Still not trusting his tongue Byakko motions for Enii to head for the exit, backing towards it himself. He refuses to leave the Viking alone though making sure he remains within support range.
As a group you exchange glances and mutually understand that perhaps a battle with this particular enemy is unnecessary. Having successfully recovered the key "dropped" by Jadrenka, and with the warden - and Ungrist - now vanished from the metamorphosed chamber, you slowly back out the way you came as the bull stomps and snorts its sickly green mist, but upon your egress makes no move to pursue you.
Krosh sounds out a half-groan, half-hum, shaking his head. "This place is strange, and its warden stranger. These pawns of the Witch Queen need always speak in riddles..." He looks around at the walls and ceiling. "It could well be anything we see here is not truly what it appears. Be it structure or being. And I do not think these halls are merely halls. We entered atop the Maiden, yet that Ungrist said his Warden was "not here, but back in the Maiden." I think we have magically moved between the statues, maybe more than once or twice. And the three statues are miles apart." He breathes and touches one of the walls as if testing it for realness. "We delve into shadows and illusions. Be wary."
Geedra votes for the locked door. If the treasure inside was worth locking up, it had to be good!
"Aside from her metallic company back there she seemed... almost helpful. Must have giving us the key for a reason right? Let's try the locked door, perhaps Caigreal left something behind."
You take the key back up the path you were just previously led through by Ungrist, finding yourselves back in the room of partitioned sleeping quarters where you first encountered the duplicitous woman Cagriel. Moving to the far side of the room you encounter a wall made of unmortared fieldstone with a door set within it, its stone surface carved with the image of a young woman walking with a deer in the forest.
The door is indeed locked, but when Byakko tries the newfound key, you are pleased to hear an agreeable click as the door unlocks and is able to be pushed open. Moving past it, you find yourselves on another flight of rough-hewn stairs leading down. You begin your descent, quickly noticing ahead that a light of intense brightness is spilling out of a room ahead into the corridor. This is no torch- or firelight, but something brighter, whiter, and uniform, without the movement that light shed from flame would be. Passing into the light, it causes you no harm other than forcing you to squint, and eventually you come to the end of the hallway as it opens into another large chamber of natural stone; it is barren save for the single 6 inch diameter hole in the floor. You are readily able to ascertain that this hole is the source of the light. You notice that the light seems to be even stronger in the room ahead as you stand on the threshold of the corridor. Another hallway leads out of the room on the far wall to your right, while the wall on the far left houses another stone door.
Geedra shades her eyes from the burning bright light. She casts detect magic as they proceed wanting to be sure that the group didn’t miss something useful due to the brightness. Tea tight he source of the light, she moves to the 6” hole and stands on it, seeing if her weight and feet would block the light revealing anything interesting.
Skäne nods towards the light through squinted frown;
Puka! Know you the nature o' the ljós ? Illt or sannligr ?"
The warrior has his shield raised and spear readied...
Byakko enters the room cautiously, shielding his eyes with a hand as he hangs back from the hole while the goblin investigates. He edges towards the door on his left listening for sounds of other occupants and eyeing the door for traps.
Geedra and Byakko enter the room. While Byakko moves cautiously, scanning slowly and keeping behind his shield, Geedra saunters directly in and over to the hole, weaving some magic as she goes. As the witch nears the orifice, both she and Byakko begin to hear a sibilant campaign of unintelligible whispers filter into their ears. It seems as though they are coming from everywhere, eerily close and distant simultaneously.
Geedra makes it to the hole regardless and standing over it her form does interrupt the flow of light very slightly - akin to putting your fingers in the cone of light shed from a bullseye lantern.
The whispers in the room seem unhappy with the goblin's proximity to the hole in the ground. They swell for a moment and both Geedra and Byakko suddenly experience a haze of encroaching darkness around their eyes...
Fort
Geedra tried to squeeze her eyes closed before the sudden darkness enveloped her vision, probably to no avail.
Byakko shuts his eyes against a sudden swelling of darkness. He calls to the others, "Stay back!" as he shakes his head in an attempt to clear his vision.
Silas suddenly comes wandering over from his... bathroom break? Whatever he was up to. He fixes himself and siddles into the room. "Sorry 'bout that. What'd I miss? Is the hole haunted?"
Darkness pools in Geedra's eyes and the witch's vision fades away as some malign effect takes hold of her. The same presence tries to claim Byakko's as well, but as the edges of his periphery start to bleed to black, he shakes off whatever curse it is and retains his faculties.
There is a heavy moment of silence and hesitation and just as it is about to fade, Geedra screams out in a furious pain as some unseen force lashes out. A puncture wound appears on the front of her torso and a moment later a second follows on her back; both stabs issue a cough of blood a moment later.
The sound of metal on metal erupts as another invisible source clatters against his upraised shield, but the assailant slides off of the bulwark and inside of Byakko's defenses, inflicting a painful wound of its own. The oracle suffers a second blow as well as something sharp and cold bites into his thigh from behind, followed by the warm flow of blood.
Round 1 Vs Unseen Foes!
Map
Init:
Skane
Geedra
Byakko
Silas
Krosh
plus
plus
plus
plus
As Geedra and Byakko are attacked Skäne moves to beside Geedra, shield and spear raised and ready.
The warrior peers into the air around his companions - seeking any signs of their foes;
Fort save
”This am suck,” Geedra coughs as the invisible monster shreds her.
Round 1
Skäne pushes into the room, eyes scanning the light-bathed chamber as he closes in on Geedra's position. Moving his shield into a defensive position to cover his goblin ally, the warrior isn't able to detect the source of the sudden attacks..though he too now hears the whispers in the room that seem to emanate from everywhere all at once.
Geedra bemoans her current situation as she falls prey to the envenomed wound...
”Big human, get Geedra away! Am going to die here,” she calls out to Skane, standing right beside her.
Byakko puts his back to the wall keeping his shield up. He tenses at the thought of further unseen blows. He casts Hedging Weapons hoping to stave off further blows. Enii stays back hackles up, aware of something wrong and senses at high alert.
Skäne nods at Geedra's plea as he's unable to discern where their foe(s) are.
He shoulders his spear and beckons for the goblin to climb up to his embrace;
"Komm little Puka. My skold will protect us!"
Round 1
Skäne closes ranks with Geedra, covering his goblin comrade with his shield while pulling her up out of harms way. The sounds of the whispers circle around and the warrior pivots in place, moving his ursine bulwark around in preemptive defense.
Byakko feels the incisive burn in his wound, venom trying to work its way into his veins, but through clenched teeth he manages to resist just as he casts a spell to improve his defenses. Scanning his surroundings, he isn't able to pick up on whatever enemy or enemies might be present, but he too is assaulted by the whispers that seem to be spinning around the chamber.
Enii hisses and growls from the entrance of the room, doing her best to pick up the assailants. The tigress crouches though and growls more, pushing a empathic thought to her companion. Four prey...fast..moving...
Krosh takes a deep breath and fiddles with his talismans as he has time and time again, releasing the warming shower of silver sparks that swarm around his allies.
Skane
Geedra
Byakko
Enemies
Silas
Krosh
Byakko grimaces against the sound polluting his ears and the slightly more tangible poison invading his wounds. He tries to focus all of his senses to find a foe... Just... There! Lashing out with his sword but keeping his shield high. Out of instinct both companions shuffle towards each other .
Enii sees Byakko lash out but knows it was a miss, she tries for her own strike.
Skäne will just continue to shield Geedra (and himself) best he can
Geedra attempts to cast See Invisibility, to help the group against the monsters, assuming her cursed tongue would allow it.
Curse check to cast .
Round 2
Another flurry of stabbing attacks from the unseen forces lash out. The clamorous ring of metal sounds out as whatever implements being employed crash against Skäne's armor and shield, the limning glow of sparks evident with each collision.
Byakko's heightened animal senses ripple through him as he suddenly lurches back, a ragged edge of his clothing receiving a tear as he narrowly avoids another wound. Unfortunately he can not outmaneuver the blow from his flank and feels another painful bite as something sharp punctures his flesh.
Byakko turns his blade into an outward slash, but finds only air as the whispers in his ears become taunting laughs. His snarl is broken by Enii's sudden roar as the tiger bounds into the room. Catching a foreign scent, she springs and lashes out with a claw, hitting something solid and digging in. A loud yelp breaks through the phantom whispers and Enii pushes the advantage, slamming an invisible something onto the floor and holding it there with her powerful paw.
Skäne closes his defense even more, effectively fending off the unseen attacks.
Geedra wriggles out of the curse to cast a spell just as Krosh plods into the room, reading from a scroll. As Krosh dispels the blindness claiming Geedra's eyes, her own spell bends the light around the room through her vision and she can now see the assailants.
You now see 4 small humanoid creatures, their forms blurry and bleeding away at the edges into the surrounding light, making them appear out of focus and making their facial and body features indiscernible. They are wielding cruel daggers - 2 flank you and Skäne, 1 stands by Byakko, and the last is laying prone on the floor, held down by Enii's paw.
plus
[/rolls]
”Am three more baddies attacking. Big human swing here,” Geedra points, showing Skane best she could where the closest enemy was.
”Watch out Byakko! One am sneaking up on you too!”. She then takes a total defense action.
Skäne hefts his spear and guided by Geedra takes a cursory stab;
"Be minn augar Puka!"
Silas looked around at the group in panic, then drew back the string on his crossbow. The goblin lady was pointing somewhere. That was close enough for him. He took a deep breath, stared for a brief moment for any sign of movement, and then fired at where Geedra was gesturing.
Perception
Crossbow+2
Bolt damage
Byakko winces at another unseen strike, unsure how to proceed despite Enii's success. He takes another five foot step to her and attempts to heal himself.
Enii tears into her downed opponent.
Round 3
The invisible foes lash out again, but their slashing blows find only armor against Skäne and Byakko. Enii can feel the creature beneath her paw struggle to wriggle free, but she holds her weight down on it and keeps it there.
SKäne punches forth with his trusty spear, guided by Geedra's frantic points and calls. The tip cuts by something and a spatter of yellowish-gold blood trickles across the floor.
A bolt comes soaring in from the hallway, loosed by Silas's crossbow, and it too finds purchase on Skänes target, causing an audible yelp.
Byakko steps away from the direction of his assailant and channels his lunar magic into a restorative weave to close some of his own wounds as Enii savages the prone creature, biting and clawing. The room is filled with high pitched cries of pain as the tigress's white fur is stained with gold.
Krosh's head swivels about for a moment and then fixates on the hole below Geedra and Skäne. He immediately begins muttering an incantation and weaving his hands, moving them in an arc out in front of him. A soft, humming bluish-grey light emanates from the shaman across the room, and a moment later the bright light in the room dims, casting the cave into a semi-light gloom. As the simulated sunlight fades, your assailants suddenly become visible! Four small humanoid shapes, their glowing forms nebulous amalgamations of light that blurs at their edges, rending their fine features indiscernible. They appear to be some sort of small faerie or sprites, however, with flitting dragonfly-like wings of white draped down their backs. They each carry a wicked knife and move in strange, flickery patterns.
Geedra delays, hoping Skane can eliminate one of the critters before she makes her action.
As the creatures become visible, Skäne grins mirthlessly then stabs at the foe due south of him;
Revitalized, Byakko grins too. His show off teeth swiftly turns horrible as his teeth and snout elongate as he lashes out at the now visible foe.
Enii continues to maul her foe.
If Skane dispatches one of the threatening creatures, Geedra will 5’ step away from the one remaining. She then casts Misfortune through her hex on the remaining threat to she and Skane.
If Skane did not remove one of the threatening enemies, Geedra again takes total defense.
Round 4
The strange, blurry creatures react with wild surprise upon being seen, letting out high-pitched squeals of frustration and anger as they continue to lash out with their razor-thin blades. The pair flanking Skäne leap forward, driving their daggers at the defensive Ulfen. One blow is once more deflected by the shield, but the second actually manages to find purchase, neatly finding the smallest of gaps in his defenses to slice into flesh.
Elsewhere, Byakko continue squaring off against his opponent, his ability to see the enemy now lending its aid to his wily instincts and he deftly avoids the blade coming for him.
The final sprite, pinned by Enii, struggles again against the weight of the tigress but fails to wriggle free.
Skäne punches back hard at the enemy before him, connecting twice with his spear and sending more glowing golden blood spattering onto the floor. The wounded foe staggers back in a limp, still standing but barely.
Byakko slashes and bites at his opponent, but only the first swipe manages to land on the evasive, flickery form.
Enii lays into her prey, fang and claws eviscerating the form beneath her. As the screams turn to gurgles and eventually silence, the golden light from the creature fades to reveal some sort of fey with alabaster flesh.
Silas loads his crossbow and fires off another bolt at the mortally wounded fey in front of Skäne, finishing the bugger off as the bolt thuds into its chest.
Geedra steps away from any would-be attacks and uses her misfortune hex on the remaining enemy vexing her and Skäne as Krosh mends her with a healing hand.
plus
Geedra watches her curse continue to work over the baddie. She wasn’t going to waste more magic, letting the group fining off the remaining duo. Baddies am messed up now. Group am going to mash,” she says with a cackle, gleefully grinning at the mayhem.
As the fey blade bites, Skäne grunts in pain and turns his ire toward the backstabber;
Byakko snarls and continues to press his attack.
Enii sees her friend struggling with his foe and his wounds and charges to his side.
Round 5
Stripped of all of their tricks and supernatural advantages, the injured fey are pressed on their heels as the party surges forward. In a flurry of spear thrusts, sword slashes, claw swipes, and fangs the cruel backstabbers are cut down and left in ruin.
In the aftermath of the battle you find amidst this room the four daggers (masterwork) of the fey creatures but little else, until Geedra remembers her earlier detect magic spell and looks down at the hole in the floor her and Skäne were standing over. Within the hole, which is about two feet deep, is a lustrous, multifaceted prism about ten inches long. Magical analysis shows it to function as a gem of brightness with 25 charges. Other than this, the room is barren. A path leads to the right (from your entry point) out of the chamber, while a stone door sits in the wall to the left.
The bright light hurt Geedra’s eyes. She pointed at the half elf. ”Want keep that for group? Am handy item,” she says.
She stretches and asks Krosh for healing. Those little devils beat her up pretty good. ”Am want rest? Geedra need recharge magic. Fox not give enough magic today!”
The adrenaline surge leaving left Byakko drained, "Aye, we could use a quick lay down. These bloody fey always take it outta me, at least the riddle this time wasn't the talking type, thank you once again Krosh for saving our hides." Byakko dutifully stows the gem in the haversack.
Skäne leans on his spear as he catches his breath;
"Rest would be good. Mjöðr would be better..."
He flashes a hard grin and tips his helm to Krosh.
Just as you take stock of the room and decide to rest, the tiredness and fatigue of your long journey and many battles suddenly set in. Figuring this place is no worse or better than any other in this strange dungeon, you settle in for what rest you can.
After about an hour, you are given a start as the bodies of the slain fey begin to glow, but before you can muster a response, they simply burn away into cascades of glittering ashes that promptly vanish, leaving behind only their daggers.
Fortunately your rest comes undisturbed...whether you've dealt with many of the enemies in the area or this room is off the beaten path is unclear, but you take solace in getting rest as good as this place will allow.
Geedra took a big stretch. ”Much better. Geedra am strong,” she says with a large fanged grin. She sort of softly kicks the others awake, ready to get out of this place.
Enii let's a deep yawn loose as she goes through her feline stretches. Byakko too stands and limbers up, "Agreed Geedra much better." He moves to examine the stone door as he breaks his fast on some hard tack.
Skäne shoots the effervescent goblin a black look after she disturbs his slumber;
"Ach. Speak for yourselves. I was in a dreymaof of mjöðr höllr and fagr company..."
The big warrior rises and dons his armour, rubbing the ache from his bones as he readies himself.
Your sleep is nothing luxurious, but it serves its purpose. Waking and gearing up for the next leg of your travel, Byakko moves to test the stone door that leads out of the room. After spending a few moments to search it, it doesn't appear to be trapped or locked. Pushing it open reveals a long hall of rough-cut stone stairs that lead down and curve away out of view.
Following the path sends you down further into this bizarre statue's interior, the steps gently curving to the left as you descent. After a hundred feet or so, the steps level out and open up into a chamber ahead, from which you can see some flickering light. As you gain the entrance, you see that said flickering light fills the whole 80-foot diameter chamber beyond, emanating from the empty eye sockets of nine skulls hanging from chains staked into the stone walls with iron spikes. Huge stone menhirs, seven in all, form a ring around the perimeter of the room, catching the candlelight and tearing it into swaths of wavering shadows.
The gutted corpses of two frost giants hang from two of the menhirs, facing one another from the east and west. Bound to the massive stones with rusted chains, the giants are soaked with their own blood, which flows into the center of the room to disappear into a huge pile of of wilted wildflower blossoms. A strange and horrid sight to behold...
For once, Geedra stood quietly. What in the world could have been powerful enough to do that to two different giants? She looked around at the rest of the group, waiting for their thoughts.
"This obsession with... torture and mutilation... GraaawwaarrrgggGGHH!" Byakko's tongue betrays the distress hammered onto his stony visage. He spits derisively before leaning into Enii's ear and snarling <No mercy cat, death, only death, for such needless cruelty to prey and predators.>
Enii's responding growl doesn't truly translate for Byakko but he understands that she'd already come to this conclusion (and possibly her perfunctory response suggested disappointment that he hadn't come to this conclusion sooner).
He clears his throat. "The needless suffering of this foul place... Is wearing on us. Let us hasten from this Warren."
His mounting fury at the latest torturous sacrifices seems to have clouded his judgement as he walks forward to closer examine the corpses, spitting again before observing the wildflowers.
Enii remains alert sniffing the air and scanning for enemies.