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THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY NINE
(I/C)
“Mirabellis time right?” Kovid asked, giving his hammer a short swing, “It’s gonna be a bitch in more ways than one.”
“Mirabellis sounds right to me,” Lyra agreed with a heavy sigh. “Honestly, if we were under different circumstances, I feel like me and Mira would get along.” She gave Lannis a side eye. “Things we dislike align at least.”
“She has severed hands under her bed she uses for solo sexy fun and staples dead bodies to the wall to turn them into ghouls,” the Magic User pointed out.
“I didn’t say I’d want to move in with her and split the rent, damn it,” the Cleric retorted. “Just…nevermind.” She glanced down at the manastone and handed it to him. “Also you hold this, Lannis. It’s yours, isn’t it?”
“It’s not exactly in the condition I gave it to you, is it? But thanks at least for returning things that I had provided.” He studied its surface critically and then shoved it into his bag with a grunt (Add to Magic Inventory: manacrystal [2]). “And I want to point out, Kovid and Abraxas, I still never got my leaves back from the hall. Just saying.”
Abraxas jerked his thumb over to the alchemy table. "Should someone toma uno potion asi we can saber que it haces? Si o No? Que else is there we can usar en aqui?”
Raising her hands up and shaking her head, the Cleric said, “I’m good on the tainted potions. If someone else wants to mess with them be my guest.”
“I’ll take dem for now,” Wyn replied (add 4 invisibility potions (tainted) [20] to Magic Inventory). “Mebbe we kin find a verteskinned one and cut open its belly an pour it in to see what it does.”
“Gross,” Lyra said with a frown.
“Offop, you got yer mana crystal? Will dat work now? Or do ye need to wait?”
“Won’t kick in until I’m full up and have the crystal on me at that time. A good call is at the start of the day. Long and short of it, I need to have full Magic Juices.”
“And you don’t have now?” Brendon asked.
“I’ve been spreading my juices all over the castle today.”
“Gross,” Lyra said again.
Cursing, Wyn shook his head, “Merde... Well, we don't have much choice. I don't want to fight de big abomination Offop saw, so we need to bring de fight to Mira.”
“Before she gets the beast with two backs pumped up and moving,” the Magic User offered.
“Really? It’s like you’re seven,” the Cleric responded. “And an ill behaved perverted seven year old.”
“And you know what that’s like how?”
“Please, enuff,” Wyn held out his hand to Kovid, “Dwarfriend, cen I see dat wonderful map of yours?” Once it was laid out for the group to refer to, Wyn continued. “Merci. H'okay... we gonna head to Mirabellis through de southern door by de Sanctuary.”
“Skeletons according to Big Brain at both entrances to her room,” Kovid reminded the group.
“Oui, as de Dwarfriend said. Priestess, I tink dat be yer job.”
“Lady Lyra,” Kovid clapped her on the shoulder, “Prepare to call on Aine to turn her undead greenies. Anything left will get a taste of my hammer.”
“If any of de door across de hall from us have locks on them, I will lock dem. If dey do not have locks, den we leave dem as dey are.”
Brendon shook his head. “No locks, Wyn.”
“Aight. When we get to de hallway door dat goes to de nord of her room, Wyn will place a lock in that. Block de bitch's escape.”
“Good thinking,” Brendon said.
“I know. Anudder plan, huh?” He gave a short laugh. “Den we get to de hallway between Mira's room en de Sanctuary, wait fer Offop to cast wot he needs, en du Lac to check fer traps en listening, den fling it open en Priestess ready to turn de skeleton Jacks.”
“Abraxas,” Lyra offerd, “once we’re definitely going into the fight I’ll heal you. I’d rather you have everything the spell has to offer during a fight.”
“Gracias, Senora Lysol. But I’m bueno for now. Later in the fight if need be.”
“We will need to QUICKLY bust through dat south door to still get a quick dash to Mira. I will take de shot at de cat when we get in dere.”
“Wait till I pause the big pussy,” Lannis suggested.
“Seriously. Gross.”
“I’ve got one magic arrow left, I think using it on her is well worth it,” Brendon said.
“Vamonos a Mirrorbells, amigos,” Abraxas looked excited. “Let's explode some skellingtons de Gobs, Paddle una Poddle, y Mash Mirrorbells y tomamos todos de los potions!"
Giving the Fighter a raised eyebrow, Wyn took his bow off his back and got it ready. “Weird... let's go mes amis.”
As the group got ready to leave, Abraxas laid a hand on the iron statue and leaned in, muttering, “Gracias,” giving it a final pat in appreciation. At the south door, Brendon verified the hall was clear before he unlocked the door and the party left the lab again. The dwarf and scout headed the party down the hall, moving with slow care along the hall to the “T” intersection.
After a quick listen in both directions (no roll needed yet), Brendon brought the group south, taking them some distance to the closest corner. The passage turned to the east here, and a short listen and peer around showed a short hall with a door at the end and then another turn back to the south. “Dat’s de door,” Wyn pointed out with a silent whisper. “Let me lock it, si vous plait.” The elf placed his hand on the door, smiling to see a key hole appear beneath the handle. “Dat’s trios today,” he muttered.
“Andele,” Abraxas motioned the group to continue on.
We turned south, Kovid excited as we were in uncharted territory for the dwarf. There was a single door on the western side of the corridor and then some 20 paces or so later, a double door on the same wall. The doors were in terrible shape, the hinges were melted, the wood scored, and the stones around the base of the door looked like they had cracks running through them and appeared to be softened at some point in the past. “Those doors,” Kovid noted, “Aren’t going to open any time soon.”
“Dragon?” Brendon asked.
“Maybe. Hard to tell. But I’ll say this. He likes his privacy and doesn’t want those doors to be used.”
“Move people,” Abraxas goaded. “One problemo at a time.”
We continued on till we arrived finally at a single door on the eastern wall. Beyond it a short distance away was the double doors that would lead to the Sanctuary. Also still closed. “Come one,” Brendon hissed, after checking the door quickly, he opened it to reveal the long hall that ran to the north of the Sanctuary…and the south of Mirabellis’ chamber.
“IN SANCT EGO,” Lannis intoned, his entire form shimmering as a shield spell snapped into place around him. “Getting ready. One more just outside the door.”
The party went down the hall slowly and with care. We could faintly hear something through the north door once we got closer to it, woman’s voice but mumbling very softly, nothing could be made out. Lyra readied her holy symbol, Brendon announced the door was clear and ready to open the Scout drawing his magic arrow and making room. Wyn did the same with his own arrow and Lannis cast again, “KAL MULTOS EGO” (Pink 2) and 2 version of him appeared practically next to him.
“So many Lannis’s,” Lyra shook her head.
“But only one original, thank you very much,” he readied another spell to cast in the room, and Kovid and Abraxas took the front weapons up.
“Mirabellis?” Kovid asked.
“Si. Majorballbust,” Abraxas agreed.
Grabbing the handle, the Dwarf silently counted to three and then SHOVED The door open hard as Lannis said in a loud grating voice, “And then I said if she doesn't start cleaning those fingers better she's going to get a UTI. Oh Mirabellis, I was just talking about you!"
(Surprise Check: Blue 6 – no)
(Initiative: Party Steel 4 vs Enemy Red/Black 5)
Just at the inside of the door were 3 goblin skeletons grouped in a thin line. Mirabellis was hunched over two salamander cadavers, working a needle through their flesh when she snapped to her feet, and looked back across the chamber to the north side where 3 more skeletons were positioned. “HOLD!” she shouted to them, shoving her blue wizard’s hat tight on her head and brandishing her staff. From in front of the fireplace, a black panther raised its head and Mirabellis pointed to Abraxas, calling out, “Piddles! Bring Mommy his face!”
Lyra was working her turning ability as fast as she could but the skeletons right at the door were a stitch faster. They as one slammed into the dwarf, their crude weapons clanging and slamming into Kovid’s platemail as they sought to take the dwarf down first. (+2 to hit, >White 19..<White 15..<White 7) Although he was hit swiftly and all across his front and right side, the dwarf only took one sudden hit unprotected (1d6 Damage, Green 5 – Take 5 Damage!), making him grunt but little more. “Ha!” he grinned. “I remember when something like that would have hurt more!” He spun his hammer around, forcing the skeletons back enough to keep him from being overrun.
Piddles gave a low growl and LEAPT almost 20’ across the chamber, paddling right in front of the Fighter and blocked him from advancing to the wizardress. “Move Prattles!” Abraxas thrust with his Scythe, but the panther refused to be cowed. It slashed at him, it’s heavy claws (=+5 to hit, Green 14) hitting the fighter (1d4 Damage, Blue 1 – Take 1 Damage!) but it was more of a buffeting and bruising than a serious blow. A second set of claw swipes (<+5 to hit, Green 3) were more ineffective. But it did manage to snag a bit of the fighter’s thigh in its jaw briefly (>+5 to hit, Green 19) before Abraxas could pull his leg free (1d8 Damage, Red/Black 2, take 2 Damage!). “You bite me?! I’ll bite you!”
As for Mirabellis she had been working her own spell, backing up half a step, slamming her hands down and smacking the staff into the ground. “KAL MULTOS EGO!” (Red/Black 3) and three exact duplicates of her appeared around her, hiding her true position.
“That is SUCH bullshit!” Lannis called out.
“You should have run, Lannis!” She cried back. “Because I KNOW you took my stuff! Now I’m going to have to KILL YOU LIKE I DID THE OTHER PRICK WHO TOUCHED MY STUFF!!!” She raised her foot up and stomped it down HARD on the small doll near her feet, smashing its body in and sending its head with the pink wizards hat flying across the room where it hit the wall with a faint ‘click’.
“She likes you,” Brendon said. “Tell her about how you live with your mom. That’ll impress her.”
“AINE! I implore you, TURN these skeletons!” Lyra had her holy symbol up and a bright cone of white light blew out, ran through the door, and sieved around Kovid to hit the skeletons in a rippling wiggling shaking pulsating wave (2d6 hd: White 2+4=6 HD). All three of them ceased their assault on the dwarf, turned to face the Cleric, and tried to block the tearing streams of light with their forearms. But the divine energy rolled through them and with the sound like crushing ice, their bones were shot through with thousands of small cracks…and they EXPLODED.
Skeletal dust blew across the room and settled down just beyond Mirabellis’ position as Lyra lowered her arm, visibly weary from the effort. The god given ray wasn’t long enough to hit the second batch that he wizardress had ordered to remain back, but it was enough to clear the way for Kovid to run towards Mirabellis and her images, unimpeded. “Thanks for the plow, Lass!” he laughed, charging up, weapon raised.
Not to be outdone, Lannis called out to Abraxas, “I’ve got you too, bud. Hey Pussbag! PAUSE!” A pink ray slapped at the panther (<Save vs spells, Black 12) and it ceased in its attack on the Fighter, thinking about its actions, a worried expression on its feline face.
“Piddles? Mommy said to bring me the bad man’s face! PIDDLES!”
Mirabellis’ voice grew shrill as Abraxas charged past the confused panther, joining the dwarf wo was also running up to hit the magic user. The four copies all tried to block the Fighter’s Scythe with her staff (>+8 to hit, Blue 8) but his first sweeping slash ripped through one of the images with little problem, popping it out of existence. “Uno down!” he cried out, stepping over and leaping up, spinning as he brought the Morrigaan weapon around for ANOTHER slamming assault (>+8 to hit, Blue 8), sending another of Mirabellis’ images to collapse and then pop like a soap bubble. “Dos!”
From the other side, with two version of the magic user to hit still to go, Kovid drew the Theystran Hammer out to the right and cracked it over at one of the images before him (>+6 to hit, Yellow 15), blasting her in the face and removing the last mirror image from view.
“Poop,” Mirabellis frowned.
And it was then that Brendon drew back his enchanted arrow, the golden and silver runes flaring to life and running down the shaft of the missile. He released the string and it streaked across the chamber to hit (>+6 to hit, +2 magic, Red 19) her in the upper stomach (1d6+2 Damage, Red 4: 6 Damage!). “Present for you,” the Scout called out.
And lastly, Wyn who had the panther in his sight, drew on the paused great cat and shot it through the door frame (>+8 to hit, +4 paused, Orange 1 – Fumble, Heartswood Bow reroll. Orange 14). The arrow wobbled through the air and then hit the panther with a scoring blow along it’s flank (1d6 Damage, Orange 1), making it snarl in fury.
(Initiative, Party Steel 1 vs Enemy Red/Black 2)
“You two are not earning any points right now,” Mirabellis frowned at the fighter and dwarf. Spinning her staff from the middle in a pair of flinging shots, she backed up a step, curled her hands in a quick spell, and tore the air in front of her, pulling down, chanting, “IN ARACHNE REIF!” And a mass of sticky webbings shot out and encased the fighter and dwarf right where they were. She wiped her forehead and scowled at her handiwork. “Honestly. It’s not like you even like the spindly geek.” Raising her voice she called, “Piddles! Attack the homely woman at the door for Mommy!” and then she pointed at Lyra and added, “You three,” addressing the skeletons still at the north doorway, “Attack her too.” The goblin skeletons moved quickly across the chamber as the panther launched its assault on the Cleric.
“No hard feelings, sweety,” Mirabellis said with a frown. “I think if things were different, you and I would be friends. But right now I can’t have you healing the sundry morons so I have to retire you.”
The panther hit the Cleric hard with its first blast of claws (>+5 to hit, Steel 17), drawing blood under Lyra’s armor where the claws found weak spots through the chainmail (1d4 Damage, Blue 4 – Take 4 Damage!). “Damn it!” she cried out, shield blocking the next set of claws (<+5 to hit, Steel 3), raising scratches on the shield’s surface. But Piddles then lurched up, dropped both claws on her shield and pulled it down as it lunged forward and bit (>+5 to hit, Yellow 20 – Critical – Max damage – Take 8 Damage!) Lyra right on the face.
“Good Piddles! Rip her face off for Mommy!”
Lyra screamed inside the panther’s mouth, blood running down her face, neck, and scalp. She managed to work the handle of the flail in its mouth long enough to make it gag and release her, but the damage was done and she was pretty hurt, her skin mottling black and blue and numerous puncture marks in her skin and soft tissue (Lyra down to 2 hp, 24 pts of damage).
And then the skeletons hit. They all arrived but only one had been close enough at the start of it all to actually land a telling blow on the staggered cleric (<+2 to hit, Red/Black 14 – holy shit, missed by 1, a roll of 15 from the skellie would have hit you), rebounding off her chest and threatening to crush her ribs there. It was only the fact that she rolled back from the impact that kept her still standing but given the state of things, without something to change, who knew how much longer.
“Thief! Elf! Stab the mouthy prick and I’ll give both a reward!!”
Time now is Day 9, 12:05 PM
(OOC)
Bottom of round 2. Kovid – you can work yourself out in 2 turns (20 rounds), Abraxas 2d4 rounds. It can be burned out, but no one has a torch lit right now and Continual light is not a fire. Burning will do 1d6 damage to both of them. There is a fire in the fireplace right now, and a candle in a holder not too far from Mirabellis. Lyra you are facing Piddles and 3 Skeletons right now. Mirabellis has no more images, Lannis has 2 still. You guys go!
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