Inspectre
A continuation of  The Crimson Echo Season Two !


 Dramatis Personae 
 
 Spoiler: Our Heroes 
 

 
 Spoiler: Allies 
 

 
 Spoiler: Enemies 
 

 
 Spoiler: Important People 

 
 Spoiler: Of Korvosa 
 

 
Inspectre
 Locations 
 
 Spoiler: Korvosa 

 
 Spoiler: Map of Korvosa 
 
 

 
 Spoiler: Districts and Neighborhoods 
 
 Spoiler: East Shore and Gray 
 
 

 
 Spoiler: Midland 
 
 

 
 Spoiler: North Point 
 
 

 
 Spoiler: The Heights 
 
 

 
 Spoiler: Old Korvosa 
 
 

 
 Spoiler: South Shore 
 
 

 

 
Inspectre
 Other Important Information 
Inspectre
   Act 1: Edge of Anarchy  
  
 Prelude 
 Theme Music 

Far beneath Castle Korvosa, a stone door that had remained shut for many years slowly ground open.  This door was a secret one, flush with the wall it had been built into, and gave no sign that it even existed.  Only one who knew where to look would be able to find it, and even that would prove useless were one not to also possess the door’s only key.  A large iron key, bigger than a man’s fist, decorated in macabre fashion with screaming skulls and runes from some long-dead language.  A key like the one now brandished in one hand by the woman who stood in the open doorway, illuminated only by the light of the candle that she held in her other hand.

Queen Ileosa Arabasti stood in front of the open doorway for several long moments, nervously examining the room beyond.  It was an intimidating sight, resembling a tomb rather than a hidden off-shoot of the treasure vault she currently stood in.  Runes similar to the ones adorning her key skittered along every surface beyond the door, forming vaguely menacing patterns across the floor, walls, and ceiling.  Save for the runes, the room itself was featureless except for the pedestal jutting up out of the floor at the exact center point of the room, the runes racing along its surface until they reached its peak, atop which sat a large stone coffer wrapped in thick iron chains, held in place by a screaming iron skull, a keyhole just barely visible at the back of its yawning mouth.

Reaching out her magical senses to detect sources of magic in the room, Ileosa saw no immediate threat, as the room’s rune artwork was entirely defensive in nature, focused on suppressing whatever was inside the stone coffer – and despite that Ileosa could still faintly feel the presence of magic within it.  There was no doubt whatever was inside, it was powerful – and that it was what she had come down here for.  And despite that, still Ileosa hovered in the doorway, her fears holding her back – she was down here alone, with no one to stand between her and danger.  If there was still some hidden trap within, if she was injured . . .

Ileosa gathered up her frayed nerves and brought the memory of why she was down here at all to the forefront of her mind.

 Kneeling beside the bed of King Eodred Arabasti the Second, her head in his too-frail lap, tears staining the fur of the thick blanket separating them.  Wishing there was something, anything, that she could do to make him stay at her side.  She’d pay any price – her wealth, her youth, her very soul if it would mean they could be together again as they had been, not like this as every passing moment took her Eodred farther away from her.  But such pacts only existed in fairy tales, and in reality there was no cure for old age, nothing else she could do but lie beside him as the spark of Eodred’s life flickered out.

 “Stay with me.   Please ” 

She begged, and was rewarded with a shuddering groan as Eodred stirred.

“Are you there my queen?”  Came the hoarse whisper, at which point she lifted her head to look at her king’s withered face, and raised one hand to gently caress it.

 “Yes.  I am here my love.  Always.” 

To her surprise, with sudden strength Eodred reached up and grasped her hand.  With his other trembling hand he fumbled the blankets aside and reached inside his robe to remove a key that had been hanging around his neck.  A key that Ileosa had often seen hanging around Eodred’s neck, but never received an honest answer as to its purpose.  An iron key decorated with macabre designs of screaming skulls and runes from a long-dead language.  Eodred pressed the key into her outstretched hand, and then closed her hand around it with his last strength.

“There . . . might be a way . . . for me to yet live.  But it will require . . . breaking a promise I made long ago.  And I am too weak . . . to go myself.  You must . . . you must go down to the treasure vault . . . castle basement.  At the back . . . behind the fourth brick from the top . . . seventh from the right . . . key.  Go alone, take no one with you!  Hurry . . . 

Ileosa had flown from her husband’s side that moment, and despite the strangeness of his request, she had done as asked.  She had come down here alone, she had found the hidden keyhole at the back of the vault, and now that the item that could save Eodred’s life was in her sight, she hesitated?  She would pay any price!

Ileosa took a step into the rune-covered tomb, and then another, the iron key held in front of her like a shield.  With growing determination to match her mounting sense of dread, Ileosa crossed the remaining distance to the pedestal, and once there, hesitated only a moment more before ramming the key home into the gaping mouth.  There was a soft, raspy click, and then the key was torn out of Ileosa’s hand as it sank into the mouth, which closed around the key as gears groaned into motion.  Ileosa jumped back, narrowly stifling a startled scream, although that scream died on her lips as she glanced up to check the ring on her hand that clenched the candle holder, only to see the emerald set into its face had gone completely dark.  A magical ring that was part of a pair, its singular purpose was to inform its wearer of the condition of the one wearing its mate.  And if the stone went as completely dark as hers was now, then it meant . . .

 “No . . . no no no no, please no!” 

Ileosa breathed, switching her grip on the candle holder from one hand to the other so that she could stare more easily at the ring’s gem – and more safely shake her hand, hoping to fix the magical fluke responsible for this news.  But the stone remained dark no matter how vigorously she shook the ring, and Ileosa sank to her knees onto the merciless stone as the truth of it washed over her.  She was too late . . . if only she had been faster, less afraid, maybe she could have done it.  Ileosa’s vision blurred as hot tears began their race from the corners of her eyes, and it was a struggle to keep hold of the candle holder as her body was wracked with sobs.

But sorrow turned to terror a moment later as the iron skull finally finished its meal, and with a final rattling click released its hold on the chains.  Chains which flew away from the coffer, unfurling from where they had been tightly wrapped a moment before like a hunter’s snare.  One such length of chain lashed across Ileosa’s hand, sending the candle holder tumbling out of her hand and plunging the room into total darkness.  Wincing at the sudden stab of pain from her hand, Ileosa nonetheless crawled across the stone floor, flailing at the floor out in front of her with her other hand while clutching the wounded one to her chest.  Where was it, where was it!?  There!  Ileosa’s fingers brushed against the length of the candle, and pain flared in her other hand as her outstretched fingers raked through still molten wax.  But after another moment her fingers finally found a solid grip, and she drew her prize back to her, already stumbling over the necessary arcane words.

One after another, sparks briefly appeared from her hands to illuminate the tomb for one brief moment before expiring – she couldn’t find the damn wick to light it again!  And then suddenly she saw where the wick was, and reflexively lit it, before she realized that she only found the wick because she could  see  it.  The room had slowly been filled with a dim light, coming from all of the warding runes throughout the room – but the brightest light by far now shone from the coffer, through the narrow slit between its lid and body.

The glow of the coffer was hypnotic, and Ileosa slowly felt her terror, her sorrow fade away, to be replaced by a burning curiosity about what was inside.  What had Eodred sent her down here to retrieve, with what had been essentially his dying breath?  And why had he been convinced that it could save him?  Pushing herself back up to her feet, Ileosa ran her fingers across the face of the lid, trying to find purchase with her fingers so she could lift it up.  The stone coffer swung open at her touch of its own accord with a low hiss of grinding stone.

Within the coffer was a crown, made of some twisted, jagged shards of black metal with pieces of . . . bone? . . . slid into metal sheaths along the rim.  A mote of deep blue light floated above the crown, dancing and twirling in mesmerizing patterns within the coffer’s narrow confines.  It ceased its pacing turns a moment later, hanging in place a moment before it shoot upwards – towards Ileosa’s face!  The queen jerked her head back, but it was too late as light enveloped her.

The bright light became searing as it poured into her eyes, her nose, her ears.  She tried to move but found she could not, held immobile by the light as firmly as if by chains.  She opened her mouth to scream, and the light poured itself into the new opening, choking her.  She couldn’t move, couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe – she was drowning in the light.  No.  It was crushing her.  And then just like that, the light winked out, the room plunging back into total darkness as the wards all went out and the candle again fell from Ileosa’s lifeless hands.  She crumpled to the floor like a puppet with its strings having been cut, and as she fell her hand caught on the edge of the coffer, pulling it off of the pedestal.  It shattered as it touched the floor, and the crown skittered across the floor, free at last.

For what seemed like an age, Ileosa lied still on the floor, not moving, not making even a sound.  But then she stirred, throwing a hand out to steady herself and push herself up onto her knees – and found the crown.  Reflexively, she reached up and set the crown onto her head, adjusting its position to make sure it was firmly in place before wiping the tears from her face.

 “Everything will be alright.” 

Ileosa promised, and then got to her feet, leaving the tomb behind.  She did not collect the extinguished candle on her way out.

--------------------------------

 Theme Music 

In one corner of the upscale Three Rings tavern, the conspirators met for the final time.  The tavern had been chosen as a meeting point for its dedication to discretion in regards to its clients’ privacy.  It seemed unlikely, however, that the group’s privacy would be respected if it was known what they had met here so many times to discuss.

 “A toast to our future fortunes.  Soon the roster will be dead, if he isn’t already, and then the henhouse will be ours.” 

Their leader declared, earning a murmur of approval and clinking of wine glasses.  It was all so tedious and juvenile to the eldest member of the conspiracy, who had spent years bitterly wishing he was able to kill the king and topple the city’s monarchy.  Well now he had finally done it, with the help of these others interested in regime change, and the accomplishment only tasted like ashes.  Much like this piss weak wine he was drinking, and finished in one long swallow.  Time to leave – let these sycophants bathe in their leader’s afterglow if they must, but he had better things to do with what time was left to him.  As he rose to leave, of course the leader’s chief toady chose that moment to open his fat mouth.

 “Sulking back to your hole already?  The night is young – you might as well enjoy the quiet while it lasts.” 

The punk was lucky that they’d never have to see each other again after this.  Otherwise he might have learned the painful lesson of respecting his elders while picking the shards of this empty wineglass out of his neck.  But attempting to murder one of his fellows would undoubtedly jeopardize his payment, and that was the only important thing left here.

  “I’d rather collect my, heh, “commission” and leave the playing with farm animals to younger men, Junior.  The streets aren’t going to be very safe in a few hours, and I’d rather be safe aboard my ship as it arrives to take me away to the rest of my life as a very wealthy man someplace far away from here.  Unless, of course, the plan wasn’t to kill just one old man.”  

All those assembled tensed at his bluntness, but their leader remained stone-faced, betraying nothing about what the real plan was for covering their tracks.  Not for the first time was he grateful that he had arranged for some insurance ahead of time to prevent a double-cross.  After a tense moment of locked eyes and everyone else holding their breath, the conspiracy’s leader produced a bulging purse and tossed it over to his side of the table.  Cautiously, the old man picked up the top of the tied-shut bag with thumb and forefinger, and then let it drop back to the table – just in case there was something else in there instead of coins.  But no, the rattling jiggle of coins was the only thing he heard as the bag smacked back down onto the table, and so he scooped the bag back up and shoved it into his shirt, giving an exaggerated bow to those assembled.

  “Pleasure doing business with you all.  Hope I never see any of you again.  Because if I do . . .”  

He let the threat of deploying his insurance hang in the air, but the leader’s face remained expressionless, until a disdainful hand waved a dismissal.  He was free to go, released from service as if he was no more than a cheap porter, easily replaced and quickly forgotten.  The gall of it made his blood boil, and yet he was seasoned enough to not do something rash and irrevocable, like he would have done in his youth.  Some battles were not winnable, and some were not even worth fighting in the first place.  He had his payment, and now it was time to leave and turn his thoughts to the future.  However much of that he had left at this point, anyway.

And so he left, leaving the conspirators to their trite little party on this last evening of peace.  While he still half expected a knife to appear in his back at any moment, he nonetheless walked along the docks back towards his “hole”, breathing in the thin mist rising off of the Jeggare River.  It would be the last time he would get to do that, for as soon as he collected his things from his stash, he was on the first boat leaving Korvosa.  With any luck, the ship would be able to clear its moorings and be at sea before everything went to hell.  But first, he had to deal with the ******* coming up behind him.  He slowed his limping gait to a stop, reaching for the knife tucked at the small of his back, underneath his cloak, as the footsteps drew closer.

  “I don’t like being followed.”  

He announced, and then extended his offer to his pursuer.

  “So why don’t we skip to the end, where you **** off and I don’t give you a new mouth three inches below your old one.”  
 Theme Music 

A dry chuckle that sounded like dead leaves scraping over the cobblestones was the only reply, and then came the whispered counteroffer.

 “So this is how the great Gaedren Lamm ends.  A broken old man crawling off to die in safety and comfort, while his city changes hands from one parasite to the next, achieving nothing.  And all he has to show for his life is the pittance doled out to him by his masters, a far cry from what he was promised.  What he is owed.” 

Gaedren Lamm spun about on his good leg, producing the dagger from its hiding place as he snarled at the mocking interloper, who was little more than a silhouette a dozen feet back, concealed by the mists.  If this was an assassin sent by his “masters”, he had bungled the job by announcing his presence.  Or perhaps not, considering with his limp Gaedren didn’t have a prayer of escaping.  Hoping to buy himself some time, Gaedren tried to keep the figure talking – and unleashing some of his simmering resentment felt good.

  “You don’t know **** about me or what this city owes me!  And this “pittance” is more than enough for me to live the sort of life I was promised!”  

Again, a dry chuckle from the figure as it advanced closer.  Now instead of a silhouette, it was a cowled figure – another few steps and Gaedren would have a clear throw of his knife at its head.

 “For as long as that life lasts.  But then you will be gone.  Forgotten.  All your dreams and efforts for naught.  Korvosa will go on without you, unchanged.  Is that the result you fought for, sacrificed so much for, clung to these past thirty years?”  

The figure continued to draw closer, and as it loomed out of the mists, coming within six feet, Gaedren sneered and made his move.
 
 “This conversation bores me.  But however long my life will be, at this point it’ll be longer than yours.”  

The knife scythed through the mist and night air, and yet when it flew perfectly into the darkness of the interloper’s cowl, the figure winked out of existence entirely.  Lamm swore as he heard the soft plop of his knife continuing on into the Jeggare River beyond, the perfect throw wasted on some kind of illusion.  The interloper’s voice chided him from all sides within the mist.

 “This doesn’t have to be how your story ends, Gaedren.  I can provide you with the means to rewrite your ending.  You can still do everything you wanted to do – what you were  born  to do.  All you have to do is accept my invitation.  Take some time to think about it if you must.  Just know that you are short on time to change your fate.  So what’s it going to be, Gaedren?  Is your life going to end as a failure, or as the fire that will sweep Korvosa clean?” 

From the mist, a card fluttered out to land at his feet.  Looking down to examine it, Gaedren saw that it was a Harrow card, much like one from the set he had stolen from that fortune teller bitch some time ago – oh, the irony.

  “Harrow, really?  What’s next, you going to tell me that in addition to fame and fortune, I’ll find the woman of my dreams?”  

Gaedren taunted, but there was no reply from the mist – whoever he had been speaking with, they were gone now.  Cautiously, Gaedren picked up the Harrow card, flipping it over to reveal that an address had been scratched onto the back.  Apropos, given how ridiculous this whole night had been.  And yet . . . the figure in the mist’s offer did hold some attraction.  He had forgotten how fiercely that spark had burned in him, forgotten himself.  He could always retire to Magnimar later, after things calmed down again.  It couldn’t hurt to at least see what this lunatic was really offering him, right?

But first, he was going to need more men – he was going to need a *lot* more men.  Which wouldn’t be a problem, thanks to his newfound wealth.  Gaedren set off down the street again, but this time his destination wasn’t home, but instead a few local watering holes he knew where the patrons didn’t ask questions, and were rather fond of money.
Inspectre
The Story So Far:

The world that you come from has some similarities to the one that you find yourselves in now – the city is still Korvosa, King Eodred is still dead, and Gaedren Lamm  was  still a miserable blight on every life he touched.  But holding up the two sets of memories in your head reveals that there are certainly quite a few differences as well.

 
 Spoiler: How It Normally Goes 

(This is loosely how things happened in the very first go around – Shizu’s CotCT game.  It’s more or less how the first book of the AP runs as-written, but feel free to decide if something went slightly differently in your “original” world!)
 
 The party is brought together by Zellara, a middle-aged Varisian woman who is a Harrow (fortune) reader.  She claims Lamm has wronged her too, and has brought all of you together to take revenge against the old criminal who has wronged each of you in some way. 
 Following intel provided by Zellara, the party goes to an old fishery that has been serving as Gaedren Lamm’s base of operations.  After fighting through the couple members of Lamm’s gang, you confront the old man in his lair and kill him. 
 Searching Lamm’s lair reveals Zellara’s severed head, leading to the revelation and confession from her that she is a ghost and has been this entire time.  She brought you together after her death to take revenge on Lamm, and selected all of you because she sensed that you had some greater fate to play beyond just killing Lamm. 
 Amongst Lamm’s possessions is an incredibly detailed and expensive brooch that is the property of Queen Ileosa, King Eodred’s wife – how it came to be in Lamm’s possession is a mystery, although theft by one of his little lambs seems most likely. 
 Later that night, King Eodred dies and the city is thrown into chaos.  The party is forced to seek shelter indoors, perhaps back at Zellara’s old house, or perhaps at your own nearby residence.  Along the way, the party has to deal with angry rioters, rambunctious imps enjoying the chaos, and possibly even a hungry otyugh. 
 After the city has calmed, the party eventually goes to the royal palace to return the brooch to Queen Ileosa.  After a brief meeting with the solemn queen-in-mourning, the party is generously rewarded and asked to meet with the head of Korvosa’s city guard, Field Marshall Cressidia Kroft, to aid the city further. 
 After meeting with Korvosa’s most overworked civil officer, Field Marshall Kroft asks the party to investigate a group of city guardsmen who deserted their posts and have taken up shop in a butcher shop known as All the World’s Meat. 
 Investigating the butcher’s shop reveals that while the ringleader of the deserters, Verik Vancasterkin, is indeed knowingly guilty of desertion, he is unaware that his men have set up a murder-for-hire business on the side, disposing of the bodies of their victims as part of the free meat distributed out to the desperate citizens of Old Korvosa. 
 Following the party’s success in capturing Verik and his gang of miscreants, Kroft assigns a new task to the party – dealing with the smarmy ambassador from Cheliax, Darvayne Amprei.  Amprei has been taking advantage of the chaos following Eodred’s death and his position as ambassador to enrich himself at the cost of the city, and Kroft wishes to convince him to back-off.  How she intends to do this is acquire evidence of his misdeeds, or at least compromising information that could undermine his position back in Cheliax. 
 A friend of Field Marshall Kroft, Vencarlo Orsini, is present at this meeting and explains that he is aware of someone who likely has such damning evidence on Damprei, and who probably would be willing to part with said information in exchange for a good amount of coin – Devargo Bravarsi, the so-called King of Spiders, who is a major crime boss running a den of sin and inequity known as Eel’s End in Old Korvosa. 
 The party travels to Eel’s End, bargains with Devargo, and convinces him to part with his evidence against Damprei – a series of love letters between him and his mistress, which also includes details of several occasions where he has exploited his position as the Chelish ambassador for his own personal gain. 
 By this point, there is a growing belief that Eodred was murdered rather than simply died of advanced age, and one popular suspect in his murder is Queen Ileosa herself.  Another potential suspect is a young painter that King Eodred hired a few months ago, Trinia Sabor, who Kroft asks the party to quietly bring in for the girl’s protection. 
 Despite the party’s best efforts, the apprehension of Trinia Sabor goes sideways, with the young painter proving to also be a talented acrobat as she leaps out of her apartment and races out onto the Shingles, the twisting maze of roofs, clotheslines, and bridges that span across the top of Korvosa’s slums. 
 Things go from bad to worse when unknown assailants fire crossbows at the fleeing painter, wounding her at a critical moment and sending her tumbling to her death on the streets far below. 
 If the world has not already shifted to the one you find yourselves in now, Trinia’s death (however it happened) is the last memory you have of your old world before things twist and you abruptly find yourself in this new world, with a similar but much different set of memories. 
 
 

 
 Spoiler: How Its Gone This Time 

(A similarly rough, general summary of the Crimson Echo, Seasons One and Two, is provided below.  While there are probably some slight differences from this in the world that you now all co-exist in, it’s safe to assume that this is basically the exact course of events the new party has jointly experienced in this new world you all find yourselves in.  There’s . . . rather a lot of history here, but hopefully it will prove a useful primer on most of the various important movers and shakers in the game world, and how they all intersect with each other.)

 
 Seeking to avoid a repeat of the original disaster, Silas goes to Trinia’s apartment first thing before King Eodred is even announced dead.  Silas and Trinia are attacked by several gang members who seem intent on kidnapping the girl as part of some wider conspiracy.  While Trinia is knocked unconscious by a poisoned crossbow bolt, she survives the ambush and Silas gets her to safety back at his place.  A bit later on, corrupt guards show up at Silas’s place looking for her, seemingly part of the same conspiracy.  Silas and Trinia again escape from harm and releasing the girl is in more terrible danger than previously believed, he takes her to Vencarlo Orsini’s house to hideout.  While not happy to get a babysitting job dumped in his lap, Vencarlo agrees to keep the girl safe and out-of-harm’s way for now. 
 Eventually, the party is once again assembled by Zellara, who again sets them on the trail of Gaedren Lamm as his old fishery base, although she notes that the threads of Fate seem oddly out-of-alignment. 
 Arriving at the old fishery, the party once again fights through Lamm’s goons, albeit considerably more of them this time as Lamm seems to have found the money to hire a local gang for protection.  Lamm ultimately escapes from the party aboard the old boat he has moored at the back of the old fishery, a previously ruined derelict that he has suddenly found the money to repair into a sailable vessel.  While Lamm makes his escape, the party has to contend with the leader of the hired gang, who consumes a vial of shimmering orange liquid, promptly gains magical powers, and starts ranting at the party about how the city was all going to burn and rot. 
 The drug that the local tough consumed was almost certainly a new drug called Shudder, a potent substance that (apparently truly does!) gives the drinker magical powers – albeit at the cost of going stark-raving mad.  Lamm is apparently the sole distributor of the drug currently, which is certainly one reason he could be considerably richer and more powerful in this brave new world. 
 The party still finds Zellara’s severed head, along with his stash – although the queen’s special brooch is notably absent from the minor hoard. 
 King Eodred dies, and the city again plunges into chaos.  The party deals with angry rioters, a few obnoxious imps, and a squad of Hellknights, members of the local mercenary band of the Order of the Nail, who are brutally putting down every rioter in sight with horrific amounts of violence.  The party manages to largely steer clear of the Hellknights, although Aliani sends one of their officers – a dead-eyed Hellknight named Xerxes – chasing after Lamm. 
 Through the chaos in the streets, the party rescues several people – a local fisherman known only as Fishguts Jim from some reefclaws, Nadine - a ballerina who is old friends with Aliani - from some thugs, and Beautrice – Nadine’s twin sister – from the psychotic leader of a street gang known as the Dusters who had burned Beautrice’s face with acid, leaving her gravely ill and on the edge of death. 
 As things begin to calm down, the party is approached by Field Marshall Cressidia Kroft, who is aware of the party’s existence thanks to Vencarlo Orsini as well as Dalen approaching her prior to the riots to offer his services. 
 The Field Marshall is badly overworked, and lacks the resources to attend to a request from Queen Ileosa, namely to see to the safety of the Chelish Ambassador, a woman known only Lady Andaisin.  The ambassador has a small nondescript home in Old Korvosa, and with the riots still ongoing, the party is being asked to find her and escort her to the royal castle for her own protection. 
 Ambassador Andaisin is unharmed, although the party finds her unsetting and suspicious, particularly after noticing that there seems to be blood and signs of a struggle inside the house (seen through the open front door) despite the ambassador claiming nothing happened the previous night.  Nonetheless, the party obediently escort her to the royal palace, where they briefly meet with the ambassador’s old and close friend, Queen Ileosa Arabasti.  The queen thanks the party for their efforts at protecting the ambassador, and offers them a new task – escorting her elven handmaiden Elliana, around the city tomorrow to survey the damage from the rioters and present her with a list of problems the crown could attempt to solve. 
 During the meeting with the queen, Aliani brings up Beautrice’s condition, leading the queen to dispatch her personal physician, Dr. Reiner Davaulus, to attend to her now infected injuries.  Dr. Reiner manages to cure Beautrice, although he is unable to remove the scars left on her face from the acid. 
 While having some misgivings about the entire thing, the party ultimately agrees and returns to the palace the next morning to pick up the curious handmaiden.  The queen’s personal bodyguard Sabrina Merrin, believed to be the city’s most skilled warrior, is very insistent that no harm come to the handmaiden. 
 In the course of escorting the handmaiden around the city, the party comes across the handiwork of the Order of the Nail, in the form of numerous impaled and crucified bodies left in the middle of the street.  They also meet the drunk and demoralized guard sergeant Grau Saldado, eventually managing to convince him to pull himself together for the good of the city despite the horrors he had witnessed the previous evening, both from the rioters and the Hellknights. 
 The tour of Korvosa goes sideways when Aliani suggests to go investigate the suspicious Ambassador Lady Andaisin’s house, which handmaiden Elliana reluctantly but finally agrees to do.
[*}The inside of Lady Andaisin’s house is a death trap full of horrors, including animated furniture that attempts to murder the party (Elliana included), and the re-animated bodies of a kill squad Lamm sent after the ambassador (and surely the source of the blood upstairs that led to this suspicion in the first place).  Worst of all, the party discovers a booby-trapped shrine to Urgathoa, goddess of disease, gluttony, and undeath which ultimately sets the entire house ablaze in an attempt to destroy the evidence.  The party ultimately escapes, but Handmaiden Elliana is badly shaken and vows to inform Queen Ileosa of this discovery. 
 While down in the basement the party also learns a bit about Elliana’s backstory - that she grew up as an orphan on the streets of Westcrown in Cheliax, that she came to Korvosa along with Queen Ileosa and Lady Andaisin, and that she is a worshiper of the Empyean Lord Lorris the Savior Hound (with a small medallion of Lorris tucked under her clothes) 
 On the way back to the palace, the party comes across a group of Hellknights who are publicly executing a group of civilians that they had supposedly caught rioting and looting the previous night.  Handmaiden Elliana marches forward to confront the Hellknights and challenge their legal authority to summarily execute Korvosan citizens, when the whole thing is rendered moot by the arrival of Korvosa’s most famous vigilante and masked hero, Blackjack, who frees the civilians and engages the Hellknights in a duel to keep them busy while the remaining prisoners make good on their escape.  The party aids Blackjack discretely, and Elliana is injured by a stray lightning bolt after she pushes aside a child who would have otherwise been caught in the bolt and killed.  Miraculously, Elliana sustains only minor injuries as well (nothing a few CLW spells can’t fix!), although Sabrina is less than amused when the party arrives back at the palace and Elliana’s injuries are discovered. 
 The party handles various personal business over the next few days, before they again meet with Field Marshall Kroft.  Kroft introduces the party to one of her top detectives, a clean-shaven man named Rhev (who was also a drunk slob, disgraced ex-guardsman, and member of the party in the original timeline).  Rhev had been assigned tracking down Gaedren Lamm, due to his Shudder business, his apparent involvement in Eodred’s death, and his stated intention to lead a revolt against the city’s nobility and topple its government.  Rhev announces that he is looking into several potential leads into Lamm’s business, including references to a “painter” that he apparently used, possibly to poison Eodred.  The trail of evidence Rhev has found so far seems to lead directly back around to Trinia Sabor. 
 Shortly thereafter, the party is invited back to the royal palace for a luncheon with Queen Ileosa.  There the queen presents the party with several personal gifts as a reward for escorting her handmaiden around the city on what the queen felt was a most productive survey.  While there, the party broke the news that they believed King Eodred was murdered via poison, leaving Queen Ileosa distraught as she had apparently been uninformed of Kroft’s suspicions. 
 The topic of Trinia Sabor came up during the conversation, and the party advocated for the girl’s innocence, learning in turn of another possible suspect – King Eodred’s tiefling brother Venster, a quiet embarrassment for the Arabasti family due to his heritage, and thus his somewhat secret existence within the castle.  Investigating Venster’s tower also revealed Trinia Sabor’s work area, where she had indeed been diligently working on a secret painting, still half-finished, commissioned by King Eodred to be a gift for Ileosa, rather than anything illicit. 
 This seemed to be enough to convince the queen of Trinia’s innocence, and ultimately led Silas to petition the queen to protect Trinia, as it was believed she would be better able to protect the girl than Vencarlo.  Wishing Trinia to finish the painting that Eodred had commissioned, Ileosa promised to ensure her safety and asked the party to bring her here, which the party did (over Aliani’s protests). 
 Around this same time, Aliani’s mentor, Haeluna Summersun, had recruited him fully into her secret organization of Milani worshippers.  Aliani reluctantly accepted her offer to become a leader within the movement, and encouraged the party to come with him and meet the other leaders at an upcoming secret meeting.  During this meeting, Gaedren Lamm made an appearance, announcing his intentions to topple Korvosa’s government, and requesting – as a former member of the Milani group – their formal assistance in his revolution.  With Lamm is a certain dead-eyed Hellknight – Xerxes, the same Hellknight Aliani directed to chase after Lamm the night of the riots.  Ultimately, thanks to the party’s arguments, the other Milani leaders voted against supporting Lamm, and the criminal leader stormed off. 
 There were some insinuations from Haleuna  that Gaedren Lamm may in fact be Aliani’s father as he was apparently close with Aliani’s mother several decades ago when he, Haeluna, and Aliani’s mother were all leaders within the Milani group – but no one really believed this to be true. 
 The party has another brief meeting with Queen Ileosa at this point, escorting Trinia Sabor to the palace.  They arrive just in time to overhear the queen formally hiring the Order of the Nail to conduct a series of extensive patrols of the roads outside of Korvosa, which will effectively remove nearly all members of the Order of the Nail from Korvosa for an extended period of time. 
 Shortly thereafter, the party was again approached by Rhev, who had apparently found the drug lab where Gaedren Lamm was currently manufacturing Shudder.  Wanting to shut the drug lab down, Rhev offered the party the opportunity to participate in the bust. 
 The party approached the lab from the sewers, discovering an underground entrance guarded by several wererats.  After a brief fight, the party secured that exit and then decided after barricading the door to go back up and enter the lab from the top rather than this secret underground entrance, believing that with this hidden exit now sealed, anyone inside the lab would be trapped. 
 While the human guards on the ground floor of the lab were easily subdued, what was waiting for the party in the actual lab down in the basement was a much different story.  Here the source of Lamm’s Shudder was revealed – a group of derro, insane little blue men that most believed to be urban legend rather than real.  Their leader, a derro known as Vreeg, wielded a strange artifact he referred to only as The Eye – a literal eyeball impaled upon an iron spike that slowly leaked a black liquid.  While the derro themselves were not that frightful, Vreeg’s pet, a giant cytillipede mutated by Shudder into a fire-breathing abomination that he called Odium, certainly put the party to the test.  Ultimately, Vreeg escaped with the Eye through a tunnel smashed out by Odium, and the badly wounded party elected not to follow the two as they made good their escape. 
 Returning from the drug bust not being a total success, the party yet again gets summoned to the royal palace, only to learn from Sabrina Merrin that Queen Ileosa was missing.  Apparently she had slipped out with her Handmaiden Elliana, obstenibly in order to carry out an ill-conceived plan to hunt down Gaedren Lamm and kill him.  Sabrina asked the party to find the two and convince them to return to the castle before they got hurt.  Worse still, the council of nobles had announced they would be meeting tomorrow to determine the city’s new seneschal, a position with a great deal of influence over confirming Queen Ileosa as the city’s new monarch, or removing her in a favor of a new candidate (and likely sparking a civil war).  The front-runner for that position was currently Chelish Ambassador Lady Andaisin. 
 The party is unable to discover Queen Ileosa’s whereabouts, but they do eventually track down a trail left by her Handmaiden Elliana, a trail leading to Eel’s End and Devargo Bravarsi, King of Spiders.  The good news was that Devargo had established himself as a rival and enemy of Gaedren Lamm’s, and had reached out to the party to meet for discussing a mutually beneficial relationship. 
 With the open invitation to meet, the party is able to be shown into Devargo’s presence with relative ease, and they are eventually able to establish that Handmaiden Elliana had been here as well.  Unfortunately, Handmaiden Elliana had been rather rude to the King of Spiders in demanding information on Lamm’s whereabouts from him, including attempting to charm him.  Devargo had not been amused, and had his pet spiders capture the handmaiden with the intention of teaching her a lesson in respect, although the party was eventually able to convince him that laying a hand on the queen’s personal handmaiden was a *bad* idea. 
 As Devargo was going down into the spider-infested hold to convince his pets to give up their prize, his warship came under attack by water elementals summoned by Lamm, who was seeking to eliminate his rival ahead of a meeting amongst all of the heads of the criminal underworld later that night (Lamm had apparently taken to recruiting the crime lords across the city, having failed to recruit the Milanites). 
 The party battled into the spider-infested hold of the ship has it began to take on water, fighting through several frightened Dream Spiders and invading water elementals, cutting Handmaiden Elliana free and escaping from the hold before it flooded. 
 Undeterred by her near-death experience, Elliana continued to advocate that the party move on to this meeting of the underworld, being held beneath the Kendell Ampitheater, rather than return immediately to the palace.  This resolve softens somewhat when the handmaiden learns why the queen’s immediate return is so pressing (to advocate before the council of nobles tomorrow to try and block Andaisin’s nomination).  Ultimately during this discussion, the handmaiden excuses herself and returns to reintroduce herself to the party sans disguise – as Queen Ileosa Arabasti. 
 Here Queen Ileosa now reveals her reasons for running off alone to attempt to track down Gaedren Lamm – she did not believe that the council of nobles would support her selection for monarch, and she would either be shuffled off into exile or placed in a gilded cage for the winner of the following civil war to claim as a literal trophy wife.  As such, she wanted to do one final good thing for the city – purging it of Gaedren lamm, the murderer of her husband King Eodred. 
 Queen Ileosa also explains that Elliana was a real person, a fellow orphan in Westcrown who looked after her until she disappeared while trying to acquire medicine &amp; food for a gravely ill Ileosa.  Shortly thereafter she was found by Lady Andaisin, leading into her relationship as Andaisin’s pupil.  In memory of Elliana, Ileosa uses her likeness now as a disguise as a way to honor her first friend. 
 Queen Ileosa further reveals the nature of her close relationship with Lady Andaisin.  More than just a mentor, Andaisin created Ileosa the noblewoman – the real Ileosa was nothing more than a commoner street rat from the streets of Westcrown in Cheliax that Lady Andaisin found and adopted.  They came to Korvosa as a pair of grifters, and Ileosa seduced King Eodred into marrying her, and then manipulating him to enact various policies by whispering into his ear – many such policies which were in turn whispered into Ileosa’s ear by Andaisin.  Ileosa’s true nature was therefore a secret which could destroy her if it ever got out, and Lady Andaisin was very much aware of that fact. 
 Despite her misgivings, the party is ultimately able to convince Ileosa to stand against Andaisin at tomorrow’s trial, destroying her candidacy by revealing her status as a worshipper of Urgathoa, technically not illegal within Korvosa but nonetheless strongly frowned upon. 
 Despite the party’s misgivings, Ileosa is eventually able to convince the party to go forward with interfering with Lamm’s meeting with the various Underworld bosses. 
 The party sneaks and fights their way inside to the meeting, overhearing that the reason Lamm has called this meeting to get their assistance and fealty, and to prove his capability of becoming the new overlord of Korvosa’s underworld, he will rob the impenetrable Bank of Abadar, a feat of daring that would certainly prove his skill, if he could pull such an impossible task off. 
 The party then interrupts the meeting, alongside of Blackjack who has also shown up to dispatch Gaedren Lamm.  A fight breaks out, prompting Lamm to reveal a new pet spider infused with Shudder that had acid for venom, but the party succeeds in cutting the criminal mastermind down, only to discover that it is only a derro in magical disguise.  Quite possibly this derro had also been appearing as Lamm during the previous times the party encountered him. 
 As if Blackjack and the party themselves are not enough interlopers to this meeting, another group of cowled and masked spellcasters break into the meeting and start arresting various members of the criminal network.  After convincing them that they were on the same anti-Lamm side, the party learns these cowled figures are a secretive sub-group of Hellknights, the Order of the Eye, essentially a black-ops splinter group of the Order of the Nail who are still operating within Korvosa and chasing after Lamm. 
 While the party is dealing with the secret sect of Hellknights, Ileosa in her Elliana alter-ego is negotiating with one of the crime bosses who has not disappeared into the darkness just yet.  She manages to strike a deal with the representative of the Scarzni at the meeting to come up with a holy symbol of Urgathoa, which she can present tomorrow as fabricated (since everything burned) evidence that Lady Andaisin is a worshipper of Urgathoa. 
 The party eventually manages to extricate themselves and return to the palace with Elliana/Ileosa.  The next morning, they are invited to the council of nobles meeting by Queen Ileosa to watch their fates play out. 
 While intimidated by Lady Andaisin, Queen Ileosa ultimately testifies against her before the council of nobles, explaining the party’s presence as a group of investigators that she hired to look into possible misbehavior by the Ambassador.  What they uncovered, of course, was a bunch of re-animated corpses, along with a shrine to Urgathoa, which the party testified to the council about while Andaisin futilely attempted to deny everything.  Queen Ileosa’s final stroke was the presentation of the (forged by the Scarzni) holy symbol of Urgathoa, which she claimed the party unearthed from the wreckage of Andaisin’s house. 
 Exposed as an Urgathoa, Lady Andaisin is publicly humiliated and quickly voted as dismissed from consideration by the council of nobles.  With a final comment that she was very disappointed in Ileosa, Andaisin stormed out of the meeting, and the discussion turned to other potential candidates. 
 Ultimately, the field of candidates is discarded for one reason or another, and as they near the end of the list Glorio Arkona of House Arkona finally breaks the stalemate by suggesting the mediocre – but neutral to all of the Great Houses – suggestion of Darvayne Amprei as Korvosa’s next seneschal.  Furthermore, in a surprise move, and perhaps inspired by Ileosa’s initiative in exposing Andaisin (although almost certainly due to some ulterior motive), Glorio Arkona further proposes that in order to establish some degree of stability in Korvosa’s usual chaotic succession of rulers, that Queen Ileosa be coronated as Korvosa’s new official monarch.  Amprei as his first action as the newly appointed seneschal agrees, and the motion is swiftly confirmed by the rest of the council – Queen Ileosa will be Korvosa’s next monarch, her coronation to be held one week from now, much to everyone’s surprise. 
 Later that evening, while the party is celebrating their success with stopping Andaisin from becoming the city’s seneschal, they come across a rabble rouser attempting to incite a crowd to riot with the reveal that King Eodred had been murdered (poisoned), a fact which Field Marshall Kroft had been keeping quiet and was going to announce tomorrow.  This rabble rouser, a scummy lawyer named Adonis Kreed, was challenged by the party and verbally thrashed, leading the crowd to abandon Kreed’s idea of marching on the castle to demand answers from the new monarch. 
 The next morning, Field Marshall Kroft approaches the party to formally discuss the matter of King Eodred’s poisoning, which had been confirmed as fact after a second examination by Dr. Reiner.  The second examination had revealed the source of the poison as Reaper’s Kiss, an exotic poison designed to make a slow death appear as a natural decline in health.  Rather than be ingested, the poison is absorbed through the skin, and traces of it were found on Eodred’s fingers, left from frequently handling something that had been coated in the poison repeatedly over the course of weeks or months. 
 This new information casts suspicion on both Queen Ileosa, who had regular access to Eodred, as well as Trinia Sabor who was a painter and thus could easily smuggle the poison into the castle amongst her painting supplies.  With news of Eodred’s death being a murder rather than natural causes going public thanks to the efforts of rabble rouses like Adonis Kreed and others, there is a renewed potential for widespread riots and Kroft is under a tremendous amount of pressure to produce a guilty party to pin the blame for King Eodred’s murder on. 
 In an attempt to help clear their names, Field Marshall Kroft requests the party’s help in convincing Trinia Sabor and Queen Ileosa to talk to her.  They all return to the palace and Kroft interviews Trinia Sabor, leading to the revelation of several more pieces of circumstantial evidence against the painter – namely that her paint supplier had been found dead and had apparently been mixed up with Gaedren Lamm. 
 While this meeting is going on, one of the few remaining maids in the castle, a young woman named Violet, suddenly panics and attempts to flee the party’s presence after she is asked a relatively innocuous question about who was working the night of Eodred’s death. 
 Violet is swiftly apprehended by the party and Kroft, but the strange case takes a horrifying turn as a magical curse begins to cause acid to weep from the girl’s body, nearly killing her and reducing her body into sludge.  Only the party and Kroft’s combined efforts manage to save the girl’s life, and from there they discover that Violet has been put under a Geas through ancient Thassilon runes carved into her skin.  It is suspected that this may be the handiwork of Rolth, a dangerous and deranged necromancer who was imprisoned in Longacre several decades ago, and was believed to be executed . . . or perhaps not. 
 Returning to the original conversation, Kroft also learns of the existence of Venster Arabasti, and investigates his residence inside the tower.  Venster is presently not home, which is quite curious given he was essentially a reclusive shut-in.  Around this time, the party also learns from the maid Violet that she saw Lady Andaisin pay a late night visit to Venster shortly before King Eodred’s death. 
 Lady Andaisin, who is still living in the palace at this point, shows up, refuses to answer any of Kroft’s questions while citing diplomatic immunity thanks to her position as ambassador, and declares that after Ileosa’s betrayal, it’s clear she is unwelcome here and will be leaving to find another private residence.  She then leaves and disappears to some location unknown to the party or Ileosa (and otherwise refuses to elaborate). 
 Later that night Dalen attempts to learn more about the Eye by casting Pagebound Epiphany.  He unexpectedly taps into an ancient trove of Thassilon knowledge about the Eye, claiming it is an ancient evil along with some research notes on the Eye’s involvement in blood magic that result in the transfer of magical traits, along with a seemingly unrelated set of research notes on the existence of parallel dimensions.  Dalen’s research is interrupted by the triggering of an ancient magical booby trap as well, which interrupts his epiphany by casting Phantasmal Killer at him.  Dalen manages to survive relatively unscathed save for some spontaneous bleeding from his right eye, but learns no more about the Eye. 
 Additional research into what Lamm’s planning reveal that he has stolen a cache of weapons from Haeluna’s Milani group, and that he is going to do something at the Longacre Building, the city’s courthouse and civil center, or possibly the Deathshead Vault – the prison beneath Longacre.  This could be a feint to distract from the bank robbery, or his main objective, and the party endeavors to pass along this information to their allies. 
 The party attempts to contact Blackjack by leaving a note at a dead-drop the vigilante had told them to use to get in touch with him.  Said dead-drop is outside Giotorri’s toy shop, and whoever dropped the note off across the street is approached by Pearl and Garnet Giotorri, his “daughters” who despite appearances do not appear to be human.  They are nonetheless friendly and reveal that Blackjack is a “friend of the family”, hence their curiosity before excusing themselves and returning back into the toy shop. 
 The party arrives at Longacre the next morning to find that the building is suspiciously closed, even the areas open to the public.  The party investigates further and discovers that Lamm’s men have taken over the building after entering disguised as guards, and are now holding the civilians inside as hostages.  Blackjack also shows up around this time, explaining that he received their message and that there had been an abortive attempt at robbing the Bank of Abadar just now – a couple men with crossbows running inside the bank and immediately getting taken down by the security.  The bank robbery was the feint and Longacre or the prison beneath it was Lamm’s main objective. 
 Breaking into the employee entrance at the back of the building, the party fights its way through corrupt guards and several Shudder-mutated dogs (Thunder hounds).  Meanwhile, Blackjack breaks into the main courtroom through a skylight and begins fighting the men guarding the hostages there.  The grand melee gets more desperate as a corrupt guardsman named Baldrago who has had several run-ins with the party before now joins the battle as a Shudder-corrupted madman. 
 Baldrago and the corrupt guards are eventually all defeated, saving the hostages and allowing Chief Arbiter Zenobia Zenderholm to emerge from her locked office, which Lamm’s men had been attempting to break into when the party arrived. 
 Several members of the Sable marines, Korvosa’s military arm, also arrive at this point to take control of the scene.  Their commander, Marcus Endrin, is also present and explains he had provided himself and some of his men to the city guard today to serve as a rapid response team – Kroft and the other city guards were on their way over from the Bank of Abadar. 
 While Lamm is not here, it seems he went down into the Deathshead Vault below to stage a prison break of some sort.  The party, Blackjack, and Marcus Endrin descend down into the prison to attempt to find Lamm, despite the fact that the prisoners had been released and were now in a full-on riot. 
 The party deal with a group of prisoners who have taken a some prison guards hostage, along with an acolyte of Pharasma, Kira Nightshade, who was there to provide medical aid.  Blackjack personally rescues the acolyte, earning himself a fangirl in the process.  From Kira and the guards, the party learns that Lamm had passed through here, freeing the prisoners on his way to Cell Block C, only a moderate security portion of the prison rather than Cell Block D where the more dangerous prisoners were kept.  Apparently Lamm is looking for a Professor Hans Leithold, who is an expert of Thassilon lore and its language.  Xerxes the Hellknight was also here, going into Cell Block D to apparently rescue his brother Darius, a notorious gunman and murderer-for-hire.  The party elects to chase after Lamm rather than the disgraced Hellknight. 
 The party catches up with Lamm just as he is breaking into the Professor’s cell and Vreeg unleashes a magical fog that begins to re-animate all of the dead guards and prisoners within Cell Block C into zombies.  Despite planning to get away yet again through a secret derro tunnel, Lamm is caught by Silas and finally killed by the party.  This time it’s apparently the real Gaedren Lamm, although thanks to the fog and the low doses of Shudder he’s been drinking, he gets back up as an undead abomination.  Lamm is quickly killed again for the second and final time shortly thereafter. 
 Despite the party’s best efforts, however, thanks to another appearance by Odium, Vreeg escapes along with the Professor.  Still dealing with the rising undead and with wounded, the party wisely decides not to follow. 
 Searching Lamm’s body, in a concealed pocket the party finds the queen’s brooch, along with a letter written by lamm and addressed “To my Killers”.  The letter is a written confession that Lamm was indeed responsible for poisoning King Eodred, and exposes several other members of the conspiracy.  First, Lady Andaisin as the apparently ringleader of the conspiracy, who provided Lamm with funding along with the queen’s brooch (actually given to her by Queen Ileosa as a gift) as insurance for Lamm’s safety.  Adonis Kreed (contact between Lamm and Andaisin), Haeluna Summersun (provided the poison), and Trinia Sabor (smuggled the poison into the palace) are also listed as members of the conspiracy. 
 With Lamm dead, his revolution is seemingly at an end, although Vreeg is still at large with the Professor.  More troublingly, the party learns from Silas’s daughter Vjala – Blackjack’s mole within Lamm’s organization – that Lamm had discovered some sort of ancient Thassilon weapon and was planning on using it, but needed the Professor to translate the controls. 
 Lamm’s allies are also still in play, as while emerging from Longacre the party overhears Lord Jeggare of House Jeggare berating Field Marshall Kroft over an apparently robbery at his museum, where the thieves stole his owlbear skeleton, which seems like something only a necromancer like Rolth would be interested in. 
 Returning to the palace the party learns that Trinia Sabor has gone missing.  Investigating reveals that it appears she was spirited away from the castle by agents of the Church of Asmodeus, and is now being kept within their great cathedral a short distance away from the castle. 
 Seeking a diplomatic solution, the party returns to the castle to learn that while they were away Queen Ileosa had finally dealt with Ambassador Andaisin.  After learning of her role as head of the conspiracy to murder Eodred, along with the proof via the brooch Ileosa had gifted Andaisin, Ileosa had finally snapped and confronted Andaisin with the evidence personally.  This nearly backfires when Andaisin responds with physical violence, grabbing Ileosa and crushing her Lorris medallion, but Ileosa turns the tables when she reveals that she has spoken with Empress Abrogail Thrune of Cheliax about Andaisin’s worship of Urgathoa.  In response Cheliax has revoked her ambassadorship, and is demanding that she return home immediately, likely to face a heretic’s death.  Or, Andaisin could remain here and be imprisoned from her crimes against Korvosa.  Faced with such a choice, Andaisin chooses quiet exile back to Cheliax over Ileosa’s “mercy” and leaves aboard the Direption which was already in the harbor. 
 The next day, Queen Ileosa, Sabrina, and the party travel to the Cathedral of Asmodeus to negotiate Trinia Sabor’s release.  The high priest of Asmodeus in the city, Ornher Reebs, reveals that they have already extracted a confession from Trinia as to her guilt in Eodred’s death (they are very efficient that way), and threatened that they had a secondary confession which implicated Queen Ileosa as the mastermind for this murder.  In return for ensuring that the confession where Trinia claims she acted alone reaches the Arbiters, the Church of Asmodeus wanted Queen Ileosa to recall the Order of the Nail back to Korvosa. 
 There is some negotiation back and forth for the Church to surrender Trinia into the party’s custody rather than execute her themselves, in return for further concessions from Ileosa, when the negotiations are entirely interrupted by a giant mechanic snake smashing through the roof.  Lamm’s ancient Thassilon weapon has been activated, by Haeluna Summersun, who reveals that she was always on Lamm’s side, and that she was the one who had killed Aliani’s mother, not Lamm (and Aliani’s reason for going after Lamm in the first place). 
 while Haeluna continues to smash up the church, the party attempts to free Sabrina from the rubble as Ileosa runs for safety (Orhner Reebs already having used Word of Recall to escape to elsewhere in the cathedral).  Xerxes the Hellknight and Darius the gunslinger emerge from the metal snake construct to give chase to Ileosa, but are stopped by the party.  Darius shoots Sabrina in the face with a dragon pistol, shredding her face but accomplishing little else but piss her off (thanks to the party’s efforts at freeing her from the rubble, otherwise it would have been a coup-de-grace). 
 Darius falls in battle, alive but left by the party to be dealt with by the Church of Asmodeus.  Xerxes swears revenge and escapes via invisbility. 
 Haeluna manages to snatch up Queen Ileosa in the snake’s mouth and then flies the construct off, kidnapping the queen.  Thanks to magic items produced by Dalen, Sabrina and the party are able to track Queen Ileosa’s location, leading them directly to lamm’s old base of operations within the Grey District, the city’s graveyard. 
 Accompanied by Sabrina and Marcus Endrin, the party finds a way into the Dead Warrens, a network of tunnels beneath the graveyard, through the abandoned tomb of House Poryphia, a disgraced group of nobles who had been banished from Korvosa by King Eodred’s mother Queen Domina. 
 Waiting for the party inside the tomb was more re-animating mist and a large group of exploding skeletons, although with Jeggare’s owlbear skeleton, repurposed by Rolth into a dangerous necrocraft. 
 Overcoming the undead through clever spellwork by Dalen, Aliani’s channeling, and good teamwork (as well as Marcus and Sabrina slaughtering everything that came within reach), the party stands ready to proceed deeper into the tomb, Lamm’s apparent base of operations within the city, seeking Queen Ileosa, Haeluna, and the ancient Thassilon weapon. 
 
 
Inspectre
The Poryphia tomb falls silent once more as the last skeleton falls, leaving only your breath and the faint rattle of your armor to disturb the silence.
It takes a moment to reorient yourself as memories from this world, similar but different from your own, flood into your mind.

You were here to find Queen Ileosa, who had been kidnapped by Haeluna Summersun by way of a giant mechanical snake built in the time of ancient Thassilon, for purposes unknown but warfare certainly seems the most likely answer.
Your magic had told you they were somewhere deep below the surface of the Grey District of Korvosa, and this tomb of the disgraced House Poryphia had seemed like a suspicious nearby feature of the terrain.
Sure enough, that welcoming committee of skeletons, re-animated by a familiar purple mist summoned last by the derro Vreeg down in the depths of the Deathshead Vault to re-animate prisoners to cover his and Gaedren Lamm's abortive escape was a sign that you may be on the right track here.
The cavernous hole dug through the back wall of the mausoleum, and into the soft grey dirt beyond the stone, also suggests that more awaits you deeper into the earth.

 "Well, that's the last of 'em."   Sabrina grunts as she kicks a moldering set of bones, scattering them across the floor as she hefts her falchion over one shoulder.

 "So it would seem.  Well, it would seem that we're on the right track.  Somebody down here certainly doesn't want visitors." 

Marcus Endrin observes as he quietly sheaths his scimitars, brow furrowing as he looks over the group, seemingly not aware that this was now suddenly a different world.  The Sable Marine commander nonetheless seems to pick up that something might not be right with all of you, as he glances over the group.

 "Is something wrong?  You all seem . . . different." 

Fortunately, nothing is physically wrong with you, save for some minor injuries on Silas and Aliani, who had each gotten caught by some of the skeletons as they exploded into razor-sharp shards of bone.
Sabrina and Marcus were also lightly wounded, but seemed ready to press on.

(From the previous fight with the skeletons, Silas is still down 13 HP and Aliani 6.  The floor is now yours!)
Starbuck_II
 "I don't like the looks of this..." 
Magenta said twirling her mace and slamming the bones of a skeleton one more time just to make sure it stays dead.,  "I'm a doctor not undead hunter." 
She looks around confused, this isn't how things were.

 "I don't think ...this is ...I don't remember what....

Hold still Silas, you look injured, I'll fix you up" 
 
 Spoiler 


Heal check   heal  - (1d20+14)[ 20 ]  + Inspiration  (1d6)[ 5 ] 

DC 20 cure 8 hp; DC 25 cure 10 hp, DC 30 cure 14 hp
 
DarkOne-Rob
The short, attractive sun-tanned halfling woman with a scimitar shakes her head violently back in forth as she tries to get her bearing. She looks around for a moment and seems to be having trouble seeing. "   Need you all to stop blurring about...   " she mutters as images in her mind seem to coalesce into the reality before her. Rubbing her eyes a bit, Bellinda recognizes her companions, but still seems a bit confused.

With a light dance step Bellinda sheathes her curved blade and looks around at the array of recently-undead corpses surrounding the party. "  Messy, that purple mist - we're definitely where we should be, though. I'll scout ahead a bit. Once everyone is ready to follow, stay just far enough that you're out of the light from my 'torch,'  " she uses visible air quotes and points at her Ioun Torch where it is rotating around her head. "  I'll cover the light up if I think there is danger. If I retreat back to you we can ambush whatever follows. If I don't come running, then wait for me to call for you. Everyone got that?  " she asks, waiting for a confirmation before she steps further into the tomb.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Whether she is right or wrong, Bellinda is assuming she is the party's scout (+11 Stealth and +9 Perception) and is a bit uncomfortable with the layered memories rattling around in her head. To handle this she is deliberately stepping away from the other PCs for a moment, both to do what she says (scout) and to try and give herself time to think without interacting with others quite yet.

After looking at the other PCs, she's likely a bit shocked at Silas' appearance and struggling with the behaviors (that she vaguely remembers) of everyone besides Nicious. She's a pretty straight-laced, Lawful Good little blade-dancer and has rejected much of her own rougher, less-than-lawful past life (lives). Bellinda won't be in any way hostile, but has to get her head screwed on for working with these people who apparently she  has  worked with but doesn't feel like she remembers...

Feel free to engage with her, though! I'm not trying to be antisocial, just RP the interesting setup.
 
Stelio Kontos
Aliani shook his head to clear the proverbial cobwebs, dabbing at his jaw where the owlbear has sliced it a moment earlier. His eyes cast about, trying to take in the peculiar scene.

 "No, Mr. Endrin, I think I'm ... probably not fine?  Feels like I barely remember half of you.  Didn't think the damned thing hit me  that  hard?" 

He heard the halfling speaking.  Jakk -- no, wait, that wasn't right either.   "Be careful"  he offered, as if that wasn't obvious enough.   "Mind yourself, don't go too far ahead.  These tombs are prone to having all sorts of things designed to, erm, deter intrusion." 

Wiping off the trickle of blood on his hand, he took a moment to straighten the rose-shaped brooch adorning his collar, .shaking his head in a mixture of puzzlement and resignation.
Darvin
Dalen stumbles slightly in his disorientation, more mental than physical, as he tries to right his mind. Amidst the metaphorical fog clouding his mind and the literal darkness dulling his eyes he darts around to try and piece together the situation. Different people, some that should be here that aren't and others he didn't recognize, and Endrin seemed to be  aware  of the shift. That made his curiosity alight like a torch, clearing away the fog and sharpening his focus.

 "Different? How so?"  Dalen asks,  "Be  specific , there is doubtlessly powerful magic at work," 

Dalen casts Detect Magic, though he expects to spot little other than perhaps a linger aura of necromancy. Whatever just happened is likely far beyond the simplest of divinations.
PiccadillyPi
The last lick of unlife landed causing the tiger-stripe tiefling to toil with tips of bone tightly fitted through the joinings of his armour. Not enough to collapse the fellow, but he felt he had enough picks to host drinks at the Floundering Fairy some streets down from the merchant square. His eyes winked and winced. Perhaps it was something he ate, but his stomach gurgled and growled. His feet led him in trust to a friend he had forgotten in all the excitement of this exhumated encounter. He stopped near the doctor and waited for a moment, her hands fast and efficient in clearing his injuries. Flicking far a final fine fragment of felonious framework, Silas slurred his thanks to Magenta. Briefly he glanced down and pondered her strength, and if it all gathered at her back. The private performer was then reminded of a friend from work.

 Even Teacup had her struggles. 

Once again thanking his newly old friend, Silas stumbled away and toward the bard - it felt more correct if only for a moment - and laid his hand on the man's shoulder. No, less hairy. Just as wiry. A woman?

"An odd question for you, Bella." he inquired, abusing her name as he often would for those he could. "Have you ever thought to wear a beard? Rosy, darling, have you one for her? A dark and mysterious piece full of curses and curls - like this ploughing crypt!"

Finished speaking only briefly, he immediately spoke up again.

"Apologies. My mind! I feel as if I've gone adrift just now. Scattered like sand in snow. I can assist you from behind with a bit of extra vision."

Finally he hunched an inch, unable to stop his body's commotion.

 Oof 

His tail curled up at the base, swirling down with a quiver and shake. News of his gut health soon emanated with sulfurous silence. His hands clenched tightly against his belly and Bellinda's shoulder as Silas oooed and oofed.

"I should hope not! No magic should treat my tulip like this. I feel like I've munched on some muenster, yet I've not even touched my ravouneli raschera since last week!"
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Requested dice rolls 
Perception:  (1d20+9)[ 23 ] 
Stealth:  (1d20+11)[ 19 ] 

Note, Bellinda will use her  Ioun Torch  carefully by holding it in her hand and only letting enough light out for her to see. She lacks Darkvision or Low-light Vision, at least until I can get them some other way...

I suspect this will not help her scout stealthily, as Undead have Darkvision and will surely note the little light she uses, but that's what I've got!
 
Inspectre
Marcus Endrin frowns at Dalen's question, furrowing his brow as he sheaths his scimitars.
He thinks a moment, clearly struggling to put his intuition into words, and then shrugs with a shake of his head.

 "I am not sure . . . I can't quite put it into words.  Call it a soldier's intuition?  Perhaps it's a lingering spike of adrenaline from fighting those undead and nothing more." 

The unhelpful vagueness of Marcus's reply and his own lingering sense that things were  different  yet again urges Dalen on to do something he has not done previously, and he casts Detect Magic to observe his surroundings with magically-augmented eyes.  And although the results are certainly intriguing, there's a small part of Dalen's brain that wishes he hadn't done that as his vision is immediately assaulted by a blinding flash of Overwhelming magic auras, centered on each of you - with the notable exception of Marcus and Sabrina.  To the relief of that self-preserving portion of Dalen's brain, by the time that the detection magic has refined his viewpoint to be able to identify that the magic is centered on each of you, the auras are already rapidly decreasing in strength.  Within seconds the magic auras around each of you - which Dalen determines to be from the Conjuration school of magic - have faded down to a dim, lingering aura of magic.  And then to Dalen's surprise (and likely consternation) the auras of magic fade away to nothing at all over another matter of seconds.   That shouldn't be possible , as such an overpowering surge of magic should have left traces of itself that lasted for  days , not seconds, and yet now there was absolutely nothing to denote that you were "different" as Marcus observed a moment ago.   There is now absolutely nothing to denote that you are different. 

Of course, Dalen also detects lingering auras of Necromancy magic from the clouds of undead re-animating fog in the mausoleum's alcoves, which was slowly beginning to fade, along with the dim lingering aura of Necromancy magic that suffuses the soil of the Grey District itself.  And that Marcus and Sabrina each carry a large number of magical items, also to Dalen's complete lack of surprise.

While Dalen is conducting his magical survey and Magenta sees to Silas's wounds, Bellinda moves over to the tunnel leading further down into the grey, (un)dead earth of the Grey District, its entrance a broken-out wall at the back of the mausoleum.  Her fears about easily being spotted due to the necessary light of her ioun torch prove to be unfounded, however, as it turns out the tunnel ahead is illuminated by periodic outcroppings of a fungus growing out of the walls and giving off a pale blue bioluminescent glow.  Although not quite enough illumination for fine detail work, the fungus is perfectly serviceable to light up the tunnel enough for easy traversal, and as seems likely inevitable, more fighting ahead.  Those taller than the halfling lass will undoubtedly also be grateful for the fact that the ceiling of the tunnel has clearly been dug with human height in mind, and although the tallest members of the party have to duck their heads, it is nonetheless relatively easy to traverse.

The tunnel continues ahead into the earth at a gently descending angle for about 100', after which point it levels off and comes to a split, as the human-sized tunnel veers off to the right (from your perspective, left/West on the map below) while the tunnel continuing to lead on ahead lowers and narrows to a little bigger than an animal burrow.  By ducking her own head, Bellinda would be able to continue on ahead without much difficulty, but anyone larger would need to crouch-walk or perhaps even crawl at points in order to continue down that tunnel.

(For the sake of keeping things moving, I will assume that Bellinda continues to scout the area, and we will move along to the set-up for the party's first? next? combat encounter)

Checking out the tunnel leading directly ahead, Bellinda notices that is continues another 35' or so before abruptly cutting to the left (right/East on the map) and seeming to open up into a chamber with thankfully human-standard ceilings.  10' into the narrow tunnel, Bellinda's sharp eyes detect a panel of wood painted to resemble the surrounding soil - a secret door - which is thankfully not locked or trapped.  Quietly swinging the door open reveals another narrow tunnel that leads to another panel door 30' away, through which Bellinda can hear a voice quietly grumbling to itself in a language she doesn't recognize as somebody bustles around in that room clicking glass and metal tools.

Following the human-sized tunnel off to the side quickly leads into a spacious 30' x 40' chamber which appears to have been used as a barracks at some point judging from the dozen or so bedrolls tossed haphazardly across the floor.  The room has been abandoned, abruptly so given the messy tossed-about nature of the bedrolls and the obvious empty spots here and there about the room to mark where a bedroll once laid but no longer.  At the far end (South) of the chamber is another human-sized tunnel leading over to seemingly the same chamber as the small tunnel does.  From that chamber, Bellinda can hear more voices speaking in Common, growing louder as the conversation seems to grow more heated.

"Stop jerking me around, you little blue freaks!  I were promised coin and a fair lot of it for joining up with Lamm, and I intend to collect!  Where's Haeluna!?"

 "Does Vorg look like the aspiring Lamb's keeper?  But if you insist on being rude, Vicks may be able to produce a payment for you." 
 "Hmm, yes, blood to recompense the promised blood price." 

"What does that even mean?  Ugh, why can't you creepy little gits speak proper Common."

There is a hiss of irritation, and then the sing-song voice responds over the rasp of a weapon being drawn.

 "It means we'll pay you in your own blood, dolt." 
 "This one is clearly the most foolish foal in the herd, eh Vorg?" 

"Wha -"

The man's grunt of surprise is overshadowed by the soft twang of a crossbow bolt, followed immediately by a grunt of pain and then the thud of a body on the floor.

 "Thus, the wage of Rudeness is Death." 
 "Well said, Vicks.  The toads will feast well today." 

And then there is the soft scramble of a body being dragged across the earthen floor, and the rattle of a lock on iron bars.

(So, because the derro are distracted by dealing with what is perhaps the very last of Lamm's men, and their perception is . . . not good to begin with, you get a surprise round - a single standard action - on top of your standard first round of actions if you can make a DC 10 Stealth check, which you can take 10 on.  So unless you have a negative Stealth score due to dex/armor you just auto-succeed and get the surprise round, otherwise roll against DC 10. You may position yourselves however you like on the map as combat starts, anywhere within the area circled in hot pink.  The rooms are standard human sized, as is the barracks chamber and tunnels leading to and from it.  However, the other tunnels - circled in red - are Small-sized only, requiring Squeezing from Medium creatures.  This will generally only have the impact of counting as effectively difficult terrain, although if you get stuck fighting in those tunnels as a medium creature you will be at -4 to-hit and -4 AC from the squeezing.  You can confront the two derro and their unconscious prisoner if you wish, or attempt to bypass that portion of the combat encounter by using the secret door to go into the other room.  Either way, you will get into combat before being able to move deeper into this complex.  Your objective is that stone tunnel at the far East of the map.  Vision is considered normal for now, thanks to the bioluminescent fungus everywhere.  Please let me know if you have any other questions.)

 Battle Map 
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Bellinda's Status, Surprise Round 
   Bellinda Swiftfoot   
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes),  Level  1,  Init  4,  HP  13/13,  Speed  30
 AC  18,  Touch  15,  Flat-footed  14,  CMD  13,  Fort  3,  Ref  7,  Will  3,  CMB  -1,  Base Attack Bonus  0
 Scimitar  +5 (1d4+5, 18-20/x2)
 Studded Leather (25 GP)  (+3 Armor, +4 Dex, +1 Size)
 Abilities  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
 Condition  Arcane Strike, possibly Charging (-2 AC)
Bardic Performance used today: 0/13 rounds (possibly +1)
 


Bellinda sneaks around carefully, relieved by the presence of other light sources and grateful for her mostly-quiet companions...even if she didn't remember them all that well. In spite of her confusion, the little halfling takes her role seriously and focuses as she scouts ahead, returning frequently to whisper directions and warnings, especially about the secret door and speakers. "   I think the derro just killed someone - they were arguing. If we move quietly we can surprise them,   " she tells the party as she points them forward down the human-sized paths. "   I'm going through the smaller tunnel - less crowded for me that way. Be careful!   "

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Bellinda will start at  K10 .

Initiative:  (1d20+4)[ 18 ] 

It's unclear on the map - can Bellinda charge the enemy at  O12 ? If so, she will after activating Arcane Strike:  (1d20+7)[ 23 ]  to hit,   (1d20+7)[ 12 ]  (13-20/x2) ,  (1d4+5)[ 9 ]  magic slashing damage,   (1d4+5)[ 6 ]  critical strike damage .

If she cannot charge, Bellinda will use one round of her Bardic Performance to activate   Word Strike  , dealing  (1d4+4)[ 6 ]  (halved) damage to the enemy in  O12 . (It does not look like this allows a saving throw - all other Bardic Performances that  do  allows saves explicitly say so in their entries.)
 
Starbuck_II
Magenta nods, she was itching to release some tension the violent kind. She draws her rapier.  "Thanks for the look-see, Belinda "; She moves into position: K-12
In surprise round, she uses Study combat on N-15 creature
Normal turn, she moves and attacks the creature twirling her rapier trying to strike a weak spot.

 
 Spoiler 

Status:
AC: 22 () HP:28/28 (temp hp 0)
 touch: 11, ff: 21, CMD: 16
 Saves: +2/+6 /+6
 Speed: 20 feet (20)

Luckily, I have no stealth penalty so Surprise round
  initiative  - (1d20+2)[ 20 ] 
  Attack  - (1d20+8)[ 19 ] 
  Dam  - (1d6+4)[ 8 ] 
 
Darvin
 "Well, it seems a soldier keeps his intuition as sharp as his blades. But this doesn't seem to be a threat, and we haven't the time to investigate magical phenomenon. I'll confer with my colleagues on the matter after the queen is safe,"  Dalen's hand subconsciously moves to the pocket where he keeps Zellara's deck.

As they overhear the Derro arguing up ahead, Dalen allows the others to take the lead. He hugs the wall and stays with the rear of the group.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Take 10 on Stealth for a result of 16

Dalen will stand behind whoever is hanging the furthest back. Dalen will be holding his magic in reserve right now, given the number of enemies in play here he's not going to blow any spells
 
Stelio Kontos
Aliani cast an inquisitive glance at Dalen's remark, before shrugging his shoulders and moving on.

He nodded sagely at Bellinda's plan.   "A fine idea, Miss Swiftfoot.  Before you go, may I suggest ...?" 

He went down to a knee, looking the halfing in the eye a he placed a hand on her shoulder.

  "Warriors of man and nature share akin
The fragile nature of their skin
Of mighty armor they all bespoke
Borne by the tall and mighty oak
Though without bite, they did remark
Upon the power of its bark."  
 As he finished, the halfing's skin began to grow vaguely wooden and stiff, though it was no less supple than it had been before.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Aliani casts Barkskin on Bellinda; should last the duration of us being down here.  +2 natural AC.
 


He hung back at the corner as the plan was to ambush with great ferocity, an attribute which he had to admit he did not possess.  He took a moment to cast a further spell upon himself before advancing behind the others into the battle. 
  "The invisible hand of fate shields the righteous from harm."  
  
 Spoiler: OOC 
Start at F12, surprise round: cast Shield.  Will reserve normal action until others go!
 
 
PiccadillyPi
Silas nodded after Dalen's dialogue with Marcus, not completely convinced his comprehension of their conversation could be by chance alone.

"A sound plan, darling."

The wait for Belinda's observations left the tigerstripe tiefling to grow anxious. Her reporting didn't alleviate much as Silas couldn't help but imagine a similar fate for the queen if they were slow to advance. Silas followed closely behind Magenta.

"Mustn't tarry!" he muttered impatiently.

He expected they might sally forth, ablaze with ferrous fury against the blue bastards, but at the last moment she took pause to view the violent villains. Her seeming hesitation gave pause to Silas' own ideas, leaving him time enough to study one near enough to spit upon. Still, he thought he might've gotten one more good hit in those seconds given a clear path, but he was behind by both action and ally.

In subsequent sequence to his sisters in arms, Silas swept his sword so as to slice the scum he saw some seconds away.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Surprise round:
Study target: Vicks

Normal round:
Move to N13, leaving room for Belinda if needed. Power attack Vicks.

 Attack :  (1d20+7)[ 8 ] 
 Damage :  (2d4+12)[ 18 ] 
 Crit (25+) :  (1d20+7)[ 23 ] 
 C. Damage :  (2d4+12)[ 17 ] 
 Silas 
HP: 31/34
AC: 21 (FF: 18 / TC: 13 / CMD: 20)
Saves: 6/7/-1
Speed: 20
Current Studied Target: Vicks
 
Inspectre
(OOC: Starbuck_II, the last time I tried to send you a PM it told me that your mailbox was full.  Is there a good way to keep you informed for when this thread is updated, or are you already subscribed to this thread and don't need an update from me?)

The group gets set up to assault the next room, Bellinda going down the low-ceiled tunnel alone with the rest of the party piled into the human-sized corridor that has been dug into the soft earth of the Grey District.
By the time everyone is in position, the derro has managed to unlock the rough cage door at the back of the chamber (which does indeed seem to be just the door to a large cage, repurposed to serve as an actual door to the ice-coated chamber beyond).
Before the derro can manage to shove the door open, however, Magenta and Bellinda dart forward from their respective entrances to stab at the two derro in the room, each leaving a bleeding wound in their target's side.  Magenta moves to stand over top of the human that had been dragged towards the cage door, able to tell at a glance that the man is still breathing, at least for now.

This attack is followed up by the more heavily armed and armored members of the group charging into the room after them, Marcus and Silas in the next wave and Sabrina bringing up the rear as stealth is clearly not her strong suit (plate mail does not make for good sneaking attempts, so Sabrina is the only member of the group not to get a surprise round).

Silas takes a hard swing that could have taken the derro's head off its shoulders if it had connected, by unfortunately the derro ducks under the swing and leaves it to scour a long line in the soft earthen wall behind it.

"Surrender and you will not be harmed!"

Marcus barks out, squeezing and pressing his shoulder into the sloped wall of the chamber as he maneuvers in beside Magenta to take a wild swing at the derro, the tip of his scimitar just glancing off the derro's armor.

 
 Spoiler: Marcus 

Surprise: Moves into the room

Move: Moves to O14, having to squeeze a bit as that's not a full square
Attacks Vorg (-4 Squeezing)
To-Hit:  (1d20+15)[ 17 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+6)[ 11 ] 
 


Sabrina meanwhile, has finally managed to move up to join the fray, taking up position at the entrance of the tunnel leading deeper into the complex.  She growls out a warning a moment later.

 "Another of these freaks just came around the corner of the tunnel here!"  
 
 Spoiler: Sabrina 

Double moves into the room and takes up position at the last remaining square of O13
 


The derro, predictably, ignores Marcus's command with a mad cackle as it boots the door to the cage open and then pulls out a club topped with a long barbed metal hook.

 "Dinner time!" 

The derro chortles, while its companion pulls out its own hooked club while intoning the words to a spell.  Forced to bring its weapon around to fend off both Bellinda and Silas, the derro stumbles over its pronunciation and quietly curses as the spell fizzles.

 
 Spoiler: Derro 

Vorg - Opens cage door, draws weapon
Vicks - Draws weapon, attempts to cast spell, gets an "11" on his concentration, and spell fizzles
Vem - Double move to indicated position on the map, T13
 


As the cage door swings open, there is a loud, reverberating  "RIBBIT!"  from the depths of the dark, icy chamber beyond.  A massive toad, coated in patches of ice and even icicles in spots on its back, hops into the dim light provided by the patches of bioluminescent fungus, the closest patch beginning to shrivel a bit as the toad moves up to the mouth of the cage, bringing a very painful chill wind with it.  Without any hesitation it lunges forward to beside the derro that had just released it and attempts to lock its rime-coated jaws around Magenta's leg, while behind it a second man-sized toad hops into the light.

 
 Spoiler: Glacier toads 

Glacier Toad #1 - Hops forward to M15, and attempts to bite Magenta, starting a grab attempt if it succeeds
To-Hit:  (1d20+12)[ 31 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+7)[ 13 ]   plus   (1d4)[ 3 ]  Cold 
Grab attempt:  (1d20+16)[ 36 ]  vs. CMD

Glacier Toad #2 - Hops forward to N16
 


As the toads move closer, the aura of chill air around them intensifies, as ice begins to condense on the armor of Magenta, Marcus, Silas, and the derro.

( DM Warning!  Remaining within 10' of the toads will leave you within their icy auras.  On the toads' next turn, Magenta and Vorg will each take 2d4 cold (being within both auras), while Silas and Marcus will each take 1d4 cold (being within Toad #1's aura)

 Battle Map 
 
 Spoiler: Status 

 Good Guys 
Magenta - 16 Damage, Grappled
Bellinda - Barkskin
Aliani - Shield
Silas
Dalen

Marcus - Squeezing (-4 To-Hit, -4 AC)
Sabrina

 Bad Guys 
Vicks - 9 Damage
Vorg - 8 Damage
Vem
Glacier Toad #1 - Grappled
Glacier Toad #2
 
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Bellinda's Status, Round 1 and 2 
   Bellinda Swiftfoot   
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes),  Level  4,  Init  4,  HP  29/29,  Speed  30
 AC  19,  Touch  15,  Flat-footed  15,  CMD  16,  Fort  5,  Ref  10,  Will  6,  CMB  +2,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Arcane Strike, Battle Dance (+2 to hit and damage) MW Scimitar (315 GP)   +10 (1d4+7, 18-20/x2)
 Mithril Shirt (1,100 GP)  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +1 Size)
 Abilities  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
 Condition  Battle Dance (Inspire Courage, +2 vs charm/fear and +2 on attack/damage rolls)
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)
Bardic Performance used today: 2/13 rounds
 

"  Dawnflower give me courage!  " says Bellinda seriously as she begins to dance, her curved blade seamlessly flowing about her in both attack and parry as she steps around the dangerously insane derro adjacent to her. Her blade flashes out unpredictably but in an aesthetically satisfying way, as if she were dancing to music only she can hear and the blade was accentuating some unheard burst of joyous sound!

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Round 1: Free action to 5-ft step to flank, if possible. If flanking isn't possible, Bellinda will move so she  can't be  flanked.
Swift action to activate Arcane Strike.
Move action to start Battle Dance (Inspire Courage).
Standard action to attack the adjacent enemy: MW Scimitar  (1d20+10)[ 26 ]  to hit (not including flanking bonuses, if applicable),  (1d20+10)[ 12 ]  (18-20/x2),  (1d4+7)[ 11 ]  magic slashing damage,  (1d4+7)[ 11 ]  critical strike damage.

Round 2: Free action to 5-ft step to flank, if possible. If flanking isn't possible, Bellinda will move so she  can't be  flanked.
Free action to maintain Battle Dance (Inspire Courage).
Swift action to activate Arcane Strike.
Standard action to attack the adjacent enemy: MW Scimitar  (1d20+10)[ 15 ]  to hit (not including flanking bonuses, if applicable),  (1d20+10)[ 22 ]  (18-20/x2),  (1d4+7)[ 8 ]  magic slashing damage,  (1d4+7)[ 11 ]  critical strike damage.

If any enemy incurs an AoO: MW Scimitar  (1d20+10)[ 14 ]  to hit (not including flanking bonuses, if applicable),  (1d20+10)[ 23 ]  (18-20/x2),  (1d4+7)[ 10 ]  magic slashing damage,  (1d4+7)[ 10 ]  critical strike damage.
 
Starbuck_II
OOC: I deleted mail so in box should be open enough in future.

 "Argh, get this guy off me!"  Magenta said in anger. " I'm a doctor, not a warrior" 

Magenta tries to throw the creature off then backs away to M-12 if successful.

 
 Spoiler 

Status:
AC: 22 () HP: 12/28 (temp hp 0)
touch: 11, ff: 21, CMD: 16
Saves: +2/+6 /+6
Speed: 20 feet (20)

Standard action:
  grapple  - (1d20+5)[ 19 ] 
adding a roll of Inspiration, takes 2 because being used for non-skill roll  (1d6)[ 1 ] 

Then moving away if succeed.
 
Stelio Kontos
 "Come on, you can stay behind me"  Aliani remarked to Dalen as he moved forward, taking in the battle.

 "Hold fast all!  You'll be all right, we're right here, got your back!  Just concentrate on what's in front of you!  The gods watch over us this day!" 
 Please watch over them. 

With no visible effect, the gods did indeed watch over them, at least a little.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Move to L12
Use defense domain ability; allies within 20' get +2 deflection bonus to AC and to CMD.
 
PiccadillyPi
Silas hopped atop the crate nearby, leaving his safety in the blessed hands of Aliani's magic. Sword in hand, he slashed at the frostbiting bufo.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Silas jumps to M14, provoking from Vicks. AC is currently 23.

Power attack vs glacier toad 1
Attack:  (1d20+8)[ 28 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+13)[ 15 ] 
 
 Spoiler: Crit 
Attack:  (1d20+8)[ 17 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+13)[ 18 ] 
 


Silas
HP: 31/34
AC: 23 (FF: 20 / TC: 15 / CMD: 22)
Saves: 6/7/-1
Speed: 20
Current Studied Target: Vicks
Buffs: Inspire courage / Divine Defense
 
Darvin
Dalen keeps his eyes peeled for anyone attempting to flank behind them, but trails close behind Aliani. Peering around the corner, he scans the room beyond and draws his wand.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Move to K12, move action to withdraw wand of magic missile

Knowledge(Nature) check for any pertinent info about the frogs:  (1d20+10)[ 22 ] 
 
Inspectre
Bellinda tries to find a good spot to flank the derro, but this proves difficult with the little blue freak's back against the wall, and his one flank "protected" by the pile of boxes - as Silas demonstrates a moment later, not an impossible obstacle to overcome, but one that does require effort (i.e. boxes to the north of Bellinda/Vicks count as difficult terrain, so 5' step there is not possible unless Bellinda has something that lets her ignore difficult terrain).  Even without help, she manages to wound the derro once before he manages to pull out his hooked club, deflected her second strike and then trying to bury the weapon in Silas's back as he moves off to help Magenta.

At the same time, Dalen and Aliani pile into the room, the wizard brandishing a wand and the playwright summoning a protective field of magic around his allies.

 
 Spoiler: Vicks AoO 

vs. Silas (+2 shield from Aliani)
To-Hit:  (1d20+6)[ 9 ] 
Damage:  (1d6+1)[ 3 ] 
 


Magenta needs the help, as it turns out, as despite her best efforts to slip out of the frog's toothless jaw, it does manage to keep a strong grip on her (escape failed).  Silas delivers a brutal slash to the frog's side, shattering rime and drawing blood that quickly freezes over the wound - a hard strike, but not a fatal one (no critical).

Marcus unleashes a barrage of strikes against the derro in front of him, trying to keep it out of the fight between Magenta, Silas, and the massive icy amphibian.  The derro reels back from the sable marine commander as blood sprays from his chest, and this is the only thing that keeps him standing as Marcus's follow-up strikes get caught on the corner of the earthen wall between them.

 
 Spoiler: Marcus 

Full-attacks Vorg (-4 Squeezing)
Main Hand #1
To-Hit:  (1d20+15)[ 25 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+6)[ 8 ] 

Main Hand #1
To-Hit:  (1d20+15)[ 21 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+6)[ 13 ] 

Main Hand #2
To-Hit:  (1d20+10)[ 17 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+6)[ 8 ] 

Off-Hand #2
To-Hit:  (1d20+10)[ 11 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+6)[ 12 ] 
 


Sabrina roars and charges off down the hallway at the derro who had just blundered into this battle, who shrieks upon seeing the furious bodyguard squeezing her way into the tunnel at him, sword-point first.  The charging thrust rips a long gash up and along the derro's left shoulder, although these urban legends of Korvosa are much tougher than they look as the derro remains standing despite its injury.

 
 Spoiler: Sabrina 

Charges Vem (squeezing, Power Attack)
To-Hit:  (1d20+15)[ 21 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+21)[ 25 ] 
 
Inspectre
Cursing and coughing up blood, the derro that Marcus had just savaged nevertheless raises its hands and begins attempting to weave the same spell that its compatriot had failed at.  But due to the choking on his own blood from his injuries, the derro can barely wheeze out the words to the spell, and it fizzles just as the last had.

 
 Spoiler: Vorg 

Attempts to defensively cast Sound Burst, gets a Nat 1 on his concentration, fails.
 


In the corner, the other derro takes wild swings at Bellinda with its hooked club.  The derro gives a cry of victory as his club's hooks descend towards Bellinda's shoulder, only to growl as the blow is deflected - narrowly - by Aliani's double layer of magical protections (Barkskin + his deflection aura together blocks the attack!)

 
 Spoiler: Vicks 

To-Hit:  (1d20+6)[ 22 ] 
Damage:  (1d6+1)[ 3 ] 
 


From the tunnel, there is the sound of casting, and then more derro cursing as it also fails (lmao 0-3 on Concentration checks for these guys)
 
 Spoiler: Vem 

Casts defensively, fizzles the spell.
 


The frog - glacier toad as Dalen identifies them upon entering the room - gums on Magenta for another moment, and seems to be trying - without much success - to swallow her.  Given she's just as big as the toad is, this over-ambitious plan is doomed to failure, and with an angry ribbit it gives up on this plan, turning on Silas to snap at him now and leaving Magenta free.

 
 Spoiler: Glacier Toad 1 

Free Action: Releases its grapple on Magenta
Standard: Bite at Silas
To-Hit:  (1d20+12)[ 19 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+7)[ 14 ]  plus   (1d4)[ 3 ]  Cold 
 


Behind the melee, the other toad works its jaws, working up a wad of icy spittle which it spits over the heads of the derro and its fellow ice toad, at Silas.  A wave of cold emanates out from the two toads, leaving Silas, Magenta, Marcus, and the badly-wounded derro shivering (3 Cold damage from the two toads' auras this round).  Both the bite and the spittle end up coming up short against the tiefling dandy.

 
 Spoiler: Glacier Toad 2 

Full-Round Action: Ice Spit at Silas (-4 Cover, -4 in-Melee penalty)
To-Hit:  (1d20+3)[ 11 ]  vs. Touch
Damage:  (2d4)[ 4 ]  Cold
 

 
 Spoiler: Dalen's Knowledge Check 

Dalen sees the two creatures and notes that they appear similar to glacier toads, arctic-dwelling amphibians that are undoubtedly yet another wizard's joke at the expense of the natural world.  These two, however, are smaller than normal glacier toads, which tend to be as large as a horse, not man-sized, leading him to believe that these are yet more shudder-mutated experiments of Lamm's.  Even so, they still will likely share their more natural cousins' weakness to Fire, and the more dangerous features of the real Glacier Toads - the freezing aura, the ability to swallow victims whole - are reduced compared to the real thing.  The ability to spit ice globes though . . . that's new, likely a "gift" of the Shudder mutation.
 

 Battle Map 
 
 Spoiler: Status 

Good Guys
Magenta - 19 Damage
Bellinda - Barkskin
Aliani - Shield
Silas - 3 Damage
Dalen

Marcus - 3 Damage, Squeezing (-4 To-Hit, -4 AC)
Sabrina - Squeezing (-4 To-Hit, -4 AC)

Bad Guys
Vicks - 20 Damage
Vorg - 32 Damage
Vem - 25 Damage
Glacier Toad #1 - 15 Damage, Grappled
Glacier Toad #2
 
PiccadillyPi
With the animal forced to pay him mind, the tiger-stripe tiefling took advantage to refocus his efforts by attempting the removal of a nearby Derro from life and whimsy.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Move action to study Vorg.

Power attack vs Vorg
Attack:  (1d20+9)[ 26 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+14)[ 19 ] 
 
 Spoiler: Crit on result of 27+ 
Attack:  (1d20+9)[ 12 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+14)[ 17 ] 
 


Silas
HP: 31/34
AC: 23 (FF: 20 / TC: 15 / CMD: 22)
Saves: 6/7/-1
Speed: 20
Current Studied Target: Vorg
Buffs: Inspire courage / Divine Defense
 
Starbuck_II
Magenta as soon as she is freed moves to safety M-10 then tries to patch herself up. She wraps her bite wound with gauze.
 "Those frogs are ferocious" 
 
 Spoiler 

AC: 22 () HP: 15/28 (temp hp 0) (+6 from Heal check)
 touch: 11, ff: 21, CMD: 16
 Saves: +2/+6 /+6
 Speed: 20 feet (20)

  heal  - (1d20+14)[ 19 ]  +   inspiration  - (1d6)[ 6 ] 
Heal: 4 hp
If reach DC 25: 6 hp
If Reach DC 30: 10 hp
 
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Bellinda's Status, Round 3 
   Bellinda Swiftfoot   
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes),  Level  4,  Init  4,  HP  29/29,  Speed  30
 AC  23,  Touch  17,  Flat-footed  19,  CMD  18,  Fort  5,  Ref  10,  Will  6,  CMB  +2,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Arcane Strike, Battle Dance (+2 to hit and damage) MW Scimitar (315 GP)   +10 (1d4+7, 18-20/x2)
 Mithril Shirt (1,100 GP)  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Natural AC, +1 Size)
 Abilities  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
 Condition  Battle Dance (Inspire Courage, +2 vs charm/fear and +2 on attack/damage rolls)
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)
Bardic Performance used today: 3/13 rounds
Barkskin (+2 Natural AC) 40 minutes
Deflection Aura (+2 Deflection AC)
 

"  Let the sun shine into the darkness!  " exclaims Bellinda in a paroxysm of religious ecstasy as she spins and whirls in place, striking at one of the insane derro with her flashing blade!

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Free action to maintain Battle Dance (Inspire Courage).
Swift action to activate Arcane Strike.
Standard action to attack Vick: MW Scimitar  (1d20+10)[ 23 ]  to hit (not including flanking bonuses, if applicable),  (1d20+10)[ 28 ]  (18-20/x2),  (1d4+7)[ 8 ]  magic slashing damage,  (1d4+7)[ 8 ]  critical strike damage.

If any enemy incurs an AoO: MW Scimitar  (1d20+10)[ 30 ]  to hit (not including flanking bonuses, if applicable),  (1d20+10)[ 26 ]  (18-20/x2),  (1d4+7)[ 9 ]  magic slashing damage,  (1d4+7)[ 10 ]  critical strike damage.
 
Stelio Kontos
 "You're doing wonderfully, all!"  Aliani encouraged, as he clambered awkwardly over and on a few boxes to assist Bellinda in the fight.

 "Remind me to ask you something when we've a moment" , an odd remark perhaps, as his morningstar looped out in an overhead motion.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Move (via a northernly route) to O11
Attack!  (1d20+3)[ 22 ] ,  (1d8)[ 5 ]  damage
 
PiccadillyPi
 
 Originally Posted by Starbuck_II 
  "Those frogs are ferocious"  
 

Cleaning his blade with a snap of his wrist, Silas tittered in response.

"They're not so bad!"

Meanwhile, frost overcame a fresh lily on his breast that he wore as a boutonniere, crumbling against the cold of each toad's aura.
Darvin
Dalen steps into the room. Best to eliminate these creatures quickly rather than let them pull additional tricks. He points his wand at the nearest frog and lets loose a pair of missiles

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

5-foot step to L11
Magic Missile  (2d4)[ 6 ] 
 
Inspectre
After Magenta pulls back to heal herself, Marcus gratefully steps into the space left and rains a series of blows down upon the first icy amphibian.  His scimitars leave a series of bleeding, gaping rents in the toad's rime-coated skin, but the preternatural hardiness granted by Shudder is clearly evident as the giant mutated toad fights on.

 
 Spoiler: Marcus 

5' step to N14, full attack glacier toad #1

Main-Hand
To-Hit:  (1d20+19)[ 34 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+6)[ 8 ] 

To-Hit:  (1d20+14)[ 27 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+6)[ 13 ] 

Off-Hand
To-Hit:  (1d20+19)[ 24 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+6)[ 7 ] 

To-Hit:  (1d20+14)[ 24 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+6)[ 13 ] 
 


Meanwhile in the tunnel leading further into the warren, Sabrina cuts the third derro into literal pieces, bisecting him messily at the waist with a series of wide swipes from her falchion.

 
 Spoiler: Sabrina 

Full Attacks Vem (Squeezing, Power Attack)
To-Hit:  (1d20+13)[ 18 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+21)[ 25 ] 

To-Hit:  (1d20+8)[ 10 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+21)[ 27 ] 

To-Hit:  (1d20+3)[ 23 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+21)[ 24 ] 
 
Inspectre
Eyes even wilder than usual, the cornered derro Vicks looks desperately around for a way out, since fighting hasn't worked out so well for him thus far.
Dalen stepping out of the tunnel leaves a potential escape route open for the little blue freak, and it took his chances, diving for the narrow gap between Bellinda and Marcus as the first step in running for freedom.
Desperation grants good fortune, as the derro manages to avoid Aliani and Bellinda, and with Marcus busy grappling with the second toad, only Silas stands in the tumbling derro's way to escape.

 
 Spoiler: Vicks 

Attempts to tumble around and past Bellinda and Marcus, which will result in AoOs from nearly everyone in the party, so . . . this isn't going to work out for him - unless he rolls a natural 19!  This is enough to avoid AoOs from Aliani, Bellinda, and Marcus is now grappled, but due to the increasing DC from each additional opponent, that result of "22" doesn't beat Silas's effective CMD of 24 (20+4), so Silas gets an AoO.
Acrobatics -  (1d20+3)[ 22 ] 
 




Meanwhile, the derro bleeding out on the floor at Marcus's feet freezes solid as the second ice toad clambers over his body to bite at Marcus, while the first continues to bite at Silas.  Again Silas manages to fend his off, but Marcus is not so fortunate as the toad hopping up to join the fight chomps down on Marcus's shoulder.

 
 Spoiler: Glacier Toads 

Cold Damage To Silas and Marcus (and Vorg, killing him for sure):   (2d4)[ 5 ] 
 

#1 at Silas
To-Hit:  (1d20+12)[ 16 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+7)[ 13 ]  plus   (1d4)[ 3 ]  Cold 
Grab attempt:  (1d20+16)[ 31 ]  vs. CMD

#2 at Marcus
To-Hit:  (1d20+12)[ 25 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+7)[ 9 ]  plus   (1d4)[ 3 ]  Cold 
Grab attempt:  (1d20+16)[ 30 ]  vs. CMD
 

 Battle Map 
 
 Spoiler: Status 

Good Guys
Magenta - 13 Damage
Bellinda - Barkskin
Aliani - Shield
Silas
Dalen

Marcus - 8 Damage, Grappled
Sabrina - Squeezing (-4 To-Hit, -4 AC)

Bad Guys
Vicks - 33 Damage
Vorg - DEAD
Vem - DEAD
Glacier Toad #1 - 62 Damage
Glacier Toad #2
 
PiccadillyPi
The cold washed over him, prickling his ears and nose. It was greatly discomforting, and not something he wished experienced any more for those around him.

"Not so fast!"

Silas swept his steel in reflex toward the ducking derro in an attempt to put down the demi-human.

"Bastard-idjit!"

Not able to chase him from where he was, the tiefling chose a sufficient insult before continuing to fend off the treacherous toads alongside Marcus.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 


AoO Power attack vs Vicks
Attack:  (1d20+8)[ 21 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+13)[ 19 ] 
 
 Spoiler: Crit on result of 26+ 
Attack:  (1d20+8)[ 13 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+13)[ 18 ] 
 


Move action to study Glacier Toad #1 &amp; attack.

Power attack vs Glacier Toad #1.
Attack:  (1d20+9)[ 29 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+14)[ 18 ] 
 
 Spoiler: Crit on result of 27+ 
Attack:  (1d20+9)[ 24 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+14)[ 21 ] 
 


Silas
HP: 31/34
AC: 23 (FF: 20 / TC: 15 / CMD: 22)
Saves: 6/7/-1
Speed: 20
Current Studied Target: Vorg
Buffs: Inspire courage / Divine Defense
 
Stelio Kontos
Aliani cast an inquisitive eye at the toads.  His instinct was to charge in; t'wasn't fair to leave the heavy lifting to others, so to speak.  But perhaps it was right to allow them to shine in the moment, because he certainly wasn't going to.

Silas had just more or less obliterated the escaping derro -- but it seemed there was still a breath of life in it.  And for all the bravado, he wasn't entirely sure they hadn't just done something rather untoward.

Reaching down, he pulled the near-corpse a bit out of the way of the frog's frigid aura.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Move and drag Vicks' body out of the range of the toad aura.
 
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Bellinda's Status, Round 4 
   Bellinda Swiftfoot   
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes),  Level  4,  Init  4,  HP  29/29,  Speed  30
 AC  21,  Touch  15,  Flat-footed  17,  CMD  16,  Fort  5,  Ref  10,  Will  6,  CMB  +2,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Arcane Strike, Battle Dance (+2 to hit and damage) MW Scimitar (315 GP)   +10 (1d4+7, 18-20/x2)
 Mithril Shirt (1,100 GP)  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Natural AC, +1 Size)
 Abilities  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
 Condition  Battle Dance (Inspire Courage, +2 vs charm/fear and +2 on attack/damage rolls)
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)
Bardic Performance used today: 4/13 rounds
Barkskin (+2 Natural AC) 40 minutes
Deflection Aura (+2 Deflection AC)
Charge (-2 AC, included above)
 

"  Sarenrae has blessed us this day! Put down the monstrous toads!  " laughs the halfling swordswoman with glee as she dances and leaps at the nearest frozen amphibian.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Free action to maintain Battle Dance (Inspire Courage).
Swift action to activate Arcane Strike.
Full round to charge Glacier Toad 2 by moving to  P14 : MW Scimitar  (1d20+12)[ 26 ]  to hit (not including flanking bonuses or cover penalties, if applicable),  (1d20+12)[ 30 ]  (18-20/x2),  (1d4+7)[ 11 ]  magic slashing damage,  (1d4+7)[ 9 ]  critical strike damage.

If any enemy incurs an AoO: MW Scimitar  (1d20+10)[ 25 ]  to hit (not including flanking bonuses or cover penalties, if applicable),  (1d20+10)[ 16 ]  (18-20/x2),  (1d4+7)[ 8 ]  magic slashing damage,  (1d4+7)[ 11 ]  critical strike damage.
 
Darvin
Dalen briefly nods at Aliani moving the unconscious Derro out of range. Though uncertain of how useful interrogation of the demented creatures would be, it wasn't an avenue to close off lightly. He keeps his wand aimed at the toads, carefully analyzing the situation.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Dalen will only use another charge from his wand if both toads are still standing after the attacks they have received. If one is down, he will conserve the charges and let the martials clean up.

Damage rolls if necessary:  (2d4)[ 7 ] 
 
Starbuck_II
Magenta moves 5 ft forward and rewraps his bandages.

 
 Spoiler 

AC: 22 () HP: 28/28 (temp hp 0)  (+13 from heal check)
touch: 11, ff: 21, CMD: 16
Saves: +2/+6 /+6
Speed: 20 feet (20)

  heal  - (1d20+14)[ 28 ]  +   inspiration  - (1d6)[ 3 ] 
If reach DC 25: 10 hp
If Reach DC 30: 14 hp
 
Inspectre
Silas cleaves through the chest of the last derro as he tries to flee through the middle of the party, and then brings his heavy blade around and cleaves through the neck of the ice-coated amphibian in front of him.
While the blow doesn't *quite* decapitate the Shudder-infused beast, it's more than enough to cause it to collapse in a bloody heap, quickly on its way to whatever afterlife awaited such creatures.

Seeking to have at least someone to question later, Aliani pulls Vicks away from the second toad still attached to Marcus's shoulder before the derro freezes solid.
Nonetheless, it's quite apparent to him from the blood pumping out of Vicks' gaping chest wound that the derro does not have much longer on this mortal coil (he's still bleeding out, but it won't be long until that stops).

 
 Spoiler: Derro 

Death Save:  (1d20-12)[ -10 ]  vs. DC 10
 


Magenta manages to fully bandage her side up on her second attempt, the healing salves kicking in and swiftly knitting the torn and frostbitten flesh back together.

Dalen keeps his wand at the ready for any new threats, but with the apparently dangers down to only one single mutant frog now, he preserves his wand for later use.

Bellinda rushes forward to join the fray just outside the doorway of the ice toads' makeshift cell, expertly slipping her rapier in underneath Marcus's arm to skewer the ice toad in the snout.

While the creature reels from the sudden stabbing pain in its throat, Marcus delivers a pair of hard blows to the top of its head with his free sword arm, leaving more bleeding wounds to encourage it to stop trying to eat people.

 
 Spoiler: Marcus 

Full Attack versus Glacier Toad #2, down to one arm's worth of attacks due to being tied up in a grapple.

1st Attack
To-Hit:  (1d20+17)[ 36 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+6)[ 9 ] 

2nd Attack
To-Hit:  (1d20+12)[ 20 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+6)[ 13 ] 
 


A few moments later, Sabrina emerges from the tunnel, stepping in behind Marcus and Belinda to quirk a curious eyebrow at the battle against the ice toad.  She doesn't even seem to flinch as another wave of cold air wafts out from the toad over Silas, Marcus, and Bellinda as the toad releases the Sable Commander to concentrate on a target that  is  small enough for it to eat - the hafling that just stung it in the throat.  While the wave of cold stings Bellinda's face and hands, the magical protections Aliani have woven around her manages to deflect the creature's jaws harmlessly away from her.  (Bellinda does take 4 Cold damage, but nothing else due to a miss.  The toad, meanwhile, is decidedly unhappy after losing nearly half its total HP in one round).

 
 Spoiler: Glacier Toad #2 

Unleashes cold aura:   (1d4)[ 4 ]  Cold 

Free action: Release grapple on Marcus

Standard: Attempts to bite Bellinda
To-Hit:  (1d20+12)[ 19 ] 
Damage:  (1d8+7)[ 12 ]  plus   (1d4)[ 4 ]  Cold 
Grab Attempt:  (1d20+16)[ 25 ]  vs. CMD
 

 Battle Map 
 
 Spoiler: Status 

Good Guys
Magenta -
Bellinda - 4 Damage, Barkskin
Aliani - Shield
Silas
Dalen

Marcus - 12 Damage
Sabrina - 4 Damage

Bad Guys
Vicks - 52 Damage (Bleeding Out)
Vorg - DEAD
Vem - DEAD
Glacier Toad #1 - DEAD
Glacier Toad #2 - 42 Damage
 
Starbuck_II
Magenta decides to move close and stabilize the Vicks for questioning later,  "I got him" 
 
 Spoiler 

Since I stabilize on a 1 do I need to roll? DC 15

  firstaid  - (1d20+14)[ 16 ] 
 
Stelio Kontos
 "Oh!"  Aliani exclaimed, with his hand half-extended towards Vicks.   "Very well!" 

The fray seemed as though it didn't really have room for him; the wider perspective of the situation meant that a mere suggestion was all he probably had to offer.
 
"Miss Belinda?  You may wish to step back and allow Miss Merrin to take your place.  I speak a bit of toad, and I believe it was saying some  very  untoward things about her parentage." 
Darvin
 "You know, a toad would make a  fine  familiar for you, Aliani. Such a shame that your particular discipline of magic does not make use of them,"  Dalen jests, keeping the wand at the ready in case something goes badly but otherwise avoiding interfering with anyone else.
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Bellinda's Status, Round 5 
   Bellinda Swiftfoot   
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes),  Level  4,  Init  4,  HP  29/29,  Speed  30
 AC  23,  Touch  17,  Flat-footed  19,  CMD  18,  Fort  5,  Ref  10,  Will  6,  CMB  +2,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Arcane Strike, Battle Dance (+2 to hit and damage) MW Scimitar (315 GP)   +10 (1d4+7, 18-20/x2)
 Mithril Shirt (1,100 GP)  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Natural AC, +1 Size)
 Abilities  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
 Condition  Battle Dance (Inspire Courage, +2 vs charm/fear and +2 on attack/damage rolls)
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)
Bardic Performance used today: 4/13 rounds
Barkskin (+2 Natural AC) 40 minutes
Deflection Aura (+2 Deflection AC)
 

"  Fine, one last twirl, though!  " quips the little halfling woman as Bellinda slashes at the toad and then steps away to make room for another PC in her place.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Free action to maintain Battle Dance (Inspire Courage).
Swift action to activate Arcane Strike.
Attack the remaining Glacier Toad: MW Scimitar  (1d20+10)[ 18 ]  to hit (not including flanking bonuses or cover penalties, if applicable),  (1d20+10)[ 17 ]  (18-20/x2),  (1d4+7)[ 9 ]  magic slashing damage,  (1d4+7)[ 9 ]  critical strike damage.
Then 5-ft step away.

If any enemy incurs an AoO: MW Scimitar  (1d20+10)[ 15 ]  to hit (not including flanking bonuses or cover penalties, if applicable),  (1d20+10)[ 11 ]  (18-20/x2),  (1d4+7)[ 10 ]  magic slashing damage,  (1d4+7)[ 11 ]  critical strike damage.
 
PiccadillyPi
Silas worked in tandem alongside Belinda, Sabrina, and Marcus to prepare toad tartare.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 


Forgot to edit out.
 AoO Power attack vs Vicks
Attack:  (1d20+9)[ 20 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+14)[ 20 ] 
 
 Spoiler: Crit on result of 26+ 
Attack:  (1d20+9)[ 16 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+14)[ 21 ] 
 
 

Power attack Glacier Toad.

Power attack
Attack:  (1d20+9)[ 20 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+14)[ 20 ] 
 
 Spoiler: Crit on result of 27+ 
Attack:  (1d20+9)[ 16 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+14)[ 21 ] 
 


Silas
HP: 31/34
AC: 23 (FF: 20 / TC: 15 / CMD: 22)
Saves: 6/7/-1
Speed: 20
Current Studied Target: Vorg
Buffs: Inspire courage / Divine Defense
 
Inspectre
While Magenta bandages the gaping chest wound on the derro, saving its life (for now at least), and Dalen and Aliani trade quips, Bellinda and Silas continue to work on finishing off the last mutated toad.
Bellinda's rapier narrowly glances off the toad's rime-coated scales, but Silas's blade manages to bite through just enough to draw more blood.
As Bellinda steps back, Sabrina is only too happy to step in and quickly bring this fight to a brutal end, bringing her falchion crashing down and splitting the toad literally in half.

 
 Spoiler: Sabrina 

Power Attack
To-Hit:  (1d20+21)[ 40 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+21)[ 27 ] 

To-Hit:  (1d20+16)[ 21 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+21)[ 27 ] 

To-Hit:  (1d20+11)[ 12 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+21)[ 25 ] 
 

 "Pathetic.  Some moldering bones and freaks of nature is all that Lamm had left?" 

The queen's bodyguard spits on the hacked apart remains of the two frogs.  As the echoing silence of a tomb resettles on the area, it does indeed seem as if no more defenders are present to bar your path.
Pausing for a moment, Sabrina closes her eyes and fiddles with the cape around her shoulders, before nodding decisively at the tunnel leading deeper into the complex.

 "She's that way and still further down.  Come on, let's go!" 
 "I believe that we have acquired a prisoner, who may be a valuable source of information on what lies ahead." 

Marcus says, nodding at the unconscious but still - albeit shallowly - breathing derro.

 "You really think that little freak is going to give us a straight answer?  Particularly after we killed all of his friends and pets?" 
 "Won't know until we try." 
 "Ugh, still more delays!? And while we drag our heels, the queen gets closer to death!" 
Stelio Kontos
 "You're both right, you know"  Aliani said to the party's colleagues, while eyeing the ravaged derro with a hint of actual pity and a soft shake of his head.  He reflexively brought his hand partway up to his collar before turning to Magenta.   "You think you can make sure he doesn't bleed out?  I can't imagine he'll be moving any time soon." 

He squinted his way into the darkness.   "I figure if we hurry, we can careen madly to our doom, and then stop and pick the little chap back up on the way out." 
DarkOne-Rob
As the fight ends so does Bellinda's frenzied dance. She takes a moment to catch her breath and then carefully - and thoroughly - cleans her scimitar off. It's clear to anyone watching that she takes it seriously - an act of her faith - and that she won't be hurried by everything else. Then, once it's clean and sheathed again she shakes her head. "  No one will be rushing into anything, sillies. I'll go ahead again,  " she snorts a bit, laughing at the foolish attitudes of the bigger folk. Then she all-but disappears as she starts scouting again, intent on finding their lost Queen.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Stealth is at +11, Perception at +9. Bellinda will first head to the right of the map (the room from R4-W8), searching as she goes (Perception:  (1d20+9)[ 14 ]  in the room specifically) and then down to Z-AB14. What is further right? Are the stairs going down? What more does she see?
 
Darvin
 
 Originally Posted by Inspectre 
  "Pathetic.  Some moldering bones and freaks of nature is all that Lamm had left?"  
 

 "All the more reason to keep on our guard, none of the main players are accounted for yet, just some underlings. Lamm's death would have fractured much of his organization, and with any luck some of his more powerful allies would have taken their coin and their toys and gone home. But the presence of Derro means we should expect Vreeg and his pet. And this so-called 'Rolth' is an unaccounted wildcard, a wizard whose abilities eclipse my own and almost certainly keeps his most powerful undead minions as a personal bodyguard,"  Dalen explains.

Upon hearing the discussion of the prisoner, Dalen nods,  "I agree with Sabrina. We have the element of surprise and cannot afford to waste it. We may have need of the Derro yet, and once the queen is secure he may provide intelligence on our enemy's disposition that would be invaluable to her. Staunch his wounds, tie him up, and throw him in one of the empty crates. That's all the time we can spare at the moment," 
PiccadillyPi
Banging on a stray crate, Silas beckoned the crystalized blood on his sabre to rattle and break away cleanly so he might sheath the tool. Nodding to Belinda, he crouched down to look into the small-roofed passage as she scouted ahead.

"If that is what you wish, Rosey. I only hope we tarry 'fore we find our heads fit for a fly rink. Onward - least over there to await further news from Bella."

Silas tip-toed after the acrobat into the lab, ensuring nothing might sneak up behind her from a hidden hatch or trap triggered. His sight was only useful enough to tell good from bad, and not much more. This much cleared the way for the others to whisper in safety as they began any searching of potions, poisons, or elixirs. A detailed list of insurgents was perhaps too much to expect.

"Any of us with talent to track? I've forgotten much of my younger days since... I've forgotten a great deal. At the very least I retained enough to know North unassisted."

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Taking 10 for:
a) stealth: 17
b) perception: 15
 
Stelio Kontos
 "Mr. Rittle, don't you think maybe tied up  and  in the crate might be a bit of overkill?"  Aliani asked, a bit sardonically, but also seriously at the same time.

 "Silas, I think, we already have our tracker"  he replied, nodding in the direction of Sabrina.   "The nose knows, as they say." 
PiccadillyPi
"I only need note that, mad as they are, derro have proven clever enough for tools and trade. Traps and ambushes may lay hidden further down. A sharp eye and knowing nose are welcome more than  my  spun-down senses."
Darvin
 
 Originally Posted by Stelio Kontos 
  "Mr. Rittle, don't you think maybe tied up  and  in the crate might be a bit of overkill?"  Aliani asked, a bit sardonically, but also seriously at the same time. 
 

 "Putting him in a crate is for his own protection. If we left him merely tied up, I would wager we'd return to find his throat slit. Lamm has impeccable taste in allies, as you must know by now,"  Dalen turns to follow Sabrina.
Stelio Kontos
 
 Originally Posted by Darvin 
  "Putting him in a crate is for his own protection. If we left him merely tied up, I would wager we'd return to find his throat slit. Lamm has impeccable taste in allies, as you must know by now,"  Dalen turns to follow Sabrina. 
 

Aliani pursed his lips, clearly not  wholly  satisfied with that answer, before muttering  "No bet." 
Starbuck_II
 "As long as he doesn't bleed out, hate for all my work to be undone"  Magenta says
Inspectre
Ever the prepared type, Marcus produces a length of rope and swiftly ties the derro's arms and legs after Magenta is finished stitching the derro's previously gaping chest wound shut.
The derro should live without interference from one of its erstwhile allies as Dalen feared, although it would undoubtedly not be happy upon waking up.

Sabrina makes her own contribution to that unfortunate future waking moment as she deftly slides the tip of her falchion underneath the lid of a still intact crate, popping it open without damaging it.
It takes a few more minutes to unpack the contents of the crate, which seem to be some sort of volatile alchemical solution, and thus not something to be kept in the same place as the wounded derro.
With an empty crate now, it is but the work of a moment to fold the unconscious derro into the crate and replace the lid, leaving it indistinguishable from the others at least until the derro wakes up and starts attempting to free itself, which probably won't be for hours yet.

 "*Now* can we go?" 

Sabrina growls, which is a bit of a moot question given Bellinda and Silas are already scouting ahead for the group.

In the next chamber where the derro that Sabrina cut down came from, Bellinda and Silas find an alchemical laboratory, not dissimilar from the Shudder Lab that the party closed down where they first met Vreeg and his pet.
The one notable addition here that was *not* present at the other lab, however, is the dead dog-sized spider lying curled up on one of the table, clearly being dissected and studied.
The acid stains from where it's fangs have dripped down the table and its twisted spine-covered legs are sure signs that this is another of Lamm's Shudder-mutated freaks of nature.

Beyond this laboratory is another low-ceiled tunnel, although this one is quite short, perhaps only 10' in length, before it opens up into not so much a larger tunnel as a stone-lined  corridor  lancing through the dead earth of the Grey District.
While not quite the cathedral-esque arched ceiling of the Poryphia tomb, the stone corridor does allow Silas to stretch up to his full height with a good foot or more of clearance above his head.

The corridor's stone is a relatively featureless black/dark grey slate color, although curiously there are no seams where one block is joined to the next with mortar - it at least appears to be one long contiguous piece that has been hollowed out.
Given the corridor is fifteen feet wide and stretches out into the darkness to the north and goes for nearly fifty feet to the south before ending in a flight of stone stairs, this seems like a construction beyond mundane means.
The only breaks in the stone are the hole that has been clearly smashed through the wall to connect it with the derro's tunnel, and a similar hole smashed through the opposite wall to the south, just next to the flight of stairs heading downward.

Risking a bit more scouting, Bellinda moves down to the end by the stairs, and listens at the mouth of the other hole, which appears to lead into further derro warrens dug into the soft earth beyond this stone tunnel.
And sure enough, while she can't make out what is being said given its undoubtedly in the derro's native tongue (Aklo), it's clear that there are more of them in the chamber at the end of this second dug tunnel.
Given the cackles and boisterous chattering, it does not seem as if the derro are aware that there is anything amiss, at least not yet.
Before Bellinda and Silas can have a quiet consultation over whether or not to press on and investigate what is down the stairway, the rest of the party joins up with them.

With a whispered warning of the nearby derro, the party has a very quiet conference on what to do next.

 "This tunnel . . . I've heard of stonework similar to this elsewhere beneath Korvosa.  This looks like we're entering the Vaults to me!" 

Marcus whispers, the name he gives the corridor at least familiar enough to everyone present to be aware of this troubling and mysterious aspect of Korvosa's street lore.
The Vaults are a network of stone tunnels deep beneath the city of Korvosa, built for unknown purposes by unknown parties (although it's construction and ancient nature suggest an origin of Thassilon or similar civilization).
Most sections of the network have gone unexplored except for small disconnected bits and pieces, as most adventuring parties who ignore the warnings and laws against exploring the Vaults don't come back.
The fact that the derro seem to have infested the ruins is one possible explanation for that, although there's any number of urban legends about horrific death traps and worse things lurking down in the depths beneath the city.

 "She's down those steps.  We need to keep moving." 

Sabrina adds after concentrating on her cloak again.

 "I don't like the idea of leaving more derro behind us, but given this seems to be a major lair of theirs there is no telling how many more chambers make up this warren.  I would object to recklessly pressing onward at this point down into the godsforsaken  Vaults  of all places, but I'm just going to save my breath at this point.  So . . . sneak past and continue onward into likely horrific death?" 

Marcus offers with a shake of a his head.

(OOC:  So, you can continue down the stairs and into the Vaults, leaving at least one group of derro between you and the exit, or you can go through the side tunnel and continue deeper into their warren to attempt to clear it out and not leave any enemies at your back.)
PiccadillyPi
Silas nodded toward the stairwell, deeper into danger. His brow furrowed against the thought.

"Our window for rescue is smaller than eggs on ice. We've our escape, derro or no. I've not a care that five or six present their necks on our way out, but we can just as easily run past them into the light they hate so greatly. This isn't any sort of podsnappery. We mustn't dally, darlings! So say ye all?"
Starbuck_II
Magenta ponders on it, "  I mean, we got this far without worrying about a few dwarves, what is a few more. Let's press on." 
Darvin
Dalen nods,  "I'd agree, the derro are not our primary objective and if they can be avoided that will make our task swifter and more successful," 
Stelio Kontos
Aliani let out a loud sigh.   "I pray"  he whispered, looking Sabrina and Marcus squarely in the eye,  "that you will be there for us, as we are for you now."   He gripped his morningstar tightly, tiptoeing as best he could down the tunnel.
DarkOne-Rob
Bellinda nods and only barely waits for everyone to argue the point. "  Be quiet, then, and not too close to me...  " she directs as she continues down the stairs deliberately and quietly.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Stealth +11, Perception +9, Bellinda keeps going down the stairs to try and find the next encounter before they notice the party approaching.
 
Inspectre
Sabrina returns Aliani's stare with a glare of her own.

 "And I think you should remember that Her Majesty was already there for  you  while your  friend  was  DYING !" 

The queen's bodyguard hisses back, just a tad too loudly it seems.

In the other room, the derro abruptly go silent, causing Marcus to facepalm and mutter what certainly sounds like an obscenity under his breath.

 "Well, here we go then." 

He sighs as he readies his scimitars, but no swarm of little blue freaks is coming.

Instead, you hear one call out loudly something in their language, no doubt a challenge of some sort.  Which, given no one present speaks their language (Aklo), you are all forced to just look at each other and wait in silence and await the assault.

And yet . . . no assault is forthcoming.  No one comes out to investigate, no cries of alarm go out, nothing at all happens for over one long tense minute.  But neither do the derro return to their previous work and cavorting, either - your silence is met with their own.

 "I don't suppose we got lucky and they thought it was a figment of their little freak imaginations." 

Sabrina whispers from her position up against the stone wall right next to the tunnel entrance, falchion held ready to chop down the first thing that emerges out into the corridor.

 "Nobody is that lucky - they probably left to go get more friends." 

Marcus observes, earning another grunt from Sabrina.

 "Then we'd better hurry along, don't you think!?" 
Stelio Kontos
Aliani's face flashed through a few different phases in a moment -- a brief flash of anger, followed by contrition at the realization that he'd probably provoked their impending severe injuries, followed by a good bit of fear -- which at least served to remove the developing redness from his face and return it to its pale nature.  He silently mouthed an epithet, which he thought bemusedly might also serve as his epit aph .

 "I don't suppose anyone has anything that might serve as a distraction?"  he whispered, as quietly as he could.
DarkOne-Rob
Bellinda looks back with a scowl at the noise, listens intently for the dero, and then shrugs. On silent feet she turns to continue exploring, intent on not wasting time - if that was still possible.
Inspectre
 Music Theme – The Vaults 

Bellinda leading the way slightly faster now, your small party of would-be rescuers descends the flight of stone stairs leading down further into the depths of the Vaults, far below Korvosa where none dare to trend.  While it may have felt as if you had been walking for hours, it was surely only a few minutes before the uniform set of stairs terminates in a pair of immense stone doors, easily twenty feet high.  Carved into the surface of the double doors are a series of images – foremost among them and taking up the middle of the two doors is the carved image of a strikingly beautiful human woman whose shoulders are pockmarked with a dozen gemstones of varying hues.

Arrayed around the central statue are a half dozen smaller images in a half-moon pattern, each depicting a scene of battle, disaster, and tragedy that seem to shift and move with a life of their own as you adjust your vantage point.  Prominent in each of them is a smaller depiction of the central woman - leading armies of men and monsters into battle in one, draped over a grave and sobbing into her hands in another.  Also prominent in each of the images is a symbol of dreadful significance to Dalen – an impaled, bleeding eye – emblazoned on the shields and banners of the opposing army in one, etched discretely into one dark corner of the grave’s headstone in another.  But perhaps the most disturbing image is the last one in the arc, a seemingly impossible image of the woman standing atop a cliff looking down at Korvosa,  your  Korvosa, as the city burns to ash.

As you all stand there, taking in these details and quietly debating how to approach this (and quietly marking down the time until Sabrina just boots them open personally), the doors swing open of their own accord.  As with the smaller images, the central image of the woman seems to move with a life of its own as it splits apart into two women who appear to pirouette and bow, beckoning you forward with a sweep of their hands into the darkness ahead, as if to say “Welcome”.

 
 Spoiler: Knowledge Local or History DC 20 

The woman depicted on the door, despite being somewhat stylized, is most certainly Sorshen of ancient Thassilon, the Runelord of Lust.  Those gemstones studding her image’s shoulders are a dead giveaway, as the Runelords were one of the few groups with the wealth and knowledge to directly implant iuon stones into their flesh, which is what the gemstones are depicting.

The bleeding impaled eye, however, is something that you don’t recognize.  Clearly it’s depicted here as some sort of enemy or opposition force to Sorshen, but the rule of the Runelords in their time was fairly absolute with no known-to-history force capable of opposing them.  The Runelords did fight amongst themselves, but you’re not aware of any of the others using a bleeding, impaled eye as part of their symbology.
 


“We’re getting closer – she’s not below us anymore.  Ahead and to the left.”

Sabrina reports quietly after a moment’s pause, even the queen’s bodyguard for once overawed into caution by what you are discovering (even if she seems to fail to grasp the historical context).

Things get even stranger beyond the double doors, as you step out into what initially appears to be an outdoor flower garden that would not look amiss alongside the gardens within Castle Korvosa.  Despite still being day in the city above (you think), here the garden rests in twilight, with the vast majority of the garden/chamber being lit by the light of the stars hanging in the sky overheard and paper lanterns here and there providing pools of warm flickering firelight.  Butterflies in as wide array of sizes and hues as the flowers flicker in and out of sight amongst many of the clusters of plant life.

Wide lanes of brick cut paths through the clusters of flowering plants, ultimately leading to several other double doors leading back inside/to other chambers(?) with a few paths diverting to small oases of brickwork in the floral sprawl that feature benches for contemplation, and in one spot down into a shallow pool that is surrounded by a faint haze of steam.  Even the bricks are not without their artistic flair, however, as symbols and heraldry are painted and etched into the pathways’ surface, interwoven with decorative swirls and stylized stars and butterflies.

 “What in the Hells . . .” 

Sabrina whispers, scanning the denser clusters of flowers for waiting dangers – which completely fail to materialize here.

 “This . . . this is not what I was expecting to find down here.” 

Marcus gasps, looking around the underground flower garden in numb shock.

 
 Spoiler: Knowledge Religion DC 15 

This is a Desnan shrine, the emphasis on stars and butterflies make that unmistakable.  Maybe not to be used in the traditional sense for worship, but a shrine to honor the goddess of Dreams and Night all the same.  And given the expansive garden and immaculate details, someone went to a  lot  of work to create this.
 

 
 Spoiler: Knowledge History or Local DC 20 

The heraldry depicted on the brickwork is that of the ancient Thassilon realm of Eurythnia, predictably the land ruled by Sorshen.  Some of the runes carved into the bricks and interwoven with that heraldry however, are the Thassilon runes for wealth and fertility.  Perhaps it’s simply a boast of Eurythnia’s success or a prayer for such blessings upon the realm, but there are other runes intermixed with those two that you can’t identify, leaving the true intention of this artwork a mystery – but there  is  an intent behind all of these symbols being shown together.
 

 
 Spoiler: Knowledge Engineering DC 15 or Sense Motive DC 20 

Despite the brick paths cutting seemingly lackadaisical paths through the flowering foliage and splitting off at random, there is a deliberateness to the design that seems intended to tell a story here, even if you lack the context to understand what is being said.  One thing that you do note, however, is that all of the branching paths eventually arc back around to rejoin their point of origin, as if the whole place was designed to make those following the paths walk around in circles.
 

 
 Spoiler: Knowledge Arcana DC 15, Spellcraft DC 15, or Perception DC 20 

The stars overhead and the butterflies flitting about are illusions – very skillfully and meticulously crafted illusions, but magical fakes all the same.  The flowering plants, on the other hand, are very real.
 

 
 Spoiler: Knowledge Nature DC 15 

Those butterflies have an odd movement pattern that doesn’t match up with how you would expect butterflies to behave in a space like this.  The flowers, like the dirt they’re planted in, seem to be very real, however, but are still unnatural in that the different clusters come from all across the world, and you’re pretty sure some of them are even species that should be extinct.  Furthermore, these flowers should have spread out throughout the room and outcompeted each other until only a handful of species dominated in a massive tangled overgrown sprawl.  Instead, they’re all in their little manicured clusters looking as if the gardener has just passed through on their daily trimming.  It’s eerily unnatural, even more than the simple fact that   flowering plants don’t live underground  .
 
Stelio Kontos
The playwright gasped, his face brightening considerably as he took in the sights, his eyes seeming to flit about in notice of various intricacies.  He tried to remain at a low volume, but his growing excitement made it difficult; his voice rasped uncharacteristically as his efforts to contain his joy fought against themselves.  As he continued on, he appeared to grow in confidence, the trepidation of the looming peril brushed aside.

 " Someone  has gone to quite a lot of trouble to place this here, and a most beautiful shrine it is.  I know our time runs short, and we cannot dawdle, but nonetheless a prayer to the Goddess of the North Star would be most appropriate, in thanks for safe travels and her enduring guiding light in this place of darkness.  Have hope, for she watches over this place, and over us as well.  A better portent we would be most unlikely to find." 
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Knowledge (Religion):  (1d20+4)[ 7 ] , Perception:  (1d20+9)[ 27 ] , Sense Motive:  (1d20+7)[ 24 ] , and Spellcraft:  (1d20+4)[ 12 ] . All other skills have too high DCs for untrained checks.
 

"  It's pretty, yes, and deliberate...though much of it is an illusion. The flowers are real, though...  " Bellinda says dispassionately as she quickly moves through, undistracted by the magical finery and beauty. She moves quickly to the next set of double doors, alert as ever and still moving with the quiet for which halflings are known. At the door she inspects it closely, both for magic and mundane traps...

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Cast  Detect Magic  and focus on the door to see if it has any auras. Also search it for traps - +9 to Perception.
 
Darvin
 "Don't let your guard down. We can return with a contingent of scholars later, right now my greatest concern is the derro using these illusions as cover for ambush,"  Dalen quietly casts Detect Magic, focusing on any auras other than those of illusion.
Inspectre
 
 Spoiler: Bellinda Only 

From the garden:  Looking at the brickwork marking out the arcing side paths through the garden, you note that at each branch-off, the symbols and runes written on the bricks subtly shift and change.  Even the bricks themselves seem to ever so-slightly change, drawn from different batches with slightly different material mixtures.  This makes all of the side paths similar, but  different  in some way, and yet always circling back around to the main path.  As if to say,  the details change, but it all leads back to the same point .
 

 Music Theme – The Lab 

Single-minded as ever, Sabrina moves alongside Bellinda to continue on towards one of the distant sets of double doors off to the left of the entrance.  Much like the door statue waving you in here, the spirals and decorations painted onto the brickwork ahead of you seem to flicker and glow with a faint golden light, as if lighting the way to direct you onward.  The set of double doors that Sabrina approaches this time are much smaller – normal human-sized – and considerably less ostentatious, although the décor of this interior garden is such that the doors do seem as if they’re popping out of the surrounding greenery from nowhere.  These doors do not swing open of their own accord for you, and so Sabrina throws them wide open without hesitation, revealing a room beyond that is considerably different from the interior garden, but no less mysterious.

This room is only a little smaller than the chamber that houses the garden, but is clearly a workshop of some sort rather than a place of leisure.  In nearly the dead center of the room is a massive stone globe held within an intricate latticework and stand of metal (i.e. an astrolabe).  Rather than depict some sort of map, the surface of the globe is coated in dozens of runes etched into the stone.  Arranged out from this central structure like spokes on a wheel are various workbenches covered in alchemical beakers, containers of arcane ritual components, and numerous half-used sticks of chalk.  A short distance away in one corner of the room is an arcane ritual circle of considerable complexity.  But there are three far more striking features of this room by far than any of the furniture.

First, there’s the fact that the walls, ceiling, and much of the floor is covered in intricate arcane formula written in precise chalk marks.  While normal arcane formula are essentially their own confusing language that is virtually indecipherable to the uninitiated, even the practiced spellcasters amongst the group would find this intricate snarl of formula daunting to even determine what it’s supposed to  do .

Second, much of the floor here is partially obscured by a thick cloud of dust coating much of the stonework.  Given the previously immaculate condition of what little you’ve seen of this complex thus far, that seems very odd.  The layer of dust is thick enough to partially obscure sections of the chalk writing that stretches down onto the floor, and thick enough to reveal a trail of cleared dust leading from the door you entered, across the room, to another set of doors set in the far wall.  There does not appear to be any other means of exit from this room.

Third and finally, there is a small section of the far wall where the chalk writing has been charred and blasted away, leaving bare stone except for the symbol and runes that appear to have  bled  out of the stone rather than being painted or etched there – the symbol of a bleeding, impaled eye, and Thassilon runes below it.  As you look at the runes, they dance and twist with a life of their own, swirling into plainly legible text in Common.

  THE STORY CHANGES BUT THE END REMAINS.  CITY SHALL BURN.  CITY SHALL ROT.  CITY SHALL ABNEGATE.  
 
 Spoiler: Detect Magic 

There are traces of magic on both sets of double doors, likely the remains of magical defenses that were placed upon those doors.  Whatever defenses were once present, however, they are gone now, either decayed to nothing over the millennium or disarmed by the derro.  The astrolabe stone globe radiates a strong aura of magic, the ritual circle still radiates a moderate aura of magic, the runes and symbol on the wall radiates a moderate aura of magic, and you detect a strong aura of magic from a pile of dust over in the corner.  The various magical benches and beakers of magical ritual components radiate a very faint aura of magic, more a sign of their latent potential rather than them being magical themselves.  The chalk markings do not radiate an aura of magic, as they are merely arcane formula proofs rather than an actual spell ready to be cast.  You also detect a faint aura of magic in the air, and rapidly gaining in strength.

 Gain a +10 bonus to all Perception checks in this room for the other features that rely on Perception. 
 

 
 Spoiler: The Circle – Knowledge Arcana or Spellcraft DC 20 

The ritual circle appears to be multi-purpose – it could be used to contain a summoned outsider, but some of the more intricate details seem more intended to project outward rather than summon within.  As such, you believe it’s likely an anchoring circle to be used in helping to protect the mind of someone using powerful – and dangerous – divination spells such as Contact Other Plane.
 

 
 Spoiler: The Formula – Knowledge Arcana or Spellcraft DC 25 

Oh gods.  You are of course aware that arcane magic is sorted into nine tiers, based on complexity and power of effect, with nineth-level spells capable of rewriting reality itself with the simple phrase of “I wish”.  Although it can take decades or centuries to reach that level of mastery over the arcane, if one even manages to reach those lofty heights in the first place, it is notable that there is no greater power beyond that.  While one could argue what would be the point in creating a spell beyond rewriting reality just with one’s simple words – or similar displays of raw arcane power – scholars of the arcane note that it is odd that there is such a sudden and sharp cut-off point, that even those with the time, resources, and skill to grow beyond mastery of the nineth-level seem unable to pass beyond.  There are a variety of different theories as to why the development of a so-called tenth-level of spell has never occurred, ranging from such a power would be a threat to the gods themselves and so they take a *very* serious interest in preventing anyone from achieving such mastery to the simple fact that as each level of spell mastery grows ever more complex, any theoretical tenth-level spell would require such complexity as to be physically impossible for anyone to conceive, let alone actually cast.  You’re currently standing in the middle of the arcane formula for a tenth-level spell.

You cannot decipher enough of the dense lines of the formula to understand all the intricacies of this spell, let alone hope to cast it.  It would take a long time of difficult study to even begin to understand what has been created here, but the bits and pieces you can make out at a glance is just enough to tell you that is appears to be a spell to teleport between parallel universes.  Proving not just that parallel universes exist – something which you are basically already familiar with – but that Sorshen figured out how to move between them, although the exact methodology is beyond your understanding at present.  Still, you seem to have found the source of your strange shifting between worlds that are so similar and yet markedly different.
 

 
 Spoiler: The Dust Perception DC 20 

There’s something very wrong about all this dust.  While it’s swirled up all across the floor, here and there exist larger mounds of the stuff, as if dumped in that spot and then left to simply drift where it may.  Idly swirling the tip of a boot or weapon through one such pile of dust, you discover a small, somewhat misshapen, thumbnail-sized stone with a warm golden hue sitting amidst the dust (it radiates a strong aura of magic).
 

 
 Spoiler: The Bloody Symbol – Linguistics DC 15 or Sense Motive DC 20 

Yet again the strange prophecy that you’ve been hearing the derro and their Shudder-infused monstrosities parrot over and over again.  Apparently it is a far older threat than just Gaedren Lamm and his ambitions.  But there’s a new sentence at the end – “City will Abnegate”.  Abnegate – to relinquish, renounce, or otherwise give up, often in a ritualistic context.  You feel as if that word was chosen very deliberately, but what is the city relinquishing, and to who or what?
 

 
 Spoiler: Perception DC 20 or Religion DC 20 

A fourth, disturbing detail not audible to everyone in the room nonetheless catches your ear.  The sound of a female voice whispering, echoing off the stone walls, anguish and desperation easily heard despite every word being in a language completely foreign to you and unspoken for thousands of years.  The whispers are rapidly growing louder, more insistent, and with a sudden dreadful realization you know that this laboratory is haunted, and some manifestation of whatever horror happened in this room is about to happen again.

(i.e. There is a Haunt about to trigger.  To account for how a Haunt generally goes off at Initiative Count 10 (i.e. roughly the middle of a round), only those who make this Perception/Religion check may act.  Everyone else has no time to react before the Haunt goes off.  The Haunt either needs to be disarmed – generally through the release of positive energy – ie. Channel Energy – into the room, or those who can need to dive out of the room and hopefully out of the Haunt’s range.)
 
Stelio Kontos
"All right, yes, there's quite a bit of interest here I'd agree" replied Aliani, his mind somewhat disconnecting from the moment as he walked into the room.

 "... not as much as in here though, ye gods."   He wasn't at all sure what most of that meant, but whatever it was it probably wasn't someone's recipe for a good vegetable stew, he knew that much.

 " Abnegate.   Hunh.  That's new..."  he remarked idly to nobody in particular, his mind still wandering.  Perhaps it was that other part that heard the ... something ... getting closer, but not really closer... why ...   oh no  .

 "GET OUT NOW!"  he screamed suddenly, practically trying to swat Silas back with his morningstar, even as his other reached up to his collar.   "Save us mother, and peace to the dead!" 
 
 Spoiler: OCC 
channel energy  (2d6)[ 8 ] 
 
Darvin
Dalen skips backwards, trying to put as much distance between himself and what is about to transpire as possible.
PiccadillyPi
The salacious socialite sneaked some steps behind Bellinda as they creeped into the unusual garden. He caught up as the danger hid deeper behind the illusion and gave the group pause to action. Not one to lose to opportunity, Silas plucked one of the flowers to replace the one that had frozen over from their frosted flaying of the frogs. His distraction was just enough to have to heave ho toward the others into the workshop of sand and ruin. Not quick enough to view the swirling sands nor smart enough to decipher the meaning behind each rune, but just keen enough to catch a whisper of danger ahead.

It took less than the prayer spoken by the bard for Silas act. His hand slipped between skin and tunic of the nearest ally unable to action a retreat, gripping them and tossing them back so that it would be he and not them to take whatever unhallowed charge that may come their way. At the very least a distance enough that they might have a chance.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Silas will spend his action to bull rush an ally away from danger if allowed/needed.

If it's Aliani: "We're fel-shyte without ye, ye ruby bastard! Behind me! Now!"

EDIT: got a 12 to bull rush Aliani. :c

Silas
HP: 31/34
AC: 21 (FF: 18 / TC: 13 / CMD: 20)
Saves: 6/7/-1
Speed: 20
Current Studied Target: n/a
Buffs: n/a
 
DarkOne-Rob
In the moments before chaos breaks free Bellinda brushes up against a pile of dust in her slipperred feet and feels something. Leaning down she finds a small, somewhat misshapen, thumbnail-sized stone with a warm golden hue sitting amidst the dust. With her still-empowered sight she notes its strong aura of magic right before she hears something else...

Like Aliani, Bellinda recognizes the threat shortly before it has a chance to do anything. The halfling rushes back towards the entrance, urgently encouraging the others, "  Get back! Should have stayed behind me! Come on!  "
Starbuck_II
He slowly recognizes what all this means. Something was summoned or will summoned here.

Weird symbols that means something...

Magic dust?

Blood means nothing to Magenta, but who knows could be important.

Magenta rushes out of the room once he understands the yelling.
Inspectre
There is a moment of panic as everyone hears the rising chorus of whispers throughout the room, followed by a mad scramble for the door.

Calling upon his goddess, Aliani unleashes a wave of healing energy out into the room, hoping to disrupt the necromantic energies gathering as the haunt grows in strength.
He manages to only diminish, but not dissipate, the oncoming storm of psychic energy, and with a surge of desperate energy, the playwright lunges for the door as Silas comes stumbling towards him.
The sudden burst of motion gets Aliani through the door, but leaves Silas tripping and sprawling flat on his face in the room, at least until Sabrina runs past and bodily hefts him up, throwing the tiefling ahead of her towards the door.
Those waiting just outside grab hold of Silas's hands, dragging him out just as Sabrina charges through the doorway, and then the haunt goes off a moment later.

(OOC: Not going to punish Silas by getting eaten by the haunt when he's literally the only one in the room, and then only because he was trying to help Aliani get out).

Nothing.  Absolutely nothing happens, although those still concentrating on magical energies see the Haunt flare to life, unleash some sort of psychic backlash, and then crumble away to nothing.

 "The Hells?  Did something happen?  I heard the whispers, but I don't anymore, and nothing seems to have happened . . ." 

Sabrina grunts, hauling Silas back up onto his feet.

With the haunt having unleashed its energy, it seems to be spent, at least for the moment, and the strange laboratory stands unchanged.

 "She must be through that door . . . somewhere." 

Sabrina reports after checking her cloak yet again, nodding to the door on the far side of the laboratory.
DarkOne-Rob
Bellinda looks cross for just a moment as she stares at her companions. "  I feel like we've only just begun working together, cause that was really clumsy. Please let me scout and stay safely back - traps or ghosts or whatever, it's better if it takes just one little halfling than all of you too!  " she lectures, before smiling a bit more encouragingly. "  That said, please stay close enough to save me if there's a chance! But that was too close!  " the little woman finishes with an uncomfortable chuckle as she turns to re-enter the room and check the far door.

As she walks Bellinda allows her attention to be drawn to the stone in her hand, curious as to its properties...

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Perception  (1d20+9)[ 16 ] ,  Detect Magic , and Spellcraft  22   9roll]1d20+4[/roll]  at the stone. Perception at the door, taking 10 or 20 as allowed,  (1d20+9)[ 26 ] .

 Edit: screwed up a roll, did it in OoC. 
 
PiccadillyPi
"Thank ye for that, deary!"

Silas collected himself from the floor, brushing off the various sand particles from his vestments, noting some floated away, returning to the haunted room.

"I'd say we kept plenty back, but our luck near ran dry once we joined together in that room. I can see ye at a distance - signal with a hand once ye think it's clear."

Silas expanded his following of Belinda to 30 paces. Enough to see; perhaps enough to act.
Darvin
Dalen steps back into the room, gives a subtle nod to Aliani, then turns his attention to the circle. His eyes follow the lines, tracing out the patterns and folds that he could understand on an academic level, and whose implications he found deeply disturbing. But ultimately anything more than a surface level analysis would be sheer futility. He could study the lines for weeks and deduce no great insights, so far beyond him was this magic. He looks away before getting drawn in too deeply. He makes a purposeful moment of eye contact with Bellinda as she handles the stone, then turns away to address Sabrina,  "then lead onward. We got lucky that the haunt subsided, but that's all the more reason to press on before those energies can reform," 
Stelio Kontos
 "Well,  that  was fun"  groused Aliani, likewise brushing off the dirt from the prone position to which he has semi-miraculously been propelled.   "Not quite sure what happened there.  Lucky for us, at any rate.  We should, um, definitely let the Pharasmans know about this?  Seems rather like something they'd be better equipped to deal with, and quite interested in." 
 "But we're okay!  We're all okay, right?"  as he looked around the room, catching Dalen's eye and returning the briefest of nods before letting out an deep exhalation.   "We're all okay." 

There was a certain uneasy tension about the place, between the mysterious engravings and the horrific haunting in the room -- one that could not be allowed to linger.  A little levity might help the situation.

 "As you please then, Miss Swiftfoot, but please don't stray too far"  he asked, with a genuine care for her safety.   "As the scarf said to the hat then?"  he concluded, glancing around the room for the first look of puzzlement before breaking into a nervous grin to deliver his punchline.   "I'll hang around here, you go on a head?" 
Starbuck_II
" Sure, Belinda, you have my permission to search for troubles. That was close. So, was that trap for us or we just unlucky enough to fall for it?" 

Magenta says as she straightens the hair that got out of place.

" Still wondering what was summoned." 
Stelio Kontos
 "I'm not sure 'summoned' is the right word.  I'm sure Mr. Rittle can fill you in on the details at a more appropriate time, but that was, I am fairly sure, some sort of haunt.  I'd say it, for lack of a better phrase, lives here."  
DarkOne-Rob
Bellinda rolls her eyes and snorts quietly at the puns and bad humor before pocketing the unidentified Ioun Stone. "   Once I know what that does...   " she mutters quietly as she slinks back into the room to continue looking around. First she tries to sense out any hint of the haunt from before. Then, once she's sure it's safe she looks around at the dust to see if there are any more stones to be found. Finally she approaches the door on the far side of the lab and begins to inspect it closely for traps and a lock...

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Perception checks all around, with +9 to each. I'm not sure how many make sense, so feel free to roll them all, @ Inspectre . Bellinda will take her time (at least taking 10) until the door, where she will take 20 if allowed.
 
Inspectre
With the haunt seemingly gone (at least until the spiritual energies can recharge), the party goes back into the laboratory and approaches the door on the far side of the chamber.
After checking for any other dangers - and finding nothing worthy of alarm - Bellinda eases the set of double doors open to reveal a long hallway decorated with murals on either side.
The murals depict a variety of cityscapes from the vantage point of an overlooking cliff, clusters of figures assembled atop it to begin a charge down into the city, while tendrils of inky blackness radiate out from a central point within the city to cover its streets, leaving only a flat canvas of darkness there.
Situated in the exact center of this darkness in each mural is that simplistic symbol of the impaled, bleeding eye.

At the far end of the hallway is another set of double doors, these ones covered in Thassilon runes that have been etched into the stone surface of the doors.
Flanking the doorway on either side, and as the last set of murals in the series, is a simple flat black field of emptiness.
Sitting again in the rough center of this sheet of darkness is the impaled bleeding eye smbol, and beneath it the shifting-to-Common words that seem to have bled out of the stone wall itself, just like in the laboratory.

  THE STORY CHANGES BUT THE END REMAINS. CITY SHALL BURN. CITY SHALL ROT. CITY SHALL ABNEGATE.  

Although Bellinda hears it first, it quickly becomes audible to the rest of the group, as the approaching cackling mob of derro are making no attempt to conceal their pursuit.  And there's a *lot* of them this time, along with something that is moving with considerably heavier footfalls.

 "Come on!  Get in the hallway, I'll hold the door!" 

Sabrina grunts, taking up a position to slam the doors closed behind you once everyone is inside the hallway.  There does not appear to be any way to bar the door shut, aside from someone bracing themselves against the doors to hold them shut.


(At this point in time, these checks will need to be rolled as you are definitely under time pressure here - i.e. no Taking 10 on these checks)

 
 Spoiler: Perception DC 15 

The earliest set of murals seem almost to be a reprise of one of the smaller images displayed on the first set of doors you crossed through to get in here - Sorshen on a cliff overlooking a burning city, although this time rather than Korvosa it's a much different city - presumably Eurythnia, the city she ruled.

The next set of murals depict a city scape that you don't recognize - it's clearly not Eurythnia nor Korvosa, although you do note the conspicuous presence of the Grand Mastaba, the great black pyramid atop which Castle Korvosa was built, within the depths of this city that straddles both sides of a river.

The last set of murals before the infinite blackness mural with its mysterious warning (threat?) is clearly Korvosa, although each mural has it's own slightly different version with various buildings positioned in different areas around the Grand Mastaba and Castle Korvosa.

All of the murals share some similar details - group of people on cliff overlooking the city, waves of darkness radiating out from the bleeding eye symbol to cover the city.  The eye seems to always radiate out from the same point as well - in the rough vicinity of where Castle Korvosa stands in the Korvosa depicted in several of the murals.  The city and the figures assembled on the cliff, however, are different in each mural - even the first few depicting Sorshen have her in different poses and carrying different weapons - a staff in one, a glaive in another, and so on.
 

 
 Spoiler: Perception DC 20 

One figure that stands out to you among the figures assembled on the cliff in several of the murals is unmistakably Blackjack.  While hardly surprising to be included in the groups of heroes assembling to defend the cities from whatever evil this bleeding eye represents, what *is* curious is the fact that Blackjack is not just in the murals depicting Korvosa.  He's also in several of the murals just prior to the Korvosa section, standing guard over some other city that is decidedly not Korvosa nor Eurythnia.  Which is quite odd given there was no recorded city here before Korvosa (with the clear exception of the incredibly ancient city of Eurythnia), and Blackjack is said to be a creation and guardian of Korvosa specifically . . . does that mean Blackjack, or at least the concept of Blackjack the masked vigilante, is even older than Korvosa itself!?
 

 
 Spoiler: Knowledge Geography DC 15 

While each city is different, coastlines and all, the layouts are similar enough that they could conceivably be covering the same patch of ground.  Certainly, there are ruins beneath Korvosa which indicate prior civilization, and certainly this complex you're in here seems to suggest that was Eurythnia, Sorshen's city from the days of the Runelords . . . but what is this city in between Eurythnia and Korvosa?
 

 
 Spoiler: Knowledge History DC 25 

The middle set of murals seem to be depicting a city known as Tamrivena - or, perhaps, Old Tamrivena given there is currently a city with the same name of "Tamrivena" up in the nation of Ustalav now.  It was said that there had been a city of Tamrivena in the distant past, around the time of the Whispering Tyrant, but it was destroyed during the upheaval surrounding the Shining Crusade's war against the Tyrant and the Tyrant's various attempts to conquer the entire world.  And as a result of the city's total destruction, very little is known about it or its inhabitants.  But that city was said to have been somewhere up in Ustalav, so why is it being included here?
 

 
 Spoiler: Knowledge Engineering DC 15 

While unlikely to hold for very long, you could probably smash bits off of the murals and jam the rubble into the frame and hinges of the doors to help hold them shut.  A couple of iron spikes driven into the stone to hold the two doors together might also help keep them shut.  Despite being heavy stone doors, they are not very thick stone and are clearly meant for a more ornamental than security purpose - a determined assault will eventually break them down no matter how well you support them to remain shut.
 
Stelio Kontos
Aliani speed-walked through the door, trying to keep to the side for anyone who might wish to travel more recklessly.   "We've got your back"  he rattled off to Sabrina as he moved by.

He sniffled at the air; the rather unpleasant stagnance was doing his breathing no favors.   "Strange.  It's almost like they're all the same city, except they're not.  That bend in the river there looks like about where the North Bridge stands." 

If there was any other deep meaning to be had from this place, it was lost on him.  He stared ahead at the far end of the hallway, looking for any signs of something even more untoward.   "Be careful.  Needless to say, there's something not right about this place.  Any hints of magic, Mr. Rittle?"   He could have done it himself, and would if need be, but -- let the man have his moment.
PiccadillyPi
Tightly behind Aliani was Silas, hurriedly moving along, observing the murals with an uneducated sense of what they might depict. The only details he could grasp were the glaring similarities image to image. He stopped at one to stare before moving on to the next. A peculiar detail that baffled the unknowledgeable undulator.

"We're all seeing this, aye? Blackjack. It must be."

Silas ran back, then forward again. Each mural he pointed to a figure of similar gait and dress.

"Aye? Yes?"

The last two murals he examined with fingers tracing the horizon.

"And it's all... Korvosa? No, we're not that old. How many cities boasted our home's land before now?"

Though he wished for an answer, Silas was not foolish enough to do nothing between words. He assisted anyone directing action to blockade the door or otherwise rush to the next area.
Darvin
 
 Originally Posted by Stelio Kontos 
  "Strange.  It's almost like they're all the same city, except they're not.  That bend in the river there looks like about where the North Bridge stands."  
 

 "They are clearly different periods in its history,"  Dalen remarks,  "again, we can return here with a team of scholars later and compare it against the historical record. But right now, we have a task to complete," 

 
 Originally Posted by PiccadillyPi 
 "We're all seeing this, aye? Blackjack. It must be."

"And it's all... Korvosa? No, we're not that old. How many cities boasted our home's land before now?" 
 

 "Hardly surprising. There are scandalous gaps in the history books in which entire cities could easily be hiding. Really no different than cartographers working off incomplete information, and creating maps that are missing land masses and cities,"  Dalen shrugs.

Dalen hurries through the door, not eager to waste time fighting an army of Derro.
DarkOne-Rob
Bellinda doesn't recognize what little she sees, as she's intent on the approaching enemies as she moves towards the stone doors. "  We need to find a spot to fight where we can control them - make them come at us in small numbers...  " she says before she begins mouthing the words to several prayers. The little halfling seems intent on encouraging herself to fight heroically, with divine litanies doing much to focus her mind on the fight approaching.
Starbuck_II
Magenta tries to use all her weight to brace the door as she studies the murals.
She relays any information she discovers.

She doesn't fully understand the meaning
 "Why is this here? What is this supposed to be?" 
 
 Spoiler 

 (1d20+9)[ 21 ]  vs DC 15 Perception

 (1d20+9)[ 26 ]  vs DC 20 Perception

 (1d20+8)[ 15 ]  + (1d6)[ 6 ]  vs DC 15 Geography

 (1d20+8)[ 27 ]  + (1d6)[ 1 ]  vs DC 25 History

 (1d20+8)[ 25 ]  + (1d6)[ 5 ]  vs DC 15 Engineering


History is the one I suspect to fail.
 
Inspectre
 “This hallway should do a decent job of funneling them, although we need a way to spread out ourselves – hopefully whatever is beyond those doors is not more hostiles.”
 

Marcus observes in response to Bellinda’s suggestion, already moving to join Dalen and Silas in moving into the next room.  Sabrina scowls at Magenta as she moves to help bar the way you had came, and then focuses her glare on – as usual – Aliani.

 “Stop gawking at the walls and get out of here!  Go, find Her Majesty!  I’ll hold them here for as long as I can!” 
 “By yourself?  Don’t be ridiculous, we are stronger together and you are our only method for finding Her Majesty in the first place!” 

Marcus calls back from the doors at the end of the hallway, deepening Sabrina’s scowl as a mad scrambling echoes from the door she and Magenta are holding closed – the derro have arrived at the door and are trying – feebly – to break in.

 “She’s right through those doors, and we don’t have time to argue!  Someone’s got to keep them off your backs!” 

Through the closed doorway, Magenta can hear a gravely voice bark out a command in a language that she does not recognize.  A moment later and there is the sound of heavy footfalls charging towards the door, followed by a chorus of panicked shrieks from the derro as they stop trying to push on the door and scatter.  A moment later and something very heavy and very strong slams its shoulder into the door, nearly throwing Magenta and Sabrina away from the door before they both manage to dig their feet in and brace themselves to push the doors back closed – barely.

 “You need to go.” 

Sabrina grunts as she grits her teeth and sets her shoulder against the door, shifting her stance as she tries to brace her feet against the base of the nearest mural, while from the other side of the door the heavy footfalls begin to echo back away from the door – as the thing backs up for another charge.

 “This is going to get very ugly here, very quickly.  Her Majesty may be injured and need your medical skills – I’ll be fine.” 

Meanwhile, Marcus and Silas spearhead the party’s route into the next chamber beyond the current hallway, Dalen one step behind them.  As Marcus and Silas each push open one-half of the double doors, it becomes immediately clear that you are stepping out onto a balcony overlooking a massive underground chamber, easily five hundred feet long and several hundred feet wide.  A stairway curls along the wall at both sides of the balcony, leading down to the floor of the chamber roughly fifty feet below.  Taking up a sizable portion of the middle of this chamber is the gigantic metal snake that attacked the Cathedral of Asmodeus, now sitting dark and unmoving.  Taking up the rest of the chamber’s floorspace all around the snake is a maze-like tangle of workbenches, shelves, and stacked up crates of unknown contents.

Somewhere, a few hundred feet back into the chamber and off to the left of the balcony, echoes a howl of anger in Haeluna’s voice.

  “WHERE ARE YOU!!?”  

From somewhere off to the right of the balcony and vaguely closer, Vreeg’s voice echoes out a rejoinder.

  “VREEG IS OVER HERE, STILL LOOKING!”  
 
 Spoiler: Perception DC 25 

Finding Ileosa in this maze is going to be difficult, particularly if she’s attempting to hide from Haeluna and Vreeg who are searching for her.  Although at least it’s not an impossible task anymore, given that it’s been more than long enough for the scroll of Invisibility that Dalen gave her to run out its duration.  And you have the advantage of elevation, giving you a not-quite bird’s eye view of the nearest portions of the maze-like tangle below . . . there!  You just catch a glimpse of flame hair ducking behind a line of crates off to the right, about sixty feet away from the balcony.  Seems likely that Ileosa has been trying to work her way in this direction for some time, and she’s nearly reached the balcony, but there’s enough open space in between the start of the maze and the stairs winding up to your balcony that she will be exposed for a brief period of time.  Calling out to her is also likely to draw attention to the balcony from Haeluna and Vreeg, although the only alternative is to move quietly down into the maze yourself and attempt to find Ileosa again from the ground-level.
 
DarkOne-Rob
"   There she is! Quickly, into the maze! We have to find the Queen first!   " whispers Bellinda urgently to her allies. She points in the general direction before dashing into the maze after their friend and Monarch, intent on finding her before the two villains.
Stelio Kontos
Aliani merely shook his head at Sabrina, though he did take a few more steps back from the door.   "I don't believe she would like us very much if we were to leave you behind.  I assure you, she'll be well cared for.  You have my word.  And so will you." 

Positioning himself a ways back from the door, he backed against the wall so as to be able to see both ways.  He pulled out a blue-tinted flask, prepared to launch it at whatever target might happen to present itself.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Not quite sure how long this last hallway is, but I'd like to move to be 30' behind Sabrina, in the edge of channeling range -- if that would take me into the next room, then put me halfway down the hall instead.

Draw liquid ice.
 
Darvin
Dalen puts his hand Bellinda's shoulder  "hold, there's no reason to draw unnecessary attention to her,"  he reaches into his scroll case and withdraws his second and final scroll of Invisibility. He hands it to Rhetoric. He hesitates for a moment, then casts Invisibility on the bird,  "observe the maze on your approach, and lead her to us by the safest route," 

Releasing his familiar, he flips open his pocketwatch. He focuses intently on the moving hands, and briefly the face of the watch glows a brilliant blue. The scattered pieces of arcane energy in his mind reform, and Dalen is once again ready to cast Silent Image. Taking a careful vantage, he casts his Silent Image spell and creates a perfect facsimile of Ileosa, darting just out of the corner of Vreeg's vision and leading the Derro in the opposite direction.
PiccadillyPi
Silas grappled with his whether he run after Belinda or brace against the advent assault. However, Dalen had already made his decision for him. Opting to stay with the group, he drew first a potion to steel himself against fear, then his blade alongside a sachet of flash powder.

"Aye, the bird'll do. The bell-ends behind us might like a few of my tricks and trinkets anyway. Wouldn't want to deny them. Al, Bella: think ye could use one or two? I've a bag of tangles and sneezes and shard gel. Unless you've better for a first hello?"

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Silas drinks a potion of remove fear, and will ready an action to throw flash powder at the incoming crowd as they enter through the door, aiming to hit as many as he can in one go.
 
DarkOne-Rob
Bellinda pauses as Dalen uses magic instead. "   Do we want to stay here, though? Why not go to her and then get out all together, instead of bringing her to that mess of derro?   " she asks urgently. As the noise increases and they find their backs to a metaphorical wall she goes to help the others hold the door, unsure how best to handle this mess...
Darvin
 "If you know another way out, I'm all ears, but as of right now taking any path other than retracing our steps would be blindly stumbling about,"  Dalen hesitates before making his suggestion,  "if you're of mind to try a  gambit , then perhaps you might attempt to make your way to that snake and see if you can take control of it," 
Starbuck_II
Magenta was sad to leave her friend, but they wasn't wrong, she was best with her medical skills.

 "Ai, I'll trust you to hold the line, come fellows we have a Queen to find." 

When joining the other at the Balcony, whispering " There I see her too, we could climb down with some rope?" 
Inspectre
Sabrina looks back at Aliani's promise to take care of the queen and her with her usual customary sneer, although it fades into a thoughtful stare at the end, as if she is finally processing that the playwright is not, in fact, abandoning her as suggested.  Before she can say anything - such as a further order to leave her in favor of protecting the queen - the living battering ram on the other side of the door comes crashing into it again, forcing Sabrina to return her attention fully back onto holding the doorway closed.

Once again the impact on the door jars the royal bodyguard backward, but she stubbornly digs her heels in and halts her momentum only a half-step back away from the door, slowly pushing them all the way shut again.  Faintly through the closed door, the group can hear the same gravely voice that commanded the initial assault on the door bark out a different command.  A few moments later, and a rapid-fire series of slams begins to cause the two doors to shiver with repeated blows - instead of trying to force the doors open, now the intention seems to be to simply smash them to rubble.  Sabrina remains braced against the doors to hold them shut, gritting her teeth as the doors' quaking shudders its way down into her own arms.

 "We just need a way to hold those doors shut for a moment - ahah!" 

Marcus says, spying Silas's offered tanglefoot bag and immediately snatching it from his belt of tricks and hurrying over to the door.

 "Watch your hands - we don't want you stuck here, quite the opposite." 

Marcus comments, and then carefully pulls open the mouth of the bag and pours the contents down along the seam where the two doors meet.  The alchemical goo inside the bag rushes out and spills down the middle, rapidly hardening to form a sticky coating stretching between the two doors.  While it would do a decidedly less capable job than the royal bodyguard in holding the doors shut, it seems good enough for keeping the doors from flying apart beneath the incessant hammering on them from the other side.  Hopefully that good enough will buy you a minute or two to flee . . . possibly further into this trap as no exits from the mecha snake's hangar are immediately visible from the balcony.  Sabrina gives a final skeptical glance back at the shuddering doorway before hurrying after Marcus as he tosses the emptied tanglefoot bag aside and moves up to join everyone on the balcony.

(OOC:  Silas loses his tanglefoot bag, but I imagine the party will consider it well-spent in keeping the mob off your collective backs for a few more rounds.)

Meanwhile, Dalen sees to the queen’s continued safety after directing Rhetoric to her with his second scroll of Invisibility, courtesy of directions from Bellinda.  Dalen also adds an illusory Ileosa to further lead Vreeg back into the maze of workbenches and storage shelves.  A few seconds after Dalen conjures it into being, the false image dashes across an open aisle marking the end of one section of shelving and the start of a new one.  From out of sight within the maze further down the aisle, there is a brief cry of triumph as a ray of searing fire lances out to skewer the image of Ileosa through the stomach, the blast obviously passing through the illusion to splash across the wall beyond.

 “Hah, Vreeg has you now – gah!   Another  godsdamned illusion!?” 
 
 Spoiler: Perception DC 15 


You see the ray of fire splash against the stone wall beyond the illusion of Ileosa that Dalen has conjured.

 
 Spoiler: Will Save DC 20 

The stone at the point of impact from that ray of magic ripples and distorts, more like a pool of liquid than solid stone, and then abruptly, snaps back into place as if nothing ever happened - that's not stone.  That's an illusion of a stone wall.

Focusing on that section of wall more intently, you can now faintly make out the outline of the illusion covering a 5' wide section, and although it's hard to see from this angle what is beyond, it does seem like the illusion is covering up a doorway just behind it.
 

 


Fortunately, climbing down from the balcony via a rope will not be necessary, as there is a pair of stairs that curve out along the wall on either side of the balcony, leading down to the ground floor of the cavernous hangar.  With nowhere else to go and the situation up here on the balcony soon to become untenable once those doors back to the rest of the complex finally cave in, the party carefully files its way down from the balcony to the hangar floor.  Shortly after arriving there, Ileosa's voice echoes out faintly from a nearby empty opening into the maze (as she has clearly made use of Dalen's second Invisibility scroll).

 "Oh, gods, am I so relieved to see all of you!  Mr. Rittle, your work continues to be worth every gold coin . . . I don't suppose you have a way to get us out of here as well?" 
Darvin
 
 Originally Posted by Inspectre 
  "Oh, gods, am I so relieved to see all of you!  Mr. Rittle, your work continues to be worth every gold coin . . . I don't suppose you have a way to get us out of here as well?"  
 

 "Naturally,"  Dalen smiles and nods at the praise, but then gets down to business,  "Getting out of here won't be simple, unfortunately. There's a small army of derro blocking the way we came. A Teleportation scroll isn't quite within my budget, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are wards against teleportation anyways,"  Dalen whispers,  "this place is crawling with illusions, and I caught sight of one when Vreeg cast his last spell, a doorway behind a false wall over there. I can't say for certain where it leads, but if we can slip through without them noticing it could at least offer us some refuge," 

Dalen pauses and rubs his chin, a rather devious idea taking root in his mind, as he reaches into his scroll case and produces a scroll,  "I think this is a perfect opportunity for a double-bluff,"  he raises his hand and signals Sabrina and Marcus to draw in closer,  "I'll create an illusionary wall in the maze below. I'll make the illusion as weak as possible. You gently touch it with your hand and focus your mind and you will be able to see through it for the figment that it is. Stand behind it quietly and at the ready. We'll drop some equipment on the floor to create a racket. Vreeg and Haeluna are already alert to illusions and will likely recognize the completely new wall for what it is. And in a moment of impatience, they will run directly into waiting blades," 

Dalen suggests his plan.
Stelio Kontos
Aliani demurred quickly.   "If you see an exit... let's take it.  This is a fight we don't need." 

He tried to let the small desires for revenge, to avenge Haeluna's betrayal, pass over him.  A part of him still wasn't ready to let years of memories go.

 "This, we don't need"  he repeated.   "We'll need all our resources to get Ms. Sabor back, probably."   He was sure that was a peripheral goal for everyone else, but it was the principle of the thing as much as anything else.

 "No, the better plan... is we make for the exit, throw a distraction so Marcus and Sabrina can withdraw.  And  then , we gather a goddamn army and sweep it all clean." 
Darvin
 "If you think we have a way to get there  without  grabbing their attention, I'm all ears,"  Dalen shrugs, agreeing that a quick retreat would be preferable under the circumstances.
Stelio Kontos
 "My plan at the moment is 'run really fast, and try not to get killed'"  I was dead serious.
 
"We can't be out in the open for more than ten, fifteen seconds if we run for it; he can't hit us all." 
Darvin
 
 Originally Posted by Stelio Kontos 
  "We can't be out in the open for more than ten, fifteen seconds if we run for it; he can't hit us all."  
 

 "Vreeg is a Wizard, he most certainly could hit us all. As the only advisor on matters arcane present, my advice when dealing with other wizards is to  hit them before they hit you ,"  Dalen sighs,  "but if you prefer to make a run for it, I have a simple proposal. I cast a Web spell, he calls for his pet, and we hope to escape before it arrives," 
DarkOne-Rob
"   I'll  hit him before he knows it. Give me a moment to hide, then draw him past me - the Dawnflower will guide my blade, right between his ribs...  " Bellinda says with a bit of religious fervor and obvious fear. She's prepared, though, as she looks about and slips into her chosen hiding place without waiting for an answer. "  Once he's distracted if you want to help me feel free. If not, get the Queen out of here!  "

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Stealth:  (1d20+11)[ 29 ]  to hide, preferably using an illusion to further assist her (for a circumstantial bonus?).
 
Inspectre
Sabrina looks like she's going to (predictably) object to setting up an ambush when you have less than a minute before a small army of derro come flooding into the massive chamber after you, when Ileosa holds up a hand.

 "I overheard them talking when they got out of that thing to chase after me." 

Ileosa says, gesturing upwards to the coiled gigantic metal snake that looms over you all, even a dozen layers of shelving away.

 "Vreeg is carrying something that they're using to power it.  If we can take him down and recover that artifact, we can keep Haeluna from using this thing ever again." 

Marcus speaks up to voice his own support for Dalen's planned ambush.

 "I will admit that I'm not well versed in the Arcane, but I saw enough of what that thing is capable of to fear it being used again in the defense of this lair, should an army attempt to cleanse this place later.  We do not have the time for a protracted battle, however." 

Sabrina sighs loudly, shooting a grateful glance at Aliani, likely grateful that at least someone didn't want to delay getting the Queen back to safety.  But gritting her teeth, the bodyguard draws her falchion off of her back once more.

 "Fine.  Let's kill him quick and be away before all of his friends get in here." 

With the argument over, Bellinda sets up a forward position on the far side of the illusionary wall that Dalen conjures forth, while Sabrina and Marcus set up just on your side of it, Aliani and Silas behind them and finally Dalen and Ileosa in the back.  The group does not have long to wait after the wall appears before Vreeg makes his own appearance, grumbling to himself as he scuttles into Bellinda's field of view from a nearby side alley cutting between two workbenches perhaps 15' away.

Clutched in one of the derro's hands is the unsettling spike tipped with an impaled eyeball, the orb impossibly still leaking dark blood that collects at the very tip of the spike before splattering down onto the floor, leaving a trail of black droplets behind Vreeg as he walks along.  As the derro wizard moves closer still, the unsettling wave of magical fear that the Eye emanates washes over you all again.  Marcus and Sabrina softly grunt as they feel it too, but both veteran warriors stand their ground.  Ileosa is totally unaffected as the Eye’s fear washes over her, likely due to the fact that she’s already been repeatedly exposed to it while fleeing from Vreeg down here.

(OOC:  Everyone will need to make a Will Save, DC 20 or be Shaken for the duration that the Eye is in your line of sight.  This is a magical fear effect, so any bonuses or immunities to Fear effects will apply.  Marcus and Sabrina have both made their saves, while Ileosa is effectively immune at this time.  You will have a +2 bonus to this save from Ileosa’s bard song.)

Advancing past Bellinda’s hiding spot, Vreeg approaches to within 10’ of Dalen’s illusory wall and snorts in disdain.  Casually raising a hand, Vreeg points a crooked digit at the wall and a thin ray of cold lances out to spear blindly through the wall, just passing to the left of Sabrina’s head through blind luck.

“Foolish girl!  If you mean to fool Vreeg, you should make your illusions more – ack!”

The derro’s casual arrogance abruptly fades as he blinks and the illusion of the wall falls away from his eyes – and he now sees all of you standing there.  As soon as it’s clear that the derro can now see you, Sabrina smiles and charges forward with a battlecry.  She brings the falchion crashing down onto Vreeg's shoulder, nearly cutting the derro diagonally in half as her blade bites deep into Vreeg's shoulder.  The derro leader screams as Sabrina wrenches the blade free in an eruption of dark blood - and dark magic as a portion of Vreeg's flesh knits itself back together as the falchion pulls out of it.  Sabrina immediately twists the blade as it swings back up, turning it to bring it arcing around across Vreeg's mid-section, nearly disemboweling the derro with the second cut.  However, by this point Vreeg is already beginning to react, skittering back away from bodyguard, and so Sabrina merely clips him with the tip of the blade this time.  No longer caught off-guard, the derro manages to dodge her next several strikes entirely, dodging them by a mixture of luck and unnatural quickness. (OOC:  Sabrina crits on her surprise charging attack, and then lands one hit on her full round of actions.  Vreeg is still alive after both of those hits, so we'll see what Bellina and the rest of you have to say about that.)

 
 Spoiler: Knowledge Arcana DC 22 

Vreeg had False Life cast on himself - emphasis on *had*.  He also has Mage Armor up, if that ever so slight slowing of Sabrina's blade before making contact with his flesh is any indictaiton.
 

 
 Spoiler: Sabrina’s Attacks 

Going to roll both her surprise round attack and her first round of full-attacks now, as I imagine that will likely end this fight before it really even begins.

Charge Attack (-4 Power Attack) :  (1d20+19)[ 38 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+21)[ 25 ] 
 This is a critical hit, which Sabrina confirms and deals an additional 26 damage, for a total of 51. 

Full Attack (+2 Bard Song):
1st
 (1d20+19)[ 25 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+23)[ 30 ] 

2nd
 (1d20+14)[ 15 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+23)[ 29 ] 

3rd
 (1d20+9)[ 16 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+23)[ 28 ] 
 


Marcus blinks in surprise, clearly caught off-guard at the sudden explosion of violence – apparently he had been unable to see Vreeg’s approach through the wall. (OOC: Marcus does not get a surprise round).

From her position at the back of the party,  Ileosa begins to quietly sing , rapidly increasing in volume so that she can be heard over the din of Sabrina’s repeated sword blows.  Although the song has a harder edge than before, it still fills all of you with a surge of bravery and strength.  (+2 bonus to-hit, damage, and saves against Fear – like the Eye’s Shaken aura).

(OOC: All of you get a surprise round – one move or standard action, and then your first round of full actions.  Sabrina has already taken hers, Marcus will move in to join the fight for his first round if there’s room after everyone else has gone.  If this fight actually lasts more than one round, I will produce a battle map, but I suspect it won’t be needed unless you decide to try and ambush the derro army too.)

(OOC:  Also, everyone should give me a Perception check.  Rather than apply penalties due to distance, I’m just going to set higher base DCs and give people bonuses to the roll – to that end, Dalen gets a +4, Aliani and Magenta get a +3, Silas gets a +2, and Bellinda gets a +0.)

 
 Spoiler: Perception DC 24 

Off in the shelves to the left of the group, deeper into the maze, you can hear very soft footfalls moving closer.  Haeluna is coming, whether as part of a planned pincer movement with Vreeg or simple random chance, and she will appear from out of the shelves just behind where Dalen and Ileosa are standing presently.
 
 Spoiler: Perception DC 29 

There is something very wrong with Ileosa’s shadow.  At first it seems like just a trick of the magical lights down here, but no, as Vreeg grows closer the queen’s shadow begins to move with a mind of its own.  It shifts and twists, expanding out along the wall and up onto the shelf behind the queen, distorting into a vague winged shape before collapsing back down into its normal size and shape and then the process begins again.
 

 
Stelio Kontos
Aliani gritted his teeth at the sight of the Eye; he managed to find a perhaps unexpected resolve within himself.

 "Stay there for just a minute, won't you?  That's it, right there..."   he intoned, pointing at Vreeg to stay in place.

What followed was a release of a lot of pent up frustration.

 "This city isn't afraid of you, you pug nosed Shudder-sniffing centipede herder, the only thing that's going to rot is your carcass in a jail for the rest of your life you sniveling weasel, you have underestimated our resolve and our will, for we shall always triumph over evil and rise again as we have so many times before.  Are you really too stupid to realize that?" 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Surprise round: Hold Person
Regular round: Admonishing Ray.   (1d20+6)[ 9 ]  attack vs ranged touch; if successful,  (4d6)[ 13 ]  non-lethal damage (does this get the +2 from inspire courage?
 I've no idea).  No need to move, unless it's to get out of someone's way to splatter his brains.
 
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Bellinda's Status, Round 5 
   Bellinda Swiftfoot   
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes),  Level  4,  Init  4,  HP  29/29,  Speed  30
 AC  19,  Touch  13,  Flat-footed  15,  CMD  16,  Fort  5,  Ref  10,  Will  6,  CMB  +2,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 MW Scimitar  +10 (1d4+7, 18-20/x2)
 Mithril Shirt  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Natural AC, +1 Size, -2 Charge)
 Abilities  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
 Condition  Charge
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)
Bardic Performance used today: 4/13 rounds
Barkskin (+2 Natural AC) 35 (?) minutes
Ileosa's Bard Song

 Shaken 
 

"  For the Queen!  " cries Bellinda shakingly as she charges the derro wizard, intent on ending him quickly.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 

 
 Originally Posted by Inspectre's Last Post 
 (OOC: Everyone will need to make a Will Save, DC 20 or be Shaken for the duration that the Eye is in your line of sight. This is a magical fear effect, so any bonuses or immunities to Fear effects will apply. Marcus and Sabrina have both made their saves, while Ileosa is effectively immune at this time. You will have a +2 bonus to this save from Ileosa’s bard song.) 
 

Will Save:  (1d20+8)[ 14 ]  vs DC 20
Swift action to activate Arcane Strike (feat).
Charge as a standard action: MW Scimitar -  (1d20+12)[ 18 ]  to hit,   (1d20+12)[ 28 ]  (18-20/x2) ,  (1d4+7)[ 11 ]  magical slashing damage,   (1d4+7)[ 8 ]  critical strike damage .
 
Darvin
Dalen reaches into his scroll case, grabbing at a scroll to prevent Vreeg from making any attempt at escape when a little bird on his shoulder gives him a tap. Through his empathic connection he understands a single threat is coming from the other direction. He takes a stance and prepares the verbal line to go with his spell,  "So, how is it riding a giant snake? Comfortable cockpit? Controls are on the ball? Hopefully it offers decent protection," 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Dalen retrieves a scroll of Expeditious Construction, then readies an action to cast Hideous Laughter the moment Haeluna is within sight
 
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Bellinda's Status, Round 6(?) 
   Bellinda Swiftfoot   
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes),  Level  4,  Init  4,  HP  29/29,  Speed  30
 AC  21,  Touch  15,  Flat-footed  17,  CMD  18,  Fort  5,  Ref  10,  Will  6,  CMB  +2,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 MW Scimitar  +10 (1d4+7, 18-20/x2)
 Mithril Shirt  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Natural AC, +1 Size)
 Abilities  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
 Condition  Charge
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)
Bardic Performance used today: 4/13 rounds
Barkskin (+2 Natural AC) 35 (?) minutes
Ileosa's Bard Song

Shaken
 

Bellinda continues her attack, swirling and dancing around the vile enemy as she tries to expose a weakness in his defenses.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
5-ft step to flank, if possible.  Rolls do not include a flanking bonus! 
Swift action to activate Arcane Strike (feat).
Standard action to attack: MW Scimitar -  (1d20+10)[ 30 ]  to hit,  (1d20+10)[ 30 ]  (18-20/x2),  (1d4+7)[ 8 ]  magical slashing damage,  (1d4+7)[ 10 ]  critical strike damage.

AoO (if one is incurred): MW Scimitar -  (1d20+10)[ 19 ]  to hit,   (1d20+10)[ 11 ]  (18-20/x2) ,  (1d4+7)[ 10 ]  magical slashing damage,   (1d4+7)[ 11 ]  critical strike damage .
 
Inspectre
Near the front of the party's formation, Silas and Marcus are both briefly flummoxed by Dalen's illusionary wall despite being quite aware of its true nature - as such, they are slow to react when the ambush is sprung.  Sabrina, meanwhile, lunges through the illusion with her typical bloodlust, and delivers a savage strike to the flatfooted derro mage before he can more than reflexively stumble back away.  As it turns out, he stumbles back directly into Bellinda's sword, the scimitar flashing out to deliver a deep cut to the small of the derro's back.  Vreeg's will remains strong, however, and Aliani can feel him throw off the magical bind he attempts to hold him with, while Dalen delivers a customary taunt from the safety of the rear while preparing for the  next  threat.  Tasked with guarding the rear of the party, Magenta is less circumspect than Dalen in preparing for Haeluna's arrival, and calls out a warning.

 "Watch out Your Majesty!  Enemies approach from the side!" 

Magenta then moves up slightly from her rearmost position, attempting to position herself between Queen Ileosa and the aisle from which Haeluna is approaching.  She stops partway there, however, as something catches her eye, which is enough to bring her up to an abrupt halt a few feet away from the queen, staring at her wide-eyed.

**END SURPRISE ROUND**

As Vreeg's mind struggles to comprehend and react to his rapidly oncoming ending, the party's remorseless assault on the Eye-Bearer continues.  Aliani spits out a taunt of his own at the derro, accompanied by a ray of magic that narrowly wizzes over the derro's head, as the playwright struggles to compensate for the looming presence of Sabrina standing in the way.  Dalen selects his choice of preparation as he slides a scroll out and prepares to read it, frequently glancing up from the arcane writing to check the open aisle to the party's side, expecting to see Haeluna any moment now . . . and briefly flummoxed when she does not appear when anticipated (for reasons that will be immediately clear on the bad guys' turn).  Seeking to join the battle now, Silas reluctantly closes his eyes and with a muttered curse pushes his way through the illusionary wall, shuddering visibly when he opens his eyes on the far side to find himself face to face with Vreeg and his unsettling accessory.

"E-eyes are so not in season, darling!"

The tiefling manages to stammer out as he takes a cautious swing at the derro, his overwhelming caution somewhat balanced by the bolstering song of the queen.

 
 Spoiler: Silas 

Moves through the wall, swings his falchion at Vreeg.  Shaken and the queen's bard song cancel each other out.
To-Hit:  (1d20+8)[ 21 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+5)[ 9 ] 
 


Marcus is more cautious in breeching the wall than Silas, and so finds his pathway to Vreeg blocked by the twin heavy blades of Silas &amp; Sabrina.  He cautiously moves in, summersaulting past the wizard to join Bellinda in her flanking of Vreeg from the far side.

 
 Spoiler: Marcus 

Double moves and tumbles to the far side of Vreeg, joining Bellinda there and helping to cut off the derro's escape (as if he ever had a chance to flee).
 


Sabrina continues her merciless assault on Vreeg, although as the derro begins to find his footing the derro leader manages to narrowly pivot away from Sabrina's strikes now - all but one.  That last one chops into his wounded shoulder that her brutal surprise strike had injured, and the blow sends Vreeg stumbling and falling backward.  Falling backward directly onto the point of Bellinda's scimitar, as her oath to Sarenrae from a few moments ago is fulfilled - her blade slips through the derro's ribs as if guided by the hand of the Goddess, and Vreeg is impaled nearly up to the hilt on the curved blade.  He doesn't get the opportunity to return Aliani &amp; Dalen's taunts with a final threat of his own, or call of his hideous pet, instead only managing to give out a final, rasping, awkward cough of surprise, blood bubbling up through his lips, and then his weight carries him the rest of the way to the floor, Bellinda's scimitar sliding free again as easily as it slid into the derro's flesh as he crumbles to the floor, the impaled Eye slipping out his grasp and rolling with a faint repeating squish sound to Silas's feet who jumps back with a stifled gasp of disgust.

At the back of the party's formation, her intent of shielding the queen seemingly abandoned, Magenta simply stares at Ileosa, or perhaps something off behind her.  She desperately whispers something as she shrinks back away from the queen.

(Being right next to her, *and* speaking the same language as Magenta is using here, Dalen gets the normal DC 15 Perception to hear what she is whispering.  Aliani is a little farther away, but doesn't speak the language, so will need to make a DC 20 Religion or Sense Motive check on top of a Perception DC 16 check to get the gist of what Magenta is saying.  20+ feet away from this little drama and engaged in brutally murdering my one remaining recurring villain *shakes DM fist*, I'm going to apply a slight additional penalty and say that Silas and Bellinda will need to make a DC 20 Perception check to notice anything is wrong with Magenta, followed by a DC 20 Religion *or* Sense Motive check to figure out what's going on there.)

 
 Spoiler: Dalen only + Perception DC 15 

Magenta is urgently whispering a prayer in Celestial - "O Healing Touch, grant unto me Thy holy mercy now in my greatest honor of need!  Spare me from the touch of this abominable Evil!"

O Healing Touch . . . hrmmm . . . that sounds vaguely familiar, but this is clearly Magenta begging her god for protection from . . . something.  Something that for the moment, only she can see, and yet so terrifies her that she is rooted to the spot, frozen in abject horror.  Unfortunately, you have little time to ponder this notion, as something much more pressing intrudes.

 
 Spoiler: History or Religion DC 20 

There was a god in ancient Azlanti known as The Healing Touch, Aesocar.  Worship of him has predictably died out over the past millennia of savagery and darkness that followed the fall of the Azlanti and Thassilon empires, although there are a few scholars and healers that might still know of him.  As His title might suggest, He was a god of healing and protection against plagues.
 

 

 
 Spoiler: Aliani and Bellinda, Perception DC 20 

Something is happening at the back of the party.  Magenta is staring at Queen Ileosa - or something that you can't see off behind her, possibly back deeper into the aisles where the shelves block your line of sight - and appears to be frozen in place, and is whispering something quietly to herself.

 
 Spoiler: Religion DC 20 or Sense Motive 20 

Magenta is completely frozen in abject horror, and is whispering a prayer to her god in Celestial, clearly desperately begging for his protection from . . . something.  Something   horrible   that only she can see right now.
 

 



***BAD GUY TURN***

The group surrounding Vreeg's fallen body have a moment of shared relief, somewhat undercut by the lingering aura of unease that surrounds the impaled Eye now sitting on the floor slowly dripping blood into the stone at Silas's feet.  That unease suddenly surges in intensity, and for a moment that seems to stretch on forever, each person near Vreeg's body has the uncanny sensation of a  Presence  settling into existence somewhere behind them.

 You do not turn your head to acknowledge the Presence's existence, you already know that it is there, just as you know with absolute certainty that to look upon it would be to acknowledge your Death, like turning to face a giant predator just as it pounces forward to devour you whole.  Slowly your gaze is not so much drawn as  forced  to match the unblinking gaze of the impaled Eye at Silas's feet.  A command, wordless and as formless as the Presence who issues it, forms in the back of your minds, which you understand with the same certainty as that of the Presence's existence. 
   PICK ME UP   

(OOC:  Silas, Sabrina, Marcus, and Bellinda must all make another DC 20 Will save or be compelled to obey the command to pick up the Eye.  You do not have to fight each other to decide who actually picks it up, but one person out of those who fail will pick up the Eye, and the rest will be compelled to assist that person in whatever they are compelled to do next (assuming another failed save next round).  This is a Mind-Affecting, Domination, and Fear effect, so any bonus that you have against such things - such as Ileosa's ongoing +2 Will save vs. Fear, will apply here.  If you make the DC 20 Will Save, you are aware of what just happened, but are free to do whatever you wish, including flipping the Eye off.  It should be fairly obvious that attempting to attack the Eye will likely provoke the ire of those who fail their will save and are attempting to pick it up/protect it.)

At the back of the party, Haeluna's mysterious lack of arrival is abruptly answered by the sound of a glass vial shattering against the stone floor at Ileosa's feet.  A billowing cloud of lurid green pollen billows out of the broken glass vial as Haeluna blinks into existence from nothingness a few feet back into the alcove.  Startled by Haeluna's sudden appearance, Dalen nonetheless manages to recite off the words of the scroll, flinging the magic at her before the billowing wave of pollen washes over him.

 
 Spoiler: Haeluna 

Throws a vial of gas from 10' away from Ileosa, or 5' or so back in the aisle leading to the party's flank (so Haeluna, empty 5' square, Ileosa), appearing from out of Invisbility.  Dalen's readied action to cast Hideous Laughter at her kicks off in reaction to her appearance, but as she only appears due to her attack, this does not interrupt her gas attack, merely blocks any follow-up if she has one, should she fail the save - let's see if she fails.

Will Save:  (1d20+7)[ 16 ] 

Attack:  Azure Lilly Pollen, Fortitude Save DC 15 or Nauseated for 1 minute.  If the first save is failed, a second save is made 1 minute later.  If the second save is failed, Paralyzed for 2d4 hours.  Screw you, PCs.   
 


The appearance of Aliani's old mentor and surrogate mother has drastically changed from the last time the party has seen her.  Instead of a sun visor and apron, Haeluna's face is obscured by a hood and gas mask, the green lenses glittering with a poisonous light, and she is wearing a suit of dark armor with a skeletal hand clenched around the stem of a rose, crushing blood - or poison - out of it.  Though distorted by the gas mask, Haeluna's voice is still filled with a cold, murderous glee as she shouts.

 "Got you now, Whore Queen!  But you can relax . . . Azure Lilly Pollen is seldom fatal on its own, although I've been told that its effects are rather . . . unpleasant on those who breathe it in." 

The cloud of pollen billows out to engulf everyone standing back to protect the Queen - namely, Aliani, Dalen, Magenta, and Queen Ileosa herself.  And if anything, Haeluna's description of the pollen is an understatement, as even with the slightest whiff of the stuff, a severe anaphylactic reaction begins, causing your lungs to feel as if they've been lit literally on fire as you reflexively are forced to gasp for more air - and pull even more of the crippling pollen into your lungs.

(OOC:  Fortitude Save DC 15, failure means that you are Nauseated for 1 minute as your body goes into anaphylactic shock and you can only take a move action while gasping for air like a fish out of water.  The cloud of pollen will continue to hang in this 10' space for 1 minute, and you will need to make another Fortitude save every round that you remain in it - so you should probably get out of there, regardless of whether you pass or fail.  Likewise, the dense cloud of pollen, at least for the moment, functions as an Obscuring Mist.  So, if you're in the cloud, everything else has concealment - 20% miss chance.  Everything outside of the cloud, or on the far side of the cloud from you, has total concealment (50% miss chance).  )
Darvin
Dalen's headband ignites with arcane fire, his mind moving at superhuman speeds to keep up with the material world around him. Vreeg's death, the appearance of that entity (likely the same one he encountered when casting his divination days ago), Magenta's chanting, and... ah, there's Haeluna, his mind snaps like a trap as he unleashes the prepared mental energies and completes the rather crass joke. Dalen reflexively pulls his cloak over his mouth, running out of the cloud of poisonous vapors. But there was still one matter left to attend to, one threat that needed to be dealt with.

He reaches into his satchel and withdraws a waterproof bag, turning to the bird on his shoulder,  "Quickly, drop this on top of it!" 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Readied action resolves, Dalen casts Hideous Laughter. DC is 19 so Haeluna  fails 
Rolled in Discord: 18 perception, 17 knowledge (history), 18 fortitude (Dalen), 18 fortitude (Rhetoric)

Move action to get out of the poison, move action to withdraw his waterproof bag, Rhetoric picks it up as a move action, move action to fly over the eye, free action to drop the bag on top of it
 
Inspectre
(OOC:  Suppose I had better take actions for the rest of the party, given I'm the one in charge this round.)

With the threat of Vreeg seemingly dealt with for the moment (he's down and in bad enough shape that someone would need to make Heal checks to determine whether he's still - barely - alive and bleeding out or straight up dead.  I will say that he is in double-digit negatives at the moment so unless somebody stops to Heal him, he's probably only a couple rounds long for this world, barring Nat 20s on his Con checks to stabilize), Sabrina and Marcus turn back to the party, moving back to stand shoulder-to-shoulder next to Silas, not  quite  blocking the party's passage further ahead towards the illusionary door.  Two stoic warriors do not say anything and appear outwardly to be alert, but those who know them well or are able to pick up acute tells on other people (i.e. Sense Motive check DC 20) would be able to get the sense that they are not themselves, and seem to be very, very afraid of something, just not outwardly showing it as much as Magenta is at this moment, who continues staring in the queen's general direction in open-mouthed fear.  Silas, meanwhile, uncharacteristically, given his previous bout of squeamishness, bends down and picks up the Eye, holding it gingerly between thumb and forefinger by the slender metal end of what is, essentially, an iron spike with an eye impaled on the pointy end of it.  Bellinda (if she fails her Will save) moves up to stand beside Silas, forming a second rank across the aisle leading to the illusionary door (Rob is certainly welcome to describe this action if Bellinda fails her Will Save, or choose a different course of action for Bellinda this round if she passes her save).


Ileosa stumbles out of the pollen cloud on Dalen's heels, coughing a bit but otherwise managing to continue rasping out her song as she goes.
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Bellinda's Status, Round 7 
   Bellinda Swiftfoot   
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes),  Level  4,  Init  4,  HP  29/29,  Speed  30
 AC  21,  Touch  15,  Flat-footed  17,  CMD  18,  Fort  5,  Ref  10,  Will  6,  CMB  +2,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 MW Scimitar  +10 (1d4+7, 18-20/x2)
 Mithril Shirt  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Natural AC, +1 Size)
 Abilities  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
 Condition  Charge
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)
Bardic Performance used today: 4/13 rounds
Barkskin (+2 Natural AC) 35 (?) minutes
Ileosa's Bard Song

Shaken
 

Bellinda moves up to stand beside Silas, forming a second rank across the aisle leading to the illusionary door. The expression on her face is one of significant fear and confusion, as she silently stops fighting the enemies and moves against her will...

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Perception, DC 20:  (1d20+9)[ 12 ]   (fail) 
Will Save, DC 20:  (1d20+6)[ 8 ]   (fail) 
Sense Motive, DC 20:  (1d20+7)[ 8 ]   (fail) 
 
Stelio Kontos
Aliani's eyes widened on multiple occasions within the span of a few seconds; the first was the moment that Vreeg's chest burst open with the point of Bellinda's scimitar.  The second was when Silas and the others started behaving ... quite oddly, almost as if they were ...   *oh.  OH.*  

The third, and most striking, was when Haeluna appeared suddenly, that mask and that twisted, vile, blasphemous nightmare of an image that he knew he would never be able to shake.  The involuntary gasp of breath that overtook him turned out to be a life-saver, as the pollen made its appearance a mere moment later.

With no time to coordinate, he staggered forward out of the fog before hastily beginning to cast a spell.   "She watches over us, she protects us, we need fear no evil, for we are free"  he intoned, touching his hand against Sabrina's arm (and wary that she might do something to try to stop it).  He determined that whatever was causing this (though he had his suspicions), he was Not. Going. To. Look. At. It.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Protection from Evil on Sabrina.
 
Inspectre
Up at the front by Vreeg's fallen body, Silas bends down to pick up the impaled eye and metal spike gingerly between thumb and forefinger as the others move to stand around him, although not by their own accord.

Magenta emerges from the cloud of released Azure Lilly Pollen in the opposite direction from the rest of the party - back the way you came - coughing but otherwise unharmed and no longer reeling in shock and horror.

His mind racing to keep up with recent developments, Dalen emerges from the cloud of pollen and hands over one of his empty leather bags to Rhetoric.  The thrush swoops down to snare the bag in his talons, awkwardly carrying it over to Silas where the thrush manages to drop the open bag loosely down over Silas's hand, concealing the Eye from view.  Like a snapping of a rubber band, the pressure and fear instantly vanish from the minds of everyone under the Eye's spell - save for Silas, who continues fretting like a cat on a hot tin roof as he maintains his hold on the Eye underneath the bag.

Emerging from the pollen on the heels of Dalen, Aliani moves up to Sabrina and casts a spell on her.  Thankfully, she is just now snapping out of her fear-induced trance as the playwright reaches out for her arm, and so there is no resistance as he blesses her with Milani's protection.  She gives him a look of confusion and seems to be about to ask him what that spell was for, when she catches sight of Ileosa stumbling out of the pollen cloud and all else is forgotten.

 "Your Majesty, we need to go!  Now!" 

Sabrina orders, and for once Ileosa merely nods in agreement.

******BAD GUY TURN******

On the other side of the dense cloud of pollen, Haeluna's distorted laughter can be heard as she crumbles to the floor, pounding it more in frustration than mirth as she watches everyone safely extract themselves from the cloud of dangerous (and expensive!) pollen.  Unfortunately, thanks to Dalen's magic it seems that she won't be able to accomplish much else for the time being.

 
 Spoiler: Haeluna 

Haeluna hideously laughs this turn, and then gets a second (and final) Will save before she is locked into laughing for the remaining 3 round duration.

Will Save:  (1d20+7)[ 15 ]  vs. DC 19
 


It seems there is now yet another reason to get out of here, as from up on the balcony there is a thunderous boom as the tanglefoot bag goo fails, allowing the living battering ram to finally thrust those doors wide open.  A few moments later, an immense muscular figure stomps into view, its naked flesh clearly stitched together from several donors.  A cackling gaggle of nearly a dozen derro follow on its heels, swarming around the stitched figure to cluster up on the balcony as they jointly look around, chattering at each other and pointing down in your general direction.  There are several other figures still hanging back in the hallway, clearly the leaders of these reinforcements, but they remain in the shadow of the hallway out of sight and continue commanding from a distance for now.

Despite being the only one currently affected by the Eye, Silas grimaces and shudders as a fresh wave of terror - and new orders - are issued to him.

 
 Spoiler: Silas Will Save 

Pretty much need a nat 20 here.

Will Save:  (1d20)[ 3 ] 
 
Inspectre
Round 3

As everyone is catching their breath, Silas obeys the orders of the Eye, drops his falchion, and then with his now free hand reaches up and pulls the bag off of his other hand.  Once more the Eye is revealed, and as soon as the cover is removed, a fresh wave of fear slams into everyone present, of which only Sabrina (protected by Aliani's spell) and Ileosa (presumably immune due to her previous exposure to the Eye) are immune (and also Magenta, who is still too far away at this point).  An emanation of magic from the horrid artifact itself, looking away from the Eye does not suppress the aura of fear and command . . . although it does seem to help combat falling under its spell somewhat.  Now exposed to the Eye once more, the group hear the orders in their minds, along with the echoes left in Silas's mind as he shifts his grip on the artifact.

(To Silas)

  Wield Me  

Silas adjusts his grip from a gingerly thumb and forefinger grip to firmly grasping the base metal end of the spike, holding it more like a dagger now, the blood sporadically leaking out of the eyeball now flowing back along the length of the spike to flow down and drip off the back of the tiefling dandy's hand.

At the same time, new orders echo into the minds of everyone else, the same order spoken but clearly with different targets in mind as those that fall under the Eye's spell again go after two different people.

  Seize Her  
 
 Spoiler: Marcus 

Will Save:  (1d20+1)[ 6 ] 
 


Aliani and Dalen (if they fail their Will save) lunge for the nearby Queen Ileosa.  Bellinda and Marcus meanwhile, lunge for the now-protected Sabrina, who is looking around in confusion as everyone once again is subjected to the Eye's magic.  She doesn't get much of a chance to do anything before Marcus leaps onto her back, wrapping his arms around her in a bear hug as he attempts to hold the queen's bodyguard immobile.  He doesn't get very far, however, as the bodyguard reflexively whips her head back into his nose, snapping Marcus's head back before she ducks and twists out of his grip.

On the far side of the pollen cloud, Magenta sees the approaching horde of derros, and attempts to buy the group more time to retreat by going over to a nearby shelf and pushing against it, trying to tip it over into the aisle to block the way.

(Magenta attempts to block the passage you all had traveled through by tipping over several shelves leading into the aisle you are all currently in, and that leads onwards towards the illusionary portion of wall - and presumably an exit from this chamber.)

Summary:
 
Silas fails his Will save, uncovers the Eye, grips the Eye like a weapon.

Magenta attempts to buy more time by blocking the way.

Marcus fails his Will save and grapples Sabrina.

Sabrina immediately uses her action to break said grapple.

Bellinda needs to make a Will Save DC 20.  She gains a +2 bonus from Ileosa's bard song, and a +1 bonus from the Eye's repeated attempts to control her.  She is, however, still Shaken so that's a -2.  Total bonus: +1.  If she fails, she needs to grapple Sabrina.

Dalen needs to make a Will Save DC 20.  He gets a +2 bonus from Ileosa's bard song.  If he fails, he needs to grapple Ileosa.

Aliani needs to make a Will Save DC 20.  He gets a +2 bonus from Ileosa's bard song, along with a +2 bonus from struggling not to look directly at the Eye and avert his gaze.  If he fails, he needs to grapple Ileosa.
 
Stelio Kontos
Aliani noted the look of confusion on Sabrina's face.   "Possession!  Don't hurt them, don't look at it, just get everyone out"  he rattled off to Sabrina as he withdrew a scroll from his shirt pocket.  He read the contents, identical in note to that which he'd just uttered, and made to touch Silas, hoping to free him from that thing.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Retrieve scroll, cast Protection from Evil, 5' step to Silas to touch.
 
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Bellinda's Status, Round 8 
   Bellinda Swiftfoot   
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes),  Level  4,  Init  4,  HP  29/29,  Speed  30
 AC  21,  Touch  15,  Flat-footed  17,  CMD  18,  Fort  5,  Ref  10,  Will  6,  CMB  +2,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 MW Scimitar  +10 (1d4+7, 18-20/x2)
 Mithril Shirt  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Natural AC, +1 Size)
 Abilities  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
 Condition  Charge
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)
Bardic Performance used today: 4/13 rounds
Barkskin (+2 Natural AC) 35 (?) minutes
Ileosa's Bard Song

Shaken
 

Bellinda silently follows the orders of the fearful artifact, ineffectually trying to grapple Sabrina...

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Failed the Will Save in OoC.


 Bellinda needs to make a Will Save DC 20. She gains a +2 bonus from Ileosa's bard song, and a +1 bonus from the Eye's repeated attempts to control her. She is, however, still Shaken so that's a -2. Total bonus: +1. If she fails, she needs to grapple Sabrina. 

Combat maneuver check to initiate a grapple:  (1d20+2)[ 8 ]  (incurs an AoO, if desired).
 
Darvin
 "Don't touch it!"  Dalen yells, drawing closer before being assaulted by the influence of the eye,  "Ugh..." 

The influence of the eye  should  have overwhelmed him, but strangely the fear just passes over him. Steadying himself, Dalen shouts out,  "Rhetoric, here!"  he reaches into his scroll satchel and pulls out a scroll of Protection from Evil. As Rhetoric flies into reach, Dalen touches the bird and passes the spell without discharging it,  "to Marcus, quickly!"  he points.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Both Dalen and Rhetoric pass their will saves, Dalen with a natural 20

Dalen spends a move action to withdraw a scroll of Protection from Evil, and a standard action to cast it
Rhetoric will use the Deliver Touch Spells feature to hold the charge and be the one to touch Marcus

Depending on the GM ruling Rhetoric may require 2 move actions (one to move to Dalen, one to move to Marcus) and thus can only deliver the spell on his next turn since it is a standard action to do so. Alternatively, Rhetoric can move through Dalen's space, Dalen completes the spell as Rhetoric moves through the space, and then completes the same move action to end next to Marcus, and thus still has his standard action to deliver the spell.
 
Inspectre
 "Seriously!?  Ugh, I wasn't planning on putting my falchion to use . . . much!" 

Sabrina grunts to Aliani, shoving Marcus back again just in time for Bellinda to run up and fairly ineffectually wrap her arms around the bodyguard's left leg, clearly trying but not quite managing to wrap up both of her legs and pull Sabrina off her feet in a tackle.

 "But somebody's gotta knock some sense into them!" 

That someone turns out to be Dalen via Rhetoric, who casts his own arcane version of Aliani's ward against evil onto Marcus.  Immediately the sable marine commander steps back with a sigh of relief, blinking a bit in confusion as the dread-filled haze leaves his eyes.

"Ugh . . . that was rather unpleasant . . . is everyone alright now!?"

While Sabrina turns to wrestle with Bellinda alone now, Aliani darts past the two now-shielded warriors to stand next to the root of the problem and touch Silas with yet another warding spell.  The tiefling makes a face as if he has just swallowed something distasteful, shaking his head and shuddering as some new unpleasant command begins to slither into his mind before being cut off.

"That's enough out of you!"

The tiefling dandy declares, before hurling the Eye up over the nearby wall of shelves, and out of sight somewhere in the maze as far away as he could manage to throw the Eye, spike and all, and still get it up over the top of the shelf.  An instant after the Eye vanishes from sight, Bellinda's mind likewise clears from the malign influence, and after a firm squeeze to her shoulder from Sabrina, the queen's bodyguard releases her.

 "Time for us to get the Hells out of here!" 

Sabrina hisses to the group, pushing past Aliani and Silas towards the illusionary wall and the group's only way out of here that doesn't currently involve wading through a dozen derro and their friends.

 "Magenta!  Come on!" 

Queen Ileosa calls out to the healer still at the back of the party's formation, who turns to look back over her shoulder in alarm, looks back up at the derro now bounding down the stairs towards the laboratory floor, and seems to make her choice.  Turning away from the shelf she had been dragging out into the aisle, she lets it fall as she runs back to join the group, taking a deep gasp of air before ducking her head and plowing through the cloud of pollen.

 
 Spoiler: Magenta 

50 Miss Chance for Holding Breath (50 or Lower - Fort Save Needed)
Fort Save -  (1d20+2)[ 10 ] 
 


From her position on the floor, Haeluna can only grate out a few ineffectual curses as she continues cackling, pounding her fists against the stone floor in frustration rather than mirth now as her quarry slips away as the group runs over to the illusionary wall, and then vanishes from her sight through it.

****END OF COMBAT****

As it turns out, the illusionary wall is concealing only a small alcove about 10' deep, at the back of which is another set of double doors, again decorated with the image of Sorshen, this time with her hand up as if to say "Stop".  Unfortunately there is no time to stop, and very little time for even caution - the derro undoubtedly saw you cross through the illusion and thus there would be no hiding from them.  In the lead and now at a full run, Sabrina doesn't even slow as she lowers her shoulder and uses it to shove the double doors open with a crash of metal on stone.  Dalen has just a moment to ponder the fact that while you have encountered no deadly traps nor guardians to rival the mecha snake to protect its secret nest from intruders, it is possible that the derro have already found and disabled them all . . . but the derro may have never found this illusionary wall seemingly placed at random in the weapon's immense hangar bay.  And before he can shout out a warning, the damage is already done - the doors fly open at Sabrina's assault, revealing a steep set of stairs leading downward into darkness . . . and a small statue of the same mecha snake sitting lifeless in the hangar but in miniature, set into the ceiling as it slopes downward just beyond the doorway.  And from that snake's yawning open mouth stabs a thin green ray of magic, not wider than a finger, which bores into Sabrina's lowered shoulder. . .

 
 Spoiler: Trap! 

The empowered disintigration ray trap is immediately triggered by Sabrina brusquely throwing open the double doors leading downward.
Ranged Touch:  (1d20+9)[ 29 ] 
Damage:  (30d6)[ 106 ]  plus 50% of that, Fortitude Save DC 19

Sabrina Fort Save:  (1d20+15)[ 28 ] 

If Sabrina passes, she only takes  (5d6)[ 14 ]  plus 50% instead.
 


Some warrior sixth sense guides Sabrina as she reflexively tucks into a roll through the doorway, which is the only thing that saves her as the ray of magic is perfectly aimed, and likely would have shot through her chest or head after boring through her shoulder.  As it is, the ray of magic "merely" glances  through  the top of her shoulder, armor plating and flesh alike instantly vanishing into a puff of grey dust at the ray's mere touch.  Sabrina lets out a scream of pain as she awkwardly half tumbles, half crumbles through the doorway and down the first several steps before she manages to arrest her forward motion to avoid tumbling down  all  of the stairs.  Quickly as it started, the green ray shuts off again, and the stairway down is motionless and empty once again, save for Sabrina reaching a hand up to her now blood-stained shoulder as the ravaged flesh pumps blood out through the gap left in her flesh.


 "Gah!  That really hurt!" 

(With the initial trap leading into the next area "dealt" with by your high-level meatshield, what precautions, if any, is the party taking on its way down the stairway?)
DarkOne-Rob
Bellinda shakes off her terror and looks at the ground in a moment of embarrassment. "   Sorry...   " she says, just loud enough for Sabrina to hear.

She then watches with horror as the woman boldly charges forward without even glancing for traps. "  Here - at least let me look for more traps. Someone heal her while I get moving...  " she says, moving to the front to scout again...

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Taking 10 as we go, moving at half-speed to avoid penalties - Stealth ( 21 ) and Perception ( 19 ). If this isn't allowed and you need rolls:

Stealth:  (1d20+11)[ 28 ] 
Perception:  (1d20+9)[ 17 ] 
 
Stelio Kontos
Aliani cast one last sad look at Haeluna as he left the room, trailing shortly behind Sabrina.  He cringed at the sight of the green ray, mostly because of the effect of it.

 "Yes, um, by all means, ladies first, age before beauty, all of that"  he said grimly to Bellinda, gesturing for her to go ahead.  He could just about make things out for a little ways down before things got truly pitch-black.

 "Don't suppose anyone's got a light?" 
Darvin
Dalen hurries along with the others to escape the Derro. He winces as the trap hits Sabrina.

When Aliani asks about light, he opens his pack and cracks a Sunrod, then passes it to Aliani,  "hold this a moment, and everyone through the door and shut it behind us,"  he pulls open a scroll of Expeditious Construction. As the door swings shut, he casts the spell and constructs a wall of packed earth to jam the double door closed behind them.
Inspectre
There is indeed no light leading the way down this set of stairs, unlike much of the rest of this . . . laboratory? storage space? private retreat? that Sorshen had built, all of which had been at least nominally lit by dancing lights and everburning torches.  Regardless, all of you quickly pile through the illusionary wall and squeeze down onto the top-most 20' of stairway or so, not even Sabrina particularly eager to go charging down the rest of the way into the darkness.  Once everyone is through the doorway, Marcus and Silas slam the doorway shut once more, and you truly are in the pitch black dark.

From somewhere off to Aliani's left, there is a sharp intake of breath from Ileosa, followed by the loud scrambling of someone digging through a knapsack, the rustling only partially covering the queen's muttering echoing off the stone walls.

 
 Spoiler: Perception 10 

(Ileosa is trying to be quietly murmuring to herself here, but the close confines and the echo off the stone walls makes it relatively easy to hear her.)
 "S-stop it, you're the queen.  Keep your c-composure.  Sure it's d-dark now, but you're surrounded by friends.  Nothing bad is going to happen to you, not again.  You just need to find that  godsdamned  candle -  WHERE  is it!?" 
 


It's about this point that Aliani asks about light, and as if reading his mind Dalen obliges by snapping a sunrod into muted brilliance within the stair, offering it to Aliani through the narrow gap between Marcus and Silas.  Before the playwright can take it, however, Ileosa volunteers, snatching it up to clutch in both hands in front of her after shooting Dalen a grateful glance.

 "I'll hold it!  A-Aliani, could you please attend to Sabrina?  I have naught but cantrips left." 
 
 Spoiler: DC 25 Sense Motive 

Queen Ileosa is managing to put up a braver façade now that there is a light source present, but the white-knuckled grip she's holding the sunrod with and her continued shallow breathing are sure signs that she is struggling to keep it together.  This is no mere childish fear of the dark, either, there is some deeper fear being tapped into at the moment by your circumstances, and that brief period of darkness nearly pushed her into a panic attack.  What that root fear is, however, you can only guess at the moment.
 


Having ducked through the doors at the last second, Magenta weaves around Dalen, Marcus, and Silas, and practically shoves Aliani down the stairs as she ducks around behind him - staying as far away from the queen as physically possible in the narrow stairway - before getting down to Sabrina, hands already dipping into her medicine kit.  She manages to staunch the worst of the bleeding, although several times she shakes her head.

 "I have done what I can to stop the bleeding, but to do a complete job I'll need a couple minutes with us sitting down, and that armor off so I can access the full injury instead of just what I can reach through the . . . er, hole." 

Magenta explains, earning a dismissive snort from Sabrina.

 "Seems unlikely you'll get either - we're still on the run and I can still take a few hits and - urgh!" 

Sabrina groans and sways on her feet a moment as she attempts to heft her falchion in both hands again, the effort clearly straining what was left of her shoulder through Magenta's bandages.  With a defeated grunt Sabrina switches to a one-handed grip and swings the falchion up over her shoulder, sheathing it.

"Damn!  Seems like I won't be of much use after all.  Hey Marcus, can I borrow one of those shorter blades of yours for a bit - been awhile since I've wielded a blade in my off-hand but I think I can remember the basics."

"Unfortunately these were a gift to me from our late seneschal Neolandus . . . but I suppose given the circumstances I can part with one and use my back-up hand axe."

Now with a light source to read by, Dalen manages to read off one of his dwindling supply of scrolls, hastily filling the space around the double doors with packed earth and loose stone.  While it still won't stop a determined pursuit, it should certainly buy you more time than a tanglefoot bag!  Dimly through the stone, Dalen and those closer to the doors can hear a fairly loud argument between Haeluna - now no longer in a laughing mood - and a gravely voiced man.

 
 Spoiler: DC 20 Perception for Dalen, DC 22 for Aliani and Bellinda 

Haeluna -  "You spineless coward!  Lamm's murderers are slipping through your grasp and you're just going to let them go!?" 

Gravely-voice man -  "Oh, I'd follow them through the black gates of Scarwall itself after what they've done, but I'm not so blinded with fury that I would willingly hurl myself headlong after them into one of Sorshen's death traps.  No, there will be other chances to deliver unto them what they deserve.  Now that this lair has been discovered and breached, more will follow.  I will use this time to pack up my things and leave at my own pace rather than fleeing for my life one step ahead of the guard - I would suggest you do the same, but given you've brought this hornet's nest down on us I imagine you won't heed such advice." 

(A third, feminine voice gives a bubbly giggle and interjects here) -  "Oooo, Mista Rolth!  Am I one of those things you're going to pack away?  Nice and  tight , I hope!" 

Rolth -  "*sigh*  Yes, Jostilina, I'm sure we can, although it may not be to your desired thoroughness.  We will need to be efficient instead - you, put yourself to good use for once and carry Vreeg's body.  He was a good apprentice, and waste not, want not." 

Haeluna -  "Damn you!  Fine, I don't need you, I don't need any of you!  All I need is the Weapon, and with that I will bring Korvosa to its knees!" 
 


Meanwhile, Bellinda scouts further down the stairway in the lead of the party, as least as far as the light from Dalen's sunrod allows.  Keenly aware now of the potential danger waiting ahead of the party, the halfling scout strains her eyes in the hopes of seeing something amiss - a loose stone, a tripwire, a magical  beam  - before the group blunders into it.  She doesn't see any such thing so far down the stairs, about 60' down from where the group started (with further darkness ahead of her), but something does catch her eye - a faint block of hieroglyphics etched into the stone of the wall, just above the surface of that stone step.  Bellinda has no way of interpreting these markings, but it does draw her up short for a moment while she studies them.  There is a faint warmth in her pocket - the iuon stone!? - for a moment, and in that moment the runes dance and shift, becoming common speech that she can easily comprehend as a buzzing rings in her ears.

  Third step down from this one, left side - do NOT step there.  
DarkOne-Rob
"   The enemies are arguing, some leaving. They think this place is a deathtrap,   " reports Bellinda quietly as she steps away from the door, her keen halfling ears having caught the gist of the conversation beyond the doors. "   Here, Sabrina, hold still.  Dawnflower, heal her wounds, please!    " she prays as she touches the bigger woman. A moment later a bit of (arcane, bard) magic flows from the little halfling dervish into the injury, closing it up and slowing the bleeding.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Bellinda casts Cure Light Wounds, healing Sabrina for  (1d8+4)[ 9 ]  HPs.
 

Then, Bellinda makes her way down the stairs, carefully. At the sight of the hieroglyph and its shifting into common she stops, staring at it for several minutes. "  Slowly, carefully, someone with arcane knowledge come here,  " she urges, raising her voice enough to be heard above, but no more. "  There,  " she points at the rune. "  Do you see that?  What  do you see? At first it was some shape, a pictograph or something, now I see the words, 'Third step down from this one, left side - do NOT step there.' Do we trust it? Or could it be a trick?  "

 
 Spoiler: More Mechanics 
As she waits, the dervish casts   Detect Magic   and first concentrates on the words and then on the third step down on the left. Bellinda does  not  have any ability to make Knowledge (Arcane) skill checks untrained and has zero ranks, modifier of +0, so I doubt she has anything more she can learn beyond the presence of magical auras. She will look for them, though.
 
Stelio Kontos
 "Right, well, that's good at least, no sense being chased through the death trap, that would be worse somehow." 

As Bellinda reached for Sabrina, Aliani coughed suddenly, bringing his hand to his throat while muttering a few words.   "Sorry, it's a bit musty down here." 

He let most of the others go by (leaving Dalen to handle whatever the hell thing that was up ahead; he'd no doubt rather enjoy showing off a bit) and reached out to hold Ileosa's hand.   "Hey"  he whispered.   "There was a very beautiful quote I once read; it may even have been from one of Sarenrae's passages, though you'd have to ask about that.  It went something like 'we need not scorn the darkness, for without it we could not appreciate the light." 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
While Bellinda's casting that CLW, I'll toss in a channel energy at the same time.  Not sure if anyone else is hurt.  Any rate,  (2d6)[ 3 ]  happy healing to one and all.
 
Inspectre
Sabrina gives a quiet sigh of relief as the healing from Bellina (and discretely, Aliani) flows into her wounded shoulder and seems to knit her shoulder back together.  The grimace that she gives after attempting to flex the arm again, however, suggests that all is still not well with the queen's bodyguard.  On the plus side, no more blood seems to be dripping off her shattered pauldron, so it would seem that at least she would lose no more blood from the injury.  (Arm not fixed completely but Sabrina will be fine in a day or two at this point).  Unseen by Bellinda (probably) as she turns away to head down the stairs, Sabrina raises her other, unwounded arm up, as if for a moment planning to give Bellinda her own reassuring pat on the shoulder, hesitates until the opportunity passes as Bellinda continues on down the steps, and then simply lets her hand drop.  Marcus moves down to join Sabrina near the front of the party, handing over one of his scimitars while Silas continues to guard the party's rear.

***************

Now back near the party's rear as the others cautiously follow Bellinda downward, Ileosa gives Aliani a wane smile as he offers her a comforting hand.  After a moment, she manages to pry one of her hands off of the sunrod to accept the offering hand, allowing him to gently guide her further down the stairs (which she hadn't taken a step down as of yet).

 "That is an appropriate saying, but I think I would much prefer a walk through a sunny garden right about now . . . at least it would be much easier to  see  what's lurking ahead!" 

The queen gives a quiet sigh and gives Aliani's hand a slight squeeze.

 "I am running out of ways to express this, but thank you for coming down here for me.  I was almost out of ideas, and was going to have to make a desperate run for those stairs soon.  I don't think I would have made it out, given that crowd that followed you down here.  I have to admit that I am confused about one thing - why does that woman hate me so?  I've barely been queen for more than a few days officially, and yet that hatred in her voice . . . I've only heard that much venom in one person's voice before her.  What could I have possibly done in such a short span of time to spawn that much hatred?" 
 
 Spoiler: Aliani and Dalen 

Slight freebie for both of you Nat 20ing the Sense Motive last update.

Ah . . . so that's what it is.  Judging by that strong emphasis on the word "see", Ileosa isn't scared of the dark, so much as being unable to see.  Being blind.  Why that as much as any other deep fear, however, is something that only Ileosa can answer.
 



**********************

However and whoever put that warning on the wall that Bellinda was able to read, a more cautious exploration of the few stairs ahead does indeed reveal that the stair three steps down is trapped on the left side.  There is a magical sensor attached to that step, which presumably is keyed to someone stepping on it.  It's own magical signature partially concealed in some way, it's almost certain that you would have not noticed it without being told exactly where to look with your own Detect Magics.  Unfortunately, it is difficult to say what exactly that magical sensor is connected to, but some sort of deadly trap seems a rather straightforward guess.
Darvin
Dalen examines the runes with Detect Magic, catching a glimpse of the ioun stone as he does so,  "they appear to be Thassilonian runes. If there's any magic at play, it's that stone in your pocket. It's called an ioun stone, try tossing it above your head and seeing if that does anything,"  Dalen explains to Bellinda,  "I wouldn't  trust  anything here, but if anyone wants to try stepping on that staircase I would ask that you allow me to take several dozen paces in the other direction first,"
 
***

 "I do not know Haeluna, and judging by what she said to Aliani I doubt he knows her true heart, either. But as an Enchanter who has studied the manipulation of emotion extensively, I can tell you that there is every possibility that she herself does not understand why she hates you, and any professed reason she gives is a lie she tells herself,"  Dalen shrugs.

***

As the party stares with certainty at the step Dalen nods, " well, we have two options. Either we jump over it, or we head back and wait a few hours and see if we can sneak out. And honestly, I'm not keen on waiting around here,"  despite the complete confidence in his voice, Dalen very pointedly does not lead by example and allows someone else to hop over it first.
DarkOne-Rob
Bellinda nods, and puts her new Ioun stone into orbit beside the Ioun Torch she's often used. "  I'd like to test that step, but from a distance, with a pole or something,  " she says as she looks around at both the company's gear and the dark stairway. Unconfident of her options she instead warns the others of the step and prepares herself to step over it, carefully...

 
 Spoiler: OoC and Mechanics 
If anyone has a normal quarterstaff, longspear, etc... Bellinda wants to tap the step,  hard , but from a distance. If no one has anything like that and she cannot find something else that will work nearby (and above the step), she will skip the step and continue exploring further down after pointing out the step and warning the party.

@ Inspectre , do you need a dice roll from me?
 
Stelio Kontos
Aliani looked at Ileosa, returning her wan smile from earlier.   "That, I am afraid, is a far more complicated question than we have time for at the moment.  Perhaps another occasion?" 
 "Wait!"  he shouted at the curious halfling.   "Don't   touch   it!  If you want to see what it does, we can come back with... I don't know, one of Dalen's horses or something equally expendable.  Just, let's let it be.  It's one step, surely we can just avoid it?  Unless you think it's some sort of reverse psychology, but that seems like rather a lot of trouble just to get someone to step on something they might have stumbled into.  Let's just take it as it is, and leave the step be?  Please?" 
Darvin
 "I believe adventurers have a saying for situations like these: 'I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole', and I must say that I now fully appreciate that the saying is meant  very literally ,"  Dalen grimaces,  "we've already seen a Disintegration trap, and there are spells of similar magnitude that could extinguish all life in this hallway. If you are determined to experiment, I'm going to put as much distance between myself and you as possible before you do it, and advise anyone else of a sensible disposition to do the same," 
DarkOne-Rob
Bellinda silently rolls her eyes. "  It's not my first time dealing with a trap,  " she says. "  Give me plenty of room on whichever side you prefer and stand clear.  " Then, the halfling takes the 10-ft pole from their Queen and gestures that she's ready to poke at the step...

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Disable Device:  (1d20+14)[ 34 ]  using the 10-ft pole, once everyone is clear of the step.
 
Inspectre
At Bellinda's comment regarding using a pole to test the trap, Ileosa works her hand free of Aliani's and resumes digging around in her bag, holding the sunrod over top of it after a moment's thought to help illuminate her search.

 "A ten foot pole?  I think I have one of those in here!" 

The queen declares, and after a moment, begins to draw a long thin wooden pole out of the haversack with a flourish like a stage magician.  The pole is cautiously taken up by Marcus and passed along down to Bellinda, who advances back down to just above the (supposedly) trapped stair.  The rest of the group slowly backs away at Dalen's suggestion to keep their distance, which unfortunately leads to the brief complication that moves the sunrod far away up the stair, limiting the amount of light Bellinda has to work with.  Reluctantly, Ileosa releases her grip on the sunrod and hands it over to Sabrina, who bares it back down the stairs to stand a few steps back from Bellinda, holding the sunrod steady so that the halfling can investigate thoroughly.

Dalen's fears that Bellinda would somehow fumble her handling of the trap and kill you all turns out to be an empty fear, as the halfling expertly uses the pole to investigate the trap without actually triggering it.  She discovers that the stair she was warned about is actually split in two in the middle - and the left side of the step is mounted on some sort of spring, allowing it to be compressed and pushed down - as it would if someone were to step and put their full weight on it.  There is not much of a difference between the step at rest and fully compressed - perhaps a total of 2-3 inches, but that full drop would be enough to fully reveal the magic rune inscribed into the surface of the wall right next to the step.  While at rest, the step covers nearly the entire rune, which seems to explain why it was so hard to detect with Detect Magic - the stone stair covers it, and it seems whatever stone was used to create this stairway is more effective than usual at stiffling magical auras and thus covering them up.  The magical rune itself seems to be some sort of magical sensor, which would detect when it was fully exposed and then trip some other spellwork, which itself is hidden further back inside the wall.  With the real trap completely hidden behind the wall, it is impossible to determine what exactly would happen if this magical rune were to be triggered - but given the aforementioned disintegration ray that nearly severed Sabrina's arm, it seems unlikely to be pleasant for anyone in the stairway.  Fortunately, the solution to render this trap is completely harmless - simply cover the magical rune so that it remains covered up even if the spring-loaded stair is completely compressed downward.  A piece of paper, again from Ileosa's bag of random items, is produced, which Bellinda folds in half several times before carefully wedging it down through the crack where the stair meets the wall, covering the magical rune completely.

With the trap now effectively disarmed regardless of anyone accidentally stepping on the triggering stair or not, Bellinda waves the party forward down into the darkness.  After following Dalen's instruction with the iuon stone to let it orbit around her head, she can once again read the Thassilon runes warning her about the stair trap.  As before, the runes remain indecipherable to anyone else, but translate themselves into clear Common for whoever the iuon stone orbits around.  However, there is no further text to discover the rest of the way down the stairway, another fifty feet or so.  Nor are there any further traps that Bellinda discovers, although perhaps that is simply due to the fact that two traps were already deemed deadly enough.  That . . . might be changing, however, at the bottom of the stairway.

The stairway terminates into a stone corridor roughly 20' long that leads up to another elaborately decorated double door.  Starting 10' back from the door, long recesses have been carved into the walls on either side of the corridor, holding a dazzling number of small figurines carved from a variety of different stones.  Little larger than chess pieces with round bases, the army of figurines stand in silent guard on either side of the corridor.  The faint echo back from the floor wherever Bellinda taps the 10' pole suggests that there is a hollow space below her feet, perhaps through a foot or two of stone that makes up the floor, although there does not appear to be sort of pit trapdoor that will swing open beneath her and dump her down into this empty space below.  The doorway itself is decorated with the carving of Sorshen actually leaning down out of the door's surface, one stone hand extended as if offering the three-way metal scale dangling from a slender chain out to you, the other stone hand cupped thoughtfully under her carved chin.  Etched into the stoneway arch above the statue-guarded doorway are Thassilon runes that once more dance and twist into Common as soon as the sunrod's light hits them (to Bellinda's eyes, at least).

 You have come far seeking an answer, and that answer awaits you beyond this final trial.  Prove yourself worthy of my aid at last, heroes of Korvosa.  Tell me, what do you serve, what do you fear, and what do you wish to protect? 
 "Godsdamnit, this had better not be some sort of stupid puzzle." 

Sabrina grumbles as she reaches the bottom of the stair, and catches sight of the doorway and assembled opposing armies of figurines.

(Additional Perception checks and various other means of investigating may reveal more of what is expected here - and the penalty for failure).
Stelio Kontos
Aliani gasped as Bellinda probed the trap... until she didn't.   "I believe I owe you an apology..."  he murmured quietly.   "Well done.  Very very well done."

 

At the bottom of the stairs, he began examining the scales, visions of old snippets of books and drawings and olden tales bouncing in his mind, vying for attention.   "Puzzle, yes, well a riddle of sorts... but not stupid; quite brilliant actually.  Just, let's think for a bit.  We should have time, for once." 
DarkOne-Rob
Bellinda smiles in the dark before graciously accepting Aliani's apology. "  No harm done. Let's go,  " she says simply as she leads everyone down to the floor of the stairs.

Once there she looks around, unsure of what to do or where to go. "  Just in case, I'm considering unblocking that trap - let the derro or Haeluna enjoy it if they try to follow. What do all of you think?  " she asks seriously. While they discuss that option she looks around, carefully not touching any of the figurines, but trying to see if there is any rhyme or reason to them all...

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Take 20 on Perception:  29  to look at all the little pieces.
 
Darvin
 "I don't think we're being pursued, but do as you will,"  Dalen replies to Bellinda's suggestion.

Walking into the large chamber, Dalen peers around cautiously. He asks Bellinda to translate the words, then stops and thinks,  "something is amiss here. Korvosa didn't exist in Thassilonian times, and even if another city existed on this site it would have had a different name. So why is a Thassilonian runelord asking about the heroes of Korvosa?" 

Dalen paces slowly, observing the figurines and the scales carefully without touching them. His mind kept coming back to a single possibility, dismissing everything else that came to mind. There is no way this was a modern forgery, nor was there any way that magical translation would confuse proper nouns, and he was fairly sure he wasn't dreaming or delirious. But he kept coming back to the matter that he'd heard that precise title spoken before by another. He puts one hand to his chin to contemplate, while the other slips into the pocket to make sure Zellara's cards are still exactly where he left them.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Both Dalen and Rhetoric will take 20 on perception for a result of 25 for Dalen and 32 for Rhetoric.

And let's get some  rolls  going:

Knowledge Arcana  (1d20+13)[ 18 ] 
Knowledge History  (1d20+10)[ 26 ] 
Knowledge Local  (1d20+12)[ 26 ] 
Knowledge Planes  (1d20+11)[ 26 ] 
Knowledge Religion  (1d20+10)[ 21 ] 
Knowledge Nature  (1d20+10)[ 22 ] 
Knowledge Dungeoneering  (1d20+10)[ 23 ] 

Sure, I could take 10, but I feel like this is a time to aim high.
 
Stelio Kontos
 "Well, there's a few possibilities ... perhaps the translation is a bit, metaphorical?  The heroes of 'whatever this place happens to be called right now' -- which *we* know as Korvosa.  Or they aren't really Thassalonian runes at all, and some more modern force is at work.  That seems a bit farfetched though.  Seems like an interesting discussion for after we figure out this scale." 
Darvin
 "That's not how translation magics work. 'Korvosa' is a proper noun, it might be transliterated for intelligibility but it wouldn't translate into anything. Any Thassilonian city that was once present upon this site is  not  Korvosa, not any more than you are your father,"  Dalen bluntly and perhaps a little crassly makes his point, but continues,  "nor would it make  any  sense for this to be a modern hoax. Beyond the simple matter that I cannot  fathom  why anyone would go to such effort to create such convincing forgeries, anyone learned enough to do that wouldn't have made such a blatantly obvious mistake. No, this message is almost certainly genuine. But how and why is another matter. And understanding the frame of mind of those who created this test or puzzle will be elucidating to solving it," 
Stelio Kontos
 "Mmmmmm"  Aliani hissed, something likewise tickling at the back of his head.

 "What you're saying though doesn't make sense.  They had to be made at a time when Korvosa existed, right?  So, if it's genuine, some, what, powerful Korvosan-era wizard -- or other entity, I suppose -- who knew Thassalonian runes made all this, and presumably that ioun stone because who in the hells *else* would have been able to read them.  That's an awful lot of suppositions as compared to 'Thassalonians maybe knew a deeper method of translating' if you ask me." 
Darvin
 "There are three possibilities I'm working off of, and translation inaccuracies from some eccentric magical variant is not one of them,"  Dalen continues to peer over the figurines as he speaks,

 "The first possibility is some form of particularly powerful divination, whereby the events we are experiencing right now - and the existence of Korvosa - was predicted by the Thassilonians which had an interest in them. My previous divinations regarding that eye indicated it is very ancient, possibly contemporaneous with Thassilon. If so then we are looking for figurines that represent the city on one hand and that eye on the other," 
 "The second possibility is that we are dealing with a survivor of Thassilon. Possibly an intelligent construct or other magical creature that does not age. But that raises the question of why they are not here anymore, and what their interest is in heroes of Korvosa," 
 "The final possibility is that an  exceedingly  powerful wizard is leaping through time. Possibly jum[ing decades or centuries. And if that is the case, I have a  very  strong suspicion as to that wizard's identity,"  Dalen looks up at the statue of the Runelord that looms over the room, then looks back to Aliani,  "pray we never meet her. While I suspect that the tales of the runelords power are exaggerated, there is no doubt she would still be counted among the most powerful wizards today," 
Inspectre
In response to Bellinda's question regarding re-arming the trap back upstairs, Sabrina looks pensively at the door, and then back up the stairs, the top of them now shrouded in darkness again.

 "I can understand wanting to make pursuit more difficult, but at the same time we're making more obstacles for ourselves if we need to backtrack.  Ancient traps and puzzles are one thing, but don't these psychopath mages also tend to mix in guards too?  There might well be some sort of undead abomination waiting for us on the other side of that door . . . or a demon from the darkest pits of the Hells . . . or an undead demon." 

The bodyguard starts to give a noncommittal shrug, but breaks that off quickly with a wince of pain.

 "This sort of poking my nose into a bear trap where it isn't wanted never was much appealing to me.  I know exactly where to stand and where to hit in a straightforward fight, but this sort of navigating some idiot's idea of an obstacle course is beyond me - I'm relying on you to see us through here.  Do what you think is best, you seem to know what you're doing here." 

************************

 "No . . . this place is old.  I can feel it." 

Queen Ileosa says quietly, disagreeing with Aliani as she steps forward to examine the archway and the Sorshen statue more closely.  She stops partway across the hollow floor to the statue, looking up quizzically at the runes only Bellinda (or whoever holds the iuon stone found in the laboratory) can understand.

 "It's a magical translation . . . is it meant for us specifically?  Or just whoever finds this place?" 
 "Well . . . don't look to me for answers.  I'm just a simple soldier." 

Marcus says, looking warily around at the surrounding army of figurines watching from the alcoves carved into the walls, although the Sable Commander does offer one more thought.

 "Although it's a bit of an odd form of address - "Heroes of Korvosa" - isn't it?  More like a title than a personal name." 
 "Maybe it's just another mind-game to distract us." 

Sabrina offers with a suspicious grunt, also looking up at the statue of Sorshen with narrowed eyes.

 "You got this far, smart guy, so why don't you try and solve this special little puzzle, just for you?  Pay no attention to the fact that there's no actual right answer, this is just to draw you all in close enough for the next trap." 

Seeing everyone pause to just look at her for a moment, Sabrina snarls and presses onward, nodding at Dalen.

 "No offense to you, Mr. Rittle, but you're the closest we've got to the sort of psychopathic mage that would set up something like this, so you know how they think.  Wouldn't you, after going through all the trouble of setting up death trap after death trap for any would-be thief, make sure the "last" trap had no good solution?  Regardless of whether you set this up ten thousand years or ten minutes ago, you don't set something this elaborate up as a "test" for someone to come prove themselves against for a prize like some sort of competition.  You set something like this up to murder anyone stupid enough to come down here, winnowing them down until there's nobody left.  Because that's the only way you can feed your own sadistic ego!" 
 "Ego is not why this place was built." 

Queen Ileosa insists quietly, now moving around from side to side of the statue, studying it from multiple angles.

 "It's fear.  And pain." 

Those who eventually circle around to join the queen in her circuit from one side of the statue to the other can begin to see her point.  As with the previous statues throughout this complex, the subtle shadows and details of the statue shift and change its appearance as your own angle of perception to it shifts.  From head on, it appears as it originally did - an imperious figure holding out a scale as a challenge for you to come and be judged.  But from the left, the hand cupped under the chin in thoughtful consideration changes to a hand clenched over the mouth as if to hold back a scream, the outstretched hand clenching the set of scales as if to a lifeline.  And from the right, the hand is not touching the statue's jaw at all, but clenching some sort of pendant hanging around the neck, all but hidden from view by the fingers, with just the barest shape of butterfly wings peeking out while the outstretched hand offers up the scale as if seeking another hand to take up their burden.

*******************

While the Queen and her bodyguard are debating the purpose of this whole thing, the three of you are investigating the little figurines standing around at attention within the alcoves.  Bellinda is the first to carefully investigate the figurines, Sabrina's warning of this all being an elaborate trick to draw you into the next trap ringing in her ears.  A quick investigation of the alcoves reveals that there is no trick waiting here, however, as the figurines rest on solid stone within the alcoves carved out for them, with no hidden pressure plates waiting to be tripped by the figurines being disturbed.

While Ileosa continues to study the Sorshen statue and the archway, and Marcus and Sabrina nervously watch back up the stairway, the three of you conduct a thorough census of the figurines, Silas doing his best to serve as a clerk and record the inventory on another piece of paper from Ileosa and a small bottle of ink and a quill, while Magenta sullenly digs through her pack and takes inventory of her dwindling healing kit supplies.

At first, the figurines just seem to be a chaotic mish-mash of stone pieces, heroes and monsters hastily stored away together without rhyme or reason.  But then Dalen and Aliani start recognizing some of the figurines, and who they are supposed to be, replicated in perfect miniature - rather than generic figures, each seems to represent a specific being or concept.  And then comes the realization that the figures are not being stored together haphazardly - the figurines are clustered together in sets, meant to go together and posed against each other to depict a conflict amongst them.  And then comes the revelation that just like the figurines aren't generic, the scenes being depicted are specific instances as well.

It's the hallway of murals all over again - closest to the front of each alcove, there is Sorshen in several different guises amid the clusters of figurines, the marble runelord locked in battle against various figurines carved from granite - a seven-headed hydra in one, what appears to be another Runelord in a different set (Dalen can't identify the other Runelord, but notes that his insignia is that of the Thassilon Empire's district of Shalast, which changed hands several times before Karzoug, Runelord of Greed, eventually seized power there and maintained his rule until the downfall of the empire), and what appears to be some sort of disgusting worm burrowing up and out of the body of a larger many-legged insect (the "host" insect Aliani realizing with a shudder appears to be a depiction of Rovagug, aka the Rough Beast, aka the sealed away god of destruction).  Each of these creatures Sorshen is fighting do share one unusual trait, which is that their right eye is missing, just a ragged hole in that side of their face - all seven in the case of the hydra (which Dalen also notes looks very . . . wrong for a depiction of a hydra, the shape of the heads all wrong and the scales having a thicker composition, more like dragon scales than those of the common hydra).

From these clusters of figurines arc painted lines on the stone floor of each alcove, partially concealed from sight until the frontmost figurines are cleared away.  These painted lines lead back to the next clusters of figurines, seeming to depict that unknown city between Sorshen’s homeland and Korvosa.  In several of the groups is a figurine of Blackjack, teamed up with a dizzying array of Shaonti, Varisians, orcs, crusaders bearing the heraldry of the Knights of Ozem (which Dalen recognizes as circa shortly after the fall of the Whispering Tyrant), some sort of angel (Dalen notes it as a trumpet archon technically, rather than an angel, while Aliani identifies its heraldry as belonging to an Arazni-sect of Aroden worshippers, making it quite old given both Arazni (quite long ago) and Aroden (a little less than a century) are long dead now), a Chelish knight that is notably different from the Ozem crusaders (which Dalen recognizes with a start is wearing the heraldry of House Korvosa, the house of Chelish nobility who founded the city of Korvosa),  as well as one last odd figure, set a little back from the others – a tall man with long hair wielding a pair of kukris.  What makes this last one stand out amongst all the others is the fact that while its clothing blends in with the others of this set, its other features are identical to a figurine standing alongside Sorshen – a tall man with long hair wielding a pair of kukris, there naked to the waist with decorative tattoos across his chest.  That man is there again amongst the backmost sets of figurines, now in modern garb, but he’s hardly the most attention-grabbing figurine in those sets.

The figurines in the backmost sets are you – Dalen, Aliani, Bellinda, Silas, Magenta, Jakkin, Gavin, and a half dozen other people that you don’t recognize and probably have never met, all there scattered about through different little clusters.  Arrayed against you are Gaedren Lamm, Ambassador Andaisin . . . and Sabrina, standing guard before a figurine perched on a model of the Crimson Throne, another of the strange perception-shifting carvings causing the spokes of the throne to block light and cast out shadows behind it that look like shifting, writhing tentacles of darkness . . . or perhaps unfurling snakes made of shadow.  At first, that figure on the throne seems like Ileosa – who else would it be? – but a closer examination of the scene reveals that it’s not – that figurine over there off to the side is Ileosa.  Instead this is a different queen sitting in opposition to your figurines, the right eye a ravaged hole in her face, a woman that after inspecting it and thinking for a while suggests to Dalen Queen Domina, the late mother of the late King Eodred, Ileosa’s husband and former sovereign of Korvosa.  She perished in a fire several decades ago after ruling Korvosa for several decades more, bringing a great deal of prosperity to the city . . . and firmer ties back to Cheliax.  Her presence here is the first significant discrepancy between reality and what the murals have depicted.

There are still more figurines, of course, set further off away from the battle clusters, many of which seem to be depictions of gods watching from the periphery.  Aliani recognizes a giant skull with chains dangling from the eye sockets as representing Zon-Kuthon, a butterfly depicting Densa, a long-plumed bird representing Shelyn, a blood-dripping rose for Milani, and so on.  Many of them seem to be positioned at least relatively near who you might expect – Milani somewhere in the back behind Aliani, Urgathoa’s fly behind Andaisin, etc.  Which is why the strange unidentified sigil lurking behind Dalen is a little unsettling.  Aliani doesn’t recognize it, and neither does Dalen although he thinks it could be the sigil to represent an infernal duke of the Hells, one of Asmodeus’ chief lieutenants.  It also looks strangely familiar to Dalen, as if he’s seen it before, although frustratingly he can’t quite place  where  he has seen the sigil before now.

Finally, as the figurines are removed in growing numbers, Dalen and Bellinda realize that some of the swirls underneath the figurines are not mere decoration, but are actually more Thassilon runes.  There are three small sets of texts, one under each “era” of conflict, so to speak, and they read as follows, going from front to back.

 In the end, it does not matter at whose command you join the battle to come, save that it is not at the behest of our true enemy. 
 You may have many fears that spur you onward, but by degrees you will come to share mine.  Our enemy will not settle for anything less than making the whole world tremble in fear. 
 To save what we wish to protect, it will be necessary to place our thumb upon the scales of fate, and tip them back in our favor. 
 
 Spoiler: Summary 

 
 Other than possibly a trap triggered by messing up the figurine+scales puzzle, there does not appear to be any other trap set up here, either on the figurines or the door. 
 The figurines appear to mimic the earlier hallway of murals, in that they depict Sorshen’s time, an unknown city between Sorshen’s time and your own, and finally Korvosa – including figurines of all of you. 
 Underneath the figurines is more hidden text, seemingly three clues to help solve the puzzle of which figurines to actually place on the scales (see immediately above this summary spoiler). 
 
 
Darvin
 
 Originally Posted by Inspectre 
  "This sort of poking my nose into a bear trap where it isn't wanted never was much appealing to me.  
 

 "I've never seen the attraction, either, but here we are,"  Dalen shrugs,  "but don't sell yourself short, we may be  very thankful  yet to have those well-honed skills," 

 
 Originally Posted by Inspectre 
  "No offense to you, Mr. Rittle, but you're the closest we've got to the sort of psychopathic mage that would set up something like this, so you know how they think.  Wouldn't you, after going through all the trouble of setting up death trap after death trap for any would-be thief, make sure the "last" trap had no good solution?  
 

 "None taken,"  Dalen smiles, then answers,  "if I wanted nobody to access this place then I would seal it off completely. Doorways and staircases are things you install in places you intend to be accessible. The question is, to whom and under what circumstances," 

Dalen examines the figurines carefully. As he does so, he eventually pulls out his notebook and quill and begins to sketch the things that catch his interest, particularly the man who appears twice and the sigil behind his own figurine. He stops and ponders, then furrows his brow as he comes to a conclusion he finds both convincing and deeply annoying, and he whispers to himself,  "who, then, has chosen me as their token in this game?" 

 
 Originally Posted by Inspectre 
  In the end, it does not matter at whose command you join the battle to come, save that it is not at the behest of our true enemy. 
 You may have many fears that spur you onward, but by degrees you will come to share mine.  Our enemy will not settle for anything less than making the whole world tremble in fear. 
 To save what we wish to protect, it will be necessary to place our thumb upon the scales of fate, and tip them back in our favor.  
 

As these are translated, Dalen nods,  "I believe I understand. Give me a moment,"  he collects three figurines; his own, the strange sigil behind him, and the Crimson Throne and Domina.

 "The masters which we serve, whether we realize it or not,"  he places the sigil on the serve scale.

 "That which Sorshen fears, which to her estimation  should  be our fears,"  he places the very specifically imposing Domina with the missing eye on the fear scale.

 "And what else can we save if we cannot save ourselves first,"  Dalen puts his own figurine on the save scale, fully expecting it to be grossly imbalanced in favor of Domina.

 "And then... we tip the scales,"  he takes a deep breath as he clenches his fist, outstretches his thumb, and depresses the scales until they reach balance, whispering under his breath.

OOC: Dalen  will  stop if anyone objects to him doing this or has other comments. He's having a 22 Intelligence / 8 Wisdom moment, after all 😁
DarkOne-Rob
Bellinda nods and leaves the previous trap alone, willing to instead look around at the figurines with interest. She helps to translate the clues, looks to see who or what she "serves," and then watches Dalen with concern (but without stopping him).

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
@ Inspectre  - who or what does Bellinda find behind her figurine?
 
Stelio Kontos
 "A moment, Mr. Rittle"  Aliani said with concern.   "Let's not rush this.  If nothing else, it does need to be all of us.  Heroes of Korvosa is plural, after all.  But I think you're on the right track." 
Darvin
 "A fair point; well, let's collect all the heroes then,"  Dalen waits for all the figurines to be placed on the protect scale, expecting that they will  still  be outweighed by Domina, before adding his own hand to the protect scale to bring it into balance.
Inspectre
With a bit of relief, Bellinda notes that a figurine with the familiar sun imagery of Sarenrae has been placed behind her figurine, much as Milani's symbol has been placed behind Aliani.  While there may be more that can be gleaned from these figurines and their positioning, Dalen believes that with the hidden clues etched into the bottom of the alcoves, he now has a solution to Sorshen’s puzzle.  Taking his figurine, the strange sigil that seems to represent his patron, and the ominous figurine of Domina, he approaches the scales while explaining his reasoning.

Sure enough, after carefully slotting each of the figurines in their designated spots, no sudden obliteration is forthcoming, but neither does the door swing open.  Sure enough, as Dalen predicted the Domina figurine still massively outweighs the Dalen figure on the scales, something that Dalen could have guessed as soon as he picked the two figurines up in either hand.  Not just made out of solid granite, the Domina figurine must have been filled with some sort of lead or similar heavy metal weight inside, as it drastically outweighs Dalen’s figurine by nearly a factor of ten.

Taking Aliani’s suggestion in mind, Dalen quickly retrieves Aliani, Bellinda, Silas, and Magenta’s figurines as well.  While there are no extra slots to fit their figurines onto the scale alongside Dalen’s, with a bit of effort he manages to sort of weave the figurines together, interlocking arms and tangling the figurines together enough that they will stay in place despite the sloped slides of the scale.  Still nothing, as the Domina figurine continues to outweigh the combined weights of the figurines of “the heroes of Korvosa” by nearly half again as much.  While it might be possible to add a couple more figurines onto “your” side, it seems likely that it would be difficult to find some that would be enough to tip the scales without overdoing it.

And so Dalen enacts the last part of his plan, literally placing his thumb onto the scales and pushing down.  It takes considerably more effort than Dalen was expecting, either Domina’s weight on the scale substantially more than even suggested, or the chains of the scale are stuck and hard to move.  But eventually, the scales begin to tip towards equilibrium at last, and when they finally near parity, there is a loud crack! followed by the statue of Sorshen tipping forward into a curtsey and bow as she swings backwards into the room behind as the two doors grate wide open.

The room beyond seems hardly worth the build-up, appearing to be yet another small workshop or alchemical laboratory of some sort, now clearly converted into a storage room.  Lined up along the left wall of the relatively modest 30’ x 20’ long room are a series of five mannequins, each holding a variety of items.  Small paper tags hang off of each, with Thassilon runes on them that when examined, seemingly label the items held by each.

 
 Spoiler: The Item Stands 

(It seems one of each of these has been placed here for each of you.  You may take your pick, although the ones that Sorshen are expecting each of you and Silas &amp; Magenta to take should be fairly obvious.  All should be worth rough the same 5,600 GP value)
 
 - A leather belt decorated with silver tassels and engraved with pictures of devils and humans wrestling (Belt of Con +2), a cloak embroidered with symbols of protection in golden thread (Cloak of Resistance +1) &amp; a crystal vial with a golden liquid inside (Potion of Herosim)
- A elegant ring made of woven electrum and cold iron, holding a large pearl as its jewel (Ring of Counterspells with inset Pearl of Power (1st)) and a scroll tube (Scroll with 1 4th level arcane spell - Akashic Communion)
- A golden headband decorated with small ruby roses (Headband of Unshakable Resolve)
- A beautiful scimitar with a black metal blade and what seems to be dragonhide hilt, set into a scabbard also of black dragonhide and decorated with golden stars and rays of light, with the word “Dawnbringer” etched into the leather in Thassilon (+1 Cold Iron Scimitar), a golden sunburst medallion hanging from a thin chain of gold (Aegis of Recovery), and two identical potion vials of crystal holding a shimmering grey substance (Potion of Remove Fear x 2)
- A linen smock and leather apron, trimmed with silver thread (Vest of Surgery), a pair of spectacles with ruby lenses (Deathwatch Eyes), and three linen bandages tucked into the front pocket of the apron (Bandages of Rapid Recovery x 3) 
 
 


Front and center immediately in front of the now open doors, however, is a small podium which holds a large tome that seems to be made of half-inch thick plates.  A brief look at the book reveals that these plates seem to be made out of mithril, and etched with Thassilon script and detailed design diagrams.  On the leather cover of this book is a crude drawing of the gigantic metal snake with the words in Thassilon under it – “Anti [the Thassilon rune here has been burned away, replaced with the familiar impaled eye symbol glaring out at you] Armor – Design and Operations Manual”

And most blessedly, set into the right wall opposite the armor mannequins, is a set of stairs leading up and out of this room.
Darvin
 "Now, to revisit an earlier point, if I were a particularly sadistic wizard then  this  would be where I would horrifically murder would-be thieves, literally with the valuables they seek to plunder in reach,"  Dalen carefully examines the room, though after all he's seen he's fairly certain they are meant to be here.

Upon analyzing the various items with Detect Magic and hearing the translations of the tags, he is certain what each is meant for. And he is somewhat unnerved by the choice of scroll left in the case for him. He'd have to carefully consider at a later time what to do with these gifts. But his attention turns towards the manual. As the title is translated, he grins.

 "I should like to analyze this and create a proper translation. I'll need that ioun stone for this purpose. If I can find some kind of weakness or limitation in that snake we'll have an advantage over Haeluna next time that she won't expect,"  Dalen picks up the heavy book, stowing it carefully in his backpack before attending to the mannequin that is clearly meant for him. He hesitates to put on the ring, but this is not a boon he can afford to reject.
DarkOne-Rob
Even expecting some sort of trap, Bellinda is obviously surprised by the massive statue genuflecting. With a sharp gasp she jumps backward before watching the entire spectacle in awe.

She silently nods at Dalen's suspicion, inching forward carefully until she considers the mannequin intended for her. "   What an elegant blade...   " she whispers as she carefully removes the scimitar and lesser magic items. The halfling dervish takes several steps and slashes at the air with the weapon before nodding and taking the items with her to begin inspecting the stairs up and out of the room.

"  Of course you may use the stone when we're safely on the surface again,  " Bellinda answers as she starts creeping up the stairs, her eyes and ears tuned for danger on the way up...

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Perception +9, Stealth +11.
 
Stelio Kontos
As the room sprang open and the enormity of what was before them began to dawn, Aliani drew in a breath, before letting it out in one long exhalation.   "All of this is here... for  us ?"  he said wonderingly.   "The amount of trouble that had to have been gone through ... all of it ... and it's been sitting here undiscovered, under Korvosa, for probably thousands of years?  Let it humble your spirits, and give faith to our actions.  We are being guided, if you will, through the treacheries that lay before us. Take hope in that." 

A small smile crossed his lips as he continued to look about the room.  It was going to be all right somehow.

The headband he took, almost as an afterthought, placing it confidently upon his head.  It was *meant* to be, after all.
Inspectre
Once it becomes clear that despite Dalen's comment on now being the ideal time for a trap, Sorshen is evidentially not an evil psychopath wizard intent on your destruction but rather has left these things behind to aid you, the group is quick to divvy up the spoils, taking the items from the mannequin that seems most intended for them.  Marcus merely studiously watches the proceedings, muttering quietly to himself  "While grave robbing is a crime in Korvosa, I suppose we are no longer in the Poryphia tomb, and it does seem as if these were left here intentionally for us . . . however the Hells that is possible . . ." 
 "Must be nice." 

Sabrina grunts with a trace of envy in her voice, while Ileosa remains pointedly silent.  Still, from the way she is looking around the room as if seeking a sixth mannequin, it seems obvious that she is disappointed that there was not a mannequin left behind for her.  Given that her figurine was shown back in the puzzle room as standing alongside all of you against Domina, it is perhaps not an entirely unwarranted disappointment.

After giving a brief examination of the operations manual for Sorshen's gigantic weapon system, Dalen stows it in his backpack for further study later.  It is clear from a cursory inspection of the manual that the mechanical snake, despite its impressive showing about the Cathedral of Asmodeus, is in fact an unfinished design, with numerous design flaws and shortcomings that Sorshen never got around to fixing - either due to running out of time before the fall of the Thassilon Empire, or simply becoming distracted with the other minutiae of her rule.  Whether those gaps between the design plans and reality are something that could be exploited by your group for the next battle against Haeluna's new weapon, however, are something that will require Dalen thoroughly examining the numerous metal pages of the manual.

Once everything of value in this storeroom has been gathered up, the group carefully departs up the stairs, Bellinda again in the lead with the iuon stone orbiting her head.  Like the stairway you had used to reach this secret workshop-turned-storeroom, this stairway was likewise trapped, this time by a switch that seemed connected to gears in the wall that would cause them to abruptly smash inward, crushing anyone on the stairway, and another of the disintegration ray dragon heads up near the top.  However, aware of the possibility of traps and coming from what is clearly the opposite direction these traps are supposed to protect, it is relatively simple for Bellinda to identify these traps and thwart them by jamming an iron spike (again provided by Ileosa) into the triggering switch on the stair, and then twisting the dragon statue out of alignment with the door, so that it relatively harmlessly fires its disintegration ray into the wall next to it (accomplished with some help climbing up to reach the dragon head in the first place by standing on Silas &amp; Marcus's shoulders).

These two traps being disarmed, the way is now clear for everyone to ascend up to the very top of the stairway, which this time has only a single, simple door awaiting at the top rather than the imposing double doors (clearly this was meant as a hidden side entrance, while the other one you used was the main route down to the storeroom).  After finding the door unlocked - and no longer trapped with the dragon statue out of alignment - Bellinda carefully eases the door open . . . to reveal a solid stone wall.  Again, this is only a brief obstacle to the group, as it's obvious that this "solid" wall is merely another illusion hiding the doorway and stairway from casual discovery.  Lightly tapping the fake wall is enough to eventually reveal it to be an illusion, the solid stone wavering to become transparent to reveal that this stairway opens out back where you started - Sorshen's underground garden, just to the right of her little hot springs pool.

As the group cautiously steps out into the garden once more, however, there is a lingering sense that something is wrong that settles over everyone.  The serene peace that filled the garden when you first entered is now missing, replaced with an air of tense anticipation, like a coiled spring ready to be released - or a snake.  Dimly aware that you must have spent several minutes pouring over the figurines and navigating the various traps and puzzles to enter the storeroom, giving plenty of time for Rolth and company to set up an ambush, you hurry Ileosa and the others through the garden towards the stairs.  And as you reach the middle of the garden, almost to the doorway leading out of this area and back up into the Dead Warrens, the source of this aura of unease finally reveals itself - from the stairs that are your only way out of here, Haeluna comes shuffling into the light.

 Theme Music 

Her mask now removed and cast away somewhere, you can now clearly see the hatred and fury in the old woman's sneer of disdain, although her auburn eyes, wide and unblinking, tell a story of a different emotion she is feeling right now - fear.

Blood trickles down her right forearm and sprinkles off her fingers to leave dark, blackish splotches in a trail behind her as she slowly advances one stumbling step at a time.  The source of this blood is the line of gaping puncture wounds down her forearm, the first starting at her elbow.  Clutched in her left hand is the Eye, and as you watch Haeluna mechanically stabs the tip of the iron spike into her right arm, leaving another leaking wound.

 “I knew you had to come back this way if you wanted to scurry out of here, you filthy  rats .” 

The florist-turned-anarchist declares, her sneer turning into a rictus grin as her unblinking gaze locks onto Aliani.

 “We could have worked together to change this city, but you threw it all away in favor of Eodred’s gutter-trash  whore .  Now you’ll share her fate –  all  of you will!” 

Taking a deep steadying breath, Haeluna then turns her gaze skyward, directing her next declaration seemingly to the gods or the universe itself, rather than anyone present.

 “Ravage my body, devour my soul, I don’t care!  Just give me one thing – the   power   to see my enemies  DEAD  at my feet!” 

And then Haeluna –

(The following description is spoilered as it is rather squicky.  I will summarize it for you here as Haeluna replaces her right eye with the Eye itself).
 
 Spoiler: Eyescream 

- takes the Eye’s spike into both hands, and plunges the tip, impaled eyeball and all, up into her own right eye socket.  Haeluna screams as blood and viscera erupts out around her hands from the injury, but that scream turns into an inhuman roar as she twists the spike and then rips it back out of her face in another eruption of dark blood before throwing the now-empty spike aside.  Impossible as it should be, while the flesh around Haeluna’s right eye is still torn and bleeding, her auburn eye has been replaced by the Eye’s own eerie vivid cobalt blue irised one, which seems intact despite having spent an unknown amount of time impaled on that iron spike.
 


Almost immediately, thick, bramble-coated vines begin to slither and unfurl from underneath Haeluna’s skin and armor, forming a protective thicket around her.  From her right shoulder sprouts a particularly large vine which terminates in a serpentine, venus-fly trap like mouth.  The mouth pivots open to roar in unison with Haeluna’s own mouth.

   “COWER BEFORE ME!”   

A wave of magical terror races out, carried by that rage-filled shout, that washes over you and threatens to devour your senses, shrinking your world down to a tiny, bleak dot.

(Everyone needs to make a DC 30 Will Save or be reduced to a Panicked - Cowering edition! - mess for the next minute.  It is almost a given that you will fail this save.)

 
 Spoiler: Saves 

Sabrina –  Failed 
Marcus –  Failed 
Aliani – 5 –  Failed 
Dalen – 21 –  Failed 
Silas –  (1d20-1)[ 5 ] 
Magenta –  (1d20+6)[ 24 ] 
Ileosa –  Immune  (What!? Says Haeluna)
 

 Theme Music 
 You aren’t sure where you are anymore – only that it is somewhere bleak and dark, a place abandoned by the gods where no one will come to rescue you.  You are tightly bound in a web of chains, unable to move or even turn your head although you are not sure you would want to do that – somewhere off in the darkness behind you something immensely powerful and evil stirs, stomping towards you with a rumbling laugh.  A voice then booms out of the darkness, unidentifiable in regards to gender or species, but deafening and thrumming with POWER.

   “AND NOW YOU SEE THAT HER HOPES IN YOU ARE THE VAIN HOPES OF A FOOL.  THE STORY CHANGES BUT THE END REMAINS.  AND NO MORTAL, GOD, OR MEDDLING LITTLE RUNELORD CAN SCOUR AWAY WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN.  YOU WILL FAIL.  YOU WILL  *ALWAYS*  FAIL.”   

Where you are abruptly changes, no longer in this dark place but instead forced to relive your own worst personal moments of failure as they flash through your mind.

 
 Spoiler: Aliani 

You see Trinia tumbling down from the Shingles down onto the streets, skewered through the heart by a crossbow bolt and certainly dead even before she shatters against the cobblestones.  Beautrice, half her face burned away and writhing in feverish agony in the bed of your home, only this time there is no Dr. Davaulus come to take the fever away, and she passes away in delirium in your arms this time.  Your mother lying dead in the back alley, the name of her murderer – Haeluna, not Gaedren Lamm – scrawled into the cobblestones with one bloodied finger, washed away by the rain before you could see it.  Trinia again, this time hanging dead from chains in some dark cell beneath the Cathedral of Asmodeus, rendered practically unrecognizable from all the bloody cuts and bruises inflicted by her slow execution through torture.
 

 
 Spoiler: Dalen 

You go to Greg’s house to find him in the dying throes of a Shiver overdose, despite your best efforts to convince him to remain clean of the drug.  You see yourself being escorted into Toff Ornelos’s office – several times - the normally ambivalent old man’s face turning into a leering mask of disapproval and disdain as he berates you for what Gaedren Lamm framed you for – and for your own personal faults in other timelines as you attempted to cheat your way through exams, and got caught.  And you see your father’s disapproving face frowning down at you as he shakes his head “You never could live up to even reasonable expectations.  I will not tolerate your embarrassments any longer – you are no longer my son.  Now get out.”
 

 
 Spoiler: Bellinda 

You see all the children – Lamm’s Lambs – that Gaedren Lamm murdered in front of you, while you stood by, helpless and silent for fear that he’d turn to you next.  Most children survived the initial final beating he gave them, but then he took them down below to the basement of the Fishery, to “the hole” as he called it.  Which you later learned was where he kept his pet alligator, Gobblegut, when you came to kill him after finally freed from his clutches.  But there is no escape and shelter by the clerics of Sarenrae this time.  Instead Gaedren Lamm finds you scratching at the doors to the temple of Sarenrae, begging the cold indifferent doors to swing open and grant you sanctuary.  And he drags you back to the old fishery where he used to operate out of, and after breaking your legs carries you downstairs to be tossed into “the (Gobblegut-filled) hole”.  And then your perspective shifts yet again, post-death, to the stairway a few minutes ago, where you miss the trapped stair entirely, sending everyone sliding down to the bottom as the entire stairway is magically transmuted into a mud-lined slide.  A slide down through a maze of sword blades, concealed beneath the stone stairs but now exposed to rake at everyone as they slide down past them.  At the puzzle-blocked doorway, the floor has likewise melted away into a mud-filled hole, and you sink down into the abyss, desperately clinging to consciousness although you managed to evade the worst of the blades as they were fitted for larger, adult human targets.  You scramble your way up through the writhing bodies of your comrades, some dead some still clinging to life but drowning as they sink further down into the quicksand-like mud pool.  You manage to breach the surface, and drag yourself up onto the narrow ledge around the statue of Sorshen.  An armored hand breaks the surface a few moments after you – Sabrina.  But whether due to injury or from trying to drag Ileosa out with her other hand, that one arm is all that Sabrina manages to force up above the surface.  You grab hold of her hand by the wrist, trying to help pull her out as best you can, but it is not enough before another magic spell goes off, turning the mud back into stone.  Sabrina’s arm is frozen above the surface of the stone, and claws desperately at you for a few moments before falling deathly still.
 

   “DESPAIR AND ROT AWAY TO THE NOTHING THAT YOU ARE, MORTAL.  YOU CANNOT CHANGE WHAT IS TO COME, NO MORE THAN SHE CAN.”
   
 Theme Music 

And then there is something that flitters across your vision, the motion drawing your attention away from the horrors in front of you – a small butterfly with blue wings, leaving splashes of twinkling stardust as it flutters up and down through the air.  You are suddenly back in the dark place, still chained down into helpless immobility, but at least the dreadful heavy presence is no longer there.  Instead standing before you is the beautiful raven-haired woman from the statues, now flesh and blood – Sorshen.  She leans forward to look you directly in the eye as she raises a hand to cradle your cheek, and gives a wan but sincere smile.

 “He may be right.  Perhaps in the end I am just a fool.  But I know that there is more to life than failure, fear, and suffering.  And I  *wish*  for you to be able to see that as well!”
 
There is a loud metallic snap and clatter of chains, and suddenly you are free! 

You come to your senses a moment later, and it seems little, if any, time has passed since Haeluna unleashed . . . whatever horror that was with her new growth’s roar.  Marcus and Sabrina are both still out of it, frozen in place with their eyes closed, each of their faces a stern grimace.  On the other hand, Ileosa is alert and on-guard, a dagger clutched desperately in her hand as she glances around at all of you and breathes a sight of relief.

 “Oh good!  I was worried you had also fallen under whatever spell was placed on Marcus and Sabrina!  I didn’t like my chances against this woman before, but I like them even less now that she’s turned into that . . . that . . .  thing !”
 
 “Impossible!”   

Haeluna growls, clenching her hands into fists, but then flexing them back out into a claw-like position as the plant growth parts its spine-coated mouth to speak again.

   “IT MATTERS NOT.  NOW. LATER. YOUR FATE REMAINS AS WRITTEN IN THE HEAVENS SINCE THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH!  ALL THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WAS THAT NOW, YOU GET TO WITNESS ME RIPPING *THE* CROWN FROM THIS WHORE’S HEAD, BUT NOT BEFORE I PEEL HER FLESH LIKE A GRAPE!”   
 “I . . . I call upon you now, one more time, my allies . . . nay, my friends!  Help me banish this monstrosity back to whatever Hell-spawned pit it came from!” 

Ileosa calls, and then  she begins to sing .  As the song echoes in his mind, again the Harrow draw from Zellara comes to Alaini’s mind, Haeluna and Ileosa juxtaposed, the peacock and the cockatrice.  Seeing what Haeluna has become, and what she has allied herself with, it is clear which side of the coin she has chosen.  (Aliani gets a +2 bonus to all rolls for the duration of this fight, due to his Harrow card all those ages and ages ago.)

(OOC:  There are two valid targets here, both Haeluna and the plant-thing (named Mandragora on the battlemap).  The plant growth is attached to Haeluna’s right shoulder, but seems able to twist and slither around into any square adjacent to her.  Unclear if it can move any further than that away from her at this point.  For her first turn, Ileosa will be activating Bard Song for Inspire Courage, granting everyone a +2 bonus to-hit, damage, and saves against Fear.  This is not sufficient to rouse Sabrina and Marcus.)



 Battle Map 
Darvin
 
 Originally Posted by Inspectre 
  "While grave robbing is a crime in Korvosa, I suppose we are no longer in the Poryphia tomb, and it does seem as if these were left here intentionally for us . . . however the Hells that is possible . . ."  
 

 " Very  powerful magic. Unless you care to take a semester of Divination Theory at the Acadamae, that explanation shall have to suffice,"  Dalen chuckles,  "I must say, that is shaping up to be the most important elective I ever took,"
 

 
 Originally Posted by Inspectre 
 Sabrina grunts with a trace of envy in her voice, while Ileosa remains pointedly silent. Still, from the way she is looking around the room as if seeking a sixth mannequin, it seems obvious that she is disappointed that there was not a mannequin left behind for her. Given that her figurine was shown back in the puzzle room as standing alongside all of you against Domina, it is perhaps not an entirely unwarranted disappointment. 
 

When Dalen has a moment, he casts a Message spell to whisper to Ileosa,  "the role you fill is very different from the ones we do, and with it so are the boons you require. If I were you, I would be looking forward to renegotiation with the Church of Asmodeus. It would be  most unfortunate  if reconstruction of the damage done today were delayed by bureaucratic red tape," 

***

Driven into the depths of his own mind, Dalen watches his failures revolve around him. Is it  really  cheating if you used a Charm spell to ace an Enchantment exam!? Now, it's true, that probably wouldn't justify the Transmutation or Abjuration exams, but at least they never found out about the Divination exam. Ironically. No, wait, there's a timeline where they did. Truly a curiosity to be an observer to one's own life, but incredibly irritating to watch the obvious missteps from a distance. He wanted to jump in and fix it, but every single variation of the event would just lead to  another  disastrous one. What tiny part of his rational mind was not suppressed was  aware  he was getting sucked into an endless self-destructive spiral, but whatever magic was in play shunted that aside and allowed only enough cognizance to accelerate the spiral.


 
 Originally Posted by Inspectre 
  “He may be right.  Perhaps in the end I am just a fool.  But I know that there is more to life than failure, fear, and suffering.  And I  *wish*  for you to be able to see that as well!”
 
There is a loud metallic snap and clatter of chains, and suddenly you are free![/i] 
 

Dalen's mind snaps into focus, the parts that were driven down to despair were placed in a box and other aspects came out. Curiosity of the novel magical phenomenon he was witnessing, logical deduction that found the eye's bravado seemed misplaced given it had to stoop to addressing a gnat like himself, and then that one burning flame deep down that ignited. The  excitement  of being told that a task is impossible.


 
 Originally Posted by Inspectre 
  “Impossible!”    
 

 "I'd prefer the terms 'implausible', 'improbable', or perhaps if you have a highly limited imagination, 'inconceivable'. But if you really know the future, you should be aware that I have  exactly  one spell left, and your eyes were getting bloodshot one way or another,"  Dalen snickers as he proceeds to cast Glitterdust (Blinded, Fortitude DC 18 negates, spell resistances if any does  not  apply) and then steps back to create some distance (moves to M5)
Stelio Kontos
 
 Originally Posted by Inspectre 
 Clutched in her left hand is the Eye, and as you watch Haeluna mechanically stabs the tip of the iron spike into her right arm, leaving another leaking wound.

 “I knew you had to come back this way if you wanted to scurry out of here, you filthy  rats .” 

The florist-turned-anarchist declares, her sneer turning into a rictus grin as her unblinking gaze locks onto Aliani.

 “We could have worked together to change this city, but you threw it all away in favor of Eodred’s gutter-trash  whore .  Now you’ll share her fate –  all  of you will!”  
 

 "We could have.  Much can change.  Much  must  change.  But you have allowed your hate to spread like a bramble in the garden, thinking it will shape your enemies, but in the end, as hate often does, you have let it consume you.  The  purpose  matters, the hope for a better way.  You knew that, once." 

He bowed his head as he drew his morningstar.   "I'm sorry it has come to this.  May the mother forgive you." 

And then she plunged that THING into her own eye.  And everything was terrible, of course, as every failure of Aliani's life, past, present, and possibly even future flashed before his eyes -- but there was an odd sort of calmness about the terror, as if he was watching some sort of play about his own existence.  A tragedy, to be sure, but a play nonetheless.

And then, as quickly as it began, it was over, save for the lingering sensation that he had heard that taunting infernal voice once before, a long time ago, in Andaisin's basement.  And it all made an odd sort of sense, somehow.  There was no reason to hold back, no reason to doubt, no reason to hide.  She had to be destroyed, but it wasn't  her  any more.  There was no reason to hate her for it.

He pulled out a small vial from his pocket, a vial he had filled with his own blood long ago, holding it in his off hand as he brandished his weapon.

 "There is no need to be afraid, my friends.  We are here for a reason, for a purpose.  Let us weed the garden." 

With that, he approached his former savior.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Draw blood reservoir of physical prowess, and move to F9 (hoping to create some AOOs or flanking or something).
 
DarkOne-Rob
As the profane magic washes over her Bellinda retreats into herself, quietly trying to weather the assault and largely failing. With the timely and unexpected assistance from the Runelord she stands and shakes her head before looking to their enemy with a resolute expression. "   Sarenrae guide my blade...   "

 
 Spoiler: Round 1, Bellinda's Status 
   Bellinda Swiftfoot   
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes),  Level  4,  Init  4,  HP  29/29,  Speed  30
 AC  21,  Touch  15,  Flat-footed  17,  CMD  18,  Fort  5,  Ref  10,  Will  6,  CMB  +2,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 “Dawnbringer” (+1 Cold Iron Scimitar)  +11 (1d4+8, 18-20/x2)
 Mithril Shirt  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +1 Size)
 Abilities  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
 Condition Bardic Performance used today: 4/13 rounds
Barkskin (+2 Natural AC) 30-ish (?) minutes
Inspire Courage (+2 vs charm/fear and +2 on attack/damage rolls)
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)
 

Then Bellinda deliberately begins to dance towards the misshapen attacker and slashes at her with her new scimitar!

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Move to  F9  by way of the open path to the right of the map and strike at Haeluna with her new weapon. Dawnbringer:  (1d20+11)[ 20 ]  to hit,   (1d20+11)[ 29 ]  (18-20/x2) ,  (1d4+8)[ 9 ]  magic slashing damage,   (1d4+8)[ 9 ]  critical strike damage .
 
Inspectre
Haeluna raises a hand to shield her face as Dalen conjures an eruption of sparkling magical glitter to burst into existence right in front of her face, but the monstrosity attached to her shoulder doesn't even flinch (perhaps because it lacks eyes to get the glitter lodged into OOC - although it still needed to make a Save, and got a nat 17, so . . . yeah.  😦 ).  The abomination that is now Haeluna gives a joint snort of derision from both the human and plant mouth.

   "Glitter?  Is that the full sum of your arcane strength, "Master" Wizard?  Heh heh heh.  Pathetic. This will be easier than anticipated!"   

Haeluna, or what is left of her, doesn't have much time to continue laughing, however, as the rest of the party approaches, Bellinda followed by Aliani from the right with Silas followed by Magenta from the left.

Magenta leads the assault by digging into her pack and producing a flask of alchemist's fire.  As she does so, she looks intently at Haeluna, clearly studying her for weaknesses.

 
 Spoiler: Magenta 

Move - Move to H3, pull out a flask of alchemist fire as she goes.
Standard - Study target on Haeluna
 


Drawing his falchion off of his back, the tiefling moves in on Haeluna, providing flanking for Bellinda as she sweeps in from the other side.  As he closes in, the plant monster growing from Haeluna's shoulder snaps its jaws at him, although its thorny teeth utterly fail to find process on the tiefling's armor.

 
 Spoiler: Silas 

Double move to F8, drawing Falchion.  This provokes an AoO from the mandragora.
 

 
 Spoiler: Mandragora AoO 

To-Hit:  (1d20+8)[ 15 ] 
Damage:  (1d6+3)[ 7 ] 
Hit: Grab attempt -  (1d20+8)[ 23 ] 
 


As Bellinda closes in and strikes at Haeluna, the venus-fly trap monster on her shoulder sort of sneers, and languidly unfurls a coil of its long tentacle-like neck from around Haeluna's shoulders to raise it up to attempt to parry the scimitar.  Whatever the monstrosity thought that was going to accomplish, it was wrong as Bellinda's new scimitar hacks through the thick vegetable matter of the tentacle as easily as it would flesh, leaving a hissing, smoking wound about a third of the way through the tentacle!  (DR thwarted)

 
 Spoiler: Mandragora Reaction 

While it has to be adjacent to both Haeluna and an attacker to use Bodyguard, I am going to rule that since it's a tentacle-vine-thing wrapped around her, it can still use its once-per-round In Harm's Way feat to take an attack meant for Haeluna.  In this case, that was a bad idea for it since Bellinda can cut through its DR, dealing full damage to the beast!
 
Inspectre
Flexing her shoulder, Haeluna unfurls the venus-fly trap vine out to its full length, the vine somehow managing to remain up in the air as it flexes to keep the head up despite now being nearly 10' in length from Haeluna.  It snakes around behind Silas while Haeluna steps towards him.

She gestures once, and from her back emerges a translucent double of her, only this one turns to face Bellinda, snarling at her as the image dances in and out of Haeluna's form, making it difficult to discern which is the real one and which is the fake.  Haeluna then makes another arcane gesture, spitting words of power as she reaches out a hand to touch Silas on the chest, while the mandragora simultaneously attempts to burrow itself into his back!

Again the mandragora bounces off of the tiefling's armor, and he manages to twist away from Haeluna's hand, his new cloak swirling up into the mad cleric abomination's face just in time!  The tiefling still winces at the jolt of necrotic energy that was pumped into him, while Haeluna maintains a rictus grin, although the smile fades a little into a wince of pain as blood pours out of her shoulder from where the plant vine had burst out of her armor, the vine beginning to knit itself back together as it clearly absorbs some of Haeluna's own life force to keep going!

 
 Spoiler: Haeluna 

Free Action (Start of Round): Switch Mandragora to "Attack" mode
Move Action: Use Copycat ability, creating a single Mirror Image.  Attempting to "cast" this defensively, so it'll fizzle if she fails.  Concentration:  (1d20+6)[ 21 ]  vs. DC 17
5' Step to F8
Standard Action: Swapping 2nd level spell for Inflict Moderate Wounds, attempting to touch Silas.  Concentration:  (1d20+6)[ 23 ]  vs. DC 19
To-Hit:  (1d20+10)[ 26 ]  (+2 Flanking) vs. Touch
Damage:  (2d8+5)[ 15 ]  Negative Energy, DC 15 Will Save for Half  (should be +3 here, so 13 damage instead of 15, halved to 6 damage total)
Sneak Attack:  (3d6)[ 8 ] 
 

 
 Spoiler: Mandragora 

Free Action (Start of Turn): Suck 5 HP out of Haeluna, regaining 5 HP
Move Action: 5' step to F6.  A trail of vine is left in E7 to keep it attached to Haeluna (this is targetable).
Standard Action: Bite Silas (+2 Flanking)
To-Hit:  (1d20+10)[ 13 ] 
Damage:  (1d6+3)[ 9 ] 
Hit: Grab attempt -  (1d20+10)[ 30 ] 
 


Back around to the party!


 Battle Map 
 
 Spoiler: Status 

Haeluna - 5, 1 Mirror Image Up
Mandragora - 4

Party!

Silas - 14
Magenta - Studied Target (Haeluna)
 
Darvin
 
 Originally Posted by Inspectre 
    "Glitter?  Is that the full sum of your arcane strength, "Master" Wizard?  Heh heh heh.  Pathetic. This will be easier than anticipated!"    
 

 "Master Wizard? You flatter me,"  Dalen withdraws his wand and holds it behind his back,  "But alas, every scrap of arcane power at my disposal is something I've had to work so hard to attain,"  Dalen grins widely as he grips the wand and waits for the perfect moment to strike.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Move action to withdraw his wand, and then readied action to cast Magic Missile at Haeluna if she attempts to cast a spell. This will cause a Concentration check or she will lose the spell.

Damage roll if applicable:  (2d4+2)[ 6 ] 
 
Stelio Kontos
  *You can do this.  Just breathe, you can do this.*  

Aliani cracked the reservoir in his palm, feeling a surge of power rush through him as some of the magic liquid pooled on the walk below him, running blood red across the cobblestones.  He tapped Bellinda on the shoulder, just letting her know his intentions, as he passed by her on the right with his morningstar raised for battle.  He planted his feet among the roses, scarcely feeling the thorns brushing against his skin.


 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Use blood reservoir, giving +8 strength until the end of my next turn, and 5' step to E9.
 
Inspectre
Silas coughs up a bit of blood as he sways on his feet, lifting a hand up from the hilt of his falchion a moment to wipe away the blood from his lips with the back of a hand.

"You are really starting to get on my bad side, darling.  I think Aliani is right - it's time to do some trimming!"

Hefting his falchion again, Silas brings it down towards Haeluna's head.  Haeluna manages to duck out of the way of the swing, but that merely leaves her image standing there with its back to Silas, and the blow cleaves the image in twain, dispelling the illusionary double.  Only Haeluna herself now stands with her back to Bellinda.

 
 Spoiler: Silas 

Standard: Hacking away at Haeluna (+2 Flanking with Bellinda, +2 Bard Song)
To-Hit:  (1d20+12)[ 15 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+7)[ 12 ] 
Copycat (1 is Haeluna) -  (1d2)[ 2 ] 

Special: Misses Haeluna's image by 5 or less, which equals a hit as per Mirror Image, so the copycat image is splattered.
 


After a moment of indecision, Ileosa strides forward to stand beside Bellinda, menacing Haeluna with her dagger as she sing-songs a taunt at her.

 "I may not be a warrior like Sabrina, but I'm not going to let you hurt anyone else!  Come on, isn't it me that you want, you old hag!?" 

Haeluna gives an inhuman roar in response and whirls away from Silas to confront the queen, leaving her open to Bellinda's own strikes (+2 Aid succeeded).

 
 Spoiler: Ileosa 

Move: Move to G9.
Standard: Distracting Haeluna with Aid Another (granting +2 to Bellinda if she succeeds)
To-Hit:  (1d20+7)[ 14 ]  vs. DC 10
Free: Maintain bard song
 


And from the far side, Magenta closes in, and after seeing how tightly clustered the group is around Haeluna, switches targets to throw her alchemist fire at essentially Silas's back, aiming at the venus-fly trap head still bobbing around behind him.  She ends up missing both targets in the fracas, the vial sailing over Silas's shoulder to smash against the floor and splatter all three - Haeluna, Silas, and the Mandragora - with the fiery residue.

 
 Spoiler: Magenta 

Move: Move to F6
Standard: Throwing Alchemist Fire at Mandragora
To-Hit:  (1d20+5)[ 12 ]  vs. Touch
Damage:  (1d6)[ 1 ]  Fire
Miss Direction:  (1d8)[ 4 ] 

Splash Damage: Silas, Haeluna, and Mandragora will all take 1 Fire as the vial misses the Mandragora and ends up sailing 1 square to the NE, putting it just north of Silas in E7.  Silas resists the splash damage, yay tieflings.

Mandragora Reflex (if Needed):  (1d20+7)[ 27 ]  vs. DC 15 to avoid catching on fire
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 

Haeluna - 6
Mandragora - 5

Party!
Bellinda - +2 Aid Another from Ileosa
Aliani - STR surge, +8 STR until end of next turn

Silas - 14
Magenta - Studied Target (Haeluna)
 
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Round 2, Bellinda's Status 
   Bellinda Swiftfoot   
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes),  Level  4,  Init  4,  HP  29/29,  Speed  30
 AC  21,  Touch  15,  Flat-footed  17,  CMD  18,  Fort  5,  Ref  10,  Will  6,  CMB  +2,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 “Dawnbringer” (+1 Cold Iron Scimitar)  +11 (1d4+8, 18-20/x2)
 Mithril Shirt  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +1 Size)
 Abilities  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
 Condition Bardic Performance used today: 4/13 rounds
Barkskin (+2 Natural AC) 30-ish (?) minutes
Inspire Courage (+2 vs charm/fear and +2 on attack/damage rolls)
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)
 

Bellinda performs a salute mid-dance, directing the respectful gesture at her Queen, as she spins to get Haeluna back within reach of her blade. Then the halfling dervish continues her strikes with deadly intent!

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
It looks like I have to have Bellinda move to attack, so she will move to  E8 , activate Arcane Strike, and attack:

Dawnbringer -  (1d20+13)[ 21 ]  to hit,   (1d20+13)[ 20 ]  (18-20/x2) ,  (1d4+8)[ 11 ]  magical slashing damage,   (1d4+8)[ 12 ]  critical strike damage .
 
Inspectre
Bellinda brings the scimitar back around, cutting a wide slash in Haeluna's left leg, which begins leaking a blackish . . . inchor? blood?
The revolutionary-turned-monster growls as she begins casting another spell, this time glaring at the halfling blade dancer.
Unfortunately for Haeluna, Dalen may be out of spells but not tricks just yet, as a pair of magic missiles fly from his wand (still behind his back) and arc around to slam into her side.

 
 Spoiler: Haeluna 

Free Action: Switch Mandragora back to Defense Mode
Move Action: Copycat again - Concentration:  (1d20+6)[ 13 ]  vs. DC 17
Standard Action: Casting Hold Person - Concentration:  (1d20+6)[ 19 ]  vs. DC 19
And then damage Concentration =  (1d20+6)[ 15 ]  vs. DC 18
 

   "Damn you!"   

The cleric and her pet monster howl in unison, the plant twisting around to glare at Dalen before retracting back over Haeluna's shoulder.  The tentacle/neck vine swells as more energy flows out of Haeluna into her new appendage, and then the venus fly trap spreads its maw wide to vomit forth a hail of nettles and acidic goo!

 
 Spoiler: Mandragora 

Free Action: Drain 5 more HP away from Haeluna, healing back up to full
5' Step back to E7
Standard: Unleash breath weapon, 15' Cone, hitting both Bellinda and Aliani (Reflex Save DC 14)
Damage:  (4d4)[ 7 ] 
Failed Reflex Save: Follow-up Effect, Fort Save DC 14
Failure Fort Save as well: Sickened from Pain (-2 to all rolls) until spend a Full-Round action to remove all of the nettles from your flesh (someone can also make a DC 15 Heal check to remove the nettles for you *looks at Magenta)
 
Darvin
 
 Originally Posted by Inspectre 
    "Damn you!"    
 

 "That's all it took? I guess this will be easier than anticipated,"  Dalen retorts with a faux joviality as he continues to stand with the wand at the ready, absolutely intent on doing it again.
Stelio Kontos
With a grim look, the playwright took a step forward, and unleashed a mighty blow.  It was obvious by now that his mentor was gone, one way or another, and this horrid husk of a  thing  was all that was left.  With all his might, and the might of others before him, he brought his morningstar down on her head, trying not to think of what was.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
5' step to F9
Attack:  (1d20+16)[ 30 ]  to hit (normal +4; +2 from harrow, +2 from inspire courage, +4 from the temporary strength boost, +2 from flanking, +2 from Aid Another when that happens)
Damage:  (1d8+8)[ 13 ]  damage (normal 1d8; +2 from harrow, +2 from inspire courage, +4 from the temporary strength boost)
 
Inspectre
Silas grimly continues hacking away at Haeluna, prompting the Mandragora to lash out to interpose itself, even though it's enchanted flesh is easily parted by the cold iron weapon.  The mandragora is able to block Silas's blow, but can do nothing as Aliani steps forward and unleashes all of his focused strength into one strike that buries the morningstar into Haeluna's face, sending her staggering to one side as her head snaps back from the blow.  If she were still a normal human, that blow might well have been enough to end it . . . but as Aliani pulls the weapon back, Haeluna's head lolls back into place, black blood tricking down from the ruin of her normal side of her face as the Eye still glares back at him from Haeluna's (mostly) still-intact socket.

 
 Spoiler: Silas 

Hacking away at Haeluna!
To-Hit:  (1d20+10)[ 20 ]  (+2 Bard Song)
Damage:  (2d4+7)[ 14 ] 
 

 
 Spoiler: Mandragora Reaction 

Will attempt to Bodyguard Haeluna, using In Harm's Way if Silas still hits
Aid Another:  (1d20+8)[ 19 ]  vs. DC 10
 


Still keeping her eyes on Haeluna, Magenta nonetheless rushes forward to stab at the plant with her rapier, to virtually no effect.

 
 Spoiler: Magenta 

Move: Move to F6, stab at Mandragora
To-Hit:  (1d20+6)[ 17 ] 
Damage:  (1d6+2)[ 5 ]  (stopped by DR)
 


Ileosa snarls at Haeluna - " "Stop hurting my friends!  It's me you want!" 

While subtly signaling to Aliani with her non-dagger hand that he should move in and she will cover him.

 
 Spoiler: Ileosa 

Maintaining Bard Song.
Standard - Aid Another on Aliani
To-Hit:  (1d20+7)[ 14 ]  vs. DC 10
 

 Link to Battle Map 
 
 Spoiler: Status 

Haeluna - 39
Mandragora - 14

Party!

Silas - 14
Aliani - 7
Bellinda - 7 or 3 (Reflex Save DC 14 for Half, then Fort Save DC 14 to avoid being Sickened from Pain until Nettles removed)
Magenta - Studied Target (Haeluna)
 
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Round 3, Bellinda's Status 
   Bellinda Swiftfoot   
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes),  Level  4,  Init  4,  HP  26/29,  Speed  30
 AC  21,  Touch  15,  Flat-footed  17,  CMD  18,  Fort  5,  Ref  10,  Will  6,  CMB  +2,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 “Dawnbringer” (+1 Cold Iron Scimitar)  +11 (1d4+8, 18-20/x2)
 Mithril Shirt  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +1 Size)
 Abilities  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
 Condition Bardic Performance used today: 4/13 rounds
Barkskin (+2 Natural AC) 30-ish (?) minutes
Inspire Courage (+2 vs charm/fear and +2 on attack/damage rolls)
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)
 

With a smooth dodging motion, Bellinda avoids the worst of the plant-fiend's breath weapon and strikes at Haeluna again with a flourish!

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Passed the Reflex save in Discord.

5-ft step to  F9 , activate Arcane Strike, and then attack: Dawnbringer -  (1d20+11)[ 19 ]  to hit,   (1d20+11)[ 20 ]  (18-20/x2) ,  (1d4+8)[ 12 ]  magical slashing damage,   (1d4+8)[ 12 ]  critical strike damage .
 
Inspectre
Bellinda ducks under the worst of the spew of thorns, dancing back into the path that the caustic spray had chewed through the rose bush behind her.  A moment and a graceful pirouette later and she dances back into the battle, delivering an arcing slash that cuts Haeluna across her stomach.  More black bile and twisted brambles spill out from the injury, as the fallen Milanite becomes less and less human with each passing moment.  Even so, Haeluna is starting to look increasingly battered as she stumbles back away from Bellinda, Alliani, and Queen Ileosa, stepping back into the flowering bushes off to one side of the path that this fight had largely been taking place on.  As she moves,  the venus-fly trap head follows along behind, dragged along to roughly occupy the space that Haeluna was just standing in to cover her plodding escape.  She first mutters the by-now familiar words of deceitful magic that summons another illusionary duplicate, and then begins the words to a new magic that Dalen does not recognize.  Different is not good in his book, and so he triggers another barrage of magic missiles from the wand behind his back.  At the same time, taking Haeluna's desperate casting as a moment of weakness, both Silas and Magenta lunge forward to also attempt to interrupt the casting, but both of them are foiled - Silas by the duplicate that Haeluna had just summoned, and Magenta by the plant monster interposing itself, this time to impressive effect as magenta's rapier fails to even scratch the thing.  Before Dalen's magic missiles can reach their target, Haeluna finishes her magic and dissolves entirely into a snarl of brambles which flail around a moment before burrowing down into the ground.  Dalen watches with a sinking feeling in his stomach as the magic missiles obediently turn and arc back towards him in mid-flight, before blowing into the mass of brambles that begins erupting up out of the dirt from the flower bed right next to him.  Haeluna bursts out of the earth a moment later with a snarl, the venus-fly trap mouth surging forward to snap at the wizard and attempt to ensnare him in its jaws!

 
 Spoiler: Haeluna 

Move action - Defensively cast Copycat again.  Gets a 25 on Concentration - passes.
5' step to G7, dragging the Mandragora into F8 since it has to remain adjacent to her for the moment.
Standard Action - Non-defensively cast an unidentified spell-like ability (OOC: It's a tweaked Dimension-door equivalent to Tree Stride).  This provokes an AoO from Silas and Magenta both as they are still adjacent to her.  Silas kills the duplicate Haeluna mirror image while Magenta's strike is blocked by the Mandragora's In Harm's Way reaction for Round 3.  Dalen's readied magic missiles also hit Haeluna, but she makes the DC 21 concentration check to continue casting the spell.  She Plant Strides/Dimension Doors over to L5.  She takes the Mandragora with her, with it ending up in K6.
 

 
 Spoiler: Mandragora 

Free: Steals 5 HP from Haeluna
Move: Moves from K6 to L4 as it circles around Haeluna to be adjacent to Dalen
Standard: Bite that stupid mage if its the last thing it does
To-Hit:  (1d20+8)[ 24 ] 
Damage:  (1d6+3)[ 4 ] 
Hit: Grab attempt:  (1d20+8)[ 16 ] 
 
Inspectre
Not protected by armor as Silas was, the thorn-laded mouth of the vine finds purchase in Dalen's shoulder, and despite its slender appearance the vine easily hauls him up into the air off his feet by a foot or so, the thick tentacle beginning to wrap around him like a constrictor snake.  With its mouth full of wizard, the plant monster sprouting from Haeluna's shoulder cannot speak, but Haeluna can, spitting out a guttural hiss through what appears to be a broken jaw.

   "You're good at calculation, Master Wizard.  What do you think the odds are that your friends will be able to reach me again before I crush the life from your bones?"   
 Battle Map 
 
 Spoiler: Status 

Haeluna - 63
Mandragora - 9, Grappled

Party!

Silas - 14
Aliani - 7
Bellinda - 3
Dalen - 4, Grappled
Magenta - Studied Target (Haeluna)
 
Darvin
 "Did I - ugh - strike a nerve?"  Dalen winces with pain as he is trapped in the vice grip of those jaws,  "but you I both know this won't relent until one of us is dead, and with your little bodyguard preoccupied I don't think I need to endure this for much longer,"  Dalen's wand flares as he strikes Haeluna with more missiles.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Magic Missile  (2d4+2)[ 6 ] 
Move action to draw  alchemist's fire  a dagger in his other hand.
 
Stelio Kontos
Aliani wheeled around as he saw the ... thing ... emerge from the ground.  His feet started to carry him before his mind, his feet dancing through the flowerbeds.  A few daisies and begonias took the worst of it; he'd have to remember to come back for that.  An odd thought to come to mind as he charged...

 "Less time than you think." 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Charge!!!

Attack:  (1d20+12)[ 30 ]  to hit
Damage:  (1d8+4)[ 7 ]  if hits
 
Inspectre
Silas and Magenta rush to Dalen's aid, although they are slowed by the presence of Marcus and Sabrina, the two skilled warriors still little more than grimacing, quivering statues at this moment.

"We're coming Dal, hang on!"

Silas calls, rushing towards Haeluna with his falchion raised high while Magenta moves in more thoughtfully, digging into her new surgeon's apron for a roll of bandages, clearly in anticipation of having to stitch Dalen back together after Haeluna is done with him.  Ileosa also moves closer, taking up position near Sabrina.  The queen glances at her bodyguard, clearly seeking some hope that Sabrina would be able to break free of Haeluna's fear magic, and shaking her head as she concludes that was a forlorn hope.  Once again the queen is forced to result to throwing harsh language at Haeluna in another vain attempt to get her to focus on her stated objective instead of all of you.

 "Come on, you freakish witch!  I'm right here!  Aren't you going to fulfill your promise of ripping my crown from my head!?  Try and take it then!" 

Haeluna's only response is a gurgling chuckle, ignoring the queen completely as she answers Aliani's own taunt.

   "And yet not soon enough.  Time for you to meet your own masters, Master Wizard!"   

Ileosa looks around in desperation, clearly trying to think of some way to aid Dalen, and then she simply stops, tilting her head as if listening to something inaudible to everyone else.

 
 Spoiler: Silas 

Double Move to K4
 

 
 Spoiler: Magenta 

Move: Move to I4
Standard: Pull out bandages
 

 
 Spoiler: Queen Ileosa 

Move: Move to I7
Standard: Listening to a suggestion only she can hear, Queen Ileosa readies an action.
 
Inspectre
Determined not to let Haeluna get away from her again, Bellinda weaves an arcane spell into her dance as she piruoettes to track where the abomination has teleported to in order to assault Dalen, and then dashes across the intervening distance in a blur of motion.

 
 Spoiler: Bellinda 

Standard: Cast Expeditious Retreat
Move: Easily move the 35' or so to K6 with her boosted speed.  I believe no matter where Haeluna goes in this room, Bellinda will be able to get back into melee with her now with her 60' move speed.
 


Even still, the halfling might be arriving too late as the wicked tentacle vine tightly coils and wraps itself around Dalen, one thorny loop going around his neck to choke him into silence while another loop lashes itself around his wrist, crushing it until his tortured muscles are forced to relent and release their grip on the wand.  Meanwhile, the wizard starts to get light-headed as a particularly large thorn twists around to embed itself in his neck, and the plant monster makes slurping noises as it sucks his blood out through the puncture!  As Dalen's blood runs into what passes for the monstrosity's gullet, its injuries begin to reseal, and now being fed by Dalen it doesn't seem to pull any life energy from Haeluna.

 
 Spoiler: Mandragora 

Haeluna delays until after the Mandragora this turn.
Standard: Maintains its grapple on Dalen, attempting to pin him.  It gains a +5 bonus on this check, and thus I believe can only fail on a natural 1 (and here it comes . . .)
Grapple:  (1d20+13)[ 15 ]  vs. CMD
Success:  Blood Drain on Dalen, dealing  (1d3)[ 1 ]  Con damage.
Effect: The Mandragora heals 5 HP, and does not take any HP from Haeluna this round since it's already got some tasty blood.
 
Inspectre
   "Shhh Master Wizard . . . be still!  Your life is over now."   

Haeluna croaks into Dalen's ear as the vine hefts him higher up off the ground, and twists him around to present his back to the mad fallen cleric.
From the corner of his eye, Dalen can see Haeluna flex her hands, which have morphed into wooden claws, coated in glistening thorns.
She regards the region around his right kidney thoughtfully as time seems to slow to a crawl, everyone leaping to the now helpless wizard's defense but clearly too late to intervene in what comes next.

   "But don't worry.  You can scream your next witticism from the depths of Hell!"   

Haeluna flexes her claws and pulls them back to strike, only to be interrupted by a sudden shout from Ileosa, one hand outstretched now to point accusingly at her.

 "I,  Queen Ileosa Arabasti ,  command you!    Release him!  " 

From a moment, there is a faint rumble underfoot and the lights in the room dim.

 
 Spoiler: Perception DC 20 

You see everyone's shadow - including Haeluna, twist and bend unnaturally in the light, moving as if bowing towards Ileosa out of reverence - or perhaps fear.

 
 Spoiler: Perception DC 25 

Ileosa's own shadow grows and twists behind her, spreading out to resemble an immense winged shape, before, with a flaring of its wings, it seems to dive in on itself, shrinking back down to reform into Ileosa's own normal shadow again as the lights come back up.
 

 

 
 Spoiler: Mandragora Will Save 

Will Save:  (1d20+3)[ 19 ]  vs. DC 19
 
Inspectre
There is a long breathless pause, and then through its grip on Dalen's neck, the beast roars back.

   "I don't take orders from you."   

And then Haeluna strikes.

 
 Spoiler: Haeluna 

Full Attack on Dalen
1st Claw
To-Hit:  (1d20+7)[ 13 ] 
Damage:  (1d6+2)[ 3 ] 
Sneak Attack:  (3d6)[ 8 ] 

2nd Claw
To-Hit:  (1d20+7)[ 16 ] 
Damage:  (1d6+2)[ 5 ] 
Sneak Attack:  (3d6)[ 11 ] 
 
Darvin
Rather than retort to Haeluna, Dalen simply focuses on his empathic connection to his familiar with two distinct thoughts: wand, Ileosa

Dalen collapses to the ground, the wand relinquished from his grasp and collapsing to the floor as his limp body is held by the creature. His familiar snatches it, then flies to Ileosa with it.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Dalen's constitution is reduced to 11, maximum HP drops to 22
Current HP is -9
 
Stelio Kontos
Aliani saw the damnable plant start to feed, saw Dalen's skin turning pale, going limp... and he let out a shriek.

Taking a quick step back , he reached for his collar.   "Everbloom save my friend please!"  he murmured.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Channel energy for  (2d6)[ 4 ]  healing for all -- except the bitch and her plant.
 
Inspectre
"Dalen . . . no . . . "

Ileosa gasps, her arm slowly dropping back to her side as its clear whatever she just did failed to work.
Whatever she had attempted to do, it clearly has taken a toll on the queen as she sways on her feet, swooning.
And then she closes her eyes and collapses, fainting.

(OOC:  Ileosa faints and goes unconscious.  This will be the last round of her bard song as obviously she won't be able to maintain it next round.)

 
 Spoiler: Spellcraft DC 24 

What. The.    HELLS.    What Ileosa had just, at least attempted to do, was cast Dominate Monster.  That's a 9th level spell, known only by archmages and a few select others!  A bard should never have been able to cast such a spell, even though it appeared Ileosa didn't actually cast anything, merely summoned the magic from somewhere with a gesture!
 


As Dalen also slumps in a bleeding mess, the tentacle releases him and lets him drop uncermoniously to the floor in a bloody heap with a chuckle.

   "Heh heh heh.  That's one fool down.  Who would like to die next?"   

(Haeluna regains her ability to have the Mandragora block one attack after it releases Dalen.)

 Battle Map 
 
 Spoiler: Status 

Haeluna - 74
Mandragora - 4

Party!

Silas - 10
Aliani - 3
Bellinda - 0, Expeditious Retreat
Dalen - 27, -1 Con, Unconscious (-5), Stable
Magenta - Studied Target (Haeluna)
 
Inspectre
"How about me, you vicious bitch!"

Silas roars as he hacks at her with his falchion.  Unfortunately through the tears forming in his eyes, he can't see very well and his blow goes wide.

 
 Spoiler: Silas 

To-Hit:  (1d20+12)[ 13 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+5)[ 8 ] 

Mandragora attempt to Bodyguard -  (1d20+8)[ 14 ]  vs. DC 10
 


By contract, Magenta is silent as she closes into melee as well, seeking to eliminate the threat first before treating her new patient.  As last time, Magenta's lunge is met by a coil of vine, and the tip of the rapier useless glides off of its magical hide to no effect.  (Attack blocked, 0 damage to Mandragora, but In Harm's Way and 2 bodyguard uses/2 AoOs have been used up.)

 
 Spoiler: Magenta 

Move: Move to K5 and attack
To-Hit:  (1d20+12)[ 25 ] 
Damage:  (1d6+4)[ 7 ] 
Study Target:  (1d6)[ 3 ] 
 


Ileosa remains where she has fallen, lying unconscious on the floor.
DarkOne-Rob
 
 Spoiler: Round 5, Bellinda's Status 
   Bellinda Swiftfoot   
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes),  Level  4,  Init  4,  HP  26/29,  Speed  60
 AC  21,  Touch  15,  Flat-footed  17,  CMD  18,  Fort  5,  Ref  10,  Will  6,  CMB  +2,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 “Dawnbringer” (+1 Cold Iron Scimitar)  +11 (1d4+8, 18-20/x2)
 Mithril Shirt  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +1 Size)
 Abilities  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
 Condition Bardic Performance used today: 5/13 rounds
Barkskin (+2 Natural AC) 30-ish (?) minutes
Battle Dance - Inspire Courage (+2 vs charm/fear and +2 on attack/damage rolls)
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)

Expeditious Retreat
 

Bellinda deliberately starts a specific dance, invoking sacred devotion and her artistic training as she dances close to the monstrosity and slashes at her with her new scimitar!

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Swift action to activate Arcane Strike.

Move action to start her Battle Dance. Standard action to attack Haeluna:

Dawnbringer -  (1d20+11)[ 31 ]  to hit,  (1d20+11)[ 13 ]  (18-20/x2),  (1d4+8)[ 12 ]  magic slashing damage,  (1d4+8)[ 10 ]  critical strike damage.
 
Inspectre
Distracted with feeding on Dalen, the vine is unable to block Magenta's strike after all, and her rapier sinks partway into Haeluna's chest, stopped short just shy of whatever remains of her heart by the bark-like second skin she has grown underneath her armor.  Bellinda sweeps in from the side, her movements a prayer to Sarenrae - a prayer which is answered as her new blade again arcs in between Haeluna's ribs, scouring another deep wound in the creature's chest that would have outright felled a mortal opponent.  But while not immortal, the Eye's foul magic have clearly bolstered the old woman's fortitude considerably, and so she remains stubbornly on her feet, her breath coming in hissing, wheezing gasps now.  The Eye tracks in Haeluna's socket, focusing on Aliani as the mockery of his old mentor sneers at him.

   "It would seem that the Master Wizard yet clings to life!  I can feel his heart slowing . . . faltering . . . it won't be long now before it stops forever.  Let us see now if you are anything more than the hero you pretend to be - can you save even one life?"   

More blood is methodically sucked out of Dalen's neck as the vine wrapped around him continues to feed.

 
 Spoiler: Mandragora 

Technically it could still roll a 1 to maintain the grapple!
Grapple:  (1d20+13)[ 27 ]  (plus some more I think for Dalen being unconscious and thus helpless and unable to effectively resist.)
Blood Drain:  (1d3)[ 1 ]  Con
Continues to feed off Dalen instead of Haeluna for its round of HP.
 


Haeluna steps back away from the group, remaining only in Aliani's reach as she reaches a claw down, ripping open a pouch at her belt and snatching up the potion vial that had been secured inside.

   "That your best shot, Pretender."   

Haeluna wheezes, and then raises the potion vial to her lips . . .

 
 Spoiler: Haeluna 

5' Step to the south, into M5.
Move Action: Retrieve potion
Standard: Drink Potion of CSW, provoking an AoO from Aliani only.  If his AoO fails to kill her, she gets the potion down and heals.
CSW:  (3d8+5)[ 20 ] 
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 

Haeluna - 74
Mandragora - 0

Party!

Silas - 10
Aliani - 3
Bellinda - 0, Expeditious Retreat
Dalen - 27, -2 Con, Unconscious (-5), Stable
Magenta - Studied Target (Haeluna)
 
Stelio Kontos
His arm trembling slightly, the playwright swung his morningstar, trying to let those lessons from Vencarlo override everything else that was roiling around inside that head and heart of his...

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

AOO:  (1d20+8)[ 25 ]  attack,  (1d8+4)[ 10 ] damage if hits...
 
Inspectre
(I think that moment deserves a little of Aliani's personal theme music here!)

 Aliani's Theme 

Vencarlo's lessons seem to have paid off, as for a moment the playwright is less the desperately fumbling actor he felt like he was and Haeluna just mocked him for, and more like the warrior hero from one of his plays.
As Haeluna raises the potion vial to her lips, Aliani's morningstar arcs in and catches her full on the other side of her face, cracking her head to one side again and just missing impaling the Eye on one of its spikes.
The potion vial tumbles from her hands, plopping quietly into the dirt beside one of the now thoroughly trampled flowers in the general vicinity where the final part of this fight has taken place.
From its position wrapped around Dalen, the vine releases its grip on his neck to speak as Haeluna falls wordlessly to her knees.

   "Well . . . done .  . . Pretender."   

After another moment, Haeluna topples over onto her side, seemingly to shrink a little as her battered body just sort of slides apart into torn giblets held together only loosely by the tangled briars.  From its position by Dalen, the vine continues to relax its grip on the wizard as it likewise begins to wilt and shift from a sickly green to dead rust brown.

   "It . . . would seem this old crone is . . . more pathetic than she first appeared.  Oh well.  Savor . . . this meaningless stay of execution . . . while you can.  After all . . . if city won't . . . burn . . . then it . . . shall . . .  ROT !   

The vine rapidly withers away further, melting into what is effectively strings of goo, which in turn rapidly evaporate into nothing but a foul-smelling residue of ectoplasm.  As does the rest of the thorns and briars sticking out of Haeluna's skin and holding her literally together, leaving her battered body little more than a bloody pile of gore.  The Eye fades from its eerie cobalt blue, frosting over into a pale white orb, like a smooth hailstone.  And then like a stone, it cracks and splits, shattering as an inhuman wail echoes throughout the room and assaults your ears.  A dark shadow wafts up from the depths of the Eye as it too melts away into goo, and then a disgusting residue, as the shadow likewise quickly fades and melts away to nothing.

And then . . . the world goes sideways.  You've all been through this before, as you stepped out of your own "home" or original world, and into this one, by whatever strange means and magicks were causing this phenomenon.  It would seem that Sorshen is somehow involved in that, and apparently the Eye's master as well.  This particular travel between parallel worlds that you experience now, however, is much harsher and abrupt than the previous ones you've been through.  The world sways and seems to tip sideways beneath your feet, dumping you unceremoniously out into yet another similar but not-quite-so subtly different one.

Dalen is still lying bleeding out on the floor, and Queen Ileosa is still over there unconscious.  Sabrina is slowly coming too, clutching her head with a groan as she comes around from wherever the nightmare vision Haeluna summoned took her mind to.  But Marcus Endrin, Silas, and Magenta are all gone.  In their places stand three strangers . . . no, not strangers after all, as the memories from this world slam into the back of your mind like a hammer blow - allies.  Your traveling companions, who fought beside you down here in *this* world, and waged a final desperate stand against Haeluna and the Eye to stop her from harming Queen Ileosa, and using Sorshen's strange weapon from harming Korvosa any more than the Cathedral of Asmodeus (which was admitedly not much of a loss, all in all).  You also feel strangely stronger, as if either your trials here in this world were harsher, or perhaps merely as a side effect of passing through the veil between worlds to arrive here.  Whatever the future may hold, it seems you would need to work together with these newcomers to your group to find answers, and continue to protect Korvosa from the Eye's final threat.

   City shall burn . . . City shall rot   
 End of Book One - Edge of Anarchy 
 The Story continues in The Crimson Echo, Season Four! 