Curse of the Crimson Throne: Seven Days to the Grave [IC]

[lostsole31]

The lever itself radiates moderate necromancy. A search of the lift reveals a third control set within the slot of the operating lever, a simple hole that's missing the button to operate it.

[PSinger]

We can worry about "secret level" later. Operate the lift as it is configured now.

[lostsole31]

As soon as the Lift gets up to the second floor, Bur opens the lift and the celestial cheetah hops out of the wickedly crowded lift. She looks to the south, roars and bites at someone in metal armor.

Begin Round One ...

R1T34: The cheetah continues its assault against an armored opponent.

Everyone is going to have to delay at this point because nobody can get out and past the cheetah, let alone target the cheetah's opponent.

R1T17-6: The cheetah gets hit with an arrow for 9. It then dodges a sword.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T34: Even with his wife's summoned animal, it seems Fathi's inspiration reaches all as his presence helps the cheetah score a hit for 22 on its opponent.

R2T17-16: An arrow is deflected by the cheetah's meager fur, but a swordstroke dispels the cat. A woman's voice calls out, "Sisters! Help! We are being attacked."

R2T15: Fathi, what do you do?

Spoiler: Second Floor

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[PSinger]

Fathi, tower shield readied and falcata in hand, steps out to cut down the (likely) Gray Maiden).

Spoiler

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FA/ MA: Not sure distance, but engage first enemy.
SA: PA (1d20+12)[25], damage (1d8+12)[19] plus (1d4)[1] kinetic + (1d6)[5] vs evil

[lostsole31]

R2T15: Fathi, tower shield readied and falcata in hand, steps out five feet to cut down the Gray Maiden, cutting into her belly and hitting the spine behind as she is killed instantly. Five feet behind her is the archer Gray Maiden.

R2T14: Burçin asks if there's room, and once Fathi says something Burçin comes out while drawing his longsword (his bow in his off hand). He passes Fathi to stand over the fallen knight and swings at the archer, hitting her deep in her right hand for 19. "Hold off!" he calls to any that would follow him.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

Assuming you listen to Bur's advice, Du and Hu continue to delay ...

R3T17: The archer drops her bow, takes out her longsword, and swings at Bur, but her injury makes for a lousy attack.

R3T16: The double doors to the south open, and three more Gray Maidens are standing beyond, shields readied. GM3 doesn't have a sword or shield in her hand, and ostensibly was the one to swing both doors open.

R3T15: Fathi, what do you do?

Spoiler: Battle Map

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Bur on deck, GM5 in the hole, Du and Hu delaying ...

[PSinger]

Moves around to get to the side of G2, provoking an AOO as he does. Once in place he comes down with a heavy blow against the Gray Maiden. "Start filling in," he calls out to those still in the lift.

Spoiler

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MA: Move 1 square south (Bur's space), 1 west, and one south again to be one square west of G2. **Provokes AOO**
SA: PA (1d20+12)[16], damage (1d8+12)[18] + (1d4)[4] kinetic + (1d6)[2] vs evil

If G2 goes down, use Coordinated Strike on GM3.

[lostsole31]

R3T15: Fathi moves around to get to the side of G2, provoking an AOO as he does. Once in place he comes down with a heavy blow against the Gray Maiden that drops her. "Start filling in," he calls out to those still in the lift.

Dušana and Hülya have been delaying. What do they do?

Spoiler: Battle Map

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[PSinger]

Hülya comes out of delay to come into the room, and then uses acrobatics to get in front of GM4, concentrates on a spell, and touches GM4.

Spoiler

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MA: Getting to the square in front of GM4, with one square doubled for acro = 25' movement. Acrobatics (1d20+10)[26]
SA: Auto-Concentrate on touch of gracelessness, MTA (1d20+4)[9]

Dušana then exits and moves to the area full of furniture in the NW and casts burning disarm on GM4.

[lostsole31]

R3T14.5: Hülya comes out of delay to come into the room, and then uses acrobatics to get in front of GM4, concentrates on a spell and casts it successfully, then touches GM4. GM4 instantly begins to move much more unsteadily.

R3T14.5: Dušana then exits and moves to the area full of furniture in the NW and casts burning disarm on GM4's sword. GM4 quickly gets rid of her sword.

R3T14: Burçin drops his sword, takes out his bow, and aims to drop GM3 with a game arrow in the left foot for 26, dropping her.

R3T8: GM5 steps over her fallen sister and challenges the woman near her, but Hülya easily dodges.

R3T5: GM4 likewise challenges Hülya and fails to bash her with her shield.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T15: Fathi, your wife is being challenged by two armored knights. What do you do?

Spoiler: Battle Map

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Hülya on deck, Dušana in the hole ...

[PSinger]

Fathi steps into the gap to screen his archer. "Eta to the side, Zeta up. Hold the line!"

Spoiler

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He then begins to fight defensively to begin invoking Hold the Line.
FA: 5' step.
SA: FD, PA, Great Cleave. (1d20+8)[9], damage (1d8+12)[13] + (1d4)[3] + (1d6)[5] vs. GM5.
* If successful, then (1d20+8)[28], damage (1d8+12)[15] + (1d4)[2] + (1d6)[5] vs. GM4.
SwA: Coordinated strike against GM5 (or GM4 if GM5 survives).

[PSinger]

Fumble Saving Throw = (1d20)[13]

[lostsole31]

R4T15: Fathi steps into the gap to screen his archer. "Eta to the side, Zeta up. Hold the line!"

Fathi bonks himself in the head on a wild attack, but keeps his focus on GM5.

R4T14.8: Hülya, Fathi started a "hold the line" maneuver, which is only useful if you are also fighting defensively. What do you do?

Spoiler: Battle Map

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Dušana on deck, Burçin in the hole ...

[PSinger]

Hülya concentrates on a very simple spell and lets loose with it defensively, then steps to the side to let Dušana in, motioning to her.

Spoiler

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SA: Defensively cast acid splash at GM5 (auto-succeed concentrate) RTA (1d20+11)[25], damage (1d3)[3] acid
* I know I still provoke for ranged attack while threatened, but I am hoping that FD + Hold the Line will protect her.
FA: 5' step east into end of little hallway.

Dušana moves into place (provoking AOOs) from both. Now standing and facing two knights(?) she defensively attacks with her scythe.

Spoiler

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MA: Move 1 sq E, then 1 sq south (Fathi's sq), then 1 sq E again to where Hülya was standing.
SA: FD (1d20+4)[24], damage (2d4+1)[8]

[PSinger]

Du gets a crit!

Spoiler

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Severity roll (1d20)[5], bonus damage (4d6)[21]

[lostsole31]

R4T14.8: Hülya concentrates on a very simple spell and lets loose with it defensively as GM5 misses her. The small mote of acid hits GM5 in the right shoulder for 13 acid. Hülya then steps to the side to let Dušana in, motioning to her.

R4T14.5: Dušana moves into place. Now standing and facing two knights she defensively attacks GM5 with her scythe, killing the sister knight outright.

R4T14: Bur shoots at GM4 with an armor-piercing arrow. It hits her in the chest and she drops.

Combat Ends ...

Looking at the room you're in, the rough functionality of the warehouse below gives way to beige tile and a white hall on this more officious-looking floor. A set of double doors engraved with images of rampant gazelles stands to the south, their once fine teak bearing obvious scores and gapping chips from rough use.

Since those double doors have been opened, you see the room beyond as well. Rows of white-sheeted beds line the walls of this room. Each is occupied, every bed bearing a patient restrained by leather straps that bind the figure to the sturdy metal frame. At the room’s center stretch simple wooden worktables, each covered in fluid-filled beakers, intricate glass tubes, small burners, and other alchemical instruments.

What do you do now?

[PSinger]

First, check the fallen enemies. Stabilize as necessary. Then search the first room, then the second.

[lostsole31]

Three of the Gray Maidens were killed. One self-stabilized, and you saved the life of the last.

The first room after the lift was a private hall. It once served as the entryway to the clerks' and manager's offices beyond. Now it is little more than a guard room. There is nothing of interest in here.

After Bur collects his sword the group gets back in formation and moves forward into what seems to be an experimentation ward. Once the communal office of a number of Arkona clerks, any trace of such clerical efforts have been removed from this room. Currently, 15 of the beds in here are occupied by badly wounded people that seem to all be drugged into a state of oblivious bliss by the smoke emanating from the censer at the room's center.

Dušana happens to note that all 15 of the patients in here are of strong Varisian ethnicity, and not one of them seems to possess any sign of blood veil, unlike folks in the main ward on the first floor. What now?

[PSinger]

First things first. Du will use her waterskin to carefully put out the coals in the censer to stop that dizzy-smoke or whatever.

Then, take a general look at everyone to see how well any of them might be able to move. Are they ambulatory?

[lostsole31]

Without healing, they cannot really move on their own power, no.

[PSinger]

Alright, back into formation and head to the door to the south.

[lostsole31]

Burçin opens the door. Blood, bile, and other humors bubble away within oddly-formed beakers and twisted tubes in this sizable laboratory. Any wall space left unobscured by cabinets or over-laden bookshelves is covered by worn parchments depicting magnified aspects of human anatomy in grisly detail—many pierced with pins and flags like the war maps of a veteran campaigner. In the corner, a desk of elegantly carved white ash bears the image of a herd of antelope, but the stains of dark chemicals and gore disfigures the once-beautiful piece.

Not seeing anyone in here, Zeta is sent in and looks around with her spirit sense. After that, the others head in and begin a search. About 30 seconds after the group starts milling about this laboratory, they hear the lift operated on the north end. They get together and quickly go there. From the look of things, the lift was operated from this floor and went downwards. The group instead rushes down the stairs to find nobody new down there, and the lift apparently farther down a floor. Instead of doing more at this time, the party gathers together as many survivors as they can, and guide them out of the Hospice of the Blessed Maiden and to the Temple of Abadar to Ishani Vhatri. The best he can do is coordinate to have the sick taken elsewhere, but his temple, demanding payment even in these times, will do no good.

With Ruor back in tow, the four head back to their house while sending a message to Kaul Plat to meet them immediately.

Also when they return, Alpha and Beta have returned from their brief errand.

After all three of the "inactive" members of this group have gotten together, Alpha, Beta, and Dr. Plat are filled in on everything that has happened so far.

Any questions?

[meemaas]

Kaul is first to speak up. "So this confirms everything. Were you able to find any paperwork or anything else related to the disease? Now that we have our confirmation, I see only two options. Either we confront the Queen directly, or we raid their headquarters. Either way, this is a dangerous situation.

[lostsole31]

Eta answers, "No, but I deduce that the blood veil is a manufactured phage - a designer disease whose purpose yet I do not understand; nor do I quite understand why there was a ward of Varisian people that seemed unaffected by blood veil, if not the abominable sedations they were put under."

Phi adds, "We cannot confront the Queen. No, we need to send a team back to the Hospice and find out where Doctor Davaulus went ... it seems the lift went to an underground location that we could not easily devise. We cannot allow Dr. Davaulus a chance to breathe. We left when we did to protect the innocent. Now that they have been cleared, we must immediately return.

"Dr. Plat, Alpha, Beta .... are you ready?"

[meemaas]

Kaul checks his bag and quickly creates a few extracts to prepare himself, Alpha and Beta manifest their armors, Beta manifests his claws, and then they all nod in agreement, ready to go.

Spoiler

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Basically just making confirmation of prep since it's been so long.

Kaul would always have a Mutagen prepared at the beginning of the day, just in case. As our last trip out is still recorded on sheet, Kaul will have the extracts listed prepared. Similarly, he will retain the same Mutagen.

Alpha will manifest Inertial Armor for 5PP. Essence and Veils remain as listed.

Beta will manifest Inertial Armor for 5PP, and Claws of the Beast for 5PP.

[lostsole31]

The full complement of Korvosa's fraternity house of the Epsilon Elite Mercenary Company (plus Dr. Plat) lets out to once again go to the Hospice of the Blessed Maiden.

There appear to be no reinforcements that were called to come to the Hospice, and Phi leads the group right to the lift in the back corner. Since there seems to be a missing button, the group packs tightly into the lift while Zeta tries to fiddle with the contraption. A casual pass doesn't seem to work, so she attacks with greater verve against the lift controls. She concentrates for a second, and then believing she has seen the future variables she makes her second attempt, and successfully bypasses the need for the missing button as the group descends into the unknown depth of the ersatz hospice.

The lift descends quite a bit more than you would have thought possible for something like a basement, meaning that where you are going would have been impossible to get through without getting the lift to work. Once the lift lands and he door opens (and the packed in group, Ruor the wolf included, pratically tumble out), it is dark where you are, and there is definitely a cool, humid air and the sounds of water dripping here or there ... not like running water, but like water seepage in tunnels of some sort.

Eta casts light on Evren-Tutku (her magical flute). Phi has merely to mentally command Sofia-Korina (his sword) to similarly glow, and the group now has two torchlight-quality sources of light. The scuffed stone walls of this chamber have been plastered over and then decorated with lurid murals of skeletons cavorting among the dead of a Korvosa completely succumbed to blood veil. Simple wooden doors lead to the north, south, and west, each bearing a painting of a scythe-wielding skeleton. A sizable double door stands on the east wall, appearing in the mural as a massive set of double doors opening into the pyramid foundation of Castle Korvosa. Two more scythe-wielding skeletons decorate these large doors.

[lostsole31]

Phi looks to Zeta to begin her checks (once she checks the floor outside the lift is safe and then the crammed-in group disgorges itself from the lift box. Zeta begins going to the door to the south while carefully looking around and taking out a deck of Harrow cards. She makes the following notes as she constantly shuffles and redraws cards.

1. The door to the south represents both weal and woe.
2. The door to the north is a mystery.
3. The double doors to the east carries with it weal.
4. She senses no spirits hiding in this room.
5. She performs a reading for herself, stating that the spirits of the Harrow will protect her body if needed.

Phi considers the three courses, and chooses the door to the south since that has a known benefit. Eta explains to Alpha, Beta, and Kaul, that "weal and woe" usually represent a challenge that they should be able to overcome, with some benefit for meeting the challenge. That benefit may be wildly variable and hard to decipher, so it could be intelligence, loot, or even just a job well-done in driving back the enemy.

Eta then looks the door over properly. Sensing nothing, the group is put in a 10-wide format (despite it being a 5-wide door) so the party isn't snaking around in this room, and Phi asks Kaul (who carries a two-handed weapon), to open the door (it opens in) from the side while he holds the breach with his tower shield as needed. Once the door is opened, thanks to Zeta's divinations the party was expecting an attack, and there are four Queen's Phyisican's inside, who seem likewise ready to fight and not surprised (to be fair, the lift is noisy).

Begin Round One ...

R1T36: Beta, so amazingly does Phi inspire you, that your reflexes for battle are keener than you ever thought possible.

What do you do?

[meemaas]

Beta will slide into a proper battle stance and move quickly into the room, striking at one of physicians and then quickly vanishing back into the formation before any followup.

Spoiler

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Swift action: Enter Pugilist Stance (+1d6 damage to attacks with unarmed strikes or discipline weapons, including claws)
Move action: Move past Phi inside the door to be between OP1 and OP3
Standard action: Initiate Fading Strike Manuever on OP1

Attack roll (1d20+10)[23]
Damage (Claw) (1d8+4)[10] + (1d6)[6]

After the strike, he will then teleport backwards to be between Phi and Zeta

[lostsole31]

R1T36: Beta slides into a proper battle stance and move quickly into the room, kneeing QP1 in the head for 25, before quickly vanishing back into the formation before any followup.

R1T27: Zeta takes out a potion and downs it, healing for 4.

R1T26: QP3 tries to strike at Phi from around the corner ..... ha!

R1T24: Ruor growls, waiting to be sent in.

R1T23: Alpha, what do you do?

[meemaas]

Alpha will move to the other side of Eta and focus, dropping a burst of fire between QP1 and 2, hoping to disable obth of them with the fire.

Spoiler

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Move action to move to the other side of Eta
Standard action: Manifest Energy Stun centered between QP1 and 2 for 5PP

Damage roll (2d6+8)[15] (+1 per die for being fire and +6 from Circlet of Brass...also for being fire)
Reflex Save DC 21 for half
If failed, Will Save DC 21 or Stunned

[lostsole31]

R1T23: Alpha moves to the other side of Eta and focuses, dropping a burst of fire between two of the Queen's Physician's, hoping to disable both of them with the fire. Neither one is able to mitigate the burst that hits them for 15 fire, and destroying QP2's finely-fashioned billet as QP1 drops his.

R1T22: Burçin moves to where Alpha just was and concentrates. QP4 seems suddenlyi held in place. "I've held that back one, by the wall in the corner!"

R1T21-20: QP1 and QP2 are both stunned ...

R1T19: QP4 was only held for a second, though, before breaking out of it. He steps up to the door and tries a flourish of his club that doesn't faze Phi. The attack itself, however, is well-delivered and slams the great warrior in the chest in a sensitive area for 13.

R1T17: Eta takes out a wand and points it at QP4, but for no seeming effect.

R1T15: Kaul, what do you do?