Rotann steps back and centers himself in the room, his back against the dim outline of the portal that brought the group to this strange place; this way his allies are out of the line of fire. Now seeing the golden outline of the attacker, he discharges each weapon, throwing hot lead at the woman.
The female form is rocked by the impacts of the shots, but appears to still be standing.
With blood soaking his tunic, Rost reacted in the most violent manner he knew. He reach out mentally within his Dark Tapestry and probed the female's brain.
- -
The figure screams once, in a shrill voice, and then falls to the ground, dead. After a few minutes, her invisibility spell elapses, and the body becomes visible. The face of the blunt nosed woman you released from the chains appears before you.
Angelo's eyes narrow in Rotann's direction. "Sssee what your foolisssh trust hass brought usss? Another dead companion."
Angelo closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose, taking a couple deep breaths. "Nevermind. That wasss wrong of me. You three were sssimply following the good in your heartsss when you insssisssted we free the prisoner before we left. You could have jussst as easssily been right, and the two cynicsss wrong." he says, indicating the corpse of Jeska and himself. "Now, I suggest we get back to sleep. Hopefully nothing else will disturb us before two hours passes, I'm nearly out of magical strength."
"How about this time, we shut the door, so that an invisible creature can't simply walk in...?"
"The door was open!?" Angelo asks with incredulity.
Rost slumps down beside Jeska's body and sighed audibly. He knew he deserved some of the dark glances and he also knew like Angelo said that they had done the right thing at the time... and yet that decision has cost us dearly and almost cost me my life... Again and again I question why I chose this challenge and... if I'm to it... He closed the woman's eyes and shot a look at Angelo's last remark.
I... I know I didn't leave the door open... Jeska's dead for sure... We should split up her gear so that our enemies dont use it against us.
The last was said with cold tone of practicality and an assurance that hadnt previously been heard when the oracle spoke... by my ancestors I swear...we will get out of here...
- 22
- 31
- 40
- 48
- 50
- 56
- 59
- 66
- 75
- 84
Raven shrugs.
"Well, I assumed that the guard would have noticed the door opening..."
He then turns to the body thoughtfully.
"Hmmm... We should see what the woman had on her as well..."
Rost let Raven's imlication pass without comment. He knew he hadnt been lax in his duties but everyone dealt with the death of a comrade in different ways. The oracle hummed a spell and pointed out the items that Jeska had that were enchanted.
[b]All of this here could be usefull.[/ooc]
Looking at the door, which you remember closing before taking you watch, you can see that it is still closed, and you are quite certain you never saw it open.
Before going to bed, Raven does his best to staunch his wounds...
"Rost, could I get you to give me a hand? That woman's blades were a tad painful..."
As the group is discussing the issue of the door, the view of the doorway fades and distorts for a moment, as if an image is collapsing out of view. An instant later, the distortion is gone, but now the door is ever so slightly ajar; just far enough to allow a slim person to slip through.
2 potions of Cure Serious Wounds
Rod of Cancellation
Scroll of Dispel Magic
Wand of Knock (7 charges)
+3 Leather Armour
+2 Keen Short Sword
Belt of Incredible Dexterity +2
Masterwork Thieves tools
335 gp
A velum scroll written in Infernal
Raven stares blankly as the momentary distortion reveals that the door is slightly ajar.
"Hmmm... I guess that would explain why she was able to bypass our guard; perhaps we should spike the door shut?"
He then glances over the vellum scroll.
Raven pulls out the scroll and reads through it. It is a densely packed scroll nearly filled to every square inch with with dark, precise writing. It is a contract, extremely complex, but Raven is able to tease out that it binds the woman, one Illia Ean, to the Devil master of the realm of Belzeragna, for the purposes of an agreement. All the terms and conditions are hard to sort through, but it appears as though Illia would be granted the ability to walk unseen, at will, as well as use a few other minor spell like abilities, at the cost of a harvested mortal soul. Whether this needs to be her soul or another is vague, and it does not indicate how the soul was to be harvested. In addition, the contract stipulates that she would not be allowed to leave Belzeragna so long as any living mortal beings remain within the realm.
As the image faded Rost knew exactly how he'd been duped.
She used a Silent Image spell. Very tricky she was.
and further understanding dawned as he listened to Raven read the vellum that had been in the crazed woman's possession.
So this Devil gave her these powers...what if he tries to make a similar deal with us?.. you know, turn us against each other?
"We decline and then I shoot him in the face."
"Agreed, but first we need to get our strength back. Lets spike the door and hope that nothing can teleport into here."
After using a few spare implements to barricade the door, and wrapping Jeska's body within a shroud made from her bedroll, the group settles in again to get some nervous, troubled sleep.
The next two hours pass without incident, and Angelo and Rotann rise refreshed, thanks to their Rings of Sustenance.
"Rotann and I will guard you two while you sleep." Angelo suggests. He casts mage armor, and stands tensely. Expecting a devil to show itself at any moment.
Rotann and Angelo take over standing watch, and Rost and Raven settle in for more sleep. Though the next 8 hours drag slowly for those that are awake, nothing further disturbs the room, and not even a sign or sound of another living being is detected.
As soon as Raven wakes, refreshed, he offers a silent prayer to the Gods in thanks for not losing any more party members.
He then quickly meditates, summoning his protective shell, and starts casting buffs.
"Right, let's finish this!"
"So, Angelo said that there were two in that last room when he saw it. Presuming both are still there, and there are not in fact more of them since then, whats our gameplan? Do we let them talk, let 'em tempt us, and then hopefully pull through and start the fight, or do we just go in kill everything on site."
"Teleporting in and hopefully catching them off guard is probably our best bet. We also need to buff up again like last time. Why let them tempt us if we know we won't be accepting their offer?"
"I agree, let's just go in, and destroy them."
When Angelo summons his eidolon back there is a marked change. The snakeman now stands over ten feet tall, and has a crest of wickedly sharp looking horns sweeping back from his forehead and brow. He smiles, flexing his hugely bulging muscles. "Nice. 'Bout time I evolved again. Letsss go kill usss sssome devilsss. We go to the barbed devil'sss chamber and buff ourssselvesss, then I can teleport thossse of you who can't do it yourssselfsss into the larger chamber. We ssstrike without mercy."
"Rost, do you have any way to fly? I think we can expect that Tentacle chick to pull her Black Tentacle trick again if any of us are on the floor..."
"Should we try to coordinate targets? Take one out before the other? Who should take priority, the Handmaiden, or the Contract Devil?"
"Handmaiden. Ssshe can sssee usss while we're invisssible. Alssso, in theory ssshe'll go down fassster than the big guy. I sssaw him, trussst me, he'sss big. Bigger than even I am now."
Rost snapped out of his reverie with the alien beings who inhabited the Void feeling refreshed and empowered with esoteric knowledge.
Yes, Rotann I am able to fly and agree that we take out the weaker target first.
The team walks through the main hall, down to the large brass doors that open in to the chamber where you fought and destroyed the Barbed Devil and the Devourer. When you open the door to the room, you see the doors at the far end of the chamber are now open, and the Handmaiden standing watch just inside the doorway to the second chamber. When she sees you open the door, she smiles at you, nods in your direction, and then walks from view (to the right; south on the map).
"...We go to the barbed devil'sss chamber and buff ourssselvesss..."
The team walks through the main hall, down to the large brass doors that open in to the chamber where you fought and destroyed the Barbed Devil and the Devourer. When you open the door to the room, you see the doors at the far end of the chamber are now open, and the Handmaiden standing watch just inside the doorway to the second chamber. Angelo immediately slams the door shut again and begins casting spells. First he snaps his fingers and disappears. Then he casts a spell allows his eidolon to resist magic. Then he casts a more powerful spell of concealment, making his form blurry. Next he casts a more powerful spell of invisibility. Finally he casts a spell of speed, hastening the party. Between each spell he backs further down the hallway flying along the ceiling, away from the door to the barbed devil chamber.
_______________________________________________
Angelo and the team are successfully able to fall back, moving away from the final chamber that holds their most significant foes so far. Though their hearts are pounding in their ears, and all are watching for signs on an attack none comes, and as Angelo casts his final spell their backs touch up against the far western wall at the end of the hall, pretty much as far as you can get from your enemies in this dimension.
Four rounds pass without any sight of the enemy; it appears that they are waiting for you to come to them.
"If everybody'sss ready, let'sss go. I'll grab Rost and go north, you two pop in wherever. It'sss a big circular room. Ten to fifteen feet past the far door of the barbed devil'sss lab ssshould put you in an open ssspace." Angelo waits for verbal confirmation from everyone before grabbing Rost's arm and teleporting them into the north side of the contract devil's chamber using his dimension door.
"I have no objection to your plan, though I think I will move in without teleporting, as I can do it only once, and would rather save it for escape or pursuit. Is this plan acceptable to you others?"