Water Garden - Round 2 -concluded
26 Teela (1hp dmg)
26 Alvis (shield raised
24 Quintessa
22 Fenric (1hp dmg)
18 Selina
14 Graham (1hp dmg)
10 Yellow Cutthroat
8 Green Cutthroat
5 Orange Cutthroat
Teela continues her singing to inspire the herself and the others in the group. She repeats her opening cantrip, flinging another stone across the interior garden, and pulverizing the head of Yellow Cutthroat in the far corner. The criminal is dead before he hits the ground.
Fenric bounds onto the central bridge and strikes with his rapier, quickly scoring a mortal blow the Orange Cutthroat standing in his path. He doesn't need to strike with his second weapon, so he takes another defensive stance just in case.
From the rear, Quintessa casts another minor spell that sends a spray of needles at the remaining bad guy, but her aim is off and the needles fall harmlessly in the flowing stream.
Graham advances on the last remaining bandit, and makes quick work of him with a critical strike that pierces vital abdominal organs. It is over for the last foe before it really begins.
End of Combat
Only a few seconds after the fight started, it is already over. The heroes stand victorious in the Water Garden with 6 corpses littering the battlefield. The gurgling of running water is the only sound in the room now. There is a door in the western wall, and the statue in the stream still stands.
Alvis determines the stream is a little deeper than he would've liked, about 5' deep throughout, and so has not entered the water just yet.
Alvis watches as the swiftly moving warriors strike down the last of the lawbreakers. He says, "Well done, Abadar bless you all! Anyone here injured, I can do healing mundane or by The Master's will."
He also looks at the corpses around saying, "By the way, seizing the goods of the ill-doers has a long tradition, they and their heirs have little rights, compensation is just. And they owe me a crossbow, at least!"
Alvis will heal anyone who asks, treat wounds takes 10 min each, magic is much faster. Since haste is reasonable if they ask, he'll have all injured gather together. After medical needs are addressed, he gets himself a crossbow and bolts. He is also willing to carry any extra loot for the party.
'Tis but a scratch! Graham says with a chuckle, taking a moment to look for valuables. And clues, of course, as well. But valuables.
After the fallen have been looted, he moves near the door. If their goal was to protect the door and not let us through, it seems reasonable that we should investigate that, no?
The fallen Black Tears are equipped the same way as the original attackers. They have a ebony-handled dagger, a hand crossbow with 10 bolts each (some are down to 8 or 9), leather armor, and each has a pouch with 5sp.
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”I don’t suppose any of them are still breathing?” Fenric asks rhetorically as he wipes the blood on his rapier blade off with the shirt of the corpse at his feet. He pulls a black handled dagger from its sheath and tucks it into his belt. ”I just have a little scratch—this time—and I Quintessa has me to believe we’re in a hurry.”
Quintessa exhales slowly as the skirmish comes to a quick end. She glances at Fenric as he wipes his blade, his comment about being in a hurry not escaping her attention. Her lips curve into a small, wry smile.
"Indeed, time is pressing. Though it seems that hasn’t stopped you from gathering souvenirs." she remarks, her tone light but with a note of seriousness underneath.
She surveys the scene, taking in their fallen assassins. Turning to Alvis, she gestures toward the bodies. "Alvis, see if any of them are still breathing. If we can leave Lady Jamandi someone to question, it might help us understand this attack better."
Her gaze shifts to Selina, giving a quick nod. "Selina, check the door for any sounds or movement. I’d rather not walk into another trap unprepared. We know now that they are waiting for us."
She turns to Teela, Graham and Fenric as she motions toward the fallen assassins and the items scattered around them. "Take what you need to be prepared. The last thing I need right now is Fenric detailing his newest battle scars. There might be something here that we can use and Lord Lodovka is correct, we shouldn’t leave anything valuable behind." She turns to give him a knowing nod, accepting his insight.
Tessa looks around ...
...but she's too distracted to truly focus on her search.
Graham will grab the bolts and the coins from Green and Blue, checking them quickly to see if they still breathe and then handing the bolts off to Alvis before taking his spot near the door. Don't overlook the coins, even if we're in a rush. After all, this lot won't need them any more.
Alvis aids in collection the the goods with our determined looter and selects a hand crossbow and takes the bolts, saying when done, "Graham, 30 links is 5 each for fair distribution. I'm sure more will be forthcoming, soon enough." If no objections he takes 5 silver coins.
At Lady Quintessa's request he also checks on the bodies to see if any survive, stabilizing them if such is found.
Do you want more than one roll or can it just be a check for all?
Alvis will report the results to Lady Quintessa and the group, but his mind is more on goods than lives.
"Oh, I'm fine." Teela remarks without emotion as she wipes the trickle of blood from her forearm. "Just a little scrape."
She actually draws another sigil in the air, materialising a handheld harp. "Wasn't ready earlier, but I am now." she chuckles sheepishly. Again, she deflates a bit as she sees the party pilfer the bodies for valuables, but remains silent. She moves the mote of light again to help others in their search. She walks forward into the garden, stopping near the statue of the elven half-blood for a moment.
She plays a few notes on the harp and moves forward to the door, in case Selina needs help.
Selina picks up her thrown dagger, if she threw it and will wipe her dueling sword of blood on the bodies of one of the Black Tears. "Six assailants, wonder how many ambushed the manor today? Glad none of you were hurt too bad. Ready to proceed when you are."
Selina will check the door for traps and ambushes.
The group gathers all the silver sails from the fallen brigands, Alvis helps himself to a full quiver of bolts (20) and Fenric takes one of the ebon-handled daggers as evidence.
This room is well lit from above, mirroring sunlight to allow the plants to grow, but Teela's light spell might help in some way still.
"The way seems clear, although I might have heard a shout, so be on high alert for danger" Selina casts Shield on herself and opens the door forward, assuming it is unlocked.
Graham looks up to meet Alvis' gaze, and sees that they've come to the same conclusion. No luck on these; they're all on their way to the Boneyard.
He settles in behind Selina as she opens the door.
Looking up from the last corpses Alvis meets Graham's gaze and nods agreesment to his words. Then Alvis prays, "Abadar, Lord of Justice, send these wayward souls to the Boneyard to be fairly judged by the Lady of Graves to receive their just fate." Falling in behind Graham and he spends a moment fixing his appearance, making sure there are no blood spatters this time.
Quintessa listens to the exchanges between her companions as they gather supplies and make their preparations.
She frowns when informed by Graham that all the assassins are deceased. She nods in affirmation "Better them than us. Per chance we encounter more beyond these doors, do try to keep one alive, but not at peril to yourself or another."
Her gaze shifts toward Alvis as he finishes his prayer, noting the solemnity with which he addresses the fallen. She nods approvingly and says softly "The Lady of the house will be grateful for your efforts.", though her focus is quickly drawn back to Selina’s report.
She takes a deep breath and braces herself for whatever may lie beyond the door Selina is opening. "Ready when you are, Selina."
Selina casts her protective ward, and pushes the next door open, ready for anything. But the door opens into a partially lit hallway, decorated similarly to the area outside your sleeping room. There are several doors that line the walls of this hall, but the most pressing thing you see are a series of corpses lying in pools of fresh blood on the floor. There are six guards and three bodies wearing the now-familiar black cloaks lying askew on the floor.
As the door opensQuintessa’s eyes narrow as she takes in the carnage in the lying in the hallway.
Hearing the deep voice roaring from the first door on the right, she tenses and holds her breath. She turns to the others, her voice low and urgent. "There’s someone inside, hunting a halfling. They sound big, but blind and furious. We may be able to use that to our advantage."
Darkvision Active Seek
As the door swings open Alvis strains his sharp senses to notice any danger. Quintessa speaks quickly telling of trouble ahead.
Alvis whispers, "I heard it also. Sounds like a brute. We should assemble around that door." As the opposite of stealthy Alvis will follow others as they advance.
I can't hear anything but a roar, Graham says, then cracking a smile he continues. Sounds like Alvis's snores, to be honest. Though quieter.
Despite the playful jab, he steps into the hallway and moves to the other side of the door.
Teela hears nothing. She looks back at the garden again, specifically at the statue within. Without a word but with a smile, she gestures for everyone to step through the open door. She mouths 'After you' as she does so.
Selina checks the door on the right, quietly, for traps, casts Shield on herself and leads the party through that door.
Selina puts up her magical shield and opens the door. Inside is a modest-sized library that lies in ruins. Bookshelves along the east and west walls have been emptied; books like heaped into a pile in the northeast corner. Set atop this heap are the severed arms, legs, and heads of a dozen guards and would-be heroes. A blood-spattered padded chair sits next to a shuttered window.
Standing in the center of the mayhem is the likely cause. Nearly brushing its misshapen head on the ceiling here is a 9' tall bundle of angry muscle covered in filthy hides and holding an ugly long hooked weapon. The creature is clearly the source of the shouting heard before. It seems to be lice-infested as he constantly is twitching and itching. Additionally, a long slash across its broad and ugly face seems to have damaged is sunken eyes. The large-sized creature spins at the sound of the open door, but does not seem to focus directly on your entry point. "Huh? Who's dat?" it calls out savagely, turning.
Barely visible in the northernmost part of the room, there seems to be another figure crouched behind the blood-soaked chair. "HELP!" cries the female voice plaintively. "No help for you dirty rat!" shouts the large creature ready to fight.
Creature in the Library - Round 1
25 Linzi
21 Graham
20 Alvis
18 Selina
16 Teela
16 Quintessa
14 Fenric
4 Gromog
From the back of the room, the hiding female begins strumming a lute -- playing a martial tune and casting a spell. Much like Teela provided in the garden, the music fills you with inspiration and will to fight harder and better than before.
Graham springs into action, rushing about the giant creature and past the singer. A thousand pardons, he says, moving past the halfling and claiming a spot on the opposite side of Fenric.
His attempt is woefully off target.
"Oh my..." Teela almost gasps as she walks towards the door and lays her eyes upon the brute. With Linzi providing the appropriate amount of courage, Teela decides to help in another way. She whispers something into the air.
"I'm over here. Bet you can't hit me, you mangy thing." she adds a quiet chuckle.
Once that is done, she moves a bit to make space for others.
A quick look at the destruction in the room causes Alvis to deliver a vicious insult, "Uncivilized! For Justice!"
Alvis raises shield and goes forward stepping past Selina, to swing on the uncouth savage.
Raise Shield, Stride, Strike
(Versatile P) +1 Status bonus.
Round 1: Selina
Selina sighs in frustration, as the party rushes into the cramped room, blocking her entrance. "If you're so eager to eat that creature's hook, go for it." She steps back 5', draws a dagger, and throws it at the beast.
◆ Step ◆ Interact ◆ Attack
Quintessa darts into the room, swiftly maneuvering between Selina and Teela to get a clear view of the hulking brute looming over a bard. Her eyes narrow as she assesses the situation, trying to recognize the halfling.
"Hold on!" she calls out, raising her hand and conjuring shards of metal into the air. With a quick, precise motion, she sends three needle-like darts flying into the room.
◈◈
Creature in the Library - Round 1 - concluded
Though he hasn't seen one before, Fenric's hunter's nature allows him to recall that this creature is an ogre. They are brute force beasts with no real magic to them. This one appears to be blinded, and bothered by the itchy vermin crawling on its skin. As the ranger closes to fight, he stabs with his rapier, but even with his innate knowledge and the song of the halfling bard, his strike cannot penetrate the rather rubbery flesh of the ogre.
Seeing the opportunity to flank the ogre, Graham rushes into the room, but he slips in a pool of blood near the horrific altar made from body parts, and his attack fails to connect at all.
Using her magical talents, Teela sends a message to the ogre, trying to disorient and distract it from actual targets. "I hear you, sneaky. You can't fool Gromog." shouts the big target, but he seems clearly confused by the deception.
Alvis also rushes into the fray, striking once with his morningstar after raising his shield. His melee strike is rewarded with a satisfying crunch and cry of pain from the tall foe. Clearly a damaging blow.
With the paths to the ogre already taken by her allies, Selina throws a dagger into the scrum, but she is frustrated when a lucky sideways movement by Gromog causes the attack to miss.
Quintessa can't see the halfling bard well, as she is hiding behind a large chair in the library, but she can put two and two together, and determines it must Linzi, the halfling from last evenings dinner mixer. The sorceress then launches more needles into the room, high enough to miss her allies, and she strikes a damaging hit on the oversized foe.
Hit by Alvis, and wounded by Quintessa's spell, Gromog roars in pain and frustration, and lashes out in a random directions with his wickedly shaped hook weapon. The ogre's powerful swing catches Alvis right under the chin, crushing the dwarf, and knocking him unconscious in one blow. The ogre then seems to be seized by an itching fit that causes him to spend the rest of his turn, scratching and itching at his own skin, howling in irritation.
Critical hit
hit
Ouch!
Creature in the Library - Round 2
25 Linzi
21 Graham
20 Alvis (dying 1, needs DC 11 flat check)
18 Selina
16 Teela
16 Quintessa
14 Fenric
4 Gromog (12hp dmg)
Linzi does not move from her hiding spot behind the chair, but she does continue to perform the inspiring anthem trying to shift the battle in your favor.
Alvis Feels a satisfying crunch as the shock of his well-aimed blow hits the monster. But that attack leaves him momentarily open to the ogre's wild swing the massive blow delivering a possibly mortal wound. With strong will and body he tries to cling to life.
Flat check DC 11, for dying 1, or DC 12 for dying 2
Graham is visibly distressed when Alvis collapses to the floor, but the shock wears off quickly in favor of self-preservation, focused on the task at hand. Hang in there, lad...
He rears back and makes a savage blow at the ogre , though his follow-up is ineffective.
Round 2: Selina
Selina shakes her head as the dwarven cleric takes the ogre's hook under the chin. I knew it! She draws another dagger and flicks it at the ogre, aiming for his upper half.
Creature in the Library - Round 2 - continued
◆25 Linzi
◆21 Graham
◆20 Alvis (dying 1, needs DC 11 flat check)
◆18 Selina
16 Teela
16 Quintessa
◆14 Fenric
4 Gromog (12hp dmg)
Alvis lies unconscious on the ground, but his life force is strong, and he starts to fight to live almost immediately.
Fenric tries to get the terrible weapon from the Gromog's hands, but his attempt to disarm cannot overcome the brute strength, and surprising quickness, of the ogre. Angry, Fenric then slashes at the foe with both his weapons, scoring hits and doing damage with both.
Opposite Fenric, Graham makes a savage attack on the ogre, scoring a resounding hit. The ogre seems very hurt after this strike, and its raging bellow comes out as more of a whimper. Graham's follow up strike misses however.
Aiming above her allies, Selina tosses another dagger at Gromog, and while she swears her aim is true, the knife clatters off the thick hide of the ogre without doing any damage. She continues to keep her magical shield out front, in case the enemy turns on her.
Teela walks closer to the door to see Alvis on the floor. She sighs. "Wake up, holy man! This is not the time to sleep!" she plucks the harp and lets out a sequence of rising tones.
◆ Stride, ◆◆ Soothe
Quintessa takes a deep breath, her face set in concentration as she sees Alvis fall from the ogre's brutal strike. She conjures another volley of sharpened metallic shards and hurls the shimmering needle darts with wicked precision. Afterwards she conjures a glass shield around herself, just in case....
Creature in the Library - Round 2 - concluded
As Teela moves up to cast a healing spell on Alvis, saving his life, Quintessa launches another volley of needles at the blinded ogre. This time her spell is a successful hit, and the damage takes the last of the fight from Gromog, who falls to the library floor dead with a loud thud.
End of Combat
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Fenric lets out a held breath as the giant falls to the ground. He wipes sweat--and someone else's blood--from his brow with his arm. Noticing that Alvis is moving, he chuckles nervously and comments awkwardly, "That blow looked worse than it was, I guess?"
The nobleman then looks over the hill of flesh. "Did we save the halfling?"
Teela moves to enter the library and check on others. But she stops at the door to cover her nose and almost gets sick. "Nope. Not going in there."
Her eyes seem to water as she moves away from the door and leans her back against the wall."Everyone... ugh... okay?" she asks through the waves of sticky saliva, in a raised voice, but not exactly shouting.
Alvis feels waves a pain from his jaw, opening his eyes, the room spins as he senses the fading glow of magical healing, different from his prior experience. Still his jaw feels as fragile as glass. He sits up a bit dazed then sees the fallen body of his bane. He shudders from the impact of his brush with mortality. He silently gives thanks as Fenric covers his discomfort with his characteristic wit. He waves feebly at the others then concentrates, reaching for the source of his faith.
With his jaw still raw and tongue uncertain, Alvis recalls his mentor's voice telling him, "If you can't talk see if you can hum a hymn or try at least beating the rhythm of a hymn to aid your prayers. Most of all, dive deep into you love of Abadar, the LAW itself."
Alvis's grasping his Key of Abadar, tapping and humming, with his vocal cords okay, He cast a healing on himself to provide extra relief .
Two round heal on self.
If successful, a golden glow flows from his hands into the wounds knitting them together along with sounds of clicking coins or to an other valuable for some, a feeling of satisfaction of prosperity flows around the area for an instance and then vanishes.
Alvis says, "Blessings of Abadar on us all and thank you for the aid, that near sent me to an early trip to the Boneyard."
Graham is relieved to see Alvis up an at it again and moves to help him up. Glad you could rejoin us. Next time be more careful, yes?
Quintessa lets out her breath, not realizing she had held it after casting her spell. She relaxes slightly, watching her allies dodge out of the way as the the ogre's massive form hits the floor.
"Well done, all! Well done, indeed."
When Teela leans against the wall, she places her hand on her shoulder and gives her a nod of appreciation. "Timely. Thanks for saving him."
She pats the bard's shoulder twice before before moving closer to the fallen cleric to check on him. She watches him close some more of his wounds and offers him words of encouragement. "You did well, holding out against that beast, roadwarden, your bravery has been noted. Taking its attention allowed us to focus on it." Quintessa comments softly, "Can you stand?"
She offers her hand, but it's more of a gesture than the ability to pull an armored dwarf from the floor.
Alvis says, "Blessings of Abadar on us all and thank you for the aid, that near sent me to an early trip to the Boneyard."
After healing Alvis pays more attention to the rest. At Graham's words he replies, "Thanks, glad to be back and I'll try but that wild blow would have hurt any that stood there, I think." Alvis rises with Graham's aid staggering slightly as Quintessa's hand helps steady him. "Thank you, mi'lady. I'm sure I'll be fine in a moment."
Alvis nods toward Teela, "I gather I have you to thank for pulling me out of a grave. It felt nothing quite like any healing I've had before, as if a song was the whole world. It won't be forgotten."
Alvis cleans himself and gear of the blood and gore, and puts the shield back in place and morningstar in hand.
"What now? Ah, the young lady over there, have you any idea of what is happening? We woke to assassins and saw much lawlessness abound." Alvis waves as he speaks to the halfling.
From behind the large chair, the halfling pipes up. "Is the big brute dead now? Thanks for saving me, I was in a tough spot until you came. Would've ended up like them..." she stands and points at the pile of mutilated body parts stacked up in a corner of the room.
"You didn't get murdered in your beds then, clearly. My roommates kind of scattered after the first attack> I think most of them were alive, but I don't know where they ended up. I'll hang around with you, if you'll go looking for them."