”We have fought with these cultists too. They attached us in the city far from here. We found one of them dead when we first entered the desert. We believe they are looking for ruins or tombs in the desert. It seems they are wherever we go. They are probably related to these people’s friend that we seek.”
”The home they drove you from, was it some sort of temple or tomb?”
”Could you show us where they are?”
Indeed, we hope we are getting closer to ending the curse on our friend.
Until recently, my people lived in the shadow of the Sightless Sphinx. These cultists drove us from our homes, which have now fallen into the clutches of evil. I am loath to direct you to the Sphinx without knowing more about you. Not only is it a place of danger, but you could unknowingly do great harm. I regret I cannot say more until I am reassured of your abilities. Would you be willing to provide a service to us in exchange for information on the Sightless Sphinx?
That sounds reasonable, yes.
Assuming you are not directing us to do evil of some sort that is.
Tariq looks at his companions.
"Do you think this Sightless Sphinx is the place we are looking for? I suppose this could be your friend you have been looking for and if the cult is there then whatever they are doing cannot be beneficial to us?"
Tariq looks at the person addressing the party.
"There are only four of us, but I can tell you that we have entered, and come out of, many places that become tombs to most. Our group does not seek to destroy history or deface monuments. Our travels have uncovered artifacts, if left unthwarted, could leed to the end of our world."
"Noonan is in the sunset of his years, yet he spends them making this world a better place before he receives his eternal rewards for his good deeds in life."
"Our Dwarf friend, who's reclusive people may be known to you, chooses to travel with us lending his fighting prowess to our party. we have killed dragons and demons, navigated the courts of royalty and survived ambushes by cultists because of his prowess."
"Our magician Shad comes from beyond this world, for his homeworld's fate is intertwined with ours. His knowledge and skill in the arts of magic are as of yet unrivaled in any we have met."
"As for myself, I seek adventure and to prove myself worthy of my forefathers' blood which flows in my veins."
"We travel to you openly and without malice. We have deliver ourselves into your camp."
"What sort of service did you have in mind? I would assume it would be something advantageous to your reclaiming your former home?"
We chose to settle in these ruins because my people are most comfortable in ancient places, but also because a nearby outpost—though otherwise too new to be of interest to us—holds a shrine to Sekhmet, our patron of battle.
Upon settling here, we journeyed to the outpost to make our offerings to the Lady of Slaughter, but as we approached, monstrous creatures emerged from the outpost to drive us back.
Erayu scratches the sand at his feet and spits to the side.
Redskinned humanoids with curving horns sprouting from their brows and fire in their hearts. They attacked without warning, and we were forced to retreat before we lost even more from our pride. I dare not risk all of us in a direct assault. Perhaps you could investigate the outpost and clear a path for us to the shrine of Sekhmet? With Sekhmet’s blessing, I would feel confident in showing you the way to the Sightless Sphinx.
Noonan looks at the others. I am certainly willing to go have a look.
Erayu claps his hands.
Excellent! Now, come here and I will show you how to move across the desert towards these ruins.
He begins to draw an intricate map in the sand that you are able to copy.
Erayu bids you farewell and you move across the wastes towards the small ruin.
Weathered stone walls, still solid despite obvious years of wear, stand strong and tall among the desert mountain peaks. The tips of green palm fronds just show over the top of the walls, suggesting a courtyard within, and a three-story circular tower rises from one corner of the compound. An air of emptiness hangs over the outpost.
Noonan casts Magic Circle Against Evil on Tariq(100 minutes)
This spell wards a creature from attacks by evil creatures, from mental control, and from summoned creatures. It creates a magical barrier around the subject at a distance of 1 foot. The barrier moves with the subject and has three major effects.
First, the subject gains a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saves. Both these bonuses apply against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures.
Second, the subject immediately receives another saving throw (if one was allowed to begin with) against any spells or effects that possess or exercise mental control over the creature (including enchantment [charm] effects and enchantment [compulsion] effects, such as charm person, command, and dominate person). This saving throw is made with a +2 morale bonus, using the same DC as the original effect. If successful, such effects are suppressed for the duration of this spell. The effects resume when the duration of this spell expires. While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target. This spell does not expel a controlling life force (such as a ghost or spellcaster using magic jar), but it does prevent them from controlling the target. This second effect only functions against spells and effects created by evil creatures or objects, subject to GM discretion.
Third, the spell prevents bodily contact by evil summoned creatures. This causes the natural weapon attacks of such creatures to fail and the creatures to recoil if such attacks require touching the warded creature. Summoned creatures that are not evil are immune to this effect. The protection against contact by summoned creatures ends if the warded creature makes an attack against or tries to force the barrier against the blocked creature. Spell Resistance can allow a creature to overcome this protection and touch the warded creature.
Plus Resist Fire on Dwal and himself
Shad starts to move quietly but watching Dwal stumble all over he just gives up.
Noonan has no stealth so he waits.
Yup, maybe we should look into some sneak magic or something.
Shad will follow Tariq when dwal quits
”Ah, yes with the making sneaky.”
”The sand here seems extra crunchy to me.”
Shad just shakes his head and continues on.
Just dumbfounding!
Dwalindor and Tariq's attempt at stealth doesn't seem to work - a human stalking the battlements calls out an alert and jumps to the bottom of the wall, leaving you standing outside a thickly barred gate.
You can hear a low pitched yowling sound from the inside of the walled courtyard.
Oh well, no doubt it was going to be like this anyway
"Well shhhhhhhhhhhit."
"Dang it! Their Crunchy Sand enchantment foiled our attempt to sneak up on them."
"What do you think Shad? Should we try to talk our way through this one?"
I can poke Tariq and Shad with my charm enhancing finger if they want to talk.
well that haven’t seen me yet
I could make a ramp from a magic spell. Made from Stone that we can walk on.
Oh for craps sake. Let's just knock
Well ok. Dwal, care to do the honor?
Dwalindor easily smashes the front gate and roars in triumph.
A placid pond sits in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by several lush green palm trees and piles of bleached bones. Sunwarmed sand fills the rest of the courtyard. In the northwest corner, a stretch of blue-and-white striped canvas casts a patch of shade over a couple of wooden chairs beneath it. A rectangular building sits in the northeast corner, and a circular tower rises over the southeast corner.
Inside he sees the human guard standing ready with a large, angry lizard.
Noonan remembers the flame strike he got hit with when Tariq tried checking out a door and so is 30' away
arcana
15 feet back from the door
Oh! Shad, you identify the lizard as a desert drake.
What do you want to know, you can know two items about the monster?
Hello, how about we avoid violence and talk this out?
"Ummmm . . . we just kicked in their door. It might be a bit late for that . . ."
The drake responds to Dwalindor's quip by rearing its head back and spitting a nasty ball of sand that spits lighting out AA28.
Everyone but Noonan (including Ba'set) takes:
plus
The area becomes enveloped in sand and invisible.
”S&&*! S$$~! S@#%! My eyes! Lighting sand what the fark!?”
Tariq drops back and casts resist energy electricity to cover himself and Ba’set.
Ba’set also pulls back out of the stinging cloud.
|
Dwalindor tries his raging evasion as well (ok well, the raging part)
vs DC19
NOW THAT Really TICKS ME OFF!
As he loses the foes in a cloud of dust. Using scent, he barges forward and to the left, trying to find the edge of the cloud and lizard beyond (move to X25).
Then swings Amanda at the large lizard with full rage.
THAT"S ENOUGH!
for ignore hardness/15
Spell effects in place
Resist Fire on Dwal and himself 100 minutes 20 points fire resistance
Magic Circle against Evil on Tariq 100 minutes
Noonan moves up to AA24 and casts Bless on everyone in a 30' radius
Shad manages to avoid the bulk of the blast and his natural resistance absorbs most of the rest
Shad moves up to w-30, so he can see the beast and blasts it with w fireball
DC 20
Noonan! you saved me with the spell that +2 means I made it with Evasion!