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" 'Ware needles!" Nicola yelps, skipping to avoid the prickly (though lovely) wave. She dances along the floor like a serving wench through a room full of drunken, groping patrons, dipping and hopping to avoid the wave of needles and join Varlis at the doorway. Her nose wrinkles at the sight of the blood-red floor. "Ugh. Looks like a whorehouse. Or the court in Egorian. Not that there's much difference, from what I hear tell," she chuckles wryly.
"Right. Right?" Nicola suggests, heading towards the right-hand door.
"Home? I just want to get out of here. I know Cayden has -- or had -- a thing for Calistria, but that many wasps give me the creeps," Nicola shivers, watching the ceiling carefully for movement, "Let's move on quickly, shall we?"
Nicola nimbly skips out of the roto-room and into the hallway behind her brother and the ranger, rapier at the ready. I'll save my protection for when it's needed, she thinks, though she does not argue with Varlis. Peering at the mural, she shivers. "Stupid illusions." She positions herself behind the ranger, matching his pace and watching carefully.
Nicola totters as the room shifts again. "Woah! Hey, a new room! Are we gonna go? Looks like we don't have a lot of time for conversation before the room moves again. Go or stay? I vote go. I like murals." Though her words are light, she cannot hide the tension in her voice.
"I don't know if we can pull that lever without triggering the spell. Maybe we should check out the door. Or we could try the other room's lever again."
Nicola makes a satisfied little "hmph!" as the room twirls and slides into place, giving Phillipe a 'so there' look. She hurries to move in close behind her brother as he departs the rotating room, giving Varlis' shield a tap to light it almost absently as she passes.
Nicola shakes her head solemnly at Varlis. "We don't know anyone is dead. Never give up hope... at least, not until the thing is proven. Who would have credited a drunken wastrel as having the stuff of godhood? Yet here's the evidence." Once the lever is pulled, she resumes her normal grip upon her rapier, holy symbol in her off-hand, pointedly brandishing Cayden's symbol at Varlis. "Have faith."
"Perhaps we need to pull the lever to move along." She examines the gap again. "Ah! Yes, I think so!" Nicola moves to the lever and gives it a good tug, switching it to the alternative position.
Nicola saunters forward to follow, but can't help hustling over the little gap. "That was... odd." She keeps an eye on the opening, "So, where from here? Can we avoid pulling the lever to move forward?"
"I suggest that either Varlis or Philippê go through first. If a shutter comes down, I'll pop into the room with whoever else is left behind. Let's go!"
"I can simply take us into the room via Cayden's grace, but then will be unable to do so for the rest of the day. We can bypass the ominous gap completely and not risk being separated... again."
"I have one more, for one weapon, Varlis," Nicola whispers back to the ranger loudly enough for her brother to hear, "And I can make us all practically demigods for a minute or two. But there's really not much more. We'll want to be all healed up before we find the mistress of this place, just in case."
Nicola gently touches Varlis' shoulder as the ranger searches the corpse, sending a wash of healing through the man like a draught of cold ale. "Are we ready to proceed... carefully," Nicola murmurs, "Maybe follow your missiles, Sir Varlis?"
Nicola examines Varlis' injuries. "Phil, get over here and help." As she leans near the ranger, she whispers, "Varlis, where did your arrows land? I can't see them." She prepares a healing spell for the injured man, listening carefully for any movement besides their own.
"Well shot, Sir Varlis!"
Nicola waffles, not wanting to box bowman Varlis in with the rakshasha. She rushes forward, stopping short of Varlis, and blesses her companions.
Nicola touches the ranger's shoulder as she withdraws to give him room.
Did you see that? Nicola whispers to Varlis, tapping the ranger on the shoulder, It's gone now, but something ahead was casting a shadow.
"Still hurt?" Nicola whispers to the ranger.
Nicola hands the wand back to her brother after poking him with it once. "Don't be such a baby. It's only a flesh wound." She gives him a wink and grin as they set off down the tunnel.
Nicola bows to Varlis. "Healing on tap, m'lord," she winks, pressing the little silver mug to her lips with a wave and murmur.
"Hmm. I feel better, but you still look a mite crispy, my friend," Nicola banters lightly, trying to keep Varlis' thoughts from his friends. She touches his arm, letting the healing power flow once again, "We must be in top condition before we continue."
"And I completely agree. Alive is good. I enjoy the aliveness." She restores the light spell on Varlis' shield as needed as they venture down the dark tunnel, giving her brother a quick hug as they set out.
"No more surprised than I, friend," murmurs Nicola to the severed head, "Had you kept faith, we would have, also." She joins her brother at the descended slab, pressing her ear against the rock and listening for any sounds. She pulls back slightly and taps the metal butt of her rapier on the stone three times, slowly and deliberately, then presses her ear against the stone once more to listen.
"Well struck, Sir Varlis. Have faith. Your friends may be safe behind this wall. It may be a device to separate, not to kill. I have not the power to dissolve stone. Our best bet is to press forward and hope to rejoin them in the descending cavern, methinks." She does not verbalize her further thoughts. It may be we who are in trouble, facing the rest alone.
Nicola's fist shoots straight into the air, holding her silver mug aloft as she shouts a string of unintelligible symbols. Holding her rapier in the other hand, she stands her ground and awaits the villain's arrival.
"Cayden bring you luck!" that god's servant cries, throwing blessings like tavern dice, then drawing her rapier. She jukes to the right of Varlis and her brother so a single bolt cannot catch them all again.
"That I will!" Nicola replies fiercely, "Cayden will aid us all this day!" She swiftly touches the party's pointy weapons as she prays.
"Treachery!"
"Cantrip!?" Nicola snorts. "None of that mumbo-jumbo for me. However, Cayden grants his faithful the light of his presence whenever they need it." She murmurs briefly, clutching the silver mug that connects her to the divine, then touches Varlis' buckler. "If you would lead the way, good sir, I would be grateful." She follows the ranger through the doorway, flinging "hurry up, slowcoach" back over her shoulder to her brother.
Nicola nods. "We need to know where he is and who defends him. If you help us recover the man alive and intact, we will certainly give you credit for the rescue with Lord Arkona."
Nicola nods agreement at her brother's question and remains silent, relieved that others are jumping in. Drinking and healing are more her style than negotiating, but she dreads another fight like the one in the temple.
"Lord Arkona mentioned Melyia and said she might refuse to turn over Neolandis. He told us to deal with her as we must, but mentioned nothing about any others. It may be that he is willing to forgive -- or at least talk -- if Melyia's supporters turn against her and help us recover the Seneschal." Nicola pauses a moment and ducks her head, thinking, but still watching the crocodile-headed man. "If you help us, we will be happy to report of your cooperation to Lord Arkona. Family matters are none of our business, but we will naturally tell Lord Arkona about everything that happened here. What comes of that is up to him... and you." She is careful to make no promises.
Nicola pauses to see if anybody speaks, then blunders on when the others remain silent.
"What of yourself, Sieur. Who are you and what do you do here in the depths?"
"Do you know where we might find Neolandis?"
"Who is Bahor?"
"We are here to bring out the Seneschal, Neolandis. He is needed in this city." Nicola answers honestly but minimally, still fidgeting with her holy symbol but leaving weapons sheathed.
Nicola manages a nervous grin at Varlis, still keeping her eyes on the crocodile man. "It's probably a good idea to clarify who the lord of this place is. Sieur Rakshasa here may have a different idea than we do."
Nicola stands fingering her holy symbol, preparing to gift Varlis' bow with righteous power, but holds off as the creature speaks. "Answer for answer. We are here because we were sent by the lord of this place. Now, who is Avidexu?" Her fingers dance nervously on the tiny mug, symbol of her patron.
Nicola sighs. "I can't make a blade holy again until I've rested. I'm far from helpless in battle or healing, but that particular prayer is gone. I can feel it."
Nicola beams at the gruff ranger. "Glad to be here to help. Don't get me wrong: aiding the ill is gratifying. But it's much more useful to get to the bottom of things and stop it at its source. Whatever we can do to help... well, it's worth it."
Nicola shakes her head. "Let's check the place out while we catch our breath. Maybe we will find some answers."
Nicola stands stunned for a moment, then moves to murmur over Heather, touching the mage lightly with healing power.
"Your pardon. I had not realized you were so badly wounded." She sends a wash of healing over the entire group, except for the apparently dead raksasha.
"I hope the rest of this garden is kinder."
Nicola hastily intones another prayer, touching Varlis as he moves to flank the creature, then tapping Emerion, Heather, her brother, and herself. "I pray this creature is evil!"
Protection from Evil: First, the subject gains a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saves. Both these bonuses apply against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures. Second, the subject immediately receives another saving throw (if one was allowed to begin with) against any spells or effects that possess or exercise mental control over the creature (including enchantment [charm] effects and enchantment [compulsion] effects, such as charm person, command, and dominate person. This saving throw is made with a +2 morale bonus, using the same DC as the original effect. If successful, such effects are suppressed for the duration of this spell. The effects resume when the duration of this spell expires. While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target. This spell does not expel a controlling life force (such as a ghost or spellcaster using magic jar), but it does prevent them from controlling the target. This second effect only functions against spells and effects created by evil creatures or objects, subject to GM discretion. Third, the spell prevents bodily contact by evil summoned creatures. This causes the natural weapon attacks of such creatures to fail and the creatures to recoil if such attacks require touching the warded creature. Summoned creatures that are not evil are immune to this effect. The protection against contact by summoned creatures ends if the warded creature makes an attack against or tries to force the barrier against the blocked creature. Spell resistance can allow a creature to overcome this protection and touch the warded creature.
Nicola maintains her divinely-enhanced defense and touches Emerion's shoulder, sending healing coursing through the swordsman's body. Some of his wounds knit as his vigor is restored.
Nicola lets the tangible power of Cayden lighten her being, hoping to be able to dodge any attacks the creature makes as she ducks away from it, dodging around to behind Emerion.
From behind her human shield, she murmurs a prayer and reaches out to touch his already magical rapier. "Cayden's blessing on this weapon; may it be used for good. Defend thyself and I shall heal you momentarily. All of you, gather near me if you would have Cayden's protection."
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