"So... Brodin needs the gold to make sure he can continue his lineage - guess that is about as a solid reason one can have for needing gold" - he smiles - "And Belle, you gotta remember 'adventurers' have the nasty habit of stirring up stuff that MAYBE would have stayed dormant for at least a couple of years - there is a certain underlying reasoning to it but... Myself, I would rather face things head on than hoping they do not notice me"
"Maybe if we just went after the things near the surface? They seem nasty enough. I shudder to think what we might run into as we get closer toe that Orca fellow."
Orca, Orcus, Horus? What was his name?
"You mean Orcus? I heard he had some ties to Rappan Athuk, but there are a lot of rumors about that place.
I came from a small temple to the west. It blends the faith of Sarenrae with a more monastic discipline. I came over here to help people, and if half the rumors about Rappan Athuk can be trusted, it's going to explode sometime. I've done a bit of small adventuring, but nothing nearly as big as Rappan Athuk.
I heard you guys were attacked by some wraiths a few days ago. I have a scroll that might help if anyone was drained.
I believe Belle is in the greatest need of your scroll. The wraiths had no mercy for her.
"I would greatly appreciate it to tell you the truth."
"Hey, it could all be to late for us, if some nastier dead thing is stalking us now. But at least we can get Belle a little healthier before it does," Tony says with a manic pep in his step.
"But Garrosh, in tomb raiding, I find hitting things before they know your there far easier than this far and square non-sense. Besides, those things were dead anyway. Its not fair that they get a second chance to snack on ya. What do dead things need with gold. Soap! Better Linens! Fine scented candles, perhaps."
Seir finds the scroll and uses it on Belle.
I hope this works...
Seir attempts to activate the scroll, but his pronunciation is just a bit off. Nothing happens. Belle does not feel better. The scroll does not ignite in a shower of silver light. Nothing. "I will try again in the morning. Perhaps I am just over tired."
With both Belle and Reynaud drained, they decide not to chance watching together. Reynaud and Garrosh switch.
Sier and Reynaud have no issues during their watch, and neither do Tony or Brodin. Then comes Belle and Garrosh...
POST IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION
I will continue once Reynaud has listed all his skills and their bonuses on his character sheet.
About an hour after taking watch, Belle feels something tugging at her belt pouch. ”What the…” she says as she looks down at her hip to see the belt pouch bulging at the seams and moving violently as if there were something inside. Garrosh, hearing her expletive, glances over to see her belt pouch moving and ripping at the seams.
Initiative
This is a Surprise Round. Only Belle and Garrosh are awake. We will be using a modified group initiative. Everyone who rolls better than the Opponents can go first, in any order, followed by the opponents, followed by anyone who rolled worse than the opponents.
Initiative Order – Surprise Round
1) Garrosh
2) Pouch Monsters
3) Belle
"What the...?!" - the half-orc moves up to Belle and her haunted pouch, poking it with the tip of his polearm - "What is that?"
Garrosh, noticing something odd, steps in and points towards Belle's pouch. As he does, the piouch rips, scattering its contents on the ground. Gold coins, the gemstones they had collected, and two rapindly enlarging jumbles of green stone. Green stone, just like the mausoleum was made of. Green stone, just like the gargoyles that had killed Tessai.
Within a few seconds, the green stones had grown into two of the gargoyles. Each only bore one of the sparkling green emerald eyes, but rapidly, a second began to grow in the empty eye socket.
With a shriek, the two creatures leapt into the air, stopping to hover just within the light cast from the coals from the fire, about 20 feet overhead.
Initiative Order - Surprise Round
3) Belle - single action
Initiative Order - Round 1
1) Brodin and Garrosh, any order.
2) Green Guardian Gargoyles
3) Reynaud, Sier, Tony and Belle
Seir wakes up to see a green stone monstrosity flying above him. Uttering a brief prayer he leaps to his feet and fires a beam of golden light at the creature.
"Gargoyles!" she screams.
Belle immediately casts Vanish and steps from her previous position. If any of them are within reach she will cast defensively, but it seems they are high overhead. With only 16 HP she cannot afford to do anything offensive. Hey, all of a sudden I'm glad we did not get more of those gems!
Tony is awoken at a star with the screeching and the yelling.
He rolls from his position to the nearest friend and pulls out his favorite Dagger.
When he sees that is something with a flesh, stony flesh, but flesh none the less. He ease up from his nightmare and into reality.
"Oh thank the gods, it's just gargoyle."
He readies himself to swing at the first fly by.
Reynaud awakes with a start and stands up.
"Stay close to me!" - the half orc roars, casting a protective spell, then moving to stand between where Belle was and Seir is.
for damage if hit.
for damage, if hit.
for damage, if hit.
Garrosh steps close to their new member, Seir, not knowing how he was in a fight, while Brodin rolled to his feet and shot off an arrow at the gargoyle over Garrosh's head. While the arrow struck, it was obvious that the creature did not take the amount of damage it should have.
The two gargoyles, seeing several people still prone, sweep down to attack, one on Reynaud and one on Tony. As the green stone beast descends towards Tony, Garrosh takes a swing with his bardiche but misses.
The two gargoyles tear into the prone bodies of Reynaud and Tony, and remain hovering above them.
Seir wakes and jumps to his feet, shouting a prayer to the Dawnflower and releasing a golden beam of light at the nearest gargoyle, but missing.
Belle casts False Life.
Then moves next to Reynaud, the closest person that was hit.
Tony screeches after having a razor tipped claw slip across his body. But he leads with the momentum of the blow to counter with his own as he takes a side step.
AC 24 at the moment.
for damage if hit.
Tony stands, defensively, and the gargoyle strikes out, but misses. Cautiously, Tony strikes back at the stone-skinned creature, but the creature dodges his attack easily.
Grraaagggh!
Reynaud rolls over, stands up, and draws his sword.
, for
, for
Reynaud rolls, grabs his sword and rises to his feet with a roar, just as the creature slashes out with his claw, catching the warrior across the throat! Fortunately, the wound is not deep and did not penetrate to hit an artery.
Brodin fires three shots in rapid succession at the gargoyle on Tony, only striking once. The one arrow that hits shatters on impact and does not appear to do any damage.
Garrosh steps forward into a flanking position with Tony, and unleashes on the gargoyle - "Or don't stay close to me, whatever!"
for damage if hit.
for damage if hit.
for damage if hit.
for damage if hit.
for damage if hit.
for damage if hit.
for damage if hit.
Garrosh hits the gargoyle hard with his halberd, sending shards of stone flying. The creature shrieks as it tries to ravage Tony, but the rogue deftly dodges the creature. The gargoyle readjusts it's position, so as to be outside of Garrosh's strike range.
Reynaud, being unarmored, is not so fortunate and the creature strikes him with tooth, claw and horn.
Oh, my, Reynaud took it pretty bad.
She casts a Cure Moderate Wounds on Reynaud and moves over to provide a flank for him, drawing her dagger.
As the gargoyle seems to sniffing around for her, she remains silent other than casting the spell and moving, waiting for Reynaud to attack so she can harass it from behind.
Reynaud lashes out at the monster in front of him.
Seir grabs his scimitar, then casts another spell, summoning a floating golden scimitar slashing at the gargoyle on Reynaud.
The gargoyle jerks it's head looking for the invisible caster but is unable to locate her. Reynaud nearly drops his blade as he overextends himself, but Seir's golden scimitar bites deeply into the stony skin.
Tony, not being of the valiant sort, quickly tumbles past the gargoyles claws and heads for the safety of Garrosh and Seir.
He keeps an eye on the stone beast as he focuses on defense till an opportunity arises.
Tony easy tumbles away from the creature.
"I thought you wanted flanking Tony" - Garrosh grumbles and steps forward to strike again at the gargoyle - "I'm not done with you yet!"
Garrosh brings his polearm to bear again and carves a wicked wound in the creature's stony hide. It is looking particularly damaged.