The beast ignores Tolbert's spell!
Warren struggles free of the massive pincer!
The glittery scorpion continues its assault against Cassidy!
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Cassidy gets pinched, but manages to keep out of the monster's clutches and even dodge the other pincer, only to get impaled by the beast's stinger!
Fortunately(?) the stinger went all the way through and squirted poison through the air instead of into Cassidy's body!
The other scorpion gives up on Warren for the moment and goes after the softer-looking one that conjures scary lights!
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The monster grabs Tolbert, squeezes, and jams its stinger into him!
Color begins to drain from the wizard's face as the poison takes hold!
"I'll help you out of there Tolbert. Try to hold it still."
Warren 5' steps away from Tolbert trying to get around behind it slowly and attacks the creature.
Garnult steps back from the scorpion that attacked Cassidy and sends a spectral hammer straight into its face!
Meanwhile, Warren starts the flank-waltz while managing one solid hit to the other scorpion!
Damage tracker:
Glitterscorp: 6
Original Recipe: 13
"Alright, no more Mr. Nice Lawyer!"
Tolbert draws his wand, and lets loose with a gout of flame.
vs. touch (with -2 penalty for grappling)
"Gah!"
Tolbert launches a fiery ray into the heavens, nearly dropping his wand as the scorpion shakes him around!
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Cassidy will attack the scorpion that attacked her.
But's a little to leery of the stinger to hit accurately.
The glittery scorpion turns its attention to the creature that sent a painful shiny thing into its face!
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Surprisingly, it manages to scoop up the dwarf and begins to crush him! It tries to sting its prey as well, but fails to find a chink in his armor!
The other scorpion reacts to the wound it received from Warren, choosing to defend itself before finishing its tasty wizard-lunch. The beast drops Tolbert and swings its pincers and tail at Warren!
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Try as it might, it can't seem to land a blow on the ranger!
Status
3 Rounds Deflection Aura
6 Rounds Spiritual Weapon
total damage 12
Garnult's spiritual weapon continues to bash at the Scorpion
Garnult attempts to smack the Scorpion but is too crushed by the pincer.
The spectral hammer slams the glitter'd scorpion again!
Damage tracker:
Sparkly: 10
Plain: 13
Unable to safely retreat away from the scorpion, Tolbert guards himself and moves to hide behind Warren.
Warren attacks the scorpion again giving up on the flank dance as Tolbert hides behind him.
Tolbert sidles up next to Warren, who manages to put another moderate wound into the scorpion!
Damage:
Fancy: 10
Less fancy: 19
Cassidy attacks-using a round of arch. luck, [today's tally:I]
Cassidy slices deeply into the monster!
The glittery scorpion tries drag Garnult away from Cassidy!
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The monster hisses in pain as Cassidy slices into it again! It's looking ragged!
The other scorpion continues its assault against Warren!
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Amazingly, it still can't hit him!
Damage tally:
Sparkly: 33
Plain: 19
Tolbert backs up again, behind Warren, and conjures a pit below the not-fabulous scorpion.
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Status
2 Rounds Deflection Aura
5 Rounds Spiritual Weapon
total damage 21
Garnult's spiritual weapon attacks the Scorpion
Garnult continues to flail with his warhammer
The scorpion falls into the extradimensional hole with a thud!
Damage tally:
Glittery: 33
Pitted: 28
"Good job Tolbert. That will hold him for a bit I hope. Now for this other one."
Warren moves over to the other and attacks, flanking if he can.
Warren fells the sparkly scorpion!
The other scorpion clambers out of the hole, only to be slain by Cassidy!
Garnult heals everyone (except the vermin!) Oh, yeah and Tolbert
He also heals himself
Good job lass! Showd that scorp who was the boss.. Garnult spits on the ground You rocked him like a hurricane
"Please sir, can I have some more?"
Garnult says Sure, I'tll not cost ya too much! and he guffaws with laughter
"Thanks Garnult"
An hour after passing the area that Warren failed to identify as a giant scorpion hunting ground you finally approach the ghost town.
The nearest building is also the largest: a broad, tall, 3-story wooden building that probably used to be an inn. Annexed to it on the left is a plain wooden shack, probably for stabling travelers' mounts. Beyond the inn and stable lie several other wooden buildings, probably a mixture of small businesses and residences.
Every structure is rickety and worn, creaking eerily in the breeze. Sand is piled against the sides of the buildings, and if there was ever any paint on the wood, it's long since been blasted off. Any signs containing carved text have been worn almost beyond recognition.
The inn and stable face are facing you, with doors slightly ajar.
Garnult beams at Cassidy Yer welcome lass. when the party approaches the Ghost Town Garnult says Ok. So...do we just yell and let em know we are here. Draw em out so to speak?
Warren looks at Garnult with a smile on his face, "You're subtle aren't you? How about this, we sneak around the outside of town looking for any signs of people moving in or out before we go charging in? Whadda think?"
"I like that idea, Warren. Let's check the perimeter."
Garnult shrugs 'Ave it yer way.
Warren leads the way around the town, looking for any tracks leading into town.
Making your way around the perimeter of the abandoned town, you see that all of the buildings are arranged roughly in a circle around a central plaza containing a large well. One of the buildings, on the opposite end of the village from the inn, is a modest chapel dedicated to Sarenrae. Behind it (outside the ring of buildings) is a graveyard containing about 20-30 graves, most of which are open. The cemetery is enclosed by a fence, and three shovels lean against the open gate.
Warren determines that there are numerous tracks leading from the cemetery into the village. If that path were continued on a straight line it would head back to Border City, but the wind of the desert would have destroyed any tracks in the wilderness beyond this little village; even here among the buildings and tombstones they're obscured.
Garnult says I don' like this place...too quiet. he grips his Rod of Extend Metamagic and casts Barkskin upon himself.
Warren stands up from investigating the ground, shaking the sand from his hands and looks to Garnult, "I don't like this place either. I think we found the place that the undead army came from that the paladins defeated. Let's check out the cemetery and then follow the tracks into town and check it out. We'll try to stay out of sight when going into town."
Cassidy nods her head to Warren, "Agreed, both to your assessment of the situation and to your plan,"and then shivers and mumbles, "this place definitely has the creepy vibe going."
As the group of you begin to investigate the cemetery, you notice something odd about one of the graves that hasn't been emptied: the shape of the ground suggests that it's actually dirt and sand covering a tarp that hides an empty pit. Effectively, some of these graves are pit traps.
"Oh, I found something guys, some of the intact looking graves are actually pits with sand filled tarps covering up the pit. Should we investigate?"
Right behind ya lass. Garnult says, moving to support Cassidy and Warren as they search the graveyard
"You go play with the dirt. I'll stand back and keep watch."
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"That would be lovely, and I knew we could count on you to have a spell or wand at the ready as you watch, in case something jumps out at us as we pull back the tarps."
Tolbert pulls out his wand of magic missile, and glares at Cassidy.
Removing the tarps that cover the pit traps (four of them, scattered seemingly at random among the cemetery), you find 10ft deep "graves" with crude metal spikes at the bottom. However, no creatures (undead or otherwise) make an appearance.
"Let's see where these tracks lead and what they lead us to. If anyone needs to prepare anything, now may be the time to do it."
Investigating the tracks, you see they lead out of the graveyard and through the ghost town, cutting right through the middle of the ring of buildings and past the central well, and out into the wilderness. They head in the direction of Border City, but quickly disappear among the dunes due to the lack of windbreaks outside the ghost town. Your best guess is that the inhabitants of the graveyard were animated and then sent marching in a straight line toward Border City where they were defeated by the paladins.
However, Warren does notice one interesting thing: once the tracks pass a couple of buildings and begin to cross the ghost town, there seem to be fewer sets of them. That is, more creatures left the graveyard than traveled to Border City. You're not sure how many creatures make up that difference, but you think they must have left the graveyard and then entered either the Sarenite chapel or one of the buildings on either side of it: a small house (possibly a parish for the clergy of the chapel) and what looks like perhaps some kind of shop or dry goods store.
"Shall we investigate, perhaps start on left and work our way to the right through those three buildings?"
"It looks like some of the undead went that way in town, into one of those three buildings. Let's check them out one at a time, first, second, then last. Of course irony says they will be in the middle one."
Starting with the parish, you move forward to investigate. However, this wooden building is so dilapidated that upon opening the door, most of the structure collapses in a cacophony of shattering wood. Immediately after the collapse, three lizards the size of mastiffs crawl out of the wrecked wood, looking (understandably) angry!
Cassidy reacts first!
Cassidy will draw her sword, and try intimating them. She'll use a round of arch. luck too.
Cassidy growls at the lizards! They hesitate, defending their territory cautiously!
The lizards strike haphazardly at the party!
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Two of the lizards' teeth fail to grip Garnult's armor, but one of them clamps onto Tolbert!
Tolbert is making a habit of getting grabbed and poisoned by desert creatures!