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As if on cue... Pavel says as he draws one of his revolvers, taking aim at one of the creatures, making a note of its features, and then firing. Now what am I looking at here? Demons I'm sure, secret societies love their demons...
Possible Relevant Knowledge Checks:
"Not feeling so great right now, but for f$~#s sake, I just wanna get that damn sword and get out of here by now. Get the hell out of our way!" He shouts at the creatures, as he lunges forward to slice at one while it's still surprised.
Occult, cause sure why not...
Surprisingly, Dave has heard of these things. They're called mephits. They're generally creatures conjured from a realm outside our own, and have abilities related to their realm of origin.
BTW, Dave's attack does solid damage, Pavel scores a glancing shot, and Valda's attack missed.
That leaves Maria, Joey and Isagoras in the surprise round, before the creatures go first at the top of round 1.
Whether she recognizes them or not, Maria at least knows they aren't friendly and starts throwing cards at the nearest creature.
Maria's attack wounds one of the creatures.
From knowledge/arcana, Maria is able to tell that these creatures are magical in addition to being extra-planar, and probably have some spell-casting ability.
As one, the Mephits turn and, aiming at the group from various angles, use their breath weapon cones.
Dave:
- 2
- 2
Valda:
- 2
- 2
Isagoras:
- 2
- 4
Maria:
- 2
- 2
Joey:
- 2
- 4
Pavel:
- 4
- 4
Party may now act in round one. Three of the four creatures are damaged, one heavily so.
An icy blast of cold flies from the mouths of the impish creatures, causing skin to crack and blood to freeze.
"Screw it, everything dies by fire." Holding out her hand, Valda fired a pair of burnings beams of fire.
Pavel shivers in from the cold, flashing back to a certain cold winter in the wilderness, searching for yet another relic... He shakes himself free of the memories as he reaches for a compass at his hip, reaching his other hand out as he wills creation itself to bend to his will, and a burst of bright glitter erupts in the air around the creatures.
Based on the idea of firing from four different directions, I'll allow two.
Will Save:
One is blinded.
Valda's scorching rays kill one that was barely injured, and seriously damages a second.
That leaves 3, one of which is blinded and the other two of which are seriously injured.
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Maria throws a card again, at one of the seriously injured ones.
[b]"Fire is usually a safe bet."[/dice]
Joey draws his pistol and fires at an already-injured Mephit.
Hearing Valda's suggestion on spells, Joey decides on trying one of his own cantrips, calling out, "Alright, let's show 'em how it's done, Blackfur!" With a quick gesture, a pinch of wool, and a call-out, Joey casts Daze on the healthiest-looking one and silently damns himself for having used Burning Hands already.
Dave lunges for the blinded one, seeing an opportunity.
But he just can't get high enough
Joey and Isagoras fell two more, leaving only the blinded (and now dazed as well). The blinded one would cast magic missile, but dazed takes that opportunity away.
Round 2 for the mop up. Opponents dazed so no attack, PCs may act.
Seeing the mephit stand before them, Joey whoops in delight beaming a huge grin.
"Oh my God, that actually worked?? Awesome!"
Raising his pistol, he pops another cap into his target.
Dave goes for the now dazed mephit again.
Fortunately for Joey, he's both blinded and dazed, so a 12 hits.
Between Joey and Dave's attacks, the final creature drops.
From the ice cave, the path diverges. One can either go down a set of stairs to the left, or continue a spiraling hallway around the inside of the funnel.
"Just what I always wanted, a fork in the road. Seriously, f$@+ this place."
Giving Dave a fist-bump as they fell the final beast, he peers down the paths before adding, "...Too bad we couldn't just answer some obscure riddle or something. I really don't think we should be splitting up either... Hmmmm.."
Focusing all his senses, he attempts too determine if there are any tell-tale signs of which path they should take, any ominous sounds coming from either, or which one would be generally safer.
Pavel heaves a bit, looking amongst the group and visibly fighting with himself. With great reluctance, he says, I don't suppose any of you believe rest is prudent? I hate being the first one to suggest it, but I am only human, and very well battered by the guardians of this place.
Joey looks back to their newfound companion and blinks as he only now realizes that he is injured. "Oh! I'm sorry - here, I have a few extracts you could drink. They'll make you feel a little better, at least.. Better than nothing for now, right?"
Reaching into his trench coat, he removes two vials of his extracts of Cure Light Wounds and steps over to Pavel, opening the vials and readying to feed them to him.
"If I'm not in contact with these things, they loose their properties for some reason, so you gotta let me feed you, alright? Be a big boy now, and take your medicine!"
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"That seems pretty weird that you gotta hold them. I think this is just your fetish."
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Pavel stares at Joey incredulously, looking between him and the vial in his hand before asking, You expect me to drink that? On your word it's not poison? Or that it doesn't have a tracker in it?
"I've always wanted to a mommy, Dave," he says before turning back to Pavel with sigh. "Well I figured a smart bloke like you would have some sort of way of checking if these were poisoned, besides I'm a registered nurse - I took a hippocratic oath to never poison nor place trackers in unwilling, injured patients, or I run the risk of perjury under the State of New Mexico's 'Privacy and Emergency Neutral Integrity Statutory' Act. The government created it so that people unwilling to submit to their tracking devices and demon epidemic-vaccines could still legally decline... For now. Here are my credentials.." With his free hand, Joey retrieves his wallet from his coat and flashes it open then closes it back akin to the gag were people pretend to be cops showing their badges. Returning his wallet back to coat's pocket he turns up his hand with a smile and says, "See? Now do you trust me?"
"Dude is a downright awesome nurse, you should see him when he get's the whole outfit on. Though in my personal opinion, the short skirt just does not work with his legs."
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"..I knew I shouldn't have skipped Leg days... and it wouldn't hurt to shave once in a while.. I knew I was forgetting something when I packed for trip! Of all the things to forget, it just had to be my candy-striper uniform.. We'll just have to put a rain-check on the dress-up for now, Pavel."
Oh, I didn't realize you were of the medical profession. Please understand my concern though, I don't know you yet. I would be more comfortable if Dave was administered one first, as a gesture of good will, Pavel says, his tone changing from overtly hostile to guarded. He looks expectantly to Dave and Joey, waiting to see how they react, shivering slightly from the cold in his slacks and suit jacket.
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.
Focusing all his senses, he attempts too determine if there are any tell-tale signs of which path they should take, any ominous sounds coming from either, or which one would be generally safer.
[dice=Perception (Jet-lagged, Inspired, AP)]1d20+1d6+1d6+8-2
The roll was really solid, but there's limited information to be had. About the only thing Joey can deduce is that the path that continues to spiral down is very rough compared to what they've seen so far, almost as if it's a natural path that just happens to have opened into this chamber.
Also, Joey's starting to feel better. No need to subtract the jet-lag penalty any more.
"Yeah, sure thing - that's fair enough. Plenty of medicine to go around - c'mere Dave!" He calls out as he approaches his friend with the vials in hand, saying, "I'll even give him the ones I was planning on giving you - so that away you'll know I'm not keeping the safe ones in my coat!"[/b]
Joey will then proceed to feed Dave two of his extracts of CLW.
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Dave takes a moment to think to himself, before a plan comes to mind. What better chance to freak out the new guy then an opportunity like this? "Alright... Since you insisted, but we're only doing this once." He takes a moment to ready himself, adjusting his tie as well as his glasses, as he then proceeds to do something downright terrible.
At the end of it, he uses a cloth to wipe the corner of his mouth where some of the CLW extract had spilled, and readjusts his clothing from the slightly unshelved state they took on during the... whatever that was. All in all, he acts like nothing just happened. "Thanks man, I feel a lot better now. See Pavel? Perfectly safe."
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"I am not sure I am old enough to have seen that..."
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Isagoras clears his throat. "Ahem. IF we may continue? I believe there was a request for a riddle?
Hence, one must needs ascertain whether 'tis in our best interests for forgo the path of less peril for to gain the interest of that which we can be of little preparation, or if we canst now go forth unto that which beseems somewhat familiar, although such a route must needs of course be greater guarded and fortified therein with INSECURITY MOST TERRIBLE and thence we might forgo all progress for ourselves though we might advance the cause of society with such a sacrifice, especially when juxtapositioned with that which we have already ascertained therein for LESS that which we must OF COURSE be aware of that is the existential threat wherein that, which we have already overcome forsooth the MENACE which now, thought has fallen, might yet again rise with head and claw to prevent that which we must needs still gain."
...
After a few moments of stunned silence, the wise sage simply says, "It'll be easier to take the stairs."
"You need to chill, dude. We should probably just take the stairs, yeah."
Stairs lead down into a room lit dimly with reddish light. In the center of the room is an ancient statue of roughly female form, slight of build. Very little of its features remain intact. However, the statue is holding a dagger which seems to have withstood the tests of time. The dagger is an actual metal dagger of unknown design.
That was... um... something. Certainly something. I uh... *cough* I suppose it would be safe to drink one of the potions, Pavel, visibly unbalanced by Dave's display, gingerly takes a vial and attempts to drink it in exactly the opposite way as Dave. The stairwell seems fine to me...
"Well, there it is then. I hope." He notes, "Dosn't look like much, but hey. The holy grail was a clay cup for a reason."
Pavel will cautiously walk up to the statue, examining it and the dagger in the hand for any abnormalities or traps. When his search is complete, he also concentrates on the two objects with his magical abilities, trying to see if they are magical in any way.
Dave will assist Pavel in looking around.
Maria also assists in the search.
Valda, who has totally been paying attention, also looks around.
Pavel will cautiously walk up to the statue, examining it and the dagger in the hand for any abnormalities or traps. When his search is complete, he also concentrates on the two objects with his magical abilities, trying to see if they are magical in any way
The statue is mundane. The dagger glows powerfully (you've never seen any item with this level of power). You can spend more time trying to discern its enchantments, but at its base it's just a very good weapon.
Dave will assist Pavel in looking around.
Oddly, neither Dave nor Pavel (nor Maria for that matter) have found any traps; they're either not there, or so ingenious that you've failed to notice them.
Valda does not see anything else of interest in this room. It is dusty, and the air is thick as if it has not circulated in a very long time, but other than that, nothing spectacular.
Pavel tries to remove the dagger as gingerly as he can, holding the dagger as he would an egg coated with oil, and begin examining it more thoroughly with his other means of magical investigation.
Joey watches on as Pavel slowly removes the dagger, and loudly whispers, "Don't drop it. Whatever you do, don't drop it!"
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"And please don't stab Joey with it," Valda added, "Because it might lower what it's worth and that would be just awful."
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Isagoras stares with reverence at the dagger as Pavel holds it, and his curiosity overwhelms him. He, too, begins peering at the weapon, and starts talking shop with Pavel on what particular auras or enchantments make call the dagger home.
After a while, when it looks like they have studied it to all the capacity that they can accomplish, he mutters to Pavel, in a friendly way. "Alright, my lad. It looks like we've done our work here. Just hand me the dagger so I may ensure its return to the Order."
The item displays moderate levels of Evocation, Transmutation, and Abjuration, but something is weird. Even as your mind classifies the item as a low to mid level weapon with multiple functions, you instinctively suspect that the item's own power is much, much greater. It's almost as if the item is putting forth a certain power signature on purpose.
Isagoras' findings concur with Pavel's, with the addition that he suspects that the item might become more powerful for a specific user over time (unlocks).
"That our item then? And dosn't look like you've exploded, so I consider that a win. Izzy, you even have something to keep that in?"