Sorry for being slow- I've been stupid busy. I plan to continue playing and will work on leveling up soon.
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Fort Realization sinking in, Thantos closes his eyes and takes several deep breaths, trying to clear the fog from his mind.
Initiative Picking up on Selena's lead, Thantos aids her bluff as he covertly conjures a magical light that emanates from the blade of the sword in Selena's grasp. It seems undeniably imbued with magic as the flames of light lick hungrily along the sword's sharp edge.
Loot roll for staff:
"I do not relish the idea of spending more time than necessary here, but it seems a rest might do all of us some good. I would be able to regain many abilities and possibly have time to study these magic scrolls. I would think whatever danger lies above will be no worse tomorrow as they are today." Thantos admits that his excitement over the idea of studying new spells influenced his opinion.
Thantos, although not practiced in trade and market dealings himself, has a detailed knowledge of the general worth of items from his extensive study of magic artifacts, history, and arcana. Once it's clear that the immediate threat is past he begins to survey the collected items. Appraise He is especially interested in Bernal's possessions, but Thantos cannot cast detect magic until he rests so he examines the ring and staff for any indication that they are evil or cursed objects. Knowledge arcana
"I agree Blackmaer's fate should be decided by Sarala."
Thantos has always loathed magic casters who use their craft for evil and he is unable to hide a sneer of disgust as he draws his dagger and plunges it into Bernal's side. Dagger attack vs Bernal:
With the adrenaline rush of battle making each moment seem to pass in slow but fluid motion, Thantos instantly starts another spell, this time targeting the queen's caster, Bernal.
With the tiniest pause to survey the situation Thantos begins chanting, his eyes wide in concentration.
Thantos fires an acid dart at one of the entangled zombies.
Seeing two of the zombies continue to lumber toward them out of the web causes Thantos' hands to shake and stomach to twist, the painful blows he received from them still too fresh in his mind. Unable to steady his hand enough to load a bolt into his crossbow, he throws it aside. Fortunately, though his body betrays him, his intense training allows his mind to remain clear and focused. He decides to watch the battle unfold and readies himself to assist any in the group that get in trouble.
Having had so much success in the past, Thantos again decides to use his web spell to hopefully ensnare or at least slow the approaching horde of zombies. This time he must use his magically bound ring which will limit his options later, but he believes it will be worth it. Thantos does his best to aim the webs to start a few feet in front of the nearest zombie and back toward the door to catch as many as he can. As soon as he is done murmuring the incantation he draws his crossbow and readies a bolt.
Thantos nods in agreement. "She must be stopped. There is no guarantee we can escape with our lives even if we run so I say we stay and fight her."
Thantos grunts in pain as the zombies thrash at his torso.
Thantos draws his dagger and attacks the approaching zombie while shouting through gritted teeth, "I DON'T. LIKE. ZOMBIES!"
With a sinking stomach, Thantos sees the zombies begin to lumber forward in his peripherals. He instantly wheels on his feet and casts a web to ensnare them.
Initiative:
Although he has only known Selena a short time, Thantos very quickly determines that this supposed betrayal is surely an act; Selena's actions over the past several weeks make no sense to him otherwise. But Lash's strong reaction convinces him that either he's wrong about Selena or that Lash hasn't caught on to Selena's intentions. Casting his gaze between each person in the chamber, trying to read their faces, Thantos can't be sure if Selena can be trusted and decides not to interfere either way at the moment.
Sense motive Selena's bluff:
With a slight shudder as he tears his gaze from the gruesome scene depicted on the door, Thantos replies. "Not at the moment, my friend. Perhaps...Selena?"
Thantos casts mage armor on himself
Thantos nods in silent agreement. Clearing his mind, he readies himself to cast a spell at whatever lies behind the door.
As recollection suddenly dawns on Thantos, his eyes widen with excitement. "This is an interesting staff indeed!" he says, briefly explaining to the group that staves such as this from the Goddess of the Sun have not been seen for some 200 years and that it may be worth a small fortune to the right buyer. Speaking fast as his excitement infects him he continues, "but most important of all, I believe if our need is great any one of us could use it to provide a small amount of healing by simply pressing it against an injury."
He hands the staff back to Selena and then suggests that the group at least try to find Sarala before continuing since their emancipation they owe largely to her.
Thantos tries to recall if he has seen the symbol in his studies. He closes his eyes and pictures himself in his quarters at his master's tower in Landfall, sitting in a stuffed chair, ornate and well-made but beginning to fray and show its age, a glowing fire at his feet and a glass of wine in hand. Thantos can see in his mind's eye the thousands of pages of Arcana he hungrily consumed for hours and hours every night.
Thantos looks intently at the staff. "Hmm, I did not hear her say anything about her belongings. We may as well take it with us either way."
Fearing more crossbow bolts will come zinging into the room, Thantos decides he has to try again to incapacitate the bowmen. Closing his eyes he begins to mutter as he conjures strands of sticky webbing to weave about the bandits. As the spell finishes he turns his head, looking for a lit torch or any way to start a fire.
Thantos chooses to target the center square of the room to his west.
Thantos takes advantage of the close proximity of the bandits to one another and casts a grease spell on the floor beneath them.
Thantos slides his ring onto his finger. Although he is still without armor, he feels much safer with the extra power the magical ring provides him. He shouts to the others, "Prepare well my friends! If the door is giving I'll cast a web across it. My armor won't help me much in this fight so be sure you have yours!" Though keeping an eye on the door and listening for a lock pick, Thantos has his hands free to assist Dirk or Mird with their straps and buckles.
Determining the risk of hitting Dirk or Lash too great for an acid dart attack, Thantos hunts in the chest for his robes and ring that he might cast his other spells.
Thantos dashes towards the trunk to assist in distributing the arms. Lash's khukri is the easiest to grab so he wastes no time in fetching it and then sliding it across the floor as near to her as possible. "Lash! Your weapon!" he shouts before turning back to the chest to look for Dirk's sword. Init:
Watching anxiously as Lash tries each of the keys in turn, Thantos' breath catches short as the loud scratch on the door sends a shiver down his spine that doesn't subside until the last echoes of the eerie noise die from the stone walls of the corridor. He then backs slowly away from the door and gestures to the others as if to say, "shall we take the long way then?"
With his face and hands covered in dirt and sweat after being thrown to the ground, Thantos breathes a sigh of relief as the ogre finally lay motionless on the cell floor. Shaking his head to clear the image from his mind's eye, he readies himself to finally, thankfully, leave the awful cell behind.
Thantos scrambles back to his feet. It seems Dirk, Lash, and Mird have the ogre problem well under control so he decides its best to stay out of their way and the brutality of unarmed combat is beginning to turn his stomach anyway. Thantos backs up several feet, but remains alert and ready to aid his comrades if needed.
Thantos tries desperately to maintain his grip as the ogre violently strains and thrashes in response to the painful attacks of Dirk and Lash.
Thantos quickly regains his footing and throws himself back into the fray.
Thantos runs after Dirk and grabs at the ogre's legs, attempting to hamper the ogre's leverage against Dirk.
Although the magical sleep was deep and restful, it left Thantos stiff, compounding the soreness of captivity and making his limbs feel heavy and weak. He paces to get his blood moving and think. After a few minutes he stops and asks Dirk, "Will our greater numbers and the benefit of surprise more than make up for being without weapon or armor?"
Thantos feels a pang of sympathy for Dirk almost before the warrior finishes speaking. Bowing his head as if to say "Do not worry, I understand," Thantos sits against the wall between the two cells and briefly watches Dirk progress through several stances before drifting back into deep thought.
Thantos studies the vial of thick black goo that Sarala brought them. "I believe I've seen a potion like this before while studying at the school in Kethlenica. I think, hmm...." He trails off, distracted by his own thoughts, opening the vial and carefully touching his finger to the black sludge, extracting a minuscule amount which he rubs between his finger as he brings it to his nose and then to the tip of his tongue.
As he feels the restorative effects of the potion radiate through his body, Thantos sighs in relief and uncorks a second vial.
His hands stiff and sore from immobility, Thantos clumsily tugs at stopper, frowning as it squeaks in the vial before finally giving way with a small pop. He immediately drains its contents down his throat.
DM: I am pro-violence. I agree that it adds to the immersion.
Thantos rolls over into the most comfortable position he can manage and tries to fall back asleep.
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