Halcyon cautiously advances behind Vincent, her heart in her mouth. Mako's message indicated they were close to confronting the man they had witnessed use the mirrors to move before, so surely one of the plotters of recent chaos and perhaps the one responsible for the death of the Galatian ambassador.
Halcyon:
Mako:
Seth continues forward, as he tries to keep his armor from jingling so he won't give away their approach.
The eagles continue to screech, circling above those they found, casting weak shadows onto the ceiling from the light below them.
Silently, Seth and Halcyon advance. In the close confines of the warehouse, the seer’s impaired vision did little to halt her. Halcyon did well to stay silent, in fact, Mako made more sound than her, paws scratching against the hardwood floor. Seth, despite his armor, moved cautiously, nearly unnoticable. The halfling follows close behind him, rapier ready.
Marcus dashes until he is ahead of his lights, gripping the necklace given to him, wondering once again how he found himself in such a scenario. The kitsune follows after Seth, though lags behind several paces.
In the cracks of between the storage containers, a mirror reflects the scene of a gather of dimly lit people. Without time to analyze the scene, at least two individuals are seen.
Through the strips of light, a figure moves about, They seem oblivious towards your presence. They draw a bow, nocks an arrow, and pull the back the string. The shadow of another individual seems to watch. By the size of their shadow, they are closer to the light source.
It takes all the strength of the dwarf to topple the wardrobe, even with the proper leverage. The entire constructed stage rattles as it falls, and the wood cracks slightly under the wardrobe's weight. It appears that it will hold, even with the added wait of the doctor and those that help her.
Raphael and Jean-Charpentier help move the unconscious spymaster. The lawyer is somewhat uncomfortable with handling the councilman, distancing himself as he drags the elf. Looking through the doctor’s bag, Verrill finds the ingredients swiftly, needing not to clarify with Guillaumine what each herb looked like.
“Belladonna,” he begins, “Wolfsbane, flayleaf.” Verrill lines the plants up in neat stacks by Luc. “And, leechwart. Verrill can prepare an extract should you need it. Merely tell Verrill what he must concoct, and give a minute for Verrill to prepare.”
Seth takes a few more cautious steps forward before stopping and trying to see if he can figure out where there are crates and boxes. He waits, and tries to be as quiet as possible.
"Jean, you will be responsible for controlling the bleeding. We'll be using troll oil to keep him stable, but the effects of that will wear off, so I want you to use the leechwort from my pouch so that he doesn't start bleeding once the oil wears off. Verrill, use the other herbs I called out to mitigate pain. I don't want the spymaster to wake up during this operation. I may also need your hands, depending on where the bomb is. Mine aren't as small as I'd like them to be." She turns to Raphael. "I don't know how good you are with medicine, but I won't turn away another set of steady hands." She pulls a thin strip of metal bent at a 90° at one end from the satchel of tools. "This is called a retractor. You'll be using this one to hold the cut open while I do my work." She pulls out another, which is bent like half a circle at one end. "This is another retractor. Depending on where the bomb is, you might need to switch to this to hold his entrails out of my way. Either way, it is very important that you not touch the bomb with the retractor." She hands both retractors to Raphael and the flask of crimson liquid to Jean-Christophe, and then pulls a scalpel from her satchel of tools. "This is going to be a rough one, gentlemen, but we've assembled some of the brightest minds in medicine, so I think we can pull this off."
By touch, the mercenary realizes he is at the opening of a second room within warehouse. The wall seems to be made of a thin sheet metal, and seems to be built tall and wide enough to allow most shipments to be transported through.
A thin curtain of darkness extends in front of Seth. Just past that, crates and barrels are outlined in weak, orange outlines, perhaps by torch or lantern held deeper within. Through their cracks, one could clearly see a large, plain mirror with an oil lantern by its base.
In some cases, such as attacking a target hiding behind an arrowslit, cover may provide a greater bonus to AC and Reflex saves. In such situations, the normal cover bonuses to AC and Reflex saves can be doubled (to +8 and +4, respectively). A creature with this improved cover effectively gains improved evasion against any attack to which the Reflex save bonus applies. Furthermore, improved cover provides a +10 bonus on Stealth checks.
Jean-Christophe puts the leechwort by the patient. “Friend, hmm, I am a man of faith. The Healing Flame was christened with Her epithet for a reason. This medicine will do, but should I instead call upon Her healing light?”
Verrill nods, assembling the medicine into neat, organized lines. After, he turns his attention to his own alchemical ingredients, beginning to prepare potions in small, rectangular vials.
Raphael takes the tools, giving them a quick test. Guillaumine recognizes that he seems to have some familiarity with the equipment. Raphael offers a smile, “Special Forces taught us field surgery in case our work brought us to a Tizonian magical-dead zone. Forgive me if I am out of practice, I’ve come to rely on Abadar's blessings.”
The lawyer smiles nervously as the doctor prepares to make the opening incision. “The brightest minds in medicine - a lawyer, a holy man, a plague researcher, and a clinic doctor - operating on one of the most powerful men of this country. Gods save us.”
Side Objective(s): ???
Active Ailments: Malnourished (Unhealable Non-lethal damage, fatigue), Ability Score Damage.
Active Medication: Troll Oil (Automatically Stabilizes, 50% chance to end a bleed effect each round), Various pain reliefs.
Guillaumine prepared to make the opening incision. Never before had she used her equipment on such an affluential person. The spymaster! A councilman!
Gill regards Jean-Christophe, before answering, "Just bear in mind that anything stronger than stabilize risks forcing the incision closed. Once the bomb is out, you can use whatever magic you please to close him back up, though. I'm sure he'll prefer that to stitches."
roll+ability+skill+class skill+healer's kit+surgeon's tools
Gill will make the opening cut along the border of columns F and G from the top of row 6 to the bottom of row 7. Raphael can hold that open to grant direct access to F7 and G7, and indirect access to all adjacent squares. Jean-Christophe should administer the troll oil once Raphael's retractor is in place.
Active Ailments: Malnourished (Unhealable Non-lethal damage, fatigue), Ability Score Damage.
Active Medication: Troll Oil (Automatically Stabilizes, 50% chance to end a bleed effect each round), Various pain reliefs.
Guillaumine begins the surgery, bringing the scalpel to Luc’s abdomen. The dwarf drags the blade against the flesh, slightly to the elf's left, not quite a midline incision. The bishop is quick with the troll oil: the body hardly bleeds. Raphael, using the doctor’s retractors, parts the flesh.
A cluster of bloodied vines tangle amidst a mess of intestines and organs. While the cut only provides a small window into Luc, it is clear that whatever it is, it alive, reacting to the light as the spymaster’s innards are revealed. The roots twist, wringing the intestines, smaller vines pulling organs closer to it’s core.
Thin threads seem to pull parts of the vine to certain organs: strings pulling towards the appendix, the small intestine, some reaching up out of sight, perhaps to the liver, lungs, or the heart. It appears to be a strange trellis for the vine.
It is difficult to discern what is the spymaster and what is this implanted object. So deeply rooted with the viscera, the vine almost appears like a strange organ in its own way. Were the vines not slowly curling, entwining deeper to his insides, perhaps it would even trick an untrained onlooker.
The ratfolk alchemist, sickened, jokes as he prepares the medication. "Ah, he, um, must've swallowed a black seed?"
"This is going to be...harder than I thought," Gill sighs, seeing the plant.
Identify Plant
roll+ability+rank+class skill+feat
With a glance, you notice that it seems that the vine has been carefully pruned, the hand-shaped leaves missing, removed from the tangled plant.
Halcyon waits at the edge of the aisle, waiting for something to happen, listening to see if she can tell whether Vincent attacked. She stands ready to summon something suitable to help with the fight, but waits until the relative quiet won't be interrupted by her casting vocalizations. She takes a moment and slips a card out of her deck.
The Demon's Lantern Dexterity CE
Halcyon glanced at the card and then at Marcus' glowing lights. The card showed several colored light floating above a swamp with a hand sticking up out of the mire, grasping for something to pull on to get out of the mess.
Halcyon nodded and tucked the card back in. "Seems about right," she thought and focused again on the situation ahead.
"Alright, does anyone know what sort of plant we're dealing with here? It looks kind of like an assassin vine to me, but smaller and without leaves."
It seems that the bishop of Sarenrae is the only one who doesn’t recognize the plant.
Verrill pipes up first, excited. “Ah, Verrill has never seen one alive! Branches trimmed of their leaves, curious, as this indicates it is a mature plant. Perhaps a mutation stunts its growth, or a horticulturist made it as such?”
Active Ailments: Malnourished (Unhealable Non-lethal damage, fatigue), Ability Score Damage.
Active Medication: Troll Oil (Automatically Stabilizes, 50% chance to end a bleed effect each round), Various pain reliefs.
Raphael gives his opinion, agreeing with the dwarf and ratfolk’s identification of the vine. “The species isn’t local. Murgleis may have the rare specimen, but much more common in Tizona. Transporting an assassin vine would be quite the dangerous affair.”
Raphael pauses, turning to the doctor. “Docteur Sanz, while an interesting development, the plant is not the source of the magic I saw earlier.”
Marcus advances, leaving behind his lights as to not give away his position. The orbs of light float absently by the entrance.
From the darkness, Vincent retreats. With most of the party gathered, he whispers his intel. “Three of them, humans, armed and armored lightly.” The bodyguard shifts his weight, peering through the cracks between containers. “Large mirror, seems they’re protecting it.”
Vincent’s voice hushes as the flapping of Halcyon’s summoned eagles ends, her servants evidently returning to their plane. The man posed with the bow waits. It seems there wasn’t enough light for him to witness the bird’s disappearing, and he eyes the ceiling for shapes unseen.
"The spymaster is a druid, so I have to wonder if this assassin vine is benign, something he placed within himself, or if it needs to be removed. For now, I suppose we should work around it." Reaching in with a long, thin metal rod, Gill pushes some viscera aside, carefully probing for the source of the magical aura while trying to avoid touching the vine.
roll+ability+skill+class skill+healer's kit+surgeon's tools
Seth speaks in a whisper. "If my understanding from our last time dealing with these mirrors is that chasing them through it will most likely end in us losing them or being split up. I suggest we take them captive and not rush headlong into the mirror." Seth turns to the halfling. "Does that sound good to you sir?"
Gaston nods at Marcus' assessment and Seth's plan. “Round 'em up, maybe set a patrol for any comin' back through? Alive’ll be best, unharmed’ll be even better. Bit of luck on our side, we might even get out safe ourselves.”
At the surgery, Raphael shakes his head, unsure. “I’d like to not believe one of the wisest men of our nation willingly implanted such a creature within himself.”
Guillaumine is cautious as she searches the body for the magical object. Even as she avoids the branches of the vine, the plant writhes ever so slightly, evidently aware of her tampering. Avoiding the plant, the doctor doesn’t much evidence of additional foreign objects. Raphael guides her, speaking out the location of the aura he sees. “Closer to his core, a few inches down. Under that tangle there.”
Nestled within the plant’s sprawling roots, Guillaumine finds something that somewhat resembles the vial of explosives she has created in her alchemical studies: Two cylindrical vials connect via thin glass tubing.
In the first vial, a yellow liquid, perhaps with only a third of the volume remaining. Slow, measured, bubbles rise, the liquids seems to slowly trickle through the glass piping at the bottom, into the second vial.
In the second vial, a various powders and shavings are partially mixed in yellow fluids. Strangely, the remaining chemicals don’t appear to be the same reagents that appear in standard alchemical bombs.
Verrill hovers over the open wound, mouth agape in amazement. If it wasn't within the doctor's patient, you'd expect that he would want to tinker with the device.
Active Ailments: Malnourished (Unhealable Non-lethal damage, fatigue), Ability Score Damage.
Active Medication: Troll Oil (Automatically Stabilizes, 50% chance to end a bleed effect each round), Various pain reliefs.
Luc Gardinier Surgery Map
Halcyon steps far enough away that she can cast Detect Magic without the enemy hearing and then returns to a place where she can peer around and look for auras in the warehouse at or near the mirror. She is interested to know if the mirror is still active, suggesting that the mirror could still be used to move through.
She identifies what she sees to the others and then says, "Remember that the spell, as normally cast, is one way. That means unless the caster, probably that murderer you just fought, is still in the mirror system, she probably won't come back here. She could cast it again, but she probably just used it to make her escape. Of course, in that case, why leave these behind to guard the mirror?
"Anyway, assuming the original spell was cast from here to push Luke through, and assuming the sorceress cast the spell, I'd estimate this passageway has six hours duration left. But if we move the mirror more than five feet, it ends the spell. I would capture this lot and hope they can be made to identify their co-conspirators. Even with the spell active, there are limited numbers of people who can go through, probably 5 or 6 at the most. So going through would risk having to fight her all alone. That might be suicide."
Before Vincent leaves her side, she gives him a quick kiss on the cheek and says, "May the ancestors be with you."
After Halcyon's little exchange with Vincent Seth nods to the both of them. "Vincent you're the sneakiest out of all of us, you take the lead and try to take advantage the element of surprise. If I go first, I fear that they will know I'm coming well before they see me." Seth glances back towards the figures he can see in the light. "Lets just hope there's not more of them in the darkness." He turns to look at everyone around him. "Good luck all of you."
roll + ability (INT) + skill rank + class skill + class feature (alchemy)
Gill let's out a bit of a sigh. "Well, it looks like the bomb isn't quite ready to explode. We should have some time." She replaces the probe and chooses a small scalpel. "I'm going to expose more of his inside. It might let some miasma in, but we can worry about that bridge when we cross it. In the meantime, I need to know more about this vine." She starts at the right base of his ribs, cutting up to near his shoulder, then along his collar, and then back down to the left base of his ribs.
roll + ability (WIS) + skill rank + class skill + circumstance (healer's kit) + circumstance (surgeon's tools)
Carefully folding back the skin, she reveals the spymaster's chest cavity.
Few can properly make out Vincent’s glee in the dim light of the warehouse. Though Halcyon could hardly make out shapes past thirty paces, she was gifted to see in complete darkness. He curled a smile as he nods, shifting to face Seth, though his eyes kept returning to the Oracle.
“Sneakiest? In another setting, I’d be offended.” His grip tightens over his knives. He takes steps towards the flank.”Ten second. Be prepared."
(dice+BAB+Dex+WF+Magic)
(dice+BAB+Dex+WF+Magic+Nonlethal)
A scream gives away Vincent’s assault. While the start of a loud curse word rings through the warehouse, it is quickly silenced by the bodyguard’s second attack.
Round One (bolded have acted)
- Vincent (move, sneak attack)
- Thug 3 (21 Lethal/29 Non-lethal, Unconscious/Dying/Dead)
- Marcus
- Seth
- Thug 1
- Halcyon
- Gaston
- ”Tuner”
Within the vial, the undissolved powders appear to be undergoing some sort of chemical reaction. Slowly, they seem to fizzle in the liquid, apparent creating some type of invisible gas through this process.
Perplexed, both you and Verrill lean in, inspecting the present chemicals. It seems you both arrive at the same conclusion at the same time. Verrill’s eyes widen, his mouth hanging slightly ajar after each stammer. “Verrill suspects this creates an, um, airborne contagion of sorts. T-tampering with, with it should wait, Verrill agrees.”
Seth watches as Vincent quite quickly and efficiently takes out one of the thugs. He then realizes he now has to make his way through a dimly lit series of boxes and corridors just to get to the fight.
Halcyon moves forward once the fight starts, keeping an eye on the mirror, following Seth. She holds her staff like a quarterstaff, ready to swing it at ne'er-do-wells. Mako followed, sniffing the air.
Seth marches through boxes, Marcus mere steps behind him. Half a dozen boxes have been removed from the scaffolding to serve as seats around the central mirror. There were bits of clothes lying on the ground. Weapon sheathes leaning against containers, their blades elsewhere. The faint smell of spilt beer. There were more people here recently.
There were three men, but only two remained after Vincent’s opening attack. Directly in front of Seth, a young man, maybe twenty, held a large, metal club in his hands.
The young man with the club glances at the mirror, then Seth, then back to the mirror. Taking a chance, he swings his weapon at the mercenary, landing a blow that dents Seth's armor, and nearly knocks the wind out of him.
Almost surprised his attack managed to hit Seth, the man back up a couple steps as he taunts. "F-Fancy blade only fer show, ain't it?"
Nervously moving toward Vincent, the other man, "Tuner" the was other called him, drops his bow and draws his shortsword.
Fearing Vincent after so quickly taking out their third, Tuner doesn't slice at the bodyguard so much as he tries to fend off Vincent's attacks.
Halcyon grips her staff, making her way to the battlefield carefully. Mako growls behind her, lacking the composure to stay silent as the battle begins. Out of sight, muffled curses can be heard as Gaston tries to navigate the darkness to join Vincent's flank.
Vincent circles opponent, moving closer to the center of the battle.
(dice+BAB+Dex+WF+Magic-Nonlethal-TWF)
(dice+BAB+Dex+WF+Magic-Nonlethal-TWF)
Had the bodyguard not been trying to kill his target, perhaps his attack would've been successful.
- Vincent (move, sneak attack)
- Thug 3 (21 Lethal/29 Non-lethal, Unconscious/Dying/Dead)
- Marcus (double move)
- Seth (double move)
- Thug 1 (power attack, 5ft step)
- Halcyon (move)
- Gaston (double move)
- ”Tuner” (drop weapon, draw weapon, 5ft step, attack defensively)
Round Two (Bolded have acted)
- Vincent (TWF sneak attack)
- Thug 3 (21 Lethal/29 Non-lethal, Unconscious/Dying/Dead)
- Marcus
- Seth (11 lethal)
- Thug 1
- Halcyon
- Gaston
- ”Tuner”
Guillaumine expertly drags her scalpel across the spymaster’s chest. Treated with troll oil, the wounds hardly bleed, after the initial cut. With a careful hand and assistance from Raphael, the doctor pulls back the skin, exposing the bulk of the assassin vine within.
While the plant entangles with much of innards of Luc Gardinier, it is clear that there was external tampering to place a focus upon it’s interaction with Luc’s heart. Thin twine wrapped to his ribcage pull at one of the branches off the main vine, dragging it towards the organ. While the entangling branch chokes at the heart, its smaller branches twist at the arteries and valves, nearly making knots of his inside.
The vine wraps around the spymaster’s liver with one of it’s smaller branches, climbing to his ribs and wrapping around it like ivy.
“Gods,” Raphael murmurs, “you would think this would be enough. Why even bother with the bomb?”
Patient’s heart, liver, and intestines are all grappled by the assassin vine. A timed Alchemist bomb with an unknown discovery on it has been placed within the tangled vine’s core.
Active Ailments: Malnourished (Unhealable Non-lethal damage, fatigue), Ability Score Damage.
Active Medication: Troll Oil (Automatically Stabilizes, 50% chance to end a bleed effect each round), Various pain reliefs.
"Alright, this is a real mess. My concern is that, if we attempt to remove the vine, it will strengthen its grip on his heart, liver, and entrails, or worse, disturb the bomb. I need to know all of the options we have available. Verrill, what admixtures can you make with what you've brought with you? Jean, have you prepared all of your spells today, and what spells do you currently have prepared? Raph... do you have anything beyond what I can see that could aid in this situation?"
roll + ability (CHA) + racial
Verrill
Jean-Christophe
Raphael
Noting the man glance at the mirror, Halcyon wonders if he is awaiting the return of the sorceress or if he was instructed to destroy the mirror should this situation arise. Either way, she decides it is time to bolster the good guys' numbers. She steps five feet to the corner of the aisle, back to the shelves. Mako moves past her and watched the battle, obviously wanting to join the fight. She gives a stern order for the dog to defend her as she casts. Her words sound like she is barking but the dog seems to understand. Then she begans the complex summoning ritual that will take her the next six seconds to complete.
Seth staggers back a little bit, and catches his breathe. He closes the gap between himself and the thug, bringing his blade down on him. "You sure that club isn't for show?"
(dice+BAB+Dex+WF+Magic-Nonlethal-TWF+Flank)
(dice+BAB+Dex+WF+Magic-Nonlethal-TWF+Flanking)
With wit nearly as sharp as his blade, Marcus lunges forward with his rapier. Both his comment and weapon seem not to affect his foe, as renewed with confidence after his strike, the mace wielding man deflects the attack.
Seth however, even using the blunt edge of his blade, returns a strike that send his foe reeling.
The mace wielding man yells between grit teeth. He glares at the mirror. “Oi! ‘Nother blade by our side’ll be ‘preciated!” No response. Turning his attention to Marcus now, he pivots away from Vincent, closer to the mirror.
The man grins widens as he lands the balled head on Marcus, crushing the Kitsune’s shoulder (). Inflated with his two successful blows, he calls to his ally behind him. “Hell with the Man, Tuner, two o’ us’ll give ‘em hell, aye?!”
His ally seems less convinced of a victory. Again, he deliver a strike more attempting to ward off his assailants than anything else.
Gaston is able to reach his target’s flank, though wasn’t afforded enough time to strike with his rapier. Had not the oracle been able to speak to the dog, Mako may have abandoned any tactical nature to join the battle. With her instruction, Mako guards Halcyon's front.
Vincent, either cursed with misfortune or poor at taking people alive, fails to harm his foes. He takes a misses a cut at Tuner, only to take a quick step and fail to knock the back of the first thug’s head. Vincent seems to grow irked over his lack of success, dropping one knife to the ground, preparing to draw another.
- Vincent (move, sneak attack)
- Thug 3 (21 Lethal/29 Non-lethal, Unconscious/Dying/Dead)
- Marcus (double move)
- Seth (double move)
- Thug 1 (power attack, 5ft step)
- Halcyon (move)
- Gaston (double move)
- ”Tuner” (drop weapon, draw weapon, 5ft step, attack defensively)
Round Two
- Vincent (TWF)
- Thug 3 (21 Lethal/29 Non-lethal, Unconscious/Dying/Dead)
- Marcus (move, attack) (10 lethal)
- Seth () (11 lethal)
- Thug 1 (10 Non-lethal)
- Halcyon (begin casting Summon Monster)
- Gaston (Double move)
- ”Tuner” (attack defensively)
Round Three
- Vincent (TWF sneak attacks)
- Thug 3 (21 Lethal/29 Non-lethal, Unconscious/Dying/Dead)
- Marcus (10 lethal)
- Seth (11 lethal)
- Thug 1 (10 Non-lethal)
- Halcyon
- Gaston
- "Tuner"
Verrill pauses to ponder Guillaumine’s question. “Let’s see, let us see… Hmm…” He counts his potions already on him, and takes a look to his supplies. “What couldn’t Verrill make? Quantity is Verrill’s only concern, Verrill has reagents for perhaps two or three simple extracts, perhaps enough for one with a bit more of a kick?”
The Bishop clears his throat. “Sarenrae bestows me many a spells. Through Her guidance, I am prepared to halt any a conflict, and tend to any damages imaginable.” He gives Guillaumine a thin smile, ready for any instruction.
Raphael seems almost irked by Guillaume's informal tone when addressing him. Only a slight tonal shift betrays him, the lawyer remaining still as to not provoke the vine. “Well, docteur,” he stresses the honorific, “nothing for the patient, no. As for you, I have minor magics, and," he reaches into his jacket pocket, removing a four leaf clover pressed in glass, “luck, should you require it.”
He places the pressed clover onto the makeshift operating table beside Luc.
"You're a bit outgunned my friend, but sure keep gloating." Seth brings the flat of his blade around trying to hit the man's side.
Gill pauses for a moment, pondering. "Alright, I have an idea. There's a spell, I can't recall the name, but it's...like a pacifism spell. You can't attack people, and they can't attack you. I think that we can use that to prevent the vine from latching onto any of the spymaster's insides, which will make it pretty easy to remove. Problem is, I don't think that will prevent it from latching onto the bomb, and I think it might go off if the vine touches it. So I think we need to remove the bomb first. I just..." Gill pauses, looking down at the spymaster's exposed chest cavity. "I'm not really sure how to do that. I don't think any of us can dispel the bomb, and I don't know if any of us could stop it otherwise." She turns to the few remaining spectators. "Auggie, I don't supposed you're any good with stuff like this? Or perhaps you can dispel magic?"
roll + ability (CHA) + racial
The bishop answers before Raphael can. “Sanctuary, my child. Though, on a creature without a consciousness? Though it is a spell She provides me, I know not if it will work. Then there is the matter if it can resist...” Jean-Christophe is unsure. "Though, in the absence of a better plan, I am prepared at your command, doctor."