026: Fighting in the streets

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> The Broken Oar is quiet when you return. Perhaps a welcome change from the hubbub out in the streets, but it's a nervous silence. Altira and two of her companions--the hulking brute and the pretty, half-elven youth--sit drinking in one corner. The potbellied innkeep washes mugs with an occasional wary glance outside at the stray shout or argument.
<Franceska> "Hello," Franceska greets the innkeep, approaching the bar.
<El-Cideon> "Strange days, eh?" he says with forced calm. "Tell you what, best thing at times like these, you find yourself a safe hole and drink yourself through the trouble, right?"
<Franceska> "Very strange," she agrees, not even being sarcastic. "Has anyone stopped by to look for us or pass us any message while we were gone?"
<Julia> Always an option, if they weren't sadly responsible for starting a good deal of the trouble, Julia reflects.
<El-Cideon> He frowns. "Can't say as anyone did. You girls expecting someone?"
<Franceska> "Yes, but it might be too early. Well then, would you know where one might go to in order to buy a proper bow?"
<El-Cideon> "Plenty of arms merchants around. Dwarves are the best of the lot, all due respect to my upstanding countrymen, but you can expect more from the lot follows the god of smiths, eh? Not so much call for bows round here, though. Well, you check 'round Gantry Bridge down southside, I'm sure someone's got something you could use."
* Franceska nods curtly. "What about raising people back from the dead? Which temple here is capable of such a feat?"
<El-Cideon> He raises his eyebrows. "You are in some trouble, aren't you missy?" He scratches his head. "I figure if anyone around here had the sort of pull to do that any time he liked, there'd be a line out his door and he'd never get a moment's rest...but maybe you check with Kardanus, he keeps a little forest living 'round his temple and that's something like a miracle."
<Franceska> "Alright. That sounds like a good place to start." She pauses in consideration, before asking, "Were there that many deaths in town while we were gone? I only heard about that one high profile case upon return."
<El-Cideon> "Maybe the skellies took a guard or two with them back to the grave?" he shrugs, uncertain. "News all over is someone done in the madam last night. Dunno who else might've got themselves murdered."
<Franceska> "Who in their right mind would keep skeletons in their basement," Franceska mutters, shaking her head.
<Steph> "Can you give me a drink? A real stiff one?" asks Stephanie, approaching the counter.
<Julia> "Well, the basement is the natural place for a crypt or catacomb..." Julia says offhandedly.
<Franceska> "Those are things that keep dead people where they remain dead, are they not?"
<El-Cideon> "Skeletons in the closet was the expression, I thought," he says while pouring Stephanie a mug of something black and bubbling.
<Franceska> "Yes, I have often wondered just what it really meant. Would anyone keep a skeleton there, along with their clothes?"
<El-Cideon> "Might make a fine coathanger?" he guesses.
<Franceska> "How macabre."
<Julia> "Maybe her parents were coming and she just had to hide it quickly?" Julia mutters, looking down.
* Franceska rubs the bridge of her nose. "Well, then. I think I would like a drink myself, before I am ready to leave."
<El-Cideon> "Sure, sure," he says, more than ready to pour for anyone willing to pay. "We all need a little fortification in these trying times."
* Franceska pays for her drink, before glancing at Brenna.
<El-Cideon> Brenna takes wine, for her part.
* Franceska pays for that as well before fortifying herself.
<Julia> Since everyone else is, Julia buys some wine for herself!
<El-Cideon> After a brief stop to more fully arm the group's current companion, the gang makes its way back across the bridge to the Red Rose. There's a throng of curious onlookers gathered around the alley. Brenna stops in the street outside before you go any further. "I don't wish to enter this establishment," she says uncomfortably. "I will proceed to the temple ahead of you? It sounds closer to home for me than anywhere else in this city."
<Franceska> Knowing exactly what she means, Franceska nods. "Please take care to stay safe. We will meet again upon the temple grounds?"
<Julia> "We're not going as customers," Julia says, not understanding the hesitation.
<Franceska> "We are still going inside," Franceska points out sourly.
<El-Cideon> "Of course. Until then." She departs with a bow, not deigning to address Julia's statement.
<Franceska> Swallowing her reservations, Franceska heads in.
<Steph> "Some people..." mutters Stephanie, heading in after Franceska.
* Julia walks in with her head held high. She's more ashamed about indirectly causing Mercedes' death than whatever scandal a visit to a brothel might cause. Not the first visit anyway.
<El-Cideon> A lean figure leans against the front desk, keeping any curious bystanders at bay with a warning glance--though her expression softens on recognizing you. It's a Charlotte, now dressed in sleek black leathers and with bandoliers of daggers crisscrossing her chest. She's grimfaced and smoking something pungent when you arrive. Behind the desk a flame-haired receptionist is occupied with sobbing into her hands, so Charlotte appoints herself representative. "Oh, you guys. She's, uh...she's not really in a state for visitors right now."
<Franceska> "We are hoping to do something about that."
<Julia> "We heard," Julia says, somewhat less confident on the prospects for raising and thus speaking in a more sombre manner befitting the grave occasion.
<El-Cideon> "Yeah?" she says. "Me, I'm just trying to sort out who I need to gut to make this right. City guard's come and gone. Guarantee you they stopped looking for a killer the second they walked out the door. You know they were making jokes in there? Whore dies in her bed, of course they've got japes." She looks ready to spit but thinks better of it. "Scum."
<Steph> "Probably, only Mercedes herself can tell us," admits Stephanie. "Look, she did us a good turn so we wanna do the same. We can handle getting her raised, if you'll let us take the responsibility?"
<Franceska> "Unless there is any reason you can think of that the spell would fail?"
<El-Cideon> "I dunno too much about that sort of magic," she admits. "You think any priest would trouble himself for her? I'd--she didn't deserve what happened in there, if you could bring her back..." She violently stubs out her cigarette in an ashtray. "If you could convince someone--see, I was sort of, uh...I was working myself up to telling her boss what happened. Not looking forward to that, she's a demanding sort."
<Franceska> "We can be persuasive," Franceska says dryly, asking, "Her boss?"
<El-Cideon> "Lady Ellesmere," she says. Fending off some ensuing questions: "Before you ask, she's no noble, so far as I know, but she's one of those people--you know the sort, she wants you to call her Lady This-Or-That, you best do it. She owns the place, but she's out vacationing nine-tenths of the year. Mercedes runs everything while she's away."
<Franceska> "Can you tell us all you know about what happened, while preparing for the trip to a temple?"
<Julia> "Perhaps if we're lucky Mercedes can be brought back to the land of the living before she returns?" Julia posits hopefully.
<El-Cideon> "Dunno much of anything," Charlotte protests with visceral frustration. "Somebody crept in and perforated her without these two lugs--" she gestures to the statues flanking the desk, "--catching wind of it. She wasn't entertaining anybody so far as the staff know, just sleeping. Wasn't some dumb hick mob did this. Come on, I'll show you if you're up to it. I haven't, uh--nobody's cleaned her up yet."
* Franceska nods to signal her agreement.
<Julia> If nothing else Julia can at least preserve the body to keep it from degenerating and make it easier to raise even if they have to wait a little bit, so she nods and follows Charlotte.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund shifts uncomfortably as she listens. Charlotte turns and takes the hallway down to Mercedes's office, proceeding through the far door into a modest, but lavishly-appointed bedroom. A canopied bed that could comfortably entertain a group occupies much of the space. It presently entertains one: Mercedes lies dead in the center of it, her expression frozen in one of terminal shock. Her fine silk nightgown lies in ruins across her chest and abdomen, which have been savagely and repeatedly stabbed. The wounds are ringed with black, mortified flesh. A full-length mirror stands opposite the bed, and next to the bed is a nightstand with a vial of clear liquid standing atop it; elsewhere about the room are cabinets, dressers and drawers. The air is a powerful combined musk of perfume, pheromones, and death.
<El-Cideon> "Oh," Rosemund breathes in a sad little voice.
<Julia> Julia is quite inured to the scent of death, and goes to examine the body. Something about the number of stab wounds and the fact that she hasn't moved, she wonders if any were inflicted post-mortem or if she just took that much killing.
<Steph> No stranger to corpses, Stephanie still hardly looks happy about having to see a friend like that.
<Julia> roll 1d20+11 heal
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+11 heal and gets 27."12 [1d20=16]
* Franceska simply has Darrin look for anything that the guards might have missed even if they hadn't been joking about whores.
<Franceska> roll 1d20+29 perception
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+29 perception and gets 35."12 [1d20=6]
<Julia> Prodding the black flesh and bringing her finger up to sniff, Julia nods to herself. "Poison, probably used to keep her from struggling while she was being stabbed to death," she delivers the verdict. "I'm going to cast gentle repose to keep her from decomposing further, and it gives more time for her to be raised."
<El-Cideon> "Good on ya," Charlotte allows with a nod.
<Franceska> "Can someone help me move this dresser aside?" Franceska asks, pointing the right one out.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund starts out of a trance and hustles over, happy to have something to distract her.
<Steph> "You mind?" asks Stephanie, glancing at Charlotte before moving over to give it a shove.
<Julia> The spell only takes a moment to cast over the body, and leaves no physical trace once done.
<El-Cideon> There's a door behind the dresser.
<El-Cideon> Charlotte only shrugs, looking as surprised by this as anyone else.
<Franceska> "Where does this lead?" Franceska asks, before gesturing at the high window by the ceiling. "And that? The latter might have been the point of entry."
<El-Cideon> "Window looks out on the gorge," Charlotte says. "Bit of a trick to get in through there. Dunno about that door. Haven't been in here much, usually saw her at restaurants and the like."
* Franceska sends Darrin to look for any scratch marks to try and narrow down what species must have used it. For her part, she moves towards the door before pausing and tapping Stephanie's shoulder. "Please try to open it?"
<El-Cideon> OOC: perception again, Fran?
<Franceska> roll 1d20+29
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+29 and gets 38."12 [1d20=9]
<Steph> "What, you can't handle a door, Franzy?" asks Stephanie, walking over to turn the knob.
<El-Cideon> It is locked!
<Franceska> "It is a matter of principle not to break any doors," she affirms.
<Steph> Stephanie quickly sets to work on solving that!
<Steph> OOC: I'll take 10 for like 26
<El-Cideon> The lock confounds Stephanie's talents, silently and smugly.
* Franceska starts tapping her foot quietly.
<El-Cideon> Charlotte sidles over to give it a look and offer professional advice as Stephanie works at it.
* Julia turns to look at all the fun by the door, her work with the body done. "Do you think the killer would lock the door on the way out?"
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14 aiding if you want to try again
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14 aiding if you want to try again and gets 21."12 [1d20=7]
<El-Cideon> "It is a bit like snooping," Rosemund agrees. "Someone could hardly have moved that dresser back from the other side of the wall, could they?"
<Steph> Stephanie looks annoyed for a moment, and now starts fiddling with the lock even harder than she fiddled the first time!
<Steph> roll 1d20+16+2 aid, or so one hopes
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+16+2 aid, or so one hopes and gets 22."12 [1d20=4]
<Steph> "This isn't a real door at all!" announces Stephanie.
<Franceska> "I would rather not guess," Franceska muses. "Certainly, it looks as if an assassin forced the window open, but covering all the bases is generally a good idea."
<El-Cideon> "It is alright, Stephanie, we all trust that you may be capable of opening a door when our lives do depend upon it!" Rosemund says. "But I think now is not that time."
<Steph> She pauses. "And if an assassin somehow came through this thing, which isn't a door, they'd have the key and wouldn't have somehow removed the fake-door from the wall to get in," she adds.
<Franceska> "Fine. This is getting ridiculous anyway, and it is not as if we are investigating the crime so much as trying to raise-- actually, speaking of that, we might as well start going?"
<El-Cideon> "Right," Charlotte agrees, carefully wrapping Mercedes up in the bedsheets for transit. "What've you got in mind?"
<Steph> "Let's, um, okay. Hold on, leave her here for now, we'll get a cart if we need to take her out of the city," notes Stephanie. "There's this Kardanus guy who might have the power to raise her, but if that's not enough we'll have to take her back home," she explains.
<Franceska> "How about bringing her with us so he could see if it is within his power or not?"
<El-Cideon> "Alright," she says with a nod. "I'd see about getting one of those statues to carry her over, but someone should be here to keep the other girls safe in case--" Charlotte cuts off abruptly as a tremor everyone can plainly feel ripples through the ground. A riotous explosion of noise suddenly echoes out from across the gorge, and seconds later the pit-pat of debris striking all about the building.
<Franceska> "This is ridiculous!" Franceska sputters, with Darrin making a beeline to the window to take a look outside.
* Julia hurries over to join in the gawking as well!
<El-Cideon> A building on the opposite side of the gorge is now shrouded in an expanding dustcloud.
<Steph> "I'm getting out there," warns Stephanie, heading straight out of the window!
<Julia> "Does anyone know what used to be there?" Julia asks.
<Julia> "Erk!" she jumps as Stephanie dives past her and out the window!
<El-Cideon> Stephanie may note with some alarm that outside the window is a sheer drop.
<Steph> Stephanie isn't getting out there after all, she notes, halfway in the window and poised to leap to her death. "This just isn't a day for bold statements," she mutters, dropping off the edge. "Well? Go on, get the bird out there! Someone did that, so they're probably still around!"
<El-Cideon> "Somebody's house, I think," Charlotte says. "That's mages' row over there. Few streets along from the Granville place."
<Franceska> "Would it be possible for those living here to sleep together?" Franceska asks Charlotte while Darrin zooms past Stephanie and disappears almost instantly. Palming her face, she amends, "In some large room, while a few keep guard at all times? Just in case this was not an isolated attack?"
<El-Cideon> Shouting now reaches you from outside--mostly incoherent, swearing, cries of dismay. Dwarven, human. Some animal bellow.
<Julia> "We should go and try to help the wounded, regardless," Julia says, looking to Rosemund. They've done this before after all.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund is obviously of the same mind. "I'm going over there!" she announces, marching out the door whether anyone follows her or not.
<Steph> Stephanie is certainly tailing her, with a little less vim than usual.
<Julia> Julia is with her!
<El-Cideon> "Yeah, I'll--I'll round 'em all up," Charlotte says, remaining behind for the moment as everyone else charges out to see what the fuss is about this time.
<Franceska> "It seems that we will be back later," Franceska tells her, the last to head out.
<El-Cideon> There's a mixed crowd on the bridge--some rushing away from the scene of destruction and others standing about gapemouthed to stare at the scene from afar. The dust cloud is mostly dispersed, but you can follow the sounds of continuing disaster round the corner to your left and several blocks down. There is no difficulty in finding the scene of the disaster: a two-story house overlooking the gorge on this side is mostly debris, only a stairway leading to a few second-floor rooms intact, above another stairway descending into darkness. A few bystanders' bodies litter the earth in the intersection outside, where a monstrous figure looks intent on producing more: a shaggy, bull-like humanoid towers over human height; unclothed, gaunt, and latticed with old wounds but bellowing in a mad fury and striking anyone in reach with a human corpse. Further down the street, in the ruins of the house, a gang of dwarves surrounds and hacks away at a hulking demonic brute with the maw of a fanged toad.
<Steph> "Oh, god! What the fuck!" roars Stephanie, drawing her swords.
<El-Cideon> The minotaur spies fresh meat and roars a challenge!
<El-Cideon> OOC: init
<Julia> "Better kill these before we can help the wounded," Julia decides, vile energies beginning to crackle around her hands.
<Julia> roll 1d20+2
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+2 and gets 12."12 [1d20=10]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+4 mad bull
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+4 mad bull and gets 21."12 [1d20=17]
<Franceska> Darrin keeps himself out of trouble and in a decent position to see everything properly, while Franceska feels the fight is unavoidable and prepares herself for one.
<Franceska> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+1 and gets 21."12 [1d20=20]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+2 Rosey
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+2 Rosey and gets 5."12 [1d20=3]
<Steph> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+5 and gets 18."12 [1d20=13]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Minotaur (21) = Franceska (21) > Stephanie (18) > Julia (12) > Rosey (5)'
<El-Cideon> OOC: I'm offscreening dwarf/demon shenanigans until you engage that group. There's a big angry minotaur between you and them.
<El-Cideon> OOC: Franzy/bull
* Franceska glares at the bull that is stopping her from getting to the thing she really wants to kill, and does her best to saturate the bull with negative energy!
<El-Cideon> The enraged beast lowers its horns and charges across the ground with earthshaking fury at Stephanie, obligingly in front as always!
<Franceska> roll 1d20+7 ranged touch enervation, any SR?
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+7 ranged touch enervation, any SR? and gets 19."12 [1d20=12]
<El-Cideon> OOC: nope
<El-Cideon> OOC: also hit
<Franceska> roll 1d4
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d4 and gets 4."12 [1d4=4]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+15+9-2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+15+9-2  and gets 31."12 [1d20=9]
<El-Cideon> OOC: AC, Steph?
<Steph> OOC: Not that
<El-Cideon> roll 4d6+12 stabby stabby
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 4d6+12 stabby stabby and gets 22."12 [4d6=1, 3, 3, 3]
<El-Cideon> Stephanie is powerfully rocked by the charge, twin horns shearing right through her defenses--but now it's her turn to strike back!
<Steph> Stephanie rocks back in shock and pain, but must bide her time and wait for the right moment to attack!
<Steph> OOC: I'm holding until someone helps me flank
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia
<Julia> Wanting to do her part at debilitating the clearly powerful beast, Julia launches a ray of her own at it, a dull grey beam meant to sap away its energy!
<Julia> roll 1d20+4 ranged touch
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+4 ranged touch and gets 10."12 [1d20=6]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hit
<Julia> OOC: DC 18 fort save or exhausted, fatigued otherwise
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+15-4
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+15-4 and gets 23."12 [1d20=12]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Minotaur (21, fatigued) = Franceska (21) > Stephanie (18) > Julia (12) > Rosey (5)'
<El-Cideon> Rosemund infers Stephanie's intentions and circles around the beast to club it into submission from behind!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12-2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+12-2 and gets 28."12 [1d20=18]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+5
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+5 and gets 12."12 [1d8=7]
<El-Cideon> She manages a hearty drubbing!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Steph, I'll move you to Rosey's init
<Steph> "Gonna get yours, you bullheaded freak," snarls Stephanie, her own horns sadly not up to the task of goring her opponents, forcing her to resort to swordplay instead.
<Steph> roll 1d20+11
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+11 and gets 24."12 [1d20=13]
<Steph> roll 1d20+11
<Steph> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+11 and gets 16."12 [1d20=5]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+6 and gets 11."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> OOC: first two hit
<Steph> roll 1d6+7+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+7+4d6 and gets 33."12 [1d6=6][4d6=4, 5, 5, 6]
<Steph> roll 1d6+6+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+6+4d6 and gets 20."12 [1d6=1][4d6=6, 1, 1, 5]
<El-Cideon> OOC: Bull and Franzy
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Minotaur (21, fatigued) = Franceska (21) > Julia (12) > Rosey/Stephanie (5)'
<Franceska> "Why not try dying?" Franceska asks in scorn, relying on her most favorite of spells as a stalagmite rises up out of the ground beneath the minotaur!
<Franceska> roll 9d6 ref DC18 half
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 9d6 ref DC18 half and gets 25."12 [9d6=6, 4, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 4]
<El-Cideon> Blood runs freely down the monsters hide, but it hardly seems to feel the wounds--glaring at its attackers with rolling, bloodshot eyes, it roars and swings its makeshift, headless club at Stephanie and Rosemund each in turn!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7-4-1 ref first
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+7-4-1 ref first and gets 11."12 [1d20=9]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16-4-1 vs Steph
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+16-4-1 vs Steph and gets 21."12 [1d20=10]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11-4-1 vs Rosey
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+11-4-1 vs Rosey and gets 11."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> But its wild strikes fly far off the mark in its fury!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia
<Franceska> OOC: This is the best spell! It's impaled and can't move away now.
<Julia> Another ray is fired out by Julia, this one a more dull red that serves to drain away its strength even more!
<Julia> roll 1d20+4 ranged touch
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+4 ranged touch and gets 9."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hits anyway~
<Julia> roll 1d6+4 strength penalty
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d6+4 strength penalty and gets 6."12 [1d6=2]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Minotaur (21, fatigued, 4NL, -6 STR) = Franceska (21) > Julia (12) > Rosey/Stephanie (5)'
<El-Cideon> OOC: R&S
<El-Cideon> "What kind of monster uses a person as a weapon?!" Rosemund cries out as she tries bashing the brute into submission.
<Steph> "How dare you make me self-defenestrate!" adds Stephanie, lashing out anew!
<Steph> roll 1d20+11
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+11 and gets 13."12 [1d20=2]
<Steph> roll 1d20+11
<Steph> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+11 and gets 30."12 [1d20=19]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+6 and gets 19."12 [1d20=13]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12 flank counters gravity
<Steph> roll 1d20+11 crit?
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+12 flank counters gravity and gets 28."12 [1d20=16]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+11 crit? and gets 28."12 [1d20=17]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7 flank counters gravity
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+7 flank counters gravity and gets 15."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> OOC: all hit and crit
<Steph> roll 1d6+7+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+7+4d6 and gets 26."12 [1d6=2][4d6=6, 4, 5, 2]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+5 Rosey 1
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+5 Rosey 2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+5 Rosey 1 and gets 7."12 [1d8=2]
<Steph> roll 2d6+12+4d6
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+5 Rosey 2 and gets 12."12 [1d8=7]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 2d6+12+4d6 and gets 34."12 [2d6=1, 4][4d6=4, 6, 3, 4]
<Steph> roll 1d6+7+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+7+4d6 and gets 26."12 [1d6=3][4d6=6, 1, 6, 3]
<El-Cideon> And with their combined efforts, the beast finally falls amidst a welter of grievous wounds! Down the street, the dwarven gang fares more poorly with its quarry--two of them have fallen, a third staggers in a nauseated daze, and their foe looks unblooded.
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Franceska (21) > demon (14) > Julia (12) > dwarf x2 (10) > Rosey/Stephanie (5) > Primarch Arwin (1)'
<Franceska> "Demon," Franceska hisses, turning into a snarling bear before launching herself at it!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Franzy. They're about 60 ft from you all
<Franceska> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+13 and gets 18."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> OOC: if you're closing to melee, roll fort
<Franceska> roll 1d20+13+1
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+13+1 and gets 15."12 [1d20=1]
<El-Cideon> --But the moment Franceska barrels into close proximity with the monster, a sickening ordure of of putrefied flesh invades her nostrils and cripples her with a fit of overwhelming nausea!
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Franceska (21, nauseated) > demon (14) > Julia (12) > dwarf x2 (10) > Rosey/Stephanie (5) > Primarch Arwin (1)'
<El-Cideon> The demon rumbles something amused at Franceska in the profane tongue of the abyss before turning back to his dwarven attackers.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14-2 bite
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14-2 bite and gets 21."12 [1d20=9]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+9-2 claw
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+9-2 claw
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+9-2 claw and gets 18."12 [1d20=11]
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+9-2 claw and gets 9."12 [1d20=2]
<El-Cideon> roll 4d4+5 chomp
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 4d4+5 chomp and gets 16."12 [4d4=4, 2, 4, 1]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Franceska (21, nauseated) > demon (14) > Julia (12) > dwarf (10, nauseated) > Rosey/Stephanie (5) > Primarch Arwin (1)'
<El-Cideon> A dwarven skull turns into red mist amidst those gaping jaws!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia
* Julia does her part to weaken the demon with more than the minotaur got, a crackling ray of black-red energy lancing out as she walks closer to the battle, still keeping a respectable distance back.
<Julia> roll 1d20+4 ranged touch
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+4 ranged touch and gets 17."12 [1d20=13]
<Julia> roll 1d20+11 SR
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+11 SR and gets 15."12 [1d20=4]
<El-Cideon> The bolt strikes true--but dissipates harmlessly on striking the demon's oily carapace! The remaining dwarf stumbles away, desperate for air, and tumbles down by the dark stairway.
<El-Cideon> OOC: S&R
<El-Cideon> "Uh oh," Rosemund starts on observing Franceska's condition. "Light, shine upon my friends to help them overcome this horror!" (OOC: +2 STR/DEX, +5 movement for all allies)
<Steph> "I'll gut you like a fish, demon! The Abyss ain't nothing on me!" roars Stephanie, charging straight into him. "For Solata!"
<Steph> roll 1d20+10 fort?
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+10 fort? and gets 26."12 [1d20=16]
<Steph> roll 1d20+12 charge!
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+12 charge! and gets 15."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> OOC: passed. You are merely sickened instead of nauseated!
<Steph> OOC: Well, that's at 10, then
<Steph> Stephanie flickers momentarily, a signal of displacement at work...
<El-Cideon> Stephanie's blade goes wide, but she at least is able to understand the monster's guttural rumblings as it laughs in response. "More playthings. Fine, fine! I was almost out of snackpiles."
<El-Cideon> The venerable dwarven priest moves in to close 'round the demon and flail away at it with a curious stone club.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+15-2-2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+15-2-2 and gets 22."12 [1d20=11]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+10-2-2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+10-2-2 and gets 20."12 [1d20=14]
<El-Cideon> OOC: Franceska. Nausea persists as long as you remain within 10 ft of the demon.
* Franceska stumbles back with a pained growl, a healthy dose of frustration mixed into it.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d4 additional nausea rounds
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d4 additional nausea rounds and gets 2."12 [1d4=2]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Franceska (21, nauseated 2 rounds) > demon (14) > Julia (12) > dwarf (10, nauseated) > Rosey/Stephanie (5, sickened) > Primarch Arwin (1, sickened)'
<El-Cideon> The demon rears up its ugly maw and chants to the rooftops--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+22 concentration
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+22 concentration and gets 36."12 [1d20=14]
<El-Cideon> --and its vile murmurings reach into the hearts of its attackers to dismay and undermine!
<El-Cideon> roll 2d6 STR vs Steph/Arwin, no save. Fran's immune because evil
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2d6 STR vs Steph/Arwin, no save. Fran's immune because evil and gets 6."12 [2d6=1, 5]
<El-Cideon> roll 2d4 duration
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2d4 duration and gets 6."12 [2d4=3, 3]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d10 nauseadwarf paralyzed this many minutes
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d10 nauseadwarf paralyzed this many minutes and gets 6."12 [1d10=6]
<El-Cideon> Stephanie and her priestly compatriot find themselves weakened, and struck motionless for a scant few seconds! (OOC: also dazed 1 round at no save. Demons are jerks)
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia
<Julia> Considering summoning some help and then discarding the idea as unworkable given the famed demonic toughness to all but holy weapons, Julia instead tries again to weaken the foul frog!
<Julia> roll 1d20+5 ranged touch
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+5 ranged touch and gets 25."12 [1d20=20]
<Julia> roll 1d20+5 ranged touch crit?!
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+5 ranged touch crit?! and gets 18."12 [1d20=13]
<Julia> roll 1d20+11 SR better pass
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+11 SR better pass and gets 23."12 [1d20=12]
<El-Cideon> OOC: crit and passed SR
<Julia> roll 2d4 negative levels
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 2d4 negative levels and gets 5."12 [2d4=1, 4]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Franceska (21, nauseated 2 rounds) > demon (14, 5NL) > Julia (12) > dwarf (10, nauseated) > Rosey/Stephanie (5, sickened) > Primarch Arwin (1, sickened)'
<El-Cideon> It shrivels within its imposing carapcae, turning a beady eye towards Julia. "You--you have the stink of the dead lord upon you!" it sniffs, in blasphemous syllables.
<El-Cideon> OOC: Rosey, S&A are dazed at this moment
<El-Cideon> Rosemund reaches out a hand in Franceska's direction and emits a beam of shining light. "Um, feel better! Please?" (OOC: Fran, +2 morale bonus to saves/attacks/ability checks/skills for 9 rounds)
<El-Cideon> OOC: Fran, second nausea round
* Franceska glares balefully at the demon through a bear's beady eyes.
<El-Cideon> And through anger, Franceska knows recovery!
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Franceska (21 > demon (14, 5NL) > Julia (12) > dwarf (10, nauseated) > Rosey/Stephanie (5, sickened) > Primarch Arwin (1, sickened)'
<El-Cideon> The demon turns its brutish head towards the spellcaster with the temerity to sap its unholy strength. "We know how to treat Orcus's spawn where I come from!" it bellows, charging away from its immediate attackers to slash at her with one outstretched claw.
<El-Cideon> OOC: S&A can AoO as he runs off. Julia, roll fort.
<Julia> roll 1d20+6 fort vs nausea
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+6 fort vs nausea and gets 11."12 [1d20=5]
<Steph> Expletive upon expletive ripples off Stephanie's tongue!
<Steph> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+12 and gets 25."12 [1d20=13]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hit
<Steph> roll 1d6+5+4d6+2d6 sword is good
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+5+4d6+2d6 sword is good and gets 31."12 [1d6=1][4d6=1, 4, 6, 6][2d6=4, 4]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12-2-2 Arwin misses his STR
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+12-2-2 Arwin misses his STR and gets 19."12 [1d20=11]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+9-5+2 charge, demonjerk hates those missing levels
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+9-5+2 charge, demonjerk hates those missing levels and gets 7."12 [1d20=1]
<El-Cideon> Stephanie gets in a nice parting slash as the creature charges off after Julia--who evades the clumsy charge but not the overpowering stench!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia
<Julia> Julia's eyes widen in alarm as it charges her, and then her cheeks puff out alarmingly at the vomit-inducing stench surrounding it when it wafts closer! Barely dodging its attack, she ceases holding her lips closed and throws up her wine and breakfast all over the demon!
<El-Cideon> A hearty "HAW HAW HAW" at its handiwork is its only response!
<Julia> "How can you smell anything?!" Julia gasps as she heaves.
<El-Cideon> "I SMELL EVERYTHING, DEADLING GIRL!"
<El-Cideon> OOC: R&S
<Julia> She then staggers away as best she can towards Stephanie. She'll protect her until she gets her wits back.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d4 additional nausea rounds
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d4 additional nausea rounds and gets 2."12 [1d4=2]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Franceska (21 > demon (14, 5NL) > Julia (12, nauseated) > dwarf (10, nauseated) > Rosey/Stephanie (5, sickened) > Primarch Arwin (1, sickened)'
<El-Cideon> "Stop disgusting my friends with your vile...disgustiness!" Rosemund challenges the monster, willing an aura of holy wrath to envelop it.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+9 vs SR first
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+9 vs SR first and gets 13."12 [1d20=4]
<El-Cideon> Her will is sadly not up to the task of properly chastising the vile creature, however!
<Steph> Stephanie rushes towards it anew, swords out! "I'll rip you to shreds!" she proclaims in Abyssal. "I'll violate you like you've never been violated!
<Steph> roll 1d20+12 let's go
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+12 let's go and gets 31."12 [1d20=19]
<Steph> roll 1d20+12 crit
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+12 crit and gets 15."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hit, no crit
<Steph> roll 1d6+5+4d6+2d6 bah
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+5+4d6+2d6 bah and gets 35."12 [1d6=6][4d6=5, 4, 3, 3][2d6=5, 4]
<Steph> OOC: er, subtract that 4d6.
<Steph> OOC: unless I'm somehow flanking on that charge
<El-Cideon> OOC: noted!
<El-Cideon> OOC: you are not
<El-Cideon> Stephanie succeeds in drawing a respectable degree of sickly green, foul-smelling abyssal blood! The primarch rushes in next to her to provide support again.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12-2-2+1 forgot Rosey's bonus for him before
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+12-2-2+1 forgot Rosey's bonus for him before and gets 21."12 [1d20=12]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3 ???
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+3 ??? and gets 16."12 [1d20=13]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Franceska (21 > ??? (16) > demon (14, 5NL) > Julia (12, nauseated) > dwarf (10, nauseated) > Rosey/Stephanie (5, sickened) > Primarch Arwin (1, sickened)'
<El-Cideon> OOC: Franzy
* Franceska glows a healthy green that chases away any remnants of sickness before the albino bear charges the demon down once more, growling a barely-legible Infernal curse about the demon's lowly ancestry!
<El-Cideon> OOC: you do have to save again since you didn't make it before.
<Franceska> roll 1d20+13+2+1+2-2 oaken resilience as swift negates poison
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+13+2+1+2-2 oaken resilience as swift negates poison and gets 24."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> OOC: passed, merely sickened~
<Franceska> OOC: No, I immune poison with it. That was my attack roll.
<El-Cideon> OOC: ah. 24 hits, then.
<Franceska> roll 1d8+8+1 how glorious!
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d8+8+1 how glorious! and gets 12."12 [1d8=3]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+17 grapple
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+17 grapple and gets 20."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> OOC: grapple failed :(
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16-2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+16-2 and gets 32."12 [1d20=18]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11-2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+11-2 and gets 13."12 [1d20=4]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+1+2d6
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+1+2d6 and gets 9."12 [1d8=4][2d6=1, 3]
<El-Cideon> An arrow thunks into the monster's forehead from out of nowhere. It yanks it out and snarls at the white-haired archer down the street. "Mortal wench! Come on over here, I'll show you just where you can put those arrows of yours!"
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Franceska (21 > Brenna (16) > demon (14, 5NL) > Julia (12, nauseated) > dwarf (10, nauseated) > Rosey/Stephanie (5, sickened) > Primarch Arwin (1, sickened)'
<El-Cideon> The demon draws into itself and concentrates on another vile chant--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+22-5
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+22-5 and gets 22."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> roll 5d8 roll will Fran/Arwin
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 5d8 roll will Fran/Arwin and gets 28."12 [5d8=6, 3, 4, 7, 8]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+12 and gets 29."12 [1d20=17]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8-2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+8-2 and gets 8."12 [1d20=2]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6 Arwin slowed
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d6 Arwin slowed  and gets 5."12 [1d6=5]
<El-Cideon> A riot of colorful explosions bursts into being around the monster--strangely not touching Stephanie at all! "A lick of proper disorder in this one," the demon observes. "I like that in a mortal!"
<El-Cideon> OOC: Franzy halves that damage, Steph nulls, Arwin takes full
* Julia just keeps on heaving, albeit dry now while she staggers further away from the melee.
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Franceska (21 > Brenna (16) > demon (14, 5NL) > Julia (12, nauseated) > dwarf (10, nauseated) > Rosey/Stephanie (5, sickened) > Primarch Arwin (1, sickened, slow 5 rounds)'
<El-Cideon> OOC: R&S show
<El-Cideon> Rosemund swoops in opposite one of her allies to keep the demon pinned in place, and away from fragile mages or archers!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11 Rosey fort
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+11 Rosey fort and gets 19."12 [1d20=8]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Franceska (21 > Brenna (16) > demon (14, 5NL) > Julia (12, nauseated) > dwarf (10, nauseated) > Rosey (nauseated)/Stephanie (5, sickened) > Primarch Arwin (1, sickened, slow 5 rounds)'
<Steph> "You like that? You'll love this! I killed my dad, and I'll kill you, too!" snarls Stephanie, still in Abyssal; her swords do the rest of her talking!
<Steph> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+12 and gets 32."12 [1d20=20]
<Steph> roll 1d20+10
<Steph> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+10 and gets 23."12 [1d20=13]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+5 and gets 9."12 [1d20=4]
<Steph> OOC: bah, -2 off the first one
<Steph> roll 1d20+10 crit?
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+10 crit? and gets 24."12 [1d20=14]
<El-Cideon> OOC: first two hit, and that is a crit
<Steph> roll 2d6+10+4d6+2d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 2d6+10+4d6+2d6 and gets 36."12 [2d6=3, 3][4d6=1, 2, 3, 6][2d6=6, 2]
<Steph> roll 1d6+4+4d6 (this is not a good sword.)
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+4+4d6 (this is not a good sword.) and gets 18."12 [1d6=2][4d6=4, 3, 3, 2]
<El-Cideon> The demon sags a little as Stephanie's clever plates slips through armor plating to pierce something squishy and vital inside of it. "Good!" the dwarven patriarch roars. "Further, back to the pit that spawned you, fiend!"
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12-2-2+1-1
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+12-2-2+1-1 and gets 17."12 [1d20=9]
<El-Cideon> OOC: Franzy~
<Franceska> What will it take for this nasty thing to die?! Franceska tears into it with a renewed ferocity!
<Franceska> roll 1d20+13+2+2+1-2
<Franceska> roll 1d20+13+2+2+1-2
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+13+2+2+1-2 and gets 31."12 [1d20=15]
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+13+2+2+1-2 and gets 26."12 [1d20=10]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+8+2+2+1-2
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+8+2+2+1-2 and gets 16."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> OOC: first two hit
<Franceska> roll 1d8+9
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d8+9 and gets 12."12 [1d8=3]
<Franceska> roll 1d8+9
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d8+9 and gets 16."12 [1d8=7]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+18 grapple
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+18 grapple and gets 22."12 [1d20=4]
<El-Cideon> OOC: grapple failed :(
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16-2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+16-2 and gets 29."12 [1d20=15]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11-2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+11-2 and gets 28."12 [1d20=19]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+1+2d6
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+1+2d6 and gets 9."12 [1d8=1][2d6=5, 2]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+1+2d6
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+1+2d6 and gets 10."12 [1d8=1][2d6=5, 3]
<El-Cideon> Claws and teeth and arrows rend the beast nigh unto extinction--but it lingers on, with one last breath. "Let me share with you all a taste of home before I go!" it taunts, chanting again--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+22-5
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+22-5 and gets 24."12 [1d20=7]
<El-Cideon> --and a cold miasma spreads around it, permeating the flesh of all his foes!
<El-Cideon> OOC: everyone in melee save Franzy, roll will
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8-2 Arwin
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+8-2 Arwin and gets 12."12 [1d20=6]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7-2 Rosey
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+7-2 Rosey and gets 21."12 [1d20=16]
<Steph> roll 1d20+14 moment of perfect mind
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+14 moment of perfect mind and gets 17."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> roll 5d8 Rosey halves, others takes full
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 5d8 Rosey halves, others takes full and gets 23."12 [5d8=1, 7, 7, 2, 6]
<El-Cideon> The cloying miasma tears away shreds of essence from the demon's virtuous foes!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia, I believe you're out of neasuea now?
* Franceska stands proud in the face of that miasma!
<Julia> OOC: this is my last round so I keep on puking
<El-Cideon> OOC: noted.
<El-Cideon> OOC: R&S
<El-Cideon> The demon turns a speculative glance towards Franceska.
* Franceska promises the demon painful death at the tips of her claws!
<Steph> "I'm done listening," growls Stephanie before it can unleash another barrage of crude put-downs.
<Steph> roll 1d20+10
<Steph> roll 1d20+10
<Steph> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+10 and gets 21."12 [1d20=11]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+10 and gets 27."12 [1d20=17]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+5 and gets 21."12 [1d20=16]
<El-Cideon> OOC: second hits, make it count~
<Steph> roll 1d6+4+4d6 grr nongood
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+4+4d6 grr nongood and gets 22."12 [1d6=2][4d6=1, 4, 5, 6]
<El-Cideon> Though without a blessed weapon in her potent hand this time, Stephanie's fury alone proves sufficient in guiding her hand towards a vital spot and downing the fiendish monster at last! It slumps over in place, a mound of dead, stinking meat in the street, and promptly begins liquefying.
<El-Cideon> OOC: free act
* Franceska kicks the demon's head off its shoulders in anger, before stalking off towards Rosemund.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund staggers some feet away, heaving up her breakfast. Leaning over, hands on her knees for support, she looks up and gasps to anyone in particular: "What in the light is going on here?!"
* Julia finally recovers and wipes her mouth on the back of her hand, looking rather disgusted and out of sorts.
<Franceska> "Honestly!" Franceska exclaims, turning into her usual form, which looks as pristine as it could after the traveling she had been doing that day. "Demons out on the streets? This is a horrible, horrible place!"
<El-Cideon> "We thought it an ill omen when one man in town kept *skeletons* in his basement," the dwarven priest mutters with chagrin before shuffling off to check on his squad.
<Steph> Stephanie spits into the mound, before stumbling after Rosemund as well. "Yeah, but what did this was a horrible, horrible person," she snorts. "And you find them everywhere, y'know? Hey, Rosey, I'm missing a lung, help?"
<El-Cideon> Brenna marches up with an arrow still nocked, just in case, eyeing the remains warily. "You are all a magnet for trouble, I see?"
<El-Cideon> "Of course, of course!" Rosemund says, administering healing to any that might need it.
<Julia> "This wasn't even aimed at us!" Julia protests, aside from when the demon singled her out in particular anyway.
<El-Cideon> roll 4d8+18 Steph
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 4d8+18 Steph and gets 36."12 [4d8=4, 6, 6, 2]
<Franceska> "We certainly did not draw any demons here!" Franceska exclaims, indignant. "But we did end this one." Looking satisfied at that, she heads off after the dwarven priest.
<El-Cideon> roll 2d8+14 Franzy healz
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2d8+14 Franzy healz and gets 19."12 [2d8=3, 2]
<El-Cideon> roll 2d8+14 Rosey healz
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2d8+14 Rosey healz and gets 18."12 [2d8=3, 1]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+7 more Steph
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+7 more Steph and gets 9."12 [1d8=2]
<El-Cideon> Arwin is shaking his head at the ruins of his team. He's drawn the one living (albeit paralyzed) soldier off to lean against a wall.
<Steph> Stephanie ambles over to Julia after a few moments and talks to her quietly. "So, hey, uh, you know, you can tell me anything, okay? I'm open-minded, and I heard all kinds of embarrassing stuff before, and it's not that bad, okay?"
<Julia> "What?" Julia looks at Stephanie oddly. "I've already told you all my shameful secrets, there's really not much else there."
<Franceska> "You fought a worthy fight," Franceska says, not quite certain how to best put it but feeling approval all the same.
<Steph> "Oh, shit, did you?" Stephanie rubs her head. "Never mind, then! See, that's how you know they're safe with me, because I totally forget them the next day, haha!"
* Julia edges away from Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> "Hmph," he sniffs. "We should have been prepared for worse than we expected. Few people willing to purchase children are without even worse vices."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund circles around the street singling out injured passersby for medical attention as the others talk.
<Franceska> "We were going to try and see if one of the temples here can raise that recent victim of violence in town," Franceska tells him. "Perhaps they can do the same for those killed today?"
<El-Cideon> Arwin raises an eyebrow. "Not this many," he says. "It's outside of my talents. Perhaps the other temple, though they'd be sore stretched attending to everyone, if they could."
<El-Cideon> He eyes the remnants of the exploded house. Half of it still stands, with a stairway leading up to a marginally intact bedroom. The descending staircase gapes down into pure, midnight blackness.
<Franceska> "If this is not good cause for cooperation, I hardly know what would be. Shall we see to it together? It would make sense to stay in a single group in case more of these things appear as well."
* Julia eventually gets to her own work on the wounded, Stephanie's strangeness put aside. She deals with minor injuries and tries to direct Rosemund to those in more dire need, while setting aside those beyond help.
<El-Cideon> "There could be more," he says with a grave nod. "I'd scour the remains of this vile den first, before marching off confident that the job is finished."
<El-Cideon> Brenna notices Rosemund and Julia's business with approval, and moves by to help calm down wounded citizens still jittery from the violence.
<Steph> "How did this happen?" wonders Stephanie, aloud. "Someone opened some kinda portal to the Abyss, and it blew up a house at the same time? What's the spell for that?"
* Franceska signals for Darrin to float down and land upon her shoulder. If there was anything he caught during the entire thing, she would find out. "We might as well do it now," she agrees. "I could let you burrow into the soil with magic, if you would like?"
<El-Cideon> "There was a laboratory," Arwin says. "All manner of potions and concoctions, the forward team said. Someone triggered a trap before I could take a personal look, and all of it..." He gestures to the demolished wing of the house. "...went up. Then those monsters surged up from the basement." He shakes his head.
<Steph> "Whose place was this?"
<El-Cideon> "Xenobia was her name," he says. "Some mageling. Sold trinkets and tinctures, like any other hedge mage along this street. It was her that bought that child from Pomerand. We were here to take her back. Search me if we might not have killed her in the blast ourselves, though."
<Steph> Stephanie snorts. "Not likely. You wouldn't plant a trap to blow up your house if there was a chance you'd get caught in it."
<El-Cideon> "I meant the child," Arwin clarifies.
<Franceska> "Well. The bedroom seems intact, according to Darrin. We should start there."
<El-Cideon> Arwin nods, mutters a chant to his god to heal his wounds before poking around further in this nest of evil.
<El-Cideon> roll 4d8+7
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 4d8+7 and gets 32."12 [4d8=3, 7, 7, 8]
* Franceska is content to let the dwarf have the lead, following sedately behind him.
<El-Cideon> ~