"Huh," Humerus says. "Maybe it was feeding on me, boss, because I didn't remember that at all. Do any of you remember running into one of these vetalarnas? Lady boss?"
Ceceka shakes his head at Humerus. "Doubtful." He then rummages through his memory bank to recollect what he knows about these creatures. Sadly, the answer is that he knows painfully little about vetalarna. Surely they can be defeated by sharpened steel just like most things in this world.
"These stories give me the impression the vampire was desperate. From what little I know about vampires, they tend to favor subtlety and tact, and this particular one barged right in, exposing itself for what it is to many. Perhaps it escaped its master or its tomb."
Aily had never heard of the type of vampire Mr. Stanton mentioned. Vampires were like rats, so many different kinds but all the same horrible little s$@#s. Her mind smiled for a moment at the memory of a crumpled form, but then frowned at the memory of all that lost work.
"No" she answers Humerus. The maid kneels down in front of the orphan and describes the hag they were hunting "Does this sound like the creature that tried to eat you?"
Junissa nods. "Uh huh. That sounds like her, alright! You're... you're gonna make sure she doesn't come back, right? I don't want her to get me in my sleep!"
"Sure, boss, we can do that," Humerus says. "Maybe she'll have some memories of someone we're looking for!"
He pauses.
"Do you remember where she went, boss?"
Cariad has been following along quietly in the background, more interested in the people working the market than in the investigations.
"So, this Apbaug is the last one we need to find..." He says, dragging his gaze away from the market, and then from Aily.
Telvir ignores the memory-stolen girl as soon as he has his answers.
"Yes, to the Vine Steps. Hopefully we can get a better sense of the creature's current whereabouts."
Something tugs at Aily, something that she finds REALLY irritating, but it is stronger that irritation, so once the other's eyes are away from her, she pulls out two platinium coins and drops them in the girl's lap.
As the girl's eyes widen and her mouth opens, Aily raises her finger to her lips and shakes her head. The motion and her sharp red eyes warn the girl to shut it Now. The girl's lips close and the coins disappears.
Then the maid gets up and follows the others to the next merchant.
Caraid smiles when Aily rejoins the group - he knows that his g- Aily has a tender heart and there's no doubt in his mind that she's done something to make the girl's life better.
Asking around in the market eventually allows you to track down Apbaug. The druid is a jolly man, bald with a long bushy beard, and he is currently selling ripe green apples at a scandalous markup of 1 sp each. He chats amiably with you, and after a bit, you are able to convince him to tell you what he knows.
Apbaug says the thoughtlessness started just after a large, cloaked woman came to the Hollow Flesh Market. Apbaug’s description matches that of Iron Taviah, though the druid didn’t get a close look at her. Her body language indicated she seemed quite put off by the market crowds—angry, frustrated, or tense, he couldn’t tell. She headed in the direction of the Vine Steps that lead to the catacombs beneath the market and, as far as Apbaug knows, she might still be there.
All signs seem to point to Vine Steps, so you head there. At the edge of the trading post, these four covered staircases descend to a large room. The rounded, slanted roofs over the staircases resemble massive fingers clawing at the overgrown ground. Several creeping vines and twisted trees grow up and over the roofs, but the stairs are mostly free of vegetation.
As you approach the steps, three hulking plant creatures emerge to block your progress. They are humanoid in shape, but their wooden bodies are twisted and covered with spiky protrusions. They move to attack!
Aily is in front of the nearest as quick as an arrow, slicing and hoping wood bleeds.
Ceceka growls and strikes at Aily's target, intending to end its miserable existence.
Telvir tries to remember if he's seen anything like these creatures before.
The elf fires a jet of flame at the creature as Smoke moves in.
for
Telvir has the right idea, but Caraid doesn't prepare standard fire magic, so he makes do with what he does have.
Ceceka moves in on the first plant-monster, tearing into it with a critical hit! He strikes again, shoving it back. Caraid blasts the creature in the face with divine energy! As it reels, Aily moves in. She misses with her first attack, but the second one connects, slicing off chunks of bark. Telvir then blasts it with flame. The fire is super effective! The creature falls, smoldering.
The remaining two creatures hang back, bellowing angrily. They focus intently on Ceceka, using their powers to leech moisture from his body!
With one foe down, she quickly moves toward the next. Her eyebrows rise when they suck the very water from Ceceka's body. A very fitting power for a plant, she thinks as she cuts into the creature as best she can.
HP 122/122
AC 25 / 27 in Mountain Stance or 29 if use Mountain Stronghold
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +12 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 3
Effects:
Humerus starts. "Sorry, boss, didn't realize we were going to fight some trees."
Setting himself in his now familiar stance, he moves forward to grab one of the other trees. "Sorry, boss, I'm not all that moist, so not going to be a good meal for you."
Caraid frowns lightly and concludes that Ceceka probably needs the water back in his body.
Flames curl around Telvir as he unleashes another fiery attack.
\
for
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The warrior staggers under the assault but remains standing - for now. How dare these plants attack him, and how dare they make him suffer so?! "I'll find your master and bury her skull at the bottom of a ghoul latrine!"
Humerus grabs a hold of one of the tree-monsters, but its tough bark resists his bludgeoning embrace.
Ceceka slashes the grappled enemy as Caraid heals the wounded warrior. Aily takes advantage of the opportuniy to backstab the plant, then slices it again, scoring a critical hit! Telvir scores a critical hit with his own fire, and the tree-creature goes down.
The final foe bellows with rage. It points an arm at Telvir, firing thorns at the psychic! Luckily, the elf's shield spell keeps him safe!
Aily moves to flank the last creature to aid Ceceka in hacking the wood into kindling. As she stabs and slices, she seems rather amused at the warrior's threat, imagining turning the mansion's privies into all sorts fun.
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HP 122/122
AC 25 / 27 in Mountain Stance or 29 if use Mountain Stronghold
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +12 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 3
Effects:
"Is there another one of these around, boss? I figured there'd be tree of them!" Humerus jokes as he sets his feet, moves forward again, and tries to grab the remaining tree before pummeling it.
Telvir's barrage of fire continues. He barely has the presence of mind to maintain his shield as the power flows through him.
for
Ceceka can survive until the end of the fight, so Caraid tries to help it along.
Ceceka's mind falls apart when Humerus stuns him with a terrible pun. The warrior steps forward and swings, but too much of his body and mind is occupied with processing the joke.
Though Ceceka's aim is off, the rest of you slice, punch, blast, and burn the final tree-monster! It quickly falls, and the fight comes to an end.
Humerus stretches his head from side to side, as if he were loosening up.
"Everyone OK, boss? No splinters?" he asks.
Tevlir puts a hand to his temple as he grimaces. "I'll need but a moment." The elf's words are faintly slurred, but he quickly recovers.
"Judging from that attack, we're getting closer."
"I'll need a bit longer than a moment." Caraid says, amusement colouring his tone as he sets to work patching his fellow living up from their injuries.
The psychic keeps twitching until Caraid actually snaps at him.
"Hold still you idiot or this is going to keep hurting!"
"You have the delicate hands of a cobbler." Telvir rubs the aggravated injury.
Aily keeps watch as the living get mended. Fully living at least. At the comment about Caraid's hands is said, she snorts. Probably intending to be a laugh of disbelief stifled just a shade too late, turning into a cough at the end.
She looks at no one.
"You OK, Lady Boss? That sounds like a nasty cough. Could be a tree pollen problem." He glances at the shattered tree creatures and then back at Aily. Then shrugs, unsure what the cause might be.
Once you are ready, you proceed down the stairs. A carpet of glass shards glints on the floor amid broken benches. Some benches have been converted into beds or crude shelters draped with threadbare cloth, though these makeshift resting places are all abandoned. A crumbling stone dais rises to the south beneath a carving of a ram’s head wearing a tall atef crown.
Six zombies aimlessly shuffle about the room, eyes wide, mouths open. They don't seem to take any notice of you.
The glass shards seems to worry the maid more than the zombies, just by sheer untidiness.
"Odd zombies. I've never seen their like."
"Zombies are no good, boss. They're way too squishy, and start smelling bad pretty quick. Want me to take care of them?"
"Husk Zombies." Caraid says. "Fundamentally harmless. Don't attack them and they won't do anything to you either."
He demonstrates by walking casually through the room, stepping aside from the zombies as need be until he makes it to the dais with the rams skull.
"They certainly don't seem very useful," Telvir sniffs.
Aily tenses like agitated steel as Caraid gets close to the husks but relaxes somewhat when he wasn't eaten. She moves silently next to him looking at the dials as well
Ignoring the zombies, you search around the room. You discover random
collections of knickknacks, trophies, and baubles stashed beneath some of the shelters. Near one side of the room is an iron box filled with tattered clothes. This is the box in which Junissa hid to escape Iron Taviah’s attention.
Caraid identifies the carving as a symbol of the Ancient Osirian god Osiris. The symbology is several millenia old. Searching the ram's head carving, Aily discovers a secret panel! Inside is a faded set of stone tablets that contain plans for the original structure in which the Hollow Flesh Market was built. The tablets aren’t of any monetary value, but one of the Great Factions might be grateful for their return. There is also a [i]necklace of fireballs type III.[/ooc]
Past this room, winding passages extend into the darkness in multiple directions...
"I think we should go this way, boss," Humerus says pointing to one of the winding passages at random.
"This one does look as good as any." Telvir agrees with Humerus, for once.
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"Sure." Caraid says with a shrug. One of his hands is out of sight, presumably resting on Aily's... back.
Well, she clearly doesn't dislike it. He still has the hand afterall!
"My lord" Aily says with soft amusement "You are welcome, of course, to touch your... servant..." her amusement growing thicker at that word "In whatever we you see fit, but you may lose a finger at its current placement if danger happened to arise." the sharp dagger hidden just north of his wandering hand.
As you make your way through the twisting passages, you see numerous phrases scratched into the catacomb walls.
“She Goes Where the Statues Walk”
“What Awaits Her Amid the Stone Army?”
“Iron Meets Stone in the Field of Maidens”
You turn another corner and come face to face with a pair of undead! Slender and pale, with sunken cheeks and exceptionally long nails, the creatures hiss and advance on you hungrily!
Despite her warning to Caraid, Aily is very careful about slipping her knife out of its hidden sheath, preserving his precious (to her) fingers.
With the rustle of skirts, Aily moves to the nearest, blade in hand.
HP 122/122
AC 25 / 27 in Mountain Stance or 29 if use Mountain Stronghold
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +12 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 3
Effects:
"Wow, boss, that's a cool hat!" Humerus says. "Hey, lady boss, you think I could wear a hat like that?"
Not waiting for an answer, Humerus sets his feet and moves forward. But he's so distracted by the circle of runes around the creature's head that he fails to grab or hit him.