Our brave Agents unbarricade the North Doors. They creak eerily open. The Zoo Employees whimper....
South Hall
This wide hall runs between wooden double doors to the north and south. To the east, two large barred enclosures stand empty, the bottom several feet of the iron cages dissolved in a long swath. The northernmost enclosure is strewn with what appear to be statues of rats, while the southern enclosure is covered in straw and pungent dung. To the west, the wall is studded with smaller glass display cases, several of which have been shattered, set a few feet off the floor for easy viewing.
As the doors are opened, a Zoo employee cries out
Bewarn! Dere be monsters still in dere!
One such critter is an almiraj, a rare predator that resembles an oversized magical rabbit with a spiraling unicorn horn emerging from its forehead. The other creature of note is a flash beetle, which lights up the area with its glow as it buzzes around the hall.
The buzzing in the room grows louder, as the appearance of a snack has arrived!
Ono makes a snap decision as to which seems more dangerous, and magic always seems worse than mundane. That decided, he fires a flurry of arrows at the magic bunny unicorn.
South Hall Round 1
The almiraj screeches and chitters angrily at Ono as the arrow bounces off it's nose; causing some bruising and a bit of bleeding.
The creature then flips the Elf the bird; as it ducks behind the wall.
The angry rabbit hops into unobservation town!
The buzzing of the beetle gets louder; but it seems to be just out of sight....
Observed
You’re in the creature’s clear view.
Hidden
The creature knows your location but can’t see you.
Undetected
The creature doesn’t know your location.
Father Emmett has an intense dislike of bugs. He strides north 15 feet, turns to his right to see the flash beetle and its hateful buzzing, and fires his Hand Crossbow.
Satisfied that the bug is almost dead, Father Emmett reloads his crossbow.
Miss Canella glides daintily 20' in front of Father Emmett.
She Seeks north to find the hidden rabbit.
Miss Canella Points out the hidden rabbit.
South Hall Round 1
Father Emmett--being of sound mind and body--bravely enters the ruined display room. The rust from the partially destroyed bars are scattered throughout. The horrendous buzzing from the Flash Beetle begins to bombard the Priest! Hoovering by the ceiling, the Flash Beetle buzzes at Father Emmett.
Gritting his dentures, the good (?) Cleric takes aim with his ever-trusty crossbow!
Miss Canella watches the fearless freak Priest wade into the unknown. She decides to tag along; watching out for the scared bunny rabbit. And, what the curses; our normally not the most perceptive catfolk around, does indeed take notice of the almiraj. It seems to be nursing a newly formed bruise on its face...
Miss Canella points out its location to the group.
Watanabe gets ahead of Canella trying to see what she's pointing at.
South Hall Round 1
Watanabe wades into the ruined room also. The Wizard looks to where Miss Canella points out. He thinks that he notices something, but it's not quite clear.
The Wizard attempts to Daze the creature.
Unfortunately, the Hidden rabbit couldn't be located...
Round 2
The buzzing becomes quite boisterious, as the bothered Flash Beetle bounces through the air toward the invading army of Agents.
The glowing from the Flash Beetle gets brighter as it approaches!
The angry Beetle then attempts to bite...
Miss Canella sees the angry Beetle turn its eyes to her. The Champion blocks the bite with her shield!
She grins at the Beetle!
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Ono attempts to recall what he read about flash beetles in the zoo books earlier. There were a lot of words, but perhaps there was something that could give us an advantage...
He then fires off two arrows at the flash beetle, because if Ono has learned anything in his days (and nights) of adventuring, it’s that arrows hurt pretty much everything! Also, it looked like it tried to do something bad to his colleagues.
Unfortunately too late, but Ono remembers one key piece of information about monsters and arrows. That’s right! I need to hit the monster with the arrow for it to be effective!
Armed with this remembered information, Ono feels like he will be able to make a much larger difference next time...
Round 2
Ono takes careful aim at the Flash Beetle while pondering its origins...the studious elf misses wide twice.
Aaaarggghhh! My eyes! WHY?!?
Father Emmett fires at the beetle, reloads, and fires again in a hazy rage.
Spend Hero Point on the Concealment check:
Blinded by the light, Miss Canella tries to strike the
beetle.
Miss Canella hits the beetle then strides 15' and
seeks for the rabbit again.
Watanabe seems to be gazing in the opposite direction, or closely examining the folds of his robe when the flash of light bathes the room in brilliance. He looks around at his bewildered companions giving them a look of whaaa..?, not that they could see his expression.
Tired of looking for the rabbit-like creature he tries to give the sarab a headache. He wasn't sure if they could get headaches, but he was willing to try.
Faktar strides confidently into the room and tries to stab at the big bug that seems to be menacing his compatriots.
Then he raises his shield.
Round 2
The righteous wrath of Khan...err...of The Agents of EdgeWatch is no match for our lonely Flash Beetle! With arrows, rapiers, crossbow bolt and a sudden nose bleed; the Flash Beetle explodes!
Miss Canella ventures to the last space she seen the rabbit; but, it is not there....
Ono steps forward and attempts to locate the magic unicorn bunny to the East.
Unfortunately, smoke from a nearby torch gets in his eyes, causing them to tear up, making it impossible to spot anything. Rubbing the tears from his eyes, he gives one more good look for the death bunny.
”What kind of pitch are these torches burning? I think I may be allergic to it. My eyes won’t stop watering!”
Watanabe looks around for the sneaky lagomorph. "Maybe it left?"
Little rabbit...please come out
If yes, Father Emmett points out the location to the team (action 2) and loads his crossbow (action 3)
If no, I move up to the square south-east of Miss Canella (action 2)
and seek (action 3)
Round 3 Where for Art Thou Rabbit?
The keen eyes of our Agents make even the Hawk jealous; the Owl cry; the Guinea pig smile.
While Ono and Watanabe discus the peeling paint on the ceiling, our Freaky Father Emmett points to where he sees the viscous Rabbit!
Miss Canella strides 25" and Seeks again.
Miss Canella got distracted by a shadow on the ceiling, then raises
her shield.
Unable to see the bad bunny Watanabe just blankets the room its in with sleepy magic.
Miss Canella walks in with her shield raised and strikes at the bunny.
Round 3 Sand, rose petals for a Rabbit?
The ever vigilant Agents stare fruitlessly at the pretty specks of off-white in the paint of the white walls. The ceiling looks to have been only done with 1 coat. It is difficult to fine a quality company that takes pride in their work.
Watanabe breaths a calming breath in through his nose; out of his mouth. The Wizard seems to remember that with sand, or rose petals; he can end this foolishness!
With a flourish that would make Faktar and Miss Canella proud; our wizard spreads his seed...err...sand across the room!
Quickly wiping sand from his eyes, the almiraj glares angrily at our Wizard! It chitters at him; flipping Watanabe the bird; before attemting to impale our MIss Canella (his evil eyes never leaving Watanabe's...).
It then tries to escape; by Tumbling Through Faktar!
....
Perfect! An unobstructed shot! Ono thinks excitedly as the magic unicorn bunny lands right next to him. He fires off two quick shots with his bow, hoping to end this vicious threat before it can do any more harm.
Unsure if his arrow is enough to fully the stop the foul beast, he reaches over and closes the door.
”I have contained the beast! We shall protect the people above all else!
The almiraj takes one eye off of Watanabe; shifting his left eye to Ono....
Watanabe thinks to himself, Aha! Is this our chance? For some reason his mind wanders to a theoretical plane called the meat dimension
Round 4
The almiraj's swollen eye begins to water a bit as our Wizard attempts to Daze him!
The swollen-eyed rabbit seems Stunned at Watanabe's audacity!
Wabbit Season!!!
Father Emmett reloads and fires again at point blank!
Miss Canella strides over to the northern door to guard.
She Ready to strike the rabbit if it comes closer
to her.
Round 4
Father Emmett trains his rummy red eyes on the tiny (defenseless) bunny rabbit with the cute face. His hands shakes nervously as beads of sweat drip down his face. Screening the brightness of the lightning from blinding him, our 3 days clean Father fires!
Miss Canella--not seeing room for her--decides to guard the other exit; ready for any Rabbit incursions!
The almiraj doesn't seem like its enjoying this positioning.
Reminds me of prom!
It attempts to Tumble Through Faktar again!
The bouncing bunny--again!--tumbles through Faktar only to approach a waiting Miss Canella!
The almiraj goes down like Ali did Frasier!
”Great work, all! It appears the threat in this area has been cleared! Let’s head through the door to the north, next to the illustrious Miss Canella. Perhaps there are more threats in the zoo to quell?”
Ono heads to the door at the north end of the room, waiting to proceed once his companions are ready.
Owlbear Exhibit
Three sets of wooden double doors open into this wide chamber. To the northeast is a large steel-barred enclosure, its floor covered in dirty straw and its north and east walls painted with a crude mural of an evergreen forest. On the vacant cage’s west side, the bars appear to have been rusted through and then bent, leaving a wide opening. Along the room’s west wall, next to the northernmost set of doors, is a sturdy wooden desk and chair.
Rust Monster Exhibit
A ten-foot-wide hallway runs between doors to the east and west. To the north, a lattice of thick darkwood and a heavy wooden door separates the hallway from a tiled enclosure beyond, though the door hangs open. A wooden painting of Rusty the Rust Monster hangs on the wall to the south, and a plaque beneath it informs patrons of the exhibit’s rules. Dried blood cakes the ground in front of the door and trails away to the west.
Father Emmett scans the wide chamber.
Seeing the unattended valuables on the desk, he sweeps them into Dammerich's "donation basket" (looks like a sack that he's carrying) for safekeeping. Father Emmett whistles a merry tune.
"We'll review these items once things settle down"
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Ono notices these happenings and nods at Father Emmett approvingly.
”We would be remiss in our duties if we were to overlook any scrap of evidence, no matter how dull... er, small. How small. Excellent work, Father!”
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Well guys, it looks as if the rust monster has been in these room.
Miss Canella looks slyly at the Thief priest.
Father Emmett, please keep those items safe until we get back to
the precinct.
Ankhrav Exhibit
The doors on the western end of this hall are latched so as to be exit-only, with “No Entrance” painted on their outer face.
Low, red-glazed lanterns cast this room in crimson and shadow. To the north, a large pane of thick crystal walls off an enclosure of glazed tile, with a door of the same translucent material. Inside the exhibit, the walls, which are painted to resemble subterranean tunnels filled with giant arthropods, have been scarred in long streaks, as if dissolved by acid. Actual half-dissolved humanoid corpses cover the floor of the observation area, while inside the enclosure, a small human child sits weeping with his back to the closed door.
The ankhrav lurks in the main hallway, splitting its time between devouring the corpses of patrons and futilely spitting acid at the crystal between it and Jerov. It attacks any creature that enters the room, fighting until slain.
Round 1
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Watanabe tries to win the fight before it starts. He pulls all the energy he's been storing in his adamantine ring all day and releases it, powering a second casting of sleep.
Ankhrav Exhibit
Round 1
Putting his hand inside his bathrobe pocket, Watanabe fiddles about a bit until a smile crosses his face. The Wizard then reaches into his spell component pouch to get some sand for his spell...
Unfortunately, he actually tossed the wrong component; and his spell fizzles...as it were...
Miss Canella strides bravely to the monster.
She tries to strike the monster with her rapier then raises her
shield.
Ankhrav Exhibit
Round 1
Miss Canella eyes the monstrous Ankhrav, as she skips to it, strikes out unerringly; her rapier piercing its hide!
Not being overly excited by this happenstance, the red-eyes beast chitters angrily at our precious Kitty.
Its mandibles swing wildly at her with a vengeance!
Surprisingly, the Ankhrav miss times its attack; missing Miss Canella miserably!
It then rears up on its many back legs, shrieking loudly; before it attempts to Tumble Through her!
Quite disappointed in this mad fortune, the Ankhrav seems a bit daunted!
Ono attempts to recall what the books had mentioned about this particularly nasty looking critter.
Hoping that Falktar’s magnificent cape won’t be a distraction, he then fires two arrows in the direction of the creature.