While Aara cats her spells, Kilthan looks songs and casts Animal Aspect on himself, his legs twisting and shifting as he gains a raptor's speed..
Justin sees the others preparing for the worse, he summons his faithful steed to his side.
"If we die, my mount may escape with my body....after it shrinks down to normal size I bet."
He turns to Rohara--"I hope Sandy fits up those stairs to the left."
He looks dramatically at Kilthan----
"We going in? Do you want to live forever??? We can bring you back as an elf to keep the balance with the shaman!!!"
Kilthan chuckles, "If I came back as a fullblood, Aarakess would never forgive me."
Rohara takes the time to prepare and cast a protection spell and once complete she turns to Kilthan and casts a spell to increase his strength. she than leans down and casts a minor protection spell on the badger, and than gives him a scratch behind the ears.
Justin going in? Everyone else?
As the spellcasting ends, Kilthan says, "I think there's no sense being subtle after pounding on the door. After you two giants."
SKorhald follows Justin into the room, chanting a dwarven battle hymn for courage under in a resonant basso as Ole Pappy's Door-knocker swings, ready to strike.
Justin moves in with Sandy. Dismounted.
Kilthan and Jag take the lead with Justin and his horse behind him. The statue of the brain continues to pulse. Your brain gets assaulted as you walk inside, though it seems that Rohara's spell protects you from whatever it is trying to do....for now.
Skorhald, you can be protected barely. As soon as you come in, you feel your mind comprised, though again the spell is protecting you for now.
I'm not sure what Kilthan and Justin are doing once inside the room.
Maintaining the dwarven chant, the dwarf takes the direct route and swings at the giant brain with Ole Pappy's door knocker.
HP:73/73; AC: 16/12/15; F+5, R+8, W+6;
Current Effects:
Inspire Confidence, Arcane Strike, Feather Step
Performance Rounds: 10/21
Current Performance: Inspire Confidence; Lingering: None
Performances Available: (move action) bladethirst, distraction, fascinate, inspire competence +3, inspire courage +2, rallying cry.
Bard Spells Known (CL 7th; concentration +9):
3rd (3/day)—good hope, haste, invisibility sphere (2 Cast)
2nd (5/day)—bladed dash, gallant inspiration, rage, silence (DC 15)
1st (5/day)—ear-piercing scream (DC 14), feather step (DC 14), grease (DC 14), saving finale (DC 14), vanish (4 cast)
0 (at will)—daze (DC 13), detect magic, mage hand, mending, message, prestidigitation (DC 13)
Situational Modifiers:
Dwarven Hatred+1 on attack rolls against goblinoid and orc humanoids.
Defensive Training +4 Gain a dodge bonus to AC vs monsters of the Giant subtype.
Disruptive +4 DC to cast defensively for those you threaten.
Stonecunning +11 Perc on Stonework and automatic chance to detect stone traps and secret doors.
Stubborn +2 Gain bonus to save vs. Charm/Compulsion spells, resave next round if you fail.
Justin will hit too from range his reach now 20'.
Protected by Rohara's spell, Justin and Skorhald begin to destroy the pulsing brain. Quickly the white marble crumbles and the brain pulses slow down until it stops completely. At that time you no longer feel the pressure upon your brain.
The hallway continues to the west up a flight of stairs. You move along quickly as you have a number of spells readied (about a minute used up for everything here and moving to the next room)
At the end of a long staircase to the west, an odd chamber reveals itself. A number of tall bookcases, a desk, and a large tank full of green liquid takes up half the room. A stone door stands closed on the opposite wall of the tank. (Northeast wall). Another staircase continues to the northwest.
Justin refreshes his shield and speed.
Kilthan shakes his head to clear it, "That was unpleasant.", then slides into the shadows, keeping pace with Justin, though more stealthily.
Skorhald makes a brief incantation as he looks about the room.
No magic detected
And Justin moves to the stone dooe.
As Justin moves into the room to check out the door, a much larger version of the octopins you fought in the other room comes slithering out the top of the large tank.
- Kilthan, Rohara, Aarakess, Justin, Skorhald, Octopin
AC 18 T 10 FF 18 CMD 31
Kilthan, feeling the world slow down, rushes forward as the magic takes him, using his momentum to drive his axe deeply.
"Take this!!"
He adds after a devastating strike: "That couldn't have been good for anyone."
Will:
Aaaaarrrrraaaaakkkkeeeeesssss sssslllllloooowwwwws doooooowwwwwwnnnnn.
The large octopin is no match for the pair a perfectly struck blows by Kilthan and then Justin.
Justin looks back to the door he was about to investigate after the half minute expires and he is back at full speed. Open the door reveals a small room. In the center of this round chamber is a perfectly calm pool of water, glowing with a faint blue light.
Time to detect evil and advance to the pool.
Not another water creature.
Skorhald the giant dwarf follows Justin towards the pool, keeping just behind him.
Kilthan stands at the pool, then says, "I can go in there if we need it... I can breathe water for a while and swim as easily as I can walk, with an adaptation. Still, I'd like to make sure that's just water -- and the blue glow's a mite worrysome."
Skorhald mutters a brief incantation and checks the room for magic.
Aarakess watches in amazement as the efficient dwelf and palizard quickly neutralize the octopin with great prejudice. She then moves in and also casts detect magic to see whether there is anything of note, or danger, to be found.
Cast Detect Magic and scan the room.
The pool radiates divination magic
Also, large sized creatures would have to squeeze to get into this room.
"Tight, let's go up the staircase."
Kilthan says, "Divination? So it's a scrying pool? Might be powered by whatever's making the blue glow.."
He trails off and shrugs at Justin's comments, "We should at least block or stake the door to avoid getting attacked from both sides."
After spiking the door you begin heading down the short flight of stairs to the double doors at the bottom. You open them up the opens into a large chamber.
In the center of this large chamber is a grotesque ebony statue of a vulture-headed humanoid with large feathery wings and razor sharp talons at the end of avian digits. The rest of the room is taken up by large glass cases, each full of dark twisted artifacts, from a shrunken head to a tome chained shut and a number of jars containing the severed parts of numerous creatures.
There is a pair of double doors on the northeast wall.
This is a statue of a demon called a Vrock.
Because of their insatiable love of combat, vrocks can sometimes get lured into situations where they are heavily outnumbered and outgunned. They can emit a terrifying screech that stuns opponents.
Vrocks produce deadly spores that can penetrate armor. The effect of these spores can last a full minute, slowly eating away at the victim's skin.
Vrocks serve a dual purpose as guards for more powerful demons and as aerial assault troops. Three or more vrocks can join talons together and whirl about in a terrible dance that sends out devastating waves of crackling energy.
Knowledge(planes):
Aarakess looks at the statue with repulsion:
Sick demon worshippers. That is a Vrock. They love combat so much you can draw the idiot creature into positions where they can be easily flanked and outnumbered. They can stun people with their hate filled screech.
Skorhald moves forward into the room checking out the display cases
Case #1 Sitting on the top shelf of this case is the preserved head of a small black dragon whose eyes glow a faint green. This case also contains an odd black metal cage, covered in thorns, with nothing inside. Resting on a large velvet pillow is a jewel-encrusted dagger. On the bottom shelf are some chains that twitch and wiggle of their own volition. (dagger glows magical (moderate evocation))
Case #2 The top shelf of this case contains four books labelled Beneath these is a weathered and tarnished statuette of a griffon. This case also contains four jars, each containing a preserved eye on a stalk. There are six other empty jars behind these. (griffon glows magical (Moderate transmutation), as does something behind the books)
Case #3 A small, stone dragon sits on top of this glass case. The top shelf of this case contains a stuffed doll that bears an uncanny similarity to Rohara - the doll is pierced with twenty spikes. A 4-inch-thick tome wrapped in chains sits next to the doll. On the bottom shelf is a battered greatsword and a golden gem on a chain. (the doll radiates magic (Strong necromancy)and the sword (Moderate Evocation)and the chain with the gem glow as well (Moderate Abjuration).)
This tiny reptilian creature with butterfly-like wings is a pseudodragon.
Pseudodragons are playful, mischievous members of the dragon family. Powerful individuals prize them as companions, and sorcerers and wizards covet them as familiars.
Pseudodragons can communicate telepathically with creatures that speak draconic.
The eggs and young of pseudodragons can fetch a tremendous price.
The cleric smiles briefly as her blessing holds whatever evil that might invade her companions' minds from the brain-like construct.
Rohara moves along with the others after the short and almost frightening combat. She is thankful that the creature is easily put down.
As Aarakess speaks of the Vrock her companions might note that she is nodding at the witch's comments as she confirms what she knows.
As the dwarven bard starts forward she is momentarily alarmed, hoping that Justin and Kilthan move in as well. Once they do, she will join the others to see what there is to see. At seeing the doll she stands there is seems rather disturbed by the sight, "That cannot be good thing."
Pointing to the chains that are moving on there on she asks, "Perhaps an invisible creature is bound there?"
"A goodly number of these items are magical, and likely of value. This doll of Rohara is... disturbing and rife with death magic. Alas, I say we push ahead while we still have our enchantments in place."
With that, he makes for the double doors and opens them.