The Savage Tide [IC]

[lostsole31]

R1T4: Ka'Xet tosses his mindblade at the vulnerable bullywug, hitting it in its opened shield shoulder for 5 damage. He reforms his blade in his hand.

End Round 1, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T22: Diamond back tries to drop it with some type of brutal, downward cartwheel kick, which slams into its head for 14 damage, dropping it.

R2T15: Korian pounces on the same one to make sure its finished off.

The other two may or may not be dead, but right now the clock is ticking ... Korian retrieves his pilum out of the bullywug's shield.

There are two rooms on the ground floor. The one to the north is the Statuary, and the one to the south is the Library. The doors are opened and checked, though Lazer doesn't feel it's necessary to sweep the room considering their function.

Statuary

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This marble-floored room contains many
fine sculptures of Vanderboren ancestors.
long dead friends, and important
personages. A partially-finished statue
of Lavinia's parents, Verik and Larissa
Vanderboren, stands in the center of the
chamber. Their visages are incomplete
from the nose down, so that their eyes
stare outward toward the viewer, with no
mouths to speak the secrets of their lives
and deaths.

Library

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Row upon row of bookshelves filled to
bursting with tomes on all manner of subjects
line this room. A hearth sits against the
north wall, embers glowing softly within. A
reading table sits near the fireplace.

Up the stairs ...

Straight ahead is the alcove to the courtyard (the four doors there). To the north is the long pwy leading to the Gallery and the Trophy Hall. To the south are the kennels, and the servant's quarters around the corner. The three mastiffs are barking angrily. Though the member of the Jade Ravens (Lavinia's "House Guard") is Kaskus Hebel Kiel (a dwarven druid//duskblade), Ka'Xet also has been given training under Kiel and the dogs are familiar with him. The mastiffs are Leshton, Ealia, and Kurz, and were diligently raised as hunting dogs by Lavinia's father. They are currently whimpering and agitated, but they are tough and taught to defend as well.

Lazer leads the party this way to the kennels. "The mastiffs would be a great help, and while it would be a shame for any of them to die since they've been with the family for a few years, I'm sure old Verik would more than approve of their helping to defend the manor and their daughter, if she's still alive. Ka'Xet, see if you can't calm them."

Ka'Xet goes up and tries to use normally trained methods to calm them (Handle Animal), but they don't respond. He then tries falling back on the more intuitive style of building a connection with them as does a ranger. He calms them enough, but he senses that they are too frightened and scattered to be trusted, and conveys that to the group.

The large room to the west of the kennels is the Study.

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An impressive darkwood desk with a high-backed chair behind it sits in this spacious study.

As usual, though, Lazer does not wish to spend any time in a room that has no signs of battle in it.

Considering the need to check on anyone that might be alive, continuing on this southern extension might be best. The small hallway going E-W on the southern end is entered. That first door on the west is Storage.

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This large closet is filled with cleaning supplies, blankets, sheets, pillows, and other necessities of the household.

The next two rooms are the servant's quarters for Lavinia's live-in staff ... such as the dour (yet the more adorable because of it) halfling Kora Whistlegap.

The very, very long room at the SE side is opened. This is the Ballroom.

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This large chamber was used to entertain the Vanderboren's guests in bygone days. Now this area contains only a long dining table, an empty buffet table, and a few well-worn chairs. Much of the finery in here was sold off to pay off debts before the heroes helped Lavinia access her family's fortune.

The large double doors on the west wall of the ballroom going to the Courtyard are opened ...

A plethora of exotic flowers and plants populate this lush courtyard, a gentle stream draining away to the north. Benches and a stone table with an intricate marble an iron dragonchess set built into its surface complete the idyllic scene, which is marred here and there by splashes of blood on the grass or walls. Five froglike bodies lie in a heap on the southern shore of the pond next to a dead badger.

"Alright, we'll take a quick look and see what we can figure from the battle. Trackers: Ka'Xet, Korian ... tell me what you can see. I'll look over the bodies."

Diamondback claims to have some healing skill, so she'll assist the good doctor. The five dead bullywugs lie about the pond. One is riddled with throwing knives, another beaten heavily with a blunt instrument, one cut to pieces by an axe, another stabbed numerous times all over its body, and still another seems to have been blasted by magic missiles.

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Considering the Jade Ravens ... The daggers probably belong to Zan Oldavin. Like Celiss, but not nearly to such a degree, Zan seems to possess a devilish bloodline that is pretty strong. He is a rogue// beguilder/ half-elf paragon. While not exceptional at throwing daggers, his peerless agility doesn't hurt, and he fights with a combination of sneaky tricks, feints, and surprisingly capable defensive maneuvers. He is a jaunty, flamboyant man who perhaps takes too keen an interest in his dagger collection. His carefree and sometimes irresponsible attitude tends to get all four of the Jade Ravens into trouble with the authorities.

The bludgeoning death cannot be figured, though its possible that some weapon of opportunity was used. Still, the manner of impact and some faint wooden splinters left behind suggests a quarterstaff ... which is only the more confusing since none of the Jade Ravens carries such a weapon.

The axe-hacked is probably the handiwork of Kaskus (see above). He has a deep and noisy love of mountains and caverns, and longs to return there some day after he's repaid a debt of loyalty to Lavinia, whose father rescued Kaskus from slavery to the Scarlet Brotherhood nearly a year ago. Sadly, the badger is most assuredly Kaskus' animal companion.

The one stabbed all over, and the wounds are likened to short swords, is probably a casualty chalked up to Tolin Kientai (male human lurk// ranger). He is the self-proclaimed leader of the Jade Ravens, and is as brash as he is handsome. Despite her 'affliction' of appearance based on her infernal heritage (or, possibly, because of it), Tolin has made overtures to Celiss before. His ego might make him difficult to get aong with, but he actually isn't a "total loss" and is a romantic possibility for her. He fights primarily with paired short swords.

Though there seems to be help from multiple weapons, the bullywug that was felled with magic likely is courtesy of Liamae Teslikaria (human female bard// fey bloodline sorcerer). She is a somewhat haughty woman, a rebel against her noble parents, who ran away from home to the exotic south to experience what life has to offer. For her part, there may or may not be some sexual tension between herself and the exotic Darrius, but her capricious and sometimes self-destructive lifestyle could be a problem if he pursued her and ends up being unable to 'tame' her.

The trackers can tell that a magnificent battle was fought here, and was likely the place where the Jade Ravens made their last stand against a large number of enemies. There is too much upturned dirt and mixed tracks to really get anything more, so it is not known of the Jade Ravens were killed and taken away, or if they fell back, or if they scattered, or what. At least, if they fell, they obviously gave as good as they got.

Lazer then guides the party to the large room to the north of the Ballroom and goes in through that door. This is the Private Dining Hall, with which you are more than familiar. This spacious room is filled with comfortable upholstered chairs, booshelves, and a few tables. A window overlooks the manor's central courtyard, and the carpet is thick and soft. A large portrait hangs on one wall, a fine work depicting Vanthus Vanderboren's handsome young features with a short beard and a sneer on his face.

Sitting in Lavinia's chair is a large bullywug ... female(?) that is mottled green and brown and wearing mismatched studded leather armor. There is a box of fine cigars open on the table in front of her, and she is smoking them leisurely. There are also three other bullywugs like you've fought before (also sporting wounds here and there).

"Boys," she croaks, not really bothering to move, "have at 'em."

Lazer looks at the party and says, "Leader-type. Celiss, Diamondback, take her alive."

R1T21: Korian rushes in to stand 10' in front of the lead bullywug bearing down, and he tosses the pilum, which expectedly sinks into his shield and weighs him down some.

R1T20: Diamondback comes tearing in, but closes fully on that same closest one and does a full-power kick for 13 points to that one's face.

R1T19: Ka'Xet, do you move in to what will quickly become a congested battleground, or do you toss your mindblade at a target? The leader is sitting in the background, and her hunters are making an effective screen, leaving the three bullywugs ... all are wounded, but now one is badly wounded. What do you do?

Darrius, you're on deck, so be thinking of what you want to do.