Sophie pauses, not wanting to destroy the creature while her companions remain next to it
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Stefan speaks mystical words and traces glowing arcane sigils into the air. "Begone foul creature from the grave!"
Teil presses the attack.
The headless burning skeleton resists Stefan's attempt to turn it away, but another blow from Teilaethis destroys it. As Vivian predicted, it explodes in a small ball of fire, burning both Occultist and the Inquistor/Rogue.
As the smoldering bones crumble to the ground, the skeleton leaves behind a mundane handaxe.
Beyond the eastern door, you discover another guard room with a table surrounded by a few rickety chairs, along with a pair of moldy but serviceable cots. A winch is affixed to the north wall that will most likely raise the northern portcullis from its current lowered position.
Stefan looks around the room some more, while waiting for one of his brawnier companions to work the winch.
While waiting for someone to raise the portcullis, Dr. Von Herzog takes a moment to search room. It appears devoid of anything of interest.
Vivian looks at the porticulis rising system, and tries to use it
Teil brushes the ash and bone fragments off of himself as the burning skeleton explodes.
"I cannot destroy this portcullus as I have other as I am nearly finished with my magical reserves."
Vivian has no problems using the wench and, after a few moments, the portcullis is pulled up allowing entry into the north chamber.
Moving to the unexplored room, you see several iron doors that line the walls of this large, empty room. In the middle of the room, a hinged ten-foot-square metal grating lies over a dark pit in the floor. A thick rope has been tied to the grating and dangles into the pit below.
As the group takes a few tentative steps into the space, a soul-chilling shriek echoes out from the pit. Soon an incorporeal creature rises from its dark depths carrying a ghostly axe. Its form looks dry and emaciated, as if it died from hungry and/or thirst.
It gracefully floats towards Teilaenthis and passes its ghostly axe through the Occultist, leaving a deep, bloody cut as if he were just slashed by a razor-sharp hatchet. Even more horrific, as the wound begins to bleed, the blood turns into smoke and floats into the creature's body, causing it to laugh gleefully.
Intiative (Round 1)
Incorporeal Creature
Sophie <= Up
Stefan [3 Dmg] <= Up
Tara <= Up
Vivian [3 Dmg] <= Up
Bert [5 Dmg] <= Up
Theodor <= Up
Teilaenthis [13 Dmg; 3 Bleed] <= Up
Here's the last one! Use our remaining syphons and holy water! Don't pull your punches! Whoever got the handaxe we found, use it on the ghost! Let's see how this creep takes his own medecine...
Vivian believes this creature may be a wraith, although it doesn't exactly exhibit the traits of an ordinary version of that undead creature. Normal wraiths have an attack that drains their victim's constitution, but this wraith appears to do a bleed attack instead. If a wraith kills someone, they turn into a wraith soon after. Lastly, wraiths are powerless when exposed to real sunlight.
Sophie prepares some holy water to serve as weapons against the wraith.
Vivian tries to pass the monster, calling Pharasma's power into her weapon
then she strikes, or tries to.
Bert steps into the room, finding a spot to attack and swings his halberd.
Tara pales at the sight of the Lopper as he appears from the pit. She grasps her new dagger tightly in one hand and touches her wooden holy symbol with a white knuckled grip. She steps up to close the gap behind Theodor and readies to swing her dagger if the apparition gets within arms reach.
Vivian calls upon her faith in Pharasma to enhance her weapon and tumbles forward to strike at the wraith, but her inaccurate attack misses.
Bert advances into the room, opening him up to an attack of opportunity from the wraith. It runs its spectral ax over the fighter and leaves a nasty bleeding wound. Bert's retaliatory halberd attack unfortunately misses its mark.
Tara readies to strike with her dagger if the creature comes near.
Stefan moves a bit closer, then traces glowing arcane sigils in the air, chanting now-familiar arcane words of power over the forces of undeath.
"Foul murderous ghost BEGONE!!!"
Dr. Von Herzog attempts to turn the wraith with his knowledge of necromancy, but the incorporeal undead successfully shrugs off the attempt and begins to laugh manically.
Teilaenthis strikes at the wraith with his enchanted earth breaker, but the creature's incorporeal nature appears to reduce the damage.
Theodor then attacks with the bloodied handaxe, and hits the wraith as if it were solid. Moreover, it appears to do further injury than one would expect from the Sorcerer/Fighter's strike.
As the wounds from Teilaenthis and Bert continue to bleed and turn to smoke, the wraith appears to regenerate some of its injuries.
The incorporeal monstrosity then gracefully steps out of crowd to move northeast. It then targets Vivian with its spectral ax, but the nimble red-head dodges it completely! The wraith seems awfully disappointed afterwards.
Initiative (Round 2)
Wraith
Sophie <= Up
Stefan [3 Dmg] <= Up
Tara <= Up
Vivian [3 Dmg] <= Up
Bert [16 Dmg; 4 Bleed] <= Up
Theodor <= Up
Teilaenthis [16 Dmg; 3 Bleed] <= Up
Sophie calls out from the back "Any room for me up there?"
Vivian blows a raspberry at the axe-wielding ghost
Teil charges his weapon (final charge of the day) and swings at the apparition. Weakened and bleeding heavily, he mutters, "Heal we who bleed, the fiend seems to be healing from our blood!"
Stefan moves forward into the room, closing with the apparation of The Lopper. He recites arcane words of power and traces arcane sigils in the air. He then extends both hands as a cone-shaped blast of magical fire bursts forth, engulfing the ghost.
Dr. Von Herzog moves directly into the wraith's line of attack and defensively casts a fire spell that fans out over the incorporeal monster. It manages to dodge the worst of the flames, but the wraith's ghostly expression momentarily changes to abject fear at the sight of fire before recovering its mocking grin.
Tara sighs in frustration as the openings near the injured are quickly filled. Hearing Teil call out for healing causes Tara to pinch the bridge of her nose. "If anyone needs healing, they're going to need to head back here! I'm short and I can't reach through people."
"It appears to fear fire! I have more arcane flame at my disposal!"
Teil will withdraw to be near Tara.
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Dr. Von Herzog reveals a potential weakness of the enemy to the group.
So burn him,Stefan, while I do my best to be totally innefective!
Vivian attacks the wraith, but her strike is easily dodged.
Bert moves offering another space to the a companion. [ooc]Thought I posted this already but..sadly no[/occ]
Bert then attacks the wraith with his halberd and sheild.
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Tara reaches out to touch Teil and fill him with the holy energy of Pharasma.
Bert attacks the wraith with both halberd and shield, but unfortunately both strikes miss the dodgy spirit. He then steps to the northeast to make room for Sophie.
The Oracle takes advantage of Bert's advance and moves in to douse the creature with holy water. The blessed liquid appears to damage the wraith as intended.
Tara heals Teilaenthis, who immediately stops bleeding.
Not wanting to strengthen the wraith by being injured by a potential opportunity attack, Theodor delays acting for a few moments. "Give me an opening!" He bellows with impatience.
Once again, some of the blood oozing from Bert's wound turns into smoke that floats over to the wraith and heals it slightly.
The angry spectral reflection of the Lopper turns its crazed gaze towards Dr. Von Herzog and swipes its ghostly axe at him, causing a ghastly, bloody wound on the physician's arm.
Initiative (Round 3)
Wraith
Sophie <= Up
Stefan [11 Dmg; 5 Bleed] <= Up
Tara <= Up
Vivian [3 Dmg] <= Up
Bert [20 Dmg; 4 Bleed] <= Up
Theodor <= Up
Teilaenthis [8 Dmg] <= Up
Sophie steps aside slightly and pulls out another flask of holy water, which she also attempts to pour onto the ghost.
for
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"Arrgh!"
Shouting out in pain at the wound, Stefan steps back from the angry ghost. He casts another spell, and a jet of fire shoots from his hand at the apparition.
The doctor curses under his breath as the ray goes wild.
Teileanthis barks at the injured members of the group, "If you are bleeding, get healed. Don't let the creature heal itself!"
Teil then calls upon his earthbreaker to protect him as he shouts and swings away at the wraith.
After stepping backward to cast his spell (and being disappointed its failure to hit its mark), Stefan opens his satchel to take out a poultice and bandage to treat his bleeding wound.
Vivian suddenly remembers how to use her sword, it seems, even if the damage dealt is less impressive than Teil's...
Bert attacks again.
The wraith manage to sidestep Sophie's shower of holy water, but is burnt slightly by the splash.
Stefan retreats back a few steps, then casts a ray of fire at the Lopper, yet his aim is off and he misses his target. He then quickly removes his healing kit in preparation to treat his bleeding wound.
Teilaenthis activates a magical defense and steps up to attack, but fortune is yet again with the wraith as it avoids his attack.
Vivian uses Bert's flank to set a sneak attack with her smiting judgement, successfully hitting and damaging the spirit.
Both of Bert's strikes also hit, but pass right through the creature.
Theodor advances into the space opened up by Sophie's movement and attacks with the bloodstained ax. He successfully hits, harming the spirit significantly.
In an effort to stop the wraith from continuing to heal itself, Tara channels positive energy to heal the living.
Growling as everyone stops bleeding, the wraith attempts to slice into Sophie with his axe. Fortunately, Sophie is nimble enough to dodge the attack.
Really angry now, the spirit takes a step to the northeast.
Initiative (Round 4)
Wraith
Sophie <= Up
Stefan [8 Dmg] <= Up
Tara <= Up
Vivian <= Up
Bert [17 Dmg] <= Up
Theodor <= Up
Teilaenthis [5 Dmg] <= Up
Unable to advance into the room, Tara throws her hands up in frustration. "We need to retreat! If we don't someone is going to end up dead. I don't have any way to grant you magic weapons, and it seems that our mundane weapons are unsuccessful in injuring it!"