"Zounds! What are these ruffians about!"
"Beware! There may be another in the cabinet in the corner!"
Bran grunts and tries to roll to his feet. "Gah! It's an ambush, my friends!"
According to your rolls, Bran rolled a "10; shouldn't his actions be next to last?
Updated Initiative for Curator's Office
{23} Jonagher Witt{15} Leofrik Forthwind
{13} Creatures
{11} Torden Ironcask
{10} Bran Morigon
{6} Origen Leanthris
** spoiler omitted **
Bran lashes out at the feral creature, hoping to take its legs out from under it!
He then rolls to his feet and gets ready for more bloodshed.
Bran is knocked to the floor, but Torden holds his ground, as two feral men drop from the mists clinging to the ceiling. They are wearing tattered robes covered in ink and matted with blood.
"Look out!" Jonagher cries, moving forward to aid Bran and Torden.
With Bran on the ground, the half-elf lashes out at his attacker in the hopes of distracting him until his comrade regains his feet.
Origen tenses involuntarily, expecting attack, but not seeing any way to avoid it.
OOC:
In his hands he clutches a bone-handled kukri knife with a jade-carved blade.
"Someone is trapped in that cabinet in the corner!" Frik bellows, stepping up the creature threatening the dwarf . "Fear not!," he calls over his shoulder in the direction of the makeshift prison. "Help is forthcoming!"
Turning his attention back to what he's doing, he grins at the feral creature in front of him. "Hello, mate! Pleased to meet you!" The big man spins quickly, bringing down a brutal slash to the tattered man in front of him.
As the feral man drops from the ceiling, attempting to take Torden to the ground, he fails miserably. He takes a shoulder (Torden's) to the gut and lands in a sprawl on the ground at Torden's feet, the wind knocked out of him.
The feral man drops down on Bran, bearing him to the ground. Bran attempts to sweep its feet out from under it, but only fails as he is pushed off balance by the sudden weight of the creature.
With Bran on the ground, the half-elf lashes out at his attacker with the jade dagger in the hopes of distracting him until his comrade regains his feet.
Jonagher slashes out with the dagger, and opens a cut along the mans right forearm. The feral man growls in pain, but his mad eyes are focused on Bran.
"Someone is trapped in that cabinet in the corner!" Frik bellows, stepping up the creature threatening the dwarf. "Fear not!," he calls over his shoulder in the direction of the makeshift prison. "Help is forthcoming!"
The cabinet shudders, almost rocking as the hoarse shouting continues.
"Hello, mate! Pleased to meet you!" The big man spins quickly, bringing down a brutal slash to the tattered man in front of him.
Frik brings his mighty greatsword whistling down in a mighty chop onto the prone feral man. Blood gushes out of a newly opened wound across its midsection. The man coughs up blood, almost choking, as he is slammed back into the ground.
The feral man standing about Bran grunts like an ape, and brings his fists down onto Bran like a wild animal. All traces of civilization are seem lost in his mad eyes.
Creature #1's Attack:
In its wild swings and simian rage, the man-creature manages to completely miss Bran!
Looking up at Torden with rage in its eyes, the feral man slowly tries to stand, blood gushing from its wounds and mouth.
Creature #2 attempts to stand from a prone position.
EDIT: Forgot to add this: Current Combat Map as of Round 1, Initiative 13
Torden, taken by surprise by the sudden attack swings down with his hammer, slamming into the man prone in front of him.
"Stay down!" Frik bellows, swinging at the feral man as he attempts to stand, but his greatsword clangs into the museum office floor as his overzealous attack goes wide.
Torden, I am going to assume that attack is an AoO.
You still have a turn to take.
Cursing, Bran raises his shield and pushes himself to a crouched position.
Seeing the other combatant attempting to rise and threaten Torden, Jonagher spins in place and strikes an overhand blow at the man's head with his sap.
Jonagher spins in place and strikes an overhand blow at the man's head with his sap. The feral man's head snaps back as Jonagher's blow solidly connects, knocking the man back to the floor unconscious.
"Stay down!" Frik bellows, swinging at the feral man as he attempts to stand, his greatsword digs into the prone man mere moments after he is knocked unconscious.
Torden swings his hammer down onto the prone man. Its bones cracking loudly as it raggedly exhales. Blood begins to ooze out of him, into an ever expanding puddle.
The crazed man swipes out at Bran again, trying to batter him as he stands.
:
His rage makes him strong, but erratic, and he beats his chest while howling.
Torden, I am going to assume that attack is an AoO. You still have a turn to take.
Torden sees that the beast who attempted to take him down is out of the fight. He charges over it's body and past Bran, swining his warhammer at the other beast.
"A-ha, this is starting to be fun!!"
Torden charges past the unconscious and bleeding creature, and brings down his warhammer at the crazed man with a bone crushing blow.
Origen steps over the body of the fallen man and fires his crossbow at the raging maniac.
Crossbow Attack
Crossbow Damage
"Let's try not to kill them."
"Let's try not to kill them."
Cursing, Bran raises his shield and pushes himself to a crouched position,
Origen fires his crossbow at the raging maniac, who is now a raging maniac with a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest.
Origen's words don't actually make sense to Bran, seeing that he just drilled the man in the chest, still...Bran turns his sword in hand and swings at the man, slapping him in the side of the head with the flat of his blade.
Cursing, Bran raises his shield and pushes himself to a crouched position, turns his sword in hand and swings at the man, slapping him in the side of the head with the flat of his blade and instantly knocking him unconscious. [Attack succeeds!]
OOC question for you guys concerning RETCON's:
With their attackers down, Jonagher turns back to the locked cabinet and whomever seems to be trapped inside. He raps on it as well and shouts, "Calm down! You're safe! We can have you out of there, but tell us who you are?"
As he speaks, Jonagher examines the cabinet for any lock or barring mechanism he can disable, readying his lockpicks, if necessary.
Frik crouches over the dying feral man at his feet.
"I may be mad, but I'm not sure it's Cayden's will that you die this day. You may not be in your right mind, but I aim to find out," the cleric says over the creature's body.
Origen steps past the warrior and kneels down by the other fallen man. He clumsily tries to staunch the blood from around the bolt.
Heal
"Thanks, Bran. Maybe he'll have a chance at a cure for the madness. Let's tie him up."
When he's satisfied that the man isn't going to die or hurt anyone else, he turns his attention to Jonagher's unlocking of the cabinet.
"Uhh...hey...umm, fella? Whoever you are in there, is there any reason why the handle's broken on this thing? I'm not sure we'll be able to get you free unless we chop through the door. Do you see any way to open it from inside?"
"Uhh...hey...umm, fella? Whoever you are in there, is there any reason why the handle's broken on this thing? I'm not sure we'll be able to get you free unless we chop through the door. Do you see any way to open it from inside?"
1d20+5 = (18) + 5 = 23
Frik goes over to Jon's side, trying to help smooth over the situation. "We took care of the nasties out here, mate. We've come to get you out of this madhouse, but we can't help you if you won't come out of there. See if you can find a way to open it from your side, like my friend said."
Torden's chest again heaves as he leans against his warhammer.
"Gads," he sighs. "I didn't know I had this battle rage inside of me."
He kneels by the wounded man as his companions tend to poor soul's wounds.
He's not sure if the possessed man can hear him or understand him, but he speaks anyway. "Forgive me sir. You frightened me, and I got a bit carried away."
"Thanks, Bran. Maybe he'll have a chance at a cure for the madness. Let's tie him up."
"You tie him up," Bran grunts, stepping away from the dazed man. "He and his friend would have killed us all, if they could have. Like a rabid animal, the merciful thing to do would be to slit his throat and send him on to the afterlife. Let Lamashtu finally claim his soul."
Bran turns away and walks over to the locked cabinet. He takes a crowbar out of his pack and goes to work on the locks and chains.
If he is able to break the cabinet open, he quickly brandishes the crowbar as a weapon...until he can draw his sword.
"You tie him up," Bran grunts, stepping away from the dazed man. "He and his friend would have killed us all, if they could have. Like a rabid animal, the merciful thing to do would be to slit his throat and send him on to the afterlife. Let Lamashtu finally claim his soul."
With an effort, Origen maintains his composure. "We don't know enough about this madness to make that claim. These men didn't choose to become monsters. Unless they are worshippers of Anghazan, we should help them if possible."
Origen looks over at Jonagher and Frik's conversation with the cabinet, but decides that they're much better at wheedling than he is. He finishes binding the first man.
"Torden, could you help me with the other?" As he cuts off more lengths of rope, he looks back at the entrance to the office.
Perception
Torden moves to help tend to and tie up the other man.
He casts a doubting eyes toward Bran, uncertain of what to make of the man's anger.
Frik crouches over the dying feral man at his feet.
"I may be mad, but I'm not sure it's Cayden's will that you die this day. You may not be in your right mind, but I aim to find out," the cleric says over the creature's body.
Heal check: 25
Though the man's wounds are truely extensive, and you note that he is very near death, you manage to get his bleeding to stop and his breathing settles into a normal rythm.
Origen steps past the warrior and kneels down by the other fallen man. He clumsily tries to staunch the blood from around the bolt.
"Thanks, Bran. Maybe he'll have a chance at a cure for the madness. Let's tie him up."
Origen gets the bleeding stopped, and realizes that his bolt would have killed this man if he had not saved him. As the unconscious man's breathing rythm returns to something more normal, Origen turns his attention to Jonagher's unlocking of the cabinet.
"Uhh...hey...umm, fella? Whoever you are in there, is there any reason why the handle's broken on this thing? I'm not sure we'll be able to get you free unless we chop through the door. Do you see any way to open it from inside?"
Diplomacy check 23
As Bran moves towards the locked cabinet, crowbar in hand, Jonagher and Frik manage to get the hoarse screaming occupant to settle down. Between hoarse sobs, the male occupant says softly, "Are Yannis and Kadarnik gone?" You hear some rummaging around inside, "They killed Milgen...[sob]...ripped 'im to shreds they did...the got that vapor in them and just went mad!"
With an effort, Origen maintains his composure. "We don't know enough about this madness to make that claim. These men didn't choose to become monsters. Unless they are worshippers of Anghazan, we should help them if possible."
Origen looks over at Jonagher and Frik's conversation with the cabinet, but decides that they're much better at wheedling than he is. He finishes binding the first man.
"Torden, could you help me with the other?" As he cuts off more lengths of rope, he looks back at the entrance to the office.
Origen notices a shoe with the severed foot still in it, and a blood trail from near the middle of the office.
Torden moves to help tend to and tie up the other man. He casts a doubting eyes toward Bran, uncertain of what to make of the man's anger.
Working together, Origen and Torden get both of the unconscious men tied up.
As Bran sets his crowbar to pull the door open, you all hear a clank and the door swings open.
The door to the large steel cabinet swings open slowly, slighly creaking. The blubbery man crammed into the cabinet looks to be a scribe or office worker from his dress and appearance. His jowls quaver and shake with terror as he crawls out of the cabinet, recounting his tale, "Thank the Gods!" his breathing somewhat quick and shallow, "My name is Saldak and I am a scribe here for Nigel Aldain."
He trips getting out of the cabinet, and falls to the floor. Looking up around the mess of an office, he continues.
"It was early this morning...the officess suddenly flooded with a strange blue mist. Tendrils of the stuff poured down Kadarnik's and Yannis' throats moments before they went stark mad and beat Milden to a pulp."
He looks around, and notices his companions tied up on the floor. "Sweet Irori's fist! They attacked you too! Well, they got what they deserved as far as I am concerned...savages!"
He brushes the grime off his knees, and looks about the office again, as if trying to find something.
"Have you seen Nigel? Maldroog or Sheg? The last time I saw Nigel, he was taking stock of some of that shipment from Lugizar in the Storage Area. Maldroog and Sheg were the watchmen for the museum here."
He looks up at the mists near the ceiling, and shakes his fist at it.
"If I was a betting man, I would blame this whole horrific mess on those durned Tik Taan Idols! I smelled something wrong with those three hideous monkey-faced things as soon as Lugizar brought them out of his pack. I've a nose for trouble, I do! No one listens!"
He looks about, noticing the shoe behind the door. He whispes with tears in his eyes. "Poor Milgen. I knew him well."
He glances about, taking you all in, "I am getting out of here, but is there anything I can do for you? Answer any questions or some such?"
"If I was a betting man, I would blame this whole horrific mess on those durned Tik Taan Idols!
Origen mutters, "Demons for every type of animal, and it had to be apes. I suppose it's good to know what we're up against."
"Are Yannis and Kadarnik gone?" You hear some rummaging around inside, "They killed Milgen...[sob]...ripped 'im to shreds they did...the got that vapor in them and just went mad!"
"Subdued, actually," Jonagher explains, "I don't believe they were in their right mind at all. Our companions are stabilizing them even now so they won't perish as a result of their...uh, over-exertion in attacking us."
"Thank the Gods!" his breathing somewhat quick and shallow, "My name is Saldak and I am a scribe here for Nigel Aldain."
"It's nice to meet you, Saldak," the half-elf smoothly tries to keep the man's mind occupied with talking rather than focusing on the continuing ordeal he must have endured, "An old friend of Nigel's sent us to help him. Once word came that the museum had filled with this strange mist, we knew something was wrong."
He trips getting out of the cabinet, and falls to the floor.
"Easy there, I've got you..." Jonagher attempts to help the heavy man back to his feet, but winds up overburdened by the man's girth. With a half-smile at Frik, he waits for his priestly friend to help him stand.
"It was early this morning...the officess suddenly flooded with a strange blue mist. Tendrils of the stuff poured down Kadarnik's and Yannis' throats moments before they went stark mad and beat Milden to a pulp."
"Yes, we noticed the mist's properties as well," Jonagher interjects.
"Sweet Irori's fist! They attacked you too! Well, they got what they deserved as far as I am concerned...savages!"
"We kept them alive," Jonagher assures the scribe, "They're obviously under the influence of something malign and magical. Hopefully, once we get them out of this place, whatever spirit possesses them will leave."
"Have you seen Nigel? Maldroog or Sheg? The last time I saw Nigel, he was taking stock of some of that shipment from Lugizar in the Storage Area. Maldroog and Sheg were the watchmen for the museum here."
"I'm afraid we haven't met them yet. But we're certainly here to help extricate Nigel from this situation. I suppose we'd better be on our guard for Maldroog and Sheg as well. Hopefully, they haven't succumbed to this mist like your other friends here."
"If I was a betting man, I would blame this whole horrific mess on those durned Tik Taan Idols! I smelled something wrong with those three hideous monkey-faced things as soon as Lugizar brought them out of his pack. I've a nose for trouble, I do! No one listens!"
"I suspect you're right," Jonagher encourages him, "I know of these Tik Taan idols, as well. And there are legends about them causing chaos like this. That's why we need to get you out of here and find Nigel, before something worse happens."
He looks about, noticing the shoe behind the door. He whispes with tears in his eyes. "Poor Milgen. I knew him well."
"Yes, uh...well..." Jonagher finally seems at a loss for words on how to address the scribe's loss, "I'm afraid now's not the time to dwell on that. Let's get you to safety and you can explain what happened to those waiting outside. I imagine half the Absalom guard has come to investigate this mess by now."
"I am getting out of here, but is there anything I can do for you? Answer any questions or some such?"
"What more can you tell us about Nigel? Any chance he's been affected by the mist? And what about Maldroog and Sheg? What do they look like? What should we expect if we run into them? If they served as watchmen for the museum, I imagine they're capable in a fight. So if this mist has affected them in any way, what should we know about them?"
"Also," he adds, "Where did you last see these Tik Taan idols? If we can isolate them, maybe we can free everyone from this mist right away..."
Instantly suspicious by the blathering fat man, Bran watches him closely as he puts away his crowbar and retrieves his longsword.
Sense Motive:
As Jonagher calms Saldak, Origen glances at the door again. "Torden, would you mind keeping an eye on that, just for the moment? I hate having an open door at our backs."
Sounds as if Jonagher's winkling the right information out of Saldak. In the meantime, these unconscious men may tell me something else. He mutters a spell and carefully inspects the captives' magical aura, trying to find out anything that he can.
Spellcraft
Knowledge (Arcana)
Saldak looks up at Jonagher, "I don't even know about Nigel. He had found some piece of cloth with a bunch of Mwangi writing on it, and said he was going back. I started translating it, and then it all just went weird!" He looks about the room, focusing on one of the overturned desks as he talks. "Maldroog was a human, medium build I suppose, blond hair, brown eyes. Sheg? He was a half-orc. Green skin, bloodshot eyes, tusks. Not that hard to miss. If they got affected by the mists, I don't think anything that I know about them previously is going to help, but Sheg always seemed like he knew how to handle himself in a fight. As far as the idols go, Nigel said he was examing some of that stuff yet, and I suppose they would have been in the storage area where he was. The storage area is across the hallway."
Bran retreives his longsword, regarding the scribe with suspicion.
Torden nods, "Aye, I'll do that." He moves to just within the door and sets himself to defend the party.
As Origen examines the unconscious men, he notices a suprising lack of any magical aura, espcially considering that they had been exhaling this mist. Looking up at the ceiling, Origen notices the magical aura from the mists and can use that as a baseline. Looking about the room, Origen also notices a glob of 3 auras of magic surrounding some item on the top shelf of the steel cabinet, and another on one item behind an upturned desk.
The item on the top shelf of the steel cabinet, has 3 distinct aura's. There is a faint conjuration aura, faint necromancy, and faint abjuration. The aura signitures are consistent with magic scrolls.
The item behind the desk has a faint abjuration aura. The aura signitures is also consistent with a magic scroll.
"Hmm, if you can help me locate that Jambala Jaeg cloth, pehaps I could finish translating it quickly, and it might have some useful knowledge in it?" Saldak questions as he looks straight at Bran's longsword. "Listen, I don't want any trouble. I thank you for saving me, and I just want to make an attempt to repay your kindness, and then get as far away from this place as these two feet will carry me!"
As he looks over the men, Origen says, "Disappointing--no auras."
However, as he looks past the second man, he sees the glow by the upturned desk. "There's something magical over there. I'll check for anything else."
As the objects are retrieved, Origen continues looking around the room for more magical auras, relaying the information to his companions as he sees it.
For the Four Items
Spellcraft
Spellcraft
Spellcraft
Spellcraft
"I don't even know about Nigel. He had found some piece of cloth with a bunch of Mwangi writing on it, and said he was going back. I started translating it, and then it all just went weird!"
"I can imagine," Jonagher commiserates with the scribe.
"Maldroog was a human, medium build I suppose, blond hair, brown eyes. Sheg? He was a half-orc. Green skin, bloodshot eyes, tusks. Not that hard to miss. If they got affected by the mists, I don't think anything that I know about them previously is going to help, but Sheg always seemed like he knew how to handle himself in a fight. As far as the idols go, Nigel said he was examing some of that stuff yet, and I suppose they would have been in the storage area where he was. The storage area is across the hallway."
"That should certainly help us," Jonagher genuinely thanks the man, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "You've done well."
"Hmm, if you can help me locate that Jambala Jaeg cloth, pehaps I could finish translating it quickly, and it might have some useful knowledge in it?....Listen, I don't want any trouble. I thank you for saving me, and I just want to make an attempt to repay your kindness, and then get as far away from this place as these two feet will carry me!"
"We would be most appreciative if you translated it for us. There's no telling what such a clue might reveal," Jonagher responds, "And I must admit, I'm a bit curious about the Tik Taan and the Jambala Jaeg. Up until now, I only thought of them as a legendary myth recorded in the books I read as a child."
The half-elf catches Origen's eye since the spellcaster seems to already be searching the room for magical auras. "Let's have a look around and see if we can find a bit of cloth with some Mwangi-style writing on it," he suggests. For his own part, Jonagher aids in the search, as well.
Origen directs both Jonagher and Saldak as they search the scattered papers, cargo manifestoes and acquisition ledgers. Jonagher holds up a scrap of quite ancient cloth made from what feels like beaten bark. It is inscribed with strange writing.
"As yes," Saldak nods, "That is it. For verification, if you look at the tag, it should read: Jambala Jaeg Cloth, Catalogued with Three Tik Taan Idols, courtesy of Lugizar Trantos."
Not being able to read the twisted and twisting words of magic on the scrolls, Origen mumbles again, waves his hand while holding a small prism, and looks again.
Saldak sits down to continue the translation, "See here. Something about 'blue mists' and 'bad magic'. It says that...hmm...knocking someone unconscious will cure them for a...sun and a moon...oh...a day. Also something here about avoiding re-exposure after cured. Okay, hmm, seems weird though. We have some strange markings here and a verse of some sort. Quite possibly a song. Says here that this was developed to break the hold of the Tik Taan over any listeners."
At the mention of a song, Torden comes over and checks out the pages, "That is a rythm, to be played on drums or sung. Those are notes, and these are the words that go with it." He pokes a stubby finger into the scroll. "They had bards. Who used their music to protect their people."
"Ahh, yes, that makes sense." Saldak nods, jowls quavering, "It says here something about using the cloth here to do so and it protecting the people over and over, forever."
He looks up at the group, "Please take this scroll, and use it bring Nigel back to his senses if the mists have taken his wits, Maldroog and Sheg too if you have someone good with songs here."
Not being able to read the twisted and twisting words of magic on the scrolls, Origen mumbles again, waves his hand while holding a small prism, and looks again.
"These scrolls may be helpful."
While his companions are talking with the fat man and looking at scrolls, Bran steps into the room where the bloody shoe is lying on the floor; he has his shield and sword ready.
"These scrolls may be helpful."
"They should be best in your hands," Jonagher tells Origen, "But if you should become incapacitated or something, the dwarf and I can probably use them as well. Let's make sure Torden carries the Jambala Jaeg cloth, though. We may need to use it more than once..."