Xanos Doom's page

Sorry for your loss, Al. Take your time.

Sorry to see you go, Sari. It's been fun having you around.

"If one will be left alive, make it their leader, Elise. The others may not have sufficient answers," Xanos advised.

"Define 'easier," the necromancer deadpanned.

Sympathies. Take all the time you need.

Oh, then yeah. Definitely.

Probably not, actually.

I can't raise undead with class levels until 9th level. If I raised the adventurers now they'd all be 1HD skeletons or zombies.

I'm definitely keeping the corpses for later though.

"I could fabricate corpses that match our own bodies. We could deliver the seventh knot our own heads," Xanos offered, sounding amused by the plan.

"Then he will lie to us," Xanos shrugged. "Either way, he will have to call for their death."

Xanos pulled out the small clay seal which would summon Tiadora when broken. He set it on the table.

"They die, of course. Fist though, the Cardinal should be made aware of the treachery of the allies he provided us."

Sure, why not

Yeah, it sounds like time to cut to the chase. What needs to happen to make it fun for you again?

I like the idea of a guest star group of players, but this game already has some pretty serious lag issues. Umurn's right.

I'm up for jumping right to the ambush. Just tell us how may rounds it takes them to get there so I can count it off my durations and keep casting my prep spells.

Note to GM, for clarity regarding what the enemies are walking into.

The entryway traps are designed to look old and not well taken care of. That's why the DCs are low. They are time wasters.

The front door is open, but can be closed and barred from the guard stations on either side (takes both of them to work right. The system isn't sophisticated yet). Left guard station controls left door, etc.

The arrow slits are hidden. The slits themselves are designed like hatches. Someone with Profession Soldier or Knowledge Engineering would probably know what they are, but without a skill check they just look like decorative architecture.

As they travel down the hall, they'll probably notice the holes bored in the ceiling. Each one is about 1.5 inches in diameter, and they form a simple grid pattern that runs most of the length of the hall. Again, profession soldier will probably recognize them for what they are. (siege defenses). (on the map they are marked as gratings, and look like they are on the floor, but they aren't)

At the end of the hall is Strong quality wooden door with a Good quality lock. (DC 30). It is currently locked. Again, the door can be locked and unlocked (and also barred for additional security) from the guard stations, but currently isn't.

There is a hidden portcullis just in front of the wooden door. (DC 30 spot check). It is activated at the guard chamber. The whole setup is very similar to the one in the caverns. (I haven't had time to install floor latches for the portcullis yet, so this one can be lifted same as the ones in the basement).

Once through that wooden door, the enemies are in the murder hole. The portcullis drops down to lock them in, they are surrounded by murder holes, and the guard stations on the second floor are standing by with cauldrons of hot sand. (if you check the second floor kilns, you'll see the flaming boggards ready at the grating, being directed by a couple of Haruk's cultists)

On the other side of the murder hole room is a much sturdier door. (Very Strong quality, Masterwork lock) It leads to a room with a pair of uncontrolled skeleton archers in it. This is a false hall that leads to a dead end (again, a time waster).

The actual way through the room is the hidden door to the south, marked on the map.

Good luck, adventurers.

Xanos walks into the first floor temple where most of the rest fo the Knot was lying in wait.

"We may be able to kill them in the choke point," the tall wizard said without preamble. "Shortly they will reach the door to the entry chamber. Once they are through it, my followers will activate a dropping portcullis similar to the ones in the caverns. Once they are trapped in the entry chamber, I would very much recommend not entering to engage them there. Anything in that room will not enjoy the experience."

He did not stop where the rest were gathered. Instead he headed for the throne.

"I will be positioning myself behind them. Once they find themselves in a murderhole, I suspect they will attempt to escape the way they came. They will run the gauntlet right to me. Anyone capable of flight is welcome to join me."

Casting Fly.

Ok, enemies are on the map, lower left, at the first floor entrance. GM, you should be able to edit their tokens if you want to.

Haruk and Molsabar, I currently have you on the 3rd floor, near the teleportation circle. So, you can pop down to the first floor throne room whenever you want to join the fight. If that's not where you want to be, feel free to move yourselves. Everyone else is in the first floor throne room.

GM, I've moved my cultists and undead where I would like to have them staged. They're all under orders to remain well out of sight and not to engage until the signal is given. Also, all the arrow slit hatches are currently closed (think sideways trap doors). The enemy might be able to recognize them for what they are, but they'd have to bash them open to see through them.

Xanos continued his walk from his laboratory, casting another spell as he went. Spectral Hand

@Xanos: It's the one in the upper sanctum.

I thought so. Haruk, Molsabar, you might not want to hang out all the way up there. There's no fast way down, unless you can teleport or something.

Also Haruk, I haven't moved any of your cultists. They're still mainly manning the stations on the 2nd floor. If you'd like to move any of them around before the fight, go for it.

There's an old video game called Evil Genius where you play as a pastiche James Bond villain, and create a mountain base full of elaborate death traps.

It's one of my all time favorites. :)

The Daemonic telepathy alert system notifies everyone in the horn as soon as the adventurers cross the threshold. Up in the sanctum, Hextor uses the Eyes of Vetra Kali to maintain a Clairvoyance view of the intruders and happily tells everyone listening what the adventurers are doing.

Xanos casts Stoneskin on himself and leaves his lab, headed for the entrance.

Allow them to gain entry. Keeping them from escaping is our highest priority. the wizard's voice came through the Message spell he maintained on the Knot.

Xanos had no idea how long it would be before the adventurers showed up, so he remained in his lab trusting that their perimeter defenses would let him know when the right time to ready himself was.

Xanos nodded. "As before, I believe we should let them in, monitor their progress for a time, then cut off their escape. Perhaps we can entice them to one of the upper entrances to test those defenses."

Lefty and Righty are staying with me. The other hands are at the entrances to the Horn, keeping watch with Blindsense. We have Boggard scouts below and Haruk and I's minions manning the watch stations a the two upper entrances as well. Grumblejack is flying around with the magical spyglass I gave him, being our eyes in the sky. Hex and Vex are taking turns using the Clairvoyance effect to keep watch over the interior of the Horn, and telepathically relaying info to us as things change. Hopefully we will see the adventurers coming before they get to the horn itself. If not, we'll know as soon as they arrive.

Sweet.

Haruk, did you finish up the organization actions?

We're bogging down a bit.

Fang, as much as I am loathe to loose planning and crafting time, we're going to be doing this for years at this rate.

I'm willing to handwave all the bookkeeping to move forward, if everyone else is.

I still vote for finding more guard-beasts. Our defences are still pretty light.

9th level... yessssss....

Not Athiest. Antithiest. :)

According to the rules, Necrocrafting can be added to any Undead. It's basically like crafting anything else. It just requires an initial cost of [make undead] then a secondary cost of the crafting itself.

Not sure if Fang wants to allow Necrocrafted PCs though. Maybe it could be counted as some kind of Treasure?

Fang, thoughts?

Xanos rarely came out of his laboratory. He was punctual, meeting with the members of the Knot who were present each night for their debriefing.

His presence was felt almost constantly. Severed hands ran throughout the horn delivering messages and checking guard positions and entry points. His undead horde watched passersby carefully from behind the arrow slits. The haunting melody played by one of the hands never stopped. Instead it simply moved around. One skeleton carried the lyre tirelessly, played by a severed hand that scuttled across the surface of the instrument like a musical spider. Where the song went, the Horn changed. Walls smoothed and thickened. Doorways damaged by the Victor's attack a lifetime ago repaired themselves. Traps and tunnels dug themselves in the catacombs. New walls and rooms formed. The entire mountain soon bore the subtle mark of the ancient necromancer.

Well, a week of crafting is a lot of progress on magic items. I have the stuff I wanted to make for myself. The rest of the group has indicated things they want, but I don't remember what's been made and what hasn't. My bookkeeping skills aren't good enough to track that very well.

Between Molsabar and I we can crank out magic items at about 5k worth of progress a day. So, whoever is still waiting on items, just tell me how much your item costs and we will mark off that many days in the week.

Marta being a victim of the fake serial killer is a great idea.

@Xanos: Did you? I remember that you did that set up with the sister that you kidnapped to start the ritual. Marta is the cleric that you've captured. Regardless, if that's the case, then we'll just assume that they haven't found the corpse yet.

Oh, oops. Got the two confused, my mistake.

Well, second verse same as the first. I think the 7th Knot is doing some murdering to sow fear in the town. I guess I'll make it look like fake-Marta was another of the victims.

GM, I wanted to remind you that Xanos meticulously staged Marta's death (using Sculpt Corpse, Marta's own clothes, and some careful damage to make magical identification very difficult).

The Mitrans might not have found the body yet, but it's out there waiting to be discovered.

Just in case it matters... Sari has silver fists these days ;)

No kicking the puppy!

Week plans: Sounds like the Vamps are going to town again, while Haruk and Urmurn fix up the temple (and do the Organization stuff), and us crafters keep crafting.

Did I miss anything?

Dont werewolves regenerate?

The tall wizard's mouth twitched slightly in what might have been a brief smirk. Then he rose and walked towards his lab, his hands trailing him like pets. He didn't stay to see the results of the contest.

"Then why not prove your supremacy, Albrekt?" the tall wizard asked with uncharacteristic amusement just behind his stoic facade.

The tall wizard looked vaguely amused. "Competition by nature requires rules, and that the competitors be at least somewhat evenly matched. I have no interest in such things."

"Approximately five pounds," the tall wizard replied.

Sparring is an interesting idea. Do you want to actually do round by round combat, or just do a "training montage" sort of thing?

Urmurn's true form drew a raised, thoughtful eyebrow from the dark-skinned wizard, but no comments regarding it.

"Two hundred and eight days longer," the tall mystic answered.

That evening a slightly nervous Asmodean passed an invitation to Urmurn to meet the lords of the Horn in the Death's Head Tavern.

The western half of the place was surprisingly lively. Necromantic cultists and Asmodean acolytes enjoyed an odd sort of fraternity as Halthus the Flayer, the sole survivor of the Sons of the Apocalypse, served up drinks and food.

The Northern half, around the corner was comparatively empty. There, the Nessian Knot sat around a table full of maps and paperwork, plotting the downfall of Talengarde.

There was an extra seat at the table for their newest member.

"I require mithril," the tall spellcaster was saying (he still had not introduced himself). "And a miriad of other supplies for bolstering our defenses. Another trip to Farholde is needed."

Whelp, guess I'm buying mithril out of pocket then, which will require a trip to town.

Looks like the golem isn't going to be done this week.

Is there anyone in this group who went through Branderscar and the Cardinal's Trials?

Albrekt, do you know if you hung onto the mithril scavenged from the Metal Cobras in the Test Dungeon beneath the Cardinal's manor?

You're the only remaining party member who went through that, so I dont' know if it was kept or not.

Oh, right. Our tavern, where the barkeep is a torturer. Wretched hive of scum and villainy, and all that jazz.

I've already taken care of the alchemical supplies. The heart and lens are news to me. Can you tell us what skills/DCs would be needed to make them ourselves?

Most nights the party has a meeting int he tavern, mostly as a way of keeping track of progress on projects and sharing any new information. Now Urmurn is joining, so it seemed like a good opportunity to do some introductory roleplay after he'd been acclimated to the Horn.

Right now, our projects are:

1) Let Urmurn in on the overall plan (summon Vetra-Kali)
2) Finish the golem
3) discuss improving the defenses of the caverns now that they've been tested.
4) Talk about what to do with our two semi-captives (the bard and the brawler)
5) Do our Organization rolls/plans for the week.

(did I miss anything?)

"You," Xanos said to a random cultist who was getting water fromt he fountain in the common area. "Come with me."

The cultist looked excited and proud as he followed the tall wizard into his mysterious laboratory. He was never seen again.

GM, anything else I need to finish the Golem?

Not sure. Discuss the last fight, and what we are going to do next?

If I can finish the Golem today I can introduce it at the meeting.

Doomed Hero wrote:

Just lost a massive post detailing the 2nd floor. Super pissed. I'll re-do it later. >.<

This is why I write up all of my massive posts or complex character sheets in Google Docs.

That's a good idea. This wasn't even Paizo's fault. I accidentally hit F12 and opening the side tab froze my browser.

Since Ezra stays primarily on the third floor, I thought they ran into him there.