Raven Six is completely transfixed - at this point the Shoanti are openly laughing. However, Donnell manages to find a small catch in the shifting letters, and as Thod suddenly shouts at Raven, Donnell switches off the trap. Raven's suggestion to keep reading the spell is active, but it turns into gobbledygook and there's nothing more to look at.
Krojun nods over to his compatriots, impressed. "Well then, I thought she was done for. Not bad."
Ignoring Krojun, Donnell looks up at his friend, a concerned frown scrunching his features: "Skal du ha det bra? Gi oss beskjed når du er klar til å fortsette - disse dårene kan vente."
If/When Raven Six gives the all clear, Donnell will again scout ahead down the corridor to the south.
Click.
Raven Six blinks - and the glow in her tattoos abruptly dies.
"I am well enough," she declares.
The homunculus flaps her wings, points a finger at Krojun and triumphantly crows "Ha-ha!" before ducking back behind Raven Six's head and blowing them another raspberry.
As the Sklar-Quah look around the room curiously, Donnell turns around to step into the hall and freezes.
There are figures in the hall, everywhere. Surrounding them. He calls out a warning as they step into the light and red-armored assassins attack!
(+10 urban)
Donnell
---
Red Mantis
---
Sevenspawn
Raven
Thod
Two hands flick to his bandolier and back out, launching vials at the assassins directly in front of him, even as he takes a quick hop-step backwards: "Heads up! We've got company!"
As recognition blooms: "Ugh, these a~~&*%%s again?! I thought they were after Blackjack?"
The two alchemists fires fly at the assassins and have absolutely no effect as they shrug off the fire attacks. The red mantis then quickly flood into the room as the Shoanti step back, hands up. They are obviously unwilling to get involved in the fight.
One of the red mantis begins waving their blades in front of Donnell in a spooky manner, which the halfling is unimpressed by. More impressive are the array of sneak attacks that rain down on the party as you are quickly surrounded!
Donnell
---
Red Mantis
---
Sevenspawn
Raven (-23)
Thod (-26)
Raven Six shifts into a defensive stance, and draws her rapier.
"Blackjack or no," she calls out to Donnell, "I do believe it's time we whittle down the herd. It is getting entirely too crowded in here."
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"YOU BUG-EYED F#(@ERS AGAIN!? GOOD, I WAS GETTING BORED. TIME TO SQUASH SOME INSECTS!"
Thod readies his halberd, and spins it a bit, clearing some space before going on the offensive.
Baring his teeth in a grimace, Donnell cracks the stopper from a small vial, trickling the contents along the length of his rapier even as he draws it from its sheath.
"Forgot how quickly these suckers can move! Let's slow them down a bit, neh?"
Donnell and Thod both get to stabbing while Raven Six produces her rapier in a defensive posture. Sevenspawn quickly chants a spell, and shimmers with divine power.
The red mantis assassins suddenly start expelling some sort of red mist, which slowly begins healing their wounds. They then all lash out, and Thod and Raven Six are both injured.
Donnell
---
Red Mantis:
Yellow
White
Black
Red (-51)
---
Sevenspawn (divine power)
Raven (-44)
Thod (-31)
Donnell's eyes narrow when he notices the healing properties of the mist. He has an idea that might counteract it, but it's going to mean... "F$!# it!"
Taking a step back, Donnell drops his rapier at his feet. Unhooking his crossbow, he quickly loads and lets fly at [Red]:
Raven Six stabs at the mantis assassin, comveniently wedged as it is between her and Sevenspawn!
The next moment, she steps into the hole behind Thod.
"COME ON, YOU LOSERS! I THOUGHT WE HAD ASSASSINS SENT AFTER US, NOT TARGET PRACTICE!"
Korvosa has fallen on its hardest times in your living memory. Although the life of a catfolk is never easy in such an extremely hierarchical city, the rise of Queen Ileosa after her husband’s sudden and suspicious death has made things all the worse. First came the riots, then came the plague that wiped out a fifth of the city. A band of heroes uncovered the plague was engineered by a cult of Norgober that you’re fairly sure was connected to the monarchy although the reasons aren’t clear.
Finally came the great assassination attempt. Korvosa’s Sable Company, the flying griffon riders that were a proud symbol of the city were disbanded. The leader of the Sable Company Marcus Endrin was humiliated and publicly stripped of his rank with his company disbanded. He chose that moment to attack the Queen, driving an arrow into her skull. Yet she did not fall, and instead slew Marcus where he stood. She is something more than human. Her armoured Gray Maidens are now everywhere, and an honest catfolk can’t catch a break.
So you sought out your friend Vencarlo and following a trail of tidbits, you found him hiding out in Harse – a small town outside of Korvosa. There you learned of Donnell, Thod, Sevenspawn, and Raven Six – the four heroes who had stopped the plague, saved Vencarlo from House Arkona, slew Pilts Swastel, and even stopped a mad serial killer. They had gone on to the northern Cinderlands to seek Shoanti wisdom on the Queen who had apparently uncovered Midnight’s Teeth also known as the Fangs of Kazavon – artifacts of ancient evil only the Shoanti know about.
Thus you went north, through the mad chaotic city of Kaer Maga where there is no government but instead people from every walk of reality creating a thousand miniature societies within its vast walls, and then out onto the Cinderlands. Questioning the Shoanti you encountered led you in the right direction – four tshamek, or outsiders, were attempting several great trials and were all anyone could talk about. You got directions. Some place called the Acropolis of the Thrallkeepers.
---
Exhausted and dirty from days of trekking over badlands, you finally crest a rocky hill to spot a dungeon entrance. Four Shoanti from what you know as the bone clan (the friendly ones) are hanging around the entrance looking troubled. In the distance, you spy a fifth Shoanti approaching from the opposite direction.
You miss all the fun. After out investigating an undead citing you came back to the most interesting news the quah had encountered in years. Four tshamek (outsiders) had sought out the wisdom of the quah, which was strange enough. The elder Thousand Bones knew them well, apparently they had done the quah a service, recovering the body of the young warrior Gaekhen from a necromancer. Gaekhen was tragically murdered by Korvosans in an act of needless hate during their riots.
The relationship to Korvosa had never been good. Since the settlers came and drove your people out of the lowlands into the brutal Cinderlands it has been a history of conflict and war. Some elders like Thousand Bones want cordial relations and a better future, while the Sklar-Quah want nothing but to see the city burn. Regardless of your politics though, the story the tshamek brought with them was disturbing. Their new Queen Ileosa wore the Fangs of Kazavon upon her crown. It is a name considered too terrible to utter aloud, and all most of your quah know is that it is a great and ancient evil somehow associated with the pyramid that predates Korvosa, or even Shoanti time on that land.
Those who have that history are the Sklar-Quah who hate the tshamek so deeply. And so the tshamek have gone to earn their respect through great trials. Already word has reached the quah that their dwarf Thjodrir had been swallowed and escaped alive from the great fire worm Cindermaw, and now they seek the Thrallkeeper’s Mark. Four young boneslayers had gone with them to witness their deeds.
You also know those boneslayers are young and completely over their heads. They need you. They need a good healer.
It has been a week of travelling from your home to the Acropolis of the Thrallkeepers. The Thrallkeepers were once slavers of your people thousands and thousands of years ago, and it is considered a feat for only the truly brave (or foolish) to delve into that dungeon and retrieve their seven-pointed star. The tshamek intend to do just that.
-----
You finally come upon the dungeon entrance. The young boneslayers are all milling about it looking bored and the tshamek are nowhere to be seen. More interestingly, you see a hooded figure cresting a hill opposite you and she does not look shoanti, or even human.
The boneslayers outside of the dungeon entrance notice both of you approaching and stand up. One of them recognizes Little Dove immediately, and calls out in their language.
"Chan, ba'ax ka meentik waye'?"
"Little Dove, what are you doing out here?"
Another, spotting Daeshna approaching stands up and nocks an arrow, calling out in common.
"You are in a holy place tshamek. Who are you?"
The catfolk is short for her race and slight of frame, being almost entirely enveloped by her large cloak. Her black-furred face is shadowed by a hood, from which peer a pair oversized eyes with brilliant green irises. When she speaks, her voice is accented with a slight drawl and r's that sound like soft t's. Her left hand rests on the pommel of a rapier. "I am Daeshna of the Taggerung, though I am sure that name means nothing to you. I have traveled far in search of four individuals-a halfling, a dwarf, a male human, and a younger, tattooed girl-whose acquaintance I believe can be mutually beneficial. It is my understanding that they have come to seek your wisdom, and should that be so then I am party to that search and come as a friend. Now, I suggest you ease your bow. I may be a bit rusty, but I believe the odds tip in my favor."
Little Dove speaks as she moves between the boneslayers and the stranger.
"Ts'o'ok in venido ts'aik áantaj. Ba'axten ka p'áatal way en vez de wáantik le extraños.Táankelem, baje le arco."
She fixes the bow-wielder with a steely glare. Her tone is that of a older sister or even a mother though she appears to be much the same age as they - perhaps younger.
In common, she calls out, "My brothers can justify their suspicions of outlanders, cloaked one. Stay your hand and there need not be violence."
When they are at a speaking distance, she adds, "Those you seek are the ones I seek, as well. Brothers, where are the tshamek? Why are you not at their side?"
A white furry creature scrambles down from Little Dove's shoulder and runs up to the young boneslayers. It proceeds to berate them in what decidely sounds like a language and punctuates his tirade with a puff of smoke, nods firmly, and walks back to the shaman's feet.
Little Dove recognizes Ahalak, Hargev, Nalmid, and Shadfar of the Skoan-Quah. Ahalak appears to be the one doing the speaking. He looks curiously over at Daeshan.
"I think this is a talking cat. If you mean no harm you may approach."
Nalmid turns to Little Dove. "They felt the Acropolis was too dangerous for us to accompany them. We are with them to witness their deeds, and if they emerge with the Thrallkeeper's Mark we will witness the deed as done. Their dwarf has already been swallowed by Cindermaw it is... impressive. Do you mean to join them?"
Meanwhile Ahalak seems absolutely fascinated by Daeshna. "Why do you seek them? Are you a friend? Also, are you a cat or a person?"
Satisfied that the Shoanti will not harm her, Daeshna removes her hand from the pommel and stands at ease. Accustomed to being both an outsider and a curiosity, she laughs the final question off, "I assure you that I am much more than a mere talking cat, and just because I stand upright and have opposable thumbs doesn't quite mean I'm human. My kind are referred to as Amurrun, or Catfolk in Common, though to be honest I've never cared for the Common name-it seems so reductive. As for why I seek them-we have a common aim and a common enemy. I am a friend of a friend, and believe I will be of more use joining them than I ever could be alone."
Little Dove nods at Ahalak’s explanation. ”I came when I heard of your errand in hopes that I could make sure you returned to the clan alive for future glory and not dead with no further tales to tell. It is good that they consider your welfare, for you are more than, as the tshamek say, ‘cannon fodder’ to us. Now I will see what I can do to help them continue their tale. Tell the ... Amurran and I where to find the other tshamek.”
She beckons the cloaked outlander to approach. ”I am called Little Dove in the shared tongue. It is a suitable name. You are,” she pauses to replay the name in her mind, ”Daeshna? It is good to find allies along the road. Let us find the others together.”
The large rodent clambers up Little Dove’s cloak to perch like a fat parrot, made more ridiculous by the narrow width of the young woman’s shoulders.
Daeshna gives a slight bow. "It is through companionship that we grow. Well met, Little Dove, and greetings as well to your small friend. Should my trespass on such holy ground be permitted, I will be glad to accompany you."
"Your trespass is no more egregious than that of the four you seek. The feat they seek to accomplish..." She shakes her head slightly and changes what she was about to say, "If you knew the facts of the Thrallkeepers, you might not consider this holy ground. I would share this road with you. Let us see where it leads."
(miss, crit, miss)
(miss, hit miss)
(miss, crit, miss)
(miss miss miss)
The boneslayers look uneasily into the tunnel but move to allow Daeshna to pass. They look to Little Dove. "We defer to your wisdom, sister. Don't get killed."
With that, Little Dove and Daeshna greet each other, and descend into the darkness.
The stone stairs end at a twenty-foot-wide and twenty-foot-
tall hallway that leads to the east, opening into a large chamber. The floor is cluttered with dust and tiny mounds of ash that look to have been recently disturbed in places, but signs of the trail vanish to the east once the stones become clear of debris.
As you walk into the dungeon, the clear sounds of a pitched battle echo down the halls from somewhere ahead of you.
You are a long ways from home as you have gone far north from your beloved city of Korvosa to the Cinderlands, the blasted badlands which are the involuntary home of the Shoanti, who once lived where Korvosa stands. Here, you are attempting to earn the respect of the Sklar-Quah or Sun Clan, a warlike Shoanti quah with a well-earned dislike of tshamek - or outsiders.
Apparently their Sunspeakers are the greatest oral historians of this land, and are the ones who may be able to understand what has happened to Queen Ileos. The Queen has quickly become a cruel tyrant bent on consolidating power, and now something more than human after the failed assassination attempt by Marcus Endrin. This all has something to do with her crown, which contains the Fangs of Kazavon, a relic of an ancient evil.
You are now in the Acropolis of the Thrallkeepers, an old Thassilonian dungeon. Here, you must seek the Mark of the Thrallkeepers, a seven-pointed star. However, the dungeon is pretty damn crowded. Not only have a group of Sklar-Quah led by Krojun-Eats-What-He-Kills followed you here for their own reasons, but you have just been attacked by Red Mantis assassins!
The pitched battle with the mantis continue while the Sklar-Quah simply watch with interest and some detached amusement, making no attempt to help.
Donnell, Raven Six, and Thod all focus on one of the assassins, who goes down in a cry of pain while Sevenspawn finishes blessing his warhammer before bringing down a blow with skull-crushing force. The assassins surrounding Thod find the dwarf to be a very difficult target for a rogue, and although he takes several hits it's nothing like the barrage of sneak attacks that would slay other foes.
ROUND TWO
Donnell
---
Red Mantis:
Yellow (-21)
White
Black
---
Sevenspawn (divine power)
Raven (-44)
Thod (-58)
The red mantis that collapses turns into a red mist as they die, leaving the armour and weapons behind as the cloud flees the scene.
"Hey Raven - why do you think they do that?! Are we fighting the same group as we did in Korvosa?"
As he speaks, Donnell's hands blur as he loads, sights, shoots, and reloads his crossbow in quick succession.
The alchemist tosses a vial at the assassin, then stabs at .
The Shoanti girl looks at her new companion. "Sounds like they have run into trouble. Anything you need to tell me about how you approach a fight? I'm much more healer than warrior, so I will try not to get too close."
As she says this, she readies her bow, casts light on an arrow, and fits it to her bowstring.
"It's been some years since I've had anything more than a friendly duel, but basically I'm just going to charge right in, choose some unfortunate bastard, then leave it to a muscle memory of dance, flourish, and finesse." She draws her rapier, does a little standing jog, rotates her shoulders, and exhales. "Wasn't expecting to blunder into excitement so soon, but here we go. I'll take point." She takes off at a brisk pace towards the din of battle.
"THE SAME IDIOTS WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING? YOU'D THINK THEY'D LEARN THEIR LESSON THE FIRST TIME!"
A bit of inspiration strikes Thod. Killing these guys doesn't seem to do much. So what if he doesn't kill them? Thod decides to test this theory. He spins his halberd in its hands, and swings wide, looking to smack the Mantis assassin on the side of the head with the flat of the halberd blade.
The huge hallway stop at an enormous pit, with paths leading left and right.
The air in this massive, cathedral-like space seems strangely cool. The walls are carved with vertical ridges that rise to support the arch above, where the ceiling vaults into the shadows to a height of nearly sixty feet. A five-foot-wide balcony rings the room, the floor of which drops fifteen feet into a pool of dark water. Halfway between the east and west ends of the room, a bridge crosses the pool. Two large stone doors stand in the walls to the south and east. Smaller doors sit in the walls to the northwest and southwest—all four doors bear depictions of seven-pointed-stars.
Across the pit, you see the double doors are wide open and light sources are playing into a room covered in strange symbol. A pitched battle is going on between several Shoanti, the people you can only assume are the heroes you've come to meet, and strange men dressed up in red mantis costumes.
Worse yet, as you watch the battle, an enormous tentacle rises up from the pit and begins fishing around blindly on the southern side of the pit!
=======================
=======================
Back in the main room, you all are briefly distracted from the melee to notice a new light source show up on the opposite side of the huge pits, thanks to the double doors the red mantis left open. You see a hooded figure and a Shoanti woman in the distance. As you notice them, you see a huge tentacle rise up from the pit and start fishing around!
Donnell, Raven Six, and Thod all focus their attacks on the mantis flanked with Sevenspawn and quickly down it. Krojun golf claps. Roaring his goddess' name, Sevenspawn charges in, bringing down his warhammer once more.
Realizing they are pinned down and denied their best tactical advantages, both mantis try to flip out of the wall. One messes up badly and eats attacks from everyone in melee, but they mnanage to survive and get out of the room to the pit's edge.
Daeshna and Little Dove see all of this as two of the figures manage to get out of the melee and now stand at the pit's edge. Where they see the tentacle. One cups their head in their hands.
Daeshna
Little Dove
Donnell
---
Red Mantis:
White (-24)
Black (-67)
---
Sevenspawn (divine power)
Raven (-44)
Thod (-58)
Daeshna turns to Little Dove, "I think I'd rather circumnavigate that pit dwelling eldritch horror, let's head north," then takes off at a full sprint to the door before them.
Little Dove nods and follows the lithe figure, considering her options and watching the figures on the far pit.
Raven Six moves and calls out to the assassins: "Pray do not depart without a parting gift, you bugheaded morons!" Then she tosses another bomb at the Mantis she tagged before.
Pivoting so that he can see through the doorway, Donnell continues his barrage of quarrels and questions: "Hah! Raven6 - I told you there was something in that pool. What do you suppose it is?! Do you think it'll come out of the water, or will we have to go in after it?"
"Bugs first, calamari later," Raven Six replies.
"Great - now I'm hungry. Hey, you ever eaten insects, Raven Six? I mean, they aren't very tasty, but roaches will feed you in a pinch. Also, deftly flipping another quarrel onto his crossbow and resetting the string, "What's with the Amurrun? They aren't from around here."
"HEY! GET BACK HERE! I'M NOT DONE KICKING YOUR ASSES YET!"
Deciding the giant tentacle monster is a bad idea, Daeshna and Little Dove both head northwards, testing their luck against the adjacent hallways. They rush through a shrine of some kind at a breakneck speed only to come to a door which is closed.. and appears to be stuck or barred in some way. Some jerk fixed this door shut!
Back in the melee, Raven hurls a bomb into one of the red mantis, almost killing the adjacent one with the splash damage. Thod then charges in and misses his huge swing by a mile while Donnell's crossbow bolts fly in as the little halfling's hands work like a blur. He manages to take one of the mantis in the throat who starts to topple back before vanishing into a red mist.
Sevenspawn then rushes in with his warhammer held high. He hooks the mantis by the shoulder, hauls them back and then cracks them in the face with his shield to knock out the last foe. The mantis goes still, but does not vanish.
And then another tentacle arises from the deep. The two gigantic tentacles thrash around and as Sevenspawn fells the last red mantis, the tentacle lashes out at the priest! Sevenspawn is grabbed and hauled into the air by the enormous tentacle, which begins squeezing the life out of him.
Krojun's expression suddenly turns and the shoanti look properly horrified at whatever eldritch horror is attacking the party.
Donnell and Daeshna both have no idea what the hell this creature is.
Tentacle
---
Daeshna
Little Dove
Donnell
Sevenspawn (divine power) (-24) (grappled)
Raven (-44)
Thod (-58)