Kikinnin closes the secret door exiting the room, then takes a sentinel position near the window.
Kythel heals up Maxim while the others wait for the pit to clear the access to the secret door.
Juraan uses a wand to become invisible and pushes the wall-door that automatically opens.
A male half-elf lies face down on a wooden torture rack in the middle of this windowless fifteen-foot-square, fifteen-foot-high room. Magical light from an unseen source above the rafters paints the walls and floor in dark shadows. The wooden rack is shaped like an "X" with iron manacles binding the half-elf's wrists and ankles. The half-elf's back is striped with crimson lacerations. Standing next to the prisoner is a young woman in black garb with half her face painted black, the other half painted white. She holds a dripping blade near the half-elf's throat with one gloved hand and the handle of a silvery whip in the other. Something about her stance suggests a catlike readiness, and she smiles triumphantly.
Jil speaks up to you with an smile in her face and a shortsword blade at Fario's neck "Where is Ryan? What does a woman have to do in order to see her lover?"
When Juraan steps into the new room confident in his invisibility, a couple of scythes swing through the opening!
The trap catches Juraan flatfooted and both blades cut devastatingly through his magical barriers.
Jil frowns at the weird way the scythes fall and abruptly stop their descend. Compared with the soft and velvety tone of her first sentence now her voice changes to a venom-like full of poison as she states threateningly "Stay down or Fario is dead" the blade is slightly pressed at the half-elf neck showing some drops of blood coming up.
Perched atop the rafters you spot a golden-yellow haired halfling with a four-pointed red star circling his left eye and a flashy red-and-gold cape. He stalks there attentively following the events development.
Kythel sends through the mindlink, "I can attempt to paralyze her but if she resists our charge dies. Does anyone else have an idea?
For the day, I do have the ability to call on the Lady to raise the dead though such a spell is not always guaranteed..."
[Nothing that won't attract attention...] Marigold replies. [Maybe we can stall for time? I think I can try the same spell you're thinking of but same result...if it doesn't work, Fario's dead.]
"R-Ryan's g-got better things to d-do than w-waste time on y-you," Marigold responds coldly. "B-Besides, it looks like you've f-found someone n-new. But it d-doesn't do you m-much good to b-break your toys, d-does it? L-let him g-go."
Of course she doesn't expect Jil to actually agree to this, but it's still a distraction...
Gasping inwardly with pain, Juraan says by telepathy to the others:
"I've disarmed a trap for the rest of you at least."
"She can tell someone is here, but she can't see me."
"I could try disarming her, I'm close enough"
For using a hero point for a roll bonus, do you give +4 or +8?
I'm also going to move into the corner, just 10 feet from Jil and order
the unseen servant into the opposite corner, doing nothing else for now.
"Good idea Juraan.
Marigold, how about when Juraan says go, we both cast our spells at her, she may survive one but two may pose a problem", Kythel sends through the mindlink as he edges closer to the open doorway (but still out of site) from his perch on the ceiling.
Window bravely demolished, Maxim belts his warhammer and tips the nod to Kythel for his healing;
"Much ablidged Kythel."
As the others bar Kikinnin move forward, the gun-mage mulls drawing his revolver but does not. Instead he moves forward, then pauses at the doorway when Juraan triggers the trap.
Reason why this lot need to let me pathfind before stumbling ahead
Bereft of the telepathic link of the Striders, the gun-mage merely halts and addresses Jil;
"Whoa there. No need to open him up Jil. You know me. Know my repute... Like I know yours."
He shakes his head wryly;
"Now. You slice him an' you're dead pure an' simple. Escape an' this lot'll hunt ye down. Can't spend coin nor dream o' Taskerhill iffin' yer dead. So how 'bout you lower the steal an' name a price to walk away?"
:
Old Jacob cautiously enters the room, trying to avoid the area that triggered the scythes.
"Now just one moment young lady. We came here to talk about playing cards, not about cutting throats."
He thinks for a moment before adding. "Although given how adroit some are at cheating an old man from his rightful winnings I think a throat cutting or two might yet be in order."
"Stop there JJ, not a single step further. Nice trick on the disguise. Old Jacob will be bewildered" the woman truly smiles charmingly.
"Now, if Taskerhill deigned himself to come visit an intimate friend I could listen wishfully and claim him as my present" Jil seems to react positively to Maxim diplomatic approach but does not seem fully convinced "Ok. This is the deal. It takes coin to find a vessel to a far location and a new life where the Jester cannot reach. A 10,000 suns sum and a save corridor out of here and you will have not only Fario but all you need to know about the Last Laugh"
"Well, I don't have 10,000 coins." says JJ, taking off his borrowed hat.
"But, in terms of a route out. What say I give you the hat.."
I hope he doesn't mind, I know he wanted it back.
"And a ten minute head start?"
Shaking his head JJ adds.
"We both know that if you kill the elf, well, we can get him back. If we kill you, you are gone for good. And not to a nice place either. I think this is the best deal you are going to get. "
He glances nervously at Kikinnin, adding in a quiet vocie.
"I'm not sure how long I can keep the ratcatcher in check. Better choose fast, I think this is the best deal you will get. I'd tell you to stay out of Cauldron in the future, but we both know what your word on that manner would mean."
He gestures around the room. "All your flunkies are dead. You have no allies left. I don't want to kill you Jill, you helped us in the past. But you are not leaving a lot of options."
From the back, Kikinnin strains to hear the exchange, hearing nothing further, after Juraan took his blows from another booby trapped door.
"Ok. This is the deal. It takes coin to find a vessel to a far location and a new life where the Jester cannot reach. A 10,000 suns sum and a save corridor out of here and you will have not only Fario but all you need to know about the Last Laugh."
Kikinnin snorts, then thinks at most of his companions. "She thinks the lot of us travels with that sum readily available? Careful, JJ. She can't be reasoned with."
Maxim raises a bushy eyebrow at the sum, then looks toward JJ;
"Ten thousand is too rich for our blood... Even I ain't affordin' that. Thinkin' Taskerhill's loins ain't fir hire neither. Now the lad offers the Hat. Belongs to an ally of his, but he ain't here to claim it so that claim means naught to me. In your hands tho' its a deadly weapon... assumin' the form o' who ye like. Reckon the Jester would pay you ten grand fir that... No can do. So no deal there."
The gun-mage sighs;
"Surabar has the right o' it. You ain't got options... slit the half-elves neck will just be an act o' defiance as we bring wrath upon ye. Be smart an' sheath the blade. Then we'll talk proper..."
"Are you trying to trick me? You should focus your thought and take more seriously my words. I perfectly know bringing back Fario is going to be as onerous as my informant fee. It is disappointing you take me for an easy-going fool" she presses the blade at the neck that starts bleeding noticeably "One last chance to correct yourselves. You are ruining my patience"
"The long and short is we don't have that type of spare change." shrugs JJ.
"I'm offering you a way out. Jill, you've known me for a long time. I'm as happy skimming a coin as the next, but you know if I tell you I'll give you the hat and a head start, I'm good for it. What if I get the dwarves to swear on Abdar they will abide by the agreement?"
[JJ, that guy might not mind losing his hat to get Fario back in one piece but you'd better be careful about 'getting' people to swear on the gods.]
"C-correct ourselves? And d-do what? J-just walk away? You kn-know we c-can't d-do that," Marigold scowls. "D-don't be a f-fool. You k-kill Fario, your life is f-forfeit - even if you were to g-get away now we'd st-still track you down l-later."
She looks around. "If I were y-you, I'd t-take what I can g-get and l-look into n-new career options."
[Kythel, we can try that if we have to. Starting to think she's not going to back down...]
With Fario's life hanging by a very thin thread indeed, Juraan acts:
First he sneaks up beside Jil, being invisible and all:
He then clutches her knife-hand for all he's worth to pull it away from Fario:
With the telepathic link he implores the others:
[NOW is the time to save Fario with all speed!]
Whichever you decide works best here...
Juraan is going to focus all his efforts on pulling her knife away from
Fario by grasping her hand and pulling it as far away from him as possible.
He'll try to manoeuvre himself between her and Fario, using his own body
as a shield, ignoring any risk to himself to protect Fario.
While all that is going on, he'll order his unseen servant to [u]try[/u]
to pull the knife out of her hand in the tussle. My idea is that even
if the unseen servant can't pull her knife away, it can at least
make things more difficult for Jil (I hope).
Maxim listens to her words, and when it becomes clear his have had little impact, throws in the towel;
"Ain't gettin' through to you, an' I surely ain't swearin' on no godly say-so. On your head be it girl. I tried..."
The gun-mage backs off, looking to find his fellow dwarf's ear..
Unaware of Juraan's approach Jil continues the talk "You are not going to make this easy on me eh. Ok... but do not expect me to ease my tongue for so litt... eeeeh!"
The woman is shaken by the invisible force of Juraan that fights to keep her hand away from Fario's neck. The bold action is surprising enough that you have a chance to react before the last Last Laugh.
But the Last Laugh was ready and it is faster.
Hidden in the rafters of the room, the golden haired halfling is the first one to react, casting a spell and launching fiery rays of fire at JJ "Told you it was not over coot!"
Unprepared, JJ is unable to dodge the rays that strike him on the chest and head causing him terrible burns! Fortunately for him, his fire resistance protects him well.
The burning pain on his head makes JJ feel disoriented.
"What the! It was all a trick?!" Jil fights up with Juraan trying to control her sword, but instead of forcing herself out, she recklessly tries to cut Fario's throat.
With a precise movement the throat is open in a gruesome bleeding! There is no way Fario can survive that.
Horrified that his friend Fario just died because of his own recklessness, Juraan bellows [larger]« פאַרשילטן איר צו גענעם! »[/larger]...
... and heedless of any danger to himself, he starts clawing Jil - literally!
Marigold's Round 1
Though also horrified by Fario's demise, Marigold keeps her wits about her. Her eyes stray to the general area where the rays came from.
[Okay, I've had enough with this guy playing silly buggers!]
She casts a spell, allowing her to see things as they really are, hoping to reveal the hidden caster to her sight...
______________
Blue light spills from JJ's wounds, easing his burns and allowing him time to think.
[die=LoH]6d6[/dice]
Then, quickly summising there is no immediate help for Favio, he scoots up the wall and into the rafters again.
Kikinnin takes a step forward, and brings Eldgammel back, ready to swing on the first unfriendly face that exits the Secret Door.
The black beard thinks to those who can hear his mind.
"Jil doesn't have to die. We could interrogate her, same as she did to Fario, only more humanely. If there are things about the Last Laugh we need to know, then keep her alive."
Then he speaks out loud.
"Ease your mind, Juraan. You knew it could come to this. No honor among the rats, once they know their lives are threatened."
Horrified that his friend Fario just died because of his own recklessness, Juraan bellows « »
He lets go of Jil and tries burning her: « მჟავა დაჯექი »
Will cast defensively.
AndJuraan will stay where he is on the map after all that...
« Hun har brug for lidt lidelse først. »
Kikinnin frowns, as Juraan jumps from one language to another, in obvious agitation. He shoots a questioning look at Maxim, before returning to his watch at the door.
Did he do it on purpose? Provoke her, to punish her? Maybe Shensen and Fario were a little close for his comfort? Maybe punish him... The black beard anticipated JJ's brashness, but not the drakblood's. Grabbed the girl, instead of knocking the knife outta her hand...
Kikinnin holds his tongue, both physically and mentally, and waits to see what the J's do next.
Maxim holds postion in the other room as everything kicks off.
"God's be damned! What in tarnation happened to good ol' negotiations? Parley? Dealbrokering!"
With a look for regret he holsters his pistol and draws forth his wand of magic missiles...
Kythel moves along the ceiling to the doorway and unleashes a spell at the rafters.
Cone of Cold
He then releases a Quickened wave of negative energy into the room, excluding himself and his allies from the effect. Channel Energy
Confused, Kythel sends through the Mindlink, "What happened to a coordinated approach Juraan...?"
The convoluted assault progresses as Juraan releases Jil from his grasp, and with cautious arcane words makes his hand covered in acid he releases on Jil touching her face! The woman shouts in pain as his faces is disfigured by the acid.
Marigold casts a spell to pierce through what is true.
JJ's angelic blood quickly come to help his burns healed while the man skillfully climbs up the wall to reach the halfling in the rafters of the room.
Meanwhile, Kikinnin readies to avoid any attempt of escape while Maxim prepares his magical wand.
Finally, Kythel comes by and not seeing the invisible Juraan in the way, or perhaps thinking as Kikinnin the professor might be in line with the conspiracy, he unleashes a wave of ice and negative energy, akin to the best teachings of Karran-Kural!
With extraordinary reflexes both thieves elude the cold cone. But they do manage badly against the negative energy that opens terrible wounds on their skin.
Fario's body is frozen in ice shards, his half-elven lean skin preserved in death.
Jil attempts to skewer Juraan, but his invisibility protects him and only one of the stabs connects. She steps forward and reconsiders her chances at the line of heroes blocking her escape "Tsk! You seriously think you can change this city?"
The halfling says some words of power and disappears in front of JJ's face. JJ "feels" the halfling abandons his current position, but the small lad is so light and invisible, that it could seem he just disintegrated out of existance.
greater invisibility
The halfling flies! He descended out of the rafters and is looming at the moment over Juraan's head!
JJ recovers from the bewildering injury disorientation suffered from the scorching rays.
Reeling from Jil's attack and Kythel's spell and channelling, Juraan
quickly darts out of the torture chamber to buy some time...
"I deserved that" he says ruefully to nobody in particular.
He then pulls out his wand of Cure Serious Wounds (caster level 5) to patch
himself up to be a bit more useful to the others.:
Juraan then casts another spell: « זען ינוויזאַבילאַטי »
Then with the telepathic link, he says to the others:
[I should be able to see that halfling trickster now]
He then readies his bow, Longthorn, again
Spellcraft
Kythel recognizes the spell being used by the foe and casts Invisbility Purge, "Your tricks are at an end. Surrender or fall to the Wrath of the Watchers!"
Kythel follows that up with yet another wave of negative energy, selecting out himself and his allies from its devastating effect!
JJ, still up in the rafters, tries to avoid the frozen blast of cold.
JJ closes on the small caster (possibly jumping down?) and smashes him once with Alakast.
Staggering under more of Kythel's (well-intended) negative channelling, Juraan then says telepathy:
[Could you stop that until you can see me again, Kythel? You're killing me...]
AC = 33 (BoF)
HP = 160/160
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel
Condition(s) = Blessing of Fervor, Heroism
Kikinnin can see Jil through the doorway, plainly enough. When the blades cut through Juraan entering the room, the black beard debates the mechanism, perhaps having reset for another swipe at those entering. His patience has worn thread thin, so he moves against Jil, hoping to end the conflict swiftly.
"You think you side with the might in Cauldron, Jil. That's changing. You could have given yourself the time to repent, but you slit Fario's throat out of instinct. Rabid animals can't be allowed to live, otherwise they infect the city."
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Juraan moves out of the room bringing up a wand of healing. Thanks to his perfected use of magical devices the dragon man is able to activate it and patch himself up.
Kythel shows his holy symbol and commands the magical tricks to cease. His words bear true power and both the halfling's and Juraan's invisibility cease to exist! The halfling is flying 5 feet over the floor of the torture chamber!
This is followed by another wave of negative energy that noticeably injuries the halfling and opens new wounds on Jil. This time the cleric is able to exclude Juraan who is not invisible.
Moving over the rafters, JJ manages to reach the golden haired halfling, and thanks to his advantageous position, strikes him strongly in the head.
Kikinnin wades in between the scythes, which remain at triggered position, and sends forth his axe which is eaten painfully by Jil "Ouch!"
Marigold and Maxim do something heroic.
The halfling casts a spell and his body is suddenly displaced making him more difficult to hit, he then steps to the side of Kikinnin menacing him with a shortsword "You should have heard me and prepared an ambush at the door! Your idea to talk was stupid Jil!"
Jil roars in anger, she steps to the other side of Kikinnin and teams up with the halfling to sneak attack the dwarf.
The lack of fervor, which run out before the Watchers entered the room, fails Kikinnin this time, as he discovers when Jil's blade stab's him through the lung. The assassin smiles as she removes the blade making an specially open wound that starts to bleed very quickly!
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With a roar, JJ smashes Alakast down at the halfling.
"Lay Off My Friends." he shouts.
+2 to hit (height)
Auto miss chances.
Will 5' step to strike Jill if the halfing drops, assuming that is doable in the ceiling.
Alakast swirls and strikes, again, and again, and again.
The lessons of the Underdark have paid dividends this day. Each strike of Alakast seems directed not at where the halfling stands, but at where the sounds of the halfing come from, or where the scent of the smoke that still clings to his cloak is scented. Or even, where the swirls of air give away the halfings weapons passage.
The nimble halfling redirects JJ's first attack with his shortsword towards Kikinnin.
With keen eyes apparently able to pierce through the golden-haired halfling's illusion, JJ hammers the small body leaving him terribly battered, barely able to stand on the corner of the room.
Juraan moves close enough to see what's happening, and then casts
another spell aimed at Jil: « ჯადოსნური რაკეტა »
If not, he'll use his wand of cure serious wounds on Kikinnin:
"ahh... oopse.... Sorry Kikinnin"
"Damn, sorry Juraan!"
Kythel calls upon Pharasma to aid his allies ailing woulds.
Quicken Channel Energy - Select OUT the foes from the effect -
Mass Cure Light Wounds - Select only the Watchers -
Marigold's Round 2
As her magic reveals the hidden caster she gasps, clearly shocked and surprised, her eyes filled with recognition.
"ಫಿಂಚ್? ಅದು ನೀನು!?" she exclaims aloud, the Mindlink with her companions temporarily forgotten.
"Finch? It's YOU!?"
In fact, she almost forgets to act at all...but then does remember to offer up another prayer to Sarenrae to help them finish this battle quickly.
Marigold's Round 3
Unable and unwilling to try and push past everyone else to get into the small room Marigold takes a leaf from Kythel's book and sends a wave of healing over the area.
AC = 31
HP = 104/160
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel
Condition(s) = Heroism
The black beard doesn't care about the blood dripping into his eye from the gash across his forehead, inflicted by JJ. Doesn't care about the gap between his ribs. Kikinnin only wants to see Jil subdued, so hoarsely calls on Abadar to see the thief overcome.
"You could have looked for the light, Jil, but you only want to drag others into the darkness."
Also unwilling to try and press into the smaller room, Maxim hangs back with wand readied should the need (and opportunity) arise...
Marigold uses a prayer on the group, improving the Cauldron Watcher's chances.
Juraan magic missiles burst on Jil's chest sending her to the floor of the torture chamber.
JJ's staff is reflected by Finch, hitting Kikinnin and opening an unintended gash across his forehead.
Seeing the odd shape of some of his comrades, Kythel touches everyone with a mass cure spell, also stopping Kikinnin's bleeding.
Marigold adds to the healing with her own powerful magic. She heals a bit more than expected as Occipitus powers her energy.
With Jil down, Kikinnin simply redirects his attention to the halfling. With a powerful first swing of Eldgammel, he sends the golden-haired halfling to the hands of Pharasma.
Small +1 short sword
cold iron dagger x2
magical scroll
magical headband
cape of the mountebank
belt of dexterity +2
magical slippers
pouch containing 32 gp (all minted with the jester emblem of the Last Laugh guild)
keys to all locked doors in the safe house
key to the chest
Finch's spellbook
magical studded leather armor
+1 short sword
masterwork composite shortbow
masterwork whip
ring of protection +1
magical belt
cloak of resistance +2
20 arrows
scroll of invisibility
headband of intelligence (appraise) +2
Now that the battle has finished, you notice a large chest on the corner.
A bag with 300 gp (all minted with the Jester face)
Fario's equipment: ring of protection +2, +1 keen shortsword, +1 keen longsword, belt of strength +2, +1 leather armor.
JJ dashes over to Fario to check on him just in case the man is not really... fully dead.
"I'm guessing we will have his brother here in a moment or two.." sighs JJ.
Juraan quickly informs Meerthan of all that's just transpired, with his
his own telepathic link. Holding back tears as best he can, he also
informs Meerthan about the slaying of Fario, as well as the death of
Finch and that Jil is dying.
"I just informed Meerthan about what just happened."
He then moves over by JJ to where Fario lays.
"Help me get Fario out of this damn contraption. I want to give him
dignity. Which is more than anyone in the Last Laugh deserves."
He'll then set about getting Fario's body out of the torture rack/table.
Shensen tell him to do so.
Loot related rolls
• Read magic (scroll); Invisibility, got it!
•
That would be best for Maxim, I recokon
•
Can't get them all, eh?
•
+1 Shadow armour; was it Finch's (Small) or Jil's (Medium)?
•
Incredible Dexterity belt +6 dexterity; VERY nice indeed!
"What did happen here, Juraan? You told Meerthan, now tell us." Kikinnin stands over the skulking halfling, level gaze on the the drakblood.
Still feeling a mix of numbness, grief, and guilt, and not bothering to
stop removing Fario's body from the rack, Juraan retorts:
"What else [u]could[/u] I tell him? My friend Fario is dead thanks
to my poor judgement.
Then taking a moment to glare at Kikinnin: "AND the only member
of the Last Laugh still breathing, as such, is that corpse-sniffing
lump there", he snaps, pointing to Jil's bleeding form.
"So, IF you don't mind, I want to return to giving Fario's body the
dignity she never would have... With that, he turns his back on
Kikinnin to return to Fario's body.