Ellery pokes at it again...
Theophilus claps his hands.
I just love games!
Guidance.
Dervak backs away.
Mara watched with some apprehension as Theo and Ellery wrestled with the mysterious magic of the Star Stela.
Theo has a stray thought about attending a count's ball. He feels the the Stela pulse the tiniest bit. Following that line he holds the image in his mind, throngs of well dressed aristocrats dancing, eating, drinking, and other debauched things. It responds more but isn't enough. Finally he imagines the well-to-do partygoers arrayed in various arcane symbols feeling how the monument responds and finally settles on a yellow three-armed triskelion, the same the cultists from the other day carried.
A soft yellow glow begins to emanate from the Star Stela's misshapen star. And Theo's mind is assaulted with a torrent of telepathic images, sounds, and other impressions for senses he doesn't possess. He sees a innumerable towering masses of polypous flesh, eyes, and tendrils coiling through the air dancing in a beautiful and nauseating spirals while they flicker in and out of reality. He hears a maddening whistling sound from the creatures. He also sees vast armies of snake-headed people wielding weapons and magic facing the horrid creatures in the sky.
The senses and images continue to flood Theo's mind with complex matrices mixing arcane and divine magic. He starts to hear disturbing whispers just beyond the range of comprehension. Theo can't make sense of what the Stela is trying to tell him. But he does sense a powerful node of energy, he prods it.
On a nearby building wall an effulgent citrine light flashes and through yellow mist the party can see an eerily still city. The city fills you with dread as you've seen it in your nightmares.
You could travel through the portal should you wish to.
I think that we may wish to continue this at a later time.
Theo describes the visions and such.
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Theophilus walks beside Dervak.
I am beginning to have a prejudice disposition toward the color yellow, myself.
"Are you OK, Theo?", Mara asked, concern in her voice. "I agree that we should wait until we have more information, before messing with these further. Shall we go and deal with the cult at Iris Hill now? I don't think we'll be safe as long as they're in business!"
The moment gone the portal closes leaving a familiar gray charcoal image on the side of the building, depicting a lonely city. The same you saw after the cultists appeared before you on the docks and throughout town.
Later at Iris Hill...
As you head out to Iris Hill the ever present storm intensifies causing driving rain to soak into your clothes and leaving you on the edge of shivering. Peaking over a thick 10 foot high hedge are several buildings, the manor itself is three stories tall, with thick ivy covering the walls in a verdant blanket. Crows stand sentry on the building’s eaves, periodically calling out their dreadful squawks and eyeing you as you approach.
Breaking the thick 10 foot high hedge that surrounds the estate is a squat building. It sports a pair of heavy wooden doors bearing a small sliding hatch.
As they approached the ominous estate, Mara cast several spells to fortify the group against the horrors sure to lurk inside.
Dervak hands his amulet to Theo. Then he looks at the manor.
"I don't mind a frontal assault, but I'm pretty good at climbing too if we want to try that. Or we could knock and try to Bluff our way in, pretend we still work for Lowls."
Theo casts Heroism, Mage Armor and Unseen Servant. He casts Featherstep on Dervak. He graciously accepts the Amulet.
Theo then notices that he has an Amulet. He taps on it a few times to get it to work.
Much better!
Theophilus casts See Invisibility.
He just shrugs his shoulders.
Knock? Wouldn't want to seem impolite.
The doors are locked.
Ellery also notices a needle trap, likely poisoned. If he had to guess the proper key will bypass the trap.
"Let's try that key we found on the assassin."
Theophilus casts Guidance on Ellery.
Mara fished the assassin's key out of her pocket and handed it to Ellery. "Does this look like this will fit?"
The key looks like it will work.
Ok, Guardians. This may git ugly, let's put on our mean faces!
Ellery arches an eyebrow, but takes the key. Before inserting it into the lock, he draws his rapier and makes sure that everyone is ready. When everyone is ready, he will turn the key and open the door.
Ellery turns the key and the lock clicks open bypassing the trap. Inside are three people. Two are olive skinned humanoids with red eyes and teeth filed down to points. They sport disturbing red tattoos on their faces, wear breastplate armor, and hold battleaxes at the ready. The third is a human in fine dress and jewelry, painted on her forehead is a yellow three armed triskelion. She holds a rapier at the ready. There is no mistaking there intent.
Clutching her orc doll, Mara implored, "Mommy, give us courage in battle!", before moving to the side.
Theophilus gives the Rapier Woman a pointed look.
He then Cackles.
The cultist looks away from Theo.
The two tattooed guards howl in rage at the intrusion planting their battleaxes in Ellery's gut and chest. They both try to take a bite out of Ellery but he's saved that misfortune from his bark like skin. Ellery doubles over, his vision fading from view.
The cultist draws a dagger in her other hand and tosses it at Dervak. It lands at his feet harmlessly.
Mara reached down and touched Ellery's limp form, healing him with celestial energy.
Theophilus begins a full round cast.
Dervak attacks the guard in front of him.
If he drops the guard, he'll 5' step into his space.
Mara knows the savages are Kuru, primitive humanoids native to the Shackles. She recalls an account of a former sailor who was taken along with the rest of his ship’s crew. He escaped but the other sailors were eaten alive as sacrifices to their goddess. The Kuru grow stronger after eating flesh from a sentient creature.
Dervak avenges Ellery, killing the Kuru guard with an onslaught of attacks.
Rowan moves up next to Ellery, enters Snake style, and throws a vicious haymaker (stunning fist).
Stunning fist: DC 17
Rowan's vicious haymaker and one of his follow up punches connects but the red eyed barbarian shakes off the effects of the stun.
The Kuru bellows again seeing its handiwork undone and swings its battleaxe downward again into Ellery. It also snaps his sharpened teeth at Rowan, but Rowan dodges easily.
The cultist draws a potion in one hand then steps closer to Rowan leading with her rapier but the strike is blocked by an invisible force.
Dervak looks at Ellery's bleeding form then back to the guard.
"Ignore me, will you?"
His attacks are not as devastating as they were against the other guard.
Mara took out her healing wand and and desperately tried to save the fallen rogue.
Dervak's first attack cuts the Kuru deeply but he's too angry to fall unconscious.
Ellery is stabilized by the healing but not brought to consciousness.
Rowan tries to focus on downing this guard so the others can assist with Ellery.
Rowan punches the red eyed guard and he falls over with a loud thud. Rowan quickly turns to the cultist but finds she is much quicker on her feet.
Suddenly appearing between Rapier and the double doors is a fiendish giant Ant!
Giant Worker Ant AC 15 Hp 24/24
It looks at Theo, nods, and begins its assault on Rapier.
Theophilus frowns at Rapier.
He Cackles.
The hellish ant tries to attack the cultist repeatedly even when she drinks a potion and is distracted for a moment. Rowan is more lucky and lands a punch. .
The cultist then disappears from sight, visible only to Theo. The back door of the guardhouse opens. The ant is frantically moving it's antennae to the north
Mara continued to try to revive Ellery, healing him again with the wand.
Theophilus Fortunes the Ant. He then points at Rapier.