It was times like this he wished he had a hat to tip. As it was, he could only smile at Enkata and say in a grateful voice,
"Thank you M'lady...now to finish this fight!"
He maneuvered over to the one remaining Lemure and struck at it with his knife as hard as he could. It would certainly take a few blows to bring down but once it fell, he could use his painful touch to finish it off as he did the first.
She becomes rather irrationally uneasy about Caiphas' demeanor. Perhaps, with some type of eldritch insight, she is merely peeking her consciousness into another realm of thoughts and ideals?
Nah, she just doesn't like being called "M'lady".
Moving upwards, some, her readied crossbow is pointed at the cancerous lump of flesh writhing and clawing at her allies.
"Prepare yourselves, this battle isn't over."
Olfren glares at the remaining mass of flesh, once more reloading and aiming her bow. Her attention flickers to the swirling pool before them but there are other problems to take care of, first. She raises her bow, once more aiming, finding annoyance that the others had become so clustered in such a tight spot, blocking her view. A perfect formation for a spread-out attack, she thinks, before firing the crossbow.
Rexus decides to use his bloodline power one more time before Enkata's song wears off. The poor bard looked as if she was straining her voice at this point.
"One last twist of fate for you, friend!"
After touching Cornelius' back, Rexus then moves outward a little to more cautiously observe the magical effects filling the room should ill effects begin to manifest.
Round 4: Recap
The lemure manages to land a nasty blow on Cornelius.
Cornelius, Caiphas, and Olfren have troubles hitting the foul Devil.
Enkata also misses but is also out of bardic performance.
Rexus uses another Touch of Destiny hoping to boost Cornelius' skill.
---------------
Round 5: FIGHT!
The Lemure does not understand this place. Nor does it understand why it is here. These are not the environs it is used to. The hellscapes, fire, and brimstone. It only understands instinct. It lashes out once at Cornelius and once at Caiphas.
Cornelius shrugged off another attack from the flesh mound, spying out the corner of his eye Rexus moving along the ledge around the pool. He was not keen on Rexus going out alone, even if it was about 10ft away, so he must deal with this monster quickly and be preapred for anything else. He makes yet another attack against it, wanting to bring it down for good.
Cornelius' blade strikes true. Something odd happens, however. The blade sinks into the hilt, a good strike, but the creature's flesh is not cut. Rather, the creature is bruised slightly and the shifting flesh begins to turn black from the strike.
These bastards were tough and he did not have any extra tricks up his sleeves that would help out under these circumstances. They were probably too stupid to be afraid so most of his mental abilities were useless. That punch had killed the first true but it had been on death's door. This one was still fighting fit. Still, there was nothing else he could do but fight. He seemed to have the best chance of striking a mighty blow on the creature. And hopefully send it back to where it dragged itself out of.
Giving a hearty yelp, Caiphas appeared to bring his knife down upon the creature's thick and slimy hide. But he thrust forward with his open hand and with the rumbling thunder to herald it, again used his attack of pain and fear. Hopefully this blow would drive a true wound upon its thick and slimy hide.
She realizes two things, sort of around the same time. One, is the fact that this sullen creature is very resistant to physical damage. Two, is the fact that all they literally have is physical damage. Their best bet is to just start wailing on this SoB, and she calls upon her divine favor to accomplish just that.
"Give it everything you got!!"
"Oh, sod this." Olfren snaps in annoyance. And this time, instead of reloading her crossbow and firing again, she moves, past the knocked out devil and past Enkata, right beside the beast. She'd figured out they were barely making a dent and the safest bet was to put all their efforts into fighting this creature, putting it down and ending its suffering.
She might miss, and she might not do much, but she aims for the beast's face, aiming to punch it.
Caiphas Psionic blow knocks the demon out cold and the room begins to crackle with electricty.
The cistern begins to boil and swirl, turning into a scalding hot whirlpool as the smell of sulfur fills the room.
The lantern and Olfren's magical light are completely snuffed out as a hellish red glow fills the room. Inside the center of the whirlpool are horrors that no man can describe. Screaming, tortured souls being pressed along a path of torturous implements by vile creatures.
The two Lemure are slowly dragged into this whirlpool by the power of the wind which has nearly turned into a gale. The unconscious one wakes up for a moment and tries to claw itself away from the portal, leaving an inch thick drag-line on the floor with it's appendages.
Once inside the whirlpool, the Lemure devils vanish and the magical effects stop. Rexus sighs with relief.
It was just them being returned to wherever they come from. Like a summoned monster effect, but more drastic."
Rexus looked shaken and disturbed, but snapped his fingers and Cornelius' lantern was re-lit. "And that's what the worship of Asmodeus will get you, and that's what the House of Thrune wants to enforce. I'm sure you've all been to the Church of Asmodeus for the "mandatory" prayers to the infernal king?"
Cornelius just stared at the cesspit that just a moment ago bore the horrors of another realm, a realm of evil creatures and dark intention. Yet he did not fear it, but loathed it, bore a hate towards it. He had never really conisdered the belief of others, leaving them to their own devices, but now as a protector of his faith he has changed. Upon hearing Rexus' words about how these things were 'summoned', how this was all enforced by the House of Thrune, if made his resolve become like adamantium.
But he turned his attention to Rexus, quicklystriding up to him and gripping by the shirt with his shield hand, a stern but angered look in his eyes. "How did you know of these things and these monsters down here?! Answer me!"
Rexus slapped Cornelius, hard.
"FOOL! Don't you know ANYTHING of religion? Of Chelish "LAW" as it were? How we all have to have a shrine of Asmodeus in our homes lest the Inquisitors come and take us away?"
Rexus composed himself. "And I know it's some kind of summoning spell because I've been sensing the magical energies in the room since the event started. Many magically inclined people know how to "detect magic" as it were. And the energies in this room are similar to a summoning spell."
Once more reloading her crossbow, Olfren watched. Her body tensed as Cornelius gripped Rexxus and for a moment it looked like she might aim the crossbow right at the paladin. She steadied herself, however, giving a heavy sigh, "He is right. Someone or something summoned those miserable creatures here. As for what you accuse him of, he did not know they were here previously. None of us did." she holds the crossbow, which, in her strong hands looked almost like a children's toy, resting it against her shoulder and looking around, "You should not act so rashly towards what you do not know. It may get you killed." At this point, she strode towards and past Cornelius and Rexxus, looking to the rest of the group, "Whoever can heal should do so to those that were hurt and then we should finish this."
Cornelius took the hit as if it were nothing, though he still felt the tinge of pain. He was not in control of himself and the events that have transpired, these monsters and creatures that were so unfamiliar to him. He recomposed himself and let go of the man's clothes, though his face remained deeply annoyed. "I do know of religion, but I was brought up knowing the faith of MY people, not of Asmodeus. It wasn't until recently that I even took notice of others affecting the faith of my people. Least of all did I expect that this religion out of all those that remain would wield such 'magic' to ill ends." He would then sheathe his sword back into its home, sighing heavily as the anger falls from his face. "Most of all, this is not the evidence I expected...a letter or a witness, but not this..."
Rexus brushed himself off "We may yet find those other things. This is just what the church can do, though I am curious as to who would set these runes about to even create this magic..."
"Leaving runes and beasts? Sounds like someone who wanted to protect something. This isn't evidence, Cornelius. This is protecting it." she frowns, looking to everyone else, "Come, now, I have a feeling that the end to our little quest is near. We should push on."
Caiphas stayed out of that conversation...argument...whatever was passing on back there. The only thing he cared about was the beasts were gone and sent back to where they belonged. They just went with a little bit of a bang is all.
He sighed and looked back at Olfren and nodded.
"I agree with you M'lady. This sort of set up is meant to guard something of import. We should move to discover what that is. Our quest lies further onwards. Now that we are free to do so without peril, let us investigate."
With that said, Caiphas began to stroll about the room and do just as he suggested...investigate. Such precautions had to be hiding something good.
Caiphas, through the lantern light, the shadows, and his own low-light vision, could see that on the other side of the cistern there were once fully constructed walls that led into a set of hidden back-rooms. Now the walls were long crumbled, and the secret doors shattered.
Enkata simply passes through the crowd, standing behind Caiphas as she peers into the darkness, further than his low-light vision could see.
"Yes yes if you've got any claw marks or the ever-errant bite, then come to me. I'll heal you, but not unless you SAY something."
She then strains her eyes, as best as she's able, using her darkvision of 60ft to see any details that may possibly be missed.
Enkata can see the remains of an old kitchen and bits of armor and weapon stands in the rubble, as if this was a lived-in place. She would have to get closer to see more, however.
Caiphas was now fine so he could feel free to explore those once hidden rooms that he had discovered in the back of the room. He pointed across the room and said to the rest of the party.
"There used to be some secret rooms over there. I am going to check them out. If anyone cares to join me, feel free."
With that announcement, Caiphas strode off towards the back of the room and past the rubble to have a proper look around at what lay within.
Cornelius noticed how Caiphas went onward into the remanents of those rooms, looking off towards that direction before he turned and also approached the rooms. To him, these rooms were definately used by someone but he would not know if they were the same people that...summoned those things.
He peered around at the various items and the rubble on the floor, if Rexus was hinting at some form of documentation than it couldn't be that hard to find.
Now that the trouble had passed, Olfren decided to sniff out anything she could find, as well. Her snout began to recede, but immediately after, it grew, longer than before, the fangs much less predominant. She took a deep breath, her enhanced sense of smell making her wince a bit at the odors down here. She progressed with the rest of them, also casting light once more on her crossbow.
She squints, looking around, scouring the area both with her eyes and her enhanced sense of smell.
These rooms have fallen mostly into disrepair. Chunks of plaster hang from the walls, exposing rough stonework beyond. Scattered furnishings that once outfitted bunkrooms, a kitchen, and even an armory lie scattered about in states of complete disrepair, and doors hang from hinges in the crumbling archways that lie between the chambers.
You all notice a nest in the northwest corner that seems to have been used by a very small humanoid creature, perhaps by a grimple you fought before, but the smell of urine and waste are noticeably absent.
In the northeast corner of the room lie three small crates marked on the side with silver paint in the shape of a raven.
Caiphas made a direct line towards the crates and went to examine them closely. He smiled as he saw what was marked upon the sides of them. He knelt by the crates and lightly tapped upon one of them with his knuckles as he listened to the sound it made.
"Ah indeed...what do we have here? What we have been looking for perhaps? Well what say you all...shall we see what is inside?"
Many questions indeed, but he waited for no answer. He made to see how the crates could be opened. Locks were not his forte and he had no prybar to open them with. Of course they could just have a sliding lid upon them or were just tied closed. If that was the case, they could be merely opened. If not, he would surely need to ask for help
The first crate Caiphas touched opened quite easily. Inside was a set of ancient leather armor in an older style untouched by time, a composite longbow, a very nice and finely crafted hand crossbow, a morningstar made of silver, a fine cloak, and a small pouch filled with gems.
Having fallen behind by quite a bit, she decides to book it, catching up with her comrades before she's left behind. Get it together, jeez Enkata!
There's a lot to take in, all at once, so she just allows her teammates to bring her any relevant information they'd like. She is one of the magic people, after all.
"You all seem to have found quite a bit of interesting things. If you'd like me to inspect them, I believe I have a rather shrewd, magical eye. Sometimes even two! Ha ha... that, uh, was a joke."
At Enkata's 'joke', she earns a rather unamused look from the large bear woman. Perhaps Olfren didn't get the awful humor, or perhaps she thought it was in bad taste. Either way, she turned her attention from the woman, looking towards what Caiphas had found. She steps closer to him, eyeing his findings, before she begins to utter a low incantation, her eyes glowing a dull golden color as she casts detect magic on his items.
"May I?" she asks softly, moving a bit closer to the scarlet-haired man, her eyes narrowing as she attempts to recall the exact price of these valuables. She was no merchant, but growing in a noble house led her to have a keen eye for things that had a shimmer of worth to them, despite the fact that she, herself, barely had anything of such value. Now, at least. Her humble robes did little to cover her flesh, and that was how she liked it. The only thing that felt natural to wear was her thick cloak, which, as she moves closer to Caiphas, she hugs tighter to herself.
As Olfren looked over the items in the first crate, two more stood unopoened. Collecting dust for years.
Seeing as the large bear of a woman has decided to ponder upon the items from the first crate, Enkata herself proceeds to examine the others. Stepping up in front of the next one in the row, she attempts to open it, her goal being to peer inside for whatever long-forgotten loot may or may not be found inside.
It's times like these that she wishes she'd read up on nobility or symbolism, because she feels like these Silver Raven emblems are important.
Cornelius decides to keep watch of the surroundings while they rummaged around in those crates, peering around the possible entryways for anything that might come, his sword and shield ready.