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Mahmoud looks sideways at Tribim, trying to keep his eyes from widening in surprise, and does his best to simply look menacing instead. He analyzes the spirit from a tactical perspective, trying to think what he could do to fight an enemy without a body to pierce. O Pharasma, he silently prays, let my friend's unorthodox methods succeed, will You not? May he lead this lost soul, if that is what it is, to the waters of the afterlife peacefully, with Your grace.
Aereith's eyes widened in awe and wonder. A sentient spirit! How much could they learn from it? When the ghost gave a courtly bow, Aereith instinctively returned it, and then made way for Tribim to speak.
As he spoke, Aerith said to Epperson "But she is so polite." She responded. "So long as she remains so, it would be such a joy to spend time talking with her."
The woman smiles at Tribim. "I don't know about anything outside these walls. Maybe you could stay here for a while and tell me about what you've seen. The world must be so different now!"
Furrowing his brow, Tribim wasn't sure what to say. He really had no idea how much the world had changed, it always seemed the same to him. And, curious, he really wanted to find out who or why he was supposed to go to the eastern courtyard.
Looking from the sand woman to his friends, "Maybe we can chat once we figure out who's using magic on us, er, me." Watching his fellow shadows, hoping they agree.
”Or…how about I sit to chat with her?” Aerith offered. ”If she is hostile it will be evident. And if not? Well, just imagine what we can learn!” She was doing her best to be objective for the mission at hand, but the lure of speaking to a primary source was proving difficult to pass up.
”The end should be just that - THE END,” replies to Aerith, making his position on undead quite clear. He stays in guard mode.
Mahmoud returns Tribim's look with a shrug, as if to say it makes no difference to him whether they talk to the spirit now or later. He clearly will follow Tribim's lead if the rogue decides to continue to investigate outside.
"I'll stay with Aerith while the boys go look for whatever whispered naughtiness to Tribim." Unatti offers, not wanting the mage to be alone with the spirit, ghost thingy.
Realizing Aerith and Unatti had offered to stay and speak with the sand woman, Tribim nods to Mahmoud. Gesturing towards the kitchen. "Ok you ladies stay her and talk, we'll start with the far door in the kitchen."
Spinning his ancient spear, Tribim begins to head towards the far door in the kitchen.
Once he get's there he inspects it carefully and tries to open it.
The dwarf looks at Unatti and Aerith, then Mahmoud and Tribim, then the ladies again. With a grunt, he stands his ground.
”I’ll stay right here, thank you,” Epperson announces. Under his breath, he mutters: ”Splitting the party is its own curse.”
Mahmoud gives Tribim a sympathetic look, but grunts his agreement that they should all stay together. He directs a meaningful look at the spirit, and grasps his dagger hilt to demonstrate that he is still on guard in the presence of something that could be a threat.
Turning, Tribim gives the others a thumbs up, while he checks the door in the kitchen.
The woman's form abruptly melts away into a medusa-like horror with a mouth full of fangs almost as large as its head. As this happens, you begin to feel extremely tired.
"That wasn't very nice. Even if I am still sleepy." The witch of Bastet retorts disapprovingly, as she stood stoically against the assault on her mind.
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”I’m not even mad.” Aerith said, as the magic washed over her. Unaffected she lazily caused her dagger to float up into the air. ”I’m just disappointed.” With a flick of her wrist she caused the dagger to fly straight at the monster.
Yawning, Tribim hears Unatti say something about being tired and decides to check on the others.
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Epperson harrumphs as the beast reveals its true form.
"Not surprised. Oldest trick in the book." He shifts into a curious stance and calls out to his companions.
"I can assist you all with my dwarven patrol training," he casually explains. "Let's take this thing down quickly so we can finally get some rest."
"....whatever this thing is."
You realize the creature isn't a spirit - or any sort of undead, for that matter. It's almost certainly a sandman: shapeshifting elementals with soporific powers. Their sandy anatomy has no vital points but can be battered apart .
As he moved back into the big room, Tribim realized the sand lady had again tried to use a spell on him. Drawing a chakram he asks, "Was that you using magic on me?" as he throws the chakram at her.
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Seeing their warrior friend fall down on the job, Unatti removes a waterskin from her person, and dumps it on Mahmoud. "Rise and shine sleeping beauty! You've got work to do!" She declares loudly, while also gently nudging him with her foot.
The sand elemental hisses and disappears into the ground, reemerging directly in front of Aerith.
Aerith was in the middle of telling the group that they were facing a sandman, when she gasped in surprise and…pain? She looked down at her arm and saw blood. Blood! That wasn’t right. She wasn’t supposed to get hurt. That wasn’t what she had signed up for! Stepping back five feet, her face turned into a mask of indignant rage. Without saying a word she caused her dagger* to fly between herself and the sandman. With a look on her face that by itself could kill, she sent the weapon flying directly at it.
Mahmoud comes to in a heap on the floor, and quickly picks himself up. He looks around for a moment, disoriented, and then throws his daggers at the animate sand creature-- wishing he had thought to bring a couple of throwing hammers.
Relieved Uatti had woken Mahmoud Tribim watches as the thing disappears and reappears by Aerith. Flinching as the thing strikes her, he realizes he may need to use the ancient spear. Swinging wide around the creature, he Feints with the spear towards its face. Shifting the tip trying to drive it into the things neck.
Epperson clucks as the sand thing appears right next to him.
"Oops," he mentions right before his trademark
He then swings his flail.
Unatti blasts their sandy foe without a word. She's too annoyed from being woken up.
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While almost all of your attacks hit, only Aerith's rock and Unatti's magical blast are able to disperse enough sand to have an effect. With a growl, the elemental attacks Epperson!
Mahmoud sighs at himself, thinking he should have realized his daggers were useless against the sand creature. He steps forward to bring himself adjacent, and swings his fist against its grainy form with all of his might.
Furrowing his brow as he realizes his 'feint' had no more effect than the tip of his ancient spear, Tribim realizes that Mahmoud is not punching at the thing instead of throwing his deadly daggers. Realizing the thing must not be able to be 'sliced or cut' Tribim, shrugs, flipping his spear around he grasps it just above the tip and swings the wooden handle at the sand lady.
Epperson growls.
”It is all pointless as we are inevitably drawn to the nothingness of our annihilation, but the next time that we suggest that it’s time to rest - Tribim - it would be good to do so in order to maximise our combat efforts, yeah?”
Punctuating his critique with his flail, Epperson doesn’t bother to make eye contact.
Furrowing his brow as he swings entirely over the head of the sand lady, Tribim, somewhat frustrated by the whole thing, looks back at Epperson. "Hey it's not my fault something was using magic on me interrupting your beauty sleep."
”Blunt damage! If you slash or pierce them stop wasting time and look for anything you can improvise with.” Aerith called out.
”You seem to suggest that sleep is a luxury and yet you are feline. I have never known any cat - either animal or cat folk - to skip the opportunity for a nap. If you had been compelled by a mystical effect that only you could detect, I would think you might have been attracted to some old fish bones, but no, I don’t believe that. I believe your innate curiosity got the better of you and forced us to explore further, hence where we are. I simply ask that you consider the greater needs of the Five Shadows as a whole so that we can fight off horrid sand wenches more effectively in the future.”
Epperson continues to focus on the elemental, avoiding becoming distracted.
Mahmoud seems troubled. "I think remaining here is unsafe. We have uncovered a threat; seems to me we should deal with it before we continue to rest, in any case."
Seeming very confused, Tribim looks at Epperson, "Why are you yelling at me? I just shared what happened, it was Mahmoud that said we should investigate!"
He looked towards Unatti, wondering if his friend had actually been right about the dwarf.
Unatti manages to damage the elemental with her magic, but the rest of your attacks go awry.
Mahmoud frowns, worried that his companions are sniping at each other, but decides that the best remedy is to dispatch the sand creature as quickly as he can. He swings another punch at it.
"At least it seems to have as much trouble hurting us as we are in harming it." The witch observes, as she summons the golden armor around Tribim who was just attacked.
Aerith wanted to agree but the pain of her wound was too distracting. She tried to keep the required concentration needed to use her dagger, even though she really wanted to call 'time-out' to be treated.
Epperson continues swinging away at the sand creature.
Dancing back, Tribim ducks the sandy lady's swing. He chuckles at Unatti's comment about it not hitting them. Realizing using the butt of his spear was useless, he drops the ancient weapon and attacks with his claws.
It takes a bit, but you're finally able to dispatch the elemental. The battle disturbed a great deal of sand, and you notice the glint of treasure buried in the courtyard.
Potential Loot
MW Scale Mail
MW Light Crossbow
Crossbow Bolt x10
Cold Iron Bolt x5
Gold Holy Symbol of Sarenrae
67gp in assorted coinage
Seeing some glittering from under the sand, Tribim, ever curious, steps into the area and starts pulling out several things. as he does so, hoping no one jokes about a litter box.
As he finishes pulling out what he could find, not wanting to point out that they still hadn't figured out who or what wanted him to go the courtyard, he asks, "So could the sand lady have been the one who tried to get me to go to the eastern courtyard?"
She had said she hadn't left the building, but they had no idea of knowing if that was true or not. As he looks from Unatti to Epperson, he wonders if she'd just wanted him to cross the sandy area. Pointing to the east, "Maybe we should double check just in case?"
Epperson sighs as the sand elemental finally dissipates to eternal rest and Tribim suggests further exploration.
"I would very much like to rest now as I mentioned previously. This treasure has laid undisturbed for years; I think it - as well as any other foes - can wait until we recover properly."
"I am as close to utterly spent as I am comfortable being. If you want to continue to explore cuz a voice only you heard told you to, fine. I'm going to sleep now."
And Unatti promptly does exactly that, leaving the others and going back the master bedroom. She kicks off her shoes, feeds her kitty some bits of fish, and flops outta to the bed, falling sound asleep almost immediately.
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Epperson follows Unatti without any further words, folding himself back into the corner of the master bedroom he previously had picked out. Within minutes, his snores rattle the rickety remnants of furniture.
Mahmoud follows to resume their rest, taking up the watch so others can sleep.
Not wanting to be accused (again) of refusing to let the other Shadows rest, Tribim smiles and nods. Bringing up the rear, he picks up his ancient spear and begins to spin it as he climbs the stairs.
While the others sleep, Mahmoud hears quiet murmuring from outside of the bedroom. While you can't make out any words, the tone is decidedly hostile. Peering through the doorway, you see several cloaked figures stealthily ascending the stairwell. Beneath their robes, you catch the glint of weapons.