"He is remarkably badass," Axton agrees.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Bharak felt *very* grateful that he was facing the other way, and for the thickness of his beard. Together it helped hide how deep his blushing was. Feeling very aware of his every move, he tried his best to keep his cool (and hopefully look it) as he scouted ahead.
Double-checking his crossbow, Vhane follows after Bharak, keeping a slight distance from his fellow dwarf.
A8. GATEHOUSE GUARDPOST
The gatehouse's second floor consists in a single, huge room.
In the north part of the room are a round table with some
chairs and a fireplace.
As the trap in area A1 hasn't been triggered, four huge blocks of stone still hang over the floor in the middle of the room; ready to fall down through the weakened floor to area A1.
.
Bharak peeks around the edge of the stairs and sees 4 Redcaps lounging around hoping for the chance to ruin someone's day.
What are you doing now?
Hearing the Redcaps above, Elathras turns, speaking softly as he nods towards the rooms inner workings, "Steps to the second floor of the gate house."
Wanting to verify the door was in fact also door to the other gatehouses inner workings, Elathras crosses the room and opens the door to the southeastern chamber.
Realizing the dwarves were sneaking up the steps in the first tower, Elathras returns and waits by the worrying, cleric.
Having gotten inside the tower, Bharak motioned to Vhane that now was the time to strike. He indicated that the foe to the north should die first, and that his kinsman should open fire once his own weapon was in motion.
His blades lashed out, attacking [ooc]red. He had gone in confident that his comrades had his back, and that once more they would prevail.
Bharak surprises Red with a brutal strike but doesn't kill him.
.
What are you doing now?
.
Hearing combat start Elathras begins to hustle up the stairs.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
.
Axton waits patiently with Elena downstairs , keeping an ear out for the sounds of violence to turn against Elathras and the dwarves.
"I was going to ask if you thought someone would try to reestablish the Abbey once we've secured the place, but I suppose someone ought to if there's an Apocalypse Door right out in the open like that."
Vhane fires at the one that Bharak sliced up neatly, hoping to finish it off.
Vhane finishes off Red with a pinpoint shot.
Vhane can now act. We are on to full round actions!
Now in the moment, Bharak continued his assault. Blades flying through the air he moved without restraint or second thought.
As Bharak concentrates on the next one, Vhane targets the redcap next in line.
As multiple bolts strike true, "Looks like I put a red cap in his arse. Hm." The dwarf raises an eyebrow, pleased with that bit of shooting.
Vhane slaughters Green putting bolts in his eyes, then switches and pins Orange to the staircase screaming in pain!.
.
Yellow hasn't realized just how screwed he is and attacks Bharak with a mad cackle.
He misses by only a little, but that's enough.
Bharak turns Yellow into a spray of blood and gore.
Silence falls as the two Dwarves turn pest control into an art. You can hear footsteps stomping about upstairs and a a yell.
"What in the name of buggery is going on down there?"
What are you doing now?
Moving up the steps, Elathras realizes it's not quite as easy to move through narrow space in his enlarged shape. Making a mental note to request the spell in more open spaces, he moves into the room to watch the dwarves finish off the last Redcap and to hear the stomping above. Nodding towards the other set of steps, "We should probably deal with whoever is above before they can set a strong defense."
Knowing the dwarves will be able to move up the stairs quicker than himself, he turns back towards the steps and the spell casters below him, calling softly, "Third floor footsteps, come on, we're ascending."
Bharak watched impassively as the last redcap raised its weapon at him. He made no move to defend himself, and instead look on as a crossbow bolt exploded through the back of its neck, coming halfway out the front. The fey creature fell to its knees, helplessly clawing at the bolt before pitching over onto the ground. Bharak nodded at Vhane in appreciation of his marksmanship, even as the rest of the group entered the room.
”Aye.” He said to Elathras. ”We move together. If we can hear it, then it can hear us. Nobody is catching the other off guard.”
.
It goes silent upstairs.
Who is going up first, and how are you doing?
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Ever feel a bit left out and that all we have to do is just walk after the others?" Elena asks Axton as the entire room is already filled with blood in the mere seconds it takes them to rush up the stairs to the second floor.
Of course, there was no rest for the wicked and the team pushes forward immediately. Shrugging and falling in line, Elena follows Bharak and Elthras up to face their new foe...
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
"Ever feel a bit left out and that all we have to do is just walk after the others?" Elena asks Axton as the entire room is already filled with blood in the mere seconds it takes them to rush up the stairs to the second floor.
Axton blinks in surprise. "No--I mean, No! This carnage is their role. Our role is often different. Who made Bharak fly and Elathras enlarged so they could reach the Redcaps out of reach? Who regularly calls down a divine blessing to make them more deadly and to heal their wounds? Me and you, that's who."
Axton pauses to shake some redcap entrails off his boot.
"Sometimes our role involves a fireball, sometimes it involves a dimension door. Just because their role always involves wading into battle, don't think that you're taking part."
Bharak watched impassively as the last redcap raised its weapon at him. He made no move to defend himself, and instead look on as a crossbow bolt exploded through the back of its neck, coming halfway out the front. The fey creature fell to its knees, helplessly clawing at the bolt before pitching over onto the ground. Bharak nodded at Vhane in appreciation of his marksmanship, even as the rest of the group entered the room.
Vhane nods in response to his fellow dwarf before reloading his crossbow with a new clip.
He then falls in line after the others, working to listen for any more sounds from above.
”Cant help but feel like we are walking into an ambush.” Bharak muttered. ”If anything could be summoned to walk in front of us that would be ideal. Otherwise, I’ll take point. Elthras can reach over me. Just make sure everyone is watching their own backs as we go.”
Nodding, as he keeps his eyes moving, "Aye. I feel it too, lad. Ta go from being noisy ta total silence... I'm not likin' it."
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Axton blinks in surprise. "Our role is often different. Who made Bharak fly and Elathras enlarged so they could reach the Redcaps out of reach? Who regularly calls down a divine blessing to make them more deadly and to heal their wounds? Me and you, that's who."
Axton pauses to shake some redcap entrails off his boot.
"Sometimes our role involves a fireball, sometimes it involves a dimension door. Just because their role always involves wading into battle, don't think that you're taking part."
The cleric chuckles from behind her veil. "I jest, of course. But thanks. Still, what is this 'healing' you speak of? Is that something I am supposed to do?" She winks and continues on her way.
”If anything could be summoned to walk in front of us that would be ideal. Otherwise, I’ll take point. Elthras can reach over me. Just make sure everyone is watching their own backs as we go.”
"Ah. You're saying I should let Marli and his pack out for a walk again? Well, if you insist," She clears her throat and makes the incantion, upon which four *enormous* -and more importantly, very colourful- celestial wolves appear, wagging their tails happily and greeting the party members with their tongues and playful bites the way actual dogs tend to do. Elena seemingly gives them their commands in Celestial and sends them upstairs in a line.
"Now now, everyone. Sit. Sit? I SAID SIT! There, good boys and girls! Wow, you've grown bigger since last time! How are the pup-" She catches herself as the group no doubt wants to move on. "Um, I mean, we need your help! Some monster is waiting for us upstairs. Please hunt down and destroy the redcap, or whatever it is. Sniff it out if hiding. If it is a prisoner, spare it. Otherwise, tear it to pieces. Their heresy against religion can't go unpunished. And be careful - we don't know what's up there."
Chuckling at Elena's and Axton's conversation as they walk up the stairs, Elathras gives a wolfish smile at Bharak's recommendation. Turning to Elena he nods, "Yes Elena, Marli and his pack would be a wonderful inclusion to our assault."
The cleric chuckles from behind her veil. "I jest, of course. But thanks. Still, what is this 'healing' you speak of? Is that something I am supposed to do?" She winks and continues on her way.
"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it sooner or later."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The four wolves immediately stiffen and stalk up the stairs, they give off a keening howl showing they've cornered something but can't reach it?
Bharak & Elathras cautiously advance and see why. Whatever was waiting was hiding behind the stairwell. An area the *Large* Dire wolves can't reach into.
Whatever it is isn't coming out, they can't get in!
.
What are you doing now?
!
Realizing the Large Dire wolves couldn't enter the area, Elathras turns to Axton, "Hey Axton, looks like it's time to dismiss the enlarge person spell, if the wolves can't get in there, I won't be able to either this big." He smiles, "But it was fun while it lasted."
Axton sighs in disappointment and dismisses his enlarge person spell.
Nodding to Axton as he shrinks to his regular size, Elathras asks Bharak, "Shall we?" Realizing whoever was in the room had chosen to hide instead of fight. Elathras calls out, "We know you're behind the stairwell, why don't you surrender?"
Bharak nodded as he readied his blades for the inevitable fight. He was more than happy to follow his comrades’ lead as to when they would engage.
"Hm... Axton, just in case, could you glitterdust the area behind the stairwell, in case it tries to run invisibly?" Elena whispers to him behind the wall of fur and Iron seperating the casters from the hidden monster.
.
There is a foul curse as a Redcap is now outlined in glitter.
He hops onto the stairwell and swings furiously at Bharak.
Everyone can now act!
Vhane moves up the stairs after the others.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Axton backs away and waits for the redcap to turn into a fine mist of blood.
Seeing the blow coming from a mile away, the dwarf easily stepped to the side and let the scythe come down harmlessly. This left the redcap overbalanced, causing it to fall forward. Bharak’s blades flashed. He aimed for the back of the neck, looking to sever it.
Bharak hits twice. .
.
Next.
He hops onto the stairwell and swings furiously at Bharak.
Seeing the redcap attack Bharak, Elathras moves back slightly and repeatedly thrust his guissarme at the fellow.
As Vhane moves up the stairs, he manages to catch sight of the redcap. Taking a quick aim, he fires!
The sole Remaining Redcap is a tough one, but battered by the parties martial team he is quickly put down!
Loot:
Leather armor +2,
Death bills are greatly coveted by redcaps, and the loss of a death bill is considered a great shame punishable by exile or even death. A death bill is a +1 scythe that leaves particularly unsightly wounds in its victims' flesh-these wounds do not bleed, and have dry, flaking edges, almost as if the wound had been desiccated by desert winds.
Three times per day, the wielder of a death bill can swing the weapon as a standard action to create a scythe-shaped arc of dust that sweeps out
from the user in a 30-foot cone. All creatures in this area take 2d4 points of slashing damage plus an amount of additional damage equal to the user's Charisma modifier, and are staggered for 1 round by the pain of having moisture drawn from their bodies by the supernatural effect.
A successful DC13 Reflex save halves the damage and negates the staggered effect. Once per day as a swift action, as a death bill is used to reduce a foe to negative hit points with a melee attack, the user may cast a death knell on that victim (Will DC 13 negates).
Garnet eye worth 5000gp,
key ring
The treasure chest amid the bedrolls is locked (Disable Device DC40), but Flaxbeater carries the key. The chest contains 922sp, 6oogp, a pouch of seven gems worth 100gp each, and about 40 pounds of silverware stolen from the abbey (cutlery, vases, bottles , and cups) worth 1,300gp in total thanks to their excellent workmanship.
Roy Flaxbeater's bundle of keys opens most locks in the abbey buildings save for the doors at areas A4 and A10.
Given how the various creatures on this level are ignoring each other this is also a safe area to rest up in.
What are you doing now?
Having helped collect the valuables, Elathras mentions off hand, "Maybe we should return the cutlery to the abbey?"
Gesturing back the way they came he adds, "We should probably check the tower to the south before we take the kitchenware back there."
|
|
"I just hope there is someone left to return it to - and if so, that they're still willing to stay in the abbey after this assault," Elena says after her summons vanish, her mood growing more somber with their departure. "Okay... not much left to search on this floor. Let's do the south tower and then decide the next action."
Nodding in agreement with Elena, Elathras smiles, "From your mouth to Shelyn's ears." As he speaks he moves back towards the steps, to the large room below and the door to the southern tower. Pausing at the door he investigates it for anything untoward.
.