Departing directly from the Grand Mausoleum, the Delvers head straight for the gate into the Necropolis. Waved through, the group makes its way through the now somewhat familiar streets and ruins towards the designated exploration site.
The sun beats down on the lonely, silent streets of the necropolis. Dust and sand now cover the once-bustling streets, and buildings that were once homes and shops are gradually disintegrating into rubble after centuries of neglect. Scattered throughout the ruins is the occasional palm tree or shrub, kept alive by the broken remnants of a long-abandoned irrigation system.
As the group rounds a corner and is about to make its way past an old well, Ahkenaten spots the head of a man pop up above a low wall atop a distant building straight ahead.
@The Grand Mausoleum
Excuse me, Sabu. If you don't mind me asking, why assign this site to our team? I know one of the other teams have petitioned you directly to be chosen to explore it. Is there anything special about this site that we should know?
Elrisiel's lips twitch into a momentary frown as she senses something wrong (forewarned). Unsure what it is, she tenses and glances about ().
It is true that the Scorched Hand has petitioned us to explore the site, but we denied their request. The sites are assigned randomly as to avoid the appearance of favoritism. Unfortunately I do not know much more about the site other than its size and dedication to Nethys.
The Professor had been in a bit of a surly mood since Pherenike left but he seemed to be rallying now. Alert as the Delvers walked the streets, he spotted what seemed likely to be the first moments of an ambush.
"Delvers, to arms!" he cried, moving to the well and crouching against it, managing to produce his crossbow as he moved into cover .
Unsure where the threat is coming from, Elrisiel ducks for cover nearby () and calls a spell to mind, conjuring a breastplate of magical force ().
Ahkenaten cries out a warning and ducks behind the old well for cover as Elrisiel, her mysterious connection to future events signalling possible danger, conjures forth magical protection even though the threat has not yet revealed itself to her.
A moment later, an arrow streaks through the air towards Rakara, revealing the danger to all...
...as the arrow grazes the half-orc's cheek, leaving a crimson mark.
The man howls in apparent delight at drawing first blood.
Rakara barely winces as the arrow draws a line across her cheek but she immediately starts towards the attacker, moving to the partial cover of a nearby building.
Rakara surges forward, putting her back to a wall before noticing two more men hiding in an a crumbling courtyard across the street from her.
They waste no time, raising khopeshes and charging across to intercept Rakara...
...the lead man attacks with reckless zeal catching Rakara with little time to react. The man's weapon nearly skewers her but she is able to twist her torso just in time to avoid a serious injury. However the move knocks the wind out of her doubling her over. This proves fortuitous as the second man's weapon misses high, slicing the air where her head had been a moment ago.
Seeing Rakara outnumbered by the two hidden attackers, Myron does not hesitate, but rushes forward to aid her.
He pulls out his twin kukri and dashes past the well to slash viciously at the closest attacker.
Elrisiel hustles over to the well near the Professor. She incants a quick arcane phrase and a jade knife of magical energy lances into the nearest of Rakara's two assailants ().
Ahkenaten knelt down, focusing on the second man attacking his new ally as the assailant recovered from the backswing of his blow. The man felt sluggish and confused struggling to translate his thoughts into action as the Professor briefly filled the man's mind with advanced formulae, fragments of lectures and riddles.
Myron raced to Rakara's assistance, slashing at the man's thigh, penetrating the man's padded armor and leaving a shallow wound across his leg.
The other man, his mind beginning to cloud, involuntarily relaxed allowing his sword to dip slightly...
...but a glint off of Rakara's sword catches his eye and he shakes off the Professor's efforts and raises his weapon once again.
The other man, a bit of red beginning to show on his thigh, groans audibly when Elrisiel's green projectile slams into his chest.
The man on the far roof top swings his bow to the right and lets an arrow fly at Kheled before he has even a chance to react...
...catching his squarely in the chest! The arrow's fletching are just visible as the arrow head sticks out cleanly from his back.
As the Delver's problems continue to mount, another man appears on an adjacent rooftop and hurls a net at Elrisiel...
...but the man catches the top of the wall and the net falls harmlessly to the ground as yet two more men step out from around a corner and join the fracas in the street.
Kheled stumbles forward a few feet struggling to pluck the arrow out of his chest. As it slips out he almost passes out but immediately channels, excluding the 4 foes on the group before healing his allies.
Dumah rushes forward to help keep the thugs from getting amongst the group, drawing his falchion as he goes.
Rakara feels a welcome warmth suffuse her after the previous two attacks and begins to swing wildly at the foe in front of her.
Her seeming erratic sword work fails to hit her opponent but her foes will soon discover that their swords will have a more difficult time finding an opening.
Kheled moves forward and heals himself and his comrades.
A mere moment later yet another man appears upon a the roof, throwing a net at Kheled...
...ensnaring the oracle within its ropes just as two others join the fight from the rear.
One moves on Elrisiel, slashing at her with his sword...
...but she easily dodges the clumsy swing.
The other moves up behind Rakara, putting her in a precarious position with enemies on both sides of her.
Dumah starts to rush forward, intent on helping Rakara and Myron. But the sudden appearance of more opponents alters his course. He rushes to Elrisiel's side, blade in hand and attacks the man who assaulted her.
Move to N25, drawing falchion as part of the move action. Swing on the cyan attacker.
To hit
Damage
Possible crit:
Confirm
Damage
As the other attacker comes up behind her Rakara steps to her left bringing her adjacent to Myron hoping to divert some of the anticipated attacks from her comrade, her blades continuing to weave before her.
Dumah moves to Elrisiel's aid and swiftly beheads the man threatening her with a jaw dropping display of fine swordsmanship.
Rakara back peddles, misses with a strike of her own while attempting to keep her attackers at bay with a veritable wall of defensive sword maneuvers.
Seeing one of their own so brutally put down, the men facing you attack with increased ferocity, shifting to positions of advantage and pressing the attack...
... with Rakara suffering a blow to the temple from the pommel of one attacker's sword and Myron knocked off balance blocking a lunging strike that might have seriously injured him.
Shaking off the glancing blow, Myron takes time to deliver a frosty insult before stepping into flanking position to perform a dual slash against the injured attacker.
The musetouched elf coolly nods her thanks at Dumah, even as an arcane power word rolls off her lips. With a flourish, she flicks a glob of acid at the man nearest her on the ground ().
Myron counter maneuvers and cuts down the man between himself and Rakara with his Kukri flashing in the sun.
The Professor tries his spell again against a new target...
...but once again the ambushers seem to have luck on their side.
Elrisiel then flicks a gob of acid which hits the mans armor and begins eating its way through.
The man on the far building sends another arrow hurtling at the entangled Kheled...
...and the projectile grazes his calf, hobbling him further and putting him in grave danger.
The man on top of the building to the west produces a bag and hurls it at Dumah...
...but it sails high and breaks open on the wall behind him, covering it in a sticky black resin.
The last two ambushers join the melee by the well, one attacking Rakara and one attacking Myron...
... with Rakara suffering another solid blow knocking the wind from her lungs. She too is in grave danger, with enemies all around her.
Kheled releases another wave of healing, he excludes anyone he sees that has been hit.
The man on top of the building to the east produces a bag and hurls it at Myron...
...but he leaps just in time and it breaks open on the ground at his feet, the black resin mixing with the sand.
Another one of the ambushers attacking Rakara swings at her backside...
...but she senses the strike and twists out of the way.
When the sack of resin splits open on the wall next to him, Dumah looks up at the clouds, slightly puzzled. Shaking off the strange sudden appearance of the tar, Dumah wordlessly jogs up to another thug and, hoping to take some of the pressure off of diminutive Myron, slashes at him as well.
Move to Q23 and attack the green thug.
To hit
Damage
He then murmurs to Rakara "Beware, it seems to be raining pitch in some places." There is no hint of humor in his tone, just concern.
Dumah wastes little time in sending another thug to the ground, his life force soaking into the sand.
Rakara reels with the attacks. Tired of getting more than she's been giving she swings at the most immediate threat, finally connecting. She then steps back to prevent being flanked again.
Dumah wastes little time in sending another thug to the ground, his life force soaking into the sand.
Rakara gives the man nearest the wall a sound shot before stepping back over the body of one of his comrades and next to Myron.
The man spits in anger and yells, You'll pay for that half-orc! while side stepping in to exact his revenge...
...sending Rakara to the ground atop the fallen thug, a nasty cut to her belly.
And YOU will pay dearly for that, scum! Myron says, as he steps protectively over Rakara's fallen form and delivers a double slash against the bandit.
Finding his normal enchantments having little effect, Aristedes instead reloaded his crossbow and took aim at the closest combatant not engaged in a melee. His aim was true, the bolt ripping through armour and flesh!
El moves around the well, past the professor to stand near the walls of one of the buildings. Incanting a short arcane phrase, a riot of colors springs from her outstretched hands and assails the two thugs engaging the halfling.
Myron slashes the man that dropped Rakara twice, opening up cuts on both his legs. The man's face drains of blood and he looks wobbly all of a sudden.
Ahkenaten, not wishing to risk hitting one of his friends in the frenzied melee in front of him, turns and sends a bolt up at the man on the building to the east. The Professor's aim is excellent and the projectile pierces the man's arm causing to howl in pain.
Elrisiel then adds her spell to the fracas...
...knocking two of the men senseless, eyes rolling back in their heads before pitching over to fall face first into the sand.
The archer on the far building, sees a new target present itself, and now blocking his previous target, lets fly another arrow...
...but it glances off of the wall beside her head and carries on down the street before embedding itself into the sand a ways behind her.
The man atop the building to the west briefly disappears before emerging from the doorway at street level, sword in hand.
Kheled lets out another wave of healing ...he then struggles forward cluching at his wound before collapsing in a heap
.
Kheled sends forth a wave of divine healing, omitting those attackers that are wounded or downed, before attempting his ruse. Rakara remains unconscious but her wounds mend slightly and the bleeding stops.
The other man atop the nearby buildings scrambles towards the back and Myron can see him descend a rope at the far back corner. Reaching the ground the man looks back and forth...
Dumah presses the attack on the thug trapped between him and Myron.
Attack on the blue thug.
To hit
Damage
Possible crit
Confirm
Damage
Assuming that drops blue, Dumah will advance to T22.
Myron drops both his kukri and moves to the doorway by the eastern building, drawing his sling staff.
Pausing in the doorway, he gives the injured attacker a defiant glare as he drops a bullet in his sling pouch and starts to twirl the staff with a menacing wooshing sound.
Thinking about bolting? Go ahead, and we'll find out if you can outrun a sling shot.