Brogol slips into the room, looking around for a way up to the trapdoor. A table that could be pulled under it and stood upon, barrells or chairs, etc.
Vaelor pouts over-dramatically.
"Oh no you're all the way up there, what ever shall we do?"
She grins and waits to see what it does next.
While the others made a spectacle, Ingrid quietly took out her mace. For a brief moment she admired the pommel containing an Asmodean pentagram inlaid with crushed rubies. Then she pointed the weapon and said in a loud voice "Surrender now. Only chance."
Franz: Sotto Voce, DC 14 or shaken
Eris: Lesser Confusion, DC 16
Brogol: "We got to move these refrigerators..."
Vaelor: Readied Attack, roll 20 = miss
Ingrid: Readied attack, non-crit hit, 8 dmg
Franz and Eris weave their magic to reduce the little beast's defenses and crack its mind. While it seems unnerved by Franz's intonations, Eris spell proves less effective. "Heh heh, trickery tricksters not be tricking tricky Snivvi!"
As Brogol begins moving crates to get a better reach into the upper floor, Vaelor and Ingrid prepare to attack the beast. Indeed, it refuses to surrender, preparing to toss another ball of flame into the room below. Vaelor's attack is easily dodged by the tiny creature, though Ingrid's has the eye of Asmodeus behind it. Still, the strike does not seem to injure the little feline as much as expected.
"No no no, big nosed man with ugly hat not come up! Only beautiful furry chapeaus!" It then tosses a ball of flame at Brogol.
The ball could not have been more perfectly aim, landing on the back of Brogol's neck and scorching hair and skin alike.
"Evil trickery no tricking Snivvi! Go go go!" It dances happily as another ball of flame alights in its palm.
Cute Kitty Person: -6 hp; Shaken
The Doctor ponders the nature of the this strange creature, offering advice to his allies based on the results of his analysis. "An uncouth little thing, isn't it. Appalling."
Karik wanders inside and lazily waves a hand at Vaelor
"Get on with it dear."
"I'm trying okay!"
Upset at disappointing Karik Vaelor tries again to hit with her chain.
Hissing with rage as the chain takes another chunk out of the woodwork Vaelor climbs the ladder.
Panic overwhelms Brogol, the man never having been lit on fire before. Throwing his hat to the ground and giving its smoldering remains a good stomp while beating the back of his burning head with the other hand, Brogol looks up, panic being pushed aside by white-hot rage.
Loved that godsdammned hat.
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As is her wont, Eris begins laughing as the chaos of the battle unfolds, and her level of glee only increases as Brogol is lit on fire.
"Oh--my side!" she exclaims, holding her flank from laughing so hard. "Sorry, Brogol! But the look on your face!"
She does manage to draw her crossbow and fire at it, but with her distraction, it only lands in the ceiling with a plunk!.
Ingrid ‘tsk’d’ at the foe who refused to get into claw reach. So with a flick of her wrist she sent the mace flying at the enemy once more.
Franz: Knowledge Check + Combat Advice
@ Franz:This is an Ovinnik, a type of fey house spirit. They are a sometimes helpful creature that tends to bind itself to rural families or places. It has DR 2/cold iron and fire resistance 5. It can enhance or penalize a person's luck with a touch, and case produce flame at will.K/V: Move, Guidance, Attack (miss);
Climb==
Brogol: See note below.
Eris: Light xbox (miss)
Ingrid: Mace (hit)
Vaelor spends her move action helping Brogol stack crates.
K/V: Move, Guidance, Attack (miss); Stack
Brogol: Stack.
Eris: Light xbow (miss)
Ingrid: Mace (hit)
Karik and Eris continue to try to attack the cat-like creature but the beast's agility combined with the cover from the trap door make it difficult to hit. However, Ingrid's luck proves somewhat better, landing another strike with her mace. Below, Brogol and Vaelor finish stacking crates and now have a serviceable way up.
"Ah! You bad bad people! You leave now or Snivvi burn you all!" With that, it briefly disappears from view before a giant chest comes tumbling through the hole.
It manages to crash into Brogol and Vaelor, heavy metal objects inside it clanking and banging.
Cute Kitty Person: -11 hp; Shaken
Brogol: -8
Vaelor: -8
”We are not the ‘bad guys.’ As ye put it. We keep peace, law and order. Why bring pain and suffering upon these people?” Ingrid replied, her mace flying out again. This time, though, it failed to hit the nimble foe who sheltered behind cover.
Brogol looks up just in time to see the chest barreling down the hole at him. Its metal edge crashes into Brogol's arm, spinning the driver like a child's toy top. Wobbling, Brogol barely manages to stay on his feet. Letting forth a string of curses fit for the cheapest penny dreadful, Brogol begins climbing the stacked crates, determined that one way or another, that damned kitty was getting tossed from its hiding place.
Karik moves up to Vaelor and runs a hand down the small of her back.
"Go, spill their blood!"
Vaelor darts quickly up the piled boxes at sends her spiked chain lashing furiously out at the creature's face.
With his fellow ne'er-do-wells already attacking, the Doctor simply provides them with some advice for the following round. "Surround it, if you can. Feline creatures are easily overwhelmed by threats from multiple sides."
Snarling, Brogol flips his scarf at the creature. sending the weapon's razor-sharp blades whistling at its tiny, punchable face.
Ingrid: Mace and miss
Brogol: Successful save vs Prone; climb and attack, miss
Karik: Guidance
Vaelor: Successful save vs Prone; attack with 22, hit
Franz: Combat Advice
Ingrid throws her mace at the beast and Asmodeus's fickle affinity for His mortal worshippers seems to have passed as the mace goes wildly off target. Brogol charges up the crates, taking a nasty slash from the beast's claws as he moves up, and misses with his own strike with the bladed scarf. Clambering up in Brogol's wake and aided by the doctor's wisdom, the eidolon lands a devastating strike, eliciting a yowl of pain from the tiny cat-man. Eris herself channels the mad energy of her god and, while it inflicts further wounds on the beast, it manages to shrug off the madness.
"Aaaaah! You bad bad bad! This not your home! Go go go! No no no!" While Vaelor hurt it, Brogol is more injured and it tries to take out one of its foes by swiping both claws at the man. Though tiny, it's claws are sharp and shred leather and skin alike.
Cute Kitty Person: -27 hp
Brogol: -22
Vaelor: -8
Brogol's scarf spins at the little bastard, and for a second the driver thinks he's going to see the creature's blood spill the attic floor... but there's an opening from climbing the stacked boxes, and searing pain flares from Brogol's abdomen. Blinking, suprised, Brogol looks down to see his shirt darkening with blood, and then his entire world goes dark...
Taking a quick step toward Brogol's limp body draped across the boxes, Franz draws an unguent and needle from his pocket. He leans over and sows several of the rogue's wounds closed with such speed and precision that Brogol is shocked back to consciousness.
Feeling her connection to the divine slipping, Ingrid focused on sending her holy weapon flying towards their enemy one more time. It was a decent attempt, but given the chaotic swirl of the combat, she doubted that it was going to be enough.
Vaelor purrs in delight as the claws draw her blood.
"Oh now we can really play!"
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--------
||| THE STORY SO FAR |||
- Ingrid forced a gong farmer (Shaul) to kill his own boss
- The party killed some doggos
- The party left Shaul and Pippa Umbre alive. They disappeared from town shortly afterward.
Following that, they met Razelago, a mysterious and shadowy figure who seemed to have deep pockets. Though they learned later that Razelago was little more than an accuser devil, earlier on he appeared as a silhouette behind a screen.
At the sermon, Allemar's twin sons Loran and Lacall unveiled a silver helmet with angelic features - the helm of the Angel Knight, Lencia Visserene. Although the party was somewhat able to undercut the message of the sermon, it still seemed to garner some excitement in the populace.
The following day, the party posted the Archbaron's Decrees all over town. As part of this, they also:
- Deposed Rhona Staelish as sheriff. Her deputies similarly abdicated their positions
- Made some enemies with the Gramels - the old couple manning the Castle Gate
- The deposed deputies tried to attack the party and got wrecked. The three surviving deputies were made to confess their crimes in the square, but it didn't go too well.
- Convinced Doctor Rohalendi that the new rules aren't too bad after all
- In posting the notice at the Last Stand, made an enemy of Bolgart Caggan, the proprietor.
- After making a bunch of people really mad over the course of the day, Vivia decided to split from the rest of the group and leave Longacre before things get worse.
When the Last Stand's owner defied the order to stay closed, the party went and arrested him. They also questioned Riley Kels, a local bard, about his meeting with the Angel Knight. They learned he had met her at a hill outside of town. They investigated the hill and followed tracks into the Whisperwood nearby, where they were ambushed by animate statues. Unfortunately, the trail was cold from that point.
The party briefly tried to explore the Church of Iomedae in the center of town for leads on the Angel Knight, but after some hijinks and Brogol almost getting caught sneaking around, the group backed off.
The party hired slimy dockmaster and informant Ingoe Zoags to provide them with information. The first lead was that Rohalendi owes a bunch of back taxes. The party went and talked to her, then negotiated with the Archbaron to fund her Hospice so that she was no longer in the red, all in service of gaining another ally. The party also found the town's notary, Brakenbol, an exemplary servant of Cheliax.
The party found out that Caggan was actually a wereboar when he broke from his jail cell and killed the Archbaron's guards. After subduing him, the party arranged an execution. Said execution almost turned into a riot as revolutionaries attempted to free Caggan. The Angel Knight herself seemed to show up, but it turned out to only be Riley the bard in disguise.
Then finally, after all this, the party were told that the Castle Gate was being left open, so they went to investigate, only to discover a small catlike outsider in the gatehouse that attacked them!
----
The humanoid cat creature hops from foot to foot in glee as Brogol drops off the ladder and falls to the ground floor, overwhelmed by his wounds. "Treats you right!" it crows in its high-pitched voice. The merriment is cut short as it has to duck under a crossbow bolt and dodge away from a flying mace.
While the Doctor addresses Brogol's wounds back on the ground floor and returns the rogue to consciousness, Vaelor manages to get up top to bring her spiked chain to bear. One heavy rake with the weapon is enough to send the cat-person flying. As it strikes the back wall of the gatehouse, it squeaks "No~ Sorry Denty..." before bursting into a shower of wildflowers.
Combat Over!
|||| VILLAIN STATUS ||||
Eris
Ingrid
Brogol (19 dmg)
Karik
Vaelor (16 dmg)
Franz
----
With the tiny creature dealt with, you're able to explore the upper level of the gatehouse. This upper floor is essentially just the building's roof, giving a perch that can allow the gatekeepers to easily watch for oncoming visitors. It also affords a nearly unobstructed view of most of Longacre. Aside from the view, a simple chair sits beneath a faded periwinkle canopy - likely a spot that the elderly Gramel on duty would have used.
Back on the ground floor, you find that the chest the little creature pushed down the hole onto Brogol has cracked open. Inside, you find a very fine silken bag and a masterwork light crossbow.
"An interesting creature. I wonder what it was." Ingrid mused. "And what is in that silken bag..."
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Eris manages to stop laughing hysterically as the melee abruptly ends. She does continue to stifle giggles occasionally, though.
"Well, well," she says. "It seems the master of the house not only left the gate open, but abandoned post. We will need to lock things back up, and also let the Baron know that freedom is flowing a little too--freely--through this gate without a watch."
She stoops down and picks up the silken bag. "Well, if you're not gonna check, I'll do the honors," she says, tipping the bag over in her hand.
Brogol sits up, gasping, just in time to see the little bastard explode into... wildflowers? Groaning, the driver slowly stands to his feet and stuffs his now singed and crumpled hat onto his head.
"That was not what I expected. Regardless, yer right, Eris, we need this gate secured. Maybe we need to make sure the house is secured too, before we leave? Make sure the Gramels aren't around, and if they are, ask them what the hells they're doing?"
At first, it seems that the silken bag is empty. After all, it is quite light and shapeless. But when Eris turns the bag over in her hand, a collection of glass vials and a small rock tumble out of it. The Doctor examines the bag after observing this odd phenomenon and nods.
"Zis is a bag of holding. To be precise, ze most elementary variety, type I."
You did close the Castle Gate upon first arriving at the scene, you hadn't yet barred it against being opened once more. Furthermore, the Gramel abode, no more than a few steps away from the guardhouse, is dark and quiet, with the window curtains drawn closed. There's no sign of any activity inside despite the relatively loud fight you had in the gatehouse.
Ingrid scooped up the contents of the bag, put them back in, and tossed them to Brogol. "Ye seem like a roguish type. Hold onto this for us, aye?" She said. "Seems like this is something worth reporting. But first lets get some men posted here. Can't trust anyone who doesn't wear the archbaron's colors."
Brogol catches the bag and puts it into his pack, feigning insult. "A roguish type? Dearest Ingrid, I'm a knight in training."
"And I agree with you, but can we check the Gramel abode before we leave?"
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"In my experience, that's the same thing." She said, dryly. "Knights just know how to do it professionally."
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While Eris is busy entreating the group to commit some casual arson, Brogol checks the Gramel abode. A knock at the door doesn't provoke any response, but after a brief but solid hammering with his fist he hears someone stirring inside. After a minute, the door's bolt is retracted and the door swings open to reveal the elderly Bo Gramel in a shabby looking nightgown. Her yawn quickly turns into a scowl when she sees Brogol's face.
"You again!" Her nostrils flare "It's not enough that your snotty Baron's got to put us down after all our 'ard work, but now you've got to come an' ruin our afternoon nappin'!? Yer a blight, ye are! Go away!"
"Quiet, Bo!" Brogol seethes, his hand reaching up to doff his scorched hat and shake it at her. "I've had a very bad day and I'm in a mood to make trouble for those ain't polite. You see anything strange happening lately at the gatehouse? Anything at all? And be honest - you lie as well as a fencepost, ya old bat!"
"Eris, casual arson is wrong. It should be intentional, and done in the service of Asmodeus. So hold onto the vials until we have a building that deserves burning." Ingrid said, being the voice of reason and morality.
Ingrid just smiled and raised a single clawed finger to her forehead in a mock salute. The look in her eyes said that she was willing to use her claws for more than that.
Bo continues to scowl, but tempers her tone just a little "I haven't seen anythin'! Ever since your notice, that gate's been closed and barred, jus' like your Baron ordered." She rubs her eyes and peers over your shoulders "Why's the gate all unbarred now? You kids tryin' to get us in trouble? "
Brogol gets the sense that she's not being deceptive. She seems honestly surprised to see the gate unbarred and really does seem to think you might be behind it.
"Fair enough," Brogol says, stuffing his hat back on his head, and making an note to swing by the haberdashery on the way to the Baron's. "No, we're not trying to get anyone in trouble, Bo. Someone is trying to get you in trouble though. You see anything strange happening at the gate, go to the sheriff's office, OK? There's malcontents about."
Pausing at the door, Brogol digs into his coin pouch and pulls a few platinum from it, pressing the coins into the old lady Gramel's hand. "For what it is worth, I'm real sorry for the trouble this has caused you, an' for snapping at you just now. One day the gates'll be open again, and we'll need folks to watch it. I'll put in a good word for ya. Stay out of trouble, and this coin'll hold you over a bit until then. And if you see something, say something! That's the key to getting things back to normal as soon as possible."
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Eris hugs the flasks of alchemist fire and begins loading them into her bandolier.
"Of course, Ingrid!" she says serenely. "I only burn things when Asmodeus tells me to!" she adds.
"Of course, as his cleric, I probably have a closer connection to him than you do. I pretty much know what his will is all the time, where a layperson probably doesn't really know. So, I'll tell you when it's time to burn some things," she says as she plays with one of the flask stoppers.
Heheheeee!
Realizing there's another conversation happening, she turns toward Brogol.
"Maybe that little fey thing that farts flowers opened it," she offers. "Anyway, maybe these guys are not at fault this time. Let's secure the gates and report back then, ya?"
Ingrid held her clawed hand out, turned it upside down and water began to fall from her palm. ”I am a priestess of Asmodeus.” She said, the humor in her voice gone. ”Me body is blessed by Hell, and I carry his gifts me in me soul. I don’t appreciate such blasphemy. Though I leave ye contract with the Dark Prince between the two of ye. Likewise, it won’t be from yer lips that I take his orders.”
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"You're a priest, too!?" Eris asks, incredulously, as if she had never considered it before.
"This is probably the best day of my life. We're now sisters in Asmodeus! We'll burn stuff down together in his name! Of course, we'll have to make the burning decisions together. I'm sure he'll tell us when the time is right, but if you're ever feeling the need to burn, I'm sure I can be persuaded" she says.