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"Ugh, I feel so STUPID! I still feel heartbroken that he's dead, the old villain! My head is telling me I was charmed and tricked and that he's an evil bastard, and my heart still feels this... overwhelming sadness about it!"
She pulls Sakitu close and lowers her voice. "Saki, I was having... thoughts about him... in that way-- even while we were talking to him. Cripes, was that the spell too? Or am I just that twisted? Ugh, it makes my skin crawl to think of it, but I can't get it out of my head!"
She looks back toward the group as they deal with Caigrel. "Some leader I turned out to be. Gods above, I just want to go home. Baba Yaga can kiss my ass."
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Sakitu just holds her friend for a few moments, trying her best to comfort her. She hides her reaction at the thought of that way with the satyr. "It's ok. I'm sure it was just the spell. I know for a fact that you're not twisted or messed up. In fact, I don't think you're even the least bit broken. Not like you always say."
She looks back toward the group as they deal with Caigrel. "Some leader I turned out to be. Gods above, I just want to go home. Baba Yaga can kiss my ass."
"What are you talking about? Seriously! You are the best leader this group could possibly have. I mean, can you imagine if it was Fin or Bulvi? They are nice but they get too focused when something happens. It's like 'just shoot it' or 'just attack it'. Or what about Selena? If she was in charge we'd probably all be slaves in some witch's castle while she 'negotiated'." Sakitu chirped a short laugh. "Or Maka? If she was in charge we'd all be running around naked all of the time. And I don't think I'd like that."
She rubbed her hand through Quasit's hair. "See? You really are the best choice."
Caigrel crumbles to the floor at Mala's questioning. She rocks back and forth holding her knees with her head against them.
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Quasit isn't really paying attention to the real drama playing out across the room.
Quasit listens to Sakitu's pep talk silently, drinking in the encouragement. At the end, she smiles weakly as Sakitu ruffles her hair.
"Thanks. That means a lot to me." she says, clearly feeling a little better and a little calmer.
"But Baba Yaga can still kiss my ass."
She glances over at Polyphanes body again, still and silent in a pool of blood. Perhaps she's testing herself, or perhaps she still hears his pipes playing in her mind. Or she just wants to make sure he's actually dead. She stares at him, and grasps Sakitu's arm tightly, to bolster herself.
"He's an evil bastard who was using me. Get it together girl, it's not like it's the first time it's happened. Spit him out and move on." she says to herself intently.
She returns to the group as they interact with Caigrel.
"Have we checked her for a weapon yet?" she asks the others.
Caigrel remains as rocking though her moaning is more of a quiet cry. She does not seem to be responding to the party's current approach and at least Findurel and Quasit are pretty sure she is terrified.
Beyond the sounds of the door being pounded, Findurel doesn't notice much in way of possible dangers. The sealed tunnel echoes the plant and water sounds from the pool and the room itself is noticeably smellier now that air circulation as been further limited.
The shortbow the satyr had stowed is on the ground where he threw it. Findurel is sure he can retrieve the arrows from the unconscious creature along with his instrument. However, the poison from the wound seems to be spreading and makes the prospect of getting to the amulet he is wearing a risky endeavor.
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"OK, so we have a mystery here, and we need to resolve it. It doesn't look like the satyr should have died from the wounds he had, and there's an accusation of poison.
"Does anyone have the ability to detect poison? Or is anyone knowledgable enough in healing to determine if the accusation is true from searching the wound?"
"If the accusation is true there are several possibilities. The first is that one of Findurel's arrows was poisoned. All I can say about that is that I have traveled with Fin for weeks now -- he has never used poison, he doesn't possess poison, and it would be wholly out of character for him to employ it. I discard that possibility out of hand."
"A second possibility is that Caigrel somehow poisoned him and is now trying to deceive us. None of us saw her cast a spell, did we? So, a quick search of her person should reveal whether she has any weapons or poisons on her. Maka, could you search her please?"
"A third possibility is that Polyphanes poisoned himself in a final act of spite -- seeing the way things were going, with no chance of escape, he may have decided to make mischief out of his own death."
"And there's the chance that he's not really dead and he's currently playing possum on us."
"Bulvi, would you be so kind as to cut off his head please?"
Watching what Fin was taking note of Bulvi made a suggestion. "If we change how he is leaning we might be able to get to amulet from around head, we could use a stick or a weapon to avoid touching the poison."
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Hearing Q telling Bulvi off with the satyr's head, Fin delicately retrieves what he can safely get to, the arrows and the instrument, before moving back a ways to avoid any blood and gore if/when Bull follows through...
Once a healthy distance away, he looks over at Quasit. "I guess this will tell us if he's playing possum or not..."
"A second possibility is that Caigrel somehow poisoned him and is now trying to deceive us. None of us saw her cast a spell, did we? So, a quick search of her person should reveal whether she has any weapons or poisons on her. Maka, could you search her please?"
"On it Q! Okay lady, hold still." Maka growled as she began searching Caigrel. Still not trusting the mysterious woman, Maka kept her glowing eyes open for danger.
The woman squirms, refusing to stay still. Her quieted moaning returns to a full scream. Clearly if there is anyone looking for the woman they are going to hear her now.
"Do we have anything for countering poison if someone turns it against us?"
Tezuzu nods towards Bulvi "The same spirit I have called upon to link my life force to you all can purge poison away...I also purchased a few scrolls back in Vurnirn that will delay the effects if necessary."
Going back to cleaning his robes as Maka approaches the trapped woman he will lean in closer to Quasit and whisper "You know it is much easier to search someone when they are unconscious...and it is much simpler to question someone when they are bound. I could put her to sleep if you wished it...if she resisted my magic that would be telling enough."
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As the woman continued to squirm and cry, Maka grew increasingly angry. "Your nose isn't even snotty you faker!" The fire monk shouted before throwing a flurry of fiery blows.
Selena is aware that the poison was from a spell, not applied to the arrow. Further, Selena can tell that only the Satyr has recently cast a spell.
Caigrel suddenly shifts from her spot on the floor as Maka attacks - her form shimmers as the flame hits. She is clearly not what she seems.
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"You know it is much easier to search someone when they are unconscious...and it is much simpler to question someone when they are bound. I could put her to sleep if you wished it...if she resisted my magic that would be telling enough."
Quasit smirks a little, and leans toward Tezuzu to murmur with him.
"I think Maka can handle it. Plus, even if Caigrel didn't poison Polyphanes, it's pretty clear that something about her doesn't add up. Watching her behavior is helpful. I mean, right now..."
Quasit's conversation gets cut off by a particularly loud shriek from Caigrel and Maka's challenging shout.
"Your nose isn't even snotty you faker!" The fire monk shouted before throwing a flurry of fiery blows.
Shocked to see Maka suddenly employing lethal force against the damsel, Quasit starts moving toward the melee. "Maka! Are you insane?" she shouts in horror.
And then Caigrel's form vanishes and begins swirling, and Quasit groans in realization.
"Actually Maka, I take it back." she says, her hand fumbling once again for her sword. "I shoulda known. Nobody is that damn pretty without being an evil sorceress or some phony illusion!..."
"Are you calling me ugly?" Selena asks, not particularly surprised at this turn of events. Selena readies her blade and readies herself to deal with either whatever this girl turns into, or whatever else might be taking advantage of the attention she's drawing.
Earlier as Tezuzu balances healing Findurel and keeping himself well.
Tezuzu realizes shortly after the ring has provided healing for a second time that it isn't doing anything.
Later after Maka's fire hits yet another deceiver.
A dense fog surrounds Caigrel.
Round 901283 Party up.
Tezuzu looks towards Selena chirping quickly "You think you might be able to dispel this magical fog?" before moving in towards the woman's last known position.
Upon seeing her Tezuzu will clentch his claws into a fist and bring down overhead with a mighty throwing all his weight and channeling his own ki right into the nape of the transforming woman's neck.
"It doesn't seem very sporting... not really my style." Bulvi sighs before raising his sword and thrusting the tip of the blade into the satyrs neck.
As the blood of the unconscious satyr flows from Bulvi's sword thrust Yang struggles to smell much of anything beyond the growing smell of stagnant air. Caigrel is neither hit, nor found by the feathered and furred duo as the fog expands.
Round 901283 Selena and Maka are up.
As the party regards the fog, awaiting Caigrel to appear there is little to see. The fog continues to expand for another round and then begins to very slowly dissipate. Given the degree to which the limited airflow through the area has been further curtailed by both partly broken door and impromptu stone boundary it will be some time before the fog clears without assistance.
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After Sakitu enhances his arrows, Fin replies gratefully, "Thanks, Saki!"
Not seeing Caigreal, Fin frowns. "If she can create this fog, not to mention the illusion/disguise she crafted, perhaps the can become invisible as well? If so, she might be headed to the locked door to escape...as well as letting in those damnable slimes...
"Selena, beware she might be headed your way..."
Fin moves back towards the passage, keeping an eye out for any tell-tale signs that might give away Caigreal's position...
"Izzy, defend!"
If he catches sight of her, he'll fire his bow, his arrow now aided by Sakitu...
Even the keen eyes of an elf don't pick anything out among the dwindling fog. Meanwhile it is becoming increasingly clear that the party is either going to need to move elsewhere or find away to get some fresh air into this space.
Bulvi focuses on trying to pinpoint the woman.
There appears to be nothing more in the water than chunks of plant from the slaughtered vine monster. Movement as bits shift and what appear to be spores of some sort rising from the center of the stagnate pool. Beyond the larger bits of vine monster, none of the movement is anywhere as large as a humanoid limb or foot displacing the water.
A pillar of fire exploded in the center of the cloud of fog as Maka roared in rage. "JUST COME OUT AND FIGHT!"
The fog burns away revealing the blocked tunnel and nothing more. The sudden heat moves the air a bit in the chamber, bringing in a bit of relief through the damaged doorway, but also shifting the gathering spores. The spores move toward the southern edge of the pool.
Selena uses detect magic, if the little cloud is magic or perhaps mixed with magic, like a possible gaseous person, then she'll dispel magic on it.
Beyond that, can the bottom if the pool be seen? If there's another way in or out, down there is where it most likely is.
Also, does the cloud register as poison.
The cloud is not magical in nature. Further the detect magic reveals nothing in the pool, but as Selena takes in the area she can tell that magic beyond just the fog has been used recently. Selena is aware that some type of transmutation spell was used near the stone formed wall in addition to the fog spell.
Both Tezuzu and Yang scan the room for possible invisible foes...
Tezuzu eyes the cloud of spores suspiciously....
"Tez, have you enough magic to bring down the wall you created? I fear breathable air may be more important to us now than dealing with Caigreal..."
Tezuzu shrugs before letting out a small uncharacteristic laugh "Oh, I am afraid it will take me some time to align my spirit prepare another casting of that kind of magic..." He will then turn to Bulvi and ask politely "May I borrow that fancy warhammer we found at the dragons tower?"
He wields it testing the weight for a moment sizing up the his own handiwork with the wall before smugly glancing back at Findurel "You see magic is not the solution to everything... you would not be able to tell unless you were a stone mason or a dwarf, but this wall is actually quite thin. To our quarry who is not privy to that knowledge it might as well be a few feet thick. It was merely a bluff...a couple of good smacks to the base...."
Tezuzu slams the war hammer into the base of the wall twice.
"...and the whole thing should come crumbling down." he says with a coy bow as the wall crumbles behind him. He then tosses the warhammer back to Bulvi.
Scratching his beak nervously Tezuzu will comment "I do agree with Sakitu, though, I do not enjoy the idea of having a vile murderous creature blocking our only escape route. As much as I dread wading through that disgusting water I advise we deal with the enemy at our backs before we press forward."
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When it becomes clear that Tezuzu means to bring down the wall with a hammer, Quasit slinks out of the hallway.
"Dammit! She's in here somewhere!" she repeats to herself. She too eyes the spore cloud suspiciously. "More theater." she grumbles.
Then she realizes that the satyr's corpse is at her feet. Quickly she squats down to scoop away his magical amulet, grimacing to hold back her gorge as she looks down at the cunning old dead face leering back at her. Almost as an afterthought, she grabs his panpipes as well. She stays squatting like this in silence for a few seconds more, like she's saying goodbye silently, then abruptly stands and turns away, hopefully forever.
"She used a transmutation near Tezuzu's wall. Not certain what kind. Could have gone through the wall or turned herself into a bug. Could have turned herself into fog but I don't think so as the fog itself is not magical and does register the transmutation. Careful breaking through Tez, she might have a trap on the other side."