Lureene treads carefully through the greas and enters the mist. She can hear the sounds of combat but soon the mists engulf her. She slides through the door and runs her hand along the wall. Once she sees the others, she scans the crowd of enemies, looking for the mage, but the mists still obscure her vision. Praying she is not in the range of the silenced area, she readies to summon a mass of spidery webs to entrap her foes.
Her eagle swoops down and unloads on the closest target, which happens to be the man cowering in the corner.
Ginger footsteps at last carry Lureene out of the burning grease on the floor. Keeping her hand on the wall, she moves north until she finds Priyya and Alis standing in front of her. Oddly, she can't even hear the sound of Priyya breathing, or the beating of her summoned eagle's wings. That is, until it swoops down and tears at the face and neck of the man cowering in the corner. The knave tries to protect himself with his arms, but with the further loss of blood, he finally crumples to the ground from his injuries.
Although Lureene cannot see if from where she is, Priyya's lips move as if swearing a black oath as the mage taps the nearest marksman on the shoulder before moving out-of-sight into the rough-hewn corridor to his north.
, Priyya, Markmen, Mal, Lureene & pets; Mage
Alis sees Mal move up beside her and notices how absolutely ragged he's looking. I... don't think all of that blood is theirs.
After speaking a few words of prayer, she reaches out to touch him and hisses, "Dammit Mal, quit bleeding already!"
, Marksmen, Mal, Lureene & Pets; Mage
MAP: Dunwaar Streets, (Round 29)
Priyya channels energy to her friends, selectively denying it to anyone else.
Clearly she has angered Alita somehow... and Priyya finds she is angry, too. She turns on the two remaining enemies and stalks towards them slowly, drawing her blade with a rasp. Her clothes still smolder as does her corona and the look in her eyes.
"You had your chance to surrender before, idiots. Don't try to run; there is no escape. Now, you're going to die screaming."
When Alis feels the barely perceptible emanation of healing energy from Priyya, and sees the minimal effect her touch has even on herself, a rare look of worry crosses her face. Uugh, I hope that hanging around with Lureene and I hasn't caused problems for her...
Meanwhile, further down the hallway, the two marksmen observe Priyya making silent threats and look at one another wondering if she's touched in the head. When they raise their crossbows to fire, she slashes at the closest with her blade, but he easily evades the attack and both men fire shots coated with burning poison into her chest and abdomen.
Not daring to open up a hole in her lung or to tear an artery, Priyya yanks free the shaft in her guts. Yet she can already feel a sensation of weakness spreading thru her as the sword grows heavier in her hand.
Seeing their chance, the two men duck away around the corner, hoping to let the poison finish the job.
R23
R24
; Mage, Alis, Priyya, Marksmen
MAP: Dunwaar Streets, (Round 29b)
Mal, feeling stronger from Alis's healing, stalks after the fleeing quarry...
Lureene nods over to Alis and Priyya, amd motions to the advancing form of the sleek black cheetah. She moves behind the cheetah, and gazes down the hallway...
The eagle, unconcerned with stealth at this point flies down the corridor, searching for additional enemies to swoop down upon.
Lureene and Mal sweep down the hallway of finished stonework until they are in a position to look down a long hallway that's been chiseled thru the rock. As he moves, Mal considers what he saw. The mage tapped one of the men on the shoulder before he departed. While the mist was interfering with his sight, and the mage was mostly obscured by the man standing in front of him, nothing about the motion seemed to be anything other than letting the men know that they needed to fall back.
If I could actually hear that would give me a few more clues, he thinks.
While Mal considers this, the summoned eagle follows after them and banks the turn flying about half-way down the hallway. There, the two marksmen have made a stand. One holds his crossbow at the ready while the other, closer man fends off the eagle's attacks with a shortsword.
; Mage, Alis, Priyya, Marksmen
MAP: Dunwaar Streets, (Round 29c)
Mal pushes down the hallway, once again intending to run over or through his opponents, limiting their actions once again.
Lureene watches Mal move off to engage the marksmen. She realizes the mage was still unaccounted for, and also Mal was still badly wounded. She decides to draw some of the enemy attention to herself, and casts a spell...
Easily able to see over Mal, Lureene goes the the motions of spellcasting, but cannot hear the words she speaks. Knowing full well she won't be able to get her spell off like this, she continues if only to attract attention away from her feline friend.
The men stiffen a bit at Lureene's display as if expecting something to happen. With a silenced snarly, Mal charges down the hallway. The lead man attempts to spit Mal on his sword, but to no avail. Both men are knocked clear off their feet and tumble to the ground.
If the mage is still around, he does not make his presence known. Mal can smell that he ran down this hallway, but nothing more.
, Priyya, Marksmen, Mal, Lureene
Alis moves forward and notes that all sense of sound fades away the moment she begins moving west. At once, she sees Priyya staggering slightly and spies the crossbow bolt still lodged in her chest. Remembering back to the poisoned ammunition Chivane and the Tar Dogs used, she has little reason to doubt these gangsters wouldn't stoop to the same dirty tactics.
As she runs, the princess slides her healing kit free. She motions for Priyya to hold still in order that she might attempt to treat the poison. The cleric is a bit surprised at the uncanny efficiency and skill the slight woman uses in extracting the bolt and using a suction to pump out some of the tainted fluids.
Is Súmalya guiding her hand? she wonders.
, Marksmen, Mal, Lureene; Alis
MAP: Dunwaar Streets, (Round 30)
<-- I think she beat it by 'a bit' :)
Testing to see if she is again in Alita's favor, Priyya attempts to heal herself.
The Surya-ka-Vahaak, absolutely brimming with Alita's Wrath, steps around the corner and smiles at the men who tried to poison her. No quarter will be given. She sprints forward and attempts to hew the head off the man in front of her.
To Hit: Crit?
Confirm: Survey says... NO
Damage:
Showing no signs of hesitation, Priyya leaves Alis behind and rounds the corner looking to cleave the head off the first enemy she comes across. As she runs up, she notices that the two men make no effort to stand up. In fact, they seem to be keeping as low to the ground as possible.
In an instant her head snaps up. She waves a warning to the others just as a blinding bolt of lightning comes tearing down the hallway from the fingertip of the previously invisible mage. The three manage to dodge the worst of the blast, but the hovering eagle is blown away by the blast.
Lureene then let's her sword fall on the downed man, who is clearly surprised that she yet lives!
After recovering from the lightning bolt, Priyya carries through with her attack slashing the man before her across the chest in her attempt to take his head.
The men then do their best to counter-attack. The man by Priyya slashes at her legs his blade burning as it rips across her thigh. However whether by luck or the intervention of Alíta, she somehow manages to avoid the effects of the poison as it it were no more than water.
The fellow still armed with a crossbow raises it to shoot at the black cheetah standing over him. Having none of it, Mal clamps down on the man's shoulder with his teeth but leaves himself in a precarious position. With his free hand, the man fires his crossbow right thru the great cat's neck!
Seemingly the only reason the shifted warrior doesn't succumb to the poison is because the bolt passes clear thru him. As his vision goes grey, Mal releases the man from his jaws. With the slightest exertion he realizes that he'll soon pass out.
; Alis, Mage, Priyya, Marksmen
MAP: Dunwaar Streets, (Round 30b)
MAP: Dunwaar Streets, (Round 30b)
Lureene sees Mal get staggered by the blow from the marksman. She frantically motions to Alis, a look of urgency in her eyes, waving her towards where Mal and Priyya disappeared down the corridor.. She advances out of the silenced area and casts another spell, soon thick spiderwebs spring into existence.
Mal makes an attempt to bite the man lying in front of him. He misses, but the exertion worsens his injuries and he collapses to the ground, starting to bleed out.
Lureene waves frantically to Alis and moves forward until she can finally hear once again. She immediately fills the far end of the corridor with sticky webbing.
Alis runs past Lureene and into the hallway, instantly able to hear once again. Upon seeing the webs everywhere, she forgets your codenames for a moment and cries, "Dammit, they sealed off the passageway with webs! Mal's stuck in it along with these two! I can't see anything past him!"
Gods this isn't good, I hope the mage doesn't light it, Mal's in bad shape...
Setting her jaw, she raises her crossbow and tries to fire past Priyya at the man closest to Mal. The bolt just barely manages to nick him while the second shot is caught up in the webs before it can make it more than five feet.
Reflex Saves DC 15
, Priyya, Marksmen, Lureene; Alis
Lureene says quietly, "Actually, 'Lis, I sealed it off. If that mage had thrown another spell at us, Mal and Priyya would get slaughtered. I think it's time to retreat. Those men I put to sleep upstairs are waking up."
From the far end of the hallway, you hear the sound of spellcasting. Suddenly roaring sheets of flame slice thru Lureene's web and the entire thing goes up!
The two mean trapped within shout with surprise, and Alis grits her teeth with concern knowing it pushed her fearless bodyguard even closer to death's door. As the last of the webs burn away, you can see that the mage is no longer there.
, Marksmen, Lureene; Alis, Mage
MAP: Dunwaar Streets, (Round 30c)
"Well, at least he couldn't see well enough to aim another directional spell, right?" With the smell of burning fur now evident in the air, Alis glances behind at Lureene and replies, "We have to get Ma–Aaandre back up before we can do that."
Yeah, like we'd be able to convince either Mal or Priyya to retreat...
Priyya touches her own forehead conveying Alita's healing upon herself. Then her disfigured hand glows and a wave a healing washes over her allies and herself.
The healing light of Alíta washes over the party, this time with greater effect than before. The flow of blood from Mal's body is stemmed, although he remains unconscious where he fell.
The two marksmen attempt to get back to their feet. Priyya slashes at the first, but the attack glances off the light suit of studded leather he is wearing. The two men then make a run for it ducking down a passageway just ahead and to the left. Alis and Lureene hear the sound of a door slamming.
Perception Checks
; Alis, Mage?, Priyya, Marksmen?
MAP: Dunwaar Streets, (Round 30d)
Lureene moves quickly next to Mal, and, stepping over his body to shield his prone form from the far side, she gently rouses the brave warrior, while watching for the appearance of the mage.
She also sends a message to Grak, Keep an eye on the men up there, and let me know if they head downstairs.
As Mal's green eyes begin to open, he sees Alis reaching down to touch him with a glowing blue wand. He feels a bit of relief from his injuries, but a split second later, he sees Alis' head snap up as she tries to dodge an incoming bolt of lightning that flashes over his head catching her full in the chest!
Looking up, he can see that Lureene also got hit, but that her otherworldly composition must have helped reduce the impact. Past Alis, now struggling to stay on her feet against the pain wracking her, he sees that Priyya at least managed to avoid the worst of it. Looking behind Lureene, the cheetah warrior regains his feet and see that this time, the Mage has not fled or disappeared.
; Alis, Mage
MAP: Dunwaar Streets, (Round 31)
Priyya drops her sword and draws her bow and a single arrow. She seeks Alita's guidance and sends the arrow down range between Alis and Lureene, hoping to make him rue the decision to return...
<-- I'm assuming he is evil for my rolls.
To Hit:
OR
To Hit: <-- winner
Damage:
Rng Inc: 70' | -1/Increment
Lureene staggers from the effects of the spell, and notices the effects the bolt had on 'Lis. She turns a gaze at the mage, a look promising death in her eyes. She weaves her body and readies a spell and soon a small ball of green acid appears in her hand. Smiling evilly, she hurls it at him...
Once she has cast her spell, she tells Grak mentally to return to the group.
Priyya's arrow flies true striking the mage in the leg and making him grunt out in pain. Not a moment later, he screams out as acid splashes over him burning away at his face torso and limbs.
The last thing he sees however, are the hateful green eyes of a snarling black cat leaping upon him before his throat is torn out!
Priyya, Lureene, Mal, ???
Gritting her teeth against the pain, Alis taps herself on the chest with the wand and breathes a sigh of relief. Beside her, Lureene hears something heavy get slammed across the back of the door next to her.
Stifling a curse, Alis whispers to Lureene, "I don't think that's the last of them and we're in a really bad spot..."
, ???; Alis
MAP: Dunwaar Streets, (Round 32)
Priyya channels energy again for her allies and herself then picks up her sword and sheathes it.
Priyya releases yet another burst of desperately needed healing energy to her friends. Alis nods to her in gratitude and mouths the words, "Thank you."
Lureene nods her thanks at the healing from Priyya, and moves to the corner, and peers around it, trying not to be seen.
Once she has looked, then she returns to where Alis awaits, and says quietly, "'Lis, you are right, things are not looking good. Plus, I have not heard from that woman who first ran down here. It sounds like they barricaded that door, too. If 'Gerrold' is down here, then he could be used as a hostage against us." She sighs, "I want to find him as much as you do. maybe one of the people we captured knows something."
Grak informs her he has almost joined the group, and Lureene instructs him to stay at the bottom of the stairs and watch for surprises.
Lureene moves up to the corner. It's quiet, but she can't really see much. She could go up to another 15-ft further and still have enough movement in her second move action to return to where Alis is. Do you want to go any further for a better look, or not?
MAP: Dunwaar Streets, (Round 32b)
Lureene moves up a bit further, she notices a pressure plate on the floor and decides to hop over it rather than risk seeing what it does. Up ahead, she sees that the rough-hewn passageway widens into a long, misshapen chamber. Two passageways split off to the north before the room curves back south out of sight.
In her mind, Lureene hears Grak sigh and say, "Yesss, misssstressss..." He ruefully eyes the mist he just left and gets ready to fly back thru it.
, ???; Alis, Priyya, Lureene
MAP: Dunwaar Streets, (Round 32c)
The form of the powerful black cat shivers for a few seconds them melts back into that of Mal, the tall warrior standing to his full height, armor and gear in pristine condition - contrasting with his bleeding and injured body. He catches the eyes of Priyya and Alis, the women who have kept him live thus far, and nods his thanks before slipping as quietly as he can around the corner - deeper into the halls.