Kra'ak carefully manoeuvres into a flank, but the lemure lashes out as he passes...
The little kobold nimbly evades the devil's claw, and once in position replies with a cunning slash of his precious mithral blade. The silvery metal burns away the impure lemure's form, reducing it to no more than a puddle of fatty ooze, almost indiscernible from the grease slick.
Akito repeats his holy spell, this time targeting the winged cherub-monster.
The light sears the fiend's flesh, and dazzles its eyes.
The thing screeches in pain, then vanishes - only to reappear an instant later right next to Akito!
Combat round 3 - 4
Kra'ak
Akito
Bug-child, flying 5' up, -19hp, dazzled (3)
Brady, -11hp, -2STR
Wisp, -5hp
The bold may act!
Wisp aims a blast, but is completely off-target and fires at the place that the bug-child was in a second ago - exposing himself to a darting bite from the creature!
The little monster's fangs drip with caustic liquid causing a painful, burning wound.
Brady navigates the grease slick and studies the buzzing nuisance, and then lands a heavy blow!
Kra'ak executes an impressive leap for such a small fellow, but his knife slash is less impressive and the devilish foe easily evades it.
Akito soothes everyone's wounds with the grace of Milani. Brady and Wisp have their spirits lifted by the healing power.
Seriously injured and not willing to fight fair, the vile bug-cherub darts back out of reach, then vanishes completely. All that is left is the faint smell of brimstone and a quiet, sinister voice in your heads.
I saw you. I bore witness.
The enemy is gone.
Combat over!
Brady, -2STR
Wisp, -1hp
"Ugh... is.... is it safe now? Are... you here to free us?" the dwarf in the cell asks in a hoarse voice.
The ring of keys that you found don't seem to have one to match Rakuska's manacles, but a combination of Brady's brute force and Kra'ak's finesse suffices to get them off her.
"Thank you" Rakuska says. "My colleagues Holfist and Pechas are held nearby. There are more cells off this corridor. You.. you must be Pathfinders, right? I got some kind of magical message. I replied but, that was, well I seem to have lost track of time down here. A few days ago? Weeks? I don't know. We were boarded by the crew of a 'Faith Barge' past Xer, even though we paid the Razmiri tolls. They arrested us, took us by force. Not without a fight though! They put is in chains and hoods until we got here to the inn. We've been interrogated by a priestess calls herself 'Holy Ahendile'. She seemed convinced that we were foreign spies! Have.. have you got any water? Food? They only gave us provisions intermittently."
A bit of food and drink gets Rakuska on her feet, but it's clear that she needs proper rest. In the next cells along you find her two fellow emissaries, each in similar condition. Pechas Domri is a usually-bald Pahmet dwarf - though judging by the fresh growth on his head and chin he's been unable to shave for a few weeks. He wishes the blessings of the Diamond Sage upon you, and asks if you have a razor. Holfist Sendstrom is a diplomat and merchant, Rakuska's junior.
Having already dealt with Holy Ahendile, your way is clear to get the dwarves back to the Abacus and freedom!
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Wisp wonders aloud, "So, what happened to the old ladies who run this place? I mean, we made A LOT of noise, and they never came to check on things. Like, their entire business could have fallen down and we haven't seen hide nor hair of them. We should probably check on them." He looks up at the rafters as if trying to into the rest of the building. "Do you think they were in on it? If so, we should flag this place or something at the Grand Lodge. We can't really report them to the guards or anything coz they haven't broken any local laws...have they?"
Kra'ak and Wisp go to check on the old crones whilst Brady and Akito help the dwarves.
There's no movement from the unconscious Razmiri cultists, and poor Shayna is where you left her. The signs of your battle are quite evident of course. There's only one part of the Inn that you haven't previously seen, a room near the eastern end of the building. A knock on the door elicits a response from a nervous sounding Addas "Who's there? What's all that noise about?" When Kra'ak and Wisp answer they hear the key turn in the lock, and Addas peeks out. "Oh, it's the little ones!" says Addas. "Does the scaly one want another blanket?" calls Tarsi. "What's going on out there?" complains Eugenia from her bed "It can't possibly be morning yet."
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Startled slightly that the women didn't hear the fight, Kra'ak looks between Wisp and the women multiple times with his mouth slightly open before collecting himself.
"Kra'ak has thanks for the blanket. Maybe Kra'ak has one more for friend?"
The kobold fishes into his pockets and pulls out another coin of gold and offers it with both hands.
"Oh, he does want another blanket."
"Hold on, little one. I'm coming."
Tarsi appears and takes Kra'ak's coin with a smile. "You go back to bed, Addas. I won't be but a minute." She rummages in a drawer and comes back with a bunch of keys. Then the crone leaves the shared bedroom and opens the door to the nearby 'upper class' room with her keys. She takes a big soft blanket off the bed and offers it to Kra'ak.
"Perhaps you'll show us this 'secret prison' in the morning, little ones? Sounds very exciting, but us old ladies need our beauty sleep and we're very tired." She chuckles and yawns, and then returns to her room. "Good night" she adds sleepily as she closes the door again.
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Brady checks with the dwarves before readying to head back upstairs. "Is there anything you need, here? I think we're going to want to hit the ground running as soon as we get upstairs; we don't know what might be waiting for us outside, though the ship is close. We have to collect the body of a colleague so that we can return her, and we still have to deal with Holy Ahendile."
He turns to Akito, and Kra'ak and Wisp when they return. "I don't like what that demon--or devil, or whatever it was--I don't like what it said before it left. 'I saw you; I bore witness.' It clocked us good--and so did Holy Ahendile, of course. It may best to leave as few witnesses to what we did here as possible."
"If there are no objections, my recommendation is that we don't give them an option to testify to our presence here. I'll do the dirty work, if you agree; I don't mind."
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Going back to his room, and taking the two blankets from the corner, Kra'ak drags all three blankets back to the group, offering one blanket each to the dwarves. He then looks at Brady with a slight glare before speaking up.
"Enough dead tonight. Take cover for friend to hide and help carry. Old ladies seem nice, so Kra'ak no want hurt them. Need to run, as Brady say. Fly thing come back soon, with help, and Kra'ak no want that. Run, hide, and live. Kra'ak know same pain, but Kra'ak know when to run."
"Yes... please just get us out of here" says Rakuska, and her two companions nod in agreement.
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Leaving the Gray Revelation Inn behind you, and carrying Shayna's remains, you head back to the river as quickly as your exhausted charges can manage and you rendezvous with the Abacus.
Metella and Amauhak's joy at the rescue of their countrymen is tempered by sadness at the loss of one of the rescue party. Temella Passad promises to preserve Shayna's corpse, and though his crew baulk at the task the Kalistocrat brooks no refusal and they take her below where the ship's cook doubles as undertaker.
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The rest of the journey to Mendev passes without incident. Venture Captain Jorsal of Lauterbury greets you personally and thanks you for bringing the dwarven emissaries in alive, though he is concerned about repercussions with the Razmiri. He starts making enquiries of the local crusader clerics on Shayna's behalf...