Maffei says "I was summoned here by Hunclay to aid in his research-for a time he believed in a connection between the Plane of Shadow and the Dark Tapestry."
"I'm afraid he did not share his plans with us nor was I aware he had died before you told me so."
"Very well then. Let's deal with this devil and you're off the hook. Er- not deal with as in making a deal, I'd never do that. Eldon do you have that scroll ready? Light it up and we'll cut it down."
She grabs her shield and her trusty handaxe and marches toward the devil room.
Eldon digs through his belongings for a moment and comes out with a slightly crumpled scroll. "Yes, I've got it right here,"
Following along behind Yngvilda, Eldon checks over the scroll ready to cast it over the summoning circle when everyone is ready.
Penny follows along with her allies back to the devil room. Along the way she talks a bit with Maffei. Her normal arrogant nature not completely subdued, given the opportunity to chat with an outsider.
"I'd love to hear more about your home plane. My thirst for knowledge never fades. We of the 'high-calibre' class need to stick together. If you can share with me some of your secrets, I am sure I can show you a thing or two as well."
As you enter the room, Maffei shifts her scimitar into her hands and says "It is good to have this in my hand once more." Turning to the circle she declares "Chirit! Your end has come! Prepare thyself for thy death!"
The devil is not visible and does not say anything, the room remaining silent after Maffei's declaration.
Cwm quickly looks to the circle, searching for anything that has broken the plane and let the demon loose. He stands ready, daggers in hand, eyeing Maffei to see what he does.
With the circle yet unbroken, Maffei delays with her weapons in her hands, waiting for a target to strike. If the devil remains in the circle, it remains unseen and unheard.
"Well are you all just going to stand there?!?!?!" Growing impatient, Penny lifts some nearby trash from the floor and drops it over the seal - from a safe distance obviously.
Cwm curses as he says what Penny is doing. He drops low, readying an attack if the devil presents itself.
As appropriate:
Flanking: +2 to Attack
Sneak Attack: +2d6 to Damage
Tykent holds up a hand as Penny grows impatient. ”Easy there young one - let Eldon work his magic first.” He gestures to the halfling holding the scroll.
Holding the scroll in one hand, Eldon begins to read the words and make the proscribed gestures. Guiding the magic over the circle containing the devil.
Just as Penny would break the circle, Tykent stops her so Eldon has time to finish his spell. As the glitterdust lands, a flying devil is outlined inside of the circle.
Cwm lands one attack, but it is Maffeei that really shines. Positioned on the other side of Cwm, she absolutely devastates the devil when it appears and eradicates it before it even has a chance to open its mouth to cast the spell it had prepared. She swings both swords which flash out and slices the creature in half, killing it.
And in the blink of an eye, the combat is over.
Maffei sheathes both of her swords and looks to the party "I have kept my word as you have. Do you require further assistance from me?"
Dropping the spent scroll in surprise, Eldon exclaims "Wow! that was impressive". Bending down he retrieves the dropped scroll and moves to examine the dead devil.
Yngvilda watches with awe, axe barely out of its loop on her belt.
"It was an hour Maffei. Where will you go now?"
That concluded Yngvilda turns to the others. "Then we're done I think. We just need to sell those items we found in the cave and we can live well for a time!"
"Impressive. I do have one further request of you. Perhaps you can show some of my allies your techniques. If you have seen some of them fight, you would understand my request. Yng, she's pretty decent, but that fiery fellow Cwm could use some help. But alas. We honor our word. Please, keep in touch. I'd love to hear more about your home plane."
Penny joins Eldon in examining the circle, and the dead devil.
Cwm stares in shock. Until Penny pipes up again. He contemplates practicing his "technique" on her face but decides it isn't worth the hassle. Instead, he examines the body.
"I will search for a way home, somehow. I do not know of a way, but I shall search."
She pulls a blue jewel off her armor and hands it to Penny. "I will avoid towns and population, but if you are ever venturing outside and are in need of me, hold this in your hand and call my name thrice and I shall come to your aid."
The day of the Hunclay estate auction has finally arrived. The auction is scheduled to take place in the afternoon on Oathday, at the open-air amphitheater known as the Belhaim Commons. Despite the large number of invitations sent out by the baroness, only a handful of prospective buyers arrive in town the day of the auction - the remoteness of Belhaim and Hunclay's limited fame in arcanist circles makes the auction less of a draw than hoped.
There are, however, at least some parties present to represent wealthy, out-of-town interests: a trio of white-clad Kalistocrats from Kerse; two black-robed individuals of indeterminate gender representing the Mercantile Consortium of Maheto; a snarling half-orc named Mr. Pickets representing Duchess Selphine Telegonus of Cassornir; and a brown-haired man in a red felt hat with a large blue feather stuck in its side, who calls himself Clausyre and represents an unnamed interest from the north.
The auction is open to the public, and many of Belhaim's citizens attend out of curiosity, even though few have the means to compete for the big-ticket items. You're given a place of honor with front-row seats, whether or not you're interested in bidding on items. Serious bidders, including locals, are seated within the first two tiers closest to the stage. Spectators fill whatever other seats are available. The baroness is present and seated next to her son Arnholde.
Look after your shield and it will look after you
Flush with funds after selling those books to creepy collectors in Bellis, Yngvilda spends some time wandering the artisan's quarter looking for someone willing to enchant her shield. She gets the royal treatment at one place, but isn't impressed by their craftsmanship.
It's not until she stops at a modest forge staffed by mostly dwarves that she's truly impressed, and the reverence paid to Torag doesn't hurt either. They settle on a fair price to enchant her shield and her armour, as well as on a completion date that allows her to get back for the auction in time. She leaves feeling almost naked without any armour, and her eyes glance to every shadow as if it were a zombie crab about to pulverise her.
When it's finally ready she had intended to haggle about price, but she can't hide her satisfaction any more than the smith can hide their pride. She leaves more certain than ever that she is on course to reclaim her family's place in the land of the linnorm kings.
Disappearing after the group sells the items Eldon loses himself in the streets of Bellis, exploring every ally way and public building. Even taking an occasional look in some of the not so public buildings.
Happening across a silver headband set with white gems in the back of a shop, he is pleased to have found exactly the type of enchantment he was looking for and spends the rest of that day haggling with the owner to get a fair price.
As the team is leaving the town Eldon suddenly appears amongst them with no more ceremony than when he vanished after the sale of the items. Taking up his usual place and picking up the conversation as if he had been there the whole time.
Penny departs the group as soon as she receives her share. She mutters. "should have been more than this, given the shape you lot were in when I found you. Alas I suppose you pulled your weight eventually. Now I am off to study. I will return in time."
With that she makes way to the local library to spend her entire time both studying, and irritating the house librarians and wizards.
She returns in time for the auction, meeting up with the rag tag crew in the front row. "Ahh, front row. It is about time that I, ahem, we, are given our due. "
Tykent also sports a headband of thin golden wires crafted to look like branches and leaves. Several dandelions have been woven into the openings by a shopkeeper's youngest child, along with a feather from a still-indignant Hope. The old man smiles and takes a seat with a sigh of relief. "Old bones can't take as much walking as they used to. Now then, didn't the baroness say she would pay for half our bids? Anything anybody wants in particular?"
Cwm rejoins the group appearing much the same. "She did say that. Nothing really jumped out at me, but I'm willing to pool some money together if anyone has their eye on something particular."
Yngvilda takes a seat at the auction and tries to impersonate the nobles her father would server in Oppara. She places her enchanted shield at her feet, pleased to have it near her, and tries not to look too out of place.
Tykent stretches and looks around the crowded room. "You'd think with all these folks here the auction would be starting soon," he comments cheerfully before turning to his companions. "So what do you all plan to do afterwards? There can't be much in Belhaim to keep you young folks entertained for long. Or were some of you looking to settle down? Perhaps placing a bid on the manor estate itself?" He idly scratches Hope's chin, and the dinosaur coos appreciatively.
Yngvilda was so focused waiting for the assorted potions to come up that when Tykent addresses her she raises her hand to bid on the current item by mistake.
Red faced and embarrassed after having to explain that she wasn't bidding, she sits back down and answers.
"I'm going to travel to Karlsgard and slay a linnorn, eventually. I need a bit more practice first. I want to be able to fight at least as well as Maffei did against the devil."
"I suppose I'll head north looking for dangerous work. Would you like to come with me? I think we've all become quite a good team. Eventually I'll need boon companions for my linnorm hunt, and then probably advisors when I'm queen!"
Cwm grins, "probably someone to deal with the less savory subjects too, eh?" He idly spins a dagger before secreting it back up his sleeve.
He watches the auctioneer, occasionally throwing up his paddle to drive up the price when it's clear other parties are fighting for an item. "maybe we can thin out the pool a bit for anything you're interested in."
Eldon watches the bidding eagerly and has to make a conscious effort not to get drawn into the bidding. "I'd like to see a linnorn, there's not much else going on here so going to need to find somewhere else exciting."
"Goodness, Karlsgard is quite the journey from here." Tykent looks thoughtful for a moment. "Can't say I've travelled that way before. Or if I have, it's been long enough that I can't remember it. And remember that Maffei has likely been alive for centuries, so give yourself at least that long with your own training before trying to judge yourself against her." He smiles. "Besides, we all could see that her shield was nowhere near as glorious as yours."
"Don't know that I'll still be here when you're heading back north to slay your linnorn though. Old bones and all."
Level 1: Abundant Ammunition – Anticipate Peril – Break - Burning Hands – Cause Fear – Color Spray – Comprehend Languages - Cultural Adaptation – Desperate Weapon – Endure Elements – Enlarge Person – Feather Fall - Handy Grapnel – Hypnotism – Mage Armor – Magic Aura - Magic Weapon – Mount - Peacebond – Ray Of Enfeeblement – Shocking Grasp – Silent Image – Sleep – True Strike – Vanish - Wizened Appearance
Level 2: Arrow Eruption – Burning Gaze – Daylight – Dispel Magic – Draconic Reservoir – Eagle's Splendor – Endure Elements, Communal - Explosive Runes – Gaseous Form – – Ghoul touch – Greensight – Invisibility – Mirror Image – Protection from Evil, Communal – Resist Energy – Scare - Scorching Ray – See Invisibility – Slow - Steal Voice – Unnatural Lust
Level 3: Animate Dead, Lesser – Ash Storm – Detect Anxieties – Detect Desires – Devolution – Eruptive Pustules – Explosive Runes – Fireball – Flame Arrow – Gaseous Form – Haste – Heroism – Lightning Bolt – Protection from Arrows, Communal – Resist Energy, Communal – Selective Alarm – Slow
Level 4: Animal Aspect, Greater – Contingent Venom – Controlled Fireball – Daze, Mass – Deadman's Contingency – Enlarge Person, Mass – Fey Form I – Remove Curse – River of Wind – Shadow Conjuration – Tailwind – Telekinetic Charge – Wall Of Fire
Level 5: Callback, Greater – Cone of Cold – Dominate Person – Lightning Arc – Overland Flight – Permanency – Possess Object – Rapid Repair – Soothe Construct – Telepathic Bond – Teleport
A middle-aged man with dark brown hair combed in a gentlemanly fashion, an equally neatly trimmed beard and mustache, and posh clothes steps into the amphitheater's open space. The gathered crowd quiets down as he starts talking. "Welcome all, to the Hunclay Manor auction! My name is Chosk Grellen, and I'll be your auctioneer! First item up is..."
The auctioned items vary from the exotic birds you encountered in the manor's hall, to the stuffed grizzly bear from Hunclay's bedroom, to the entire kitchen apparel, and to the rare tomes you found in the cave. All in all there are twenty-one auction lots.
When Yngvilda raises her hand to bid on the stuffed bear, she gets an evil look from Swerlo Grayhands, but then he nods satisfied when she retracts her bid and he wins.
After being outbid on the 18th lot, the rare tomes, a brown-haired man in a red felt hat with a large blue feather stuck in its side stands
up dramatically and loudly makes an ominous announcement "Very well! I must deliver this bad news to my employer immediately. I bid
you all good day!"
The man, who you recall called himself Clausyre and represents an unnamed interest from the north, then storms out of the amphitheater. An awkward silence follows in his wake.
"I suspect he didn't mean that last bit," someone a few rows back suddenly says. This wry crack breaks the tension, causing laughter to fill the crowd, and the auction continues with the next lots.
It's nearing dusk when the final lot is opened: Hunclay's manor home and his land. The auction is running long, and Chosk pauses for several minutes while servants quickly light lanterns throughout the amphitheater. Eventually, the last auction begins with an opening bid of 2,500 gp. As the bidding gets underway, you notice a dark shape flying in the skies above. A few moments later, mayhem strikes in the form of four bat-like humanoid swooping down from the sky.
Everyone present at the auction jumps up and starts screaming hysterically, creating a difficult terrain to traverse if you'd want to get to the bat-like creatures. The creatures themselves aren't bothered by this, easily staying afloat just above the crowd as they try to either stab people with kukris or bite them with razor sharp fangs.
Standing up on the seat of his chair to get a better look at the creatures Eldon takes careful aim and mutters the words of a spell. Pointing at the closest creature, Eldon completes the spell and sends a beam of electricity toward it.
Cwm debates using some fire but doesn't want to hurt the other patrons. He twists both arms and daggers appear in his hand. He throws one at the closest creature that Eldon didn't attempt to shock.
Eldon's blast just catches the flying creature's foot, but the blast of electricity arcs over its body and chars him good. The smoking body nearly drops from the sky, but manages to stay in the air barely despite being severely injured.
Cwm's dagger is thrown hard enough to kill the creature, but it's slightly out of range and it just misses as it sails past it.
The flying creature wreak havoc on the townsfolk, slashing the neck of two of them and dropping them down to the ground dead.
Cwm moves across the room to get close enough to throw another dagger as he pulls a third out.
Yngvilda briefly looks like she's considering putting her shield on, but at the screams of the townsfolk changes her mind and leaves it where it is. Instead she moves to threaten the nearest creature, drawing her greataxe in both hands as she does.
"Get away beasts!"
Focusing for a moment Eldon sends another narrower beam of energy at the same creature.
Tykent stumbles to his feet, waving one arm distractedly as he does so. A glowing, translucent hammer appears out of thin air and races towards the closest bat-creature. ”Take cover!” the shaman shouts. ”Under the chairs and tables! Get a roof over your heads, close the windows, and shut the chimney vents!”
"Flying? Of Course they are flying!" Penny mutters to herself. As the room turns into mass hysteria, Penny shouts out "Get down fools! " before pointing her finger at the closest flier she can see.
"I said get down! Can't you see you are in the way!"
He knows they are immune to cold, can see in the dark, fight in the dark and have a sensitivity to light. Their fangs are poisonous and they also have an ability toe send a surge of violent psychic energy pulses into victims bodies.
Tykent's hammer blast into the one that Eldon attacked earlier, finishing. Cwm's dagger imbeds into another, though it stays flying. Yngvilda moves up and Penny's magical attacks misses while Eldon lands another blow.
Two flying creatures fly towards Yngvilda, attacking her from the air on both sides. Each swings a kukri at her before attempting to bite her. Of the four attacks, only one blade manages to catch her. . After the blade strikes, a throbbing pain wracks Yngvilda's head as the creature assaults her psychicly.
The third rips and shreds villages as they flee, flying around slashing at them. Between the three remaining flying creatures, four more villagers drop to the ground bloodied and dying.
Cwm slides around in a pincer move to flank one of the creatures attacking Yngvilda. His hands move quickly as the mitril blade arcs through the air.
Focusing on the creature attacking the towns folk Eldon sends another beam of electricity at the creature.
Tykent's hammer flies through the air, following Cwm towards another grioth. "Don't bother trying to freeze them," he calls out above the cacophony. "Stay strong!" A wash of golden light erupts from Hope as she trills loudly, red-yellow wings spread wide.
Penny scowls "Why didn't you say so earlier! " as she grows frustrated. She looks at one of the grioth's still attacking the townsfolk and says "That will be enough out of you" as she reaches her hand out in a tight gripping motion. The creatures bones begin to rattle and shake, as it lifts up an additional 5' off the ground away from the townsfolk.
Yngvilda strikes
The creature isn't able to fight against Penny's magic and is helpless as it bones shake and rattle apart, splitting out of its body in two dozen different places. The creature screams in agony as it loses consciousness and begins to die.
Yngvilda and Cwm eahc swat one from the sky just as Eldon fries the final one, ending the combat encounter. Several acolytes of Abadar file into the room and begin to tend to the wounded townsfolk. One of the priests approaches your group and offers his thanks for saving them, offering to heal any wounds you may have.
There is little time to recuperate however as a tremendous roar fills the air. A larger creature swoops down to land atop one of the small storage buildings on the amphitheater’s stage — a scaly, reptilian winged creature with smoke and fire billowing from its jaws. The remaining townsfolk shriek, “A dragon!” in panic.
The dragon launches a fireball that explodes through the ceiling and sends debris and fire into you, your companions and those around you, incarcerating the acolyte who was offering help to you!
Cwm retrieves and stows his daggers as the priest gets ready to do some healing. When they're suddenly under attack, again, he dives out of the way, avoiding most of the fireball.
Tykent is at the edge of the blast and manages to stumble away from the flames rather than into them. "That's enough out of you, young whippersnapper!" he barks, and the hammer flies through the air like some strange arrow at the creature. Hope trills again, and another wash of golden light blankets those nearby with healing magic.