"I'll certainly try," he calls back, wiping the excess dribbles of the potion from his lips with the back of his hand. In one hand, he holds the mace the rogue had given him. In the other, he still holds his bow. The slayer looks back toward the beast and spots his sword laying on the ground next to the nearest lizard. He curses under his breath as he feels the weight of the unfamiliar mace. I'd much rather have my sword, but I'm not giving up a chance to get the jump on this thing. It's been far too much of the other way around already. Time for some payback.
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Marnarius regains his vigor with a potion and Shohiraj swipes wildly at the great beast now in front of her. 322 weaves a muderous command toward the one blocking the door and Joliryn disappears after a weak swipe at the foo creature.
Beguiled by 322s command, the lizard strikes out at its brethren and it certainly strikes back. The confused lizard's skin turns back to normal shades just as the two lock jaws onto necks, ripping through bloody frills that now sway and slump to the ground.
Rataji
Marnarius - 34 damage
Shohiraj - 16 damage
322
Joliryn - 52 damage (blurred again)
Red - 15 damage (confused-locked into attack with orange now)
Blue - Unconscious
Green - Dead
Orange - 18 damage
Marnarius looks on with glee as the massive lizards begin turning on one another. Excellent! This is my chance! The slayer makes a daring dash between the pews to step up behind the orange-frilled lizard, hoping for all he's worth that the beast is too intent on attacking its fellow to pay him any mind. He finally stops when he reaches a position across from Shohiraj and makes a desperate attack against the lizard.
Shohiraj takes advantage of the beasts distraction and as it turns to face Marinarius she strikes at the back of its skull.
"Excellent Marinarius, but if you could do the same again that would be appreciated, Maybe this time I will react fast enough" she calls out wryly.
Joliryn draws a vial from her pack and hastily drinks to cool liquid.
322 fluidly gestures at the orange creature with her fingers before stopping to point at its forehead, continuing her mental onslaught.
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Marnarius strikes hard from the flanking position and Shohiraj tries to take advantage as well but fails to connect with a solid blow. 322 tries to strengthen the confusion between them, but the creature resists the effort. The confused lizard continues its assault on its partner, the partner tries to attack at Shohiraj and Marnarius but is far too distracted to be successful.
Rataji
Marnarius - 34 damage
Shohiraj - 16 damage
322
Joliryn - 37 damage (blurred again)
Red - 15 damage (confused-locked into attack with orange now - 6th round of effect)
Blue - Unconscious
Green - Dead
Orange - 37 damage
Though he is momentarily disappointed that his attacks, combined with those of Sho, were not enough to fell the lizard, Marnarius decides to look on the bright side, as he now has the opportunity to really lay into the beast. He deftly avoids the lizard's whipping tail and makes another set of powerful blows at the creature's back, now having a greater understanding of its weak points.
Shohiraj curses her luck and attempts once again to take advantage of the beasts distraction as it turns to face Marinarius she strikes at the back of its skull.
Shohiraj, seeing an opportunity to strike the last beast hard steps backwards and lines up her target, waiting to strike until it is distracted by an ally.
"Excellent Marinarius, but if you could move into position once again that would be appreciated, Maybe this time I will react fast enough" she calls out wryly.
Joliryn cautiously steps past her companions into the room, drawing a dart as she goes. Taking up position across from the confused lizard, she prepares to toss a dart his way.
322 tightens her fist and concentrates, her hand taking on a soft black glow. She steps forward and touches Shohiraj on the shoulder.
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Marnarius carves up the creature as its attention is scrambled by the multiple attacks against it and it falls with a thud. Everyone moves into place to face the final foe, who takes a confused crunching bite out of its own leg.
Rataji
Marnarius - 34 damage
Shohiraj - 16 damage
322
Joliryn - 37 damage (invisible)
Red - 26 damage (confused-7th round of effect)
Blue - Unconscious
Green - Dead
Orange - Unconscious
Marnarius steps back and drops Sho's mace at his feet, freeing up his right hand to draw an arrow and quickly loose it at the final lizard. Before releasing the shot, however, he looks for the same vulnerable spots on this lizard that he had noticed on the one he had just taken down.
"Let's get this finished."
"Agreed!" exclaims Joliryn.
Shedding her invisibility, she shoots 4 rays of force from her free hand towards the remaining lizard.
"well, looks like you all have things under control Shohiraj looks around ensures everything is indeed under control then takes her sap and cudgels one of the unconscious lizards to death.
Seeing the situation improving, 322 draws her wand of cure moderate wounds and moves up behind Joliryn.
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Magic missiles fly from all directions, pounding into the lizard's flesh with increasing thuds. Marnarius steps back and takes a strong shot at the creature's soft belly. Shohiraj connects a final time with a smash across its face and the guardian lizard finally drops, leaving the room in silence, except for some labored breathing as you recoup from the fray.
A quick look around informs you that most of the objects supplied here are of no immediate use to you. However, on one shelf lies a fantastically carved staff and a nearby weapons case houses three unique looking finds.
The first is an obsidian-bladed scythe with a mahogany handle. The second is a heavy flail made of hardened gold and whose head is molded like a roaring tiger skull. The third is a serrated, single-edged longsword made of green-tinged metal.
Marnarius - 34 damage
Shohiraj - 16 damage
Joliryn - 37 damage
Red - Unconscious
Blue - Unconscious
Green - Dead
Orange - Unconscious
Rataji pulls out the wand of infernal healing and taps Marnarius, Shohiraj, and Joliryn in turn.
After the healing of his companions has begun, Rataji turns his focus to the carved staff, detect magic.
Marnarius approaches the weapon case and looks it over, checking for any traps. "Sho. Care to take a look for any traps I might not spot myself?"
Once he is satisfied that there are no traps, Marnarius grabs the handle of the longsword and pulls it from the case. He examines the blade from point to pommel, making special note of the strange green metal from which the weapon is forged.
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With the battle over, 322 taps Joliryn with her wand of cure moderate wounds, then does the same with Marnarius.
"There. Those creatures were quite formidable. While we're here, I know what I must do to help with the assault outside."
322 points to the ceiling, a vision of the void appearing before her. Her irises go black as she taps into it. She wills her mind to travel through the void and finds the location of the pad she had attached to the earth elemental.
Looking up at the lumbering beast, her image speaks, "Arise, beast of earth, and lay waste!"
When she's done, her eyes return to normal, and she dusts her cloak off, walking back towards the group as if nothing had happened.
Marnarius nods to both Rataji and 322 in turn. "My thanks for tending to my wounds."
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Most of the treasures here are simply field journals, rubbings, sketches, and boxes of broken pottery. The two northernmost shelves bear the most impressive finds, including a dozen weapons, a handful of beaten silver plates, and a smaller collection of journals. To the east and west are two pools of mild acid used to strip dirt and stains from relics.
After a few minutes of searching, you find exactly what you came for: a simple leather bound journal that includes Aram Zey's notes on how to open the Hao Jin Tapestry. After a quick peek at the ritual’s preface, you note that performing the rite could tear a permanent rift into the Hao Jin Tapestry, allowing uninterrupted traffic between the planes—but always to the same site within the demiplane. Zey, of course, strongly advises against ever performing this procedure.
322 feels a strange blush come over her face (as the elemental outside crushes its first pathfinder underfoot).
Marnarius - 2 damage
Joliryn - 8 damage
Rataji taps Marnarius and Joliryn once more each with infernal healing, looking over Marnarius's shoulder at the journal as he does so, "That looks dangerous, but it shouldn't be too hard to pull off. It will be very nice to destroy Zey's favorite toy. Let's get going."
Marnarius looks from the sword in his hand to the massive flail still hanging in the case. The sword is beautiful, with its strange green metal and its deadly serrated edge, but the lion-skull head of the flail brings to mind the lion-bodied sphinx he had freed from the Pathfinders' cages. It would only be right to bring the lion's wrath down on the Pathfinders as he exacted his revenge for them imprisoning him all those years ago. He carefully hangs the sword back in the case and pulls down the heavy flail. Walking back to Shohiraj, he returns the thief's mace to her with a nod of thanks, "I appreciate the help. Couldn't have gotten through that beast's stony hide without it. I should be fine now, though." He moves past Sho and toward the exit from the vault.
"My pleasure, Marnarius", she looks around at the rest of the group "anybody know whether the lizards heal faster than normal, some of them are only knocked out. We should be out of here before they come round, but before we head out we may want to take a moment to remove any chance of them interfering again"
With a slight nod, Joliryn speaks up. "Thank you for the healing. That got a bit rough for me back there." finishing with a wry smile.
She turns to Shohiraj, "I've no idea, but perhaps we shouldn't take the risk?"
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The group moves cautiously through the building, carefully avoiding a few hastily moving patrols. 322 overhears one of them saying something about a creature rampaging in the Starhall.
Following the directions to the Tapestry room, you ascend five sets of stairs and zigzag through numerous detours; such is the layout of Skyreach. Finally you reach the room where the tapestry should lie.
Through the door you hear the following.
"All I'm saying, Loshari, is there is a direct and undeniable correlation between your temper and the harm brought to the good people of Isger. I know you didn't mean to..." a male voice begins.
"Mean to? I had no way of knowing..." a female voice interjects.
The male's voice heightens. "...MEAN TO set that village alight."
As the group leaves the vault and heads toward the room where they know they will find the Hao Jin Tapestry, Marnarius stows his shield and keeps the flail he had recovered near at hand. When they finally arrive, he quietly moves toward the door and presses his back against the wall just to the right of the door. He draws his bow and holds an arrow at the ready, prepared to turn around the door jamb and fire into the room if any defenders are immediately present.
As he listens, Marnarius perceives two voices engaged in some kind of discussion inside the room. He silently signals to the others, holding up two fingers to indicate the room's known inhabitants.
Rataji holds onto the newly found staff ready to test it's worth against this group of Pathfinders, though he can't hear their converstation.
Joliryn slips up next to the door opposite Marnarius. Though hearing nothing, nods to the human. Holding up her free hand, she smiles at the man mischievously. She silently mouths, Fire.
A hint of a smile forms in 322's face as she hears about her elemental working as needed.
Just as the professor said...
She touches both Marnarius and Shohiraj on the shoulder, bestowing a shadowy yet protective shield upon them.
Marnarius nods to Joliryn in return. He doesn't show the same penchant for mischief as she, but he certainly appreciates the halfling's power and her assistance.
The slayer also gives the odd elf woman a nod of thanks as she casts a protective barrier over him, especially since he had removed his shield to better enable him to wield the flail and his bow.
Shohiraj nods her thanks to 322 as she pulls a potion from her haversack and drinks it, disappearing from view.
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When you swing open the door, you can clearly see into the cramped meeting room beyond. An unremarkable tapestry bearing intricate but heavily worn geometric patterns along its length hangs on the far end of this meeting room. A rune-inscribed circle set into the floor completely contains a table at the room’s center.
Three figures surround it. A man clad in mithral chain with a musket on the north side, and another man and half-orc woman on the south. This man wears a breastplate and is armed with a greatsword and longbow. The woman has a falchion and a crossbow. They seem to be caught by surprise.
322
Shohiraj (heroism, invisible)
Rataji (see invisibility)
Marnarius
Joliryn
322 nods at the group as she runs into the room, staring at the three figures with a sly grin on her face.
"Sorry to interrupt you, but we've got work to do, and you're in our way."
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322 throws both palms out, holding them flat as she viciously stares at the blue-armored figure. A void of space opens around the man and frigid, cold air escapes into the area, chilling his body and freezing his internals.
Marnarius swivels around the edge of the door and quickly sizes up his opponents. After scanning the room, he follows 322's lead and aims for the blue-clad warrior bearing the firearm. In his travels, Marnarius had encountered those bearing the strange new technological weapons, and he had seen men and women fall to them no matter how much armor they wore. He raises his bow and and takes a slow breath, only releasing when he has the gunman in his sights.
Stepping from around the doorframe, Joliryn takes in the 3 subjects. Noting 322 and Marnarius' focus on one just out of view, she turns to the one with the greatsword.
"I bet that armor gets chilly. Let me warm you up!" she cackles.
As she points a finger at the man, two red beams streak across the room, straight for him.
Rataji steps to look into the room, "Have a taste of your own weapons!"
Shohiraj moves swiftly and silently straight for the musket wielder.
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322 and Shohiraj move quickly into the room. Rataji blasts the southern combatants with his newly found staff and coats them both in a shower of putrid acid. Marnarius launches an arrow at the musketeer and catches him in the chest. Joliryn finishes off the surprise attack with two scorching rays to the armored bowman.
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322 opens up the chill of the void on the musketeer, but the pathfinders must have shielded the tower from such attacks, she thinks. The half-orc woman screams in pain and casts a massive fireball, targeting near the doorway. "You want fire, this is fire!" she yells as she repositions herself in front of the tapestry.
The bowman touches his heart and whips his bow off his shoulder. With a flourish he fires at 322, missing her awfully, and steps back.
322 - 34 damage
Red - 29 damage
Green - 42 damage
Shohiraj (heroism, invisible)
Rataji (see invisibility) - 34 damage
Marnarius - 17 damage
Joliryn - 17 damage
Blue - 25 damage
"Ow! Not cool. Marnarius, make sure our friend with the bow here continues to miss."
Rataji turns his focus to the half-orc woman staring at her intensely, watching for any signs of spell casting.
Marnarius turns his gaze to the bowman to his right and smiles wickedly, "It'd be my pleasure!" He begins to stalk toward the long table and leans his bow against the chair nearest the door, then, with incredible speed for the size of the weapon, he draws the massive heavy flail he had found in the vaults and screams manically at the Pathfinder facing him, "Now the lion will roar in the night!"
Shohiraj looks around at the foes The guy with the gun can hurt us, we'll heal, but the caster can just end us She moves forward to where she can try to stop the caster.
Evaluating the foes, Joliryn flicks her wrist and disappears.
We need to stop that caster...
Unseen, she begins to make her way towards the half-orc in the back of the room.
If Shohiraj is able to control her, perhaps I can help with this bowman considers the hafling as she watches her companions closely.
Seeing his companions close in on the half-orc, Rataji changes his spell preparations to a magic missile instead of an acid fireball.
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Seeing his companions close in on the half-orc, Rataji changes his spell preparations to a magic missile instead of an acid fireball.
[dice=Magic Missile]4d4+4.
:)
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Shohiraj slinks through the room unnoticed. Rataji watches Shohiraj advance and prepares the perfect spell to counter with. Marnarius smashes the bowman as he tries to step back, knocking him to the floor and spraying blood across the polished floor. Joliryn vanishes and moves into the room. The musketeer draws his gun as he menaces closer and takes aim at Rataji, blasting him in the chest.
322 - 34 damage
Red - 29 damage
Green - 59 damage - unconcscious
Shohiraj (heroism, invisible)
Rataji (see invisibility) - 51 damage <----Readied action
Marnarius - 18 damage
Joliryn (invisible) - 17 damage
Blue - 25 damage
322 makes a fist and speaks a few otherworldly words, then points at the musketeer. A deep haze surrounds his body as she chants and slowly closes her palm, willing his body to stop responding.
Her antics aren't over, and she grows a set of inky, transcluent wings, taking flight and swooping out of the room.