As refreshed as you are ever likely to be in the unpleasant atmosphere of the Shadowfell, the group waken and prepare to enter the newly operational teleportation circle.
Around you, scattered shards of the Acererak construct remind you of the Archlich's power. It is starting to look as if the rumours of his demise have been exaggerated. Whatever plots are afoot, more remains to be discovered, and, if half the tales you've heard are true, stopped.
Is there anything salvageable in the remnants of the construct? (Apart from the earrings). It might be worth investigating. By someone more observant than Arishat.
Nothing remains worth salvaging from the construct itself, but it does seem clear that the gems were intended to do more that act as decoration.
Thom recognises the fragments for what they are. One of Acererak's less pleasant tendencies was his penchant for trapping the souls of those who ventured into his dungeons to feed his own life force. It seems that he endowed his construct self with the same ability - albeit without enough intelligence to use them to their full effect.
What Arishat is wearing in her ears once contained the souls of brave, but luckless, adventurers. Felling the construct released the souls back into the care of The Raven Queen.
Barel mutters loudly, "I am just glad none of us ended up in one of those. AND lets hope we can avoid it if and when we meet up with him!"
Thom nods at Barel, "I am with you on that sentiment."
He then turns his attention to the teleportation circle, "Now let's see what we can do to get you working again..."
What Arishat is wearing in her ears once contained the souls of brave, but luckless, adventurers. Felling the construct released the souls back into the care of The Raven Queen.
"I think I'm just going to pretend I never heard that."
Cash Deathly Shroud before we head out.
Religion =
Under Thom's ministrations, the teleportation circle reactivates and thrums promisingly. Tavar, meanwhile, performs the ritual that makes the whole party look like undead. As the zombie-like pallor settles over the group, all seems ready
You step through the circle and feel fresh air on your faces for the first time in many days. After the oppressive dungeon, your new surroundings seem almost springlike. Some instinct tells you that you are back in the mortal world, but every other sense you possess shouts "danger".
You have arrived in a ruined courtyard at the bottom of a hill. Dominating the top - and the whole surrounding city - is an enormous skull. Each tooth is twenty feet high and they surround a grinning jaw leading into darkness.
Some appalling cataclysm seems to have struck, for the place is in ruin. Mist shrouds much of the courtyard, but you can make out a central pool liberally surrounded with bones, and you can see two robed human figures moving quietly among the ruins.
Y12
"This looks like the Raven Queens realm but much less mantained. whoever built this place let their devotion laspe."
Tavar looks disparagingly at his surroundings.
W17
"It doesn't look like a tiefling city." Arishat looks around. "Too many skulls, not enough devil faces."
X17
"Another place that has to go into our pamphlet of places to see thought. Seems like we cannot go anywhere without finding a great place to take a holiday."
Barel moves into place attempting to be relativley quiet, but mostly just wanting to be close to a reassuring wall!
Lanthair waits stoically for whatever comes.
"Great, another vacation spot."
@RevDM:
Initiative =
Initiative = 1d20+16
39 with Arishat's bonus.
"Enemies! What do you mean, enemies? Where? Oh, over there." Arishat peers around, slow to notice the enemies let alone react to them.
Like many a warlord before her, Arishat prefers to assess the situation thoroughly before wading into battle.
Tavar calls upon the Raven Queen to grant the group good luck in the up coming battle.
cast good omens, everyone gains a +5 power bonus to all d20 rolls till the end of Tavars next turn but you cannot score a critical hit. Now is the time to spend those AP's and get multiple attacks.
move to V12, spend an ap and cast Cascade of Light at B1.
attack vs will, , damage = if hit B1 gain vulnerability 5 to all my attacks (SE). If I miss B1 takes half damage.
Tavar's patronesss drops an eloquent blessing on the group.
Inspired by her, the deva strides forward and outlines BM1 with a corruscating display of light. Glowing like a seasonal ornament, the man flinches and spins to look at the intruders.
Lynore slinks forward marking the mage for death, and throws a barriage of shadowy attacks at her foe.
BM2 is bloodied before he can breathe as Lynore emerges from the rubble, pounds him with dark energy and vanishes from his sight.
Thom decides to make the first Black Mage's life more difficult.
Made wary, the Black Mage spots the incoming attack and dodges. The power of Thom's mini-force field hurtles past him and the mage can't avoid taking some damage, however.
With surprising speed, given his short legs, Lanthair bolts to the mage and launches a flurry of fists and feet.
Lanthair scurries towards the embattled mage and distracts him long enough to land another mighty blow. Drawn by the sounds of battle, four insubstantial, wailing wraiths emerge from behind the rubble piles.