4. Footway Robbery - Waelass

[Dekaru]

Finch looks over at the mercenaries standing around watching and sees Valla trying to move the pot. He gestures from the mercenaries towards the climbing Valla

[Imperial]-“Help her or help us hold this thing back! Don’t just stand gawking!”

(Hold that door!)

[Xenoe]

Judy continues as before, sweat drops forming on her brow from the stuffy heat of the furnace.

[Interovegas]

Judy fills the room with choking fumes to conjure further reinforcements. All except Judy strain for air in the smog. The scarcity of air impairs the desperate trio in their efforts to rebuff the monster.

[Armored Demon: 10,9,9,7,7,7,7,1 Result: SHOVE-NOT]
[Trio Resisting (-1d per person): 8,6,6,6,2,2 Result: M-I-R-A-C-L-E]

Despite the unyielding strength of the monstrosity, despite the choking fumes and encroaching darkness, hope prevails. Nassur, Zwiche and Finch manage to hold the line as the thick billowing smoke denying them breath is solidified into a massive reinforcing structure. After a pair of failed tackles from the monster it is apparent to all that Judy's scheme has succeeded for now. The creature cannot break through the smokematter before Judy can erect another defensive layer to hinder it.

In the meantime Vala works the ropes and lowers the vast load of coal to the floor. It is far too heavy for her to move on her own.

A furious crackling emanates from the furnace access.

Nassur yells out to Judy.

[Imperial Comprehension: 7,4,2,1 Result: No Eavesdroppers]

Nassur-[Imperial]: "You fast think and strong magic save us all. That was way we came, think that there is a separate way out?"

[Dekaru]

Finch wipes his brow and collapses against the wall. He is too preoccupied with catching his breath to worry about the conversation.

[Zwiche]

Not understanding Nassur's strange squawks, Zwiche ignores his words.

[Imperial] - "We have to go deeper!" he coughs, hunching down to try and avoid the smoke. "At the very least, it will clear us from the fumes granting us safety. Quick, help me push this coal against the wall to keep the monster at bay while we flee!"

He moves over the container of coal and begins pushing.

[Dekaru]

Finch grunts as he stands up. He hurries over to the pot to provide a helping hand.

[Corenat Rovarnus]

Heartened by the aid she is now receiving, Vala continues moving the coal pot.

[Xenoe]

Judy - [Imperial]: "Any conventional way inside that we know of, the enemy probably does too. I see that the furnace is what is supplying the smoke matter to craft the structures towering above the castle. We can either smother the flames, wait for the furnace to cool, and I can build a ladder that can take us up through the smoke stack, or we can attempt to break through the ceiling adjacent to the furnace and try our luck breaking out of wherever that leads. What say you guys?"

[Zwiche]

Having moved the coal, Zwiche turns and frowns at Judy. Beneath the smoke and blood, he can smell a far worse stench: cowardice...

[Imperial] - "Lady Justice, I fear you betray your namesake. We did not venture into these tunnels to flee through the roof like rats. We did not lose companions, their bodies torn asunder, to leave with our tails between our legs, wicked, whimpering, whipped curs. We have made our path and now we must follow it to the end. We cannot leave this place without our friend, whatever the cost."

[Dekaru]

Finch gestures towards the creature attacking the smoke wall.

[Imperial]-“If’n the Imperials turned the creature ‘nto their personal attack dog this city in danger. We owe to the knight to continue our rescue or, failing that, uncover what terrible things are being done here. I say smother the flames and delve further while we have chance.”

[Xenoe]

Judy - [Imperial]: "I fear that this is all a conspiracy of the state. Clearly whatever that thing is, it's living under the tacit knowledge of the local leaders, this being directly beneath the castle. If this were an act of renegade evil I would say we continue in our quest to retrieve the knight, but against potentially hundreds of men it's a suicidal thought.

Anyhow, we're not in the clear yet, and it's unknown what we will face going up the smokestack, so the foremost objective would be to survive."

Judy attempts to smother the coal furnace, as she is apt to have much experience in doing.

[Dekaru]

Finch bites his tongue hoping the mercenaries won’t piece together the details of what Judy just said and what the groups purpose is here. Once the pot is in place he waves his hand to try and move smoke away from his face to little effect.

[Imperial]-“Difficult ta say either way. I won’t be leavin’ anyone to their fate down here, Abyss be damned.”

[Zwiche]

[Imperial] - "The Captain is right. We must rescue the Lady, at whatever cost it might be. Who knows how many hours it would take that metal monstrosity to cool," Zwiche gestures at the furnace. "And besides, I would not fit through it's stack by any means. If I am to die down here, I will die fighting for my companions."

[Xenoe]

Judy - [Imperial]: "Even if the lady knight were still alive, she probably be trapped in the castle dungeons or somewhere like that. I don't suppose walking around in the sewers will do us any good. To get into the castle, we need to go up."

[Dekaru]

[Imperial]-"An' if she's down here we leave her to her death. Best to be thorough then."

[Xenoe]

Judy - [Imperial]: "Alright, look, how about this then. To cover more ground, let's split up, the narrow tunnels down will not allow us to fight around the giant anyways. I'll go with my plan, and you delve to your leisure, perhaps if everything goes awry, you'll have somewhere to run."

[Zwiche]

[Imperial] - "If you are so eager to abandon your comrades, then I cannot force you to stay. I would rather not fight with a coward at my back. Go then, dig into the dirt like a rat and see if it saves you." Zwiche picks up his dropped weapons and stalks towards the southern passage.

[Interovegas]

Judy realizes the coal chute descends quite a long way, and the massive furnace that stands in as the fourth wall of the room is of very peculiar design. She can reason from the visual details of the struture that the furnace is absolutely massive and that the fuel is being into the furnace at multiple levels and perhaps even in from multiple rooms. She can't quite reason what such a structure would actually do.

Zwiche moves towards the southern passage without even a light to guide his way. He feels around the hot stone walls and eventually comes to a clearing, perhaps another chamber.

Nassur-[Imperial]: "What you fight about with others Joodee. How exit stone bad dream?"

[Xenoe]

Judy shakes her head.

Judy - [Imperial]: "They wish to continue down the tunnels and search for our lost comrade no matter the cost. I understand their feelings, but I believe its far too dangerous to continue.

As for how we get out of this place, the coal furnace must lead to the outside somewhere, judging by the fact that the smoke is not accumulating. I can create a scaffolding along the side of the furnace, and break through the ceiling to reach the ground above. That'll probably lead to the castle or somewhere like that, but it's better than facing what's down here."

Judy creates a smoke scaffold smoke staircase along the outside of the furnace with create minor smoke structure, along with an array of pick axes and sledge hammers, the heads filled and weighted with the nearby coals. She then repeatedly attacks a weak looking portion of the roof with smoke arrow to see if she can create a break point with her arcane power.

[Dekaru]

Finch follows after Zwiche and holds the torch out for him

[Interovegas]

Finch steps closely behind Zwiche down the southern passage and around the bend. His lantern scatters light around the Zwiche's massive frame and illuminates a smaller room with a low cieling containing many barrels. One barrel near the pair is lidless and its cover is awkwardly propped up several feet over in the gap between other barrels.

Judy weaves a few more supports to make certain the armored monster could not break through, even though the creature has been standing and peacefully observing the party for a short while. After taking safety precautions she goes about enacting her plan but realizes the coals are not heavy enough to make a comfortably usable hammer, muchless a tool with the narrow point of a pick.

[Dekaru]

Finch pokes his head back around the bend he and Zwiche came from and shouts back

[Imperial]-"Vala, Agrinna, this way!"

He turns his attention back to the barrels and room ahead of him and Zwiche.

[Imperial]-"I'll keep anything that comes illuminated. You worry about cutting anything that comes at us in two."

He follows Zwiche as he pushes into the room and checks what's in the open barrel. He'll pop open another one just to double check that the contents are the same.

[Xenoe]

She attempts to make the hammer by expanding the size of the head such that when weighted with coals it has enough heft, and adds a curved spike to one side of the hammer in the manner of a war hammer. Though the head may be slightly unwieldy and large as long as it can achieve sufficient force with a swing, it will do.

Then instead of making picks, she creates foot long triangular shaped wedges which can be driven into stone and destroy the structural integrity.

[Corenat Rovarnus]

Vala breathes out in relief at the monster's now pacifist stance. It must have realized that it couldn't break through! Vala hurries along to where Finch and Zwiche are.

[Zwiche]

[Imperial] - "Captain, what do you see? Is there anything that can aid us in our search?"

Zwiche will also look around to try and see if there is another torch to be found.

[Interovegas]

Zwiche finds no immediate object that lends itself to lighting. The captain waves his lantern over the barrel (not a torch) and lifts the lid to reveal a thick silver green slime filling the container nearly to the brim. He gently waves the lantern over the barrel to observe how the light illuminates the ominous contents. In his observation he notes something large and solid rests in the slime within.

Judy tries to wield her tools. While the implements themselves might be usable the sorceress herself realizes she lacks the physical ability to perform the task.

[Xenoe]

Judy resumes her smoke arrow barrage to see if that has any effect.

[Zwiche]

[Imperial] - "Captain, what do you see in that fetid ooze? Could it perhaps rescue us or provide some succor in this darkness? If it be not either, then we must push forth."

He looks around in the darkness and curses. "Is there not a gods-damned light in this murk? We cannot fight if we cannot see. How do the cultists scurry through these tunnels without so much as a spark of light?"

[Dekaru]

Finch holds out the lanturn to Valla for her to take.

[Imperial]-“There’s somethin’ in the liquid. Help me tip it over Zwiche.”

Finch grabs hold of the top of the barrel to prepare and throw it over to spill out the barrels contents.

[Corenat Rovarnus]

Vala takes the lanturn, raises it high and steps back to avoid getting any slime on her.
[Imperial] "Hold, sirs! Tis clear that milady could not be in one of these barrels. Prithee let us not dally."

[Dekaru]

[Imperial]-“It’ll take but a moment. Our job here is still to find out what is going on in this city.”

[Zwiche]

Agreeing with Finch's assessment, Zwiche kicks the barrel, spilling the foul liquid and exposing whatever lays within.

[Interovegas]

Just as soon as they give the barrel a good kick and shove the slime springs into motion. A skeletal appendage wreathed in a thick deadly spike formed from the slime goes for Finch.

[???-Attack+1d: 10,7,4,1,2 Result: Fail]

The attack awkwardly misses the intended target but the motion helps the figure tumble forwards and out of it's container. The creature fumbles to an upright position before the trio even know what has happened. The thing standing before the group is best described as a small skeleton immersed in a thick hardened sliver-green slime. The skull within the slime is turned about one hundred and eighty degrees but the creature has its other limbs somewhat properly facing Finch and Zwiche. Low rumbling and soft banging sounds emanate from the other barrels.

[Dekaru]

[Ob-Lob]-"Crikey! Kill it kill it kill it!!!"

(Dodge and attack. Only prioritizing dodge if attacks are directed at Finch)

[Zwiche]

Constrained by the tunnel's height, Zwiche knows he has to focus his strikes.

"Kneel, abomination!" he roars, his sword flashing forth in the flickering flames.

[STRIKE AND KNEEL - from Path of the Razor Heart. No multiple actions here.]

[Interovegas]

Judy's smoke arrows end up just that: Arrows flung against thick enduring stone. She realizes chipping away at the ceiling without the greater strength of the likes of Zwiche or sorcery more appropriate to the task she will struggle to dig through.

[Zwiche: 10,9,7,7,5,4,4,3 Result: SUBMIT AND KNEEL]
[Finch: 10,9,9,7,1+ED:10 Result: Slash]
[Demon-Attack: 7,6,6,3,3,2 Result: Submission]

Zwiche and Finch and briefly nod to each other and strike the creature with ruthless swiftness. The thing tries to take Finch's strike head on and impale him but the force of Zwiche's technique interrupts any such efforts. Both blades cut away small chunks of silvery-green ooze from the monster and splatter it across the walls.

[Zwiche]

With the creature downed, Zwiche fears no retaliation. Refusing to give quarter, he swipes down again, aiming to beat the creature twice over.

[Multiple Action - Attack x2, using ALL IS ONE to time them both at highest speed.]

[Dekaru]

Finch repeats his time honored method of attacking while trying not to get hit. He has certainly noticed the other barrels moving but hopes that the things inside are stuck and/or are not developed enough to attack.

(Did someone say attack and dodge with the latter prioritized only if attacks come Finch’s way?)

[Xenoe]

Judy uses her smoke structuring abilities to create a tall triangular fulcrum base, with a swiveling lever attached to the top, and a long rope attached to the shorter end, kind of like a simple trebuchet.

She then ties her makeshift hammer to the longer end of the lever to create a high leverage stone breaker and calls for everyone to pull the rope at once repeatedly, delivering powerful blows to the ceiling.

[Corenat Rovarnus]

Vala looks back and forth between Judy's call to pull the rope and the fight with the monster from the barrel. If she wasn't in a panic before she really is now. [Imperial] "We art fighting some other creature in hither room!"

[Xenoe]

Judy - [Imperial]: "Ah crickey, trouble around every corner."

Judy pauses her feat of engineering to see what's going on in the other room.

[Interovegas]

Judy and Vala abandon the impromptu home renovations to join Finch and Zwiche in entertaining the help. They turn about the corner to see a dimly lit Zwiche and Finch cut into a gel-immersed skeleton.

[Zwiche-1d: 8,5,4,3,3,3,1,1 Result: Kachop]
[Finch: 10,9,8,4,4+ED:10 Result: Chop Dodge]
[Demon: 10,9,8,3,3,1 Result: Staggered]

Finch delivers a quick stab to the thing's shoulder region, enough of a blow to give Zwiche space and time to send out two more eviscerating strikes. Though gelatinous material sprays across the ground the creature's otherwise uniform physique and unnatural movements make it all but impossible to discern its status.

[Dekaru]

[Imperial]-“Keep cutting! It’ll die eventually!!!”

(I’m just going to start calling the attack and dodge maneuver the Ob-Lob Shuffle)

[Zwiche]

Zwiche continues his brutal blows, testing his Dindavaran techniques to the limit.

[Repeat of last turn. 2x Attack, ALL IS ONE]

[Xenoe]

Judy attempts to blow a smoke arrow from her torch.

[Interovegas]

The other barrels rattle against one another, one towards the edge of the light falls to its side and breaks just a little.

[Zwiche - ALL IS ONE: 10,8,7,5,5,2,1,1 Result: Chop Chop]
[Finch - Ob-Lob Shuffle: 7,5,3,2+ED:10 Result: Nope Nope]
[Judy - still moving because moving takes time]
[Demon: 10,8,7,5,2,1 Result: Clearly, nothing]

Judy follows the sound of the noise and the thick clouds of beckoned smoke diffuse through the hall as if to follow their mistress. She turns around the bend and her attention is immediately drawn to the strange monster standing victim to Zwiche's attacks. Zwiche continues eviscerating the monstrosity while Finch poses imposingly from just beyond the reach of danger.

---

[Dekaru]

(Ob-Lob shuffle. Stab stab stab)

[Xenoe]

Judy looks over the situation and gets rough idea of what had transpired.

Judy - [Imperial]: "No, no, no! What is even going on?! We're supposed to be looking for the lady, not snooping through barrels!"

But alas the situation warrants immediate attention, and so she redirects her energies to launching that smoke arrow.

[Zwiche]

[Dindavaran] - "Daemons should know when to stay dead."

[Samurai Slash - 2x Attack, ALL IS ONE]

[Interovegas]

[Zwiche - Boku no her- ALL IS ONE: 7,5,5,5,4,3,2,2 Result: Slash with style]
[Finch - Ob Lob Shuffle: 7,5,3,1+ED:10 Result: Ob Lob Nothing]
[Judy - Smoke Panzer: 9,8,8,7,6,6,5,3,1+MD:8 Result: Pew]
[Demon: 10,7,6,6,3,2 Result: C-c-combo'd]

Judy's shot strikes true and rattles the monster again. Zwiche rages against the create with this new opening and cuts the demon into four chunks. Finch dances from just out of reach as the creature's chunks scatter across the floor. A silvery-green tendril creeps out from the knocked over barrel while the rattling in the other barrels becomes more vigorous, to the point that the shaking is visible to all the bystanders. Nassur and Kina come in behind Judy and stare in shock at the sight before them.

[Imperial Comprehension: 6,4,3,1 Result: Who needs words anyways]

Nassur-[Imperial]: "What more monsters? This is whole den of them!"