"We were not advised that these things would be here. I have never seen such as these, not in person or on the pages of books. They look to wear tattered clothes. Is it possible that they were once men?"
"Oh, I had wanted to fight them with a magic talent but could not since Ali and Romon were behind them. I do not wish to catch anyone else in its path."
Only Muchorak took damage during the fight
Muchorak casts his eyes about the cave it seems to be just a cave..however he and everyone else sees that the wounds on their foes bodies are closing as they watch.
A flurry of weapon blows later and the things move no more.
Seeing the wounds beginning to heal themselves on the creatures Muchorak will curse in his native tongue and remove the head of one of the creatures with his sword, followed by kicking the head away.
Marak
TACTICS
During Combat A sinspawn that faces a single foe generally attempts
to capture its enemy alive, making untrained Heal checks to stop
bleeding if necessary, so the victim can be returned to the nearest
runewell before he is murdered. Against multiple foes, the sinspawn
focuses its attacks on the weakest-looking foes first.
Morale Sinspawn fight to the death.
Feats Improved Initiative, Multiattack
Skills Hide,Move Silently
Languages Thassilonian
SQ martial proficiency
ECOLOGY
Environment Any (near runewells of wrath)
Advancement By character class; Favored Class barbarian
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Martial Proficiency (Ex) A sinspawn is proficient in all
simple and all martial weapons, and in all forms of armor and shields
except tower shields.
Scent Sin (Su) A sinspawn has the scent ability, but only against
extraordinarily wrathful creatures. This includes any creature under
the effects of a barbarian rage or similar effect, a creature with the
evil subtype, a creature under the eff ects of the sinspawn’s wrathful
bite, or a creature (GM’s discretion) that is excessively wrathful.
Wrathful Bite (Su) A creature bitten by a sinspawn must make a DC
12 Will save or become overwhelmed by feelings of wrath, anger,
and rage. These emotions are so powerful that the aff ected creature
fi nds it hard to do anything but rage impotently. For d minutes after succumbing to a sinspawn’s wrathful bite, the victim is eff ectively sickened, and takes a – 2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A victim suff eringfrom this effect who is bitten again by a sinspawn must make a DC 12 Will save or the wrath increases, leaving him staggered and thus able to take only a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can he take full-round actions). Further bites increase the duration of the effect, but not the magnitude.
Skills Sinspawn have a racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks.
Sinspawn are a mockery of the flesh, the shape of humanity warped
and twisted by an all-encompassing wrath, transforming their
familiar shape into one of horror and ruin. Sinspawn were originally
created by Runelord Alaznist, who used life-shaping magic
she and her fellow runelords stole from the alien aboleths to fashion
shock troops she could use in her endless confrontations with her
numerous enemies (primarily the Runelord Karzoug). She invested
in these monsters not only anger and the capacity to murder, but a
twisted sense of free will to encourage the desire to gain in power
and strength not just to please their mistress, but to please themselves.
This final stroke of twisted brilliance made all the difference,
and what could have manifested as little more than a new form of
intelligent construct became an entirely new form of aberrant life.
ECOLOGY
Sinspawn are magically created from profane pools of quickened
soul-energy fueled by the departed spirits of creatures fi lled with
wrath in life. The primal ooze that results must manifest in a specially prepared container known as a runewell, otherwise the harvested ectoplasm quickly evaporates and is lost. When a wrathful
creature dies near a functional runewell, the device duplicates its
wrath, allowing the soul to go on to its fi nal reward but retaining an
imprint of its anger. Normally, a runewell can only harvest wrathful
souls that die within a radius of no more than a mile, but with the
use of a magical scrying device called a soul lens, one can harvest
souls from the world over provided they have been marked with
the Sihedron Rune (the seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven
schools of Thasilonian magic) and have been properly prepared
with certain rituals just prior to their death.
It takes four souls to provide enough raw wrath for a sinspawn
to emerge, fully grown, from a runewell. Once created, a sinspawn
is its own creature; no vestige but anger remains from
the original souls. It has no capacity to procreate, but those
sinspawn intelligent enough to understand the nature of their
creation often seek out victims to capture alive and return to a
runewell. Their, the sinspawn uses its wrathful bite and quickly
murders it prey, the dead creature’s rage-infected soul fueling
the creation of more monstrosities.
The average sinspawn stands nearly 5 feet tall, and weighs
about 100 pounds. Although they can live as long as humans,
most succumb to violent ends long before their time. A sinspawn
normally feeds on flesh (preferring it still living as
it’s consumed), but as long as a sinspawn is within a mile of
a functioning runewell, the magic can sustain the creature
without food or water indefinitely.
"This is vile and unnatural! Ali, you should take care not to swallow any blood from these things when you bite them. I have no strong alcohol, do any of you? She might need to clean her mouth with it."
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In a hollow voice that doesn't sound quite like his own, Marak suddenly begins speaking, "This creature is spawned of sin, specifically the sin of wrath, and was created by Thassilonian magic, harvesting the wrath of slain mortals and creating these monsters from them. It's bite can transmit it's wrath into another, and it's goal is to capture living beings and take them to the place where it was created, a 'runewell,' where it sacrifices them to empower the creation of more of it's own kind. This place can often be found within a mile of these creatures."
The darkness fades from his eyes and he rocks slightly, before jerking his hand away quickly and saying to Inikai, "Yes, burn it with fire."
Noticing that Muchorak has taken damage, Marak stands suddenly, swaying as if unsteady, and draws a slender wand of white oak from his belt while muttering an invocation and taps it on the warrior's shoulder, as if testing a wall for secret doors.
A surge of warm golden energy flows through Muchorak, and the wounds wash away in an instant, like something from a dream.
To Muchorak, he says, "Your will is a powerful thing, to have resisted this creatures taint."
"Shamelu." Muchorak says in a revered tone, giving the Shaman a slight bow of his head acknowledging his wisdom and spiritual gifts.
"This is vile and unnatural! Ali, you should take care not to swallow any blood from these things when you bite them. I have no strong alcohol, do any of you? She might need to clean her mouth with it."
"I..." Kallie hesitated to call attention to the basket she was still carrying, but the clear worry on her face pushed her past such trivial concern. "The most we have here is some spiced cider."
After hearing Marak's explanation of what the creatures were, she looked doubly afraid. I was right, they are poisonous! She cautiously approached Ali, finding herself thinking of the shapeshifted gnome as a true wolf that might snap at her if frightened. Pulling out the cider and kneeling before Ali, she tried to keep her voice soothing. "This is all we have, but if you can change back you should take some and wash your mouth out. Their blood might make you sick. It's going to have a strong taste, but not too bad."
"The thing that made these is that close to us? And it's been here all this time?" she asked under her breath, shocked at the secret horrors hidden near her town that were turning out to be all too real.
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"The thing that made these is that close to us? And it's been here all this time?" she asked under her breath, shocked at the secret horrors hidden near her town that were turning out to be all too real.
"This 'runewell' doesn't *have* to be within a mile, but, as I understand it, the creatures rarely leave a mile of the well, and return people they've captured there to be sacrificed, to make more of their kind." Marak says, looking at the creature with discomfort, hoping that the fire is enough to prevent them from healing.
"I think I'd rather think that the source is nearby, so that we can find it and destroy it, as the idea that it is further away and that these creatures were *sent* here is even less comforting..."
"We were not advised that these things would be here. I have never seen such as these, not in person or on the pages of books. They look to wear tattered clothes. Is it possible that they were once men?"
"Oh, I had wanted to fight them with a magic talent but could not since Ali and Romon were behind them. I do not wish to catch anyone else in its path."
Romon starts a reply, but is interupted as Muchorak begins hacking one of the corpses. Seeing the reason, Romon attacks the other one. Afterwards, once again cleaning his blade, Romon says, "I've never fought with a 'caster before. What do I need to know to stay clear of your sorcery?"
Romon will also help examine the room for other entrances and exits.
Perception (1d20=2) OK, even with his bonus, he'll be lucky to find the wall.
As far as anyone can see this cave is a natural cave no secret or concealed doors.
The passage continues north outside the cave with a side passage running east
Your fire seems to have worked on the monsters they are certainly not healing anymore
Muchorak will look to see if everyone is ready and if all are he will encourage Wolf Spirit to lead on...
Muchorak will look to see if everyone is ready and if all are he will encourage Wolf Spirit to lead on...
"Oh, I had wanted to fight them with a magic talent but could not since Ali and Romon were behind them. I do not wish to catch anyone else in its path."
"I've never fought with a 'caster before. What do I need to know to stay clear of your sorcery?"
"I need to be able to make them hear my voice. If you are behind me it will be just a simple sound to you. It will only take a moment."
As Inikai shouts his warning to Ali he sees that she had already been discovering the fact for herself. Indulging in the natural process of licking the blood off of her chops after a fight the party is immediately treated to the rare and would be comical (save for the subject matter) sight of a wolf trying to spit. Ali then flows back into two-legs form and spits and says “Yuck! They taste Bad. Ali no like” While Goblins were vile tasting they were at least still natural and she could handle it. This was something different. She gratefully takes the cider Kallie passes and rinses out her mouth. Ali awards the girl a quick smile of pleasure when she tastes the unique to her beverage. She then allows the fire haired young woman to check her mouth.
Upon hearing Marak’s strange pronouncement, Ali growls and says “They be Wrong, Ali no like. Goz no like” (Goz is Ali’s own word and idea of Gozreh as the embodiment of the Great Nature Spirit she communes with. She has never heard of ‘Gozreh’ or his official teachings.) “We find where they from an’ we killum all. They should no be.”
When the party is ready to continue she flows back into wolf from and pads ahead as before.
Afterwards, once again cleaning his blade, Romon says, "I've never fought with a 'caster before. What do I need to know to stay clear of your sorcery?"
"Most of the time, I need only to see my target. My magic will find its way around you." Kallie said with a reassuring smile. "There are however a few exceptions that require me to have a clear shot."
Her eyes were on Inikai as she spoke though. Did I hear that right? I didn't know he knew magic... It was a surprise, he made no mention of it earlier. Now she was curious.
The tunnel is as shown on the map..it dead ends at the north and two passages lead off to the east.
Kallie brings her lights back as they move again, keeping one between her and the tunnel to the east as they pass it on their way northward.
She half expected more of those things to jump out at any moment.
After looking around the corner and sniffing, Ali pads down the next corridor after the monster room.
Muchorak and Inikai begin a whispered argument about which passageway to take which is rendered moot by Ali just heading down the first passage she comes to.
After a few yards you find yourself entering a stone walled room through a hole in the west wall
The original purpose of this chamber is unclear, but large mounds of rubble lie strewn on its floor.
After a few yards you find yourself entering a stone walled room through a hole in the west wall
The original purpose of this chamber is unclear, but large mounds of rubble lie strewn on its floor.
Wellard:
Just a reminder that Initaki's AC is improved by one for the time that he is bound with Dahlver-nar.
Kallie was relieved that nothing was waiting for them at the end of the tunnel save rubble. She sent her lights outward to help aid Inikai's search, while she herself kicked through some of the rocks on the floor.
Just as she was unwilling to touch anything the goblins may have handled outside on the beach, she was tenfold disgusted by the prospect of touching anything those...things may have been in contact with.
Romon waits by the entrance to the room, staring down the corridor and listening for anything coming up their backtrail.
Ali too noses around the rocks; she also look up towards the ceiling to see if she can tell where the rocks came from.
Perception (+2 to smell & touch) ( 1d20+6=9)
There is indeed a door in the north wall, a plain wooden door with no distinguishing features.
Inikai note that the rubble is probably from the wall that was torn out but it's intermixed with the remains of pots and jars which probably once held foodstuffs
Muchorak will approach the door and attempt to hear if anything is beyond...
Muchorak hears the sound of silence
All Marak can tell is that the stone work is very old..and quite well done
Muchorak turns back to the rest of the party and in a low voice, "Can any of you search for traps? I know of legends of old places like this that are littered with traps."
Muchorak turns back to the rest of the party and in a low voice, "Can any of you search for traps? I know of legends of old places like this that are littered with traps."
Romon's head snaps up. Now that's a fool's task. But at least he's thinking. The theif is tempted to say, "No", but catches a glimpse of Kaliciel's wandering gaze. There's more than one way to impress a lady.
"I might be able to do thomething in that line." Romon whispers back. (His old master had thought Ss the loudest and most penetrating of dipthongs. Something to be avoided while in the middle of a job.) "Here, thomeone elth watch our back. Could I have that admirable glow stick, Marak?"
Taking the sunrod Romon performs a thorough visual inspection looking at the door's surface, edges and jamb from several angles with different angles of lighting. Then he sets down his pack, removes a pouch of oiled leather, and unrolls a toolkit of fine picks, blades, a miniature crowbar. He gives the sunrod to Muchorak, selects two tools and begins physically probing the door and jamb.
Roman finds no trace of a trap on this door
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Marak hands off his everburning torch to Roman and raises an eyebrow as it's handed off to Muchorak, but makes no comment.
"The rubble is clearly the remains of the last group of fool adventurers who were turned to stone by an unspeakable horror, and then shattered like pottery." he says, dryly.
"Just kidding." he adds, in case anyone took him seriously.
"More likely, something may have, until recently, been sealed and buried away here behind a wall of stone and has now been released, perhaps those creatures we encountered..."
Marak hands off his everburning torch to Roman and raises an eyebrow as it's handed off to Muchorak, but makes no comment.
"The rubble is clearly the remains of the last group of fool adventurers who were turned to stone by an unspeakable horror, and then shattered like pottery." he says, dryly.
"Just kidding." he adds, in case anyone took him seriously.
"More likely, something may have, until recently, been sealed and buried away here behind a wall of stone and has now been released, perhaps those creatures we encountered..."
Romon chuckles at Marak's little joke. Then puts away his probes, wipes his hands, and says, "The door's clean."
Ah well...a little mystery is always good for you...but seriously...it's fairly obvious the rubble comes from the western wall having been broken down..the tunnel you entered by is rough hewn..this room is dressed stone and obviously not part of it.
Looking at Romon, "Are you skilled with opening things of this history?"
Looking at Romon, "Are you skilled with opening things of this history?"
Romon grins, "Well I seldom come across things of this 'provenance'. But a door's a door. With the right tools and adequate skill, anything can be opened."
Romon grins, "Well I seldom come across things of this 'provenance'. But a door's a door. With the right tools and adequate skill, anything can be opened."
Looking at Romon, "Are you skilled with opening things of this history?"
"If only what lay beyond were as mundane as breaking and entering." Kallie deadpanned, trying her best to downplay her fears while touching on the dangers that actually may be waiting for them.
Marak's jest had not done her imagination any favors.
Gods that sounded harsh. And you don't even know this man either! Sell the image but don't overdo it! She raised a hand to her mouth, clearing her throat, and awkwardly tried to express gratitude while keeping her aloof tone. "Well done, though. It is good to have an expert on such matters in these sorts of situations." [i]Gods, that didn't come out right...[/ooc]
"If only what lay beyond were as mundane as breaking and entering." Kallie deadpanned, ....She raised a hand to her mouth, clearing her throat, and awkwardly tried to express gratitude while keeping her aloof tone. "Well done, though. It is good to have an expert on such matters in these sorts of situations." [i]Gods, that didn't come out right...[/ooc]
Romon wilts a little bit behind his bravado.
Perception at Door (1d20+7=10)
The door opens towards you..it's a simple handle with a latch controlled by a key stick(thats a notched stick you shove into a slot in the door which lifts the latch)so its a simple act to lift the latch on the inside.
Like Muchorak Romon hears nothing
Romon looks at the group. "Are you all ready?"
Once everyone gives the OK, Romon will lift the latch and pull the door open.
Romon looks at the group. "Are you all ready?"
Once everyone gives the OK, Romon will lift the latch and pull the door open.
"Ready here."