Come now child. You truly think we would harm you? The Lady judges those that harm children most harshly.
Where can we find this Serunda? We will speak with her ourselves. No need to send children to skulk about...
Irina lazily leans on the wall with her arms crossed, watching as Nilan and the others work the boy over with words and questions. Smirking to herself she offers a barely perceptible shake of her head. I would almost rather be pummeled than face down this group with all the questions. She stands by and waits to hear what the boy continues to say...
The boy doesn't seem too enthused, but talks nonetheless.
"Sh-she has me find out things that are interesting for her. She gives me money and keeps my l-little brother safe. I tell her when I take classes. Please father I don't want to be damned! And she helps run the magic shop and school. It's not hard to find. Please let me go, I can just say that I couldn't get close enough - that happens a lot."
Nilan looks at Zoresk and nods at the man Then go boy. Go and stay far from Serunda.
To the party Nilan says We should pay this woman a visit. Right now. and if the party assents he heads that way.
Irina frowns at Kumyo, I dunno I think I agree with Nilan. This woman sends out spies and deals in information she might be willing to tell us things Trestleblade isn't interested in sharing. He isn't going anywhere, right?
As the boy prepares to leave, Zoresk says, "My apologies for knocking you on your ass, lad, but we can't be too careful. Things are still dangerous in town, so keep an eye on your brother and stay out of trouble, understood?" He reaches into a belt pouch and slips a few silver coins free to hand to the youth.
"Perhaps she is only trying to stay informed, but there's not telling what she'll do with what she learns. I think Trestleblade will keep for now and -forgive me- I doubt... strongly... that'll he'll start objecting to your company any time soon." Zoresk shrugs apologetically at the lovely Tien woman. "I'd say we should go see what Serunda is about. Perhaps our luck will change and we'll stop stepping from disaster to disaster and find her to be an ally. Maybe..." Zoresk doesn't sound like he finds the idea likely.
The group make their way out of the inn and across town. It's a pleasant summer day, although the town itself seems a little subdued as the rebuilding after the hobgoblin assault continues. After heading a ways eastwards, they return to the familiar magic shoppe, which is open. Heading in, they spot Mr. Wigguns organizing some books on a shelf.
"Oh ey? Come back for some more reading on cults and whatnot? What can old Wigguns do for ya?"
Zoresk enters the room and steps the side, leaning casually against a wall, "No cults for the moment, thanks. We were hoping to have a word with Serunda."
Wigguns slides the book into the shelf and turns around, smiling genially to the group.
"Hmm? Oh yes of course of course, let me just call her up." Wigguns makes a small gesture and whispers something. He pauses for a moment and frowns, whispering again.
Message cantrip.
Wigguns: "Those nice people who got rid of the hobgoblins are here to see you."
Whispered response: "What?! Damn that boy. Get rid of them. They can't be here."
Wigguns: "What do you mean get rid of them? What boy?"
Whispered response: "Trust me Mervin, get rid of them."
"She's ah, indisposed at the moment. Wizard stuff you know. Could you come back later?" He beams a slightly nervous smile at the group.
Zoresk watches with interest as the wizard casts his spell. I might need to take the time to try to understand what's he's doing. Might come in handy in the future. He nods in reply, "I suppose we might be able to. We wanted to ask her about a matter of some urgency, though, with possible implications for our and the the town's safety. A young man we spoke to assured us she would be interested in what we had to say."
Fingers frowns at the man at the counter in the magic shop. "She needs to be un-indisposed, like now. he says, the threat plain behind his eyes. "Tell us where to find her."
Nilan stares at the man with a slight narrowing of the eyes We will speak with the Wizardess now. You will get her, do not stand in Fate's path.
Wigguns suddenly looks very nervous and quickly whispers something else.
"Dear they're VERY insistent."
"I don't care how insistent they are, hold them off. They're trouble for us!"
"Dear, it's a priest! I can't deny him. I'm... I'm sending them down!
"
"You've doomed us."
As he carries on a rapid, intensely whispered conversation with nobody in particularly, his bottom jaw clenches and he looks up at you. His wispy whiskers stick out belligerently, and he nods once.
"I don't know why she doesn't want to see you, but I'm not saying no to a priest of the Lady of Graves. I'm old enough to know better. She's upstairs in our living area and wants me to get rid of you. If it's important... well damn well you've earned my trust."
He steps aside and points with a shaking finger to a closed door beside the bookshelf.
"Thank you." Koriko bows courteously to Wigguns before heading upstairs with the rest of the group.
Nilan nods to the man You've done the right thing. Fortune favor you. and he moves up the stairs to get answers.
Irina casually lingers in the back, fine with letting the others do the talking...
The group open the southern door, which opens into a hallway which has stairs leading up to the second level. On your right is a very sturdy-looking door. Following Wigguns' directions, the group begins to head up the stairs. As they head upwards, Irina hears a strange snarling sound. Before she can shout a warning, Koriko and Nilan emerge at the top floor, which is a wide open space scattered with papers, books, and simple furniture with a closed room in the northwest.
However, more importantly an enormous wolf-like creature stands, snarling at Koriko. It resembles a thin, lanky wolf with reddish-brown fur, white claws, and burning, fiery red eyes. WIth a roar, it attacks!
This is a notorious fire-breathing demon known as a hell hound.
Irina paws at Nilan to move him out of her way as she approaches the creature. Moving swiftly to closing distance Irina lets out a sharp kick to the animals legs in an attempt to trip it...
Fire dog!? FIRE wolf!?!
The brawler's foot barely connects against the creature as it is more nimble that Irina expected...
Irina tries to knock the fire-dog-thing over but it seems to have other ideas. With smoke pouring from its mouth, it bites out viciously at the brawler. The jaws don't manage to quite clamp down, but Irina has a nasty, burning cut opened up.
Nilan raises his Holy Symbol and says Know your Fate foul creature
Korikos fingers run across the flat of her blade as it slides out of the sheath imbuing the weapon with arcane energy. Holding the sword at her side she charges the fell creature and comes to a stop with an upward slash.
The creature growls, cowering a bit before the power of NIlan's God. Koriko and Kumyo then glides across the floor. Koriko slashes down brutally with her katana, opening up a significant wound.
Irina
---
Creature
---
Koriko
Kumyo
Kuroyoho
Zoresk
Nilan
Fingers
Zoresk rounds the corner to look into the room and yelps in alarm as he sees the demon dog. Fighting back a sense of dread as he recalls his homeland's fate, he draws his glaive and moves to hack into the beast. "It's a hell hound and a demon of the abyss. How it came to be here I don't know..."
Zoresk recognizes the hell hound and knows that while immune to fire, it is vulnerable to cold damage.
Fingers rushes in along with the rest of the group. The hell hound snarls as it looks around and rears back before letting out a blast of fire!
Most of the fire hits the side of the house instead, and several books and part of the wall burst into flame.
Kumyo audibly hears somebody swear from the door right beside her.
Nilan moves and then raises his holy symbol
Blessed Lady, Stay your hand.
"Then back to the pits we'll send it. Koriko intones a cantrip, coating her blade in acid swinging the sword at the hellhound amidst the gestures she performs and immediately follows up with another swing.
Irina cringes at the fire but shrugs off the heat as she switches her feet into a more agressive stance.
Irina proceeds to pound on the beast as fast as she can...
Koriko sweeps out her katana twice but misses. Irina however manages to punt the hell hound in the face with a well-placed kick.
Kumyo swings open the door which reveals a private office. Inside she spies Serunda, who has just finished casting a spell.
Zoresk, off balance from his dash up the stairs and his fierce swing, isn't able to dodge aside from the hellish beast's flaming breath. Singed, he ignores the pain and swings his soot-covered blade in a fierce overhand blow at the creature.
Kumyo is reluctant to kill the woman, for her part in the puzzle is unclear, but a hound from hell is never a good sign...
She extends her arms, fingers spread, and a wave of glittering lights shouts forth from them, basking Serunda in glittering light.
Round 1
Singed from the dog's fiery breath, Fingers leaves the immediate opening in front of the hellhound for Zoresk, and takes a big circle around to get behind the creature. He can't quite get close enough to make an attack this round as he has to zig-zag amongst the combatants. He draws his twin blades (rapier and shortsword) as he goes.
She winces, but manages to shield her eyes. Not looking at all confident, she drops her hand only to see Kuroyoho pounce on her. She deftly sidesteps the cat's attack though.
Out in the room, Zoresk swings down his weapon brutally, completely decapitating the hell hound. Its head flies off, and all of it burns away into ash at the moment of its death. The room is now on fire.
Serunda, facing off with Kuroyoho and Kumyo, quickly rattles off a spell and sprays them with a color spray of her own!
Seeing that Kumyo found another conflict, she enters the room after her and Kurohyo. Seeing the woman she moves in and fires another spray of bright colors to help subdue her.
Spotting the new threat....Nilan shouts Surrender now heathen woman! Surrender and know mercy!
Nilan uses His Blessing of the Faithful to give Kumyo +2 to saves for one round.
She withstands the second color spray spell.
"I can't! Just... go!"
Round 2
Not wanting to destroy the shop, Fingers looks desperately around for means of dousing or smothering the fire. Blankets, old cloaks, or a bucket of water would do.
Fingers spots some heavy blankets in the room, a standard feature in most of the houses in Douleurs considering how cold it can get in the winter.
Irina acts in concert with Fingers, hoping to stop the fire...
Well if magic will not persuade you, I'm sorry, we will have to use conventinal means. "Irina-san, Zoresk-san, help me subdue her."
Irina and Fingers get to work on putting out the fire, grabbing huge blankets and slamming them against the wall. Serunda dodges and weaves, an invisible barrier around her helping her avoid attacks from Kuroyoho.
She says nothing, but her expression is clearly panicked.