Council of Thieves [Bastards of Erebus] (IC)

[pfm1995]

Enveloped in the dark with no idea what's happening outside the sounds of combat, Dusha keeps with the current plan. She continues to retrace their path into the crypts, trusting her memory to see her back into the light.

Spoiler: Actions

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Another double move. Acrobatics to not fall flat on her face, and she'll spend a point of Inspiration on the roll: (1d20+2)[12] + (1d6)[1]

[lostsole31]

R19T8: Enveloped in the dark with no idea what's happening outside the sounds of combat, Dusha keeps with the current plan. She continues to retrace their path into the crypts, trusting her memory to see her back into the light. She passes by Erasmus, feeling past him, gets past the doorway to the far southwest, then up the stairs. She gets up to the area above, and she sees a torch having been lit and put in a sconce, and Janiven Key covering the door with her bow.

R19T7: Shadows and shape affect the bright light at the end of the hallway so that Aldo sees that someone came into the hallway from the south of him. Aldo is now being pincered.

End Round 19, Begin Round 20 ...

R20T24: Erasmus makes his way upstairs. While Janiven wasn't too alarmed by Dusha - very light wound and magic rags swinging like they were - it is a much different story with Erasmus. "I left her," he sobs to Janiven. "I left Tia or I would have been killed, gods forgive me."

R20T23-22: The amber tiefling with Erasmus' starknife still stuck in him opens the door and sees Flycatcher right there. He cuts at the vigilante with a dagger but finds nothing but air is shorn for his effort. At the same time, a fire bolt whooshes by Flycatcher's head from the leader-tiefling.

R20T21-20: Aldo ... the sound of a crossbow being loaded and shot to the north, a woman crying out in pain, a body falling, and something wood-and-metal clattering. Then, the sound of a crossbow being loaded (again? different? can't tell) followed very shortly by something smacking and deflected by the leggings of Aldo's parade armor.

R20T19.5: Flycatcher, not that it matters for you, but there is light again. You already saw Erasmus and Dusha leave. What do you do?

[SwordChucks]

The Flycatcher dashes away from the door and after his allies.

Spoiler: Combat

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Full-round action: Withdraw, following after the others.

[lostsole31]

R20T19.5: The Flycatcher dashes away from the door and after his allies. He manages to just get up to the church above, where Dusha, Erasmus, and Janiven are.

R20T19.3-18.6: There is a dreadful clacking of bone against stone as the wolf skeleton to north of Aldo must have fumbled. Aldo hears someone to the south around the corner talking talking loudly in an unknown language.

R20T18.3: Aldo, you hear other shuffling to the north - have heard it, in fact. In the most twisted sense, the incompetence of the wolf skeleton just might be allowing you to live longer. Meanwhile, there is someone south of you as well, so you are flanked. What do you do?

[digiman619]

Now on his feet, Also runs away from the dogs, sliding past whatever was behind him in search of the rest of his party.

Spoiler: OOC

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Operation Run The @#$% Away is back in session.
MA: Acrobatics away from my attackers, spending a guile point. (1d20+12)[20] (included +2 from guile)
MA: Run away, if I see the light, follow that.
IA: If attacked and missed, Combat Slide away,

[lostsole31]

R20T18.3: Now on his feet, Also runs away from the dogs, sliding past whatever was behind him in search of the rest of his party. By the grace of the frickin' GODS, Aldo just makes it past whomever is in his way and beyond, though a body at the end of the hall slows him down as well, but he manages to (with a double move) get into the radius of light to see Tia's fallen form, the area lit by a sunrod, a tiefling coming out of a secret entrance, and the leader tiefling. Out of the frying pan ...

R20T13: Upstairs, Janiven notes the panicked faces. "Dusha, do you have some light source you can give me?"

R20T11: Someone is heard moving up the stairs from below.

R20T9: A badly wounded tiefling (yellow) comes out of the secret door and closes on Aldo.

R20T8: Dusha, what do you do? Note that Janiven is awaiting for response and/or action, but someone is heard on the stairs.

[pfm1995]

"Didn't think to grab it, don't have one now." Dusha manages to gasp between panting breaths. "If any of you are fit to fight, we may be able to hold the stairs. If not, time to keep running!"

Spoiler: Actions

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Dusha will ready an action to keep running if whatever it is coming up the stairs turns out not to be Flycatcher.

[lostsole31]

R20T8: "Didn't think to grab it, don't have one now." Dusha manages to gasp between panting breaths while stepping back from the stairs a few feet. "If any of you are fit to fight, we may be able to hold the stairs. If not, time to keep running!"

R20T7: A badly wounded tiefling comes down from the western passageway to stand over a fallen hell puppy and thrusts at Aldo, his deflects with both of his weapons.

End Round 20, Begin Round 21 ...

R21T24: Erasmus leaves the scene, as he is in no condition to keep fighting.

R21T23: The leader gives a two-tone whistle. He then moves up and throws a bolt of fire right into Aldo's back for 5 fire.

R21T22: The amber tiefling comes around the corner and just barely closes to throw a claw out that smacks Aldo in his head for 6.

R21T19.5: Flycatcher, what do you do?

[SwordChucks]

The Flycatcher keeps pace behind Dusha and snaps a quick summary to whomever Dusha was speaking. "Two wolf skeletons and five tieflings. One's a caster."

He readies his blade and peers down the stairwell hoping to see another Child on their way.

Spoiler: Combat

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Move action: Head to the top of the stairs.
Standard action: Ready an attack with the rapier against the next tiefling or skeleton to come up the stairs.

[lostsole31]

R21T19.5: The Flycatcher keeps pace behind Dusha and snaps a quick summary to whomever Dusha was speaking. "Two wolf skeletons and five tieflings. One's a caster."

He readies his blade and peers down the stairwell hoping to see another Child on their way, but it is a tiefling that is right behind him. The Flycatcher stabs out in response, but as it was reflexive and less readied, he misses.

R21T19.3: A wolf skeleton comes tearing around the corner, passing the tiefling Aldo is engaged with. Aldo seizes the chance and conks the think on the head, shattering the skull and turning the rest of the wolf-skeleton to dust!

R2T1T18.6: A tiefling emerges from the secret door and closes to Aldo to stab Aldo in the lower arm - right at the vein - for 8. The shock of that and his other wounds is too much for Aldo and his world goes dark.

R21T18.3: Aldo, your life blood is spilling out. Roll a stabilization check.

R21T13: Janiven calls out, "Flycatcher, withdraw!" and then she is out after Erasmus.

R21T11: The tiefling facing off against Flycatcher tries some fancy swordwork. It isn't enough to fake the vigilante out, but he underestimates the accuracy of the swordsman in basic form as Flycatcher gets stabbed in the crook of the left elbow for 3.

R21T8: Dusha, because of the layout of the stairs, only Flycatcher is in the "nook" facing downstairs. The best Dusha could do (if she doesn't try to leave) is attack across a corner (to which the tiefling has cover). She cannot see and attack at reach. What does she do?

[pfm1995]

"You heard the lady, it's time for us to be the flies!" Dusha says to Flycatcher, before she too bolts for it.

Spoiler: Actions

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Withdrawing.

[lostsole31]

R21T8: "You heard the lady, it's time for us to be the flies!" Dusha says to Flycatcher, before she too bolts for it.

Spoiler: Dusha

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Dusha has no been moved off map, out of battle, and out of intiative.

End Round 21, Begin Round 22 ...

R22T19.5: Flycatcher, you are the last one here, badly wounded, and you have the high ground against a wounded tiefling that is on the stairs. Your indomitable presence no longer matters, and you can no longer use Phalax Fighter (which just expired anyway). You were prepared to use Unbreakable Gambit, but the only enemy in sight is one that is not likely (without scoring a crit) to inflict you with an effect that requires your body or mind to fight it off. What do you do?

[SwordChucks]

The Flycatcher resists the urge to try kicking the Bastard down the stairs and takes off after Dusha.

Spoiler: Combat

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Withdraw out the door.

[lostsole31]

In time, the survivors of the main strike force get back to the Children of Westcrown's hideaway ... and joined by Arael and the other Children who were helping draw out other Bastards to fight elsewhere.

As soon as everyone is healed - so maybe 2 or 3 days - Arael wants to strike again. This time, he and Janiven will be more active, but he knows that diversionary tactics will still be needed (it really did limit the number of people in the Bastards hideout). There are several believed dead, but Arael wants to mourn them once he knows of their fate, but also to keep the Bastards on the ropes.

Do Dusha or Rufus/ Flycatcher have any issue with that?

[pfm1995]

"Yes, yes, be like the farrier, I understand." Dusha said, looking utterly exhausted under all the grime. "Make of them many headless chickens, but we should not neglect our own planning, hm? We know of their nest now, we know some of its twists and turns. We know their fondness for crossbows, and for the dark. Perhaps there are things we can do, hm, to help with these?"

[SwordChucks]

"I'll need to resupply myself before returning to their hideout. There was a secret door in the basement section, so there may be others. They also made good use of chokepoints, so anything we can do to take away that advantage will help greatly."

[lostsole31]

Arael answers. "Everyone needs a source of light ... maybe several. Sunrods seem to be the best answer as the magic to overcome a darkness spell is hard to come by. Don't be afraid to just shrug and pull back. Most tiefling thugs' darkness doesn't last more than a minute, so don't be too invested in buffs of your own to not just pull back for a few minutes and reattack."

Assuming he was told everything witnessed during the attack. "Okay, as far as that secret door, that one I say we piton shut. Yes, we will announce ourselves, but that is the game when going into someone else's place. Pegging that secret door should help. I advice simply using it, because we can still be outmaneuvered and flanked. I don't advise trying for stealth insertion again, because once we tip our hand, we couldn't prepare terrain so again ... we get outflanked.

"I say 'we,' because Janiven and Arael will be going with you (Rufus/ Flycatcher, Dusha, and Erasmus). We lost a lot the first time around, but I want you to consider all you did to them as well .... they lost much more than we did. Now that we are ready for what is below, we know to shrug and pull out if it gets hairy."

[pfm1995]

As the others prepare, talk of logistics and strategy swarming about them like summer flies, Dusha just... wanders away. It's not that she doesn't care, as confused as she sometimes is even she recognized the importance of this, but rather that right now it's... it's too much. She needs quiet. Fortunately, this is a former temple. Temples have crypts. Unfortunately, crypts are rarely all that quiet around Dusha. Even as she descends, Radigan on her shoulder, she can feel the spirits of the dead swirling around her and howling their wordless cry. It's like the susurrus of river reeds and a market square all in one, disorienting and no less overwhelming for its familiarity. "So," she mutters to them, as she stops down step after step until the light fades behind her, "which of you are my former companions, hm? More ghost to haunt old Dusha's shadow, whisper in her ear whether she likes it or not? Not like any of you were all that good at shutting up in the first place, or leaving when the getting was good. You'd think you at least, Aldo, would've known better. Halflings are supposed to be good at that kind of thing."

Of course, there's no answer. There never is, at least not of the kind she can understand. Flashes, sometimes, but...

Bending down, she pulls Radigan down off from where he was busy making a nest in her hair and sets him down on the ground, his little claws scrabbling against the hard stone. "Sit still, would you kindly?" She asks absentmindedly, before drawing her dagger and bringing it to her hand. Once, twice, and Radigan had two new fingernails to gnaw on. "There you go, little one. A gift for you. Now..." she feels the spirits draw closer in anticipation, "...time for the both of us to start earning our keep, hm?"

Spoiler: Actions

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Dusha is going to swap around some spells. I think I have everything right for how a witch does this, but if I'm messing anything up please do let me know. Proposed layout:
Cantrips:
- Mage Hand
- Light
- Dancing Lights
- Detect Fiendish Presence

1st Level Spells
- Mage Armor
- Chill Touch x3

2nd Level Spells
- Summon Swarm
- Aggressive Thundercloud
EDIT: Make that two copies of Summon Swarm

[SwordChucks]

"They had wolf skeletons on their side." Rufus says as a grimace crosses his face. "How likely does that make it that we'll encounter the dead again? I don't look forward to having to rekill the Bastards or worse, our friends."

Trying to move on from that topic, Rufus continues. "I've secured a couple smokesticks. When the Bastards create darkness, I'll use one to make it so both sides are blind instead of just one."

He tries to get Janiven alone for a moment to hand her a slip of paper. "This is my address. If anything should happen to me, I want the Children to have my belongings."

[lostsole31]

"See it once, expect it twice," says Arael. "As a cleric of Iomedae, I shall call upon the Inheritor's favor to help us smite undead when we see it."

Are we ready for the re-attack?

[pfm1995]

Dusha re-emerges from the tunnels wearied, but with far more destructive magics at her fingertips. Catching the tail end of the conversation, she says "Ah, yes, the blind leading the blind and nary a one-eyed man to be found. But better still to not be blind at all and so some steps backwards may sometimes be necessary." She re-secures Radigan in the hood of her robe. "I believe I am ready to be leaving when you all are."

[lostsole31]

This assumes another evening, of course, which is required to get past the Wiscrani guards to the dead sector of the city.

After the group sets off, Arael says, "Folco Cassani - maybe you knew him as 'Match' - was killed in the distraction attack the other night. His teacher - a butcher and alchemist - will be joining us at the entrance to the old Rego."

Sure enough, when the party gets to the area that is no longer guarded at this late hour, there is a broad, portly, slovenly man of average height (5' 9") waiting. He wears what seems to be old leather armor with nothing more than a couple daggers in a bandolier for weaponry. Arael simply nods to him, and the heavyset man nods back and falls in line with the group.

"Tonight," says Arael, "we will try out the surrounding abandoned buildings. I'm confident that those side-tunnels with stairs and doors you mentioned lead to them."

[lostsole31]

It is time for this group to now enter the Rego Cader.

Arael will lead the group to one of the many (chosen randomly by GM) houses or buildings that ring the Temple of the Bastards. The group gets what cover it can getting up to the door. This door is finely made and built of a rich red-brown wood. Carved onto the surface is a nearly full-size picture of a man holding a piece of wood in one hand and a carving tool in the other; the end of the piece of wood is starting to resemble the front part of a horse. Also cut into the door is a young child looking up eagerly at the emerging horse the man is carving.

Does Rufus stay Rufus at this time?

[pfm1995]

"How adorable." Dusha murmurs to herself. "So may expectations in one sign, so many disappointments." She shakes her head. The night's chill hardly touches her beneath her piles and piles of rags, and though they're not even inside yet she already has a hand on her dagger. The arrival of their new porcine friend she treats with her usual blithe ambivalence, not even appearing to notice that there was someone new rather than someone old.

"Down and down, hm?" She whispers. "Perhaps our expectations will bear out better than the boy's."

[SwordChucks]

Rufus listens at the door and looks around to make sure no one apart from the strike team is around. Once he's satisfied, he begins donning his uniform and getting into character.

[lostsole31]

Does Rufus/ Nightcrawler bother to explain to the new guy what just happened (as to why the transformation)?

[SwordChucks]

The Flycatcher continues on as though nothing has changed. Outwardly stoic, and inwardly using the opportunity to see if his legend has spread.

[lostsole31]

It's Janiven who is ready to unlock the door, but it is already unlocked, and the party moves inside into the darkness, with Erasmus casting light on his starknife.

The party quickly searches the tiny house that obviously used to belong to a woodcarver. There is a closet to a basement area that leads down only a brief story, and the walls of those stairs going down are natural. Janiven wants to remain in the back to cover with her bow.

What are your thoughts recommendations for marching order? The new guy, introduced to you as Hyrum "the Midnight Butcher"* Coupe, has leather armor and some daggers, here to do what he can but not a confirmed killer like you are (despite his profession of butcher).

Spoiler: The Midnight Butcher

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It makes him sound nefarious, but he keeps odd hours, and was the only place one could go in his section of town for good quality meat after a certain hour, so people started calling him a name that makes him sound like a serial killer, but it actually gives him good business as a novelty.

[pfm1995]

Standing in front of the bow-wielding Janiven but behind their more melee-centric companions, Dusha asks the group for a few moments before they descend. It's a matter of a spoken word in a language that sounds like wind in the reeds for her own dagger to start glowing with a soft, pearlescent light. It's a matter of quite a few more for her next trick. Over the course of a minute as Dusha continues to chant in her rattly monotone, shadows flit at the corners of the room and her many rags flutter. Inside her hood, Radigan's eyes glow. The dead that follow her every waking footstep are tricky, annoying, and even calamitous at times but they do have their uses, and there are so many dead things here.

When she finally finishes, her eyes are covered in a pallid grey sheen. "So many dead here, hm?" She murmurs to the others. "Some our own? Hard to tell, they lose themselves so quickly... so quickly... but they no so many things. So many secrets. Let Dusha take a look-see before we go to meet death, hm? Let the dead have their say."

Spoiler: Actions

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Casting Light on her dagger, and then using the Spiritualist's Commune with Spirits class feature to cast Detect Secret Doors. As they walk, Dusha will ask the party to pause for a round as they look down each hallway to try and ascertain if there are any secret doors along its length. If there are, she'll take another round to point them out to the party.

[SwordChucks]

"I can stay ahead of the light and quietly scout the area. Since no one will be able to see me in the dark, I'll have to return to the edge of the light to let you know to follow me. Give me just a moment to see what's down here."

The Flycatcher draws his rapier and walks down the stairs.

Spoiler: Suggested Marching Order

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Flycatcher (60ft ahead of the rest), Erasmus, Hyrum "The Awesome Nickname" Coupe, Dusha, Janiven