Barael, How is it you're so injured? Sivit attacked Nikolay this time around and I missed you with the AoO, so unless you failed to heal from the last fight, you should be at 51 - only injured from the trap so far.
Sivit Saves...
So it looks like Sivit takes the damage (but soak it in DR) and fails to get trapped in the whirlwind. Go Sivit!
Round 3, Init 21
The winds of the vortex blow against Nikolay's face.
I hope those are winds of change.
Sure he won't survive another similar attack from the sphinx, Nikolay gives it his all and power attacks.
(BAB +6, STR +4, Black blade +3, Weapon Focus +1, -2 Power Attack)
(+6 STR, +3 Magic, +6 Power Attack)
-
(BAB +1, STR +4, Black blade +3, Weapon Focus +1, -2 Power Attack)
(+6 STR, +3 Magic, +6 Power Attack)
Vencarlo continues to wait for an opening. Majenko spends his last spell healing Nikolay . Dandilion, sensing Sivit is going to flee if she can, evil eyes her (-2 skill checks) to make it harder for her to get through Barael.
vs DC 17
Round 3, Init 15
Briar smirks as he surveys the combat.
The coward will run soon. Cowards always run.
Briar knows his chances of hitting are minimal but fires again, hoping to get lucky.
to hit; (PBS,Bard,BoF,DeadlyAim,Rapid,Cover)
to hit; (PBS,magic,Bard,DeadlyAim)
to hit; (PBS,Bard,BoF,DeadlyAim,Rapid,
Cover)
to hit; (PBS,magic,Bard,DeadlyAim)
to hit; (PBS,Bard,BoF,DeadlyAim,Cover)
to hit; (PBS,magic,Bard,DeadlyAim)
Briar 5' steps to X11.
Fondo disarms the sphinx and aids the elementals defense. Briar takes a couple of long shots and connects once for just a few over the resistance of the creature, but it's enough to setup Nikolay. Vencarlo moves into position and waits. Majenko heals Nikolay and steps up. Charlie attempts to doom the sphinx as his air elemental whirlwinds around her - but fails to pick her up. Barael takes the full brunt of the trap he triggers, as does the sphinx! Dandilion evil eyes the sphinx. Nikolay deals a solid blow attempting to pound the sphinx into the ground - and does so!!
…and Sivit drops on Nikolay's blow. On her initiative (next) several body parts are ripped asunder by the whirling blades of the trap. By the time it stops, there is little left but chunks of meat and blood soaked walls. (I presume Barael steps away from the trap and waits it out.)
The air elemental can't fit in the hall with the party, and so flees to the hallway with Barael, squeezing for a few rounds before disappearing back to the elemental plane of air.
Barael's face squishes together in vicarious empathy with the sphinx, only recently having dealt in the same pain from the whispering blades. As pain continues to wrack his frame, he places a steadying hand on the wall, stepping off the trigger, only to feel the elemental rush up to join him.
"That... that was glorious. Nik, Nik, Nik. You did more than nick, nick, nick. Let's nickname you something more ruthless, like 'Slash', or 'Axe-ill'." Barael chuckles to himself, hitches his breathing sporadically, and flinches a couple of times, the blades continually plaguing his peripheral vision with threats that do not connect.
Oh... Assuming the party does not go rushing off... the pain subsides in about 5 minutes. An hour after it began.
When the blades reset, Barael limps over, then stands straighter, as the pain releases its grip over his body. He asks for a resource or two to heal himself up before proceeding.
Briar smirks as the sphinx falls, knowing that magic, 'Sward's magic, finally did it in.
You cannot taunt magic again and again and expect to win. Magic is to be feared as it is honored, sphinx. I hope you carry those lessons to your next life.
Briar watches to ensure that the body of the sphinx is completely diced before casting Detect Magic and scanning the remains.
When he finishes, he will return to his bed to sleep.
Don't mess with the 'Sward.
Fondo applies his wand to Barael's wounds... after clapping Nikolay on the shoulder. "Bravely fought. One way or another, we got there. Now we have a well-deserved rest ahead."
And if needed applies some to Nikkolay
"Yahoo!! It slices, it dices, it cleans your sphinx in record time! Fondo, would you hit folks up with the CLW wand? I'd like to save the big (and expensive) shooter for when we really need them. Next time, I need to get 2 at a time from Saul."
Fondo looks up from his wanding and smirks at Charlie. "Yes, save your energy. Who knows what still lies in store for us this night." He winks at Vendarlo and continues poking and pinching at the rat.
The sphinx had a ring and a belt which were magical. The 4 kukri she carried were merely masterwork.
Spellcraft Ring
Spellcraft Belt
Once he's finished with Brother Rat, Fondo slumps down and gives more fully into his pain. Desna, guide us toward freedom and away from this prison. He falls asleep, quite conscious that he has not offered Vencarlo Blackjack's other items. Why isn't he asking for them?
"Thanks, Brov." Barael quietly holds still while the magicks knit the sinew, and mend the muscle.
Feeling the pain lift, Barael shakes out the discomfort and relishes the steadiness that has returned to his hands. "If I don't see a symbol like that again, it'll be too soon. How much time is needed now? There have got to be more gladiators down and around here, right? Maybe more sphinxes?" Barael visibly shudders at the thought.
Barael looks at the bloody corridor, and tries to observe for triggers on likely traps. He activates the last charge on one mask to boost his ability.
Briar is able to determine the ring is a +2 ring of protection, but the belt eludes his skills (and feeble rolls).
Barael finds no trap down the long hall. Eight alcoves line this long, narrow passage. Inside each alcove stands a human-sized upright iron casket with the image of a sobbing woman decorating its lid. The hallway’s floor is smeared bright red, a mosaic of tiny red stones giving the appearance that the hall is awash in blood.
The party is trying to rest the night - yes? Well then, there are no further encounters until morning. Vencarlo offers, even in his condition, to take a turn at watch. Otherwise the night is uneventful if cramped.
If you listend really, really hard, you think you can hear the seneschal moaning in agony somewhere deeper in the maze while you rest...
In the morning, Vencarlo again suggests going back and confronting Arcona rather than proceeding onward. "The maze is full of traps, and who knows what other difficulties. I say we take the fight to Arcona and put him down like the animal he is! Then we can return for the seneschal in relative safety."
"Do you honestly think he's going to release that prize? No! He'll wait until we're weak and strike. Let us go to him while we have the strength to do so. Let us finish him before he wears us down again!"
With the nights rest, and the passion of his belief, a little color rises in Vencarlo's cheeks. He'll go with the majority, but clearly he feels strongly about taking out Arcona first.
"The moaning, Vencarlo. That sets my purpose, it does." Barael stretches out, rested in the loosest sense of the word.
"If he can wait until we're weak, then that means he knows when we're weak. If he'd a wanted to step in to strike, he's a fool to have overlooked our state last night. We are newly strong now, and the missive is clear. Find the seneschal now, and move to safety." Barael studies Vencarlo. "Or would Blackjack tell us otherwise?"
"You just insisted on 14 hours of rest to replenish yourselves. Fine. I'm asking for another hour - likely less! - to confront Arcona. If we follow your plan, Arcona gets away and we must flee the city like dogs."
"Who knows what Arcona can see and when? Perhaps he was not ready last night, or perhaps he was not aware of our weakness? Perhaps he is waiting for the next trap to further hampers us."
"But I am merely one man in this group, and my vote only counts for one. I shall abide by the majority decision here - however foolish I think it may be."
It is clear Vencarlo is angry. Likely some of that anger is directed at himself for failing to succeed in the first place against Arcona. You expect he'd like nothing more than a duel with the man in the traditional style. Blade on blade.
Before returning to sleep, Fondo asks Charlie, Kako, mayhap your healer's kit'll help our friends Vencarlo and Majenko strength regain. Tomorrow, prayers, but this night herbs and tonics. No?"
. . . . .
Upon waking, Fondo lays out his Harrow cards. After quietly reading his own card, he offers a reading to the assembled party.
Today we'll fight and beat our betters. Nice.
"The cat's paw of a pretty fiend were we.
But bonds with friends anew shall break our chains
That we might dance like Desna's children true."
He takes a fourth card and touches it to the unknown belt.
Hearing Vencarlo's request and Barael's retort, he puts the cards away and stands at Barael's right. He is my left hand. Oft waving as if of its own will, yet it strikes true.
"Signore, calm yourself and take cheer. We'll see it done. But while the Seneschal lies bound and pained, our foe maintains his truest card. His sharpest blade. The people need his voice, as sure as Blackjack's heart, if we're to end Ileosa's reign. We've come for you, out of love. We'll continue on for him, for duty. United, Glorio cannot our strength subdue."
He gathers his items. "Let us move forward and end our ally's suffering."
And still no ask from him.
Init +2; Senses Perception +2
Speed 20 ft. (+1 Breastplate)
--------------------
AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 19 (+7 armor, +2 Dex, +2 Ring Deflection)
Shield spell AC 25, touch 14, flat-footed 23
hp 75
Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +6
--------------------
3 (4/day) []Burst of Speed, []Fly, []Gloom bolts, []Haste
2 (5/day) []Frigid Touch, []Glitterdust, []Invisibility, []Mirror Image, []Spider Climb
1 (6/day) []Burning Hands (DC 14), []Chill Touch, []Shield, []Shocking Grasp, []True Strike, []Vanish
0 (5/at will) Detect Magic, Disrupt Undead, Light, Read Magic, Light
--------------------
Arcane Pool (+3 per point spent, 9/day) 3/9 remaining
Empowered Magic (1/day) 0/1 remaining
Black blade's arcane pool 2/3 remaining
Wand of Magic missiles (23 charges remaining)
Pearl of Power (1st) - Not used today
Harrow points 5
Nikolay tries to hide the winces as Fondo slaps him on the shoulder and then taps him with the wand. Still embarassed at his mostly empty backpack, Nikolay pulls out the pearl of power.
"Does anyone need to use this?"
He then looks at the belt that has Briar looking crosseyed.
"Thanks for the help with the arrow. Let me assist you with that."
--
In the morning, Nikolay also believes they should continue forward.
While the others discuss with Vencarlo, Briar focuses on a new morning task. The task was made clear by the Whispers from the Void and his meditations.
Briar takes out pen and scrollpaper and begins to scribe, heedless of the cramped space. If interrupted, he will explain that this process will take about 2 hours.
Briar then takes another look at the belt.
Spellcraft
When finished, Briar will brush himself off and pack up his backpack, casting Atol Haul to help handle the load. He will then cast Ward of the Season (summer).
* * *
Briar agrees with the Rat.
We move forward. We do not move backward unless Vencarlo's rapier can cut stone.
Nikolay or Fondo identify the belt as a Belt of Mighty Constitution +4.
Vencarlo shrugs at the parties insistance on proceeding away from his desired target. He looks fondly at his bag on Fondo's shoulder, but refrains, out of politeness, from asking for it. He swings Fondo's blade a few times getting the heft of it and sheaths it ready to proceed with the party in whatever direction they desire - though he's nearly beside himself when Briar scribes scrolls further delaying the party.
"This is a great belt for our party and this delve deeper into the bowels of this maze. Any of us would benefit from its fortification to one's constitution."
Nikolay holds out the belt for inspection and debate as to its best use.
Fondo holds the bag of holding out to Vencarlo. "Ah, sorry. You'll need your things as we move forward." He somewhat more grudgingly puts his hand on Blackjack's rapier and draws it. offering it pommel first.
"Here Vencarlo, we're going to move on, but let me get you set up before we get ready for tomorrow."
Dandi gathers her things and prepares to head out. She chitters soothingly to Wraith as she tucks her into her carrier.
Briar recognizes Vencarlo's impatience, but continues his work anyway.
"Well, if you could be of more assistance in helping us bypass obstacles around here, we might not need as much preparation now, would we?" Briar asks with a jabbing smirk.
"You should take the belt, 'Sward. It will suit you well. Maybe when I get back to my laboratory, I might deign to add magicks to enhance the belt further. It could certainly use some adornment."
When the party is ready to move on, Briar will cast Air Walk again, rising 5' above the others as he goes.
Barael walks up to Briar's side as the belt is considered. "Aye. Nik, you should have it. As a trophy, since you can't take any part of Sivit with you, at least take her belt." Barael nods, as if it's decided.
Barael studies the door at the end of the hallway of blood, and proceeds to Light Step to the other end. Should it pass uneventfully, Barael listens at the door.
Fondo observes rather closely if Vencarlo does indeed take the Blackjack gear and put it on. Is it familiar to him? Does he seem to know their properties? He smiles amicably should the man notice his gaze.
"Tis truly good to see you well, Signore. We were so worried."
Barael steps lightly past the iron caskets and to the already open door at the end of the hall. Looking through he sees two rooms. The walls, floor, and ceiling of the first chamber are decorated with a complex mosaic depicting an immense swarm of wasps. The room just beyond is an empty room strewn with bones and patches of mold.
There is another door on the far wall of the first room which leads deeper into the complex.
Vencarlo certainly takes his time donning his gear. He sort of looks at the party with each item he takes out and places on his person. You're not sure if he's unfamiliar with the items or, more likely, just uncomfortable 'dressing' up as Blackjack in front of an audience. It's likely the first time he's ever done so...
That said, it the gear certainly suits him, and he seems to stand just a little taller for having it all on.
"Aren't those boots fantastic? Two clicks and you're speeding along, not a care in the world. No wonder they haven't caught you."
Briar air clomps above Barael to look into the room, his low lighted vision seeking dangers.
Perception
Cast Detect Magic.
"Hold, Rat. We have not been beset by traps in nearly 50', we are due for more."
"Two clicks? Not these boots my good man, they're always functioning thankfully. I'd never remember to activate them otherwise!" Vencarlo gives Fondo a wry smile.
Briar senses no trap or magic in the hallway or what he can see of the rooms beyond. The mosaic of the wasps though is quite beautiful.
Feeling unstoppable with his new belt, Nikolay starts into the new room before suddenly stopping at Briar's words.
I hate it when he's right.
--Me, too.
Briar shrugs at the 'Sward.
"I don't see anything, but it doesn't mean nothing is in there," Briar says from above, and letting the 'Sward enter if he wants.
Briar enters the wasp mosaic room, bow drawn, his feet never touching the ground.
Perception
Dandi lets her hair down, the tips twisting and curling ahead of her before she enters the room. "I don't feel anything."
Barael waits for Nikolay to enter the room, watching him make the motions to do so. He looks up at Briar, and reaches up to push on his foot, as if testing the buoyancy of a balloon afloat. "That never gets old. Walking on air like that."
Barael pulls out a dried orange, and rolls it along the wasp mosaic floor, angling it in the direction of the bones. He listens and smells the air as best he can.
He then becomes quite focused on the floating elf making his way into the room. If someone's going to be stuck by darts, might as well be someone else for a change.
A lot of things happen at once as Nikolay and Dandilion move through the long hall to join Briar and Barael.
Briar spots a cleverly hidden secret door just in sight in the next room. No one has entered the square chamber in front of B&B. When Nikolay gets into the hallway though, his footsteps trigger the trap there.
The maidens carved in the left side sarcophaguses begin to wail most loudly. Everyone in the party (not just those in the tunnel) need to make a Fortitude DC 15 or be stunned and deafened for rounds.
Additionally all the squares not flanked by the iron maidens tip backward into those squares. Barael, Nikolay and Dandilion need to make DC 15 acrobatics checks or step back into the squares flanked by iron maidens. If you are flanked by iron maidens iron spears launch from the maidens on the right and spear you, possibly multiple times.
Oh, make the acrobatic checks before the stunning save please. The floor does not tilt so much as to throw you in the square behind, it's more of a nudge.
for
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After the spears launch, there is an ominous clicking and grinding noise coming from behind the walls as the trap resets. We're not in initiative, but we are going by rounds so don't try to do too much. Barael can try a disable device (if he's not stunned) to stop the trap from fully reseting.
Round 1, no init
Nikolay manages to keep his footing and ignore the wailing.
This is all the elf's fault. I'm sure of it.
"Hey! Look! I found a secret door..." Briar's excited voice trails off as the noise of the trap takes the spotlight off his success.
Fort Save
This is totally all their faults for not 'flying'. Magic, fools! GET MAGIC!
If possible, Briar will try to steady the Rat.
Round 1, No discernible initiative for the ensuing chaos
With rat-like grace, likely in the form of a rodent recently electrocuted, Barael performs an awkward jumping jack to avoid the funnel fell.
Barael plants his rigid form against the wall, unable to move, barely having lifted his hands to his ears to prevent the sounds from continuing to ring.
Round 1, (-30 HP)
Dandi loses her footing for a moment, backstepping in between the sarcophaguses to be speared (again?). Grasping for a vial, she manages to grab one and slam it back, hopefully downing her shield extract.
Fondo stops thinking about all of the different homes he's lived in long enough to notice a lot of slicing and dicing. Ouch, that had to hurt. His ears, always full of the sound of his own voice, withstand the shrieking just fine.
Seeing Barael slobbering, ears bleeding, he moves down the hall on full defense . "Brother Rose, open the door and I'll come help pull brov through."
I'm confused by Fondos' action. The door to the room beyond the hall is already open (K16). Are you dragging Barael through into that room? Or are you talking about the next door that leads to an unknown chamber (I15)?
Round 1, Init noneya {V14-->T16}
If possible he will use the rod of reach to cast cure serious on Dandi after moving to T16
"Nikolay, not happy with just harming yourself?"
AC 14 mithral shirt
CMD 14
HP = 57/57
Elemental HP 68/68
Holy Water Vials: 10
If anyone is poisoned or diseased Charlie will attempt a heal check (14)
The spells/day listed will include the casting (if any) that I made this round
Orisons DC:15 (Create Water, Guidance, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Stabilize, Mage Hand, Read Magic, Ghost Sound)
First Level: DC:16 (8/8 per day) (Bless, Bless Water, Doom, Ray of enfeeblement, Remove Fear, Cure Light, Protection from Evil)
Second Level: DC:17 (8/8 per day) (Eagle's Splendor, Hold Person, Lesser Restoration, Sound Burst, Cure Moderate)
Third Level: DC:18 (6/7 per day) (Prayer, Remove Disease, Searing Light, Cure Serious, Dispel Magic)
Fourth Level: DC:19 (5/5 per day)(Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Holy Smite, Neutralize Poison, Cure Critical Wounds)
Oracle Revelation: Eldritch Bolt 8/8 times per day. 1d8+5 dam
summon elemental: once per day 5/5 rounds per day + ring: 5/5 rnds
Sociable Trait5/5 rounds per day
wand CSW 36/37
wand CLW 8/50
wand blessings of fervor 39/50
Rod of Reach 3/3 per day
Weapon equipped = Biting wit (and a MW dagger)
Shield equipped =OMG please don't hurt me
vs DC 15
vs DC 15
As Fondo bursts into the next room, the very nice mosaic of wasps seems to move. At this point, thousands of 6-inch-long needles stab out of the walls, floor, and ceiling of this room, jabbing in and out of tiny holes several times each round. The needles jab in waves, creating a beautiful rippling effect as they stab and stab.
for damage and DC 15 fort save or lose 2 dex.
The needles continue to undulate and will attack every round for an unknown duration. The room with the bones to Fondos left (west) looks safe...
On the next round Fondo attempts an expert reposition on Barael, dragging him out of the path of the more damaging maidens. He uses a move action to aid Barael's defense.