"Our Lord in Iron favors us, let us strike now while the Iron is hot!!" cries Hru from the forefront. "Lay thy hands on the neck of thine enemy, devour the flesh with thy sword!!" He chants in a low if forceful tone as he brings the greatsword around in an arc towards captain Blacklock.

(another) Destructive Smite
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

if hits (+all threats confirmed for another round)

2d5 + 5 ⇒ (5, 4) + 5 = 14

EDIT: Sad Trombone

Sir Manfred replies to the Captain; "You speak of honor? After selling your swords and souls to Cheliax? You are surprised you sold your lives as well? Receive now the blessing of Iomedae!"

__Longsword and shield bash + power attack.
Longsword attack: 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 6 - 2 = 24
>Critical threat confirm: 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 6 - 2 = 5
Longsword power attack damage if hit 1d8 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 4 = 9
Triple damage if critical confirmed.
Shield bash attack: 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 4 - 2 = 5
>Fumble threat confirm: 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (11) + 4 - 2 = 13
Shield bash power attack damage: 1d4 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 4 = 8

[bigger]"And none of you had any objections when I told you the signal word down by the stables!"[/bigger]

"We did give you a chance to surrender," I remark glibly as I move around the Captain.

I try to position myself for a flanking attack, just in case the blindness wears off soon.

Kukri 1: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
Kukri 2: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
Confirm Critical 2: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Damage 1: 1d4 + 2 + 3d6 ⇒ (4) + 2 + (1, 5, 4) = 16
Damage 2: 1d4 + 3d6 ⇒ (4) + (5, 5, 4) = 18
Critical Damage 2: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Captain Blacklock slides to the floor, his eyes recovering in time to see Manfred standing over him, not seeing Galadar withdrawing the kukri from his side. He looks at Manfred with disappointment, and says as he dies "You were supposed to challenge me to single combat ..."

The guards cowering under the table look out in fear.

I puase a moment, as the Captain dies. "Farewell sir."

Then, "Surrender your weapons and stand down!" I say to the guards, "We need to find the Baron and we want to do it quickly, before he has a chance to escape the justice of Andoran, the nation he has betrayed."

Hru had his blade poised menacingly to behead the captain as he expired. "A good death" he mutterrs lowly and then swings around glaring dangerously towards the guards at Galadar's words.

Intimidate

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

"You heard the man!"

When and if the blindness ends, Knotty watches the corridor behind for those guards in our rear, web wand in hand.

The guards find it awkward to disarm themselves while cowering under the table, but they manage.

"The baron didn't come through here," says one of the guards.

There is a door on the rear wall and a door to the side.

"You were supposed to challenge me to single combat ..."

Sir Manfred just stands there, staring down at the body.

"An idiot who blinds his allies and then stands babbling while the Baron sends an army to kill us?"

Liandra's response is vitriolic as she enters the room blinking away the last remnants of dazzling brightness from her eyes.

Captain Blacklock wrote:

"You were supposed to challenge me to single combat ..."

Sir Manfred just stands there, staring down at the body.

"Yes. Challenge."
He stares into the distance.
"What has happened to me? I don't blind an enemy to strike him down while he's helpless, or crawl through tunnels like an assassin.
"What have I become?"

It's not too late to resuscitate him if you want to give him a fighting chance. ;-)

Without even thinking about it, Sir Manfred kneels down and tries to resucitate the Captain.
Heal Check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

"What the hell is he doing? These people are trying to kill us and now you're HEALING him? Galadar I think your friend's gone crazy!"

"I think they're coming? Can we hurry it up in there please."

Without even thinking about it, Sir Manfred kneels down and tries to resucitate the Captain.

Heal Check: 1d20+3

hehheh.

"I think they're coming? Can we hurry it up in there please."

The pounding at the door downstairs stops and you hear the noise of shouts and stomping of boots. The doors have been breached.

The room you are in is a guard room. There are three doors: the one you came in that leads back downstairs, the one on the side wall the fleeing guards exited through, and one on the far wall.

"You've known him as long as I," I say to Liandra and then I head to check the door on the far wall.

"I suspect that we have been led astray in our directions but we must continue on. Hru, Mannfred, quickly take care of the prisoners. Knotty close the door."

Knotty closes the door.

"Has the leader got a key?"

"Eria was hit my some kind of mental trap, yes, why? I mean surely that must be a magical device to stop people finding a secret way to the Lord."

"What was she playing with when it happened?"

"I was searching one of the tapestries downstairs" Eria responds whilst keeping an ear out to get an idea of the numbers coming from downstairs.

Perception

1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Knotty closes the door.

"Has the leader got a key?"

Captain Blacklock has a ring of keys.

"I was searching one of the tapestries downstairs" Eria responds whilst keeping an ear out to get an idea of the numbers coming from downstairs.

Perception

1d20 + 6

Somewhere between 'far too many' and 'a whole damn lot'.

Eria wrote:

"I was searching one of the tapestries downstairs" Eria responds whilst keeping an ear out to get an idea of the numbers coming from downstairs.

Perception

1d20 + 6

Somewhere between 'far too many' and 'a whole damn lot'.

"Lets try the far door" Eria says pointing "and quickly because from the sound of things there is a lot of very unhappy people coming this way."

"I'm already on it I say," and I continue with opening it.

The door opens into a wide stairwell. There is another door on the north wall besides the one you just came through.

Two bronze gargoyles grin maliciously on either side of two short staircases that ascend, meet on the landing, becoming a single staircase that continues further up.

Knotty takes the keys and searches for one that fits the lock, then he takes that one off and leaves it in the locked door.

For good measure, Knotty casts web over the doorway from his wand. "lets see them deal with that."

Hru does his best to quickly bind, shackle, or tie, up the remaining guards with strips of their own clothing if necessary.

He chuckles and consoles them "Don't worry boys, there's still time to die a glorious death in service of our Lord in Iron...just not today. Oh, and I'd consider rejoining the fight for freedom and stop kissing devil-tail"

It was as much as he knew of the politics in the region so he thought he's let it fly while he had the chance.

Hru then strides quickly to where the others are entering the room with the stairs. "Lord, show me" he exhorts then makes a sweep with the great battle-blade, unwholesomely close to everyone.

Hru casts Detect Magic, paying special attention to the devilish bronze gargoyles

Liandra steps forward bringing her crossbow to bear on one of the gargoyles and Hruu investigates, muttering under herbreath about Paladins and uselessness.

If one of the gargoyles so much as twitches she will fire.

Hru does not detect any magical auras on the bronze statues or the stairs. The door on the wall behind him glows faintly.

Manfred manages to stop Captain Blacklock's bleeding. He'll likely live given time.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

"I can't imagine them trapping their own stairs, but it never hurts to check."

I move carefully up the stairs, attempting to look for anything suspicious.

"Someone might want to close the door to the stairs behind us."

Grabbing a dagger from one of the guards, Landra closes the door to the staircase once everyone is through, locking it then breaking off the tip of the dagger in the keyhole to ruin the mechanism.

Disable Device to sabotage lock 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

Sir Manfred ties off the last bandage.
"If you want your single combat, you are going to have to live. My word on it. Your Baron... well, he won't be attending." He quickly leaves with the rest of the party.

"The Baron may be expecting us, the door was warded somehow, Gorum shows me. Knotty, a wizards eye my be needed to discern what type of ward" Says Hru looking back at the door grimly

"The Baron may be expecting us, the door was warded somehow, Gorum shows me. Knotty, a wizards eye my be needed to discern what type of ward" Says Hru looking back at the door grimly

Just to be clear, the door that was warded was not the one you have passed through. It was a second door. I will have a map up tonight. It will become out of date by tomorrow. ;-)

"U'hhm..I'm prettysure he's expecting us since I, y'know...SHOT HIM!"

er...over at the other door. "He may be in there, or it could be a decoy"

I've finally got a rough map together of the house. The red arrow indicates the route you've taken so far. I hope it is clear enough.

Map.

Questions?

"On this level, no Hru. That trapped door probably leads to an armory or treasure vault protected by the guardroom and Blacklock."

Knotty uses the same spell and spends the necessary three rounds to gather more information on the door's magical power. He grins at the half-orc as he waits, "this going to be fun. Guards behind us, our target ahead and we have just jammed the door up to the tower. Lucky I can levitate, isn't it?"

Knowledge(arcana) 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13

"Dunno, guess its a ward."

The map's great Tarren and really helps seeing what you have been describing.

Assuming I see no traps...

I lead the way up the stairs.

Sorry for the delay. I was out of town again.

Galdar sees no traps.

Heading up the stairs brings you into a wide stairway that opens into a large ballroom. To the east, you have a breathtaking view of the sun rising over the Aspodell mountains. The image to the west is similar, but the mountains are still shrouded in darkness. A long crimson rug with gold tassels leads up to a marble dias. On the dias stands a life-sized statue of man in spiked plate armor with a raven on his shoulder.

"Liandra, that wouldn't be a likeness of the Baron would it?"

I cast around for doors or other egresses.

"Liandra, that wouldn't be a likeness of the Baron would it?"

I cast around for doors or other egresses.

Liandra:

"Liandra, that wouldn't be a likeness of the Baron would it?"

I cast around for doors or other egresses.

You see no other egresses.

"It's shorter than he is, and actually menacing as opposed to looking like a mustache stroking idiot"

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

"Maybe a father or grandfather perhaps? May I suggest we quickly search to see if there are any secret panels or hidden doors."

Perception: 1d20+8

"Maybe a father or grandfather perhaps? May I suggest we quickly search to see if there are any secret panels or hidden doors."

Should I assume the perception is for checking for secret panels not for looking for a family resemblance?

Galadar:

"Can we get a move on before the Baron summons all the monsters of heaven and hell to do his bidding!"

"Can we get a move on before the Baron summons all the monsters of heaven and hell to do his bidding!"

heheheh.

"Take a look at this," I say, pointing to the scratched section of the wall opposite the door.