DM-Camris' WRATH of the RIGHTEOUS Part 1: The Worldwound Gambit (table 2) (Inactive)

Game Master Camris

Fretfully, Tess tries to keep up just behind Jokum. I can't let us get caught off-guard again! She cuddles Sorua tightly in her arms, having stowed her dagger on her belt and the wand with a single charge remaining in her backpack.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Sorua's Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

Looking somewhat concerned for the injured members Ce-Eshna asks, "Want me to take point? I'm still fresh and I don't mind."

The passageway leading south continues for about 3,000 feet (at a speed of 15 feet, this takes about 40 minutes to navigate) before ending here after a gradual rise in elevation of 30 feet.

Stone figures are carved into the walls of this cavern. Each depicts a different crusader clad in armor and wielding weapons, but their carved stone features contain expressions of sadness.
Map Updated

Who are these people? Xaivan asks as he looks at the walls of the cavern. Why do they look so sad? Is this a tomb? The rogue turns to the cleric, thinking maybe he would have a better idea. We found a temple, why not a tomb?

Jokum hesitates at Ce-Eshna's offer, but then nods. She must have noticed I was moving slowly during the battle. "Thank you," he says gruffly. "I suppose I'm moving a little slow today..." He takes up her position at the rear of the party and allows Ce-Eshna to lead.

Looking around the new cavern, Jokum frowns. "What could this place be? Why would crusaders be buried here, away from the sun? It is not right. It makes no sense. Have you heard of such a thing?"

"Are...are they not simply sculptures?" Tess asks shyly. "Um... They're morbid sculptures, to be sure... But I don't see how they could be actual people... maybe I'm just not paying close enough attention though...."

I don't know Tess, that's why I'm asking. Xaivan moves along, trying to take notice of the detail within the sculptures, hoping some clue might be found. I suppose it could be nothing at all.

Karthak limps after the others. As they approach the statues he nods at Tess words:"Aye, lassie, I hope you are wrong about it, but that's a distinct possibility... let me check it out..."

"I know not what lies under Kenebras." Pollux says to Xaivan, having paused for a moment to collect himself. "Though these may serve as a reminder of our forerunners' fate."
He squints to examine the statues' arms and armor, trying to see if they wield real weapons.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

"No!" Tess grabs Karthak's shoulder. "Um, I mean.... don't touch things.... you're really hurt. If there's another snake or spider or something, it might bite you." The girl hugs her fox tighter to herself, feeling embarrassed about speaking so contrarily to the three men. Sorua yips softly at the squeeze, but otherwise keeps still.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Ce-Eshna watches over the gropu as they muddle with the strange statues.

Oh? I forgot to roll dungeoneering?

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Once he learns about the statues in this room, Aravashnial becomes very intrigued.
”These must be monuments to the members of the first crusade. There’s an old legend that after the First Crusade a group of crusaders who became infected with Abyssal energies fled into these caverns to raise their deformed children in peace, and that their descendants live on today in the tunnels below the city.

We’ve always heard stories of the Mole People that dwell beneath the city, but these statues here gives significant credence to the tale. I assume they were carved by the children.”

Mole People? Xaivan asks with a weird look on his face. You mean like dwarves but without all the dwarf stuff that goes with them?

Jokum looks at the carvings. He looks back to the blinded elf. He looks at the carvings again. He looks into the darkness around them.

"Lidé na krtka? Vážně?" He sounds exasperated more than incredulous.

Karthak gives Xavian a penetrating look and palms the handle of his axe, but chooses to say nothing for the moment.

What? Xaivan says as Karthak gives him "that look". The halfling then smiles and says, I only asked a question. Do you know the answer?

Xavian then asks, So Aravashnial, these children, you think they still live down here somewhere? And by deformed, ummm, deformed how?

"Oh I'm sure some have managed to survive... we did find the remains of a camp after all... Something must be living down here." The blind elf moves slowly as he is guided to the nearest statue. A smile crosses his face as his fingers move across the smooth stone. "As far as what 'deformities' they might have, thats a very good question. Its something I wold love to see myself."

”These must be monuments to the members of the first crusade. There’s an old legend that after the First Crusade a group of crusaders who became infected with Abyssal energies fled into these caverns to raise their deformed children in peace, and that their descendants live on today in the tunnels below the city.”

"They're all so sad-looking. How unfair, to volunteer to protect your home from darkness, and instead be banished to these caverns for your trouble...."

Tess feels the birthmark on her face burning as she blushes in the dim cavern. Children infected by abyssal energies- gee, what does that sound like, Miss Tesseract?

She banishes the dark thought and turns away from the statues. "Perhaps we should press on," the girl murmurs, her voice low and distant.

Tess blushes, remembering admonitions from her foster mother not to mumble. "Um, I, ah, said, 'Perhaps we should press on.'"

Edit: Let's add a roll!

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

Turning to see Aravashnial's face, she realizes that the elf wasn't referring to her words at all. "Did you hear something, sir?"

Jokum turns in the direction the elf staggered away from, peering into the darkness, his bow at the ready.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Her bow up and alert she scans the darkness looking for what alarmed the elf. Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Sorua's Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Sorua seems very agitated.

Xaivan notices everyone being put on their guard and likewise does the same, drawing his bow. What happened? What's going on? All I did was ask a question!

Tess feels the pang of fear in her mind so clearly that for a moment she doesn't even realize it wasn't her fear she felt. "Something's wrong! Something's wrong- there's danger here!" the girl yelps in panic. Her eyes dart around fearfully, seeing nothing but the statues, and as her racing heart settles, she looks down at the squirming Sorua. Was... Was that your....

Realization dawns on her, and she begins to cast a spell.

Detect Magic in the direction Sorua seems to be reacting to (looking toward or ears perked toward).

Perception check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

"Where?" Karthak asks, axe and shield ready despite his wounds.

Without warning a supernatural darkness engulfs the chamber!

Ce-Eshna: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Jokum: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Karthak: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Pollux: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Tesseract: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Xaivan: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Monster 1: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Monster 2: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Map Updated

Karthak palms his axe and rises his shield, eyeing the cavern waryly:" beready people, something foul stirs among the shadows, I can fel it!"

Having darkvision the dwarf should not suffer any penalties from darkness, right?

Preparing to shoot the first thing that moves Ce-Eshnas nerves are taut as she draws a cold iron arrow.
attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
damage: 1d8 ⇒ 7 +1 to both if it is point blank.

Jokum strides forward, blinking as his eyes adjust, and takes up a guarded stance, bow drawn, next to her. Diagonally up and to the right, on the map.

"Who's there? Show yourselves! We seek no trouble here!" he bellows into the darkness, though he keeps his bowstring taut.

Move action to take up the vanguard, standard to ready an attack if anything rushes us or shoots at us from ahead.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 5
+1 to both if it's a point-blank attack...not that it's likely to help. :P

Xaivan stays near the wall so he has some reference point of his location. I can't see anything! What happened to our light?

As Pollux's vision goes out he stands still and awaits the others instructions, but as he does, those who can see will immediately see smoke wafting from his person.

Readying an action until there is contact made with a hostile. The action is Cloud of Smoke.

Do I see anything thanks to darkvision?

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 >.< Nothing that you couldn't see before.

Tess feels the panic rise in her mind once more, but she fights it back and maintains the somewhat-familiar motions of the spell.

Still casting Detect Magic in whatever direction Sorua was reacting to; I don't know if my spell went off before the darkness or not, so here's a concentration check just in case.

Concentration Check: 1d20 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 1 + 4 = 17

Karthak, looks left and right prepared to lash against whoever tries to assault him.

he readies and attack would any obvious enemy come near him

Xaivan:
Delayed Cries out as it goes dark.

Ce-Eshna
Readied Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Jokum
ReadiedPerception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Monster 2
Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
A stalactite seems to drops from above, slamming into Ce-Eshna, who was caught completly off guard. With an unnatural grace the creature smoothly turns its fall into a deadly embrace!
Slam: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16 Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 plus grab Grab: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
It crushes Ce-eshna in its encircling folds! Constrict: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
12 Damage

Ce-Eshna
She drops to the ground bleeding. Dying @ -2hp

Jokum
Jokum reacts to the sudden attack and fires his arrow wide of the creature.

Pollux
Pollux Is startled by the sudden commotion and unleashes his power. Need to know what 4 squares your filling

Tesseract
Detecting magic: You detect the presence of magical auras. Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Monster 1
Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Silent as death another shadow drops from above, swooping in the darkness and landing on Tess! Slam: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 plus grab Grab: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
Constrict: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
15 Damage ouch!

Karthak
Seeing the beast reveal itself Karthak rushes past Ce-Eshna and swings viciously at the creature. Cutting deep into its flesh. A satisfing splash of blood coats the blade. Dwarven Waraxe: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 3 + 1 = 22 Damage: 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
10 Damage

Round 1
Ce-Eshna Dying @ -2hp
Monster 2 10 Damage
Tesseract Dying @ -8hp

With a bellow of rage, Jokum leaps forward, dropping his bow, and swings his greatsword down on the one that grabbed Ce-Eshna. "Protect them!" he bellows to the rest of the party.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (5, 6) + 4 = 15

Possible bonuses: if they're evil outsiders I get a +3 to attack and +2 to damage

His mind races as he swings at the monster. What are these things?!

Whole bunch of Knowledge checks to see if I know them...

Nature: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Planes, if they're evil outsiders: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

You hear the sharp, surprised cry of the bespectacled girl... and then she is silent.

Sorua yelps fearfully, nudging his fallen human in vain attempts to stir her.

Stabilize: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

The girl whimpers weakly in her stupor as the pain refuses to recede.

Can we see these creatures as they make their attacks or see our friends fall? I don't know if I can try to shoot/attack one or make an action.

*Twitch*
Stabalize: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

They have total concealment unless you have darkvison, but you can identify what space they are in. Updating map. Jokum since the one near Tess is much closer are you cool with hitting that one instead?

Xaivan will attempt to fire an arrow into a creature that he thinks is near the now fallen Tess!

Bow: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10 for Arrow: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Concealment - High is Good: 1d100 ⇒ 86

Sheesh, here we go again!

Sure, let's go for the one by Tess.

Let's cover the squares that include Pollux and Ce-Eshna then the two squares beneath them.

Pollux breaths heavily, hearing the noises of combat around him. He hears a thud at his feet and nervously stares out into the darkness. "Guide me, oh fiend prince."

Pollux casts guidance

I'm fighting with shield and Dwarven Waraxe (for ac 19), so my damage mod is just +3, which means 8 damage to the creature

As Karthak can see the monsters thanks to his dwarven eyes he considers what kind of horrors they might be facing before lashing out again:"Hold on girlie! I will heal you as soon as I deal with these critters!"

Karthak tries to identify the weaknesses of the creatures and then attacks the one adjacent to him again

Know. Religion: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Know. Planes: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Know. Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Attack roll: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 3 + 1 = 24
Damage roll: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Edit

Confirm critical roll: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 3 + 1 = 17
Damage roll: 2d10 + 6 ⇒ (10, 7) + 6 = 23

Karthak and Jokum realize that these creatures are Darkmantles.

The Darkmantle struck by Kartak lets out a shrill cry of pain and fear, desperately trying to escape only to be cut down by the dwarf's next swing.

Jokom's fearsome slash puts a grisly end to it's mate.

Ce-Eshna is stable on the ground but Tess is still bleeding.

The darkness will be around for about 5 min.

Stabilize: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Tess's breathing evens to a steady rhythm as her body begins to assess the damage done.

Sorua yips uncertainly, pacing around her head.