Eluvias strode forward, his sword humming with magic. Twice his blade lashed out, once catching a skeleton on the neck.
Amadeen eyes up a skeleton and tears at its very luck, giggling throughout.
Johund issues two quick jabs with his daggers, then hops back a step.
Eluvias strode forward, his sword humming with magic. Twice his blade lashed out, once catching a skeleton on the neck.
Amadeen eyes up a skeleton and tears at its very luck, giggling throughout.
Johund issues two quick jabs with his daggers, then hops back a step
Barek steps forward and swings his axe at one of the skeletons.
The skeleton manages to hit Barek the other has little luck.
Eluvias
Barek
Amadeen
Johund
Skeletons
Amadeen tries the same tactic with the other skeleton, continuing to giggle throughout.
Johund gives Eluvias a light punch on the shoulder. "Har! Get 'em, killer!" Then he turns and gives Mong some nice pats on the head.
Perhaps it was performance anxiety, but Eluvias did not perform exactly as well as he would have hoped. Still, he was fairly certain that he would get in at least one good hit.
Perhaps it was performance anxiety, but Eluvias did not perform exactly as well as he would have hoped. Still, he was fairly certain that he would get in at least one good hit.
Amadeen tries the same tactic with the other skeleton, continuing to giggle throughout.
Johund gives Eluvias a light punch on the shoulder. "Har! Get 'em, killer!" Then he turns and gives Mong some nice pats on the head.
Neither Barek nor Mong can hit the skeleton.
The skeleton tries to hit Barek but is having a bad run of luck.
[Misfortune]1d20+2[/dice]
In the next few moments the last skeleton is put down.
Scimitar x6
The walls of the chamber to the west are adorned with a plethora of weapons, shields, armor, and tattered banners and standards. Interspersed among the displayed arms are carved scenes of battle, pillage, and conquest. The carvings are caked in flaking pigments that were once brightly colored, but many have been defaced, apparently by repeated blows from a weapon. At the far end of the room, a withered corpse lies in state atop a stone catafalque, its bony hands clutching a sword across its chest.
The corpses' form begins to move.
Johund
Barek
Amadeen
Undead
Eluvias
Amadeen takes one look at the undead, then resumes giggling.
Well, this doesn't look good at all, but isn't unexpected, consideringn the undead they've previously encountered down here. Johund wastes no time moving into position, stepping into the southwest corner to keep the wall at his back, and whispering a prayer of protection from evil.
protection from evil
ice strike?
Well, this doesn't look good at all, but isn't unexpected, consideringn the undead they've previously encountered down here. Johund wastes no time moving into position, stepping into the southwest corner to keep the wall at his back, and whispering a prayer of protection from evil.
Wights are humanoids who rise as undead due to necromancy, a violent death, or an extremely malevolent personality. In some cases, a wight arises when an evil undead spirit permanently bonds with a corpse, often the corpse of a slain warrior. They are barely recognizable to those who knew them in life; their flesh is twisted by evil and undeath, the eyes burn with hatred, and the teeth become beast-like. In some ways, a wight bridges the gap between a ghoul and a spectre—a warped animated corpse whose touch steals living energy.
Barek calls upon the magic of nature to lay waste to the unnatural.
Amadeen takes one look at the undead, then resumes giggling.
The undead creature stands and moves towards ye, a raspy voice filled with rage calls out.
"You can take my sight but the blade shall not be stolen again!"
Eluvias
Johund
Barek
Amadeen
Undead Blinded 3 Rounds. -14HP
Wordlessly Eluvias swung his black blade. The foe couldn’t see it, but electricity danced along it, bringing with it the promise of a grisly end. Idly, he wondered if the creature could feel pain.
"If it touches ya you're gonna have quite ter headache!" Johund roars, shifting into position. "It'll steal yer life energy! Whatever that means!"
He than plants both frosty blades in the wight's back.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Did anyone understand the stack of bones?", Amadeen asks, in a less than respectful tone.
Taking Johund's advice to heart, Amadeen steps back. She even ceases giggling.
But she is not entirely silent, as she draws upon her strange magic and lobs a single black cat hair at the undead...
You afflict the target with bad luck. On the next d20 roll the target makes, it must roll twice and take the less favorable result. For every five caster levels you have, the target must roll twice on an additional d20 roll (to a maximum of five rolls at 20th level). So two d20 rolls because Amadeen is level 5!
A target who can speak and has at least one free hand and who is aware of the spell and its effects (such as from a Spellcraft check to identify the spell as it is cast) can negate one reroll by spending a move action to utter a brief prayer or good luck charm to appease the spirits of ill fortune.
Wordlessly Eluvias swung his black blade. The foe couldn’t see it, but electricity danced along it, bringing with it the promise of a grisly end. Idly, he wondered if the creature could feel pain.
"If it touches ya you're gonna have quite ter headache!" Johund roars, shifting into position. "It'll steal yer life energy! Whatever that means!"
He than plants both frosty blades in the wight's back.
Barrek channels the fury of nature once more and the undead collapses, the foul energy animating it driven from it's form.
In the hands of the undead is a bastard sword which is badly damaged, under examination it's magics are potent and likely it could be reforged into another bladed weapon while retaining the magic.
Keen Bane (Fey) Bastard Sword
Amadeen ceases her casting as the bones.
"You know, we should do something with all the bones. Bury them, burn them, leave them to the river. Ideas?"
"Oh and who fancies a new blade?"
"Hmm, I'll always fancy a new dagger!" Johund says with a grin.
Discussing the matter you find no more to the tomb and the lands around are thankfully far less interesting. You mark it's location on your map for future reference.
It’s a plan!
While exploring this area you find a river which you believe is the Gurdin River and it flows westwards towards the Tuskwater Lake on which Thornholme sits.
Normally quite deep along the majority of its length, the Gurdin River becomes rather shallow here, creating a navigable ford across its width.
A three mile stretch of the Tuskwater shoreline rises up above the water below here, presenting a swath of forty foot high cliffs and limiting access to the water below. The cliff tops are thick with stinging nettles.
You notice a hidden trail that leads through the nettles and down a cliffside trail to a secluded pool, fifty feet in diameter, at the Tuskwater’s edge.
As they walked, Eluvias broke his customary silence. Almost out of nowhere, he said
"I'm cursed." Having been lost in thought, he began the conversation without any buildup or lead in. "It's my sword. It is part of me. And it is eating me. Eventually, there will be nothing left, and I suppose it will find someone else to wield it." If there was any urgency or fear within him, it did not show in his voice. It was the usual flat tone of indifference. "I have been researching this. Apparently there was another like me, who sought to break the curse and tame his blade. There is a ritual, but it will take both a hoard of gold as well as parts of a dragon. Most likely scales, bones, flesh. I am not completely certain yet. Anyways, if I hear of any rumors concerning dragons, I will be following them. I thought it best to be upfront about this now, rather than surprising you all later."
Your group notices a hidden trail that leads through the nettles and down a cliffside trail to a secluded pool, fifty feet in diameter, at the Tuskwater’s edge.
Amadeen looks at Eluvias, and replies half-seriously:
"I imagine throwing the sword into the pool Johund and Barek are on about wouldn't help?"
She looks around to Barek and Johund, then back to Eluvias.
"I think we can spare a hunt or three for dragon parts. For the sake of the realm's magister of course.", she adds with a wink.
"Either way, let us see what this pool is like!"
Johund stays quiet, keeping his weapons to hand as they approach the edge of the water.
As you investigate the area you can see it is a good spot for fishing but a large shape begins to break the surface of the water!
Amadeen
Eluvias
Johund
Old Crackjaw
Barek
Amadeen takes one look at the rising creature and shouts:
"GET IT!"
While promptly cackling.
"Here comes dinner!" Johund steps to the side to make room for flanking with Eluvias, his skin crystallizing as he does.
"So another creature thinks us food?" Eluvias muttered arcane words of power, enhancing his reflexes.
Amadeen takes one look at the rising creature and shouts "GET IT!" While promptly cackling.
Amadeen realizes this is a hookjaw turtle (a more carnivorous version of the alligator snapping turtle) but one that is unusually large and ill tempered. It must be Old Crackjaw. Arven, a local Fisherman, claims to have been driven away from his favoured fishing spot by this beast and made it known he would reward anyone who drove it off with a magic ring he found in a pike's stomach!
"So another creature thinks us food?" Eluvias muttered arcane words of power, enhancing his reflexes.
"Here comes dinner!" Johund steps to the side to make room for flanking with Eluvias, his skin crystallizing as he does.
The large turtle barrels through the water and onto the shore trying to get's it's jaws around Johund. Dented and scratched his armour saves his flesh from the damage.
Barek
Amadeen
Eluvias
Johund
Old Crackjaw
Amadeen stares down the reptile, albeit from behind her allies!
Blade wreathed in electricity, Eluvias stepped up next to the animal and slashed down. The results were shocking.
Smoke and the smell of cooked crab fill the air. Not a bad aroma at all. Just in case it's still snapping, Johund delivers two carefully-aimed stabs behind its eyes.
Barek draws his bow but is dismayed to see his arrow clatter of the thick shell.
Amadeen stares down the reptile, albeit from behind her allies!
Blade wreathed in electricity, Eluvias stepped up next to the animal and slashed down. The results were shocking... soon he stands before the charred steaming shell of the dead beast.
Nearby you find an Elemental Gem of Water in the Mud.
"Purdy," Johund says, tossing the gem to Amadeen. "Fittin' fer yer Majesty!"
"Damn straight!", Amadeen replies as she snatches the gem out of the air.
"Let's grab a trophy to prove Old Crackjaw is dead!"
Johund saws off one of Crackjaw's claws. "This should work fine."
”Anyone hungry? I’m fairly sure it is cooked through.”
"I could eat!"
Cutting away the horribly charred outer flesh you find more edible flesh inside it though perhaps still a little overcooked.
After exploring and charting the area you find the coast of the Tuskwater. Heading north near Thornholme Barek moves to tend to some business while the rest of you continue exploring.
Heading south along the western coast of the Tuskwater you find a dilapidated mud-brick hut squats atop a small hummock in the middle of a fetid marsh, a thin tendril of bluish smoke trickling through a gaping hole in its mosscovered roof. A wooden fence surrounding the perimeter of the mound is festooned with crude fetishes crafed out of sticks, feathers, and animal bones. A lone crow caws noisily from the top of a nearby cypress tree.
You recognise the craftsmanship of your mentor in the fetishes decorating the area.
Amadeen idly chews on a remaining piece of giant crab meat.
And then freezes at the sight of the hut.
"Those fetishes...they're like Haleen's!"
The elf resumes walking, but far more purposefully towards the hut.
Eluvias followed. His black blade was on his belt, his hand on it's hilt.
"Is't safe?" Johund eyes the fetishes warily, knowing full well what kind of danger Amadeen, and those like her, pose.
Without taking her eyes from the direction of the hut, Amadeen replies.
"Probably - for us."
Amadeen is approaching the gate in the fence at this point.
The region around the hut is an eighty foot diameter area of solid ground, thick with bog grass and dotted with small cattail-clogged pools. This solid region is surrounded by a waist-high wooden fence, in which a single gate hangs askew. A fstsized rusted iron bell hangs from a hairy length of rope tied to a crooked post next to the gate. The scarecrow appears to be propped up midway between the gate and the door to the hut
Amadeen stops just outside the gate, hesitation in her stance. She eyes the scarecrow suspiciously, then the bell.
Neither is coming up under detect magic.
Her rarely-displayed caution satisfied, Amadeen pushes opens the askew gate, and begins to walk in. She fully intends to pull hard on that rope.
"Blasted, stubborn female!" Johund mumbles, jogging after Her Majesty. "Remind me 'gain why yer lookin' fer this Haleen?" As he moves he unsheathes his daggers with practiced motions, the familiar weight of the weapons granting him some small piece of mind.