Dungeon of the Mad Mage (#9 PbP)

OU812 is still standing there, facing towards the western exit of the beholder room, at the Ready....still raging (OOC: it only lasts a minute, but I want to keep it going for as long as possible...).

Lythril pulls out her lute, holds it gently by the belly and the neck. She listens with care as she plucks the strings one by one, making minute adjustments. She then runs her fingers across them, softly softly strumming a familiar tune.

"What's everybody standing around for?"

Lythril shoulders her lute, draws Warhammer and shield, and marches down the hall with the noise.

"*****es gotta die, *****es gotta die,"

"Hi ho smoke a pole,"

"Poke you in the eye!"

Insight which evil ***** needs to die first 13

Initiative 13

Grianne is right behind Lythril. almost at her side. She wants to learn how to smash uh...what was it again?...metal branches? Thats probably wrong.

She waits to cast a faerie fire at whom ever Lyth chooses to hit first.

Initiative 10

You guys enter the beholder room, and in the opposite room, you can see an interesting sight.

In this particular room, is a massive 7 foot tall extremely powerfully build woman with black hair and pale skin surrounded by 10 bugbears wielding a greataxe. They look like Xanathar Guild members and they are all sparring. Painted in blood on the middle of the floor is a 10-foot-diameter circle with ten equidistant spokes extending outward from its circumference. Fifteen leather hammocks are hooked to stone brackets that protrude from the walls at regular intervals. Depending on how far away from the entrance you are, no one has spotted you yet. Be careful.

Ra’iik grabs OU812 and Lythrill’s shoulders, wincing at the pain of using his bruised arms again so soon after fighting the beholder. He whispers “Are you sure you want to do that? Why not wait it out until numbers thin... it looks like they may be sparring too which suggests they are all on the same side...”

"Oh alright, fine."

Lythril instead of jumping into a fray, stealths over to the south door and checks it out.

Stealth 13

Perception door 0

"Oi, I think this here door is a fake."

Ra'iik puts his hand on top of her head and turns it 90* left, away from the brick wall.

Mr. Biggs leaves Wedge to at least keep watch on the sparring match and alert him mentally of any changes. In the meantime, the bugbear continues to fall in line after Ra'iik. Try as he might, there is no suppressing the big 'ol grin on his face seeing Lythri's antics. "So, what will be the eventual plan for those guys back there?" 

HAHA Ra'iik and Lythril. 

The woman appears to be a very skilled warrior, but they are all sparring. They are making enough noise and do not notice you yet. Any fairly bad stealth roll may alert them.

Evrik awakens after his vision and hears the rustle in the distance. Noticing that the others were headed that way he runs up to the sorcerer and grabs him by the arm.  "Azrael!", Evrik says with alarm, "I fear the worst may be true. This Tiamut seemed quite alive in my visions. If this is the one speaking to you, they may have led you, and us, quite astray." Evrik looks up into the dragonborn's eyes. "I've known you only a short while, but I've seen your valor. This cannot be your god. How has this one come to speak to you?"

Are we not going to smash some more weevil bandersnatches? Grianne says straight faced. I will wait and follow your lead Raiik. Grianne pronounced is like take but with an "r" as if the being controlling her through a magical fairy box seems to think that's how pronounced.

Azraels brow furrowed at the news from the Dwarf, his eyes shot down as Azrael's mood turned more serious than normal.. a pall seemed to drape itself over the Dragonborn's demeanor... If this is true... Tiamat is the god of all the Evil dragons in faerun.. and the guardian of the gates in Avernus, in the Nine Hells... she's a servant of Asmodeus himself... as he spoke the name of the true ruler of the nine hells, like a whisper in the back of everyone's minds, they would feel as if they heard a peal of thunder echoed throughout the world, only to fade into memory, as if it had never happened. The world seemed to dim just a bit more, before eventually returning to normal. Names had power. 

But this would mean that the heroes who slayed her.. had only slain an avatar.. or some equivalent... as for how my prayers are going to her instead of the great Bahamut... I cannot say.. perhaps it is this place? or perhaps I have been fooled....?

Azraels faith seemed to be getting shaken, his resolve didn't seem to falter, but worry creeped into his features... I must confide in you Evrik... Though i have never hidden this.. I am of mixed heritage. I possess both light and shadow as my parentage was of an unlikely union between a good and evil pair. As you can see.. I have chosen to let the light shine.. but perhaps the darkness has found a way to take root..? Azrael seemed to be as much talking to Evrik as he was searching for answers himself.

I am sorry to burden you with this.. perhaps when we return to the surface to recuperate we can speak more on this. But you must know.... Tiamat sews discord throughout the world, forcing mortals and her evil kin to commit atrocities beyond imagining... she is as much a devil as she is a dragon.... While each evil god may focus on a specific aspect of evil, debauchery, and other such heinous things.. Tiamat actively seeks to cause such things and does so stridently.. Perhaps.. when our quest here is finished.... I will have to face her.. she cannot be suffered to live any longer.

He sighed, his conversation audible to those around the corner (including Allesandra) but quiet enough they likely wouldn't alert the sparring folk just beyond. He would pat Evrik on the shoulder, encouraging him to return to their comrades fully. Seeing it seemed like the group (mostly) wished to avoid fighting, Azrael would remain quiet, sayign softly as he returned if we seek to avoid this.. we should get moving... he would say primarily to Raiik and Lythril So let us be about our business. Because sparring doesn't go on forever.

Azrael Stealth: 6

Disappointed that he won’t get a chance to smash some skulls in, OU812 de-rages. Turning south, he starts walking down the green shaded route (per your previous map, Crispy).

Stealth: 8

You guys constantly impress me with your role-playing. Inspiration for all, if you don't have it <3

The green path leads to the sparring pit. Do you guys wanna head south to the door and bypass, or go check out the insanely huge muscular woman sparring with the bugbears. 

Bypass

Alessandra had tried to not eavesdrop in the conversation, but once Tiamat and Asmodeus was brought up she simply couldn't help herself. She found slight comfort in knowing she wasn't the only one getting effected the lower they traversed, but she feared of how strong Tiamat's influence could get to become. Stark white eyes glanced over her shoulder to the two, her lips thinning and eyebrows knitting together before looking back forward. Could Bahamut's light shine through in the end, or would Azrael succumb to the darkness like she had years ago? He had such strong faith...

Why do you suddenly care so much? You're wasting your energy. If he falls, he falls, let it be. 

Her eyes narrowed as they bypassed the sparring session. He has a lot to live for.

Stealth: 2

((i'll edit this post if we choose to not bypass the section))

"Let them give us a reason for us to take them on. No need for unnessisary bloodshed." Bypass

Green, Pink, or Blue?

Mr. Biggs continued to just going along with the flow. So long as everyone else wanted to bypass, he put forth no complaints. He only hangs back a moment to spy through Wedge's eyes on the woman. Just for a bit. Then, it is back to following after the others all sneaky like as neeeded.