Initiatives rd 1:
Mr. Swire: 19 [bolt and hit/kill]
Merle: 15 [hanging back a bit]
Karrin: 14 [running to fight]
Justin: 14 [toting Toranna's heavy @zz about]
Drazek: 14 [eldritch blast]
Ishmael: 14 [heading into battle]
Naridre: 14 [gaining hocus focus]
Issac: 14 [hit-kill]
Bethany: 14 [atk-miss]
Ekuur: 11 [Flame on!]
Hobgobbos:7 [attacking]
Bethany pulls back her footbow and tries for a shot on one of the regular hobgobbos:
The arrow sails wide, flashing at the boundary of the force bubble.
The hobgoblins send a stream of arrows into the party.
Ekuur: 1d20+5=10, 1d8=8, Issac: 1d20+5=19, 1d8=5, Swire; 1d20+5=7, 1d8=7, Bethany: 1d20+5=25, 1d8=2
Crit confirm: 1d20+5=18, 1d8=4
Issac takes a arrow in the ribs, but the wound feels fairly shallow. Bethany is struck through her left wing. The pain is shoved down in her conciousness, but a little hatchling in the back of her mind howls and caterwauls. Fortunately the arrow doesn't get stuck in the wing membrane, and merrily sails of to immolation in the surrounding flames.
The big hobgob with the spiked chain grins as Ish advances to him.He makes a few passes with his hands and a blue flash surrounds him.
Knowledge(Arcana) or Spellcraft DC12:
Swire returns his crossbow to it's holster and advances down the walkway, drawing his rapier as he goes.
Merle decides to give one of the scrolls a try and uses a Scorching ray on the chain wielding hobgoblin.
Use magic device
To hit (ranged touch)
Since damage is maximised I believe that is 24 pts of damage
Merle also moves forward to P11
Karrin (still large remember) moves to Q+R 11 & 12 and launches a Kelgore's fire bolt at the hobgoblin leader.
"Hey guys I bet you never saw me cast spells yet," Karrin says to her friends, "well check this out!"
"Whoa! Neat!" Karrin says as the bolt practically explodes from her hand and screams towards her target, "You guys see that! Fire spells are really powerful here."
Nari moves forward, bow at the ready.
Drazek calmly walks forward , casually flinging a blast out at one of the archers.
"I'd be runnin' right about now"
Isaac groans as an arrow plants itself in his ribs.
"Reckon I can give you the same, you slaad-licking, barghest-bumming, weak-kneed excuse fer a knobgoblin!"
Initiatives rd 2:
Mr. Swire: 19 [advancing with rapier]
Merle: 15 [Burning down the house]
Karrin: 14 [Fire bolt]
Justin: 14 [toting Toranna's heavy @zz about]
Drazek: 14 [eldritch blast-kill]
Ishmael: 14 [atk-kill]
Naridre: 14 [angling for bowshot]
Issac: 14 [miss]
Bethany: 14 [pending]
Ekuur: 11 [Pending]
Hobgobbos:7 [attacking]
Mr. Swire advances down the narrow causeway, unsheathing his rapier and grinning ferally. Ishmael is reading his attack when the ray and bolt from Karrin and Merle strike his opponent. The hobgoblin is wrapped in flame. His face literally melts in front of the Xaositect's eyes, the flesh running off his bones like wax. His smoking corpse collapses on the platform. The smell of roasting pork perfumes the air. Ishmael frowns and shrugs.
"You mess with fire, you're gonna get burned."
He switches to one of the archers and launches a hail of steel upon him:
The archer falls with a doublecut throat.
Drazek's red-veined blast strikes the archer next to the one Ish dropped, he falls as well, a look of horror frozen in his deep-socketed eyes. Issac is not as lucky. His arrow just misses a hobgoblin and puffs into smoke at the flame's edge.
Roaring "Begone with you from the Sacred Flame!", Ekuur raises his trikal and charges the closest foe.
Roaring "Begone with you from the Sacred Flame!", Ekuur raises his trikal and charges the closest foe.
Ekuur runs up and serves a crushing head blow with his trikal, felling one of the archers. The hobgoblin's melon splatters on the black landing.
Initiatives rd 2:
Mr. Swire: 19 [advancing with rapier]
Merle: 15 [Burning down the house]
Karrin: 14 [Fire bolt]
Justin: 14 [toting Toranna's heavy @zz about]
Drazek: 14 [eldritch blast-kill]
Ishmael: 14 [atk-kill]
Naridre: 14 [angling for bowshot]
Issac: 14 [miss]
Bethany: 14 [bow-kill]
Ekuur: 11 [smoosh]
Hobgobbos:7 [attacking]
Bethany draws back her bow for another shot
The final archer screams and tumbles to the landing, a large arrow sticking from his throat. The platform is quiet except for the background furnace roar of the surrounding multi-hued flames.
"W-well that was a lot more disgusting than I thought it would be" Merle observes as she looks over the molten remains of the Hobgoblin
"W-well that was a lot more disgusting than I thought it would be" Merle observes as she looks over the molten remains of the Hobgoblin
"W-well that was a lot more disgusting than I thought it would be" Merle observes as she looks over the molten remains of the Hobgoblin
Isaac wrinkles his nose and nods.
"Once you caught a whiff o' burnin' hobgoblin, nothin' else smells quite the same... Maybe in his next incarnation he'll learn how to duck."The half-elf starts going through the goblins' pockets for usable supplies or correspondence.
"Say, Ekuur old son, why not cool yer heels a spell and we can all jag through this place together, eh? Not safe runnin' off on yer own like that. A cutter might could assume you don't like our company."
"Not. That I'm. Complaining. Or anything." Justin pants as he catches up to the rest.
"But. DO you think. That someone. Maybe a little stronger. Can carry. Miss Rusty-Butt here? At least for a bit?" He gasps out as he once again drops Toranna unceremoniously to the floor. He takes a couple of deep breaths and says easier.
"I've been practicing my running. Because it always pays to be able to outrun anyone, or thing, that might be chasing you. But I haven't gotten around to bench-pressing armored clerics. Yet." He adds wryly.
"SOkay, where to next?" HE asks, looking around and trying not to breath TOO deeply of the over-heated air. He has already soaked his shirt with sweat, which dried almost as quickly as he soaked it, leaving a white salty mark plainly visible. He makes no move to remove his heavy leather coat.
Issac rummages in the pockets of the downed hobgoblins and finds about 100 GP in spare coins. The burnt hobbo with the chainmail has a large orange gem as well. He also carries one of those blue potion weapons and a healing tile. His armor and spiked chain look very nice, despite being a little greasy at the moment, and the weapons and armor of the others are presentable, if not at the level of the spiked-chain one. The hobgoblins wear black tabards over their armor with the odd triangle-with-eye sigul embroidered in silver upon them.
Justin drops Toranna down and pants heavily, enervated by the hot air and the climb up the ramp carrying the chainmailed cleric . He notes that the woman doesn't look very good, her pallor has grown, and she is breathing irregularly. Her burns are still an angry red, and a few have cracked open and ooze a clear pus.
As Issac searches and Justin pants, the ballistae on the platform burn merrily. Suddenly, almost at the same time there is a crack and a splashing sound at both. A big gout of water appears over both of them, snuffing them out. No one is close enough to get hit, but the water swirls around their feet, icy cold. It rapidly starts to evaporate in the dry heat, wisps of steam forming a fog around the platform.
*bracket*dice*bracket* 1d20 *bracket*/dice*bracket*
Ekuur looks at the now-extinguished ballistae and scowls. "They have brought that blasphemous substance into this place! They shall pay for desecrating the Sacred Flame. My thanks for all of you following; I was given this divine mission to cleanse this place by the Flame itself. We must press on, into the fortress!"
Looking towards the junction of the landing and the ramp the party sees a dark tunnel entrance. A light fog of evaporating water drifts across the darkened square etched from the basalt rockface. The ramp continues climbing beyond as well.
"Might be cooler inside," Karrin says before picking up their captive and tucking her under an arm, "We'd better do something about Toranna here as well she's looking a bit crisp and we need her alive. Otherwise this whole excursion was a waste of time."
"I thought Ekuur's, uh, holy fire took care of our relucterant guest. Any o' you cutters're peaked, this new bit o' cutlery's heavier than I usually like but it helps you give the heat the laugh, don't it just. Willin' to share if you reckon you could use it."
He gestures to the cold greatsword strapped next to his quiver.
"Anyhow, this deader's got some nice gear if any o' you fancy a length o' chain and some mail. Some top-shelf sorcery's afoot if these berks can conjure up that much water on this plane. Let's take a gander, learn some some darks."
"You know if she is so heavy we could just remove all that heavy armour she is wearing besides I don't think we want her having it on if she wakes up anyway." Merle pulls out a cure light potion and tries to get the priestess to swallow it
"Makes sense, 'sides it'll make 'er earier to put down again if need be"
"You know if she is so heavy we could just remove all that heavy armour she is wearing besides I don't think we want her having it on if she wakes up anyway." Merle pulls out a cure light potion and tries to get the priestess to swallow it
A very strange thing occurs when Merle forces open Toranna's mouth and pours the bluish potion down her throat. The comatose cleric's eyes bug out, and her whole face collapses, as if she was aging rapidly. She gives out her death rattle and lies still.
Even in his religious fervor, Ekuur is taken aback by this reaction to a cure potion. He'll take a moment and check the dead priestess out, trying to figure out what exactly just occurred.
Heal
Even in his religious fervor, Ekuur is taken aback by this reaction to a cure potion. He'll take a moment and check the dead priestess out, trying to figure out what exactly just occurred.
Heal 1d20+9
Ekuur:
"Very strange. It seems like she was affected as if by negative energy, rather than the positive energy that potion should have given. You may wish to hold off on consuming any of those potions yourselves," Ekuur informs the others.
"Blood and ashes, if that don't beat all..."
Isaac shakes his head, a frown on his lean face.
"Nothin' we can do for her now. Nobody's fault, really. Reckon it's got somethin' to do with the place rather'n the potion. Aye, that'd be the dark of it..."
He fishes through the hobgoblin's goods and picks up the clay tile.
"Must be why they use these. Don't take a greybeard to work out it's best we follow suit while we're here."
K(planes)
Issac:
"Now we got nothing," Karrin groans, the still large tiefling looks about ready to get emotional, "we needed her to fill us in on the details . . ."
"Now we got nothing," Karrin groans, the still large tiefling looks about ready to get emotional, "we needed her to fill us in on the details . . ."
"Hey, now, don't be a Bleaker. We don't got nothin', see: chant is there's another high-up bint named Imogen overseein' these knobgoblins. We can scrag her instead! And if that ain't enough, there's this Shadowknave berk still in Sigil. Her brainbox ain't the only one lanned to the dark o' things. Let's give this post the laugh and see who else we can turn up, eh?"
"Anyone know how to make the dead talk? Could be Renkar'll sprng for a cleric ta' ask. Anyway's we can grab the armor."
Justin pants furiously for a moment, his face flushed, but manages to catch his breath.
He nods as Merle starts to feed Torrana the potion, then stops panting, staring goggle-eyed as Torrana withers before their eyes.
"Well, THAT's not normal. Is it?" Justin deadpans.
As Ekuur explains what must have happened, Justin leans over, examining the cleric himself, as well as looking at her equipment and the odd purple sunburst unholy symbol she wears.
"RIght Isaac. We're not done yet. Not by a long shot." Justin nods in agreement as he rifles through Toranna's belt pouches.
"There's something about her symbol though,... I, think I've seen it somewhere before,..."
While the others debate about what to do, Nari quietly sets down her psicrystal, sending it just a little ways ahead to scout things out.
"Hey, now, don't be a Bleaker. We don't got nothin', see: chant is there's another high-up bint named Imogen overseein' these knobgoblins. We can scrag her instead! And if that ain't enough, there's this Shadowknave berk still in Sigil. Her brainbox ain't the only one lanned to the dark o' things. Let's give this post the laugh and see who else we can turn up, eh?"
"it's just that I wanted her to find this shadownave twerp," Karrin mutters, "I don't think anyone else in sigil knows him. We might be able to find something in here . . . but this place and this shadow guy might be completely unrelated."
Karrin glances at Toranna:
knowledge (religion):
You can use this skill to identify monsters and their special powers or vulnerabilities. In general, the DC of such a check equals 10 + the monster's CR. For common monsters, such as goblins, the DC of this check equals 5 + the monster's CR. For particularly rare monsters, such as the tarrasque, the DC of this check equals 15 + the monster's CR, or more. A successful check allows you to remember a bit of useful information about that monster. For every 5 points by which your check result exceeds the DC, you recall another piece of useful information. Many of the Knowledge skills have specific uses as noted on Table: Knowledge Skill DCs.
"Anyone know how to make the dead talk? Could be Renkar'll sprng for a cleric ta' ask. Anyway's we can grab the armor."
"No; such abilities are still ... slightly ... beyond me. But it may make sense to continue carrying the corpse with us, so long as it's not overly long. Here, the dry, hot air is like my home and will help preserve her. The city is another story.
"Now, let us proceed into this den of water-bearing blasphemers."
"it's just that I wanted her to find this shadownave twerp," Karrin mutters, "I don't think anyone else in sigil knows him. We might be able to find something in here . . . but this place and this shadow guy might be completely unrelated."
"Wouldn't place a green on that one, Karrin: he's mentioned by name in Toranna's note and I reckon Bethany, Drazek, Justin and yours truly ran into him personally in the Hive this Peak. Further, this goes past this burg and these berks: this Green Marvent's in charge of the Illuminated and their kip's in Plaguemort. I reckon we can get a notion of Shadowknave's whereabouts one way or another."
He starts off toward the cave mouth.
"...Now, finding a necromancer that ain't bendin' a knee to the Dusties, that's another matter. Furthest from our minds, though. Let's see what else is here."
DC Religion 25 check (for anyone):
It is rumored that certain acolytes of death gods become so entangled in death that they begin to heal and take damage like their undead comrades. Perhaps Toranna was one such. Also, there are rumors that Dustmen are forbidden from receiving healing magic, but this is said to be more of a voluntary thing, not an actual shift in necromantic energy absorption.
1d20+6
Drazek:
While the others debate about what to do, Nari quietly sets down her psicrystal, sending it just a little ways ahead to scout things out.
Nari:
Seventy feet in the hallway opens up into a small room with a huge double door of black iron on the western wall. The door is graven with snarling fiendish faces and various dire runes. A knocker fashioned like an imp's head sits on one side, and a large black iron pull ring is attached right below it. There seems to be nothing in either the hallway or the small alcove room.
Nari tugs gently on Justin's sleeve to get his attention.
"There's a big door up ahead," she says quietly. "It's got a knocker, and lots of ugly carvings. There doesn't appear to be any other exit to the chamber than through the door."
Bethany lands next to the others and examines her wing, testing it to make sure she can still fly. Assessing it as painful but still servicable, she turns her attention to what just happened to Toranna.
"That was certainly very strange. Can't say as I am too put out by it though."
She then notices the others beginning to salavage the gear from Toranna and when she sees the earrings her eyes light up. "Would any of you ladies object if I were to try on those earrings?"
Justin casually relieves Toranna of her belt pouches, and raises an appreciative eyebrow at the sword and dagger set. "Looks servicable, Might be something I'd be interested in using. Except for the ugly motif, of course." He adds, wrinkling his nose in distaste at the obviously necromatic markings on the blade.
"Go ahead Bethany, earrings aren't really my thing anyway." Justin says smiling. "If SHE was using them, they should be safe. I'll ID them when we get a chance. Somewhere a little cooler." He says wryly, then suddenly snaps his fingers and cries, "I've got it!"
"I know where I've seen this symbol before!" He says happily, standing and depositing the former clerics pouches into his copious coat pockets. "I was researching how to defend against necromantic magic at one of the local libraries, and I read about this deity from,... Toril, I think?, called Cyric. Purple skull and sunburst motif. Not too many details, just mainly that his clergy always deem to be involved in one scheme or another, and he seemed to have a bad rep, even among death powers. I think he stole the former power's powers." HE shakes his head with a smirk.
"I want to visit this 'Toril' someday. Seems like in all of the references I've come across for that realm, everyone either is favored of their deity and blessed with powers, or has ascended and become a deity! It's like their handing out godhoods over there for the asking!" He humphs, then shrugs and returns to his subject.
"This 'Cyric' seems to be a pretty possessive power, and rumor has it that he's crazy as a loon. It's entirely possible that he grants his followers their power in exchange for not being able to accept healing. I've heard rumors that say the same about high-level servants of the Dusters too, that they begin to heal with necromantic energy, just like the undead they maintain. I would hope that's voluntary, though." He grimaces with a small shudder, then looks thoughtful.
"Hm, If this 'Cyric' IS crazy, that might explain the predilection of this group for targeting barmies for their 'recruitment drive'. Like attracted to like and all that." He muses, until Nari's gentle tugging at his coat sleeve snaps him out of it.
"Really? Good work Nari!" He says to the shy elf girl with a big smile. "Are there any guards that you can see?" He asks, holding out the sword and dagger to see if anyone wants to use them, if not, he slides the longsword into the empty sheath of his still-flaming sword, and tucks the dagger into his belt alongside his others. He resettles the extra weight in his coat with a shrug, and brandishes his flaming dark sword like a torch.
"After you Ekuur. They don't know we're here yet. But they have to be on some kind of a schedule. Let's get going before someone checks with someone and we have this entire place on top of us. Judging by our 'warm' reception here, we're looking for another place with lots of guards. THAT will most likely be our exit."
Justin grins at Isaac and the rest. "How did you phrase it? 'Let's go get some darks.'?" He says with a smirk.
Nari tilts her head to the side, and frowns slightly. "No one that I saw."
"This 'Cyric' seems to be a pretty possessive power, and rumor has it that he's crazy as a loon. It's entirely possible that he grants his followers their power in exchange for not being able to accept healing. I've heard rumors that say the same about high-level servants of the Dusters too, that they begin to heal with necromantic energy, just like the undead they maintain.
Ekuur begins moving down the hallway, but adds, "Of course, earlier when I used my power of healing on her to stop her from dying, it seemed to work normally."
Bethany lands next to the others and examines her wing, testing it to make sure she can still fly. Assessing it as painful but still servicable, she turns her attention to what just happened to Toranna.
"That was certainly very strange. Can't say as I am too put out by it though."
She then notices the others beginning to salavage the gear from Toranna and when she sees the earrings her eyes light up. "Would any of you ladies object if I were to try on those earrings?"
"Earrings are bad in this line of work," Karrin says, "last thing you want is someone grabbing them or them getting snagged in a fight."
Karrin's ears aren't pierced.
Ekuur begins moving down the hallway, but adds, "Of course, earlier when I used my power of healing on her to stop her from dying, it seemed to work normally."
Justin, following much easier now that he is free of the weight of Toranna, shrugs.
"True. It's just a theory. And like I said, This 'Cyric' is supposed to be barmy, and jealous. Maybe he doesn't mind his followers not dying once in a while, after all they are only delaying the inevitable, but twice in one day was crossing the line? Who knows?"
He doesn't actually add 'Who cares?', but you can see it in his face. Then he gets that thoughtful look again.
"Still, it WOULD be nice to know for certain. If clerics of certain faiths react to positive energy the same as undead, that would give one a distinct advantage in a fight. Spells involving large bursts of positive energy, or even a large flask of healing potions, could destroy them without harming your allies, healing them even." He muses, then looks back to Nari.
"No guards, that you can see, right?" He asks again with the famous half-smile.
"Isaac, Karrin, What do you guys think?" He asks the two 'leaders', not because he is ignoring the others, but because they always seemed to him to be the closest thing to 'field leaders' the group has.
"We're past the guard station, do we plow through before they know were here, or go slow and risk giving them time to activate any defenses?"
"Earrings are bad in this line of work," Karrin says, "last thing you want is someone grabbing them or them getting snagged in a fight."Karrin's ears aren't pierced.
"Ain't too much of a problem when ya' flyin' "
"Of course, earlier when I used my power of healing on her to stop her from dying, it seemed to work normally."
Metagamey goodness: