Joska turns aside her opponent's axe with her shield and renews her attack on him.
"Oh hey! That was good! And no less than what you all deserve..." she thinks to herself as her needles reach their target. It was hard to throw them proficiently at the right spot, hoping to hit a vital area. Fortunately for her, her target was caught unaware.
With her seemingly now engaged in battle, it is harder to get a throw off, but if he cannot see where it comes from, it may aid her still. This time, each one will face the wrath of her righteousness.
Kevin attacks the mongrelman hopeing to eliminate one more of them. He says to the group "We have the better of them! Let's finish them off."
Callen looks over at the others engaged in the scuffle at the door, 'they will make short work of them...' then looks to Nicolette toward the back. He raises his left arm up high, holding up two fingers. I then blows a shrill whistle, and waves his hand forward, emphasizing his upturned fingers. Hopefully, she looks over toward him at the door.
After, he cracks it back open, and begins to stalk down the stairs, his bow at the ready, anticipating the arrival of the scout.
Seeing Callen indicate that there are some potential enemies coming from the other door, she moves over to be ready in case anyone comes up the stairs. Or to run down the stairs to support Callen if he gets into a fight. Not like they need her at the other door.
Joska's follow up blow from her sword strikes the hulking brute, who lets out a gurgled howl and collapses to the group. Her attempt as a shield bash simply knocks the falling corpse backward.
Nicolette snaps off two more of her throwing blades at the spearman, with one striking the underside of his armpit near an artery, and the other getting caught up in his armor.
Kevin's swing follows behind Nicolette's attack, and similarly catches the spearman unprepared, striking him down where he stands.
Missy turns and hurries across the chamber, heading the direction that Callen had just signalled. Amelia too begins to move in this direction, uncertain of her next action.
Callen tucks himself in tight and low, nestling into a small dip in the wall. Somehow the halfling appears to not exist in the space, and his ears continue to follow the slow, limping footstep of the oncoming mongrel guard, as the distant flicker of some torchlight just inches up the stairs.
Kevin looks around and sees all of their enemies down and says "Good work everyone! Looks like we have more company." He then moves toward the other door.
Callen notices Amelia move up, and nods for her to get low. At a low whisper, "Have a spell ready, one is near."
Callen draws his knocked arrow and aims it toward the edge of the wall where someone would turn up toward the flight of steps he is on.
Joska was unaware of anything else happening in a different area, but most everyone else is moving toward a far corner of the big room so she walks that way as well.
Slender, sensitive Elven ears pick up easily on the little whistle from Callen. Given that he signals her just as her foe falls, she will rush to aid him and will be a good distractor for this being when he gets to the top of the stairs. In her hands, she pulls two more of her needles.
The mongrel rounds the corner, coming to investigate but clearly not on guard. Callen's arrow strikes him square in the chest, followed quickly by twin arcane blasts from Amelia. Before he can react to the foe before him, the traitor is dead.
A distant voice echoes up from down past the stairs, its voice slightly raised and agitated. "Oih, pranking not now be needed! Vendar, to post get you back. Angry lest Mistress be."
Hearing the traitor below call out, Callen steps past the body and quietly makes his way down the stairs, trying to determine what awaits them.
Callen, you get to the bottom of the stairs and find yourself looking across a lengthy chamber. About halfway across a stream breaks the stone floor, then on the far side are set up low wooden palisade, to reduce movement. A torch is mounted on the wall near the end of the stairs and another at the far end of the room, before a doorway. The other traitor who had been speaking is standing within the palisade near the door.
Joska waits outside the passageway and tries to remain quiet. Things seem to be working out pretty well for Callen so far, and she figures he will let the rest of them know if they're needed.
Callen turns and quietly moves back up to his allies. At a low whisper, "there is only one down there, guarding a door. But he is at least 50 feet back, and there is both a small stream and a wooden fence at least partially in the way. I can likely hit him with an arrow, but I doubt I can take him down with one shot. They are tough bastards. Anyone got any ideas? Maybe some way to stun him?"
”Well, did you hear this guy’s voice?” she asks concerning the freshly killed foe. ”If so, you can lure him up to meet his friend’s fate.”
She seems resolved to see these beings ended. Their desire to torture, and getting glee from it showed her their heart.
Callen looks at Nicolette doubtfully. In his typically hollow, raspy voice, "I heard him say a few words, from a distance. But I am no actor, nor can my voice get loud. Sadly, that option is beyond me. Meraati, you seem to have a skilled tongue, is that something you could accomplish?"
Focusing on mimicking a female voice she heard just now, Meraati tries making a bluff to lure them back.
"Ugh, there is anybody? Hurt am i!
The foul intruders injured badly me."
*moan of agony*
"Gone have they, please, anyone is still here, medical help i need."
Nicolette will recover her needles quickly and wipe them off, only to be replaced shortly afterwards with her daggers in hand. Perhaps with this foe taking the bait he will be more focused on other matters then the plume of darkness waiting to meet him off to the side of the stairs as he rises to the top. It is there, she lies in wait.
Realizing what Meraati is doing, she follows Nicolette's example as quickly as possible. Just moving to stand off to the side of the top of the stairs, tucked into the corner of the room. Out of the way but nearby to help if need be.
A distant, frustrated voice calls back from below, "What injured say ye? Crazy saying what you be?! Gah, coming!"
You hear the quick hustle of someone at a hurried jog come running across the room below and then their boots slap against the stone steps as they come up. Suddenly, a spindly, hunched man with patchwork fur and scales rounds the corner, his spear Carried loosely down low. His eyes go wide as he sees the waiting crowd.
Joska holds her position and waits until those closer have acted, so as not to spoil their surprise. After she hears action commence Joska rounds the corner into the tunnel and advances on the guard.
Kevin waits to see what happens up front.
His bow at the ready, Callen snaps off a shot at the traitor as it rounds the corner.
Missy silently cheers from the back, since she can't help any other way. They can do it!
The group makes fast work of this one mongrel. So shocked is he that by the time arrows and needles hit him, he can hardly respond as giant blades make him meet his end. It is fitting for such evil beings. The smoke dissipates from around the beautiful Nicolette and she emerges, clearly seen once more.
"Wow...we...kicked some serious traitorous butt. I don't know about you guys, but I'm taking back what they have poached from our people above and these below. They don't deserve to rot here with goods that can benefit us or the people in the lake."
With that, she will begin to recover her weaponry and will search bodies.
Once finished, she will search the room for any alternative paths that were otherwise hidden from sight in the hustle and bustle.
Kevin tries to take out the last mongrel and then makes room for Joska.
When her chance comes Joska takes her shots at the sentry.
Though Callen's arrow goes wide, it is a little concern as Kevin and Joska Both bring their awesome night to bear against the traitor. With swift swings of their blades, The phone is no more. And for the moment, it would seem no further alarm has been raised.
Having retreated back into the main chamber beyond the double door, you quickly take stock of your situation: all of you are standing, and injuries are far less than they could have been. You do notice Amelia seems rather unsettled by the combat, her face having gone pale and her hands shaking.
Their armor is a piecemeal combination of leather, hide, and bits of chain. Though serviceable, you all trust your personal armor is more substantial than that which is offered here.
Their melee weapons are functional and at least basically maintained, though again they're not of particularly respectable quality. You recover a long spear, a great axe, two long swords, two scimitars, three spiked clubs, a short sword, and a flail. In addition you find four daggers, and two light crossbows with 10 bolts each. Across the entire group you collect 87 gold, 130 silver, and 92 copper.
Masterwork chain shirt, masterwork mighty (+3) composite longbow, masterwork scimitar, club, wand of longstrider (10 charges), potion of cure moderate wounds, obsidian unholy symbol of baphomet, 34 gold.
Before you are four options:
1 - closed door to the north
2 - closed door to the northeast
3 - open door to the east, which opens into a workshop or forge
4 - open door to the southeast, which leads to the staircase and the chamber below
"Amelia...Amelia?" she inquires of the youthful girl. Mouthing words to Callen, she states "she's in shock". For the moment, Nicolette sets her off to the side a bit further away from the dead bodies and allows her to wrap her hands about herself.
While they gather the goods left behind in the room, she does find some impressive gear upon some of them. In a quick manner, she lays out the good gear for them all to look over and equip if they wish, while the others she binds into an easily carried piecemeal armor wrapped leather binding sheath for them all wrapped with cord. None of these can be drawn easily, but they can be carried out and added to with effort for the purpose of selling them eventually or giving them to their allies.
Once the gear is sorted, she will finish collecting her own gear and resharpening it while others are preparing themselves. She then will take charge of Amelia and guide her in whatever direction Callen seems to want to take them. On her face, an apologetic look that will remain unless someone else wishes to take charge of the loopy youngling.
Meraati will take over for caring about Amelia, initially hugging the girl until she somewhat would calm down to the point fit for travel.
"We're going to get back up there, Amelia. I'm certain of it."
If anything, she'd try to share some of her optimism to soothe Amelia's mind.
That, and share (attempt for both sides) stories of past ventures, to keep her mind off the fighting.
With Meraati taking charge of Amelia, trying to reserve her happiness, Nicolette moves up toward the front with Callen.
"Well now, I think we handled that well. When dealing with unknown directions, I usually make sure that I don't pass up rooms. Let's check that room of the entrance..." she indicates the forge to the east. With her companions, she will head that way unless someone else has a different opinion. As she gets to the door, she will observe it as she approaches.
*+1 vs traps
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Joska is thrilled, and frankly amazed, they've managed to do so well so far. Her original concern remains though, being flanked or surrounded if the mongrels have side passages through which to move around them.
"We'll need to check the rooms thoroughly before we move on. Anything useful to us we take. Any caches or stores we can't use we need to destroy so this place becomes indefensible when we're done. We can let the Chief Lann and his people know they can easily reclaim it."
"Let's start with the room the archer came from. I believe she was one of the leaders Lann mentioned. After that I think we should check the southern passages since we're farther into them already. Afterward we can come back through and start on the north side."
Joska has seen the kind of shock Amelia is presenting before. It's not unusual, battles are horrible to experience or even see. Hopefully given some time she'll adjust.
"Will you be staying with Amelia then Meraati? She shouldn't be left alone."
Meraati nods at Joska, with a reassuring smile.
"I'll be with her as long as it will take."
And it might take a while, the poor girl.
"That works for me," she replies to Joska's plan and will search the path ahead.
"I-I agree with Joska. We need to clear everything out, if only so that we don't miss someone and get rushed from behind." Giving Amelia a concerned look, she didn't bother saying anything to avoid dogpiling the girl. Moving over to follow Joska, she hoped there wasn't too many more in this place. If only because she didn't want to literally drown the fortress in blood...
Kevin moves through the rooms gathering gear and adding it to the pile. After it is all gathered he says "If no one else wants it I'll take that bow and some arrows. I'm no archer but it may prove useful if we have to engage someone at range."
He then studies their options and says "If no one heard anything through those closed doors it may be best to leave them for now. I would close that other door to limit sound getting through and then say we head down the stairs."
Callen looks around the party and notices the shock setting in on young Amelia. 'She has likely never seen battle before - not this close up, this violent, at least. And after yesterday's events, no less. Poor child. I hope she can pull it together.'
He walks over slowly to Amelia and Meraati, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. He offers his unstoppered waterskin, hoping the cool, crisp water from the underground lake will help bring even a small measure of calm.
Turning toward the others, he nods in agreement, "Aye, figure that workshop likely leads nowhere, so let's give it a look then take the stairs down. Those two doors have not opened, so perhaps nothing lies beyond them - but still, keep a wary eye toward our backs. And Kevin, I agree, the bow could be useful to have in your hands. Check the fletchings on those arrows, she fell hard when i put her down."
Callen will slide over to Nicolette and follow her into the workshop as she begins her inspection.
Joska keeps an eye out for any arriving threats while Callen, Nicolette, and crew check for useful items and materials.
"Alright, let's check it out."
With that, she observes the doorway to make sure it is not trapped and if she can hear sounds of movement beyond.
