Watching and waiting, a hunter knows when to strike.
The space was far too small to chance a shot and his companions looked as if they had it well in hand.
Surprised by the sudden appearance of the spriggan in the doorway. He drops and slides a few paces on his knees before popping up and laying into the new foe.
St. John continues to follow after the spriggans.
Turning to the new opponent who just opened a door, Dinenen attempts to "slow his roll, some."
Dinenen flurries upon the large spriggan in the doorway and hits with his first strike, making it reel back from the strikes as Quince hits it with his longsword and it drops to the ground and begins to shrink as it lays on the ground bleeding profusely.
With Dinenen in the doorway, Quince has to swing in around the door jamb but that does not seem to hinder him as he strikes as well.
---
St. John gets to the doorway and sees that two small spriggans wait for you within the room...
---
Jorne moves around and quickly at that soon catching up with St. John.
Iodren simply follows Jorne to find more spriggans.
Looking at his companions, the elf decides his bow isn't needed and follow them casually keeping a distance.
St. John moves into the room trying to avoid being attack and attacks one of the spriggans leaving the other for Jorne.
Hearing the sounds of combat still engaged around the corner, Dinenen moves to assist, stepping to the side of the room as he goes in to eave room for Jorne. But he runs into the doorframe, preventing the attack from being much of a threat.
Quince moves to the sound of fighting. He rounds the corner and lays into the spriggan before Dinenen.
St. John tumbles in with their swings missing him entirely. Though his strike falters as well.
Each of the spriggans swing wildly as the monk but he dodges them without having to tumble. A slash from one of spriggan's draws blood from St. John, . They both look to Quince with death in their faces.
Quince rushes into the room and slashes the small dark gnome next to him and Dinenen. Opening a wound on its arm.
---
In the next round the other spriggan is laid low and they both bleed dead upon the floor.
Jorne drops his shield moving to the fight.
Jorne makes it into the room with all his allies and their targets and quickly says, "AYE! Oh now you have done it! Fear the Reaper!"
He swings at the one beside St. John still in his aggressive stance with both hands on the blade. Cutting its head clean off.
---
He swings at the other and through encouraging words or magical means allows Quince to strike at it too. He speaks to all in a deathly whisper, "May we hunt together!"
Quince smiles, "Always up for a hung." He attacks both Spriggans with great speed.
Once the spriggans have fallen, Dinenen asks simply, "We ready to keep climbing?"
Quince smiles, "Always up for a hung." He attacks both Spriggans with great speed.
"If this floor looks clear that sounds good."
The spriggans are taking care of and the group moves about. Heading to the stairs up to the third level you find a trio of spriggans at the top of the stairs with crossbows aimed at the floor. One of them states, "Okay, um, we can talk right?! We don't want to die."
He looks at Quince and gets ready to charge up at the spriggans... crouched at the base of the stairs.
Quince looks to Jorne he puts up a hand to wait. "That was the offer at the gate. You could have saved everyone some trouble. Lay down your weapons we can talk." Quince puts his sword away.
Delilah has heard the trouble die down and caught her breath. She makes her way up the tower looking for her tiger and the others.
The spriggan's put their weapons into their sheaths and strap their crossbows to their backs.
Is anyone outside of the tower besdies Delilah and did you all stay on the South side of the tower?
You soon find out that there are only three spriggans left and they are in their small form. Their leader had climbed and ran away during the fight.
"Wise choice. There is a whole town here. Where are its people?"
The spriggans don't seem to know common all that well, they speak in Alko hoping someone can translate. If not the one that starting speaking continues in broken common.
"We no know. Town people not here."
St. John looks at them suspiciously, "You don't know where the townspeople are but you are in their fort? How did that happen?"
"How long have you been here, in this town?"
"We come and they gone. Doors open." He answers St. John, they count on their fingers and come up with an answer of 7 or 8 days.
"So they're not the ones involved in the disappearance but just happened to move in because it was empty." the red haired elf remarks upon hearing that.
"When did you notice the town empty?"
They raise their fingers slowly counting off 8 again.
Quince makes an annoyed face, "Noticing and moving in might have happened on a different day."
"Might. But when you see opportunity, your delay in grabbing it is inversely proportional to your current comfort level. I imagine moving into the deserted town was a big improvement for them . . .."
"Which means this happened even earlier then we might have guessed." a scowl adorns his face.
Quince frowns having hoped to learn more from this exchange, "Did you notice anything strange beyond an empty town? Perhaps tracks, other creatures."
The spriggans merely shake their heads.
Speaking in Common he offers, "Without speaking their language we are not going to learn much."
Then in Celestial he asks, "Should I end this"
Quince returns in Celestial, "Some speak their tongue though I do not thing much will be revealed."
Quince winces knowing what comes next. He gives a subtle signal to Jorne letting him know to go ahead he then begins in Aklo, "You are interlopers and cavort with demons. Join your allies now in torment. I Quince Medvyed, Duke of the Greenwatch, sentence you to die for these crimes knowing that the future will not know what tragedies you intended."
The blue-haired monk hesitates before declaring, "As you direct."
Then he moves up and strikes the closest.
He slips forward and cuts one of them down.
With the group attacking the spriggan closest to them, they are slaughtered.
He suggests as wipes his blade, "Shall we pair off and check out these levels or stay together?"
"Yes lets secure it. These lot did have traps so let's keep sharp."
The fort is secured by the group. The only traps left are set aside to be primed later. Not much in terms of wealth can be found. In one of the side buildings there is a lot of building materials. Most of the fort has been ramshacked.
Taking your time it is about noon now.
"Well there are a number of other buildings. Teams of 2 I guess lets check and see if there is anything to be learned."
"No objections for me." The elf picks a random direction.
"I'll search over there."
"Certainly. Guess I'll join you?"