Ashlyn is trembling at the Painter's arrival. My skin crawling, but why. He is just a man, why does he terrify me such. Then she watched as with a single spell, he killed the halfling thief, were it not for the divine intercession of the warpriest. Then she senses the twisting of the weave of magic around her as Quinys pulls them away. Ashlyn drops to her knees in the streets, body quivering at the very raw power of their enemy.
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Upon reaching the safety of the streets, Thratch throws up. Covered in refuse from the sewers and vomit from himself, he pulls himself up to his feet and stands on shaky legs.
Answering Quinnys, he says, F+@$ that guy; he's a dick. And f~~+ you too. And why I'm at it, f*+& Garund and f!#& his stupid silver bird. [b/] With strength slowly renewing, Thratch whirls on Aterro, pointing at him, [b]And you. Thanks for saving my life.
Thratch starts to head down the street and then stops. Hey, where's the fast dude and the chick? Don't they have the painting? Aw, f~#%. We gotta rescue them, don't we?
"They ran off when the kobolds tried to net them. They know where to go, but they're on their own for now." Quinys replies.
She pulls several rags from her robe and tosses them to Thratch.
"Here, clean yourself up. That smell was wretched enough in the sewers. I don't need it following us. And clearly you need adult supervision."
She walks over and consoles Ashlyn, "The Painter isn't an evil man… er… tiefling. But we did take his painting. And the gold he owed me. And the halfling is right, he is a d*ck.”
It’s apparent this isn’t really her strong suit. ”I mean, he could have actually disintegrated us. He’s moody and temperamental like that. And he knows the spell for it. But cheer up, sorceress. You’re almost to your destination. You just have to survive for another mile!”
”Also best not to think about where his partner, The Sage got to.”
Quinys strolls along, content with her splendid bedside manner.
As the scene around him changes, Vehemence drops his blade and it dissolves into the ether.
The muse muses to himself, considering the events passed and the situation which lay ahead.
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Attero seems to take the Translocation in stride, and his armored form remains passive throughout the teleport spell and Quinnys' tirade and assault of the warlock. "In as much as it pains me, I must concur with Quinnys. Vehemence, if even I can find cause to leave blade un-swung in anger, so too should you can display greater ponderance before wielding steel.
As the High Father has said: 'Wars begin when you want, but they do not end when you wish.' One shudders to think what he might have done to you did we not have one more trick up our sleeve."
That done, and that matter already forgotten, he says to Thratch, "Gratitude. And, yes, it appears we will have to go rescue them."
The towering form of Attero approaches Ashlyn and kneels down to her level. "My strength is augmented by magical gloves that I took off a half-orc that fought me for three days and three nights. 'Twould be no burden if you allowed me to carry you for the nonce." His mail shifts slightly as he offers up out-stretched arms.
Lys steps through the door. It leads into a long, claustrophobic hallway that twists and turns for about 40 feet.
The ceiling gets smaller and smaller as you continue on. Finally crawling to get through, you find it leads to a small room, no more than 6 feet high and about 10 feet wide.
Inside there is a very small scale model of the city built of metal and wood and other materials. A mechanical moon is suspended by wire above the model and somehow provides illumination for the room. A system of gears move it to be in an accurate position over the city model.
A rotating gold ring denotes your current location on the map.
Tenchi chose not to speak when the painter appeared, as he would have just been ignored again. Then there was a rapidfire series of events: The painter nearly killed Thratch, Arterro saved his life and was then interrupted by Vehemence, when finally they were spirited away.
"Truly the ways of the shugenja are mysterious." mutters Tenchi to himself before adding in a louder voice "I will go check on Lys. Please do not leave yet." and following her through the door.
Wan moves the gold ring to the north tower and waits for a moment.
Minutes pass and nothing happens as far as you can tell.
"Tell me priest, what are tenets of your divine service? What does your God command of you?"
He seeks only to understand the train of a man before him.
Thratch digs into his bag and pulls out a silver statuette of a raven.
With this, we can send them a message and tell them where we are or where were going to be. Then it will come back to me and we can send a new message. I think.
Anyone have any more knowledge on how this thing works?
The two of you crawl back down the long hallway until you can stand upright again. You open the door and step out to the street, but it's not the street from which you entered.
You look around and up. You're standing at the base of the tower. It's made of stone and metal, with various ledges and darkened windows along the way up.
The moonlight illuminates a room at the very top.
"I've seen these animal trinkets before. You turn it into a real raven and you can use something that works like the Animal Messenger spell on it and give the creature a description of the recipient." Quinys says.
"Allow me. I've been through every inch of this city."
She takes the trinket and activates the raven, and codes the message along with Lys's description.
"Don't leave without us. We're nearly to the tower. The Halfling and Muse are idiots and nearly got us killed."
"The last part is so they know it's really from us!" Quinys beams.
The raven flies off, searching for the horned girl with red locks and cat's eyes.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to mention the painting. You do of course realise that we've taken it and fled the group, not arranged anywhere to meet and barely know each other." Lys doesn't seem particularly concerned wiht magically? moving doors.
Wan sits and rest a bit, Take a load off, the night's not over yet.
Tenchi, still carrying his armor as the group walks, will pause when Quinsys speaks her message. He will quirk his eyebrow, but say nothing.
While you are both outside the tower, a raven flies up and perches before Lys.
The raven cocks its head and speaks directly to Lys.
"Don't leave without us. We're nearly to the tower. The Halfling and Muse are idiots and nearly got us killed." it says, sounding exactly like Quinys.
The raven then flies off, heading southward.
Good, they're fine, Wan says.
The raven returns from farther north, its message delivered.
"Looks like they're farther ahead. Onward!" Quinys says.
"Your tower awaits, as does my escape route."
Tenchi will also speed up, his sack of armor making all manner of noise. He will take time to stow his mempo in the sack as he goes.
VEHEMENCE FOLLOWS!
You drive on, closer and closer to the tower. The city streets seem eerily quiet until you chance upon a strange street festival ahead of you.
About two dozen people have effigies suspended from street lamps and overhead lines. Children whack at the lifesize scarecrow-like dolls with sticks and as they break, candy and goat cheese spills below which they scramble to gather.
You do your best to pass without incident while blending into the crowd. As you emerge, you’re surrounded by six hooded men stepping forth from the shadows brandishing swords.
”Right, give us your coin and your gear and nobody gets hurt." one of them says.
Combat order: Quinys, Aterro, Tenchi, Bandits, Vehemence, Thratch, Ashlyn
”Seriously?” Quinys exclaims angrily.
”Pick another group to rob! We don’t have time for this!”
She steps back and pulls a small handful of colored sand from her robe and mutters some words while waving her hands.
Dazzling colored lights spring forward from her hand at two of the bandits in front , blinding them.
”I’d run if I were you. My friends here aren’t in the best of moods right now.”
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Tenchi will whip his Katana out of it's saya and then attack #3.
As his blade comes whistling in, Tenchi will shout "Kusinagi Blade Style 2nd technique: Divine Wind!"
"does anyone else want my blade?"
He confronts the brigand and addresses him with the concern of a seasoned investor.
"Tell me son, what forces your soul to commit violence this day?"
The furnace king strides towards him with the un-telling face of a gambler.
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As he walks along, Aterro tries to answer the Warlock's question. "Torm is the leading force in the battle against evil, and he values Righteousness above all else.
Other chapters, specifically the LifeClerics and NatureClerics, work more with facilitating improvements in the lives of the citizenry and doing good works among the populace.
But other chapters, like the StormClerics, aim their sights to struggle against evil. The WarClerics are the chief weapons in this duty, and our practices meditate less on the sanctity of life and the need for humility, and emphasize the prosecution of evil and the need to do what is necessary for the Greater Good. While the LifeClerics might say that all life is sacred, the WarClerics hold that sometimes one needs to remove a limb to save the body."
The conversation helps to calm Aterro's rage that had been building in him at the odd encounter with the Painter, and the unsatisfying combat with the kobolds. Still, he felt cheated out of a proper victory and felt his rage keep at a low simmer.
As the half-dozen highwaymen appear and in so obvious a fashion, Attero actually stops and mutters a prayer of thanks to the Torm, the Loyal Fury and Emperor of Mankind. Not often is such a sumptuous feast for his rage placed before him so openly, and he did not overly question it.
He draws his massive greatsword and marches toward them. "To nakedly practice your thugery around children and celebrations is a rare class of despicable behavior. Your cancer must be cut from the body so others less capable will not be so waylaid.
Besides, to try to casually rob a WarCleric of Torm is the kind of stupid that only death may cure."
The greatsword falls like the headsman's axe at the nearest ne'er-do-well.
Two of the bandits are blinded.
Aterro delivers a devastating blow to the nearest bandit with his greatsword. It’s not enough to kill the bandit, but he’s having second thoughts now.
Tenchi strikes out at the bandit nearest to him and fells him swiftly. The bandit drops to the ground dead.
Bandit #6 responds to Aterro’s attack by waving a feather and muttering some words.
Bandit #5 looks at Thratch and declares, ”You are my friend.”
Bandit #4 also waves a feather and mutters arcane words to Ashlyn.
Bandit #1 and #2 stagger around, blinded.
Vehemence has stern words for Bandit #2.
Your halfling luck just barely allows you to resist the bandit's charm attempt.
Thratch felt it in his mimd - that slippery tendril of magic whispering, I am your friend. You trust me. You like me. Come, help me with my problems.
But then a new thought dawned on him, Wait a minute! I don't have friends!
Sorry, guy, Thratch said as he loaded his bow, But you got the wrong halfling. Just because you prowl the street doesn't mean I like you. So f!%* off.
Thratch fires his bow at Bandit #5.
As the group sets off towards the tower, Ashlyn will take a moment to compose herself. She flashes Brother Aterro a gentle smile at this offer. "I am grateful, but I can walk. Do you mind if I hold your arm as we walk though." Before he can answer, she takes his arm in hers and walks closely with him, occasionally pressing herself into him cool armor.
Ashlyn slides carefully between the men pressing herself to the pillar near the wall. Glancing about to judge the distance, seeing her allies are all far enough away she will begin to channel the weave through her crystal. With a graceful movement, she pushes a wave of thunder outward, as it peels out through the city streets, blowing all the leaves and rubble nearby away from her.
Ashlyn easily resists the effect of the bandit's spell.
Aterro manages to resist the effects of the bandit's spell, just barely.
Thratch does some major damage to Bandit #5, just as Ashlyn casts the Thunderwave spell at both Bandit #5 & 4.
Bandit 5 falls dead to the ground, and Bandit 4 is smarting pretty badly.
Combat Order: Quinys, Aterro, Tenchi, Bandits, Vehemence, Thratch, Ashlyn
Quinys charges at Bandit #1 while he's blinded and grabs his leg, sending a charge of lightning from her hands.
The idea comes from a pit of sympathy for their robbers. Sure, they're dicks - but just a week ago it was him in the same situation. And he'd rather lose a fight and live than press on and die.
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"That is NOT THE POINT!" Aterro spits back at the Thief. "They are only REPENTANT because they are NOT SUCCESFUL! What if I were a suckling mother and you a young babe? What if I carried a month's rent in my purse and a week's grocery in my arms? And our survival depended on these knaves NOT TAKING IT!
No. This evil shall NOT be allowed to LIE and swear absolution only to TERRORIZE the innocent AGAIN! They shall LEARN the PRICE of EVIL! Their rotting corpses shall serve as lesson that THIS is the WAGES of VILLAINY! Thought begets Heresy; Heresy begets Retribution!"
The WarCleric accentuates his words with another swing at the injured bandit across from him.
His sword appears to be poorly thrust...
...but the bandit dodges into the blade instead of away from it.
Aterro shouts "He who keeps silent consents!" and charges the other wounded evil-doer, his massive sword again falling, the steel glinting along the blade of righteousness.
Tenchi will calmly set down his sack and begin donning his armor.