"Shall we approach the screams then? At least it will be less mouths to provide food for."
He smiles as he rides forward toward the screams.
Agrippa casts Invisibility and follows behind, annoyed at being roused from his studies.
Johan nods in agreement with Cedric, and the two canter from the throne room side by side.
Move action: move 60 ft towards exit, adj Cedric ( don't want to get too far ahead of Agrippa and Eldred)
Std action: none
Swift Action: Activate Judgement -destruction, justice (+2 to hit, +3 to dmg, sacred)
Active effects:
Divine favour ( +2 to hit and dmg, luck; 2/10 rnds)
Shield of Faith (+3 deflection AC; 3/80 rnds)
Chastising lash ( 4/80 rnds)
Effective AC 30
To hit +18/+13; dmg 1d6+17
Johan and Cedric, moving ahead of the group leave the temple, only to find unconscious followers and dead bodies.
The bodies, were killed by negative energy. Judging by the remaining, a very strong negative energy effect. There are some other sleeping deeply, most likely caused by magic as well.
---
Investigating further ahead, following the death cries and trail of bodies, the knot discover the two headed troll, fast asleep and snoring, on the ground near the water fountain.
Eldred takes the opportunity to check the corridor on their left, for any trouble or enemy, while Johan and Cedric access the conditions of the followers and minions.
1 – Agrippa
2 – Cedric
3 – Eldred
4 – Johan
---
As you investigate, from inside the tavern the voice of someone you cared for/loved before all this madness started, before ritual, before Mitrans and Asmodeans.
You feel in your bones if you do not run inside, that person will die, a horrible death, and you'll be left maimed because of that. There is something important you need to tell that person, but saving her is your first priority!
---
Johan heard the muffled scream from the next room. He wouldn't let it happen again. This time he had the power to stop him. This time he could punish him the way he had punished her.
Heedless of the others, Johan charged into the tavern...
Johan strides inside the room not caring for his allies behind. Not even caring if it’s a trap or not. He wouldn't let it happen again. This time he had the power to stop him.
The rest of the knot only observes, taken by surprise, they fail to comprehend what’s happening with Johan, or to take any action to prevent the man from striding alone into the tavern.
With a loud bang, the door closes. Trapping Johan inside alone with the enemy…
…or so is what one would have thought. The mass of disfigured ghosts rises from behind the fountain.
Round 1-
Ordered Initiative-
Active Effects-
Map-
Notes-
Narrative-
Strangely enough Eldred steps back and fumbles for his tinderbox.
Keep it off me - I've ghost salt but I need some fire!
Cedric turns his eyes ablaze as is his drawn sword as he looks at Eldred calling for fire.
"The masters has blessed me Master Crofter. I am hell-fire incarnate."
With that Cedric releases a blast of hell fire down the wall toward the ghostly apparitions.
DC 21 Reflex for half
Johan storms into the tavern and sees him standing over her, hunched and trembling. Step away from her ! he roars.
Master? Master! Attend to the present. You are bewitched.
The sound of Carnitheria Rex's gravelly voice snatches him from the clutches of the vision and the apparitions of his parents dissolve into nothing.
Johan grinds his teeth in anger at his momentary weak mindedness then sets off on search of a foe to vent that anger upon.
@Johan
You look around and see countless dead bodies.
Sucked dry of their life force. The door, which you just came thru, is closed and there’s no enemy in sight.
@Ashen
The cone of fire expands out of Cedric, hitting the partially hidden thing behind the water fountain.
But the flames seens to have no effect at all.
The ghostly apparition stirs and resound, as if countless mages started casting a spell.
.
@Other
From the enemy, a vaguely defined shape moves out, towards Eldred.
@Eldred
You’ve been serving him most part of your entire life, but in those last few months all your time and mind have been devoted to serve another god.
Norgorber's herald, the Stabbing Beast, a gigantic, black, scorpion-like entity that takes the form of a darkly armored humanoid with a scorpion's tail came to collect your debt. Your life is at the end, a painful death is what awaits you.
@Agrippa
Agrippa invisibly casts See invisibility hoping to get a better sense of what he is dealing with.
Will
Arrrrrgggh, he flails around impotently and grasps at his chest.
Fort
With the fury building inside him Johan spurs his mount around riding directly into the closed door.
He hits the door with a loud bang, but the magic sealed door is sturdier than he anticipated. The door continues closed despite his best efforts.
Outside, Eldred let’s out a scream of pure terror and fear, clutching to his chest, as every pore in his body pour out blood. Seconds later, the man lies dead in the flood.
Agrippa uses his magic to see what they are dealing with, and the spell makes clear it’s not only one, but hundreds of ghost, together in a un-living mass of nightmare.
It is probably the manifestation of all the torture, deaths and sacrifices in this place. Being of Incorporeal nature, it’s immune to nom magical damage, and magic affects it only partially.
He noticed as well it’s not deprived of intelligence, trapping Johan inside the tavern, while targeting Eldred, which loudly started he had means to deal with the enemy.
Other than that, it’s most likely resistant to magic, and its touch will inflict negative energy damage, based on the bodies you found so far.
Round 2-
Ordered Initiative-
Cedric: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
Eldred: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Johan: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Enemy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Agrippa: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Active Effects-
Map-
Notes-
-
Narrative-
Cedric rides forward to face down the undead mob.
15 Sword= 7 and 6 Fire= 3 For 10 damage.
Johan snarls at the uncooperative door then spurs Rex around to the tavern, and crashed into the other door there, hoping that whatever laid this trap hadn't had time to secure both exits.
Johan decides to try the other door, and as he thought, it wasn't enhanced by magic.
He crashes into the simple wooden frame, destroying it completely. On the other side, he finds Cedric riding into melee to face the monster.
His flame sword in hand, Cedrics attack, but the blow is cut off by the incorporeal nature of the monster; Only a small amount of damage it suffered.
Completely ignoring the knight attacking it, the ashen nightmare focuses on the newly arrived rider.
@Johan
Targeting Johan, the shade manifests his worst fears into reality. Suddenly isn’t a incorporeal thing anymore, but Johan’s father standing right there, whip in hand, ready to punish the little Johan for doing bad things.
@Agrippa, you are up.
Agrippa readies an action, waiting to use Dispel magic to counter anything the ghost swarm wants to cast.
Agrippa readies himself to cancel any new spell the shade cast.
Round 3-
Ordered Initiative-
Cedric: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
Eldred: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Johan: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Enemy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Agrippa: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Active Effects-
Map-
Notes-
-
Narrative-
"Master Hale, nice of you to join us. Send Rex there to fetch Sidious. He may be able to enslave this thing."
Cedric always well spoken seems strange now. Though the hell fire burns and rages in him he seems to maintain a call exterior even locked in battle.
Guess no reason to roll damage on those: ;)
Johan stands uncertainly in the doorway for a moment, then shakes his head clear of the latest mental assault. He nods at Cedric's plan and swings down from his mount. Fetch the priest! he urges Rex.
As the Nightmare flies over the writhing mass of ghosts, Johan steps forward and lashes out at the swarm with his hell-summoned whip.
Putting out an awful display, Cedric attacks the shape but offers no danger at all. The sword does not even come close to hit the thing. The horizontal arc slicing empty air.
Tapping into his inner faith, Johan shrugs off the spell effect, ordering his mount to fetch Sidious.
The Abyssal horse ride thru the ashen nightmare, giving the monster a chance to attack.
The brief touch is more than enough to steal more than half of the mount’s life force.
Using his magical whip, the inquisitor lashes with hellfire at the monster, and for the first time since they arrived, something seem to be damaging it.
The shade starts to cast another spell…
...but it fizzles away, causing no harm.
@Agrippa
Agrippa once again from his safe place prepares to dispel any attempt to cast a spell.
Cedric continues his assault against the hoard of lingering souls.
Maybe one hit for 5 + 4fire
Agrippa readies himself to cancel any other spell the shade cast.
Round 4-
Ordered Initiative-
Cedric: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
Eldred: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Johan: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Enemy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Agrippa: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Active Effects-
Map-
Notes-
-
Narrative-
Eldred lies still on the floor... dead.
Then miraculously his heart starts beating
Johan holds his ground and swings his whip in steady punishing arcs...How dare these spirits invade MY mind!
;
Now free of the melee, Carnitheria Rex cuts loose and flies at breakneck speed to the Sanctum.
Cedric attacks again, still not in his best, but this time, at least one of this attacks hits the shade. The sword cuts thru the incorporeal form, damaging it slightly.
Johan, shaken by the fact the monster invited his mind, twice attack with destructive power and no precision at all.
The Shade gaves up upon casting spells and changes to a more direct form of attack.
Touching Cedric, spreading it's curse alongside it.
@Agrippa
Agrippa casts Haste on his allies
The touch easily slips through the now bound armor but the birth from the hell fire has made Cedric resistant to physical damage not enchanted. Fire burns in his eyes as harm is still caused. He feels the magic wash over him from Agrippa and attacks with a new vigor.
There is not much there for the incorporeal beast, but Cedric's burning blade still tears away at it.
6 weapon, 5 fire
5 Weapon, 1 fire
4 weapon, 2 fire
Round 5-
Ordered Initiative-
Cedric: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
Eldred: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Johan: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Enemy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Agrippa: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Active Effects-
Map-
Notes-
-
Narrative-
Agrippa's magic infuses him and Johan's rhythmic swings reach a frenzied pace...
;
;
;
Boostered by Agrippa’s magic, Cedric attacks again in quick succession. The hellish flame embed in the sword, describing a deadly arc, as the attacks, scorching the immaterial form.
Johan Attacks again, but even with all the precision, the magic summoned whip has a hard time damaging the nightmare. Its innate magic resistance making two of the tree attacks ineffective.
The Shade continues its attacks on Cedric
@Agrippa
Agrippa casts a spell he hopes has an effect on the ghostly creature. A burst of glittering light explodes above the thing and showers it with motes of golden dust.
Agrippa challenges the magical resistance of the monster and his mind beats the monster natural resistance to magic. But the ashen nightmare is able to negate the spell effect.
Round 6-
Ordered Initiative-
Cedric: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
Eldred: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Johan: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Enemy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Agrippa: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Active Effects-
Map-
Notes-
-
Narrative-
Finally realizing that his lash is proving ineffective against the mass of ghosts, Johan draws his trusty morningstar and steps closer, swatting at them as they swirl around.
Cedric takes the pain of blow in stride and continues his assault on the creature with his sword surrounded in hellish flame.
In a confluence of flaming and banning attacks, the precarious form of the nightmare ends in a vicious of negative energy.
Nightmare Curse (Ex) The Ashen Nightmare’s puts horrifying visions into the target’s mind.
Curse— save Fortitude DC 21; frequency 1/ day; effect 1d4 Wisdom drain and target is fatigued; cure 3 consecutive saves or dispel evil, dream, or remove curse.
The wave on energy washes over Cedric and eats away at his body. He lies unconscious but retained the fortitude to keep any side effects at bay.
Any internal damage stopped bleeding as the dark knight lays unconscious but stable.
Strangest thing about that. I noticed that it came up funny when I previewed, so I went back in and changed it but it wouldn't correct! I event pasted into a new post and rewrote the whole thing and IT WOULD NOT go away!
Johan is blown into the next room by the massive discharge of energy, and though his armor softens some of the blow [ooc(deathless, absorbs first 10 hp of negative energy)[/ooc], it does not prevent shards of nightmarish horror invading his mind once again.
Gyarrgh! He stumbles back to the court yard clasping his head.
[dice=DMG: 15 + 24 + 68]15+24+68[/dice]
The force of the explosion if greater than anticipated and it is too much for the armored knight. The blast throw him against the wall, he hits it with a sickening noise of broken bones.
Johan as tossed aside with the same violence, but whether his body proved more resilient, his mind proved weaker and for the third time, his is assaulted by horrifying visions of his childhood, family and parents.
After Johan realizes that the maddening visions in his head are not going away, Johan makes his way up to the sanctum to seek out father Sidious. Priest, take these haunted images from my mind. Pray to the Dark Prince, spill blood, burn effigies - whatever must be done - just make them stop!
Speaking as Sidious:
"Master Hale... Haunted images." He looks and approaches Johan. He grabs his face and looks into his eyes.
"Ah I see. A curse. Whatever did this? No matter. I can prepare the spells. Come back to me tomorrow I will prepare the spells to break the curse."
Day 2
Will Cast 2 lesser Restorations to help keep effects at bay
"This indeed is a powerful curse. You say the creature killed Lord Cedric. No matter he will rise again if I understand his new dark gift. I will gather his armor and things to watch over until he does. Come back again tomorrow my lord and we will try again to break this curse."
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Johan spends a tortured week under Sidious' care recovering from the ashen nightmare's curse. The waking visions are bad, but the nightmares are worse and soon he gives up on sleep altogether.
When the curse is finally lifted, Johan is gaunt and hollow-eyed and more hateful than ever.