Halk's ragged breathing smooths out and his many bleeding wounds stanch.
The spriggan sees Oona's merciful action with Halk and throws his morningstar and crossbow to the ground.
Oona glances at the others. "I'm going to bring this one back up," she says, nodding at Halk. "Keep an eye on the others."
She sends positive energy into the korred that seems to be the leader.
She doesn't brandish her scythe at the korred when he wakes, but she keeps it resting across her shoulder. "Well," she says in Sylvan. "We came looking for the Chernesardo and instead we get attacked by your people at every gods-cursed turn. These are your people, yes? Mr. Sit-in-the-Big-Chair? Now what happened? Where are the Chernesardo?"
Mac sits down next to the korred, and still towers over him. Seriously, what has Mac been eating??
Halk turns to the side and vomits. He wipes his mouth, burps, then opens his mouth to respond to Oona... and vomits again.
"F$%# you."
Oona considers slamming the butt of her scythe into his face, then regains her composure. "Suit youreself, Your Highness. Take your people and get out of the fortress. All of them. Let them know anyone who refuses to leave will die."
The korred lifts his head and begins laughing. Too late, you realize what he intends.
Perhaps it is because you've seen this so many times at this point. Perhaps it is because Halk is so weak. Whatever the reason, none of you are affected by his laugh, unnerving as it is. His head drops back to the ground.
"Fine then. We'll just clear it ourselves."
Oona brings the scythe down on his head.
She glares daggers at the remaining spriggan. "If you do not wish to join him, I suggest you run."
Grevayne raises his eyebrows in surprise, and gives Oona an appraising glance. He knows better than to say anything, however. Last thing he wants is to ruin the effect. He simply cracks his knuckles and watches the spriggan carefully.
Halk offers no resistance to Oona's attack and her scythe nearly decapitates the korred. The smaller spriggan looks down at his prone but stable companion, hesitates a moment, then runs out of the room and down the stairs.
On Halk's body, you find:
- A magical club (sm)
- Mwk dagger (sm)
- +1 chain shirt (sm)
- Mwk frame drum (100gp)
- Red wool scarf (15gp)
- Scroll case (empty)
- Silver tankard shaped like an old dwarven woman (50gp)
- Potion
- 4x scroll
On the large spriggan, you find:
- Mwk morningstar
- Light crossbow
- 10x crossbow bolt
- Potion of invisibility
The weapons return to small size when you remove them from the body.
Oona sighs as they all struggle to figure out what in the Hells the potion is, and waits for Grevayne to go over the scrolls.
- Potion of bear's endurance
- 3x scroll of CMW
- Scroll of invisibility
Also, there are four stone boxes that seem to have been formed directly out of the floor.
Grevayne hands the scrolls of cure moderate wounds to Freyja. "You take these. She can do the" he wiggles his fingers awkwardly "flashy heal magic thing by herself. This one" he points to the scroll of invisibility "I already know. Either of you want it, it's yours. This potion should probably go to Oona. You tend to attract weapons."
Oona snorts as she takes the vial. "Fine. But we should look around and then head out. This place isn't clear yet, and we still don't have any f*$@ing answers."
Oona uses the opportunity presented by scouring the room to allow her emotions to settle. That damned korred fired her up bad. No use getting yourself killed due to a hot head. Slow and steady, Oona.
Grevayne checks out the boxes.
"Huh. Stone shape. Interesting. Either the Chernesardo have powerful druids among them, or this was done by the fey. This is not slouch magic." He glances at Freyja. "Would you mind checking these? I do not have much of an eye for traps."
"They're just big stone boxes." She grabs her heavy mace and hefts it with a wry grin on her face. "I bet we could smash them open."
"My kingdom for an adamantine pickaxe," Grevayne mutters. "My fists will not do much against stone without a serious expenditure of energy."
"I gotta know. Freyja starts wailing on one of the boxes with her mace.
A good sized chunk of the box is chipped away, but you can tell it's going to take quite a bit of effort. She swings again.
This time the mace just bounces harmlessly off the box. "Whew. This is going to take some doing." She eyes the morningstar on Oona's hip. "Feel like giving me a hand?"
Freyja has gotten about a third of the way through the stone; the majority of her strikes do nothing. She is panting and sweating and her shoulders are trembling from the impact and vibrations. It's hard work and she will get through it eventually, but it could have lingering effects.
Oona chuckles wryly and takes her morningstar to the box.
Oona makes quick work of the boxes. Freyja, for her part, nods her thanks, hands on her hips and her red hair matted to her head with sweat.
Inside the first box, you find 5305sp. Inside the second, 1403gp. Third, two emeralds (500gp each) and a small pearl that emanates magic. Finally, the fourth box is empty, other than a rancid smell.
Pearl of power (2nd level)
Grevayne whistles appreciatively at the pair of emeralds and the money. Then, after a moment of study, holds up the pearl and mutters, "A, kuso!" he whispers fiercely. "A pearl of power. I had one, once, during my travels with Wu. The gods-cussed hobs that enslaved me took it. Among... other things." He looks grim fora moment, while looking over the pearl further. "But that was a first-level pearl, this is second-level. More powerful. Magnificent." He glances at the others. "I don't suppose either of you could use it?" He looks pained to even ask.
Oona doesn't miss the look. She snorts as she returns her morningstar to its belt frog. "I don't cast enough spells for it to be useful for me. Freyja can speak for herself, though."
Freyja shakes her head. "You take it. You will get the most use out of it."
Oona readies herself and checks over the party to see if anyone needs immediate healing. She touches Trjega and herself to seal their wounds a bit.
That done, she leads the way out the south doors. She glances at Freyja. "Mind checking the doors?"
Once the ranger has made sure there are no traps, Oona cautiously and slowly opens the door. While it's unlikely anyone inside didn't hear the huge fight one room away, it couldn't hurt to try some skullduggery.
You can see that this door is sealed shut with stone, and you surmise that this is the other side of the room where you fought the wizard korred.
Oona sighs. "I should have expected that. Up we go, I guess."
She begins creeping up the nearby stairs, Mac close at hand.
On the way up the stairs, Oona hears the shuffling feet and heavy breathing of something big.
Grevayne waits for the others to move ahead slightly, then mutters an incantation and vanishes from view.
Oona creeps up to the top of the stairs and peeks around the corner to seeOHMYGODWHATISTHAT
Oona rounds the corner at the top of the stairs and locks eyes with a brutish, one-eyed creature. It has a huge, well-made axe, a head of shaggy hair, and a dark bristly beard. It must have heard you because it was waiting, axe at the ready.
This is an ohancanu. They are rapacious and destructive fey, befouling the forests in which they live. They have DR/cold iron. If you can manage to pluck one of the white hairs sprouting from their heads , they take 2 negative levels.
Grevayne (51/69 hp)
Creature (0 damage)
Freyja (72/72 hp)
Trjega (48/52 hp)
Oona (62/68 hp)
Mac (56/57 hp)
Bold may act.
Grevayne does something the others have not yet seen him do. He channels arcane power into his entire body, and he seems to grow imperceptibly, but something about him seems to have grown significantly. He then hustles into the room and gets into position around the other side of the creature.
The creature takes a step toward the middle of the room and swings its enormous axe at Oona with a roar. The axe catches her on the shoulder and strikes bone .
Grevayne (51/69 hp)
Creature (0 damage)
Freyja (72/72 hp)
Trjega (48/52 hp)
Oona (36/68 hp)
Mac (56/57 hp)
Bold may act.
At a gesture from his companion, Mac moves into position and lashes out at the giant.
"Grevayne!" she gasps in Common as blood pours down her shoulder, "Snatch a white hair from its head! It'll f++~ it up!"
Oona reels a bit from the sudden blood loss, then sends the power of Magdh into her scythe. This thing is huge, and it's going to take huge damage to take it down...
The ohancanu takes a swipe at Mac as he passes by but Mac easily ducks under it.
Freyja steps to the top of the stairs. "Whoa, that's a big boy."
She pulls out one of her few remaining cold iron arrows and shoots around Oona.
"Trjega, come." She knows it's unlikely Trjega will be able to hurt this thing so best to keep her nearby.
Mac removes a barely noticeable chunk of hairy flesh from the thing's thigh and Freyja's arrow lodges high in its shoulder. Seemingly barely aware that it is being attacked, the ohancanu swings his axe at Oona again. He seems very confused when the strike that he thought was even more accurate than the last one fails to hit her.
Grevayne (51/69 hp)
Ohancanu (15 damage)
Freyja (72/72 hp)
Trjega (48/52 hp)
Oona (36/68 hp)
Mac (56/57 hp)
Bold may act.
Grevayne considers Oona's information, but shakes his head. He only gets one chance to strike at this thing with reduced defenses; he wants to take advantage while he can. He channels arcane power into his fists and unleashes the full might of his Spell Combat.
The scream that erupts from the ohancanu is deafening. He stumbles away from Grevayne and swings his axe wildly, missing by a mile.
He looks real bad.
Grevayne (51/69 hp)
Ohancanu (50 damage)
Freyja (72/72 hp)
Trjega (48/52 hp)
Oona (36/68 hp)
Mac (56/57 hp)
Bold may act.
Mac steps up to chew on the giant some more.
Oona blinks at the sudden explosion of electricity. "Or just do that, I guess." She steps up next to Mac, focusing on the image of a turtle and channeling the last of her bane power into her scythe, for one final swing.
Mac and Freyja bring the big fey down for good. The whole keep shakes when he falls.
Oona grips her shoulder, still bleeding profusely, and begins sending waves of positive energy into it.
Oona sits heavily onto the bench around the table. "That hurt. A lot. But I'm good now. I don't have any bane power left, but I still have Magdh's blessings I can bestow, and I'm more or less healed."
Grevayne leans against the wall and slides down it, panting heavily. "Not... whew... not me. I have used up almost everything I have. I have one spell left, and my Arcane Pool is utterly depleted. If we continue, I will not have much to bring to the table."
Oona shrugs. "You're in good health and you can still hit things, right? I say we keep going."