Endur's Return to TOEE part 2

[Endur]

A trio of goblin waiters deliver pies to the table with three orcs next to Belaver and Lenya.

The orcs are speaking in common.

The first Orc says, "I ordered plain pie. This looks like chicken pie."

The second Orc says, "I ordered gnomish pie. Say, is that runt over there a gnome that escaped from the kitchen?" The Orc is referring to Belaver.

The third Orc replies, "Nawww! That's a half-man! Gnomish runts have long white beards and pointed ears and red caps! Say, what does Gnomish pie taste like anyways?"

The first and second orcs say together, "Tastes like Chicken!"

Much orcish laughter ensues.

 

[Dalamar]

"Ah, that explains all those pathetic fools that attacked me on my way here," Kerwyn says with amusement. He cocks his head a bit to the side as he regards the animated object. "And if I gave the artifacts to you, what would I give to Dark Mistress Naquent when I finally reached the Temple of All Consumption? Do you take me for a fool?"
At this point, his tone and expression change to that of anger over being insulted.

OoC: Yes, I know it's a gargoyle. Kerwyn doesn't, he thinks it's just an animated statue.

 

[Endur]

The 8' tall Gargoyle smiles and rhymes (badly),

"The fool must give to Claagingred
"Else the fool will surely be dead
"But what will he do when he meets the Mistress
"The fool must beg for mercy and pray for a kiss
"From the mother who slays her lover
"And brings him back to serve her forever."

 

[Pyrex]

Rerrid responds to Raner, "No idea."

Raner shakes his head, "That'll make it a mite more difficult; but don' worry, I'll get ye out. Stay here an' I'll see if we can do it peaceful-like."

Raner leaves the temple and heads to the Tavern, sitting down with Lenya & Belaver. "So, Lenya; have ye ever considered going into business as a slaver? After giving them a moment to ponder whether he's serious or just off his rocker, in hushed tones Raner tells them about his enslaved family & clanmates in the temple.

 

[Endur]

Before Raner entered the tavern...

Lenya leaves Belaver and Neshi and goes over to a table in an alcove where three human merchants are talking and drinking. She sits down at their table and tries to find out what is going on around here and offers to buy drinks in exchange for information.

The merchants tell her that a lot of goods pass through Rastor, bound for tribes of humanoids and Giants in the Mountains. There are even wagons that pass through Rastor on their way to an anti-social cult that lives in the mountains not far from here.

Lenya goes to leave the table to go to another table to find out more information, but the merchants grab hold of her and throw her on their table. One of them roughly says, "We want more than a few drinks."

Lenya struggles, but there are three of them and they are all stronger than her. They hold her arms and legs and one places a rough hand over her mouth. She tries to summon forth an Eldritch Blast, but their hold on her prevents her from being able to call forth the magic. Being grappled prevents Lenya from using any of her invocations.

Lenya realizes that although they are human, they are as evil as any orc. In their view, Might makes Right, and those without Might are for the taking.

No one pays any attention to the assault on Lenya. As if this sort of thing is routine in Rastor.

No one, that is, except for a halfling with a cobra companion.

Neshi bites one of the merchants, causing him to scream in pain and let go of Lenya. Belaver transforms into a leopard and jumps onto the back of the second merchant, drawing bloody wounds down his back.

The band stops as the bartender takes cover behind the bar, yelling out, "No fireballs! No fireballs!"

The first merchant starts stumbling towards the exit from the tavern. Belaver is mawing the second merchant. Neshi bites the third merchant and forces the merchant to stumble back, causing Lenya to be freed.

Lenya finally gets the chance to use her Eldritch Blast, dropping the fleeing merchant before he makes it to the exit. Belaver the Leopard finishes off the other two merchants.

The fight ends, the bartender gets back out of cover, and the band resumes playing. Nobody cares about the three dead men.

Belaver transforms back into halfling form. Belaver, Lenya, and Neshi return to their table.

Some orcish wait staff drag the dead bodies out back.

By the time Raner walks in, he wouldn't even notice that there had been a fight.

 

[Dalamar]

"By the Abyss, your rhyming is even worse than your looks," 'Dunrat' says. "But you do have a point. But I don't have the artifacts on my person, we'll have to go to the stables to get them."
Once they're out of the Inn and in a nice, secluded alley, he speaks. "Seems like a nice place." He is, of course, trying to get a message across to Lylamwyn and Toriah, but before Endur rolls his Bluff to see if he actually succeeds, they'll prolly think he's gone crazy.
Hidden message: [sblock]Let's ambush them[/sblock]

Confident that his skills won't fail him, Kerwyn suddenly turns around and puts the business end of his dagger inside the statue's chest.
"Here's your artifact, ugly," he says in his own voice.

 

[Endur]

In the stables, Craven and Xaod notice Tal Chamish, an evil cultist, an ogre, and several gnolls enter the stables. Craven and Xaod attempt to hide out of sight of Tal's group.


The Gargoyles follow Kerwyn and his two anomyous servants out of the bar and head towards the stables.

Belaver, Lenya, and Raner get up after the gargoyles have left, and follow at a distance.


Kerwyn's plan works, and the Gargoyle loses his smile when Kerwyn's dagger chips a fragment off his stony skin.

Surprise Round
Kerwyn stabs Claagingred (9+6=15 vs. flatfooted ac 13, dmg 4)
Lylamwyn blasts Claagingred with Scorching Ray (13+5=18 hit, dmg 9)
Toriah draws his rapier.

Round 1:
26: Neshi moves closer to the fight
23: Lylamwyn tries to blast Claagingred with Ray of Enfeeblement, but misses (3+5=8 miss)
18: Claagingred (-13) attacks Kerwyn (1+13=14 miss, 6+13=19 hit, 14+11=25 hit, 11+11=22 hit, dmg 24) and laughs as he drops him onto the ground, bleeding, "Ho, Ho, Ho". Gargoyle #1 attacks Toriah (11+6=17, 2+6=8, 12+4=16, 3+4=7, dmg 3). Gargoyle #2 attacks Lylamwyn (claw 13+6=19, 17+6=23, bite 5+4=9, gore 13+4=17, dmg 13).
17: Raner moves closer to the fight
11: Kerwyn (-6) fails to stabilize
11: Lenya moves closer to the fight
10: Belaver moves closer to the fight
9: Toriah attempts to stab the gargoyle attacking Lylamwyn, but misses (5+5=10 miss)

 

[Thanee]

Lenya

Lenya filched the merchant's bodies for purses, room keys or anything else of value, before heading back to the table. And she flipped a gold coin towards the barkeep to pay for the drinks. “No fireballs.” As she turns back around, the green fire around her hand flickers for a moment, then dies down in silence.

“Thank you! I should have known better, in a place like this, there is nothing else to expect,” she says to Belaver, silent enough for only him to hear.


OOC: Uhh... this post and the one above it are flipped around, of course.

 

[Endur]

Round 2:
26: Neshi charges and attempts to bite Claagingred (10+7 = 17 hit, dmg 2, save vs. poison 6+8=14 fail, -6 con). Claagingred's AOO when Neshi moves through his reach (7+13=20 hit, dmg 11)
23: Lylamwyn (-13) withdraws away from melee combat.
18: Claagingred (-15, -6 con) attacks Neshi (16+13=29 hit, 18+13=31 hit, 19+11=30 hit, 17+11=28 hit, dmg 35) and roars as he rips Neshi in half, "Ho, Ho, Ho". Gargoyle #1 attacks Toriah (19+6=25, 13+6=19, 2+4=6, 10+4=14, dmg 9). Gargoyle #2 pursues Lylamwyn, charging into the dwarf Raner (18+6+2 charge=26 hit, dmg 6).
17: Raner swings his axe at the gargoyle that charged him (5+9=14 vs. ac 16-2=14 hits, dmg 9)
11: Kerwyn (-25) stabilizes on his own.
11: Lenya moves and fires a frightening blast at the tall gargoyle, but misses (1+ miss)
10: Belaver begins summoning an ally
9: Toriah (-12)

 

[Xael]

Seeing the combat start a bit badly, Lylamwyn tries to withdraw from close combat (Withdraw action). If he can't do that, he'll step back (5ft step) and cast Haste at Raner, Toriah, Lenya, Belaver and Himself.