"Anger is healthy, but acting like an idiot is not." says Heroiel in a hushed voice. "You" he says to Zdravko "get a leash on that anger, and you" he indicates Djal "Maybe don't poke the guy barely holding onto his rage? Sheesh!" Heroiel then flings his arms into the air in an exasperated gesture and turns back down the alley.
Djal, Zdravko, Heroiel, Brother Theodor and Zukhan walk through the alleyway and follow the blind turn toward where the alley meets up with the thoroughfare again... only to find the path blocked with two horse carts, parked perfectly to prevent passage.
A shrill whistle pierces through the din of the plaza behind you. A few seconds later, a gang of filthy-looking halflings slip out of doors, down rainspouts and up from sewer grates. All of them bear spider tattoos and vicious looking black blades bearing a strange resemblance to the Dagger of Spiragos!
Other Fangsfall citizens that had the same idea to take the alley or were simply minding their own business stare wide-eyed or back away as the seven filthy halflings advance upon you!
Initiative Round One
Halflings- 13
Zukhan- 6 (w/+2 Wis from Dread Ambusher)
Djal, Heroiel- 4
Zdravko, Brother Theo- 3
The halflings advance on your party far faster than you expected! Scarcely before your blades could leave their scabbards, the filthy little monsters are stabbing and slashing at you with their replica Daggers.
In unison, two halflings attack Zukhan, Brother Theo and Djal while the seventh throws a dagger at Heroiel!
Caught off-guard in the bustling city, Zukhan's attackers (Stabby and Grimey) deal a serious blow to the asaathi, cutting him with their wicked looking blades!
Brother Theo manages to use his armor to his advantage, deflecting stabs from Cutty and Bloody with his mail and shield.
Djal dances easily aside as Shanky tries to drive his blade into the bard's ribs, a swift kick to the halfling's wrist sending the blade clattering to the cobblestones while his comrade, Smelly, slashes at the space Djal used to occupy.
The dagger flies past Heroiel from where Creepy threw it from the halflings' back rank, a fleeing citizen wailing in pain as the blade buries itself in the man's flank!
Heroiel gestures and incants, and a bolt of fire streaks out at the Halfling who threw a dagger at him.
Brother Theo takes a short step back from the onslaught of the evil halflings. He re-adjusts his shield and hefts his spear, stabbing at the little cultists. At the same time, he calls upon his god to help him battle these enemies (Spiritual weapon - bonus action) A ghostly spear appears behind Bloody and strikes at him.
Attack:
Damage:
SW Attack:
SW Damage:
Zukhan lashes out with his scimitar and claw gauntlet, a flurry of slashes directed at Stabby and Grimey!
Round One
Zukhan's blades are a blur, but Grimey dodges quickly aside- his cohort Stabby however is less limber and hits the cobblestones in a gout of blood.
With biting quips and jabbing swords, Djal pokes holes in the halfling's onslaught and wounds more than their pride!
Heroiel's firebolt follows the trajectory of Creepy's dagger, slamming into the halfling's chest! His damp rags unfortunately resist being lit on fire, but the beady-eyed footpad yelps in pain!
Squared up against Brother Theodor, Cutty doesn't notice Zdravko on the sidelines until it's too late- the scholar dives at the halfling with all of his weight and peevish strength behind his longsword, neatly spearing the little menace!
With a jab of his spear and a prayer to the Redeemer (and a jab from Her spear), Brother Theodor leaves Bloody looking his namesake. The murderous halfling sways for a moment from the thorough stabbing, taking a shaky step toward the priest before collapsing on the cobbles.
Round Two
Creepy dashes into the melee, driving his blade at Zukhan while Grimey attacks the asaathi from the opposite side!
But now that Zukhan is back on his game, the Asaathi proves too elusive for the three-foot thugs! He easily deflects their attacks with his own blades.
Growling and cursing like foul-mouthed urchins, Shanky and Smelly continue their assault on Djal as they stab and slash with their replica Daggers of Spiragos!
The japes are a bit too much for Shanky, who slashes at Djal far more ferociously than the bard anticipated! It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye and Djal comes close as the halfling slashes the half-elf's cheek with his sharp little blade! With blood pumps from the wound, Smelly jabs his blade into Djal's thigh!
Round Two Actions!
Heroiel again incants, which this time conclude with the sound of a bell ringing, which seems to rip through both targets.
Still carrying a grudge at Creepy, Heroiel again incants in the language of magic and then, with a snap of his fingers, dark energy begins trying to force it's way into Creepy's burn wounds.
With the two halflings dead at his feet, Brother Theodor moves forward to help Djal.
Attack:
Damage:
SW:
Damage:
Shanky deftly rolls under Djal's rapier thrust but the bard buries his dagger in Smelly's chest- the halfling falls to the cobblestone street with a choking gasp.
A deafening crack rings out next to Zukhan, splintering window shutters nearby and cracking the cobblestones underfoot.
Grimey growls, shaking his head like a feral animal as blood trickles from his nose. Creepy is bowled over from the concussive sound, his ears bleeding as he hits the ground.
Zdravko neatly and somewhat casually strikes Shanky, lopping the halfling's head off before the pint sized thug can strike Djal again.
Brother Theodor rushes in to help Djal, but, with Shanky decapitated, he turns to Zukhan's attacker. Grimey's rags manages to cushion the blow of Theodor's spear, preventing injury, but Madriel's radiant weapon delivers a killing blow to the halfling and he slumps to the ground with his comrades.
In a matter of a few vicious seconds the battle is over, even while Fangsfall citizens are fleeing the scene. Each of the halfling carries a dagger that resembles the Dagger of Spiragos and a brace of concealed darts in their rags (20 darts). One of them, Creepy, has a scrap of parchment with hastily drawn portraits of Djal, Brother Theodor and Zukhan with no other writing on it.
Djal, come here and let me heal your wound before it gets fouled by these evil creatures.
Calling upon Madriel's powers, the priest cures his friend's wounds. Once done, he cleans and wraps the wound.
Cure Wounds(2nd Level):
Healing Feat:
"Now then, anyone else injured and needing my assistance?"
"Chardun be praised! Now what are we going to do with this lot?"
Djal, come here and let me heal your wound before it gets fouled by these evil creatures.
Calling upon Madriel's powers, the priest cures his friend's wounds. Once done, he cleans and wraps the wound.
Cure Wounds(2nd Level): 2d8+4
Healing Feat: 1d6+4+4"Now then, anyone else injured and needing my assistance?"
Zukhan raises a hand.
"I've been hit- but we may want to make a run for it first."
"Well if you feel fit enough to run, then let's go. I do not wish to run into any more followers of Spiragos!'
Brother Theodor begins to jog in the direction of the chapterhouse.
Heroiel shakes his head and follows after the others.
You all run back out of the alley, seeking a different route to Four Swords Lane and the Mithril Chapterhouse. Crowds are unavoidable with Fangsfall being packed to the gills as it is and keep yourselves close together for safety, expecting renewed resistance at every turn.
Fortunately, your flight the Chapterhouse is uneventful and you find the squat fortress-temple in the north of the city, on Four Swords Lane. While you may have expected a sprawling fortress, it's in fact rather small with stout stone walls covered in enameled white plaster. Corean's holy symbol, the "fourfold sword rose" is proudly displayed on either side of the main entrance, the entrance itself being a remnant of the old chateau from which the temple was built. The windows have been refitted to be arrow-slit narrow and the double doors are banded in iron. The temple is small, but it looks to be very defensible.
Much like at the temple of Madriel, there is a line of refugees across the street waiting for aid from the priests and paladins within. A young knight-in-training stands outside of the doors to the temple, wearing a suit of scale mail with a longsword at his side. When you approach the doors, he nods to you.
"Good day, travelers. If you're in need of aid, I'm afraid there's a line today. Unless you're on official business?", he asks.
Brother Theodor steps forward and shows his holy symbol and the letter from the Canon.
"It is urgent we are admitted to your fortress immediately. We were already attacked on our way here by the degenerated followers of Spiragos! Please allow us sanctuary and tell your commander we are here!"
Theodor keeps looking around trying to see if anyone had followed them.
Perception:
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Heroiel simply sneers at the Squire, but then says nothing in deference to his companions.
The squire gives Heroiel a quizzical look before noticing his Chardunite holy symbol and going frosty. He reads the letter from the Canon and is much friendlier to Brother Theodor.
Fortunately for the cleric, no one on the street looks familiar nor does he get the sense that anyone wishes the party harm.
"Attacked, you say? This is very serious. I can't leave my post here at the door, but you should head right in. Chaptermistress Raho's office is at the end of the main hall, straight back. Don't worry- there's no safer place in Fangsfall.", he says, pulling open the stout iron-banded door.
Within is a long hall hung with banners and tapestries. On your left is a courtyard of well-groomed grass and a statue of Corean the Avenger in the center, holding aloft the unfinished blade he used to slay the titan Thulkas, the titan's anvil at his feet. Several acolytes and squires sit on benches before the statue while a priest lectures to them about history. Past an archway facing the courtyard is what looks to be a mess hall and kitchen, with a dormitory on the opposite side.
At the end of the main hall is another stout door, likely the Chaptermistress' chamber. After a knock on the door, you're bid to enter by a stern male voice. Within is a sitting room with tasteful but spartan furnishings, finely-tailored banners and religious relics adorning the walls. In the center of the room is a large darkwood table with Corean's holy symbol carved in the top, each sword inlaid with the appropriate metal- iron, silver, gold and mithril. Three grizzled male knights and the Chaptermistress herself are seated at the table, the Chaptermistress sitting at the mithril sword position.
The Chaptermistress is a neat, precise middle-aged woman with black hair streaked with iron grey and worn in a tight braid. While the flush of youth has faded, her olive-green eyes speak to her wisdom and grace. She rises from the table along with the other three knights.
"You must be the adventurers the Bibliothecis said were coming. I am Sempronia Raho, Chaptermistress of the Mithril Knights. Close the door behind you, if you would, and we'll discuss this Spiragos situation."
"I agree with the angry one. Items of such power call to the weak-minded, allowing those who answer the call to be corrupted beyond all reason or sanity. The real question is how to destroy them in such a way that even their residue does not remain, and nothing of the remnants can ever harm or influence others."
Raho nods.
"Of course- it is our duty to destroy them. But first we must discover how and I understand that may take a bit of time. I would like to first verify that you do indeed have the relics of Spiragos- from there, we can research what is required to destroy them and make a plan to do so."
"First thing's first- you have the Gauntlet, the Dagger and the Ring?"
Brother Theodor removes the two items from his robes and places them on the table.
"Here are the dagger and ring. The gauntlet was still part of the creature."
He explains what they found and how the gauntlet was not small enough to take.
"Yes, residue, as in 'what is left over after something is destroyed'; for example, if you grind down a piece of wood into nothingness, you will have a bunch of wood dust."
The knights politely gloss over Zdravko's outburst, listening closely to the party's remarks and observations.
At the sight of the Dagger and Ring, the knights frown in disgust.
"The genuine articles, no doubt. The Gauntlet will be a challenge for another day- in its current state, nothing will be able to use it as anything other than a ravine."
Raho faces you all, leaning on the table with her fists.
"I will not lie to you- our resources are presently stretched thin assisting with peacekeeping in Fangsfall and resettlement efforts for refugees fleeing Virduk's aggression. Therefore, we must rely upon your capable hands to carry out the destruction of these Titan obscenities. But first we must know how to destroy them- and that may take some time. My recommendation is that we store these in our cellars, under guard, while research is conducted."
"You mentioned that you have been attacked several times- if you feel your lodgings are not safe, I can offer you space in our barracks until the time comes that we may destroy the artifacts. What say you?"
"How extensive is your library on the topic of the tians in general, and Spiragos in particular?"
Raho glances at the knight standing at the silver sword, who shakes her head curtly.
"Our library holds little on the subject- most of what we have are religious texts, war manuals, treatises on metallurgy, things like that. But the Bibliothecis' scriptorium in Vrail Keep is the most extensive library on the Peninsula- it's most likely that Cestarian the Wise has something of use for us there."