Yep, bullrush to the girls side.
Nouhves full attack.
Bite: for a possible crush damage. [primary]
Hoof1: for a possible crush damage. [secondary]
Hoof2: for a possible crush damage. [secondary]
"I'm betting whoever you were summoning had a name," Kelne growled, breaking his silence, "Spit it out." He wasn't at all sure they'd have time to reach this second location, but the attempt had to be made.
@Justahl: You charge forward, knocking back the paintbrush-wielding priest. He staggers back a few feet, the brush clattering to the floor. You are now right next to the girl on the table. Her eyes are closed, but you hear her whispering: "...the...shining man...! she said you'd come...the silver lady...said..."
The man Justahl knocked back begins an incantation, energies of some foul divinity dancing about his hands. He steps up and jabs at Justahl with his right index finger.
There is a flash of light from Justahl's person, and the necrotic energy the priest sought to strike the Aasimar with instead lashes out at him!
Meanwhile the other one, the one kneeling, points at Agon, divine power shimmering in its hand, and shouts "HALT!"
@Tanel: from behind you hear a terrified "Yipe!" as the shining knight's horse clobbers a gnoll with its hoof, then crushes its chest flat on the hard street.
Meanwhile, you step towards your last opponent, the big talker, and with a deft slice remove his sword-wielding arm. He falls back, panting in pain. Then as you raise your halberd to finish the job he looks up at you, defiantly at first, but then his eyes grow wide and he panics. "Wh...what are you?! What...no!" Your halberd brings a swift end to that line of questioning.
The insignia on the gnoll's armor still has you wondering, but you know that the closest thing Stormfare has to a ghetto is the Dogshank Alley neighborhood, where the city's tiny population of gnolls lives. They make their homes there because it's around a multitude of butcher shops and close to the pier. Gnolls are not popular in Stormfare, but they work for next to nothing -- indeed, they'll work for slurry -- and do the terrible tasks others don't want. So while the populace shuns them, business owners continue to defend their presence.
"I'm betting whoever you were summoning had a name," Kelne growled, breaking his silence, "Spit it out." He wasn't at all sure they'd have time to reach this second location, but the attempt had to be made.
1d20+7
"Yip! Her name won't mean anything to you, hu-man. She is Veriala, and your kind will only know her as MASTER!"
@Tanel: from behind you hear a terrified "Yipe!" as the shining knight's horse clobbers a gnoll with its hoof, then crushes its chest flat on the hard street.
Meanwhile, you step towards your last opponent, the big talker, and with a deft slice remove his sword-wielding arm. He falls back, panting in pain. Then as you raise your halberd to finish the job he looks up at you, defiantly at first, but then his eyes grow wide and he panics. "Wh...what are you?! What...no!" Your halberd brings a swift end to that line of questioning.
Agon abruptly steps to the side as the knight from before suddenly rushes to the girl's aid, a slightly bewildered look in his brown eyes. His look of confusion continues as he stares at the priest who just ordered him something. He feels a brief push of compelling force against his mind, but shakes it off with little difficulty. Rather than respond and waste words, he once again pulls three arrows from his quiver and lets them loose upon the would-be manipulator.
AoO: Longsword +1- for a possible slashing damage.
"...the...shining man...! she said you'd come...the silver lady...said..."
"I am only sorry I wasn't here earlier young one."
@Agon: *THUNK! THOK!* Two of your arrows impale the imperious cleric before you, spinning him around to fall dead beside the corpse of his master. His left arm spills the tray of blood, causing a shrieking noise to come out of the sky. The little girl lets out a hurt whimper at this sound.
@Justahl: As the robed figure reaches for you and his spell backfires, your sword gets buried into his chest. He falls back and yells in frustration, clearly very badly hurt. He has a panicked look as his eyes dart back and forth from you to Agon and back.
One of the new gnolls manages to land a hit on Tanel, gouging his shoulder, but Nouhves keeps them blustered at the door, unable to hit, and the Earth Elemental this time shrugs off both archers.
@Justahl:
Sir Justahl fixes the robed figure with a stern look.
"No more."
Longsword attack 1: for a possible points slashing damage.
Longsword attack 2: for a possible points slashing damage.
-------------------------------------------
Nouhves full attack.
Bite: for a possible crush damage. [primary]
Hoof1: for a possible crush damage. [secondary]
Hoof2: for a possible crush damage. [secondary]
'Ah! Dirty f-' The benneladi bites off his retort and takes a half step, then lunges forward at his attacker with great power behind the blow.
The earth elemental keeps up his assault.
@Justahl: The robed figure is no match for your swordsmanship, and his feeble attempt to dodge past you only makes his end that much quicker. In an instant, your sword lances through his stomach and out his back, and a second stroke beheads him, sending him dead to the cold wooden floor.
@Agon: from what you know of Lamashtu worshippers, you would be wise to ruin this makeshift altar, crude though it is; desecrate it as thoroughly as possible.
Both of you: the whooshing roar in the sky rises in pitch, then cuts off with a strange keening howl. The air around you suddenly feels less...stuffy, if that's possible in this city of constant rain and humidity.
From outside, you still hear the sounds of fighting.
@Tanel: From behind you comes the sound of Nouhves pummeling another gnoll, the three remaining unable to get around the great steed.
Your halberd finds its mark again, burying itself deep into the chest of one of your assailants. You note that, as it dies under your blade, one of the little grey flappy things that was hovering above your head shoots down over the gnoll's mouth -- barely more than a flicker of grey mist -- as it breathes its last, and then shoots back up above you.
You also hear a satisfying *WHUD* followed by a sharp "Yip!" from behind the hand cart as the earth elemental connects with the jaw of one of the archers.
There are screams from the upstairs of the house, thankfully none of them sounding as if they came from a small human girl, then there is a cracking sound above, and the immense whooshing noise in the sky rises in pitch and is suddenly cut off with a keening howl, and all the gnolls begin to whimper like curs, their voices high and nervous, their tails curling between their legs, and they suddenly look unsure. One of them utters a brief "...No!"
They attack again, but the fight has gone out of them. You're willing to bet a loud noise might scare them off at this point. In fact, they seem oddly...shrunken? Shriveled? All of a sudden. Something is definitely off.
The feeble attacks of the remaining gnolls are laughably off the mark. The archers, having been hit and injured by the earth elemental, pause briefly to take stock of the situation, then turn tail, scrambling away from combat, leaving their bows on the ground behind them.
@Justahl and @Agon:
@Kelne, @Jorzan, @Karthan: From in the library, you hear a distant crack from away to the south of the city. There is a far, high keening noise that cuts off abruptly, and suddenly the air changes. It is as if a weight has been lifted, or some terrible fume removed from the air. The students huddled by the door visibly relax and you hear stirrings in the administrative offices.
The gnoll at your feet begins to whimper loudly, annoyingly.
Tanel takes a step back and mutters a quick chant, red runes spinning around his wrists for a split second.
Suddenly the sound of two dozen men in boots is heard over the rain, marching towards the alley. The earth elemental fuses into the ground and moves underneath, unsettling cobbbles to reappear behind the gnoll assaulting Tanel.
'The gaurds are almost here. If you drop your weapons and surrender to me first, I can see you get a fair sentence and survive. Otherwise I don't think they take too well to armed gnolls kidnapping children int heir city. Choose now? Death or surrender!?'
Diplomacy:
If the upstairs scene is settled, Sir Justahl will wipe and sheath his sword and turn to the girl.
"Hello young one. Iomedae has sent me to do as you ask, and be your escort and protector."
Diplomacy:
"Yes, really..."
He puts his hand on her chest and Lays On Hands to heal points of damage and removing any Shaken or Diseased conditions.
---------------------------------------------------------
If any still wish to engage Nouhves...
Nouhves full attack.
Bite: for a possible crush damage. [primary]
Hoof1: for a possible crush damage. [secondary]
Hoof2: for a possible crush damage. [secondary]
"Well then," Kelne said, interpreting the lifting of the atmosphere as a helpful sign, "It doesn't look like I'll be calling anybody master today. I'll deal with you in a minute." Leaving the gnoll for the moment, he walked over to retrieve the mage's damaged spellbook, bundling the torn pages back between its covers before tucking it under an arm. There might well be something to be learned from it.
@Tanel: from behind you hear a sickening melon-under-a-wagon-wheel wet crushing noise as Nouhves' mighty hooves smash another gnoll's head into the ground and break the last one's shoulder. Of the original attack group, two fled, and now only two remain alive from those who stayed.
With a whimper and a sickening howl, the gnolls drop to their knees, pushing their weapons away from themselves and raising their hands above their heads in surrender.
"Well then," Kelne said, interpreting the lifting of the atmosphere as a helpful sign, "It doesn't look like I'll be calling anybody master today. I'll deal with you in a minute." Leaving the gnoll for the moment, he walked over to retrieve the mage's damaged spellbook, bundling the torn pages back between its covers before tucking it under an arm. There might well be something to be learned from it.
The gnoll sniffs the air, and seems somehow even more cowed. "no...they failed...those fools in the alley failed..."
Picking up the spellbook, you see there are many hastily scribbled notes and other marginalia amongst the actual arcane characters that make up the spells proper.
1d20+5
@Justahl: as your healing energies wash through her, sealing up her cuts and banishing her bruises, the little girl's eyes flutter and she falls into a deep sleep. Her breathing is regular.
@Justahl and @Agon: you hear Tanel's challenge to the gnolls, and then the sounds of fighting stop. Now there is just the rain.
All three of you:
As the girl sinks into sleep, Sir Justahl nods to himself and then suddenly turns to the other living person here; as if startled at your sudden appearance. He salutes [Agon].
"I apologize for not greeing you earlier; I am Sir Justahl of NeoWald, Shining Knight of Iomedae. And you sir?"
Tanel binds their hands with a strap of leather from his bag.
He then retreats to near the door staring warily at the warhorse. 'Good pony...' he mutters, staying well clear of its legs he roars up the hallway in DWARVEN.
'I hope you gents speak hilltongue, I've got two two survivors wrapped up down here. If your in trouble whistle! If your not get the girl and get down here.'
@Tanel and @Justahl: You can both hear the man you earlier left fighting in the street yelling to you from outside in a language neither of you understands.
Karthan nods as the other man binds the books. "Karthan Zhosk." He indicates himself. "Jorzan I've seen flitting about - and yes, I think today I owe you another coffee."
"I am glad that we were able to disrupt their actions, though I suspect I let one get away." He looks nonplussed. "If the scholars at the library cannot answer questions from that book, I am willing to attempt it, though dry, dusty books have never been my preferred method of solving...problems."
As Karthan stands next to you, he is a noticeable and palpable source of warmth. And while he's no longer dressed in Warbanian armor with a surcoat that matches unfortunate wallpaper choices, he is dressed in loose fitting maroon pants, a bloused red silk shirt and a gold vest, which is certainly...eyecatching. It does work with his skin color, however.
And the handful of female students seem to be paying him a great deal of attention.
'Dammit. Dead already! Typically hero types, runnign off and getting themselves killed.'
Tanel turns, and throw the gnolls weaponry into the hall then looks Nouhves straight in the eyes.
'I know you understand me horse. If they try and run, knock them down.' Tanel turns to run into the house.
'Also,' he adds 'don't kick me in the head.'
He takes a deep breath, readies his halberd, and wishes he had had a chance to put on some armor. At least he's sure they killed someone, it's all queit up the hall now. And the chanting is over. One way or another.
And then with a burst of action from his magically strengthened muscles he races down the hall and up the stairway, leaping in the door with a piercing warcry halberd swinging wildly!!!
'Oh...'
"Kelne Narikos," Kelne introduced himself, "And I certainly appreciate the timely intervention. I think going through the book can wait until we've checked out the other site. The more information we can gather the better." Kelne was distinctly disinclined to let the matter rest with having thwarted just this one event.
He takes a deep breath, readies his halberd, and wishes he had had a chance to put on some armor. At least he's sure they killed someone, it's all queit up the hall now. And the chanting is over. One way or another.And then with a burst of action from his magically strengthened muscles he races down the hall and up the stairway, leaping in the door with a piercing warcry halberd swinging wildly!!!
'Oh...'
K (local):
K (local-Stormfare):
While the others have been talking Jorzan stays part of the conversation but his Rogue instincts lead him to begin searching the corpses for both information and loot, begining of course with the dead summoner.
Perception: (taking 20, +12)
He speaks as he works "Something of dire signifigance was going on here. These were servants of Lamashtu and it seems almost as if they were trying to summon...Her." shaking his head at the improbability of it he continues "And from the sounds outside and the words of this cur, it seems this happening was not limited to this local."
"I say we leave this wretch with Diallo and head towards the pier with all haste. There's no telling how many of his enhanced kind are involved or attacking the city and we should make sure whatever caused that second funnel is stopped as well."
@Jorzan:
Looting the bodies doesn't yield much, just some petty cash. 12gp. However! The mage's body has an interesting ring on it, and a very crude map of Stormfare. There is an X marked on the library and an X on an intersection in the Market District, not far from the pier.
You know that the closest thing Stormfare has to a ghetto is the Dogshank Alley neighborhood, where the city's tiny population of gnolls lives. They make their homes there because it's around a multitude of butcher shops and close to the pier.
Out of unconscious habit pocketing the cash as he finds it(Sleigt of Hand:) Jorzan stands up and says "Here we go, a map! This looks to be exactly where we need to be. Let's go!"
He also takes a moment to take a closer look at the ring
Appraise:
which seems a fake to him, so he passes it to Karthan saying "Found this on the mage, you make anything of it? Looks like useless trash to me, I'm sure it's a fake"
Once Tanel bursts into the room, Agon briefly turns around to give him a nod. "You survived," his baritone booms, "good. We need to make certain this shrine doesn't cause anymore harm. If we destroy it and cleanse the area with salt water it should be fine."
The actually important business stated, the giant monk turns towards the Paladin. "My name is Agon," he states as he puts his bow away once again. "I'll go get some water if you two take care of the shrine and the girl. I run fast."
Sir Justahl nods, quickly bundles the girl in his cloak (trying not to wake her) and carrys her downstairs and out into the alley.
Looking at the scene, he complements Nouves and pats him.
"Excellent work! They didn't hurt you did they?"
There he stands, wondering where he should take her. The barracks seems wrong somehow, and he had no clothing suitable for a girl. He needed advice, but who could he go to?
Tanel hides his embarrasment behind the brusque business of descrating an unholy shrine. He follows Justahl downstairs as Agon sets off running.
'My name is Tanel. If you keep an eye on the girl and the Gnoll I'll go up stairs and well... wreck up the place.'
'First though, are you or the girl injured? I have some measure of healing magics.'
"We should get a move on, then. I know where that intersection is."
Karthan casts Detect Magic on the ring.
Spellcraft to identify it if needed.
Knowledge (arcana) if needed.
"We should get a move on, then. I know where that intersection is."
Karthan casts Detect Magic on the ring.
1d20+9 Spellcraft to identify it if needed.
1d20+9 Knowledge (arcana) if needed.
Linguistics:
As they move out Jorzan naturally clings to the shadows, easily pacing the others as he does so.
Stealth:
Linguistics:1d20+8
As they move out Jorzan naturally clings to the shadows, easily pacing the others as he does so.
Stealth:1d20+14
@Karthan and @Jorzan:
The inscription reads: "She Awaits You In The Cold Steppes"
@Jorzan, @Karthan, @Kelne:
Diallo approaches the three of you, only two of whom he can see. Karthan he greets by name, and then shushes away the co-eds standing around him. "Some of the administrators are coming out of whatever enchantment we seem to have been under, and you do not wish to be here when that happens, and they see the shambles the main room has become -- Karthan can back me up on this. I will take this prisoner to the guard station here on campus, come there whenever you wish to interrogate him further."
As you leave through the blasted front doors, you note the rain has slowed a bit, but there is a bitter wind coming from the east. As you make your way across the city, only occasionally glimpsing Jorzan's shadowy form as he flicks from pool of dark to pool of dark, people are everywhere coming out of houses, stores, offices, coffeeshops, blearily rubbing their eyes and looking around in confusion, as if they are unsure of where -- or when -- they are.
@Kelne:
[To Tenel and Agon]
"How came you to be here as well? Were you... directed by Iomedae as well?" Sir Justahl asked curiously.
Kelne gave the pair of soldiers a sharp glance, slowing slightly in his walk before picking up the pace again. Stormfare was a big city, and it wasn't beyond the realm that he might see such a pair here. But in the wake of the gnolls' attack, could he afford to write it off as coincidence?
Kelne resolved to do come back later and do a little quiet digging. For now, he remained focused on their objective.
[To Tenel and Agon]
"How came you to be here as well? Were you... directed by Iomedae as well?" Sir Justahl asked curiously.
'Maybe. I met Agon by 'happenstance' here in the alley. I'm less of an aligned force, shall we say. My direction was likely less literal than yours.'
Tanel hurries upstairs, thoroughly dismantles and destroys the shrine and returns to Justahl shaking bile and other disgusting fluid from his boots.
He smiles at the paladin. 'That's that, now for Agon to fetch some salt water. What tongues do you speak knight?'
Puzzled, Sir Justahl replies; "Tongues? Well, I speak Common, Celestial, Draconic and Elven. Why do you ask?"
Tanel begins to hiss and rattle, making strange reptilian sounds awkwardly with his mammalian mouth.
DRACONIC: 'I need to be able to talk to you so that our two gnoll prisoners won't hear. I faked the sound of gaurds approaching to have then surrender. But they've probably guessed that was a lie by now.'