Feral's Temple (Inactive)

Game Master Feral

Terrill makes a slight shift to the power of Desna flowing through him, restoring some of the damage Dakang has done. He then drops his bow and draws his long, curving blade of black iron as he moves across the room. Unfortunately, the fortune of Desna is directed elsewhere for a moment, and he fails to connect with the blade.

Change to Judgement of healing, putting him at 19/27 hp. Move action: draw sword and move to K15. Attack and miss. Again.

MW Curve Blade, Power Attack, Bless, Inspired: 1d20 + 7 - 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 7 - 1 + 1 + 1 = 10
Curve blade damage with Power Attack, Inspired: 1d10 + 6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 3 + 1 = 12

Will Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

What's the duration on the confusion?

1d100 ⇒ 89 Attack nearest...

1 = Terrill, 2 = Castien ... 1d2 ⇒ 1

Attack (Shortbow): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Note that my inspire courage drops as I can't maintain it while confused.

Her mind overtaken by otherworldly horrors, Liadain screams and attacks randomly at the nightmarish creatures in her mind. Alas, that is, in reality, Terrill.

Terrill turns in confusion as an arrow strikes him from behind, concerned that they're under attack. He snaps the arrow shaft off near the head and turns to face Dakang, while calling over his shoulder to Castien, "Looks like it's just the two of us in any shape to fight! Any interest in heading home? We may have to get Lia and Tak on their feet first."

Feral - is it possible to send an unconscious person back through their own glowing ball of magical transport?

It's lesser confusion so it's just the one round.

Terrill: No, each individual is the only one that can interact with their own return point.

The mass of otherworldly tendrils quivers in pain as Castien nails it with two more blessed arrows, inspiring it to avoid Terrill's similarly blessed blade.

It lashes out with the staff its host was wielding previously before snapping at Terrill with its worm-like maw.

Staff: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

The party is up.

I'll just keep laying here.

You can roll to stabilize!

Castien fires two more arrows at Dakang.

Attack (Longbow, Rapid Shot, Point Blank Shot, Bless, Inspire Courage): 1d20 + 5 - 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 5 - 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 25
Damage (Longbow, Point Blank Shot, Inspire Courage): 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 + 1 = 9

Attack (Longbow, Rapid Shot, Point Blank Shot, Bless, Inspire Courage): 1d20 + 5 - 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 5 - 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 12
Damage (Longbow, Point Blank Shot, Inspire Courage): 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4

Unable to land a blow, his allies firing arrows into him, Dakang hitting him with a stick, Terrill's frustration grows. Rather than letting it distract him, however, he focuses it, turning it on his blade, channelling all the power he can muster into his attack on the vermlek horror.

Change Judgement to Destruction, for +2 damage. Hit the f*@$ing thing hard.

MW Curve Blade, Power Attack, Bless: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 7 - 1 = 26
Curve blade damage,Power Attack, Destruction: 1d10 + 6 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 6 + 3 + 2 = 21

Crit confirm, Power Attack: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 7 - 1 = 26
Curve blade damage,Power Attack, Destruction: 1d10 + 6 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 6 + 3 + 2 = 14

That's a bit more like it. Last time I rolled like that in a game, however, I was torn apart by a troll in the next round. Fingers crossed.

Status: 10/27 hp

Castien's arrows pelt the demon further but Terrill's blade scores a direct hit, cleaving the monster in two and scattering its barbed appendages across the room.

Aside from the party's heavy breathing, the room is suddenly still and quiet.

Stabilize: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

As the demonic nightmare visions fade, Liadain breathes heavily, gasping at the sight of her arrow sticking out of Terrill's back. But then she notices the decidedly arrow-filled corpse of the fiendish beast, split in two and rend across the room, the half-elf's blade covered in foul ichor. "Oh thank the gods," Lia breathes. "Terrill, I am so sorry..."

She hurries towards Taklinn, scooping up her forgotten curative wand and lightly tapping him a couple of times with it until the dwarf awakens.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

"That was certainly a close one," the bard says with a heavy sigh. "And also the last time I ever believe what those damned Venture-Captains tell us. 'Bandits'? If only it were bandits!"

Do we have all 4 of the required tasks done?

Yup.

Terrill shrugs and nods understandingly as Lia apologizes. "You were under the effects of Dakang's evil magics, I won't take it too personally. And at least you hit something, my arrows simply would not fly true against that creature. Glad he came down to join us, in the end."

As unpleasant as the task is, Terrill turns his attention to Dakang's remains, searching for a token of some sort to bring back to show the Society how wrong their information about the temple was, and collecting anything else of value he might find.

With this task done, and Tak back on his feet, Terrill returns to the aasimar guards and explains what has taken place, and that the temple can be cleansed of its corruption and returned to its proper use. He then looks to his companions and, with a firm nod, steps into the glowing sphere that should take him back to Absalom. Hope they were right about this part, at least...

Not longer after the battle's done, the aasimar enter the chamber and the rest of the temple's worshipers filter in shortly after. Cries of fear fill the chamber as the true form of their beloved leader is seen for the first time.

After the initial shock has passed, the remaining worshipers are grateful and vow to spend their lives unraveling Korada’s teachings from Dakang’s perversions. The party is invited to return whenever they wish, hopefully next time to truly experience Korada's true faith.

Returning through their return portals, the party completes their mission by providing an overview of the temple with detailed reports of the four key locations. Aram Zey is pleased at the report but seems dismissive about the demonic influence. "I knew you'd be able to handle whatever hazards were there. Well done!"

After returning home and confirming that their mission was a success, Taklinn blows a sigh of relief as he looks to the group and says "After that, I thinkin' I'm needin' a drink, or two, or ten. Anybody else? First round's on me for savin' me arse back there!".

Great game everybody! Really happy that I survived my first PbP and I hope to run into you guys in future games.

Glad you made it too, Tak! It was a close one there at the end.

Castien points out the various perversions he discovered; after all, the sooner they take care of the issue, the better. In addition, he alerts the aasimari guards as to the gnome's presence in the garden, and suggest they encourage him to leave as soon as possible.

Once they reach the hilltop from which they entered this realm, he looks back at the temple. Funny, it looked so innocent when we first arrived. Hopefully, it will regain some of that innocence in time. With that, he passes through his ball of light, reappearing next to the tapestry.

Hearing Aram Zey's flippant response as to Dakang's true identity, Castien glowers briefly. Easy for him to say - things could have gone much worse for us. Still, his mood birghtens quickly as he eagerly returns to his quarters and writes down his memories of their experience while they're still fresh in his mind...

I agree - it was a fun run, GM. I hope I see your ads when/if you get back into the GMing scene.