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As a quiet aside to William and Nigel, Tellerin says "Fellow seems even more desperate and crazy than I'd expect. And what's he afraid of going back to?" His brow furrows. "Well, step back you two, lets see if we can open the door without getting killed by it."
Once William isn't right next to it, Tellerin casts Open upon the door, hoping that if Dymal intended to flee by it, he would not lock it.
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Lumo gingerly opens the door, and sure enough, a dart flies by right in front of him, impaling itself against the door. With it up close, Lumo can see the glint of what is likely poison on its surface.
With the door safely opened and window broken, the rest of the Pathfinders enter and surround the grappled halfling. At first, he continues to struggle but fails to break free from Uther's tight grasp. He seems to finally notice the the number of people surrounding him. Finally realising the futility of it, he sags in Uther's grasp, ceasing his struggles.
Although he finally seems in better control of himself now, he remains defiant, however, and spits on the floor. He growls at the Pathfinders, "Yeah, you got me! Go ahead and bring me to Minvadu!"
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Dymal looks confused. "You're not from Minvadu? Then why didn't you say so earlier?" He looks still unsure at first. "So you're not planning to drag me off and break my legs?" But the Pathfinders continue to press their case, and he seems to eventually be convinced. He finally stops squirming just as Uther let's him go.
"So they are closing in? Not something unexpected. But the auction. It's almost going to start. Once I get the key. That would solve my problem. The money I fetch from selling it. It would clear the debts once and for all. Or I could use it to recoup my losses first...." He mumbles to himself, but lost in his own thoughts, he does not really care that the Pathfinders can hear everything he says.
He suddenly looks up. "Who are you? Where are you from? Why do you care what happens to me? Are you just trying to get me to drop my bid? How reliable is your information?" He fires off a series of questions in rapid succession.
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The Nagaji puts a firm hand on debtor's shoulder. "Gorum teaches that it is not our place to question why an enemy's sword may veer past our throat. But merely to give thanks. It is not your place to question why we wish to save your life. " He looks at William. "Show him your symbol. People like your god more than mine. " He grimaces and stares down the man.
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William steps forward, symbol of The Inheritor proudly displayed.
"We have reliable information that indicates Minvadu will catch you soon. You do not have enough coin to buy the key, let alone sell it at a profit. All that will do is waste you a night and lwt Minvadu know where to find you. Your best bet is to flee, now. If you try to win the auction, I would bet that Minvadu will scoop you up this very night. You see my symbol, as a Paladin of Her faith, you know I will not lie."
I hope the VC is indeed telling us the truth about her source, if she just forced me to mislead this man with her lies, there will be a reckoning
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Having crawling in through the window behind Uther, Jacinth breathes a sigh of relief as Rinks finally, finally calms down. Good thing, as she'd been about to see if a solid slap across the face might've snapped him out of his panic.
"Our information is reliable enough," she scowls as Rinks now appears determined to look his gift horse in the mouth. "And think! If we were able to find you here then you must know that Minvadu surely won't be terribly far behind. Take our advice and flee the city. I've heard that Kaer Maga is lovely this time of year and has enough of an...unusual...populace to make blending in child's play for someone like yourself."
The last of the attendees are shuffled into the Cathedral of Abadar and the crowd eagerly await the beginning of the auction. A portly man takes to the stage, and with a voice like a foghorn declares ”The auction is open!” which sets off a hum through the crowd as people start jostling for position and readying their auction bidding paddles, as though they were cutlasses with which to defeat the auction itself!
Kresch Vaor looks around at the readied auction-slayers with a broken resolve “Bah, too much for an old key. Proctor, I’m out. Have one of your clergymen transfer my deposit to my personal account.” then sits back down.
The bidding then begins with fury, paddles being thrust into the air representing thousands of gold at a time
The Duchesses seem a bit distant, and very quickly exit the bidding.
As the numbers rise, Maiveer Sloan calls out, he pleads with the auctioneer, “I don’t have the funds on hand, but let my organization put down credit on the key. I can have the extra funds in a few months and you know we’re good for it.” The Auctioneer purses his heavy lips in sympathetic understanding. The Proctor interjects ”The rules state this auction would be a fast sell only with coin in hand” Maiveer pleads further ”Sir! I protest! I have been victimised and robbed - and though I make no issue of it now I protest that I would have had the coin had it not been so! The rogues, robbers, and conspirators sit right under this very roof and gain from this injustice!” The proctor, having none of it, simply turns to Sloan ”Contain yourself or the church will have you removed.”
As order is almost restored, a group of toughs barges in and heads straight for Dymal Rinks - ”Minvandu wants a word”. He begins to protest, but two burly half-orcs simply grab an arm each and pick him up and start walking out. Sheila Heidmarch makes a gesture that is very clear - do NOT get involved. Minvandu’s chief legbreaker pauses at the Proctor ”Sorry about that interruption, bit of confusion needing to be dealt with. Whatever deposit Rinks tried to put down on the auction belongs to our employer, Mr. Minvandu. I’ll send someone around later to collect it, after the boss has a few private words with Rinks”. Rinks is then dragged out of the auction house, kicking and screaming.
The auction begins again in earnest, with some Pathfinders baulking at the sums being thrown around and consider wandering to a nearby tavern instead. The number of bidders begins to rapidly thin…
Doctor Landis starts making an offer,then thinks better of it - some concern playing at the back of his mind no doubt. He lowers his hand, and simply gestures that he’s cut himself off by waving his hand across his throat.
Falrig Sneve seems spooked by Doctors Landis withdrawing and it triggers him too “Too rich for my blood. Fold!”
With only Pathfinders and Lady Kaddren in the bidding war, the atmosphere gets tense - it is clear that Lady Kaddren is determined to win… yet as she is about to bid a breathtaking sum, a runner presents her with a note which she quickly reads. After, she grimaces at the assembled Pathfinders and their Venture Captain and in a threatening tone says, “This time, you got lucky. From here out, you might want to watch your backs.” Then she turns to the proctor and tells him, “You can close my bids out.” After, she tucks the note into her cloak and storms out.
The Auctioneer continues “Going, going, gone! And sold to table seven with the red coloured paddle for a final price of sixty thousand gold pieces! Table seven please send one representative to the front of the room to claim your prize!”
A seasoned Pathfinder, Eadie Navhelan from the winning table strides out to collect.
Without warning, a tremendous flash of light and smoke appears behind the auctioneer, and the very fabric of reality is sliced open. Seconds later, a black-robed figure steps through the rift and pulls a jagged black-bladed dagger across the auctioneer’s throat sending a shower of blood into the screaming crowd of bidders. The remorseless assassin snatches the Runecarved Key and in a fit of mad laughter bursts into dozens of shadowy black forms, each fleeing from the cathedral in a different direction.
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Between the good-Pathfinder, bad-Pathfinder routine, Dymal Rinks softens considerably, while continuing to mutter to himself. "Yes, he is true. They did just find me like this. Minvadu's men would be more thorough. But this, this could be be one chance to turn this around. Do I have enough?"
Finally gathering himself, he looks to the Pathfinders. "Well, despite my ... um unruly behaviour earlier, I thank you for bringing me to my senses. And also for the warning. I'll consider it further." Clearly a dismissal, the Pathfinders depart, heading straight for the auction with barely enough time left before it begins.
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The solemnity of the aunction suddenly gives way to a huge uproar in the cathedral as the Pathfinders get up onto their feet to give chase. The other auction attendees either get up to their feet in confusion, or start screaming and attempt to hide under the pews for cover.
It is a good thing that some of them did, for suddenly an ear-piercing whistle sounds. Without warning, the stained glass windows of the cathedral simultaneously shatter inward in a colorful barrage of flying glass!
Amid the rain of glass shards, a horde of robed and masked men comes crashing through the now empty cathedral windows. With weapons drawn, they block mots of the nearby windows and main door, surrounding all the patrons inside, clearly intending to block their escape and delay pursuit of the assassin.
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Wanting to look his best for the occasion, Lumo uses his wand to heal his wounds.
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Lumo curses in Draconic as the glass shards cut into his arm. Looking up, he sees the cultists and laughs. "First you, then the thief. "
He moves forward as fast as his armor will allow, drawing his Earthbreaker as he goes. "Get out of our way, or feel the wrath of Gorum! "
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William dodges the falling glass, cursing as he does so that someone would be so cowardly, yet completely unexpectedly, to attack the auction and steal the key.
Though I suspected the Pathfinders would be the ner'do'el's to steal the key if they lost the auction
Ripping his blade free, he stomps down the isle and engages one of the bandits that seemingly appeared from nowhere
"Bad move, friend. He growls as he prepares to unleash Iomedae's holy wrath all over his opponent.
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Jacinth manages to duck most of the flying glass, though one piece does leave a small, bleeding gash across her cheek. In an instant she's on her feet, reaching for her bow.
"Oh no, I think not!" she hisses, taking aim at another robed figure that she can see peeking out from behind one of the nearby pillars...
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Mimicking Christina's motion of getting over the pew, but looks a lot less graceful. Once he is back on the ground, he conjures up a ball of acid to throw at the enemy in front front of him.
While she slithers over the pew, she gets showered in glass.
But Christina must of taken most of the glass because Nigel seems to dodge it all.
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As the auction proceeds, Tellerin alternates between polite and attentive clapping, and feeling vaguely sick at the manipulations that Heidmarch forced them to undertake. Under his breath he says "Still think the Doctor should have had his chance." and louder he mentions "Table Seven, that's one of ours, isn't it? One of the 'elites'? I wonder if their group was bothered by how corrupt Hei-"
His slightly surly musings are cut short by a gasp as the assassin grabs the Key! Before Tellerin can more than twitch into action, the shattering windows send him cowering behind a pew.
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Uther is too slow to react properly when the glass starts flying, and only has enough time to cover his eyes. When he opens them again, he is surprised to find that most of the glass stuck into the pews around him and has only suffered a few tiny scratches himself, "Ha!" With the Lucky Drunk's blessing, Uther hops up from his pew, draws his bow, and hustles to find a better shot at the masked men.
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Lumo and William close in respectively to the cultists. William manages to raise his sword and swing at the green-robed man, but his target dodges out of the way. Jacinth's arrow, however, finds it mark, skimming just past the pillar he is hiding behind and grazing the shoulder of the orange-robed one. Christina's shot, however, seems to bounce off some magical barrier surrounding her target. Uther draws his bow and moves forward to get a better angle.
The furthest yellow-robed man pulls out a scroll and starts reading from it. The orange-robed one steps behind the pillar to get better cover and similarly starts reading from a scroll.
The one in red steps away from Lumo, and while ducking and weaving casts a spell, summoning a patch of grease right under Lumo's feet.
The one in green also steps away from William and casts a spell, drawing obscuring mists that surrounds him, hiding him from view.
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William's initial thought that he missed the falling glass was disproved as blood hindered his view mid swing.
Growling at his miss and wiping his eyes William steps in the direction the acolyte back stepped into, squinting through the mists.
Seeing the form of his enemy, the paladin again cuts with his great blade.
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Lumo falls to the floor with a thud. "Gorum curse all wizards and their cowardly ways. " Then, he tries to get up but slips again! At this point he looks more like a pig in the mud than a warrior in combat
He continues to roll around on the floor, trying to get up. He glares at the wizard. Ooh... just wait, little man.
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Tellerin squawks in alarm and comprehension "The two hiding behind the pillars are serious mages! Trying to summon something strong!"
He steps out of the mist and tumbles over one of the pews, drawing his light crossbow in the process. He takes aim at the orange robed man and fires!
(Cupper stays safely in tattoo form)
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With a thunderous crash, the nagaji slips and fells onto his back. Lumo scrambles to his feet. The cultist takes the opportunity to stab him with his dagger, but Lumo's armor repels the strike. Once he is up on his feet, he steps out of the grease and swings his earthbreaker at the red-robed cultist. But he is still unsteady on his feet, and the cultist ducks just in time to avoid the blow.
Through the mist, William moves towards the shadowy figure. Despite the powerful stroke, the thick mists throws him off, and his blade slams against the wall instead.
Tellerin manages to decipher the arcane words two of the cultists are reading from the scroll and calls attention to them. He fires his crossbow at the orange-robed one, but it bounces off some arcane barrier around him. Both Jacinth and Christina attempt to do the same to the orange-robed one but he had chosen a good cover, and the pillar deflects both their arrows.
Uther's arrow, however, is deadly accurate despite the cover from the pillar. It punches into the yellow-robed cultist's shoulder and he stumbles over the words. The scroll bursts into arcane fire and disintegrated. "No!" he screams in frustration.
The orange-robed is clearly facing some difficulties in reading the spell, as if it is more difficult than he can usually manage, but he finally completes it correctly. With a burst of brimstone, a most horendous creature appears right in front of Tellerin and Nigel. It is almost no more than a roiling wave of flesh, amidst which wriggle half-formed limbs and a dripping tumorous face.
The mass of flesh swings its claws, one at Tellerin and one at Nigel. Caught by surprise, Tellerin suffers a bad gash across his stomach but Nigel manages to duck under the claw in time.
The red-robed cultist, facing Lumo in front of him, attempts to cast a spell defensively again but this time, in the midst of keeping away from Lumo, he messes up and the spell fizzles.
The orange-robed one, his scroll successfully done, turns to assist his companion. He calls forth an blob of acid and sends it flying to Lumo, but his aim is poor and it lands onto the grease patch instead.
The yellow-robed one, angry with Uther for disrupting his scroll activation, moves out from behind the pillar and similarly sends acid flying at Uther. His aim is poor, too, and he similarly misses.
The one facing William gets desperate. Taking another step back, he casts a spell, bringing a patch of grease under William's feat, hoping to slow him down.
Meanwhile, the rest of the cathedral is in mayhem. The other Pathfinders and paladins of Abdadar engage in battle with other cultists, which other auction attendees are screaming and running around haphazardly in panic or hiding under the pews.
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William curses as he misses his strike, and again as he slips and falls on his butt. Growling in frustration and ever increasing rage, he manages to drag himself to his feet, and stagger a step forward with another swing at his blade. Trying to finally put an end to this wizard determined to annoy him.
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Tellerin punches a fist into the air as one of the two summon monster spells fizzles "Nice shot Uther!" Of course, this leaves him totally open for the newly formed flesh monster to slash him with a claw.
He falls back as carefully as he can , reloads his crossbow, and then wavers between shooting the horror that just appeared or the robed spellcaster to the west.
Got to take out this guy before he finds another scroll like that one!
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Lumo smiles at the exposed caster. "Gorum, you are good indeed. Fall, coward! " He raises his Earthbreaker and swings, uttering a blessing of Gorum. This grease will that my armor if I'm not careful. Many rituals of cleansing shall be necessary.
Unfortunately, the grease causes his hands to slip at the last minute.
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Uther smiles and gives Tellerin a thumbs up, "Thanks! I used to- Watch out..." He watches in horror as the flesh monster materialises in front of the two gnomish spellcasters and takes a chunk out of one of them, "Hang in there, guys!" He rushes to help out, but once he reaches a good position, he wavers between the mage and the abomination just like his storytelling friend. In the end he decides on taking out the mage before he can pull out any more nasty tricks.
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Cursing as he falls to the floor in the grease, William manages to stumble out of the grease patch. Obscured by mist and unable to see his foe, William works his way along the wall and suddenly finds himself out of the mist.
"There is another mage back in the mist, ware the grease on the floor! he shouts, pointing to the back end of the mist.
Turning, he sees the monstrosity threatening his companions ans forgets the mage, his duty clearly to kill this abomination.
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Nigel is all too fimilar with the summoning spells that was cast and the beast that come from it. It is a lemure devil. Use silver weapons or good ones if you have them.
Nigel then steps back from the gross devil and attempts to throw acid at him.
Knowing what the creature is and not being afraid of it are two different things... and Nigel is afraid of being so close to the monster so his acid misses.
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William crashes onto the floor when the grease patch appears. By the time he struggles to his feet, the cultist has disappeared in the mist. Hearing the calls from his allies, he rushes out in time to see a summon devil tearing into his allies.
The remaining Pathfinders do their best to engage the multitude of enemies but the mass of screaming auction attendees running around makes concentration significantly more difficult. Only Jacinth's spear finds it mark, stabbing into the blob. Its unnatural flesh close back some of its wounds almost immediately, however.
The red-robed cultist looks at Lumo in desperation. He casts yet another spell defensively. This time, he succeeds and yet another patch of grease appears under Lumo. He then takes a step away, hoping to flee out of his reach eventually.
The orange-robed one moves in between the pillars, focusing his attention on Lumo to allow his companion to flee. He summons another blob of acid
The yellow-robed one continues his attack on Uther, summoning another acid dart at him. The dextrous Uther once again ducks away from it.
The green-robed one, no longer hearing William coming after him, retreats out of the mists, somewhat disoriented. He then races back down the centre aisle towards the Pathfinders.
The lemure moans at Jacinth, agree with her for damaging it. It slobbers towards her, and rakes at her with its claws, tearing a small gash across her shoulder.
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"Nigel, how would one of those lemure things like a bit of fire?"
Tellerin quickly surveys the cathedral to figure out where he's most needed. He spots Lumo struggling with yet more grease and heads over to support him. "I've got you, Lumo! Just... a... moment..." He ducks and twists out of range of the lemure devil as he escapes!
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"I'm on it, Nigel! Hold on, Jacinth." Uther calls as the knowledgeable gnome reveals the devil's weaknesses, and Jacinth's call for help. He quickly scrambles over the pew and hustles over to William, "I hope your god ain't the jealous type..." He touches the righteous man's greatsword and it starts glowing with the glowing golden goodness of the Lucky Drunk, "That should do it! Show that abomination the wrath of two gods."
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"HA! I SAW THAT ONE COMING! CAUSE I'm SMART! YA SEE! " Lumo manages to keep his footing this time, and takes a single step outside of the slippery area.
Then he pulls up his greatsword and utters a quick prayer. "Gorum, send this son-of-a-whore back to his mother Lamashtu. " And he brings the sword down onto the unarmored caster!