Inky Blackness

Players: Quint, Gragnar, Mogaw, Divada, Eleria, Melon APL: 2.5 (2) CR: 7 XP: 3600 Monsters Used: 4 Dark Creepers (CR 2), 1 Dark Stalker (CR 4)

Tonight's missive from the Explorer's Guild has brought the lot of you deep into Goblin Town. The riot of chaotic and dangerous wonders that comprises this place has given way by night to a simmering tension. The shadows seem thicker out in these alleyways and narrow streets; darker than usual by all accounts. The sprawl of small houses takes up much of the area, peppered liberally with mechanic shops, food stalls and the like, all of which are closed.

Tonight's mission is a complicated one: there's been a rash of pickpocketing, thievery and even the occasional poisoning that has the goblin community in an uproar. Obviously the work of some new gang of criminals, Our Heroes have been tasked with finding out who is responsible and bringing them to justice! The last known lead has brought them to a particularly shady-looking alley, right in the heart of Goblin Town. The narrow streets are surrounded on both sides by small houses built roughly on top of one another. Most of the windows are shut, and the doors are bolted tightly. Not even the local gobbers want to come out into the streets at night, these days.

"Fought in dat one, and dat one, and--" a chuckle "oh that was a gud un," Gragnar shares for his companions, gesturing from one bar to another as they go past. The oruch has enough sense to not say it at his usual boisterous level, but he still seems happy to share as he looks around. Already he's wrapping chains around his fists, preparing to add a new fight to his tally.

Eleria is smirking mildly at Gragnar's stories, looking following his gestures from side to side, as well as keeping a wary eye out all around them. "You said these places were for drinking," she remarks mildly, idly fingering her longbow slung over her shoulder, "They're sounding they're intended for fighting instead."

"The last time I was near here, I had to go into it's sewer. I'd rather not go back in." Divada says to the oruch as he relays his tales. "Some bars are for both, Eleria. Which can be a shame."

Toying with his Gobbo-matic Dakka Bustah 3000 MK-II, Mogaw gives small casual looks to each alley as Gragnar points them out, nodding a bit. "Aye. Remember the days when you could get in fights and no one got killed... Or poisoned... Or robbed... Well, unless you call betting and losing getting robbed! Then someone always was gettin screwed!" He'd chuckle, but he isn't happy with the recent spree. After all, if you can't be safe in Goblin Town, where CAN you be safe...

Melon has her ray apparatus in hand, the brunette half-elf looking around with more curiosity than fear today. "Gotta agree with Elly-two, there," she comments with a chuckle. But she wrinkles her nose at Divada. "Icky. Sewer. Not to worry, fellow tinkerer; I bet we'll be able to convince those guys to leave people alone."

It isn't his first trip into Goblinton and so long as the Seer had family -- distant cousins, at best, but still family -- in the slums it wouldn't be his last. Quint suffers the latest task without complaint in spite of the last trip's events. The small, green-skinned humanoids seemed to have a unique corner on the market for crazed alchemists, arcanists, and artificers. His thick, plated leather skirts rustle in time with his booted footfalls and his barbute scrapes occasionally against his bevor or pauldrons as he tilts his head to look this way and that. The Elunite -- who introduced himself simply as 'Quint' upon their initial meeting -- walks quietly while the others chat back and forth.

Gragnar nods towards Divada. "Can be for both," he intones in his rough heavily accented voice, "an' it ain't a shame. Nuthin' wrong with a 'ittle sport." He grins, showing the base of his tusks, including the broken one. "If not," he says to Melon, "we'll 'ust some heads." He punches into one hand, the chains making a slight noise as they impact, muffled by the oruch's thick, meaty hands.

"I dunno if poisoning other goblins is great sport." Divada says with a chuckle. "But if they are poisoning others, they shouldn't be given too much mercy."

"Both? Seems rather dangerous. Don't people get overly violent when they're inebriat--OH!" As it dawns on her, Eleria's eyes go wide, clapping a hand over her mouth. "I see... I think." She gives Gragnar a bit of a baffled look. "Sorry, we'll what some heads?"

<OOC> Phanuel says, "Everybody, perception checks!"

GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+12: (4)+12: 16 to Phanuel

GAME: Melon rolls perception: (16)+3: 19 GAME: Eleria rolls perception: (6)+12: 18 GAME: Divada rolls perception: (20)+4: 24 GAME: Mogaw rolls perception: (17)+5: 22 GAME: Quint rolls Perception: (15)+1: 16 GAME: Gragnar rolls perception: (19)+3: 22

The usual riotous, good-natured mayhem that is Goblinton has surely been stifled as you head further in; wary eyes peer out of windows as our heroes pass by, talking unafraid. The night is gloomy and dark, without even stars above to guide those still on the street, save the dull glow of mana lamps that turns everything, especially the snow, the color of dull orange. Yet just outside of the dull light there are deep, inky shadows that almost seem solid to the naked eye, and not all of those lights work, blanketing some streets in total pitch black.

The street ahead begins to snake uphill and to the left. Yet to your right, down a steep cobbled street where no lamps currently shine, something moves in the shadows. All save Quint immediately catch sight of it, standing short and squat, looking right at the party. Its nebulous form disappears almost as soon as it is spotted, however.

"Guys!" Melon hisses, and she nods in the direction of the shadowy figure that disappeared. With the streets so empty, no wonder something like that jumps out at a person. She grips her ray gun a little bit tighter, waiting to follow the others.

Mogaw chokes up on his death ray now, peering about carefully. "What was that thing?" He asks quietly before pulling his goggles down over his eyes. He sticks close to Melon and waits to follow behind some of the more... intimidating party members.

Eleria joins the party with her head snapping towards the movement, her hand tightening on her bow. "Someone watching us?" she murmurs, before waving a hand over her eyes. She says a few, unintelligible words, and shivers as feathers sprout out of her cheeks and temples, framing eyes that get wider and more raptor-like. Unshouldering her bow, she starts to creep closer to where the figure ways, gaze casting about for any further sign of it. GAME: Eleria casts Aspect of the Falcon.

"Poison's a coward's weapon," Gragnar remarks, pausing as he spots the form. He moves closer to the front of the group, and looks back. "'ust 'em," he says regarding heads, and gestures holding something roughly cantaloupe size in each hand and smashing them together. That explained, he goes back to looking around, scanning their surroundings for the reappearance of the nebulous form.

Tilting her head, Divada watches as the shadowy figure disappears. "I saw it Melon. Someone is expecting us." She says quietly before looking at Gragnar and Quint. "I think we can expect company sometime soon."

"What did you see?" Quint wonders, his speech odd and halting. Almost monotone. Expression impassive, he turns to look follow the others' gaze his thickly-gloved hand resting on the pommel of his sheathed scimitar. A shield in the shape of a wide crescent is strapped to his other arm. "Much of Goblinton's population is tightly knit and wary of outsiders. A band such as ours is bound to draw attention." He glances at Divada and offers a nod, glancing then to Gragnar. "Temper any eagerness for conflict... but remain wary." As if heeding his own advice, he takes his hand away from the weapons on his belt and moves towards the road in question. "How familiar are you with these streets?" He asks that of Mogaw, an honest question.

"I'm fairly familiar, I suppose. I used to live down here for a few years but its been awhile since I spent any real length of time wandering about," Mogaw replies as his eyes dart back and forth, a bit twitchy at the moment. "Definitely not as familiar with this part of the town as whoever is committing the crimes."

<OOC> Quint says, "Are we talking normal illumination or dim so far as the light sources, Phan?" <OOC> Phanuel says, "It's normal near the lamps, but down this road there's almost no light."

The road heads down, steep and dark. Everything is dim and gloomy. Most of you are actually able to see fairly well despite the ambient gloom, but some extra light wouldn't hurt - what lamps are down this way have been broken or turned off, somehow. The greater part of the houses are just as dark, with only slivers of lamplight from closed windows offering only the barest of illumination.

Closing her eyes for a few seconds, Divada opens her eyes and looks around at the deepening gloom. She doesn't bother with a light since she can see just fine..

"I know da bars," Gragnar shares, "an' the bits between." His eyes are meant for the gloom, and he turns his head this way and that, scanning their surroundings. He's not even squinting. "Anyone know where dey went?" he wonders, continuing his scan, first scanning the rooftops, then the streets, and then the ground around him, covering his bases. <OOC> Eleria is gonna try and find out where they went.

You paged (Eleria, Gragnar) with 'You saw it disappear down an alleyway some way down the street. You can make out where it probably went, as there's an alleyway coming up on your left near where you think it was standing.'

Quint's eyes narrow in the gloom. "A moment," he requests quietly, snaking a hand to the backside of his belt and drawing forth one of three brass rods from a loop. He stoops just a moment and strikes the tip of the rod against a cobblestone. A wet hissing and subtle popping proceeds a flash of white-light before the rod settles into a lower, steadier glow stronger than that of a normal torch. He stands back up and holds the glowing stick ahead of him to light the way, glancing this way and that now that he can see properly.

GAME: Quint used a Sunrod.

Eleria stays a little ways ahead of the group, eyes getting accustomed to the dark as they head down the dark road. She nocks an arrow in her bow, keeping it pointed at the ground as they head in. "I think... I'm not sure, give me just..." The elf blinks when the light flares up behind her, glancing back. Seeing the sunrod come up, she smiles and picks up her pace a little, keeping in the dim outer circle of the light, just barely visible by her party. But as they approach an alleyway, she's stopped and is standing at the mouth, peering down. Glancing at her approaching party, the druid jerks her head down into the dark, before heading down herself.

Melon isn't exactly squinting, but she's not just looking around, either, and she seems grateful when Quint fires up a sunrod. The half-elf steps ahead of the lightsource, and gazes off into the gloom, following Eleria with her eyes before setting off after. Might as well.

Gragnar squints at the sudden light, and moves out a little, standing on the edge, looking out, his broad back lit, his already large form massive in shadow. He looks to the alley, and follows after Eleria quickly enough, his hands balled into lose fists to keep the chains wrapped around them in place. Boisterous as he might be, he's capable of quiet.

Turning her head away from Quint, Divada keeps herself from getting blinded by the sunrod as she tries to look into the darkness herself. She doesn't make much noise as she looks for anything that could be hiding others...

Mogaw keeps up with Gragnar, not wanting to get too far from the rather large companion. After all, he doesn't want to get caught without a large sized friend nearby!

For those that can see (and the vast majority of you can), what looks like an amorphous pile of black rags with legs and fishbelly pale hands scurries away from the light, rounding the corner and disappearing. Its footfalls are nearly soundless, though it leaves a smell reminiscent of rotten cabbage in its wake. When in doubt (or looking for trouble), follow your nose!

Eleria wrinkles her nose as the thing runs off, slowing up enough for the party to catch up. "We may be chasing a homeless being," she notes mildly, before picking up into a jog at the forefront of the group with Gragnar. It'll be hard to lose him now... so she checks the surrounding roofs and buildings occasionally instead.

Making a face, Divada definitely follows her nose to keep up with this thing. "Mmmf. it's entirely possible that it may not mean to poison others. I dunno." She says as she follows the rustling black rags.....and the smell... ew.

Gragnar starts lightly at the strange creature. "Doesn' like da light," he remarks, "or doesn' like us." He sniffs a couple times, and starts to follow, mostly relying on his eyes, but the powerful smell helps when the eyes don't.

Melon joins the crew in wrinkling her nose, not entirely thrilled with this smell. "Clearly," she says quietly, to Gragnar. "Well maybe it's just having a bad day. You know how things can get..."

Quint squints at the odd figured in tattered clothings. "Careful," he offers -- though in all probability the warning is unnecessary. Making less noise than what you make expect for an armored man of his size, he moves to follow the rest, keeping the alchemical torch high and ahead of him. He issues a quiet, private prayer but the proper words are lost behind the raised plates of the armor protecting his neck. He senses not the sharpest, he refrains from pointing out that the thing smells just like the rest of Goblinton to him.

Mogaw makes a face as the smell hits him. "Wooooah, that thing smells like four week old dead cat! Didn't look like a goblin to me though... Certainly didn't SMELL like a goblin. At least not a healthy one." He follows the rest of the group as carefully as he can, keeping his death ray ready to go just incase something goes wrong.

You paged Eleria with 'Make a perception check and send it to me.' You paged Eleria with 'So +roll perception=Phanuel'

GAME: Eleria rolls perception+3: (3)+12+3: 18 to Phanuel

(Stealth rolls for the Dark Stalker and the other four Dark Creepers on the rooftops following)

GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+8: (18)+8: 26 to Phanuel GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+12: (15)+12: 27 to Phanuel GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+12: (12)+12: 24 to Phanuel GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+12: (8)+12: 20 to Phanuel GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+12: (2)+12: 14 to Phanuel

Divada pages: Knowledge/Arcana for this? Dimming a sunrod could be a magical effect. XD You paged Divada with 'Roll me Spellcraft instead.' <OOC> Phanuel says, "Everyone who's got it, roll me Spellcraft!" (DC 21 instead of DC 22) GAME: Divada rolls spellcraft: (1)+10: 11 <OOC> Divada says, "gag." GAME: Melon rolls spellcraft: (10)+9: 19 GAME: Mogaw rolls spellcraft: (14)+8: 22 You paged Mogaw with 'This, sir, is Deeper Darkness.' GAME: Eleria rolls spellcraft: (5)+5: 10 Mogaw pages: Gross D: GAME: Quint rolls Spellcraft: (13)+5: 18 <OOC> Phanuel says, "Well, I say smelly man, I should clarify: it's Small sized." You paged Eleria with 'Sure is the same.' Mogaw calls out, "Its a strong darkness spell! Hope you all like dealin with things in the dark."

Eleria pages: Can we see up to the roofs? Or is the darkness above blocking LOS? <OOC> Phanuel says, "Right now, treat everything within 30 feet of Quint as dim light."

"It's slippery," Eleria mutters between gritted teeth as she tries to keep pace with the running creature. As they turn one corner, she glances up...and does a doubletake, nearly clipping a corner as she tries to keep up with the group. "There's another on the roof!" she hisses to her party behind her. Suddenly, they're in darkness. Eleria squeaks, and quickly backpedals into the pool of light Quint's sunrod puts off, holding her arrow up and pointing around a little frantically, eyes wide. It doesn't feel good to suddenly walk into a trap, does it?

Gragnar stops, moving only enough to avoid his companions, fists up and at the ready. The supernatural dark's certainly harder to see in, but he can manage alright. He keeps a careful eye on the one up on the roof, just in case the spell isn't all they're going to be flinging. "Just a 'ittle dark," he says, in what's likely meant to be soothing, for all that the tone seems strange on his tongue.

"What is this about?" Quint asks, holding the rod back now from the little thing turning away from them. His shield arm is cocked up and ready to ward of a lunge. "Why flee from us and weave spells of unnatural darkness?" His voice remains surprisingly level as he asks questions of the cornered figure. "We seek answers, not violence."

Taking a deep breath as Divada sees the darkness, she doesn't recognize the spell, quite yet. "Seems they were leading us back here to trap us. Impressive." She says somewhat dispassionately. She then looks to Mogaw and smiles. "Perhaps we can banish the darkness with light, hmm?"

Melon squeaks as it goes dark, and she edges closer to Quint, gun brought up to bear. "Yes, answers! Please let's have answers, instead of violence. I really /really/ prefer answers."

Mogaw looks at Divada and shrugs a bit, "I think so, if you got a pretty strong light spell. I ain't got a gadget for that though! Darkness isn't usually a problem for me, after all." He smirks a bit, somehow finding the situation amusing. He's never known what its like to have a hard time seeing cause of darkness. Its a new experience.

From somewhere above you, the sound of tittering, mocking laughter can be heard from an indeterminate number of voices; maybe three, maybe six. They sound harsh and muffled, as if the sound comes from behind a cloth tied close around the mouth. An answer comes to Quint and Melon's pleas for answers in an equally nasty language, and a babble of some other, distinct kind of incomprehensible nonsense passes from one muffled voice to the other. The one the party can see turns around, pulls a dagger from the folds of its rags and runs it through one of the folds, then leaps for Gragnar at the front! Right when he leaps something thin and inky black bearing two dark blades lands on the ground from the rooftop he was standing on, and lunges for the oruch's flank...

<OOC> Phanuel says, "Okay, so everyone's huddled around Quint. Okay, one of the bad guys (dark1) is currently right in front of Gragnar, and a tall, wispy badguy (talldark) is flanking him. Three more of the little ones have jumped down from the rooftops - one is facing Melon and Eleria (dark2), two are facing Quint and Divada (dark3 and dark4)."

Mogaw levels the big death ray at the tall dude hitting Gragnar and makes an angry face. "SUCKTHEDICKOFSCIENCE!" The shot hits the dude squarely in the back with the machine, watching the big explode like a light bulb!

GAME: Mogaw rolls ranged+1: (20)+6+1: 27 GAME: Mogaw rolls ranged+1: (15)+6+1: 22 GAME: Mogaw rolls 2d6+10: (10)+10: 20

<OOC> Phanuel says, "You blasted the holy jeepers out of him, and you apparently zapped him so hard that he popped like a light bulb! Gragnar, Mogaw, roll me Fortitude."

GAME: Mogaw rolls fortitude: (20)+5: 25 GAME: Gragnar rolls fortitude: (1)+5: 6

<OOC> Phanuel says, "Grag, that was really bright. You are blinded for two rounds. :(" <OOC> Divada is going to MM the one flanking Gragnar.

GAME: Divada rolls 2d4+3: (5)+3: 8

Divada takes a deep breath, and turns her attention away from the threat in front of Quint and herself. "Keep an eye on my back." She says before unrolling a scroll. The scroll crumbles in her hands as two green bolts streak from the remnants and slam into the 'thing' that was flanking Gragnar.

GAME: Divada used a Scroll of Magic Missile.

<OOC> Quint says, "I'll go to town on the one on me, I suppose. Dropping the sunrod as a freebie, drawing the scimitar and taking an attack., I'll PA."

GAME: Quint rolls 1d20+6: (1)+6: 7

<OOC> Eleria says, "I cast Faerie Fire on the area, then pull out my glaive."

The lit rod is already falling from Quint's grasp when the little monster lunges for the oruch brawler. The shadowplay would be impressive if the unnatural light didn't swallow them almost entirely. Reaching down, the armored man slides his matte-black, curved bladed sword free of its scabbard -- or at least, he makes the attempt. A leather tether snaps and the scabbard comes free of his belt, throwing off the balance of his weapon and spoiling his swing. Lips pressing to a thin line, Quint offers an awkward slash that sends the sheath clattering across the floor.

Eleria gasps when the figures drop down, and bumps up against Quint in a moment of shock when one of them just explodes in a flash of light! It takes her a moment, but the druid collects her wits, and quickly calls out in Druidic, <Earth Mother, shine light on these villains!> Nothing seems to happen for a moment, but then a pale green glow begins to grow, seeming to encase most (all?) of the dark figures, as well as Gragnar and perhaps another ally. Catching her breath, Eleria drops her arrow back in her quiver, readying her glaive and pointing it at the nearest dark...thing.

<OOC> Gragnar says, "In that case, hail mary flurry of blows on the guy in front of me."

GAME: Gragnar rolls weapon1: (13)+6: 19 GAME: Gragnar rolls weapon1: (4)+6: 10 <OOC> Gragnar says, "And they have total concealment, so 50 chance of miss..." GAME: Gragnar rolls 1d100: (100): 100 GAME: Gragnar rolls 1d100: (55): 55

GAME: Gragnar rolls 1d6+4: (3)+4: 7

Gragnar is bleeding profusely from his wounds, the Oruch howling in pain. Then the one that did the most damage explodes in a flash of light, blinding the monk. He lets out a howl of fury, spittle spraying from his mouth, catching the light. A fist comes around with accuracy that's surprising, all things considered, impacting the little creature square in the head. The second comes around, but comes wide, thrown off as much by the creature staggering from the first blow as it is by the Oruch's temporary blindness. Feeling the fist connect at least once, Gragnar screams out a "WAAAAAAAAAAAGH." Yeah, that 'stealth' thing? He's done with that now.

<OOC> Melon says, "I want to drop color spray at dark2!"

GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+1: (5)+1: 6 GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d4: (4): 4

Melon cringes as the creature /explodes/ into light, but thankfully, she manages to avoid blindness. Instead, she pulls out a small technological bauble filled with a shifting pattern of brightly colored sand. "Take this!" she shouts, somewhat lamely, having nothing witty in her corner today; and she lobs it at the cround in front of her. The air erupts into bright and dazzling colors, searingly painful for the strange creature who gets a faceful of shiny.

<OOC> Phanuel says, "Okay. Creatures' turn! 2 got a face full of ohgodimblind and it's going to try and stab wildly at something in front of it!" GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+6: (2)+6: 8 GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d100: (46): 46 <OOC> Phanuel says, "It totally fails it, stabbing at thin air with a dagger. A little glob of something nasty is dripping from it."

<OOC> Phanuel says, "4 is going to try and go for Quint!" GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+6: (10)+6: 16

<OOC> Phanuel says, "3 will try to stab Quint as well!"

GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+6: (15)+6: 21

<OOC> Phanuel says, "Quint, make me a fort save!"

GAME: Quint rolls Fortitude: (14)+9: 23

<OOC> Phanuel says, "You get stabbed with a puny dagger! There's something on it that makes the wound burn like fire, but it doesn't sap your strength.”

<OOC> Phanuel says, "Meanwhile, the tallguy is going to attempt to wildly slash at Gragnar!"

GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+6: (9)+6: 15 GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+6: (8)+6: 14 GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d100: (79): 79 GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d100: (23): 23

GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d6+2: (6)+2: 8

<OOC> Phanuel says, "The tallguy, who was seemingly blinded by the flash, gets in a lucky slash with a black blade, and you collapse. :("

GAME: Phanuel damaged Gragnar for 8 points. -4 remaining.

Mogaw's reaction is nothing short of instant, and his death cannon of science blasts Gragnar's smaller would-be killer in the back, causing him to pop with a flash of bright light and a loud BANG, which blinds both the tall, dark-cloaked assailant and the oruch. Meanwhile Divada brings a scroll to bear on the tall one, blasting him with two magic missiles. Quint steps forward and bungles getting his sword out, but still manages to place himself squarely between two of the rag-cloaked villains and the rest of the party. Eleria draws her glaive and calls down some mysterious glowy light, Gragnar ragepunches the tall one and Melon pulls out a little device that sends a spray of scintillating color at her foe, who stumbles forward and vainly slashes at thin air with a poisoned blade. Quint's assailants stab at him and one succeeds in finding a gap in the armor, drawing blood but doing little else. Battered, blinded and blasted, the tall, twin sword bearing figure gets in a lucky slash at Gragnar, dealing him a wound that would surely slay any normal mortal but succeeding only in bringing out a terrible, final rage in the oruch.

New round!

GAME: Divada rolls knowledge/local: (7)+8: 15

You paged Divada with 'These things are Dark Folk. They're mysterious denizens of underground areas, like forgotten caves or the abandoned underworlds of old cities like Alexandros. Little is known about them, save that they only surface at night to steal from surface-dwellers and cause havoc.'

You paged Divada with 'You know that the smaller ones are Dark Creepers, the most numerous and common of their sort. All of them detest light and are actively hindered by its presence.'

Divada pages: are they evil?

You paged Divada with 'Not inherently, but they never surface except to do mischief or loot surfacer settlements. Meta-wise, they're Chaotic Neutral.'

<OOC> Mogaw says, "I'm gonna shoot the taller dude who is still fightin Gragnar"

GAME: Mogaw rolls ranged+1: (1)+6+1: 8

<OOC> Divada says, "I'm gonna move up to Gragnar and make him drink one of my cure light wounds potions."

GAME: Gragnar rolls 1d8+1: (4)+1: 5 GAME: Phanuel damaged Gragnar for -5 points. 1 remaining.

Without a second thought, Divada makes her way over towards Gragnar and makes him drink out of a small flask she has. 'Eleria! Gragnar needs help here!" Once she gets a good look at one of the smaller ones, Divada blinks. "We need more light! They're used to the dark!"

<OOC> Quint says, "I'll full attack/PA on number 2." GAME: Quint rolls 1d20+4: (17)+4: 21 GAME: Quint rolls 1d20+4: (10)+4: 14 <OOC> Quint says, "1-20 misses." GAME: Quint rolls 1d100: (23): 23 GAME: Quint rolls 1d6+5: (2)+5: 7

Quint is a wall of steel for the small shadowmen to stab at. Tiny, poisoned blades are parried or deflected by practiced use of the crescent-shaped shield. The dark, rune-etched blade describes a wide arc to cut at the first miniature brigand and then he follows the act with a outward swipe of his shield. The slam goes high, however, and the creeper ducks under it neatly -- bloodied but far from beaten.

<OOC> Eleria says, "Oh noes! Gragnar's down! Drop my bow, pull out my CLW wand and heal him."

GAME: Eleria rolls 1d8+1: (8)+1: 9 GAME: Phanuel damaged Gragnar for -9 points. 10 remaining.

Eleria whips her head around as her name is called, having had her back to Gragnar. "Oh, by the Mother... Melon, cover me," she says to the half-elf beside her. Her bow clatters to the ground, as she darts around Mogaw, coming up beside Divada. She pulls out her wand as she drops into a rockstar skid, and raises it to shred a killer chord! ... Or just to put her hand on Gragnar's back and heal his wounds.

<OOC> Gragnar says, "Still-blind stunning fist on tall guy" GAME: Gragnar rolls weapon1: (4)+6: 10

Gragnar staggers, remaining on his feet even when, judging by the pulse of blood, an artery is nicked, howling in rage. When his rope-like braid is tugged, his head flies back, only to accept a potion, healing the worst of the wounds. Then the second healing attempt brings him, if not to the picture of health, at least to 'you should see the other guy' levels. He lets out a throaty laugh and swings with all of his might. About a foot to the left of his assailant. Yep, still blind.

<OOC> Melon says, "First! For my free action, I'm activating my titan armor for +2 Dex. :D" <OOC> Melon says, "Er-- +4 Dex, so a +2 mod." <OOC> Melon says, "Then! I will shoot. XD" GAME: Melon rolls ranged+2: (18)+3+2: 23 GAME: Melon rolls 1d6+intelligence: (1)+4: 5

Melon looks back at the druid as she shouts, and fumbles a hand into her leathers, hitting a bunch of niggly little switches. With a pneumatic hiss, her Titan armor clicks into place beneath, and she uses the increased level-handedness to aim her ray apparatus and-- PZEWWW. Lightning crackles from the end to crash into the creature in front of her.

<OOC> Phanuel says, "Bzzap! Okay. NOW dark2 will try to stab thee, Melon. And I'll remember to roll total concealment!" GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+6: (6)+6: 12

<OOC> Phanuel says, "He fails it anyway =P"

<OOC> Phanuel says, "Okay, 3 and 4 will try to git you, Quint!"

GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+6: (11)+6: 17 GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+6: (11)+6: 17

<OOC> Phanuel says, "Tall blindmahn will try to slash at you Gragnar."

GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+6: (7)+6: 13 GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d20+6: (12)+6: 18 GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d100: (24): 24 GAME: Phanuel rolls 1d100: (2): 2 <OOC> Phanuel says, "Both of them wildly miss :D"

Peril averted! As Mogaw's ray blasts a building somewhere in the inky black, Divada bravely runs to Gragnar's side, tugs his head back and forces a potion down his throat. Meanwhile Quint slashes down with his scimitar at one of the shadowmen, narrowly missing with his shield. Eleria also runs to Gragnar's side and heals him with a wand, leaving Melon to activate her Titan armor and blast her assailant, who continues to swipe at the air pathetically. Quint's armor and training prove effective against the creepers that try to stab him, and the blinded stalker misses with his blades.

New round!

<OOC> Mogaw says, "I'll try again to shoot the tall one!"

GAME: Mogaw rolls ranged+1: (7)+6+1: 14

<OOC> Phanuel says, "Just misses. :("

Mogaw watches his shot whiz past the tall creature, barely missing the guy. A slur of goblin-talk curses is muttered while he adjusts some knobs on the thing! He is not pleased with this tall guy's ability to dodge his attacks!

<OOC> Divada says, "Magic missile, tall one."

GAME: Divada rolls 2d4+3: (6)+3: 9 [RPThree] Divada is going to guess that didn't drop the tall one. <OOC> Phanuel says, "Nope, he's still standing."

<OOC> Quint says, "I'll do the same to the same." GAME: Quint rolls 1d20+4: (12)+4: 16 GAME: Quint rolls 1d20+4: (6)+4: 10 [RPThree] Quint says, "blur" <OOC> Quint says, "1-20 misses" GAME: Quint rolls 1d100: (35): 35 GAME: Quint rolls 1d6+5: (3)+5: 8

<OOC> Phanuel says, "3 is hurt but not down!"

The sword has a name but the paladin rarely uses it. The thing's enchantment seems to only wake in the presence of otherworldly evil. Still, the cold iron edge is keen and it finds its mark on the reverse-cut, drawing yet more dark ichor from the offensive wretch. The shield cuts back in with an overhead-punch that the creeper dodges back from, chittering and grabbing at its wounds. "Drop your weapons. Surrender." The human advises evenly, sweat matting the hair under his helm.

<OOC> Phanuel says, "Eleria!" <OOC> Eleria says, "Using Aid Another to give Gragnar +2 to attack the Tall guy on his next turn."

Eleria's glaive flies in over Grangar's head, the edge slicing at Tall guy's face. The feint puts him slightly off balance, regaining his footing and better lined up for the Oruch's incoming blows.

<OOC> Gragnar says, "Stunning fist again on Tallguy"

GAME: Gragnar rolls weapon1+2: (6)+6+2: 14

<OOC> Melon is gonna shoot 2 again! GAME: Melon rolls ranged+2: (4)+3+2: 9

In the dim light, the taller creature clutches at the wounds it has gained, barking in some harsh language through the scarf that muffles its pale face. It sounds pained and desperate, whatever it might be saying. A cold, cloying mist fills the air around it, plunging everything into complete obfuscation; meanwhile, one of the wounded smaller creatures lets out a desperate yell, runs up and actually impales itself on Quint's scimitar, exploding in a brilliant flash of light and a loud BANG that, for a critical moment, plunges everything into darkness. By the time everyone has recovered their senses, the party is alone. After a few more moments, the fog cloud disappears and the darkness gradually dissipates, leaving your little dead-end corner of Goblinton free of light-hating marauders... for now!

Eleria acks and flails as the smoke comes up, her glaive stabbing and waving about in the air where the tall guy was. She coughs against the smoke, sidestepping towards a wall... But when the smoke dissipates, she blinks and looks around. Their captors are gone, and the elf frowns. "What were those things??" she asks out loud, looking around the group. "Is anyone badly hurt? And...why aren't there any bodies?"

Gragnar flails at the fog, as if the creatures had just turned invisible, and he might still catch them. When he comes up empty handed, he lets out another bellow, this one of frustration. "'ittle quit-sneaks. Starts to be an actual fight, and dey run off!" He lets out a growl of annoyance, punching a nearby wall. He looks at the others, making sure nobody's dead, or quickly on their way there.

Mogaw blinks from under his goggles as the mist clears and the blinding lights fades. He checks to make sure notin was taken from him in the confusion and then looks about. "I have no idea. Looks like their bodies evaporate or something when they explode. At least we seem to have come out ahead in that little skirmish!"

Melon also flails at the fog, very nearly firing blindly. But she finally finishes coughing and squints at her compatriots. "Don't know that we, erm, accomplished our job, though," she adds to Mogaw with a frown.

"Shadow men," Quint offers, his answer vague and inspecific as he turns to consider the dark corners and the rooftops around them. He doesn't waste much time before coming back to the rest of the group. He ducks his head and issues quiet prayer, his shield-hand clutching a small silver pendant wrapped around the grip.

Waving the smoke away from her face, Divada sighs once the smoke dissipates. "They probably went back underground. They're dark folk. They have no love of light and they usually come around to mainly cause mischief. It's why i said to get some more light out here."

GAME: Quint rolls 2d6: (11): 11

<OOC> Quint says, "Hah. Now the dice are kind. That'll hit everyone for 11 healing."

Eleria sighs and pokes at one of the rags, peering closely at it in the dimness. "We took down two of them. If they're going to attack, they'll have to do it in smaller numbers. And we didn't lose any fighters, so yes. The war is on our side...unless they bring reinforcements."

GAME: Eleria casts Detect Poison.

<OOC> Eleria says, "Gonna take some time to search for poison bottles, poisoned weapons, etc. Something we can bring back."

You paged Quint with 'That Faerie Fire was still on one of them, btw. You saw one disappear through what looked like an abandoned shanty apartment's door, and down a rough-hewn hole in the ground.' You paged Quint with 'You have the location for next time, in case you want to go down and drive them away!'

<OOC> Phanuel says, "You find some drips of poison on the ground, as well as good-sized quantities of the stuff in the rags of the two dead ones."

Eleria pauses and flips the rags aside, revealing a dark dagger. "Come take a look at this. Can anyone make out what poison is on this?"

GAME: Melon rolls craft/alchemy: (10)+9: 19

You paged Melon with 'This is a natural poison, albeit a particularly nasty one. From what you know of the type of fungus it was derived from, it's a toxin that primarily saps the muscles, leaving a victim powerless for later, er, victimization.'

"Oh, let me see!" Melon, ever excited when there's a /puzzle/ she can look at, scampers over to kneel down and look at the dagger. She holds it up to the light of the sunrod, shining it this way and that. "Ohh. Black Smear. Interesting. Bad stuff. Don't want to get this in your veins, nope. I mean, it's pretty much guaranteed that if there's anything on a /dagger/ you don't want it in your veins, but that aside..." She holds it up for Divada to look at. Belatedly, it occurs to her to continue: "Oh. It's a paralytic."

Quint stoops and picks up the still-glowing sunrod while the others investigate the creature's remains. He loops the thing through a thong on his belt and keeps his weapon ready -- just in case. "We should bring this information to the temples. Creatures such as these are beyond the Watch -- a Seer or Sunguard should be capable of countering their obfuscations."

Mogaw looks as they examine the dagger and the poison on it. "Ah... We should probably report to the Guild as well. Let them know how the job went. A pity we couldn't get the bigger one. But that happens I guess." He fiddles with his death ray a bit, turning some knobs and dials as he sees some of the gauges going haywire.

Gragnar, for his part, continues to sulk over the loss of his sparring partner. He sits down heavily against one of the walls, making sure that his wounds aren't likely to get any worse on their own.

"You really shouldn't prattle on, Melon. A paralytic, huh? I know a friend of mine that has a potion that would remove it." Divada says looking over to Gragnar. "You all right over there, Fisty Mcpuncherton?”

GAME: Eleria used a Wand of Cure Light Wounds. <OOC> Eleria says, "Forgot to do that earlier."

Melon blushes and looks down, drooping a little. "I know, I know. Can't help it. It just-- all these words, and thoughts, they tangle together and it's like a great big wreck in my brain and I can't get them all out!" This is all, of course, demonstrated with flailing gestures. "And things have to be said so I can't not say them, or else they'll stopper up everything else, and then everyone looks at me funny." Frownyface.

"Gragnar," he corrects. "Da bluddy cowards ambush, blind me, jump me two on one, and right when I'm 'bout ta join da fight propa, dey nick off!" He pounds the ground. "Fight fair ya gits!"

Holding up a hand, Divada Attempts to slow Melon down. "Slow down, arrange your thoughts and try to make them as understandable as possible. Weird I know, but it's better than stammering."

Mogaw looks at Gragnar and shrugs. "Could be worse. Could've kicked ya in the nuts, too!"

Melon screws her face up, bites her lip, and seems to be in almost physical pain for a moment... before she lets out in a strained rush: "Okay." Though now she's all tense. She holsters her ray gun and reaches into her leathers to flick the switch again on her titan armor, looking to the others as she shifts from foot to foot, ready to go.

"A valiant performance, none the less." Quint assures Gragnar with a shallow nod. The scimitar twists in his grip and he slides the blade between his opposite forearm and the shield -- not an ideal resting place but one that will do until he can replace the lost scabbard. "Well done, all of you. Shall we adjourn to the guildhall?"

Eleria puts her hand over her mouth as she watches Melon, trying not to laugh, brows furrowed sympathetically. "Poor thing, you look like you're going to explode!" Eleria comes over to pat Gragnar on the shoulder. "It was a bad battle, from the beginning. We ran blindly into an ambush without pausing to think. We'll do better next time. Yes, let's return, and hopefully be better prepared in the future." She picks up the dagger, holding it up with two fingers by the handle. "Anyone have a spare sheathe?"

Gragnar shrugs. "Dat fightin' dirty, nothin' ta do with fightin' fair," he explains, marking him a very strange lawfully aligned character indeed. When it seems to be winding down, he pushes to his feet. "I need a drink."

As you all walk out towards better-lit districts, you catch a glimpse of a faintly glowing bundle of rags limping down an alleyway, turning into a doorway and disappearing. You all quickly memorize the location - that must be where the Dark Folk gained surface entry! In their haste, they must have forgotten stealth...