Etgar pivots and tries to skewer the little barber surgeon as well.
Donovan steps backs and chops at the little creature.
Agni rushes over to help the others, swinging her mace down to smash the dol. On the way over, she utters a brief prayer, adjusting her judgement.
Move Action
Swift Action: Change Judgement to Destruction
Standard Action:
Etgar wounds the barber surgeon and Agni destroys it. End initiative.
Niu continues ripping the doll apart until he finds the soul gems, setting them out for someone to smash.
Donovan moves to guard access to the stage while Niu investigates.
It takes a Agnimitra a moment to realize that the fight is over, but she lowers her weapon, looking flushed from exertion and possibly a little shame. She watches Niu got to work, not offering her help, but doesn't stop him either. Instead, she makes her way over the stage and looks around, cautiously.
As Agni steps onto the stage it jostles about and the red and white striped pole falls over. It was merely stuck upright in a hole in the wobbly stage.
Etgar stands over Niu and sets the butt of his spear on the ground. He wipes sweat from his brow as he watches his friend tearing apart the dolls.
Are you....okay?
He looks to the stage.
This place is a freakshow...I think we're all on edge.
"I am angry and frustrated, but regardless, the souls that animated these dolls must be set free to be steered toward their final destination.
This is the most vile use of Necromancy, and it must be set right."
With a grim nod, Etgar agrees, then moves towards the stage to see what Agni had found
The backdrop of the stage is a grimy city street. The red-and-white striped pole was placed against it.
Etgar's shield disperses from around him, and he looks around to his companions. Well...are we ready to find out what else this awful place has for us? Agni, Don, are you okay?
With a deep breath to help steady her nerves, Agnimitra nods. "I'll be okay. As you said, this place has been a test of our will. We need to push forward and find whatever we need to continue our journey out of this place."
"I am okay, is there any magic over there? What animated those things?"
Etgar shrugs. Who knows in this horrible place? Niu, can you check for any magical auras here that may have done this?
Etgar looks to the east and west, fully expecting more of these hideous tooth-hunters to come around the corner at any time.
"The dolls are animated by necromantic gems, or other valuable objects that are a part of their makeup. That is why I am attempting to find them and destroy them.
If you are ready to scout the way forward, there is likely a door into this structure. If not here, maybe around the other side?"
Deciding that Etgar's suggestion can't hurt, Niu casts Detect Magic and scans the dolls and the stage.
Niu locates an amber gem inside each of the dolls. The red and white striped barber's pole radiates a strong aura of magic.
Pumping his fist, Niu celebrates as he sets the gems out. "Here! Somebody crush these with a hammer or something. Set the unfortunate souls free."
After then scanning the barber pole, he cocks his head and furrows his brow. "Now that you mention it Etgar, that barber pole is magical, though I doubt it was intended to be a prop, based on the hasty paint job."
Getting closer, Niu concentrates on the auras around the pole.
Niu has no idea what this item is or does.
Etgar will try to slam the butt of his staff down on the gems.
"The magic of this pole is very strong. So strong that I can't determine what it does. We should bring it along."
Taking hold of the pole, Niu attempts to remove the paint and ribbons.
Donovan gives up on diplomacy and fishes his fathers flail out of his backpack. He then moves over taking the flail in his hand he uses it to smash the stones as Niu requested.
@Niu
a 20 on K-Arcana would not identify the school for you atm.
@party
You manage to destroy the gems and release the souls that were bound to them.
After smashing the gems Donovan moves down the hall to see the last room.
Moving down the hallway you note arrow slits 2 feet high and 4 inches wide look over the courtyard and the desolate moonlit landscape around the palace. A large wooden double doors is open a crack.
Finding nothing else of note, Agni follows Don down the hallway, covering his back with weapon drawn.
Etgar follows along, his eyes open and steps wary. He moves into the lead, searching the area for some new horror.
You perceive no traps. You hear a voice speaking in a language you do not know.
Don moves to the door and knocks, he speaks loudly and slowly, in case that helps.
"Hello! We are coming in and want to parlay!"
You hear the response "Enter!"
Once an elegant study, this room has floor-to-ceiling bookshelves along the walls, a pair of heavy desks, and several overstuffed chairs. Most of the books have been shredded, their pages and covers forming small nests. The chairs have all been sliced open, their stuffing removed and likewise fashioned into small nests. An unsteady chair made of stacked books stands atop the larger of the room’s two desks. Loose teeth are piled on the shelves, affixed to the ceiling, and heaped in the floor in strange spiky patterns. Upon the stacked books is a creature resembling a gaunt humanoid from the waist up and a fleshy insect from the waist down. This child-sized creature has enormous black eyes and a large jaw with a lolling tongue. It wears a crown made of humanoid teeth and clutches a tooth-studded scepter.
Uh, hi.. Etgar tried to his his revulsion at the sight of this creature, as he rests the butt of his spear on the ground in a hopefully nonthreatening way. We are seeking passage through and past your...kingdom?
He hopes he doesn't have any fairy goo left on his spear...
Thinking that perhaps his efforts to negotiate with the tooth fairies earlier were not helpful, Niu stays quiet. He moves up behind Donovan in order to peer in at the new creature.
"I don't understand what all of these fey are doing in the Boneyards." he mumbles to himself. "Is that thing a fairy or some kind of fiend?"
Niu knows this to be a tooth fairy monarch. He knows they are susceptible to cold iron, are healed when they eat a tooth and explode when killed.
"I am Prince Uspid of the Palace of Teeth. Sheath your weapon in my presence. Passage, you say? That is within my powers. That request is quite rare. Why do seek such a thing?"
Niu whispers that brief information to Donovan. "There's a lot of fairies in that room. Maybe this is the person who can give us the token we need to pass further along the Dead Roads? Or... maybe this highly magical pole is the token and we can just leave?"
"We have a duty that requires us to return to Rosler's, what do you require to provide us passage?"
"One tooth each." He motions the tooth fairies to your direction. They obey.
These have not. It is price for the passage tat.
Etgar looks at his spear then shrugs. It's too large to sheath...I'll just rest against the wall...here.
He puts up his hands to protect against these little creatures. Hold on; you want one of our teeth? Why...just interested in collectibles?
He leans in to Niu. If we give it a tooth, can it...you know...do something to us through it...like a conduit?
"Or, is there some task that we can do? Chop some wood? Repair a wall?"
"A task, say you. What a splendid idea! I do have a task for you, but first the teeth."
Shrugging in response to Etgar's question, he responds. "None that I know of. It would likely serve as a focus for scrying, if they have that type of magic, but I do not think that is the reason here.
This seems to just be the nature of tooth fairies, unfortunately. The First World is a very odd place."
He smiles and nods at the king as Donovan makes an alternate offer. He isn't happy about losing teeth again.
Donovan looks over to Niu, and whispers. "I think I am doing this wrong, he wants the teeth and a task now."
Etgar furrows his brow, then raises a finger to make a point. Perhaps we could obtain some teeth for you and return?
Niu looks at Donovan and shrugs. "Negotiating with fairies does not seem to work as we would expect."
Cocking he head at the king, he asks. "If we must give up teeth in order to pass, why would we want to perform a task for you? The offer was to perform a task instead of giving up teeth."
"Silly elf. I am only interested in live, bloody teeth. If you have some issue with this payment, I suggest you leave my palace now." Looking at Niu he responds "Because that is your toll, human. I grow tired of your presence. Do we have a deal?"
Agni does her best to stay out of the conversation, not wanting her temper to get them into any trouble. Not seeing any way out of this without doing what they want, she finally burst out, She takes a moment to compose herself before continuing. "We just want to get home. If that's what it takes, then I suppose we don't have any choice."