(I/C)
"We need to get out of here right now,” Lannis said anxiously.
“Where to?” Kovid asked.
Getting to the front near the door, Brendon replied, “Dining hall does seem like the least likely place anyone would go, that might be our best bet for resting.”
Readying her Flail, Lyra answered, “Ugh... the dining hall? That place gives me the creeps. I guess it’s pretty inconspicuous though. Doubt anyone would figure were sitting in there.”
“If we hang out in the NW corner,” the Scout added, “we might hear movement in the halls as well. The tables could provide cover.”
“If we’re doing this,” Lannis said, “I vote for going north and around, although they're just as likely to cover both paths. If we make it out the dining room may work, maybe we can even scurry upstairs through the fireplace."
"South may be our route mas rapido, amigos. Norte es bueno, pero si they come up that way, como the skellingtones did to catch us from behind, could run right into them. So we must move mas rapido. So south is the way. Wherever you go, I will follow.”
"The orcs coming to get us may also think going along the southern path is faster,” the Magic User shrugged. “Do what you all think is best, neither I nor anyone else here is a cartographer."
“I vote goin south, stoppin to listen at the corner after de scriptorium, den proceedin towards de dining hall.” Wyn tightened his belt and checked his bowstring. “If we hear orcs coming at de corner by de scriptorium, den we cen go de long way around... west den south through de ex-kob warren, east down de hallway of questionable dimension, etc. If we don't hear any orcs coming, we proceed straight to de dining hall.”
“Hobgoblin patrol that way,” Lannis reminded him.
“Ugh. Damn. Ok, maybe dey moved?”
“South it is then,” Kovid asserted, giving Brendon a small shove. “It’s time to move.”
Wyn moved to the middle of the party right behind Lyra, giving the Cleric an apology, “I hope you dunt mind but I need to stay in de middle of de party for de moment... doze undead kicked my ass en I tink a stray arrow could almost end tings for moi.”
“Not a problem, stay focused,” she replied.
After making sure the coast was clear (no roll needed), Brendon ran the party south, taking the group at a quick jog through the winding passages as it led them south. The group kept up a good pace, but to the elf and the Scout, the jangling armor, squeaking belts and straps, and slapping footsteps seemed inordinately loud.
As they went on, Abraxas remind the group, “Me gusta una place to warm up our amigos frio, pero whatever el grupo decides, we do. The Baths were already clear last time and they have no reason to think we'd go there - they don't know we are sucio y frio. Vamonos amigos, south!"
Kovid nodded, “I almost took the Brazier but honestly, if we have to run, I’d have to leave it behind. It’s safer where it is. As for the Baths? Makes sense to me, BUT since the dining hall has the majority I won’t fight it. We can go there first. Let’s keep moving!”
As the group ran on (WMC: Red/Black 3 – no), they heard neither the hobgoblin patrol or the rumbling call of the Owlbear. They made the turn around the dressmakers and then finally at the Scriptorium they slowed down, listened, and heard nothing. Leading them into the hall, Brendon was moving the group east when (Hear Noise: Red 25) he stopped short and hissed, “Fuck, coming up that damned northern hall where the Spy was!”
“Turn around,” Abraxas suggested, already making the move back when Brendon shook his head and pointed south.
“No. Won’t make it. Go, go, go!” The party turned to the south down the hall where the nut shells had been and then turned to the west just as the pounding running feet of hunting orcs…lots of orcs (15 to 25) filled the main east/west hall. (Wis check: Lyra <5, Brendon <1, Wyn >14) As they were going down the hall, Lyra reached forward, grabbed Kovid, and pointed to his lantern. At the same time, Brendon shook his head and motioned the group to ‘stop’ and held his fingers to his lips miming to be ‘silent’.
Standing a half dozen paces from the door to the Statue room, fresh looking strands of thick webbing hanging from the ceiling, the lantern’s light muted by the dwarf’s cloak, the party tried to stand rock still and say nothing, hiding in the gloom as MANY orcs ran on by towards the Scriptorium Hall. Wyn and Brendon were counting the foot steps and the grunts as the brutes ran on, goaded by a female orc named, “Alha”. (Sense? Black 10 – no (missed by 3))
It seemed though that the orcish hunters did not catch our quick reversal and continued on their way to the Butchers. Brendon snuck back, elven cloak tight around his shoulders, and looked, seeing no one in the East /West hall and (>Hear Noise, Red 73) heard no one. “We’ve got a few minutes. Let’s go,” he whispered and the group once again reenetered the main hall and ran off towards the Dining Room.
The raced past the North Hall and were almost at the Main South Hall when (>+4 to hit, +4 Surprise Backstab Invisible, Black 16) Abraxas felt something hit his back a moment before a short sword slid through the plates of his armor and stabbed deep (1d6+1 Damage x2: Red/Black 4+1=5x2=10 Damage!). He fell to one knee, gasping for breath as she twisted the blade and whispered in his ear, “You should always kneel for a Duchess, Big Boy.”
Lannis looked on with horror as the woman, human, brunette, hard face and grim smile, blew the Magic User a kiss, and with her off hand, drew Abraxas sword from his scabbard and dropped something from her hand. “I’ll see you again. Tag.” And then she disappeared in an inrushing of air, portalling away.
“Arghhrrghh,” Abraxas choked, pushing himself up.
“Shh!” Lannis admonished (<Int check, Pink 3), reaching down to pick up what seemed to be a vial she dropped, and then looped the Fighter’s arm over his shoulder and stood him up. The rest of the group had already made the turn, running towards the Dining Area. “I’ve got you, Lugnut. We’ve got to go.” To add weight to his words, in the distance behind them, somewhere, the orcish hunters had arrived at the Butchers and seemed VERY angry that there were dead skeletons everywhere – but no party.
“Find them! Find them!” they heard, Abraxas and Lannis running on.
They made the corner and ran up to the group, Brendon and Kovid in the hall looking at them with worry. “What happened?”
“Fucking Duchess stabbed Pointbreak in the Gizzard and then portalled out of here.”
“Puta got me deep,” Abraxas coughed, blood flecking his lips. The group finished spilling into the room, shutting the door firmly and then moving away from the portal to avoid any strange sounds or lights. Brendon immediately went to the north wall and laid his ear against it, listening.
“Did she follow us?” Lyra asked with concern.
“No,” Lannis replied. “She portalled away.” He looked down at the vial in his hand and smirked. “Recall Potion.”
“Ah,” Wyn grimaced. “Dat explains it.” (No roll, Wizard and elf)
“What’s it do?” Kovid asked.
“You drink it in the morning in a place and carry the vial around with you. And sometime in the next 12 hours, if you drop the potion vial, you portal back to where you drank the potion.”
“Really?”
“Oui,” Wyn said. “Its not very far dough. Maybe 300 yards, so you can’t go adventuring and den snap back to home.”
“She was invisible as well.”
“Said her name was Duchess,” Abraxas added.
“Must have been the same broad fucking around in the Grotto below.”
Meanwhile Brendon was letting the group know that the Hobgoblin patrol had arrived and the Orc known as Alha was directing them to scour every hall and fan out. There was some horn blasts that followed and she let everyone know, that we ALL come running when the horn blows.
Looking around at the shadowy Dining Room with its almost 20 petrified and stoned elves situated around it, Lannis sighed deeply and asked, “Well, do we rest here and now? What the hell do we do?”
Time now is Day 7, 5:40 PM
(OOC)
Group is currently safe in the Dining Room. There was no blood trail as it pretty much stayed inside Abraxas’ armor. What’s the plan? Also, Abraxas down to 5 hp!!
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