Upon being fully descended, Charon will grab the sunrod and keeping her magical rapier in the other. She'll try to spot what skittered into the darkness.
Perception: 1d20+6
Upon decending to the base of the stairs your companions call out from above "What do you see down there?"
As their call's echo fades you hear a very low thrumming. Almost inaudible but it's clearly the sound of breathing and strangely...it's coming from more than one direction.
Charon yells in a calm voice, "It's what I don't that is the problem. Shadows." Charon will drop the sun rod at her feat and pull out her dagger from her handy haversack. Charon in a low growl states, "Show yourselves or die. I'm not for these games."
Charon yells in a calm voice, "It's what I don't that is the problem. Shadows." Charon will drop the sun rod at her feat and pull out her dagger from her handy haversack. Charon in a low growl states, "Show yourselves or die. I'm not for these games."
With a low growl a number of tentacled, four-legged creatures very similar to those that attacked Bosh linger at the edge of the sunrod's light, their eyes glowing a bright yellow.
Initiative
Charon -
Dolelan -
Legiald -
Nera -
1 -
2 -
3 -
4 -
Charon noticing the beast will burst into action(shift 5 down and 3 across). She'll swing her magical rapier at the creature with all her might.
To Hit:
If hit:
Attack 3
Attack 4
Damage 1
Damage 4
Charon, you move in and stab at the shadowy creature. When you pierce it's hide you see the shadowy tendrils try and wrap around your blade but the light from your sunrod wards them off.
You hear a comotion upstairs as Legiald cries out "I'm coming!" and lands with a loud *CLANG* legiald appears at the base of the ladder with his greatsword in hand and advances into the darkness "Charon! Where Are You!....GAH!!! GET BACK!" Looking over you seee Legiald getting swarmed by the shadow creatures. Glancing over you see one of them latch on to his leg with it's jaws before he kicks it off and another take a bite out of his arm while he's distracted. Your attention reverts back to your enemy just as it lunges forward and you parry the blow, catching the weight of the creature and deflecting it.
Back upstairs it seems that your other companions are doing their best to get down into to the basement.
Round 2
.
Dolelan arrives at the building Charon had been exploring just in time to see Legaid plummet down the trap door. He rushes over and looks down to see the man surrounded by shadow monsters. He shouts a warning as the beasts attempt to outmaneuver him and Charon, and prepares to leap into the fray.
Charon will slide 5 north. Charon will swing at the shadow creature.
Attack:
damage:
Attack 2
Attack 3
Attack 4
Attack 4 (Confirm)
Damage 2
Damage 3
Damage 4
Charon, I believe I've made the map interactive, I've moved you north but you can move yourself now.
Dolelan, thats fine.
Nera - 27
Charon - 24
Dolelan - 17
Legiald - 10
Charon slides to the left of her attacker and stabs deftly with her rapier, unfortunately the creature dodges to her right and growls menacingly before coming in with it's teeth, it latches onto your wrist and draws blood before you can shake it off (). It lands on it's feet and retreats to a safe distance before licking it's shadowy jowls.
Light illuminates the darkness as Dolelan decends the ladder with his sword alight. As his feet hit the heavy earthen floor one of the newly
revealed beasts lunges forward, fortunately Dolelan steps out of the way in time.
Legiald gets caught off guard, huffing and puffing he is slow to react as one launches itself onto him, he tries to put his sword between it and himself but it sinks it's teeth into his shoulder (). If that weren't enough the other creature circles and tears into his leg ().
Nera lands gracefully at the base of the ladder, raises her hands and fires a set of magic missiles at the hounds attacking Legiald. ()
As more light fills the room the contents are revealed to a greater extent. While the floors are hard packed earth the walls of this basement are rough cut stone with marble pillars and statues of what look to be warriors in various states of disrepair lining the walls. Each of the statues holds a magnificent weapon that glimmers in the magical light. Suddenly the room fills with a rumbling, like the growl of a very large creature against the far wall opposite the entrance two large basketball sized yellow lights stare at you all.
Dolelan steps forward to give Nera and Walter room to work as he takes up his fencing stance and begins to lay into one of the shadow beasts. The disconcerting growl in the distance distracts him momentarily, and the shadow monster easily twists away from his thrust.
Attack modifiers: +2 (str), +2 (enhancement), +3 (BAB), +2 (morale)[/ooc]
Charon howls in a fit of frustration, dropping the sun rod and retrieving the dagger from her handy haversack. She'll swing both weapons in a deadly swing at the shadow creature.
Magical rapier:
Damage:
Dagger:
Damage:
Nera Attack
Legiald Damage
Nera Damage
Beast 1
Beast 3
Beast 4
Beast 1 Damage
Beast 4 Damage
Player Initiative
Nera - 27
Charon - 24
Dolelan - 17
Legiald - 10
Nera wades into combat with her rapier flashing and slices at one of the beasts, a chunk of flesh flies off and hits the floor as the shadows bleed out of it. That same shadow creature turns to Nera and lunges at her as she was finishing her attack and nips at her hand ().
Charon, drawing your dagger you approach the shadow creature with two weapons raised. Lunging out first with the dagger the shadow beast steps out of it's range but it doesn't appear to see your rapier and you sink your blade into it. It hisses at you and lunges but you quickly bring up both weapons in a cross guard and deflect the blow.
Dolelan, standing in your fencing stance you hold your blade out defensively to ward off attacks. When the shadow creature comes in for a lunge you see it coming and sidestep the attack. You attempt to counterattack but your grip slips for a moment and you retreat in order to regain a sure hold on your weapon.
Legiald grunts in frustration, bleeding in several places he shoves off the creature at his shoulder and raises his mighty greatsword overhead and comes down with a heavy blow and greatly wounds the shadowbeast. It drops to the ground and twitches before the shadows leave it completely, revealing a dog.
Round 3
Dolelan uses the momentum from his sidestep to carry him past the ravenous shadow animal and tries to assist Legaid by forcing his opponent to divide its attention between them, still shouting occasional warnings and observations about their foes.
Upon deflecting the blow, Charon will swoop low and bring both weapons in a upward slice at the monster.
Rapier:
Damage:
Dagger:
Damage:
Player Initiative
Charon, you burst forward in an attempt to slice upwards at the creature. It tries to sidestep your attack and in it's movement it slips out of range of the dagger but almost impales itself on the Rapier in the process. Black Ichor bleeds off of it en masse and it seems to have trouble standing.
Dolelan, you see Nera dance around your enemy and strike out at it with the scimitar she adoringly calls Walter. Walter bites into the creatures back and as it howls out in pain you stab forward and catch it with it's neck exposed.
Legiald wheels around with his greatsword and with a loud "Swoosh" as his blade sails far too high to hit the creature hugging the ground.
The basement continues to reverberate with the muted vibration coming from the far side of the room, with a loud crunch it seems to take a step forward and just beneath it's eyes a huge set of glowing white teeth expose themselves.
Aboveground you hear the loud creaking of wood and the muffled sounds of elven profanity you recognize as the voice of "Magic Tree".
Dolelan eyes the creature(?) at the back of the basement warily as he tries desperately to use his glowing sword to poke enough holes in the monster before him to stop it from trying to kill him. He shouts out toward the thing in the far side of the room, first in common, "Who are you? What do you want? Why have you killed the people of Orp? What was your grievance with them?"
"Who are you? What do you want? Why have you killed the people of Orp? What was your grievance with them?"
From the far side of the room a deep rumbling voice dripping with menace replies "Wouldn't you like to know Hue-Man." The pronunciation of some of his words seems strange, almost as if common wasn't his first language.
Charon will swing both blades in a circular motion, swing the dagger low and her rapier high, trying to catch the creature off guard.
Rapier:
Damage:
Dagger:
Damage:
Dotting
Charon, you opponent tries to dodge but it's dead on it's feet and your last strikes easily dispatch the heavily wounded creature. Dolelan Nera and Legiald make quick work of the last remaining shadow beast and you turn to see that the glowing eyes have gotten closer. It's form sits at the edge of visible light and it seems to be moving closer.
Round 4
Charon will stealthily try to move up using statues as cover.
As the hulking figure begins to emerge from the shadows at the far end of the room, Dolelan fights to control himself and not scurry back up the ladder as quickly as his feet will carry him. Charon's disappeared somewhere, so he says a silent prayer to the Dawnflower and decides to stare the monster down and engage it in conversation to buy her time to do whatever it is that she was planning- or perhaps convince the creature not to eat them all and maybe gain some bit of information from it in the process.
"Wouldn't you like to know Hue-Man."
Dolelan lets a bit of umbrage slip into the tone of his reply as he levels his glowing sword directly in line with one of the creature's eyes, "I'm no more human than you are... and yes, I would like to know. And I think you should tell me before my friends and I decide to poke your eyes out and burn this building down around your head! I know of Drivus and the Black Heart, and this is hardly the first pack of his beasts that we've put down." He kicks one of the dead animals for emphasis as he continues, "Now, I am a scholar and I much prefer a good chat to wasteful bloodshed so I'll ask you again- who are you and why have you come to Orp?"
The deep rumbly voice chuckles "What do you think you know Hue-Man? Let us see."
A pair of shadowy tendrils wrap themselves around statues as the shadowy creature pulls himself into the light, the creature itself is very big, what looks like it's head is scraping against the ceiling of the basement. He's scuttles across the floor on a hundred tiny legs like some huge insect, it's form is smooth, shadowy darkness save for it's appendages.
Shadowy tendrils shoot out from it's mass and lashes out at you. It comes sideways at nera and sweeps under her guard () and the shadow grabs hold of her, lifting her off the ground. Legiald and Dolelan stand thier ground and manage to fend off the limbs of the shadow.
Charon, you're lurking behind one of the statues. It doesn't seem to have noticed you.
Sorry, the creature was closer than it said on the map.
Charon will move behind a pillar still trying to remain hidden.
Charon, it seems to have lost track of you, focusing instead on your allies.
Dolelan skirts the tentacle's left and comes up to the one holding Nera, light shimmers down the length of his sword and he slashes at the limb (). Nera wiggles loose and slips from the shadow's grasp. The shadow advances and Legiald swings his sword high and strikes a sundering blow (). The shadow reels from the blow and sends it's tentacles out like lances, the tips seem to harden and even glint off the various magical lights in the room and they lance through Nera () and Legiald () as Dolelan dodges. Nera and Legiald both take a step back and shake their heads as if confused ().
Round 3
Charon will move behind the creature and try to stab at any vital looking spot she can find. She will strike with as much force as she can muster.
Magical Rapier:
Damage:
If sneak attack:
Furiously fending off the creature's attack, Dolelan's mind seizes on the protective potion that the priestess had given him back in Eastbridge... he had a hard time recalling when he'd been in more need of protection and decides to use it now. He steps back just beyond the reach of the terrifying tentacles and spares a glance at the glowing weapons cached around the room as he retrieves and drinks the honeyed potion, to see if there are any that would suit his weapons training . Then, narrowing his focus, he studies his opponent for any hint of weakness.
You learn one useful tidbit, would you like that to be (offense, defense, or misc?)
Charon, as you close on the thing it seems to chuckle as it's focus centers on you but with your companions in the front flanking you're able to hit it's vital spots. It begins lashing out with it's tentacles in a great flailing, crying out all the while in a strange language.
It seems to get more clumsy as it continues attacking. Charon easily steps under and hops over it's tentacles as it lashes out. Nera and legiald do the same, though they both seem to wince when they move in quick jerks to avoid attacks. Dolelan, it looks several times like you're about to be struck but they seem to bounce off, protected by your potion.
Round 5
Nera holds walter in a defensive fashion while legiald strikes at the shadow (), as he does it cries out all the more "YOU PITIFUL, FOUL, WRETCHED CREATURES! YOU HAVE NOT SEEN A FRACTION OF WHAT I AM CAPABLE OF!"
Charon will slide 5ft, and lunge into the beast. In anger Charon will shout, "You're right. You are very capable of dying! So, do it!"
Magical Rapier:
Sneak attack:
Dagger:
Suddenly realizing that this shadowspawn likely shares the same weaknesses and predictability as the others, Dolelan edges behind Nera (and toward some of the glowing weapons) as he calls out quick words of warning and advice to his companions.
After spending the past several days dredging through his memories of the last time he studied Abyssal, it has been starting to come back to him. He mostly learned the accursed language from tomes and (thankfully!) has only conversed with native speakers a handful of times. Still, he does his best to offer a rejoinder.
Sorry, I had completely skipped over that part of your post. I had intended to reply to it but I got caught up doing math. I'll post this description so everyone can see.
As your final blows slash, pierce, and cut into his form a soft exhalation echos throughout the room. In a very weak voice it says "you will not be so lucky next time....." and it's body shimmers away, leaving nothing but the dankness of the massive basement illuminated only by your magic lights.
There are six statues in total that line the walls along with a seventh that stands at the far wall. They all appear to have worn the same clothing when the statues were made, a horned helm, a leather doublet stretched over what appears to be mail with stone links sticking out at the waist and wrists, a long fur-trimmed cloak and heavy boots and gauntlets. They stand at different heights and have different builds but most of the finer features have been worn away.
The weapons they hold are as follows, ()
Charon will look at Dolelan in disgust. Charon will state, "You choose strange bedfellows. In certain towns, talk like that would get you killed. Luckily, we're not in those towns."Charon pauses and goes on, "The statues look interesting. Also, any idea why the beast would be here?"
Charon will inspect/appraise each weapon on the statues.
Longbow:
Longsword:
Hammer:
Gauntlet:
Dagger:
Pair of Kukuri:
Chain:
Charon will look at Dolelan in disgust. Charon will state, "You choose strange bedfellows. In certain towns, talk like that would get you killed. Luckily, we're not in those towns."Charon pauses and goes on, "The statues look interesting. Also, any idea why the beast would be here?"
Charon will inspect/appraise each weapon on the statues.
Longbow: 1d20 + 5
Longsword: 1d20 + 5
Hammer: 1d20 + 5
Gauntlet: 1d20 + 5
Dagger: 1d20 + 5
Pair of Kukuri: 1d20 + 5
Chain: 1d20 + 5
They all seem to be fairly valuable.
Dolelan shoots Charon a faintly disapproving look as he whispers the simple spell to reveal magical auras. In an offended tone he states "I simply find knowledge to be preferable to ignorance. If your delicate sensitivities keep you from the the study of languages then you probably did not learn that the creatures are apparently weakened during daytime, even locked away from the sun's light down here."
The first thing Dolelan does is examine the spot where the creature faded away for the remnants of any magical auras. Before touching anything he walks around the perimeter of the large cellar checking for signs that any more of the shadow creatures could be laying in wait. Then he begins to carefully examine the auras surrounding the weapons and any other magic auras, also paying careful attention to the amulet that caught his interest.
Knowledge (History): , do the statues or the weapons bring to mind any interesting bits of lore?
Knowledge (Local): , what is a place like this doing in Orp?
About halfway through his examinations, a thought occurs to him. "We should probably check on the tree, at least to let him know we are alright..." Dolelan is clearly reluctant to tear himself away from his study of the artifacts.
In studying the weapons themselves, Dolelan is quite meticulous. He doesn't touch anything at all but simply stares at each statue for a minute or so before giving a small grunt and moving on.
Examining the area where the creature disappeared more closely you see various runes hastily scribbled onto the floor. Many of them are runes of binding and sealing.
Knowledge Local The presence of such a building is a mystery, made even stranger by the binding of a planar being within it. You have no idea, not even an inkling as to why this is.
Also if you didn't see it check the spoiler on my last post.
Examining the weapons they do seem to be of extraordinary make, though under your magic scrutiny they're revealed to be nothing more than mock items, thoroughly made mock items with real magical auras but that's all the magic there is to them.
Charon will shrug, as if his tone means nothing, "Knowledge is a great thing, Dolelan. It can also be very dangerous thing. If you choose to speak in that tongue, just don't do it around me. It's something that will get noticed. I prefer not to be. We also have a large tree that might mistake our intent, well at least yours and mine by association. You talk to the tree, I prefer to keep my distance."
Charon bows and moves to inspect the room itself.
Dolelan, exiting the trapdoor you come above ground to see various types of undead clustered around "Magic Tree". Skeletons, zombies, a handful of ghouls all lay scattered around, intermixed with the bodies of Orp's slain.
Charon will inspect the small indentation. () She will then move to open the indentation.
Trap Check:
Disarm trap(if able):
Dolelan had suspected necromancy when he saw the bodies at the ruin; the scene that confronts him when he exits the building into the late afternoon light only confirms his fears. He's made a career of prying secrets from the cold dead hands of history, so this is hardly his first brush with undeath- still, the sight makes him uneasy. He stands in the doorway and calls out to Gulorne, "There's a large basement hidden under here, we were ambushed by the shadow demons when we went to explore. Nera and Legaid were injured. What happened out here? Are you hurt?"
Dolelan had suspected necromancy when he saw the bodies at the ruin; the scene that confronts him when he exits the building into the late afternoon light only confirms his fears. He's made a career of prying secrets from the cold dead hands of history, so this is hardly his first brush with undeath- still, the sight makes him uneasy. He stands in the doorway and calls out to Gulorne, "There's a large basement hidden under here, we were ambushed by the shadow demons when we went to explore. Nera and Legaid were injured. What happened out here? Are you hurt?"
Examining Gûl Orne you see that around his trunk there are a number of gouges and stratches, the hands of the undead are riddled with splinters. Gûl Orne replies in his thick elven accent "They came like a vast tide but I stand resilient."
There are no traps that you can detect. Though upon closer examination you do recognize that this seems to be a simple mechanism of some kind.
Charon will try to use the mechanism and open/activate what ever it is.
Charon will try to use the mechanism and open/activate what ever it is.
Roll a disable device as there is no recognizable way to interact with the indentation.
Then he begins to carefully examine the auras surrounding the weapons and any other magic auras, also paying careful attention to the amulet that caught his interest.
For a moment Dolelan reflects on the countless afternoons and evenings spent in the shelter of a tree; camping in a storm, reading on a sunny day, or simply stargazing and letting his mind wander. Our nights will not be safe in these accursed woods... but I don't think we could ask for a safer place to rest than under the branches of *this* tree...
"Resilient indeed. The music of the Starsong can mend some of those scratches, if you don't mind." So saying, Dolelan will walk up and gently touch the gouges then sing a brief snippet of prayer. His hand glows with a soft white light as the bark knits itself.
Dolelan takes a moment to divine the surrounding area in all directions for any unexpected magical auras before taking his leave of the tree and descending back to the hidden basement. After examining the various auras around the room again he ventures his opinion. "I think... I think that this place was built both as a tribute and a memorial. These people did something so incredible that those who knew their story built this shrine so that the story would never be forgotten. They passed the reverence and the legend down through the generations- until all that was left of the group that made these statues and weapons is a village of pig farmers?" He sighs. Something doesn't add up. "I would have thought there'd be some sort of archive, a history or legend set down in writing. Most secret societies that rely on oral traditions would not risk being discovered by building something like this, so I doubt they were entirely without records. Maybe if we search the rest of the village."
He drifts toward the runes scrawled in the ground at the far end of the basement. He talks more to himself than to any of his companions in particular, "Whoever wrote these knew what they were doing. The inscription is competent, but hasty. These wards weren't set with the same deliberation as the rest of this display, else they'd be carved into the foundation and inlaid with metal. No... someone had some forewarning of the doom that was coming to Orp and tried to do something about it. Not much of a warning, and apparently not enough- but some warning... I wonder what they knew..." After studying the runes for several minutes he abruptly goes back to the statues and takes a hard look at the ornamentation on the one in the middle.
He abruptly changes the topic. "Have any of you heard the tale of Turnmist, the Vanguard of Torilla? It's odd how many of the old stories have become deeply, personally relevant in the past few days..."
Examining the area where the creature disappeared more closely you see various runes hastily scribbled onto the floor. Many of them are runes of binding and sealing.
Dolelan will mine the runes for any trace of significance, carefully copying them down for future reference. He figures that whoever inscribed them might have known something about the nature of their enemy and prepared a ward accordingly
Then he begins to carefully examine the auras surrounding the weapons and any other magic auras, also paying careful attention to the amulet that caught his interest.
Did any of the statues have a brand or tattoo depicted on them, looking anything like the ones that mark us?
You are unsure, as you recall from the knowledge you dug up so many years ago each member of the Wardens was branded in a place liken to their duties. Hearts over the hearts, minds over the foreheads, and hands on their hands. Everywhere there would be a branding similar to yours is covered up. They wear gloves, helmets and clothing.
Examining the runes within the room you notice a few of them look familiar, wards against evil, wards against darkness the basic ones you'd expect to find in such a binding but curiously there are other elements here that you're not clear what their purpose is.
His hand glows with a soft white light as the bark knits itself.
Cure light wounds: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
Gûl Orne says "I Thank you, I did not know what was causing me such discomfort, like a nest of ants crawling under my bark. This pain is strange, I know what it is but to actually feel....it is unnerving."
Charon will try to use/open the device.
Disable device roll:
Charon will try to use/open the device.
Disable device roll:1d20 + 14
You discern that there is a type of twisting mechanism judging by the wear and placement of certain ridges and obtrusions. It looks like something fits into this indentation and twists open like a key.