Orak swings at Toffitt as he tumbles past him.
Round 1, Init 21
Dyrant will feed a Magic Circle Protection from Evil 10' potion to Finneas.
May need to 5' step to N,-2.
"Drink! DRINK!"
When the potion is quaffed, he will look at Orak for signs of effect.
Orak stares at the party as patrons scream for the guard in the background. He blinks a couple times and begins to look around. "Dream. This is all just a bad dream."
He blinks some more and looks at Toffitt. "This isn't a dream is it?"
"Well done, Dyrant. Orak, you are under the influence of a vampire. We have temporarily suppressed his influence on you. If you will allow us to bind you, we will move directly to end him, once and for all."
"Finn, stay close to Orak, please."
"Orak, we don't have much time...show us where the goblins are coming from. Show us where we need to go. And, like the Doctor said, we need to tie you up so you don't come again under the control of the vampire before we finish with it."
Atol moves to Orak and, with his permission, places the manacles on him as comfortably as possible.
"This is just a bad dream, but thankfully one that will be over for you now. You can relax and leave it to the Cauldron 6!"
Atol grips his cudgel and prepares to go where Orak directs the party.
@ Finneas
Other voice: No. No. No.... Hahahahaha! Really?
Female voice: Screams
Male voice: more screams
Silence
Orak screams at the patrons. "Out! All of you. Out!"
The patrons slowly emerge from the corners of the bathhouse, grab their belongings, and leave.
"They came from below through the iron door. It leads to some abandoned ruins. Here's the key."
"I'm fine now. Really." Orak will not protest the manacles though.
Dyrant will take the key and lead to where he points.
"Should we lock Orak in his office? Atol, you might want to leave him some food."
"It would be helpful if I had the benefit of some time to prepare a fresh dose of my mutagen, but I understand that you may not wish to delay that long. At the very least, I need two minutes to finish preparing two extracts. But I do not think we should just leave him here, without ensuring that he will be rescued by those who can help him."
He turns to the crowd. "You may be thinking of calling the guard. I ask that you instead go to the Church of St. Cuthbert. Please explain to them that the Cauldron 6 is in pursuit of a vampire hidden underneath Orak's bathhouse. We will be putting Orak in restraints here, until such time as they arrive. Tell them to bring holy symbols, holy water, and whatever other means they have for combatting the walking dead."
There are no patrons left about, but you have a feeling the guards will show up in a minute or two.
Hello? Hello?
"Dyrant what was in that bottle? It tasted like the morning after the night I challenged the head of the Temple to a drinking match!"
"Assuming that was the potion of protection against evil, which judging by Orak's sudden compliance it was, I would surmise that it has temporarily altered my psychology, although I seem to be capable of spellcasting as usual."
Did he just say 'psychology'? Hrm. Dyrant, are you sure that wasn't a cognatagen?
"Perhaps closing the front door and hastening through the locked one inside would be the appropriate present action, if guards may appear."
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Hello? Hello?
Female voice: Finneas? Is that you? What happened? That other presence was here and then the pain... I didn't think I could feel pain anymore. Where's your father? Where's your father!
"Perhaps closing the front door and hastening through the locked one inside would be the appropriate present action, if guards may appear."
"You mean the door we just broke open?"
What do you mean where's father? If you don't know how should I know? What other presense? What did it want?
"I apologize for breaking down the door, but if we wait for the guard we can elucidate them...ungh...what happened? Did Orak hit me with something? Was I possessed?"
Dyrant *facepalms* with the empty potion bottle.
nonlethal
Looking to heavens for patience, and with an eye roll that begs remembrance of a 13 year old girl, Dyrant will address Finn's question.
"Finn, you've been protected from the forces of evil. If anything, you're less possessed now than in the past. Think upon that as we move on."
Dyrant makes way to the door and attempts to open it.
"Let's move."
Sounds like we use the key provided on the door indicated.
"Dyrant, I will need a minute to prepare an extract. Then let us make haste. Finneas, please stay within arm's reach of me."
Dr. Toffitt will prepare an extract of Shield while remaining close to Finneas.
"I'd be happy to assist you Doctor Toffitt but I hesitate to ruin any concoctions you deign to craft. How long does this elixir last? I have to admit I am...ungh...my head is really starting to hurt."
What is happening to me?
"I'd be happy to assist you Doctor Toffitt but I hesitate to ruin any concoctions you deign to craft. How long does this elixir last? I have to admit I am...ungh...my head is really starting to hurt."
What is happening to me?
"Fifty minutes. And the alternative is our foe taking control of our bodies like marionettes on strings. I'd prefer that did not happen..."
I wonder what the response time for the city watch is in this part of town?
While the good doctor plays with his portable chemistry set Silfr will quickly check all the rooms to make sure there are no stragglers, then do a fast scan of the office.
Perception
"Everyone to the office. You may perform your preparations on the other side of his iron door, without fear of interruption by the guard. We must be quick about our entry the city watch may be here within a minute or two."
Dr. Toffitt looks up from his preparations, making certain that Finneas does not stray away at Silfr's suggestion. "If we are extremely worried about the guard, we may want to wait with Orak until he corroborates our story. It would eat into our resources and eliminate the element of surprise, but it may win us their important cooperation."
"It would depend, Doctor, on how much good will you feel we've fostered among the guard."
Finneas shrugs at his own comment, then looks over at the armor plates on his shoulders.
"Good Kord this armor is heavy. How are you supp...ungh...you done yet Doc?"
Dr. Toffitt glances quizzically at Finneas. "I had though we had cultivated rather good relations with... Finneas, are you alright? If you need something for that, I may be able to brew something up for you... Another time, that is."
"I don't expect a random guard to be able to determine the truth faced with reports of vigilante activists who insist Orak stay adjacent to one of their number at all time. At best they may wish us all to go speak with their commander, at worst attempt to arrest us."
"We have barged in here at your insistence, let us proceed with haste so the goblins cannot flee from an inconsistent approach."
"Ah, I forgot that you do not understand Draconic, Silfr. I had suggested we take the bathhouse and then take time to plan for the next leg of our assault. I am happy to push forward, though. I merely intended to present alternatives for us while I complete. This. Extract. Done!"
"I feel fine. However, correct me if I'm wrong, but if a controlled subject is able to shake off the control then..."
"ah...I forgot what I was going to say. Why does Orak have to stay next to me? I really think he should explain to the guard what's going on while we go smash face and kick butt for goodness!"
"More ruins! More butt kicking! These are ideas Glimmil Cobwaddle can get behind!"
Glimmil looks eager to continue on and smacks his lips as he wonders how the potion that Finneas imbibed tasted.
I bet it tasted like sunshine.
"We proceed, and with haste. We can return and explain things to the guard in time. The guard will want explanations, and long ones... and if we're not convincing (and it is an odd story) they will want us to speak to someone senior."
"We simply do not have that kind of time now that we have begun our course of action. So with action gentlemen, let us open this door and proceed!"
I don't know that I could explain this to myself let alone the watch. We need more evidence. Yes.
Atol moves to the inner door and motions Dyrant over with the key.
Perhaps we should all shackle ourselves to Finneas, so that he doesn't run off without us...
After pondering for a moment, Dr. Toffitt says, "If we leave Orak here, he may revert to the vampire's control and lie to the guard. Perhaps we should take him with us.
"If so, Silfr, would you consent to reinforcing his and my defenses with your eldritch armor?"
"Leave him here with the guard. If he turns on us at the wrong moment it would be bad. I say we prepare ourselves and get down there."
Finneas has his shield ready and his morningstar out, ready to kick goblin, wererat, vampire, and the butt of anything else down there.
Orak will advise the guards, "Yes. I am not to be trusted once away from these people. Please, secure my bathhouse, but I will need to be watched until the thing that controlled me is stopped."
The guards will escort Orak away while one watches the broken door.
Once away from Finneas, Orak immediatley struggles against his bonds and tries to attack. The guards carry him away screaming.
Atol casts Light on Glimmil's shield and loins his, er, girds his loins and prepares for the decent into yet another dark hole.
He tries hard not to remember the last time he descended into a similarly dangerous underground complex...
Just breathe, you'll be fine. THink of poor Orak and the hell he's going through. Save him!
Atol sighs and follows the rest down the stairs mentally trying to remember all the possible uses for the things in his bulging backpack.
Dr. Toffitt takes hold of Finneas right elbow with his left arm as the party descends. "Stay close." I hope he doesn't get angry if I remind him every few steps...
Finneas looks at the Doctor in puzzlement before looking down the stairs and mentally measuring their width in his fractured confused mind.
"Is it ok if I lead Doctor? I should warn you I had a lot of satay today, there will probably be some times you'll want to be farther than 10 feet away from me."
Finneas looks at the Doctor in puzzlement before looking down the stairs and mentally measuring their width in his fractured confused mind.
"Is it ok if I lead Doctor? I should warn you I had a lot of satay today, there will probably be some times you'll want to be farther than 10 feet away from me."
"You'll find I can hold my breath for a long time, Finneas. Given the circumstances, I suggest we remain together."
Dyrant takes up his position in the party, potion in one hand.
"Let us move along."
"Of course my friend. We must keep each other safe"
The party descends into the pitch black darkness. The steps end in a long hallway.
The stone stairs from Orak's bathhouse descend thirty feet, eventually opening into a five-foot-wide cooridor that runs north to south. The masonry walls are covered with crude graffiti written in chalk, blood, slime, excrement, and other less recognizable substances. To the north, you hear a strange cacophony of monstrous chatter and barking dogs. There are two openings in the east wall. The doors that once sealed these openings have been removed (Q13, V13), but their hinges remain in place.
(Room 5) Peeking in the first room you see four pillars support the ceiling of this otherwise empty square room. Graffiti covers the walls, and the eastern door hangs ajar. Nine sturdy wooden cots with folded wool blankets are neatly pushed against the walls.
(Room 4) A glance into this room reveals a similar room. Half of the southeast pillar has broken away and collapsed into a heap of rubble. Rows of one-inch-diameter holes are bored ino the walls, and a few contain splinters of wood--obvioulsy the settings for bookcases now long gone.
The shadows on the map are a bit off. The hallway ends to the north and south. There are openings as follows.
Closed east door - D13
Open east hallway - I13
Closed west door - I13
Open west door - L13
Opening to room 5 - Q13
Opening to room 4 - V13
Closed west door - Y13
Glimmil urges Cog to stop while he considers all the choices about him.
"Hmmm... the graffiti room?"
He'll proceed into the room and check out the writing on the wall - are they in a language he recognizes?
I'll resist any urge to add 'Glimmil was here' too...
He will also check the cots for signs of recent use.