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"I agree we must set watches, let's learn the lesson of the gargoyles! Also let us take care that we not be spotted - no fire, I will conjure food. It would be foolish to fail in our wariness after all this effort! I will take the dawn watch so I may greet it with a prayer to Erastil. If we partner off with the escapees here, we can have two on watch all night."
5 ranks +2 wis +2 racial
Before going to bed early, to be ready for the dawn watch, Omari will spend 15 minutes and fill his empty third level slot with Create Food and Water and of course he will share the bounty. He will provide long term care for Khedron, and much petting and calling him a good, brave, boy...
vs dc 15
2 ranks +3 trained +2 wis +2 healer's kit +1 guidance
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When they sit down for there evening meal he tries to process what Ohrmizd told them. "So what did you find out about the Carrion King and about that Rokova? Could it be another case of somebody taking over the mind of the advisor like in Kelmarane?"
"Yes lets do that. I can take the first watch if nobody minds."
"Gordmuch stated he found the corpse of his old friend. So we are more probably dealing with a shapeshifter or an illusionist of some kind" explains Ohrmizd.
"Good Omari. Let's go in through the gargoyles nest. That way Kheldron can follow you"
It wasn't from their resident cook, but Heshan made the most of what was given to him.
"I suppose that is all the more reason to keep our matter of business on the low for the time being. Was that why the trogs were hesitant to help us out?"
An hour after retreating to the Northwest Tower several gnoll patrols come out moving all over the premises and the surroundings. But they refrain from searching the buildings. Through the night this goes seemingly on as every now and them a patrol comes by, recognizable in the moon light.
With the new morning it becomes clear, that the gnolls are now paying more attention to the surroundings of their lair and that moving around won't stay as easy as in the beginning.
But a quick dash to the next tower can be timed so no one notices. Luckily the clogged stairs are inside so the work of unclogging them can be done unseen, but one has to be careful not to be heard either by throwing the stones, or causing them to slide during removal.
"I think Omari was worried that using the stairs here, we could bring the gnolls over the slaves if eventually we have to retreat" Ohrmizd recalls for Manuun.
The Keleshite is happy to work on doing the stairs of the tower to access the temple.
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"You are doing great Ohrmizd. I was almost asfraid you would need help. But I think it would be much easier if you carried the stones like that. Actually you would be a lot faster of you carried two stones at once."
After Ohrmizd has finaly had enough og my "help" Manuun will concentrate on checking out the gnoll patrols.
The stairwell is rather deep and it is a lot of rubble to remove. Without specialized tools and the need to be silent aren't helping either.
"This is going to be a toiling day of labor" Ohrmizd exclaims with a smile and cleaning the sweat that is starting to appear in his forefront "Does any of you a song to make the hours of work more amenable? Something not loud, we do not want to be discovered"
Roryx offers his assistance in digging up the hole as required.
It wasn't exactly what he pictured he would be doing when he joined the group, but he got to work regardless.
As the stairs are more and more freed of the rubble noise is heard from below. Not all the time, but every now and then the muffled sound of some creature talking is heard. It is not understandable though.
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Come the morn, Omari prays to Erastil for spells:
L0 (4) : Guidance, Detect Magic, Stabilize, Light
L1 (3+1+1) Divine Favor, Bless, Bless(domain), Murderous Command, Murderous Command
L2 (2+1+1) Featherfall (domain), Burst of Radiance, Silence, Burst of Radiance
L3 (1+1) Prayer (domain), Empty Slot
After that, he counsels the escapees "Ok, today we are going in. Give us 2 days, but if we don't come back out, you will have to make a break for it. Sneak out and follow the river downstream. That will take you to Kelmarane. If you make it, tell them we tried. Also make sure to tell them that something up here is indeed making giant gnolls!
I think something is manipulating the situation - the gnoll king's advisor, Rokova, has been replaced by something that murdered him and hid the body..."
Digging through into a long corridor for sure can't go unnoticed, but to your surprise no one is waiting for you there.
"Look, it seems we reached the end of the rubble collapse" happy the hard work is done, Ohrmizd cleans his sweat and takes a long shot of water "It feels like the best of wines right now"
Stealthily, he advances to the end of the corridor to peek around "It seems there is a corridor and a tunnel crossing by. What do you think if we check first the chamber at the east end? Unlikely the King is there, but one never knows"
"As good a guess as any" Omari whispers back. Omari is staying a good 20' behind Ohrmizd (with Khedron at his side), having no skill at stealth at all...
They are probably already waiting for us - we need to be extra careful" - Roryx whispered, moving closer to Omari.
As Ohrmizd sticks his head out at the crossing, a gnoll, wielding a special spear and standing to the west, shouts "Attack them!", pointing at Ohrmizd.
Out of the passage come six humans if rags wielding clubs.
In the background from the depth of the maze of corridors you hear the roar of a huge (gnoll)-beast.
"F+$!, they have discovered us!" Ohrmizd quickly moves around the corner and darts over the first gnoll before they can answer slashing at him with all his strength.
"Do not attack us! We can save you from the gnolls' slavery, help us!" the Keleshite exclaims towards the humans.
Omari rushes forward to support Ohrmizd, arrow on the string. Khedron moves beside him to cover his back... As Omari rounds the corner, he draws and shoots in one fluid motion. He joins his voice to Ohrmzid's persuasion: "Would you be free men or dead slaves?!?"
+3 bab +3 dex +1 enhancement(weapon)+1 PBS + Precise shot: No penalty for firing into melee, Deadeye Bowman can ignore 1 person worth of cover
+2 str +1 enhancement(weapon)+1 pbs
Ohrmizd cuts deep into the gnoll, and Omari finishes the furry guy off, putting a lot of credibility behind Ohrmizd's statement.
Roryx's wand jumps out from his wrist sheath - he uses one charge to summon an invisible, protective barrier.
Then he moves to join Ohrmizd.
The gnoll throws a stingchuck at Ohrmizd. The slaves are not all persuaded and two come to the passage to attack Ohrmizd - half heartedly.
The other slaves are blocked from attacking for now, in case they wanted to attack.
Heshan moves up next to Omari... and frowns as it seems like he cannot do much at the moment. So for now, he decides to bolster his defenses.
Once that was done he spoke towards the other humans. "We speak true. We promise no harm will come to you. We will remove those who have shackles you."
Ohrmizd blocks the strange thing the gnoll throws him with his shield, then jumps to the side avoiding the clubs.
"Sorry dudes, but I cannot let you to take me down" Ohrmizd turns towards one of the humans that attacked him, and attempts to knock him down with Sarenrae's mercy "Go to sleep! You can still be spared, turn against the gnoll, not us"
Omari moves to support Ohrmizd and Roryx, and takes a shot at the second gnoll.
+3 bab +3 dex +1 enhancement(weapon)+1 PBS + Precise shot: No penalty for firing into melee, Deadeye Bowman can ignore 1 person worth of cover
+2 str +1 enhancement(weapon)+1 pbs
After shooting, he calls Khedron to him, "Guard". The elk slots in between Ohrmzid and Roryx, ready to attack...
+3 bab +1 str +1 enhancement
+1 str +1 enhancement
Ohrmizd knocks the man out. Omari has a hard time to hit the gnoll in this concourse. One of the humans drags the unconscious one away and another one steps up.
Manuun brings the fight to the gnoll, that made himself comfortable in the back rows.
Roryx feels lucky. With his protections all up he pushes through the poorly equipped humans to bash that gnoll's head in. The half hearted attempt of an attack is deflected by his magical shield. And then the gnoll is ended.
The humans now attack Roryx
"In the name of Sarenrae! Surrender!" with the gnolls defeated, Ohrmizd attempts to knock out another human.
The humans are no match. Another one of them goes down, the others drop their clubs and step back.
"There are fled slaves and the huge gnoll searching for them." one of the slaves tells.
"Where is the Carrion King?" Ohrmizd asks them directly understanding the group is not going to get much information from them "We can help you escape. Are you interested?"
"That and you can do whatever you want after that."
"The Carrion King is somewhere below." a slave tells. About the second question they look at each other, not knowing what to do about.
"We have found the other fled slaves - they are safely holed up in one of the towers, until we tell them it is safe to run away without being chased through the desert" Roryx comments as goes over the defeated gnolls's possessions - "Perhaps you could join up with them, but there are patrols outside"
"I'm going nowhere." one of the slaves tells crossing his arms. "Just because you marched in here and killed two gnolls means nothing. There are much more of them, and I'm not interested in getting killed, just because you come here for whatever reason."
"We're wasting time here" says Omari. Addressing the slaves he says "You lot, sit in the corner and wait quietly. Anybody who tries to sneak off to warn the gnolls gets a broadhead in the guts..." Turning to the others he says "I'll take the overwatch spot and you guys check out over there."
"Sarenrae is lenient on those who fail to their own weakness" Ohrmizd offers a hand to the not trusting slaves, then frown severely "But she does not hesitate to burn in her flames those who actively cause badness around. If you do not want to be free you better stay here quite and do nothing to help the gnolls or you will burn in the sacred fire of the goddess" the man stares at the man who dared to talk so badly to the people that came to free them from the gnolls.
Then, nodding to Omari, he directs himself to the eastern room.
"Besides, do you really want the gnolls to know that you failed them in stopping a few interloopers? If we succeed, then you're free. If you fail... then no one will care if one gnoll ended up dead."
This chamber reeks of wild beasts. A mosaic of a huge, snarling, insect-like beast with bulging eyes and yellow mandibles covers the floor. Its many arms clutch falchions, gemstones, and screaming women. Besides the now dead gnoll lies a strange spear with a complex spearhead whose point is hollow.
Meanwhile Ohrmizd examines the nesxt room Omari pointed him to.
At one end of the room, a great stone sarcophagus engraved with arabesques and calligraphy sits, displayed upon a tiered dais. The top of the sarcophagus lies broken in several pieces on the floor. Nothing remains inside the sarcophagus but dust and a few crumbled bits of yellow bone.