Lina is thrown off-balance by the sudden appearance of the orc, but the sight of Anvina in trouble invigorates her.
"Anvina, get back!" Lina snaps as she brings her weapons to bear. "Goddess, guide my hand!" she intones, and attacks swiftly.
Azlana, surprised by the appearance of the orc and worried about Anvina, shoots at the intruder.
Well this was a new development. Hmmm... if Anivia was this orc's goal, it was probably best to separate the two of them.
Shayde whispered to Stalker, and then advanced. Shayde darted in, and took a swing at the orc, while Stalker tried to move between Anivia and the orc, even if that meant outright dragging Anivia away.
Oh, hey, I was in a bit of a rush earlier and didn't notice, but...
anvina is very happy to get out of the way, stepping back and breathing heavily.
the orc snarls and fires off scorching rays at anvina, not giving up his assault, the glow from the ransuer still on his body. The arrow plinks off an invisible shield, while shade's slash just barely hits the enraged creature. He bleeds profusely as lina carves into him, but still stays on his feet-
Either by stubbornness or rage.
the ray whips past stalker and strikes anvina, who falls to one knee as she tries to flee. Still concious, if just barely.
Azlana, pissed off (and not a little jealous) that the foe has an invisible shield, and also angry that Anvina is still being attacked in her own home, drops her bow and grabs her glaive. Attacking with the reach weapon, she attempts to put an end to the orc.
Lina’s focus is broken for a moment when the ray hits home, but she returns her attention to the orc for her off-hand attack.
the man staggers at another hit from lina carving into him, but his wards deflect her other cut and the glaive, the glaive nearly hitting him but bouncing off the odd glow the ransuer has given his skin.
Nothing is working, so Azlana moves and casts a healing spell on Anvina instead, hoping that her companions will have better luck.
Shayde briefly considered this orc. He would be hard pressed to put much of a dent in him, particularly with the distraction of his twitchy arm. But he just might be able to frustrate him in his pursuit of his goal.
Shayde stepped back a pace, then, with naught but focus and an exhalation, the room filled with mist.
Shayde crouched next to Anivia. "Move. Now."
Stalker takes the moment before Shayde's spell to lash out at the orc before the visiblity in the room was ruined.
Haruto fires another ray of sacred light before the mists close in.
as the mists close in and anvina scrambles back, the ray strikes home and one of the strikes from stalker hit the barrier hard enough it seems to work. The orc staggers a moment, falls to one knee, raises his hand to try and cast one more time, then falls to the floor, bleeding out.
anvina eventually stands and gladly accepts the cure spell, trying to calm down
Why in the world would someone go to this much trouble to kill you? Invisibility, hiding in your home, attacking you rather than more dangerous foes...? Did you forget to tell us that you were royalty or something?
Anvina shakes her head. "I have no idea."
Lina stows her weapons for the moment. "Wretched thing. Here, Anvina, just in case something else decides to jump out." She touches Anvina on the shoulder to heal her further.
After waiting some time to ensure the orc does not get back up, Shayde dismisses the mist. A waste... but it may not have been had the orc not fallen.
Azlana searches the house, telling Anvina to stay in the front room for now, in case someone else is after her.
(+2 if there is a demon)
Haruto stands quietly at the door, saying nothing.
Azlana, you discover a secret compartment hidden under a tiny hatch under the bed.
Azlana opens the secret compartment.
there are 5 potions and a letter addressed to anvina in the compartmant. Anvina is still trying to recover.
Azlana sets the potions aside so they can identify them, and hands the letter to Anvina.
anvina almost instantly seems to come to ignore her wounds as soon as she's shown the letter, reading it as quickly as possible. Soon enough she relaxes with some actual hope for once.
"Defender's heart. We need to go to defender' heart. Uh, you can keep the potions ilbereth left for me. You'll do a much better job then they will taking me there, I think.
... ah, you... will take me there, i hope? It's apparently where basically everyone who survived has fortified themselves."
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Lina nods, slowly at first as she processes, then quickly in affirmation. "Defender's Heart. It's probably the best place for us to go, as well. We'll be able to follow up on our side of the deal with Chief Sull, hopefully they can send an envoy to Neatholm."
She looks to Carla. "I hope you're amenable to travelling a bit further, but it sounds like Defender's Heart will be safe." She puts a hand to her chin and thinks. Briefly, she considers warning Anvina against being too eager since they don't know how Irabeth will react to Anvina's 'condition', but Anvina didn't tend to take it very well when it was brought up, either.
Haruto gazes off for a moment, then focuses on the party. "Yes. We should go there," he states with certainty.
"Safety is relative... but we may as well."
Shayde continued to lurk at the edge of the group. His arm was continuing to grow yet more unmanageable... and scaly. He kept it tucked under his cloak for now, but he would have to seek answers for what was happening here when he could.
At least some of his old skills were starting to return.
Azlana makes sure that everyone they are traveling with wants to go to the same place. If so, then she agrees as well, ready to head off to Defender's Heart.
Lina takes a moment to glance at the potion bottles and if they're unlabeled she asks Hanna to identify them.
Azlana gladly passes the potions to Lina and then says
Everyone ready to go?
"Yes."
Haruto nods silently.
on the way back, the group encounters the same group of clutusts and the odd woman with wings once more, as they boast over thier recent kills. The woman is barely partaking, gazing off into the distance, lost in thought.
Haruto frowns slightly and whispers to the others, "Perhaps her transformation has made her begin to doubt her allegiances? Maybe if we try to speak with her we might turn her from her path?"
You might be engaging in too much wishful thinking, Haruto. But... if you want to try, we can. A chance at redemption is worth a lot. ... Just be ready for a fight. Even if she wants to talk to us, it is unlikely to be with the rest of the group.
Shayde narrows his gaze. The winged woman... those didn't look like they had been there origionally. His arm spasmed involuntarily. Perhaps there was a link.
"...You have met this one before. Who is she?"
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"I'm not as confident as you, Haruto, she may just be distracted. I don't know what could have changed in the few hours since we saw them last," Lina says. She considers Shayde, and says, "I suppose you could say that we're familiar. A worshipper of Baphomet who was manipulating the mongrelmen in the caverns down below. She uses a glaive technique that I've heard of as being restricted to followers of Shelyn, so either she's a thief or a traitor. The wings, though, she seems to think they're a blessing from her patron. Color me skeptical."
"Either way, we must approach, whether to turn her or end her," Haruto affirms.
Shayde and Stalker slink closer, seeking a hiding place nearer to their foes.
Shayde: 29
Stalker: 28