Nicolai Round 4:
Nicolai grimaces as the giant rat takes another bite out of his flesh.
Fort Save: 1d20+3 = 6
He doesn't bother with the attack of opportunity, allowing the rodent to escape into the night. A problem for the city guards perhaps. He nods to Keildrithe and sheathes his dagger, presuming the fight to be over.
Then he hears a cry from Laithe and the rooftop. He quickly whispers a scolding response.
Laithe & Keildrithe if he's paying close attention:
After briefly considering heading in to look for Pharris and the devil box, Nicolai's celestial instincts take over and he immediately begins the arcane incantations required to cast a spell. As he did once before, he sprinkles some silver powder in a 3'-diameter circle around his person while making a series of gestures with his left hand.
"Keildrithe, are you able to heal? If so, better in than out as they say..."
Pharris briefly stops as she is passed by the blurred furry Laithe but she shrugs and carries on outside.
There she looks about to see what is going on. Her first thought is the roof and those strange noises.
If she can make out the two limned figures she will shoot one, dropping her sword as she loads the bow. It clatters on the courtyard floor.
The figures on the roof make clear targets now, outlined in dimly glowing flames. Pharris aims for the human(oid?), who seems to be the easier target, but he twists out of the way at the last minute, the arrow just missing.
Nicolai Round 4:
"Keildrithe, are you able to heal? If so, better in than out as they say..."
"I'm afraid that I used up what powers I might have used for arcane healing when I attempted to put that archer on the rooftop of the inn to sleep... I don't have my bow with me, so perhaps we should seek shelter in the inn... best to get out of the demons' sights... and perhaps you would be so kind as to dislodge the shaft that is sticking out of my back? I was fortunate that my armour took the brunt of the impact, and that it did not embed itself too deeply into my flesh..." Keildrithe grits his teeth as he runs towards the backdoor of the inn.
Alton follows Pharris' lead, dropping his blades in favor of his bow and firing at the archer.
DM:
Nicolai & Keildrithe (& Mothman)
Alton’s arrow seems to be on target, but the flame outlined enemy does not cry out or flinch from the attack – perhaps the arrow was turned aside by some hidden piece of armour?
As the remaining rat dashes past Nicolai and out the gate, and Keildrithe makes a dash for the shelter of the doorway, Nicolai completes the casting of a protective spell – a circle of silver flashes briefly around him before fading.
The rooftop archer fires again at the exposed mage, but the arrow flies wide, perhaps subtlety deflected by Nicolai’s spell. Meanwhile, the glowing spot of empty air shaped like a cat that stands by the assassin’s feet gives an angry sounding yowl, turns tail and dashes off up the roof and over the ridge, out of sight (seemingly making for the front of the inn).
Another screech comes from the alley, along with the sound of claws clicking on cobbles; it seems that the hippogriff is chasing it’s quarry down the alley. It’s unclear whether or not it caught up. Candle’s are bring lit in several nearby apartments, and shutters are being opened (and hastily closed again), as people are awoken by the sound.
"Back inside! we are fighting on their terms here. I'll guard you. It's the box they want, isn't it!"
Laithe continues to charge up the stairs at full speed, changing back into human form as he reaches the door to the knocker's room. He knocks hastily and says "It's Laithe, quickly, open the door!"
Forgetting momentarily about the arrow that is portruding from his back, Keildrithe tries to make his way quickly, but stealthily, towards the inn's common room... yet he stumbles now and again against the walls of the darkened hallways. Once in the common room , he discretely peers through the window curtain (or shutter), trying to get a good view of the main street running in front of the inn and of any odd activity going on there.
Alton kneels, picking up his blades and slingning his bow hastily across his back. He follows Keildrithe inside, speaking to Pharris on the way by "Keep this area as clear as you can. I'll check inside for any nasty surprises that might've slipped in while we were occupied."
Pharris withdraws to the inn, keeping her bow trained on the archer. Then she scoops up he greatsword and dashes inside last.
Pharris and Keildrithe dash back into the inn. Alton takes the time to pick up and sheath his weapons, then also takes a step back towards the door.
Nicolai looks set to stand his ground, perhaps cast another spell, but seeing the “cat” dash away out of sight, and his companions retreating, he thinks better of it and also dashes into the inn.
The glowing archer fires down at his only remaining target, Alton, but the arrow just misses the nimble halfling.
Laithe knocks on the door of the attic room where the kobolds were staying – the door is very slightly ajar, it moves at his touch, and there is no response.
Laithe knocks on the door of the attic room where the kobolds were staying – the door is very slightly ajar, it moves at his touch, and there is no response.
Worried now, Laithe pushes open the door and scans the room quickly, looking for any sign of the knockers. [ooc]Spot check 10 + 8 = 18. Quick Reconnoiter I think allows this as a swift action? I'll await the results before taking the remaining actions.[occ]
No sign of the kobolds. The room looks like it was abandoned in a hurry. The shuttered window that looks out over the roof is still latched closed from the inside.
No sign of the kobolds. The room looks like it was abandoned in a hurry. The shuttered window that looks out over the roof is still latched closed from the inside.
A little puzzled by the absense of the knockers, Laithe non-the-less runs to the window unlatches it and looks out, trying to spot either the assassin archer and/or the demon creature that was with it.
Laithe dashes through the empty room, opens the window shutters (there is no glass), and looks out
This dormer window looks out over part of the roof, and the alley below. There is about two feet of sloped, slate tiles roof between the window and the edge of the roof, and a twenty foot plus drop to the street below.
Laithe cannot see the archer or the invisible “cat” from here, but if his bearings are correct, they should be somewhere on this roof, around to the right of his current position. He can hear movement from that direction.
Almost immediately below him in the alley, partly obscured by the overhang of the roof and the generally dim light, Laithe catches a glimpse of movement. He realises that the building opposite, the other side of the alley, is the roof that the other archer was on before.
The girl swops to greatsword and moves back from the door, about five feet. She shakes her head at the charred bodies.
"Giant rats, ugh!"
Keildrithe:
"The demon cat is fleeing across the square, heading toward the river!" calls Keildrithe to his companions.
Nicolai hurries through the darkened common room towards Keildrithe. “We must be after it!” he opinions in response to the bard’s call, and begins removing the bar and undoing the bolts from the front door.
Alton retreats inside the inn "Should we split up? We can't leave the box or Lumbie unguarded."
Alton retreats inside the inn "Should we split up? We can't leave the box or Lumbie unguarded."
Pharris takes up an en-guard position within the hall, her greatsword ready.
Laithe curses inwardly at the news that the demon thing is fleeing. He whispers a quick message to Nicolai and Keildrithe: "Chase it as far as you can to get an idea of where it heads, but take care for there are no doubt more of them about! The flames that surround it will last no longer than a minute. I'll try and capture the one on the roof."
With that he moves out onto the roof changing into his favoured wolf form as he goes, and hoping to close with the assassin as quickly as possible.
Laithe climbs out the window, changing to lupine form as he goes. Topping the rise of the roof he spies the glowing, hooded figure of the archer standing by the edge of the roof, looking down, one hand steadying himself on the chimney.
The figure turns, and Laithe-wolf sees that it is not human – animal features peer out from under the cowl, and the glowing outline of a long, thin tail whips around under the cloak.
Laithe-wolf rushes forward to attack, jaw snapping, but the steeply sloping roof perhaps makes him more cautious than he would otherwise be, as his wolf paws scramble to find purchase, and the archer easily dodges his initial attack, struggling to draw a blade from his (its?) belt.
Keildrithe dashes out the front door and chases the flitting shape as it heads for the river. "I have a feeling I'm going to regret this," he mutters to himself.
Keildrithe wrenches the front door of the inn open and steps out into the cool, pre-dawn air.
Immediately in front of the inn is a small, cobbled square, bordered by the main wing of the inn on one side, the stable wing on another, a narrow canal opposite the stables, and smaller buildings on the fourth side towards the river.
A wooden bridge crosses the canal, and a street runs along the side of the generally fairly straight canal down towards the river.
It is down this street that Keildrithe spies the glowing figure. It no longer looks like a cat, not least of all because it is flying. It’s hard to make out exact details, given that the thing would be invisible were it not for the glowing outline provided by Laithe’s spell, but it seems to be about the same size and shape as the fiend the group faced in the Valley of Snails.
It’s about 120 feet down the street, which slopes gently down towards the river, and flies in quick bursts, faster than a man can run, although it appears to be flying somewhat erratically, occasionally stopping to seemingly slap at the false flames dancing over its body.
There are few people about at this hour, although sounds from nearby streets indicate that the city is beginning to awaken. At the bottom of the street, by the river, a donkey drawn cart trundles slowly along, a farmer or grocer delivering goods early for market perhaps.
Pharris turns and squawks out a small shriek. "Keildrithe wh-?!"
Impulsive as ever, she legs it out the front door and after him. Not knowing why he is leaving.
"Damn it all!" Alton curses, torn as to who to follow or whether to go and guard the knockers.
He hurries to the room where they left the knockers and the box to make sure they're still there before dashing after Laithe.
Alton runs down the corridor, barging into the room where he slept this night, and where he and Pharris stashed the Devil Box and the knockers.
Hisses and drawn blades meet him, as Raspit and Chupo stand in front of the box, Lumbie cowering behind it. Upon seeing that the intruder is Alton, the two reptilians lower their blades … slightly … and look at the halfling with tilted heads.
Alton nods and runs back out of the room, making it to the base of the stairs … and a long climb ahead of him to Laithe and the roof.
Keildrithe dashes out of the front door of the inn, spies the fleeing, flying fiend, and runs after it, following the street down to the river.
Nicolai is only a step or two behind the bard, but he slows as he gets out into the square. Waving his hands in arcane gestures, he sends two small missiles of glowing force towards the glowing figure flying down the street. The missiles streak unerringly to find their target, jolting the invisible critter hard.
Pharris races into and through the inn’s common room, making to follow Keildrithe and Nicolai out the front door. As she runs through, a door behind the bar bursts open, and Hawthorn stands there, his tattered night robe aflutter, a lamp in one hand and a wooden club in the other. “What in Arton’s name is going on here?” he roars, spying the sword wielding woman.
Pharris reaches the open front door and looks out, seeing Nicolai a short distance away, having apparently just unleashed a spell.
She also sees something else; a cloaked and cowled figure limps carefully and quietly around the corner of the inn building, a slim naked blade held in its hand. It appears to be trying to sneak up on Nicolai. At its feet creeps another of the giant rats from the courtyard. There also appears to be something wrong with the figures feet and legs – apart from the limp, they seem to bend in a strange fashion, and Pharris spies what looks like a thin tail curling out from under the cloak. The figure seems to notice her at the same time she notices it.
Up on the roof, the other hooded assassin manages to draw its sword, and thrusts the thin blade at Laithe-wolf, at the same time lunging forward to bite at the wolf with its long, crooked incisors.
Laithe recoils from the bite, but is unable to avoid a glancing strike with the sword
The assailant then takes a careful step around beside Laithe, so as not to be in such a precarious position in relation to the edge of the roof.
Shrugging off the stinging sword hit, Laithe presses his attack, disappointed he had missed his chance to attempt to knock the creature from the roof. He snaps savagely at the creature.
His opponent is quick, but Laithe’s attack is savage and accurate. His teeth close on the creature’s hairy arm and bite down hard. But there seems to be something wrong with the creature’s skin, it is as tough as boiled leather under Laithe-wolf’s bite. He feels his teeth sink in a small way, and tastes blood, but the bite was not near as devastating as it should have been, and the creature manages to pull his arm from the wolf’s jaws.
Meanwhile, out on the street, the glowing, fiendish figure flies further down the street towards the river, and around the corner of a building, heading north.
Alton begins dashing up the stairs, ignoring Hawthorn’s yell from below, and a few curious (and brave) patrons who have begun looking out of their rooms into the hall.
Keildrithe pounds down the street, reaching the river, dodging around the cart on the road there, and turns left, following the flying form along the street adjacent to the river. He gets around the corner just in time to see it disappearing into an alley that branches off the street several dozen feet further along.
Nicolai follows Keildrithe, but having slowed down to cast his spell, he does not yet make it to the river and around the corner.
Pharris steps back a little into the doorway and raises her greatsword overhead one-handed. Her stance lowers and the other hand comes forward.
Beckoning them on. ""I am the blade."
Then she waits. The second they attack, she will return to two handed grip.
On the ground, the hooded figure hisses something at the rat as he warily limps towards the warrior woman. The unusually sized rodent seems to understand him, as it suddenly runs at Pharris, veering around to take her flank;
Not quickly enough. The woman takes her sword in both hands and brings it down in an arc, slicing the rat clean in two as it tries to get by her.
However, with her attention diverted, the sword wielding figure makes a surprising burst of speed forward (though by the sharp hiss it seems to pain his damaged leg somewhat) and slices at her with the thin blade – a blow that is turned aside by her chain shirt.
On the roof, Laithe’s opponent hisses in frustration as the wolf manages to avoid his attacks.
On her go, Pharris continues the attack routine, she takes the weight of the greatsword as it slashes downwards and turns it into a spin, aimed at finishing somewhere around the neck of the strange humanoid.
After she re-positions slightly further into the doorway.
"Alton, help me!"
Alton finally hustles all the way up the stairs, finding himself at the door to the kobolds’ attic room. Through the open door he can see that the window is open, and hears grunts and growls from without.
Keildrithe, with Nicolai coming up behind him, has reached the street by the river. The glowing fiend is out of sight, but the bard saw which alley it disappeared down.
Pharris pirouettes gracefully, her flashing sword following her movement. The blade meets a strange resistance as it meets her opponent’s neck … but not enough to slow it significantly as it cuts through her opponent, lopping his head from his body.
The head flies off into the square, whilst the body slumps to the ground … then begins writhing and shaking as a post mortem change overcomes it … the legs straighten and lengthen, the thin tail rapidly shrinks away to nothing, the arms become significantly less hairy, until the body lying in front of Pharris is human – sans head.
She hears a gasp from behind her – Hawthorn watches in horror, his club held limply in his hands, his nightrobe flapping in the slight breeze.