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Isilma gives Horgus a warning look and squeezes Aravashnial's hand. She does not want them reacting to Lysbeth's news the way they had to the Neathholmers, with revulsion and morbid curiosity respectively. But while she knows what to expect from them, Isilma is eager to discover how Killian and Shirraj take potentially disturbing news. She notes Killian's polite discomfort and Shirraj's easy acceptance, and also that neither of them thinks Lysbeth had betrayed them. Combined with their - especially Shirraj's - counsel in the mine, Isilma starts considering the possibility that she had been wrong not to tell them everything.
As for the news itself, Isilma feels mildly surprised that Lysbeth is older than she looks, and reassured that she could endure a century of war without cracking under the strain.
As Lysbeth speaks to him, he does his best to ensure that he shows that he is paying attention, all the while trying to maintain vigil at the front of the group in case of threats. As she continues with her stream of consciousness conversation, mostly asking and answering her own questions, he begins to wonder where she is going. When she mentions that he has become important, he cannot hide the look of pity that crosses his features, but not self-pity. He feels sorry for her for valuing him.
When the admission comes out, he just stops in his tracks, and slowly turns to look at her. First, is the contemplative look, as if he's making sure he heard her correctly. Then that slowly and begrudgingly shifts to one of distrust. He eyes her intensely, before saying a quick and quiet prayer to Iomedae to guide his decisions. The same he uses when meeting others for the first time.
After a brief pause, in his silent processing, he gets a somewhat confused look on his face. Finally breaking the silence as his features soften, "I have faith in The Inheritor's judgement, that you are not possessed of evil. As such, I feel no need to strike you down, and that brings me great relief. I appreciate your own faith in a lack of my own inherent wickedness, but for your own safety, please know that I was raised to learn everything about my kind. The man that brought me up under Iomedae's glory ensured that I never forgot what I was, and that I must struggle to keep my wickedness from touching the world." He actually puts a comforting hand on Lysbeth's shoulder, before turnign to look at the others, then back to leading the way toward the surface.
Shirraj's smile vanishes, "I have seen truly wicked creatures before. I have had encounters with the evil of the denizens of the abyss. You've shown yourself to be nothing like them, Mulluq'Tar. If truly you were such a vile creature, would you really attempt to be good. Demons are at peace with their own evil, they wouldn't care to try to be different.", she looks at Mulluq sternly, but also with worry in her eyes, "You strive to be good, as much as any righteous person would. To me this means you are good," she turns to Lysbeth now "Both of you proved this. You don't let your ancestry, but your actions define who you are, and by our actions only shall we be judged."
Killian's thoughts whirl and spin through his mind as he regards the dhampir and tiefling before him, but he still keeps them to himself. Instead, he leans in toward Isilma and whispers, "Care to place a wager on who'll be the next to reveal a scandalous heritage?" He offers the young elf a wink and grin.
Anevia doesn't really seem to know what to think at Lysbeth's declaration, but her face is more confused and curious than it is disgusted and abberrant - after all, the little woman carried Anevia to safety for hours. The rogue owes the dhampir her life. The same, however, could not be said for Horgus. Upon Lysbeth's declaration, he loudly and sharply whispers "Another one?!?" Before he makes a disgusted snort and approaches her. "Listen, I don't know why we're arguing about whether your father was a gorram vampire while we're still stuck down here in the deeps...I'm itching to stake you myself unless you get me out of here like you promised."
He is, however, promptly shoved out of the way by Aravashnial, who is still being led by Isilma and who promptly gropes at Lysbeth's face with his hand (missing several times). He recoils for only a moment when he finally touches her, but then he puts his hand right back. "Oooh! Cold." he exclaims, happily, "I'll have to talk to you about what it's like to be half-dead...I'd never met one before!"
As Gwerm has the audacity to threaten to stake Lysbeth, Mulluq glares at him and sneers exposing more of his large fangs, "No one will harm another of this group, period. You will get home, as I promised, but your constant lack of consideration for those amongst us has become more than unwelcome. Take note that I am asking you politely to bestill your self-serving tongue. We are working toward your safety of our own free good will and at personal risk to ourselves. It would behoove you to take that to heart and be thankful." His tail twitches in irritation, again acting as if of its own volition.
Killian runs his hand back across his bald pate in growing discomfort as Horgus and Aravashnial react to Lysbeth's revelation and as Mulluq'Tar then responds in kind to Horgus. "Besides, regardless of who each of our fathers may or may not be, we're all on this road together, like it or not. And honestly, which of us here can truthfully say they didn't inherit some bothersome character trait from their father, hmm?" He grins sheepishly at the group, still rubbing his hand along the top of his head.
At Killian's remark, Anevia merely mumbles, "Certainly not me. No bothersome traits inherited from my father here." before she begins to move on, limping on her own now, further into the cave.
Aravashnial, for his part, seems healthier and more recovered, though his face is still very ruined and there's no way his eyes are ever coming back naturally.
And Horgus, well, he merely harrumphs at Mulluq's pronouncement and says, "Fine, I'll be quiet, but don't blame me for being impatient."
With the end of that encounter and drama, the party continues on, with the blessing on the mongrelmen, towards the light of day. The tunnel winds mostly in the same direction from here on out, and it very, very slowly narrows as you continue to walk (at a rather slow pace due to limping Anevia and Aravashnial's difficulties). It takes about twenty-five minutes to reach anywhere of note, as the tunnel narrows down to a 5-foot wide passageway. It's obvious, here, that the walls have been carved and shaped by picks and chisels, and the area beyond is completely dark.
Shirraj draws an arrow from her quiver and invokes an orison, upon which the feathers start to glow with a dim light, as she readies her bow she turns to the group: "I think we should be careful here. Those of us in full fighting condition go at the front."
She turns back and fires the glowing arrow into the darkness ahead.
Lysbeth looks embarrassed, but grateful at Shirraj's words, an expression which rapidly changes to fear as Horgus approaches her. Before she can open her mouth to reply, however, Mulluq comes to her defense, and she smiles at him again. "See? You're far from evil, sweet Mulluq." she states cheerfully.
Aravashnial's touch and statement seemed to put Lysbeth off for a second, as only a person with a disability whose disability is asked about can be, but she realised his good nature and smiled, letting him feel her teeth. "I file the fangs down," she says quietly, "And use makeup to hide the lack of colour in my face. It's deceptive, I know, but many are not as accepting as you have been. I'd be happy to tell you more about it sometime," she begins, "in the interests of a better understanding."
Lysbeth peers down the path of the arrow, trying to make out anything through the changing luminescence.
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Isilma makes a futile attempt to hold Aravashnial back, then watches uncomfortably as he gropes at Lysbeth's face with his free hand. Isilma does not want him to poke or scratch her, but she also does not want to abet his affront against her personal space. She relaxes at Lysbeth's grace, and the episode ends mercifully quickly.
Anevia's statement prompts a quizzical glance from Isilma, but she is not quite sure what to make of it. It sounds like she is being evasive, but Isilma knows she is far from comfortable with human cues. She could be completely sincere. But if Anevia is ashamed of something, then it is only a matter of time before she shares it, which in turn puts an unknown time limit on Isilma. She does not want to be the last. "All my parents gave me were blessings," she says guiltily. "That they soured is my fault alone."
In addition to Shirraj's light, Anevia creates a light of her own on her shortbow that she carries. Four arrows rattle around in her quiver, but she seems determined to help out this time around. Aravashnial also approaches Mulluq'Tar and asks permission to touch him, casting the spell heroism upon him if he agrees. "The spell will aid you for much of what is to come."
Isilma, it's very likely that she's being sarcastic, but you can't really tell about what, and she seems more amused by her comment than upset.
There's not enough time for any more pondering, however, as a shriek emits from the door ahead as Shirraj shoots her arrow. Ahead, the light illuminates a small and circular stone room. Most of what Shirraj can see with her light is a group of barricades before a pair of mongrelmen emerge from the tunnel, both shrieking and grinning with glee, clutching their clubs as they charge in to fight.
Initiative:
Killian - 24
Mongrels - 17
Anevia - 15
Shirraj - 14
Isilma - 11
Lysbeth - 9
Aravashnial - 7
Mulluq - 7
Horgus - 2
Killian snaps a pair of kukris free from his belt and quips, "Oh look! Do you think they mean to invite us in for tea?" With a merry laugh, he dashes forward and tries to score a quick slash against one of the traitorous mongrelfolk.
HP: 11/11
AC: 19 (13 T / 16 FF)
CMD: 17
F/R/W: +3/+4/+5
Chance Encounter used: 0/1
Fervor used: 0/2
Blessings used: 0/4
Spells Prepared
Orisons (4) - light [ ], mending [ ], purify food and drink [ ], stabilize [ ]
Level 1 (2+1) - cure light wounds [ ], divine favor [ ], protection from evil [ ]
Ongoing Effects
Killian is extremely quick to react and springs forward to meet the club-wielding mongrelmen with a pair of kukris. He easily slashes at one and penetrates the creature's rough hide, leaving a perfectly straight but deep cut.
The mongrels respond in kind by crowding around Killian and swinging at him with their clubs.
They are too dull to try and flank, and Killian easily avoids the first one's blow, while the second one impacts harmlessly on his armor.
Anevia pulls back on her shortbow's string, stringing one of her four arrows to the thing and fires at the mongrelman that Killian just injured.
Anevia is close enough to fire off a good shot, even though the creature is violently moving and in combat with one of her allies. The arrow impacts in the creature's side (teenagers would call it a "kidney shot", but there's no telling where these creatures' kidneys are) and sinks in deeply. The mongrel groans in pain.
Initiative:
Killian - 24
Mongrels - 17
Anevia - 15
Shirraj - 14
Isilma - 11
Lysbeth - 9
Aravashnial - 7
Mulluq - 7
Horgus - 2
Mulluq agrees to allow the old elf to cast his spell on him, thanking him deeply for his aid considering all he has lost with the recent tragedy that has taken his eyesight. As the cry rings out, Mulluq is confused by Killian's question, "No, I believe they intend to harm us, tea may be last on their minds at this moment."
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Isilma snatches her staff from Aravashnial and pulls out Terendelev's scale. "Atya," she says, "Horgus, protect your heads." She holds the silver plate palm-out and wills the two up towards the ceiling to hide among the stalactites, then steps into the cloud supporting Aravashnial. Maybe she can maintain control like this.
Seeing the opponents that her arrow has attracted, Shirraj looses an arrow at one of them, the one that everyone else has injured so well. Her arrow impacts the creature and it falls with a little pained yelp.
At the same time, Sinjin dashes forward on little taloned feet to try and take out the other mongrelman for its master. Unfortunately, it isn't quite as strong as she is and so its teeth fail to find purchase.
Isilma invokes the power of Terendelev's scale once again, pulling her, Aravashnial and Horgus all up into the air. Both of them are taken by surprise for completely different reasons, but after a moment they settle and calm down.
Lysbeth draws a light crossbow (loaded, of course) and fires it at the remaining conscious mongrel. She's too concerned with hitting her allies, of course, and that ends up pushing her shot off-target. The bolt clatters into the room beyond.
Finally, Aravashnial begins intoning a spell from memory, calling into being below him a being of rock and dirt. The creature shifts on its two legs, adjusts its one arm, and then glides forward on the ground towards the mongrelman.
Initiative:
Killian - 24
Mongrels - 17
Anevia - 15
Shirraj - 14
Isilma - 11
Lysbeth - 9
Aravashnial - 7
Mulluq - 7
Horgus - 2
Mulluq would prefer to check the mongrelmen for the taint of evil in their souls before attacking them, but unfortunately battle has begun, and he must fight to defend those he knows are not evil. He moves up into the fray, and swings at the remaining enemy, his strike fairly solid albeit reluctant. "Please, cease your hostility. I do not want to have to kill you."
Mulluq moves up beside his companion, Killian, and swings his sword at the remaining mongrel, cutting into the amalgam creature's muscular chest and eliciting a cry of pain and a howl further back into the cavern.
Initiative:
Killian - 24
Mongrels - 17
Anevia - 15
Shirraj - 14
Isilma - 11
Lysbeth - 9
Aravashnial - 7
Mulluq - 7
Horgus - 2
Killian slips behind the remaining mongrelman and lashes out with two quick, sweeping slashes from his kukris. "Not offering road-weary travelers tea? Well we're getting off on quite the wrong foot then, aren't we?"
HP: 11/11
AC: 19 (13 T / 16 FF)
CMD: 17
F/R/W: +3/+4/+5
Chance Encounter used: 0/1
Fervor used: 0/2
Blessings used: 0/4
Spells Prepared
Orisons (4) - light [ ], mending [ ], purify food and drink [ ], stabilize [ ]
Level 1 (2+1) - cure light wounds [ ], divine favor [ ], protection from evil [ ]
Ongoing Effects
Killian, slipping around the remaining mongrelman, swipes at it twice with his kukris. The creatures are almost comically undefended and not particularly cautious either, so he manages to score a slice on it even though he very nearly trips and falls when he tries to score the finishing blow.
The mongrel growls at Killian's joke and responds in a rumbling baritone. "Getting off of both feet, you are!" before it tries to strike him with its club.
Killian, however, is far too nimble for any of that.
From inside the cave, though, come running three more figures. From the left, a pair of unarmed mongrels brandish their claws and charge in towards Mulluq and Killian, while from the right, a blue-scaled mongrel drops to a knee and draws back on a longbow, loosing an arrow at Killian and striking him.
Anevia draws back on her own bow, drawing one of her three arrows left, and fires at the injured mongrelman assaulting Killian. She hits it in the neck, to the side of its muscular appendage, and fells the creature.
Initiative:
Killian - 24
Mongrels - 17
Anevia - 15
Shirraj - 14
Isilma - 11
Lysbeth - 9
Aravashnial - 7
Mulluq - 7
Horgus - 2
Shirraj drops her bow and drawing her Nodachi, steps up to the mongrel to swing.
Lysbeth narrows her eyes as more mongrels come out from the woodwork, and fires her crossbow into the blue-scaled archer.
Shirraj charges one of the two mongrels that had emerged from another side-cavern, swinging her nodachi at one of them. Her strike is accurate and powerful, and the blade of her weapon travels through the creature's tough hide into its muscles and its organs, sending it unconsciously tumbling to the ground.
Above, on her cloud, Isilma begins to cast a spell - the one spell she is capable of today.
Lysbeth points her crossbow at at blue-scaled mongrelman firing arrows at her compatriots and fires it. The bolt travels at the mongrel and pierces it in the neck. Not through the windpipe, that would be fatal, but the creature still staggers back from the force and the pain of the blow and spits.
Aravashnial commands his summoned creature in the language of the earth and the stone, and it rumbles forward to attack the remaining mongrelman. It delivers a powerful blow with its one overlarge earthen arm and the creature takes a step back, ribs creaking from the force of the elemental's blow.
Initiative: Round 2
Killian - 24
Mongrels - 17
Anevia - 15
Shirraj - 14
Isilma - 11
Lysbeth - 9
Aravashnial - 7
Mulluq - 7
Horgus - 2
Mulluq takes a swing at the remaining mongrelman, before moving to place himself as an obstacle and the only target for the last remaining one.
Mulluq's puissance and the spell he is under from Aravashnial do him very well as he dispatches one of the two remaining mongrelmen with his longsword. The strange amalgam creature falls to the ground, unconscious, and Mulluq moves to intercept the blows of the other, remaining mongrelman. The blue-scaled creature spits at him as he approaches, and bares its teeth.
Horgus, meanwhile, continues to be useless and unarmed, above on the cloud that Isilma has created.
Initiative:
Killian - 24
Mongrels - 17
Anevia - 15
Shirraj - 14
Isilma - 11
Lysbeth - 9
Aravashnial - 7
Mulluq - 7
Horgus - 2
Killian shakes his head as the mongrelmen fall around him. "Perhaps now we see why inviting us in for tea would have been a better course?" He slashes at the remaining foe and grunts in pain as the arrow in his shoulder hampers his strike.
HP: 7/11
AC: 19 (13 T / 16 FF)
CMD: 17
F/R/W: +3/+4/+5
Chance Encounter used: 0/1
Fervor used: 0/2
Blessings used: 0/4
Spells Prepared
Orisons (4) - light [ ], mending [ ], purify food and drink [ ], stabilize [ ]
Level 1 (2+1) - cure light wounds [ ], divine favor [ ], protection from evil [ ]
Ongoing Effects
Killian rushes forward to engage the bow-wielding mongrel with his kukris, but it turns out that this one is much better-defended and much more agile than your average mongrel, and so she easily dodges out of the way of his strike.
In response, she drops her bow and pulls a giant club off of her back, swinging it powerfully at Killian with a "Hurrrgh!" The wound through her neck, though, prevents her from accurately striking at Killian.
Anevia, in the back, yells out "Hey, I've only got a couple of arrows left! Sorry, not much I can do right now!"
Initiative:
Killian - 24
Mongrels - 17
Anevia - 15
Shirraj - 14
Isilma - 11
Lysbeth - 9
Aravashnial - 7
Mulluq - 7
Horgus - 2
"Sinjin, attack!" Shirraj instructs her companion while charging the remaining mongrel.
Sinjin leaps toward the mongrelfolk jaws ready to dig their teeth into the creature.
Together, Shirraj and Sinjin fell the one remaining mongrelman(woman?) with their martial prowess, big weapons, and sharp teeth. Sinjin nips her leg with his mouth, keeping her in place for Shirraj to impale upon her nodachi. The mongrel gurgles for a moment before she falls, dead, to the ground.
Silence! For now, at least.
Killian shakes his head at the bloodshed as he runs a hand back over his bald pate. "Not the nicest welcoming committee I've seen." He adds with a shrug and a half-grin, "Not the worst either though. Small blessings, right? Everyone alright? Still got all your parts?"
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With her spell complete and no more mongrels appearing to oppose their progress, Isilma releases the magic on herself. It washes over her and, finding her too small a reservoir, bleeds onto Aravashnial as well. Fortunately, it does so without affecting either of them. Slowly, Isilma lowers everyone she'd lifted down from the ceiling, the pillars of cloud below them puffing out of existence as their toes touch the ground. "I thinkest so," she says, trying not to imagine what Killian might have done to merit a less friendly reception. "But I hast no more magic remaining, excepting simple spells and Terendelev's kindness."
Mulluq shakes his head, regretful of the measures he had to go to in order to protect his companions, "That does not bode well, young lady. The talk of the traitors we need to deal with seemed to me as if there were more than just five of them. I would suggest you try to stay back and away from any danger with Master Gwerm. I will do what I am capable of to keep you safe as we deal with the split faction." with that he looks over the group for any signs of obvious injury, and barring any he will begin to press forward.
Lysbeth frowns, speaking quietly to Mulluq. "If indeed there are more, as is likely, it may do us well to rest and recover our strength at some point. Anevia and Aravashnial are still weak, and may not fare well without Isilma's magic."
Killian pats down the mongrelfolk as the others busy themselves discussing the merits of pressing on versus falling back. While looking for anything of use, his main focus is for keys or other items that might help the group navigate the traitors' compound.
After sheathing her sword and Picking up her bow, Shirraj draws another arrow and enchants it with light, this time keeping it in her hand as an improvised torch. She prepares three more glowing arrows and hands them out to Killian, Isilma and Horgus. "It is better we have a few light sources at hand just to be prepared.", she looks at the slain mongrelfolk: "I would not want to engage more of these traitors at half strength either. Sinjin and I are still able to press on, but if you need to rest, we will take watch."
Mulluq shakes his head, apologies written on his face. "I understand the sentiment, but we may not be in any position to rest. We must be near their lair if we encountered both barricades and guards. For the sake of safety we would need to backtrack a fair distance in order to rest securely."
The entrance to the room that you fought the mongrels in is the mouth of a cave, and contains a door to a room with barricades. This is the room that Wenduag made her own stand. This room has three doors in it. One on the north wall, and two on the eastern wall.
None of the mongrels are carrying anything of especial value except for Wenduag, unless you're really interested in wooden clubs.
Wenduag carries:
a pink-tinged potion inside a vial, a simple stone wand, she wears a masterwork chain shirt, carries a masterwork longbow and eighteen arrows, an obsidian unholy symbol depicting a fiendish bull. She also carries 34gp.
Killian stops for a second as his hands fall across a deity's symbol. He shakes his head and passes the decorative item over his shoulder. "Anyone else recognize who our former archer was faithful to?"
Mulluq looks over the odd symbol, just as much at a loss as Killian is to it's respective deity. As Isilma gets upset, he hangs his head in regret "I did not mean to offend. It was just my intent to keep you safe, or as safe as I am able to given my limited capabilities. If all is well, then shall we press onward?"