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Kulga adds her morningstar blow to Brayne's both landing solid shots. Purpuurup suddenly erupts with a wave of positive energy meant to harm the undead. I've never done that before, she says shocked by her own suddenly enhanced abilities. Although the undead monster seems to resist some of the energy.
Garduk lays down a greasy coating on the ground and down goes the Ngoga.
The blood from eye whole seems to repair some of the broken bones; as the monstrosity attempts to return to its feet. Opening it to Brayne and Kulga's morningstars.
Round 2
Map
Ngoga Skeleton 33 dmg
Kulga
Purpurrup
Garduk
Brayne 8 dmg
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Garduk shakes his head at the inert pile of shattered bones, then pokes around, looking for anything of historical interest in either of the alcoves.
"Hrmm. I agree. Time to head down and see what all the fuss is about."
When they get to the stairs going down to the other doorway, he taps himself again with the wand of shield, and loads another cold iron bolt into his crossbow.
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Garduk pokes around and hits a small box buried in one of the alcoves. It wooden and may have been ornate at one time but has mostly rotted away. Inside is three thimble-sized clay containers, 3 vials, and a blown-glass vial has a chain for attaching it to the handle of a weapon. They all detect as magical.
Three doses of War paint of the Terrible Visage
This thimble-sized clay container of thick, moist face paint has enough material to paint streaks and whorls of any color on one creature's face. Once applied, the wearer can, as a swift action, make the paint rearrange itself into a ghastly mélange of colors, making his appearance momentarily disturbing and hideous. The wearer chooses one creature who can see his painted face within 30 feet to be affected by cause fear (DC 11). Once the paint is used in this fashion, it loses all magic and becomes normal face paint. Once applied, the wearer has 24 hours to use the paint's magic; otherwise it fades away.
Three elixirs of hiding
A character drinking this liquid gains an intuitive ability to sneak and hide (+10 competence bonus on Stealth checks for 1 hour).
Blood Reservoir of Physical Prowess
This blown-glass vial has a chain for attaching it to the handle of a weapon. When filled with the wearer's blood, it gains powerful magic. Filling the reservoir takes a full minute, deals 4 points of Constitution damage (which can be healed normally), and imbues the reservoir with 4 charges. Charging the reservoir changes the blood to magical fluid, which does not clot or decay with time.
The wearer can speak the first command word to draw 1 or more charges from the reservoir, curing 1 point of physical ability score damage per charge used.
The wearer can speak the second command word to imbue herself with a great burst of physical prowess, depleting all remaining charges and gaining an inherent bonus to one physical ability score equal to twice the number of charges used. This bonus lasts until the end of the wearer's next turn.
The bearer can only use the reservoir if it is held in hand or attached to a held or wielded weapon. A bearer can safely carry only one charged reservoir at a time; any others spontaneously drain their charges in 1d10 rounds, leaving only the highest-charged reservoir intact. A reservoir has no effect if not charged with the wearer's blood, and cannot be charged by bloodless creatures or those that cannot take Constitution damage.
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Moving on down the stairs you reach a long, wide hall which is littered with thousands of smashed and broken relics, idols, icons, and statuary of all kinds. An enormous door, slightly ajar, sits at the end of the hall.
The Sight of the Cyclops reveals a parade of cyclopes passing through the hallway carrying armfuls of religious tokens, casting them to the ground and stomping them into rubble with open joy and howls of laughter. Akmon’s voice is barely able to hold back his tears. “The greatest blasphemy of them all,” he says. “Every shred of evidence of the old faith—ruined beyond repair. Only by clearing away this wreckage respectfully can the sun and moon be appeased.”
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On the containers:
On the vials:
On the blown-glass vial:
He tells Kulga and Purpurrp, "Akmon says that clearing the mess off the stairs - respectfully - is the only way the sun and moon can be appeased. It looks like it will take a long time, and with that door open at the bottom I think we might be taken by surprise partway through."
Rummaging through one of his scroll boxes, Garduk addresses Akmon. "Given the danger that awaits at the bottom of the stairs, it may not be wise to spend time cleaning before we fight the rest of the halflings and the fiend. We could clean up the stairs once we are finished, but if it would be better to begin now, perhaps I could conjure some assistance to clean while we continue down to the lower level of the temple?"
The arcanist finally finds the scroll he was searching for, and pulls it out of the box: Unseen Servant.
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Garduk nods at the voice only he and Brayne can hear. He drinks the remaining elixir of hiding and prepares to follow Kulga and Brayne down the stairs. He pulls his box of combat scrolls of of his pack, checks to make sure his wands are in his wrist sheaths or securely tucked into his belt, then sets the backpack down near the top of the stairs.
"Purpurrup, can I leave my pack with you? I'll never be as stealthy as the others, but the extra weight doesn't help."
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As you begin to sneak through the room, keeping to the areas that are easier to traverse, Brayne becomes aware of two halfling hiding among the broken relics. The one in the far corner spots on of you and begins reaching for his belt, the other doesn't seem to see you.
Surprise Round
Map
Garduk
Kulga
Purpurrup
Brayne
Halfling
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Brayne suddenly moves into the broken relics. Only Brayne sees that the halfling in the back corner guzzles a potion.
Round 1
Map
Garduk
Kulga
Purpurrup
Brayne
Halfling
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Garduk goes into total defense, while Kulga stays vigilant. Purpurrup hearing the sounds of combat steps up to the entrance, but doesn't spot any of the foes and hesitates.
A headhunter suddenly appears at the back of the room and fires a bow at Garduk, the arrow pierces the half-orc.
While, the headhunter halfling near Brayne appears with claws flying, landing two blows on the noble.
From the front corner another arrow whizzes toward Brayne, but just as it looks like it might score a deadly blow, Brayne moves his head slightly and it misses him instead.
Round 2
Map
Garduk 5 dmg
Kulga
Purpurrup
Brayne 5 dmg
Halflings
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Garduk fires and misses with his crossbow; as Kulga emerges from hiding and bashes one of the halflings. Purpurrup summons a spiritual scimitar and attacks the headhunter furthest away , connecting with holy energy. Brayne morningstar connects for the second time, another solid blow.
One halfling approaches Garduk dropping his bow. The one in the corner claws at Kulga, hitting with one nasty claw. While the last one claws at Brayne, lightly scratching with both attacks. The both nimbly shift over, even among the broken items.
Round 2
Map
Garduk 5 dmg
Kulga 3 dmg
Purpurrup
Brayne 5 dmg
Halfling
Red 21 dmg
Yellow 18 dmg
Blue 8 dmg
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Kulga shield crashes into the headhunter, sending him to the ground. She follows up with a killing axe blow, before shifting toward the other nearby halfling.
Purpurrup moves and attacks with her spiritual weapon, which delivers another effective blow. She also looses a sling bullet in the halfling's direction that is not nearly as effective.
Brayne moves forward in pursuit and bashes in the headhunter's head with the morningstar's blow, dropping it dead.
Red 35 dmg
Yellow 44 dmg - dead
Blue 17 dmg
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Garduk makes Kulga disappear! The headhunter barely notices barreling forward with his claws at Garduk, hitting with one claw.
Round 3
Map
Garduk 10 dmg
Kulga 3 dmg
Purpurrup
Brayne 5 dmg
Halfling
Red 35 dmg
Yellow 44 dmg - dead
Blue 17 dmg
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The claws rake across the half-orc's belly, and in a moment his shirt is stained with blood. Pulse pounding in his head, he growls low and draws his club. For a moment, it looks as though he is going to attack, but then he thinks better of it, and holds up the club in a guarding position.
Come on, Kulga! Take this rabid dog down!
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The halflings have gear similar to the one from the first room; 2 potions of bull’s strength, 9 potions of cure light wounds, 3 potions of cure moderate wounds, 3 thunderstones, each also has with mwk studded leather, mwk composite longbow with 20ish arrows, and those bloodstone
amulet worth, and 11 gp.
Searching the room is another story, a casual search doesn't find anything. But there is so much rubble you could spend a hour or more going through it, and probably makes the most sense in conjunction with the clean up that Akimon suggested.
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Brayne gulps two of the potions newly acquired from the looting. "Well, I don't think they'll be needing this anymore." He says to himself, casually chuckling away.
"Purrpurup, where are your friends?! Are you sure they are here?" Braybe questions curiously, after their search of the yields nothing so far. He looks at the rubble, completely disheartened.
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Garduk runs upstairs and quickly brings down his pack, concealing it amid the debris. He scoops up two of the weaker healing potions to replace the two he drank, then moves up close to the double doors, behind Kulga (leaving room for the barbarian to join her at the front). He renews his Shield spell with his wand before returning it to his wrist sheath, then checks to be sure has the scroll with Protection from Evil scribed twice close at hand. He nods his readiness to Kulga and Brayne.
"Purpurrup, is there any chance your goddess granted you a spell of blessing today? If she did, now might be a good time to use it."
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Init
Purpurrup replies, All those within the city except for me are dead now. If we are lucky others from my tribe will return to aid us soon. But likely not in time to face what's behind that door.
As you queue at the door Purpurrup cast Shield of Faith on Kulga and then Bless for the party.
Kulga pushes the doors open to find, the room terminates in a wall of stone and iron, seemingly newer than the rest of the complex, decorated in glowing runes and symbols. Most of the symbols toward the bottom of the wall have been defaced, chiseled away and smeared with blood and less savory substances. Wooden totems, seemingly more recent, are torn apart and piled as if to make a crude bunker. The wall of the room seems to be bulging slightly into the room, as if something massive is pushing from the other side.
A tiny muscular humanoid with a crown of horns and golden scales clings to the wall 15 feet in the air. Kulga immediately sees two Halfling headhunters trying to hide behind the downed totems. But misses a third who fires an arrow at her, that manages to find a gap in her armor.
Purpuurup quickly casts guidance on Brayne and calls out Two more of the halflings are hiding! Having also seen them.
The tiny gold creature utters some words and a vivid cone of clashing colors springs forth from its hand.
The tiny gold creature is a Tripurasura, an evil outsider with the asura subtype.
Round 1
Map
Purpuurup
Karan
Kulga 2 dmg
Garduk
Brayne
Headhunters
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Garduk shouts, "Use your cold iron!"
Then he sighs, because he had planned a surprise for his friends with the next creature he called, but seeing the outsider hanging from the wall, he knows there is only one ally he can count on to combat it effectively. Garduk calls on her once again, summoning her to appear directly in front of the little monster.
Celeste appears in the air before the golden creature. A small rodent drops bloody and lifeless to the floor as she opens her beak and shrieks at Karan, activating her smite against the evil thing.