Origins: Mortal priest of relative influence who coveted this world so much that they were granted undeath as a form of eternal life. Its goal is to convert mortals to the faith and create underground cults to Urgathoa.
Basic Abilities: Capable of speech, is a divine spellcaster, can summon swarms of flies to protect itself or harass enemies.
Defenses: It does not have any resistances. Its weaknesses and immunities are only its undead traits. They are quite fat and sluggish, which means its Dex is quite low, though it does have a little bit of natural armour.
Every bit helps she'll say with a smile.
"We are here to find the kids, and this thing is intelligent. Maybe we can get some info" - Ederion whispers - "Stay hidden and ready to deal with the swarms of flies are said to be at their command" - he adds, then moves again to get within sight of the creature.
"Well met to you... Sir..." - the elf bows - "I am Ederion and I seek no quarrel - I search these tunnels for two lost children - have you mayhaps seen them?" - he introduces himself quickly trying to ignore the fact he is talking to a huge rotting corpse, even if as a scholar, undeath makes him 'curious'.
The rotting behemoth turns around with an expression of surprise on his face. Then he holds his heaving belly and laughs deeply. This is not a menacing laugh, but rather jolly. "Greetings Ederion! I am Guildmaster Baccus, and I welcome you to the Lucky Bones. I wasn't sure if you would make it, what with the entertainment in the brothel. Hahaha. I'm in the middle of cooking dinner, but if you would like to sit with our guests, we can discuss the whole thing over a wondrous feast. Living safe, I assure you. We may have passed on, but our tastes have never dulled."
Aster holds her nose in horror, smelling things that didn't even exist in the sewers of her youth. And holds in her retort of venomous argument at Ederion's plan. Arguing and staying hidden are two things that don't go well together.
Ederion is surprised, but he stands fast, and looks around - "I thank you for your hospitality Master Baccus, but alas we cannot stay" - he offers a polite bow - "The children have been missing for too long now, and we fear for their safety" - then ponders the offer for a few moments.
"Please do let me know what the menu is, and we'll make sure to come back once this 'issue' is resolved, and those we seek are safe" - the elf adds - "You have not seen not heard of them then?"
Guildmaster Baccus recounts the dishes with great pride. "We begin with simple sugared almonds while the guests arrive and get comfortable, then move on to a little 'amuse bouche' of fried oranges, baked apples in brown sugar, and grapes lightly fried in spiced wine. For our first course we will have pottage, honey-mustard hard-boiled eggs, and fresh bread. Our main course will be a beautiful roast with cinnamon apples. Our third course is an array of meat pies, Wensleydale cheese with cranberries, and another loaf of freshly baked bread. Then we settle down with candied blueberries, strawberries, and grapes along with vanilla and strawberry cake. Lastly we bring back the sugared almonds and dreamtime tea while the guests slowly leave or seek other pleasures. We have musicians for entertainment, our famous toast presented by Lord Vashnarstill, and a performance by our court jester."
Bazzle looks about. Lust and now gluttony can get you killed. Aren't there 7 of these." Bazzle from his place in the shadows looks toward the others a look of trepidation on his face.
Tarnagius cocks his head slightly at the mention of his family name but doesn't say anything.
Do I have any Urgathoan relatives? Who's going to provide this toast? Is it my turn to kill zombie ancestors?
You are very aware that Baccus is intentionally avoiding the subject of children. You can also tell that despite his apparent friendliness, his true intention is to convert you to the cult of Urgathoa.
You also realize that he has not mentioned what meat is used in any of the dishes. You believe this is an intentional move.
"Well as tempting as that sounds, we really ought to be moving on. If we don't find them, who will."
The behemoth looks past Ederion in the hall. "Oh you have friends with you? Well please consider my offer very carefully. It would be a real shame for you to refuse."
"Like my friend just explained, and since you make no mention to them, we are going to assume this means you know nothing of the children" - Ederion comments - "So for that reason, and as appetizing the menu may seem, we simply cannot stay, and must continue our search" - he adds, motioning to leave, then stopping short.
"By the way, what meat are you using in your cooking..?" - the elf asks, his hand casually, but purposefully on the hilt of the rapier.
Before realizing the seriousness of his words, Baccus blurts out hungrily...
"Dwarf."
Ederion draws his blade, but stays put - "Look, just tell me where the dwarven kids are, and... We can leave it at that for now" - he insists - "If this turns sour, it will be bad for all of us, believe me..." - and tries to remain as calm as he can.
A gurgling is heard in the monster's stomach. "No not sour, savoury. Some parts are tender like veal, while others are tougher. Have you never tried it? But this conversation has gone beyond the point of no return. The meat will burn soon, and I need to know if you will sit at the table... or be served on it."
"Give it your best shot" - Ederion chuckles - "But be prepared for an indigestion"
"Can't say I'm surprised."
Baccus cups his hands around his mouth and yells "DINNERTIME!!!"
1. Everyone
2. Enemies
"Seriously? This whole place is filled with the Runelord sins, first Lust, now Gluttony?" says Rexi.
She launches a web bolt at the undead monstrosity in hopes of immobilizing it for the fighters. (DC 15 Ref save.)
"You're nothing but a fat bastard" - Ederion steps forward, attacking around the corner - "Where are the children?!" - he punctuates his words with a rapier thrust.
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Tarnagius grabs his mace and bashes their host's head in.
"Consider this our RSVP."
Rexandi moves forward (careful not to trip the trap) and launches a bolt of webbing that completely engulfs Baccus. Then, Ederion races forwards to stab him in the chest, with Tarnagius close behind. With his trusty mace, Tarnagius leaps up and smashes Baccus right over the top of his head. It makes a sickening crack, but undeath protects him from such mortal frailty.
Kethaera begins her song of courage.
Aster mumbles a exotic swear word or two, before quickly casting magic weapon on Bazzle's weapon. Then drawing her mace as she moves up behind the two fighters.
Bazzle moves closer to the action and rounds the corner from where he had been hiding just in time for Aster's blessing. "Thanks probably gonna need that."
Bazzle looks at his blessed dagger and doesn't want to waste it on a single throw. Grips it tighter and looks down the hall and toward the enemy plotting his future path of attack.
Echoes of howling men and women ricochet down the hall as four ghoul-like people race towards you. Each one is dressed in decaying noble clothing. One of which, an old man, looks just like Tarnagius only much thinner with white hair. He carries a rapier which he draws, but do not mistake the hunger in his eyes. This is no man, but an undead who wishes for nought but to consume your still beating heart.
The rattling of bones gets louder and louder but only one such skeleton, who bears an armful of putrid apples, enters through the door behind Baccus.
Baccus' giant rotten belly splits in two, revealing a huge mouth with barbed teeth and a slimy tongue. From within the mouth and all of his pores pour out a swarm of flies which circle around him with such density that it partially conceals him. Through the droning of flies you hear him chant. "Oh Palid Princess, bring unto me the power to slay the living. Let me consume their flesh and place their souls in your fair arms."
Rexi flinches as the negative energy consumes her and she barely manages to hang onto a thread of her own healing power to hedge it out.
She points and a shuddering tendril of shadow wraps around her hand - nothing seems to occur at first, but a moment later a matching tendril sweeps around Baccus' rotting neck.
Bazzle looks pallid and sickly as the wave of evil magic washes over him. Hearing the clamor behind him Bazzle turns to regard the onrush of undead. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Bazzle shifts back a pace shielding Rexandi from the press of undead and readies his weapons.
I agree fully Aster agrees with Bazzle, moving to his side to block the horde. Hunching behind her shield she'll swing defensively at the one that Bazzle swings at, "We'll try and hold them, so you two can kill that bloated bag of air" she'll call back to the two warriors.
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Despite the wave of profane energy, Aster and Bazzle form up to hold the flanks, while Rexandi curses Baccus with her misfortune hex!
"No point in praying to your Pallid Prince" - Ederion growls back, shaking most of the insidious effects away - "He's not here today" - he chuckles.
"I never leave a problem half-solved."
Tarnagius punctuates his sentence with another swing from his mace.
Tarnagius swings into Baccus and lands a hit despite the swarm of flies obscuring vision, but all Tarnagius gets is a flatulent noise as the monstrosity's flesh flaps inwards to cushion the blow.
"As it should be Tarn" - Ederion adds, thrusting also in tandem with his companion.
Though Tarnagius' mace might not have had the impact he was expecting, Ederion's rapier pierces right into Baccus' flesh and just keeps on going like a hot knife through butter. That being said, Baccus' doesn't seem to feel the pain and just keeps on fighting.
Baccus bellows out "Healing, servants!" and immediately a skeleton playing a violin rattles in behind him. It plays a terribly untuned chord that scratches your ears, but you can see Baccus' flesh growing back slightly. Then Baccus prays "In the name of Urgathoa, Goddess of Eternal Life, bring unto..." but he suddenly stumbles on his words as Rexandi's hex kicks in. He stutters and the magic is gone. In frustration, he yells out and summons another wave of flies from his pores, this one he shoots out at Rexandi. The flies gnaw on her skin, but only with minor discomfort. Fortunately, Rexandi resists all of their sickening effects.
Meanwhile, the elder ghoul grabs a nearby leaver on the wall and pulls it up, which results in a cranking sound beneath the floor. Two of the lowly ghouls race forward face first, one of which gets stabbed by Bazzle in the process. However, Bazzle in return gets bit hard on the shoulder and feels something icy cold run into his blood stream. Fortunately, he doesn't notice anything from it.
The skeleton with the armful of apples throws one in Bazzle's rough direction. Though it hits, it doesn't do anything at first and bounces closer to Ederion before exploding in nausious acid.
The last ghoul to act pulls spider webs out of her hair and flings it in Kethaera's direction. It grows in size and covers the entire area, capturing Kethaera in the process.
Round 1 of enemy inspire courage
that's a fail
The skeleton with the trombone is playing its own version of inspire courage, a sound that's more akin to a primal roar than real music.
The skeleton with the trombone is playing its own version of inspire courage, a sound that's more akin to a primal roar than real music.
Bazzle still reeling from the negative energy acks a choking sound and fails fend off the ghouls bite. He mumbles something in his typical snark but its more pitifully obvious than funny, "My bad feeling is getting worse." Bloodied and stumbling Bazzle attempts to stab with both daggers.
Seeing her companioning getting stabbed while she stays safe behind her shield, makes Aster rethink her strategy. Abadar protect us she says with a resigned pleading quality to her voice, lashing out with her mace at the creature who stabbed Bazzle, then darting her head forward as her mouth grows two large gleaming white teeth, reminisent of a large rat who happens to enjoy good dental care.
Tarnagius makes sure he hits it this time, and clubs him well.
Acid splashes are nothing to an old Chelaxian enforcer, and Tarnagius dodges it effortlessly.
Rexi taps Bazzle and a healing warmth floods through him.
As Rexandi begins to heal Bazzle's wounds, Bazzle continues to fight in a frenzy. Even without any backstabbing, he slashes both of the ghoul's legs to bring it down to his level. Then, he takes his blessed dagger and rams it straight into the ghoul's eye, driving it into it's rotten brain and killing it instantly.
Aster instead focuses on the ghoul next to her, but both her mace and bite are nimbly dodged at the last moment.
As for Tarnagius, he delivers yet another incredible bash, this time hitting Baccus in the jaw with a sickening crack. It probably would have killed the monstrosity, if not for the healing he received earlier from the skeleton bard. He staggers in place, presenting a momentary opening for a finisher.