Ping follows the others, keeping four little motes of light that look like tiny fairies illuminating the back of the group. Demons, dark places, close walls, all of it was wrong, so very wrong. Still, when Pavanna told the group how to to split up she obeyed, scurrying up to where Noro and Olivius are.
"Do you need more light?" She asks Olivius and Noro quietly.
On my shield. Olivius says quietly.
Sprig nods to Pavanna's suggestion, and hides in the hood of Thirzin's cloak, showing not even a mote of light as the party moves through the tunnels. She remains quiet for most of the time, until they pass into the once bricked over tunnel. Her tiny voice is soft, quiet, and pleading, like she's praying.
"გვაკვირდება , გვხელმძღვანელობს და დაგვიცავს. ეს არის ჩემი ლოცვა ."
On my shield. Olivius says quietly.
"I can't do that. I can only do this," she answers just as quietly while moving the lights in front of Olivius.
Good enough. When it comes to a fight, move it above the foe, if you can.
Olivius never takes his eyes off the tunnel ahead.
Thirzin tries to keep the multitude of alcoholic beverages in his stomach and not all over the cavern walls. The dwarf just stares into the comforting darkness, wrapping his weapon around his arm, the cool metal in his hands giving him only brief reprieve from the desire for sleep...and a bucket.
Asuriel thanks Pavanna for the purchase. "I hope you are wrong and we will not be needed this, but thanks just the same for picking it up."
She gets in line following the directions issued by Pavanna. Fatigued from the lack of sleep last night, frustrated from the events at the town hall last night and petrified that her nightmares will come true - Asuriel slogs on quietly down into the tunnel with her companions.
[ooc]I'm going to assume that we don't have the scroll until we agree on buying it.
Prior to entering the tunnel, Saroune casts mage armor on herself. Inside, she keeps pace with the rest of the group, being sure to cast light as needed.
Thirzin speaks quietly, through gritted teeth, trying to hold the nausea back.
"Something down here just hissed...and a rock hit the ground." Thirzin shakes his head and looks slowly in the direction of the sound, knowing he's the best sighted of the bunch.
As Thirzin peers deeper into the small side cavern, the hiss comes again. The dwarf, fighting nausea and fatigue looks up.
And finds two of the most horrific creatures he'd ever laid eyes on.
The creatures drop form the rough ceiling and glare menacingly at the party. Jaws split in two as they bellow and dog-legs tense as the get ready to leap.
"Found 'em!" the dwarf says about as loud as he safely can while hurtling his weighted weapon at the closer of the two enemies, hoping that he'll have a chance at hitting them in his current state.
Asuriel was beside Thirzin when he calls out and unloads his weapon to the east. She doesn't need light to see and so without much difficulty she spots what Thirzin just attacked and --
What the hell?
Asuriel's jaw drops and a cold shiver goes down her spine when she sees, whatever those abominations are!
Light guide us!
Her cold iron blade already in her hand she stares over at the creatures and prepares to lunge into attack, but pauses as a thought comes to mind. She calls out, "Horatio! Как насчет вас показать эти мерзости, что такое красота звучит как? Я думал, что это будет подходящее время, чтобы заполнить эти старые туннели с подобными вашей музыки."
She steps into the small cavern, close enough to attack the thing but trying to keep her distance from it. She swings toward its head but quickly realizes her lack of sleep last night is influencing her poorly timed attack. Her swing goes completely wide of her target, missing.
Ping rushes up to Thirzin's side and begins to chant as she focuses a chill wind in her hands.
"ਮੈਨੂੰ ਮੇਰੇ ਹੱਥ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਰਦੀ ਦੇ ਕਹਿਰ ਨੂੰ ਰੱਖਣ . ਆਓ , ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਦੇ ਗੁੱਸੇ ਦਾ ਪਤਾ ਹੈ."
A vortex of frozen air and icy shards whips out in front of her, barely missing Asuriel, and engulfs the two monsters as hoarfrost coats the walls..
Red: 9/19 HP AC 14
White: 15/19 HP AC 14
Olivius quickly about-faces, rushes around the corner, and attempts to skewer the moster on the left with his spear.
Noro moves back next to the dwarf. there are already plenty of bodies in the cramped quarters. so Noro simply leans back and crosses her arms to watch her protege in action.
If he needs help She is at the ready.
The shouts and sounds of combat behind her bring Pavanna’s head snapping around, and she curses herself for an idiot as she recognises her mistake. When you come to an unsecured space, you search the damned thing thoroughly enough to make it secure before you move on. You don’t just glance inside for a moment, assume you saw everything, and keep going straight past it to leave an enemy at your back! The instructors would have taken turns peeling strips from my hide if they’d seen me put on a performance like this back at the Temple.
Nonetheless, Thirzin and Olivius are there, and Asuriel’s new blade can finish any demon they fell. They should have this well in hand. “That’s our best fighters in there, and Asuriel too. I’m sure they can handle whatever’s in there, if we leave them the space to fight freely,” she tells Horatio, hoping events don’t prove her a liar. “We should keep guard on these other tunnels, in case the noise attracts more company.”
Saroune moves up behind Ping and throws a telekinetic punch at the horrifying white creature.
Unable to see if she hit the beast, she prepares another charge of her will in case more of the monsters come rushing down the hall. She had never seen something like them before. Hopefully once the action was over, she could get a better look at them.
Red: 0/19 HP AC 14
White: 13/19 HP AC 14
Cursing under his breath at the sounds of combat, Horatio draws his violin. "Well, a battle with our best warriors deserves accompaniment, does it not?" he asks, a forced lightness in his tone as he sets the bow to the strings.
Sprig, unsure of what to do and frightened by the monsters that have appeared, hangs onto Thirzin's cloak and makes herself as unnoticeable as possible.
Red:
White:
The monsters howl as blade, ice, and will bite into them. The one in front of Olivius stabs at the gnome sorceress before snapping its neck to the side in an attempt to maul the fighter. Fortunately for the two of them, its strikes are driven more by fury than anything, and both miss their marks. It hisses as it moves back a step. The white monster, meanwhile, tries, and fails to shred Asuriel.
Noro looks at Horatio, with a rather frustrated glare at the comment. looking back at who is in combat.
She simply stretches and cracks her knuckles as she shift her position for a better view.
Olivius steps in and continues to engage purple, creating space for someone to get into melee with white. Horatio's music helps drive the fatigue of the day away, and his spear is better controlled for it.
Olivius cleaves through the neck and shoulders of the purple one and into the white one, causing it to howl in pain.
White: 2/19 HP
AC 14
Asuriel scoots around to the south of the creature to make room for her companions. She swings at the foul creature again but once more doesn't even come close to touching it.
Focus Asuriel! Forget about your fatigue and pay attention to the damned thing in front of you!
The dwarf grins, feeling the strength of battle flow through his limbs, giving him a moment of clarity as his weapon hurtles through the air and smashes heavily into the creature, shattering whatever sort of bones it might have.
Thirzin sends the other abomination off to meet with whatever fate awaits it with a sickening crunch.
"Did we win yet?" Horatio asks casually, calling back to the group in combat.
As the shouts and clashes of battle end, Pavanna squeezes into the mouth of the side-cave. “Is everyone all right? «Это все в порядке?»” she asks — then gets a good look at the fallen creatures. “And what the blazes are those?” she adds in consternation, trying to make sense of what she’s seeing. Even allowing for the ghastly wounds inflicted by Thirzin’s dorn dergar and Olivius’ spear, the fallen creatures are hideous.
She wracks her brain, trying to recall if she’s ever seen or read any mention of anything like their ambushers.
“Well done, everyone. Thank you,” she says to those who put the things down.... then mutters, almost to herself, “Not least for cleaning up my mistake. How the hell did I let myself miss them in a space that small?” I’d say ‘sorry’, but if things had gone worse, it’d be no consolation to anyone my negligence got killed! she snarls at herself. Sleeplessness is no excuse for carelessness!
"They hid in the ceiling of the cave," Sprig speaks up from Thirzin's shoulder, "I saw them drop down form there after Thirizin heard something coming from there I guess."
Olivius puts his hands on Pavanna's shoulder as he leads Ping back to point. Not now, soldier. Doubt leads to fear, and fear is the mind-killer. Stow it for layer.
A little more loudly he says, Let's get to clearing this place so we can all go back to the Dragon and get back to more important things, like passing out for a day or two.
He then takes point in the tunnel he was exploring before, shield up, ready to knock whatever hostile he encountered into next week.
noro moves to take point beside Olivius. she whispers to him as they progress.
you looked pretty good back there, your shtance wash good, your control of the blade wash pretty good too. pretty soon ya won't be needing ole Noro around anymore to bail ya out.
Olivius chuckles through his focus on the shifting shadows cast by Ping's light.
You're not going anywhere. I still have to return the favor and teach you to use a proper weapon.
Saroune crouches next to the fallen creatures. Now that she can see the monstrous figures, she knows what they are.
"I know what manner of beasts these were. Ancient Thassilon called them רץחטא, but colloquially, they were called sinspawn. The Runelords used powerful transmutation magics to twist a once sentient being into something monstrous. An abhorrent, if fascinating, ritual. I would love to bring one of these back to Sandpoint to study..."
The wizard stands up and addresses the rest of her party. "Their presence here is not likely to be coincidental. We should prepare for the possibility of some kind of Thassilonian structure to be ahead." Despite the threat such a place might present, Saroune can't help but let excitement creep into her voice.
"No. I'm going to burn them," Ping says in a dead, monotone voice as flames form in her hands.
Not the blue white ones that chill the air, but bright orange ones that burn hot.
Thirzin looks to the wizard of the bunch, his blood running cold.
"Thassilon? But why would something like that be here? An idea like that should be long dead..." the dwarf just shakes his head.
"This complicates things."
Moving out of the way of Ping, he approaches Pavanna and motions her closer to his level. "Lass, nobody else noticed it either. I have seen us rely on you ta see us through. I gotta earn my keep a bit too." the dwarf grind and lightly punches the girl in the shoulder.
"We're a team, so we're all each other's eyes, ears, arms, and legs."
Olivius puts his hands on Pavanna's shoulder as he leads Ping back to point. Not now, soldier. Doubt leads to fear, and fear is the mind-killer. Stow it for later.
“Yes, sir,” Pavanna nods, bracing a little in response to Olivius’ voice-of-command.
Thirzin looks to the wizard of the bunch, his blood running cold.
"Thassilon? But why would something like that be here? An idea like that should be long dead..." the dwarf just shakes his head.
"This complicates things."
“Indeed,” Pavanna murmurs, eying the things with firmly-reined revulsion. That is a horrific and godless treatment to inflict on a thinking being. I pray these poor souls can at last find their rest. “I’d hoped to explore Varisia and find ruins and relics of Thassilon, but I never expected the relics within those ruins would be consciously trying to kill me and mine....”
She shakes the thought off and glances to Saroune, seeing her fellow scholar’s eyes lighting up with the same delighted interest she can feel rising in herself. “Wrathspawn such as these... unless memory betrays me, it would suggest an outpost of Xin-Bakrakhan. Tsuto’s journals mentioned the quasit had ‘freaks’ at her command? I think we just found them.” And a contingent of sinspawn would make a fearsome anvil indeed for the hammer of a goblin assault.
Her gaze goes to Ping next. She opens her mouth, thinking to forestall the gnome’s pyromaniacal impulses in favour of study and research... then sees the bloodlust in the sorcerer’s manner and shifts her approach. “You should save your flames for the foes still ahead of us, Ping. We need to deal with them first; disposing of these can wait until later.” If nothing else, once this place is secure, we will have time and leisure to build normal bonfires.
Moving out of the way of Ping, he approaches Pavanna and motions her closer to his level. "Lass, nobody else noticed it either. I have seen us rely on you ta see us through. I gotta earn my keep a bit too." the dwarf grind and lightly punches the girl in the shoulder.
"We're a team, so we're all each other's eyes, ears, arms, and legs."
The tiefling grunts a little at the thump — Thirzin’s fist is the size of a half-brick, and about as solid — then nods, ruefully acknowledging his point. “Fair enough, good Thirzin. And certainly your dab hand with that dorn dergar is more than paying your way,” she adds, mustering a half-joke even in her current state. “As swiftly as these two were demolished, I’m not sure I needed to be quite as alarmed as I was.”
Asuriel checks over the bodies of the fallen creatures to see if there is anything useful on them. After completely that task she wordlessly falls back into line with the group, pondering over her complete inability to come close to striking these... Sinspawn was it?
Ping, reluctantly, lets the flames dancing in her hands burn out.
It's not bloodlust that Pavanna sees in Ping's eyes, but utter revulsion.
Having never seen anything like the strange creatures before, Horatio simply takes Pavanna and Saroune's word as to their nature. "Didn't Thassilon crumble thousands of years ago?" he asks softly. "So what are they doing here?"
Someone's doing something stupid. Let's move. Olivius grumbles at them.
Saroune was about to protest Ping's destruction of something so valuable for research, but when saw the gnome's eyes, she thought better of it. She holds her hands up in a placating gesture. "Will you be content with me taking a sample of the creature's flesh?"
Heedless of the answer, Saroune resumes her position in the middle of the group, protected on either side by her more combat-capable friends.
"Perhaps the same ritual that creates a sinspawn also grants it an unnaturally long life. Something could have opened a vault they were meant to protect. I don't want to think about somebody making new sinspawn. That requires a magic very old and very powerful." The wizard involuntarily shudders at the thought.