Bewildered by the current failure of their assault, to say the elves were caught off guard when the great jungle cat burst through the doorway was an understatement. They tried to reel away as the great cat burst through the two combatants that had already charged into the room, but failed miserably. With their bodies scrambling away in disarray the elves tried to maneuver in their surprise. Unfortunately, stumbling and tripping over themselves the tiger was capable of snagging one with his tremendous claws. The massive clawed paw raked across face, tear flesh and ripping through the weak armor (AC 15) studded leather of the elven warrior. The blow threw the elf warrior down to the floor in a shower of blood (HP - 5). One elf had been viciously slain.

Without losing another step, the Ranger would make the opportunity to attack the fleeing elves. Having his weapons readied before entering the room, he took the opportunity to unleash a flurry of blades upon a taciturn elf with its gapping jaw locked in awe. With his short sword over his shoulder the Ranger drew a cross slash that failed to cut the elf as it turned to flee. Its cowardice had proven the best choice of action as the short sword missed by inches. But with lightning fast reflexes the Ranger thrust forward with his long sword piercing the elf through the chest. The blade tore through flesh, sundering bone until it burst through the chest in a shower of blood that forced the elf to go limp tumbling to the floor.

As the action unfolded the amateur spellthief masterfully handled her weapon daftly avoiding allies to masterfully seek out the remaining foe and slay him. Like lightning the long spear burst into the fight dancing around bodies to strike true. The point of the spear tore through flesh in a shower of blood severing the head from the remaining elf body as it attempted to flee. The blade penetrated the neck snapping it free from ease.

The three elves had been left for dead in a room that appeared to have little else to offer. On the other side of the room hosted another door, an iron door. This particular door happened to be closed. What was the next task on the list?

In the wake of the rush, the unsettling calm ambiance set in with the last figure falling to the musty floor. The stone, now slick with blood, revealed little of anything it seemed on initial inspection - nothing more than a sturdy iron door, a quality none too strange in was the ruins of this manmade structure. The most interesting of things they had seen before in the form of quite old plate armor, but before the young man in drab cloth could even see himself down the stairs to the actual point of battle, the woman set about examining her foes. She crouched beside one, resting only a single knee to the floor and inspected the body, giving only a cold glance at the two men present and being wary enough not to confront the savageness of a tiger in the eye.

Calm footfall nearing the portal into the room of battle, the robed stranger appeared, hand resting on the hilt of his dagger. Overlooking the scene and filled with the sheer visceral reaction it evoked in the body, spirit and mind, he only sighed; at least it was a quick death. He minded none the woman as her deft hands patted down the first body, searching for anything out of the norm, as she seemed determined and with mission in mind, only instead now walking closer to the remaining trio and not far from the rusting iron door. His steps avoiding the bodies, let alone stepping over them or into the collecting blood, he accepted things as they were... or as much he could.

"I take it you are all well?" Geraint said, looking them over in brief, unaware how they had suffered a trapped needle's prick.

"I'm fine," Kerris replied plainly, still searching the bodies by rummaging their pockets and setting aside anything she found, "But let me handle the door."

Adjusting his hood a bit in discomfort at how abrasive and direct the woman was, the warden nodded in slight, looking back to the other two and unaware as to just what events in particular transpired. All that he knew was that the door before them surely led to something, something the elves were eager to see through and carry out or so he posited.

"If we are all well, we shouldn't tarry too long then. I think these elves had some other more urgent mission here."


Shaking her head slightly, a few rogue strands of her fiery hair about her face, the woman stood to her feet and approached the door, starting to look it over. Yet, the underlying presence of giving these strange men, worse yet a tiger, her back kept her full attention far and away; she voiced her disapproval, commenting on it.

"Part through whatever I found and call off your tiger, I can feel it staring at me."

Right she was after all, for the instinct of the fearsome cat urged it to act, abated in severity only by the intense bond it shared with its mortal cohort. Everything in its nature, as the woman was distracted looking over the door, wanted it to pounce once again; combat having ended not but minutes ago and the scent of blood still thick in the air. To all present's fortune, the beast obeyed the contrary urge Geraint impressed upon it and it soon picked itself up from the reddened room, back out again to the larger one they had entered from.

@ELGainsborough

Not even the cleric’s deity could save him. Despite his prayers. Despite his dedication. Pelor’s light had failed to grace the damp stone walls shrouded in darkness. With one great gasp Heddwyn clutched at the arrows that protruded from the scale mail that he had so wholeheartedly put his trust in. Clutching at them violently he struggled to maintain grip as blood began to seep onto the shafts.

Heddwyn’s legs began to wobble, turning as if twigs attempting to support their father tree. His knees buckled. The cleric dropped back, finding his balance against the stone wall. As the rest of the party burst forth into the room the cleric found his way to the floor. In the combined momentum of his own body weight and the inertia of the other members surging forth he failed to maintain any semblance of balance.

Heddwyn Price’s body lay still upon the cold stone floor. Motionless. Silent. Pale. Blood slowly began to pull beneath his wounded abdomen. Nearly invisible to the human eye, the blood would hide beneath his fallen body. The viscous vitae was slow to expose itself through wounds nearly sealed by foreign bodies. The only visible sign of life was the soft cloud of dust brought to life by the cleric’s shallow breathes and the shallow words of a humble prayer.

The cleric struggled to clutch the pendant of radiant sun that hung from a leather thong on his waist. His lips moved in silent prayer as his lungs struggled to combat the invading dust and blood. Heddwyn was struggling to find air, his breathes broken by fits of coughing.

Suddenly, a bright luminescence filled the room, exploding from beneath the fallen cleric. A light so bright that it raped the sombor torch light into a hidden existence. A light so swiftly illuminating that it would blind those in the room. Once there vision had returned; however, they would find their dear cleric resting quietly against the wall, his breathes slow and reserved. Two particularly beautifully crafted arrows wallowing in a pool of blood. His blood.

Rubbing his eyes, the ranger approached the cleric. Upon his further inspection he found the cleric to be in an acceptable state and found his company rather disturbing. While he was no stranger to the influence of magic, his understanding was rather elementary to say the least and the distrust was strong within him. Little concern had he beyond the safety of his home at this point. Of course, he would not turn down his share of the treasure but he would not be so bold as to extend his neck for someone so clumsy. He stood with swords drawn.. Near the door they had just walked through waiting in quiet contemplating.

Upon her inspection, the Spellthief would without trouble discover the trio of elves belongings. This included three sets of studded leather armor, three light shields, three long swords, and three long bows. Kerris would also uncover a variety of coins that totaled around sixty gold pieces. Upon further inspection she would also find a key. Upon her inspection of the iron door she would find no traps. But she would; however, uncover that it is locked. Presumably she would attempt to unlock the door using the key would unlock the door prompting the party to decide what they would do next.



@The Harbinger of Ferocity @yamazaki @aristo

The outpouring of light was what gave away something was far off now, the man previously leaned against the wall was not just out of breath from the conflict, but that his silence was not willful. All other distractions paled, truly faded away, with the surge of light in the dusty, dark, blood spattered stone hall and the attention of the onlookers was certainly in Price's way when they at last could see clearly once more. Jaegar's approach to the now obviously arrowless cleric was a distinct mixture caution dashed with distrust, while the woman at the door had turned about only to seek the keys then find herself temporarily disoriented.

She in turn blinked, eyes narrowed a bit in frustration, but crouched down to the pile of assorted findings to take up the key. One palm to the floor, she looked back to the two men, the sitting of which remained where he was to catch his breath and the other, both swords in hand, nearing the secured door beyond. Watching as she was, still preoccupied with her business, she noted the robed man approach and offer his aid.

"The door's locked... for the moment at least." Kerris remarked, placing down her spear and setting the key in her pocket with a practiced sleight of her hand; her returning fingers parted through the coins with a clink, thinking but to herself how best to divvy out their findings.

"Now you are well?"

The druid meanwhile inquired, outstretched palm offered in turn to stand the injured man back to his feet. Sincere enough his expression, more lost than anything and quite woefully out of element, but it at least carried that genuineness to it; it was not concealed under any thin guise of superiority or feigned knowing. At most it was that Geraint now knew beyond a doubt the other man possessed magical powers, likely as the woman did if she called herself a "spell thief". Regardless, it changed nothing in his naïve approach short of making him continually remind himself that this was not the world outside; that the dangers were quite different. He would need be more careful...

At last satisfied with her decision, pretending to be ignoring the people about her as she had worked to gather the metal reward, she began heaping the coins into her pouch. She paid no mind where they went in there, at least for the moment, being more pressed to continue their delving.

"Before anyone says anything, we'll split these later. Now isn't the time." She said, looking to Jaegar first then continuing on with her attention on the loot as they clattered to a stop in the sack, "When I open the door with the key, be ready. I'd rather avoid our last attempt."

Scornful, she shifted her attention to the other two and the shadowy silhouette of the great cat not far into the past room. Quietly, almost content with itself, it laid there - moving no more than giving the subtle curl of its tail. The manner in which its cupped ears turned and listened suggested it had no real desire to be surprised in of itself given all the company behind it. Geraint, whose eyes shifted from Price to Kerris, noted her upset.

"Yes... that would be wise. I will see to it that our friend is more set to lead than us." The hooded man answered despite not having been called upon, seeing now how the woman relieved the slain elves of one of their bows, slinging it across her person and adjusting the manner its string sat over her chest.


Wiping the dust from her hands and some of the red tinged coins, she approached the door. Producing the found key, she sighed quietly and shook her head; the woman was not of any fondness for whatever was likely to be on the other side of this door. At least this time the deadly beast would be leading rather than one of them...

@ELGainsborough