Ushari shakes the cobwebs from her mind, trying to recall a pleasant dream she was having. Unfortunately, the details of it escape her. She gives the woman holding a slight nod before allowing her body to go limp again.
So, we are free of the cell. I suppose that is a good thing. But how did the pirates and the women end up there to begin with? I wish I knew. Still, I had better be ready to act when the time is right...
As the group progresses down the corridor, Ushari opens her eyes to slits trying to determine any unusual characteristics about this place, landmarks and such and also to figure out what direction the pirates are heading to.
They don't seem to know the way out, either. Hmmm... 3 to 1, as long as those women don't put up a fight. I'm probably going to have to deal with them eventually, and it's better to choose my ground.
Jofram follows the group down the narrow hallway, trying to close on the last armed man without alerting them to his presence. Like a panther stalking her prey, the hunter tracks his victim; waiting until just the right moment to strike.
- 1) Do you need continuous stealth checks every round?
2) I have 2 rounds of invisibility left after this - just a note for myself.
Extending his chi, Jayse heals the worst of the burn then his blade lashes out - a blur of blue - but the lantern easily bobs out of the way. Fin says grimly, "Don't know what is. Chased me. Run? You first. I faster."
Electricity streaks from the lantern, scorching the monk's thigh. He grits his teeth against the pain.
ORDER:
Ushari cautiously views her surroundings. She is being carried down a high, narrow corridor with an arched ceiling. The walls are covered with frescoes of various scenes. One, in particular, strikes her. It is of a massive walled city filled with tall buildings, sweeping arches, and high walkways. It sits on the shore of a massive body of water. She recognizes it as Crux, once her home and haunt of the infamous Despair's Daughter.
As Jofram weighs the odds of winning this battle, it occurs to him with a trace of humor that having more armor would be a real benefit right now. Almost in response to the thought his gauntlet tingles and a series of overlapping 'plates' of phantasmal, nearly transparent armor (were he visible) deploy from the gauntlet, up his arm, across and down his chest - ending at the his feet and the crown of his skull.
SWIFT ACTION - Deploy Armor
Jofram sneaks forward, shadowing the group. Maintaining maximum silence, Jofram moves slowly and is not quite able to close the distance with the rear-guard. He observes the group in the narrow corridor. He senses more than sees that something is not quite right with the woman being carried. He's reasonably sure she isn't quite as 'out' as she tries to appear.
31|49
23|42
17|30 - 4 Non-Lethal
As the electricity is once again blunted by Jayse's inner power, he sees the tactical reasoning in Fin's simple plan.
"Sure… let's look for a room that lets us work together against it, at least."
He steps away from the strange lantern, turning and rushing back down the hallway.
Ushari very near starts in surprise when she sees the frescoes. Thankfully, the pirates are more interested in getting from point A to point B. She represses a sliver of fear, that is not due to her captors.
Are we still on Amador Island? Was there a gate we passed through?
As arcane energy tingles around him, Jofram decides the time has come to strike. He quickens his step, closing in on the closest pirate. Vaelos takes wing as he strikes at the man, invisible blade flashing through the air.
As Jayse runs, he calls back over his shoulder, "Why did it start attacking you?!"
Initiative:
Straehan follows the single set of footprints until they are lost in a veritable herd of additional prints. He casts a glance down the side tunnel and sees the weeping female prisoners in the busted up cage. He debates whether to comfort/question them or follow the footprints. The ring of steel, an elvish battlecry, and the wails of the fearful and dying galvanize him into action. He races up the corridor.
Jofram doesn't know where the battlecry comes from that issues from his lips, but it really doesn't matter. Eldritch blade and mystic armor faintly glowing, followed by the screech of his now flying eagle, he slams into the back of the pirate. His enchanted blade rends a horrible jagged chunk from the shoulder of his enemy. The man shouts in pain and alarm and turns on his attacker. The woman behind him gobbles air like a fish, eyes wide.
Through her slitted eyes, Ushari sees that her group has halted in a three-way intersection. The Cap'n and Iron Bar are debating which way to go and looking at a set of footprints in the dust. They head east and then return from there and turn southeast. Their debate is shortlived as the sound of a bird screech and the wail of the rearguard indicates they are under attack! The women mill about nervously, unsure what to do.
Jo's Init:
U's Init:
S's Init:
Cap'n:
Iron Bar:
Putz:
Women:
S's Init:
Iron Bar:
ORDER:
Jayse and Fin perform a leapfrog retreat back to the room Jayse has recently come from. The lantern pursues them at its quick pace and with its maddening bobbing.
The comrades brace for its next attack... when the distant echoing sounds of normal battle - steel and flesh - are heard coming from the corridor they just left. It is almost a relief to think of mundane warfare when compared to fighting this dead silent firefly from hell. Fin cocks an ear and indicates that the sound is definitely coming from the northern passage.
She says quickly, "I in round room there up. Lantern come down from sky and attacked. I didn't do nothing. There was other passage-way, I didn't check. Sorry."
In an ominous show of intelligence, the lantern stops briefly as if listening to the sound as well. Something in the plaintive cry of pain that echoes down the corridor seems to animate it.
An arcing tendril of electricity lashes out at Fin before it retreats back up the corridor. Fin slashes at the retreating creature, bringing the last foot of her sword down across the lantern's delicate tracery. Her blade penetrates it as if the lantern isn't there, and slides into the abomination beneath. When her blade clears, there is no apparent damage to the gilt lantern at all and no blood stains the blade, though from the creature's wobbling, it clearly felt the blow.
F's Perception:
J's Perception:
Lantern Perception:
ZAP HIT: DAM:
Fin AoO Sword (19+/2x) HIT DAM:
ORDER:
The Cap'n turns, cutlass in hand. He growls to get the women moving out of his way and pushes through them trying to get to the battle. He bullies and cuffs his way past one woman but another, in an act of passive defiance, is less than helpful and stymies his progress.
ORDER:
As the wounded pirate turns to face him, Jofram snarls and again slashes fiercely at the man.
Jofram extends his previous cut down the front of the pirate, shearing through his clavicle. The pirate drops, unconscious and bleeding out.
Jayse's well-aimed blow isn't precise enough. The lantern jinks sideways evading the blow.
Straehan watches the battle for a moment, trying to piece together the truth. He's seen enough of the pirates to recognize that the fellow with the bird isn't one and he seems, in fact, set on killing them. Score one point for him.
Still there is no evidence that he isn't a deranged killer who will starting hewing down the women as soon as he's dealt with the real threat. One point against...
The gnome frowns, a brutally pragmatic thought coming to the fore. Probably safest to take out all of the combatants and worry about their motivations afterwards. Jayse would be so proud of me.... Still, there's no telling how many more pirates are up there and he is killing the right people so far.
Decision made, Straehan moves along the wall up behind the 'Eagle Warrior' as he nicknames the fellow. If he tries to eviscerate me, we'll know I was wrong.
He says, "I'm here to help, don't kill me."
He can see just enough of the cutlass-wielding pirate to target him. Not quite trusting the Eagle Warrior, he surreptitiously casts his spell. A beam of flame reaches out towards the pirate setting him alight briefly.
ORDER:
Fin is surprised at the lantern's hasty exit. She looks to Jayse, eyes wide. "Chase? Pass it?"
ORDER:
The half-orc scruffs the blonde playing possum and drops her out of the way before sliding in behind his captain. The massive single bladed headman's axe he bears swings free of his shoulder.
ORDER:
"Yes. Chase and flank it, Fin… I'll hit it from behind."
He pauses for just a breath, watching the elf streak off past the frustrating bobbing light-thing, then sprints across the intervening distance, ending with a powerful stab.
Ushari is not sure what to make of the half elf warrior who has decided to free the women. Maybe he is lonely... Anyway, she takes advantage of the fact both the Captain and Iron Bar are distracted before she slips out of the grasp of the woman still supporting her, and without hesitation, points at the half orc who had brutally assaulted her earlier.
Her birthamrk flares as she points at him, and yells "HOLD!"
<-- Winner! Winner! Chicken dinner!
Ushari well understands why Iron Bar is so trusted by the Cap'n; he may not be bright but he's quick to notice danger. As soon as the small woman moves, the half-orc's eyes are on her and he brings his blade around. But Ushari the acrobat easily dodges out of range and fires off her spell.
The half-orc's eyes narrow as the spell tries to take hold of his less than stellar will, but his duty to his captain keeps him moving.
Will Save DC:16
ORDER:
Fin races up the hall and stumbles past the creature, earning its ire. She catches a bolt of lightning in the cheek. The elf, dazed from the electricity dancing along her skull, throws a feeble blow that only serves to distract the lantern-creature as Jayse leaps at it from 'behind'.
ZAP AoO (Fin): DAM:
Fin Sword (19+/2x) HIT DAM:
One woman panics and runs down the unexplored corridor, screaming. Iron Bar doesn't even bother to cut her down, though he certainly could have. The other women, pinned as they are between axes, swords, and deadly men... can do nothing but hope the violence passes them by unscathed.
Woman #1:
Woman #2:
Woman #3:
ORDER:
Reaching the limit of his patience with the Firefly, Jayse puts everything he's got into an impaling, two-handed thrust at very center of the obnoxious creature. With the full force of his body weight behind him, legs pistoning, Jayse drives the mystical blade through the creature, twisting the sword-like force as he goes, to inflict as much damage as possible. He only stops when the minimal hilt smashes into the creature's form. He rips the blade free, leaving a 6" hole. Even this horrendous damage would not be enough to finish off the baneful, eldritch creature... yet some trace of the blue blade's mystical energy shears not only through the body but cleaves the spirit from the flesh and the illusion from the reality.
The illusory lantern vanishes, revealing a dwindling ball of light and protoplasm which, sundered, floats toward the floor even as it disperses into a harmless cloud of non-being - utterly destroyed.
Massive DAM Save DC:15 -
Jayse has only a moment to savour the victory as the sounds of battle and a long wailing scream bounce off the corridor walls. Whoever is screaming sounds like they are just around the next bend in the corridor.
J's Init:
F's Init:
ORDER:
Jayse reacts instantly, knowing it could very well be Ushari or the captive women crying out. Drawing deep within, to the warm light of power at the center of the Calm, he races through the halls, knowing survival is often counted in seconds.
As he breaks past the final opening, coming into range of the fighters, he sees Ushari in his periphery, "Ushari! I could use some help staying in this fight!"
Fin sprints after the monk, ignoring the woman running in the other direction. She pulls up alongside Jayse, breathing hard, and surveys the scene.
She nods at Jayse's statement. Nmerous small scorch-marks riddle her body.
ORDER:
The cornered rat fights the fiercest.
"'Bar, what you got there?"
The half-orc holds up two fingers and makes a sign.
The scorched captain weighs their opposition. Got a fighter and mage one way and a couple that have seen some fighting the other way... Maybe they'll break, maybe not. Which way to push?
"Back to back, 'Bar. This way." Without hesitation, the Cap'n gives the woman in front of him the flat of his blade across
the side of her head. It is a tremendous smash, sending the woman crashing against the opposite wall. She collapses in a heap. The violence of the attack is distracting, which is what the captain relies upon. Quick as a viper, he steps over the woman and lunges at Jofram driving his blade into the half-elf's sternum... or at least that was the plan. A lesser warrior might have fallen for the distraction, but not Jofram. He knows his enemy well.
He attempts to side-steps the captain's blade... even then he sees the cutlass seek his stomach, barely deflected by the mystical armor provided by his gauntlet. The shielding opaques briefly at the site of the blow.
Cutlass (18-20/x2) HIT: DAM: Non-Lethal Crit?
Cutlass (18-20/x2) HIT: DAM: Yes
Bluff v DC:19 - <- Fail
Cutlass (18-20/x2) HIT: DAM:
ORDER:
The captain's cutlass bounces off the mystical armor, almost unnoticed as Jofram throws his weight into another blow, bringing his blade to bear on the man. "I'll chop you into bits and feed you back to the earth, you mongrel dog!" The hair on his arms stands on end, stirred by the flows of the arcane powers coursing through both him and his blade. His backswing is fierce, but wild and unfocused.
Jofram's backswing nicks the wall of the narrow corridor, throwing his aim off and enabling the pirate captain to avoid his devastating counterstrike.
Straehan sees the pirate's alarming reach with his wicked blade and opts to hang back, casting his spell from relative safety. Again a finger of fire lashes out... but the fell-handed corsair evades it with ease.
He waggles his blade at the gnome. "You're going to pay with your life for singeing my beard, you scabrous dog!" His rotten-toothed grin is anything but pleasant.
ORDER:
The massive half-orc decides to soften up his opponents before following his captain. But which one? In the end it is a gut call - the elf woman looks more hurt and her big sword could be fierce. Iron Bar shows his skill, driving his axe like a guillotine through the narrow gap. Not the wall, the small target, or even Fin's magic or skill can prevent the massive headsman's axe from nearly shearing her arm off with a single chop. The elven woman drops to the floor with a sickening crunch, blood pooling around her.
Iron Bar debates finishing the job but his captain's call is insistent. He knows his duty. He backs down the corridor.
ORDER:
Ushari nearly sobs in relief when she sees Jayse appear. On a closer look she can see he is sorely wounded. After Iron Bar nearly decapitates Fin, she glares at the hulking brute.
She slides next to the monk, relief clearly etched on her face, and calls on her deities' power to heal her comrades.
The blood exploding from Findelgwing's body registers in Jayse's mind, but the emotional out-cry skitters along the edges of the Calm. He moves smoothly through a series of strikes, blue blade seeking the half-orc's life-blood.
One thought threatens to shatter the Calm, This is it... him or me.
Ushari's healing energy washes over the group. Fin groans and rolls over.
The local woman stays put, pinned in the corner by her fear.
Iron Bar is coated in a sheet of his own blood... from three surgical slashes administered by the monk. The half-orc is hurt and very, very angry.
30|42
46|46
14|30
01|49
37|37
ORDER:
The captain advances on Jofram, pushing forward with a series of slashes aimed at the half-elf's face. Jofram blocks one with his gauntlet creating a shower of sparks but the other high cut puts a gash in his cheek.
Cutlass (18-20/x2) HIT: DAM:
Cutlass (18-20/x2) HIT: DAM:
ORDER:
30|42
33|46
14|30
01|49
37|37
As the pirate pushes forward, Jofram shouts a warning at the newcomer behind him, "Watch yourself friend, don't let him in too close!"
The ranger's knuckles turn white as he tightens his grip on the pearlescent blade. He swings metal death towards the pirate's head, aiming to separate it from the rest of him.
Vaelos should stay back - this guy is out for all the blood he can manage!
The ranger commands his eagle to disengage and move to a safe distance from the murderous pirate captain. "Vaelos, stand down!"
Steel rings against steel in the narrow corridor. Jofram and the pirate captain exchange a furious set of thrusts, parries, slashes, feints, and dodges. In the end, the ranger leaves a bent gorget and a deep slash in the neck of his mortal foe.
Seeing the wall of whirling steel between the two swordsmen in front of him, Straehan does the only thing a smart gnome can do - he backs the hell up! Heroism is overrated. Unfortunately, he can't go too far... not if he wants to have any chance of effecting the other half of the battle.
Without knowing the tactical situation around the corner, he can't risk using a spell that might adversely effect friends as well as enemies. He draws once again on his dwindling store of powerful occult magic to blast the pirate leader. He casts his spell circumspectly, not sure if he is in range of the corsair's deadly blade.
Please hit... please hit... please hit...
With a roar that causes Straehan to jump, a withering conflagration pours from his fingers and engulfs the pirate captain, burning him down to the bone. His breastplate glows from the residual heat as the charcoal briquet that was once human drops to the floor.
Straehan's jaw drops as well, utterly shocked at the efficacy of the spell. "Holy sh1t!"
Iron Bar wipes a hand across the bloody wounds given him by the monk, wincing. His response is a feral growl, "My turn, little man." He uses the axe like he plans to fell a forest. The massive axe rises and falls two times... Jayse dodges the first blow easily but the second one, despite mystical and magical shielding, snaps two ribs in the monk's chest.
Sobered, Iron Bar turns to check on his captain and sees the smoking form of the ruined man. His expression blackens as he approaches his comrade. He stares with venomous hatred at the swordsman and, particularly, the gnome in the spell-slinger's robe and the ridiculously over-sized boots.
Greataxe (20/3x) v Jayse AC:22 HIT: DAM:
Greataxe (20/3x) v Jayse AC:22 HIT: DAM:
ORDER:
06|42
33|46
14|30
01|49
37|37
Straehan's eyes oscillate between his hands, the half-orc, and his smoldering boss. The massive pirate's glare and headman's axe promise a very painful death. Despite the nauseous feeling of fear in the pit of his stomach, the gnome provokes the behemoth, hoping to give his allies a chance to kill this fellow while he's entirely focused elsewhere.
He says shakily in a squeaky voice, "So, was his name Captain Cooked or something?" He does his best to muster a smile.
Ushari sees the effects of the Captain’s demise and knows Straehan is also alive. Truly we are fortunate to be reunited again!. She also chuckles at the gnome's attempt at humor.
She debates whether to try holding Iron Bar again. Although she sees the half orc is sorely wounded, he still was a lethal threat. She points at Iron Bar and once again focuses her deity’s power to freeze him in place.
Iron Bar is halfway through a bloodthirsty promise to the gnome when he freezes in place.
Fin can do little more than clear her head, wobble unsteadily to her feet and draw her bow, not willing to risk getting close to Iron Bar. The woman in the corner, seeing an opportunity chases after her friend who ran down the corridor, saying "I'll go get her before she runs into more trouble."
ORDER: