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It was all going so well. Despite goblin attacks and bandit ambushes, you found the ruin. Therin noticed it first, a hidden door, a secret passage, and a room untouched for ages. There wasn't much there, no traps or ominous warnings, just a strange brass sphere lying near the wall, like an incense burner someone had knocked over and forgotten to set upright. Pavo picked it up... and nothing happened. A bauble then. Something worth coins to the right person, but nothing more. As everyone entered the room, the room itself demanded your attention. Symbols and equations of gold dance over lines of silver that join sapphire spheres and ruby stars. All against a black that held all the colors of the sky. And then, like hearing darkness, or seeing a smell, you sense a door, so old it is almost new, opening, and the world disappears into madness.
For a moment, an eternity, or perhaps both, there is only chaos, and a grey presence, standing at the threshold of everything. As you pass through, it takes note, and a universe of solemn skulls watches on.
Your senses return to shouts of confusion and the sound of claws on stone. You stand upon a raised circular platform of some kind. The darkness of a foggy, moonless night is lit by a single torch. A shabby man and muscular ghoul appear to have have been struggling over some object the creature holds in its claws. Each has a companion standing a pace behind, seconds to duel or witnesses perhaps? The man's a hold the torch in his left hand and a sword in his right. Four sets of eyes gaze at you in astonishment.
The two who were contesting focus their attention on Athene, and in unison shout a word in a language you don't recognize. The second ghoul leaps toward her, claws scrabbling on her armor, but failing to find purchase, while the contending one moves to tear into Therin, one claw finding its way beneath his armor. The ragged man just stands there, eyes bulging while his companion looks on uncertainly.
You feel a tearing sensation in your mind, like someone was trying to rip it open an peer inside. You manage to shake it off, you think, but are sure it came from the shabby man.
Right before the world goes mad, you're pretty sure you see Staveon bump into Pavo.
Shaking her head to throw off the confusion at the sudden change of events Athene takes a step back and to her left and in a rapid motion draws and fires her bow at the Ghoul which had attacked her. She calls out in common
"We are peaceful, cast no more spells and we can talk"
5 foot step out of combat , move action to ready bow and standard action to fire an arrow
"Wh-what..? What happened? Where are we? After noticing the ghouls attacks, "Althene, Therin! Look out!"
Pavo is quick to react, stepping right up to one of the clawed abominations. A wand appears in his hand seemingly from thin air, as he attempts to activate it to damage the ghoul. Unfortunately, as he presses it into the monster's flesh, nothing happens. "Bah, blasted thing!"
He turns his attention to the ragged man, "You were obviously fighting these things! Are you gonna help us out or what?"
[-2, if drunk = 12 instead]
"What... the... urrrrg... I hate magic sometimes... oh, sorry Pavo..." he mutters.
"Hey! Leave Therin alone, you piece of... uh... dead... flesh...!"
(damage, if applicable ); )
"Semper Fi, Do-Or-Die!" Staveon cries.
"What's the meaning of..." Saranie groans, her head throbbing from the strange influences. The first thing she notices as she comes to is the pair of ghouls.
"Begone, fiends! By the light of the Dawnflower, I shall rid the land of your blight!"
Saranie nocks an arrow in her bow, moving to get a better line and stand by Athene for strenght in numbers. Then, she takes careful aim at one of the ghouls, targetting its head.
Wretched dog! Claws are no match for my steel! Have at you....*retch*...*cough*....that's not good....*urp*!!
Action: swing longsword using power attack at goblin that hit me
Staveon growls at the ghoul, swinging his blade in a glistening arc, focusing his fury on any who'd dare attack his friends Therin and Athene.
"Gung-ho, gung-ho, gung-ho!" he chants. "What makes the grass grow?"
(damage, if applicable ); )
"Choose me, not the elf, dead bags!" Staveon roars at the ghouls, then, "Ab aeterno: blood, blood, blood!"
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As the paladins' arrows sink into the the ghoul, it screams something to the larger one. The returning bellow is forceful to say the least. Half-heartedly clawing at Athene's armor, it moves towards the edge.
Both Staveon and Therin land blows on the ghoul nearest them, though only the duelist's blade manages to cut flesh.
As it's flesh is torn, the larger ghoul shrieks in fury and begins to attack Staveon in a berzerk frenzy. Most of the wild blows fail to do more than buffet, but one claws rakes his thigh, shredding flesh like cloth.
As Pavo yells at the ragged man, he focuses his bulbous gaze on the knife master. The man with torch and sword continues to hang back. Moving towards the edge and away from the fight, or towards the archers.
As the man's blood shot eyes focus on you, you feel something reach into your skull and peel it open, rooting around like a pig after truffles. The pain is terrible.
I curse at the beast that struck me..."So help me, I will use your skull for a spitoon....*retch*.....maybe.....*hack*...."
Swing longsword, not using power attack
Athene continues to back up taking another 5 foot step and rapidly fires arrows into the approaching Ghoul. While the actions of the humans concern her the ghoul trying to eat her has first priority.
and damage
and damage
Doubling over in agony, Pavo drops his wand to the ground as he grasps his head in both hands. "Ahhgh, damn you!" Addressing the rest of the group, " This guy is doing something to my mind! He's the real threat here!"
Having momentarily recovered from the pain, Pavo turns a white hot gaze on the ragged man. With a flick of his wrists, two daggers drop into his hands and takes a few steps south in an effort to eventually flank the man.
"Whi-wh'ch guy?" he asks.
Furiously, Staveon declares, "Actus me invito factus non est meus actus, sic ad hominem sic semper tyrannis!" and then taunts the ghouls, "C'mon, fools - can'tcha catch a s'mpl' Bey?"
As his sword flashes in a brilliant arc, Staveon softly mutters, "What do we do for a living?"
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Seems there's more to those men than hapless victims of the ghouls... I'd better be careful.
Saranie steps to the side, giving herself a better line of sight to her target, and fires again.
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Athene's arrow goes flies into the ghoul's chest. Black blood leaks out and the creature drops, lying motionless. As the ghoul falls, Saranie steps forward and fires at the ghoul attacking the two swordsmen, arrow sinking deep.
As Pavo cries out and slashes the ragged man across the face, Staveon moves to assist him, blade flashing in a slightly wobbily arc that draws blood. Stepping back, the man's eyes whip between his two assailants, mostly focusing on Staveon.
Therin continues to hack at the frenzied ghoul, focusing his attention on him. Fortunately, the ghouls frenzy is no match for a sturdy shield and good armor.
The man who was hanging back abruptly puts his head down and charges towards Athene, pushing her to the edge of the platform and into the mists below...
Athene, ??
You mind is filled with visions of an endless black void, patterns and harmonies beyond comprehension.
Despite your resistance, the man knocks you off the edge. Tucking your head in and hoping for the best, a second later you feel your hitting ground and rolling to a, mostly, controlled stop, amide weeds and gravel. Looking up, you can see he man standing on the edge, torch illuminating the mist. It looks like you where on a massive stone cyclinder embedded in the ground. Perhaps thirty or forty feet rise out of the soil. Though it's hard to see, even with elven eyes, seem to be resting on a flat bed of crushed rock that surrounds the structure, though it feels like there is a slight slope downward, at least where you are resting. All else is lost in the mist.
"Busillis...!" he swears, head pounding. "Actus... me...!"
"Athene! Is everything okay?"
Saranie smirks, before charging and leaping to tackle the man down. "Get ready, down there, I'm sending you a target!"
"Begone, cur!"
action I swing at the ghoul not using power attack
If I manage to drop the ghoul, I then try to intercept/block the man charging Athene.
Rather relieved to have landed so well Athene gets to her feet and fires upwards at the man who so rudely pushed her off a cliff. A very strange shaped cliff but a cliff none the less. Her instructors always told her it was for her own good when they pushed her out of tree's and now she believed them
then as that was a crit 2 more d8
Oops, I misread the post earlier....I thought he was trying to push her off...not actually doing it. I would like to amend my action to if I drop the ghoul, I move to take position on the nearest foe.
"Staveon, what gives, man? It's me, Pavo! I didn't think you drank that much!'
Pavo shuffles a few steps southward, then when he thinks he has an opening he stabs his first dagger up high towards the man's face, attempting to throw him off balance as his second dagger comes in low, aiming for the man's kidney.
"Actus... me...!" he shivers with confusion and rage, "Actus... me...!"
"Actus... me...invito factus... non est meus actus,... sic ad hominem... semper evello... mortum tyrannis!" he struggles.
Distantly from below
"I'm fine down here. Guard yourselves"
Whatever the ragged man was intending, things didn't go his way. Beset by knife and sword, he back to the edge and tumbles off with a giggle. The first sound you heard from him.
On the opposite side, it appears that flight is also the order of the day. As the man with the torch stands on the edge, an arrow shoots from the mist to pierce his throat. As the bright red of a arterial wound spurts, he utters a cry of dismay that needs no translation. A moment later his problems end as Saranie barrels him over the edge. The snap of broken bones indicates his landing didn't go nearly so well as the elf's. With him goes the only source of light, and the platform is plunged into darkness.
Meanwhile, Therin continues to hold his own against the ghoul. The frenzied attacks are unable to get past his guard, but prevent him from getting a clean opening.
"Hang in there, Staveon!! I am coming!"
I swing at the ghoul, not using power attack
If this dispatches the ghoul, I then get ready to light a torch next round...
Saranie, realising that she'd just dealt with their sole source of lightning, rummages through her backpack, and draws a torch alight with magical flames. It glows a bright golden color, returning light to the platform.
"Abhinc: kill, kill, kill." Staveon says quietly, sadly, blinking; then, pulling out his ioun torch (holding it in his hand instead of orbiting around his head), "List'n, guys - oh my head - list'n, there w's... I think there w's... somethin' on the ceilin' makin' me do things! Or somethin'... my mind... I had... I saw... visions... an endl'ss black void: there w're patterns... and harmonies... or somethin'... that I didn't understand. They're gone now."
"I wond'r: were these guys affected, too?" he asks. "Where's th' elf? Athene? Y'okay?" he asks, worried.
" I am fine down here. worry about the ghouls up there"
Athene keeping her bow ready starts to circle the platform looking for other threats or a way up.
"Good to hear, elf." Staveon calls out "[b]How is everyone? Doin' okay?"
"These guys legit, or befuddled?" he muses, thinking aloud and trying to concentrate on the images and flow of the battle he just witnessed.
As light reappears you hear a cry of triumph and the sound of ripping flesh as the ghoul's teeth and claws tear into Therin as it bears him to the ground. The valiant man is not moving.
With an emphatic, Oh s$+&! Pavo spins around to jab a dagger into the creature's spine.
As the ghoul sinks its teeth into your neck, you feel a terrible paralysis overcome you. Sensation remains, and you feel the pain of being eaten alive far to clearly, but are unable even to blink.
Circling the platform, you come across the body of the ragged man lying in the gravel. You think he's still breathing, though for how much longer is hard to say. Something near his right hand catches your eye. A vial of some kind filled with a luminescent powder. It's so faint you wouldn't have noticed it normally.
"Theirn! The last mistake you'll make, even in death." Staveon declares, "Veni, vidi, vixi, vici!"
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"Therin!"
Saranie rushes over to her fallen ally. She clasps her hands around her holy symbol, and whispers some prayers.
"That the cleansing light of the dawn's rays may ease your wounds..."
Her hands glow with divine light and positive energy, and she places her hands on Therin's chest.
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Quickly pushing any weapon away from the dying man Athene attempts to give first aid, this may after all be a misunderstanding and even if it is not he may know something about how they arrived there.
Sadly with her lack of training she is utterly useless at this
It's hard to tell, but you're pretty sure you made it worse.
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Watching the ghoul tear her allies down, Saranie roars in wrath.
"Enough! By Sarenrae's divine flames, abomination, I sentence you! Face your final judgement!"
Saranie drops her torch to the floor and nocks an arrow in her bow, aiming for the ghoul's head.
The arrow flies true, gleaming with divine power, its point poised to embed itself directly between the ghoul's sunken eyes.
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+2 trait bonus used for the day
Sorry I couldn't post earlier....router was acting up.
Ok, current hp status: 4/31....not optimistic here folks....
For my action, I stand still and try to not bleed out....
Oh, I goofed on my character sheet..I have 24 ac, not 23.....my bad.
Forgot to add the shield focus....what a noob I am....lol
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As the arrow strikes true, a golden fire engulfs the ghouls head. A second later all that remains is a headless corpse, tendrils of smoke joining the surrounding mists. Subtle the Everlight's wrath is not.
As you once again try to minister to his wounds, you feel his breathing cease.
Saranie will tend to her fellow adventurers best she can until they regain movement, watching for other threats. She'll also call out to Athene again and try to help her back up with rope.
Though you never studied up on the subject much, you're pretty sure these are ghouls. The lean build, intelligence, and paralyzing touch are all known in folk-lore, though you can't remember any stories mentioning how long the effect seems to last.
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Add 6 hp...got it
current status: 10/31 hp, immobile for 2 rounds, sickened.
At least I'm not being chomped anymore....
"Is everything alright up there?"
With the man dead and the sounds of combat from above stopped, Athene will search both the dead mean here trying to find some sign of who they are, or were we are. She will also look at the vial of glowing powder and see it is anything she can recognize.
from breadth of experience feat much better for (nature, religion)+9 or planes +6 but it does not seem likely to be one of them
On hearing that the fight is over and there is a ladder"I will be back up once I have checked out our unfortunate foes who plummeted to their dooms"
Oh, I goofed on my character sheet..I have 24 ac, not 23.....my bad.
Forgot to add the shield focus....what a noob I am....lol
Just noticed I have a trained Heal skill, still failed all the rolls but I am actually at +5 not +1 ooops glad that wasn't someone I liked
This would probably be easier if your head wasn't pounding. It's hard to say without getting a good look at the whole thing, but it doesn't ring any bells. Laying on it for a while, waiting to move again, you think it might be made mortar or cement, something like that. You recognize the feel from fortifications. It's not the same exactly, but has that generally sandstoney texture.
The one who pushed you off doesn't seem particularly unusual, or provided any helpful clues. A single-edged sword, decent quality, but nothing special. A bit wider than usual, not thick, just more material between edge and back than normal. Definitely meant for slashing instead of thrusting. Staveon might know more about it. Studded leather armor. A few daggers/knives. Clothing also uninformative. Leather pants and wool coat, it is rather chilly here, and hard-soled boots. As for the man himself, looks like a mixed race human. Kelish, and maybe a bit Mwangi, mixed with Taldan or Chelish. The sort of person you could see anywhere in the Inner Sea. Not too old, twenties? No money or other valuables, and no pack either.
The other is a bit more informative. A bit lighter complected, Taldan or Chelish. Similar age. A few tatoos, all a bit faded. You aren't sure what they mean, but they're definitely runic, ulfan or dwarfish, giant possibly, but not abyssal. It'd help if the different languages didn't use so many of the same runes. Whatever it is, it isn't in a style that you've seen before, and that tells you quite a bit. A knife that'd work as well for utility or fighting. A mace made from several gears and a shaft. His clothes are odd, layers of worn out cast-offs, more something you'd see a beggar who sleeps on the streets wear. Also no pack, but he does have some odds and ends stuff into various pockets. A few tubers you don't recognize, that seem to have been gnawed on. A hunk of salted meat. A cylindrical water-bottle that, though dented and scratched, with plenty of rust spots, seems to have been made flawlessly from a single piece of steel.
As for the mysterious vial, you're stumped. The container itself seems to be plain glass, thick enough to stand a beating, but that's it. From just looking at the powder you can't tell much more than it isn't salt, quartz, and any other readily identified crystal, and the luminescence keeps shifting hues, not consistently, more, as soon as you think you've gotten it nailed down you swear it's changed on you. There's something about it though. Something is nagging at your brain, but it's hard to tell if it's a scrap of a story you can't remember, something someone said, or just a feeling that something is off. The downside to having several human lifetimes worth of experiences is that sometimes it can be a pain and a half to keep it all sorted nicely.
As the paralysis wears off, Pavo lets out a very loud groan.
"Uuuhhhh..." He begins to stir, rolling over onto his back and raising his limbs, inspecting the wounds there. "Well, at least that's over. What happened? Where in the Nine Hells are we!?"
He evetually rolls over to his stomach and lifts himself up to a crawl, slowly looking over the surface of the cylinder. He finally locates the dagger that he lost, which quickly disappears up a sleeve, and then grasps the wand which he dropped.
"I know I definitely need this, does anyone else?"
"Here, let me help you with that."
"I think we had better find a safe place to rest until we can gather our bearings. This battle has done a number of all of us, and we're in no state to go exploring... wherever this is."
"Yeah, I need to get m' h'd clear. Last time I let a 'er tell me th't it's 'harmless'." He rolls to his feet, carefully, and grins at his allies. "Seems t' me, if th's place - oh, th't pound'n' - if th's place-" he works on making his diction clear through post-intoxication haze, "- isn't dangerous, we might wanna rest here." He glances at the mist around. "Hey, elf, 're ya' okay? Th'y're givin' out free healin' up here, 'f ya need it! What's down there? Is there a way back up?" He looks worriedly at Therin. "Y'okay?" he asks, placing a hand on Therin, gently.
"There is a ladder up and down,and the bodies of the two humans. I can't place where either of them came from. One of you may know more than I.
Also I have a healing wand I or Saranie can use if any of you are still badly hurt.
I think staying here may be a bad idea neither of the two dead humans is equipped to travel so they may have a camp and friends near by.
On that note my food and water were left on the horses so unless the rest of you have rations we need to move to find water at least"