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The crowd looks on, some in fascination and some in horror as you prepare the pikes for the impalement of Longacre's former Sheriff and Deputy. Cimri seems firmly planted in her anger toward her Aunt but that might be because it's a an easier and more familiar emotional state for her.
GM Rolls:
Fellzir's charge with his shortsword stabs mercilessly into Jask and the former deputy swiftly loses consciousness due to blood loss. Parenna continues to run, sight of her disappearing behind the gathering crowd. The Shrike strikes a soul shivering albeit non-lethal blow and Rhona crumples to floor. The fire continues to rage around you, having already spread to most of the first floor. The news outside is not promising for the fate of the prophetically named Ash House. The town well is distant and though some townsfolk have begun to scoop up soil to prevent the flames from spreading to other buildings it seems a sure fate that the originally stately manor will be reduced to it's namesake in short order with little that can be done.
Rhona takes a hit from the bastard sword of the bastard and makes a cautious step to try and avoid being flanked. She strikes out wildly, not landing even a single blow. Round 3
GM Rolls:
A few motivated bystanders grab on to the fleeing Parenna and Jask. Parenna manages to break free and keeps moving while Jask is held tight.
"Stop it!" Cimri screams, "Leave now or I'll kill you like I did the Angel Knight!" This statement seems to bring the older woman up short and Cimri's kukri slashes another shallow wound.
"You? But you're just a kid..." Rhona says weakly, looking at Cimri's face as if she has never seen it before. Round 2
Fellzir's suggestion fails to move either former deputy to harm the other, but it does stir some of the onlookers to converge on the pair, hoping to hinder their escape.
Guillaume deals a massive blow to Parenna and she and Jask looking nearly defeated already. Parenna clutches at her midriff as if afraid something vital will spill forth from her body. Jask turns to Rhona, grimacing in pain and anger. "She won't listen Rhona, she's one of them now. We barely escaped with our lives last time when they slew the Angel Knight." "Then go!" Rhona shouts, "I won't abandon my family to Hell's mercy." Cimri makes a sound of disgust as the pair withdraw to run for their lives. "Lawless cowards, your deputies. You must be so bloody proud." She scoffs. Round 1
The Shrike penetrates something vital to Jask with his arrow and the former deputy staggers forward. It's clear he won't endure another hit like that. Cimri sneers at her aunt and simply draws her second favorite kukri and lunges for her with murder in her eyes. She stabs into the former sheriff's forearm.
Round 1
GM Rolls:
As you draw closer to the Ash House, you see and smell the smoke and hear the sound of female voices raised in agitation coming from inside. The fire seems to be burning the interior of one of the more intact rooms, one you had been using as a sitting room. The Shrike peers into the window, carefully keeping a low profile and spies Cimri in a struggle against her aunt, Rhona Staelish, Longacre's former Sheriff and the two former deputies that escaped you at the Court of Spears, Jask and Parenna. The walls of the room are ablaze. As Aurelius barrels through the door, Jask and Parenna turn their eyes in that direction, but Rhona only has eyes for her niece. "Please, Cimri, come with me. You've always wanted to leave Longacre. We'll go wherever you want, we'll be a family again. There's nothing for you here anymore!" Outrage paints Cimri's features, "There never was!" She screams in reply, waving her Kukri to keep the older woman at bay. "Not since you drove my Ma and Pa off and forced them to leave me with you!" Rhona raises her dual handaxes and strikes, not at Cimri directly but at the blade in her hand. Cimri lashes out in response, but the blade is successfully knocked from her grasp. She shakes out her hand, trying to relieve the stinging reverberation of the blow.
Round 1
"Siova, I know you must be overwhelmed by all that has happened and by the false angel's betrayal and abandonment. Trust that we spared your life out of an abundance of mercy and sympathy. We want you with us in the difficult times to come. So much so, that we intend to spare you from the hag's hold upon you. Would you join us in saving Longacre?" Siova's mismatched eyes first narrow in suspiscion and then widen in surprise. "Why? I would have killed you. I nearly did kill him." She says, gesturing with her manacled hand to the broad shouldered tiefling bloodrager. Cimri's eyes cut to side to glare at the changeling surreptitiously.
-♆-♆-♆- Fex listens with interest to your tale of victory over the Glorious Reclamation. "Tell him about that info we found in the map room." Cimri prompts. When the debriefing is concluded, the Archbaron rewards you all with a hefty sum of back-owed salary plus hazard pay. "You have my personal gratitude and though the townspeople may not show it, they owe you their lives and livelihoods as well. I will be sending my recommendations to her Infernal Majestrix and I do not doubt that we will soon see an increase in your status. I was very lucky to have found such talented enforcers, rumors abound that many of the peerage have not been so fortunate. I expect we may hear more about that soon. In the meantime, please enjoy some well earned time off."
The next day is spent travelling and as you draw closer to Fort Estanzo, the smell of decomposing flesh taints the air. You approach carefully, Cimri and The Shrike scouting ahead hoping to catch the former deputies of Longacre off-guard. But though it seems they did stop here as the halfling's body is missing, they must not have stayed long. After some searching, you find a small pile of blackened bones that you suppose must have been a rushed attempt at a funeral pyre. The remains of the manticore are bloated and rank, making the place highly inhospitable. Eager to distance yourselves from the smell, you get back on the road as soon as you are satisfied your quarry is not here. Siova and Rhysak continue to discuss their situation. She is clearly upset over what she sees as a betrayal but their bond runs deep and she seems to understand his actions though she does not condone them. Her eyes linger on the body of the Angel Knight often and when she does sleep, her nightmares persist.
Siova is groggy and feels ill upon awakening thanks to Cimri's poison. Upon seeing the dead Angel Knight riding long in the Ballista wagon beside her, with her ruined face open to the air and flies already feeding on her dried blood, she vomits noisily over the side of the wagon. GM Rolls:
Considering she was hostile toward your group when she fell unconscious, Aurelius's attempts to befriend her fall on deaf ears until Rhysak speaks with her softly. Then she begins to begrudgingly consider her options. Fortunately the journey back is long and so there is time to spare to make efforts to improve her attitude. With much of the day spent in assaulting the Court of Spears, soon night falls and your party must make camp. Rhysak spends time interviewing Siova about her about her dreams and draws the conclusion that her dam is an Annis Hag, likely sheltering in a cave somewhere in the Whisperwood.
Rhysak takes the document and has to go some distance away from the party into the branches of the tree before his call is answered and another voice is heard. The exchange does not sound particularly congenial, but Rhysak eventually returns with a signature and only one addendum. Losoni reserves the right to defend the Titan Aspen from damage or trespass at his discretion. With business attended to, you descend from the tree-fort and load your unconscious and deceased cargo onto the Ballista wagon and set back off toward Fort Estanzo and Longacre.
"Damn you, Jask. Cimri or Shrike, do you know enough about the locals to hunt him down?" Cimri considers before answering. "The woman seemed to be fleeing toward Fort Estanzo, where we killed that halfling archer and the manticore. Seems likely he would head that way too. Unless he went to meet up with my Aunt Rhona. He was deputy when she was sheriff." She shrugs. "We have to go that way to get back to Longacre anyway, we can check."
"His name is Losoni." Rhysak answers. "If you write up some terms, I can take them to him." He offers.
After taking a few minutes to search, Cimri decides she has found all of use and your party journeys back through the fortified tree-house, dragging along the body of the fallen knight and collecting the still unconscious Siova along your way. But when you arrive back at the platform where you first climbed up, you make a bitter discovery. Jask has escaped, the ropes that bound him hanging loosely around the gutted corpse of the bard, Riley Kels. The free ends of the rope have quite clearly been cut.
The Shrike flips up the steel faceplate of the deceased Angel Knight's helm and reveals a horror show of a ruined face beneath, even before he can plant the toe of his boot in the middle of it. Wearing a mask of her own blood, it is difficult to see the extent of the mutilation but absence of her nose, lips and most of one cheek is readily apparent. Her teeth gleam whitely out of the gore, a rictus grinning masque of red death. Cimri whistles through her teeth at the macabre sight. "No wonder she
After a moment, she gasps in realization and looks up at you all with a wicked expression of glee. "Look at this! Do you realize what this means?! These wounds are self-inflicted and long. She has to have been a Denatsate!" The Shrike:
You immediately see the truth of Cimri's words. The Denatsate of Egorian are the lowest of the low. Beggars who compete with their fellows by maiming themselves to disgusting degrees. It is a grotesque contest to be the most pathetic, and quite possibly the most despicable sort of solicitous scum of which you are aware. "We don't need to carry back her body. Her head will do the trick. When the hardscrabble folk of Longacre see this, they'll turn flips to distance themselves from any association with the so called 'Angel Knight'. Cimri laughs uproariously like it's the best joke she's heard all year. She takes some time to search while you discuss the logistics of transporting corpses and prisoners and finds another cache of goodies in a recess behind the idol of Iomedae.
Rhysak blanches at Fellzir's instructions but swallows down his trepidation as he tries his Evil Eye one last time before he draws his quarterstaff and takes his place between Fellzir and Lencia.
Cimri, feeling a bit more confident after that last channel, anticipates her chance as she bides her time just a moment while Rhysak steps into position. Then she moves through her comrades swiftly, drawing her kukri and striking at a weak point in the Knight's armor, sliding the blade beneath the gorget of the Angel faced helm and pulling it back with a wicked twist.
Lencia Visserene makes a truly terrible gurgling sound as a fount of blood gushes from the nose and eyes of the steel-clad face. The Angel Knight falls, thudding to the floorboards of the tree-fort with a reverberation that seems to shake the structure like a minor quake. A glow fills the room as the body of the Hound Archon disintegrates into golden motes which flow across the open trap floor and swirl around the prone form of the Angel Knight and then fly off through the leafy canopy of the Titan Aspen and beyond. Then the trap-door finally closes again with a KA-THUNK and all is silent. The wooden effigy of Iomedae's countenance seems altered as you look upon it, a triumphant smile upon her lips that you do not remember being there when you entered the room.
Cimri collects her kukri and regains her feet, but she eyes the Angel Knight warily. She feels the specter of her looming mortality keenly and has no wish to share in Aurelius' apparent fate. She throws the blade, but it rebounds off the substantial armor of the Knight. Rhysak decides the Knight is impervious to his Evil Eye hex and abandons the attempt to weaken her defense, choosing instead to bolster Fellzir's.
Round 12
Cimri regains consciousness from Fellzir's channel and immediately recognizes her peril, still prone at the feet of the Angel Knight. She places her palms down and fishtails her body backward, rolling away from the threat of Lencia's bloodied blade.
Rhysak seems convinced by Fellzir's words and tries his hex again, but the paladin's will is just too strong.
Round 11
Rhysak nods in response to Fellzir's instructions and takes a step to better target the Angel Knight with his hex. Unfortunately, the paladin is even less vulnerable to them than the Archon.
Cimri lies still, her wounds slowly healing thanks to Aurelius invocation. Round 10
"Yeah, it's just a matter of time now!" Cimri adds to Fellzir's argument as the Knight turns her angelic steel-helmed gaze on the rogue. Cimri lunges, but still just can't find a weak spot in the substantial armor.
Rhysak sees that his initial hex on the Hound has expired and reapplies it, hoping to make him more vulnerable to The Shrike's attacks.
Round 9
Round 7
Cimri strikes at the Angel Knight, trying again to capitalize on the bloodrager’s position opposite her. But she just can’t find a gap in the Knight’s defenses. Rhysak sees that Aurelius needs his protection more than the rogue at the moment, so he shifts his ward hex onto the Omdura.
The Angel Knight tops herself off with another tap to the chest. But just as Fellzir suspects, it is becoming clearer by the moment that she can’t keep this up much longer.
Round 8
Round 6
Cimri does indeed seem to need the aid of Guillaume’s flank as her Kukri strike fails to connect without it. Rhysack continues to try and layer his hexes on the Hound Archon, but this one slides off without effect. Round 7
Round 5
Cimri slashes at the Angel Knight, taking full advantage of the flanking position Guillaume has afforded her. She stabs deep and deftly twists her Kukri on the withdraw.
Rhysack tries his hex again and this time it sets in on the Hound.
The Angel Knight relieves some of her wounds with a lay on hands but it is clear she will not last much longer under this assault.
The Hound sneers, snarling his reply to Fellzir, "Foolish human! You understand nothing of Honor or Loyalty. I will protect my charge until her last breath and then I will carry her soul to Heaven, wrapped in a shroud of Glory for her Valorous service to the Goddess!" Round 6
Cimri raises an eyebrow at the address, but prepares herself to carry out the plan.
The Angel Knight quickly releases her sword and it clatters to the floorboards. Cimri casts her mage hand and tries to move the sword away, but can't budge it. "It's resisting me somehow, must have some magic of it's own." She moves closer to position herself to strike if the Knight reaches to retrieve her blade. Rhysack tries his hex again, this time targeting the Archon's attack prowess, but without achieving any effect.
Round 5
Cimri gasps in alarm to see the "new guy" shoved unceremoniously through the open trap door. Fortunately his quick reflexes serve him well as he kicks off from the flat of the recessed platform and snaps the magical leaf in half that he pocketed earlier and disappears from view again. "Wow! You sure play dirty for being a so-called Angel Knight." She derides, with a tone bordering on respect. ”Iomedae’s tenets teach the value of sound tactics, especially in the face of superior numbers.” Lencia answers simply, though you think you notice a slight lisp in her pronunciation of some consonants, particularly "p". Cimri moves up behind Aurelius, drawing and throwing one of her less favorite blades at the paladin. It strikes true, slicing through her crimson pantaloons having struck her thigh.
Rhysack continues to focus on the Hound, firing off a magical ray that makes contact easily but then seems to fade away with no effect.
Round 4
The Shrike: You make 25 feet of lateral progress through the trees and will need to climb up to rejoin the fight. Next round you will need one more DC 15 Climb check to reach the bridge.
Cimri catches on to Fellzir's tactics and tries to sweep Aurelius' legs out from underneath him to further limit his mobility, but the Omdura's feet are far too firmly planted. Frustrated, she calls to the Witch still lingering outside the room. "Rhysack, get your @$$ in here and do something!" Rhysack plods into the room reluctantly. The Angel Knight hisses through her teeth beneath the mask of her helm at the sight of him. "Traitorous filth!" Rhysack hangs his head, "I'm sorry Lencia... They have Siova. I have to keep her safe." "Fool! Agents of Thrune have no mercy, you've only delayed your demise until you are no longer useful to them. And earned the ire of Iomedae!" He does not bother to argue, merely raises his hand to cast the same hex on the Hound Archon as before. Aurelius seems to recognize that his friends are trying to help him, despite their seemingly aggressive maneuvers and makes no move against them. However he is beyond reason under the effect of the paladin's spell. Despite his good intentions, Aurelius is simply too strong to be held back by Fellzir so easily as he breaks the grapple almost effortlessly and strides along the perimeter of the trap to close the distance toward the Angel Knight. Fortunately, the effort spent in being grappled and breaking free has cost him some movement and he does not make it close enough to be threatened by the minions of Iomedae. Once he stops advancing, he seems to shake off the spell and regain control of himself again. Round 3
Rhysack casts a ward on Cimri. The rogue jogs up to Guillaume, but quickly takes a sharp turn to avoid the trap she spots as plain as day. "I see it, this whole section is rigged to drop." She motions with her hand, sketching out the border of the trap. As she draws closer to the Hound Archon, it's aura takes effect on her again as well and she stops in her tracks. Rhysack moves up behind Fellzir. Round 2
GM Rolls:
Round 1
The Hound Archon narrows his eyes as he watches the area where The Shrike stands unseen very carefully, still sniffing every so often. He reaches back toward the Angel knight and she presents her arm for him to grasp and he murmurs in Celestial, casting something on his charge. The Knight raises an already loaded crossbow and fires at the only target that has presented itself, Guillaume. The bolt strikes him with a glancing blow.
Cimri shrugs, "Sure, no harm in trying. It's not like they don't know we're here." Rhysack does his best to answer, "Just Lencia herself, I believe. Though I did not know her dog was a Hound Archon. It's possible there is more I remain... unaware of." He admits with a reflexive swallow, perhaps realizing the wisdom of the decision to leave him uninformed.
You pass through the last room as you make your way to the final area, the Shrine of Iomedae, according to Rhysack, where the famed Angel Knight spends most of her time. A plain straw bed rests against the wall here beneath a number of simple shelves. Several helmets, each one sculpted with the somber face of a steel angel, stare down at the room from the shelves. "Hells Bells!" Cimri exclaims, "She's got one for every bloody day of the week and then some." She looks at them resentfully as if thinking that having stolen such a helm from Allamar was perhaps not such an achievement after all. You crowd out onto a small landing area with another bridge spanning the gap to the next room. Rhysack is unceremoniously shoved back into the corner as you all bunch together. Cimri shakes some charges out of her wand and points her finger at the door, which opens!
GM Rolls:
Surprise!
Round 1
Cimri does a thorough search of the area and gives a sharp intake of breath as she pauses in reaching down to pluck something small from between the slats of the floorboards in the hidden alcove. "Sorry, thought I saw... something there. In the wood." She says with a shake of her head. Rhysack nods sagely. "Losoni. He will keep an eye on you... on us until we leave. But I do not think he will attack as long as the tree remains unharmed." Cimri shudders slightly, still looking at the spot in the wood where she saw something. Finally she turns to Aurellius with what looks like a small pearl balanced on her palm. "Doesn't look like it fell from a strand, but it still looks valuable." Detect Magic + Spellcraft DC 16:
Cimri is holding a 1st level Pearl of Power. Once per day on command, a pearl of power enables the possessor to recall any one spell that she had prepared and then cast that day. The spell is then prepared again, just as if it had not been cast. The spell must be of a particular level, depending on the pearl. "Oh, and I almost forgot, I have that wand we found at the jail. I thought maybe that old coot with the bird took off with it, but he must have slipped it in my bag before he left." She pulls the wand of shocking grasp from her pack and offers to cast it on anyone who wants to release an electrical touch attack.
Guillaume lands a solid strike, the Archon grunting heavily from the damage of the blow. He bares his teeth, takes a step back and disappears.
"Where the Hells did the cur go?" says Cimri after regaining some composure without the aura of menace influencing her. After taking a moment to gather yourselves, you proceed on over the rope bridges and into the rooms ahead. The walls of this sparse room are a combination of living wood and cut timber. A banner bearing a sword-and-sunburst symbol decorates one wall, overlooking a pair of simple straw mattresses on the floor. Curtains hang in doorways to the west and north. A small, unlocked footlocker contains two potions of cure moderate wounds, a scroll of remove paralysis, a healer’s kit, and three flasks of holy water. You pass through the next curtained doorway. A sizable table shaped from a bough growing through the floor fills the center of this room, while an elaborate tapestry woven from living ivy adorns the southern wall. A door exits the room to the west, while a curtained doorway allows egress to the east. Various maps and other paperwork are arrayed across the table.
Round 1
Guillaume charges up the rope bridge into the fray. Cimri cringes out of his way and just as he moves past her, he comes to understand the fearful look on her face. A sense of menace seems to radiate off the Archon in waves, the sheer righteousness of his wrath palpable. The bloodrager’s confident stride hesitates and his blow falters, glancing off some magical deflection. The Shrike moves in behind him and is struck by the same wave of menace, but his voice holds steady as he shakes the heavenly creature’s morale. However the archon does not seem to suffer any additional effects.
Rhysack’s jaw slack, he mouths like a fish out of water a few times before regaining his composure. ”That is what I thought as well… What can we do against such?” His resolve seems to waver in the face of the celestial being. Cimri points her poisoned kukri at the Witch, ”None of that, now!” She sneers in warning. ”The big guy can bring it down. I know he can!” She speaks with more determination than she seems to feel and draws a tanglefoot bag from her pouch and flings it at the dog-headed beast. Unfortunately, her aim is poor and the bag lands uselessly beside the Archon, splattering in a gooey mess.
Rhysack casts a hex to try and make the Archon easier to strike, and laughs in disbelief as it takes effect.
Cimri turns her attention to the way forward. A lengthy rope bridge reaches through leafy boughs to a tiny roofed platform. A second, shorter bridge connects this platform to a wooden structure to the north. She takes a moment to assess the bridge before starting out across it carefully. As she nears the halfway point, a large dog with point-tipped ears pads forward from the shadows to the edge of the small platform. He bares gleaming white teeth and utters a low rumbling growl as his golden eyes catch the light and seem to glow with menace as he focuses on the petite rogue. Cimri’s breath catches in surprise and she breaks out in a cold sweat, starting back from the canine with a level of dread that seems out of proportion to the threat of a mere guard dog. The beast opens its jaws as if to loose a bark of warning, but instead holds this position, it’s jaws open wide. A sonorous voice issues forth, deep and bold. “You shall go no farther.” He says, and the image of a dog shimmers and gives way to a tall, muscular humanoid shape. Though still with the head of a noble canine possessing point-tipped ears and glowing golden eyes. In his clawed hands, he holds a well polished and deadly looking greatsword. Aurelius and Knowledge (Planes) DC 14:
You now face a Hound Archon. Occasionally good-aligned deities send them to watch over specific places and individuals they take a particular interest in. They are rumored to be very resistant to damage, except from Evil aligned weapons.
GM Rolls:
Round 1
Having absolutely no basis of knowledge to refute Aurelius' claims, or even indeed, to comprehend them, Rhysack's eyes seem to glaze over as the Omdura proselytizes. "As you say, m'lord. You are... not what I expected." He seems somewhat stricken at the suggestion that he fight with you against Lencia, but he nods his assent. "I will do what I can, though I expended much of my spells already. We do not use lanterns in the Court of Spears. Too risky. But yes, the platforms are certain to burn much more easily." Cimri puts a hand on Fellzir's shoulder. "Maybe we shouldn't set the whole thing ablaze while we're still standing on it, yeah? We could wait till we're on our way out with their beloved leader in chains and see what we think then. Not to mention Archbaron Fex would be none too pleased if we burned down the whole Whisperwood. Lotta coin to be had from these trees. Lumber's one of our prime exports." In preparation for moving on, Cimri removes the shackles from the young man and transfers them to his still unconscious paramour. She also smears the flat of her kukri against one of her open wounds while he is not looking, sharing a roguish wink with anyone who notices her doing so. "There, she should sleep soundly till we can come back for her."
Cimri seems caught up by some personal reverie as the party conducts their interview with Rhysack. ”I probably never told you louts,” she smiles, the jibe more affectionate than biting. ”But I grew up here in the Whisperwood. My folks worked the lumber camps during the warmer months and we only spent winters with Aunt Rhona back then. My ma and pa liked their drink, hells, all of that lot did. There weren’t many kids in the camps, so for fun, I used to slip outta my blankets and creep ‘round the camp at night. When they were deep in their cups they told all sorts of stories to make each other laugh." "I remember one they told about a girl from a nearby village with weird eyes like that, one green and one gold. She was about my age and had been brought up by a hedge witch who found her as a babe. Not very interesting, I know. But the fun part was that she nearly killed some local village boy. He came at her some way she didn’t like and she grew claws and thrashed through him like a wild cat outta wet paper sack. Burned the marks right into his flesh so deep, they said he’d never heal right. So the villagers ran her outta town. The boy’s father was some well-to-do muckety muck and told everyone she was a changeling and so they shouldn'ta let her go ‘cause she’ll just go back to her mother and turn into a Hag. I dunno much about Hags, but they say they’re more dangerous if there’s enough of ‘em to make a coven.“ She shrugs, ”There might even be a bounty out for her.” Cimri suggests helpfully, her eyes gleaming with avarice.
GM Rolls:
Cimri smirks as Fellzir spins his web to entrap the guileless magic user. The man in Red drops his staff and holds up his hands. "I will do as you say. Just please don't harm Siova. She means... everything to me." He swallows reflexively as his eyes drift down to her prone, helpless form. "My name is Rhysack Dartmoor. We signed on recently to serve the Glorious Reclamation. Lencia Visserene recruited Siova personally after hearing rumors of her prowess from the other inhabitants of the Whisperwood. Siova wished only to do some good in this world, before... before it was too late." He shakes his head sadly, gazing down at his beloved. Cimri sheathes her Kukri and removes the manacles from her pack and moves into the tiny room to secure the remorseful Rhysack. Once she has shackled his hands behind his back, she shoves him down to a seated position and goes to check the woman.
Getting down to business, Cimri begins stripping the couple and the dead man of anything that looks valuable.
Knowledge(local) DC 16: The woman, Siova, is a changeling. The strange offspring of a type of monstrous creature known as a Hag. They are often discovered as foundlings and raised by mundane parents, though they may grow to be talented and formidable individuals in their own right. At least, until their mothers call them home.
Previous Rounds:
Round 1 ------------------- Cimri - moves, drawing kukri, applies poison Fellzir - casts Shield of Faith on Cimri Aurelius - casts Divine Favor and moves, drawing weapon The Shrike - moves and listens, drawing weapon Guillaume - double moves, drawing weapon Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
The man in Red seems to understand that his defeat is inevitable now, but does everything in his power to play for time. He casts defensively at the masked figure menacing him, taking to heart the lesson his dear Siova chose to ignore. The Shrike feels the press of the magic as it takes effect, the touch of misfortune's unkind hand.
Cimri seems to think the matter handled as she removes the poison vial from her pocket and resumes painting her favorite blade with the sticky blue substance.
Round 3
Round 4
But his return blow overcomes her and she drops like a marionette with her strings cut. "Siova!!" Her companion screams in anguish and drops the sling he was preparing. "Don't worry, you'll join her soon, weeping boy!" Cimri crows, laughing with excitement.
Damn... The big guy goes down with one blow.
Previous Rounds:
Round 1 ------------------- Cimri - moves, drawing kukri, applies poison Fellzir - casts Shield of Faith on Cimri Aurelius - casts Divine Favor and moves, drawing weapon The Shrike - moves and listens, drawing weapon Guillaume - double moves, drawing weapon Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
GM Rolls:
Fellzir steps closer to the fallen tiefling, grabbing him by the legs and dragging him back away from the mad-woman with the glowing Battleaxe. Guillaume's horned head lolls, scoring into the cooked the flesh of the corpse formerly known as the man in Green. Aurelius steps up to take his place and his healing invocation brings Guillaume back to consciousness, though he is still blinded and badly hurt. The man in Red concentrates on his companion and draws a sling from his belt. The woman in Blue focuses on Aurelius and calls forth magic with a sizzling green aura that suffuses through her Battleaxe before slashing into the Omdura Cimri detects an opening for an opportunistic attack as the woman recklessly casts the spell and she lashes out with her Kukri but fails to make contact. But a moment later, her blade finds flesh with a deft strike.
Previous Rounds:
Round 1 ------------------- Cimri - moves, drawing kukri, applies poison Fellzir - casts Shield of Faith on Cimri Aurelius - casts Divine Favor and moves, drawing weapon The Shrike - moves and listens, drawing weapon Guillaume - double moves, drawing weapon Round 2
Round 3
GM Rolls:
Guillaume slashes with his Bardiche wildly, but cannot connect with his attacker. The man in Red begins to intone again, singling out Fellzir with a spell. The mysterious cleric feels the arcane magic try to take hold of him, but he shakes off the stilling effects.
Spellcraft DC 17:
Red cast Hold Person. The woman also calls upon her magic and her Battleaxe takes on a glow as lightning seems to dance along it's surface. Then with a cry of desperation, she steps forward and hacks viciously into the tiefling Bloodrager, electricity surging through his body. Guillaume drops to his knees and slumps down atop the now smoking remains of the man in Green.
Spellcraft DC 17:
Blue cast Shocking Grasp, and unleashed it through a solid attack with her Battleaxe. "Guillaume!" Cimri cries out in alarm, her shock evident that the stalwart tiefling has fallen. She lashes out with her Kukri at the woman in blue with the mismatched eyes, but fails to slice flesh in her upset.
Cimri laughs as the man in Green hits his knees and slumps to the floor from The Shrike's exploitive strike. "No need, G. But if you step over him, you might gig that b*+@& who fried you. Awful cozy in there!" She calls to the cloistered magic users. "Like fish in a barrel!"
Round 1
Round 2
GM Rolls:
Aurelius closes the gap with Guillaume preparing to face what awaits you all behind the closed door. Suddenly, many things seem to happen all at once. The door is pulled open from the inside and you see the man in Green holding it open. Behind him, two dark haired figures begin gesturing and murmuring incantations. The man in Red's spell activates first and a cloud of sparkling golden motes explodes outward from Guillaume's position before the door and settle onto everyone but Fellzir. Cimri and The Shrike turn their faces away just in time but Guillaume and Aurelius blink rapidly, trying to clear their vision but to no avail. They are blinded
Spellcraft DC 17:
Red cast Glitterdust. The woman in Blue completes her incantation and extends her hand condemningly toward Guillaume as well and a searing beam of fire blasts forth, striking the blinded Bloodrager without mercy. You smell the reek of burning flesh as his armor blackens and his skin crisps under the scorching assault.
Spellcraft DC 17:
Blue cast Scorching Ray, critically. Finally, Green takes a step forward, into the doorway and slashes with a shortsword at Cimri but she dodges easily. Better yet, she returns the favor and shanks the bastard with her freshly anointed kukri, taking full advantage of the fools positioning between herself and The Shrike.
Before the Cross... Guillaume guts the bard with a sadistic twist, splashing Jask with blood and other assorted vital fluids. Riley’s head thumps against the wall, blood seeping up from beneath the gag, as viscera begins to leak onto the floorboards. Cimri hops up on her toes to better see the resulting carnage, her eyes bright with excitement. She applauds briefly in approval. ”He does die nicely, though. Must be all the practice he’s had.” She proclaims with a smirk. She retrieves the now pointless manacles and loads them into her pack. ”Now you sit tight, Jask. We’ll be back for you!” She giggles with girlish glee before leading the way to the next platform. The former deputy stares in silent horror as his fellow prisoner bleeds out and he begins to whimper beneath his gag as he realizes he is firmly secured now to a corpse.
GM Rolls:
Round 1
Cimri moves forward, drawing her Kukri and taking up position on the far side of the door. She removes a vial of dark blue paste from one of her many pockets and anoints her blade with the contents. She gives Fellzir a quick smile of thanks for the magical protection. The Shrike does indeed hear voices from inside the room, two of which seem to be intoning incantations of their own. A third then sounds loudly, just on the other side of the closed door. "We're out of time, they're here!"
GM Rolls:
Cimri leads the way across the paired tightropes to reach the next platform. With a little jostling and unease, everyone makes it, though it is slow going. A sizable crack splits this large platform into two. Where you currently stand, two shacks hug the trunk of one of the largest trees in the grove. There is little room to maneuver and you find yourselves in single file, Cimri scouting ahead. She peers into an open door before turning back to you, shaking her head to indicate that no one lurks inside. A deathly quiet seems to press in on you, as if the forest itself is holding its breath in anticipation. Round 1
Cimri paces, toying with her favorite kukri. "Decisions, decisions. Fellzir has a good point. If we did decide to leave one alive, Jask is almost certainly the more valuable of the two, and so helpful just now. But then again, I do love to watch Guillaume work." She said, giving the Bloodrager a wink. She sighs as as she rips some nearby rags into strips and gags the two prisoners before leaning against the wall. "I can't make up my mind. You fellas make the call. I'll just wait here and stand watch." She shrugs and crosses her arms, watching it all play out.
Cimri bounces on her heels becoming antsy as the interrogation winds down. She peers out to make sure the way forward remains clear.
"S#*+!" She exclaims, followed by a stream of expletives to make a sailor blush. "The little green guy is gone! The one Guillaume smacked like a piñata at a kid's nameday party. What in the Hells, Jask?!" The bound man shrugs again, "How in Heaven am I to know?" He begins but as The Shrike raises his blade again in reminder, Jask puffs a frustrated sigh and slowly explains. "Losoni, I'd guess. He's... well, I don't really know what he is. But they're like him, kind of... they're his little friends. More like plants than animals. They were here before we came. The Angel Knight made some sort of agreement with them, but they aren't really members of the Reclamation. They move through the trees like we might walk across the street. " Cimri begins to count on her fingers, "So the Angel Knight and her dog, this Losoni and his four little acorn-bombers. Riley, Parenna and Jask here. Who was the guy who dumped you off the bridge? She directs to Jask again. "Degan. He probably went to warn the lovebirds, Rhysak and Siova. They keep to themselves. That's everyone. That's all I know, I swear!" Jask begins to sweat as he looks from face to face. "You'll let me go now, right? Right?!" Cimri smile is wicked as turns to each of you, "Gosh, I don't know if we could afford to risk that... Do you?"
Jask blinks in surprise, "Uh, she but yes... she leads us. As for her dog, it's... a big dog? Always seemed a little weird to me, bringing a dog up into a tree. But he's well trained, I guess." He shrugs awkwardly, bound as he is. Cimri takes the opportunity to interject, "Is my Aunt Rhona here?" Jask shakes his head, "No, the last I heard from her, she was making arrangements to get out of Longacre. To get you both out. You know she loves you, Cimri... even if you have found your way on the wrong side of all this." He spits in the dust at her feet. Cimri barks a bitter laugh in reply, "So Aunt Rhona's planning to run away like a thief in the night and you've fallen from Deputy to Outlaw in a few weeks time. But I'm on the wrong side of things here?" She scofffs, "You're just a light-blinded fool, Jask. You couldn't find your way to the privy unless something shiny led you there." She sneers in disdain. Exposition Dump for The Shrike:
The "Angel Knight" is a member of an order of Iomedaean knights called the Glorious Reclamation, who are dedicated to overthrowing the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune’s rule of Cheliax. She is the purported instigator of this rebellion. Unrest in Longacre has been escalating since Tileavia Allamar, Fifth Sword Knight and Priestess of Iomedae gave a public sermon where she read a letter allegedly penned by the mysterious figure. “I received this letter last night:
Your character should be aware of all this being a citizen of Longacre and a chosen agent of Archbaron Fex.
Cimri helps Guillaume to move the unconscious foes onto the lift and soon you have them both at your mercy, taking cover behind the safety of the great trunk and walls, in case of snipers. She claps them both in the manacles, binding their hands behind their backs and fishes a rope from her pack and binds their feet together for good measure. "That oughta do it. Let's see what you can do, new guy." She pauses for a moment, studying the man in Yellow's face. "I recognize this one too. Jask Coalimber, he was one of my Aunt's deputies when she was still Sheriff. I wonder if she's here too... Hmm. He's the one that old couple, the Gramels, said had put them up to raiding the armory." With the captives secured, Fellzir allows his second channel to heal them as well, bringing them back to consciousness. Riley immediately begins to squirm. ”Oh Gods… not again! Help! Anyone please, help!” Jask merely sets his jaw and looks on you with grim determination in his eyes.
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