With Fondo's inspiration, Charlie hits and takes down the Vampire (V1). It turns to a fine mist, and sinks into the floor to revitalize and return even more mighty than before! (eventually)
All subsequent attacks are on V2. Unless Briar shoots and kills V1 in which case Charlie's hit is on V2 as well. :)
"Dandi, holy water! They're restless dead."
"Oh! Why didn't you say so?!" Grumbling, she pulls a flask of holy water from her pack and throws it instead.
Round 3, Init 15, 5 ft to K-09 at end of move.
Round 2, Init 11
Briar will go doggy style and move to K9.
Briar will draw a silver arrow and fire at V2.
to hit; (bless, PBS, borrachoing,cover)
silver damage.
Nikolay takes the opportunity to swing at the second vampire as it climbs into the room.
(BAB +3, STR +3, Black blade +1, Weapon Focus +1, Bless +1, Inspired Courage+1)
Round 3, Init 14 (AC 20-shield spell)
Nikolay waits his turn to try for a harder strike to the vampire.
(BAB +3, STR +3, Black blade +1, Weapon Focus +1, Bless +1, Inspired Courage +1)
Briar steps up and hits the poor new noble. Charlie, with inspiration, hits and takes out V1. Majenko flaps over to the hole and checks the rear. Barael has no target by the time we get to him. Fondo steps up and hits V2. Dandilion, through all kinds of cover and combat, still manages to strike and damage the Vampire taking it down with holy water! Nikolay hits with his attack of opportunity, but has no target with his main attack (see below).
Though things look good for the party initially having taken down two Ustalavian Vampire Spawn, the fun is only beginning as two more crawl out of the hole. One has enough movement to take a swing at Fondo, but he misses. Fondo and Nikolay both get AoO on V3. I'll use Nikolay's last swing as his AoO which means he connects!
Now up - Everyone!
Round 4, Init 15
Round 4, Init 14-
"Wo ho! More quickened dead for boneyard's dame.
Dread Ph'rasma's joy fulfilled with every swing."
AC 20 (10 +3 dex +4 mithril shirt +1 buckler +1 ring +1 combat expertise)
HP = 28/33
Weapon equipped Mace
Shield equipped Buckler
Bardic performance used 4 of 6 rounds
Spells used 1st: 1 of 2
Fondo motions to Barael to flank with the third vampire. On his turn, he gives a feinting thrust with his mace, distracting the third dead noble as he motions Barael into flank beyond . With a rather more cautious back swing he attempts to crush the fourth vampire's head.
Round 3, Init 8
AC = 18, 19 with Combat Expertise
HP = 36/36
Weapon Equipped = Silver Dagger
Condition(s) = Blessed, Inspired
My place? Where's my place?? The corner to Fondo's kitty, that's where. Barael springs around to secure his flank.
Barael hesitates, but only slightly, in closing distance against the mockery of life before him.
Round 4, Init 14
Nikolay continues to hack dawn the vampires as they swarm up like rats.
(BAB +3, STR +3, Black blade +1, Weapon Focus +1)
Can you turn into silver or something useful against these things?
--No. Can't you.
Soon. Soon.
Round 3, Init 11
Briar draws another silver arrow and fires at U3.
to hit; (bless, PBS, borracho song)
silver damage.
Round 4 Init 10 L09-->M09
Charlie will 5' step to M09 and loose an eldritch bolt to V3.
AC 13 (10 +3 MW studded leather)
CMD 10
HP = 26/26
If anyone is poisoned Charlie will attempt a heal check (6)
The spells/day listed will include the casting (if any) that I made this round
Orisons DC:14 (Create Water, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Stabilize, Mage Hand, Ghost Sound)
First Level: DC:15 (4/5 per day) (Bless, Ray of enfeeblement, Shield of Faith, Cure Light, Protection from Evil)
Second Level: DC:16 (3/3 per day) (Lesser Restoration)
Oracle Revelation: Eldritch Bolt 5/7 times per day.
summon elemental: 4/4 rounds per day
Sociable Trait4/4 rounds per day
wand CLW 15/50, 50/50
Weapon equipped = Biting wit (and a MW dagger)
Shield equipped =OMG please don't hurt me (sometimes a shield of faith)
Briar knocks another arrow and connects for a little hit. Charlie just misses the Spawn with his bolt. Majenko continues to watch the back, "Everything is fine here. How are you up front?". Barael hits V3 gouging him deeply. Dandilion throws some holy water, but misses. Nikolay also connects hitting hard, and though not all goes through it's just enough to down him. Fondo connects with both the AoO and the followup swing on the other Vampire.
Sadly, the new vampire on the scene is cut down before he can act! He turns to gas and flees through the trap door (as did the others in case I wasn't clear). The fourth (and last?) already injured spawn frantically attacks Nikolay - but without success!
Now up - Everyone!
Round 4, Init 11
Briar will move to L11 and fire at U4, muttering to Barael on the way.
"Excuse me there, Pops, I got a spawn to shoot."
to hit; (bless, PBS, borracho song)
silver damage. (PBS, song)
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +3 Dex)
hp 27/27
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +7; +2 vs. enchantments
Round 5, Init 14
Nikolay feels for the silver dagger in his belt...
--Don't even think about it.
but swings his longsword again.
Round 4, Init 8
AC = 18, 19 with Combat Expertise
HP = 36/36
Weapon Equipped = Silver Dagger
Condition(s) = Blessed, Inspired
Barael sees no other way to join the attack on V4 other than to launch a holy water at it.
Aroden, burn your brightest.
...and with that we're out of combat though I am carefully tracking time. Three hits, and although not all of it goes through, Nikolay hits hard enough that it counts.
Again the creature turns to gas and flees down the trap door. All is, momentarily, quiet save for the heavy breathing of the party.
Briar looks at the party, happy to have survived that onslaught.
"Vampire spawn, huh? Not all that different than the crowd outside the Vault."
Briar looks down the trapdoor.
"How big could it be down there, huh? A toymaker's basement?'
Briar picks up a doll, casts light upon it and drops it down the hole.
"Like I said, not much to learn by going down there, now, is there? The learning came to us. Now we know what to make of all those bodies." Barael watches as Briar drops the illumined doll down the hole. "You thinking there's more of them, huh? We wait a few minutes, and we can count them coming up."
Barael nudges Fondo's chin aside. "You get kissed? You were dancing quite a bit there, thought they'd take advantage of ya."
"The Lady smiles upon us today, friends! Perhaps she'll forgive your incursion into her boneyards after all, with such feats of courage!"
He looks down the hole. "Charlie, mind a little healing before we follow?"
"Fondo, do these 'spawn' eat dead people or are they killing the people?"
Nikolay looks more closely at the toymaker.
"And what's with the fog? Are those things still alive? How do we finish them off?"
Nikolay feels a tinge of regret about the areas of his knowledge he's neglected in pursuit of his martial prowess.
"Are those things still alive? How do we finish them off?"
Nikolay feels a tinge of regret about the areas of his knowledge he's neglected in pursuit of his martial prowess.
"What are you talking about, Mortal?" Briar asks, confused. "We killed them, they died. Sure, they turned to mist, but they are dead. Let's worry about things that can hurt us, not mists and gases."
"Yes, what happened to this one, hmmm?" Dandi bends down to look at the body on the floor, though she pulls her mace (silver) and keeps it close while she looks it over.
Majenko, what know you of vampire spawn? The camp tails speak of heads that detach, or of glittering gold skin when caught by sunlight, or of their hatred of garlic-roasted pig fat, but none of these seem true in this case.
Fondo descends into the hole carefully once he gets some wand healing . He looks about for evidence of more than four fanged mouths.
Barael takes every effort to see the trapdoor swung open and kept open with some piece of furniture. He then paces the opening, looking down for some panicked sound. Like a puppy trying to jump off a high bed, intimidated from doing so by poor depth perception.
"Seriously, brov. Why are you pursuing this? We need to report back to Cressida with our success." Barael waits.
Nikolay looks at Barael with bewilderment.
"Success? We don't know who's been dumping the bodies and if we go tell Cressida what we found she's just going to send us right back here to take care of it."
Assuming it's dark down the trap door, Nikolay casts light on his longsword and proceeds down while his shield spell is still good.
@ Dandilion, as was previously mentioned he has multiple neck wounds from what can now be surmised as vampire bites. There is no other sign of injury.
@ Charlie, it's a Knowledge Religion, but as the roll is the same, I'll take your Knowledge Arcana roll. Unfortunately that's not high enough to tell you anything useful.
Majenko replies to Fondo, "I'm sorry sir, but I know nothing of these fiends other than to stay out of reach. I'm glad no one was hurt by them. Their claws looked dark and dangerous. Oh, and here, I can heal a little too." Majenko casts Cure Light Wounds for on Fondo.
Fondo and Nikolay (at least) climb down into a crawl space that is about the same size as the back room. It is dark, save for the lights they bring with them. The crawlspace is mostly empty (a few boxes of old toys here and there, but nothing of value) excepting for the four coffins at the far corner.
The coffins are approximately where Charlie and Majenko are standing/flying on the last map.
"The only thing we have here are bodies, and she told us to leave them, cause she has people for that." Barael fidgets more when Nikolay jumps down. "Those vampire spawn surely weren't enlisted to push carts made of potential wooden crosses." Barael winds tighter like a coiled spring.
"They didn't drag bodies into the trapdoor by the look of it, you two. So it's unlikely they have carters' bodies down there. Guys? Guys??"
"Brov, shush now. There are coffins down here." Fondo nervously renews the light on his buckler and approaches one of the coffins. He opens it with care.
Nikolay looks to Fondo to make sure they're on the same page and then flings one of the coffin lids open.
Though older now (well now he's dead, but he was older), 20 years ago Rodolfo Giotorri was quite a sneak thief. Rumor has it he was highly placed in the guild until he got caught once too often and had to retire from thieving. How he avoided loosing a hand is anyones guess. No one knows where all the loot he stole is either - though almost certainly some of it went to founding this shop and keeping it afloat. His skill with toys is quite poor.
Please note it is difficult terrain in the crawlspace due to the low ceiling. You're not actually crawling, but you are hunched over and crouching a little. Hard to maneuver - CMB/D checks, acrobatics, etc. also -2.
You fling the lid off the coffin with a flourish to see one of the Usatlavian vampires within. He's whole (no longer gaseous) and clearly injured. As you watch, some of his wounds slowly heal. It seems only a matter of time before he is fully headed and rises again to do battle!
"Barael, are you going in?" Dandi whispers over the dark hole in the ground.
Fondo butterflies his chest and looks at Nikolay. "What do we do? Cut their heads off and stuff them full of kale? Burn them? Put nails through their spleens?"
Each of the four coffins contain vampires. They are all regenerating in the darkness.
I'll allow a new set of knowledge checks to avoid the long dragged out test of how to kill them. :)
"Burning things to ashes always seems to work nicely, but I'm not sure how we'd do that down here."
"They have retreated to these coffins. Perhaps if we destroy them it will stop the regeneration. Then we could seek guidance from a cleric or priest knowledable about such things. I'm not sure how long we have though."
Nikolay stabs one of the vampires to see if it reacts or returns to gaseous form again.
"Maybe Dandi could capture their gasesous form in one of her vials. Anyone see a fire bellow up there?"
Barael loses a little color at Dandi's question. "Are you?" Barael pats his belt pouch. "I don't have the holy water anymore, so I don't know what they think they're doing with coffins."
Barael tries to muster his courage, enough to yell down at the two again, against Fondo's shushes. "Brov, Nik, what gives? You looking at coffins all day? This is no time for morbid naps." Barael chuckles so poorly, he stops himself.
Jumping down into the hole, Briar looks at what Fondo and Nikolay are seeing.
Know (Religion)
Briar will move to one of the coffins and groan.
"Why won't beating them senseless with silver work? Maybe decapitation?" Briar gets an idea.
"What would happen if we took off their heads and switched their bodies? Would they grow onto the nearest one? That would be an interesting test of magic, wouldn't it?"
Briar pats his belt, looking for something he doesn't have.
"Does anyone have a silver dagger on hand? One that I can borrow? I want to test something."
"What would happen if we took off their heads and switched their bodies? Would they grow onto the nearest one? That would be an interesting test of magic, wouldn't it?"
Briar pats his belt, looking for something he doesn't have.
"Does anyone have a silver dagger on hand? One that I can borrow? I want to test something."
Nikolay pulls out his shiny, unused, likely never to be used, silver dagger and offers it to Briar.
"Here you go." Nikolay stands ready for when things go wrong.
Charlie nervously takes a nip from his wine skin. It's not enough. Easy pal. There's not enough in this entire skin to make this go away.
Not knowing what Briar most assuredly knows, Fondo hauls one of the vampires out of its coffin and drags it over toward the trap door... "Let's get them outside and burn them there."
"Thanks there, Nik," Briar says, accepting the dagger.
Briar will attend to one of the spawns that Nikolay has been stabbing and begins to coup de grace (beheading). When finished, he'll take the head and put it on the ground.
"Beat that one there some, you two...keep them dead for a bit longer."
Briar will coup de grace (beheading) a second spawn.
If that is successful, Briar will replace one of the heads on the wrong body.
"Keep stabbing and beating on those others...don't let them come back just yet. We could learn a bit about the magic that keeps them alive."
One of the bodies whose head has been pulped grows a white worm like tentacle out of it's neck. As you watch, it slowly starts to color and grow a new head. The same starts to happen with all the other bodies, including the one you put another's head onto.
Briar and Charlie both know that taking the bodies into the sun for a few moments will both stop the regeneration, and stop their unlives as they burn to a crisp.
Fondo continues to drag his comely Ustalavan monster corpse towards the hole. "Brov, be a pal and hoist this fellow up and outside. Dandi, maybe pile some wooden toys for a bonfire? That'll surely send him to the long sleep."
Briar looks at the regrowing heads and then to the heads he has on the ground.
Wow. We could have unlimited spawn heads. Is there a way to use them?
Briar ponders different imagined uses for infinite spawn heads...from catapult fodder to building walls to...yeah.
Not a lot of use for infinite skulls, is there? Hmmm...I wonder...
Briar is more quiet than usual while taking the bodies outside to burn, his mind exploring another avenue of magic.
Barael jumps on the chance to make the sun of the alley. "That's more like it. Let's not dally, eh?" Barael pulls the coffin up as smoothly as possible. "Careful, brov. Don't want to bang his head."
"Dandi, can you help, this is awful heavy." Barael tries his best to maneuver through the bloody hole in the wall, and find the brightest rays of the sun he can.
As soon as the bodies are hoisted into the sun they begin to blister and smoke. Pretty quickly they burn away to ash...
Among the remains you find a ring sculpted to look like intertwined brass spider legs, and another had a set of bone pan-pipes. Neither seems damaged by the fire (though they are covered in ash and soot).
Fondo scans for magic on the ring and thereabouts. He waits patiently for Briar to do his research before applies the Harrow deck as needed to any unidentified magic items.