Ali moves forward trying to keep to the lights that Roswitha has created, for in the general nights gloom he's feeling very uncertain.
Glen keeps still trying to move as little as possible and keeping himself well hidden. He was pretty sure the only one that had even noticed he was gone was Miyari, and she wouldn't say anything. With luck Corvin and his goonies may have already forgotten the gnome like man was ever there, they probably didn't consider the little runt to be a threat. That suited Glen fine, it gave him the opportunity to slip away if things went badly he'd probably be more helpful on the outside.
The diminutive sneaky monster follows, keeping to the shadows and away from Roswitha's dancing lights.
Miyari walks forward, moving into Roswitha's lights so that she can see better. The catfolk takes a sniff at the air, and adjusts Arielle so that she does not tire too much from carrying her. "You know," she says softly to Arielle to try and distract from a stressful situation, "Some catfolk can see very well in the dark. Not me though. my eyes have always been a bit weak. Imagine, to be able to run and play and explore just as well when only the stars light your way. There are so many things that happen once the sun slips down past the edge of the sky that I can only imagine. It's like an entirely different world that I cannot see into. Do you see well in the night?"
Arielle looks at Miyari, their noses almost touching. From this vantage, Miyari's view into the girl's glittering eyes is almost overwhelming.
"My eyes? They see the night well, but not things covered in dark. They glitter sometimes if I don't think about not letting them. Like now, I think."
The sparkle of Arielle's eyes fades returning them to large childish brown eyes which are still very pretty despite this. But they look frightened, something hidden by their sparkle before. In fact, Miyari can clearly tell the girl clings to her as one does when one is afraid.
The procession of rebels and charter hopefuls moves west at Corvin's direction. The cobblestones give way to the typical dirt-packed roadways common throughout the less affluent areas. The dirt is slowly devolving into mud under the rain, but so far it hasn't become thick enough to impede progress yet as tightly packed as it is. The shadows of the buildings fade as a more open area used for the market comes into view. Some of the standing stalls and tents block the meager light of the torches twisting the darkness into sinister shapes.
However, as everyone advances forward further into the market, a sound above the rain and schluck! of boots in the mud. The sound of a harp or lyre is playing into the night. The music is haunting and beautiful, but something is wrong. There's a tinge of discordance as if one note is played extra or in error or...it's just distracting to pay attention to it. A voice booms out from the auctioneer's stage at the far end.
"Welcome, citizens of Golarion!" A man clothed in fine clothes swaddled in a cloak against the rain stands playing the instrument that is heard. Brokk who happened to be in the tavern area of the Dragon's Rest before the grand commotion may recall this man as the leader of the four cloaked travelers who began the melee.
"I thank you for bringing the object of my master's search directly to me." He chuckles. "It may have just been chance, but that is the greatness of my god's prophet! Somehow he always leads me right."
He plays a flourish on the lyre which grates on the ears but somehow also makes one want to listen more. Suddenly, the clouds above part and the rain ceases above the exact area above the market. A moon shines down. A terrible, terrible moon not at all like the one usually hanging in the sky. Across its face the terrain features seem to form that of a dark leering skull. The pressure to descend into insanity falls like a weight on the minds of everyone there. A few of Corvin's men clutch their heads and cry out, but otherwise it's just a surface feeling, like the madness is the suggestion of something just over the shoulder, whispering in the ear.
[spoiler=Knowledge (religion) DC 10]The moon which hangs above the area appears to be that described as the image of Groetus which moves closer to and away from Pharasma's Boneyard according to religious lore. This event is not at all a good thing.[/dice]
The man sets the lyre down and salutes the group. The instrument continues to play its unsettling music even without his touch.
"And now to acquire what is ours!"
A surge of robed figures suddenly charge towards the group from the sides. Corvin's mooks are suddenly engaged in hand-to-hand and shouting rings out, but the sound is strangely dampened as if it isn't traveling as far as it should.
"Master, master! Thank you for this power! Now we will see what lunacy brings today!"
The lyre spikes in four sharp notes, and for each note the giant orb above responds. The man's words become literal as what seems to be small comets of light suddenly shoot down from the grotesque moon striking the rain dampened earth. The light resolves itself into four beings. One supernaturally beautiful woman who looks human, yet emanates a strange sense of calm. Her eyes are filled with a strange white light, and she snarls at the group. Another falls to the left of the platform. An armored hulk of a humanoid shape appears and is now standing at the top of the stairs leading up to the platform. The last two resolve into a being of flame and cloud of icy frost. Several cultists appear from around the the sides of the platform and are clearly reinforcements for the beings magically dropped from the sky.
"And so while my new friends destroy you, allow me to regale you with a tale. Once there was a girl, orphaned and alone. Down in the depths of the earth she had been fled from the surface above..."
Roswitha takes a hasty step away from Corvin, hisses a few slippery-sounding syllables, and makes a motion with her hand as if buttering a trencher of bread. The area under Corvin and a couple of his buddies instantly glistens with a slick coating.
She cranks back the crossbow in her hand so the device is ready to fire.
Hell have no fury like a pissed....off....elf. Kalica has seriously had enough of these cowards and using innocents as their tools.
She yells out, "Only a coward would hide behind others then face that which is in front of him. Play to your heart's content you pathetic excuse for a human ...for it will be the last tune you ever hear." She sneers.
Kalica pulls tightly on her horse's reigns and jumps over the crowd with her horse hoping to trample that man underfoot with her horses hooves of fury justice!!
I would've let them kidnap the girl had I not been put in the middle of this. Now nobody gets what they want! Brokk thinks to himself. He positions himself between Corinne, Arial and the on coming attackers. Readying his hammer for the first poor soul to get in reach of his hammer.
Glen carefully sneaks around past the goons in the alley to a position where he should still be out of sight, but can get a look at what's going on.
From his vantage behind the tent the goblin has a clear view of stage and the loudmouth on it. He readies a bolt in his crossbow.
Out of the darkness come a veritable multitude of cloaked humanoid, male and female who are stopped by the rebel guards that had been surrounding the group.
"What in Hades...?" barks Corvin. "Dammit! The crazies are even here!" One with an upraised mace rushes toward Cerwek coming out from behind the opposite side of a barrel Glen had been using to hide his parallel journey. Corvin's fist makes contact with the person's torso and then head creating the unsettling sounds of bone cracking and the wet noises only heard from significant damage to a body with pulpy bits.
"Oh, I don't think so," the man growls spitting on the probable corpse as it crumples to the wet ground.
"Oh, baby, thank you!" She reaches and brushes her finger tips across his arm.
Just then the leader of the clearly mad cultists greets the party out of the darkness. Veliar, Dongle, and Pulosh all immediately drop into defensive combat stances trying to asses the danger...which shows itself much too quickly.
Corinne instinctively reaches a hand for Arielle, who is clutching Miyari in terror with her eyes shut tightly. "Oh sweet Desna, please save us." Corinne whispers reflexively as her eyes take in the image of the God of the End Times floating over their heads. She turns to Miyari. "Sister...I-I fear..." Whatever else she was going to say is lost as the whistle of creatures summoned by the man on the stage suddenly fall into the market.
"Ah," says Dongle and points. A shadow detaches itself from the skullface of the moon and seems to grow larger. No. Closer. Wings and a long tail begin to take shape. The claws and rather draconic jaws give further proof to what approaches.
Glancing at the group behind them, Pulosh says to Veliar, "That's not good. This lot can't handle that."
"Then I suppose we shall have to make certain it doesn't make it this far." He catches Corinne's eye and nods sharply. He yanks a vial out of his belt pouch and drinks it. Wings erupt from his back, leathery and large. Pulosh whispers and his hands make arcane gestures, and he suddenly begins to ascend even as Veliar begins to make powerful sweeps with his new wings. Dongle also reaches into his pouch and withdraws a figurine, throwing it up it turns into a large bird and he quickly jumps on its back. The trio launch up and away from the market determined to head off what would surely be the death of everyone else.
"A dragon? Or vision of one? Hells no." Roswitha loads her crossbow and, uncertain what these new things are but certain of who instigated the problems, targets the Mouthpiece with a shot before he gets lost in the scuffle.
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Llewyn is surprised at the ambush, if only for his still weary, groggy self. As the villain's instrument appears Llewyn reaches into his pack to grab his own. Finding his strings to be out of tune he begins to twist and tune.
After the man has begun his playing, Llewyn strikes a chord
"Your rhythm is off, your notes like a rock
your song has no mea-ning,
the power that you bring to bear
holds none on this flock!
HOLDS NONE ON THIS FLOCK!
The illusions sure are nice,
summoned deadly friends,
though the lot of them might think twice
they're to meet their ends!
This will be their ends!"
As the battle begins, the gnomes and elf jump into some crazy changing state..
"And as for your yonder dragon
Well it does sure look mad,
but we have some NIGHTMARISH GNOMES!
and that half elf aint half bad!"
Suddenly two robed figures break through past Corvin's goons. Their bloodshot eyes don't appear to see what's before them but rather something somewhere else entirely. One rages while the other laughs hysterically, but both rush towards Miyari and Arielle. Armin and Llewyn both are about to react when Arielle lifts her head from Miyari's chest and suddenly points to the dirt path.
"There you are, Mr Bubbles! I found you!"
As if time itself stops, a square section of the slightly muddy ground flips up and opens like it is on a hinge. Bubbles the teddy bear begins to climb out of the hole, but instead of the small cuddly worn bear, it is a giant hulking version. The teddy bear looks more or less the same despite being on a height with Armin but there are definitely some noticeably animated differences. It's glass orb eye is the size of a small melon and is filled with flickering light like campfire on a windy night. There is a long exaggerated stitch where the other eye must have once been along with some tears which have also been stitched. It gave the appearance the teddy squinted with that side. Its stitched mouth separated revealing the metallic glint of teeth like literal razors and the fire-like light seemed to emanate from behind them as well. Its stubby arms now ended in four wicked dagger-sized claws also clearly metal. Having pulled itself completely out the ground simply falls back down with no evidence of its brief transformation into a trapdoor.
Bubbles lifts its hefty clawed arms into the air at the sight of the oncoming figures. Opening its mouth wide, the oversized stuffed animal roars, and the flames hinted at inside are now clearly visible.
""
As the two figures reach it, Bubbles brings both of its steel claws down on one.
In a near explosion of blood and cloth, the man falls to the dirt in a visceral mess.
The other cultist pauses slightly, its hilarity unabated. Bubbles' head shoots forward, mouth still agape with razors and fire.
With a terrible crunching sound, Bubbles tears the man's arm and shoulder off and then spits them back at him. The man collapses, his laughter now a horrible gurgling that continues for several more seconds.
The giant horrific teddy turns its fiery orb to regard Miyari and Arielle. Arielle claps her hands and laughs.
"Good, good, Bubbles! I'm so happy to see you! We have to escape again. I think these people are coming with us, so you must be nice to them, okay?"
The teddy bear seems to smile, the blood and razor teeth making the expression ghastly.
Arielle seems to display the barest twinge of a smile at the corners of her mouth as Miyari speaks to her about Bubbles. For the second time she holds the one-eyed bear up to regard Miyari.
"I can ask him to watch over you too, if you'd like."
Corinne's thin eyebrows go up a bit at this statement.
Miyari has a sudden memory of the young girl speaking of her bear. Who would have imagined she meant...this.
Kalica pushes Blossom forward attempting to urge her into a charge. The frightened horse is not accustomed to the fighting and erratic behavior, so while she trots out a bit, she is unwilling to approach the hostile smelling line of humanoids in front of the stage.
The crossbow bolt Roswitha fired flies true...but something deflects it, and the man on the stage is unharmed! One of the lyre's strings suddenly vibrates as if plucked hard.
Llewyn's artful strumming causes the oddly enchanting and also discordant sound of the lyre to seem less disturbing and more beautiful. Around the area, the sounds of madness seems to abate and many of the cultists stop fighting looking bewildered.
Ahead, the supernaturally beautiful woman falters and places a hand to her head. Looking around she appears confused and she recoils from the two beings of pure element who advance on Kalica, Blossom, and the lone goon of Corvin's not already engaged.
Overhead the image of the skull moon wavers before solidifying once more. The whispers and disturbing sounds everyone was hearing fade away, and only the sound of combat and confusion is observed.
Mouthpiece pauses in his recitation to glance at the lyre and then back out at the crowd assembled.
"Now that's just rude. When an artist is just performing, you should pay attention."
Sighing, he picks up the lyre and turns a few pegs. Strumming it, he smiles and nods. Once again the odd music seems to swell though still dampened by the playing of the other bard Llewyn.
"Now, where were we...?" the man on the stage asks.
Kalica decides it is best to not push Blossom anymore. She tries to keep control of her and turns her back around then ushers her gently with a swift kick to move quickly back towards Arielle .
Kalica just now taking in the scene behind her is surprised to find Arielle's sweet teddy bear taking on the form of a nightmarish creature. Looking a bit confused and bewildered by the bear ripping limbs out of people's sockets Kalica decides to err on the side of caution and dismount by Ali.
The menacing moon floating in the sky above. The bard's muted yet riveting song. The quartet of strange beings that seemed to have descended from the heavens. The dragon(!?) that emerged from the moon, and the three among their group that flew up to engage it. And now, a giant teddy bear that tore apart two men in the space of a few seconds. To put it lightly, it was all so very strange to Armin, and that was saying something, considering he came from Numeria.
Lunacy. Yes, that's it. Everybody here is utterly mad. It was the only way that Armin could rationalize everything he had seen. Was that how it was? Had he come all this way just to be killed by things he could barely comprehend? That just wasn't going to happen. Madness? Fine, he could cope with that. But it was his rage that would keep him alive, the rage he had inherited from her. It was all he had left to remember her by, and he was not about to let it go to waste in a godsforsaken place like this.
For an instant the circuitry tattoos beneath his skin glow, their intricate patterns becoming visible as they shed blue light. His eyes blaze with the very same luminescence, as well as with a deep-seated anger he had held back all night long. The fire ale had nearly coaxed it out of him, but it was by his will alone that it was here now. The blue light vanishes almost as quickly as it had appeared, leaving a very normal-looking Armin standing there. Only now he was mad, just like the rest of them.
He takes a single step forward and draws his planson, clutching its handle with an iron grip. Speaking aloud, he addresses the group before them in a loud, steady voice, that betrayed none of the patience he had demonstrated earlier.
'What's this a concert? Well I guess I'd best provide the smoke.' Ali thinks quietly, still slightly bewildered by all the chaos and hubbub in the streets - despite trying to tell Corvin about the ambush.
"I'll make a big cloud! Then the lads can fall back." Ali calls to Corvin and the others, half a command - half a query, as he tries to keep the nerves from his wavering voice.
Miyari stares back into Arielle's eyes, transfixed by what she sees there and unable to look away. She finds herself unable to speak, only remember forwards.
Miyari wears mostly darkly coloured clothes, a hood over her head to obscure her features, though anyone could tell that she is a catfolk by mere sight. She walks with light steps through the heavily trapped and enchanted underground passage, taking note of all the runes, pitfalls and triggers that she's coming across, aided by a map that was provided to her earlier. Her ears swivel back towards the sound of pursuers behind her, encouraging her to make as quick a pace as possible in order to do what she set out to do.
The catfolk glances down at the provided map, crudely done drawings and vague directions. "You just assume everything is as obvious to me as it is to you..." She shakes her head, continuing on the path and waiting for the signal. And indeed, the signal comes, like a whisper in her ears. Miyari quickly ducks around the corner, peering back and listening for the voices behind her.
Her pursuers call after her, "Here, kitty kitty. It's a dead end up ahead, why don't you come out and surrender?"
Miyari focuses, time around her slows just slightly and energy flows into her limbs, and she says, "Fine, I'm coming out, you've got me! Don't fire!" Upon hearing the small squad of humans agree to her terms, she rounds the corner, swiping the air in front of her and knocking the arrow down to the ground. "Betrayed. I foresaw this, you know, long ago." As their leader's bow draws back again, time slows further moving into a standstill. The time thief lives up to her title, drawing on moments future and past to start running back through the trapped dungeon with ease, leaving only a blur and some chemical concoctions in her wake. She strikes the trigger of every trap that she had charted on the way in, steps on every floor plate, and passes in front of every magic rune as she weaves through the men who were once following her. A small, grim laugh escapes her as she continues to full out run, accelerating while she has the chance. The light of the outside approaches, the spikes of the descending gate starting to cut through the sight of her escape, and she maintains her hold on time just long enough to make it through.
As time speeds once more, Miyari continues running, still moving faster than most possibly could as the gate crashes behind her and the traps start to activate from her former presence. The earth shakes slightly as the magical explosions, traps and chemicals intermingle to make short work of the men who would do her and hers harm. She speaks to herself as she continues, "'Here, kitty kitty?' What original last words! Maybe that would have been a good retort. I'll have to remember that next time."
Miyari breaks eye contact with Arielle, answering her meekly, "Yes... I... I suppose they are glittering." But as the vision begins to fade, all that is happening starts to set in and she turns away from the approaching men so that her body will at least shield the girl, "Stay back!" Then a giant stuffed bear pops up out of nowhere and tears the assailants apart. The fur on her tail is standing on end after the display (in fact, all of her fur works together in order to make her appear larger and fluffier than usual. She calms, just slightly, at Arielle's delight. "Ah," she says. Well, if I am going to lose my mind, I may as well play along. "Well, thank you Mr. Bubbles for dismembering those bad men. Good giant stuffed bear."
She looks to the scarred woman, ears folded back, "What can I do to assist you?" figuring she'll defer to the one who might know what's happening.
Simultaneously, the four cultists flanking the moondropped humanoid and glowing figures all appear to fling daggers at Corvin's mook out in the front left alone after Veliar and the gnomes charged into the sky.
The weapons whish by the goon who blinks and nervously but quickly draws his longsword. One of the cultists curses, as none of the daggers find their mark. Another turns and eyes the beauty next to them who is now looking around in bewilderment.
"Wha...what is happening?" she asks pleadingly.
"This one is sane again, milord," the one eyeing her says to the man on the stage.
"That is fine, it's all going to sort itself out here soon," the man says pausing in his story.
The brightly flaming creature rushes by Corvin's cohort charging towards Armin. Almost reflexively, the man swings the sword he drew thinking the thing was attacking him.
The man's sword scores a hit that looks as if it would have been grievous against something made of flesh, but barely grazes the being though it shudders and its light flickers slightly. Whatever protects this being is no match for the rage-fueled swing of the towering barbarian however, as his planson makes contact when the creature achieves the proper distance. For a moment, Armin feels resistance as if a body is in the way of his weapon, but then nothing but smoke is left after a small burst of sparks erupts from the creatures position.
Conversely, the floating cloud of frost does not rush past the goon, but moves forward and a part of it reaches for the man.
The man shudders visibly from the creature's cold touch.
The man recovers and retaliates clearly certain this is not a friendly greeting.
But sadly, his swing is wild as his body is stiff from the cold.
The Lyre's music fills the air trying to drown out the sound of Llewyn's ballad.
Another four notes suddenly sing out louder than the rest. Four more bolts of moonlight fall from the image above. One large form materializes several yards back from where Corvin, Cerwek and his bodyguard goons are in the small plaza the group had just left. It becomes a large bullheaded creature which bellows a challenge while swinging a hideously gore-drenched axe.
Corvin snarls and then spits into his palms. "Okay men, crazy mutha-bard wantsta be fancy wit dem monsters. Let's show 'em we ain't afeared a-nothin'." The group goes charging off possibly to their doom. Cerwek looks after the man and then looks at the rest of the party especially Llewyn.
"Sorry...I have to it see that idiot lives. If you make it out of this, come look me up sometime." She winks (probably at Llewyn) and rushes off into the night, a mist rising as the air seems to be warming the freshly fallen rain.
The other three moonbolts fall all around at the group. An dirty elvish looking fellow dressed in rags falls close to Roswitha. Snot drips from his nose and flecks of foam are at the corners of his mouth. He turns to threaten the woman, a dirty knife clutched in a bony hand.
An armored man appears kneeling head bowed. He rises and lowers his longspear into position ready to attack Corvin's lone goon.
The last form resolves itself into what seems to be a living mound of dirt. Rocky arms break off and heft themselves into dangerous fists. Unlike the others, it does not immediately appear ready to attack but rather seems to breathe in the dust and mud of the road for a short time.
Corinne looks rattled at the madness around them. "That man on the stage! We must stop his song!" She suddenly produces a shortbow from somewhere and fires an arrow at the being made of dirt and stone. Seeing what Corinne is about to do, Miyari hisses loudly at the thing and it's pebble like eyes focus on the catfolk briefly.
"Eurgh!" Unwilling to have her clothing befouled with elf mucous, Roswitha steps away from the newcomer. Muttering apparent gibberish, she removes one hand from the crossbow and cocks her arm in a throwing position. Her hand vanishes for a moment, seemingly reaching into somewhere that isn't here, and reappears clutching a writhing mass of black nothingness that occasionally glints with an iridescent sheen in the glow of the dancing lights.
She hurls the mass at the snotty elf with a quick flick of her wrist, then places another bolt in her weapon and readies it to fire.
From his position Glen can't really see the rest of the group, but his ears worked just fine, Corinne's cry to stop the man on the stage was heard loud and clear and it so happens that he has a relatively clear shot at the man from where he is.
Maybe the man will have a bit more difficulty singing the song with a bolt in his face.
Glen levels his crossbow and lets loose a bolt toward the man on the stage, once its away he tries to hide himself away again, and quickly puts loads in another bolt.
"I agree Corinne," Kalica yells back at the woman. She hastily pulls out her intricately carved eleven short bow. The delicate silver leaf pattern laid into the dark wood glistens in moonlight.
She readies an arrow from her quiver with precision and care. She holds her breath and then sets the arrow free to fly to it's target(the man on stage). She whispers in eleven. Fly true today.
The words of the strange man with the lyre rumble in Ali's mind, though not the quickest of wit the stoic determination to endure and figure things out causes the youth to puzzle through what's occurring. 'Firstly t' wally up ahead, implied he ain't of this world. So he's either a bit uppity, mental, alien or all three. Then he calls down these avatars...'
In his peripheral vision, he sees a small fluffy creature tear into one of the cult followers, or perhaps one of the enthralled. Armin meets the charge of the fiery fellow, his own skin glowing with luminescence. As there's an explosion of power this forms some thoughts in the startled youngster who finds himself on the front lines.
'He summoned a flaming bloke/fire, an icy bloke/water, a calm lass - maybe air and it'd not surprise me if he's got a heavy bloke with earthy tones protecting him... could it be he's looking for the fifth person. Is that what he's looking for?' Ali glances around at the group behind, then the new quartet appears and puts paid to the initial thoughts.
'Plague, War, Famine & Death...? He muses rapidly, feeling quite inadequate to the task of fighting. 'Mebbe I could snap that lyre with me sling, if I could get close enough to see?'
"I've pummelled many singers in my day, he shouldn't be trouble for all o' ye!" He says, eyeing the rock elemental formed up behind the group. A smile crosses his face as he steps in between the elemental and Corinne. "I'll handle this!" Brokk said, taking a mighty swing.
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Arielle pats the side of Miyari's face and whispers to the gigantic teddy bear.
"Corrie says we have to stop the man on the platform to escape. So we need to go over there. And all those people in front are his friends, I think."
Arielle points at the stage and the man on it.
What passed for a grin fades from Bubbles' face. It turns its glass orb to take in the things to which Arielle pointed. It's metallic claws seem to ripple as it regards them. It begins striding toward the stage, pushing past Armin and Ali. Bubbles pauses as it sees the armored man poised to strike and seems to decide something. Without any sense of hurry, it walks directly up to the man, one arm raised, its claws glinting in the mad light of the moon above.
Some kind of battle instinct causes the man to swing his gaze around. Upon seeing the threatening teddy bear, he turns and attempts to stop Bubbles from closing the distance.
The attack is very effective, and the spear plunges deep into the the eidolon's plush body, fluffy stuffing leaking out like blood.
Bubbles roars and grasps the end of the spear sticky out of itself. Pulling itself closer to the soldier as the spear slides further through, it brings down the massive set of claws on the man.
The man's armor is rent like paper and blood splashes across the ground. His body immediately goes into shock, and he passes out from the grave wound delivered by the teddy.
A low rumbling growl emits from Bubbles as it yanks the spear from its abdomen, more fluff spilling out. It staggers slightly. Despite the harmless appearance of its injury, it must have indeed been a terrible wound for a being such as it.
"Bubbles!" Arielle shrieks as the spear is driven into the plush toy.
"We have to get Bubbles! I have to save him!" She begins squirming and trying to get out of Miyari's arms if she doesn't immediately move to the bear's side.
Once next to the teddy, Arielle hugs the bear.
"It's alright Mr. Bubbles. It's okay." She squeezes her teddy tightly though her little arms not nearly long enough to go all the way around.
The combined effort of Corinne and Brokk's attacks on the earthy being seem to be effective. The arrow finds a an opening akin to an eye socket, and the being staggers. But this reaction pales into comparison to the eruption of stone and dirt that the impact of the dwarf's wicked warhammer causes. The now rubble spills over the wet ground creating an area of dry dirt in the area. The being has returned to the earth.
Llewyn continues to strum his lyre. His music washes over the last remaining arrival and attempts to remove the charmed confusion.
The gibbering half-elf watches the glob that Roswitha attempts to throw at him with bloodshot eyes and a steady stream of rather profane and insane words pour from him. As he dodges to one side to avoid the glob, some words come through more loudly, "...was right...cabbages in the sewers...portals opening and taking people's brains..."
His menacing dagger is still raised, and he seems undeterred from making his attack.
The minotaur and other elemental being seem unaffected by Llewyn's Countersong, or perhaps they just don't care...
The beautiful woman still seems bewildered, but a horrified expression appears on her face as the icy being attacks the lone goon caught out alone. She can see the man appears as confused and caught off guard she is. Clearly they must be in the same inexplicable situation together.
The man on the platform begins once again to tell his story.
"The little girl lived in the depths of the earth away from the sky to hide from the moon. Many adventures were had, but she learned even there He Who Waits for the End of All Things can be found. Though his worshipers cannot see his face except in their dreams, their faith still guides them. She tried to run away yet again, this orphan she who chosen by the god..."
Glen's crossbow bolt sings through the air in accompaniment to the music. The bolt hits hard! The lyre once again lets out a discordant vibration as if one of the strings was plucked too hard. The bolt bounces off of...nothing to fall to the ground before the stage.
The man glances in Glen's direction and waggles a finger as he continues his tale.
Kalica's arrow is poised to strike the man right in the eye!...but it is knocked off course as Blossom shifts at the sudden vibration and bumps her elbow.
As the fluffy but vicious teddy rushes past and gets skewered, the youth lets out a gasp. Not just because of the being moving, but at it being run through. 'I never had a stuffed animal when I was young, let alone one that could move... that kids a lucky one' The speakers words reverberate in his ears; 'sort of.'
"Don't worry, I'm a dab hand with a bit o' thread..." He calls out trying to reassure either the teddy or the young girl. "Be as good as new..."
Then Ali turns to face the speaker and moves forwards purposefully; "Whereas you are a lyre...!" He draws his sling, the lead shot in the cradle.
Despite its fiery composition, Armin feels a satisfying shock through his arms when his weapon collides with the elemental. The sense of resistance lingers only momentarily, vanishing along with the creature's form, thereby allowing Armin to follow through with his swing. With one foe vanquished, the android immediately searches for another.
Past the bear and Arielle, he seems to find what he is looking for - another elemental being, this one embodying frost. Huffing tiny puffs of steam out of his nostrils, Armin slips past the young orphan, sparing her ferocious companion only a glance. The barbarian winds up another batter's swing and lets loose.
Miyari moves forward with Arielle in her arms, not wanting the girl to wander out into battle without someone's meat body getting in the way. She keeps her eyes open, keeping her defence to help prevent Arielle from coming to harm, especially after seeing how much aid Bubbles is in combat.
Armin:
- Armin's mighty swing obliterates the cloud. Unlike the other elemental being Armin has slain, the icy cloud erupts in a shower of harmless icy bits similar to snow. To Armin, it feels as if he just smashed an oversized chunk of ice.
Miyari:
- At Arielle's distress over her beloved teddy bear's injury, Miyari carries the girl closer to the eidolon allowing her to suddenly produce magic healing for the being. She makes certain to keep her body between the girl and the attackers.
Cultists:
- Cultist #1 rushes forward after seeing the ice elemental destroyed. He mutters words that cause sparks to spit from his lips and moves a single finger in some arcane pattern. After a second, one of the sparks ignites the man's hand. He thrust his hand forward, and, in a rush, the fire leaves his palm expanding to wash over Armin and the hapless goon.
Spellcraft DC 16:The cultist mage is casting burning hands.
The goon grits his teeth as the flames head towards them and tries his best to dodge the sudden heat.
His quick sidestep causes the flames to only singe his exposed face.
If Caught on Fire, the PC will then roll 1d10 on the following table:
- 1 = hat->cloth headband/scarf->hair
- 2 = shirt (or upper portion of dress/robe/coat)
- 3 = pants (or lower portion of dress/robe/coat)
- 4 = shoes/boots/sandals->socks/stockings
- 5 = beltpouch->belt
- 6 = backpack
- 7 = cloak/coat/cape
- 8 = one item or weapon that is combustible being carried in the character's hand. Otherwise, one miscellaneous item a character may have attached to his/her outer person of player's choice (E.g. bandolier, sack, quiver, scroll case, spellbook, spare weapon, etc.)
- 9 = Roll 1d8 and the item from the above list corresponding to the new result is Caught on Fire. However, your quick thinking and reflexes allowed you to respond to the item's cumbustion, you and the item still take the damage from it catching fire, but you managed to snuff it out, and it will no longer be considered Caught on Fire.
- 10 = Roll 2d8 and the items from the above list corresponding to the two results are Caught on Fire.
Each turn you are Caught on Fire (fail the next turn's Reflex save), there is a 20% chance (roll 1d100) of another item catching on fire. If the category previously rolled has a "->" progression, the next item in the list is automatically ignited if 20% chance is met. Otherwise, roll 1d10 again on the above list.
On their turn, a character Caught on Fire may attempt to remove or drop the burning item. If it is something which can be dropped, this is just an immediate action. If it is something worn which can be removed easily, it is a swift action
- Cultist #2 flings his dagger at the raging barbarian who has proven himself formidable.
The blade sinks into Armin's leg muscle deeply and then abruptly and painfully tears loose as the wizard's magic pulls the weapon back to his outstretched hand. The cultist sneers.
- Cultist #3 pulls a scroll from his robe and begins to chant.
Spellcraft DC 16:The cultist mage is casting grease from the scroll.
On the last word, the robed woman flings the scroll at the confused woman who only moments ago had been acting aggressively. The scroll appears to liquefy and float through the air. Expanding, it suddenly again is affected by gravity and plummets to the damp earth. A viscous and oily fluid appears, and the woman shouts in surprise as the ground beneath her feet becomes very slippery.
Her armor unbalances her as her feet slip up and she lands hard on her back knocking the wind out of her.
- Cultist #4 hurls his dagger at the ragged boy running forward bearing a sling.
The wicked serrated dagger's path doesn't account for the sudden stop the boy makes and spins wild past him before returning to his hand. The robed man snarls at Ali.
Corinne:
- Corinne turns at Arielle's cry and rushes over to Miyari and Mr. Bubbles. Seeing that the damage to the eidolon has been somewhat mitigated, she sees an opportunity.
"Bubbles, if you will let me have that, I can do some good with it."
The teddy looks at the long spear and emits a rumbling growl then holds it out to Corinne. Some stuffing still hangs from the blade. Corinne yanks it off and puts it in her pocket. She then eyes the cultists protecting the stage.
Pointing with the longspear, she indicates the left side where some stairs leading up to the platform stand. "There! We need to get up there to stop him and that damnable lyre!"
The warrior at the top of the stairs bangs a heavy axe on his shield as if to say Bring it!
Pretty woman:
- She stands on wobbly legs. Looking around she seems to come to a decision and tries to move out of the oily patch.
The attempt proves once again to be too difficult in her heavy armor, and she slips to and falls to one knee.
Beggar half-elf:
- The crazed half-elf rushes at Roswitha with his knife before him.
Fortunately for the sorcerer, the beggar shalf seems to be swinging at whatever his delusions imagine her to be...and clearly it isn't the same shape or size.
Corvin's goon:
- Bolstered by the presence of Armin and Ali rushing to engage the sudden combatants, the goon shouts a battle cray and rushed the closest dagger flinger.
"Lessee yore bleedin' dagger yo-yo this."
He swings his sword around in a powerful heave.
Once again, the mook fails to deliver with his clumsy swordplay.
Ali's eyes widen in horror as the knife flies in front of him, if he'd carried on it would have solidly impacted. Though he follows the arc in the hopes that non other was hurt by the deadly tool, then snaps back as that lady shouts out. 'Coral, Corrion.... carry on? What was the name? Well that's what I were advising' He thinks, forgetting the name in the heat of battle.
"I just about see t' lyre, or 'arp...?" He opens his eyes wide to discern the object at the edges of his clouded vision.
Roswitha frowns at the half-elf's wild slashes and dances back a few steps, always watching him. "Oh, cool off," she mutters, flicking a stream of frost in his direction with a quick motion of one hand.
Oddly, she feels safer having a giant teddy bear at her back.
A human woman with religious symbols on her clothing appears as a ball of light drops from the skull moon just past Cultist #1 and #2.
A robed man carrying a staff with bone fetishes falls near Brokk. His hands twitch in strange arcane patterns.
Close by a much smaller beam of light coalesces into a very small little animal with a long body. It bares its fangs at Llewyn.
Just behind Ali and near Armin a man drops looking bewildered. In one hand he has a cudgel and the other a flask. He looks around and laughs taking a swig from the flask.
"Wooeee! This'll be a story fer shure!" he says and starts to dance a jig.
- Glen and Kalica
- Roswitha
- Brokk
- Llewyn
- Arielle
- Mouthpiece
- Armin
- Miyari
- Ali
- Cultists
- Lyre
Roswitha's beam scores a freezing burn on the half-elf who cries out and then beats himself around the head with his fists as if the fact she hit him causes distress not physical.
"Kill the cabbage! People must know! The agitator was right!"
Miyari nods to Corinne and shouts over the cacophony of battle to the others, "The man seems to be protected, so destroy the lyre! Break the strings, snap the frame, just make it unplayable before we are overwhelmed!"
Any further than we already are, muses Miyari to herself a bit gloomily.
Brokk begins fuming as he steps toward the newly summoned foe. Not my fight! He says over and over in his head to himself. "This is NOT MY FIGHT!!!" He bursts out in yell as his hammer whistled to strike the robed man in front of him.
"You think any of us wanted this fight? Other than t' Looney on the stage!" Ali replies his voice cracking with high-pitch terror at the commotion, blood and fire that surround him. The chaos amidst his limited senses cause even greater horrors to the youth.
Hearing Arielle cry out, Glen starts skirting the tent to find the young girl. Miyari appears to have her taken care of, but Glen quickly takes aim at the large bear like being near them seeing it as the biggest and most immediate threat. He changes his mind seeing that Arielle appears to be more concerned than fearful of the monstrous bear leaking stuffing.
With a bit of a better vantage point the little goblinoid can see some of the beings that seem to be popping into existence every time the Lyre makes some noise, they were already outnumbered, pretty soon they'd be facing a veritable army. He peers at woman that just appeared, but can't recall what the symbols she bears mean. The dancing man could be a threat, he seems to pleased to have just appeared in a battle.
The harp-like instrument seems to be involved in this, truthfully he'd rather get a closer look at the instrument to see how it works, but now wasn't really the time for that. Glen had noticed it appeared to play a song when new creatures appeared, and even if it wasn't the lyre causing all these enemies to materialize out of nowhere, Glen's bolt bounced out of the air when the lyre made a sound, it must be protecting the man with the mouth. Miyari appears to have come to the same conclusion so as she suggested Glen lets loose a his shot at the Lyre.
Ali looks about wildly at the chaos, then at the missiles flying out of the darkness and gasps.
"That was a grand hit, Mr Dwarf." Ali says; "Kalica, lets push these rascals back into t' darkness!" He motions for her to advance, or maybe just fire...
Kalica will put her bow up and draw her sword advancing towards Ali's position and while protecting Ali's flank.
"Yes, indeed, let these foes face my full wrath!" She yells back at Ali with a cold glint in her eye.