Rashid ponders the map design briefly, until the pounding on the door drags his attention away...
Working on the assumption that Lavender shares her hypothesis regarding the defensive statue, Rashid moves over to it, bows, and says in perfect Kelish:
"Honored defender, this building is under attack. In the name of Abadar, your assistance to protect the inhabitants of the Katapesh Trade Alliance guildhall is required!"
Walking through the hall of wonders Bahrim compleatly forgets himself in the glories of the past. Imagineing the trade guild at the height of its glory and power. What could have caused such a marvel to fade. And why leave such treasures behind? They must have left in a hurry.
Loosing himself in playfully experimenting with the various places on the map, he lets out a happy laugh as he goes from area to area.
Knowledge Arcana
Spellcraft
The banging on the door, however, snap him back to the present situation with a snap.
Incanting and gesturing the air around Bahrim seems to solidify with a soft humm.
"Somthing to bar? Right! He says as he glances about.
perception
shakes his head and mumbles must be tired, thought that statue looked at me. looks around admiring the stone works. the map interests him but not as much as what the others are doing with all the hand wavings.
perception
what an interesting place. invisable domes and floor maps
"Honored defender, this building is under attack. In the name of Abadar, your assistance to protect the inhabitants of the Katapesh Trade Alliance guildhall is required!"
watcha doing talking to a statue? think it will talk back?
Guys, see if you can bar the door with something and get ready, I'm going to make the floor slippery so that they hopefully fall when they rush in...
try to do as the young lady asks, is there anything to bar door with? perception. if see somthing bar door. if not ready action to charge first gnoll i see. if not enough room to get fully too than try to lower staff and ram it threw what ever hole they open up.
okay
Yousef searches around for something to bar the door with. If successful he does. Otherwise, he sets his spear butt in the ground, pointing towards the door.
Initiative
init
int.
Looking for a doorbrace but seeing nothing Bahram looks to the stairs. "The stairs! Quickly! We don't want to face them in the open!"
Saul will take up a defensive position away out of the grease, but near enough to smack anything that falls prone, or if possible enters the door.
If possible ready an action to attack the first hostile creature that comes through the door.
Initiative:
|
"Honored defender, this building is under attack. In the name of Abadar, your assistance to protect the inhabitants of the Katapesh Trade Alliance guildhall is required!"
Hustling over to the last intact statue, Rashid says his part... and sees the statue's eyes rise to observe him! However she... or rather 'it'... doesn't appear inclined to move further at this time... Lavender mentioned that these things were something less than true golems - it seems that whatever makes it move must be more specific than Rashid's heartfelt plea.
watcha doing talking to a statue? think it will talk back?
The statue's carved eyes appear to stare at Rashid for a few moments, but true to Keldar's prediction, it fails to talk back - instead lowering its eyes again into its more accustomed pose of respect.
Guys, see if you can bar the door with something and get ready, I'm going to make the floor slippery so that they hopefully fall when they rush in...
After failing to find anything to bar the doors, Yousef and Saul ready their spears, and Keldar his staff, as Lavender holds forth her hand, the words of arcane power needed to conjure up her layer of lubrication on the tip of her young half-elven tongue...
"The stairs! Quickly! We don't want to face them in the open!"
Having incanted some arcane formula of his own, Bahram bounds towards the stairs, seeking the better part of valour...
The doors smash inwards with a loud crash and a shower of splinters! Standing silhouetted in the doorway are two hulking figures - each easily seven feet tall and made of rippling muscle, dark furred, with long pointed goblinoid ears and tiny milk-white eyes glittering above a fang-toothed jaw. The two figures are clad in crude-looking leather armour and cloaks, between them they carry an iron-shod wooden beam they've used to bash in the doors. They appear to be in mid-conversation,
'... one lucky hit, and he'll 'ave her!' one is saying in a deep, gutteral, voice. A human voice - the merchant from earlier (Lavender's owner...) - replies from behind the two brutes,
'Oh, I agree - Hurvank is bigger and stronger... and an expert grappler... I'll give you that. But so far I've seen no evidence of Haleen letting him get his hands on her! Maybe her luck will run out, but for now my darics are still on...' he trails off as the three of them notice Yousef, Saul, Keldar... and behind them, Lavender.
'I thought you said they woz dead?' inquires the second of the hulking brutes, adding, 'That... um... that "even 'er body was worth something to 'er family", right? Don't seem dead to me...'
'Gnolls are idiots.' States the first of the brutes in a matter of fact sort of a way. From behind them the merchant screams,
'Take the girl alive! And bring me that orc's gizzards! I don't care about the rest...'
The two brutes drop the small battering ram to unlimber wooden shields and vicious looking spiked clubs - as they do so the second asks the first in a hushed whisper,
'Do... um... do orcs even 'ave gizzards, brother?'
'Dunno',' replies the first, adding, 'just grab whatever dangly bits he does 'ave - I'm sure that'll satisfy Juluce...'
The brutes charge...
Lavender unleashes her spell - there's a 'sloshing' sound as an oil-like substance spreads across the floor in front of the doorway, as if cast from some invisible barrel: the brutes dash right into it, skidding across the now slick floor with arms pin-wheeling comically and looks of shock on their goblinoid faces! Tripping over themselves and each other they fly straight into the waiting spears of Yousef and Saul... not to mention Keldar's staff (to add insult to injury)!
From his position around the corner, at the far end of the east wing, Rashid can hear all the commotion - and see what Lavender's doing - but can't see the doorway. The statue still hasn't moved. Bahram has a little better view, but...
... As Bahram starts up the stairs in the west wing, a firm, but polite, voice - coming from the shattered remains of a statue of a muscular bald man - declares,
'Honour guests of the Katapesh Trade Alliance: a thousand humble pardons, but to proceed further up these private stairs could be hazardous to your health.'
swinging two handed aoo
Looking over his shoulder as if he's going to say somthing Bahram has a moments confusion as he realizes noone followed him to the stairs.
Turning around he hurrys back to the group.
Yousef steals himself as the huge brutes burst through the door, aiming his spear at the closest one as he slides through the grease and towards his readied spear.
Yousef will also attempt to gain a flanking position if possible.
Deciding that the he will be getting no further help from the statue, and hearing that his companions appear to be in trouble, Rashid will hurry back around the corner, his scimitar drawn...
If possible, Rashid will attempt to hustle over on his next action, and assist Saul on his next attack!
If Lavender can get up close enough to color spray the bugbears and the leader without catching another parymember in the area she does so, or if a baddie makes there way to her she moves back and color sprays him/them. Otherwise Lavender redies an action to grease any object or weapon that the leader draws.
Saul smiles as the brutes slide right into his spear. "Harharhar!!! Saul return favor! Harharhar!!!"
(+4 from prone included)
x2 = (+1 from whetstone included, x2 from set for charge)
AoO Attack: +4 if still prone
AoO Damage:
if saul hasnt killed the bugbears already, will attack nearest one. if both dead than shoot fire bolt at Lavenders new master touch
|
|
The two brutish goblinoids slam into the two-man spear wall, propelled by their misbeggoten charge and Lavender's lubrication of the smooth marble floor:
The first gets Saul's spear through his neck, it's milk-white eyes saucer-wise as it gurgles on its' own black blood, slumping motionless to the ground...
"Harharhar!!! Saul return favor! Harharhar!!!"
Yousef's spear carves a deep score across the second brute's leather breastplate but the armour, along with the thing's think hide, manages to save its' life for the moment...
... Keldar's staff whistles by the second brute's head, missing it by a whisker as it squirms in the grease trying to get a foothold...
... Bounding back down the stairs, Bahram flings out his hand: a crackling arc of bright lightning flashes between his fingertips and the second brute's left eye (narrowly missing Yousef's head on its' way...) - the brute screams bloody murder as, with a sickening 'popping' noise, its' eyeball bursts in a spray of liquid and steam!
Meanwhile Rashid draws his scimitar as he turns to hurry back towards his companions... a sound like stone grinding against stone stops him in his tracks - sure enough, glancing back over his shoulder, he sees the statue step away from its' pillar, the chain fastened to its' wrists falling away from the ceiling as it does so. Beneath its' carved veil, its 'lips' move as a feminine voice says,
'You've violated the rules clearly outlined before you entered the guildhall. Cease your agressive acts and the duty guild syndic will order me to stop.'
Warning given, the animate statue swings its' chain around its' head a few times before snapping it towards Rashid... who narrowly deflects the heavy blow with his shield!
Blood oozing from its' ruined eye, face smoking, dark fur standing up (and occassionally sparking), the second of the brutish goblinoids pushes itself to its' feet - glaring at Bahram with its' one good eye as it does so, a murderous look in its... Saul rips his spear free from the first brute and stabs it clean through the second's face (and out the back of its' head) !
Staring at the quickly dispatched brutes, then at Saul, Lavender's owner holds up his hands and starts to back off slowly,
'I...,' he stutters, '... I... um... I don't supposed you'd be interested in a...'
A gout of searing flame blasts from Keldar's hand, interupting anything the man might have been about to say as it clips his side. Screaming, patting out the smoldering embers caught in his voluminous robes, the man turns and runs up the road...
Flinching at the effect of his flung lightning on the hairy creature Bahrim flinches again at the creatures murderous glare, and a third time as Sauls spear propells itself through its skull. "Ouch.." he mutters paling a little.
Looking to Julus as he starts speaking he is quite sattisfied as he turns tail and runs, untill he realizes he will probably be back with the gnolls in tow.
Turning at the sound of stone scraping on stone he pales a little more at seeing the statue moving and speaking, not sure how to continue. "Rashid! Maybee you should sheathe your sword!"
Yousef jumps forward and slides across the greased floor. Then he takes off sprinting after the robed man.
"Harharhar!!! Saul return favor! Harharhar!!!"
Saul will try to... jump over the grease and pursue his quarry.
Jump err... wait, not jump skill anymore... Acrobatics... and Acrobatics is not Str based... oh boy, this should be... entertaining.
Acrobatics:
Reflex: Just in case
Let's hope for some love from the dice bot and the DM, maybe give me some modifiers for being so awesome =).
Good news is, unless the DM imposes some penalty, the DC for a 10 foot jump is 10. The grease spells is a 10 foot radius, so that gives me 1 foot on either side to land so hopefully that pathetic Reflex Save is moot.
Hopefully.
"We need to get out of here, now! There is a monastery sacred to the Dawnflower outside town. We should make for that!"
As Rashid waits for the Grease spell to finish, he will quickly look at the Brutes - do they have anything obvious on them?
If so, I will grab it, but otherwise, I just high-tail it down the street - my aim is to head towards the monastery!
I am Lavender of the Duty Guild Syndic, and I order you to stop attacking...
If this works lavender heads over to checks the bodies with Rashid. Other wise waits to see if she is targeted, since the most threatening thing she has done was grease the floor. If it comes after her she flees as best as she can, greasing beneath the statues feet if nessassary.
"Wait Rashid. Not so fast please." Bahram pleads with Rashid. When I reached the stairs to the other wing I was warned not to enter. If the wards are still intact, then that floor must be untouched after all this time! Who knows what we might find up there!" he says, gesturing empathicly toward the stairs.
Wait Rashid. Not so fast please." Bahram pleads with Rashid. When I reached the stairs to the other wing I was warned not to enter. If the wards are still intact, then that floor must be untouched after all this time! Who knows what we might find up there!" he says, gesturing empathicly toward the stairs.
stands looking at door, statue and stairs for a second. considers treasure, but than freedom more so. Half steps through greese with a reflex save of falls down no no got to get up and out move feet move. there going to get me again. no noi fight them ill die first, kill them all yes.
"Bahram, whilst I agree that searching that upper level could be quite fruitful in terms of equipment, there are two things preventing us from doing so:
The slaver whom Saul is currently chasing will let the Gnolls know we are still alive, if he escapes, and the statue which is currently trying to bash in my head will need to be deactivated or destroyed..."
Nonetheless, Rashid will sheathe his scimitar, and pause at the edge of the Grease, eyeing the statue warily, hoping that it listens to Lavender.
"Well you bloody turned the thing on! So you just turn it off again!" Bahram nearly shouts, turning a little red.
"And I realy doupt that scraggly fellow can outrun Saul. I he thinks so himself, then well, good luck to him! Becouse that bald monstrosity looks like he can outrun a horse for crying out loud!"
|
|
Saul takes a couple of steps back before running and hurling himself bodily across the greased floor, landing at a run and kicking up dust as he heads off at a clip after the robed man. At the same time, Yousef dashes forwards, gracefully sliding sideways across the slick marble, then sprints after both Saul and Lavender's owner. Keldar eyes the oily floor warily, about to take a step, but just then Lavender intones a few mystic sylables and, before Keldar's eyes, the grease appears to steam for a moment - almost as if evaporating - and then is gone! Thankful his balance isn't about to be put to the test, Keldar runs after the others... although the dwarven form proves less than ideal for sprinting...
As Bahram and Rashid engage in their yelled discussion, Lavender tries to placate the animated statue...
I am Lavender of the Duty Guild Syndic, and I order you to stop attacking...
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the statue doesn't appear to take any notice of Lavender's bold claim... it charges after Rashid as he withdraws to the central section of the guildhall, swinging its' length of chain (which now appears to be finely made polished steel, rather than the carved marble it seemed when the statue was 'inert') with both hands as it does so - the blow arcs around Rashid's shield, striking him brutally across the face and sending him reeling, even as he struggles to sheath his scimitar and concentrate on defending himself...
... With the dwarven cleric down, blood seeping from his temple, the statue stands over him for a moment then, without any further ceremony, turns and walks back to its' pillar; it climbs back into place, the chain winds itself back towards the ceiling, and once more it appears nought but a decorative folly...
Outside the robed man is making a pretty good show of his escape, robes fluttering around him as he sprints up the road as fast as he can, grumbling as he goes,
'For crying out loud! You people are all mad! I only want what I paid for - is that so much to ask? It was your pet orc who assaulted me, remember?'
He almost makes it to rounding the turn of the town's hill when Saul catches up to him... Yousef's a good forty feet behind, and Keldar about forty feet behind him...
Bahram's expression changes instantly from anger to shock with the thud of impact. As Rashid falls Bahram reaches for him with a start, Rashid! to far away to catch him his expression becomes pained as he rushes to his side.
heal untrained
Yousef skids to a halt in front of Saul and the man. He walks up to the man and sticks his index finger into the man's chest. "Hey numbnuts? You want to die?" He spits into the man's face, only inches from the half-orc's bad breath. "Come with us or he will twist your head off starting with your junk!" he threatens, indicating Saul and his hugeness.
Levender runs over to assist rashid
If she can find the healing kit she uses it.
Heal +2 with kit
noticing SAUL and Yousef have guy in toe, look around see if any gnolls. if not than notice others havnt followed so return to hall to see whats up. preception . if see rashid on floor cast clw
Seeing that she is useless in helping the wounded Lavender runs out to assist the others. If she can get close enough to color spray him and not the others she does otherwise Lavender readys an action to grease any weapon or item her "owner" draws.
Bahram continues to try and staunch Rashids bleeding not realy knowing if his ministrations are having any effect but to scared to stop trying.
"Hang on Rashid! Hang on!"
heal
Coming from behind, Saul grabs the robed man and spins him around. Before Saul gets a chance to speak, the half-orc has already threatened to twist the mans junk off. Saul can't help but smite a little at the thought of the man screaming in a very high pre-pubescent scream.
Of course the fact that he was also pissed for having to chase this man down make the smile come across as a very intimidating snarl.
"Saul think he had it about up here with you." Saul raises his one arm a few inches above his head, showing how high, his other hand still frimly around the mans neck.
"Saul give you one chance to come with us, then Saul rip off you leg and beat you with you foot. Then make you watch Saul eat it!"
Intimidate:
If the man submits, Saul will try and herd him back to group for interrogation, or if he fights, will make a strength check to rip his leg off and beat him with it.
Strength Check:
"I think the foot would make a better grip than a bludgeoning tool. You should beat him with the meaty thigh portion. Plus, if a bone is sticking out, you might get to stab him with the leg. Not to mention, but all that blood running around will make it slippery. You know, maybe I'll do the same, but with an arm" Yousef rubs his chin, exaggerating a look of ponderance on his features.
|
|
Catching up with the robed man, Saul manages to grab hold of him, spin him around, then get one meaty hand around his neck... lifting him a good couple of inches off the ground!
"Saul think he had it about up here with you."
Saul's just started the intimidation of the choking and spluttering man as Yousef reaches them and pitches in...
"Hey numbnuts? You want to die?.. Come with us or he will twist your head off starting with your junk!"
The game of 'bad cop... worse cop' continues...
"Saul give you one chance to come with us, then Saul rip off you leg and beat you with you foot. Then make you watch Saul eat it!"
"I think the foot would make a better grip than a bludgeoning tool. You should beat him with the meaty thigh portion. Plus, if a bone is sticking out, you might get to stab him with the leg. Not to mention, but all that blood running around will make it slippery. You know, maybe I'll do the same, but with an arm"
The robed man's eyes (the only part of his face visible under the turban and scarf) go wide with terror: the last vestiges of his struggling cease, and the 'friendly' pair start to escort him back to the guildhall; where, meanwhile...
... Bahram and Lavender kneel by the fallen Rashid, trying their best to staunch his bleeding - it's one of those frustrating things: you know healers do this sort of thing, you may even have seen it done before - but now, faced with the reality of the situation, your lack of knowledge hits you like a stone in the stomach. Rashid's bleeding out on the marble in front of you, and there's nothing you can do...
Just outside, Keldar notices the dust settling up ahead of him as Saul and Yousef's 'new friend' decides to accept their offer of joining them in the guildhall... Taking a moment to scan the nearby abandoned buildings, and the line of the hill up above, he spots no evidence that the brief struggle has alerted any of the town's nastier residents , so heads back inside to report to the others... only to meet Lavender running out: the brief glance at her face Keldar gets, he's not sure whether she's upset or just extra determined all of a sudden - either way it seems strange that... then he spots Bahram, kneeling by Rashid, covered in the fallen dwarf's blood as he makes what looks to be a complete pig's ear of trying to help the cleric! Sprinting over (way too much running in a short time for a dwarf!), Keldar shoves Bahram aside as he kneels, lays a hand upon Rashid's wounded head, and utters the secret, primal, tongue of nature his old mentor taught him back in the camp of The Witch and her Circle tribe... The flow of blood slows, then stops, and Rashid's eyelids flicker, then open!
Saul and Rashid march Lavender's owner back inside: Lavender manages to resist the urge to colour spray him into next week... if only because such a thing would hit her two intimidating friends...
"Hey Flower girl. Saul catch something you might want." Saul throws the man down on the floor at her feet. "You move muscle... Saul make good on promise!"
"Saul sorry call you flower girl, Saul just forget name, know it some kind flower." Saul seems genuinely apologetic. You sense this probably doesn't happen often.
Rising to his knees and bending over Keldar's shoulder after he knocked him on his ass, Bahram wears a desperate look on his face.
As he watches Rashids wounds close under Keldar's hands he sits back, puts his face in his hands and breaths a sigh of relief, feeling like he could cry.
As Saul and Yousef tousle Julus inside he rises up and glares angrily at him with cleshed fists. Turning to them and asking, "Did you see anyone else? Were you watched or was he alone?"
Yousef prods at Julus with his spear, and makes menacing faces while Saul apologizes to Lavender. After Bahram's question, Yousef looks at him and grimaces. "Uh...Uhm," then he growls and meanly pokes the prisoner with the spear head and barks. "You heard the man! Answer the question! Are you alone? Were we being watched?"