"Vyshael, open those doors behind you, in case she circles back to the main room."
Neva tried a different tactic. She began taunting the invisible woman.
"Hey, freak. We've destroyed even more of your zombies. If this is supposed to be some sort of party, or performance art, it's not very good. It's like a puppet show where the puppeteer has a palsy. Disjointed. And pointless. Is that what you were going for?"
Raliscar hops down off the table, trotting toward his cousin. "Aye! It's like th' lady says, yer right rotten at this whole hostess thing, ye loon! Vanishin' on yer guests like this; it's rude is what it is!" As he steps up behind his cousin, Raliscar glances at the stairs in the small room before turning toward them in earnest. "Did you go this way then?"
HP: 49/56
AC: 22 (13 T / 19 FF) (includes barkskin)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +8/+9/+4
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): [X] [ ]
Level 1 spells prepared (1+1): gravity bow [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [ ] // 4d6 [X] [X] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
Silver Blanched Bolts used: 0/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
Barkskin (+2 AC): 2/30 minutes, 2/10 rounds
Gravity bow: 1/4 minutes, 6/10 rounds
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): Freaky Jester Girl
Deadly Aim: -2/+4
Vyshael nods, "No problem," and follows the cleric's lead, opening the doors while focussing his keen ears on sounds that shouldn't be there.
Neva tries to taunt the woman into showing herself, while joining Rutter in offering suggestions that may help the group suss out the crazy woman's whereabouts.
Rutter steps in to the small serving room, looking all over for the woman.
Vysheal opens the doors as instructed, and returns his focus to the contents of the room for anything out of the norm that could give the woman away.
Raliscar moves over toward Felgar, going instead for the stairs leading down. They go down a short distance to a landing, then turn north going further down to what is most likely a storage cellar.
As the group calls out to try and make the woman slip, there is a voice from the doorway where the group entered, "I'm the host of this dance, but you are not my guests... hehehe... you're the entertainment. Tee he" With that said, a screech fills the air as a bolt punches hard into Neva's upper back, just below her left shoulder blade.
The woman appears in the doorway , crossbow in hand, before turning and running back out the way everyone came in with a cheery and playful laugh following her.
Felgar swears in dwarven, before turning and trying to move full speed after the woman to catch up before she vanishes again. He can only get as far as the small foyer between the sitting and dining rooms.
-------------------------
Cursing and muttering black oaths, Raliscar tromps back through the house past Neva and Felgar. "Rovagug's balls, quit yer thrice-damned games an' stay put!"
HP: 49/56
AC: 22 (13 T / 19 FF)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +8/+9/+4
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): [X] [ ]
Level 1 spells prepared (1+1): gravity bow [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [ ] // 4d6 [X] [X] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
Silver Blanched Bolts used: 0/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
Barkskin (+2 AC): 2/30 minutes, 3/10 rounds
Gravity bow: 1/4 minutes, 7/10 rounds
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): Freaky Jester Girl
"AAARGH! I'm going to kill you!" Rutter looks at the doors to the north suspecting they lead to the ballroom. "Vysh! Can you get rid of those webs?! She's getting away!"
Vyshael nods, "Was hoping it would stop her...", then concentrates, willing the webbing away.
Neva screamed in excruciating pain, which slowly morphed into a howl of righteous anger.
Seeing the woman running away north, she shouted "Don't let her get out of that entry hall!"
Using the table for support, she struggled her way to the north, using her wand to close at least some of the horrid wound on her back.
After Vyshael dismisses the webs, Rutter rushes towards the front door, meeting the woman in the entry foyer.
Neva has stepped beyond her normal calm and stoic behavior, determined to remove the threat of the woman once and for all. First, though, she heals herself from the recent near-fatal injury.
Rutter, waits until after Vyshael dismisses the web. Where it was a boon to them against the zombies, it proved a hindrance against the highly mobile hidden foe.
Once removed, Rutter catches up to the woman. Finally getting a close look at her, he can tell that she is elven under all the jester make-up and garb.
Raliscar rushes out of the room following his cousin. He tries to catch up to the woman before she gets away again.
With Rutter right in her face, the woman looks almost excited at the prospect of almost getting caught. She takes a step back toward the front door, draws a potion from her belt and drinks it. Once again she disappears from sight.
When Felgar gets to the doorway, he is uncertain where she went. Unable to do much more than look for her, he scans the foyer as best he can, to no avail.
-------------------------
Still stumbling in pain, Neva gave Vyshael an encouraging push through the door. "Go get her. I'm right behind you."
Rutter moves to block the door, and swings at the space where he last saw the woman. He then reaches to close the door (if it was open).
Moving up to beside Rutter to block the foyer, Vyshael once again prepares himself to keep or make her visible with a glitterdust spell.
-------------------------
”Hey! What did I just say, ye bleedin’ loon! Quit vanishin’!” As he shouts at the invisible jester-elf, Raliscar tromps into the center of the foyer and holds his crossbow at the ready, waiting for the crazed lunatic to show herself or otherwise be revealed.
HP: 29/56
AC: 22 (13 T / 19 FF)
F/R/W: +8/+9/+4
Ranger’s Focus (+4/+4): [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [ ] // 4d6 [X] [X] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
Silver Blanched bolts used: 0/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
Barkskin (+2 AC): 2/30 minutes, 4/10 rounds
Gravity Bow: 1/4 minutes, 8/10 rounds
Ranger’s Focus (+4/+4): freaky jester girl
Neva sagged briefly against the dining room door frame and further stitched up the horrid wound on her back. Feeling better, she pushed on to join the chase, taking up a spot next to Vyshael and tried to makes sure there was no way to sneak past.
As Neva continues toward the others while giving herself such much needed healing, Rutter takes a swing at the space where the woman vanished. It doesn't matter, as his swing finds nothing but empty air.
Raliscar stands ready to shoot whatever he can if needed.
The door opposite the two dwarves opens, revealing a simple room with a table and four chairs.
Felgar is uncertain, and waits to see what he should do before acting.
-------------------------
Vyshael keeps turning his head, trying to locate the woman with his ears, then mutters, "We should invest in a scroll of invisibility purge, I'm thinking."
Neva spread out her arms and mimed herding towards the just-opened door.
"Make sure she goes into this room! Felgar, line up with the others! I'll get the other door!"
Once everyone understood and she was sure there was no way to get past in the hallway, she moved around the corner and put a hand on the other doorknob. She checked to see which way the door opened and set to do her best to hold it.
Rutter follows his attack into empty space by filling it with himself. Then, suspecting trickery, he attacks the space in front of the opened door.
Neva once again issues orders to help adjudicate finding and removing the threat of the crazy woman. After doing so, she moves around to the other side, and pulls the doorknob to keep the door from being pulled open from within.
Rutter, certain that there was nothing in the corner where he last swung, steps into the space. Turning toward the open door, he suspects more games and tricks from the aggravating woman, and swings at the empty space where he assumes she stood. Once again his weapon finds no target.
-------------------------
Vyshael keeps the spell on the tip of his tongue, ready to throw it the moment there's any sign of the terrible woman.
Raliscar bursts into the adjoining room, "Where'd ye get to this time, lass? Raliscar's still waitin' fer his dance!"
HP: 29/56
AC: 22 (13 T / 19 FF) (includes barkskin)
F/R/W: +8/+9/+4
Ranger’s Focus (+4/+4): [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [ ] // 4d6 [X] [X] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
Silver Blanched bolts used: 0/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
Barkskin (+2 AC): 2/30 minutes, 4/10 rounds
Gravity Bow: 1/4 minutes, 8/10 rounds
Ranger’s Focus (+4/+4): freaky jester girl
Rutter stays outside the door. He looks to Vyshael, "At least one of us should stay out here. She's tricky. I wouldn't be able to see in there. What's your feeling?"
Rutter stays where he is. He closes the door behind Vyshael, if he goes inside, or Raliscar, if Vyshael stays in the hall. He listens closely at the door for any sounds of a fight from inside.
Vyshael stands ready, and after Raliscar busts into the room ready to shoot, Rutter pulls the door closed behind him. After a slight pause of uncertainty, the familiar scream of a bolt cries out from the main hall and smacks into Rutter. The screech is unnerving once more, but the bolt does not catch Rutter completely off his guard. His training has honed him to be ready for the attacks of the unseen. Seeing this, the elven jester is somewhat flustered, "No fair... how did you know?...Oh, well.. tee hee"
Trying to shake off the disturbing scream proves fruitless to Felgar, but now he sees the woman and has something to swing at. If not for the magical boots, he wouldn't have gotten to her in time to swing. He does, though, yet his swing glances of a small invisible barrier in front of her. "Ooooh, hahaha you're gonna do better than that wittle man. Ha ha ha HA!", she taunts on his miss.
-------------------------
Vyshael closes his hand around his blade and points at the Jester, whispering arcane words as he does, causing darts to arc out, following along the blade and impacting against her. He then follows the missile, rushing forward, hoping to use his blade to finish her off.
Dropping her still-unloaded crossbow, Neva ran to surround the woman, pulling out her dagger as she went.
Raliscar's spine is set to dancing and shivering with the sudden and eerie screeching of their foe's bolts. With gritted teeth and an angry grimmace, he stomps over to the door and, kicking it open with a grumble, sends a bolt leaping from his crossbow now that he can finally see the wench.
"There ye are! Come on, now! It's me ya want ta dance with, not me clumsy footed cousin!"
HP: 29/56
AC: 22 (13 T / 19 FF) (includes barkskin)
F/R/W: +8/+9/+4
Ranger’s Focus (+4/+4): [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [ ] // 4d6 [X] [X] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
Silver Blanched bolts used: 0/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
Barkskin (+2 AC): 2/30 minutes, 5/10 rounds
Gravity Bow: 1/4 minutes, 9/10 rounds
Ranger’s Focus (+4/+4): freaky jester girl
shaken (1 rounds): -2 to attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, & ability checks
As Vyshael launches his magical bolts of pure force at the jester, she laughs gleefully when they dissipate on the invisible barrier that just blocked Felgar's attack.
Neva reorients herself to the enemy's location, drops her crossbow for the sake of expedience, so she could draw her blade, as she rushed to a position to allow her to surround the elusive woman.
-------------------------
Rutter crosses into the bloody front room, joining his allies in trying to surround the jester.
Rutter rushes up with the others toward the now visible irritant that is the elven jester. Just as he does so, Raliscar pops the door back open and fires off his held shot. Between the jarring sound of the bolt, and the obstacle that the others provide, Raliscar's shot does not find its intended target.
With everyone crowded around her, she jumps and twirls in overly cheerful display for the macabre scene, and uses it to try and slip out of the encircling group. Slip she does, by not taking into account the slickness of the blood covering the tiled main hall, she almost loses her footing, and it costs her.
Lucky for her, Felgar was caught so off guard by to odd display, that he was almost unable to even bring his weapon to bear.
-------------------------
Rutter, surprised by her clumsiness, also feebly jabs at her when given the opportunity.
Neva cursed as everyone slipped and fell over each other. Reaching out to stop her own fall, she managed to put a small scratch on the jester.
The swing of weapons is a flurry of activity and chaos, for it to result in nothing more that Neva getting close. Her blade left a scratch on the jester's outfit, but nothing more. As the woman dances off joyfully to the den, before opening the western door, she calls out. "All you big boys, and only the old b@+#* has any bite, boo hoo. tee hee hee"
Felgar angrily rushes off after the woman, hollering expletives and dwarven insults after her.
-------------------------
Vyshael sighs, "I do believe I'm starting to hate that woman," then follows after her, sword in hand.
As Felgar and Vyshael chased the woman north, Neva played a hunch and turned the corner to the south, hoping to cut off her escape.
As Vyshael runs after Felgar and the woman, Neva tries to cut her off from the south. Moving hastily into the small hallway, she is presented with a door to the north, one to the northeast, and another to the south.
-------------------------
Raliscar slams another bolt into the cradle of his crossbow as he runs after Neva. "Bah! Neva! Quick, pick a door, lass! We gotta catch that elfy tart!" Grumbling as he hustles along, he mutters, "Blasted slippery elves."
29/56
AC: 22 (13 T / 19 FF) (includes barkskin)
F/R/W: +8/+9/+4
Ranger’s Focus (+4/+4): [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [ ] // 4d6 [X] [X] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
Silver Blanched bolts used: 0/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
Barkskin (+2 AC): 2/30 minutes, 6/10 rounds
Gravity Bow: 1/4 minutes, 10/10 rounds
Ranger’s Focus (+4/+4): freaky jester girl
"This clown is too quick! We need a way to slow her down! Or just grab her and pummel the crap out of her!" Rutter follows Neva and Raliscar toward the two doors, and takes the door to the north.
Neva stumbled through the northern door with Rutter on her heels. She took a look around, seeing if she needed to motion Raliscar to the east.
Neva opens the Northern door, and right on her heels Rutter rushes in far enough to see that it is just a small reading room, with nothing more than a comfy chair and a couple low bookcases. Reacting quickly to the lack of a through door, the halfling uses his last few steps to dash to the next door and whip it open. Raliscar does what he can to catch up to the rest of the group taking the southern route.
The room is a well-appointed recital hall, where the family can entertain or paid entertainer would perform. On the raised stage, a zombie dressed as a blue-winged angel strums a large, standing harp—unfortunately all of the harp’s strings are broken. Four costumed corpses—a sea serpent, a castle tower, a swan, and a blue skeleton—look on from chairs. As soon as the door is opened, the 'musician' ceases its mock strumming and begins to lurch for the interlopers disrupting its recital. As do the apt listeners in the chairs.
The zombies all shuffle toward the open door, crowding around to try and get at what lies on the other side. Only two of them can even get close enough to Rutter to try anything, and even then one is lashing out from the corner of the doorway. Their clumsy swings are for naught, as he easily evades them.
The Jester, alone with Felgar and Vyshael, opens the door to the southern room and is a little surprised to see that someone else is already playing with her toys. She shrugs, and with a twirl of her caped outfit, dancing nimbly into the room. Unfortunately, she misjudged the effectiveness of the two men's reactions, and allowed herself to leave a minor opening. Felgar took this opening and slashed hard at her, actually breaking through her defenses and drawing first blood on the loon. The hit was solid, but it didn't seem to slow her.
She danced into the room, and into the press of zombies, calling, "You have an attentive audience, my lovelies... hehe HE... please show them how well you 'play'.. tee hehehe. Oh, Excuuuuse me, little man!" She mocks Rutter as she slips from the crowd of zombies and right through where he stands, moving south.
Felgar steps into the room after her, and takes a full swing, hoping to catch both zombies in front of him. His great axe slides right through the first, and barely slows on the second, as he slices the two bodies asunder.
-------------------------
Vyshael calls out, "Stay with her. We'll quickly deal with the zombies," then rushes forward, bastard sword in hand. He wills his magic into the blade and brings it down quickly, ready to cut down the undead.
for
Neva stutter-stepped as the woman tumbled past Rutter. "Get her! I'll back you up!"
Rutter steps up to the clown and swings his mace at her.
"Ha! I'll cut 'er off!" Raliscar then charges southward, shouldering his way through the door to the dining hall as he hustles past the stairs he'd started to descend not a minute prior. He bursts around the corner and, seeing the elf cornered between himself and Rutter, the dwarf grins. "There ye are, ye twisted loon!"
29/56
AC: 22 (13 T / 19 FF) (includes barkskin)
F/R/W: +8/+9/+4
Ranger’s Focus (+4/+4): [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [ ] // 4d6 [X] [X] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
Silver Blanched bolts used: 0/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
Barkskin (+2 AC): 2/30 minutes, 6/10 rounds
Gravity Bow: 1/4 minutes, 10/10 rounds
Ranger’s Focus (+4/+4): freaky jester girl
Neva stepped up beside Rutter and tried to stab the woman in the narrow hallway.