Zilchus crits, and misses, though is hit is substantial. Stelle hits once (Heroism is still going) and also manages decent damage between her two hits. Florence only tweaks orange as he makes his save, though it was closer then expected. Nidhi misses, shooting through cover, though she comes close. Benedictus fires his crossbow at orange and reloads, still waiting to see if these two are a real threat. He connects!
The cultists look displeased, or would could you see through their masks. As it is, their passionless visages stare at you as they do what they can to survive. Orange presses Zilchus, while green attacks Stelle. They both shift around the statue, trying to find advantageous positions.
and Fort DC 15 or be stunned one round.
and Fort DC 15 or be stunned one round.
Zilchus grunts as he is struck twice.
Fort vs. DC15
He plans how to take down this fist and foot flailing jerk.
Round 2, Init 21
Zilchus takes a few hits and upgrades his estimation of the skill of the guard. After all, the pair of them rushed to defend their cult against 5 armed invaders without a thought or worry.
Zilchus swings back, this time for blood, figuring his first blow would suffice to knock him out.
to hit; (+hero, +bard, +grunt)
adamantine slashing damage. (+bard,+hope)
to hit; (+hero, +bard, +grunt)
adamantine slashing damage. (+bard,+hope)
[ dice]1d20+14+2+2[/dice] to hit; (+hero, +bard)
[ dice]2d4+13+2+2[/dice] adamantine slashing damage. (+bard,+hope)
[ dice]1d20+7+2+2[/dice] to hit; (+hero, +bard)
[ dice]2d4+13+2+2[/dice] adamantine slashing damage. (+bard,+hope)
HP: 69/90
AC: 26/23 + 3 SoF (7 armor+1, 2 dex, 1 dodge, +3 buckler +2 ring)
DF:0/10
Weap: 0/10 rounds used (+2 bonus/flame/frost)
Grunting/Summoning: 2/8 used (+5)
Quick Prayer: 1/8 used
PoP1: 1/1 used
Armor: 0/10 minutes used
Crocodilic Aura: 0/2 used/smite: 0/4 used (5d6)
Smite: not used
Grit: not used
Panache: are you kidding me?
Ki: not used
Rage: maybe later
Orange fails to resist Florence!
Round 2:
Nidhi continues to sing as she lines up another shot This time, she moves up and aims at the green enemy
Annie tries for a snack.
for
for
"Drop it," Stelle commands Anubis, referring to Green's dismembered limb.
She repositions and attacks again.
for
for
for
Blech! Annie spits out the limb.
Zilchus slashes the cultist, drawing blood. Stelle’s Annubis very nearly does rip the mans arm off, but he persists - even through Stelle’s followup attack. Florence dazes orange, even as she piles on the damage. Nidhi steps to the door and lines up a shot, nailing green and dropping him hard. Benedictus seeing they are on their last legs, fires his crossbow at orange through cover, but misses.
The green cultist on Stelle explodes in a blinding light after Nidhi’s hit, effecting Stelle and Annubis (DC 18 Fort or be blinded 1r). In a new twist, fiery snakes leap out of the conflagration, and attempt to lash out, but they only have 5’ reach, and so no one is effected.
Orange steps up to Florence with a strange grin on his face shouting, ”You shall not capture me for torture and worse!” he too explodes in a fiery cataclysm, dying in the process and potentially blinding Florence and Zilchus as well as damaging both… DC 18 Reflex for half.
The room grows quiet.
Reflex
Zilchus heroically turns his face away from the exploding jerk, a look of disappointment on his face.
"Damnit! Didn't you hear!? I wanted you alive!" Zilchus grunts in frustration at the ashes of the man. "Would it have been so hard to try to live for a bit longer?"
Zilchus shakes his head, still peeved. He licks his wounds.
CLW from wand
CLW from wand
CLW from wand
CLW from wand
CLW from wand
CLW from wand
Stelle looks around, and in a hushed voice asks, "Is everyone O.K.?" She moves to one side of the door and listens.
Either the door is very thick, or there is no one in the next chamber - Stelle hears nothing through the door. It does seem a rather heavy door - made of the same type of stone as the outer door.
"O.K.," Stelle says quietly, leaning her Lance up against the wall. "I don't hear anything, and this door seems quite heavy. If there are no objections, we could set watches and rest here for awhile."
I have your watch rotations (thanks Zilchus) as:
First:8pm to 12pm: Ben & Stingy
Second:12pm to 4am: Cahal, Florence & Bynx
Third:4am to 8am: Zilchus & Nidhi
For now, I’ll assume you slot in Stelle and Anubis for Cahal, but you might want to change that up. Please let me know.
- - -
The party leaves the bodies where they lie, and makes camp around them, trusting that the grass-reed mats hide nothing. :)
About a couple hours into your rest, Benedictus is alarmed by the interior doors opening! A solitary cultist pokes his head in to check on the two guards stationed here. Instead he finds the party camped around their dead bodies, blood still pooled and cooling on the flagstone floor. He wields a long spear and breastplate.
Benedictus (acts in surprise round)
Florence
Nidhi
Stelle
Zilchus
Good Folk
- - -
Benedictus tries to stall for time, speaking loudly and clearly to the cultist who just walked in. ”Good sir, the girtablilu just sent us here, to meet with their other clanmate, Rubila. We came upon your dead here, and, er, uh, were exhausted you see. From crossing the desert. So we decided to rest, for fear there were more dead inside. We did not know you were alive. Oh, that’s wonderful!”
”Please, let us pass so that we may carry our message.”
(circumstance bonus for a good story if I do say so myself...)
The cultist tilts his head a bit as if trying to parse what was said. It seemed to make sense, yet…
… He buys it, and hesitates, essentially delaying until after the party. He shakes his head though and says, "Wait a minute. If you're carrying a message for the girtablilu, why aren't any of them with you? And why didn't you tell them of the dead here?"
He begins to see through the rather thin story.
We are still very much in rounds, and if you wish to continue the blather, please make diplomacy/bluff checks as needed. The sweat beading on Benedictus’ forehead from his attempt shows you how far he’s stretched to buy this much time. Also remember you're just waking up, so you need to stand to do anything useful (move action) and you're probably not wearing medium or heavy armor (to avoid fatigue).
Anubis rises. Lowering his head slightly while fixing his gaze on the intruder he growls threateningly.
Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, Stelle stands and starts securing a sheet over her body, thankful that for once she does not have to wake her dog.
"Quiet, Anubis."
She clears her throat gently. "Having just heard word that one of their own was murdered in the desert, the Girtabilu thought most prudent to scour the nearby area outside this fortress in an effort to find the perpetrator. We looked a bit for the Girtabilu, but we could not find them. Tired, we came back thinking it best to rest here and await their return," she explains. "Or -- as it has turned out -- your arrival." She says, gesturing to the lone cultist.
When Anubis snorts and growls again, Stelle pats him on the side. "There, there -- leave it," she says quietly.
Anubis! You old dog! You always know what I'm thinking. Let's hope they don't catch our bluff!
Always a light sleeper, Zilchus awakes and rises.
Ben nods to Stelle's story, and tries to calmly explain the presence of the dead bodies around the party. "Yes, and the bodies, hum, we found them here. It was a mystery for us too, but all we wanted was to rest. You can come give them a look if you want."
”All the same, I think I’d better raise the alarm. After all, two of us are dead.” he thinks a moment, and comes to a decision, ”You wait here and guard the entrance. I’ll be right back with orders.”
He nods, and takes a single move back the way he came, leaving the door open behind him. You see the next chamber over his shoulder…
The upper walls of this room are open to a larger chamber that surrounds it, leaving a large gap between the top of the walls and the ceiling of the larger chamber of about five feet. So imagine you’re in a small room inside a larger room. You share the floor and the ceiling and the east wall, but the larger room is larger in the other directions. The ceiling is 20’ tall, but the walls of the room you’re in only go up 15’.
The outer room is well lit both from directly above and from somewhere to the west proving enough general light for this chamber as well. On either side of the room, a graven eye stares at its twin on the opposite wall. A carved image of a ferociously snarling six-legged sphinx with dragon wings decorates the door at the far end of the room, carved so realistically it seems ready to leap off the door at any moment.
The cultist bows reverently at the images as he passes and walks up to the far, closed, door. He has his back, trustingly, to the party.
Round 2
Zilchus shrugs and begins to hastily don his armor.
"Hey Flo," says the be-loinclothed Zilchus, "...can you give me a hand with this? It might go faster."
Wow, he could have asked Nidhi! Hasn't he been carrying a torch parasol for her this whole time? He's missed a chance!
Stelle shrugs. "Well, we can't be expected guard unless we suit up..."
Stelle also begins to speed-dress and harness up Anubis.
"Nidhi, would you help me, please?"
"Dammit!" Ben curses under his breath as the cultist manifests his intention to go fetch more guards.
If we have rested
Ben casts invisibility on himself and stealthily follows the cultist.
If we have not rested
Ben cannot cast invisibility, so he decides to move to the entrance to the room the party is currently in and scribe one potent rune on the floor, activating his scroll of symbol of pain in the process. He will exclude all the party from the effects of the spell, and set "step on the rune" as its trigger.
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"It's...you tighten it this way, right?"
Zilchus jumps as if goosed...possibly because he was.
”Ow! Stop! What? There’s not a place for that hook down there!” Zilchus rubs down there. ”There is not an *in* slot down there! That’s exit only!” Zilchus tries to ignore that event and put his armor on...but now with more and clearer instructions to Flo.
”Yes, that strap there, turn it counterclockwise, no the other counterclockwise...yes, that’s good...now that cup, it goes...uhm...let me do that part...my shoulder piece...if you would...”
The party takes a few short minutes to suit up, and silence continues to greet them from within. Occasionally you thinki you might hear something from within the larger room to the west over the walls, but you're not sure. Could just be the mind playing tricks...
What do you do? Do you press on or wait longer? If so, how long do you wait?
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Round 1:
Nidhi rises groggily and somewhat cranky. Her single, thick braid has hair poking out and what would be her bangs are shiny with dried sweat from wearing the mask. What's going on?
Round 2:
After recently risen herself, she shrugs and wraps her mask under her cloak where there would be a bulge if she were pregnant. (To save time.) Her waist scarf loops below and above the mound. "Of course," Nidhi is indifferent of which party member she helps, having no preference, but a slow smile creeps across her face as she appreciates the "nakedness" of her muscular allies.
Nidhi's slender fingers, adept at threading needles and arrows, operate the various straps and buckles on Stelle's armor. She tries to work quickly.
~*~*~*~*~*~
In a husky, just-woke-up voice, Nidhi adds: "Friends, my traveling companions speak the truth."
After everyone is suited up, Stelle dons the Sleeves of many garments and activates the "Hafling Jockey" outfit.
She opens the heavy door that leads further into the compound a crack, and takes a peak inside.
Stelle turns to her companions. "This room looks as though it's an aerie for Archers... what do you say we bypass it before the alarm is activated?"
Nidhi's aid is successful, but does not change the watchman's actions.
Stelle thinks she hears breathing beyond the next door - in the large room. When the watchman passed through this room, he pushed open the next door without difficulty, but it could have been locked behind him - hard to know. Just making you aware.
The cultist bows reverently at the images as he passes and walks up to the far, closed, door. He has his back, trustingly, to the party.
Round 3:
Nidhi follows the guide, staying 10 feet behind him and bows at the same artwork that he does. "What beautiful walls. Who do you worship?"
Actually, Nidhi, that would have dramatically changed what happened. You said in your last post you were suiting up Stelle, so I am going with that (it takes 4 minutes, not rounds). You did not follow the cultist just now as a result.
However, you can examine the artwork from the door. They are images of Areshkagal in various poses. Rather nicely done too, though they are very old and somewhat worn with the passage of time.
If you are studying the art, please move yourself on the map, thanks. It's been 4 minutes, and the clock is ticking. They could arrive any moment...
This guy didn't quite go to his hands and knees - but did bow very deeply.
- - -
Nidhi, level up when you can. You're not the only one. :)
They are images of Areshkagal in various poses.
Nidhi, a neutral character (but theatrical at times), keeps an impartial expression on her face. She'd stolen bed sheets and cast charm spells on her foes. Who was she to judge a questionable choice in wall decor?
Nidhi, I think someone made a check at one point to know that Areshkagal is a demon lord - so chaotic evil is likely.
Florence, there are no living cultists in the room with you. The only living cultist came and went. The two you discovered here earlier in the evening you killed.
Stelle thinks she hears breathing in the next room, but I assume the party is speaking generally quietly and your voices won't carry that far - unless they have perceptions like some in the party. :)
So what does the party do? So far, everyone is sort of standing around. I'll move us forward in the morning pending any responses.
"Should we get past this next room before its walls are covered in archers? Or should we try to bluff more when they come back?"
She jerks her head in the direction of the next room in an inviting manner.
"I say we should press on now, as quietly as possible avoiding the cultists or killing them otherwise."
"Shall we? Let's go find the other pieces of Chisisek, Rubila -- or the bee!"
Nidhi nods silently at Stelle's suggestion.
Zilchus, now fully be-armored, will follow whatever the group decides. He will walk with his weapon cord on his left wrist, his left hand on his scimitar.
Yes! And if we manage to slip past them while they're on their way back to the entrance, Ben's trap therein will just blow them up!
With urging from Flo, Zilchus moves to the next door an opens it.
Zilchus moves to the door, and not being a worshipper of Areshkagal, doesn’t kneel or bow at the images.
Unfortunately, two sphinx materialize to protect the door from un-worshipful strangers wandering by… A cold-eyed falcon's head and great wings adorn the body of these otherwise leonine creatures. They roar their displeasure, and prepare to attack!
- - -
Benedictus (acts in surprise round)
Florence
Nidhi
Stelle
Zilchus
Good Folk
Benedictus, GMPC, identifies the enemy…
He doesn’t know much, but he suspects they’re not too tough, he’s just unfamiliar. As such, he takes out and loads his crossbow and, thanks to the surprise round action, tries a Grease spell on the far sphinx to keep it from Zilchus!
The sphinx’s leap to attack, with red starting in un the irreligious Zilchus.
The other, tries to resist the grease.
vs DC 18
...and falls spread eagled on the floor - which is a nice trick with four legs.
vs DC 10 to move.
He takes a move action to stand, and tries moves out of the grease, but he fails.
vs DC 18
...and again falls prone in the messy substance. He uses his second move to stand as I don't think it was used to move as he didn't move.
The aren't resistant to anything in particular, nor do they have any special weaknesss. They do have two special attacks though... pounce and shriek.
Shriek (Su) The shrill shriek of a hieracosphinx deafens non-sphinxes within a 60-foot-radius spread for 2d4 rounds (DC 16 Fortitude negates). Once a creature successfully saves against this effect, it is immune to the hieracosphinx's shriek for 24 hours. Using this ability is a standard action.
You also know that they are the least intelligent of the common sphinxes. Hieracosphinxes are a cowardly, cruel-hearted lot. All are male. They despise the larger and cleverer androsphinxes and criosphinxes. Toward gynosphinxes they hold a twisted mix of a lust and hate, simultaneously envying their beauty and power while craving them as mates. Hieracosphinxes attack other sphinxes whenever they have them at a disadvantage. Male sphinxes of other species they tear to shreds or drive away, whereas they prefer to leave gynosphinxes ravaged but alive. The other species of sphinx likewise hold nothing but disdain for hieracosphinxes, and typically attack these vile beasts on sight.
Florence feels a shudder as she entered the room, but two new sphinx do not appear. :)
Round 1:
Nidhi's eyes widen in surprise. She remembers the time she was pushed down a flight of stairs by a similar beast. "Guardians?"
Tired but not exhausted on spells, Nidhi casts Good Hope and begins to sing, inspiring the party.
Stelle scowls as the Sphinx materialize, and directs Anubis into a spirited charge.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
+2 dodge bonus to AC
+3 morale bonus on saving throws against fear
+2 morale bonus on attack rolls made as part of a charge
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Stelle: Hits: 91
Annie: Hits: 90 + Lvl 11 hits
Stelle AC: 28
Anubis AC: 28
Buffs: +2 AC, Courage, Hope
Saves:
Fort: +9 (+1 Con, +Cloak, +Luck)
Reflex: +6 (+2 Dex, +Cloak, +Luck)
Will: +6/+10 vs. Fear (+Blood of Pharaohs, +Luck, +Cloak) (+2 Fearless, +2 Banner)
Challenge: 2/3
AC: 28 (+3 Shield, Size, Amulet of Nat. Armor +1, Dodge) flat footed = 22 (Size, +10 plate armor, Amulet of Nat. Armor +1),Touch = 13 (+2 dex, +1 Size)
BAB: +11/+6/+1 (+2 Lance, -3 PA, +4 when charging with Annie, +1 when charging)
Heavy Shield (mithral): (+1to hitMW) (1d3+Str+PA damage) (x2 on a Crit), (+8 on challenge)
Lance, MW: (+2 to hit) ((1d6+Str+PA+Lance)x3(Spirited Charge)), (x6 on a Crit), (+8 on challenge)
Hammer (Ag): (+1 to hitMW) (1d3+Str+PA +1damage), (x2 on a Crit), (+8 on challenge)
Glaive (Cold Fe): (+1 to hitMW) (1d8+Str+PA+1 damage), (x3 on a Crit), (+8 on challenge)
Scimitar (Cold Fe: (+1 to hitMW) (1d4+Str+P+1 damage), (x2 on an 18-20 Crit), (+8 on challenge)
Composite Shortbow: (+1 to hitMW) (1d4+Dex +2 Str damage +1), (x3 on a Crit), (+8 on challenge)
Round 1, Init 7
Zilchus is slow to warm up after waking and almost rushing to get his armor on, so when the sphinxes attack he was slow to act.
Drawing his blade and moving (provoking before attacking, AC 26) to a slightly less awful spot, Zilchus swings back.
to hit; (+bard,+hope)
adamantine slashing damage. (+bard)
[ dice]1d20+14+2+2[/dice] to hit; (+hero, +bard)
[ dice]2d4+13+2+2[/dice] adamantine slashing damage. (+bard,+hope)
[ dice]1d20+7+2+2[/dice] to hit; (+hero, +bard)
[ dice]2d4+13+2+2[/dice] adamantine slashing damage. (+bard,+hope)
HP: 90/90
AC: 26/23 (7 armor+1, 2 dex, 1 dodge, +3 buckler +2 ring)
DF:0/10
Weap: 0/10 rounds used (+2 bonus/flame/frost)
Grunting/Summoning: 1/8 used (+5)
Quick Prayer: 1/8 used
PoP1: 1/1 used
Armor: 0/10 minutes used
Crocodilic Aura: 0/2 used/smite: 0/4 used (5d6)
Smite: not used
Grit: not used
Panache: are you kidding me?
Ki: not used
Rage: maybe later