Angelica realizes at this point, that there is no reason for her to try and stand. The big b@+$$ will hit her again anyways. She instead waits until Jakscar steps up on the opposite side, and lashes out with her hard black fingernails, clawing at the giantess.
Magical missiles winged their way unerringly into the giantess, momentarily blinding her to the dual danger that was Jakscar and Angelica. Together, the fighting combo drove blade and claw into the giant, then dove to the side as the creature fell to the marble floor with a crash.
Shabbezz looked on with a mixture of apprehension and relief at the probe form of the giant. From her relatively safe distance, she called out:
"Is she really dead...?"
Jam walks over to check if the thing is really done in, simultaneously looking her corpse over for trinkets or other valuables
Really, really dead.
Jam goes to look over the giant's corpse, with an eye towards valuables and useful items. The hide armor and greataxe were both of excellent quality, but not magical. In a pouch, the giant had a large amount of coins and gems mixed in with teeth, bones, and other detritus. She also had four potions.
I didn't include the armor or weapon here ss both are mundane and bulky. If you want them, let me know. But then I want to know who is carrying them.
"Excuse me Jam, may I have a look at those vials for a moment? I might be able to tell what they can do."
Shabbezz steps forward and concentrates over the potions, attempting to divine their nature.
Jam holds out the potions
By all means, go for it. Do you all normally split up money you find? Evenly split would be fine with me.
Once she's announced to the group what the potions are, Shabbezz answers Jam's question.
"We generally pool it together and then split it as needed when we go to shop."
Sounds good to me!
Zaph pulls out his wand. "I'm just about out of healing, but the wand is still mostly charged. Angelica, how you feeling?"
The giant dead, Jakscar pulls his blades clear and cleans them on the giant's clothes. "They just keep getting meaner! We must be close now!
"Yeah, but I hope that's the meanest! I'm going to have to wait another day to be full up on my powers," Zaph says with a sigh.
He taps Angelica with the wand a couple times. "How's that?"
Angelica stands up only to lean down toward Zaphomil, and a soft smile comes across her face, as she reaches down a hand to stroke his cheek, "Zap, honey, why is it every time I recover from some dance with death, I'm always looking up into those pretty little eyes of yours?" The playful smirk returns to its usual place before she adds a little quieter under her breath, "Or are you just rushing a pretty lady as soon as she's on her back?" She tousles his hair before looking about the chamber.
"We just woke up too recently to already be beat for the day. I need to find an enemy I can sweet talk. All this swordplay and my clothes will be barely hanging on by a thread."
A general search of the area finds no sign of an exit other than the one that you came through. There are the six trunks around the throne, though, and behind the throne is a platinum plate, with an inscription.
"A gift for my Mistress Sorshen from her humble servant Ayandamahla, dedicated this celebrated day, the 25th anniversary of her ascension to rulership in Eurythnia.
Present-Runelord Sorshen, Ayandamahla and her daughters Ashamintallu and Erixadallax, Lord & Lady of the Burning Bright, the Sisters of Charming & Delectation, and the Baron of Calamities, along with all slaves, servants, and supplicants in this, the Lady's Light. May she reign unchallenged forever."
At first glance, the trunks seem to be filled with nothing more than the remains of the giant's meals: rotten and filthy meat, entrails, and other less savory things.
One trunk has a small pouch containing 20 tourmalines.
Also, you have contracted a disease. Make a DC15 fort save.
Zaph grins widely at Angelica. "What can I say? Seeing a fair damsel in distress will always bring me to her side, to help in any way I can. Speaking of which," he adds, noticing she is still wounded.
He taps her three more times with the wand.
Shabbezz is able to translate the inscription for the benefit of the others.
"'"A gift for my Mistress Sorshen from her humble servant Ayandamahla, dedicated this celebrated day, the 25th anniversary of her ascension to rulership in Eurythnia.'
'Present-Runelord Sorshen, Ayandamahla and her daughters Ashamintallu and Erixadallax, Lord & Lady of the Burning Bright, the Sisters of Charming & Delectation, and the Baron of Calamities, along with all slaves, servants, and supplicants in this, the Lady's Light. May she reign unchallenged forever."' Interesting! I'll need to copy this for my records."
She starts unpacking her ink and parchment, then regards the trunks laying nearby. She wrinkles her nose at the sight of the rotting guts.
"Incidentally, I learned my lesson about poking around unbidden back when I triggered the fight with the worm. I'm not touching those things until someone more qualified than I checks them for traps."
Angelica bats her eyes and affects a feigned swoon at Zaphomil's response. She winks at him when he heals her more, then responds to Shabbezz, "I'm on my way Sweetie, don't you worry."
Zaph appraises Angelica's wounds. "There. Who else is hurt? Jaks? You had a rough go with those lizards, right?" He taps him a few times.
Angelica scrunches her nose at the odor coming from the chests as she looks each one of them over. "Sweetie, they look safe enough, but that doesn't mean they smell like we want what's inside. Feel free, though, if you're still interested."
She turns to Zaphomil, " Are you just going to keep prodding me with your wand? I mean, it feels good and all, but give a girl some forewarning." She smiles her crooked smirk and winks at him, a sure sign that she is feeling on the mend.
Closing her notebook, Shabbezz hefts her pack onto her shoulders.
"I'm not optimistic, but before we leave this chamber I'd like to do a quick scan of the area for any possible hidden doors. We've yet to run into another one of the shards, so it might be worth the effort."
Standing before the throne, she extends her hands and mutters a few syllables, narrowing her gaze as she does so.
Shabbezz didn't see any obvious signs of exits from this space, so perhaps the exit was hidden. She scanned the throne room with magical sight, specifically trying to see secret or hidden doors. Unfortunately, she didn't find anything. The giantess was all alone here, with her monstrous lizards.
Zaph seems fine with there being no secret doors out of this chamber. "I'm fine with spending another night to replenish. I'm just about out of the gifts of Desna. It didn't take long, but those last few fights took a lot out of me."
After a while Shabbezz drops her hands to her sides.
"Well, I've combed over as much of this place as I can, and I don't believe that there's any hidden passages in here. If we can manage to set up camp, I'm in favor of resting. I need the time to replenish my own repository of spells as well."
"All right. Last channel of the day. Let's get some use out of it, and hope nothing accosts us during our rest."
With that, he raises the symbol of Desna overhead and healing energy washes over everyone.
"As long as we're sure they're dead. I think this would be a great place to rest, I know I need it."
Jam leans against a column to prop himself up so he doesn't look the way he feels... like falling over and sleeping for days, especially after all the torture he had to endure previously.
The chamber's light made it difficult to sleep, but no more so than any other time you've rested in this place. It still seemed odd that so many creatures that have darkvision seemed to be populating a facility that was so well lit.
The night passed without incident, even though your sentries weren't especially alert after the long day. In this timeless place, there was no good way to tell time, but Zaphomil could feel the dawn in his bones, as his divine powers began to replenish themselves.
Once everyone had broken their fast and recovered their spells and abilities, you were ready to push on, with the only way out apparently further up the waterway.
After using her metamagic rod to cast an extended mage armor on herself, Shabbezz packs her gear and heads out with the group.
Surveying the water's edge, she casts [url=https://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/spells/light.html#light]light[/ur] on the end of her staff to provide the group with some illumination.
"Well, we arrived here from the west, so maybe we should keep heading east and see where it leads?"
Active Spell Effects: mage armor
Bonded Object (Amulet): 1/1 spell left today
Wizard Spell-like Abilities (CL 6)
1/day Comprehend Languages, Identify
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 6):
3 (3/3+1/1) Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Fireball (DC 17), Lightning Bolt (DC 17), Lightning Bolt (DC 17)
2 (4/4+1/1) Flaming Sphere (DC 16), Glitterdust (DC 16), Locate Object, See Invisibility, Web (DC 16)
1 (3/4+1/1) Burning Hands (DC 15), Detect Secret Doors, Grease, Magic Missile
0 (4/4) Acid Splash, Light, Detect Magic, Read Magic
"Damn good rest. Well, let's get on with it."
It didn't take long paddling the boats to the east to find that same waterfall that was by the pier your arrived at. It seemed the only other way was to the west, through the tunnel that you found yesterday. The tunnel went on for several dozen feet before constricting even more. The ceiling, once beyond even Angelica's darkvision range, now was a mere thirty feet above you. Numerous ledges and small cave pockets lined the walls, and some looked to contain the bodies of humanoid creatures, now in an advanced state of decay, and in many cases no more than skeletons.
Two large, dark shapes detached themselves from the ceiling, and swooped low over your heads, flashing off into the darkness before you could get more than a glimpse of them.
They looked like some form of large bat.
Feeling refreshed from the sleep, despite the light, the smell and the uncomfortable floor, Jakscar stretches. Moving through a series of exercises from his arena days, Jakscar works out the kinks before sharpening his blades. Nodding to the sense of the direction decision, Jakscar takes up his paddle, driving the little boat forward.
Noticing the large shapes swoop over, Jakscar readies his long blade. "Bats! I don't know what type, but be ready."
"Rats! I hate bats! Hopefully they'll stay away from us."
Angelica sees the creatures and watches them move on. She offers back, "Well, hopefully they are just flying away from our noise, and not scouts reporting our whereabouts. It seems we don't have much in the way of the element of surprise around here."
Angelica
Jakscar
Jam
Shabezz
Zaphomil
bats
Angelica's fears were well-founded, as the bats zoomed back into sight, this time flying just above the water. They headed straight for your boat and bit down hard at Angelica and Zaphomil. Fortunately, both of the targets were able to hunker down and use the boat's sides for protection.
These undead creatures are recognizable as skavelings, often called ghoul bats. They can be very nasty in open areas where their paralyzing bites and fear-inducing screams can easily control their prey.
everyone is up!
R1: skavelings, zaphomil, jakscar, jam, angelica, shabbezz
Zaphomil aims his crossbow and shoots one.
Zaphomil recognizes these creatures as skavelings, undead that are also known as ghoul bats. He can't remember much else about them though.
"Undead bats!" Zaph shouts as he blasts them with positive energy.
Unsure about boats and afraid to overturn it, Jakscar decides to pull his bow and attempt a shot rather than try to move through the boat.
Gripping the planks of the boat with her feet, Shabbezz spreads her fingers at the nearest bat and hisses a short string of syllables. There is a flash of heat from her direction.
Active Spell Effects: mage armor
Bonded Object (Amulet): 1/1 spell left today
Wizard Spell-like Abilities (CL 6)
1/day Comprehend Languages, Identify
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 6):
3 (3/3+1/1) Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Fireball (DC 17), Lightning Bolt (DC 17), Lightning Bolt (DC 17)
2 (4/4+1/1) Flaming Sphere (DC 16), Glitterdust (DC 16), Locate Object, See Invisibility, Web (DC 16)
1 (3/4+1/1) Detect Secret Doors, Grease, Magic Missile
0 (4/4) Acid Splash, Light, Detect Magic, Read Magic
Jam steadies himself on one knee, bringing his bow around towards the bat to his right and lets some arrows fly. With everyone moving around so much though, the rocking boat throws his aim off balance causing most of his arrows to miss completely only to find purchase on the stone walls.
Despite the risk that Shabbezz is currently in, Angelica focuses on the to the right of the boat as well, in hopes that they can drop one of them soon if they focus fire. Quickly drawing her fancy new rapier, Silverfang, she attacks one of the things. The new weapon proving its worth in making a dent in the thing.
Magical fire and channeled energy pummeled the undead bats. Angelica stood to drive her rapier into the bat closest to her, but as she did, the boat rocked, throwing off the aim of Jam and Jakscar.
Zaphomil was bitten badly by one of the bats, in retaliation for his healing energies. He felt stiffness overtake him as the ghoul bat lived up to its name. The other bat, singed and bleeding badly, let out a furious scream, making everyone cringe at the sheer noise of it.
Zaphomil takes 16 damage and must make a DC16 Fort save or be paralyzed.
Everyone must make a DC16 Fort save or be stunned for rounds
everyone is up!
R2: skavelings, zaphomil, jakscar, jam, angelica, shabbezz
current status
angelica -0
jakscar -0
jam -0
shabbezz -0
zaphomil -16
Zaphomil stands defiant against the undead bats. With a fierce grin, he shoves the holy symbol of Desna in its face and blasts them again with holy energy.
Hp: 26/42
Channels 7/9
Jam tries to time his next attack hoping the boat stays still this time around.