”Foul witchcraft!” the Maiden cries as she is coated with glitter! Undeterred, she looks around for the spellcaster. She has no luck, but Hilde hisses angrily as she sees something...
Lollia manages to close her eyes in time to avoid the blinding dust, but after opening them, is unable to tell where the spell came from.
Undeterred, she pulls her dulcimer from her back and begins a foreboding melody.
As Hilde hisses up into the roof there a startled 'eep' and a small creature falls to the ground. It gets to its feet, holding its hands out in a placating manner.
"Hey, hey. All Arrow-deans friends! Here, you have bag, smite Arrow-dean's enemies, yes?"
It tosses the bag off to its left and by the time you've all refocused on it the creature has vanished!
The bag contains two potions of bears endurance, 350gp in gems and an ornate key - presumably the one which was stolen from Factor Twelve.
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Robert comments "Who was that?". He rubs his eyes with his left hand while his right hand holds the loaded crossbow pointed down. After a while he manages to blink all the glitter off him. In fact all the glitter eventually fades. Robert says "Did we find Factor Twelve's gremlin by any chance? What did he say about enemies? Maybe he means the mad wizard?"
”Or maybe he was just galen,” says the Maiden, using the Skald word for “crazy.” ”Either way, we have a key. Perhaps we should exchange the axe for the second key now and make our escape.”
Shula’s able to dodge the glitter, but the small creature vanishes before she can do anything about it. ”What was that? It must have been Factor Twelve’s gremlin, but what was with the whole Arrow-Dean nonsense? Casting a spell on us then immediately running away?” Confused, she stares at the ceiling for a minute before deciding it doesn’t really matter. ”I guess getting the other key now makes the most sense.”
"Oh you have the best idea ....Victor. Let's get the hell outta here! On that regard, is there anything else you would prefer to be called whilst in such a different form?" Lucretia asks politely, realising they may be about to leave the compound. "You might have mentioned it earlier, but....a lots happened."
"Before we rush out so hastily though...what do we think we are returning to? After the events at the gala, I'm not sure who exactly we can report this all to."
As if summoned by Lucretia's question you all hear Martella speaking out of your badges once more. "Stavian's assassins retreating. Pythareus seen moving through them unharmed. Guiding a dozen or so servants to a safe haven."
Factor Twelve is happy to exhnage the axe for the second key. "Thank you for your help." It says politely. "If you will leave your names I will submit a favorable report to my superiors on Axis."
Now all that remains is the door that supposedly leads to the auditorium and hopefully freedom. The door out of the main corridor opens easily enough and you find yourselves in short halleay that seems to have been cut in half by some sort of collapse. Moving carefully you manage to open a side door and slip into another corridor. This leads to a reception room of some sort with a long, graying wooden desk oversahdowed by a faded portrait of a number of scowling taldan nobles.
The rooms only resident is a red skinned, vaugely draconic being who jumps up at the sight of you. It doesnt seem hostile and gestures excitedly to a selection of items laid out on a blanket, jabbering away all the while. When that doesn't elicit a response he frowns and tries again in another language.
"Oh you have the best idea ....Victor. Let's get the hell outta here! On that regard, is there anything else you would prefer to be called whilst in such a different form?" Lucretia asks politely, realising they may be about to leave the compound. "You might have mentioned it earlier, but....a lots happened."
The Shield Maiden's cheeks flush pink when Lucretia calls her 'Victor.' "Not that! I cannot afford for others to know about my...change. I've not chosen a name for this persona save for my code name. I suppose if you have to call me something else, call me...Randi. It means 'shield,' and is as good a name as any.
"We cannot afford to split our attention worrying about what is to come. Let us focus on what is in front of us."
When the group comes upon the draconic creature, the Maiden raises her shield warily, hoping somebody else can translate.
Shula snickers behind her hand at the Shield Maiden's chosen name. "Randi it is then." She resolves to use the name as often and publicly as possible. While she may not be mean-spirited enough to reveal Victor's secret, that doesn't mean she can't appreciate the opportunity for mockery that just fell into her lap.
"I suppose we'll report to Martella. After that, depends on who survived the massacre." Shula is relatively unconcerned with that issue. Which nobles are in power at any given moment doesn't effect the Narrows too much. It might mean fewer jobs from Martella, but she's profited enough from this one that she figures she'll be okay regardless.
As they come upon the red-skinned being, she instinctively reaches for her kukris before pausing. "Does anyone have any idea what they're saying?"
"Not that! I cannot afford for others to know about my...change. I've not chosen a name for this persona save for my code name. I suppose if you have to call me something else, call me...Randi. It means 'shield,' and is as good a name as any."
"As good a name as any," Lollia says, her hand covering her mouth. "We'll just call you Randi then, because that couldn't possibly be misconstrued." She turns to Shula and gives the woman a wink.
~~~~~
"I don't understand them at all," the bard says with a frown. "Is that ...? Are they speaking Draconic?"
Lucretia manages to hide the smile creeping at the edge of her lips at the chosen name of the Shield Maiden and nods, kindly. "Your secret is safe with me."
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Lucretia tilts her head slightly with curiosity at the dragon-like creature. "You know Lollia, I think you might be right, only heard snippets of it myself." Realising the creature doesn't respond to Robert's common, Lucretia tries greeting it in every language she knows.
The kobold perks up when Lucretia tries gnome.
"Finally, someone who speaks a real language!" It exclaims. "Mimps has lots of useful things to sell. Take a look, I have reasonable prices and much information! You won't find anyone else to seel you this sort of thing" He ignores Robert and starts showing Lucretia his various wares. It appears he is quite well aware of the current situation however and is charging a price to match (20% over market value).
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Robert sees that the creature is being dealt with and decides to step back and look around, especially the art. The situation reminds him of the day his father had to discuss the entrance to a museum and little Robert had to wait and see the art in the entrance. He says "We have to get to Martella." and puts his ear to the exit door.
Lucretia nods and smiles before relaying everything to the rest of the group.
He's price gouging for sure." She says, all the while with a smile on her face as if she is being incredibly kind about the creature. "Considering how long he's been down here, I cant help but wonder if he doesn't know a way out for food, water or swapping wares himself. Im not interested in any of it at these prices, anyone else?"
”Aye, the healing potions and cloak would be useful if we can afford it. If not, we should keep moving.”
"If you could all look a little weary and grumpy, that would really play along with what Im about to say, maybe fumble your daggers a little."
Lucretia rounds back on the drake-like creature, and sighs heavily.
"Look. I'm tired. They're tired, and when they get tired, they get cranky. I don't want to have to tell them you're going to charge them that much for just a few curative postions, there's no telling what they will do." She casts her best impression of a slightly worried look back towards the group, as if she is fearful of their actions, hoping that they are playing along with the part.
"How about we take those potions for a more reasonable price?"
Mimps looks at the rest of the group, particularly the Shield Maiden and Jabir's considerable weaponry and nods sharply. "Yes, yes. Fifty of the big gold pieces each then? Very fair price!"
The Maiden waits impatiently for the trading to be done. When it is complete, she leads the way into the next room!
Lucretia nods but points out she doesn't have the money but instead offers him some pretty fabulous bottles of Old Whiskey they had previously aquired.
The Shield Maiden leads the way into the next room where a leering statue stands atop a plinth in the northwestern corner of this L-shaped hallway. The statue holds a scepter, which it points toward a door to the east. The south end of the hall is a heap of collapsed dirt and wood - clearly this is the other side of the collapsed hallway you skirted before.
As Randi steps up to the eastern door, keys in hand, you all see bloody circles start forming on the walls all around you and your minds are assailed with a brief flash of a terrible arcane ritual!
The circles fade as quickly as they came and you can open the door without further incident. Beyond wide stairs descend into this tiered, circular chamber. Chairs stand in odd positions throughout the room, collected into circular patterns, even outside of the greater circular patterns of the hall itself. Circular gouges mar the surface of the wooden walls and floor here, some left to stand alone, while others are multiple circular scratches overlaying one another, joined by lines and scrawlings. The greatest concentration of circles gathers on the ceiling, some forty feet above, where multicolored circles inscribed with artistic fanaticism surround a five-foot-wide hole in the ceiling. The room is eerily silent.
A few moments later a voice booms across the room! "You have trespassed upon the Holy Sanctum of the Circles! I, Diago, Hierophant of the Arc, Archduke of Tangenicies, Keeper of the Indivisible Function, do sentence you to die! Kill!"
Randi grits her teeth and endures the negative energy blast with minor pain. She casts about for the source of the booming voice, but cannot find it. Hilde yowls uneasily, arching her back.
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Robert is too late to warn Randi about the ritualistic circles, but thankfully she is able to ward off most of the damage. He comments "So this is the work of that mad wizard. He did manage to find something after all... Mad people are harmless unless they actually find something. Then they can become more dangerous than the angriest red dragon." One can tell that Robert is nervous.
Upon reaching the hall with an excessive amount of circles, Robert knows something is about to happen. Then they hear his voice. Robert clutches his crossbow tight and starts looking about frantically.
He looks up and says "They're above us! It sounds like he's casting a spell. I don't think it's the gremlin this time! Take cover!"
Unable to tell where the voice is coming from, Shula falls back on her standard defense. Sarcasm. "So, you say you sentence us to die, but then you give the command 'Kill.' Are you talking to us? 'Cause there's no one else here, but it seems a bit contradictory..."
She looks up when Robert calls out, but can't make out whatever it is he's noticed. Still, she keeps her eyes on the ceiling and her hands on her kukris as she tries to prepare for anything.
Lucretia likewise waits for a target, arranging her thoughts in case a target presents itself.
Unfortunately the command to 'kill' reveals itself when two scurrying swarms of rats burst out from the seating and engulf Randi and Shula.
From the ceiling come loud words of power and a large sized rat appears on the ceiling. As it finishes its spell a bolt of sickly green acid leaps across the room towards Robert. It strikes him in the face and burns!
”Ah! Get off of me, vile rodents!” Randi shrieks as the rats swarm over her. She tries to smash them with her shield. Hilde happily pounces on her favored prey!
Lollia steps back behind everyone and begins a racing melody on her instrument.
"Ugh!" Shula knows rats. She actually kind of likes them; they're survivors and she can appreciate that. However getting swarmed by hundreds of little biting fangs is not her idea of a good time.
Stepping back, she swipes her kukris at the swarm. (More out of frustration than a belief it will be enough to make them stop, which is good, because both kukris catch nothing but air.) "Can anyone do anything about the one on the ceiling?!"
"I've got it!" Lucretia shouts in reply to Shula.
Randi and Hilde crush a few rats but even the Mighty Mouser is being overwhelmed. Shula cant even land a blow that matter on the swarm around her.
Even Lollia's inspiring music proves ineffective as Robert sends a crossbow bolt into an ancient chair rather than a useful target. Lucretia starts weaving magic around the rat but needs more time to complete the spell.
In the meantime the rat fires off a bolt of magic at Lollia. "Silence your horrid screeching!" It yells as the acid continues to burn Roberts skin.
Lucretia completes her spell but the rat shakes it off with surprising strength of will.
Randi's resolve wavers as the rats continue to swarm her. She lets out a disgusted shriek as she bats at them and staggers away to try to get a moment to collect herself!
With a snarl, Shula continues slashing ineffectually at the swarm around her. "Thanks Lucretia! If you can get him on the ground, that would help a lot."
Randi flails at the rats while Hilde scratches one.
Lollia's tune shifts to something very soothing that she directs towards the rat that talks.
Hilde and Randi continue hammering at the rats that surround them, while Shula kebabs one amongst the multitude. Lucretia, hearing her cousin change her song, repeats her spell in the hopes that it will have better results this time.
The swarms continue to bit and rip at Randi, Hilde and Shula with terrifying ferocity.
The rat wizard speaks words of power and another jet of acid flies at Lollia. "I said Be Silent!" It screams.
"Aha, fear the Great Lord of Irratio- zzzzzz." Lucretia's spell takes effect and the rat goes limp, although his claws continue to grip to the ceiling.
Hilde yowls in pain and scampers away to safety. The Shield Maiden grits her teeth, stubbornly refusing to fall as she tries to squish more rats!
Tries, and fails.
Shula stares up at the ceiling the rat stubbornly refuses to fall from. "Oh that is just not fair." At least it can't cast any more spells while asleep. (Hopefully.)
Unable to reach her true target, she resigns herself to continuing to slice at the smaller rats surrounding her. Even though she's not having much more luck than the Shield Maiden in that regard.
Lollia cringes in pain as the acid eats through her flesh. She grits her teeth, though and attempts to put the rats in the closest swarm to sleep with her own song.
As the Shield Maiden and Shula flail hopelessly at the rats surrounding them help comes in the form of Jabir!
With some heavy blows and a lot of stomping the swarm around Randi is dispersed into a few fleeing rats and a large number of Hilde sized snacks. The remaining rats continue to swarm over Shula though as Lollia's spell proves ineffective.
The rat snoozes on, clinging to the ceiling. Behind you Prince Ali calls out. "Come my friends, we are so close to freedom now!" Jonuwan accompanies the words with a warm pulse of healing.
Invigorated by the burst of healing, the Shield Maiden puts her shield to good use!
Shula surprisingly winces more at the healing than the sharp claws of the rats swarming over her. Hope Prince Ali pays for that one too.
She sends a grateful look Jabir's way when he steps in to help. Personally she's not heavy enough to do much stomping, so she continues slashing instead. This time she has slightly better luck, not that killing one or two individual rats means much to the swarm.
Lollia's face lights up when she's handed the scroll. She studies it for a moment before beginning to read.
Unfortunately, the words begin to swirl before her eyes and she trails off with a frustrated growl.