Calain beams at the Oracle. He liked that sort of fire. She just may make him forget his Variasian bedmate. I like you. Heart filled enough even to love someone who worships what should probably be an enemy if your god, if the tales of Sarenrae are true.
He moves past her and extends an arm.
Life is pain, Beartrap. Now are you going to walk or be carried? If you can stand, then screw this place and let's get you somewhere safe. Apparently we like you so let's not lose you.
Silena smirks, "...b-be not too harsh upon the pit fighter.. his chastisements are... 'mild', to say the least, compared to the usual reception and bigotry I have endured, received and will ever continue to receive and endure in my life."
Silena takes in deep regular breaths...
Then turns calm violet eyes upon Calian .. no anger in her words, "Calain, I do not revel in pain.. I have accepted that MY life IS pain... that I will never be accepted among anyone. I gain no sick pleasure from inflicting pain on others. Zon-Kuthon grants no wisdom from his worship. There is no deeper insight.. he does not care. All he desires is that beings willingly submit themselves to his cruel entertainments... he offers no salvation. But his worship does grant power.. and that power I have used to triumph all my life when no others would protect me or defend me... or even care for me.. Zon-Kuthon has been there to lend me his strength for he desires all to submit to his cruel whims. The Midnight Lord's power has been MY Salvation - I have gained only the insight of my own hardships in this... through pain I gain strength! I have endured and shall continue to endure.. by embracing my hardships and overcoming them. I AM unbroken.. and UNBREAKABLE! Zon-Kuthon's worship is not my goal to spread.. for he is a cruel master.. but to those who can endure his cruelty... he grants power. However, his worship is NOT for the weak...!"
Then gathering her dignity Silena stands lightly - gently pushing Sonya away she takes her feet gripping her spiked chain in hands... still she trembles slightly as her body fights off the poison.
Her gaze grim she stands defiant and determined, "...and I am NOT Weak!"
Then turning her gaze to the alcove to the east of the alter, "The snake vanishes.. be alert mercenaries.. we have a summoner opponent who attacks us from concealment!"
Silena Gestures and a violent light suffuses her form and resolves into 4 floating globes of light... one a bright violet, one a sickly pale green, one a bright ochre and the last a vibrant mauve!
She gestures and the motes move - flying through the air as if things alive one darting into the eastern alter alcove, the next illuminating the area of the alter itself and the last two moving up and above her to spread maximum illumination in the chamber {5}.
The effect is to cast the chamber in a bright but eeriely combined light that is illuminating but not harsh upon the half-Drow's light sensitive eyes...
Silena searches for any opponents revealed by her dancing lights...
Calain smiles at her resilience.
Walking then. He then moves forward ahead of her lights using them to see. A WARRIOR shout be in front.
Silena turns briefly to Amon, "Amon can you determine if the magic upon the alter is a magical trap?"
"Casting her gaze about to the party.. everyone else look about to see if any foe can be located."
Then without another comment Silane hefts her spiked chain and strides past the alter into the eastern alcove... her shoulder set and her eyes grim... and eager in expectation of confrontation... hopefully a PAINFUL one for whoever is attacking them...!
Walking into the alcove with her buckler held high fighting defensively...
Silena does not seem to care if anyone follows her 'suggestions' or assists her in her search for opponents.. this is HER hunt for vengeance!
Amon casts detect magic on the altar and then checks it for traps.
I think you should leave the Elf alone. She has proven herself an asset.
Calain laughs at the notion. And replies, Really? I must have missed it while she was setting off magic statues with her hand and spewing forth a fools wisdom. Certainly she is hardend and robust having endured many horrors and risen above. Just ask her. She has already said so thrice since she has been here. If adventuring does not work out for her, she may have a career as a match announcer in the arena. Bluster is one of her skills. I will move to allow you do to YOUR work Amon and when another big bad snake jumps out to bite the Half-breed, I will do mine.
Not many things annoyed the Gladiator. Well, not many things that breathed for long. He believed he had it figured out though. The woman bleated about her hardships and victories more than any Gladiator, as though none could comprehend what she had seen and defeated in her time.
He'd spoken similar sh!+ when he cowed the Pugwampi into submission.
What bothered him was that she seemed to believe her own crap.
That meant she was either Mad or possessed of a dangerous level of Hubris.
Silena laughs, "So speaks the fool, pit-fighter, ex-slave who dares call himself 'GOD-KING'... you should quit while you are ahead and leave judging others to those of obvious better wisdom. It is more likely your offended by a woman who is possessed of herself and does not grovel at your bed-chambers than ANYTHING to do with my racial heritage! You lacked the courage to test what defenses this place concealed... and then claim superiority when you pay no attention to what is implied by what I have discovered in my braving the unknown... simply because You have not risked anything and remain unharmed!"
Silena places her back to the wall in the eastern alcove letting her darkvision search the room.. but making sure she cannot be struck from behind.
"Make yourself useful and actually search for the foe that is sniping at us instead of prattling on uselessly..."
Why would I do that? In the face of one so much more competent than I, better I should wait until my betters make the discovery. Since I am a fool I would no doubt boch the attempt. And I say it clearer this time, since my thuggish words do not reach your ears. I do not take orders from you. I am EMPLOYED here by the princess, not you and she is satisfied with my work so far. So screw your orders.
Calain simply crosses his arms and smiles.
"It seems like this is work for the trapsmith, why not let Amon do his job? Beartrap and the god-king can go to their respective corners and prepare for an unexpected battle should it emerge."
The altar is shrouded in the arcane. Do any of you have knowledge in this area (Spellcraft)?
Sonya begins to observing the alter.
"It seems like this is work for the trapsmith, why not let Amon do his job? Beartrap and the god-king can go to their respective corners and prepare for an unexpected battle should it emerge."
Finally. Words of sense from someone who doesn't have t have their head up thier a$$.
Calain draws his blade and stands, ready to support Amon should something happen.
Silena, you are correct. The snake was summoned, but it was summoned from the alter itself. The magic still lingers, and will likely activate again in some time. I would say we have an hour or so, plenty to search but none to linger.
Listening to Sonya's explanation intently, "No time to waste lets press forward and be down with this place. Amon can you look for any other traps?" He looks around, "Perhaps the altar has some compartments we are not seeing, why else trap it?
Amon searches the room as well as the altar for compartments or doors.
Silena, you are correct. The snake was summoned, but it was summoned from the alter itself. The magic still lingers, and will likely activate again in some time. I would say we have an hour or so, plenty to search but none to linger.
Silena holds position ignoring Calian's refusal to assist in the reasonable request to help the mercenaries search efforts... his lack of action speaking volumes as to his ACTUAL usefulness - more than any words she could speak, and exactly the bull-headed corner she had sought with her jibes to get him to put himself in!
'All too easy...', she smirks.
She does reply to Sonya, "Ah. I understand, Sonya... yes, good work... I was remiss in my spellcraft studies. Its obvious now I should have paid more attention to my miester's lesson's... when he was not trying to force his way into bedding me on his torture rack - that is! Very odd that one would trap one's own alter... this is not a temple to anymore but a killing ground. Just approaching within 10'ft triggers a lethal summoning. I wonder what manner of creature is setting these traps? A arcane caster or a cleric of some other deity?"
At Amon's discovery in the eastern alcove she is in, she nods "I was figuring I was missing something in here. Do you wish to continue on point Amon or would you like me to take point at least until we discover the hidden master of this lair? I feel we are moving into the true lair of whoever abides here - likely there will be an ambush shortly."
Amon keep message up. I'll go.
Silena dutifully, differs to Amon's wishes and follows hm...'Into Darkness' keep her distance at about 50'ft as he makes his way throught the crumbling passage...
Following behind her at maximum distance of 100'ft behind her person come floating her four floating spheres of eerie light.
Silena needs no light herself .. ad neither does Amon as they arrive in the vast chamber Silena takes up a position just in front of Amon to his forward left flank..ready to interpose if necessary, spiked chain held ready in hands.
Her darkvision scans the chamber and the otherworldly apparition of the ghostly ancient barge.
Not what she was expecting to find she mutters, "...well that's something you don't see everyday. What is THAT doing here.. in the middle of the desert!?!?"
She ponders the craft but maintains watching the chamber... trying to remember if there is any religious significance to seagoing vessels in any religion she can recall.
Mentally she silently directs on of her floating globes to enter the chamber.. the mauve colored sphere and it soars to the chamber's roof at the center of the room as Silena eyes the calve-high mists enshrounding the floor.
She speaks a warning for all to hear, "..be wary of the floor. The mist may conceal pits in the floor, more poisonous vermin defense.. or worse."
Silena casts studying the ghostly fire-ruined barge and the shin-high mists concealing the floor...
Jengren puts his hand on Calain's back, "You next, can't let her steal your glory my friend." He then casts light on the gladiator's breastplate. "To help your eyes and act as beacon to my security." He chuckles as his own jest. "I've got your back covered" With that Jengren will follow 10 feet behind Calain.
Upon seeing the ghastly vapors Sonya pauses a moment gesturing in the air and incanting in Kellish.
Dawnflower, give me the power to see the flames of those long past.
She then follows down the pathway scanning the walls for auras.
Calain moved forward warily, blade out and ready. He moved forward with deliberate steps, taking care to slow down should he inadvertently catch up enough to illuminate the scouts for too long, counting on those with ghe MESSAGE spell active to keep in contact. He would have to ask whomever was casting it to make it both scouts and he the recipients next time, since that would allow them to move further in front in darkness but still communicate with the forward edge of the party without him needing to see them. Right now he was walking blindly forward and needing hand signals from the scouts in front.
The sorcerer follows behind Calain, watching the sides expecting the worst to happen.
Apparently, his focus is a bit more keen in the large cavern.
Feeling everyones tension Sonya runs her fingers across the wand ensuring its close at hand, before taking her crossbow up again.
The sensation of the dagger digs into Sonya's back. Her eyes fly open as the pain racks though her body. Her body begins to go limp, her crossbow slipping from her fingers dropping to the ground, the sound echoing through the cavern. She parts her lips trying to yell out to the others as blood begins to fill up in her mouth.
He pierced my lung, can't speak.
Her head is spinning, as her vision begins to fade to white. She tumbles over passing out from the pain. As the beast leans in biting into her helpless body taking what little life she has left.
Silena whips her head around at the snarl from behind turning to see the look of shocked pain on Sonya's face as the punch-dagger {called a katar...by the way}.. is plunged by the large ravening shape-changed hermit into her chest... not even getting off a cry of pain before she is struck down like chaff in the wind.
In responce Silena snarls a cry of rage of her own... as she glances both in front and behind seeking more foes that might spring from the shadows... by silent act of will she calls upon her floating globes of eerie light to surround the party illuminating the area so no more attacked can come at them unseen in the bright light.
And secretly there is a stab of pain in her heart... The pain of that failing in her heart a sweet nectar that drank deeply of.. she could hear dark mad-laughter in her mind at his bliss of her personal suffering... her pain the sacrifice he so enjoyed...
Jengren whirls around as Sonya crumples to the floor. Without a second thought greenish-blue sparks fly from his tips as magic missles hit their target.
"Calain get your arse back here" as he steps back another 30 feet from the beast.
Buffs: Rage. Current HP33/33, AC for charging and Raging (60ft range in med armor) 14/8/12.
Hearing a scream but not seeing much in the dim light of his Breastplate, Calain DELAYS his action, until Jengren's voice indicates the sorcerer was ready to get out of his way.
He CHARGES at the Beastman thing to the rear as Sonya goes down, roaring in rage!
The chaos of the moment suffused him, gone were his worldy concerns and lusts and pretty squabbles. THE VOICE spoke to him as it always did in battle, " The was only RAGE! Only Blood and Glory!"
RARRGH!
Silena pirouettes - wrapping her spiked-chain about her body gracefully as she moves to Sonya's side deep concern and regret etched in her features. A twist of her wrist and a wand from it's spring-loaded sheath is immediately in her hand as she crouches cradling the wounded oracle in her lap gently.
Speaking a command word in Undercommon the wand glows a eerie magenta hue as the magic is triggered.
Silena is gratified by the sounds of Sonya's gasping, and hugs her close whispering, "Oh desert flower... Sonya, forgive me for not being close.. I'm sorry. I should have protected you... please live..."
Calain kicks the corpse and looks angrily over at Silena as Sonya regains her health.
You should have been at the rear with your chain to protect her. With your drow eyes you may have even saw him coming. Instead you were continuing to show us how brilliant you are by trying to scout in f#€king HEAVY ARMOR. I say again, let the damn scout do his job and go first, the best warrior goes second to support and until you can stomach more than a snakebite that person is not you. Keep the casters in the middle and keep your self in the back with your pride. If he had hit only a bit harder you wouldn't be bringing her back.
Calain spits at the ground and stalks forward to be second in line behind Amon.
"Didn't like him to begin with, shifty eyes." As Jengren casts detect magic on the carcass. Then after study, he will shift his view around the cavern. "Obviously, we were getting close to something he preferred to keep secret."
During a surprise round a creature should only get a standard action, unless it has a special ability to make two attacks with one action. I hate to rules lawyer but if not I'm dead.
Sonya's gurgling gasps for air satiate. A gentle calm overtaking her body as the magic courses through her. She does not come to, but it is clear the magic is taking it toll on her. Though a close examination will show her closed eyes twitching and her muscles trembling as the pain continues to rack through her body.