Praise Septimus, at least one will be spared! Now what was it Father Bishof taught... 'Formal and Forceful'...
Celif's face takes on a stern, glaring scowl as she slowly and dramatically raises one arm and points at the remaining beastman. And then in her best impression of the Rector's bellow, she shouts out.
Hey, that actually sounded pretty good! Father B. knows his stuff!
Sweeping her hands up and out -- trying her best to duplicate the flourish that worked so well yesterday -- she whispers an invocation and sends forth a wave of healing energy, intentionally not excluding the former foe.
That done, Celif quickly scans the room. The back of her neck prickles as she realizes someone's missing.
"Where's the witch? Fener! Might the child be able to see its mother?"
|
Fener approaches the Beastman and the brazier. At his approach the Beastman backs away from him to C-4.
Gezzo and his mount run back toward the eastern room. As they reach the doorway a cloud of smoke erupts and fills the area, and the torch is extinguished, plunging the eastern room into darkness.
Celif channels positive energy, healing all in the room for 4 points.
The bugbear follows after Gezzo after he leaves the way open.
Thank you Celif, the blessings you gave me before the battle really turned the tide in our favor. And your healing has saved my life twice now. I am forever in your debt.
After gaining my sight back I run after Gezzo and the bugbear. Once I enter the smoke I start searching for the bugbear demon.
Watch out Gezzo, the demon is behind you!
HP:21
AC:19
Rage: 5 rounds
Fatigue: none
Blind: none
Gezzo nervously realizes the bugbear is approaching him from the back, but is unable to direct his attention to anyone other than the witch. With a quick look over his shoulder, he nudges Lryhla into the smoke. As soon as they enter the smoke, Lyrhla gets a sharp pull of the reigns to turn her immediately to the left and the two head to the back of the room.
These tricks won't last, witch! Give yourself up to justice and face your punishment!
What a relief! I can see again! And I say a silent "Thank you!" to Celif for partial healing as I am feeling much better.
I silently move to P-6 to partially block the entrance and hopefully keep the witch contained in eastern room for Gezzo and Lyrhla to find and deal with.
Perception:
|
|
Woman's Voice: That is fine...delay them, but try not to put yourself at risk...
|
|
The bugbear takes a quick moment to glance down at his boots and assumes caltrops or some other deterrent. The bugbear cups a hand around its snout and begins speaking, its eyes black as pitch.
Its eyes still black, the bugbear attempts to follow the figures and find a way to get down.
"Figures disappearing down the hole in the southern room," a dark distorted voice issues from the southern part of the cloud. It sounds like Flug's twisted voice from earlier, deep and discordant. "Down, down, down, always down. Come, follow and be quick and take care of where you tread."
Follow, Lryhla! Track the witch! Gezzo shouts while waving his greatsword into the air with flourish, pointing it in the direction of the smoke.
As she rushes over to her backpack (just scooping it up by its straps, not bothering to put it on) Celif calls out, "Is anyone still badly hurt? I have a few wand charges left but we don't know what's still ahead. Imowen, are you okay to continue?"
I think I am OK, Celif. Down only 4. I say as I start moving to follow the rest of our group, ending up at R-10.
"I can help anyone that needs healing too". He looks around. "Did that bugbear surrender?"
"Anybody see where that woman took Cayden?"
He sees everybody heading toward the cloud and follows.
Celif pauses at the edge of the cloud and turns towards Nastrod.
"It went into this smoke, with Gezzo just behind! The other disappeared into the first cloud at the other end of the room a while ago."
"I keep hearing Flug in a strange way, but I lost track of him long ago. As for Cayden... with that witch's deceitful magic, for all I know that's him," she says, pointing towards the Beastman near Fener. "Have we even seen the boy since the swamp encounter?"
The voice issues again from near the cloud. "Make haste and follow. Two beastmen and one larger go climb the ladder down."
|
|
The caltrop deals 1 point of damage, and Lryhla's speed is reduced by half because a foot is wounded. This movement penalty lasts for 24 hours, until she is successfully treated with a DC 15 Heal check, or until she receives at least 1 point of magical healing.
Even though it is dark, you notice that the hole is visible and is faintly lit by a light source below. The wood ladder is still present on the north side of the hole, leading to the bottom approximately 20 feet below.
As several of you start making your way from the room which had the big battle, you hear a loud "Yelp" made by Gezzo's mount.
In approximately 30 seconds the smoke cloud dissolves itself, and the passage that runs from south to north returns to is former state - pitch dark.
Fener calls out to the Remaining Beastman.
You can go if you would like. No one wants to hurt you. We need to stop the Witch, but you are not in danger as long as you don't fight us anymore.
Fener then walks to the south of the room to examine the hole in the floor.
Celif moves along with the group, choosing a position that provides usable light to as many as possible (with a preference to those in the lead).
I wish we'd insisted the last beastman exit and join his brethren on the plaza. I hate to think of him falling back under the witch's influence and being corrupted into attacking us again.
Watch yourselves! It looks like the witch has descended down the hole and she has her bugbear in tow! She's also laid a trap for us, so careful where you step.
Gezzo yells back to the group as he carefully dismounts. He looks around to see its safe and then tends to the wolf's wounds.
|
|
The bugbear pauses, uncertain, before removing a small object from one of its belt pouches. The bugbear drops it without looking. Almost immediately, a dark energy wraps itself around the object, rotating quickly in a lengthening orbit around the bugbear before dropping without a sound once it's a distance away.
The bugbear plods forward, looks down at the coin, takes note of the results and kneels to pocket it. It cups a hand around its mouth to speak before heading south.
Flug's voice speaks again, this time coming from the top of the hole.
"Two roads diverged and sorry I that could not travel both. Sulfurous and mercurial is the air and many more besides. Take care. I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw."
|
|
As Gezzo clears out the remaining caltrops, he yells to the group.
Gah! That bugbear must have taken Flug! The witch bewitched him and now he's incoherent. He's confused and saying all sorts of non-sense.
Once completed with his task, he hops back in the saddle and approaches the ladder. He looks down the hole and shouts in the direction of the bugbear.
Hang in there Flug, we'll save you!
Celif raises her voice to speak to the widely-spread party in general. "Not much left of Ashava's blessing by now I think, but I can ask for her grace once more today. Hold up before leaping into anything dangerous, if you can!"
Fener calls out to the remaining beastman. I suggest you put that weapon down if you want to walk out of here. You can leave, but not armed.
Fener searches the the other bodies in the room for anything of interest.
I continue moving south toward the hole, ending up at T-20. I look down the ladder trying to see what is in the area at the bottom.
Perception:
As the bugbear continues walking forward, a sound like air being swallowed into a void is heard and where the bugbear was, Flug now continues to walk through the westward hall.
|
|
Imowen peers down the hole in the floor, exhibiting vision like the eyes of an eagle ! There is a faint light source illuminating the floor at the bottom of the hole. The wooden ladder looks like it was crudely built, but it looks very sturdy. At the bottom of the hole, approximately 20 feet down, a floor is visible, partially covered in rubble from the collapse above it (difficult terrain). From the current position, nothing else is visible except the ladder and floor below.
Nästród stows his axe and climbs down into the darkness.
Reaching the bottom, he readies his axe again and looks around.
|
|
To the south you see the hallway connect with another going westward. There is some illumination at the junction, from an opaque orb on the ceiling emitting a faint, flickering light. The orb looks like it might be made of glass.
Gezzo hops off Lyrhla and begins to rummage through his pack. He pulls out a coil of heavy rope and secures it to Lryhla.
Ok girl, lets get you down there. He says while scratching her ears and looking into the wolf's eyes reassuringly.
He leads the wolf to the edge and lowers her down to the floor next to the ladder. Once completed, he tosses down the remaining rope and quickly heads down the ladder.