Straightening his cap, testing his breath, the Alchemist proceeds to bump, shove, slink, slide, tumble and Tango...
What a fine dancer you are, Cecily.
...flip, dive, duck, roll and presents himself properly to Glutton!
Ahmose, the Blue Whisper. Alchemist. Adventurer. Single.
The Blue-scaled Kobold presents a parchment list of recipes!
I'll take these formulas please!
1st level
Bombers Eye (10gp)
10. Comprehend Languages (10gp)
11. Disguise Self (10gp)
2nd level
1. False Life (30gp)
Aroden will seek to purchase scrolls of Liberating Command and Feather Fall (25 gp each, total 50) and the inks to scribe them into his spellbook (10 gp each, total 20). Remaining gold: 3+104-70 = 37 GP.
He also attempts to learn the spells.
Aroden will wear the chain shirt, and prepare spells for which the armor poses no problem (well, the cantrips he can just retry if he fails on ACP).
0: Daze (DC 14), Detect Magic, Dancing Lights
1: True Strike, Liberating Command, Feather Fall
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Dorek the Devious? Is that why your name's familiar? It's been a few years, but I remember seeing that act. Should we get some locks and manacles before we go? Are these ones any good?"
Dorek glances at the indicated tools, smirking. "Those ones look quite good - it would take me a w-while to get out of those. Some circuses use f-fake manacles, you know? Chains with a little c-catch you can use to escape. It's a s-shame, is what it is - the Circus Magnifico, where I performed, only used r-real ones. A friend of a f-friend of Boss Arkady knifed a Chelish s-slave-taker in Ten-Step Alley, and one of our riggers grabbed that s-slime's gear before someone else could get their hands on it. The h-honest way."
As the group approaches the trader's shop, Dorek's crimson eye passes over the stacks of alchemical junk before resting on an old lantern etched with Hallit sigils, and his brow furrows as he picks up the device, turning it around in his taloned hands. "S-strange - this symbol on the t-top's the holy symbol of A-azilash, our family's g-goddess. These w-words are written in the old way; I can read them, but they're b-backwards - if they were the r-right way around, they would r-request the blessing of l-light from the household g-gods of flame, but h-here, they request its d-departure. Who'd go to all the t-trouble to make a lamp this o-ornate?" He shakes it experimentally. "S-sounds like there's still some o-oil left." His clawed fingers turn the knob on the lamp's base, releasing the trapped fuel... but as he fiddles with the lamp, shadows seem to spill out of the lantern in Dorek's hands, covering the surrounding area with a murky haze. The first thing to become visible again as the shadows dissipate is Dorek's delighted grin. He rummages through the stacks of junk, finding three tightly-sealed vials of dark liquid before setting his purchases on the counter in front of the trader. "How much for these?"
"Those ones look quite good - it would take me a w-while to get out of those."
Tandyn picks up the manacles as well as a smaller set. "Let's hope our foes lack your experience."
As the party gathers near Glutton, he addresses the group "I expect demons in Kenabres - perhaps even on the way up. Be warned: it is difficult but not impossible to hurt them with normal weapons. This is our chance to arm ourselves with cold iron. It may be double the cost, but at least it works."
Part 2: Lair of the Vile and Vicious
From the hamelt of Neathholm the tunnel winds for 25 minute walk. The tunnel narrows but not so much that you have to squeeze. The walls are hand carved with either picks or chisels.
"I expect demons in Kenabres - perhaps even on the way up. Be warned: it is difficult but not impossible to hurt them with normal weapons. This is our chance to arm ourselves with cold iron. It may be double the cost, but at least it works."
Dorek nods. "You're r-right - I have the m-money, so I m-might as well. C-cold iron's everywhere in K-kenabres - someone here should h-have some." He glances around at the rest of the group. "C-cecily, I remember a b-boxer I once knew used to put c-coins in his handwraps so they'd h-hit harder - I bet you could d-do the same with some c-cold iron talismans."
As the group approaches the outskirts of the traitor village, Dorek maneuvers his way to the front of the group, squeezing between Tandyn's armored bulk and the cavern wall as he pops out in front of the group, holding up the Baphomet holy symbol. "I've g-got the tools to p-pass myself off as a cultist - b-besides, no offense, T-tandyn, but I've n-never met a holy warrior type who can l-lie to save his life. I can g-go ahead of the group - f-forty feet or so, I t-think - and if I s-see something, I'll s-say something."
"Oh Caladrel, you haven't eaten all day." she explains before paying for 40 pounds of the stuff and packing most of it into the pack saddle.
She also purchases a cold iron dagger at Tandyn's recommendation, selling her regular steel one at the same time.
Thawm wears a worried expression as the party makes their way into unfriendly territory.
Dorek scouts ahead rounding a corner:
Barricades made of heaped loose rocks and wooden boards bisect this cavern. Beyond the barricades, a wooden screen covers the lower half of a tunnel mouth. Four mongrels guard the barricade, one looks him directly in the eye. Perhaps it's Dorek's strange appearance but they hesitate.
Ahmose barely complains the entire 25 minutes of trudging through the tunnels.
F#++ing left stupid kobold clan because they kept f#@+ing tunneling. Tunnels.S@@* sticks!
When Dorek expresses his concern for what lay ahead, the Alchemist saluted the Rogue.
If you see any dragons honk twice like a frightened goose.
The Blue-scaled Kobold then walks merrily among the wounded.
As soon as he spots the mongrel sentries, Dorek's face twists in an unpleasant sneer as he frantically draws on Tandyn's imparted knowledge of Baphomet. "You there! Trader we roughed up said we'd find a few brothers in Baphomet around these parts - that you? All glory to the Lord of the Minotaurs!" He fishes in his pocket for a moment before extracting the holy symbol and motioning to the others to step forward. "We have important news for your leader. Kenabres is fallen, and our brothers in faith need your strength on the surface. These converts were in the Market Square with me when the attack started - the Storm King himself has come from Iz to reward Baphomet's faithful!"
He gives a grin equal parts unpleasant and nightmarish. "Of course, the crusaders' great dragon had something to say about that - AARGH!" At this, he clutches dramatically at his chest as he gives his best impression of a death rattle, glancing apologetically at Cecily as he feigns laughter at his morbid joke. His clawed hand dips back into his pocket, emerging this time with a scroll - his hard-won certificate of apprenticeship, as a matter of fact, though this is not evident to the cultist sentries. "Your leader will want to see this, I'm sure. Tandyn here infiltrated the crusaders themselves, stole this scroll - weaknesses in their fortifications, troop numbers, everything is here."
Dorek sneers, jerking the scroll back out of reach as he waggles a talon in reproach at the sentry. "Oh yeah? You were going to steal this scroll and say you got it yourself, is that it? This will earn me favor among the demons - I won't let you steal my glory!"
Dorek scouted ahead 40ft and was spotted by a mongrelfolk guard. The party can hear talking.
As soon as he spots the mongrel sentries, Dorek's face twists in an unpleasant sneer as he frantically draws on Tandyn's imparted knowledge of Baphomet. "You there! Trader I roughed up said I'd find a few brothers in Baphomet around these parts - that you? All glory to the Lord of the Minotaurs!" He fishes in his pocket for a moment before extracting the holy symbol and motioning to the others to step forward. "I have important news for your leader. Kenabres is fallen, and our brothers in faith need your strength on the surface. I was in the Market Square with a few converts when the attack started - the Storm King himself has come from Iz to reward Baphomet's faithful!"
He gives a grin equal parts unpleasant and nightmarish. "Of course, the crusaders' great dragon had something to say about that - AARGH!" At this, he clutches dramatically at his chest as he gives his best impression of a death rattle, glancing apologetically at Cecily as he feigns laughter at his morbid joke. His clawed hand dips back into his pocket, emerging this time with a scroll - his hard-won certificate of apprenticeship, as a matter of fact, though this is not evident to the cultist sentries. "Your leader will want to see this, I'm sure. A fence I know infiltrated the crusaders themselves, stole this scroll - weaknesses in their fortifications, troop numbers, everything is here."
Dorek sneers, jerking the scroll back out of reach as he waggles a talon in reproach at the sentry. "Oh yeah? You were going to steal this scroll and say you got it yourself, is that it? This will earn me favor among the demons - I won't let you steal my glory!"
Hearing voices ahead (and only needing 1 minutes of work while a conversation takes place), the Alchemist brews up an Extract.
Trying to look the part, Tandyn keeps his glaive out while listening for Dorek to 'say something if he sees something.'
He speaks quietly to the group "Now I trust that Dorek knows what he's doing, but I'm a bit unclear on what he expects to get out of lying to them."
A few moments later a sudden 'AARGH!' echoes through the tunnel. "That sounded like Dorek! he whispers. Is that a signal or did he get hurt? I guess it doesn't matter. Let's go!" Tandyn advances toward the sound.
The mongrel nods and lowers its club and says, "Yeah, you're right. Hosilla will want to see that." He begins to move to lead Dorek in when Tandyn rounds the corner obscuring the party. The mongrel shrieks loudly at the sudden sight of the paladan, "And who the f#+# are you?"
"And who the f%+~ are you?"
Dorek gives another one of his unpleasant grins. "This is that fence I t-told you about - one of the converts who were with me." He moves back to Tandyn, putting an arm around his shoulders like an old comrade. "Nobody looks t-twice at an angelkith - Tandyn here infiltrated the Gray Garrison itself, stabbed a tactician through the heart, and pried this scroll from his cold, dead fingers." He nudges the paladin in the ribs with a nearly-skeletal elbow, looking meaningfully at him. "It's just like they always used to say in T-ten-Step Alley, old friend! K'thraknar udun'velik, ragarkis jolir!"
He glances around the corner at the rest of the party, motioning them forward. "Come on - there's no need to worry." He turns back to the mongrel sentry, grinning. "These are the other c-converts I told you about - Hosilla will want to s-see them as well, I think."
Tandyn forces a sinister smile and nods along. As Dorek describes his fictitious actions, his spiked gauntlets tighten their grip on his glaive menacingly. Somehow it reminded him of pretending to be a demon with his friends while playing 'Crusaders Verses Demons.'
After the unknown Draconic words, Tandyn walks ahead of Dorek and demonstrates some vicious stabbing motions with the glaive and gives a confident nod.
Cecily hears everything, and grief and anger bubble up hot when Dorek makes his strangled cry. She stands fuming for a moment, the rest of Dorek's words bouncing off of her until Sir Tandyn moves around the corner, then she follows. She stalks out heavily and grabs Dorek by the front of his shirt. She glares up the several inches into his eyes and lifts him half an inch more, unconcerned with the height difference and letting her claws dig in just enough to emphasize her point as she hisses, "Don't do that again."
She drops him, and turns her glare to the mongrelmen.
Thawm follows along, making sure her donkey, Caladrel, doesn't fall behind while doing a pitiful job of looking sinister.
One of the mongrels yells inside, "HEY! Stop slackin' off you two! Got some Templars that want to give a report to Hosilla." They turn back to the party and give a shrug of annoyance.
There is a muffled voice and then the mongrel responds, "Yeah a whole bunch of them." Satisfied the mongrel turns back to you holding their club loosely.
As Cecily storms around the corner and lifts him by the front of his coat, Dorek's dark gray skin goes the color of ash and his tail flails frantically, panic in his one remaining eye. "I'm s-sorry, I'm s-sorry! P-please don't k-kill me!" When she drops him, he quickly moves to put Tandyn's armored bulk between him and the enraged noblewoman. As the group waits for the cultists to return with their leader, Dorek casts nervous glances at the furious tiefling, trying to avoid her gaze.
Having finished his Extract (and trying not to laugh at the impromptu shananagins heard ahead), the Alchemist decides to not drink it quite yet....
Easily Striding around the corner, the Blue-scaled Kobold smirks at the Cultist.
Looks like someone got s!~+ duty for them dirty f!+$ing dishes after chow last night. Ha. F~!* turd.
The kobold walks pass with a familiar pat on his ass.
Next time tell Old Hobs to do his own dirty work, right. Right! Let's go see our illustrious Hossilla!
Ahmose walks up to the cowering Dorek. The Blue-scaled Kobold motions for the taller cultist to bend down a bit closer.
He slaps him!
Git a hold ov yerself, sailor! Comb yer hair!
Aroden walks up, entirely uncertain of his role in this charade. He is in a chain shirt and carrying a longsword.
He looks from Dorek to Cecily, but says nothing.
As Ahmose approaches the guard yells, "Stop right there a$+*@$%!"
Ahmose stops about 15' away as the Cultist starts to get belligerent.
What's got your pantyhose in a bunch?
For a moment it looks like the mongrel guards are about to resort to violence for the insults hoisted upon them. But a woman with what looks like spider legs sprouting from her back and holding a bow walks through the entrance to the cultist hideout. The other mongrel's back stiffen and stay silent.
She points at Dorek, "You follow me. Hosilla will see you. The rest of you stay here."
Anevia whispers. "I don't like this.
Dorek glances meaningfully at the others as he moves forward to follow the spider-legged archer. "I'll j-just be a moment - I'll t-take care of things with Hosilla, and we can b-be on our way."
As he moves towards the door, he seems to trip on an irregularity within the rock floor - his stumble quickly turns into an attack as he uses the opportunity to thrust a hand like a thicket of knives upwards and into the archer's chest.
Dorek’s ruse works beautifully, he is like a conductor to the orchestra that is this encounter. He rakes his claws against the mongrel lieutenant’s flesh sending rivulets of her blood to the ground. Looks of stunned shock paint each of the mongrel’s faces.
Round Surprise!
<-------------
<-------------
<-------------
<-------------
<-------------
Round 1
<-------------
<-------------
<-------------
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Oh. Dorek!" Thawm says, concerned.
Without understanding what or how, she suddenly feels a connection between herself and the tiefling.
Like she has become an anchor for Dorek's very life force.
She then begins casting a rather involved spell.
Cecily dashes up to the barricade, moving low and sinuous as she approaches.
Ahmose Strides forward 15', pulling out a Bomb and smirking at the Archer Cultist.
Catch these b+~@%!
The Blue-scaled Kobold Hides!
| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
Tandyn hurls his glaive at mongrel to the left of Dorek.
Upon arrival it suddenly starts twirling and slashing...
and then launches itself back to Tandyn's hand.
"Wait... What?!!"
Dorek slashes at the archer again with his claws, but his strikes go wide. His eye goes wide as Tandyn's glaive reappears in his hand. "D-do all holy warriors d-do that? I've n-never seen anyone throw a w-weapon like that - I m-mean, I throw k-knives, but they d-don't come b-back!" Trying to reunite with the rest of the party, he retreats a few steps, moving alongside Cecily.
"Ah, Sir Tandyn employs the technique of the Sword Binders! Many such were in the Church of Aroden and the army of Taldor in days gone by. A glaive, not a sword, but the principles are the same."
Aroden moves up a bit in the surprise round.
In the first full round, casts Daze on the northernmost mongrelman, then moves back behind Sir Tandyn.
Thawm is ready to siphon her lifeforce into Dorek should he get hurt and then begins to summon reinforcements. Cecily rushes towards the barricade while drawing on the teachings of Terendelev. Ahmose swears explosively, his bomb bounces off the cave wall and lands at the lieutenant's feets before exploding. She is able to duck to the side only mildly scorching her left hand, but the rest of the mongrels in the explosion are less lucky. One of the mongrels takes a glaive to the head, splitting it in two splashing bits of brains on those nearby. Dorek tries to make a fighting retreat and succeeds at the retreat part. The mongrel nearest to his felled comrade just stares at his corpse not reacting to anything at all.
The remaining mongrels form a barrier in addition to their barricades to try and protect their leader. They bring their clubs to bear against Cecily and Dorek.
Cecily takes a hit to the head, putting a fracture in her skull, but Dorek is able to evade deftly.
Round 1
<-------------
<-------------
The Blue Whisper smiles at the carnage carried on by his associates.
The snickering Blue-scaled Kobold Strides a bit closer to the action, before lobbing another Bomb at Miss Archer (not from the FX show because he is not married).
Another explosion rocks the mongrel back lines, leaving no doubt to those inside about the assult taking place. The lead mongrel crumples in a firey heap while the remaining three are badly burned.
Round 1
<-------------
<-------------
Round 2
<-------------
<-------------
<-------------
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"D-do all holy warriors d-do that?"
"No? I certainly don't!" Tandyn responds frantically inspecting the glaive.
"Ah, Sir Tandyn employs the technique of the Sword Binders!"
"The who? Let's try the sword then..." He drops the possibly haunted glaive, draws his sword while moving forward, and flings it at the far mongrel.
The blade soars across the cave, stops, and starts slashing and stabbing at the mongrel...
...and then flies back to Tandyn's hand.
"I... uh... yeah... it's not the glaive..."
Aroden moves up and Dazes the southernmost mongrelman. Will DC 14.
Ahmose uses his next 2 Rounds of Actions rolling hysterically on the ground, pointing at Sir Tandyn....
Thawm summons a Celestial Eagle!
She gets a bit closer so that she can lob a ball of acid at the northernmost mongrelman.
The celestial eagle flies up and over, trying to land on the far side of the closest mongrelman, opposite Dorek. It cries loudly as its beak is filled with holy vengeance before it tries biting and clawing the mongrelmen.
"No? I certainly don't!"
Dorek shrugs. "M-maybe your goddess p-picks it up for you. W-who knows?"
As Thawm's eagle flies over his head, he grins, glancing up at the celestial bird. "Your g-god has the right idea, god c-caller!" Boosting off the flimsy barricade, he leaps over the sentry in front of him, landing on the other side in a whirlwind of claws. "S-surrender while you s-still can!"
Cecily takes the wicked blow to her head and shakes it off with a growl. As Dorek vaults into the gap, Cecily scrambles after him with another growl and a feral glint in her eye, quickly filling in the space he leaves. A mongrelman blocks her way after him, and she lashes out at it through the gap in the wall, taking advantage of the small distraction provided by the screaming eagle.
Tandyn’s sword flies through, silently obeying his intent, which happens to the head of another Mongrel. Aroden’s will asserts itself over the southernmost mongrel, leaving them unable to take any offensive action, while an eagle harasses them. Dorek manages to evade the mongrel in front of him, but just barely, sneaking behind them and stabbing them in the kidney. Cecily tries to pummel the dazed Mongrel but the barricade proves difficult to maneuver around and she only lands a glancing blow which doesn’t even give them a bruise due to their tough skin.
The remaining mongrel while very injured still remains a threat. They whirl around with their club in hand smashing into Dorek’s side, cracking one of his ribs.
Round 2
<-------------
<-------------
<-------------
Round 3
<-------------
<-------------
<-------------
The celestial eagle continues to harrass the mongrelmen next to Dorek, attempting to grab on with claws to leverage for more pecking.
"Owowow." Thawm explains as she grabs her ribs- in about the same spot Dorek just took a bad bruise.
Dorek feels his own injury mend.
Thawm straightens and gets behind Cecily.
The healer reaches out to heal the pugilist, but instead of sparks, Thawm's hand glows green until she touches Cecily with it, releasing the healing energy.
"That was different..." Thawm explains, looking at her hands like they'd suddenly sprouted only moments ago.
"When did we get a bird?"
Tandyn steps up to the barrier and attempts to destroy it...
...and then grabs his shield.
In a flurry the heavenly eagle makes short work of the remaining mongrels.
Ahmose is seen still laughing hysterically on the ground pointing at Sir Tandyn....
Although at the sound of loot hitting the floor, his laughter seems to be slightly slower....