Quorthos whirls on the man he once thought of as his hero. "Yes, Baer and Mavor are dead... because, instead of following the plan, YOU went off on your own, and made us come looking for you. This is your fault, you selfish grandstanding bastard, and you are going to pay for it. " Quorthos draws his dagger and holds it at the ready, his other arm extended in a duelling pose. "Defend yourself, "he finishes simply, staring directly into Blackjack's eyes.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"One moment there, Quorthos.", Denario calmly and lightly puts his palm on Quorthos' arm, then walks up to Blackjack.
Denario promised to Baer to remind her of punching Vencarlo when she'd see him. However, since she's dead now, he does the smacking it for her.
"That one you had coming from Baer."
Imoya looks to the group then raises a finger lazy at the would-be hero of Quorthos. S small spherical flame spawns off the tip of his index finger, radiating with an unstable pulse.
Vencarlo raises his arms, looking perplexed at your reactions. "Wait! I did not intend to..."
*WHACK!*
"Alright then..." Vencarlo says, but his voice is not his own. It's a female voice, filled with the posh of the aristocracy. What's even more troubling, is that Denario's hit didn't even leave a mark.
"The way I understood, and I obtained this information by torturing Blackjack, he went to scout the mansion while you spoke with Lord Arkona. Blackjack learned of the Vivified Labyrinth that's behind me, and was awaiting your leave from the mansion while standing near the elephant statue. He didn't plan to go anywhere without you, instead wishing to rejoin you there."
Vencarlo rolls his eyes while placing a hand on his hip, leaning on the opposite leg and changing his entire posture to be more feminine. "I knocked him out and figured I'd just use this truthful story while taking his appearance. Certainly, you wouldn't see past a bluff based on purely truth... Well, suffice to say I did not anticipate such hostile reactions..."
He's about to say more, meanwhile drawing a kukri, but then *POOF* Mavor's body and head suddenly vanish in a puff of smoke. Vencarlo blinks, utter confusion all over his face.
Ah, I'm sorry, boy, sounds the voice inside Quorthos's head. One of them didn't want to return, being content with death. One wish lost. I feel a tiny sliver of pity for you though, and I don't like this person, so I'll interpret "beside US" a bit broader.
With another puff of smoke Mavor reappears, body entirely whole and pristinely unscarred, greataxe raised, directly besides the fake Vencarlo.
Failure's not my fault and concern, but consider this all the recompense you'll get. All of your wishes are hereby spent.
Surprise round:
Mavor
Round 1:
Tural
Imoya
Mavor
Enemy
Quorthos
Denario
Round 1
Imoya lets loose the Empowered Scorching ray upon Vencario.
"Unfortunate." He says simply.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Mavor blinks, once, then twice and looks at the person next to him.
"You're not tricking my friends. Surprised aren't ya? I knew you would be!"
"It's been too long standing in line. My muscles need to waken. Yaah!"
Mavor calls out before slashing at the would-be Vencarlo a second time
Tural casts fortune on Mavor and starts his low throated chant.
Fortune (Su): The shaman grants a creature within 30 feet a bit of good luck for 1 round. The target can call upon this good luck once per round, allowing it to reroll any ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, taking the better result. The target creature must to decide to use this ability before the first roll is made. At 8th and 16th levels, the duration of this hex increases by 1 round. Once a creature has benefited from the fortune hex, it cannot benefit from it again for 24 hours.
Chant (Ex): A shaman can chant as a move action. Any creature that is within 30 feet that is under the effects of the shaman's charm, evil eye, fortune, fury, or misfortune hex has that effect's duration extended by 1 round. A shaman cannot select both this hex and the witch's cackle hex.
The fake Vencarlo indeed looks surprised, but despite this dodges Mavor silver greataxe with little effort.
While Imoya's scorching rays dissipate in the air near him, the fake Vencarlo chuckles. "I fear there's a slight miscalculation on your parts, dear heroes."
Mavor swings his greataxe a second time, but is bound to miss again. Tural's hex then affects the course of Mavor's axe, which heads straight at the fake Vencarlo's throat. Before the axe reaches his throat, however, the imposter casually pushes the flat of the axe's blade up with his open hand. The axe passes over his head, and he chuckles again. "Never mind slight."
The imposter delivers a cut to Mavor's arm, which tingles as a feeling of fatigue washes over him. He then delivers two more cuts, one to Mavor's thigh and one cutting his cheek open.
"I'd like to suggest you stop your futile attempts to hurt me, and listen to my proposal," the fake Vencarlo says after his attacks. He keeps the kukri raised, but doesn't look like he's about to strike again unless provoked.
Round 1:
~
Quorthos 52/52HP -1 Con
Denario 56/58HP
Round 2:
Tural 47/52HP (Will take some ouchies from Mavor when round 2 starts)
Imoya 37/37HP -1 Con
Mavor 22/56HP (Fatigued. Fortune from Tural)
Enemy
Quorthos 52/52HP -1 Con
Denario 56/58HP
Imoya readies another spell (Regular scorching ray), and looks to Quorthos.
Strangely, the "fact" that this is not Vencarlo takes some of the bloodlust from Quorthos. He pauses briefly, dagger at the ready.
Tural narrows his eyes at the proposal, but seeing how things are going he talks.
"What is your proposal?"
The tree-man says, distrust in his voice.
He will slaughter us if we don't say anything...
The imposter rolls his eyes again and continues to talk, his voice and demeanor still feminine and posh. "You silly people have been sent down here by Glorio Arkona to die. Though he was certainly, and foolishly so, hoping you'd take me down with you."
"My proposal is simple; help me kill Glorio instead. I can't defeat him alone, but neither can you. Refuse, and I'll kill you on the spot. Accept, and I'll let you go after you've helped me. I will even permit you to take the Seneschal and Blackjack with you when you leave."
Quorthos considers the creature's words carefully.
"I am glad to see our interests align," he begins. "Glorio is already on our 'list'. It has become a rather long list at present, so I would be pleased not to have to include you on it." He frowns, considering. "Although, I would know who I am negotiating with before coming to any agreement." THIS time, anyway... it's different when it's with the voice inside your head. It is.
Vencarlo's appearance blurs, and he's replaced by a Taldane woman with long and wavy black hair. She wears a closely fitted green dress that leaves her shoulders bare while accentuating her bust, and fingerless elbow gloves in the same color. Her face's covered by a transparent veil, which she brushes aside.
"I am Lady Melyia Arkona," the woman says, "Glorio's wife."
Quorthos doesn't detect any falsehoods in what Melyia's shared.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Denario's a bit more annoyed than his usual demeanour.
"The series of surprises just keep piling up."
Tural looks utterly confused, too stunned to say anything.
What is happening here?!?!
Imoya looks to Quorthos.
"So...we're done then?" He asks simply
Melyia nonchalantly twirls her kukri in her hand. "Do we have a deal, yes or no?"
"Oh, and just so you're aware, Glorio can read minds. So if you had the intention to double-cross him from the start, he knows. One more reason to side with me, before it's too late."
Tural slowly nods, not trusting his voice yet. He looks to the others to see if they also agree.
Quorthos demures as Vencarlo changes into a rather attractive lady. "I do suggest we take some time to prepare for this, given how many goons your husband has upstairs."
"There will be no goons," Melyia responds with a chuckle. "Glorio doesn't tend to hold back when he fights. They're likely evacuating the building as we speak."
"There will be no goons," Melyia responds with a chuckle. "Glorio doesn't tend to hold back when he fights. They're likely evacuating the building as we speak."
"I suggest you use either good-aligned or piercing weapons, and refrain from using magic that can be stopped by spell resistance."
"Glorio will start by using spells, and I expect him to be invisible when he initiates combat. When he's out of spells or forced into melee, he'll prefer to use his kukri. It doesn't have any special properties besides being magically enhanced."
Quorthos frowns. "Pardon my blunt question, but is Glorio human, or some other creature that only appears so?"
"And is he physically strong? Would a large snake be able to hold him, for example, or would he likely escape such a grapple?"
Turning to his companions, he is blunt. "I can summon lantern archons which can use holy light, but I have few other weapons to harm someone so well-protected," he admits.
For the first time Melyia's smug demeanor changes, and her face shows sadness.
"No," she answers, her eyes downcast, "he's not human. Without knowing it at the time, I married a monster."
Melyia shakes her head sorrowfully. "Glorio's really a rakshasa, an evil creature that's humanoid, but has the head of an animal. The real Arkonas all died when they ventured to the Mwangi expanse in search of riches, many years ago. They were killed by these creatures, which assumed their appearance. Those rakshasas died a long time ago, but Glorio's their son."
"This suddenly became more complex.
I'll need a blessed weapon, heck we might all benefit from those."
"Is he particularly resistant to fire?" Imoya asked
Quorthos recalls the same Melyia told you, and not much else. The only other thing he recalls is that not all rakshasas have the same kind of animal head. The snake-man you fought before was, in hindsight, obviously one of them. The room you encountered him in had statues of a man with the head of a tiger, and was also an obvious rakshasa.
"Not particularly," Melyia tells Imoya. "He's resistant to a lot of spells, however, and targeting him with something that can be resisted is pretty much futile unless you're a very powerful caster. Fire spells that don't specifically target him could theoretically work, though I should add he can probably dodge most of those."
Melyia casts a nervous look down the tunnel. "We should go now, before he comes to us. The palace grounds should be empty by now. You'll get Blackjack later, he's currently guarded by someone loyal to Glorio. She'll defect if I show her his head, but will likely attack us if we approach her now he's aware of our betrayal."
She starts walking down the tunnel, to the exit. "Ready your enchantments and whatever else you need to prepare. Be vigilant, I have no idea where and when he'll strike. Does any of you possess the skill to see those who are invisible?"
Tural moves up to Mavor and casts bull's strength and barkskin on him. He follows up by casting fortune on him, to begin chanting afterwards. He nods to the group, showing he is ready.
Quorthos casts shield on himself, and consumes another first-level spell slot to increase his arcane pool, but shakes his head at the request to detect invisible creatures. "Denario, you have anything that can help us in that regard?"
"No, i can't make invisible targets visible, unfortunately.
I'm halfway down my own magical reserves, but 2 of them are harmful."
"I can sense him if he's next to me." Mavor exclaims, to a probably large surprise of the rest of the group.
"What? I don't do magic. I'm just... trained to do so."
"Some extra healing would also be nice before we head in."
You make haste as you head toward the exit of the underground complex, and get there within a minute. Before you exit, you check if you're all ready for the confrontation with Glorio.
Melyia looks you over. "Not to sound pessimistic, but I sure do hope that's enough..."
"I'll just stay in the back, I guess. This Glorio guy sounds like he'll shoot me straight from the sky if I try to help you..."
On the way out Tural grabs his wand of CMW and taps himself a few times.
Might as well keep this ready for the coming fight...
A female voice rings inside your heads. "I sense great danger ahead of you, heroes of Korvosa. Let me aid you."
Your visions blur for a moment and you blink. You're suddenly standing in a cozy chamber within a small home, filled with a fragrant haze of flowers and strong spice. The haze comes from several sticks of incense smouldering in wall-mounted burners that look like butterfly-winged elves. The smoke itself seems to soften edges and gives the room a dream-like feel. The walls are draped with brocaded tapestries, one showing a black-skulled beast juggling men’s hearts, another showing a pair of angels dancing atop a snow-blasted mountain. A third tapestry on the far wall depicts a tall hooded figure shrouded in mist, a flaming sword held in a skeletal hand. Several brightly-colored rugs cover the floor, but the room’s only furnishings are a wooden table covered by a bright red throwcloth and several elegant tall-backed chairs.
A middle-aged Varisian woman with long dark hair stands next to the table, and smiles at you. "It's been a while, friends."
The woman smiles at Imoya. "Do not be alarmed, Imoya. My name's Zellara. I'm the one who gathered the group of people who took down the crime lord Gaedren Lamm, and set them on a course to change Korvosa for the better. The group's composition's changed since, but its purpose has not. I'm glad to see a strong person like yourself has joined them."
Zellara's face saddens and she turns to look at Mavor. "It wasn't within my powers to save you or Baer. I'm glad you're back from the death, and sad to see Baer did not return. I can however sense Baer was the one who made this choice, and did so consciously. She's in a better place now, where she's at peace with herself."
Her gaze turns to Quorthos and she shakes her head remorsefully. "I am so sorry for what you had to do to rescue your friends. You do not deserve the cruel fate that most surely awaits you, Quorthos. You're by far the most noble soul I've ever met."
"I do however say most surely, as it's not set in stone," Zellara says as she motions at the table, where a set of Harrow Cards materialize. "There are two copies of the contract you signed. If you were to succeed in destroying both, the contract would be voided. What this would mean for Mavor is unpleasant, as the wish that returned him to life would be undone as well, but perhaps you'll be able to work around that obstacle in due time. You could bring him back through other means."
"But time's not on my side, so let me keep this brief," she continues as she addresses all of you. "In the past you've received the Harrow from me, to guide you in your quest for justice in Korvosa. I have not contacted you in a long time, because I was saving up my magic. My magic pool simply doesn't refill as fast as it did when I was alive. I have therefor not saved up enough magic to work miracles, but there's something I can do for you during your fight with Glorio Arkona."
"I grant The Cricket, Tural, a blessing to heal others more effectively for a limited time."
"I grant The Peacock, Denario, a blessing to empower some of his magic."
"I grant The Uprising, Mavor, a blessing to overcome the enemy's damage resistance for a brief moment."
"I grant The Wanderer, Quorthos, a blessing to decrease the damage everyone takes from a single spell cast by Glorio."
"I grant The Marriage, Imoya, a blessing to overcome the enemy's spell resistance for a brief moment."
"Now, before you go, there's one more thing you should know... Melyia intends to keep her word, but she is no different from Glorio. Whatever happens, do not provoke her. You need her on your side while facing Glorio, and you've already proven you're no match for her during your brief exchange of attacks earlier on. Seal the deal with her, and get out with Blackjack and the Seneschal."
Zellara waves at you, smiling faintly as she and the chamber blur. You blink, and you're back where you were before.
"Good luck, heroes," says her fading voice.
The Seneschal shuffles his feet, looking at the exit from the underground complex. "I think it may be best for me to stay here while you go up?"
Melyia scoffs. "We wouldn't want you to get in our way, would we?"
Imoya looked to his hands feeling the enhancement given to him for a singular, solid attack. A smirk briefly stretched across his face.
Tural is ready, having cast his spells on Mavor. His last turn he uses to fly up in the air, getting to a safe height. He keeps up his chanting, not wanting to risk preparing spells before Glorio shows up.
Total of 4 turns
Quorthos suggests we hole up here for 15 minutes, so that he can prepare a few more spells to help deal with the situation. However, the group seems against it, so he will go along resignedly. He sacrifices two of his third-level spells instead of the 1st-level spell listed above, since they're useless, and then casts shield as above on the last round of group spellcasting.
I didn't think I'd find the details of that end-of-life contract this quickly...
Looking to Quorthos, The ifrit smirks.
"I'll put everything I have into a single spell, Quorthos. The sooner the fight is over, the less likely you and yours will have to suffer any more loss."
A flare flashes from Imoya's opening and closing hands. As if testing his new found powers.
Imoya cast shield and mage armor on himself, readying for combat.