Panzah crouches by the gate, staring at the air. Something smells fishy about the whole thing; this is clearly too easy. Still, he looks at his comrades and realizes someone has to go first.
He takes a deep breath and moves down the path straight to the mansion, doubled over to stay low to the ground at a trot.
Jacinthe curses under her breath. "So much for planning..."
She makes motions with a hand and utters an arcane phrase.
Panzah, get to about 30 paces and signal if it's clear. And try not to die, she whispers.
"You stealth types are bound and determined to run off at the first moment, aren't you, and worse, I don't believe that clawed oaf can sneak the way you can." she glares at Ignis, and then realizes that Panzah can hear her via Message as well.
"You don't know how right you are."
Ignis goes the left most hidden approach to the mansion and waits for Panzah's signal.
Jacinthe and Kiru stand watch at the gate, flanking the entrance, sword and morningstar readied and awaiting Panzah's all-clear whisper.
I say we do things the Chelish way. Burn the place down.
Monsanto spends a moment staring at the main building, looking at how impervious it is. Are there windows? What's it made of?
"That's just brilliant, just what we'd expect from a devil worshipper. Perhaps you wouldn't mind if we rescue the person we have to rescue so they don't kill us all first? Hmm? Would that be OK?"
Panzah grits his teeth, then grins suddenly. 'Just like the military. Everybody gossips like old women.'
Monsanto cracks his knuckles.
They usually run out. If not, you raise them with a little unholy magic, no worse for the wear (and maybe even a little more respectful of their elders). Besides, it's not like the whole building is made out of kindling- it's likely that only a portion would burn.
"Any mansion worth its property should be warded against magical and alchemical fire, and besides, if this place doesn't have something equivalent to guard dogs, then..." Jacinthe pauses to speak to the departing Panzah.
Panzah. Watch out for guard dogs. I'll mind the old women.
"In any case, Monsanto, it won't work here. And...it's not just a Chelish tactic. Pharasma's bones, I have certainly put enough buildings in Cheliax to the torch."
She looks grim and faces forward again to watch Panzah, impatient to learn the mansion's defenses.
The longer we dally, the weaker the trail. Patience and temperance are not virtues. Monsanto starts getting anxious out in the open, looking for eyes peering back from the house.
"Claws and Ol' Burney will give us an answer soon enough, my hasty capon; this is how war works. Interminable waiting, then swift bloodshed." says Jacinthe.
"We have our best trackers on the trail right now. Be ready with spell, or wand," she glances at Caspan, "...if we have to support them at a distance."
"Of course, oh captain, my captain. I stand ready and waiting just for your order."
Stealth
|
The building is a regal mansion. It is about 3 floors, with multiple windows on the second and third floor (there is light coming from those windows) but strangely none on the first. The only entrance seems to be a grand double-door about 10' high. The entire thing seems to have been cut from a mountain of marble.
As Cor and Panzah sneak their way around the garden paths. About halfway there tucked in near the fence, you come across a simple doghouse. In front are the bodies of a pack (6) of guard dogs.
"Dead guard dogs. Six. Proceeding." Panzah sends along the message line.
"Guard dogs are dead--six of them. Let us move to follow Cor and Panzah, and quickly. coming to you, Panzah,", Jancinthe whispers.
She and Kiru head down the path, weapons held two handed, their paces in eerie lockstep.
"I'm starting to favor the Chelaxian approach, Monsanto," she says.
But are they "dead" dead...
Cor thinks to himself and continues forward until his path is the same as Pan's.
"Dead dogs? Something's definitely not right here. I have a bad feeling we're being set up or walking into something that's not at all what was described."
One thinks that we should not divide our resources. Perhaps we should investigate the deadly dogs together? Monsanto licks his finger and adjusts his eyebrow.
"I agree." Jacinthe and Kiru take a look at the dogs. "I'd wager they died swiftly, and we'll find the ichor of the undead on their jaws, if any were fast enough to take a bite."
She looks to see if others follow her to investigate, eyes darting back to Caspan and Monsanto, and that useless rat Reyner, she frowns, then forward to the scouts. She holds the sword like a divining rod as Kiru scans the corpses.
"Have faith in Aroden,", Jacinthe says with a grim smile. "No doubt he will protect us from subterfuge. As for what's going on, I say beat it until bloody and incapacitated, then ask questions of it. Whatever 'it' is."
Kiru glides forward on noiseless padded paws and flares his pointed muzzle at the canine corpses.
Caspan enters the room cautiously, looking for any signs of a threat.
"Mock as you will, but do so at your own peril. After all, my words -- divinely inspired -- served as warning of this subterfuge, did they not. You remind me of a parable, of a man trapped in a flood who ignores all offers of help -- claiming his god will save him. When the man dies, he confronts his god, who retorts that he sent help to save him time and time again, but the man ignored them. Aroden works in mysterious ways!"
Monsanto strides behind his zealous companion. Ah, my friend, you mispoke. The parable is from the book of the 9th circle, and it tells of character's three opportunities to save himself. The first boat, he could have chartered by negotiating for souls. The second was a ship of fools that he could have out-witted. And the last was a boat of weaklings that he could have comendeered by legal force. Failure led to his soul being damned to freeze and drown for eternity. Monsanto grins.
"Just as I suspected...Aroden and Asmodeus are two sides of the same coin. This must be the cosmic secret your high priests are hiding." Jacinthe holds her sword steady, but a ghost of a smile traces her lips.
"I'll choose Kiru and a good sword as best defenders of mine own fate, gentlemen; they are far more direct and reliable than your gods."
Cor flings an arrow into one of the dogs to make sure it is dead.
Edit:
Initiative:
Muttered under his breath: "You HAD to poke the dead dogs, didn't you?"
Puppies! Monsanto shouts. Perhaps these dodgers would like to join us, eh?
For his turn, he will channel negative energy to command undead (dc 14, will for the undead to resist).
1d6 for base another for fire damage and the third for sneak attack.
Panzah speaks the word that activates his fiery claws, feeling the tingle as the magic spreads through his hands. He growls deep in his throat, a wild sound not usually heard from humans. Like a flash he races forward, charging to strike at the nearest undead dog.
Charge:
Damage:
AC: 15 due to charge
Kiru springs in a blur of movement and charges a dog, mauling and twisting it in his jaws.
AC 16 due to charge.
Jacinthe smirks at her eidolon. "Bad, bad Kiru...no biscuit!"
She takes a moment to utter words and gesture with her free hand, then moves towards the dogs at a more leisurely pace than the beast and the bestial ranger.
Rapid Shot:
I will make two shots, one at the closest dog (that Kiru didn't attack) and the other at the dog behind the first.
Damage:
And FYI I rolled sneak attack before, it should be 2d6 not just one so that attack would have consisted of 4d6.
Caspan pulls his longsword and waits to see whether the devil worshiper will be able to control the undead.