You open the door and are met by a columned room that arcs up to a domed ceiling about 30 feet above you. Red light permeates the room and is the only light source. It turns your yellows green and generally lends to an ominous feel to the whole room, even if that feeling seems cliche.
The source of the light, however, is anything but. A stone ring dominates the center of the room. It is brimming with a bubbling red liquid that instantly sets all of your instincts on fire. Distilled Fury sits before you.
And kneeling before the pond, soaking something in it, is a raven haired lady. She is lithe of build and wears light leather armor. Just after you enter she yanks whatever she's soaking out of the liquid and spins to face you. A pair of short swords gleam in the light as if already bloodied.
I will stop you here! You will not interrupt my husband!
Ariana will move closer (20'), sticking close to the pillars to try and use them as cover. "Under the authority of Magnimar's joint task force, you are asked to relinquish your weapons and surrender. Failure to do so in a timely manner will be met restraining actions."
The masked elf's voice is monotone, almost mocking. She doesn't expect the woman to surrender and isn't planning to wait for a response.
Ariana will attempt a knowledge (local) check to identify how many HD the woman has and whether she is actually human.
Ariana drops a sleep spell on her. DC 16 Will save.
Ariana uses Prescience.
She'll fire off her crossbow. for
Critical Threat: for another .
Ariana uses Prescience.
"Aboki, restrain her!" exclaims the young man, directing the big cat forward. He himself reaches forward as the cat is about to bound away and touches the feline muzzle, then follows behind the big cat, drawing his polearm.
Aboki slinks through the pillars in a low crouch, then bursts out at the woman with a roar that echoes around the room. A flurry of batting and biting follows and results in Aboki establishing a firm grip on the woman's left arm.
Noro advances up pulling something she had tucked inside her belt. it looked like a either s piece of jerkey or maybe a tobacco product.
taking a bite she feels the juices soak into her blood. the drug taking its effect.
The woman screams as Aboki latches onto her. [b]Get off you infernal beast![/i]
She punctuates her speech with two skilled slashes at Aboki's face. One hit connects, opening a nasty gash across Aboki's neck. He whines, but holds. (and takes 13 damage)
Just before Halsanna fires, the pool flares with light and discharges magical energy in a fierce wave. Youall recognize the feel of the magic: rage. This time, however, it's focused and purposeful.
Swearing a bit to herself as she loses sight of their quarry behind the backs of others, Freia instead decides to quickly circle around. It would let her flank - and cut of any potential retreat.
Lifting up one of her hands, Ariana shies away from the energy. She lets out a growl and narrows her eyes at the woman.
"Violent elimination does seem the best course of action."
Aboki growls fiercely and tears into his target with both claws, ignoring the huge gash in his side. Zayid rushes up to him and lays his hand on the big cat's back, closing some of the wounds but not enough.
Prescience (6/8)
The masked elf moves closer to the pool, positioning herself nearer the target. As she moves, she pulls out a folded net and slings it at the woman. "Keep her still, Aboki!"
or be entangled.
The woman screams in fury as a net descends upon her and further restricts her movement. Aboki's scratches don't seems to be bothering her too much.
With her target preoccupied, noro wonders if this really a fair fight. she contemplates letting her out of the net just to give her a fighting chance.
deciding against it Noro simply steps up and looks for an opening around Aboki to pound the warrior.
HP 28
The lady growls and her twin blades flash. In seconds the net is reduced to shreads, though Aboki still maintains his grip.
Freia dashes around the pillars until she reaches the opposite side of "Acadia". She halts for a moment some ten feet away, contemplating her options. A split second later she points her sword at the struggling woman and speaks a short arcane spell. The blade of the sword shimmers and then lashes out like an uncoiling snake, reaching out and wrapping itself around "Acadia's" legs. Then the blade snaps back just as quickly, jerking the woman off her feet!
Round 3
Ariana spends a move action to pick up her crossbow and another action to reload it.
She's taken a few licks, but has all of her skill about her. (About half)
Zayid moves around the pillar and attempts to jab the woman with his polearm as Aboki continues to claw frantically at her.
noro has fun watching a "great" warrior get slaughtered by a ....ahhh....a... (you can fill the rest in)...
As Aboki tears and bites the poor warrior looks for a breath of fresh air without dander or furballs. but that fresh air is polluted with a fist. and it seems to have found a face.
Aboki's claws finally find purchase as the huge cat brings its rear paws to bear. The woman, held motionless by that same cat and gettig mauled, is in no condition to ward off what comes next. Zayid's crescent blade comes down, Noro's fists come up, and the last thing she sees is her own right eye tooth flying in a lazy arc over her head.
She hits the ground hard. Her life's blood seeps into the cracks between stones. There is no pulse.
An infuriated, anguished scream rips down from the ceiling where the Focus chamber and its wizard are now waiting for you.
Zayid lowers his weapon and calls Aboki off, pausing to scratch the big cat's head affectionately. "Good boy."
He quickly cleans his polearm and the cat's claws before doing a quick search of the corpse.
You find: Leather armor, Masterwork Shortsword, Masterwork Shortsword, Belt of incredible dexterity +2, Cloak of resistance +1
"Good job, Tears."
Ariana approaches the pool and crouches down nearby, casting detect magic at it and wondering if there are other uses for it.
Freia looked down at the fallen woman with morbid fascination. All that trouble she had caused - all that misery. And now she was dead. Not even a glimmer of life left. We are probably better off this way. The tiefling let out a sigh of relief and lowered her still clean blade. Still, there was a matter of formality left.
"Acadia or what-your-name-is, for the crimes of assailing officers of the Town Watch as well as your role in the Dockland Murders, your life is forfeit." Still speaking to the corpse, Freia pulled out a small amulet from her pockets. "May Pharasma judge your soul and crimes as we have - and banish you to the depths of the Abyss as we banished you from your mortal life."
Ariana - your examination reveals no more than you already know. This is a Runewell about to become fully active, and heaven help you if it does.
As you examine it, a pulse of light from the upper floor falls down the red beam feeding the well like a crimson lightning bolt. The "water" in the well boils just a little more.
Holding the remains of her sundered net, Ariana sighs and tosses it away. "...I liked that net. Well, let us proceed to the wizard so I can drop him into a hole."
The upper camber isn't far. There is no door here and an angry red light twice as intense as the light below pours from the door.
Freia looks up from the corpse, putting away the trinket as she does.
"Right. Let us get a move-on then!"
Please. No more fire... she closed her eyes in a brief prayer. Not that she got her hopes up. Someone always seem to feel compelled to light something on fire. At best she could hope for was to perhaps a quick drop or a first strike!
The room you enter is much smaller than the room you left and blazing hot. The center is dominated by a ten foot pool of energy that beams upward like a backward waterfall to a small metal sphere covered in glowing arcane runes. The spectacle pulls at the edges of your most primal instincts, urging you toward irrational fury. But the fountain isn't fully to blame for the sweltering temperature.
Standing before you and blocking your way is a hound who's essence flickers with hellfire. His skin isn't that of a hound, however. It appears to be covered over in a layer of glowing hot stone. It's his fault, mostly.
Behind the fountain is your prize. A gaunt man in black robes smiles at you when you appear.
Fools! He screams. It is done! I have gained the power of the Runelords! He thrusts his right into the flowing energies and screams in a disturbing mixture agony and triumph. The energies begin to flow up and into his arm, lighting his veins alight in distilled, primal fury.
on the hound.
"Fool, you're going to lose it soon!"
With a grin, Ariana slings her hand out under the man and a large hole appears beneath him.
"Let's take care of that dog."
Ariana - This is a Hell Hound. It's bites cause fire damage in addition to normal damage and they can breath a cone of fire once every few rounds. There is something wrong with this one, however. Hell Hounds don't usually have stone skin.
The wizard gasps and falls. The stream follows, and his screams persist from the bottom of the pit.
Zayid and Aboki move into the room. "Careful..." mutters Zayid, as much to the feline as to his companions.
Aboki and Zayid both land strong hits. Chunks of stone are torn from the beast and clatter to the floor, but the beast himself seems only minimally harmed.