Maddok grunts as the spike opens a cut along his leg and gasps in surprise as the darkness overwhelms his light.
"Coward!", he roars.
I didn't want to reveal its presence just yet...but needs must when the devil drives.
...which in Cheliax is more often than not.
"Go figure eh?" Derek remarks to no one in particular.
He then proceeds to reveal the Morrowfall in all its glory.
"Try to dampen THIS light!"
Since he is standing right behind his big brothers massive form, he then draws on the power that such closeness have awakened in him and gives voice to an ululating battle cry in Shoanti.
"What is going on there? I heard the distinct sound of stabbing." Xerath attempts to move in front of Maddok.
***
The Morrowfall's presence causes the darkness to recede in front of Maddok, leaving him to see once more. However, it's still dark around the wall, where the Morrowfall's light can't reach.
Derek senses the Morrowfall's delight at once again being used, and he also senses that this time it might not be so easy to put it back in his pocket afterwards.
***
As Xerath makes his way past the others, he sees several ragged-looking small humanoids, each wrapped in filthy, reeking black rags. One holds the handles to the trap that speared Maddok, while the others each hold daggers.
***
"Well I see what stabbed you now." For a brief second, those in the front can see a flicker of flame as it surges down Xerath's arms as he launches it at Creeper #1.
Hearing the sounds of battle, the archon bounds down the hall and narrows his fierce gaze on the gnarled figures.
The noble hound snaps at the darkfolk and tries to pull him to the ground.
Maddok stays in position, straining to peer into the darkness but lending his strength to his brother's song.
One of Xerath's rays hits the creeper in the chest, followed shortly afterwards by the archon's jaws tearing it to the ground.
***
>>>Current Map; darkvision only<<<
Round 1
Appario watches the daggers impale Maddok.
He wanted to go first.
Appario moves to O29 and takes total defense.
"We need that light up here, Derek."
Curious yet concerned about what all of the shouting and flashing of lights is about, Yahirma enters the hallway, turns the corner, and beholds the shadowy figures made illuminated by her hag-blessed eyes (Ends in O29).
These folk again? I recognize from the siege on the Mother, she thinks before slamming them with resounding force.
***
The powerful snap of sound in the dark folk's midst causes each one to clutch their hands to their ears, but none of them are able to do it quickly enough to avoid being stunned by the sudden loudness. Several daggers drop to the ground as their fingers can no longer hold them.
Livia's disembodied voice cries out as her tiny unseen hands applaud. "Whee! They didn't expect that!"
***
Derek strides forward, drawing his rapier as he goes, still ululating in shoanti.
Not wanting to take up too much room, but refusing to fall behind again, Derek moves up in front of one of the creepers, smiling grimly at the creature’s obvious discomfort as the light of the Morrowfall comes closer.
The darkness recedes before Derek as he moves past his companions and into the room. His rapier easily wounds the dark creeper in front of him, who's unable to defend itself due to the lingering cacophony ringing in its ears.
***
Xerath sighs as Appario bumbles his way in front of him. Nevertheless he tries to take advantage of the creepers being stunned by launching another pair of fiery bolts at one of them.
Maddok follows Derek into the room and takes up a position near his little brother.
With a shout, Maddok brings his hammer crashing down on the reeling darkfolk.
The hound tears into his opponent's exposed throat.
Xerath's flames envelop the near-defenseless dark creeper, causing it to combust into a searing flash of bright white light threatening to blind those standing nearby.
rounds
All the creepers appear to be blinded by the blast, as are Derek and the archon. Appario, on the other hand, is able to shield his eyes to avoid the light's effect.
***
The hound tears into where he assumes his opponent's throat is.
Instead his teeth snap on empty air.
Like this:
***
Maddok has no trouble hitting his chosen victim, and despite its howls in frustration at no longer being able to see, the archon's keen sense of smell guides its jaws to the throat of the creeper lying on the ground in front of it.
Like the other dark creeper, this one also combusts into a blast of white light when it dies.
rounds
None of the still-seeing succumb to the blinding light, as each is able to cover their eyes quickly enough.
***
Maddok actively works to shield his vision-impaired little brother.
Derek, unable to see anymore holds his rapier across his chest diagonally, focusing completely on defence for now.
Round 2
Appario will dance (spring attack) to strike at DC#4 and end his movement in P25.
to hit;
damage.
As blades and bludgeons whip about the room, Yahirma notes the considerable advantage of her allies and conserves her energy.
***
Appario slides Extortion through the body of the dark creeper as he dances his way through the battlefield, causing it to combust just like the others before it.
Once again the two warriors avoid their eyes being seared by the strong burst of light.
***
The last remaining dark creeper is finally able to shake the sound from its ears. Still blinded, yet realizing it's now alone, it tries to run north into a hallway that soon takes a sharp left turn.
Appario sees the creeper following the hallway briefly before its blindness betrays it. The dark creeper crashes into the wall at the corner, falling to the ground.
***
Maddok closes on the fallen creeper and grabs it around the collar.
"Your comrades are slain and you're outnumbered. Stop struggling and your life will be spared", he growls.
Xerath follows after the creeper and fires off two more bolts of fire.
***
As he strides forward, the light on Maddok's hammer shows him the hallway continuing west for only 20 ft before turning sharply south.
The filthy creature cowers in Maddok's grip. Its milky-white eyes clear of their blindness, although the creeper still squints to shield itself from the Morrowfall's bright light shining in the room nearby. It smiles at Maddok, speaking Common as one who knows the words, but rarely uses the language.
"Fine, fine! I stop struggling. See?" The creeper goes limp in Maddok's arms.
***
Maddok bodily lifts the creeper off the ground and drags it into the main room towards the rest of the party. He uses his body to block the worst of the Morrowfall's bright light.
"What's further down this hall? What other creatures stand guard?", he demands.
"Answer him welp or you burn."
The creeper writhes feebly, turning its head this way and that to avoid the light behind Maddok's back.
"A funny room." It laughs briefly. "Many rooms. Many guardians. Nasty humans and Strange Sandor.." The creeper stops talking, then looks directly up at Maddok's face. "I not betray my masters!"
Both Appario and Derek recall that dark creepers revere their more sinister kin, the dark stalkers, almost like gods.
"Your masters cannot protect you from what is to come if you do not talk. Who is Sandor? What guardians?", Maddok growls as he tightens his steely grip.
The big Shoanti punctuates his point by taking a quarter-step to the side exposing the darkfolk to more of Derek's light.
"Aaah!" The dark creeper cries out in response to Maddok's intimidating growl and tightening grip, and shuts its eyes against the light. "Wait! I tell you!"
"Guardians like me. Nasty humans like those." The creeper points in the general direction the group came from. "And the masters." Briefly forgetting who's in charge here, it smiles again. "The masters take your light and kill you!" It shakes its head, returning to its cowering self. "Strange Sandor knows all. Sees all. All that happens."
"What powers does he possess? Is he a mage or a warrior like myself?"
Maddok peels back the hood of the filthy robes so the creeper cannot hide from the burning light.
***
The creeper screams in fear, still keeping its eyes closed. "Stop! Not like you! Like your fire-slinger! He has a dragon staff! He knows all and sees all! I not know more!"
"Like me? Interesting. Alright, let him go. If you want to keep your life, never step foot on the surface world again. Otherwise I will end it myself. Painfully."
Maddok pulls back the creeper's hood and moves back into position to block the light from the Morrowfall.
He retrieves his rope from Appario and uses it to tie the prisoner tightly.
"Stay here and await our return. Do not think of escape or we will find you and cast you into the sun!", the big man threatens.
The noble hound moves adjacent to Maddok and renews his blessing.
"Let's find this Sandor."
After gathering whatever valuables can be found on the darkfolk's remains and handing them off to Appario, Maddok tries the door at N27.
"Stay close little brother."
Each of the four dark folk carried one masterwork dagger and five ordinary daggers, all coated with some sort of black paste.
The door opens easily, revealing a spacious room that was likely once an armory. Damaged weapons and partly ruined suits of armor have been piled up along the north wall, while several filthy bedrolls are laid out along the east wall. Six piles of various coins and jewelry dominates a small table in the center of the room, perhaps once owned by the four dead thieves lying in pools of congealed blood in the south-west corner, stacked on top of eachother. The entire room reeks of filth and unwashed flesh.
***
Maddok thanks the spirit and bids him farewell as it fades away returning to its heavenly home.
The Shoanti searches the room briefly.