A welcome feeling of warmth flushes through Ekuur's body as he prays. The small crackling voice echoes through his mind:
Drazek watches the exchange in silence, nogotiaion not his strong point, he lends his side a quiet aura of supernatural menace. Glancing at the men as the speak he lets his gaze fall upon each, seeking magic.
'Almost there Ekuur. Just give us another minute or so. I want you to have a clear shot at the exit. And when your running, stay AWAY from the weird statue. The guard says it's animated.' Justin whispers, his words magically traveling to the ears of Isaac, Karrin and Ekuur.
Justin looks around. Nodding at Drazek, Swire and Isaac.
"Alright, Captain, lead the way." He whispers.
Karrin grabs the corpse by an arm and drags him along the walkway, looking like a giant girl toddling along with her dolly. Fortunately the polished marble pathway makes for a smooth dragging surface. A streak of brown follows behind the deceased priest.
Issac runs into the temple, winks at Ekuur, and topples a smiling angel off its pedestal. The statue breaks into several pieces with a dull smash and Issac scoops up the smiling head, now missing its nose.
Issac comes back to the landing, carrying a knocked-out guard and a statuary head. Ish runs beside him, the other unconscious guard on his broad shoulder.
Karrin reaches the landing with Brandal's corpse as the guards begin to emerge. Justin sees all in readiness, and arcanely whispers to Ekuur:
"Now"
With the knowledge that Ekuur is about to smash the globe, Swire breaks into a dead run towards the gate. "Hey! Berks! Start running before you're in the dead book!", he yells at the nearby guards.
Hearing the mage's whisper, Ekuur raises his trikal. With a final, whispered prayer, "Fire guide my hand; as flame melts ice, so I crush this instrument of the cold," he brings it down on the globe of blue.
Hearing the mage's whisper, Ekuur raises his trikal. With a final, whispered prayer, "Fire guide my hand; as flame melts ice, so I crush this instrument of the cold," he brings it down on the globe of blue.
Ekuur's trikal lands squarely on the glass orb. It explodes with a deep Bong sound, spraying the fire priest with a fine mist of freezing cold glass slivers. The energy snowflake flares and dies, leaving only a retina burn on Ekuur's eyes. The ambient temperature jumps immediately.
The rest of the party hears the globe break, it is a note that seems to ring through the whole rock. As it fades, the roar of flames has increased ten fold. The party feels the heat mounting as the flames that had surrounded the rock rush ever closer.
Ekuur begins to run to the others. The guards start off, howling, "The globe's smashed! Get the portal open!!" In quite unfeigned terror.
The party follows, mixed in with the guards down a twisting marble pathway that hugs the side of the basalitic asteroid. Platforms jut off at different levels, with hobgoblin teams manning ballista. Seeing the stampede down the pathway, they abandon their posts and join the exodus.
As Ekuur runs behind, he looks up and sees different elementals splitting off from the fiery mass that is slowly cascading in. Immense chameleon rainbow-flamed shapes emerge from the sea of holy fire. Some look like sharks, others griffons or dragons. They whirl towards the unholy rock in advance of the flame sea.
As Ekuur begins his run down the pathway he sees three grey-green figures emerging from the iron doors, flanked by several hobgoblins. They seem to be headed towards the pathway out as well. He can see the others below, with about a 100-foot headstart on him.
A horse-sized elemental shaped like a eagle swoops in on the emerging group but is rebuffed by the purple stone statue. It has sprung into action, drawing the fire being into combat while the grey-green beings and their hobgoblin attendants scurry for cover.
The main group arrives at the bottom landing, a fairly large one, empty save for a large brass hemisphere of metal set into the black wall of the asteroid. A guard is holding something to it, it flashes blue and a dark and rainy courtyard can be glimpsed as if through a fathom of ocean.
"GET THROUGH!" The guard bellows, scrabbling for extra portal keys in his beltpouch.
Karrin tosses the body of Brindal through but waits for Ekuur before diving through herself.
Once Ekuur jumps through the portal (assuming he's last), he lets the others know that they may have company coming through in a second.
Merle Being at least very slightly protected from the fire holds back for a minute or two seeing Ekuur and what she assumes are some of the cult leaders she casts the last spell she had to create a Greasy glob beneath there feet just behind Ekuur then dives into the portal
Casting grease
Dc 14 reflex or fall prone Also a Dc 10 acrobatics check to move through
Isaac dives through with his unconscious new buddy and the piece of statuary.
Drazek looks over his shoulder at those approaching and skids to a halt. He rattles off a command word and the amulet around his neck flares to life a whirling glow surrounding him. Standing his ground, he raises a hand and releases a blast of his eldritch energy.
Ranged touch attack
Issac and Ish follow Brandal's corpse through the portal, and are then followed in turn by a gaggle of guards. Nari darts in, then Swire, then some hobgoblins. Justin casts a worried look back, but leaps through. Karrin and Merle stop and look up as the few guards left head into the wavery portal. The guard at the door looks at the two, then up the pathway.
Ekuur comes running down, his bronze half-plate gleaming redly in the firey glow. Behind him the distant buildings of the rock are engulfed in flames as various elemental beings streak down on the roofs, setting them aflame.
Behind Ekuur three tall angular gray-green figures lope along, followed by several hobgoblin guards. One guard lags behind, and is suddenly engulfed in flame when a small fire elemental comes barreling into him. Farther back the large stone statue battles several large fire elementals on the landing.
Drazek aims his hand at the leader and a ray of eldritch energy lances out and strikes the lead grey-green figure. It screeches, but keeps coming.
Ekuur runs in and Merle casts her spell. A shiny patch of oil appears on the marble. Karrin and Merle dive in to the portal.
***
The party emerges into a grimy, drippy courtyard. The Great Foundry looms over the courtyard, belching clouds of sulphurous smoke into the air. The courtyard is crammed with guards. The portal is attached to a door to a seedy-looking pawn shop. It looks like it is still Antipeak, and there are few out but an occasional scurrying Godsman or a flock of levitating Dabus.
"Hey! Less fighting more running!", Swire yells at Drazek before diving through the portal.
"Alright cutters, I'll meet you back at the bubhouse." With that, Swire walks off.
Drazek dives through the portal backwards firing another blast into the portal as he sails through landing on his back in a slide that he turns into a backroll.
Ranged touch
Acrobatics
Isaac hands the unconscious guard to one of his comrades after they've had a chance to catch their breath. He grins lopsidedly and juggles the head he took from the fake Mt. Olympus.
"Come now, mate, don't yeh wanna have a little palaver with Imogen and her crew? Personally, I'd like to get lanned to a few githyanki curse words and I reckon now's my opportunity."
Isaac's uncharacteristically in favor of sticking around.
Merle after coming through the portal turns to see if she can make out anything happening on the other side.
Ekuur turns and waits at the portal. He positions himself so that he can cast a burning hands spell to catch a group as they come out of the portal, without hitting any of the guards already here ... (I'm assuming I'm through, though you didn't specifically say Ekuur had made it yet ...)
Swire goes back to the group. "Oy, cutters, why are you still here? We don't need to kill everyone else who comes out, we just need to give 'em the laugh. Only a berk would try to fight a panicked mob. You all aren't berks, right?"
"From what I know, cutter, we don't want no knackered 'yankis after us, yeh ken it? Hobbos I ain't worried about, they'll cut 'n run when they see which way the wind's blowin'. What I heard o' gith, though, they're bloody fanatics and I don't tumble to this Imogen pairin' up with this Shadowknave now that we ruined their rock. We put the hende bloods down now, we got less to fret over later."
The guards are disoriented, but a few of them are looking at the party members with anger and/or fear. They begin to murmur amongst themselves. A few slip away into the darkness. Others start to bunch together.
Suddenly a scowling angular face appears in the portal. It gestures and the portal goes blank. The light from the fire plane disappears, plunging the courtyard back into darkness.
The guard leader who the party captured earlier leans into them and speaks quietly.
"That gate has two destinations, cutters. Imogen might have taken the one to Plaguemort. It's been real fun, but I got travel arrangements to make."
With that the half-plated man slips out into the drizzly sulfuric fog.
The party is left with about a dozen mixed human and hobgoblin guards in the small courtyard. Lamps and candles start appearing in the windows overlooking the square as the denizens of this squalid neighborhood sense a problem brewing. Brandal's body lies in a tangled heap on the filthy cobbles.
Ekuur turns and waits at the portal. He positions himself so that he can cast a burning hands spell to catch a group as they come out of the portal, without hitting any of the guards already here ... (I'm assuming I'm through, though you didn't specifically say Ekuur had made it yet ...)
Drazek dives through the portal backwards firing another blast into the portal as he sails through landing on his back in a slide that he turns into a backroll.
Ranged touch1d20+7 2d6+1
Acrobatics1d20+2
Drazek dives backwards, sending a final beam of dark energy towards the approaching foe. This one is a bit off, and sizzles over their head. Drazek feels the warping twist of a planar shift and comes tumbling out onto the wet cobbles of a Sigilian street. He unfortunately rolls straight into a milling hobgoblin, bowling both of them over. They quickly disentangle themselves, the hobgoblin growling and fingering his scabbard.
"Hey! Less fighting more running!", Swire yells at Drazek before diving through the portal.
1d20+11
Mr. Swire backflips through the portal, the planar shift making his stomach twist as his body is transported through uncounted gulfs of space. He emerges into a dark Sigil courtyard, already filled with milling guards. He sails out of the portal and lands on his hands, then springs off and sticks a landing on a nearby hitching rail. He leaps off, landing near the street entrance, clear of any annoying guards.
"Alright cutters, I'll meet you back at the bubhouse." With that, Swire walks off.
Ekuur:
Isaac shrugs and starts rolling a cigarette. He licks his lips with anticipation before sealing the paper.
"Well, reckon I'll get lanned to some Gith curses another day. Let's get our deader back to the Rose 'fore the Hardheads make a show. Comin' along, Ishmael?"
Karrin returns to normal size.
"I'm tired and hungry," Karrin moans as the lack of sleep finally catches up with her, "I want to go to bed and have something to eat. Let's collect our Brindal and go home."
Ekuur:
** spoiler omitted **
Ekuur intones one more, silent prayer in his head, thanking the Sacred Flame for granting him the strength to accomplish his task. He then speaks, "Yes, I agree. Let us gather this dead man, and see what he can still tell us. I am ready for a short rest. Besides, it would seem like we may have a new enemy to look out for ..."
The milling guards weigh the situation and find it wanting. In ones and twos, they slink off into the dark wet Antipeak. The group gathers and takes a step outside the courtyard onto the street.
Issac recognizes the boulevard, it's Grey Steam Path and they are just a few blocks from the Ascension Drinking Hall, the unofficial watering hole of many top-shelf Godsmen. The party inhales the acrid night fog of the Lower Ward and sets off towards Alehouse Row. Karrin shoulders Brandal, after the party wraps him in their cloaks to disguise his corpsiness.
The many drinking establishments of Alehouse Row are crowded, as per usual, even in the After Antipeak hours. Bubbers stagger to and fro, some crying some singing. Groups of Xaosmen, Doomguard and Godsmen namers barhop and indulge in the nightlife.
Ishamel grins at the group as they hit the row then points his thumb towards the distant Hive.
"I'm off to me factol to lann him the chant. You bashers keep a peery eye on yer kidneys."
He sticks a cheroot into his yellow-stained teeth. He singsongs some doggrel as he steps off into the night.
"Fire,
All you desire.
As she begins to turn cold and run out of time.
You will shiver, till you deliver.
You will remember it all.
Let it blow your mind again."
He saunters off down Alehouse Row, long duster swinging along the slick cobbles.
The party starts off towards the Swordhold District, taking a direct route to the Lady's Ward. They pass the Arcane club they had visited just a day earlier, the Society of the Luminiferous Aether. The building seems closed for the evening.
They pass along the Lady's Ward boundary, passing Bloodgem Park and passing the first crowded shanty-like churches that crowd the boundaries of the Temple District. The majority are shuttered for the evening, but a few are open and conducting questionable services.
Greytowers looms before them, the grey stone buildings dark. The streets are orderly and clean, befitting the residential district of the Harmonium, Mercykiller and Guvner factionmembers that work the Court District.
Greytowers ends at Plague Square, where the only thing open is the large tavern known as the Square Bar. On the other side of the Plague Square is the beginning of Copperman's Way. The group sees the Salubrious Cellarer and Jessamyn's Tailoring along the way, both closed for the Antipeak.
The fine shops that flank the Lady's Ward beginning of Copperman's Way begin to segue into the more working-class mercantiles of the Market Ward. Copperman Way is crowded, as it is no matter what time of Peak it is. At this time of night most pedestrians have a Lower Planar cast to their features.
Finally, as the first gleams of light begin to appear in that peculiar Sigilian way, the group nears Copper Court, the Silver Rose and the Copper Cauldron.
Karrin drops off her malodorous bundle in the Silver Rose's main room, so as to not foul the tavern. The office is empty, Renkar and Hanali obviously asleep whereever they keep kip.
The tavern is open for business, the early laborers grabbing some of Bess' famous scones and a bowl of brown stew. Ramona takes a look at the bedraggled group and clucks her tongue.
"You lot look hungry and tired. Do yeh want some breakfast?"
Sleep or breakfast, sleep of breakfastMerle thinks to herself looking between the direction of her room and the food Her grumbling stomach decides the matter for her and quickly scoots into a chair and grabs a bowl "Yes please"
Isaac smiles as he drops his pack and starts pulling out some of the spoils to divide over breakfast. He doesn't seem as exhausted as he aught to.
"Aye, Ramona, a scone 'n some oatmeal if yeh got it. That stew looks mighty fine, but I reckon it's got some meat in it."
He starts separating stacks of coin first; a total of 1,450 ladies. Further to that, there is a samite robe, a dagger and a belt/scabbard from the spell-slinger Nari felled, a wand, a large ring set with a cabochon sapphire, four scrolls and the icy greatsword he pulls out of his efficient quiver.
"Can't say I ever tumbled to studyin' my sums, if you cutters want to figure out an even split on the jink. The rest, well, let's see if they're enchanted before dividin' it all up, eh?"
Karrin nods vigorously at the mention of food.
"I'll have whatever you got ready now," Karrin mumbles as if in a daze, "and some pancakes and bacon and fresh fruit and juice and tea and kippers and eggs and toast but no desert cuz I need to get some sleep."
Merle uses detect and read magic to try and figure out what any magic items they have do
Spellcraft
Swire slumps down into a chair, stifling a yawn. "What, you a Godsman, cutter?" He scoffs quietly before continuing.
He reaches into his pack and pulls out a red gem, placing it with the magic items. After a moment of deliberation, he takes out another gem and places it with the coins. After that, he takes out the knife he got from Toranna and holds it up. "Need to find out what this does too."