The other scrolls are animate rope, shield, and silent image. There is definitely a more wizardly vibe to this room than clerical. Laya thinks it pretty much assured that this study belonged to a wizard, and as such, the two remaining wands are unlikely to be of cure light wounds. She starts reading through the journals.
With Garim's help, and an hour of reading time, you piece together the following information:
The study (or at least, the journal), belonged to a wizard. He (you get the strong impression that it was a he) never names himself, though his prose is quite wordy and grandiose. According to the journals, he and his homunculi were instrumental in raiding the Seventh Church and taking the Cloak, along with many other valuable bits of church property
In another section, you learn that the unnamed wizard had just completed the guardian for his lab upstairs.
Near the very end, the writing gets more angry, the author has torn the paper in several places. There is a notation that somebody named Kreel has claimed the cloak for himself, rather than smuggle it back to Cheliax.
"What's wrong with the healing wand?" Timbur asks, confused. "It doesn't work?"
How to explain to him, the evil taint associated with this won't mean anything to him. "It works, but it scars your heart in the process. Do that to often and it becomes fatal." Lessons in morality. Am I giving a double standard knowing he won't understand what I'm actually saying?
"Well, guess we need to find wherever Kreel kept his rooms at. Let's take a look up stair first though, keeping an eye out for the wizards guardian... unless that was that snake?"
Garim heads to the door in the center, with the arrow slits, and with shield ready opens the door.
The study of journals complete, the group heads to the last doorway, which you assume leads to a ladder or stairway. Garim readies his shield and leans into the door...which doesn't budge. This door appears to be locked. Garim turns to Genisen, gesturing him to have a go at the lock...
...when skeletal arms burst out of the arrow slits on either side of the door, scraping and clawing at him!!
Claw 1:
Claw 2:
Fortunately, neither claw finds purchase.
Initiative:
Skeleton(s):
Genisen:
Laya:
Ofelio:
Timbur:
Garim:
Round 1
Initiative: Skeleton(s), Garim, Laya, Genisen, Ofelio, Timbur
The skeleton(s) claw at Garim again, and again, both scrabble uselessly against his armour and shield.
Claw 1:
Claw 2:
Garim is up!
If you wish to attack through the arrow slits, the skeleton(s) on the other side will have the advantage of almost total cover (+8 bonus to their AC), which you can partially negate by using a reach weapon (+4 cover bonus to their AC). In case you're wondering, the arrow slits are designed to be utilized by defenders on their side of the doorway, so they don't suffer these penalties. The skeletons can attack anybody in the two squares directly in front of the door (currently Garim and Timbur).
Laya Knowledge Engineering:
Garim hastily steps back out of range, pulling Timbur with him. "Ofelio, can you take care of that?"
Knowledge Religion:
Laya reminds everybody about using crushing weapons, though she's at a loss on how to do that with the arrow slots.
She elects to save her naturalist ability for the time being, and so delays.
Genisen and Ofelio are up!
I'm putting Genisen on delay. Not much he can do here anyway unless he wants to try picking a lock with skeleton arms grabbing at him.
Ofelio!
Just to move things along, if nobody but Ofelio is going to attack the things, and he's doing it from reach, the skeletons are too stupid to stop trying to get you, so though it will take forever with cover and DR factored in, Ofelio will eventually chop up both skeletons, leaving Genisen free to take 20 on the lock and get it open.
Inside, you see a spiral staircase going up (and oddly enough, down). Two skeletons in antique leather armour lie in pieces just inside the door.
Up, or down?
Ofelio just grins at his success. Honestly, despite the massive amount of time it took, it felt like a very easy task.
"I guess we'll be taking the stairs, then?" he asks brightly.
"Yes. Up first. But let's watch out for whatever the guardian might be." Garim begins ascending the stairs, this time shield and weapon both ready.
The iron key did not fit the lock. You arrive at the second floor landing.
The stairs here continue both up and down. Four doors lead off from this room, one to each of the four cardinal directions.
Garim opens the east door, expecting to find it open to the sky where the walls crashed down at the main door.
The missing wall allows a view to distant Absalom and sunlight touches the room for the first time in hundreds of years. A few dusty cots remain, the rest having fallen out the hole in the towers’ side along with their former occupants. There are two strong boxes beneath a couple of the beds.
Sounds of shouting waft up through the gaping hole, along with the sound of arrows whizzing through the air. Stepping up closer to the edge, you look out and see two halflings (one, male, in shining armour, the other, female, in loose blue robes) prone on their bellies, crawling through the dead grass towards the tower, while wobbly arrows rain down all around them. An arrow pings off the male's armour, and you head a familiar voice angrily call out, "Hold your fire, you fools. It's Sir Rollynd. We're here to help you!!"
Another volley of arrows, emerging from right below you, whizzes out in response.
I put icons on for the two halflings; however, they are actually about fifty feet further east. I'll make another ground floor level map with them in the right places.
Initiative:
Genisen:
Laya:
Ofelio:
Timbur:
Garim:
Vellica:
Sir Rollynd:
Arrow Firers:
Initiative Order: Garim, Ofelio, Arrow Firers, Genisen, Laya, Vellica, Timbur, Sir Rollynd
"Scarface followed us?" Garim asks in alarm.
Garim races back the way they came, down the stairs and into the storage room.
Second Floor Map
Ground Flooor Map
Garim takes off and heads downstairs. None of the doors he can see have been closed.
"It's Scarblade," Timbur calls after Garim.
Ofelio is next!
Not from their arrows, but you do have the AC bonus for being prone, which turns out to equal the same thing. Once you get close enough (within 10 feet of the edge of the rubble), then you'll get that cover as well.
Sir Rollynd was the one who pulled you down for safety. If at some point you decide running for it would be a better plan, by all means. It's become obvious by now that these guys (whoever they are) are terrible archers.
"TARNATIONFEET!" Ofelio roars, unable to articulate an appropriate swearword, trying to preserve common decency. He looks around the room. Then, noticing that their foe isn't in said room, he starts back for the stairs after Garim.
Another volley of arrows flies out at the halflings.
Arrow 1:
Arrow 2:
Arrow 3:
Arrow 4:
The arrows wobble through the air and land nowhere near the halflings.
Genisen is up!
No, Sir Rollynd shouted at the archers, and they clearly haven't obeyed him.
:-P
Genisen yells out to the halfling, "Sir Rollynd it's not us shooting at you but bandits! And they are horrible at it to boot!"
Genisen will delay in case some of them move into view as I assume he can't fire at those below right now.
Laya makes her way to the door and stairs.
Second Floor Map
Ground Floor Map
Vellica is up! She can see Genisen up on the second floor.
Vellica stands up and casts a spell, waving her hands in a few intricate motions and chanting a brief incantation. She disappears from view as the spell completes.
"Yea, whatever." Garim retorts back to Timbur as he hastens down the stairs. Coming to the storage room Garim slows, trying to move more quietly.
He bangs his armor against one of the crates though.
Acrobatics:
Seeing as it was good enough for the skeletons, Timbur heads to the edge, lowers himself over the edge, and drops to the level below, drawing his sword on the way down.
"Hi guys! Whatcha doing?" he says, then swings at the archer in front of him.
Attack:
His sword slices into the man's leather armour, but doesn't penetrate.
"Vellica, what are you-?" Sir Rollynd cries out as the woman stands.
Determined to do his job protecting her, Rollynd stands up and makes a dash for the tower.
Round 2
Garim makes his way noisily towards the battle.
Initiative Order: Garim, Ofelio, Arrow Firers, Genisen, Laya, Vellica, Timbur, Sir Rollynd
Ofelio makes his way after Garim, stopping ten feet from Scarblade, but can't attack this round.
The archer bandits all drop their bows and draw their swords, stepping up to attack Ofelio and Timbur.
Bandit 1 on Ofelio: ; damage:
Bandit 2 on Ofelio:
Bandit 3 shouts back at Timbur. "What are you doing, idiot? We're here to rescue you!"
Bandit 3 on Timbur:
Bandit 4 on Timbur: ; damage:
Bandit 4 grins as his sword slides in deep. "He's gone traitor. Kill him, too."
"Kill them all!" the half-orc commands, then takes off through the southwest door.
Initiative Order: Garim, Ofelio, Arrow Firers, Genisen, Laya, Vellica, Timbur, Sir Rollynd
Genisen will head to the stairs and follow the others.
Vellica sprints foward as fast as her short legs will carry her.
Timbur swings back at bandit 4, returning the favour and burying his sword deeply in his former friend.
Attack:
Critical Confirm:
Damage:
Sir Rollynd runs forward, guessing as to Vellica's direction.
Round 2
Garim is up!
Garim rushes into the room behind Ofelio, and seeing Timbur struggling against his former allies goes to aid him, taking up a flanking position. His morning star catches on the edge of the door as he rushes through it, throwing is aim off.
Ofelio takes a step back, frowns at Timbur's damage, and lunges for the bandit in B-5.
However, he also misses.
"Get him!" Bandit 4 says to bandit 3, nodding at Garim.
Bandit 3 steps up and swings at Garim: Clank, off his armour.
Bandit 4 thrusts at Timbur again: ; damage: The man laughs as his sword runs Timbur through, and the former bandit drops at his feet.
Bandit 1 steps up and attacks Garim: Clank!
Bandit 2 steps up and attacks Ofelio: Clank!
Initiative Order: Garim, Ofelio, Arrow Firers, Genisen, Laya, Vellica, Timbur, Sir Rollynd
Genisen moves to get a better shot and aim at the bandit flanking Garim but rushes the shot missing badly.
"Uh guys....where is Scarblade?"
"I think he ran down the stairs," Laya says, coming up behind Genisen. She starts using her naturalist ability.
+1 to attack and damage
Vellica is up.
Vellica runs forward and takes cover under some of the debris from the tower in anticipation of her invisibility failing. She sees Garim hard pressed by the bandits, and summons a patch of grease under their feet.
____________________________
Reflex save Bandit 3:
Reflex save Bandit 4:
Timbur stabilize:
Rollynd climbs up and stands over Timbur, renewing the flank on Bandit 4.
Round 3
Initiative Order: Garim, Ofelio, Arrow Firers, Genisen, Laya, Vellica, Timbur, Sir Rollynd
With mixed emotions at seeing Timbur fall Garim gives a growl of anger. Taking advantage of Sir Rollynd's flank he attacks with renewed vigor.
Normally 17 for these guys, but they didn't have time to ready their shields, so that hits and takes down bandit 4!!
Ofelio is up!
Ofelio's breathing speeds up significantly after Timbur goes down. However, it is still the middle of combat, and there is hardly time to react. He steps back once again.
Unfortunately, the tiefling's bad luck seems to be back in full force.
Bandit 1 stabs at Garim: CLANK!
Bandit 2 comes forward and stabs at Ofelio again: CLANK!
Bandit 3 stabs at Garim: CLANK!!
The bandit's are completely ineffective.
Initiative Order: Garim, Ofelio, Arrow Firers, Genisen, Laya, Vellica, Timbur, Sir Rollynd