"C'mon, let's all run for it. Discretion is the better part of bravery. Kendra, go.."
Fengrig steps back from the squirming mass and again lashes out with his morningstar
Round 2___________________
Ereviss Ladyhunter
________________________________________
"I fear we need to run for our lives. Dying at the hands of rats would be so ignoble and a poor end to the story."
Domminia Vorsaife
________________________________________
she then takes a five foot step back and attacks with her spear while flanking, while Theodoric moves to flank as well.
Despite their efforts, both of them miss.
Merenso Kull
________________________________________
Merenso continues to step back to T12 and peppers the swarm attacking Dominnia and Fengrig with arrows. But he misses with every shot.
"Sound idea Ereviss, I'll cover you if you decide to retreat"
ysabot vas
________________________________________
Maintaining her presence of mind with the flood of rats crawling all over her, Ysabot swings blindly (missing), then retreats.
Ereviss Ladyhunter
________________________________________
"C'mon, let's all run for it. Discretion is the better part of bravery. Kendra, go.."
Fengrig Salant
________________________________________
Fengrig steps back from the squirming mass and again lashes out with his Morningstar.
[b]Connecting with his Morningstar, his hit seems to break the morale of the rats surrounding him. The survivors break up and disperse, fleeing in panic.
Xiuj-Hak-Leyng IV
________________________________________
Xiuj pops the catalyst in the flask and gives it a sharp shake, he eyes the flask as it starts to fizz, then throws it at the swarm engulfing Ereviss and Kendra. It explodes, doing fire damage to the swarm, and 4 points to Ereviss, Kendra and the other enemy swarm.
KENDRA_________________________
Kendra shouts “I’m trying!”. She finally breaks free of the swarm, then turns and throws the alchemists fire at the swarm. It explodes, dealing fiercely burning fire damage and 1 point to Ereviss and the other enemy swarm.
The damage breaks the will of the swarm, which breaks apart and disperses.
EREVISS__________________________
[Assumption] Ereviss, seeing Kendra break free, swings blindly (missing) and retreats as well.
ENEMIES__________________________
>Rat Swarm 3 advances to swarm over Ysabot again.
Ysabot takes bite damage. Must make a Will save DC12 vs. Distraction and a Fort save DC12 vs. Filth Fever.
Red3: 9
Withdraw action
Why am I so tastey to them, ah it hurts
Domminia and Theodoric move to flank the remaining swarm
Domminia damage
and Theodoric moves to flanking position and whips his greatsword damage
His giant swing smashes many rats...
Merenso launches some more arrows, doing his best to avoid friendly fire.
The first arrow narrowly avoids Domminia, but the second strikes true and pierces a couple of big rats.
The smoking and smoldering elf rushes to heal Kendra.
Fengrig moves forward to disperse the rats attacking Ysabot
Under the combined assault of the team, the last swarm of rats breaks up and flees, the maddened squeaking fading into silence. This battle is over.
Kendra relaxes and leans agains Ereviss.
"Thank you Ereviss, but I think Ysabot could use it more than I."
Realizing he was holding an explosive flask ready to throw, Xiuj carefully recovers the bottle and puts it away.
Taking out a yellow potion bottle, he approaches Ysabot and offers it.
Thank you for this
takes it and drinks it
Domminia looks at Theodoric and gives him a wink. Then turns to the rest and says, Ysabot, are you ok?
She then searches the area for anything interesting.
Perception
Well, rats had me scared. I can do better next time.
"I feel badly I doubted our resolve. I will not underestimate this group again."
[ooc]Remember to add 1 to perception for my bard ability.[/i]
At the last moment, Ereviss changes the target of his healing to Ysabot.
"Hope you are feeling better Ysabot."
Fengrig tucks his morningstar through his belt and places his free hand over his rat bite. The hand glows with ominous red light as he channels negative energy into the wound.
Cautiously entering the tower, you find a comfortable guards quarters that show signs of rapid evacuation. Plates of food still remain on trestle tables, footlockers are open, their contents rotted away. The only things that might still be of use are racks of pikes and shields.
Domminia will check for the pike in the best condition as a backup to her spear.
Ok, let' head over to the front of the prison and see if we can see anything through a window or something
Perception
Merenso too picks up a pike to have a reach option in combat.
The elf is alert and follows Domminia.
Apropriating an aged pike or three from the guard tower, the companions cross the courtyard to the half hidden main building.
Directly ahead a massive two-story stone building looms out of the fog in the center of the prison grounds. Ivy and moss cling tenaciously to the walls, while above the wooden shingles of the roof are often missing entirely, exposing the wooden rafters of the upper structure to the sky. Here and there, leering stone gargoyles perch on the eaves, once functioning as drainspouts and decorations but now seeming almost to serve a more ominous role of sentinels.
Many of these stone decorations have crumbled away and lie in ruined piles on the soggy ground below.
Windows in the building’s facade are narrow and blocked by grills of rusty iron bars. When you try to look in through them, you find they are covered with dust and spider webbing; they are too dirty to see through.
When you come around to the front, you see stone columns support a slumping wooden balcony over the building’s wooden front doors, both of which hang askew and reveal dark glimpses of chambers within. This is the only ground floor entrance you've seen so far. Back on the west side you saw a stairway leading up to the upper floor that you haven't explored yet.
Both Fengring and Ereviss notice something peculiar about the foundation; the ivy and grass have been cleared along the edge where the foundation meets the ground.
Kneeling down for a closer look, you see along this edge a series of sinuous runes has been etched and then smeared with blood. Looking down the line, you see the runes stretch out of sight left and right around the mansion.
The runes themselves are written in Varisian, and among numerous magical incantations, repeat the name Lyvar Hawkran dozens of times.
The runes seem to have been part of a larger ritual that involved both abjuration and necromantic magic.
"I'm not sure if marching through the front door is such a good idea... Perhaps we better take the less obvious route?"
what do you suggest then
Knowledge Arcana
Religion
Domminia jots down the runes and says, It seems these runes are an unfinished Abjuration ritual, hmm very interesting. I say we take the side entrance so as to coincide with Merenso's request.
Domminia marches up to the foot of the staircase.
Perception
Ereviss follows to the staircase on the side.
"I can't make any sense of these," Fengrig says as he gestures at the runes. "But the blood doesn't exactly fill me with confidence."
Shying away from the ominous front door, you all move around the old prison clockwise to the west side.
The bloody runes continue to run around the base of the foundation.
Ahead of you the North stairway appears out of the fog, and you proceed up the dampened treadway.
At the top, you gaze out on a wide weather-beaten stone balcony. Ahead, ruined wooden benches line the eastern wall under a row of tiny, barred windows above. A stout wooden door sits in the wall near the northern end of the balcony.
But directly ahead of you, the focus of attention for the benches rests a large, rectangular block of stone.
A frisson of fear like an icy wind rolls down your neck as you realize this is where executions took place.
You remember that fifty years ago, this balcony is where the majority of the prison’s executions took place, in full view of the westernmost cells above.
Harrowstone’s traditional method of execution was by the scythe, rather than the standard axe—although the result of such executions (decapitation) was the same. The use of a scythe for executions was a notorious aspect of Harrowstone, one of the many that contributed to the prison’s infamy.
Even before the fire, the west balcony had built something of a reputation of being haunted. Today, you can FEEL the balcony resonating with the hopelessness of hundreds of executed prisoners…
"This took many people to pull this magic off. Up the stairs I guess?"
Merenso shivers. "Out of all unpleasant places I've been so far, this one takes the crown. And I'd rather leave it behind sooner than later."
Unless something catches Merenso's attention, he approaches the stout wooden door and tries to open it.
Spellcraft
Knowledge History(Theodoric)
Let's open this door, shall we?
Domminia stands with spear in hand.
When the first three (Ereviss, Merenso and Domminia) step fully out onto the balcony, with the others still on the stairs, the hair on the back of your necks rises at the rising moan of despairing men.
The fog swirls and coalesces into a set of skeletal arms. Their insubstantial arms reach down behind the block and, with the scrape of metal on stone, lift a rusty scythe.
The kind of scythe once used to behead condemned prisoners.
With the echoing cries of the prisoners turning to angry menace, the scythe whirls to attack!
Hit! for slashing damage.
Miss.
Party avg (except Fengring)
Fengring
Scythe
Round 1_______________________
Miss.
Miss.
Though it makes him momentarily sick to his stomach, Fengrig channels positive energy through his body, projecting it as a beam of light at the scythe.
move within 30 if need be
stares at the foe, using evil eye targeting ac, will save dc 14
Lets see how it likes this
Merenso jumps back and drops the useless bow, drawing the newly-acquired pike instead.
"What going on up there?" Xiuj calls up querrelously.
Round 1_______________________
The howling scythe attacks Domminia and Merenso, but misses.
Fengrig Salant
_______________________________________
Though it makes him momentarily sick to his stomach, Fengrig channels positive energy through his body, projecting it as a beam of light at the scythe.
The golden beam strikes the scythe, spreading over the haft and up the arms. The scythe shudders as a thin multitoned scream is heard.
ysabot vas
________________________________________
Ysabot shifts around to get a good line of sight, then uses the Evil Eye.
Merenso Kull
________________________________________
Merenso jumps back and drops the useless bow, drawing the newly-acquired halberd instead.
[npc] Domminia and Theodoric____________________
Domminia whips around and lashes out with her spear.
But misses.
The intimidating armored form of Theodoric steps forward and swings his smoking greatsword.
But is parried by the scythe.
[npc] Ereviss_________________________
Wait.
Kendra____________________________
Wait.
Xiuj-Hak-Leyng IV _______________________________
“What going on up there?”
Wait.
Scythe: 15
Round 2_______________________
Fengring manages to block the swing with his shield, a deep gouge appears in it.
Domminia moves in concert with Theodoric and flanks the scythe D
Theodoric attacks damage
Ereviss attempts to activate his wand and touch the creature.
Missing the creature, he holds off and tries again.
Not equipped to fight what seems to be thin air, Merenso directs his attacks versus the only material thing their adversary has. A clash of steel fills the air as his halberd meets the scythe!
Fengrig's mouth is filled with the taste of bile as he channels another ray of positive energy at scythe.
misfortune will dc 14
Ysabot, you have realized when your evil eye failed that any spell requiring a will save is most likely also going to fail. You can try something else instead.
Round 2_______________________
Scythe attack vs. Fengring. Fengring manages to block the swing with his shield, a deep gouge appears in it.
Domminia Vorsaife
________________________________________
Domminia moves in concert with Theodoric and flanks the scythe.
Domminia’s attack is parried by the scythe.
Theodoric attacks.
Theodoric’s blade connects with a great clang, and leaves a visible notch in the blade of the scythe.
Ereviss Ladyhunter
________________________________________
Ereviss attempts to activate his wand and touch the creature.
Missing the creature, he holds off and tries again.
Merenso Kull
________________________________________
Not equipped to fight what seems to be thin air, Merenso directs his attacks versus the only material thing their adversary has. A clash of steel fills the air as his halberd meets the scythe!
Merenso’s halberd also connects solidly with the scythe; only the lack of power prevents it from doing real damage.
Fengrig Salant
________________________________________
Fengrig's mouth is filled with the taste of bile as he channels another ray of positive energy at scythe.
Casts disrupt undead
Losing control of the spell, the energy forms a protective aura around the scythe.
ysabot vas
________________________________________
Ysabot throws a hex at the scythe, but appears to have no visible effect.
Kendra____________________________________
Kendra throws a Disrupt Undead at the scythe.
But missed.
Xiuj____________________________________
“What going on up there?”
Waits.
Round 3_______________________
Hit! for slashing damage.
Hit! for slashing damage.