Verily the last ghoul is dead as two arrows slam home ending the current threat.
As the group moves tentatively into the ruin , Nasira looks around. "Do you feel that? Even with the ghouls destroyed, there is a sense of wrongness here."
After some consideration, she offers, "I think the chapel has been desecrated. Just to strengthen the undead? To despoil a holy site? Or some other reason?"
"It would hardly be the first time foes we faced have desecrated a temple. I can use cantrips to clean the physical filth, but divine magic to reclaim this for the forces of light? That is more in the domain of godly folk."
Reiko slows her headlong rush at the final ghoul as Zeriax's arrows streak past her setting wisps of her black hair flowing in their wake. She's reasonably confident the archer has finished the final threat given the grouping of his shots - replacing each of the ghoul's eyes with a white-fletched arrow.
She keeps moving towards the door, just in case another threat emerges from that direction.
"It would hardly be the first time foes we faced have desecrated a temple. I can use cantrips to clean the physical filth, but divine magic to reclaim this for the forces of light? That is more in the domain of godly folk."
The Osirioni cleric nods, "I know. It is within my power to counter such a spell, but it requires silver dust, which I do not have with me, and quite a bit of it."
Reiko there is nothing that you can hear from the other side of the door.
With a gesture, Reiko indicates she hears nothing from the other room but waits - blade ready - in case something comes through.
Once the area is apparently secured, Zeriax moves in, picking up Reiko's bow and taking a central position near the benches, bow ready and covering Reiko's position in case something comes bursting through the doors.
Nasira moves over to where the ghoul clerics - or so they appeared - were hiding, scimitar in hand lest they be laying in wait. Now that she's closer, she wants to try to identify their unholy symbols.
The ghoul clerics each had a scroll, a flail and studded leather along with 96gp in coins.
Zeriax you notice nothing coming from either entrance and all seems relatively quiet and peaceful except for that feeling of oppression from the desecrate spell.
Before she touches anything, Nasira casts detect magic and scans the area, especially the 'clerics' and their possessions.
The scrolls and studded leather armors are magical. After some more searching you notice that there is no holy symbol on either of them. Clearly whatever is powering the desecrate ability in this room works also as a focus for the divine magics of the priestly ghouls should that have tried to cast any spells.
"These two have scrolls and armor that have magical dweomers. No sign of who or what they worshiped. What were they working on so diligently?"
She will remove the scrolls, careful not to come in contact with their diseased flesh. She is not concerned with their armor.
Moving closer to Reiko, Zeriax hands over her bow, and takes a closer look at the doors, to check if it is locked or trapped. Before he does so however, the monk conjures a simple detection spell to confirm if they possess also no magic.
I will allow you to spend 10 minutes to grind some silver coins into shavings and dust to cast the spell if you would like. It is time consuming as you do not have the proper tools to perform the job.
Zeriax, the door is not magical other than the desecrate spell covering the entire room. The door is not locked nor trapped as far as you can tell.
Reiko shoulders the bow with a nod of thanks and resumes holding Grass Cutter. She says quietly to the archer, "I wonder why that one was trying to get through the door."
"Yes, you are correct."
She takes a moment to roll the scrolls together and stow them, but does not study them before readying herself to enter the next room. Whispering, "We don't have quite the same firepower available this time."
Since the others are giving the door and walls examination, he does the same
Opening the door to the east you prepare for the worst but instead...
Three stone tables stand in this room, and their wooden benches
lie broken and half-rotten around them. Leather straps with
restraints stretch across their surface, buckled tightly in place.
Nearby, a knotted rope descends through a tiny hole in the ceiling.
With nothing of too much interest the group proceeds onward to the next doorway east again expecting something heinous to jump out at you but...
The ripe stench of decay chokes the air of this room, emanating
from the bodies of two deceased soldiers hanging from the
rafters. Various cabinets and tables stand around a fireplace
in the south wall, and doors lead east, west, and north.
Nasira you recognize the garb of the soldiers as those of members of your army that you lead. The flayed skin and butchered remains make it impossible to determine who they were exactly.
Continuing on exploring this nightmare redoubt you realize from Zeriax preliminary scouting that the door to the north opens up to the courtyard. Moving east you inspect the door and do not find it trapped or warded. Preparing once again you open the door to find...
The broken frames of several beds lie scattered
about this large room. Two of the more serviceable
ones have been pushed together to make a larger
sleeping pallet. A table and several chairs also
occupy the center of the room.
In the center of the room is a nightmare with wings and a battle aspergillum being attended to by 4 ghouls and another ghoul priest. It is being fed the flesh of one of the dead bodies from the 'kitchen you just passed through. It appears that the ghoul in the chapel was heading this way to alert this group but never made it far enough to complete his task. Instead of being ready for you and well prepared in advance they jump to the ready as quickly as possible.
Nasira
Maelchar
Pakak
Zeriax
Reiko
Sir Garith
The enemies react quicker as the ghouls charge forward to plug up the entrance to the room.
The ghouls then attack Garith with a vengeance however none of them hit the stalwart paladin.
charge bite attack for
charge bite attack for +4 aC
charge bite attack for +4 AC
The ghoul priest in the back pulls out a scroll and casts a spell. A shimmering light flail appears above Garith and swings down at him trying to strike him down.
spiritual weapon for
The shimmering weapon finds s chink in the defenses and scratches Garith for 3 points of damage.
The demonic looking winged creature looks you over and proclaims in a loud voice. You end is at hand and I, Nulkineth, shall feed you to my pets after they have your choice bits to me.
He then points a long crooked finger at you and a cold cloying miasma of greasy darkness surrounds you all filling every pore and seeping into your lungs. Good characters need a will save DC 18 or take of damage and sickened for rounds. Success ha;ves the damage and no sickened condition. Neutral characters need a DC 18 will save or take 10 damage. If successful only 5 damage.
This is a male half-nabasu human inquisitor of Kabriri. Every 5 above you can ask a question.
During the one round of prep, Maelchar would have created another weapon, this time a lucerne hammer (swift action), and cast lead blades on it(std action).
"What IS that thing?" He readies his weapon...
Gritting his teeth against the pain of the damage, Maelchar hisses softly, then activates his protection from evil since he cannot get to any of the enemy around the corner of the door.
Nasira gasps as the evil cloud assaults her very being, clouding her thinking and causing her body to rebel.
Reiko is rocked by the evil spell. Overcoming the nausea she summons the power of Shizuru to protect her and answers Mael's question. "I don't know... but if it lives, we can kill it."
"It is a half-breed" - Zeriax answers Maelchar's question - "A half-nabasu human, and an inquisitor of Kabriri"
Zeriax steps to the side, and fires two arrows at the demon in the back, assessing it as the bigger threat.
Maelchar and Reiko protects themselves from future attacks by layering on protective wards. Although Reiko's ward is better against physical damage Maelchar has the added benefit against evil.
Garith takes advantage of his reach and strike at 2 of the ghouls wounding both. He then stps up into the gap in the doorway and swings twice with Radiance. Both swings hit cutting down one of the ghouls leaving 3 remaining but 1 damaged.
Zeriax steps to the side and unleashes a couple of arrows at the half breed using cold-iron arrows. The first arrow strikes true causing some nice damage to the outsider but the second arrow misses by the narrowest of margins. As the first arrow hits true Zeriax racks his brain to try and remember anything about half-nabasu's but other than identifying it he can't figure out any vulnerabilities.
Nasira grasps her holy symbol and calls out for aid from her goddess.
She moves forward, next to Reiko.
Pakak invokes a ward, famliar now to all who know him, hoping the extra protection makes the difference in the battle.
Nasira does a good job at healing most of the damage that the half-nabasu demon caused. While it was not enough to heal everything to those that took the brunt of the damage it was enough for those that were strong enough willed to resist it.
Pakak wards everyone once again with his all too familiar ability that by now everyone has had much appreciation for as it ihas saved more than a few hits on the party.
Top of Round 2 without a map...
The three ghouls gang up on Garith trying to hit with tooth and claw.
bite for
claw for
claw for
bite for
claw for
claw for
bite for
claw for
claw for
One of the claws hit causing 4 damage and requiring a fort save from Garith as his limbs feel like they are slowing down.
The spiritual weapon swings at Garith once again hoping to cause more damage for
Meanwhile the priestly ghoul starts to read from the scroll as it steps to the south one pace.
The inquisitor casts a spell as well preparing for the coming engagement after seeing Garith heal himself and Nasira heal the party. He then targets Garith as the focus of his attention and draws unholy energy around him like a coccoon. He then moves closer to the melee hoping to bring his formidible prowess into use and at the same time gain some cover from the arrows of Zeriax in the back.
Seeing the scroll reading ghoul, Pakak attempts to wrap him in a web, and if he gets any other foes, so much the better.
reflex on the ghoul priest
relfex 3 remaining ghouls
refelx half nabasu fail
almost the entire area is covered in sticky webbing as the 20ft radius spread traps 1 ghoul and the nabasu demon. Anything with 5ft of webbing between opponents gives cover while 20ft of webbing gives total cover. the ghoul priest has total cover at this point.
Hearing Garith's words, and realizing his chances to hit the webbed opponents are slim at best, Zeriax refocuses his attention on the ghoul attacked by Garith, firing two arrows at the creature - "Let us open a breach" - he speaks to his companions, resolute.
With no access to the foes, Maelchar casts Magic weapon on his hammer.
Maelchar continues to enchant and prepare for combat while Garith plugs up the center of the hallway protecting everyone till they are all ready.
Zeraix chooses to target the ghoul in front of Garith and is rewarded for his efforts by a hard hit that pierces the chest of the ghoul. It is were a normal ghoul it would have perished by now but as it is it is hanging on by a thread. The second arrow misses though.
"The webbing would burn readily, but I fear it might burn more than we want."
Maelchar moves into garith's voided space and strikes with his hammer at the middle ghoul.
Maelchar, this is the same round as when you cast magic weapon. You can still move down though to the open sit in preparation for next round.. Nasira, I forgot to move you on the map when I posted it but I do have you moved accordingly now. Still have Nasira, reiko, and Garith to go for this round.
Nasira touches Reiko on the shoulder and heals her of some of her wounds.
|
Garith slashes at the Ghoul before him at AB:35, then turns to the Ghoul to the north at AA:35 and attacks that one.
for
for
for
Either way he moves up to AB:35
to move through the web
Crud, Grappled. . . At least the AoO happens before he gets grappled with AC 23
Grappled: AC:22 after Dex penalty w/Pakak's ward
Renewed by the cleric's powers, Reiko steps into the doorway and hacks at the ghoul lurking around the corner.
Garith the webs make it difficult terrain so you can not take a 5ft step forward. I will let you use a MP to move forward to clear the log jam though. Otherwise you will have to move back or stay where you are currently.
The second option is that your first attack did drop the ghoul in front of you so you can ignore the second 2 attacks to move forward and allow Reiko to move up. As there is a corner there is no AOO for the movement forward.
The monk's eyes are fixated in the deeper recesses of the webbing, as he knows therein lies the danger, but his arrows fly out at the available ghoul target with the usual pragmatism.
It is easy to forget the ronin is also something of an acrobat, until Reiko cartwheels past the Paladin, deftly tries to avoid the strikes of the enemy, and dives into the mass of the webbing. In the air she cants her limbs into unlikely positions and somehow manages to tumble through the sticky webs and land without being ensnared. As she rises to her feet, she levels a slash at the Inquisitor's knees.