|
Having little reason to maintain her current form, Squrrielina Wild Shapes back into Sabrina.
"Took long enough!" groans Sabs as she gets ready to rumble.
"For once, I agree with you," sighs Sabby, concluding that next time the two sisters we serve as Cladissa's animal companion.
Which will probably be a Dire Wolf, a Sabertooth Tiger, or an Allosaurus.
Catching sight of Sabrina suddenly appearing in the back of the shop gives Cladissa a sudden burst of inspiration. She reaches into her purse and pulls out the miniature statue of Bentley the allosaur. She sets him on the ground and recites the special word that Sabrina gave her to undo the magic, then rolls away from the dino's clawed feet.
Grommesson roars and flexes his newly grown muscles. He reaches into the furthest manikin and smashes.
|
|
As he emerges from his stony slumber, Bentley lets out a lazy yawn and surveys the battlefield.
"Bentley, over here!" orders Sabrina Left as she points to the northernmost dummy.
Bentley gives a nod of understanding and carefully wades his way into combat.
"Good boy! Now bite the dummy!" says Sabrina Right.
Bentley does as ordered.
Seeing Grommesson finish off a mannequin, Gianluca raises on eyebrow. "Doing better than fine, I guess, eh? OK, carry on then!"
The Honeyed Hand of Arshea swings twice at the mannequin beside him, his sword gleaming as he hacks into it.
_____________
Dreng continues to struggle, his face pressed against the floorboards by Argor's invisible hand.
The mannequins attack both Gianluca and Grommesson, one of them stumbling through a curtain hung along the wall, inadvertently exposing Cole, who cowers in the shadows there. Luckily for the feline, the mannequin has two giants to worry about. Gianluca's armor and swiftness protect him from all but a small puncture wound in his side. Grommesson can barely feel the multitude of small scratches the attacks leave spread across his thick hide.
Argor maintains most of his focus on keeping Dreng pinned to the floor of the shop as he walks in, but he can't help but study Grommesson and his changes. Rutai swaps wands, still standing atop Cladissa's midriff, and a wave of hope washes over everyone.
Having little reason to maintain her current form, Squrrielina Wild Shapes back into Sabrina.
"Took long enough!" groans Sabs as she gets ready to rumble.
"For once, I agree with you," sighs Sabby, concluding that next time the two sisters we serve as Cladissa's animal companion. Which will probably be a Dire Wolf, a Sabertooth Tiger, or an Allosaurus.
Catching sight of Sabrina suddenly appearing in the back of the shop gives Cladissa a sudden burst of inspiration. She reaches into her purse and pulls out the miniature statue of Bentley the allosaur. She sets him on the ground and recites the special word that Sabrina gave her to undo the magic, then rolls away from the dino's clawed feet.
Grommesson roars and flexes his newly grown muscles. He reaches into the furthest manikin and smashes. His first meaty blow destroys the damaged mannequin. His second rends a good many wires in the remaining automaton.
As he emerges from his stony slumber, Bentley lets out a lazy yawn and surveys the battlefield.
"Bentley, over here!" orders Sabrina Left as she points to the northernmost dummy. Bentley gives a nod of understanding and carefully wades his way into combat.
"Good boy! Now bite the dummy!" says Sabrina Right.
Bentley does as ordered, biting into the dummy and snapping more wires. The dinosaur manages to get a good grip on the wires with his teeth, holding the creature tight.
Seeing Grommesson finish off a mannequin, Gianluca raises on eyebrow. "Doing better than fine, I guess, eh? OK, carry on then!" The Honeyed Hand of Arshea swings twice at the mannequin beside him, his sword gleaming as he hacks into it. The animate dummy is destroyed by his assault.
================================
Dreng moans pitifully, still struggling in Argor's invisible grasp.
Dreng slips free suddenly from Argor's grip and rolls between the Honeyed Hand's legs as spry as a youth of 12. Quick as the old man is, Gianluca sees a chance to attack if he chooses.
Seeing Dreng trying to slip away, Gianluca shouts "Hold on their, Captain!"
He drops his greatsword at his feet and attempts to tackle the "venture captain" (exposing himself to harm as he does so).
"Whose captain?" Dreng asks, his grammar-police badge shining in the light from the window. He doesn't bother to claw Gianluaca as the warrior grabs Dreng tight in his long golden arms.
Dreng's wiry claws slide back into his fingers and he slumps in Gianluca's grasp. "Thank you for stopping me, I don't know what happened."
Seeing combat ending, Argor looks to the transformed Grommesson. He eyes Dreng dubiously as he tries to soothe the raging half-orc, "Easy, Grommesson. It is over now. Take a deep breath."
He then turns to Dreng and Gianluca, "Yes, you do. Enough with the lies. Gianluca, do not release him."
Grommesson turns on Argor with wild eyes breathing heavily.
He blinks hard twice and takes a deep breath, then exhales. "What have I become?" The ogre-shaped Grommesson examines himself for a split second before crying out in pain again. Then, over the next six excruciating seconds, he shrinks back down to the half-orc servant who entered the costume shop.
"What lies? What are you talking about?"
That... thing was Grommesson!?!
Cladissa regards the reverse transformation in total shock, even as she holds her hand over her neck which had been recently slashed open.
She looks at the blood coating her hands, realizing it was thick and black, not like human blood. She realizes there should have been an arterial spray and she should have bled out almost instantly, but for the thick viscosity of this ichor in her veins. Somehow, she concludes, her demonness saved her.
She casts another healing spell on herself, bringing both hands up to cup her face. It is with relief that she feels the rent flesh mend.
She stays well clear of Dreng. "You almost killed me! You have wires in your hands that tore out my throat!" she accuses.
"It matters not. We will get to the bottom of this. Bind him, Gianluca, while we look around for answers," Argor says before moving into the shop and looking for clues.
Argor hears a low whimpering coming from the room behind the shop counter.
Hearing the sounds, Argor raises a hand to alert the others. He then looks to Rutai and nods, who fades from sight and heads into the next chamber to scout.
"Whimpering from the next chamber. This isn't over," he tells the others.
Cladissa feels an urge to go and see whatever it is that Argor heard, especially if it was someone hurt or in need of aid. But that feeling is suddenly replaced by a fear that it was a trick and another person was ready to lash out at them in surprise.
She shakes her head as a new cynicism wars with her usual altruistic nature. The inner conflict has her frozen, standing just outside the costume shop. Although she knew she must look a ghastly sight -- covered in her own thick black blood -- she couldn't bring herself to move inside at the moment. Gianluca held Dreng just inside the door.
She glances around outside, to see if there are any onlookers.
A sea of satin and suede floods across this room as several masquerade costumes cram racks surrounding a central platform. Above the platform, suspended from thin wire, dances a flamboyant, oversized masquerade costume complete with mask. Four curtained change rooms offer privacy, and several mirrors adorn the walls reflecting the meager light of this shadowy room. Rutai spots Dreng, well someone who looks like Dreng anyway and a young Vudrani man bound within the suspended costume, beaten and struggling weakly.
Rutai flies back and says, "There's another Dreng and some other guy in there, bound from the ceiling in some oversized costume...thing. They look pretty roughed up."
Argor turns to the other "Dreng," "How odd. For what purpose would the REAL Dreng have with keeping his imposter and another man bound and beaten? Seems more logical that the imposter would do that, until he had whatever it was he wanted from the real Dreng."
"I suggest you each prepare yourselves for any other potential surprises, until we get to the bottom of this," he adds to his companions, still waiting for Dreng A to be firmly bound.
He then conjures forth a skinless, three headed hound from one of the darker corners of Hell, who strides through the man-sized portal snarling with all three heads. It steps up beside Argor and continues to growl, its heads looking about the room at anyone and everyone.
"There are two men bound in the next room we are here to retrieve. Should any unseen threats linger, warn me."
The creature, seemingly understanding, simply nods with its central head, the other two continuing to snarl and bare their teeth.
|
|
"Of all the days to leave our rope back at the house... Wait a second! We know someone who has rope!"
Unless Gianluca objects, Sabrina casts Guidance, reaches into Handsome Honey's backpack, and pulls out his silk rope.
"Try to escape, and I'll feed you to the dinosaur," both heads tell Dreng with ten times as much saccharine as Auronee typically musters toward Cladissa when in public.
After taking her time to make sure the guy is properly and securely bound, Sabrina tosses up Shield spells on herself and Bentley.
Gianluca winks at Sabrina. "Would I leave home without my silk rope? And I'm flattered you remembered right where it was, it's been a while..."
Once he's satisfied that the imposter is thoroughly bound, he says, "You want to tell us the truth now? Or after we've healed the real Dreng?"
"Now, you idiots!" 'Dreng' shouts from the floor.
Initiative:
Masked figures 17.16
Party 12.8
'Dreng' 10
Rutai and Argor's summon see three masked men burst into the chamber they are in from an interior door. At the same time, more attackers rush from the changing rooms near Argor and Sabrina, revealing open secret doors behind them.
The figures are clothed in all black, with black faceless masks and Onyx amulets. They wield long thin daggers, stabbing for vital areas.
They prove to be put off by the appearance of the Freakish group, and fumble their blows.
In the other room,
three more masked figures rush into the chamber from a side door, attacking the cerberi.
One of the three manages to sink their dagger into the hellish dog.
Cladissa surprises herself by being almost relieved that they're set upon by seeming flesh-and-blood opponents. Given that the three that appeared and attacked were in a tight group, she grabs a pinch of mica from her pouch and throws it in the air. After she speaks a word and gestures, a burst of glittering particles cascade over the three enemies, outlining them and concentrating in their face and eyes.
__________
The cerberi I the next chamber snaps his jaws furiously at the assailants around him, trying to tear them apart one at a time.
__________
Argor hovers back and away from the man attacking him, and works some magic that enhances the speed of his allies.
Gianluca sighs as more onyx agents appear. He gives a hard look at the imposter, then hefts his greatsword again and swings at the nearest warrior--attempting to slay him or else drive him back.
__________________
Feeling the attackers overwhelm his sense of self-preservation, Grommesson screams out in pain again. In a horrifying and painful process, his muscles bulge, and his hair falls away. His servant's outfit magically resizes. Within a few seconds, he becomes a beast the size and ugliness of an ogre. His red eyes are beady. What hair remains hangs in patches. He breathes heavily looking around unable to tell friend from foe.
Rutai and Argor's summon see three masked men burst into the chamber they are in from an interior door. At the same time, more attackers rush from the changing rooms near Argor and Sabrina, revealing open secret doors behind them. The figures are clothed in all black, with black faceless masks and Onyx amulets. They wield long thin daggers, stabbing for vital areas.
They prove to be put off by the appearance of the Freakish group, and fumble their blows. In the other room, three more masked figures rush into the chamber from a side door, attacking the cerberi. One of the three manages to sink their dagger into the hellish dog.
Cladissa surprises herself by being almost relieved that they're set upon by seeming flesh-and-blood opponents. Given that the three that appeared and attacked were in a tight group, she grabs a pinch of mica from her pouch and throws it in the air. After she speaks a word and gestures, a burst of glittering particles cascade over the three enemies, outlining them and concentrating in their face and eyes. One of them seems to be blinded.
The cerberi I the next chamber snaps his jaws furiously at the assailants around him, trying to tear them apart one at a time. It bites the wounded attacker twice.
Argor hovers back and away from the man attacking him, and works some magic that enhances the speed of his allies.
Gianluca sighs as more onyx agents appear. He gives a hard look at the imposter, then hefts his greatsword again and swings at the nearest warrior--attempting to slay him or else drive him back. He opens a huge gash in the masked assassin's chest, flinging him back several paces.
"Bentley, hurt that fool if he tries something silly!" orders Sabrina Left as she nudges her head to the imposter Dreng.
Meanwhile, Sabrina Right guides both of their massive, meaty fists into the face of the northmost ninja. She breaks several bones, but the attacker remains standing.
Feeling the attackers overwhelm his sense of self-preservation, Grommesson screams out in pain again. In a horrifying and painful process, his muscles bulge, and his hair falls away. His servant's outfit magically resizes. Within a few seconds, he becomes a beast the size and ugliness of an ogre. His red eyes are beady. What hair remains hangs in patches. He breathes heavily looking around unable to tell friend from foe.
'Dreng' struggles futilely in his bonds.
================================
The masked rogues spring forward to attack Sabrina. She swats one down like a fly as he tries to tumble up to her. The man hits the floor with a crunch and doesn't get back up. The blinded attacker flails uselessly where he thinks she might be. The remaining badly wounded agent pokes her twice with his dagger, but he cannot push it through her layered defenses.
The three assailants in the other room continue stabbing at the cerberi.
They plunge their stilettos expertly into the fiend's vital areas, sending it back to its home plane.
Grommesson roars unable to get to the newcomers that caused him to change into beast mode. Ruthlessly, he casually smashes the tied up Dreng.
Seeing the blinded one refuse to give up the fight, Gianluca attempts to take him down.
|
|
Sabrina Left starts laughing heavily.
"You idiots thought you could win!" the left head cackles as she takes a sloppy swing at the surviving ninja.
Sabrina Right sighs heavily and takes a much more calculated swing at the same target.
"Bentley, if the bound man escapes, pin him down," orders the voice of reason.
plus
"Grom-- Grommesson?!?" Cladissa gasps, amazed at the transformation and his bestial fury. She slips away from him, moving closer to the large form of the honey-colored Arshean. But when the ogre-shaped being starts pounding on the tied-up venture captain, she shrieks at him. "No! We don't know if that's the real one! Don't kill him!"
The Pathfinders' attacks succeed in bringing down the masked assailants in the front display room.
Dreng suffers under two heavy blows from Grommesson, but still lives.
He fails to struggle free from the tight bondage Gianluca left him in.
================================
More figures appear from the shop's interior, one displaying prominent bite-marks from the cerebi. One of the rogues tries a leaping attack on Bently, hoping to avoid the dino's jaws. Unfortunately for him, the giant reptile is very fast.
Bentley bites at the man, but can't get a good grip on him. The rogue stabs upward, trying to pierce the allosaur's underside.
The other two attackers hold back, warily.
Sick of seeing the Dreng-impostor getting pummeled, Cladissa tries to direct the battle. "Sabrina! Get Bentley to move and let... Grommu-- Grommesson engage these attackers! Otherwise he'll keep pounding on Dreng!"
Then she turns her attention to the bound "man." "And you! I suggest you remain relaxed and cooperative until I say otherwise."
|
|
Sabrina hops closer to the northwestern most ninja.
"'Imma gonna attack da big scaleh monstahs an' expect ta live!!!'" mocks Sabrina Left as she licks her lips and takes a wild swing at the wounded man. "We have us some world-class intellects here, folks!"
"Bentley, kill," Sabrina Right orders as she makes her own, more calculated swing.
After moving closer to Sabrina out of instinct, Bentley grunts in acknowledgement and promptly goes to town on the foe who attacked him.
plus
plus
Seeing the nearby thugs down or grabbed, Gianluca scurries past and attacks one he sees through the doorway.
He summons the sacred strength of Arshea into one mighty glowing swing.
________________________
Seeing the group seems to have things in hand, Argor flies on into the next room to see for himself who the captives are.
__________
Grommesson barely hears Cladissa through the roar of his rage. After the dinosaur takes his pound of flesh, he piles on.
Between Grommesson and Gianluca the remaining assassins are easily put down. Dreng remains tied up, and thanks to Cladissa's spell is merely sitting there at the moment.
Gianluca wipes the blood from his greatsword and casts a concerned glance at Grommesson.
He moves closer and puts a gentle hand on the brute's shoulder. "There there, son. You've done well. We're all OK. It's safe here now."
____________
Grommesson turns on Gianluca with wild eyes breathing heavily.
The beast blinks hard twice and takes a deep breath, then exhales. "Not again." The ogre-shaped Grommesson examines himself for a split second before crying out in pain again. Then, over the next six excruciating seconds, he shrinks back down to the half-orc servant who entered the costume shop.
Cladissa watches in stunned fascination as the massive ogre reverts back to the young half-orc she had first met at Argor's wedding.
"Gromm... Grommesson. Grom's son. No, it can't be. It doesn't make logical sense; you're what? Sixteen? Eighteen?"
Grommesson breathing heavy to recover from the transformation looks up at Cladissa trying hard not to look guilty to one of his icons.
"Right. I don't know what I was thinking. Ridiculous, really."
Though her face and neck hurt fiercely and she still wasn't terrified of the possibility of lasting damage, she forces those fears aside for the moment. She steps over to the compliant Dreng and eyes him. "Onyx Alliance, I take it? What are you and what were your plans?"