Varkata nods, "Possibly lured to our deaths... But then, don't people use Ankhegs as guard-beasts?"
The dean was only a hope. My original inquiry was about our previous hanger on...
Amir tries to do his best to look to see if any of the prisoners might be Radi...
"Either way, I think we must move on to find them. Perhaps you are right Varkata, but I don't think very many humans would use even an ankheg as a guard-beast. These do seem to possess more intelligence than a ankheg though." He looks around at what is clearly a nest, "Perhaps my old Arcane Zoology teacher would like to study this location. These tunnels are quite different from what we saw of the ankhegs outside Kelmarane and parasitic incubation is certainly not a trait of ankhegs. It think these creatures are not so closely related to the ankheg as Hafaz claimed." Karethas ponders a moment longer, "Actually, I could cut out Professor Bazzard and author a paper myself on the subject....'A Comparative Study of the Physiology and Lifecycle of the Common Ankheg and the'....hmmm. I don't recall the name of these creatures. Perhaps I could even name them myself if they have not already been named?" Karethas mind seems to increasingly wander as he stares off into the distance.
Radi doesn't appear to be among the poor souls trapped within the chambers either. The side passage looks to be of similar construction. The way forward is decidedly more appropriate for human use.
Varkata says, "I don't imagine they'll be going anywhere soon, based on their complete lack of response.... I'd rather not kill the hosts, but I don't think we need more of those things, either."
Assessing that she can do little for the poor wretches, Varkata follows the ever vigilant Amir forward. The passage immediately becomes less eerily hexagonal and more like the qanat again. There is a light ahead and voices.
Karethas reluctantly follows the others, his mind on structuring his study of the creatures. When they hear the voices ahead Karethas whispers to Amir "I can make you invisible to scout ahead if you wish."
Amir offers a short nod to the wizard as he keeps his eyes on the passage ahead...
Karethas twists his ring and touches the old merchant who disappears. He whispers, "You have ten minutes. If you aren't back by then, then we enter the room assuming you have either been caught or are prepared to ambush them."
Amir scouts ahead and turn a corner to find a large well-lit room where a merchant group surveys a much healthier looking bunch of slaves than the last group. Guarded by a phalanx of six half-orc mamluks, a lean man and fat halfling are talking. Unseen, Amir nearly curses aloud as he recognizes the short figure of Tamir and the lean figure of Radi. The slaves are held within a large locked pen. Amir quickly returns to report to the others.
Kzrira growls when she hears who is waiting in the next room.
Told you I should have put an arrow between Radi's eyes a long time ago. Unfortunately, I was not with you when you rescued him from that Div b!tch. I would not be surprised to find her in there somewhere, and this time she is not going to be allowed to leave alive.
Kzrira carefully examines her bow, testing the string and rearranging her arrows to make sure that a quiver of cold iron arrows are ready.
Varcata, do you have that magic that will keep me from running out of arrows?
The half-orc shakes her head, "Sadly not today. Wasn't expecting we'd need all those cold iron arrows today."
Kzrira shrugs.
Well, I have a number of them. And, since we are in Katapesh, I can easily restock once we get back to the market. I will also restock on more silver arrows.
Yes, yes you should have killed Radi. My mistake in trying to give him purpose...Are we to do this then? This spell lasts only a few more moments and we should use it if we think an assault is our best course...
Varkata says, "I think we'd best... And I think Kzrira still needs to hold off on killing the little worm until we can wetting all the information out of him. "
"I say I make myself invisible and then I sneak in with Amir. I summon a leopard to keep the Tamir busy, Amir knocks out the little rat, and the rest of you rush in."
Kzrira nods:
Yes, your summoned friends to create a diversion is best.
Karethas stands in the corner of the room, checking the layout. Giving Amir a second to get into position, he begins his summoning spell.
Varkata watches the wizard fade out of sight and begins to whisper the words to one of the special prayers granted to her by the Drunken Hero, tapping into Cayden's strength to increase her stature... literally.
Bite Me.
Amir darts ahead unseen and kills the mamluk guard before he is even aware of the danger. Even as Amir appears over the bleeding half-orc, Radi has already turned warned by the distant whispered chants of Karethas spell. He screams and lifts his short spear wardingly before anyone else responds. Kzrira enters the room and Varkata follows suddenly swelling to fill the doorway and nearly knocking over the invisible wizard hidden in the corner.
Amir
Karethas
Kzrira
Varkata
foe
Round 1
Seeing the old man begin the fight, Kzrira steps forward and begins to fire at the bad guys.
Using cold iron arrows, just in case one of the slavers in fact is the div in disguise, Kzrira begins to fire at the party's nemesis.
Radi, or whatever your real name is, time to not betray us again.
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Although not super accurate, her shots are at least in the right general direction.
A silvery leopard materializes next to the halfling and with snarl leaps on the small man. With a few more arcane phrases and a wave of his invisible hand, Karethas also causes the floor to fall away from two of the mamluks. Karethas appears in the corner, his mouth curling into a smirk.
Amir moves on to the next guard . One slash is deflected off his cuirass, but the other finds a vital spot in the groin. The trained battle slave shows little response though surely it was a near mortal wound. A hail of arrows whizzes past Amir at his former protege. Radi knocks one aside, but there are too many and he is pierced by two arrows.
Amidst the chaos, a gleaming leopard appears from nowhere and pounces on the halfling. The Aspis Consortium merchant is spared a gruesome bite only by his size and the arcane force that protects him. He still suffers a nasty slash from a claw though. A pit appears at the exit and the two mamluks stationed there barely stagger back in time.
"Kill this beast! I'll handle the wizard." Tamir gasps stepping away from the leopard. Flanked by a battle slave and the sneaking rogue, the conjured leopard is cut down by foul strikes in moments. The remaining mamluks begin to form a line advancing toward Amir when suddenly the entire half of the room containing the heroes is filled with a tangle of clinging webs!
Round 2
Reflex:
Stupid wizards and their webs.
With that comment, Kzrira steps forward 5' and fires at the closest half-orc, I/7.
Reflex to avoid grapple:
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Varkata curses as the web easily wraps around her large form... then chuckles as she realizes the advantage she has and simply pushes herself forward, using size and strength to break free from the sticky strands and advance on their enemies, taking a place next to Amir. "Nice try, little man."
Karethas smirks at Tamir's statement as he brushes the webs aside enough for him to cast unimpeded, "I won't be handled THAT easily, but try this." He casts a spell causing a sickly yellowish cloud to emanate from near the halfling. "Will you stay within the area of my spell or move to yours?"
Miss % - shot 1: <-- <50 is miss
Miss % - shot 2:
Miss % - shot 3:
Wow, the dice don't hate me. Although most of the shots are probably misses anyway.
If I9 is still up swing at him, otherwise at i7...
Large and in charge, Varkata plows through the ropey strands with little difficulty though she is slowed. Amir gives the half-orc mamluk a certainly fatal wound, but his foe fights on for several more moments before finally collapsing. Suddenly, the other half of the room is filled with a choking yellow fog from Karethas' spell. Kzrira's arrows find their target despite the concealing mist and the mortally wounded warrior collapses vomiting from the sickening stench. No one steps forth into the webbed portion of the room and the only sound is gagging and coughing from the other side.
Karethas raises Tempest and holds it in front of himself. A sudden blast of wind blows over Varakata and into the cloud of fumes.
A Tiny or smaller creature on the ground is knocked down and rolled 1d4 × 10 feet, taking 1d4 points of nonlethal damage per 10 feet.
Small creatures are knocked prone by the force of the wind.
Medium or smaller creatures are unable to move forward against the force of the wind unless they succeed at a DC 15 Strength check.
Large or larger creatures may move normally within a gust of wind effect.
This spell can't move a creature beyond the limit of its range.
Any creature, regardless of size, takes a –4 penalty on ranged attacks and Perception checks in the area of a gust of wind.
The force of the gust automatically extinguishes candles, torches, and similar unprotected flames. It causes protected flames, such as those in lanterns, to dance wildly and has a 50% chance to extinguish those lights.
In addition to the effects noted, a gust of wind can do anything that a sudden blast of wind would be expected to do. It can create a stinging spray of sand or dust, fan a large fire, overturn delicate awnings or hangings, heel over a small boat, and blow gases or vapors to the edge of its range.
Gust of wind can be made permanent with a permanency spell.
With Karethas opening a nice passage into the cloud of stink, Kzrira will move over and fire down the path made by the breeze.
5' step E7 to F8.
Reflex:
She then continues to unload arrows at those before her.
If Radi or Tamir, she will use cold iron, otherwise she will use normal arrows.
Attack-rapid shot: <-- -4 for cover, not sure how much web or friends partially blocking the passage will effect this, but I think it is just normal cover
Damage:
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Unfortunately, due to all the impairments, none of her shots are that accurate.
The gust of wind blasts a wide hole through the opaque fumes. Neither Tamir or Radi are in sight though only a trio of mamluks in the far corner looking quite wretched despite the much vaunted orcish fortitude. One goes down under a barrage of arrows.
Varkata curses, "They're getting away.", and calls upon the Accidental God once again, asking for a fraction of his framed prowess in battle to aid her in cutting down the obstacles between her and her true enemies.