once the dance stops Johannan realizes she has control again and rushes in to help Isabel.
"All clear Josef"
[dice=Attack]1d20+12
[dice=Damage]1d6+4
Josef moves up next to the dancer, recognizing now what she had attempted just the moment before, and then attempts to slide past her without drwing an attack.
Once he's certain they have her at least partially cornered, he tries to penetrate her.
But he provides a lackluster performance.
With the blockage now cleared Freya darts up the stairs, casting a spell on the Dancing lady.
Making her shriek as freezing cold hits her.
The Dancing lady seems determined to take someone with her and sinks her teeth into Isabel
But Isabel twists and evades her bite.
The party can now act.
Lisl moves up just behind Darian and shouts, "Isabel! Now is your chance!" as the other woman twists away from the fey bite.
”I said let her go!” Darian roses as he grabs his blade with both hands and cleaves into the fey woman!
Johanna takes advantage of the massive strike delivered by Darian in defense of his wife to strike the creature two more times.
Cold Iron
Cold Iron
Josef joins the frenzy.
The Dancing lady dies as Darian smashes her onto Joanna's blades. As she falls she hisses a dying curse at Joanna.
DC19 Will save or -6 to your highest stat.
Dying Words (Sp) When a baobhan sith is slain, she utters a curse as a free action (whether it’s her turn or not) that affects her
killer as if it were a bestow curse spell (caster level 10th). The target can resist the curse with a successful DC 19 Will save. If the save fails, the target suffers a –6 decrease to its highest ability score. The save DC is Charisma-based.
This floor once contained the private residence of the lord of the keep. Its wooden interior walls have long since rotted to dust, turning it into one wide chamber. Permanent, one-way illusory walls conceal the windows
from the outside, though the glass in the windows and skylight broke or fell away ages ago, allowing a variety of vegetation to take root here. The ceiling is 40 feet high.
Treasure: The Dancing Lady possesses a number of treasures salvaged from the ruins and stolen from her victims:
A life-sized alabaster statue of a nude, dancing elven woman (worth 900 gp, but weighing almost 500 pounds),
A masterwork harp,
A small, carved jade statuette of a coiling snake (worth 75 gp),
An ancient filigreed elven water clock (worth 1,000 gp, but weighing 200 pounds).
The Lady’s bed is covered with a snow-white bearskin coverlet (worth 50 gp).
A finely carved, wooden wardrobe beside the bed holds two royal outfits (worth 200 gp each),
Three courtier’s outfits (worth 30 gp each),
and several other tasteful, once-expensive articles of clothing (heavily stained with blood and now worthless).
A small wooden coffer atop a rosewood table contains 3 vials of
exotic perfume (worth 100 gp each),
a gem-studded tiara (worth 350 gp),
An elixir of love.
A nearby chest holds 431sp and 370gp in leather sacks.
What now?
”Well...did you have a nice dance?” he asks Isabel with nervous humor given the vile intent that thing has in its eyes.
He then joins the others in searching over this chamber before moving on to search out the remainder of this castle one building and room at a time.
The curse washes over Johanna but fate favors her this day.
"What the, oh man that felt weird for a moment. Fortune was with me. That could have went much worse for us."
Johanna takes point again once ready to continue their search around the keep.
G3. Northeast Tower
The northeast tower is open to the sky, its roof and interior levels having fallen away long ago.
G4. Southeast Tower
A wooden door made from roughly-cut timber planks, obviously of newer construction than the rest of the keep, blocks the entrance to this tower.
This was the home of the Quickling.
Loot:
Treasure: Rigg keeps his favorite treasure (gemstones) hidden in a clay urn hidden inside the tower in a niche 20 feet above the floor.
The urn contains 119gp, 131sp, 27cp, and a dozen different sparkling gemstones worth 1,800 gp in all.
G5. Ruined Tower
The upper reaches of this tower have completely collapsed, filling the interior with debris and rubble.
Treasure: A successful DC 20 Perception and half an hour of searching the wreckage turns up a long-forgotten elven artifact, a remarkably well-preserved mithral statuette of a beautiful elf woman wearing archaic robes, framed by an archway of mithral branches.
You recognize the statuette as a representation of Findeladlara, the elven goddess of art and architecture. The
statuette is worth 1,200 gp and is exactly the type of prize that Lily Teskerten is looking for.
G6. Northwest Tower
This tower stretches high into the sky, its upper reaches hidden in the forest’s canopy. The vines choking the tower’s exterior, which are festooned with bleached humanoid skulls, nearly obscure the dark arrow slits. At ground level, a closed wooden door hides behind a cloak of hanging vines.
Treasure: The grimstalker keeps valuables taken from his victims in a locked chest which Joanna finds is not trapped and easily opened. Inside the chest are a fine velvet cloak (worth 10 gp), a gold necklace (worth 100 gp), a silver ring set with an emerald (worth 300 gp), a bejeweled masterwork short sword (worth 510 gp), a moonstone (worth 50 gp), 76 sp, and 31 gp.
This small hold is an ancient Elven place. So old that only the stonework has survived the many years it has been waiting here. Heavily overgrown, but with some work and repair it could serve you well as a watchpost, or a residence.
What are you doing now?
"That is a good bit of treasure. Some of the art and statues are heavy. If we want to transport them back we will need to come back with wagons. It seems we have searched the keep. Should we take what we can and head back?"
”Luckily we have the wagons in the troop. Let’s bring them up now that it is clear and we can discuss it.”
Dante approaches the lords and ladies of Silverhold, bowing his head to them at a respectful distance. ”Camp is secure, sir.”
Darian, who was sitting on the back of one of the wagons, nodded back. ”Thanks, Captain.”
He then looks to the map and asks the others of the group, ”We’ve got quite the load of loot here in the wagons. But we also have a little bit more area to clear out here. What do you all think? Head back as Johanna suggests? Or finish the search before returning?”
He gives a mischievous wink to his wife before adding ”Perhaps Josef is eager to deliver something from this Castle to Miss Teskerton to claim her reward?”
|
"It's been a shorter expedition than we planned but I think we had best return all of this bounty to Silverhold. If we attempt to carry it with us then we are just asking for trouble." She concludes, shooting her husband a look and putting emphasis on the last few words.
Consulting the maps which she always carries with her Isabel starts scribbling notes. "Most of our resources for the coming month or two are devoted to the south, but we could push our boundaries north again to claim this place soon." She muses. "It would serve us well re-fortified. Perhaps we should move a little further south and then swing east and return to Silverhold along the Tuskwater - ensure that the lizards have kept to our agreement."
"I agree with Isabel, this course is as good as any."
Lisl examines some of the wares, and pays particular attention to the small mithral statue.
"This is a statuette of the elven goddess of architecture," she explains. "A rare piece."
She similarly catalogs many of the other valuables, offering estimates to their value.
"Assuming that there are no more lingering curses here, we might as well rest, then proceed and finish a loop before returning home."
HEX15
Traveling south you find a huge deadfall of trees and brambles lying in a mossy heap here, a mountain in miniature left from a violent windstorm several seasons ago. Numerous cavelike hollows can be found throughout the deadfall—one particularly deep cavern is discovered by Joanna, Isabel & Freya.
Judging by the tracks, and how Fenrir's Hackles rise something is lairing in the cavern.
What are you doing now?
|
|
"I suppose we'd best check it out." Isabel says with a sigh. She dismounts and begins dispersing magics.
"That should stop you getting distracted again dear." She whispers to her husband.
When the rest of the group are ready Isabel will take her usual place in the middle, with no need of light thanks to her outsider heritage.
"What is it, my friend." Freya says to Fenrir, noticing his guarded stance.
Before heading forward Freya takes a moment to cast a spell on Fenrir, and make use of a wand for herself.
Johanna will prep as well and use a charge of her wand increasing her Dex before taking point and going in with swords drawn.
Darian studies the ground where the three ladies spot the den. Then his wife whispers her dog at him. ”Haha. Very funny. You know that was magic.”
He draws his sword and readies his shield, then proceeds weaving the layers of magical protection he normally does around himself:
He then gives a nod to Josef and advances shoulder to shoulder with him.
For his part, Josef makes sure his ioun torch is in flight and readies his blade. "So, are you sure we need to go in? Couldn't we set a fire at the opening and try to either smoke it out or just burn the entire pile?" He looks at the others and shrugs. "Just asking." Then he lines up next to Darian and prepares for the pain to start up again.
"No way to know if it has a back exit," says Lisl as she raises her holy symbol to bestow Abadar's blessings.
Your entrance is noted immediately, something large growls in fury and rushes the party.
Hodag
N Large magical beast
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent;
Perception +7
Defense
AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 17; (+2 Dex, +8 natural, –1 size)
hp 60 (8d10+16)
Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +5
Defensive Abilities ferocity
Offense
Speed 30 ft.; burrow 15 ft.
Melee bite +11 (1d10+4/19–20), 2 claws +11 (1d6+4), gore +11
(1d8+4; males only), tail slap +9 (1d8+2)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks spiked tail, toss
Statistics
Str 19, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +8; CMB +13; CMD 25
Feats Improved Critical (bite), Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack
Skills Climb +10, Perception +7, Stealth +2, Swim +8
Languages understands Common
SQ trackless
Ecology
Environment temperate forests and marshes
Organization solitary
Treasure incidental
Special Abilities
Spiked Tail (Ex) A hodag’s tail spikes allow the creature’s tail slap
to deal both bludgeoning and piercing damage.
Toss (Ex) A male hodag charging 20 feet or more that damages
a foe with its gore attack can throw its foe with a special
combat maneuver check. The opponent must be corporeal
and at least one size category smaller than the hodag. If
the hodag’s maneuver succeeds, its opponent is thrown
back 10 feet (in a direction chosen by the hodag) and falls
prone. The hodag can only toss its opponent in a straight
line. If an obstacle prevents the creature’s movement, both
the creature tossed and the object struck take 1d6 points of
damage, and the creature falls prone in the space adjacent to
the obstacle. A hodag can also toss an opponent straight up
into the air. This does not move the opponent but causes it
to take an additional 1d6 points of damage from falling.
Trackless (Ex) A hodag sweeps its tail behind itself in a way that
obscures its tracks. Attempts to track a hodag have their
normal DC increased by 10.
What are you doing now?
(spending 1 inspiration)
Freya's eyes widen, seeing the fearsome creature. Regaining her composure she begins to conjure a ball of ice.
(bless, inspire)
(inspire)
(magic fang, bless, inspire)
(magic fang, inspire)
(magic fang, bless, inspire)
Darian darts forward, thrusting his sword at the beast!
___________
"Darian! No!" Josef charges the beast, hoping to keep it from trying to eat the Baron.
Round 1
Johanna moves forward getting in position to aid her allies and help kill the creature.
Lisl moves into view and snaps at shot as she can't reach it this round.
The parties blows strike deep into the brutal creature, it screams in fury and lashes out at:
It's weak bite missing, it seems to be dying on it's feet.
However it's screams draw a response and another of the beasts rises from the ledge it was slumbering on and roars a challenge.
The party may now act.
Lisl snaps off another shot and seems as surprised as anyone when it hits.
As he moves across the hall, Josef takes his sword and runs it across his torso, trying to create a metal-on-metal clatter to attract the beast's attention.
Freya and Fenrir move up, waiting for the second creature to get in range.
Johanna moves up.
If the Slumber Hex worked she moves and holds so she can attempt a CDG the following round
[ooc]Damage wise it probably makes the most sense for her to CDG it will be
If Slumber Hex failed
She moves up and attacks with Darian and Josef
Only it's bloodthirsty stubborness was keeping it standing, Darian's blow ends it's life and it collapses dead at your feet.
Already in a bloody fury it's mate hurtles it's self down at you!
Congratulations, you have killed not only one, but two Hodags. Rare beasts that are believed by many to be imaginary, they are also listed on your notices.
Treasure:
Within the hodag’s filthy lair are
3 handaxes,
1 masterwork greataxe,
A suit of +1 studded leather armor,
and a +1 keen spear that lodged in the hodag’s back after an encounter with a frightened lumberjack—it eventually managed to dislodge the spear here by rubbing its back against the walls of its lair.
What are you doing now?
"Those things seemed nasty. This land has so many hidden dangers. It will be a constant struggle to be out keeping the people safe. Well what is our next move?"
”We’ll head east a bit,” Darian says as he finishes loading the cart with their findings. He steps over to his horse and mounts up before adding ”Search the region there and then head home to resupply and tend to business there. Then head back and finish exploring this last bit to our south.”
"That's why we have the patrols, Johanna, and why I think that elven fortress is something we need to use. Never enough men available to protect everyone, but we do what we can."
The forest is peaceful and quiet as you travel, old trees and lots of game are your only encounters here.