"Ellery" slaps away Theo's suddenly animate hair. He narrows his eyes at Dervak and says, "What are you? You aren't the biggest threat, just a dumb animal and easily fooled."
After stabbing Theo close to the heart he steps next to Mara and draws a dagger a short sword into his off hand.
Mara had a feeling that Theo wasn't doing so well, so she stepped next to him and tapped him with her new healing wand.
She told the faux Elery, "Stop that — he's making a hat for me!"
"ANIMAL? So much more than that, traitor!"
The monstrosity continues its attack, savagely biting like the animal it was accused of being.
"Ellery" steps up to Mara and stabs her
Dervak's falchion and tusks dig into the shapechanger.
Mara stepped into flank with Dervak, healed Theo with the wand, then stowed her axe and drew her mace.
Rowan, being aggressive, but hardly smart attacks whichever Ellery he can hit.
Rowan's first two attacks destroy the remaining illusion of "Ellery" and his final punch hits "Ellery" square in the face.
Theo casts Frostbite.
Theophilus grins wickedly!
Theophilus uses Evil Eye Hex (-2 Saves).
He Cackles.
He then uses MisFortune Hex (Will DC 16).
Ellery steps between Rowan and Theo looks pointedly at Dervak, "Strike me down if you must animal, but you'll only hurt your friends."
Mirror-Ellery stabs Rowan. Then with his free hand waves Dervak on.
Mara thought that the shapeshifter might try to turn invisible, so she repeated the trick she'd used on the zombie a moment ago, lighting him up with swirling stardust.
"Mind if I take your spot, sir?", she asked Theo.
Rowan winces in pain from the last attack, but knows he needs to stay on his feet and fighting.
He flurries with an additional ki attack.
The otherworldly voice loses some of its rage as it emits an unsettling laugh.
"The Dervak doesn't need 'friends', it has ME, and they only hold him back!"
"SHUT UP! Both of you!"
Dervak doesn't understand the threat, so he attacks.
As Rowam and Dervak hit the creature again everyone notices that the its wounds are normal. Instead of bruising, blood, and gore you see cracks and chips. When Dervak delivers a killing blow "Ellery" explodes in mirrored glass sending shrapnel into everyone.
Soon the pieces fade leaving no trace of the creature. Red Destiny is recovered however.
Dervak snaps out of his rage, forcing the entity back to the dark corners of his soul.
"Huh?"
Then, "Mara, heal Theophilus!"
He grabs a potion of CLW from the Haversack (one of the Party Loot ones) and starts administering it, but doesn't know if he'll make it in time.
After taking cover from the flying glass, Mara healed the fallen hatter.
Still shaken, she asked the others, "What in the Dawnflower's name was that thing? And where is the real Ellery?"
Ellery eyes the man, trying to assess if he is a threat or not.
Regardless of what Ellery decides about the man, he knows he needs to get free.
When Theophilus revives, Dervak pauses, CLW potion in hand.
"Uhhh... you want this?"
And then he turns to Mara.
"Was Ellery really that thing all along?"
Mara paused to consider, "I don't think so. I think something happened to Ellery downstairs, and that thing tried to impersonate him. The thing is, I don't think it knew sign language; I wondered why 'Ellery' wasn't signing properly.
"We need to go down and find the real Ellery!"
Theophilus slowly rises up from a lying position. The orange haired gentleman reaches slowly to the wand on the floor next to him.
He slowly uses it (x6 from previous post).
Anyone else feel the need to take a vacation? Disney, perhaps!
Mara healed herself with the wand, replying, "Well, one thing about memory loss — even if that's somewhere we've been before, we can enjoy it for the first time again."
Dervak shrugs and drinks the potion.
Theophilus points the wand at Dervak.
Best save potions for combat, my friend.
Anyone who looks downstairs sees a fresh trail of blood to the north and then veer off to the east.
"Okay then Theophilus. Can you use that wand on me a couple of times?"
With a grand flourish, the gentleman heals Dervak.
Rowan could use a bit of healing. He is at 13/34.
”We should look for Ellery. I think he may have fallen or been captured by the thing that I ran from. I feel responsible for whatever happened to him.”
While Theo was healing Dervak, Mara healed Rowan, and then herself
"Let's go!", she agreed with Rowan. She headed down the stairs and remarked, "There's a trail of fresh blood!"
Dervak moves up to Mara. "Let me take the lead."
He can see in the dark.
Rowan will follow behind Dervak.
”If you hear voices and want me to scout, let me know. I’m probably not as stealthy as Ellery, but I’m still probably quieter than the rest of you.
Theo takes out a Pearl of Power and selects Cure Light Wounds.
The gentleman then begins to tip toes behind the group.
Ellery eyes the boy a bit and shakes his head no. He does look happy to see that he managed to keep his dagger and lockpick however. Ellery makes some handsigns towards the boy, and takes a step towards the door.
(Language: Sign) Are you educated?
[ooc]Can you not put a spoiler in a spoiler?[\ooc]
Keeping an eye on the boy Ellery listens at the door to see if he can hear anything on the other side.
Down the stairs and through the door to the west you see the fort’s modest lobby. It contains only a long bench for visitors, a small, two-wheeled cart, and an attractive standing mirror facing the stairway. A faint briny smell hangs in the air, which you surmise is from the skum. The door on the opposite side hangs open.
Following the blood trail and through a short hallway is a room that is furnished with a wooden desk and decorated with the Ustalavic coat of arms. The walls are almost completely draped with warm, woolen tapestries. A small white cabinet sits on the northern wall which is locked if anyone checks.
From this office the doors to the west and east are open. The blood trail heads east.
Ellery hears nothing beyond the door.
The boy looks confused at Ellery’s gestures and doesn't move from sitting in the corner.
Mara stopped to examine the blood trail, trying to judge whether it was consistent with a blood trail from someone dragging a wounded Ellery, or if it could possibly be some sort of trick.
Theo peers around the fancy chamber.
Door. Chair. Desk. But no raven? Curious.
Mara is certain the blood isn't human. But doesn't know the first thing about how to tell if a trail like this was faked.
Dervak however is certain it isn't faked. He's also fairly certain it was made by a skum dragging a human.
Mara continued to follow the blood trail, letting Dervak take the lead. "We need to find Ellery quickly; who knows what state he's in." Her stomach was knotted with worry. Please let him still be alive!
"Well it's not like we have to worry about him telling them anything! Hah! Okay, okay, this way."
Dervak is not quite sure how to feel. Ellery came across as hard to trust, and then seemingly betrayed the party. Mara said it was a shapeshifter, but it had been so easy for Dervak to believe that it was the strange man.
Still, the others seem to regard Ellery as an ally and have even learned his odd hand-speech. Dervak followed the blood trail, taking the lead.
Ellery frowns as he sees the other doors on the northern wall. Hoping that if they are occupied the residents will not be looking out the doors, he heads to the southern door to listen at the door.
[ooc] What kind of sick DM would mind wipe a character and have them attack the party? Oh right....lol [\ooc]
To the west is a small kitchen is fitted with a cabinet and a stone worktable. A blackened iron cauldron hangs in the fireplace. A set of stairs leads up.
The blood trail leads east through an open set of doors. This room contains a long wooden table and a dozen chairs. A pair of decorated chests and a display case featuring a collection of creations from some of Thrushmoor’s artisans sit against the walls. The trail becomes thinner here but it does continue through a second door in the west wall. There is also a door to the north and south.