Hearing the commotion behind her and glad that she kept her sickle at the ready, Ms Batgali spins around and rushes the creature, taking a swing.
Endol moves into a flanking position and slashes with his dagger.
Ethyl grins from ear to ear as she tries to slash the creature between her and Endol.
She thought, I'm in danger I should use a dagger, but I just love the feel of this spade for some reason.
Springy draws her crossbow and sings a song.
Realizing it's mistake, the creature claws ferociously at the attackers.
Ethyl sees Jagray take a grievous wounds and gives a weak smile, "Sir Endol if you please?"
Jagray falls to the ground blood gushing out of the new claw marks left by the creature.
As he lays there the blood keeps seeping out staining the floor beneath him.
HP: -4/14
Seeing the dwarf go down, Amestri immediately crosses behind the good doctor and reaches down with her hand to brush his forehead, while continuing to eye the doppleganger with her sickle at the ready.
RETCON!!!
Amestri takes a step back to get out of the creature's range while glaring at it angrily
The rat fighter nods to the Dr. and he moves to attack the shapsshifter.
Ethyl drops her favorite spade in favor of a real weapon and retorts, "I was fond of that dwarf." She tries to stab it again.
[ooc]thanks for the reminder [/b]
Amestri al-Naadhira Batgali puts the gris gris on the creature while Endol creates an opening for Dr Ethyl to poke holes in it's hide.
Deciding it's best not to listen to Dr. Ermengarde all the time, Springy tosses a tiny fruit tart at the doppelganger and incorporates a lewd limerick into her song. She then loads her crossbow.
The creature is not impressed by Springy's antics. "Soon little rat thing. You will be part of my experiments!" It strikes out at the adventures again.
The doppelganger is fast, real fast, the scratch was not deep.
He slashes forward again.
Ethyl raises an eyebrow as the creature taunts Endol while deftly avoiding its clumsy claw swipe. She proceeds to stab it aiming for its neck.
Jagray remains motionless on the ground as blood continues to leak out of him onto the floor.
HP: -5/14
Endol and Dr Ethyl seem to work surprisingly well together. Ethyl find an opening and finally sinks her dagger into the grey neck. Purple blood gushes from the wound and the creature falls at your feet.
Ethyl sits transfixed watching Jagray bleed out. She shakes herself from her reverie. She takes out a clean set of sharp implements, scalpels, scissors, forceps, irritation needles, and other items. She says, "Unless one of you has some sort of magical healing..."
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Dr Ethyl sutures Jagray's wound. He is unconscious but safe from bleeding out.
Endol will kneel and slit the creatures throat, he will also see if he can mark something in it's sent he might be able to spot later.
Amestri steps up to the unconscious dwarf and looks him over carefully. "Let me take a look at him. I might be able to help" She places one hand on either side of his head and concentrates.
Upon closer inspection you find the corpses are a mix of human and doppelganger corpses. Many of these corpses are dressed in white smocks or dressed as nurses. You hear a moaning from deeper in the room where a grandmotherly old nurse is clutching her leg where the bone is sticking through. "Oh blessed! Please help! Save me from those creatures before they return!
** spoiler omitted **
Surveying the room Dr. Ethyl remarks, "I wonder if we have enough doppelganger corpses to satisfy our friends." She turns to Endol grabbing one shoulder, "Would you kindly assist me sir?" Ethyl carries as many corpses as are there to the barricade finishing the grim business by dragging Jagray (carefully).
Amestri realizes what the good doctor is suggesting and smiles at the idea. At least even if they realize these ones are their own work, we've got one new one for them. She assists by grabbing two of the corpses by their arms and slowly dragging them down the corridor.
As you approach the barricade, the guards react in much the same way as before. Once they realise it's you and see what you are dragging they relent. Sargent York once again appears behind the barricade. "Seems you people are made up of sterner stuff than I expected. I'm curious to hear the tale of how you killed so many of them in such sort a time. And it looks like they got one of yours too. Hold a moment, you can leave those corpses right there in the hall. Step up to this door to my left just in front of the rubble." He steps down from the barricade and you hear a door open. There is a sound of a bar being lifted from the door next to you and it swings open. There is a guard holding a crossbow (shakily) standing there motioning for you to enter the room. From around the corner you hear York again, "You all can come in here. Bring your friend too. Leave your weapons in this room here and we'll see what we can do about getting your friend some help."
Endol moves the bodies as instructed, and double-checks that the spring sheath is hidden.
You find yourself back in the nightmarish fog filled city from before. Once again the fog is closing in on you so you flee, heart pounding as you run down the streets through twists and turns. Suddenly you find yourself in a plaza with a strange fountain with silver statues spraying cool clear water. The fountain strikes you as something that clearly doesn't belong to the nightmare, calming your frayed nerves. Suddenly from behind you there are low thuds like the footsteps of a giant. You turn and see the wall of fog held at bay at the outskirts of the plaza but from the fog comes the creature in rags that chased you before!
The good doctor hands over her 5 daggers with a curtsy and a pleasant smile. She does not volunteer her favorite gardening tool nor does she make a special attempt to hide it. She does show York her surgeon's tools and says, "My friend here is a skilled healer and with my assistance we may be able to save the dwarf's", she clears her throat, "Jagray's life. But if you have another means we would appreciate your assistance."
Amestri silently hands over her daggers and her sickle after dumping the bodies where they were shown, glancing at the guards with a look of disdain that fortunately is hidden by her veil.
Jagray twists and jerks a bit in his unconscious state. It seems almost like he is having some sort of dream.
You crouch next to the fountain as the creature rushes to you. As it nears, there is a the statues turn to the oncoming creature and flash a silver light and the creature shrieks in pain! With the creature momentarily stunned you turn and leap into the fountain. As you fall through the unnaturally deep water you are buffeted back and forth. You awaken to find your companions shaking you, rousing you from your dream.
The guards are visibly relieved that you didn't put up a fight when they asked for your weapons. They lead you through another door behind the barricade and into what looks to be a chapel. Improvised pallets are clustered beneath sculpted divinities, and cooking fires burn beneath cracked windows in this chapel. Panes of violet and blue stained glass form spiraling patterns between prisonlike bars, while dozens of candles flicker from modest alcove shrines. Most prominent though is a statue to Pharasma, the lady of bones.
York goes ahead and gets the attention of a dark haired woman tending to an injured person. He points at Jagray and she nods. She introduces herself once she reaches you. "My name is Winter Klazcka. Sorry about the difficulties you've had but we've had a rough go of things recently. Let me see what I can do for your friend here." She holds her hand on Jagray's chest and clasps a holy symbol of Pharasma hanging from her neck. Murmuring a prayer holy energy flows into the downed dwarf.
Ethyl notes the Pharasmic symbols and says, "Thank you my dear. My name is Dr. Ethyl Ermengarde, though under the circumstances Ethyl will suffice. The dwarf who nearly bleed out is Jagray, the woman with in the blood stained veil is Ms al-Naadhira Batgali, I don't think I've caught her first name yet." She continues, "The ratfolk is called Endol and our gnome who seems to be distracted right now goes by Springy Bedpost."
After the introductions Ethyl asks, "Now would you kindly tell us where we are? And what's going on? My memory has some gaps it seems. And I'm sure these circumstances are not normal."
Jagray wakes with a start as his wounds heal. Seeing he is with friends, or really acquaintances, again he takes in a deep breath. "Donnea know what in tha nine hells is wrong wit' this 'ere place, but I 'ad another one of those nightmares..."
He looks around for his axe and then stands up promptly seeing the new faces "What's goin' on now?"
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"Our people are talking to the other people and we're all in agreement that we're probably not doppelgangers." Springy summarizes, flawlessly grasping the situation.
With a smile, Amestri looks down at the dwarf. "Our little sister seems to have summed up the situation quite well. I'm interested in this dream...could you tell us about it?"
The dwarf shrugs "Was back in tha city from tha nightmare I 'ad before. Found me way ta a plaza wit' an odd fountain. Heard the giant monster 'prochin' again. Tried ta hide by the fountain an' get a better look. When tha thing came, tha fountain did somethin', flashed a light or somethin'. Seemed ta hurt the monster. I jumped inta tha fountain, then I woke up 'ere."
Winter listens intently as the dwarf recounts his dream. "I am glad you are well. Though it sounds like you have unpleasant dreams like the others that have fallen asleep outside the chapel here. I'm surprised you don't even know what these place once was. You find yourself in the Briarstone Asylum. There was an earthquake not long ago that collapsed most of the upper floors. I wish I could stay and chat but there are others that need my help.
"We are where? Briarstone Asylum? What is going on here?"
"I do not understand what is going on here. Perhaps we should look around this 'chapel' we are in and see if we can get any answers until this Winter woman has time to speak with us again."
Amestri begins to wander around the area looking for clues or people to speak with.
When Winter walks away Ethyl makes a sour face and joins Ms Batgali in looking around.