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Lord Braggett, similarly pleased to be in his armour once again, enters the catacombs with a bold smile. As soon as it gets too dark to see properly, he draws a sword that seemingly bursts into flame as it slides free from it's scabbard, "Be careful, Sir! If you insist on scouting ahead, do not stray too far. I may be fast, but I can only do so much before eating breakfast." With his sword lighting the way, Braggett nods along to Nina's wisdom, "Indeed! I've also heard that 'left is best,' and everyone knows that you cannot argue with a good rhyme."
Oh, and I agree that Vegazi should definitely have the raining arrows and the silver raven figurine. :)
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Erlathan mimics Bishop's movements, taking out his wand of mage armor and tapping himself with it. "Be careful, indeed. Even a little magical armor goes a long way, however! ... Hey -" Erlathan's musings are interrupted when one of the tentacles abruptly falls off of his chin. Watching the freeze-dried flesh snake fall to the ground, he leaps up and down in happiness. "Huzzah! Another serpent of Zon Kuthon has left the building! Just two more to go, and then I shall become Erlathan, Tentacle-Free Wizard of Wonder!" He dances in place, smelling his freshly acquired scroll of Daze Monster and all of its magic goodness.
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When all of you present Vegazi with the silver raven, she cups it in her hands, speechless. Her eyes well up, and a single tear rolls down one cheek.
She places the figurine into her satchel. "In my whole life, I have received only two gifts," she holds up her finger, "This ring from one of the humans I freed from slavery, and now this beautiful bird. Thank you, friends."
When you give Vegazi the bundle of raining arrows from the cleric Ovir Radan, the half-orc is again pleased. "I will use these potent weapons to save the people of Arwyll Stead."
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"That's the spirit!" Nina responds cheerfully, giving Vegazi a friendly slap somewhere in the middle of her back. "We'll save the town and show everyone that they shouldn't be judging books by their covers!"
Astride Inky, she fidgets a bit as she adjusts the small buckler on her arm. She'd done some training with shields but she'd never actually tried using one while fighting from atop Inky. It would take some getting used to.
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Skull-sized cavities dot the finely carved walls of these chambers in an orderly fashion. The cubbies contain funerary urns of varying quality and size.
In the dim light, Bishop spots three lemures slithering across the rooms, smashing into the urns, and picking up random funerary offerings. The devils seem oblivious to the rogue.
Hanlin
Bishop
Lord Bragget & Kibble
Nina & Inky
Erlathan
Vegazi
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"These foul creatures don't seem too bright! What do you say to drawing them towards us, rather than getting stuck in the thin corridors ahead?" Lord Braggett asks the others in a low whisper. However, before anyone has a chance to answer, the heroic knight is already charging past Bishop, his flaming sword held high and his heavy shield held low, ""
Standard action: Total defence (AC 24)
Kibble:
Move action: Move 15'
The first time Kibble is hit in a round, Braggett will use the Mounted Combat feat, and as an immediate action to try and negate any damage. The hit is negated if the Ride check result is greater than the opponent's attack roll.
For the first two adjacent allies (including Braggett) who are targeted for an attack, Kibble will use the Bodyguard feat to use an AoO and boost their AC.
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Bishop uses the wand he's holding to cast bless weapon on his silvered dagger.
Adopting a total defensive posture as Kibble trots past Bishop into the middle of the urn repository.
Vegazi, enters the narrow north tunnel, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow, stopping behind Bishop.
Back in the main corridor of the catacombs, Hanlin retrieves his wand of bless, holding it in his shield hand, and Erlathan draws his wand of magic missile.
Hanlin
Bishop
Lord Bragget & Kibble
Nina & Inky
Erlathan
Vegazi
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Hanlin takes a step towards the center of the hallway to be sure he can see everyone, then holds forth his wand of blessing bubbles and summons forth the cleansing power of holy goodness from it. "Go forth champions of good clean fun, and scrub those devils from this plane!"
He then slams the wand back in its holster on his hip.
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"Ha ha! Indeed, Sir, molasses devils aplenty, but they are no match for a trained knight..." Lord Braggett calls cheerfully back to Erlathan while deflecting greasy claws with his shield, "Now, to see if they are as thick-witted as they appear. Sir Kibble, Away!" Braggett slides down the side of his saddle, dodging claws and finding cover as Kibble dodges his way back down the corridor, "Have at them comrades!"
Immediate action: Ride Check to use Kibble as cover (Success)
Move action: Sit up properly in saddle again
Standard action: Lion's Call
Kibble:
Full-round action: Withdraw
The first time Kibble is hit in a round, Braggett will use the Mounted Combat feat, and as an immediate action to try and negate any damage. The hit is negated if the Ride check result is greater than the opponent's attack roll.
For the first two adjacent allies (including Braggett) who are targeted for an attack, Kibble will use the Bodyguard feat to use an AoO and boost their AC.
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Kibble rolls his lupine eyes as his rider uses him like a sandbag, while also commanding him to withdraw from danger.
The pair of lemures slash at Lord Braggett as Kibble pulls back, but their claws slash through nothing but air.
Bishop stabs the purple devil with his blessed silvered dagger, bursting tumorous flesh. Then he somersaults back to the catacomb's main corridor, grateful the purple devil had exhausted its attacks against Lord Braggett.
A jaundiced-looking fiend emerges from the western urn repository, menacing Vegazi.
Vegazi takes a step back and fires a raining arrow point-blank.
Hanlin
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Red
Purple
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Bishop
Lord Bragget & Kibble
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Yellow
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Nina & Inky
Erlathan
Vegazi
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Erlathan slays the yellow devil with a bolt of force blasted from his wand. Its cousins care not, bulbous lips and ragged claws seeking their next target.
Nina and Incandescence get ready to attack the first devil that enters the main corridor, as soon as Vegazi withdraws.
Hanlin
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Red
Purple
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Bishop
Lord Bragget & Kibble
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Yellow
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Nina & Inky
Erlathan
Vegazi
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Hanlin imbues Nina with a touch of divine guidance.
Then the two roiling waves of flesh gush forward, dripping tumorous faces quivering in gurgling laughter, wriggling half-formed limbs wielding wicked claws. The purple devil utters a frustrated howl, unable to reach its prey. The red-hued fiend swipes at the half-orc archer.
Vegazi evades the creature's claws and withdraws down the narrow corridor, trying to draw out the lemures.
Hanlin
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Red
Purple
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Bishop
Lord Bragget & Kibble
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Yellow
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Nina & Inky
Erlathan
Vegazi
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Lord Braggett turns to Bishop, "Thank you kindly good Sir! I can feel the extra power flowing through my weapon already." He says, oblivious to the misfire, "Now, let us show these blighters what Pathfinders are made of..." Raising his sword, the eager knight readies himself to attack as soon as the time is right.
Free action: Ride check to Attack in same round as Kibble
Standard action: Ready an attack with Kibble against the first Lemure to get in range.
Kibble:
Standard Action: Ready an attack with Braggett against the first Lemure to get in range.
The first time Kibble is hit in a round, Braggett will use the Mounted Combat feat, and as an immediate action to try and negate any damage. The hit is negated if the Ride check result is greater than the opponent's attack roll.
For the first two adjacent allies (including Braggett) who are targeted for an attack, Kibble will use the Bodyguard feat to use an AoO and boost their AC.
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The red devil lumbers down the narrow hall and emerges into the main corridor, where Nina clubs it with her mace, Lord Braggett slashes it with his longsword, and Erlathan blasts it with a magic missile. Staggered, it swings it claws at Lord Braggett, but it misses the gnome and falls to the flagstones unconscious.
The purple fiend enters the main corridor and lashes out at Hanlin. The stalwart Kibble nips at the creature, distracting the lemure enough to make it miss the priest of Iomedae.
Vegazi fires another of her raining arrows at the purple devil, felling it, bleeding out on the stone floor.
The lemures had picked up some funerary offerings while slithering across the rooms and smashing into the urns. Among their withering remains are an elixir of some kind, a flask of some sort of ointment, and a beautiful brooch. Dozens of coins stick to their slimy carcasses.
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Hanlin leans back a bit as the lemure bounces off his breastplate, wiping his brow with his mace hand before leaning over and patting Kibble's head lightly "Thanks Kibble, remind me I owe you a snack after this is over!"
He helps the others collect up the items from the creatures, using his mace to make sure they stay down. "Shall we go up and investigate where they came from?" He offers.
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Kibble's ears prick up and he barks happily at the suggestion of snacks, leaning into Hanlin and enjoying his pat on the head, "Haha, fine work indeed Kibble! But do not let the praise go to your head, my friend... You must try to stay humble like me." Hanlin is sure he saw Kibble roll his eyes just before he lopes off into the hallway behind Bishop, "Excellent idea, Sir Hanlin! Onward into the catacombs." He points his flaming sword forwards as Kibble carries him off.
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Bishop looks down both narrow hallways, but sees no other exits. The party enters the easternmost urn repository, and finds another narrow hallway leading south back to the main corridor, to a spot east of the cave-in.
From his position at the head of the column, Bishop realizes the main corridor continues to the east...
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The rogue moves into the corridor like a ghost, and peers into the Arwyll crypt. Ornate stone sarcophagi line the floors of the wide chamber. In the center of the crypt, four sarcophagi surround a large iron brazier. It flickers with the light of a continual flame.
Bishop listens and hears the sound of creatures shuffling about the room, at least one of them muttering something unintelligible. Whatever or whoever they are, he can't yet see them.
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Bishop slips back around the corner where the party is waiting. "The room is lit. Four sarcophagi. Believe they are closed. More devils ahead and it sounds like they are shuffling. My guess is more lemures but one of the creatures is muttering. The lemures we've faced seem for lack of a better word mindless and not the most loquacious types. We need to be prepared for anything." At that he whispers the command word and taps Lord Braggett's sword with his wand. This time the blade is surrounded by a blue light that quickly fades away. "There that should help, but we don't have long before the blessing leaves your blade."
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Lord Braggett watches as his flaming sword momentarily glows blue, eyes wide with wonder, "You are too generous, Sir." He says reverantly as he gives the blade a few practice swipes, "I thank you for this glorious gift! You have my word, without their tricks to save them, our enemies will fall swiftly to my blade." At Hanlin's signal, the grateful knight heads forth towards danger.
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Riding the intrepid Kibble, Lord Braggett approaches the Arwyll Crypt. From that vantage point, the cavalier spies a narrow passage exiting the western side of the chamber, and a collapsed tunnel to the south appears to be unfinished.
In the northeast corner of the room, apparently searching for a hidden exit, stands a creature that could be the twin of Vegazi's half-sister Jagan, the orc-tiefling witch slain by Wate Arwyll's patrol along the Path Road. She's wearing a breastplate with armored spikes and wields an orc double axe.
In the southeast corner of the room is a thin, lanky wolf with reddish-brown fur, white claws, and burning, fiery red eyes. The hellish canine is sniffing at the cracks in the stone.
Both turn at the arrival of the brave Lord Braggett.
"Sister, it's been a long time. Mother misses you. She sent me to fetch you," the hellspawn cackles.
"Ogash," Vegazi spits. "Your evil ends here, today. I will take your heart and feed it to the crows."
Ogash points at Vegazi and commands the 'wolf,' "Infernal minion of Kelsaph, slay the b+~*$'s friends, but leave her to me. Mother needs a living sacrifice."
Ogash becomes enraged, point a quivering finger at her half-sister, and darkness engulfs Vegazi, Lord Braggett and Kibble.
Ogash
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Hanlin
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"Wolf"
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Bishop
Vegazi
Erlathan
Lord Braggett & Kibble
Nina & Inky
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As Hanlin moves toward Vegazi and Lord Braggett, he identifies the fiendish wolf as a hell hound, a medium outsider with the evil, extraplanar, fire, and lawful subtypes. Then darkness descends, and he loses sight of the beast.
As the party enters battle, Hanlin activates his wand of bless.
The hell hound snarls and charges at Lord Braggett and Kibble. Pulling up in front of the cavalier, the creature opens it maw and howls fire.
Concerned for her new friends, Vegazi ignores her evil half-sister, takes a step back, nocks a raining arrow, and fires at the hell hound.
Ogash
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Hanlin
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Hell Hound
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Bishop
Vegazi
Erlathan
Lord Braggett & Kibble
Nina & Inky
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Erlathan looks the funeral offerings with glowing eyes, analyzing their magical properties.
"Ah, an elixir of vision. Just the thing one would need to notice fine details with great accuracy. This other strange ointment is an unguent of timelessness, which prevents things from aging. I wonder if it will work on my face," Erlathan asks with a hand on his chin.
"Oh, dear. Lemures, gaavs, and hellhounds? It is as though we're flipping through the Devil Encyclopaedia, Vol III," Erlathan groans. "I hear that one comes with a free plush, no purchase necessary. Hey, Bishop, how'd you like to march into battle at twice the size, and twice the power?"
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"Of all the dirty tricks... Too cowardly to face me, are you?" Lord Braggett calls out, decidedly miffed with the turn of events, "Well I don't need to see you to- Aaagh!?" Suddenly the annoyed knight is engulfed in flames, and since he could not see the attack coming, he is unable to dodge in time, suffering some serious burns and singed facial hair. Fortunately, the cone of fire must have been directed high, and Kibble was spared from the worst of it, "This is intolerable! Show yourselves, and face me with honour..." He starts swinging out blindly in frustration, "Take that! And this..." Kibble snaps at the scent of Ogash, but finally has the good sense to withdraw into the light, "Where are you going Kibble? We must press the attack and show these cowards what for!"
Free action: Ride check to Attack in same round as Kibble
Standard action: Attack Hell Hound
Kibble:
Move action: Heading towards the light (provokes AoO to both Kibble and Braggett)
Standard action: Attack Ogash
The first time Kibble is hit in a round, Braggett will use the Mounted Combat feat, and as an immediate action to try and negate any damage. The hit is negated if the Ride check result is greater than the opponent's attack roll.
For the first two adjacent allies (including Braggett) who are targeted for an attack, Kibble will use the Bodyguard feat to use an AoO and boost their AC.
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Bishop moves into the darkness next Lord Braggett and Kibble and slashes the air with his ensorcelled dagger.
Lord Braggett and Kibble, too, have trouble striking their foes in the limited visibility, and they withdraw from the front lines to lick their wounds.
Erlathan begins a lengthy arcane casting.
Ogash
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Hanlin
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Hell Hound
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Bishop
Vegazi
Erlathan
Lord Braggett & Kibble
Nina & Inky
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"Oh! Come on Inky, we gotta move! They need us!" Nina urges and Inky obliges, racing down the narrow corridor. As the pair round the corner, Inky skids to a stop in front of Hanlin. Though she was unperturbed by the darkness plaguing the rest of the group, she knew that Nina wouldn't be able to see if they kept going.
Though briefly surprised, Nina's expression quickly shifts to one of determination. "Don't worry, I know just the thing," she responds as she reaches into her pack and pulls out a gemstone that shines brightly within the small confines of the crypt.
"For the Sun and the Fury!" she cries, invoking the Dawnflower as she holds the gem aloft and then tosses it into the darkness that lies before her.
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Incandescence emerges from the narrow hallway and lopes toward the crypt, while her rider pulls a flaming gemstone from her rucksack. As the eidolon pulls up behind Vegazi, Nina tosses the jewel in front of them, restoring light to the area.
The raging tiefling pays scant attention, vengeful eyes only for Vegazi. She steps toward her half-orc half-sister, swinging her double axe in sweeping arcs. The weapon ignites in flame. Vegazi crumples to the flagstones, her lifeblood gushing from her helpless body as her soul hovers *precariously* close to death.
Ogash
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Hanlin
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Hell Hound
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Bishop
Vegazi
Erlathan
Lord Braggett & Kibble
Nina & Inky