Wood sends the three dogs charge to attack the skeleton. The two new dogs from the north flank with Rova and the dog from the south.
vs CMB
Wood argues with his spellbook and neglects to fire a splash of acid at the skeleton. He hands another holy water vial to the halfling.
Eva attacks the skeleton
Wood's dogs rush up and start chewing on the burning monster. Each grabs an available limb and pulls.
Between the dogs and Rova the thing is destroyed.
Each of the dogs takes some fire damage before the thing goes out, though.
Zhiden watched the skeleton collapse, still holding on to the vial of holy water that Wood had given him. He held up the vial and said "Do you want this back, or should I hole onto it until next time I need it?
Wood hands the rogue another. "Keep the two. You will need them!"
Vertielle takes samples from the skeleton and does her best to determine what powers the flames.
"Well, tha's done. Shall we con'inue back ta th' west?"
Rova pauses a moment, seemingly in concentration. [Regain psi-focus]
"Say, I kin use a good cam'fire hatchet..."
Rova examines the skeleton's axe - is it still flaming? Is it masterwork? If so [obviously magical or masterwork] Rova'll pick it up.
"Alrigh', les's find Vertielle's lil stash of knowledge."
Wood sends two of his slightly singed dogs ahead to the west to scout as one disappers.
Which way, Wood?.
To the west, where Vertiele wanted to go originally.
You all head to the west, once again confronting two side rooms, one closed and a lowered portcullis.
Vertielle heads into the south room, the captain's office.
This guardroom contains a single large table with two chairs astride it. A single sagging cot is pushed up against the eastern wall. Several battered cabinets line the northern wall, with a few arrows and bits of chainmail lying scattered on the floor nearby, yet the most eerie sight is the three fractured skulls sitting on the table next to a heavy hammer. The fragments of the skulls are arranged on the table in some sort of pattern, as if in an attempt to construct a fourth skull from the broken pieces. The leathery body of a long-dead dwarf, his wiry red hair an beard still vibrant even in death, lies slumped on the ground behind the table.
Zhiden followed her into the office, looking around for anything that might jump out at him. Finally looking over the corpse, he asked, "What are we looking for in here?"
As Zhiden begins to speak a hideous transformation overtakes the skulls as they reform and transform into floating heads.
Initiatives:
Evangline
Rova
Vertielle
Wood
Zhiden
skulls
Mosswater Maurader
Initiative order:
skulls
Zhiden
Evangline
Vertielelle
Rova
Wood
Mosswater Maurader
Skull 1 screams: Will save, please.
Skull 2 attacks Vertielle
Skull 3 attacks Zhiden
Anyone within 30' of the thing.
DC 10 or shaken for rounds. (sonic, mind-affecting fear effect)
Zhiden flinched for a moment, both from the shock of being struck and because of the from the other one. He thought about retreating, running back into the last room and letting someone else stand in front. He shook it off quickly though, if he was brave enough to risk the certainty of death by torture that attempting to escape Chelaxian slavery was.
He raised his arms and brought them together at opposite sides of the skull, hopefully stabbing it through each temple.
Attack 1:
Damage 1:
Attack 2:
Damage 2:
The skull, partially assembled, rockets into Vertielle's unprotected arm, the jagged edges cutting a gouge across her shoulder and collarbone, drawing a reluctant well of blood that drips hideously on the ground. While the blow wasn't forceful, she gasps in something like pain when it hits, and finishes the aspiration with a hint of fear.
Addled by the attack, she scrambles to recognize the phenomena that's occurring. Stepping back, she grasps her whip partway up the switch and flicks her wrist.
She misjudged the distance, however, and the length snaps feet away from her target.
"What the Heck is that?"
The spirit of Ispin Onyxcudgel!
"are you sure?"
Well... No. But the hammer, and shattered skulls... Look for the remains of a dwarf!
Zhiden's first swing on his target msses, but the second hits cleanly.
The dogs, being well ahead.......
Will
are shaken but not stirred as they rush to flank the dwarf while he is flatfooted.
Damage
Trip?
As the skulss begin their attack, the ghostly form of a sobbing dwarf wielding a hammer rises from the body. A ghostly skull also rises and floats in the air nearby. This skull's crainum is laced with cracks and is blatenly missing a knife-shaped shard of bone along one side.
Will save:
Rova fails an easy save...
Rova bellows a challenge, "I will stop..hammer time!"
Rova swings for one of the skulls with the mace in hand (magic, silver)..
Attack:
Damage:
"I can't touch that!"
Your wife is dead, Ispin! Nothing now will bring her back. Join her in the afterlife! Stop this madness!
If the dwarf is not solid, the dogs will ready attack until the dwarf solidifies after flanking.
Will
Wood advanced shooting acid at an unengaged skull.
Touch AC/damage
Since the skull that had attacked him was still moving, Zhiden swiped at it again. If nothing else, he would put enough holes in it that would fall apart on its own. He was vaguely aware that there was something ghostly and frightening going on nearby, but he couldn't be bothered to investigate. Besides, in the moment that he came under attack, his fear subsided, if only temporarily.
Attack 1:
Damage 1:
Attack 2:
Damage 2:
vs
Round 2:
vs
vs
Skull 2 screams, will save DC 10 again.
Once again, Zhiden's first blow misses, but his second shatters skull #3.
Eva attacks a skull
Eva's second blow strikes one of the skulls, but fails to destroy it.
As Zhiden destroys the skull on him, the ghostly dwarven form flinches.
Will save:
Saves vs. new fear.
Autohypnosis vs. prev fear:
Rova shakes off the shaken condition..
"Huh. Screamin' skull - wazz so scary?"
Rova shifts the grip on his mace and swings at a skull..
Attack:
Damage:
Rova's swing leaves the skull a very messy jigsaw..
"There! Put *THAT* back t'gether, chump!"
Rova's mighty blow causes the dwarven form to flich once more.
Vertielle cracks her whip at the last skull, aiming for the fault Eva cracked in it.
Eva Channels to Harm Undead
Vertielle takes twenty to search the room once the spirit dissipates.
"Well, tha's the end o' that! One less crazy ghostie playin' wid it's puzzles."
Rova quietly wonders if there's a market for skull-shaped piece-together puzzles, then decides it's just as bad an idea as his LAST money-making attempt.
Wood peeks in after the dwarf is destroyed. "Good job on that. I was trying to control my spellbook again. Well, now we can search the room."
Vertielle manages to locate a hidden door in the southern wall. It's locked.
"Zhiden, that is your cue."
Vertielle already has her tools in the door as Wood turns to Zhiden. At the sound of his voice, she turns around, an adjustable magnifying glass in place over her eye, and holding an extendable mirror in her teeth.
Eh?