Derek is forced to stay back for a few moments even after his sight clears.
He struggles mightily against his anger at being robbed at a chance to fight.
He almost turns to Xerath to tell him so, but he quickly comes to realize just how silly that would be.
Pride...do not give in to pride. Mustn’t blame someone for trying to end a fight quickly.
His success is OUR success.
As he finally rubs the last sunspots way from his eye he considers the Morrowfall and the dark folk.
An artefact that creates daylight, and folk afraid of light but with light bursting forth in their death throes...it is almost poetic.
Appario wipes any creeper g#@# off his sword and readies to move forward.
"He wasn't very helpful now, was he? These kind are loyal to their brethren," Appario muses. "Such loyalty is somewhat rare."
While the others cast spells, Appario will quickly catalog and store the jewelry in his 'sack.
Tis safer with me.
"Let us move, eh?"
"Agreed".
Maddok claps Derek around the shoulder and then advances down the hallway.
"I have never understood how sentient creatures can live in such filth," admits Yahirma, "But at the same time they tend to hide valuables in the strangest filth of all." She calls upon her ability to see magical auras and spends a moment scanning the room.
Before everyone moves on too far, Yahirma reminds them, "Remember what the sneaky one said about the dragon staff and similarities to our 'fire-slinger?' I believe this may be time to call in a different favor - one I have not yet had reason to employ."
"Why fear fire when it could instead be your ally?"
Maddok nods as he Yahirma works her spell.
"We should work to capture him alive. He may know more about Walcourt than those creatures did."
***
***
Appario quickly estimates the value of the assorted coins and jewelry to be about 1,800 gp. Yahirma discovers four +1 leather armors, all still worn by the four dead thieves in the corner.
Once again the door opens easily when Maddok turns the handle. Beyond is a small room containing only a staircase leading down into darkness.
Appario barely hears a sound coming from below, like that of a soft boot stepping on a slightly creaky floorboard.
***
Maddok shuts the door.
"Let's clear the floor of threats first."
Maddok advances to the end of the west-bound hall.
"I'll guard here while you explore further. I believe there are others down waiting for us."
***
***
The west-bound hallway, following a sharp south-bound turn for 20 ft, again turns to the west before opening into a decently-sized room featuring no less than five doors. The room is warm and inviting, with a nice fire going on the large hearth set into the south wall. There are thick rugs on the floor and several comfortable chairs.
On the way, the archon notices several spy holes in the walls enclosing the hallway.
Once the group has entered the large room, Derek notices odd things about the doors. He believes the doors at and are false, bearing traps.
***
"Too many doors," says Yahirma. "Can..." she trails off while looking at the hound archon. "Maddok, can your ally sniff out any hints of what might lie beyond these portals?"
Maddok takes a moment to look around the well furnished room.
"What do you think killed those guards back in the armory? The work of the Drovenge's perhaps?"
"I was not expecting this." Xerath mumbles to himself. "No, probably killed by the creepers we encountered." He answers Maddok.
"You believe the Council's forces destroy each other? If that's true, it's a wonder they came to power."
"Remember that the Council has also seen a change in leadership. Not all of the old guard may meet the standards. Can you imagine being one of these darklings?" she asks aloud, suspecting that someone might be listening in. "They have been abandoned and now must fend for themselves. Were I one of them, it would seem like the ideal time for a counter-revolution, a coup against the overlords before the latter become too entrenched in their new-found power."
Maddok nods in agreement, "Those with ties to the old leaders would be removed soon enough anyway to make room for those whose loyalty is without question. The only way to insure survival would be to strike first."
The archon spends its last few rounds on the material plane sniffing around the room and at each door. It reports back in truespeech.
"The scents are hard to tell apart, but there's something behind that door, and behind the spy hole."
It indicates the door at , and the spy hole at , before vanishing back to the Heavens.
***
Less than half a minute after Maddok led the rest of the group down the hallway, the door next to Appario opens silently. The light on his boot vanishes as his immediate surroundings become pitch black. There's a soft cry of surprise directly in front of him, and the scent of the dark folk fill his nostrils.
***
Current Initiative order:
28 - Livia
21 - Appario and Dark stalker
20 - Dark creepers
16 - Xerath
15 - Yahirma
14 - Maddok
7 - Derek
***
"Agreed. And just because they work for the same leader or cause does not mean they get along." Xerath glares back into the hallway as proof.
Round 1, Init 21
Appario notices the dark will a faint bit of apprehension.
Sarenrae dammit.
"Derek! I need the light!"
Appario will draw his Pot of Invisibility, 5' step away from where the darkness intruded, and drink it.
Sucker. Who can't see who now?
"Ye-"
Maddok is interrupted when he hears Appario's shout. Gripping his hammer tightly, the Shoanti bounds down the hall.
"Hurry little brother!"
"Speak of the Pit-Fiend." Xerath quickly casts a spell to make his fists lethal weapons. He moves down the hall, expecting to find Appario's corpse.
***
Appario senses something stepping close, followed by a series of quick sword swings in his general direction.
Only one attack hits, dealing 4 damage, while the air near Appario is cleaved thrice. Appario senses some kind of foul paste in the wound, but his body fights off the infection.
He then hears a soft patter of feet moving, and a waft of foulness coming past and away.
***
Maddok's hammer lights his way up the hallway, until he walks into pure darkness near the upper corner. Following, Xerath realizes that he too is unable to see through the darkness there.
***
Maddok growls and strains to hear what's going on in the darkness.
"Appario, are you alright?"
"Hang on, help is on the way."
I can't tell, are Maddok and Xerath acting along with me, or are they really buying this, Yahirma wonders just before Appario calls out and the sounds of struggle begin. Not wanting to be left alone in a mansion full of backstabbers, Yahirma moves to N21 and keeps a watchful eye down the hall and into the western room.
***
Moving into and up the hallway, Derek notices that instead of pushing the darkness back as before, this time the smoky darkness mingles with the Morrowfall's light, somehow overlapping with it.
He does not see Appario, but there's a tall, incredibly pale, cleanly-dressed humanoid he recognizes as a Dark Stalker in the place where Appario was last seen, and another filthy-looking Dark Creeper just around the corner.
***
Round 2, Init 21
Appario smiles (not remembering that Derek can't see him) and replies.
"I'm fine, Derek. I just have a few intestines that have been punctured. Tell you what, let's have fun."
Acrobatics to tumble past the Dark Stalker to K25
Appario smiles again as he gets into position to stabbify the Dark Stalker.
Ready to stab when someone flanks.
to hit;
damage.
"How do you like it?"
Appario might provoke while visible/invisible.
Appario tries again to get into position.
Acrobatics to tumble past the Dark Stalker to K25
***
Appario tries in vain to get past his uncannily nimble opponent. The stalker attempts to stab its unseen opponent, but also fails.
Once Appario stops attempting his invisible acrobatics, the silent stalker follows up with another barrage of sword swings.
Appario is struck twice, for a total of 20 damage. In addition, one of the wounds weaken him, dealing Strength damage.
Yahirma hears a brief, angry-sounding discussion in a language she doesn't understand, emanating from somewhere on the other side of the wall south-west of her, then she sees darkness spreading into the room to the west. A dark creeper appears at the edge of the hallway (). Over her shoulder, Livia whispers "Oh no.."
The creeper behind the corner near Appario and the stalker moves south, vanishing from sight (and thankfully from smell, as well).
***
Xerath steps forward into 21 and hesitantly launches 4 bolts of force targeting the stalker attacking Appario.
Maddok moves back down to the end of the hallway.
"Livia, tell me where they stand", the Shoanti says while trying to peer into the darkness.
Xerath's missiles strike the stalker, one by one. It simply stares back with its pitch-black eyes.
***
Above Maddok's shoulder, Livia whispers "There's one right there, just around the corner to the south!" He hears a flutter of tiny wings, then a gasp from further west. She no longer whispers, shouting back "There's more! At least four!"
Realizing Maddok still won't be able to see, she uses prestidigitation to create a crude map image in the air in front of Maddok, showing enemies at .
Maddok nods at Livia's information and begins a chant.
The Shoanti can't see it, but within the darkness a pair of shining bulls appear and paw the floor of the well-furnished room.
Maddok calls out to them.
The two bulls nod and begin violently trampling.
"What do you see Livia?"
***
Sounds of furniture being smashed to splinters drift back to Maddok from the room, in addition to the sounds of hoofs on the wooden floor.
Livia calls back in response, a slight bit of frustration in her voice. "The bulls ran over them, but the filthy ones went this way and that to evade their hooves! Only one got hit so he fell, but even that one managed to roll away from the other bull!"
***
Round 3, Init 21
Appario tries again, undaunted by his repeated and total failures.
Fear is for chumps.
Acrobatics to K25
Appario will ready for Derek/Maddok to come join in him battle.
to hit;
damage.
miss chance, low is bad.
Touching one of his own wounds, Appario calls upon Abadar for healing.
healing - lay on hands
AC 25, touch 17, flat-footed 22. (+7 armor, +3 Dex, +2 shield, +2 deflection, +1 dodge)
hp 43/61
Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +8
Lay on Hands: 3d6 healing (1/5 used)
Smite Evil (+2 to hit, +2 AC, +6 damage) 2/day - 1 used
Divine Bond 6/min day. -used
Once again the stalker shows an uncanny ability to judge exactly where Appario attempts to tumble past him, placing a sword or boot in his path every time. However, Appario feels he was very close to succeeding this time.
Appario realizes he is currently cursed and instead takes total defense.
***
As Maddok and Livia flit this way and that, speaking in gibberish, conjuring miniature maps, and dropping celestial ungulates in the living room, Yahirma has little choice but to raise an eyebrow to her allies' antics. Assuming they have everything under control - whatever that might be - she meanders up the hall (K21) to see what is happening.
"Ah, Derek, xiphou kairos estin!" she declares cheerfully, seeing Derek facing down a pale stalker alone. Hoping to give him an ally, she evokes the soulstuff of her accursed heritage and manifests it in the form of a dagger-wielding hag.
The Mother sends her greetings, shadow-blood
***
The suddenly appearing dagger-wielding hag misses with its first attack on the nimbly moving stalker.
***
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"Damnit all to pus spewing, blood boiling, rancid beer tasting hell...
(that would be the second layer of hell ladies and gentlemen)
Appario, I can hear you but not see you, are you still in front of me?"
I so wanted to burn out that stalkers eyes, but I can't risk Appario as well.
Standing with his rapier drawn and the Morrowfall clutched tightly against his chest, Derek is quite bewildered as to how he can get around this sticky situation.
"I swear, wizards have it easy, all they do is pop around like little wasps, it's all fine and dandy for the rest of us footsloggers you know!"