"I know it might take much of our wands and potions, but we should heal up and pursue.
If we rest to regain spells, then that enemy caster will be able to as well. We have made him expend some powerful spells. We might not stand a chance if he is at full power, so best to not let him rest.
I believe an effect in this room was strengthening the enemy; by forcing them out of this room, we have weakened them."
Artegall will search the fallen Physician.
Mirela pulls out her wand of Cure Moderate Wounds.
She touches herself with it three times and Whisper once before looking at the others….
Who do still be ‘urt?. She asks curtly.
Artegall finds a healing potion on the recently defeated Physician and drinks it.
"I am ready to continue whenever you are, but Nargun needs healing."
"I do want to catch up to Davaulus and that other caster. But we probably could rest in here if we find a safe place we can fortify. I do worry about them having an escape route, though."
As Mirela uses her wand she comments:
I am not spending one moment longer then I do be ‘aving to. If we rest we should be going back up to Kroft to let them know what is down ‘ere. The more that do be knowing, the less chance that someone can cover this up.
Lets kill them all. They have made enough victims here. Do we want to give the opportunity to make more widows, more orphans? The folk of Korvosa has suffered more than enough already. Patch me up with your magic, and I'll follow them to Hell if I need.
Wizard 0: Acid splash, Mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic. 1:Mage armour, Vanish, Magic weapon, (S)Colour spray.2:Spectral hand, Spectral hand, (S)Blur | Subtle misdirection 3/6.
Bonded item A:0/1, D: 0/1. Pearl Lv1 0/1, Lv2 1/1. Wand cure light (21). Wand daze monster (8). Wand prot.evil. (48). Wand magic missile (18)
"Just give me a couple of moments and I will have Nargun as good as new"
Twilight proceeded to repeatedly tap Nargun with the wand of healing.
As she was healing Nargun, she agonized over the question of pressing forward of leaving. Suddenly she had an epiphany and realized that Callistria's teachings already provided the simple answer Don't think about the future, deal with what comes when it comes. At this very moment what did she want to do?
"We should continue, this has to be stopped now and we don't want to let them get away"
While Twilight heals Nargun, Mirela climbs up on the Catwalk to get a better view of the far door and to make sure nobody sneaks in to surprise the party. While up there she glances down in the big tanks to see if she can tell what they hold.
Artegall will go to the door that the enemies went through and listen carefully, hoping to catch some discussion of their tactics and if there are reinforcements in there.
Artegall doesn't hear anything through the doors. Either there's no one in there or they're not moving around- likely waiting in ambush for the adventurers to come through the door.
Looking down into the vats, Twilight sees that each is topped with a foul green-brown mist through which she can barely make out a disgusting brownish-red slurry of blood and chemicals and other, less wholesome ingredients.
The doors leading north and south out of the room are on the lower level, below the catwalks, and like the doors leading east are firmly shut.
"They aren't moving or giving orders. They must already be regrouped and set in place.
We just walked into one ambush of theirs and barely made it out with our lives. That Obscuring Mist was a big help, of course.
Anybody have any great ideas here?
I could open the door and try to draw their fire, to see what forces they have inside."
I can be staying back and shooting….. not much else, I can do…. Twilight, do you be ‘aving an Illusion we can use to draw fire?
Hmmm. Maybe go through both doors at once? You stand at the door and The Dwarf and Whisper do be charging into the room to get behind them?
Mirela is clearly as unsure as you are here…
Artegall moves away from the door and speaks to his allies quietly.
"Every time we defeat them, they have fallen back and very quickly regrouped into a well-established defensive position with more allies. It takes remarkable training to do that and not have a retreat turn into a rout or panic. I heard nobody arguing in there. Nobody questioning orders, or shrieking that they were going to die. Nobody moving around unsure of where they are supposed to be. We have been carving through them like a hot knife through butter and they are still maintaining their discipline and morale.
I suggest making them come to us. If I make a hasty attack and then retreat, they may pursue.
Let's have Whisper, Mirela, and Twilight north of the northern door, and Nargun in between the doors. I will open a door, see the forces, and retreat to the south. If they come out in pursuit of me, Nargun and I can flank them. If they come out the northern door, Whisper and Nargun can flank them, with Whisper blocking for Twilight and Mirela. We can bottle them up so that only a couple can get out at a time, while any casters in the room will not have line of sight to us."
"If they don't take the bait, we can try other options. Maybe throwing Alchemists' Fire into the room from around the side of the door."
"If that all sounds good to you, let's protect ourselves as best as we can with spells, wands, and potions before we start."
That do make more sense then anything I can come up with...
Wizard 0: Acid splash, Mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic. 1:[s]Mage armour, Vanish, Magic weapon, (S)Colour spray.2:Spectral hand, Spectral hand, (S)Blur | Subtle misdirection 3/6.
Bonded item A:0/1, D: 0/1. Pearl Lv1 0/1, Lv2 1/1. Wand cure light (21). Wand daze monster (8). Wand prot.evil. (48). Wand magic missile (18)
While healing Nargun, Twilight glanced at Artegall with a raised eyebrow "I think they have a pretty hot knife of their own. Depending on what's behind the door, I do have a tanglefoot bag. If they look like they are going to fall back again maybe Mirella can toss one at that Lamm soundalike to make sure he doesn't go anywhere. It might mess up his spellcasting as well."
She put the final touches on Nargun's wounds before continuing "Unfortunately I don't have any illusions prepared. Just a protective ward and a spell to amplify one's strength. I cold apply the blur effect to afford a little protection to whoever is going to open the door if they would like. But other than that, as long as there aren't any more lightning bolts, they can cower in the back of the room for as long as they want while I pester them with magical darts and Mirella whittles their numbers with her bow. That might encourage them to come out."
Mirela borrows the pearl of power (level 2) from Twilight and uses it to recall a minor blessing of healing. Then she casts lesser restoration on Nargun to fix his Health.
When complete she hands the pearl back to Twilight along with her wand of Cure Moderate and scroll of Spirital weapon.
She looks the others over and when they are ready she casts Shield of Faith on Whisper and moves them both next to the door they will not be opening. Finally she pulls out the scroll of magic weapon and enchants her bow before nodding to the others that she is set.
Artegall will not use Whispering Spirits at this time; I think it better to save it for a reroll on a save if needed.
With Protection from Evil, his AC is still 25 against evil foes, so that's pretty good.
Once everyone else is in place, he will open the south door. What does he see?
Wizard 0: Acid splash, Mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic. 1:[s]Mage armour, Vanish, Magic weapon, (S)Colour spray.2:Spectral hand, Spectral hand, (S)Blur | Subtle misdirection 2/6.
Bonded item A:0/1, D: 0/1. Pearl Lv1 0/1, Lv2 1/1. Wand cure light (21). Wand daze monster (8). Wand prot.evil. (46). Wand magic missile (18)
Twilight drew her wand of protection and granted Nargun and Artegall a simple ward against malevolent spells and creatures. Then she wove a simple illusion about Artegall which would provide him at least a little extra safety should he be attacked.
Finally, just as the doors were about to be opened, she graced Artegall with a blessing of protection from Callistria.
Once everyone else is in place, he will open the south door. What does he see?
The reek of burning wax wafts through this morbid chamber, with several tall, misshapen candles being the apparent source. Workspaces strewn with tall beakers of foul-colored liquids, parchments covered in insidious symbols, and cages of whimpering rodents fill large alcoves in both the northern and southern walls. A closed pair of huge stone doors dominate the eastern wall.
At the room’s center stand four large, cylindrical glass vats, each filled with a bubbling emerald fluid that tints the chamber’s light a noxious green. Within each suspension floats a malformed abomination—something part human, part angel, and part horse—things of half-formed muscle with dead, fleshless equine skulls. Three of the forms are motionless, but the fourth twitches now and then.
Immediately in front of him, Artegall sees several figures in dark robes wielding scythes arranged to defend the room.
Artegall is very nervous about what that twitching thing in the glass vat might be. Does he have any idea about it?
And that is quite a lot of foes. It is hardly an act for Artegall to display fear here.
"Fall back! There are too many! We have to escape and get the Guard!"
Artegall moves south, trying to be out of sight from anyone in the room.
A single one would be a challenge for the party, much less 4 of them . Luckily 3 of the 4 already seem dead but the fourth is clearly alive, if in some sort of stasis.
As with nearly all evil outsiders, darkness is no bar to their sight , and these daemons in particular can sense the presence of good creatures and can tell how close to death a living being is .
They typically attack with bites and claws but are also known to use massive longbows when at range.
They are immune to normal weapons as well as acid, death effects, disease, and poison. They also have supernatural resistance to the elements and magic .
If it gets loose and turned on the group, they will certainly be in serious trouble.
The cultists in the room don't immediately stream out after Artegall.
The doors slam back shut, probably closed by someone inside.
Really, I think it was a great plan, Artegal. Honestly. But sometimes the simplest strategies are the best. Or at least the most impactful.
Big axe in hands, and ready to give in to the bloodlust, Nargun pushes the door open again.
He grins.
Ready to die a violent and painful death, folks? I don't expect you to surrender anyway.
Twilight saw Artegall's disappointment that the cultists had not fallen for their ruse. "Trickery and deception are divine endeavours, even if they don't succeed. They didn't take the bait but it wasn't for nothing. We know that there is someone just behind the door and given how they like to surround their foes it isn't unreasonable that there is another one on the other side of the doorway as well. They might have even been trying to bait us into their own ambush.
With this knowledge, Nargun can push left of the door while you push right to deny them the opportunity to flank either of you while Mirella and I deal with any that hang back. If we act quickly there is even a little time left on the enchantments that we prepared."
Since Nargun seems to have charged in, Mirela moves up close to try to support the assault.
Nargun pushes his way in and tries to cut the closest foe, who was probably hiding near the door
Nargun charges in and slices at the closest waiting cultist. His powerful swing scrapes off the cultist's breastplate concealed under their robes.
While those farther away proclaim calls to their goddess, the nearest cultist and the next closest one both fall on Nargun with their scythes ready.
The one Nargun tried to hit actually connects with a heavy blow of his own.
Artegall moves back up to the south door and kicks it open again.
Mirela moves up to be by the door.
As she approaches she commands Whisper to attack.
Whisper moves in seeing she can’t get past Nargun instead moves in through the door Artegall opened and snaps at the first thing she finds.
Whisper moves in and pulls down the first cultist she sees.
Artegall moves through the door and attacks the cultist that is flanked by Nargun (Yellow).
Artegall stabs one of Nargun's opponents squarely in the back.
Nargun has an hard time focusing on the multiples foes, and his axe swings wildly
Cultists chant and ghostly scythes appear hovering in the air over Nargun and Artegall's heads even while some of the cultists rush in to attack with the scythes in their hands.
Nargun's flankers get in their hits but Artegall is untouchable and Whisper's opponents seem spooked at having to fight a wolf.
Whisper bites at the Cultist as they stand up:
Mirela steps over to the open door and starts firing.
Then Whisper Bites again at the cultist Threating her.
Artegall studies and attacks the injured one between him and Nargun.
Wizard 0: Acid splash, Mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic. 1:Mage armour, Vanish, Magic weapon, (S)Colour spray.2:Spectral hand, Spectral hand, (S)Blur | Subtle misdirection 2/6.
Bonded item A:0/1, D: 0/1. Pearl Lv1 0/1, Lv2 0/1. Wand cure light (21). Wand daze monster (8). Wand prot.evil. (46). Wand magic missile (18)
Twilight watched as Nargun charged through the door and struggle against two unseen adversaries. Although they managed to land their strikes against the dwarf, she had seen him shrug off worse.
"Callistria, lend us your favour as we overcome those that would stand between us and righteous vengeance on those who wish harm on the citizens of this city."
Nargun was very briefly bathed in a faint yellow light.
Nargun continues his wild swings, hoping to kill his foes, and make them suffer
Artegall continues to cut into the back of the cultist who is stubbornly trying to bring down Nargun with his companion.
Mirela snaps at the cultist as he rises but can't get through the man's armor. Mirela sinks a pair of arrows into the same target, staggering him, and then Whisper brings the cultist down.
Nargun spins and swipes him with a powerful slashes, neatly chopping down the man between him and Artegall before turning and cutting hard through the armor of his other opponent.
The cultist to the north casts another spell, as do the casters to the east and south, while the two remaining cultists in melee range chop at Nargun and Artegall.
Artegall continues his cunning defense and evades every attack while one of the spectral scythes cuts hard through Nargun's defenses.
Another spectral weapon, suddenly appearing over Whisper, does the same to the wolf.
Artegall barely resists the enchantment, though it takes a lot out of him to do so.
He studies and strikes at the nearest cultist (Blue).
Mirela continues to rapidly Fire into the room this time targeting the other cultist who is near the door.
Then Whisper Steps up and bites at the cultist who just stepped away from her.
Wizard 0: Acid splash, Mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic. 1:Mage armour, Vanish, Magic weapon, (S)Colour spray.2:Spectral hand, Spectral hand, (S)Blur | Subtle misdirection 2/6.
Bonded item A:0/1, D: 0/1. Pearl Lv1 0/1, Lv2 0/1. Wand cure light (21). Wand daze monster (8). Wand prot.evil. (46). Wand magic missile (18)
Twilight stepped up beside Mirella, drawing the scroll that the priestess of Erastil has given her. Reading the prayer inscribed upon the vellum, Twilight conjured a weapon of pure magic similar to those summoned by the cultists, however this magic was filtered through Twilight's own faith. Instead of scythes, the weapon of force took the form of a yellow whip, the favoured weapon of Callistria.
With a loud crack, the divine whip lashed out at one of the priests in the back of the room.