Luuther hits the monster, damaging it slightly , but Duriel can't find purchase. The monster bends down and bites him for 12 points of damage (and a Fort 17 save vs poison). Its tail swishes by harmlessly.
You are all up.
"Hmmmm.... lets see if I got the hang of this yet..." as he aims at the bug with his crossbow
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Duriel takes 1 point of Dexterity damage and will need to make another save next round, but he can still attack. Talin's bolt hits, angering the monster further.
Centipede is up, correct?
Still waiting for Duriel to take a swing, then it's the centipede.
Duriel takes the swing.
The monster is pretty badly hurt by now, and retaliates by biting Duriel again for 13 points, then lashes out at Haydar with its tail, trying to trip him. Only his supernatural reflexes save him.
You are all up again.
Fleur sends another acid splash at the monster.
Still sitting on Fleur's shoulder, her tiny scorpion familiar responds by also sending a blob of acid toward the monster.
The monster is pretty badly hurt by now, and retaliates by biting Duriel again for 13 points, then lashes out at Haydar with its tail, trying to trip him. Only his supernatural reflexes save him.
You are all up again.
Haydar dodges the trip attempt, takes a 5' step closer, and flurries with his sword.
Inmir will also take a 5 foot step forward (into the space just vacated by Haydar) and will channel again.
Haydar slashes the creature's head, sending it crashing down and convulsing. A few stabs later it is quite dead.
All is quiet in the garden again. Looking round the corner you note that a short flight of steps leads between a pair of pillars to a set of stone doors in the west side of the house. At the north end of the yard stands a squat stone building with columns at every corner.
There are two visible exits: the doors into the house and hte entrance to the small stone building.
Inmir rushes up to Duriel. Kneeling beside his fallen companion he hurriedly says Lady of Graves, if it be not his time to pass into your realm, please grant me your power that I may heal this man.
Then he will follow that up with applications of the wand of healing.
Then he will pause for a moment to assess how his healing has helped
And then he will apply the wand again.
Then he says to Duriel... My friend, that was an incredibly brave thing to do. I have never seen a creature so big. I am very sorry that I didn't heal you after our first fight as I am sure going in to this fight already wounded only made things that much more dangerous for you. It is a mistake I will try not to make again.
With that he smiles and touches Duriel with the magic of the wand again.
"That was icky... I'm glad you're okay, Duriel, you scared me, I thought we'd lost you... I hope we don't run into any more of those," she says with a shudder of revulsion.
"Hoo hoo! I bet that hurt. Do you think that beast has dragged any other unfortunates into it's sandbox? Perhaps left some goodies for us? Sometimes Jing plays that game".
Luuther steps to the sandbox... carefully, and sorts through it for a round or two.
Perception
"Let's go look in that little outbuilding first".
There is nothing of value in the pool. Outbuilding then?
Inmir hangs back quietly as the group checks to be sure there is nothing of value in the pool. During this time he is keeping a close eye on Duriel, nervous and unsure if he has healed the Paladin sufficiently. As a result he doesn't really help much with the searching and agrees with the suggestion to check the outbuilding in an almost distracted fashion, like he is only half listening.
However as the group approaches the outbuilding he seems to regain his focus and casts Guidance on both Luuther and Fleur to help them with any searching and unlocking that may be required.
Nearing the outbuilding, Fleur checks for traps, and if any, points them out to Luuther for disabling, which she assists him with.
Fleur declares the door safe and is promptly proven wrong when a freshly healed Duriel steps up to open it and is struck by a crudely but efficiently rigged javelin hitting him with immense force for 12 points of damage.
Beyond the door a set of stairs lead down into a square room. A stone altar sits upon a raised stone platform in the center of the room. Caryatid columns carved in the likenesses of male and female figures with their arms crossed over their chests and khopeshes or ankhs in their hands stand at each corner of the platform. Empty torch holders are built in all four of the room’s corners. Inmir recognizes the holy spiral symbol of his goddess, marking this as her shrine.
There is one visible exit: a stone staircase that descends further into darkness from the opposite side of the room.
"Oh, Duriel, I am SO sorry... I didn't see that coming at all... "
Inmir steps up quickly behind Duriel and, after helping him remove the javelin, lays the wand of healing upon him several times.
Seeing the shrine to Pharasma inside the outbuilding, he lifts the symbol around his neck to his forehead and bows his head for a moment in prayer.
Then he will cast Light upon his Holy Symbol in preparation for the imminent descent into darkness. Dropping the symbol back to hang from his neck he will prepare his crossbow.
"Well...well...well. Do we descend into the depths, or check out the house first? Shall we let Jing decide for us again"?
Flip of Jing's coin.
"Unless someone objects, we finish this later".
"Since we're already here, let's try those steps. Duriel would you like someone else to open the next door. You're beginning to collect quite the collection of scars".
Talin nods "What ever Jin decides my good man, Im with you. The house it is then"
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"I agree, let's investigate the house first."
Inmir nods his acceptance of the group decision to investigate the house first, although he does cast a bit of a wistful look in the direction of the shrine to Pharasma as the group moves towards the house.
As the group moves in the direction of the house he will once again cast Guidance on Luuther and Fleur to assist with the trap checking and door unlocking.
Talin still keeps his crossbow ready. So far. They have been really unlucky with things that jump out at them when they investigate things
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The doors into the house are fortunately neither locked nor trapped, so you manage to get them open without further incident. Going up the short set of stairs and entering, you find yourselves in a hallway. To the left seems to be some sort of dining room. A fetid stench wafts toward you from there. To the right there is another large room filled with debris and with a large staircase leading up in the middle of it.
Ahead of you there is some sort of high atrium. A tiled walkway surrounds a square patch of earth and sand. A balcony on the second floor overlooks the courtyard, and a square hole in the ceiling opens to the sky. Four columns in the corners of the atrium support the roof above, and the walls are decorated with symbols and hieroglyphs depicting animals, celestial creatures, and the sun and moon.
A strange creature emerges among the statues of the atrium. She looks like a sandstone statue of a beautiful woman, executed in old Osirian style. "Welcome, dear guests" she says in stilted Common. "I am the spirit of the house and it has been far too long since I have had company. What fair winds bring you to my humble abode?"
Inmir looks slightly startled ...
A house spirit? That is very interesting. How long have you been ... in this house? How did you come to be the spirit of the house. And who made your statue? It is very beautiful. Was it made to look like you? Or did you just choose to animate it?
Slow down man! You're almost babbling!
My apologies. I am Inmir El-Alshaen, a Priest of the Lady of Graves. Who do I have the honor of addressing?
Luuther steps forward closer to the apparition. He tries to position himself so that he can tell if she is incorporeal or flesh and blood.
"Jing, Jing, Jing... The paths you lead are full of surprise".
She's not quite flesh and blood - she looks like she is made from sandstone, but she is clearly not incorporeal.
"Oh, I've been here quite some time. It gets lonely here, you know. I've missed the company of you flesh-creatures." She flashes a quick smile. "You like this shape, you say? I made it myself."
Inmir bows before the statue-lady.
Oh yes, you have made yourself an undeniably lovely form. Did you know Pentheru, the master of this house in years gone by?
As he is bowing and speaking a slightly worried thought appears in his head... Flesh-creatures? That's an odd way to refer to people?
The creature suddenly looks annoyed. Perhaps she is displeased by your quizzical looks. "No, I can't say that I have had the pleasure. Perhaps he is... asleep?" Suddenly she spins around, releasing a cloud of fine dust that makes your eyelids feel very heavy. As she quits spinning her appearance has changed into a fearful medusalike creature with a gaping jaw the size of her entire head.
You all need to make a Will 14 save or fall asleep. Then roll for initiative. Heshsheru goes on 22, so if you beat that you can act first.
Inmir looks very sleepy for a moment and his head starts to droop. Then suddenly he shakes his head and throws off the effect of the dust. The effect however did slow him down for long enough to make him slow to react to the sudden and horrific transformation.
Will Save*
Initiative
Luuther realizes the danger, and his hands dart towards his weapons... until he suddenly realizes he is past time for his nap, and slumps to the ground and begins gently snoring.
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...
Fleur casts a quick acid splash on the sand-lady.
The sand-lady takes a swing at Duriel, hitting him for 7 points and forcing a new Will 14 save vs Sleep (he made the first one).
You are all up.
Inmir gasps in horror at the sudden transformation and quickly steps away from the hideous creature
He will then bend down and shake Talin, attempting to wake him.
Talin gets a new save, and can act if he makes it.
Haydar moves adjacent to the female and tries to stab her with his temple sword.
Fleur again sends an acid splash at the creature.
[unless Duriel fell asleep, in which case, she'll wake him up instead)
Zzzzzzzz.
Duriel manages to stay awake and gets a furious swing in, but both his axe and Haydar's sword pass right through the sandy shape which reforms. The force of Duriel's blow (he did 17 points of damage) is such that the sandy lady takes some damage after all. Fleur's first Acid Splash hurt her too, but the second passes her by.
The angry sand-creature aims a blow at Duriel, but misses entirely. You are up again.
Luuther seems to be sleeping so Fleur will wake him up, foregoing any spellcasting this round.. She gives him a little shake... "Wake up my friend, we've got trouble."
Will Save
Luther rolls over angrily and mumbles something about cookies, and puppies, and lard, then continues his gentle snoring.