"Hi, I'm here." Hadrah tells with a broad smile, as Raryx looks into the kitchen.
"Nice to finally meet you in person" - Roryx bows, pulling back his cowl, revealing a tanned and sun beaten skin, a disheveled black hair to match his black eyes, and prominent fangs - "Thank you for the soup Hadrah, I am Roryx. If ever I come across provisions during these outings, I will make sure to bring them back to your kitchen" - he adds.
Then he leads Roryx and Omari to the crypt below "Hello Father Zastoran. I want you to know Roryx and Omari, a couple of old friends from the times at the Nightstalls that are going to help us liberate Kalmerane. Father Zastoran is a faithful of Nethys and our healer"
"Well met Master Zastoran"
------
"We are asking Garavel for the seventy five gold pieces, correct? The scroll could prove useful" - he asks, mainly to Ohrmizd, Manuun and Heshan.
"Sure, let's ask him"
Short after searching the lab materials and picking what they need to cause harm to the goatman, or the peryton if that happens, Ohrmizd heads back to talk with Garavel "Good morning boss. We need a silence scroll to ensure our victory against the haryp. Zastoran though requires 75 gold pieces to fabricate one. Could you provide?"
"Those are good news Man!" Ohrmizd will help Manuun bring the lab ware and the money to Father Zastoran.
As they walk he looks at Omari "I now the streets tough us to be strong and unfeeling as Hell to survive, but I have become fond of those goats we take care of at the cloisters... do you think we can assume the risk of intercepting the gnoll patrol and using their food this time as bait?"
"For 75 gold I can hire an army to do the job for me. I suggest you think of a better plan." Garavel tells to the request about the scroll.
Heshan chuckled sheepishly then looked down at the wound at his side. "If you could please?" Once that was done, he set off to Garavel.
"In that case, we will try the wax idea. Much cheaper."
"Understood boss" once out of Garavel's earshot he nods in agreement with Heshan "Indeed, we have little coin. Perhaps we should save it for other stuff like buying silver weapons to defeat the temple undead. Omari's wax idea seems solid and Undrella will have a more difficult time to fascinate us all now that we are more"
With that, Ohrmizd approaches Father Zastoran "We found some coin Father. Would you happen to have any alchemical silver weapon? For example a silver heavy mace? Or at least some silver weapon blanch? Below Sarenrae's temple we found a priest undead Manuun says it was a huecuva and can only be killed with magic and silver."
"I have a few gold pieces with me" - Roryx piped in at Manuum - "About fifteen worth. Would that help us reach the seventy five?
"That is really nice of you to compliment my wife on her cooking skills." Hadrod intervenes, moving between Roryx and Hadrah as he notices Roryx interest beyond the meal.
Zastoran sighs, as he gets interrupted again. "I can check the box for you." he tells.
"You're out of luck. No silver in here."
"That is really nice of you to compliment my wife on her cooking skills." Hadrod intervenes, moving between Roryx and Hadrah as he notices Roryx interest beyond the meal.
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Hadrah and Hadrod are both humans native to Katapesh. Their skin is darkened by the sun and they proudly wear the wrinkles of a joyous life with much smiling in it. Their eyes are dark by color but bright by expression. They are probably in their late thirties. Both wear wide flowing garbs that help with the hot climate and and a turban to protect their head from the sun.
"Well met master Hadrod, and you are most welcome" - Hedrak nods to the man - "And lucky to be able to partake from well cooked food for the rest of your life" - the half-orc chuckles - "Like I was telling Mrs Hadrah, I will make sure to try and bring further ingredients to your kitchen. It is the least I can do"
"There may be some items we can get from the gnoll headquarters. If we find something of interest, we will surely provide them to you." he gave the two a wink.
"No silver?" Ohrmizd frowns worried "Well... that means we better leave the huecuva for later then..."
After sorting things out it seems the party will pass the night for Heshan to recover and Roryx and Omari rest from their long trip. "Undrella's lair is small. The silence magic will disrupt our magic as well as hers. I think we better just use the wax"
The next day, early in the morning, Ohrmizd wakes up and gives his routine walk around the monastery to make sure things were not messed up during the night, before falling over Hadrah's and Hadrod's place for breakfast "I am ready to depart. Let's cross the river before the Sun completely raises and check out if we can catch Undrella's sleeping or at least by surprise while she is distracted in her morning routines"
"I am unfortunately not a trained scout Ohrmizd - do any of you possess such infiltration abilities? We could gather information on her whereabouts and actions before striking?"
"Ha! I remember from last time our archaeologist had a fond sense of harpies too!" Ohrmizd laughs and pads at Manuun's back.
"No problem, we know good the best paths already, and we can indeed try to be stealthy when needed" and soothing his back hair the Keleshite adds "Not always been successful though, I guess she smells us from far away"
Once everyone is ready, Ohrmizd will show the way to the new comers.
After an evening spent grinding glass and using mending to repair Ohrmzid's shattered shield, Omari took to his bed as early as possible for tomorrow morning was going to be busy...
Waking before sunrise, he did daily devotions to Erastil, preparing his spells:
"I am ready as well Orhmzid, let us move swiftly to Kelmarane, and approach the the old mill from the west. From there we can rush the harpy's house."
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"I could give it a try but these creature seem to have an extraordinary sense for archaeologosts."
"They can't seem to get enough of those stories, huh." He smiled.
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The next day, Heshan got the wax ready and handed them to each person in tow.
From the position at the old mill not much can be told about the insides of the old tannery. A quick check shows though, that the peryton is still gone. Also in town there is no unusual activity to be seen at the moment. No patrol in sight. But every now and then someone looking around from the watchtower.
Manuun tells the others, what happened last time as he tried to peek into the window of the house.
"Last time the harpy quickly heard us on our approach. I propose this time we just break in and take her unprepared" Ohrmizd points at the door "I can go first with Roryx and open the door, you follow short and hit her hard"
"Heshan, the wax" the Keleshite takes the wax from the prepared arcanist and places it at his ears to block as much sound as possible. The Sarenrite casts guidance both on himself and Roryx.
"I'll be in the 2nd rank, shooting past you with my bow.". While Orhmzid is casting guidance (twice), Omari will cast Guidance on himself and Heshan. Then Omari waxes his ears and sets an arrow on the string of his bow.
"Last time the harpy quickly heard us on our approach. I propose this time we just break in and take her unprepared" Ohrmizd points at the door "I can go first with Roryx and open the door, you follow short and hit her hard"
"Heshan, the wax" the Keleshite takes the wax from the prepared arcanist and places it at his ears to block as much sound as possible. The Sarenrite casts guidance both on himself and Roryx.
"As you wish." He proceeds to hand the wax to each person in tow. But before he puts them on, he would talk.
"I could use some room to try and stun her before she could sing."
Ohrmizd tears open the door. To his surprise Undrella is not alone. Two gnolls are guarding the harpy. And Undrella is not as surprised as Ohrmizd had wished for. She immediately starts her captivating song .
Manoon resists the urge to approach his beloved and beautiful Undrella and her bewitching song. Instead he cold-heartedly shoots her.
One of the gnolls charges Ohrmizd to prevent the group from entering.
Roryx shakes off the mental influence and presses forward, attacking the gnoll, right from behind Ohrmizd.
Ohrmizd shakes his head "Your charm has no more power on us Undrella. You should have accepted our deal. Now you will pay for the shame you brought on us!"
The Keleshite shouts in pain as the spear pierces Father's Zastoran crumbling leather armor.
Roryx drives his spear into the gnoll taking him out.
vs DC 16
+3 wax ear plugs +5 will
Omari, the wax thoroughly jammed in his ears, barely hears the harpy's song; it's charms do not take him. He moves to see through the doorway, and sees the gnoll that charged Orhmzid fall to Roryx's spear. He takes a pot-shot past Orhmzid at the 2nd gnoll:
(vs. Flat footed?)
+1 bab + 3 Dex + 1guidance
Omari sticks an arrow into the gnoll.
Not to fight all at once, the second gnoll attacks Ohrmizd again to block the door.
Omari sticks another arrow into the harpy.
...
I thought I shot the 2nd gnoll?
Ohrmizd quickly dodges the gnoll's spear and cuts him through with his scimitar.
He then steps to the side to let a clear shot for the back line "Undrella, it is time for you to surrender! Give us the way to sneak on your ex-lover and you might survive this one"
This time around, he checked the wax to make sure it was working. No sound. Good. In response, he lines up a spell and holds the charge for now. "It does not have to end in your death."
"So you got the permit from your superior to fulfil my demands?" Undrella inquires.
"We got the permit to leave you alive and collaborate with you if you leave Kelmarane forever afterwards!" Ohrmizd gives back to the harpy.
"That should be more than enough" - Roryx grunts.
Not willing to fight five enemies inside her house with not one bending to her singing, Undrella jumps out of the window.
"Ei there! Was there a window?!" Ohrmizd observes how Undrella damages herself breaking her own window, and while she probably stumbles and falls, or at least delays, he looks for a weapon "Someone, a sling or something"
"Undrella the offer was you could flee alive if you collaborated with us first!" the man shouts at the harpy while trying to go around the house to face her.