"Do you think the thing bleeds?" Kallie asks Jaya while moving around Krodha. Her whip flashes out, lashing at the monstrosity approaching from the east.
Jaya's magic blinds two of the Horned Fangs and one of the fleshdregs!
Galatea quickly takes the opportunity to make herself scarce. Once safely behind Krodha, she whistles for Cheshire to follow her. The feline uses her keen sense of smell to trail the Kailani heiress. Lullaby hustles after them. Meanwhile, Dolland once again breaths another wave of fire before falling back to a better bombing position.
Between all the magic that's been tossed their way, only one of the Horned Fangs manages to advance and attack Krodha.
After a moment of debate, the Hydraggon decides to attack despite Krodha's presence. He risks an attack of opportunity from the tyrannosaur, but instead of attacking him, the fiend instead focuses on Kallie. He seems a little upset about his bleeding injury...
Thankfully, his attack against the wizard misses!
The fleshdregs continue to mindlessly attack the nearest enemy with a pulse! Well, for the most part. The one who stumbled into Galatea takes another swing at where she was!
Mozamer shrugs off Croq's attack better than most people would.
"If I didn't know your heritage, I'd ask you to join me," the armored Wrathspawn replies. "You must have left a full graveyard of corpses to get to me, Croquelle. Such wrath... Lady Alaznist would welcome it! Alas..."
If not for Croq's mirror images, Mozamer would have easily killed Croq. Thankfully, he only hits her doubles each time. That said, he doesn't seem to be too frustrated.
Moz's two guards look at him.
"As I said, kill the spare," Mozamer repeats.
Disregarding Croq's presence, the two women nod and rush poor Dolland, who is left barely standing...
The lovestruck gangster is too blinded both literally and metaphorically to take any meaningful actions.
Krodha snaps his jaws at the advancing demon. If it remains standing...he does so again!
Krodha continues to be an absolute engine of destruction, easily killing the Hydraggon with two powerful chomps!
Croq gulps a bit when she sees Mozamer's expert chops cutting through 3/5ths of her illusions. Uh, those looked like they'd hurt!
In a blur of fast-drumming glory, she clobbers the guard who tries to sneak past her, and then gives Mozamer two more whacks. As she does, she says, "Wait, what do you mean 'my heritage'?"
Aurealia runs down the hallway towards her sister's voice, stabbing one of the gangsters facing off with Dolland.
Kallie, figuring that staying behind Krodha and Cai'nan is the best course of action, throws another spell in the hopes of keeping the hordes from swarming the big dinosaur.
Breathing heavily with her repeated exertions Jaya unleashes her most fearsome firestorm yet as she slips back into the fray!
The Andosana Sisters manage to drop one of Mozamer's guards!
Jaya and Kallie's magic manages to kill two of the fleshdregs and leave the last one barely hanging on. However, the Horned Fang proves to be as slippery as ever.
Galatea heals Cheshire slightly, and the two continue advancing. A still singing Lullaby manages to put Mozamer's remaining guard to sleep. Finally, now that he's no longer in danger of dying, Dolland advances and tosses a bomb at Mozamer, who unfortunately dodges the worst of the explosion.
While his ally continues to struggle with blindness, the last unhindered Horned Gang somehow manages to land a good stab on Krodha's neck!
Thankfully, the last fleshdreg doesn't land any lucky hits.
Mozamer doesn't reply. Instead, he unleashes another vicious barrage of attacks. Once again, if he had landed all three, the wrathspawn likely would have killed Croq. Luckily, the second one strikes a mirror image instead.
The last Gangster is still incapacitated by Kallie's spell.
Cai’nan was ready for the possible strike on his friend. He healed the wound quickly, then prepared to do so again.
Krodha snaps at the threat that dared harm him, but his jaws clamp shut inches short of the man’s head with a thunderous chomp!
Aurealia continues to charge forward past the sleeping guard, looking for Croq. When she sees how badly her sister is wounded, she curses just as she feels her arms beginning to shrink back to normal length.
"Hang in there, Sis!" she says as she quickly chants a spell and splashes a vial of blood from her component pouch on to Croq's back.
Trusting to her shields of force, Jaya brushes past the badly injured fleshdreg and keeps hammering her foes with sheets of flame!
Croq gasps as blood pours from her shoulder and leg. "Ooof!!"
She briefly considers retreating...and realizes there's nowhere to turn. "Alright, time...to...END THIS!"
She whacks Mozamer in the ribs, causing several loud cracks. When he starts to stumble and so lets his guard down, she takes advantage and swings again for his head...and the sinspawn collapses with a pulpy thud.
Aurealia raises her spear again, and realizes there isn't really anything left to kill. "Oh my gods, Croq, are you okay?" she asks, seeing her sister coated in blood from head to foot.
Jaya's spell catches the three surviving Horned Fangs, badly burning them. Croq's final strikes to Mozamer are actually so strong and brutal that the entire complex shakes a little! Lullaby quickly scurries back to the central room and announces that their leader is dead. That announcement essentially kills any lingering wind in the sails of Mozamer's underlings. One of them actually appears to pass out shortly after hearing the news!
Needless to say, the other two toss aside their weapons.
After getting some manacles from Dolland, Galatea quickly binds Mozamer's surviving guard. However, by the time she gets around to tending to the fallen Horned Fangs, they have long since died of their injuries, even the one who just passed out. The stoic Gali doesn't appear to be particularly bothered by this discovery.
Croq plays an epic drum finale and hollers "WOOOAAAAHHH! Hey sis, glad you caught that. Am I badass or what?
"Of course, I might also be dead if it wasn't for you making me bigger, stronger, and altogether awesomer. Instead...well, I'm gonna be sore tomorrow, but I'll live. What kept you from getting down here for so long though?"
As she talks, the ghosts of the Roderic family fade away, but her fast healing doesn't end (thanks to her sister's magic).
"By the way, whadday think we'll find in here?"
Croq starts giving Mozamer's room and body a look, trying to find any interesting clues or valuables.
Cai’nan helps secure the surviving gang members and asks Krodha to watch them. He nods and turns to the cluster of prisoners, growling as Cai’nan and the others search the place.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Inside Mozamer's complex, there's a lot of paperwork!
"Why do villains always leave behind a bunch of paperwork?" snarks Gali, who then joins her friend in his search.
After searching the Horned Gang's living quarters, kitchen, and so forth in the north, the only valuable item Cai'nan finds that could be easily taken is a crystal decanter. Using the one found in Sir Roderic's house a reference, Galatea estimates it to be about 200 gp; overall, this one is more beautiful and more masterfully crafted. Cai'nan also discovers a table that seems to generate some delicious food from thin air. Additionally, he finds a room that automatically translates any languages spoken inside it to some universal tongue anyone can understand.
In the hall leading to Mozamer's room, Cai'nan quickly hears what sounds like more fleshdregs behind some closed doors. He promptly fetches Krodha; in the meanwhile, Gali volunteers herself and Cheshire to watch the Horned Fang remnants. Needless to say, the powerful tyrannosaur swiftly neutralizes the fleshdregs without any problems and returns to guard duty.
Speaking of which, just outside Mozamer's room is some kind of... portal! Galatea tosses a rock at it, but the result reveals it's apparently one way. That said, it would explain from where Mozamer was pulling his monsters. Speaking of which, after inspecting the qlippoth's likely layer, Cai'nan discovers a magical mithral dagger, a wand of some sort, and a pearl necklace Gali estimates to be worth 120 gp.
In the room Krodha made his awesome stand, Cai'nan finds a wooden box along the northern wall that apparently refuses to open!
Finally, he inspects the bedrooms in the middle of the complex. In the easternmost one, it would seem that a couple of people (perhaps those two goons who attacked from the west?) recently lived there, but there's nothing worthwhile inside. The middle room has been cleaned out of anything valuable; Cai'nan gets the impression that Jana might have once occupied this room before she and her moderates split from the rest of the Horned Fangs.
As for the western most room, Cai'nan finds it to be barricade from the other side; more importantly, he can hear someone nervously hiding inside. Going by the voice Cai'nan occasionally hears, this individual is most likely female.
Cai’nan gently knocks on the barricades door, calling out ”Hello?”
"...I don't recognize your voice. Is Mozamer... dead?" replies the woman on the other side.
”Yes ma’am. We’ve cleared the place of demons and gang members. It is safe to come out.”
There's a long moment of silence.
"...I suppose I can't stay in here forever," she sighs/admits. "Before I come out, can you promise me something? Please don't overreact to my appearance. I can't tell you how many 'good' people tend to draw their weapons when they see me."
Cai’nan grows a bit anxious at this request. But...
”Very well. So long as you come out peacefully, I will do the same.”
"I have nothing but peaceful intentions," your mysterious new acquaintance reassures.
After several moments of moving furniture sounds, the door unlocks and opens. You're greeted by the sight of a statuesque woman, who is dressed vaguely like a priestess. The first thing that stands out to you is that her skin is chalk white. However, it only adds to her unearthly allure. Most of her face is hidden by a mane of raven black hair (the same tone as Gali's in fact); only one pale blue eye and part of her dark ruby red lips are visible. She looks rather unkempt and seems quite tired.
"Hello, stranger. I'm Marjorie," says the pale woman in a soft voice. "Mozamer had his goons pluck me off the road to be the healer for his 'grand' army."
Cai’nan bows his head politely. ”Cai’nan, at your service. My companions, some of which have unique appearances as well, are in the other room. You can rest there safely.”
Marjorie smiles, albeit without exposing her teeth.
"You have my thanks, Cai'nan," she says softly. The pale woman stretches her arms before making her way toward the rest of the group. From there, after introducing herself, Marjorie quietly finds a chair and takes a seat.
"Unless we plan to break down that wall and fight that ghost Jana mentioned, I think we're done here," Galatea announces to the rest of the group. "Speaking of which, here's what I found on each of the Horned Fangs."
Croq plays an epic drum finale and hollers "WOOOAAAAHHH! Hey sis, glad you caught that. Am I badass or what?
"Of course, I might also be dead if it wasn't for you making me bigger, stronger, and altogether awesomer. Instead...well, I'm gonna be sore tomorrow, but I'll live. What kept you from getting down here for so long though?"
As she talks, the ghosts of the Roderic family fade away, but her fast healing doesn't end (thanks to her sister's magic).
"By the way, whadday think we'll find in here?"
Croq starts giving Mozamer's room and body a look, trying to find any interesting clues or valuables.
"Yeah, that was totally metal! I'm just glad you're okay 'Elle."
"Hi, Marjorie. I'm Aurealia. If you don't mind me asking, what race are you? I don't think I've ever met anyone who looks like you before. My sister and I are skinwalkers...so you know, we get stares too. Don't worry about judgement, I'm just curious..."
Marjorie appears conflicted about answering Aurealia's question. Clearly, her ancestry is a sensitive subject for the pale woman. However, her audience including a centauress and two skinwalkers seems to be enough to convince her to talk.
"I'm a dhampir," Marjorie says shyly.
"Oh..that's cool. I'm part werebat. So, what were you doing barricaded in that room?"
"Mozamer had his goons pluck me off the road to be the healer for his 'grand' army," Marjorie repeats/explains, realizing that she only told Cai'nan that tidbit. "I barricaded myself in my room after hearing the ruckus outside; I was worried about getting hit in the crossfire."
"You a cleric or something?"
"I personally prefer priestess," affirms Marjorie with a toothy grin. Sure enough, her incisors are rather elongated and sharp. That said, Marjorie's gentle voice and reserved demeanor prevent them from looking sinister.
Croc (still covered in Mozamer's blood, still in crocodile form) listens with interest to the dhampir priestess, wondering if she's on the up-and-up.
"I personally prefer priestess," affirms Marjorie with a toothy grin. Sure enough, her incisors are rather elongated and sharp. That said, Marjorie's gentle voice and reserved demeanor prevent them from looking sinister.
Seeing that Marjorie seems pretty forthright--and feeling a camaraderie with the beastial or misunderstood--Croq laughs in response, showing off her own crocodilian teeth.
"Right on. I'm aiming for Queen of Rock and Roll, myself, but Priestess would work too!"
She wipes a scaly hand off on her tunic and extends it. "I'm Croquelle Andosana, but people call me Croq."
With the fighting at an end, Kallie trots back and forth between watching over the captives and taking an interest in the magical items they'd found. The joys of studying the magical auras of the items will have to wait, since they still had some cleanup to do.
She flicks her whip nervously as she considers the physical prowess of Krodha and Croquelle and Jaya's potent evocations, and wonders truly how much of a difference in the fight that she made.
"A pleasure, Croquelle," says Marjorie as she shakes the offered, scaled hand. "I..."
Her voice drifts off as she promptly perks up. Following her gaze, you all quickly see why. Floating in the center of the central room you've all gathered is... the ghostly Sir Roderic! Interestingly, a faint image of Andella is also with him. In contrast to her disheveled husband, she appears to have stepped right out of a celestial plane.
"At long last, my Cove is truly... safe," he announces softly, almost in disbelief. "It has been so long!"
"You have our thanks, humble heroes," says Andella. She turns toward her husband, "A small part of me has lingered here too, waiting for the day Aurek could join me and the children. Thanks to you..."
Sir Roderic studies each of you.
"Still, I fear that my Cove will never truly be safe as long as the Sword of Sin lingers here," he admits. "I would ask you to remove it entirely from here, but you've already done so much for me and this town..."
"I have it on good authority that the Sihedron Heroes plan to soon relocate Baraket to a... more secure location, one far, far away from here," says Galatea gently.
The ghostly privateer relaxes and nods in understanding.
"That is good to know," says Sir Roderic. "It would seem then that I can at long last rest in peace. As Andella said, I cannot thank you enough, heroes. I... I..."
Andella quickly embraces the poor man as he breaks into tears. She smiles at you kindly as the two fade away. If you listen closely, you can almost hear the Roderic children rushing to greet their father...
"Whoa. We're like, the town heroes now! Aunt Elandra and Mom will never be able to treat us like children again!" Aurealia starts laughing maniacally for a few moments. Then she seems to come to a realization. "But...that's it? We just go back to normal now? Cai'nan disappears without a word? Jaya and Kallie go back to their studies? We...we're just gonna be regular old Black Arrows now?" Disappointment is clear.
Cai’nan glares at Aurealia’s snide remark his way, but doesn’t bother to retort. He instead rolls his eyes and steps over to Jaya.
”You were quite impressive there. But you should have fallen back behind Krodha and I and used your spells from there...” he says.
He lets out a breath and looks around. ”This place is quite interesting. And plenty of space. Maybe we should see if we could use it for a while instead of paying rent upstairs. That way no other gangs could move in until the town decided what to use it for.”
"Wait, you're not going to leave now?" Aurealia asks, sounding hopeful. "That's actually a great idea..."
Jaya gives Cai'nan a carefully bland look, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.
"Unless the pair of you have gotten substantially more fireproof than I'm aware of, I think that would have put me in much more danger after a couple of blasts, and would have barely scorched our foes with you two in the way. I was safe enough anyways with Galatea nearby, and you both making it hard to surround me." She reaches out to give Krodha's snout a quick rub. "Besides, poor Krodha here was getting stabbed more often than I was!"
The idea of setting up shop in the wrath cultists' lair just makes her grin more apparent. "Interesting! Who knows what else we might be able to find here with more time. It would probably be worth figuring out some way to interview the ghost as well; she must have some interesting tales to tell." Still smiling she assured Aurealia, "Don't worry, you're not getting rid of me while there are still discoveries like this to uncover!"
Aurealia smiles, and cautiously reaches out to hold Jaya's hand, ready to recoil should she flinch from touching a skinwalker freak. "That's good to hear, Jaya. I don't know where we'd be without your big brain."
"Actually, Jaya, I've been talking to our captives, and from what I gathered, they were completely fixated on the biggest immediate threat, which was usually Krodha. More cunning enemies would've likely gone for you and Kallie, so... just keep that in mind, okay?" says Galatea. She turns to face the others, "As for that 'ghost' Jana mentioned, I wouldn't bother with her. Going by the details I've gotten from the Horned Fangs, it sounds like she's actually a haunt. You know, like all of the ones we encountered in Roderic's Wreck. Moreover, going by the description, it's one featuring Alaznist!"
As she lets that information sit in, Galatea glances in the direction of the portal.
"As for this place, I'm sure if we ask the Deputy Command and the Port-Governor for the 'privilege' of watching over that wormhole..." she begins with a smile. "Of course, I imagine this endeavor would also require some crack staff to assist us!"
Jaya glances down at Aurealia's touch and gives her a friendly squeeze back, her grin unblemished by contact with pleasantly fuzzy skin. "You'd all get along fine without me I'm sure. Especially if Kallie's here to direct research." Her eyes focus intently on something not actually in front of them as she continues, "We should try to examine Alaznist's echo though. Even if it's not truly from her, there could be an interesting tale there. Just learning what aspects of her that her cultists chose to present is worth knowing."
Galatea's words aren't greeted as warmly. "The battle's won. What risks I took were hardly uncalculated."
"Tomorrow, once we can be properly prepared, I say we see what the haunt can show us!"
Cai'nan asks for Jaya and Kallie to join him in translator lounge.
"So...I wanted to talk to you two first, since we've been together the longest. About what...what Corstela said..."
Despite still wearing the morning's worn and functional delving attire, Jaya sat as rigidly as if Croquelle had laced her into one of her formal gowns with all her might. "I suppose you are a secret Flumph?" She tried to downplay her tension, but her voice was every bit as tight as her posture, and it was quite sufficient to strangle any humor that might have crept into her words.
"Did he send you?"
Cai'nan looks over at Jaya, frowning.
Of COURSE she knew exactly who Corstela meant...
"If I said no, would you believe me?" Cai'nan asked rhetorically.
"Either way...it's the truth. This is the second time I've tried to escape living under my father's thumb. Seems I'm not so good at it..." he says with a sigh.