Brevon tiptoes into the room after Elriel, then freezes on the spot.
"Baphomet. Lord of the Labyrinth!" He holds his torch out, casting his flame-light upon the sinister-looking gourds from the ceiling. The shadows within dance and crawl, and the effect is quite unnerving. He holds his breath at Elriel's command, watching the roguish man perform his delicate work.
_________
Elriel moves carefully around the room taking care not to spring the magical trap he noticed before. When he was almost reaching for the construct, both Rukzha and Brevon talk about the sigil and as soon as they speak the word 'Baphomet' the clockwork device resembling a marilith demon, springs to life, bringing down its swords to shatter the bottle... luckily, Elriel reacted quickly and grabbed the bottle first, preventing it from shattering.
After a moment of silent and apprehension regarding what could have happened, you hear muffled sounds from the southernmost heap of vegetation as a malformed vegetable creature claws its way out. The filthy creature resembles a small, wide-mouthed fat child made from leaves, vines, tree bark, dirt, and pallid tubers.
________________________________
Rukzha - up
Brevon - up
Kelumation - up
Elriel - up
Mandragora
Arrika
"Damn, need to be more careful about what we say." Rukzha exclaims with dissatisfaction as the clockwork device springs to life. "Really nice save Elriel. Your reflexes are a godsend."
Rukzha studies the creature, her keen eyes easily able to pick it out in the darkness. "A Mandragora! A creature formed from the twisted ichor of a demon. I'm not sure what use my powers will be against them. Brevon, use my luck to strike it down!" Rukzha clutches her arm as the fresh scar from yesterday threatens to tear itself open. She feels a pulse of power go through her body, channeled towards the paladin.
Question#2 and 3 - Special Abilities/Attacks: Mandragoras are able to drain blood from their bite attacks, have a potent poison able to confuse those affected, and can also shriek that can nauseate their opponents.
"It's immune to mind attacks and poision, but not to being surrounded. Though beware of it's blood-draining bites and poisonous attacks. It can confuse your mind if it hits you!" Rukzha quickly shouts out what she knows about the enemy, pain from her arm marring her voice, but not making it waver. She's quite eager to take down this enemy that she has read about but never seen before.
The shambling horror is enough to frighten any man. For Brevon, it is a reminder that only wicked things lurk in the dark.
Rukzha's magic flows through him, invigorating him and giving him courage .
He drops his torch to the ground, its ember glow washing over the walls, and hefts his ranseur as he moves to strike down the monster.
"So a demon-spawn!"
The half-elf moves to try and attack the plant creature from the right following the witch's advice. He knew well that his strikes were deadlier if his enemy was unaware or preoccupied with another attacker.
For now he slashed swiftly with his shortsword, hoping to tear into the plant demon.
________________
critical?
When making a melee attack, you get a +2 flanking bonus if your opponent is threatened by another enemy character or creature on its opposite border or opposite corner.
When in doubt about whether two characters flank an opponent in the middle, trace an imaginary line between the two attackers' centers. If the line passes through opposite borders of the opponent's space (including corners of those borders), then the opponent is flanked.
With Rukzha's help, Brevon quickly moves towards the mandragora, piercing it with his new weapon and giving Elriel the perfect opportunity to also pierce the creature through its eye, finishing it.
1 - The subject takes 1d6 points of acid damage.
2 - The subject's eyes glow red for 2 hours, during which time it gains darkvision out to 30 feet.
3 - The subject takes 1d6 points of fire damage.
4 - The subject develops wheezing, labored breathing for 2 hours, which imposes a -2 penalty on Stealth checks.
5 - The subject takes 1d6 points of cold damage.
6 - The subject develops a persistent nosebleed, taking 1d4 points nonlethal damage every 10 minutes for the next hour.
7 - The subject takes 1d6 points of electricity damage.
8 - The subject experiences a persistent adrenaline rush. For the next 2 hours, subject receives a +2 bonus on Initiative checks but takes a -2 penalty on Dexterity based skill checks due to uncontrollable trembling.
With the fight over and no more traps around, you are able to properly inspect the chest which reveals itself as merely a lure... it was probably emptied of its valuables by Topaz before he left, save for five holy symbols of Iomedae stacked under a note that reads "We don't need these anymore, but figured if you survived our surprise, it would be just plain rude to leave behind an empty chest for your troubles!"
Rukzha claps her hands together in excitement when Elriel strikes the creature through the eye. "Wow, that's an awesome blow Elriel! You're amazing." She removes her mask to show of her smile, she doesn't need it right now seeing as there is no more combat and it would be nice for her companions to see her smiling face for a change.
"Now let's see what's in that bottle. Hopefully no more distractions this time. She walks closer to it as she chants a series of arcane incantations before taking the bottle to examine it.
-
"Ǵ̩̖̠̗͔͕͑̆̂͐̏̍ͭͬu̘ͤ̏iͩ̊ͪ͏̜̗̩̖̜͎̟̕d̢͍͈ͥ̔͜e͇̯͊̿̈͑͑ͭ͝ ̏̎̚͝҉͕̝͓̞͇͕̕m̢̧͈̑ͨ͌̄̒͗͂̀e̝̫̥̾ͧ̉ͧ̀͑̀̐ ͚̮̰͚̬̓͆ͦ͋͛̇̄́͡t̞̭̖͕͉͍̜̱́͊o̵̫͔̝ͪ̐ͯͭ͂ͯͯ͒ͅ ̨̤̭͉̼̇̆̏ͤ̅̈ͧ̓̚w̷͕͓͕̝̙̗̅ͬ̿͂̇ͧͫͯh̼̞͉̙̬̾͑ͧ̇̚͞͠a̮̗̳͖̦̩̝̒ͧͧ̃̌ͫͮ̒ṱ̴̞̍̏ͪͥ͂̍̒̈́͜͡ ̛̝̝͙͈͚ͬ̀͜a̮͔͚̯͈̱͓͍͆͆̂ͥ̓͊̉̄́r̶̙̦̬̳̳̘͓͊ͬͪͦ̀̕c̶̝̩͍̮͕̖͋ͧͯ̊͗̾å̷̶̤ͨ̾ņ̮̪̣̥ͦͭ́̓̽̀͘͡ eͣͣͩ͑ͩ̒̊̕҉͎̲͔̟ ̴̼̘̙̦̬̺͎͔ͩͨͣͦ̆ͩ̍̚͞ḿ̐ͪ͏͚͍͙̖̻̮͇a̷͖̰͕͓̹̹͎̙̪͆ͭ͋͜ť̨ͦ͏҉̥̯t̷̡͍͎̽͋͆̉̓ͬě̞̖͍͉͔̳̑͛r̦̗͎ ͚ͤ̀̓ͧͩͪ̽̊͌ ̵ͣ͋̀̌̓̇͜҉̻̥̳̠̥̲̳̦ͅh̺̣͔͒ͯ̓i̻̠̻̐ͫͧ̌̎̑͗ͫ͜d͓͎̦͈̤͙͙̄ͪ̉e̮͚ͪͧs̬͖͔͙͖ͥͦͭ̏ͬͧ̇̀͝ͅͅ ̲̬̣͍͕̳̗̊ͩͧͨ̋̀̕h̶̥͈̫̟̱̲̀̈́̓̾̒͘e̡̛͈̝͌ͤ̾͛̍r̷͇̞̝̤͙͙̱̼̞̅̔̎̐͊́ͨ͆͝ě̸̢ͬ͌̈́̾҉̯̞̳"
-
After a studying the bottle for a short while in deep concentration, Rukzha's eyes widen in recognition. "Ah, it's a bilious bottle! It'll create a noxious cloud when shattered that'll confer a number of random effects. Though since it's random, it would be hard to use in combat."
Rukzha sees the holy symbols in the chest but is instantly suspicious. "Why would he leave a bunch of holy symbols here? That makes no sense. This whole place has been a trap so far. This might be another. I wonder if there is something more hidden down here that we are missing?"
Elriel looked at the plant-demon thing and merely nodded when the compliment came his way. "Yeah, I'm getting used to these new twin blades and Brevon there did much to keep the thing busy. That helps me."
He then started to look at the symbols left behind and the rest of the room for anything useful to the defenders or damning to the demon and their kind.
"I wonder if there is something more hidden down here that we are missing?"
Well, he wouldn't have wanted Iomedaean holy symbols, so why not leave them behind?... Or maybe he left them behind for someone he's expecting, someone who would know to avoid the trap and would need an Iomedaean symbol for...I don't know, disguise or something? Got me. But what we do know is, they were expecting someone to come sniffing around. Otherwise, why go to all this trouble, instead of just taking everything and leaving the place empty?
Rukzha furrows her brow with worry as she ponders their current situation and she speaks in a terse voice. "I don't like it. You might be right that this was just set up to harm whoever came here. Maybe the note you found was just a trap altogether? A ruse to send us down a false trail. Can we trust any of the information in it? Though then again, it could just have chosen to not reveal anything and we would have been none the wiser, not knowing about this place at all. I don't get it. This is like a puzzle, but with the critical pieces missing. For the crosses, I don't think what was written makes much sense. Whoever it's written for must be assumed to both survive the trap and defeat the demon plant. Let me have a closer look. You can search the room meanwhile?"
She mutters another quick cantrip to infuse her eyes with power and this time they spot a clue to what's the deal with the symbols. "Aha! Didn't I know it! They are coated with poison! We should be more careful in the future. We might miss something at first glance, but discover it at second. What should we do with them? I don't like to leave such a dangerous thing behind, but how can we handle such a poisonous thing safely? Maybe bring the whole chest with us? Or maybe we could find some container to put them in that is easier to carry up above?"
While searching through the rest of the basement Rukzha comments on what to do next. "I think we should check out the next place. We still got time today. This'll let us check if any of the information in the note is useful, or if it's all a big hoax."
"A cruel mockery of good. We should expect nothing less from demons and their ilk." Brevon's brow creases as he frowns heavily. "They will do everything in their power to break our spirits."
As much as he was hoping to return to camp, he nods at the suggestion to move forward. "We should not give our foe additional time to flee, or to devise deadlier traps. If we are able, let's continue on."
Yes. Let's keep going. The fact that the Topaz Solutions had been so thoroughly protected disturbed Arrika. This place wasn't big at all, or likely to house many cultists; if its former owner had gone to this much trouble for so small and so well-hidden a spot, how well protected would someplace more important be?
Leaving the Topaz Solutions behind you move west, wasting no time of the fading daylight, until you reach the remains of the old New Kenabres north district gate... one of the towers was destroyed and disappeared in the now common dark rifts, but you are still able to 'cross' the gate and move south along the inner wall, reaching the next safe house in less than an hour.
This sixty-foot-diameter gray stone tower is missing the bulk of its upper floors... some terrific force smashed its upper sections away, creating huge mound of rubble north of the building and leaving the tower now a mere stump with a jagged top. The tower's front door is kept closed.
On the way to the tower Rukzha tells the others what she knows of it. "Two decades ago, a historian and researcher named Niuna Estrod came to Kenabres to write a history of the crusades. Estrod constructed a tower of pale gray stone to hold the volumes of history he wrote, as well as other tomes and scrolls acquired from traders and returning crusaders. Ever since Estrod's death from food poisoning 2 years ago, researchers and wizards have occupied the Tower of Estrod for short periods of time, using it as a temporary library or laboratory. These temporary residents pay a small fee to the city in order to make use of the tower. The tower is located in the New Kenabres district, near the northeast tower."
"My hope is that we'll be able to find some of the knowledge there of use to us. What use, I do not know. But the more you know, the better."
"I wonder if it was cultists poisoned Estrod. This attack must have been planned for a long time..."
Looking at the ruined tower ahead and listening to Rukzha's tale, Arrika can't help but feel a pang of sadness. If that was some kind of library...one that someone had dedicated their whole life to building...I hope it's not as damaged as it looks. Think of how much could have been lost...
Arrika hadn't had the chance (or the inclination) to be terribly scholarly, at least in the southron sense. She preferred to learn through experience and legend, as her mother and later Kelumarion had taught her. But she knew the value of knowledge. She'd been taught according to an oral tradition that went back thousands of years, and she'd experienced firsthand the difficulty of preserving the past - because she herself was the repository of her clan's entire history, traditions, culture. The last...
Rukzha's musings pull Arrika away from her own. You really think they were planning this two years ago? It sounds crazy, but it could be...although I'd expect it more if it were devils responsible for this. Demons aren't known for being planners...although I suppose this all says otherwise, she finishes bemusedly, surveying the ruined cityscape once again.
"These symbols should be returned to the church of Iomedae, but I am not sure of the safest way to transport them. Perhaps we should simply leave them be, to face the same fate as so much of the city."
_________
Brevon follows along with his new-found friends, the ones who seem to know their way around the city. The blackness of the fissures never ceases to inspire a sense of dread in Brevon. Neither does the incessant, warm wind that seems to emanate from the depths of that darkness. The deepness of its is utterly incomprehensible, yet as they skirt the edges of the pit, he cannot help but feel drawn to it, somehow. As though we are not strangers, but old friends reuniting.
Rukzha's commentary draws him out of the depths of his reverie. "Two years ago? You're suggesting that this attack is related to Estrod's death? Was there something controversial about his historical accounts?"
"I don't think there was anything controversial, but I sadly don't know too much about what was written there, I don't have first hand knowledge. I would love to know more, but now I might never get the opportunity..." Her words dwindle off as she looks towards the ruined tower, her voice heavy with regret.
As she continues to speak her voice quickly regains the passion at drive that has been one of her strong points. "Anyway, I have no idea if they planned this for that long or not. It's merely a speculation. It just seems convenient that the owner of the tower should fall so the cultists could use it for their nefarious purposes. The demons were able to take down the city and defeat our guardian dragon. I don't think we should underestimate them in any regard, including planning."
Elriel asked, "If they coated with poison, can we not just take them and wrap them up with some sort of protection, like a piece of clothing? Can we wash the poison off the symbols? I hate to leave them here."
tag?
Elriel sheepishly admits, "Yeah, not much of a bookworm myself." But quickly corrected himself, "No offense meant. Nothing wrong with bookworms."
He then looked at the debris and the missing piece of tower, "But if this was part of the demon strike then why it would be destroyed? Did the dragon or other defenders damaged it?"
tag?
Elriel looked for a trap at the door and then took out his lockpicking tools. "You know Rukzha, I could use some better quality tools next time you go shopping."
_____________
"But if this was part of the demon strike then why it would be destroyed?"
"That is a very good question, Master Elriel. So much of the city has been ruined it's possible the enemy did not discriminate among the buildings of Kenabres. Alternatively, the enemy desired something located within the tower, and destroyed its upper floors in order to access it. Other theories are plausible, of course. But who could say with such limited information as we have..."
Appearing to have some previous knowledge concerning poisons, Elriel deftly wraps the poisoned holy symbols in pieces of cloth making them safe to carry around.
Elriel checks the door and notices it is indeed locked but also fails to unlock it. From inside you are able to hear the sound of creatures walking and muffled sounds of conversation, even if the correct words are impossible to discern. Someone walks towards the door and speaks through it. "Who are there? Stop to mess with our door if yah know what is good for yah!"
Elriel checks the door and notices it is indeed locked but also fails to unlock it. From inside you are able to hear the sound of creatures walking and muffled sounds of conversation, even if the correct words are impossible to discern. Someone walks towards the door and speaks through it. "Who are there? Stop to mess with our door if yah know what is good for yah!"
The half-elf cursed as the door resisted his attempt at lockpicking. "I told you I need better tools... and more practice."
Elriel gestures for everyone to get ready when the hears the voices from inside, "Open up; we're with the government defenders of the city. We're here to help."
___________
From the other side of the door, an answer arrives but no movement to open the door. "We want no help from you! Leave us alone!"
Rukzha blushes with embarrassment at having forgotten to buy better tools. She did see him using them to open the locks earlier. "I'm so sorry, I should have thought of tools."
She quickly shuts up when someone from inside notices them. She sends a magical whispering message to the others. "I guess we should have been more stealthy. Let's look around the tower first, then come back stealthier to try again."
---
If the rest decide to follow her suggestion she would continue in another series of messages. "You can reply to these messages. Would be nice to know if they are the cultists, evil or just trying to survive. Either way, I think it's worth making our way in. If it turns out to be a misunderstanding, it might be possible to work things out, but if they are cultists, we don't want to leave hem alone."
If the rest decide to follow her suggestion she would continue in another series of messages. "You can reply to these messages. Would be nice to know if they are the cultists, evil or just trying to survive. Either way, I think it's worth making our way in. If it turns out to be a misunderstanding, it might be possible to work things out, but if they are cultists, we don't want to leave hem alone."
Elriel nods and whispers to the rest of the team, "I think we try again saying we are looking for a specific person, a specific survivor. If they still refuse, we force our way in."
He then added, "Is anyone good at bluffing or should I just try?"
Elriel quickly backtracked, "Wait it a minute. let me take a look at the note we found."
He then read the note again for everyone.
"Hosilla, you will remain, for the time being, in Kenabres, but know this: the city's days are numbered. Seek a place of safety - the underground den of your mongrel lackeys should suffice to keep you safe from the devastation to come. I shall assume command of Drezen shortly, and once Vorlesh has finished with the wardstone and Kenabres is no longer of interest to us, you are to return to my side. Excellent news regarding the salvage of Yaniel's sword from the museum as well - bring it with you, for I believe this weapon could be quite useful once we corrupt it. Before you leave for Drezen, stop by the three safe houses (Nyserian Manor, Topaz Solutions, and the Tower of Estrod - the phrase remains "I've new material for the archives", for now) to ensure no evidence remains behind. May Lord Deskari and Lord Baphomet watch over you! S.V."
"So it seems that we have a codeword to get in, right? But I think whoever wrote the note wanted Hozilla, now dead by our hand, to eradicate any evidence. Is this how you interpret this?"
Brevon's blonde, bushy eyebrows rise in intrigue as he listens to the note. "Indeed, your interpretation sounds correct. I believe we should use the phrase to attempt to gain entry. I do not like the idea of deception, but the enemy has proven itself to be cunning. One must fight fire with fire. Or so the saying goes."
I'll take the lead - on talking them out, I mean, Arrika blurts out. I mean, they're expecting a human woman to be the one with the code words, right? Elriel and Brevon obviously don't fit the bill, and Rukzha wouldn't be able to pass as her...so it's me. Her tone of voice isn't quite as certain as her words, but she squares her shoulders. We should still do like Rukzha said, though, sneak off somewhere else and come back in a few minutes so they don't know it's the same people...
...and maybe it should just be me that approaches. At the suggestion, Kelumarion growls slightly, but she keeps talking over the low rumble. Maybe with one other person - but they're not going to expect an entire entourage with her. And certainly not a celestial, unless we could make them believe I've enslaved Kelumarion with a spell...
Moving around the tower and evading the numerous obstacles, you find no other door to the tower nor any window in which someone inside could be using to watch the outside. It could be even possible to climb the walls to the destroyed upper floors but there is no way to be sure which blocks of stone are stable or not.
From one embarrassing moment to the next. How could Rukzha have forgotten about the contents of the note? That was so unlike her. Though a certain half-elf occupying her thoughts didn't make it easier to stay focused. She would just have to learn to live with that. He wasn't going to go away anytime soon, she hoped. Maybe finding out what he thought of her would help? Though this was neither the time nor the place.
Back to the present Rukzha shakes her head. "Nice find Elriel! This solves our problem."
She turns toward Arrika to answer her plan? "How would they know Kelumarion is a celestial? Most people wouldn't be able to tell at a glance... Though there might be some, these are unlikely to be normal people. Then again, do we really need to stay hidden for long? If these are cultists just catching them of guard might be enough. I don't think they know what to expect either, otherwise they could go by recognition rather than a simple pass phrase. I say we go all together, it's safer. Though you can handle the talking since they might remember our voices."
She turns toward Arrika to answer her plan? "How would they know Kelumarion is a celestial? Most people wouldn't be able to tell at a glance... Though there might be some, these are unlikely to be normal people. Then again, do we really need to stay hidden for long? If these are cultists just catching them of guard might be enough. I don't think they know what to expect either, otherwise they could go by recognition rather than a simple pass phrase. I say we go all together, it's safer. Though you can handle the talking since they might remember our voices."
The half-elf nodded, "Yeah, that makes sense. We'll go in together but neither I nor Brevon will talk or we will at least disguise our voices if we need to talk."
He then got ready and waited for Arrika to pull her bluff.
Ok then... Arrika lets out a deep breath. Just...try to look imposing, I guess? And hide holy symbols and stuff. It's too bad we left that armor we found down there behind...it might have helped. Oh, well. Nervously, she grabs the note from Elriel and reviews it one more time, practicing the passphrase over and over with her lips barely moving.
Waiting for the others to array themselves behind her in some semblance of a retinue of bodyguards, Arrika marches forward, feigning confidence in her gait to make it come through in her speech. Taking her spear, she rams its haft into the tower door with several sharp strokes. Hello - anyone there? The thieves are clear from the streets, and I've new material for the archives. There. Hopefully that'll help convince them everyone else isn't who was here before, and that I'm this Hozilla woman.
After a couple seconds awaiting for an answer, the door is slightly opened and Arrika sees a man inside. He measures her for a couple seconds, opens the door a bit more, looking the surroundings and the rest of the group, and then finishes to open the door. "Hum... thought you all would have already left the city like the rest... come in, we might indeed need more help..."
The ground floor of the tower is now open to the air, a tangle of wooden supports above being all that remains of the building's upper stories. Two rubble-filled pools flank a central walkway that crosses to an open area with a few shelves, a desk and chair, and a flight of stairs leading down. The man is the only one in the room. "Darves is making some soup and there are some spare bedrolls if ya want to rest but you'll need to report to Faxton first, as usual."
Elriel's hairs stood up in the back of neck. He was somewhat reassured when there was only one person but became more concerned about him trying to get away to warn this Faxton.
He moved quickly while quietly explaining, "He's on to us..."
The half-elf quickly whipped out his blade but struck to subdue rather than to kill.
::The elf-blooded is right, child...they've seen through the deception, they attempt to draw us in...::
Before entering Rukzha makes sure message is up and running on everyone. "We might need similar silent communication once in there. Just reply back to my message when you need it."
Rukzha notices Arrika didn't cast guidance to bolster her confidence before trying to talk their way in. She had seen the summoner use that spell several times before which is why she didn't offer to use it herself. Though due to the message she's able to point it out somewhat silently. "Next time you try to do something tricky and we got a bit of time to prepare, consider using the guidance spell. It really does make everything easier."
Rukzha is unaware of the deception, but she's happy that Elriel catches on. She immediately tries to send the man into dreamland, maybe if they deal with him silently they could still trick the rest of the cultists in the tower. The scar at her temple contracts painfully as she invokes her power, but she's used to the pain and she's more than willing to pay that price.
Brevon ties to stay quiet and look casual while Arrika leads them inside. He feels fairly certain that his movements are stiff and unnatural, but the man seems trusting enough. Why would he let them all in unless he believed the girl?
Report to Faxton? As usual?
Brevon commits that name to memory, but just then Elriel bursts into action.
The cultist is caught by surprise when Elriel alerts the others and tries to run but Elriel is quick to hit him with the pommel of his sword, almost knocking him out instantly. Unfortunately the cultist is able to yell for help before Rukzha invades his mind with nightmarish dreams.
No help comes from the lower floor.
Brevon winces as the cultist manages to scream for help.
"Good job, Elriel!" hewhispers. "Let's bind and gag him," he says, reaching for a length of rope. "But keep him alive. We do not yet know the nature of his crimes, or the extent of his plans. Clearly, there are others around." Brevon works with the rope to tie the man's hands behind his back, then searches the room for a piece of cloth (blanket, scrap of clothing?) to stuff into his mouth and prevent him from screaming the moment he comes to.
"Rukzha, how long is he out for?"
The cultist is caught by surprise when Elriel alerts the others and tries to run but Elriel is quick to hit him with the pommel of his sword, almost knocking him out instantly. Unfortunately the cultist is able to yell for help before Rukzha invades his mind with nightmarish dreams.
No help comes from the lower floor.
Elriel shakes his head, brooding over the lost opportunity and takes out his frustration on the cultist. He finishes the job of knocking him out for good before he wakes up from his nightmare.
He then whispers to his companions, "Well, Faxton and whoever else is here already knows about us. I'm sorry I wasn't able to knock this guy out."
He shrugs, "I think it's best if we head down there quickly and don't give these thugs too much to prepare for us."
He looks at Brevon, "You want to put that armor of yours to the test and head down there first? I'll be right behind you."
"You have proven yourself to be a trustworthy ally. This I can do. But here I would favor the protection of my shield."
"Curses! I tried to get him before he could alert others." Rukzha is clearly unhappy as having failed to react in time. "Nice that you were able to figure it out though Elriel." She smiles at him, though it's hidden by the mask, even if it's easy to notice the change in her tone.
She turns to Brevon to answer his question about her abilities. She always likes to talk about anything magical "Right now I can make them stay asleep for a little under twenty seconds. Not much, but hopefully enough to swing the fight in our favor. I've noticed that after the fighting starting the time I've been able to do it has increased significantly."
She looks towards the stairs. "Anyway Brevon. Your defense might be great. But isn't it even better if we don't have to risk anything? One of the wands we got can summon creatures. We could send on of those ahead of us to spring any surprises and survey what's ahead. Wouldn't that be better?"