Once everyone has prepared themselves, Jessibel cautiously opens the door. Aisling steps through - cautiously - through, followed quickly by the Raven.
Inside is a tremendous room, especially compared to the cramped quarters of the storeroom turned rat nest. Aisling’s lit sword casts its brilliance over gnawed and clawed walls, revealing shadowy tunnels behind them. Above, on the ceiling, steel rails have only just begun to rust, while the iron hooks hanging from them are only vaguely recognizable as such.
A pile of stained pillows lies directly in front of the Silver Ravens, covered with moth-eaten blankets. They sit in a 10 foot square depression in the floor a few inches deep, and sitting on the edge is a hideous critter the size of a human baby. With tusks, a pot-belly, and claws, its snouted face bears two beady eyes that squint at the sudden light. It chatters something in a language none of the Silver Ravens recognize, let alone understand, before cackling madly.
The Raven, having readied himself for just such an occasion, flicks his wrist and whips his dagger at the tiny fey creature. Whirling through the air, the blade strikes the gremlin square in the eye. Its head snaps back, and for a moment it looks as though it will return upright, before it collapses back into the depression to bleed out onto the pillows and blankets.
Almost immediately, the Silver Ravens hear shrieks from the walls, as three more grimples launch themselves out of the animal warrens that riddle them, and a fourth drops down from the rails above.
Aisling doesn't even have time to blink before the Raven's dagger has flicked through the air and killed his target. She is moving though, on instinct if nothing else, a prayer of battle on her lips before she closes in for combat.
She gives the mysterious masked man a nod as she moves past him. "Quick work with that knife."
Vantine can only see the gremlin in the room past the Raven. She acts quickly to halt it for a few seconds so others can move without it being a danger.
Vantine releases her spell, targeting the gremlin she can see, which stops any hint of movement looking bemusedly at its surroundings.
Rexus slips through the door, apparently intent on proving his usefulness to the Silver Ravens. Slipping past Aisling and the Raven both, he gestures. "I'm going to try to hit them with a spell - move clear!" Of course, he does not exactly explain where 'clear' is, which minimizes its usefulness.
Nevertheless, he incants his spell, only to launch another orb of acid at the closer of the two grimples directly in front of him. It strikes the creature in its face, scouring the flesh and sizzling on the soft tissues of its snout. It screams in agony, clasping its paws over its face, but nonetheless remains upright.
Aisling, deciding to get out of the way of the spell, moves to Rexus' side after calling upon her goddess to protect her. As a shimmering shield of Iomedae's favor wraps around her, she adopts a readied position next to the nobleman.
Seeing as how Vantine and Aisling have their grimples well in hand, Nyxra moves to engage the other grimples by the far wall.
Unfortunately, they prove to be slippery little buggers.
”Quick work indeed.” The Raven responds, drawing his second -and last- feather-handled dagger, following up Vantine’s spell with another accurate throw.
Nyxra launches herself at one of the gremlins, rushing past the two that she assumes are being dealt with. With a vicious overhead swing, she attempts to hit one of the two gremlins near the wall, but it shifts aside, sidestepping her blow.
The Raven’s second dagger proves only slightly less lethal than the first, as it punctures the gremlin’s shoulder, grievously wounding it and leaving its left arm dangling limply. The pain makes it shriek, but it still seems absorbed in its daze.
The grimple next to Aisling attempts to flee her sword, willing to risk the potential attack that she has on it, which she promptly takes, her blade lashing out from behind her shield to strike at it. Unfortunately, the limping, wounded gremlin manages to throw itself out of the sword's path and well away from the threatening priestess. Staggering away, it makes its way through the confused melee to the wall, where it passes by its wounded comrade and slips into one of the holes in the wall.
One of the two gremlins next to Nyxra attempts to flee from her, dodging away in the hopes that she won’t be able to hit it with her two-handed sword strikes. Unfortunately, its size is not enough to prevent the elf from at least attempting to get the better of it. Though she cannot manage to land a blow on it, she does manage to keep it from fleeing.
Vantine’s spell works well, as the grimple she targeted stands hesitantly where it is, apparently oblivious to anything it could conceivably do - or perhaps it is simply absorbed in the agony of having a knife the size of its arm embedded in its body. Who can say with fey?
The other grimple near Nyxra screams something at the dazed grimple before scrambling into the wall’s warrens, squeezing its portly frame into the passageway and vanishing from the sight of the Silver Ravens. Suddenly, Nyxra feels her hands slipping on the hilt of her blade. With dextrous ease, however, she manages to keep a grip on the abruptly slippery blade.
After graciously opening the door for her friends and waiting for them to enter the room beyond, Jessibel finally makes a grand entrance herself. There seem to be less grimples than there originally were, but one grimple is too many. She breaks into a more traditional battle chant than her last one, certain her friends can end the fight quickly.
Vantine sees Rexus is preparing a spell so she holds her own casting and waits to see what will happen before continuing.
"Dammit, I can't... well, best do what I can." Rexus reaches out and touches Aisling on her shoulder, and she feels a powerful sense of fated victory ascend within her. ”We will be victorious!”
Aisling doesn't want them to get away, but she doesn't want to get too close to the wall where the others are. She pulls a dagger from her belt and throws it at the injured grimple. She has some training in this, but it's not her best skill. Luckily it hits.
Vantine comes through the doorway and aims her cantrip at the grimple facing Nyxra.
Emboldened by his success with the knives and Jessibel’s victory song, the Raven closes in on his target, but the tiny monster proves difficult to hit in melee.
Vantine weaves her spell once more, focusing on distracting the further of the two remaining grimples. Her spell goes off, but the creature shakes it off, continuing to bare its fangs at Nyxra.
Aisling sheathes her sword swiftly - darkening the room slightly as the light is hidden - and draws out her dagger. She throws (though not as skillfully as the Raven did) and the blade arcs over to embed itself in the grimple in the side of its head. Though the dagger doesn’t penetrate into the critter’s skull quite as thoroughly as she expects, the grimple does fall to the ground, two knives clattering against the stone floor.
Nyxra just barely manages to keep ahold of her sword as she slashes at the grimple in front of her again, attempting to end the threat it represents to her and her comrades. Her blade strikes home, however, and lops off the grimple's arm, releasing a spray of blood as the gremlin falls to the ground.
The Raven waits a moment, prepared for the next grimple to reveal itself.
When the gremlin erupts from the wall in front of him, the vigilante steps forwards to the only, swinging his fist in a desperate attempt to strike it down. Unfortunately, the tiny gremlin manages to keep far enough away from his blows as to keep its health.
It does, however, launch itself at him in a berserk fury - but in so doing leaves itself open to an opportunistic strike by the Raven, whose fist lashes out once more and scores a devastating blow to the top of the creature's malformed skull, puncturing it with the spikes on his gauntlet. The thing collapses in a heap.
The final grimple takes this chance to dart out from a hole in the wall behind the Raven and to dash through the door they left open - well, inasmuch of a dash as it can do with its wounds. Clearly, it sees no point in sticking around now that it's the last of the grimples.
Jessibel winces when the last grimple escapes through the door she left open. Still, she's not keen on chasing after the nasty thing; besides, maybe the Raven can manage another impressive dagger throw and pick the thing off before it escapes.
"Maybe the dogs upstairs will finish that last one off," she points out hopefully. "We should check out the rest of this chamber to see if the little creeps have what we're looking for...or anything else of value."
Jessibel immediately notes that there is, in fact, an aura of magic in the pile of disgusting sheets and pillows - a few moments later, she isolates the aura as emanating from something she initially takes to be another one of their blankets, but upon pulling it out, discovers is a (somewhat gnawed upon) cloak.
Searching the rest of the blankets and pillows reveals a hoard of various valuables and such. There's a small amount of gold coins , plenty of silver coins , and lots of copper coins . Further, a pair of earrings with quartz are tucked into one of the pillowcases. There's also about nine silver buttons from who knows where - they have little flowers etched onto them.
Rexus frowns slightly. "Based on their sanitary habits, I hope they haven't found anything we're looking for - it'd be horribly stained and possibly illegible."
"The after party is still on."
Despite her joke, Vantine is looking bug-eyed and uneasy.
She joins Jessibel in looking around the room.
"Magic!" Jessi announces, holding the cloak at arm's length. Before doing or saying much more, the bard uses her presto-cleano! cantrip to give all the treasure a magical cleansing. Then she uses a mending spell to make the gnawed cloak more presentable.
"I think these buttons are of dwarven design," she comments. 'Maybe worth 5 gold sails apiece! I'm not sure how much the earrings are worth, though...."
Platinum Crown, Gold Sail, Silver Shield, Copper Pinch.
Vantine checks out the buttons and earrings and declares them worth keeping.
"Not bad. The earrings are nice enough, maybe 20 in gold for the pair. The buttons are quality, dwarven make. For the lot of them they'd fetch about 45 in gold".
Nyxra wipes her blade down to (somewhat) clean it of grimple blood and grease.
"Let's not linger too long."
”Would you mind me taking a look at it, Lady Jessibel?” Rexus peers at the cloak, invoking his own magic with a careful deliberation. ”Hm, this seems like it will help its wearer resist or avoid various dangers. It has an aura of minor abjuration.”
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Aisling retrieves her knife, clening it before putting back in her belt. She raises an eyebrow as Jessi and Vantine scrabble around looking for loot. "Perhaps we should call ourselves the Magpies instead of teh Ravens?" There's a smile flickering across her face as she looks at them both. "Rexus - do you know where in this place we're suppsed to be looking?"
"A rebellion needs a war chest," Jessi sniffs back at Aisling. "Besides, we don't know if these grimples have already looted whatever Silver Ravens stuff might be lying around this place."
Thinking a bit further, the bard makes a suggestion. "The cloak should probably go to one of our front-liners--someone who rushes in to engage potential enemies, not a hanging back spellcaster like Vantine or a door-opener like me."
The meaning of Aisling's remark doesn't escape Vantine and she looks slightly offended.
"What? We came here to look for stuff... whatever it is, about the Silver Ravens. How are we supposed to figure out what's what without actually looking and finding?"
Along with the offense in her voice there's a whiney undercurrent.
"And by the way, this place goes deeper. There's a way down to a lower floor like a sub-cellar with more doors over there. It blocked by a barred gate. Maybe we're lucky and that key works for both gates?
Rexus chuckles a little wryly, but shakes his head at Aisling's question. "No, I'm afraid I only know what's on the letter. This place probably isn't too much bigger, though. Basements like these used to be first-floor shops, back before the city raised the street level because of flooding."
After a moment, he blinks, then nods to himself. ”Oh, yes, before we proceed, I would like to discuss tactics with you all. I apologize for not thinking of this sooner, but my offensive spells are limited to throwing the orb of acid - as you saw earlier - and knocking groups unconscious with a spray of color. I was going to try to cast the latter earlier, but I realized that I would hit some of you.”
The nobleman pauses. ”Perhaps if there are more grimples or other threats in this old place, I can try to use that spell. Afterwards, the threats should be mostly helpless… It’s how I took down so many of those thugs yesterday.” Rexus looks around at each of the other Silver Ravens. ”It might be a good idea for all of us to reveal what sort of things we are most skilled at, to better prepare for battles ahead. Though I admit, my part in such battles will be, well, rather small.” He has the good grace to look abashed, at least.
"My only attack spell at this point is coin shot," Jessibel chimes in. "I try to save that in case I ever encounter a werebeast or lesser devil; then I can fire silver coins at them. If I had platinum coins they would hit like adamantine projectiles, but I have no ability to have the coins affect things harmed by cold iron, like these grimples."
"I'm thinking of eventually investing in some sort of ranged weapon, like a light crossbow, but right now all I've got is a dagger I can throw. Though not necessarily accurately."
"I think you already know what my strengths are." Nyxra stretches and leans on her sword. "My marksmanship could use some work, but my swordplay is on point so far."
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Aisling grins as Jessibel and Vantine take issue with her comments. "I see in addition to looking and finding there's aslo taking and pocketing." She rasises her hands peacefully. "It's fine. I was just, well actually I was trying to avoid thinking about all of this." She gestures around the room and up to the ceiling where the city of Kintargo is apparently relaying on them all - to do what exactly, she isn't sure.
In anster to Rexus, she raps her knuckles against the armour of her breastplate, making it ring. "What you see is what you get. My prayers are mainly used for defence and healing. Im also a reasonable lawyer, but," she grimaces. "I think we're a bit beyond that point."
Again Jessibel gives one of her little "Hmph!"s. "The only things I've pocketed were the Thrune amulet and armband from one of the CCG goons, and they're mere trinkets and not worth anything.* Hell--they might even come in useful some day if we ever have to go undercover and infiltrate a CCG stronghold!"
After a pause, the bard adds, "Oh yeah--I also took a mace, but there were enough for everyone to claim one, so that doesn't count!"
Rexus gently raises a hand in a soothing gesture. "Peace, Lady Jessibel. Your help is greatly valuable - taking things from this place is why we're here, after all. I don't think the old Ravens would mind new inheritors taking up their name and their supplies. What I am hoping for is more information about the Silver Ravens - in particular, who they were and the sort."
He looks at Vantine and the iron gate she has indicated. "That is likely our next destination, then." The nobleman rubs his bearded chin absently. "Raven, would you mind doing the honors?" He waves his hand at the iron gate.
Rexus's words earn him a frown from the young noblewoman; apparently, she doesn't like being shushed. Then the frown's gone an instant later as the bard looks on to see what "honors" the Raven is about to do.
The Raven pulls one of his daggers out of its deceased target. Flipping the blade several times, he smirks and gives a satisfied grunt. A much better showing than in the alley the previous day. ”That was very clean. Quite the deadly troupe are we.” He says, retrieving his second dagger. Not wishing to be involved in the argument, he bows at the lord’s suggestion and makes for the door deeper into the underground structure.
After a moment of silence and examining the door, the vigilante tries the key once more. To the surprise of most of the room, the key fits snugly into the lock and with a twist, the Raven opens the door, allowing access to the stairs down.
"Shall we, then?" Rexus asks, tapping his cane lightly on the ground as he looks somewhat apprehensively down the dark staircase. An unpleasant smell abruptly wafts up the stairs - similar to the one in the rats' nest, only magnified significantly.
Jessibel crinkles her nose at the pungent odor rising from the dark staircase. Taking a moment to renew the light spell on her rapier, the bard quietly pronounces herself ready to proceed.
The Raven pockets the key and draws a dagger before proceeding. ”I hear strange music further in. More fey, no doubt.” He knows nothing of fey, but strange music feels like it would be in their portfolio. ”Quietly now.” The masked man advances to the corner, stepping lightly, and peeks into the next room, his back to the wall.
Rexus looks at the Raven as he vanishes beyond the doorway. "Can he see in the dark? I suppose it was just my assumption that he was human..."
The Raven returns to the group. ”Yeah, I can’t see anything.”
"Well then--let's just march in like we own the place!"
”We do have the key. That makes us as much the rightful owners as anyone else.”
The skills inventory all around session Rexus wants is uncomfortable for Vantine. She's not quite sure how to explain herself to the others. In truth she's not exactly sure how to explain herself to herself.
When her turn comes, she fumbles through as best she can.
"It's hard to describe. Mostly I can do some things with minor magics to affect how people think. Like the cantrip you've seen me used, it stops people from being able to think clearly enough to do anything, but only for a few seconds. There are other things like that as well, making people afraid, or persuading them more easily."
"Mostly what I can do exactly on a given day depends on what my mirror teaches me that day. It's not always the same. I can also make people a little unlucky, or make them think they're a little unlucky, I'm not sure which it is, but again it doesn't last long. Very little of what I can do actually hurts anyone."
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The experience leaves Vantine feeling a bit like the hanger on who is invited along out of politeness because they happened to be there at the time plans were made.
So when the opportunity comes along to show she can do things that matter, Vantine jumps at the chance.
"Oh! You know I can see quite well in the dark! Let me take a look!"
She works her way through to the front and goes to stand by the Raven to report whats ahead.
Rexus chuckles dryly. "I am reasonably sure that is not how the law sees it..." He is obviously more amused than offended or concerned, though.
Directly in front of the doors, a hallway curves away into darkness beyond the range of her unusual senses. Right next to the doors, on her left, she sees a wide open chamber with chunks of plaster from the walls and ceiling littering the floor. In the center of the chamber there is a wide pool of foul liquid - it can only be described as a cistern, over 50' in diameter. Four pillars, chained to various parts of the room with greasy-looking chains, rise out from the disgusting sludge.
Perhaps most interesting is the fact that all of the walls Vantine can see are covered in sigils and drawings that provoke some level of dread in her - figures from the nightmares of all peoples and times. Though she isn't quite sure what to make of this unusual graffiti, there is likely more to it than meets the eye.
The skills inventory all around session Rexus wants is uncomfortable for Vantine. She's not quite sure how to explain herself to the others. In truth she's not exactly sure how to explain herself to herself.
When her turn comes, she fumbles through as best she can.
"It's hard to describe. Mostly I can do some things with minor magics to affect how people think. Like the cantrip you've seen me used, it stops people from being able to think clearly enough to do anything, but only for a few seconds. There are other things like that as well, making people afraid, or persuading them more easily."
"Mostly what I can do exactly on a given day depends on what my mirror teaches me that day. It's not always the same. I can also make people a little unlucky, or make them think they're a little unlucky, I'm not sure which it is, but again it doesn't last long. Very little of what I can do actually hurts anyone."
Aisling is pretty good at reading people and she can tell Vantine is uncomfortable. She gives her a gentle smile. "There's nothing speical or good about being able to hurt people. If you can distract them or make them unlucky that stops them from hurting us."
Her smile widens a bit. "Also, it seems you can see in the dark. That's extremely useful!"