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While Astraden mends the party's wounds, Tanith retrieves a couple more scrolls and reads them aloud.
"These should shield us from squid-head's mind control b%@*&$&&. With the way the magic works you've got to stick next to your partner", he explains.
"Astraden can you do the same for you and Eben?"
She then sprinkles a handful of a silver-salt mixture around Eben, saying, "Laughing Rogue, make this one a beacon against evil, and envelop others in its range." She stays close to him as the party moves forward.
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"Yeah, I was talking about transporting the animals out of here after we're done." Eben clarifies to Carina. "If Xyrxog kills us in the meantime, well, we'll have bigger problems than worrying about the drow's herd. Just making a note so we'd remember on the way back." He stands still while Astraden sprinkles sparkly stuff around him, though the solemnity of the moment is disrupted by his being unable to suppress a laughing snort at being labeled a 'beacon against evil'.
Rodrigo makes enough noise for Tanith to find him and cast the spell. Then he tells Carina, "I'm going to keep one hand on your shoulder so you don't move too far from me while I'm invisible." The summoner plants one hand on Carina's shoulder, gently and in a non sexual manner. Don't want muscle-brains getting the wrong idea... "I'll be invisible for several more minutes, and I have plenty more planar friends to help us. Onward!"
Carina twitches when she feels Rodrigo's hand on her shoulder. "Right. Just so long as it stays there, sir."
With Tanith's scroll magic enveloping her in warmth and resolve, she straightens herself up. She readies her crossbow.
"Hey, does anyone have spare bolts I can use? I'm running low."
Astraden follows Eben towards the southern room. She reminds the group to keep quiet so Farrukh can listen for breathing inside, and watches with her dark-sight once the door is opened.
Eben freshens up his dancing lights once again, and sends them whizzing on ahead through the southern door to light it up for everyone else.
5 rapiers
5 masterwork chain shirts
5 masterwork bucklers
5 masterwork hand crossbows (radiate)
40 crossbow bolts
10 cold iron bolts
2 suits of masterwork scale mail
2 masterwork falchions (radiate)
Major Items:
Myrianaas's mace is an immense, cruel-looking thing of dark iron. Streaks of red suffuse the metal like living veins.* They seem to dully glow when hands draw near, but the moment the mace is touched by any of the partymembers—save for Farrukh and Astraden—a painful throb is felt.
Myrianaas's studded leather armor is simple and practical, requiring only minor adjustments to suit a male wearer. It seems ordinary—though well-made—up until it comes into contact with human skin. When this happens, smokey shadows rise up from the point of contact, like steam rising from an icicle being pressed against burning rock.
Myrianaas also carried a scroll that appears to have been written on demonhide. Examining it magically, Astraden is amazed to find that it contains an extraordinarily powerful piece of positive energy magic—Heal.
Finally, there is a small jade statuette of Lolth—not unlike that one found in the grimlock caves, though this one is in considerably better shape. Next to it is a locked box containing crystals, carved iconography, and a very large amount of unworked precious metals—especially silver. Aside from the statuette, these all seem oddly cast aside, like they're new acquisitions without a proper place yet.
The door is locked. Farrukh quickly picks it and proceeds.
Just inside the iron door stand four rotting corpses with large gaping holes in their heads. Beyond them is a chamber full of debris, scraps of cloth, mounds of straw, and pools of filth. Dark corridors stretch out from one side of the chamber.
After poking at the debris briefly with the butt of his poleaxe, Tanith inches forward alongside Farrukh to check out the dark corridors.
Astraden follows with Eben, watching carefully.
Tanith eyes the standing corpses warily. "Are these guys dead or not quiet dead?"
". . . Um, let's see." Astraden focuses on her holy symbol and unleashes a quick burst of euphoric energy.
Carina keeps her crossbow readied and bites her lip. "...I hope it's the former."
"All right then."
Farrukh pokes one with the tip of his sword to see if it moves.
The standing corpses' flesh is torn away in ribbons as the positive energy rips through them. Their heads turn, giving audible cracking sounds as they do so, to look at Astraden with blank, rotting eyes.
The zombies shamble forward, pressing against each other in their efforts to reach the priestess.
Astraden grunts when the undead slam into her, but maintains her focus on the silver mask, letting out a pulse of energy that now leaves a slightly metallic taste in the mouths of her friends. She also tries to summon her illusory double, but stays ready to release the energy if one of the zombies looks close to attacking. "By the way - don't use your punches on these, Tanith."
"Huh. Well. Astraden, Farrukh, duck." Eben says resignedly as the zombies spring to life action and lope forward. He looses a couple of arrows over his friends backs.
Astraden grunts when the undead slam into her, but maintains her focus on the silver mask, letting out a pulse of energy that now leaves a slightly metallic taste in the mouths of her friends. She also tries to summon her illusory double, but stays ready to release the energy if one of the zombies looks close to attacking. "By the way - don't use your punches on these, Tanith."
[ooc]Round 1: Channel positive energy (standard action). Ebon eyes lasts 620 rounds, ebon eyes lasts 621 rounds, magic circle against law lasts 669 rounds, air walk lasts 670 rounds, bear's endurance lasts 58 rounds, bull's strength lasts 58 rounds, freedom of movement lasts 694 rounds, and copycat lasts 6 rounds.
The undead's eyes explode with light, and they turn to run.
Tanith holds his poleaxe at the ready. "Uh, nice job?"
"Well, that was anticlimactic..." Eben grouses as the arrows *poof* back to his quiver. "But, okay, not complaining about an easy fight..."
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Farrukh does what he does best.
"Look we already have enough living people to kill. I don't need the dead ones shambling around, getting in the way too."
The zombies attempt to flee, but are quickly cut down.
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"I think I'm okay with zombies", Tanith muses as he touches Astraden with the healing wand. "Just no more evil home furnishings."
With the bodies thoroughly destroyed, Tanith moves forward with Farrukh to explore.
"Thanks, Tanith," Astraden says, rubbing her elbow where the zombie hit. "Let's get this done."
She advances towards the dark passages, once she's sure Eben's following.
Eben follows.
The dark corridors lead to a small unlit chamber. As the magical light falls upon the far wall, Tanith and Farrukh see five bound humanoids: A stout red-haired dwarf who looks like he's recently lost a lot of weight, a pale and emaciated dark-haired man, two young half-elf women, and a muscular young woman. The prisoners are crouched and pressed against the wall, eying the newcomers with frightened suspicion—save the latter woman, who seems to be deliberately standing in Farrukh's and Tanith's way.
"Wh-who are you?" she demands. "We haven't seen you here before."
"Oh, boy. Well, easier to get out of here than the livestock, at least..." Eben murmurs, upon seeing the prisoners. "Well, I think we're kind of rescuing you, so it makes sense this would be the first you've seen of us," he comments from over Farrukh's shoulder. "Are you all physically well?"
The woman glances at the others. "Physically. I...mostly. She and her followers aren't allowed to harm us, but those demons that showed up a few days ago...didn't get the same rules. Zadoc and Esmer," she motions to the thin man and the half-elf squeezed in the back, "both have burns. The brimorak noticed th-they screamed the loudest, so she focused mainly on them."
She looks at Eben with dark, baggy eyes. "A-are they all dead, then?"
"The drow are all dead, and the demons. Brimorak? Was that the short demon, smoky breath, flaming sword? Huh, that was a she? Anyway, that one's dead, killed her myself." Eben pauses, realizing he's on the verge of bragging to traumatized prisoners, and moves on. "Zyrxzog is still alive. He's next, but we can get you out of here first."
"Nope, we let one live. But I wouldn't worry about it, if I were you. Just gotta hold 'em underwater or suffocate them somehow." She looks back to Eben. "I don't think we have the time to rescue them. Just cut their bonds, and I'll heal them and we'll get going again."
Eben turns to Astraden and says in a low voice, "Oh, so we just cut 'em loose and tell them, 'Head that way, guys, and watch out for the naga!'? We can at least escort them to the entrance and give them directions through the sewers. I don't care if we don't have time, we make time, because it's the right thing to do." He begins cutting their bonds, and addresses Tanith. "They'll need a torch or something. Tanith, can you cast light on something for them?"
Tanith cocks an eyebrow at Eben but plays along. "Mighty Kord, show them the way", he prays as he helps the muscular woman up enchanting a stone he'd been holding with brightly shining light which he hands off to her. "We can show you back to the surface but we've got to be quick about it. Every second is precious right now."
Carina keeps quiet, still on edge even though they just carved their way through a trail of drow and zombies.
"Ugh. We really don't have time for this," Astraden says, sighing and following Eben. "They're adults. They can take care of themselves!"
The former prisoners are led hurriedly out of the jail area. Picking their way over the bodies of the drow, they look at the adventurers with a new mixture of fear and respect.
As they pass by the naga's cave—Fassash seems mystified by the new wall, and calls out irritably—the woman who spoke before stops by the dead demon. She allows herself to lag behind as she crushes her foot against the creature's windpipe, then hurries to follow. "I want to be sure," she mutters. "Have to be sure."
They reach the exit and receive brief directions to the surface. The woman clasps Eben's hand, smiling weakly. "Thank you all so much. We'll never be able to repay you, but I work at a smithy called the Screaming Blade in the Artisan's Quarter. Drop by the next time you need enchanted arms."
Roughly half a minute later, the party returns to the drow enclave and moves on.
The cavern corridor widens into a small chamber before continuing onward. The floor has been smoothed here, and in the center is a large faintly glowing purple symbol.
Farrukh claps everyone in the shoulder in turn and jerks his head towards the place where the Alchemist was.
Carina looks over to where Farrukh indicated, and her eyes widen. "Oh, great..."
Farrukh looks at Carina when she opens her mouth and shakes his head.
"She might be listening." he mouths silently.
Carina arches an eyebrow, but appears to understand Farrukh's message.
'What? I thought it was a 'he'...' She mouths in return.
Or at least, that's what she THINKS she mouths. It's entirely possible she sent an entirely different message altogether.