After a lucky block with her shield against the first strike, Aviari is then struck hard, and groans quietly. "That'll bruise..."
Not wanting to remain flanked, Aviari takes a five-foot step to D6 and attacks the acolyte adjacent to her.
Maldor attempts to daze the gnome.
Malthor drops his heavy crossbow and moves up to attack the acolyte at E8 with the BFH.
Nee continues her assault on the believers...
[BAB, +2 Str, +1 Weapon Focus, -2 Flurry]
[+2 Str]
[BAB, +2 Str, +1 Weapon Focus, -2 Flurry]
[+2 Str]
The spell continues to fail to befuddle the acolytes.
Bogo and the rogue finish off the last acolyte after a hammer and fist take out another.
The acolytes have little money (17sp/67cp) but are well equipped, each carrying a chain shirt, large wooden shield, and mace.
As Malthor goes back and picks up his crossbow and loads it, Is anyone still hurt? I can heal a bunch of people at once if we have need.
What god did these people worship?
Aviari rubs her waist where she was hit. "I was struck fairly hard, so I'd appreciate being in the healing circle you mean to summon," Aviari requests.
While speaking, her gaze searches the room. She attempts to get a sense of what the acolytes were doing here. Is there some sort of altar where they were leaving offerings, or some icon they were praying to? Was some ritual in progress in here?
RECAP
After entering the fortress with Bogo, the group was trapped on the inside of locked door and taunted by a high pitched female voice. Moving past a decoy bell that could almost be seen to taunt them, they ran into a group of acolytes perverting the holy symbol of the patron diety of the bell. As the acolytes cast a spell, one was hit with a crossbow and a grand melee ensued leaving all the priests bleeding on the floor.
The group was tasked to find Bell and Elwyn and have a treasure map that, according to their troglodyte friend, is his. He used the logic told to him that all treasure arrangements prior to meeting him supercede their current teaming arrangement.
"Amazingly well done my friends" - Teraldan steps forth, putting his sword away - "It seems they were performing some unholy ritual in here - I can fathom a multitude of purposes, but cannot understand what would be their exact idea" - the halfling adds with a stern look around the room, and at his companions.
Is anyone else hurt at all? Channeling doesn't make sense for only one person.
Maldor will examine the bell more closely to see if it is what they are looking for, or merely a copy designed to trick adventurers...
[b]"I am doing fine, but thanks for the offer. Now where does the map say we should go."
Aviari accepts the healing with gratitude.
"It feels as if the mark is gone! Thank you, friend."
Ni is extremely pleased with the results of the battle. She seems completely unperturbed by the mayhem and carnage wrought by her and her friends. She picks up a mace and swings it experimentally before dropping it to the ground again.
"Huh, wonder if there was anything special about the gnome…"
.
Aviari watches Ni Cu swing the mace, and looks around at the people about her. "A circle of wicked folk felled by us working together. No more running for me," she muses aloud to herself mostly. She smiles. It is good to be in a party.
Aviari then begins searching the area for a way forward, or perhaps for a key!
The area leads on to the east.
To your left you see an open area about 30 feet east-west by about 20 feet north- south. The area seems to be empty
Bogo points out that this is the room the treasure map describes. "This is where my treasure is!!"
The dimensions of the room match that of the treasure map!!!
The elven rogue says: "Can't see anything from here."
Malthor looks around to see what he can see.
I can't see anything either. Perhaps we should move in to see what we can find.
"Shall we enter the room, and look around?" Aviari suggests tentatively. Her eyes glint with excitement, however, she looks to her companions more in their element for the next move.
"It's probably trapped or a trick, but it seems we have little choice but to continue!" Maldor walks with the group, looking around with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth...
Ni listens with half an ear to the reptilian, more interested in staying alive and avoiding any ambushes.
"Treasure you say? What exactly is your treasure? Flagstones? Moss? Dust? I don't see anything..."
Arya searches the room for anything hidden but her search comes up empty handed.
I think that map was a trick, we should probably leave before we get ambushed"
Looking at the elven rogue Can you search the area for traps and then we can take a closer look in the room?
Aviari watches the empty 'treasure room' intently, and listens for any sign of activity. Should she detect an ambush, she blows her signal whistle to alert the party.
Not seeing anything from the door, the elven rogue and Bogo begin to advance into the room to look at the spot marked with the X.
Teraldan is definitely following, but stops at the door with a warning - "Careful friends, there may be traps about"
Aviari follows into the room, and searches the room for any sort of trap or awaiting ambush of castle guardians.
Malthor stands on guard at the door, his crossbow at the ready.
Ni-Cu continues to watch the rear for ambush…
"Don't step on the X! X marks the spot...of your untimely demise!" Maldor calls out to the rogue and Aviari from the passage.
Aviari turns toward Maldor as he calls out his warning. She puts one finger before her lips. "Shhhh! Not so loud my friend!" She scolds in a soft though intense voice.
She then winks at Maldor to let him know he is understood. Aviari then stays toward the edge of the room as she searches, avoiding the X.
Rapier drawn, Arya examines the walls to the left for any signs of trapdoors or secret passages.
No traps are seen as the Bogo, the elven rogue, and the small paladin advance into the room.
Arya will advance into the room with her leader staying in the middle of the group.
Aviari as well, seeing that the room is free of traps, shrugs her shoulders and follows the others into the room.
Malthor stays back and guards the rear. He doesn't want anyone sneaking up on them.
Aviari searches the room for any treasure, useful items or denizens hiding within.
Aviari, Arya, Teraldan, Bogo and the elven rogue advance into the room. Although not evident until now, the room was on a hinged floor. After an alarming click, the five go down a chute into the basement and the floor clicks back into place with a metallic click.
Malthor remains above, his caution avoiding the fall.
Well bugger. Thanks for leaving me guys!
Ni-Cu hears a commotion in the room. She rushes in to see Malthor. Alone.
"What have you done with them? Denlin!!! Maldor!!! They're gone!"
"Ayiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeee!" Avari cries out as she slides throw almost total darkness through the chute. She falls out of the chute, and instincts taking over, lands nimbly on her feet.
Having lost her feather during the fall, she casts light on a sprig of holly, and looks around at her new surroundings, and checks to see which of her companions are with her.
Malthor looks at Ni right in the eyes for too long and says "I need ale. Lots and lots of ale. And I didn't do anything with them! The whole floor of the room tilted down and dropped them somewhere. Looks like it's just you and me kid. Shall we move on and see if we can find them?"
Maldor says, "Wait for me!" and follows Malthor and Ni Cu.
Arya picks her self up and dusts herself off.
Maybe Maldor was on to something, when he said not to step on the X. Aviara do you see any way out?
"Mebbe we should just follow the way they went." Nee returns, oblivious to the dwarf's consideration. She thinks on her comment, and the dwarf's information.
"Or do you think perhaps it wasn't a good thing that happened to them?"
Malthor looks at Ni, "Oh sorry! I don't know what I was thinking! The floor fell out from under my friends and I was thinking it was a baaaaaaaad thing!"
Malthor then rolls his eyes.
"Feel free to join them. I'm going to go down the corridor though."