"Either one works for me. I wanna see how you lot operate. I'm gonna take rear guard on this one. Show me what you got."
Mephistopheles simply reaches down, picks up a rock and casts Darkness on it.
Did someone mention Stealth.
Stealth is prudent. Clyde says and he will take advantage of the darkness as soon as he can.
The choice made, Grumblejack's whole posture and demeanor changed. In spite of his armored bulk he went unnaturally still and quiet. He was a pitblooded and ogrekin. The dark was his natural environment.
Shall I scout for them? Raaven telepathically asked her master.
Naw, not unless they think to ask. I wanna see what happens when they ain't having their hands held. If things get loud, we'll go loud too. Until then, let's let 'em off the leash and see what they do.
The new Ninth are already proving move intellectually capable and perceptive than the previous members. Morana and Soren are impressive, and have proven so by surviving, but the others were... frustrating. It is nice to be working with competent people for a change. That safe was quite well hidden, and the wizard's retrieval of the tome was effortless.
Asmodeus ain't choosy. He takes all kinds an' expects 'em to prove their worth. It' ain't a perfect system, but it's pretty damn self correcting. You end up with the most capable people on top, the rest on the bottom, and a nice big pile of corpses. Just the way it should be.
You're right about the old crew though. The new roster seems a lot less f!**ed in the head. Makes me a lot less grumpy, now that I don't feel like I'm babysitting a bunch of runaways from the loony bin. If anyone on the crew's gonna be a reckless, unhinged liability, it's gonna be me dammit.
"Neither stealth or darkness is good for me. So, I'll go in, draw the attention, you can stay close I guess." the heavy armoured human states as he tries to find his bearings inside the darkness
"If we are doing stealth, then please wait. You will be our strategic reserves." she says quietly to Malleck.
She will nod as Raaven goes invisible, but know that this is evaluating the rest of them. And she sneaks forward, blade at the ready. She wants to get to the corner to peek before the darkness reveals something is up.
Malleck nods "I'll shall then remain in reserve. I will join the fray if I hear the clash of blades or the like. Magic too I suppose" as he steps to the side to the rest can get past him. He took up quite a bit of room. Not like Jack, but still
Mephistopheles simply stares at Malleck as if the armored tank was a puzzle to be solved...
Shaking his head, the Wizard shrugs.
Making you Silent is not in my current repertoir (although that certainly will be rectified), but I could summon a Floating Disk for you to stand still on so you aren't moving, creaking and crackling and stuff.
"I can do silence, but it will prevent casters near you from being as effective. Best saved for when we know what we're facing."
The Horn Level 2
Meph, Clyde, and Elliaria pad ahead as the rest of the group hangs back. As you get to the end of the hallway, it sounds like the voices are coming from what Grumble described as another Temple. The voices are certainly chanting, easier to hear as the door is open.
All of you are quite silent in the hall, surely a slight scuffle of feet on rocks cannot be heard when there is chanting within...
Callistae Perception
Consort of Callistae
You then hear the distinct sounds of blades being loosened from scabbards oh so very gently.
On hearing that they are discovered, she abandons stealth and charges forward. "To Battle!"
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Mephistopheles' blue eyes widen at the impulsively charge of Ellaria. The Wizard sighs.
We could have learned a bit prior to absolutely abandoning the advantage. Ah, to be young.
Mephistopheles decides to still have some fun! He casts Minor Image of a throng of boggards flowing endlessly into the chamber with Ellaria. Each screaming, waving weapons and making unscrupulous other noises!
The Wizard then looks at the others behind his Darkness.
Stage is set. You may all go inside for recess now.
With that, the armored warrior also begins his advance on the battle
"That didnt last long" he shrugs as he does so
Jack moved from stillness to reckless charge with nothing in between, yanking his sword from his scabbard and grinning wildly. He jogged in with Malleck behind Meph's illusory boggards picking up speed as he went.
Alas, it seems that being able to play to the strengths of stealth will not happen. Clyde draws a throwing axe and hurried after the group.
The Horn Level 2
Clyde
Elliaria
Malleck
Mephistopheles
Aurex
Sir Balin/Grumble
Havelyn
Brian
Callistae
Callistae Consorts
Cleric of Mitra
The Horn Level 2
Aurex
Grumble and Malleck charge forward down the hall leaving the Cleric, Havelyn and the Dragon behind.
Meph's illusions flood the room and the warriors within loose a volley of arrows "slaying" them all.
As Elliaria charges in, she sees what is clearly some sort of Celestial in the middle of the room standing next to an elf maiden wearing a holy symbol of Mitra. Behind the six pillars are elven warriors!
"I'd request we capture any Mitran humans we encounter, as for these, I don't care what happens to them, but I'm sure the priestess could be fun to dissect" he voices his request to his companions
Ellaria reasons that shutting down their coordination and spellcasting is likely a good move. "Meph, stay back a bit."
She defensively casts silence on herself. Then moves in.
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The Horn Level 2
Grumble would have expected Aurex to charge past him by now, the Ogre didn't take the Dragon for a coward, but perhaps he's just letting the Ninth Knot tackle this on their own...
As Elliaria moves into the room, the Celestial smiles at her, while Elliaria can feel the creature attempt to influence her emotions, as Elliaria has none, the effect is wasted upon her.
The Cleric begins to speak, but quickly realizes that the room is silenced and instead draws out her mace and attacks Elliaria!
Mitran Priestess - Mace Attack
Reflex Saving Throws -
Elf Consort 1
Elf Consort 2
The mace bounces harmlessly off of Elliaria's armor.
Suddenly in the back of the room, fire engulfs the two elves in the rear!
The Horn Level 2
"Hello, what's this..." Havelyn grins at Aurex as the others charge forward.
Aurex grins wickedly as the former Paladin finds a secret door in the hallway.
The Wyrm slides into the room, and opens the door to his immediate left, assuming it is the back-door into the Temple, he assumes that Havelyn will guar his flank if need be!
Aurex releases his breath weapon on the two hapless, elves? he can see. He cares not what they are so long as they burn!
Breath Weapon Fire
Grumblejack came into the room with all the subtlety of a rockslide, barreling straight towards the celestial. From behind his belt he drew a wicked hook that trailed a chain behind it.
As he closed, he took a swipe at the elf, but did not stop moving...
...he followed up his swipe with a nasty bite, but still didn't stop...
After crashing past the elf, he swung his chain...
The brutal chain chain continued it's arc, dragging the Celestial with it...
The Celestial found itself dragged in another loop and driven down into her ally again like a hammer...
On his way past, Grumbejack's tail flicked out and picked up Raaven, depositing her on his arm. She quickly coiled around like a shield.
Mephistopheles simply smiles at Grumble Jack's avalanche of destruction rampages through the apparent church ceremony.
A Consecration ritual. Probably trying to clean the place. Could definitely use an interior decorator.
The Wizard awaits the others their own fun prior to further possible shananagins....
Clyde is rather impressed at the display from Grumblejack and darts in to flank the snake woman and brings his axe down.
The Horn Level 2
Grumble's first strike against the female elf hits and cuts her, but she's up on he feet, the follow up bite takes her down to her back, relieving her of her head...and giving Grumble an extra large jawbreaker candy to play with. The sweet elven blood in his mouth is something he hasn't tasted in quite some time.
Grumble's vicious attack rolls onto the largest threat, literally and likely proverbially, his chain tears flesh but his follow up attack fails to further injure her.
The hook did find its way in though and along for the ride she goes, the scene is odd, one would expect terrified screams at the Ogre's rampage but silence abounds.
What the Party assumes would have been a crunch, the Celestial strikes her ally once, and then twice, pulverizing him into the wall behind him.
Grumble removes his hook only to sink it into the flesh of teh Celestial once more.
Following on Grumble's heels, Clyde swings for the Celestial as well and connects! His axe spraying more of her corrupted blood on the floor.
Meph's Boggards are ignored by the foes that remain for obvious reasons!
Callistae - HP = 30/106
vs. Aurex - Elf Consort 1 - HP = 12/22
vs. Aurex - Elf Consort 2 - HP = 12/22
Elf Consort 3
Elf Consort 4
vs. Grumble - Female Elf Consort 5 - HP = (-31)/22 - DEAD JIM
vs. Grumble - Male Elf Consort 6 - HP = (-12)/22 - DEAD JIM
The archers, those still alive, now beset by monsters keep their cool and fire back.
vs. Aurex - Elf Consort 1 - - MISS
vs. Aurex - Elf Consort 2 - - HIT
vs. Grumble - Elf Consort 3 - - SO CLOSE but MISS.
vs. Grumble - Elf Consort 4 - - MISS
Aurex - 72/74
The first elf misses but the second scores a flesh wound on Aurex.
The archers, so far untouched by the carnage fire at the, somehow more dangerous than the dragon, Ogre. An arrows whizzes so close to Grumbles eyeball he feels the sheaf hit his eyelashes, the second misses high.
Elliaria takes a brief moment to study both the outsider and cleric. Having taken measure of her opponents, the blade begins to glow with infernal energy. Only then does she stab out precisely into the vitals of the outsider.
I didn't know constructs could get those.
I didn't know constructs could get those.
No, I don't suffer from it. I'm a carrier!
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Clyde watches mini airplanes take off from Elliara