Arleth was reaching for her wand before she realized she still had a few minutes of protection left from the last time she used it. Well, that's a first. Never so many battles so close together before.
Looking at the armoured rats, she shivered. "Horrid is right," she muttered. She didn't like animals at the best of times, and this was anything but that.
Glad that she already had her crossbow out and loaded, she took aim at the western-most rat and fired.
The bolt flew through the darkness and connected with the horrid animal. It found a chink in the armour and struck true, eliciting a shrill scream from the animal. It struck the armour plating on its head and bounced off harmlessly.
Loading another bolt into her crossbow, Arleth realized she would need to buy some more as soon as she got back to the surface. I wonder if I could charge that as an expense... Taking aim at the same rat, she fired again.
Does Squeak have a secret rat phobia? :)
I intend to recap later today...
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, miss
, miss
, hit
As the rat leaped Squeak's hammer blurred into motion, but simply ratted off the horrid rat's armoured carcass - and then it was inside his reach.
Ignoring his hammer entirely, Squeak concentrated on tactics. 'If I fall, it will have a clear run at Objective. If I am not a threat, it will move around to Objective. I need to keep it engaged and minimise damage.' Squeak stood firm, his metal fist lashing out in a blinding dance of adamantine, meant as much to confuse as harm.
Bronwyn knew that moving would put her in harm's way and most likely cause the 'forged some distress. However, she couldn't hide behind Squeak while he was poisoned by the horrid horrid rat.
Stepping out from behind Squeak, she aimed a fire jet at the unnatural creature. At least with it being horrid, she wouldn't be assaulted with the smell of burnt fur.
Palisade lined itself up for another swing, but its small foe darted easily aside, dodging clumsy attack. At least the creatures were staying away from Lady d'Deneith.
Palisade lined itself up for another swing, but the small foe dodged the clumsy swing with disgusting ease. At least the part of the plan where these creatures were leaving Lady d'Deneith alone was working so far, the 'forged thought sourly.
Rathan looked the razored tooth rodent in the eye as he dodged the creatures bite. Once again the savage Halfling swung his blade in a powerful downward stroke. This time he felt his blade bite deep into the rats armored flesh. Triumphantly he yelled, "Rats are ."
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Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, fail
, miss
, Squeak
, miss
Disgusted with her inability to hit the horrid animals, Arleth stopped wasting her ammunition. Keeping an eye out for other danger, she waited for her more combat-oriented comrades to finish the creature off.
Action 2
Arleth turned her attention to the foundry door. Perhaps she could open it, as she had the secret tunnel entrance.
You've chosen two-weapon fighting and weapon-finesse dagger so you have to whip out two daggers and start flanking with the 'big boys'.
If you do that, you'll find that your combat efficiency increases dramatically.
This is you flanking at 2nd level: +5/+5, 1d4-1+1d6, 1d4-1+1d6.
However at 3rd level it will be: +6/+6, 1d4+4+2d6, 1d4+2+2d6
That's pretty good...
You've chosen two-weapon fighting and weapon-finesse dagger so you have to whip out two daggers and start flanking with the 'big boys'. ...
That's pretty good...
Action 1
Working in tandem with unit Squeak now, Palisade positioned the enemy between the two heavily-armored veterans and proceeded to whack the bony rodent this way and that, as it most annoyingly persisted on clinging to life and avoided being crushed.
Action 2
Arleth turned her attention to the foundry door. Perhaps she could open it, as she had the secret tunnel entrance.
"Caution," Palisade announced, blocking the half-elf's advance with a wide-spread arm. "Observe the rock formation over the entrance. This one believes they might be rigged to fall. Suggest taking proper measures to avoid being crushed."
Rathan rushed up between the two hulking Warforged, his Tangat glistened with the blood of his last foe as he brought it down on the last rat.
Rathan examined the foundry with senses honed on the unforgiving Talenta plains. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up when he saw the rocks perched above the entryway. He is about to make his companions aware of the hazard when one of the Warforged pointed the danger out. He nodded his head in agreement with Palisades assessment, Rocks are not good rocks."
With little hesitation the diminutive warrior carefully approached the entrance and lookeed for the trigger that would release the deadly barrage.
"Pincer movement." observed Squeak, and moved into position with his back against the rock wall. He executed a standard strike - but the rat dodged yet again. "This is no ordinary rodent, even apart from its unusual size." he observed. "I recommend caution."
"Logically, there must be a way to open the door. Given the journal is the 'key' to this place, I believe there is a way to use it as an actual key. Perhaps Bronwyn can duplicate the effect our employer used?"
"Then that puts paid to the idea of my simply smashing my way in through the rock walls."
The rocks on top of the roof have already fallen. It's not a trap. It seems like an ancient rockfall on top of the building.
Someone please kill that rat. :)
If it hadn't still been a threat, Bronwyn may have stood back and laughed at the sight of three experienced warriors surrounding a lone horrid rat but failing to bring it down. She made her way closer to the rat but couldn't get a clear shot at it because it was surrounded by the two 'forged and the halfling. Rarely did she give any actual commands but she figured that at least the 'forged would listen to her if it sounded like one. "Move!"
When the way was clear, she depletes her store of fire magic by pointing her finger at the rat and generating magical fire to burn it.
Action 2:
Bronwyn contemplated the door. "Lady Elaydren had her ring to activate the journal and there was nothing specific about her actions since she just waved it over but we have the journal. There must be something about the journal that can help us open this. Otherwise, the crazy warforged wouldn't have insisted we give it to them."
The wizard took the journal and held up the House Cannith seal to the door.
Bronwyn shrugged, "It was worth a try." She opened the journal and started looking at the pages for a clue as to how to open the doors.
That did not work. :(
After a few moments of thought, Bronwyn thought about a possible key. "Blood is often used as a type of key. As we obviously have no one of Cannith blood, I think that it would be worth trying one of the warforged. They were made by House Cannith after all. Otherwise how would the crazy warforged have planned to get in?" Turning to Squeak and Palisade she asked, "Do you even have blood or is it more like oil?"
tag Palisade and Squeak
After a few moments of thought, Bronwyn thought about a possible key. "Blood is often used as a type of key. As we obviously have no one of Cannith blood, I think that it would be worth trying one of the warforged. They were made by House Cannith after all. Otherwise how would the crazy warforged have planned to get in?" Turning to Squeak and Palisade she asked, "Do you even have blood or is it more like oil?"
"Clarification. Alchemical fluid circulating from the internal reservoirs serves to vitalize the lifewood components of a warforged's body," Palisade replied. "If you require it, this one will be pleased to bleed for you. But this one has to point out that blood can be easily harvested from a living being and stored for a time. Perhaps our pursuers have better intelligence and have made preparations."
Squeak paused "I don't suppose any still has any items stained with the life blood of Bonal?"
Rathan pondered his students suggestion and listened to the Warforged. He shrugged his shoulders then gestured with his blade, "I help get fluids out from Palisade if need.
The door remains closed.
Also, I really meant to say that dragonmarks themselves are the key and that the dragonmarks are passed on by blood heirs (sometimes).
So a person with the right dragonmark would walk up to a door and the it would open.
No Cannith heirs here so the door remains closed....
So, any ideas?
I'll give you an obvious (maybe not practical) idea. Are you all going back and dragging 'the Lady' down here to see if her dragonmark opens this foundry?
Any other ideas?
"Hmmmm.....I wonder."
Arleth pulled her notebook out of her pack and leafed through the pages. It was filled with sketches of people, and close-ups of various features - elven ears, shifter teeth, colourful gnome hair. Finally she came to the page she was looking for - dragonmarks. "Jorasco, Orien, Vadalis...here it is, Cannith."
Staring at the sketch of the dragonmark she'd seen once before, Arleth concentrated on replicating it. Soon a swirling least mark of making appeared on her arm. "It's not real, just a trick. But maybe the door won't know the difference."
Hoping that her long-shot would pay off, Arleth held her fake 'mark up against the symbol on the door.
Hoping that her long-shot would pay off, Arleth held her fake 'mark up against the symbol on the door.
It seemed that the doors were better at spotting a fake than most people were. If they were supposed to open up at the sight of the Cannith dragonmark, they didn't seem to notice.
The doors did not even stir at Arleth's gamble...
No time like the present, Bronwyn!
Bronwyn approached the door and bared her neck (?) in front of the doors. Despite the warforgeds' hope that 'Lady d'Deneith' was stripping, she stopped once her dragonmarked became evident.
The doors, however, did not seem to care...
"Hmmmm.....I wonder."
Arleth pulled her notebook out of her pack and leafed through the pages. It was filled with sketches of people, and close-ups of various features - elven ears, shifter teeth, colourful gnome hair. Finally she came to the page she was looking for - dragonmarks. "Jorasco, Orien, Vadalis...here it is, Cannith."
Staring at the sketch of the dragonmark she'd seen once before, Arleth concentrated on replicating it. Soon a swirling least mark of making appeared on her arm. "It's not real, just a trick. But maybe the door won't know the difference."
Hoping that her long-shot would pay off, Arleth held her fake 'mark up against the symbol on the door.
Uh, uh, uh?
Did anyone see Arleth manifest a dragonmark on her arm?
Any reactions?
"Hmmmm.....I wonder."
Arleth pulled her notebook out of her pack and leafed through the pages. It was filled with sketches of people, and close-ups of various features - elven ears, shifter teeth, colourful gnome hair. Finally she came to the page she was looking for - dragonmarks. "Jorasco, Orien, Vadalis...here it is, Cannith."
Staring at the sketch of the dragonmark she'd seen once before, Arleth concentrated on replicating it. Soon a swirling least mark of making appeared on her arm. "It's not real, just a trick. But maybe the door won't know the difference."
Hoping that her long-shot would pay off, Arleth held her fake 'mark up against the symbol on the door.
Rathan watched the Dragon Mark appear on the guides arm. He does not know her or her abilities well enough and asks, "More magic do you have?"
Rathan watched the Dragon Mark appear on the guides arm. He does not know her or her abilities well enough and asks, "More magic do you have?"
Arleth hesitated a long moment before answering. In her life, she'd only revealed her true race to a few people, and it had rarely gone well. Her concern was two-fold: if they found out she was a changeling, she might lose the job, and it was looking to be lucrative, if they could ever get the door open. Moreover, she was becoming truly fond of the motley company, and would be genuinely hurt if they rejected her.
Not willing to commit yet, she simply said, "No, no more magic. Just a stupid trick that didn't work."
Action 2
Sighing, Arleth said, "Doesn't look like we're getting in through these doors, not without a d'Cannith with us. We can always ask her ladyship to join us down here. Or maybe there's another way in. Palisade - can you give me a boost? I want to check out the roof."
Sighing, Arleth said, "Doesn't look like we're getting in through these doors, not without a d'Cannith with us. We can always ask her ladyship to join us down here. Or maybe there's another way in. Palisade - can you give me a boost? I want to check out the roof."
"Complying," Palisade replied as it leaned down and put its gauntleted hands down to serve as a foothold for the half-elf.
???
I was under the impression that the diary had been left with Lady Elaydren but I'm OK with it being here.
The diary could have information on what is inside and/or how to use it.
-----------
I'm just glad this election is over. I didn't vote for the man but I really do hope he makes a great president. Life goes on.
"Complying," Palisade replied as it leaned down and put its gauntleted hands down to serve as a foothold for the half-elf.
Once on the roof, Arleth sees that one of the fallen rocks had blasted the roof in one corner of the room. She cautiously peered inside...
A large chunk of the ceiling has fallen in, crushing cabinets and shelves beneath the weight of brick and stone. The remains of what appears to be a metal dog that was also caught in the falling stones juts from the debris.
Dusty shelves, intact, line the southern wall, and a huge forge and furnace fill the eastern part of the room. Neither appears to have been used in centuries.
"The roof is damaged, and there's a way in up here," Arleth called down to the others. "Want to come up here? Or should I go down and try to open the door from the inside?"
"You shouldn't go in alone because there's no telling what else is inside. But opening the door from the inside seems like the best bet." Bronwyn had her doubts about Palisade and Squeak making the climb. And if the roof was already damaged, then that much extra weight may cave the whole ceiling in. "Maybe Rathan can go in with you and I can provide aerial support from the roof while Palisades and Squeaky secure the ground area."
"You shouldn't go in alone because there's no telling what else is inside. But opening the door from the inside seems like the best bet." Bronwyn had her doubts about Palisade and Squeak making the climb. And if the roof was already damaged, then that much extra weight may cave the whole ceiling in. "Maybe Rathan can go in with you and I can provide aerial support from the roof while Palisades and Squeaky secure the ground area."
Rathan listened to the counsel of his student and agreed with her assessment, "Wise not to go alone."
"I go," He offered while he examined the wall in front of him. After a moment the diminutive barbarian scampered up the side of the dilapidated building. Once on top he called down to Bronwyn, "You try."
"I'll opt for help, thank you." Turning to Palisade since he had just boosted Arleth up, she asks, "Can you give me a lift up, Palisade?"
"Please be careful, Bronwyn." Squeak asked, anxiously.
"I'm happy to secure the ground area, but it can be dangerous for a 'Forged of my weight to be at such a height, and especially on an already damaged roof. I exert six hundred pounds of pressure per square foot - nearly six times what Arleth likely does." Squeak's fear of heights wasn't a phobia - it was a perfectly rational response to dangers most beings never faced.
Once the others were on the roof, Arleth leapt lightly down to the floor inside. After Rathan joined her, she began to move towards the door, hoping to open it from inside.
Not willing to commit yet, she simply said, "No, no more magic. Just a stupid trick that didn't work."
A small frown creased Bronwyn's brows. "Are you certain it's not magic? There are some who can instinctively channel magic. Maybe you don't even know you're doing it. The reason I ask is that no trick is that precise."
"Please be careful, Bronwyn." Squeak asked, anxiously.
Bronwyn leaned over the edge of the roof knowing her actions would probably give both the 'forged heart palpitations. With a wink she said, "I don't have to be careful when I have you and Palisade." She then disappeared from their view as she moved towards the hole in the roof and prepared to blast anything that may threaten Arleth or Rathan.
Rathan nimbly jumped down after Arleth landing a little less gracefully than the woman. He quickly recovers and draws his Tangat while he peered around the room every fiber of his being alert for danger, "Can you open?"
A small frown creased Bronwyn's brows. "Are you certain it's not magic? There are some who can instinctively channel magic. Maybe you don't even know you're doing it. The reason I ask is that no trick is that precise."
Arleth answered honestly. "I guess I don't know for sure it's not magic. I've just always been able to do it. Doesn't look like any other magic I've ever seen, though. Didn't you have to study to learn your magic?"