Tora no Senaka - The Back of the Tiger
Game Master Dreaming Warforged

Pavel takes point, sneaking as quietly as he can up to the tower.
Stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

"I don't think that anyone is going to be waiting for us in the tower. We already had passed through there, and it is hardly defensible. I expect that we will find our foe below."

You make your way back and find the staircase leading to the upper floor of the tower. The walls of this semicircular room are lined with bookshelves, although the majority of the books lie in disorganized piles on the floor. A large, filthy nest of grass, branches, and strips of cloth is tucked in the northeastern corner of the room, while a wooden door sits in the wall to the northwest. The door leads to outside, but without a balcony or even a railing, leading to a drop down the outside northern wall of the castle.

You find nothing else of interest in this room.

Sorry, I had a hard time keeping up. As I am not leaving, I'll put some effort to put the game back on track.

Do you wish to explore further or simply take the stairs leading underground. If so, please let me know if you wish to use the one north, or the one south.

Explore further. Perception:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

If we don't find anything more, take the north stairs leading underground

"Some sort of large bird must be living here. We should leave before it returns." Izumi pipes in. He didn't care much for THAT idea.

Izumi's vote is also for the north staircase.

Satisfied, you make your way down to the northern stairs. As you approac the room in which the starlircase is to be found, a shiver runs down your spine, for this is where a powerful haunting is located. You scratch your head, figuring how to make it across the room without fleeing in fear...

"I wonder if we close our eyes and stopper our ears, if the magic will be as effective against us. We are already aware that it exists and that it has no significant harm to us..."

Sorin looks across the room, measuring it off with his eyes. He then shuts them tightly, sticks his fingers in his ears and marches across the room, counting his steps silently to himself.

As he gets closer to where he calculated the stairs to be, he begins feeling around with his foot for the edge, sweeping his boot across the flagstones as he shuffles forward.

Knowledge (religion) could help as well.

Garand will attempt to recall anything useful, knitting his brow in concentration

Untrained in knowledge (religion), so max DC 10. 1d20 ⇒ 14

"Wh'What if we just spruh'sprinkled some holy water in there as we went through? Thuh'think I got some...", Pavel says as he digs through his pack.

"The haunting presences will not depart until whatever terrible wrongs caused them to linger here have been righted. Does anyone know of the history of this place, to perhaps determine what has left such a lasting mark behind upon the fabric of the structure itself?"

Knowledge history? Knowledge local? Garand's got neither, but will attempt a DC 10 untrained check. 1d20 ⇒ 5

Is there a way down from this side of the haunted room? The south stairs? Maybe we can just go under it.

The south stairs are easily accessible. The north stairs require you to make the save or flee in fear.

Unless you find another way to bypass the haunt...

"Luh'let's just go down the suh'south side, then. Unless you guys got a plan."
We didn't find an official "this is what happened" document or anything right?

You found the captain's notes, and a kid's drawings in one of the closets, but nothing explicit.

Sorin shrugs and follows Pavel.

By the way, I had been assuming that Sorin had walked forward per the description with his eyes closed and fingers in his ears. It made sense that the magic was sensory, and that without experiencing it, he would avoid it. You never said what the result was though...

Sorry, was giving time for the others to chime in.

with caution, Sorin approaches and enters the room, eyes closed. A heavy silence follows, then a strong smell of iron fills his nose as his tongue seem to roll in black blood. A wail, as though from a hundred damned soul, makes his head spin as he retraces his steps, his heart gripped by a claw...

"South it is", Raith follows Pavel.

As you move into the room, the smell of the defeated trogs fills your nostrils and you wonder for a moment whether the torments of the soul do not equate the ones of the flesh, for the stench is enough to make you hesitate.

The staircase angles as it goes down, reaching into the depth of Brinewall Castle. Faint sounds float up the shaft...

Perception and stealth for the two leading the way (Raith and Pavel?)

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Stealth: 1d20 + 8 - 1 ⇒ (5) + 8 - 1 = 12
Do you have an estimate for how much longer our spell effects are running?

Perception:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15
Stealth:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Swift and silent Raith follows as though he were Pavel's shadow.

Pavel is a little loud as he steps down the stairs. A furtive voice is heard above the dim.

I'll allow every spell effect that was minute per level to run for a few more.

Raith holds up his hand, palm open and away, indicating stop. He looks back to Izumi and waves him forward. When Izumi closes, he points to his ear and where the voice came from, then places his hand on his hilt.

Izumi quietly draws his sword and steps to the front of the group.

Stealth: 1d20 + 1 - 6 ⇒ (11) + 1 - 6 = 6

As Izumi goes down the stairs, armor clanking loudly on the uneven stone steps, the stairs turn sharply to reveal a next short flight, at the end of which lies a closed door, about five foot in height and four in width, heavily reinforced with iron plates and nails.

Marching order? Izumi, Raith, Pavel, bear-spirit, Garand and Sorin?

Garand would prefer to be before bear-spirit, if possible.

Ok.

Works for me!

Pavel is in front of Raith per their usual order. Pavel and Izumi form the vanguard of our group.

Izumi, Pavel, Raith, Garand and bear-spirit, then Sorin, are forming a line in the staircase leading to the door. All is silent now, though they know someone is waiting for the on the other side...

Izumi moves to the door, shield held at the ready. The reinforcement of the door makes Izumi think it is probably locked, but he will try the handle anyway.

If it is indeed locked, Izumi will attempt to bash it down.

Strength Check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

The door is not locked... And it's a push door.

If you open it, please all of you post your action. It's a move action to open the door. If you prefer, I can post a description of the room once the door is opened, but I'll base it on a perception check.

Izumi will total defense action as a standard action, and move action to push open the door. This will give him 25 AC on the first round.

Raith moves behind Pavel. Takes a defensive stance: Total Defense.

Perception:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

Garand peers past the others into the room, curious as to whom the speaker(s) could be.

Perception check 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

Pavel follows closely after Izumi, bellowing, "Drop yer wuh'weapons and no one gets hurt!"
His intimidating bluster is ruined by his stutter.
Intimidate: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

Sorin pulls out his scroll of Enlarge Person, and holds it ready, peering around Garand's back to see into the room.

"What do you see? Izumi...Pavel?"

Sorry, I thought I had posted this, but I didn't do it right...
As the door opens, you are greated by a deafening battle cry as hordes of troglodytes watch the door open.

Initiative groups:
Group 1: Kikonu
Group 2: The Bold Adventurers
Group 3: Orbakhag's Trogs

Round 1 - Kikonu
From the back of the room, you hear a laughter like shattered glass: "Well go on then! Kill'em! But make it fun!!!"

You're all up!
Map

Garand begins calling upon spirits of the land, hungry for blood, to attack these creatures.

Spontaneously converting prepared lesser restoration to summon nature's ally II, to summon 1d3 stirges, which will appear on his action next round. 1d3 ⇒ 2

Through their link as a free action, Garand directs bear-spirit to 'Defend' Izumi, so that he delays his action until Izumi is attacked, at which point he will move forward and attack.

bear-spirit's bite attack, on the closest trog that attacks Izumi. 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
damage 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Pavel steps in past Izumi into the room, keeping the wall to his back and the cavalier on his right. He swings his longsword at the nearest lizard man.
Move ten feet next to Izumi, attacking Trog 3.
Longsword: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 241d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
Or he'll take the closest spot not occupied by the bear.

Sorin, Izumi and Raith are up.

Raith holds full defensive. He is watching to see how the room sets up.

Sorin pulls out one of his scrolls of Enlarge Person and begins chanting off the words, pulling the magical flows together and begining to activate the stored spell energy.

Izumi steps out into the room, moving in the opposite direction as Pavel, forming up against the Troglodytes, striking out against the center of the lizard-creatures formed up against the party. "Found some more minions to die while you cower?" Izumi calls out Kikonu, coward that he is.

5ft step down. Attacking Trog 2.
Mwk Katana (/w Power Attack & Combat Expertise): 1d20 + 7 - 1 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 7 - 1 - 1 = 25
Critical Threat Confirm: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Damage: 2d8 + 10 ⇒ (2, 3) + 10 = 15
AC21/To12/FF20

Round 1 - Ameiko’s Foolish Friends
Garand begins calling upon spirits of the land, hungry for blood, to attack these creatures.

Through their link as a free action, Garand directs bear-spirit to 'Defend' Izumi, so that he delays his action until Izumi is attacked, at which point he will move forward and attack, but the trog is ready for it and dodges the bite.

Pavel steps in past Izumi into the room, keeping the wall to his back and the cavalier on his right. He swings his longsword at the nearest lizard man and catches him off guard, slicing deep in its shoulder.

Raith holds full defensive. He is watching to see how the battle sets up.

Sorin pulls out one of his scrolls of Enlarge Person and begins chanting off the words, pulling the magical flows together and beginning to activate the stored spell energy.

Izumi steps out into the room, moving in the opposite direction as Pavel, forming up against the Troglodytes, striking out against the center of the lizard-creatures formed up against the party. "Found some more minions to die while you cower?" Izumi calls out Kikonu, coward that he is. His ancestral blade slices neatly through the trog’s thick neck, sending dark blood upward and the trog’s body down.

Round 1 - Orbakhag’s Troglodyte Squad
The troglodytes close in on the intruders, clubs flailing, using their claws and their bites when they see an opening.

The savage fight goes on, but the troglodytes can’t find an opening, except for the two fighting Bear-spirit. Their clubs strike at the beast, sending it howling in pain. (-10 hp to Bear-spirit)

Orbakhag just sits back and laughs, enjoying the show: ”Yeah! I like bbq bear ribs!!!”

Round 2 - Kikonu
Kikonu watches the battle with interest. He shouts at Izumi: ”Inshō-tekina sukiru no kodomo! Soshite, sore wa anata ga motte iru sutekina kendesu. Ima, anata no yōna otoko ga ko no yōna basho de nani o sh!te imasu ka?”

Status
Enlarge Person in casting
Summon Monster in casting

Updated Map
All of you are up.

Acrobatics:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Raith runs behind Izumi and Bear spirit, slows slightly, one foot on Bear Spirit's hind end, another foot on Izumi's shoulder, he flips over the troglydyte facing Izumi landing behind it, with the speed of a snake he draws his blade and slashes.

Move through threatened square. Trog 1(CMD+5) and Trog 4 (CMD+2). Half speed from square right behind Izumi. Land in square right behind trog 1 flanking.

Free action quickdraw.
Attack:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24(1d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9)

Nice! :)

I can't get the map to load, so I'm just gonna make stuff up. :)

Bear-spirit attacks one of the troglodytes that attacked him, seemingly more angered at the pain of his injuries than intimidated.

bear spirit full attack
bite 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
claw 1 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
claw 2 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

bite damage 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
claw 1 damage 1d3 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
claw 2 damage 1d3 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Garand completes his conjuring, and two four-winged creatures that look like oversized ticks with drooping empty sack-like bellies, appear in the same space avoiding provoking AoOs by not having to move into the trogs space to attack as the same troglodyte bear-spirit has attacked.

Stirge 1 attack, melee touch 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
grapple check to hold on, if the Trog attempts to pull it free 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25
1 Con damage at the end of the round, if successful

Stirge 1 attack, melee touch 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
grapple check to hold on, if the Trog attempts to pull it free 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31
1 Con damage at the end of the round, if successful

Garand himself attempts to deliver healing to Izumi without getting interrupted by an opportunistic attack. cure light wounds, cast defensively, DC 17 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

He ends up losing the spell instead, attempting to pay attention to too many things at once.

If he can cast the spell without having to cast defensively... 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11 healing for Izumi