Arkadi's mighty swing staves in the centipede's chitin armor, and its ghastly viscera spills forth over the blade. Its many legs twitch once in a scattered pattern, and then it curls in around the wound and lays still, very much dead.
It is Sandman's action, but since Levelle is currently hit and threatened, and your foes are hardly a challenge, I will allow scatter posting. Levelle, remember if you cast, it must be defensively.
Levelle holds her staff up to ward off the creature before her, using her other hand to steady herself, Levelle gently pushes off of Uriah's shoulder to get some distance between her and the chittering creature.
"Uriah, Arkadi, Take care of this thing!" Sandman says as he moves back from the centipede but close enough to assist Levelle. He grabs her by her shoulders. "Calm down and breathe deep. The poison is making your heart race and you are trying to breathe too quickly to compensate. Long deep breaths..."
Sandman makes a 5 ft step to e13, and attempts to aid Levelle with her poison.
Surprise and Round 1 Summary
Two extremely large insects with multiple sets of legs set upon the party whilst they were examining the cache the professor left behind in the sarcophagus. The first centipede to act bit Levelle's shoulder and she is currently suffering the effects of its poison, having failed her saving throw. Arkadi moved forward and dispatched the second centipede before it had a chance to act. Sandman's attempt to assist Levelle with passing the poison did not succeed, and Uriah's shot at the remaining centipede went wide.
Round 2
The remaining centipede rears on its hind legs once again and lashes out at Uriah, but its mandibles are unable to find purchase due to the gunslinger's armor. Several pairs of its legs skitter across Uriah's armor and Levelle's blood and a bit of poison splatter across his arms.
Levelle speaks the words of power, gesticulates with grace and summons and aura of magical protection that covers her almost like armor. Levelle stays rooted in spot watching the group confront the beast.
Arkadi lunges at the second monstrous insect and slashes wildly with his blade. "Step back, I'll hold its attention."
Sandman steps back up to engage the creature, drawing his morning star and attacking.
Melee: Morningstar | Damage | 20x2
Round 2 Init 16
HP = 11
AC = 16
+3 Fort, +5 Ref, +3 Will
Ammo:
..Paper Cartridges 10/10
..Black Powder 9/10, Firearm Bullet 9/10
Weapon Equipped = None
Speed = 30' (20')
Grit = 3
Status Effects = None
Uriah steps away from the creature while loading his pistol, taking aim and firing at it again.
Round 2 Summary
The centipede's compound eyes, reflecting Levelle's light seem to leer at you and its mandibles move as though it is laughing as all three of the combatants are unable to gain purchase on its chitin.
Levelle successfully transmutes the poison coarsing through her veins, and no longer suffers ill effects from it, however, she is still quite hurt.
Round 3
Multiple legs and mandibles tittering with glee, the centipede arches its long body and attacks Arkadi, successfully angling himself to bite at Arkadi's neck, much like Levelle.
The creature's fangs score a painful scape where Arkadi's armor leaves his collarbone exposed, but he grimaces and shakes off the blow. His stance shifts to a slightly more defensive one, but he still thrusts up at the centipede with full intent to slay the creature.
"Get back, you living nightmare! Back!" Sandman says as he tries to batter the creature away from Arkadi.
Melee: Morningstar | Damage | 20x2
Round 3 Summary, and Finale
Having been bitten by the foul creature and his armor besmirched with blood and creature's many legs, Arkadi's faith in the Inheritor allows him to persevere against the foul vermin, striking it down with a single well placed blow. The Sandman's subsequent hit brings the creature beyond negatives, crushing its chitin armor and gelling his morningstar with disgusting vermin viscera. The centipede gives a shriek which seems alien in the ringing that continues to echo in the tiny chamber caused by the discharge of Uriah's firearm, causing one to wonder how far the din might have been heard this night.
"Well that was bracing. Suggest we make tracks and check this stuff later, I wasn't at my sneakiest."
Should've used the sword.
Arkadi utters a slightly odd spell and his wound seals itself again. "Indeed, questions of discovery aside, this is not the most pleasant of places to be inspecting scrolls and relics. Let us retreat and assess our arsenal in a safer place." He wipes the ichor from his blade and helps distribute the items to be carried back.
"What was that Uriah? My ears are still ring-Ohh, Ehm... Yes, Perhaps we should leave. Let me heal Arkadi and Levelle quick and we will go..." Sandman says as he see's Arkadi cast his spell.
Spellcraft
Sandman stares for a minute... "Uh-hm, well, I guess I only need to focus on one patient today... Sandman says as he turns to Levelle and stats to chant a spell.
"~O Desna, source of health and healing, spirit of calm and the central peace of this universe, grant to me such a consciousness of your indwelling and surrounding presence that I may grant the gift of health and strength and peace to my fellows.~"
Sandman smiles. "There we go, good as new! Try not to stress the wounds too much!" Sandman then turns to the others. "Well then, shall we go back or head to the harrowstone?"
Levelle notes Arkadi's casting but languidly shifts her attention to Sandman as he woks his healing magic. With a soft voice she reaches out and touches the half-orc on the cheek. Thank you, your bond with your goddess is quite potent. I am thankful for the aid.
Brushing her coat and eagerly picking up Kiire Levelle stares about a room for a second, her voice distracted, It could be the room itself would give us some notion of the purpose of these items but it is best we leave...perhaps we can return again if we find ourselves devoid of adequate information.
The party, laden with the tools the professor left in their charge, pauses within the crypt to reset the sarcophagus so it appears as though none, not the Professor and especially not yourselves, have entered in quite some years.
While you are working to cover your tracks, you hear from just beside you a soft report, as though someone were rapping on the door jam.
Arkadi shushes the others at the noise. For a moment he freezes in thought, then he snatches up the severed upper half of the first centipede he slew and quickly marches to the door. Holding the corpse obviously at his side he pulls the portal half open, making sure to block visibility past himself. "Yes?"
Arkadi peers out of the crypt, and sees naught but the still and empty graveyard without. After a few more seconds, the rapping continues, undaunted by his presence.
Arkadi stands baffled for a moment. Then, reluctantly, he calls on his inner nature and slowly turns about with his senses tuned.
Levelle is taken aback by Arkadi's sudden move to silence the group. Watching the tall man peer about the crypt with intense focus, Levelle prepares herself for the worst. This man had been an ally but the recent use of harmful magics to heal himself put Levelle on edge.
"The Mother of Dreams is always eager to help!" Sandman happily responds at Levelle's praise.
Perception
Sandman goes silent at Arkadi's warning and watches as he checks the door, waiting for something to happen.
You may make a Will Saving Throw DC 11 or become frightened and feel an overwhelming desire to flee the scene.
Arkadi shudders and tosses aside the corpse. "We shouldn't be here anymore. We've disturbed something, and we need to leave NOW." Following his own words he looks both ways for danger, then sprints for the exit of the cemetery.
Levelle turns to the others her eyebrow cocked in a questioning manner. I suppose we should make haste, sadly I do not have the magic to mend the lock on the door. If anyone comes looking, our entrance shall not go unnoticed.
"There's something rapping back there, not sure why it scared Arkadi off but we'd best follow."
Perception
Will
A cold shiver runs down Sandman's back as he gulps. "Y-yes, W-we need... t-to go!" Sandman says as he hastily follows Arkadi.
Arkadi and the Sandman run screaming into the night, but they do not progress terribly far into the cemetery before the spell effect ends, and they recognize that they have run in completely different directions in their attempt to flee from whatever it was that the group did not hear.
Uriah and Levelle, you are left standing in the crypt wondering what caused your companions to flee in terror. Almost immediately you recognize that you should not allow your party members to leave alone, and hurry after them.
After recovering your allies, the group of you, laden with your stolen goods return to the Lorrimor residence. The trip back is eerily silent, save for the sound of your own steps and the whistling of the wind off the river. Each natural sound of a tree settling or leaves rustling in the wind sends shivers down your spine and your sight to wander in its direction, wondering if any have marked your path and are following your exit. You are relieved that naught else disturbs you this night, and you are eagerly welcomed back into Kendra's home.
"Oh, goodness," she says, slightly exasperated when she opens the door. Kendra is still wearing her day clothes and appears somewhat disheveled. "It's only you," she sighs and smiles shyly, then takes in the look of you as she ushers you into the house. "There is blood. Are you quite well? What manner of resistence did you meet?"
Levelle takes off her coat and drops Kiire as she enters the house.A pair of large arthropods had taken residence in the chamber and attempted to make us a meal. I live due to the timely intervention of Master Arkadi and Master Sandman. We have returned with items of note however. Levelle makes no mention of the terror that had stricken the two men, leaving it to them to share or not as their hearts desired.
Arkadi seats himself and sets to meticulously cleaning his blade and garments of the stains of battle. "I believe the place is also haunted by a spirit of unfriendly demeanor. Its malign presence was almost overwhelming." Though his voice doesn't waver, he does not raise his eyes to match anyone's gaze.
Sandman sits with his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his palm. "Yes, something unnatural put an immense fear within me as well. I cannot explain it. The bugs also seemed to come out of nowhere. It was all very strange. I think we should investigate and sort our findings, (Yawn) and rest for the night. We can do more investigation and head to the Harrowstone tomorrow."
Kendra appears more than a bit concerned, her eyes straying to Levelle more often amongst the party as you give your explanations, and finally she nods. "Come into the study, the fire is lit," she suggests. "I will bring some meats and cheese, and wine," the last seems a bit rushed, "it may help you to relax before bed."
You enter the Professor's study, which you find well lit and warmed by the fire. It appears as though Kendra was recently working there, sorting through the multitude of books she has no inherited, some stacked in piles, others left standing open as though read and forgotten in favor of another project. You spread your charge out on the Professor's large desk and take a full summary of your haul. There are four sun rods, six flasks, seven potions, four scrolls, over two dozen arrows and a decorative box. The lid of the box is decorated with the same scarab design as The Manual of the Palatine Eye, and when you open it you discover it contains three objects of interest - a spirit board, a brass planchette and four iron and glass vials containing tiny, churning clouds of vapor.
The box containing the board, planchette and vials is worth 50 gp, and a dozen of the arrows are silver.
Five of the potions you find are potions of Cure Light Wounds.
The six flasks contain Holy Water.
The two remaining potions are potions of Lesser Restoration.
The four vials found in the box are called Haunt Siphons.
10 of the arrows are +1 arrows.
2 of the arrows are +1 Undead Bane arrows.
5 of the arrows are +1 Ghost Touch arrows.
The brass planchette is a Spirit Plancette
Sandman casts guidance before examining each item. Whatever he can figure out he tells the others about.
Sandman will also use detect magic to determine if any of these objects are magical, besides the obvious ones.
"Well now that is a pile of random things. What exactly do they all do?"
I'll need to find more time to practice, usually I'm a much better shot than that. Maybe it's because they were moving.
Levelle mutters the incantation that gives her the ability to see the auras of magic around the items and methodically lifts and examines each one. The occasional slight squeak or "hmmm" comes from her tightly pressed lips as her whiteless eyes look over the bounty from the crypt.
Some of the arrows and the planchette are eluding my efforts but the others have revealed their secrets to me. As I see Sandman has discovered some abilities of the objects as well... If we are to journey to a place afflicted with undeath these items will be quite useful
Levelle will cock her head towards Kendra. Dear one, what of the planchette and these last 5 arrows? Can you determine their purpose?
Kendra blanches at Levelle's informality, but nods. After rifling through a small pouch on her belt and wetting her fingers with something that smells to be wine, she begins speaking in a very harsh tongue.
Kendra casts
Kendra studies the remaining items for a time, her expression serene. "They are undead bane arrows," she announces, and touches the planchette, "and this is Spirit Planchette. It... It facilitates communication with the dead," she concludes softly, her tone and features unreadable.
Levelle looks off for a moment absently dropping her hand to the floor to find Kiire and scratch the foxes ears, Levelle looks about the assembled items and ticks her head to the side ever so slightly, Would this mean...we might... Levelle looks at Kendra guardedly but continues on, Might we have a means now to contact the Professor?
"Reckon that might not be the best idea. The Professor done earned his peace, do we want to ruin that now?"
Don't sit right, calling a man back from his grave.
Kendra shakes her head woefully. "The item is not powerful enough to contact a specific spirit, simply those in the area," she explains, lifting the plancette. "This is the least of the tools of this type, which will allow us to ask only one question of the spirits with each use. And..." Kendra pauses and sighs. "There are also costs.
"The user runs the risk of being possessed by the spirits she attempts to channel."
Levelle's eyes open widely at Kendra's last point about possession. A great risk indeed. Hopefully our use for such an object will be limited.
Levelle looks about the room. Well. It would seem we are now forewarned and forearmed. Hopefully it will provide us with some margin of protection. Shall we rest then set out for Harrowstone in the morning then?
"Yes, that sounds like a good idea, but before we turn ourselves over to Desna's care, let us figure out what to do with what we have found..." Sandman says as he spreads the objects out on the table.
"Here we have four sun rods, and four of us. I say we each take one. Even though I can see in the dark due to my ancestral heritage, the distance I can see is only so good."
"There are 6 vials of holywater. I say we each take one, and then the two remainders can go to... hmm... Uriah and Levelle. I suspect Arkadi to be up front fighting and I have my ability to channel Desna's holy energy. Thoughts?"
Sandman looks over at the arrows, and then at the group, and scratches his head. "Does anyone know how to use a bow?"
"There are four of these Haunt Siphons, and four of us. It might be a good idea for each of us to take one of these."
"I an willing to carry the burden of carrying the Spirit Plancette. If the need comes to actually use it, I know that the protection of Desna will protect me from possession."
"I will hold onto one of the restorative potions, and one of you can take the other. There are 5 potions of healing, I think it would be a good idea if each of us takes one of them, and..." Sandman loses his train of thought as he looks over to Arkadi. "...I apologize for being blunt, Arkadi, but with everything that is going on, it is imperative that we know. That spell you cast earlier, that is not a spell a worshiper of Iomedae would normally cast. Let alone cast it upon yourself... And it's effects... It shouldn't have done what it did... Arkadi...What exactly are you?" Sandman says, looking Arkadi straight in the eyes as he finishes his question.
1 Scroll of Detect Undead
2 Scrolls of Hide from Undead
1 Scroll of Protection from Evil
1 Scroll of Detect Undead
2 Scrolls of Hide from Undead
1 Scroll of Protection from Evil
Detect Undead - Arcane,
1 apiece Hide from Undead,
Pro from Evil - Divine
"Sounds good to me Padre. I know how to use a bow, prefer my gun but since it won't do squat to ghosts I could just as easily try my hand at the old timey stuff."