The Four Pillars

Game Master chavamana

Samirah leads the group of fighters towards the incubus, shifting in her saddle to step onto it and leap from it to enter melee combat with him. Her weapon begins to glow red in her hand as she positions herself for the jump.

"The incubus dies first!" She shouts to those around her even as her scimitar swings towards him and giving the already blood-stained ground a new Rorschach splatter.

Chancre narrows his eyes and casts again. This time the sword that flashes into existence is... more. However the swing looks to be going far too high to damage the tiefling, until a spark of fire from Samirah's sword (1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28) causes the incubis commander to dodge into the blow.

Konstantin is about to throw the snowball, when he glances at Samirah. Something about the sight of the ifrit fills his limbs with strength and his eyes with resolve. (1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24) He hurls the ball of ice at the incubus. It hits the demon in the side of the head, caving in his skull and covering him with an icy crust. The incubus slumps over and falls bonelessly from his horse.

Seeing the demon fall to the ground, Roshan turns, blurs across the field of battle. Another hail of metal shards as Roshan hands blur, a small brilliantly glowing blade, a larger heavy knife, two small metal stars and lastly the golden glint of Radiance whirling out to find their mark. This time, they do. Only one of the small pieces of deadly metal failing to find the female commander.

All around the crusaders re-double their attack against the tiefling army. Out of the corner of your eye you see Irabeth step in front of Aravashnial, shielding the wizard from a flank from two of tieflings and countering with a punishing blow that lays one of the attackers low. On the other side of the field, you see Gore charge forward on his steed, his spear knocking demon-kin to the ground to be trampled by the horse.

All around the field, even with their sword no longer gleaming with supernatural power, tieflings fall. With the death of both the incubus and human commanders their will breaks, and what survives of the once large army takes to the river and the hills in a panicked fleeing retreat.

Chancre goes over to the incubus and touches two fingers to its throat.

Heal DC 20: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31

Chancre speaks quietly. "Losing your touch, chief? This guy's not dead yet."

"That's easy to remedy." Samirah says, voice cold, her usual easy grin absent as she looks down at the rime-coated demon.

Chancre goes over to the incubus and touches two fingers to its throat.

[dice=Heal DC 20]1d20+14

Chancre speaks quietly. "Losing your touch, chief? This guy's not dead yet."

"Perhaps. If we attempt to revive and question him, then we risk teleporting away. Though I don't like ending a helpless opponent, I will do so to prevent him causing further suffering."

The claws side from Konstantin's fingertips as he looks to his companions for an objection.

"How much do we want information? That's really the question. Unlike Pan, this guy didn't give us an indication that he can be talked with."

"What is there to know? This is not yet our final stop; we march on regardless of what information he gives."

One corner of Roshan's mouth quirk's slightly. He checks on the human female commander while retrieving his blades. He keeps an eye out for any tieflings with possible ideas other then fleeing or any other potentially hostile critters.

"Perhaps. If we attempt to revive and question him, then we risk teleporting away. Though I don't like ending a helpless opponent, I will do so to prevent him causing further suffering."

Roshan frowns. He looks around, waves at the surrounding army, then to Aravashnial and Chancre, makes abracadabra-ie motions at the fallen incubus then wrapping a rope or chain around his neck and pulls the imaginary cordage down sharply toward the ground. He looks back at Konstantin questioningly.

"What is there to know? This is not yet our final stop; we march on regardless of what information he gives."

He shrugs. Looks at Konstantin, then to Irabeth.

"I don't know, that's why I ask. He will die if we do nothing -- let me know if I should start patching."

"I don't know, that's why I ask. He will die if we do nothing -- let me know if I should start patching."

"If he dies... he dies," says Konstantin in his cold Irrisani accent.

Sorry. No force on earth could stop me from that quote.

Chancre Cailean wrote:

"I don't know, that's why I ask. He will die if we do nothing -- let me know if I should start patching."

"If he dies... he dies," says Konstantin in his cold Irrisani accent.

Roshan lays a finger by his nose, points briefly at Konstantin. Looks again to Irabeth to see if the military minded one thinks they could get any useful information and if anyone has Dimensional Anchor

maybe Dimensional Anchor goes on the list, too

maybe Dimensional Anchor goes on the list, too

I have Wild Arcana, so as soon as I can cast 4th level spells, I'll be able to cast it on a limited basis.

DC 10: 1d20 + 4 - 10 ⇒ (6) + 4 - 10 = 0
DC 10: 1d20 + 4 - 11 ⇒ (15) + 4 - 11 = 8
DC 10: 1d20 + 4 - 12 ⇒ (19) + 4 - 12 = 11

Roshan quickly ties up the incubus commander in case the demon stabilizes. And the demon's hardy constitution wins out over the headwound as the bleeds slows then stops.

Mechanics: Without aid, the demon will make a DC 10 Constitution check every hour (penalty = negative hit points), failure = lose another hit point and success means the demon will regain consciousness. If he regains consciousness, then after eight hours of rest he will be able to make another DC 10 Constitution check (penalty = negative hit points) to regain hit points = HD. Failure means he loses another hit point but does not lose consciousness. During this time, he will be disabled (meaning he can take move actions, but standard actions will cause him to lose a hit point and lose consciousness).

Meanwhile all around the chaos of the battlefield continues to reign as the surviving tieflings (and a handful of dretch) flee the battlefield. A few that continue to fight are quickly cut down. As the immediate danger to the army dies down, a bloody but hale Irabeth limps over. In the press of bodies you can see Sosiel moving around triaging the few seriously injured crusaders for magical healing.

"I'd like to order the army to press on to Keeper's Canyon proper. I think we can make that just before sundown and that would give us fortifications in case small groups in the army regroup and want to try guerrilla tactics." Irabeth says.

Samirah casts a withering glance a the unconscious demon before sheathing her weapon.

"That is a good idea. We are sitting chickens if we camp out here. And we can clear out anyone who didn't leave the ruins."

Roshan waives to Irabeth. Points at the trussed incubus.

Roshan waives to Irabeth. Points at the trussed incubus.

"If you want to interrogate him then you should bring him." A pause, "If you don't, I'd prefer to cut his throat than risk one of his followers coming back and healing him."

Roshan shrugs, draws Radiance and looks to Konstantin. He appears to have taken Irabeth's words as a summary of execution, unless Konstantin wishes to try to gain information first.
if Konstantin makes no motion to the contrary, Roshan relieves the incubus of further existence on Golarion

Roshan shrugs, draws Radiance and looks to Konstantin. He appears to have taken Irabeth's words as a summary of execution, unless Konstantin wishes to try to gain information first.

if Konstantin makes no motion to the contrary, Roshan relieves the incubus of further existence on Golarion

Konstantin nods to Roshan.

"To Keeper's Canyon, then," he says to Irabeth.

A few hours before sunset, as the shadows of the steep walls are engulfing the floor of the canyon, the army makes Keeper's Canyon. Amid the tents of the tieflings and the once strong walls of the destroyed outpost, the army is able to make camp. Once watch and cook fires have been light, you see Sosiel, Sigrit, and Nurah moving amid the troops, using the last of the day's magic on healing as much as they can.

Once the camp has settled down, Irabeth and Anevia joins the fire with the group at it. She pulls a small silver flask, marked with a blazing sword, "To fights well fought." And offers the flask around.

Konstantin accepts the flask in a movement that seems like reflex, and takes a drink. "To victory."

Samirah nods her head to the pair and takes a sip. "Interesting. It tastes like trees." She passes the flask to whoever else wants a sip, then turns her attention to the fire before her.

A small smile of appreciation, but Roshan does not take the flask. He does however, take a sip from his water skin.

"We're less than two days ride from Drezen." Irabeth says, her dark green eyes touched with just a little worry about what they will find there.

Sosiel nods, "I'm surprised we haven't seen any ruins of the old sentinel hospitals."

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 19

Samirah looks up from the fire, smiles slightly, then turns her gaze from Irabeth and Anevia to Sosiel. "Why does that surprise you?" She asks this, clearly knowing nothing about the area.

"Before Drezen fell, this area was a hotbed of battles. Many times the injured wouldn't be able to make a day's ride back for help, so many founded small temples, smaller shrines, and sometimes just medical caches blessed." Sosiel smiles, "At one time you couldn't throw a rock without hitting one of the sentinels. I'd been hoping to see one," A shrug, "Tactically, I was hoping we could find a decent healing cache in case we need some emergency supplies when we attack Drezen."

Is it possible these were destroyed by demons as they marched through the area, or were they just lost to time?"

"Probably the demons," Sosiel says with just a hint of a sigh. "Still, I'd hoped." He bows his head to Samirah with a grin, "Beauty amid ugliness is even more beautiful."

Samirah has the good grace to look humble for approximately one second before grinning herself. "Why thank you, Sosiel." She bows her head in response. "It's when we stop noticing beauty, when we stop smiling, that the demons have found a stronger foothold in their fight against us." She raises a flask of her own, filled just with water, to him. "I'm glad you've brought the same perspective with you!"

Rova 07, 4713 - Up the Canyon with No Paddles

The next morning barely dawns, the sun struggling through the dense blanket of grey and black that extends for miles in the air just a bit above the canyon walls. The gloom of the atmosphere presses down on the troops. They press on gamely, but any boost from the win the day before has been leeched.

About an hour before you planned to make camp, Anevia and a few other scouts come back to camp, horses shying and nervous. She shakes her head, "Might want to find a place to hole up for the night," You notice her clothes and the saddle of her horse is pocked with minute burns, "A few miles past where we'd be planning to camp is a nasty acid bank."

Aron picks up a bit of dirt and clod letting it sift through his fingers, the breeze blowing it up the canyon. "Wind is moving away from us, so maybe it will clear in the night?" His tone not as sure or hopefully as one would like.

Rova 07, 4713 - Up the Canyon with No Paddles

Chancre makes a face. It looks worse than his usual face. "Acid, yuck."

Konstantin points to a structure on top of the canyon walls. "What about that place?"

Anevia's sharp eyes are the first to pick out the shape atop the canyon walls when Konstantin asks about it, causing Irabeth to pull out the outdated maps from before Drezen's fall. A quick shake of her head, "Nothing noted on the map, but really only marked topography and large settlements."

Sosiel muses, "It might be one of the sentinels." He looks over at Konstantin, "I wouldn't mind seeing if it is just a shell. If it is more than that, healing supplies were often hidden under the altar stones."

Aron, for the first time today has a small smile, "With your permission, we could search it after camp has been set."

"I'm up for the search," Chancre says. "Rhymes with lurch or perch," he offers helpfully to Nurah.

"I'm up for the search," Chancre says. "Rhymes with lurch or perch," he offers helpfully to Nurah.

"And I as well."

"There best be a church atop the perch, else you'll be in a lurch on your search." Nurah snips back at Chancre. "That said, those stairs don't look to build for someone of my delicate nature, so I'll stay here and keep the ground safe."

Aravashnial looks at Irabeth, "If the nice young man could be good enough to set up my hammock again?"

Irabeth nods in confirmation to the elf, then leans do and give Anevia a quick peck, "Have fun exploring, love."

Ascending the stairs proved doable, but hazardous requiring a DC 15 Climb check at 30 and 60 feet up the cliffside.

Konstantin quickly casts the same spell as before, his claws growing large and hooked, and allowing him to grip the stairs securely.

Roshan uses his rope to make it easier for anyone coming up who feels less at home on a near vertical facing.