Road's End (Inactive)

Game Master Feral

Acrobatics: 1d20 - 3 ⇒ (17) - 3 = 14

"Let's get the hell outta here!"

Morgrym, having Airwalk, simply double moves to the shaft.

Alright. So, Morgrym is in the shaft leading down to the first level and the mine. Gabi and Sheila have not yet left the pantry, and Sheila has a potion in hand. Filraen is still unaccounted for.

Round 6:

Everyone begins to see the ghostly images of dwarves out of the corners of their eyes. It is impossible to make out features, but all the ghosts seem malnourished and emaciated. The shaking and cracking continues, and the cabin lists further and further towards the perilous descent of the cliff face. The cracking and splintering of wood rings throughout the cabin, though the structure's dwarven builders live up to their race's reputation; for now, the sturdy walls hold.

On Round 6, everyone will need to roll a Fortitude save and, if they are not airborne, an Acrobatics check.

Sheila Acrobatics: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16

Sheila Fortitude save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

Barely sustaining her balance, Sheila downs her potion in one swift gulp and begins racing towards the exit at impossible speed.

"A fine suggestion!" she calls down the hall as she pursues Morgrym into the shaft.

[ooc]Sheila consumes a potion of haste and moves 60' down the hall. She is 10' behind Morgrym, just outside the shaft in the chamber that contained the secret office.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (13) + 28 = 41
Acrobatics = 56

Relieved to see her friends make it out, and confident that Filraen will be all right, the Lady follows the others with incredible speed. She gracefully bypasses the obstacles in her way, leaping to the lower surfaces of the shaft instead of confining herself to the path.

Spend a ki to boost movement speed to 50', then double-move down the shaft "in straight lines."

Note that Moment of Greatness is still running, which can be discharged to double a morale bonus on one roll.

Realizing he forgot an important ingredient in properly burying the remains ... Morgrym double backs ... for the remains.

"Ock! I cannae forget the damn remains!"

OK; Morgrym double-moves back to grab the body. Gabi is now 1/3 of the way down the stairs. Sheila is in the sitting room/foyer with the hidden office.

Round 7:

As the house on the cliff continues to [earthquake], the voices of the dead dwarves join in the cacophony of sound. "So... hungry...," "...don't, please...," and "eating... us..." The hammering racket drowns out the rest of their words as the cabin gives one final, violent heave and appears ready to rip asunder.

Everyone should roll Acrobatics checks (if not flying), Fortitude saves, and Will saves.

Sheila Acrobatics: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14

Shiela Fortitude save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

Sheila Will save: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

Ready to leap down the stairs herself, Sheila is violently thrown down by the quaking structure. She leaps to her feet but does not make immediately for the stairs, instead looking over her shoulder to see if Morgrym returns.

Sheila falls prone, stands, and readies to take a single move down the stairs if Morgrym returns to the room this round

Acrobatics = 56
Fort: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (12) + 28 = 40
Will: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (12) + 25 = 37

While balanced on a fragile portion of the shaft's walkway, the Lady turns around to see Sheila pick herself up.

"I will watch for His Holiness. Do not wait for us," she calls, encouraging Sheila to head down the shaft.

Delay for any sign of Morgrym or anything else.

Morgrym scoops up the remains in total, and will double back as quickly as he can.

Alright. So Morgrym is a move action away from the shaft. Sheila will claim her readied action and single-move down the stairs once she sees Morgrym.

Round 8:

The house continues to thunder and shake, and a jolt runs through the entire structure. The ghosts, once only visible in the shadows and the corners of your vision, now reveal themselves fully. They rush at all the occupants of the house, clawing at eyes, at mouths, and elsewhere, trying to find purchase, to find entrance to your very bodies.

You all know the drill. Acrobatics (if necessary), Fortitude, and Will. If you have any bonuses against possession, they apply to the Will save.

Sheila's Acrobatics: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32
Sheila's Fortitude save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22
Sheila's Will save: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

Sheila leaps down the shaft, foregoing stairs and using the railing to slow her fall to the floor below.

Acrobatics to reduce falling damage: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26

Landing in a roll, Sheila springs up and looks above, watching for Morgrym and Gabi.

Sheila jumps down to the first floor, using the Slow Fall class feature to negate falling damage. She readies to take another move action once Gabi and Morgrym are down the shaft.

Filraen Fortitude save: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (10) + 25 = 35
Filraen Will save: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (12) + 20 = 32

From the pantry where the aberration started, everyone can hear a surprised shout.

"Sodding Hells!"

A perturbed Filraen punctuates his confused shout by flying into the hall, his scimitar in hand and a look of mixed surprise and alarm on his face.

Filraen uses dimension door to re-enter the cabin, then vocally announces his surprise and alarm at the state of affairs inside before taking a single move into the hallway with overland flight.

"Follow us, Filraen," the Lady calls before leaping across the shaft and then down to join Sheila.

Come off delay, spend a ki to increase movement to 50', move (or double-move) to where Sheila is. If it's a single move, she'll take a readied action to stay with Sheila.

Also...

Acrobatics = 56
Fortitude: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (16) + 28 = 44
Will: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (4) + 25 = 29

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Fort Save: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (6) + 29 = 35
Will Save: 1d20 + 33 ⇒ (20) + 33 = 53

It is a single move for Gabrielle to catch up with Sheila. Morgrym's double move should actually put him partway down the shaft with air walk, while Filraen brings up the rear with his overland flight, still in the hallway between the pantry where it all began and the shaft towards the exit.

Round 9:

The shaking and cracking reaches it's peak, and with a sound like the earth itself being rent asunder, the house appears to list to the east before toppling over the cliff whole!

On Round 9, the Acrobatics check is replaced by a Reflex save to avoid being bludgeoned on the cabin's way down the cliff. In addition to the saves caused by the hungry, invading ghosts there will also be an additional second Will save. Please distinguish between the save for the ghosts (possession) and the save for Something Else (you may apply any bonuses you have to illusions, but not bonuses for spells or spell-like abilities).

Sheila's Fortitude save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
Sheila's Will save (possession): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30
Shiela's Will save (illusion): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19
Sheila's Reflex save: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28

Sheila makes it to the ore separation room before doubling over, clutching her stomach.

Hunger Pains: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 1) = 8 nonlethal damage plus Fatigue.

Filraen Fortitude save: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (17) + 25 = 42
Filraen Will save (possession: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (9) + 20 = 29
Filraen Wlil save (illusion): 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (3) + 25 = 28
Filraen Reflex save: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (17) + 25 = 42

With a sharp command, Filraen flies 140' towards the exit, reaching the ore separation room.

"Group up!"

Standing in the center of the ore separation room, he closes his gauntleted hand into a fist, the sharp fingertips causing blood to run from holes in his palms. In his other hand, his cold iron scimitar glows angrily.

Filraen activates his Boots of Speed and double-moves to the ore separation room.

Reflex: 1d20 + 36 ⇒ (6) + 36 = 42
Fortitude: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (1) + 28 = 29 - OH NO!
Will v Ghosts: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (3) + 25 = 28
Will v Something Else: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (16) + 25 = 41

Lady Gabrielle also feels the effects of hunger pains. She takes 8 nonlethal and is fatigued.

The Lady elegantly keeps her footing, her heeled boots sliding across the rough floor in response to the shift, but her stride is broken by a sudden feeling of hunger and tiredness, slowing her down as she catches up with the group in the ore separation room.

"I take it you intend to whisk us away from this place?" she asks the bleeding Filraen.

Double-move to catch up. "Slowing her down" is fluff here.

Fort Save: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (12) + 24 = 36
Will Save vs Possession: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (1) + 25 = 26 Immune: Clear Spindle Ioun Stone+Wayfinder.
Will Save vs Illusion: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (18) + 25 = 43
Reflex Save: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

Morgrym moves as much as he needs to / can to join the party in the ore processing room.

With a lurch, the world stops spinning and the cabin stops falling (and Morgrym is insanely lucky that he rolled that 19 on Round 9 instead of Round 8...). The ghosts are, for the first time, silent. The room stands exactly as it did before the supernatural event began, showing no signs of structural damage and nothing out of the ordinary... except another restless spirit.

The dwarf is clad in a miner's clothes, with a balding pate and dark brown beard. His facial features are indistinct, excepting that he lacks eyes. As he speaks, his lips barely move. As he speaks, the other ghosts flicker in and out of sight around him, brushing against him, caressing him, licking him.

“You… you are alive? You do not hunger? Ah… that is what I sense in your blood. Greed. You seek the City of Greed. You should abandon your quest, lest you end up like me. Cold. Dead. Eaten. But I suspect you cannot be swayed. Know then that I know the way to Xin-Shalast. I can show you the way, but only if you bring me my brother. He died on a ledge in the mountains a mile’s walk north from this cabin. I can feel his soul out there, still hungry, still insane. Bring his bones to me so that I might reconcile with him. Once he is at rest, I will show you the way so that I might rest as well…”

Accompanying his words are the incessant sound of smacking lips, and as he speaks, it first appears as if he is disappearing; with every word his image fades as more and more of him is removed. However, the ever-present sound reveals the truth; his ghostly counterparts are consuming him, bit by bit. As each one eats it's share, the ghost disappears, and at the end, only a disembodied voice remains to deliver Silas Vekker's final words.

An otherworldly howl pierces the silence...

Pseudo-initiative is now over. Please roll Will saving throws.

Will saving throw: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (9) + 25 = 34

Filraen shudders at the howl.

Knowledge (the Planes): 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (3) + 27 = 30

"We should hurry," he declares grimly, "Our wendigo is not far off. I can carry us there unerringly, but only once, or I can get us close and save the unerring teleportation for our departure."

Sheila's Will save: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16
Sheila's second Will save: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28

Sheila shudders at the wendigo's howl. Her eyes briefly glaze over before returning to their normal sharp gaze. "I agree, we should make haste," she says as she nods at Filraen's assertion, "Do we wish to engage this beast? Or can we avoid it entirely?"

"The wendigo will have to be dealt with in time. For the moment, however, it serves as a guardian, a deterrent against any of Karzoug's remaining minions," she reasons. "We should focus on putting the Vekkar brothers to rest."

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"My Wardens of Runes can secure the mountainside for now," Filraen states flatly, "Considering our immediate circumstances we should also assume that we are likely it's intended prey."

Filraen pauses a moment, looking around the group while that information sinks in.

"So, accurate up or accurate down?"

"Use the accurate spell later," the Lady answers. "It will be comforting, the promise of an efficient and accurate escape."

She retrieves a wand and makes use of it, then puts it away while Morgrym arrives.

She'll use her wand of shield before we set out.

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Also...

Will save: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (3) + 25 = 28
Will save: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (19) + 25 = 44

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Gabi feels a cold tingle of fear run down her spine, and something worse assault her mind briefly before she shrugs it off.

Gabi gains the Shaken condition for the next hour, but passes the second save (caused by failing the first one) and is not affected.

Morgrym, finally catching up, bellows "We have to go north and find the body of Vekkar's brother. I came here teh put these betrayed men to rest, and Wendigo or no Wendigo, that's what I aim teh do."

Will Save 1: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (1) + 25 = 26
Will Save 2: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (3) + 25 = 28

(+4 racial bonus vs spells/SLAs, +4 stacking resistance bonus vs mind effects, immune to charms/compulsions/domination from evil sources)

Mogrym also feels the cold grasp of fear clutch his heart, and for a moment, he feels the burning grip of hunger in his belly. However, his willpower quickly overcomes the peculiar urge.

Morgrym fails the save and becomes Shaken for the next hour, 'cause barring immunity a natural 1 always fails. However, he does shake off the other thing, thanks to some fortuitous bonuses.

"With haste, then," Filraen concurs, and with four sharp words, the world becomes a blur.

Filraen casts dimension door, traveling 1,160 feet due north. He repeats this process three additional times, sacrificing wandering star motes, stoneskin, an open 4th level spell slot, and an open 5th level spell slot to spontaneously cast his preferred spell.

When the world returns to focus, the company finds itself in the middle of a barren, snow-covered plateau. Snow gently tumbles from the sky, and under other circumstances the vista might be scenic. Rising to the north some seven hundred feet away is a steep peak, the only obvious location for any variety of mine that also matches the final words of Silas Vekker.

Just as the band begins to orient, however, the weather takes a sudden and undeniably inconvenient turn for the worse. As if out of nowhere, the wind begins to how and whip the powdered snow into a blinding snowstorm, limiting vision to barely a few feet.

The weather conditions are currently that of a blizzard. Visibility is limited to 5 feet, and targets within 5 feet have 20% concealment. Perception checks and ranged attacks are impossible. Medium or larger creatures are checked while moving unless they succeed on a DC 20 Fly check.

Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (nature) checks, if you have ranks in those skills.

Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 40 ⇒ (12) + 40 = 52

"Desna weeps!" proclaims the elf, shouting to be heard over the storm as his sight is stolen by the wind, "Even the weather is against us!" A rattling of metal on leather can be heard, followed by the sharp barks of an incantation. Moments later, he shouts again, "If any of you have magical sight, or control of the weather, now would be the time!"

Filraen casts echolocation, extending it with his Metamagic Rod of Extend Spell.

Arcana: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (8) + 22 = 30
Nature: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (6) + 22 = 28

Lady Gabrielle seems unaffected by the cold, but her vision is entirely affected.

"Fortunately, the remains we seek are on the ground," she comments, before starting to come up with a way to look around for them.

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Lady Gabrielle recognizes the weather effects as the result of a control weather spell.

Morgrym will attempt to search for / track the remains we're after.

Perception: 1d20 + 31 ⇒ (4) + 31 = 35
Survival: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29

Despite the blinding snow and wailing wind, Morgrym's Survival skills are able to lead the group towards their destination. After almost an hour in the brutal winds and snow, the band comes upon a startling sight.

Lying near the remains of a long-dead campfire, frozen solid, are the remains of a dwarf. The corpse still wears its armor, padded leathers with the heads of wolves mounted to each shoulder, but no other possessions are apparent. The corpse's limbs are badly mangled, many of its bones obviously broken. Most startling, the corpse's legs end in bloody stumps just below the knees, the flesh charred and the bone beneath appearing to be sanded smooth like whalebone ready for scrimshaw.

Morgrym will gather the remains for spiritual cleansing and proper burial as soon as we get off this blasted mountain.

"Back to the cabin then?" the elf inquires. "I'm running out of teleportation spells, but I'm leery of this damned mountain and the storm. We probably have little choice but to use magic to transport us precisely there."

Filraen holds out his hands and will cast greater teleport once the party is linked up for transport back to the Vekkers' cabin.

Upon returning to the cabin, Karivek Vekker's remains immediately crumble to dust. Simultaneously, yet another apparition appears within the cavern's environment; a ghostly visage of the dead dwarf who just dissolved, his legs no longer charred stumps but bloody tatters lit aflame, his fingernails curled into long claws and his face contorted into a portrait of anger and hate.

However, his wrathful countenance is turned not on the party but on another ghost; the ghost of his brother, Silas. The second dwarf has reappeared, still partially eaten, and the brothers fly at each other, their legs moving as if lunging forward in a sad pantomime of life as they float above the ground. When they meet, Silas reaches to embrace his brother while Karivek lunges with inhumanoid fangs bared for his brother's meaty shoulder, taking a large bite of Silas and chewing with vigor.

As the two spectral brothers are locked in their violent embrace, all eyes are forced to turn elsewhere, as the large warehouse door of the cabin is ripped away from it's hinges to the sound of twisting metal and shattering wood. Behind it is revealed the source of the brothers' cruel fate; the sneering goat-faced visage of the wendigo, who howls with unabashed glee.

The wendigo auto-passes the Strength check to rip the door off it's hinges as Silas and Karivek Vekker relive the brothers' final moments together. Roll initiative and a Will save versus Fear.

Sheila's Initiative: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
Sheila's Will save: 1d20 + 13 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 13 + 2 = 23

Wendigo Initiative: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (18) + 15 = 33

Filraen's Initiative: 1d20 + 16 + 2 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 16 + 2 + 5 = 35
Filraen's Will save: 1d20 + 16 + 3 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 16 + 3 + 4 + 1 = 42

"It appears that this spirit possesses a talent for the dramatic entrance."

Initiative w/fatigue: 1d20 + 22 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 22 - 1 = 41
Will: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (18) + 25 = 43

At the first sound of the hinges twisting, Lady Gabrielle flicks her fan open and vanishes from normal sight, then retrieves a wand and casts a spell from it.

Spend 2 ki to use Forgotten Trick for a vanish, then draw a wand of shield and use it, all while stepping out of Morgrym's way.

Will Save: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (18) + 27 = 45

(Includes Mind Blank bonus, shaken penalty, +4 vs. spells and SLAs)

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Initiative:
Gabi
Filraen
Wendigo
Sheila
Morgrym

Gabi is up.

The room is 30' x 20', with a stairway occupying the southernmost 15' of the west wall. The wendigo has ripped a door open in the northeast corner of the room, and is standing in the 10' gap.

Gabi casts shield on herself and becomes invisible while moving clear of Morgrym's charge lane to the wendigo.

Initiative:
Filraen
Wendigo
Sheila
Morgrym
Gabi

Filraen is up.

Regret appears in Filraen's hand, and as he lunges forward he disappears, reappearing on the far side of the wendigo long enough to carve off a piece of hide before disappearing again. He flashes in and out of reality, carving away with each appearance, until finally coming to a stop to Morgrym's left.

Filraen retrieves his +1 dispelling cold iron scimitar from his glove of storing and sacrifices emergency force sphere to cast dimension door, using his Dimensional Dervish feat to full-attack the wendigo with power attack.

Primary attack: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (8) + 32 = 40 for damage: 1d6 + 20 ⇒ (6) + 20 = 26.
Hasted attack: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (20) + 32 = 52 for damage: 1d6 + 20 ⇒ (6) + 20 = 26.
Hasted attack confirmation: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (12) + 32 = 44 for damage: 1d6 + 20 ⇒ (4) + 20 = 24
Second attack: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (10) + 27 = 37 for damage: 1d6 + 20 ⇒ (5) + 20 = 25.
Third attack: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (9) + 22 = 31 for damage: 1d6 + 20 ⇒ (1) + 20 = 21.

The wendigo screams in pain, it's skin flayed by multiple slashes.

The wendigo takes 101 damage from Filraen's full attack. The fourth attack misses.

Initiative:
Wendigo
Sheila
Morgrym
Gabi
Filraen

The wendigo is up.

The wendigo rushes through the opening, it's wounds already appearing to close over, striking for...

1=Gabi, 2=Filraen, 3=Morgrym, 4=Sheila: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Morgrym!

Bite!: 1d20 + 30 ⇒ (7) + 30 = 37 for damage: 2d8 + 9 ⇒ (5, 3) + 9 = 17 plus cold damage: 4d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 2, 4) = 17 plus Charisma damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1 and Grab!: 1d20 + 36 ⇒ (15) + 36 = 51!

Initiative:
Sheila
Morgrym
Gabi
Filraen
Wendigo

Sheila is up.

Sheila, gripped by the wendigo's fear, can do nothing but cower away from the beast.

Sheila's Acrobatics: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21

Wendigo's AoO: 1d20 + 30 ⇒ (18) + 30 = 48 for damage: 2d8 + 9 ⇒ (7, 6) + 9 = 22 plus cold damage: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 6, 4) = 15 plus Charisma damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1 and Grab!: 1d20 + 36 - 20 ⇒ (17) + 36 - 20 = 33!

Sheila retreats from the wendigo, attempting but failing to avoid the attack of opportunity from the foul beast who, from his current position, threatens the entire room. She is grabbed in it's maw, though it continues to threaten.

Initiative:
Morgrym
Gabi
Filraen
Wendigo
Sheila

Morgrym is up.

Morgrym attempts to cast defensively.

Concentration Check: 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (13) + 26 = 39 vs. DC 31 (15+(8x2))

Morgrym casts Frightful Aspect. The Wendigo and the ghost are now shaken unless they are immune to fear effects or mind effects.

The buff includes DR 10/Magic if that matters, and SR 19.

The wendigo emits a hacking sound that might just be laughter as Morgrym tries to frighten a living embodiment of fear.

Initiative:
Gabi
Filraen
Wendigo
Sheila
Morgrym

Gabi is up.

Lady Gabrielle, invisibly, approaches the wendigo in an offensive stance, but instead of slashing at it, she grasps Sheila's hand and whisks her away.

Step in, Bluff at 62 to Greater Feint, then activate her Charlatan's Cape to take Sheila via dimension door to a nearby room. A quiet one. The tall shaft will do.

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With Sheila taken from it's grasp, the frustrated wendigo turns it's attention to the elf who dealt it the most harm...

Initiative:
Filraen
Wendigo
Sheila
Morgrym
Gabi

Filraen is up.