Session 18:
Gremlins

[JadedDM]: Ruebon 6th, Darkday; 13 bells.

[JadedDM]:  Jasmin and Cardel are in the study on the second floor, having just slain what Cardel described as a 'gremlin.'  He begins to hack off the creature's wings with his axe and then slips them in his belt.

[JadedDM]:  Aidan and Eskar are in the dining hall, causing a mess.  Eskar, over 8 feet tall, has one of each creature in his hands, smacking them into each other and whirling them around like rag dolls.  Suddenly, however, he comes to a start and shudders.  His form blurs, and he shrinks down to his normal size.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin wrinkles her nose as she watches Cardel, realizing that he is the one that actually killed the creature. "Come on. There are probably more around here somewhere," Jasmin says as she makes her way out of the study and into the hallway.

[Aidan]: Aidan's eyes widen, before he looks around for something to help hold one of the gremlins down.

[JadedDM]:  Cardel grunts, and with his work done, he follows after Jasmin, his hands on his axe.

[JadedDM]:  The gremlins waste no time.  Both are now big enough to wriggle out of Eskar's grasp.  He attempts to grab on to one, but it slips free.  The two gremlins circle above in the air, like vultures.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks between the three doors within the hall, and then randomly chooses the one on her left. "Too many rooms in this place," she mutters more to herself than to Cardel as she moves to open the door.

[Aidan]: Aidan watches them circle for a moment, then slowly moves to pull a copper piece from a component pouch.  Once he has one between his fingers, he begins to mutter a spell under his breath.

[JadedDM]:  Jasmin and Cardel pass through the hallway and enter into the display room.  It is full of weapons and armor, a number of old artifacts and relics, trophies, and an owlbear skin rug.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin slowly walks through the room as if searching for one of the creatures.

[Aidan]: Once the spell is cast, Aidan focuses his attention on one of the circling beasts.

[JadedDM]:  Aidan can hear the thoughts of the gremlin as clear as if he were speaking them aloud, but unfortunately, he doesn't speak gremlin.  The two suddenly dive down on Eskar, snapping and kicking at him.  The dwarf hollers and runs out into the main hall, the creatures pursuing him while laughing wildly.

[JadedDM]:  There are doors to the east and south.  Cardel begins to examine the weapons on the wall, but then grunts with disgust.  "Worthless.  Just replicas," he mutters.

[Aidan]: Aidan curses at the uncommon language, and then follows after them.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin glances over her shoulder to Cardel. "Yet they still look nice, which I'm sure that is all Lord Tyler cares about," she says as she walks to the door to the east.

[JadedDM]:  Aidan rushes into the main hall and finds that Eskar is being chased around the shattered chandelier, covering his head with his hands, as the gremlins swoop around him like oversized gnats.  The dwarf shouts at them in a foreign language, but to the creatures, it seems like an amusing game.

[JadedDM]:  Cardel grunts.  "What good is a weapon that just looks pretty?" he asks rhetorically before following her into the abandoned bedroom.  It looks like there was a recent scuffle here, as some of the furniture has been knocked over.

[Jasmin]: "Someone has been in here," Jasmin says as she moves to pick up some of the furniture that has been knocked over.

[JadedDM]:  Cardel pulls aside the curtains, looking behind them.  He doesn't seem to find anything, though.

[Jasmin]: "Whoever was in here probably all ready got the gremlin that was in here," Jasmin sighs softly, though she walks to the door to the south. "At least it explains the mess."

[Aidan]: Aidan watches for a moment, then glancing quickly at the doors around them.  Looking back, he lifts his quarterstaff and lifts it, as if he were about to try and hit one of them, then seems to decide otherwise as he puts it down, looking confused.

[JadedDM]:  Cardel walks around the bed and begins examining the broken down armoire.  "No body, either way," he points out.

[JadedDM]:  Eventually, having had their fun, the gremlins fly upstairs and head down the right hall, leaving the two alone.  Eskar drops to his knees, panting.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin glances over to the big man, and then makes her way through the door. "Come on," she says. "Oh, I've been meaning to ask you something."

[JadedDM]:  Cardel follows after her, into the abandoned nursery.  "What?" he asks, looking around carefully, his eyes scanning the room slowly.

[Aidan]: Aidan watches them fly off, then steps toward Eskar.  "We need to follow them.  Are you well?"

[Jasmin]: Jasmin scans the room as she steps inside, knowing that one of the creatures was in here at one point. "Have you ever seen your father carry around a red coin?"

[JadedDM]:  Eskar nods, catching his breath.  "Is fine," he says, standing up and dusting himself off.

[JadedDM]:  Cardel pauses to look at her.  "A what?  Red coin?"

[Aidan]: Aidan nods and heads off up the stairs and down the right hall.

[Jasmin]: "Yeah, a red coin," she says casually as she walks over to the crib to see if the creature is back hiding under it.

[JadedDM]:  [Eskar]:  "Wait...sword," he says, remembering he left it on the floor in the kitchen.  He hurries back in that direction.

[Aidan]: Aidan stands uneasily at the top of the stairs, waiting for him to return.

[JadedDM]:  Cardel shrugs.  "I don't usually go through his belt pouches."  They are interrupted by a sound outside the door to the west.  Suddenly, the door bursts open and two of the gremlins come flying inside.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin turns quickly upon seeing the door fly open. "There they are!" Jasmin moves to intercept the gremlins, her swords drawn. "Try to trap them."

[JadedDM]:  The two gremlins apparently did not expect to see them.  Surprised, they attempt to fly around them.

[JadedDM]:  (Roll initiative.)

[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [7] = (7)

[JadedDM]:  Gremlin One's turn.

[JadedDM]:  The creature swerves past them, heading to the door to the north.

[JadedDM]:  Jasmin's turn.

[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [6] = (6)
[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [11] = (11)

[JadedDM]:  Eskar finally returns, carrying his sword.  Huffing and puffing, he climbs up the stairs, muttering under his breath.

[Aidan]: Aidan turns away, walking down the right hall slowly so Eskar can catch up, but looking around attentively for any sign of the gremlins passing.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin tries to hit the gremlin heading towards the north door, but she misses as it proves to be a bit too quick. "Damn," she mutters.

[JadedDM]:  Gremlin Two's turn.

[JadedDM]:  This one, having avoided Jasmin, also swerves toward the north door.

[JadedDM]:  Cardel's turn.

[JadedDM]:  Cardel's axe cuts into the passing creature, sending it tumbling to the ground.  It quickly gets up, the cut on its belly sizzling, and it scurries toward the north door.

[JadedDM]:  When Aidan and Eskar reach the end of the hall, they see an open doorway.  Looking right inside, they spot Jasmin and Cardel swinging their weapons at the two creatures.  Jasmin misses, but Cardel slices into one.  It seems hurt, as it tumbles to the ground.  The wound on its belly is sizzling, as if it had been drenched in acid.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin attacks again.

[Aidan]: Aidan runs in, raising his quarterstaff, but looking between Jasmin and Cardel, confused, and moves to assist Jasmin.

[JadedDM]: As Jasmin reaches for her whip, Aidan bursts into the room, quarterstaff in hand, his robes stained with blood.  Eskar comes in, as well, carrying his sword.  Both of the gremlins make for the north door.

[JadedDM]: (Actions?)

[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [6] = (6)

[Aidan]: Aidan runs to block and close the north door.

[Aidan]: [1d10] => [1] = (1)

[JadedDM]: Aidan's turn.

[Aidan]: Aidan dashes to the north door, grabbing the handle and pulling it shut before turning to face the oncoming gremlins, holding his staff ahead of him.

[JadedDM]: Gremlin Two's turn.

[JadedDM]: The creature, having been knocked to the ground, runs at Aidan with a full sprint, his teeth bared.  But Aidan is able to knock him aside with his staff before he can bite the mage.

[JadedDM]: Eskar's turn.

[JadedDM]: Eskar hurls himself on top of the gremlin that just attacked Aidan, pinning him to the ground.

[JadedDM]: Gremlin One's turn.

[JadedDM]: The other gremlin, still airborne, dives right at Aidan.  It grabs onto him with its sharp claws and bites into his neck.

[Aidan]: Aidan shouts and collapses to the floor.

[JadedDM]: Jasmin's turn.

[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [13] = (13)

[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [6] = (6)

[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [2,3] = (5)

[Jasmin]: Jasmin runs forward once Aidan drops to the ground. With a frown, she kicks the creature off of him before stabbing Radiant Star into the creature's hide, causing its skin to almost hiss.

[JadedDM]: Cardel's turn.

[JadedDM]: Cardel swings his mighty battle axe and takes off the creature's head in a single blow.  It falls over dead, its neck sizzling like a steak on the grill.

[JadedDM]: Eskar struggles with the remaining gremlin underneath him.  "Aidan.  Need help," he says.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks over to Eskar and the struggling Gremlin. She runs over that way to help Eskar.

[JadedDM]: Eskar shakes his head at her, frustrated.  "No, is fine.  Aidan hurt," he repeats.

[JadedDM]: Cardel casually harvests the dead creature's wings and sticks them in his belt with another pair all ready there.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks over to Aidan for a moment before she drops Scalebiter next to Eskar, then she runs over to Aidan to check him over.

[JadedDM]: She finds Aidan is unconscious, and will most likely die if his wound is not patched up soon.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin removes her backpack, and takes out a vial with a blue liquid inside. Quickly, she uncorks it then lifts Aidan up to make him drink the stuff despite the fact he is unconscious.

[Aidan]: Aidan coughs and groans, opening his eyes slowly and looking around the room.

[Jasmin]: "Eskar, use my sword to kill that creature if you haven't all ready," she says to the dwarf, yet she keeps her attention on Aidan. "You okay?" she asks.

[JadedDM]: Eskar reaches for the blade, attempting to keep his quarry from escaping with one hand.  He takes a deep breath and then brings the sword, point-down, into the creature's gullet.  It squirms and thrashes, as blood pulls beneath it, before it goes still.

[Aidan]: One of Aidan's hands creeps to his most recent bite wound, wiping some of the blood away and looking at it.  "I suppose, yes," he says slowly.

[JadedDM]: Eskar stands up.  Mimicking Cardel, he slices off the creature's wings as proof of the kill.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin helps the mage to his feet slowly.

[Aidan]: Aidan stands and lets his hands drift towards the nearest wall to lean against.  "You killed them both?" he asks with a look around.

[JadedDM]: Cardel:  "Pretty brave, throwing yourself in front of them like that.  Not very strategically sound, though," he remarks.

[Jasmin]: "Cardel got one of them," she points out before turning to Cardel. "You know, you still didn't answer my question."

[Aidan]: Aidan rolls his eyes.  "Unfortunately, I didn't see you moving to stop them, so I supposed someone had to do something."

[JadedDM]: Cardel:  "What?  Oh, the coin thing.  No, I've never heard of such a thing," he says, wiping his axe off on the curtains.

[JadedDM]: [Eskar]:  "Sword kill," he says, handing Scalebiter back to her.  "And axe.  We could not be hurting them, though."

[Aidan]: Aidan perks up at the mention of a coin and grabs one of Jasmin's arms and shakes his head slowly.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin takes back Scalebiter from Eskar before looking at Aidan curiously.

[JadedDM]: [Eskar]:  "Not all of them," he informs her.  "Another with white hair.  Vanished."

[Aidan]: "I checked for coins," he whispers.  "None."

[Jasmin]: Jasmin gives a nod of understanding to Aidan before looking to Eskar. "There are probably a lot more in here than just that one, so we should continue the search. We should probably try to find Gaheris too."

[JadedDM]: Cardel:  "I better go look for Liam and pop," he says, heading to the west door, into the hallway.

[Aidan]: "We should stick together this time," Aidan says as soon as Cardel walks out the door.

[Jasmin]: "And don't go jumping out in front of the gremlins anymore, Aidan," Jasmin says teasingly. "Come on."

[JadedDM]: [Eskar]:  "Which way?" he asks, picking up his own sword again and sheathing it.

[Jasmin]: "To the hallway," Jasmin says as she walks that way.

[Aidan]: Aidan looks around for his quarterstaff and picks it up, using it to steady him as he follows Jasmin.

[JadedDM]: The three enter into the hallway Cardel had just gone into.  They see a door to the south, and another to the west at the end of the hall.  Cardel is just exiting through the west door as they enter the hallway.

[Aidan]: Aidan watches the west door close.  "Perhaps we should go that way."  He gestures to the south door.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin nods in agreement as she watches Cardel disappear. With a shake of her head, she starts walking for the south door. "Did you guys run into Gaheris at all?"

[Aidan]: Aidan thinks for a moment.  "Downstairs, I think.  But it was a long time ago.  Before I was running around looking for either of you, actually.  Were you with Cardel this entire time?"

[Jasmin]: "Not the entire time. I just ran into him an hour ago...maybe."

[JadedDM]: Jasmin tries the southern door to find it locked tight.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin sighs in annoyance. "It's locked. Looks like we have to follow Cardel."

[Aidan]: Aidan looks to the door, then around the hall.  "Oh.  I was looking around here for you.  I wonder what's in that room?"  Aidan turns towards the west.  "So...what were you doing with Cardel?  Eskar and I were fighting off three of those things, but considering you and Gaheris had disappeared on us, we couldn't exactly kill them."

[Jasmin]: Jasmin turns from the door, and walks for the west door. "We ran into a gremlin up here, so we were fighting that one off. The thing used the fire to burn my nose, and I have a feeling that another one of those things tried to kill me with a chandelier.”

[JadedDM]: The three enter through the west door, but Cardel is all ready long gone.  They are back on the upstairs balcony over the main hall.  The stairs lead down to the broken chandelier.  A door is on the south wall and another at the other end of the balcony, to the west.

[Aidan]: "Do you think Gaheris is still downstairs?"

[Jasmin]: "Maybe," Jasmin says as she makes her way downstairs. "I think I've searched most of the rooms up here."

[JadedDM]: Eskar follows Jasmin down to the main hall, where the broken chandelier lies.  There are doors to the south, leading to the long hallway, the doors to the east, leading back to the dining hall, the main entrance to the north, and finally, the west doors leading to the waiting room.

[Aidan]: Aidan follows after the two, going slowly down the stairs.  "The white-haired gremlin disappeared in the kitchen."  He points towards the door to the dining hall.  "Maybe it didn't get very far away from there."

[Jasmin]: "Well, if we are going to search for Gaheris too, then I guess we should start with where we last saw him. I saw him down that long hallway," Jasmin says, pointing to the door that leads to the hallway. "The dining hall works too," she says with a shrug. "Why are you wanting to get this white haired gremlin so bad?"

[JadedDM]: [Eskar]:  "Gremlin?  Is what creatures are called?" he asks.

[Jasmin]: "That is what Cardel called it, so then yeah I guess that is what it is called."

[Aidan]: "Cardel is on the look out for them, and he seems quite capable of killing them, so it might be best to find the next we know about before the Tainted Hands do."

[JadedDM]: Eskar nods.  "Saw Cardel with wings.  He is having four, while we are having only these two," he says.

[Jasmin]: "He has killed two that we know of. We have to kill as many as we can," Jasmin says as she moves for the dining hall. "Maybe Gaheris has a few too."

[JadedDM]: The three head into the dining hall, which is quite a mess now.  Chairs have been overturned and there are signs of a struggle, Jasmin notices.  However, they see no activity at the moment.  To the east is the door to the kitchen and larder, and a door to the south leads to the main hallway.

[Aidan]: "Hopefully.  But we should kill what we can, even if Gaheris has killed a few."

[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks over the mess before she moves to the east door. "Obviously, something was in here. I know I didn't make this mess, and this isn't going to make Lord Tyler happy at all."

[Eskar]: Eskar scratches at his beard and scowls a little. "I am thinking... How are we to get more of these things? Walking and chasing does not work so well."

[Jasmin]: "So we have to find ways to trap them."

[Aidan]: Aidan rubs his head.  "They seem to like making messes.  And annoying people.  Perhaps it attracts them?"

[Eskar]: Eskar nods at Aidan's comment. "I agree, my friend. They are wanting to make us the angry."

[Jasmin]: "So you are saying we should just randomly destroy things to get them to come out?"
[Eskar]: The duergar nods. "Last time we are trapping them in the kitchen, because it is having only one door."

[Aidan]: "No, I think they might be more attracted by a clean room."

[Eskar]: The duergar moves over and pats Aidan on the arm. "That is to be thinking good!"

[Jasmin]: "Is the kitchen clean?"

[Aidan]: Aidan winces slightly and nods his thanks to Eskar.  "The kitchen was not exactly clean when we were there, no.  And they were throwing pots and pans while we were in there."  Aidan looks to Eskar.  "What about that fireplace?  Maybe one will want to go back to it."

[Eskar]: Eskar nods. "I am thinking that is a good place. The bedroom by it has one door if we can be getting it in there."

[Jasmin]: "Are you talking about the fireplace upstairs?"

[Aidan]: "No, there was one down here where we found one of them.  It blew fire at us, and then we found it again in the kitchen."

[Jasmin]: "I don't think sitting here trying to decide where they are is helping us any, so if you two have an idea where to go then let's go."

[Eskar]: The duergar shakes his head. "I am not being so sure. Maybe it was a different one and is still there." Eskar moves towards the west door.

[Aidan]: Aidan shrugs, and then follows Eskar.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin follows after the rest of them.

[JadedDM]: The three of them turn around and head back west, into the main room where the shattered chandelier lies.

[Eskar]: Eskar blinks in surprise, but walks around it heading west again.

[JadedDM]: Eskar steps into the waiting room, finding it empty.  The fire in the fireplace is still burning, and the curtains remain on the floor, in a bundle.

[JadedDM]: There are two doors, one to the south leading to the main hallway, and one to the west, leading to the servants' quarters.

[Eskar]: The dwarf squints a little, and heads over to check the fire for anything squirming in it.

[JadedDM]: The fireplace burns normally.  Eskar cannot detect any anomalies.

[Aidan]: Aidan follows after Eskar, taking a few steps over to the fireplace, looking into it, but he stays well enough away from it, leaning on his staff.

[Eskar]: Eskar shrugs. "Nothing."

[Jasmin]: "They all ready did what damage they could do in here, so they probably moved on to the next room."

[Aidan]: "Perhaps, yes."  Aidan furrows his brow a moment.  "Didn't you say they burned your nose?"

[Jasmin]: Jasmin nods slightly.

[Aidan]: "Where did that happen?  And how long ago?"

[Jasmin]: "It was upstairs in the study, and that was over an hour ago. Plus, we killed that one."

[Aidan]: Aidan nods.  "The one here spit fire at us, as well.  Was it waiting in a fireplace there, too?"

[Jasmin]: "Yeah."

[Eskar]: Eskar motions back towards the entrance. "Can you be showing us upstairs?"

[Jasmin]: "There is nothing else upstairs though, so there wouldn't be a point to show it to you."

[Aidan]: "Are there any other fireplaces anywhere?  Maybe they'll try and set another trap at one."

[Eskar]: Eskar holds his head, brows furrowed, deep in thought.

[Jasmin]: "I don't think we have even scratched the surface of his mansion. I suggest we continue on through one of these doors."

[Aidan]: Aidan gestures for Jasmin to lead the way.  "I wish I knew what was in that locked room.  I bet it would at least be clean enough to attract them if it were unlocked."

[Eskar]: The duergar shakes his head. "We have been to all of the downstairs. That is a bedroom." He gestures towards the west door.

[Jasmin]: "There is more than one locked door in this place. Lord Tyler had one in his bedroom, and there were a couple more." Jasmin moves to the west door to check the room out.

[Aidan]: "Hm.  I had assumed they were all to the same room."  Aidan follows her west.

[Eskar]: Eskar scratches his beard. "We should be going to the locked doors. New things might make them come."

[Jasmin]: "We can't get into the locked rooms, Eskar. So are you suggesting we just stand near one, and wait for something to happen?"

[JadedDM]: The three enter through the west door into the servants' quarters.  This large room is well-lit thanks to a number of undraped windows.  There are about fifty single beds crammed into this room, but many have been unmade and even turned over.  As the door is pushed open, an arrow slams into the doorframe and quivers a moment.  They hear gremlins' laughing and Gaheris swearing.  Looking within, they see him being attacked by two of the creatures.  One has a white stripe of hair across his head.  Gaheris has taken cover behind an overturned bed and is firing arrows at them.

[Aidan]: Aidan slams the door shut behind them.

[Eskar]: Eskar runs full out at Stripe, going for a tackle.

[JadedDM]: (Actions?)

[Aidan]: Aidan is staying by the door.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin blinks as the arrow slams into the doorframe. Though, upon hearing the Gremlin's Jasmin quickly moves to one of the beds, takes one of the sheets, and then moves to one of the gremlin's to trap them within the sheet before they start scattering every which way.

[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [6] = (6)

[Eskar]: [1d10] => [3] = (3)

[Aidan]: [1d10] => [6] = (6)

[JadedDM]: Gremlins' turn.

[JadedDM]: The flying gremlin swoops at Gaheris, biting him in the arm.  He swears loudly, shaking his arm to try and throw the creature off.  The grounded one, with the mohawk, laughs in great amusement.

[JadedDM]: Eskar's turn.

[Eskar]: [1d20] => [1] = (1)

[Eskar]: Eskar starts running, but slips on a bed-sheet and falls right on his face.

[JadedDM]: Both gremlins laugh hysterically at Eskar's falling.

[JadedDM]: Aidan's turn.

[Aidan]: Aidan raises his staff horizontally, blocking the door.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris' turn.

[JadedDM]: Swearing like a sailor, Gaheris manages to pry the gremlin off of him and hurls it to the ground.  He then draws an arrow and fires, hitting it right in the eye.  But the arrow just bounces off, as if the creature were made of stone.

[JadedDM]: Jasmin's turn.

[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [4] = (4)

[Jasmin]: Jasmin runs forward to drape the sheet over Stripe, but the gremlin leaps out of the way at the last second.

[JadedDM]: (Actions for Round 2?)

[Aidan]: Aidan stays where he is, watching the scene.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin draws both of her swords, and tries to hit the mohawk gremlin before it can get out the way.

[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [3] = (3)

[Eskar]: The gray dwarf regains his footing, face darker than normal due to the fall. He mutters to himself and moves to pin the non-Stripe gremlin down.

[Eskar]: [1d10] => [1] = (1)

[JadedDM]: Eskar's turn.

[Eskar]: [1d20] => [7] = (7)

[Eskar]: Eskar moves to grab the gremlin, but its spasmodic laughing twitch it randomly out of the way and he clunks against a bed.

[JadedDM]: Jasmin's turn.

[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [11] = (11)

[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [16] = (16)

[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [1,3] = (4)

[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [4,3] = (7)

[Jasmin]: Jasmin brings Radiant Star and Scalebiter down at the same time to stab into the tiny creature. It's skin starts to boil and hiss as the swords easily cut through the creature, and blood splatters upon the gremlin's white mohawk. Sadly, it is still kicking.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "Damn, kitten!  You can hurt these things?!" he asks with surprise.

[Jasmin]: "Yeah. These things are gremlins, and only magical weapons can hurt them I guess."

[JadedDM]: Gremlins' turn.

[JadedDM]: The leader staggers back, its flesh sizzling from its wounds.  It holds up his arms, as if surrendering, but slowly, it fades away like a ghost.  The second one, seeing its leader hurt and fleeing, starts to run right at the door toward Aidan.  It leaps at him, a mad glint in its eye, but Aidan is able to smack it back down with his staff.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris' turn.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "Magic?  Damn, why didn't you say so?"  He reaches into his quiver and pulls out an arrow with a red tip.  He takes aim and fires at the fleeing gremlin but misses.  He tries a second shot, but again the creature proves to be a difficult target thanks to its small size.

[JadedDM]: (Actions for Round 3?)

[Jasmin]: "I just did!" Jasmin says as she turns to attack the gremlin attacking Aidan.

[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [4] = (4)

[Eskar]: Eskar once again moves to tackle the only remaining gremlin.

[Eskar]: [1d10] => [2] = (2)

[Aidan]: Aidan maintains his ground at the door, though he keeps his staff ready to strike back, if the gremlin should try for the door again.

[Aidan]: [1d10] => [7] = (7)

[JadedDM]: Eskar's turn.

[Eskar]: [1d20] => [14] = (14)

[Eskar]: The duergar, with a smug look, slams himself and the gremlin down to the floor.

[JadedDM]: The gremlin squirms under his weight, trying to free itself.  Gaheris steps out from behind his cover, warily, in case the first gremlin appears again.

[Jasmin]: "Eskar, keep him pinned down while I kill it."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris retrieves his arrows.  "Damn things ambushed me.  Were hiding under the beds."

[Eskar]: The duergar loses his smug look and nods gravely, positioning himself so that Jasmin can stab it and not the dwarf.

[Jasmin]: Once Eskar is out of the way, Jasmin brings both of her swords down upon the gremlin.

[JadedDM]: The creature screeches and shudders, its blood spurting out onto Eskar.  It finally goes still.

[Aidan]: "Eskar and I had two in the kitchen, but they ran upstairs and Jasmin and Cardel killed them.  How long have you been here?"

[Jasmin]: Jasmin yanks her swords out of the tiny thing, and cleans her swords off on one of the bedsheets nearby.

[Eskar]: Eskar stands, looking mortified and holds out his hand as if expecting something from Jasmin.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris shakes his head.  "Lost track of time.  I had started exploring the mansion, but I heard voices leading me back here."

[Jasmin]: "Voices?"

[JadedDM]: He nods.  "They seemed to come from nowhere.  I thought it was the ghosts, at first."

[Aidan]: Aidan nods at Jasmin and the dead gremlin.  "The wings, Jasmin.  Were they human voices?"

[Eskar]: Eskar furrows his brow. "They cannot be talking. And they cannot be understanding us."

[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks down at Eskar's hand almost confused before she simply hands him the bedsheet so he can at least clean some of the blood off of himself.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "No, they were gibberish to me."

[Jasmin]: "That white haired one is still around somewhere," Jasmin says as she bends down to cut the wings off the gremlin she just killed.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "Yeah...how did it do that?  An illusion of some kind, I guess."

[Eskar]: Eskar nods to Jasmin, cleaning himself off as best he can. "We should be collecting the wings, if we are having more, it proves we are better than the Tainted Hands."

[Aidan]: "If it was an illusion, it would still be in the room...."  Aidan looks around, leaning back against the door.

[Jasmin]: "The Tainted Hands have two pairs of wings. They might have more by now."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "It looked like Jasmin hurt it pretty bad.  Probably took the fight out of it."

[Eskar]: "I am thinking it can move around without moving you see. Poof! Then it is someplace else. It was doing that in the kitchen." Eskar picks up Gaheris' missed arrows and opens the door to the waiting room and regards the group. "We should be going."

[Jasmin]: "There are some locked doors upstairs, Gaheris. I don't suppose you could do something about that could you?"

[JadedDM]: Gaheris had all ready retrieved all of his salvageable arrows.  He crosses his arms.  "I could try."

[Eskar]: The duergar shrugs. "A door is not so much of a door with enough muscles." He moves to the entrance.

[Aidan]: "Excellent.  Should we head up there then?"  Aidan moves away from the door, and settles against his staff.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin moves out of the room. "Come on. We'll go to Lord Tyler's room first."

[JadedDM]: The four exit the now thoroughly trashed servants' quarters and return to the waiting room, finding it as they left it.  There are doors to the south (main hallway) and east (to the stairs.)  To the east, they hear a crash, shouting, and what sounds like music.

[Jasmin]: Upon hearing the crash, Jasmin heads to the east without hesitating.

[Eskar]: Eskar naturally follows Jasmin.

[Aidan]: Aidan follows Jasmin slowly.

[JadedDM]: The four enter the main entrance hall, where the stairs and broken chandelier are found.  One of the gremlins is in the air, throwing expensive looking vases at Liam.  He is attempting to shoot it with his bow, while dodging the various vases.  Kricket is standing on the stairwell, playing his lute gently.  "Any day now, father!" Liam shouts as a vase comes dangerously close to hitting his head.

[Jasmin]: "Gaheris, your arrows."

[Aidan]: Aidan closes the door they entered from and moves to close the other doors on the first floor.

[JadedDM]: The gremlin is 25 feet in the air, about where the chandelier originally hung.

[Eskar]: Eskar moves into the room, and considers the situation. The duergar heads to stand next to the fallen chandelier.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris draws his red-tipped arrows, but before he can take aim, Kricket completes his song.  Five orbs of red, cackling energy form around him, swirling in circles.  They then blast upward, each striking the gremlin in succession.  The creature drops like a rock, twitching slightly after hitting the ground.  It then goes very still.

[JadedDM]: Liam lowers his bow, relieved.  He wipes some sweat from his brow.

[Eskar]: Eskar, having anticipated such an occurrence, bends to retrieve the corpse of the creature.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin stares up at Kricket for a few moments, looking rather surprised at what he just did.

[JadedDM]: Kricket replaces his lute on his back and draws his rapier, casually strolling over to the gremlin corpse.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris lowers his bow, an annoyed expression on his face.

[Jasmin]: "How did you do that?" Jasmin asks.

[Eskar]: Eskar looks to Jasmin and Gaheris, clearly wondering about what to do with the gremlin in his possession.

[JadedDM]: Kricket pauses when he reaches Eskar, as if waiting for something.  He glances to Jasmin.  "A little spell I picked up in my travels, when I was a youth."

[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks to Eskar with the gremlin, then to Gaheris.

[JadedDM]: Kricket:  "I believe that belongs to me," he says to Eskar, his eyes on the corpse.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin moves to step around the fallen chandelier. "It is rightfully his kill," she says, sounding a bit disappointed in that aspect.

[Eskar]: Eskar nods his agreement and drops the gremlin at Kricket's feet, continuing past the man up the stairs.

[JadedDM]: With a flick of his wrist, Kricket slices through the wings like they were paper.  He collects them and sheathes his rapier.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin glances over to Liam with a small smile as she moves up the stairs. "At least they weren't trying to kill you with a chandelier."

[JadedDM]: Eskar climbs the stairs, but just then, Cardel comes barging out of the east door, looking angry.  "All right!" he says, drawing his axe.  "Which one of you stole it?!"  He glares down at Eskar.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin jumps back. "Stole what?"

[JadedDM]: Kricket:  "Something was stolen?"

[JadedDM]: Cardel fumes.  "My healing potion!  I had it with me when I was with Jasmin, but now it's gone.  One of you two must have filched it," he says, pointing to Eskar and then Aidan.

[Jasmin]: "The one most likely to steal it would be me," Jasmin says as she moves to stand between Cardel and Eskar.

[Eskar]: Eskar gives Cardel a little shrug. "Which way to the bedroom?" he asks Jasmin.

[JadedDM]: [Aidan]:  "Nobody took your potion," he says, rubbing at his neck. "Trust me, if I had, I would have used it by now."

[JadedDM]: Cardel steps forward.  "Not so fast, dwarf.  Not until you give me back what's mine."

[Jasmin]: "He didn't steal anything from you, Cardel. You saw how bad Aidan was hurt back there. If he had it, he probably would have given it to him by now."

[Eskar]: Eskar holds up his hands, in a manner of apology. "I am not having it, my friend."

[JadedDM]: Cardel:  "Then you won't mind if I search through your pack, will you?" he says, his nostrils flaring.

[JadedDM]:  As Cardel rants, Eskar notices some movement behind his back.  A small, diminutive figure is slowly fading into existence behind Cardel, a shock of white hair on its head.

[Eskar]: The duergar snorts and slips his pack off of his shoulders onto the floor between the two.

[JadedDM]:  Slowly, the creature comes up behind Cardel, a butcher knife in its hand.  It remains in the shadows, though.  Only Eskar can seem to see it.

[JadedDM]: Cardel bends down to start digging through the pack.

[Jasmin]: "Cardel, why are you getting so worked up over a potion that you probably have stock piles of anyway?"

[JadedDM]: Cardel:  "It's the principle of the matter!" he says, and then quickly removes his hand from the pack, finding it covered in a black, powdery substance.  "Aghh!  What is this?!"

[Jasmin]: Jasmin leans against the banister of the stairs, looking somewhat amused.

[Eskar]: The duergar reaches into a pouch, removing a piece of charcoal from it, and holding it out to Cardel before popping it into his mouth. "Can we be going now?"

[JadedDM]: Suddenly, Cardel cries out.  He jerks to the side, surprised, and slams into the railing on the balcony.  This gives completely, and he falls down onto the floor below with a thud.  The white-haired gremlin appears, a butcher knife in hand.  He looks a bit healed up.  It screeches in rage at Eskar.

[JadedDM]: Liam and Kricket rush to the fallen Cardel, helping him to his feet.  He looks stunned, but all right.

[Eskar]: Eskar draws his broad sword and attempts to knock the knife out of the Gremlin's hand.

[Jasmin]: Upon seeing the white haired gremlin, Jasmin takes hold of her swords and moves to attack.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "Quick, kill it before they do!" he says, drawing his red-tipped arrows.

[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [8] = (8)

[Eskar]: [1d10] => [7] = (7)

[JadedDM]: Stripe's turn.

[JadedDM]: The creature leaps at Eskar, stabbing with its knife, but the dwarf is able to keep it at bay with his shield.

[JadedDM]: Kricket's turn.

[JadedDM]: Kricket begins playing another song.  This time, when he finishes, strands of white, sticky webbing begin to cover the entire downstairs area.

[JadedDM]: Aidan, Cardel, Liam and Gaheris are immediately trapped in the webbing, unable to move or act.  They struggle in vain.  Kricket is unaffected.  Finished with his spell, he then draws his rapier and heads upstairs.

[JadedDM]: Jasmin's turn.

[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [7] = (7)

[Jasmin]: [1d20] -> [10] = (10)

[Jasmin]: Jasmin moves in to stab into the creature, but it is able to leap quickly out of the way.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris' turn.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris struggles against the webbing, unable to free himself.

[JadedDM]: Eskar's turn.

[Eskar]: Eskar moves to the top of the stairs, sword drawn, facing down at Kricket. "I am not thinking so, my friend."

[JadedDM]: Cardel's turn.

[JadedDM]: Cardel struggles against the web.

[JadedDM]: Liam's turn.

[JadedDM]: Liam does likewise.

[JadedDM]: (Actions for Round 2?)

[Jasmin]: Jasmin tries to attack the gremlin again.

[Jasmin]: [1d10] -> [8] = (8)

[Eskar]: Eskar stands at the top of the stairs, blocking Kricket's way.

[Eskar]: [1d10] => [5] = (5)

[JadedDM]: Kricket's turn.

[JadedDM]: Kricket hums a little ditty, and his left hand begins to glow with a dark, unearthly purple light.  "No time for you, dwarf," he says, feinting with his sword, and then grabbing Eskar's shoulder with his left hand.  Eskar feels a cold surge in his body, as if Kricket were sucking the very life force from his body.

[JadedDM]: Stripe's turn.

[JadedDM]: The creature fumbles its knife, dropping it to the floor.  It skitters under Jasmin's legs and attempts to fly up over the damaged railing.

[JadedDM]: Eskar's turn.

[Eskar]: [1d20] => [12] = (12)

[Eskar]: The dwarf scowls at Kricket and mimics the man's own strategy with a feint of his sword, but his other hand flies out and shoves the man backwards down the stairs.

[JadedDM]: Jasmin's turn.

[Jasmin]: [1d20+2] -> [19,2] = (21)

[Jasmin]: [1d20+2] -> [19,2] = (21)

[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [5,3] = (8)

[Jasmin]: [1d6+3] -> [5,3] = (8)

[Jasmin]: Jasmin twirls around after the gremlin runs under her legs. As she sees the gremlin begin to fly off, she brings her swords down upon the creature. Its skin begins the sizzle as her swords sink into it's flesh, and the creature cries out in pain. It then tumbles forward off the balcony and into the web down below.

[JadedDM]: The creature, now stuck in the webbing, does not move.  Its head lolls back and it groans, before going silent.

[Eskar]: Eskar moves down the stairs, at a normal gate, his eyes burning with hatred at Kricket.

[Jasmin]: "Eskar, you better be going for that gremlin!" Jasmin calls down to him as she watches the scene unfold from the balcony.

[Eskar]: "You should be going too, Jasmin!"

[JadedDM]: Kricket recovers and stands up, rubbing his head.  He makes a dismissing gesture, and the webbing vanishes.  The corpse smacks the ground.

[Eskar]: Eskar heads straight for Stripe's corpse, of course.

[JadedDM]: Cardel:  "If you hadn't trapped me in that web, I could have killed it in one hit!"

[JadedDM]: Kricket:  "Then you shouldn't have fallen from the balcony in the first place."

[Jasmin]: Jasmin moves down the stairs now that the webbing is gone to head for the corpse.

[JadedDM]: Cardel:  "The damned thing snuck up on me!" he argues.

[Eskar]: Eskar helps Aidan to his feet, and puts himself in between the Tainted Hands and the corpse, while Jasmin goes for it.

[JadedDM]: Kricket:  "Have I taught you nothing?" he says, sheathing his sword.  "A true slayer is always aware of his surroundings.  Constant vigilance!"

[Jasmin]: Once she reaches the dead gremlin, she uses Radiant Star to cut off the creature's wings plus the mohawk.

[JadedDM]: Liam:  "At least we still got three of them."

[JadedDM]: Kricket:  "And so did they.  I hope you're all proud of yourselves."

[Jasmin]: "How do you know how many we have?" Jasmin asks curiously.

[JadedDM]: Kricket:  "The dwarf is carrying two, and I see you also have two wings."

[Jasmin]: "It seems we tied then." Jasmin almost seems amused at this fact.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris grunts.  Clearly, this is not 'good enough' for him, either.

[Eskar]: Eskar sheathes his sword and pops another piece of charcoal into his mouth. He faces Kricket with a black-grin.

[JadedDM]: Suddenly, the front doors swing open.  Lord Peur enters, flanked by his guards.  "That's e-enough!  All th-that noise!"  He looks around, stunned, at the devastation.  He whimpers something inaudible, and then faints dead away.  One of the guards catches him.

[Eskar]: The gray dwarf quickly loses his grin and moves to stand slightly behind Jasmin, to her right.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin watches as Lord Tyler faints, and then she looks to Gaheris as she isn't really sure what to do at this point.

[JadedDM]: The guard revives the unconscious noble by waving something under his nose.  Tyler groans and is helped to his feet.  However, when he looks around again, he pales so considerably he looks as if he may faint again.  "Wh-what...happened?" he manages to squeak out.

[Jasmin]: "It seems your home was not haunted, but infested with gremlins, Lord Peur," Jasmin says politely.

[JadedDM]: Peur:  "G-Gremlins?!" he says, as if this news was even more horrifying than the prospect of ghosts.

[JadedDM]: Kricket:  "We took care of the problem, my lord.  We have three of their wings, right here."  He gestures for Cardel to approach and show him.

[Eskar]: Eskar looks at Jasmin, for her response to this. He coughs awkwardly.

[Jasmin]: "We also have three of them, including the leader," Jasmin says, motioning for Eskar to give her the other two wings.

[JadedDM]: Upon seeing the wings, a little color returns to Tyler 's face.  Unfortunately, that color is green.  He raises his hand to his mouth, looking ready to be sick.  "P-Please...p-put them away," he says, averting his gaze.

[Eskar]: Eskar starts to hand them over, but after seeing Tyler 's reaction he does no such thing.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin simply hands the mohawk and wings over to Eskar upon seeing Tyler 's reaction.

[Eskar]: Eskar takes them and puts them wherever he has the other wings.

[JadedDM]: Kricket clears his throat.  "I know this is difficult for you, my lord. But for what it is worth, you are quite lucky.  Gremlins have been known to reduce even a magnificent home such as this to mere rubble in days.  Fortunately, the damage they've done to your home is largely superficial."

[JadedDM]: Lord Tyler seems to cheer up slightly at this news and nods.  "Yes, yes I am in your d-debt.  Both of your fine groups.  I p-promised I would p-pay the ones who were successful, and it appears you b-both worked t-together on this one.  So I shall split the p-pay between you b-both."

[Eskar]: The duergar seems relatively pleased by this outcome, looking at the Tainted Hands.

[JadedDM]: Liam crosses his arms, looking indifferent to this news.  Both Cardel and Kricket frown, but only nod in agreement.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin smiles faintly at the outcome. "Thank you, my Lord."

[JadedDM]: Lord Tyler:  "Three th-thousand each then."  He gestures to the guards, and they each reveal several large pouches on their belts.  They split them up, giving half to Kricket and the other half to Gaheris.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks over to Gaheris to see his reaction to all of this.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris keeps his face impassive.  He accepts the gold and bows to Lord Tyler.  He then gestures for the others to follow him out.

[Eskar]: Eskar follows after Gaheris.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin frowns slightly, yet she bows her head to Lord Tyler then follows the rest of her group out of the mansion.

[JadedDM]: Once outside, Gaheris says, "We can split it up at my house."  He heads in that direction, toward the merchant district.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin glances over her shoulder towards the mansion and the Tainted Hands. "Aidan said that none of them had the coin," Jasmin finally says.

[Eskar]: Eskar grins to himself at the thought of getting to dirty-up Gaheris's house. "That was going well."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris remains silent the whole trip there.  Once inside, his manservant, young Stanley, lets them in and escorts them to the living room.  He makes them tea while they sit down.  He covers one of the chairs with an old cloth and insists Eskar sits there.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris immediately begins counting out the coins into four piles.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin sits down in one of the chairs, watching all of them as she makes herself comfortable.

[JadedDM]: Aidan, still a little weak with fatigue, sits down as well.  He is quite grateful for the tea.

[Jasmin]: "I'm going to just guess that most of you aren't happy about all of this."

[Eskar]: Eskar sits on the chair, practically sliding his feet as he moves to it. He takes the tea. "Thanks." He waits a bit for it to cool before taking it down, frowning when he realizes it's just plain tea. "I am being happy. We proved to be the best."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris sneered.  "We proved we were equal.  Three to three.  We should have walked out of there with six thousand, not three thousand."

[Jasmin]: "Being equal to them is good though!"

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "No, it's not.  We should have done better."

[Jasmin]: "Oh, and just how could we have done better? I was the only one that could hurt those things."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "So where were you the whole time?  You vanished for hours."

[Eskar]: Eskar nods. "That is how we could be doing better. If we are getting better weapons we can be better."

[Jasmin]: "So did you, Gaheris."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "But as you said, you were the only one who could hurt them."

[Jasmin]: "I didn't know I was the only one who could hurt them until I ran into one."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "It's clear we need to work on our teamwork, as well as our strategies."

[Jasmin]: Jasmin crosses her arms, looking rather annoyed at this point.

[Eskar]: Eskar shrugs. "I was to be sitting on one of them for half of an hour. Aidan could not be finding either of you."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "We must beat the Tainted Hands next time, and beat them well.  We need a new job.  Something that will sharpen our skills, so we can outplay them when we next meet."

[JadedDM]: Aidan says little, exhausted from the battle.

[Jasmin]: "Don't we have more important things to worry about than just the Tainted Hands?"

[Eskar]: Eskar gets to his feet. "I am thinking I have that idea. It will hopefully be giving us much wealth."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "What's more important than the Tainted Hands?!" he demands, ignoring the dwarf.

[Jasmin]: "The Bloody Maw or the Vermin Plague maybe."

[Eskar]: Eskar rips the sheet from the chair he was sitting on, and stands threateningly over the chair.

[JadedDM]: Gaheris' hand goes to his sword and his gaze, angrily, turns to the dwarf as he stands up.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin rolls her eyes as she looks to Gaheris and Eskar. "Oh, sit down Gaheris."

[Eskar]: "Now that I am having you attention. I was saying that I have been looking for such a place to give us much wealth and power. There is an old Temple of Renos ."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "A fire-eater temple," he says, loosening his grip on his sword hilt.  "So what?"

[Jasmin]: "Renos, Gaheris. Not fire-eater," she corrects.

[Eskar]: Eskar moves away form the chair to a more central position, licking his lips as he faces the others. "The Temple of Vassus . It is an old temple, full of treasure. No one has been going there and coming back, because it is guarded by fire beasts. I am thinking we should go."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris seems to fall into a deep thought for awhile and sits back down, even forgetting about the gold.  Finally, he speaks.  " Temple of Vassus...I think I've heard that story..."

[Jasmin]: "Well, I haven't."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris snaps out of his reverie and looks to Jasmin.  "That's because you can't read," he says matter-of-factly.  "I heard that a long time ago, the fire-eaters built a big temple on a dormant volcano, not far from here.  But it turns out the volcano wasn't so dormant, and they abandoned it.  There's an old slayer story that says the priests left in such a hurry, all the riches and magic was left behind."

[Eskar]: Eskar nods. "Meschior is telling me about that. He is saying there might be many things left behind."

[Jasmin]: "What is this about fire beasts guarding it though?"

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "Powerful beasts from Zenan, or so they say.  It is very true, though, that nobody who has gone there has returned alive.  Not even the Tainted Hands would go there."

[Jasmin]: "So let’s go."

[Eskar]: Eskar nods. "We will be bringing Meschior too."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "You have to understand.  This isn't just a matter of dangerous monsters.  There's lava, cave-ins, curses and traps, as well as magical protection."

[Jasmin]: "Well, Meschior can help with some of that. We just have to tell him about it."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "We'll need more than just Meschior."

[Jasmin]: "Like what?”

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "I think it's high time we paid Daufer a visit."

[Jasmin]: "Daufer?" Jasmin wrinkles her nose at the thought. "I'm dead to him, so why do we need him?"

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "What are you talking about?"

[Jasmin]: "After the tournament. I went to him asking for some help with my wounds, but he wouldn't help unless it was in a honorable battle or something like that. I told him what happened, and he said that by all accounts I am technically dead to him because I should have died."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris makes a dismissing gesture.  "That's just Daufer.  He's always like that."

[Jasmin]: "Yeah, sure he is. Fine, then pay him a visit."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris finishes the treasure division.  "There.  Seven hundred and fifty each."

[Jasmin]: Jasmin pushes herself out of her chair, and picks up her stack of coins.

[Eskar]: Eskar retrieves his money and nods to the others. "We will be seeing each other soon."

[JadedDM]: Gaheris:  "Yeah.  Hey, wake up," he says, prodding Aidan, who had dozed off.

[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks over to Aidan. "Get some rest."

[JadedDM]: Aidan, grumbling, gathers up his gold and departs.

[Eskar]: Eskar follows Aidan out, making sure he gets home safely.

[JadedDM]: Okay, I guess that's a wrap then.

Back to Renosia III