Gregor's face softens. "Good thing you're with friends now." His plate armor clanks solidly a few times as he adjusts.
Pontia relaxes (at least, as much as is appropriate for the setting) and nods.
Wrinkling her nose at the conversation, Tara rubs the back of her neck. "I think that is more of a Nidal custom? I must confess I tended to zone out over conversations of the more extreme alignment religions during my studies." she pipes up, before pressing closer to the passage to allow others to move more easily.
There is a small passage there, behind the rocks in the north corner. Can't you feel that drift of air? But first, let's get rid of this nasty magical trap. Give me some space, just to be sure.
Vivian gets to work on the trap, using her tools and training
Vivian is able to work something out to keep the trap from triggering on you, and you are able to get in and look around. Then she reveals the secret door she mentioned.
Niculaie peers in with his darkvision first, looking for any obvious threats outside the range of the party's lights.
After Vivian completes her work. Doro goes into the room and peers at the hidden doorway. Mace in one hand, Shield at the ready. He is all business.
"Well done, Vivian." Pontia follows, a few paces behind the others.
Thanks. Doing my best to be useful, as I'm not a very good cook.
answers the redhead with her natural wit and banter
"I suppose that means we'll need to stay in inns in our future travels, hm?"
"If we do, let's hope they aren't all as exciting as our stay at the Lodge has been."
A partition of iron bars divides this chamber. To one side, rows of shelves lined with bottles and beakers filled with strange fluids and jars containing powdered reagents and herbs surround a long stone surgical table. Another shelf holds a selection of tarnished surgical tools. On the far side of the bars, a 10-foot-deep pit sits in the floor of a crudely chiseled cave. Rusted manacles lie scattered about the floor near the edge of the pit.
You also find a scared and somewhat mad looking Estovion Lozarov hiding here. You notice a nasty and infected bite on his arm. He looks at you with wild eyes, and then starts casting a spell.
Gregor files into the room after Doro, glancing around to make sure it's empty before relaxing. "Never heard of an Inn that wasn't exciting."
When the secret door is opened and Estovion revealed, Gregor starts towards him. He tries to get a grip and hold him still, so as to prevent him from casting any spells.
Gregor runs in and tries to grab Estovion, but misses his target.
Pontia - you won initiative, so there is no spell started yet.
Vivian shows that she is as quick to act than quick witted, and she darts inside the room to deliver a strong blow to the spellcaster's head with the butt of her sword's hilt
Nice smack on the head, but Estovion is made of sterner stuff than he seems.
Pontia readies a dispel magic to counterspell whatever the former Lodge Warden casts.
Niculaie steps behind Doro to ensure that he can see the Lodge Warden, and begins to sing. The dirge that the bard performs starts out slow and mournful, the lyrics in an ancient, unrecognizable tongue. After a moment, the tempo picks up, but the dissonant melody becomes disturbed. With a shout and a stomp of his feet, the dhampir falls silent.
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"No! No! Not you! I killed you!!" Estovion turns his attention to something off to his side that none of you can see.
He tries to point a wand at this new foe and tries to cast a scorthing ray, but Pontia is there to thwart the effort. As he manages to summon the magical energies, Pontia drains them right away.
Doro looks at the size of the room, and decides he needs to change up the situation, especially since Estovian is a spell caster.
He moves in and to the right.
He points at Estovian and says loudly You! I challenge you! invoking the power of Iomedae in the words.
With a nod to the paladin, Niculaie begins to sing an Iomedan battle hymn composed by an unknown warrior bard who served in one of the crusades to hold back the demonic invasion at the Worldwound.
"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the bright Inheritor;
She is shining through the darkness where the wrathful demons roar;
She hath loosed the holy fire from Her terrible swift sword;
Her Acts shall long live on.
Glory! Glory! Iomedae!
Glory! Glory! Iomedae!
Glory! Glory! Iomedae!
Her Acts shall long live on."
Gregor once again tries to grab ahold of the spellcaster, trying to hold him still. "Manacles...in my pack," he grunts, gritting his teeth through his rage.
Esotvion is grappled. He tries to cast a spell, but Gregor's hold is too complete and the spell fizzles.
As Gregor seems to have a firm hold of the spellcaster and showing her adaptability, Vivian cuts some strips of Estovion's clothes and roll them together to improvise a gag for his mouth, so he won't be able to cast spells, hopefully
We don't like potty mouths here..
It is not hard to shove a rag in his mouth, and he glares at you.
Gregor relaxes somewhat once he gets ahold of the man, his anger disappearing like leaves in the wind. "Nice thinking, Vivian. If we can restrain him, maybe we can figure out where this bite came from."
Gregor relaxes and as you all get ready to interrogate, Estovion suddenly disappears.
Doro scowls. and runs out of the room looking around...
Where do you go?
Pontia casts see invisibility.
[dice=Concentation]1d20+12
Gregor relaxes and as you all get ready to interrogate, Estovion suddenly disappears.
At this point, it is hard to say. By grappling and gagging, he was unable to physically attack the horror at the time. But for all you know, he is still suffering from the effects.
"Great." Gregor pants softly, putting his arms on his hips to rest for a moment. "Another spellcaster got away. Maybe he went up to the roof? We could make the climb again, it doesn't seem like there's anyone else down here."
"Block the passages!" Niculaie calls. "He may still be in the room!"
The last notes of the dhampir's hymn hang in the air, continuing to inspire his comrades. He moves into the secret passage himself, then holds his breath for a moment and listens intently, eyes wide and staring at the spot where the Lodge Warden had been when he disappeared.
Doro - you here a muffled scream in the other room. As you look in, you see Estovion stabbing at thin air with a dagger.
Estovion used a dimensional steps at-will spell-like ability.
At Niculaie's call, Gregor drops back into a combat stance. He moves a little bit sluggishly, first feeling around in the space Estovian had occupied.
Hearing Doro's call, Gregor follows after the man, standing in the doorway to try to block any escape.
Estovion has also stopped fighting the oneric horror, but he is also fatigued from the experience.
Seeing you start to gather he holds up his hands to stop you. "What do you people want?"
In a colder voice than any the rest of the party has heard from Pontia, she replies, "We intend to defeat Adivion Adrissant's plans here, by whatever means are necessary. In the near term, we seek the heart of Kvalca Sain. You have a chance to atone for the help you have to Vrood. Do not waste it."
I certainly wish I could atone for my own sins, Gregor thinks as he listens to Pontia. All this talk of the heart of Kvalca Sain is making me hungry. Gregor looks down at Estovian, a hint of pity in his yellow eyes.
"What chance?!? I have been bitten! My life is a ruin! You have destroyed everything!"
He is clearly not your biggest fan. He also sounds like he may have lost his mind a bit.
"Tara, is there a cure for lycanthropy?"