The Forgotten God (private) (Inactive)

Game Master Whack-a-Rogue

Your staff isn't the most effective weapon to use against zombies, but you're still dealing damage. It takes you about 30 seconds to down the first Bugbear, and you take another hard hit for your trouble. Moving to the other Bugbear, you begin to batter it into submission as well. Like its kin, it isn't going down easy and is perfectly willing to return your blows.

1d100 ⇒ 10
4d100 ⇒ (55, 67, 21, 91) = 234

Unfortunately, while the audience has been able to bar the doors, the zombies have wreaked havoc. You can tell that the people are close to the breaking point - except for the necromancer, who seems to be aiding you rather than the undead. His minions have exclusively focused on the other zombies, and when one falls, he raises another. While you've kept the Bugbears occupied, he's managed to destroy half of the other undead. Also, the yellow mold disappeared after eating the zombie.

You've taken 12 more damage (8pts and 4pts) and used 1 more round of Agile Feet. Your current opponent and 4 other zombies remain. One is of the exploding green-tinted variety.

Bugbear: 17pts damage

Iris paused for a moment after she slayed another zombie (before getting close to and engaging the next - or killing them and then casting, if necessary), then raised her staff and pointed towards the largest group of undead threatening the humans. A splatter of grease shot out of its end, aiming to trip up the zombies while keeping the people safe.

Only then did she dart forward, continuing to bash at the remaining foes.

You and the necromancer have the same idea, as large amounts of grease suddenly appear under the feet of three of the remaining undead. By the time you finish off the Bugbear (taking 9 more damage in the process), they've been disposed of. Your staff makes short work of the last zombie, leaving the auditorium in relative peace - at least for the moment. At least a dozen people are dead, and quite a few more are injured. Across the room, the necromancer gives you a nod of approval and orders his sole surviving minion (one of the green-tinted zombies) to stand down.

Without hesitating, Iris moved closer to the injured, raised her staff, and let out three burst of channeled energy.

Channeled Healing: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 4, 6) = 16

It wouldn't affect the necromancer's minion, since it was focused on aiding the living, but that ought to be enough sacred power to get the injured back on their feet - and even restore the dying to health. "Don't relax - there's no proof you're safe yet!" She said as she brought her staff back down to the floor. "Which way is the closest exit? If we can get you out and away from the building and into a more secure location, you should be safe!" Taking care of the people was the most important thing at the moment - though she did plan to thoroughly investigate this place as soon as they were clear.

As it so happens, you're closest to the same doors you entered through. Giving you an appreciative nod, the necromancer comments, "You're quite skilled with that staff. Thanks for the help - and for not smiting this one." Pulling out a small ceremonial dagger, he slices a bit of flesh off his minion and pops it in his mouth. As he chews, his expression grows thoughtful. "Interesting flavor. Do I detect a hint of ... We'll see."

Iris looked at the man for a moment. As a Goddess, it was her right - indeed, her duty - to judge the actions of mortals. And so she had. "Those who have done nothing wrong have nothing to fear from me." she said, making her way over to the main doors of the chamber. After ensuring that everyone was well back - aside perhaps from the skeletal minion - she opened the doors with a swift kick and looked into the hallway to ascertain the situation.

Leaving the necromancer, you open the main doors and immediately notice there are more bodies. Most of them are clustered around the opera house's exit doors as if they were trying to get out. These doors are shut at the moment. You also see hallways heading to your left and right. There are noises coming from one of the rooms down the left hallway.

Iris took one glance at the doors and frowned. "The doors look barred somehow." she called back to the group. "They would have gotten out if they could have. Change of plans - let's find you a safe room you can hide inside. Keep well behind me."

She cautiously proceeded down the left hallway, trying to determine what, exactly, was going on there. If it was people who needed help, she'd do what she could - and if it was more foes, then so be it.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13

Fortunately, she was abnormally swift on her feet to begin with, and hopefully she could be upon any trouble before it even realized she was coming.

Inside a nearby room, you see a half-dozen people huddled together in a corner being menaced by two green-tinted zombies and a man wearing grey robes and a mosquito mask. "For Ghlaunder and Fel Bustrani, I command you to consume them and multiply!"

Them: 3d20 + 3 ⇒ (6, 19, 2) + 3 = 30/3 = 10
You: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

You get a surprise round (and won initiative), but it'll take a Move Action to close to melee range.

Iris kicked against the ground, hard, and shot towards the group being menaced by the undead while they still hadn't noticed her. Without even pausing, she gripped her staff tightly and whipped it through the air to strike the first of her foes.

Surprise Round: Move into melee range.

Two-Handed PA: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25 for Damage: 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

Without a moment of hesitation, she pivoted and demanded that reality let her help these people as quickly as possible. Once more, many would have thought it arrogant to tell the world how things ought to be... but unlike most, Iris could actually make it happen, and a flash of brilliant light erupted from the crystal on the top of her staff as she brandished it at her foes.

Spending 1 mythic power to activate Amazing Initiative and gain an extra standard action.
Channel Positive Energy (Harm Undead), Will DC 16 halves: 1d6 ⇒ 6

"I give you this chance to surrender." she told the cultist as the burst of energy faded away. "Given the innocents who have already been harmed, my patience is extremely limited, and you will not receive a second chance."

Will: 1d20 ⇒ 14
Will: 1d20 ⇒ 20

You strike the zombie hard, and an instant later, your divine light makes it explode and injures the other undead. The cultist looks at you in surprise, but that is quickly replaced by fanaticism. "Slay her, my minion, for the glory of Ghlaunder!"

Iris Fort: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13
Iris Will: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16

When the zombie explodes, fungal spores fly everywhere, covering you and the civilians with them. You briefly fill ill, but your divine might is able to protect you from the worst of it. When the cultist utters his command, you feel thin tendrils of fear attempt to infiltrate your mind, but you manage to fight them off as well.

Zombie Slam: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

The remaining zombie mindlessly swings at you, but you deflect its clumsy blow with the "Staff of Sacred Light."

"Stand back, please." Iris told the mortals, whipping her staff through the air once more and striking the remaining undead.

Two-Handed: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 for Damage: 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

She eyed the mortal caster a moment later, seeming almost... sad. "Did you truly believe you had any hope of stopping me?" she asked, gripping her weapon tightly.

Next round

Iris stepped five feet away from the cultist a moment later, then fired a Hex of Chaos out of the end of her staff. That ought to distract him for at least a little while, assuming it took.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Will: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Effect: 1d12 ⇒ 6
Iris Fort: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

With a powerful swing, you destroy the last undead. Like the other one, it explodes, sending spores everywhere. Once again, your divine might staves off any potential ill effects. The cultist stabs at you with a spear as you smite his minion, but you evade and fire off a spell from your staff. The cultist's eyes glaze over, and he stares at you in fascination.

Fascinated for 3rds

"Go join the others out in the hall - you'll be safer as a group!" Iris commanded, looking over to the other mortals as her hex distracted the cultist. That spell was always a bit of a chancy one - chaos was like that, and it generated a new effect every few seconds - but she was pleased to see a decent result this time around. She stepped in close once the mortals had gotten free, sweeping out with both ends of her staff in a quick series of strikes aimed, respectively, at his head and his knees.

Double Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17 for Damage: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Double Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22 for Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Your second strike cracks against the cultist's head, and his eyes snap back to normalcy. Extending a hand glowing with necrotic energy, he snarls, "Soon, you will join our ranks!"

Melee Touch: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Cultist: 10pts damage

Iris' response was to let go of her staff with one hand and chant under her breath, then infuse her weapon with electrical power and lash out twice with it, once with added magic and once without.

Defensive Casting (Shocking Grasp): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26
One-Handed Spellstrike: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 8 - 2 = 21 for Damage: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11 + Elec Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 2) = 6 +3 to Hit if target is wearing enough metal.
One-Handed Melee: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (11) + 8 - 2 = 17 for Damage: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

"I think not." she replied. "I've no intention of visiting the Abyss except to wage war upon it."

The cultist staggers back, clearly on his last legs. With the light of a true fanatic in his eyes, he screams, "For Ghlaunder, and for Fel Bustrani!" Presenting his unholy symbol, he unleashes waves of vile energy.

Channel Negative (Will DC 14 for half): 2d6 ⇒ (4, 4) = 8

Will: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18

Iris broke the power of the channeled energy with her own willpower, glad the mortals had already been given the opportunity to flee - and she spun her weapon around in a quick combo after stepping after him, aiming to finish him off and send him to meet his god. He had chosen his path, and the consequences rested solely upon him.

Double Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Double Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24 for Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

Iris tapped the side of her head a moment later, frowning. Who... who was Fel Bustrani, anyway? An alias of some deity, or maybe some important mortal...?

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

The cultist crumples without another word. The identity of Fel Bustrani, however, remains a complete mystery - at least until you find a note in the cultist's belt pouch.

Loot
Full Plate Armor
Heavy Steel Shield
MW Spear
Wooden Unholy Symbol
Cult Robes + Mosquito Mask
Potion - cure moderate wounds x2
152gp

Note
Loyalists of the Gossamer King, our time has come!
My plan to recover the stone has succeeded beyond our wildest hopes! The fool Pathfinder I convinced to journey here has fed the strength of our Lord by becoming a plague-bearer himself. His hard work was not in vain! Come to me, at once, at the appointed hour and place, and we shall lay out a bounty before mighty Ghlaunder that He won't soon forget. Come to me, brothers and sisters, come to me! ~Fel

Iris stowed everything except the unholy symbol within the bag she'd picked up earlier, taking care to be sure the pointy parts would be no problem. The symbol she broke underfoot, having absolutely no intention of profiting from it or allowing anyone else to gain some use of it.

"Hmm... a leader of cultists, then." Iris said as she read the note, then quietly pocketed it. Much as she'd like to burn it, it might prove to be valuable evidence later. She was no goddess of law, but she had no objection to its workings as long as it aided the greater good. With that, she left the chamber, taking a moment to check on the crowd before listening carefully and proceeding further down the hall.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28

The civilians seem okay for the moment. Most of them have barricaded themselves inside the auditorium under the watchful eye of the necromancer and his minion. As you continue your patrol of the halls, you hear clink of metal. Shortly thereafter, three armor-clad figures round a corner. Each of them is wielding a spear and wearing a mosquito mask.

Iris wasted no time at all, focusing on the magic within her and chanting for a moment before pointing her staff towards the enemy. A splatter of grease shot out of the end, aiming for the ground at their feet as a way of at least attempting to slow them down a little. She could fight more than one foe at once, but on the whole, it was better to divide and conquer.

Cast Grease, then move to thirty feet away from the nearest warrior.

Reflex: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Reflex: 1d20 ⇒ 1
Reflex: 1d20 ⇒ 18
Acrobatics: 1d20 ⇒ 13

The two closest cultists fall to the ground. The third cultist carefully picks its way through the slippery puddle and raises his spear. The two fallen cultists struggle back to their feet.

Cultist 1: 20ft away
Cultist 2+3: 30ft away

Iris kicked forward, closing with the only knight who'd managed to get past her grease and swinging her beloved staff at his head. They were in armor, and yet she relied on nothing except faith to guard her... with surprisingly good results, at that.

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25 for Damage: 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

"Are you prepared to take responsibility for your choices?" she inquired, sounding quite sad. "I'd prefer not to kill any more of you than I have to, but if you continue a campaign against innocents, then I'll do what I must."

Acrobatics: 1d20 ⇒ 1
Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Your blow rocks the cultist back on his heels, but he comes back swinging. You deflect his spear as the other two cultists prepare themselves for battle. One drinks a potion of some sort, while the other takes a single step forward and falls back on his face.

Iris pushed the man's spear to the side by deflecting it with the end of her own weapon, then sent a surge of power down her weapon and aimed for a sharp jab straight at his neck, one of the few points of vulnerability that most forms of armor had. The current goal, of course, was simply to take the current foe down as quickly as possible so she could move on to the others without worry. "Silence is also a form of agreement. So be it, and may you receive all that is due to you."

Two-Handed: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25 for Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16

Enhancing her staff with Arcane Pool! Weapon Enhanced: 1/10.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
Acrobatics: 1d20 ⇒ 18
Spear: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

With a quick blow, you drop the cultist. The other two carefully pick their way through your grease puddle, and the potion-drinker catches you in the midriff with a powerful stab (for 13pts damage).

Both are in melee with you now, so feel free to post multiple rounds of actions.

Iris let out another quick jab, once again aiming for the throat of her target in a powerful thrust of her weapon.

Round 2 of Enchanted Staff Two-Handed: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27 for Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13

Moments later, she focused on the magical side of her abilities reaching out to the same target and sending a burst of shocking power through him.

Round 3 - Cast Shocking Grasp
Defensive Casting: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17 Success.
Melee Touch: 1d20 + 7 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 7 + 3 = 12 for Elec: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 2, 3) = 9

Satisfied - though noting that the magic was measurably less powerful than simply hitting things, Iris returned to using her staff to simply pound the evildoers into submission.

Round 4 Two-Handed: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28 for Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

Round 5 Two-Handed: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Round 6 Two-Handed: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22 for Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16

Your cultist opponents prove unexpectedly inept at handling their weapons, and you bludgeon them unconscious with a minimum of difficulty.

Loot
Chain Shirt x2
Half Plate Armor x1
MW Spear x3
Shortbow x2
MW Shortbow x1
Arrow x60
Potion - cure light wounds x1
Potion - cure serious wounds x1
248gp

Each cultist also has a copy of the note from Fel Bustrani.

As you finish your patrol of the Opera halls, you find quite a few civilians, several destroyed zombies, and a lot of bodies.

Potion of Cure Serious Wounds: 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (1, 6, 5) + 5 = 17

Iris drank the potion of cure serious wounds, then put the other potion, the spears, the masterwork shortbow inside her bag, and the armor inside her rapidly-filling bag. An excellent purchase choice, that. She shouldered the bag a moment later, directing the civilians to join the others she'd already gathered together, and finally began to look for any area she hadn't visited yet. This clearly wasn't over yet, and she had no intention of allowing her foe any more time for planning and preparing than necessary.

After you've cleared the halls and surrounding rooms, you head back into the auditorium to check on everyone. When you enter, the necromancer (who appears to have fashioned a crude scythe out of unattended bones and sinew) gives you a friendly wave. "Find anything interesting?"

"Too many bodies." Iris said, grimacing slightly. She didn't quite trust the Necromancer, but was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt so long as he behaved. This probably hadn't been set up specifically to entrap her, and those who sent a horde of undead against civilians rarely bothered to plant spies. She held out the notes a moment later. "Are you familiar with the name Fel Bustrani? From what the cultists said, they appear to be the leader of this... event."

"Can't say I've heard of that individual before, but I don't associate much with demon-worshippers as a matter of course. I'm a necromancer, not a fool. I will warn you that this isn't over. The green zombies have an interesting flavor, and I believe we'll be seeing the reason why in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... now." As he finishes his countdown, many of the corpses in the auditorium begin to reanimate. There's 15-20 of them, and all of them have a green tint to their skin.

"...And you didn't behead them when you had the chance?" Iris asked, frowning at him. "Maybe save yourself some trouble?"

Hmm... would casting a Consecrate right now stop some of them from fully reviving? Not done with Iris' turn - just wanting to check on that as an option.

The necromancer looks genuinely confused for a moment. "Why would I do that? I wouldn't have been able to verify my theory. Besides, I find Beheaded a rather repulsive form of undead and didn't want them flying around. The screaming gets on your nerves after a while, you know."

That's an unexpected idea. :-) Since you have a little warning, I'm going to say, 'go for it'.

As the man replied, Iris pointed her staff towards the bodies, focusing on her bond through it. She hadn't prepared a Consecrate today, but her staff possessed the ability to - once per day - cast any divine spell she could grant herself, and this seemed like a rather good time to use it. A burst of holy energy shot out of her beloved tool, heading towards the largest group of animating corpses and covering them with a field of power that stopped the dead from rising.

"Theories are best when tested in the lab." she observed. "You risk others as well as yourself by examining things here, and that's a terrible long-term plan." With that, she began moving towards any corpses that were animating but hadn't been covered by her spell. If possible, she'd like to lead them into the field she'd set up, where she could use its sacred power as an additional protection as she cut the undead down.

The Consecrate will last for the next six hours. If the field caught them all, she'll be looking to go investigate backstage.

Y/N: 20d100 ⇒ (79, 47, 84, 62, 13, 2, 24, 67, 46, 53, 56, 75, 90, 42, 85, 83, 6, 69, 17, 99) = 1099

You catch over half of the animating corpses, but eight remain. They slowly rise to their feet. "In case you hadn't figured it out yet, the doors to the outside are blocked by powerful magic. Besides, between the two of us, we can handle a few mindless undead without too much trouble. And now we know for a fact that the green ones have a ramped-up version of Zombie Rot. This 'Fel' individual's been experimenting, by the looks of." With a sigh, he picks up his scythe and begins moving toward the nearest zombie. "Such a waste..."

They're scattered around the auditorium, but Agile Feet means you can reach any of them with a single Move action.

Iris moved nimbly over the terrain, moving inside the consecrated area, far enough that the undead would have to enter it to bother her. Might as well make use of it while it lasted.

"Well, then. Which of you wants to return to rest first?" she inquired, readying a swing of her weapon.

Using Agile Feet to enter the Consecrated area.
Swift Action: Enhance staff for 10 rounds.
Ready Action (Two Handed Swing on First Zombie to Approach): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12 for Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15

Staff Enhanced: 1/10 rounds. Any undead in the field take a -1 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saves.

Necro Melee: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Damage: 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (4, 4) + 3 = 11
Necro's Zombie: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Iris Fort: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

The necromancer narrowly misses a zombie, but his minion slams it with a powerful blow - coming very close to destroying it entirely. Your swing is slightly more powerful, and it shatters your target's skull. It releases an explosion of spores, but you were expecting this and kept your face covered.

You can reach an individual zombie with a single Move Action. agile feet isn't needed at the moment. Staggered + difficult terrain = hard time reaching mobile Iris. :-)

Her personal fortitude was handling things well so far... but the undead seemed like they were under control for now, and there was always a chance that she'd catch a particularly bad burst. "Those spores to look rather vile - if you'd prefer to have your... companion... eliminate them, I can give him a bit of help." she told the Necromancer, staying within the consecrated area and waving a hand in his minion's direction.

Using Blessing of the Faithful on the minion zombie, giving it +2 to attack rolls until Iris' next turn.

Scythe: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Zombie: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 2 = 10
Baddie: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

"Assistance is always appreciated. As for the spores, it seems to be an airborne strain of the pathogen. Quite nasty stuff. I'm actually finding myself feeling quite irritated."

Unused to the sensation your spell brings, the zombie narrowly misses its target. At the same time, another few zombies enter your sanctified area (and are now in melee range).

Feel free to post several rounds of actions if you want. :-)

Within the sanctum of her blessed area, Iris busied herself with lashing out at the zombies, aiming to take them down before they could cause further harm to mortals. These plague-spewing abominations were most unpleasant, and she was all too ready to see them be gone for good. Fortunately, any that fell within this field would likely be unable to reanimate for as long as it was present...

Round 3: Two-Handed: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16 for Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
Round 4: Two-Handed: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13 for Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16
Round 5: Two-Handed: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14 for Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Round 6: Two-Handed: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20 for Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13
Round 7: Two-Handed: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29 for Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16 for Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15

If needed, she'll Surge to make the save against the spores.

Scythe: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Iris Fort: 6d20 ⇒ (8, 19, 2, 12, 7, 2) = 50

The necromancer neatly decapitates his wounded target, breathing in the ensuing spores in the process. Seeing you're busy taking on the remaining undead, he busies himself in poking around the orchestra pit and backstage.

You only fail the Fort Save on a natural one, so a surge won't matter.

EDIT

Zombies Y/N: 6d100 ⇒ (34, 16, 27, 4, 54, 75) = 210
Attacks: 4d20 ⇒ (12, 20, 19, 14) = 65
Confirm: 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (9) + 4 - 1 = 12
Damage: 1d8 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 - 1 = 5

You handily dispatch the rest of the zombies, taking only a single blow in the process (5pts damage).

Iris grimaced slightly at the blow, but she had a fair bit of vitality left, and pounded away at the undead to drop them for good. Once they were down, she turned to address the civilians (all of whom had probably been hanging back). "Drag any other bodies into this field. It stops the dead from rising. If anything else seems like it's animating, get back as fast as you can and get one of us to help." she instructed.

Diplomacy (Do these nasty but important things for your own safety!): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25

With that, she moved swiftly towards the backstage area. "What have you found?" she inquired.

Some of the braver civilians gingerly poke at nearby bodies. When nothing jumps up and tries to eat them, the begin dragging the corpses to your sanctified area. You and the necromancer are the only people who've been able to withstand this unexpected undead menace, and to be honest, you're much less creepy than he is. At this point, the people will follow your instructions as long as they aren't obviously suicidal - and even then, you could probably convince the braver ones.

From backstage, the necromancer responds, "Nothing yet, but there's a basement. Care to join me?"

Iris simply nodded as she approached the trapdoor leading to the basement and slid her hand down her staff to shift to a two-handed grip once she'd arrived. "If you'd care to open it, I'll deal with anything waiting." she said, preparing to swing down with a powerful blow. Teamwork was a wonderful thing.

Ready Action: Two-Handed Swing at any foes ready to pop out. She will, however, make sure it's ACTUALLY a foe before swinging, in case there was something like a civilian who moved there to hide.

Also, I believe her enchantment has worn off by now.

Readied Action: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13 for Damage: 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Nothing jumps out at you, so you head down a ladder into the basement. There, you see a large hole has been smashed into one of the walls, leading to tunnels. Well-lit from standing lamps, these tunnels stretch into an adjacent chamber, seemingly carved from the bedrock as well. However, this chamber is made of smooth walls, covered in strange glyphs, and lit by the same standing lamps. At the center of that chamber stands a tall stone dais. In the middle of the dais is a huge boulder which, by all appearances, fell a great distance before crashing here. The boulder glows with a faint golden light.

You also see a zombie Ogre and a tall man wearing Ghlaunder cult robes. Unlike the other cultists you've encountered, this man exudes an air of authority.

Map

Oh, good. She'd been tired of fighting worthless minions - it was usually faster and easier to simply strike down their leaders.

Iris exhaled slightly, then backed away from the chamber a little and began speaking under her breath. She was going to have to play this carefully, since she wanted to take the leader down as fast as possible. Still, growing overconfident wasn't good, and she took a moment to surround herself with a barrier that would protect her from evil, keeping far enough back from the foe to avoid being noticed.

Once that had settled over her, she sent a surge of energy down her weapon, charging it with power before she made a few quick gestures and vanished into invisibility. This wouldn't last long, but it should stop her target from seeing her get close, and she wasted no time at all in using her phenomenal speed to get into melee range.

When she'd arrived, Iris finally reached deep into the well of her power, charging her hand with electricity and re-gripping her staff before swinging it as hard as she could, striking with both its physical power and the might of her spell at the same time. That would break the invisibility, of course, but she no longer needed it.

This, too, was a trait of the goddess of the dawn - appearing in the midst of darkness to banish it with the sudden appearance of light. She usually preferred to talk things out and give people a chance to repent - and might still do so if he survived - but the bodies of innocents meant he had already forfeit his basic rights to protection, and she had exactly no qualms about delivering summary punishment to evildoers, especially when there were mortals under her protection. The dawn wasn't always kind - just usually. A point Ghlaunder's minions would do well to remember.

Round 1: Cast: Protection From Evil: +2 Deflection Bonus to AC and Saves vs Evil. Duration: 30 rounds.
Round 2: Cast: Vanish. Swift Action: Enhance Staff for 10 rounds. Move Action: Get behind enemy. PFE: 29/30. ES: 10/10.
Round 3: Using Wild Arcana to cast Shocking Grasp at CL 5. Delivering the spell with Spellstrike to add a physical attack - after thoroughly double-checking, I believe it's legal to use a two-handed weapon with Spellstrike (as it's a free action to re-grip the weapon, per this FAQ), though hitting two-handed is not legal for the separate - but often simultaneously-used - Spell Combat ability. Which I'm not using here. PFE: 28/30. ES: 9/10.

Two-Handed Spellstrike (From Invisibility): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25 for Bludgeoning Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17 plus Elec Damage: 5d6 ⇒ (6, 3, 2, 5, 6) = 22

I did some digging and came to the same conclusion you did. While Spell Combat explicitly requires a light or one-handed weapon, Spellstrike has no such restriction. It's probably not RAI, but the trade-offs maintain balance, so I'm fine with it. :-)

The cultist shouts a surprised curse as lightning arcs across his body. Taking a step back, he pulls out a potion, drinks it, and disappears. The undead Ogre charges at you, swinging a massive club.
Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
Fortunately, zombies are notoriously clumsy, and you're able to tumble between its legs as the club comes down.

Cultist Leader: 39pts damage, invisible
Ogre: full

Drat. She hadn't yet developed enough power to cast Invisibility Purge, but at least that should have done some serious damage. Deciding to strike out at the ogre for now - and hoping, though not expecting, that the necromancer from before would prove useful - Iris took a moment to concentrate. It would be best to save her electricity for the necromancer once he reappeared, given that defeating him was the real priority here, and she honestly didn't want to risk taking more attacks from the ogre than necessary.

Knowledge (Religion) - Any particular powers or weaknesses the Ogre has?: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

Two-Handed Melee (Ogre): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26 for Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15

PFE: 27/30. ES: 8/10. AC: 26/T: 19/FF: 21.