With the light on Lorenzo's sword to light up the room, Sev searches the door for traps, but he finds none. At his touch, the halfling discovers that the door, although closed, is not locked. After informing his companions about that, he steps back, leaving room for Lorenzo to open the door.
Twelve brick-lined crypts take up most of the wall space in this room, yet strangely, a number of large cushions are strewn about the floor. A door on the north end is open.
Each brick-lined crypt is narrow and deep—just large enough to hold a stone sarcophagus capable of containing an adult human body. A brass plaque at the front of each crypt lists the name and dates of birth and death for the deceased.
A group of four tieflings stands guard here; the cushions on the floor are for their comfort. The tieflings are lounging on the cushions and talking with each other. Among the tieflings there's a strange and rather unusual tiefling: his skin is appears withered and hard, almost as if it had dried to a leathery-like shell after being preserved in a tomb. The tiefling is dressed in cloth wrappings, making him resemble to a mummy.
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Lorenzo steps forward, eager to pose himself between the Tieflings and the rest of his group. His shield raised high to deflect any blows, he thrusts his longsword at the nearest man, hoping to put him out of the fight before he can react.
--
Not wanting Lorenzo to be overwhelmed by the tieflings, Catina is right on his heels in stepping forward. She finds that the glaive is too cumbersome to strike at the closest gang member, so she attempt to swing past him to the tiefling in the rear.
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Faustinia takes advantage of the tiefling's tight-knit formation; with a word, a wide gesture, and a bit of hard butter from her spell component pouch that quickly evaporates, a pool of magical grease appears under the foursome.
---
As she vacates the doorway, Sev steps in and looses an arrow into the fray.
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Catina and Lorenzo quickly deal with two tiefling thugs before they can even react to the unexpected danger. Sev is a bit more unlucky, is arrow missing the intended target. One second after, one of the two remaining tieflings falls prone, slipping of the thin layer of greasy substance magically created by Lady Faustinia. Immediately after, Janiven fires an arrow at the tiefling resembling to a mummy; although she manages to hit the target, her aim was poor and the woman fails to deliver the full damage she hoped for.
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Janiven tightens the grasp on her longbow. Through gritted teeth, she whispers to Lorenzo, at her side, “Hold on boy, we must wait until Catina makes the first move”. With that said, Janiven nocks an arrow and takes aim. Everyone around her can see that she’s initially aiming for the tiefling girl’s head, but almost instantly Janiven lowers her bow and aims for her foe’s leg.
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: grease (19 rounds remaining)
Catina
Janiven
Sev
Ostengo
Lorenzo
Lady Faustinia
Green tiefling
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In the cramped halls of the temple's crypt, Faustinia has a hard time getting a good vantage of the fray - which is at least good in so far as she's not in it. She aims her crossbow at the nearest tiefling and takes a pot shot into the melee.
---
Sev, too, enjoys the benefit of staying out of range of the group of hellspawn thugs and fires an arrow as well.
=========
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Catina, unable to retreat and attack the third tiefling, elects to strike out at the mummy-resembling man.
--
Lorenzo has held back, barely, until Catina has made her strike. He's about to advance on the tiefling wrapped in cloth, then notices the grease on the ground. He holds back and strikes at the tiefling next to Catina instead.
--
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Ostengo, the mummy tiefling, easily avoids Catina’s strike while at the same time spinning on himself in order to dodge two arrows fired by Janiven and Sev respectively. Then the tiefling moves his hands covered in linen wrappings and speaks some dark words as he looks deep in Janiven’s eyes.
---
---
In the meantime, Lorenzo strikes at the tiefling in front of Catina with deadly accuracy, opening a deep wound on his neck and causing him to fall to the ground, bleeding and unconscious. At the same time, Ostengo avoids Lady Faustinia’s dart by lowering his head.
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: none
Catina
Janiven
Sev
Ostengo
Lorenzo
Lady Faustinia
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Catina winces as she feels her strike connect, not yet comfortable with performing her glaive and dancing skills for actual combat, and inflicting real wounds. When the mummy-tiefling's casts his spell, she doesn't recognize it, but the his foul words are enough to dispel any seconds thoughts she may have had. "I'm sorry..." She twirls the glaive as she's been taught, bringing it from right to left in a smooth arc.
--
Lorenzo, bolstered by his felling of the third tiefling, paces back and forth at the edge of the grease spell, eager to engage the tiefling's leader. "Come here and fight me," he challenges Ostengo. "Your foul magics are wasted on us." He readies his sword, lashing out if the tiefling comes closer.
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Faustinia cranes her neck to see deeper into the crypt, and despite the threat of battle seems mostly annoyed by the inconvenience before her. Seeing Lorenzo cautiously bait the bandage-wrapped tiefling at the edge of the grease, and the litter of fallen thieves' bodies, she moves across to the other side of her hallway and barks a dismissive syllable toward the melee. As if scolded, the magical grease seems to retreat into the ground, slinking away until there's nothing left. "He's trying to use magic to charm us. I mean, if you can call that kind of parlor trick magic," she scoffs.
---
Sev is less cavalier about his crummy vantage point--perhaps due to his physical and social stature, it's nothing unexpected. He fires off another arrow, trying to stop the strange tiefling with his malicious-sounding incantations before he can work his evil magic.
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Ostengo moves his torso just in time to avoid Catina’s attack. “Stop! Stop it!” calls out Janiven in the meantime. “If we keep attacking him, they’ll kill us all! Stop everyone!” orders the woman with an unusual look of concern on her face while Ostengo grins maliciously. Sev ignores her though, and fires the arrow already nocked. This time, there’s nothing Ostengo can do to avoid the arrow, and the tiefling “mummy” gets hit in his chest. Ostengo’s grin suddenly turns to a look of concern as he sees blood flowing out from his body and dunking his wrappings. The tiefling does not hesitate any more: he turns around and tries to flee, and somehow he manages to do just that despite Lady Faustinia’s grease. Ostengo moves to the western door (which is opened) and then closes it behind him.
Seeing the scene, Lorenzo hesitates. He waits until Lady Faustinia dismisses her spell before moving to the west and opening the door: behind it there’s Ostengo, who appears to be frantically looking for something hidden underneath his linen wrappings.
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: none
Catina
Janiven
Sev
Ostengo
Lady Faustinia
Lorenzo
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Catina moves up behind Lorenzo to see where Ostengo went. "I think we've gravely wounded him." She touches Lorenzo on the shoulder. "I know you'll do what's right..." She looks back at Janiven, with Faustinia's words having given her an inkling of what kind of magic might be at work. "I'm sorry, Janiven, but we have to do this. You aren't thinking like yourself."
--
Lorenzo doesn't waste time in pressing the advantage. "You organization is finished, thug. You've committed theft and murder, and we're here to hold you accountable." He strikes with his sword, and follows up with a shield bash as well.
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Faustinia makes an annoyed sound as Janiven refuses to fight. "They were going to kill us anyway, dear. Try to push through the spell if you can." With that said, Faustinia takes another shot with her crossbow as the tiefling tries to escape.
---
Sev also looks at Janiven, but more nervously. He swallows hard and takes another shot.
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“No! Catina, come back here! You’ll get yourself killed! Lorenzo! Lorenzo, stop that!” yells out Janiven as she sees Lorenzo facing Ostengo. The woman launches herself at the paladin, trying to grapple him so that she can later take him away from what she perceives as an insurmountable danger. The strength of desperation is hard to overcome, and the woman manages to restrain the paladin, impeding his movements.
In the meantime, Sev fires another arrow at Ostengo, but the halfling aim this time is very poor and the arrow misses. Seizing his opportunity, Ostengo retreats once more moving down the corridor to the point where no one can see him anymore.
Seeing Ostengo retreating in the corridor fills Lorenzo with a surge of strength as he tries to get free from Janiven’s grapple. Despite all of his efforts and the luck Catina bestowed on him, Lorenzo just can’t break free. Janiven his holding him so tightly that the paladin is barely able to move.
---
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: none
Catina
Janiven
Sev
Ostengo
Lady Faustinia
Lorenzo
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Catina finds it hard not be annoyed at Janiven for interfering with their pursuit of the tiefling. She's torn between trying to reason with her and going off. The fact that Lorenzo is tied up makes the decision for her. "I'm going after him. Sev, you're with me, right?" She then darts off, quickly looking back at those left behind. Bah.
She round the corner and immediately stops in her track. "What are those?" she exclaims in surprise. "Tiefling hounds?!" Not wanting to push herself further in danger away from her friends, she stops and braces her glaive, ready to sweep if the hounds come close.
--
Lorenzo only just manages to stifle a curse, when he finds himself held by Janiven. "Let go!" he urges, unable to grap why she's keeping him from the pursuit of the mummy-like tiefling. Seeing how he can't get loose, he tries another approach. "Listen, Janiven. It's not just about that tiefling mummy anymore. Catina is up ahead, and she's about to face some kind of hellhound, if we can believe her. You're not going to keep me here and let her fight on her own, do you?"
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Faustinia furrows her brow and makes an annoyed growl at Janiven's continued hindrance. "Really? Use your head, girl! Don't let that bandaged criminal mess with your thoughts! It's just an enchantment."
Although Faustinia's tone implies that simple logic and reason should be enough to shake off the magic's hold, she still moves over and lays a hand on Janiven's arm, trying to pull her off Lorenzo.
---
Sev nods at Catina and heads toward the next hallway, stepping carefully over the fallen tieflings and slipping past Lorenzo and Janiven into the next hallway.
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Janiven’s eyes are wide open as both Faustinia and Lorenzo try to convince her to let the paladin go. At first, speaking to her seems like a lost cause, but after a few seconds the woman apparently gains a moment of lucidity and lets go of Lorenzo. “I…I…” Janiven tries to say, but she seems very confused at the moment. She sighs, puts both her hands to her head and slowly lets herself slide to the floor. She shakes her head slowly, almost as if she was trying to fight against herself. “Please, let’s leave this place…” she mumbles, looking at no one in particular. She seems to be weak, and most likely she won’t be able to interfere with the combat anymore.
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As soon as they spot Catina and Sev, the hellish dogs charges at them. The first one launches itself at the tiefling girl with a bloody hunger, and there’s nothing Catina can do to stop the dog before it comes close to her enough to bite her leg. Even though the tiefling priestess of Shelyn tries to use her glaive in order to protect herself and prevent the dog from getting closer, the hellish creature is much faster than Catina expected and avoids her attack. There’s something wicked in the dog’s red, glowing eyes as it bites into Catina’s leg, almost as if the taste of her blood had overheated the creature. The dog bites and bites, delving with its razor-sharp teeth into the tiefling’s leg, damaging several key tendons. Before Catina can even react, another hellish dog launches itself at her. Despite her left leg critically bleeding and the pain she feels, Catina resorts to a surge of energy and manages to interpose her glaive between herself and the charging dog, effectively preventing the beast from biting her right leg. Although she has pushed back this attack, though, she’s under assault.
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: light (caster: Catina, target: Lorenzo’s sword, 5 rounds left)
Hell Dog (red)
Hell Dog (yellow)
Catina
Hell Dog (orange)
Janiven
Sev
Ostengo
Lady Faustinia
Lorenzo
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"Ouch!" Catina limps and hops back, putting some distance between herself and the fearsome animals. With some room to swing and biting back the pain in her leg to observe the proper form, she spins on one foot and brings down the blade-end of the glaive.
--
Lorenzo looks back at Janiven when she finally lets go. For a moment he seems about to speak to the woman, but then he turns around and boldly strides into the fray, picking up the place on the front line that Catina just vacated. "Stay back, Catina. I've got this." Keeping his shield low to protect against the snapping jaws of the hounds, he thrusts his longsword at the one in front of him.
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Faustinia huffs in frustration as Janiven crumples to the floor, but seems relieved that she's not holding Lorenzo back from the fight anymore. She barely has time to think this before the sounds of dogs attacking Catina comes from the hallway. She steps closer and starts casting a spell, forming precise circles in the air with her hands as she chants vocative arcane words. If Janiven wasn't going to help, they would need more allies.
---
Sev stands his ground - whether out of bravery or fearful paralysis, even he isn't sure - and fires off an arrow at the most injured hellish dog.
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Catina reacts to the assault spinning on one foot and bringing down the blade-end of her glaive on one of the dogs. She hits her target, and does so with great strength. The dog, while heavily wounded by this attack, doesn’t fall down. But right when Catina seems to be about to bring the situation under control, another hellish dog comes charging. This time, the target is the halfling Sev.
The dog comes charging at Sev, and while the halfling is still trying to aim correctly with his short bow, the hellish beast jumps on him, his teeth biting deep into the halfling’s neck. The scene is gruesome. Sev’s eyes are wide open as the dog bites again and again, before eventually finding the jugular. The halfling produces a raucous death rattle before plumping to the ground, his eyes still wide open and his small chest not breathing anymore as a pool of fresh blood starts to form under his dead body.
Janiven watches the scene with increasing fear, but Sev’s death is just the kind of shock she needed to come to her sense. The woman shakes her head, his face burrowed by painful tears and stands up. She nocks an arrow, and looks at the dog with vengeance. “FIGHT BACK! FIGHT BACK!” she screams aloud as she prepares for the shot.
The party is clearly touched by Sev’s grim fate, but there’s a positive side even in this tragic event: before dying, Sev managed to fire an arrow at the dog Catina wounded, and the hellish beast now collapses to the ground.
Encouraged by this event, but full of pain and rage, Lorenzo advances and brings down his sword on one of the other dogs while putting himself between Catina and the fiendish beasts. The paladin strikes true and opens a bleeding wound in the dog’s side.
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The dog reacts with violence to Lorenzo’s attack, trying to bite him in return as the paladin retract his hand, but the steel glove protects Lorenzo from this bite.
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: light (caster: Catina, target: Lorenzo’s sword, 4 rounds left)
Hell Dog (red)
Hell Dog (yellow)
Catina
Hell Dog (orange)
Janiven
Sev
Ostengo
Lady Faustinia
Lorenzo
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The small room in which Baolus and Petals are kept is cold and wet. The whole place smells terrible, and there's no light allowing the prisoners to enjoy the delights of sight. The taste of stale bread quickly became nauseating. And there was a complete, absolute, deafening silence. The only thing the prisoners heard during their days (or perhaps weeks-none of them could tell) of captivity was the sound of steps. They had got used to it pretty soon. Once a day, or at least that was how they perceived it, someone came to their door with that cursed stale bread and a boul of dirty, foul-smelling water. They never saw the "jailer": as a tiefling, he could probably see in the dark, and thus he didn't carry the usual torch most jailers are commonly seen with. Besides, he never spoke to them.
---
Suddenly, perhaps a few hours before they were used to, Baolus and Petals hear a familiar sound. Steps coming their way. But this time, the sound seems to be different. Those steps are much quicker than the ones they were used to, and there was a soft light filtering under the door to their room.
The steps quickly become hastier, and the light grows brighter. Then the steps stop. Another sound, of someone tinkering with some sort of metal tools. Then another hopeful sound. The sound of a key being used to open the door. And then, finally, the light.
It takes a few seconds for Baolus and Petals to adapt their eyes to the bright light radiated by the sword of the man standing in the doorway. But when their eyes finally adapt to the new conditions, they see a tall half-elf with long black hairs wearing a long, white cloak with golden trimmings. His sword emanates a soft light and his lips appear to be smiling.
"Yakopulio, set them free", he orders with a harmonious but authoritative voice.
"As you command, boss", quickly answer another voice, much more impertinent then the previous one and with a heavier Wiscrani accent. It belongs to a gnome girl with stange pink hairs wearing a white cloak with a red armband.
The new sounds brought dread at first, thinking it was finally time they were going to be killed or worse. All this time and not a single question or threat, left with their own thoughts of what was to come. It was maddening.
Petals had her prayers though, and the soft center of warm they brought to her was enough to keep her from the deepest of the darkness. That and song. She'd sing when her companion ran out of encouraging words. Made her think of outside and hope.
She sat speechless as the two spoke and the busied themselves in their work. Finally managing a whispered Thank you with eyes brimming with tears, as the gnome set about freeing them.
========
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"Sev!" Catina's first instinct is to crouch down and check on the downed halfling, but Janiven's urgent words keep her focused on the task at hand. "Yes," she stammers. "Fight back. Right." She brings the glaive up for another strike. Her eyes linger on the very still body of Sev, which makes her attack fly wide.
--
Lorenzo is so focused on the fight and the two beasts in front of him, that he barely registers Sev going down. "Come on!" he taunts as he bangs his sword in his shield and steps to the side in an attempt to draw the hounds away from the others. "Give me your worst." Trying to end the fight and taking advantage of the charging hound being off-balance, the paladin swings his sword low and follows up with a blow of his shield.
Baolus watched with disbelief as they were set free. Would these two indeed free them or was this just another kind of game... to give them hope just to crush it afterwards?
With reservation, Baolus got up on his feet, towering above all the others present in the room. He then moved in front of Petals in a protective way before finally speaking. "Yes... thank you... now, who are you and why have you freed us?" Unmoving, he awaited for an answer, trying to discern their intentions.
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Faustinia completes her spell as an eagle bathed in light appears in the hallway, a bright spot too late in arrival. Faustinia sees Sev fall and is somewhat surprised by the hot tears that spring to her eyes. She wipes them quickly and shouts, "Take out those dogs!" before firing a bolt from her crossbow to follow up on the eagle beginning to swipe and peck at the hellish creatures.
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Catina misses the hellish dog once again just while one of them attempts another attack against Lorenzo. This time, the red-eyed dog manages to break through the paladin’s guard, avoiding his shield, and bites him at his neck, where his armor can’t protect him. Although Lorenzo proves to be more resilient than Sev, the paladin suffers a serious injury and his neck is covered in blood.
Seeing Lorenzo being hit by this last attack is what Janiven needed to break free from the enchantment and find the strength to fight once again. “Hold on Lorenzo!” she cries out as he fires the arrow she had already nocked. “Take this!” Janiven’s arrow hits the target and lodges right into the dog’s body. The beast seems to be about to collapse from its wounds. And while Faustinia is not able to deliver the final blow to the hellish dog, he celestial eagle takes care of it, sending the dog to the ground with a strong claw attack.
In the meantime, Lorenzo tries to stay focused on the combat, but fails to hit the hellish dog at his side.
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: light (caster: Catina, target: Lorenzo’s sword, 3 rounds left)
Hell Dog (red)
Hell Dog (yellow)
Catina
Hell Dog (orange)
Janiven
Sev
Ostengo
Lady Faustinia
Lorenzo
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The half-elf smiles, a genuine expression written all over his face as Baolus stands up to protect Petals. He raises his hands as though he was surrendering to some invisible force, then lowers them. “It’s all right, Baolus. Wasn’t it your name?”. The half-elf waits for a few seconds in order for his words to have effect on the dottari. “We don’t mean no harm to you. We’re here to save you, since it seems like we were the cause of your kidnap. It’s all right, my friend. I’m Arael, and you can trust me”.
“Listen, Baolus, Petals. We have no time to proper introductions. You were captured by a gang of tiefling criminals known as the Bastards of Erebus. You’ve been kept in their lair for all of this time, and we just want to take you out of here. We also managed to recover your equipment on our way here. Ermolos, you can come in”.
---
A towering, incredibly muscular young man enters the room. A longsword hangs from his belt, and his hands are raised in order to sustain a large wooden chest. “Hey there, I’m Ermolos. Nice to meet you” he says as he drops the chest down. “Oh, and…nice equipment too”.
---
“Now, please. You have to trust us. We’re trying to defeat these criminals, since the city guards won’t do it. I’m the leader of the group you were invited from to those meetings in Vizio’s Tavern. We just want to make this city better. And this starts tonight. Are you with us?” asks Arael with a firm tone.
Baolus watches the man, still a bit suspicious, but when he finds no signs of misplay, he lowers his guard a bit, simply nodding when Arael mentions his name.
He also hears the gnome mocking the half-elf, easing him a bit when he notices no reprisal towards her. When Ermolos comes in bringing all his missing gear and weapons, Baolus finally lowers his guard, reaching for his armor and weapons while gesturing to Petals to do the same. "Very well... nice to meet you, Areal, Ermolos..." he then finds himself trying to remember the gnome's name, "... and Yako?"
When he finally finishes to don his armor and sheath his many axes, Baolus once more turns to their rescuers, "I'd prefer if you do not generalize the guards... you are correct that many of them are no better than thieves but some of us are still loyal to our true purpose."
---
During this whole time Baolus was keeping himself between the men and Petals and also his back turned to her, trying to give her some sort of privacy to her if it was needed. He was about to protest in helping their rescuers, worried about putting the elf in danger but then he saw her heavy hammer. "We owe you our lives so I'll help you in this task. If by doing so I'll be helping Westcrown, better..." Turning to Petals, he continued. "...and you, Petals, are you in conditions to fight? We have been spared of much suffering and even if these thieves crimes against us were not completed, I'm eager to pay them back in advance."
---
Saying this, Baolus draws his beautiful battleaxe. "Areal, do you have a direction, or should I need to track them around?"
Petals listens to them, the priestess always told her to listen before you act. Listening rarely stopped her from acting the way she would have anyway, but at least she wasn't guilt ridden with maybes after the fact, knowing the bullies or thugs or handsy customer really were the bastards she thought they were originally. Now faced with good people she was more at a loss for words than anything.
Thankful for being with a gentlemen as she dons her clothes and armor. Her mind confused from the ups and downs of the last few days, but now a heady anger rises. Whispering a sweet thank you to the songbird around her neck once more, she lifts her two handed hammer off the ground, beautifully carved with silver roses. May Shelyn forgive me, but yes, I will fight. then finding her manners And thank you, all of you, including you Baolus. I probably would have lost myself without someone else here.
To the othes, she nods when she's ready, I will follow
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Faustinia grits her teeth and opens her eyes wide in horror as Lorenzo’s blood spills from his wound. ”NO!” she shouts, firing another bolt at the last dog. Her eagle, sensing the severity of the battle, attacks the dog even more fiercely, its eyes and talons glowing with a celestial light.
Arael listens to Baolus and Petals with a broad smile, then leaves the room along with the gnome and Ermolos in order to give some privacy to both the freed prisoners as they don their armors and fix their equipment on their bodies. The process lasts for a few minutes.
“Tarvi, report” asks Arael.
“The Eyes are in position. No sign of any fugitive yet”, replies a young woman’s voice.
“Remind me the couples”, asks again Arael.
“We have Yorith and Fiosa on the east; Larko and Gorvio on the south; Mathalen on the west and Rizzardo on the north”, replies the woman.
Arael seems to be thinking about an answer, given the time it takes for him to speak again.
“Mmh…We’re short on the west and north side. Tarvi, please, once we’re done here go and join Mathalen on the west side of the area. Ermolos, you go and join Larko and Gorvio to the south. Please, ask Larko to reach the temple stealthily as soon as possible. I’ll meet him there. Yakopulio, you will join Rizzardo to the north. It’s everything clear?”
“YES!”, answer the other voices in a chorus.
“Tarvi, any news from the Irises?” asks Arael while you’re about to end your dressing process.
“No, Arael. Last time we saw them, they had entered the Temple of the Bastards…”, replies the woman’s voice.
“Please, call it with its name”, interrupts her Arael.
“Oh, sure…The Temple of Erastil…anyway, we saw them going in and they didn’t come out yet”, continues the woman.
“Fine, thanks Tarvi”.
Once Baolus and Petals join the others outside the room, they see a woman standing at Arael’s side: she’s very beautiful and quite young, wears incredibly rich and ornate jewelry, and looks at you with a faint thoughtful smile. “I’m Tarvi, it’s a pleasure to make your acquiescence”, she quickly introduces herself with a distracted air. Arael nods to the woman and gives a quick glance to the others. “Now go. May Iomeadae’s light shine on your path!”, says Arael. “For Westcrown!”, reply the others in chorus before leaving the area through a narrow corridor leading on the outside.
“Well, as you can see you outnumber me now” comments Arael with a smirk. “Anyway, before we leave, you need to receive healing. Please allow me to take care of it. I hope you don’t have problems with Iomeadae…”
With that said, Arael starts intonating a solemn hymn to the Sword of Valor, decanting her prowess and courage and bestowing the same gifts on you, before asking for her merciful power in order to heal your wounds. A wave of positive energy suddenly fills your bodies as Arael says his prayer, and when he’s done, you feel like you never suffered any torture nor deprivation in the previous days.
“Well, now that's a bit more like it!”, says Arael with a smile. “Listen. I need to join other members of our group who have ventured deeper in the Bastards’ lair. I’m afraid they might be injured, so we need to move quickly. We must reach an old Temple of Erastil which now serves as a headquarters for the Bastards of Erebus. I won’t lie to you. Chances are we may stumble into some fights, so be prepared and stay wary as we move”. Arael gives you a few seconds to think about what he has just said, then nods. “Are you ready? Let’s go!”
---
You follow Arael into the narrow corridor outside from the room you’ve been kept in. Then the half-elf turns left and exits the building. You find yourself surrounded by a ruined complex, with several crumbling buildings all around you. The sun is about to set. “Come on, we must hurry!”
Arael confidently leads you through the ruins. Baolus quickly recognizes the place as a part of Parego Dospera, the ruined district the Rundottari are tasked with protecting the city from. Many criminals, from assassins to drug dealers, and even more monsters are known to lurk in the area, especially at night.
After walking for a few minutes, you reach the temple. The old temple has a small bell tower jutting from the southeast corner—the large (but very weathered) bowand-arrow symbol on the bell tower clearly indicates that this used to be a temple of Erastil. Windows are 4 feet off the ground, 2 feet wide, and 4 feet tall, and are far too grimy on the inside to look through. The bottom 3 feet of the walls are mortared stone, the rest is old wood, with a clay tile roof.
“Let’s get inside” whispers Arael, “try and be as silent as possible once we’re in”.
You reach the temple’s door. This sturdy wooden door is carved with scenes of elk, hunters, and farmhouses. It is in good condition except for a spot near the center where a piece is chipped off, as if someone had struck it with an axe. The door has a large keyhole. Arael pushes it carefully, and door opens.
Once inside, your eyes witness a gruesome scene. The whole room stinks of blood, sweat, beer, dog and death. There is a tiefling in a pool of blood lying dead on the floor. On the opposite side of the room, there’s a tiefling girl tied up with a rope: she seems to be unconscious but not dead yet. To her side there’s a wounded and unconscious dog which seems not to be dead. Apart from that, two wooden tables set up for playing simple card and dice games sit in this large room. Four chairs are set up near each table. In the northeast corner is a stack of small wooden crates, to the north is a pair of water barrels, and on the far west side of the room is a small table. A hallway to the northwest turns out of view, and the interior wall of the temple’s belltower takes a corner out of the southeast part of the room.
“We must wait here for a bit, until one of my men arrives. In the meantime, maybe you can tell me more about you” says Arael as he wanders the room, inspecting the tieflings and the dog.
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"Oh Lorenzo, please watch out," Catina pleads at seeing Lorenzo's (succesfull) attempt to draw so much attention to herself. In a desperate attempt to end the fight and check up on the halfling at her feet, she swings hard at the last remaining hound.
--
Lorenzo grits his teeth, and bites through the pain. "Is that all you've got?" he retorts through clenched teeth. "Take this. For victory, for the heart!" He lunges and brings down his sword at the hound's head, but the blood loss causes black spots in his vision, causing him to stumble and miss.
Petals accepts the healing, the bruises and bone deep aches of the beating she had taken disappear. Iomeadae’s healing feels a little different than Shelyn's. Like a might soar instead of a entwining song.
In the temple she winces, not at the blood but at the sacrilege to Erastil. As an orphan, she has always held the god of family in a special hopeful place in her heart.
When asked about herself, I'm just a barmaid, how can't keep her mouth shut. if any have frequented an establishment regularly and recognize her Yes, I worked there, made it a whole year before upending two mugs of ale on a member of the dottari who thought kicking a Halfling across the room was fun. and then lists at least a dozen other establishments she's worked at before being kicked out for similar reasons. She sounds proud and weary at the same time.
If they ask about why a barmaid has a hammer like that, the weariness takes full effect, I was lived in the temple of Shelyn... quietly, and adding nothing else.
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Catina hits the dog hard with her glaive, causing the dog to counterattack immediately almost as though hurting people could somehow ease its pain. This time, though, Lorenzo is much readier and raises his shield just at the right time, causing the dog crash into it. Right after attacking, the dog is hit by an arrow fired from Janiven. “COME ON! We must avenge Sev!” she shouts. It’s just a matter of seconds before Lady Faustinia’s unexpectedly precise aim and her celestial eagle get the job done, delivering the final blows to the dog. With the last dog down, the group manages to win the fight!
---
Now that the battle is over, the group has some time to mourn the passing of Sev. Janiven kneels down next to the halfling and caresses his cheek with a single tear falling from her right eye. She shakes her head in sorrow, and closes Sev’s eye. “He was much more braver than he seemed. He…He was one of us…”
---
After mourning the passing of Sev, the group also have some time to get back in the previous room and search the tieflings for something useful.
Now the group must face a decision: chasing Ostengo or opening the door in the north of the crypt?
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Baolus nodded to the woman as she introduces herself. "Pleasure to meet you too, milady." After that, the rundottari simply watches as their rescuers leave to continue their raid to the mentioned Bastards. As Arael motions to heal them, Baolus agrees even in face of his general superstition against magic... he had not had many experiences with being healed by magic, but to his surprise it was quite pleasant. "Thank you once more, Arael... I believe now I'm in my full capabilities to fight by your side. Just show me the way."
Baolus was doing his best to follow Arael and Petals while moving around Parego Dospera. In the long run Baolus was sure he would be able to outrun both of them, but in these short bursts of speed, his heavier armor was a true nuisance.
Not a particularly religious man, Baolus had just bland reactions to the temple, being much more impressed by the bloodshed. An abandoned temple of Erastil in the confines of Westcrown was more than expected in his opinion, even more taking in consideration that His general aspect of community was generally taken care by Abadar within the city walls. After looking around alarmed, Baolus eases a bit after Arael's calm tone.
Moving to one of the chairs, Baolus sits and rests his battleaxe atop the table before answering the half-elf, "Hum... more about me? Well, differently than my skin color might suggest, I was born and raised in Westcrown. My family once lived in the far south but this is the only thing I know about that. Nowadays I'm a rundottari, you like it or not, but it wasn't always the case... if not for Durotas Tuornos, there would be a pretty good chance of me being already dead, incarcerated, or even fighting against you today..."
How did he do that? Petal asks, one to distract her from the carnage and two cause she loved stories, and this had the sense of a nice one.
Talking about his past was never one of his favorite things to do, specially that part of his past. He remained in silence for almost a full minute, thinking about how to tell it. He eventually shrugged, wishing to have some alcohol with him. "My family was killed when I was young and soon enough I lost my home. As you might already imagine, this left me with a single option: live on the streets... twenty years ago, Westcrown wasn't as bad as it is nowadays, but the choices a dark skinned orphan had back then, had not changed a bit..."
"Eventually I had to steal... it started with an apple, or a piece of bread, but as sure as the night comes after the day, the act of stealing is much like a drug... and it escalates quickly. A couple years later and I had already joined a other thieves, forming something like a small gang with other kids.
"Durota Tuormos, back them just a rundottari, manage to catch us, but instead of locking us up for good, the old man took us in and taught us how to live away from the streets and from the jail. It wasn't easy and most of us returned to the streets after a while... luckily I wasn't one of them..."
Baolus thought about asking the elf about her own story, but then decided against it. She appears not to want to share it right now... If there is something that I've learnt all this years is that when someone tells me "I'm just a barmaid..." or "I'm just a merchant...", it was rarely the truth. We'll talk when she is ready.
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Faustinia takes a deep breath. She lowers her weapon, suddenly much heavier in her arms, and her summoned bird disappears back to the plane it came from. ”Sev…” she says quietly, not sure what to do now. She is thankful that Janiven is there, kneeling over the small body: part of something larger even in ignominious death.
Once Faustinia is done standing silently staring at Sev, she sighs audibly. ”Unfortunate as it is, we don't have the luxury of time to mourn and bury our dead properly,” she says, moving over to the tiefling corpses. She fishes the coins from their pockets and replenishes her stock of crossbow bolts. She leaves Sev untouched. She digs around in her own pockets and pulls out two healing potions, handing them off to Lorenzo. ”These were Sev’s. I'm sure he'd want you to have them now.”
She looks down the hallway where the dogs came from and shakes her head. ”That bandaged would-be mage ran off this way. No doubt he's already alerted whoever is down that way. I say we go back toward the way we came in; I saw a door over there that we haven't yet addressed.”
With the threat of the hounds dealt with, Catina can't help but turn back towards Sev, glaive clattering from her hand to the floor. She hustles over to Sev and kneels down next to him. She feels at his neck, but quickly has to come to terms with the fact that there's nothing to be done. She swallows hard, trying not to break down in tears. "He was," she adds to Janiven's words in a thin, nearly breaking voice.
Not trusting herself to speak anymore, Catina stands and wipes a sleeve across her face. While Faustinia busies herself with the tieflings, Catina looks around, then kneels again and gently wraps Sev in his white cloak. "He... he looks all right, like this. I'm just sorry that he couldn't be around us much longer, to truely feel like one of us eventually." With the halfling carefully wrapped in his cloak, she lifts his little body and takes him up the stairs, gently laying him down on the floor there.
When she rejoins the group, Catina's eyes are red, but she carries herself bravely. "We'll have to move on, I think. If we leave not, it'll all have been for nothing." She retrieves her glaive, wipes her sleeve across her face again, and nods. "That door north is fine. We'll have to watch out back, though. Lorenzo, here. Let me take care of those wounds. You can barely stand up straight."
Arael sits on one of the chairs as Petals and Baolus tell their stories. As the ranger speaks, the half-elf takes on a sad expression, nodding several times as to communicate his sympathy to Baolus’ sufferings. “It’s a sad story, Baolus. But you managed not to lose your inner compass, and trust me, you must be proud of you for that…” The clicking sound of the door opening abruptly interrupts the conversation. Arael stands up, his hand quickly reaching for the sword at his left side. Once he sees the face of the one who has entered, though, the half-elf immediately relaxes. “Nothing to worry about guys, he’s one of ours” he says with a reassuring smile to Baolus and Petals. “Well met, Larko” adds the half-elf moving toward the handsome Garundi man who just entered. He dresses simply and has dreadlocks and meticulously cured mustache. Arael shakes hands with him, inviting you to do the same. “This is Larko, one of the Eyes of Westcrown”, Arael says introducing the Garundi man. “Nice to meet you”, adds Larko with a rich, deep voice. “Not unlike Baolus, Larko is born in Westcrown” clarifies Arael. Larko nods.
“Listen, Larko, I need you on the lookout tower. Stay alert for any sign of trouble, and if you spot someone trying to access the temple, ring the alarm. There should be a bell atop the tower. And if they don’t stop…Well, shoot at them” says Arael to the newcomer.
“Fine”, simply answers Larko. Then Arael leads the man to a door on the southern part of the temple’s room. “The stairs are behind this door. May Iomedae watch on you, my friend.”
“Take care”, answers Larko, confirming his rather quiet nature.
---
Once Larko opens the door and leaves the room, Arael comes closer to Baolus and Petals. “Alright, follow me. We must find the Irises” That said, the half-elf opens another door and says a quick prayer to Iomedae, creating a soft light on the tip of his sword. “Keep your weapons ready. From this point on, we don’t know what we can expect”.
Arael leads Baolus and Petals down the stairs to a wooden door. A short message has been artfully carved on the door, but someone seems to have marred the message with slashes from a sharp instrument. The door is open. Behind it, there’s a room with twelve brick-lined crypts. Strangely, a number of large cushions are strewn about the floor. Inside the room you find several other people. They are Lady Faustinia, Catina, Lorenzo and Janiven. Arael smiles as he sees them. In the room there are also the dead bodies of three tieflings.
Arael breathes a sigh of relief, quickly moving closer to the group. “Oh, it’s so good to see you safe and sound. These are Baolus and Petals” he says gesturing to the two new faces, “We have freed them from a room where the tieflings kept them in chains. They’re willing to help”.
Arael gives the group some time to make proper introductions as he speaks privately with Lorenzo. Once introductions are over, the half-elf chimes in. “Baolus and Petals will come with you, guys. I need Lorenzo’s aid in the temple’s entrance room in order to avoid other tiefling to get in and watch your back. Is it fine? Well. Wait, but…where is Sev?”
Catina at first doesn't seem to belong to the group in the crypts below, lacking the white cloak that the others are wearing. The young girl doesn't stand tall, with her short statue emphasized by a stocky physique. What's immediately obvious about the girl is her tiefling nature, showing in three-inch horns on her forehead, burn scars on her cheeks spelling out Infernal obscenities, and unnaturally long fingers. She wears a practical dress of midnight-blue wool, with a divided skirt. The dress is outfitted with long sleeves, although a pewter bracelet with enamel-painted songbirds can be seen dangling on her wrist. She holds a glaive with a modest amount of decoration, which Petals might recognize as a training glaive from the temple of Shelyn.
Catina is momentarily alarmed at the new arrivals coming from the stairs, until she notes that Arael is with them. She seems happy to see him for an instant, then her eyes are cast down when she realizes that she will have to bring him bad news. "Arael, it's... Sev, he..." She swallows, finding that she can't find the words yet. "It's these hounds, Arael. They got to him." She still can't make herself say it, but she points at his body, wrapped in the white cloak. "I'm so sorry, there wasn't anything I could do..."
Looking for a distraction to keep herself from crying again, Catina turns to the newcomers, sizing them up. "You're... willing to join us?" She can't help looking at Sev's body again, a sad reminder of the danger that this mission has meant, and then looks at Arael in amazement. He can really bring people together, can't he?
Being an outsider all her life, Petals doesn't react negatively to Catina being a tiefling, though she does seem taken aback when looking at her glaive and bracelet. After weathering the disdain of direct action so many years ago, she wonders why Catin is here.
But stifles the question when she sees the sorrow in the other woman's eyes, understanding why it is there as she listens. His name was Sev? He and all of you are the reasons we... gesturing to Baolus ... are still alive. I believe I speak for both of us to say we will do all in our power to live up to his bravery.
Petals while healed still is covered it dirt, dried blood, things yet to identified, and smells like a mix of gutter and urinal. Other than that she'd probably be considered pretty. A little shorter than the average elf, puts her a little taller than the average human. At the moment with greasy honey hair pulled back out of her face with a strip of cloth, her pointed ears are very prominent.
She tries to give a smile that is encouraging.
You are the Irises, Ariel referred to?
Baolus wasn't so sure if he was indeed proud of his past, but he nodded anyway. He reacts similarly to Larko's arrives, nodding to him before talking, "Nice to meet you as well, Larko."
When told to move once more, Baolus grabbed his battleaxe and followed quietly. Unlike Arael, Baolus had noticed the body covered by the white cloak and the saddened faces, suggesting no other result than grief.
Not knowing what to say, the garundi man remained silent initially, but then nodded after Catina's question and Petal's answer, "Yes, we'll help. Sorry about your loss"
Baolus is a tall garundi man with bald head and a trimmed beard in a door knocker style. He wears a fine breastplate, a cloak, and carries an assortment of axes around his waist, among them two finely crafted axes of dwarven craftsmanship. "Whenever you are ready."
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Faustinia turns as Arael enters with newcomers, her usual imperious expression blank. She stands aside and lets Catina deliver the bad news. Faustinia is an older human woman, with neat silver hair and perfect posture. Though somewhat frail and of average height, she exudes self-confidence, even dampened as it is now by Sev’s fate. Along with her white cloak and armband sporting Aroden’s eye, she wears a blue scholar’s robe, which appears clean and new despite the carnage around her, and an incongruous pair of sturdy leather boots. One of her hands clutches an ivory cameo necklace on a silver chain and the other holds a light crossbow - freshly used judging by the bodies on the floor.
After a moment of silence, she takes a deep breath and says, ”Thank you for coming, Arael.” Turning to the ones Arael brought to help, she finds more to say. ”A pleasure to meet you both, though you arrive at an unpleasant time. I am Lady Faustinia Xerysis. I appreciate your being here - it sounds like you had a rough time of it on your own, though. Did Arael say these fiends had imprisoned you?” she asks with clear disgust, brow furrowed.
She approaches Petals, involuntarily wrinkling her nose at the smell. ”It must have been awful. Petals, was it? Please, allow me to offer some small comfort,” she politely demands, starting to cast a spell without waiting for an answer. She makes flicking motions with her hands toward Petals, and with each motion a patch of the bloody grime that coats the girl lifts off and disappears in an instant until she's clean. Satisfied with her work, Faustinia nods. ”I'm sorry, I never answered your question. We are the Irises of Westcrown. Are you prepared to join us? This is still a dangerous place and we have much to do.”
Catina stays behind Faustinia, prefering to let her do the talking. She seems confident and ready to take charge. However, the noblewoman's introduction remind Catina that she hasn't spoken yet. "Hello. It's good to meet some friendly faces down here. I'm Catina." She looks quite self-conscious as she answer's the elven woman's question. "Yes, I suppose we are the Irises. That's supposed to be the central part of the eye, but I'm not sure it's a good title. We're not any more important than the others, I think."
As Faustinia works her magic, Catina subtly checks on the new arrivals. The bald guy doesn't seem like much of a talker. But neither is Lorenzo. She furrows her brow trying to make sense of Petals, stopping just shy of staring at the woman. An elf, with an enormous hammer like that? And is that Shelyn's songbird?
Arael falls down to his knees when he's informed about Sev death. For a moment he shakes, but then he closes his eyes and joins his hands in a whispered prayer lasting for several seconds. Then the half-elf stands down, and with a solemn tone he announces: "We'll be missing him. And we won't let him down here in this profaned crypt. We'll give him proper burial once this is all over. But until then, we must fight together to make is sacrifice worth. For Westcrown!"
"FOR WESTCROWN!" echos Janiven.
"Lorenzo and me are going to leave now. Stay focused on the mission, Irises. There will be a time for tears. And you, Baolus and Petals...Just know that helping us is not only a way to get your revenge, but also a way to help your city. May Iomedae shed her light on you path and guide your swords!"
That said, Arael leaves with Lorenzo.
---
The new group decides to head to the northern door first. Janiven opens the door carefully, but as you clearly notice, the door has no lock. Once the door opens with a creaking sound, it reveals a small, square room with six small, brick-lined alcoves built into the walls. The small crypts are the same as those in the previous room, but older by a few decades. Inside the room, there are two quadruped skeletons, resembling to the skeletal remnants of large dogs or even wolves. “Wh…What are these things?” asks Janiven with a mix of loathing and surprise.
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Janiven gasps as she sees the unexpected hosts of the room. Despite her surprise, the woman is also the fastest one to react. She draws her longbow, nocks an arrow and fires it at the easternmost four-legged skeleton. Janiven’s aim is very good, and her arrow lodges right in the creature’s fearsome skull. Unfortunately, as you all can see, arrows do not seem to be particularly adequate for harming skeletons. Janiven shakes her head. “Dammit, that was a good shot!”
The skeletal quadrupeds instantly counterattack. They move toward Janiven and attack her with blind fury: the first one successfully bites at the woman’s leg, then moves its skeletal head abrutptly, causing Janiven to fall prone. The other skeletal quadruped moves behind the first one, but cannot take advantage of the situation due to lack of space.
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: none
Janiven
Green Skeleton
Pink Skeleton
Baolus
Petals
Catina
Lady Faustinia
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Petals is a little shamed about the dirt, she could have done that, but it didn't occur to her. Shelyn sees beauty in all things, she tells herself, even dirty icky needs a bath things. Still she offers a thank you and a nice to meet you to the imposing human woman and her shorter friend.
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Petals signs Skeletons as she sees past the woman in the front. She assumes everyone knows about skeletons, their descriptions in hundreds of songs alone and doesn't want to seem like a know it all.
Petals' nerves are soothed by song, ever since she could remember her mothers voice. So she starts to sing. Unfortunately days of little water makes her voice scratchy and worn, but she carries on, singly softly about the light of Sheyln radiating down upon them.
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"They were once wolves, so take care not to..." Baolus was about to warn Janiven about the possibility of the creatures also be able to drop her to the ground but it was too late, "...fall."
Grabbing his battleaxe with both hands, Baolus gets ready to attack the skeleton as soon as he has room to move in. "This place is too narrow for us to fight. Petals and Catina, retreat to the door behind you, Lady Faustina, retreat as well to the south door... Jeniven, try to move away from them so we can all join in the fight!" His voice was strong and even if he was the newcomer, he could not stop himself to instruct the others regarding a fight... after all, it was in his blood.
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Baolus's strong voice in the darkness mixes with her song as she steps back in the room behind her, into the previous carnage.
Catina closes her eyes in her own silent prayer for Westcrown, then echoes Arael's words along with Janiven, although slightly less loud. "For Westcrown!" After that she gives Lorenzo an awkward hug. "Take care. We'll see each other back at the temple, I'm sure." She watches the two men leave as she fiddles with the bracelet at her wrist, then turns to follow Janiven further into the complex.
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Catina utters a short shriek at seeing the undead creatures. "Skeletal... wolves?" she finishes her own sentence, after Baolus fills her in on the nature of the creatures, during life. Their vicious attack on Janiven and the woman's vulnerable position give Catina pause. However, Baolus's crisp directions seem exactly what she needs.
She props her glaive up against the wall and draws the light mace from her belt, then one she had brought for her 'disguise' as a Bastard recruit. She looks at Baolus drawing his axe in front of her, and offer a sincere question. "Are you sure that's going to be ok? You might just slash past their bones with a weapon like that. We've been taught at the temple that you need to crush them..." She stays where she is, not wanting to be too far away from Janiven to aid her if needed, but also having to give her some room to retreat from the skeletal wolves.
--
She props her glaive up against the wall and draws the light mace from her belt, then one she had brought for her 'disguise' as a Bastard recruit. She looks at Baolus drawing his axe in front of her, and offer a sincere question. "Are you sure that's going to be ok? You might just slash past their bones with a weapon like that. We've been taught at the temple that you need to crush them..." She stays where she is, not wanting to be too far away from Janiven to aid her if needed, but also having to give her some room to retreat from the skeletal wolves.
Without taking his eyes from the wolf, Baolus answered Catina. "Well, it is what I have... when I was jumped by my captors I wasn't really thinking about fighting skeletons... if ya have any spare mace I'll gladly take it... otherwise I'll just try to hit really hard."