Warren's acid splash connects just barely with the skeleton in the center of the organ. The acid writhes across its bones, bubbling at the ancient cartilage. Korosh climbs the rest of the way up onto the organ and gets his weapon out. Bressa utterly destroys the white-garbed skeleton with a single punch, sending bones scattering across the temple floor. Darius does not connect on his attack, but manages to depress one of the keys, letting loose a deep, melancholy note. The skeletons seem displeased at this, to say the least. Meanwhile Kala is able to finish off the black-garbed skeleton.
The Black Echelon begin to muster their forces now, starting to surround Korosh and Darius on the keys!
Bold may act.
Active party buffs: none
Environmental effects:
Keep the following in mind during this part of the scenario:
• The Metro-Cathedral’s massive organ is played by dancing upon the gigantic white keys. Traveling from white key to white key requires a DC 5 Acrobatics or Perform (dance) check. The DC increases by 2 for each additional key someone attempts to cross in a given round.
• To play the more slender black keys, one either needs to stand on an adjoining white key and reach up and yank the key down with a DC 5 Strength check, or climb directly on top of the black key (Climb DC 10). Leaping from black key to black key requires a DC 10 or 20 Jump check depending on the distance between the keys as indicated on the map.
• Anyone who successfully depresses multiple keys in a round may also make a Perform (keyboard) check as a free action. A success of 10 or more contributes to the hymn and keeps the music alive. The higher the result, the more melodious and impressive the contribution. Provide each PC with a +2 circumstance bonus to their check for each key they manage to depress in a single round. If the same PC can further succeed on a DC 5 Knowledge (Religion) check, they can actually play the correct popular morning hymns.
• The organ keys are elevated 15 feet off of the ground. Anyone bull rushed off the keys falls to the stone church floor below, taking 1d6 damage.
• The organ keys connect to the 30-foot pipes above. When the PCs arrive, four Black Echelon operatives will have already climbed up the pipes to block the possibility of sound coming out. (There are not yet enough of them to block all of the pipes.) Climbing the giant twisting maze of brass pipes requires a DC 10 Climb check each round.
Round 4 / 5
Darius
Kala
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Black Echelon (Blue, Gray, Red, Yellow, Cyan, Purple (-2), Black , White, Green)
===========================
Warren
Korosh
Bressa
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"Thanks Moony, but I sure wish they had some skin on their bones for padding. That last one hurt like the dickens!" she frets, trying to shake out her right hand. There is a faint tinge of blood on each of her knuckles.
She runs up next to Kala but reject the offered rope, looking at it like it might bite her. "Thanks, but I got this."
After falling on her rear a few times, she is forced to admit that she is a bit too short to so carelessly ignore the aid a rope would give her. She looks up at the climbing Kala and curses under her breath. She better not unhook the rope when I'm halfway up...
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Warren finally makes his way to the organ, offering Darius a hand in scaling the instrument. "Darius, heres a boost! We got this, hang tough." Warren assist's Darius in his ascent as best as possible
Sebastian tears into the undead with wild abandon
Warren watches, shouting a thanks to Sebastian as the ever loyal Celestial Owl absolutely shreds his opponent
"Sebastian! Once again I am forever in your debt my friend."
Sebastian annihilates the skeleton it was attacking and Korosh likewise does the same for the one in front of Darius, freeing him up to dance about the keys almost exactly as one of the trained priests might! He begins to replicate the Oathday hymn almost to the note! The other skeletons open their mouths to try and screech at the swashbuckler for ruining their plans, but all that comes out is an unholy silence. Bressa and Kala both start to climb up the massive organ.
One of the Black Echelon dashes across the keys and tries to slash Darius with its sickle. Then the other Black Echelon wait patiently, sickles raised in a readied attack, for Kala and Bressa to ascend.
[dice=DMG (slashing)
Bold may act.
Active party buffs: none
Environmental effects:
• The Metro-Cathedral’s massive organ is played by dancing upon the gigantic white keys. Traveling from white key to white key requires a DC 5 Acrobatics or Perform (dance) check. The DC increases by 2 for each additional key someone attempts to cross in a given round.
• To play the more slender black keys, one either needs to stand on an adjoining white key and reach up and yank the key down with a DC 5 Strength check, or climb directly on top of the black key (Climb DC 10). Leaping from black key to black key requires a DC 10 or 20 Jump check depending on the distance between the keys as indicated on the map.
• Anyone who successfully depresses multiple keys in a round may also make a Perform (keyboard) check as a free action. A success of 10 or more contributes to the hymn and keeps the music alive. The higher the result, the more melodious and impressive the contribution. Provide each PC with a +2 circumstance bonus to their check for each key they manage to depress in a single round. If the same PC can further succeed on a DC 5 Knowledge (Religion) check, they can actually play the correct popular morning hymns.
• The organ keys are elevated 15 feet off of the ground. Anyone bull rushed off the keys falls to the stone church floor below, taking 1d6 damage.
• The organ keys connect to the 30-foot pipes above. When the PCs arrive, four Black Echelon operatives will have already climbed up the pipes to block the possibility of sound coming out. (There are not yet enough of them to block all of the pipes.) Climbing the giant twisting maze of brass pipes requires a DC 10 Climb check each round.
Round 5 / 6
Darius
Kala
===========================
Black Echelon (Blue, Gray, Red, Yellow, Cyan, Purple (-2), Black , White, Green)
===========================
Warren
Korosh
Bressa
The Black Echelon all miss in their attacks as Kala and Bressa climb up to engage. Warren misses his acid splash due to the fog but Sebastian is able to round on the skeleton engaged with Kala and destroy it with one well-placed bite. Korosh likewise destroys the next skeleton in front of Darius, who continues to play the organ masterfully, halting the Black Echelon's way of signaling Silent Tide for the time being. The two Black Echelon left both try and end Bressa, but both miss wildly.
Bold may act.
Active party buffs: none
Environmental effects: Fog (20% miss chance for reach or ranged attacks into green circle)
Keep the following in mind during this part of the scenario:
• The Metro-Cathedral’s massive organ is played by dancing upon the gigantic white keys. Traveling from white key to white key requires a DC 5 Acrobatics or Perform (dance) check. The DC increases by 2 for each additional key someone attempts to cross in a given round.
• To play the more slender black keys, one either needs to stand on an adjoining white key and reach up and yank the key down with a DC 5 Strength check, or climb directly on top of the black key (Climb DC 10). Leaping from black key to black key requires a DC 10 or 20 Jump check depending on the distance between the keys as indicated on the map.
• Anyone who successfully depresses multiple keys in a round may also make a Perform (keyboard) check as a free action. A success of 10 or more contributes to the hymn and keeps the music alive. The higher the result, the more melodious and impressive the contribution. Provide each PC with a +2 circumstance bonus to their check for each key they manage to depress in a single round. If the same PC can further succeed on a DC 5 Knowledge (Religion) check, they can actually play the correct popular morning hymns.
• The organ keys are elevated 15 feet off of the ground. Anyone bull rushed off the keys falls to the stone church floor below, taking 1d6 damage.
• The organ keys connect to the 30-foot pipes above. When the PCs arrive, four Black Echelon operatives will have already climbed up the pipes to block the possibility of sound coming out. (There are not yet enough of them to block all of the pipes.) Climbing the giant twisting maze of brass pipes requires a DC 10 Climb check each round.
Round 6 / 7
Darius
Kala
===========================
Black Echelon (Blue, Gray, Red, Yellow, Cyan, Purple, Black , White, Green)
===========================
Warren
Korosh
Bressa
Warren, Sebastian, Kala, and Bressa manage to destroy the last two Black Echelon agents within the cathedral.
Out of Combat!
With Darius continuing to play, the last supplicant left alive comes to help, lending her aid. She dances along with Darius, him on the deeper keys, and her on the high notes, and together they recreate the melody expected to be played on Oathday.
With the melody playing, you think that crisis has been averted and Silent Tide no longer poses a time-sensitive threat, meaning you are free to take the fight to Nessian at his hideout, the Pyramid of the Dog.
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Darius looks at Korosh with concern, "You ok big guy? I don't think we have a moment to spare. We have got to reach this madman and put an end to this once and for all." He looks at the surviving alcolyte, "Are you ok? Are you going to be able to hold things together here?" He stands waiting pacing a bit as he seems agitated and ready to go.
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"Darius, chill. We've got some time now, thanks to your fancy footwork. Korosh, that's gross!" She pauses a moment in thought, "We did alright together. I might be starting to like y'all"
No prep before heading to the main badguy... unless we can get some city guards to help. Any more info from the old dude?
Nessian’s decrepit lair is not a pyramid at all. Rather it consists of four ancient, battered siege towers, three of which have collapsed inward toward the largest, forming a giant, tepee-like wreck. Each leaning tower bears a makeshift guardhouse, providing an excellent vantage point for each of the War Hounder sentries posted inside. The center tower seems to be the main tower where the hideout is located.
You see a dog chained to a pole out front and a War Hounder in each of the side towers scrabbling about, loading their crossbows, and yelling at each other, sounding an alarm.
In Combat!
Bold may act.
Active party buffs: none
Environmental effects:
Round 1
Warren
Darius
===========================
Nessian
War Hounders (Purple, Yellow, Teal)
===========================
Warren
Korosh
Bressa
The door is unlocked as far as Darius and anyone else with low light vision can tell. The War Hounders certainly didn't expect an assault on their headquarters! While casting his spell, Warren notices the same teal bandanna gracing the forehead of one of the War Hounders, the one that got away at the cliffside. The man is held in place by Warren's magic, glassy-eyed, forgetting what he was about to do. The other War Hounder aims and fires at Korosh, but the bolt only whistles past, sticking into the mud. The barking dog out front rushes forward due to the slack on the rope and tries to bite Kala, but fails to get hold of her.
Bold may act.
Active party buffs: none
Environmental effects:
Round 1 / 2
Warren
Darius
===========================
Nessian
War Hounders (Purple, Yellow, Teal)
Marrow Chomper
===========================
Bressa
Korosh
Kala
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Warren moves over and hugs the wall of the fort, trying to stay clear of the firing range of the sentries on top. Focusing inward, Warren takes the last bit of arcane energy he has remaining and shifts it to himself, empowering him with enough juice to summon Sebastian one last time, hoping its enough.. and not too late.
Bressa tries to punch the dog, but fails to connect, the wily creature dodging her blow. Korosh moves up to the tower under a hail of crossbow bolts, ducking and weaving. Meanwhile Kala tries to smash Marrow Chomper, but misses. Stinky steps up and delivers two quick claws and a bite. Marrow Chomper yelps, but otherwise stays conscious. Warren summons mighty Sebastian one more time for the impending confrontation with Nessian. Darius prepares to move inside. The sounds of combat preparation, scuffling boots, heavy breathing, can be heard just outside the door.
The tower guards reload their crossbows and fire again, this time at Kala and Warren. The bolt misses Kala but Teal's bolt flies true and nicks Warren's arm, the slice dribbling out a bit of blood. Marrow Chomper decides to take a bite out of the thing hurting it, and clamps down on Stinky.
Bold may act.
Active party buffs: none
Environmental effects:
Round 2 / 3
Warren (-1)
Darius
===========================
Nessian
War Hounders (Purple, Yellow, Teal)
Marrow Chomper (-5)
===========================
Bressa
Korosh
Kala