"You are very good at that." Beatrix comments on Beau's ability with locks "One of my sister's practiced night and day so she could sneak out of the tower at night to see the tavern boy she was interested in, but never got nearly as good." she looks over the treasures, and gives a soft gleeful sound at another scroll.
"Why does he like that straw patch?" she also asks Karana.
About the padlocks, Gofran offers an explanation. "I bet they had morre valuable stuff to carrry. If I rrecall it corrrectly, Korrvosa is quite a jourrney frrom herre, so I underrstand that it vould be morre expensive to carrry all this stuff therre than to buy new stuff."
With the treasures revealed, Gofran picks the crystal to inspect it. "I could use this..." he says this as he draws his greatsword and works to affix the talisman to it. "... if ve do not need to crrack it, ve can sell it once ve rreturrn to Brreachhill."
"It appearrs ve have explorred the whole grround floor of the citadel, rright? Ve should go back to deal vith that grrauladon in orrderr to rreach the courrtyarrd."
Karana nods. “Shall we shoot it through the bars, or simply confront it head on? I do not think we can defeat it through the bars. It will either try to break through, or move to where we cannot shoot it.
“But if this is a beast we must destroy to rescue the goblins, I favor what is best for survival.” In Karana’s opinion, “Gofran, I think an initial volley through the bars, as you suggested, is best. If we do this, I would like to move the warg pups to the goblin dogs’ room. The grauladon’s reaction to our arrows and bolts may be to break out in the direction of the pups’ current location.”
“I would like to move the warg pups to the goblin dogs’ room. The grauladon’s reaction to our arrows and bolts may be to break out in the direction of the pups’ current location.”
"Ye vant to put the pups on the same rroom as those mangy, flea-rridden rat-dogs? Therre arre otherr rrooms ve can place the pups!" Gofran says, against the idea.
"On the attack tactic I agrree. Even if the grrauladon hides frrom us and in the end ve vill have to kill it in melee, it vill be veakened."
Karana is fine with any place for the pups that the big monster will not charge toward.
She will do what it takes to keep the pups calm, and of course she can bribe any animal with some jerky!
Not entirely comfortable with the conversation, Amaya speaks up, "I can help to protect the little ones while you... take care of business, if you like. I can't do much, but I think I can keep the creature at bay, if it feels the need to get too close."
Beatrix looks around, still a little befuddled at the conundrum around the big lizard thing. "I'll help. I see no way to free it without worrying it might head toward town, and I think starving to death seems a worse way to go." Bea isn't a make things suffer for the sake of making things suffer kind of person, but logic weighs toward safely dealing with the creature somehow.
Karana thinks the cat is pretty, but she doesn’t claim any treasure. She has no use for the darkvision elixir. She does find the cheetah’s elixir interesting. How does one make such a thing? she wonders.
As for the goblin dog, Karana just smiles. “You are a very silly dog.”
She starts toward the unexplored territory, but knows Dame Kyrie prefers to be on the front line. Karana will stay close and keep her shield. Of the darkvision elixir, Karana asks, “Kyrie, do many people benefit from this? I recall early in life that my eyes were slow to adjust to the darkness. Since being alone on my island, I have not had this trouble. No matter how dark, I can see things too far for me to smell.”
She speaks some Druidic words and a light emanates from her own shield.
She offers, “If you would find a light spell helpful, and you do not mind the risk of drawing attention, I can cast this on your shield.”
"I can see better than most humans in the low-light, but not in the darkness. I would be happy to have the light on my shield. I would hope it would draw attacks to me."
She takes up position at the front of the group, her shield at the ready, to take any attacks if the creature is able to escape.
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Karana dispels the light on her own shield, then casts Light on Kyrie’s.
“Your shield looks radiant, Dame Kyrie. I do hope it draws attacks to the shield specifically, so that you block them.”
Beau can't help but feel lucky that he isn't having to play the role of human bait. "So, let's split up. Those with proper ranged options go south, and once we're all in position, strike at it first. Then Kyrie, I, and whoever opts to join us can come in from the north and strike it from behind. Hopefully, the good Gods willing, we can overcome it before it knows what's going on."
Gofran shakes his head at Beau's suggestion. "No offense, but I believe it is foolish of us to split, as the rrisks crreated in doin' so exceeds the benefits... if somethin' goes vrrong, the time it vould take forr one grroup to help the otherr could mean the death o' one o' us."
"Dame Kyrrie vill stand in the frront and I'll be by herr side. Ye fourr stay behind us. I'll make some noises so the grrauladon comes for us and vhen it claws the grrates and exposes its belly, ve all shoot! Get rready!"
”I think your plan is good.”
Kyrie readies at the front of the group to take any oncoming attacks.
Amaya stands obediently behind the others where she can watch over her friends, but remain out of everyone's way.
As the group approaches the barred gate, the grauladon is quick to spot them, rushing towards the obstruction and the potential meal.
Karana delays until Gofran acts…
She will hurl fire at the beast!
"No need to make noise then..." Bea yelps flings a long ray of freezing cold at the charging beast, the suddenness of it all throwing off her attack.
Fire and frost splash against the iron bars, making the metal groan with the sudden temperature changes. Alak retrieves a javelin from the quiver on his back, gauging the distance to the beast.
"It's a little far..." he complains, before throwing it. The javelin sails quite far to the grauladon's right, clattering against the courtyard stones.
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Gofran slings a bullet towards the dragon and soon all can hear the sound of it striking against the bars. Gofran laughs hard. "Forr all the Gods, ve suck at this! Ve have a betterr chance o' killin it as it laughs frrom ourr pathetic shots..."
The grauladon rushes forward on its stumpy legs, smashing its snout into the bars and rattling the entire gate. It chews at the metal for a moment, its jaws too thick to pass through the bars, before inhaling and releasing an incredibly stinky breath that envelops Kyrie, Gofran, Karana and Alak.
Karana feels that she's about to lose her lunch.
As the grauladon slams against the bars, Gofran sees an opportunity. "Dame Kyrrie, svap places vith me forr a vhile... it has not brroken the barrs yet, so ve might still have some time!"
Gofran drops his sling and draws his greatsword. There is certainly not much space for him to go with a wide slash, but perhaps he can thrust the blade through the bars...
"Oh... that is unique." Bea comments the rather pungent odor.
Beau unleashes a hail of arrows at the grauladon. His short bow hisses a vicious phfwang again, again, and again, each shot driven by ever more desperation. "No one will believe us when we tell them how big this scaly bugger is!"
"Must not let my friends come to harm," Amaya says to herself, affirming her current goals and setting her mind to the task, no matter how difficult... or how scary. She pictures the creature being stopped in it's tracks, though is unsure of how to do such a thing.
Her request is granted when an arc of lightning jumps from Amaya, through the bars of the gate to the dragon-creature. By reflex she also protects herself.
◆◆ Electric Arc
◆ Shield
Kyrie looks back at Got, a little confused at how quickly the plan is changing. ”I will trade places with you if you truly want.”
Kyrie swaps places with Gofran, who punches through the bars with his greatsword, but the large lizard sees it coming and at the last second undulates its body sideways to avoid what would have been a very powerful strike. Amaya's spark strikes the iron bars and is harmlessly grounded, while Beau's arrows fly wide, only one coming close to hitting the scaly creature.
Alak pulls out another javelin, tongue between his teeth in concentration. It flies true, hitting the grauladon in the left shoulder and causing it to roar in pain.
Karana excuses herself to retch.
”BLLLRRRRARRLFF~!*”
She lets it all out in one swampy projectile aimed away from the new friends she would like to keep by not vomiting on their toes. She is rather dizzy as she casts her magic, and the stench and the taste and the embarrassment do not help.
Her aim is so off it looks as if she is deliberately aiming for the narrow bars, not the wide space between!
“Oh… this is not my finest hour.” She winces as bits of her tavern meal drip down her chin.
The grauladon, now enraged at the rebellious meal that won't stand still and keeps throwing things at it, turns around to deliver two powerful hits with its tail. The iron gate shudders and creaks, but beyond a shower of stone dust and rust flakes, nothing happens.
The confused, injured and frustrated grauladon shakes its head, seemingly deciding to retreat for now as it starts ambling towards the pool.
Grauladon: -8 HP
Frustrated with her previous efforts (even though she's still not entirely sure how she did it), instead, she focuses her energies on trying to protect her friends, instead.
◆◆ Forbidding Ward on Gofran
◆ Shield
"We got it by its tail! C'mon, let's push around to the other entrance!" Beau lets loose one more arrow before following his own suggestion.
Beau's parting shot finds its mark, sinking into the thickest part of the dragon-lizard's tail.
Grauladon: -12 HP
Kyrie will raise her shield and ready to step forward and intercede if the creature comes back and breaks through the bars.
Alak reaches for his last javelin, but the angle of attack does not seem favourable. Watching Beau take off, the armiger shrugs and follows, catching up and moving one step ahead.
Karana does not open the gate either.
“You make me sick,” she says to the monster as she hurls a fireball at it.
With the grauladon moving away, Gofran curses as he sheathes his sword, grabs the sling from the ground and then shoots at it again! "Ye go arround if ye vant..."
Beatrix gives a steadying breath. But now that the horrid gas is combined with the smell of vomit, it is hard not the retch herself. Her aime is slightly better but not good, nope not good at all.
The ice spell hits the edge of the pond, freezing the edge of the water but not harming the grauladon, which scurries deeper into the water.
Alak continues to jog through the corridors of the keep, disappearing around the corner.
Karana sees that fire can do nothing now.
“Going around will take some time. I will travel through the bars, whether this gate is to opened or not.”
"So we are going around?" Bea asks seeing the aspiring hellknight run around but the rest of her companions still around the gate.
Beau runs after Alak and nocks an arrow. The loud beating of his heart makes Beau fear it might soon knock its way out of his chest.
Gofran keeps slinging bullets at the grauladon, knowing that he'll eventually hit it.
Beau's arrow skitters off the grauladon's thick hide, but Gofran lands a solid hit, making it growl.
"No then... okay" Bea concentrates and fires another ray of cold at the creature.
Karana does not bother to hurl her weapons through the bars. With people coming around intent on engaging in melee, Karana uses Wild Shape to become a bug that can slip through the bars.
She chooses ladybug form, simply because it is pretty.
A bigger pest, such as a rodent, could fit the space but Karana does not wish to tempt the Grauladon’s tummy.
Seeing that her friends are not in direct peril, and she is unable to see the beast from her position in the hallway, she bides her time, waiting for something to happen.
Kyrie keeps her shield up and at the ready. As long as there are allies for her to protect, she will stand firm on the frontline.
Finally presented with a reachable target, the grauladon scurries out of the pool and up the mound of rubble. It opens its jaws in an attempt to bite Alak, but teeth scrape against the metal of his black armour ineffectively.
Without saying a word, Beau draws his rapier and closes in on the creature with deft steps. He can't quite get himself into a flanking position just yet, but there's no way he'll let Alak face off against the grauladon all by his lonesome self.
"That looked effective" Bea announces to no one in particular about Beau's stabbing. For her own attacks, she sticks with her highly ineffectual but long range beam of artic air.
The grauladon roars in pain at the stabbing and freezing, unleashing its halitosis onto Beau and Alak. It is now clearly badly wounded, swinging its head left and right as it searches for a way to escape.
With the dragon-lizard dead, Beau has some time to survey the courtyard. Motion catches his eye at the level of the battlements, and raising his gaze he spots a couple dozen goblin heads peeking from behind the weather-worn stones. As the grauladon shudders and stills, its blood pooling on the flagstones, a ragged cheer erupts from the audience.