As Kaygan, Kira and Sol debate, the sound of explosions, screams and the stench of burning flesh continue unabated.
Surrounded by foes, the tiefling hurls a vial in Booam's face.
"More fighting, a single Tiefling from what I saw, Mulluq and Grolth have it. Our task should be to ensure nothing gets behind them."
Ghroth slashes and batters the tiefling with claw and tentacle while Rhok steps in from behind and takes a swing. Hannik can't risk taking a shot into the clump of allies scrabbling around the tiefling so she opens a conduit to Ghroth's home plane to siphon some power to him.
Whover this tiefling is, he's tough, though he takes a bad cut from Ghroth's claw.
Booam continues his straightforward approach to military problems and presses the attack.
A little confused about how his last swing could possibly have missed, Jod tries again, but his reaction to the burst of flame throws off his timing.
Finally, Wendaug sends another arrow into the scrum.
The tiefling goes down under a flurry of blows.
Booam throws himself on the floor and rolls around to stop the fire.
Booam is able to quench the flames.
"There's a door here. We can get behind the demons...."
The sounds from the other room finally break through his consciousness. "What's going on back there?"
"The noise seems to have stopped, for good or ill. I suggest we go and see," says Kaygan. "But before we do Sol, hold still for a moment." Kaygan places a hand on the younger man's shoulder and chants a few words.
"This spell will give you a moment of insight to anticipate danger. It should help you strike first next time we find ourselves in a fight."
Booam is able to quench the flames.
"Wow. Can someone patch me up before another demon kicks in the door? I'm not feeling too good."
"The way we came or the way you were going?"
Jod makes a show of getting the kinks out of his neck and arms before his near-perpetual smile returns. "He's too proud to ask, but Booam needs some, too."
Clapping the mongrelfolk on the back and pointing at Wendaug where she stands, watching for threats that might try to sneak up on the party, "You two were fantastic! I'm glad to fight at your side. What's next?"
“Let’s quickly search this lot to see if they have anything useful – things such as healing potions or keys come to mind,” suggests Kaygan.
“Then we have a couple of doors. I suggest we look into the one back there before we try to get into the secret door that Sol found. If you haven’t been into that chamber where the demons were yet, fair warning, it is horrid – like the state of the temple of Shelyn. This door here might lead into the same space if I have my bearings right. Oh, and Rhok, did you leave any of those stunned tieflings alive? If so, I suppose we could question them on what else we might face here ..”
Rhok grimly shakes his head. "Couldn't afford to have one wake up behind us."
Jod rifles through pockets and sets interesting items, weapons, and armor aside.
Sol obliges with a shake of the wand at Booam.
[dice= CMW wand for Booam] 2d8+3
Then he joins the conversation.
"Either this door or the other. For some reason I think the stairs are more likely to be in the middle of the building."
The group look around the chamber they are in. Blood and filth smear the floor of this long room. Six white stone statues of famous heroes line the hall—each clawed, bloodstained, partially smashed, or otherwise defaced. At the far end of the hall, a raised dais holds an upturned alabaster altar. Sitting atop the upside-down altar is a hideous mass of severed limbs that have been stitched together into a vile monstrous insectoid shape. Before the dais, seven ratty bedrolls have been laid out on the floor.
Jod points at the... art?... and offers, "There's nothing right with that."
Mulluq moves to wave off the interest of Sol and his wand. It is clear, though, even after he has put out the fire, that there are a decent number of burns visible even across his black hide.
The group no longer seem under attack, so they explore the bottom floor of the Grey Garrison. In the side room from the chamber in which they defeated the alchemist, they find that a long table and six chairs have been pushed against the western wall. On the opposite wall, a tapestry depicting a map of Mendev hangs from a silver rod—the tapestry has been slashed several times and splashed with filth. A bedroll sits on the floor, and on the nearby table is an array of alchemical devices and a long wooden sword case wrapped with cords, as if ready for travel. Inside the sword case they find a fine-looking longsword, the blade chased with silver. Tucked into the case underneath it is a note on a piece of parchment.
I believe you will find the enclosed weapon to be a singular and familiar delight, for it once belonged to your old “friend” Irabeth. She sold it to Kandro Nyserian, of all people — I’ve no idea why. Kandro’s been sitting on it for years — still would be, except his home got smashed by an ulkreth. Shame. He managed to save the sword and came here, begging for an escort north to Drezen, doubtless so he could give you the sword and weasel some cash to help him set up a new home. I hope you don’t begrudge a creativity I took — our friend Nyserian serves now as a warm suit for a vermlek as punishment for only revealing the sword now instead of when he first acquired it. I suspect the blade will take to your brother’s touch nicely!
your loyal servant, Othirubo
"Thr ring will off some magical protection, this potion" Kira holds one up, "will allow one to climb as a spider does. The rest I cann't be sure of."
"Oh, now this is nice." she says, picking up the sword. "Evil outsiders will not like this."
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After stowing the wand, Sol joins Kira in examining the magical goods. He almost shyly looks over the scrolls and tries his hand at determining what the potions do. If he determines what something does he hands it to one of the other casters, with a comment on what he thinks it is and asks them to make sure. If he can't determine something he smiles and admits that "this one is beyond me", when he hands it over.
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After stowing the wand, Sol joins Kira in examining the magical goods. He almost shyly looks over the scrolls and tries his hand at determining what the potions do. If he determines what something does he hands it to one of the other casters, with a comment on what he thinks it is and asks them to make sure. If he can't determine something he smiles and admits that "this one is beyond me", when he hands it over.
“Let me see if I can help,” suggests Kaygan, helping to examine the magical items that his detect magic spell had highlighted.
“The armour will offer slightly better protection than a typical suit of its type,” Kaygan says. “I’m afraid I can’t figure out the enchantment on the mace or the last potion either right now … when we have more time I can prepare a spell of identification which should do the trick. Now, this note with the sword is interesting … it appears the blade belonged to Commander Irabeth! Although it seems she gave it up willingly and legally – it wasn’t stolen from her. Well, as it is potent against demons I would suggest that one of us use it for the moment at least.”
Jod heft’s the mace, always appreciative of a well-made weapon. ”You say this is enchanted? What does it do? Is it better than my falchion?”
Rhok holds out a hand to have a look and Jod hands it over.
Drily, he says as he hands it back, ”You hit things with it. The material it is made of is very hard, so it has uses when you need to destroy a door or a wall.” He pauses before grinning and adding, ”The magic is unknown to me, however.”
The oracle taps his chin. ”The name in the note, Kaygan. Was that one of the fellows being worn by a demon at the front door? I got the feeling they were important men in the city before the invasion. Is that right?
Mulluq waves off any further attempts by Sol to heal him, "I thank you for your magics, and know that you are right in my needing to be in fighting form. At this point I am well enough that, any mending can be done by The Inheritor's grace, that I may learn to stand tall in the face of battle by recovering from my own energies as granted by her divine glory."
As the discussion turns to which door, he offers, "Let us hasten toward the enemy. Open both of them, the path beyond will decide our course of action. Start with the secret door, as it's existence as part of the Gray Garrison prior to the demon's arrival may prove to yield some boon to us, had they not yet discovered it themselves."
Secret door gets Kaygan's vote.
"I'm all for the secret door. If it was worth hiding, I say lets start there."
Hannik heads for the door.
Confident he has found every potential threat associated with the secret door, Sol pulls it open. Surprisingly, he is right and no death rays or slashing blades emerge to skewer him. Inside is a small cubby. A holy symbol of Iomedae hangs unmolested on the wall above a weapon rack filled with swords, crossbows, and spears. Three wooden dummies wear pristine suits of armor. A shelf holds several leather quivers, each stamped with a golden sun. Two silver shields hang from pegs on the wall.
"The bundle of arrows have a holy aura about them , the breastplate is magically enhanced too, but the others I need help to identify."