While all of this is going on, you have a moment to scan the room. Opposite the stairs is a row of four marble busts with a strong family resemblance. Each bust rests atop a narrow stone pillar. The bust farthest to the north—of a proud man with a wide mustache—wears an elegant wig of actual hair. An archway opens into another room to the north, while a set of stairs descends to the west.
Rudgib stares dumbfounded at Zsofia for a long, uncomfortable moment. "Wha...? Order you what...?" Realization slowly dawns on its ugly blue face. "Oh! Yes, Rudgib is ghosty master now! Dance, ghost! Master order!"
"Behold, the ghost obeys my every command! After I defeated those wicked ostovites, I found this ghost, um, holding the big folk prisoners! I, ah, um... Ah! I defeated the ghost in a game of riddles, and now she must serve me until the next full moon! With her power--and these grateful big folk I rescued--we can overthrow that idiot Barpple and return the witches' magic stone!
While one of the others listens to Rudgib's speech with a thoughtful look at Zsofia, the other three are clearly not impressed. One of them, a woman with chewed-looking ears, spits on the stone and points her sword at Ketra. "This stupid big-folk trick, and Rudgib stupid and ugly. Big folk give weapons, Barpple make decide what happen."
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Wallace is simply overwhelmed by the number and variety of social strategies that erupt from his allies' lips. Never had the gift for tongues myself, but this... was something else.
He frowns when one of the mites demands their arms. "That just isn't going to happen," he mutters, hopefully only loud enough for his allies to hear. Not sure what else she has up her sleeve, he looks to Ketra for a response. I should be able to help my allies in words as well as combat, for shame! When we make it out of here, I'll have to ask her for some pointers. My talent is no excuse for lack of effort!
Silvia looks from the woman, to her pistol, then back.
"No," she says flatly.
Zsofia raises her incorporeal eyebrows. "Dance? Do I look like a ... oh, fine." The phantom begins flailing about in an exaggerated mockery of a formal dance.
Sanduro raises his bow and knocks an arrow. "You can't have my bow, but I'll be happy to give you an arrow. Just tell me where you want it."
"Uh, so you can try to stick us with those little twigs?" Ketra crosses her arms at the little mites getting angry "How about no."
"Barffle or whatever his name is wouldn't want you to bother us anyway. At least, he wouldn't if he had half as much sense as Rudgib here."
"The big folks are powerful warriors who will not give up their weapons," Garret cautions. He continues addressing the woman who spoke while gesturing to himself, "and they also have clever allies with some skill at magic who may be able to determine how to retrieve the magic stone without anyone else having to shrivel in death."
"I would still like to help you, but you have to stop threatening the big folk and trying to take their weapons," he concludes, trying to salvage the situation after Ketra's 'cool cucumber' line appears to have failed them.
The woman's face twists up in a sneer. "Fine then, we take. Rudgib help or am stupid traitor!" With a shrill, fierce battle-cry the blue gang raises their swords to attack!
ROUND 1
Garret
Mites
Ketra
Silvia
Sanduro/Zsofia
Wallace
Rudgib
yells Garret at the leader of the enemy, lending magical force to his compulsion. "You court your own doom!"
Casting Daze (DC 14 will save or lose next action) on the leader.
The ragged-eared woman flinches at the impact of Garret's roar, staggering back a step as though punch-drunk. "Doom?" two of her companions look at one another, wide grins splitting their faces as they point at Ketra and Garret and take up the chant. "Doom! Doom! Doom! Doom!"
Staring into the maniacle creatures' eyes, Garret feels a chill run up his spine , though Ketra shakes the feeling off. The fourth darts across the room, lunging at Ketra's thigh with his nicked and poorly maintained sword! Her armor turns aside most of the blow, but it still draws blood.
ROUND 1
Garret
Mite (Orange; Dazed)
Mite (Yellow)
Mite (Pink)
Mite (Purple)
Ketra (-1hp)
Silvia
Sanduro/Zsofia
Wallace
Rudgib
ROUND 2
Garret (Shaken)
Mite (Orange; Dazed)
Mite (Yellow)
Mite (Pink)
Mite (Purple)
Ketra (-1hp)
Silvia
Sanduro/Zsofia
Wallace
Rudgib
Sanduro reluctantly steps forward, between Garret and Ketra. "Does anybody else think that this would be a particularly embarrassing way to go? Apparently I was sent back from the Boneyard for a reason - if it was just to be murdered by insane blue mites, I would rather have stayed home."
Sanduro's hands are shaking when he starts to raise his bow, but grow steady as he aims and fires at the mite in pink.
A low obstacle (such as a wall no higher than half your height) provides cover, but only to creatures within 30 feet (6 squares) of it. The attacker can ignore the cover if he’s closer to the obstacle than his target.
Zsofia stops dancing and leans forward, hands on her hips, and shouts directly into the purple-garbed mite's ear:
"Hey! Nobody messes with Sanduro's friends except me, so "
The shallow cut is more stinging than particularly life threatening, but it telegraphs the intentions of the mites well enough. "Alright, you asked for it." Ketra shrugs before swinging in with her cestus-wrapped hand to knock out the purple mite.
Silvia strides into the room, pistol held high. She quickly catalogs her targets and decides on one of the chatty mites, sending a ball of lead hurtling its way. Unfortunately, the powder charge doesn't burn uniformly and sends the bullet wildly off course. Silvia curses and grabs for her powder horn.
The party leaps into action as the ugly blue creatures attack, Sanduro and Ketra both injuring their opponents. Strangely, the little brutes appear less injured than they perhaps should be, protective magic or tough hides protecting them from the worst of the blows against them.
Rudgib shouts orders to his compatriots, who ignore him, and more orders to his beetles, who don't. The beetles close ranks around Rudgib, hissing and clacking their mandibles threatening but not striking out at anyone. Rudgib himself draws his own sword--slightly nicer then the others'--and assumes a defensive posture. "No good be cappan if warrior all dead!" he complains to no one.
ROUND 1
Garret
Mite (Orange; Dazed)
Mite (Yellow)
Mite (Pink, -5hp)
Mite (Purple, -3hp)
Ketra (-1hp)
Silvia
Sanduro/Zsofia
Wallace
Rudgib
ROUND 2
Garret (Shaken)
Mite (Orange; Dazed)
Mite (Yellow)
Mite (Pink)
Mite (Purple)
Ketra (-1hp)
Silvia
Sanduro/Zsofia
Wallace
Rudgib
Somewhat intimidated by the strange blue creatures, Garret says softly, "I didn't want to have to do this" Looking at the purple mite that attacked Ketra, he says, "You stop too."
Daze on the purple mite, DC 14 Will save or lose next action.
Ketra rubs her fist "Jeez, what made them so tough?"
Wallace strides into the room, pushing past his allies to reach Ketra, trying to get his heavy shield between his allies and their attackers. The little blue warrior ducks in under the shield and draws a shallow along the knight's calf before darting away again!
Garret's quiet words have a disproportionate impact on the nearest foe; their eyes unfocus and they shake their head repeatedly, trying to get them to focus again. Garret's first victim shakes off the effect, glaring hatefully at Silvia and jabbing her sword in the gunslinger's direction as she shouts something hostile in her own language. Silvia's heart skips a beat as the magic grips her mind .
One of the mites leaps at Zsofia, snarling in fury as his sword passes uselessly through her incorporeal form. The yellow mite points at the nearest beetle, which is apparently convinced by whatever argument was made since it promptly turns around and tries to bite Rudgib--its pincers shear through his crude leather armor but can't seem to pierce his skin.
ROUND 2
Garret (Shaken)
Mite (Orange)
Mite (Yellow)
Mite (Pink)
Mite (Purple; Dazed)
Ketra (-1hp)
Silvia (Shaken)
Sanduro/Zsofia
Wallace (-2hp)
Rudgib
ROUND 3
Garret (Shaken)
Mite (Orange)
Mite (Yellow)
Mite (Pink)
Mite (Purple)
Ketra (-1hp)
Silvia
Sanduro/Zsofia
Wallace
Rudgib
Frustrated, Garret screams silently, the sound of his voice heard only in the orange mite's head, "Arrrrgh!"
sonic damage and dazed 1 round, DC 16 Fortitude to negate daze and half the damage.
Ketra ducks past the dazed purple mite and engages pink instead. "Y'know we don't have to fight, right?" She lays into pink with a fist to punctuate her point.
Ketra loses her balance mid swing "Whua. Hold on. Zsofia did you trip me!?"
Zsofia snickers at the confused might before stepping into a flank with Wallace on either side of purple.
"If I reach into your chest and grab your heart, do you think it will stop?" The phantom leers down at the mite. "Keep fighting, so we can find out!"
With misty semi-transparent fingers, Zsofia reaches sloooooowly toward the mite's torso.
"Zsofia, you're enjoying this far too much." Sanduro realizes he has a clear shot at the purple-garbed mite and does not hesitate to change targets.
The sudden feeling of fear that's forced onto Silvia meets an upswelling of indignant fury. How dare they try to enchant me!
As she reloads her pistol, she glares at the mite who bespelled her with an almost palpable malevolence.
As the foe before him falls to Sanduro's arrow, Wallace advances right through Zsofia, sword flashing twice--once to parry the surprised mite's stab, and again to send them to their afterlife.
The orange mite presses her fists against her temples as Garret's psychic scream rips through her, a thin line of blood running from her nostrils. As the red and green beetles start biting and hissing at one another,with red getting the worst end of the matter, the yellow mite skirts the melee. With an enthusiasm that defies good sense he darts in to try and shank Ketra, but she gracefully sidesteps the attack. Orange flinches away from Silvia, but still glares at Wallace with hateful, bloodshot eyes and slashes at him, but the knight jerks his hand back fast enough to avoid the blow.
ROUND 3
Garret (Shaken)
Mite (Orange; -4hp)
Mite (Yellow)
Mite (Pink)
Mite (Purple)
Ketra (-1hp)
Silvia (Shaken)
Sanduro/Zsofia
Wallace (-4hp)
Rudgib
ROUND 4
Garret (Shaken)
Mite (Orange; -4hp & Shaken)
Mite (Yellow)
Mite (Pink)
Mite (Purple)
Ketra (-1hp)
Silvia (Shaken)
Sanduro/Zsofia
Wallace (-hp)
Rudgib
The sight of the mite flinching away from its strike fills transforms Silvia's anger to a sort of self-satisfaction, and she next takes aim at the traitorous bug, trying to squash it flat with her gloved fist.
Ketra on the other hand is getting all the more upset that the mites don't seem willing to give up in the face of violence. "Anyone with even a shred a' sense would've surrendered! Why are you lot keeping up!?" She rounds on the yellow mite and delivers another punch.
"Hmm...Who haven't I tried to Daze yet? Oh yes, yellow!" thinks Garret, turning his spells on that mite.
Daze on the Yellow Mite: DC 14 Will save or lose next action
The ironclad fists of Silvia and Ketra finish off the red beetle and yellow mite, leaving only one foe still standing. As multiple big folk loom over her she gulps audibly.
"Am surrender!" she cries, shakily dropping her sword and putting her hands up. "But still think Rudgib am stupid-ugly." For his part, Rudgib cackles and taunts her in their language.
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Wallace exhales with relief. Sheathing his sword, he gathers something to tie up their new prisoner. If there is enough material to do so, he'll tie a lead between the Mite and himself.
"Shame so many had to die before it came to this..." General Arnisant would have had them see reason without this bloodshed. Can't forget to work with the others on bettering my peacekeeping skills, the right words can do so much!
"Is everyone ok? A little nick here, but I can hold out."
Silvia holsters her pistol and closes her eyes, taking a centering breath. After a moment, she returns to the present and sets about helping Wallace restrain their captive.
"They made their choice," Silvia says in response to his expression of regret. "We gave them a chance to take the better path, but they were looking for trouble. It found them."
Though untrained, Ketra attempts to stabilize several of the mites. As she works she asks the one that survived "Why attack us? Just because we didn't want to surrender everything to this Barpple? What did that earn you?"
She stands, exasperated by her own incompetence "Looks a hell of a lot easier when sis does it..."
Turning again to the surviving mite, she asks "And what's up ahead here?"
Sanduro works to stabilize any mites that Ketra can't.
As Ketra and Sanduro tend to the fallen mites their still-standing companion's sullen stare is tinged with surprise.
"Why attack us? Just because we didn't want to surrender everything to this Barpple? What did that earn you?...And what's up ahead here?"
"We warrior of Mag Tureah, take you as captives for the masters, work for us," she mumbles, not meeting anyone's eyes. "Barpple through there, gather up shinies while him come up with plan for the rock."
”Maybe we will have better luck speaking with Barpple, Captain Rudgib,” suggests Garret, looking to Sanduro and asking, ”Were you able to save any of them?”
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"I know, I know," Wallace concedes to Silvia. Only it feels like they kept with that choice because of my own inadequacies. Shaking his head one last time, he checks his gear.
"Once we're ready, let's press on. At the least, we've an exit to find!" Crimson shield strapped tight to his arm and sword ready for action, the knight leads the way further once they others are ready.
Silvia steps toward the door, hand on her pistol. She looks back at the remaining mite. "Who else is in there with him?" she asks.
His expression anxious, Sanduro joins Silvia near the doorway, holding an arrow loosely against his bowstring. "If you're going in, I'll ... um ... cover you. Maybe we should ask Zsofia to go take a look first? There isn't much she can do in there beyond take a look and report back, though."
He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I'm a hunter, not a soldier - I'm not used to shooting at people, even if they're little and blue. This group, though, they would have killed us if they could, wouldn't they?"
"I don't think this Barpple is going to give command of their bloodthirsty little band back to Rudgib willingly, do you?"
Gathering up the swords, Rudgib tosses them down the stairs your group just came up with a clatter. With another self-satisfied sneer at the other conscious mite, he conveys some orders to his beetles who immediately fall in on either side of him. "Through door, ghosty!"
Anyone opening (or walking through) the door observes another larger hall. This cavernous chamber has two doors to the north and two to the south. The west end of the room contains an altar with a symbol of a winged rapier burning with bright light. Several tiles on the floor in front of the altar bear large symbols. The east end of the room contains a large crack, defacing a mural of armored figures staring resolutely forward, with beams radiating behind them. Several corpses of small, bug-eyed blue creatures slump in three piles throughout this room.
...the piles of mite bodies are twitching, ever so slightly.
You almost miss it, but beneath the bodies of the nearest pile of dead mites something is wriggling about, causing the bodies to slightly jostle and rustle.
Silvia nods at Sanduro's suggestion, then turns to look at him. She gives him a nod before responding. "I think so. They look mean enough to do it, but we were tougher than they expected."
Her expression softens somewhat, and she continues. "Don't worry about it, nobody starts off chewing nails and spitting arrowheads. I expect we'll be out of here soon and you can go back to hauling kegs around the Sagely Goat," she says, smiling.
Granted, you'll have some new stories to tell. Maybe they'll earn you some tips."
Ketra crosses her arms, head to one side as she regards the mumbling mite. "Better hope that turns out to be true, you know? And you're lucky that we're not in the business of rounding YOU up to work for OUR masters."
As Silvia comments on Sanduro's assertion, she adds "Killed us? Maybe. Definitely would have tried to hurt us badly." She shakes her head "If Barpple is anything like the rest of them... well that means a fight, I guess. Hopefully we can make him see sense, somehow. Even if that somehow is after we beat his rear."
After Zsofia takes the first look, Ketra follows into the larger hall.
"Bah, there's something hiding under each of the piles of mites!" Ketra draws her machetes!
”I’ll take your word for it,” says Garret, his hands prepared to cast the proper arcane spell for the situation.
Zsofia gives Rudbig a pointed glare, then looks around the room at the unconscious mites.
"Yeah, just so we're clear, bub, I don't have to pretend to take your orders anymore. If I go in, I'm going because I want to see the shinies."
Zsofia does, in fact, want to see the shinies, so she scouts slightly ahead of the group.
"Nothing here but a bunch of dead blue guys!" She calls over her shoulder.
She glides around the room, looking for shinies. If nothing distracts her, she turns her attention to the crack in the wall.
When Ketra points out whatever she sees under the bodies, the phantom shouts, "What? Where?"
Silvia steps in after Ketra, drawing her pistol. While she doesn't see any immediate threats, she can't help but notice the twitching bodies. "Zombies? More ostobugs?" she wonders aloud.