Melia stepped into the Long Roads Coffeehouse holding the leashes of two dogs in one hand, her other holding a bulging sack she had slung over her back. "Does that offer for the room still stand Laria?"
Before continuing she moved over to the halfling proprietress, "My landlord kicked me out. He saw me at the protests yesterday and doesn't want trouble with the Thrunes. Can't really blame him for being scared." She sat down the sack which contained all of her things. "At least he let me sleep there last night."
After a moment she looked around, "Where are the others?"
Johan stops his singing (but the song lingers in the air continuing to inspire his comrades).
He then thrusts with his rapier. (Inspire Courage and flanking)
Tom steps in to flank with a dagger.
Tom's quick swipe with the dagger is enough to finish the beast as it falls to the ground lifeless.
Combat Over!
"Whew! Good job, everyone! I don't think I was much use except as a target for a poorly-aimed tail, but even so!"
Tom wipes off the crocodile blood on his pants leg.
"Don't worry about it Gideon, that croc clearly didn't like the way you looked at it. Gave me the opening I needed."
He whispers to the group, hurriedly:
"Real quick, there's something or someone with feathers lurking in the next room. We should probably figure who, or what it is, before I examine the body... Where is the body you found?"
"In the other room? I didn't see anything, but my vision isn't nearly as keen as it could be, so I'll take your word for it."
After briefly talking about what the rest was up Melia handed Jandor's leash to Laria. "If you could get him a bowl of water he should be fine. You can keep him around for company or bring him to the room you had in mind for me. I'll go and help our friends. Belhave is coming with me."
With that she hurried towards the others, the small dog in tow.
---
Downstairs she quickly found them, "Sorry I'm so late friends. There were some unforeseen consequences to yesterday's events."
As she speaks the tiny dog rushes by her and starts sniffing the corpse of the crocodile.
"Ah yes, meet Belhave, my unflappable guardian."
In the Coffeehouse.
The patrons of the coffeehouse are noticeably uncomfortable when you come in with two dogs on the leash. Reactions vary from turning their heads away, conversations suddenly growing quiet, to hushed whispers about a Thrune agent.
Laria on the other hand welcomes you, quickly guiding you and your dogs upstairs and away from the prying eyes of her guests. "I had thought you had decided against joining us. I'm glad to see you Lady Menderthane." The Emphases she places on those last words lost on anyone listening in besides you.
Laria informs you about Nan and where the others are, and guides you down the stairs and slips you into the cellar without too many patrons taking notice.
In the coffehouse
"And I'm glad to see you, lady Longroad. How could I resist your hospitality?" Melia offer her a smile and gives a short hug. "I'm not sure what I would do without your help."
"Huh. Well that's...certainly not something I expected. Though I've always been fond of animals, dogs particularly." he says, squatting down and extending his hand to within a few feet of the pup, letting him be the one to make first contact if he wanted to.
The small dog looks at Gideon's hand and then to Melia. As soon as Melia nods it approaches and sniffs the hand and then gives a slight lick. Then it presses it's head against Gideon's hand as if requesting to be petted.
"It seems she likes you." Melia smiled. They reacted as expected, as they should.
"It would seem so! I'm Gideon. Pleased to meet you, my friend." he offers in introduction, lightly patting her on the head before scratching behind her ears.
|
Is she trying to be alone in here? Why? If she was responsible the death of the man? The croc has already hidden that. She want to steal some from him without us knowing? I don't care and if I do later it can be checked. Add evidence on the body? Interesting idea, worth letting her do to find out why.
[b}"You are right we got distracted."[/b] Xeno says moving into the other room.
Once a couple of other have also she will call out "Do you want to talk, fight or run?"
"I don't think that will be an issue Xeno. If we are going to have Belhave find some things we do need to make some changes." After that she clicked her tongue. Initially Belhave didn't respond beyond looking, she was enjoying the scratching. After a second click she did come with what seemed to be a look of resignation.
When she stood in front of Melia she scratched Belhave behind her ear and as she did the dog started to shift. Within seconds her color shifts, her coat grows long and her size more than triples. Before long the dog grew to a size that would make many humans look small by comparison even though they were taller than her. "This is Belhave's natural form. The change is a trick we devised to escape attention. She'd be a better match for a big beast now. But if we're looking for something we'd best get to it."
As Melia said that another change occured in Belhave as the dog's eyes changed color to a vibrant yellow.
Gideon's eyes widen when the dog changes form in front of him, a thing he'd have a hard time believing if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, despite the magical nature of the world they lived in. "Well...that's...definitely a much more impressive trick than rolling over or fetching!"
As a few of you reenter the room and begin to search, you can find no trace of the creatures. Melina's dog begins to sniff the air and lets out a warning growl, but even that brief warning does little to prevent the surprise as the creature emerges from the shadows of the roof. This creature looks like a humanoid crow with oily black feathers, glittering eyes, and a sharp beak. In the place of wings, it instead has two muscular arms, ending in sharp claws as hard as rocks. The creature lets out an inhuman cry as it leaps and lands next to Xeno clawing at her. The first is wildly inaccurate, but the claw finds its mark slashing into her arm.
Round 1 Turn Order Raven, Melina, Creature, Gideon, Johan, Tom, Belhave, Xeno
Dire corbies are subterranean predators who resemble humanoid crows with muscular arms and fearsome talons. Though they make their cliff-side homes on the walls of underground chasms, where they climb and leap with death-defying agility, they are most frequently encountered in the tunnels where they wait to ambush prey, leaping down from the ceiling to rend and tear.
Dire corbies are intelligent, but have little use for society outside of the rough, squabbling pecking order of the rookery, whose social order is little better than that of the mundane birds the corbies resemble. Along with the insane, near-suicidal savagery with which the corbies launch themselves into combat, the flightless bird-men are best known for their terrifying screeches, the often prophetic songs of doom and destruction capable of unsettling even the most robust and competent explorer.
Seeing one of her new friends being attacked Belhave doesn't hesitate and she charges the odd creature.
Melia moves in quickly after Belhave, trying to get into a flanking position with her canine companion. She has no idea what they are fighting but it has to be dealt with.
Seeing her greatest friend and boss join the fray made Belhave smile, though it's difficult to see on her while she moves in to attack again.
As soon as Xeno is attacked, Belhave bites the bird dragging it to the ground. Raven lets an arrow loose but trying to avoid the dog proves dificult and her arrow goes astray. Melina's blade on the other hand finds its mark drawing a lot of blood from the wounded creature. Remaining prone the creature lashes out at the dog with both claws, but the creatures tough hide blocks the slashing beast's attack. All the while yelling what sounds like curses in a strange foreign tongue.
Whatever language the creatures is speaking, the language sounds like it is derived from an ancient combination of Elven and even older tongues.
Turn Order Gideon, Johan, Tom, Belhave, Xeno, Raven, Melina, Creature
Dire Corby
NE Medium monstrous humanoid
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6
DEFENSE
AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 3/15 (2d10+4)
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +3
Defensive Abilities ferocity
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +3 (1d4+1)
Special Attacks leap, rend (2 claws, 1d4+1)
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 14
Feats Blind-Fight, Skill Focus (Stealth)
Skills Acrobatics +10, Climb +13, Perception +6, Stealth +8; Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics, +2 Perception
Languages Undercommon
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Leap (Ex)
A dire corby can perform a special kind of pounce attack by jumping into combat. When a dire corby charges, it can make a DC 20 Acrobatics check to jump into the air and land next to its enemies. If it succeeds at this Acrobatics check, it can make a full attack (two claw attacks, plus a rend attack if both claws hit) against foes in reach. If it fails, it can still make its one attack as normal for a charge.
If there is room to get at the creature, Johan will impale it with his rapier.
Surprised by the bird-thing's sudden appearance, and at Xeno's insistence, Gideon first aims the power of his hypnotic gaze at it, momentarily distracting its will and giving him a chance to weaves the magic for the Sleep spell, targeting their foe.
The creature falls to Gideon's spell, falling to the ground asleep.
Gideon breaths a sigh of relief when the enemy fell to the ground, then looked to the others. "Let's tie it up. Maybe then we can get those questions answered." he says, looking around quickly to take any weapons he may see off of it. "Anybody got some rope or cord?"
The creature has no weapons or armor to speak of. Her wrist does have three copper bracers and around her neck is a silver necklace that seems to bear a rune.
Raven, the northern room seems to be filled with a few chamber-pots that have not been emptied in some time.
No items the creature caries have auras of magic. Raven your search through the rooms turns nothing up of interest. There are exits to another room to the south from both this room and the one with the statue.
While the others are searching this room, Johan will look through the door to the south of this room.
"We need to hurry! The spell will only last a minute, tops." Gideon answers, hurriedly searching for some way to bind or otherwise immobilize the slumbering enemy before he wakes.
Moving to the entrance to the southern room, Raven is able to keep to the shadows and spot three creatures in the room beyond. Three birdlike humanoids that seem to resemble ravens are quietly whispering in a language you do not recognize.
Gideon is more than happy to assist in bringing it to its interrogation spot.
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