Episode 1: The Salvaged Job

Maenor and Coda make it to the opulant chamber, quietly stepping past pillows and avoiding the nearest table. Maenor can now see the lamia, still sleeping atop the pile of silken fluff.

Kalis follows the others, but as he passes by the kitchen counter, his robe catches on a fork and drags it off! He quickly twists and kneels to grab the utensil before it can clatter to the ground. Silently, his fingers clasp around the fork a mere inch from the floor!

Thankful to have averted disaster, Kalis inadvertently lets out an audible sigh of relief.

The lamia snorts. He takes in a deep breath, body shifting in place as he rolls the muscles in his back and brings his arms up over his head to stretch, much like a man rousing from slumber.

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The area goes quiet. You see the lamia fully stretch his arms over his head, and the leonid legs stretch out as the sharp claws extend. There is no sound, a fact which settles upon the lamia as his expression shifts into mild confusion. His eyes begin to flutter open.

The bullet thwacks against the lamia's head... or at least it looks like it does. No sound emits from the impact, but you see the lamia react in pain and flinch away.

Kalis grasps his new wand, muttering arcane words well outside the boundary of Maenor's Silence spell. Three bolts of fire streak out towards the lamia.

The fiery beams explode against the lamia, burning his flesh and setting the pillows aflame. His mouth opens in a silent roar and it appears ready to rise.Map

The smoke from burning flesh, hair, and fabric distort the lamia's image, throwing off the aim for Coda and Kalis. One blast of fire finds its mark, detonating against the creature's temple.

Maenor is less bothered by the smoke as he steps forward, and his magical blade bites deeply into the lamia's chest. He readies himself for the counterattack as the lamia appears fully awake and enraged.

The lamia's muscled arm twitches, but instead of a fist, the leonid foreleg flashes out and gouges deeply into Maenor's side (24 vs AC 17, 15 slashing damage). Now the fist comes, and Maenor is better prepared for the strike as he deflects the blow with his shield.

The lamia roars again, though it only looks that way as no one hears anything. It rises and leaps away from the burning pillows, rushing past Maenor to land with a silent crash upon the table. The furniture collapses under the impact, scattering goblets, candles, and fruit.Map

Maenor begins his swing, but his body involuntarily jerks the blade short as the pain from his side flares. He can feel his clothes becoming wet with his blood.

The broken table collapses further under the additional weight, which throws off Maenor's aim. The shifting bodies also cause Kalis to barely miss with his magical attack.

Coda repositions himself and lets his bullet fly. He also begins to realize that the pillows he stands amidst are on fire, threatening to cook him alive should it engulf completely.

Frustrated by the silence, the lamia lashes out with his claws towards Maenor. At that moment, Coda's bullet finds its mark against the lamia's cheek, fully distracting the monstrosity and causing all of the lamia's attacks to catch empty air.

The lamia tries once again to remove itself from the silence, leaping off the broken table and heading west down the large archway into the chamber beyond. Maenor and Coda can see that the adjoining room is practically empty, with a small number of lit wall sconces and a long sequence of shelves containing various sundries and clothing.Map