Denario steps to the west.
Denario steps to the west and throws another card. this time his card doesn't drop to the floor right away, but it still doesn't hit the monstrous lump of flesh.
The monster stays focused on Baer and tries to slam into her. It misses her on both attempts.
Mavor heals a little bit more.
Round 4:
Tural
Allyph
Baer
Majenko
Mavor (At start of turn: 11/28HP)
Denario
Monster -27HP
Round 4, Baer
Baer fights on.
to hit;
damage.
to hit;
damage.
Mavor continues to fight and hack away at the creature with his axe.
Tural takes a small step east and fires his crossbow at the creature.
He keeps up the battle spirit as he reloads his crossbow.
Seeing how eager the monster is to hit Baer, Majenko tries to aid Baer's defense instead of her next attack.
Allyph weakly stabs in the monster's direction.
Focus, Allyph!
Baer attacks the monster twice. Her first attack misses, and the second bounces off of the monster's head.
Denario throws another card that doesn't hit the enemy.
Mavor continues to flank with Allyph, but can't damage the monster with his attack.
Tural shoots the monster with a bolt from his crossbow, but the monster resists most of the damage.
Majenko aids Baer's defense.
Allyph weakly stabs in the monster's direction and tries to focus.
Majenko's aid doesn't help Baer at all. The monster slams into Baer and hurts her badly. When it sees she still stands it slams into her once more.
Mavor continues to heal slowly.
Round 5:
Tural
Allyph
Baer (Stabilize?)
Majenko
Mavor (At start of turn: 12/28HP)
Denario
Monster -28HP
"Hey Baer, you're not going to die on us are you?
Who's going to be the sarcast then?"
Denario takes distance after that.
Mavor tries to go all out on the monster before him, seeing as it mauled Baer very hard.
"Baer! Oh no, you didn't just do that. Now face me! RAAAHHH!"
Tural looks shocked at the burly fighter going down. He casts stabilize on the gravely wounded Baer.
Don't die now!
Tural aims for the creature but isn't able to shoot with all the distractions. He puts his bow down and starts a slow chant in the hopes of helping Baer.
Majenko's aid doesn't help Baer at all. The monster slams into Baer and hurts her badly with a slam.
It then focuses its attention on Majenko and also slams into him.
----------------
Denario throws a card into the monster and causes a minor wound. The acid has no effect on the monster. Denario takes distance after his attack.
Mavor tries to go all out against the monster before him and cuts off one of its arms.
Tural casts stabilize on Baer to ensure she won't bleed out. He can't get a shot in and decides to ominously chant instead.
Round 5:
Tural
Allyph
Baer -4/22HP (Stable)
Majenko 3/15HP
Mavor 12/28HP
Denario 23/24HP
Monster -45HP
Allyph clenches her teeth when the monster downs Baer.
"You freak!" Allyph yells at the monster and attempts to stab it with all her might.
Allyph plunges her rapier into the monster's chest and the monster abruptly stops moving. It stiffens up and falls over, face first, when Allyph pulls her rapier from its chest.
You pick up the shoanti's arm from the small corridor leading to the room where the monster was locked up. You've now gathered all of Gaekhen's body parts.
The room where the monster was locked up, once a pantry, is in shambles. Broken crates and shelves lie strewn about the place, with the foodstuffs, firewood, and other supplies they once contained scattered across the floor. You find nothing of interest in this room.
Allyph sheaths her rapier after the monster's defeated. she gives Baer two taps with the wand of infernal healing, and both Mavor and Majenko one tap. "I hope you feel better now. Let me know if you want another tap."
Denario sheathes back his deck into his sleeve.
He moves forward to Baer, arms crossed he stands next to her.
"Come on you stubborn sarcast, i'm betting you'll be up in no time and bragging that was nothing."
He looks sideways at Mavor.
"Maybe she'll respond if it was you, common's just a 'barbaric tongue' to her."
Despite knowing the orcish tongue, Denario didn't have the natural 'orc accent', so he was betting Mavor could wake her up.
Baer falls like a male hellspawn avenger, barely lasting most of the fight. She slumps oozing blood from broken ears; her blood a pale mockery of Quorthos drool that mingles on the table.
* * *
What just happened?
Baer blinks herself awake, checking teeth and eyes before making sure her arms and legs work with slow twiches.
Baer sits up and looks around, not really sure why she is still alive.
Mavor looks towards the thing, shakes his head at the monstrosity somebody had created and chops the head off, just for good measurement and stress-relief.
He then looks back to Allyph and comments.
"That was a fine blow Allyph, you should be proud. Good to know you can seriously hurt somebody with a weapon as well."
He looks at the fallen Shoanti arm and picks it up, stuffing it together with the rest in the large sack and looks back at the others.
"Well, by my count we have all Gaekhen's body parts. We should head out of here quickly, lest that necromancer returns. I'd reckon he's be none too happy with us having thrashed his place and killing off his minions. First round in the tavern is on me."
Feeling new energy rushing through his body Tural decides to let his new feelings create a chant. His body begins to glow as he starts chanting and a energy burst emits from his body healing everyone back to full health.
"That was something else... I think we should leave this horrid place."
He looks at Baer with a worrying frown.
"Are you oke? That thing did a right number on you back there."
Baer recoils a bit as Tural's healing spark washes over her.
Where was that earlier? Meh. He probably sprouted a new pod.
Do I want to see it?
Do you really want to ask to see his sproutling?
No, no, I don't.
Baer squints at Tural before speaking, her eyes glancing up and down the man. "Thanks, Tural, I feel better. Say...is the Boy alright?"
Baer lifts Quorthos' head off the table then lets go. She tests his head a second time to be sure. When it bounces off the table a second time, she shrugs and prepares to drag Quorthos back to the inn. She grabs her quarterstaff with her other hand.
"Can we go now?" Baer says, dragging. "Say, Allyph, did I see you fighting in there before I blacked out? That was nice..."
"Thank you, Mavor, Baer!"
Allyph smiles proudly. "I was reluctant to step up in melee earlier, thinking I might get in the way, but it went quite well just now. I've been practicing at my own home, after I finished cleaning up the mess Lamm's men left when they thrashed the place. Seems like it paid off."
"Mavor's right, no need to linger longer than is necessary."
You head back to the Three Rings Tavern, where you're greeted by Blythe. "Hi guys, what did you bri..."
Blythe abruptly puts her hand in front of her mouth and looks like she's about to throw up.
"What's in that bag?" she asks, pointing at the large sack with body parts. "Dear Shelyn... It reeks like dead animals, did you slaughter a cow?"
Blythe then notices Baer's dragging Quorthos. "What happened to him?!"
Theandra joins you and frowns at Quorthos. "Did the smell cause him to pass out? Throw him on a bed upstairs, in your rooms. The radish looks like he needs some rest."
Radish? Haha, if he'd be awake the poor guy would d probably turn redder than he already is.
"From the smell.....sure.
Poor guy slipped on a slick rock and knocked himself out when hitting floor with his head."
Denario looks at the others to go along with his attempt of an excuse.
"What's in that bag?" she asks, pointing at the large sack with body parts. "Dear Shelyn... It reeks like dead animals, did you slaughter a cow?"
"Oh, that's just Quorth..." Baer's voice begins to trail off as Blythe isn't speaking to her.
She drags carries Quorthos up to a room, gently placing him abed.
After seeing to the Boy, Baer returns downstairs for food and drink, trying to find peace and rest after the day's fights, successes, and failures.
"I shall need more time practice fighting. I was struck down twice this day," Baer grumps, sipping from a cup. "I will need to work harder tomorrow. But how can I complain, I survived."
"That smell? We've been underground near sewers all day long. Nothing to worry about, although it does have a nasty stink to it."
Tural says, trying to convince Blythe that nothing dead is being carried around. Looking at Baer confessing weakness he seems a bit surprised.
"Wasn't able to do much either. That thing resisted everything I tried to do."
"Yeah it wasn't pretty down there. We were ordered to find and retrieve some personal things from down there. Didn't tell us it would be all covered in muck. Sorry about that Blythe. Sometimes things get messy."
Mavor wants to lay a hand on her shoulder, but then withdraws his hand as he realizes his hand might be covered in blood, gore and filthas well.
"Well I suspect we should set this down in our rooms and contact our employer. He'll want to get the contents back as soon as possible."
Mavor says as long as Blythe remains near the group, not wanting her to realize there's a body in there.
"After that a bath, a good meal and a round on me. Sounds good to everyone? Well everyone except for Quorthos over there. He might be sleeping it off for awhile."
Blythe gives you a skeptical look. Her eyes linger on Mavor just a bit longer. "Not sure what kind of job would send capable combatants like you down the sewers, but alright. It's probably best I don't know the details."
"Blythe, dear," Theandra says, "Could you fill the tubs for them, and help with the food after?"
After Blythe leaves, Theandra whispers "Bring that sack to either of your rooms and put it at the back, away from the walls of other guests' rooms. I don't want them to smell that dead otyugh or whatever you've got in there."
Baer's peace and rest is cut short when Theandra forces you out of her tavern directly after you've eaten, urging you to deliver the sack to wherever it needs to be delivered.
"Take care!" Blythe says as she sees you leave. A wide grin appears on her face as she watches the old woman send the mighty warriors off.
You knock on the door of Cressida's office and a familiar voice tells you to come in.
"I smell a dead body," is the first thing Cressida says when you've closed the door behind you, "but its shape looks weird in that sack. Is it still presentable to Thousand Bones?"
You inform Cressida of the things that happened at the Dead Warrens. She leaves her desk and unties the sack to take a look inside. "Looks like it can be sown back together... Probably should get someone to look at that twitching arm as well, but that shouldn't pose a problem. I'll see to it the body is properly handled and returned to Thousand Bones."
Cressida returns to her desk and retrieves two boxes, one small and one large. The large box holds six bags filled with platinum coins. "A thousand gold pieces for each of you. I trust you'll give Quorthos his share."
"There are some other things I should inform you about," Cressida says as she picks up the small box. "One is that our investigation of the fire at Eel's End has been concluded. We weren't able to find any evidence that could lead us to the person or persons who set the fire. Even if I did know who did it, I wouldn't be able to legally give out a reward for something I'd rather not admit to knowing."
Cressida opens the small box, in which you see six medals shaped like pseudodragons chasing their own tails. "The second thing is that I'd like to reward you for going above and beyond in Korvosa's service. For this I offer you the Pseudodragon's Mark, a medal that symbolizes a character is a champion of Korvosa."
As she hands the medals out she gives everyone involved with the mission at Eel's End a knowing look. "The new members of your group receive medals as well, because they've gone through considerable effort to aid you since they joined. Make sure this message is properly relayed to Quorthos."
"The third thing you should know, is the most important. Trinia Sabor's trial has concluded. Queen Ileosa has announced that the assassin is to be executed at sunset and has invited many of Korvosa's nobles, military officers, and anyone of any real import to Castle Korvosa's public courtyard to witness the event. I want you to be there. Something about the whole affair doesn't sit right with me, and the way things have been going lately in Korvosa causes me to worry that the execution might trigger another riot."
"We don't chase our own tails," Majenko says offended.
"Well... sometimes we do..."
He shifts a bit on Baer's shoulder. "But not often!"
Denario keeps, obviously, quiet when Cressida wonders who set the Eel's End on fire and listens with an, to that topic, indifferent face.
Ah that....guy had it coming. That and it removes any incriminating evidence. Crazy Carl's bragging about unusual ways to set fire was useful.
.......
"She's out to make an example. Though setting an example of actual criminals isn't uncommon, any people who'd witness the execution would probably be shown what happens if they'd criticize the queen, legally or not."
"I could think of Otyughs for one thing, those things are dangerous for an untrained group." Mavor replies to Blythe with a big grin.
When the party is heading to Cressida he waves a last time to Blythe, though trying to be inconspicuous about it.
"Even if it is supposed to dishearten more rebellious thoughts Denario, the execution itself could lead to more riots or ideas of rebellion. I think Marshall Kroft's suggestion is a fine one. Also large crowds like that might also gather the wrong kind of people, pickpockets, thieves and the like. I should know, I've been one."
He looks at Cressida with a raised eyebrow, a look saying: Come on now. Don't say you didn't know that.
Baer accepts, then buttons the pseudodragon badge to her chest. She puffs up slightly.
@Majenko: It is a good likeness of you. It is something I will wear with honor. You have served us well, Majenko. As a reminder, I do not hold you to your pledge. I consider your freedom a part of what should be.
Baer scoops up the coins, happy to be paid so well for only almost dying twice. She pulls out a platinum piece to examine.
"Did you say when the execution is likely to be?" Baer asks, biting into a coin as a measure of its purity. "I would want to get a good spot to watch...if there is going to be trouble or something fishy."
Tural accepts the money and pins the badge on his armor.
"This should help us a lot. We got almost beaten to a pulp down there."
Mavor responds to Cressida, saying that he was a thief. He looks thoroughly surprised at the remark.
"I eh.. Really? Nevermind... You are right in that in will attract the wrong kind of people."
He glances at Mavor again.
"I think we could be able to help."
Back at the inn, Quorthos dreams of flying over the city, fighting crime and being showered by the adoration of the public.
Cressida nods at Mavor and gives him a friendly smile. "I say you've atoned for past sins, Mavor. Let them rest."
"I believe I did," Cressida tells Baer patiently. "The execution's at sunset. Until then, do as you will."
As everyone else is about to leave Cressida's office and Citadel Volshyenek, Quorthos suddenly wakes in an unfamiliar bed.
Ugh... what a night." Quorthos sits upright, then wishes he hadn't. It takes a few moments for full recollection to come back, and when it does he is out the door and down the stairs like a shot, searching for his friends in the common room. After ascertaining that they all returned from the necromancer's lair intact, he falls into a chair and orders some food and strong coffee to try and clear his head.
"I believe I did," Cressida tells Baer patiently. "The execution's at sunset. Until then, do as you will."
"We should go to the store. There is equipment that we may wish to buy. I do not think we need another wand of Blood's Contract, but another wand of the other healing?" Baer asks.
"Let's go to the shops. I will need a wand of hex vulnerability. Won't be needing much else."
Upon reaching the stores he will immediately buy the wand from the money he still had from before.
You head over to the store you're familiar with, where you're greeted by the owner.
"Hello, there you are again!" the old man says enthusiastically. "What can I do for you today?"
Tural asks for a wand of hex vulnerability and the store's owner immediately gets it for him. "That'll be 750 gold pieces."
"We may have something in return. We have this, necrophidius' remains. Although I think it is worth more that the wand."
Tural says to the shop owner as he holds it to show him.
Mavor doesn't give up the ring, after having been told by Baer what it was, he figures it's too valauble and handy to sell it off.
The old man takes a look at the necrophidius' remains. "Certainly is worth more. I can give you 1000 for that."
"I'll give you 8000 for everything, excluding the spellbook," he says after some more looking and calculating at the things you want to sell. "I rounded it up, 'cause I'm not sure on the modified bone robe and you're regular customers."
Baer shops and browses, making a few minor purchases.
Baer returns to check on Quorthos with her purchases.
* * *
Baer returns to the inn, stopping short when she sees Quorthos up and about.
"Boy? You live? They had said you might...but I was not so sure," Baer says, reaching into her belt and drawing Quorthos' share of the loot and payment. She tosses the coins on the table. "There. That is yours...your ass has earned it by virtue of having it dragged all over that dungeon. HA!"
Baer snorts a laugh, her left tusk nearly entering her nostril.
"Are you feeling better? Order some food for me. I go upstairs and I'll be right back. Your coffee reminds me that I need to #2 something fierce."
"Baer! Glad to see you survived." Quorthos is thrilled to see one of his comrades. His eyes go wide as Baer targets him with a summon thieves spell, dumping all that coin on the table. "Uh, thanks... I'll try and stay mobile myself next time."
As he collects the coins and shoots a severe looka t any patrons who might get the wrong idea, he remembers. "What happened to that old spellbook? I didn't get much chance to look at it."
As Baer leaves, Quorthos orders her a meal, and some more food for himself and his other companions, who he assumes will be along shortly.
Tural nods to the man, accepting his offer.
He exits the shop with Baer, heading back.
--------
"Ah good you are awake again! You have just missed the shopping."
He waits till the two finish talking.
"We have the spellbook with us, everything else we already sold."
Baer comes back downstairs, spellbook in hand to offer to Quorthos.
"Here you go. I dunno why, but thought you might find this interesting," Baer says, taking a seat and looking over the ordered food and trying to decide what to eat first.
"I didn't ask the shopkeeper before we bought your services, but can you read and write in magic? Is that something you're trained to do?"
Baer digs into a potato.