"What is it?" Lililinda looks around frantically, "More zombies?"
Your eyes look around attempting find the source of the sound but see nothing however Boros quickly shifts it head to the direction of one of the hisses. You all turn your to see a lizard about three feet long with two horns, one on either side of its head, and green scales that crackle with sparks of lightning. It darts out from between one of the large asks
Another one jumps up on the food stuffs where the table have been pushed together. You begin to watch as the sparks of lightning start to crackle even louder.
Boros gets the jump on the lizards, swimming under the table to cut off its escape and then attempting to bite it.
;
Unfortunately, he's thrown off by the crackling electricity.
Boros attacks but misses. With one loud hiss from both lizards the lizard on top of the table hops off the table and moves closer to the lizard that Boros just attacked. You then watch as electricity crackling around both them stops and then BOOM!. A large ball of lightning blasts from the lizard closest to Boros filling the whole cellar with smell of burning ozone.
Merelda quickly recognizes the potential danger of these creatures and moves to strike the closest one with her Rapier!
She thinks to try and identify the creature from her memory as she strikes!
Merelda curses as she recognizes the creature as a shocker lizard. Annoying when alone they are quite territorial when grouped together. And as you have seen already when grouped together they are able to expel a rather potent electrical shock. Fortunately it needs to time to charge back up before they can do it again.
Stepping forward 'The Widow's' sharp rapier is just able to graze the lizard's foreleg.
Innis' uncanny fortune does not fail her and she able to avoid the brunt of the devastating electrical attack. She cries out in agony and rage nonetheless.
"Kill them!" she yells in a panicky scream.
Innis and her mis-coloured eyes lock onto one of the lizards; an ill-omen full of promises of death.
Cassandra had been keeping a close watch for trouble when she heard them start speaking of something down there with them. She had been about to go down and help as best she could, even if it meant giving her life to protect them when she heard the loud crackling sound followed by a boom. She knew then that, if she had been there she'd have died and also knew she had to get down there and help. She went down the stairs and entered the water when she saw the big snake fighting some kind of lizard and, getting opposite the serpent, took a fierce slice with her glaive at the lizard but the water she was in caused her footing to slip and her blade to miss.
Cassandra fails to hit the creature but Kirzon lays his axe deeply into one of the lizards.
Merelda curses as she scratches the lizard in front of her.
"Hurry! They can't blast us again just yet, but they will if we give them enough time and the chance to do it!"
Lililinda points at the lizard near Merelda, "You there!" then brings her finger to her own eyes. "Right here!"
Nicias fires an arrow and it strikes the water clearly missing the cowering lizard.
On the other side of the room both Innis and Lililinda attempt to spook the lizard. Innis steps into and catches the eye of the lizard. With a foreboding presence the lizard cowers back as Innis screams into the cellar. Lillinda follows up trying to lock gaze with the same lizard but the creature hisses loudly showing its defiance.
ROUND 1
The lizards take off trying to lose themselves in the shadows of the room. Cassandra now setting her footing in this water filled chamber cuts down the injured lizard before it can run.
"Gotcha!"
Merelda catches the lizard in the hind leg but runs off disappearing into the shadows and boxes occupying the cellar.
From somewhere else you hear a door creak open loudly.
"What's going on down there?" you hear the same voice of the halfling woman from earlier.
Merelda begins moving towards the halfling's voice, anger obviously tinging her response.
"Everybody out of here and into the inn! Lady! You have problems down here with some nasty vermin!"
Innis briskly makes for the interior of the tilted hovel.
The voice leads to a set of stairs where you see an older halfling lady waiting for you. "That darned scaly critter is still down there? I hired someone to get rid of it and they said they had. Explosion? It gives quite a shock but nothing lethal from what some of my patrons had said. Well come on get in here. I owe you that much for getting rid of the scaly down there." The woman leads you from the kitchen into the common room. You see that the place is completely empty and that all the doors leading from this establishment have been boarded up quite securely. You also see a rather peculiar looking crossbow by the front door. She sees you eyeing the doors and the crossbow. "Streets aren't safe since last night. I got a right to protect myself. So what is it exactly that you need my help with.. rather why did my old friend send you here? If she sent you with that message things are not good."
Innis shrugs at the defensive Halfling. "For now sanctuary will do, beyond that we need supplies to continue our hunt for the cultists responsible for all this chaos." ~takes a moment to consider~ "I am not sure what sort of relationship you have with Rebekah but she has lost much of her family tonight and her nephew is sick without our intervention, they will hardly be the last of the victims. Do you have any contacts we can make use of?"
"What do you mean cultists? Rebekah has lost her family but little Anver is alright?" Fara sits down clearly weighed down by the words you have just told her. She looks up at all of you "You all don't look very well yourself. And people rarely stick their necks out for complete strangers. Seems like it's not only little Anver who is sick. You can sleep down here if you need to.
Seems like you'll be needing to head to the Teeth for the kind of things your type would want. I'm not leaving this place but I know a person there. He'll still try to rob you blind but at least you know what you get is what you are asking for."
Merleda attempts a graceful bow, and nearly falls over, stopping herself on a nearby chair.
"THAT my lady, is the one of the best offers we have received today. We accept and...thank you."
Mereleda then checks on the common room's fireplace, lighting a fire or adding a few logs to an already going one in an attempt to improve room temperature and help fight off her fever chills.
Cassandra was pleased to see first her lizard, and then the next, ended. She ground the butt of her glaive again and used it for support as they made their way towards the voice. "It may not have been able to make that big a noise before but it could now, maybe it was the water? I just know if I'd been down there when it happened I would have died." She sighed, "Fortunately your scaly problem has been truly dealt with this time. Too bad too, they would have been very nice to have if a bunch of attackers tried to come through there." As they were let in she looked around her at the accommodations and noticed the set up by the front door. She nodded in it's direction and said, "Very nice setup. That's not a normal crossbow is it?" The last was said as a statement more than a question.
Cassandra didn't attempt to bow or curtsy, instead she sat heavily on a chair and said, "I'm Cassandra, thank you for your hospitality." She started trying to reach for her breastplate straps but gave a slight cry of pain at the movement. She looked at her companions and asked, "Little help please? I just need help undoing the straps so I can take this off."
Lililinda steps up into the kitchen, shaking filthy water from her boots. Following the others into the common room, she runs over to Cassandra. "Oh, hold still dear, let me help." She assists in removing the warrior woman's armor.
Fara's face turns bright and she smiles at Cassandra "A gift from back in the days from one of my many suitors. It's a repeater. I can load several bolts into that compartment there with no worries of having to reload over and over again. I have quite the aim. It helps dissuade any who might think I'm just a defenseless halfling.
Still you haven't answered my question. What is this about cultists and how are you involved in this? Are the cultists hunting you? Are you the reason why innocent people are getting sick?"
Innis takes a moment to explain the current situation to their new host."A small group of humans and fey came and attacked The Pike and Tankard while we were in attendance, spouting some nonsense about a Scythe Mother and from what I can tell numerous other locations throughout the city were hit as well. I think all this mess is just a distraction or prelude masking what they really want to achieve. In any case we find ourselves hunters not the hunted."
Cassandra nodded in thanks to Lilliana as the gnome helped her undo the buckles. It wasn't easy for the small woman but she succeeded and Cass gave a gasp of relief as the tension released. "Thanks," she said and began to take the armor off. The padding she wore beneath it was soaked with sweat and water and she began to peal that off as well after she pulled a tunic from her pack which she slipped on after the padding was removed. "That's a relief." She nodded in acknowledgement about the crossbow and said, "I've heard of them before but never seen one in person."
As the story was told about how they all got involved in this mess Cassanadra had gotten out a whetstone and worked on her glaive some more so she could rest a bit before taking care of her armor. The story was interesting, it was actually the first she'd heard the whole thing, and she asked, "How long ago was all this?"
Still facing the fire, Merelda answers the question in a distracted manner. Tiredness aches from her every pore, her ponytail was limp ans soaked with fever-sweat.
"It started yesterday. *Cough* Only yesterday..."
Innis will find somewhere comfortable to sit and start playing her harp to ease her nerves and take her mind away from her sickened body.
whether its the sickness or exhaustion she is unable to find a tune and puts it away with a deep sigh. It seems pain would be a companion that would not be ignored. She coughs weakly.
Fara nods as each new piece of the story is added. "I was out with Raul this morn returning with some food from the market to cook when some crazed man came out of nowhere and bit Raul. We were able to run off and lost the man. But returning here Raul was burning with a fever. I helped him to his room but he hasn't looked well at all. Then word came about telling of some crazy happenings over in the Locker. I set to boarding up the place. Seems like I made the right decision. If you can find the source you can save the people infected then?"
Merelda shakes her head and waves at the others in the room in a lazy fashion.
"We don't know. Not really...but we have to try. Kirzon thinks there is some sort of magical artifact powering this disease.
If we can stop or destroy the artifact, then...theoretically...we can stop the disease. We hope. It's the best idea we've had.
You haven't seen any evil magical artifacts wandering around lately have you?"
Chuckling a little at her bad joke, she quickly goes back to staring into the fire and clutching herself as if she could forcefully
stop her shivering by will alone.
Lililinda looks worried at the mention of someone sick from a bite in the house with them. "When did you last check up on your Raul? I mean, I hope he's all right."
Fara looks hesitant when both Lililinda and Kirzon inquiry about Raul but she says nothing and nods leading you up the stairs to one of the rooms on the second floor. Inside you find a middle aged man lying in bed he is moaning and turning clearly uncomfortable.
His hand rests against his shoulder where you see he is holding a cloth stained with blood. He makes no move towards you when the door open and does not even look up. "Fara..what's happening down there?"
Fara moves to Raul and hushes him quietly, "It's nothing Raul. Just some people who are going to help you. Just get some rest so you can get all better soon."
Kirzon you can tell that the man is obviously infected. While he is middle aged he seems to be in above average health so you are confident from the looks of things that he will survive through the night and probably for a couple more days depending on how the disease progresses.
The wound on his shoulder is clearly a bite mark likely where the infected zombie creature infected him. The bleeding is stemming but the cloth is soaked with blood since he has been holding it against the wound for awhile.
Fara smiles as you watch as Raul struggles to nod in your direction. She sends you out of the room and back down to the common room.
"Alright. Get your rest or go wherever you are heading. Enter and leave through the cellar room. Strangers you might be but you seem like a good lot. I'll find you some food and then look after Raul."
Innis coughs weakly a metallic taste lingering in her mouth and curses quietly. Weak and in pain she drinks deeply the sweet nectar of imagined vengeance, a sinister smile creases her lips.
Late in the day, as Merelda sleeps in the chair by the roaring fire of the Inn's common room, she coughs weakly and unconsciously pulls her cloak closer around herself to help fight off the chills.
Un-watched by all the sleeping masses in the room, a small piece of wood from the fire seemingly breaks off and rolls to a stop at Merelda's booted foot. Still smoking casually, the stray bit of kindling begins to unravel itself from a tight ball. Intense yellow stripes flash between black ones as legs, wings, and a thorax appears.
Anntenne bobbing casually, the giant wasp casually climbs the sleeping elf and turning, backs its still warm body under the woman's cloak and nestles itself comfortably there.
An almost sensual sigh escapes Merelda's lips, and her dreams come more smoothly and happily, touched by the goddess in Merelda's time of need.