Neva recalled the crazy jester and shuddered.
"Yeah, well when you sneak up on a dwarf in an alley, you don't really get the full story, Feldy. An' it's a long one." Raliscar shakes his head in unison with Neva's shudder. "Short version is there's a twisted necromancer by the name o' Rolth or somethin' like it who's been up to no good for quite some time. An' last we learned he seems to have something to do with this here not-a-real-hospice-hospice. So, here we are."
"Fantastic! That's more than I usually know about what's going on! Never trust a talent agent that you find by a flyer in the public square. Just don't."
"So anyway, if there is a concern about him taking the lift while we climb the stairs, let's disable it or jam it so he can't. If he wants to try to fly, I don't have much to offer there. What do you say?"
"Oh! That reminds me!"
You hear the patter of little feet back to the door you entered and through, then a whistle. A muscular hunting dog comes trotting back in, complete with tiny saddle and tack, the reins leading him to where the rest of the group awaits.
"Things happened so fast when I found you, I didn't have time to bring her in. I've given her lots of names, but the only one she seems to respond to is Stupid Dog."
"Grey Lady!" Rutter exclaims as the massive dog trots in. As it becomes obvious it's no threat, he breathes a sigh through his nose and shakes his head.
"Huh. I woulda gone with 'Filthy Mutt', but I guess I ain't as pretentious. Level with me, Raliscar: your imaginary friend here as fancy as Kroft's guy that was about to join us?"
"Anyway, I'll take a look at the lift, but...", he shrugs, "I ain't an engineer."
Rutter looks over the lift, currently at ground level, to find that there isn't much to it. A simple lever really, that looks to control just the up and down of the contraption. Rutter manages to rig up something that he is pretty certain will keep the lift from moving.
When Rutter finished, Neva began to warily climb the stairs.
"Fancy? No. He does have a thing for ridiculous hats though, as I recall." Raliscar offers absently as he pets the newly arrived hound. "Whatever happened to that cat you had some years back, Feldy? What'd you call it? 'Dreadful Beast'?" Raliscar chuckles with a shake of his head as he turns to follow Neva up the stairs.
HP: 57/64
AC: 21 (14 T / 17 FF)
CMD: 20
F/R/W: +9/+11/+5
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): [X] [ ]
Level 1 spells prepared (1+1): gravity bow [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [ ] // 4d6 [X] [ ] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
He sniffs, "That particular spawn of the Abyss met an unfortunate end involving a child, a painted wagon and three trained black bears. One of the bears nearly died as a result. Can't say as I miss the beast. Esmerelda here has been much easier to deal with."
The saddle rocks and settles in as the reins come around and are suspended by thin air behind the animal's head. "Besides, not even I can ride a feline of such small stature."
The dog starts following the dwarf up the stairs, looking for another head-scratching.
As soon as Rutter finishes with the contraption, the group moves up the winding stairwell. They climb one floor where they can be expected to meet the same level as the catwalks. They continue higher, though, to some other space up above. Another floor up, the steps end at a door.
Vyshael asks, "Should we make sure there's nobody else on the catwalks? I'd hate to get caught between two groups of we can avoid it.... Then again, speed may be on our side."
"Surely anyone worthy of concern would have made their presence known when they had more allies on their side. Right?"
Rutter follows the others up. "Were there any doors leading off the catwalk? It does seem like the Maidens would have gone for backup or warned anybody else there."
When the party reaches the door at the top, Rutter whispers, "Here, let me take a look at the door." He squeezes his way to the front and listens at the door. He checks the door for traps and then a lock, as quietly as he can.
"I don't think any of them had a chance to scamper off, Rutter. The only one near a door dropped pretty quick and the ones up high stayed put until we put 'em down."
From what the group saw of the catwalks above, there was only a single door leading off of them, that matches where the door you saw in the stairwell would line up. Fairly certain, as a group, that no one is left on the catwalks as a threat, Rutter moves to the lead to inspect the door. He doesn't hear anything of note beyond, but is almost certain that the door is neither locked nor trapped.
Rutter draws one of his kukri and opens the door swiftly and moves through and out of the way.
Vyshael draws his blade, feeling its comfortable weight in his hand and his magic flowing through it. Might need to start this party with a web or fireball...
Rutter throws open the door, and dashes inside where he sees that the rough functionality of the warehouse below gives way to beige tile and a white hall on this more officious-looking floor. A door engraved with images of rampant gazelles stands to the south, their once fine teak bearing obvious scores and gapping chips from rough use. Standing formally to each side of the southern doors is a Gray Maiden. They whip their heads around to look to the open door, as one calls out "You're not allowed up here! Intruders, to arms!"
As the sound of voices comes from the top of the stairs, Neva moves forward to attack. She climbs a few more stairs to get a glimpse of a Maiden, and sends a crossbow bolt at her foe.
"This place is looking and sounding less and less like a house of healing by the minute!" Raliscar grumbles as he rips a bead free from his necklace and tosses into the maiden's midst. He then makes sure to move out of anyone's way who'd prefer to rush in and get up close with their armored foes.
HP: 57/64
AC: 21 (14 T / 17 FF)
CMD: 20
F/R/W: +9/+11/+5
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): [X] [ ]
Level 1 spells prepared (1+1): gravity bow [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [X] // 4d6 [X] [ ] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
Raliscar tosses a bead on the far side of between the Maidens, at the feet of the furthest one, allowing just enough distance to keep Rutter out of the blast. Given the proximity to her, the first maiden is caught completely off guard by the blast, but the second one saw the dwarf throw and was expecting something untoward.
Neva moves up the stairs with her crossbow in hand. Getting to the top, she takes aim between Raliscar and Vyshael's forms in the doorway. With a pull of the trigger, she manages to just hit the woman, thanks to her unreadied shield and distraction from the blast.
The Maidens themselves take no time to react to the attacks. The further one, her armor sooty from the flames, draws her blade and readies her shield as she moves up to block entry into the room. The nearest one also prepares her blade and shield, taking a slight adjustment to put her near enough to swing at Rutter. She hits the eager halfling, but the wound doesn't seem to even show on him, as Zellara's reading is still enhancing him.
Rutter draws his second kukri, and then swipes with convincing, but insincere, malice at the Maiden that struck him, attempting to unbalance her for his next attack.
vs 10 + BAB + wis, or 10 + sense motive, whichever is higher
Feldivarxon delays and watches the battle's progress.
Rutter somewhat plays with the woman, dancing one direction with his knife, causing her to try and counteract his attack that doesn't come. Feldivar watches from the back, waiting for an opportunity to help without being an obstacle.
Vyshael carefully sidesteps, They rushed us too quickly to be webbed... At least the dwarf got a fireball thrown. But now they're here and there's not really room for a big blast... So let's try something a little more focused.. He closes his eyes for a moment, feeling the magic in his blade flowing back into him, bringing the arcane patterns to a spell to his mind along with the power. He whispers the words and traces the pattern, pointing his blade at the lead maiden as a burning ball of fire materializes.
Given the crowding on the landing and in the smaller edge of the room, Vyshael steps back to utilize a different style than his usual enhancement magics. Conjuring forth a ball of 'solid' flame. The fire appears in the space of the Maiden blocking the doorway, just by her feet, but she was ready enough to dance aside just in time to avoid its burn.
This is taking too long, someone else will get involved.
A disembodied voice on the stairs speaks and the party feels their movements speed up - or the maidens' slow.
With a few words called out from the emptiness where his hidden form stands, Feldivar speeds up the actions of his allies.
With Feldivarxon's magic moving her feet, Neva leapt up the stairs in defense of Rutter, drawing her dagger as she did so. Making it behind one of the Maiden's she did her best to stab the woman.
Neva loaded her crossbow and fired at the nearest Maiden, desperately trying to keep them off of Rutter.
Vyshael spares a moment's thought to direct the ball to roll back, into the other maiden, then whispers the words to another spell, causing his hands to begin to crackle with energy. He quickly steps back into the space he'd previously occupied, and reaches out to touch the lead maiden.
for
"Bah! Get outta the way, ya metal lump!" Grumbling at the woman and wanting to give Vyshael the space he needs to bring his magics to bear, Raliscar falls back a step , and looses a trio of bolts.
HP: 57/64
AC: 21 (14 T / 17 FF)
CMD: 20
F/R/W: +9/+11/+5
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): [X] [ ]
Level 1 spells prepared (1+1): gravity bow [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [X] // 4d6 [X] [ ] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
haste: +1 to hit, +1 ref saves, +1 AC, +1 attack/rd
deadly aim: -2/+4
With the sudden influx of speed, Raliscar rapidly fires off a barrage of crossbow shots. The increased speed upsets his focus a little as his shots all fail to punch through the Maiden's armor. Neva, on the other hand, does manage to fire past the group from her position on the stairs, and hit the maiden in the thigh with her bolt.
The Maiden in the doorway steps away from the ball of fire sharing her space, brings her sword forward to strike at Vyshael. The blade would normally find its mark, but it is slowed enough by the invisible shield of force before him, that the attack misses. The second Maiden maintains her focus on Rutter, trying to rid herself of the halfling irritant. Despite his sudden increase in speed, being stuck in the corner does nothing to help him escape the blow.
Rutter feels the power of his boots kick in again after he fools the Maiden in front of him. I need to figure out how to activate these on purpose! Maybe they turn on when I start fighti- OW!
Despite the distraction, Rutter manages to find a weakness in the unbalanced Maiden's defense and makes it count.
Despite the hit, Rutter backs off from his feigned move, to bring his kukri around and cut the Maiden hard on the back of her knee. As she flinches, he brings the other blade around to slice the inside of her opposite elbow, but she manages to jerk back before he can make the cut deeper. That setback throws off the return cut with his primary blade.
Vyshael pushes the ball to move into the other Maiden, as he focuses his attention on carefully coalescing surrounding motes of energy into one of his hands. It begins to glow with a blue crackling light, and he reaches out and grasps the woman by the shoulder above her shield arm. There is a jolt as the woman seizes up from the shock, her whole body tensing before the energy dances across her armor and the smell of burnt flesh soon fills the top of the stairwell. The woman falls to the floor, her skin still somewhat twitching from the attack.
The other woman tries to dance away from the odd rolling ball of fire, but Rutter's cut to her knee offsets her balance and she stumbles as it rolls into the back of her thigh.
Say, his team here is efficient! I will conserve my spells for when they are truly needed, I think.
Raliscar lets another trio of bolts loose from his heavy crossbow, trying to take down the remaining maiden tagged by Rutter's knife and Vyshael's fire.
HP: 57/64
AC: 21 (14 T / 17 FF)
CMD: 20
F/R/W: +9/+11/+5
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): [X] [ ]
Level 1 spells prepared (1+1): gravity bow [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [X] // 4d6 [X] [ ] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
haste: +1 to hit, +1 ref saves, +1 AC, +1 attack/rd
deadly aim: -2/+4
Feldivar merely leans back in the saddle, and lets the rest of the group do what they do best in cleaning up the end of the fight. It takes no time at all for that to happen, as Raliscar prepares to unload his crossbow. His first shot plunges into the unshielded shoulder exposed by the woman's reaction to the burn. The shot knocks her against the wall, where she slumps down, then is slammed by his second shot at a speed where he was unprepared to stop shooting. This second one finishing off the woman for good, barely stopping his last shot before it gets fired.
Vyshael takes a breath to calm himself, then mentally directs the flaming sphere into the centre of the room. "No sense dismissing it until we're sure there's noone else that wants to kill us."
"Come, Esmerelda." The hunting dog climbs the stairs, slipping by Vyshael and Raliscar and through the door where Rutter looks warily into the room. The saddle tilts to one side as the invisible rider slips off. "Stay, girl." Sniffing, the dog doesn't even sit, but apparently follows the gnome toward the unseen corner of the room.