"Adrianna would you hold the torch while I try to open this Western most door? Erik be ready to defend in case something comes down the corridor from the East." Markas first listens at the door for sounds and then slowly attempts to open the door.
"Sa....sa.....fraaa....ss."
Adrianna takes the torch when offered it by Markas and allows the cleric to follow through on his stated actions without comment. Shuffling down the stone hallway to the door the cleric first sees that the door is made of iron with about a two foot wide by three inch high opening at the bottom and a similar sized opening at what is eye level for a normal sized person. The door has a lock on the outside, but it also has a reinforcing steel bar in place preventing it from opening outward without removal of the bar. Stooping a bit to look through the top opening Markas peers through and sees nothing in the pitch black on the other side. The cleric watches carefully for a few seconds, squinting to try and make out anything in the darkness ...
A sound comes unexpectedly from the darkness beyond the door and Markas jumps backwards in surprise. His injured ankle shoots a lightning bolt of pain through the cleric's foot and leg when he lands on it with all of his weight.
Markas falls to the ground causing quite a clatter with his armor and mace his mace and involuntary cry of pain.
Brion has really ticked Louis off... But Louis remains composed. Brion's recent statements and actions leads Louis to believe that the warrior has no regard for others in the group than himself, and he's afraid of the dark too. Much has happened yet Louis is not ready to abandon to Timonious yet. So in true Hawks Hill style it's time to mess with the brut's mind. But of course you are right my friend, you should go and help zee others, no? Please take one of zee remaining candles, it should get you to Markas and Erick safely. But I must stay behind with poor Timonius, he is the key to getting us out of here alive… I shall spike zee door to the temple closed so if zee Black Knights reinforcements come, it's should slow them down enough for For me to drag poor poor Timonius through zee secret door... I fear he is not healthy enough to be moved unless absolutely necessaries. Now go quickly!
Louis speaks his mind to Brion, who appears confused by the end of it. "I pray to Petra that we shall have no need of a hasty escape. Should your foolishness cost lives I will not hesitate to report you to Melinir's authorities." Louis begins to return to the altar room perplexed by Brion's threat, while Brion stands on his tip toes in an attempt to retrieve a candle from the chandelier above the bed. Both men have barely begin to move when they hear the distant clatter of metal armor and weapons echo oddly down the stone hallway on the other side of the open secret door. Brion stops what he was about to do and instead readies his shield and draws his sword, Louis is a bit slower to perform the same actions. A few tense moments go by without any further sound of combat, Brion next takes a few cautious steps towards the doorway. His caution is well placed as a lizardman moving quietly and carrying a hand axe with a strand of feathers hanging from the handle begins to walk by from the right side of the opened door towards the left side of the opened door.
"Please tell me that was your stomach Markas?" Erik loudly whispers as he steps in between Adrianna and the door that Markas had just 'retreated' from. The fighter's blade leveled at the door in the chance that something should come through it. From his seated vantage point Markas hears some loud intakes of breath, reminding him of a bull or some other livestock animal from the Melinir market snorting when a breeze carried to it something's scent. Something extends briefly through the narrow opening at the bottom of the door and then disappears from sight; the distant torchlight does not allow Markas to determine what it might have been. Adrianna takes a few steps backwards from all of the noise, illuminating a bit more of the hallway behind her revealing the end of the hallways and another door.
"murmurmurmur."
"mur...mur...mur...mur"
Louis is not sure if the monster is coming from, or going to his friends, what he does know is this calls for action so he attacks the lizardman
Once the attacked has begun Louis will shout out a warning Ha ha! Thought you could sneak on by! Ho Ho!
"Bayz ef swy xyklaat! Rys swyt!" The lizardman calls out at being sneak attacked by Louis in the hallway. The fighter stands in front of the narrow secret stone doorway, blocking any entrance to the hallway or bedroom. Louis's attack is far off of it's mark, but when the lizardman takes off in a sprint down the hallway to the north the fighter lashes out and lands a solid blow on the running lizard. Brion is forced to allow Louis to handle the situation. Another lizardman appears out of the darkened stone hallway from the south and it thrusts a spear in Louis's direction without hitting. This one appears keen to follow after it's friend ...
"Markas my mother is old and does make sounds but that was not one I have ever heard her make." Adrianna responds to Markas's request to approach whatever had made the unexpected sound behind the door. The sorceress takes a few steps down the hallway in the opposite direction when a familiar voice echoes down the hallway followed by a different voice. "Ha Ha! Thought you could sneak... Ho! Ho!" "Bayz .. Rys swyt!" Erik turns back to the hallway they had traversed and raises his shield. An unexpected metallic clang rings out as a blow bounces off of the shield Erik stood behind.
With one lizard man taking off, and yet another coming up the hallway towards him Louis turns his attention to the second lizard man Hee hee! Runaway coward! Your friend won't be so lucky! En garde monster! Ha! The Warrior from Hawks Hill yells at his new opponent.
-- Markas
Louis misses the lizardman in front of him, perhaps his focus on witty taunts are affecting his aim? The lizardman half-heartedly pokes his spear in Louis's direction to keep the fighter off of him before taking off running after the previous lizardman. Louis tries but fails to hit this retreating lizardman. Another lizardman is hot on the heels of his friend in heading north in the old stone passage. Two lizardman then rush Louis bearing him to the ground and another one enters the bedroom, attacking Brion but failing to hit the ready fighter.
Erik and the lizardman exchange blows in the hallway, neither managing to draw blood. Moments later the first lizardman is joined by two others and Erik is brought to the ground under the mass of foes. Markas's position on the floor affords him a good angle on the nearest lizardman's head and right shoulder as it is focused along with its friends on ending the fighter that had been holding the hallway.
"Murmurmur.....damned.....Latovi.....us...."
Markas makes the most of his opportunity!
Markas takes advantage of the lizardman's distraction and grabs up his mace and brings it down on the back of the humanoid's right shoulder in a solid blow. The foe recoils from the pinned fighter to face the man who had just hit him.
Brion squares off against the lizardman in front of him and swings his sword in a high arc that the lizardman easily dodges. Two more lizardman enter the room just after Brion misses. From beneath the two lizardmen he was locked in a life and death struggle with Louis sees that the unconscious Timonius's luck turns sour as Timonius unknowingly draws the attention of the first lizardman through the door with his muffled cries of pain. The lizardman shows no pity for the wounded foe and it brings down a heavy club onto the prone man's head, ending his long life.
Somewhat surprised by the Lizardman's stamina, Markas swung his mace at the wounded foe again.
Erik,L2,L3,L6
One of the two lizardman atop Louis tries to sink his reptilian teeth into the fighter's chain mail covered shoulder. It is rewarded with a chipped tooth and the humanoid cries out in pain at the damage making Louis's ears ring.
Markas fails to hit the lizardman a second time, his swing coming nowhere near the humanoid. Erik manages to draw his remaining dagger and carve a deep gash in the side of one of the two lizardmen atop of him, it falls atop him and lies still. The lizardman facing Markas pushes a spear towards the cleric but it goes wide.
Louis slashes lizardman #6
Lâchez-moi vous sac de Goo!!
L8 held
L5 held
Louis squirms under the weight of the two lizardmen fighting with him and pinning him to the ground. He manages to force his left arm to his belt and is able to draw his dagger from its sheath. Just after retrieving the blade one of the lizardmen unintentionally plants its forearm across Louis's left bicep and forearm. This inadvertent move prevents Louis from effectively using the weapon against the lizardman that had just tried to bite him. The clumsy lizardman tries to drive the butt of his club into Louis's left eye and misses badly.
"Dyfxyls, Hopa! Hizw swy witof'z wyok ais ofk E qedd plizw es xyfyosw tu pdix!" Louis hears the lizardman standing over the body of Timonius bark out above the din of battle in the regal bedroom. He feels the bodies of the two lizardmen above him begin to change position atop him as the lizardman stops speaking. Louis's rage turns to concern as it appears that his three foes may now be working against him in a coordinated manner. The lizardman squaring off against Brion misses the fighter with its spear twice.
Adrianna steps forward and stabs her borrowed dagger deep into the shoulder of the last remaining lizardman atop Erik. It howls in pain at being wounded. Erik tries and fails to hit with his dagger. Markas sees another lizardman come to the end of the hallway and assess the situation, this one bears a feathered and beaded staff as well as a leather satchel around its neck.
Louis slashes again at lizardman #6 1d20+2; 1d4; [/dice] Brion! Finish him! I COULD USE A LITTLE HELP HERE!! Louis shouts
Louis is unable to effectively move his left arm while grappled and pinned beneath the two lizardmen. He struggles as best he can but both his arms are now pinned to the stone floor of the bedroom by those on top of him. The lizardman with the heavy club that did in Timonius now stands near Louis's head.
Brion feints another high strike and then swings lower with all of his strength at a lower mark. The blade of his sword cleaves through the ducking lizardman's neck, removing his head in one clean swipe.
Adriana speaks a few arcane words and an azure missile of arcane magic shoots from her outstretched hand. It blasts into the Lizardman at the intersection of the hallways. Such is the force of the missile that the creature is knocked sideways into the opposite stone wall, it drops it's quarter staff upon impact and Markas hears a grimaced whimper.
The wounded lizardman atop Erik tries to force the blade of his hand axe deep into the fighter's stomach, the heavy plate armor luckily holds or the wound might have been fatal. Markas is not so lucky, his armor does not turn aside the lizard man's spear and he suffers nasty stab in his side.
Feeling the sting from the Lizardman's spear Markas swung his mace in retaliation.
l4 l6 on louis strength checks
Markas retaliates with a sharp downward smash of his mace, hitting the lizardman across the upper right side and knocking it to the ground. This time to remain down, Markas looks up from his foe to find one lizardman still atop Erik trying to finish the fighter and a lizardman in the hallway they had come from. The lizard on top of Erik again tries to finish off the young fighter, the fighter's plate mail continues to prove its worth.
The two lizardmen both attempt further restrain Louis and force his head clear of the pile of bodies. Grasping the fighter's arms, neck, and chin roughly the pair struggle against the fighter with a combined effort making resisting difficult. Despite Louis's efforts and strength one of the lizards proves craftier and stronger. Louis's head is exposed to the lizardman that had done in Timonius, their eyes locking for a moment. An evil smile crossed the lizard's face.
Louis slashes again at lizardman #6 Brion! c'est la guerre!! Louis continues to struggle!
Damage an additional -4 =0
Louis struggles against the two foes pinning him to the ground. Desperately trying to cut or slice with the dagger in his left hand hoping that they would release him. His left arm briefly breaks free and he swings at the lizardman on that side but his arm is knocked wide by the same lizardman's forearm as it attempts to punch Louis in the face. Both lizardmen also have difficulty trying to separate enough from the fighter to punch, elbow or knee him. Louis is briefly thankful that they had given up on their weapons but then he caught out of the corner of his eye the smiling face of the Lizardman with the heavy club lining up a blow.
Worried about the safety of his companions the Cleric of Petra lined up his shot against the nearest Lizardman.
Finished with his foe Brion moves from the headless corpse to the standing lizardman. Louis watches as his sword swing misses horribly and does nothing to prevent the lizardman from finally carrying out his plan to smash Louis. Louis moves his head to the side in an attempt to lessen the oncoming blow but it does nothing. Louis hears the crunch of bone at the same time he feels horrific pain wash over him. The well aimed blow from the lizardman's heavy club smashes across his head, neck, and torso bringing Louis to the brink of death.
Markas hobbles forward blood dripping from his latest wound. He manages a deep breath before he swings his mace at the lizardman that had been leaning against the stone wall. The cleric catches the lizardman off guard with his attack and he lands a strong blow to its chest. The lizardman cries out in pain and shock for the second time in but just a few short moments. Clutching at this latest wound it looks at Markas defiantly as it remains standing. It mutters a few words and places a hand upon it's chest, Markas watches as the damage he had caused is mended. The lizardman does not wait around to meet its fate at the hands of the three humans who had just bested its companions. It rushes off back into the darkened hallway, Markas watches as it runs past the lit door of the bedroom and disappears into the shadows once again.
Erik manages to drive his dagger deep into the small of the lizardman's back at the same time that Adrianna slices open the thing's arm. It collapses upon the fighter who begins to push foes off of him.
AAAHHHhhh ! HELP ME BRION ! Finish him! Louis cries out in pain. Struggling to remain conscious after a devastating blow, The warrior's only concern now is escape... He lets go of his dagger and sword (trying to toss them in the direction of his feet) and frantically tries to get loose by hand!
Louis tries to escape
"Adriana, Erik we must go rejoin the others with haste praise Petra! " With that said Markas started moving down the passageway in pursuit of the lizardman (with hope that Adriana followed with the torch).
Erik free and move
Adrianna help free and move
Louis struggles and manages to shove the clumsy lizardman off of him, partially freeing himself from the two who had been atop him. With one remaining atop him Louis thinks that he might just get free. He sees the heavy club miss Brion and Brion's retort is a low sweeping slash that cleaves the lizardman's left leg off at the knee. The beast drops it's club as it falls to the ground howling in pain as it begins to thrash and clasp at where it's leg had been. Louis catches movement out of the side of his eye and moves his head to the side, easily dodging a punch meant for his damaged face from the lizardman above him. The lizardman Louis had shoved off of him rises and also swings a mighty punch at Brion. The fighter casually raises his shield into the path of the punch, a clang rings out just before another lizardman is crying in pain.
Markas urges the pair of Erik and Adrianna to follow him, Erik remains buried under a body and Adrianna does not appear as ready as Markas to get moving. Markas limps down the hallway into the pitch blackness after the fleeing lizardman hoping that the two would soon follow. He slowly moves forward in the darkness, his free hand brushing the wall to keep himself oriented. The light coming from the bedroom doorway and the sounds of battle going on down the hall spur the cleric forward. He says a silent prayer to Petra that the lizardman who had fled wasn't waiting for him in the darkness. A few stressful heartbeats and unsure steps go by for Markas before the torch light illuminates the hallway ahead of him. He chances a look back and about 20' back Erik and Adrianna have chosen to follow after him.
Markas continued his harrowing journey down the darkened hall hoping to see light from the room before a lizardman found him with a club.
The lizardman who had crushed Louis with its club and was missing a portion of a leg grabbed up its club and tried to lash out at any human within its reach. The club smashed the stone floor next to Louis's head, the fighter didn't need a reminder that the fight was not yet over.
Markas continues past the limited light offered by the lit torch behind him and into the darkness. His eyes focused on the light spilling into the hallway from the open bedroom door. Behind him Adrianna moved past Erik and she caught up to the slowed Markas with little effort. Erik also caught up to the two quite quickly, the trio should be able to return to the bedroom with their next efforts. The sounds of combat continues in the room ahead of them.
AAAHHHhhh ! The floor is no place to be in the midst of battle, Louis continues to try to escape, now with a free arm and leg
Louis tries to escape
[/spoiler]
Louis lands a series of rabbit punches to the side of the lizardman's head with his freed hand. Frantically hoping to give himself more room or to drive the lizarman off of him. The lizardman's eyes roll and begin watering under the onslaught of fists; it is unable to avoid the flury of blows from the fighter beneath it. As Louis is about to land yet another punch to his foe he once again feels the impact of a heavy club smash his freed shoulder and neck. This time the blow has significantly less force then just moments ago but it still causes a lot of damage to the mending fighter. Brion slices into the lizardman that had just punched his shield, badly maiming the unlucky beast. It snatches up Louis's discarded dagger and swings it at Brion, the trained fighter quickly brings his shield up to intercept the awkward swing. The lizardman still on top of Louis shakes it's head to clear the cobwebs from the fighter's punches and then it smashes its head forward into Louis's face causing the fighter to nearly black out from all of the mounting blows.
Adrianna and Erik enter the room and try to aid Louis but both fail. The clumsy dagger wielding lands a slicing strike on Brion who responds with an upward sweeping blow that cleaves the beast's outstretched arm and extended head from its body. The heavy club moves slower this time and Louis is able to avoid the weapon as well as the punch sent his way from the lizardman above him.
Adrianna and Erik push past Markas before he can begin to react. The cleric's ankle and mounting injuries have slowed the mighty cleric.
Louis continues to try to escape
Louis tries to escape
Slowed from multiple injuries and darkness the cleric of Petra hobbled forward and despite the close quarters looked for a shot on a lizardman.
Louis struggles to free himself yet again from underneath the lizardman as the pain in his face begins to dull and subside. The devastating blows from the heavy club have wrecked the fighter's body and the mounting wounds prevent him from freeing himself from the lizardman's grapple. He hoped that the arrival of his friends might signal his freedom from beneath this deadly foe.
Markas hurries as best he can on his injured ankle and laboring through his many wounds the cleric pushes himself to the narrow stone doorway. Adrianna hears the clank of his armor and takes a quick step back to allow the cleric entrance into the room. He can not avoid bumping Erik as he hurries into the room and gets his first looks at what has transpired within. A pair of lizardmen lie on the ground both missing heads and one missing most of an arm as well before a heavily bleeding but still standing and fighting Brion. A quickly bleeding out lizardman missing most of its right leg thrashes and flails about with a heavy club dangerously close to Louis's head. Louis lies beneath a different lizardman, the two of them locked in a life and death struggle both jockeying for some sort of advantage to land fists onto the other. Timonius lies still on the ground where he had been resting, praise Petra! A spray of blood surrounds the mage's head in a macabre halo of sorts and Markas then realizes that Timonius's head is misshapen looking flattened and that the mage's neck is bent at an unnatural angle. Thoughts about how he failed to protect Timonius rush into Markas's mind and that spoils his attempt at hitting the lizardman atop Louis's back. The swing comes nowhere near the lizardman and the cleric is lucky to not have hit Louis with such a sloppy attack.
Louis continues to try to escape!
Louis tries to escape
What felt like an eternity but was only an instant Markas played back in his mind the decisions that were made leading up to this point. Forgive me Timonius I have failed you but my job as protector is not done and I will not fail Louis.
Louis continues his struggles against his close quarter’s foe. Writhing and straining the decimated fighter accomplishes little more than pushing the lizardman's head and neck upward and away from him to prevent another head butt.
Markas ignores Louis and the lizardman locked in a life and death struggle at his feet for what he deemed was a sure kill on the profusely bleeding lizardman with the heavy club. Gingerly stepping over the corpses and discarded weapons the cleric lines up a swing and is shocked when it is met with the lizardman's club in defense of itself.
Brion steps forward after Markas moves and sinks his sword deep into the ribs of the lizardman on top of Louis. The fighter withdraws his blade but the foe still has some fight left in it and it remains locked in a struggle with Louis. Erik similarly tries to do in the lizardman but fails to hit.
A heavy club is swung at Louis's head but the cagey fighter is able to squirm and move his head to the side avoiding the awkward blow. The move proves to be disastrous for Louis as the lizardman above him grabs him by the neck viscously and begins to violently shake and choke him. There is a blue sparkle of light from the stone around Louis's neck briefly and immediately after it is gone the lizardman's bloodied hands slip from the fighter's neck before any real damage could be inflicted.
Time suddenly comes to a screeching halt for Louis at the appearance of the blue light. He suddenly finds himself standing on the bedroom floor looking downward at the lizardman and himself struggling on the stone floor in slow motion. He witnesses the lizardman dash his skull against the floor with enough force to likely kill him. The scene stops and loops back to when the lizardman first grabbed his throat and started to thrash and choke him. Instinctively Louis steps forward and shoves the lizardman's arms and hands before the killing blow could be delivered. Just as soon as he makes contact and pushes the arms away Louis finds himself beneath the lizardman, staring upward at the all too familiar face of the beast that intended to kill him.
Adrianna enters the room but has difficulty finding a moment to strike at the lizardman who was assaulting Louis. The legless lizardman cries out in pain as it attempts to end Louis, swinging the heavy club once again at the fighter and yet again it fails to hit Louis. The lizardman gasps and slumps forward onto the stone floor after the effort, it does not move any longer and the blood spurting from its leg ceases. Brion again stabs the lizardman assaulting Louis in the chest, not as deeply as before but the blow appears to be just enough to slay the beast as it suddenly drops fully down onto Louis who lets out a groan as the weight of his foe comes crashing down onto him.
An exhausted Louis stands up and recovers his weapons.
Aching pain, wounds, sore muscles, a pounding headache, as his racing heart begins to slow and relax, Louis catches his breath. After recovering his sword and dagger the warrior looks around the room and takes in the gruesome site. The mangled lizard men who moments ago were trying to kill him, and then poor Timonious' dead body catches his eye. Now grief is another emotion added to the mix of this extremely confusing day.
Escape, mortal combat, cursed, finding Adrianna, and relics of Hawks Hill, more battle, magical visions, and Timonious' death, and Gertie still has to be found... Louis' mind goes blank for a moment. He fumbles for a drink of water and listens to whatever ideas anyone can come up with.
qui est la guerre he sighs
A bleeding and pained Brion recoils backwards from Louis after studying the fighter for several moments. A mix of horror and anger can easily be detected in the fighter's voice by all in the bedroom as he begins to shout. The fighter's deadly blade still dripping with the blood of the many lizardmen he had just slain was now leveled in Louis's direction, grim resolve evident on the fighter's face. Erik immediately sides with his lifelong friend without hesitation and raises his sword and shield as well.
Markas moves in between Louis and the twosome of Brion and Erik. "Stand down young men of Petra. While his mannerisms are strange I attest to his goodness. It is a blessing and not a curse that his wounds heal. We will need to have every advantage if we are to find Adrianna's mother, our Ogre friend and escape this foul place! Now time is of the essence as one of the lizardmen a shaman no doubt escaped and will likely be summoning more of his kind. We seem to have 4 choices and none of them great. Give chase to the Shaman, go back down the corridor and hope our Ogre friend is locked behind the doors, attempt to flee with the Black Knight and his minions outside, or seal ourselves in one of the guest rooms and regroup. I see merit and folly with each but cast my lot in with seeing who or what is locked up. A foe of the Black Knight can be a much needed ally. What say you but be quick about it?"
Brion pleaded with the cleric, his sword remained at the ready should the traitor attempt something.
I am Louis Mon ori de Dunis from Hawks Hill, a warrior of honor under zee orders of Sergeant Randall of Melinir, I am no enemy of Petra.
But you, Pig... Are a liar and a coward. I was out in zee dark beyond the temple searching for Latovius, you remember him you were more than happy to kiss his feet when you brought you treasures...
Right Pig?
And Timonius, when I asked you to help me move him to a place where he might be safer you said you would only move him to where you could throw him in water to drown... They are both gone, and you could care less, No?
As far as you might say I was giving orders, Ha! Maybe it seemed like it when you're just standing there afraid in the dark not even able to manage a thought, or a plan. Oh yes I remember now... you know I never did get a chance to spike that door... zee black night and his minions could come through that at any moment...
And tell me Brian, you pig, do you think zee black knight will take you back now that you are linked to killing one of his powerful wizards, Rivet, and made him retreat in shame? Hhmmm?
And do the two of you really think you can escape this place without us?
Louis draws his sword, admires it for a second
As far as zee rapid healing... I don't know... although I seem to have been experiencing it even before we enter the temple area... and since it's happened to me, it must be a blessing!
You fool there's magic all around us who knows where comes from!
Zo what is it going to be pigs? You with us, or against us? Do not take long to decide, we are in a hurry
Louis points his sword at the cuddling couple, and then in a very serious low tone which seems unnatural when it comes from Louis
Now lower your weapon