When he smiles.
The doors are set up to push open from your direction.
"Hear that Cass, there's something on the other side using dimesional or conjuration magic. See if you can shut it down." Amira calls to her partner over her shoulder, having total trust in her abilities. The moment had arrived and it was time for those inside to know that there was nowhere in Korvosa that would hide them.
"All right boys and girls. Time to crash the party!" she says throwing open the doors and immediately throwing herself into an elegant tumbling pass to the left, clearing a path for Tolenn and Wednesday.
"Thank ye kindly," Wednesday quips simply as the vigilante gracefully spins out of the way.
Terri readies herself and moves in behind Tolenn and Wednesday. Her glaive is in her hands and ready to help protect the others as they move in.
Cassandra nods her head.
"I'll do my best. I haven't had to counterspell anything in a long, long time."
For once, Cassandra seems serious. She steps backwards and pulls out her spellbook, then begins flipping through it. Park chitters softly to her, pointing out this item or that.
Terri, almost as much to her surprise as Victor's, wraps one arm around him in a comforting hug.
"I hope that things will turn out for the better," she tells him, "I think that we, you, me, all of us here fighting, can't sit by and watch others suffer. We can't see injustice and evil and stay silent or still."
When you know someone for a period of time, no matter how short you slowly begin to form an idea of their personality; their faults, their strengths and of course their quirks. Then you begin to think that you would be able to predict that person's behavior, and no matter how much you remind yourself that people can become capricious yous still remain certain in your hypothesis...and it is usually when you are at that level of certainty that it hurts the most to be wrong, but sometimes being wrong brings no pain or shame, sometimes it is just unexpected and pleasant.
Victor did not foresee the hug, maybe the consoling words but not the hug itself, and while he paid attention to the words she spoke, he was so taken back that it seemed that every other noise that was around them at the moment stood aside to make way to what she was saying to him. On any other occasion he might have said that she was being over optimistic that even if it was just hoping but this time he could only ponder on her words and truly see how much small in height and even width when compared to the rest of them.
She takes a step back, letting go and placing her hand over Victor's heart. She can feel its steady beat, and her cheeks turn a little pink when she realizes that. "We can't do nothing because to pretend nothing is wrong would be a betrayal of our hearts. You may try to hide it, but deep down, I think that you and I are not so different. Two people who care deeply and can't stand idle while others suffer."
The reddening of her cheeks was clear to Victor when she unclasped her arm from around him and extended it till it touched the area where the beating of his heart was the most apparent. In truth he felt a little awkward and couldn't help but turn his attention to the hand at his chest for a second or two before returning his eyes to the woman that was speaking to him, his facade somewhere between attentive and curious.
In her words he found a truth that he would not outwardly admit. Yes he could see how alike they were, more than once he found himself worrying and working towards solving the problems of others because he couldn't just stand aside, no matter how hard he tried...yes they were alike in that respect, but Terri was more honest about it Also prettier and more pleasant to be around Victor paused at that thought as soon as the blond stopped speaking, he did note her beauty in the past but never gave much thought to how she was pleasant company, the matter just seemed invisible to him before now. Yes Terri had her occasional bouts of anger and most of the time no one could blame her for them but who was he to complain? He doubted he could stand someone that was just like him for more than an hour.
Realizing her hand was still over Victor's heart, Terri turns even redder and pulls her hand away quickly.
"I-I'm s-sorry," she stammers out as she takes another step or two away to give Victor some space.
"Nothing to be sorry for" He replied in his well-known gruff manner and returned his focus to the task ahead of them, but for some reason he felt the nagging of the meaningless questions that plagued him to be less loud. The rants of his cynicism for once not the echoing voice in his head. Victor's frown was less pronounced, it seemed more the look of a man focused on his task and striving to complete it to the best of his ability. In this state he completely failed to notice the quick glance from Terri and continued onward with the rest of the group.
"I'll do my best. I haven't had to counterspell anything in a long, long time."
For once, Cassandra seems serious. She steps backwards and pulls out her spellbook, then begins flipping through it. Park chitters softly to her, pointing out this item or that.
"I'll leave it to ya, never counterspelled anything before" He replied, his tone a bit taken back by the sudden seriousness of the wizard's demeanor Guess even Cassandra can take things seriously from time to time The sorcerer vision went over the group one more time and then prepared himself for whatever tricks this place had left to throw at them.
Amira thrusts the door open and quickly ducks out of the way. A reek of burning wax assaults the senses as the morbid chamber comes into view. The room appears to be another lab with tall, misshapen candles burning, beakers of foul-colored liquids bubbling, and rodents whimpering in cages lining the walls.
In the center of the room stand 4 large, cylindrical glass vats, each filled with bubbling emerald liquid that serves to tint the whole of the room a noxious green. In each tube suspends a creature - a malformed abomination, part man, part angel, and maybe part horse (as its head looks like a horse's skull). The figures in 3 of the tubes float motionlessly but the fourth twitches periodically.
A pair of open double doors stand on the opposite wall (depicted in the map as closed, but really they are open) with a long hallway leading further into the darkness.
Scattered about the room, ready to defend it, are more cultists of Urgathoa. They grip their scythes and cry out a warning that the intruders have made it to them... finally.
Initiative
Continuing her movement to the left of the room Amira slashes one of the cultists, catching the man by surprise.
Round 1
A little disappointed that it was not the priestess that they faced, Tolenn knew that appointment was coming soon.
Moving with Amira, Tolenn engages the cultists , clearing the door for the other to enter freely.
Terri puts a hand on Tolenn's shoulder before she moves into the room.
"Shelyn's grace guard you, body and soul," she prays as a golden light forms a filigree over the paladin's armor before fading into it.
Mere moments. That is all Victor had to survey the new room before his eyes fell on the latest welcoming party. Still these moments provided a lifetime's amount of disgust and anger that he intended to let out on their hosts It's like everyone here is trying to outdo the other when it comes to being twisted The thought came to him as he searched for a target, before finally deciding to leave the front-lines to his well armored friends while he let the rearguard find out that they weren't as safe as they'd hoped they'd be.
Victor's shadow morphed into a massive tendril that swam across the ground in arcing motions, till it reached the silhouette of the cleric that was the farthest from them. A line of darkness connected the two men, but there seemed no difference in the man's shadow from before...until Victor started snapping his fingers several times, and the shadow of the man mimicked the sorcerer's movements. At the final snap a spark ignited from the shadow's fingers that instantly grew into a ravenous, ball of fire that threatened to consume everything it touched.
The priest beset by the shadow-inspired flaming sphere makes a clumsy attempt to jump aside and utterly bungles it. He cries out in pain from the searing flame.
Amira deftly skitters in and jabs one of the priests. The attack elicits a grunt of pain, but her enemy withstands the attack and prepares to retaliate.
Tolenn's blow, a bit wild due to her putting extra english into it, is harmlessly deflected off her target's armor.
The cultist wounded by Amira takes a low swing with his scythe, but comes nowhere near his quick moving target.
He is quickly joined by his fellow who also slashes out but is no more successful.
Two cultists attempt to gang up on Tolenn. The first one, the cultist she attacked as she rushed in, is tentative enough that his attack falters, but the second one hits true (even with the protection from evil's deflection bonus) and hard for 7 points of damage.
The cultist amid the tubes, not directly involved in the conflict yet, takes the time to cast a spell on himself and stays put.
The one burned by the flaming sphere moves away from it to the right of the tubes and casts a spell as well.
Seeing the cultists swarm in Wednesday rushed toward the one that hit Tolenn.
Cassandra doesn't rush in. She doesn't shout out odd words or make a quippy statement. Instead, she teleports up to the door and peers inside, trying to locate the source of the conjuration magic that Victor mentioned.
Wednesday's blow is exceptionally well aimed. Had it not been for a last moment flinch, his foe would have been split wide open. As it is, it still deals a grievous injury.
Cassandra's survey of the room (and ample amounts of coursework on the subject) reveals disturbing information. The tubes appear to be holding, and probably imprisoning, a quartet of daemons - specifically leukodaemons. Leukodaemons are best known for spreading pestilence with their diseased arrows. The creatures in the tubes seem to lack their bows, but the daemons can still be expected to be somewhat formidable. They have the toughness of most daemons - only holy weapons easily pierce their hides and they resist most forms of magical energy (particularly acid). Leukodaemons, specifically, can breathe forth a swarm of biting insects. Altogether nasty creatures and thoroughly evil. Only one of them moves as far as anyone has noticed.
Victor pointed both index and middle finger at the pulsing ball of flame and motioned to approach him. Clawed shadowy hands reached out from the dark and poorly lit corners and began dragging the ball forward at a decent pace until it reached the cleric that was attacked by both Tolenn and Wednesday.
The sphere of fiery destruction was closer to them illuminating all that were close and hungrily reaching for any foolish enough not to move out of its way. The shadow that was cast by Victor was thicker than most, and grew even thicker as it moved from it's location and spread across the floor, pulsing once and then returning to it's owner. Victor placed a hand over his mouth and began whispering incoherently and in response the room with the clerics in it erupted with the cacophony of several spiders and scorpions.
Amira studies her opponent, seeking a better angle to strike, but fails to connect in the chaos.
Terri, frustrated about not being able to do anythign to help at the moment moves to the other door.
Victor's flaming sphere claims a victim as the cultist in its way is utterly unable to dodge it. He burns and collapses to the floor.
Tolenn steps over the burning body of the cultist with nary a glance, making a direct line twards the cultist among the vats...
With a single, brutal slash, Tolenn puts a healthy cultist on the ground.
The sound of spiders and scorpions seems to distract a couple of the cultists, though none are actually dissuaded from trying to repel the invaders.
The first two try to slash at Amira, the second while also looking about for the source of the buggy noise. Neither is able to make their attacks pay off against her quick reactions.
The cultist amid the tubes, a bit concerned that Tolenn has so quickly killed one of his compatriots, takes a quick slash at the paladin. And though he is a bit distracted, he manages to catch her hard for 11 points of damage.
The final cultist, also a bit concerned about the dangerousness of Tolenn and Wednesday, aims his scythe at the tube containing the moving daemon.
And breaks the glass open! The daemon, reacting to this, pushes his way out of the tube, oily fluid spilling everywhere.
While he wanted nothing more than to stab the cur that wounded Tolenn something broke withing him alongside the sound of breaking glass. Seeing one of the Daemons trying to pull itself free so close to her he immediately made a rush for it, blood painfully throbbing and coursing thoughout his body.
As he stepped up to strike the harbinger of pestilence the blood wept freely from his wounds and eyes and out from beneath his nails, coating his blade as he brought it down along with a snarl he wasn't quite aware he was saying.
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"S~#+ s#%+ s!@$." Cassandra mutters as she takes in the situation.
"S#$#."
"Where are their bows? They took the bows. They used the bows to start the damn plague, didn't they? S@%#!"
"Don't crack the ta..."
Too late.
Cassandra raises her voice.
"And silver. That means..."
Cassandra touches her mithral grappling hook. She steps into the room, drawing the hook into her hand.
"Hey, nani nani nani..."
The grappling hook begins to glow with the power of Cassandra's magic. So does Amira's star knife.
Terri realizing that she was way out of place to help squeezes between the wall and the vat while holding her holy symbol to her glaive.
"Servants of the Eternal Rose, bless me with your divine grace!"
Wednesday's blow strikes the leukodaemon hard and none of the damage seems to be abated by any kind of unnatural toughness. The daemon seems fundamentally undaunted, though. In fact, Wednesday may have just drawn its full attention...
Meanwhile, Cassandra and Terri ready themselves to battle an outsider.
As she feels the familiar tingle of Cassandra's magic take effect, Amira affectionately hooks the little finger of her free hand with her partners for a second, whispering a warning as the battle intensifies ad the stakes are laid bare. "Be careful."
Immediately the turns towards her opponent, her starknife lashing out with deadly accuracy, finding soft tissue above the collar bone as she plunges the blade in, vaulting herself into a handstand on the man's shoulders before flipping over him while wrenching the blade out.
Tolenn takes the blow from the cultists with a slight grunt, her eyes narrowing from the pain.
Murmuring a small prayer to Saranae, she touches her chest with the hand holding her shield, the goddesses' healing flowing through her.
She greets the arrival of the daemon from the vat with a grim smile, a holy admonishment erupting from her lips as she launches a furious assault upon its flank.
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Cassandra's warning made Victor consider other targets besides the newly released demon, and of course it seemed that both Tolenn and Wednesday would handle it. This left the sorcerer free to focus on the scythe wielding clerics that were still left standing. Victor took a deep breath pointed at the ball with his index and middle finger then pointed at the next unfortunate victim of this rolling ball of fire.
Seeing his spell take off to claim its next victim, Victor took a step forward, focused for mere moments on the flask of acid he carried in his pack, feeling small dark tendrils reach out from his shadow and clench the closed flask. An acidic tar like substance bubbled above his hand and he flung it at the cleric that was in front of Wednesday.
As Amira lands behind the cultist she badly wounded, she hears the sizzle and scream as he nearly avoids Victor's flaming sphere. Then she feels him collapse to the floor of the chamber.
But while Victor's flaming sphere adds another to its body count, his acid splash flies wide, leaving a nasty, smoking stain on the wall.
Tolenn, in the thick of things, calls upon the mercy of the Dawnflower. The power adds a brief glow to her face as it heals some of her wounds, but her attacks on the leukodaemon are too hasty for the power to help. The first attack is close, but knocked aside by the outsider's defensive efforts. The second just goes wide.
As the cultists try to fight back, the one by Amira tries to slash at her after impressive stab and flip. But he's to slow to catch her on his blade.
The one closest to Wednesday carefully withdraws away from the brewing fight between the bloodrager and the daemon. But the one tangling with Tolenn stays put, attempting to back the daemon up with his own combat prowess. And failing.
The daemon, shifts to concentrate more fully on Wednesday, and rips into him with his powerful talons (9 and 12 points of damage). The fanged bite from his skull-like head, however, misses.
Stepping to the side with its attention on him Wednesday hopes that gives Tolenn a good shot at the Daemon's backside while he continues to wail on it from the front.
Cassandra smiles. With her goggle on, only Park and Amira know there's fear in her eyes.
"Hey, if we survive this we can always get married or something."
Then she takes a step to her right and vanishes, only to reappear just behind Sunday. Seeing that the demon is engaged not by one but two seemingly holy warriors, Cassandra releases a long sigh of tension and then flings out her grappling hook. There's no need for her to hit, just to distract. The paladin and the whatever Wednesday is can handle the rest.
"You can always ask the Priestess to officiate. Urgathoans love weddings!" Wednesday mindlessly chatters.
Wednesday lands another hard blow on the daemon but is unable to follow-up with his backhand. Cassandra sets things up for Tolenn by providing distraction.
Ebony tentacle like appendages launch themselves from the silhouette of the cultist that was standing next to Amira, and encircle the blazing spell that still burned over the body of its latest victim. With one strong yank the dark, flexible limbs pulled the blazing sphere into where the cultist was standing.
Victor ceased pointing at the cleric that could become the latest victim of his flaming sphere and turned his attention to the other cultists. He wanted to assist his friends in fighting the demon but he knew that his efforts against it would be minimal, so for now he would focus on bringing the cultists down.
Once more the sorcerer conjured the bubbling tar like acidic liquid and with a wild swing flung it at the furthest cleric from him.
Not discomfited in the least by her failure to inflict harm with her first salvo of attacks, Tolenn knew this was a strong evil presence, all the more important to summarily expel it from this realm.
Waiting for the best moment, she times her attack with the Daemon's reaction to Daud's second swing, and it's subesquent jerk of it's head to avoid Cassandra's hook, her scimitar still emanating Saranae's warm dawn-light....
Terri moves up, her glaive aglow with gold and silver runes that seem to have always been a part of her weapon.
"Back to whatever pit you crawled from," she says to the Daemon, her voice ringing out as she moves up from behind Wednesday and stabs at the vile fiend.
Sadly, her aim is off, and her lack of experience in fighting is still plainly evident.
Cassandra's comment catches Amira completely by surprise. A fact that distracts her a bit too much as she strikes at the enemy in front of her.
The cultist at the front of the room tries to avoid Victor's flaming sphere, but develops some terrible burns for his troubles. He is clearly badly hurt, although still conscious. He reflexively moves to avoid Amira's attack, but it is pretty clear that he will have difficultly taking certain actions in the future.
Victor's acidic spell strike the cultist furtherest in the room causing him to wince in pain.
Tolenn closes with the daemon and gives it a good solid slash with her first strike. Her second comes up a bit short. However, she does serve to offer Terri a bit of help by striking in at the monster from the opposite direction. Unfortunately, Terri has been unable to capitalize on that assistance.
When given a chance to react, the cultist at the front of the room attempts to call on Urgathoa to heal some of his wounds. He does his best to cast in such away that he does not provoke immediate retaliation. He manages to heal himself for 5 points of damage.
The cultist in the back of the room moves to the front to threaten Amira, but that consumes all of his time.
The cultist amid the tubes crowds in behind Tolenn, putting her into a flanked position with the daemon. He succeeds and adds another 6 points of damage to her wounds.
The leukodaemon, wounded from multiple blows now, continues to press his attacks against the one who has hurt him the most, Wednesday. His claws and fangs tear into Wednesday for 12, 9, and 9 points of damage, respectively.
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