"...An honour to meet You heroes, and to find You in such distinguished company.
For, there he is; The Lord Minister, Hior Celadrendir...."
As Arion rambled on, Sareth and his other guests stood quietly by, respectfully waiting for the loquacious courtier to conclude his saccharine monologue. Only the Master Chief, Malinda, belied any annoyance, eyebrows raised as if she was being lectured on protocol by a 2nd lieutenant fresh out of officer's training.
When he finally stopped talking, she merely raised a glass and said, "Cheers," before draining it completely. Nodding to the Commodore, she said, "If you'll excuse me, I need to power my nose. Good to make your acquaintance again, Lady Ourson."
With a nod from the Commodore, she walked off quickly, although one more familiar with the establishment might have noticed that she walked clear past the privies.
Rolls:
Sense Motive DC 19 G 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (5) + 17 = 22 H 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (18) + 14 = 32 M 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22 S 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (5) + 16 = 21
Further down the table, the two figures there needed no introduction, for although when you had first encountered them she was clad in armor, and he had his throat ripped out, there was no mistaking the blonde half-elf in her blue evening gown for Arrowhead's Master Chief, and the officious-looking older elf by her side as Commodore Gaeros.
Gaze intense, the tall, athletic blonde nodded respectfully and interceded before Sareth could speak. "We've met, actually, even if it was under the banner of war. Arrowhead owes you its thanks, Lady Ourson, Ms. Nevah."
There was no way anything other than elvish steel was going to put down the bastard who had murdered her commanding officer...
"Glo-ri-a In Un-um Di-em!"
...her lover.
Blade and axe, the powerful blows of elven and dwarven steel sent a network of deepening fractures through the golems, chunks of stone falling like rain with each attack. With a scream of pure hatred, the golems practically teetering overhead, she put everything she had into a single swing and struck!
Amhranai was only a few steps behind Master Chief Ardagnir's charge when Alis swept O'beilumanji's legs. She could just make out the grunt of satisfaction from Malinda.
"A MAD BEAST DOESN'T GET A TRIAL," she aimed a blow to his neck, "IT GETS PUT DOWN!"
While the furious woman's blow might have shorn the head from a lesser man, the huge man-beast instead weathered the attack, a small trickle of blood matting his dark fur.
"Excuse my lack of magical know how," Malinda interjected, shifting uncomfortably at Darvesch's query, "but shouldn't that be the Princess? Or is talking part of what a charm is?"
Malinda took an uneasy breath and nodded, leading the way.
Sense Motive DC 15 (Alis, Amh, Darv, Sasha):
You get the feeling that she's rather apprehensive about checking on the Commodore.
Sense Motive DC 20 (Alis, Amh, Darv):
You get the feeling that it's more than just dread about what might have befallen her commanding officer.
Above, the broad, spiral stairs opened onto a large library occupying half the floor, the bookshelves lined with 100s of volumes. Four stained glass windows depicted the ice-capped mountains and freezing seas surrounding Mennen Fedleth, while a pair of magically lit fireplaces suggested that one was in Ilmarond's cooler clime. High above, the massive iron beams supporting the parapets were visible, their surfaces engraved with patterns of elven knotwork.
By the western hearth, 3 over-stuffed leather chairs were arrayed about a low table on which a few books were stacked. Near the eastern, was a standing desk with an angled top flanked by tall stools. No doubt it was intended for the scribing of tomes.
Set into the wall on either side of the upper landing were doors, one of which was still open. Motioning to the open door at right, Malinda whispered, "This way. The left door comes out at the other stairwell."
Yet even as you stepped up to the door, you could see the Master Chief's shoulders slump and a long sigh escape her before she pounded the doorframe with her armored fist. "Dammit, no..."
There, lying in the blood-soaked sheets of a huge four-poster canopy bed was Commodore Gaeros' body. A set of bloody bootprints leading away to an open armoire on the south wall.
Rolls:
Sense Motive Checks: A 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (1) + 23 = 24 M 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28 D 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (11) + 18 = 29 I 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12 L 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
"Well... if you're that worried about disabling the trebuchet, it can't fire a thing if the sling or the cables connected to it are cut. That would be a simple repair at least."
Remembering what Lady Ourson said, Malinda comments, "As for the Commodore, if we've got time then it can't hurt but... seeing as how that rod and amulet were in his possession I'm not optimistic."
"Uhhm..." The Master Chief removed her helmet to scratch an itch as she pondered the dwarf's questions. "Not sure about any of that, but you do know we're talking about state property, right?"
Malinda nodded and began to explain. "That central stairwell only leads to the Commodore's quarters and the library (8th). It this western stairwell that we'll have to take. One floor up it lets out onto the upper battlements (8th), but it continues up even further finally ending on the parapets (9th). That's where the trebuchet is."
"Now the trebuchet is animated so it can reload and pivot on its own. Basically, an engineer controls it by pointing at the target with a magic rod and issuing verbal commands. There are also two golems up there — stone, like the one downstairs, but smaller... maybe only 10 feet tall. They're used to reload the trebuchet and defend against airborne attackers landing. Each one is armed with a lance long enough to strike invaders on the 8th-floor battlements below."
"These necklaces the Princess and I wear defend against the citadel's normal defenses, but I'm not sure if they'll work on the golems. Reason being is the one up top are keyed to a specific amulet made to control them. We've never had an incident like this before, so for all I know it might be able to override our protections."
"At any rate," she nodded towards Lady Ourson, "if you've got wings, you might want to use them. I don't know how this O'beilumanji character fights, but if you can keep your distance, the golems won't be a problem."
"Curious as I am about what's happened to Commodore Gaeros," Malinda motioned towards the western hallway with her thumb, "we should probably get to the parapets now, your Highness."
The Master Chief nodded in thanks at Amhranai's administrations. "So can you disable it or not? As far as I knew, only Glorohir and the Commodore had access to adjust the Arrowhead's wards."
Even as Ieana smiled at Amhranai's, Malinda frowned at the eclectic group of beings beings before her. "Yeah, Bälezu is too popular with most soldiers either."
Looking to the cleric she asked, "You have any spells left? I didn't get it as bad as you or the dwarf, but after a few hundred steps I'm starting to feel it."
*Ahem* The sound of the Master Chief clearing her throat got your attention.
"With all due respect, Highness, Major. I don't know much about the arcane arts, but if that... thing could get called away then couldn't she get sent back here? My opinion is that we should tend to our injured first so we can get back to fighting form, and leave the academics of matter until later."
Malinda rushed into the lab with blade at the ready and Amhranai not far behind her.
Elvish:
"The Marshal's a goner if we don't help him. See what you can do about it, medic."
With a shout, she ran up behind the last shadow, magic blade tearing thru it yet again. Its form wavered, but still it was not dispersed.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something amiss, something that didn't belong in this citadel where she had served for so long. On her follow-thru, she pointed her blade towards the octagonal room at the center of the tower, and shouted, "What in the hell is THAT?!"
In silent, determined fury... with the pride of all dwarves everywhere at stake... Darvesch lowered his shoulder, depressed the door handle, and lunged with everything he had. This time, the door flew open sending a pair of zombies staggering back into the magical laboratory that lay before him.
The light of the morning sun filtered thru four large, glass-paned windows, revealing a large forge and bellow that dominated the south wall. There, in front of the forge's eldritch flames, guarded by tables full of alchemical and arcane reagents with zombies standing between them, was O'beilumanji's witch.
From behind him, Darvesch could hear the Master Chief. "Well I'll be damned, he finally did it!"
At the sound of spellcasting, Malinda wheeled about and uttered a curse beneath her breath. "Are you mad? Get back!"
However, her warning came too late, already having tasted the pain from the cleric's holy power, the shade seemed intent upon finishing off the one that had brought the cursed light to bear against it. Striking in the blink of an eye, the fell creature plunged its hand deep within Amhranai's chest, siphoning the life and strength from her very core. Even as the cleric's life flashed before her eyes, a frenzied shout and the sound of air rent by a blade returned her to the present whereupon she could see the shade retreating before the Master Chief's onslaught.
"Getting tired of ghosts and witchery," she grumbled.
"You alive, woman? Say something! Dwarf, get moving, NOW!" As the monster melded back into the wall behind it, the stronger woman put her shield arm around the cleric to help support her. "Don't go getting yourself killed, medic. Your job is to keep the rest of us alive, now heal up!"
Behind her, there was a racket as the zombie got back to its feet and lunged at the warrior, clawing ineffectually at her armor. With a growl, she swung at it one-handed and sent its head flying. "Rest in piece, soldier..."
With that, she began helping Amhranai across the floor, very nearly carrying her she was so weak.
Malinda stared incredulously as the dwarf once again hurled himself at the door in vain. "Damn, did the b1tch barricade it?"
Looking to the door beside her, the Master Chief turned the handle and rammed it as hard as she could, flinging the door to the store-room wide-open and sending a lone zombie hurtling into a stack of crates. As she regained her balance, she turned and shouted, "COME ON, we'll circle around!"
The whoosh of steel followed by a loud, "Dammit!" alerted Darvesch and Amhranai to the fact that Malinda had just intercepted the assault of another shadow, though not without cost to herself.
As it escaped thru the north wall, she growled, "If you can't open it, HACK IT DOWN!"
Amhranai grasped the handle and gave it a turn, but when she pushed, the door budged only slightly and was forced shut again accompanied by multiple angry groans. It wasn't locked, but something was holding it shut.
Behind her, Amhranai heard Malinda growl of frustration. "See if you two can get it open, I'll cover you."
Malinda readies an attack to strike at any enemies that appear.
Finally seeing an enemy to attack, Lureene's elemental moved forward, shuffling in front of Alis on its way to swat at the creature that no doubt intended to threaten its summoner. However, its dutiful courage was stymied by the fact that its strong blows passed clear thru the odd enemy as if it wasn't there. If the small elemental could have sighed in frustration, it would have.
Meanwhile, although Lureene herself remained invisible, four facsimiles of her appeared, clustered around where she was standing, each one slipping a slender wand into its hand.
Not too far away, Amhranai moved up and unleashed a wave of purifying energy. The shade before them cringed, but resisted the worst of the attack. Even so, much of its substance had already been weakened. Hissing in anger, it attempted to draw back into the wall behind it, but the Master Chief had other plans.
"LIKE HELL!"
With a shout, the wrathful half-elf lunged forward, and swung so hard that her blade raised a shower of sparks as it obliterated the shade and scored the wall!
Not even bothering to look at the elf behind her, she growled, "Yeah, let's get out of this damned hallway. We're fighting blind!"
"Damn dirty Zucks and their filthy witchcraft," Malinda growled, "Let's see if four-feet of Celebannossteel fazes them!"
Like a flash, the Master Chief whisked forward to swing a single, terrific blow at the shadow as if she hoped to banish it in a single stroke. Ice crystals hung in the air as her mithril blade tore thru the shadow transforming the shade's rasping laughter into a keening wail of agony!
Although neither Amhranai nor Darvesch could see her leering mien, it was evident in her voice. "So elvish steel can hurt you!"
Even though the stairs continued to ascend, daylight filtering down from somewhere above, Malinda brusquely motioned for Darvesch and Amhranai to follow her thru an open door off the next landing up. Without hesitation, she began leading them down a long hallway, at the end of which closed doors opposed one another, one in the north wall, one in the south.
In a whisper that sounded more like a growl than anything else, she unsheathed her sword and said, "Left are some store rooms, but if it's the lab we want, that's on the right. You two ready?"
Malinda snapped off a salute before donning a winged helmet. "Roger that. We'll rendezvous shortly."
With that, she snagged a belt affixed with numerous pouches from the back of her door and was off. The two heavily armored warriors were at the fore with, the tattooed priestess gliding along behind them.
The Master Chief licked her teeth and nodded intently before slipping on a necklace similar to the one the Princess wore. "Well, the exit from that stair on the top end is plain as day, but so's the exit from the other one. If that necklace your Highness wears is what's protecting you, then mine should do the same. We can either split up and take both stairs or pack-in like ducks in a row on a single stairwell. It's up to you."
Furrows creased Malinda's brow, eyes casting about for the unseen wizardess. "Well, there are two ways up, your Highness. There's the hidden stair you came thru, and then the main one to the west of here. Was there any resistance on the way you came up?"
"Do I?" The warrior woman gave a low whistle and ran her fingers thru her hair. "Well, I'm no mage, but you were on the right track. The seventh is definitely the place, but..."
She pauses and looks about, "...unless you or one of your guards is a mage, I don't know how you'll disable the wards. Lord Glorohir himself created them..."
Malinda listens to the strange elf's words but shruged her shoulders at his name.
"No clue who this 'O'beilumanji' is," she quickly crossed the room to her arms, "but he's about to wish he'd never been born."
She strapped on her buckler and looked at Amhranai with murder in her eyes. "Nobody uses my men for target practice–" her blade rang like a bell against her buckler, "–and lives..."
"Blood and damnation," the woman swore beneath her breath. "Your Highness, I'll see that those who were asleep on watch answer for this. First though, how bad is the situation that has a Princess and the city guard sneaking in thru my back door?"
"Unngh...what the–" The woman gave a start at the sound of strangers in her bedroom, but Alis' gentle grip upon her hands prevented the Master Chief from making any sudden moves. "Who are– wait... Hlokenar? Governor?"
