"What if he loses his way in all those tunnels?" the summoner frets. "Or he runs into another sinspawn?" Nevertheless, Izbela remains rooted to the spot, reminded of her duty to Sandpoint and the group as a whole by Akuleh's strong words. Though her contributions to the fight may be minimal, she would not leave them to face this demon by themselves.
The urgency of the situation is not lost on the golden guardian. With the demon hemmed in on all sides, Algon knows that they have to press their advantage now or they might lose it and any trace of the creature. He raises his greatsword up high, the blade—nearly as big as his foe, if not bigger—glints menacingly in the torchlight. As he steps forward into what little space they've allowed the demon, Algon brings his blade down in a brutal slash.
Despite being pinned in the corner, the little quasit is still remarkably nimble. Neither Rak's rapier nor Akuleh's spear pierce outsider hide and Izbela's splash of acid mars the wall. Algon, his anger finally boiling over, unleashes a strike that nearly severs the quasit's arm.
The quasit, with desperation written on it's face and no where else to go again mutters the arcane words to remove it from sight.
Akuleh strikes out with his spear, ready to end this fight before Kadrian gets too far.
After the quest fades from view, Akuleh tries a second strike, stabbing blindly at the spot where the creature had been a moment before.
A frustrated sound--something like the combination of a groan and a scream--escapes Rak as the quasit starts again fading from view. He strikes at where it's been, but fears that it's already gone.
Try as they might, the heroes' weapons are unable to finish what they've started. The quasit fades from view and suddenly the room is quiet again save for the heavy breathing of those who's lungs burn from exertion. The two other doors in this chamber each lead to small storage rooms that now sit empty. There is no where to go from here except back into the tunnels to try a different branch.
A few drops of fresh blood lead of to the northern passage.
By the time his fear subsides, Kadrian finds himself standing near the entrance. His ego bruised, he ponders his next action.
The panic. The fear. Finally leaves. The swashbuckler's face burns with humilation. Returning his composure, Kadrian makes to slow, long walk back to those he left in his cowardice.
After a few minutes, Kadrian walks back into altar room with his companions waiting; his head and back straight. Before the others speak, the young noble hold his hand to stop them. Kadrian had a long walk back to his friends to figure out what he was going to say.
"First of all, I most humbly wish to express my heart-felt remorse for my behavior. It was a most horrible act of disertion, in which I dishonored the faith and respect you had in me, as the dishonor in the faith I had for myself." Kadrian's eyes were locked to the altar room's wall, not daring to look his friends in the eye. "It is still my wish to accompanying you to bring the aasimar mastermind to some kind of justice. If you now longer wish to bare my company, I will of course concede to your request and endeavor to find some member of law enforcement to take my place among you", Kadrian gulped hard.
"Oh my goodness, man; she cast a spell on you!" Rak bursts out in a boisterous laugh. "If greed be the dwarves downfall, it is no lie that pride be the downfall of humanity." He steps up and pats Kadrian on the back, bringing him into a bear hug.
"Not your fault, Kadrian; not your fault."
Releasing his friend, he looks around the room. "Unfortunately, we let her get away, and we've no clue where she went. We need to plan that every damn thing in here knows we're here now."
Kadrian accepts Rak's boisterous hug, but does not return it, still feeling unworthy of it.
Still refusing to meet anyone gaze, the swashbuckler said, "Then..they will either unleash their forces on us en masse, or wait patiently to spring endless ambushes. Shall we proceed?"
As Kadrian makes his way back to rejoin the party, Akuleh kneels down and examines the ground. "We wounded that demon quite severely. Perhaps it left...ah! Yes, a trail! Look, it went off through that northern passage. Let us wait for Kadrian, then we can determine if we will give chase to our quarry."
When Kadrian does come striding back into the altar room, Akuleh regards him with a severe look, but as the young nobleman begs forgiveness and offers to resign, and especially as Rak lets out his infectious laughter, Akuleh cannot help but break into laughter as well. "Curse you, Rak, and your Cayden Caylean for your excess of joy! You have ruined my prank! I was going to scold this young fool here. Ah well." Akuleh walks toward Kadrian with a broad smile on his face and lays a hand on the man's shoulder. "Come, Kadrian. Do not speak of such foolishness. We are brothers now, you and Rak and I. And brothers do not give up on one another, no matter the circumstance. Besides, I am sure Miss Izbela would miss you terribly if you were no longer among our number. Is that not so, Izbela?"
Izbela walked slowly towards Kadrian and the others as they spoke. Not missing her queue, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the young nobleman as Akuleh mentioned her name. Algon stoically stood his ground with only a slight smirk on his face to indicate any emotion.
Following the blood trail north, you find yourselves standing atop a rickety wooden platform overlooking a large chamber. Obviously once a prison, this room is lined with twenty cells around the room's perimeter. To each side of the platform are flights of stairs descending to the prison floor ten feet below. A five-foot wide wooden walkway runs from the northern edge of the platform to a passageway to the east.
The blood trail, while lessening, follows the wooden bridge to the east.
Something is moving beneath the wooden platform.
"Our quarry appears to have gone east. Should we continue to follow its trail, or stop to investigate this place?"
"Wait!" Kadrian whispers. "Something just moved underneath the wooden platform!"
The young noble draws his rapier, aiming it at the wooden platform.
Rak follows the aim of Kadrian's rapier, and tries to pick out whatever was moving, but he can't seem to locate it.
Before Izbela can stop him, Algon presses forward without regard. "If the vile creature went this way, we must follow. Everything else is meant to delay us so that it can escape."
The ancient wooden bridge creeks loudly under his weight but does not give out. From underneath the bridge, two sinspawn emerge. They lumber forward, each one moving to climb up a different wooden ramp.
"What?! More of these vile creatures! Quickly, destroy them!" Akuleh grasps the morningstar given to him by one of the town's guard, unhooks the weapon from his belt, and swings it at the sinspawn.
He then steps aside to let Kadrian fill in his space and attack the creature.
Kadrian, thankful for Akuleh's tactical maneuver, advances forward to strike the sinspawn with his rapier.
Rak quickly whips around to face the sinspawn coming up the steps at him. He bobs and weaves with his rapier, finally bringing it in for a targetted blow.
A slayer can study an opponent he can see as a move action. The slayer then gains a +1 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks attempted against that opponent, and a +1 bonus on weapon attack rolls and weapon damage rolls against it. The DCs of slayer class abilities against that opponent increase by 1. A slayer can maintain these bonuses against only one opponent at a time; these bonuses remain in effect until either the opponent is dead or the slayer studies a new target.
Akuleh's morningstar caves in part of the sinspawn's head but the vile creature does not deter it's attack. Akuleh steps aside for Kadrian but the man's rapier misses his target. On the opposite stairs, Rak's rapier strikes true, piercing the eye and brain of the other sinspawn. It continues to stand, not yet knowing it's already dead. Izbela grimaces as blood wells up in Kadrian's pants. She summons an orb of acid into her hand and hurls at the sinspawn in front of the young noble but it impacts harmlessly into the wall. Algon glances back at the melee but holds his ground and blocks the tunnel ahead.
The sinspawns continue their onslaught, claws raking and teeth gnashing at the heroes above them. One manages to slip past Kadrian's rapier and bite deep into thigh. The other tries to bite Rak on the shoulder before its own wound overcomes it and it topples to the floor before rolling down the stairs.
Wincing from the bite, Kadrian lunges to strike vengeance against the sinspawn.
After his rapier cuts home, the swashbuckler takes a 5 ft. step back to offer the shaonti the same opportunity the shaman gave him.
Rak looks over his shoulder but doesn't see a way to attack the sinspawn trying to come up the other side.
He decides to take the long way around.
Hustling down the steps in front of him Rak circles around underneath the walkway.
Akuleh steps back into the opening left by Kadrian, "Good! Now we are fighting as one! Be strong, Kadrian. Your wounds will be healed in time." Raising his weapon once again, Akuleh strikes down at the sinspawn's shoulder.
Rak begins the journey down and around the wooden platform. Borh Akuleh and Kadrien spill more of the sinspawn's ichor-like blood across the wooden stairs. With no other orders issued from his anchor to this world, Algon stands his position and continues his watch on the corridor ahead. As she Izbela begins to recognize the strategy used by the warriors in front of her, she loads her crossbow and stands at the ready, waiting for the right moment to launch.
The creature of wrath snarls in anger and strikes out again, this time at the Shoanti warrior before it. From it's position below, it's claw find little opening but it's jagged teeth find more than enough as it sinks it's teeth down into the exposed flesh of Akuleh's leg.
Rak continues his movement under the elevated walkway, coming around to the other side to approach the last sinspawn from behind.
Clutching her skirts in one hand and her crossbow in the other, Izbela darts down the walkway ahead in order to get a clear shot of the sinspawn. Once she's in position, Bela takes aim at the monstrosity directly across from her but holds her fire until Akuleh and Kadrian switch places again on the chance her aim proves less than true.
Akuleh tries once again to thump the wrath spawn with his morningstar before stepping out of the way to let Kadrian back in, "Kadrian, hold the position with Rak, I will use my spear!"
The swashbuckler can't help but smile at the precision teamwork the varisian and the shaonti are accomplishing.
Too bad our people can't work collectively this way.
Kadrian lunges for an attack upon the sinspawn.
Noticing the summoner's readiness with the crossbow, he takes a 5 ft. step back.
"Bela! Take your shot!"
Rak finally rounds the support posts holding up the platform. He finds himself standing at the bottom of the stairs, the sinspawn between him and his friends. Akuleh's morningstar soars over the sinspawn's head before he steps backward. In the instant before Kadrian steps up to assault the sinspawn, Izbela unleashes a bolt at creature but the blur of the melee throws off her aim. Kadrian takes advantage of the momentary distraction and plunges his rapier into the sinspawn's shoulder. The creature roars in agony and lashes out, not quite ready to relinquish it's life. Again it sinks it's teeth into Kadrian's leg. It's claw also nicks his arm, opening up a gash along his wrist.
Akuleh drops his morningstar and retrieves his longspear from the floor, then thrusts it past Kadrian's shoulder to attack the wrath spawn.
The swashbuckler's breakfast swirl up in his throat, but is able to swallow it back down.
Kadrian body wishes to rest, but it cannot while the sinspawn theatens his friends. Through the haze of pain, the young noble sends his rapier tip into the sinspawn's flesh once more.
Finally in a position to bring his weapon to bear, Rak strikes hard and efficiently, studying the sinspawn to best understand its weaknesses.
Izbela curses her ineffectiveness as she misses the mark yet again and watches Kadrian suffer another wound afterward. True, she is no fighter like the men in front of her, but it's upsetting all the same to realize that, without magic, she was about as useful in battle as a children's sparring sword. But with so many lives at stake, what is there to do but try and try again?
The sinspawn shifts to avoid Akuleh's spear but it does it no good. Instead it creates an opening exploited by both Kadrian and Rak. Twin rapiers puncture the same cavities of the beast of wrath. It falls into a heap, no longer moving except to tumble down the stairs.
The wooden platform continues on to the east rejoining the stone floor. About 20 feet down the stone hallway, it opens into an almost square room. The room contains several ancient relics of what appears to be torture implements, although their function and style seem strange and archaic. In one corner sits a spherical cage with spikes protruding inward from its iron bars. In another stands what appears to be a star-shaped wooden frame, its surface studded with hooks. In the center of the room is a long table covered with leather straps and a number of cranks that seem designed to rotate and swivel.
There are doors to the east and south. The southern door is closed. The eastern door is slightly ajar.
"For mercy's sake, how many more of those awful things are down here?" Izbela says to no one in particular, breathless despite not having done much of the fighting. She looks over the three men, clearly concerned—particularly for Kadrian who looks to her as if he's lost as much blood as he had to give. "I don't suppose I could convince you all to give up this chase for now and return when we're all a little more prepared?" Bela asks.
"Give up?" Algon repeats in a low voice. His golden eyes narrow furiously at his summoner for suggesting such a thing. "No. We will give evil no quarter. That demon has lived its last today," he answers in a steely tone. Thinking the matter settled, the golden guardian turns to investigate the open door to the east. "We press on."
Izbela huffs in annoyance.
"I'm certain once I receive some divine healing from Rak or Akuleh, I'll be fine", coughs Kadrian. "Please don't worry."
"I agree with Algon, Bela. We've got that critter in our grasp, we must keep up the pursuit." He turns to Kadrian, and offers him Cayden Cailean's help. "This is the last of it, though. Just as the Drunken God expects us to pace ourselves in the tavern, he expects that we use his magic wisely. This is the last of the spells he's granted me for today."
"We must be considered in what we do from here on out; the risks just got higher."
Rak slowly pushes the eastern door open, peering down the hallway.
"Thank you, Rak." The human noble thanks his dwarven friend.
"Indeed, my ability to call on my ancestor's strength has long been expired as well," Akuleh says grimly. "Personally, I am inclined to Izbela's thought of retreat for now, but it seems more of us desire to finish the fight. I can see the wisdom in this as well. I just hope our quarry does not have more fodder to throw in our path." The Shoanti gestures toward the form of the dead wrath spawn beside him. "Nevertheless, let us press on."
Akuleh follows Rak toward the eastern door and peers inside.
The eastern door reveals a set of stairs that run down about 25 feet and empty into a large room. The ceiling of this strangely cold chamber arches to a vaulted height of twenty feet. The floor contains eleven wooden lids strewn haphazardly over eleven five-foot-wide pits in the ground. From the darkness within these pits echo up strange shuffling sounds and, every so often, a low moan.
Another tunnel leads south of of this room.
Something moves just inside the southern tunnel.
As much as Kadrian wishes to see what's under the wooden lids, he feels, for now, they should be left alone.
"This is a place of death, certainly. Let us press on quickly and follow our quarry through the southward tunnel."
Rak puts a hand out to stop Akuleh. "Be careful, something moves just inside that tunnel. We're not alone." He cautiously advances, his rapier at the ready.
Algon spots the same movement in the tunnel but exercises far less caution than Rak in pursuing the shadowy figure. "Quickly, before the fiend flees again!" the otherworldly guardian rallies his allies before surging ahead to the tunnel's entrance.
Izbela carefully makes her way across the room, fearful that a single misstep could send her to a most gruesome end. The thought that such a place, filled with such horrors, could exist beneath her sleepy town is a troubling one. But it is also one that she keeps to herself for now, certain that her friends need all of their focus to find the elusive demon.
Akuleh follows after Algon. He is on the hunt, and he is ready to bring down his quarry at last!
Standing in the shadows of the southern tunnel is the biggest goblin you've ever seen. Hideously deformed with a hunched back, third arm and enlarged glowing red eyes, the most disturbing feature is his wicked grin. Only malice and hatred lives on this face. A low, twisted giggle escapes his lips, like a starving hyena finally finding prey. Standing as tall as a man, it wields a longsword, a dagger, and a handaxe but wears no armor.
It is likely that this goblin has been drinking from the fountain of Lamashtu.
Akuleh readies his spear against the deformed goblin-creature and studies it. What has become of this creature, he wonders to himself. Goblins are beastly enough, but this? This is something else!
[ooc]I'd like to know special defenses and attacks please.
Akuleh gasps as the realization strikes him, "The creature has been drinking from the fountain of Lamashtu! It is deformed and empowered by his god's evil! Beware, friends!"
Rak studies the goblin, keeping Akuleh's comments in mind. Never seen a goblin like this, that's for sure! Whispering, he offers some strategic advice. "We don't want to fight in that hallway; let it come to us."
Though his first instinct is to charge down the corridor and cleave the giggling monstrosity in two before its mistress can flee any further, the eternal guardian heeds Rak's advice. Moving across the entrance to the tunnel, Algon forms a bulwark of sorts with his mortal allies. "Come, foul beast!" the golden warrior taunts, hoping to lure the hideously mutated goblin into a more strategic position. "If bloodshed be the only thing that sates your vile appetite, then come! Have your fill at the end of my blade."