"Demons have taken these one's tounges!" shouts Aero as he calls upon fortune's favor, moves up, drawing his rapier as be goes before stabbing at the front mongrel.
Nebbin waits for the mongrelmen to come back out of hiding, until he hears Aero, at which point he looks for Ravana and Soairse to protect them all.
Lucius will attempt to ensnare the mind of the right hand, further back mongrelman. He speaks in the tongue of devils, <<Tainted wretch, hear Father Asmodeus's will. Ally yourself with his children.>>
After casting, he shouts:
"Lay down your arms, cave-dwellers. We seek passage, not a fight."
Assuming it is possible once her turn rolls around, Ravana will move up behind Aero. If it looks like there will be combat from then, she will manifest her horns.
If it's all over by her turn, she will stay where she is.
Saoirse holds out her hand with a shocked expression on her face as Aero charges ahead, shaking her head as she sees no choice but to move forward with him. Her sword stabbing through the barricade as she tries to reach the mongrelman behind the barricade.
Attack:
Damage:
Aero's rapier catches the barricade, causing him to miss the mongrelman. Fortunately Saoirse's well aimed (and timed) sword strikes true and deeply with a sickening sound. The mongrelman's face twists into terror as it slides off the sword and lies unmoving on the ground. Blood pools around its body.
The remaining mongrelman looks blankly for a moment...then laughs at Lucius. It pulls a crossbow out and aims it at the Paladin.
The bolt flies from the stock and lodges itself in the barricade where the unconscious mongrelman lies.
Ravana's appearance becomes frightening as horns appear on her head.
Nebbin jumps as violence erupts and the crossbow bolt slams into the barricade.
"Be careful!" he calls out nervously as he holds his mail up higher to shed more light.
Lucius's eyes narrow. He does not enjoy being laughed at. He outstretches a finger. <<If you will not obey, you will do nothing.>>
Aero will step forward into the gap between the barrier and take a poke at the remaining mongrelman with his rapier while letting his blessing linger.
Ravana advances to the barricade but does not push through.
Seeing an opening, the young crusader stabs again, unable to suppress a wince as her sword strikes home with devastating precision in another living creature, sending its blood spraying across the cave.
The mongrelman falls from the first strike and is dead from the second as Saoirse demonstrates exactly WHY she carries that sword.
Nebbin looks around, still stunned from the sudden violence.
How did he know demons took their tongues? What if a demon took the tongue of that one that couldn't talk back in the inn?!
He holds up his maul, waiting for everyone else to be ready to continue on.
Gabriel shakes himself off a bit and speaks quietly.
"Ugh, I'm not sure what came over me there. I know the plan was to investigate but when we saw them, All I could see was red. I think this place is starting to get to me."
Gabiel shutters a little bit and puts his arm on Saoirse's shoulder, leans in for support and a few tears fall from his eyes.
After a few moments Aero will pull himself together and be ready to continue.
Returning to the wounded, Ravana is once again ready to proceed.
Saoirse pulls her imbedded sword out of the dead mongrelman and turns to make sure everyone else is ok. Feeling Aero's arm rest on her shoulder, Saoirse, turns and holds him up, whisper "Keep it together Aero, we'll be through this soon."
Turning to the rest of the group after Aero is back together, she nods her head towards the "doorway" for the rest of the group to follow her.
Pulling the wooden screen aside, Saoirse leads the group into the next room. The light from Nebbin's maul allows you to see in the darkened area. The lingering smells of cooked meat and rank bodies hang in the air. Ten bedrolls, each piled with coarse blankets and animal furs, surround a fire pit filled with glowing goals. Tanned hides hang stretched on the walls, each crudely painted with scenes of deformed humanoids hunting giant vermin in caves.
Two mongrelmen are stirring in the bedrolls, obviously awakened by the noise outside. One rolls over and it's toad eyes widen in surprise...
Nebbin waits to see what happens.
I wonder if these ones have made deals with the demons too?
This time Aero will not panic and charge ahead and will instead cast protection from evil on himself and will see if these ones are capale of responding.
"Greetings..."
Once Nebbin's maul shines on the mongrelmen, Saoirse steps forward swiftly and stands over the closest mongrelman. Pressing the blade of her stained sword to his throat. "Don't move..." Her voice more husky and menacing than usual.
The mongrelmen stop their movements at Aero's greeting, then the one squeaks as Saoirse cows it with her naked steel.
In a throaty but intelligible voice, the albino rat faced mongrelman (not currently being threatened by Saoirse) says, "Who are you...what do you want with us?"
"Wait. Don't say anything to him yet."
Lucius will pause, focus, then chant in Infernal. <<By the power of Father Asmodeus, you will listen, and obey.>>
Aero steps aside to allow Lucius to continue his "conversation."
Lucius murmurs to Soairse and Aero, "Keep the rest of them quiet."
Then, he clears his throat and addresses the albino rat-man. "We're refugees from Kenabres, trying to return home. The mongrelmen of Neatholm directed us to this tunnel. We regret the...violence of arrivals, but your sentries attacked us."
"If you could answer a few questions for me, that would be most helpful. Are there any immediate dangers I should be aware of? And what is the nature of your quarrel with Neatholm?"
Nebbin waits for someone to tell him what to do, hoping whatever that is involves getting him home safely.
The rat-man spits, "Neatholm. Nothing there except cowards. There is only one place to be in these times. We've all been told to kill anything that comes from this direction. The lady don't want anyone coming up. She's dangerous alright, heh."
Aero keeps his eyes open but mouth shut, not wanting to disrupt Lucius's enchantment.
Lucius thinks frantically. Need to wrap this up before the other mongrels get chatty. He can't ensorcell all of them. Not fast enough. "Really, what is that place? Is it with your 'lady'?" He spreads his hands, trying his very best to look nonthreatening. "Asmodeus teaches us not to get into fights we cannot expect to win. I don't suppose you can simply let us pass?" He deliberately leaves it unclear who could not hope to win.
Saoirse's eyes narrow as she listens to the conversation Lucius has with the mongrelman, her arm taut as she holds her sword steady. Whispering to herself "Inheritor grant me eyes to see the wicked with... I must know the truth."
Nebbin continues to wait.
They didn't seem like cowards to me. Maybe this lady is just really brave?
"Lady Hosilla has brought the glory of Baphomet to us. She showed us his strength when she sacrificed our old chief and his consort. She is dangerous and beautiful. And then there's her silent killer Uziel!" The mongrel spits at this name. "Damnable tiefling let's noone near her. I can surely let you pass if your looking to aid Lady Hosilla...but Uziel may not be so forward thinking."
So they do worship Baphomet. Faithless curs. Lucius's hand drops into his belt pouch: He invokes Tendralev's scale, summoning the ethereal shield. This is going to get messy, fast.
"We will not serve your Lady, nor can she protect you from the ultimate rewards of the Abyss. Your only possible hope is to return to Neatholm. Plead their forgiveness, throw yourself on their mercy. Forget Baphomet. Worship Order, not the mindless depravities of Chaos. Only death can stem from the demons."
Aero nods silently to Lucius in acknowledgment.
At least the means the first chief was honest with us. I hope to meet them again someday, and learn more about their culture...
Aero loses himself in his thoughts before snapping back to the now, where he holds in breath in anticipation for the mongrel's respose.
The mongrelman stares for a moment then laughs. "You will not leave these caverns alive!" He starts to lunge for a weapon on the floor next to his sleeping area.
The other mongrel goes to pick up a weapon as well.
Nebbin's breath catches as violence suddenly breaks out!
Lucius didn't think that would work, even if he'd clouded both of their minds. He steps away from the mongrels, pointing a finger at the albino: <<Quiet yourself.>>
Sword Damage:
Saoirse slashes her sword across the exposed flesh of the mongrelman as he dives for a weapon, her face turning to anger as she says "Your wickedness dies here."
Aero will call upon fortune's favor, and attempt to cut down the demon worshiping mongrel.
Total Damage: 13.
Unsurprised by the killing, and uninterested in taking part, Ravana sticks to the back, not even pretending to be interested in taking part in the combat.
What have I gotten myself into here? Am I to become a Crusader by default? Or simply one who heals them, protects their wounded and guards their backs? Hmmff, might as well let the slaughter commence, for it's no burden on my part, but perhaps I shall continue to remain here in the back where I can keep a more careful eye."
The shaman is having second thoughts I see. Why am I not? What am I becoming? What do our actions say about us?
Aero's quickness proves deadly as the mongrelman sinks back down before he can even get to his knees.
Saoirse's mongrelman makes no noise, only a look of fear and despair forever imprinted on his face as she cuts him down.
A pale-scaled and pink-eyed cave lizard comes licking the air through the "door" to the north. Its head raises as it searches for something then it waddles next to the recently felled by Aero mongrelman.
Seeing the giant lizard, Lucius attempts to remain quiet, and not draw attention.