Bollwerk stops in the doorway as the alchemist ducks out sight. He pauses just long enough to skewer one of the rogues flanking the door.
Kazul strikes hard, nearly killing the demonling facing him, while Farasha's arrow takes the other dretch in the eye, nearly killing it as well!
The alchemist intones a spell and points at Bollwerk - specifically, he points at Radiance. The sword begins to vibrate with a violence in the paladin's hand, then stops, much to the chagrin of the evil caster.
Fabian takes a step away from the attacking dretches (), brandishes the magic missile wand in one hand (his staff in the other hand), and fires off a magic missile at the dretch that Farasha just shot.
Bollwerk cuts down the last rogue and steps further into the room to clear the door. That move forces the cultists to shift to make their attacks. They do so, but cannot strike a telling blow on the paladin.
Meanwhile in the other room, the dretches begin to claw and bite at Kazul and Fabian, both near death from the your attacks. One rips at Kazul's arms, tearing flesh, while the other bites Fabian
Realising both that there was no way she could use a spell to heal Kazul or Fabian without risk of injury and loss of the healing energy, and that removing any further threat might be more beneficial, Farasha grits her teeth and raises her bow again, praying loudly that Desna will protect her companions for just a short while longer until the threat is removed so Farasha can heal them.
Two rapid arrows each pierce one of the demonlings, killing them. All that's left is the smell...
An angry Kazul moves to N21 and attacks cultist.
Fabian runs forward to where he can see the alchemist. () Holding his staff in his right hand, he speaks the words of a spell, and focuses on the alchemist.
Unfortunately, the power of Fabian's spell is not enough to have any effect.
The alchemist steps back a pace and hurls another bomb, hitting Bollwerk again!
Fabian's dispel fails, but Sjurd's Grease manages to catch one of the cultists - she falls square on her backside!
Moving two steps forward Bollwerk attacks the closest cultist
and quickly heals himself
Bollwerk runs the prone cultist through, and she dies even as she struggles to regain her feet. The last cultist hacks at the paladin with her glaive, but fails to connect with the polearm.
Kazul attacks same cultist!
With the only visible enemy blocked by her companions, Farasha takes the opportunity to brandish her holy symbol and channel the power of Desna.
Farasha then moves up behind the others, ready to step through the doorway next round.
Kazul ends the evil career of the last cultist, then dodges over behind a pillar. Farasha heals her compatriots then steps up to the doorway.
The alchemist, seeing his last ally cut down, steps away from the raging half-orc. "You'll never take me alive children of a child goddess!" He heaves a bomb at Bollwerk, striking the paladin sqaurely, fire bursting in all directions.
Feeling fire wash over him Bollwerk squeezes his eyes in determination.
"In that ... we agree. Moving carefully around the greased area He slashes at the alchemist.
Dashing in to the room, Farasha raises her bow, taking one shot at the alchemist
"The Inheritor is hardly a child!" Fabian cries. "She represents the best hope for this world!"
He's deeply offended. He expresses it by holding out his staff and sending three bolts of magical force towards the alchemist.
Othirubo, for that is his name, laughs off your attacks. Magical protections flash and glow as spear, sword, and magic fall harmlessly about him.
"Hahaha! You see? Followers of a false god, now pay for your insolence!" He steps back and throws another bomb, this time at Kazul and Sjurd.
Farasha's arrow deflects off the alchemist's magical protections and shatters against the nearest wall.
If he does not see the alchemist armed with any melee weapon other than his bombs, Kazul moves to N16 to provide the paladin with a flank and attacks.
[b]"You will pay for this....[/dice] Throwing away his shield Bollwerk grips his sword boothhanded
[dice=Reflex]1d20+5
Sjurd shrieks in pain as the fire washes over him. He lands in a crumpled heap on the stone floor. He does not move.
HP: -12/46
Shrieking with madness and pain at the blow from Bollwerk, the alchemist draws a dagger and stabs at him, slicing the paladin's shield arm! He shifts to avoid being flanked, cackling madly.
Fabian steps into the room (square M21) and invokes the power of his bonded staff to cast a spell he knows from his spellbook but had not studied specifically this morning. He summons a brightly glowing cloud of little motes around Othirubo the alchemist.
Othirubo staggers backwards, clutching at his eyes.
"Arrrggghhh!"
Farasha narrows her eyes and leds the alchemist have two more arrows for his troubles.
Moving forward Bollwerk looks at the blinded alchemist...
"Do you yield?"
After giving his foe the chance to surrender Bollwerk moves forward and slices at him.
Farasha's shots pierce the alchemist, drawing more cries of pain. Clearly he does not yield as he reaches for yet another bomb, this time to drop it at his feet and take someone with him. Thus, Radiance pierces the tiefling's heart, and he dies with a gurgle.
Blood and filth smear floor of this long room. Six white stone statues of famous heroes line the hall—each clawed, bloodstained, partially smashed, or otherwise defaced. At the far end of the hall, a raised dais holds an upturned alabaster altar. Sitting atop the upside-down altar is a hideous mass of severed limbs that have been stitched together into a vile monstrous insectoid shape. Before the dais, seven ratty bedrolls have been laid out on the floor.
Farasha makes sure the wretched evil alchemist is dead, then calls upon Desna's power to heal her companions
Taking a moment to assess the despoiled room, she grits her teeth and sweeps the limbs in to the disgusting bedrolls and moves them to one corner to be burned, before turning back to the altar and setting it back up correctly. She does what she can to right the statues before finally casting multiple create water spells to clean up the worst of the area.
Looking in disgust at the fallen alchemist Bollwerk helps Sjurd to his feet before speaking."Very well work all. Fabian, can you check for anything we do not want to leave behind, or could be usefull in our task. Lady Farasha and all the others how are you resourcewise?"
Kazul whispers, "Secret door alongside south wall all!" Kazul checks wall for traps.
Fabian will look around the room, disgusted. He will scan the entire room-- including the alchemist's possessions-- with Detect Magic, hoping to determine if there is anything particularly interesting in here. (Take 10 on Spellcraft gives him 22, identifying up to CL 7 items.)
"Do you mind if we clean up a bit? I suppose we could do that on the way out...."
Still, he does not like to see the altar so defaced. He will look at the stiched-together mass on the altar. Is it magic? If not, does he think it's likely to animate if he touches it? (Take 10 for Knowledge (Arcana) 22 and Knowledge (Religion) 20.) If it looks safe, he will pull the monstrosity off of the altar.
"Don't have Prestidigitation memorized," he mutters. "It would help with cleanup."
The door Kazul found is not trapped, but there are no obvious ways to open it...
The stitched image is not magic, but the alchemist did carry some interesting items.
Looking at the door and checking the white glow Bollwerk gently touches the outline. It seems we are supposed to open the door? But how?
"Lady Farasha, how would you seal a secret door in your chapel?
Farasha considers the glowing outline
Well ser Bollwerk, I would probably hide it with faith, perhaps the touch of a holy symbol, or a lesser known prayer, something like that
Farasha looks over the small collection the alchemist was carrying
Perhaps this one had the same idea...
she tries touching each of the different symbols to the door.
"Then I will call in the power of prayer!"
Bollwerk will start with all blessings of Iomedea and then continue with short known prayers.