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"Honestly, she would." Isabel replies, her voice losing its teasing note for something gentler. "Do you remember what she said about her sisters? I think Fall has had a lot of people look down on her and her choices. You saying that you choose her, showing everyone that you choose her. I think that would mean a lot to her. And I'll get you that collar as a wedding gift." The smirk is back full force by the end as she squeezes Charlotte's hand.
"Proud of you Lottie. You deserve this."
More so than anyone else Bel knows, her best friend deserves happiness and Isabel determinedly ignores the small niggle of sadness deep inside her. It's not worthy of her or fair on Lottie.
Charlotte finishes her cleaning, wrapping a clean strip of cloth over the barely a scratch, a smile on her lips. A real one, and she thanks her friend with an unexpected quick hug. "All better" the doctor proclaims as she rises and brushes off the old dust from her knees.
"Ready" she declares, even though her thoughts are on the best way to 'claim' Fall, and a slight worrying worry in her heart about both her friend's attention paid to Fall herself and something in her tone when she congratulated her. The former is irrational, she knows, which makes her avoid the latter probably a little too much.
When you touch one of the statues' hands, the golden plates on the floor begin to glow. With each hand touched, the glow grows brighter. Once all four hands are touched, the glow is nearly blinding. Stepping onto the plates teleports you to another chamber.
This magnificent marble chamber is richly appointed. Its domed ceiling is frescoed with an image of a starry night sky, while a thick rug of exquisite manufacture covers much of the floor. A stairway rises to a pair of double doors to the west, while a hallway leads away to the south. Large alcoves decorated with gold tiles extend to the north and east. Black marble benches carved to represent coiling serpents sit on the northeast and southeast walls.
Four lust sinspawn armed with guisarmes stand guard at the far end of the chamber. These hideous creatures have torsos of voluptuous women but with arms, legs, and heads of nightmarish parodies of the human form. Their mouths split open in a snarl as they ready their weapons!
The sinspawn quickly close the distance and attack Isabel and Fallende!
Elara watches the whispered exchange between Isabel and Charlotte curiously, scribbling a few additional notes in her journal but choosing not to intervene in their private conversation. She continues to scribble away until the group is ready to move on.
--
Elara notches an arrow and studies a creature before aiming at one of the grotesque creatures. As she releases the arrow, she shouts "Lustspawn! Be wary of their bite and keep your distance!"
She maintains a safe distance from the frontline, ready to provide support with her ranged attacks.
"My blade must drink, Mon Ami!" Fallende calls out with a laugh as her sword is drawn and she steps within range to strike at the nearest of the twisted creatures.
With a sly grin, Elara mutters under her breath, "Well, I hope it enjoys a nice merlot with that sinful taste of lustspawn, but I doubt it's a connoisseur."
Testifying again to the sensitivity of elvish ears, the warrior shouts out, "Vive le vin de bataille!", and follows up with more laughter.
Charlotte shows a mix of worry and fondness for the warrior as she rushes into the battle. "vivre longtemps... pour profiter du vin... après la bataille" the doctor says carefully as she concentrates on the brazing fire inside of her. Her elvish is the worst of the group, which she accepts, and barrels on anyway. She does find banter during battle an unneeded distraction but she is also trying to adapt.
As seen in the towering storms of flame that engulf the lustspawn.
Most of the sinspawn turn away from Charlotte's flames, but one is badly burned. Isabel is able to create a personal anathema for the sinspawn as she moves in to attack. She delivers a critical blow that finishes off the scorched foe!
Meanwhile, Elara fires an arrow into a second sinspawn's weak point. Fallende lands a glancing blow, but Wesley fails to finish it off with a hurled projectile.
The three remaining foes attack. Fallende takes a hit from a guisarme and a critical bite, while another sinspawn's jaws tear at Isabel.
Success: Sickened 1.
Failure: Sickened 2.
Critical Failure: Sickened 2 plus stupefied 2 for 1 minute.
As her warrior takes two brutal wounds, Charlotte stops her blazing inferno to concentrate on preserving the Fall's body. Then quickly moves toward her best friend while pulling open her doctor's bag. As always, she trusts both the fighters to protect her while she works, just as they trust her to make sure they can continue to do so.
Waves of unnatural lust are nothing compared to the feelings that Fallende already embraces and she laughs at the paltry attempt to influence her.
"Your pitiful magic is nothing compared to what I feel for mon Ange!" she spits back at them. "Her fire burns away such trifles!"
Elara takes another moment to analyze the sinspawn's movements and vulnerabilities as they engage in battle. She notices a slight hesitation in their movements when they attack, suggesting a potential opportunity.
Elara readies her shortbow and aims for the spot where the sinspawn's defenses seem to falter. She releases an arrow, aiming for that vulnerable point with precision. As the arrow flies true, Elara can't help but mutter under her breath, "Even the most alluring of creatures can have chinks in their armor."
Charlotte heals Fallende while Elara finishes off the most wounded sinspawn with a well-placed arrow. Fallende chops off the head of another sinspawn with a critical hit from her sword! She follows up with a good hit on the last foe, whom Isabel is able to take out with a exploitative strike of her own weapon.
Elara can't help but appreciate the synergy of their team as they work together to overcome the challenges they face. "Well done, well done all." she says, reaching into her pack and withdrawing some bandages. "Isabel. You should try to avoid their teeth. Let me see that."
With a gentle touch and precise movements, she tends to Isabel's wounds, cleaning and dressing them to prevent infection. She helpfully reminds Isable that it's better to stay away from sharp teeth in combat.
Afterwards, she takes a moment to study the room and jot down some notes in her journal, capturing the details of the battle and their successful tactics. She examines the golden plates on the floor and the statues of Runelord Sorshen and takes more notes.
With Bel being tended to, Charlotte moves over to clean Fall's wounds as well, including a small line of neat stiches. "Are they too tight?" she asks, knowing this cut slides over a place that will be pulled when the warrior swings her sword. Protection from infection is secondary if protecting against it reduced the warrior's combat efficiency.
The elf flexes her arm and twists her torso to test Charlotte's work.
"C’est gérable," she replies with a nod. "Merci."
With her other hand she reaches out and tips the healer's chin up and towards her before pressing her lips against Charlotte's for a brief kiss. "You take such good care of me. I must find something to do for you," she says before tapping the tip of the woman's nose with a single finger. "Tu mérites au moins ça."
Once the healer's ministrations have finished, Fallende takes a few moments to explore the northern and eastern alcoves.
The northernmost alcove radiates strong conjuration magic. Wesley deduces that stepping into it will likely teleport you back to the previous section of the dungeon.
With nothing else here to find, you approach the the doors the sinspawn were guarding. The sound of a large party in full swing—delighted laughter, spirited music, the clinking of fine crystal, and the murmur of a large crowd—can be heard through the doors.
This cavernous hall is made of marble, with two rows of pillars carved to resemble tree trunks supporting the ceiling thirty feet above. The frescoed ceiling is painted to depict the canopy of foliage such trees would produce, and a star-flooded sky, full moon aglow, peeks through the boughs here and there. A lavish rug, colored burnt orange shot through with threads of gold, runs the length of the room. Two great tapestries of rich burgundy hang from the sides of a balcony on the east wall that overlooks the ballroom from a height of thirty feet, while at the opposite end of the room, four statues of Runelord Sorshen guard a large stage.
A grand masked ball is in full swing here! Dozens of men and women dressed in fine clothing dance to the music of a small orchestra on the stage, while just below the stage sits none other than Runelord Sorshen herself on a ruby throne, clad in a scandalously revealing gown. As you enter, she rises from the throne and claps her hands twice. This causes the orchestra to fall silent and the members of the dance to immediately hush and turn their attention to her as she speaks.
"Oh my sweet subjects,” she coos, her voice seductive and penetrating. “Now is the time for us to enjoy the succulent fruits of our labor. I give you license to indulge your appetites, every unexpressed libidinous impulse, for by such indulgences you honor me. Those who would interfere with this sacrament are like the blind chastising the sighted for looking with pleasure upon a rainbow. Why, some in our midst this very moment actively work against us—obstacles between us and the indulgence of our passions. Behold the cold and bloodless prudes who even now stand before us!”
At this point, all turn to face you, their expressions a mixture of contempt and disgust. One looming man dressed in green-and-gold robes (who can be identified as none other than Karzoug, the runelord of greed), raises an accusing finger at you and yells venomously: “The proper place for those without the Inner Fire is the grave! Come, let us drag them there!” At this command, the crowd surges toward you in an angry mob, emitting a unified, growing howl of fury.
Before moving into the doors, Elara observes Fallende and Charlotte again and frowns. She puts the finishing touches on Isabel's bandage and asks her Alright. What is going on with the need to kiss after each fight?
Are her hormone levels so extremely elevated that there is some underlying need to press her lips firmly against something? I am extremely confused. It makes no sense."
Knowing that Charlotte understands perfectly well how to stay safe in combat, Fallende, nevertheless, says over her shoulder, "Stay behind me, Mon Ange," before pulling her blade into her hands and moving forward to engage the closest of the mob.
As Fallende swings her sword at the lead members of the mob, they all suddenly vanish! The whole thing was apparently a complicated illusion. The revelers, the ballroom, the music all disappear, leaving a large, empty room. Empty, that is, save for one creature--a lustspawn wielding a wicked guisarme.
"Time to die, darlings," she purrs. The sinspawn casts a spell, conjuring a pale, hairless hound that hovers in the air. With an eerie howl, it snaps its jaws at Fallende.
Charlotte quickly sends a burst of divine healing into Fall, while moving to help with more traditional healing if need be.
Something tells her this creature is not going down easily.
Elara can't help but comment in surprise as the illusion unravels. "Oh my. Well, that was quite the enchanting performance." she remarks wryly.
Without missing a beat, she focuses her attention on the lustspawn wielding the guisarme. Her keen eye quickly assesses the creature's weaknesses, and she takes a precise shot with her shortbow.
"Let's see how you handle this!" Elara mutters to herself, drawing her bowstring and aiming for a vulnerable spot on the lustspawn.
◈ Analyze Weakness
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There's no need for quips at this point. Isabel merely examines the sinspawn for a moment and then moves deliberately forward to kill it.
"Salope trompeuse!" the elf snarls as she redirects her ire towards the summoned hound.
Fallende's blade flashes thrice as she quickly cuts down the summoned hound. It vanishes with a final howl. Elara's arrow misses the lustspawn. As Isabel closes the distance, the lustspawn takes an attack of opportunity with her guisarme.
Isabel dodges and strikes back, but the lustspawn parries her attack.
The aberration raises a magical shield before casting another spell, attempting to fill Isabel's mind with images of her own impending doom.
With the minion dealt with Fallende steps forward, her blade flashing, to deal with the mistress.
With the hound destroyed, and the two women on the front lines handling the spawn well enough to avoid further damage, the medic is free to send firey death at the creature.
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Elara is also firing at range at the creature, just like Charlotte. Unlike Charlotte, however, Elara uses a bow and arrow to attack, which seems magnitudes less effective than magical fire.
Note to self, do not piss off Charlotte, or you will find yourself scorched. Badly.
Elara shakes her head and tries to focus, attempting to study the creature and exploit a weakness but failing to get the thought of burning to death out of her mind.
◈ Analyze Weakness