Oret considers his position again, "Well, we need not be easy on them, they can fight weaponless. If, we are that worried of betrayal. And they need not be free when unneeded, they can be tied until hour is upon them that we need their help."
As Oret gives his plan for the Aspis agents, Garduk attempts to look between in the holes in the fences to find out how many Aspis are outside, but it's difficult to determine through the tightly lashed bamboo poles.
You could get a better count by climbing on top of the gate or inquiring with the guards already up there.
female tengu warpriest of Lamashtu 2 / ranger 1 (guildbreaker) | HP 24/24, blessings 4/4, fervor 5/5 | AC 18, T 12, FF 16 | F +7, R +5, W +8 | CMB +5, CMD 17 | Spd 20' | Perc +7 | Init +6
"I think we should let them in. If we do as Oret suggested and keep them shackled until we need them to fight, we minimize the risk of betrayal."
Garduk asks the guards on the wall how many people there are outside the gate.
Regardless of the answer, he says, "I am not pleased about letting them inside, but wouldn't they be of more use on the wall with bows or crossbows than fighting unarmed? Or perhaps they could act as squires, fetching arrows and bolts to save time for the more trustworthy fighters? In any event, if we are going to do this, shouldn't we let them in before it is too late and the decision is made for us by the apes?"
Okay...open the gate! Juliet calls up, taking your advice.
The gate is quickly open and eight bedraggled looking Aspis agents pour inside, with 14 horses. All appear to have minor injuries, including the horses. They throw down bows, swords, and axes as they enter. Looking around at the various Pathfinders, not with the familiar disdain, but with the look of true appreciation. There is no sign of the Captain who fled from you earlier in the day.
A tall and handsome looking solider steps forward, I am Captain Tegue Domanigue. Leader of this band and I thank you for saving us from certain death. I hope for a time we can put our organizational differences to the side, in the interest of preservation of us all. We consider ourselves your prisoners and will honor your authority here. We have good fighters in the group and I hope you'll let us assist against, these beastly apes. Only then does he pause, his hands raised in surrender.
And I hate to bring these tidings but the ape men are lead by a monstrosity, a huge gorilla like beast, except with 4 arms and standing every bit of 20 feet tall! A few of our number, stay behind in an attempt to slow them down and another of our groups was sent to intercept these, He motions toward you. The fact that you are here and they are not bodes ill for my fellow Captain, Calgredine.
As the gate closes, the guards up top report that it looks as if the ape hoard as stopped.
female tengu warpriest of Lamashtu 2 / ranger 1 (guildbreaker) | HP 24/24, blessings 4/4, fervor 5/5 | AC 18, T 12, FF 16 | F +7, R +5, W +8 | CMB +5, CMD 17 | Spd 20' | Perc +7 | Init +6
"Prepare yourselves now for the fight. This assault could be the end of everyone here," warns Bokkah.
She will cast shield of faith on herself as well as bless on all the defenders, including Aspis.
Unless there is something he knows about the four-armed giant ape that would suggest a peaceful resolution is imminent, Garduk also does the following:
Garduk pulls the scroll of Mage Armor out of his belt and unfurls it. He reads off the arcane phrases, his mind filling in the gestures that he would use were he casting the spell himself. This time, the glow that stretches from his feet to his head before fading is the green of the verdant jungle overgrowth that surrounded them on their race to the camp from Bloodcove.
Is the color now due to the mind of the mage who scribed this spell? Or is it a reflection of my own experience these recent days?
Garduk hears the ravening army outside the gates.
Perhaps this is a question for another time.
He pulls the scroll of Unseen Servant from his box of utility scrolls and casts that spell next. A faint shimmering in the air next to Garduk is the only indication that the spell was successful, and even that quickly disappears. Garduk holds out his box of combat scrolls, and an invisible hand takes it from him, the ornate box appearing to hover in the air beside him.
Garduk holds out a vial of alchemist's fire, and it too is lifted by the unseen force. Satisfied with his magical preparations, the arcanist looks around for one of the crates of crossbow bolts they brought in with the caravan, to take some extras.
"Those who will take the front lines, stay close to me. Adabar shall protect us." He holds his shield facing the door, and braces himself for combat. What monstrosity lies ahead of us?
Deflection Aura (Su):Once each day, you can emit a 20- foot aura for a number of rounds equal to your cleric level. Allies within the aura gain a +2 deflection bonus to AC and combat maneuver defense.
Since I really can only use it for 1 round, i'll probably activate at round 2.
Bokkah we got to synchronize our spells! We both prepped bless only! :P
Garduk seems to recall reading about a creature called an Angazhani, but doesn't remember much about it, as he shares that with the rest, Juliet looks frightened, and motions for you all to come over for a word, as word comes from the top of the gate that the apes are not yet approaching, but can be seen a ways off, the seem to be waiting for something.
If this Angazhani is what I fear, I think we are in grave danger. And I can't help but think the fact that the key has arrived this day means we are suppose to get a look at what is behind the door. Perhaps something behind it can aid our cause. Will you join me there, at least until the attack begins. She gives a hopeful look and begins to head back toward the door.
You can hold off on your spells until the attack begins if you choose & apologizes for not getting this posted faster.
Oret turns to the Aspis, "We shall return, but I trust that you'd return our kindness by not doing anything foolish. Or trust that the wrath of Justice shall for upon you." Oret slowly follows after Juliet, but does glance back every now and then to keep an eye on the Aspis.
Following Juliet back to the door and giving her the key she quickly examines it before urging.
Take a step back please.
She descends the terraced excavation to the door and spends several minutes tracing her hands along various pictographs and symbols, constantly looking to the key and then back to door. It becomes clear to Garduk that the key is both a key and key.
Without warning, she slaps the key into a space that just moments before wouldn’t have fit it, and the door slowly, silently, opens outward to reveal a set of wide stairs descending into darkness.
She turns back to you with a huge grin on her face, but as she’s about to speak, a horn sounds from the tower over the palisade gate and the camp suddenly leaps into action. Juliet runs back up the terraced dig and says, Explore the complex, find out what might be in there, and hope to the gods it’s something that will help us. I'll organize our defense. Go! GO!
As she sprints off toward the camp’s defenses, a familiar roar thunders in the air, and a cacophony of screeching and screaming sounds echoes from all around the palisade wall.
Definnitely casting Mage Armor for real this time.
Garduk pulls the scroll of Mage Armor out of his belt and unfurls it. He reads off the arcane phrases, his mind filling in the gestures that he would use were he casting the spell himself. This time, the glow that stretches from his feet to his head before fading is the green of the verdant jungle overgrowth that surrounded them on their race to the camp from Bloodcove.
Is the color now due to the mind of the mage who scribed this spell? Or is it a reflection of my own experience these recent days?
Garduk hears the ravening army outside the gates.
Perhaps this is a question for another time. He peers into the opening and down the stairs, stretching both his innate ability to see in the dark and his spell-granted power to see magical auras.
A wide set of stairs descends into an enormous room, measuring thirty-five feet wide by forty feet long, and more than thirty feet tall. The entire room smells sickly sweet, but the floors, wall, and ceiling are all smooth and clean—rather similar to the sphere in the ground outside. Four enormous monoliths, fifteen-foot-tall human-shaped metal statues, rest in the four corners of the room. They’re made of white metal, almost like a suit of full plate sized quite large, but without anything discernible as a face. The oret, half-orc, and dwarf all see this well, but the total pitch black of the darkness has Bokkah straining to make out the details.
female tengu warpriest of Lamashtu 2 / ranger 1 (guildbreaker) | HP 24/24, blessings 4/4, fervor 5/5 | AC 18, T 12, FF 16 | F +7, R +5, W +8 | CMB +5, CMD 17 | Spd 20' | Perc +7 | Init +6
@Oret- I didn't even notice! I doubt we will get another day at this point unfortunately.
Bokkah casts light on her holy symbol of Lamashtu dangling from her neck. When she can see a bit better, she inspects the statues.
perception:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
"Anyone know anything about this place? It's too far from my home for me to know the stories."
While we are looking around, Garduk takes the scroll of Burning Hands from his box of combat scrolls and tucks it into his belt, then puts the box back in his pack. He picks up his crossbow again, and holds it at the ready as they explore.
"Not I" the Oread replies at Bokkah. He moves about cautiously, near the front, but not being much of an explorer himself, he allows someone else to lead the group.
Oread will stick to the front guy like glue, 5 ft behind him/her, whoever is going first.
As Kulga and Oret enter they notice the statues are perfectly smooth and perfectly clean, and perfectly motionless. And indeed the passage does continue west.
female tengu warpriest of Lamashtu 2 / ranger 1 (guildbreaker) | HP 24/24, blessings 4/4, fervor 5/5 | AC 18, T 12, FF 16 | F +7, R +5, W +8 | CMB +5, CMD 17 | Spd 20' | Perc +7 | Init +6
Bokkah trails the others, watching their rear in case the monkeys break through the fort's defenses.
"This place seems eerie, nonetheless, we should continue to venture on." Oret speaks his mind of the place. "Shall we continue?"
perception:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
Didn't want to post on behalf of others but just to keep the game going, I believe our intentions are to head down, and the order from front Kulga, Oret, Garduk, Bokkah.
As Kulga leads on, this 5-foot-wide hallway extends east to west, with six 10-foot-by-10-foot alcoves splitting off to the north and south, three on each side. The alcoves contain what appear to be stone sarcophagi made of the same smooth, white material as the statues, but lacking lids. Small piles of sand, recently disturbed, rest in front of each of them. Something stirs in the darkness, piles of bones suddenly stir, rising up to take on a human shape. Long, bony fingers reach out to claw at the living. But you are ready for them.
It's an ancient underground ruin, of course it's filled with animated skeletons. Why wouldn't it be? He considers the relative locations of the skeletons. They are too far apart to catch with burning hands, and I don't know if creatures without eyeballs can be blinded by color spray. I think even my crossbow bolts would go right through them. That leaves me with only one option.
Garduk spends another point from his arcane reservoir, and quickly summons a celestial being from the Great Beyond.
Summoned celestial pony | Melee 2 hooves –1 (1d3+1) | AC 11, T 11, FF 10 | hp 17/17 | F +7, R +4, W +0 SR 5 | Speed 40 ft. Init +1 | Senses darkvision 60, low-light vision, scent | P +5 | Resist acid, cold, electric 5
The pony appears with a whoosh of displaced air, just ahead of the second alcove. It moves immediately to the blue skeleton, activates smite evil, and lashes out with its hooves.
female tengu warpriest of Lamashtu 2 / ranger 1 (guildbreaker) | HP 24/24, blessings 4/4, fervor 5/5 | AC 18, T 12, FF 16 | F +7, R +5, W +8 | CMB +5, CMD 17 | Spd 20' | Perc +7 | Init +6
I gotta remember to buy a blunt weapon.
Bokkah prays for Lamashtu's protection, then draws out her shortbow and nocks a blunt arrow.
I'm using fervor to cast shield of faith as a swift action. Drawing bow as move action. I can't see anyone right now and moving forward will just put me in the way since I couldn't attack after. So I will ready an attack in the event one of the skeletons move into a spot I can see, unlikely though that may be.
Red broken scimitar + flank:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16 Red damage:1d6 ⇒ 3
Green broken scimitar:1d20 ⇒ 19 Green damage:1d6 ⇒ 3
Blue broken scimitar:1d20 ⇒ 1 Blue damage:1d6 ⇒ 1
Bokkah casts his spell and readies his bow. Kulga rushes in but misses with her morningstar. Oret calls on Adabar's blessing. Garduk summons a pony that gets to work on one of the skeletons, with the bless the right hoof shatters one of the skeletons.
A second skeleton moves toward Kulga and Bokkah fires her blunt arrow but misses. Two of the skeletons attack Kulga, while 2 gang up on the pony. One manages to hit the pony, while the others miss.
Garduk steps forward so that he is right behind Oret, and fires his crossbow over the oread's head at the green skeleton (assuming Oret took down the red skeleton).
Look at those blunt arrows of Bokkah's. Why doesn't anyone make crossbow bolts like that?
Crossbow:1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 2 + 1 = 151d8 ⇒ 8 (I'm sure they have DR, but I don't recall what it is so that isn't included in my damage roll)
Summoned celestial pony | Melee 2 hooves –1 (1d3+1) | AC 11, T 11, FF 10 | hp 17/17 | F +7, R +4, W +0 SR 5 | Speed 40 ft. Init +1 | Senses darkvision 60, low-light vision, scent | P +5 | Resist acid, cold, electric 5
Piotr rears back as much as he can in the ancient tunnel and strikes out with his hooves at the green skeleton.
Female Dwarf LN Slayer 7| HP 67/67 | AC 25(26), T 13, FF 24 CMD 25 | F +9(12), R +8(11), W +5(8) | Init +3 | Perc +12 | SM +12 |
Kulga takes a beat to size up the shambling gait of these skeletons, and lashes out with her bludgeon in a wild arc.
Morningstar:1d20 + 5 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 1 + 1 = 8 Damage:1d8 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 1 = 11 Attack and study go after red if it survived Oret, yellow if not
female tengu warpriest of Lamashtu 2 / ranger 1 (guildbreaker) | HP 24/24, blessings 4/4, fervor 5/5 | AC 18, T 12, FF 16 | F +7, R +5, W +8 | CMB +5, CMD 17 | Spd 20' | Perc +7 | Init +6
Bokkah moves forward and finally looses the arrow.
Bokkah's arrow misses the skeleton. As they surround the celestial pony and attack, 3 blows landing. While the other one attacks Kulga with wicked claw and broken blade, but can't connect.
Roaring in frustration, Garduk drops his crossbow and runs down the hallway, drawing his club as he goes. He jogs past Oret, stops next to the green skeleton - directly across from the summoned pony - and lashes out with his club.
I should have grabbed the Magic Missile scroll!
I'm not sure that opened Garduk to an attack of opportunity from the green skeleton as he moved past Oret, but that is the chance he takes if so.
Summoned celestial pony | Melee 2 hooves –1 (1d3+1) | AC 11, T 11, FF 10 | hp 17/17 | F +7, R +4, W +0 SR 5 | Speed 40 ft. Init +1 | Senses darkvision 60, low-light vision, scent | P +5 | Resist acid, cold, electric 5
Seeing his summoner join him in battle, Piotr shrugs off his injuries and puts everything he has left into what may be his last attack before being sent back to his home plane. He rears back and slams his forehooves at the green skeleton.
