Lilith Sylvari |
Lilith blinks a few times in recovery. Did we use up the magic or something? She reaches back behind one shoulder touching something there.
GM Fiendish |
Something unusual was going on here, there was a positive energy spell of some sort in the chalice, and it was suffusing the room. It reacted to each of you in a different way, but evidently got snagged on Lenneth's arcane power source and had a very bad reaction, her patron did something to prevent the positive energy spell from affecting everyone, as there appears to have been some danger. It is unknown what the spell might have done, or to who, but either way the flames are gone, whatever was powering them has been completely spent.
Euron's spell illuminates the room, which now looks like a simple chamber of lifeless dull gray stone. There is still the closed door at the back and the doorway leading to the stairs upwards.
Polonius Fynch |
Out of interest, what time of day is it?
I don't know, Lillith. That was far beyond my understanding of magic. I'm just glad we are all ok. For a moment I felt like I was in all of your minds, I could feel all of your worries and hopes and... everything. Strange.
He looks around the room, now so bleak.
Once we've all recovered a little, we have a decision to make here. I don't know if those groaners are still at the fence. If they are then we can either try to fight our way through and get back to Ameiko and Kaiya. Or hold up here. Either way, I think for now we should explore the rest of this church. Anything we find could be useful, even some holy water.
He looks at the door at the back of the church;
Euron, Azmerai, would you like to lead on?
Azmerai |
After his prayers Azmerai goes to Lenneth and asks her to come to the side. He looks very ashamed and then speaks.
After hearing Polonius words Azmerai nods and draws the sword and moves slowly to the door, checking for any traps.
perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Lilith Sylvari |
After reaching awkwardly behind her back for a moment Lilith's face grows a little longer. Hold a moment. She breaths deeply a few times as she looks at everyone. She looks scared. I, um, you all are becoming friends. I have to tell you something. Maybe this holy place, has compelled me to do so, or maybe it has just given me the courage to do the right thing. She pauses again, looking around as if for a way to escape. Finally, with resolve she says I fear Euron was right. I am infected. But I do not know with what. I was bitten by that monk thing in the barn. It had me stunned and helpless just before you all came in. It, it took care to bite me in a spot that I could not easily see. It placed the bite there almost with care and was not trying to inflict harm. Her eyes grow wider with fear as she re-lives the moment. I had no right to hide this so long. she says sobbing just a little. I wanted to tell you, and was going to. But then Kaiya killed the dwarf who was infected, and I was afraid what you all might do to me. she hangs her head low then turns her back to the group and slowly shifts her robe revealing the wound that she herself has not gotten a good look at. It burns.
Euron Velren |
Euron takes a seat in one of the pews, the light still radiating from his weapon. A crushing feeling passes over him as he hears Polos words. They don't know, if they knew we would be having a different conversation. He then stands and points his weapon as the back of the church. "We should atleast search, i agree with you there but after that we must try and get back to these other survivors with what happened with your friend." He looks down at Turney. "It might be the safest place for all of us." Nodding to himself be begins to follow behind Azmerai, but turns back as Lilith speaks.
"Lilith I... I had see a bite like that before i didn't know if the bite turned them or if the bite just killed them and then they came back..." He takes a better look as she shows everyone else.
Fiendish would i have any idea how to help Lilith/treat her?
Lilith Sylvari |
Note that this was not a regular groaner. This was an intelligent undead. So if Lilith is "turning" it might be into something totally different from a groaner...
GM Fiendish |
Everyone you've seen bitten thus far has turned, whether it took 5 hours or 5 days, no-one has ever recovered to your knowledge. But that's the standard zombie bite...
Lenneth Barlow |
Sorry, have had some RL drama this week but I think it's finally dying down..
Lenneth staggers as the last vestiges of whatever possessed her and her companions fades away, leaving them alone in the church. A whirl of emotions surges through her; on some primal level she knows that their minds were briefly joined as one but the sheer scale of it is nearly impossible to comprehend on an intellectual level.
Fear...regret...relief...shame...what belongs to who? And what does it mean for us?
Looking down, she gasps in alarm at seeing Indigo's lifeless form at her feet but then breathes a sigh of relief as the rise and fall of his side indicate that he's still alive. Carefully gathering him up in her arms, she looks around at the rest of the group, unsure of what to say.
"I told you before...the forces that gave me my powers, that sent Indigo to me...they know things. They see, they observe. I think they were observing just now. I don't know why; I've not been able to figure it out. All I can say is that I don't believe that they're evil, but I don't believe that they're good, either. They just...are."
She then turns and looks at her companion Lilith, infected and trembling. "You're right, you should have told us sooner. But there's nothing we can do about it now; we still need to focus on getting out of here and back to Kaiya and Meiko. If we live that long, then we can worry about what to do with you." Though her words sound harsh, there's more fear than venom to them and it's fairly obvious that Lenneth is unnerved at the thought of potentially losing another companion so soon.
Shaking her head, she then mutters, "And I'm fine. Let's just worry about staying alive, okay? We can talk later."
Turrey...it should be you doing this, not me. Why did you have to die?
Valex |
kn/rel: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14
To the questions about the Chalice and its magic, Valex can only shake his head in wonder...and regret, that it could not be harnessed.
His face drops in sympathy when Lilith reveals her bite. "Master Polonius, you mentioned that you may be able to make more Antiplague? It may well be our best course to help Lilith."
At Polonius's suggestion to search, he responds: "Before the Red Harvest, I was an academic...at the University in Magnimar. I've come across some signs here that lead me to believe there may be a cache of supplies here - things useful to adventurers. I don't see anything here in the sanctuary, but we can certainly search the rest of the grounds."
Valex knows more than he's saying about this cache and how he knows about it.
Lilith Sylvari |
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (6) + 0 = 6
Once the reactions from her revelation have settled Lilith breaks out a loaf of bread and a wheel of cheese. We need to eat too. Everyone have some. she says and partakes herself. She then will cast Detect Magic and approach the altar to inspect it, the book and the cup.
Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
This place seems to have been dedicated to a pantheon and not a single deity. She says as she looks around. Out of character knowledge from Rise of the Rune Lords.
Polonius Fynch |
I have come to the same conclusion, Valex. If only I had more time to study the notes in that other alchemist's lab. Ahhh but life is made of regrets... If this place is safe I can try and brew some tonight using what I've scavenged. he begins to whisper then. It will boost her immune system and give her a chance. But honestly I can't say for certain if it will work.
Euron Velren |
Euron looks Lilith up and down as she hands him some bread and cheese. "Thank you, there is no need to worry Polonius spoke of this Antiplague im sure it will help Pharasma won't take you yet i believe we all have a big part of play in this world."
Taking 20 to search the area as we head to the door
GM Fiendish |
Glad things are settling for you Lenneth :)
Azmerai and Euron open the back door and see a corridor with other doors off it, most of them open. A brief but cautious check reveals no apparent threats. There is a robing chamber, an office and a sparse bedroom, all of which have been stripped of anything useful. A quick search turns up two wooden holy symbols of Desna, one of Erastil, six simple hessian robes hung up on pegs and one of white cotton complete with ornate hat (though it looks like several strips have been torn off this one, likely to serve as bandages or similar).. There is a short set of steps leading down to a reinforced door with a metal lock. Lastly there is another door leading outside to the rear of the building, evidently used by the priests coming and going when the front doors were shut.
Lilith your ooc knowledge is correct, I mentioned the multiple denominations aspect when describing your party's entrance to the cathedral so all good :)
Lilith's spell causes the book to emanate a very faint white light you recognise as positive energy, a dim shadow of the chalice's now extinguished luminous flames. The altar and chalice are completely unreactive. Whatever power the chalice had has now gone. The paper tiger crouches in a defensive position as you approach, but it too glows with the same light as the book does.
Lilith Sylvari |
The book is still magic. Lilith notes. Should we bring it, or should it stay here? she asks the group but looks particularly at Lenneth.
When the holy symbols are found she asks to carry one of the Desna symbols My mother's people revered Desna back before our move to Cheliax. She notes. She is certain that her claiming this symbol would anger Asmodeus, but she had never worshiped the god of contracts so much as dealt with him and his clerics as part of the price to be at court in Egorian and deal with the House of Thrune.
She is intrigued with the downstairs room. Can we get past that lock? She asks and checks the door for both magic and traps.
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
Valex |
Valex follows Azmeri and Euron down the hall. reaching the metal door, he'll take a few minutes to examine it.
Take 20 on perception for at total of 25.
If the door seems safe, he'll press his ear to it for a bit, listening for any sign of movement beyond.
perception(listen): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
"Well, I'm without the proper tools for this sort of thing, but I can try..."
If its seems quiet, he'll take a stab at the lock. disable device without tools: 1d20 + 6 - 10 ⇒ (3) + 6 - 10 = -1
There is a horiffic metallic scraping noise, and then Valex is frowning down a the huge nick in the blade fo the dagger he was using to fiddle with the lock. He hrumphs in disgust, and says "I don't think I'll make any headway here. I left a fine set of lockpi..er...locksmith's tools back in Magnimar...seemed like the least of my worries, at the time."
Lenneth Barlow |
Lenneth carefully opens her pack so that Indigo can crawl back in. Before closing it back up, she tries to make sure that he's as comfortable as can be under the circumstances.
I'm sorry...I promise we'll try to rest soon.
With that done, she turns her attention to the matters at hand.
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
"Really? They must research and instruct on a wide variety of topics at universities, if you know how to look for these caches. But if it's still here, I'll certainly not complain."
Odd thing to know without being one of the faith, but I suppose we all have our secrets - Lilith proved that.
Azmerai |
Azmerai will stand before the holy symbols and ponder for a while. Picking one up, he kisses it and hangs it around his neck.
Looking at the robes he shrugs and puts them into his sack, too.
"Good clothes. We might need them!" He then walks to the paper tiger and whispers.
GM Fiendish |
Lilith detects no magic or traps on the door, it just seems a very well built, thick oak door, banded with metal straps.
Valex sees nothing of interest in the corridor or any of the rooms, and hears nothing through the door. For a moment, he thinks he heard the lock laughing at him, but puts it down to tiredness.
Even a simple lock has a DC of 20 so not a chance even with taking 20 :(
As Euron and Lenneth move past, the former's light spell causes the witch's shadow to distort, her hands looking like they are reaching out to grasp the notched blade Valex is frowning at, and then he realises that the knife's shadow is pointing upwards even though the dagger is held point down. The spell's light flares momentarily and when he looks again, everything is back to normal.
Indigo pushes a weak sense of gratitude at Lenneth and almost instantly curls up and falls asleep in her pack.
The tiger seems to consider Azmerai's words as the half-orc towers over it
CHA: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (18) - 1 = 17
He swears it looks at the holy symbol he has just donned, before it pounces on his hand, then sprints quickly up the arm to dig tiny, hard paper claws in to the leather on his shoulder.
It is midnight and you are all tired, if you wish to push on without resting then you'll need to pass a DC 15 fortitude check or be fatigued. Polo, that DC is 17 for you as you were burning the candle at both ends last night too :s
Polonius Fynch |
Polo stands and wrings his hands. He seems extremely anxious and be seems muttering to himself. He is clearly tired, the past few days have been gruelling but he is not yet ready to bunker down, not while Lillith still suffers.
GM Fiendish |
Crafting is not particularly well explained is it?!
The standard time to create of 1 week...out the window. Instead, for each 8 hour period of downtime spent crafting (max 1/day), a character can make a craft check and apply the check result against the gold piece cost of the item. Once you have accumulated a total craft check meeting or exceeding the gp cost, you have successfully made the item.
With Polo being able to craft in half the time, I'd say he can make two checks to determine progress in the 8 hour downtime window. Sound fair?
So if you roll 24 or more on your second check for the last 4 hour stint you will indeed have a shiny new ampoule of antiplague ready to dispense...
Polonius Fynch |
Yep, I follow all that. One last thing, if I craft this I am going to be fatigued or exhausted from lack of sleep?
Craft alchemy: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26
Fort save, tiredness: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Also, in normal circumstances with my accelerated crafting, can I attempt to make something in 4 hours but just get one check. I can't see us having 8 hours downtime very often. In that 4 or 8 hours can I take 10 or 20 on the check?
Lenneth Barlow |
"Good idea Azmerai, never hurts to have clean clothes; we can also use them for bandages if we have to."
Lenneth eyes the now-dead groaners, to see if it would be safe to approach and search them for anything of value.
Heal: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Perception: 1d20 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 1 + 2 = 21
Euron Velren |
As Azmerai speaks of sleep Euron finally feel his eyelids get heavy. "It is late, me and Valex have been on the move since early morning lets find a safe room hold up?" He losing his train of thought for a moment "We can't break this door down maybe there is a key somewhere? maybe out there with the groaners?"
Lilith Sylvari |
Ameiko needs us tonight. Do we dare rest here, even if its safe? She could be dead in the morning. Lilith says, feeling guilty for wanting to rest where its safe.
GM Fiendish |
You made the antiplague by dawn but failed the save, so yup you are tired, this kicks in after your roll though so all good on the craft check. Consider yourself fatigued.
Yes I think that as you can craft in half the time, yes you can make one check for every 4 hours, and you can take 10 as you'd be in a safe/secure place to craft anyway. I'll say no to taking 20 as there is a chance of failure on crafting.
Lenneth's check of the dead bodies in the pews yields few surprises, they are clad in mouldy, ragged and rotten clothing. One ripped belt pouch contains flint & tinder and 3 gp, another wears an expensive looking gold necklace. The only other thing you find is a child's wooden spinning top, still held in the clenched fist of one of the corpses.
Having investigated the building, it would be fairly easy to bar the front doors with the pews (a quick peek outside shows the assembled groaner throng still moaning at the gates of the grounds). The only other unexplored place is the bell tower.
Polonius Fynch |
We have no option, Lillith. Polo says, grimly. Kaiya is all alone in that shop too. She must be terrified. But if we go out there again tonight we're dead. We can't fight all the zombies at the gates and we can't sneak passed them.
I might have a chance of gettnig passed them unseen if I go alone. But whatever happened to us here showed me that my son was alive. He's out there and he's fighting but he's alive. And nothing is going to stop me getting to him. So I'm not going to risk my life to get to Ameiko tonight. If she dies because of that, then it's something I'll have to live with.
He turns away from the others and begins to set up what meagre alchemical equipment he has remaining.
But if it comes to a choice between her and my boy... I choose Benvolio every time.
He doesn't speak again but for hours he works tirelessly over his mortar and pestle and filters a pungeant green liquid through a cracked alembic. As the others begin to drift off into a restless sleep he continues to work. If I can't save Ameiko then at least I can give Lillith a fighting chance.
By morning his limbs are like lead and his eyes are sore and bloodshot. But the antiplague is complete. What good it does the wizard remains to be seen.
Valex |
Assuming the group is staying put for the night
After helping move the pews into place to bar the doors, Valex gratefully collapses into one of them.
In the morning, I'll search for the cache...
Lenneth Barlow |
Lenneth carefully pockets her findings, though she first shows the rest of the group what she found before doing so. "The flint and tinder would be the most useful....and maybe the money and the necklace can be used for barter if we ever find any sort of civilization. Or melted down for other purposes. Can always just toss them if they're weighing us down," she mumbles.
Reminder GM Fiendish, how long has the group (A) been away from Kaiya and (B) been away from Meiko at this point?
GM Fiendish |
OK moving forward...
The party spends the night in the church and for once there are no surprise interruptions to your rest, and though the pews and stone floor aren't the most comfortable beds you've slept in, your sleep is deep and healing, almost as if the last vestiges of divine energy present here have soaked in to your bones.
Everyone regains 2 hp for a good night's sleep, aside from Polo who was very busy muttering over smoking crucibles and working through the night, but he regains 1 hp as well somehow...
Meiko was last seen evening before last in the Rusty Dragon(32 hours ago), as you decided not to risk travelling at night to reach the apothecary shop so spent the night in the weapons and armour shop. Kaiya was last seen yesterday morning just before you left (24 hours ago)
It is just gone dawn, your stomachs rumble as you plan where to go next.
Polonius Fynch |
Lillith, take this. I think it'll help. Polo says. He then returns to his gear and begins preparing bombs, extracts and a mutagen. He feels sluggish and heavy limbed and decides a little alchemical pick me up is just the ticket.
Level 1 extracts
CLW
CLW
Crafters Fortune
Shield
Dex mutagen
Firebombs 7/7
Valex |
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm famished." He digs around in his pack, and glances around at the group, frowning a bit. "It looks like I have enough here for a meal for all of us, but that's about it. Let's have a bite, have a last look around the place, and head back towards your friends, shall we?"
Valex offers 7 trail rations, which should feed the group, unless my math-brain is still asleep.
GM Fiendish |
6 is good, Indigo crawls out of the witch's backpack for just enough time to swallow a couple of bites of the Lenneth's ration, before curling back up and dozing off again
Lilith if you'd care to roll for the cough-of-death inherited from Meiko please! Fort save DC 14, don't forget Polo's freshly brewed antiplague plus Lenneth's Fortune hex should you wish to use them on the roll...
Lilith Sylvari |
Lilith would have tried to help some with the alchemy, but laced the fortitude to stay up most of the night. Still she can tap the assist, if that helps any.
When Polo brings her the drought her eyes show gratitude. I am both grateful and impressed that you could produce this so fact Polonious. You are a skilled craftsman. she says, knowing this is a high complement to a gnome. She drinks down the brew coughing a little both before and after then she looks up at the other as the alchemical begins to work.
If you drink a vial of this foul-tasting, milky tonic, you gain a +5 alchemical bonus on Fortitude saving throws against disease for the next hour. If already infected, you may also make two saving throws (without the +5 bonus) that day and use the better result.
Taking the two rolls. Looks like she does not need the fotune, but did indeed need the antiplague.
fort save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
fort save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16
Oh, while sick would she recover any con with a good night's rest?
Euron Velren |
@Last night
"Polonius is right we can't risk going out there at night, we'll rest and get a better look at the situation tomorrow i pray your friend will be ok." He then turns and looks soloum at Polonius. "Your son... He's out there? is that what you saw? I've seen a lot of family destroyed because of all this." He trails off not able to hold eye contact with Polonius.
--
@morning
Euron wakes, groggy from the previous day but feeling some hope after meeting the new group of survivors. Packing his gear he takes five minutes to have a small pray to Pharasma, before moving to the others and settling down.
"Thank you Valex, I feel like we're going to need this today. We have a lot ahead of us." He takes a big bite of the ration and washes it down with water. "We need to finish our search of the church even he we break the doors down, we then need to head back to these friends of yours."
HP:20/30
Azmerai |
The night before walks away to dance and pray under the stars. Azemerai looks at the sturdy door. Remembering the halflings hobbies he checks his corpse for his lookpicks. If that doesn' t work he will try the barbarian's lockpick. The axe.
Valex |
After eating, Valex will search as much of the area as he deems safe - glancing at the gates to see if they are still swamped by Groaners - looking for other signs or markings that might lead him to a cache.
Take 20 on perception for 25, if possible. If not, per.: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Polonius Fynch |
Polonius sits heavily in one of the pews, rubbing at his tired eyes.
Aye. he replies to Euron, almost like a sigh. We were... separated before all this even happened. Every day I've fought and clawed and stolen to survive. All for him. All for the chance that he was still out there somewhere. And now I know he is. I have to find him. I have to...
Azmerai, Euron; take these. he says, tossing them both an extract of Cure Light Wounds.
Seeing the barbarian struggling with the door, Polonius offers his help.
Let me try with those?
If Azmerai lets me take the thieve's tools, I can get a 26 by taking 20 and drinking my Dex mutagen. Azmerai could also give me an additional 2 by aiding other.
Level 1 Extracts
Crafter's Fortune
Shield
Firebombs
7/7
Mutagen
+4 Dex, -2 Wis, +2 NA
GM Fiendish |
Lilith, that night whilst still sick, you do not recover any CON. On the plus side, you're on the road to recovery having kicked the sickness that most of the town appears to have succumbed to. Go you!
Azmerai re-checks Turrey's corpse, but confirms it was stripped of gear, no tools found. Probably a good thing as he remembers having no idea how to use them. Disable device is trained only :s The paper tiger watches on as Azmerai goes about his work, following him around on whisper quick paper paws.
He begins to chop the door with the axe. The reinforced timber sends splinters everywhere, it's very tough work.
Valex follows his nose up the stairs to the bell tower, a grueling 132 huffing, puffing steps to reach the tiny landing at the top, complete with less than reassuring guard rail around the large iron bell. Once he has his breath back, he realises the bell has some additional etching scrollwork on it, definitely in the right place. A quick search around reveals a loose stone in the wall, and a small battered coffer hidden behind. Popping it open reveals two smokesticks, a ring, a small leather pouch with 20 gp in and a rusty set of thieve's tools, a far cry from those fine lockpi locksmith's tools he once stol owned. Valex is momentarily distracted from his haul by the view, it's actually very difficult to see much, the smoke from the town fire nearly blacks out the sky now when looking south towards the rest of town. Northwards on to the water things are choppy, looks like the wind has picked up and is set to blow a fierce gale.
Returning downstairs and presuming he shares the tools he found, Azmerai is still hard at work chopping the door, which seems somewhat more resilient than any others encountered thus far. Some of you have seen the siege fortifications in castles, and this looks like similar construction.
Polo is able to use the tools, and with a few minute''s work plus re-checking for traps, opens the door. Even with it open only a crack, a noxious and vile smell pours forth.
Polonius Fynch |
The alchemist's hand goes instinctively to his mouth as the stench hits him. He has worked with lye and sulfur and a hundred other foul-smelling components, but this is something entirely different and he stumbles back away from the smell, retching as he does so.
Euron Velren |
As the door opens the stench hits Euron he pulls back covering his mouth, in all the months of dealing with the death he hasn't smelt anything this rotten before.
knowledge religion: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Euron Velren |
missed polo post sorry
Sitting down next to Polo, Euron listens intently. I'm truly sorry about your soon, but the vision it is leading you to him there is always hope. We found each other, I believe we can all make a difference in this new world I'm with you, I want to help you if there are more survivors out there. He says as he put a hand over his mouth stifling a yawn.
Euron Velren |
@Polo
"I understand the need to protect your son, If i knew my family was out there nothing would stop me. But the world has changed, we all have a necessity to help others we find to band together. I'm sure your son has the support he needs and when we find him it will only make us stronger."