What the $&#@?! DIIIEEE! Stuburn and bloodthristy Marnarius keeps striking the creature relentlessly.
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The blue lizard is in a pretty tight bind and tries to escape the grapple. But with Zurnzal's skills, it remains pinned.
Marnarius strikes at the squeezing lizard and lands a single blow, whittling it away bit by bit.
Rataji steps up to the chameleon and, with a touch, dazes the thing where it stands!
”Thanks,” Zurnzal grunts at 322’s healing as he presses his advantage on the pinned lizard, dragging it farther into the aisle as he squeezes the life out it.
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Zurnzal continues to play with the lizard like it's a ragdoll, squeezing it and hugging it and flopping it about.
Shohiraj also keeps the flanking advantage and stabs some more. Yet, no matter how hard she stabs, it seems to resist some of her damage. Yet Zurnzal's bludgeoning attacks seem more effective. Hmmm...
322 moves to the other side of Zurnzal and stands staring at the blue chameleon, as though she were waiting for something.
When the blue chameleon is no longer confused, 322 will use gift of madness on it again (DC 17 Will negates).
From his dominant position, Zurnzal begins to slam his knee into the thing's exposed face.
Rataji is going to withdraw and let his more ...physical teammates finish this.
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The final chameleon pops back to its own realm from whence it was summoned!
Finding Aram Zey’s notes on the Hao Jin Tapestry’s operation takes about 5 minutes of hurried searching (using the perception check from before combat).
As Aram Zey describes in the ritual’s preface, performing the rite could tear a permanent rift into the Hao Jin Tapestry, allowing uninterrupted traffic between the planes—but always to the same site within the demiplane. He strongly advises against ever performing this procedure.
Additionally, you find something interesting. On one shelf lies a staff of caustic fury with 4 remaining charges.
- The first is an obsidian-bladed scythe with a mahogany handle.
- The second is a heavy flail made of magically hardened gold and whose head is molded like a roaring tiger skull.
- The third is a serrated, single-edged longsword made of green-tinged metal.
From here, there is only one place left to go: to the Tapestry!
Rataji walks over to the staff and takes it in hand. "I'll take this. Let's take this information and get to the damned tapestry!"
As they set out, Zurnzal casts a questioning glance between the group's spell-casters. "Were these lizards summoned as a preset trap? Or did someone summon them specifically when they saw us?"
He stays on point, though, ready to help however he can once they find the tapestry ... or any more pathfinders.
Rataji knows that he's not stealthy, but his disguise should still be up. "Let's get to the tapestry room. Armed with this information, we can really teach these dogs a lesson. The stealthy team should go first then people in disguise."
Zurnzal complies wordlessly and without hesitation, skulking forward with senses alert.
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Your party is fairly successful in getting around the few patrols still in Skyreach.
Your intel has shown that the Society has stored the Hao Jin Tapestry in several different rooms over the years, finally hanging it in your destination many months ago. Reaching this area involves ascending five sets of stairs and zigzagging through numerous detours; such is the layout of Skyreach. At the top of one such staircase, you find the room you're seeking: the Tapestry chamber.
Rataji gets to the door. "There's no way this thing isn't guarded, likely by far stronger guards than the records room. We either go in with blade and spell or we try to enchant our way in. I don't hear anything on the other side, so there's a strong possibility it's more of those blasted statue lizards."
Rataji stares daggers at the impetuous rogue. "Forget not that I can crush your mind young one. Now, let's stick together. I'm willing to try and convince whoever is talking that we're their replacements."
With a smile Marnarius retrieves the single-edged longsword made of green-tinged metal from the elf's study. So this part is done, now to free my comrades and make these bastards pay!
He nods and hides in the shadows before the door is open, waiting to pounce in if needed.
Rataji says, "Hail! We've been sent to provide reinforcements, the Consortium dogs are in the tower! Quickly, I bring items of power to help us defend the place."
If the party doesn't want to take that route, the Leader will simply cast Haste.
Zurnzal nods to Rataji's plan, then quickly finds a place to hide. A place close enough that he can get in and strike quickly if ... no ... when it becomes necessary.
Zurnzal, tugs on Rataji's shoulder, then whispers closely in the man's ear.
"Loshari and Telandril?" He shrugs, "They're stuck on guard duty."
"It's me Castamir, hey, Loshari, and Telandril! Look, if we screw this mission up, it'll be our hides! I've also got a couple of recruits with me."
I'll open the door and step in like I own the place. Stepping aside to let Zurnzal, et al. to get in front of me.
Marnarius enters with the front of the group nods to the pathfinders and keep his head down.
Heya.
322 just stares at the blade until Marnarius takes it away.
322 nods to the Pathfinders on her way in, keeping silent but looking about the room...
...and not noticing much (LOL); she is instead quite interested in the guards and her eyes do not leave them.
Zurnzal follows Rataji's lead, and moves through the door.
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As you enter, the man closest to you narrows his eyes, but does nothing.
One man, leaning on a musket by the table on the north side of the room, chuckles. "What? You lot pissed off Aram Zey so much that he put you on guard duty as well?"
The half-orc woman in back seems totally uninterested at any of the new arrivals.
Not sure you want another roll or the same, but here goes, "Don't I know it. I've been working on a project for him to build specific abjurations to protect the tapestry from any magical tampering. I completed the spell weeks ago, and I was supposed to cast it on the tapestry yesterday. WHO THE HELL EXPECTED THIS? I thought, what would one day matter? Then this. Well, I didn't want to lie so I told him it was un-cast and he banished me and my friends here and told me to cast the spell then guard the tapestry with my life. So here we are..." Rataji walks over and inspects it as he talks, letting the party enter the room and pick a good position.
Zurnzal wanders into the room, eyeing each pathfinder in turn. ”So which of you are Loshari and Teladril? I heard you two got a bad wrap for what happened out in the Goblinblood Wars.” He makes his way casually to one of the chairs near the musket-wielder, eyeing the piece appraisingly as he leans on the chair-back. ”If there's one thing I know, it’s that there’s always two sides to a story. And as we got nothing but time while the boss-man here,” he nods to Rataji, ”does his thing, I was wondering if I could talk you into telling yours?”
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The man with a musket points to the other two at Zurnzal's question, but the man in front of Rataji quickly interposes himself between the rest of the room.
"A very convincing story, Ser Castamir, but I cannot guarantee this isn't a test Zey has put forth to punish us further. We have this. It's secured. No one is going to get past us."
He is not going to budge from his post. It seems combat may be inevitable with these zeloutous Pathfinders...
Rataji casts confusion on the gunslinger and moves 5' back (hoping to get behind someone beefier.) Will DC 20.
Zurnzal explodes into motion, drawing on his combat experience to know just when to lower his shoulder to knock the closest pathfinder onto the ground.
Even as the man falls, Zurnzal tries to punch him.