"It would seem so. As much as I would like to garner information, I think it best we engage as soon as we close the distance. The longer we wait, the more chance they will have to realize the ruse."
With the plan decided, Thesius and Vantine take on the shape of a human and a svirneblin respectively, and Thesius approaches, his sword lit by magic. As he approaches, however, a harsh voice calls out to him in Hallit.
Ahead of him are a pair of wooden barricades manned by a pair of forgotten children, one male, and one female. The male one, with a lion's mane and a red adder's scales is the one who called him out.
The woman, who is covered in scars and has a vestigial head peeking out from her bared stomach, speaks next, prompting a brief exchange
"Good point."
The man bares his fangs before they both let out terrible howls and shrieks, lifting their weapons in preparation to engage.
Merixia scowls. "Devil-blooded. Although I doubt the cultists will be able to tell the difference." Ugh, that drives her insane. She can't exactly blame people for assuming, this close to the Worldwound, but still!
Elliot flinches at what was probably a rather careless mistake. "Devil-blooded, of course. My apologies; I didn't mean to offend. I, ah... suppose the demonic invasion upstairs is keeping my mental faculties more preoccupied than it should."
Anevia shrugs uncomfortably. "I guess. I just... I spent most of my life trying to be who I am, now that I am, I don't want to be someone else."
"Her wife spent so much making her who she is that she does not want to change it." Horgus observes cooly, and the archer shoots him a quick, startled glance. "What? He borrowed money from me to buy it, didn't you know? Behind on his payments, too."
The mage looks up from his inner musings at this rather odd dialogue between Horgus and Anevia and peers at the woman intently. 'He?' Not 'she'? Did he misspeak twice? Or is either Anevia or 'her wife' actually a man? "Who is this 'he' you refer to, Lord Horgus?" Elliot asks him, curious.
When the base comes into view of the frontline, Elliot walks back slightly, then draws the scroll he had bought earlier and uses it. Unfortunately, not too long afterwards, the intricate plan fails and open combat starts almost instantly...
Anevia looks uncomfortable. "My wife sold her sword to help me become who I always have been. I don't know to whom, though."
Thesius quickly works on assessing the situation. He knew this would almost certainly lead to the loss of life, but he would prefer it not be their own. With that thought in mind, he wishes to not be caught with his party in a choke point. He steps forward with what courage he can muster to hold the ground.
Elliot flinches at what was probably a rather careless mistake. "Devil-blooded, of course. My apologies; I didn't mean to offend. I, ah... suppose the demonic invasion upstairs is keeping my mental faculties more preoccupied than it should."
Merixia sighs. "It's all right. I shouldn't have snapped at you, it's just kind of a sore spot."
She isn't quite sure what Anevia and Horgus are referring to here. 'Become who I've always been'? How odd. But it looks like an uncomfortable topic for Anevia, so the cleric chooses to stay quiet. She'll ask Verene about it later. The older woman is so insightful, much more so than Merixia.
===
Elyda did not understand the language the traitor forgotten children were speaking, but the bared fangs, howls/shrieks and raised weapons were obviously meant to be threatening.
Elyda, buckler strapped and blade already in hand, moved forward 20 ft to better assess the situation and open up the passage for the companions behind her to move closer, too, when the time came.
Verena hustles forward on smaller but quieter feet, ending up directly behind Elyda.
Elyda hears the cries and moves cautiously forwards, while Verene pads after her, prepared to take on this new threat. Thesius steps forwards, his shining weapon at the ready,
Unfortunately, this brings him directly into range of the two traitors. The male swings his club furiously at Thesius skull, clearly intending to break bones and possibly even kill him, despite his earlier words, but his clumsy strikes swing wide as he nearly trips over the barricade's base.
His female counterpart moves swiftly forwards, getting closer to Thesius and taking up the space between the two barricades.
Merixia runs up to join Thesius, Verene, and Elyda, but can't quite get to melee range burdened by her armor. Instead she calls upon Ragathiel's power, laying a hand on Thesius' shoulder.
Thesius feels the power of the General of Vengeance surge into him, empowering him with Ragathiel's fury.
Thesius feels courage swell within him at Merixia's touch and gives a prayer to Desna as he lashes out at the forgotten child (Orange outlined) in front of him with the morningstar Chief Sull provided them.
Elliot quickly walks forward and assault the mind of the Traitor next to Thesius!
Round 1
Elyda took a 5ft step forward and swung her blade over the 3 ft barricade in an attempt to slash into the top-half of male forgotten child traitor
Verene steps forward beside Elyda , drawing her crossbow, and fires it at the scaled and lion-maned man who swung at Thesius.
Anevia shrugs uncomfortably. "I guess. I just... I spent most of my life trying to be who I am, now that I am, I don't want to be someone else."
"Her wife spent so much making her who she is that she does not want to change it." Horgus observes coolly, and the archer shoots him a quick, startled glance. "What? He borrowed money from me to buy it, didn't you know? Behind on his payments, too."
"Oh..." Anevia looks away.
...
"Who is this 'he' you refer to, Lord Horgus?" Elliot asks him, curious.
...
Horgus snorts. "Some fool who bought a paladin's sword as a conversation piece."
Anevia looks uncomfortable. "My wife sold her sword to help me become who I always have been. I don't know to whom, though."
...
"Your wife seems like a wonderful person. She surely seems a fine choice for her lovely wife," [Thesius] says while giving a pointed look to Horgus to show he finds nothing about his words funny.
Verene blinks, trying to piece together a sensical interpretation of this exchange.
Anevia's lady wife, a paladin, at some time in the past sold her sword to an unknown man, who borrowed the money to be able to afford it from Lord Horgus. She sold the sword to have the money to buy Anevia's transformation into her current form. Horgus both knew of the reason the borrower took the loan and the reason the sword was for sale.
Conclusion: Anevia must have started life as a member of a different race, or sex, or perhaps with a deformity that required serious magic to permanently correct. She had seemed especially reluctant to become smaller; possibly a relic of having once been a halfling or gnome, and thus less compatible with her wife?
"I don't think Lord Horgus was being purposefully insulting, Thesius." For once.
To Anevia she says carefully, "I understand your hesitance to risk dismissing the sacrifice made on your behalf by your lady wife, or its effects." She keeps her thoughts on the vanity and folly of trading the weapon that might keep someone alive in battle for such a spell off her face. People did foolish things for love, or accepted such gestures, all the time.
"However, as I said, the scale's effect is a temporary change, nothing more. After it wears off, to the best of my understanding, you will return to exactly how you were when you invoked its magic. But, in the end, of course it is entirely up to you. You have no obligation here."
Elyda moves swiftly forwards, slashing over the barricade and cutting deeply into the male traitor's flank. He shouts in sudden agony, whirling to face her with dark eyes.
Thesius lashes out with the enchanted morningstar, cracking the woman over the head and sending her staggering backwards, blood pouring from the wound. The vestigial head on her torso lets out a horrific wail, but she shakes herself off, stepping forwards once more.
Verene sidesteps, aims her crossbow, and fires an excellent shot - despite the fact that she has to avoid hitting Elyda and the barricade in the way, the bolt flies true, impacting heavily into his chest. He lets out a low groan, before bursting forwards with a defiant roar.
Elliot chants his spell, his hands flicking through the long-memorized patterns, and lashes out at the heavily injured woman, but whether it is the pain or her sheer bloody-mindedness, the spell has no effect.
The traitors renew their assault, with the man swinging his club viciously at Elyda. Though she tries to get her buckler up in time, she's slightly too slow... only for his blows to come up short as he cannot quite reach her over the barricade. However, before she can respond in kind, he swings his free hand at her... but once more, he is foiled by the barricade keeping him just out of range.
The woman goes into a frenzy, swinging her club and off-hand wildly at Thesius. Taken aback by the ferocity of the assault, he cannot keep himself from being bashed and battered by both club and heavy fist, sending him stumbling back a step. Pain sears through his ribs and his shoulder.
Anevia steps forwards, guiding Aravashnial behind her, before aiming a hasty shot at the woman who has severely beaten Thesius. Despite her skill, however, the arrow soars into the wooden door behind her target with a thunk.
Aravashnial holds back, muttering something the heroes cannot hear to Anevia, who nods.
Merixia steps up to Thesius' right, slashing at the woman who wounded him.
Though she swings with furious strength, Merixia's blade soars high over her target's head as the hellspawn is forced to avoid hitting Thesius.
On the far side of the door, the heroes hear a few muffled words and the sounds of heavy footsteps.
Thamyris settles on Verene's shoulder, chirping into her ear.
"Thesius is taking quite a beating..." Elliot thinks, grimacing - and doubly so when his initial spell had no effect. "Should I cast it now? Or wait and see if they got this? One of the enemies is almost down, too, and I only have three at most..."
Caught in momentary indecision, Elliot delays.
Thesius feels the blunt force of the club impact and breaths in deeply to bare through the pain. With a prayer of Desna upon his lips, he lashes out once more at the forgotten child in front of him.
Round 2
Elyda's mind was fixed on the fight with the traitor guards.
Once, again, Elyda thrust forward with her rapier, hoping to slash the male traitor's body visible above the barricade.
Then took a 5ft step diagonally to give Verene a clear, unhindered path to shoot the male forgotten child with her bow.
"Reinforcements coming from behind that door very soon," Verene says tensely. She switches to Celestial, which she knows Elliot speaks and the traitors and cultists are unlikely to. "Elliot, can you step up and ready a color spray to hit them when they pop out?"
She would also do so, but she doesn't want to waste the opportunity Elyda has given her, so Verene first reloads her crossbow, fires it into the lion-maned man again, and steps northwest a bit
Elyda steps away to give Verene a better shot, before slashing out with her sword - however, the traitor deflects the blows easily with his club, a sneer twisting his scaled face.
Thesius continues his assault against the woman, who deflects and parries his blows until he lands a strike on her flank... only to discover that her skin is tougher than it first seemed, and his morningstar bounces off.
Taking advantage of Elyda's evasion, Verene draws on her knowledge of the future - discovering exactly how not to fire, changes her actions, and unleashes another bolt into the man. It thwacks wetly into his right shoulder, and he growls in pain.
He looks to his ally, before swinging his heavy club at Thesius, who easily evades the clumsy blows, before he steps away from the group, allowing the young archeologist to counterattack. Thesius' morningstar cracks soundly against the man's chest, crushing his ribs and knocking him to the ground, where dark blood begins to flow freely from the heavy impact wound.
His female counterpart laughs hysterically, a comical sound that resembles the honking of a goose, before launching herself at Thesius in another frenzy of violence. Though he manages to use his buckler to keep her heavy hands at bay, he receives another stunning thump in his stomach, sending him stumbling back once more.
"Thesius! Retreat!" Anevia shouts. "Let Elyda or Merixia finish her off!" She aims another shot at the woman. This arrow misses as well, striking the earthen walls above the doorway and sticking there.
Aravashnial lifts his hand, hesitating, before lowering it with a soft Elven curse.
"Get back, Thesius! I'll heal you once we're done here!" The cleric slashes at the woman who attacked Thesius once again.
With a vicious strike, Merixia bisects the badly-injured traitor, shearing her from shoulder to hip. Blood explodes from the wound as viscera and other, less pleasant things drop to the floor with a wet, meaty slap. The two halves crash to the ground near-simultaneously, leaving the room momentarily silent.
In the silence, the noises from beyond the door become more noticeable - the thud of heavy footsteps and the scrape of something against stone.
Verene suppresses a surge of nausea, barely managing to keep her breakfast down in an involuntary physical reaction to the sudden and violent demise of the frenzied woman who had seemed bent on clubbing Thesius into next week. But her thoughts are cold and clear, as they always are in dangerous situations when the flashes of future-sight come to her. Even if Merixia uses her healing burst, that one won't be getting up.
"They're preparing some kind of defense behind that door," she realizes quietly. "Perhaps they aren't going to come to the aid of their guards after all, but wait for us to come to them. The less time we give them to prepare, the better."
Verene moves to just in front of the door, taking a pinch of multicolored powder from her pouch into the palm of her hand and muttering arcane words. She pauses on a deep indrawn breath, ready at a moment's notice to blow the sand outward before her.
Adrenaline pumping, Thesius works to not let his stomach take note of the gruesome scene as the sound of footsteps reach his ears. With a quick spell, he calls upon his arcane powers to mend his wounds.
Feeling significantly better he moves up to cover the side of the door after Verene pushes past to stand in front of it.
Finally, with a motion of his hands he directs the dancing lights to swirl forward.
Upon Verene's warning and the death of the two traitorous forgotten children, Elyda began to cast, touching her leg, as she spoke the quiet words of her spell. She felt her Lady's warm Light move around her, forming a shimmering, magical field to help protect her from what was coming.
Then the inquisitor stepped diagonally 5ft, to stand on the other side of the barricade to Verene and opposite Merixia (to set up a future flank) in case the enemy managed to get through the doors.
Elyda draws upon her devotion to the Inheritor, erecting a shimmering shield to protect her from blows.
After a brief chant, Thesius feels broken bones and battered flesh revitalize as he draws upon his arcane talents to heal his wounds.
Verene pads forwards on smaller feet than usual, her hands up and ready to unleash a spray of vibrant colors into the doorway should it open.
And indeed, within a heartbeat, it does just that, revealing a pair of traitors, both wielding clubs, The first, who opened the door is a woman who has the snout of a wolf, an oversized ogreish-looking right arm, and three crustacean legs emerging from her left ribs. The other woman, has one eye significantly larger than the other, with a lopsided mouth twisted in a sadistic grin.
Both women are backlit by a flickering dim light emerging from within.
Verene immediately lets loose with her spell, blasting them both with a spray of colors - and both tumble to the ground, unconscious, the first woman with a pitiful shriek.
Behind them, in the flickering light coming from Verene's right , she sees a large, white-scaled lizard with a flicking tongue gazing at her hungrily. It is the size of a large dog, with needle fangs glistening with foul ropes of saliva.
The lizard launches forwards at Verene, its tongue flicking faster. It lunges forwards, allowing Thesius a chance to strike at it as it passes him by. The blow bounces off of its scaled hide, however, leaving it the chance to attack the transformed wizard herself.
It lunges forwards, its needle-fangs glinting wetly in the light of Thesius' spell, and chomps viciously at Verene. Its teeth break through her invisible mage armor to crunch her leg, shredding flesh and crushing bone.
”Verene!” Merixia moves over a few feet and begins chanting a spell. She reaches over with her free hand, avoiding the lizard, and manages to touch Verene’s arm.
Verene lets out a yelp, more of surprise than pain, when the lizard clamps onto her leg, but as it bites down and white-hot agony radiates from its jaws, she grits her teeth together on a strangled scream. Thamyris cries loudly in his distress, unable to do anything about the most severe pain she has ever sent down the empathic link between them for more than a moment before unconsciousness. Merixia's healing eases the pain momentarily, enough for her to manage to gasp out, "Thanks! I'm fine! Just kill it!"
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Staring at the door and waiting for the *exact* right moment to cast his spell, Elliot's concentration is almost broken by Merixia's brutal execution of the traitor Forgotten.
He makes a mental note to never ever upset her, then shifts his gaze back only to find Verene beating him to it and handily downing the first set of reinforcements with the exact same spell he was planning on using.
Oh. Well then?
"Way to go!" he shouts, as both women were taking names.
...And then there was the lizard, who snuck pas Thesius and almost severed his sister's leg the next second.
"Verene!" he cries, then rushes forward as his form shimmers and...
He disappears.
...Blinking back into existance behind the monitor lizard!
He takes two more steps, turns around, and reaches for his inner fire magic, which drains the fire from the volatile bottle in his hand as he casts the incantation. "I'm sorry," he says, as he fires the scorching cone right over both the unconscious enemies and the monitor lizard!
Merixia rushes to touch Verene, a healing spell on her lips. Some of the wounds that the lizard caused with its bite heal, but it still holds her in a death grip.
Elliot finally has a chance to shine (more than literally), and teleports behind the lizard and the two traitors to unleash a burst of fire that heats even the other heroes, such its its intensity. The aasimar pours as much power into it as he is able, drawing upon heritage, knowledge, and alchemical aid all at once.
The lizard, though startled at the sudden blaze, manages to evade the worst of the blast by flattening itself to the ground. Its two unconscious masters, however, are less fortunate, as their flesh scorches and sizzles. The air fills with the sickening stench of burning humanoid mixed with the hunger-inducing smell of cooked animal meat.
Anevia rushes forwards, almost forgetting to pull Aravashnial along. "Verene, hang on!"
For his part, the Riftwarden looks somewhat unnerved. "What's going on?"
Thesius steadies himself at the sudden onslaught from both sides. This was starting to feel more like a mage's duel than the melee they were in earlier. With a cry to Desna, he lashes out at the...
...overgrown reptile in front of him.
Elyda could not determine what type of lizard was attacking the party. The inquisitor moved back and around Merexia to get closer to the break between the barriers and moved/slipped through.
Then she swung her blade at the reptile, hoping to slice through its hide.
===
As the white lizard's terrible jaws grind against her smaller shinbone, Verene focuses on what she can do. Concentrating enough to cast a spell through the pain of the bite and the monster's attempts to pull her down will be difficult to impossible. Likewise, escaping the vise of its jaws would be unlikely even in her normal form, and is practically impossible now that she is small, with less purchase on the ground: she gets a razor-flash premonition of herself struggling in vain and a terrible crack as the bone gives way.
But perhaps she can shore up Merixia's healing and survive a little longer. Verene fishes the potion from her belt, yanks the cork from the vial with her teeth, and drains it in one swallow. Then she goes limp, hoping the monster will think her dead and lose interest in the face of her more threatening companions.
Elyda rushes forwards, her blade shining in the light of Thesius' spell, and strikes the lizard several times, but her blows are deflected by the scaled hide of the beast, which shifts and twists to get away from her.
Thesius takes advantage of the reptile's distraction, landing a solid blow on its back with his enchanted morningstar. He feels the sickening crunch of the blow breaking scale, piercing flesh, and damaging bone.
Verene, for her part, feels a flash of insight that shows her attempting to struggle free will get her nowhere fast, so she takes her chances on pulling forth a potion and drinking it, though its effects are minimal.
The two traitors remain stunned on the ground, though the fire on one of them burns brightly, briefly, before slowly fading away.
The lizard, meanwhile, releases Verene, hissing, and turns its fangs on Thesius. The archeologist steps back and manages to avoid the fierce fangs, slapping it away with his buckler for good measure.
Then, from the southern corner of the room, an arrow whizzes over Elliot's head, but when he looks for the source, he sees... no one. There is a door in that direction, so perhaps there is someone behind there?
Anevia and Aravashnial step forwards once more, as Anevia quickly explains what's happening. The Riftwarden scowls, cursing under his breath.
While Merixia would love to chop that lizard into bits, she can’t get past the barricades. Instead she casts another healing spell, touching Verene’s shoulder.
Elliot investigates the door he thinks the mysterious arrow came from. He could go back, but he trusted all seven of his allies to have dealt with the beast. Or so he told himself. In truth, he felt like he needed to do more to make up for yesterday, even if it was risky. Judging by the last shot, this archer probably wasn't the best, even if he couldn't see them now. He could do this! "There's an archer hidden here somewhere!" he calls back to the others as he moves, just in case.
If he sees his/an enemy behind the door, he casts colour spray on he/she/it!
With another chant and invocation of Ragathiel's compassion, Merixia lays her hand on Verene once more (reaching somewhat uncomfortably over the barrier to touch her shortened form). The wizard's wounds heal completely returning her to fullest health.
Meanwhile, the emberkin arcanist swiftly turns to the direction the arrow flew from, opening the door cautiously. Inside, he sees a what appears to be a common room, with a stone table and chairs sitting in the southwestern corner. The room is lit by a brass bowl of coals that hangs from the ceiling, which reveals a traitor woman with bluish skin, spider legs emerging from her back, and a long, slender tail. In her hand is a longbow, and she sneers at him beneath her hood.
As he chants, Elliot carves magical runes in the air with his fingers, and unleashes a blast of color at the multi-eyed archer. Even as she is colored by the rainbow magic, she remains standing, though her form is clearly outlined in the sorcerous assault. She snarls something Elliot cannot understand in Hallit.
"Thanks! Let me get out of everyone's way first, so one of you can be where I am," Verene says, and hastily but cautiously suits action to words, relieved to find that her recently-bitten leg holds her weight fully.
Thesius lashes out once more towards the creature with the morningstar...