Profoundly affected by the revelation of their emir being a rakshasa in disguise, and by witnessing the superior might of the servants of the Christian God (who is in fact, their Allah anyway), six of the surrendering palace guards show a genuine interest in being baptized and converting to Christianity. These six implore Cardinal Lucius to baptize them in the name of Jesus Christ, and inquire how they might prepare to make themselves ready to receive this baptism.
In Arabic, to Cardinal Lucius: We have seen with our own eyes the power of your Christ, oh merciful father, and we would also follow this holy path! Please, teacher! Teach us the way of Jesus Christ, if indeed he was the son of God, as you say!
The light of longing in their dark eyes leaves no doubt in the Cardinal D'Borja's mind of their sincerity.
The guards, grateful to be spared and to be freed from unwittingly serving an evil rakshasa disguised as Emir Al'Haaq of Marrakech, offer to lead the Champions to the treasure vault, and using an iron key taken from.a secret compartment in the Emir's throne, they unlock the great iron door sealing the treasure vault, and open it to reveal the fabulous treasure heaped therein...
Wulfgar Ivarsson wrote: Seeing the Emir drop, Wulfgar releases the rage in time to hear the priest speaking in pidgin, he nods his approval. Breathing a quick prayer he reiterates and expounds in Arabic. "The Priest is right." He gestures towards those fighting with him. "These warriors have been sent by Raphael, a servant of the God of Abraham to deliver you from this evil servant of Satan." Looking directly at the Vizier, "Lay down your arms and surrender, we would change things in Marrakesh for the better."
casts enhanced diplomacy then uses aid another: diplomacy
[dice=aid another: diplomacy]1d20+4
well that's about useless, should have figured out a way to use intimidation...
A guard next to Wulfgar throws aside his scimitar, falls on his knees, and clasps his hands together as if praying, and says to the tall Northman, Have mercy, mighty warrior of Raphael!
Cardinal Lucius d'Borja wrote: Rapidly sizing up the situation Lucius turns and cried out to the guards in the pidgin mix pf italian, spanish amd arabic wprds spokem across the Mediterranean.
"The emir is dead, a foul beast bereft of God's touch! Surrender and you will be shown mercy!"
[Dice=Diplomacy]d20+14
As one, the guards throw down their scimitar and fall on their knees, bending to press their faces to the floor, arms outstretched in prayer or supplication...
Some cry out in Arabic: Allah be praised! or Have mercy upon us! or We never knew the Emir was an evil rakshasa in disguise!
The remaining guards all surrender!
ROUND 2:
The remaining palace guardsmen, apparently uniformly astonished and horrified to learn that their emir was in fact an evil rakshasa in disguise, lower their scimitars and gape or curse in shock, staring wide-eyed at the sundered and bloody corpse of the tiger-headed monster lying in an expanding pool of dark blood!
The guards are stunned and take no actions in round 2...
Lady Giovanna GM bot wrote: Lady Giovanna follows her comrade Mwikali into the throne room, witnesses her blast the behir with a fireball and the onrushing guards, and thrusts her fell rapier at the nearest guard...Thrust 1d20+14 confirm 1d20+14 Crist! Dealing 2d6+12 piercing plus 1d6 acid damage!...mortally impaling him! Pierced through the torso, the guard falls dead and slides off the swashbuckler's corrosive blade...
Johann Kaltgeboren- Cobra! wrote: Johann hisses with delight and slides forward 30 feet. He ends up at the northern entry to the room, where he gets a wide view of the chamber and its occupants. As a swift action, he enable his minor snake aspect giving various bonuses which I will add in
Johann readies an action to strike at the first enemy that comes within his 10 foot reach!
Also, with his reach, Johann could possibly get some AoO off if any enemies try to close to immediate melee range. His bite counts as magic, cold iron, and silver if it matters.
Readied power attack:
[dice=Bite Attack & damage]d20+12; 3d6+14+d6 str 5 bab 7 pwrattk -2 size-1 amulet 1 bless 1 haste 1; 1.5str 7 pwrattk 6 amulet 1 amulet acid d6
AoO if applicable:
[dice=Bite AoO 1 & damage]d20+14; 3d6+14+d6 str 5 bab 7 size-1 amulet 1 aspect 2 pwrattk -2 bless 1 haste 1; 1.5str 7 amulet 1 amulet acid d6 pwrattk 6
[dice=Bite AoO 2 & damage]d20+14; 3d6+14+d6 str 5 bab 7 size-1 amulet 1 aspect 2 pwrattk -2 bless 1 haste 1; 1.5str 7 amulet 1 amulet acid d6 pwrattk 6
edit: added haste bonus in
As the guards rush up, Cobra Johann strikes one dead with his lethal fangs, and then three more guards come within the great cobra's reach, and each are struck down by the deadly shapeshifter!
Wow, that's 4 guards down in one round for Johann!
Two more guards, adjacent to Alexei's kabbalistic pit when they finish rushing up, slide and stagger to avoid falling in as well...Reflex vs DC 21 pit 1d20 ⇒ 20 barely avoids falling in with a natural 20 on the saving throw! 1d20 ⇒ 11 other falls in for 4d6 ⇒ (2, 2, 3, 3) = 10 falling damage!...But one of the two can't stop his forward momentum in time and pitches headlong into the pit!
AAAAHHH!!*CRUNCH!!*
Alexei Orlovsky wrote: you should definitely try to come in from behind
Round 1:
Alexei listens to the sound of oncoming guards as he watches the Ogon Fox rush off after Wulfgar and the snake.
somebody better stop those guards from coming around the other side and surrounding us...
The Rabbi's gaze drifts off as he calculates the fundamental geometry undergirding this time and place. Then, with an unusual incantation, he tears open a pit blocking the entrance opposite where the Jackals headed.
** spoiler omitted **
Creates a 10' square pit completely blocking the entrance that was to the right in the last picture. The guy who's in the entryway (and anyone else who ends movement adjacent to the pit) has to make a Ref save or fall in. It's 40' deep (4d6 falling damage) and the climb DC to get out is 25 (which most creatures will have to make several of). I'm spending an arcane point to up the Ref DC to 21, and it lasts for 18 rounds.
A pit magically yawns beneath one of the palace guards...Reflex 1d20 ⇒ 3 fails!...who falls in, screaming, and hits the bottom...4d6 ⇒ (4, 2, 2, 2) = 10...twisting his ankle as he lands prone!
AAAAAIIIEEE--OOF!!*SPLAT!!*
As Ogon Fox darts up to the nearest three guards and starts casting his spell, the closest guard swings his scimitar at Fox! AoO scimitar 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11 misses!
Fox completes the casting and catches all three in the cone of flame!
Reflex vs DC 17 burning hands 1d20 ⇒ 13 fails, takes 12 fire damage!
Reflex vs DC 17 burning hands 1d20 ⇒ 16 fails, takes 12 fire damage!
Reflex vs DC 17 burning hands 1d20 ⇒ 18 succeeds, takes 6 fire damage!
The men twist and scream as the fire burns them!
ROUND 1:
From out of nearby chambers and hallways behind the throne room, the palace guards rush through and storm the archways, mobbing the attackers, trying to prevent them from entering the throne room!
24 palace guards double move to block the two entries the adventurers can enter the throne room by...
Wulfgar Ivarsson wrote: 'Now there is a woman who knows what she is doing.' Smiling Wulfgar bows back to the woman in black, "Thank you, that is very effective. Oh, and would you prefer to ride a horse or a camel?"
Turning to the Halfling, "It would be nice to have those guards uniforms as costumes, could you gather a couple of our companions to fetch them?"
He turns to the prisoners, "Strip! all of you!"
The guards quickly strip...
Mwikali wrote: Mwikali walks over towards the weapons and hands what she can to ths ladies in the harem. Looking at them she speaks. " Let these be the beginning spoils to our journey. For when we return we shall have more money and weapons in our hands. They shall fear us. We the deadly Nightshades of Africa. Come fo not be afraid for soon we will become strong and prosper" she tells them in arabic as she strips whatever weapons she can from the food and the prisoner. She hands them to the closest women and moves on past seeking to see if her own appearance can make this lowly guard turn on his master.
"If he does not, I can always bind him down and let my claws sink slowly into his flesh carving sigils in him. Letting spell after spell entwin him to my every whim, his soul bound to me and the masters I serve. That is if he does not wish to yeild his secrets" [dice=intimidate]1d20+7
The constable, stablehands, and wounded guard quake at the black witch's menacing words...
Please! Please, Dark Lady of Africa! Spare us! We will do whatever you ask of us! Just don't hex us or claw us with those devil claws! pleads a stablehand!
Wulfgar Ivarsson wrote: Looking around at the horses, tack and other equipment. Wulgar asks the man. "We were brought here by a contingency of twenty four cavalrymen, where are their barracks?"
How many animals?
The wounded and subdued constable answers in Arabic: Their barracks are within the palace...
The guard with an arrow in his chest also drops his scimitar and shield and falls on his knees, hands over his head!
Wulfgar Ivarsson wrote: Stepping aside as the dwarf bowling ball goes through the doors, Wulfgar quickly follows, seeing the guards, he illuminates his halo and snarls, "Drop your weapons and surrender and live. If not die"
if their evil add two
[dice=intimidate]1d20+8
In Arabic: Mercy! Mercy!! I surrender!! I surrender!! croaks the guard with his throat in the tiger's jaws, and he drops his scimitar and shield and clasps his hands in a pleading gesture..,
Guardian tiger wrote: FINALLY!! LIVE MEAT!! GRRAAAARRRRRRRR!!!
Shaka pounces upon one of the two guards, who shrieks as the tiger savages him with fangs and claws!
AIIIEEEE!!
Swiping intellectually with his scimitar, the guard with his throat in Obama's jaws pales as his blood gushes out!
On the other side are two terrified guards, pointing trembling scientists at the rebels...
The many sheikhs and guards watching the bloody spectacle laugh at Emir Al’Haaqs tired old jokes, because they fear what he would do if they did not...
They cheer in morbid bloodlust as they witness the torturous demise of the four doomed gladiators...
The guardsmen and sheikhs are nowhere near as canny and perceptive as the Emir and Boombada... Even if the greatest luck was on their side (natural 20), they could not hope to hear the rebellion happening through all that stone and earth...
As the adventurers free the last of the captive gladiators, a pair of guards appears on patrol... Badly outnumbered, they wisely turn back the way they came and run, calling out in Arabic: ALERT!! ALERT!! The prisoners have escaped!!
At around noon, a guard arrives at each character’s cell to serve a breakfast of toasted flatbread smeared with goat cheese, a slice of melon, and a kebab of roasted lamb, washed down with strong hot gaveh.
At an hour before midnight, guards bring a cart by each cell and ladle chowder with clams and oysters into each adventurer’s wooden bowl through the portcullis bars, and pass a loaf of unleavened bread through to each, as well as decanting watered wine into each captive’s verdigris-coated flagon...
Volreg Sundek wrote: He lets the men take his weapons and his chain shirt from under his tunic.
"Altin, what do they want from us. I don't like the way they are looking at us."
As the men help Volreg doff his chain shirt, they notice his lightning bruises, and nod to each other...
In Arabic: So this is the lightning warlock we’ve been told of... The one who can make thunderbolts to hurl at his enemies... Be careful, men... If he seems likely to start calling the winds and lightning against us, strike him down at once!
Altin Karela wrote: If someone decides they can't give up their stuff and decides to fight, Altin will of course join them. But failing that...
Altin doesn't resist the guards as they disarm him. He doesn't draw any attention to the knife in his boot, hoping they don't notice it.
Perception check to notice Altin’s boot knife, DC 20...1d1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 fails! Altin gets to keep his hidden knife.
Volreg Sundek wrote: [Dice=Sense Motive]d20
Well, this doesn't look good. I don't understand them, but their actions and laughter don't seem appealing. I could be wrong though. Raising his hands, Volreg makes no moves towards the men, but speaks, "I am helping the Little Lord, but am a simple farmer that was looking for a simple job."
Volreg can't be sure, but he thinks Lord Perpireen's warning that this is a trap might be more than fey paranoia...
Yes! Yes! Of course! Just come with us, and we will show you to your quarters...
The captain of the horsemen grins in a way that reminds Volreg of a hostile ape bearing its teeth...
Please, as a courtesy to our city’s security measures, may we carry your weapons and armor into the city for you?
As the five (Lord Perpireen has the advantage of being overlooked in spite of his potential) non-Arab adventurers matching the description Captain Barak and First Mate Toruko gave the guards of Marrakech just this afternoon approach the city gates, the horsemen ride their steeds out from their dubious hiding spots and encircle the party! There are twenty-four turban-and-studded-leather-clad riders, on twenty-four fast Arabian warhorses! They completely surround the adventurers...
In Arabic, the captain of the horsemen says: We’ve been expecting Your Fey Highness’ entourage! Welcome to Marrakech!
There is unfriendly laughter from the mounted guards...
In Arabic: We hope you encountered no difficulties during your travels? The Emir of Marrakech is planning to entertain you with the Arena of Death, the Blood Pit of Marrakech! It is a popular spectator event which happens nightly under the Kasbah! Do you like sport? We hope so! He heheheh!
There are altogether two dozen men and two dozen combat trained light horses arrayed behind the scanty cover provided by several large boulders and desert scrub brush, over an area some 400 feet long covering the western approach to Marrakech...
Stealth 1d20 ⇒ 2
A company of horsemen clad in studded leather armor, armed with scimitars, shortbows, and lances are doing a very poor job of hiding behind boulders and brush near the outer gates of Marrakech...
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