Bishop opens the left southern door to find a confusing sight.
A terrified guard cowers behind a pair of angelic knightly figures clad in silvery plate armor and bearing massive two-handed blades wreathed in magical energy - one flame the other frost. Each armored angel is surrounded by several slightly displaced illusionary images. Behind the cowering guard, there's a closed door.
The angels levels their weapons and shout a command simultaneously.
"Surrender now or be judged!"
"Legion archons? What are they doing here?" Aleixica asks no one in particular.
"What's going on here?" she asks, a little louder to attact the angels' attention.
"Leave this place now...", one shouts.
"Or you will be destroyed", the other finishes.
"I'm afraid we can't do that. As bad as this place may be, we're here to prevent an injustice!" Aleixica calls out.
Flames/frost coalesce in the archon's hands and, without another spoken word, the pair hurl the bolts at Bishop.
Curses! Fighting the legions of Heaven was supposed to be on the menu!
"Don't bother with lightning, they're immune!"
The witch reaches into a pocket in his jacket and produces a dried, withered octopus tentacle. Tristan drops the foul item to the ground and with a word of power and a deliberate stomp, he crushes a appendage underfoot. In that instant, giant black tentacles, burst up from the ground below the two archons and their prey, attempting to entangle all of them.
"Alright time fer talkin is over." Bishop raises his pistol and fires!
Tristan's field of rubbery tentacles easily hold the angels (and guard) fast and begin to squeeze them.
Bishop's bullets riddle one of the archons but seem to do little damage.
AC 22, touch 13, flat-footed 19
Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +10
CMD: 19
HP: 38/59
Touch of Luck: 2/6
Spells used: bless, chaos hammer, third-level xx
Effects: bless (if it's still up?)
With no shot available, Aleixica pulls out her morningstar and waits, hoping the tentacles take the fight out of the angels.
What are they doing here? she wonders.
Ready action: Attack if something closes to melee with her, otherwise she'll just wait and see what happens.
Attack:
Attack:
Damage:
Damage:
Move to V48. Attack A1.
Ember moves up into the room 20 feet.
The cowering guard goes limp as the tentacles break his bones.
The angels attempt to tear free from rubbery limbs.
But neither succeed.
Bishop steps into the room and fires off more rounds.
Bishop's bullets tear the angel to shreds spilling blue blood and shards of armor across the wall behind it.
AC 22, touch 13, flat-footed 19
Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +10
CMD: 19
HP: 38/59
Touch of Luck: 2/6
Spells used: bless, chaos hammer, third-level xx
Effects: bless (if it's still up?)
"Please, there's no need for this," Aleixica cries out, wincing at the sight of the bloodied angel.
"Desna, guide us in what to do," she whispers, stepping forward and touching Bishop.
"I agree," Tristan spits. I shouldn't be using my hexes for this sort of thing. If these legion archons are here to strike down the Songbird, then maybe he's beyond redemption.
Tristan gives the remaining archon the evil eye, hoping that its misfortune will bring it a swift, merciful death.
Now you're cursing legion archons? WHAT have you gotten yourself into?!
The trapped archon shudders as Tristan's fell power washes over him.
Would you end with the same fate as the other? Why do you attack us even though we are obviously not evil?
Lucius holds his bow in position to unleash arrows if the archon refuses to yield.
We are here to end the evil of this city as well.
The archon narrows its inhuman gaze on Lucius as it struggles against the tentacles.
"We will defend this place from all that trespass."
What is here to defend? An evil man? Is this a holy place?
"We are sworn to defend the last son of Grulio."
"We're also here to protect the person who lives here!" Aleixica exclaims.
Aleixica'a aware that the Grulios are a noble family, based mostly in Westcrown, that came to light as terrorist sympathizers around the time of the Fall. Since then, they have been stripped of most of their major holdings and power. Most of the members of the family have fallen to various 'accidents' across the years or disappeared into the various Hellknight citadels leaving the last son - David as their sole remaining heir.
"The last son of Grulio has the same goals as we do! We want to help clean this city of what ails it! We mean no harm to David, but we fear someone may be coming here who does!"
"Like she said, we were warned of someone that means the last son of Grulio harm. Let us assist in keeping him safe. We want to capture the man who will be coming here to attack him."
The archon struggles again.
But it fails to break free from the tentacle's grasp.
"I can tell something more is happening! Let us help you!"
"Desna, give me a little insight, please."
Bishop will delay to let the talkative party members do their work.
Tristan, doing his best to save the remainder of his eldritch magic for the day, does not take action against the archon.
Tristan, realizing that he's not Orsino Bessatte, reconsiders his position and gives the archon the evil eye.
The surviving archon shivers under Tristan's evil eye.
Foolish Angel!
Lucius's arrows finish off the surviving archon and a moment later, Tristan's tentacles disappear as quickly as they appeared.
Beyond the bodies of the two slain angels and the crushed guard, a now unguarded door awaits.
After letting Ember search the door for traps, Bishop holsters his pistol and opens the door.
"This city...it drives even the holy to the most stubborn and heinous acts..."
Tristan is disappointed in the way the events unfolded, but realizes that there's no use in sulking about it further. He follows behind Ember and Lucius.
"I certainly wasn't expecting to find any angels, mortal or outsider, here," Aleixica says, more subdued than usual.
"Me neither, but ya learn to expect the unexpected in my line a' work."
Ember confirms there are no traps and Bishop opens the door to find a young man, no more than 15 or 16 years of age, shakily leveling a crossbow at him. The boy is tall but thin with straw-blonde hair and a strong jaw. He squeezes the trigger.
"If I am to die I will die fighting", he declares.
"Relax young-un. Like we tried to tell your purty guards, we're actually tryin' to save ya. So stow the attitude. Ya don't want a stand off with me, kid."
I like your courage kid. You will need it. Come with us. We are here to protect you.
A bit of softness overtakes Lucius' countenance.
"Come with you? You're not the Songbird?"