The bolt hits the step but no reaction follows - obviously the trap recognies either weight or form of the object.
As if the zombies had heard your plans, your hear moaning from the ground floor - some of the mindless monsters must have entered the pyramid through the hole.
Heh, perfect! Can we get them to climb the stairs??
"Crazzleboks! Let's tell them that there is a zombie sex creature waiting for them upstairs. Maybe that will entice them up the stairs!"
Kenta turns and backs away from Kyren, leaning down to take Alcheringa's ear conspiratorially "Kenta think that one a little broken, eh?"
As you look, you see the first misshappen undeads crawling up the stairs, mindlessly following some inner command they know that they have to get up to the top of the pyramid...Soon the first one has reached your the first floor and stumbles towards the rainbowish stairwell...
OK, change the third stair blue, then 4th red, and see what happens!
"I like your idea, Daggers. I also don't think the zombie will mind if you make a mistake and he ends up dying. I mean being undead can't be much different from being dead."
Alcheringa is happy with the win win situation, and simply sits back to watch.
With deep growling sounds, the zombie climbs the stairwell, passes the now blue step and finally reaches the top - only to get impaled by what looks like the missile of a spear thrower. In a wide arc the undead is catapulted back to you and hits the floor some metres behind you...the body twitches twice but then lies still.
Behind the zombie that is now ultimately put to rest more creatures swarm up towards you.
Well, we solved the riddle of the colored stairs at least.
"I say we let the zombies solve the riddle of how many spears do they have to throw."
"My thoughts too. No need to rush in"
Well, there IS a need to rush. They're going to start sacrificing everyone--even the children, remember?
That's a fair point - rush or not?
rush. But MY way.
Vaughn grabs a zombie by the arm, pulls it most of the way up the stairs, then shoves it forward to where the first zombie got speared. C'mon, form a bucket brigade! Send those slow-pokes on up here and we'll exhaust the spears faster!!
Kenta uses Buta to herd up a bunch of zombies to corral them as quick as possible up the stairs and follows in the wake of dead flesh.
"I'm not impressed with the initiative these zombies are taking. Can we move them any faster? I'm with Vaughn. We've got to rescue these girls quickly!"
His lip curling in disgust as the first zombie ascended the stairs, Tal'Zeneb nonetheless muttered a quiet blessing of Pharasma as it met its final end. Closing his eyes briefly and letting out a deep breath, he resolved himself to the presence of these abominations for the time being...the children's safety was the paramount need.
"We may want to arrive before these poor unfortunate souls, they may not be as discriminating as we in whom they attack."
Alcheringa follows behind the Zombies.
The zombies are puppeteered quite well and don't attack you, instead they crawl up the stairs where half a dozen of them is greeted by a barricade of spears and impaled within a second...after that the organ-spear-thrower has used all of its ammunition and it is safe to enter the next level of the pyramid.
The weapon rests on a platform in the middle of a large room from which two doors on the opposite side lead further.
"Come along, my friends. I think they are out of ammunition and its is relatively safe to proceed. The key word is relatively."
Excellent. Let's move!
Vaughn takes point up to the doors. (double doors, or 2 separate egresses from the room?)
2 separate doors - one on the left, one of the right end of the room.
Kenta charges towards the left handed door with the confidence of his ancestors.
Berry follows along pulling up her leather apron so she doesn't trip.
As Kenta reaches the door, he suddenly hears the screeching sound of metal being pulled over stony floor from behind the door...then again and again...and it's coming closer...
As the sound has nearly reached the door, the other one bursts open and Laion stumbles out of it - his robes torn and blood stained
Run!!!!!
He screams and runs back to the many-coloured stairwell...
"The iron golem..."
So, iron golem behind one door, unknown horror from which a bloodied cultist behind another. I say, "not the iron golem." Who's with me? Vaughn moves toward the door Laion ran out of.
"YAy unknowable horrors to dissect!"
Kyren rushes up to Laion's side and talks to him as he pulls him to safety, "Where are the young goddesses? We are trying to rescue them! How do we get to them? Are we close yet?"
Kenta stops Buta's advance, and begins to make his boar back away from what seems to be the iron golem's direction - but does not yet turn around.
The aghast Laion looks at Vaughn and slowly shakes his head while breathing hard
Not the golem - something worse...never have I seen that creature before...
And as he says that, suddenly the other iron door receives a massive dent that crudely resembles a fist...
Tal'Zeneb walks calmly up to stand beside Vaughn, his brow raised at the strength demonstrated against the door.
Looking at Laion he says "Explain what you saw ."
"Maybe we should take Laion's advice and hide and perhaps talk about this later. I do not want to see what is attached to the other end of that fist!"
Spitting to one side "Kenta sick of playing mouse... pick a side and turn to steel..." turning to look at Alcheringa to ken his feelings.
I *know* an iron golem will be a tough opponent--maybe too tough. I *don't* know about this one Vaughn jerks his thumb at the door Laion came out of. ...but I'm willing to try it to save the kids. Everyone ready? Vaughn has his daggers out, standing at the door adn ready to open it to wreak savage violence.
A Demon...undead...monster...I don't know, the essence of the pyramid perhaps! It looks like...
and with a mighty blow the door is catapulted off its hinges and flies through the air as if it was made of paper.
Hardly has the dust time to settle as a monster steps through the door that makes your blood freeze
while it looks like a nightmarish parody of what Laion tried to describe, you don't feel like laughing very much...
Kenta nocks an arrow to his bow and Buta's head lowers to charge...
Vaughn gulps a bit. He looks at the gargantuan sword the guardian is wielding, then at his daggers, then up at the guardian. You're clearly overcompensating...
...and anything guarding the vile secrets of this place deserves a stabbing!!
he starts the violence, making sure he leaves a space for the charging Kenta-on-Buta
Kyren immediately begins moving his hands in quick somatic gestures to cast Haste upon his companions. "Haste haste, there is no time to waste!" he declares.
"It's like someone's silly idea of a manifestation of insatiable sexual desires, punishment, and frustration!" Berry exclaims excitedly. "Let's kill it and dissect it!" =D
Unperturbed by the abomination before him , Tal'Zeneb comments "It would seem the cult has some more advanced capabilities. If this is indeed an undead manifestation, they may share some skills with the necromancers... Halting his musings, he bows his head and utters a sacred prayer to Pharasma.
"Pharasma, lady of bones, protect your servant and his companions in their work against the forces of evil."
As usual in fights against only one opponent I guess we don't need a map.
Without making a sound, the monster heaves it sword high and charges right into you!
RD 1:
Kyren
Alcheringa
Tal
Berry
Kenta
Pyramid Head
Vaughn
Round 1
Kyren moves his hands in somatic gestures and casts Scorching Ray at triangle head. "Presto Alakabook, let's see this guy cook!"
Excitedly Berry decides the thing to do to the monster charging directly at them sword above its head is to stick it to the ground.
Touch Attack for Tanglefoot bag.
A creature that is glued to the floor (or unable to fly) can break free by making a DC 17 Strength check or by dealing 15 points of damage to the goo with a slashing weapon. A creature trying to scrape goo off itself, or another creature assisting, does not need to make an attack roll; hitting the goo is automatic, after which the creature that hit makes a damage roll to see how much of the goo was scraped off. Once free, the creature can move (including flying) at half speed. If the entangled creature attempts to cast a spell, it must make a concentration check with a DC of 15 + the spell's level or be unable to cast the spell. The goo becomes brittle and fragile after 2d4 rounds, cracking apart and losing its effectiveness. An application of universal solvent to a stuck creature dissolves the alchemical goo immediately.
If the bag successfully sticks him to the floor she throws a fist up into the air in triumph. IF not she'll calmly whistle and get behind the meatier members of the party.
Alcheringa transforms into his more bestial self.
Blaze awaits the arrival of the foe, ready to engage when he arrives.