Looking at the skulls for a while in tense anticipation, Abomentolor finally relaxes. "At least they are dead and stay dead. I was expecting flying skulls or the like."
"The one we search is hopefully among the living. So let's move on." Darius suggests.
I wonder what they are using these for?
Oh well let's move on.
Flying skulls would be normal. Now if they sang a barbershop quartet while attacking, that would be a thing.
You follow the corridor around the corner, where you are greeted by a rottign stench that is getting stronger. The source of the stench are rotting corpses stacked like cordwood halfway to the ceiling of the next chamber. These piles are threatening to collapse inward because of the path something has made, or rather chewed, through the pile. The stench of rot is overpowering once you come close, and insects buzz in the air like an oily cloud.
On top of the corpses sits a huge abomination which feeds on the corpses.
Spugnoir splashes the paladin with a haste extract
Abomentolor tries to bind the ugly thing in a chain of light.
The ugly is bound and paralyzed.
By the will of the dawnbringer, you shall die!
Then Grergof rushes up and smashes at the thing with a large overhand blow.
As Grergof beats the thing halfway out of its life Darius stands around dumbfounded. The beast struggles in vain against the chains, which leaves it an easy victim to Grergof's treatment.
To make sure that thing never gets out of the chains again, Abomentolor shoots it with a black ray of energy.
Grergof calls out a Litany of Righteous down on the creature.
Then he unloads on the creature.
Go back to your Hell Hole! The Prime Material is not for you!
Grergof takes the huge creature apart with the raven's head. But it is very resilient and is still standing.
As the stinking creature still won't budge, Darius calls down a flame strike on it.
Spugnoir BLAMS the monster, Heresy!
Darius burns the monster badly with his heavenly fire, but even that the monster can stand. But Spugnoir blows its lights out with the musket.
Besides death, rot and stink nothing is found here.
Greregof glances around and then points at the passage behind the creature.
Should we head the way it was guarding, or go the other way?
I have a strannggee feeling that this might be the climatic area!
Spugnoir doses Darius with a Barskin extract (+5 Natural AC)
"You're sure? If I had such a pest living in my basement, I wouldn't go there until the exterminator cleaned it out. And from the looks of it, this one even likes rotting dead. Why wouldn't it eat undead?"
"But anyway..." Abomentolor follows Grergof's lead.
The ruddy glow of smoldering embers cast strange shadows on this chamber’s walls. Beyond rows of cracked stone pews, marble steps lead to a raised dais encapsulating a large fire pit. Standing over the pit is an enormous iron statue of a fly; wretched screams echo from within as some living creature is roasted alive inside the grotesque effigy. Large doors of iron
stand in the wall behind the statue.
Three Renchurch cenobites stoke the flames of the fire pit, sacrificing the screaming person. A dozen burning skeletons lurk inside the 10-foot-deep fire pit as well, their own unholy fires contributing to the sacrificial conflagration.
Two flame strikes come down on the group as they open the door and enter the room.
Abomentolor is not amused that those bad guys play with fire and are probably not harmed by fire properly. So he goes for fire and ice.
With a sudden hail, all the burning skeletons are gone.
"Gah, not again those idiots." Darius curses. He had it with those annoying evil clerics. He prays for some sunlight in these dark halls and then shoots a sunbeam hitting the right two zombies.
Ouch.
If he is able Grergof moves up to a Cenobyte and threatens him with his mace.
He heals himself as he moves
HP 82/96
AC 17/12/15 (25/18/21 with mutagen,Shield spell)
Saves F12/R12/W9 9 Fear Poison Immune
Weapon in hand:
Special effects: ,Heroism Extract (+2 saves/attack/skills),See Invisible (130 Minutes),Shield (+4 AC),Deathward(Greg 13 minutes),Deathward (The gnome) Stoneskin DR 10/ 119 pts,Resist Energy-Fire(30 points)
Bombs:11/19
So 12 and 16 damage Half gets Resisted so 6 and 8
Spugnoir runs to a new location
The third zombie casts a more personal spell on Darius. Grergof offers himself for another one and is hit with a hand full of dark energy. And then there is another flame strike for the gnome and the old man, who still stand in the same position.
Leave my friends alone! May the light of Sarenrae take you!
Grergof steps around the Zombie and starts bashing the one that attacked him with his Mace. Just to be sure he finishes this thing off quickly, he calls this thing out as his smite target.
The first zombie is disintegrated in one mighty bash. Another one gets a big dent in the head.
The second zombie is also disintegrated with Grergof's hit, as the sunbeam prepared it properly.
Darius is pissed and shoots another ray at the remaining zombie, that is not hidden behind Grergof.
The last zombie is hit, but not blinded by the ray of the sun.
Abomentolor tries something new on the remaining zombie.
The thin green ray hits the last zombie and disintegrates it.
But suddenly the metal fly with the screaming person inside starts moving. It sucks in air and exhales a cloud of stinking poisonous breath.
Darius casts a heal on himself.
AC 17/12/15 (25/18/21 with mutagen,Shield spell)
Saves F12/R12/W9 9 Fear Poison Immune
Weapon in hand:
Special effects: ,Heroism Extract (+2 saves/attack/skills),See Invisible (130 Minutes),Shield (+4 AC),Deathward(Greg 13 minutes),Deathward (The gnome) Stoneskin DR 10/ 119 pts,Resist Energy-Fire(30 points)
Bombs:9/19
Spugnoir chucks two rost bombs at the fly.
Let that poor person go!
Grergof smashes at the Fly with his mace.
The construct is really hard to damage, and Grergof brought the wrong tool. Even his perfect strike nets only a minor dent. The other attempts don't manage to get past the solid armor of the thing.
Darius suddenly can't breathe anymore. But as his sunshine spell is ongoing he shoots a ray of it at the fly.
"Go hit it faster." Abomentolor cheers Grergof on, and casts haste on him.
Spugnoir with his frost bombs manages to do some real damage.
The fly starts to thrash Grergof.
Grergof takes the hits but as the Deadly Juggernaught takes some of the beating Grergof responds in his typical manor.
Thank you Dawnbringer for the Protection
Grergof drops his mace and draws his flail.
Maybe this is the right tool!
Then he heals himself as he prepares for the next strikes.
AC 17/12/15 (25/18/21 with mutagen,Shield spell)
Saves F12/R12/W9 9 Fear Poison Immune
Weapon in hand:
Special effects: ,Heroism Extract (+2 saves/attack/skills),See Invisible (130 Minutes),Shield (+4 AC),Deathward(Greg 13 minutes),Deathward (The gnome) Stoneskin DR 10/ 119 pts,Resist Energy-Fire(30 points)
Bombs:7/19
Spugnoir chucks two more frost bombs keeping the paladin exempt.
Iron Golems aren't not what they used to be. With two more bombs finding their target and a hard hit with the right tool, the fly is taken down. Meanwhile the screaming inside stopped.
I fear we are too late to rescue them
A short check on the insides of the fly reveals that the person is now a raging burning skeleton.
Foul device, cursing people to this existence.
Grergof sakes his head in disgust. But as he looks away from the poor soul, he notices something under the pew.
Hey, there is a ring here. Can anyone tell what it is, or if it's cursed, like the rest of the stuff in this place?
A Ring of Force Shield! It helps protect you as a magical shield, allowing you to use two handed weapons.