Sister Mara casts a spell to detect magical auras and glances at the emerald ring as Kua passes it to Detessa.
Uwais pulls Waya's sniffing nose away from the pile of body parts. "Not food, Waya," he says sternly.
Yang leans on his staff, clearly concerned as the talk turns to climbing up rope to the above ledge. "I am not certain how I would get up there. I do not have the magic to fly, and I am feared that I could never climb. Am I to await your return here?"
Detressa implores Pharasma to weave the strands of fate running about the group and a wave of energy washes over you all.
Channel Positive:
"Hmm well, Yang has a point. I'm not sure how we would get Waya up there either. Although, I'm not entirely comfortable passing by this gap and leaving our backs to it. Not without having a look at what is up there anyway. Sister Mara, would you be interested in a quick scouting mission?"
"Hmm well, Yang has a point. I'm not sure how we would get Waya up there either. Although, I'm not entirely comfortable passing by this gap and leaving our backs to it. Not without having a look at what is up there anyway. Sister Mara, would you be interested in a quick scouting mission?"
"Certainly. Give me a boost and I'll take a peek to at least see what my illuminated coin reveals."
The half orc places a knee on the ground and makes a basket with his hands. "Alright. Up you go." he says as he pushes the inquisitor up to the next floor.
Detressa implores Pharasma to weave the strands of fate running about the group and a wave of energy washes over you all.
Channel Positive: 1d6
Detressa is quiet, trying to work out the moral conundrum of whether looting these dumped body parts would constitute grave robbing. She does attempt to heal the wounded party members though.
Kua boosts Sister Mara up above the pit. As she clears the lip, the chemical reek gets even heavier. Facing south, she can see the ten foot wide corridor continues about 25 feet, widening into a large chamber at its end which is lit with the warm glow of lanterns. On the Sister's right hand are several long planks propped against the wall. Across the pit to the north, she can see that the corridor continues another ten feet to a room closed off with a red curtain.
Backlit by the room to the south are two figures- you can see that the taller one's flesh is rotted and he stands with precarious balance while the shorter man is dressed in leather armor and leaning on a spear. His dark hair is greasy and untidy and he looks underfed and poorly rested. He fiddles with something at his belt while he addresses you.
"Ah, come back for your coin have you? Well, don't let me stop you from grabbing it and if you could kindly leave the way you came in I would appreciate it. Quite busy, you see, no time to deal with the general public."
perception
Crouching at the edge of the opening in the floor and unexpectedly confronted by one who could be no other than the necromancer sought by herself and her companions, Sister Mara freezes for a split second as multiple warring thoughts race through her mind - foremost among them the desire to destroy all undead tempered by the realization of the suicidal futility of attacking the necromancer without the rest of her companions to aid her.
"That's alright, you can keep it. Sorry to intrude," Mara says as she suddenly leaps backward through the opening in the floor.
"He's up there. RUN!" she advises her friends as she lands with catlike grace among them, motioning for them to move away from the opening in the ceiling
Uwais clambers atop Waya, then gives a short yip into her ear. Waya sets off down the hallway.
Yang sighs. "Running is not in my capabilities." He watches as the others turn tail, and shakes his head. He begins going over his spells, and selects a possible one to use.
The Sister leaps and rolls with ease to the stairwell once more, joining the rest as they scatter. Yang waits several moments for an opportunity to use his spells- but this necromancer seems quite lacking in curiosity and you don't see any sign of him.
Detressa hesitates, seeing that Yang is unable or unwilling to run. “Why exactly are we running?” she whispers, “if we’ve found the one we sought?”
She keeps an eye on the others but doesn’t stray far from Yang at this point.
The Sister leaps and rolls with ease to the stairwell once more, joining the rest as they scatter. Yang waits several moments for an opportunity to use his spells- but this necromancer seems quite lacking in curiosity and you don't see any sign of him.
Well, I'm not going anywhere quick. Might as well find out. Yang approaches the hole in the ceiling. "Who is up there? I would like to speak with you perhaps," he calls.
After a moment a harried-sounding male voice responds. He doesn't sound very close.
"Who I am is irrelevant. I wish only to be left alone. What are you doing down here and who was that woman?"
Hearing no pursuit, and in fact, hearing more conversation, Uwais wheels Waya back to where Yang stands. He quietly slips off of the wolf's back and draws his sling, in case the talks devolve.
After a moment a harried-sounding male voice responds. He doesn't sound very close.
"Who I am is irrelevant. I wish only to be left alone. What are you doing down here and who was that woman?"
"What am I doing here? I am standing underneath a hole talking to you. That woman was associate of mine. Why would you say you are irrelevant?"
"Very funny.", the man replies dryly,"*I* am not irrelevant- my identity is, at this juncture in our conversation. Why are you in these catacombs? What does your associate do and what was she looking for up here? Speak quickly, I have little patience for any further "clever" wordplay."
"Very funny.", the man replies dryly,"*I* am not irrelevant- my identity is, at this juncture in our conversation. Why are you in these catacombs? What does your associate do and what was she looking for up here? Speak quickly, I have little patience for any further "clever" wordplay."
"Aha! I see. You will forgive me, of course, for I do not speak your tongue as a native. I will also, of course, answer your questions. I am in the tunnels because it was requested of me. What does my associate do? She climbs things and looks through holes, for one. She also runs well, it seems. And she was looking for other inhabitants. We found a pile of limbs a bit back, and were trying to find their owners. It must be terrible to go through with no arms or legs."
After back pedaling a few feet to guard Sister Mara's back, Kua stops, noticing Yang standing his ground. Once the bloat mage begins to converse with the stranger above, Kua stands beside him, axe gripped tightly in both hands, looking with his dark vision up into the hole above.
"Very funny.", the man replies dryly,"*I* am not irrelevant- my identity is, at this juncture in our conversation. Why are you in these catacombs? What does your associate do and what was she looking for up here? Speak quickly, I have little patience for any further "clever" wordplay.""Aha! I see. You will forgive me, of course, for I do not speak your tongue as a native. I will also, of course, answer your questions. I am in the tunnels because it was requested of me. What does my associate do? She climbs things and looks through holes, for one. She also runs well, it seems. And she was looking for other inhabitants. We found a pile of limbs a bit back, and were trying to find their owners. It must be terrible to go through with no arms or legs."
"Rest assured that they went through life with all of their limbs in tact. Who requested that you enter the catacombs?"
Detressa waits quietly near Yang, not wishing to disrupt whatever plan the bloatmage might have … for now. The man above already knew something of them, perhaps they could learn something more of him … the priestess hopes that Yang does not intend to answer the next question honestly, but wonders what will play out if he does. She prepares to call on her goddess if needed.
Detressa waits quietly near Yang, not wishing to disrupt whatever plan the bloatmage might have … for now. The man above already knew something of them, perhaps they could learn something more of him … the priestess hopes that Yang does not intend to answer the next question honestly, but wonders what will play out if he does. She prepares to call on her goddess if needed.
Listening to the conversation, Detressa is struck that the stranger's voice sounds oddly familiar. But where did she hear it?
"Rest assured that they went through life with all of their limbs in tact. Who requested that you enter the catacombs?"
Yang audibly laughs. "I will indeed rest assured! My thanks, oh Sir Irrelevant Identity. As it happens, who requested I enter is also irrelevant. Quite the coincidence, no? But fortuitous, since otherwise we might not have had the opportunity to be friends!"
"Indeed. I must get back to work, I'm afraid, but here's a token of my esteem!"
You can see a man lean over the pit, a foaming vial in one hand. He wears leather armor and has lank, dark hair. His face is rather homely with bags under his eyes and missing teeth from his jaw.
Initiative- upstairs:
Initiative- party:
Yang's preparedness pays off, as the incantation for a color spray and a handful of multicolored powder sends a prism of color into the man's face.
Will save:
But he blinks away any ill effect, drawing back his flask for a throw...
Expecting a storm of destructive energies to rain down from the passageay above, Sister Mara is utterly perplexed by the necromancer's apparent lack of hostility as the man carries on a coversation with Master Chen. The inquisitor somewhat sheepishly returns to the group, taking up a position next to Kua.
However, Mara is not surprised when the discussion takes a turn for the worse. Prepared for some form of treachery, she quickly responds by unleashing a scorching bolt from her outstretched hand when she sees the necromancer prepare to throw some sort of vile foaming concoction down upon her companions.
With a howl, Uwais fires a shot from his sling at the necromancer.
Mara's flame singes the necromancer, the pit's edge providing cover from much of the blast. A well placed sling bullet from Uwais smacks into his wrist, almost upsetting the concoction in hand. With an angry grimace, he takes aim...
Kua slides the heft of his axe through a loop on his belt and attempts to scale the wall and pull himself up on the ledge opposite the necromancer.
Climb
Kua slides the heft of his axe through a loop on his belt and attempts to scale the wall and pull himself up on the ledge opposite the necromancer.
Climb 1d20+5
Detressa tries to remember where she has heard this voice before.
Even as she thinks, she flings an ice dart towards the man, and dashes past the others out of the way of the vial.
Detressa's icicle hits the roof under the necromancer's feet just as she remembers him- that's Svilennius Tripe, he was a priest at the Ossuary. You didn't know him too well (he was one of the mortician priests) but you've seen him around. Up until a few months ago, that is.
Tripe throws the flask at Kua and steps back down the hallway and out of sight.
Frost bomb (ranged touch- grenade weapon):
It strikes Kua full in the chest, a chemical frost searing his skin and splashing Uwais and Yang. He finds it difficult to move.
Kua clutches his chest and steps farther down the stair case(AQ 27), out of sight of Tripe. This is assuming it is just difficult, not impossible to move.
"I think we need a better plan.."
Fortitude
The chill of Tripe's bomb freezes Kua to the bone- it's difficult to make his muscles move, his teeth chatter in his skull.
Uwais and Waya give similar yelps as the splashing chemicals cover them and begin to freeze.
Yang Fortitude:
Waya freezes up with a whimper, not understanding what's happened to her.
Yang hustles after Kua, wheezing a bit with the exertion.
"Such rudeness. We are better without his hospitality yes?"
“That’s Svilennius Tripe,” gasps Detressa. “He is – was – a priest at the Cathedral. And you’re right Kua, we need a better plan, we need to get up there.”
The half orc's teeth chatter as he speaks "I agree.. b-but my blood freezes in my v-veins. I may need some aid."
"If we climb back up there now he may be prepared to throw another bomb at us - plus, Master Chen has indicated that he cannot climb up there. Perhaps there's another way to gain entrance to that upper level," Sister Mara suggests.
Uwais and Waya both shiver, Uwais sympathetically for Waya's chilled bones, as they come down the stairs after the party. "L-l-let's talk f-further d-down," the halfling stammers. "Plans have n-n-no place in the ears of our en-en-enemies."
"I have a few ways we could heat him up. But yes, I willl not be climbing up there. Not unless you work up a winch and pulley."
“Fall back,” advises Detressa. As soon as the group appears to be at a safe distance, she calls on Pharasma’s aid in healing the wounded
"I don't think we should allow ourselves to be stuck in this position again. Perhaps we should go to purchase a ladder. We can just stash it in one of these side rooms for whenever we need it. Yang, are you able to use ladders?"