Zoli shows her companions the coins and other valuables, and puts them into her pack. She turns to folks and says, "I know you're all looking at that staircase. It looks dreadful, I'll admit. I can go first though--I'm light on my feet, after all--and I'll keep my eyes peeled for dangers.
"I can also keep a rope fastened above you to hold onto, for any sketchy parts...which looks like it might be the whole way.
"Why don't I go first with Olympus flying right beside me? Let me get to the top of a flight, fasten the rope, and throw it back so you all can use it to ascend more safely.
"Maybe Morythine can be the first of you big folks to come up, followed by Riley, Tzefira, Setsuna, and then Eugeni. How does that sound? Anyone have any last preparations before we get going?"
As one last thought, Zoli turns to 'Crow and says, "You saw me standing up for you to not be killed by the city guard. Can I trust you to do your best to stop any of Xanesha's allies from following us up? And to holler a warning, if any manage to get past you?"
Scarecrow nods.
Morythine looks up at the bells.
"If I was a bad guy I'd rig up those bells to fall on people," he observes.
Riley scratches his chin as he studies the floor with a cursory glance. "These are well-traveled ruins. Lots of tracks, medium-sized, and our new friend's. Nothing snake-like, I might add."
Zoli climbs up the first tier of the stair cautiously, with little trouble, though they groan under even her weight. As Morythine and Riley begin their own climb, however, the stairs begin creaking and swaying alarmingly.
"Wait!" Zoli cries out to her friends. "Space yourselves out! Distribute your weight more!"
As the group disperses somewhat on the stairs, they do seem to be less reactive to their mass, and the climb begins slowly, cautiously, yet safely, up the stair.
About half-way up, one of the immense bronze bells ring out above, the first time in years, as it swings down and then tears free with a tremendous crash! The bell tumbles and smashes through the section of stairs below it, before crashing down towards the heroes, bouncing off the walls as it does so. The whole tower quakes and rocks violently.
The bell crashes violently just inches above Zoli's head, before ricocheting across the chamber and smashing into Riley and Tzefira, tearing out a huge swath of the stairs as well. Riley manages to grab hold of the rope between them, which Eugeni and Morythine strain to maintain hold of, but Tzefira begins falling for the ground 50 feet below! The strain of the extra weight causes the stairs beneath both of their feet to begin swaying and creaking in protest!
Beneath you all, you hear Tzefira cant a quick spell, before she calmly floats out of range of the light and into darkness, safely landing back on the ground level.
__________
When the reverberations of the fallen bell fade away, Morythine can't help himself.
"I told you so."
When the reverberations of the fallen bell fade away, Morythine can't help himself.
"I told you so."
"Ow. Yes, gravity is a harsh mistress."
Riley pulls out his wand and activates it, healing some of the injuries he took.
Tzefira's form seems to have some trouble reintegrating herself, the massive size and power of the bell having sheared off a portion of her form as it went vapourous. Still, she returned to herself although clearly worse for wear. She shudders as she looks down at the wreckage below understanding that the pain she felt now would have been nothing if she had been crushed under the bell's weight. "Well," she said, drawing out the wand of Infernal Healing, and glancing down at it with distaste. "I suppose we won't have to knock to let the Lady know we're here..." she continues, tapping herself with the wand, shuddering as the foul taint seeps into her wounds, healing them. "Anyone else, need some... healing from this thing?"
Zoli looks up into the darkness above the bell, straining her eyes to get a sense of who or what is above them and what might be coming next.
Then she looks over to Setsuna and Eugeni...on the other side of the destroyed stairs. Hmmmm, that's a pickle, eh?
After a moment's consideration she suggests: "Tzefira, you mentioned that your levitation might be enough to support another person...but that you're not strong enough to hoist them? What do you think about having Setsuna and then Eugeni hang on your back (one at a time) while you ferry them over the gap, pulling yourself along on the rope? Would that work?
"If not, the best I can think to suggest is for each of you to try to pass from one side to the other hand-over-hand...with Tzefira there to cast Feather Fall if you should slip."
Glancing up again, she adds, "Whatever we do, we should do it soon. I don't like the idea of anything else dropping in on us!"
Eugeni shrugs, and attempts to climb across the rope.
Tzefira shrugs before speaking. "I could probably assist on each individual's traversing of the gap via the rope without undue hardship," she said. "But to physically carry you and be able to even move is an unlikely scenario."
"Knowing we were coming to a precarious tower, I happened to have prepared a spell of feather fall, so if even my assistance can't get you across safely, at least you won't get into too much trouble from the fall."
Wreathed in her cloak of shadows, Setsuna lets out a disgruntled sigh and begins conjuring a Celestial Dire Bat. She knows that it will move to attack her nearest enemy when it shows iup, but the Oracle figures that she can easily catch a ride.
"Don't wait for me. I have own transport up."
Riley will use his wand again and start moving up.
Seeing Eugeni make it across the rope--and then seeing Setsuna summon and jump on the back of an enormous bat--Zoli declares, "OK then, I guess now we get up there as fast as we can, so they don't have time to drop any more bells on us!"
Zoli will stay at the fore, holding the rope in her buckler hand with her scimitar out in the other.
"Just remember to stay spaced out, and if you see something else coming our way, holler!"
Eugeni follows Zoli, with his bow ready.
As Setsuna flies up towards the bells, the rest of the group begins scurrying along the staircase as quickly as they can while maintaining a safe distance apart. They are still a good forty feet below her by the time she and her summoned bat reach the bells.
Three immense bronze bells still hang from timbers here, affixed by rusting lengths of chain and thick ropes. Above the bells are massive gears and clockworks, although they seem both rusted and scavenged - many of the smaller components are missing entirely. The rickety wooden stairs wind up and around them but don't quite reach the ceiling above, coming to an end at an opening in the wall. Here, the stairs continue up the exterior of the tower to a room that must lie just beyond the ceiling directly above the bells.
The moment her bat ceases its vertical climb, it immediately lets out a screech as three of the strange, leathery forms of the faceless stalkers come from behind the bells, hand over hand along the rafters as if they were perfectly at home in them, to attack the creature. All three lash out at the creature with their strange fists, two of which land solid blows against the flying mammal. One of them even manages to take hold of it.
The bat sinks its fangs into the shoulder of the stalker that has grabbed onto its body, drawing forth a spurt of the things strange, orange blood.
__________
,
__________
The stalkers continue their assault on the bat, managing to break several of its bones as well as drain a good deal of blood from it from their strange, proboscis-like tongues. The limp form of the bat comes crashing down past the rest of the group as they continue their climb.
Meanwhile, just as the bat was about to fall, Setsuna manages to take hold of some of the ropes and chains connecting the bells, saving herself from what would likely have been a fatal fall!
__________
,
Seeing Setsuna isolated by the sudden ambush of the faceless stalkers above, Morythine tears up the stairs as quickly as his legs can carry him.
Tzefira pushes off into the air, in order to position herself best so that the three stalkers would be affected by her upcoming spell, while avoiding allies. She then begins to gesture and chant, gathering energies until she points upwards and a line of crackling electricity flies out from her fingers. She channels some of the energy from her arcane reservoir in order to empower the spell.
Riley casts bull's strength on his companion and whistles sharply to send him into battle. Then he moves further up the stairs.
Zoli gulps as she sees stalkers attacking Setsuna. She sings a scrap of sing-song she learned from her father, causing a sparkle of colored dust to swirl around her. When it settles, she starts to run up the steps at twice her usual pace, almost floating from step to step.
Hollering back, she says, "It looks like these stairs can handle us going fast...just remember not to bunch up together! I'll see if I can jump across that gap above us and retie the rope to help folks get across."
HP 42/44
Luck 6/7
Panache 3/3
Charmed Life 3/3
Buffs expeditious retreat (round 1/10) +30’ move, +12 to jump
false life 8/8 THP
Still wondering how she survived her stupid stunt, Setsuna decides to stay put for the moment. The stalkers lack projectile weapons, and she would rather not fall to her death. As such, she just wraps her hands and uppers arms in the rope to make sure that she can keep a stable grip.
Lightning crackles through the tower, surging electricity causing two of the creatures to thrash violently in the ropes and chains of the clockworks. One falls as two arrows also sink deep into its body, landing with a loud splat on the ground of the room far below.
The other two, meanwhile, continue their assault among the rafters. One lands a solid blow against the young roc, and latches onto it with its leathery hand as it snakes its proboscis into the avian's neck. The second one seems to mirror its companion, managing to grab Setsuna around the wrist and jab its sharp tongue into her rib-cage.
__________
Morythine clambers up an old hemp rope dangling from the rafters, swiftly drawing level with the faceless stalker grappling Setsuna. Not even giving himself a moment to ponder the horrid intimacy of the monster's embrace and its probing proboscis, the dhampir kicks off the wall and swings toward the pair, the heel of one boot leading a jab into the stalker's leathery torso.
Olympus bites and claws at its attacker.
Riley moves the globes of light further up and keeps moving up the stairs.
Setsuna struggles in the things strong clutches, and manages to writhe free of its grip as the others rush to the aid of her and the young roc. Zoli and Morythine both leap out and join the fighting in the ropes, paying no heed to the inherent danger of a fight taking place while dangling at least a hundred feet in the air. Zoli's blade cuts deep into the one holding onto Olympus, while Morythine's draws forth a pained grunt from the creature, but it would seem to have little effect against the creatures leathery hide.
Tzefira manages to guide herself along the south wall as she levitates up to the fight, and upon arriving, appears to nearly double over as she lets forth what again appears to be silent, though furious, scream. However, the stalker clutching Olympus immediately clutches at its head as it clearly feels the pain of the arcane attack, and as it falls from the ropes and chains, its head can be seen to clearly pulsate with from the sound waves for a moment before erupting in blood and gore as it plummets to the floor far below.
Eugeni continues to launch arrows as he advances slowly up the stairs, one of the few combatants that can reliably contribute at such great range. However, several of his arrows become deflected or lodged in the dangling ropes and chains surrounding the fight, though one manages to lodge itself into the things side.
The remaining creature reaches out again for Setsuna, and narrowly misses the lithe half-elf as she twists away from its grasp this time.
__________
Eugeni grunts and continues to fire at the remaning stalker.
Zoli makes the climb out to the faceless stalker look effortless...but she's so focused on it that she totally flubs her swing, almost severing one of the ropes they're standing on before yanking her blade back at the last minute.
"Yoiks!" she gulps, then taunts "Hey ugly, look over here! Did I see what I did to your buddy? Well, you're next!" hoping to distract it so that Morythine can land a blow--and trying to goad it into attacking her instead of one of her allies.
______________
HP 42/44
Luck 6/7
Panache 3/3
Charmed Life 3/3
Buffs expeditious retreat (round 2/10) +30’ move, +12 to jump
false life 8/8 THP
Even with her weakened constitution, seeing her allies swiftly dispatching their foes, Setsuna opts to just stay put.
Morythine smirks at Zoli's uncharacteristic fumble, but completely fouls up his own attack, a kick going completely wide and leaving him spinning on the ropes like a child on a twisted swing.
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Riley keeps moving up as Olympus hops forward to press the attack against the remaining creature.
Even with her weakened constitution, seeing her allies swiftly dispatching their foes, Setsuna opts to just stay put.
Eugeni grunts and continues to fire at the remaning stalker, sending two more arrows deep into its chest.
Zoli makes the climb out to the faceless stalker look effortless...but she's so focused on it that she totally flubs her swing, almost severing one of the ropes they're standing on before yanking her blade back at the last minute.
"Yoiks!" she gulps, then taunts "Hey ugly, look over here! Did you see what I did to your buddy? Well, you're next!" hoping to distract it so that Morythine can land a blow--and trying to goad it into attacking her instead of one of her allies.
Morythine smirks at Zoli's uncharacteristic fumble, but completely fouls up his own attack, a kick going completely wide and leaving him spinning on the ropes like a child on a twisted swing.
Riley keeps moving up as Olympus hops forward to press the attack against the remaining creature.
Seemingly without stopping, Tzefira turns her soundless scream towards the remaining stalker, who manages to maintain a grip on the ropes, at least for a moment, before appearing to black out. As it loses its consciousness, it too falls from the cords above and plummets to the ground below with a dull, sickening thud.
__________
Riley keeps heading up the stairs until he is with the group. Then he uses his wand on Olympus and himself.
"Anybody else before we keep going?" he asks.