"Waiting for them to approach will at least prevent them from surrounding us, though if they are the undead which have been reported in the region, then it would seem they have already passed through the traps unharmed on at least one occasion."
While Fenna speaks, the celestial dog lets out a low growl as it prepares to meet whatever threat approaches from the tunnels.
Maybe our life force is what activates the trap? Or there may be something or someone that turns off the trap, maybe something darker, more evil controlling the undead like a necromancer. At least the dog bring here gives us some indication that the trap doesn't reset so quickly that is works constantly...
Courage, Guardians...whatever is coming down those halls, they will meet a swift end this night.
a deep voice booms from the chamber to your east. The voice is immediately followed by the crackle of bones upon the stone floor as four skeletons shamble into Kalev's vision from the same direction, garbed in rusted and broken chain shirts, claws at the ready to attack. Behind them, Kalev catches a glimpse of a taller figure who appears to be the speaker, but he remains just out of sight. You can all hear steady footsteps mixed with the crackling of bone coming from the north and south chambers...
Kalev-
Fenna & Hound-
Malthir-
Ilya-
Casimir-
The Lonely Warrior-
Skeletons-
Skeletal Champions-
Skeletons (the face tokens)- 19
Casimir- 17
Sentient Skeletons (different coloured tokens with swords and shields)- 16
Armoured Undead (the speaker, red halo)- 16
Fenna & Hound- 12
Malthir- 10
Ilya- 4
Kalev- 4
Active Effects-
Inspire Courage +1
Shield of Faith Malthir (9 rounds left)
Map Update (pre-Casimir)-
Link
Two of the four skeletons that appear from the chamber to the east charge at Fenna's hound, while the other two move to positions within the room. The hound leaps aside from one bony claw only to be caught mid air by the other skeleton's- impaling the hound and sending it back to the celestial realm from whence it came.
Miss
Hit
Casimir lights the fuse on the grenade he is holding and takes careful aim before lobbing it between Kalev and Malthir. It bounces a bit before it settles in the center of the chamber, among the bones of the dead adventurer. The fuse hisses and splutters as the deadly device lies waiting to deliver it's content of fire and force.
Kalev, Malthir...be sure to stand your ground until that thing goes off. Otherwise, you will be caught in the blast!
Swiftly rounding the respective corners, two pairs of skeletons emerge from the north and south chambers. These skeletons are different to the four that ran at the hound- blue flames dance in their eye sockets, and they seem to take in the battlefield before advancing upon Malthir and Kalev. They wield longswords and heavy shields, and are garbed in chainmail that appears to have withstood the test of time. You have little doubt that these skeletons are sentient.
You recognise these types of skeletons- they are known as skeletal avatars or skeletal champions, and were often used as honour guards for great barbarian warlords or people of note- the warriors were frequently renowned warriors in life, and these fully sentient skeletons maintain the skill they showed in life once awakened to defend their lord. They are particularily resistant to channeled energy and are fairly perceptive- and like all skeletons are resistant to cold, piercing and slashing weapons..
As the skeletons march to attack, Kalev strikes at three of them, his ranseur blurring in motion as he reacts before hes truly aware of the threat- his first strike piercing the skeleton's chainmail but not hacking through the tough bone underneath, his second cutting a swathe through the skeleton's ribcage but not quite downing it, and his third expertly blocked by the skeleton. The skeletons on the edge of the melee bring their longswords to bear on Kalev and Malthir, twirling them expertly as they strike. The two skeletons directly facing Kalev and Malthir make more ambitious swings, aiming to cut both warriors at the same time in large, cleaving swings; both aiming initially at the less heavily armoured Kalev.
Miss
Miss
Hit (FF AC)
Damage
Miss
Hit
Damage
Miss
Finally, the Undead who spoke enters the light, his eyes glowing with a fiery red intensity as his gaze encompasses the battle before him. Armed like the other skeletons with a heavy shield and garbed in a chain shirt, the undead holds a hilt with half a blade- what must have once been a truly fine longsword; and the blade still glows with magic. Although you can see bones through the rotten remnants of clothing he wears with the armour, you can also see tightly stretched skin still present, and flesh underneath. The figure is over six feet tall, and was likely once a mighty warrior or warlord to have been buried in a barrow mound like this.
You recognise the creature as a wight- powerful, sentient undead with the ability to drain the life force from a person with their fists. Any humanoid slain by this effect rises as a spawn under his control. They have powerful natural armour. They are always lawful evil.
It dawns upon you that the situation is perhaps worse than you thought. This creature is a cairn wight, and it possesses the ability to drain life force through the touch of a weapon as well as its slam. Like all wights, a cairn wight is still vulnerable to any kind of resurrection magic such as raise dead, and they typically frequent ancient crypts and barrow mounds such as these, tied to the place they were buried.
Map Update-Link
Ilya, save your haste for next round, let's get some help in to keep the Wight in the back busy!
Round 1 Action
Iomedae, grant me your boon to fight the evil that stands before me! Swift action smite evil on the wight.
Malthir will channel positive energy to damage the undead in a 30' radius. Should affect all undead except for the Wight. DC 16 will save for 1/2 damage.
Move action to Draw my sword.
"May the Soldier's shield offer protection against these terrible foes," Fenna prays, moving forwards to lay a hand on Kalev's back.
Malthir's powerful wave of energy washes over the undead, destroying the mindless skeletons instantly. The skeleton Kalev wounded is also destroyed by the holy energies, but the other three resist and maintain their offensive.
Kalev takes a step back and swings his Ranseur twice in quick succession at two seperate skeletons within the reach of his weapon- his magical weapon smashing both skeletons apart despite their damage reduction.
Casimir- 17
Sentient Skeleton- 16
Armoured Wight- 16
Fenna & Hound- 12
Malthir- 10
Ilya- 4
Kalev- 4
Active Effects-
Inspire Courage +1 (2 rounds used)
Shield of Faith (Malthir) (8 rounds left)
Haste (4 rounds left)
Protection from Evil (Kalev)- 29 rounds left
Map Update-
Link
Trusting in Malthir's divine ability to handle the remaining undead, Casimir does his best to stem the flow of blood running from Kalev's injuries.
Curative Touch
Malthir calls out to the undead, It is the Guardians of the Greenbelt that come here to day to end your evil, come and feel the divine wrath of Iomedae!
I will wait to post until after I see what the undead does.
The wight charges in to engage Malthir, his loyal bodyguard swinging his sword on the defensive and attempting to parry any efforts to harm his warlord. Rushing in at incredible speed, the wight's sword arm swings the broken weapon with supernatural strength, ramming the broken blade through Malthir's full plate and into his abdomen.
Success
Take a negative level please, remember to reduce your current and max HP by 5 as well as take the longsword damage... This should help you out-
Please keep quiet about the negative levels :), feel free to RP it in character though.
Seeing the undead monstrosity pierce Malthir's armour with it's broken blade, but unable to reach the baron's side, Fenna lays the fingers of her left hand around a ring upon a finger of her right. "I offer to share the burden of the noble leader of Kardas, that he may fight tall against our enemies," she prays quietly.
Arrgh, Malthir feels the blow from the Wight hit him, he stikes out at the undead calling upon Iomedae to destroy the creature once and for all! Iomedae, banish the evil spirit back to Pharasma's judgement!
Channel Smite!
Kalev calls upon his fighting experience to aid him in the fight against the wight, stabbing twice in quick succession with his enchanted ranseur.
*hand-waving and chanting* Ilya begins casting summon monster III.
Channel energy is a level dependent ability and as such you only got 2d6 of the 3d6 channel (ignoring the 2 as it was the last rolled).
Fail to half damage from channel smite.
Despite the wight's tough skin, his shield and armour, and unnatural agility, both Malthir and Kalev are each able to land a single blow on the creature, who hisses in vehemence at Malthir's blow in particular. The wight has absorbed a great deal of punishment from you both, but remains able to fight...
Casimir- 17
Sentient Skeleton- 16
Armoured Wight- 16
Fenna & Hound- 12
Malthir- 10
Ilya- 4
Kalev- 4
Active Effects-
Inspire Courage +1 (3 rounds used)
Shield of Faith (Malthir) (7 rounds left)
Haste (3 rounds left)
Protection from Evil (Kalev)- 28 rounds left
Map Update-
Link
Stepping carefully between Kalev and Malthir, Casimir moves within striking distance of the wight and unleashes a flurry of lightning-fast strikes at the undead horror.
The fuse grenade explodes, and catches the wight and his fellow skeleton completely off guard- shattering his skeletal bodyguard and wounding the wight further. Casimir's two blows rain down upon the wight, who is able to deflect them both away with his shield- and then stands his ground, striking first at Malthir and then at Kalev. The undead rams his sword cruelly through Malthir's armour once more, further opening the wound he already made in Malthir's abdomen. The wight takes a step back into the chamber, making it difficult for Kalev to step up and strike him with his reach weapon.
Damage
Damage
Crit threat
Unconfirmed.
A second negative level for you sir. Your current HP is listed as 47 for some reason; after this attack i have you at 26- 8 damage from the first sword blow, 10 from current and max HP from negative levels, and 5 from the last blow.
My speech for the round, Ilya, summon a creature on the other side of the wight so we can attack from both sides!
Delaying to init 3 so I get the flank and then move into attack, I also want to make sure that this trap doesn't fire again...
"Father of humanity," Fenna prays, moving up behind Malthir, "please lend your aid to this champion of mankind and close his wounds."
Assuming that the croc appearing doesn't set off an explosion of some sort, seeing the wight in the crocs jaws he comes off delay, moves in, 5' step, and takes two swings at the evil incarnate!!!!!
two possible confirms!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Malthir, looking almost a pale as the wight himself, takes two unsteady steps up to the undead as it grapples with the crocodile. He lets Iomedae guide his shaking blade to the wight. The holy energy rips through the wight as pieces of it fly from the croc...the tip of Malthir's blade comes to rest upon the floor, its wieght almost too heavy for him to carry after the exertion.
The wounded Paladin hacks through the wight twice with his longsword, piercing the undead things defences and cutting it down. With a gasp of stale air, the wight staggers back and then collapses atop the pile of skeletons in the centre of the room. Mr Chompers enjoys another job well done, and idly begins to gnaw on the wight, grinning like only a evil-smiting crocodile can.
Let's quickly drag the bodies from this trap area. We can then search out the rest of the crypt, starting with the chamber that the wight came from. Malthir says wearily...
Remind me never to get on Iomedae's bad side, Malthir. I have never seen such a display of divine fury. It will be good for our subjects to know that we have cleansed this place of such an evil. Casimir remarks to the paladin, as he helps him drag away the remains of the undead warrior.
The north and south chambers are bare chambers with two stone sarcophagi in each. The chamber to the east's walls are adorned with a plethora of ancient and broken weapons, shields, armor, and tattered banners and standards. Interspersed among the displayed arms are carved scenes of battle, pillage, and conquest. The carvings are caked in flaking pigments that were once brightly colored, but many have been defaced, apparently by repeated blows from a weapon. An empty sarcophagus lies at the end of the room. You see no other exits from any of the chambers in the barrow mound...
Magical Broken Longsword.
Magical Heavy Wooden Shield.
Chainshirt.
Four masterwork longswords.
Four suits of chainmail.
The weapons and armor of the wight are ancient, but still quite potent, I think. Casimir says, as he examines the gathered equipment.
The sword is a potent magical weapon; +2 Fey Bane Longsword. We should try and repair it. The shield only bears a minor enhancement; +1.
perception 1d20-1
We will also try to figure out how to disable the trap. Take a 20 if necessary. If we can't disable it we will summon something else in to see if the trap resets again. We will also post a warning sign on the wall if we can, mentioning the trap.
Search assist - secret doors and the like.
The sword is a potent magical weapon; +2 Fey Bane Longsword.
The shield only bears a minor enhancement; +1.
Allright I guess we can just put up the sign and rest overnight a ways from the crypt. Are the bats still gone? Hopefully we can get out without a fight.
Well guardians, back to Swordhaven to bring the good news back to the Kingdom in the morning? I know I could use a few days rest I feel dead on my feet...
"I can call upon Aroden's blessings a few more times tonight before I pray. Is anyone else wounded?"
"I can call upon Aroden's blessings a few more times tonight before I pray. Is anyone else wounded?"
I am little wounded after your last healing on me. I do feel the heavy hand of the wights unnatural touch on me. I have read in my church studies that the undead can steal the souls of its victums. Sometimes a good nights rest can let you recover it, other times not and greater magics are required. Let us hope for the former. Kalev, how are you faring?
"Indeed," Fenna agrees with Malthir, "the rising of the sun is a powerful thing, sometimes able to wash away the evils inflicted by the undead. I shall rise slightly before dawn to ask for Aroden's aid in such a thing."
That was a hard, but glorious fight, Kalev says. I think I shall name this stout weapon "Bone-grinder".
After helping search the place, Kalev says I suggest we get the Church of Erastil to consecrate this place, so the undead will not rise again.
To Malthir, I have a few wounds...a few nights of rest should heal them, but if you have Iomadae's blessing, I'd not object.
It seems the wight has also affected Iomedae's blessing's, dulling their effect. It seems that Fenna should probably help you this time... he says a little disappointed.
I didn't hear any objections so it sounds like we are okay resting overnight and then heading back to Swordhaven.