Zilchus tries to return pain for pain, but finds little luck. Benedictus webs the room pinning down Zilchus’ opponents. Nidhi GMPC moves into the hallway (double move) so she can provide archery support. She continues to inspire courage - and don’t forget about Good Hope. Florence holds the blue scimitar in place. Stelle and Annubis clear the hallway.
Spear green tries to get free of the webbing so he can continue his attacks unfettered.
vs DC 19
The man with the scimitar though tries his best to take a slice out of Zilchus, a nearly impossible task with webs holding him back.
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It's a group of yahoos doing a very fun, well done version Giantslayer AP using Pathfinder. It's called the Glass Cannon Podcast.
In that series, one of the yahoos called the rolled 2d6 that resulted in double 1's as 'boxcars'. They laughed at him, because double 6's are boxcars when you're rolling dice.
Anyhoot, listen to the fun things in the podcasts using your ears.
Round 2, Init 3
Zilchus takes a moment to refocus and try again to hit the bad man who's trying to hit him.
to hit; (+bard)
adamantine slashing damage. (+bard)
to hit; (+bard)
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: 80/90
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: 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
Round 3:
Nidhi begins to sing, inspiring the party, and takes out her longbow.
Without much urging on her part at all, Anubis does an about face and charges back down the hallway.
"For Wati!" Stelle chatters under her breathe.
for
for
She levels her lance at the remaining Cultist.
"Anyone else?" she asks, eyebrow raised.
Zilchus makes a couple valiant swings - and thanks to the grapple, manages to connect once! Benedictus watches the fight with interest, stepping back, drawing, and loading his crossbow. Stelle charges in and, through cover, criticals brown pinning him to the door behind him as he pops explosively! Nidhi swoops in and prepares. Florence gives Zilchus the edge on his next attacks.
Zilchus please make a DC 18 Reflex to take half of
Everyone please make a DC 18 Fort save or be blinded 1r. Including the last man standing…
Unable to get a clean shot on Stelle, green takes his vengeance out on Zilchus, blinded as he is!
”We will never surrender! Even in death, I shall serve the master!"
And with that he 5' steps into the middle of the party and explodes!
Everyone make a DC 18 Reflex to take half of
The halls grow quiet as the echos from the explosion die down.
”We will never surrender! Even in death, I shall serve the master!"
"Oh, do be quiet, you --"
"-- Oh, oh dear. Well, I guess he's gone now? Let's turn some lights back on, and look for this 'master' of theirs..."
Reflex
Fort
Reflex
Zilchus burns. He grunts. He hates these cultists almost as much as the party mask wearer.
Blinded momentarily, the first spear drills Zilchus in the side.
Zilchus will grouchily hold up his holy symbol when he regains his sight, asking the Great Croc to show some mercy and heal the party.
channel
He will use the dwindling wand of CMW to patch himself further.
CMW
”Ben? Ben? Wake up!” Zilchus looks at Ben, then points to the sticky webbing that prevents him from entering the room. ”You there, man? Can you dismiss this so we can check this room out?”
When Ben dismisses the webbing (or it goes away on its own), he will step in to explore the room and loot the exploded.
Perception
"Hrm? Oh, right! Sorry, just thinking." Benedictus dispels his webbing, freeing the party to search the room.
As mentioned previously, this small room contains four wooden cots with legs carved to resemble lions’ paws. A padded neck rest and a thin cotton sheet rest atop each cot. Above each cot, a niche cut in the wall serves as a shallow shelf, and is adorned with a carved figure of a snarling sphinx looking out into the room. Four wicker stools sit in a corner of the room next to a small wooden chest.
Zilchus finds nothing of particular interest in the room, though the bodies, or rather the piles of ash, have a few tidbits...
Cure Moderate Wounds potion (x6)
Breastplate +1 (x2)
Scale Mail +1 (x2)
Longspear +1 (x2)
Scimitar +2 (x2)
Longbow, composite (+3), masterwork (x2)
Gilt wooden funerary masks and cash worth 85gp (x4)
Once all the loot is discovered and gathered, and the healing is dispensed, Stelle moves onto the next door and listens.
Stelle hears nothing of substance behind the door, or in the immediate vicinity.
The next room is very much like the first. You seem to have found the barracks of the cultists. No one is here as Florence surmised and Stelle confirmed.
In fact several rooms in the area are bunks - all currently empty. From the looks of it though, you've killed most of the current cultist inhabitants. At least the ones that stay here in the bunks.
I've opened up several rooms on the map - they're all bunks, but largely unoccupied with only a couple-three cultists staying in each room as far as you can tell.
Nidhi begins to search through their beds, lifting up pillows, running her hands under the sheets, and checking for lumps on the mattress stuffing. "Let's see what they have squirreled away." Nidhi seems more interested in possible nicknacks over armor.
Nidhi is frustrated as she seeks something personal from the cultists. It seems they live under a monastic lifestyle - or strict military. She can find little to identify an individual. Sure there are occasional odds and ends, a hair brush here, a clasp there, but not much really to speak of and little of value save what they have on them.
Stelle lines up behind Florence and listens.
After healing, Zilchus will also move up to examine the next door.
Perception
When others are ready, he’ll ask Nidhi or Florence to open the door. His sword will be ready.
The group moves up cautiously to the corner and peers around to see the hallway continuing on in silence. If there's anyone around the next corner, they're being extremely quiet.
The party gets into position and opens the nearest door. Clouds of steam fill this room, and rivulets of water drip down the rough stone walls. In the southwest corner of the room, carved stone seats ring a rippling pool of water - the source of the humid mist coiling through the air. A lump of rock rises above the waterline in the center of the pool, its silhouette disturbingly organic, as if a great beast were poised to erupt from the water. On the wall behind the pool, carvings of clawed tentacles reach up from the mist.
Zilchus looks in, waiting for the results of Florence’s detections.
”Why would they have guards stationed outside the baths? That’s just weird.”
Perception
Florence finds no magic within the 30' of the spells range, which doesn't go very far into the cavernous room. Zilchus, from the door, sees nothing new as well.
Nidhi walks over to stand next to Florence and casts Detect Magic. "It doesn't look like a pool. It looks like some water leaked in."
On the wall behind the pool, carvings of clawed tentacles reach up from the mist
With a straight face, Nidhi comments: "You think a giant sand octopus moved in and they decided to let the creature stay?" It makes the most sense.
"Yes," chirps Stelle cheerily, "maybe it's a pet..."
Stelle trots into the room to take a closer look at the 'bath'.
Nidhi finds no traps and Stelle strides into the room. It does not smell particularly organic in here. The place appears to be clean.
GMPC, as the party gets a little closer to the pool, they'll eventually notice the glimmer of silver, or perhaps platinum, from some small object at the bottom. The pool is shallow, just 3' or so deep.
Do you reach in to pluck the item, whatever it is?
Zilchus will re-cast Shield of Faith, preparing to enter the totally safe bath room to get Nidhi's bauble.
He will move up and take a really good gander around.
Stelle moves into position to watch both doors for intruders while everyone checks out the steam room.
"Be careful, that bauble might be hot."
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Nothing else seems to stir within the water, and Zilchus finds nothing of note in the chamber, though it will take some time to make a careful search - it's a large chamber. He looks from where he stands for now (2 minutes).
Benedictus hurumphs, "Yes, I have that prepared this day, though I must get quite close. Ahh well."
He walks up to the edge of the pool and summons forth the artifact by magic. He hands it to Florence - it's a platinum circlet set with a brilliant oval diamond (worth 1,150 gp). "For you my dear." he smiles warmly, though clearly something is on his mind.
Benedictus looks at the party solemnly, but none so mournfully as the way he looks at Florence. ”Look, er, this is not for me clearly. I had the best time with you all in the libraries of Tephu, and I feel that is my calling, or, dare I say it, the capital of Osiria itself, for really what is keeping me here?”
He looks at Florence.
”But I must go. I am nearly out of spells, and can be of little assistance to you now. I’ve helped you get this far, but now I really must find my own path. You have the wand of endure elements to get you back. I’m sure that will be enough…” he trails off a bit uncertainly.
”I’m sorry.”
As if unable to process any further comment, or pleas to remain, he quickly unfurled a scroll he was keeping for emergencies. He reads the words slowly, as if not wanting them to come to fruition. He risks one more wistful glance at the woman in his heart… and teleports away.
The room is quieter with him gone… and maybe a little colder.
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Nidhi stands next to Zilchus and elbows him to get his attention, "look at that. Research over love." She observes Florence with her hand on her hip, head tilted. I didn't get that closure with Cahal. No. Stop. I can't be jealous now. Besides we never progressed to the point of being a couple. She looks up at the 'big oaf' to see what he thinks of the situation. The original group had certainly shrunk since they first set out, gaining and losing various members along the way.
After Ben teleports away, Nidhi approaches Florence. "Well it looks like you got your engagement present. Question is, are you going to wait for him?" A slow smiles creeps on Nidhi's lips, her eyes playful. One of us. One of us. One of us.
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”I’m sorry.”
Zilchus looks at Ben, fury on his face.
"What? NO!" Zilchus says, irritated and feeling betrayed. "No, Ben! We're in this together and you don't get to leave us like this. No! Don't you..."
Zilchus runs at Ben, angry and hurt and feeling betrayed.
"We were going to make you a...a...man. You don't get to get us here and abandon us like this," he complains, still furious, and deeply wounded. He irrationally raises his sword as he runs at Ben, hearing what the man intends.
"Don't you dare read that scro..." Zilchus swings his blade through man and scroll...even as the final words of the spell take effect.
* * *
Zilchus looks as if he both can't believe Ben left them and that his sword failed to connect in anger at the man. He watches the sliced shard of scroll fall to the floor.
"What the piddlespot!?!" Zilch roars, glaring at Flo, then Nidhi accusingly. He had suffered a similar anger towards Nidhi after her treatment and now wonders if Florence had been tormenting Ben in the same manner.
"What did you do!?" Zilch points his blade at Florence, looking for answers and irrationally angry.
Zilchus holds his sword out, anger causing it to quaver. He glares at Florence and then at the spot where Ben was.
"You...LOVED HIM?" Zilchus asks, his face straining with incredulity. "Please. More like you lead him on." Zilchus lowers his sword, disgusted. He doesn't know if he believes Florence, but also knows he would be disgusted if she did love him and this is how Ben repaid that.
Zilchus turns away, still angry. He walks away, then spins.
"Well, what now? What do you piddlespotters want to do now?" Zilchus demands angrily, looking from face to face.
She loved him? Ha. We'll see.
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The party hears a crunching noise as Nidhi breaks into a bag of popcorn. This is good. The bard offers some to Stelle. Mouth full of food, Nidhi commentates: "either Zilchus doesn't know anything about love." Nidhi smiles michieviously, remembering the barge and it's memorable occupant. "Ooooor, Zilchus doesn't like fat chicks! I mean, everyone knows a pillowy chest is best paired with a muscular physique." Nidhi nods to herself, imagining the Wati guardswomen. "Although, I'd settle for a nice pair of pecs," Nidhi conceeds. She laughs, "How about you, Zilchus? Would sizeable pectoral muscles and a snake down under tempt you?" Nidhi laughs again, enjoying the crude humor and teasing. "You know, I've heard snakes come cheaper than clams!" She laughs harder and clutches her middle.
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"Look, er, this is not for me clearly. I had the best time with you all in the libraries of Tephu, ... "
Unexpectedly hearing a strange sad tone permeate Ben's voice, Stelle pivots Anubis so that she can still see both doors and her companions. She watches baffledly, possibly in shock as Ben reads a scroll and the sword wielding Zilchus rushes him, but before she can move to intervene it's over.
No... no -- he's never used a scroll before just to turn invisible.
Florence's helpless and lost gaze is returned by Stelle in an equally helpless shrug. She opens her mouth as if to say something, but nothing comes out.
"What the piddlespot!?!" Zilch roars, glaring at Flo, then Nidhi accusingly. "What did you do!?"
Stelle's aspect turns from shock to catastrophic horror as Zilchus raises his sword to Florence, then slides into the glaze of dazed curiosity. He's not going to hurt her, but evidently I missed something. I always miss things. She partakes of the popcorn Nidhi offers. "Oh, thank you."
"You...LOVED HIM?" Zilchus asks, his face straining with incredulity. "Please. More like you lead him on.""You don't know anything about Ben or me or love. All you know is whatever the 'Great Crocodile' and your little head tell you."
Stelle munches, thoroughly engrossed.
"either Zilchus doesn't know anything about love. Ooooor, Zilchus doesn't like fat chicks! I mean, everyone knows a pillowy chest is best paired with a muscular physique."
Stelle's gaping stare relocates from Zilch and Florence to Nidhi. She then blinks rapidly a few times, replaying what Nidhi said in her head. I... I didn't know that.
She finishes the popcorn remaining in her hand, then retrieves the platinum circlet and offers it to Florence. "I'm certain we'll be able to find him when we're finished here. Would you mind carrying this until we have it identified?"
She turns to her companions. "I know this is not the best time, but we must keep moving to clear out the cultists. Take some time to pull together, then let's press on."
Stelle moves to the northeast door, and when everyone is ready, she uncerimoniously flings it open, checks the hallway before proceeding, and moves toward the hallway leading east.
Stelle hears, lightly, as if from far off perhaps, the light dusting of bat wings. Hard to know really, as quite as those creatures are. If it was a bat, it was from the north - perhaps even outside...
She hears no threat however, at least not yet.
When, eventually, the party investigates the hall, you find the eastern passage ends in a door, and the western in a wall. Curiously, the stone doesn’t match the sandstone used to build the rest of the Sphinx, and judging by its smooth surface, the wall must have been placed here deliberately some time later.
"Ooooor, Zilchus doesn't like fat chicks! I mean, everyone knows a pillowy chest is best paired with a muscular physique."
Zilchus looks at Nidhi, trying to make sense of Florence, then Nidhi’s confusing talk. Love? What b!!%@#@%.
”Snakes? Clams? What does that even mean? I like the crocodile’s lips obviously,” Zilchus replies, trying to be equally obtuse and crass. ”Sheesh, this is as confusing as that time with Mummyfrah.”
He shakes his head, wondering what was going to come of this party with two confusing, probably insane, women involved. He glares again at Florence for making Ben go away, then at Nidhi for not helping things. He has nothing for Stelle, which is probably for the best.
Following Annie down the way, Zilchus will eventually take a moment to examine the weird walls and door.
Perception
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As soon as Stelle looks back in the direction of the little bat, the tiny creature descends from the ceiling darkness flapping around the halfling. After a couple of moves around, it clumsily moves between her and Zilchus as he examines the door. The bat suddenly starts to grow, bigger, then bigger, while its wings shorten losing its hold in the air and finally falling to the ground as a skinny man of Garund features rather than an animal.
With a bit of effort the man stands up and cleans up his long and pure white Osiriani tunic and starts talking with a strident but rather grave voice and strongly marked Sothis accent "For the sands of ancient Osirion. That descend took me longer than the waters of the Sphinx on their travel to great and sacred Sothis!" the man looks up to see the groups reaction "I was starting to think that dragon would never leave. Such a luck it popped out away with the handsome but noticeably stuffy mage" he turns to Florence at that point while drawing a piece of parchment from a case and holding it at his hands "You really in love with him? I can present you a handful of rather adequate candidates that will surely help you forget about the leaving one"
”Snakes? Clams? What does that even mean? I like the crocodile’s lips obviously. Sheesh, this is as confusing as that time with Mummyfrah.”
Stelle looks at Zilchus, trying not to giggle. "Careful, Zilchus. If you're not, everyone is going to start to think that you have
Mummy issues! You can't tell us a handsome young man like yourself has never had a girlfriend!" she exclaims, skeptically yet playfully.When they come to the wall at the end of the western passage, she frowns. "Sealed off. Must be something beyond that wasn't meant to be found...or released. We should try the eastern door first before we worry about this."
"Agreed," says Stelle, turning about face. "Let's see wha..." she trails off watching as a bat flits into their mist, and takes a five foot step back leveling her lance as it starts to grow.
As soon as the bat starts to grow, Anubis lowers his head and growls. Mom always said, never trust or play with these...
"You really in love with him? I can present you a handful of rather adequate candidates that will surely help you forget about the leaving one."
Upon the back of Anubis, Stelle -- now half shield akimbo, half lance wielding -- gasps at gaunt man.
"Who are you!" she rasps wiggling the Lance threateningly. "Why have you come -- and just how long have you been eavesdropping?! Put the scrollcase down!"
Nidhi doesn't seem to be bothered with the sudden intrusion. .
"Such a luck it popped out away with the handsome but noticeably stuffy mage"
Handsome? Is this person blind? Ben lacked any form of muscle... Despite the new arrival's misconception of what constitutes as "handsome," Nidhi warmly greets him. "Hail, traveler! What an entrance!" Nidhi claps enthusiastically. Is he a vampire? Gods, I forgot to bring ginger with me. Wait... No. Can't be since it's daylight. Right? Nidhi places a hand on her hip and tilts her head. "Nice day isn't it? ...Or is it?" The bard glances towards the ceiling wondering if it is, in fact, day. She can't decide.
"I can present you a handful of rather adequate candidates that will surely help you forget about the leaving one."
Nidhi is drawn from her wild imagination. She pushes forward and inserts herself between Florence and the newcomer. "Adequate candidates? Are you by any chance a matchmaker?" Nidhi's eyes glitter with interest underneath her mask and she puts a hand on her chest. "I'm in need of a matchmaker! But only 'adequate' candidates won't do!" Nidhi lifts the back of her hand to her forehead in a dramatic fashion, "you see, dear traveler - no - dearest, kindest, bravest of voyagers: I am a very passionate woman. I need a strong, muscular, woman with an ironclad morale and body, and with no prior commitments, to sweep me off my feet. You see, I thought I'd found the love of my life, but..." Nidhi pauses and lets out a defeated sigh, "she had a daughter." Nidhi adds last minute, "oh, I would go for a man too. Same requirements." Nidhi shoos her hand.
Nidhi returns to her usual pose with a hand on her hip and her head tilted. "My name is Nidhi Aashirya. Is that why you're here? Being that we're the saviors of Wati? Or did Abdur send you?" Nidhi isn't sure what to make of the new arrival and seconds Stelle's questioning. She prods on: "so, tell me, friend: are you a vampire? I've always wanted to meet one regardless the circumstance. I've already had the privilege of meeting a dragon and a sphinx."
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The Garund man lowers his scroll pointing to the ground as commanded by Stelle "Sure some candidate for you passionate Nidhi Aashirya we should find, an adequate candidate yes, perfect always fails at some point to work as intended and deceives you, but adequate my friend, I find adequate will never deceive you into enjoying an adequate life"
The man nods while handing the scroll to Nidhi while he keeps a watch at Stelle's Lance making sure it does not approach him too much "Indeed for Abdur Raqeeb al-Shabazz I work, let the thousand rays of the Sun and the wisdom of the thirty-two pharaohs bless his good criteria. Just read this parchment he so kindly wrote to introduce me to your group"
Turning then to Stelle when she asks whom is him he grins "Ah! You do not know me? I would go with the thirty-two names of my tribe, but let's say those who want to call me short name me Kosei Sharif-El-Sabad, Prince of Osirion and Ancient Guardian of the Sun Lion" Kosei adds a slight movement with the hand as dismissing the need for a reverence "Not a vampire yet. For being a vampire I would need to die, yet I am still alive and not planning to die, at least yet. A lion I am, but you see my great and grand friends, how a lion would sneak through a temple of cultists and mindless zealots. No, no, no, a small bat is more convenient, a small bat it is, not a vampire, a small bat my passionate friend"