Fukarth can't make heads or tails of Lianhua's song, but something about the melody lifts his spirits. Turning his attention to the skeleton that has been throwing spells at them, he rushes in.
In serious pain and swearing profusely, I step behind Fukarth's path and turn on the skeleton that pursued me, "Okay, maybe you guys had it right."
When Imperia sees Fukarth's skeleton blow up, she immediately celebrates. "Alright!!" she shouts out victoriously-- and deftly avoids a laser beam by standing still. She shoots a glance to the spell-slinging skeleton before Fukarth barrels in, axe a-blazin' and Imperia turns her attention to the last blazing skeleton.
Song's shaky voice pierces through the din of the battle, beautiful and clear, and all Imperia could hear was a victory march.
"Clear me a space!" she calls, clearly intending to play second-verse-same-as-the-first. It immediately erupts in flames, and Imperia boggles for a moment before laughing and saying "Great shot!" before lunging at the spellslinger.
Imperia takes several wide steps towards it, winding up, and shouts "You should've posted a bigger sign!" before bringing the greataxe down on its head.
->
Seeing Imperia turn from my foe to land a sweet shot on the spell-skeleton, I let out an encouraging bark, "We are on fire!"
Then I catch myself and grimace, "What am I saying...?"
Fukarth charges the skeletal spellcaster and performs a flawless swing. But instead of a satisfying sound of breaking bones, he hears a metallic clang as an invisible forcefield blocks his strike! The robed skeleton doesn't have much time to look smug however, as Imperia's axe soon meets the skeleton's skull, leaving a visible crack behind.
"What am I saying... oh, what, wait..."
I collapse.
Gorvy's last shot causes the last burning skeleton to explode into hundreds of tiny bony pieces. The gunslinger has been badly battered however, and collapses to the ground, bleeding.
As the flaming skeleton burst into pieces Lianhua makes her best effort to dodge out of the way. As the ever burning flames seem to take a end she notices Gorvy crashing to the ground. Reaching into her bag she pulls out a potion of cure light wounds and makes her way to the gunslinger. In a desperate cry she begs for his well being.
"Don't die on me! I don't want to lose anyone else!"
Magical murmuring can be heard as the still invisible Ka'ta casts a healing spell on herself.
The skeleton mage takes a step back and unleashes a ray of fire towards Imperia! The ray is easily dodged, but Imperia can feel its heat as it passes by.
Map!
"That's about enough from you," Fukarth grumbles, swinging his axe at the skeleton again.
"Yeah, what he said!" Imperia dashes forward and leaps into the air, delivering a pair of turning kicks to the skeleton's chest and skull with her heavy boots.
->
->
"Is Gorvy okay? Where's Ka'ta?!" she calls back to Song as she lands from the apex of her leap.
Ka'ta scoots to heal Gorvy now!
Ka'ta comes over to help fix Gorvy's wounds and Lianhua does the same. Taking the potion of cure light wounds she pours it down Gorvy's throat.
Coming round with the two women standing concernedly over me, I grin sheepishly, "Well, ain't that a sight for sore eyes, I should get set on fire more often."
Wincing, I grab my pistol and get to my feet, "Thank you, both."
After being brutally bashed and sliced by Fukarth and Imperia, the skeleton starts preparing a spell. The dwarf and half-orc can feel the magical energy accumulating at a close distance, and then...
"Fftz." ...The spell sizzles and the magical energy fades away.
"It's Fukarth, not Fftz, you bony b******!" Fukarth says, and takes another swing.
"Fukarth Firebeard. Remember that name."
Imperia wheels back, drops the greataxe and then spiral kicks into her opponent, missing him by inches. In the next second, she lunges out with a crushing fist, her strike hopefully true.
->
->
"Snap!"
Although she can't see it, Imperia's strike breaks her opponent's spine, causing the robed skeleton to collapse into a heap of cloth and bones. Upon touching the ground, the skeleton's skull, weakened by Fukarth's axe, shatters into dozens of tiny pieces.
As the clash of the battle has faded, an eerie silence decends once more. You can feel tiny droplets of water falling onto your faces, predicting a stronger rainfall real soon
Fukarth burns his spells for the day on recovering from the fight. Mumbling and drinking, he heals:
Me
Gorvy
Song
With a final swift blow Imperia destroys the last skeleton. As its head crumbles to the ground Fukarth makes his rounds healing himself and his allies, although Lianhua turns down his generous offer.
"I'm sorry, but I think Ka'ta needs it more then myself."
The girl makes her reply in as calm of a manner as she could, although someone more astute could probably pick up on the fact that her words weren't completely honest.
Pulling out a potion Lianhua takes a drink to heal some of her injuries.
"Someone ask your opinion?" Fukarth grumbled at Song.
Ka'ta relaxes a bit and grumbles, still poking at her wounds, "Okay, I admit it...it was a bad idea."
"Don't think of it like that, you're an adveturer now! It's no longer 'nearly dying'; now it's 'overcoming incredible odds'!"
I hold out a hand and let a few drops of rain settle there, then I head toward the house, "Well, we might as well make the most of it."
Ka'ta peers about nervously as well.
Imperia sighs and pulls up her hood on her jerkin, picking up her greataxe and making sure to grind her heel on the skeleton's bones before following after Ka'ta and Gorvy. "Y'all should stay here for a minute while I check it out, see if there's anything else odd about the area outside the big house. Then we can go stomping around shouting and bangin' our shields to see what other things might be aching to feast on our flesh and set themselves a'fire. Fair deal?"
She pops open one of the corked bottles she had bargained from Bob-Goblin and shot it down. A faded ghost of full-plate armor covered over with spikes and hooks flickered around her body for a moment before disappearing. The slow rain now seemed to veer away from her, running down invisible grooves and outlining invisible armor.
Fukarth follows after Ka'ta and Gorvy, liking the smell of wet dwarf less than most people. He frowns enviously as Imperia drinks a potion, and looks back at the wagon with the barrels of whiskey. He sighs, knowing this isn't the time, and awaits the half-orc's return.
The closer you get to the mansion the bigger it seems; Whoever had this place built was certainly a person of no small importance. There is a general feeling of disrepair looming over the mansion, and the windows have curtains pulled over them, making it impossible to see inside. A large oak door stands in front of you, a fine cast iron door knocker adorning it.
Imperia sets off for a throughout survey of the area outside the mansion. The only thing out of ordinary she spots is an archery range on the other side of the mansion. It seems to be used recently, and if the marks on the targets are to be trusted, by someone quite good with a bow.
I step back, grumbling slightly, "I ain't noisy: at least, not until i shoot something."
Ka'ta seems content to lurk and watch. She is quiet, but frowning.
The closer you get to the mansion the bigger it seems; Whoever had this place built was certainly a person of no small importance. There is a general feeling of disrepair looming over the mansion, and the windows have curtains pulled over them, making it impossible to see inside. A large oak door stands in front of you, a fine cast iron door knocker adorning it.
Imperia sets off for a throughout survey of the area outside the mansion. The only thing out of ordinary she spots is an archery range on the other side of the mansion. It seems to be used recently, and if the marks on the targets are to be trusted, by someone quite good with a bow.
Imperia returns, a bit more rain on her shoulders and sweat on her brow than before. Her single eye glistens in the dim light like a cat's as she approaches. "Looks like there ain't much around the place but an archery range and some real run-down gardens and stuff. Archery range was real well used so it looks like that person's quite the dead-eye," she says, and taps the surface of her eyepatch. "Curtains were drawn and there's a big door. Wanna go knock on it and see what comes out to play?"
"Might be harder for a bowman to have his fun inside. Less room an' all." Fukarth says it more as an observation than anything. "Did you mean knock on the door, or knock it down?"
"See how helpful being polite was last time." Mutters the grumpy Druid.
"Doors are too obvious, any windows we can go through?"
"Doors are too obvious, any windows we can go through?"
"Only if you fancy yourself slicker than an iron cobra," she says. "Plus, I can't recall any that weren't shut up by blinds and drapery. Would require some aspect of stealth and foresight to not get caught half-in half-out and force ourselves a losing confrontation. 'Specially if they have half a mind to walk up and shut the damn thing, twice as much if it has locks."
She shrugs. Imperia'd found herself expecting human opponents. Best to expect undead... but then again, never let your guard down. "Can we play tag with the wand Bob-Goblin gave you before we do anything else? And seriously, it's about to rain. Let's get a move on soon, eh?"
Fukarth grabs the wand and runs around laughing maniacally and lunging at the others, like a short, stubby, bearded Zorro.
He then strikes an en garde pose and says. "If any of you long-legs want some more, just you come and get it.
Ka'ta can't help but be cheered up by Fukarth. She laughs, "Thank you."
"Oh yeah?" Imperia laughs playfully and balls up her fists. She leans over and pinwheels them like an old-timey boxer, taking a few goofy teetering sways while doing so-- imitating Fukarth's swagger from far-away Fort Ramgate. It was almost like Gorvy and Ka'ta and Song hadn't just come close to death just a few minutes ago. Imperia didn't think about it. She would've survived, even if they died, right? She was cast in iron by her lord. Fire didn't burn. Pain didn't hurt.
She winces when the cure spell finishes suturing her burns over with strange new flesh.
Okay, fine. Pain still hurt.
She pats Fukarth on the back to get his attention and points ahead towards the house. Rain water was beginning to slick her face. "We'll figure things out on the way, okay guys? Let's go. Stay quiet."
Once things have settled down, Imperia leads the way forward towards the abandoned house.
As much as you look, you can't find a way to get in from the windows without breaking anything. It would seem that the only way to get in is through the front door.
I run a hand over my newly-knitted wounds not sure when I got used to that feeling; you're a wrong 'un Gorvy, a wrong 'un and smile quietly.
"I've always liked you, Furkath. Always."
I give Song my brightest grin: "Come on, don't hurt his feelings: you've got a dwarf performing for you! Blimey. If anyone's going to appreciate that, you should."
Then as the mood settles, I fiddle with my pistol and follow after Imperia.
Lianhua gives Fukarth a spiteful glare as he attempts to make contact with her again. Clearly she wasn't much one for joking around.
"Don't try that again."
With sharp pointed words the girl turns down the offer once more and takes point back behind Ka'ta's back. She still wasn't one for spooky mansions and the like. Plus Ka'ta made a good shield against any poking dwarves.
Ka'ta tries not to laugh a little more at Song - she just smiles at the bard with closed lips. The rain slicking her dark skin just makes her happier, if anything, and she trails along after the others, letting someone else try to open the door.
Fukarth grumbles as he falls into line behind Ka'ta.
"That's right, put the dwarf at the back of the line, since he can't see over anybody."
The group still stands before the door, getting progressively wetter. An awkward silence falls as it becomes apparent that no-one is planning to just go and knock on the door, interrupted only by the sound of falling raindrops and a sharp yell from behind you.
"Drop your weapons, put your hands in the air and turn around... slowly."
If we all turn around, I'll be in the front of the line! That's right, kids! Follow the dwarf!
Fukarth turns around, holding his shield up in front of him and his axe low.
"Speak up!" he shouts. "I can't hear you over the rain!"