"The Carnelian Signet?" The guard asks, doubt in his voice. "Do you know anything about a Carnelian Signet?" He calls to another guard, who has no idea what he's talking about. "How odd. Figures they wouldn't have sent notice to us! Bah!" The sentry grunts, walking up to a winch. He leans over and cranks it open, the gate rising up. "Fine. Come in. It's.. strange that you're accompanied by four others."
Nox finally speaks as the man says something stupid "Why would they notify you of a SURPRISE INSPECTION?" She shakes her head and continues on watching over the Red Lady and eyeing the guards up and down.
"How many of those rebel scum are locked up here now? You've been keeping them alive right?"
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Pádraig also recalls a little more that he and the others learned in Kintargo: A man by the name of Lucian Thrune, one of the Lord-Mayor's relatives, is in charge of the keep.
"Why would they notify you of a SURPRISE INSPECTION?"
"Maybe so, but what's Thrune's right hand... human," he coughs, struggling to describe Nox. "... Doing all the way up here? We've got everything under control! Certainly an inspection doesn't require your presence, let alone all of you." The guard suspiciously insists as he looks through Nox, avoiding her gaze, clearly not too comfortable with the half-devil. He and the other guard are armed with halbreds and heavy crossbows, and wear chainmail.
The other guard points to the northern set of double doors. "Prisoners, huh. Up that way. Inside the keep. A few halflings were sent this way from the heartlands. Food for the serpents," he snickers.
The Silver Ravens get the idea it won't be long before the guards' suspicions take over.
"The roads can be treacherous, even for one of Thrune's most powerful," Morvena points out, thinking back to their encounter with the ogre king. "Of course I am more than happy to take note of your thoughts on the matter of how inspections should be conducted in the future and pass them along..."
As she speaks, Morvena whips out her 'ledger' and a quill, making a show of flipping through its pages. But really, it's her spellbook and she's searching for a spell that might prove useful should things get ugly.
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"Yes, that's a great idea, small one." The Carnelian Signet chuckles. "Where is your commander's office? Once you show the way, we'll leave you to your duties."
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While Issil persuades the soldiers to take the team to their commander - some relative of Lord-Mayor Thrune, he recalls - Pádraig Henry looks up toward the stone arch that hangs above the pass, trying to spot the hidden chamber above the keep, where the ancient dwarves built their engine of self-destruction called the Anvil of Unmaking.
He sees Rosebud circling high over the keep, gliding on the updraft of a thermal. Maybe Rosebud will see it.
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The stone arch is easy enough to see, but Rosebud doesn't find any way to enter the structure from above, nor any sign of the Anvil of the Unmaking from where she flies.
"I'm not leaving my post, no way. Go find him yourself. Second floor," the guard is dismissive as he makes his way to the northern set of double doors. "And don't bullshit me with your 'notes'," he grunts at Morvena. "That crazy magic juju causes more trouble than its worth!" The two guards go back to their patrol, your successful deception leaving you free to enter the keep.
Beyond the doors, narrow windows on the east side of a long, chilly hall look out over the Menador Gap. The black-and-red Asmodean tapestries that hang on the walls ripple gently in the draft.
Sitting at one of the tables are three off-duty soldiers playing cards, all three of which stop and reach for their weapons as you enter. "What the hell is she doing here?" One guard stares sidelong at Nox. "Isn't that Barzillai's she-devil? And with quite the entourage, too. Did the Commander call for reinforcements?" They stand up, halbreds at the ready, waiting for answers.
The Carnelian Signet waves the guards goodbye. "So long. Keep up the good work!" she chuckles.
Once they are out of earshot, she turns a bit more serious. "Keep your eyes peeled for that anvil. We know where the prisoners are. We find them, establish an exit route, then bring everything tumbling down. I can't sweet talk my way past all of the guards, you know."
"Like these three."
Issil takes a quick look around the hall.
Might be time for some action.
She looks at Nox. "Nox, what say you? Are they prepared for action? For a sudden invasion? Or do they lazily feed off of Thrune's many generous gifts?"
So, do you want me to knock these guys out, or do we keep talking?
Nox nods at the Red Lady to shut the door "Its apparent they're lazy loafers shirking their duties to play cards." Her hand glows with sparks as she steps forward, reaching out to grab the right guard by the neck, sending 10,000 volts through his body.
"These lazy ones need to be replaced... Immediately."
Geoffrey nods imperceptibly to Issil's words, hand straying to his blade as he watches how the other guards react to 'Nox' here.
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The guards look at each other, dumbfounded at the true meaning behind The Carnelian Signet's message. "An invasion? What? We need to alert the Commander, immediately!" The guard turns to make for the door to his west. He only takes a single step before Victor grabs his neck and zaps the soldier to death.
"You bastards! What is this, a mutiny?" The two guards train their halbreds on Victor.
Rosebud
Padraig
Issil
Geoffrey
Red Goon
Victor
Morvena
Green Goon
Environmental Conditions: None
Party Buffs: None
The Carnelian Signet giggles and waves her hands about. "Tsk tsk. You must always keep your guard up, lest invaders overwhelm you!"
Issil concentrates her energy and begins to conjure a fireball... but a Merciful one that deals nonlethal damage.
Oh, shit! When she hears Pádraig Henry start singing, Rosebud knows whatever passed for the team's 'plan' has fallen into the proverbial chamber pot.
The lyrakien whistles to get Pavan's attention and points toward the sound of singing. She casts divine favor and flies for the open door the team had entered, nocking an arrow to her bow.
Actually we got farther than I thought we would...
Geoffrey steps forward here, brandishing his trident here.
Maybe we can take a prisoner here!
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The guards shield themselves behind their halbreds as Issil's merciful fireball engulfs them. Rosebud rushes into the commotion just as Pádraig fills the common area with an inspiring ballad, singing of of the Silver Ravens' successes so far.
Geoffrey kicks his boots together, moving with unnatural speed as he comes around both guards with the side of his trident, knocking them unconscious.
Two doors lining the hallway you had entered from swing open, with two more Menador Soldiers behind each of them. "What the hell?!" From the courtyard, the two that The Carnelian Signet had previously fooled rush in. "The only thing you're gonna be inspecting is the tip of my polearm!" They taunt.
Rosebud
Padraig
Issil
Geoffrey
Victor
Morvena
Menador Soldiers
Environmental Conditions: Note the small doorways next to the yellow and black soldiers (hard to see on a crowded map)
Party Buffs: Good Hope, Inspire Courage
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"Man, it sure is crowded in here. I'm going to get some fresh air." The Carnelian Signet steps out, only to find two more men with their weapons drawn. She laughs. "Now now, boys. You can't whip those out on the first date! Put those toys away before I spank you and send you home."
She casts Admonishing Ray and hurls two bolts of nonlethal energy at the men before her.
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"Hmm...this is getting entirely inappropriate," Morvena remarks as she takes a step back and away from the guard looming in the nearby door. "I believe you all need to 'slow your roll', as they say in the current vernacular!"
She then begins casting and attempts slow their attackers down!
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Victor/Nox's face falls flat when he sees Morvena cast a spell and realizes quickly its not his favorite shot of speed. Instead she heads around and opens a door he hopes will put the enemy at a disadvantage.
"I got this one," Geoffrey nods to Padraig as he steps next to the halfling, striking at the guard pestering him.
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The grunts and shouts of all but one of the guards slows just as their movements do, leaving them less able to defend themselves.
Yellow shrugs off Pádraig's attack, but Geoffrey thrusts his trident between a gap in the halfling's legs and into the soldier's ankle!
Victor swings around the upper door, opening it up to reveal the rest of guardhouse, containing tables, chairs, and beds.
Outside, Issil delivers a twin whipping to the green-eyed guard, knocking him out.
She then hears an awful groaning of wood and metal from above, and looks up at the battlements to note two teams of three soldiers operating two heavy, castle-defending ballistae. The two groups aim the ballistae at Issil.
... And two leg-sized bolts impale the ground next to Issil's feet, yet she remains unscathed!
The guards retaliate as much as they can in the cramped space, which isn't much, given that they're all moving slower than a herd of snails traveling through peanut butter. Geoffrey and Pádraig both dodge their attacks.
But as if that weren't enough, the door to the northeast opens, and out come two streaks of long, oily ooze that undulate like serpents, stretching out along the ground towards Morvena...
Rosebud (needs Round 2 and 3 actions)
Pádraig
Issil
Geoffrey
Victor
Morvena
Yellow (26 NL)
Black (Slow)
Pink (Slow)
White (Slow)
Blue (Slow)
Green
Orange
Purple
Environmental Conditions: Note the small doorways next to the yellow and black soldiers (hard to see on a crowded map).
Also note the battlements above, where Issil now sees six soldiers operating ballistae. While they are not in the initiative tracker, they can be targeted by ranged fire and will act with the rest of the enemy block.
Party Buffs: Good Hope, Inspire Courage
Issil does a quick two-step as the ballista bolts land near her. "It's not the first time someone missed! The Carnelian Signet knows no bounds!"
She proceeds to slap the Blue-clad guard silly.
"And now you're on time out. Go home and get some sleep, boy."
She slaps the agent across the face before retreating back into the doorway. "How fares things here?"
Rosebud flies through the crowded foyer and into the common room, flying as close to the ceiling as she can, trying to avoid getting swatted out of the air.
Then she looses an arrow at the Thrune stooge in navy blue.
Spying the slippery snakes, Rosebud warns the team, "Watch out! Those are __________!"
Milani's inquisitor looses an arrow at the orange snake.
"Indeed! Watch out for their _____ !" Morvena warns as she finally begins casting the spell of Victor's dreams, speeding everyone up before falling back to stand near Rosebud and Victor.
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Geoffrey grunts in disgust here as he finds the group surrounded. Wonderful... He continues his attacks though seeing the guards as the true threat here.
"Ah there it is... so sweet... so juicy... so sexy!" Nox dances away at hyper speed, fully involved in SPEED and ready for wanton destruction.
She dips and ducks between two guards, eager to sink her dagger into the back of the yellow guard's neck since Padraig has him distracted. "Best you all just lay down your arms, you've been fired for being lazy and inept. Please leave your weapons at the door."
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Rosebud flutters up towards the ceiling, launching an arrow at the blue-clad soldier.
Issil rips the halbred from the same soldier's grasp, tossing it across the courtyard, then follows it up with a humiliating slap across the face before retreating away from ballista fire.
Pádraig cuts the blonde soldier down with two more slashes before Victor can get there, so Victor turns on the guard who seems to be permanently blushing pink at the sight of Nox. Make up? Attraction? Who knows. Vic just barely misses him.
Geoffrey strikes more accurately with his trident, and the soldier crumples down at his feet, unconscious.
Both Rosebud and Morvena identify the slithering trackers, though these two look much more developed than the ones they had heard of. Perhaps feeding on so many halflings has advanced their growth. They have the grab and blood drain special attacks. Unlike most monsters, these things can grab creatures much, much larger than themselves.
Both guards still in the guardhouses miss Vic and Geoff, while the guard outside pulls out a bow, and Morvena finds herself surrounded by oozes...
Rosebud
Pádraig
Issil
Geoffrey
Victor
Morvena
Yellow (Unconscious)
Black (Unconscious)
Pink Soldier (Slow)
White Soldier (Slow)
Blue Soldier (Slow, Disarmed of halbred, -5, 8 NL)
Green (Unconscious)
Orange Slithering Tracker
Purple Slithering Tracker
Environmental Conditions: None
Party Buffs: Good Hope, Inspire Courage, Haste
Rosebud looses two arrows at the orange slithering tracker.
"Thanks Padraig." Geoffrey nods to the halfling as he steps back and lets the black soldier have it.
The Carnelian Signet laughs and cartwheels away from Mister Blue. Her hasted speed puts her in the right place.
She looks curiously at the slithering creatures before blowing a gout of flame at both of them.
"And I'm certain these guards are simply changing shifts? Everyone here is simply comfortable with these things slithering around? Not a single report on them, for shame!"
Nox smiles and waves at the dumbstruck guard, then sticks him three times in the belly with her dagger. "Sorry, no time for chit chat."
"Hmm, this is unfortunate," Morvena remarks as she finds herself boxed in by the slithering trackers. Then she simply spins on her heel and disappears with a *pop*, only to reappear about 10 feet behind Issil.
"Forgive me for not sticking close Padraig, but I believe I can be more effective at a distance - and speaking of distance, be wary that they do not grab you!"
She briefly considers attempting to drop the pair of trackers into a pit but thinks better of further dividing the battlefield in such a way. Instead, she conjures a burst of light to engulf Purple - and possibly Orange if she can do so without harming Rosebud.
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As Morvena jumps to safety via her pocket portal, Pádraig and Rosebud team up on the oozy form, punching holes through its goopiness.
Geoffrey and Victor take down two more guards, one of them lethally wounded by the ruthless Nox!
Issil scrambles out into the main part of the common room, unleashing a blast of fire the burns away chunks of the stalkers. After stepping out of her portal, Morvena conjures a bright blast of light, though it seems to have limited effects on the creatures.
"Ooour fooorces aaare eeeendless!" The guard yells in slow motion. He aims his crossbow, and unleashes a bolt that flies towards Geoffrey with a deafening screech that fills the keep. If anyone in the place was sleeping before, they aren't anymore!
Both oozes rise up like serpents, striking at Pádraig and Issil and missing by a wide margin.
The door to the northwest opens, and out charge three more soldiers.
Rosebud
Pádraig
Issil
Geoffrey
Victor
Morvena
Yellow (Unconscious)
Black (Unconscious)
Pink Soldier (Dead)
White (Unconscious)
Blue Soldier (Slow, Disarmed of halbred, -5, 8 NL)
Green (Unconscious)
Black Striped
Yellow Striped
Pink Striped
Orange Slithering Tracker (-32)
Purple Slithering Tracker (-15)
Environmental Conditions: None
Party Buffs: Good Hope, Inspire Courage, Haste
With three more men-at-arms storming into the common room, the tiny inquisitor decides it's time to render judgment, destruction. *Thwap! Thwap!* Rosebud looses two coordinated shots at the purple slithering tracker attacking Issil.
Then the lyrakien azata flies a few feet south, near the ceiling at the base of the staircase.
Issil takes a few steps away from the squiggly thing. She considers her options.
-Burning Hands? No, not close enough.
-Fireball? No I'll catch Rosebud.
-Wall of Fire? No everyone will get wiped out.
Issil smiles and conjures a Spiritual Ally to defend her.
The spiritual ally takes its longsword and swings at the purple ooze.
"Endless, but not very bright!"
Geoffrey shakes off the ringing in his ears, and considers briefly their options which are not good.
Last thing I wanted was to get involved in a pitched battle here!
He sidesteps Padraig and stabs at the orange snake, commanding his weapon to suppress its non lethal qualities.
Nox races past Geoffrey with a hand full of electricity "Get in there and help, I'll finish off this crazy lazy out here!" Zoom Zoom! The sounds of screaming mixed with burnt hair smell flow through the door soon after.
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That is a lie; there can only be so many individuals garrisoned here at any one time.
Still largely unperturbed by the oncoming guards Morvena takes another step back and begins casting again, spending more of her innate power to quickly summon her hound archon friend again.
"Our forces are endless as well!"
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Archie the Hound Archon pops up on the other side of the orange slithering tracker, greatsword in his hand.
"MORE evil!? I will vanquish you!"
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The ooze's body writhes horribly at the party's onslaught, but it's Geoffrey that gets the killing blow, reducing the tracker into a very still puddle of goop.
The room gets a little busier as Archie the Hound Archon shimmers into existence atop a table, along with Issil's spiritual pal.
... Just the appearance of the powerful human-dog hybrid is enough to cause the guards to shake in their boots.
Archie lifts his blade high and takes down the second of the two oozes, further thinning the Keep's defenses...
The soldiers scramble to the back of the room, struggling to aim properly, thrown off by the intimidating hound archon standing in the room. One screaming bolt finds its way to Rosebud's wing, though the wound is minor.
Rosebud (-6?)
Pádraig
Issil
Geoffrey
Victor
Morvena + Archie
Black Striped
Yellow Striped
Pink Striped
Environmental Conditions: None
Party Buffs: Good Hope, Inspire Courage, Haste
The screaming bolt nicks Rosebud's wing, but it's enough to leave her shaken.
She aims her bow at the pink-cheeked man-at-arms and fires two shafts.
Geoffrey doesn't waste any time here as he moves to engage the reinforcements.
"And another falls!" Issil runs right up to the remaining three guards. "My my. You choose the wrong day to slack off."
Issil casts Burning Hands yet again, blowing flame from her lips across all three foes.