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Miloban shocks the guards, both with his presence as well as with his spell.
Amour gets caught up in his own thoughts as he frightens even himself. SHard strolls in and gives the Gray Gardeners something to truly fear as his Fauchard sweeps through the room with its brutal effectiveness.
Grabbing spiked chains from the racks the Gray Gardeners pair off against Shard. As they approach Shard is able to give another vicious slash to the unwounded Gardener.
──────────
BOLD: GO!:
──────────
➤ Miloban
➤ Amour │
➤ Shard
Enforcer 1 (Red) │
Enforcer 2 (Green) │
➤ Martius │
Shard steps back so Amour can flank with Green.
Frightened 2 on crit
Dodge Away: Shard gets +1 AC and Steps 10 feet if the attack misses (Feather Step). He will move back in a logical way in order to bait the creature into triggering an AOO if possible.
3. If a creature attempts to move through Shard's threatened range, and he hasn't used an AOO yet:
4. If a creature reaches him after he takes the AOO
Shard will use reactions 1 or 2 following the same logical order.
5. Else:
Martius steps into the kerfuffle after unfurling the green scarf:
for and and [ooc]If that's somehow a crit add
Amour looks into his mind palace, processing a sequence of moves to defeat Green.
Seeing an opening, he moves into a flanking position (taking a wide path to avoid the other gardener) and strikes!
Attack= 16+32+1-1=48 vs flanked!
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The electricity seems to mostly roll off of the man as his spiked chain tries to wrap around Martius.
+ Grab + 2d8 Persistent Bleed
The spiked chain wraps around Martius' thick arm as it bites in , grinding into his skin.
──────────
BOLD: GO!:
──────────
➤ Miloban
➤ Amour │
➤ Shard
Enforcer 1 (Red) │
➤ Martius │
Shard attempts to cut and then drag the gardener away from Mariuus. (Positioning Assault)
Frightened 2 on crit
Frightened 2 on crit
Martius casts a quick spell to heal some of his wounds:
He then strikes with his glaive! , but misses.
He follows up with another wide slash , and is even more off target.
Amour sizes up the remaining Grey Gardener.
He casts Shield and steps in, readying himself to block any attack that comes his way.
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Martius absorbs the wound as his powerful magic seals it shut from bleeding anymore.
Miloban's spell zaps the Gardener and stops his heart as he collapses to teh ground.
The armor hanging here is gloomkeeper’s leather, that conceals the wearer’s face in deep shadow at all times. The dozens of weapons hanging on the racks are all magical, but few have more than a +1 weapon potency rune or a striking rune; in total, they’re worth 2,000 gp. Two weapons are better: a greater flame tongue and a +3 major striking greataxe.
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"Those are some sexy weapons, and that armor reminds me of that Savored Sting Amour got mixed up with in Korvosa... hehe..."
It's a simple matter to handle the wounds, and Martius passes on using any of the new treasure. "Come. We've got a blind date with destiny... and it looks like she's ordered the lobster.
Heh. Shard collects the best loot and prepares to move on once healed.
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This wide space has a sinuous shape carved into the floor, like a serpent or a worm. Four metal doors along both the north and south walls each bear flat panels for nameplates, but rusty holes indicate that the nameplates have been removed. Some of the doors are open, revealing a small room that holds a large metal sarcophagus within each one.
The Gray Gardeners had no respect for the dead put to rest here. They opened all the crypts and plundered them for treasures shortly after their arrival 50 years ago. The Gray Gardeners even discarded the old bones and repurposed some of the burial rooms into storage or living chambers. As a final indignity, they removed all the nameplates and indicia, stripping the dead’s identities.
Hundreds of carefully stacked bricks separated by thin sheets of mortar make up this wall. Written upon the brick wall in chalk are the words: “Bound in Spirit. Do Not Remove Until Torment is Complete.” Beneath the words is a complicated symbol made of chalk, powdered silver, and dried blood.
So, remove. Shard gestures for Amour or Martius to look at the rune, both of whom look capable of understanding such things.
Martius considers the words and the rune.
Amour will see if he knows anything about this rune, especially checking to see if it is a trap of some sort.
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Many of you come to different conclusions on what the rune could be. Amour believes this occult symbol to be used to keep ethereal creatures within bound. While Miloban comes to a different conclusion and believes it to be a chamber to hold the phylactery of a powerful lich nearby.
Enemy of Gardeners; ally to us.
Shard will break open the wall unless anyone has better opinions.
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Shard begins to break the wall as the strange rune bursts like a popped soap bubble. The plain interior of the room contains only a few empty wine casks and the broken corpses of a couple elves.
As the rune breaks two incorporeal undead elven forms glide through the wall. One resembles an elegant elf woman wearing fine robes. The other elf is dressed more sensibly in traveling clothes. Both wear brooches bearing the symbol of the elvish nation of Kyonin. The two spirits look enraged as fury and pain creases their faces.
Shard looks at Miloban this time, hoping the charismatic sorcerer can befriend the spirits somehow.
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"Indeed. Your torment is over. Our only regret was not knowing of it sooner."
Martius tries to unravel what might possibly grant them rest and a trip to Pharasma's embrace.
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A fragment of the diplomat’s spirit enables the corpse to speak for a few minutes as the spirits are broken from their rage. "We came from Kyonin to Galt to establish stronger negotiations with the Revolutionary Council. The Gray Gardeners intercepted us and led us into a trap. We were tortured, trapped and bricked in this chamber to die." Her moanful wail echoes off of the walls.
“The worm at Galt’s heart rises! It has three priests here in these crypts, enacting a dire ritual with the other Gray Gardeners. They seek to complete the evil scheme the worm began. Defeating the worm’s priests will delay it, but to stop it entirely, you must defeat the worm here in the crypts. End its murderous reign of terror!”
Calming the spirits helps them find peace as their wispy forms dissipate. A small thin trail of ectoplasm flows into the bracelet on the corpse crumpled on the floor of this chamber.
The two brooches found on the corpses are exquisite and worth 1,800 gp each. The diplomat’s corpse wears a dispelling sliver on a thin bracelet.
After searching the rooms thoroughly, Shard will suggest they move on to the room on the bottom left. No surprises behind us.
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The central walls between these burial vaults have been knocked down and the sarcophagi moved aside to create a living space. The middle of the room has a firepit, and a makeshift kitchen sits atop one of the sarcophagi. Bedrolls and blankets indicate that people live here among the dead.
You find several more Gray Gardener assassins here along with one of the Director Generals. Director General Mateena Lumlin is a tall woman with short curly hair and a commanding presence. She’s particularly vain about her appearance, and she considers it a significant sacrifice that she hides her features behind a featureless clay mask.
The Gray Gardeners sit in a circle around the firepit, which glows with a strange, blue flame due to rare salts and oils burning for the ritual. They aren’t doing much other than meditating and occasionally throwing more ritual salts into the fire.
Director General Mateena is the first to respond as she stands. "Protect me. We cannot allow this ritual to fail after last night!"
──────────
BOLD: GO!:
──────────
➤ Amour
➤ Shard
➤ Miloban
Assassin 1 (Red)
Assassin 2 (Green)
Assassin 3 (Yellow)
Assassin 4 (Pink)
Director General Mateena
Martius │
Shard moves in and lunges at #3.
Frightened 2 on crit
Frightened 2 on crit
How embarrassing.
He prepares for the onslaught, hoping to capitalize on AOOs and that his Deny Advantage will help him not get blended.
1. If a creature attempts to move through Shard's threatened range, and he hasn't used an AOO yet:
2. If another creature moves through space:
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Miloban follows Shard into the room.
"Well, this party stinks," he says, and casts Cloudkill on the group of Gardeners, using his Directed Poison ability.
Amour moves in to the edge of the cloud and issues forth a litany of dreadful names, prophecies, and descriptions of realms beyond mortal comprehension to all enemies within 30 feet.
Success The target becomes frightened 1.
Failure The target is unaffected.
Critical Failure You get overly caught up in your own words and become frightened 1.
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Amour begins to shout out the truth of what happened to those in the room. Overall it seems to confused the subordinates and frighten the Director General.
Shard drives his Fauchard to impossible lengths and wounds one of the confused men as Miloban releases a deadly poison that hovers in the area.
One of the men charges Shard and finds himself with an incredibly deep wound across his chest. He moves in looking for an opening and slashes a quickly drawn Kukri at Shard.
Another of the men charges Amour, much to the same effect.
A third man begins to viciously cut at himself in a fit of rage as he can't seem to tell what is real or not. Breaking the confusion he shakes his head and rushes Amour to strike at him.
The last assassin walks up behind one of his companions and slices him across the back with his kukri
"Get out of the poison you fools!" She pushes well past, giving a stern glare to Shard.
Shard is not easily scared as Mateena quickly draws her sword cane and stabs at him.
──────────
BOLD: GO!:
──────────
➤ Amour
➤ Shard
➤ Miloban
Assassin 1 (Red) │
Assassin 2 (Green)
Assassin 3 (Yellow)
Assassin 4 (Pink)
Director General Mateena
➤ Martius │
Shard spins his fauchard around, dancing the dance of death!
He sweeps the fauchard gracefully through the air, up and down, deadlier and deadlier as he slashes at the enemies.
‾‾‾‾
Frightened 2 on crit
Frightened 2 on crit
Frightened 2 on crit
Frightened 2 on crit
Frightened 2 on crit
1. If a creature attempts to Strike Shard, and he cannot use Shadow Blending:
Dodge Away: Shard gets +1 AC and Steps 10 feet if the attack misses (Feather Step). He will move back in a logical way in order to bait the creature into triggering an AOO if possible. I would like Shad to avoid ending adjacent to other enemies if possible.
2. If a creature attempts to move through Shard's threatened range, and he hasn't used an AOO yet:
3. Else:
Amour will devise a stratagem against #2.
He slashes the gardener.
14+1+31= 46 to hit
Swish.
He casts Shield and will block the first attack that hits him. He also pulls out a scroll of Gravity Well.
"Have at thee!" Sad to destroy a woman of beauty, Martius knows it must be done. He unfurls the green banner from his glaive and closes on the woman with a large sweeping slash opposite Shard:
for and .
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Martius quickly closes in on the Director General as he slashes her across her side and back. Amour tries the same as he fends off getting cornered.
Shard's whirlwind absolutely terrifies all in the chamber as it shoves all but one of them around and back into the poisonous mist.
Miloban sends an electric charge deep into the mist
The jolt shocks the General but misses the assassin as the poisonous cloud protects it.
Everyone within begins to choke and gage on the fumes as they have trouble breathing. "We have to get outta here!" One by one they flee the cloud, gasping for fresh air, only to be met by Shard's blade. Two of them get injured as one is shoved right back where he came from as the cloud poisons him once more. Several of them make openings in your defenses as they charge through.
──────────
BOLD: GO!:
──────────
➤ Amour
➤ Shard
➤ Miloban
Assassin 1 (Red) │
Assassin 2 (Green) │
Assassin 3 (Yellow) │
Assassin 4 (Pink) │
Director General Mateena │
➤ Martius │
Shard will once again wreak as much havoc as possible, sweeping his weapon around in quick, graceful arcs.
‾‾‾‾
Frightened 2 on crit
Frightened 2 on crit
Frightened 2 on crit
Frightened 2 on crit
1. If a creature attempts to Strike Shard, and he cannot use Shadow Blending:
Dodge Away: Shard gets +1 AC and Steps 10 feet if the attack misses (Feather Step). He will move back in a logical way in order to bait the creature into triggering an AOO if possible. I would like Shad to avoid ending adjacent to other enemies if possible.
2. If a creature attempts to move through Shard's threatened range, and he hasn't used an AOO yet:
3. Else:
Amour will hold his action until after Miloban so he can see where the enemies are now positioned.
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Shard's whirlwind kills all four of its victims, including the Director General. The poison was just too much for their lungs. With only a single enemy remaining Miloban electrocutes the final assassin before he has a moment to catch his own breath.
The smoldering assassin drops to his knees where both Marius and Amour are able to end his life quickly.
A pile of rare salts is worth 3,200 gp.
Shard proffers the ceramic mask to Miloban. Director general.
He moves to the nearest door after everyone heals.
"We could always wear the executioners hoods as well if we want to bluff our way past these underlings. I am not sure I have the figure to pass for the director but happy to serve as your official sycophant!"
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This wide room has eight crypt doors, four to the north and four to the south, each made of rusted metal with bare gaps where a plaque or plate was removed more recently. Other doors lead east and west. Maps cover a large table in the middle of this room. Nearby, a desk holds several writing instruments and old rags.
The director generals make their plans here, which they then communicate on a need-to-know basis to the Gray Gardeners. The maps detail the plans with the final blades, indicating that the Gray Gardeners have been moving the guillotines into the middle of Galt’s population centers. The maps also indicate the locations of the final blades, including Silent Lenore and Sharp-Tooth Hana here in Litran; this map looks similar to the one Tristel Liendi of The People’s Maps put together on her own. Around each final blade is a neat circle about a mile in diameter, marked “gray death confirmed fatalities.” A larger circle about five miles in diameter around each is marked, “gray death likely fatalities.” The intent to slaughter most of Galt’s population is clear.
Also on the table is a log of orders delivered to Gray Gardeners throughout Galt. The recipients aren’t named, but each order details methods to ensure that people flock to town centers and specifies a time frame of the past few days. The most common suggestion is to hold a public execution of a highly regarded public figure, guilt or innocence irrelevant. Where this approach seems insufficient to draw significant public interest, the Gray Gardeners should imply that they’ll solicit public opinion about the accused’s guilt. Additional suggestions for driving population into the towns involve paying off bandits or monsters to make the countryside more dangerous or arranging for a large celebration. These orders plainly insinuate that Litran’s Harvest Jubilee was part of this broader plan.