ADVENTURE LOG XXX.II
FRIEND OR FOE - PART 2
The choking reek of the cateblepus’ poison cloud had dissipated into the stench of the sewer fumes as The Flowers examined the section of wall for a secret door. They were in luck, as ‘secret’ seemed a generous description. Only Nightingale failed to notice the false wall panel, possibly because he was more concerned with ensuring no one was sneaking up on them while they looked. It opened easily with a press of a hidden button, and the entire party slipped inside, closing it behind them.
Warily they continued on seemingly moving from the brick tunnels that were the sewers of Korvosa into more natural looking surroundings of rock and stone. A short well-maintained hallway ended at a simple stone door. The key Boule gave them opened it easily, and beyond they were surprised to find a bar in one corner. The air was hazy with smoke from several incense burners mounted on the walls, providing a masking scent of frankincense that counteracted the sewers they had left behind. The incongruous tavern boasted only a couple of rickety chairs with moldy cushions, but the small bar counter was well-built, and the wall behind held multiple shelves stocked with bottles and tankards. A closed wooden door just beyond the door was the only way through. A goblin lept upon the bar, and greeted them with excitement, glad to finally have customers. “Welcome to the Sewer Brewer! Come in, come in, you’re my very first customers!”
The Flowers were immediately suspicious, and began carefully questioning his odd choice of location. The goblin, who gave his name as Mogmora, brushed over their attempts to gather information, instead serving them drinks on the house to celebrate his first patrons. His shoddy answers were picked up as lies by more than Calli, so Nightingale only pretended to drink what was offered him. Mogmora watched keenly, and encouraged the others to follow suit. Tiring of the charade, Byron moved towards the goblin, who made a small noise like a yelp and vanished. Gale sighed, letting the others know he’d dimension doored away, and was likely warning whatever was ahead they were coming.
They checked over the bottles to ensure he hadn’t left anything of interest behind, and found that some only contained sewer water. Grabbing one of the actual beer bottles for Travis to check for poison later, there was nothing else to do but move swiftly along. Boule’s key opened the wooden door, as well, and through it they went.
A thin, winding passage sloped downward into darkness, causing them to fall into single-file. Knowing any surprise was lost, they sent up dancing lights, and followed the path until their way became blocked by a glowing, yellow fog. Rune warned it was a strong magic, some form of abjuration, but none of them could pinpoint the exact spell. Taylan cast a dispel magic on it, which suppressed the effect long enough for them all to pass through unharmed.
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The narrow passage opened into a wide stone cavern. The naturally formed ceiling doming at about thirty feet high, and to either side of the opening were two stone ledges a little over ten feet tall. As the Flowers edged their way into the cavern, they saw ahead that the cavern floor to the east dipped down into a pool of dark water, and to the south-east a large tunnel possibly fifteen feet wide provided the only exit via a rickety bridge stretching across a deep pit bisecting the tunnel.
'That doesn't look suspicious,' Byron thought to himself as he took in the duo of three foot wide planks that were haphazardly placed as some form of rudimentary bridge.
Small carpets of blue fungus covered parts of the floor and walls providing some soft luminescence illuminating the cavern in a cold blue glow that allowed the party to see without torch or magic the walkway through the cavern to the bridge.
As the adventurers moved further into the cavern, their senses taut suspicious of any further attack or ambush, they heard a whispered voice coming from one of the stone ledges.
"They don't look like assassins," the whisper said, and then with a cleared throat a stronger voice called down, "Hello down there! You don't look like Red Mantis, are you the Flowers?"
Immediately as one the group turned, spreading themselves out, wary of being caught as one party to face the voice that was coming from the ledges. As they focussed on the stone perches some distance from the ground they could make out that there were two figures - one on either ledge.
As the two figures tentatively popped their heads over the stone shelves Calli immediately recognized them as Avanah Banzul, Sable Company’s second in command, and Ulweth Wevenner, the Sable Company’s lead Hippogriff trainer.
"Avanah, Ulweth are you here to hep find Endrin?" inquired Calli.
Confusion crossed both the Sable Company officer’s faces as they stayed rooted in spot on their high ledges.
"Isn't he dead?" enquired Ulweth, the more chatty of the two officers.
“He might be," Byron replied, "What are you two doing here?"
"We managed to escape from the Derro a couple of days ago," supplied Ulweth, electing to speak once again for the two officers.
As the group considered these officers something jarred with Calli. The derros, though a problem, had been wiped out from this area by the Grey Maidens who had taken over the prison. And as they were under the prison, why linger? Immediately, Calli's suspicions were up, and she shook her head in disbelief.
"Why are you two still here?" challenged Byron following the young bard’s lead.
"We couldn't get past the fog cloud that blocked the way out," Avanah offered.
"Well it’s gone now, you can leave," replied the barbarian, "come down and we'll show you."
This was all wrong to Calli, and the more she thought about it the more it jarred! Two eminent sable company officers hiding in the dark supposedly having escaped from some non-existent enemy. It all sounded wrong.
"Come on down," continued Byron.
"We need help, we've been trapped here for days," said Ulweth.
"Help us," Avanah pleaded.
The whole company began to feel very uneasy at this chance encounter. Sable company officers were often seen as arrogant but able, assured and capable, not so wheedling and needy. Especially after only a few days of hardship, if they were too believe the officers words. And they'd somehow got up there, surely they could get down.
Maybe they were on edge but something wasn't right.
Focher, the little purple Drake, at Byron's suggestion quickly flew up and reconnoitered the area.
"Nothing there boss," rasped the little drake as it flew down and settled on the big warriors shoulders like they were his perch.
"Ladies,if you would allow me," said Nightingale who after doffing his bowler to the two officers used his arcane ability to produce acid from his rapier. By splashing that acid onto the stone wall of the ledge he fashioned some rudimentary foot and hand holds for Ulweth to descend. All the while, the two officers continued complaining, asking for more help, more food, even at one point to be carried.
"Jump down," says Byron his annoyance tone clearly coming through, "It’s not far I'll catch you."
Calli looked at the barbarian clearly hearing the lie for what it was. And so did Ulweth and Avanah.
"We don't trust you," complained Ulweth.
"Get The Fuck down here now," bellowed the warrior, his patience now having been stretched beyond breaking point. Ulweth instinctively began to move in response to Byron’s intimidating tone. As Ulweth climbed down from her stone perch and began warily approaching Byron, Calli slowly began moving up to flank on the path.
Byron’s annoyance could still be clearly heard as he demanded to know the truth of their situation.
Calli halted Ulweth protests of innocence with a simple statement. "You're lying!"
"I'm not," was Ulweth's reply.
"So I can check your memories to prove it?" The bard's tone clear that the question was not to be considered a request. Even as Ulweth was considering refusing Calli's request Byron quickly grabbed an arrow from the sheath of arrows on his back and held the bodkin point deep in the hollow of her throat.
"Hold still," Byron's tone mild belying the tension of the moment.
"Are you a Paladin," asked Ulweth, her tone equally mild.
"Might be," was the barbarian’s reply.
"Don't look like one," and then she lunged at the breast-plated man, the arrow plunging into her throat and chest as if it was of no consequence. As Ulweth lunged all attempts at deception were dropped as her face contorted and lengthened, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth lining her now wide grinning mouth. Her hands transformed, growing sharp ragged claws from her fingers.
The monstrous Ulweth tried to bite Byron, hoping to rip his throat out. Whether it was the arrow in her chest or the speed of Byron's reaction, the Once-Ulweth creature's attack was slow and missed her intended target.
Taylan, already on edge, noticed a similar change transform Avanah from an officer of the Sable Company to a hideously fanged beast preparing to attack and immediately called upon the fire of the dragon within himself, manifesting that power as small ball of intense white-orange fire held in place between his hands. He threw the burning ball up at Anavah, and as it hit her, the power of the white maw erupted into flame. The creature screamed in pain and hatred as the fire engulfed her, burning and searing her flesh.
Again the Once-Ulweth creature through rage, hunger and desperation attacked the large human warrior in front of her hoping to shred him with her claws and teeth but her eagerness to engage and to taste the human flesh caused her to miss, her haste prolonging her hunger. Byron himself, used to such transformations of bone and teeth, was not fazed by her reveal, and avoided her attacks with ease.
Once-Avanah looked down at her young tormentor, the boy that had burnt her so badly, and though her hair and clothes were still aflame she leapt from the ledge directly at the young half-elf. Her attack was direct but graceful, and from such a height it appeared she almost flew as she descended onto the young mage. Her bite was vicious as her teeth ripped into her enemy’s shoulder, finding the gaps between the young mages decorative dragon scale armor.
Byron heard Taylan's cry of pain as he himself engaged with 'That which was Ulweth.' Opting again for precision the warrior, cloaked in the power of his rage, attacked with his bone claws - plunging both claws deep into the body of his hideous opponent. As both claws struck he pulled using the sharp serrated edges of his claws to further inflict more damage, to rend her flesh still further. And though damaged, Byron stood there momentarily shocked that the creature could withstand such as assault!
Calli, closing the distance behind the Ulweth creature, recalled a tune that had helped in such situations in the past, and grabbing hold of her Eagle Harp she violently picked out a musical riff that was hard-edged, fast, and arresting and she directed this sound directly at her opponent. The power of music can often trans-fix or hold and Calli's bardic abilities can amplify these sensations, making them manifest and real. She sent the heavy hard musical riff out to surround 'Ulweth' with its weight, like chains to hold it down, but 'Ulweth' slipped the monstrous musical manacles.
Seeing that Calli and Byron had focused together on one of the foul creatures, and that his charge was not under immediate threat or danger, the swordsman chose to focus his attention on the other beast that had flew down from the stone ledge and was currently assaulting Taylan. The power of the rapier is reliant on speed and precision, mastery of minimal movement to maximum effect. Like a lithe dark shadow Nightingale lunged with his long pointed blade, easily piercing the body of the creature that was 'Anavah.' She turned and screamed in pain whilst still holding on to the young half-elven mage. But even as the sharped toothed beast moved in defense, the dark shadow had slipped under her guard, and stabbed again inflicting yet more damage. As the beast reacted, the shadow riposted, driving the rapier’s tip deep into Anavah's torso yet again. Just from the sword thrusts alone the dark shadow believed he had exacted a heavy toll from the creature, indeed more than he would usually expect to see from such an attack. And yet the beast was still a threat, still standing, and so the dark shadow elected to channel more of his internal power down the blade.
The electrical discharge was massive as 'Anavah' was instantly hideously charred, blackened and burned, her body both scorched and seared as the vestiges of Nightingales power laced all over her body. Letting go of her prize, Taylan was dropped to the ground as the burnt remains of 'Anavah' split in two - torso from pelvis - and both sides moved and flailed, the torso momentarily trying to take to the air and then fell to move no more.
As Nightingale went to help Taylan, the young mage centred his fear and aggression on the one remaining creature that was attacking Byron. His eyes appeared to glow and coalesce with radiance and power. For a second he closed his eyes, seeming to try and hold the power at bay as it grew, and he then very deliberately opened his eyes and unleashed that stored magical power straight at the beast that was 'Ulweth.' Taylan grinned in deep satisfaction as he heard her agonized screams!
There was something about these creatures, monsters, beasts that was familiar to Calli. Either she had read about them, or maybe heard a song sung about them... and then the tale returned to her. Undead creatures who appeared to be normal women in the day, but at night their top halves ripped free to fly through the air, separate from their lower bodies, as they hunted their prey. They consumed men, but women could become turned, catching the vile affliction and erasing any humanity they once possessed.
"They're manananggals," shouted Calli as all the clues slotted together. She remembered one of her father's monster bestiaries she read as a child. Her mother definitely disapproved of her reading materials, but she loved the fine intricate drawings and delicate hand and poetic script, and right now she was truly grateful for that reading. "Byron, light bladed weapons that pierce, no claws!"
But even as she called, the Manananggal attacked the large warrior by trying to once again sink her teeth into his arm, the speed of her attack causing her to get a mouthful of his spiked gauntlets, instead. Her long clawed hands once again tried to rip into the warriors body but couldn't get past Byron's metal breast-plate.
Quickly retracting his long vicious claws Byron decided to attack solely with his spiked gauntlets, trusting to Calli's call to change his attack. Though lacking the precision of his claws using just the gauntlets afforded Byron more chances to attack!
Facing the undead monstrosity Byron unleashed a flurry of attacks, and with every piercing strike of the spiked gauntlets the undead foulness screamed in pain at the damage inflicted. Though lacking the finesse of swordsman, or the pyrotechnics of the mage, or the subtlety of the bard, Byron's attack has its own straightforward effectiveness! Every strike hit, every punch took a toll, and the final hit was so hard, so brutal, that the barbarian fist went straight through the monsters chest! As he withdrew his fist the foul creature was felled.
No blood, just a trickle of dust inside her torso where his fist had been, and after a moment the rest of the Manananggal collapsed into a pile of the same undead dust.
The Flowers took a second to recover.
To check their wounds.
To bolster their morale.
To move on.
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They approached the pit with its plank bridge with a certain degree of trepidation, or possibly outright suspicion. The pit dropped off about sixty feet to sharp stones and more of the strange blue fungus below.
With Calli's little Lyrakien Rune warning the group that the plank bridge radiated magic, and the little Drake Focker testing the soundness of the bridge, they quickly realized it was a trap. An illusion. Remembering that Travis might be following in their footsteps, they hastily scrawled a large warning for him and left it just in front of the illusion bridge, weighed down with one of the dead monster’s boots.
But they needed to cross the pit!
It was too far to jump
Taylan realized he could cast the spell fly on himself and easily get over the pit, but he clearly couldn't carry everyone else over. Looking directly at Byron, Taylan, suddenly inspired, took out a feather from one of his many pouches.
"Byron take this," and Taylan placed the feather on the barbarians hand. He whispered a few words of an arcane nature over the feather and the barbarians out-stretched hand. For a moment magic rippled around the feather and then disappeared into Byron's hand.
For a moment nothing happened, then Byron gently lifted off the ground.
The big man swiftly ferried everyone across the pit, though he took a little more time and care as he held Calli close to him traversing the dark pit below.
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The cold blue luminescent light struck and highlighted the rocky striated nature of the cavern walls that surrounded the party as they entered this immense natural space. The crescent-shaped cavern was supported by four substantial stone columns so tall the party could barely make out the arched ceiling so high up that the luminescent glow of the blue fungi that covered parts of the walls, floor and the central pillars could only hint at what was up there. A number of openings could be just made out high up in the walls which were only accessible by either scaling the walls of this vast cavern or magical flight. To the south-east were a number of stone benches facing some form of pulpit, and behind that pulpit the Flowers could just make out a central staircase. Surrounding the staircase carved into the rock walls was the depiction of a massive Preying Mantis, it's immense visage looming over the chamber, its distinctive serrated arms forming an imposing archway that framed a set of double doors. What immediately drew everyone's attention though was a giant insect like creature, possibly a centipede, writhing on the cavern floor, its back covered in the blue luminescent fungi that seemed abundant in this cavern.
Again it seemed impossible to Byron that this incredible space could exist below the very streets and buildings of Korvosa!
Calli quickly scanned the immediate area and noticed the Mogmora, the Goblin who had been masquerading as a bar tender, talking with someone else. Momentarily concealed from the two figures in deep conversation Calli pointed out their presence to the others in the party around her. Taylan instinctively recognizes the woman who is talking in deep whispers to the goblin, as a skilled swords-woman battling alongside that of a female Reds Mantis assassin against the Flowers. They’d been shown to him through Zellara’s Harrow reading in Kaer Maga.
'That's the problem with mystical readings and foretellings,' thought Taylan to himself, ‘no real answers only frustrating hints!’
Both he and Calli noticed a few of the distinctive Red Mantis assassins trying to hide round various pillars or deep shadows within the cathedral-like cavern, presumably trying to conceal their presence from the Flowers.
Nightingale wasted no time. Wishing to press his advantage over the Goblin, the Swords-woman, and a red clad Mantis who were talking at the far side of the chamber still apparently unaware of their presence, he called upon his inner power, and channeled all that power into his clenched hands. It formed not as lightning this time, but as shadow - a dark nebulous energy that curled sinuously around the fingers of his hands. When he could contain the power no longer he sharply opened his clenched fists, unleashing the ooze rising and writhing like snakes around his fingers. As the magic escaped his grasp from the very ground around the goblin and the two warriors arose a mass of tentacles, defying logic and reason, resembling spilled ink in a clear pool of water, only drawn upward against gravity. It began to curl around, hold, and crush Nightingale's opponents. The attack was so sudden that the goblin Mogmora, the swordswoman, nor the red-carapaced assassin could break free of its hold.
The assassins hiding in the shadows chose that moment to break cover and attack.
One elected to take on the bowler hat wearing magus with a rapier hanging at his hip. Rather than attack directly with the blade the Assassin called upon his own inner magic and focused that power on the movement of his sword. Suddenly the blade moved with, through, and around his hand. Indeed as the assassin continued his kata Nightingale lost sight of sword and hand, the two seeming to merge as one long insect-like limb, and if he could concentrate he could see the deception but the movement of warrior and sword was 'fascinating', how do they do it?
Nightingale was caught!
As they 'fought' a red mist surrounded the Red Mantis warrior.
Byron, having watched the success of Assassin’s ploy, pounced upon the 'Mantis' immediately tearing into the warrior. The red armour of the assassin proved insufficient as Byrons razor sharp claws shredded the man, the power of his attacks rending armour and man alike. Though the assassin was still standing, the barbarians savage attacks had not only inflicted bloody heavy wounds but had also broken the carapaced warriors spell on Nightingale, who was free once more of its hold.
But just as Byron had taken advantage of the assassin who was concentrating on subduing Nightingale, so did another Assassin take advantage of Byron's attack on one of his brothers to in turn attack the big barbarian.
Electing not to try and fascinate, the Red Mantis thought it more prudent to simply finish the human pit fighter off. As the red armoured man attacked, a red mist grew and flowed around him as it had his comrade. He struck Byron with three massive blows, the serrated nature of their saw-toothed sabres cuts deeply into the body of the Korvosan street fighter. Byron knew he had been cut, and cut badly, but the joy of this moment freed him of pain. He rejoiced in the contest, his claws bloodied as he faced armoured men. Ridiculous armoured men looking like bugs, pretending to have claws! Already he felt his innate natural defences begin to kick in, to activate, to help reduce the severity of man-bug's attack.
The violence erupted within the large natural stone chamber in seconds. All was chaos with the power of magic being cast overloaded the area with arcane energies, the cries of the mundane as men charged into battle sliced and cut each other up. All around her Calli saw each individual scene, Nightingale casting, Byron pouncing claws extended as red armoured foe sliced into him. Though she herself was within the heart of the battle, a part of her consciousness recorded these moments, locked them away as an observer, even though she was also a participant. And suddenly she is there calling upon her power, magic that uses the power of her voice to inspire the actions of those who fight with her. Her song touched all those around her, linking them together, raising their morale, adding certainty to their strike and power to the outcome. But within the notes and melody of her song she finds there is room for more. Off the body of her Eagle Harp the pink-haired bard began to tap out a rhythm, the sound amplified by the strings of the harp produced a beat that she can use, and with her magic she channeled that beat, the percussive hit adding speed and a sense of urgency spurring on the actions of those she choose to fight with.
Taylan closed on Nightingale, and having witnessed the effect that sword masters magic had achieved with the black tentacles believed he could add to the effectiveness of the moment. The dragon-blood sorceror blew into his cupped hands, his breath freezing at he held his hands together containing the breath therein. The more he breathed into his hands, the harder it was to hold them together, and so his arms began to shake as he tried to contain the immense power he was calling fourth. His hands began to turn blue and his fingers frosted as his breath became visible in the growing cold. Unable to contain the magic any longer, he unleashed a blast of arctic cold straight at the figures that were held within the constraining black tentacles!
The ensnared Red Mantis managed to briefly wink out of existence as the cold passed over him, still imprisoned by the black writhing limbs.
The cold hit Mogmora, chilling him to the core, the freeze as biting as a sword thrust, and he still couldn't get clear of the crushing black smoke.
The Swordswoman, weathering the cold, called upon her arcane skills to dispel the constricting effect of this mass of grasping wriggling tentacles, to little effect as the black squirming mass pulled and crushed her more.
The purple drake, incensed that his 'boss' has been stabbed in the back by a no-good bug man, flew to confront the villain and breathed a silvery cloud on him. As the assassin tried to focus on the small flying creature hovering in front of him he suddenly found himself confused, temporarily at a loss as to why he's there. What was this creature doing in front of him? Was he doing something important? Little Focher took back to the air and safer skies.
Out from the concealment of the shadows emerged another warrior, a female Red Mantis who approached Taylan and attempted to use one of the many Mantis powers... that of fascinate on the young mage. However, the attempt failed - but rather than flee and hide she stood with her swords raised and hissed at the young mage.
Taylan was sure he had seen this female warrior before, of having been in this moment before. Whether it be the Harrow reading, a dream, or just an imagined thought, he knew he had already witnessed this moment.
The huge Caterpillar reared up and attacked the distracted Taylan, and as one of its venomous fangs bit deep, the young mage almost felt the poison enter his body. The effect was almost immediate as he suddenly became cumbersome, dazed, and a little confused.
He knew there was danger, but he just couldn’t grasp it.
All he heard was a little smirk from the armored woman in front of him.
Did he know this woman?
What's he doing here? If only he could remember?
Calli noticed Taylan's bewildered state and precarious position that he was in, and so she focused her magic to somehow call to the young mage, to bring him back to himself.
Taylan heard a song, a voice, a note that was familiar, and if he could just grab hold of it he knew he'd be fine ..... but it remained just beyond his grasp, and he was lost in swirl of confusion.
Nightingale heard the cries of pain from those ensnared within the tentacles, that grim magic exacting a heavy toll as the swordsman - now free of the Red Mantis hypnotic weave - engaged the female Red Mantis Assassin.
His rapier just seemed like an extension of his arm, and appeared to pierce where ever he pointed. Despite the warrior's skilled defenses, Gale’s strikes hit with power and force channeling the energy of an electrical storm down the blade! One of the swordsman’s strikes left the warrioress so burnt, scorched and blistered, that as he pulled out the blade she just fell to the ground, dead. She hadn’t summoned the red mist they’d grown accustomed to the assassins using, and Nightingale was surprised when instead of vanishing like her fellow assassins, her body remained limp and lifeless.
Quickly he flicked the blade of his rapier and prepared to meet his next challenge, his next foe!
One of the Mantis warriors fighting the big barbarian hit out with his sabres bypassing Byron's defensive stance, and managed to nick the warrior twice. The cuts were irksome, negligible, but one was refusing to heal, and bled freely despite the big barbarian’s ability to withstand a lot of damage. As Byron glanced at the cut on his arm that appeared to be bleeding freely, the red-armored warrior quickly clicked his boots together, enveloping him in a subtle haze of magic.
Maybe it was a trick of the light, but Byron was sure the man that had just bled him and that had just tapped his boots together at the heel, now appeared to be moving a little faster. With a grim smile Byron turned to face the man wearing Byron’s new boots!
The other 'Mantis' that was attacking Byron managed to shake himself free of the confusion that was clouding his judgement, and seeing that the large human street fighter was now more fully engaged with his assassin brother decided to take advantage by just flanking to the side of the heavily muscled man. The red-carapaced thug lashed out with both his swords, hoping to fell his opponent quickly. The speed of his attack would initially prove his undoing, for as he swiped the saw-toothed blade round, hoping to cut deep into his opposite's neck, he over-balanced, tripped, and dropped the wicked blade, missing his intended target. Byron, sensing the attack, ducked the wild swipe, but as he turned he moved directly into the Mantis' second blade, who had moved with such speed he managed to stab upwards - missing Byron's breast-plate and catching him up just off the ribs, cutting into the serratus. Then as the blade was quickly pulled free, Byron could see and feel the damage the attack had done as flesh, cloth and mail was ripped from his body.
The red-caracpaced killer, not fighting the momentum of the blade that he was still holding, but utilizing it to expertly let his arm move freely, swung the blade in a wide arc around and down into the huge thigh of the barbarian. Again ripping the blade the 'Mantis' smiled in grim determination as he noticed the blood that flowed. The assassin felt that they would finally bleed this Flowered fool.
Byron noticed more of the nebulous red mist surrounding the swordsmen that faced him. The damage they had both inflicted upon him was severe, and in places he was bleeding freely beyond his body’s immediate ability to heal. However, reared in the fighting pits of Korvosa, where every other match was a fight to the death, these odds today did not frighten him. These were men that he could see, that he could hit, and not some infernal poison that robbed him of his vitality and killed with stealth. And so turning back to his 'Boots' the taloned warrior lashed out at the would be 'insect' with each strike cutting deep into the man.
The first cut was nothing more than a backward swipe from Byron's left hand, his talon almost negligently cut a deep groove in the man’s chest just above the protection offered by the red breast-plate. His assailant swung forward, the weight of the strike turned him to face the enraged barbarian full on. The second and third strikes were delivered almost simultaneously as the enraged barbarian drove his serrated talons deep into his assailants body right up to the knuckles. He pulled the pinned man close, the muscles of his forearms bulging, and whispered, "Thank you for the boots," before he ripped his bone claws free, rending the armored man's body with blood splatter coating the floor. As the red warrior fell only his armor and boots hit the floor as the "Mantis' disappeared from sight lost in the red mist that had enveloped him. Byron turned to face the other armoured bug man, a big elated smile on his face as blood and fire dripped from the end of his knuckles and all down the length of his claws.
Byron was not aware, or possibly didn't care at this point, the amount of damage he had taken from both of the assassins as his enraged 'self' got lost in the visceral nature of the fight, but both Rune and Focher could clearly see the toll the bout was taking. Though the barbarian enjoyed an almost superhuman amount of strength and endurance he was now cut up and bloodied almost beyond recognition with a number of wounds flowing freely. As one the two miniature winged clerics descended upon the man, the Lyrakien gently kissing him on the cheek, her healing touch reviving the bloodied man whilst the drake quickly flew around the warrior leaving a golden healing trail in his wake which settled on his 'boss' reviving Byron even further as well staunching the bleeds that were robbing him off his strength. As the two winged beings took to the air Byron gave them a quick appreciative nod before returning to the grisly task before him.
Alerted by the Lyrakien's and Drake's administrations to Byron, Calli responded to the imminent confrontation between the two warriors by tapping out a hard persistent rhythm off the body of the Eagle Harp whilst simultaneously plucking a fast hard riff from the strings, an edge to the sound that couldn't be ignored, that could root you to the spot! Her bardic power swelled within her as she took the strong percussive beat and heavy plucked riff and amplified them, sending that arresting sound straight at the Mantis warrior facing Byron. The sound washed over the soldier but she knew immediately her intervention had failed and so she once again called upon the inspiring nature of music to empower Byron and aid all the 'Flowers' engaged in the deadly battle around her.
Almost subconsciously Calli surveyed the battle-field that surrounded her, recording moments that will offer color and flavor to her performances. It was almost unreal as she stood here in this huge cavern fighting for her life, and yet the bard in her was just observing and recollecting.
She smiled as the goblin Mogmora tried in vain to pull at the tentacles that had ensnared him, the invective he spouted was as black as the tangle of smoke that refused to release him. A giggle escaped her as she noticed the swordswoman pull against the black tentacles, and that for a moment she was free only to fall backwards into yet more of the black feeders, ensnared once more. The red mantis assassin was equally useless at escaping the snares. She noticed the tentacles on mass try to crush those caught within their grasp, but both Mogmora and the swordswoman seemed to be able to resist their crush.
A note of concern crossed her brow, even as she sang her song driving the heart of the battle, as she watched the huge fungal centipede which towered over Taylan rear up and try to crash down upon the mage. Thankfully, its massive bulk was clumsy, and it missed her fellow half-elf.
Nightingale noticed his charge Calli concentrating on her song, her exertions obviously on her face as he heard her voice reassuring him and urging, enabling him to do more. He also noticed the progress those caught in that black mass of twitching and grasping tentacles.
"Not ready for you guys yet," the swordsman whispers to himself, and from deep within he recalled a powerful arcane incantation just perfect for this situation. With a devilish smile playing across his face, the mage clapped his hands together, whispering words of power so low they were lost in the chamber, but their power was so potent that the more words he whispered the more hands appeared, fingers like talons stretching and straining, eager to be about their business. As he brought forth more of these spectral limbs they ghosted in and out of sight, some clutched at the mage, others clasped together pleading to be released, until all at once Nightingale the dark heart released the hands, directing them to assault those caught within the tentacles. Suddenly those within the sea of black were assaulted by hundreds and hundreds of shadowy skeletal-taloned hands that grasped and pulled at their clothes and limbs. Both Mogmora and the assassin felt this resistance to their every movement, slowing them down forcing them to focus on just a single move! Only the swordswoman was able to shrug off the new magical assault.
"Damn only two out of three," Nightingale watched the swordswoman whilst preparing to take on the next threat, the next challenge.
The 'Mantis' still facing Byron, having witnessed the vicious and bloody way in which the barbarian dealt with his red brother, tried to subdue the brute utilizing the weave of his swords, hoping that the man would be fascinated by its movement. The graceful flowing movements and swirling intricate rotations of the sabre were for nought as the barbarian, having seen this dance before, wasted no time and just lashed out with his gore splattered claws. The assassin, almost without thought, called on one of his special abilities taught to the Red Mantis brethren to blink out of existence temporarily, to by-pass the attack not by just disappearing but by removing oneself from this plane for just a fraction of a second. As that first blood covered claw cleaved forward it disappeared ...for a time nothing, euphoric that the attack had missed and the warrior immediately blinked back into existence, only to face the pit fighters onslaught as he faced two more feral attacks.
Momentarily shocked as his opponent seemed to flicker out of sight at his first attack, when the Red Carapace of the 'Mantis' reappeared Byron wasted no time but with all the power at his disposal slashed twice more with his extended claws giving his assailant no time for any more tricks, he carved his way deep into the mans body, blood and flesh no barrier to a rage-fuelled assault.
The Lyrakien Rune a cleric of Desna called upon the power of her deity to help restore the young half-eleven mage who was still suffering after the giant centipede attack. She flew down her gossamer wings fluttering and landed gently on Taylans shoulder, walked up to his neck and kissed his cheek.
On Taylan the effect of Rune's kiss was immediate as Desna's healing power restored the Scion of the White Maw back to himself, banishing the debilitating confusion of the huge caterpillar's poison. Suddenly his limbs were his own again, his mind was his own, the dragon blood returned. He centered his sights on the caterpillar that had injured him and prepared to reciprocate in kind. He drew in a big heavy breath. The air filled his slim ribcage further and further as his chest expanded and expanded, until the colour of his neck and head turned icy blue, and frosty ice seemed to cover his skin. Even the features of his face seemed to take on a more reptilian aspect with a scaled snout and eye ridges as Taylan, a street beggar of Korvosa, let loose with a breath weapon of the White Maw! Turning the freezing power of ice loose on that which had injured him, Taylan directed his arctic blast directly at the huge insect. Where ever the ice touched it burned the large larval creature, but it’s sturdy mass seemed to resist the brunt of the chilling blast.
Calli maintained her song, but wanting to be of more use in the battle, drew out her own swept hilt rapier. Her enchanted sheath ensured it a keen-edge, and the blade was specially made for killing humans. She darted in behind the Mantis facing her lover. She had some skill with a blade, with Nightingale as her mentor this was a given, but she knew she was no swordswoman. If she must fight with steel, she would fight intelligently, and in this case that meant with a human already engaged in combat with another. Choosing her position carefully she lightly gripped the smooth leather handle of the rapier as she had been taught. With the long sleek blade Calli easily found the gaps in the carapace armour, and the blade slid into the human body with ease causing the would be 'insect' to draw in a shocked breath as he realized he was now the one attacked from two sides.
Through the black tentacled mass Mogmora finally managed to force his way free, all the while feeling his progress slowed as dark ephemeral hands tried to pull him back, unwilling to release their grip. Fighting against the constant pull Mogmora just stood there unable to move, gathering himself to try again!
Nightingale watched as the swordswoman, with a wide sweep of her hand, released a magic that dispelled the black tentacles, the writhing black smoke dissipating in an instant. Then wasting no time, and with unnatural speed, the sword wielding woman cast again, this time directing the magic upon herself.
Nightingale, though expert with a sword, also enjoyed a certain mastery of the arcane, and was reasonably certain the woman had defended herself the protection of a sanctuary spell amidst the broiling melee.
Like a successful tag team Focher, following the Lyrakiens example, descended upon Taylan adding his healing magic to Rune's kiss, both bestowing yet more vigour and health to the young beleaguered spell-caster.
The bright blue fungus that had been living on the large caterpillar suddenly sparked releasing a searing bright blue flash seen by all but Byron, who was shielded from the worst of the intense blast by one of the giant stone pillars holding up the cavern. Just as the light began to fade Calli saw Gale and Taylan falter to the intense light. She bestowed a magical boon to once again resist the light attack upon her mentor, a saving finale that granted him a second chance to avoid the deleterious effects of the fungal assault.
Nightingale, empowered by Calli's boon, fought off the stunning effect of the the immense fungal light flash, and immediately attacked the large caterpillar beast with his rapier, cutting deeply into the monstrosity. With a final sweeping flourish of his blade the large insect fell to the ground, a dead pile of larva flesh and black chitin plate.
The assassin that was also caught in the tentacled mass found himself free, and though still hampered in his movements by the clinging, grasping, pulling hands of shadow and smoke, slowly made his way towards the continuing melee.
The sword blade that pierced his back caused the remaining Mantis assassin to turn and face his new assailant, a beautiful bard with a mass of curly pink hair. He spat "Bitch" from within his insectoid helmet, and with uncanny speed laid into the young woman, his anger powering his strikes, oblivious to the danger as he hacked away. Calli tried to withstand the vicious onslaught as she sought to parry and block, but she was no match for the assassin as she suffered cut after cut, with a number of the wounds bleeding freely.
Byron's cry of rage was truly animalistic as he witnessed the savage attack on the woman who had so recently begun to mean so much to him. His rage and now his fear for the young pink-haired bard propelled the barbarian’s retaliation. He drove both his claws deep into the man's back who had foolishly turned away from him, the tips of his claws erupting through the man’s chest. Pulling his claws free rending what was left of the pretend man-insect, the carcass of the man falling to the floor and then in an instant just disappeared into the red mist that surrounded him, leaving his armour and boots to clatter on the stone of the floor. Quickly the barbarian made his way over to the young woman, concern clearly written on his face, but she simply smiled at his concern, blew him a kiss, and pulled out a light crossbow. The small delicate weapon caused the fighter to stop as he turns to see who she is aiming the bolt at.
MogMora!
Calli squeezed the trigger.
The limb, its stored pressure violently releases!
The small deadly bolt flew, a holy glow emanating from the bolt.
And missed the hideous goblin.
But the goblin now knew his next move, and in spite of the arcane resistance moved quite far across the open space towards the young bard!
The swordswoman utilized more of her power, and Nightingale recognized the warm golden aura of healing magic just before she vanished from view!
"Watch your backs, the woman’s invisible," cried the black-coated swordsman, who quickly scanned the surrounding area, looking for any indication of the woman.
Focher the flying purple drake, a cleric of Desna and able to see all that is invisible, answered in his gruff, rough, reptilian voice, "I've got her ... and she's flying." The small dragon-like creature warned as he took to the air, trying to mark her progress. Suddenly the small winged creature dove bombed an apparently empty space, whipping out with his barbed tail.
Taking his cue from the small drake, Nightingale pointed towards the space with the index finger of his casting hand, thumb upwards, feeling that familiar sensation of heat collect in a small intense ball at the tip of his finger. The red-orange ball spun in place, before shooting forth into the area behind where Focher had attacked. The ball of flames exploded out in a twenty-foot radius, stopping just short of the purple drake. Within the brief dancing fire, they could make out the shape of the woman as she screamed.
"She's not happy," added the Drake, "you definitely singed her." Focher tried again to dive bomb the flying swordswoman.
Seeing the path that Mogmora was taking as he headed straight for the young bard Calli spurred the heart-struck warrior into action. The vestiges of Taylan's fly spell still lingered, so Byron took to the air, flying low to the ground faster than he could run, closing the distance between the himself and the goblin easily. He pounced, ripping into the hideous green beast, his anger and rage lending power to his strikes.
The first sweep of his claws ripped deep into Mogmora's chest eliciting a cry of pain from the grotesque beast.
Byron's second strike fell short as he tried to cut the throat of the goblin.
However, the third strike was an upwards slash that cut deep into Mogmora's body, and with so much power he ripped the beast open from navel to chin.
For a moment the goblin just stood there trying desperately to hold his ruined body together, and then he just collapsed, slowly falling to the floor, even in death Nightingales ghostly hands ripped and pulled at the corpse. As Mogmora's remains hit the ground, suddenly his carcass begin to pulse, his body swelled and grew into that of a large deformed demon.
Mogmora the goblin was a disguise, the demon revealed in death was a vile beast that could have devoured them whole. Byron gave a small prayer of thanks for Nightingale's use of magic slowing the beast down.
"Who knows what damage the infernal beast could have wrought," said the warrior to himself as he looked down at the demon he just felled.
Calli, though still bleeding heavily from the 'Mantis' attack, channeled more of her magic and changed the very nature of her song, turning it into now from a source of inspiration to a depressing dirge, a dark hymn that she directed at the remaining opponents. The cold dismal funerial nature of Calli's new aria settled upon both their remaining foes shaking them both momentarily.
From the air, perhaps prompted by Calli's vocal attack, a command word was uttered followed by an unseen popping sound!
"She's gone," called the drake, swiftly scouting the area.
"Word of recall," explained Nightingale, identifying the spell.
Focher dove down and like a savage guard dog began to hiss and snarl at the remaining assassin.
"Don't you hurt anyone I love," growled the little flying beast, and breathed upon the remaining combatant, hoping his breath weapon might confuse him.
The 'Mantis' just laughed and swated the small flying reptile out of the way, completely unimpressed.
Nightingale reacted with the speed and grace borne of his lifetime of training, unleashing attacks at the remaining guard. Though his first attack was caught on the assassin’s cross-guard, his following riposte found his target, and tiring of this fight in the cavern he channeled an electrical bolt of immense power down the blade once more searing his man with lightning, the armoured man fell to the ground dead. The red mist swirled as the body of the assassin disappeared leaving only his armour and boots, as if he was never there.
The cavern went still, the only sound the heavy breathing of the victors as they waited to see if more assailants would appear to accost them. When no further surprises came, they regrouped. They knew they wouldn’t have long, the escaped swordswoman would be warning others, perhaps returning with greater numbers. Calli and Taylan began healing those who’d been harmed, including themselves, while Byron and Nightingale picked over the fallen loot for anything of use.
They’d already faced many foes, but they knew their mission was far from over, and they could only hope their missing member, Travis, turned up soon.