"Sailing ship, two masts... and you use heavy rope to tie it up."
"Sounds like the one prostitute back in Wartle."
You notice 2 things:
1) the stairs hug the outer wall as they climb up, and there's an entrance into another room, on the level above
2) from past this opening, the stairs climb a bit more, to the tower's roof. From there, you can hear 2 distinct voices arguing although it's hard to tell exactly what they're saying. One voice belongs to the guardsman who fled; the second voice is that of a woman. The voice projects strength and has an enchanting quality to it.
So .. you have 3 choices before you:
1) stay where you are/go back down
2) venture the outside scaffolding & step up into the top room
3) venture outside onto the scaffolding and skip the top room, go straight to the roof where you hear the voices
You want to go up to the roof?
Lleidr will sneak up the stairs and check out the entrance to the room on the level above to see if there's any reason to stop there.
The opening gives way to a small cluttered room, about 15' wide by 10'.
A timber cabinet with a mesh door sits against the southern wall of this room, while a boarded-up door stands in the wall to the east. Inside the mesh door, you can make out a black raven. Atop a flat space about waist high (head high to Lleidr), sit an ink spattered vial, a quill and some loose scraps of brown paper under a small black rock.
That looks like a room that can be examined later.
Zilt, from this further up the stairs, can Lleidr make out any more details about the voices? Maybe how close they are to the top of the stairs, or which way they might be facing based on volume or whatever?
The voices weren't close to the stairs. The direction is difficult to determine from your vantage point, other than it sounded as if the speakers were on the roof somewhere.
Then, there's silence.
Suddenly, the city guard appears above you, leaning over the roof, with his hands resting on his knees as he stoops.
"Trespassers! You will find naught up here. Begone ere I summon the city's justice to deal with you."
"City's justice? Who do you think we are?"
"Thieves. Brigands. Trespassers!"
He pulls back from the ledge and out of sight. Aside from the guard's receding footsteps, there's no more noise coming from the top of the building.
Was there a candle in the office/rookery? If so, Ned will pluck off some wax and use it to stop up his ears. "I don't know about the rest of you but I've done my time as a slave". He'll offer the candle to anyone who's intrested.
Selia takes some wax and plugs it in her ears.
What Ned is trying to duplicate is the effect of Earplugs,
Earplugs
Price 3 cp; Weight —
Made of waxed cotton or cork, earplugs give you a +2 circumstance bonus on saves against effects that require hearing, but also cause a –5 penalty on hearing-based Perception checks.
Just so the GM doesn't have to look it up :-)
Lleidr won't pass up a chance to stick something in his ear!
Once his ears are plugged, Lleidr will move on up the stairs until he can see the upper level. He'll remain on guard for an attack from the guard.
Nicolae will also plug his ears.
The candle has ample wax for all of you to deaden the melodious voice you heard earlier, should it reappear.
Unfortunately, the giant ant only has another 30 seconds with you.
Upon your ascent onto the roof, a blast of chill air hits you. The smoky, filthy rooftops of Underbridge sprawl below this dizzying perch. The conical roof supports an onyx statue of an angel. Towering like a god, her weathered features are caked with grime, making her seem almost demonic in countenance. At the far end of the hollow space under the roof, in the angel’s shadow, is a nest of cushions, silk sheets, and a line of several small chests.
This space is enclosed within the partially open shell of the tower’s roof—cunningly engineered supports in the sloping roof itself support the statue 15 feet above the center of this room.
The guardsman you saw earlier is kneeling with his head bowed, facing your direction. Casting an evil glance upon your approach, he yells, "Xanesha will appear soon. You'd best be kneeling when she arrives."
"I'm already so low to the ground, maybe she'll think I'm kneeling?"
The guardsman begins to sneer at your jape, but then points towards a spot off the side of the tower, where a form has materialized. "All hail Her Majesty."
A cloud of spores and a trail of feathers surrounds this twisted cross between a woman and a gigantic vulture.
.
Nicolae knows this 'thing' can't possibly be 'good' and so rips off a blast of divine energy.
Holy Smite DC18 Will Save for Half and to avoid a round of blindness.
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
EFFECT
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area 20-ft.-radius burst
Duration instantaneous (1 round); see text
Saving Throw Will partial; see text; Spell Resistance yes
DESCRIPTION
You draw down holy power to smite your enemies. Only evil and neutral creatures are harmed by the spell; good creatures are unaffected.
The spell deals 1d8 points of damage per two caster levels (maximum 5d8) to each evil creature in the area (or 1d6 points of damage per caster level, maximum 10d6, to an evil outsider) and causes it to become blinded for 1 round. A successful Will saving throw reduces damage to half and negates the blinded effect.
The spell deals only half damage to creatures who are neither good nor evil, and they are not blinded. Such a creature can reduce that damage by half (down to one-quarter of the roll) with a successful Will save.
Yeah, I'm sorry ... it's the token off to the west side of the tower. And, since it looks like the party is commencing combat, can I also get a round of Perception checks?
For Initiative order:
Nich, Lleidr
Opposition
Ned Selia
So, i just need an action from Lleidr.
(-4 for hearing)
Sorry for the late post. Good weather equals all day slaving in the yard this time of year.
, -5 if hearing based
Lleidr will say at an unintended shout, "Is that Xanesha? I thought Ironbriar said she was some sort of llama?"
Unless the result of the Perception roll gives him a reason to do something else, Lleidr will move over a space or two out of Nich's way, pull out is wand of magic missile, and cast at the flying creature.
auto-hit
Nicholae casts bless. +1 to hit and vs. fear.
I meant to share this image earlier, when the bell was cut loose.
I meant to share this image earlier, when the bell was cut loose.
Damn, Ned, you never mentioned your ample bosom :)
Shadow Clock, Top Floor, Before Combat
The guard cries out in terror upon Nich's Smiting, and his form loses its human composure, turning into a now-familiar faceless, gangly horror. Its claws swipe its head several times in a panic.
"Aigh, I cannot see. Save me, my love."
Round 1
Nich blesses you via a liturgical chant. The Faceless Stalker shudders upon the cleric's recitation.
Lleidr's arcane missile strikes true! The demon squawks in pain and surprise, and returns a baleful stare to the halfling.
The stalker crawls a short ways towards the south, crying pitiably. "These trespassers scare me, love. They survived the falling bell! You said no one could possibly do that!"
The demon circles around to the north side of the tower. He stretches out a clawed hand, and a blast of fiery energy smacks into the north wall. Bits of burst stone and mortar fly into the air, which now has a sulfurous tinge to it. You can feel the tower tremble under your feet from the assault.
NOTE - i think i'll start putting the map link in the bottom of an update, if required. I figured it was probably confusing to see the end state of the map at the start of the text.
Forgot one thing ... i need a round of Will saves, please.
And, also, need actions for all 4 of you.
Designating the demon as a favorite enemy and loose a couple of arrows at it...
(point blank, deadly aim, fav enemy)
(manyshot)
Nicholae shouts out Its an illusion - the demon.
He moves to engage the Cleric.
for
Nich, i'm not sure who you're attacking ... the Faceless Stalker?
Nope, it's a demon all right...
Selia casts protection from evil on herself.
Zilt, did those initial Perception checks reveal anything you forgot to mention?
Lleidr will keep south, to take cover in the hollow space under the roof's slope, where we saw pillows and chests. If he can act as well as move, he'll cast Detect Magic and sweep the apparent sleeping area for magical auras.
Nich, i'm not sure who you're attacking ... the Faceless Stalker?
Assuming that its the cleric you mentioned earler...
Zilt, did those initial Perception checks reveal anything you forgot to mention?
[dice=Will save]1d20+4
Nope.
Sorry for any miscommunication, Nich. You're the only cleric up here. I can go ahead and apply your attack to the Faceless Stalker, if that's OK with you.
Sure
Shadow Clock, Top Floor, Round 1 Continued
Selia completes an arcane chant and girds herself for the coming fight. The ant rushes over to snip at the Stalker, and snags an arm. (NOTE - I believe the ant's got 1 round left; I gave him an attack action & hope that's OK).
Ned's arrows strike the flying demon, their shafts sinking into its feathered mass. It cries out in pain.
Nich lashes out at the crawling Stalker, as it tries to crawl away from him in vain.
Round 2
Lleidr sees several auras in the southwest corner of this top room, but nothing of an arcane nature underneath the statue. There's at least 5 auras, most of them quite vibrant, but then they move and are out of the area of effect of your spell.
The demon continues circling the tower, and levels another blast which brushes right past Ned. Instead of hitting the ranger, it slams into a mass of guano in the corner which erupts into a cloud of grit.
The Stalker lashes out at Nich, but its easy for him to step out of the way and avoid the blow.
Still firmly believing the reality of the demon Ned will shoot at it again....
(point blank,deadly aim, fav enemy}
(Multi shot)
(Let me know when he can try another save!)
Lleidr will keep his wand ready to cast if the source of the auras becomes evident. In the same too loud voice, he'll say, "There's something with a lot of magic on it moving around over that way!" He'll point to the SW and trace the direction of movement if he was able to determine it.
Drop this Thing! first
for
Can I get new Will saves for Selia, Ned & Lleidr? If you make DC20, you don't believe the demon's real anymore.
Do we get a +4 because Nich pointed out that it's an illusion?