DM-Salsa |
Thirzin's arrow buries itself into the little demon's spine, causing her to fall to the ground, dead.
And that's a wrap! Erylium is down. You guys are out of combat.
Noro Kas |
Thirzin's arrow buries itself into the little demon's spine, causing her to fall to the ground, dead.
And that's a wrap! Erylium is down. You guys are out of combat.
Olivius_Telraven |
Olivius stands over the little pest's body. He stares at it for a long moment before kicking corpse off the raised dias.
Horatio A Aldebrandt |
Horatio sweeps his hand through the air before him, ending the movement by clenching the hand into a fist; as he does so, the echoing music ceases with one final coda. Heaving a sigh of relief at the sight of the unmoving demon, he walks over, clapping Thirzin on the shoulder. "And thus the mighty hunter fells his prey," he chuckles, grinning. "Now, I believe someone mentioned having a look at this?" he adds, making his way to the strange pool.
What knowledge checks would be required to figure out what it is?
Saroune Anzoletta |
Saroune follows Horatio to the pool, mentally undoing the bindings between Olivius and the iron powder. As she watches Olivius shrink back to his normal size, she gives him a hopeful look. "Did that spell help? I've been working on it for a while."
DM-Salsa |
Knowledge(Arcana) to ID the pool at the end of the room, I think.
Asuriel Arktaros |
Asuriel watches the quasit fall and turns to her allies nodding. After the battle is over she walks down off the pulpit and inspects to see if anyone is injured. Surprised that everyone is ok and she is the only injured one she looks at the large amounts of blood on Olives curiously. Turning to Pavanna she asks, "What happened down here? Were you able to assist Olivius?"
Noro Kas |
Nor is a little winded, now that everything is over. taking a breather, she has a seat for just few moments to catch her breath.
After a short rest Noro joins the others at the pool. well? what ish it? she asks, not very knowledgable on such things.
she picks up a stone and goes to toss it in.
DM-Salsa |
The stone Noro tosses in barely makes a ripple in the roiling water.
Thirzin Bronzebeard |
Int: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
Thirzin grins at the praise and shrugs.
"I just had to make sure that blasted thing didn't get away." He heads over nearer to the pool and scratches his head.
"It's calmed down a bit, hadn't it? Or is it my imagination."
Saroune Anzoletta |
Int Check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Saroune feels her breath catch in her lungs. "This... this is a Runewell," she explains, her voice tremulous. "It is some kind of magical reservoir that the ancient Runelords would draw power from. Each Runewell was attuned to the sin magic of its creator. If this was place was in fact constructed by Alaznist, then this is wrath magic." The wizard frowns. "It is smaller than I anticipated. I doubt that this is the Runewell of Wrath."
She looks to Thirzin. "You are right. It does seem less active now. A true Runewell would not be so quickly exhausted. Regardless, it is an amazing discovery." She felt her heart quickening at the thought. "Studying how this works could lead to a major breakthrough in understanding how the Runelord's crafted their magic."
Pavanna Alazario |
Hearing Saroune’s words, Pavanna looks up from inspecting the arrow she errantly loosed at the quasit.
arrow still useable?: 1d100 ⇒ 13 Huh. How about that. :D
“I don’t think that’s an option, Saroune,” she says, not without a note of regret. I sought the chance to learn about such things... and now duty impels me to destroy it before I can. “‘True’ Runewell or not, that pool was the source of the sinspawn we fought — clearly the ‘freaks’ Tsuto’s diary mentioned. We’re here to neutralise the danger they pose to Sandpoint: that its power can be diminished so easily is a good thing.”
How did she... wait, those red droplets from mid-air when they first appeared. Did the quasit use her own blood? Pavanna considers the head of the arrow she’s holding: though the very point is bent slightly, the cold-iron still holds its edge, keen enough to split flesh... or the skin of a tiefling. Does it take the pure blood of a fiend to do the trick? Or will a tiefling’s tainted brew suffice? “I have an idea. Everyone, form a perimeter around the well’s edge and be ready to slay the wrathspawn as they emerge. If I’m right, we can drain the thing’s power beyond use, at least for the time being.”
Glancing to the others, making sure they’ve heeded her, she steps to the edge of the Runewell. Resting her sword against her thigh once more, she holds her shield-hand over the bubbling water.
Once they’re all in position, she sets her teeth, already anticipating the burning bite of the death-metal arrowhead...
... then, quickly, she slashes open her palm, letting welling scarlet drops fall into the Runewell, then drops the arrow to retrieve her sword and ready both blade and shield.
2hp of damage, as cold iron bypasses Pavanna’s DR. Hopefully, that should activate the Runewell and draw its power out into another wrathspawn (or two) to be slain.
In all honesty, I’ve read this AP and its Paizo sub-forum so many times that I just can’t be sure if the above scene is good RP based on sound IC reasoning, or simply meta-gaming... but I feel like I’ve been holding up the works too much as it is. :-(
Asuriel Arktaros |
Asuriel looks down at the Runewell with disgust, "We must destroy it at all costs."
Looking to Saroune and Pavanna, "How can we destroy it?"
As she watches Pavanna drop blood into the pool her eyes widen, "Wait-What are you doing? Is this wise?"
Asuriel readies her scimitar once more.
Saroune Anzoletta |
I think Pavanna has sound reasoning here. We have two clues: The quasit made sinspawn with its blood and the pool seems less active afterwards. It doesn't take a great leap in logic to guess that we could fully drain the well of its magic.
"We don't have to destroy it. We could alert Sandpoint and have Sheriff Hemlock send guards," Saroune protests, weakly. She felt sick. Destroying a piece of history felt wrong, but it presented a clear danger to the town. She steps back as Pavanna cuts herself.
DM-Salsa |
Don't sweat it. I think the clues are obvious enough.
It takes spawning four more sinspawn for the runewell to run dry. In it's place is a cold stone basin. As the magic fades you hear an otherworldly moan of grief and pain, sounding as if it is coming from deep within the earth.
Where to next? You guys still have more dungeon to explore.
Olivius_Telraven |
Olivius is in a pretty grim mood for having just won a significant battle. He takes up his new polearm, stores his other weapons, and leads the way back out. He arrives back at the statue and strides straight across the room to the northern door and opens it.
Noro Kas |
Noro quickly moves beside her "student", Olivius, don't think you are going to hog all the fun she says to him, almost itching for another fight. and hoping to lighten Olive's sour mood.
Asuriel Arktaros |
Asuriel follows in suit, satisfied that the sinspawn are gone but not satisfied that this well still exists. While they walk she whispers to Saroune, "Is it gone? Is it empty of energy or whatever? The evil is gone?"
DM-Salsa |
This large chamber was obviously once a prison, as testified by the twenty cells that line the room’s perimeter. A rickety wooden platform overlooks the room, with two flights of stairs descending to the prison floor ten feet below. A five-foot-wide wooden walkway runs from the northern edge of the platform to a passageway to the east.
As you enter, you hear an otherworldly moan.
Horatio A Aldebrandt |
As the last Sinswpan is feled, Hopratio sighs, running a hand back through his hair. "Well, this isn't exactly how I pictured myself spending a day, but then, this does seem to have become my new normal," he laments. "Good thinking there, Pavanna; glad it seemed to work. But Cayden's mug, could you at least try warning someone before attempting self-mutilation?" You scared the living daylights out of me, his expression implies, but he forces himswelf not to say it.
At the next room, he sighs again, more heavily this time. "Can't there be just one room that isn't terribly ominous?" he mutters.
Pavanna Alazario |
At Horatio’s comment to her, Pavanna looks up from flexing her shield-hand and shows it to him with a crooked smile. Though the flesh at the edges of the still-seeping slash is inflamed from contact with cold iron, the cut itself is clean, straight, shallow, and already starting to scab over. She gently touches his cheek with her other hand, silently thanking him for his concern. “I’ve suffered worse in training bouts, and those healed without scars. Besides, I wasn’t sure if it had to be a fiend’s blood to form the things, and I couldn’t ask anyone else to try something if I wasn’t willing to do it myself.”
She takes a moment to bandage her wound, checking that it doesn’t seriously interfere with her grip on her shield, before joining the march onwards. (She overhears Asuriel’s remark to Saroune, but doesn’t interject — not simply from discretion or courtesy, but also out of deference to the Varisian’s superior knowledge of arcane theory.)
She almost snorts a laugh at Horatio’s sighed remark. “Why break their chosen theme?” she notes to him dryly.
Olivius_Telraven |
Because it's getting on my nerves... Olivius grumbles. His weapon is brought to the ready again, it's triple pointed blades ready to end this annoying slog.
Saroune Anzoletta |
Saroune shrugs, offering Asuriel a hopeless look. "Drained, yes. Gone? I truly do not know. Runewells, even lesser ones such as that, are artifacts of no small power. It would require further study to determine the extent of its effects. This is pure conjecture, but I suspect that it is powered by proximity to its associated sin. If this is a pool of Wrath, then any punch thrown or angry word might recharge it, so to speak."
The wizard leaves the rest unsaid. If it was powered by the proximity of sin, it was obvious how the pool had become activated. With all the recent problems in Sandpoint, the "Late Unpleasantness" as they called it, had certainly provided plenty of anger in the community. And then, there was an even darker thought. What if the events hadn't powered the runewell, but vice versa. Perhaps the wrath magic emanating from the relic had somehow corrupted and manipulated the events of Sandpoint's turbulent history. Saroune shuddered voluntarily. Perhaps it was best that such things were left to lie forgotten.
Saroune steps into the room behind Olivius and Noro, trying not to dwell on the possible implications of their discovery.
Horatio A Aldebrandt |
Flex-time back a room for comedic purposes:
"You hear that, Olivius?" Horatio laughs as Saroune explains the well's connection to wrath. "Play nice." He jostles the other man's shoulder cheekily as the group continues on.
And back to the current room of gloom:
"And as if the decor wasn't enough, there's that moaning. I don't knwo whether I'm becoming jaded, or still convinced that this whole place is a nightmare, and that I'll wake up from a drink-induced slumber at the Kitten any minute now." Horatio shakes his heads as he steps in after the others. "So, where's it coming from?" He glances around in an attempt to answer his own question.
Noro Kas |
Noro looks to Horatio, If itsh a choishe between her or the Kitten, I think you are better off here. Trusht me, I know.
hard to tell if Noro really doesn't like the Kitten, or she just doesn't want Horatio hanging out there.
all this wrath talk, you would think people would want Noro to leave town...
Asuriel Arktaros |
Asuriel isn't satisified with the state of this runewell. She intends to speak to Father Zantus immediately when they leave this unholy place of sin. She follows along with the group towards the back of the pack silently brooding over this pool.
DM-Salsa |
Sinspawn (red): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Sinspawn (green): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Sinspawn (blue): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Dretch (red): 1d20 ⇒ 19
Dretch (blue): 1d20 ⇒ 8
Olivius: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Noro: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12
Horatio: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
Saroune: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
Asuriel: 1d20 ⇒ 12
Thirzin: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
Pavanna: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Ping: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Sprig: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
As the rest of the party follows Noro in to the prison, a chorus of growls greets them as some familiar faces appear. Three sinspawn clamber up onto the platform while two dretches come from hiding.
Party Up.
Sinspawn: AC 14/12/12, Immune to Mind-affecting, SR 13, CMD 15
Dretch: AC 14/11/14, Immune to Electricity and Poison, Resist Acid 10, Cold 10, and Fire 10, DR 5/cold-iron or good
Sinspawn (red): 0
Sinspawn (green): 0
Sinspawn (blue): 0
Dretch (red): 0
Dretch (blue): 0
Olivius_Telraven |
Olivius, who is finally in a good position, snarls and strikes at the right Sinspawn (blue) with his Ranseur
Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
damage: 2d4 + 8 ⇒ (2, 1) + 8 = 11
Noro Kas |
noro looks to Olives, Time to releashe shome of the tenshion she says with a smile as she lays into the red Sinspawn.
Noro smash: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
noro not smash
DM-Salsa |
Sinspawn: AC 14/12/12, Immune to Mind-affecting, SR 13, CMD 15
Dretch: AC 14/11/14, Immune to Electricity and Poison, Resist Acid 10, Cold 10, and Fire 10, DR 5/cold-iron or good
Sinspawn (red): 0
Sinspawn (green): 0
Sinspawn (blue): 11
Dretch (red): 0
Dretch (blue): 0
The creature howls as Olives lays into it. Whether in pleasure or in pain, it is not entirely certain.
Noro, meanwhile, swings at the monster to her left, only to see it duck under the blow.
Thirzin Bronzebeard |
PA: 1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (4) + 6 - 1 = 9
Damage: 1d10 + 4 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 3 = 16
Thirzin slings his weapon out to smash at the one that his fellow took to task, but his swing goes wide and is easily telegraphed by the brutal monstrosity.
Saroune Anzoletta |
Saroune doesn't relish being in a corner, but at least she's surrounded by her friends. She throws a telekinetic punch at the furthest (green) sinspawn on the platform.
Telekinetic Fist vs. Touch AC: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
DM-Salsa |
Dretch: AC 14/11/14, Immune to Electricity and Poison, Resist Acid 10, Cold 10, and Fire 10, DR 5/cold-iron or good
Sinspawn (red): 0
Sinspawn (green): 4
Sinspawn (blue): 11
Dretch (red): 0
Dretch (blue): 0
Another of the monsters howls as a ghostly fist gives it a bloody nose.
Horatio A Aldebrandt |
"Well, this is just not fair." Shaking his head, Horatio draws his violin again, setting the bow to the fey-hair string sand freeing the tune in his fingers.
You get a +1! And you get a +1! Everybody gets +1's!
Pavanna Alazario |
What’re you moaning about, Horatio? At least you can do something that contributes to the offensive side of this fight. :P
My own fault, I guess. Sorry, folks: I’ve been really spotty about checking the game the last few days. Undermotivation (depression?) + working in a supermarket during Easter Insanity for the... well, loss, really. :-S
Stifling a frustrated sigh at being trapped behind the front lines once more, Pavanna does what she can: again she stands her sword under her shield-hand, so its light can illuminate the battle-zone, then draws her wand, hoping it won’t be needed.
Move action: Shift longsword to shield hand.
Standard action: ready an action to deal a whack of her Happy Stick to whichever of Asuriel, Olivius, or Thirzin suffers the worst injuries when the assembled fiends make their counter-attacks.
(I’d originally intended to include Noro in that, but she’s out of reach.)
EDIT: Oooh, idea!
Free action: Be a bossy little b~#@~, like always. :-D
«Asuriel, я могу, как правило, к вам, Thirzin и Olivius. Ссылка себя Noro, если вы можете, и я буду держать вас всех в бой!»