Losing patience with the Chainfighter, Fairwind ignores her own state of health in favour of making sure his is severely reduced. Leo follows suit and the Chainfighter finds himself almost surrounded.
As his allies converge on the last opponent, Cronin steps around to provide some measure of advantage to Fairwind. He misses with his gauntlet, but that was not the point.
Cronin's feral move brings the spiked chain crashing into him as the shadar kai lashes out.
OA on Cronin (1d20 12=25, 2d4 4=10).
Caine breathes deep as the worst of his wounds close and moves to cut off another line of escape, aiming to finish the chainfighter once and for all. He misses, but options are running out for the shadar kai.
Caine v Chainfighter 1 (1d20 10=13, 1d10 4=10)
Stealth (one per room) (1d20 8=26, 1d20 8=28, 1d20 8=22)
Perigia makes her way swiftly through the rooms, but never notices the lurking renegade as she follows the sounds of battle.
Those sounds grow very loud indeed as she approaches the top story of the tower ...
Snaggletooth snarls and yells, "No! You face me now, Pale One. I kill you like I kill your master. Die!"
He moves up to the chainwielder across from Caine and drives his dagger deep into the shadokai's ribs.
The flames die down and Brujo stumbles over near a pillar. He looks around at Thoran's corpse and the party fighting the remaining chainfighter.
"Just what is going on around here?"
With a final flourish, Snaggletooth moves behind the chainfighter and drives his dagger up hard. There is no more sound as the last shadar kai falls.
As the shadow warrior falls, a familiar figure appears in the doorway. Exactly as she promised, Perigia has returned.
"Fire-lady!" Snaggletooth says as he drags the corpse out of the aura. "You miss big fight." He dumps the corpse on the side of the room and looks at the doorway she came from. "Um, you see Dev-lin on your way up? Coward ran away. Again." His voice changes as he is obviously proud of himself. "Like I knew he would. He saw me killing all these guys and got scared." Then he remembers the others. "Eh, Everyone help kill them, I guess. I just got last blow."
"It good to see you, Fire-lady." Snaggletooth smiles at his old friend.
Your task complete and your party reunited, you take a few minutes to rest and think over your achievements.
The chamber glows gently in the mystic light pouring from the central plinth and gradually, the figure of a woman appears. Ethereal, tall and serene of face, she stands in the centre of the circle surveying you all. This can only be Lady Saharel.
She makes a formal obeisance to you all. "My darkest hour has been averted. My debt is too great to pay."
Brujo
"Ah, so much pain you have borne and so much more to come. You stand at a crossroad Brujo." The infinitely sympathetic voice is for you alone. "Ask your soul's desiring. It may be I can help you."
Caine
"My greetings and thanks bold Commander. Nobly and well have you lead your comrades. Ask what you will and if it lies within me, I will answer you." The voice rings in your head and yours alone.
Cronin
"Cronin. At last we meet face to face, apostate child of Shar. May your new mistress treat you with the honour you have earned and guide your path ever onwards. If I may aid you in your search, you have but to ask." The voice, gentle and entirely understanding, speaks only to you.
Fairwind
"You never came here with questions Geleri, but have you found any to ask?" The voice that lilts in your ears is only heard by you.
Leo
"Noble son of Kelemvor, know that you are his worthy child. My debt to you is great. Allow me to partially repay it in offering you guidance on your path." The Lady's voice is full of pride in your achievements as she speaks deep into your mind. Somehow you know that only you can hear her.
Mirth
"You came here seeking only me, Mirth. In that seeking you have found what you did not know you wanted. Ask and let your heart be easy." The simple words are for you alone.
Perigia
"Your pain burns through you like your own fires, Perigia. Ask. If I can ease your path, I will do so. It is small recompense for the service you have rendered me." Empathy ripples through the voice only you can hear.
Snaggletooth
"Truly you are remarkable beyond word or thought Snaggletooth. The blood of your dragon kindred flows strong in you. Mighty one, you have walked the path of redemption. Where will your footsteps take you now?" Lady Saharel's voice sings in your head, erasing all the slights and rudenesses you have endured. Only you can hear her, but you know with certainty that she appreciates everything you have done for her.
Fairwind considers for a moment, her wounds very evident.
"Gee, I guess my only question would be.... how do we get Devlin?" she replies with a hoarse laugh.
"Fire-lady!" Snaggletooth says as he drags the corpse out of the aura. "You miss big fight." He dumps the corpse on the side of the room and looks at the doorway she came from. "Um, you see Dev-lin on your way up? Coward ran away. Again." His voice changes as he is obviously proud of himself. "Like I knew he would. He saw me killing all these guys and got scared." Then he remembers the others. "Eh, Everyone help kill them, I guess. I just got last blow."
"It good to see you, Fire-lady." Snaggletooth smiles at his old friend.
Good to see you too Snags," Perigia says. "Sorry, I didn't see Devlin on the way up. I came here looking for your help. I found out what happened to my sister, but I'm going to need your help to get her back."
Perigia turns to the lady and frowns. "I need to know how to save my sister," she says. "It may even mean saving her from herself."
Snaggletooth is silent as he thinks about what the White Lady said. Then he says out loud, "I not return to kobolds. They not understand. They only follow because of fear or promise of spoils. Kneebiter not need me anymore. He is still kobold, in his heart. I not feel that way. I not know what I am, but as long as friends need me, I will go with them. I not hero yet, but I try to be."
He looks at Perigia, "You need help to save sister? I come. I help. I sneaky, I strong. I not let you down." He smiles.
Then he goes and searches the bodies.
Fairwind considers for a moment, her wounds very evident.
"Gee, I guess my only question would be.... how do we get Devlin?" she replies with a hoarse laugh.
"Devlin seeks only refuge. One thing is sure however. His doom waits at your hand Geleri Fairwind."
Perigia turns to the lady and frowns. "I need to know how to save my sister," she says. "It may even mean saving her from herself."
"A dark road awaits you Perigia." Lady Saharel's eyes go blank as she seeks to pull the tendrils of her future knowledge to her. "Your sister no longer has existence you would recognise. The Spellplague has taken her entirely. You may follow her and yet prevail, for you do not travel alone. Seek the Spellplague, Perigia. Seek it and tame it. In that understanding lies the only way to bring your sister home."
Snaggletooth rootles among the bodies of the fallen and hears again the Lady's voice in his mind.
Snaggletooth
A faint glow envelops the kobold and his armour changes before your astonished eyes.
Repulsion leather armour
Level: 7
Price: 2600 gp
Armor: Cloth, Leather
Enhancement: +2 AC[/ooc]
The healing power of the Lady's aura washes over you all and you feel greatly refreshed, almost as though you have passed a night in deep slumber.
"Damn right." Fairwind grimaces, "Well, guess y'all ain't got no need fer a guide anymore. Leastways, not the paths you folks are gonna tread. See y'all round."
Fairwind
"Why did this happen..." his voice soft, barely audioable.
"Why didn't anyone, anything stop this. Why does my soul have to be split in two. Why me!" His voice grows louder. Full of pain, anger and sadness.
"Why did this happen..." his voice soft, barely audioable.
"Why didn't anyone, anything stop this. Why does my soul have to be split in two. Why me!" His voice grows louder. Full of pain, anger and sadness.
"Brujo."
The note of command in the White Lady's voice is unmistakable.
"Be still. Your path is clear and your destiny ordained. The threads are gathered. For each of you tasks await. Heed my words Brujo. When fire consumes you, feed the flame. When earth encloses you, draw the strength. When water floods you, swim the tide. When air destroys you, you will be free to choose."
Cronin looks at Snaggletooth, then back at Saharel.
"My question lies answered, Lady. I ask no more.
"Now I may have peace."
Indeed, it seems a burden has been lifted from the shifter.
"Damn right." Fairwind grimaces, "Well, guess y'all ain't got no need fer a guide anymore. Leastways, not the paths you folks are gonna tread. See y'all round."
"You not stay with us, Fairwind?" Snaggletooth's joy over his new armor and the treasures he found fades from his face. "You good friend. I learn much from you. You take care." He quickly gives her a small hug and then turns his back on her, so she can't see the small tears in his eyes.
Using the now famous 'kobold spoils system', Snaggletooth brings the three weapons and 6 gems into a pile between the companions.
He holds up one of the gems and says "These gems have weird symbols on them, but they look expensive. I take one for me and Thor-an's sword, to remember big battle. Fire-lady, are any of these magic?" He points to weapons.
For rev
"Thanks for the answer Lady Saharel, but riddles... Riddles I have no time for."
He picks his bruised form off the ground and looks to the others. A slight smile on his face at seeing Perigia.
"Thanks for the answer Lady Saharel, but riddles... Riddles I have no time for."
He picks his bruised form off the ground and looks to the others. A slight smile on his face at seeing Perigia.
"Brujo, I speak only what I see. There is no more riddle in my answer than in your question. You seek to reconcile self with self. I see the way of it, not the final choice."
Caine
Fairwind hugs Snaggletooth back, "Take care, little buddy; make sure these guys don't get into trouble. OK, more trouble."
Leo
Your religious training reveals something that causes you concern. Lady Sarharel is a lich. You sense that this is not a condition she is happy with, but it lies outside her control to end her state of undeath.
Leo** spoiler omitted **
"I wish you to know I will seek aid for you, somehow however much time it will take whether it be me or any member of my faith or even allies or descendants of my comrades present here today we will find a way to set you free, my hope is that you will one day be able to walk outside and feel, breath and live as any of us do freed of the duty or whatever it was that has left you to suffer like this,"Leo addresses Lady Saharel.
"By the way what do you want done with these pillars?" he asks after all he does have a question to pose.
"Brujo, perhaps you shouldn't consider yourself afflicted but rather you have a purpose whether it is to seek a cure or even overcome whatever is making you doubt yourself either way we will help you if you let us, whether its for a cure or just to help you overcome the burden your fears have enveloped you in just remember that you might be able to help others similarly effected and may in time find that may well be the reason for all that you have striven for so far," Leo tries to console Brujo.
Lady Saharel bows to Leo. "A courteous oath and a noble one, child of Kelemvor. I would not burden you so greatly for this is not a task easily accomplished."
She looks deeply into his eyes.
Leo
"The pillars should be brought here. Remove the runes engraved by Thoran in his arrogance and place the pillars in their rightful homes. Their magic was long ordained as my protection, not my prison. Thoran sought only perversion of the rightful order, seeking to win favour of his harsh mistress."
"Brujo, perhaps you shouldn't consider yourself afflicted but rather you have a purpose whether it is to seek a cure or even overcome whatever is making you doubt yourself either way we will help you if you let us, whether its for a cure or just to help you overcome the burden your fears have enveloped you in just remember that you might be able to help others similarly effected and may in time find that may well be the reason for all that you have striven for so far," Leo tries to console Brujo.
"Maybe Leo," he sighs heavily "Thanks"
He sheathes his blade and checks on Perigia
"Did you find answers?"
"The pillars should be brought here. Remove the runes engraved by Thoran in his arrogance and place the pillars in their rightful homes. Their magic was long ordained as my protection, not my prison. Thoran sought only perversion of the rightful order, seeking to win favour of his harsh mistress."
"Well we can start off with those present, Perigia, Mirth any ideas on accomplishing this?" Leo asks them (after Brujo finishes chatting with Perigia of course).
Leo
"Well we can start off with those present, Perigia, Mirth any ideas on accomplishing this?" Leo asks them (after Brujo finishes chatting with Perigia of course).
Perhaps his senses are heightened by Lady Saharel's presence, but Brujo realises exactly how to remove the runes on the plinths.
Brujo points out where the erasures need to be made.
As the final shadar-kai bleeds out at Snaggletooth's feet, Mirth takes several steps towards the stairs, moving around the newly-returned Perigia with barely a glance, pausing only when she realizes that she is the only one inclined to give chase.
Turning with a scowl, she begins to berate her companions for a job left unfinished, the hellfire in her veins flushing her already dark features.
Lady Saharel's appearance (and the pain of wounds suddenly felt) brings her scathing diatribe to an abrupt halt. She sways on her feet, her hand reaching to the small of Leo's back for support as she marshals her reserves and masters the pain.
Mirth closes her eyes as the Lady's voice resonates in her head, the hand that clutched at the Paladin now withdraws to curl, gently and protectively, around a carved flute produced out of a hidden pocket.
After a long pause the tiefling finally begins to speak, but swallows her well-considered words before they taste air, whispering instead, in a ragged voice "If I had been there, could... could I have saved him?"
Her knuckles are white as they clench the handwrought flute, and her face is a shambles. Unsure whether she has spoken aloud or in silent reply to the resonant voice in her her mind, Mirth draws herself up and awaits the Lady's answer.
Glancing disdainfully at the pile of belongings that Snaggletooth has gathered, she shakes her head. "I wish none of these things. Do with them as thee will."
Fixing her eyes on Fairwind, she nods to the woman as she departs. "Make thee certain that Devlin is dead before thee turns about. More lives than a Luskan alleycat, that devil has."
Moving to examine the alabaster columns, Mirth lightly runs her fingers across the surface, her mouth moving silently as if diligently recalling lessons learned long ago. She blinks often during her study, denying tears long overdue.
Snaggletooth examines the runes, looking for magical traps.
Mirth
"Had you been there you could not have saved him. He lived only for your safety. He would have sacrificed himself a hundred times to keep you from harm. Death held no fears for him and he truly loved you. Be sure of that and take comfort in it. His spirit rests safely." As before, the voice speaks only to Mirth.
Working in unison, two pairs of hands with a single guiding thought, Mirth and Snaggletooth move from pillar to pillar, readily disabling the perverting runes.
Snaggletooth, inspired by the White Lady's words, doubles his efforts to disarm the magic traps around the runes.
"was that right?" Snaggletooth asks himself.
"That felt better." Snaggletooth says to no one in particular.
Despite feeling less sure of himself on one of the plinths, Snaggletooth works his way methodically around the circle. With Mirth and Brujo's knowledge of the arcane to support him, he eradicates almost all the festering runes. Now, only one remains.