Bite and claw alike tear through the druid working to club Vrothum, while he directs his second claw at one of the rats, tearing it in two.
Escaping the lashing vines, Shardra opens her eyes to meet the druids, silently meeting his challenge. "" she says, her own voice stealing through before returning to the rumbling chant.
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Since nobody's stuck in the entangled area, Whistles lets out a loud cry of "ISSLES! ISSLES! ISSLES!" to get Misaki's attention, casts Guidance, and flies over to tap Vrothum on the head. He intentionally flies in from a high enough angle that he won't provoke an attack of opportunity from the rats, as he swoops down from above.
The druid vexed by Shardra stops motionless while Whistles guides Vrothum's future attacks.
Round 2 Con't
18 Vrothum : Claws D2 & R5 down
14 Misaki : Cuts down D1, Whistles Guidance on Vrothum
11 Pinball : Double moves
4 Shardra : Hold person on D4
Round 3
20 Phantomblade :
Still Up: Phantomblade
for
for
for
for
Round 3 Con't
R2 : Bites at Vrothum, misses
D3 : Moves up
R3 : Moves up to Shardra
R7 : Moves up to Shardra
D4 : Held (still)
R4 : Bites at Vrothum, misses
R8 : Bites at Vrothum, misses
18 Vrothum :
14 Misaki :
11 Pinball :
4 Shardra :
Round 4
20 Phantomblade :
Phantomblade cuts through the last rat at his toes while the trio assaulting Vrothum are unable to find a way past the tiefling's breastplate and flurry of claws.
Shardra's druid remains held fast while the final patrol darts in her direction. This latest druid , thumbs his shillelagh in his open hand.
"Your actions matter not! We will all join hands when we are worms feasting on corpses! We will all dance and wriggle as one!"
Now Up: Everyone!
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Misaki follows the sounds of Whistles chirping towards the rest of the group, double moving to her current location.
Whistles withdraws from above Vrothum's head to avoid provoking from the rats, and flies above the nearby building, looking for Misaki. Seeing her heading his way, he swoops down to land on her shoulder.
Vrothum tears apart three more oversized rats with his bare hands... and mouth, while the others circle around to join him where the remaining combatants are still engaged.
Still Up: Shardra
Shardra's eyes open as she takes in her surroundings with newfound clarity, the spirit talking through her seemingly having passed on. "I never was one for dancing." she says, brandishing her heavy morningstar and swinging it at R3.
As Shardra hoists her morningstar into the air, Kolo will slip from Shardra's shoulder and distract her vermin assailants.
for
for
for
for
Kolo finds himself in a bit of a bad spot as the rat he goes into distract nips at his tail . The cultist held by Shardra's magic finally shakes it off. His ally hustles ahead, his rat friend in tow.
"Ha! Your magic is weak! Submit to the End! It is nigh! NIGH!"
The cultist thumps Shardra while his rat friend sneaks in a nip of his own against Kolo .
Round 4 Con't
18 Vrothum :
14 Misaki :
11 Pinball :
4 Shardra :
Round 5
20 Phantomblade :
Now Up: Everyone!
Shardra's headpiece sounds off like a gong as it's struck, a large dent knocked into the brass. "Oooow." Shardra groans, blood trickling down her forehead. "I'm okay. But by the very stone, if somebody doesn't shut them up about the end times, I'm about to get primordial on these topsiders."
Kolo croaks helplessly under the weight of the larger, faster rat, but is able to help Shardra like up another blow.
Shardra clubs a rat while Phantomblade sprints in to end it. Vrothum bites a cultist, who still stands after the attack.
Round 4 Con't
18 Vrothum : Bites D4 for 8
14 Misaki : Double move
11 Pinball :
4 Shardra : Hits R3 for 4
Round 5
20 Phantomblade : Slays R3
D3 :
R7 :
D4 (8dmg) :
Still Up: Pin
for
for
for
for
The cultist facing Shardra continues to work at her headpiece like an Iroran working his monastery bell.
DOOONNNNNNGGG
The cultist cannot help himself but to rave about his predictions of the future.
"See now how the bell tolls? The time for all of us dawns soon!!"
His rat nibbles at Kolo ineffectively, while his companion taunts Vrothum but is less lucky when it comes to clubbing.
"Yes! Feacus speaks true, demon-man! We shall all lock fingers and gaze into each others eyes as we... *ummphh*"
He glares at Vrothum.
"Stand still a little, it will make delivering you to the End that much easier?"
Round 5 Con't
D3 : Clubs Shardra for 6
R7 : Misses Kolo
D4 (8dmg) : Misses Vrothum
18 Vrothum :
14 Misaki :
11 Pinball :
4 Shardra :
Round 6
20 Phantomblade :
Now Up: Everyone!
Vrothum is clearly uninterested in the druid's predictions and begins by eating his face and then tearing it in half.
His lone companion blinks at the sight of his mauled friend, but nonetheless shakes his shillelagh at Shardra.
"It matters not! The world will--- *unghhh*"
Whatever the world will, Misaki's sword ensures it won't happen today.
The lone remaining rat blinks a few times, rises up and plays innocent, rolling over onto its belly and pawing apologetically in Kolo's direction, as if it has just been broken from some sort of undesired service.
The sounds of additional combat can be heard in the distance and Nefti quickly runs up again, taking the long way around the grasping weeds.
"Whoa! That was amazing! Your sword... and his sword... and ummm..."
Nefti nervously looks at the blood and gore dripping from Vrothum's mouth.
"We should, uhh.. probably get inside while the guards are distracted, right? Didn't Hestia say that was important?"
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Pinball grimaces at nothing in particular at arriving late to the party, so to speak. The gnome bends his attention to his wrist and in re-fastening the wand on his wrist sheath.
"I also have a healing wand if needed," Pinball mutters. "Nefti's right, though, we can't dally long: let's see if these cultists have anything of use, then hurry on."
Kolo silently watches the rat for several seconds, turning it's head to the side to regard his opponent, before nipping at his tail and sending it scurrying before allowing Shardra to pick him up.
"That does it! " she chants, seeming to grow more fearsome with each syllable. "...oh. Is it over? Oh, Ancestors. This is going to take hours to hammer out. Kolo! are you hurt!?"
Shardra retrieves her own wand. "No. No, thank you. I might not be the soldier my clansmen wanted, but I can at least mend scrapes and broken bones." she says, readying herself to move on with a sigh and shouldering her morningstar.
With Shardra and Kolo's wounds mended, you swiftly proceed into the interior of The Swift.
The main entry spans about thirty feet across and many market stalls lie shattered across the paved floor. Wood splinters and papers litter the room. Clearly, this served as a market for goods manufactured here in the prison.
Glancing to your left, you observe a 30-foot-by-35-foot room that houses the prison's mess hall. It contains several enormous wooden tables, stained by years of use and abuse. The room smells musty and rotten.
Glancing to your right, you observe a 50-foot-by-35 foot room that contains the recognizable trappings of a chapel. An altar dedicated to Abadar rests upon a raised section near the northern wall.
Just ahead, you can make out the main interior yard of the prison where signs of an earlier battle are apparent in the corpses of derro and some larger creature.
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"Isn't that bell the Venture-Captain wanted us to examine supposed to be in the chapel?" Misaki asks the others, gesturing with her katana, which she still has out.
"Is there any reason to search the rest of this area, or should we just check for that bell and then move deeper into this place to try and find the derros and prisoners?"
Sure enough, as you all enter the chapel, you take note of the oversized bell within.
There's an inscription on the bell:
Through obedience, we find peace.
Hestia's instructions were fairly concise - take measurements, scribe a quick picture, take notes of any auras and inscriptions. [ooc](No skill check required here, unless desired for RP purposes)[ooc]
Phantomblade and Vrothum quickly scan the pews, and beyond finding some signs of destruction here in the form of broken benches, there appears to be little else of note.
Nefti lingers in the hall.
"The quickest way to the basement would be through the main keep. We had to go down that way sometimes to feed prisoners that were in solitary."
Shardra, ever fascinated by artifacts, will leave the scribing to the others, casting identify and listening to the whispers of it's craftsmanship, of the long memory cast in bronze.
With your work cataloging the bell complete, Nefti bids you good luck and disappears out the main entrance. After taking a quick look into the mess hall and finding only debris and old, stale food you group up and begin to make your way towards the main keep which you know has a lower level.
You make your way into the prison yard which is open to the outside.
Rusted, iron flakes dust the ground around a series of thick gates. Within the keep’s yard, four derro corpses surround an insectile quadruped. Countless barbed crossbow bolts penetrate the strange beast’s hide, and where its head should be, thick ichors moisten the ground around two separated feathered antennae.
A pair of large double doors looms ahead, the obvious way to enter the keep. One of the door appears slightly ajar, whatever lock held it shut now rusted into uselessness, presumably by the strange insect nearby.
Perception
Surprised: Misaki, Pin, Whistles
Initiative
As Phantomblade approaches the door ahead, eagerly anticipating a view to the rooms beyond, the ground rumbles and shakes as earth, dirt and rock form up to a vaguely humanoid shape before him. Whatever it is, it bellows in a strange grating voice.
It lumbers ahead, appearing to intent to club Phantomblade with its oversized fists.
Surprise Round
23 Phantomblade :
12 Shardra:
11 Elemental :
6 Vrothum :
Round 1
23 Phantomblade :
12 Shardra:
11 Elemental :
10 Pinball :
7 Misaki :
6 Vrothum :
Now Up: Phantomblade, Shardra (surprise round actions)
Shardra answers in the same strange tongue, a sound like two boulders grinding together escaping her lips. "मुझे क्षमा करें! हम के माध्यम से गुजरना होगा।"
Breathing deep of the cloying incense still hanging from it's chain, she attempts to hex the guardian with misfortune .
for
for
Phantomblade discovers his elven weapon doesn't quite have the same effect he would ordinarily expect against fleshier targets .
Shardra's magic seems to work as the stony monster seems to suddenly miss the tengu due to ill luck at the last moment with one swing and only narrowly connecting with his second .
Surprise Round
23 Phantomblade : Strikes the elemental for 12
12 Shardra: Misfortune on the golem
11 Elemental : Slams Phantomblade for 16
6 Vrothum :
Round 1
23 Phantomblade :
12 Shardra:
11 Elemental :
10 Pinball :
7 Misaki :
6 Vrothum :
Now Up: Vrothum (surprise rd actions) then first round actions from Phantomblade and Shardra