Pitr looks impatient with further delays. "Johenric, I'm sure the history can wait- let's move on."
You all follow Kirk's lead into a chamber of monumental dimensions. The room is as large as a market square and the ceiling, which rests on four massive pillars that are shaped like hourglasses and scythes, is as high as a townhouse.
The floor of the room is covered by coins, that sometimes pile up to the heigth of your knees. But the monetary wealth isn't the most impressive thing down here, it's the amount of books in the room: volumes of all sizes and making are everywhere, clattered all over the floor, sometimes neatly arranged, sometimes piled up, some in shelves, some in crates etc.
And in the centre of all this rests a large alabaster double sarcophagus. Its cover depicting a beautiful maiden handing a sword over to the other sarcophagus on whose cover a man in platemail is accepting her gift.
Victoria pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs heavily with her eyes closed, as though expecting an impending headache.
"I hated the number of dusty tomes at the Academy, and thought it a small grace I had graduated; only to now find myself at them in large numbers once more"
Victoria awaits the all clear before starting to peruse them and start taking guesses at which tomes the Rag Man might be interested in, as well as books that suggest they may contain lore on Heptagons...
Ah Harl...do you know by the way how old these catacombs are?
Well Johenric, think of it this way if everything is dusty and it wasn't guarded then it must be too old to make a difference as to how old it is.
Zahur joins the countess in perusing through the books to try and find any valuable information.
Cautiously both of you start to search the dragons "library hoard". You already know that it will take some time to find what you are looking for, even with the help of Victoria's spell, since quite alot of the things within the hoard possess magical properties...
The luck is with us! Can anybody of you imagine what lies here? History, Knowledge, Magic....that sounds to good to be true....
While Johenrics hand moves to an older book, he suddenly stops and focusses with his eyes the scene mentioned on the sarcophagi.
Knowledge History
For sure I know for type of book I would look, but are you guys searching for a particular book? Anyway lets see what I will find...
Kirk helps Zahur and Victoria peruse the hoard, but he eyes the coins and other treasures with a curious look.
Pitr wouldn't know the proper book if it bit his ankle. He rolls a cigarillo and keeps watch on the hallway for any sneaking cultists while the others are engaged in bookwork.
"Solaric be carefull, I'm not sure which one of us would be more scandalised"
"Forgive me, your Grace. I overstepped, my bounds. I am just very appreciative of all you do."
In the chamber with the hoard. Solaric concentrates to detect evil.
Victoria gives Solaric a reasuring touch on the shoulder and returns to gathering up the bookish horde to start rifling through.
Suspicion is a trait which has done a fine job preserving the dwarven people in the inhospitable places they call home for a millenia and happens to be a something Harl is in no short supply of. Moving over to Pitr, he says,"Dragon's lairs are not the type of place I be findin' any comfort in, Jendarne. Unless the beast lyin' dead at the feet o' a platoon of dwarves." Harl raises his shield a little and watches the entrance to the hoard room.
Solaric helps search the hoard for any books that may help the party find another piece to the Amethyst Heptagon.
Take 10 on Perception Check (10)+6 = 16
Kirk will also keep his eye out for any books about alchemical processes--be they instruction manuals or simple treatises on the powers of various ingredients. Anything that might be useful.
While you are still searching for the correct book by means of mind and magic...
Suddenly you all hear a voice whispering to you. You can't say where it comes from, not even from which direction and the puzzled looks on your comrade's faces make you think they don't know either.
The strange voice sounds like it was only a subliminal rustling within a forcefully blowing wind.
Such pleasantries...will I ever be able to thank you for disabling the dragon's wards and return the favor? Will the future ever ask the past who you were, now that you die today? I say, let's praise the fallen, Alon, Alexandru and soon you, my brother's paragons.
[b]
Firstly there is only a faint purple glowing in the hallway, but then you can make out a hooded silhouette that approaches the hoard room.
"Dragon's lairs are not the type of place I be findin' any comfort in, Jendarne. Unless the beast lyin' dead at the feet o' a platoon of dwarves."
Pitr nods, "I'd say let the dragon die, but I suppose we have to deal with these cultists first."
Then he yells a warning to the others as he grabs his bow for a shot down the hall.
longbow attack
damage
Kirk draws his new bow at the sudden appearance of the voice apparently in his, and everyone else's head. He growls instinctively, looking around for the source, and is obviously frustrated that he can't find it. When Pitr shouts and shoots down the hallway, Kirk turns and fires as well.
Attack
Damage
Harl grins at the thought of smashing another foe of the light and shouts,"If it is a challenge ya seek, you'll find it in me, fiend!".
Your arrow grazes off the figure's shoulder, but uncovers a darkly glistening coif, which resembles the form of a hood.
Not the slightest bit impressed by your attack, the stranger continues his approach to the centre of the cave.
As he comes closer, you can all make out that inside the plated, hooded helm is only a skull, radiating purple light from empty eyesockets.
As Kirk looses his bowstring, his arrow breaks as it hits the platemail torso of the undead abomination.
Coming closer, the monster takes a heavy two-handed axe from its back and gets in a fighting stance.
You have delayed my master's plans long enough, time to end this farce.
Round 1
Solaric draws his longsword and advances to F7.
"By the light of Iomedae, you will fall!"
Round 1
By Desna....take this
Johenric concentrates and uses Prescience
....and takes his light Crossbow and fires.
Attack
and reloads his crossbow.
Round 1
Kirk dashes to C7 and fires again with his shortbow.
Damage
Pitr drops his bow, drawing Savant and charging the skeleton. "The fact you're already dead won't save you, buddy."
attack
damage
RD1
Kirk
Johenric
Johenric
Pitr
Solaric
Skeleton
Zahur
Victoria
Only Kirk's arrow finds its mark and crashes into the skull, but shatters without doing harm, due to the monster'S natural resistance to piercing weapons.
As the gruesome creature heaves its axe high over its head to smash it back down on Pitr, it sounds like a howling wind was blowing through the cave.
As Pitr's blood is the first to be drawn, the monster cackles eerily.
Drawing the heavy mace that he picked up from the cultist and his shield, Zahur moves to I7 and shouts tactical orders to his allies using his tactical kno how.
You form a unified defense with those around you.
Prerequisite: Shield Proficiency.
Benefit: Whenever you are wielding a shield and are adjacent to an ally wielding a shield who also has this feat, the AC bonus from your shield increases, depending on the shield wielded by your ally.
If your ally is wielding a buckler or a light shield, your shield bonus increases by +1.
If your ally is wielding a heavy shield or a tower shield, your shield bonus increases by +2.
You keep these bonuses even if your ally loses his shield bonus due to making a shield bash attack.
If an adjacent ally with this feat uses a tower shield to grant total cover, you also benefit if an attack targeting you passes through the edge of the shield.
Round 2
Johenric takes his Quarterstaff and moves to H17.
Victoria, I guess we need everything we have...Desna shines on us
"Taste of Torag's fury, monster."
Johenric goes to H12
Round 2
Solaric draws upon the divine powers of Iomedae to Smite this Fiend.
Mighty Inheritor, As your servant, let me smite this evil fiend down in your name.
Solaric advances to G0 and prepares to attack the following round.
Grunting, "What took you so long?" as Solaric joins him in the attack. Pitr sidesteps opposite the warrior priest and attacks the skeleton.
power attack
damage
RD2
Kirk
Johenric (resolved)
Pitr (resolved)
Solaric (resolved)
Skeleton (resolved)
Zahur (resolved)
Victoria
Pitr's mighty blow possesses all brutish power that would have been needed to break through the heavy armor, yet it lacks the accuracy and so the undead is able to sidestep the overhead chop.
Nimbly it moves around Pitr and hammers its axe into the Taldan warrior's side.
Bleed, you will bleed like never before, cocky human.
Knowledge Arcana
Bleed, you will bleed like never before, cocky human.
Pitr gasps before the powerful blow. "Easy for you to say, Boney!" Pitr shifts opposite Harl, swings low and shoves to trip the dead knight.
improved trip
Round 2
Kirk, heeding Zahur's expert advice about the use of a shield more than he thought he ever would have, into the melee drawing his short sword and light steel shield and swings the blade down mercilessly with a savage yell. "You will be destroyed, and your pathetic master is only delaying his inevitable downfall!"
Attack w/ charge & flank
Damage w/ sneak attack
Round 3
Then, Kirk leaps under the evil skeleton's flailing limbs as he repositions himself next to Harl, taking full advantage of Zahur's advice, yet still flanking with Pitr.
Acrobatics
He attacks once more with the short sword.
Attack w/ flank
Damage w/ sneak attack
Round 3
"Come to my side Pitr and I will try to heal you in a moment. In the meantime I will try and distract this fiend with a wound he will not soon forget!"
Solaric moves to F0 and thrusts his longsword into the skeleton.
Longsword Attack
Longsword Damage
"By the Searing Light of the Inheritor you and your master will fall!"
R2
Victoria continues her run she targets Zahur as she moves past and almost whispers something to him, the whispering is slightly unnatural and he feel s a slight pricking, as though something from beyond sits upon his shoulder...
Move to J5.
On your turn you are allowed a reroll on any ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, taking the better result. He must decide to use this ability before the first roll is made. Once a creature has benefited from the fortune hex, it cannot benefit from it again for 24 hours.
"Fall back, Pitr!", Harl shouts as he swings again at the undead menace. shifting his shield to provide Solaric a little more coverage, Harl attampts to slam is axe into the things side.
You can't think of any reason why invisibility should not work.
RD3
Kirk (resolved)
Johenric
Pitr (resolved)
Harl (resolved)
Solaric (resolved)
Skeleton (resolved)
Zahur
Victoria
While all but Harl's blow aren't able to pierce through the monster's armor, Pitr has the brilliant idea to trip the undead. With flailing arms the skeletton doubles over, but is quick o get on its feet again.
Then it looks at Pitr and the purple fire in its eyes has almost become white.
No one ever dared what you did!
Rd 2
Having instructed his allies, Zahur charges to F2 and uses his good fortune given by the Countess while issuing a challenge to the beast.
Go back to the netherworld from once you came!
Attack (PA):
Attack (PA): (Fortunate Hex)
Damage: (Actually add another 4 damage here, I forgot to add the challenge bonus on top of the P.A.)
Rd 3
AOO:
Damage:
On his turn:
Attack :
Damage:
R3
Victoria continues her run still, she targets Kirk as she moves closer and continues her dark whispers encouraging him onward with a touch of unearthly luck...
Move to I-1.
On your turn you are allowed a reroll on any ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, taking the better result. He must decide to use this ability before the first roll is made. Once a creature has benefited from the fortune hex, it cannot benefit from it again for 24 hours.
Pitr hacks at the ancient warrior as he gets back up.
AoO
damage
and then mocks the skeleton's ineffective swing. "Ha! Did that rattle ya', bone head? Then why don't you stay down?!" and tries his gambit again to find the reanimated warrior prepared for his trick this time.
improved trip
Then he shifts out of reach allowing Solaric to move in for the flank with Kirk.
That's still not clarified by Pazo.
But the discussion here favorites to not let them stack.
The wild attacks of Pitr and Zahur both leave marks and the skeletton growls angrily as it gets back to its feet.
Nevertheless, its bones already begin to heal - it must possess some fast-healing powers.
RD3
Kirk (resolved)
Johenric
Pitr (resolved)
Harl (resolved)
Solaric (resolved)
Skeleton (resolved)
Zahur (resolved)
Victoria (resolved)
Johenric moves to G7