Epik heals himself and then double moves around the ice wall.
round 10
Move to attack ike
damage
miss
damage
miss
damage
miss
blind fighting Feat allows me to re-roll missed attacks
The two elementals team up on Ike.
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Lantern archons continue firing at the wraith.
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Tlanextic flies over the top, firing a final blast of fire at the wraith.
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Nowzai wall walks around the temple perimeter.
ouch
Fort saves:
that puts me at -11 con, dropping my con to 3 and taking 66 hp if I'm 'mathing' right :) This guy hits me again and I'm done.
Pray and fire off another round of attacks at the wraith:
Attack: Damage: Miss: Crit:
Attack: Damage: Miss: Crit:
Attack: Damage: Miss: Crit:
Attack: Damage: Miss: Crit:
Attack: Damage: Miss: Crit:
Magma moves in next to Sam and the two unleash a flurry of blows on the priest. Magma destroys two images, allowing Sam an opening to see where the actual priest is and the tiefling splits the man's skull open with his blade shooting electrictity through his body and causing it to explode in fire and blood leaving a smoking mess at his feet.
; image!
; Ike!
The wraith pops through the wall rushing Nemoris as the ranger shakily tries to pull up his bow, fear striking his eyes as he realizes his doom is before him. Suddenly the wraith is struck from the side by a bolt of fire that consumes it a unearthly glow ... a long, low moan escapes like a sigh and the creature disappears from sight. Nemoris turns to see the flying serpent, Tlanextic, who nods its head at the archer.
As the wraith drops and Nemoris settles weakly to a seated position at the top of the stairs, he looks down the flight of steps to see a thin gray-haired man with stark white skin come sprinting up the steps wearing a fairly plain gray shortcoat and pants and a large brimmed gray hat.
As Dalamus crests the stairs, sword at the ready "Where is that son of a b**$*! Dalamus frantically looks around at the area looking for what is coming next.
After the realization settles in, that combat is now over. He will head over to the weary looking Nemoris.
"What did I miss while I was gone....Is everyone ok?"
How do we get Jenya raised now?
are we going to sack the temple?
Sam will look around for clues on what was going on in this temple
Epik will look at Dalamus with surprise. "What happened to you? I thought you were dead!"
Epik will help Sam search the temple .
-Posted with Wayfinder
Nowzai releases turns his two earth elementals towards the newcomer while he levitates down to the floor. "Who are you? You act familiar but I do not remember your name."
"It's me, Dalamus...Part of that horrendous attack, left me changed. This is not of my choosing, but this is what I have now become."
Dalamus will raise his hands when he sees the elementals targeting him.
"I was hoping that foul man was still alive so that I might be the one to end his reign, but clearly you guys were able to handle it. I have to admit, I am not real happy that I didn't get finish him off."
"Nothing about this pleases me either... betrayers and devils in the temple of Pharasma." He shakes his head, sighing. "The whole city seems arrayed against us." He eyes the new Dalamus, suspicious and critical. "If you are truly our friend reincarnate, tell us something that only Dalamus would know. I'm sure you can understand our distrust."
Sam will go over and molest Dalamus's old body to see if he reacts....
Sam will approach the new comer and just wait for a response
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As for you, even if I could resurrect, I might find life laying on the ground for millenia waiting the next clueless bastard preferable.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Epik will detect evil on the new Dalamus. "By Iomedae's grace, we will reverse this, my friend."
He then studies the silvery-gray cage hanging from the ceiling and the symbol below. "Nowzai, what do you make of this?"
Dalamus looks at Nowzai, as he walks to get the rest of his gear. Once there, he will don his armor and clothing that he had. "I understand your distrust...I do. Let me see, well we just got back from another plane where we had been betrayed by Kaurophon"
Dalamus smiles, as he knows this should be sufficient. Such intimate details are known by few.
Nowzai nods, "How did you come to be in this body? You were gone but for a minute." His smoking eye flares for a moment.
Nowzai studies the cage and surrounding chamber, trying to make sense of it all.
let's search the rest of the temple.
perception checks
"I am not exactly sure....I was in a magical vortex, and this is how I ended up."
Epik detects evil and again gets overwhelmed by the massive presence of evil in the room.
It also radiates strong abjuration, conjuration and necromancy.
Near the back of the room on the north side of the wall is a large standing mirror frame, filled with a flat gray metal. As you approach it, it flashes to light with a green swirl, showing a distorted view beyond of lava tubes strangely juxtaposed to an ice wall.
The mirror device radiates strong conjuration magic, but no evil.
Additionally, you recognize the cage as a minor artifact and something about it triggers a more recent feeling that you can't shake that you've seen it before. To learn more about the artifact, you will need a spell more powerful than detect magic
"The cage is important, an artifact of some kind, but I'll need more powerful divination magic to ascertain its properties. Demodands, fiends native to the plane of Carceri, had a hand in its creation. Their twisted obsession with cages, imprisonment and torture are clearly marked in its construction."
"It seems familiar for some reason, but I cannot place why." Nowzai frowns, shaking his head.
Stepping towards the portal cautiously, Nowzai says, "A portal? Gates are fickle magic, very tricky to conjure precisely. Making a permanent one requires extraordinary power!"
"Can we take it from this place, or does it have to remain there?"
Tlanextic flies down and settles in next to Nowzai studying the Porta as well, a massive pile of coiled snake with its feathery wings pulled in tight like a multicolored cloak.
When the stranger claiming to be Dalamus arrives, he stares impassively at the man, tongue flicking out several times.
Nowzai glances at the newcomers face and sees smooth, unblemished albeit lacking color skin.
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Epik is momentarily stunned by the shocking presence of evil in the room. "The cages radiate an intense evil. Furthermore, we all seem to have accrued an evil taint ... even myself! I must atone! Have we somehow strayed from the path of virtue? I think it must be the cages that are causing this. The demons, or demodands as you call them Nowzai, must have used these cages for some momentous evil. We must destroy the cages and those who created them!"
Epik marvels at the mirror. "Could this portal take us to the cage creators? If so, we are obligated to seek them out and destroy them."
We touches the surface of the mirror.
"Epik....perhaps we now radiate some evil, because we spilled blood in a holy place? This would seem to make sense to me."
"I agree that we should destroy these devices of evil, but with a little time and study, I might be able to divine their purpose here in Cauldron... perhaps even learn who is behind all of this mayhem."
the fire giant was imprison to make cages right?
he had a broken cage in the forge made with similar materials.
what have we search in the temple? is there anything left to explore before we leave.
"I'm not sure," Nowzai replies to Magma. "There are many disparate details about what has been happening around us, and they lead to no simple conclusions. Before we take any more deliberate actions, I suggest we pool our knowledge and try to piece together what exactly is going on. I need to do some spell research, but while at it, I can call upon the resources of the Bluewater Academy to further our own investigation."
"Thoughts?"
"That seems like a wise choice Nowzai. I think we should lock down this temple, until you are able to get some help from the academy."
I assumed you knew since the priestess has it as well. I thought they perhaps had a bond. The mark is invisible, evil and chaotic but appears not to alter the individual's aura
Of note, the portal stones read Karran-Kural above them ... I'm assuming that's where it leads
Epik's hand pushes through the surface as if it were no there, he notes an appreciable temperature change on the other side.
Epik withdraws his hand quickly from the gate. "Infernal sorcery! This is indeed a portal of some sort. We can take time for research but I suspect we will have to travel through this portal sooner or later."
He turns to the others. "Let's secure the temple and then return to the inn to plan our next move."
"I agree, we need to secure these where they are. Let's not move anything, but I think we need security here at all times. What if this portal allows things to come through the other way, then we are going to be in real trouble!"
Mid afternoon
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"Perhaps there is a way to close it, or turn it off temporarily."
"We could always destroy it...before it destroys us. I know you want to research it, but this could be very bad....for the whole city."
"Indeed. Better I spend some time researching our options. We're in no condition to explore or fight further anyway -- Nemoris needs strong restorative aid, not to mention we still need to find aid for Jenya. We only just got back into the city and were thrown straight into action... a break would be welcome."
Epik looks wearily at the cage, "I doubt we have the capacity to destroy it. Let's lock up the temple and head back. Nowzai is right, we need to rest and then carefully consider how best to proceed."
- Jenya: You've tapped 3 of the 4 temples in town. Other thoughts? Magma is casting gentle repose using scrolls. So that's one second level scroll at 150gp every 3 days for as long as you wish to keep doing that until you decide otherwise
- The Cage: Leave it here or take with you? It's not terribly heavy and with flying folks you can get it down ... I'll remind you of the Splintershield Vault that you own back at the Drunken Morkoth, iirc
- The Portal: Seems like the idea is not to enter it nor destroy it until Nowzai completes his research
- Just slaughtered the second or third most powerful priest in the city: Ike is dead and obviously not what he appeared to be and you've stumbled onto something bigger than what you thought. Embril is still alive and the Temple of Pharasma is still a staple in the city. Most people think it's closed for renovations right now. What do you wish to do about your actions? If you wish to disclose them to someone, remember that the Town Guard is still conducting a siege at Redgorge, the Lord Mayor is missing, and the horcs at Lord Vhalantru's place wouldn't let you in to see him.
Jenya:
Epik, can we go see your Templars in the city? they may have a priest in the city to raise Jenya.
Cage:
We take the cage with us this clue is to important.
Temple of Pharasma:
do we leave the body of todd from the other adventuring group or get blamed for his death. we can't be fighting them and who Ike works for. have we found Ike Office? there may be more clues in his office.
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Epik looks at the cage again. "Sam and Nowzai, can you get the cage down?"
Once down, Epik looks for a way to disassemble it.
"Let's take this back to the Splintershield Vault for safe keeping."
He then regards the portal. "Perhaps it is not prudent to leave the portal operational and unattended. I volunteer to remain here and guard it while you all take the cage to the vault and take Jenya to the fourth temple. There's no reason why we can't rest and recover here rather than at the inn. That would allow us to maintain control over both the temple and portal."