The Doctor's aim is unfortunately a little off, sending his positive energy off harmlessly into the sky.
Drawing one of his evocation implements, Teilaenthis shoots a bolt of fire at the animated object, but he too misses.
Drace does not need to close on the Scythe, as the flying weapon moves over and slashes at him. Despite his armor and Tara's protective spell, the scythe finds a weak spot in his armor and cuts deeply into him.
The fighter returns the favor by bringing down a powerful blow on the object, but what would ordinarily be a damaging swing appears to only barely dent the Scythe.
Initiative (Rounds 1-2)
Vivian <= Up
Teilaenthis <= Up
Tara <= Up
Stefan <= Up
Scythe
Sentir <= Up
Drace
Vivian prays to Pharasma, so the grim goddess favors Drace's Fate and help him in his battle
I hope this will give you a well needed edge, Drace! Especially as you're using a blunt weapon.
Sentir curses and wishes he had brought holy water.
Scolding himself under his breath, the doctor attempts the same trick again...
Energy beam no good shooting into the close combat... The axe it is then...
Teileanthis concentrates and charges his axe with magical energy as he approaches to take a swing at the scythe.
Vivian calls upon Pharasma's blessing, and turns Drace's morningstar temporarily into a magical weapon. Doctor Von Herzog's aim is true this time and his ray of positive energy hits, causing a series of hairline fractures to form long the length of the scythe. Teilaenthis moves forward and swings his axe at the animated weapon, but misses with his strike.
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Tara holds out her symbol of Pharasma and floods the area with positive energy. Despite having perhaps no real will of it's own, the scythe appears to resist the worst of the effects, but still becomes slightly more damaged.
The haunted weapon now turns in the direction of Teilaenthis and it tries to slash him near his neck. Although his head remains attached to his shoulders, the Occultist takes some wounds across his chest.
Initiative (Rounds 2-3)
Vivian <= Up
Teilaenthis [5 Dmg] <= Up
Tara <= Up
Stefan <= Up
Scythe
Sentir [6 Dmg] <= Up
Drace [8 Dmg; Shield of Faith, Magic Weapon active] <= Up
"That thing is powered by necromantic energies! Attack it as if it were undead!"
Seeing as his last attack was successful against the animated scythe, the doctor tries the same trick a third time.
Sentir rapidly runs around the entire battle, hoping to flank the strange and deadly creature. The oracle might not actually strike a blow, but he can help others like Drace.
You won't kill us, unholy creature!
A vial of holy water is worth less than a human life..
Stefan's ray of positive energy causes further damage to the floating weapon, while Sentir moves to flank with Drace and tries to distract the scythe. Vivian tosses her vial of holy water at the animated object and it shatters on contact, but doesn't appear to do any damage.
Drace makes a much bigger dent in the scythe this time, although a blow that powerful would ordinarily drop most weaker adversaries.
Teilaenthis hacks at the animated object again with his axe and does some minor damage to it.
Tara channels more positive energy, and some small pieces of metal fall off the scythe from the damage.
The animated weapon flips around to slash at Sentir and just barely manages overcome his armor to cut into his torso.
Initiative (Rounds 3-4)
Vivian <= Up
Teilaenthis [5 Dmg] <= Up
Tara <= Up
Stefan <= Up
Scythe
Sentir [12 Dmg] <= Up
Drace [8 Dmg; Shield of Faith, Magic Weapon active] <= Up
There's not much I can do...
The pain ripples through Sentir as the scythe's sharp blade does it's grim work. Blood sprays and the oracle realizes he has been terrible wounded. Combined with his earlier wounds, the young man nearly collapses right then and there.
Grimly, he keeps it together and leaves the battle scene, seeking shelter behind the others, leaving a trail of blood.
"At least this spell seems to work on it!"
Sentir decides to make a tactical retreat in light of his current injuries, while Dr. Von Herzog casts another bolt of positive energy, but misjudges his aim and hits Drace instead. Fortunately, the fighter is not one of the walking dead.
Teil continues to press the attack.
Although Teilaenthis lands a solid hit, the metal weapon absorbs all the damage.
Drace presses his attack against the haunted weapon, but it flies out of the way of his swing.
Hoping the fight will soon be over and suspecting she may need to conserve her channeling, Tara refrains from action for the moment.
The animated scythe turns its attention once again to Drace, slicing clumsily through the air and missing the fighter.
Initiative (Rounds 4-5)
Vivian <= Up
Teilaenthis [5 Dmg] <= Up
Tara <= Up
Stefan <= Up
Scythe
Sentir [12 Dmg] <= Up
Drace [8 Dmg; Shield of Faith, Magic Weapon active] <= Up
Grunting in pain, Teil continues to attack with his axe.
Drace misses the animated scythe with his morningstar, while Teilaenthis hits with his axe, but the hard metal once again takes no damage from the strike.
Muttering under his breath, the doctor fires another magical ray at the spirit-controled weapon.
Teil steps back and uses his tail to bring the wand to bear again, shooting arcane power at the spirit-scythe.
Sentir, Vivian, and Tara stand back while the fight continues. Dr. Von Herzog attempts to damage the animated scythe with another ray of positive energy, but has trouble hitting his target as it darts around.
The haunted weapon once again slashes at Drace. Fortunately the attack is deflected by the fighter's physical and magical armor.
Initiative (Rounds 5-6)
Vivian <= Up
Tara <= Up
Stefan <= Up
Teilaenthis [5 Dmg] <= Up
Scythe
Sentir [12 Dmg] <= Up
Drace [8 Dmg; Shield of Faith, Magic Weapon active] <= Up
"Lady of the graves, I beseech you, please heal my allies!" Tara begs her goddess, as divine energy flows through her and over her friends. Watching as most of the more severe wounds are dealt with, Tara contemplates the best way to tend to Sentir's wounds as the scythe remains in combat with Tiel and Drace.
[b]"Thank you, Tara."[/]b Sentir gasps as some of his pains and wounds subside, magically healed. He ponder briefly if perhaps the Lady of the Graves is the God who watches over him...? Perhaps later he can question this woman,...For now, he merely nods his thanks, but he is still too wounded to re-join the fight.
The war of attrition continues, as Dr. Von Herzog's positive energy ray misses, while Drace hits, but the strike doesn't have enough force to actually damage the scythe. Teilaenthis steps away from the animated object and fires his own energy beam which flies over its target.
Tara uses her channeling to heal her allies this time, while Vivian and Sentir wait for an opening to use their skills without needlessly putting themselves in danger.
With only Drace nearby now, the scythe continues to try to lop his head off. Although the fighter manages to keep it away from his head, the haunted object does give him a substantial cut in his shoulder.
Initiative (Rounds 6-7)
Vivian <= Up
Tara <= Up
Stefan <= Up
Teilaenthis [1 Dmg] <= Up
Scythe
Sentir [8 Dmg] <= Up
Drace [9 Dmg; Shield of Faith, Magic Weapon active] <= Up
"By the Lady of Graves, be vanquished, evil spirit!"
Unable to connect with his ray attack, Teil lashes forward with the axe again.
Both Stefan and Teilaenthis attacks hit the scythe and damage it, although the metal once again absorbs the vast majority of the axe's impact. The cracks and bent metal along the object's exterior suggest it's on the verge of breaking into pieces.
Undoubtedly becoming frustrated, Drace misses with his morningstar attack.
The combat continues for a few more moments, with the scythe ineffectually trying to behead Drace, and everyone else trying to either hit it hard or target it with a spell in combat. Eventually, however, fortune favors the party and the scythe breaks into a pile of metal pieces, with the skeletal hands fading into mist.
A cursory check of the stout wooden door leading into the second story of the building shows that it is locked.
Sentir wipes the sweat from his forehead. "We are not equipped to fight floating metal objects. let's hope the rest of the building is more quiet....but I have little hope of it."
Sentir gently tries the door but it is locked firmly. "Anyone want to force it open, or do we want to look around first?"
Approaching Sentir, Tara touches the human's shoulder as she presses a bottle into the Oracle's hand. "Here, this should help. I hope that this was the toughest guard that this prison has to offer. I'm not sure that I can keep up with providing assistance if it is not." Giving a sweet smile to Sentir, Tara bends down to touch the remains of the scythe to try and unearth any more information that can be gleaned from it.
"Hauntings are apparent here... perhaps we should have followed through with the purchase of holy water."
With that Teileanthis holds the broken weapon in his hand, concentrating.
Tara uses Pharasma's gifts to learn more information about the scythe's abilities and weaknesses, but does not gather any additional information other than what Vivian already recalled.
This is an animated object, called a Headman's Scythe. Since it's a construct made out of metal, adamantine weapons or magic are the best ways to destroy it, although magic is only partially effective. It's immune to mind-affecting effects and anything that affects a living constitution. Since it's haunted by a malevolent spirit, positive energy damages it as if it were undead.
When Teilaenthis takes a moment to examine it, he learns that the balcony that you are standing on used to be the site of all the prison's executions. The scythe was the preferred method for this grisly task, and he believes that the ghosts of the executed brought this object into being in order to enact their revenge against the living.
While Tara and Teilaenthis attempt to learn more information, Vivian pulls out her thieves' tools and busies herself by attempting to unlock the door. Try as she might, however, the lock will not open for her.
"I suggest we look for another entrance before we smash down the door. Perhaps the front entrance?" Sentir says, looking around. He grips the potion tightly in his hand, the pain hurting his burned skin.
"I do not want to take your last potion, Tara. Others may need it more then me. Others who add more to the group."
Frowning heavily at the oracle, Tara shakes her head. "Everyone is equally important here. I am bound by my faith to try and heal the living, however if you fall in battle, it is up to your own determination to survive. Drink up." Noticing how poorly Drace fared against the scythe, Tara touches the undead hunter channeling her goddesses healing power in order to ease his wounds.
Teileanthis addresses the group telling him what he learned of the history of the scythe from its psychic impressions. He then adds, "I would prefer to go through this door, see what it so important to be behind such a significant lock..." He fingers his axe guaging the strength of the door.
Although the door is strong, Teilaenthis is quite sure it can be burst open or cut through, especially if teamwork is utilized.
"I'm afraid that I don't know any spells that would be particularly effective at getting through a locked door. I'm also doubtful that adding my upper-body strength to an attempt to break down the door would be particularly helpful. I agree with Sentir, and would recommend finding another entrance."