Aedalis cast a fresh Chill Touch spell into his Spectral Hand and also had Tilsini bear a Touch of Fatigue spell, before moving on.
Larger post coming tomorrow, busy with NYE stuff as I am sure most of you are.
The group turns the corner. A soft blue light is visible from further ahead. You move along the south path for about another 50-60 feet before you get a good view of what is causing the blue light.
A small island rises out of the shallow water in the center of the salt water drift. A large, translucent blue orb floats in the air in the center of the island, pulsing with a pale blue glow. It is not resting on anything you can see.
A rasping voice speaks, it seems to be coming from somewhere on the other side of the island beyond the orb...the accent is thick and tribal.
So you come to disturb our peace? You most likely think yourselves heroes in destroying my warriors. I thought as you did once, thought I was a hero.
I was Jitrube', hero of my tribe. While I was away being a "hero" a disease come through and wiped away the life from my village, my wife, and my child. the voice, already laden with sarcasm, begins to grow angry...
In my grief I ended my useless life...but that wasn't the end you see. The hatred and self-loathing brought me back, back in unlife. Now I have found the object that will help me build an army, an army to make the lives of creature such as you heroes miserable as I take everything from you and yours! Join me freely and you can end your suffering as I did, refuse and I will kill you slow...
Nim growls out in a defiant tone, his hackles raised, You are mad if you think any of us would willingly join you! Whatever you are! Show yourself that we may end your useless existence!
Nim draws and prepares to fling his one remaining short spear at the blue orb...
The Orb is about 60-70' from the lead members of the group at this point.
At this point Nim is roughly 75' from it due to you being in an almost single file line...
The Spear flies over the distance, hitting the Orb. It bobs a little from the strike but you have a hard time telling if you damaged it or not from this range. It still glows and floats there in the air...
the rasping voice yells. The water in front of you ripples as Salt Wights laying in the water near you get up from a crouch!
initiative strings:
Order of Combat Round 1:
Jitrube' 25
Anton 23
Corbrius 23
Aedalis 18
Salt Wights 17
Mihai 11
Nim 10
Wic 10
Tragershen 9
Battle for the Salt Mines Rnd 1
You hear water splash in the distance. Anton strikes out at the nearest Salt Wight.
Corbrius and Aedalis to go...
Skills and Feats: Intimidate +13, Ride +18; Armor Proficiency (Heavy), Armor Proficiency (Light), Armor Proficiency (Medium), Cleave, Furious Focus, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Martial Weapon Proficiency, Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization.
Special Abilities: Armor Training, Cold, Fighter Class Skills, Weapon Training.
Racial Spells Known: 0--Cone of cold.
Possessions: Full plate, Falchion mw,
Aedalis' spectral hand snaked out to grasp the closest Wight, while the warlock himself slunk behind the more heavily armoured Mihai.
Round 1
Corbius intones strange words and his sword suddenly becomes ennwraped in a faint blue glow. Stepping forward, he attempts to strike at the nearest salt wight.
Both Saltwights, motivated by their master, resist the call to flee and move up and attack.
The Saltwight manages to claw Nim before he has his guard up...
The rest of the party is up including the actions for Round 2 through up to the Saltwights turn.
Nim feels the desiccating touch of the wight, but pulls away before it can sap any moisture from him. Nim then retaliates with his spear...
...slashing it across the torso.
Wic leaps to Nim's defense biting at the wight as well...
...but fails to get a hold of the wight with his teeth.
Round 1:
Finding them beset by more of the dessicated beasts, Mihai summons his courage and allows the warmth of the Walker to flood forth... scouring and burning at the abominations.
dot
Anton Fires again at the SW on Nim.
Potential Crit:
Anton's shot takes the Saltwight in the side of the skull, plucking it clean from it's shoulders, splashing about 10 feet away obviously ending the undead creature.
Round 2 Action-
Aedalis' spectral hand snaked out once more to grasp the closest Wight...
Thrice-damned spell... Aedalis cursed as his spectral hand narrowly missed the Wight.
SA:spellstrike on Wight
Corbius avoids the blows of the clumsy creatures and lashes out against the first wight again. His blade rips through it's flesh, the glow from his sword trying to engulf it.
Round 1
Tragershen readies a scroll, steps forward to position himself, and casts a spell from the parchment. A large gout of flame bursts forward from his hand, perhaps alarming Corbius and Wic, but engulfing two of the wights.
Step to L80, ready scroll, cast burning hands. Targeting squares K80, J79, J80, J81, I79, I80 and I81.
Damage . Reflex save DC 16 for half damage.
The one that Corbrius has been fighting is killed by the flames, the other near Wic and Nim avoids part of the flame burst but is singed.
The Saltwight grabs Nim again, trying to draw out his liquid life-force!
Again Corbrius brushes aside the Saltwights attack.
Order of Combat Round 2:
Jitrube' 25 gone
Anton 23 gone
Corbrius 23 gone
Aedalis 18 gone
Salt Wights 17 gone
Mihai 11
Nim 10
Wic 10
Tragershen 9
The rest of the party is up.
Nim once again feels the desiccating touch of the wight, and once again pulls away before it can sap any moisture from him. Nim then strikes again with his spear...
...this time piercing it in the neck.
Wic is bathed in a gout of flame but keeps his focus and bites again at the wight...
...sinking his teeth into it and trying to upend it.
Mihai would go before Nim, Wic, and Tragershen, but he could delay until after their actions to see how it goes?
Tragershen, I just moved you behind Corbrius and you could catch both of his by starting it in K78 going straight up and not hitting Wic but still catching two of them.
Anton fired at #4 killing that one. Nim and Wic kill #1. Tragershens flame burst kills another that was injured by Corbrius.
Just one standing at the end of this round.
Yes and yes.
Round 2
To help Corbius finish the last wight, Tragershen readies a wand and discharges it, sending an arcane bolt of energy at the undead.
Magic missile, damage.
As his companions function as a well oiled machine, Mihai sees best to withold his talents in case needs become more dire thereafter.
Will set up the next round tonight...big round...
Mihai, can you cast bull's strength on me?
What rises from the water is not what you expected.
It slowly walks out of the water, a large Falchion in it's hands and marches up to the shore and Anton, to strike him down.
Luckily for Anton he stumbles backward at the right moment and the blade swishes over his head.
Order of Combat Round 3:
Jitrube' 25 gone
Anton 23
Corbrius 23
Aedalis 18
Salt Wights 17
Mihai 11
Nim 10
Wic 10
Tragershen 9
Anton steps back toward Nim and fires a shot back at him.
His shot would normally pin cushion a man in the stomach but just bounces off the creatures armor.
You believe this to be a rare undead creature called a Graveknight.
Undying tyrants and champions of the undead, graveknights arise from the corpses of the most nefarious warlords and disgraced heroes—villains too merciless to submit to the shackles of death. They bear the same weapons and regalia they did in life, though warped or empowered by their profane resurrection. The legions they once held also flock to them in death, ready to serve their wicked ambitions once more. A graveknight’s essence is fundamentally tied to its armor, the bloodstained trappings of their battle lust. This armor becomes an icon of their perverse natures, transforming into a monstrous second skin over the husk of desiccated flesh and scarred bone locked within. They have undead traits and the powers from their living form.
They exude a Sacrilegious Aura (Su): A graveknight constantly exudes
an aura of intense evil and negative energy in a 30-foot radius. This aura functions as the spell desecrate, which the graveknight constantly gains the benefits of.
In addition, this miasma of fell energies hinders the channeling of positive energy. Any creature that attempts to summon positive energy in this area—such as through a cleric’s channel energy ability, a paladin’s lay on hands, or any spell with the healing descriptor—must
make a concentration check with a DC equal to 10 + the graveknight’s Hit Dice. If the character fails, the effect is blocked, its number of uses of that ability being reduced by 1 or the spell being lost.
You believe that there is something about it's armor that is special as well but you can't quite remember what it is.
Above plus in death, the graveknight’s life force lingers on in its
armor, not its corpse, in much the same way that a lich’s essence is bound within a phylactery. Unless every part of a graveknight’s armor is ruined along with its body, a graveknight can rejuvenate after it is destroyed. A typical suit of full plate graveknight armor has hardness 10 and 45 hit points, though armor with enhancements or made of special materials proves more difficult to destroy. Merely breaking a graveknight’s armor does not destroy it; it must be utterly annihilated, such as by being melted into slag or sunk into the crushing depths of the sea.
Please keep in mind that anything beyond the first 5' of water (basically the shoreline) is rough terrain.
[b]Round 3[b]
SA:spellstrike on Wight
Corbius looks over as the giant creature emerges from the water. A shiver runs down his spine as he watches it swing and miss Anton. Suddenly realizing he still faces an enemy he ducks to avoid an incoming blow and again drives his rapier deep into it's desiccated flesh.
Corbrius' Wight is just still standing...Aedalis to go. If he doesn't post in the next few hours I will bot him with a leader debuff to hit.
Aedlais moves to K81 then uses his powers to make the undead warrior attacks not as accurate.
Mihai to go...then the last SWight.
Mihai's blood chills at the emergence of the new foe, and a shiver runs along his spine when a well aimed shot from Anton does not harm it. Calling upon the grace of his patron he blesses Nim with shifting fortunes...
The SaltWight lashes out at Cobrius, again begging for water, [b]Your watersss, give it to usssss...[/ooc]
Nim, Wic and Tragershen to finish the round.
Mihai's blood chills at the emergence of the new foe, and a shiver runs along his spine when a well aimed shot from Anton does not harm it. Calling upon the grace of his patron he blesses Nim with shifting fortunes...
Remember you have been delaying. You are now before them in initiative when I post the new round.
Tragershen moves across to get a clear line of sight on the wight attacking Corbius, and then uses a minor spell to try and disrupt its unlife force.
Move to M77, cast Disrupt Undead.
To hit touch AC
Damage
Nim's muscles ripple with newfound strength as Mihai's spell infuses them with arcane power. He barks out a command for Wic to attack , just as his entire form shifts into the now familiar dinosaur.
The ever loyal companion, Wic moves in to engage but does so cautiously, sensing the threat posed by the undead thing before them...
...and does not even come close to the abomination of nature.
Order of Combat Round 4:
Jitrube' 25 gone
Anton 23
Corbrius 23
Aedalis 18a
Mihai 18b
Salt Wight 17
Nim 10
Wic 10
Tragershen 9
Jitrube's eyes flare as he says in a rasping voice, You will be my first new warriors...added to my undead army I will bring forth! Out of the way mutt!
Both attacks miss and the undead warrior steps back 5' to H86.
Anton fires another shot after moving to the bridge for a better angle.
Againthe arrow deflects off his armor...Anton considers dropping his deadly aim for the next attack.
Will try to post an update map tonight but it is gaming night.
Corb., Aedalis, and Mihai to go.
Sensing the ability of Nim-o-saurus to swiftly tip the scales of the battle back towards the party... Mihai now sees fit to dispense the grace and luck of Sinishakti unto him...
Aedalis was loathe to expend more of his most powerful magick. Conservative by nature, to use another of his most potent spells irked him but he saw the need for it. He took another step back away from the fray and began to summon...