As he'd done before, Razif initially stays out the door, hoping to spot any sign of gnolls before they spot them.
Drael stares down at the battle market, taking notes on what he sees. There are gnolls patrolling around the marketplace, right now they're at the northeast end. I can't tell if there are any more guards than those.
"Do the guards look like they will come around here somewhere?"
"How many are there?"
"What's taking you so long, Drael? Can we continue on with our patrol now? I'm bored."
Drael shushes Rab-rab as he continues to watch the market. If you'd like to go and get attacked by those gnolls, be my guest. I can see 4 of them, they're making a full circle around the market which does mean that we can probably avoid them if we time our movements to when they are on the other side of the battle market and stay quiet.
"Fine! ...Now are you done? ...How about now?"
Yes... Which is why I answered your questions.
Drael turns back to the rest of the group, Does anyone want to take a look, or have thoughts on how we should proceed?
"I'd like to take a look, I'm pretty sure we're in the clear."
Razif climbs up the building and peers out into the night.
Afterwards, Razif climbs down. "If the battle-market is so thinly guarded, I'd like to take a look there, especially considering Undrella gave us a key. That said, we've come this far by slowly going from building to building, and I don't really see any reason to change that plan."
"Yeah, we need to keep going one building at a time."
Rab-rab nods her head along with her brother. "Yeah, I think so too."
"Alright. Let's move out then."
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The gang leaves the abandoned mansion and presses south along the main road as it slowly begins to climb into the heart of Kelmarane. As the road rises, the view over the largely burnt-out buildings of the eastern and lowest portion of Kelmarane become evident. Most of the buildings along this rising road seem intact and functional.
The building adjacent to the mansion appears to be just that: an intact stable-house adjoined to the subsequent building to the south. Like many of the buildings in this quarter of the town, the doors hang ajar, the disused nature of the abandoned but serviceable-buildings speaking plainly to the disruption of the populace that once graced the roads of this town.
Drael leads the group towards the closest building, looking around warily for any signs of guards or other inhabitants but seeing nothing.
Layaali stops at the doors to the stable and makes a gesture for quiet. She taps her ear, then points at the stable. Clearly she hears something inside.
Layaali readies her crossbow and gets ready to head inside.
Razif nods, acknowledging Layaali's warning, and clings to the wall as he attempts to remain as silent as possible, ready to move in at any time.
His attempts are unsuccessful.
Min casts mage armour on himself and then Rab-rab.
Then he quietly follows Layaali.
Rab-rab sneaks inside quietly.
Drael will follow Rab-rab into the building, staring into the darkness for any signs of movement.
Min follows his sister inside and casts dancing lights.
With Min's spell creating some light, Razif follows the rest into the building.
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The group heads into the largely-dim stable house, scanning the empty stalls for the source of the sounds noted by the oracle. Drael leads the group with confidence, his darkvision unfettered by first the absent and then the scattered lighting within the building.
Suddenly, a disheveled human wearing an ill-fitting helm and a crazed look in his eye pops up from a narrow passage to the suli's right, his clear voice sounding out in arcane syllables!
Layaali hurries inside loads her crossbow, takes aim, them pauses.
"...You're no gnoll. Who are you?"
Razif slowly moves along the north wall, past his companions, to get a good angle on the human.
"... And what did you just cast on our friend?"
Drael moves quickly to the man's side, paying little attention to the others as he holds out his arm for the man to lean on. Felliped, let's get you somewhere safe! Are you hurt?
”Are we attacking this guy or not?” Rab-rab asks.
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The human holds up a spear with a crazed look in his eye at Layaali's question.
"I am Felliped the Mighty! I have vanquished many gnolls and my friend -" here he gestures to Drael "- has been ordered by the Lions of Senara to return me to safety! You would do well to not delay us! In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey! Butane in my veins so I'm out to cut the junkie with the plastic eyeballs. Spray paint the vegetables; dog food stalls with the beefcake pantyhose. Kill the headlights and put it in neutral - stock car flamin' with a loser on the cruise control. Baby's in Reno with the vitamin D. Got a couple of couches; sleep on the love seat...."
"Felliped the Mighty?" Layaali raises an eyebrow. "I may be blind, but still I see. You're no mightier than I am." Layaali frowns. "Drael is no friend of yours. Cease whatever mind magic you've ensorcelled him with that we may speak." She does not lower her crossbow. "Oxvard told me all about you and your escape from the Battle Market. I understand your fear and desperation. Oxvard is alive and well. We will bring you to safety and to him. But first, get that spear out of my face and leave my friend alone."
Razif puts away his bow for now and lets out a slightly exasperated sigh. "We'll get you out of here, but you'll need to be quiet. This is a dangerous place, and not being detected could mean the difference between life and death."
"Huh. This guys is crazy. Maybe even more than Uzma was. Uzma didn't sing gibberish. He just really liked to talk about the weather."
Drael looks down at the man, confusion on his face. Are you alright? We need you to stay quiet and leave with us, and we can reunite you with Oxvard.
Min adjusts his glasses. "You're not mighty. You've been hiding in here at least a few days. And stop trying to use that crazy song to fascinate my fellows. It won't work."
When Felliped starts to cry Min says "Yes, that's more like it. Cry under the might of the Bunnisbeldar's! And relief, I guess. Now shush! We need to get out of here before they hear your blubbering!"
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Felliped composes himself at Min's words.
"Yes, yes, you're right. Oh," here he looks apologetically at Drael, "I'm sorry about that."
With a grimace, Felliped rises to his feet, the rusty spear held to the ground.
"My name is Felliped," he begins with a deep breath, "and as you've determined, I'm a member of the failed adventuring assembly previously known as the Lions of Senara. I thought that I was the only one who had survived - they capture Oxvard and Andrus after slaying the others. And then poor Andrus...."
Felliped shudders and shakes his head.
"I've not been able to mount my courage to attempt to search for Oxvard since I found myself here a few days ago. And there are more undesirables entering the city - mercenaries of all races and creeds somehow drawn to this forsaken place. We were hunting treasures, not a fight for our life! It would seem that we should have known that a sealed crypt underneath the old church of Sarenrae in town would be guarded by more than rumours and spiders."
Drael shakes his head, stepping quickly away from Felliped. Wait, who are you?
After the man is done speaking, he interjects brusquely. So, what else did you find waiting for you?
Razif nods at Drael's question and follows up with his own. "I'd like to know what you heard about this sealed crypt..." He leans his head towards the others. "Sounds like the place Kardswann delved into."
"We can speak on the way," Layaali assures everyone. "We need to return to the monastery."
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"Yeah. We'll take you back to the monastery and you can talk on the way. And no more of those enchantments. My sister and I have slayed lots of beasts, you know. For real. So don't mess with us!"
Min moves for the door so they can get on their way.
Rab-rab skips after Min. "Come on, King Jack-jack! Out we go!"
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Felliped blinks at Drael's question as the gang hurry through the darkened streets of Kelmarane. "Why, surely you've noticed that this place is overrun by gnolls and their thralls! And all led by this grotesque brute of a man who calls himself Kardswann - ha! 'Tis a mockery to the name of one of the ancient Templars, I tell you. He is cruel - a vicious monster well-suited to leading these howling dog-people. They seem to be gathering strength to them to establish this place to what end, I do not know, but I shall be glad to see the outside of its walls." The bard wheezes slightly as he answers Drael in a hushed voice.
"I feel like we already know all that. Don't you know anything else? What does the Battle Market look like? How many gnolls did you see inside? These people who came to visit, what were they like? Did you see any creatures other than knolls and those visitors?"