2nd Look:
Tauni's voice was heard faintly calling up from the pit that she had been poisoned and could barely move.
Immobile: A character rendered immobile by Strength poison cannot move her body at all. She is helpless and can take only purely mental actions.
Raine advanced to the pit, saw the wizard impaled on a couple of spikes, looking haggard and weak. She reached in her pack for some rope.
Ellena asked for help getting across the pit. Ellena could not see past the illusion at first, but after seeing two people jump through it, her will finally dominated the magic and she saw the pit instead of the rubble.
More footsteps were heard from the archers position. No more arrows fired down on the heroes.
Anarya, unable to hear either Tauni or the sounds of movement, was unaware of the plight of Tauni except what she could read on Raine's lips, that the wizard had fallen into the pit. She was unaware that Tauni had been poisoned. She was able to see past the illsion, however, having seen enough to overcome the effect.
Karas kept moving, The scale of terendelev glowed followed by his claws glowing the same color. His features changed to his raging state and he slammed into the Vrock.
Karas: Confirm roll for critical Threat:
Konneshka: Full attack with power attack vs AC 22
Hit
Hit
Miss
Miss
Hit
Total of 51 damage
Spores:
Karas charged with unexpected celerity, but the Vrock lashed out with a vicious claw attack that cut across Karas' chest before Karas' own claw dug deep into the demon's tough hide.
The vrock met Karas' righteous fury with its own demonic fury, cutting the silver tiefling twice more with its vicious claws and then holding him while its jagged beak bit down for further damage.
As the vrock attacked, its body emitted a cloud of fine spores which Karas could not avoid. Wherever they touched his skin, small vines began to sprout and send roots into his body.
More heavy footfalls were heard from the archers' redoubt, as another archer apparently departed the room.
Round 3
Avelina
Anarya (15 lethal)
Archer 3 (10 lethal)
Tauni (poisoned, 14 lethal, Weakend, Impaired, immobile, Heavy Load)
Raine (4 lethal) (move, gets rope)
Ellena (Ellena may act sooner, as she was on delay waiting for help with the jump.)
Archer 1 (35 lethal, unconscious, stable)
Archer 2 (17 lethal)
Karas (67 lethal)
Konneshka (36 lethal)
Round 4
Archer 4 (22 lethal)
"Dammit!" Raine cried, hearing the sounds of battle to the north as Karas joined, unable to know if she should rush to Karas's aid or try and help Tauni.
Biting her lip, Raine grimaced down at Tauni. "If it was just you twistin' your ankle or somethin' I could help more, but I can't do much about poison, and it sounds like Karas is gettin' chunks taken out of him. I'll be back as soon as I can, the others oughta be coming! Hang on, okay?"
Assuming Ellena can hear Raine’s warning, she turns to Arnarya and apprised her of the situation. ”Tauni needs help. Can you get to her? I’ll never get across that pit.”.
The Paladin takes a total defense action, holding her shining shield up high.
Raine tied her rope to a large building stone near the pit and left the rope dangling for Tauni. As Raine left to help Karas, she noticed Tauni had not moved to reach for the rope, although her eyes were still open. Cobblepaw was next to her head, agitated.
Anarya read the lips of her comrades in the room and understood that Tauni was in need of immediate assistance and that apparently Raine could not help. She also learned that Karas was in danger. She was already levitating by the power of Terendelev's scale. All she needed was a push to get her over the pit and she could lower herself down to help Tauni. An intuition, perhaps from Iomedae, that Tauni was in urgent and immediate need of help, filled her with dread nearing on panic.
Avelina and Ellena teamed up to assist her floating to the ten foot deep pit, since the threat from the archers had apparently ended. Lowering herself toward Tauni, she was horrified to find her impaled on two thin spikes, the tips of which evidently poisoned. The wizard was not moving, her face paie, but still apparently alive.
Prescience
Last Hero Point: +8 Luck bonus.
Saving Throw
Mythic Surge as immediate action to add +
That's exactly 17.
Ellena takes a deep breath and tries to get as much of a running start as possible, trying to leap the shortest edge of the pit.
Acrobatics plus
mythic surge
The storyteller paused and surveyed the faces of the community hanging on his words. He remembered how he had felt when the storyteller from whom he first heard the narrative had reached this point. The longer a story runs, the more the listener becomes attached to the heroes, particularly the ones who have shown great virtue and courage and compassion. If he were making the story up, he could decide if and when to introduce the death of such a character. But this was a story based on real events. He had to tell it as he had been told it had happened.
The faces of his listeners revealed how concerned they were. Even those who had heard the story before kept their expressions grim. Those who were hearing for the first time looked stricken with grief already, although at this point, Tauni and Karas were still alive. Some of the younger ones had their faces hidden in their hands. More than a few eyes brimmed with tears.
"Tauni struggled to breath at the bottom of the pit, waiting for aid from Anarya. She mustered every bit of spirit and the will to live, the will to banish the demons from Golarion, the will to stay with her friends. No one was watching, we can only presume that some vestige of Iomadae manifested and helped keep her alive."
Moans of relief were heard from the rapt throng.
"Although she did not die she was still severely wounded and would require more care if she were to recover. Meanwhile, Karas was locked in mortal combat with the demon Vrock named Konneshka, with the half-orc cultists who had been firing arrows at the heroes running to aid in this fight."
"But Raine was on the way to help Karas and Ellena made a valiant effort to leap the pit to get to Karas as well. Anarya and Avelina were still dealing with the pit, but at least they were no longer being fired upon."
[For a poison that has exhausted its duration:] For every day of bed rest (or 2 nights of normal rest), a victim recovers one step; this recovery is doubled as normal by Heal checks, and tenacious poisons might require a longer recovery period.
Usually, neutralize poison or remove disease immediately moves the victim to a healthy state on the respective track, and a heal spell will work for both. However, once the disease or poison has reached its end state, only a more powerful spell such as miracle or wish can remove its effects.
Round 3
Avelina
Anarya (15 lethal)
Archer 3 (10 lethal)(double move)
Tauni: (poisoned, 14 lethal, Weakend, Impaired, immobile, Heavy Load)(saves)
Raine (4 lethal)
Archer 1 (35 lethal, unconscious, stable)
Archer 2 (17 lethal)
Karas (67 lethal)
Konneshka (36 lethal)
Round 4
Archer 4 (22 lethal)
Ellena
Raine sprinted down the corridor as if all the fiends of the Pit were chasing her, though she was running to danger, not away from it. She rounded the corner in time to see Karas and his foe both bloodied. Drawing on reserves she hadn't known she had, she loosed a single arrow on the run at the foul winged figure.
Raine hustled around the corner and to a position that gave her a line of fire on the demon fighting Karas. Quicker than the eye could see, she fired an arrow that pierced the creatures chest, adding to its wounds. But the large creature had a lot of fight in her yet.
Anarya reached Tauni lying motionless at the bottom of the pit, pale and weak. She placed her face close to Tauni's and detected faint signs of breathing. She placed a hand on the wizard's forehead and another on her chest, prayed for a miracle, and one occured. A warmth flowed from her hands through Tauni and she registered an immediate improvement.
Karas weathered the storm of attacks tearing him to shreds. If it weren't for the overwhelming blood rage surging through him he would be terrified, but his body only had one thing in sight. KILL
Raine turned the corner as Karas unleashed a booming roar and his glowing bloody form sought to return the damage on his demonic foe.
Miss
Miss
Miss
Miss
Miss
Note the rolls: 5, 6, 5, 9, 8! Each attack had a 50-50 chance to hit.
Karas blur of claw and bite attacks took the demon closer to death than she had ever been, but she still fought back trying to give better than she was taking. She flapped her wings enough to lift her talon-tipped feet off the ground and tries to defeat the strange silver assailant with bites, claws, and talons.
It appeared Ternedelev was watching over Karas, not only allowing his attacks to penetrate the usual magic that blunts damage from all but the most holy, but also protecting him from the second set of demonic attacks. Or perhaps he pushed her too close to death for her to concentrate. In any case, none of her attacks did Karas any harm.
Ellena moves as fast as she can toward the sounds of combat ahead of her. She hoped she could make it in time to assist her friends.
Round 5
Avelina
Anarya (15 lethal)
Tauni (2 temp hit points)
Archer 3 (10 lethal)
Raine (4 lethal)
Archer 1
Archer 2 (17 lethal)
Karas (66 lethal)
Konneshka (109 lethal)
Round 6
Archer 4 (22 lethal)
Ellena
Archer 3:
Avelina rounded the corner and saw Karas locked in combat with a dreadful looking demon and several half-orc rangers approaching from where they had previously been firing arrows. She sent a volley of holy arrows at the demon. The vrock's resistance to magic almost prevented the 'arrows' from reaching it, but the three magic bolts exploded into the already badly wounded outsider and it proved the final blow. The vrock gave a strangled shriek and fell into a heap.
Meanwhile, Anarya helped pull Tauni from the pit and they both took their feet and prepared to join the others in battle ongoing.
As Avelina was casting her spell, one of the archer charged toward her, waving a falchion and cursing at her in orcish. The falchion looked as if would cut her in twain, but her mage armor and shield blocked the blow from reaching her, provoking another orcish curse.
Raine (4 lethal)
Archer 2 (17 lethal)
Karas (66 lethal)
Konneshka (123 lethal, dead)
Round 6
Archer 4 (22 lethal)
Ellena
Avelina
Anarya (15 lethal)
Archer 3 (10 lethal)
Tauni: (2 temp hit points)
"Nicely done there, Avelina!" Raine cried, her voice thick with relief that she wasn't about to watch Karas cut down before her. Seeing the half-orcs approach, Raine's lip curled in a sneer. "I see ya brought arrows. So did I."
She took a short step forward and then unleashed the fury of her bow.
Raine sent one arrow into the throat of the first archer she targeted, who promptly dropped. Her second arrow passed through the chest of the second ranger, taking him down. Still with one arrow fire and only one enemy, the ranger assailing Avelina with his falchion, Raine flew the arrow between Ellena and Avelina, to hit the archer's leg.
Karas (66 lethal)
Konneshka (123 lethal, dead)
Round 6
Archer 4 (36 lethal, -6, dying UC)
Ellena
Avelina
Anarya (15 lethal)
Tauni (2 temp hit points)
Archer 3 (17 lethal)
Raine (4 lethal)
Archer 1 (35 lethal, unconscious, stable)
Archer 2 (33 lethal, -3 dying, UC)
Glowing and bloody, Karas' form jerked its head to the left and leapt upon the last standing archer.
Ellena continues to double move to where Karas’s disturbance was....either to give aid or to heal her friend. That pit mucked everything up! I only hope I get there in time, she thought as she pressed forward.
Avelina averted her eyes as Karas's fangs ripped the throat from the last remaining cultist defending the inner hall.
As wounds were treated, the heroes considered what they knew of the citadel from Aron's map. To the east and west, were chapels. The west was known as the Inheritor's Chapel and the other, the Defender's Chapel. Aron said that behind the Inheritor's chapel was a secret door that led to a vault, which appeared to have been discovered and looted. In fact, this was a false vault intended to deceive looters who might penetrate the vault. The real vault could be obtained by a secret door to the west.
The real vault holds the prize Queen Galfrey sent the group her to find, the Sword of Valor, a magical banner carried by the Inheritor herself during the Shining Crusade.
Drezen was the first of our cities to fall after the First Crusade, and we lost more than our kin and our pride that day. We lost the Sword of Valor, a magical banner carried by the Inheritor herself during the Shining Crusade. If Drezen could be retaken—if the Sword of Valor could once again be held by the crusade... well, I trust I don’t need to explain how well that would affect morale.
But with the imminent attacks along the border, I cannot spare many to lead an assault on Drezen. And even if I could, a large army attacking the city would only draw Aponavicius back to defend the place. The obvious tactic is to send in a group of capable heroes with a modest but well-trained army to strike now, while the proverbial iron is hot. And this is why I’ve sought you out.
If you can retake Drezen and reclaim the Sword of Valor, not only will you silence the fools who would brand you traitors for destroying the wardstone, but more importantly, you would bolster the entire war effort with your heroism. And I fear we need all the bolstering we can get!
The citadel had three areas that garrisons, two to the south and one to the northeast, near the parapet. The attacks damaged the parapet and no large numbers of soldiers are thought to be left in the citadel, based on the battle that was won already.
To the north of the Templar's Court, were rooms used by the commanders of the armies to meet and plan. The tower to the northwest was where the mythic chimera Soltengrebbe apparently laired before being defeated at the battle for the Ahari Bridge.
"How's Tauni?" Raine called. "--and how are you, Karas, you got some bleedin' there..."
As they reconvene, Raine idly plucks weapons from their enemies. "Nice arrows. Anyone minds I take 'em? Might take an extra bow, too... So, we've got to look for the banner, right? Supposed to be hidden here somewhere? I can start huntin' it, but we oughta get patched up. That was nasty. I thought we might lose someone there, for a bit."
”Jumping over a pit with poisoned spikes is....well, not my strong suit. Assuming Tauni is okay, we got really lucky there. If everyone is ready, we need to push forward. The sWord of Valor awaits further in,” the Paladin declares to the group.
Tauni shook quietly as she answered. "I am more embarrassed than anything. After Anarya's tending to me, I am well enough to press on."
Karas stands over the half-orc breathing heavily with a mouth covered in blood. He spits a hunk of flesh to the side and slumps to his knees bleeding profusely.
He looks over to Raine as his form shifts back to normal. "I uh... suppose that handles the archers. Heh."
He leans against a nearby pillar for a moment while everyone catches up.
"Medic over here! Karas is losin' blood like he was tryin' to get rid of it!" Raine calls, moving over to the big man to try and help keep pressure on his wounds. "Just hang on, Anarya's coming. And I'm not even gonna ask how bad demon-flesh must taste."
Karas' face twists in a bloody smirk, "Spicy?"
Anarya embraced Karas although she hugged him gingerly, as his wounds were extensive. Then she glowed with positive energy which she channeled and kept on channeling until Karas' wounds shifted from horrifying to just unpleasant. This also cured herself and others who took damage from the fight.
She then cast some cure spells to take away most of his suffering.
Raine smirked at Karas's joke and clapped him-- carefully-- on the shoulder, trying not to exacerbate his wounds.
"Right, then. Tauni, you feelin' up to snuff? That was a nasty go you had there. Remind me to grab my rope and all before we leave..."
Realizing there were a few seconds while Karas received healing, Raine went to do just that, recoiling it in her pack before taking position up at the rearguard, an arrow already on the string.
"Let's do this."
Karas embraced his angel and once the itch of healing was replaced with the warmth of her light he stood and gave a more loving embrace before moving back to the front.
He stretched and said "Ok, once more with feeling?"
Upon opening the door, the heroes could see the front end of the chapel, which ran north to south. The north end was initially obscured by the entrance hall, but advancing to the corner allowed a view of the whole chapel.
But before noticing the details of the room, all eyes and ears focused on a small group apparently involved in a ritual at the front of the chapel. Four armored men in crusader tabards knelt with their swords drawn, the points resting on the floor, hilt forming a cross. Leading the ritual was Iomedae herself, in battle armor and her signature red cape.
The rest of the chapel contained rows of stone benches, a statue of Iomedae at the front, behind Iomedae herself, faded tapestries hang in tatters to either side, and a larger one on the south wall depicting the armored woman on bended knee before a man wearing green robes. Three smaller, human-sized statues of armored knights stood within small alcoves to the west, each holding a longsword pointing downward.
Iomedae paused her ritual as the heroes entered, smiling at them beatifically, and holding out her arms as if to receive a hug. The knights rose to their feet, holding their swords at their sides, standing at attention, as if expecting a review from an officer.
Iomedae spoke, "Welcome brave heores. I have looked with favor on your courage and devotion. I am here to reward you. Who will be the first to receive my holy embtrace?"
To say that Raine was surprised an understatement. The last thing that made sense to find in the heart of this demon-ruled fortress was an... avatar of the goddess?
"This has got to be some damned demon trick," she hissed to the others.
”Is it truly you, the Lady of Valor here before us,” Ellena asks as she bows her head to the apparent goddess. ”What have we done to deserve such a grit,” the paladin asks, still keeping her unworthy eyes from looking upon the divine visage.
|
Avelina immediately dropped to her knees in desperate prayer. ”OH MY GODDESS. My Beloved Inheritor! Queen of my Heart! I am ever at Your service. That you should appear before me now only proves the Righteousness of everything that has come thus far. Your Glory before me now...it leaves me speechless. Not literally, as I have so much to say to You, but You certainly understand the sentiment. You understand everything! You always understood me best of all. You were always there for me, Beloved Inheritor. I shall ever be there for you!”
Tauni took a step back. "Is - is this a trick? Can this - How?" Shocked by what she is seeing, Tauni reels in disbelief. Her educated eyes look for any sign of deception.
Disbelieve illusion
No one detects any hint of illusion. Raine cannot detect anything in Iomedae's words, speech pattern, or body language that makes her think her words are not true and genuine.
She smiles as Avelina bows and speaks so effusively, like a parent doting on her favorite child. She beckons again for Avelina or Ellena to approach. "Come that I might embrace you and bestow my blessings on you."
Sense motive
Ellena senses nothing amiss with the demeanor of Iomedae.
Ellena rises to her feet, and begins moving forward to embrace her Lady. ”I don’t believe I am deserving of any blessings, milady. There are so many more special than I am,” she whispers, almost in a dream state at the happenings.
Raine lowered her bow, her bemusement at the unlikely scene fading in the face of the pure and true radiance of Iomedae. "Holy heck."
As Avelina's initial shock and ecstasy fades, she begins to notice something off about Iomedae's iconography.