Estra glares at the elf. I'm not certain this was how it had to go! But she still has to deal with what is now the threat at hand.
She waits to see how the thing will attack, opting to protect herself instead.
Shield creates an invisible shield of force that hovers in front of you. It negates magic missile attacks directed at you. The disk also provides a +4 shield bonus to AC. This bonus applies against incorporeal touch attacks, since it is a force effect. The shield has no armor check penalty or arcane spell failure chance.
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Hiko, peering over people's shoulders, looks on worried as the floating cloud thing starts getting closer to the group. Not wanting to get on the front lines and not sure if she wants to use a spell on the group just yet she decides to ry something that may or may not work. Grabbing her holy symbol she chants a short spell and watches as a few gallons worth of water appears over the creatures head. AS it splashes down over the creature she rushes up north of Bock.
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The Red Raven moves, while Estra casts a spell of shielding and Hiko conjures water, causing the thing to become momentarily wet!
The elf murmurs a few words of arcane might and a smell of ozone sparks into the room as a ray of lightning bursts at the thing!
But the lightning dissipates as soon as it hits the thing! "Sonuva!" the elf snarls!
"Well, now we know why you gave up your weapons so easily." growls Seelah as she takes a long look at the thing.
Drawing her sword as she shoves her way past the smaller combatants, she quips "Be easier if you weren't in the way."
Turning her attention to the foe, her blade raised high, she cries out, In the name of The Inheritor, I demand you stand down!" Slashing with all her might.
Seelah muscles through the elf and gnomes and swings, only to have the thing slide to the side. She feels a terrible chill slide over her, as the thing's aura freezes her for damage!
The creature lets out a keening sound and you all see images of bloodshed and violence before it slaps at Seelah with 4 slams!
for damage!
for damage!
for damage!
for damage!
Honaire drifts forward, slipping his ectoplasmic form between the elf and one of his gnome cohorts. The part of his form that appears in the shape of the sword he wielded while alive rises; he bludgeons the strange swirling beast with his sword-shaped ectoplasm.
Honaire's blow misses the whirling creature, while Bock provokes an attack! for damage! It misses Bock, but Bock misses the parry!
The gnomes look at each other and nod, moving in unison. They flank the whirling thing and attack with fist and foot!
for damage!
for damage!
ROUND 2:
Daedin, Hiko, Estra, Red Raven
Elf!
Seelah and Weird Thing!
Bock, Honaire
Gnomes!
Estra follows Honaire to be closer to the action.
Okay, she follows Honaire because she doesn't trust the elf, and doesn't want to be caught away from Honaire when the elf eventually turns on them.
She draws her sling as she moves, hoping that it might be more effective against this thing than it was against the gargoyle.
Estra's bullet strikes home, as does Daedin's arrows. The thing howls in pain, then the Red Raven attacks, his attacks landing hard.
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Hiko notes that the basic attacks of the group seem to be affecting the creature normally and that there are quite a few people crowded around the beast. She decides to take advantage of the opportunity and moveup behind everyone and around to the back side, drawing her flame-motifed wand as she goes.
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Both gnomes cry out as the cold seeps into them! The elf snarls at this and casts a spell! , but his spell fizzles!
"Really? That's your answer?" growls Seelah, raising her blade again. Slashing it down across the beast, she just catches it with the tip of her blade.
"Next ones going deeper!" she calls out. "Surrender while you can, or we'll end this!"
Seelah's strike hits home hard and the creature keens in a high pitched shriek! It begins to whirl, slapping at Seelah, the Red Raven, and the gnomes!
for damage!
for damage!
for damage!
for damage!
Both gnomes, Seelah and the Red Raven dodge ably!
Estra's ectoplasmic other half continues to bludgeon up against the swirling cloud creature. It's not clear if the spirit has the capacity to recognize the symmetry, but a spirit attacking a cloud is indeed an interesting sight.
Honaire slams into the whirling hand-monster twice, and on the second, it gives a weak bleat of pain and dissipates into smoke, the room clearing rapidly!
The gnomes both breathe sighs of relief and the elf lets out a whoop of excitement. Then she looks around and sees a sealed coffer near one of the coffins. She moves over to it and gestures to the gnomes to pry it open.
"Whoa! Slow down there, elf-boy. Or elf-girl, whichever it is. I can't tell with you anymore. Oh, don't get all offended, it's these eyes, not the fact that you all have bangs."
Estra looks around and starts calling out members of her own party to help. "Hiko, Bock. Somebody," and she waves her hands indicating the coffer.
"Somebody get over there and help. Our eyes and your eyes both on it when it's opened. We did this whole thing together, we'll open that together too."
The elf rises from the coffer slowly. "We fought that thing and killed it. It's time for loot. Or are you lot betraying me?!?"
"No, I'm just saying we do this together. No funny business. There's no rush, so you can slow down and we do this orderly. Nobody betrays anybody."
The elf tenses, and you can sense she's expected a betrayal. The gnomes step closer, their stances shifting to defensive.
"Now, now. Let's all calm down. If there's any betraying to be had, I've no doubt we won't be the instigators." remarks Seelah.
"My slender companion, my friend is merely concerned you might try to pull a fast one over our eyes. It's not meant to offend, simply a concern do to our having just met you." She adds, walking over to the elf. Glancing down at the coffer, she nods. "I believe we are all ready now, go ahead."
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Hikone shivers slightly as the unnaturally intense cold seeps through the thin layers of her clothes. She responds to the Red Robin's inquiry, not quite realizing that it was rhetorical. "I don't know but it was certainly cold!"
She pops her neck and waves her arms around a bit trying to get rid of the sense of chill around her, before noticing that Estrada and the elf are almost at each other's throats. She moves over slowly hands up and a calm smile on her face. Imposing her slightly shorter than five foot frame between the elf and Estra, Hiko starts in calm measured tones. "We don't want to cause trouble here. But we agreed to split the rewards and we should open things together as well..."
Glancing at the still shivering gnomes, and the rest of her group for that matter, Hiko holds up her pendant with the Master's Rebus on it. Glancing at the elf she comments, "As a show of good faith I'll even help heal your friends." Before chanting a prayer to Irori in a pidgin of Ulfen and Tian. As she finishes a wave of calming energy washes out of her symbol, bathing the people in the room in it.
"I'd be glad to help you open the tomb, and if you still don't feel safe I'll give Estra here my holy symbol to hold while I do it."
_________
The elf stares at Daedin, then at Seelah. Feeling Hiko's healing, she seems to calm slightly. She nods to the gnomes, who relax and then she slowly opens the coffer. Inside there are a javelin decorated with an electrical motif, a signet ring and a decaying bag of gems and jewels. She holds each up to show to everyone carefully.
"Listen, you outnumber us, so if you want a fight, we'll give you one. But I guess you could have stabbed us in the back if you wanted to by now. I'd like the gems. You can keep the rest of it. Deal?"
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Daedîn nods at the Elf. "As we are not here for gems but more for historical articles and artifacts, we have a deal...unless one my companions has an objection...
"However, I would ask one other thing of you...are there any rooms you know of here where we might find more about the history of this place?"
The elf shakes her head slowly. "Not that we have seen. A lot of statues, but I don't know their history. There's a room just off the south of the entrance that has a fancy old tomb in there. We opened it, but the body's just got Tien armor and an old sword there. Not really worth taking. Lots of fancy Tien writing, but I don't read it. Might be worth something to you."
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Daedîn bows to the Elf. "Thank you. You may take your gems then. You appear to have explored more of this structure than we have...we will be staying a bit longer. If you are likewise staying, we will be alert so we won't surprise you unawares...
"In the meantime, I'd like to study this room further to try and understand what kind of room this is, along with the creature within it..."
Daedîn won't mention or move towards the items he spotted earlier until the Elf and Gnomes leave the room...
"No. I think we're done here." The elf sighs and pockets the gems. "Good luck with this.." she gestures around the room and they all leave. Their footsteps fade into the distance.
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Daedîn sighs when he's sure they're out of hearing distance, softly speaking to his companions...
"Thought they'd never leave...there are paintings on the walls we should examine...also, any of you familiar with ancient documents? Over in the corner, there appears to be a piece of vellum that might tell us something...but be careful with it as it looks to be fragile..."
He'll take a look at the paintings...
They depict scenes of battle against the Whispering Tyrant's forces. A central figure in each seems to be a Tien samurai woman.
"Yes, I believe those terms are agreeable to us." answers Seelah. As the elf begins to leave, she calls out "I appreciate your help in this matter. I do believe your path is not one of virtue and find it necessary to request you seek redemption. Stop in a temple and speak to the leaders, before it's too late."
Turning back to the group, she shrugs. "Did they just leave without their weapons? Maybe there's hope for that one yet."
"Oh? Can you tell what language it's in? You magicy types, is the parchment a scroll perhaps?"
Daedin is able to carefully retrieve the vellum without further injury. The vellum contains a partial account of a holy ritual performed in this tomb complex, to bind some unnamed evil.
"Hooooooo... The Whispering Tyrant's no joke! If we can do a little thing here to strengthen the wards on his prison... that's a good thing indeed. Even this little old lady won't mind helping one bit."
"Whatcha got there, Daedin?"