Zarisha lurches suddenly, and moves into the wall slowly, but with ease, only the familiar trail of ectoplasm to mark her passage. A moment later, she pushes aside the heavy curtains covering the window.
Behind her, you see a wide hallway, running the length of the back end of the house, with another hallway going towards the front of the manor over her right shoulder.
Londo, watching through the phantom's eyes, sees no servants, or guards, or anyone in either hallway... though Zarisha, and thus Londo, both hear the sounds of angry yelling down the hallway behind her.
She quickly pulls back a few bolts, and unhooks a latch, then the entire window swings outward on a central pivot, almost like a door. Apparently it was designed for summer galas, not just keeping out the elements.
Either way, it provides easy access to the manor's interior.
As you move down the hallway, the loud angry voices become clearer, one female, one male, though also the distinct sound of blades clashing on blades.
There is definitely a fight going on towards the front of the house.
You reach a set of large double doors, that open into the room beyond, and can start to make out some of the words.
"I will have blood for Khismia's death! And it shall be yours." A woman's voice cries angrily. "I'm done with all of you, and your cursed 'shadow war'!"
There is no immediate response, just the clash of blades, then the sound steel clattering across stone.
|
Fifi decides prepare for the oncoming fight, and reads her scroll, trying to focus as much as she can, reciting the divine prayers of the Everlight-"Sarenrae give me strength - let your rays shine on me and illuminate my path. Your fire is my strength, and your light is my hope."-as she manifests a scimitar made entirely out of fire.
..or not?
She decides then to push open the door-"Let's go! We must stop this man before he gets the chance to get away!"
|
"Given the Aberrations we faced earlier? Expect deception. Keep your sacred sight sharp... and if anyone else has any spells, scrolls, or anything to pierce illusions, now would be a good time."
Marcus chugs a potion of Darkvision and tosses one more to Masym, then rests his hand on his hilt of his blade, ready to make use of the scabbard's enhancement at a moments notice.
He tosses his wand of Cure Light Wounds to Londo. "If things go south, better this be in your hands than mine."
With one last thought he mutters very quietly, "...I'll do my best to match deception with deception. Know that I have your backs, no matter what leaves my mouth."
You take a moment to prepare, before Londo puts boot to door, and bursts into the room beyond.
But the delay, though small, was long enough... the thud of Londo bursting through the door, is met by the thud of a body hitting the floor, as something rolls across the stone floor, to stop right next to the half orc as he comes through.
You find yourselves looking into an opulent room, forty feet from end to end, and the vaulted roof towering nearly as high overhead. The furniture is in disarray, chairs tipped over, divans pushed aside, some broken vases on the floor, all marring what would probably have been carefully styled order.
At your feet, you look down to see the severed head of Jacquo Dalsine, the head of the Taldor faction and one of the Society's greatest allies, as it comes to a rolling stop. He has a somewhat startled look on his face, and a bloody trace leads back to his body, near the base of a wide gently curving staircase leading up to the upper floor. Over him stands a striking Qadiran woman, in diaphanous robes, with a vicious bloody curved blade in each hand and a snarl on her face. You have not met her, though you know of, Pasha Muhlia al-Jakri, the head of the Qadiran faction, and until this moment, one you thought was also an ally of the Society.
A growing pool of blood escapes the crumpled, headless corpse at her feet.
You see a third man, a pompously-dressed taldan with long carefully groomed black hair and a mustache, standing at the top of the stairs, rapier in hand. He starts to laugh.
The woman glares up at him, and back towards where the Pathfinders have burst in, then spits on the body at her feet.
"You all can scour the world for your useless treasures, risking your lives for delusions of fame and worthless fortune." She snarls. "I am done with all of you."
She clicks the heels together twice, and suddenly disappears from sight.
The man at the top of the stairs, who you can only assume is Chalfon Dalsine, laughs even harder.
"Oh, that couldn't have gone any better!" He crows, sneering down at the you, then bursts into laughter once more.
All in all, it does not bode well for tomorrow's dinner invitation.
- Round 1 -------
Party is up!
|
|
Fifi looks inside and takes in the scene, worried and furrowing her brow at such a gruesome sight. She steps into the foyer, and tries once again to recite the incantations on the scroll she has-"I have the Everlight's fire in me. I will carry out her justice, and follow her beacon."-manifesting a scimitar made out of fire! With a squint, she looks at Chalfon and says-"Chalfon Dalsine! We come in the Society's stead. Stop your vile acts, or face the consequences!"-pointing her flaming scimitar at him.
|
|
Just one man? Surely this place must be riddled with traps... Well, a single arrow wont fell him... but maybe a moment's hesitation? And a lot of blades?
Marcus approaches and does his best to keep his calm. He looks down at Jacquo's body, then up at Chalfon.
"My lord, the Sarenites have been dealt with. Akkurat's body was damaged beyond repair, but this... skin... has sufficed. A shame Jacquo's could not have been more intact."
He shifts back to his fox form, but uses a bit of misdirection to conceal a sleight rotation of his clothing, doing his best to conceal his own face as he finishes.
"How shall I deal with these interlopers?"
Masym moves carefully into the room, studying his quarry on the baloney above, while Fifi follows him in, again trying to activate a second scroll. This time seems to work better than her first scroll, as a flaming blade appears in her hand.
Midge moves in behind them, casting a spell up at the Taldan noble above. Bright, holy, light bursts all around him, almost blinding in its brightness, but once the flash clears, Chalfon seems to managed to close his eyes in time, as he seems still able to see just fine.
Londo rushes in, Zarisha gleefully following along behind, as they both head straight up the steps towards Dalsine.
Marcus attempts to confuse things, with a carefully thought out bluff. Though his unfamiliarity with how the faceless stalkers take on their new forms might prove a detriment, he is more trying to confuse the man, than convince him outright.
It seems to work, as Chalfon only laughs some more, seemingly unperturbed by the Pathfinder presence.
- Round 2 -------
Party is up!
|
|
A bit suspicious Chalfon might be up to something, Fifi takes a more thoughtful approach, and concentrates, uttering a brief prayer-"Dawnflower, show me his true colors."-and using her divine sense.
|
Unsure if Chalfon was wounded by her spell, or merely irritated, Midge hurries forward and places her hands together, as if in prayer. With a few chanted words, she moves each hand around in it's own arc, drawing circles in the air. A wave of gently glowing light –– that disappears a moment later –– surges out from Midge, filling her companions with a divine blessing.
Chalfon continues to laugh contemptuously, holding his ground, despite the encroaching Pathfinders.
As Masym directs efforts from below, Marcus tries to grab the man's head, poking at his eyes...
But as he does so, his hands go right through it. It is only then that he realizes this is not a real person at all, but an illusion! Instantly, the image begins to fade.
Zarisha halts her advance, suddenly with no target to touch, though the foul green glow from Londo's spell continues to envelop her hand.
Strangely, even though the image has faded away, you still hear the laughing... only this time from across the far side of the balcony.
Too late, you see a small ball of flame hurtling across the intervening space! It explodes in a vast conflagration before anyone has a chance to react, engulfing all those at the top of the stairs and balcony to the south.
As the flames clear, leaving the entire balcony rail in cinders, and bits of the carpeting still burning, you finally see what must be the real Chalfon, standing across the way, still laughing.
"Pathfinders you say?" He says, with glee.
"And cultists as well?!" He adds, glancing down at Fifi below. "Oh, that is fortunate! Though perhaps not for you."
- Round 3 -------
Active Effects: Bless, Vanguard's Bond
Party is up!
,
[/dice]
The fireball does some serious damage, only Londo and Masym managing to dodge the full brunt of it. Marcus stay on his feet, but his burns are quite extensive. Zarisha fares worst of all, the phantom slowly collapsing to her knees, her hands balling into fists and covering her eyes, a low wail escaping her, as if mourning some great loss. Her entire form starts to shake, and fade in and out of existence, and she stops responding to everyone around her.
In response, Londo casts a spell at Chalfon, a faint ectoplasmic glow forming around his feet.
Masym takes the more direct action, rushing along the balcony to close with the Taldan nobleman, while Marcus pulls out his bow, hoping to use it to disrupt any followup magics Chalfon might try to cast, before they can burn the Pathfinders even worse!
Below, Midge again casts her holy spell. This time, it is not targetting an illusion, and as the burst of holy radiance strikes, the divine light sears Chalfon's exposed skin... though he manages to cover his eyes in time to not be blinded.
"Misdeeds?" He chortles, in response to Fifi's words. "Everything I do is with the grace of the Prince. It is you who have broken into, and attacked a Taldan noble in his own home. It is the you who have been smuggling antiquities, in direct opposition to Royal decree... and apparently harboring and abetting the Dawnflower cultists who try to sew their agenda of violence in the very capital of our glorious nation."
He laughs again. "And now it is the Pathfinders, working with their allies from Qadira, who have murdered my own dear cousin. This story writes itself, because it is all true!"
"I will not see a prison... though I might get a medal." He boasts. "You will not be so fortunate. No cell awaits you. It will be straight to the gallows for the lot of you!"
He waves one hand in mystic gestures, as electrical energy starts to form around it and his sword.
Ready for just that, Marcus fires his arrow. He misses wide, by a fair bit, but it seems to be enough to throw off Chalfon's concentration, as something appears to go wrong before he can finish, and the magic that was building up fades. An annoyed frown passes across his face, and he scowls at Masym, before stabbing him through the shoulder with his rapier , before spinning about and attempting to thrust it through his abdomen. But his eyes are still seeing a few stars from Midge's spell, and the attack is just slow enough for Masym to deflect it at the last moment.
He then takes a small step back,
- Round 4 -------
Active Effects: Bless
Party is up!
|
|
Marcus continues his advance, nocking another arrow. "I must thank you for making that oh so clear. It seems however, that in true Taldan tradition of succession, that the story will need to be obfuscated. A family squabble of two Dalsines... Chalfon... succumbing to the mortal wounds left by Jacquo sustained shortly before delivering the... decollating blow..."
With the last of her arcane power, Midge sends one last burst of heavenly light. Again, the holy radiance burns his exposed skin, but this time, Chalfon is unable to shield his eyes in time, as he lets out a pained cry, rubbing ineffectually at his eyes.
Taking advantage of the man's momentary disability, Masym slashes out with his sword... even blind, Chalfon still almost manages to dodge out of the way, but in the end, the lack of sight proves too much, and Masym's blade cuts a deep wound across the man's chest.
- Round 4 -------
Chalfon Dalsine (-30, blind, dazzled*)
Active Effects: Bless
Londo and Fifi to go!
|
|
Fifi continues to move forward, her head held high with determination. At Chalfon's words, she replies-"I see. If you find it in your heart to follow your duty as a noble and Taldan to stand over mercy for your fellow man, then let us battle in a clash of ideals. Chalfon Dalsine, the man who became a monster - employing faceless stalkers and killing innocent people, versus us, those who find it necessary to stop you to further peace."-trying to ignore Marcus's suggestion for the moment, deciding its better to debate what to do after danger has passed.
With a smile, Fifi continues-"I have nothing but respect for a man that carries down his beliefs in earnest. The Everlight would wish to welcome you with open arms, if you were to find it in your heart to fight so courageously for an actual good cause."
As Fifi closes in, her movements quite a bit slower than the others, Londo goes to check on Zarisha, as he activates the psychic spell he summoned up a few moments earlier, mentally tugging at the ectoplasm coating Chalfon's leather boots.
Already blinded by Midge's spell, the sudden force pulling at his feet catches him totally off guard, and he falls backwards, hitting the carpet with a startled thud.
He quickly tries to recover, carefully weaving one hand to summon a spell... but again, he seems to get the gestures wrong, but recovers at the last moment. His entire form starts becomes harder to make out, as it starts to shift and blur.
With a curse, he grabs blindly at the nearby railing. He manages to snag it with one hand, and hauls himself to his feet, despite the fact that Masym is right there beside him.
"Ignorant fools! Don't you get it? You have already lost!" He shouts into his own personal darkness, with a note of triumph, despite his condition. "Nothing you do here will change that now!"
Again he starts laughing, his sword held before him like a shield as he rubs futilely at his eyes, trying to clear them.
- Round 5 -------
Active Effects: Bless
Party is up!
|
|
"Lost? I'd be willing to place a reasonable wager that you do not even understand the war which I fight. But I have... reasonable suspicions that your victory will be a shallow one, and that your name will hardly be remembered a few years from now."
A moment later, Chalfon's pants are hiked up to his chest and tied to the ballustrade, and his mouth is but a fraction of an inch from Chalfon's ear. He bellows loudly at his captive victim.