Lilika takes a few steps to the side and casts out her hands, sending a ball of acid at the face of the male guard.
Perfire raises shakily to his feet. 'Thanks again' He nods to the bandits, 'We'll need to deal with them one way or the other before more come.'
Perfire raises shakily to his feet. 'Thanks again' He nods to the bandits, 'We'll need to deal with them one way or the other before more come.'
"We get the keys, we can let Frizz out and lock them in 'afore they come to. They're on the floor."
Frizz stops jumping as Lilika looses her acid.
Her eyes fix on the downed bandit.
"You melted his face..."
She looks back at Lilika, her mouth agape. The astonished expression on her face shows both concern and admiration.
Perfire nods and scampers over to the fallen bandits, searching them for keys. 'Probably better if someone else does the dragging!' Perfire then quickly moves to the caged gnome and begins methodically attempting to find the right key 'Just one moment, please'
"Aye, I will," Wymond says, waiting for Perfire to open the door, so he can grab one of the thieves and drag them into the cell.
Lilika spares Frizz a glance. "I tire of being stuffed in cages."
"ThatWasMyFirstCage,AndIDontThinkILikeThemVeryMuch."
Frizz will step just outside the cage to clear the way for Wymond and his burden.
The guard awakens, screaming in pain at the sickening ruin of his face, just as Wymond tosses him and his compatriot into what had been Frizz's cell.
You can here a commotion beyond the door. Whaddya do?
"Perry, lock 'em in," Wymond says as he takes up position by the door again, cudgel held high, in both hands, waiting for the first fool to come through and get hammered to the floor.
Perfire locks the cage and then prepares to find out what the source of the commotion is.
Seeing her new comapnions prepare for battle, Frizz runs to the corner near the door, jumps up onto the bed and prepares her spell again.
I wish he'd stop screaming.
Lilika looks around, to see if she can find a few stones.
A woman's voice issues from the hallway beyond the door. "Listen up in there. I don't know who you are but I know there's no way out of there. I also know I have your girl and...gods below... your pig. I'm going to eat one and let Klarkosh have the other unless you do exactly what I tell you. Lay down your weapons and come out one at a time, walking backwards with your hands on your heads. You have ten seconds."
"Nine."
"Eight."
Frizz glances at her companions, seeking their approval.
"I'll be honest I'm not entirely certain she cares about their fates," Wymond replies dryly.
He thinks, then calls out.
"Hey, if we're walkin' out backwards, how do we know ye just won't crossbow us in the backs?!"
Since the others are talking, Lilika picks up three stones.
...If they keep talking, she casts magic stone on the stones.
"You don't. But you'll damned sure regret not complying with my orders."
"Seven."
"Six."
Wymond sucks air in through his teeth and sighs. He mutters a small prayer to Erastil to bless him for the incredibly stupid thing he was about to do .
Then he turns to the others.
"If'n I don't make it, take care o' Triath fer me an' get me remains sent back te my brother an' his wife."
Giving Lilika enough time to get her stones ready, when she gives the signal, he opens the door and begins charging towards the enemy, club raised.
"YEEEEAAAARGH!"
Frizz's mouth drops open at the act of bravery, but she moves into action nonetheless.
Perfire nodes to Wymond and falls in behind his friend. He waits just a beat before following him into the fray, unarmed except for his innate magic.
Magic stones in hand, Lilika follows the others.
After they see what she did to the cage, she doubted they give her the pleasure of having another stay -- it'd be straight to the spiders (or worse) for her.
As Wymond comes barrelling out of the lockup with his team right on his heels, he encounters three thugs. One stands still with mouth agape, but the other two were prepared. They have clubs in one hand and carry daggers in the other. Both try to hurt the paladin as he barrels by. One catches Wymond a stout clip across the ear, making him spit blood, but by the grace of Erastil, he stays on his feet and blocks the shot to his knee.
STATUS
Outlaw 1 (held action)
Outlaw 2 (held action)
Frizz [19/23 hp]
Perfire [2/24 hp]
Wymond [1/29 hp]
Outlaw 3
Lilika [27/27 hp]
Frizz moves to see out the open door and attempts to tickles the funny bone of the farthest Outlaw away.
"Hey dummy! Ever hear the one about the two clerics of Abadar walking into a tavern?!"
The third bandit breaks into gales of laughter, ignoring the fight completely!
Perfire points at the woman who has harried them throughout this level and channels his anger into a pair of magical bolts that streak out towards her.
Wanting to make sure he stays alive long enough to make a difference, Wymond lays hands on himself one last time.
Then he puts all his might and anger into a strike at the one who sliced his face.
"FER COLCILLE, TRIATH, AND OL' DEADEYE!"
Perfire's magical darts whizz past Wymond and slice into the woman bent over in hysterics. She screams, but continues to howl with laughter. Meanwhile, Wymond's powerful backhand crushes an outlaw's jaw. The man sags to the floor, never to rise again!
Slowly, the woman in the back stops laughing and hefts the flask in her hand, ready to hurl it.
STATUS
Outlaw 1:
Frizz: 19/23 hp
Perfire: 2/24 hp
Wymond: 5/29 hp
Outlaw 3: 6 damage, Prone, helpless
Lilika 27/27 hp
Unable to get a clear shot on anyone from inside the room, Lilika walks through the room and tumbles past the nearest laughing bandit.
Then she casts her hands out at the woman with the flask, sending a ball of acid at her face.
Lilika's acid catches the woman full in the upraised face, burning her so badly that her shriek of pain dies away to a whimper, and then nothing.
The single remaining outlaw turns on his heel and runs away!
COMBAT OVER!
STATUS
Outlaw 1:
Frizz: 19/23 hp
Perfire: 2/24 hp
Wymond: 5/29 hp
Lilika 27/27 hp
Frizz makes obscene gestures at the fleeing bandit and kicks dirt in their direction.
"Now what?"
She says turning to Perfire.
"Do you folks know where we are? Or how to get out of here? AndDoYouThinkTheyStashedOurStuffSomewhere?"
Perfire breathes a sigh of relief seeing the bandits flee and he once again slides down the nearest wall to sit at it's base. The halfling swings his head towards their new companion. 'Unless they moved us we should be underneath the Emerald Spire. We've been attempting to explore it with limited success. If we look around a bit I'm sure we can get our bearings and find our way out.' With a groan he pushes himself back up to his feet. 'And yes, probably our stuff as well'
You find your stolen items in a nearby room. In the same room, you find Colcille, beaten but alive. Triath is tied up in the kitchen, terrified but alive.
You find the room of a bandit lieutenant. In it are a gold chess piece worth 25 gp, an ivory comb worth 40 gp, and a statuette of a woman with a lyre worth 15 gp.
In addition, you find an apothecary's laboratory. The potions and reagents in the racks are all labeled.The contents of the rack include 11 bottles of wine, five bottles of brandy, eight bottles of vinegar, 14 vials of synesthetic agent; eight vials of antidote for synesthetic agent, three vials of acid, four vials of Small centipede venom, and three potions of cure light wounds. The reagents are worth 200 gp.
"Colcille! Thank Erastil yer safe! Can ye stand?"
Assuming she's alright, Wymond follows Triath's squeals to the kitchen.
"Great Heavens above! Hang on, I got ye."
He cuts Triath loose and the pig shakes loose the bindings. He escorts Triath back to the others.
"Tha's all of us. Colcille, Triath, this here's Frizz. She helped us bust out. Frizz, this is Triath an' this is Colcille."
The pig bows his head respectfully to the gnome. Then something extraordinary happens. Triath begins to shine with heavenly light, growing larger and stronger-looking in a matter of moments, tusks pushing out from his mouth and his hair becoming brighter and more luxurious, with golden swirls and streaks adorning the black bristles. By the end of the transformation, he appears a very prince of boars!
Wymond is gobsmacked, to say the least.
Triath nudges Wymond, squealing in pleasure. Colcille, on the other hand, looks dour and thoughtful. "I've reconsidered my goals, and this accursed death trap no longer features in them. I wish you all well, of course, but I'm leaving. I'm headed to Fort Inevitable to collect my things and then I'm returning to Kyonin."
Colcille's words leave Wymond with a sad look on his face, but he nods.
"That's probably wise...I'm sorry fer leadin' ye into this."
He offers her a hug.
"Jus'...take care o' yerself, okay?"
'Be safe' Perfire says, sadly, giving Colcille's hand a squeeze before falling back. He suddenly remembers something he had stowed in his pack and eagerly digs it out. He hungrily swallows the small vial of liquid, some of his wounds healing.
"Hiya Colcille! We could come with you back to Fort Inevitable and send you off with a meal! It's a pretty nice place even with all the 'I'm so serious' Hellknights walking around."
Frizz makes a mockingly stern face mimicking a Hellknight.
She then digs in her bookbag, pulling out a thick tome. Flipping through the pages...
"Emerald Spire. Em-er-ald Spire... Is that the name of this place? Ah! IKnewThatsWhatThatMeant!IReallyFoundIt,OrRatherTheBanditsFoundItAndStuffedM eHere..."
She excitedly points out a blurb of Azlanti in her book and shows the group.
Wymond raises an eyebrow.
"Sorry, Frizz. Don't know what that says. I can read a bit o' Taldane, and what little Hallit IS written, but only book I've read much of is this," he says, holding up his copy of The Parables of Erastil. "How DID this lot nab you, anyhow? We've been skirmishin' with 'em for the past few days, if'n they'd just locked ye up we probably would have met ye outside the Spire."
The team starts back up the hidden entrance into the Echo Wood and through the eerie forest in the direction of Fort Inevitable.
"Ugh...."
Frizz makes a sour face and sticks out her tongue.
"It's not a long story. I stopped by Fort Inevitable for a night or two for rest and heard some locals chittering about an ancient ruined tower. I thought it would be neat to check out and document for the library back in Absalom. A few hours into my journey, I got all kerfluffled and lost in the woods and the next thing you know, I've got two of those louts smacking me upside the head. It feels much better traveling with others.
Say, what is this place anyway?"
'We're not entirely sure yet. So far we've found it infested by goblins, spiders and undead, and bandits, in that order. As far as we can tell none of them were responsible for constructing whatever it was. I hope we can find some answers when we descend further into the ruins.' Perfire explains. He absentmindedly rubs the plain iron ring on his finger and frowns slightly. The small amount of power he could usually feel dancing between himself and the ring seems to have vanished when the wave of strange, tasteable color washed over him.
"Ugh...."
Frizz makes a sour face and sticks out her tongue.
"It's not a long story. I stopped by Fort Inevitable for a night or two for rest and heard some locals chittering about an ancient ruined tower. I thought it would be neat to check out and document for the library back in Absalom. A few hours into my journey, I got all kerfluffled and lost in the woods and the next thing you know, I've got two of those louts smacking me upside the head. It feels much better traveling with others.
Say, what is this place anyway?"
"Documentin', huh? Desna smiles. One o' the things we're doin' down here is...what'd he call it...'catalogin'?' each level o' the Spire we explore fer a sage in Fort Inevitable: Abernard Royst. Sounds like you an' him oughta have a little chat."
Frizz jumps in stride with excitement at the mention of someone else interested in cataloging information.
"Oh yes! Oh yes! IWonderIfHeHasALibraryAndWhatCataoricalSystemHeUses..."
Frizz peppers the group with questions on their adventures up until this point, taking notes in a book as they respond.
Lilika follows the others silently, happy to be back in the sunlight.
Echo Wood is strange in ways that are hard to define. It's not dark or dreary, but little noises always seem to follow you and the paths are never quite where you expect them to be. Stories abound of fey creatures living in the woods and a persistent rumor that the woods themselves are somehow alive.
But on this day the sun is shining and the birds sing in the trees. A warm summer breeze tosses the tree branches back and forth as the green Azlanti castle fades into the trees behind you.
After about an hour, you hear the clop-clop of horse's hooves from somewhere up ahead.
A look of concern washes over Frizz's face as she recalls when she was ambushed.
"Should we hide?!"
She hisses to the party.
Lilika nods, slipping into the shadows of the trees. Her form shifts, shrinking down to a mere hands-width, as she becomes a little grey-brown lizard. Lilika-lizard climbs up the side of a nearby tree and watches the road.