Aerith held her ground, the blade that orbited around her at the ready.
”Ankhegs! Insects that burrow in loose soil. The females are highly aggressive when they need to put on weight for reproduction. While thought to be a scourge to farmers, they increase crop yields by as much as fifteen percent, due to improved soil aeration and water distribution. It has been theorized…” She never got to finish the thought as the ground exploded and the creatures arose.
Mahmoud waits for one of the creatures to emerge, tense and ready to throw his dagger. He paces behind Aerith in a familiar pattern of steps, his careful movements those of a dancer.
Whenever an enemy enters the threatened area of a dancer, the dancer may spend an attack of opportunity to force the enemy to succeed at a Reflex save (DC 15) or become entangled until they leave all the dancers’ threatened areas (or until the dance ends).
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
As soon as the ankhegs burst from the earth, your blades annihilate them. With the way clear, you open the doors to the villa.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The fetid stink of mold, sweat, and spoiled food clings to the ornate wooden table and chairs in this large hall. A thick layer of dust covers every surface in the room, save where long, ragged tracks have been dragged through the grime. Two sets of double doors exit the chamber to the north and two more to the south. Open doorways to the east and west reveal winding hallways beyond.
Three caligni reside here, and when you enter, they're quick to draw daggers and charge!
The unfortunate caligni’s dagger harmlessly slid off of Aerith’s scales. The man’s eyes went wide as the dragon turned to look at him. She was not a large dragon by any measure, but she was still the size of an adult human. And her claws were sharp. Sharp enough to reach out and rip into the man, tearing off both filthy rags as well as flesh with them. Falling to the ground, he looked up and saw reptilian eyes staring down at him, only for her maw to open. Her teeth were as sharp as her claws, and they descended…
…Aerith held the man still with her claws as her maw closed in around his whimpering face. She tasted the coppery taste of blood and to her surprise found that her body responded. The urge to rip and tear filled her, the desire to violently shake her head and to consume. She fought the urge, her analytical mind already processing this development. She wondered if this was just the natural reaction of her draconic form, an instinctual response. She also wondered why the blood tasted so good, when the actual taste of it did not change from when she was an elf. It was still just coppery, but her body reacted incredibly different. It was a reaction that warranted further experimentation. The man feebly struggled but she just squeezed her claws harder. She felt the man’s skull break in her mouth, only for the body to suddenly fall limp. And then, with a sickening surge of unnatural energy, the corpse… exploded.
Mahmoud attempts to skewer one of the other two caligni with his namesake blade, hurling it twice at the first . Then he sends another lightning-speed toss at whichever enemies are still standing.
He moves back from the enemies to maintain the dance, attempting to tumble out of their reach without provoking their attacks.
Whenever an enemy enters the threatened area of a dancer, the dancer may spend an attack of opportunity to force the enemy to succeed at a Reflex save (DC 15) or become entangled until they leave all the dancers’ threatened areas (or until the dance ends).
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
Aerith crushes her opponent's skull ... and the caligni explodes in a flash of blinding light! Despite being unable to see, Mahmoud's thrown dagger strikes down a second foe, although his follow-up attacks go awry. Fortunately, Aerith is able to shield herself from this second blinding burst, although the final enemy isn't so lucky.
Mahmoud takes a small step toward the retreating foe, and uses his magical momentum to move forward again.
He concentrates to improve his senses when he can’t see. Then he throws his dagger in the direction he can hear is correct, trusting on his skill to return the dagger to his hand.
Whenever an enemy enters the threatened area of a dancer, the dancer may spend an attack of opportunity to force the enemy to succeed at a Reflex save (DC 15) or become entangled until they leave all the dancers’ threatened areas (or until the dance ends).
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
Even when temporarily blinded, Mahmoud is a capable warrior, and his dagger catches the fleeing caligni in the back. A moment later, there's the now-familiar sound of a body exploding in a burst of light.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Blinking away stars, Aerith took a deep breath. She was concerned. Not because of the darkness, nor their enemies. As an elf, killing twisted her stomach like she’d swallowed her own heart. As a dragon? The coppery blood had been delicious. It made her wonder if she was really anything more than instincts wrapped in skin.
But such philosophical and moral quandaries would have to wait for later. There were still foes hiding in the darkness and if she was going to survive then enjoying the feeling of bones breaking and flesh tearing was a necessity. Philosophically and moral quandaries would come later. Realizing that she was licking her claws clean she walked over to Mahmoud.
”We will need a light source.” As she said this, the blade that orbited around her floated into an inter dimensional pocket. It contained the rest of her gear, and from within it she pulled out a torch. Using her telekensis it was lit and began to slowly orbit around her. The spell was a necessity in her eyes, for her transformation was not magical. And that meant her gear did not ‘merge’ into her as it did with wizards who stole her noble form for temporary use. Without her magic, her clothes and gear would have fallen to the floor, and transforming back would have been an altogether ignoble affair. It was a spell that all within her family had to know, for the shame of not mastering it was unthinkable.
”Can you hold one yourself? I fear that there will be no other ways for us to see as we go further in.”
Mahmoud waits silently until his blindness wears off, and then he nods and touches his enchanted dagger while muttering what sounds like an entreaty to Pharasma. He makes a gesture of supplication, and his dagger begins to glow with a bright light. He looks in the direction the calignis were fleeing. "I would lead," he says quietly, "but they will see the light coming, so stealth is useless. Watch out for traps."
Unfortunately, when you reach the location where the fleeing caligni perished, you realize there are a large number of places he could have been going.
A cracked fountain in the center of this dried, open courtyard occasionally sputters a thick gout of water and silt. Columns support a roof covering a tiled walkway around the perimeter of the courtyard. Decorative double doors to the north and south provide access to the villa's interior.
Patrolling the courtyard is a mash-up of rotting flesh, jagged bone, and coarse hair roughly in the shape of a man. Hearing the door open, it lurches toward you!
As it draws closer to you, the nauseating stench of rotting body parts is almost overwhelming.
You realize this is a carrion golem: artificial creatures created from corpses and granted the semblance of life through a foul mixture of science and necromancy. Like all golems, they're completely immune to almost all forms of magic and are somewhat resistant to physical damage. In addition, they're carriers of disease.
A golem. One that she could sink her teeth into. Not that she wanted to. It reeked of death and decay. A glorious mixture of arcane power and scientific innovation, she applauded the skill of its creator, though at the moment what she would have been mosf appreciative was if the golem had not defeated. Sloppiness in an otherwise applaudable work. She truly did not want to bite it. Moving forward, her torch trailing behind, she reached out and sunk a claw into its arm. One of the joys of Telekenisis was that it was the manipulation of aether, and this allowed her to subtly cover her claws and fangs with this power. It helped protect claw and maw, given that it was quite likely she’d be required to puncture through harder materials. In this case, her claw easily passed through necrotic flesh and held firm, holding the arm down, and giving Mahmoud an opening to do his expert knife work.
Mahmoud fights off the wave of nausea he experiences as the walking corpse gets close enough to swing at him. "Gah," he mutters. "That is ripe!" He tumbles backward from the doorway, ducking under the creature's clumsy counterattack, and moves behind Aerith in a stylish series of movements that seem almost balletic.
From relative safety behind his draconic ally, he tosses his dagger at the creature.
Whenever an enemy enters the threatened area of a dancer, the dancer may spend an attack of opportunity to force the enemy to succeed at a Reflex save (DC 15) or become entangled until they leave all the dancers’ threatened areas (or until the dance ends).
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The two of you inflict heavy damage to the golem, but even caught in Aerith's jaws, it continues to mindlessly attack.
Mahmoud continues dancing in place and twice throws his dagger again.
Whenever an enemy enters the threatened area of a dancer, the dancer may spend an attack of opportunity to force the enemy to succeed at a Reflex save (DC 15) or become entangled until they leave all the dancers’ threatened areas (or until the dance ends).
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point, no action: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points, no action: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
To Aerith’s surprise, the carrion golem was still standing. She strained to hold it in her claws as Mahmoud filleted it with his dagger. Using the horns on her head she gouged a deep gash along its thigh, but she refused to follow up with her jaws. The stench of decay was far too great. Instead, she dug both her claws in again, hoping that it would be enough to break the enchantments that held the decayed corpses together.
Mahmoud aims carefully, and hurls his dagger into one of the golem's existing injuries. Apparently, this was a vital area, as the creature collapses a moment later.
She looked at what was left of the golem and sighed. So much artistry for a creature so foul. It was evidence of a brilliant, and disturbed, mind. Letting it go she peered into the darkness before her and saw how deep the room was. To check it, she telekinetically tossed her torch inside, and watched as it landed next to the pool in the center of the room . ”This seems like a perfect place to ambush us. Let’s go west first. Our light will be much more advantageous.”
With that said she opened her extra dimensional storage and cast a minor cantrip on it, causing the blade to shine. It began lazily orbiting around her. ”Or if you prefer I could continue throwing torches into the room, to flush out anything hiding within.”
Mahmoud nods his assent and turns west, scanning the corridor ahead of them as they go, looking for hazards.
Aerith's torch reveals nothing else of interest in the courtyard, so you cautiously make your way down the western corridor. The building is eerily silent, and every adjourning room is empty and still ... until you reach the northernmost section of the villa.
Sour musk overpowers the smell of ash from the hearth in this large kitchen converted into a laboratory and makeshift surgery. Two sets of doors exit the room to the north, with additional double doors to the south and smaller doors to the east and west. Inside, a tall caligni stands over the restrained and unconscious form of one of his companions, an obsidian scalpel in one hand. Three more figures stand chanting nearby. "Welcome to my temple. I'm so happy to have two new converts! My disciples will restrain you so that the enlightenment can begin. Please do not resist."
You quickly realize that the three cloaked figures are caligni that have been somehow zombified. This shouldn't be possible, as the creatures leave no body behind when they die. As they approach, you can tell by their movements that these are juju zombies, which means they've even retained the capabilities they once had in life!
Mahmoud spits with disgust, and leaps forward to tumble past the lead juju zombie, starting a dance as he does so.
Once past, he throws his dagger at the leader.
Whenever an enemy enters the threatened area of a dancer, the dancer may spend an attack of opportunity to force the enemy to succeed at a Reflex save (DC 15) or become entangled until they leave all the dancers’ threatened areas (or until the dance ends).
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point, no action: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points, no action: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
Aerith’s eyes widened. There was so much to admire about the woman! Well, once looking past the crimes against humanity, of course. But leaving that aside, she had managed to overcome something intrinsic about the darkfolk. Which meant she understood ‘why’ they exploded. Aerith truly hoped that there were notes she could take. Such knowledge deserved to be preserved, if for no other reason than because it was there. Filled with this excitement she stepped forward and tore into the zombies that stood before her. Even as her jaws snapped bone and her claws ripped muscle and sinew free, she couldn’t help but think about the joy of curling up and studying the mad woman’s notes.
Mahmoud tumbles past the closest zombies and strikes the necromancer twice with his dagger. Meanwhile, Aerith destroys both of her opponents, causing them to explode in bursts of - not darkness - but negative energy!
The leader growls an incantation, and the light on Mahmoud's dagger is extinguished, blanketing the room in total darkness.
Mahmoud shakes his head as the light on his dagger goes out, but fortunately he is still attuned to fighting in darkness. He listens carefully as he steps back, forgoing the dance for now. He concentrates, drawing upon his magic dagger and mentally beseeching Pharasma to heed his prayer. O Lady of Fate, you are all the light I need in darkness, he thinks. Grant this weapon your power over shadows, so that I may smite the abominations you abhor in your name.
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point, no action: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points, no action: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
Blinking away the pain of the explosions that erupted from the zombies, Aerith turned towards the true challenge: the necromancer who had made them. Feeling Mahmoud’s momentum, Aerith realized that she could see his movements and could anticipate where he would be. That meant that, if she could match his movements, she could take advantage of the openings he forced. While it was a shame to kill their foe, it was a better plan than trying to take her alive. Moving quickly, she ducked low to the ground, and came in under her guard just as Mahmoud’s attacks demanded her full attention. Aerith’s claws lashed out, cloaked in the darkness…
Aerith destroys the final zombie as Mahmoud strikes the necromancer once more. That's when the unconscious caligni on the table rises! The strength at which it breaks out of the straps restraining it makes it clear that it's become an undead abomination as well. Maybe the negative energy bursting from the other destroyed zombies was the catalyst? There's no way to tell for certain, but it's clear that this battle isn't quite finished yet.
It seemed as if though the contest was all but over, but then the darkfolk that had been strapped to the table began to rise. While her mind was racing with theories as towards how this was possible (most likely the sudden infusion of negative energy), her Draconic body was acting on instinct. Before the newly arisen undead could get to its feet, Aerith all but impaled it on her horns as she forced it back onto the table, only to rip her head free so that her jaws could latch onto its neck. Climbing upon the table, she felt it groan under their combined weight. It did not break, though. Holding it down with her fangs, she began digging into it with her claws. Enhanced as they were with controlled aether, the corpse was thoroughly savaged. While her magic both protected and enhanced her claws, the tattoos she had commissioned truly brought out her Draconic potential. Her claws sank deep, acid hissing as it ate through dead flesh, leaving smoldering furrows in the corpse’s torso and limbs.
Mahmoud starts to bark a warning in the echoing darkness, but Aerith is already there, her draconic form slipping forward through the shadows, her movement boosted by his magic. He turns back to the necromancer, and mutters "Your former master, Unwrapped Harmony, does not like your choices. Say hello to Pharasma for us."
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point, no action: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points, no action: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
Working in tandem, you speedily dispatch your foes, resulting in a now-familiar explosion of negative energy from the undead ... and a deafening burst of sound from the necromancer.
Potential Loot
steadfast gut-stone
Gold and Onyx Earrings
Lapis Lazuli Bracelet
Jar of Giant Bee Royal Jelly x3
Mahmoud resists the loud explosion of sound, and stands panting for several minutes, listening carefully for other foes in the immediate area. He looks at Aerith, and then steps over the withered corpse husks to search the room.
It took a moment for Aerith to reorient herself from the dual explosions. Taking a deep breath, she went about administering to the wounds suffered by the two of them. ”The Caligni are often more dangerous in death than they are when fighting us.” She both observed and complained. Once finished she joined Mahmoud in his search, hoping to find any of the mage’s notes, so that some of her knowledge might survive.