Black Tom's Serpent Skull
Game Master Black Tom

Gelik is pretty certain he won't be able to understand anything carved on the doors, but he waits as patiently as he can for Torch to do his thing, then follows him inside.

The carvings on the doors depict gruesome scenes of vampiric demons feasting on maidens.

Knowledge (religion) 25:

Knowledge (history) 25:

The air within is strangely musty, cool and damp. As you ascend the stairs you find yourselves in a large chamber. Over a dozen stone pillars support this cavernous chamber’s sixty-foot-high vaulted ceiling. To the north, four empty alcoves sit in the walls, their edges carved to resemble yawning, fanged mouths. To the south, a pair of bronze doors that seem to drip with blood sit under a stone bridge that passes through the upper portion of the room from east to west forty feet above. The walls are decorated with unsettling carvings of bats, human sacrifice, and the walking dead. The dismembered, skeletal bodies of three humans lie scattered on the floor of this chamber.

Knowledge (history) 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

"Azlanti," Torch murmurs, looking rather more contemplative than shocked at the carvings' contents. He traces the design with the tip of his scimitar. "Not sure if it's a warning or a welcome sign, however. The Azlanti pantheon, what little I know of it, wasn't a friendly sort - this could be some kind of cult site, though not, I should think, one for Ydersius; nothing here looks snake-like at all. As I recall, some references suggest the serpentfolk and the Azlanti were in conflict during the pre-Earthfall period - there are layers within layers behind this history, for certain."

Once the group enters the main chamber, Torch takes a long moment to examine the skeletons, looking for signs of when or how they might have died. Perception 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11, Heal (untrained) 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2.

"Before we go further, do we have some torches or other light sources with us. I know I won't be the only one, but without light I won't be able to see anything in this place." says Aerys concerned that in the darkness, they will be prey to whatever predators might exist. She goes in with Torch standing by him, protecting him as he looks at the skeletons.

Perception 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1

I'm assuming that you'll be using the same lighting arrangements as in the last dungeon: Light cast on Torch's rapier and Gelik's amulet, unless you have a better idea.

As you enter the room proper, something is moving in the darkness. Roll for initiative.

Ralf uses his focused trance (twice) while examining the carvings.

"Ugh! Those nasty fellows are minions of Zura, the demon lord of cannibals and vampires. I guess some ancient Azlantis must have worshipped him, and maybe those savages did too."

Init: 1d20 - 6 ⇒ (14) - 6 = 8

I was making the same assumptions about lighting. Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Initiative:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

"This place is accursed one way or the other!" murmurs Hrakar holding his warhammer in front of him, ready to strike

Gelik wrinkles his nose in disgust, not a fan of art containing people being eaten, nor of bats, etc. He casts light on his necklace pearl, as requested, and prepares himself for the inevitable assault by man-eating guardians of some kind.

initiative 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

Keeping with Torch, Aerys moves forward, "Seems our prey in in league with much that is evil."

Initiative 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

It will take me a little while to get a map up, but I think we'll manage.

There are two skeletons up on the stone bridge. Your magical light only provides dim illumination, but Torch, Gelik and Hrakar can see them clearly, and they seem to have snake heads. They are holding javelins to throw at you but all of you except Hrakar beat their initiative, so you can act if you like.

They are 40 feet up and 40 feet ahead of you. Crossing the room to the doors is 60 feet.

Gelik begins to scurry out of the line of fire, eyes wide with trepidation. He mumbles his usual mantra of how useless he is against undead, and casts a quick spell on himself.

Cast Mage Armor. Gelik will move towards any area in the room that looks like it might provide cover from javelins.

Unable to see the skeletons that Torch, Gelik and Hrakar point to, Aerys holds up her shield, and remaining in a defensive posture, ready to dodge any weapon.

Total Defense - AC = 22 (18+4)

Ralf looks around in confusion, noticing that the others seem to be agitated.

"Serpentfolk skeletons on the upper bridge! Hurry - get under it and we'll have cover from their javelins!" Torch calls out before suiting action to word. Move forward 40 feet, stopping directly under the bridge.

Aerys: you can see the skeletons but they have concealment because of the darkness. Gelik: the only place in the room that affords cover are the alcoves to the left and right (or possibly standing under the bridge like Torch). There are four of them in all.

The skeletons hurl their javelins at Aerys and Ralf, but they both miss.

You are up.

Ralf jumps as the javelin goes whizzing by and then seeks cover under the bridge.

Ralf is even more useless than usual against ranged enemies and the undead.

Aerys follows Torch under the bridge, her weapon ready and shield up. "Here Ralf, follow us."

Hrakar moves with the others, preparing to unleash a wave of positive energy

Standing under the bridge with the rest of the group, Gelik pouts. I don't feel very heroic.

Huddled under the bridge you find a temporary respite from the skeletons. What next?

Without knowing distances and lines of sight it's a bit difficult to tell you what next. If Hrakar is near enough he'll try a positive energy burst

Channel energy is a 30' radius and they're 40' above the ground. So unless Hrakar has a great vertical leap...

Can we see where the bridge leads either way? What about the doors - are they open? If they aren't, how hard do they look to get open?

There's a pair of double doors at either side of the bridge. The doors are not locked, but the next thing that happens is that the skeletons drop down from the bridge and rise to attack you in melee.

You are up.

Well, that makes it easier.

Torch grins a bit maniacally as the skeletons almost literally drop into his lap. He steps forward to one, slashing with his scimitar and bashing with the cestus in two swift strokes.

Full attack, with scimitar in main hand and cestus - dealing bashing damage - in the off hand. Scimitar attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19, damage 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 slashing. Cestus attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15, damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 bashing.

Ralf lashes out with his cudgel.

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 211d6 ⇒ 4

confirm 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 51d6 ⇒ 1

Aerys smiles, "Now its my turn boney!" she atrikes out with her longsword.

Longsword power attack 1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (14) + 6 - 1 = 19
Longsword power damage 1d8 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 2 = 12

Gelik has learned his lesson and has no interest in joining the melee. He stays back a safe distance and casts a Ray of Frost at the nearest skeleton, curious to see if it will do any harm to the undead creature.

ranged touch 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 - 4 = 13
damage 1d3 ⇒ 3

Hrakar swings his warhammer at the nearest creature:

Attack roll:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Damage roll:1d8 ⇒ 1

With combined efforts you just about manage to bash one of the skeletons to pieces, although Torch's scimitar slides off the bones and they are unaffected by Gelik's magic. The remaining skeleton tears at Aerys with tooth and claw and unnatural strength, savaging her for 15 points of damage.

Then you are up, and you all have the advantage of flanking.

"Aerys!" Torch shouts, horrified by the thing's vicious assault on her. He strikes out again, looking for weak spots where the scimitar can find some purchase.

Flanking attack with the scimitar: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10, damage 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 plus 1d6 ⇒ 2 sneak attack, all slashing. Flanking attack with the cestus: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14, damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 plus 1d6 ⇒ 5 sneak attack, all bashing.

Ralf will step back and heal Aerys (with a boost).

1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

one level 1 spell left, no boosts left

"Now feel this bonehead!" shouts Aerys as she feels the blood spilling from her shoulder. As the floor is made bloody a new sensation washes over Aerys, a warm whiteness flushed through her body, and the wound knit back together. Her sword flashes through the air again, on its way towards the boney warrior.

But the sword strike lacks the conviction of the first, the injury still in the process of healing.

Longsword power attack with flanking 1d20 + 6 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 6 - 1 + 2 = 12
Longsword power damage 1d8 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 2 = 6

Hrakar attacks the remaining skeletron with his warhammer

Attack roll:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
Damage roll:1d8 ⇒ 4

Under this collective punishment the last serpentheaded skeleton crumbles. What next?

You get 240 xp each.

Gelik, pouting over the likelihood of more un-frostable skeletons, gestures with a tilting of his head toward a set of double doors (either one will do). He raises his eyebrows suggestively. Hmmm?

Ready to delve!

How much healing do we have left, if we don't have much we should find a safe place to be able to hole up in, so we are better prepared for the evil serpent woman. Of course Aerys won't actually mention it, cos she's not get at that sort of thing.

"Well if that's all that this place can offer in trying to keep us out, we'll soon get our revenge." says a confident Aerys, though her body still looks quite injured after the encounter with the skeletons, but Aerys seems unconcerned.

"I can convert all of my spells to cures if needed and I have 4 healing surges. But that would mean I only heal and severely limit other applications of Hrakar's powers

Ralf has one spell left.

"So...which way now?" Ralf cranes his neck to look at the door, at the niches, and up towards the stone bridge.

I suggest Hrakar drops at least one and (if the dice aren't kind) possibly two channels on us, leaving his spells alone for now, and we keep moving forward.

"I don't see a good way to get up there," Torch replies to Ralf's question, just exactly as if Ralf could hear him. "So probably through the doors. But we should check through the rest of this room thoroughly, in case there is something we've missed in all the... excitement."

The wall carvings depict all manner of vile atrocities visited upon humans and serpentfolk alike by tall men and women wearing ragged capes and bearing fanged mouths. Images of bats, bat-like humanoids, and themes of cannibalism and the consumption of still-living victims are common as well.

The northwestern alcove (first to the right from the entrance) contains a lever.

Perception 15:

The skeletal remains are far too old for you to be able to tell what befell them.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

Torch examines the carvings with an expression of mixed fascination and distaste. "I know very little about this demon lord, and I admit I don't really see the app- oh, hello. What's this?" He kneels down in front of the northeastern alcove, examining the floor. "Hmm... trapdoor." He produces his thieves' tools, reaching for the disguised mechanism, but uncharacteristically pauses before continuing. "Should we take a peek?" he asks the group.

"Eh? What's that? Is there something on the floor?" Ralf stops to see what Torch is puttering around with.

With Torch kneeling down, Gelik is able to look over his shoulder and follow the proceedings. Probably vampires down there, he observes. These carvings are lousy with 'em. Not very imaginative.

Realizing that he many have been ambiguous, Gelik nods toward the trap-door and elucidates with a grin. Open it!

There is no mechanism; the trapdoor is just stuck, but I guess you are packing a crowbar. As you pry the lid off it, a gust of foul-smelling, stale (but breathable) air rushes up from a hole that drops 20 feet down. The Climb DC is 25, should you like to descend.

Perception 15:

Perception check:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

"Seems like there are more of our bony friends down there... I think we should do something to deal with them before descending" says Hrakar calmly.

When fighting undeads I loathe to use waves to cure people, as those are very effective to deal with undead "mobs", that said if you really need them I'll use them. But if they are not that distant maybe I could use the positive energy from here to get rid of them...

Perception 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5

"What do you see down there Hrakar? Its so dark all I see id the darkness, black as night." as Aerys peers into the trapdoor area.

Torch produces a sunrod, smashes its tip against the floor, and drops it down into the hole.

The sunrod lands in a large mound of ancient bones caked with thick mineral deposits, twenty feet down. It looks like the bones lie in the corner of a larger chamber of some sort.