Cyna continues her assault while Skaar pounds his foe into a pasty goo.
Not seeing a clear shot, Drago took in a deep breath and screamed, "Scivarn!"
The combined efforts of Aurelea and Cyna finish off the last cultist as Skaar turns his foe into battered paste.
This hallway continues to the north into an elaborate sitting room. You proceed into the room, decorated with several couches and finely woven rugs. There is a wooden door that leads west and a glass door leading to the gardens outside.
Skaar grunted in pain as he tore out the arrow lodged in his thigh. The big Orc quickly tore a strip of cloth from the slain cultists to use as a bandage as he turned them over looking for keys or anything else of use.
"Healing?" Dr. Savage lights something and takes a drag.
"I've had worse", the big orc grunted as he swirled the liquid in the vial.
Skaar pops open two of the potions. One he downs the contents of. The other he pours over his shoulder wound.
Dropping the empty vials and loosing a belch, the big Orc points west.
"Let's see what's this way."
"Probably, will come in handy the way these %&%#ers seem to think we're pincusions."
She looks over at Cyna with a grin, "Cook, fight, anything you can't do?
"Write her name in the snow, I'd guess."
Ignoring thr Doc. Cyna shrugs and replies "I can't do Magic. Yet."
"Well she can't ...not legibly at least ...not like I was wrong ..." Savage mumbles, taking another drag.
Skaar opens the door to a banquet room. A 35' long table sits in the middle of the room. A panicked cultist gestures to you as he futilely tries to communicate with the other two inhabitants of this room: a half-orc wearing armor and an unarmored elf with a book in his hand.
"Well, Rorn, you were complaining about being bored," the elf says dryly. "Have at them."
"Kabir didn't pay me to kill people...not that I mind killing people," the half-orc replies, shifting in his seat to look at Skaar. "You better help, Tal, or I swear I'll bury my axe in your back."
"Why don't we let this waste of space fight them first? See if they're worth our time," Tal suggests, pointing at the cultist. The elf waves his hand dismissively at the cultist, gesturing towards you.
"If they're too good, we can just leave," the half-orc grunts. "Dying isn't on my plan for the day."
"An excellent idea," the elf says, calling out to Skaar. "Oh, how many of you are there, orc? Not to be rude, but we can't accurately gauge your skills if five of you beat up one guy."
The cultist makes a step towards you, but the elf rises and puts a firm hand on the man's shoulder. He looks at Skaar for a reply.
Baffled by the odd exchange Skaar pointed to himself and then glanced behind.
"Uh, there's five of us...."
The big Orc wasn't sure if he should prepare for a fight or a show.
"Five total or five more besides you?" the elf asks, suddenly interested. "I only ask because I'd like to present you with a decent challenge. By himself, this pathetic excuse for a warrior probably is an annoyance at best."
Rorn rolls his eyes as the elf talks.
Skaar growls in frustration at the whole confusing situation.
"Who the hell are you? Shouldn't you be tryin' to kill us or somethin'?"
"He's stalling. Anybody in this place already knows we're here, and he's keeping us talking while they prep." Aurelea says slowly walking to the end of the table opposite the men.
"Either that or you're really just that mercenary?" she raises an eyebrow questioningly.
"I am Thalesus, but most call me 'Tal'," the elf explains. "My companion, Rorn, and I were hired by Kabir to assist in capturing this palace. He didn't say anything about strange invaders. So, I'm approaching this as I see fit."
"Well we're here to deal with your boss, for good. I suggest you get lost or you'll get what the fools in the room behind us got."
"No more words. No more silly games. Get lost or put 'em up", the hulking Orc growled as he took a low wrestling stance.
"Hm, sad. It seemed on first appearance that you were less savage than your brethren, but it appears I was mistaken. A brute like the rest, nothing more," the elf says, feigning disappointment. "I won't feel bad putting a beast in its place."
Initiative:
Roll-off:
Round 1: Cyna, Stephen, Tal, Aurelea, Drago, Skaar, Cultist, Rorn, Harakhty
Cyna takes a few steps and engages a cultist with both blade and fang.
Tal pulls a wand from his belt and touches himself with it.
Round 1: Cyna, Stephen (actions pending), Tal, Aurelea, Drago, Skaar, Cultist, Rorn, Harakhty
Skaar vaults on top of the table and moves up alongside Cyna.
With a grunt, he throws a hook at the cultist.
Stephen casts Bless if the previous bless is out of time, and if it isn't, he'll cast Doom on the half-orc.
Getting a slightly wicked grin on his face, Drago crossed his arms in front of him and said, "Qeelak Rifstejar." In blink, he was gone.
The brutality seemed a blur. Harakhty heard the struggling stop and looked back to the bodies on the floor. As the others rushed ahead, he checked for pulses and didn't find any. Putting them out cold would've been better... There may not have been a need for this death, but it may've been hard for his companions to maim instead of kill. He wasn't totally innocent himself as he helped them.
They won't be needing these in the other planes though. Harakhty palmed the sacks of what felt like coin without looking inside; in a strange land, gold always had its glitter.
He entered the room slightly after the others, a bit perplexed at the conversations - both between themselves and the new enemies. An Elf here? While Harakhty could not speak to knowledge of the area, this was the first of that kind he'd seen, and this Tal seemed well-learned at that. If possible, it would be good to have him live - surely his long ears heard many things which would be useful...
But to force him down required actual force. With the movement of Skaar, a path opened to his foe, and Harakhty fired his crossbow once more.
"Stand down! Your employer needs no corpses to add to his own."
The explosion of action came with a rush as Aurelea dashed around the table to meet the half -orc, blade tracing a wicked ebon arc on its way to deliver pain.
Crit confirmation
Aurelea dashes around the table to meet the half-orc, provoking an attack from the cultist.
;
Her attack finds a soft spot in his armor, dealing a wide gash upon him. Drago disappears from view, the sounds of battle covering his movement. Skaar lays a vicious blow on the cultist, causing blood to flow from his nose.
Rorn hp: 26
The cultist takes a step back, draws a small sack from his belt hurling it at Skaar.
The sack sails over the orc and lands just behind him , exploding into a tarry, sticky mess.
Rorn draws back his greataxe and swings at Aurelea.
;
Dropping the magus, he sneers. "Too easy, b&&!*."
Harakhty fires and what seems to be a true shot towards the elf inexplicably flies errant.
Round 2: Cyna, Stephen, Tal, Aurelea (Stabilization Check, please), Drago, Skaar, Cultist, Rorn, Harakhty
The half-orc looks at Stephen with an eyebrow raised. "Save it for when you're dead."
Cyna quickly tries to slay her foe hoping to save her friend from an early grave.
A flash of steel and a scream came from the other side of the room. Aurelea! Her fate unkown - but surely grizzly - Harakhty was in a bind. He could not reach her to call upon his god's healing without getting twained himself, nor could he get a good shot at her assailant from where he stood.
The dilemma did not last long, however - just a second; thank the divines he was decisive. He took a few steps forward in hopes of drawing the half-Orc's ire. He cannot be allowed to butcher her.
Taking aim at his wide torso, Harakhty fired.
His bolt missing once more, hitting the wall behind his target, he hoped the noise would draw his focus.
The elf smiles, waving his hand as silvery strands of force play around his fingers. "Elissim Cigam!"
Round 2: Cyna, Stephen, Tal (awaiting AoO results), Aurelea (stabilization check), Drago, Skaar, Cultist, Rorn, Harakhty (actions declared)
NO! Not another one! Not Her!
With cry of rage, Skaar charged toward the half-orc and his blooded axe, working to tangle up that deadly weapon.
Appearing right in front of the Elf, with a wicked grin on his face, Drago lunged forward and attempted to get a hold on the enemy mage.
The elf sways away from Drago's punch, launching two bolts; one toward Cyna, the other toward Skaar. He then takes a 5' step away from Drago, who unsuccessfully attempts to grapple the wizard.
The cultist takes a parting shot at Skaar before attacking Cyna.
;
;
Skaar ties up with Rorn. The half-orc attempts to break the larger foe's hold over him.
With a forceful push, Rorn frees himself from Skaar. Harakhty's bolt inserts itself in between the two combatants, missing both narrowly.
Round 3: Cyna, Stephen, Tal, Aurelea, Drago, Skaar, Cultist, Rorn, Harakhty
Skaar grunted in pain as the bolt slammed into him, knocking the wind from his lungs.
"Yur strong", the big orc commented. "It's too bad yur on the wrong side."
With a snarl he lunged for the half-orc again.
Cyna takes a step to the side trying to get into an advantageous position.
Cyna strikes down the cultist, using the cowering Stephen effectively.
Round 3: Cyna, Stephen, Tal, Aurelea, Drago, Skaar, Rorn, Harakhty
Stephen reaches over and casts Stabilize on Aurelea.
Tal pulls his rapier and attacks Drago. "Keep your hands off of me, ruffian!"
;
Round 3: Cyna, Stephen, Tal, Aurelea, Drago, Skaar (actions delcared), Rorn, Harakhty
Drago grinned maliciously and put one foot forward , "Then how about these?" The Damphir's face went slightly primal, as he opened wide his mouth, allowing the fangs to grow to full length. Once more, the Sorcerer lunged forward with murderous frenzy in his eyes.
Rorn struggles futilely against Skaar.
Round 3: Cyna, Stephen, Tal, Aurelea, Drago, Skaar, Rorn, Harakhty
Harakhty reslung his crossbow as he hopped over the table, taking advantage of their foes being tied up at the moment. I hope I'm not too late.
The acrobatics coming naturally to the simian, he landed on his feet to find Aurelea looked a mess, bloody and out cold. Though it didn't appear she was bleeding anymore, the magus already had a sizeable pool at her feet, and given her frame, that might've been all it took if her heart stopped beating.
Not wasting time to check her pulse, Harakhty invoked a prayer. "Protector of life and giver of death, keep this one and give to another." A warm feeling rushed through his right hand as he lay it on the edge of Aurelea's injury, the divine energy coursing from him to her.
Harakhty heals the wounded woman, though she is still unconscious.
Round 4: Cyna, Stephen, Tal, Aurelea, Drago, Skaar, Rorn, Harakhty