"Thank you."
After we leave, "Let's head out and start asking around someone will have seen or heard something. Quinley can you take us to the area of your mother murder?"
Tess was stunned the group was able to avoid violence with the vampires. She remained silent while waiting for Quinley’s response.
Ortensia decided to keep quiet as Eleric had the conversation handled. She kept her eyes firmly ahead,cautious of meeting any Vampires gaze and risking domination.
One could never be too cautious.
"Tessara, believe me, I am quite surprised we avoided any confrontation in the literal nest of the entire city's Vampire community. But we aren't a roving band of brutes like other adventuring parties--we have class and standards, after all." The reed thin halfork said to elven archer as they filed out.
Her grip on the Ravenshead was still firm at her hip, finding its haft comforting.
She waited for their newfound companion,the dhamphir Quinely's, response.
Quinley says
"I can take you there but you might want to do some igging here first, rumour is that the vampires have a potential suspect."
"We have the ring so let us start asking around."
Eleric will wander around and see if he overhears anything or spots any signs of a captive?
Ortensia,finding the dhamphir rather unhelpful, probed at their surroundings with her mind.
As an afterthought, she pondered whether scanning the minds of the Vampires would have set them off.
Eleric you overhear many of the vampires mention that Lady Evgenya fears she is next.
Ortensia for the first time Psychic Significance does not seem to work properly. You get again feelings of centuries of vampires coming to and fro but the images are shadowy and you are unable to make any real impressions.
Ortensia swayed,catching herself as she attempted to use her psionic scan as she usually did. She felt the creeping shadows of undead and their machinations over many decades press into her.
Feeling unwell, the occultist massaged at her temples.
Hmph...That's not the route to go, it seems.
Disgruntled, Ortensia muttered,I suppose we have to launch an old fashioned sleuthing towards this situation. Perhaps we should shadow this Lady Evgenya to intercept any attempted assassination by the perpetrators?
Eleric will pull the team out of view of onlookers and cast invisibility sphere on the group. Stay close and don't talk unless absolutely necessary.
Gm I think we walked form our current location to the promenade with Quinley. Can you place us there? I will direct us from there.
Looking around you soon find out which room is Lady Evgenya's. The celebratory strains of lutes and harpsichords fill the air in this well-appointed, if ostentatious chamber. Several figures dressed in finery befitting nobles of Ustalav's ancient past dance on a parquet floor. In the centre of the room is a middle aged female vampire in a fine although very old style of dress.
Tess whispers, not wanting to break the invisibility spell. ”This isn’t exactly what I expected, you know. I didn’t figure we’d crash a dance…”
Ortensia shrugged noncommittally,focused on their target and the other undead revelers dancing around them.
"Shall we sit and listen to them talk longer or we can take a look at the other rooms we passed."
If the group is ready to leave we can check the room I marked with an x small one to the southeast.
Before they moved onwards, Ortensia tapped her brow. A faint outline of an eye flashed across her brow as she activated her Watchful Eye, focusing it upon their target. She invested several moments to expand it to a radius of about 15 feet of where the vampire noble seemed to occupy from about 6 paces back.
Satisfied that she could continue to remotely monitor this section of the ballroom while they were elsewhere in case they became engaged, Ortensia followed Eleric.
”Yeah, let’s check around while we are unobserved…”
The revellers leave shortly afterwards and Lady Evgenya is left alone. Suddenly a figure appears clad in black, his face veiled. Lady Evgenya appears surprised to see him and backs slightly away.
"Shhhhhh. Let listen this could be important."
"We should be closer to save the lady, if she needs it...come"
Creeden tugs on Eleric's sleeve to get closer to the action.
Ortensia was intensely interested in this development,gripping the Ravenshead in an iron grip. She hurried to be at the forefront of the group, eager to apprehend the suspect.
Evgenya seems surprised to see the newcomer and backs away, the newcomer draws out a bladed scarf and wraps it around his hands in a menacing manner.
”I think we need to save her,” Tess whispers and begins moving forward.
Ortensia lunged at the figures back, going for their shoulders with the Ravenshead leading.
"Let's use surprise to get a leg up."
Ortensia moves forward but unfortunately fails to attack the assailant.
Creeden will charge and attack, defensively.
for
Tess casts Blessing of Fervor, letting every party member choose their favorite boost.
Eleric will cast haste.
Creeden darts across and punches the assailant taking him by surprise
Frustrated by her failed ambush, Ortensia laid into the would-be assassin with the Ravenshead. The first was another miss as the figure weaved to avoid her but she caught them solidly in the side with her follow-up swing. The third struck cloth but didn't have the satisfying impact of the previous strike.
The assailant takes the blow from Ravenhead and responds by tring to attack Ortensia
[b]"Can vampires go invisible? Well this one can't kaplow."
Glitterdust (DC 20 Will) or be blinded.
Tess casts Spear of Purity and throws it at the vampire.
RTA
The attacker manages to shake off the effects of the Glitterdust but screams as he is hit by Tessara's spell, and then blinded.
With the creature blinded, and magic coursing through him, Creeden strikes out at the creature.
for
for
for
for
for
for
Creeden goes into a flurry of blows, some of which get through, dealing a mighty amount of damage.
Ortensia found herself rather out of sorts. This was perhaps one of the few times in her recent adventuring career she had not only been dealt such ravaging damage by a single foe, but experienced both mortification and a tranquil seething anger.
She staggered,both her armor and attire a bloody state she would no doubt be scandalized if she weren't currently wearing it. Her blood soaked the rents in her linen and leathers, the lacerations from the bladed scarf biting from the air and something unnatural.
She felt,daresay, diminished. As though the weapon had taken not just blood and flesh but some essence of herself that made her...lesser.
She leveled a scathing glare at the source of her distress. A crackle of sparks zipped down her arm.
You slimy slithering worm, Ortensia spat, her voice a hoarse crack within her beaked mask.
Tess moves to within 30’ and casts searing light at the vampire.
RTA with PBS
Damage
Tessara's burning light sears into the vampire assailant and he screams in agony.
Incensed she was, Ortensia proceeded to heft Ravenshead in both hands and beat the sunlight scalded vampire like a filthy rug. Her first hit with a solid whack and the following up was a jarring wallop that sent reverberates through her forearms.
It sent the vampire flailing away, her third blow going wide.
[i]Ortensia deals Radvir several mighty blows.
He retaliates by trying to attack her again
In reaction to being assaulted by the dancing scarf, bursts of electricity jumped from Ortensia, through the weapon, and into the vampire.
Unexpectedly the electricity bursts through the scarf frying the vampire and roasting him alive.
Lady Evgenya thanks you for your assistance