Spidre's arrows continue to look for a soft mark while Raven keeps a gunner engaged.
,
,
,
,
Enraged that the men were undoing the work he had just put in to keeping Groomahk without extra holes in him, Chotka roared and responded with his axe.
,
Rikal moved forward and slashed at the man with the weapon with his flame blade, attempting to fell him.
Rikal moved forward and slashed at the man with the weapon with his flame blade, attempting to fell him. He scored a solid blow, sending the man sprawling and bleeding to the ground.
Enraged that the men were undoing the work he had just put in to keeping Groomahk without extra holes in him, Chotka roared and responded with his axe. Alas, the man ducked under the steely arc of the axe and kept his smiling head.
Karek laughs in contempt as the fool slashes at him with a puny blade. His fist caving in the mans head with a satisfying thud.
"You smile as you die trash, that's good!"
Spidre's arrows continue to look for a soft mark while Raven keeps a gunner engaged. She scored a pair of solid hits, but Raven couldn't connect at all.
The axeman flashed both blades, cutting deep into Groomahk and leaving him pouring tainted blood even as he still stood!
Stop. Axe time. Groo.
Looking around Karek can see the one Groo is fighting seems to be a slippery weasel.
Very slippery indeed as Kareks on him blow misses.
With the polearm proving too unwieldy in the crowded space, Raven drops it and draws a morningstar, moving in past a fallen enemy to assail the ax man.
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On the other side of the room, Spidre maintains her volley against the target as well.
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,
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His foe down, Rikal sees the axe wielder has been causing problems, and calls upon the spirits of warriors past to hinder evasion.
Groomahk's blood sprayed over his warleader who turned and snarled a curse.
After a quick step back, Chotka chanted, then slammed his fist into Groomahk's side.
Groomahk's blood sprayed over his warleader who turned and snarled a curse.
** spoiler omitted **
After a quick step back, Chotka chanted, then slammed his fist into Groomahk's side.
[dice=Cure Moderate Wounds]2d8+4
Groomahk roars and swings his great bonebeak, but his life spills upon the stones and weakens his arm!
[dice=power attack, rage, enbiggerated, ferocious action]1d20+10+2-2
Groomahk roars and swings his great bonebeak, but his life spills upon the stones and weakens his arm!
Groomahk roars and swings his great bonebeak, but his life spills upon the stones and weakens his arm! The two smiling men without axes slashed at Chotka and Karek with their daggers, neither landing a blow.
Dagger for Chotka
Dagger for Karek
Karek again tries to remove Groo's pesky opponent.
Managing to clip the pest.
His foe down, Rikal sees the axe wielder has been causing problems, and calls upon the spirits of warriors past to hinder evasion.
His foe down, Rikal sees the axe wielder has been causing problems, and calls upon the spirits of warriors past to hinder evasion.
Groomahk's blood sprayed over his warleader who turned and snarled a curse. After a quick step back, Chotka chanted, then slammed his fist into Groomahk's side.
With the polearm proving too unwieldy in the crowded space, Raven drops it and draws a morningstar, moving in past a fallen enemy to assail the ax man. On the other side of the room, Spidre maintains her volley against the target as well. It was enough, with Raven cutting down the axeman and Spidre's arrows finishing the two other smilers.
At once, the keep was silent save for the mumbling of the gagged captives.
Rikal dismisses his flame blade, then approaches the bound and gagged captives, saying in the Taldane tongue, "Greetings to you. We shall not harm you. I will remove your bonds, and we shall talk."
Spidre draws up her hood and keeps her bow at the ready, wary of the captives. She watches them with suspicion and nods to Raven as he picks up his polearm.
Groo grunts and pounds his fist to his chest in thanks to his warchief. Then, he procr dd to rip the hearts from the.slain warriors
The captives seemed mollified by Rikal's words and began to quietly comply, until Groo began his gory feast. They pressed themselves instead against the far wall from him, eyes wide and trembling.
Groo, of course, offers the strongest hearts to his warchief first. Then, he devours whatever Chotka doesn't want. After, he gives a wet burp, slings his axe over his shoulder, and stands guard outside. He cares nothing for the bird-twitters and fear-water of the tuskless!
Groo, of course, offers the strongest hearts to his warchief first. Then, he devours whatever Chotka doesn't want. After, he gives a wet burp, slings his axe over his shoulder, and stands guard outside. He cares nothing for the bird-twitters and fear-water of the tuskless!
The captives scream behind their gags.
Spidre looks unamused, but she's quickly running out of disgust for the day.
"Raven, help them." She orders before addressing the captives.
"We're going to let you out, and you're going to tell us what on Golarion is going on here."
She waves dismissively towards Groo and adds, "Don't mind him. He's always like this."
Spidre looks unamused, but she's quickly running out of disgust for the day.
"Raven, help them." She orders before addressing the captives.
"We're going to let you out, and you're going to tell us what on Golarion is going on here."
She waves dismissively towards Groo and adds, "Don't mind him. He's always like this."
Raven's approach prompted still more screaming.
Chotka wiped the blood from his hands across his chest, then drew his long, curved dagger and advanced on the nearest of the captives. Bending close, he held the man still as he squirmed, then neatly severed the gag. "We're not here to hurt you, or he," motioning back towards Groomahk, "wouldn't have stopped to eat. Why are you tied up?"
Groomahk laughed and ate Chotka's share as well.
Rikal sighed, then said in Orc to Groomahk,
"Mighty Groomahk, keep watch outside and ensure that no more lesser beings try to attack us from the rear."
He then approached one of the prisoners, no weapons in hand, and untied the gag from their mouth and said, "I apologize for this. Please, tell me your name and why these men wanted to capture you."
Raven's approach prompted still more screaming.
Raven's approach prompted still more screaming.
The captives screamed and shifted away from the sworn band in increasing horror until Rikal finally intervened, by which time one of the men had soiled himself.
"We're pilgrims," the ungagged crusader, an older man, said with a bit of shaking still in his voice. "We came here to keep Aldronard's Grave fit for the crusaders who pass this way and do honor to the Inheritor."
"The men...the Smilers, they called themselves. They're from inside the Scrapwall. We knew there was a risk when we came, but crusaders pass this way so often... We weren't safe. They ate Thedrin."
Rikal frowned, thinking a moment. "Did these men - the Smilers - do much of the damage to the keep? Did they tell you anything of what goes on inside the Scrapwall, or why they came here?"
Rikal frowned, thinking a moment. "Did these men - the Smilers - do much of the damage to the keep? Did they tell you anything of what goes on inside the Scrapwall, or why they came here?"
"The keep was like this. They may have added a few new scars, nothing more."
"For the Scrapwall... They spoke of the Lords of Rust, who have come to power there. They said a god leads them, something called Hellion. All the others try to prove useful to him. One of their own number was killed somewhere outside. The Smilers thought if they could take and hold this place, it would win them favor especially in light of one of their own failing."
Rikal frowned, thinking if he'd ever heard of these Lords of Rust or this Hellion.
Spidre creeps away to snag a statue, taking Raven with her and nodding to Groo on the way.
Groo looks at the weak woman and her magic beast with curiosity. What was she doing? She could find something that could kill her. He should follower her in case she found something he could fight.
Rikal frowned, thinking if he'd ever heard of these Lords of Rust or this Hellion.
[dice=Knowledge (religion)]1d20+6
[dice=Knowledge (local)]1d20+6
Spidre creeps away to snag a statue, taking Raven with her and nodding to Groo on the way.
Spidre and Groo found the status of Sarenrae, still as tall as a human, just where they'd left it in the ruined temple.
Spidre sizes up the statue, then her backpack, then Raven, shuffling around the large object before finally giving up. "I want it, but I don't think it's happening." He huffs and goes back to the group.
"So, let's track down the missing Smiler?"
"Did they say where their missing member perished? If not, that is fine. We will be heading into Scrapwall. I would ask that you remain here and secure this fortress so that we may use it as a fallback point if we need it. Will you do this?"
"What value would this place have to these people?"
"Aldronard's Grave is used as a stopping point by those who journey to fight the abyssal scourge to the north. They said they were religious pilgrims who were came to keep the area fit for them - I thought they would appreciate staying."
"I meant for the people from Scrapwall," Chotka clarified and kicked one of the corpses.
"Perhaps they think capturing the fort would please this Hellion and the Lords of Rust? Perhaps we shouldn't have killed all of them - they may have told us something - I do not have the gift of communing with the recently deceased."
"They didn't strike me as big thinkers. When all you've got is a gun and a smile..." Spidre shrugged.
The pilgrims agreed to continue their mission, keeping the Grave ready to host crusaders and any others who might come by. They had a sacred duty, after all.
2 mwk handaxes
2 gas grenades
mwk hide armor
5 mwk leather armor
5 mwk buckler
5 dagger
5 broken pistols
50 bullets
6 doses of soothe
"Yes, these 'guns' are a fascinating thing - they were quite effective against Groomahk, despite appearing to be broken. Perhaps we should rest here until tomorrow, then cross the river into Scrapwall."