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The menehune slides into position, drawing his rapier and dagger preparing for the killer blow. His blades lash out catching the hawani deep in its side. It then collapses to the ground in a gurgling heap.
"Och! Thank yee!" Gasping a quick thanks to the menehune for slaying one of the pesky hawanis, Rata Fenn concentrates on the remaining one...
With a startled yell, he slips on the gory remains of the hawani and stumbles to his knees very nearly dropping his dagger.
"Gaahhhh I hates this place!"
The hawani moves in for the kill...
;
;
;
Fortunately only a claw swipes the beleaguered sailor adding to his collection of scars.
The final hawani charges Rata Fenn...
;
but Rata manages to slips out of its path, avoiding its dangerous bite!
"Zzzzzzzzzzz..."
Nef leaps off Wedjat, and orders him to attack Hawani #4. "Attack and Flank!"
Then she leans over and shakes Oren awake. "Hey sleepy head! You okay, Opu?"
Wedjat flanks with Rata and full attacks Hiwani #4.
"Screeeee!"
Yo, Blade Boy! Need backup?
Jacinth's arrow strikes the hawani nearly felling it. Wedjat swoops in and savages one of the hawani's assaulting Rata Fenn.
Jacinth's arrow strikes the lone remaining one wounding it further. Rata Fenn tries once again to kill it...
His blow carves a deep furrow in its belly and it then collapses in a heap on the ground.
Oren finds himself woken up and he groggily rises to his feet to a scene of carnage but all is quiet once again.
"That was bold fighting everyone, but we should see to our wounds before entering that tunnel. Lani, can you see to Rata?"
Nef then checks over Oren. "How badly are you hurt?"
Reknar looks over his shoulder at Oren and Nefertiti, nodding affirmatively at the cleric - "I'll keep an eye out" - he adds, searching the dead hiwani next to him, and standing guard - "Search them for valuables"
"I'm fine. Just feeling a little shaken. Those fangs on those Hiwanis are vicious...eh seem to tear at your soul! But I'm okay. Sorry to zone out on you lot again," he apologizes.
"Are you certain you are ready to move just now?" Aikane cleans off his blades, watching the tree line.
He steps away from Oren and sidles up to Rata, and asks quietly, "How many stretchers do you think we can actually manage... mate?"
Nef nods gravely. "I remember, but you are strong willed. They cannot keep you down." She searches for the wound she knows must be there. "He bit you. Where are you hurt?"
Ke' sidled up to Rata.
"How ye feeling lad? Let's try this then..." He said, pulling out a potion of yellow paste. He mashed up some potato bugs in it and fed it to Rata.
He heals points of damage.
"I'm fine. My pride's a touch wounded, but my magic soaked up most of that bastard's bite! We need to get to this awful demon now, though. No telling how many more of these poor hiwanis have been corrupted by it."
Rata Fenn finishes cleaning off his dagger before returning to get healed by 'Lani's concoction. Chewing it noisily he feels the paste's healing properties take hold closing some of the deep wounds he suffered earlier.
"I guess I be ready ta go 'ere, Captain."
"Hang on boy," Ke' grinned as he mixed up another bug gruel potion to Rata.
"Here you go!"
Slugging it down will heal him points of damage.
Nef looks up at Jacinth and nods. "I'm ready, only... Did you think that it was odd? The way that two of the hiwanis were waiting, as if under orders to do so? Why were they waiting? What possible benefit could there be to holding their ground in front of the altar like that?"
She takes a deep breath. "You know I sometimes sense things. I sensed that their wait had a purpose, and that purpose had... something to do with me." She pauses, realizing just how crazy that sounds. "Maybe I'm just imagining things, but it also is very possible that there is a trap waiting for us as we step in the door. We should be very, very careful in our approach."
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"Let the menehune check closely for traps on the ground then. If a trap
Made those crazies pause, I don't want to suffer the effects of it!"
Nef nods. "Our host is clever. In every case, he's targeted the spell casters and the healers. Let's go in, but cautiously. Aikane, are you ready to disable any traps that may be waiting for us?"
As you all prepare to head down the rudimentary side trail which leads down the south side of the elevated promontory, you all feel the telepathic 'voice' of your host Hawanapoki enter your minds.
"I hope my hawanis did not prove too much trouble for you? Still I am glad all of you have made it this far! I look forward to...educating you in all the pleasures your flesh holds for me." Jacinth and Nefertiti both feel waves of erotic thoughts enter their minds, filled with tentacles and...other things.
The others are filled with their own thoughts of a sexual nature. Aikane grits his teeth and motions for you to follow him. "Let's go. Put these thoughts aside."
He leads you down the side trail which soon ends at the south side of the hill where an entrance leads further under the hill. A closer look reveals the earthen passageways and chambers are reinforced by stone blocks quarried from elsewhere centuries ago. A finely polished stone corridor bores into the side of the hill and descends twenty feet before ending in a pair of closed, wooden doors.
"There's twenty minutes remaining on my Magic Circle versus Evil. We should go if we can. Is the door locked? Trapped?"
Oren casts Mage Armor using his wand. That thought was nothing compared to my mermaid, Oren defiantly thinks, but doesn't say anything out loud, worrying the group will think him daft.
"Either I am getting used to these insidious thoughts the pervert keeps placing in our heads, or he is starting to lose imagination" - Reknar chuckles, shaking some of the images away, but not all of them...
"You're up again" - Reknar nods at Aikane, standing outside the tunnel, and noticing the closed doors - "Seems like the perfect spot for a trap" - he winks at the Menehune.
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The small Menehune reluctantly leaves the jungle path and approaches the closed doors.
"Is there no other way?" he asks as he starts inspecting the doors.
"The trap is likely further in..." he softly says as his hand pushes on the door.
As you move into the corridor you see numerous, small quartz stones embedded into the ceiling glow with varying shades of bright and dim light. A closer look at the corridor walls shows that over the centuries the paint has degraded, partially revealing graphic images of sacrifice and blood that decorate the corridor currently. Also you note the faint images depict a squid-like being bathing in a pool of blood.
The menehune examines the corridor and quickly determines the area is not trapped. If there were any traps they must have long since been removed. The corridor is well traveled with many humanoid tracks, the hawanis and also some human tracks interspersed as well.
Seeing the doors unlocked Aikane pushes the doors open. On the other side you see two long, warped wooden tables surrounded by eight stools dominate the far end of the room. The ruins of two stone statues are strewn about the floor. A pair of double doors are in the north wall and an archway on the east wall opens into an adjoining corridor. Two barrels of stagnant, brackish water are sitting near the entrance.
"I wonder what these statues were all about?" Ke' wondered aloud as he poked his foot among the sherds. "Looks like trashing them took a lot of work. Why work so hard?"
'Lani looks over the statues and sees they are made from limestone, and depicted an elvish figure of some note.
Know. Nature
"Nope. No idea here. I'd bet that demon had his servants destroy that statue for no good reasons.". Oren keeps Detect Magic active as the group explores the underground areas.
Nefertiti pauses, taking a moment to light up her flag, and looks over the broken elvish statues, thinking through what she knows of Hawanapoki.
"No, our host is a thinker. I've had him in my head now enough to know. This mutilation? It's personal. Jacinth, what was the name of your ancestor? Urthlan Fiendbinder, right?"
Nef waits patiently for Jacinth to connect the dots, and then smiles grimly. "Jacinth, if I'm not mistaken, we just found your ancient elvish lab."
Reknar steps into the middle of the room, to make sure he is in plain view of both the walls to the north, and the passage to the east, on guard for any possible hostiles - "Lets make a quick search"
His smile mostly hidden by his collar, Aikane allows the tall ones to move past him. No need to hurry. I'll let them find any hidden opponents first.
Hearing no immediate sounds of battle, Aikane silently moves into the room and over to the open hallway. He spends a few moments looking into the darkness and listening for any noises.
As the rest of you move into the room you all watch for signs of ambush but nothing jumps out at you. Wedjat gives his mistress a reproachful look (for an eagle) but does eventually enter the cramped area as well. Oren scans the area for magical auras but other than the magic items you carry the room is clean.
Aikane silently glides to the east corridor and sees the corridor is lit by the same glowing quartz stones in the ceiling as before. It heads a short distance before ending at a closed door. There is also a small room off to the north which appears to be a kitchen of some sort.
Seeing nothing obviously menacing, Aikane moves down the eastern corridor and peeks into the small room to the north. If that is a kitchen, then the dining area is probably just past that.
Oren stays silent, even though the beast obviously knew the group was coming. the showdown was nigh.
Aikane peeks into the kitchen and sees a layer of thick grime covering nearly every inch of this kitchen. There is an iron grill filled with ashes, a serviceable hearth, and a preparation area with rusty iron knives and other utensils.
Seeing little else of interest he turns to watch the door to the east. He can see it is not closed all the way.
Aikain silently backs back towards the room where all the others are.
Looking them over, moves away from the hallway and goes up to the two ladies. Tugging on Jacinth's sleeve, he points towards the eastern hallway and whispers "Filthy kitchen along the north and a slightly open door at the end of that hallway."
Wonder if she is just going to yell the information to the rest of the group?
"Kitchen, eh?" Muttered Ke'. He grinned at the possibilities inherent in a well stocked kitchen.
"If I could lure him in, I could kill ANYTHING!" He exulted quietly.
He stopped cackling when he realized people were staring.
"Ahem. Shall we continue then?" He asked.