Fionn calls on the power of Sarenrae and channels healing power again in a 30 radius, moving so few or no apes are in range, only party members... she will exclude 2 apes who are in range (selective channeling).
[dice=channel healing[1d6[/dice]
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Fionn Channels a positive energy filling everyone with the warmth of the sun. Taldor presses his attacks and pushes pack the monkey into the wall pinning it with his shield not only splattering the wall red but cracking a few of the mosaic tiles in the process. The eagle presses its attacks and continues to work on the ape, who is looking pretty bad at the moment. Kara vaults throw the melee and aids her friend khatijah disposing of yet another one of the massive apes.
Ape 1 (14 damage) attacks eagle
Ape 2 attacks Khatijah
Ape 3 attacks Taldor
Ape 4 DEAD
Ape 6 DEAD
Ape 7 attacks Kara
Tolus adjusts his stance and steps into flank with Kara against the ape that has targeted her. He draws a slender blade from his belt and attacks using precision instead of trying to leverage his inconsequential strength.
Arizhel sighs heavilly as yet another of her eagles fails to last more than a blink of the eye. Cursing the ape, she summons yet another of her feathered friends to battle, opposite Kara to provide the dancer with a flanking partner.
Frustration gets the better of the young woman and she takes the sword in both hands and aims for the back of the most injured ape's skull, loosing a feral scream as she swings.
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mid-round
Tolus aids kara and delivers a spear point into the side of the ape. Arizhel's Eagle delivers a nasty gash to the ape that has destroyed it's friends. And Khatijah releases her hand from her scimitar and shakes her off hand out.
Ape 1 Dead
Ape 2 flees
Ape 3 flees
Ape 7 (9 damage) flees
The apes begin to flee as they watch their numbers fall.
Starting to feel winded as another ape falls before her, Kara turns and swings one last time at the fleeing apes.
Once the apes flee, Arizhel will ask, "Can we go sleep now? I don't think I have anything else left in me."
After the remaining apes flee, Fionn once again calls on the power of the Dawnflower and channels healing energy into her companions, again excluding two fallen apes from the effect.
Tolus holds his shield ready for a moment after the apes begin to flee, worried that they'll rally for a renewed attack. When they disappear he heaves a sigh. An ache spreads through his shoulders and core. He moans and shakes out his limbs in an effort to relax his stressed muscles
Tolus nods at taldor's order and stows his shield to prevent it from making any noise. He creeps over to the last areas at the far side of the room and slowly peers around the corners.
Khatijah holds on to her sword long enough to be sure the apes were running before dropping it and swearing loudly while clutching her left elbow.
"Agreed." she says through gritting teeth.
"We should perhaps rest soon. I've very little healing left, but I do have a little, if you want to check out the last few areas. I'm just concerned that if we run into anything as nasty as those apes again, I might not be able to keep up with the wounded. We should definitely save the lower level for after a good rest."
"Lets barricade ourselves in one of the rooms, so we minimize the chance of being attacked in the night, and sleep. We can look around more then."
After checking the room for threats, Tolus pipes up: "This room has five beds. Plenty for those not on watch. I propose we set up camp here. We shouldn't even need a fire. The warm stone should keep us through the night."
Tolus's manner obviously communicates that he agrees that sleep would be an excelent option. Though he avoided harm in the fight, his mouth is dry of both venom and saliva and his muscles feel like he has never used them before this day. It felt like being born again. He only wished someone had reminded him that being born is never a pleasant experience.
After wiping the blood from her blade, Kara sits against the wall and stares at her reflection in the metal. Did I really kill those beasts?. She starts to verbalize her thoughts, though to no one in particular, "I don't even know how I did it. But I've never felt so alive...and free." She looks immediately embarrassed after those last words.
As soon as the group agrees to stop, the tiny halfling has her bedroll unpacked on one of the 'beds'. She quickly murmurs, "Wake me for which ever watch you want."
Being on watch with Tolus for the final shift, Fionn makes sure everyone is healed up before making a quick dinner for everyone. Then she will start settling into one of the beds for a rest.
After wiping the blood from her blade, Kara sits against the wall and stares at her reflection in the metal. Did I really kill those beasts?. She starts to verbalize her thoughts, though to no one in particular, "I don't even know how I did it. But I've never felt so alive...and free." She looks immediately embarrassed after those last words.
Kara's words pull Tolus out of his own contemplations. He moves over to her as the others start to drag themselves over to the beds and sinks down beside her.
I do not remember my birth, but I imagine this is what it must feel like. I can feel the blood in my veins. My muscles feel like I just scrubbed 50 flights of marble stairs.His tone is comiserating. He isn't so much talking at her as jointly commenting on what he thinks they both are experiencing at this moment.
Malak has stayed relatively quiet through the battle, tired and drained he looks at the others and says My magics take a greater toll on me than some of you I think as I must pull them from the magic residing within me. I need a full night sleep in order to be functional tomorrow. I am willing to take a watch but that will lengthen the time required for us to start again in the morning.
When they start talking about the battle and feeling alive, Malak smiles and replies True, there is nothing quite so like walking the fine edge of death's scythe, every step potentially bringing you screaming into Pharasma's boneyard.
Arizhel nods at Malak, "Tis the same with me."
"Far from it." Khatijah adds gruffly to Taldor's comment.
She looks troubled by something, and anger as well. Harsh words come from under her breath as she eats, and later begins her watch.
Fool! You know how to fight. Or have you lost your wits after the promises of freedom?
"I think we should continue on until we have the top area cleared, then get the caravan here, and finally, at the very end of all that, go below."
Tolus takes careful note of the more experienced fighter's comments. If he was to survive, he had to learn.
Thank you, my friends, for your grains of wisdom. Now, if you will excuse me, I will be off to bed. Malak, if you wish feel free to share last watch with Fionn and I. I think we have all other watches sufficiently covered.
He stands, gives them all a courteous (and, as always, esquisitely executed) bow before laying out his wrinkleless bedroll and precisely ordering his gear beside his chosen bed. He rolls his spear in his hand for a moment before securing it onto his pack, deciding against its use in the future where possible.
He dicides against reporting to Almah this night. He would rather deliver a completed task to his mistress instead of half-finished tasks and excuses.
His exhaustion buries his nightmares in a kind of numbness as soon as he slips into his bedroll. He is barely aware of the passage of time and starts a little when he is awakened for last watch.
That morning he perfectly folds his bedroll and puts on his armor over his robes before breaking his fast on trail rations and water.
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Taldor raises an eyebrow again at Tolus's flambouyency.
Taldor puts on his armor, then looks over at Khatijah for a moment. He looks down and sighs, then heads over when everyone else is busy. He pauses, then quietly says "I think I might o' said sometin' that offended ya last night, and I wanted ta apologize. Just me opinion, didn't mean nothin' by it"
Arizhel closes her eyes and focuses on Zerika, willing her back into existence.
"May as well get this party on the road"
"I need you to head back to the caravan, and let Almah know what is happening in here and what we have found. Make sure to explain the pugwampis. We need to keep a close eye out for more of those little devils. Let me know as soon as you get there, and make sure to ask Delphina if she can help with healing you."
"Fionn, may I borrow that book about the temple? I am going to send Zerika back to the caravan, and I think Almah might like to have a look at it. Perhaps she and Delphina can learn something useful about this place with it."
Taldor finds Khatijah sitting apart from the group, slowly swinging the blade they found yesterday, testing it's balance.
"No. You are right."
She doesn't look at the dwarf, the lazy swings stop and the sword's tip rest on the floor in front of her.
"Fighting is all I have left. I prided myself on that. I was always better, but if I had fought like that in the pits, I would be dead right now. I was frustrated because I kept hurting myself and missing."
The young girl stands up and sheathes the sword. Her expression is dark and bitter. She walks off and gathers her pack and her other sword.
"Maybe I was just lucky."
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Taldor grumbles "The sharp end of a sword don't give a bloody *%#! about luck. Yer one of the best woman fighters I ever seen, just need to know when to cover your back instead o' slicin' theirs" He nods towards her new sword "And I think that thing is a bloody curse. I ain't gonna touch it, but I don't think it's helping us at all. Magic only makes things worse"
"Sounds like a perfect match, then. A cursed sword for a cursed slave."
Khatijah laughs, but both it and her words are devoid of any humor, both being edged with bitterness.
Chiming in from the wall he's siting against with Kara , Tolus chimes in, "You are far from cursed, beautiful Khatijah. Handling a new weapon in near-ambush combat with no practice or experience with said weapon, especially a magical one, is hardy a recipe for success. I think all of us save mighty Taldor here, possibly magnificent Malak and shining Fionn, are so far out of our element that I'm suprised any of us -- especially myself-- have survived this long.
If I may say so, I beleive you are judgeing yourself far too harshly. This is a far cry from the planned, controled combat of the Pits."
I don't think anyone should sell themselves short. No one fled when battle commenced and that is the most important part. The courage to stand fast when your friends need you. All of you did well. Looking at Khatijah he says That may just be a side effect of the item as it does not appear to be progressing or causing any serious harm aside from being somewhat unsightly.
"Well for what it is worth, none of my summoned creatures survived, and you did. So couldn't have been doing that poorly." Arizhel looks around at the room in the light of morning "I hope we dont have clean up duty as well as security detail. This place is a mess. I wonder why apes need to fling poo?"
Arizhel will follow the rest of the group as they move on to the last of the unexplored areas.
"True, but you have heard my story. Do you think my masters planned for my survival?"
Khatijah fixes Tolus with a cold stare for a few moments before finishing her morning routine and double checking everything to make sure it was secure.
Tolus chooses not to take up Khatijah's thrown gauntlet. They needed to march soon, and he didn't feel like spoiling a good morning with a heated difference of opinion, but he could feel Khatijah's displeasure with him for his comment.
When Tolus sees that everyone's morning ritual is complete, he draws a thin rapier and holds it in his left hand while arming the right with one of his shuriken. He scouts the last room on the left. His hope is that the thinner blade of the rapier will serve his more agile frame better than his spear, but holds out little real hope.