| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Skulks, Hannelia belatedly recalls, that's what they're called. Presumably because they, well... She cuts her musings on nominative determinism short as the closest pair of the grey-skinned humanoids make an exit at a far faster rate than anything which could realistically be described as skulking. It does at least give her the opportunity to move back out into the main passageway unimpeded. She slides between Emma and Roger and looks in the direction of their fleeing foes. Possibly she could land an arrow on one firing into the gloom but whether she could take it down with a single shot is even more uncertain.
A look in the other direction makes up Hannelia's mind for her. Nerissia and Alocer are still being pressed hard by the other pair of skulks so she moves to the far side of the tunnel to allow Roger room to run and targets the one not sandwiched between her allies. Not wanting to hit the fennec, she overcompensates and her shot flies well wide on the other side. "Have I done something to upset you, Lady Luck?" she mutters, "My aim has been well off today."
Roger decides not to give chase into another trap and instead rushes to Alocer's aid.
Emma has scarcely arrived on the scene before some of the foes begin to flee. Rather than give chase - knowing that she would never catch them - she instead diverts over to close to Hannelia. Majara looks rather rough, and the others have taken hits as well. Calling upon her divine energy, she unleashes some of it, hoping that she'll be able to reach most of her companions, save for Alocer. The poor creature will have to wait and hopefully hold on long enough for the others to help.
"There we go - hope that helps," Emma says, looking back to Majara and giving a nod to Hannelia as the energy fades. "Let's finish this before those things change their mind."
Hannelia’s arrow spangs off the rough wall as Roger charges forward. The skulk nimbly avoids the pirate’s sword. Emma moves forward and channels the power of her god to heal most of her allies greatly.
Round 3
Doing the math, the skulk spellslinger starts backing away. He also quickly weaves a spell. A sizeable hole opens up in the floor below Nerissia and Roger, threatening to swallow them both.
"-- thank you," Majara says with feeling in response to Emma's holy healin'. That's BETTER.
The wash of health gives her the nerve to do something that may, again, objectively not be the wisest. She rushes twenty feet after their fleeing foes, snatching a dagger from her belt with one hand and a bomb from the other, which she then lobs. They do NOT get to stab her and just run away!
"Where-how--... must be magic." Roger seems confounded for a moment at the presence of the pit even as he leaps aside, but concludes that, much like everything else that's confusing, it must've been magic.
"Well, this sucks." in a disappointed voice is all the rest of the group can hear from above.
Alcoer, meanwhile, cuts off the retreat path of the casting one and bites part of its flesh off, hard.
Round 3
Nerissia plunges into the pit even as Roger avoids it. She hits the bottom 20’ down. As she scrambles to climb out, gravity plays another foul trick on her… the three trenches of filth that feed into the main trough start to drain into the pit instead, raining ‘debris’ down around her. Nerissia isn’t in danger of drowning – yet - but dying of disgust is a real possibility.
Above, Alocer races around to block the retreating spellcaster, drawing attacks from both of the skulks. The fox’s movement is so quick, however, both daggers miss their target. Alocer bites into the skulk’s leg, tearing open an artery – the spellcaster bleeds out almost instantly.
Using the distraction, the other skulk tumbles past the fox and retreats back up the corridor.
Meanwhile, Majara continues her pursuit of the southern pair. She lobs another bomb that hammers the male skulk. He is clearly showing his multiple stab and burn wounds. The woman is also caught in the blast. While her partner continues south, vanishing around a corner in the tunnel, the female skulk takes a moment to stare at Majara, pointing her blade at the gnome. Then she turns and races after her ally.
Hannelia can no longer make out the two figures fleeing into the pitch blackness to the south and the one remaining skulk in the other pair isn't hanging around to find out what's likely to happen if the whole party caught up to him. At least the spellcaster is down, Alocer having done more than his part in the battle. He's a good boy, she thinks. Judging by the volume of blood that is rapidly pooling around the figure, her hopes of being able to revive him look slim. She has questions she would love to ask, not least amongst them "Who are you working for?" and "Where can we find them?"
"Let's get Nerissia out and regroup," she says. "I don't know that we're catching them, especially as we've seen close up how good their camouflage is. They proesumably know their way around down here a lot better than we do. Not that I love letting such blackguards run free," she adds. "Unless anybody feels strongly otherwise, in which case make your argument quick or any slim chance we have will vanish."
As she speaks, she opens her backpack and pulls out the coil of rope that just so happens to be sitting at the top. Assuming that Roger's years on the high seas means he knows a thing or two about knots, not to mention the fact that the pirate is considerably stronger than she is, Hannelia gives him one end of the rope to hold. She then tosses the other end into the pit. "Give us a second to set and then you're good, Nerissia."
"Perfect, Hana, I was just about to ask if anyone had any rope!" Roger sets about tying a quick loop for Nerissa to set a foot in, and a knot to rest the hands against.
As a seaman, Roger knows knots and it only takes a few moments for him to make an easily climbable rope. Quickly (as the filth level is rising) Nerissia rejoins the team at the surface level.
Majara is tempted to go chase down the woman who wants to indicate they are now nemeses.... but the mutagen hasn't dulled her wits THAT much. She's still badly hurt, even if Emma's healing had done wonders.
With a gritted-teeth sigh, Majara watches the enemies go. Then, she turns around to jog over the others.
"Ow. Ow. Ow. This day has included far too much of this nonsense," she grouses. "Right, I guess Hannelia and I have wands to see to the lacerated kidneys a few of us are now sporting."
Not really her kidney, more her shoulder, but the gnome is still moving quite gingerly. "Where on earth did THEY come from? Skulks, you said, Hannelia? So now we just have a band of skulks in the city sewers? Today improves by leaps and bounds."
Her words are delivered slowly and with a lot of grimacing as she gets out the wand.
"Who else needs patching? And may I motion that we stay closely together from now on out. Two close calls in one day is two too many."
"Couldn't agree more," Hannelia nods along with Majara's grumblings. "And yes, I did. Vicious things with a taste for robbery, murder, and preserving their own skins. So pretty much what we've just been witness to from an uncomfortably close distance. I wasn't necessarily expecting them to be quite so tough, though I suspect they may have felt the same. It's a shame that we don't have one to ask some questions of - as quick with their blades as they were, it's a risky strike taking on a group that outnumbers you if you're simply looking for an easy target or whatever passes as 'fun' for such creatures."
She runs a hand through her hair, slightly regretting the reflexive motion given how limp and dank it feels in the sewer. "I'm therefore inclined to think that was a deliberate hit on us. I suppose you could probably make a reasonable argument that their aren't too many people wandering around down here so they prey on what victims they can, but on balance I'd lean against it."
"I'm fine," she adds, as Majara tends to her own wounds, "but that's a good idea. When we're patched up perhaps let's see if we can follow one of them?" Hannelia looks over to Roger and Nerissia. "They may be good at hiding but that doesn't mean they don't leave some kind of trail. Not that I expect them to be stupid enough to lead us to their quarters. I think it's either that or just continue as we were?"
"Tracking them seems the best chance we have at answers," Majara says, moving even more restlessly than usual, bouncing her weight from foot to foot. "It would seem mad to attack us like that, unless there's more at play here. But either way we do not want a damn gang of skulks operating beneath our home."
"Glad it's not just me who felt that," Hannelia says. "Let's get moving then, but as Majara said, let's stick together."
"One'd probably do for me, Majara." Roger raises a hand. He'd taken a solid blow, but solid armor and stern stuff made for a good pirate.
"Sticking together is for the best. Presuming we do track them down, we'll definitely need to inform the city guard of this so they know to keep an eye on the situation after, just in case."
"I'm not sure how useful my tracking, or Alocer's for that matter, will be down here, but it's certainly worth a shot at least." Nerissia says, making her way to her feet up off the ground once she's out of the pit. She takes a few stumbling steps towards the party before slamming one shoulder into the tunnel wall and holding her split-open stomach, spitting out a bit of blood onto the floor.
"Oh, right. Sorry bout that. Could, uh...use some of that healing you offered earlier." she says, looking down at her bloody hands.
After receiving the healing she needs and bandaging the wound as much as possible, she places her hand on Alocer's scruff and attempts to follow the little shadowy bastards' tracks.
Majara nods and sets to on the wounded old salt...
...and is both pleased with the result and also lightly eyeing the stick in her hand. "Playing favorites, I see."
She turns to look at Nerissia a bit distractedly, then lets out a single sharp curse in Gnomish: "RASTLECANKLES. How are you standing? Sit!!!"
Majara darts over to the tiefling woman, scowling at her injuries and at the wand. "Venator-- I've got about three good shakes left in this stick. If we want me to have some emergency emollience in extremis, it might be best if you used yours-- that one's got life left to it, yes?"
"Oh," Hannelia breathes, her eyes widening as she realises that Nerissia is far more hurt than she had realised. "I'm sorry Nerissia," she says, rushing over and tilting her wand into her hand as she does so.
She eyes the tiefling's various wounds and begins by touching the tip very gently to the woman's side.
Once she's satisfied that the magic has taken effect, she asks, "How's that? If you'll give me a second I'll get you cleaned up as well." With that she works a simple spell and directs a tiny hand of magical energy to begin scrubbing Nerissia down.
"There, you look a bit better... let's see, we damaged both sets of them, but the southern pair were more burnt than anything else. If there's a blood trail to follow, we might have more luck with the ones that fled the other way?" Majara suggests.
"There's only one - that we know of - which went that way," Hannelia says, "but your logic makes sense to me so let's go with it."
”Hunting the sole target is often less of a problem, as they tend to panic and make more mistakes than a pair would. Easier prey.” Nerissia says, now patched up and back in commission. ”Plus I think that one stabbed me, so I have…a few questions I’d like to ask it.” she continues, with perhaps too much excitement and a slight grin.
"I'm sure you do. Very kind of Majara to suggest we go after this one when I imagine she has questions of her own for the other pair," Hannelia's lips quirk up into a smile. "But you make a good point. And one alone is less likely to try and strike us again without back-up."
"Before we go..." Majara says, indicating the dead one with a nod. She performs a quick and perfunctory search of the dead skulk's possessions, minimal though they may be. With that done she gazes a moment at the corpse, her brow creased with apparent indecision over something. She draws her dagger...
Whatever it is, she nods to herself slowly and puts the dagger away again.
Majara's search turns up a small pouch of spell casting ingredients, a fine masterwork dagger and two normal daggers attached to the back of the dead spellcaster's loin-cloth. His 'shoes' are barely that. They are woven and tight-fitting hemp sandals speckled with filth like the surroundings. You imagine they wouldn't clash with the creature's camouflage. A comparison to nearby scuff-marks do reveal a similar tread (generously) pattern.
Our indefatigable heroes stalk the fleeing skulk northward through the thoroughly unpleasant sewer. Nerissia has to admit she is having a very difficult time tracking this elusive game and more than a few times she loses the trail and has to search to find it again.
The team reaches a fork in the corridor, both paths seem like ‘main sewer lines’ and likely service the northeast and northwest sections of the town. Curiously, the general scuff marks that you now know indicate skulk routes go in both directions relatively evenly. But neither trail is as densely packed with scuff marks as what you saw in the southern end of Saringallow. There is perhaps a quarter or less ‘foot traffic’ here. That said, Nerissia finds fresh evidence that the team’s quarry took the northwestern passage.
The inquisitor leads the team past several narrower sewer passages as the main route meanders a bit. She stops a couple times when it appears the skulk moved out of the main passage but then returned to the main passage. The realization is cold in her belly. The skulk wasn’t fleeing. He was taking up ambush and wait positions every so often, expecting pursuit. He isn’t rushing, he’s moving with purpose. She continues to lead the team in pursuit, albeit more carefully. Then the skulk pulls an old hunter’s trick… with a disgusting new turn. He attempts to erase his trail by walking in a river. In this case, it is a river of flowing excrement.
The going is neither pleasant nor quick but Nerissia is able to keep the group steadily in pursuit of their quarry. When she points out the places where the skulk has stopped and waited, the chill hand of fear stretches its icy fingers towards Hannelia's heart. Are they hunter, prey or both? She keeps her bow ready and remains on high alert. When Nerissia calls a halt at a literal river of filth, she asks quietly, "I assume you're looking for the trail rather than worrying about your boots?"
Hannelia looks up from her question to see Nerissia already thigh deep in the river of filth. The tiefling turns back towards the bard, with an almost hurt look before refocusing.
”This one is a sneaky sort, will have to be mindful. Watch yourselves.” she says, distractedly, following the trail without paying much more attention to her party. She is the hunter here.
Majara stays wary in the back, fingertips drumming a restless tattoo on the pommel of her dagger. She replays the skulk that had pointed at her, the clear threat in the gesture. We'll see, for the rematch, she thinks. But it had been a very close thing.
She throws glances behind them frequently. Healed she may be, but her shoulder still throbs.
”Evidently.” Hannelia raises an eyebrow in response to the look Nerissia shoots her. The hunter is in the zone here so she lets her get on with it, not wanting to disturb her as she works. She then allows the group’s hardier members to bypass her before, with a sigh, wading in herself.
Despite her best efforts, Nerissia loses the skulk’s trail. She stops where the trail has gone cold. There is no way to tell which direction the skulk went – the main path, a side turning, or even up through the nearest grate.
Hindsight always comes with perfect vision thinks Emma as a connection is made. They passed below Gunty’s shop which reminds Emma of the kerfuffle. Perhaps Constantine’s somnambulistic ramblings outside the shop weren’t just a dreaming mind. He looked at the wall and said, ”Dammit. It’s not staring anymore.”
And in these dank tunnels… Nerissia related a similar experience when she was jumped by the first skulk. She noted that a pair of cold grey eyes, seemingly set in the wall, blink and stare at her. Maybe Constantine’s psychic ability was able to perceive the skulks even when his eyes couldn’t.
Majara frowns as it becomes apparent they have lost the trail-- and that their enemy is considerably more cunning than they'd first granted. Overconfidence on their part, she supposes. The gnome rubs at her face a moment.
"Part of me wants to go try and hunt the other two-- they were more injured," she says. "But if they're anything like this one, they'll know to pull the same tricks-- go through the water, baffle pursuit. I don't like this in the slightest. This is their turf and at this rate we could easily bumble into a trap. Let's regain the upper air, speak to the guards, and speak to Sophi. Actually, let's double back to the body first, and take it with us. If it's still there, I suppose."
Hannelia can sense the frustration in the fact their quarry has escaped. ”Agreed,” she says to Majara. ”They’re cunning creatures and the deck is stacked heavily in their favour down here even with Nerissia’s formidable skills at our disposal. And with our leads down here gone we’re back to
more directionless wandering again. There’s a lot of ground still to cover and we do have some other options.”
”Good thinking on the body,” she adds, before turning to Roger. ”Will it fit in the extradimensional bag? Easier to carry it that way, plus pulling it out does have a nice bit of dramatic flair to it.”
Hannelia takes a look around the less than salubrious location once more. ”If we do find ourselves heading back down here again, I will see if I can find a map to give us a hand.” Of course regardless of whether the Saringallow Seekers’ path leads beneath their home again, it is knowledge that Hannelia is interested to learn now anyway.
Hindsight always comes with perfect vision, thinks Emma as a connection is made.
They had passed below Gunty's shop, which reminds Emma of the unfortunate incident. Perhaps, however, Constantine's somnambulistic ramblings outside the shop weren't just a dreaming mind.
"Hold a moment," Emma says. "Majara, think back to the encounter we had with Constantine. I dismissed it as rambling at the time, but...do you remember what he said?" She looks around them. "He looked at the wall and said, 'Dammit. It's not staring anymore.' I'm starting to think that it wasn't a coincidence. Perhaps he sensed what was down here, and tried to convey it...in his admittedly own unique way."
Majara glances up sharply at Emma's words. "--perhaps. Or perhaps the skulk was actually-- there??? At Gunty's, in broad daylight, using their seemingly formidable talent for stealth and camouflage? That's even more disconcerting."
She starts back with the others for the corpse of the skulk.
Emma follows after Majara.
"Well," she mutters to herself. "I hadn't thought of that possibility, but that's certainly a disconcerting thought."
That is indeed disturbing, Hannelia thinks. "And I think they're probably slender - and, uh, unencumbered - enough to slip down those side channels off the main tunnels. That would make it relatively easy for them to get around and out in a way that would be impossible if they were clad in platemail, for example." Hannelia nods towards Emma, before glancing around subconsciously. With creatures so adept at camouflage it's hard not to feel like they could be anywhere.
"All the more reason to alert the watch. Though probably the last thing the town needs after this morning is additional panic and paranoia." She scratches her neck, thinking. "I wonder if we should also put out a quiet word to see if anybody else has seen anything similar or felt like they were being watched. Most likely they'll have been dismissed as having been dipping too far into the ale but probably no harm in asking around the Witch's End and a few other establishments. Any sightings could give us an idea of where they've been and maybe even what they're doing - assuming if it isn't just straight robbery and butchery," she says distastefully.
"Well, we always knew something was afoot. Honestly, I'm fairly content that the something is something what can be stabbed and burned, and not some spiritual foe what he'd have to face alone. This we can help Connie with!"
A burst of heat warms Hannelia's heart at Roger's words. He's right, of course, but it's the sentiment that has genuinely touched her. For it means that she is not alone in how she feels about the group of them, the friendships forged, the bonds between them tied and strengthened many times over. "Thank you," she says, pulling the pirate into a brief hug.
Wet, filthy and bloodied as they are, it's neither the ideal situation or location for such a moment, but then when the gang is on the road together it rarely seems to be. Nor is it a move Hannelia of a year ago would have made, but then a lot has happened in the last year. Having to be guarded and cautious to trust in her work, she's glad to have people in her life that she can rely on for anything.
"Yes," she echoes, "this we can indeed help him with."
Nerissia, sensing the mood is about to go somewhere she is not particularly keen to engage in, noticeably dodges any attempt to try and hug her and goes to help Majara with the skulk corpse. Not a single word leaves her lips, but she snaps her fingers and Alocer follows right behind.
Lots to think about.
Once that moment is over and the party is well on their way out of these sewers, she will speak again.
I wonder if we should also put out a quiet word to see if anybody else has seen anything similar or felt like they were being watched.
”I can take a look around town, see what I can dig up. I’m very…persuasive, and the people here at least know me as someone who will protect them from threats inside and out of town, even if I’m not very well liked personally.” she says, absentmindedly stroking the unholy symbol hanging from her neck. ”Alerting the watch is a good idea, no matter how much stress they don’t want to have. We must step up when the situation calls for it, and their time is rapidly approaching, I feel.”
”That sounds good,” Hannelia says. ”I can make a few enquiries too. But let’s make sure we stick together unless absolutely necessary. Majara’s point still stands and if we didn’t have a target on our backs before, we do now. The skulks are clearly smart and seem organised but that doesn’t mean they won’t do something reckless or unpredictable in response to being discovered.”
Roger stiffens for a moment in surprise at the sudden hug before they part, a wide smile now parting the beard.
"Ah! Took me a moment to realize you're in the same bilge as I, all about to warn ye bout the mess I was."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
”Thank the gods for Majara’s noseblock,” Hannelia grins back. ”I can keep magically cleaning us but that old bathtub from the manor would come in handy right about now.”
She’s glad Roger took the gesture in the spirit it was intended, as she’s not convinced all of them would. Hawk, naturally at ease with himself and others, she’s confident would be fine. The rest of the group? Not a natural hugger among them. Emma, to her credit, is less awkward than she used to be, though Hannelia supposes she’s used to it by now; Constantine less so, but he hasn’t shed his natural awkwardness either. She can’t remember ever hugging Nerissia or Sirio, neither of whom have ever given her the impression they would be amenable. And she smiles to herself remembering the last time she hugged Majara and a caught the look on the gnome’s face that so clearly said “What are you doing, Venator?” she may as well have been mouthing the words.
Regardless of their degree of comfort with bodily contact, Hannelia feels a warm glow of affection for her friends. Given how challenging the day has been to this point, she is very glad to have them.
But let’s make sure we stick together unless absolutely necessary.
”Not so sure that’s the most effective idea. Safest, sure, but we won’t see them again if we stick together all the time, up above ground in ‘our territory’, as it were. There’s a chance if a couple of us break off and spend some time apart we might draw them back out into the open.”
She says, petting Alocer’s fur as they make their way to the streets above and start the preparations for the next phase. ”I think there is something to be said for trying to bait them back out into the open and catch a live one, now that we know they’re there and can prepare ourselves at least. I am…quite adept at getting information out of captives, and I really want to get my hands on one of these ‘skulks’.” she continues, her voice picking up a hardened edge to it.
"Breaking off and trying to lure them out isn't a bad idea," Emma ventures. "Though I would say we shouldn't be alone. Even with Alocer, it probably wouldn't hurt to have someone accompanying you, just in case...if you wouldn't mind me tagging along, of course."
And perhaps to keep you from taking things too far...not that I have much fondness for these skulks, Emma thinks to herself.
Nerissia is visibly caught off guard by the paladin's proposition, actually stopping in the street in the middle of her walking to turn and look at Emma for an awkward moment before nodding.
"Uh, yeah, that's fine. I wouldn't mind the company." she says, putting herself back together. "Wouldn't want to get into any trouble, eh? Or get anyone else into my brand of trouble, I suppose." she smirks mischievously, starting back walking again.