Searok's crit confirms, and nearly kills the assassin in one blow, but she is still just barely up.
Technically the three fireballed guards should get saves, but at such a penalty (their dex score is reduced to zero) that I'm not going to bother. They all get blasted. They're not dead, but they're sure as hell awake.
Shaeda's up.
As planned in th Surprise Round, Shaeda moves with Searok.
The assassin Searok nearly took out tries to have her revenge.
Full attack:
All blows miss.
Thurrios is up.
Thurrios moves into the room, and launches magic missile at the very wounded assassin.
Thurrios' blast finishes off the wounded assassin.
The remaining one will full attack Searok.
Looks like more misses.
Top of the round, the other assassins have awakened (hard to sleep through a fireball), grabbed their weaponry, and now prepare to join the battle.
Turn order is now:
Ziranu
Assassin
Assassin
Laori
Assassin
Searok
Shaeda
Thurrios
Assassin
Ziranu is up.
Ziranu slides invisibly five feet down the wall within the large hall, opening the passage behind him, and turns his storm of arrows upon the Red Mantis Assassin closest to Searok...
Should the targeted assassin fall, Ziranu will shift his remaining attacks to the closest of the awakening ones to the SE, of note losing a +1 to attack and damage rolls beyond Point Blank range with the secondary target...
Against AC 33 or lower: 67+34+33+28+31 = 193 points of damage
Against AC 39 or lower: 67+33+28+31 = 159 points of damage
All of Ziranu's attacks are hits. The first two arrows take down the first one, the third takes out the second, and the final two take out a third. Only one remains.
In response to this onslaught, the final assassin will throw down her sword and surrender.
"Well done Ziranu!"
The rank and file assassins don't have much you'll find very interesting on them, but the leader does. She has a +5 Shocking Burst Sawtooth Sabre, Mask of the Mantis, +4 Studded :eather Armor, Potion of Barkskin +5, and Potion of Shield of Faith +5.
Shaeda whistles, "that's some kind of kit. Anyone need the armor and sabre? What about the potions?"
Ziranu considers the matter…
”I have no pressing need for any of zhem, but I’ll gladly wield zhat sabre for zhe present, and perhaps learn to properly wield a close-in weapon of such power…Tronar could bolster his defense wizh zhe potions, as needed.”
After sheathing the wicked sabre in his weapons harness and ensuring the lone surviving assassin is properly bound and submitted to Laori's "tender" care, Ziranu follows the company's traditions and crosses the chamber to the southeast corner, approaching the door located there to search it and its environs for locks, traps, or the sounds of threats beyond it...
, +2 more if dealing with undead or dragons; +4 more if dealing with evil outsiders; +6 more if dealing with humans; and +8 more if trapfinding is applicable.
The door to the east is locked, but a hatch in it can be opened to see what's out there.
This is the castle balcony, wrapping around the upper floors of the structure. It's dotted with ballistae, pointed outward to defend the place from siege. Although the castle is currently under siege, there curiously doesn't seem to be anyone manning them at the moment.
There is only one sign of life, and it's an unpleasant one. Long wooden poles have been erected along the balcony, and tied to each one is a person, strung up like scarecrows to send a horrible message to any attackers approaching. It's unclear if any are capable of being saved.
How many of them are there? A few quick channels could do wonders for them!
Hard to tell without going out there, but several at least.
Thurrios will do that. He will go out and channel where he can hit multiple of these unfortunates...
8 per day, 30' radius (exclude 7), DC 24, Fateful channel
Fateful Channel: When you channel positive energy to heal living creatures, you grant each creature you heal the ability to roll twice and take the better result on a single attack roll, skill check, or saving throw of their choice within a number of rounds equal to your Charisma bonus (minimum 1). Multiple uses of this ability do not stack, but they do reset the effect’s duration. A creature can only benefit from one instance of this channel effect at a time.
Thurrios will then encourage them to try and escape, they should get two rolls, right?
Most of the people out there are, sadly, beyond saving. But one of them does stir as the positive energy revitalizes her; looking closer you realize that it is none other than Anastasia, who fought along your side for a time! It seems that as with Laori and the unfortunate Mr. Dhatri you encountered elsewhere in the castle, the queen has deliberately targeted people who have helped you in the past for special punishment.
Luckily you got to Anastasia in time, and she is going to pull through.
Anastasia slowly opens her eyes and looks around.
“I … I … trusted in the lady of graves. And here you are … I … tha … thank you… “ she says slowly with dry lips and a quivering voice.
She moves slightly and even in this shape it is clear that she is not the most agile woman.
And she is clearly hurt, as her exotic almond eyes show the pain that she endured. Her mixed Ulfen and Tian heritage is still obvious.
When she meets the group’s eyes, she looks as if hope has returned to her.
Anastasia has been through hell, and was mercifully unconscious for most of it. However, she has some vague memories of a winged shadow occasionally passing overhead and landing to reload and fire one of the ballistae, before departing again.
, +2 more if dealing with undead or dragons; +4 more if dealing with evil outsiders; +6 more if dealing with humans; and +8 more if trapfinding is applicable.
Anastasia’s breath comes shallowly, and there is pain in her chest.
”I thought that … you all are a reminder that I did not cross into Pharasma’s Boneyard!“
Her mind swims with memories. Her voice trembles sometimes as she tries to speak.
”The last thing I recall … there was darkness … and the sound of wings… something that reloaded the siege engines itself.“
She glances toward you.
”Tell me … what has happened? Has the queen truly fallen so far?“
Her gaze lingers on each of you in turn, and there’s gratitude, but also confusion.
Glad ta see ya again! Searok says in attempt to navigate the social interaction.
Ziranu and Searok both see a large, winged, obviously fiendish figure swoop past. His eyes are on the grounds outside the palace, looking for more rebels to fire upon with ballistae, so he doesn't immediately notice the disturbance on the very balcony he's (rather over-workedly) manning.
You could quickly duck back inside and hope he's too distracted by his duties to quickly notice that one of his victims has been rescued out from under his nose. Or you could attack him to eliminate a threat to the rebels, and get a surprise round. Your choice.
Anastasia sees that the group is trying to attack the shadow creature.
"Well, let me at least try to help your efforts. Thank you again for your dedication!"
She then cast a spell to support the group and touches the individual members of the group.
Anastasia then casts some spells on herself.
Anastasia recognizes the silhouette as a Horned Devil. Good enough roll that I'll just link the stat block, you know the basics.
Anastasia gives a brief update that this is a powerful Horned Devil and that good aligned weapons are needed to overcome its resistances and regeneration!
"I can align someone's weapon, but in my experience Ziranu, and his arrows, can power through such resistances. Keep firing friends!"
”I think the regeneration is going to be very difficult for us to overcome if we don’t rely on your ability to align weapons!“ she emphasizes.
"Very well."
Shaeda will cast align weapon and make Ziranu's bow into a "good" weapon.
Tronar will cast Haste from the wand just before combat and remain invisible, and is prepared to give Ziranu another greater invisibility if he thinks that will help his aim.