Alak looks directly at Cicero (as well as the others) when he asks his question.
Talina readied herself to move on and said to the armoured figure, "If you wouldn't mind leading on good Sir. As you are a Hellknight, you may have a better idea what is where."
Alak gives Talina a charming grin, responding,"Actually, I haven't the slightest idea! But," he adds, "if you wish me to go ahead, I can. Just point me in the right direction."
Cicero quietly says from the corner "Aye, the extra help would be helpful"
Seeing that Cicero seems fine, if a bit quiet as he stands in the corner, Futin turns back to Alak and gives him a big grin. How about back this way? I think we left a few rooms unexplored back this way...best to make sure there are no more hidden dangers within.
A quick check of this door reveals another way back to the barracks.
Futin looks a bit sheepish. Oh...right.. He turns and looks at the others. Soooo....where do you think we should go everyone?
[Ooc]Sorry can't look at the map right now. Someone far mightier can certainly take the lead. I think we have to backtrack to find new ground, right? Did we explore every room off of the room with the blankie fort?[/b]
Villar considered and then said, "I think there were some doors back that way," he pointed towards the north, "that we didn't check yet. Beyond that I'm not sure other than the other side of the courtyard."
Backtracking somewhat, Villar checks over some unopened doors, finding nothing malicious with them. Opening them up, the appear to be short corridors, leading to further doors.
Cicero will stay to the back of the group keeping Tal between himself and Alak.
While knowing a few things about Hellknights, primarily that they are fairly honourable to a point, Talina kept a close eye on Alak. A small hint in the back of her mind wondered why he wasn't around for the lizard or bugbear.
How long was he here? She wondered.
Futin hops from foot to foot in excitement as he looks through the corridor to the mysterious door.
Alak joins the group as they push on through the rooms and corridors of the keep. Checking to make sure that it's safe, they push on through a short hallway and into an empty room with doorway to the north.
As he enters into the room, Villar points out that there is a secret door in the southwest corner of the room.
Alak follows him into the room, his posture relaxed but ready. "You've a good eye, friend," he compliments Villar.
Futin follows Villar's gesture and nods. Seems like that makes its way back to the "imp" room, huh? Well, let's see if there's another one hiding in there.
Forgetting his place due to the idea of a "secret" door, he opens it.
Getting ahead of himself (and the others) Futin opens the secret door to a curving hallway.
Futin looks a little crestfallen at the lack of something interesting. He looks back with a shrug, then pauses at the looks cast back at him. Uh...oh...right. He moves back and motions for one of the others to take the lead. Sorry...want me to keep going?
Looking at the Hellknight Talina asked, "Any ideas on how we might make it down to the basement?"
Alak shakes his head, "I'm sorry, but I don't. As I stated earlier, I only recently arrived, and I have no previous knowledge of the keep." He looks around at the doors that have already been opened. "It seems that you probably know more about this place than I do."
When Alak complimented him on his good eye after finding the secret passageway Villar nodded slightly and said, "Thanks," though he didn't say more. He continued to check the doors they came on and do what was needed to get them through safely.
Once Futin opened the door and found another hallway Vill listened to the discussion about where the basement might be and then said, "Well, I think this hall will curve around back to the hidden room you and Cicero went through when we find Alek here, seems right if the curve continues at least. I think we have a tower we haven't looked in and wasn't there a door a the other side of the ruined section of wall in the courtyard we didn't check yet?"
Futin nods excitedly and heads out into the courtyard. He stretches in the open air, happy to be out under the sun again. C'mon everyone! He moves towards the northern doors, ready to look into the next areas.
Alak grins as he watches Futin nearly leap out the door. "He is very excitable, yes? Lots of energy."
Seeing no no argument against Futin's course of action, Alak follows the catfolk through the courtyard and up the rubble. Villar makes his customary search of the door, finding nothing of note, and opens this new portal.
A brief, angled hallway leads into a large, open room, where a judge's bench, a witness stand, and councilors' tables are the only remaining indication of it's previous use as a formal courtroom. Benches have long ago been smashed to fragments and strewn about the gallery, covering the floor of the room in debris. Through several empty doorways to the north, a large, ragged opening in the citadel's wall is visible - along with what appears to be a corpse wearing silvery armor, lying in a muddy lump in the center of a pool of water that has filled much of the collapsed section.
The walls to the west are only half-walls, that seem to partially cover what may have once been an overflow gallery.
Futin lets out a low whistle as he looks from the corpse to Alak. You know that guy?
Villar began to look around the courtroom when they found it but stopped near the hole in the wall when he saw the corpse in the water. Silver armor didn't seem much like something a hellknight would wear, more like a paladin, and he wondered who it was. Given what corpses sometimes become he was nervous about approaching it but knew he had a better chance of getting back if it proved dangerous than the others did.
Deciding the corpse might be a lead that could help them figure out what was going on Villar pulled out some rope and tied it around his waist. When he was done he held the other end to Futin and said, "I'm going to check the body out, I doubt the water is deep enough that it will be a problem but just in case be ready to pull me back if needed."
Futin looks more than excited to pitch in. He nods quickly and grabs the rope, immediately wrapping it about his waist and then grabbing it with his other arm. He nods his readiness.
Seeing a door off in the corner, Talina moved over and put her ear to it to listen for anything on the other side.
Cicero will approach the judges' bench and search around it briefly before acknowledgeing that he is also ready to continue.
While Villar and Futin get a rope ready for Villar's aquatic expedition, Talina checks the door in the northeast corner. Putting her ear to the door, all seems quiet on the other side.
Cicero starts rummaging around the room around the judges podium, noting that there is various rubble and garbage strewn about. Here and there, he is able to see glints of metal along the ground.
Alak seems to have little interest in this room, and mearly stands watch, sword drawn in case of trouble.
As Villar approaches the water, it is hard to verify it's depth, as the water is very murky and muddy. The silvery armor that he saw still seems to be attached to a body, seemingly pierced on a spike sticking out of the muddy mound. He just starts to step into the water when the mound stirs, and something starts rising out of the water.
Initiative:
Talina - 25
Red - 19
Villar - 17
Cicero - 14
Alak - 11
Futin - 11
Talina hearing something going on around the corner drew her blade, moved around the corner and attacked the whatever it was.
The creature rising up from the water is strange to behold. At first glance, it seems like a giant turtle, but there are many features that immediate say otherwise: it's six stubby legs that look both impractical for walking and swimming; small, bright yellow eyes peering out from a sagging flesh-of-a-head; and the most prominent feature of which is a curiously shaped, toothy maw twisted into a perpetual grin.
The creature's surprise attack against Villar is interrupted by Talina's sword. Rather than continue, it actually shifts it's bulk sideways, attempting to pierce her with the spikes on it's shell, then turns to claw at her, before ducking his bulk into his shell.
◆
◆
◆Shell Game
Meanwhile, a second such creature pulls itself out of the muddy water, and attacks Villar instead. The creatures must study the same method of combat, as it opens up with the same attack pattern.
◆
◆
◆Shell Game
Initiative:
Talina - 25; HP 9/20
Red - 19; Damage - 9
Blue - 18
Villar - 17
Cicero - 14
Alak - 11
Futin - 11
"Back up, we might be able to get them stuck outside!" Cicero calls as he sees Talina take a harsh wound. He tries to recall if he knows anything about these creatures.
He then springs to action flinging the judges' gavel at red.
Villar was quite glad he had taken the precautions he did before approaching the water. The sudden appearance of the two turtle-like things was a shock and it was a good thing that Talina was able to draw off one of the turtles. Villar was also glad he was smart enough to have his rapier out when he approached, he studied the one that attacked him and then lashed out twice.
◆ devise a strat
◆ start strike
◆ strike
Cicero tries to identify the odd looking creatures, but comes up short. He would have thought them to be turtles, but there definitely seems to be a bit of an intelligence in those ugly yellow eyes.
Using a piece of of a broken gavel as a projective, Cicero manages to smoke the creature directly in the eye. The spell that Cicero used to throw the object seems to surge as a result, and causes him to vanish!
You become invisible until the end of your next turn or until you use a hostile action.
Villar tries to fight back against the creature. Using his intellect to gauge the best place and time to strike, he attempts to go for the fleshy head, but it ducks out of the way in time, hiding inside it's shell.
Being a little slow to react, Alak gets moving through the room, and goes after the second creature , getting in a single slash of his massive sword.
◆Stride
◆Stride
◆
He manages to get in a solid hit, despite the shell.
Initiative:
Talina - 25; HP 9/20
Red - 19; Damage - 9
Blue - 18; Damage - 13
Villar - 17
Cicero - 14
Alak - 11
Futin - 11
Futin focuses on the creature fighting Villar and attempts to cloud its mind with a riot of images.
Breathing heavily, Talina pushed through the pain and retaliated, then raised her shield to defend herself.
The creature manages to shrug off the worst of Futin's spell, though still seems pained by it.
Talina tries to strike back at the turtle-creature, but it's shell manages to fend off her attacks.
The creature attacks pokes it's head back out of it's shell and attempts to bite Talina, as well as swipe at her with it's claw, before ducking back in.
◆
◆
◆Shell Game
The other creature follows suit, attacking Villar in a similar manner.
◆
◆
◆Shell Game
Initiative:
Talina - 25; HP 1/20
Red - 19; Damage - 9
Blue - 18; Damage - 15
Villar - 17; 0/13 HP; Dying 1
Cicero - 14
Alak - 11
Futin - 11
Villar new he should have just run from these things as his strike missed and the thing lay into him. It was the last thing he thought before unconsciousness claimed him as the turtle thing bit and clawed him nearly to death.
Villar new he should have just run from these things as his strike missed and the thing lay into him. It was the last thing he thought before unconsciousness claimed him as the turtle thing bit and clawed him nearly to death.
[dice=stabilize?]1d20
Seeing his ally fall causes Cicero too call out again "These things can't fit through the door get back before we take more casualties! no sooner have those words left his lips then another set of familiar words come to them "pallescit omnis tibi prae omnibus iuvabo." he chants as a glowing white energy leaves his lips and travel to Vilar
You grace the target's mind, boosting its mental defenses and healing its wounds. The target regains 1d10+4 Hit Points when you Cast the Spell and gains a +2 status bonus to saves against mental effects for the duration.
Temur then will shout out at the red turtle and wave his arms about attempting to demoralize it
With a sudden shout, a well-timed taunt, or a cutting put-down, you can shake an enemy’s resolve. Choose a creature within 30 feet of you who you’re aware of. Attempt an Intimidation check against that target’s Will DC. If the target does not understand the language you are speaking, you’re not speaking a language, or they can’t hear you, you take a –4 circumstance penalty to the check. Regardless of your result, the target is temporarily immune to your attempts to Demoralize it for 10 minutes.
Cicero brings Villar back to consciousness, and attempts to demoralize the creature, but is unsure exactly what it takes to get under it's skin... shell..?
Alak winds up to put more into his next swing.
◆◆
◆ Stride
The sword cleaves right through the creature's shell, and into it's vitals, killing it. He then makes his way outside through the hole in the wall to provide Talina with some aid.
Initiative:
Talina - 25; HP 1/20
Red - 19; Damage - 9
Blue - 18
Villar - 17; 8/13 HP; Wounded 1
Cicero - 14
Alak - 11
Futin - 11
Futin, bolstered by Alak's strike, pumps his fist in the air. Yes! I've got you Talina.
He then uses his angelic magics to heal his friend, before moving back to give her room to retreat should she want to.
◆◆Heal
◆Move
Feeling invigorated and seeing the Hellknight get into a more tactical position, Talina struck out twice more.
She then raised her shield to defend herself.
Following Alak's lead, Talina takes advantage of the positioning like a professional. With a couple of quick, precise strikes, she takes care of the last enemy easily, and it's large, shelled body slips back into the water.
Futin pumps his fist again. Yes! Nice shot, Talina!. He looks about the group. Everyone okay? Villar, you gave us a scare there.
Extracting her blade from the fallen beast, Talina pulled a rag from a pouch and wiped the gore off.
Turning to Futin, "See if you can bandage him up. I have a feeling we're going to need as much of our strength as we can muster."