We'll need a sound plan too. What kind of magic can you muster, Pertreeko? Greyface need to get his strenght back, and I've noticed you and him have suffered from some kind of poison too. I can plead to the Lady of the Grave for some curative magic and hopefully restore vigor in Greyface's muscles. If some of us are still wounded, I can give you some of your health back. But we need some offensive magic too, and we can't put all our hopes in Yasmin for that. Protective magic could slow the pace of our walk to our graves.
"Offense is my specialty, Mistress Zalinsel," the druid offers, politely. "Apart from the flames that all members of my Order can summon, I bring to bear the spirits of the winds to lend me their mastery over lightning. I can't sling spells all day long, but I can definitely produce a few..."major moments."'
Grayface sits upon his bedroll, eating an apple and hard bread from his pack. He was thankful for the respite. It seemed that all of his years of practice, training and hard work were being put to the test. This place, this tower-- this was the real deal. Everyone knew the tales of famous adventurers and their wild excursions. Most everyone fancied the notion of being along for the ride. The stories always left out the part about the bad food, rock-hard bedding, aching muscles, and blood clean up.
Still, he was having the time of his life and he wouldn't trade it for the world. He'd made friends, he'd discovered ancient places, and he'd earn himself some fancy arms and armor.
And this was only the beginning...
The cellars are many feet above the Splinter's hideout and so whoever was on guard at the time of the escape wouldn't have heard the confused voices calling for their companions, the cries of surprise as the boxes near the prison cells suddenly and inexplicably toppled, the babbling of lunacy that accompanied the reappearance of the Mouther nor the ghastly screams as two more Splinters met an untimely death...
...indeed, despite the absence of comfortable beds or any other creature comforts, Grayface and his companions enjoyed a restful and undisturbed night...
It was a rough, uneasy sleep but needed. Gray still felt a bit drowsy but his strength was coming back. He still wasn't back up to par though.
"If anyone has curative magic that could undo the spider poison's damage and heal my wounds, I would be grateful." He looked at the wounds that were healed by Ea the day before. They had closed up but he could feel the tenderness underneath. If he was honest with himself, some of them still hurt.
He finishes a breakfast of jerky and bruised fruit, packed his things, and readied his gear. Gray then stood at the precipice of the downward shaft, awaiting his friends.
"Let's finish cleaning house. If that Tarrin Dars is there, I want her head on a platter. Lucky for me, there were several nice platters down there to pick from."
Aye...the quicker we get Dars, the better. Are you two recovered enough? That poison hit you hard.... Rallos asks Gray and Petreeko. He then gets ready to descend bacj to the third
level in pursuit of Tarrin Dars.
Ea...Yasmin, are you two ready?
"I have recovered." Pertreeko nods gravely, in response to Gray's question. "Alas, I have but one heal left to cast for the day, but you may have it, sir."
Ea prays to Pharasma to give back some vigor to Greyface's bulging muscles
Now you know what awaits you when you'll become old, Greyface.
IF Pharasma allows you to become old, of course.
Yasmin stretches sleepily. "I guess our hiding spot worked out pretty well. I was a little worried for a while about sleeping next to these bodies - who knows if they would keep sleeping in a place like this."
"Much better, thank you both!" The warrior draws forth his masterwork bastard sword taken from the skeleton Gorloth, and cuts through the air in a few quick whirls. WHOOMFSH! WHOOMFSH!
Satisfied that his arms are nearly back to normal and that his wounds are tidied up completely, the warrior is ready for action.
Grayface sheathes his sword and climbs down the rungs back to the lower level.
Pertreeko will follow along amiably when the group settles on a place to bed down for the night. Unrolling a long, wide cloth from his backpack, the tengu begins wrapping it around himself. Round and round the cloth goes, until the druid is only visible by his beak poking out from the mass of textile. "Warm..." the beak murmurs contentedly as the Tengu beds down for the evening.
The following morning, assuming nothing disturbs our rest, the druid will rise early and neatly pack away his clothing before practicing stretches for an hour. During the exercise, his mind focuses on what his party will need of him for the day. The slow motions and postures he gets into are reminiscent of Tai Chi.
Orisons: Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Guidance
1st Level: Thunderstomp, Produce Flame, Cure Light Wounds
1st level Domain: Obscuring Mist
2nd Level: Tar Ball, Restoration, Soften Earth and Stone, Aggressive Thundercloud, Recentering Drone.
2nd level Domain: Wind Wall
The druid also has no objections to Grayface's plan.
Everything looks exactly the same in the Splinter's den...except, somewhat ominously, the boxes and crates around the door where you imprisoned the Gibbering Mouther. The crates have been pushed into the centre of the corridor and the previously paved floor is now a semi-liquified pool of mud and slurry...of the mouther itself, there is no sign...
Moving through the double doors beyond the barracks, you move from the ordered structure of architectural tunnels and rooms into the open space of a large natural cave albeit, a cave that has been widened by excavation. Masonry walls enclose structures within the cave, including what looks to be a temple to the north and some way to the west, a crypt. In the eastern end, a low stone wall encloses a large pool of water.
At the northern end of the widened cave, a low tunnel heads off into darkness. Even from fifty, sixty feet away, you can feel the cool breeze that is moving the fabric hanging above its entrance.
Yasmin studies the pool of mud and slurry, puzzled. Does it look like the mouther ate its way out? Were the crates neatly pushed aside or were they knocked aside violently?
You are guessing what is beyond the doors from the decoration surrounding the door frames...the door to the very west of the cave has skulls carved into it whilst the single door to your north (and the double doors to the east of them) are painted with religious iconry...the predominant imagery relating to Norgorber in his aspect as thief...
Grayface is also puzzled at the mud and slurry. He looks to Yasmin and shrugs. "As long as the damn thing is gone, eh?"
When the expanded cave is discovered, Grayface's blood pumps at a fast rate. "A temple?"...he whispers. "There's got to be some fun in there. Hey Ea, wanna go teach these evil s-o-b's about the goddess of death?"
The warrior hoists his sword and shield, then points to the temple door, signaling that he is ready for action.
There is something you don't understand, Greyface, I think: I can't promise we'll won, or that any of us will survive. Pharasma is ready to welcome any of us in the Eternal Gardens as she will welcome any of our foes. And Death is above good and evil. Death is.
Sister Zalinsel prepares herself for a fight
Rallos heads in with his friends, expecting trouble, but not able to detect it.
I've got a bad feeling about this.....
Moving to the ornate door that leads from the cavern, you overhear at least three voices beyond…the door is too thick to determine what is being said however the tone and cadence of the voices suggest they may be involved in some kind of ritual. Listening for a little longer, you still don't get much of a sense of what is being said although one phrase is repeated several times, "With One Hand I Give...."
With the other one I take, probably? Or is it "I give Death"? Can't remember.. Having information on Norgober's clergy and liturgy is an hard task indeed. Secrets and lies, that's all you can know if you're not a believer. Probably EVEN if you are a believer.
Ea get tense, and traces silently Pharasma's spiral on her chest
"It makes sense that a temple would be constructed here, Grayface. Confluences can often give the sensation of being "holy", though the facts behind the feelings can be somewhat different. Be cautious. We barely made a scratch on that mouther when we encountered it before, and now it's loose."
"I'm always cautious Petreeko, but I prefer confident assertiveness to inact...." He trailed off he felt an odd sensation coming from his pack. Gray turned to get a better look and saw the straps unharnessing themselves. He quickly removed the pack from his back and set it on the ground.
"What the devil, did you see that?"...Grays asks no one in particular. "The pack straps were coming undone. I felt a tug, as if being pulled by someone."
Grayface looks around suspiciously, looking for enemies, spellcasters, or any phenomenon that might explain what just occurred.
"Are you sure you're not imagining things?". Yasmin detects magic just in case.
-Posted with Wayfinder
We need to close ranks....we cannot get separated...
, there is the faintest of residual auras coming from Grayface’s backpack…it appears that something magical may have occurred but, whatever it was, has dissipated.
From beyond the closed door, the liturgy of droned words continues…the same repeated words, over and over…
"I think the subtle magical effect of the local ley-lines are playing tricks on you, Gray," Pertreeko comments quietly. "We should stay focused. Judging from the chanting, there's a sizable number of them on the other side of that door. It's possible that they are the ones behind the mouther's escape."
The Tengu's feathers are puffed up slightly in anticipation, similar to the way hair would stand up on the back of a human's neck. The druid slowly approaches the closed door, reaching out with his spirit senses. Do they pick up on anything?
Well, i think we should go introduce ourselves and interrupt their little get together. I hope they arent summoning some abomination....We should move as a group.
Rallos points towards the chanting and draws his rapier and dagger.
Grayface nods silently. He reaches down, tightens the straps on his pack, and puts it back in place. His shield and sword are again readied.
"Someone open that door and I'll unleash hell."
Ea touches Greyface shoulder, offering him a more favorable Fate than usual
I have a bad feeling about this...Who will die now? I can't say.
"There's definitely a magical residue from whatever was affecting your backpack," whispers Yasmin. But there was little to be done. Yasmin conjures some light, prepared to face the enemy within.
Pushing the door open at Grayface's nod, Ralllos reveals a room of clearly religious significance. Rows of pews and a stone altar on a low dais show that this room is a shrine. A large statue of a mysterious, hooded figure stands solemn vigil at the east end whilst paintings on the walls depict a gray-hooded man in a variety of exploits and triumphs.
At the western end of the room, three robed figures stop their liturgy and, clearly trained to be combat ready, reach for weapons...a female voice calls out from beneath a cowl, "How dare you interrupt our worship!!! This is our place...and you have received no invite!!!"
Are any of them reaching for bows or crossbows?
"Since when do thieves care about invitations?" Yasmin charges into the room, seizing the advantage while the worshippers rise from their prayers. She blasts them with ice! ;
Grayface runs in behind Yasmin and rushes the cowl-wearing woman right after the cone of cold plunges the temperature of the room.
"My big-ass sword is all the invitation I need. Taste steel, villain!"
Rallos dashes forward to take advantage of the Splinters' slow reactions and try to run the female through with his blade.
- The two male robed figures are both wielding crossbows... The woman is reaching for her sword...
Outside the room, Ea cast a spell to protect herself before joining combat
"Have at you!" Pertreeko cries as he points his finger at the nearest bandit with a crossbow. He moves 15 feet around the corner into the room, and zaps at them with lightning.
Yasmin's blast of ice leaves a glaze of shimmering crystals on the altar and pews of the temple...and visibly hurts the off-balance villains within the room - each of them bearing the full brunt of the blast.
...and then an onslaught from Rallos, Grayface and Pertreeko follows... Each landing a blow on the gang members who are left bloodied but, somehow, still in the fight...
The woman throws back the hood of her robe, raven black hair spilling over her shoulders, and hisses at Grayface, "You fool...rushing in here...you are so over your depth...". With a deft flick of her wrist, she draws her rapier and cutting an almost invisible flurry of stabs at the fighter, whispers darkly under breath...the stab that hits, just as one of the other Splinters moves in behind Grayface, cuts unnaturally deep...
...and as Grayface staggers back from the priestess, he falls back onto the blade of the outlaw behind him...
...Grayface, staggering backwards and forwards between his assailants feels the cold darkness of unconsciousness beckoning...
The second of the outlaws, moves backwards into the temple...levelling his crossbow at Rallos...
Grayface clenches his teeth against the severe onslaught, but by sheer force of will he shrugs off some of the dark god's assault. He knew he might be brown-bread any moment now but he would do his best to slow down his foes, so that his friends could prevail. The warrior went into a dizzying routine of parrying swings and powerful air-splitting chops, showing his prowess with a blade.
"Your petty attacks are no match for my blade!"
Shocked my the damage his friend has taken, Rallos thrusts his blade into the side of the female.
As Grayface dazzles the enemy with his battle prowess and ridiculous ability to stay standing after repeated stab wounds, Yasmin moves further into the room and tries to repeat her icy blasts against the bandits! She avoids targeting the leader at risk of hitting her friends, but manages to strike the other two.