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“The well around the back,” Eldin asks the captured thief, “does it lead into your hideout?”

The man replies affirmatively, pointing to a large open pool on the map (marked D9 for you).

From the other side of the door, you hear a shrill scream followed by a loud shattering noise, and the triumphant cheers of a small crowd.

Marada looks about for money and armor; something comfortable, that offers protection and looks sexy!

You locate little to scavenge. The women held only daggers, now in the possession of Radik, and the corpses outside have been picked clean, likely by their unseen murderers.

(Kirrish did find some clothing, though)

A nod to the decadence of the place, no easy means of preserving or transporting the water from the brightly radiant fountain present themselves.

Holdrus quickly moves through the door in the pool chamber, following Scirocco's instructions.

You find the way barred. In fact, the door does not appear to have a handle, lock, or mechanism of any kind; only a thin line of draconic runes imprinted into the door mar the surface of the portal.

Draconic Runes:

It's not like I looked or anything, but, ummm, that spoiler doesn't work?!?! Maybe it's the italics bbcode.

Confirmed broken in Ubuntu with Firefox. Working in XP with IE 7.

Feel free to look at that one. It's only a spoiler because it's in Kha-Chik's head:

A tiny lizard runs across the desert floor, desperate to escape the claws of a diving Kes’Trekel. A nearby tortoise offers welcome shelter, and the lizard scurries beneath the soft underbelly just in time, gasping for air. Wheeling off, the bird of prey has no choice but to hunt for easier quarry. Safe for the moment, the lizard takes stock of its options, and then promptly buries its claws into the soft underbelly of its erstwhile savior. Breathing a final wheezing pant, the shelled creature collapses, crushing the greedy lizard beneath it.

Kha-Chik-Chik-Ka does not wait long before a soothing, but undeniably powerful presence touches her mind. Somewhere nearby, a Spirit of the Land dwells. Responding to her call, the avian receives a brief hallucination:

You are left momentarily dazed by the dream.

<= carefully trys to salvage and collect the arrows she shot

About half of the shots should be recoverable.

Mike's in Ireland, right?

Yeah, sorry about that. Had connection issues.

"Rectum? It damn near killed im!"

Though I haven't mentioned it before, I am tracking xp quietly. I gave a bonus for managing to work that quote into a game, rofl.

Tables, dancing on women. Nope, I just don’t see a market.

Zuko funnels the power of elemental fire into a few cauterizing cantrips for Faindrac, sealing the hole in his cheek, pulling the skin around the area tight. It isn’t pretty, but it gets the job done.

You locate little to scavenge. The women held only daggers, now in the possession of Radik, and the corpses outside have been picked clean, likely by their unseen murderers.

A bubbly sound draws Kirrish to the chamber left of the foyer. Rows of short, padded benches line this marble-floored room. Past the benches, you see a number of immaculate privies, though an elaborate, glowing fountain easily overshadows these. A light cascade of water bubbles and froths down the front of the mouth of a dragon, before draining into a circular pool in which kneeling petitioners supplicate, palms together and facing upwards, eyes wide with rapture. You stride past bins of clean towels to a row of wardrobes, a quick search of which reveals numerous sets of well made clothing ( Roughly the equivalent of six Courtier’s Outfits; four male, two female), and one exceptional garment complete with a small pouch of jewelry ( Noble’s Outfit; male, with a garnet studded wristband, bronze pinkie ring, and a signet ring displaying a set of side-by-side cahulaks).

Aso quickly searches the opposite side of the building, entering into a large room filled with an abundance of weights, springy mats, and sporting equipment. Several metal devices, which would be equally at home in a gladiator stable or templar “confessional” line the walls. A few trampled bodies lie here, bereft of clothing or equipment. Beneath one of the dead, you find a broken bone flute.

A passerby gives the returning party a wide berth, but appears more inclined to simply gawk than to run directly to the watch. The interior of the building reeks of taxidermy chemicals and burning flesh. Wisps of grey smoke rise slowly from the charred clothing of the dead thugs, remnants of Anders’ deadly bolts.

The pinned Lotus Thief, out of options, willingly provides you with the names of the guild subcommanders, Kersh Reftun, and none other than the elusive Vanthus Vanderboren. The surrendered thug is able to sketch a small but relatively comprehensive map of the guild, though upon observation, Penkus informs you that it is incomplete (”I don’t think he actually knows about the secret areas. These ones don’t look important enough.”).

I have the update ready to paste on the thumb drive, board keeps eating it. Will try again once we get to Ireland.

Still here! I have the update ready to paste when things smooth out a bit, and I printed the new stuff to read on the plane.

Am I the only one who sees a dot on the title of the thread?

The daggers praise Radik for his wisdom, courage, and good looks.

If anyone has ever seen Val Helsing, the blades sound like the brides.

Zuko locates a few more fresh bodies near the rear door. They are face down as the others out front, faces locked in gestures of surprise. No living enemies present themselves for combat.

Inside the box:

Hmmm, Scirocco tells me that the bearer of the tainted blades will slowly turn into female monk-like Thralls of Dregoth.

You say that like its bad.

Offhand, does anyone read Draxa?

Did Eldin see or hear anything of import down the well?

Ah yes, thanks for reminding me!

About 40 feet below, you can see unmoving, brackish water, undisturbed but for the constant dripping from the pipes above. Something large and unseen turns over within the water, then all is still again.

Listen DC 5:

"Who's this lady you speak of?"

"The Lady of the Lotus, Dragon Lady some call her. She runs the show, she calls the shots."

It sounds like the women are all dead.

You are correct, sir!

If he has time before more foes arrive, Kirrish will activate his Chameleon power and prepare to strike with surprise.

Plenty of time. No foes materialize before you in the immediate future.

<gm; love your decriptions and recaps; very cool>

Thanks, I’ve had to rush a bit of late and felt things were suffering because of it.

Sorry for the absence: a nasty little ice storm knocked out not only the power, but the backup generator as well, so I've been without any sort of outside contact.

That sounds freaking chilly.

Bending down, he gathers up all of the daggers, tucking them into his belt.

Radik collects five steel daggers, all of excellent quality. Three are made of a blackened steel by a process unfamiliar to you, and are obviously magic (as they thank you for retrieving them).

Kha-Chik’s drives home another arrow with a second dead-on shot, piercing the shimmering psychic armor of one of the remaining attackers in the upper thigh. Extracting Sirocco from the corpse, Holdrus eyes both doors as Skarsnikt “the wrench” twists off and then discards the deceased templar’s head.

Zuko turns a 180 through the doorway, spinning into the hallway and fills the passage with flame, blistering the flesh of the nearest woman. Shenker uses the fiery distraction and delivers a quick shiving, though the assassin is quick enough to fend off his second strike with a reversal.
Nearly blinded by rage, Radik swings hard enough to lift one of the women off of her feet, face pulverized into a permanently unrecognizable state. Sailing a few feet before hitting the floor hard enough to crack ribs, she aspirates on blood and broken teeth and swiftly expires.

Terrified, but goaded into staying by the remaining weapon, the remaining women takes a step towards Radik before a maddened Aso, spittle flying from his mouth in a rage, strikes her down from behind.

At MalaKi’s warning, Kirrish (with Issiki in tow) heads down the hallway towards the front entryway, catching up with Kha-Chik, while Faindrac crushes the bodies with an animated table for good measure. Seeing things in good order, Marada also heads to the foyer, finding MalaKi “searching” beneath the front desk for “clues.”

As you pass, the jet-black daggers on the ground scream for you to pick them up. “Wield us! We are powerful magic items of great value. You have proved your worth, let us serve you!”

Outside, you can see several fresh bodies face down in the street. It appears they were on their way into the club, perhaps to seek vengeance, but were caught unawares and attacked from behind.

(sorry for the holdup)

Terin sprints after the remaining rogue, sweeping him off his feet before he is able to reach Eldin’s position. “Enough!,” he shouts. “Uncle, whatever, I give!”

Inside, the pinned man spills his guts (figuratively). Sweating through the pain, he asks, “What do you want to know? I’m just assigned here to defend Nemien, who is a guild friend. The lady says protect, we protect. Let me loose and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. I’d have to leave town anyhow, they’d kill me for sure after I talk.”

If you're waiting for me...

I think it's more you all waiting on me. Normally I post from work but it's been busy lately (end of the month / beginning of the next always is for us). Now that the roads are clear(er) of ice, I should be able to get home before me son wakes and update.

Here's what I have. Assuming it's a go, I'm ready to post my actions (and subsequent squishings, cry):

Ka-Chik-Chik-Ka (ranged attack)
Holdrus (defending Skarsnikt)
Zuko (move into hallway, cast)
Shrenker (stabbin')
Aso (charging)
Radik (crit, triple damage card)
Skarsnikt (beheading the templar)
Kirrish-Kreshk-Skiklik (reposition, check for additional enemies)
Faindrac (massaging the table into position)
Issiki (hanging on)
MalaKi (bravely defending the table underside)
Marada Bhelu'Ara (moves to Kh-Chik's position)
----
Queued:
Holdrus movement
Shenker movement
Faindrac (attack with object)

Am I prone?

See, now if I had been on my game, I'd have asked, "To what?"

Shenker'll stab something.

Toss me a fort save, stabbity boy ;)

MalaKi’s vigilance pays off, as he hears a commotion outside the building (scuffling feat, followed by a metallic ting and a cut-off yell).

Am I prone?

Nah.

Oh, and the templar is outgassing (he be day-ud).

New round. Kha-Chik up. :)

Can I see Holdrus and the Templar?

Yes.

Skarsnikt lunges forward, trying to work the Templar into the pool, but can’t get a solid grip on the man with Holdrus in the way (opposed grapple 1d20+3=23). Conditions become cramped and Kirrish rushes the room, Issiki smacking his forehead on the low door on the way through. Leaping over the pool with the small man shouting approval, Kirrish swipes at the Templar with a claw, but lands poorly due to the increased load and the slice goes astray.

Faindrac pummels the group of female assassins with hoarfrost, though only a single missile survives the journey intact. The streaking sleet melts away in the sweltering air billowing from the sauna, adding to the steam cloud overtaking the hallway, though still damaging the group somewhat.

Fort Saves vs. Cold (1d20+7=20, 1d20+7=21, 1d20+7=11, 1d20+7=16, 1d20+7=23)

One of the wounded women, Shenker’s punch dagger still lodged within, slides from the blade and slumps to the floor, ice crystals clinging to her hair.

“You think you’ve won!?! You’ve no idea of the might of Dregoth!” the Templar screeches zealously.

“See how I have no fear of you; no fear of death!”

The Templar allows his symbol of office to drop back against his breast as he grabs the blade of Sirocco with his bare heads. Throwing his full weight against the blade, he twists as he falls, dead weight. “Dregoth….saves,” the man whispers, as his body twitches slightly, then stills.

Back in the hallway, MalaKi keeps watch for reinforcements as Marada sneaks in a lucky strike from behind, cleanly severing the tendons of one of your opponents. Blood gushing into a slick pool on the stone, the wounded jet-blade wielder slides to the floor in a wet puddle.

As before, the two steel dagger wielders close ranks and work defense while the three woman brandishing the light absorbing blades lash out with superhuman speed. Shenker and Radik each receive elongated incisions, shallow but ragged, though Aso manages to escape harm, the dagger thunking solidly into the overturned kneading table.

Shenker = 23, Radik = 16, Aso = 8

Shenker Dmg = 4, Radik Dmg = 4) (Misrolled so I adjusted the damage down 1)

“See the truth! Surrender now and join our cause and we will make you rich and powerful!”

Zuko rushes by the group of dangerous women, one of which lashes out with her dagger (AoO = 16
Damage =5 ) at the burning man as he races past. Undeterred, Zuko reaches the doorway, though looking down he observes bloody droplets falling from his arm, which sizzle and evaporate as they hit the ground.

Shenker’s arm thrusts forward, solidly planting his punch dagger in a non-vital area, though the dagger in his off hand simply skitters off the shimmering mental armor of the woman.

Aso glares down one of the women, no easy task as they are twice his height, and legs pumping furiously, scuttles forward, club leading the way. Unfortunately for Aso, the woman chuckles and dodges nimbly to the side, and his momentum continues, forcing him into the next room and over a massage table. Water droplets spatter the stone floor at his passing, as braziers laden with heated rocks sway precariously.

Radik’s furious swing impacts the skull of one of the newcomers, dazing her momentarily. Spitting a gory tooth in his face, she slurs, “Fool! You are on the wrong side; the cursed weapons lead you astray.”

She holds out her hand, and one of the serrated black daggers materializes in her grasp, ready for use. Simultaneously, the other two women rearm, and your wounds begin to ache and burn (need DC14 Fort saves from Holdrus, Shenker, and Faindrac).

Whistling over the fallen form of Radik, Kha-Chik’s loosed arrow solidly strikes one of the women in the shoulder blade, eliciting a shrill shriek.

The Beast will try to catch up to the thief before he gets to Eldin. Double move if needed (The beast moves at 50').

Are we talking flying tackle here or what?

Awesome! Wish I had brought my critical hit deck to work with me now. I could probably fudge something over…(don’t forget to roll to confirm). What I have been doing is 2x is a card (some of which specify double damage + effect, and then anything over 2x is 1 (or more) die damage + card).

For clarity, here is what I have down before I drop in my actions and wrap things:

MalaKi (total defense)
Marada Bhelu'Ara (flanking, will take AoO from defensive wielder)
-----------
Ka-Chik-Chik-Ka (firing arrow into dagger women)
Holdrus (move into room, attack templar, item response required)
Zuko (full move to pool room)
Shrenker (stabbity stab)
Aso (charging)
Radik (attacking)
Skarsnikt (grappling with the templar, check already performed)
Kirrish-Kreshk-Skiklik (also headed to pool room, attacking)
Faindrac (launching icy missiles at the dagger wielding women)
Issiki (decided to cling tight to Kirrish)
MalaKi (total defense again? Will double check on pending action)
Marada Bhelu'Ara (action pending)

With the Nemien-down-a-rabbit-hole scene (that I managed to screw up nicely), that will leave us with one thief behind Eldin on the street, and an injured and pinned thief next to Ardan.

(Terin up)

The pool room is getting a mite cramped, but the good news is you probably have a clear shot down the hallway, and your initiative puts you before Aso’s charge, so no need to take any penalties.

Don't mind me; I'm just experimenting with some sick humor.

Please…I watched the Venture Bros. last night where the Dr. has a tumor that turns out to be his twin. Even with a bad headache I was laughing my rear off.

Who's turn is it? Where are we on the initiative?

Malaki, though there are a few in states of waiting for things to happen / already moved for next.

Did I get to do my last posted act of moving past the Templar and blocking his egress in room F3?

Yep yep!

You know, I think that might be the second time that’s happened to Faindrac? The poor man must look like a chipmunk!

Whoops! Someone caught my flaw there (thanks). That was supposed to be Nemien tumbling down the well *cough.* Forgot to apostrophe Anders' as well...

I can't figure out initiative so here is my next action anyway.

Ka-Chik-Chik-Ka

Holdrus
Zuko
Shrenker
Aso
Radik
Skarsnikt
Kirrish-Kreshk-Skiklik
Faindrac
Issiki
MalaKi
Marada Bhelu'Ara

Having utter confidence in his friends, Aso, whistling, begins searching the desk.

You locate a small pile of notes written in an unusual, crawling script you do not recognize, and a small wooden coffer (locked).

save r9"~~mother~~"

No worries, you are out of range.

Zuko then draws his falchion and prepares to wade into combat with the templar and his remaining undead minions.

Undead are thoroughly cleansed, though the Templar is still around (though not long, I bet!)

Radik charges down the center of the hallway only to be battered to the floor as the set of double doors fly open explosively, hardened skin the only thing saving his nose from being pulped. Hot air blasts into the hallway followed by a cloud of steam as a quintet of striking women roll into the passage. They wear little in the way of clothing, but psychic armor shimmers in waves around their svelte curves, and each wields a steel dagger with uncanny skill. Three of the women brandish daggers of jet-black, and these they throw into the party mid-roll with abandon, while the remaining ladies close ranks to protect the now seemingly unarmed women.

Attack Rolls (1d20+6=26, 1d20+6=17, 1d20+6=18)

Confirm Crit (1d20+6=15)

Dagger Damage (1d4+1=2, 1d4+1=4, 1d4+1=4)

The daggers spin so rapidly they appear as solid black discs arcing through the air, slamming into Faindrac (2 dmg), Holdrus (4 dmg), and Shenker (4 dmg). Though Holdrus and Shenker take nasty slashes to the arm and midsection, respectively, Faindrac suffers the brunt of the assault, as the final dagger pierces his cheek, cutting into his mouth and tongue (Cheek Pierced card on Crit Deck – 1d4 bleed and 50% spell failure chance for verbal).

This group spends more time apart than together, lol.

Eldin turns the corner dashing down Monkey Street after the Lotus Dragon thief, and catches sight of the man once more. The thief stands in the middle of the plaza, looking about as if unsure of his next move and contemplating his options. The arrival of the determined cleric cinches the deal for the rogue, and he leaps bodily into the well in the center of the plaza, panicked screams echoing behind him!

The court consists of a well, the rear of several businesses (including the taxidermy hall), and yourself).

Anders missile cuts into the wounded man, downing him for good. Alone against the party, the final guild member loses his nerve and tumbles away from Terin, attempting to bully his way through Ardan. The thief rolls, but Ardan pins him to the wall through the shoulder with his cutlass. With a wince and a squeal of pain, the man’s nerveless fingers drop his weapon to the floor with a clatter (he’s not dead) .

Test of Blackotter's roll: (1d20 4=23, 1d8 5=12)

Ironic how the test roll always comes up awesome, when you "don't" want it to.

<<<<<map>>>>>

The halo of flames surrounding Zuko shift from ginger to viridian, and tongues of fire reach out hungrily for the undead across the room, leaving no heat in their wake. Each of the skeletons touched by the unnatural fingers of flame immediately release their grip on Holdrus and pull back, retreating towards the far end of the hall. Taking advantage of the space provided by their withdrawal, Faindrac launches a barrage of fiery missiles down upon the abominations, blowing them apart and leaving little behind except slivers of blackened bone.

In the normally tranquil pool room, the templar snarls and holds high his symbol of office. Opening his mouth far wider than should be possible, he screams the name of his patron, creating a shockwave of dissonance so loud blood trickles from your ears (Sound Burst (1d8=8)).

Need a DC16 Fort save from Skarsnikt to avoid being stunned for a round, which will also block off the entrance if he’s stuck in it.

Is it your preference to kill the first or wound the second?

Drew is up early. Hopefully he'll want a nap and I can sneak back up here!

a few colored dots on the map and a summary of what happened might help those of us with LDs get a handle on what is happening.

Certainly. I think this morning ought to be quiet when I get home if my son sleeps in till 0830E. What is LD?

Is he close enough that he could aoo me if Eldin keeps running after the stuffer man?

No. I wondered as I was typing it if I shouldn't have made that clearer (now I know ;) ).

He ascends the stairs, opening the door.

Stairs? I have the strangest feeling of Deja Vu.

Terin’s attack is a hit. The thief wound is grievous, but he still stands for the moment. Realized earlier that it might help if I told Eldin what is outside so he can decide what to do next…

Darting outside, Eldin whips his head back and forth down the lane, and manages to catch a glimpse of Nemien rounding the corner of the Taxidermists (to your right). As you step forward in pursuit, one of the thieves bursts from the shop door behind you.

will this allow me to make to attempt to turn the skeletons

I think that will work out nicely.

Charge and grapple the sucker. Also, as I have four arms, do I get any further bonuses on grappling?

He’s going to get to move before you do, but it seems sound, even if it requires a semi-circle charge (which I find perfectly reasonable, honestly). Seeing as scorpionfolk receive +4 for their arms (which is a little much, with all the other Kreen extras, I’m inclined to offer at least some bonus.

If the skellies are gone by his turn, he charges trying to catch up to the Templar.

They are retreating, but alive. Your bolts should whack them handily. I’ll put panache to it later tonight. ;)

Much obliged :) Must be Terin's lucky day. I tried to roll the crit confirm and IC came back with "Error," so we'll call it unconfirmed.

Distracted by the guild member directly before him, Terin receives a wicked stab just below his right armpit as the second thief jabs overtop the stuffed cat (Damage (1d6+1=6)). Fortunately, the obstacle prevents the Lotus Rogue from penetrating too deeply, though the wound is still serious.