Res sends out another wave of healing energy.
Andrzej accepts that healing and enjoys the lowering of the pain and sealing of some wounds. His body still aches and aches from the lost inner strength but the vistani feels much better.
"Ah, many thanks for your beneficent gift, Sir Res. When we are ready to proceed, which way should we go? North or South? Or shall we split up and check out both doors?"
"Concentrate on one direction, if this ambush shows us anything..." he pauses with a wince. "We have to concentrate our force, we are not powerful enough to split up. Though maybe we should keep an eye out her in case the Mistress tries to sneak past us."
Res takes out Andzej's wand of cure light wounds and touches it to his injuries twice.
"Here, you still look slightly battered Sir Thannq." Tybalt says softly channelling the power of his wand for the priest.
He looks between the 2 doors upon either side of the over grown conservatory, a touch of apprehension upon his face. At his waist he fiddles with his lock-picks nervously.
"Thank you for the additional healing Tybalt. We must hurry. I fear our magical protection will wane soon and we will need all of it against this beast. Let us choose a door and investigate."
"This one." Leandro indicates the north door. "Does one with skill care to see if it is bedecked with snares?"
Tybalt nods to Leandro, for surely the knight could have only been talking about the comedian. Then moving cautiously away from the Southern door, he pats Leandro upon the shoulder - mouthing 'Thanks'.
Passing down the rows of dense foliage, he gets to the door.
His owl jumps of his shoulder and sits upon a safe plant, to start nibbling upon the leaves and picking at the odd branch trying to find the perfect one for it's nest.
Whilst the bard kneels down, examining the floor before him for traps, pressure plates - then his fingers run over surface of the wood searching for magic or mechanisms. The other hand moves to the doors handle and lock trying to unlatch and open it.
Andrzej realizes the plan and casts a spell to detect any magicks on the door.
Eliva pulls out her own wand and casts a healing spell on herself as Tybalt heals the others.
Eliva casts a spell to help her move more quickly, as needed, then keeps a sharp eye out with the rest of her companions for an enemy or any hidden dangers.
As and when the door opens, Andrzej will cast shield upon himself to make him a little harder to hit.
Leandro stands his ground as Tybalt checks the door and prepares to use his silver longsword on anything that might appear when the bard opens the portal.
Thoroughly healed, the party examines the northern door. You do not detect any traps, magical or otherwise. However, the door is secured with a lock of some quality. It will take some effort to bypass it.
Res grows impatient. "We do not have time to mess with locks anymore.I'm sure the were rat knows we are here. Let's take the fight to her!" He pulls out his crowbar and gets ready to use it to pry open the door, unless someone stops him.
Tybalt nearly slips onto his posterior from his crouched position as the cleric moves to the door. He pushes away from the double-doors as they groan under the strain.
A determined set crosses his visage as he hopes to end this, one way or the other. 'See if we can find how she has her rats transform.'
While the lock is sturdy, the wooden door itself is not. Res forces it open with a *crack* and the door swings open to reveal a sizable chamber. The most conspicuous feature is a large cauldron bubbling away in the center of the floor. Shelves and tables line the walls, cluttered with arcane bric-a-brac.
A grizzled female wererat looks startled by the manner of your entry, but recovers herself quickly. She wears old robes, worn but well-mended, and a variety of pouches and pockets burst forth with herbs and spell components. She stands in conference with a twisted creature. His skin is tinted red and he stands hunched over, holding a large, wicked glaive. Beneath his toothy maw, a tangled beard twitches of its own accord.
Tybalt's eyes flash open at the scene before him.
Eliva takes in the situation and moves to set herself up to fire on either the wererat or her companion if they attempt any sort of magic or supernatural action.
It may or may not have dawned on you that you have never heard so much as a mention of outsiders since you arrived in Ravenloft, although they are not exactly common on Golarion either. Perhaps it is the small role that religion plays in this place.
Andrzej
Wererat
Bearded thing
Eliva
Res
Leandro
Tybalt
Andrzej reacts with his magically enhanced speed and dives past the others into the room. He heads for the far side of the wererat and takes an opportunist slash at her, one that aims for her head.
Andrzej strides into the workshop and slashes the wererat with a mighty swing of his silver blade. She yelps and steps back, but then gives Andrzej a careful stare. It is as if she is looking at some part deep within his soul. Andrzej can feel a deep power in that look and struggles to resist it. He finds himself weakened by the experience.
"You are meddlesome fools," the wererat spits. "Things always end badly for meddlesome do-gooders."
The devil hisses at the intruders and strides toward Res. He makes two savage swipes with his glaive.
Eliva
Res
Leandro
Tybalt
Andrzej (Evil Eye: -2 to hit)
Madame Gustalarde
Bearded Devil
With a hint of trepidation Tybalt enters the portal, attempting to keep out of the grand melee whilst still tactically threatening. Keeping his silvered whip unfurled in his hand, back to the cold wall - it's heavy shelf lining giving him a hint of reassurance.
"My dear lady, that's gnaw reason to be so cheesed off." He says smoothly; "Lest you be sour, like the milk that's turned, speaking of turning. How does your clan turn into a lycanthropic form?" the words are soft like fur - but behind them is an acute need to cure his potential curse before it completely corrupts his soul.
Tybalts words meaning to distract his companions from the horrors in-front of them reminding that there are worse things than devils. Thus their attacks may not lose their potency..
Andrzej staggers and feels his mind begin to fog. He briefly wonders if this is the change happening.
Then he recalls an electrical spell and steps back in to slash at the Madame, hoping that the strike will be true despite his current weaknesses.
Res takes a five foot step toward the devil and swings at it with his greatsword.
,
Leandro enters the room and his eyes narrow. "At last, it is simple to tell what is evil in this land. Gather near me, friends, and I will aid in your defense." He steps up next to Res and wields his found sword.
Shared Defense (Su): At 3rd level, a divine defender can spend one use of her lay on hands ability as a standard action to grant all adjacent allies (including paladins) a bonus. At 3rd level, adjacent allies receive a +1 sacred bonus to their AC and CMD and on their saving throws. These bonuses last for a number of rounds equal to the divine defender's Charisma modifier.
I read this as everyone adjacent when the paladin uses the ability gets the bonus, no matter where they go after. It could be interpreted as everyone adjacent for the next CHA rounds gets it while adjacent, but that's usually defined as an aura, not a standard-action activation. It could also mean they have to remain adjacent to get the bonus once received. I wanted to bring this up to our doughty GM so we know what's going to happen once it's used, because Leandro would know in-world.
Tybalt's jests bolster his allies. However, his question seems to give the wererat pause. She stops and her nose twitches a moment. A wicked grin crosses her rodent face. "You ask that question with some desperation, human. From the smell of that old wound, I would say you will find out soon enough." She begins to cackle madly, when Andrzej swings forth with his charged blade. The laugh dies in her throat, replaced by a trickle of blood, and she falls to the ground in a bloody heap.
Res steps forward to engage the devil, but the foul creature parries his blow. As Leandro comes around the corner, the devil swings at the paladin with his glaive, but fails to wound him.
Leandro's sword strikes true and the devil is wounded.
Eliva moves with supernatural quickness into the room and pulls another precious silver arrow from her quiver. She fires it at the devil in front of her.
She looks at the dropped rat creature, then at Tybalt, and back again. "Is she truly dead? Can anyone bind her wounds in the hope we may still find answers to our question?"
Eliva's arrow strikes true, piercing the foul devil.
The devil swings its glaive at Leandro.
He sneers as the paladin avoids his attacks.
Eliva
Res
Leandro
Tybalt
Andrzej (Evil Eye: -2 to hit)
Bearded Devil
Res sees that Eliva is moving toward the fallen were rat. He presses his attack on the Bearded Devil. "Return to your foul abode, Devil!" ,
Res strikes a solid blow and leaves a deep gash on the enraged devil.
keeping a quick eye out for her familiar, his wide eyes darting everywhere. "Good idea, Eliva. Your compassion does you credit."
He stops and nods to the Devil; "Whilst you are in debit. That is your time here is down to the bone, just head on back home.
Summoned though you be, to your native plane you shall flee."
Keeping his back against the shelving that lines the wall he advances further to check upon the dying creature; hoping that she can supply answers.
Tybalt is able to discern that the wererat is nearly dead, but not quite. His efforts, however, fail to stop her bleeding, and she remains on the brink.
Leandro says not a word as he steps forward with Res and lets his sword do the talking.
Unleashing his righteous fury, Leandro strikes the devil with his longsword and cuts the beast down. The devil almost seems to smile as he expires, as if a wish were being granted at last.
"Good you've sent him back home. Now can someone help so she doesn't join him." his tone is desperate. Tybalt looks up at the others, brushing a lock of hair from his face creating a streak of blood across his face. He barely notices his crimson hands as he tries to stop the witch from dying and leaving the lunar curse upon him.
"Ah, Shelyn's mercy... we need her information." Leandro darts to the wererat as fast as his armor allows and sets a hand on her with a whispered prayer for mercy for this creature, hideous though she is.
"I see you have stabilized her Sir Leandro." Taking out his rope, Res begins to bind her hands and feet, saying, "I shall bind her first lest she attempts to escape. Then I shall revive her to a sufficient level that she can speak with us. However, before I do, are we in agreement that we must execute her after we have learned what we need to know?"
Res waits for assurance before using the wand of cure light wounds to revive her.
"Well done, Sir Res," Leandro renders any assistance needed in the binding, "How is everyone else - healthy? Should we check out the south room before she wakes?"
"Good idea who knows what depredations are there. If we quickly scout it out, after which hopefully we can get some answers." his words are filled with meaning and a plaintive hope.
He moves across the conservatory to the Southern door, then for the third time attempts to unlock it. Despite the bloody slick of his hands fingers work deftly upon the mechanism.
"Completing our investigation before awaking the monster is wise counsel, Leandro. I will stay here and guard our prisoner less something comes along and revives her. Cry out out if you are in need of my assistance."