Augustus pulls back in surprise, then relaxes. A wide smile breaks across his face. His lips pull back, farther than they should, and with a horrid ripping sound, rows of sharp black teeth tear through his lips.
Black talons burst through his fingers in gouts of blood, and he raises his hands.
In a high-pitched voice, he yells, "Your skin will be mine - fetch Mr. Grine!"
Firavel moves into position, drawing his curve blade and slashing at the man. What the hell is this?
Leon's eyes went wide as he drew Unkindness and Lopper. His body seemed like it was moving through molasses, the weapons coming to his hands painfully slowly in the wake of the horror that had revealed itself.
Why can't I ever see it coming? I'm a Ravencourt! I am not supposed to be fooled by these things!
Leon moved opposite Firavel. He'd been fighting along side the Elf long enough to know instantly where to go to open up exploitable gaps in enemies defenses.
Jean moved forward and attempted to cut down the monster.
"Mithias, stop this thing from moving around. Sethis, get something big to hold that door, we don't want to be surrounded."
Great Googly moogly. What is that thing?
The creature springs toward the door and opens it, quickly followed by the heroes erupting into action.
Jean swings at the monster, but the creature is too fast to be caught by the attack.
Firavel manages to get into position opposite Jean, but his attack fares no better - his weapon thrust goes under the monster's arm.
Leon moves forward, and the creature lashes out with a claw aimed at Leon's face. His blade comes up to block the attack, then swings down in an attempt to trip his foe. But the monster's stance is sound, and he remains standing.
Mithias lobs a bomb at the monster, and sticky strands of alchemical glue run down it's feet. But the creature manages to avoid most of the substance and avoids being rendered immobile.
Augustus moves out of the door and into the hallway, heading to the right.
The hallway is only 5' wide, running east and west.
Jean watched with some surprise as the man rushed out of the room so quickly. He dropped his blade on the ground and as he ran to clear the room he pulled out his bow, before dodging immediately to the left and turning to fire. "Quickly, don't let it escape!"
Jean sinks an arrow into the monster's back causing it to curse and stumble. Putting his arm on the wall, Augustus twists and breaks the arrow protruding from his chest, tearing off some of his clothing and his skin in the process. He turns back and you see the left side of his chest is entirely skinless - he reaches up and pulls hard at his hair, causing the skin of his face and head tear off of his body like a mask.
A skinless face stares at you, its muscles pulsing and pumping as its mouth forms a wide leering grin.
Maintaining his defensive posture, Leon strikes back.
If Mithias has a clear shot, he'll lob another bomb after the fleeing creature,
otherwise, he will chase after him.
Firavel moves after the man creature? to slash at it once again.
Leon and Firavel try to attack the creature, but they are unable to land their blows.
But Mithias comes forward with another tanglefoot bomb, lobbing it at the creature. Unlike last time, the horror is glued in place. It frantically begins slashing at the goo keeping it in place, but it does not manage to free itself.
-----
Firavel tries to position himself around the... thing, so as to flank with one of his friends before attacking.
Seeing the creature is stuck, Jean begins to fire rapidly at his target.
Mithias lobs another bomb past Firavel to strike the creature.
Leon swings with Lopper's axe and tries to wedge himself through the doorway and into the hall, but gets briefly hung up and draws another attack from the creature.
Firavel swings again but the creature manages to avoid the blow. Its luck runs out as two arrows sink deep into its chest.
A bomb flies through the air and explodes on the monster, eliciting a scream of agony and cursing.
Leon unleashes a wicked stroke at the creature, nearly severing its head. He then attempts to move past the monster, but his acrobatic advance is stopped as the monster takes a swing at him. But the monster's black talons pass harmlessly past him.
The creature continues swiping at the goo gluing him to the ground, finally tearing it enough so he can escape.
Jean pulls out a pair of arrows and fires again, hoping to finish the monstrosity off.
Leon dashes forward, trying to get past the creature and block off it's escape.
Mithas readies a bomb to throw in case the creature gets past Leon.
When his turn comes up casting haste on everyone and using his link to cause his eidolon to come rushing in from its hiding place outside.
Firavel rolls past the thing formerly thought of as human, and, now positioned opposite Leon, swiftly slashes at it.
Two more arrows hit the monster as Leon tries to move past him.
The monster is too quick, however, and Leon's arm is torn open by razor-sharp claws.
Leon still manages to strike the monster, though he only causes a small wound. Still, it's enough for Firavel to take advantage and slip around the creature, slashing it across the back and dropping the monster into a pool of its blood.
Around the corner, a small humanoid figure wrapped up in thick bandages and wearing several layers of clothing peers around and holds up a hand. "I surrender, give me your word you won't harm me, and I'll tell you anything you need to know about Vorkstag."
Leon curses and hops up and down, shaking his arm in pain. "Damnit! That stings. Caught me down into where the elbow folds." Pressing a handkerchief to it, the silk quickly stained red.
"No wonder most of the family look like vagrants every time they come back from a mission. This profession is hell on clothing."
Giving the skinless monster a savage kick to keep him down, Leon gestured with the hand not staunching the bloodloss.
"Anyone know a way to tie up something with claws like that? Mithias, can you keep it from bleeding out? We're going to want to ask it some questions later."
Looking back at the small odd looking humanoid, Leon beckons him out. "You don't try to run or stab us, and you have nothing to worry about. Come on over, and start talking."
"Tie it up with its claws tucked ito its arm pits kinda like a straight jacket. That way if it struggles it'll do more damage to itself than the restraints."
Looking at the small humanoid "Hmm.
Mithias steps forward and begins to staunch the man's wounds. After a few moments he sits back. That should do it, he shouldn't die on us now.
Jean looked incredulously at Leon.
"What are you talking about? That thing is nothing but a monster, and quite probably a lying and or delusional one at that. Those Mongrelmen ran off to get Grime who is likely as tough as Vorkstag was. Not to mention their other servants. It needs to be dealt with, now!"
Jean shifted his focus to the cloaked figure.
"I don't know who you are, but at this particular moment, you have my word we won't harm you. So, friend, you can provide any answers we seek in place of Mr Vorkstag. For now, how many servants do Vorkstag and Grime have?"
As he spoke, Jean began pulling off several of the potions the young man in the alley had given them, and tossed one to Firavel,
"Catch."
and the other to Leon.
Catching the potion, Leon shook his head. "Jean, you can't unkill something. If Grimes or Vorkstag know anything about why Son is being set up, we need to find out."
Jean seemed to calm somewhat as Leon spoke about the consequences of death and mentioning Son.
"Fine... you're probably right about this. Lorrimor probably would have done the same."
He then muttered under his breath. "I just hope it doesn't prove to be the wrong choice."
Firavel looks at Jean as he accepts the potion. "Vorkstag? This thing was Vorkstag? He said he was Augustus Heigl or something."
He turns towards the newcomer, his blade ready.
"Who are you?"
"We don't really know who he is. That's sort of the point." Leon said with a shrug.
"Firavel, how about we point fewer blades at the person who just surrendered, and spend a little more time dealing with the unconscious monster on the ground, eh?"
The little man sighs as the group discusses the events so far. At Firavel's inquiry, the man says, "I am Grine, and it was just me and Vorkstag. We've got a group of mongrelmen who live in the sewers beneath the building. They're pretty useless though, so you shouldn't worry about them."
Indeed, based on what little you've seen of the workers, they don't seem to pose any threat to you.
"I met Vorkstag about ten years ago. Instead of killing me, he and I worked out an arrangement. I'd do some scouting for his targets, throw in an assist from time to time, that kind of thing. But he wasn't right - he was from the First World, and let me tell you, he was crazy. Things were fine for a few years, but he started getting more and more irrational, even threatening me on more than one occasion. You do what you want, but my suggestion is to kill him as soon as you can."
"How many people did you help him murder?" Leon says coldly.
The little man fixes Leon with a glare, then his eyes drop to the ground. In a soft voice, he responds. "I stopped counting at fifty."
"And used the legend of "the beast" as a convenient explanation for the disappearances..."
Leon shakes his head. "You're going to be spending some time in jail. If you are cooperative and can prove to the courts that you were coerced by Vorkstagg here, you might get off easy. But you're going to have to be very cooperative."
"We're going to bind your hands now, and you're going to show us anything in this place that is relevant. Any items taken from the victims, records, graves. Anything."
Grine seems to think about it before glancing around at the dour faces in front of him. He nods to Leon, then slowly removes several small knives from his pockets, placing them on the floor in front of him. "Fair enough, I'm not stupid enough to provoke the lot of you."
After he has been tied up, he bobs his head and indicates a doorway, "That's one of his research rooms. Door's unlocked."
You open the door to find as much an abattoir as a bedchamber, this room contains not only a four-poster bed, but also numerous workbenches and alchemical gear. The walls are lined with shelves and strange-looking objects in jars of liquid. Bits of rags litter the floor, and the air is heavy with the stench of spoiled food mixed with acrid chemicals. A ladder leads to a trapdoor in the ceiling.
Jean looks around the room and focuses his attention on the ladder leading up.
"Hmm, what's up the ladder?"
Leon peruses the shelves. "Mithias, I think we may want to 'confiscate' some of this equipment for you." he says with a wry grin.
"Hello, what's this." he stops in front of a particular jar with a strange shark-octopus specimen floating in yellowed liquid.
"Looks like there's a key in this one."
"I dont think that's natural Leon. Please be carful."
Sethis will then look for a pair of tongs or somthing else to grab the key. "That thing may be poisonous so lets avoid touching it if at all possible."