Laria giggles softly at Ghorza's suggestion, while Rexus nearly chokes on his coffee. "Gods, Miss Thursisdottir, warn me before you say things like that!" He wipes his mouth with a handkerchief, then grins at her. "Still, it's good to laugh."
There's a moment of silence. "We'll head out to scout out the Salt Works, then." Korva says, getting to her feet. "Girls, we'll take the drains - no use showing off that we're here, and the sooner we get to knowing them, the better."
There's a brief chorus of groans, but the tengu sisters still get up and prepare to head out.
Laria picks up the paper that the women identified as concealed by magic. "So, in the meantime, we'll drum up support and get to directing the Fushi SIsters' efforts. Help decode the documents, that sort of thing. Ghorza, if you can work at your smithing - in whatever small capacity you can manage, I'll try to get some money together, or get you in contact with merchants who could sell them."
A flitter of movement out of the corner of their eyes is the only sign that the Ravens have of hostile presence before a tiny dart flits seemingly out of nowhere towards Ghorza. The dwarf feels a sharp sting on her neck as something penetrates far too close to one of her arteries.
The Ravens have a brief chance to spot their attacker, a tiny flying crimson-skinned woman with a long stinger tail, before she disappears, vanishing from sight entirely.
Imps' tails are poisonous, and they heal from injuries astonishingly quickly. They share most devils' resistance to non-silver or non-blessed weapons, and are immune to acid and poison. Fire and cold also struggle to damage them. They can shapeshift into boars, giant spiders, rats, or ravens, but this one clearly hasn't bothered.
An imp can turn invisible at will, as this one seems to have done, and can subtly warp a mortal's mind, tempting one to ever greater heights of depravity. They can also perform minor divinations, though that's usually less relevant in combat.
"What the-?!" Laria utters a particularly nasty phrase in her native language, snatching a dagger from her hip and readying it to throw as she scans the area carefully.
Ginetta leaps from the couch she was sitting on and slips the dagger from the thigh sheath it was secreted in. Silently cursing herself for not talking to Ghorza when they first arrived about the re-constructed rapier, she resigns herself to less than a perfect situation.
"Who was that woman?" she questions. "Is she a devil of some sort?"
Shocked, Ghorza put a hand to her neck and stared in both surprise and horror at the blood. She had been in such a good mood too! Previously she had but a handful of gold to her name, and then she had a thousand and a half! Even better she was going to have plentiful work again, and among friends, no less. And all of that had nearly been taken away. Pick at the ready she looked around frantically to see who had dared to make such an attempt on her life.
"Imp!" Celi reaches into her spell component pouch, coming up with a paper packet like the one she used earlier in the sewers. "Watch out for the tail, it's venomous. Can go invisible at will. They resist all weapons except blessed or silver, immune to acid or poison, resistant to fire and cold. Shapeshifts into a boar, giant spider, rat, or raven. Oh, and the little buggers heal quickly."
"What- how?!" Rexus whirls to face the imp, raising his hands in preparation for a spell of some sort.
A high-pitched voice incants from the same area that the imp disappeared from, and magic begins whirling into existence at the stairs that lead back up into the rest of the Wasp Nest. Gradually, crackling fires form into a horned, crimson ape.
The ape bellows, launching itself forwards at the women. Its eyes flash with an infernal loathing as it slams one heavy arm down towards Adolina. Fortunately, the noblewoman is able to deflect the attack with her rapier, dodging out of the way of the rest of the impact, which still sends her staggering.
"Dammit, how badly is our base infiltrated?!" Laria curses, stepping forwards and unleashing a heavy series of strikes with her hands and feet. The attacks barely phase the creature, not even causing it to twitch.
”Kill it first, ask questions later!” Ghorza cried out as she charged into the fray. Given the size and strength of the creature, she didn’t say any other option but to take it down as quickly as possible. Stopping to ask questions, either as to why it was there or how, seemed far too dangerous.
Ginetta mutters a very un-ladylike curse under her breath before pivoting to engage the summoned creature.
"I'm sure the question was rhetorical," she responds through gritted teeth as she slashes her dagger through the space the ape-thing was just a half-second prior.
Celi swears in Gnome as the gorilla pops into existence right where she can't hit it without getting one of her friends. Okay, new plan. She eels her way around Rexus, looking for the imp. It will probably try to hit the rest of the group from behind while they're dealing with the summon.
Adolina retreats, swiftly identifying how the infernal ape arrived in the Wasp Nest.
Ghorza, meanwhile, rushes the summoned monster, who lashes out with a heavy blow as she approaches, but the swashbuckling smith is quick enough to evade the treelike arm and respond in turn with a rapid strike from her pick. The silver tears through its flesh and chips at bone.
The gorilla flinches back with a bellow of pain, hellishly hot blood spurting out of its injured arm, but the flinch is enough that Ginetta's attack doesn't land even close to its flesh.
Celi moves rapidly to Rexus' side, trying to keep a lookout for the imp.
"Ah! Be ready to strike, friends! Rexus calls out, pulling out a scroll and chanting from it. A burst of bright dust erupts in the area that the imp had disappeared into, covering her in sparking gold - along with most of the walls and floors nearby. The tiny devil screams, flinching back from the blinding light.
On the other side of the room, the gorilla unleashes a barrage of strikes at the women surrounding it, but none come even close to landing, thanks to their own skill.
The imp flies backwards, towards the far corner of the room, attempting to get as far from the Ravens as possible.
Laria doesn't take her eyes off of the gorilla, striking again with a volley of attacks. This time she's much better able to hurt it, slamming a fist into its groin, stomping hard on its inner foot, and leaping to shoulder it in the stomach.
It took all of Ghorza’s skill and luck to avoid being pummeled by the much larger foe. As it was, getting an opening for another blow to land was proving to be elusive. Still, with the creature focused on her, it was open to her companions to bring down.
Ginetta attempts to stab the beast again, but she just doesn't look like she has the expertise to be a knife fighter.
Of course, it had to fly all the way across the room. It looks like Rexus' spell blinded the tiny devil, though, so if Celi is quiet she might be able to sneak up on it. She carefully moves toward the northwest corner, deliberately placing each step to walk as silently as she can.
Ghorza lashes out at the staggering devil-ape, piercing its stomach with her pick and jerking it free. The gorilla groans, falling towards her and slamming heavily onto the ground, where it begins to slowly perish.
Adolina unleashes a silent scream, directing her magic at the imp, who staggers, gold-shining wings flapping rapidly to keep herself afloat.
With a swift stab, Ginetta banishes the infernal gorilla back to Hell in a burst of flame that consumes the ape's body.
Meanwhile, Celi approaches the imp's location with a very careful tread, trying to get close before the blindness fades.
Rexus follows her with longer strides, before tapping her silently on the shoulder. Fortune whirls around her, empowering her with the inevitability of her own success.
However, as the duo approach, the golden dust fades, and the imp's outline goes along with it - disappeared once more. Rexus curses under his breath. "I'd thought it would last longer than that!"
Within moments, she reappears, flying over boxes much closer to Ghorza and Laria. "You know," she says to the dwarf, "that pick looks pretty damaged. You should probably use something else."
"Don't believe her!" Laria shouts, then draws a knife and tosses it at the imp. "You surely know your weapons better than this thing!" The blade whirls through the air, striking home and knocking her momentarily off-balance before she regains herself, with no sign of any injury. "Dammit." Laria hisses. "We need silver!"
However, as the duo approach, the golden dust fades, and the imp's outline goes along with it - disappeared once more. Rexus curses under his breath. "I'd thought it would last longer than that!"
Laria looks around, catching a glimpse of the fading golden dust, and rushes towards the two preparing to face off against the imp. "Where is it?" She asks, and Rexus gestures in her general direction.
Unable to see the Imp, Ghorza decided to ensure that the gorilla was truly down. She calmly swung her pick, hitting it in the back of the neck. It was a far quicker death than the one it was suffering.
Leaving the handling of the fiendish gorilla in Ghorza's capable hands, Ginetta carefully advances on the imp's last known location. Her dagger is readied in her hand to slash at the trouble-maker the moment she appears.
Looks like stealth is no longer necessary. Celi takes a moment to cast mage armor (just in case the imp decides to attack her when it recovers) then moves forward to where she can hit the imp's last position.
As Adolina prepares to unleash her spell once more, readying herself for when the imp reappears, Ghorza smashes her pick into the dissipating devil-ape, which flares out of existence - returning to Hell, perhaps?
Ginetta, meanwhile, advances towards where last the imp was spotted, silver knife at the ready.
Celi summons up a suit of armor composed of raw force, scurrying towards the imp's last location.
Rexus clasps Ginetta's shoulder briefly, and she feels the welling sense of purpose, of fatedness, growing within her.
For a few moments, all is calm - there's no sign of the imp anywhere, but she's almost certainly still around.
Laria looks around, scowling as she draws a dagger. "This isn't good." She mutters darkly. "Especially if it stays hidden - or worse, goes to get dottari or Asmodeans."
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Ginetta's eyes sweep the area looking for any tell-tale signs of the intruder. She considers Laria's words and comes to a conclusion.
"If you were looking to turn us in, you would have already fled and done that," she calls out into the empty air. "That tells me that you're either simply a malicious idiot, or you have other goals. Why don't we talk about what those goals might be? Do we have something you want? Or is there something you want us to do? This doesn't have to end with more bloodshed."
Stupid invisibility spells! Celi glares at the spot where the imp disappeared, her favorite spell on the tip of her tongue.
Unable to see anything, but not wanting to harm Ginetta's plan, Ghorza merely kept her eyes peeled, trying to find the imp.
Ginetta attempts to reach out to the imp, but garners no response from her. As she does so, her two spell-casting friends prepare to unleash their magic on her the moment she reappears, and Ghorza scans the room for any signs of the imp's movement - to no avail.
Rexus frowns, scanning the room himself. "Or she thought she could do more damage now..." He muses thoughtfully, but keeps his hands up in preparation for casting a spell.
The imp reappears on the far side of the room, still fluttering above the ground as she fires a blowdart at Ghorza.
Immediately, Adolina whirls and unleashes another silent scream at the imp, who momentarily staggers under the sonic assault, but swiftly regains her stability, glaring at the noblewoman.
Celi is unable to cast her burst of color - unable even to reach the imp with the spell.
Laria whirls to look at the tiny devil herself, hurling another knife in her direction, but the imp doesn't even need to wing out of the way, simply allowing it to pass her by without concern.
"Malicious idiot it is then," the singer mutters under her breath. She moves back across the room and slashes ineffectively at the hovering troublemaker with her dagger.
Feeling like she was about to pass out, or vomit, Ghorza ripped the dart out and staggered towards the imp. Pick in hand she swung, carefully, lest she risk breaking the weapon (as she still believed it to be on the verge of falling apart). It seemed as if though she wasn’t having the best of days…
Celi growls out a Gnomish curse and sprints toward the imp. Unfortunately, she has short legs.
Ginetta advances towards the imp, slashing at the creature, who easily darts out of the way, barely acknowledging that it happened.
Ghorza feels her muscles tighten, locking up in response to the stinging venom on the puny dart, and she attempts to swing at the imp herself, but the infernal creature swoops to easily evade her attack as well.
Celi rushes back across the room, trying to make her spell available to cast on the imp, while Adolina unleashes a third powerful spell on the flying irritant. The devil trembles briefly from the assault, but manages to shake off the worst of it.
Rexus utters a short curse under his breath, laying a hand on Laria this time, and then shoving his way through some of the stacked boxes to get his own angle on the attacker.
The imp glares at her attackers, vanishing from sight once again. Ghorza feels the poison surging in her veins as her body finally manages to fight it off, leaving her free of the venom once more.
Laria grimaces. "She can't have that many more darts, surely! She's too small to carry much!" Still, she readies herself with yet another dagger to throw at the creature.
Packet of colored sand in hand, Celi's gaze darts around the room, looking for the imp.
Ghorza groaned, fully expecting another dart to be fired into her back or neck.
Ginetta flips the silvered dagger in her hand to a throwing hold and waits for the little devil to reappear.
The women prepare themselves for the imp's return to visibility, each in her own way. Rexus, meanwhile, rushes to Ghorza's side, touching her shoulder and giving her a rush of destined purpose. .
The imp reappears, floating above the table, and fires another dart at the back of Ghorza's neck, which lands alarmingly close to another vital artery, leaving a stinging pain in her wound - this time, her body fights off the venom.
Ginetta immediately throws her silver dagger over her allies' heads at the imp, who manages to dodge out of the way with depressing ease. Laria hurls her own weapon at the devil in turn, but it doesn't even make half the distance before clattering to the ground.
"Some fool, me!" The imp giggles in Taldane. "I'm not the one tripping over myself!"
Laria rushes forwards, hopping up onto the table and making a leap to strike at the imp as best as she's able. Despite managing to get nearly at the same height as the imp, her fist passes the creature by, missing by inches.
As she lands on the table, scattering the papers, Laria curses in her native tongue.
Ginetta curses under her breath in the only elvish she knows as she moves across the stone floor to retrieve her silver dagger. With it back in her hand, she eyes the devil.
"Won't someone shut her up?" she snaps, her patience with the outsider having long run out.
Ghorza turned towards the imp, a look on her face that screamed murder. She didn’t bother saying anything, as she nearly tripped over herself to get to grips with the fiend.
Ginetta moves quickly to retrieve her dagger, while Adolina advances, hopping up on the table herself to thrust at the devil, who casually dodges.
Celi, however, moves forwards, just far enough to get the imp and none of her comrades with her spell, which she promptly unleashes. A burst of color erupts from the gnome wizard's hands, stunning the imp, whose blowgun falls from her hands.
Ghorza joins the group on the table, swinging with her pick and landing a heavy strike on the now-defenseless imp, tearing through her flesh with the silvered weapon.
Rexus joins the group, drawing his cane sword and readying himself to attack.
The imp flaps her wings rapidly, shaking off the dizzying array of colors that disrupted her thoughts. As she does so, it becomes clear that her wounds are healing without any effort - without keeping up the damage, the Ravens won't ever get her down.
Laria leaps again, throwing a quick punch at the creature, which cracks heavily into the fiendish creature's hide, sending her spinning, but does nothing else.
Ginetta moves to Adolina's side and gestures towards the woman's blade. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, Lady d'Jhaltera?" she questions before take the noblewoman's blade in her own hand. She gives it a few test swings and eyes the imp, her expression hardening. "Thank you, my dear."
”As the person full of fooking holes, believe me when I say that I don’t want it getting away!” Ghorza yelled out as she swung once more…
"You're asking me? The short one?" Yeah, there's no way Celi can reach to grab an imp in midair. Instead she shifts her crossbow into both hands and fires at the imp.
Adolina lunges at the imp, but pulls her blow incredibly short, concerned that she might hit one of her friends. Ginetta quickly steps up to take the noblewoman's blade herself, readying the weapon to attack the imp when the time comes.
Ghorza swings her pick at the imp, tearing a tremendous gash in her body and causing her to emit a squeak of pain, but the devil doesn't fall, staying high in the air despite the attack.
Celi fires her crossbow at the imp, but the intervening bodies and chaotic melee prevents her from doing more than skipping the bolt off of the ceiling.
Rexus hesitates, then lifts one hand in preparation for something.
The imp shakes off her lingering daze and then focuses, flickering and darting around the Ravens' weapons, dodging away from them as she flies to the north. As soon as she is away from the women on the table, Rexus unleashes his own spray of vibrant color, but the imp disregards it, swiftly disappearing into invisibility once again.
"Blast it all!" Rexus growls, seeing his spell do little to stop her.
"Why is she doing this now?" Laria asks aloud. "Surely she could've done something else that would damage our cause more..." She remains on the table, scanning and waiting for the return of the imp.
Ghorza remained where she was, actively searching for any sign of the imp. Her muscles tensed, as she fully expected to have another wound to add to her extensive list.