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Fendahl requests the lion move into the room to engage a skeleton behind Filios.
Fendahl moves up to try to get a shot with his sling on round 1.
(trying to leave room for Gris to shoot or charge or whatever.)
Gristav casts Acid Splash on Blue Eyes from where he stands in the doorway. Then he steps into the room, readying his staff, taking a swift action to charge it to +1 equivalent for 1 minute.
Filios quickly charges into the room, attempting to quicly deal with the slowly moving blue eyed skeleton, but the creature proves to be quite skilled, managing to deflect his attacks even in his stupor. Everyone else moves into position, Keebler instead casting an abjuration upon himself.
The blue eyed skeleton, seemingly possessing more intelligence then it's brethren, moves to better strike, attempting to cleave from Filios into the lion. Fortunately for both, Filios barely deflects the strike, saving them both from what could have been a powerful savage blow.
BES ;
Gristav attempts to strike one of the skeletons, as does Fendahl with a sling. Yet both attacks fail to connect.
On the other hand Fendahl's companion leaps at the blue eyed skeleton and manages to connect with a bite, pulling it so one of it's claws can get in a decent strike as well.
The two skeletons move forward in an attempt to take down Gristv, but almost seem to bumble against each other more than the magus.
S1vG S ;
S1vG C ;
S2vG S ;
S2vG C ;
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From the PRD:
Scorpion Whip: This whip has a series of razor-sharp blades and fangs inset along its tip. It deals lethal damage, even to creatures with armor bonuses. If you are proficient with whips, you can use a scorpion whip as a whip.
Keebler strikes out with his whip, hitting one of the skeletons but unable to deal a significant wound to the creature.
Filios sidesteps the blue eyed skeletons attempt to strike him and manages to barely find a deadly opening, though only deadly to a live target. Still the blue eyed skeleton is severely hurt.
The blue eyed skeleton attempts to return his strike, but his missing bones sends his attack wide, sparing filios a deadly blow of his own.
BESvF ;
Fendahl's lion manages a fearsome claw swipe against the blue eyed skeleton, bashing it's leg out of the way to finish the creature off. It falls to the ground, dead. Though Fendahl himself misses the creature.
Gristav attempts an attack of his own, only to miss. Both skeletons retaliate against the magus but fail to penetrate his defenses.
S1vG S ;
S1vG C ;
S2vG S ;
S2vG C ;
Between the acts of Gristav and Fendahl's lion the last two skeletons are quickly dispatched.
This vaulted mausoleum holds six large sarcophagi, each bearing the carved image of an aasimar dressed in ornate robes and holding glass spheres in one hand and a bell, a book, or a lotus flower in the other. Innumerable runes crowd the top edges and sides of each sarcophagus. A solid wooden door stands near another door that has been boarded shut.
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"THIS is not a sacred defense, surely?!", Gristav asks of Keebler, and of the room. "I intend to have words. With Zhuang, with the angels, with Korada Himself if I must! We aren't going to leave these people to be beaten by the brow, eaten by the knuckle and led by the ring through their nose! Well... I am not!"
Gristav looks about the room, looking for agreement among his companions.
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Degwyn helps with the etchings paying special attention to the contents of the sarcophagi from which the skeletons rose.
If these risen dead are by the hand of Dakang there must be something here that proves his guilt. Perhaps something to do with these etchings or burial rites?
Checking for anything that might stand out like do the temple aasimar or Dakang dress in the same robes and trappings pictured on the sarcophagi. Any presence of face painting or a scarf over the mouth, etc.
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Coiling his scorpion whip backup, Keebler replaces it with papers and charcoal. He sets about to make rubbings of some of the easier to reach carvings as he replies to Gristav, "No, certainly not. While there are several civilizations that utilize their dead to protect sacred sites, I can think of none that knowingly and willing enslave the undead for such tasks." There is a momentary pause as if the gnome was finished speaking, but then adds, "No reasonable and enlightened society, anyways. The number of cults, societies, and organizations that wantonly use the living dead for their own aberrant purposes are simply too many to count. It's something of cliche, really.
"Then again, base undead such as skeletons or zombies can arise simply from the presence of foul powers that might permeate a localized region. Horrible travesties, wicked acts, or brutal violence in sufficient quantity or malice can corrupt virtually any place at which they can occur." He continues on about the various academics of the undead as he diligently goes about the work of collecting the rubbings, seemingly oblivious to whether any of his companions are choosing to listen.
The work of inscribing the sarcophagi goes fairly easily. As you do your work, Filios uncovers a small crack at the base of the central one. Inside the crack is shallow crevice, 8' long and 18" deep. Squeezing in would be difficult, particularly for larger creatures.
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Gristav will assist, though he mutters throughout. He does seem to be listening, even through his muttering. He falls silent, working a while on the rubbings, but finally vents a frustrated roar, and heads for the statuary. "I am going to go send Zhuang, if I find him first, or the angels, but both. And if they deny this evidence, too, then I will talk to each and every last...", he says, his voice lost in the statuary echoes of his striding, strident footfalls.
"Good morning, Angels", he says with evident stress in his voice and posture. "One of you come with me.", he directs, turning to leave, "Or more, I don't care. Don't care, that's epidemic in this place...", he says, listening more than watching for them to follow, continuing his rant as he goes, gambling that whether they believe in him or not, they won't imagine he can be ignored.
He leads the Aasimar to the statuary, and through it into the crypt. "The statue is no longer trapped, by the way.", he observes wryly as he passes it.
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Keebler squats down next to Filios to examine the crevice. After thinking for a moment, he pulls a crowbar from his backpack. "Bring the light over here," he commands. Once the darkened space is better illuminated, he'll being he'll begin tapping the sides of the crack and prodding at the crevice with the crowbar.
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As Gris moves past the lion to leave, Fendahl would urge lion out of the way from her guarding of the door.
"Hrrmm, Kirrah, let him pass...he is friend, not foe. "
Turning to Gris with a concerned look...
"Gris, heading off alone? Hrrmm, I do not trust the denizens of this place. We can accompany you, if you wish. Otherwise, do take care. I feel there is still deceit at work and not sure how much longer our hosts will entertain our presence in their halls. "
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"No, no...", Gristav agrees. "You're right. It's so galling, though. I... we...? I can only speak for I, want to see Justice done, yes? But is that ours to do? Here? At all? And the ones with a right, with a duty, won't acknowledge... rrrrRRAA", he roars. But as the lion startles, Gristav swiftly regains his composure. "I'm sorry.", he says to Fendahl, and then again, more softly, to the lion.
Taking a careful step back from the lion, Gris answers Keebler's request for light with a Light cantrip, cast on a copper coin, and the coin cast into the crevice in question.
From your current vanatage, it's impossible to see beyond the crevice without getting inside it. Though you hear no response to the crowbar, or to the lit coin.
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Degwyn continues with the rubbings.
I've been thinking about this and it's chewing at me too, Gris... Even if we don't find solid evidence of Dakang's deceit here in the crypt I can't leave while things in the temple are as they are now.
He pauses for a moment.
Dakang has to go. Hopefully we can find our proof and have the support of the temple inhabitants. If the proof we need eludes us, we need a plan. Hopefully everyone present is on board... He looks up at the group to gauge whether people are open to the idea of toppling the tyrant Dakang.