We cannot let Raun stay in their power... Blending into the surroundings, Gorkhan slides past his companions and the blinded Raun, slipping up to the belgoi and thrusting his sword into it.
There's a blur of motion as Gorkhan disappears down the hall, adeptly rolling between the legs of the blinded half-giant. A second later, the belgoi's head rolls to a stop at Raun's feet, unblinking black eyes staring out over a mouth filled with sharpened teeth.
As Gorkhan flings dark blood from his enchanted blade, the half-giant's howls come roaring back into the collective. <<Light's no working! Or Raun is dead!?!>> come the mental shouts, indicating she has recovered from whatever mental control the belgoi had established.
In the northwest corridor, Safia pushes past Däina and stalks toward the other belgoi, her scythe swinging in a deadly loop.
"This one has earned a place in the Gray, as well," she says as her blade slashes through the belgoi's stained cloak and carves a bloody wound in its pale flesh.
With the immediate danger to Raun alleviated, but the threat to the east unknown Grit casts Longstrider on himself and has his Tigone ready a charge at any enemy showing itself to the east.
Raun, caught between panic and rage blunders blindly forward, bumping against the walls of the narrow passage until she feels/senses something ahead, that something unfortunately happens to be Gorkhan. Lunging blindly she fortunately only ends up stabbing the mortar of the wall to Gorkhan's right--and above his head beside. She does manage to send stone chips and mortar dust raining down on him as she wrenches her blade free rather the worse for wear.
The kreen ceases to concentrate on the power, opening his eyes as Raun regains her vision. He will 5' step (left) to the corner to see how things fare down that hallway.
Crashing, followed by a sharp crack echoes from the southwest passage as Raun takes out her confusion and frustration on the wall, snapping the end off her bone shortsword in the process.
To the east, Grit's tigone lets loose a low growl as another belgoi appears to the east, bell ringing, using the secret door as cover. The green-furred cat leaps forward, tearing at the belgoi's leg, before suddenly becoming docile.
"Yes, beast, be calm. Follow," the belgoi says, before disappearing down the secret passage.
To the north, the wounded belgoi throws itself at Safia, its thin, knobby arms clawing and slashing. Where the blackened talons cut flesh, Safia's muscles wither, her strength sapped by some unnatural hunger.
<<One to the east has my Tigone!>> Grit screams through the mind link as he begins to pursue.
Free action to Handle Animal (Push) to try to get the Tigone to move to the West.
Hearing Grit's mental call and seeing his light speed by the passage opening, Gorkhan follows. Knowing he would be unable to engage the creature, Gorkhan instead pauses to the east of the other passage to stay out of the way of the Tigone and Grit.
Nnn'tkklik'l will ready his action for when the belgoi comes in sight. He will expend his psionic focus to try to pull the creature into the collective, and then if that works, he will try to sap life from him. if it doesnt work, he will try again to pull him into the collective. DC 19 vs being pulled in, and once in he takes a -2 on the will save vs DC 19 to get sapped for 15 HP (will save only halves for that, doesn't negate). this is after he does indeed take the 5ft step to see down that hallway where the belgoi is just around the corner.
Raun blinks and stares around as he sight returns, frowning at the state of her sword. She does little more however, before charging forward along the passage way, seeking out the creature responsible.
Rushing to the east, Grit overtakes the dominated tigone and tries to prevent block it from following the belgoi down the secret passage. Appearing confused, the beast lets out a low growl.
Moving swiftly, Gorkhan darts past the still-blind half-giant and chases after the mul, making it as far as the tigone, where he stops with no room to advance.
Nnn'tkklik'l, meanwhile, opens his eyes - ending the blindness that had enveloped Raun - and steps to the west, preparing a mental assault as soon as the belgoi to the north attacks again.
"Attack the dwarf-thing!" the belgoi screeches, hurtling back up the secret passage toward Grit.
Clearly torn between the mental command and its loyalty to the mul, the tigone roars in frustration before launching itself at Grit, biting and tearing. None of the attacks make it past the mul's heavy armor, however. Grit's defenses hold against the belgoi, as well, as it attacks with blackened claws.
To the west, Raun careens through the halls toward Daina, who seems torn and hesitant, unsure of what to do. Her face drawn and grim, Safia shifts north and slashes at the belgoi again as Nnn'tkklik'l launches a mental assault. Although feeble, Safia's attack sweeps through the defenses of the belgoi, which seems unused to physical combat. Its mental defenses are more developed. Nnn'tkklik'l is able to draw the wounded belgoi into the collective, but it fends off his attempt to sap its strength.
Frenzied, the pale creature throws itself at Safia again, claws flashing. One blow lands, further draining Safia's strength.
Nnn'tkklik'l tries to drain the creature again to heal Safia.
Pulling his steel scimitar, Grit cuts at the Belgoi while mentally willing his Tigone away. <<Go and guard Daina!>>
Gorkhan rolls past the confused tigone and the belgoi in order to flank it with Grit, lashing out with his blade.
Raun continues to close the distance, squeezing past Daina to attack the creature with her shortened blade.
The belgoi controlling Grit's tigone starts to bark another order, but the command dies in its throat as the mul's steel blade arcs out, tearing into its abdomen.
The squeal of pain that follows is cut short after Gorkhan tumbles past, unfolding in a graceful motion that ends with his blade plunging through the mindbender's chest.
The creature's death seems to end the mind control. Looking ashamed, Grit's tigone hangs its head and rubs against the mul's leg.
To the west, Raun chops at the wounded belgoi with her broken sword, driving it to its knees. It crumples to the floor as Nnn'tkklik'l drains the last of its life, healing Safia's most obvious wounds.
Nicely done Gorkhan. Thanks for the hel. Grit says a little out of character.
He quickly casts a detect magic spell as he searches the body of the belgoi near him. Are these bells worth anything? He also takes a moment to make sure the belgoi is not regenerating.
The belgoi is well and truly dead. His clothes appear to be cast-offs and scraps - entirely mundane - and the bell is simply made, of hammered bronze.
Grit claims the bell, but packs it within his clothes such that it does not ring. He then moves to rejoin the rest of the party.
<<Is everyone alright? Lets try this passage that Raun was starting down.>> Grit thinks to the others.
<<tell me if hurt>>
It takes a little while for Raun to calm down and stop mutilating the body of the Belgoi with her shortened blade, but she eventually stumps her way back to retrieve the other half of it from the wall, making sure to give the belgoi there a kick too.
"Am fine..." she mutters, still sounding angry. "but broke sword." she says, starting to raise the two halves before realizing the hilt and lower blade is covered in gore, taking a moment to clean it off.
Daina shrinks, white faced from when Raun was charging towards her and after witnessing the mutilation as she remembers the strength and rage in the half giant.
The group begins moving down the narrow, curving passage to the southwest when you notice Safia is not following. At first she seems lost in one of her trances, but then she topples over, her wasted muscles twitching as she experiences some kind of fit. Her eyes fly open after a moment.
"I cannot continue with you," she pants, eyes wild and unfocused. "The Gray is too strong here ... it pulls me ... I have other tasks. I must return above. I will check on the veiled girl, leave word if I can"
She rises to her feet on shaky limbs, then removes two of the pots of curative ointment from her bag.
"Take these, and avoid the Gray for a while longer. May the spirits guide you,"she says, before making her way back up the stairs to the baker's cellar.
Diminished, the group turns to the southwest, where the narrow passage descends a few shallow steps before winding back and forth in an S-curve. The burial niches here are even more ancient than the last section, the walls crumbled and nearly collapsed in places. At times it appears the passage has been entirely filled, then dug back out again, the bone dust and pulverized brick reinforced with resin or some other adhesive to give it structure.
Moving slowly and carefully, you soon find yourselves at a crossroads. Silent catacombs beckon to the northwest and southwest. Southeast, shadows flicker over an ancient door, reinforced more recently with bone and strips of hide.
The finger-bone talisman points almost due east from Grit's position.
Grit moves forward to the crossroad and slightly beyond in both directions as he scans the ground looking for tracks.
Raun stows the bits of her broken blade as best she can, wrapping them in some leather to keep them from doing any damage to the bag. She appears to be trying to figure out what to replace it with when Safia has her little fit, looking up with some concern, and when she leaves she appears somewhat sad to lose another companion.
At last she settles her pack on her shoulders again, her trusty hammer once again in her grasp. The breaking of the shortsword only showed how inferior the other weapons were...
When they reach the crossroads she looks around and shrugs, pointing to the closed door, that was where the talisman was pointing after all.
Grit moves forward to the crossroad and slightly beyond in both directions as he scans the ground looking for tracks.
[dice=Tracking]1d20+12
All of the paths show some evidence of travel, although not necessarily recent. The prints - humanoid, likely the belgoi - are heaviest to the southeast.