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When the accuser devil retreats westward down the corridor, Nina hesitates, unsure of her next move.
Ertlathan pulls the trigger on another magic missile.
Bishop tosses his silver dagger at the fiend, but the blade plinks against the wall beyond the creature.
The zebub's wings buzz and it flies back out of Lord Braggett's and Kibble's reach. It grins, "Goony, goo-goo!" and vanishes.
Vegazi slips past Nina and Inky and takes a position on the other side of Lord Braggett and Kibble, ready to fire her bow from behind cover as soon as she can see the fiend.
Hanlin follows the route Nina took and stops next to the gnome and her eidolon.
Erlathan
---
Zebub
---
Bishop
Vegazi
Hanlin
Lord Braggett
Kibble
Nina & Inky
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"Good grief..." Lord Braggett exclaims when the fly-thing pops out of sight, "It vanished, Lady Brightspark!" He calls back to Nina as he searches the seemingly empty corridor. With a mischievous smile, the cunning knight drops his silver sword, and uses the now free hand to reach into his pack, "Why wherever could it be- AHA!" He suddenly throws a flask of holy water at the devil's last known location.
___
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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Nina and Inky hold their position, wondering what's going on.
Lord Braggett's sword clatters against the flagstones as he retrieves a flask of holy water and tosses it at the last spot he saw the zebub. The fiend screams in agony from the burn.
Erlathan
---
Zebub
---
Bishop
Vegazi
Hanlin
Lord Braggett
Kibble
Nina & Inky
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"You can hide, but you can't run!" Lord Braggett calls into the seemingly empty corridor, "Sir Kibble, show that cheating little devil that we need not see it to know where it is! Seek it out, my friend..." He urges Kibble forward as he draws another flask of holy water.
Free action: Ride check to Attack in same round as Kibble
Move action: Draw holy water
Standard action: Throw holy water if Kibble pinpoints the Zebub
Kibble:
Move action: Move foward
Standard action: Attack Zebub if within 5'
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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Lord Braggett embarks on a mounted movement to contact. The dynamic duo reach the end of the narrow chamber without bumping into anything, but Kibble sniffs something foul in the air above and behind them. He can't reach it with his bite, but Lord Braggett takes aim, using his Kibble's ears and nose to get a good sight picture down the barrel of his wolf. The cavalier hurls another vial of holy water at the invisible devil and is rewarded with the sound of another angry scream.
Erlathan
---
Zebub
---
Bishop
Vegazi
Hanlin
Lord Braggett
Kibble
Nina & Inky
|
Certain that they've at least got the devil blocked in, Inky steps up behind Bishop while Nina stows her silver mace and draws her lance. "At least this way we can help make sure it doesn't leave this room," she reasons. "We'll be ready to poke its eyes out if it tries getting past you, Bishop!"
_______
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Nina moves into the middle of the intersection, planning to further block the movement of the zebub, if it decides to land.
Hanlin emits another wave of divine energy that roils outward from his raised left hand. Another infernal curse suggests the fiend felt Iomedae's lash.
Vegazi has an arrow nocked, ready to fire as soon as the little devil reveals itself again.
Erlathan
---
Zebub
---
Bishop
Vegazi
Hanlin
Lord Braggett
Kibble
Nina & Inky
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Bishop retrieves his dagger, and Erlathan readies to blast the fiend with his wand.
Vegazi cups one ear. "I think I just heard the creature's angry screaming. Somewhere back in the crypt with all the Arwyll dead." She points back towards the Arwyll crypt. "I'll try to cut off its escape near where we entered the catacombs."
She heads north and east out of the sarcophagus chambers, back into the main corridor.
Erlathan
---
Zebub
---
Bishop
Vegazi
Hanlin
Lord Braggett
Kibble
Nina & Inky
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"Slippery devil..." Lord Braggett watches Nina quickly ride off deeper into the catacombs and realises that he weighs Kibble down too much to be able to keep up. He hops out of the saddle (though not as quickly as he'd like,) and says, "Sir Kibble, scout ahead of Lady Brightspark, and seek this creature out just like we practised in the forest!" Kibble barks back, *Arf, arf?* and Braggett actually seems to understand, "Squirrels? Why is it always squirrels with you... No, you must find the Zebub!" Even though Braggett has no trouble understanding the wolf, Kibble still seems to be having trouble understanding the knight, he cocks his head and asks, *Arf?* Braggett sighs and speaks slower, "Ze... Bub... Ze- Just run ahead of the cat and find the thing you just smelt." Suddenly the shaggy wolf and bounds happily after Nina, leaping over the greasy patch on the floor, eager to show the cat how it's done. "Aha! That's the way, good luck my friend!"
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Incandescence carries Nina back toward the Arwyll Crypt.
Lord Braggett dismounts, with a series of sneezes, yips, and growls, commands his wolf to find the fiend. Kibble woofs once at his master, spins on his hind legs, and tongue lolling, lopes in the direction of the devil's scent.
Erlathan joins Nina, Inky and Kibble hustling through the sarcophagus chambers and the Hall of the Honored, heading toward the crypt.
Hanlin starts to follow Vegazi toward the catacomb's main corridor.
Erlathan
---
Zebub
---
Bishop
Vegazi
Hanlin
Lord Braggett
Kibble
Nina & Inky
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You hear the faint but unmistakable scream of an outraged devil somewhere deep within the catacombs.
Vegazi nocks a raining arrow, ready to fire, if only she can catch a glimpse of the zebub.
Erlathan
---
Zebub
---
Bishop
Vegazi
Hanlin
Lord Braggett
Kibble
Nina & Inky
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Lord Braggett chases after Hanlin, pumping his little used legs as fast as he can manage, "Splendid! Then it... has not... yet... passed us..." He yells enthusiastically, yet already out of breath, and he draws his flaming sword once again as sweat beads on his forehead, "We've... got it... pinned!"
Meanwhile, Kibble continues to run ahead of Nina and Inky, sniffing at the air for any signs of the devil.
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|
Still racing along after Kibble, Nina and Inky finally make their way back into the main crypt. Inky skids to a stop a few feet into the room and both eidolon and gnome look around with narrowed eyes.
"We know you're in here somewhere! Come out and we'll give you a quick trip back to Hell!" Nina calls.
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Bishop crouches where he was in the sarcophagus chambers, trying to decide which of his fey companions to follow, the summoner or the cavalier.
Hanlin emerges into the main corridor, mace readied, positioning himself next to Vegazi, bow readied and scanning for the zebub.
Lord Braggett's legs churn as fast as a gnome in armor can go, trying to catch up to Hanlin and Vegazi.
Nina and Erlathan enter the Arwyll Crypt and spot Sir Kibble snarling at the accuser devil in the main corridor, hovering over the corpse of Ogash.
The fiend regards the wolf, then disappears once more...
Erlathan
---
Zebub
---
Bishop
Vegazi
Hanlin
Lord Braggett
Kibble
Nina & Inky
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"This is the worst day ever," Nina mutters as the zebub promptly vanishes from sight yet again. Then, in a louder voice, she adds, "We've got allllll day! We'll find youuuuu!"
Taking some of the initiative into her own paws, Inky moves forward towards the last place they saw the zebub, hoping that maybe they can 'herd' it back towards the rest of the group or force it out of hiding. As she does, both her and Nina scan around....
...and once close enough, Nina tries swinging her mace at the location she thinks the zebub might be hovering in!
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|
Kibble follows his nose, it always knows, and he screeches to a claw-scratching halt in one of the urn repository chambers. Tail outstretched and one leg bent, his lupine sniffer points into the air above and in front of him.
Erlathan, Nina and Inky follow in hot pursuit.
Erlathan
---
Zebub
---
Bishop
Vegazi
Hanlin
Lord Braggett
Kibble
Nina & Inky
|
|
Hanlin swings his readied mace and clobbers the zebub smack in its bloated thorax. Down goes the fiend, landing with a soft splat on the corpse of one of the lemures.
The catacombs fall silent. You're confident you've dealt with the threat of Ogash and her hellish minions within the tombs.
You take a closer look at the zebub, disovering a few pilfered items on the floor next to its lifeless body, including a spiral-shaped wooden holy symbol, several scrolls and a wand.
Jerem looks over the items and nods. "Looks like some stuff that belonged to a Pharasmin priest who was here a few years ago when Arwyll Stead was dealing with an undead problem."
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|
"Ughhhhhh, that took long enough," Nina groans as she and Inky come trotting up to the rest of the group. "Inky, remind me to have a spell for that next time...or, or something..." her voice trails off as she spots the items that the zebub had pilfered. She studies them...
...and after a few moments announces, "I don't know what any of these things do!"
"Big surprise..." mutters Inky, though Nina either doesn't hear it or chooses to ignore it.
"But, hey! We cleared out these catacombs! We'd better go report back and tell them what a good job we did!"
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|
"Haha, cracking shot, Sir!" Lord Braggett cheers as the last of the catacombs' devils falls, "Right in the thorax." He sheathes his sword and salutes Nina as she approaches, then waits patiently for Kibble and Erlathan to catch up, tapping his foot, "With haste, Sir Kibble, for we must brave these depths once more!" While Nina is studying the items, Braggett rides back into the catacombs to retrieve his silver scimitar.
On his return, his smile is wide and he holds Ogash's signal horn, "Indeed we should, Lady Brightspark! We did an excellent job down here, and Mayor Proum should hear in exacting detail of how we heroically purged the catacombs of countless devils and defeated their formidable leader, Ogash." He looks back towards the entrance and adds, "Plus, if the militia have yet to drive these devilish raiders from their home by the time we surface, we can sound a retreat with this. Haha, it would be glorious to watch the devils run for the hills with their tails between their legs!"
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As the dust starts to settle and the air goes quiet, Hanlin wait for Nina to finish examining the scrolls before taking them and casting a spell to read 'em "Best way to look at scrolls is the read magic spell, if you've got a way to learn it. Without it I'd be lost for sure."
He tallies 3 scrolls of protection from evil and 1 magic circle against evil. "I don't even know where to start on that wand there.." He puts the scrolls in his case and nods towards Jerem "These are priest scrolls for sure. Did he pass and get interred down here?" He asks the young man, a look of sadness starting to build.
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As you make your way back to the entrance to the catacombs, Jerem shakes his head, "I was just a kid, but I remember the priest left town with a fat purse and a smile on his face. I know he loved telling scary, tall tales of zombies, ghouls, and vampires. We haven't needed his services since then, I guess."
You're greeted outside by a handsome, petite human man with a personable demeanor. “I don’t know who you are,” the man exclaims, “but I’m glad you lot are on our side. Did Wate send for you? My scouts are missing, and now we’ve got this mess to clean up.”
"Forgive me," the man introduces himself, "I'm Terrin Shaw, Arwyll Stead’s scoutmaster. I've been out of town for several days, traveling to Trunau to gather news and supplies and scouting along the Path River to determine the cause of several orc attacks on remote homesteads."
You recall the note you found on Wate's body...
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Hanlin gives Jerem a look of concern at his recollection of their former priest. "I'm not sure what to make of that, maybe we can talk about it more with your current priest after this..." He waves his hands around at the chaos around them "Ends."
Hanlin reaches out to shake Terrin's hand and introduce himself "I am Hanlin, warrior priest of Iomedae, and yes we are ALL on your side here." He glances at Vegazi with his declaration. "I'm afraid we found your note on Wate's body after we came upon his group, slain by devils outside of town. Vegazi here helped us finish off the devils and lead us here to help try to save your town."
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When Hanlin informs Terrin about Wate’s death, his whole demeanor collapses. Grief-stricken, he tells you, "On my way back from Trunau, my scouts failed to meet me at our rendezvous. Between Wate’s demise and Ogash’s raid, I fear the worst for my scouts."
The scoutmaster sighs, a tear running down one stubbled cheek.
“I was also Wate’s best friend,” he says. “He always worried what would happen to Arwyll Stead if his family wasn’t around anymore, and really felt the pressure when his mother died. He made me promise to help things stay together.”
He looks at you, wondering about your intentions.
"Will you return Wate's belongings to Arwyll Manor?" Terrin Shaw asks.
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Seeing this difficult situation before him, Hanlin does as his father once taught him, he calms himself and asks Iomedae for a moment of her soothing strength.
Hanlin rests a comforting hand on the grief stricken man's shoulder "I am truly sorry for your loss. We have already brought his body and his possessions to the Manor yesterday and met with the Town's governing body. We haven't been able to do much more other than have a bit to eat before getting some sleep. We woke up to the raid early this morning at the Inn."
Hanlin does his best to console the man and give him strength in his time of need.
Touch of Glory (Sp): (5x/day) You can cause your hand to shimmer with divine radiance, allowing you to touch a creature as a standard action and give it a bonus equal to your cleric level on a single Charisma-based skill check or Charisma ability check. This ability lasts for 1 hour or until the creature touched elects to apply the bonus to a roll. You can use this ability to grant the bonus a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.