinders within earshot will come to your assistance."
With waiting for a response she turns her horse about and thunders back off into the fray without waiting for a response.
A shifting mass of tents and canvas tarpaulins covering dozens of pens and enclosures of varying sizes is pressed up against the lodge’s western wall. Wagons bearing food and supplies brought in from the city are parked nearby. Other wagons contain caged enclosures like those that used in a traveling circus. Larger tents cover metal cages of enormous size. To the east, the grass is compacted from regular foot traffic to the training grounds.
As you approach, you see a quartet of strange dragonlike humanoids amongst the cages. Noticing you, they brandish their spears and show their fangs in a angry snarl as they spread their wings!
You also note that one Gold is fumbling with a large key ring next to one of the cages that contains a Giant Frog.
|
|
Markus dodges out of the way of the armoured woman atop an enormous charger, and looks up at her in astonishment. He listens to her intently, and barely notices the small silver whistle she throws at him, but he manages to snag it out of the air and puts the whistle on it's black leather cord over his head. "Thank you my lady," he says, bowing at the waist as she rides off.
As the group approaches the Menagerie, there is evidence of a recent disturbance. Suddenly, a group of tall dragonmen turn towards the group, looking particularly menacing. "That one's trying to release that enormous frog!" Markus shouts. He runs towards one of the tents, hoping to flank the dragonmen.
|
In the interests of quickening the discussion, Smiley will take as follows:
CLW <-- Smiley (drinking it prior to combat, if allowed)
CLW <-- Kharg?
CLW
CLW
Invisibility
Tanglefoot <-- Smiley
Tanglefoot
Tanglefoot
Smoke stick
Bead of Fireball <-- Smiley
Hand of the Mage
HotM is actually pretty cool. Somebody take it or Smiley will. :-)
Nothing is set in stone. If someone really wants anything Smiley's willing to bargain. Tanglefoot bags could be pretty handy for a slow-running grappler like Smiley.
|
|
As they survey the wreckage in the Mausoleum, Nella frowns. "This place is a mess! At least they seem to have left the bodies and such alone..."
She shudders at the thought of fighting anything reanimated. "There's nothing else we can do here. We'd better go see what's happening at the Menagerie!"
******************************
When the lady of Iomedae comes riding up on her charger and passes along message and whistle, the priestess can't help but feel a surge of triumph well up within her. "We must be gaining ground!" she exclaims excitedly as they continue on to the Menagerie.
Nella's surge in mood is short-lived however as they find themselves staring down four rather menacing-looking dragonmen as soon as they reach their destination! "Great..." she mutters as she hurriedly ducks behind the nearest tent.
"Steady, everyone! Let's show them what we're made of!" she calls, focusing her energies on bolstering Kharg's combat prowess.
|
|
Kharg drinks the potion and feels much better. He gratefully accepts a second potion, just in case.
As they near the menagerie, he spies the winged dragonmen. At the same time he hears Nella shout some encouragement and he immediately feels more...warlike. "Who is this Lady Shelyn, that inspires me so?" he thinks to himself.
Rotating his neck to the left, then to the right, he eyes the enemy. Suddenly, he leaps forward, twirling his ax as he runs toward the new foe.
Graaagh!!
The two winged enemies both draw out holy symbols and mutter a small prayer in guttural draconic as they snarl and approach the intruders (i.e. you guys.) One moves around to set up a flank against Kharg!
They cast Shield of Faith on themselves.
|
|
Smiley, seeing his bestest buddy in the world surrounded by two dragonmen, does his best imitation of a mohawk-topped battering ram against Blue.
Chaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrggggeee!!!
Smiley eyes Yellow menacingly.
I'm comin' fer you next, pickle-lips!
Jillia misses with her charge, but Smiley continues to make friends in weird places as he successfully grapples with the winged humanoid.
The Wyvaran with the keys fumbles with them, tries a key in the lock and lets out a curse in draconic as it doesn't open the lock. Smiley's new friend struggles against the tight grip and doesn't manage to break free.