Bloody Streets: CT by AG

Game Master Apoc Golem

The missiles slam into the Maiden's chest, crushing her breastplate into her ribs with a crack that is immediately followed by gurgling gasps as she falls to the floor.

The physician flinches away from the hawk's gaze but manages to do no more than sizzle a bit. (Literally hit the DC exactly.)

The wounds on Andakos's side close a little, and four angry red lines of raw flesh begin bleeding on Golloriel's side.

[color=green]ROUND 3
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg)
Physician 3 (34 dmg, dead)
Physician 1 (28 dmg, dead)
Reyhan (52/56 hp, hasted 4 rds, Life Linked)
Physician 2 (0 dmg)
Caladaer (43/43 hp, mirror image (6 images) 6 mins, hasted 4 rds, Life Linked)
Thulae (21/21 hp, hasted 5rds, burning gaze 6 rds)
Gray Maiden 1 (37 dmg, dead)
Andakos (38/46 hp, hasted 5 rds, Life Linked)
Golloriel (58/68 hp, hasted 5 rds)
Gray Maiden 2 (0 dmg)
[/color]

Andakos would like to know what homeboy might have wanted his blood for. Craft (alchemy)? Knowledge (arcana/planes)? Something else? I'll give you a roll and let you know my bonuses for each. If it's a knowledge check, inspiration is free.

???: 1d20 ⇒ 8 +17 C(A), +14 K(A), +12 K(P)
inspiration: 1d6 ⇒ 4 I'm going to use this even if it's not free so let me know if I need to mark a usage of it.
So that's a 29 C(A), 26 K(A), 24 K(P)

Andakos stabs a couple times again, hoping that this time is more like his last attempt and not his first attempt.

spear: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31
damage: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

spear: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20
damage: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

Bodyguard still protects Cal and Golloriel. +3 AC

bodyguard: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34
bodyguard: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20
bodyguard: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (5) + 14 = 19

Golloriel shrugs as Maiden #1 hits the floor. "You made your choice."

She briefly considers protecting Rey from a flank, but there are two bodies next to her that she'd have to navigate, and she'd rather just put Maiden #2 down.

scim: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

scim: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Hey cool. Good round, everyone.

Andakos manages to slip a quick stab in past Devaulus's defenses, but he barely makes a scratch.

He knows blood is used in all sorts of rituals, usually nefarious. Thaumaturgical spells that create powerful links to the target, expanding the scope of divination spells--you name it, if it uses blood in the ritual, it's probably bad.

Golloriel, meanwhile, has both attacks deflected by the Maiden's shield.

Gauging the two threats near her, the Gray Maiden decides to help her ally flank, stepping over the bodies to get at Reyhan. (AoO for Golloriel, but unfortunately she also provides soft cover against Andakos, so he doesn't get an AoO.) She slashes viciously at Rey's back while she's distracted fending off the physician's club. Rey manages to twist at the last second to keep from having her throat opened up, but it leaves a terrible gash along her arm. (Unconfirmed crit, 6 slashing damage.)

"Doctor" Devaulus cocks its birdlike head at Andakos. While it appears incapable of smiling, he senses amusement. "I must be going now. Much to do. But first, I want to leave you with a little present..."

It opens its beak-mouth and sucks in a breath, and unleashes a wave of stinging botflies in a horrible, buzzing cacophony of agony that engulfs Cal, Andakos, and Golloriel.

Andakos Ref Save: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 10 + 2 = 16

Caladaer Ref Save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Golloriel Ref Save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

None of the trio were expecting the sudden rush of stinging insects. They move with unnatural speed and ferocity, biting and ripping flesh all over.

Each of you takes 23 damage and is sickened for 1 minute. You may spend 2 Inspiration to roll a d6 and add it for Andakos, if you wish. If you roll high enough to make the save, you will not be sickened.

In the space where the "doctor" is standing, a swarm of the stinging botflies remains, biting and tearing at anything in their path. (Area of the flies is marked by Red on the map. Ending your turn in this area will require another Reflex Save.)

From within the swarm of flies, you can just make out the shape of the daemon. Its tittering, clicking laughter drifts out, muffled by the stinging insects.

[color=green]ROUND 4
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg)
Physician 3 (34 dmg, dead)
Physician 1 (28 dmg, dead)
Reyhan (46/56 hp, hasted 4 rds, Life Linked)
Physician 2 (0 dmg)
Caladaer (20/43 hp, mirror image (6 images) 6 mins, hasted 4 rds, Life Linked)
Thulae (21/21 hp, hasted 5rds, burning gaze 6 rds)
Gray Maiden 1 (37 dmg, dead)
Andakos (15/46 hp, hasted 5 rds, Life Linked)
Golloriel (35/68 hp, hasted 5 rds)
Gray Maiden 2 (0 dmg)
[/color]

Seeing the stinging insects swarming her, Rey knows she needs to get out in a hurry, but she's got a table in her way on both sides. The only way out, she figures, is through.

Spending panache on the first hit to double precision damage.

Dagger vs Physician: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 12 = 16 Mithral, Piercing, Precision

Confirm: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 Mithral, Piercing, Precision

She nearly downs him in one hit--nearly.

She's not getting out of this one without taking some licks. She decides to finish the guy off before he can clobber her again, then turn her attention to the Maiden.

Dagger vs Physician: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 12 = 17 Mithral, Piercing, Precision

Dagger vs Physician: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 12 = 16 Mithral, Piercing, Precision

With nowhere to go, she tries to shield her face from the swarming flies.

Ref Save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

Unable to escape the flies after dropping the physician, Reyhan literally gets eaten alive. (4d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 4, 1) = 14 slashing damage and sickened for 1 minute).

Suddenly Golloriel has to bite back a scream of pain as wounds erupt all over her body from the Life Link. Out of sheer survival instinct, she mentally severs the connection.

If you want to sever it at exactly 30 hp, you can choose who gets the 5 hp and which two take the damage back. Just let me know.

[color=green]ROUND 4
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg)
Physician 3 (34 dmg, dead)
Physician 1 (28 dmg, dead)
Reyhan (37/56 hp, hasted 4 rds, sickened 10 rds)
Physician 2 (37 dmg, dead)
Caladaer (25/43 hp, mirror image (6 images) 6 mins, hasted 4 rds, sickened 10 rds)
Thulae (21/21 hp, hasted 5rds, burning gaze 6 rds)
Gray Maiden 1 (37 dmg, dead)
Andakos (20/46 hp, hasted 5 rds, sickened 10 rds)
Golloriel (20/68 hp, hasted 5 rds, sickened 10 rds)
Gray Maiden 2 (0 dmg)
[/color]

Cal moves past Golloriel and out of the swarm. He moves past the Maiden, knowing that she will probably take a swipe at him, but trusting in his mirror image to save him (provokes). Once he is in a position where he won't hit his allies, he unleashes a burning hands into the swarm.

burning hands: 5d4 ⇒ (1, 1, 2, 3, 1) = 8

Woof. DC 16 reflex half, +50% damage (maybe?). Physician #3 is in the cone too.

Thúlae turns his gaze to the Maiden.

fire: 1d6 ⇒ 3

I'll spend the inspiration. His reflex is actually +11 right now (from haste). See my Status block! :D

2x insp for reflex save: 1d6 ⇒ 4

New total is 21.

Andakos spits out the flies that got in his mouth. I knew this was coming but it still sucks! Then he scoots by Devaulus, trying to avoid those nasty claws (half speed while hasted is 30'!).

acro: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11 (-2 if still sickened)

Ugh not even worth using inspiration.

Once he is outside the swarm, he downs his shield extract. (Unless 21 doesn't save, in which case he'll use delay poison instead.)

Bodyguard for Cal:

bodyguard: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (18) + 14 = 32 -2 if sickened
bodyguard: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28 -2 if sickened
bodyguard: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29 -2 if sickened

We'll leave it as it is. Golloriel can take it.

Golloriel steps out of the swarm and into a flank on the Maiden. She feels like horking and she knows she can call upon Sarenrae to fix that, but she can feel her allies pain (literally), so she asks Sarenrae to heal them all instead. She doesn't heal the enemies but she does, however, direct some of the positive energy into the Maiden, transforming it into a cleansing flame (Purifying Channel, b$@$#!).

selective/purifying channel: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 2) = 7

DC 14 will for #1 to halve the damage. If she fails the save, she is dazzled for a round.

Slight retcon from Inspiration!
Andakos stumbles as he tries to escape the oncoming wave of insects. Everything seems to slow down. On his hands and knees, he sees the dead Maiden's shield has tumbled under the table next to him. In a moment of inspiration, he snatches the shield, spins onto his back, and holds it against the barrage for as long as he can. Eventually the spilling insects batter the shield away, but he has successfully saved himself from the worst of it.

21 hits the DC EXACTLY. Nice work!

Caladaer tries to slip by the Maiden, but she stops him momentarily with a sword slash that opens up his ribcage. Instead of gore and guts spilling out, however, there is only a puff of smoke that quickly engulfs his entirety. One of his images is no more, but Cal is fine. He strides away without harm, blasting a cone of fire at the horde of flies. They light up in a wave of little bursts of flame that spreads over the majority of it and disperses the swarm!

Harrow Point to Cal for his quick thinking!

The light of Sarenrae burns against Maiden #1, but she steels herself against the worst of it.

As Andakos tries to duck past the daemon, it lazily dips down and clamps its hideous beak-like face onto his side, ripping deep into his flesh. (17 damage that is bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing.) For a moment it seems like the teeth won't let go, that the creature is going to hold on tight. Andakos can feel it has the power to do so. Yet instead, it looses its grip, seemingly content to just do massive damage to the investigator, and lets him scurry away. It makes another of those weird clicking noises that one can only assume is laughter.

I did a goof and marked off Maiden 1 as being dead on the initiative tracker rather than Maiden 2. For sake of ease I just swapped their places in initiative, so Maiden 1 goes last instead of between Cal and Andakos.

The final Gray Maiden, still smoking slightly from Golloriel's Purifying Channel, looks between the two enemies before her. While Reyhan has done significantly more damage in this battle, she can see the paladin is badly wounded. The Maiden deftly swipes up with her blade, forcing Lori to deflect, and while she's still readjusting, the Maiden brings the sword back around in an arc that gets Golloriel across the clavicle. her armor keeps it from being too deadly a wound, but it steel leaves a mark. (8 slashing damage.)

The daemon utters another series of those clicking laughs, then the vial vanishes into the same pouch it pulled it from. "I have what I need. You will not survive this place, so I have no need to waste energy on you that I can use for... other endeavors." The way it says these last words sends a thrill of dread up Andakos's spine that he cannot quite explain.

With a twist and a pop!, the daemon vanishes.

[color=green]ROUND 5
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg)
Physician 3 (34 dmg, dead)
Physician 1 (28 dmg, dead)
Reyhan (44/56 hp, hasted 2 rds, sickened 8 rds)
Physician 2 (37 dmg, dead)
Caladaer (32/43 hp, mirror image (5 images) 6 mins, hasted 2 rds, sickened 8 rds)
Thulae (21/21 hp, hasted 2 rds, burning gaze 3 rds)
Gray Maiden 2 (37 dmg, dead)
Andakos (22/46 hp, hasted 2 rds)
Golloriel (24/68 hp, hasted 2 rds, sickened 8 rds)
Gray Maiden 1 (3 dmg)
[/color]

Rey can't help but feel relieved when the giant otherworldly horror that was laying waste to them decides to nope out.

Invigorated that they only have one enemy left now (at least up here) she unleashes her mithral dagger on the Gray Maiden.

I forgot dropping the physician gave her a panache point as well! Immediately spending it to boost damage for the first attack.

Dagger vs Maiden 1: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 11 + 2 = 18
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 12 = 17 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Dagger vs Maiden 1: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 11 + 2 = 21
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 6 = 10 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Dagger vs Maiden 1: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 2 = 28
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 6 = 11 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Confirm: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 6 + 2 = 22
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Incredibly, throughout her deluge, only one attack hits but it's a doozy.

spellcraft: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16

sigh

Cal figures the brawny types can finish off the last Maiden, so he pulls a cure light wounds potion out and downs it.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Thúlae surprises everyone by staring at Maiden #1.

fire: 1d6 ⇒ 5

DC17

Hate to say this, but I think Ducky has 2hp, not 22.

Ow.

Andakos drinks the cure moderate wounds potion he pulled from his bandolier, then moves into attack range of the Maiden.

CMW: 2d8 + 3 ⇒ (6, 2) + 3 = 11

spellcraft + insp: 1d20 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (11) + 10 + (3) = 24

Between groans of pain, he manages to blurt out, "He teleported."

With the big bad gone, Golloriel briefly considers beseeching Sarenrae to smite this Maiden, but something Devaulus said ("you won't survive this place") makes her pause. Is there something worse than more Maidens downstairs? She doesn't see the harm in waiting to find out. This one won't last much longer.

She touches her breastplate and heals her sickness (it's a swift action and I'm dumb), then channels again.

LoH: 1d6 ⇒ 2 (heals sickness)
channel: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 6) = 12

Oh, NICE! DC 14 will to halve purifying damage to Maiden.

Once again, the Maiden grits her teeth and resists the worst of the flames, but they still burn her a little worse than the first time. Just as she manages to fend off those flames, she just happens to glance up and meet an angry birb right in the eye and scream as she bursts into even more flames.

Despite being significantly more on fire, she bellows in rage and renews her assault on the paladin. She buries her blade deep into the meat of Golloriel's shoulder, sending blood pouring down her shield arm. (Confirmed crit for 16 damage.)

Then, to top it all off, she manages to put out the flames--but not before taking another 1d6 ⇒ 6 fire damage.

[color=green]ROUND 6
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg, teleported)
Physician 3 (34 dmg, dead)
Physician 1 (28 dmg, dead)
Reyhan (56/56 hp, hasted 1 rds, sickened 7 rds)
Physician 2 (37 dmg, dead)
Caladaer (43/43 hp, mirror image (5 images) 6 mins, hasted 1 rds, sickened 7 rds)
Thulae (21/21 hp, hasted 1 rds, burning gaze 2 rds)
Gray Maiden 2 (37 dmg, dead)
Andakos (45/46 hp, hasted 1 rds)
Golloriel (22/68 hp, hasted 1 rds)
Gray Maiden 1 (20 dmg)
[/color]

Rey is very ready for this fight to be over. With a bellow, she unleashes the last of Cal's magical speed at the Maiden to put her down once and for all.

Dagger vs Maiden: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 6 = 10 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Dagger vs Maiden: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 6 = 11 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Dagger vs Maiden: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 6 = 10 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

OH SHIT

Conf 1: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Conf 2: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Womp womp lol

While Rey doesn't quite hit the arteries she was aiming for, she rips two huge gashes in the Maiden's belly with two rapid swipes. After a moment, the Maiden stumbles, then her torn abdominal wall collapses under the strain and spills her guts out all over the floor. She takes one step, slips in her small intestine, and falls over, dying instantly of shock.

COMBAT OVER!

Silence reigns for a moment, but whimpers and cries of help can soon be heard from the patients in the next room. All they know is that there was fighting, and their doctors are probably dead.

WDYD?

Caladaer burps up some bile and makes a mental note to get a scroll or wand of delay poison. He calls Thúlae to his shoulder.

I AM THE FIREHAWK!

fire @ Maiden: 1d6 ⇒ 6

DC17

Then he swoops down to Cal's shoulder.

Andakos spits a glob of blood (and at least two botflies) onto the ground, then studies the Maiden and puts his spear into her throat.

spear: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34
damage: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

spear: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16
damage: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

confirm: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29
damage: 2d8 + 16 ⇒ (1, 3) + 16 = 20

And, because f&++ this Maiden, he'll also pop Studied Strike for an additional 2d6 ⇒ (5, 2) = 7 damage.

HAHA NEVER MIND

Andakos snaps out of his fever dream and realizes that the Maiden he thought he was shishkabobing just then is actually already dead on the floor, julienned by Rey's daggers. He doesn't seem to feel as poorly as Cal and Rey look, but he supposes there must be some alternate universe where he succumbed as well and that it is somehow bleeding into this one.

Still, he feels terrible. He's thankful that he isn't also dry heaving on top of all the jagged claw wounds that are still pouring his blood onto the office floor.

He walks over to the desk, using his spear as a makeshift walking stick, then plops down in one of the chairs. "I need a minute."

Golloriel calls into the next room. "You are safe now! I will be there in a minute." Then she grants the Dawnflower's healing to Rey and her father. (I always forget this, but Cal gets 1 less healing from each healing effect and Golloriel gets +2 healing per die rolled. We don't need to retcon because I'm just going to wand until everyone is full but I need to remember that going forward!)

LoH cal: 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3 (-1 Bitter, heals sickness)
LoH rey: 1d6 ⇒ 1 (heals sickness)

If I did the math right, Andakos is currently at 33 hp.

Then she pulls out the CLW wand and brings Andakos and herself back to (almost) full health.

wand andakos: 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (5, 7) + 2 = 14
wand golloriel: 5d8 + 5 + 10 ⇒ (2, 8, 7, 8, 3) + 5 + 10 = 43 (+2 per die Fey Foundling)

That done, she looks at Andakos (whose natural deep red skin color has returned; seeing the tielfing so pale was alarming to say the least) and says, "Are you going to look around here? I need to check on the patients."

Andakos nods his thanks to Golloriel. "Go ahead, but take Rey with you. There are still Grey Maidens downstairs and they could be heading up here right now."

Then he waves Cal over to the desk. "Could use a second pair of eyes."

Golloriel nods, re-establishes the life link on all three companions (the link only breaks once she is further than medium range (130 feet at her oracle level) so we should be fine as long as we all stay on this floor), then asks Rey, "Shall we?" Assuming Rey agrees, she heads to the next room to check on the patients.

The first thing she does is address the whole room. "Can I have your attention please? Doctor Devaulus claimed to be treating you, but he was really experimenting with your blood. I am sorry to say that he did not have your best interests at heart. He attacked us for threatening to expose him, but the threat is over. We will make sure that all of you get the care that you deserve. In the meantime, if you will allow me, I would like to see what I can do for you now while my companions search Devaulus's office for evidence."

Not sure if you want to go through all the heal rolls, but I wanted Lori to have something to do while the perceivers do their thing. Here are a handful, using a healer's kit. Let me know how many charges I should expend:

heal: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 8 + 2 = 20
heal: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 8 + 2 = 28
heal: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 8 + 2 = 30
heal: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 8 + 2 = 24
heal: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 8 + 2 = 26

Andakos searches the desk as thoroughly as he possibly can.

Taking 20 on the desk for 35 perception (38 traps).

Cal begins looking around the rest of the room, with the intention of finding evidence against Devaulus (and perhaps the Queen?).

perc: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26 +3 bright light
perc: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14 +3 bright light
perc: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27 +3 bright light
perc: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15 +3 bright light
perc: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15 +3 bright light

Not that easy, I'm afraid!

As soon as Golloriel steps out, covered in blood, the patients start wailing and scrambling out of their cots to get away from her.

After all, from their perspective, the physicians have been treating them, the Maidens have been protecting them, and then your group comes in and absolutely slaughters them. This is definitely going to need either a Diplomacy check to calm them or Intimidate check to cow them.

The desk is in total shambles, split in half from the violence of Devaulus's transformation. But Andakos is a patient sort, and quickly finds what he's looking for.

lol you didn't even need to take 20, your minimum Perception was enough to find it.

In a neat, almost ledger-like journal, you find all of Devaulus's notes on the plague. Its construction, his findings on why some Varisians appear to be immune, isolated anomalies in their blood... It's a lot, and Andakos believes he almost has enough here to synthesize a cure.

Almost.

He's missing a few key components to the formula he's already putting together in his head. And Cal can see, reading the journal with him, that this book damns the doctor as the creator of the plague. It briefly mentions his 'employer,' but it does not mention who the employer is, and the context doesn't tell him if it's the Queen, who employed him to cure the plague, or whoever employed him to craft the blood veil. Both Cal and Andakos need more information for their respective queries.

Perhaps... down below the warehouse...?

Once Rey isn't on the verge of losing her lunch, she can think a little more clearly, and stops the paladin before she heads out to the patients. "Hold up, Lori, I think I know how to help."

She concentrates on the magic of her hat of disguise, and the image of Reyhan-the-human-woman falls away momentarily, replaced by her tiger fur-lined Beast-spawn visage. Then that, too, sweeps away, replaced by the statuesque image of a Gray Maiden in her stylized plate armor, a little blood-spattered but otherwise untarnished, her helmed visage implacable.

"A familiar face might calm them."

Taking 10 on her Disguise check gives her a 30 so I think she's good :P

When she accompanies Golloriel out, she adds, "It is true, Devaulus was not what he claimed. You are safe now. We will have you all transferred somewhere safe as soon as we can. Please stay calm and remain in your cots for now."

Auto-pass Aid check for Golloriel's Diplomacy.

diplo: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (8) + 17 = 25

Thanks to Rey's quick thinking and Golloriel's kind, calming demeanor, the two manage to calm the patients. However, it may take significantly longer than the party wishes to wait for Golloriel to tend to them all.

With seven patients up here, five of which are actually ill, that's 50 minutes to Treat Disease (less if Andakos wants to try a Heal check on a few, though his bonus is way lower than Lori's), which means a lot of your buff spells would be gone.

Golloriel notes that the Gray Maidens apparently closed the doors to the lift room behind the party after they entered. The doors are large and sturdy, which might explain why the enemies downstairs didn't hear the fighting. But how long until they come up to check?

Good GRAVY I almost forgot something.

Amongst the wreckage of the desk, Andakos also finds an actual ledger, in the doctor's same sharp, cramped handwriting, with a list of patients. Only a few weeks into the plague, and the book is well over half full--roughly twenty pages or so of narrow lines--maybe fifty or sixty per page--filled with the same information.

Name. Sex. Age. Ethnicity (or rather, "Varisian" or "other"). Condition upon arrival. Mortality.

He flips through, and perhaps out of morbid curiosity, looks for names he knows, starting with "Soldado, Briana." To his relief, it doesn't appear the girl got sick again--or at least if she did, she didn't come here. Hundreds of other names line the pages, though, some Andakos recognizes and most he does not.

Damin, Haberly (one of the city watch Ducky hasn't seen on duty all week). Male. Late thirties. Other. Condition mild. Dead.

Vornost, Laverne (a minor noblewoman his mother has had tea with before). Female. 62. Other. Condition severe. Dead.

Sherik, Tanya. Female. 17. Varisian. Unaffected. Living.

Malloy, Sorvin. No gender given. 22. Other. Condition moderate. Recovered.

Karela, Nell. Male. 6. Varisian. Condition severe. Dead.

Karela, Dellan. Male. 8. Varisian. Condition moderate. Dead.

Soldado, Grau. Male. 33. Other. Condition mild. Recovered.

Mirukova, Ruan. Male. Mid-twenties. Varisian. Condition severe. Dead.

Her goal was only to check each patient quickly to ensure that none needed critical care, then head downstairs with a promise that we would come back for them. I rolled five heal checks above, so I'll give you two more, and that exhausts the healer's kit.

Golloriel gives Rey a thank you look and proceeds to check each patient.

heal + kit: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 8 + 2 = 14
heal + kit: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 8 + 2 = 20

I gotta get that heal skill up. The 10 int isn't helping.

perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35
int: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Hot damn.

Hmm. That's... suspicious. Note to self: ask the Varisian patients if they knew Ruan.

Grau sounds familiar to me too. Do I know that name?

Never mind, I just searched the campaign. We definitely know Grau. Good to see he's alive.

He catches the sound of commotion downstairs and calls out to Golloriel and Rey. "We don't have time! Trouble downstairs!"

This time he remembers to down a shield extract, then leads the others to the elevator.

Wait, and 8 year old Dellan? WTF is happening.

I'll wait for the result of the heal checks before I decide how she reacts here.

As I said, there are seven patients, and if you recall, two are immune so they're not actually sick (so don't bother expending those uses of the kit). Also as mentioned, you would have to spend almost an hour in here treating everyone to give them a boost to their Fortitude saves, meaning you'd have to ignore whatever is going on downstairs and also lose several of your buffs. I assumed you did not want to do that at the moment. I will say based on your checks, none of them look like they're going to die in the next hour. I will assume you kind of do a Revenge of the Sith "oobah" thing to calm them and then follow Andakos.

The party rushes back down the stairs (since it's quicker than the lift) and nearly trip over the Gray Maiden kneeling on the stone floor, her wrists manacled in front of her. Two of Korvosa's city guards stand on either side of her, looking battered. The Maiden herself sports a large, bloody gash on her left arm and a gut stab that appears to have missed her vital organs. The Maiden's helm is off, and you can see her face is pockmarked with scars that are far too symmetrical to be natural. She spits at the feet of the party. "The Queen will have your heads for this!" she snarls.

The female guard jabs the Maiden in the neck with the butt of her glaive. "Yeah, yeah. She can pay for your solicitor at your trial, then, too. I don't give a shit who you are, assaulting the city watch is illegal." She glances up at the party and nods. "Hey, guys."

The other enemies are similarly subdued by city watch, overseen by none other than the Field Marshal herself. Commander Kroft waves to the party as they come down the stairs.

Only one casualty can be seen. A Queen's Physician lies dead at the feet of an elderly man in a careworn old uniform, his shock of ivory hair pulled back in a short ponytail, looking much better than the last time you saw him. He idly wipes blood off his mithral dueling sword with a piece of cloth.

Cabe smirks at the quartet. "And here I thought my night was rough."

He stuffs the cloth in a back pocket and sheathes Zelda carefully before striding toward the party.

Well--he tries to stride. What he manages is a stiff, awkward plod that reveals he is definitely still suffering under the hag's curse.

"I heard through the grapevine that you were about to issue a search warrant for Kroft and wanted in. I convinced the Field Marshal to send some backup."

Kroft, now approaching, shakes her head irritably. "I said you could come along, Melandrus. You weren't supposed to join in the fight. You're not well, yet."

She appraises the party, brow furrowing at the audacious amount of blood covering them--particularly Cal and Andakos, who were closest to the doctor's gory transformation.

"What in Abadar's name happened to you??"

Cabe sniffs. "A soldier doesn't miss the chance to join the fight against evil, Commander. Hobbled or not, I can still cast a spell and swing a sword."

He glances at the party, as if just noticing what Kroft is talking about for the first time. "Good grief. Did you bathe in it, Andakos?"

Andakos lets out a sigh of relief to see the watch already here. Golloriel healed his wounds before they came down here, but healing magic doesn't heal the trauma of battle and especially not the trauma of knowing how close you came to falling. That erodaemon is going to be a problem, but they will need to be stronger (much stronger) before they face it again.

He favors Cabe with a weak smile. "It was gross." He starts to hug the man, realizes that maybe Cabe doesn't want to be covered in viscera, and holds out a hand for a handshake instead. Then he leads Kroft and Cabe to a corner where they won't be overheard and tells them everything they learned upstairs.

At Kroft and Cabe's mention of it, Caladaer seems to realize for the first time how disgusting he must look. He stands near enough to them to interject anything that the tiefling fails to bring up, but he prestidigitates the gore off of him in the meantime.

Golloriel sees that Andakos and her father have the explainy part handled, so she checks on the patients down here while she waits. (Again, just cursory checks for anyone in critical condition. Triage, if you will.)

diplo: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (20) + 17 = 37
heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Once again, Golloriel's supreme bedside manner is of great help. Also once again, she can do almost nothing for the patients' conditions without spending even more time down here--several hours, at least. On the bright side, she is able to keep them all from panicking from the sudden violence.

Kroft listens to Andakos's explanation with a steadily darkening face. "This is bad. Look, I can maybe spare a guard to go down there with you, but most of them are going to be escorting the prisoners to Volshyanek, and I have to report this to the Queen. The fact that she has Physicians working for a cult of Lamashtu, and Red Mantis to boot?" She shakes her head in bewilderment. "I imagine her precious Gray Maidens will be out by morning regardless, but I still have to hold them just in case. And anyway, a plot this deep will require a personal report." She doesn't look pleased at the prospect.

"Can I trust you four to head down that lift and get to the bottom of this?"

Full disclosure, the guard will be like... CR 3 at best, but you can have 'em if you want an extra body.

Rey tries not to let Cal catch her staring jealously at his use of prestidigitation to de-gore himself.

Andakos's face darkens when Kroft mentions reporting to the queen. He leans in close. "Be cautious speaking to the Queen. I can't shake the feeling that she is involved somehow." He catches her gaze and they share a meaningful look. Then he backs away and says, "As for a guard, we'll pass. Unless you're sending Cabe. We don't know what we'll find down there, but if it's anything like we found up there, it will be more than a city guard can handle. I won't have their blood on my hands." He looks at his hands, which actually do have blood on them. He sees Caladaer finishing up with cleaning himself off, considers asking for the same treatment, then realizes they are liable to get even messier downstairs, and maybe their appearance will be intimidating to whoever (or whatever) they encounter.

He feels his shield wearing off (or, if it took more than 6 minutes to talk to Kroft, he'll down his last shield extract; let me know!) and waves the others to follow him.

Once everyone is gathered, he configures the lift to go down, and begins lowering it.

Cal re-casts mirror image on himself, then nods to Andakos that he is ready.

images: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Golloriel casts bless on the party and shield of faith on her father, then re-raises the life links on all her allies.