Godsmouth Heresy - PFS - Presented by DM Eric S (Inactive)

Game Master Eric Swanson

Uriel's readied swing misses the Groping Hand. Curses!

(Unless an attack roll of 10--11 with aid would hit.)

The paladin-oracle chokes up on his bastard sword, winds up another swing and whiffs past his foe.
Attack, Aid; Damage: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 1 = 91d10 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Lady Mae barely manages to connect with the hand assaulting her, but Sunny helps out with a well placed acidic tongue lash. However her fellow Pathfinders, perhaps caught off guard by the speed of the attacks, fail to land blows of their own.
_______________

Round 1/2:

Damien (18/18 hp)
Lady Mae (15/15 hp)
Uriel (18/19 hp, +16 Temp HP, Aid)
Lucina (8/8 hp)
Annilda (14/14 hp, Mage Armor)
Ruby (11/13 hp)
=====
Crawling Hand #1
Crawling Hand #2 (-5 hp)
Crawling Hand #3 (-8 hp)
=====
Sunny (16/16 hp)
_____________________

Current Effects: Uriel Light spell, Damien Light spell, Annilda *Virtue spell, Uriel Aid spell (+1 morale bonus on attack rolls and saves against fear effects; duration 2 minutes).
_____________________

Current MAP.
_____________________

Damien is UP! The crawling hands are now in Uriel and lady Mae squares, and 5' away from Annilda.

"Well if they're gunna be like that, I'm gunna have to get up close," Damien grumbles, regretting his choice of alchemical weapon. He steers Ruby up next to Annilda and swings with his earthbreaker.

Earthbreaker: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 241d10 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Ruby bites!: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 141d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Aim for the one in Lady Mae's square

Damian swipes the crawling hand tormenting Lady Mae off the grippli's body, ending its unlife. while Ruby lunges at the one next to Annilda, chomping it into pieces! The wolf quickly spits ou7 the gory remains, apparently not liking the alchemical taste of said hand.

The lone hand is not deterred as it clambers up Uriel's body, seeking to dig its fingers into the aasimar's throat...

Crawling Hand #1 vs. Uriel: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11 Miss.

...yet Uriel manages to keep it at bay for the moment.

_______________

Round 1:

Damien (18/18 hp)
Lady Mae (15/15 hp)
Uriel (18/19 hp, +16 Temp HP, Aid)
Lucina (8/8 hp)
Annilda (14/14 hp, Mage Armor)
Ruby (11/13 hp)
=====
Crawling Hand #1
Crawling Hand #2
Crawling Hand #3
=====
Sunny (16/16 hp)
_____________________

Current Effects: Uriel Light spell, Damien Light spell, Annilda *Virtue spell, Uriel Aid spell (+1 morale bonus on attack rolls and saves against fear effects; duration 2 minutes).
_____________________

Current MAP.
_____________________

Everyone is UP! There is only one Crawling Hand left, currently occupying Uriel's square.

Annilda forms her hand like claws, trying to dig into the creature trying to choke Uriel.

Flurry 1: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (19) + 0 = 19
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Flurry 2: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (2) + 0 = 2
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

And with her backhand she pets Ruby. "Thank you for destroying that thing harassing me."

Mae backs up and lets her much more physically able and mentally charged Sunny attack the claw.

BLOOOOP BLOOOP!

Tongue + Acid, flank: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 3 + 2 = 201d4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 + 1 = 5

"Hold on Uriel! Third time's the charm, right?" Lucina calls as she practically whips the wand through the air like a conductor's baton.

Work damn you!

Disrupt Undead (Ranged Touch; Into Melee): 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 - 4 = 11
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

"Hey, that's a little better!"
____________

Charges remaining (27).

Annilda clobbers the lone remaining hand with a well-placed fist, but it is Sunny who manages to destroy the final clawed hand with her acidic tongue. Fortunately you cannot tell the slug's reaction to the taste of the disgusting mass of flesh.

COMBAT OVER!

Lucina: you do not need to spend a charge of your wand here.

As you take bearings of your situation, you notice one of the crawling hands bears a tattoo on its back of a stylized owl.

A grisly search of the the gruesome pile of dead flesh reveals a discarded hand in the middle of the pile still wearing a gold ring set with an emerald, worth 500 gp.
_______________

Status:

Annilda (14/14 hp, Mage Armor)
Damien (18/18 hp)
Lady Mae (15/15 hp)
Lucina[/b] (8/8 hp)
Ruby (11/13 hp)
Sunny (16/16 hp)
Uriel (18/19 hp)
_____________________

Current Effects: Uriel Light spell, Damien Light spell, Annilda *Virtue spell.
_____________________

Current MAP.

"Yuck...those seemed more irritating than dangerous," Lucina frowns as the dust settles and the group is able to examine the pile of hands. "Hey look, an owl...wonder if it means something?" she points. The ring doesn't escape her notice either, but she seems reluctant to reach in and remove it from the hand's finger.

"Every time I think this place can't get creepier... " Uriel stomps on the creature's remains, just for good measure. "Molested by an animated undead groping hand. Please omit this episode from the official Chronicles. I'll never be able to show my face in a temple of Ragathiel again."

He grips Annilda's shoulder and pats Sunny on his saddle, careful to avoid the snail's slime.
"Thanks for saving my life. And my reputation."

"I'm certain you have enough hands- still intact to lovely bodies- crawling all over you!" Annilda winks. "No need for the undead to get involved."

She walks up to the other severed hand and pries the ring off. "Hopefully it's quite valuable, I feel like we lost a day watching those things crawl around. Where to next?"

"In the jungles usually its just ants or spiders that crawl all over you. Here in this strange land it is old hands. Strange." She pats Sunny and gives her a small mushroom treat for her work.

"Hey Lucina... Sumbody called ya an owl." Damien chuckles.

Uriel casts an orison and examines the ring for magical auras. "Anybody recognize the tattoo on the hand?"
Detect magic and Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

"Sometimes I wish I could fly like an owl," Lucina remarks with a sigh. "It'd make getting around and keeping up with you tall folks a lot more easier!"

In response to Uriel's question, she simply shakes her head. "Not a clue. It looks like whoever did the inking knew what they were doing, though! So at the very least it's probably not a prison tattoo."

"It seems like we're all at a loss, here." Annilda shrugs. "Let us move on." Annilda advances and looks around the hallway.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Uriel does not find any magical auras on the ring so, pocketing it away, you turn your attention to the stairway ahead of you. Following it up the corridor reaches a landing before it branches to the north and south, ascending another 10 feet, continuing along as far as your vision goes in both directions.

_______________

Status:

Annilda (14/14 hp, Mage Armor)
Damien (18/18 hp)
Lady Mae (15/15 hp)
Lucina (8/8 hp)
Ruby (11/13 hp)
Sunny (16/16 hp)
Uriel (18/19 hp)
_____________________

Current Effects: Uriel Light spell, Damien Light spell, Annilda *Virtue spell.
_____________________

Current MAP.

"I say we go...North." Annilda points. "What say the rest of you?"

"North sounds good to me," Lucina agrees, standing on tiptoe as she stretches. "At least we can walk two-by-two in this hallway; the others make even me feel a little claustrophobic after awhile."

"I have a feeling whichever direction we choose a giant boulder will roll down the hall toward us from one direction and undead creatures await us in the other."

Uriel shrugs, resigned to this undead movement-to-contact. "North it is, then." Ragathiel, will this never end?

Mae pauses and feels the air, nodding in confirmation that the direction is indeed north. "Yes, I think most anyway is as good as the other. Sunny does enjoy the space." She smiles and tugs on the lead rope as they meander 'north'.

Damien continues gorging on berries and stale bread. "Sure, if ya wanna go north, we're gunna go north. Does it matter which way? Not like I kin predict wut's behind door number 2 or anythin'."

You travel north along the corridor a long ways it seems before your light sources reveal a chamber ahead, though your noses detect a foul stench long before you see it. This room is a charnel house of blood, bones, and scraps of rotten flesh. Strange runes have been sloppily drawn on the walls using some dark brown pigment. A moss-covered stone monolith stands in the center of the room, wreathed in gossamer wisps of gray mist that seem to congeal around the crumbling stone.

Before you can focus your attention on the stone further, a horrible growling sound echoes from within. Two foul creatures looking like a mix between a dog and a ghoul look up from fighting with each other over some discarded bones and scraps of rotten meat. They appear as hairless, malformed corpses with gray-green, pustule-covered skin and over-sized jaws that make them seem more beast-like than humanoid. Growling in ravenous hunger, they leap towards you!

One moves towards Annilda, whilst the other attacks Uriel...

Red Bite vs Annilda FF: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15 Miss.
Orange Bite vs. Uriel FF: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 Miss.

...fortunately Uriel easily dodges the clumsy bite, while Annilda relies upon her armor to protect her from the blow!
______________________

Round 1:

??
=====
Lady Mae (15/15 hp)
Uriel (18/19 hp)
Damien (18/18 hp)
Lucina (8/8 hp)
Annilda (14/14 hp, Mage Armor)
Ruby (11/13 hp)
Sunny (16/16 hp)
_____________________

Current Effects: Uriel Light spell, Damien Light spell, Annilda *Virtue spell.
_____________________

Current MAP.
_____________________

Everyone is UP!

Kn. Religion (DC 11): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

"They're festrogs," Lucina calls out, "dog-ghouls! Watch our for their _____ attack!"

Special Attacks, please!

With little else to do at the back of the pack, the little halfling raises the wand they'd found and tries to fire a shot at the festrog in front of Annilda!

Disrupt Undead (Ranged Touch; Into Melee): 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 - 4 = 19
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2
____________

Charges remaining (27).

Unable to reach the festrogs, Uriel retrieves his wand of bless and activates it. He carefully drops it to the floor next to the wall, and adjusts the grip on his bastard sword and shield.

(Bless: Allies gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saves vs fear effects. 46 charges remaining.)

"Dead dogs? Unpleasant. Dogs when alive are unpleasant." She pauses for a second and pulls her foot out of her mouth, petting Ruby. "Ruby not included."

She quickly gets back to business and asks her favorite jungle spirit of war to guide Annilda then asks Sunny to protect them. "Protect us Sunny, you know you can hit them from back there!"

The overgrown, slightly disagreeable Slug's eye stalks twist up into an angry knot as she launches a high arcing loogy over the group and at the mutt in front of Annilda. Or the ceiling... that works too.

Acid Spit, Ranged Touch, Cover, Melee: 1d20 + 2 - 4 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 2 - 4 - 4 = -21d6 ⇒ 2

"How filthy. And this coming from a Calistrian." She laughs, and the monster slams into her armor as her guard is down.

Knowledge(Religion): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

"I have... no idea what these things are." She shrugs.

Flurry 1: 1d20 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 - 2 = 8
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Flurry 2: 1d20 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 - 2 = 7
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

"But they are quite evasive."

Lucina realizes these festrogs actually feed upon their foes when they bite their prey, growing stronger with each bite! Still her wand is surprisingly effective against it.

Uriel sends his blessings over the party, which fails to help Sunny's and Annilda's blows to connect.
______________________

Round 1:

Festrog (Red) -2 hp
Festrog (Orange)
=======
Lady Mae (15/15 hp)
Uriel (18/19 hp)
Damien (18/18 hp)
Lucina (8/8 hp)
Annilda (14/14 hp, Mage Armor)
Ruby (11/13 hp)
Sunny (16/16 hp)
_____________________

Current Effects: Uriel Light spell, Damien Light spell, Annilda *Virtue spell, Bless: Allies gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saves vs fear effects .
_____________________

Current MAP.
_____________________

Damien and Ruby are UP!

"Dog-ghouls!?" Damien exclaims as Ruby snarls, baring her fangs. "Don't even try ta turn Ruby here into one of yer kind, ya filthy undead!"

All vs orange
Earthbreaker: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 161d10 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Ruby, Bite: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 181d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Trip?: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

While Damien strikes the festrog a glancing blow, Ruby's bite sinks deep into its flesh...which causes one of the pus-filled pustules to splatter upon the wolfs body! The diseased pus starts to trigger a gag reflex...

Ruby must make a DC 12 Fort save or be Sickened for 1d6 ⇒ 6 rounds.

The festrogs continue their attacks in a feeding frenzy...

Red Claw vs Annilda: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6 Miss.
Red Claw vs Annilda: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10 Miss.
Red Bite vs Annilda: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6 Miss.

Orange Claw vs Ruby: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11 Miss.
Orange Claw vs Ruby: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17 Hit.
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Orange Bite vs Ruby: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7 Miss.

...While Annilda and Damien manage to avoid the majority of the clumsy, undisciplined attacks, one claw does manage to draw blood from Damien's trusty mount.

___________________

Round 2:

Festrog (Red) -2 hp
Festrog (Orange) -9 hp
=======
Lady Mae (15/15 hp)
Uriel (18/19 hp)
Damien (18/18 hp)
Lucina (8/8 hp)
Annilda (14/14 hp, Mage Armor)
Ruby (7/13 hp, Fort save pending)
Sunny (16/16 hp)
_____________________

Current Effects: Uriel Light spell, Damien Light spell, Annilda *Virtue spell, Bless: (Allies gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saves vs fear effects). .
_____________________

Current MAP.
_____________________

Everyone is UP!

Annilda focuses her attention to the Festrog that Damien hit. Maybe its defenses are weaker?

Flurry 1: 1d20 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 - 2 = 14
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Flurry 2: 1d20 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 - 2 = 18
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

She clobbers it with her elbow and a foot to the chest.

Just in case she needs a Fort Save
Fort Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Fort Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Mae doubles down on her appreciation for Ruby, drawing out a crooked wooden wand and tapping the dog on the hide quarter. A soft glow erupts and starts to knit the wound closed. "Easy now, I'm helping."
Wand of CLW vs Ruby: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Meanwhile, Sunny continues her long ranged goop assault. Amazingly, she lands it!

Acid Spit, Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 2 - 4 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 2 - 4 - 4 = 141d6 ⇒ 2
Crit? Acid Spit, Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 2 - 4 - 4 ⇒ (2) + 2 - 4 - 4 = -41d6 ⇒ 1

Annilda's first blow connects solidly, laying the first festrog down. The follow-up blow smashes into its companion's shoulder breaking bones and cartilage and sending it reeling. The glob of acid landing on its face proves its undoing.

COMBAT OVER!

Soon quiet returns to the Ossuary where the strange menhir standing in the middle of the chamber beckons your attention. A quick scan of magic shows the monolith does indeed radiate magic.

______________________

Status:

Annilda (14/14 hp, Mage Armor)
Damien (18/18 hp)
Lady Mae (15/15 hp)
Lucina (8/8 hp)
Uriel (18/19 hp)
Ruby (12/13 hp)
Sunny (16/16 hp)
_____________________

Current Effects: Uriel Light spell, Damien Light spell, Annilda *Virtue spell.
_____________________

Current MAP.
_____________________

Since you do have time to recover from the battle, I am waiving the Fort saves for being Sickened. Also I have indicated the menhir position on the map.

"Times like this I wish I learned how to conjure water." Annilda frowns as she looks at her gore-smeared fists. She pulls out her water skin and washes some of the gore off.

"Does anyone know what significance this menhir represents?"

Kn. Arcana (DC 20): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

"Well, the symbols on the walls are definitely Ancient Thassilonian runes that relate to gluttony and necromancy," Lucina offers after studying them for a moment. "But the statue itself? It's magical but beyond that..."

Kn. Arcana: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Lucina detects a strong conjuration aura emanating from the menhir.

Mae conjures some fresh water to refill Annilda's waterskin and anyone else's for that matter. "Keeping one's skin soft and supple requires a steady amount of fresh water." She cocks her head to the side as Lucina examines the walls and menhir.

"Conjuration. Definitely a conjuration aura," Lucina declares. "Touch it at your own risk."

Annilda arches an eyebrow. "Touch it, I shall." She defiantly places her hand against the Menhir.

Ignoring the halfling's warning Annilda approachs the solitary monolith in the middle of the room, and hears sibilant whispers, seemingly from out of the air, though no words can be understood. The strange gray mist lingers near the stone, feeling cold and clammy, yet seems to have no other effect. As the warpriest touches the monolith...

....nothing seems to happen.

Annilda shrugs. "I wonder whom this Dark Rider is... oh well."

She turns to the party. "None of you heard that. I could have sworn when I touched it, I heard something say The Dark Rider is coming."

"Shall we continue to the west?"

Reacting to Lucina, Uriel wonders what's in store for them. "Thassilonian runes of gluttony and necromancy, eh? Perhaps these undead gorged themselves to death."

Turning to Annilda, the paladin-oracle nods. "West. Why not?"

He moves to the junction of the western corridor and the festrog lair, peering into the darkness.
Darkvision, Perception Take 20 for 24 or: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Seeing nothing else of interest here, you follow the corridor heading west. It continues for a short distance, unmarked by any doors or other features of interest, before ending at an unlocked stone door. Not hearing anything on the other side you open the door which reveals a thirty-foot-diameter pit that nearly fills this circular room, its bottom lost in darkness. The ceiling arches twenty feet above the pit, which is encircled by a narrow, five-foot-wide walkway. A door stands in the opposite wall of the room, across the pit.

As you begin to move carefully along the edges of the room along the walkway, you hear the soft sound of something scraping along the sides of the pit, and it is getting louder...

Shining your light over the edge of the pit you see a skeletal body of some sort of constrictor snake, capped with a fanged human skull, slithering up the wall of the pit towards you!

______________________

Round 1:

Damien (18/18 hp)
Uriel (18/19 hp)
Annilda (14/14 hp, Mage Armor)
Ruby (12/13 hp)
=====
??
=====
Lady Mae (15/15 hp)
Lucina (8/8 hp)
_____________________

Current Effects: Uriel Light spell, Damien Light spell, Annilda *Virtue spell.
_____________________

Current MAP.
_____________________

Damien, Uriel, Annilda, and Ruby are UP! The ____ is currently on a ledge ten feet below you.

"Now what?" Annilda shrugs. "What kind of ossuary is this to have thunder statues and boned constrictor snakes and zombie hounds?"

She runs around the edge of the circle to give the party some space. "I'll kick this thing as soon as it's in range."

Ruby shakes off the pain as Lady Mae seals her wound. "Filthy festrogs. Thanks for the healin' again. But why do I think we're gunna see more of these things real soo-" The halfling's thoughts are interrupted when the bony snake makes its appearance. "Yeah, I knew it! C'mon Ruby, let's be ready!"

The wolfrider and his companion move along the edge of the pit. "Bring it on, ya bony rope!"

Slightly Earlier

"Wait...you heard something?" Lucina asks, staring at Annilda anxiously. "No, we didn't hear a thing. The 'Dark Rider'? Anyone know who or what that might be?"

Kn. Arcana: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
Kn. Religion: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

"And you're sure you feel fine?" Lucina continues, bombarding poor Annilda with questions and scrutiny. "Wait wait wait, before we go anywhere, let me make sure you've not been put under a spell or curse or something!"

Detect Magic on Annilda.
____________

Present

Kn. Arcana (DC 13): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

"That's...not a snake," Lucina gasps, eyes wide. "And it's not undead...it's a construct! A necrophidius! They're resistant to _______ and you need to watch out or it'll get you with its ________ !"

Resistances and Special Attacks, please.

Despite Lucina's worries the warpriest appears perfectly fine, and not affected by her contact with the strange Menhir.

While Annilda and Damian prepare for the arrival of the necrophidius, Lucina recalls not only does it resist the blows from most weapons (DR 5/bludgeoning), but it has the ability to entrance opponents by simply swaying back and forth. Whole parties have been laid low by this attack.
______________________

Round 1:

Damien (18/18 hp)
Uriel (18/19 hp)
Annilda (14/14 hp, Mage Armor)
Ruby (12/13 hp)
=====
Necrophidius
=====
Lady Mae (15/15 hp)
Lucina (8/8 hp)
_____________________

Current Effects: Uriel Light spell, Damien Light spell, Annilda *Virtue spell.
_____________________

Current MAP.
_____________________

Uriel is UP!

Annilda takes the questions in stride, giving a snappy response to each. "Mm-hmm. Yes. Some meditation, a morning routine, and a rundown of Calistria's tenets keep my mind secure." She grins.

Knowledge (arcana) DC13: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Uriel adjusts his grip on shield and sword, ready when the necrophidius is within reach.

As the necrophidius slithers onto the ledge of the pit, Annilda strikes a hard blow against it, while ruby manages to take a small chink out of its body as well. The snake-like construct seems to shrug off your blows before it starts to sway hypnotically...

I need Annilda, Damien, Ruby and Uriel to give me a DC 15 Will save or be Dazed for 2d4 ⇒ (2, 2) = 4 rounds.

______________________

Round 1/2:

Damien (18/18 hp)
Uriel (18/19 hp)
Annilda (14/14 hp, Mage Armor)
Ruby (12/13 hp)
=====
Necrophidius (-12)
=====
Lady Mae (15/15 hp)
Lucina (8/8 hp)
_____________________

Current Effects: Uriel Light spell, Damien Light spell, Annilda *Virtue spell.
_____________________

Current MAP.
_____________________

Everyone is UP!