Elise frowns at the exchange about Calmont. "We told the Bramblebrashers we would not let Calmont know about the entrance and that we would keep them safe. Him knowing about it on top of us leaving the door open flies in the face of that promise." She shakes her head. "This is not a good way to start our Hero careers - already breaking promises to the people we're protecting."
Trista spends her time consulting the book as her teammates are getting patched up. When she stands, her face is flushed with excitement. Standing near her, you almost feel a warm glow coming off her.
"I think we're getting closer to what we are looking for!"
Olaf takes the lead from Mr Serpens and follows, also slashing at the bird when he reaches it.
Vaultway - Round 1 - continued
25 Mr Serpens (6hp dmg)
22 Olaf
18 Red Bird
17 Fentus
16 Elise
15 Valdrin
14 Yellow Bird (18hp dmg, grabbed)
13 Green Bird
11 Trista
Able to see with his darkvision, Serpens makes out the outlines of the birds before the others, and seeing they are immediately aggressive, he advances to attack. The elf's cane swishes through the air, striking the first bird very hard, and then snatching it with his off hand. The fighter attempts a second strike against the grabbed bird, but it misses.
Olaf also advances, the light shimmering off his weapon, illuminating more of the long vaultway. While Serpens holds the exotic bird, Olaf attempts to chop it, but the bird is just shifty enough to avoid the weapon strike.
The Red Bird runs up to where Serpens holds its fellow avian, and then attacks twice, first with beak, then swiping its tail.
Fentus moves up into the room, and throws a fireball at the red bird, "This is really odd, what odd dungeon birds,"
Elise rushes forward and stabs into the red bird, hoping to take some attention off of her elven handler.
Moving into the hallway, Valdrin looks as Serpens struggles while holding the yellow bird. Sighing, he waves his hand sending forth magics towards the grappled avian, "May the light deter you from this action!"
Vaultway - Round 1 - continued
Moving into the chamber, Fentus brings a torch with him, but then generates his own small, flaming sphere which he tosses at the 2nd bird, burning its awe-inspiring plumage slightly.
Elise enters the now-lit room to support her allies in melee, but her stabbing rapier attack misses.
Valdrin also enters, stopping to cast a dazing spell on the held yellow bird. Unfortunately, the bird's magical nature is stronger than the spell, and it has no immediate effect.
Twisting and turning quickly, the yellow bird wrenches itself free from Serpens grasp. Righting itself, the bird begins a dazzling display of its magical plumage. The dance of the bird is mesmerizing, drawing the eye of all who are within 15'.
Green Bird takes to the wing, flying towards the melee, and attack Olaf with its beak but the pecking attack misses.
"Not what I expected behind this door, either"
Trista moves to threaten the yellow bird as the Book flaps in her hand, searching for some useful information.
She can't find anything about them, and it's very upsetting!
She swings on it anyway.
for
Olaf dodges a slashing beak even as he attempts to blink away the dazzling display from the creature in Mr Serpens' hands. Focusing his will and magic, he lashes out with his great blade.
After the strike, he raises his shield.
Vaultway - Round 1 - concluded
Trista flips through her book rapidly, but these creatures don't seem to be referenced at all; the Book rarely lets her down, so they must be unique!. Instead she steps up and attacks, striking the Yellow Bird which seems to be quite hurt at this point.
End of Round 1
Vaultway - Round 2
25 Mr Serpens (6hp dmg, confused 2 rds)
22 Olaf (confused 2 rds)
18 Red Bird (5hp dmg)
17 Fentus (flame produced)
16 Elise
15 Valdrin
14 Yellow Bird (23hp dmg)
13 Green Bird
11 Trista
Mr Serpens is so distraught by the dazzling display of feathers and magical bird-dancing, that he loses his mind for a few moments lashing out in every direction at once. He strikes at the Green Bird twice missing both times, and then his third strike is at Elise, but he misses this one also.
Olaf steps back and also attack Elise, cutting her badly. His next attack is on himself, but his attempt at self-harm ends without any injury, apparently its hard to cut yourself with a bastard sword.
Red Bird makes a swiping tail strike, bringing its sharp tail feathers to bear on both Elise and Serpens. Elise avoids the sharpened quills, but they strike the confused Serpens with deadly accuracy, slashing him deeply. While the attack hurts Serpens, it does clear his eyes, and head, and he is back to his normal senses, even if rather hurt. The Red Bird then steps back from the fight for a moment, trying to gather itself.
CRITICAL
Fentus watches in shock as the two party members begin to attack each other, not sure what is happening, Fentus hurls a more powerful spell at the Green Bird, hoping some of his magic might turn the tide.
"Olaf, Serpens snap out of it, you're attacking each other!"
Elise dodges Serpens' sudden swipe at her and then gasps in pain as Olaf's hit connects, her face drawn in confusion and dismay. She sees Olaf's attempt at hurting himself and then Serpens almost getting knocked out and realizes that they're probably not all there and decides to stay put, focusing her attention on the bird before her.
She stabs forward three times, desperate to get rid of it.
Vaultway - Round 2 - continued
Fentus sees the carnage wrought by his confused allies, and turns up his diabolical powers a bit, sending a fissile ray at the Green Bird. His aim is true, and the ray causes the bird to weaken -- its muscle tone slackening visibly after being bathed in the spell.
After being the victim of her own allies attacks, Elise moves ahead to strike at the Yellow Bird. While two of her attacks are unsuccessful, the other does strike home, and the damage is enough to put the Yellow Bird down and out of the fight.
Valdrin, watching the swinging Serpens sighs and steps towards Elise, grabbing another tincture from his bag and applies it quickly on her wound before retreating from the confused fighters!
Vaultway - Round 1 - continued
Seeing Elise take some hard hits, Valdrin move towards his ally rapidly treating her wounds and quickly healing her of some hurts.
Green Bird chooses Serpens to attack, pecking with its sharp beak and also making an agile tail strike. The elven fighter, recovered in his sensibility, dodges the beak, but the tail scores a hit, dropping Mr Serpens unconscious to the ground, where he slowly begins bleeding out.
Trista tries to see if she has learned anything about these birds.
for
for
Vaultway - Round 2 - concluded
Trista once again consults the book and this time she does find a reference about these exotic, foreign birds. The knowledge allows her to take advantage of the birds innate weakness. Then the learned thaumaturge attacks with her shortsword, hitting Green Bird twice with a little extra damage thrown in.
End of Round 2
Vaultway - Round 3
22 Olaf (confused 1 rd)
18 Red Bird (5hp dmg)
17 Fentus (flame produced)
16 Elise
15 Valdrin
25 Mr Serpens (unconscious DC 11 Flat to recover)
13 Green Bird (enfeebled 1, 19hp dmg)
11 Trista
Still confused by the dazzling display of one of the birds, Olaf turns his blade on Valdrin, striking twice, but only hitting once. The bastard sword does hurt the cleric, but he survives to fight on. At last, perhaps, the clouds over Olaf's vision start to clear.
Red Bird advances to attack Elise, but the attack misses.
Fentus continues trying to throw fireballs into the Red Bird, trying to bring down the already hurt bird. Starting to worry as the Elf hits the ground hard, "Valdrin are you able to get him up? If not I can try soon,"
"I can keep him from dying, but as for getting him up, I can try later!" Taking a step towards the downed Serpens, Valdrin calls upon his goddess and sends a warm light into the elven fighter, "On your blessing, help me protect this one's soul until it is time proper."
Elise dodges the bird in front of her and lunges forward, stabbing at the creature three times.
Vaultway - Round 3 - continued
Fentus already has a ball of flame at hand, so he tosses a fiery sphere at the nearest feathered foe, but the thrown flame misses, fizzling in the stone hallway.
Valdrin rushes to the side of the downed elven fighter, and while he cannot revive him this instant, he at least staunches his wounds, stabilizing the unconscious ally.
Elise continues pressing Red Bird with her rapier, striking it once for slight damage.
Green Bird begins another dazzling display of magical dancing. With the swishing and swooshing of long tail feathers, all within 15' are drawn to the performance. The bird then steps away from the melee to admire its effects.
Trista shields her eyes at just the right moment to avoid the distracting effect. "I remember now! These birds are commonly found in the Mwangi Expanse...what are they doing in Isger?" Trista starts forward, then adds, "Oh, their feathers are magical, and wizards would pay a pretty penny for them."
She follows the green bird and slashes at it.
for
for
Vaultway - Round 3 - concluded
While Miriani calls out to the party about the origins of the birds, she chases down the enfeebled Green Bird, and with some finely placed stabs, she slays that one.
End of Round 3
Vaultway - Round 4
22 Olaf
18 Red Bird (10hp dmg)
17 Fentus (flame produced)
16 Elise
15 Valdrin
25 Mr Serpens (unconscious but stable)
11 Trista
Shaking off the confusion, but not the dazzling glare of the feathers, Olaf steps forward and strikes, magic coursing through his blade.
And misses badly, blinking his eyes clear, cursing as his blade hits only air.
Vaultway - Round 4 - continued
As Olaf finally rights himself and moves to strike the remaining emperor bird, the feathery display dazzles him again, this time keeping his focus from any offensive attack.
Red Bird feels the pressure as the allies close in around it. Stepping back and spinning furiously, the bird strikes out with its tail lash at both Olaf and Elise simultaneously. Elise avoids the attack, but Olaf is still dazzled enough to miss it coming, and gets slashed by the magical feathers.
Elise blinks, stars and spots blinding her vision. She steps forward and tries to lunge at the last bird remaining, hoping to push past the bird's annoying effects.
Trista crosses the hallway get behind the bird and tries to give it the old "one-two" with Elise's distraction.
for
for
Frustrated with missing his last small fireball going amiss amidst the chaotic combat against the last bird, Fentus switches hsi approach and attempts to cloud the mind of the bird with dazing magic.
"Its nearly dead now, we didnt come all this way to let a couple birds stop us!"
Vaultway - Round 4 - continued
Elise keeps pressuring the remaining avian wiht her rapier. After clearing her vision from the dazzling display, she hits once for her maximum damage.
Trista circles behind the last foe, stabbing twice more with her shortsword but not hitting with either strike.
Fentus casts a dazing spell at the bird, wounding it slightly.
Looking at the group, then looking at the bird, Valdrin calls upon his faith and sends energy at the red bird!
Vaultway - Round 4 - concluded
Seeing the effect Fentus had on the last target, Valdrin also casts a dazing spell at the bird, harming it, but having no mental effect otherwise.
Serpens continues to be unconscious, but stable.
End of Round 4
Vaultway - Round 5
22 Olaf (dazzled 1 rd)
18 Red Bird (23hp dmg)
17 Fentus (flame produced)
16 Elise (dazzled 1 rd)
15 Valdrin (dazzled 1 rd)
25 Mr Serpens (unconscious but stable)
11 Trista
Aggravated yet still dazzled, Olaf lashes out with his blade twice, then raises his shield.
Vaultway - Round 5 - concluded
Olaf has been frustrated by the displays and actions of the emperor birds all fight, but now, fully in control of his senses, he makes them pay. Hitting the final target twice with has mighty blade, he turns into into a pile of pulp and feathers and cries out in exultation as he does.
End of Combat
"Well. As I said, so very odd to run into emperor bird here in Isger," Trista reflects absently to the group as she sets about plucking the birds' feathers. [b]"What would they even eat? No wonder the were so hostile; they're typically found in the jungle, not some drafty basement. Is there some exotic pet keeper among the cultists?"
She straightens up after gathering the feathers. "Do you think Big Bumble would like these as a snack? It seems wasteful just to leave them."