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Prashant steps back a moment as a weight is removed from the trapdoor in the ceiling, and stares at the open portal above. "Do we go in?", he whispers to Nesipho.
I'm heading out to GenCon starting early tomorrow, so I probably won't be posting much of anything until next Monday. See you then!
"Hold a moment," Prashant says, glancing up at the ceiling. "Trap door. Let's finish up here before we descend below." He gives the door a test prod with the butt of his spear before opening it.
"Wonderful," Prashant says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He stabs the snake thing again. Mechanics: Just realized I've been forgetting to apply the divine favor I'd cast approximately two years ago.
"Glad to have you rejoin us, Markis," Prashant says, stabbing at the serpent woman before him. "We need to end this before she figures a way around your curse!" Mechanics: As per usual:
"Well, let's bring her down, so we don't have to find out!", Prashant cries, stabbing at her again with his spear. Mechanics: Same as before!
"She's a tough warrior, no doubt about it," Prashant says to no one in particular, trying desperately to connect with his spear. Mechanics: Same as last round.
Prashant shakes his head as the snake-woman fights to the death, and stabs at her with his spear again. Mechanics: Same as last round, though with less mechanical errors, hopefully!
Once again, Prashant strikes at the serpentine woman, thrusting his spear at her midsection. Mechanics: Nothing fancy, just an attack. All of it's nonlethal.
"Markis!", Prashant calls out, and dives around the naga to end up near the fallen man, calling upon Irori to heal Markis' wounds. Mechanics: Acrobatics to get next to Markis, then cast cure critical wounds on him.
Seizing the initiative, Prashant leaps at the snake woman, thrusting his spear at her serpentine torso. Mechanics: 5' step into flank if possible, then attack! If no flank is available, then just subtract 2 off these attacks. All damage is nonlethal.
Prashant flips out of the way to let the tail crash into the table behind him. "Snake women," Prashant says, raising his spear. "That's never good." As her form begins to go hazy and indistinct, the warrior priest frowns. Rather than press the attack, he decides to focus upon his defense, drawing the creature's attention.
Sure thing.
"Thank you," Prashant says, bolting towards the the opposite door, throwing it open to confront the person beyond.
Prashant likewise assumes a martial stance, his speartip pointed at the leftmost of the two men. "We do not wish to fight," he says. "Surrender, and your lives may yet be spared."
Prashant steps in alongside Markis, without fear.
Not everyone else, as Markis soon realizes. He chants a prayer to Irori as well, and stands next to the man. "It seems we are the bait," he says, readying a spear. "Let's draw them out."
I'll take one of them for now. Feel free to take the other two.
"While I cannot, other priests of Irori can bless weapons. We can visit the temples and see if they can supply us with some scrolls. This creature's coin can start to pay for those."
Prashant stares at the rakshasa's still form, his face creased with grave concern. "This...this is very bad. If the Cult traffics with the rakshasa, then we need to watch ourselves. They are the blackest evil of my homeland. We may be fighting more of them. We need to prepare. I'm...I'm sorry I wasn't of more help in that fight. Only blessed weapons capable of piercing their hearts will strike true against them, and I can't make weapons holy, only punishing to those who step off of their Path."
Prashant raises his holy symbol into the air, and he begins to glow a soft blue. He closes his eyes, and a glowing blue duplicate of himself leaps forward and closes on the rakshasa. With a silent warcry, the psychic warrior launches into a flurry of blows on the demon. Mechanics: Cast spiritual weapon. There's a LOT of dice in the way of this one, but let's start with the important one. Assuming that makes it, here's the attack.
Prashant gasps as Markis puts a name to the beast before him, remembering the worst depravities the rakshasa are capable of. "I have a few tricks as well," he says, pulling his own spear. "Give me a moment."
"An idea so nice, it was thought thrice!", Prashant quips, praying to Irori to unravel the man's mystical protections. Mechanics: Casting dispel magic on Lankesh. Hopefully, we're not up against a 17th level caster.
"You've deceived us," Prashant says, gathering his holy symbol. "But this mistake will be your last." He raises his symbol of Irori above his head, and soft blue light bathes over the chamber, bending around the other Vudrani man. As it does, his allies' wounds begin to heal. Mechanics: Channeling, using True Healer to roll 4d5+4 for healing, which is mechanically equivalent to rerolling all 1s on a channel.
Prashant howls in pain as the electricity courses through him, and he spins to face the man. "So, that's why you were wanting to be rid of us so strongly!"
Prashant enters the house as well, giving the man a slight bow as he walks in.
"He brings a good point, sir," Prashant says at last. "We can settle this without involving the authorities. It would be easier for everyone."
"Is the man walking backwards?", Prashant asked. "Or are his feet on the wrong way?"
"Killing you wasn't his goal," Prashant says as he stows his wand. "Delivering this warning is. Don't worry, they'll try to kill us soon enough." He delivers this line deadpan, making it hard to know whether it was intentionally supposed to be funny or not.
"Well, at least we're getting to them," Prashant says as he clasps his healing wand in hand. "They wouldn't send an assassin after us if we weren't getting closer to them. I think the sooner we find that earring's twin, the sooner we can actually strike at the Cult." He lays the wand over Tania's wound, and a soft blue light warms her and urges her injury to heal.
Prashant stops pressing through the crowd as he notes the figure rise above the roofline and disappear into the sky. He watches Tania, knowing there's no way he can follow if she continues after the archer.
Prashant curses as he sees Tania and her tiger take to the sky, and continues pushing past people to follow her from the ground. You're making yourself a target, Tania! There could be more assassins waiting to fire!
Prashant can do little but watch as he sees the assassin dive off the building away from them. A flash of light, an audible pop, and suddenly he sees Tania and her tiger on the roof in front of them. He inhales sharply at seeing her up there. "No!", he cries, suddenly moving forward. "What's she doing? They could be drawing her into a trap!" Mechanics: Rush forward towards the building. I'll try to follow Tania from the ground.
"It's a fairly powerful intercession to ask of the gods," Prashant explains. "When I have done it in the past, I have lit some incense and meditated upon the problem, opening my third eye to see the possible futures. The Master of Masters has guided my path to reveal a course of action that, more often than not, has been useful to me. It's rarely an obvious course of action, of course. The gods prefer to present challenges to mortals. I would think that asking them where this earring's twin rests would be the best question to ask - from there, it is in the hands of the gods."
"Of course the Cult would have assassins," Prashant mused darkly. "This is what they do. But you're right, let's find us someone that can magic us up a lead." Mechanics: Not sure if we need to make a Diplomacy check to find that out, but here goes:
"Magic's our best bet to find our missing earring's twin, but I didn't memorize the rites for any divinations today. That's my fault, and I will learn this lesson well. Perhaps one of the priests can ask for the Teacher of Teacher's intercession on this in my stead."
Prashant's heart sinks as the woman sobs into Tania's shoulder. He lays a comforting hand upon the woman's back. "आप की जरूरत है समय ले लो. एक प्यार के लिए दु: ख में कोई शर्म नहीं है. हमारे सवालों का एक जादू के लिए इंतजार कर सकते हैं." Vudrani:
"Take the time you need. There is no shame in grieving for a loved one. Our questions can wait for a spell."
"Definitely. This lead is already two days cold - let us not let it become three. The longer we take, the further the Cult gets from us."
Prashant smiles at the man's suggestion. "मैं चल पथ तक मैं घर पर फोन द्वीप से मुझे लगता है जैसे मैं इस समय एक पति या पत्नी, दोस्त के लिए बाजार में नहीं आ रहा है. हालांकि, मुझे लगता है कि मैं निश्चित रूप से मन में अपनी सेवाओं को रखना होगा, बसने चाहिए." As Tania has brought up the subject of the murder, he allows her to continue to take point, merely nodding and interjecting when clarification is needed. "I agree, Tania. This might be the chink in the Cult's armor that we have been looking for." Vudrani: "I am not in the market for a spouse at this time, friend, as the path I walk takes me far from the island I call home. Though, should I settle down, I will definitely keep your services in mind." |