Anastasia went wide eyed as her swing somehow failed to connect. The rat shifting out of the way of her descending warhammer, and the woman nearly fell forward as she struck the floor. She spun on her front foot, recovering her balance and brought her back foot forward to be the pivot for her next attack. All told, it was an awkward strike as well, but she was able to get her strength behind it, and she felt the blessing Raban handed out just before her swing came down.
Feeling the disease course through him, Angahaar steps out of their flank and tries a swing at the closest rat to limited effect.
Olapa manages to scrape the rat with one of her claws, eliciting a yelp of pain from the beast. Ana smashes her hammer into the other rat, getting her own cry from it.
Elise's mind affecting magic is just barely shaken off by the archer she targeted, and the two archers and rats lash out at the party once again.
Raban stays back and tries to thread the needle with the bow, shooting past Anastasia and Angahaar to injure the mongrelman who was intent on putting holes in them.
Unfortunately, he's still getting used to the feel of the bow. The bowstring nearly snaps and the arrow pings harmlessly into the back wall, far off-target.
As a natural hunter, Olapa keeps pace with the tide of battle, ducking underneath the rat's bite, stepping closer to the mongrel, and continuing to tear into her chosen meal.
---
Ana had hoped the fight would progress more apace than this, and as she failed to end the rat she found herself on the defensive as the dog sized beast lashed at her front foot. Growling in frustration, and to keep her lagging rage from dying to an ember, she then brought her hammer down again as if hammering in a stubborn piton.
As inspiring as Raban's actions are, Olapa does manage to snag the neck of the rat she is entangled with on the end of her second claw and brings it down finally.
Elise wrenches an exposed bone from the dead rat and sets it swinging through the air at the northern mongrelman.
Angahaar takes a step to set up flanking with Ana and swings at the rat again.
And misses again as the rat swiftly evades the strike.
Elise finishes off the north mongrel as he collapses to the floor in a cry of pain.
Raban decides to risk an attack from the remaining rat, moving into the room past Ana to get a cleaner shot on the last mongrelman.
As Olapa claims a kill and begins eyeing the other targets in the environment, Raban gives her a command to wait so that Elise can get one more unobstructed blow.
Then, with a command to pounce, Olapa closes in to try to take the next kill.
---
Feeling her rage tapering off Ana is relieved to see Angahar step in to help her flank the distressed and angry rat. With a shout she brings all her remaining fury down into her hammer blow to try and end the rat.
Ac 18
Ana finishes off the last rat with a
The last remaining mongrel seems to have no problem facing their likely imminent deaths, and continue to fight back as fervently as it can.
The arrow hits him just barely, drawing blood.
Round 1
Seeing Anastasia practically deflate next to him and Angahaar take a nasty bolt to the chest, Raban tries to end the unfortunate battle as quickly as possible. Olapa should knows to strike hard and fast and then dance back to give others a chance to attack. But Raban wants to be sure of this, so he commands her to be sure.
As his tiger steps back, Raban pulls his bowstring back and lets another arrow fly.
---
On the north side of the cave, Elise points at a chair that begins twirling through the air before hurtling at the mongrelman.
---
And with that, Olapa finally brings the second mongrel down, ending the fierce fight suddenly.
A quick search of the bodies and the room doesn't reveal anything of note, but there are doors in the north and south walls of the cavern.
Anastasia looks around, breathing heavy, and as she realizes the fight is resolved her shoulders slump. Fatigue washing over her body as her muscles ached in protest. "I need a moment." she panted out, "Is everyone okay? What is our condition?"
"Blessedly uninjured thanks to our elven companion's abjuration," Raban responds.
Angahaar: 11/12, diseased, PfA: 36/50
Elise Emera: 9/9, PfA: 47/50
Raban Kwazeeli: 10/10, PfA: 46/50
Olapa: 14/14
"When you are ready, let us go south."
The southern door opens easily, not being locked or even barred. Old blood stains the floor of this small cavern. Barrels filled with scraps of fur and fat sit against one wall, emitting an foul stench. The two long stone slab tables are covered with skinning tools and piles of freshly butchered meat. Two wooden racks hold drying animal skins.
It appears as if the inhabitants of these caves use this chamber to process any food they might catch from the surrounding areas.
As the group examines the southern portal Ana catches her breath. Considering her current extracts. She wasn't ready as the door was opened, but thankfully the room beyond proved uneventful.
She quickly turned away from the southern room and made her way to the northern door. Her haste to not waste her inbibed mutagen still present.
Drawing out one of her extracts (Enlarge Person) and readying herself to rush through and drink it if the group revealed enemies beyond. Stacking on the door, she gave it a cursory glance. Though they had yet to really encounter any kind of trap.
Not eager to see what sort of butchering these folk engaged in, Raban takes up his position in third and offers his forward glance as well, just in case.
"North it is," agrees Elise, as she takes a look at the door as well.
She signals if the door seems clear and then invites Ana or Angahaar to open the door.
Angahaar nods to Elise.
"Onward, to death or glory."
The door opens, though it is stuck and requires a bit of pushing.
A stone pedestal holds a copper brazier aloft in the center of this room. Against the western wall, an enormous pile of animal furs and thick quilts serves as a bed. Sheathed weapons and stone carvings adorn the walls. The eastern half of the room holds a wooden desk, beneath which stands a long, thin iron lockbox.
Standing in the west corner of the room is a woman with an elaborately crafted glaive, currently pointed at the door you just opened. Standing directly in front of the door is another scythe wielding cultist, and behind the desk to the east is a red skinned, horned figure holding a short sword and a hand crossbow.
The left figure with the glaive holds a small stick and says a few short words before swinging the wand. A glowing red glaive appears next to Olapa and swings at it, almost maliciously.
The scythe wielder swings at Ana, crying out in anger. "Deskari shall eat your flesh, weakling!"
The tiefling holding the crossbow takes a shot at Raban .
0/6 Rage Rounds
9/15 HP
Enlarge Person (54 seconds remaining)
Mutagen Strength (Unknown)
Ana lifts the extract to her lips, but underestimates the speed of the cultist. Her claim that her flesh would be taken backed up by a rend into Ana's side she wasn't able to sidestep. The blade carving into her through one of the less armored parts of her torso. She brought her shield arm down, frustrated with herself, and turning the scythe away as the extract took extent. Making her feel cramped in the doorway.
Making room for the rest, she took a hesitant step back before she grit her teeth and swung her hammer forward for it's lowered position. Likely hitting the upper frame of the door if she connected with the cultist or not. "Who're you calling weak, servant?!" she retorted. Though Anastasia's rage was stifled, her hatred remained warm in her chest.
Olapa ducks down as the spiritual weapon tries to carve into her, growling at the hovering, ownerless thing. Her attention seems focused uncertainly on it, not knowing where to attack.
Raban watches the dark exchange of blows between the Deskarian cultist and Ana, and thinks that this must be Hosilla's final stand. With no good angle from which to attack, Raban reaches to the silver holy symbol of Shimye-Magalla hanging around his neck--a butterfly balanced on top of a dripping leaf--and prays.
"Mother Moon, Father Sky, protect us against those who despoil the world you have blessed us with."
Angahaar steps to be in front of the door, taking a mighty swing at the cultist in front of him.
Angahaar's blow finishes the first cultist off, throwing her body to one side and clears the path into the room.
Elise will throw a blast at the tielfing directly through the door. It hits, striking hard but not taking the hellspawn down.
The floating red glaive attacks Olapa again, swinging viciously towards the tiger. It misses in its apparent anger.
The tiefling will reload his hand crossbow quickly before taking a shot at Angahaar, stepping up to the door and pulling out a shortsword.
The lady with the glaive, who you recognize as Hosilla from Wenduag's descriptions now that you see her clearly, calls out a cry of rage and steps up to swing her weapon at Angahaar.
"Baphomet, grant me the power to slay these enemies of yours. Channel your divine wrath through me!"
Elise pales momentarily as Angahaar falls, before her shock is replaced with anger at the evildoer. "Fiends! You'll pay for that!" Seeking to disrupt the glaive-wielder, she channels a magical scream that only her target can hear!
"Jamani!" Raban shouts in his native Mwangi tongue as Angahaar falls. He draws Wenduag's bow out, aiming at Hosilla and hoping to bring her down. "Your words are empty, Hosilla. I will send you to meet your craven lord."
"Washambulie," Raban says through gritted teeth. Olapa recognizes the command and sees an opening ahead where her master fired. She leaps over Angahaar and rushes in to strike Hosilla.
Anastasia decides to give Hosilla no chance to finish her comrade. She grabs Angahaar by his armor's collar with her shield arm and yanks him backward to get him out of danger. Then she turns back toward the demon worshipper with a dark scowl.
"Elise, get back!" she barks at the other woman, "You're in my way."
Elise moves out of the way!
Olapa does provoke from moving closer to Hosilla, and the cultist leader eagerly takes the opportunity to do so.
She cries out in frustration as her glaive misses the tiger and then grunts in pain as Raban's arrow manages to pierce through her chain shirt, inflicting quite the heavy wound. Olapa tries to bite her, but her teeth stuggle to pierce that same shirt.
Hosilla will provoke in return as she moves over into the corner in order to better utilize both her glaive and the flank from her tiefling ally. She holds her unholy symbol from her neck and says a few words in Abyssal before appearing to regain some of her vitality back (if she's still alive after Olapa's attack).
The tiefling, now having the advantage of Hosilla's flank, lashes out with his shortsword at the tiger between the two cultists.
The spiritual weapon will swing out at Raban, attempting to slash him.
Olapa may not have tasted Hosilla's blood, but she's ready to do so. She swipes out...
Having been struck, Olapa turns into a whirl of rage, hissing and biting and scratching all around her before backing up just in case one of those nasty cultists decided to cut her again.
"Not my cat, mbwa jike!"
Raban steps to the side to try to line up a shot, studies his target, and lets fly one more arrow since the last had seemed so effective.
Elise climbs up on the table, focuses on a stray cup on the ground, and launches it forcefully at an enemy!
;
Luckily for the party, Raban and his tiger manage to bring both of the two remaining cultists down with their teamwork.
-Hosilla's body has the wand that she used in combat, as well as an extra potion and alchemist’s fire (2), tanglefoot bag, chain shirt, masterwork glaive, antitoxin, bejeweled book of prayers devoted to Baphomet worth 50 gp, a small key, and a rolled up piece of parchment.
-The tielfing cultist has studded leather armor, short sword, and a hand crossbow with 20 bolts.
-And the last cultist has potion of cure light wounds, scroll of cause fear, scroll of comprehend languages, unholy water, masterwork chain shirt, masterwork glaive, dagger, spell component pouch, unholy symbol, and 10 gp.
The long thin iron lockbox under the desk is the only other thing of interest not on the bodies.
While Olapa continues to tear into the tiefling cultist, over Raban's cries to calm her down, Raban moves back to where Ana had dragged Angaar and reaches to the butterfly necklace around his neck. "Be healed, Sscion of Terendelev," he whispers.
Although the wounds stop actively bleeding, the dragonheir does not yet regain consciousness. "Aha," Raban says, feeling awkward. "It would appear Shimye-Magalla may not approve of something we have done. I shall make penance when we rest."
The dwarf looks tired, and Olapa--no longer tearing her chosen foe to ribbons--mewls pitifully as she licks at the deep gash on her backside. "I know, girl, I know. We shall clean you up soon."
Raban considers the others, hoping that someone else had a way of restoring Angahaar to consciousness outside of slapping him awake. "I am not well-versed in the identification of magical items," he admits, "But I know that keys often fit locks. Let us try this key, neh?"
Ana looks down at Angahaar with concern, only relaxing when Raban delivers some magical healing. "Will he be okay?" she asks. Not knowing what he might possess on his person, she ducks through the doorway and starts rifling through the cultists belongings. Finding the obvious healing potion, she brings it back. Her form shrinking to her normal size as she props up the warrior. Biting the stopper free, she tips the bottle to his lips and cups him under the jaw to guide him to swallow.
Elise moves to Angahaar. "Gather together and hold still. Don't be alarmed--I can heal you." Once the party gathers, fire appears between Elise's hands until it becomes a powerful emanation. It then shoots out over her allies!
Remarkably, the fire does not burn; instead it seems to rejuvenate!
Angahaar's eyes barely flutter open as the healing potion courses through him. Moments later as the fire washes over him, he shoots upward, greatsword in hand as he staggers to his feet and brings it to bear. As he does so, the blade wreathes in frost while he roars, "The cultists attack us with their unholy flame..."
His shout is cut short as he sees the bodies of the cultists on the ground and he feels the the still-warm wounds that Elise's fire healed.
The warrior's face falls slightly, "Oh. They are dead. I...I missed my chance to prove my vengeance and my honor."
He sheathes his sword and sighs, "I am sure you all fought well."
Anastasia was startled as Angahaar popped up off the ground, still clutching the expended potion bottle. "Eh, I'm pretty sure the big kitty did more work than me." she admitted shyly, "As well as Raban and Elise."
She gives the other two crusaders a rueful smile and takes out the other potion they had found. The, as of yet, unidentified one. "Let's see if I can identify this at the very least." she notes while lifting the potion to better examine it.
In addition, an alchemist can use Craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if using detect magic. He must hold the potion for 1 round to make such a check.
"Glory enough for all of us!" declares Elise triumphantly.
Raban marvels at Elise's fiery display. "What a remarkable display, Elise!" Any wounds on either his or his cat's bodies close up, though Olapa growls at first. When she finds that she feels better, she rolls on her back and begins batting at stray sparks dancing in the air, tempting anyone looking at her to rub her belly. She settles into a purr as Ana references the big kitty, looking up at her from the blood-soaked ground with her tongue hanging lightly out of her mouth.
"Aha, there will yet be glory to claim," the dwarf says, nodding as his mask bobbles on his features. "But for now--the box."
He takes hold of the key and tries to open the lockbox.
The lockbox holds a small leather pouch containing an assortment of semiprecious gemstones (three chips of lapis lazuli worth 10 gp each, two bloodstones worth 50 gp each, a citrine worth 50 gp, and a white pearl worth 100 gp) as well as two scrolls. The lockbox also contains a long, thin darkwood sword case worth 200 gp.
Yet the darkwood sword case is not empty, for inside lies a breathtaking longsword—a weapon of obviously superior craftsmanship with a razor-sharp blade that appears to be made of shining gold.