Natalyah curses and lays her bow on the ground before following Caithan. She draws her blades and keeps behind the chelaxian, trusting him to divert the first attack and let her get into a flanking position.
Seeing the beast launch skyward so lazily, she tries to throw a ball of fire and scorch it from the sky. As her flame shot skyward she stepped back from the precipice...
Quetza moved in front of her with a warning hiss at the oncoming aggressor as he focused on protecting her from the enemy.
Helga draws and looses again:
Attack: Damage:
You make ready to recieve the creatures attacks.Helga's arrow pierces it's reptilian hide and then it powers towards you.Atzi's flame whirrs past it's shoulder, Caithens swing fails to connect and it dodges the set spear, slashing out with a claw at Setebo as it passes on a fly-by attack and twisting away from any attempts to strike it as it passes as blood drips down the barbarians arm.
Acrobatics to avoid AoO's
Attack with claw Damage
Natalyah moves up next to Caithan and readies an attack against the creature should it do another sweep. "Try and get it between us!", she calls to Caithan.
Round 2 Initiative 16+ unless the 'ready for charge' changed Setebo's number.
"OW! The sailor seems more annoyed than hurt.
Rotating in place to keep the stange beast in sight Setebo keeps his boarding pike steady and waiting for another chance to strike.
Helga puts herself in the cover of Setebo's pike and keeps drawing and shooting....
Attack: Damage:
Atzi pivots as the creature swoops by, raising her hand and tossing another ball of flame. She tsks though as it misses as well. This creature was a wily one and was proving difficult to strike for the druid.
As she tried to aim her last shot a little better, Quetza kept up his defensive posture, shrieking his challenge at the flying predator that threatened his companion.
Waiting for the others
Setebo attack Damage
Caithen attack Damage
This time you are more prepared for the creatures tactics.Helga shoots it for a minor wound as it turns to repaet its swooping attack, Atzi's ball of fire just misses then Setebo, Natalyah and Caithen all score hits with their weapons.
Devil Acrobatics
Devil attack on Setebo damage
The 'Devil' delivers another slashing blow to Setebo but is subjected to another flurry of blows from the melee fighters as it tries to climb away.
Caithen attack Damage
Setebo attack Damage
Natalyah attack Damage
The Red Mountain Devil crashes unmoving to the ground.
Falling damage
"That was invigorating," Helga remarks cheerfully, sauntering over to the body to retrieve her broken arrows for repair later.
Natalyah rolls to the side and traces the creature as it crashes to the ground. "Be careful!", she snarls as she sees Helga saunter to its body. "It might still be alive!" The ranger approaches the creature to make sure it is defeated but stop as she sees Atzi moving to do the same. She stands behind the druid as she performs her ritual ready to act if the red devil start to move.
Amisi stays curled up behind Setebo. She knows she will be chided by Natalyah afterwards fir her cowardice but self preservation wins out.
Atzi steps forward, barely stopping Quetza from surging forward and ending the abnormal looking Red Mountain Devil. "Nothing more then a distraction, strong against a lone traveler but when faced by a group it falls easily..." She came forward drawing out her Scimitar as she approached it. The fury was gone from her face as she kneeled next to it, she looked determined and respectful. "Best we end it now lest it suffer more." Unless stopped she speaks slowly in polyglot and slides the scimitar between the Red Devils ribs and pierces its heart. Hoping to end it in a single thrust. "Mimi naona wewe kaka. Roho yako inakwenda na mama mkuu, mwili wako anakaa nyuma ya kuwa sehemu ya ardhi mara nyingine tena!"
"I see you brother. Your spirit goes with the Great Mother, your body stays behind to become part of the land once more!"
"Invigorating!?" Setebo drops the pike and reaches for a rag to staunch his freely flowing blood.
"A Distraction!?!" Setebo's voice drops as it has in the times he exhibited the 'bezerkergang'.
But his breathing calms and..... yes the blood flow seems to lessen.
Atzi steps forward, barely stopping Quetza from surging forward and ending the abnormal looking Red Mountain Devil. "Nothing more then a distraction, strong against a lone traveler but when faced by a group it falls easily..." She came forward drawing out her Scimitar as she approached it. The fury was gone from her face as she kneeled next to it, she looked determined and respectful. "Best we end it now lest it suffer more." She speaks slowly in polyglot and slides the scimitar between the Red Devils ribs and pierces its heart. "Mimi naona wewe kaka. Roho yako inakwenda na mama mkuu, mwili wako anakaa nyuma ya kuwa sehemu ya ardhi mara nyingine tena!" Between Natalyah's dagger strike and her blade she was sure the Devil was no more.
Atzi stood then, looking towards the creatures roost. "Lets check that out next."
"I see you brother. Your spirit goes with the Great Mother, your body stays behind to become part of the land once more!"
Turning to the now angered Setebo she raises her hand and the remaining flame suddenly changes to a bright golden glow. The cleansing nature o fire was replaced by the soothing embrace of natures healing. She placed her glowing hand over one of Setebo's injuries and as soon as she touched his wound it slowly stitched itself back together. "Apologies Setebo, it is the best I can do..."
Calmer now the hirsute sailor bobs his head in contrition. His wounds are closed, either by Atzi's touch or the strange black stitching though some scratches and bruising remains.
"Sorry ma'am. Got a bit over excited, forgot myself. Sorry."
Atzi shrugs looking a little embarrassed. "I should be embarrassed, I hadn't noticed it had harmed anyone. My apologies to you Setebo, you also were protecting Amisi quite well. Our strong protector as always." She gives him a broad smile before turning back towards where the Devil had been sitting prior to their attack. "Now to see if it has anything of note up there..."
She heads that way and inspects how to get up the nest or if it would beeasier to send Quetza up to fetch items instead~
Setebo puffs up under the praise.
"Aw..."
Injuries forgotten, and nearly healed, Setebo cracks his knuckles and rolls his neck. The resulting sound resembling a mid sized tree falling in a windstorm.
"That is not too bad a climb. I can get down there and see what there is to see if you like."
If folks agree:
Setebo Removes most of the gear from his pack and sets down most of his weapons. (retaining rope, spikes, hammer, one full water skin, armor and magic sword, and the now near empty pack.)
He then walks over to the cleft and begins to scout a way down to the nest.
Assuming the sailor reaches the odd construction and it can bear his weight Setebo will pack everything he finds there into his pack before climbing back up to the top.
You have rope which makes the climb DC 5..so easy enough to get down and back up without problems.
In the nest you find
369 silver
356 gold
19 platinum
Assorted Jewellry woth 500 gold
A hook made to fit on the end of an arm stump..very fine work(Masterwork) and made of Mithril.(1000 gold)
A +1 buckler
An efficient quiver containing...
20 Arrows
9 cold iron arrows
7 +1 Arrows
2 +2 arrows
An arrow of Aberration slaying
A javelin of Lightning
A Masterwork Composite Longbow (+2 Strength)
"Ah looks as if some over burdened and very rich adventurer died a horrible death here." Caithan says grimly.
"Aye, that they did," Helga agrees, eyes drooling at the quiver. Sadly the bow proves more than she can easily draw.
Atzi, knowing full well she couldn't draw the bow, gives it a test pull and when the string barely bends she gives a hal-hearted sigh and hands it to Natalyah. She smirks though, revealing she wasn't really serious at trying to claim the bow. "Your turn Lady of Blades~"
|
Amisi looks at the jewellry
"Oh - Setebo - that looks nice. You wouldn't mind if I take the nice necklace - is goes well with the colour of my hair.
Too long that I haven't had the opportunity to truly represent and to go out in nice clothes and jewellry to a ball.
We can still sell it when we are back in civilisation - but it looks good to have something beautiful and shiny with me."
Natalyah looks dourly at the stash the Red Devil has collected. She accepts the bow from Atzi and examines it. "It is a good weapon, but I all ready have one." She hands the bow to Caithan. "Can you use it?"
"Let's get moving"
So how are you going about using the stones?
Caitahn pulls the bow back easily his massive arms used to swinging a great balde find no trouble with the stout bow. "Hmph. NEver found strong bows very sporting but better to have than have not out here."
Carefully unstringing it and replacing his own personal bow Caithan stows away the stronger weapon.
Helga will take the efficient quiver and the arrows if no-one objects, as she seems to be the party's full-time archer.
"Why don't you take this?" she offer's Setebo the buckler (again if no-one objects). "You need a little extra protection."
When they reach the monoliths Helga will inspect them closely, first with mundane senses, then with detect magic. She will try and decipher any inscriptions, using comprehend languages if her Linguistics isn't up to it.
There are no inscriptions.
Casting your mind back to the inscription you found in the Ghoul lair you recall that you must anoint each of the outer stones with the blood of a thinking creature..then have the blood licked by a poisonous snake. After that the tide stone must have sea water poured over it from a metal container and the name of Yserdius invoked
"What?!" Natalyah exclaims when she is told of the inscription. "Who in the nine hells is Yserdius why do we want to preform a ritual for it? What happens to the creature who's blood is used? What do you hope to achieve?" she continues in a uncharacteristicly long burst of words.
"We hope to find out what happened to the woman from your ship."
Between the dryad and Atzi I'll let the snakes be a given..small vipers which won't do any damage to you as long as you wear gauntlets or use animal empathy.
As for the blood..well the Red Mountain Devil did show a degree of intelligence..not much but certainly above animal.
Caithan frowns. "I suppose I can volunteer the blood..."
"All of us can, as each stone must be anointed," Helga replies, drawing her dagger.
"How is smearing my blood on the stone going to acomplish that?", Natalyah nealy screams, still agitated. "You haven't anwsered what happens to the creature that spills its blood on the stone."
At the passing of the gear
"Thank you friend Helga this should work well."
Setebo straps the buckler to a forearm.
At the blood stones.
"No need Capt'. My blood volunteered for all of us."
Pauses....Smiles and looks at OLOB
"Though some might argue about the intelligent part."
Setebo anoints the stones with his still tacky blood.
"I expect it will explain the strange sound and weather earlier. Given that the snake lady was in the ghoul lair and went to the trouble to make her way here I wound bet, if I were a betting kind of person, that this opens up a door."
"As for what happens, well lets just find out..."
"Setebo is right. We don't know. But there is only one way of finding out," Helga inspects the stones to see if there is blood recently spilled on them.
There are blood stains on the stones which are relatively fresh..
if you want to use your blood to anoint the stones it will nessecitate a d3 damage for each stone..however you could use the blood from the 'Devil' which had rudimentary intelligence and there fore can be defined as a 'thinking creature'
"Rather than our own blood, there's plenty from that thing we killed," Helga suggests, and jogs back to get some.
"Suppose that's better than slitting our own wrists for some heathen ritual." Caithan mutters keeping his eyes open and wary for any uninvited watchers.
Ok so using the Devils blood gets round having to damage yourselves..the snakes are a given and you know what needs to be done..any particular position ayone wants to be in..I take it that Natalyah is going to be standing a fair distance away
Atzi stands at the forefront ready fir action as she hadn't used as many spells as she had thought she would...