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The crossbow-wielding hunter scoffs as she says-"You dare sully the name of Lamashtu? Think of me as a harmless child? Well, let the vassal of the mother of monsters show you just how harmless she can be."
Her voice growing ever darker, she looks at Ra'geh and says-"You will grovel for Lamashtu, beastman."-her words carrying magical energy.
Combat! Round 1
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Ra'Geh (Will save pending), Betty
Zahrah
Lotus,Tenibri,Awkin
Lotus, Tenibri and Awkin are up! Will save pending from Ra'Geh
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Lotus swishes forward, looks down her giant crossbow and stares at the impertenent upstart
"Why not? Thats a childs trick. Perhaps I'll teach you some better ones after sit and roll over "
Lotus activates the pain centers of her brain right before she shoots, and if it hits that bolt hurts a LOT more than it should
move attack swift action Stare!
She suffers a -2 penalty to will save for Lotus messing with her brain (no save)
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Looking down the long tunnel--into reaches that even his own darkvision can't see to--Tenibri decides that he needs to abandon his short little legs if he's going to participate in the action. He activates the magic of flight with a few simple motions and arcane syllables. His feet lift off the ground, and he darts forward and up.
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The group makes their advance forward, with Lotus' crossbow aiming true and hitting Zahrah on the sidearm. The blow is superficial, but the pain is amplified by her occult abilities. Zahrah clicks her tongue and yells-"Now boys, pull the lever!"-as her yell echoes through the qanat.
A low rumble is heard, and suddenly its source comes to the forefront: the channel you are currently in is flooded with a strong current, strong enough to pull a tree out of its roots. It quickly rises to the top of the allowed level, and does not seem to stop overflowing!
Combat! Round 2
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Ra'Geh, Betty
Zahrah
Lotus,Tenibri,Awkin
Ra'Geh and Betty are up! Light blue squares are hard terrain when moving right.
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Zahrah click her tongue disapprovingly at Ra'Geh and Betty, taking long steps back towards the south wall of the channel the three are in. She extends her hand towards Ra'Geh, as a blinding light starts emanating from her palm.
Just looking at it is burning his and Betty's eyes, but in a moment of desperation, she loses focus and the searing light ray goes wide, towards the ceiling and completely misses Ra'Geh. Flustered about her display, she drops her crossbow on the ground and moves back with a pirouette to the wall closing the channel she is in.
During the move, she pulls out her falchion, and proclaims an oath-"Mother of Monsters, allow me to impart your justice, ever so foul but ever so true."-and her movements with her weapon seem to be getting quicker and quicker.
Combat! Round 2
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Ra'Geh, Betty
Zahrah (-20)
Lotus,Tenibri,Awkin
Combat! Round 3
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Ra'Geh, Betty
Everyone is up!
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Ejtehah charges forward to the woman and suddenly transforms into his Deinonychus Hybrid form!!
SHIFTER’s RUSH: Prerequisites: Wild shape class feature, shifter level 4th. Benefit: When you use a move action to move 10 feet or more or when you charge, you can use wild shape as a free action during that movement.
Ejtehah sniffs the air and growls.
"I show you monster!! Then you bad dream … not kill innocent young anymore!"
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Betty moves up to just across from Zahrah. “Slow down thar!” she says as she discharges a spell through her gun.
plus staggered for 1 round
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In but a brief moment, the fight turns completely on its head - Ejtehah pounces on Zahrah, whilst simultanously her attention is divided between him and the mental image of another assailant that just popped up.
Pure terror is what can be seen on Zarah's face as she realizes the mess she is in. With 5 attacks, the shifter rakes through the inquisitor and leaves her barely hanging on. Not only that, but her defensive spell that raised her hit points is seemingly gone as well. Her body maimed and bleeding profusely, she gathers her energies to at least curse the dinosaur hybrid, but Betty's well-aimed bullet silences her, as it carves a perfect path through its head.
A few seconds pass in silence, as the Lamashtan inquisitor falls to the ground. Suddenly, three thugs come out of the channel riding the waves, smiling devilishly. Their smug faces are cut short, however, as soon as they see Zahrah lying dead on the ground.
They do their best to swim backwards, but it is too late. They are instead safely deposited in front of Tenibri and Lotus, as they raise their hands in surrender.
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"Greetings murderous peons. The first one of you to tell us something useful gets 5 gold pieces and a free ride to the bar for lunch. The second one of you to tell us something useful gets tied up to go to the watch, and the lAst one to tell us something useful well... " looks over at the dino. "Also gets to go for lunch... "
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Ejtehah's spell does not seem to take effect, as per Betty's suspicions, Zahrah long dead after having her head blow to pieces.
Lotus greets the new arrivals, which cower in fear as they realize not only did you beat one of their lieutenants, but you did so mostly unharmed. As they struggle for an answer, one of them pipes up-"We-we were expecting you! Zahrah interrogated the few guards you interacted with, and she got the idea you weren't just simple slave-buyers, especially since you used magic on them."
Before he is able to continue, another one speaks up and says-"She got into a discussion with Tinderwick! The gnome didn't believe you were up to something, he just thought you were stingy and snobby. But Zahrah convinced him to at least set up a barricade in case you came back. If you come running down into the compound, you will be slaughtered!"
The other guard starts sweating profusely, as he has run out of things to say. He gives a nervous smile to Lotus and the dinosaur.
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The thugs look at each other, and each of them squeaks their name: Yaqib, Khair and Kobad. When pressed for passwords, they look at each other awkwardly, in silence.
One of them pipes up and says-"Uh- there is no password. The barricade was set up some 10 minutes ago, and we were dragged into this by Zahrah."-trying to sound as respectful as possible.
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"Oh drat, that makes this almost too easy...."
These folks are human? The pictures look human not gnoll.
Plan: Lotus (realistic likeness or disguise self ) Tenibri (disguise self) and one other party member (lotus' hat of disguise) run around the corner asking to be let through ASAP while the rest of the party attacks from the outside.
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Betty thinks about the plan, then looks at the three gnolls.
“If’n that happened, would ya expect Tinderwick ta let you in or force ya ta fight outside the barricade?”
Looking to Lotus, she adds “Considerin’ what that woman did, not sure they would let these three in.”
“Might work betta if we have two of them, the woman, and someone invisibly enter without the fightin’. Might actually look suspicious if’n all three came back.”
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" I was planning on using you as the obvious threat to speed up the time table. He's not dumb, he's going to check Yaqib, Khair and Kobad for enchantments, and probably pick up our disguises if he has time to look. Also, watch the tail go back and forth, baack and forth, so steady and relaxed... good dino " Re implant the flase flanker trick
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“Plan still only works If’n Tinderwick isn’t type ta leave people ta die. Not sure, but fear he might enjoy watching somethin’ like that.”
"Then we just fall back and start storming the place normally. Not the WORST plan. If someone wants to try sneaking through. Hmmm.. Ick. It pains me but I may need to borrow some of your clothes " she hands out the promised 5 gold pieces. "Going to need to borrow your clothes and gear"
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"Just so we have all of our options on the table, if we decide to go a stealthy route, I can become like a shadow. It's super-brief, like not even a minute, but it might as well be an invisibility spell." He pauses, and shrugs his shoulders. "The disguise spells--and this shadow effect--they only work on me, so it's one or the other, unfortunately."
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"What's the barrier look like? I'd imagine it would be hard to get through even invisible. We do need the right now plan more than the right plan... " She strips down to her fur and starts putting on whats left of Zahrah's clothes on and pops into Zahrah's appearance. "By the mothers teeth if this gives me fleas I'll have you all in the.. whats the worst job you guys have in the clubhouse here? "
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“Think we got about as much of a plan as we’re gunna get.”
Gesturing to Lotus and Tenibri she says “Couple runnin’ ahead ta try and get the barricade open, long with as many of them as ya want,” She gestures towards the gnolls Yaqib, Khair and Kobad.
Offering a potion bottle to Ejtehah, she says “If’n it will help, ya can use this an go with the first group.”
“Rest of us provide the chase. Maybe holler about ‘Watch out fer traps!’ ta explain why we ain’t caught up yet.”
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The group comes together and thinks of a plan, and executes it: Lotus disguises herself as Zahrah, while Tenibri disguises himself as one of the gnoll hunters - Yaqib. Your new friends get the plan and coordinate with you, explaining that Zahrah should be the one to speak up.
As you trek through the sewers, you finally reach the stairs leading down into the compound! You remember them well - Cat had to squeeze through, but it was spacious enough to allow one Medium person comfortably at a time.
With that, Lotus/Zarah, Tenibri/Yaqib, Khair and Kobad all make their way down the stairs whilst the rest of the group hangs back at the top. As soon as they reach the stairs, a new voice calls out from the compound-"Halt! Identify yourselves!".
The gate to the compound currently holds 6 creatures: three thugs sitting on a barricade made of tables and chairs, the minotaur on your last visit, Tinderwick the gnome, and a new face: a woman clad in black wearing heavy eyeliner, with yellow teeth from tobacco. Each guard yells their name accordingly, and one of them takes the advantage and whispers to Tenibri and Lotus-"That's Fayaz, our boss."
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Fayaz lowers her crossbow and beckons the minotaur to cooperate-"Well well well, if it isn't our little fanatic. Gythropias, be a dear and open the door for Zahrah. Seeing as we haven't seen an attack on our compound for half an hour, I gather your little vision and divine means of interrogation were wrong?"-smirking as the giant minotaur lowers his greataxe and lets the group in.
Tinderwick is a little bit more suspicious, however, and adds-"It's a strange thing, to be fair. Enchanting our guards for information, even going as far as to kill them to leave no witnesses. All points to them wanting to dismantle us."-he says as he lowers the wand and starts fiddling with it.
The minotaur, strangely, speaks up and says-"Could be waiting for a better chance another day."-in a low baritone. The group starts discussing, beckoning you to join them.