Amala immediately runs in the direction of the door that was just shut.
Fellzir follows Amala.
Ladies first I guess, she does have a shapely rear end though wth am I thinking we are in battle! Oh Malacoda gives us victory in the war to come
Aurelius follows as well
As Amala, Aurelius, and Fellzir make their way across the courtyard they are startled as the gates to the fort suddenly slam shut. Racing back across the yard they find that the doors are securely shut and won't yield to any amount of pushing or pulling they do.
As Guillaume scans the courtyard for danger he spots a sizable opening leading further into the pile of rubble in the southeast corner of the fort.
Cimri gasps in pain as an arrow flies from the second floor of the darkened tower to pierce her leather armor and the flesh beneath. After removing the arrow, she notices that the wound continues to seep blood.
Ititative:
I will post an action as soon as I know a little more. Thanks!
"There!" hisses Felzir, pointing with his crossbow bolt, then moving for the gap.
He hopes that hits. Little brat...
"This way!" Guillaume yells to the others, before dashing to the southeast.
So it's Amala's turn, but she may be on vacation for a few more days.
Fellzir's spots the shooter, a shadow among shadows, and fires his crossbow at the opening. Unfortunately the window is too narrow and his bolt strikes the stone around it, sending shards of stone inside the room which elicits a yelp of surprise from the person within
"Where?' Amala responds to Fellzir, as she tries to follow the direction of his crossbow bolt. Unable to see the diminutive shooter she rushes across the courtyard to the stairs leading to the walkway and the guardhouse.
Guillaume hears a noise, like claws clicking on stone, a creature with the body of a lioness, wings like a dragon, and a large spiked tail emerges from within the rubble. Anticipating something to, but totally unprepared for what does, emerge from the lair Guillaume brings his bardiche down in an overhand chop. The creature sees the bloodragers attack and easily sidesteps his blade as it sparks, clanging onto the stones beside the creature.
The creature unfurls it's wings and roars defiance at all who dared to enter her "home" as she scrambles atop the stones of her lair
"Sniper!" Cimri shouts the obvious as she pulls the arrow from her body. "It won't stop bleeding." she cries as she drops to the ground and rolls under the cart, pulling a vial from her pouch as she goes. Once under the protection of the cart she quaffs the potion and sighs in relief as some of her wounds close.
The would-be ambusher steps back from the window and disappears from view
An arrow flies from the larger eastern window to strike Fellzir in the shoulder.
End of Round #1
Aurelius
Top of Round #2
Amala
Fellzir
Guillaume
Aurelius moves closer to the agile sniper and then says a single word
Approach!
"There!" After pointing out the shape in the window, Fellzir moves over near Cimri and takes full (?) cover behind the wagon. "This should help both of us."
and stop bleeding.
Current hp: 21/25
That was his Round 2 turn.
"By Molech you're ugly!" Guillaume says, half to himself, as he swings at the moving creature.
AoO
Turn 2
Guillaume keeps hacking at the monstrous creature before him.
"Have you looked in a mirror recently?" she quips back.
Amala thrusts at the creature as it climbs the rockpile. As it swings it's barbed tail she is forced to duck away which causes her blade to miss it's mark.
Guillaume, on the other hand, takes full advantage of the creature's distraction to land a solid blow as his blade sinks deep into it's flank. However, now prepared, she sidesteps the Bloodrager's wicked backhand as Guillaume's bardiche sails over her head.
Amala gives Guillaume a nod of assent as she continues her rush toward the tower, she stops just outside the tower's door.
The creature, bleeding profusely from it's wound, asses the situation and decides that discretion is the better part of valor. She launches a volley of wicked barbs from her tail at Guillaume. Three of the four spikes strike Guillaume, one one dangerously close to severing an artery, before she takes to the air and lands on an intact piece of catwalk near the southeast corner of the fort.
Cimri, fully healed, rolls from underneath the cart and sprints across the courtyard to the wall of the tower directly underneath the window where the sniper is shooting. Once there she begins to climb the wall.
The halfling's eyes glaze as Aurelius' spell takes hold. She gazes out the window before disappearing into the shadows of the room, only to be stopped in her attempt to reach Aurelius by Amala. Both women are surprised by each other as she opens the door to the tower.
End of Round #2
Aurelius
Beginning of Round #3
Fellzir
Guillaume
Amala
Guillaume takes another swing as the creature takes off but, distracted by the pain of his wounds, misses badly.
Wounded, he heads deeper into the pile of rubble, hoping to gain some cover from the beast's deadly spikes.
"Mr. Omdura, can you kill her while I tend to our Tiefling friend? We need him in the fight."
Fellzir selectively channels, leaving out the hideous barbed monstrosity.
8 puts Fellzir back to full.
I think our Ladies got her quite well between them! Aurelius replies as he moves towards the Manticore
Oh Lord of Bastards, let our vigor spring forth eternal!
He calls upon his dork, I mean dark powers!
Come at me you ugly mut! Perhaps you can safe your halfling friend if you kill me quickly enough?
Aurelius calls upon his dark patron to lend aid to him and his allies and his call is answered his wounds and those of his allies begin to knit shut.
Guillaume moves further into the protective shelter of the creatures lair. Inside he finds a hollowed out chamber filled with scraps of soiled animals skins and heaps of discarded bones.
You see the haft of a cold iron morningstar sticking out from amid the rubble of the tower, however removing it from the rocks will not be an easy task (DC:20 Strength check) otherwise it will have to excavated from the rocks around it to be freed.
Amala is just as surprised as her prey as the door between them suddenly opens as she's face to face with the halfling. Smiling a wicked smile she summons the power of Calistria to smite her foe. Her blade glows with the power of her goddess as she cuts the halfing with her dagger
Cimri climbs the tower wall and drops into the room behind the halfling sniper.
Jexxi hisses in pain as Amala's blade cuts her deeply. Desperately she steps back, trying to get one more shot off at her attacker before dropping her bow and drawing her spear from off her back. At this range the arrow penetrates Amala's armor and the flesh beneath.
Agitated by your intrusion into her "lair" the manticores tail swishes back and forth before, angered by Aurelius' taunt, she launches another volley of spikes at the Omdura. Two of the spikes find their target and bury themselves deep into his body.
The barrage slams into Aurelius, inspite of his fast healing, he is down to 7 hp.
Approach foul beast!
Aurelius cast his command spell, and then moves to the north east, if his spell works, the Manticore would be in a position where it could be shot by Amala and hit by Aurelius and Guillaume.
Round #2
Aurelius steps back into the open courtyard and compels the manticore to come to him.
Round #3
Amala steps through the now vacated doorway to pursue her prey. Infused by the unholy might of Calisitria she's an unstoppable force as she slices through the halfling's defenses and cuts deep once again.
Round #3:
Fellzir and Guillaume are up.
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Fellzir looks at the epic damage to Aurelius and wonders if he will blame the demons and devils for that as well. He moves to a covered spot within 5' of Aurelius and drops a 2nd level spell for CMW on him. Perhaps a little positive energy will brighten his day...
Fellzir's eyes widen at such a large amount of healing. He has never cured so much in one casting in his life.
As his wounds begin to knit closed, Guillaume comes out of the dead end room, and back into the fight, hurling a throwing axe at the hideous monster.
Cimri moves around the room to stand next to the window to the outside to block off a potential escape route but to also place the halfling between her and Amala. With her opponent distracted by both Amala and herself the halfling leaves herself exposed for Cimri's kukri to find a sensitive spot as the Rogue's blade slices across her arm.
Jexxi, realizing the danger she's in, steps out between her two foes and stabs her spear at Amala. Her spear slips past Amala's defenses and punches through armor to the pierce her abdomen underneath.
Nalingca attempts to resist Aurelius' spell but the compulsion becomes too much as she reluctantly leaves her perch to swoop down and land next to Aurelius.
End of Round #3
Aurelius
Round #4
Amala
Fellizir
Guillaume
Bwahahahah my cunning plan works to perfection! Be smitten by the might of Lord Malacoda!
Once per day, a tiefling with this racial trait can smite a good-aligned creature. As a swift action, the tiefling chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is good, the tiefling adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to attack rolls against the target and gains a bonus on damage rolls against the target equal to her number of Hit Dice. This effect lasts until the first time the tiefling successfully hits her designated target. This racial trait
replaces fiendish sorcery and the tiefling’s spell-like ability.Source PPC:AoE
Aurelius strikes back at the beast with a migthy blow
The manticore roars in pain as Aurelius' blade bites deep but the unholy blade does not seem to do any additional damage as it strikes. She glares at Aurelius and says "Jexxi says I can eat anyone who trespasses on the fort once I hear her whistle. I will savor ever morsel of your flesh as I devour you."
Amala relentlessly follows Jexxi a she moves about the room "Your death is all but assured, you should surrender to Calistria's tender mercies before you go." the antipaladin leers at the desperate halfling.
As Amala's blade slices through armor it pierces the heart beneath, as life's light fades from Jexxi's eyes Amala frowns "Pity, we could have had such fun." she says as the halfling sinks lifelessly to the ground.
Callistrias tender mercies are why I tie up Callitrians and tickle them relentlessly! Everything is repaid 10 fold! Aurelius hears one female voice in his head
Silence imaginary wenches, I am battling a mighty foe and have no time for your idiocy
But you are missing on so many Manticore tail jokes! Watch out! Another voice says
Being able to livestream my errant bastard childs funny adventures to my co-workers is soooo hilarious! A third one chips in
Fellzir, without much confidence, shoots into the manticore melee.
Oh wait, I forgot the -4 somehow. Does a total of 2 hit? No? <sigh>
Guillaume rushes across the courtyard, drawing his bardiche as he goes. He brings the blade down in an overhand chop which bites deeply into the manticore's side. The manticore weakly tries to fly away but instead lands in a heap on the ground, gushing blood from it's wounds as it slowly dies in the muddy courtyard.
VICTORY IS OURS!
Aurelius shous in triumph
He pats Fellzir on the back
My thanks for keeping me in the fight, that was close!
Before holding out a war like bro-fist to Guillaume
Well struck, but lets see how the ladies are doing!
With the manticore dead you soon join Amala and Cimri in the tower. You arrive just as Cimri finishes wiping the blood from her kukri as she has slit the throat of the fallen halfling.
The smell of rotting wood assails your nose and the floorboards creak ominously as you move about the dilapidated tower. In the southeast corner of the room is a crank that looks like it once opened and closed the fort's gates but it appears that the mechanism hasn't worked in quite a while. Next to the crank is a lever that appears to connect to a jury-rigged counterweight that will cause the gates to slam shut once pulled. it's also obvious that the gates will not reopen until the lever is reset.
Piled in a corner of the tower you find a masterwork chain shirt, a masterwork short sword, a darkwood heavy shield, a light crossbow and a case with 10 bolts (all sized for someone at least human sized), all of these are on top of a folded blanket with a backpack laying on it. Inside the backpack you see a disguise kit, a set of thieves' tools, five days worth of trail rations, and a waterskin.
Searching the dead halfling you find a small suit of leather armor, a small masterwork shortbow (with 17 arrows), a small spear, a leather case containing a set of thieves' tools, a belt pouch with 26 gold inside, and a silent whistle hangs from a cord around her neck. You also find two letters, one a mere note scribbled on a scrap of paper, the other a more formal letter that appears to have once been sealed with wax.
Good work, old friend. Sending Jask to spell you soon. Can’t wait until you see what she’s done with the Court.
Archbaron Darellus Fex
As you're reading the correspondences you hear a voice coming weakly from somewhere outside in the courtyard "Hey, a little help here." Following the voice you find a severely beaten man tied to one of the posts supporting the catwalk overhead.
Guillaume, you know that guy? I can heal you both if you stand together and tell me you know him. I wonder if this pile was his until the manticore got him. (?)
"Hey, who's there!?" The tied man shouts. "Please help! I'm an honest citizen, ambushed by these wicked... monsters! Who knows what they were planning to do!"
By the law and the lord! I shall liberate thee from thy unjust posiion posthaste!
Aurelius immidiatly gets to freeing Giuliano
"This area could do with more honest citizens. The townsfolk are all too eager to break our land's just laws." the big tiefling says.
"My heartfelt thanks, my dear friends." The man gives a courteous nod, while massaging his freed, but sore, wrists. "Ah, where are my manners. I am Giuliano. Giuliano Gracchus."
Then he looks at the gathered group, his eyes focusing on each of them in turn.
'Now, did I hear the name Guillaume mentioned just as you arrived?"
Indeed, Sir Guillaume valiant efforts have greatly contributed to the restitution of law and order in this riven land Aurelius introduces Guillaume with a courteous semi bow.
You did indeed. Is this your gear?
"Ah... And would you perhaps be in service of Archbaron Fex?" Giuliano asks, raising his eyebrow.
"And yes, these belong to me, thank you so much. Those deviants took them from me." he graciously takes the items.
"Yes we are." "We saw your letter of introduction. Did you meet with him personally?"
We need to be ready to ambush Jask.
"Ah... I think I was supposed to hand you the letter. But works this way as well." Giuliano shurgs with a rueful smile. He takes the chain shirt from his belongings and starts to put it on.
"And yes, I had the... pleasure of meeting the Archbaron. He told your group were planning an assault on the rebel stronghold, and in need of assistance. He was being very persuasive in asking me to help you." Belt. Short sword on the side. Crossbow on back. Couple of daggers hidden in sleeves. Giuliano starts to be ready and armed.
"Since we're all working for the same man in the name of the greater good, there shouldn't be any secrets between us. You must understand, Giuliano Gracchus was never here tonight..." he digs into the backpack and pulls out a silvery mask.
He raises the mask and puts in on his face, hiding his features beneath.
"Only The Shrike was here to weed out the rebel scum..." he continues, voice strangely distorted by the mask.
Well met then, thy secret is safe with us Aurelius remarks
Is it? We now know hahahahhahahahahah
he is internally greated by a chorus of feminine derision and munched larvacorn