Sebastian makes it up into the catwalks. He strikes at the nearest Maiden but can't penetrate her full plate.
Iolana's missiles ping off the same Maiden.
The Gray Maiden, now adjacent to Sebastian, draws her longsword and slashes him. Blood splatters across the catwalk and drips through the grated flooring.
The further Gray Maiden, continues her ranged assault against Lucien. This time to arrow hits home causing a significant wound.
"Impersonating a Queen's Physician is punishable by death!"
Ayako yanks at the other Gray Maiden's bow but this Maiden hangs on tight.
Lucien charges up to the catwalk.
Sebastian howls as the sword cuts through his cloak, now darkened with his blood. The wound hurts, but not enough to prevent him from taking advantage of an opening in his opponent's stance. His second thrust fares better than the first, and some small dark part of him enjoys the feeling as his blade pierces flesh.
Iolana waves her hand and fires an Elemental Ray at the Maiden in front of Sebastian.
Ayako whispers at the longbow wielding Maiden, dark tendrils fluttering from her lips. Kill her, she has always despised you and will never let you earn what you deserve.
Sebastian pierces the woman and while he's withdrawing his sword from her flesh, Iolana blasts her with ice, flinging her backwards over the handrail, and crashing dead onto the ground below.
The one remaining Gray Maiden attacks the nearest opponent who happens to be Sebastian. Luckily the arrow is way off mark.
Ayako sends a sling bullet at the maiden
Lucien groans as the arrow lodges in his leg, but he grits his teeth and keeps moving. Running on the catwalks and hoping they hold, the paladin reaches the gray maiden with the bow. "Now, to the two of us"
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Ayako's bullet smashes into the Gray Maiden's mask and rattles her head. Lucien makes it up into melee range.
With Lucien closing with the other guard, Sebastian spares a glance at the ground. He shakes his head, condemning the woman's misplaced loyalty. Wincing, he hurries around to the other side of the catwalk, cutting the last guard off in case she might think to escape.
Ayako spins another bullet at the maiden.
"There's no escape for you now!" hisses Lucien as Sebastian gets to the other side of the maiden. Spinning his greatsword above his head, the paladin then tries to bring it down on his only remaining foe.
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Iolana takes a moment to look around to make sure no one else is trying to sneak up on them.
Sebastian moves into flanking. Iolana looks around. The sick in the cots shift frantically but are too weak to get up. Other than that, there is no movement.
The remaining Gray Maiden abandons her longbow which will be of no use to her in close quarters. She draws her longsword from its sheath and swings at Lucien in an upward arch with a single motion but Lucien was prepared for such a move and blocks it.
Ayako fires another sling bullet up but hits into the railing instead.
Lucien, however, unleashes his wrath. He slices the woman clean through her midsection. Her upper torso topples from the catwalk in a gory mess splattering over some of the already panicking civilians below who now sit motionless in horror. The lower half of the woman remains up with the two men and her remaining life fluids quickly drain out.
Iolana tries to calm the sick. "Be at rest. It will be alright."
"We should see where the lift went. But first look into any rooms we haven't checked yet on this floor for our missing Varisian. I don't think we've cleared out all the Physicians in this building." She moves to the only door that isn't open, and waits for the rest of the group.
Oh dear oh dear. Ayako assists Iolana in trying to calm the sick.
We are certainly up the river without a paddle, I doubt even Kroft will be willing to help us.
Splattered with gore, Sebastian stares at the two dead guards below. "A line has been crossed, and I'm afraid we're on the wrong side." Something lurches in his stomach, and he grips the rails to steady himself. You killed her. There is no one else to blame.
"Master Orisini," he whispers to himself. "What have I done?"
Images run through his mind - his master, shaking his head in disappointment; the Queen, sentencing him to death; his parents in the crowd gathered to watch; his sister, raising her sword over his neck.
"We need to find more proof that the Physicians are responsible. It's a small hope. We can pray that we can also find proof that the Queen was duped."
Holy symbols, take their corpses to the Pharesmian temple for Speak with Dead, any books of notes might help exonerate us. Let us search the Doctor's Office and there is that odd lift. Who here is seriously hurt?
The back room is blocked off by a simple leather curtain. Iolana pulls it aside and peers in.
The scent of exotic wood and sawdust fills this maze of barrels and crates. A spider web of ropes and pulleys crisscrosses the ceiling, one thick cable suspending a net of barrels suspended nearly twenty feet from the splinter-scattered floor below. Three great wooden doors dominate the northern wall, while leather flaps lead to the south and east.
The three large loading doors here offer a back way out of the warehouse, but all three are chained shut from the inside.
The majority of the containers are empty, their textile contents relocated to other warehouses. In the southwest corner of the bay stand a number of empty cages and crates for transporting animals, many bearing the names and origins of the exotic creatures once held within, names like "Three Breaths Viper—Mwangi," "Emperor Cobra (Eggs)—Vudra," and "Rat Monkey—S. Island."
You also discover a crate of elegant silk Vudran clothes—robes, saris, turbans, and the like. One of the saris is bloodstained and marred by a jagged gash. Aside from this damage, the brightly patterned, exotic garb is collectively worth 300 gp.
Ayako and Iolana's attempts to calm the sick are successful and they relax and lay back down. However, the coughing and fits of shakes continue. They are okay for now, but without treatment they won't last many more days.
Ayako looks over some of the items.Animal cages from far off places, and a slightly bloody dress. Ayako wipes the face of one of the sick. We need to decide quickly, trying to tend to them will overwhelm us.
Iolana takes note of the lovely clothing, and slips it into her haversack to sell later if nothing fits. Let's go see what's down that lift. It looks like we should be watching for exotic animals. Hopefully they aren't running loose somewhere."
"I'm sorry, Seb", says Lucien breathlessly. "I didn't want to cause such a gory sight, but they left us no choice. And no. We're not on the wrong side. Of that I'm sure." Lucien puts a gloved hand on his companion's shoulder. "Did you see the blindness in their judgment? Did you see how they reacted to my request of assistance? They started it. We were just much stronger than them."
Leaving Sebastian with his thoughts, Lucien follows the others in the back room. After a thorough research of the loading bay, Lucien shakes his head. "Exotic animals and Vudran clothes...This absolutely reeks of Arkonas. Any of you ladies interested in these fine clothes?"
Lucien then nods to Iolana. "Down the lift it is, then. Follow me", he says as he moves toward the lift.
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Perhaps later, I have a feeling we will be rolling in blood very soon.
When you are ready, you head over to the lift and take it down. It travels down 40 ft through an excavated tunnel underneath the city. Eventually it comes to a stop and the door opens up into a large open chamber.
The scuffed stone walls of this chamber have been plastered over and then decorated with lurid murals of skeletons cavorting among the dead of a Korvosa completely succumbed to blood veil. Simple wooden doors lead to the north, south, and west, each bearing a painting of a scythe-wielding skeleton. A sizable double door stands on the east wall, appearing in the mural as a massive set of double doors opening into the pyramid foundation of Castle Korvosa. Two more scythe-wielding skeletons decorate these large doors.
Well this certainly cinches things. How hurt is everyone? We need to be in top form.
Lucien enters the room and stares wide-eyed at the lugubrious murals. "We must prevent this" he says to himself as well as to his allies. With his fists clenched, Lucien gives a quick look at the three wooden doors. "Let's split up and listen if there's some noise coming from behind the doors. I'll check the double doors to the east".
If no sounds are coming from the doors, Lucien will approach his allies. "Let's start with the southern door. Anyone is able to check it for traps before I open it?"
If no one is able to search the door for traps, Lucien will take all the time needed in order to ensure that the door isn't trapped.
If the door is locked, Lucien will try to pry it open, trying several times if needed and asking Sebastian to help him if he keeps failing.
I have no skill is detecting door hazards I am afraid.
Ayako keeps an eye out.
"I'm a little bit hurt. That arrow didn't do me any favors. A tap from a wand if you have it should fix me right up." She moves to the north door and listens. Putting her wand away she pulls out her sling.
Ayako gives Iolana a tap.
Iolana checks the northern door and Lucien checks the eastern door. Neither of you notice anything amiss. Then Lucien moves to the southern door and inspects it closer. Lucien doesn't spot and traps and doesn't hear anything within. The door is unlocked so he pulls the handle to open it.
Before Lucien can open the door all the way, it bursts open and another Queen's Physician charges out and attempts to push Lucien back. However, the physician's strength does not compare to Lucien's and he easily holds his ground. Not only that, but he fends off the rush with his blade, badly injuring the man attempting the maneuver.
All together there are four Queen's Physician's in the room. Lucien can see into the room from where he is.
A number of crates fill this room. A particularly large one has been dragged into the chamber’s center, around which stand four mismatched chairs and stools.
The injured Physician steps back and another attempts the bull rush maneuver again. Lucien slashes at the incoming man again but, even injured, he manages to follow through with the attack and pushes Lucien backwards.
With the doorway cleared, the other two Physicians pour out and quickly flank Lucien. Neither is able to penetrate Lucien's armor with their simple clubs.
Ayako moves stab stabs at Man3
Iolana sighs. How many of those physicians are there? She takes a moment to activate an Arcane Strike on her sling bullet.
Lucien finds himself surrounded in the blink of an eye, and does his best to stay on his place despite the physicians' efforts. He swings his greatsword a few times, taking advantage of the attempt to bull rush him.
"Tsk, more physicians. I wonder what this place is...", he thinks aloud as he carefully assess the sitation. Lucien decides to attack the physician he had already wounded first. "Fools! Why are you attacking us?"
After swinging his sword with deadly precision, Lucien steps back in order to prevent the physicians from flanking him. "Ayako, if you can please hold your position!"
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Dejected and fearful, even the sight of the lovely Vudrani imports don't cheer Sebastian up. If anything, they simply add Vimanda's face to the crowd gathered to see his execution. But when the lift doors open, Sebastian gasps to see the entrance to the Urgathoan Temple. As gauche as the murals are, they'd serve as more than just evidence of bad taste. "I never thought I would be happy to see something like this," he says.
As Lucien opens the door, a wave of villainy floods into the room and Sebastian steps up to provide a sharp breaker.
Sebastian and Lucien quickly slay two of the men.
Ayako and Iolana have less luck.
The remaining Physicians are undaunted by their allies demise and continue swings their clubs in cold silence. Ayako takes a hard hit and so does Lucien.
Iolana takes another moment squeezing the sling bullet in her hand. Then she fires her sling at the Physician in front of Ayko.
Ayako attempts to channel her inner barbarian and stabs the man in front of her.
"Come on, that's half the battle!" Lucien musters his resolution and channels it into his words. "Let one of them alive. They MUST tell us what is this place!" Lucien parries a few attacks with elegance as he spins and tries to hit another phyician with his greatsword.
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Iolana and Ayako take out the enemy in front of them and Lucien finishes off the last one. The swarming attack is over before it even really began.
The crates in the room they came out of once held a number of exotic imports, but they have since been emptied.
Ayako stabilizes one. We need a witness alive for proving all of this.
She also taps herself with the wand and Luciana s well
Let us check north.
Cleaning his blade on the smock of one of the fallen physicians, Sebastian marvels at the grotesqueness of the temple. "How long has this been here? Could it be that they tunneled out a place for a temple underneath a warehouse with nobody the wiser?"
At Ayako's direction, Sebastian checks the smaller door to the north.
No idea really I suspect magic considering the amount of stone that would need to be moved.
"Thanks for the healing, Ayako", says Lucien with a smile turning to his ally. The paladin then nods at Sebastian. "Actually I'm asking myself the same question. Perhaps one of the physicians could tell us more about this place, if we heal him...I believe we should, indeed. No sense in throwing ourselves into danger so blindly."
---
If no one heals the physician, Lucien does so himself, choosing the less injured one, tying him up with a rope and then giving him a touch of his healing hands.
Once the physician comes back to his senses, Lucien squats in front of him, removing his mask and trying to take on a reassuring expression. "Good morning, my friend", says the paladin with a smile, giving the man the time to recover from his unconsciousness. "I couldn't help but notice the lurid murals on these walls. Could you explain me what they mean, apart from the obvious reading that you hope to make Korvosa succumb to blood veil? Who are those skeletons? And the scythe-wielding ones? Who are them? Oh, sorry if I didn't say it earlier. If you cooperate, you'll get a reward, of course. You'll stay alive, unlike your fellow physicians..."
Lucien stands up, and waits for an answer. "Also, what is this place? What is it's purpose? An underground complex below an hospice...It sounds suspicious, don't you think?"
Don't waste your holy power! If need be, I can use a charge from the wand.
"Then do it, Ayako. Thank you", says Lucien with a smile.
Ayako taps the unconscious man. Let us drag him south into the room, along with the others so to perhaps give us more time.
You revive one of the Queen's Physicians.
"Good morning, my friend", says the paladin with a smile, giving the man the time to recover from his unconsciousness. "I couldn't help but notice the lurid murals on these walls. Could you explain me what they mean, apart from the obvious reading that you hope to make Korvosa succumb to blood veil? Who are those skeletons? And the scythe-wielding ones? Who are them? Oh, sorry if I didn't say it earlier. If you cooperate, you'll get a reward, of course. You'll stay alive, unlike your fellow physicians..."
Lucien stands up, and waits for an answer. "Also, what is this place? What is it's purpose? An underground complex below an hospice...It sounds suspicious, don't you think?"
The Physician scowls at you. "You think I'll so easily betray my allies?" He spits at Lucien. "You won't escape here alive so there is not harm in illuminating you on the glories of Urgathoa. If you're lucky you'll be reanimated in the Pallid Princess' service. First of all, no, we did not create this place. We purchased this warehouse from the Arkonas specifically because of the smuggling den beneath it. Although we did do some...redecorating." He chuckles. "The mural should be self-explanatory. They scythe is Urgathoa's favored weapon and her harbingers shall reap the citizens of Korvosa into her bloody embrace. You are too late. The pieces are already in motion and cannot be stopped."