"Try again Xerath, I'll have your back."
Derek moves over to Xerath, preparing to try and give him a boost up.
It's not like they don't know we are here now, a little music might just be of help.
***
Near as one, the five thieves nearest Maddok and the archon drop their crossbows and draws rapiers in their place. The man lying prone beneath the archon attempts to stab it in the belly, and one other goes to join him, while the remaining three converge upon Maddok.
One of the thieves hits Maddok with a well-placed strike, dealing 15 damage to the Shoanti warrior.
***
Livia suddenly becomes visible slightly above and behind Appario's shoulder, as a ray of ice projects from her finger towards the nearest thief.
The thief is hit, but still stands.
Livia sounds a bit miffed, even though the ray hit the man. "I thought I aimed that well! But he shifted just before it hit!"
***
The golden-eyed hound turns and snaps at the thief that had slipped in between Maddok and itself.
Catching flesh and armor in its jaws, it attempts to wrest its victim to the ground.
Maddok growls as he's wounded and his elaborate tribal tattoos begin to glow with life as the Beast makes his presence known. The big Shoanti whirls and lashes out at the same thief.
The archon finishes the thief that slipped behind it with a savage rip of its jaws, while Maddok smashes the offending thief to a pulp with his hammer, then follows up by creating a massive dent in another's armor, causing the new victim to spit blood.
***
Xerath will attempt to defeat the chute that has bested him time and time again.
And again, Xerath is bested by a simple climb check."I need to learn how to fly."
Seeing Xerath being unsuccessful at climbing, Derek gives him a nod and begins to climb up, the rope secured in his belt, intending to lower it as soon as he gets up.
A rope should help him, if necessary, I'll climb down again and tie the guard up after Xerath gets up.
***
Derek easily makes his way up the chute, and sees the combat playing out in the adjoining room. He also notices a small orb floating in the air near the roof, seeming to somehow watch everything that's going on.
***
Round 4, Init First
Appario, seeing that Derek is roping, attaches his shield and moves into combat, drawing Extortion as he moves to V24 to flank with Maddok.
Acrobatics to tumble to V24
AC 25, touch 17, flat-footed 22. (+7 armor, +3 Dex, +2 shield, +2 deflection, +1 dodge)
hp 58/61
Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +8
Lay on Hands: 5/day 3d6 healing
Smite Evil (+2 to hit, +2 AC, +6 damage) 2/day - 1 used
Divine Bond 6/min day. -used
Appario successfully weaves his way through the thief's space to end up in a flanking position.
Yahirma figures that Maddok, Appario, and the archon should be able to handle the remaining thieves without her immediate help. Instead, she aids Derek with setting up the rope for Xerath.
***
The grounded thief tries to bounce to his feet without leaving himself open to the archon's jaws.
He fails, remaining on the ground and suffering the archon's wrath for attempting such a silly trick.
The two other thieves continue focusing their attacks on Maddok.
One hits, dealing another 15 damage to the enraged warrior.
Livia becomes invisible again.
***
Round 5
On his turn, Derek will lower the rope down to allow Xerath an easier time of climbing, assuming he manages to come up, Derek will also alert him to the orb, but as secretly as possible.
"Can you do something about that? We don't need an audience during rehersals."
The archon growls and snaps at the careless rogue.
***
The celestial hound barks a challenge and bites again.
Maddok cries out as another blade finds its way into his side but returns the favor with a pair of looping blows of his own.
Xerath will climb up the knotted rope now that someone has actually decided it was time for him to participate.
The archon's jaws rip out the tendons in one of the thief's legs, disabling him but not quite ending his life.
Maddok's hammer crushes the bones of his chosen victim with a pair of horrendous blows.
With the help of the rope, Xerath climbs up without problems , and spots the orb Derek points out for him.
***
Round 5, Init First
Appario nods to Maddok as he attacks Thief#4.
to hit;
damage.
to hit;
damage.
Potential Crit:
to hit;
damage.
Appario slices the last standing thief into pieces, his sword veritably singing as he swings it.
The disabled thief makes another futile attempt at sticking his rapier into the archon, succeeding at nothing except falling unconscious.
Derek and Xerath notice the small orb, now that all the thieves are down, fly from its spying place towards and through an arrow slit in the wall.
As the last foe falls, Maddok's battle-rage subsides. Feeling the fullness of his injuries now, the big Shoanti's frame sags a bit.
Maddok nods his thanks to Appario for slaying the enemy that had stood at his back and moves into the other room to make sure everyone is up and safe.
The spirit-hound checks each foe for signs of life.
Other than the one unconscious thief, the archon finds no signs of life.
Yahirma pulls a wand from her belt as she once again regains control of her vocal cords, and halts Maddok in his steps. "Let me see those wounds."
The archon speaks in a harmonic growl.
It then moves about the group bestowing a blessing on each with a touch of its canine nose. It does so hesitantly for Livia.
Maddok turns so Yahirma can get to his injuries.
"What do they wear on their faces?", the big Shoanti asks while pointing at the strange lenses the guards were wearing.
***
Yahirma touches the wand to Maddok's wounds twice.
Pulling the lenses from her backpack, wresting them from the spirits trying to keep them close, she studies them for a moment. "They contain magic, but I haven't had time to study them properly. Perhaps they aid with seeing in the dark? That would explain why only the one in this dark chamber wore one, while the ones in the candle-lit room didn't."
Maddok nods his thanks for Yahirma's healing and returns to the previous room to search the defeated rogues.
"What were you talking about little brother? Was someone watching us?"
Xerath will investigate the orb. "Do you know what this could be, Derek?"
Taking the time to properly investigate the lenses, Yahirma discovers that they are goggles of night.
"What are you looking at?", Maddok asks the hooded Xerath.
Appario quickly goes through the pockets of the foe he downed.
"Well, I think we're in it and they are aware of us."
Appario draws and drinks his Pot of MCPE 10'.
All of the thieves wear magical (+1) leather armor, and carry masterwork rapiers and masterwork hand crossbows. On average, each also carries 300 gp worth of coins and jewelry.
"Looks like a magical orb of some kind."
Derek unable to come up with a way to stop the orb from dissapearing curses softly.
"I believe it was a magical spying orb. It may even have been the "boss" of this place watching us fight so he could form a strategy against us later.
It probably noticed us noticing it and fleed, but my guess is that it will be back to try again later.
As long as it is around, the "boss" will always know where we are and can set traps and ambushes for us."
Maddok nods.
"Then we should act swiftly before they can organize a defense against us."
After checking his newly-mended injuries one last time, Maddok nods for the others to follow him and tries the northbound door.
The door opens easily, revealing a long hallway with multiple doors on either side, as well as a door at the opposing end.
***
"Time to start checking rooms. We would not want to be caught in an ambush." Xerath seems to still be scowling from his impotence in the last encounter.
Maddok nods in agreement.
One by one, he opens each door and looks into the room.
Appario will move to U25 and listen at the door(s).
Perception (left)
Perception (right)
Appario doesn't hear anything at either door, and upon opening both rooms beyond are as Maddok suspects; each room contains a number of bedrolls, but nothing else in the way of furniture.
Above Maddok's shoulder, Livia whispers "I think that's a trap, over there!" She quickly becomes visible, pointing towards the area directly in front of Appario . Despite her pointing, Appario doesn't quite see what she's talking about.
***
"Gah. So much for hurrying. Thank you, uh, Livia."
Appario will his lens and look again.
Perception
If he finds it (hopefully, Livia will be able to point it out), Appario will draw his tools and try to deactivate the trap.
Disable Device
Looking closer and more carefully, Appario does in fact find the trap. It covers the hallway in that entire square, and would drop whoever steps on it to somewhere below. However, he's unable to disable it on his first attempt.
Meh. Better safe than sorry.
Disable Device
"Much better," Appario says rising and dusting off his hands. "Let's get moving again."
Appario will return the lens and toolkit to his 'sack.
* * *
Appario will open the door to U24 and take a look around, Extortion again in his hand.
Perception
Opening the door, Appario finds a small chamber. Three more thieves, each with a loaded hand crossbow in one hand, look surprised at not having heard anyone fall into the trap.
***
Current Initiative order:
23 - Thieves
21 - Xerath
20 - Livia
18 - Derek
13 - Appario and Maddok (w/archon)
9 - Yahirma
***
However, their surprise quickly fades as they react to the new situation. Each of the thieves fires his crossbow at Appario, then two of them drop the ranged weapon to draw a rapier while moving to prevent easy entry into the room. The last thief reloads his crossbow.
Only one of the bolts hits properly, dealing 4 damage. Another lodges in Appario's newfound toughened skin, while the last flies harmlessly over his head.
***
Maddok grabs the nearest guard from around the corner and, with a grunt of effort, drags him into the hallway before stepping into the room himself.
The big Shoanti then steps further into the room, leaving space for the Abadaran.
The noble hound snaps at his new prey.
And tries to pull him to the ground.
Satisfied with its work, the spirit-hound looses a low menacing growl and steps aside for the hooded Xerath.
Maddok winces as the blade scores a glancing wound.
Xerath moves past appario and 2 of the thieves into the room(S26).
Fire courses through his arms as he launches them at thief number 2.
***
One of the thieves takes a swipe at Xerath as he moves past.
The thief easily hits the hooded man, dealing 4 damage.
Xerath's flames scorch his target, although only one ray hits.
***