Chapter 5: Blood and Fire

[Joe]

Streko is still a bit dazed from his encounter, but instinctively holds the girls burned hands in his. Without saying a word, the halfling feels a pleasant warmth and knows that the burning comes from the dragonmark etched into his skin just over his heart. The energy erupts through the dark lines of the dragonmark, enhancing the pattern. A soft blue light appears faintly through the chainmail and even robes that cover his Mark. That same energy then floods into the young girl, suffusing her with its power.
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Streko employs his Mark of Healing on Austasia.

[Jeff]

Round 14

23 = Condign
10 = Grafth
9 = Streko
8 = Belarin
7 = Kal / Tangat
5 = gelatinous cube

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Condign continues his struggle against this, the most nonhumanoid opponent he's ever faced. Though he's fought some strange creatures in the Labyrinth of the Demon Wastes, he's never battled a giant cubical ooze before. However, beside him, the slick-furred Grafth manages to hew off one of the corners of its body.

Healing power flows through Streko's hands, the power of his faith given sharper focus through the gift of his dragonmark. Although Austasia doesn't waken, the color of her skin turns a few shades closer to its original. Where Kal's spell had blackened one leg, it is now merely a second degree burn.

The cube quivers again as Belarin attacks with fey magic again, emitting an alien screech quieter than a whisper. The strange sound fades out as Kal's sharash slices through its body again, separating another large chunk of its form away. The entire thing suddenly grows inert and loses much of its volume...sinking down into a massive, viscous puddle. The body of the beggar woman is nothing now but bone and acid-burned chunks of flesh.

A long and sudden silence falls upon the room. For a moment, only the sound of your breathing can be heard...

Then you hear the sound of the men outside chanting.

The pseudodragon Matheu suddenly fades into visibility, perched at the edge of the raised floor a few paces away from Belarin. He looks down at the room. Well done, he says, a rare word of praise.

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• Condign's attack: 11 (miss)
• Grafth's attack: 18 / 11 damage to cube
• Streko uses healing word, healing Austasia 1d6=6 +5 = 11 hit points.
• Belarin's attack: 24 / 16 psychic damage to cube
• Kal's attack (reaping strike) (1d20+7=27) (critical) / 13 + additional critical damage (skewering weapon) (2d6=3) = 16 damage to cube
• Cube is slain.

Battle is over. Longest fight to date.

[Joe]

Actually, Streko used his Mark of Healing on the girl...he was going to use Healing Word on Tangat when he finally get's past the barricade...but Streko can do either or, whichever makes the most sense.

[Jeff]

Yup, I know, Joe. But the Mark of Healing doesn't do the same thing it did in 3rd Edition, Joe. Check out your character sheet. Dragonmarks no longer give you a once-per-day spell effect. Instead, the Mark of Healing means: Whenever you use a healing power on an ally or use Heal to allow an ally to spend his or her second wind, that ally can also make a saving throw. You can master and perform rituals in the restoration category and the Remove Affliction ritual as if you had the Ritual Caster feat. You also gain a +2 feat bonus on Heal checks.

[Ken]

Grafth allows himself to feel the exhaustion in his muscles, and he briefly leans on Condign for support. He looks up at Matheu and says, "The inquisitive, Lamara ... she betrayed us. She could be heading back to the palace as we speak. Did you see her?" Grafth didn't see Kal's confrontation, but he could tell from his companion's expression that she escaped.

Afterward, the shifter calls over to Streko. "And YOU... that was one of the bravest, if reckless acts I've ever seen. Olladra is fortunate to have you in her service."

Above, Belarin quickly checks the body of the red-garbed mage he slew, essentially to confirm that he is truly dead. It's not the first time he's killed someone in battle, but he usually is already planning his exit when it happens. He rarely touches the corpses of his foes. He removes any rings or other possible enchanted items from the body, as well as any identification papers.

He then looks down at his friends, smiling in relief that they all survived this trap. Speaking to the slime-covered Condign, Streko, and Grafth, he says, "You three need a bath.

"Kal, what's going on outside?"

[Darren]

I know how you feel, Joe. I'm rather disappointed in Kal's dragonmark these days, too.

Kal whirls his sharrash blade smoothly around and brings the butt of it to the floor in one fluid motion that leaves the sorcerer leaning on it calmly as though he hadn't just engaged in an intense battle. He surveys the field, mentally ensuring that his companions are all still standing. He offers a silent nod to each one, acknowledgment of their heroic deeds. No words are needed between warriors. This is a lesson Kalarian learned on the battlefields of the Talenta Plains.

"It seems our rescuers are arriving, thanks to Tangat," Kal says in response to Belarin. "As for Lamara," Kal's voice grows cold enough to freeze the air around him, "we will deal with her soon enough."

Kal turns his gaze to Matheu. "How long have you been with us, Little Dragon?" Kalarian's eyes drift to the barrier, his impatience to see Tangat fighting to the surface of his emotions, but he keeps it under control and returns his attention to Matheu.

[Jeff's backup]

A small sigh escapes from Condign's lips as he sees the cube dissolve into a puddle of slime. He feels Grafth lean against him and puts his arm around the shifter to help support him. He looks around and sees all of his companions are alive, then briefly caresses the lock of hair woven around his leather belt.

"My friends, " he says, "you are the most amazing people I have ever met." When Grafth can stand unassisted, Condign walk over to where Streko ministers to the girl's wounds.

The tiefling bows to one knee. "My lord Streko, I have never witnessed such an act of selfless bravery as when you went into that cube to retrieve this girl. I am humbled by the measure of your honor and hope to match it one day."

With that said, Condign rises and begins to clean the slime off his sword and shield.

[Jeff]

Matheu answers Kal, but includes all of you in his words. Your royal acquaintances evidently believed you would draw the enemy's ire in short order. They were correct, it would seem, and so they followed you at a distance. I merely bridged the gap, with the assistance of your familiar, to locate you more expediently.

[Jeff]

When the barrier dissipates under the mage's dispelling administrations, a contingent of Watchmen rush past it and into the room.

Tangat bounds over to Kal, barking and whining with joy and with discomfort. His coat is covered in frost, and some of his fur has been burned away, revealing painful blisters on his skin.

"What happened?" one of the mages says, entering the room and looking at the mess. Several men help Streko to his feet and take the girl into their arms.

The other mage notes the other door in chamber. "This place is a back door...to somewhere else."

[Ken]

Before the Watch arrives:

"Ha! Marvelous," says Belarin after Matheu speak. He looks at Kal. "Our spur-of-the moment strategy is vindicated!" he says with an ironic tone. "It was the right course to shine a public light upon ourselves! Of course, it didn't play out exactly as expected, but still....

"I'm ashamed to admit, though, that Lamara completely fooled me," he continues. "On more than one occasion, she casually dismissed my belief that Malov had a spy within Fairhold. Well, of course, she would!"

Grafth sighs. "I suspected nothing, either. And it's frustrating now to look go back over the day's events and realize what she's done. It was probably HER, not Malov, who destroyed the changelings' bodies! I saw her leaning over them seconds beforehand. Damn. And how in blazes did they get Aurad's daughter?"

Sorry. I simul-posted with Jeff.

DM's Edit: Changed 'Thronehold' to 'Fairhold.'

[Darren]

"Lamara," Kal growls as he gingerly runs his hands over Tangat. His head swivels to the new arrivals. "Did you see her? She must be caught."

[Jeff's backup]

Condign listens to Belarin and Grafth as he finishes cleaning off his gear.

"I too was deceived. I suspect, given the failure of the dwarf, the mage and the warforged, she will be more than a little worried." The tiefling grins. "One day our paths will cross again, much to her dismay." He punctuates the last word by slamming his longsword into its scabbard.

Condign takes a few moments to describe the recent encounter to the mages, then steps over to the one gesturing to the open door.

"That is the door from which the Princess entered this room."

[Ken]

OOC: Thanks for fixing my geographical brain fart, Jeff. Of course, for all we know, Malov does have a spy in Thronehold!

Jan 25, 2010 12:27:49 GMT -4 Jeff said:

The other mage notes the other door in chamber. "This place is a back door...to somewhere else."

Belarin says to the mage, "Do you know what's on the other side? Hopefully, it's not a merchant selling discounted Khyber cubes. One was plenty." He directs the mage's gaze to the large gelatinous puddle on the floor.

"The inquisitive Lamara d'Medani is in league with Malov ir'Turien," he continues to the new arrivals. "She has betrayed us and Prince Aurad. Agents of Malov were waiting for us here. Did she really hurt Tangat, Kal?" His tone is a mix of incredulity and anger. "The witch. Actually, I know witches, so I won't sully their name by lumping Lamara in with them."

Condign said:

"That is the door from which the Princess entered this room."

"I suppose we should look," he says to Condign, "although if there are another other allies of Malov here, I would think they'd have attacked us or fled by now."

Belarin will pocket any items that he took from the Malov-mage, intending to identify them later. However, if there were identification papers, he will open them to see the man's name.

Grafth will clean the goo from his clothes.

[Joe]

Streko wobbles over to Tangat, ignoring the words of praise from his friends for the time being. His work is not yet done.

He kneels at Tangat's feet and speaks Olladra's name outloud, triumphantly, followed by a loving whisper of Tangat's name, allowing the word to flow over the giant dog with a shimmer of power that is barely visible.

A few moments later, he gazes down at his acid-burned hands. "Oh dear..." he whispers, before being overcome by fatigue and dropping slowly to the floor.
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Streko casts Healing Word on Tangat.

re: Mark of Healing - decision made in other thread. I am good to go.

[Darren]

Kal places his hands on Streko's shoulders as the halfling lays his hands upon Tangat. When Streko collapses to the floor, Kalarian lifts him up, kneeling next to his companion so that the halfling can lean upon his shoulder with no loss of dignity. Given his upbringing, Kalarian can think of no other way to express his gratitude.

His other hand reaches out unconsciously to bury itself deep within Tangat's fur.

[Jeff]

"I suppose we should look," he says to Condign, "although if there are another other allies of Malov here, I would think they'd have attacked us or fled by now."

The Watchmen listen. One of the liveried mages takes charge, nodding. "Secure this room, and guard that door," he orders his men. He points to the door which leads further into the building.

"You..." The mage looks at Matheu, puzzled by the pseudodragon's appearance. "You're the one who spoke to us?"

I am only an observer, Matheu replies, then fades from sight.

Streko lays his hands on Tangat and speaks healing words from Olladran scripture. Although the dog's fur is still missing in patches, the skin is healed over almost completely.

Tangat wags his tail and licks Streko in the face.

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And here Chapter 5 stops. Stay tuned.