Juraan comes up behind Ryan and hopes he can overcome the devil's spell resistance this once:
« סקאָרטשינג זויער » . .
AC = 25, No shield, Smite Evil
HP = 74/74
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = Smite Evil
Feeling haler than he has all battle, Kikinnin deliberately drops his crossbow, spying a pocket in the frontline to regale Aushana with a blade swipe. He can sense his divine protections still lingering, while his weapon pulses with the zeal to confront the evil woman.
Shuffling through the crowd, he's not even sure she'll be conscious, with the fighters still slaving away at the fight. He bumps the wall ambling through his allies.
On his feet and with pistol in hand, Maxim feels calmness in familiarity.
He nods to himself, noting the alchemical cartridge he loaded previously still nestles in the weapon, but seeing the crush ahead opts to holster the gunne
Instead he moves forward , drawing his shortsword as he goes
One of JJ's attacks pierce the erinyes, but it seems to resist the metal, only scratching her.
The erinyes' armor deflects Ryan's first mace swing, but the second one crashes strongly making a large bruise on the left leg even when part of the damage is absorbed.
The professors' scorching ray breaks through Aushana's magical defenses and consumes her skin, although some part of the damage is spared by some innate resistance to acid.
Kikinnin takes the spot left by Ryan swinging his axe with strength, but not enough focused, it misses.
Meanwhile Maxim loads his gun and approaches the combat.
Badly hurted and cornered, Aushana keeps fighting like a wild animal swinging her sword at JJ now that Ryan has left.
Only her first attack cuts through causing more blood to spill from the young man.
"Ouch!" screams JJ, as upset at the wound as he is about the lack of celestial light to heal it.
"We just wanted to be nice, and you had to play nasty."
He stabs, stabs and stabs again.The very first blow enters her side as a hot knife into butter. "Two can play at that game."
Extra +4 on each line is favoured enemy
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Turning back with a sudden movement JJ lodges his shortsword on the fallen angel. The erinyes let's lose a shout of pain, then the young boy pushes the blade even deeper. Aushana looks at JJ with eyes filled both with hate and confusion.
Then it fails lifeless to the entrance corridor floor.
+1 flaming longbow (+5 Str bonus)
Longsword
Rope
A strange, calm, silence takes back the room.
Pushing open the door where Aushana was cornered opens up to Bhal-Hamatugn's entrance.
Slumping against the wall, Ryan looks around at the others. "This is that last chance I have for this today, We need to hole up and protect ourselves."
"I have perhaps another minute of flight left, is there something specific I am needed to do?"
"And there are surely more frog men around." says JJ, looking sadly at the fallen angel.
"We have those two suspect prisoners too. "
He looks harder at the body. "Don't summoned creatures just vanish? Why is her body still here?"
Feeling about in his backpack, JJ takes out some old looking containers.
"I've been carting these around for a while, and never using them. Now might be a good time if we want to press on. I can't think of a safe place to try and rest up here..."
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Kikinnin looks down on the erinyes, and what it's come to represent. As his weapon quiets in its focused purpose, the black beard has his answer. "It's truly dead. Abadar looks elsewhere now." He takes in the fallen form, marks the perversion of the wings, the marring of the skin.
"It came to the aid of the frog folk. I have a newfound respect for the frog folk, at least their resourcefulness. Let's discuss ours, then. I've spent my personal wells of healing, I think. Maxim's kissed the marble more times than he'd like. How are we doing? I'm thinking of a place to hole up, and regain our strength, but I can't see one ready. We've cleared out, what, a couple dozen frogs, a mummy, and a harpy. Not sure how strong we are to push on."
Kikinnin doesn't look sure, that's for sure.
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Marigold leans against the nearby wall for support, wheezing from the exertion of the combat and running up and down the stairs several times in the process.
"No m-more," she wheezes. "I'm out of m-magic, I'm t-tired, m-my lungs f-feel like they're on f-fire and I still look f-fresh as a d-daisy compared to m-most of the r-rest of you. M-maybe we can retreat b-back towards the cells or s-something to rest, I d-don't know. B-but I d-don't think we can p-push ahead m-much m-more like this."
Maxim nods as he eyes the others wearily;
"Healing wounds ain't the half o' it Surabar. Like Lil' Miss an' my bror says most o' us are running on empty be our powers divine or arcane."
The gunmage sheathes his blade
"My vote is fer hunkering down an' restin' up. Maybe's one o' our jailbirds can sing where would make a savvy place?"
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"The guard's room leads up to an armory, and our first ambush location. Defensible and if we have the weaponry, they can't use it against us. And the best part it's not far away."
Ryan offers....
Maxim grins wryly at Ryan;
"Savvy plan. Knew there was a reason we kept you around these parts Taskerhill!"
"Alright, master Ryan, lead on. We don't need to wait so close to that statue that it coughs up another she-devil, just to spite us." Kikinnin waits until the others have gathered the loot, and brings up the rear as they head to this so-called armory.
"There is no escape route either.." notes JJ.
He glances back at the fallen angel. "And none for her. The magic that called her here brought all of her. She really is dead. I wonder what happens to the spirits of devils when they die?"
"M-Maybe they g-go somewhere where they c-can get another ch-chance, one d-day, if they w-work hard," Marigold murmurs as she gazes at the fallen angel, suddenly feeling a sadness well up in her that she can't really name or place. "At l-least I hope s-so...m-maybe that's st-stupid, b-but I don't c-care."
Weary, she turns and nods to Ryan. "That s-sounds like a g-good idea as any. L-Lead on."
"Seems they were jumping over the ledge on top of the professor and 'Lil Miss as Maxim so fondly calls Marigold. Down the steps or out the window, about as many options for escape as most places you lay your head. Come on its this way."
Ryan leads them through the double doors and the guards room to the armory. Hopefully to some well deserved rest.
JJ settles down in the armory.
"I'll keep watch for a bit. I don't think I'll be able to rest for a while anyway. I'm a little keyed up. I mean if an angel can fall and become evil, and they are all good -what hope is there for the rest of us?"
Juraan slumps against the wall like the others once Aushana was defeated.
"I agree with the rest of you. I'm drained."
"I can't cast any spells except for the weak cantrips I know."
"Not before a good rest, in any event."
"That is a good plan, Ryan."
"I'd just as soon not trust either of those prisoners for good advice."
Juraan follows Ryan, along with the others, to the Kuo-Toa armory.
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Kikinnin takes in the Armory, finding something to prop him and his armored shell against, presuming the weaponry around him is inferior, and he shows no interest in rummaging.
"I wonder what happens to the spirits of devils when they die?"
"I'm a little keyed up. I mean if an angel can fall and become evil, and they are all good -what hope is there for the rest of us?"
Kikinnin removes his gloves, rubbing the backs of them for the sweat and grime that inevitably makes its way between glove and hand. A pocket rag is produced, and brow sweat is addressed, though it doesn't wipe the frustrated furrow from it.
"You gonna answer the boy, Ryan? When they ask those questions out loud, they're not just interested in hearing their own voice echo off of froggy walls. JJ's looking for answers. Isn't that what priests are good for?" Kikinnin turns to JJ, his face still half-cocked in Ryan's direction, in case the cleric of Abadar has his own pedantic take on things.
"From what I remember of my Far's stories, JJ, those devils and demons are as robust as lichen cockroaches. You think you've killed them dead, and they just turn up again, some dank corner, months later. And they remember you, and what you did to spoil their fun. It's never a good thing to cross paths with demons." Kikinnin defers to any addendums Ryan may put forth.
"As for what she was, I can't tell you. Set her to memory, so you can ease your mind later. Demons are really good at playing with your head. Looks like she did just that."
JJ shakes his head.
"I've done my reading too Kikinnin. Normally when wizards summon demons, they get a..." he searches around for the right word "shadow, I guess. The true essence of the being stays in their pit of torture. The wizard can only keep the connection for so long, and thus the demon is rarely in the world for more than a minute or so. And when the demon "dies" it vanishes in a puff of brimstone. They don't leave bodies. That one though, she was really here and that takes a lot more power than a normal summons. We know she was here because her body stayed behind. And thus the question, what happened to the essence of her when she died?"
Kikinnin snorts. "That's more than I know." The black beard turns to the priest, crossing his hands over his metal belly. "What say you, Ryan?"
Lead by Ryan, the group reaches the armory unmolested.
Ryan listens to the back and forth not ignoring Kiki nonsense words but interested in hearing JJ's replies.
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How do you secure the place and what precautions do you take while resting?
Entering the guards room, Ryan quickly shuts the doors and using a combination of the frog's forked spears and some clubs he wedges them under the doors to prevent them from opening.
"JJ, look to this to make sure it is secure. Strangely enough I used tools such as these to gig frogs as a child, not these frog folk are trying to gig us."
I mean if an angel can fall and become evil, and they are all good -what hope is there for the rest of us?"
Ryan ponders JJ's comments even as Kikinnin is giving his own suppositions on the matter.
You think you've killed them dead, and they just turn up again, some dank corner, months later. And they remember you, and what you did to spoil their fun. It's never a good thing to cross paths with demons........Demons are really good at playing with your head. Looks like she did just that.
It's always the girls with JJ, one of the will be the death of him someday, but Kikinnin's statement has merit
shadow, I guess. The true essence of the being stays in their pit of torture.... vanishes in a puff of brimstone. ....And thus the question, what happened to the essence of her when she died?
Not all of his reading is novellas it appears Ryan clears his throat and takes a sip of water.
"Good question JJ, and I'll answer best I can though granted there are times that the answers generate as many or more questions as you had before....the gods that created the angels granted them, and even the mortals who have ascended to become one of their number have it, free will. And with free will comes the possibility of choice."
pausing to collect his thoughts and take another sip Ryan continues, by this point his hand have subconsciously went to work checking his gear and polishing his shield and breastplate.
"If they were created as golumns or constructs they wouldn't have any choices but they do and while angels are inherently good, sometimes a flaw occurs and even the most perfect vase can shatter with an unexpected tap. Once broken, or fallen in the case of angels, they can no longer remain and are banished."
Looking towards Kikinnin "Demons, devils, fallen angels, fiends, all to varying degrees pictures of the same thing evil incarnate. No matter how often we stamp out evil it always seems to come back in some shape or another, aggravatingly the most destructive entities are those who use good to do evil. All too often we are unable to see the evil being effected by our good deeds. It's easy to see evil as the ghoul eats it's poor victims brains, less easy as the evil priest helps the locals deal with the wounds of life while systematically poisoning their minds against the good king. Sometimes the evil is only seen through hindsight."
JJ's explanation of summoning was pretty spot on, exactly what have you been reading in those novellas?" the priest ask giving the young man a smirk. "but in the end, all who have passed the gates of this mortal coil, be it the short lived human, our longer lived bearded cousins or the seemingly immortal angel, faces their judgement before Pharasma. For myself I strive to do right, for my self and those whom I pass in my daily journey. Can I say what lies beyond Pharasma's gate, no, but I wish to meet it with no regrets for the memories I left behind. Anyone else have any opinions to voice"
JJ sighs a bit.
"It just seems sad. You never hear of redeemed demons, but fallen angels seem much more ... frequent. "
He allows a smile to creep into his face at Ryans question. "I do serious reading too Ryan. The Surabar's have faced demons through the generations. I wanted to be a wizard, but it doesn't look as if that is my calling. But the more I know about them, the better armed I'll be when I face them. Devils... they are not quite the same, but they have a lot of qualities in common with them. As to angels to be fair."
He prods at the spears, trying to see if they look secure.
Kikinnin smirks a little under his beard, as priest and swordsboy engage in ethereal conversation. While they do, he takes the time to look to the others.
"Are you holding up, miss Marigold? We rest in the belly of the whale, for now, but we're almost done guttin' it, I believe. Shouldn't be too much longer."
Turning to Juraan, the black beard queries. "Your archery could use a boost, with that angel's bow, don't you think? It's a good complement to your magic."
Finding the blond beard, Kikinnin finishes his mental survey of the room. "Your nose still unbroken, bror? The number of times you hit the floor, I'd guess 'no', but I don't have the energy to march over and wiggle it myself to verify."
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Maxim wearily props himself against a wall in the armoury, then fishes into his pack fetching a battered stogie.
He listens to the theological chatter with a passing interest, only perking when JJ mentions wizardry...
The dwur sparks the cheroot then nods toward Kikinnin when the warrior hails him;
"Think its a might battered but I still got miles to catch your scarred nut bror..."
Returning to JJ, Maxim chips in his own thoughts;
"Surabar. Bein' a wizard ain't all about summonin' infernals an' such. All types o' magic an' all types o' folks using it! Like all types there's good an' wrong 'uns... Don' be sellin' yerself nor wizardly kinds too short."
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"I'm okay," Marigold offers a weary smile to Kikinnin. "J-just a b-bit drained, I guess you'd s-say..." her voice trails off, as the smile is slowly replaced by a frown. "B-but I don't feel like I was m-much use during all that. M-most of the m-magic that's come to m-me has b-been h-helpful...b-but sometimes the b-best way to be h-helpful is to p-put the other p-person down q-quickly. If I p-pray really hard, m-maybe S-Sarenrae will grant m-me m-magic to use when being p-peaceful and k-kind isn't an option."
_______
"Don't be hard on yourself, Marigold."
"Noble goals often have to be set aside in troubled times."
"As far as the fallen angel goes, she made choices that made her what she was."
"It's up to everyone to choose their own path. Some choose better than others."
"Although I don't see how her own choices could've been much worse."
"The main thing is that we all made it through that fight with that fallen angel."
After saying his existentialist piece, Juraan answers Kikinnin:
"That bow [u]does[/u] look very useful, Kikinnin."
"Very useful indeed!"
"But it might be made for someone stronger than any of us."
"Still, doesn't hurt to see if I can make use of it."
Juraan then tries testing the bow to see if he can make good use of it.
I, the player, assume the bow is a composite bow made for someone with +5 or more STR bonus (STR 20 or more).
Which means it may well be beyond Juraan's ability to use properly.
But it doesn't hurt to check it out.
Did we search this armoury previously?
[u]AND[/u] another quick mental note to Meerthan
[color=blue]We're in the Kuo-Toa stronghold.
We fought some Kuo-Toa guards and priests.
We almost met our match in a fallen angel, though.
Despite that, we overcame her too, and none of us are in dire straights.
We are closer to finding Zenith, though.
Give Shensen my best and let her know I'm well.[/color]
Ryan makes sure to secure the door while the discussion about angels and devils develops.
Juraan tests the bow, it starts shaking as the professor gives all his strength in order to tense the extremely hard pull of the weapon.
Make sure Zenith is promptly rescued. I do feel he will play a main role on discovering the plans of our enemies.
A bit later the calm of the room helps everybody take into much needed rest.
By the end of the rest Marigold hears some voices at the door, and a small attempt to open it up. The thing does not go further and the group wakes up after eight hours fully rested.
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"If I p-pray really hard, m-maybe S-Sarenrae will grant m-me m-magic to use when being p-peaceful and k-kind isn't an option."
Kikinnin nods, as he hears the halfling's struggle to find her place in the battle, let alone the world. "I find myself struggling more and more trying to get to where I want to be, when the fights break out, or move away. Might have to find something to get me going faster. When we get back to Cauldron, I suspect."
...
Kikinnin opens his eyes, and startles getting up. His hand reaches for his Axe, and he finds a small comfort in a strange place. His eyes roam for his friends, and he finds more comfort. Slowly rising from his odd corner, the black beard makes his way to the door, and readies to continue their infiltration. "No doubt they know we're here, and mean to do them harm. Let's take every care, as we proceed."
He waits for the others to finish with their personal devotions, while he says a quiet prayer and thanks to Abadar himself.
"I find myself struggling more and more trying to get to where I want to be, when the fights break out, or move away. Might have to find something to get me going faster. When we get back to Cauldron, I suspect."
"M-Maybe some sp-speedy boots or s-something?" Marigold suggests, smiling a little at the thought. "I'm s-sure we'll b-be able to f-find s-something that'll help."
_______As her watch ends and she readies to wake Maxim, Marigold freezes as she sounds come from just outside the door. Her hand goes towards her weapon and she readies to call out to her companions...but then the voices fade and the halfhearted attempt to open the barricaded door ceases. She waits, waits for several minutes, until she's certain that whoever or whatever is truly gone, before relaxing.
Though she knew that maybe she should wake the others, she does not. However she does pass on what she saw and heard to Maxim when she rouses him for his watch.
"...and then it st-stopped. I w-waited and w-waited b-but never heard anything else," she finishes. "If you th-think we sh-should wake the others now, we c-can. B-but I b-bet whoever that was j-just went to p-prepare themselves for when we sh-show up; they p-probably won't try to f-force the issue now."
Then, assuming that Maxim agrees with her assessment, she settles into her bedroll and tries her best to get back to sleep...
After trying the bow without success, Juraan gives up.
"This bow was definitely made for someone stronger than any one of us!"
"When we get back to cauldron I'll see if I can find someone to modify it so I can use it."
"Otherwise, I'm sure we can sell it for a pretty penny."
"That's [u]much[/u] better!", Says Juraan as he wakes up and has a nice stretch.
After hearing Marigold's report, Juraan stretches some more and says:
"We best be careful when we exit this armoury, then."
"Someone's noticed the results of our little dust-up!"
"And we better find Zenith with all speed."
"The sooner we find him, the sooner we can get out and go home!"
Time to start pumping some iron - big time! :D
A quick mental reply to Meerthan
[color=blue]Will do![/color]
Despite the dire situation, his keyed up nature, the death of the fallen angel and a very uncomfortable floor, by the time JJs head hits the pillow he is very fast asleep.
He doesn't wake when the door is rattled. He sleeps on, his face calm and he dreams of a different celestial figure.
Awoken for his turn on watch, Maxim nods in agreement as he listens to Marigold's words;
"Reckon so Lil' Miss. Iffen we're readyin' for what's to come - bet a passel o' platinum they're doin' the same."
Once his watch is complete the gun-mage stays up to check his equipment, and prepare spells. As he chews on some jerky and offers a guarded assessment of their situation:
"We all stepped up when Cauldron was threatened... Evil frog folk or not, this is their Cauldron an' I reckon we'll face worse before they let surface folk like us storm it..."
[ooc]Spells Prepped: 0 - Detect Magic; 1st - Disrupt Undead, Magic Missile, Magic Weapon & True Strike; 2nd - Bull's Strength, Knock & Scorching Ray; 3rd - Lightning Bolt (x2)
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"zzzzz" continues JJ, a happy, dreamy expression on his face. It seems such a shame to wake the lad while he enjoys a little bit of peace.
"H-Hey, t-time to wake up," Marigold whispers, gently nudging the snoring JJ with her foot. "S-Sorry...looks like it w-was a nice d-dream!"
When the group is ready to depart, Kikinnin makes the slog all the way back down to the unopened double doors on the ground floor of the temple room. For the brief walk, the black beard centers himself, reminds himself of why they're here, and what they've come to do.
One dead dwarf chained to a wall, so far. Only a matter of time before we find another on a wall... In this moment, Kikinnin remembers the mural, and it disturbs him. Fresh paint, too...
He'll throw open, and proceed forward, assuming the more perceptive of the party listen first.
"uh.. ah.. what... hey... and I don't snore!" says a slightly miffed JJ.
"We should have grabbed those prisoners last night. I wonder what happened to them?" he says as he fishes around in his backpack for something to eat.
"I wish someone would come up with a way to magically make food that was light, filling, tasty and lasted." he sighs as he starts work on some dried beef.
Standing up the boy winces. "I'm getting old." he grins. "Last time I felt like this after waking up was when that thing boxed by ears back in the Macalite fortress."
Ryan settles into the last watch making rounds to check the door and then to make sure nothing attempted entrance through the lookout post. As morning, at least he thought it was morning hard to tell without the sun to brighten the horizon; breaks, he makes his rounds waking the others, then settles in to study for a bit before the leave for the day.
Putting stock in Maxim and Kikinnin's comments, he goes ahead and places an enchantment on his shield.
Cast magic vestment on his shield
"W-Wait - the p-prisoners are gone?" Marigold asks, eyes wide. "You're s-sure?"
_______
"No idea... but we should check. Give them food if they are still there maybe. If we killed all the frogs then.. well.. we can't let them starve to death."
"I don't trust those two for much beyond trying to save their own skins."
Juraan prepares all his gear, and then starts tucking into his rations.
"Maybe with any luck we did kill all those kuo-toa."
Maxim eyes the others with a hard nod;
"I've spells readied to enchant a weapon an' boost the strength o' one o' y'all. Mind that afore ye go a' runnin' off to toe-to-toe with an enemy..."
"Well, now we're more likely to have them come a' runnin' at us, now that we've waited them out to rest ourselves. Good to know you've got your powers at the ready."
The silence is tense as you walk out of the armory. Strangely enough you find the bodies of the defeated kuo-toas have been retired from the entrance.
Aushana's body is there no more as well.
A fast check into the prison finds the prisoners have also disappeared. As you advance into the temple room, the one with the statue, you find out the place is empty and calm, but you feel uneasy at the presence of the statue nevertheless.
Kikinnin surveys the construction of Ball Hamtuggin from their current level. "Looks like there's a set of doors behind the statue, in the Main Chamber, while there are two sets of double doors- one on the ground floor, another on the upper floor, where Ryan was doing his flying."
He looks to the others. "Where to? The more doors we fling open, the closer we get to finding Zenith and his fate down here."
If no one has objections, Kikinnin figures on the more accessible ground floor double doors.
"That, and the door at the top level, off that strange platform with no easy way to get to it." mumbles JJ through his beef breakfast.
"Dang, they did take the prisoners. I wonder where to? Think they have abandoned this place entirely?"