Era of the Apocalypse (Inactive)

Game Master Codanous

Upon hearing Elek's shout, Badahir whirls himself about and makes a dash toward the direction he came from. As he finds himself scaling the stairs, he mutters a quick prayer to the Prophet to bless his aim.

Double move up the stairs.

Maud follow Badahir ups the stairs after Elek's scream.

posting at work, can some one double move me up the stairs?

moved ya, will move things forward tonight when I'm off work!

The imp chuckles childly at the lone fighter who stumbled upon him, muttering something in demonic.

"ਮੈਨੂੰ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਰ ਮਨੁੱਖੀ ਮੀਟ ਮੁਕੱਦਮੇ ਦਾ ਆਨੰਦ ਲਓਗੇ"

It flies toward you Elek, entering his space to sting him with its scorpion tail. give me an AoO Elek when the Imp enters your square

Sting attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
damage + poison: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Fort save vs poison DC13: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

Round 1 - Bold is up
Elek - give me an AoO as well please
Maud
Badahir
Imp
Celeste
Lucius

Hearing Elek yell, Celeste moves up the stairs as quickly as possible.'What the heck has he found this time? Dretches?'"Descriptions please! How does that thing you found in question look like?" She yells back.

AOO

"Avay from me hellspawn!" Seeing the demon fly near, Elek chops at it.
Studied target, attack: Falchion, PA FF
attack: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 5 + 1 = 19 for damage: 2d4 + 6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (4, 2) + 6 + 3 + 1 = 16

Unable to do much Lucius approaches the stairs, trying to split his attention in case something comes at them from behind.

Elek cuts into the Imp deeply, laying the creature open, its tough devil-skin seemed to absorb a good portion of the blow. It looks considerably more worried about its life as it hears the approach of steps and shouting coming from the stairs.

sorry my knowledge spoiler got eaten by my language spoiler earlier

Round 1 - Bold is up
Elek
Maud
Badahir
Imp 11 damage
Celeste
Lucius

"Hellspawn is not a description! There are like at least 70 different kinds out there! You need to tell me how it looks like before I can help you identify WHICH hellspawn it is!" Celeste retorts back.

'Describe?' Elek raises his messer again, slashing at the creature. "It looks like a devil!" he calls out to Celeste

Studied target, attack: Falchion, PA FF
attack: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 5 + 1 = 25 for damage: 2d4 + 6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (4, 3) + 6 + 3 + 1 = 17
confirm crit: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 5 + 1 = 13 for damage: 2d4 + 6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (3, 3) + 6 + 3 + 1 = 16

"What colour is it?! Appearance?! Does it have horns? Does it look humanoid? Does it have a tail?" Celeste yells back, exasperated."You're a fat lot of good when it comes to DESCRIBING things!"

With a little bit of luck and a whole lot of skill, Elek slices the creature in two, ending its gleeful antagonistic stinging of the warrior before it ever had a chance to start!

More??: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (7) + 0 = 7

Behind Lucius and Celeste a door slams open and a snorting and puffing creature comes bustling out of a room, eying the room for the disturbance, seeing the humans they laugh and glare, speaking something in Demonic. One of them is carrying a human arm, half eaten, he tosses it aside.

ਦੇਖੋ, ਤਾਜ਼ਾ ਲੰਚ!

Round 2 - Bold is up
Elek
Maud
Badahir
Celeste
Lucius
Dretches

Lucius clutches his symbol and calls aloud. "Holy Father, guide the blades of these, your servants." Bless and move out of the way of the stairs.

"I suppose they'll be complaining about me manhandling a man of the church," Celeste grumbles. "But enough of that. Get out of the stairwell entrance, Lucius!" Celeste pulls Lucius out of the stairwell.

Mechanics wise, I 5fted up, then grappled Lucius (I assume he chooses not to resist), then shoved him into the stairwell.

knowledge planes on dretches: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

"We've got unfriendly company on the other side of the stairs!" She hollers.

"All right, so this is how you describe creatures. They're green, vaguely apelike, have leathery skin, long arms with claws at the end but walk on two legs. Relatively small sized for denziens of the abyss, and they don't have horns or wings but a misshappen muzzle." She lectures the entire party.

Groaning to herself, "Come on, ran all the way up these stairs. . now I'm running back down them,"

Getting her longspear ready, she takes up point defending the stair well.

Shouting to Elek, "Elek, when you're done messin' around up there, get down here!"

"You want to pause and DESCRIBE things in a battle?!" yells Badahir as he stumbles back down the stairs. "Nevermind concentration or having to catch your breath! Or trying not to vomit! Or doing one's damnedest to NOT SHOOT ONE'S OWN ALLIES AS THEY SHUFFLE ABOUT!" As Badahir finally manages to rush into view of the newest threat, he takes aim and fires, but seems to be listing off the description of a different creature than the wizard. "Pompous, godless, egotistical, pseudo-intellectual, half-mad occult-venerating hagborn WITCH!"

Move action > a little back down the stairs. Standard action > shooting at whatever Dretch Badahir can see. I'm assuming they have Cover. -2 penalty for Sickened condition, +1 Point Blank Shot.

Attack (Crossbow, silver): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6 +2 for damage vs. Demons if that applies.

Badahir kneels down to line up his shoot and lands a bullseye on the lead Dretch. The bullet makes a serious indentation in the Dretch's fleshy body but leaves only a quickly forming bruise.

Celeste remembers that Dretchs have Damage Resistance only overcome by cold iron or good weapons.

The dretch's charge their foes, one for Maud, his savage demon mouth slobbering as he tries to bite her. Roll me an Attack of Opportunity Maud

Bite: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 2 = 13
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

The other goes right for Badahir, looking to get revenge!

Bite: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 4 + 2 = 21
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Badahir's foe chomps down on his arm and shakes it violently! Maud's has a little bit tougher of a time fighting the inquisitor.

Round 3 - Bold is up - Bless 9 rounds left
Elek 3 damage
Maud
Badahir 5 damage
Celeste
Lucius
Dretch 1 3 damage | Dretch 2

'What else did she want me to tell her...oh, I guess that makes sense/ Hearing there were more hellspawn downstairs, Elek, gory messer in hand, turns and runs back down the stairs, calling out as he does. "I did describe it! I said it looks like Ein Teufela; red, horns, wings, tail, Das Aussehen von Lucifer selbst. Vhat more vould you need to tell me how to kill it qvickly?"

double move, 60 ft. out the door and down the stairs.

"Now you tell me that its red, and has horns, wings and tail." Celeste sarcastically snarks back. "I'd tell you its an imp, and that you should be using silver weapons to kill it!"

"For one, I'd tell you that you're using the wrong bolt, you opinated pig. These dretches are vulnerable to cold iron. And that's why your bolt didn't work too well." Celeste answers back.

"Now please step up north 5 ft, I'll show you what this magic stuff is all about."She answers Bahadir.

Maud, deciding to stay where she is after hearing Celeste, she points her spear toward the creature right in front of Badahir

I active my ferocious strike and gain a min +1 to damage if I hit

Attack-cover + bless: 1d20 + 4 - 4 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 4 - 4 + 1 = 16
Damage: 1d8 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 1 = 8

Maud stabs the Dretch right in its fleshy gut, her cold iron weapon hissing as it pierces the demon, its blood smoking off the weapon.

It howls in agony.

Badahir steps back to open up room for Celeste, she comes in whirling with a cascade of colorful magic.

Will Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

hurt one Will Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

And as her cascade of colors wraps around the Dretches, both of them are overcome and begin scratching at their eyes, swaying back and forth before dropping to the floor, unconscious.

they are unconscious for 2d4: 2d4 ⇒ (1, 4) = 5 rounds, so combat over! Good job guys :) What do you want to do?

Celeste turns on face Bahadir, filled with self satisfaction after the results of the colourspray. "You may think I'm a pompous, godless, egotistical, pseudo-intellectual, half-mad occult-venerating hagborn witch, but could you do that with your gun?" She throws his words back at him.

"Now finish them off before they wake up. Cold iron weapons, you hear? This wont last forever." She urges the party.

I'd CDG, but I don't even get past DR.

'Well, that was certainly no parlor trick.' Elek walks down the stairwell, turning and looking at the witch, no longer considering teasing her about the red creature up the stairs. As he nears the first unconscious creature he looks up at Celeste, pulling the axe, "does Dieser Dämon perish form za silver or za cold iron?" and brings the axe down on it's neck. Looking at the results, he smiles, nodding his head. "I believe za silver vill do."

silver battle axe: PA. FF -1 for alchemical
CDG: 3d8 + 18 + 9 - 1 ⇒ (6, 8, 2) + 18 + 9 - 1 = 42

"Cold iron, you idiot, these are demons, not devils!" She gets more mollified after the silver axe does the trick as well."I guess application of excessive force works too,"she muses.

"And don't get all that ichor on my robes!" She curses as Elek's axe strike sends a gout of body fluid flying. She heads up the stairs, to examine what Elek was fighting.

Count necessary rounds, GM, I move at 20 ft due to encumbrance

Then she does the same for the imp, braining it at the back of its head with a silver mace, taking care not to splatter too much.

CDG: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 6) = 10

'May as well finish it.' As the others keep watch, and Celeste tirades upstairs, Elek goes to the second creature and beheads it also. Mumbling under his breath. "Ein Dämon nicht ein Teufel, ich habe immer noch keine Ahnung, was der Unterschied ist."

Turning to the others he asks, "Shall ve vait for za vit.. Ah Sorceress? Or go help her vit za search?"

Celeste comes down dragging the dead imp by its horns. "Now this, ladies and gentlemen, is an imp. It's small, has horns and wings. It can fly, and belongs to the category of devils. Devils are vulnerable to silver weapons."

"Those are demons," She points at the dretch corpses. "They are vulnerable to cold iron weapons."

"Now, I may have been a little anal, earlier," she shifts uncomfortably, "but I asked for their descriptions so I could identify them and tell you on their strengths and weaknesses, so you can fight them better." she says to the party, by way of apology.

'Waiting for the witch, I need to make sure I don't call her that to her face, is a good idea... don't want anyone else jumped... Did she crush that things head?' Elek wipes off the axe, before he puts it away, waiting for Celeste to return.

When she comes down the stairs, he realizes she must have crushed the 'Imps' head. When she finishes her lesson he nods in understanding. "So vee use za silver on za things zat are small und red und have horns und vings. Zen vee use za cold iron on za dvarf sized vones zat are fat und frumpy."

”I wish it were that simple. Demons and devils have many forms. Like there is a type of devil that looks like a mass of rolling flesh.” Celeste answers unhappily.”But you have the general idea right – if you see more small red things with horns and wings, you use silver weapons. If you see them looking brutish and ugly, you use cold iron weapons. But it is better that you describe to me how they look like – appearance, shape, size, colour, and distinguishing features, so that I can classify them into demons or devils and tell you which is the type of weapon you should be using. Eventually we’ll probably want to look into blessed weaponry. It’ll make things easier for us, since blessed weaponry affects both.”

"Simply put my friend." Lucius interjects, calm if slightly pale at the rather gory end to the battle. "There are many denizens of hell, all with different defences. In the end only the blessings of God or a mighty depth of faith will overcome them reliably. However, as you have proven Elek, no defence is perfect. With sufficient force any hell-spawn may be dispatched."

Lucius takes a moment too look around. "It is clear we will find no-one alive in this building. I suggest that we search the place thoroughly and look into making it defensible. If we have a safe-house near the tunnel, so much the better."

Elek looks from the priest to the witch, nodding his head slowly, he picks up his messer then opens the door to the next room and looks inside.

Room #2

”I wouldn’t call it blessing of God, or faith…or whatever. But let’s just put it, for simplicities sake, weapons imbued with some power inimical to devils and demons. Most people generally call them blessed weapons.” Celeste answers. ”Do you think this place can be turned into a safe-house? What if the enemy forces return while we’re not around?” Celeste furrows her eyebrows, while tugging her chin.

The rooms by the stairs were a couple of store closets with brooms, mops, buckets and rags. Looks like they were closets used for cleaning the monastery.

Examining this next large room, it appears to be another private study room and office. You think this was probably used by priests to consult with noble families for official business, be they weddings or other ceremonies.

Its surprisingly not trashed or covered in blood. Searching this room, you guys find a couple of potions in the desk. Both are labeled, one is Cure Light Wounds and the other is Bless Weapon.

Moving farther along you guys find a pantry, kitchen and food preparation room. The pantry here has been mostly untouched and contains a considerable store of dried foods! A number of salted meats, pickled vegetables, yeast, flour and more contained in great sacks. Estimates put it at enough food to last maybe 30 people a good month at minimum, probably more if they rationed.

Where too next? I revealed a fair amount but I don't want to rush you guys through the place either, let me know a couple of rooms you'd like to search next

Consultation room

"Ah-ha!" Celeste exclaims delightedly as Elek pulls out the potions. "That one will heal your wounds," she gestures at the Cure Light Wounds Potions, "And the other would imbue your weapon with power inimical to demons and devils, like I told you about earlier. But it'd only be imbued for a minute or so."

Supply room

"Not bad, not bad." Celeste remarks. "I bet the pope will be pleased if we can get these supplies back to the Vatican. We should probably clear this place out, then start hauling these back." She then urges Elek to go take a look at the adjacent room.

How bout the rooms we previously cleared - anything useful? I could ping detect magic in them all as we look

After searching the office area Elek gives the vials he finds to Celeste, 'Magic potions I thought those were only in fairy tales.' As Celeste describes the magic potions, Elek raises an eye brow but doesn't say anything else. Moving on to the kitchen he takes a quick mental inventory of the food, 'This will feed a lot of people for a while.' Hearing Celeste's idea to take the food to the pope he asks. "Should vee leave some of it here so vee can resupply?" it looks like the back three rooms were kitchen and pantries.

Moving to the next area Elek inspects the door, listening for anything moving around, as the team moves into place he opens the door. room #11

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

This room has destroyed priest robes and vestments, with an area leading to the Apse, a pathway that leads behind the alter and allows the priests entry and exit to the alter area covertly.

Following it, there are large trailing blood stains as if a body was dragged through this area but no body is evident.

Coming out by the alter, it was an ornate alter but has now been smeared with blood and viscera, defacing it. The crucifix torn down and smashed on the ground.

Since you guys aren't in immediate danger or have fast acting buffs up, I tend to treat it as the party takes 20 searching a room, including the use of detect magic. I find that it speeds up play by post and avoids pitfalls

Thank you, Elek is a patient sort and would take 20 as long as the group allowed.

'All these fancy robes, I have trouble believing they help speak to God... that blood trail is a problem.' Messer in hand Elek follows the blood trail. Looking at the defaced alter and smashed crucifix, Elek shakes his head, "Za implements are defaced on purpose but I do not see a body." Pointing to the carnage, "Is it possible zat za two demon I beheaded did zis?"

does the blood trail end there, any sign of a body or the thing that dragged it?

Not seeing anything else Elek shrugs, "Once vee are done inspecting za chapel perchance vee can clean up the altar, ya? Shall vee continue?" and then moves to the south side of the chapel and opens the door going into the most eastern room. room #7

The pair of demons that we fought here on the first floor, can we tell what area they come from?

Examining the blood trial it looks like the blood trail ended by the robes and there should have been a body where the blood pooled. Seems like the blood trail extends through the tunnel and must've started by the alter.

the demon's came from room 5

Celeste gets rather impatient but limits herself to a few grumbling words, ”Are you done yet?” as Elek systematically ransacks the place, throwing things left, right centre. ’I suppose safe is better then sorry, in case something is lying in wait for us.’ She thinks to herself as she busies herself scanning for any magical auras. Looking at the bloodtrail, she comments, ”My guess is those dretches ate the body up? They were looking at us as food…”

”And it’s dretches, not two demons. There are many types of demons, so call them by their correct names so you can identify them properly.” She chides Elek, but follows him as he starts searching the place in a clockwise fashion.

"Just a warning," she informs the party in an off-hand manner,"I won't be able to knock out anything else today with that spell I used earlier, I didn't prepare more then one use of it."

I’ll just natter, but take 20 is fine with me. For now. Right till I start holding mage armor up

Lucius helps with the searching, although he is noticeably more respectful with everything than the Bohemian. Once he finds the altar, Lucius rolls up his sleeves and sets to work cleaning it, using some rags torn from the defaced vestments, righting the crucifix and offering prayers as he does so.

Do you want any checks for this?

Quitely searching with everyone else Maud rights statues that have been knocked over and tries to clean up the church. Seeing Lucius start working in the altar she goes in to help.

Kn Religion: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

religion to know how to fix up the altar

Lucius Kn: Religion: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Lucius and Maud get to work cleaning the viscera, blood, gore and only-God-know's-what from the alter. Righting what they can and for the most part putting it back together. Offering prayers up as they work.

As they finish, a sense of calm pervades the whole area, a sense of rightness.

While you guys remain inside this church, you receive a +1 sacred bonus to Attacks and +1 sacred bonus to saving throws

Exploring the Southern side to the church you find more bodies, many of them half-eaten. There is a library but many of the books have been destroyed.

Taking your time to search this room you are able to find an ornately gilded Bible. It seems to radiate with a bit of divine magic, probably what saved it from the destruction.

Further along you find a fireplace and a multitude of charred bodies have been stuffed inside it.

Badahir announces he is going to go scout things outside and see if that patrol has come through this area.

Searching the last rooms you find two sets of stairs, one going up, the other going down.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Lucius divines the bible's purpose the moment he holds it. "This will enhance my ability to channel God's light to heal and harm the evil that surrounds us. Do any of you object if I carry it in future? He pauses a moment on Maud, who seems the only one likely to object. Assuming that he receives none. He continues the work of cleaning the shrine with Maud, carrying the bible under one arm or tucked into his belt as he does so.

'What is he thinking that is not wise.' Turning as Badahir sets down the crossbow and announces that he is going to scout out the patrol. Elek begins to say something, but the Turk leaves too quickly. Elek shaking his head, fetches his crossbow and turns back to the library room.

'I'm not sure what 'channel 'god's light means, but carrying a bible is always a good thing' Elek picks up the bible and respectfully hands it to the Cardinal, "A light unto my path, Ja."

In the last two rooms, Elek nods to the flight of steps going up, "Vee have explored za upstairs on za other side, let us check this side next. Zen vee vill discuss za visdom of searching za crypt."

He then begins to walk up the stairs keeping a keen eye out.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

"yes of course you can carry it, I think you are the only one who are able to harness the ability to channel the power of Our Lord"

Only one who can 'Channel the power of our Lord,' well that's a little insulting.' Stopping on the stairwell, Elek turns back and lifts up his messer. "If God vould empower David's sling in za Old Testament, zen vit za strength of za Christ in me, he can empower my gosse messer now, ya." Feeling he made his point, Elek turns and continued up the stairs.

Elek follows the staircase up, and it winds up and up and up finally ending in a large belltower some 40 feet up.

From his vantage point up here, Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Hunkering down to avoid detection, Elek looks around scanning the area from his vantage point. Badahir is no where to be seen but there is a small patrol of demons, they seem to be crawling all over the house you guys came from.

'That is not good, I hope Badahir is ok.' Moving ever so slowly he goes back down the stairwell, to where the rest of the party is. "Zere is a patrol of demons crawling all over za house vee vere just in."

How many did he see and what did they look like? You know Celeste is going to ask."

One of them looks like a red skinned, ivory horned human, he has a small thin tail that swishes back and forth, another is a similar red skinned humanoid with black horns and cloven feet and then two Dretches accompany them.

After Elek has described them, here are some knowledge checks for people to try and identify them!

Elek looks from Celeste to Maud to the Cardinal. Shrugging his shoulders. "One of zem looks like a red skinned, ivory horned human, he has a small zin tail zat svishes back and forth. Za other is une red skinned humanoid vit black horns und cloven feet und zen za two Dretches accompany zem."