Raith Shadar |
Raith moves quickly to the door, listens, then steps aside to let Pavel and Izumi prepare to open the door and start the assault.
Perception:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25
Move into position to let Izumi and Pavel go through first. Give them no time and go in on them prepared to crush what stands before us.
The Celestial Bureaucracy |
Dungeons are hard for pace! I'll deal with some encounters differently. Give me feed back if you prefer another way.
Izumi and Pavel charge in, followed by Raith, Bear Spirit and Garand. Sorin moves in later.
War cries welcome your entry, filled with rage and fear. Four humanoids armed with simple clubs charge on you. They resemble cave lizards, with long tails and crests on their heads and backs, though standing. Their scaly hide is dull gray. The shouts you recognize as draconic.
Despite their positive views on combat and the own prowess of their race, the creatures are cut down swiftly, and their pet lizard proves in fact to be the real challenge, though one good cut from Pavel's axe brings it down.
Silence resumes anew through the castle. The air in this room feels stuffy and carries an eye-watering reptilian stink.
In the main room, a large table lies in shambles in the middle of this room, while crumbled suits of armor bearing decorations of dragons twisting around castle towers lie in heaps along the walls. A flight of stairs winds up along a curved wall to the north.
The other rooms bear several ruined beds and bunks lying in various states of disrepair. Their moldy mattresses are piled into filthy heaps against the walls.
Perception if you search the room.
Garand Stone-of-the-Moon |
Perception 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Garand entreats the spirits to gather near any items that bear magical auras, so that he can separate them from the others, detect magic and, in addition to seeking items of magic, or other items of value, he also looks to see if any of the decorated armor suits seem of high-enough quality to possibly serve as a nice gift to one of their absent friends.
The reptilian men are a suprise to him. Bird-men and lizard-men, in such proximity? What other sorts of animal-headed men might lurk here?
Sorin Saldward |
Sorin looks with distaste at the creatures. He nudges one with the toe of a boot, raising its face so he can view it more easily, before allowing it to flop back to the ground.
Arcana 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
"Just foul..."
The Celestial Bureaucracy |
Although the room is in disarray, you recognize a number of documents, maps, and troop lists that date back to the final nights of Castle Brinewall. This room has sheltered the documents somewhat, but they’re still damaged.
The citizens of Brinewall are rioting, though their reasons are unclear. Fire is spreading through some of the houses below. The Captain has ordered an offensive to bring order and investigate.
An investigation of the mattress reveals a bejeweled silk gown set with pearls worth
450 gp that is in remarkably clean condition.The oni are a diverse group of evil spirits who take on the form of humanoid creatures so that they can enjoy the pleasures and vices of the flesh. The most widespread of the oni are the creatures known across the world as ogre mages. They are but one variety of these evil spirits. More common in Tian Xia than other parts of the world, oni clothe themselves in a variety of humanoid bodies—often in lumbering forms with monstrous features, distortions of given humanoid breeds.
When an oni first takes humanoid shape, it remains bound to that shape for the rest of its life. Its features may be oversized (large fangs or huge malformed ears), misshapen (hunched back or twisted arms), or appear in grotesque abundance (three or more eyes or six-fingered hands). While their powers are nearly as varied as their forms, all oni are shapechangers, though the shapes they assume are generally similar to their true forms.
Garand Stone-of-the-Moon |
"The description of the mysterious rioting doesn't seem to have any obvious connection to whatever afflicts Ameiko," Garand says. "This Tien madman who thinks himself a playwright may have the answers we seek."
Yes, Garand can be single-minded... :)
Sorin Saldward |
"Oni..." Sorin murmurs. "I believe that these creatures are oni...a type of evil spirit that has taken the form of flesh. They typically are malformed in some way...they take humanoid form in order to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh, but being creatures of spirit, are unable to truly understand the form of flesh and blood, so they fail to form properly. My understanding is that one of the more powerful of these creatures is known as an ogre mage, a physically powerful oni with strong magical powers. We may be facing one here...possibly Kikonu."
"If we are done here, we should move on...the spells I cast will not last forever. We should continue, or depart and rest. I personally do not want to leave Kikonu free, and aware of our presence."
The Celestial Bureaucracy |
You converge to the north of the throne room, opening the door leading to the dungeon.
Old tapestries depicting a seaside castle hang askew on the walls of this circular room and a thick layer of dust cakes the floor. The air is musty and weirdly cold. Old bloodstains splatter the walls, along with numerous brutal gashes and slashes to the stone itself. Two doors hang askew on hinges in a passageway to the south, while to the north, a third door lies in fragments on the
floor, opening onto a flight of stairs leading down into darkness. A second staircase leads upward against the north wall.
One of the rooms seem to have been an office, perhaps the captain's. The officer’s desk and the chairs that once decorated the room lie in shambles on the floor. A flight of stairs leads up to
the southeast. The battered door to this room hangs askew, revealing a short hallway beyond.
The other room contains a large bed, an ornate writing desk, and a leather chair, all in shambles. Trophy displays for armor and weapons, lies on its wall, but everything has been smashed to ruins. A thick layer of dust clings to
everything in the room.
As you walk around the place, investigating, you find several scattered and hastily written notes among the desk’s shambles, one of which is part of a letter mentioning an attack on Brinewall Castle. The letter describes the attack as a night assault by men dressed in dark robes. The letter is unfinished...
As you read the letter, the air seems to thicken. All of a sudden, ghostly soldiers seemingly made of blood emerge shrieking from the bloody swaths on the walls, only to be hewn apart by unseen blows, spattering all with blood. You blood chills and you feel drained by a cold rush.
Will save DC 13. Success means 1 hp damage. Failure means 1d6 ⇒ 5 hp damage and frightened.
From the stairs leading down emerges a walking corpse, flesh rotting and putrid, dressed in heavy armour, wearing a command helmet. Its eye sockets glow with an unearthly red light.
Knowledge (religion)
Raith, Pavel and Izumi all converge to meet the new threat (if they don't run away, scared for their life...).
Map
You all get to act first as he gets to the top of the stairs.
Pavel |
Will save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Having steeled himself against the hauntings' effects, Pavel draws Whispering Shrike from its scabbard, figuring this must be no ordinary zombie. Looking into the corpse's gleaming red eyes, he kindles the horror and anger he felt while his family was devoured below him in his own home.
"Come on, you ugly bastard!"
Whispering Shrike w/favored enemy bonus: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 281d6 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Crit: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
Critical! 22 hp damage!
Garand Stone-of-the-Moon |
Garand Will save 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
bear-spirit Will save 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Knowledge (religion) untrained, can't beat DC 10 1d20 ⇒ 18
Stricken by supernatural terror, both Garand and bear-spirit flee the room, out the direction they entered.
Sorin Saldward |
Sorry, just got back from Manila today...long flight.
Will Save 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
"Another haunting! The walls must be drenched in the fear and pain of those slain here..."
Sorin moves out of the way, so the warriors can do their work.
The Celestial Bureaucracy |
Round 1 - The Travelers
Having steeled himself against the hauntings' effects, Pavel draws Whispering Shrike from its scabbard, figuring this must be no ordinary zombie. Looking into the corpse's gleaming red eyes, he kindles the horror and anger he felt while his family was devoured below him in his own home.
"Come on, you ugly bastard!"
His blade sinks deep in the rotten and putrid flesh, almost cutting the monstrosity in two!
Raith's hand grabs the hilt of his blade and he drops into a battle stance.
Stricken by supernatural terror, both Garand and bear-spirit flee the room, out the direction they entered. As they move past, the former captain of Brinewall slaps at Garand with a long fingered claw: ”Cowards!”
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22; 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
The blow lands squarely in the druid’s face. He reels in pain but keeps fleeing. Running, Garand, feels his bone seize and become brittle as his very life is sucked from him. (Energy Drain, -4 hp from blow, -5 hp from drain, -1 all d20 rolls, save DC 14 in 24 hours or become permanent.)
Furthermore, the creature seems to heal from the blow it landed!
Sorin moves out of the way: "Another haunting! The walls must be drenched in the fear and pain of those slain here..."
Izumi (1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16) fights his fear and strikes at the horror, aiming for the shoulder.
1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15; 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
The ancestral katana cuts through the undead and brings it to its knees, before it had a chance to strike back.
Combat over.
Sorin Saldward |
Sorin makes a quick pass with his hands, searching the corpse and the room for any sign of magic. Detect Magic
He then squats down next to the undead remains and looks for any indications or markings as to his identity.
"If this room is anything like the one on the floor above, we need to complete our business and move on in short order. I just had a thought: Is this room underneath the other haunted room?"
Sorin Saldward |
"The sword is magical. It may be connected with this room though, in which case it could have an enchantment with significant negative consequences...please give me a moment to examine it."
Spellcraft: if the sword is connected magically to the room, Sorin will not handle it. 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20
Sorin kneels over and flips the sword with the toe of his boot, examining it without coming into contact with it.
Izumi Chosokate |
"If this room is anything like the one on the floor above, we need to complete our business and move on in short order. I just had a thought: Is this room underneath the other haunted room?"
"I think you're right with that Sorin. There are some spirits that died in fear here... And these deep gashes in the stone. Some monstrous creature must've attacked here. I agree though, we shouldn't linger. Should with finish with this floor or head down the stairs now?"
Garand Stone-of-the-Moon |
Garand makes sure that bear-spirit has not run into any sort of danger, calling him back to his side. The bear is teetering on the brink of unconsciousness, and Garand examines his companions before meting out his limited supplies of healing.
With the negative level, is Garand capable of using a scroll of cure moderate wounds? He doesn't have UMD, and might not qualify to cast them normally, as he might not count as able to cast 2nd level spells atm... If he thinks he can, he will use a scroll of cure moderate wounds on Izumi.
scroll of cure moderate wounds on Izumi, if possible. 2d8 + 3 ⇒ (6, 6) + 3 = 15
wand of cure light wounds on bear-spirit 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Sorin Saldward |
"While I agree that we need to complete this floor first, I am concerned about leaving an enemy in the castle and aware of our presence. If Kikonu steals up upon us in the night, I think we would be sorely pressed to repulse his assault. Of course, if we are at the limits of our magical strength, it may be best...what do you say Garand? Finish the floor and find a bolt-hole to rest the night?"
Pavel |
"What's say we cuh'compromise, then? Raith and I can sc'scout out the other doors, give each one a listen and if we hear that guy with the buh'big nose, we can decide from thuh'there."
Assuming everyone agrees, Pavel just sort of walks off and listens at the remaining doors.
1 Perception check for each door?
Stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 121d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 171d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Sorin Saldward |
Sorin picks up the longsword, explaining that it has a minor enchantment on it.
Whoops...almost left it.
Raith Shadar |
Go back to the main camp and rest. Give us a chance for some extra healing from Koya and additional reinforcements in a fight. Maybe we'll get to hear Ameiko speak in a spooky, possesed voice and give us more information we need to know.
Sorin Saldward |
"No, but we have a key to the castle, and you can always climb back up and open the gate house if the doors get closed by someone. I don't think that this problems are insurmountable."