Chapter 6 : Lair of Dreams : Part 7

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Narrator GM
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In reply to Julia Graymantle

The woman’s face shows conflicting emotions flashing from rage at the threat to appreciation for Julia offering the money and assistance.

“I don’t appreciate you threatening me in my own place… While I do appreciate your generous offer, as I said, I have no guarantees you’ll be alive next month with the danger you face. And what then if I give up this valuable asset? If you disappear tomorrow, we get no gold to help these people, and the only boon we’ve seen lately – this knife – would also be gone? Do you understand my dilemma? If it is me you are concerned with, and my health, rest assured I’m able to heal my own inflicted wounds, and scars are a small price to pay for helping starving and desperate people. But, if it bothers you this much then I will make you a promise.. I will not use the knife so long as you bless st Laphests every month as you’ve said. Is that a fair compromise?”

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Julia Graymantle
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Julia slid her hand back knowing she wasn’t going to get the blade from the desperate sister.  “I can live with that, for now.”  It was all that Julia said before standing and then leaving the small room once more.

Julia went into the chapel to find anyone that was in need of healing.  She would apply the healing to as many people as she could before returning to the Ghostly Minstrel in the evening.

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Bharash
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“I’m not wandering around town with a shield strapped to my back, people will think I’m an adventurer or something.” Bharash states amenably, giving the older dwarf a grin before adding “And don’t be daft. Boys a friend of mine too. Look, here are some folk I’d like you to try and get in touch with and here’s where I usually see them. I’ll go and scout out the place, and in half an hour or so I’ll knock on the door.”

With that, he heads for the door, pulling a hat out from his back pocket and calling over his shoulder “Tell them to look for the Troglodyte!”, his appearance shifting into one of the reprehensible reptile-men (sans scent) in cheap gutter-leathers as he dons the thing.

—

Bharash will ask for them to send word to any party member he thinks can be contacted. If not, he’ll be kicking the door down on his own. ^_^

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Narrator GM
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Vogh and Talin were eating supper in the Welcome Inn. A trio of halflings were playing some rousing music that filled the common room with relaxing energy. A family of humans was nearby and their children were playing around the table. They were noisy, but seeing such innocent joy put smiles on nearby diners faces rather than annoyance.

An elder dwarf who looked like he hadn’t slept in months walked in and immediately began looking around. With a large number of people in the Minstrel, it took the dwarf several moments to finally spot the bards. He came over and introduced himself, then explained the situation.

“Hello. Vogh and Talin, right? We’ve never met but I recognize your armor from our shop. My name is Hirus Feek and my brother and I own the Bull and Bear where Iltumar works. I fear he’s in some trouble. We had a friend, lavis, check up on him but she disappeared too. I just ran into your friend Bharash and he left immediately to investigate the only clue we have to go on. Iltumar’s jacket was said to he in a warehouse by a school in Oldtown. He just left my shop only moments ago, so you might be able to catch him. Oh! And he said to look for a troglodyte. Whatever that means. We’re happy to pay you. We just want to make sure the boy is alright.”

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Vogh
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Vogh and Talin had stopped in the Welcome Inn to grab a bite to eat and possibly see if they could eat with Belie.  Alas Belie had not been there but that didn’t deter them.  With bellies grumbling they sat and were just about finished with their food when a dwarf walked up to them.

“Greetings Mr Feek!  It is so good to finally meet you.  Vogh greeted the dwarf before he explained why he was there.  Upon hearing that Iltumar was missing and that Bharash was out to find him Vogh stood up even though she wasn’t completely finished yet.“We will head to find Bharash now and hopefully we can find Iltumar quickly before anything happens.”

Troglodyte??? Vogh thought to herself as she and Talin hailed a carriage and then made their way to meet with Bharash.  Bharash is obviously trying to disguise his features.  “We should disguise ourselves as well Talin.  How about a pair of lizard men?”

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Talin
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Talin stood when Vogh did.  He knew that kid would find himself in trouble one day with those he was hanging out with.  “We will find him Mr. Feek.”

When Vogh suggested they look like lizard men it made sense to match what Bharash would be or at least close.  Talk concentrated hard and remember seeing a lizard man walking the city streets.  He began to change into a blue-gray scaled lizard man male.  As he watched Vogh she changed into a gray-green scaled lizard woman.  It was quite different than what he was used to doing.

When they stopped at the location they were told they got out.  The coach driver looked at them with an astonished look but as Talin reached a hand out and dropped a gold piece into the man’s hand, the man shook his head and sped off.

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Narrator GM
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Vogh and Talin actually caught up to a troglodyte walking on the road. Quickly touching his mind revelaed it to be Bharash so they grabbed him up too. The trio of lizard-like creatures rumbled along up the incline. Vogh rolled the clue over in her mind and tried to think of schools in old town. One popped up in her mind that was in a rather remote area, Master Allam’s School of Thought. The school of philosophy was tucked up against the cliffs that led up to the Nobles’ Quarters.

When the trio arrived at the school they easily scouted the location and found a dilapidated and seemingly abandoned warehouse in behind the school. It was a windowless structure surrounded by trees on all four sides. A set of double doors faced the cliffs while on the opposite side of the building a single door faced toward the bay. Everything was overgrown and looked unkempt. The doors even looked like they hadn’t been opened in a long time.

Narrator GM, on behalf of Vogh, rolled 34 using 1d20+17. Knowledge Local

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Vogh
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“Mr. Feek found us.  So why a troglodyte?”  Vigh said when the saw Bharash.

When they got to the school and checked out the place finding the warehouse in the back it all seemed a bit suspicious to Vogh.  She looked at everything else around the school did it seem as unkempt as the area near the warehouse?

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Bharash
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Touching Bharash’s mind is a slightly surreal experience, since he is at the moment musing over whether or not to pick up some paprika from one of the spice vendors back at the market street to use in a dry rub but it’s definitely him, no doubt about it…

“Because there’s one associated with the fellows who were giving Belie’s friend trouble and most humans don’t look past the scales.” Bharash answers, turning and blinking as he finds himself looking at a pair of lizardfolk rather than his two companions – naturally enough grinning and asking “Oh hey, when did you two get pretty?”

A beat, and he gestures over his shoulder at the warehouse “So, what do you think? Smash the door in and shout for everyone to put their hands up, or do you folk want to try that ‘subtle’ thing with the reading minds through the shuttered windows, coming up with a ploy to get us in there and the freeing of the hopefully-a-hostage?”

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Narrator GM
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OOC: I’m just going to assume Vogh “scans” the building, b/c there is no reason she wouldn’t use that power in this situation.

Vogh reached out with her mind and felt for sentient beings inside. First, near the rear of the building, she touched a chaotic and somewhat stupid mind of a human (8 int). Next she felt a second human (12 int), then a third (9 int) and finally a fourth (12 int). A dwarf was near the middle of the building (13 int) then Vogh encountered something she never had before. Near the far side of the building, nearest the cliffs she encountered an array of ‘static’ that she could not sense inside. When her mind brushed across that area it felt like 1,000 voices were all speaking at one. The chatter was maddening to listen to!

Rough map of the building and surrounding. Red dots are humans, orange the dwarf, then the weird area.

[Private to GM: Telepathic Static (Su): Beginning at 1st level, you emit a field of psychic chatter out to a range of 20 feet, negating the telepathy ability of all creatures within range. In addition, divination spells and spell-like abilities cast or used in the area are impeded. To use divination magic, a caster must succeed on a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + the level of the spell). If the check fails, the spell or spell-like ability does not function but is still lost as a prepared spell, spell slot, or daily use. If the check succeeds, the spell functions normally. You can suppress this ability for 1 round as a free action.]

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Vogh
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Vogh quickly relays what she sees in her mind to the others,“I sense 4 humans and a dwarf all with average intelligence.  There is something else in there that is confusing and seems quite chaotic to me, like a thousand voices in 1.  It is towards the back wall.  If we go in hard and fast we should be able to overtake them quickly.  But we need to be careful cause there could be innocents.

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Bharash
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“Uh-huh?” Bharash answers, rolling his shoulders a few times and then musing about it for a moment before he states “Well, rather than smashing the door down and stabbing everyone… Why don’t one or both of you two sneaky buggers try knocking and playing the old flim-flam game? Ask to see some made-up permit or tell them there’s been a noise complaint or something. I don’t know about you, but I don’t fancy being arrested for smashing down a door without good cause. I can lurk behind the corner if things go pear-shaped… Or by the back door, doubt it’ll keep me out long if I decide to open it.”

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Vogh
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Vogh always liked the perspective that Bharash gave.  He was right about trying to talk but the examples that he had given weren’t what she would choose.  “Rather grand idea Bharash, you head around back and we will figure something out here.”

Once Bharash was around the corner Vogh spoke to Talin, “I think what we should do is disguise ourselves as chaos cultists.  We have seen plenty of them to now.  I will disguise myself like the Tiefling female that we killed and you like the Harrow Elf.  We can enter and ask questions saying it is from Wuntad.”

With a little changing of their disguise, Vogh and Talin became the two chaos cultists.  Then knowing that they wouldn’t very well knock on the door, Vogh just opened the door and entered.

If the door was locked and or trapped, Vogh would check that out first.

14:44, Today: Vogh rolled 23,38 using d20+17,d20+18.  perception check for traps, Disable check to unlock door if locked.

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Bharash
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“Fair enough!” Bharash answers with a smile, “If you need me, just… I don’t know, telepath or something.” – having absolutely no idea that their plan to check to see if there are Bad Guys in the building basically involves dressing up as Bad Guys and hoping for the best.

It probably goes without saying that the lack of a backup plan in case the building doesn’t actually contain bad guys… Well, he’d probably make comments about that, likely while laughing his ass off as the city watch shows up.

For his part, he just strolls around to the back and lightly sets his hand on the double-doors, testing them as quietly as he can to see if they’re locked.

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Narrator GM
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Vogh tinkered with the door and found it locked, upon inspecting it she also found a trap, unfortunately the trap came in the form of an electrical shock the second she touched the door’s handle. (Narrator GM rolled 19 damage using 6d6. Ref. DC 16 for 1/2) She was able to then unlock the door with no further shocks.

The bards stepped into a fifteen by ten foot room that looked abandoned and completely dilapidated. Looking up at the rotten, wood ceiling made them nervous as it seemed succeptible to a cave in at any moment. Rubble, broken wood and all manner of filth and detritus lay about the floor. Furthering the confusion, there were no other doors or windows in this room to explain how they could move deeper into the building.

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Bharash pushed against the doors only to find them locked as well. They did not budge at his pressing. (You didn’t say you touched the handle, so no trap damage for you sir.)

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Bharash
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Not knowing that the door is in fact, trapped… And wanting to check whether or not it’s locked, Bharash rather regrettably does set his hand on the handle, taking a mild shock into the bargain and stifling a curse before sticking his hand under his arm and walking in a small circle, swearing silently for a few moments.

Once that’s done, he reaches into his jacket and produces a small metal bar, folding and refolding it into a small pair of shears thin enough to slip between the doors… Looking to use them to simply snip the locking-bar holding the doors closed.

—

04:45, Today: Bharash rolled 16,17 using 1d20+7,6D6. Zzap.
04:50, Today: Bharash rolled 32 using 1d20+17.  Strength check.

Adamantine shears, good for a +10 to break anything I can apply them to. ^_^

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Vogh
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When Vogh touched the door handle she immediately regretted it as the shock went through her body.  Quickly pulling her hand back wasn’t enough as her body went through the full effect of the shock.  “Damn it!  The door was trapped.  Sure could have used Belie right about now.”  Vogh said in Talin’s mind.  Failed save and took 17 damage.

Once she was not shaking she moved again to the door and used her picks to unlock the door.  As they went inside and found it in disarray, Vogh knew that there had to be a secret door cause the people were still inside further.

Take 10 to carefully look about the room for a check of 27 for a secret door.  If found take 10 to check for traps for 27 as well.
11:38, Today: Vogh rolled 33 using 1d20+18.  disable device.

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Narrator GM
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OOC: If iut makes you feel better, it would have shocked Belie too b/c it involved touching the handle at all.

Indeed Vogh was able to find a secret door. The lengths went to in order to hide the door were impressive. They found some of the detritus at the base of the door was in fact attached to the door and swung with it. (I did not assume you opened the door.)

Vogh could sense an intelligence just beyond the door, which was not moving. The dwarf and one human were moving about, as was the big ball of static, but two humans seemed to not have moved the entire time.

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Vogh
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Quickly Vogh gave a report to Bharash on what they found inside.  “We entered the building only to find an empty room, but we have found a secret door on the wall.  How about you?”

Did I find any traps?

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Narrator GM
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In reply to Vogh

No traps.

Bharash will find his room nearly identical to yours. Looks like it’s dilapidated and falling apart. I’m sure he will also be able to find the secret door in his room as well.

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Vogh
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Not finding any traps on this door but not trusting herself, Vogh casts a spell to give her a better chance.

Casting Aram Zey’s Focus

If there still isn’t any trap, Vogh, made up like the Tiefling opens the secret door.

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Bharash
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The small, quiet ‘tang’ sound of the bolt giving way is one of tremendous gratification to Bharash, who looks around and eases the door open furtively while giggling “I’m a burglar.” as he slips inside, only to look promptly somewhat baffled by the complete lack of interior doors…

…which, since this looked like a warehouse on the outside is sort of puzzling, although maybe he’s in the spot where they parked horses or carts or something. Which is when Vogh gets in touch and he answers ‘I uh, kind of snuck in. There was a trap on the door. I’m in some sort of cart dock, looks like there’s no way into the rest of the building from her… Oh, hang on.’ while walking over to examine the wall for a moment ‘Yeah, scratch that. I think this is a door someone tried to board over. There’s really small scrape marks on the floor. Good workmanship though, shame they didn’t do anything about the roof.’

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Narrator GM
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Vogh and Talin looked past the door and what greeted them was a horrifying sight. It looked like at one time the creature was a man, but someone, or something, had done unspeakable things to the being. It no longer had any lips, with hoops screwed into its jaws that were attached to a psychotic harness which seemed to control four bladded apendages. His actual arms were covered in spikes, or spiked gloves, which ended in claws rather than fingers. Cleary it was waiting for them to open the door and four bladed arms stabbed out at Vogh as soon as she opened the door toward them. Thankfully only one of the serrated steel blades connected with her, tearing open a wound. (10 hp)

The room beyond the creature was an L shape. (I’ll get a map up asap)

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Narrator GM
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In reply to Bharash

Bharash entered another room which had doors on the left and straight ahead but was otherwise empty.

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Vogh
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Though Vogh didn’t know she was about to be attacked she was still able to defend herself against the attacks from the monstrosity that was before her now.  Still, though, there were way too many blades to defend against fully and she took the cut on her arm with a cringe.  Vogh sang out with her mind to Talin and likewise, Bharash in case he needed it as well.

Vogh then struck out with Serenity and Clamour.  The two blades slashed at the thing hoping to put it down quickly.

In her song to Talin, she asked for healing.

11:00, Today: Vogh rolled 24,28,27,25,23,26 using d20+18,d8+22,d20+18,d8+22,d20+13,d8+22.  Full attack.

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Talin
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Talin didn’t like the fact that Vogh went first but she was looking for traps while he couldn’t.  So when she got attacked by the weird humanoid Talin heard her call for healing and so he touched her back and sent a little blast of healing into her.

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Narrator GM
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This is going to be too small and fast to deal with roll20 so here is the map. Vogh & Talin started in 2 and moved through the S to find the humanoid. Bharash started in 1 and went through the S to the empty room with 2 doors.

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Narrator GM
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Vogh’s blades sliced through the leather armor, opened wounds that bled, but felt like she hit steel plates beneath the skin. If the grotesque human even registered the hits, he didn’t show it. Instead, moving his jaw the blades slashed in one, two, three four! Again only a single cut got through her incredible defenses. (9 dmg) He, or it, seemed unable to also punch out with his spiked gauntlets while manipulating the mechanical arms.

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Vogh
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The whirl of the blades of this ugly male monstrosity was defended well again, but as before one blade slipped through the defenses of Serenity and Clamour.  Vogh couldn’t tell if the thing was really injured by her attacks or not.  Matter of fact she didn’t even know whether the thing was alive if she was honest with herself.

Vogh hoped though that her next routine of attacks would finish it off.  It didn’t have much of any defense of its own so her blades easily sliced through the leather and flesh and even drew blood once more as she hacked and slashed at the thing.

06:46, Today: Vogh rolled 33,28,35,30,22,27 using d20+19,d8+23,d20+19,d8+23,d20+14,d8+23.  Full attack.

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Bharash
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Bharash, standing in front of the secret door he’s found looks around a bit more, rocks back and forth on his heels and is about to go and look outside when he hears Vogh singing in his head and frowns, opening his mouth to ask what’s going on… And then realising that not only can’t she hear him, she can’t really listen to his thoughts either.

Shrugging, he shoulders the secret door and – pleasantly surprised that it opens – steps into the room on the other side and looks about.

Before crossing it, then pausing by the first (Northern) door and listening for a moment before reaching for the handle, pausing, wincing and taking the handle to try and open it in order to access what turns out to be the lab.

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Talin
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Talin stayed behind  Vogh and touched her on the back once more sending more healing into her body.

[Private to GM: Talin did 3 the first time and 10 this time.]

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Narrator GM
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In reply to Vogh

Vogh finally found the creatures heart and felt the pumping cease as Serenity stabbed into its chest cavity. The eyes widened but barely blinked, and the lipless mouth couldn’t even form a word or expression as the strange human died on her blades. Red blood dripped down the violet length of her blades.

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Narrator GM
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In reply to Bharash

Bharash moved through the door and into a strange room with a mixture of scents that absolutely assaulted his senses. Furthermore, a dwarf and very strange woman stood between the two tables that separated the room from the far door. Another door was on his left in the disgusting L-shaped room. The door on his left looked to be solid steel and incredibly fortified.

The terrible place stank of blood and chemicals. Stained, steel tables stood within the chamber. Each had some strange devices hooked up to them and hanging by chains over them. Spatters of dried blood surround everything in the room. Gruesome tools hung on hooks or sat on small shelves on one wall. Another wall was covered in grisly charts and diagrams.

While the dwarf looked mostly normal, the human woman beside him was anything but. The dwarf held a steaming and pulsing axe which kept letting off puffs of hot air. Bharash remembered a similar weapon when they fought a creature of chaos in the Pythoness house. Wearing perfectly oiled and kept studded leather armor, the dwarf also held a heavy shield in the opposite hand of the chaositech axe. He was short and broad, even for a dwarf. His hair and beard were long, wild, and unkempt, stained with grease and chemicals. He smelled of strange substances, some organic and others inorganic. Further he carried a number of tools with him in pouches and pockets crudely stitched onto his armor.

Beside him stood what was once a woman, but now only resembled a shadow of her former self. Covered
in scars and stitched-on additional layers of flesh, the guardian has had one hand and forearm replaced with a blade. She stood with a stooped stature and stared at Bharash with single minded intensity.

“Oi! You need to go or I’ll unleash my master’s little pet here, and you’ll not want to fight her. She’s lightning fast mister. Why don’t you just go back the way you came…”

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Bharash
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“Seriously?” Bharash asks, stepping through the door and into the laboratory and looking around the encounter in front of him with a grimace “There’s an entire undercity down there and you jokers set up shop within dungball-throwing distance of the Old Quarter? “Never mind! – his free hand comes up and points, palm-flat at the dwarf in rejection “I absolutely do not want to hear it.”

He holds that pose for a half-heartbeat or so then goes on to explain “I’m here for the idiot adventurer boy from the smithy and the girl who came after him. If I absolutely have to I will take her head, and stick it up your ass, but otherwise I don’t really care what sort of half-wit thaumaturgy you lunatics are up to in here. Now where are they?”

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Vogh
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When the lifeless body slumped to the ground Vogh took her bloody blades and wiped them clean.  Her music had stopped then as well.  Turning to Talin she said, “Thank you for the healing.”  She then turned to the body and asked in a low voice, “What the hell is that thing?  There are two humans in the room straight ahead and it seems to me that Bharash is now in the room that way.”  Vogh said pointing to the door that enters into the next room.

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Talin
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Talin looked at the body as he came from around Vogh to see it more fully now.  “Why would anyone volunteer to do this to themselves,” he thought aloud.  When Vogh pointed to where she thought Bharash was, Talin said while he moved to the door, “We should support Bharash first.  He doesn’t have all his gear with him.”

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Narrator GM
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Vogh and Talin walked through the door to see the same grizzly room and two people Bharash was already speaking to. The woman did not turn to regard them, but the dwarf spun about in alarm. “Hold it right there!” Then remembering he put his back to Bharash after the threat the huge warrior just levied against him he spun back. “You mean… If I give you the boy, you’ll leave immediately?”

Turning just his head to side-eye Vogh and Talin he asked them, “Are you two here for that kid too?”

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Vogh
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“What kid?”  Vogh the tielfing asked the dwarf.  “Were here for the Surgeon.  Where is he?”

18:07, Today: Vogh rolled 37 using 1d20+18.  bluff.

To Bharash and Talin she said, “Act like you don’t know me Bharash!”

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Narrator GM
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“OI!” The dwarf shook his head in frustration. “Well we’ve got a bit of an issue here with this big galoot breaking in.” He jerked his head toward Bharash.

“What do ya say now big-man? Four against one. Why don’t ya just walk out the way you came?”

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Bharash
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“Both of them. Although…” – here, he pauses for a second and admits – “I’m not completely sure if she’s here. I suppose I can always come back and stitch your legs together if she is and you lied about it.”, actually sounding as though he considers this a reasonable offer.

And then the other door crashes open, the dwarf is distracted and Bharash doesn’t take the moment of distraction as an opportunity to lunge, but rather just gives a deep, irritated and perhaps rather over-played (as good as he is with a sword, you’d have to be damn charitable to think that he has a career in theatre ahead of him) sigh.

“The boy and the girl, remember?” he repeats before looking over the two newcomers, snorting disdainfully (troglodyte nostrils being ideal for that sort of thing) and putting his glare back on the dwarf “I don’t expect those two skinny midgets to slow me down much, even if they were stupid enough to cross the Killravens. Boy. Now.”

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Vogh
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Vogh looked from the dwarf to the troglodyte and then back to the dwarf again.  “It seems like he is pretty adamant about the kid he is speaking of.  With all this equipment in here, I am sure the Surgeon would be really upset if you break some of his toys with a battle with someone that seems to just want a kid.  Why not give him the kid, he isn’t worth the trouble.  Then we can get back to just where the Surgeon is.”
14:44, Today: Vogh rolled 40 using 1d20+21.  diplomacy check.

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Narrator GM
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The dwarf growled angrily and tossed his head. “If he gets any closer. Kill him.” The dwarf told the strange woman. “You two, wait here. Don’t move.” He instructed vogh and talin as he moved past them, through the door they had just entered. Vogh sensed his presence as the Dwarf walked down the room and into the place with the other humans she could sense.

“MOVE.” The heard him growl moments before a very attractive and petite human woman entered through the door and looked the occupants up and down, moving away from them toward one corner.

The dwarf emerged through the door with a rough looking Iltumar in front of him, with a dagger pressed against his neck.

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Bharash
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“That the girl?” Troglarash asks when she’s ushered through the door ahead of the dwarf, eyeing her with a vast lack of sympathy that doesn’t change much when Iltumar hoves into view, knife at his throat… Eliciting a bark of laughter from the large reptile-man, who slaps one thigh and observes “Oh, please! Are you threatening the little streak of piss… That’s rich. Alright, hand them over and I can get out of this fetid little stinkhole before you idiots manage to get any more bad melodrama over everything… And be grateful I don’t even want to know what’s going on in this idiot factory enough to charge you protection money.”

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Vogh
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Vogh watched as the dwarf left.  When he made the comment to stay put like he commanded them or something, Vogh gave a pssh sound, but she and Talin did stay in the general direction of where they were.  When he returned with the woman and Iltumar in tow.  Vogh was happy to see that Iltumar was safe and nothing had happened to him yet.

“Just hand them over to him so he can leave.  If these two crossed the Killraven’s somehow it is best we give them away.  Maybe our generosity at giving them back will be repaid.”  Vogh then called over to the troglodyte that was Bharash and said, “Tell them Killraven’s we had no idea that they were looking for them.  If you could tell them if they want any upgrades we can give them a slight discount for the trouble.”

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Narrator GM
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The dwarf scrunched up his face at Vogh’s words with a bit of confusion. Still holding the knife to Iltumar’s throat the dwarf stood behind him, using the boy as a human shield then he addressed everyone. “Listen up. We’re all just going to step outside to discuss this. My master would not be pleased to have you all inside his workshop. Even you two.” He juts his chin at the tiefling and her companion. “And you…” He looks at Bharash in disguise. “You go out first and I’ll follow behind with the boy. When everyone gets outside then you can take them both and just leave. Don’t ever come back here.”

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Bharash
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Troglarash just snorts, arrogant and confident in his control of the situation – or at least sufficiently so to be unimpressed by the dwarf attempting to throw his weight around. One way or another he proceeds with all the murderous surety of his self-assigned role, glaring at the others in the room scathingly “What’s to discuss? You give me the idiot boy and the girl, I don’t start ‘accidentally’ smashing glassware and making heavy remarks about how flammable this pesthole is. No one gets their stumpy little knees broken and I can get the fuck out of here before you get any of your crazy on me.”

And since it seems to need saying, he hisses menacingly “Again, for the slow ones in the back: I don’t care about you. My bosses, they don’t care about you either. Certainly not enough to say, make an example of you to remind people to pay their dues by nailing your hairy skin to the door of a business in arrears. Now hand them over, before I find a reason to care.”

—

14:04, Today: Bharash rolled 30 using 1d20+14.  Intimidate.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
The dwarf’s eyes flared with hatred and anger. He pressed the knife against Iltumar’s neck enough to draw a spot of blood. “Listen, lizard.” The dwarf spit the word. “You’ll either walk out that damnable door or I’ll gut this boy like a fish, then my guardian and I will carve YOU up! Killravens or not, you don’t march into my master’s lair and make demands! Walk outside NOW or the boy dies!”

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“Wait.” Troglarash replies, although without the urgency or heat that the term would seem to require under the circumstances, his expression turning – as far as anyone can tell, given that he’s a Troglodyte – to one of confusion “You’re trying to threaten me by threatening the boy? How is that even supposed to work, I only really need his face… Although I suppose I’ll get paid more if the rest of him is still attached so… Y’know, there’s that.”

Shaking his head, he snorts impassively and spares the guardian a casual assessment before replying “There’s no way that you and the meat puppet over there are going to fight me and not wreck this place. So it’s on you, stumpy… Fight and smash your masters lab to flinders, or give me the two idiots and I’ll leave you to play rock-paper-scissors with miss congeniality over there.”

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Vogh
———————————————————–
In reply to Narrator GM

When the dwarf mentioned that his master would not be pleased with them being in his workshop Vogh answered, “Oh no dwarf, your master would be quite welcoming to us and what we are about to propose.”  Vogh and Talin were ready to follow the dwarf outside.

To Bharash in his mind she said, “Go outside already, we have the boy and the woman.  Talin and I will try to find out more information about all this.”

In reply to Bharash
When Bharash hadn’t moved towards the door as she had hoped he would do and made a comment towards herself and Talin Vogh responded in kind.  “If I were you, I’d watch my tongue before someone cuts it out that ugly head of yours.  You are clearly not the brightest muscle for the Killravens.  You’re being offered the kid and girl, whom you came for and yet you still are causing trouble.  Yer masters know about us plenty and your statement lands on deaf ears.”

The whole time Talin in the Harrow Elf disguise had just been quiet and not saying a word.  The look on his face was one that seemed to be getting angrier and angrier though.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“Laugh it up chuckles. One more stupid comment and I’ll forget that I don’t care about you two.” Troglarash answers simply, giving the ‘cultists’ a hard look before throwing his hands in the air… He does however throw up a hand and state, “But you know what? I’m done with you idiots. I’m going to go outside and light the place on fire. If the kid and the woman are sent out before I find some kindling, I’ll leave it at that. Otherwise, you’re going to regret that scissorhands over there can’t take part in a bucket chain.”

With that, he starts heading outside, grumbling audibly.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
As soon as Bharash as a lizardman starts walking outside, the dwarf barks at the female prisoner to follow him and then walks after her with his knife still at Iltumar’s throat. “You two, come outside as well. My master is not going to be happy about all this and he won’t want to be disturbed right now.”

Does everyone walk outside the way Bharash originally came in?

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Vogh
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Vogh followed the dwarf out of the building while asking, “So, he is here?  You should have said that before!”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
In reply to Vogh

The dwarf grumbled under his breath as they walked and narrowed his eyes at Vogh in disguise. “Yes. He’s working. He’s not to be disturbed.”

Once they were all outside the double doors he shoved Iltumar toward the lizard man Bharash and stepped back inside where the sword armed female had followed him.

“Go. Take the brat and the witch and never show your faces around here again. Tell Killraven she doesn’t want the Surgeon as an enemy and to send a message next time instead of some ignorant brute who breaks inside!” All this he leveled at Bharash lizardkin.

From the relative safety of the door he looked at the tiefling Vogh. “Same goes for you. Send a message to schedule a meeting. Don’t just show up. But since you’re already here, why don’t you tell me what you want.”

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Troglarash is already using a singularly wicked-looking hand-knife to start in on a low bush by the back wall – gathering kindling just like he said – but when the boy’s shoved his way, he makes the tool vanish and instead closes a hand like a steel trap around the back of Iltumar’s neck, lifting him smoothly off the ground like a drowned puppy… And holding him there, his arm extended in an imposing display of strength “That’s one. This one here Fallomire?” he asks, nodding at the witch before sneering and making a ‘come on’ motion with his free hand, “As if she doesn’t already know anything she wants or cares to to. Don’t forget your place.”

With that, assuming that his rescuee-count stands at ‘two’, Troglarash starts to walk away, similarly maintaining a tight hold on the upper arm of the woman he rescued.

He gets a good couple of dozen yards distant before he drops his voice to growl “Hirus and Sholum were worried about you two. Now keep looking scared until we’re well away from those idiots.”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Both Iltumar and Lavis opened their eyes wide at Bharash-in-disguise’s statement but quickly turned away and hustled with the warrior. “Bharash? Is that you?“ The young man whispered.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Since you didn’t tell us where the bloody building was, I’m going to assume it’s somewhere near the University, up against the cliff.

“You know any other big, dumb bruisers that’d pull you out of a mad surgeon’s lab?” Troglarash asks with a small, sly grin and a light shake to the boy’s collar… Keeping up the image of a nasty, violent son of a bitch who would as soon sell his grandmother as hug her, right up to the point where he can get to the edge of Empress Square and find a nice, deep alley in which to shed his disguise.

That done, Bharash takes off his hat, stuffs it on the head of Iltumar and growls at the girl “Alright, look as different as you can, as quick as you can. Iltumar, it’s a hat of disguise. Picture someone other than you, it’ll make the change happen. Then we’re all going to go and hit up the snack carts along Shadow Road while I mightily resist the urge to clip the boy here around the ear. We good?”

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Vogh
———————————————————–
In reply to Narrator GM

As Bharash had moved away with the two captives Vogh was relieved.  They were the most important part of this mission and they were now safe.  When the dwarf told Vogh and Talin to schedule a meeting and then asked what they wanted, Vogh turned to the dwarf, “What do we want?”  Vogh looked to Talin and said, “You are right, dwarves aren’t all that bright!”  Vogh then turned back to the dwarf and continued, “Wuntad knows of your master’s skills and since he is going to be Shigmaa soon he wants to hire The Surgeon to strengthen his underlings.”

Vogh let that sink in before continuing, “We will do as you request and schedule a meeting.  You will hear from us soon enough.”

Talin and Vogh then left the warehouse and walked in the opposite direction that Bharash had moved.

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Narrator GM
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“Grand.” The dwarf rolled his eyes unenthusiastically and shut the door as the “bards” left.

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Iltumar Shon (NPC)
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Iltumar kept it all bottled up as well as he could until they were several blocks away then be positively bubbled over. “Bharash! Those people are insane! Thank you for coming for me. For us!” He looked at Lavis, a very beautiful young woman, likely in her mid 20s. “Can we go see Vogh?! I’ve got so much to tell you all! Stupid Brotherhood. It was a total scam. Stupid girl!” Clearly he was upset about his unrequited love.

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Bharash
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‘Bharash! Those people are ins…’

Thwap.

The blow isn’t a hard one, but it lands across the back of Iltumar’s head to quiet him down abruptly as the big Dragonborn drops his voice a notch, growling “Disguise boy, now! And you too Miss.” before he leans out of the alley a touch and looks both ways, then leans back to explain “I just skipped lunch, invoked the Killravens and pissed off a Chaos scholar to get you two out. I would like to avoid attention for at least long enough to get a meat pastry or two inside me.”

“While we eat, you two can tell me what’s going on. Vogh and the others too if they meet up with us.” he allows a moment later, giving Iltumar a glare if it looks like the youth’s mouth is about to run away with him.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Iltumar shook his head after the slap but quickly listened to Bharash and turned into a young human man the warrior didn’t recognize. Lavis spoke a few words and completely transformed herself into a middle aged man who would blend in well around Ptolus. Bharash surmised she had probably done this before.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

The three do nothing of the bloody sort.

First they stop at one of the food stalls on Shadow Road around the university, where Bharash picks up a couple of steak pasties and hands one each to the two rescuees, only after which do they head down Emperors Road, taking a sharp left onto Dragon Street and than a side-cut through the Cloud Theatre (Bharash apparently knows a man on the side door) and the store-house behind it to get onto Fallow Street, where he takes the hat back, reshapes himself into an unusually tall human, nods to the young woman to shift her appearance again then skirts Emerald Hill on Naimal Lane and Sunrise, before coming at Delver’s Square along Uthegos Street.

Then they return to the minstrel.

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Vogh
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After leaving the warehouse behind, Vogh and Talin likewise make plenty of turns and cutbacks to make sure no one is following them all while changing their disguises a number of times.  Neither of them saw Bharash or the other two on their way back to the Minstrel as they made sure to take a different route than they.

Now back at the Minstrel, the pair entered and first asked if there were any messages for them before finding a table and ordering drinks.  “Now we know the location of the warehouse.  What are we going to do with the information?  You saw that man and the woman that the Surgeon had transformed.  I don’t like it one bit.  They aren’t even human anymore.”  Vogh said in a low voice so that no one could hear.

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Iltumar Shon (NPC)
———————————————————–
Iltumar nodded his head empatically and tried to keep his voice to a whisper but struggled and had to be shushed a couple times. “We overhead a lot while we were locked up! The cultists are up to something big. They believe they can bring about something called the Night of Dissolution. The Surgeon doesn’t seem to care much about the cults. He’s mostly absorbed in his research. His voice sounded all metallic, like he was a machine or something, or inside a metal room. Very strange. The cultists who visited also walked about something that’s going to happen in the sky soon, not sure what. We heard people from the Ebon Hand visit, and they apparently are working with the Brotherhood of… No, the Brothers of Venom.“ Iltumar practically spit the word, giving up on his former insistance the Brotherhood of Ptolus was a good group of young people. “They are working together on some big project. They didn’t say anything about it other than “the machine.” The Surgon asked questions about it, but the people were really tight-lipped.”

Lavis nodded along with the boy’s comments. When Iltumar finished she finally interjected.

“You are Vogh Kath. And Talin Ursalato, right? I know of you, although we’ve never met. I’ve been a Bard in the city for a while, but never found the level of success you two have.” The young woman was very attractive, if disheveled from her captivity. “Would you be willing to return to the Surgeon’s shop and help me recover my gear? They took my weapons, armor, everything.”

[Private to GM: remember escaped arcane casters from the sum asylum

Maybe have someone approach Vogh and Talin about Dullin b. Being kidnapped.

Corrent Apathi, Darata Chornim, Dullin Balacazar, Tarthia Kor]

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Iltumar Shon (NPC)
———————————————————–
Iltumar lowered his head in shame and everyone could tell he was really embarrased. “Oh, there is one more thing. My friends, no, the liars who I was spending time with asked me questions about you all constantly. I thought they just were interested in delving, like I am, but I told them basically everything I know about you. I’m so sorry Miss Vogh. Mister Talin. I had no idea. But I can only imagine the cults are really interested in you.” He couldn’t even meet their eyes as he spoke.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Bharash, having made short work of the two meat pasties he bought is sitting at the table to listen while he works his way through a bread-bowl of the Minstrels famous stew, apparently completely unperturbed at any possibility of being poisoned again – probably because the last time it happened he licked the bloody darts and went looking for more, being as how he’s an enormous scaly freak of nature who needs his head examined.

“So, there’s a bunch of cultists and they’re allied with the mad surgeon who made that sword-handed woman in there.” he asks between bites, looking to be sure he’s got the pertinent parts, “They’re planning something big in the near future, and for whatever reason recruiting you was a part of it… How did they recruit you anyway, lad?”

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Vogh
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Vogh and Talin managed to receive their drinks and food just as Bharash, Iltumar, and Lavis entered.  Vogh waved them over to sit.  After the initial greetings, Iltumar began spilling his guts.  Of course, Vogh and Talin both knew about most of this having discovered a lot of it as they went along.  They both even knew what the answer was to Bharash’s question even as he asked it.  What they didn’t know about was The Surgeon, well, at least not till this very day at least.

”So, they know all about us?  I don’t blame you Iltumar, I am actually flattered you would spread word about us, but for future worth.  You shouldn’t give too many details about a lot of things in life.  People aren’t always going to use that information against you but you never know when you find the wrong one.  Vogh’s tone was scolding or demeaning but more teacher-like.  ”Is there anything else you can tell us?  Other places you were at?  Things you may have heard or seen?  How about those friends of yours?  Any information no matter how small it is could be what we need.”

When Lavis asked about going back to the warehouse, Vogh thought about it.  They certainly could go back and should go back and take care of this Surgeon character.  She just wondered how it would go though.  ”If The Surgeon, the Cultists, and by proxy the Criminal Underground know about us, we need to make wise decisions.  We can’t deal with them all at once.  What we should do is send in the city watch to the warehouse.  That would divert the attention away from us a little.  What do you think Bharash?”

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Iltumar Shon (NPC)
———————————————————–
Iltumar looked sheepish at Bharash’s words the shrugged and answered. “Well, I didn’t know they were bad. They called themselves the Brotherhood of Ptolus and said they wanted to see changes in the city. That all sounded good to me. It wasn’t until you all found out they were one of these crazy cults that I learned anything was wrong.” He was looking at his ring with the symbol of the shattered square on it. In disgust he ripped it off his finger and slapped it on the table.

“Then when they were asking about you all, I just figured they loved the exciting life. Just like I do. We sparred together to practice and talked about going below to kill more ramen and fight monsters the way you all do. So yeah. I just thought they, like most people, were just, you know, wanting to know about heroes.” The boy couldn’t keep his head up through the telling. He shrank even more under Vogh’s words, but nodded in understanding.

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Narrator GM
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Lavis placed a comforting hand on his shoulder through all he said and during Vogh’s words. She looked disappointed at trusting the Watch with the surgeons location, but didn’t speak in protest.

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Bharash
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Bharash groans around a mouthful of stew, munches it down and swallows then shakes his head wearily at Iltumar, letting his inner cynic off the leash a little to go on a small-scale rampage “There was your first warning lad… ‘Wanting to see changes’. The second was the ‘secret society’ nonsense. Everyone in the city who can see lightning or hear thunder knows that the place is a teetering catastrophe barely kept from falling apart by equal parts venality, self-interest and corruption… But if you want to do anything about it you can’t force it to change.”

“I mean where would you even start? Let’s be charitable and say that only half the watch is on the take, along with three-quarters of the political sorts and paper-shufflers. You don’t know who and as alluring as ‘kill them all and let the Gods sort them out’ might seem to the hard-of-thinking, someone has to make sure the wheat gets into the city bakeries for the morning loaves, the poultry and livestock make it to the slaughterhouses, the night lights are lit, the walls are manned, something that looks like taxes are paid to keep the streets repaired. Where’d you even start?” – snorting in a fashion that makes twin wisps of chill mist roll up from his nostrils he shakes his head – “No-one who talks like that, thinks about the little stuff. No, if you want to change the city the only way you can do it is by example, and hoping not to get killed along the way.”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Iltumar was wide eyed at Bharash’s explanation, just shaking his head in awe. The young man had never considered such macro concepts and it was hurting his head a little. Lavis seemed unconcerned with the situation, content to be free now, while worried about her gear. She focused on enjoying her meal and several glasses of wine.

“So you’ll tell the watch to inspect the building? How long will that take, if they even do it? I really want my gear back…” The woman slurred her words a bit from the drink, but not entirely drunk yet. Clearly the captivity had truly unnerved her. Talin knew the feeling from his time in the captivity of Heth, the Pactlord stooge and fake priest.

“I don’t have much coin. I could owe you. Or help in some other capacity…”

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Vogh
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With Bharash going off on some tangent, Vogh listened to him explain how the city works behind the scenes.  It was a grand description and one that obviously had an impact on Iltumar.  But, Bharash didn’t come close to answering her question.

“Lavis, do you know where your gear is by chance?  If it is in one of the outer rooms, we could grab the stuff and be gone before anyone knows.  As for the watch, we will need to alert them of what we found.  I, of course, don’t know how long it will take them to react to the information.”

Vogh turned back to Bharash who was enjoying his meal and asked, “It may be a good idea to keep an eye on the place.  We can see if The Surgeon leaves and who comes in as well.”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Lavis shook her head, then steadied herself with her left hand to keep from falling out of the chair from the motion. “I do not. They took all my stuff, checking me over for magic, and I didn’t see it when Castor brought us from the room where we were kept. Did you explore every room in the place?”

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Talin
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Talin spoke up then, “No, we saw an opportunity to get you both out of their without conflict and revealing ourselves for who we are.  We can return though as Vogh said and sneak in.  Or at least we know someone that can at least.”

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Narrator GM
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Lavis nodded. “Thank you. I would greatly appreciate that. Your reputations for chivalry and honor seem to match the reality. That is rare to find and I’m thankful for you all.”

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Bharash
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“Mmm? Oh, I’m sorry Vogh… I was miles away. City watch, yes.” Bharash replies, chewing on the thought as he weighs it all up and then speculatively suggests “There is a link between us and the rescue, which is to say that we went after Iltumar. If we’re going to go back and deal with it, we should do so pretty quickly, before the story spreads. And we’re going to want to make sure no-one gets away if they see us.”

“Hmm, I do have an idea. Use two castings of your ‘Locate Object’ enchantment to precisely place some of her possessions in the structure. If one of you can make something silent, I’ll cut a hole in the crappy wall and we’ll just take the stuff and go.” he proposes, looking around the table to see if there’s any interest in this proposal.

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Vogh
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Vogh thought for a moment while they talked.  When there was a moment she said, “Good idea Bharash.  Though we can’t cast that spell.  Only Deacon knows it.  We will need to contact him unless we can go buy the spell now and then I could cast it.”

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Narrator GM
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Lavis raised a finger while draining her glass in the other hand. “I can cast it. That’s actually how I find Iltumar. I can cast it in the morning if you will accompany me. I love the idea of sneaking in through the wall or something. I have a really bad feeling about the Surgeon.”

[Private to GM: knights of the Chord will require some kind of solo quest

Powerful bard woman supports Helmut and the republicans

Patron group? Knights of the Chord? Iverted pyramid?

Knights of the Pale contact them

Pharris commisars men seeks them out at the Minstrel for dinner

House Kath businesses under attack?

Wizards broken out of asylum

Kids all missing? Implicate Helmut

The ambush kidnapping? City watch lures Vogh? Chaos cultists attack in the street? Spells and items to teleport her away without will save?

Someone will tell Deacon to prepare battle magic as the commissar wants the IP people ready for attack

Commissar and Emperor both invite group to dinners to sway them to their side

Remember the knights of pale (Dierna Hillerchaun, noble, ex delver, rich, tied to Malkuth. She will know about freed angel from banewarrens) and golden cross (Kiera. Rich. Altruistic. Elder gods – can sense the touch on the group – and Vallis Moon) attending Vogh’s party to talk to them about coming events and chaos cultists

Remember the group seeing the orrery in the hidden room. I need to reread that.

#266 Chapter 1: The Dragonborn, The Elf and the Blind Woman

Parnaith is trying to guide them, as are the elder gods, wanting Raguel to meet them

Lord Dragon (Damothian?) needs to be at the Kath party and Deacon needs to see his sword… Remember post #559 from chapter 5

Wuntand, hurting him actually hurts prisoners]

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“Then it sounds as though we have a plan. I don’t like the idea of giving him much time to run his mouth, but since we didn’t fight anyone and we didn’t leave any real evidence of our having been there, going back in the early hours to recover your things ought to… Hmmm, say, who are the Killraven’s major rivals anyway? If we’re going to do this, might as well plant evidence that’ll cause trouble while we’re at it.” Bharash proposes, before taking another blithely unconcerned chomp of his bread-bowl stew.

If it had not previously been apparent, it is increasingly obvious that Bharash has a nasty streak to him a mile wide.

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Iltumar Shon (NPC)
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Iltumar jumped at the chance to be useful and almost shouted in his excitement, “BAL!” but quickly caught himself and looked around before continuing in a quieter tone. “The Balacazars. But honestly, everyone hates the Killravens. They are a new group. Jamill and Anikka talked about them and the chaos they are causing. I guess they are spitting in everyone’s tea and no one understands why they haven’t been crushed yet.”

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Vogh
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The thought about setting some clues that would implicate someone else sounded fun.  “We need to think about what would be something we could leave behind though.  It can’t be super obvious either for they probably wouldn’t do that.”

[Private to GM: Is there something that we know we could leave behind?
15:50, Today: Secret Roll: Vogh rolled 36 using 1d20+17 knowledge local check]

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Both Iltumar and Lavis shrugged their shoulders, unsure what would implicate the Balacazars. The crime sindicate had their hands in everything throughout the city. Many officials were “on the take” with the organization and the City Watch would often even overlook a crime commited by a known Balacazar associate. The group now knew Killraven had at least some relationship with the Surgeon, but they didn’t know if the Balacazar organization did too. Thankfully the Surgeon hadn’t even seen them, his lackey didn’t see their true selves, so they were insulated.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

From Bharash’s perspective of course, the insulation is depressingly thin… The conspirators can be assumed to know who Iltumar is and from there, it’s one very short step to the smithy and the friends of the owners… Hence his interest in setting up some distractions at the very first point of contact “It doesn’t have to be too obvious. Simply appearing in the guise of someone who is known as a Balcazzar associate so that a witness spots us would be enough. Breadcrumbs, not big signs.”

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh thought about what they could do and while she was thinking, Bharash had made a suggestion.  It could work and Vogh knew of at least four members of the House.  “I know of a few we could impersonate.  Fesamere and Maystra are Menon’s daughters, Malkeen is the eldest boy, who is likely to take over the house when Menon is dead, and lastly, Dullin.  I think that if one of us were to impersonate Dullin and have him be seen snooping around there, that could possibly work.”

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Talin
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“Dullin? He’s just a child. Not even in his teen years yet. Plus remember his bodyguards from when we foiled the attempt on his life? He always has those around him. And why would the grandson of the most powerful crime Lord in the city be snooping anywhere?” Talin kept his tone light, not trying to be confrontational or upset Vogh. “Impersonating one of the daughters would be easier and possibly make more sense. I could disguise myself as a body guard. I’ve never seen them though. Have you?”

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Vogh
———————————————————–
“I was thinking that he might be looking for an upgrade.  Do you know what I mean?  He of course would have heard about The Surgeon and perhaps he would think that if he could get an upgrade he could be better.  But, if you think that it wouldn’t work we can go with one of the sisters and bodyguards.  Maystra would be my choice and we have seen her with bodyguards before.  So, since it is getting late, why don’t we retire for the evening.  Lavis where are you staying for the night?  How about you Iltumar?”  Vogh asked and waited for confirmation from Bharash of the plan for the morning.

“We should probably arrive there just after breaking our fast so there is more likely to have people about,”  Vogh added finally.

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Iltumar Shon (NPC)
———————————————————–
Iltumar shrugged, “I figured I would just go home… But now I realize that might not be the best idea. I’ll ask Telleth to see if she has a room for me and Lavis. Er. Two rooms. One for each of us I mean. Sorry.” The young man blushed, reminding the group how much of a boy he still was, despite growing into himself.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Lavis didn’t even seem to notice. She had been drinking glass after glass of wine since they came into the Minstrel. The experience of captivity really shook the young, attractive woman.

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Iltumar Shon (NPC)
———————————————————–
Iltumar returned looking rather nervous. “Not only does Telleth not have two rooms, she doesn’t have a single open room. So many people have been flooding into the city with the threat of the north men coming our way. It’s been great for business, but there are no open rooms for tonight. I could run to some of the other places close by, like the Griffon or Potter’s if I absolutely have to.”

Potter’s was right in Delver’s Square, a low-rent hostel which catered mostly to down-on-their-luck delvers or up-and-coming-wannabes who didn’t have the coin for fancier lodging.

“Or, I guess I could sleep in the shop? No. It’s late. I don’t want to wake the brothers. I hate to ask this, but could we bunk with you all?” Iltumar looked rather sheepish and they could tell he was embarrased to even be asking.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“You can bunk with us. We’ve a three-person and a two-person and Deacon’s usually off doing his own thing. We can put you in with Talin, the girls can have the big room and I’ll put down a mat or something, won’t be the first time I’ve slept rough.” Bharash replies, before giving his companions an indulgent look and snorting happily “You two, seriously. It’s a good thing you don’t write theatre… Talin has the right idea though. No need to make up a story for them, just be a little unsubtle and let them fill in the context for themselves. The better part of a story happens in the other persons head.”

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Vogh
———————————————————–
With the plan made and the bedding decided Vogh and the others finished their food and headed to bed.  Lavis had joined her in the bedroom, though Julia wasn’t there yet.  Vogh hoped that she was okay.

Just before going to sleep, Julia came into the room.  She looked quite worn out and after a few questions and answers, Julia had gone to bed not caring that Lavis was in the room.

Vogh had asked a few questions as they were about town and found that she needed to request a few items from the dreaming apothecary.  Vogh decided to ask if perhaps two items might be able to be combined.  Much like her hat was.  It would combine the powers of perception with being able to disable traps and open locks.  The crystal lenses should be able to be done but she didn’t know for sure.  The other item was a spell she had heard of that would allow her to be able to find magical traps much like Belie was able to.  Soon enough her dreams disappeared into a solid sleep.

===========================================================
Julia Graymantle
———————————————————–
Julia had helped out for the whole day at the church.  She got to know everyone that worked there while helping out healing many others.  Her feelings for the people in the Warrens were growing.  Though the night was late Julia had decided to head to see Belie.  She wanted to talk to him about his venture with the children.  Julia thought that he could make quite a difference with the children in the Warrens while also helping with information.  So, she went to the welcome inn.

After talking with Belie she returned to the Minstrel to find her room had changed and that Iltumar and another woman were staying with them.  She asked all that happened and told them of all she had done.  Then finally, she fell asleep while thinking about the children.

===========================================================
Talin
———————————————————–
When Bharash ga e his plan his seal of approval, Talin smiled.  It was true though, that Talin was never much of a writer and more of a performer.  Talin finished his food and headed up to bed.  As Talin had fallen asleep he thought about a way to strengthen his attacks and knew that the spell of bull’s strength would help greatly.  In wand form, he could cast it whenever he wanted, though only 50 times, much like his shield spell.

Talin met the others as planned, for breakfast.  Once more they all hashed out the plan and soon after finishing they were on their way.  Or so he thought for just then, Deacon came through the door and found the group finishing up their meal.

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Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
Deacon walked through the front door of the Minstrel hoping to find his friends eating breakfast and he wasn’t disappointed when he entered.  Walking up to them Deacon greeted them, “Good morning my friends!  Bharash, if you have time, I was able to find the spell needed to repair your blade.  I would have come earlier but I had my studying to do this morning.”

===========================================================
Bharash
———————————————————–

With the three girls in the bigger room, Iltumar in one bed and Talin in the other, Bharash cheerfully steals some pillows and stretches out on the floor, while Julia provides the unspoken answer to the question ‘won’t somebody think of the children?’ and Talin contemplates his narrative shortfalls… Although they’re sort of rich coming from Bharash, a man who once answered the question of whether the pen was mightier than the sword by answering “I mean, sure… if it’s a steel pen with a good, sharp nib and I can get in close. Who’d you want me to stab?”

Come the morning, he grumbles a bit, stretches a bit and generally complains to no-one in particular about how ‘he’s getting soft’ (a proposal that doesn’t survive more than a few seconds looking at him in his sleepwear) before he heads on down for breakfast in his usual fashion, promptly pushing out a chair when Deacon gets in and calling him over “Well, there’s good news. What do I owe you for it?”

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Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
“The supplies needed to scribe it into my spellbook was 700 gold pieces.  Pay me when you can.  I am looking forward to using the spell to fix your blade though, so for now that is your partial payment.  Shall we head upstairs and make it happen.  It will only take us a few minutes to do it.”  Deacon said when he saw that Bharash was ready.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“Well, Vogh handles all our paperwork, shouldn’t be too hard to transfer the coin from my vault to yours.” the big Dragonborn answers readily enough, nodding as makes his apologies to the others while stealing several pancakes and filling them with handfuls of whatever’s on the table so that he’s got something to much upon as he’s leading the spellcaster up to their rooms.

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Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
As they all made their way up to the room and closed the door behind them Deacon asked Bharash for the two pieces of his blade.  “Give me a moment to prep the spell.”  Deacon pulled out his spellbook, laid it before him on the desk, and with a quick glance at it to make sure he had memorized it right Deacon began his spellcasting.

With the blade on the desk, the magical energies began to become visible.  Spiderlike webbing formed on both pieces and began knitting them together.  After only a few moments the two blades were connected and the spiderlike webbing began to dissipate leaving behind the two connected pieces.  Deacon stopped chanting then and looked down at his work.  “Bharash, it is ready for you.  I only wish I could have enchanted it with more enhancements.”

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Reaching into his bags, Barash rummages for a few minutes – pulling out and setting aside a couple of the battered swords he pulled out of the charnel pit in the deep, including the one he snatched from the air, all looking rather improved for having been disassembled, cleaned, sharpened, oiled and generally looked after – before coming out with the cloth-wrapped shards of his blessed sword, which he sets out on the desk.

“Fair enough. You know, I meant to ask… You made the thing, like… Holy, right? Gave it divine power so it’d come down harder on evil forces..?” he proceeds to ask, while watching the magic take shape “You got any idea what God’s behind that? I mean, I probably ought to find out.”

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Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
Deacon didn’t have an answer for Bharash for the falcata wasn’t the original owner of the enchantment.  It was a strange weapon that he hadn’t seen before.  “I am sorry but no, I didn’t actually create the Holiness on the blade.  It was on that other blade I transferred the enchantment from.  Maybe Julia can check it out and give you an answer.”  Deacon turned to her and shrugged his shoulders.

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Julia Graymantle
———————————————————–
Julia watched the magic take hold and repair the blade.  The magic was unbelievable.  When she was asked about a ‘God’ being somehow involved, Julia said, “If I am given some time I think I could commune with Lothian and see about any of your blades.  I think it would be interesting, especially Vogh’s blades.  The purple crystal must hold some kind of godly tie.”

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Bharash
———————————————————–
“Uhm. I know, I was there, remember? You had me hold the damn’ thing out for an hour while you chanted at it to transfer the power from the spea… Hang on.”, blinking, Bharash looks at his sword then back at Deacon, then back at the sword before groaning “You mean to tell me you pumped a bunch of stolen divine energy into my weapon without even stopping to find out what God the original was devoted to? And you never even warned me? Deacon!”

He seems more exasperated than angry however, particularly when Julia offers a prospective solution and gives her a small nod of the head, “I should appreciate that, thank you. It’s a small enough thing to leave an offering at a shrine somewhere once in a while… Certainly better than taking the thing for granted.”

===========================================================
Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
Deacon shied back at first as Bharash’s voice raised, but eased almost right away when Bharash turned to Julia as she said she could probably see the source of the holiness in the blade.

With the blade together and things back to ‘normal’, Deacon asked what they all did yesterday.  He had been wondering since he saw Iltumar and a woman with them.  When they explained what had happened and that they were heading back there today Deacon nodded.  “Is there anything I can do or do you all have it covered?”

===========================================================
Julia Graymantle
———————————————————–
“How about I take a look at anyone’s stuff this evening.”  Julia offered to the group.  Then when Deacon asked if he could help the others Julia too asked the same question.  If they didn’t need her help she would probably head back to the church and help out there again.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh had explained all they had done the previous day and that for the moment she didn’t think they needed any assistance.  Julia’s comment about her blades put a big grin on Vogh’s face.  “I too would like to know if my blades have a God or Goddess behind their special abilities, tonight should be just fine for that.”  Vogh had been feeling that there was something more about her blades and since she had them back together again there seemed to be something more.

Once they were ready to head out, Vogh along with Talin, Iltumar, and Lavis moved to the exit of the Minstrel.  They made their way to the warehouse in their disguises.  Vogh had even used some of her clothing and disguise kit to change up Iltumar and Lavis.  “Now let’s do as we had discussed.”  Lavis then cast her spell to locate exactly where her gear was and once she showed where it was up to Bharash to do his thing.

For her part, Vogh scanned the interior of the building for intelligent life.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Lavis, rubbing her head from drinking the night before, was able to focus and cast the spell. She confirmed the gear was still inside the corner room. Vogh reached out with her mind but sensed no intelligent presence inside.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Turning back, Bharash just looks at the way Deacon recoils from him and schools his features into immobility rather than further express his feelings on the matter, let alone those regarding the spellcasters reaction.

Sometimes, all you can do is just accept this as they are.

Come the time to head out, he armours up this time before enveloping himself in the disguise Vogh recommends – you never know, after all – and then heading along, waiting for the spellcasters to signal the okay and then fishing a small tool it of his belt. He shakes it twice to extract a blade and then pushes it easily into the wall, where he places both hands on the extended grip and uses the device to quickly and with distressing ease cut a full-sized five by three doorway through the thick timber.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
After Vogh cast a spell to silence all sound of Bharash’s sawing, he made quick work of the buildings side. Lavis slipped inside and found her stuff thrown in a corner. She gathered everything up and hustled back out. Not bothering with donning armor, she did strap her sword belt around her waist and nodded to the group that she was ready to go.

===========================================================
Vogh
———————————————————–
Before Bharash had started the sawing on the side of the building, Vogh had scanned the building to find that there was nothing inside.  “I don’t sense anyone inside the place.  Perhaps it is before operating hours, but I find it interesting.”

Once Lavis had gathered her gear she had Lavis and Iltumar head back to the Minstrel as planned.  Vogh, Talin, and Bharash then were made their way away from the side of the building and tried to be as obvious as possible that they were there.  Vogh hoped that they would be spotted by someone in the school or something as they came back around to the main street.

Once they were clear of the area and away from the burglary, they ducked into an alleyway and changed into other disguises.  Then each of them headed in different directions and at different times so as to shake anyone following them.

When Vogh finally made it back to the Minstrel, she gathered up everyone again and headed back up to the room.  “I want to detect magic on your items Lavis.  I am not sure why they were left in an empty building.  It seemed way too easy.”  As long as Lavis agreed, Vogh detected magic on them and read the magical auras.

===========================================================
Bharash
———————————————————–

Once he’s cut out the plug of wood, Bharash flicks the tool one more time and plunges it into the centre of the wall, twists and lifts out the improvised door as neatly as he might carve up a cake… The tool apparently having become some sort of simple handle mid-way through the process.

Afterwards, he sets the plug back and asks, wryly “Anyone know how to mend?” before – one way or another – joining the escape effort, once more going through a moderate amount of care to avoid being followed before joining up with the others and observing “Anything stopping them from doing the same thing we did to find the stuff in the first place?”

===========================================================
Vogh
———————————————————–
When Bharash posed the question, that was the thing Vogh was worried about.  “Yes, they could do exactly the same thing to find the stuff.  We just have to hope that they don’t know the stuff well enough to be able to find it.”

Vogh changed the subject then.  “Do we want to head back underground to continue our search down there?  Or do we want to wait a few days to let them put their guard down?  I personally don’t think we give them too much time especially since we have no way of knowing how close they are to accomplishing what they want to do with Wuntad.”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Lavis looked over everything as Vogh cast detect magic on the effects. The armor and weapon glowed magical. The attractive young woman cursed when she checked her pack and found all the coins she had on her were missing. “It’s to be expected I guess. At least I got the most expensive stuff back. Replacing my sword and armor would have broken me.” She looked over the group and thanked them profusel. “Thank you again my friends. If you ever have any need I have the power to fill, please let me know. I owe you a great debt, both for my life, freedom and posessions.”

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“Can’t say that I’ve a strong feeling one way or another, but I do think we need to do something about these ‘Night of Dissolution’ yahoos. If nothing else, we ought to nip in the bud any effort they might be about to make to go after the boy again.” Bharash comments, before giving Lavis a small, wry look and shaking his head, “I’d want someone to do the same for me. If there’s anything else you need, let us know. There’s few enough good-hearted sorts in this city not to look after the ones we know.”

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Vogh
———————————————————–
“I agree with Bharash. You both are welcome, also, I think the both of you should not travel alone for the time being.  They may try and find you again or even send someone to take you out of the picture completely.”  Vogh said as she looked at the both of them.

“Now for us, I think we should get Belie and head back below now.  I think we should teleport as well since we have no way of knowing if they will be setting up traps and the like along the whole way down.  We can pick a spot that should lend us relative safety, perhaps the dwarf’s room above or the one room with the hanging bed?”

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Julia Graymantle
———————————————————–
Julia had a sour look on her face when Vogh said they should get Belie.  “He isn’t going to be available.  He and Jamir are heading to the gnomes with supplies.  He said it was far too long since he had been there and they probably needed some.  Oh, which reminds me, Deacon, he asked if you had gotten the scrolls for the teleportation circles?  Cause if you have then we could take care of this quickly and he could join us.”

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Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
Deacon was shaking his head even as Julia was asking the question.  “I had totally forgotten all about that.  I think I should be getting them tonight though.”  He had almost forgotten about those scrolls till now.  “I was really looking forward to doing that spell as well.”

Then to Vogh Deacon said, “I think the dwarf’s room would be the best spot for the teleport.  With Belie not coming I can take us all in one shot now.”

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“I suppose we could. I mean, I’ve nothing more important to do before I finish paying off the house, and I’m a little short just now. A couple of thousand gold – one or two good fights with cultists with poor banking habits – and I’m there.” Bharash states, in perhaps the most domestic possible expression of his motives in heading out today, although he does hold up one finger and add “Oh, hey we should take something nice down for Ibulli. Some books or something. We’re going to be traipsing through her home, after all.”

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh thought about Ibulli for a moment and then nodded her head.  “Yes, I am sure we can find something in Delver’s Square that would work.  Let’s go then.”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
At Bharash’s suggestion of books Talin raised a finger and remembered the older halfing gentlemen who owned Qualin’s Books just on the other side of Midtown. Past the Mane and right on the edge of the Halfling area of town, Katterwood, Qualin’s Books was where they had purchased some reading for their friends currently occupying the “hideout.”

A few thousand halflings resided all over Ptolus. Of all the nonhuman races, halflings seemed the least interested in keeping to themselves. They enjoyed mixing with other races – particularly elves and humans, whom they quite liked. The more clannish halflings, however, lived either in Fairbriar or Katterwood. Populated almost exclusively by halflings and humans, Katterwood was a friendly and welcoming place, often filled with music. The central square of Katterwood, known as Jurrin’s Plaza, was filled with the traditional nomadic pony-wagons that halflings employed as they travel. Most were very old and hadn’t moved in decades. But Qualin’s resided at the outer-most part of the Katterwood neighborhood.

The group of five made their way to his shop. The old, bald and rather heavy halfling widened his eyes considerably when they walked in. His thick glasses magnified the effect of his wide eyes commically. Quinlan slowly set down the book he was reading and stood up cautiously. “May… May I help you? I haven’t any maps or information about the dungeons below or anything, if that’s what you’re wanting…”

Clearly the elderly halfling was frightened seeing armed and armored people entering his shop, and was mistaking them for lost delvers. That was just upon seeing Vogh. His eyes nearly fell out as his jaw dropped open upon the hulking Bharash stepping into the shop.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Bharash is not entirely a stranger to book shops, but it’s still a reasonably safe assumption for most individuals to make that he limits his reading to slim tomes long on adult woodcuts and short on long words… Still, he’s careful not to knock over a set of shelves by turning around too quickly and he keeps a hand on the hilt at his hip – not with the intention of making a sudden draw, but to keep the far end of the blade from smacking anything – while he rumbles amenably, “That’s quite alright, we’re actually looking for a couple of gifts. Nothing terribly exotic, more the sort of thing that would occupy an arcane sort with limited access to the merchant district. Not delving material per se, but delving adjacent, as it were.”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
“Uh. Yes. Yes. Of course.” He stammered a bit, pushing his weight out of the chair and shuffling around the side of the small table which had a dozen other books piled atop it. He thought for a moment, walking along the shelves.

“Here is one, Befuddling Your Enemies: Illusion Spells by Forowen Grimkeep. It’s not a spell book, but more a treatise on using them and examples from his life. This one is relatively popular, 1,000 Uses for Prestidigitation by Drexil Humblepot. Commical, but also quite useful. Gehenna’s Gates by Krondil Asperban is written in draconic and it’s a fiction work about a delver. Um, here is another, Enchanting Ideas by Heath Moores. Elven wizard of some renoun. I’ve sold several copies of his book.”

Qualin looked at Deacon, standing in wizards robes with an obviously wizard staff after he said this; however, the halfling had his back turned to the elf when he spoke so Deacon didn’t know why.

“And just because it’s been quite popular of late I’ve got this contemporary biography The Finest Great Exploits of the Captain. Doleen Kafter, the halfling author, wrote this about the elven Captain Banquo of the ship Spirit of Heaven. He’s been long searching for the sunken kingdom of Negrastir.”

“Do any of those meet your fancies?”

[Private to GM: This elven explorer’s ship has a silverwood hull with lateen rigged canvas sails]

[Private to Vogh: The name Doleen Kafter should tickle your memory.]

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Before Vogh could say anything as she entered she saw the look on the little halfling.  She smiled wide to try and put an easy mood in the shop.

What BHarash suggested a few seconds later was spot on.  “Yes, I would think they would like any of them very much.  I think we should pick two for the gift, but I would like them all if you don’t mind.”

Vogh reached back in her mind at the mention of Doleen Kafter.  [Private to GM: I don’t remember, sorry.]

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
The halflings eyes widened at Vogh’s pronouncement to purchase all the books. “In that case I’ll give you a nice discount, 10gp per book miss.”

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh wasn’t sure if the price was a discount or not, she didn’t buy books that often and the ones she had read she never asked about the price of them.  Deciding not to haggle at the moment, Vogh gave a wide grin and said, “You drive a hard bargain.”  Rumbling around in her coin purse she pulls out 5 platinum pieces and lays them on the counter.  “That should cover the cost.  These should make fine gifts for our friends.”

As they left Vogh looked to Bharash, “I think we should offer the Befuddling Your Enemies and Enchanting Ideas to Ibulli.  The other two will be nice for Thariad and Degar.”

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Bharash
———————————————————–

With Vogh stepping in to handle the tricky part, Bharash cedes the conversation to her and then undertakes to fulfil his manly obligations in this situation by offering to carry their purchases, something he happens to be supremely qualified to do, “Seems reasonable to me. I just recall that she precedes the cultists there, didn’t mind our passing through and might be willing to let us know about any changes in the area if we get on her good side. Besides, we didn’t leave a luritas when we went through before, and that always sits ill with me.”

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh laughed a moment later after Bharash spoke.  She too had made an assumption about Ibulli being a female, but after they had spoken she knew Ibulli to be a male.  It actually is pretty hard to tell when they speak for both sounds pretty alike.  “I believe she is a he, Bharash, but yes if he can give us information about changes then it would be beneficial.”

A moment later she asked Deacon, “If you would be so kind as to get us to the dwarf’s room I think we are ready.”

===========================================================
Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
Deacon would have to take a look at some of those books Vogh had purchased before she gave them away.  The prestidigitation one sounded like a good read.  When they exited and Vogh asked Deacon to cast his spell, he had everyone join hands and then pictured the room in his head.  He had just been there once but it should be enough to get them there safely.  “Will do!”

Deacon then began to say the arcane words and they suddenly disappeared.  In an instant, they reappeared in the room where the dwarf had been tied up just a day ago.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“In my defense, I have made it a lifelong policy never to get involved with anything that has twice my number of limbs… I’m still undecided about Wemics.” Bharash answers amenably, taking a moment to put down the shopping and check his swords, picking up the bag just in time to swear “Dammit, I was going to buy a canteen!” as the party teleports.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
The group magically appeared in the dwarfs bedroom. The wooden bed and chest of drawers remained but it seemed to have been vacated. No bedding was present on the straw mattress. The iron bound chest, which was now unlocked, the wooden box.and the dresser were all empty. Nothing of value had been left behind. It seemed the dwarf had moved out.

[Private to GM:

Ibuli will tell the Charaters: The chaos cultists prepare something big. They talk of a huge machine in the caves beyond, and of something called the Final Ritual, which will be performed beneath a temple.

Venom Shaped Thralls, and strange 4 legged thralls on page 55 of NoD- Perhaps these are more powerful Thralls, better equipped- Reach weapons to keep them at bay?- Patrols around the Temple, looking for the group to return?
Ratlords, Ratbrutes & Ratmen also all over the temple?
Astared, Male centaur half-demon (Chaotic Evil)

Illadras, Female human (Chaotic Evil)
Cleric8 (chaos gods)

Acolytes (3), Female humans (Chaotic Evil)
Cleric1 (chaos gods)
Brothers of Venom (2), Male humans (Chaotic Evil)
Fighter4

Nirech-thes, Balor Demon
Rhinnis, the Minotaur, Large monstrous humanoid, Cleric4Cast shield of faith (+2 bonus to AC), and bull’s strength (+2 bonus to attack and damage)
Divine favor (+1 bonus to attack and damage)

Lorelii, Female human major mutant (Chaotic Evil)

Herriakadal, Female medusa

Woreron Racksmite, Male Stonelost dwarf (Chaotic Evil)Fighter3/cleric2 (chaos gods) CR 5

1) Remember the Magic Item a Mora for Deacon to learn from the IP

2) Include a sword of the great harrowing from Dragon magic book. It actually hurts bharash, Vogh and Talin. They try to sell it, but this pisses off House Dragon. Perhaps Lord D. requires they quest to find the sword and bring it back to him for destruction.

3) Person in prisons to talk about them

4) Black orcs

5) Remember escaped arcane casters from the sum asylum / Wizards broken out of asylum

6) Maybe have someone approach Vogh and Talin about Dullin b. Being kidnapped.

7) Runebearers: Corrent Apathi, Darata Chornim, Dullin Balacazar, Tarthia Kor

8) knights of the Chord will require some kind of solo quest

9) Powerful bard woman supports Helmut and the republicans

10) Patron group? Knights of the Chord? Iverted pyramid?

11) Knights of the Pale contact them, possibly at Kath party. Remember the knights of pale (Dierna Hillerchaun, noble, ex delver, rich, tied to Malkuth. She will know about freed angel from banewarrens) and golden cross (Kiera. Rich. Altruistic. Elder gods – can sense the touch on the group – and Vallis Moon) attending Vogh’s party to talk to them about coming events and chaos cultists

12) Pharris commisars men seeks them out at the Minstrel for dinner

13) House Kath businesses under attack?

14) Kids all missing? Implicate Helmut

15) The ambush kidnapping? City watch lures Vogh? Chaos cultists attack in the street? Spells and items to teleport her away without will save?

16) Someone will tell Deacon to prepare battle magic as the commissar wants the IP people ready for attack, maybe they can tell him about the Mora from #1 above

17) Commissar and Emperor both invite group to dinners to sway them to their side

18) Remember the group seeing the orrery in the hidden room. I need to reread that.

19) #266 Chapter 1: The Dragonborn, The Elf and the Blind Woman
Parnaith is trying to guide them, as are the elder gods, wanting Raguel to meet them

20) Lord Dragon (Damothian?) needs to be at the Kath party and Deacon needs to see his sword… Remember post #559 from chapter 5

21) Wuntand, hurting him actually hurts prisoners

Spells:

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/spiked-pit
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic…/infernal-challenger
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic…c/chain-of-perdition
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/besti…tsiders/demon/vrock/
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/besti…iders/demon/glabrezu
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/confusion
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/besti…utsiders/demon/babau
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic…ell-lists-CLERIC/#p3
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/dread-bolt]

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Just as Bharash commented on not buying his canteen Vogh’s laugh faded to black as they disappeared.

Vogh came out of the teleport ready to move and so she did.  The room, which she hadn’t seen before, seemed completely unoccupied but that didn’t deter Vogh from drawing both her purple crystal blades and concentrating to see if there were any life forms around them.  To keep things quiet she then spoke to the others through her telepathy, “Let’s head over to Ibulli first and see if he is there and if he can give us any information about why the dwarf moved out and when and possibly where he went as well.”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Vogh’s head was flooded when she reached out. She sensed dozens of ratmen, several other things she couldn’t identify but that had very low intelligence, plus she senses Ibulli nearly due south of them higher up in his nest. She did not sense the big demons they fought, nor the medusa she sensed before Deacon dropped a building on her.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
“I can sense that Ibulli is due south and that makes sense as that is where he was before.  Though I also sense a dozen or so ratmen and some things I have no idea what they are.  So, do we go out in a fighter manner or wait to see what we find?”  Vogh asked.

Vogh then reached out to Ibulli, “Greetings Ibulli, It is Vogh again.  We have come to finish what we started and also we came with a gift to you to show our appreciation for assisting us before.”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Vogh touched the Aranea’s mind and immediately felt surprise surge back at her. “Hel… Hello?“ He sent telepathically back to her. After Vogh explained who they were the spider creature responded, shocked. “Oh. You’ve returned. A what? You… You brought me a gift? Why?“

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Vogh
———————————————————–
“As I said, you helped us and even gave us a gift.  You didn’t have to do that, but you did, so we thought it only right that we come with a gift for you to show you that your gifts were appreciated.”  Explaining a gift and why one gives it is not something Vogh thought she would need to explain, but she did with a happy tone.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
After Vogh telepathically explained to Ibulli about the books they brought as a gift for him there was a long pause. Then the aranea started to explain, slowly, a few of the recent goings on. “The chaos cultists prepare something big. They talk of a huge machine in the caves beyond, and of something called the Final Ritual, which will be performed beneath some temple. Since you all came and attacked they have brought in dozens of ratmen, dozens, plus many of the big ratbrutes and even some creatures I’ve never seen before. They are large and stupid, but extremely strong. They have patrols moving constantly around this level. Every step you make, if you intend to go deeper, will be a harsh battle. All the prisoners were either killed or moved somewhere else they call the Kaleidoscope Temple. I think it’s on this same level, but I’ve never seen it myself. Why have you returned? What do you intend to do?“

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Vogh
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“Thank you for the information, Ibulli!  That is very helpful.  Our plans are simple.  It is to stop the chaos cultists from performing any ritual and gaining any more power.”  Vogh explained.  “We will keep an eye out for the patrols and any of the remaining prisoners.  Anything else we can do for you?”

Vogh spoke to the others then, “Ibulli says that the cultists have ramped up patrols and have lots of ratmen and some other large creatures aiding them.  He thinks there may be some prisoners in what he called the Kaleidoscope Temple which he thinks is on this level.  So, I think we should hold our heavy buffs for the bigger opponents.  For now, we head to Ibulli to drop off the gifts and then go to the area where we collapsed the building.”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
The intelligent spider creature still seemed a bit confused, and he explained further. “I don’t understand why you would risk yourself in this fight? Further, I don’t understand your kindness toward me? You don’t even know me… I’ve never encountered humanoids like yourselves. These chaos worshipers came here and set up shop, and they mostly left me alone, so I’ve tolerated their presence. You seem entirely different from them… And to bring me gifts, when I’ve done nothing for you? I’m surprised by you and your friends.“

[Private to Vogh: Talk to him some more b/c I’ve got a big “bomb” to drop on you (good) and you need to role play a bit more 😉]

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Bharash, who has little or nothing involved in the conversation himself despite havin gbeen the one who thought well enough of the spider-thing to remember them before they went down rumbles vague agreement as he moves from one viewing-slit to the next through the dwarves hidey-hole, making good use of his ability to see in total darkness to get a look at things out there without giving away their position, his one notable comment on it all being “Whatever’s going on’s big then. Good thing we came back when we did. I definitely want to hit this temple of theirs early. Nothing good comes of leaving people in the hands of cultists.”

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Vogh
———————————————————–
In reply to Narrator GM

Vogh didn’t even have to think of a reason in her head for the things that she did or what they as a group do.  It is a matter of right and wrong in her head.  Sure there is always room for grey areas.  Vogh often worked within those confines herself.  “The answer to your questions is simple.  It is the right thing to do.  We risk ourselves cause it is right and we are capable and willing to do so.  We are kind to you in return for your kindness.  One doesn’t need to be friends with someone to do the right thing by them.  Perhaps if more and more people would think of others and not only themselves the world could be a better place.  As for these chaos cultists, they take prisoners from the streets and do god knows what to them.  You said yourself that they killed some, and for what better reason than they can.”

“I agree with Bharash, now, it seems like we may be in battle if the ratmen are wanting a fight when we come out.  I think we should cast a couple of our longer-lasting buffs and then make our move.”  She telepathically said to everyone.

With that said, Vogh began to cast good hope on everyone.

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Deacon Havenhold
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Deacon nodded and cast his communal darkvision spell so that Vogh and Talin would be able to see.  He would cast something else later when he needed to.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Another long pause of mental silence ticked away moments with the group inside the dwarf’s old bedroom before Ibulli answered Vogh telepathically once more. “Interesting. I’ve never met one of your ilk. I wish I had. I was taught to believe all humanoids were evil and destructive, and until now, that has been my personal experience as well. I’m going to offer you a parting gift. You may keep what you brought for me, for I dare not face you after I reveal this information. You crossed paths with a group I’m associated with, the Pactlords of the Quaan. You killed a great many of our number, and caused great damage in the demiplane.“ Vogh could sense Ibulli moving up and away even as he spoke in her mind. “I reported your presence in this place to them. They are still very angry about the losses, and they still desire the Black Grail from the Banewarrens. They know you possess the key and are plotting to capture or kill you. Please forgive my involvement in this, but you have my word I will not agree to harm you unless you first attack me. I will be leaving this place. I hope to find more people like you. Watch your back Vogh, and your friends’. My associates are powerful creatures with great resources, and you have something they want.“ The connection was broken between their minds as Ibulli moved beyond the range of Vogh’s telepathy. Clearly the spider had an escape route in the ceiling of his chambers.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“Fair enough. I suggest we move through the tower, drop off the books and press on as quietly as we can. If we’re even a little bit sneaky, we might manage to avoid warning them until we’re at the temple… And since reinforcements mean they won’t all recognise each other…” Bharash proposes, blurring a little in the groups Darkvision and transitioning from a burly armoured Dragonborn warrior in shining mithril plate into a hulking, similarly-proportioned rat-hulk, clad in bolted-on sections of rusting metal…

…he’s really starting to get some mileage out of that Hat of Disguise lately.

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Narrator GM
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To clarify, there are lots of ramen in the areas on both sides of the tower where Ibulli lived. They are less than 100 feet from you. I’ll try to update Roll 20 asap.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh had listened to what Ibulli had to offer as far as information was concerned.  It wasn’t good news for sure but the warning would help them prepare for the future at least.  Before Ibulli had gone out of her range she did ask if there were any names and exact people she could know.

As she was asking for the information Bharash began to change into one of those larger ratbrute creatures.  That was a good idea.  “Ibulli just gave me a warning about the Pactlords.  He is part of them and warned them of our presence here.  They are quite angry with what we did in the Quaan and with their numbers.  They will be hunting us and looking for the key.  As for Ibulli, well he has fled but he did thank us for showing him that not all humans are evil.  So, we keep the books for now.”

Vogh then said, “I think that Bharash has the right idea though.  Perhaps we can disguise ourselves and make our way to the crumbled temple area without a fight and then head inside if it is clear.”

Vogh too began to change then.  She looked more like a regular ratman.  They had encountered enough of them to be able to make the disguise very accurate.

Everyone else began to change as well and suddenly there were 5 ratmen and 1 brute ready to leave the room.

“Still, we should be ready for a fight.”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
No answer came back from Ibulli, the revelation he shared seemed the extent of his willingness to betray his own group.

Vogh opened the door and could sense even more minds of ratment and their bigger cousins, then at least two of the low intelligence beasts Ibulli hinted at. A cry of squeaks went up as they stepped into the hallway and all (but Deacon) could hear the rustle of preparation. Vogh could sense the ratmen moving around and they could hear more chittering of the ratmen’s language echoing in the big room. However, no attack came.

(let me know what you’re doing next)

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“Uhm. Okay, I guess. I’d still be happy to drop them off, but to each their own.” Bharash states amenably, before rolling his shoulders and settling into a sort of crouching shamble, grunting from time to time as he heads down the steps ahead of the group, curious to see whether or not their impromptu disguise has worked out.

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Vogh
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Vogh heard the squeal but tried not to let it seem like she knew it instead she watched as the ratmen got into defensive postures and so she too went into a defensive position.

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Narrator GM
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Bharash had a surprise as he moved to where the tunnel opened into the large room they had been in before. An explosion of fire came from the floor, and rolled over Deacon and Julia as well. (Narrator GM rolled 18 fire damage). Shouts of alarm and more echoed through the chamber as all hell started to break loose.

Roll Initiative

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Vogh
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Initiatives:
V19,T10,J15,D17
No reflex save?

Vogh in her ratman form tried to squeal in pain and pat down the flames that would be on the fur.  All while bouncing around as she thought a ratman would.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
OOC: Readied actions allowed the ratmen to go first. Deacon could make a spell craft check.

Unfortunately the explosion seemed to be something the ratmen were waiting for as the explosive concussion of thir bang-sticks nearly shattered eardrums as multiple retorts fired off. One of the metal projectiles slammed into Bharash with incredible force. (11 dmg) The other rounds caused rock to shatter and spray in the room as the ratmen missed and the projectiles slammed into the stone walls.

Vogh could sense several more minds inside the tower, lower level, but her mind was being overwhelmed by the number of beings in the near vicinity. Like looking across a battle field, it was hard to juggle everything mentally and visually.

The group could see a line of the ratmen which had just fired their dragon rifles and were starting to reload. Another line in front of them wielded long spears, pikes and other assorted long hafted weapons to keep an enemy at bay.

Nearly identical lines existed on the far side of the room, clearly the cultists wanted to cover their bases had the group come through either direction.

Two hulking brutes stood just behind the line. They were like nothing the group had ever seen. They easily stood twice Bharash’s height and had to weigh several hundred pounds. Massive clubs, more like trees, looked weighless in their hands. Gray skin was stretched taught over muscles and mottled with countless puss filled and oozing blisters.

Standing nearly in the middle of the room the group also saw an old “friend.” A white furred ratman stood in obsidian black armor.

To their left, the crumbled walls and collapsed ceiling of the building they had been inside still stank of blood and rot, but it seemed all the bodies had been carried away.

Bharash also saw with his peripheral vision, two of the oversized rats, nearly his size, frothing at the mouth and readying to charge him.

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Vogh
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Standing in the back of the formation they had, Vogh had no option to just charge.  She couldn’t believe that the place was ready and set as they were.  To her, it didn’t make any sense, but as she saw the albino ratman she had a goal in mind…  kill him at all costs.

Vogh had a few options but she started off with bringing a song to the minds of her friends.  It was one filled with anger and fire.  +3 to hit and damage and 3d6 fire damage.

Vogh then cast a spell on the center 6 monsters which included the albino.
Cast slow will save DC19

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Deacon Havenhold
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When the glyph of warding went off Deacon felt the full effects of the fireball as it exploded.  It hurt but he could fight fire with fire so he grabbed his wand and shot out at the mass of ratmen centering the blast in the middle. (Red circle)

18:10, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 22 using 5d6.  Fireball DC 14 for half.

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Julia Graymantle
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Julia had her eyes out in front of her and hadn’t noticed the explosion in time to even begin to dodge out of the way.  The tips of her blonde hair singed slightly bringing a curse to her tongue.

Julia could barely make out all the forms but the raucous being made was enough to tell her that there were a lot of enemies ahead of her.  So, she cast a spell to aid her friends while hindering the enemy.

Julia will cast Prayer

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Talin
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Talin was a little slow to react as he had been keeping an eye out for attacks from the rear but after hearing the explosion and then the firing of the dragon rifles he turned back towards the enemy.

Talin moved to get up close and then cast haste on everyone to quicken their actions all while singing out with his music.  “Let’s get them Bharash!”

Satire effect on the enemy! -3 to hit and damage

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Bharash
———————————————————–
Bharash has an established preference for leaving ratfolk alive, for the most part – he simply finds it beneath his dignity to go around slaughtering individuals who could no more put up a fight against someone of his size and skill than a child – but when they make a serious attempt to blow him up, when they smear lines of lead all over his shiny armour from short-range gunfire that doesn’t penetrate (and red all over his hip from the one that did) and his swords erupt into fire, well…

…at that point you sort of have to let things take their course, which is why he roars in outrage as he steps forwards with a growl of “I was going to try and leave you bastards alone this time!” that dopplers down the tonal range with each of his two short strides as he grows abruptly, shadow-stuff flowing down the walls and over the floor to cling to him as it lengthens his limbs and adds to the sheer, unnatural bulk of him…

…as well as giving him the reach to lash out at the front rank of gunmen, which he does with great, sweeping strokes that are as well-suited to harvesting grain as lives.

—

Combining a 5′ step with entering Jotun Khumatrage, giving me the reach to full-attack and twat people.

Bharash starts at the top-left Ratman and it looks like he can hit the front six in that line, which he does, once each for (respectively) a total of 49, 32, 44, 84, 33 & 36 damage (assuming that they’re evil and have an AC of 24 or less).
He then attack-of-opportunities the charging rat on his right for 31, head-butts the one charging on his left by the scruff for 19 before grabbing it by the scruff with his jaws and shaking it for 23.
It would appear that they have upset him.

To Hit   Damage   Fire    Holy
39       26       14       9
35       22       10
33       26       10       8
45(44)   19(54)   10(30)
24       19       10       4
26       23       13
33       10        9
22       12       11
39       17       14

23:03, Today: Bharash rolled 9,2,14 using 1d20,1d6,3d6.  Attack of opportunity!
23:00, Today: Bharash rolled 19 using 1d20.  Critical threat.
22:50, Today: Bharash rolled 9,8,4 using 2d6,2d6,2d6.  Holy for #1.
22:49, Today: Bharash rolled 13,1,9,2,3,11 using 1d20,1d6,3d6,1d20,1d6,3d6.  See you jimmy, thud, woosh, snap, chomp, woosh.
22:51, Today: Bharash rolled 10,2,10,12,6,13 using 1d20,1d6,3d6,1d20,1d6,3d6.  Slash, chop, woosh, slash, chop, woosh #3.
22:49, Today: Bharash rolled 8,9,10,20,2,10 using 1d20,2d6,3d6,1d20,2d6,3d6.  Slash, chop, woosh, slash, chop, woosh #2.
22:48, Today: Bharash rolled 9,9,14,5,5,10 using 1d20,2d6,3d6,1d20,2d6,3d6.  Slash, chop, woosh, slash, chop, woosh #1.

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Narrator GM
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Will Save DC 19 against Slow: Albino, Shaman, W1, W2, RB1, RB2 ((15,15,6,2,17,10)).
Ref Save DC 14 against Fireball ((6,14,8,12,3,19)) (-1 from Slow taken into account)

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
First, Deacon’s fireball exploded and killed nearly all the ratmen in blazing agony. Only three remained standing, and those were slapping at flames. Immediately the room was flooded with the stench of burned hair that nearly stole the gruop’s breath away. Then, Bhrash rushed forward and sliced six more of the creatures into ribbons. Those left broke ranks and fled. The two massively-overside rats rushed in at Bharash’s sides, snapping teeth from slobbering mouths and slashing claws. One bite clanked against his magical armor, doing no damage, but one set of teeth found purchase and ripped the dragonborn’s scales, drawing blood beneath his interlapping metal plates. (15 dmg + DC 14 Fort Save or get Filth Fever in 3 days)

Two of the puss covered brutes stomped forward, shaking the stones beneath their feet and crushing blood and gore from the dead ratmen. Two of the club swings whistled near the dragonborn, nearly clipping him with giant-strength. But then each of their gnarled, clawed hands slammed into him (2 nat 20’s!? haha) with crushing strength. (11 + 14 dmg) (OOC: Sigh. Nevermind. NONE of that happend because they were slowed and couldn’t move and attack.) Their movements were slow and clumsy as they moved forward.

One ratbrute with its huge, serrated steel blade seemed to be moving terribly slowly as well, but the other was emboldened by the reinforcements, so it rushed around and stabbed at Bharash. (Just rolled another nat 20. That’s insane) The sword slammed into his magnificent armor with a ring, causing minor bruising. (13 dmg)

Another of the giant creatures moved toward the brawl, but couldn’t reach them yet, and even if it could, Bharash was surrounded. Both the albino and shaman wanted nothing more to do with the fight after nearly their entire troop was destroyed in seconds, and fled through the tower.

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Vogh
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Vogh saw the lines collapse before her eyes and she wasn’t surprised to see the albino and the other thing run away.  The ratmen troops mostly ran away as well.  But, the big ratmen and the puss-ridden things advanced and that meant they needed to be dealt with before she could get to the albino.

Vogh stepped up with a 5ft step and slashed with her crystal blades into the soft flesh of the large rat before her.  “Are you such a coward that you can’t stand against us?”  Vogh said in the head of the Albino.

What does the Shaman look like?
Hit AC30 for 28, AC30 for 36, AC24 for 35, AC25 for 35
14:29, Today: Vogh rolled 29,23,5,29,24,12,23,25,8,24,25,10 using d20+16,d8+20,3d6,d20+16,d8+20,3d6,d20+16,d8+20,3d6,d20+16,d8+20,3d6.

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Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
Deacon scrunched up his nose at the burning hair from the rats he fried, but a smile grew on his face as most of the ones that lived had run off.

The fight now seemed like it was one that the others could handle easy enough so Deacon held back any casting till it was needed.

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Julia Graymantle
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Julia stepped forward enough to get a good shot on the big puss-ridden guys and fired off three bolts in rapid succession.

Hit AC22 for 26, AC26 for 35, AC29 for 20
15:09, Today: Julia Graymantle rolled 22,11,9,6,26,12,8,15,29,11,2,7 using d20+18,d10+6,2d6,3d6,d20+18,d10+6,2d6,3d6,d20+13,d10+6,2d6,3d6.

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Talin
———————————————————–
The smell was disgusting in the room and Vogh’s attacks only added to the stench as her crystal blades burned the flesh of the large rat before her.  Talin then charged the large ratman with the serrated blade and attack him.

Possible crit hit AC42 for 38 and if AC28 hits then 21 more for 59 total
17:43, Today: Talin rolled 26,21,8,9 using d20+23,2d6+13,2d6,3d6.  crit check.

17:43, Today: Talin rolled 42,21,7,10 using d20+23,2d6+13,2d6,3d6.

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Bharash
———————————————————–
Bharash wades through the sea of dying ratfolk like the prow of some great and terrible warship, bodies and parts of bodies erupting away from him in great, horrible crescents of utter destruction – largely ignoring the four-hundred pound rat gnawing at his thigh-plate – until he comes up against the first of the monstrosities and simply looks up up and down before grinning, slowly… And moving in to engage the thing, both blades swinging low and then thrusting up in an attempt to pierce the monsters ribcage from below, tearing through diaphragm, lungs and heart before they whirl out again – one catching for a moment on a rib in a fashion that makes him stumble forwards, momentarily vulnerable* – to whirl and slam down again, aiming for joints and vulnerable points – occasionally lashing out at the things neighbour simply because there’s a moment of exposure he can take advantage of, a weaknesss or an opening in their powerful, sluggish style.

—

Okay, engaging the big guys. Assuming an AC of 34 or less, an evil alignment and no pertinent resistances, they take: 42, 80, -, 37, 41, 33, & 21 damage, with overspill from number one going to number two, from number two to the rats behind me and anything left over handed to the next biggest rat in reach.

*Attack #3 is a botch, which because we’ve not updated the house rules yet means Bharash stumbles closer to the giants and everyone gets an AoO on him.

To Hit  Damage  Fire  Holy
34      23      13     6
50(35)  23(69)  11
26(30)   -      11     8
37      26      11
35      22      12     7
36      27       6
41      10      11

01:22, Today: Bharash rolled 2 using 1d20.  Fortitude save.
01:14, Today: Bharash rolled 5,5 using 1d20,1d20.  Critical check, botch check.
01:13, Today: Bharash rolled 19,3,11 using 1d20,1d6,3d6.  Headbutt.
01:12, Today: Bharash rolled 15,5,12,7,16,10,6 using 1d20,2d6,3d6,2d6,1d20,2d6,3d6.  #3.
01:12, Today: Bharash rolled 1,2,11,8,12,9,11 using 1d20,2d6,3d6,2d6,1d20,2d6,3d6.  #2.
01:12, Today: Bharash rolled 14,6,13,6,20,6,11 using 1d20,2d6,3d6,2d6,1d20,2d6,3d6.  #1.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
The group’s concerted efforts laid waste to everything near them. Vogh sliced the big rat to ribbons as Talin rolled past the carcas and ended the serrated blade carrying brute. Between Bharash and Julia’s attacks, the big rat and two of the puss-giants fell. The final ratbrute in the room fled away from them, into the long hallway, while the final puss-giant charged forward and swung at Talin with a club, then tried to claw him with the opposite hand. Both attacks missed.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh had easily dispatched the large dire rat before her and now as Talin faced off with the puss covered giant she stepped up next to her man and slashed her blades across sensitive spots all while trying to avoid any splatter of blood.  “They’re all running as usual!”

Hit AC 28 for 35, AC19 for 36, AC33 for 33, AC22 for 19
15:05, Today: Vogh rolled 28,23,12,19,26,10,33,23,10,22,21,8 using d20+16,d8+20,3d6,d20+16,d8+20,3d6,d20+16,d8+20,3d6,d20+16,d8+20,3d6

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Julia Graymantle
———————————————————–
Julia wasnt concerned with the running ratmen they had a giant thing before them currently and even as Vogh slashed her fine blades at it Julia took a step forward to get a clear shot and fired her crossbow hoping to finish off the giant.

Hit AC29 for 34, AC19 for 32, AC27 for 28.
21:15, Today: Julia Graymantle rolled 29,14,10,10,19,9,11,12,27,11,8,9 using d20+18,d10+6,2d6,3d6,d20+18,d10+6,2d6,3d6,d20+13,d10+6,2d6,3d6

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Vogh and Julia’s concerted efforts were too much for the huge, lumbering creature. Vogh couldn’t sense any of the other ratmen who had fled, likely they passed beyond her range. She felt and sensed no other intelligence around. The two big rat creatures didn’t attack, but backed into their respective corners defensively like any feareful animal.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Releasing the shadows that cloaked his body, Bhrash steps out of the blur of incomprehensible violence he just engaged in, blood dripping from more or less every inch of his shining mithril armour… A low, angry growl escapes him as he breathes slowly but deeply, recovering from his exertions and he remarks “I really didn’t want to butcher these idiots but I suppose that’s why we’re here.”, pacing over to the northern passage as he wipes his blades off in order to shout “Next time, surrender or just back off and no-one has to die!” at the retreating foe.

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Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
With the fight over for now Deacon cast a quick spell to see if by chance anything carried by the enemy was magical.  As he moved forward through the dead he asked, “Vogh I think you need to be checking for traps more readily now.  The glyphs are not difficult to spot if you can find magical traps like Belie could.  I will try and keep my spell active to detect magic in the meantime.”

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh wiped both of her blades off on some of the clothing from the giant.  She didn’t want the gore in her scabbards as she still had no idea why the giant was so puss-filled.

“Good idea Deacon, I think I should be in the front from now on as well to help find any traps before Bharash triggers them.  Which reminds me, Julia we are all a bit injured could you heal us all before we push further?”  Vogh continued on saying, “I am not sensing any other intelligent form near us, they all must have left my range now.  Shall we head to the temple area that we collapsed?”

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Julia Graymantle
———————————————————–
Julia welcomed the chance to be able to heal everyone, especially Bharash.  The Dragonborn had blood splattered all over him and most assuredly some of it was his and besides she could see the charred spots on his scales from here.

So Julia got within range of everyone and began her prayer, once it was finished a blast of healing magic enveloped everyone.  29HP back for everyone.

17:37, Today: Julia Graymantle rolled 29 using 9d6.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
So what-cha-doin-next? Move tokens on roll20 or post here.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“They broke and scattered, so things’ll still be pretty confusing for them. We can try the rat-guises again and move quickly… If we’re lucky they’ll take a while to pull their forces back together.” Bharash proposes, nodding at Julia in thankful fashion before resuming his disguise and moving to follow Vogh’s lead.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh hadn’t been injured at all but welcomed the warm feeling that enveloped her as Julia cast her spell.

When Bharash made his comment she nodded and also changed.  This time though she became the shaman that had accompanied the Albino just moments ago. “Talin when you change I think you should change into the Albino leader.”

Vogh then moved forward and kept a lookout for any traps and made sure that Deacon gave the all clear as well.

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Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
As Deacon neared the exit to the area they are in he spotted a magical spot on the floor.  He told Vogh to stop to make sure she didn’t trigger it.  “Vogh, there is another spot on the floor ahead of you.  Let me dispel it before we move forward.”

21:08, Yesterday: Deacon Havenhold rolled 32 using 1d20+12. dispel

Deacon began to cast dispel magic and after the moment he cast it, the magic on the floor ceased to exist.  “Okay, it is clear once more.  I had a feeling they would trap both avenues!”

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh stopped as Deacon called to her.  She didn’t have her detect magic active so couldn’t see the trap on the floor but she trusted Deacon and when he told her she could carry on she advanced down the hall towards the temple.

Vogh motioned for Talin to advance with her so it looked more realistic that the Albino was leading.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

The presence of the trap rather confirms the wisdom in Bharash’s decision to follow the more roguishly inclined members of the party and with a muted – faintly theatrical, ratlike grunt he moves along in the immediate wake if the ersatz albino.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
The group made it down the hallway, passed the door which lead into the room that had magical tentacles which attacked them last time. Finally the hallway opened up into the room where Deacon’s fireball had killed all the rhoindor (sp?) creatures. Several ratmen and one of the brutes were up against the wall, fearful and looking as if they had no fight left in them.

OOC: I know you’re in disguise, so act as you will and let me know if everyone is in diguise and what they are doing.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Bharash scurries in behind the others, hunched over and throwing looks over his shoulder as though nervous about the possibility of being followed – he does a momentary look for the cowering ratfolk but makes no effort to attack or threaten them in favour of sticking close to the rest of the group.

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Talin
———————————————————–
Talin in the guise of the albino approaches the ratmen and the brute with the others following behind.  He tried his best to move as he had seen the albino move and then spoke to them, “We need another way out of here, start digging!”  Talin commands the ratmen as he points to where the entrance of the temple used to be.

07:47, Today: Talin rolled 31 using 1d20+14. Intimidate

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Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
Following along with the ruse, Deacon moved to start moving debris from where the temple entrance was before.  He picked up rubble and tossed it aside all while looking back down the hall every now and then.  If he saw rocks hit the floor he would act startled every time.

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Julia Graymantle
———————————————————–
For her part, Julia followed Deacon’s lead and also began to move stones.  She tried to shake much like the ratmen that she can currently see.  If this worked it should make this a lot easier to move along this maze of a complex.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Since Vogh was in the guise of the shaman she looked constantly back towards the way they came and then at the albino for direction.  If there was a moment she could cast a minor spell she would cast ghost sounds to make it sound like her group was fighting something much further down the hall they just came from.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
The rats were digging, looking over their shoulders constantly at the leaders and the big hallway beyond. Clearly their heart wasn’t in the work and they expected doom to befall them at any moment. One of them spoke demurely, while still working, “Thisss… This could take… take … hours… Where are… are the humans and the dragon man?”

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Bharash
———————————————————–
Bharash, whose talents most emphatically do not lie in the social arena avoids the question ‘say, you don’t sound like a rat’ when he grunts empathically and jerks his head back the way the small band of disguised adventurers cage from, stooping to help with the work and letting his guise serve to cover the way his own powerful muscles flex and shift while moving the largest pieces of debris.

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Julia Graymantle
———————————————————–
Julia used some of the same tone as the ratman that just spoke, “Youssss know other way?  Day went to the bigggss room.”

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Talin
———————————————————–
Talin as the leader gave the ratman and Julia a snarl and said, “Yes, they went towards the chamber with the sarcophagus, and unless you know another way deeper into the temple I suggest you start digging faster!”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
After almost a half hour of digging Vogh sensed a consciousness at the edge of her ability. A babau demon was moving toward them. None of the ratmen seemed to notice. Neither did any of them seem overly enthusiastic about their work, but they all did work. Moving the stones and rubble was tough going, and the debris had to be carried over to one side to make room for where the staircase was burried.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh could sense a Babau coming in their direction and so told the others through her telepathy.  “There is a babau demon coming this way, watch to see how the other ratmen react to it and just do the same.  Talin, you interact with it if you need to.”

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Bharash communicates almost entirely in grunts while working but pitches in amongst the ratfolk readily enough, levering the largest pieces of debris out and setting them aside in the tireless, intensely physical way he does more or less everything.

Once again, he does however find himself regretting the lack of a canteen. Seriously, what was he thinking back then to purchase nothing but expensive arms and armour and not the means to carry a pushed lunch and a drink?

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
An emaciated figure emerged from the darkness who looked like a horned human skeleton smothered within a bone-tight hide of slimy leather. Seeing the albino ratman before it, the creature stopped and eyed “him” over. Talin felt a mind touch his, similar to the way Vogh does, but it felt invasive and wrong. “Why are you here… What are you doing? Where are the intruders?”

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Talin
———————————————————–
Talin felt the unnatural telepathic link to his mind.  It was similar to Vogh’s but something was just off.  Course, just looking at the horned slimy demon Talin knew he needed to be careful here.  He couldn’t give the demon the same information that he gave to the ratmen for the demon may have come from that direction.  So, he used some information that he knew to tell the demon.  “My shaman here was contacted by Wuntad to get this area clear.  As for the intruders, that wizard of theirs teleported them somewhere after the fight.  Might be that they teleported to the lower levels and that is why Wuntad wants this clear.”

Talin turned to the ratmen and growled in anger, “Work faster!  We need to get this clear!  If you don’t I will feed you to him!”  Talin pointed back at the babau.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Narrator GM, on behalf of Talin, rolled 38 using 1d20+18 ((20)) Bluff.

The babau nodded at Talin’s mental response and smiled wickedly at his yelling at the ratmen. In turn the ratmen jumped at the command and dug all the harder, throwing rocks to the side with abandon. Back in Talin’s mind the crature responded, “I’ll tell Nirech-thes.” Licking it’s emaciated lips with a sizzle, it spun on clawed foot and disappeared into the darkness.

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Talin
———————————————————–
Talin had no way of knowing who this Nirech-thes was but it was probably superior to this babau.  Maybe it was the name of the demon centaur they saw?  He didn’t know and so he motioned to his head as he looked to Vogh.

Once Vogh spoke to Talin in his head he told her what was said, both what he said and what the babau said.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
“Okay, so we have another name of someone down here.  Nirech-thes’s name was given by the babau that just visited us.  Let’s keep up the guise and hopefully, we get this cleared soon and continue on.”

Vogh was trying to figure out how long they should keep up the ratmen disguises.  She figured after they cleared this out she would have Talin have the ratmen stand guard and keep a lookout for the intruders as they went below.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Bharash meanwhile, does his best to avoid eye contact with the oozing demon, continuing to work instead – on the very reasonable basis that if anyone is going to give the game away, it’s him and that he’s better off letting the experts handle the deception part of things.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
The ratmen hustled double time, clearly in fear of the demon and only a few minutes later the first stair came into view. Sensing escape the ratmen threw themselves at the work in a frenzy. It was actually quite captivating to see the creatures form a work line and get into a rythm together. The adventures had never before seen them work in such concerted effort. A second stair became visible and the lead rats moved to the end of the line, allowing fresher paws to unpack the heavy stones. Finally a rumble shook the pile slightly and the full stairway was revealed as the trapped rocks were loosened and fell the rest of the way down the stairs like a dam breaking.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh stood in an intimidating manner as she watched the digging by the ratmen, which included Deacon, Julia, and Bharash.  When the stairs appeared and then suddenly the rocks loosened and fell down the stairs, Vogh looked for any remnants of bodies that may have been crushed by the collapse.  Once it was all clear though she looked to Talin for guidance.

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Talin
———————————————————–
Once the entirety of the stairs had been revealed, Talin, stated, “Well done, now that it is open we can head down inside finally.”  When it seemed none of the ratmen began to move right away, Talin commanded them, “NOW!  Get moving!”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
All the ratmen cowered under the harsh words, and a few started moving down the stairs with trepidation, clutching their crude swords in hand. None of these were carrying the explosive dragon rifles. One or two still had crossbows strapped to their backs which they never had a moment to use in the fast fight. One turned to Talin in disguise and squeaked out fearfully, “Master, we’ve never been allowed down here before. What if there are traps? You know they don’t like us going anywhere we aren’t supposed to…”

Still, they descended in fear and entered the corner of a hallway. To the right was a very sturdy looking iron door. To the left the tunnel continued on and turned left again. The ratmen immediately went that direction.

As the group neared the stairs they could smell decay and see bits of stone that were splattered with blood from the demons killed in the collapse.

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Talin
———————————————————–
“The Demon spoke to me in my mind, he said that he needed us to go support the cultists below.”  Talin spat out at the questions towards him.  “Damn cultists always wanting us to do things for them.  They better take care of us well after all we have done.”  Talin hoped that his second response appealed to their greed and kept them going.

“Now, move to that door and see if it is trapped!”  Talin commanded.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“Hang on. Killing them in a fight is one thing… But walking them into traps is murder and you know it.” Ratarash asides to Tarin before descending with the rest, shuffling his way to the front with some snarling and moving cautiously up to the door in question, looking it over.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Nothing happened when Bharash in disguise touched the door. However it was clearly incredibly sturdy, and was also locked. There wasn’t even a pull handle on this side, only the keyhole.

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Talin
———————————————————–
Talin shrugged off the remark from Bharash.  He thought it was better that they trip a trap before they did.  Since there didn’t seem to be one he pointed to Vogh.  “You go check for magic on that door and see if you can open it.”

He then thought perhaps it might be a good idea to just let the ratmen go so they didn’t have to play this any longer.  “You all head down that other direction and find another way in.  Don’t come back till you find something!”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
The ratmen eagerly complied, rushing away from the door and down the longer hallway. It didn’t take them long to be out of the range of Vogh’s telepathy. Vogh’s magic didn’t detect any magic on the door, but the lock would have to be picked.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Once Vogh can’t sense the ratmen anymore she moved to the door and cast detect magic.  The spell didn’t reveal anything so she took out her tools and began to study the lock after a little while she thought she had it open.  “I am happy you let the ratmen go Talin.  Communication was getting tough and so were our actions.”

Taking 20 to disable device for a 38.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

The fact that Bharash – for all his ability to go through a crowded room and leave nothing but cooling bodies – has a somewhat broader sense of ethics than most of his companions had long been established and for the most part he doesn’t get too judgemental about it… Except when he does.

For now however, he takes a deep breath when the door fails to kill him and produces a small metal bar from a belt loop, from which he extracts a slender drill bit. While Vogh settles in to painstakingly examine every inch of it, he sets to smoothly boring a hole near the hinge he can peer through.

—

You can’t take twenty: there’s a consequence for failure when using disable device.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Vogh and Bharash worked beside on another. Vogh was able to unlock the door and Bharash was also able to complete his hole. Before the door was opened, Bharash’s dark vision revealed to him there was another door – nearly identical to this one – down a short hallway.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
“So, what do you see Bharash?  Can I open the door?”  When he says there is another door like this one down a short hallway Vogh opens the door now that it was locked.

Please uncover this area…

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“Short hall, door… If I had to guess I’d say it’s a trap or killing ground before the temple proper.” Bharash answers quietly, letting his ratfolk disguise melt away in favour of the appearance of a Babau like the one they were just confronted by.

Since ratfolk don’t have permission to be here and all…

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Vogh
———————————————————–
“Makes sense to me as well.  So if that is the case, I should probably just go inside myself and see about the other door.”  Vogh said before she too became a babau.  They had encountered quite a bit of them already so it would make sense if they were all one.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Vogh unlocked the door and was able to pull it open. Inside was a nondescript hallway like most of what they had walked through in this subteranean structure. Everything was old stone, of good construction, and had held up to the test of time well. Her detect magic ability showed the next door glowly lightly of conjuration magic.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
When Vogh spotted the magical energies on the door ahead she knew she couldn’t dispel it but she knew who could.

Looking back towards Deacon she said, “Deacon, this door ahead has some magic on it that is of conjuration magic.  Think you could dispel it for me before I check it out.  I don’t want some magical axe or something appearing and trying to take my head off.”

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Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
The request didn’t surprise Deacon in the least.  He was surprised that the floor wasn’t trapped as well.

Falling into his spellcasting Deacon finished his spell on the door opposite the one he now stood outside of.

20:32, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 19 using 1d20+14

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Vogh’s magically enhanced vision saw the door’s spell fade away. She checked over the door further and there seemed to be no mundane traps.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Which is where Bharash steps up and smoothly pushes the small tool into the surface of the door to quietly make a peephole, up by the hinges.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh watched Bharash repeat what he had done before, before checking the door and finding it locked.

When he was done she went to work on the lock.

Take 10 on the lock for a 28

“What do you see this time Bharash?”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Bharash could see only empty hallway stretching into the distance, but he was fairly certain there was a break in the left hand wall several paces down the hallway. Looking longer this was confirmed and allowing his eyes to slip into the normal spectrum rather than his dark vision he noticed constantly moving colors inside this break which spilled into the hallway as well.

Vogh’s mental abilities started to pick up some people to the left, likely inside the area Bharash was seeing. She sensed several humans, one of high intelligence, but the others all of moderate. She also sensed one halfling. Strangely they all seemed to be moving in a circle around the room.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“Dark hall, weird colours. See if you can make sense of it.” Bharash replies, stepping back to make room for it’s to look through the hole.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
“I am sensing quite a few people inside as well.  One of them is a halfling and the others human.  What I can’t figure out is, why they are moving about in a circle, like it is some sort of track or something.”  Vogh added to the conversation.

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Vogh
———————————————————–
“Guess we will find out,”  Vogh said as she picked the lock and then opened the door.  Before moving forward she once more checked for traps and anything magical before moving down the hall to the open area in the disguise of the Babau they just met.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
What Vogh and the rest of the group saw would boggle even the most experienced Delver.

The strange chamber appeared to be a natural chamber with walls made entirely of multifaceted crystal, about a hundred feet across at its widest and more than twice that in height. The entrance where the group stood was about hallfway between the broken stone floor and ceiling.

The crystal glinted and shimmered brilliantly, almost blindingly, with a multitude of colors. A rough stone “island” about forty feet across floated in the middle of the large shaft about three fourths of the way off the ground. On thed island rested a central altar, which was black and covered in jagged black spines and spikes of metal, except for a flat surface in the very middle.

Standing next to the altar was a woman. She appeared to be naked and on fire, but not in pain or dying.

Chains dangled from the sides and bottom of the island. Many of them held prisoners hanging from manacled hands. Hanging beneath the island was a massive, black iron bell.

At the bottom of the psychotic chamber was a swirling, pulsating, roiling metalic ball of energy which the group identified as a Pit of Insanity. The roiling, raw chaos resembled a thick, greyish good which alternated through every color imaginable, a horrible riot of hues.

At various levels, tunnels left the central chamber. No two of them were on the same elevation and only a single one posessed a door.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

“Alright. Not going to lie. I’ve got nothing.” Babaurash rumbles after several seconds of just staring at the madness of the chamber, although he promptly puts the litter to that by adding “But I can start hauling the prisoners up, first chance we get.”

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Vogh
———————————————————–
The sight before her is unbelievable.  It looks like it was taken out of a horror book of some sort.

Vogh in the babau disguise decides to play it out and reaches out to the woman on fire.
“Nirech-thes wanted me to come check on how things are going here.”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Out loud, with a booming voice that echoed through the crystaline chamber the woman shouted at the disguised Vogh. Her voice held a magical command laced in the language. “Do not speak to me through your mind messages. Stand before me and address me appropriately!” (DC 16 Will save against the spell Command with the command to Approach.)

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh didn’t know if the woman saw through her disguise or she was higher ranking than the babau but Vogh suddenly had the urge to obey her.

“As you wish.” Vogh then stepped forward to the edge of the drop off and stopped.  “I can see that everything is moving along.  Do you have anything to report?  Intruders have invaded and we are even now looking for them.”

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Vogh had to shout for her voice to carry across the wide expanse to where the flaming woman stood. A few moments passed then a wall of flame errupted out of nowhere, engulfing Bharash and Talin, while burning the others. (13 dmg to Bharash & Talin inside the fire. 7 to everyone else. No reflex save.)

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Vogh
———————————————————–
Vogh immediately felt the burning heat behind her as the wall of flame erupted.  She knew that there wasn’t much space for her companions to move so she said in their heads, “Don’t move I am coming and will dimension door us to where a woman is standing that is on fire.  I am certain she caused the fire here!”

As she spoke she moved over to her friends and then cast the spell.

Cast dimension door and appear next to the woman.  Everyone can take a full action coming out of the dimension door.

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Talin
———————————————————–
When the fire suddenly burst in front of him, Talin screamed out as the fire burned him.  Course that meant any hope of keeping his disguise up was blown away.

The as suddenly as he had been burned, Vogh came over and cast dimension door to somewhere inside the room.

Will post actions once I know it is okay they did what they did.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Babaurash opens his jaws to start to speak when his world suddenly erupts in flame – and in that instant, hard experience kicks in as his inner eyelids snap shut and he exhales what little breath is in his lungs to clear his airways of the risk of burning (savage burns are bad enough, singed lungs are ghastly) – just in time for Vogh to abruptly relocate them and for things to get all exciting.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
(Roll initiative. NPC Fire Woman rolled 23)

The woman wore a wicked smile which the group saw as they closed the distance magically onto the floating island. Expecting the move she walked backward and dropped down a few feet before she began to fly away from them and up closer to the ceiling. (She might move before, she might move after based on init rolls)

Immediately upon closing the distance Vogh sensed the minds of both demons they faced before, several more humans (8), a medusa, a minotaur, a dwarf and several ratmen.

OOC: I am marking the heights of each entrance, the floating island, and I’ll be tracking the altitude of other creatures that will be flying.

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Talin
———————————————————–
Vogh, Talin, and Julia are 13 init and Deacon is 11.

Talin was about to strike out at the flaming woman but she jumped off the island.  This left him with a few options.  He could fly…. wait he could fly!!!  That was it!

Talin remembered the command word and said it quickly.  He could feel himself lighter than air and then went running…. no flying towards the flaming woman with his weapon at the ready.

Standard action to activate Fly from his armor
Move action to move to her ready to attack next round.

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Julia Graymantle
———————————————————–
Julia had her crossbow ready and fire off consecutive bolts at the woman that was on fire even as she saw Talin rush her.

18:16, Today: Julia Graymantle rolled 17,13,10,12,11,9 using d20+14,d10+3,2d6,d20+9,d10+3,2d6.

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Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
Coming out of the dimension door Deacon was ready to cast something destructive, but as he saw the woman fly out from the floating island he decided to pull out his staff and cast his most powerful summoning spell to bring in reinforcements that can fly.

Suddenly, 4 bralani appeared 55 ft above him and right away they fired on the flaming woman as Deacon pointed to her and said “Attack her!”

18:01, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 4 using 1d3+1.  summons.

Hit AC31 for 13
AC27 possible crit of AC20 for 8 or 35
AC23 for 7
AC17 for 13
AC25 for 14
AC20 for 7
18:28, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 31,13,27,8 using d20+12,d8+6,d20+7,1d8+6
18:29, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 20,27 using d20+7,3d8+18.  crit check.
18:28, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 23,7,17,13 using d20+12,d8+6,d20+7,1d8+6.
18:28, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 25,14,20,7 using d20+12,d8+6,d20+7,1d8+6.

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Narrator GM
———————————————————–
Miss chance rolls (62,14,33,64,2,17)

Hit AC31 for 13 (hit)
AC27 possible crit of AC20 for 8 or 35 (miss)
AC23 for 7 (pass spell but misses b/c of -4)
AC17 for 13 (pass spell but misses b/c of -4)
AC25 for 14 (miss)
AC20 for 7 (miss)

The bralani’s arrows streaked out at the woman, a few of them passed through a shimmering, multi-colored barrier that seemed to surround the woman while several smashed against the barrier and shattered to fall below. Only one of the arrows found a mark in the woman.

To make matters worse, shortly after the bralani appear, four incubus demons appeared in front of the celestials and lashed out with evil looking scimitars, likewise beating their bat like wings to fly.

Incubus attacks one per Bralani:
AC 29 for x 6 dmg
AC 30 for x 7 dmg
AC 28 for x 6 dmg
AC 24 for x 8 dmg

Give me some time as I have to post for some other stuff.

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Bharash
———————————————————–

Grumbling quietly to himself, Babaurash sheathes his swords and reaches behind him to pull the longbow he carries, but almost never uses from his back, casually hooking his foot in the curve of it and drawing up the heavy cord to string it then bringing it to a ready position.

—

Sheathing swords, drawing bow.

===========================================================
Narrator GM
———————————————————–
The flaming woman Talin flew toward began chanting, reached out and touched Talin. The woman’s flesh appeared to be on fire and the heat burned Talin’s own flesh, while magic washed over him. (Cast defensively concentration succeeded and I bypassed his touch AC. Will save of 17 or he’s cursed with -4 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks.)

Across the way the lone door in the room flew open and a medusa stood before them in gleaming and ornate plate armor stepped to the opening and at the edge of the ledge. Petrifying gaze (Fortitude, DC 17, negates) She held a strange contraption which screamed chaos technology. Activating something on the device, they all saw a ray lance out from the end toward Deacon. <Medusa, rolled 18 touch AC, he takes 1 point of non-lethal damage, pl.us if a DC 13 fort save is failed he will be nauseated for 3 rounds. Nauseated creatures cannot attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn, plus free actions (except for casting quickened spells).)

In the widest hallway the bat-winged centar stepped out, stretched his wings and climbed into the air above the group. He held multiple longspears in one powerful hand, while his oversized sword was still sheathed acorss his back. Vogh can sense the Balor demon is only a few paces behind. She could sense from another of the tunnels the minotaur was charging toward them.

Additionally, the island which several of the group stood upon, began to lower toward the floor. (The island moves 10 feet per round)

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Vogh
———————————————————–
So many things happened at the same time but Vogh saw that the platform began to sink down towards the floor towards the insanity pool below.  Vogh decided that another dimension door was needed and so while singing into the heads of the others she also cast her spell while touching Julia and Bharash, who Deacon still had a hand on.  The four appear on the wide platform that the demon centaur just flew out of with Julia away from the edge.

07:58, Today: Vogh rolled 29 using 1d20+10.  fort save.

Activate inspire courage for +6 to hit and +6 damage and then cast dimension door.

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Talin
———————————————————–
Talin couldn’t dodge the reach from the woman as she touched him and as a spell tried to affect him he shrugged off the effect.  Talin began singing aloud his satire song making it harder for others to concentrate with their attacks.  -3 to hit/dam

Talin then swung SolarSong into the burning woman not once but twice trying to kill her quickly.
Hit AC38 for 33, and AC24 for 26
08:18, Today: Talin rolled 38,23,10,24,21,5 using d20+25,2d6+16,2d6,d20+20,2d6+16,2d6.

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Deacon Havenhold
———————————————————–
Deacon felt the ray hit him but shrugged off the nauseating effect it had.  The petrifying gaze also didn’t have any effect on him either as he too shrugged that feeling off.  Then suddenly he was on another ledge but it didn’t matter he knew he needed to do something to help his friends.

Deciding that his bralani could use a bit of help more than anyone else he cast slow which he knew would also affect the centaur who was within the spells range along with the burning woman.

Cast Slow on the closest incubus: Fort save DC22 to negate.
08:31, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 24 using 1d20+12. bypass SR
08:01, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 19 using 1d20+7.  fort save vs petrify.
08:01, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 14 using 1d20+7.  fort save vs ray.

The bralani heard the call to aid their attacks and so each stepped back and fired again.
As if in sync each of the Bralani yelled, “You will die Demon!”
Hit AC 26 for 14 and AC18 for 19 both hit and bypass DR!!
08:33, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 26,14,18,19 using d20+18,d8+12,d20+13,1d8+12.
Hit AC 20 for 18 and AC26 for 14
08:33, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 20,18,26,14 using d20+18,d8+12,d20+13,1d8+12.
Hit AC 20 for 19 and AC18 for 17
08:33, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 20,19,18,17 using d20+18,d8+12,d20+13,1d8+12.
Hit AC26 for 14 and AC14 missing
08:33, Today: Deacon Havenhold rolled 26,14,14,16 using d20+18,d8+12,d20+13,1d8+12.

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Bharash
———————————————————–
Grumbling softly about magic, teleportation and enemies who don’t have the simple common decency to be where he can reach them, Babaurash swings around to focus on the Centaur-thing, his hand moving smoothly over his back to select and arrow, draw and loose – repeating the sequence of motions as fast as he can, each time having to take care not to draw the arrow back so far that the straining arms of the immensely powerful bow snap – the draw near four hundred pounds and well short of his maximum strength.

—

To Hit  Damage
25      21
28      15
14      20

22:32, Today: Bharash rolled 23,15,26,9,12,14 using 1d20+18,1d8+8,1d20+13,1d8+8,1d20+8,1d8+8.  Firing at the centaur.

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Narrator GM
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Two of the incubi were slowed by Deacon’s spell. The flying centaur demon and the flaming woman also succeeded at not being slowed down.

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Julia Graymantle
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Stepping out of another dimension door Julia knew that she needed to help everyone so she cast a spell to increase their defense and bolster their resistance to spells.

Cast protection from evil communal

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Narrator GM
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The incubi flapped forward to close the distance with the bralani. Two of them were only able to attack once due to the slowed effect. But the other two slashed twice at the celestials.

NPC Incubi not slowed (starting at the top and going down), rolled
21,3,28,6, = 9 dmg
22,5,13,6 = 11 dmg

NPC Incubi slowed, rolled
22,4 = 4 dmg
25,8 = 8 dmg

SolarSong slashed into the woman once, but his other attack missed. However, the bard immediately noticed part of the wound close, though not the entire cut. She climbed into the air five feet and touched Talin as she ascended, while casting a spell defensively. (7 fire damage, 17 inflict wounds)

With flapping wings, the demonic centaur dropped down behind Talin and stabbed at him. The weapon burned with fire and an unholy evil, but thankfully the long spear swished passed the bard.

Unable to see the group directly to her left the medusa turned her chaos weapon toward Talin and activated it twice. (NPC Medusa, touch attack
27-3=24 atk 3 non-lethal dmg, 7 round of nausea DC 13 fort
24-1=21 atk 3 non-lethal dmg, 6 round of nausea DC 13 fort)

From the edge of their dark visions, the horrifying Balor demon confidently strode forward. In one hand he held a horrifying sword which was as tall as Julia. The other hand held a whip wreathed in flame. The creature stopped some 40 feet from them and smiled. Flames errupted around the friends. (NPC Balor, rolled 78 fire storm, Ref Save DC 26 for half. Creatures that fail their Reflex save catch on fire, taking 4d6 points of fire damage each round until the flames are extinguished.)

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Vogh
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Vogh didn’t see the firestorm come but when it hit her she felt the burning to her core.  A Balor and all these other foes weren’t something they could take on in these circumstances.  They hadn’t buffed and prepared for this at all.  The trying the disguises thing didn’t work.  She knew that the it was time to reaccess things and come back better prepared.  So she once more reached out and said in their minds, “I am sorry my friends but we can’t take this fight.  We are dimension door again to the spot we originally did.  The dwarf’s room.”  Vogh waited a moment for Talin to fly to them and then she touched them all again and poof they were gone.

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Talin
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Once in the dwarf’s room, Talin kept hold and said, “To the Minstrel?”  With a nod from Vogh he then cast his dimension door and they were back above ground just outside the bookstore.

Talin quickly hailed a coach and the companions went back to The Ghostly Minstrel.

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Narrator GM
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The group was gone from the horrific room in blinks of the eye. Thankfully none of the cultists were able to follow them through their multiple, magical transportation methods. No one seemed to take note of them stepping out into the halfling area of Katterwood. Thankfully there was nearly noone about at that moment. They easily found a coach and made it back to the Minstrel without incident.

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Bharash
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Babaurash, gathering himself to change targets and modes of assault barely has time to open his jaws before they’re in Another Place and then a Third Place, his jaws snapping shut as he lets the illusion he was maintaining fade in favour of his own armoured appearance, somewhat battered and charred by the course of the two short, one-sided battles they’ve fought.

“Well… That was educational.” he murmurs wryly, looking around himself as he cleans his weapons while waiting for the coach, giving his fangs a lick and then observing “If we’re going to go back, we’re going to want to bring a lot of fighting power with us, and they’re going to be waiting for it. I’d expect them to try and use magic to keep tabs on us, for a start.”

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Vogh
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Vogh was severely burned from the flames of the Balor.  They had fought against that thing twice and both times the thing had defended the area well.  She knew that Balor’s were a very powerful foe and it was clear to her that they couldn’t do this alone.

She was thinking this even as Bharash had said it aloud.  The something occured to her and thinking aloud she said, “You are quite right Bharash.  We need to enlist in some help for this.  If this Night of Dissolution is as terrible as it sounds then perhaps we will be able to convince others to help.  Tomorrow Talin and I will become members of The Knights of the Chord and we should be able to get some help there at the very least.”

Vogh looked to Deacon then and asked, “Do you think we can get assistance from the Inverted Pyramid?”

Lastly, she looked to Julia and asked the same of the church.  “The day after our induction should still give us enough time to gather enough help.  Bharash, is there anyone that you know that may help?”

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Deacon Havenhold
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Patting down his robes after coming out of the dimension door the second time Deacon asks Julia to give them all a blast of healing.  He was in pain from the burns he got from the spell the Balor cast.

Deacon the responded to Vogh’s inquiry, “Let me cast a spell quickly before we talk.” Deacon then began his spell casting and after a moment it was complete.

Cast detect scrying

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Julia Graymantle
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Before the group even went to catch the coach, Julia had used her Lothian healing to relieve her companions of their burned and any wounds they received.

I will do it till all wounds are healed.

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Bharash
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“Probably not, but I did have an idea or two that I’d rather not talk about until we’re sure we’re not being eavesdropped on by the magic people whose door we just kicked in like, five minutes ago.” replies the Dragonborn, not knowing enough of spellcasting to appreciate how long a good scrying spell takes to put together, and therefore choosing to err on the side of caution instead.

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Narrator GM
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Without Belie it was possible for the group to fit into one carriage. Although the person who drew the short straw had to sit beside Bharash and got a big squashed.

The entire carriage interior smelled like something was burning. Delver’s square was bustling thanks to the clear weather and lack of rain. Several vendors were hawking their wares at the plentiful possible patrons.

Two wealthily dressed children were playing with a stray cat while an elder nanny tried to shoe the animal away and corral the kids.

While Deacon was walking through the crowd he detected two active scrying sensors then another two inside the Minstrels common room.

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