The Six From Shadow (IC) - Eyes and Sins

[Grim ranger]

Barely batting an eye at Leona's new look, Cynath busies himself with recovering the arrows from the corpses, wiping the bloody arrowheads on the still un-bloodied articles of clothing of the dead men. "Well, I do not believe that we will get a spy inside the clergy of Sirramar no matter what we do... Gods damn it all, Synia would be useful to have here now since I myself do not know much about mind control. Still, we can work with this."

Dusting his cloak slightly and returning the arrows to quiver, the elf rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Our mission has not changed. If we run into Mandel, I will handle him: I have few powers that those with weak minds will find hard to resist. Drynwyn, be ready to torch down this place when I tell you to: we just need to get Donovan and the items we need first. Alright, let's do this."

Nocking an arrow to bowstring as he approaches the front door, Cynath nods at Leona. "Oh, and by the way... Try not to get any more blood on your shirt, or you might cause a scandal when we leave the place. Public indecency is something that I bet knight of Sirramar do not look upon favourably" he comments with one of his very rare amused grins before trying to open the door. It is about time that they got to work proper.

[Lizard Lord]

"Survive?" Rebeca asks as she looks around the room as if trying to face the disembodied voice. "Survive what? Nothing happened."

[Sen isSaqqara]

L quickly removes his vest and offers it to Leona.

"I too have... some skill at manipulation. Perhaps I can be of some assistance."

[Grim ranger]

"Well, if you see the dwarf, feel free to try and control him. Having someone to extract information from would be useful to say the least" Cynath replies. "However, it is not a priority, and killing will do just as well. People to interrogate are not an absolute necessity at the moment: getting things we need and leaving no witnesses is."

[Mordokai]

Turning the bracers in her hands a couple of times, Synia finally shrugs and packs them in her backpack. They might come useful at later time. "Thank you for your gift, but now we need to be going. We may be back yet." With that, she turns around and traces their steps back to the cross-section. Looking at the remaining two tunnels, she decides to do something foolhardy. After all, what would this world be without throwing caution the wind every once in a while?

Taking a single gold coin from her pocket, she throws it into air and lets it spin a little, before falling back down. As soon as it stops rolling, she bends down and takes a closer look at it.

Spoiler

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Heads or tails? One for heads, two for tails. Heads, middle corridor, tails, right corridor.

(1d2)[1]

[3SecondCultist]

Synia, Mordrent, Rebeca: As the coin settles into the dusty floor, you hear the voice chuckling quietly to himself. He stops after a while, only to resume talking in your minds.
"Well, I had anticipated some antics, but truly you have become entertaining. You have seen the first, true, but do not make the mistake of considering yourself prepared for the tribulations to come. Making your way to the end is a nigh impossible task, an achievement that no one, up to today, has accomplished."

Cynath, L: The wooden door opens with a soft creak. The main hall is as you remember it, save for what looks to be strips of red fabric that run across most of the surfaces. On one of the entrance tables, where you once found the figurine, is what looks to be a wooden tablet, on top of which is a sheet of paper covered in Common scrawl. It is a list of all of the furnishings and possessions on the first and second floor. It seems as though the guards have not found the basement entrance yet. From one of the rooms, you hear footsteps, and a guard emerges in a hurry, armed in mail and carrying an axe and a shield. A badge on his chest identifies him as a captain of some sort.
"It's all over, lawbreakers! Trespassing on private property is a criminal offense here. Didn't the uniforms outside warn you off?!"

[Grim ranger]

Smirking, Cynath wills the shadowy armor to cover him yet again, his face disappearing underneath mask of pure darkness that also creeps up his body to form armor. "No, can't say I noticed their uniforms all that much... It was hard to tell from all the blood. And as for trespassing on private property, that is your offence, not mine. And trespassing on my land carries death sentence."

Raising his hand to his holy symbol, Cynath speaks again calmly. "Ellas, send down your servants... Help me to teach the final lesson to the fools who think that they can do as they please in place we have claimed as our own!"

Bringing his hand down in short, sharp gesture, he releases the spell... And shadowy figures begin to materialize, the darkness being filled with intelligence and killing intent. Against the things like he is about to call into service, the spears and swords of these guards will be useless.

Spoiler

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Using Summon Monster V to summon Shadows and immediately sicking them on that fool of a captain.

(1d3)[3] (Shadows summoned)

[3SecondCultist]

Cynath, L: The captain seems to falter somewhat, stumbling backwards in order to escape the grasp of the creatures, but to no avail. The shadows' dark, ephemeral fingers catch the man right in the chest, passing right through his armor and drawing a large amount of blood. Each shadow gets a solid hit in, and with each wound, the man seems to weaken, eventually falling to his knees, unable to sustain his own weight.
"Please... have mercy on a pour soul. I have a family of my own. The Inquisitor is... he's the courtyard, he's the one you want." His face is pale and sweaty, and silently, his lips form a prayer. From behind you, the robed figure of Drynwyn walks up to the broken man. Kneeling, he looks the wounded captain right in the eyes.
"Thank you. Your reward is oblivion, a quick death." With a snap of his fingers, the mage summons an orb of what looks to be distilled cold, and drives it right into the man's heart. He dies instantly. Standing up, Drynwyn turns to face L.
"I believe your expertise extends to taking the form of others? Well, here is a suitable candidate."

[Sen isSaqqara]

L smiles, and his form flickers, fizzing into that of the deceased captain, albeit retaining his red bow.
"How's this?"

[Mordokai]

Looking down the corridor, Synia adresses their host loudly. "Well then, you won't mind if we give it a shot as well?" Without further ado, she walks down the middle corridor.

[Grim ranger]

"Sufficient, I would say" Cynath replies before looking at Leona and Drynwyn. "You two can go and get the property we need to take away from here before burning everything. Dryn, you know what to look for, but take a look at the list over there just in case. Everything magical and valuable books are a priority" he instructs the wizard, glancing at Leona for a bit. "Oh, and don't die. Kill the enemies that get in your way, but just sneak past if that is more convinient. We will go to cause some chaos to keep them distracted."

Looking again at L, Cynath draws his rapier and swings it a few times through the air. "Now, it is about time we went to the Inquisitor and murdered the hell out of that thorn in my side. Go to that courtyard and get close to him. When within five feet of him, throw this to the ground" he says, handing flask of Liquid Smoke to him. "It will create a little impediment for his sight, during which time I will come in and kill him dead. I do not need my eyes to guide me through combat, you see. After you have done that, help me in killing that dwarf and then go and kill other guards."

Looking at the shadows he has summoned into existence, the elf motions with his hand. "And you three, go and kill all the guards you can find from here. You are not to harm me or my allies, whom you now see before you."

Without even looking at the shadows as they slink off to find and kill whatever guards they can find before fading back into the plane he has taken them from, Cynath straightens his cloak slightly and nods at L. "Alright, let's get to it. I will be following you from hiding."

Spoiler

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Giving L the flask of Liquid Smoke from Cynath's haversack, and making Hide and Move Silently rolls here, since I think they will be relevant very soon anyway. Also ordering the Shadows to kill any guards they can find before the spell fades out.

(1d20+26)[35] (Hide)

(1d20+26)[27] (Move Silently)

[Sen isSaqqara]

"Don't bother wasting this," replies L, handing the bottle back to Cynath. "I can impede sight on my own. Besides, I'm not exactly alchemically adept and I don't particularly trust you yet."
He turns and starts off into the manor, following whatever sounds he hears, until he finds the inquisitor.

[3SecondCultist]

Cynath: As the shadows begin to disperse throughout the halls, their tread making no footsteps, Leona makes for the entrance hallway.
"Cynath's idea is a good one. Drynwyn, go and recover what you can. I will guard the door against any other intruders. We wouldn't want for any reinforcements to catch us by surprise. If you can, we should try to figure out this priest's agenda. Valentine wouldn't send an Inquisitor unless something serious was going on, especially now with battles imminent. Good luck." With that, she is gone. Drynwyn leaves soon after, heading directly for the entrance to the basement. Finally, L begins to move, hunting the Inquisitor.

L: You make quick headway, finding yourself in the inner courtyard after less than a minute. Behind you, Cynath is doing his best to keep hidden. The city skyline is grey, the sun couched behind the clouds. It looks like rain. The courtyard, once empty, has been furnished with a wooden table and several chairs. Two guards, garbed in similar uniforms, stand above what looks like a painting. Expressions of terror are evident all over their faces. A third figure, short, hooded, wearing a full white robe, sits at the table. You assume it is Mandel, but he does not face you, hunched over the artwork.
"It's... heresy! To think that such a thing is even possible tests our faith. What do you think it means?" They haven't seen you yet, utterly absorbed. Moving a bit closer, you can start to make it out: six figures, their bodies wrapped in swathes of shadow, rising above the rim of the scorched husk of a world. It looks to be some sort of divine apocalypse.

[Sen isSaqqara]

"It probably means something like this." Laughs L, stepping up a few feet from the Inquisitor and flickering back to his previous form as he does. He opens his arms, letting a cloak of wispy cloak of deep, concealing shadow cover himself, the inquisitor, and the guards.

Spoiler

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Casts Darkness on his cloak.

[Grim ranger]

Seeing that his chance has come, Cynath runs inside the magical darkness as soon as L casts it upon the inquisitor, his envenomed rapier slashing out once in the complete darkness. To some, such lack of vision might be a severe disadvantage... But to him, who is in the graces of Ellas, such a thing means considerably less. The inquisitor, on the other hand, is likely in for nasty and very deadly surprise due to the sudden lack of eyesight.

Spoiler

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Since it seems possible at the moment, moving into melee range and making one sneak attack with the rapier. Black Lotus should make sure that a hit will cause that meddlesome inquisitor problems, even if he is a dwarf. I assume that he is flat-footed, so sneak attack rules should apply. If not, just throw the damage again.

(1d20+9)[18] (To hit)
(7d6+1)[27] (Sneak Attack enhanced damage)

The inquisitor will take automatic 2 Str damage if the attack hits. Then the rolls for CON damage (which only apply if he fails his saves against Black Lotus, naturally.)

(3d6)[11] (Primary)
(3d6)[10] (Secondary)

Edit: oh, and the save DC for Black Lotus was 20.

[3SecondCultist]

L: As the shroud of shadow envelops the three figures, you see Cynath's blade flash. You watch through the Darkness, as it pierces the back of the white robed figure. He issues a short cry, and slumps over the table, dead. The guards, seeing nothing, begin to fumble around in the dark, but to no avail. You have them at your mercy for the time being, it seems.

[Sen isSaqqara]

L calmly pulls out his bow, aiming it at the closest guard and firing to kill.

Spoiler

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Attacks: (+1 for point blank, -2 for rapid shot) (each with 2nd for crit confirmation if needed)
(1d20+12)[17] ( (1d20+12)[22] )
(1d20+12)[17] ( (1d20+12)[16] )
(1d20+7)[24] ( (1d20+7)[18] )
Damage: (+2 for favored enemy: humans, +1 for point blank)
(1d8+3)[5]
(1d8+3)[5]
(1d8+3)[9]
I can't find any of the various enhancements from the longbow you gave me, cultist, so I'm not sure if I've missed something.

edit: that's +5 to each roll (damage and to hit) for the various bow things.

He reaches out mentally to Cynath. Leave the last one, we can interrogate him to see if they took anything yet, and if so where it went.