Balan cracks a stern smile as he shifts to rhe creature's left. "Absolutely."
The beast man is wearing studded leather armor, it almost looks like the same kind the gnolls were using, his right arm is exceptionally large and muscular, allowing him to wield a Large greatclub but his legs are stunted and short and his left foot deformed into a club foot. A length of rope is tied to his neck still.
Round 3
He hit you good last time and winds up for a even bigger swing.
With an opening in Balan's defense the ogre knocks him to the ground. Balan missed his flurry of blows and Thorgar failed to hit the ogre too. He does not finish Balan off and moves forward looking for someone else to swing at.
He took down Balan who is bleeding on the ground and snarls at the rest of your group yelling, "Who's next?! Oh you half-orc!"
As it looks grim the third round, all of the slaves flee through the door if they can to get away.
Rounds 1-3
Thorgar had moved in with Balan but was not being as vocal. Though as he attacked the ogre he yelled activating his blood rage.
He takes a 5 foot step back to continue his attack on the ogre.
Thorgar shouts out in pain at the attack from the Ogre!
Round 3
Balan continues bleeding out on the ground.
Sendi moved up, and began attacking the foe with all that she had learned from Balan. She was starting to get into the routine when she saw her mentor fall to the ground, causing her to stumble and stare in shock. It didn't seem real to see him go down...
Sendi is able to land two of her blows upon the brute and he looks very bloody!
Round 3
Victrix swings her glaive and cuts the brute. Balan is bleeding upon the ground. Sendi with her flurry of blows is able to hit him once. The ogre smashes its great club into Thorgar and grins in determination. Thorgar swings and misses again!
Round 4
24 Victrix
20 Sendi
18 ogre
16 Auso
10 Balan
8 Throrgar
Even as he takes on more damage, he does not fall to his wounds and continues to swing his club at Thorgar!
As Victrix says her words and her glaive slices the brute's neck and even more blood spurts out as he slowly drops to his knees and soon to the ground.
Breathing heavily, Sendi shook her head to clear it. Her orc blood sang at the thrill of violence, a reaction which she knew was not proper. Seeing that Balan would live, she smiled and reached out a hand to help him up.
The monk was still barely conscious as Sendi reached out her hand. He tries to rise with her help, but falls back to the ground wincing in pain. After a few moments of haggard breaths, he says, "I suppose I was the mongoose after all, though I don't remember him getting so battered." Balan winces again, though his breathing calms somewhat as he continues. "I think I may need a little more mending before I continue."
Thorgar takes one of the potions for himself and thanks Victrix with a smile and the words, "You know I don't know what I would have done without you." Then he pulls the cork, raises the potion to Balan and drinks.
”We’re all alive. We have freed these good people. And…and…” She turned to the freed slaves and said ”Who are you, and where are you from?”
The slaves are not there. They are not in the next room. You think they have fled.
Balan drinks his potion in regards to Victrix first and then with Thorgar.
He begins to loot the room.
He picks up a scroll case and a marble rod. Then he turns into a stone statue of himself.
Sendi walked out of the room and glumly looked around to see if the slaves were outside, for she hated the idea of leaving them. But if they were gone then it made no sense to tarry or search for them, for all she could offer then would be her prayers.
The only thing magical on Thorgar is the scroll case and marble rod.
Going back to the following room you don't see the slaves.
The rod begins to move but only in his hand. It must be too heavy.
”We should get moving. I don’t trust that rod, and speaking for myself, I have no idea what it is going to do. But I bet that it isn’t good.”
The rod was found in a chest, likely the ogres, one of the slaves might be able to help if you find them.
Victrix you have heard about petrification from a curse, a spell, and a bassilisk but not a rod. Though it is possible. You hope that removing the rod will turn him back, he didn't turn to a statue immediately just a few seconds after he picked it up...
As Victrix goes to take the rod, Balan finally is feeling well enough to prop himself up on an elbow and stand up. "I'm sure we could find a stall in the battlemarket to dedicate to the heroes of Kelmarane, complete with life-like statues." The monk's laugh trails off into a cough, doubling over for a moment before regaining his composure.
Victrix as you take the crowbar you are able to apply pressure and make the marble rod fall out of the statue's hand.
Nothing happens at first but after 4 rounds his head can move, another round his chest, another his legs, and finally his arms are free. There is a thin layer of marble that he has to break free to be able to move, the Str DC is only a 4.
He laughs at the pun as his outer shell breaks from his form in many pieces.
He takes a moment to think about the experience, "It was like a hot wave of heat spreading from my hand. Time seemed to slow as I felt the marble creep over all my skin in seconds. Then I no longer thought, I may have been dead. Until I heard your wonderful voice again."
After Throrgar is freed from his petrification and Victrix shows no ill effects, Balan says, "Good to have you back, Throrgar. I do agree with Sendi, though, we should get moving, and we should probably leave that rod behind. I wouldn't want you turning into a statue right before being smashed by some gnoll, Victrix."
Within your bag the covered rod goes. Though as you put it in your bag you noticed the rag had calcified.
Looking at the bag with worry, Sendi said ”On the way back then. But for now our safety is most important.” She finished, glancing at the obviously wounded Balan.
Returning back to your allies, Soraya comes up and prays to Sarenrae and begins to heal your wounds,
The slaves retell their story, it is much like the other slaves. They were captured by gnolls and brought here. They have been working to clear tunnels and such. Specifically saying, "The half orge dude recently killed the two gnolls that were guarding us and we ran with him. Then found him intimidating us, we didn't want to die."
A whistling sound can be heard and something smashes against the wall to the South.
He growls out, "The gnolls are on hyenas and have been taking pot shots at me. Any ranged support would be nice!"
”I’m just glad that you are safe.” Sendi said. ”I…know what you went through. Will you come with us? There is safety in numbers.”
Balan replies to Aukan, "Do you know how many there are, and where they're shooting from?"
"To the South. I counted at least two of them." He offers in response still staying in the doorway away from a clear shot for the gnolls. He then whispers, "Once you get a few shots off and they return fire I am going to rush in there."
Since most of the slaves are silent, one steps forward to explain to Sendi. Her bluish skin seems to glisten slightly, as if she is soaking wet. She speaks softly, "Unless you can kill them all, we can't risk being with your group. If you are defeated, we will be punished. If we rebel, they will make examples. Some of us will spend days dying slowly." From her voice, she has seen this happen, and she was responsible.
After a pause, she adds more. "If you are claim us as your property, we will of course follow your commands, Mistress. Order us to fight and we will fight."
She seems to have no interest in the weapons and armor.
One of the *slaves* looks different from the rest, she appears strikingly attractive inspite of her battered state, and is in excellent physical shape, but with the muscles that would indicate a fighter, not a courtesan.
For what its worth you saved my live. My Name is Varvara Ulyanova, Vivi is the short version. I pay my debts.
I have some fairly useful skills in terms of stealth and scouting, some of my own magics, and am a pretty good shot with a bow. Which...
She gracefully rushes over to a dead Gnolls body and retrieves a longbow. And a quiver of arrows.
Ahh, Toothpick-kun, what fun we will have! She says, cradling her bow.
Unfortunately, I do not see the rest of my equipment anywhere close. I was part of an adventuring group not unlike yours, but we were hit by a succession of ambushes and fell, I was the last one taken. She says as she scans the dead enemies for possibly useable melee weapons or armor pieces.
On the topic of starting to repay debts, anyone in need of healing? I can heal up to 6 times per day, but this cuts into anything else that I could be doing. I am pretty sure my wand of healing is within the dungeon as well.
She approaches Balan, who still seems to be quite wounded at 18/31 hp and casts cure light wounds
Hearing Aukan express his wish for ranged support, she indicates she is prepared to give it, ideally after getting whatever armor is available on her.