The response from Detect Evil is instant and obvious - the entire place is so cursed by the foul powers of unlike that it's a solid mass of wickedness. The inside of the tower seems to be some sort of prison area, with unusually solid-looking iron bars guarding the way. The Banshee doesn't seem to be present within, however - at least, not anywhere you can see.
Grimacing, she stalked back out and circled the tower, continuing her investigation. "Shadow, have you found her?" She called out, hoping her shade had had better luck. If the banshee didn't pop out soon, she'd assume it had left and would instead move on. She reached out telepathically to her familiar and asked him to try and see if he could reach out himself to contact it. At least that would giver her an idea as to its whereabouts.
There seemed to be a faint telepathic response at the very edge of Epyon's range - which, on the bright side, seemed to mean that the Banshee wasn't about to reach out and grab at your feet or anything. So that was good.
Sevia leaves the tower, goes up, circles around the wall to check the south side of the tower. Has the shadow check the top. Then heads towards the entrance of the abbey.
There isn't a whole lot else in this tower - it looks like it's been used mainly as a prison.
In the center of the monastery’s grounds, the cathedral of Renchurch sits perched on a scabby crust of crumbling rock, the black spines of its blood-soaked blades spearing into the stormy sky. The cathedral’s exterior walls are constructed in grand gothic style, and look climbable, but incorporate what look like tens of thousands of blades. Flight would... probably be an easier way of getting up, if you ever chose to do so.
As you approach, however, you can start to hear whispers on the wind - coming from what sounds like all directions around you.
It seemed the banshee had retreated and refused to do battle, which left Sevia little recourse but to leave and hope the vengeful spirit didn't ambush her later. Heading along the wall, she signaled for her shadow and familiar to rejoin her as she crept south, avoiding the bog, and then up past the gate house towards the abbey.
She gave the gatehouse a cursory look, indicating her shadow should move closer to ensure her reinforcements wouldn't get caught on the way in.
As she proceeded further inwards though, her ears began to hear things. She stopped, wondering if it was the dull crunching of dead grass under her feat, but the sounds seemed to intensify, and she realized it was neither the wind now the grass, but whispers, all around her. Turning about, she tried to discern if she was under attack or not.
The whispers rose up in over a dozen ancient languages, and the entire building shuddered for just a moment before a surge of profane power shot through the air, wrapping around the Shadow Stryker and making it repulsive somehow, like it was being corrupted by the very powers you were here to fight.
Will DC 23:1d20 + 17 ⇒ (2) + 17 = 19 Would you like to Surge that, or accept the result?
Sevia's eyes widened as profane energy attacked her, seemingly threatening her sword. So surprised by the nature of the attack, she very nearly succumbed to its twisted, dark powers. Holding Shadow Stryker in front of her, she channeled her divine power, warding off whatever foul magics were at work.
Surge:1d8 ⇒ 5On the off chance this is a fear effect, I'm immune
Your mind is able to push away the worst of the effect, but it's not enough to totally suppress the foul powers of this place, and you can still feel the lingering taint on your weapon. It's not pleasant - and worse, it's distracting, and likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.
As an Antipathy spell, resulting in a -4 penalty to Dexterity as long as you're holding or carrying the item. This is a compulsion effect, and can be avoided by things like storing the item in an extradimensional space or warding yourself from such mind-affecting powers. You are on something of a time limit, so waiting effects out might not be a wise idea. *Coughs slightly*
Also, time to add the map for this area, I think...
When the burst clears - one way or another - you're finally able to look ahead. Two massive iron doors constructed from hundreds of broken blades and ancient weapons form the sole entrance into the windowless abbey. Two withered and gnarled oaks flank the stone steps leading up to the doors, their bare branches hosting several desiccated corpses whose rusted armor bears the faint remnants of crusader heraldry.
Sevia scowled at the lingering effects of the spell ensnared around her blade. She did not need this kind of distraction. The thought to attempt to dispel the magic compulsion crossed her mind, but this was a very powerful spell and she simply was not strong enough to break it.
What kind of check to tell if it was cast at me or some natural phenomena?
Seeing no other entrance to the abbey, she walked forward to the large iron doors and carefully tried to open them.
As close as you can tell, the effect was some kind of particularly dangerous haunt.
As your hand moves close to the door, you pause for just a moment. There are a number of cunningly-hidden blades concealed within the door itself, clearly positioned to slice through the unwary - and they look complicated enough to be a serious challenge for most people to undo.
Sevia stopped just as she was about to head through the door, tsking as she noticed the blades. She considered for a moment simply phasing through the door with her shadow teleportation, but realized that wouldn't work for her allies behind her.
Retrieving her tools, she set to work trying to disable the trap. "Epyon, head back to Fhanys and tell her the way ahead is clear. And make sure she knows about the banshee." Sevia told her familiar, allowing him to flap into the sky and head back towards where she'd left the others.
It was fairly close, but you managed to disable the trap and stop the blades from springing out. The inside of the hall was...
The crumbled remains of a collapsed belfry litter the eastern side of the once-fine tessellated floor of this ruined processional, the shards of broken bells protruding at sharp angles from the rubble. A half-collapsed archway reveals a massive congregational chamber in the darkness beyond. The faint hint of whispered murmurs pervades the stale air like leathery bat wings. You're not even two steps in before whispers start to fill the air again.
Knowledge Religion:1d20 + 18 ⇒ (5) + 18 = 23Do I know any way to fight off/end the whispers/haunt?
Sevia tensed as she entered the building, the murmuring whispers once again apparent to her. This time she attempted to mentally prepare herself for whatever came, and realized time might be of the essence here if the haunt kept attacking her.
Regardless, she pressed on, trying to move deeper into the church and towards its back wall. From a cursory glance, it seemed her quarry was located deeper inside.
Ending haunts is almost impossible, and can usually only be accomplished by some specific course of action. Most can be temporarily suppressed by the application of a lot of positive energy, although it's not clear how much would be needed in this case. Even a Wish or Miracle can usually only suppress them for a short time, the reason for which you've forgotten and none of the other gods have bothered to explain to mortals (though popular theory holds that Urgathoa supports their existence and the gods were unwilling to war over it, since no Haunt is genuinely permanent and people have a funny knack for finding their weak points). Would you like to proceed with your listed action or try to banish it before it can manifest?
As you moved, the whispers grew louder - then abruptly vanished, an instant before a heavy force erupted forward and attempted to grab at you.
Fortitude DC 23:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (20) + 16 = 36
Its first attempt simply shattered against your body as you shifted into an excellent guard position - but the power didn't give up, and continued pressing at you as you moved.
Fortitude DC 23:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30
It finally abated as you made it about halfway through the room (Area E4)
Hundreds of skulls decorate carved stone columns in macabre arrangements here, casting their dead gazes over this empty chamber. High overhead, intricate buttresses like crooked, bony fingers support a massive vault, and the walls alternate between rich panels of aged wood and collapsed stonework piled floor to ceiling. A fresh, bloody smear stains the floor between the broken pews, leading to a chamber to the west.
Threat finally passed, Sevia continued onward, noting the bloody floor. Had they turned on their own? Or something else perhaps. She knelt down to the floor, trying to determine how recently it had fallen there.
Heal? Survival?
1d20 ⇒ 11
Standing back up, she continued towards the western chamber, following the blood.
The first thing you heard was a crunching noise, then the sound of flesh being town apart - fresh bloodstains spatter the walls and floor of this rubblefilled chamber. A makeshift, bloodstained altar stands in the center of the room, and surrounding it are six bloated, corpulent ghouls, almost literal mountaints of fatty undead flesh, who appear to be feasting on a Varisian man's corpse. They looked up as you entered, eyes glinting with endless hunger.
Init (Them):1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 Init (You):1d20 + 15 ⇒ (5) + 15 = 20 Wanna do anything to try and change that?
As a free action, Sevia dismisses Heightened Awareness for +4 Initiative. Combined with Heroism +2.
Sevia's eyes narrowed as she saw the body, the source of the fresh blood now apparent. The ghouls were much more concerning. But that fraction of a moment almost gave them enough of a chance to jump her. Luckily, her magically heightened senses allowed her to gain the edge, as she pounced toward their flank, focusing on reducing their numbers.
"Shadow, be ready to flank them!" Sevia called out to her companion as her blades sliced into undead flesh. She quickly focused in on herself, using her ki to render herself invisible as the shadow slid into the floor.
As you lunged out, the creatures reacted... surprisingly well, actually, moving with more agility than their fatty frames would have suggested was possible.
*Coughs* By which I mean they have levels in Rogue. Didn't add that in to mess with you - that's how they were written.
Your first blow missed your target as it ducked around. The second hit - but failed to confirm as a critical - while the blow that followed was genuinely as perfect as it could be. The last was a good hit, too. All together...
4d6 + 28 ⇒ (1, 1, 2, 3) + 28 = 35
...it was enough to deal some fairly serious damage to the ghoul, but it wasn't quite as high as you probably would have liked, and the creatures promptly swarmed you. Three were close enough for full, savage assaults - the others had to move around and bite once they got into position.
Fort vs Paralysis, DC 17:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (4) + 16 = 20 Fort vs Paralysis, DC 17:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17...Oh dear. Got anything? Fort vs Paralysis, DC 17:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (10) + 16 = 26
Miss Chance:1d100 ⇒ 96Miss Miss Chance:1d100 ⇒ 65Miss Miss Chance:1d100 ⇒ 49
Sevia's eyes widened as the ghoul she attack twisted away, preventing her blows from dealing their full, savage potential. Undead smart enough to prevent itself from being caught flatfooted? Her surprise, knockout blow failing to land, she barely managed the worst of their attacks, her invisibility aiding in them missing.
Gritting her teeth, Sevia doubted she could finish six ghouls in a straight sword fight. Especially with her disadvantage.
Instead, she pulled back. Slipping through the ghouls and making use of her stealth to pass by without alerting them. Thinking through her repertoire of spells, she considered what magic might be useful to deal with them. All bunched up like that, a Fireball could be devastating...but they could evade it if they were that skilled against her blades. Instead, she settled on something that would neither be evaded, or reveal her, concentrating and casting Wall of Fire around the group, creating a circle that surrounded them. Though, she avoided having the fire reach the ceiling if possible.
I'd say that casting a spell that directly and immediately causes damage is enough to break Invisibility, even if it doesn't include an attack roll. (Blowing out a support and dropping a bridge enemies are on would be indirect. Direct HP damage from the spell, though? Direct.) That'd break your invisibility and reveal you - are you sure you want to do it?
I am making the circle large enough so they're not immediately in the wall...but fine. Can I at least make a stealth check? I will burn a second point of ki at the end of my turn to stay invisible though. Ghouls are within 10 ft of the walls.
Stealth:1d20 + 23 ⇒ (1) + 23 = 24
Knowledge Religion:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16Anything special about the ghouls?
*Coughs* Well, they don't have to be in the fire to be hurt. Just being in front causes damage, too. On the bright side, hey, there's a GIANT WALL OF FIRE between them and being able to see you. So that's a thing.
Heat poured inward from the wall you'd called up, scorching the undead - and this spell was very good at burning things that shouldn't have been walking. From within, you could hear the undead screeching in rage, and they charged out through the walls - taking more burns in the process and seeming momentarily disoriented. (The bad news was that they were spread out, having left in different directions, so they were about 15 feet away from their closest neighbors now.)
Rather than immediately reengage, Sevia felt it would be more prudent to use some defensive magic so to make herself immune to the ghoul's touch. First, she cast Freedom of Movement on herself, moving to avoid allowing herself to be given away. As she did, she mentally reached out to her familiar to see if it had returned yet. She followed up with Resist Energy, making herself immune to her own spell. Defensive spells complete, she singled out the ghoul who looked the least damaged and stalked her way over to it.
Normally she would have simply attacked, but it wouldn't be caught off guard even while she was invisible. Instead, she called out to her shadow, telling him to flank the one she described, and position himself opposite the wall of fire. From the ground, it flew up, sailing towards the ghoul and stopping dead opposite her, giving her enough distraction to attack.
2 rounds to cast, move, cast, move. Sevia attacks on round 3 after the shadow flanks the ghoul she tells it to.
Her attacks complete, Sevia retreated, bounding backwards into the center of the wall of fire, the flames harmlessly licking off her spell. "Retreat! She told the shadow as she did, allowing it to fly upwards towards the ceiling.
Fire Resist 20. Technically the Wall can deal 1 point of damage to me when I pass through if you roll max. If the ghoul is still alive, Sevia draws an opp when she retreats.
As it turned out, your familiar was still outside - having never actually gotten instructions to return after delivering the message. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, given the strength of the curse on this place... but perhaps more to the point, after your first move and casting of a spell, the undead seemed to have shaken free from their dizziness and started to move again. Then came the barrage of attacks, which-
*Checks*
...
Ah, frag it. *Tosses mini's over shoulder* These guys are annoying, so figure taking 15 points of damage from a lucky hit or two through the whole battle, but there's really no need to roll every bit of what would otherwise be an annoyingly long combat. XD; You'd win sooner or later, and going through ALL of it probably wouldn't be fun for either of us.
It was a rather quick fight all told, Sevia, using her wall spell as an impromtu shield. Despite their aversion to it, they'd simply rushed back inside like lemmings and burned away as Sevia cut into them. Soon, they were finished. Conveniently, her wall of fire snuffed out then as well, and had cremated the bodies. Sevia quickly tasked her shadow with standing sentry while she checked the bodies to see if they were carrying anything, before moving on to check the identity of the man they'd been eating. In particular, she tried to see if he might be carrying any iconography linking him to the whispering way.
Noting that it had been a while since her familiar had left her, she reached out empathically to him to see if he was in trouble. If not, she willed him back towards her.
Before proceeding onward, she doubled back to check the room she'd passed earlier. She opened the door and gave it a passing glance.
Take 10 on perception. If there's nothing there, I proceed further inside.
Epyon finally winged back in your direction now that the orders had been received. Each of the ghouls was in possession of an Amulet of Mighty Fists +1 (all of which seemed to be uncommonly similar to each other, perhaps made by the same person), but otherwise didn't seem to have any possessions. Unfortunately, you can't tell who the mostly-devoured man is - the lack of a face is a bit of a problem in that regard.
As for the room in the back, rickety wooden stairs spiral around the inner perimeter of this tower. A huge bell of cracked bronze lies in the middle of the floor, long fallen from its mounts high above.
"Shadow, check the top." Sevia instructed, pocketing away the amulets she'd acquired. As Epyon finally returned, she held her arm out, allowing him to perch onto it. "Anything from Fhanys? She asked, curious what the others were doing as the shadow ensured there were no enemies lurking about.
After a few moments, your Shadow began circling overhead, apparently having found something up at the top of the small belltower. Epyon, meanwhile, shrugged slightly. The empathic sense that came across was one of staying hidden and moving carefully.
Sevia nodded and began circling up the stairs. It wouldn't take her long to get to the top to see what it had found. She did take the precaution of trying to keep in stealth.
I go up to the top of the bell tower to see what the shadow found. Take 10 stealth.
Lying on the floor at the top of the tower was a barbed devil - very clearly dead. The fact that half of its chest was missing was a fairly big giveaway. There was a look of terror on its face, but worse was the way it seemed more dead than outsiders could normally be, like its very existence had been taken. A longbow was on the ground nearby, and you could see all around the church from up here - this was clearly a guard tower of some sort, but the guard was no longer able to trouble you.
skill check to determine cause of death? I'll take 10
Sevia arched an eyebrow, wondering what had happened to the devil, as she knelt down next to it. She briefly lingered to see if she could determine the cause of death, before casting Detect Magic across the longbow to see if it was worth taking.
Leaving the body behind, she descended back down the stairs somewhat hurriedly, aiming to proceed eastward into the abbey.
The bow seemed to have the Flaming property, but somehow... twisted. Hellfire, then, probably dealing unholy harm as well as being able to burn things. As for the cause of death, probably having a significant amount of its body blown away.
Further inside (Right is North on the map, by the way), cracked stone steps descend steeply into this dedicated choir, which holds a long table covered in the eviscerated remains of obviously humanoid corpses. A once-opulent bishop’s throne overlooks the choir from the east, its jewels and gold sheeting long plundered, and now covered in greasy, foul-smelling brown hair. The bodies of several more ghouls lie on the ground here, torn to literal shreds.
Sevia was starting to become more and more disturbed with the constant bodies she was finding. She took a moment to try to assess whether the ghouls had been felled by blade or bite, before passing away from them, aiming towards what looked like a hallway off to the right of the throne in front of her.
The dead looked like they'd been felled by a blade - and with deep cuts, at that.
Meanwhile, down your path of advance, dozens of decapitated human heads preserved as crudely mounted trophies adorn the walls of this tall, imposing hallway. Halfway down the hall, they suddenly start to move, gasping in concert. As they did so, the air in the room vanished into their mouths, leaving you abruptly short of air.
Fortitude DC 23:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (13) + 16 = 29
...Although not yet in immediate danger as you resisted the extraction of the air inside you.
Holding her breath, Sevia continued onward, trying to clear the hallway before the trap reset. Once out of what seemed to be the area of effect, she turned around to try and decipher just what had attacked her. Being the only way inside, it wouldn't do to allow something like that to hamper her comrades.
As you staggered out of the main area of effect, you could feel the air return around you - but the force tugging on your lungs continued, and it didn't feel like it was going to abate anytime soon. Dealing with it was probably the first order of business...
Fortitude DC 23:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (15) + 16 = 31
...although you were managing to hold the power at bay for now.
Sevia continued to back off, trying to find the edge of the haunt's range and get out of it. Turning back, she had no idea to gauge how much it would take to destroy the effect, so opted for another Wall of Fire spell, casting it right on top one side of the wall and directing the flames toward the other. The hallway erupted into a geyser of fire as Sevia concentrated on maintaining the spell, keeping it up until the haunt was destroyed.
The flames roared to life down the hallway - but the tugging on your lungs continued unabated. There was no response from the hall itself.
Fortitude DC 23:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (11) + 16 = 27
Once a haunt is done manifesting - which is usually within a round or two - it can't really be targeted anymore. You're currently suffering from its lingering effects.
...You realize what's affecting you isn't a location-based thing but something directly affecting you, right? XD; You can't beat it just by walking away. Of course, if that's what you WANT to do, it's fine... but, uh, you might want to try somehow overcoming it sooner instead of later. This is not a save you want to fail.
