The scream reverberates through the tiny, red-skinned creature and its defences are not strong enough to stave the effect and damage.
Felix begins to sing and chant an uplifting tune to bolster his companions.
Connor valiantly attempts to identify the creature but he recollects no such creature.
Even with the inspiration of Felix's fine song of courage in the background, Connor swings his axe at the creature, but its diminutive form eludes the hit and it remains unscathed from the attack.
Connor valiantly attempts to identify the creature but he recollects no such creature.
Even with the inspiration of Felix's fine song of courage in the background, Connor swings his axe at the creature, but its diminutive form eludes the hit and it remains unscathed from the attack.
Connor tears the axe from the ground and his eyes grind into the creature like daggers.
By the Æsir, what dark magic fashioned or called forth this thing?
"Riley! Get on your feet and fight!" he bellows at the man still sitting in the chair.
"Riley! Get on your feet and fight!
Connor's words shake Riley out of his trance. He moves behind the creature and attacks.
Whatever compulsion had the rogue resting on the sharp-edged chair had broken with his force of will to heed his companion's urgent command.
The attack strikes the dazed flying creature from behind, wounding it true, yet it has not felled it.
"Umm..." Riley takes pause at the lady's quick return, but quickly recovers. He leans in and whispers, "I can not be too sure. Felix was trying to explain it to me the other day. Maybe you should ask him later."
"Certainly!" she said cheerily. "I'll be sure to ask him when you're around so he can explain it to us both properly."
They continued onward. Connor managed to get the door open and they entered only to find implements of many kinds and chairs as well as the remains of at least one person. The two males in the front began to search, but her body hadn't forgotten the phantom pain of her last attempts to help and she stayed with Anila and Felix, unwilling to become a tasty meal for some other predator.
She looked on in abstract concern as Riley sat in one of the fearsome chairs, letting the spikes break his flesh. She covered her mouth as it fell open in surprise. What was his plan here?
"Greetings, fine citizens of our glorious empire! So good to have visitors, though I fear I have no refreshments to offer. I assume you are here for the treasure. Well, I'd be happy to assist, provided that you give me what I require! It has been so long since I was able to ply my trade. I require only that each of you shed your life's blood in this room - simply take a seat in one of my lovely chairs." The raven's dark eyes look unblinkingly at the party.
She was puzzled by this new turn of events, but Riley's actions suddenly made sense. Perhaps he was compelled to shed his blood?
Felix and Connor condemned the raven's actions, but Rhia couldn't help but wonder what it meant. It wanted to help them with whatever treasure it assumed they were going for, but at the cost of their blood... but what was that blood for?
The raven disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and in its stead, they began combat with some sort of strange winged scorpion creature.
With one of her daggers - not made of mithral - Rhia edged to the other side of the cauldron in the center of the room, well out of anyone's way, and aimed for anything that looked like a vital spot.
AC: 15 (Shield+Mage Armor)
Channel: 2/5, Lay on Hands: 3/4
The oracle moves by the cauldron and attempts to throw her dagger at the tiny creature. But alas her aim goes awry at the last second, missing any vital spots and the dagger lands with a dull clang on the stone floor below the winged creature.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Round 2
The diminutive creature is still in a daze and does not move to attack or defend itself.
Okay, adventurers are up!
Riley takes the opportunity to attack the dazed creature. Anila's magic gives him a chance to hit the devil where it hurts.
Connor watches Riley feel the sting of the creature and hefts his axe to try another swing at the villain!
The joint attacks of Riley and Connor are so savage and accurate that they pierce through the tiny, dazed creature and it falls to the stone floor, bleeding out and not moving.
The joint attacks of Riley and Connor are so savage and accurate that they completely sunder the tiny, dazed creature and it falls to the stone floor, bleeding out and not moving.
Connor looks at Riley and claps his hand in a fierce grip of friendship, then looks at the bleeding body of the thing below them with a dark look, wondering if it was truly dead, or if it was even alive to begin with.
That which is dead may never die...
He studies Riley critically for a moment.
"The blood suits you, my friend," he says with a grim smile, his chest heaving as the rage ebbs from him.
He turns and looks at the others.
"How fare the rest of you?" he asks them.
"Connor looks at Riley and claps his hand in a fierce grip of friendship."
Riley returns the hand clasp. He looks down at the blood after Connor's remarks. "All of these dangerous creatures and I bleed from sitting on a chair!"
"How fare the rest of you?" he asks them.
"No harm here," Rhialtyra confirmed, moving around the cauldron to the others. She retrieved her dagger and moved towards Riley, extending a hand to him. She hoped her powers would be a bit more cooperative this time.
"All of these dangerous creatures and I bleed from sitting on a chair!"
"Was it the creature, you think, that entranced you? Or perhaps you wanted to experience this S and M for yourself?" she asked, a hint of mischief in her voice.
She looked around, cautious of any other strange creatures, ravens or otherwise, appearing and then straightened out.
"Have we any notion what exactly this creature was?" she asked other others, curious. "It named itself Harzogopas, but I've never heard of the name nor seen any creature like it before." She thought back to the books she'd seen in the temples she'd studied at.
Still not entirely sure, she knelt next to the creature to examine it.
After the fight with the fiendish winged creature comes to an end, Riley continues his search of the chamber - actively seeking any secret doors. He manages to locate the secret door in the north east wall. He attempts to open it and finds it unlocked.
Riley grins at Rhia's jab. "Why yes. Would you like a turn? I think that is how it works."
He thanks the healer after her magic washes over him.
"Have we any notion what exactly this creature was?" she asked other others, curious. "It named itself Harzogopas, but I've never heard of the name nor seen any creature like it before." She thought back to the books she'd seen in the temples she'd studied at.
Connor glances at her, then his eyes move to the well-versed Bard, the mysterious Sorceress and finally the world-traveled Rogue and then he turns back to her.
"I am sorry, Rhialtyra Sunaki. I wracked my mind to recall any lore about of beings from other realms or Planes, yet I could recall nothing about such a creature," said the bloody-handed Reaver about their efforts to identify the creature.
"Yet it is certain that the beast was magical, for we all saw it's sorcery at work. Perhaps it would be wise to seek for magic in this place before we continue?" he says to her.
As he waits for a response to that, his eyes narrow and he recalls the kobolds he met who hailed from Osirion and he turns and strides to the plaque on the wall and studies it.
"This looks like bronze," he says slowly.
"It will fetch a good price, I deem, when we return to the town. For though it is not steel, bronze has many virtues," he adds.
He studies it carefully -
"What are these markings on it?" he asks the group, then ponders what they are and what they may mean before he takes it from the wall and stuffs it in his pack.
"Why yes. Would you like a turn? I think that is how it works."
"I think I'd rather stick to taking care of the hapless victims, I think," she said teasingly. She smiled at his thanks and returned her attention to Connor, the strange creature, and the room.
"Yet it is certain that the beast was magical, for we all saw it's sorcery at work. Perhaps it would be wise to seek for magic in this place before we continue?"
Rhialtyra nodded, turning to Anila; "What did you find before the fight?" she thought to ask as she began going through her gestures and reciting her incantation.
It would be a good idea, she assumed, to sort out what Anila saw before and what she herself saw now - if anything. The fight had likely broken the other aasimar's concentration, so she didn't think she'd be treading on the woman's toes by casting it herself.
AC: 15 (Shield+Mage Armor)
Channel: 2/5, Lay on Hands: 4/4 (All outta these!)
As Connor guesses on the markings he ponders the raw value of the bronze he holds.
You can only discover one magical aura in the dank chamber and it's of faint power/potency.
You do not notice any other visible sign of threat - no other visible creatures waiting to attack.
Throughout your long life and your religious studies and visits to temples in your sojourns, you conjecture that the creature that attacked your party has the appearance of a Devil. As to which Devil, you cannot say as you cannot determine its variety or its exact planar origin. Either way, Devils are nasty business.
You can note that the wounds inflicted were not as severe (based on the number of attacks on said creature) as you first thought - that some of the earlier wounds seemed to have knit clean. The creature's curved scorpion stinger at the end of its tail is where the venom is and as you carefully examine it, you believe this venom is powerful enough to immobilise its target (via effecting the body's agility). You thank the gods you were not stung or one of your companions. Having such a tail only reinforces your earlier conjecture that the creature may be a Devil.
The plaque with its rooster and cross-spears and its wording appears to be a family crest. From earlier hearing Rhia speak of Baron Sarvo (and also the mysterious, disappearing prisoner mentioned him), you believe it could to this Baron Sarvo's family crest. If that is the case, then perhaps one of the local historians of Belhaim would be interested in it or even the current ruling family, since Rhia did mention earlier that Baron Sarvo was an ancestor of the Devy's. You can determine its made from bronze and old in age via the aged discolouration/tarnish - patches of green tinges over the plaque.
It appears rather unwieldy - it is 2-1/2 feet in diameter and could weigh fifty or more pounds (you won't know until you try lifting it). Looking at it, you cannot affix a true value to the plaque, although you determine it could well be worth two hundred gold pieces.
Like Anila before her, Rhia can detect a magical aura inside the chamber.
Connor hefts the plague somewhat and his narrow at its weight.
"This is about fifty pounds or so, it is not light..." he mutters.
He looks up at the others.
"I will carry it for us, but at a fight I shall drop it, for I cannot carry it and do battle easily."
"I would wager it is roughly two-hundred gold pieces, possibly more to the right people... though I have been wrong before on such hunches," he says with a sidelong glance to Rhia when he considers the value of the daggers they found earlier.
"Someone study this thing; I do not want to carry it around for nothing, but I will not leave so much wealth behind when we have done naught but find clues to a mystery which - if solved - shall reward us with little wealth of note."
He turns to Riley -
"What did you find behind that hidden door?" he asks the rogue as he forces the plaque in the pack at his side.
As Connor waits for the others to attempt to identify the body of the creature besides him, or the heraldry on the shield, or reveal what is beyond the doorway, he glances at the body of the demon and his eyes narrow.
"Filthy creature," he growls.
"Some kind of devil, I think," Rhialtyra said finally, straightening after having examined the creature's remains. "And a venomous one at that. Beyond that, I cannot say." Frowning slightly, she added, "As far as I know, devils are involved with only bad things." That he called the torturer his master concerned her. He'd called her the best of the land, but Rhialtyra couldn't help but wonder what he wanted with the woman or she with him that they had bonded so.
Staring at the tail, a thought occurred to her and she cursed herself for not having examined the remains of the centipedes they'd dispatched earlier. She could only assume her shock at injury and combat at incapacitated her, but it was no excuse for a professional healer. She had much yet to learn. She knelt again to more carefully examine the devil's venom bits.
"Someone study this thing; I do not want to carry it around for nothing, but I will not leave so much wealth behind when we have done naught but find clues to a mystery which - if solved - shall reward us with little wealth of note."
At Connor's request, Rhialtyra thought back to his earlier - incorrect - assessment of the mithral daggers and ceded. She moved closer to him to take a look at the strange plaque he'd obtained and attempted to assess its value.
As he waits for Rhia to make her assessment he studies the corpse of the dead creature and a grim smile twists his lips. He takes his axe and makes sure to slice the sting from the corpse, then take his axe and slices through the neck of the creature and separates the head from its body.
"Some kind of devil, I think," Rhialtyra said finally, straightening after having examined the creature's remains. "And a venomous one at that. Beyond that, I cannot say." Frowning slightly, she added, "As far as I know, devils are involved with only bad things."
He considers Rhia's words for a moment, saying nothing.
Then he jerks a small cord from his gear and lashes it around the horns of the devil then lifts it up to hang the newly made trophy around his neck like a medallion.
He turns from his task to look up at Rhia -
”Thank you, Rhialtyra Sunaki. Did you learn anything else?” he asks her, and the group in general, with his usual affable courtesy.
Rhialtyra nodded, turning to Anila; "What did you find before the fight?"
Anila responds to Rhia, "I was only able to discern a magical presence prior to the fight in that chamber. Have you detected anything more?" she asks.
While she waits for a reply she listens to the group around her searching and trying to discern the various areas of concern.
There was an old tome you once read (shown to you by a known member of the Pathfinder Society in Oppara) that spoke of magic that could summon and bind Devils as familiars to casters in the Material Plane.
With Rhia's healer's knowledge, she can remove the tiny stinger from the tail of the creature and place it somewhere where she can't be poisoned in the handling of it. Using makeshift tools (and the fact that the stinger is tiny) to do this makes the procedure much more trickier and hazardous (as the stinger could be destroyed or the contents rupture). To synthesize an antidote requires a higher Heal check or Craft: Alchemy, so Rhia is unable to do that at present. (Also, a side note, whenever you apply or ready a poison for use, there is a 5% chance that you expose yourself to the poison and must save against the poison as normal (Fort Save DC 13). This does not consume the dose of poison. Whenever you attack with a poisoned weapon, if the attack roll results in a natural 1, you expose yourself to the poison. This poison is consumed when the weapon strikes a creature or is touched by the wielder.)
As you study the bronze plaque with your appraising eye, you aren't entirely certain, but you determine it is worth 80gp on the market.
As Connor has severed both the tail and head, he first listens to Anila's answer, then turns to hear Rhia's report.
As soon as he hears what he needs to hear, he will move forward to Riley and clap the rogue on his neck, then moves through the secret passage to study what is in the next room with the aid of Felix's lights...
As Connor opens the secret door he is met with darkness until Felix's dancing lights move past him and dance ahead in the space. He steps just outside and peers in the low-lit space.
Connor discovers another corridor, much like the last they had walked along/through. The corridor is 10ft wide and 30ft deep/long and then turns a sharp left. This section of the corridor is empty and free of debris.
Connor will turns to his companions -
"The tunnel stabs a short distance to the north, then bends sharply to the west," he says to the others.
"I do not know what is beyond the bend, but if we have naught else to do here, then perhaps we should advance?"
As he waits, a sudden thought occurs to him.
"Could this beast," he says, fingering the Imp's head dangling from his neck "have been summoned by the missing wizard?" he asks the others.
"He was not in his home, and now we find evidence of dark forces calling forth devils to do their bidding... Is that a coincidence?" he asks the others as he waits in the doorway.
Listening, Rhialtyra continued es to look around the room for further details on the magical aura she sensed.
You have both located a faint aura of power. It seems to start from the bronze plaque to the cauldron and rests around the dead, headless Devil. There are no other magical auras in the chamber.
Anila attempts to gather more information in regards to the magical aura she and Rhia detected.
Perhaps the creature had been summoned here and now was trapped as per his former mistress's instructions? It was strange to her all the same.
"I could be wrong, but I think this plaque is worth only seventy gold..." Rhialtyra said to Connor, a bit distracted by the aura she could sense.
She was disappointed about the stinger, but perhaps... "Is there anyone here familiar with the handling of poisons?" she asked. "This stinger contains the devil's venom and I think it could be useful to us." Considering Connor had already detached the tail, she didn't think it would be too difficult to take the stinger along, but she knew better than to risk it - such arrogance was how people poisoned themselves and she much preferred a more experienced man do it.
Assuming, of course, that they had one.
"This stinger contains the devil's venom and I think it could be useful to us."
Connor glances from his position by the door to the tail lying on the stones.
"If you wish to claim it, then I would guess that using some loose piece of wood to simply push it into a sack should be safe enough."
"When we return to the town perhaps you might find folk there who would pay for it, even if the poison has not yet been removed," he says with a shrug.
"I could be wrong, but I think this plaque is worth only seventy gold..."
"Perhaps it is only seventy, then. But perhaps a skilled tongue could persuade a buyer to a higher price?" he adds.
"Considering the dangers we have faced and the lack of wealth we have earned, I do not mind taking all the plunder from this place that I can carry," he says with a grim smile.
"Yet it is awkward to move..."
"Still, as it is not far from the entrance to this tower I could put what things we value in a large sack, make a dash for the tower opening and then leave the sack outside the entrance and be back quickly. No townsfolk will dare the entrance to this tower so soon after the collapse, it should be safe enough there until we return to claim it this evening," he says, glancing around at everyone in the group.
As he considers hauled plunder a sudden thought occurs to him.
"Is that cauldron there worth anything? I have heard many old tales when dark powers were brewed in black cauldrons, perhaps this may be one of those same sort of cauldrons, eh?" he says with a nod at the cauldron.
Riley leans against the wall and watches as the others look around.
"I do not know what is beyond the bend, but if we have naught else to do here, then perhaps we should advance?"
"I'll be happy to lead once everyone is done in here. That's a nice little necklace you have there Connor." Riley points at the imp's head and gives the warrior a smile.
Riley slowly leads the group North and then West, checking for traps and trouble.
"I'll be happy to lead once everyone is done in here."
Connor glances at Riley.
"If Felix gives us light, then I shall follow you," he says in response as he waits for the others to decide what they shall do.
"That's a nice little necklace you have there Connor." Riley points at the imp's head and gives the warrior a smile.
"Aye... well, all that is gold does not glitter," he says somewhat cryptically and with a small smile in response.
Then, shaking his head as if to push aside some old memory, he glances at the room for a moment, then turns back to Riley.
"As for this?" he says, fingering the decapitated devil's head - "It seems to me that to the sons of Men and Elves this trophy is more rare than gems and jewels. Let our enemies see it, and let them fear it, and us."
Riley slowly leads the group North and then West, checking for traps and trouble.
When Riley formally advances, Connor shall follow him, not far behind...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Felix follows along with the group, internally rethinking his life's direction and making minor changes to himself for the betterment of all...of course none of his companions know this as they have not known him very long.
Felix follows along with the group, internally rethinking his life's direction and making minor changes to himself for the betterment of all...
Connor glances to Felix and nods to himself, glad that the Man-Cat is now using his lights to allow the party to move forward.
Noting the others in the party are ready to advance as well, and that no one has a particular desire to store the heavier items they found in safety, he shrugs his shoulders and continues to advance with Riley, helping the Rouge search for traps...
From your studies of magic, it seems the Devil had limited magic available to it even after its Mistress' death.
The two of you can easily identity one of the spells as an illusion/glamer which allowed the Devil to make itself invisible but the other was harder to identity and was probably the magic that had over-ridden Riley's will and made him sit down in the spiky iron chair to his detriment.
Grabbing one of the tools of torture off the table, Rhialytra manages to severe the stinger neatly from the Devil's body and wrap it in an old, stained linen also found on the table in the chamber. She stows it carefully in her pack and the ladies follow behind the leaders, Riley and Connor, with Felix remaining at the back to ensure they are not set upon from behind.
The group continues to follow the corridor; Felix's dancing lights bobbing along and providing them light in the otherwise dark passageway.
Riley continues to watch/search for traps, but the long, twisted corridor proves to be clear of mounds of debris, threats and traps.
When you reach the end of the longer corridor (the one facing south), the party notices that the floor drops here as the corridor turns east. There appears to be a seven-inch-wide ledge (on the map it's highlighted in a salmon pink) which continues along the south wall. You can determine, via the magical light source, that the walls in this corridor are very smooth and offer very few handholds. You can see that the remainder of the passageway is filled with a five-foot deep trough filled with foul-smelling, thick green sludge.
Riley moves along the edge first.
Felix will go immediately after him.
Connor watches the nimble folk moving ahead to scout the edge.
His hand rests on his small pack and he considers the rope he has. In this case, he wonders if someone like Felix held a rope on one end, and Riley held it on the other end, if he and the others could stay balanced on the ledge with greater ease by using the rope between them as a crude "handrail"...
He intends to suggest that very thing, but for now he will wait until they are able to turn the corner and see what threats are around the bend. After all, if there is some sort of enemy around the corner, better to discover it before they all tried their luck.
Still, he stares at the slime and wonders what it was.
The tower had been fairly dry so far; where did this moisture come from? How did it get here? How deep was it? And - most importantly - was it connected to what caused the drowning in the quarry to the east?
As he ponders these things, he bends down to study the slime.
If it was not dangerous, he had no trouble simply plunging into it and either wading or swimming through it; but if it was dangerous, that was another matter altogether.
The green substance in the trough does not appear to be slime. If someone falls in, it would make it very difficult to walk/move through as you gauge the sludge about a foot deep. Also, it doesn't look very safe to deal with. You know no more than that.
Riley and Felix manage to navigate the slippery, narrow ledge with sureness of foot and move to the middle section of the ledge.
Felix waits behind Riley tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for the rogue. After a moment he whispers, Riley, perhaps going around the corner will enable us to...you know...see what's around the corner. He smirks a bit as he is saying so to let Riley know he is poking gentle fun.
Anila waits to see what is around the corner before committing to a decision on crossing the ledge.