"Good call Chombo. Select some fine word-colors for this one Urhan. It's an interesting creature. Here's hoping I do not become like the unfortunate subject of your song."
Dakka will attempt to slink around the southern edge of the room toward the other exit staying clear of the pools and the lizard.
In the eastern most room, Dakka Nobu finds only the crumbling entrance out to the way they came - just one floor up. There's a great deal of rubble along the southern door; It's safe to assume there's no getting through there without taking a good number of hours and the sun is passing - it's well past noon, perhaps closer to evening with the way the shadow of the tower grows.
If he looks over the edge, he finds he can still see the carcasses of the dogs that had attacked them earlier.
Dakka returns the way he came. "Nothing interesting over there." He shrugs. "I suppose it's time to scout up the stair case. If I don't return... come get me!"
Dakka ascends the stair case slowly and carefully. They are going to follow me, right?
Aicard eyes the lizard's home one more time before following Dakka towards the stair case. Surely there would be more resistance upstairs. "I got your back" whispers the iron-clad man to the feathered gentleman who is making his way up. Aicard waits a bit () and then follows.
As you get to the next floor, you're relieved to find that the door is shut. When you go to examine it, you find that it's actually locked.
The stairwell does continue onwards, though - will you go on ahead to the next floor?
Watching the others go up the stairs, Urhan hangs back and uses the toe of his boot to go through some of the junk.
Nothing...Hopefully there's some payoff upstairs. The money for just exploring this place will be alright but it would be nice if I can get Gelton special.
He looks at the druid, gestures at the stares and says, "After you, Shae"
Shae helps Urhan go through the stuff in the room, but it was a waste of her time.
Shae takes a deep sigh, frustrated by getting shocked from the lizard and not finding anything valuable. "Could they at least pretend to be quiet?" She tries to chuckle, but it's obvious she's frustrated. She follows behind the others, keeping some distance. Scarlett follows behind her.
Chombo will close the door with the lizard and tell it, "We will be back and let you out when we come back, little guy."
Chombo will be the last of the party to go up the stairs. "Urhan, can't you just break this door down?"
Dakka stops short at the door. "I, ahem, don't know how to get through here." He hops awkwardly from foot to foot. "Shove?"
"No problem Chombo...but wait, haven't I already proven my strength to you? How about you and Aicard take this? Doesn't somebody have a crowbar?"
"You are generous to share the glory Urhan." Dakka nods. "Come on friends, put your strong mammalian backs to work."
Aicard steps up and tries to force the door with just his shoulder first, but finds that the wooden bastard won't budge. "Ok, I see your point. Let's try this another way."
And so he gets out his crowbar. He finds a chipped part of the door in which he can wriggle the prying iron head. A push. The door creaks. Then, a hammerblow with his armored elbow to twist and bend the inner part of the door enough so he can force it open.
Whatever might be on the other side, Aicard is armed and ready. With a crowbar.
"Chombo, looks like Aicard has proven his strength now too. Huh. Maybe sometime you can too."
He turns away from Chombo straight faced but catches Shae's eye and has a hard time keeping from laughing.
"Good job Aicard. Let's be prepared for anything guys." Shae tightens her grip on her scimitar. "Who's going in first?"
Dakka watches Aicard wrenching at the door with equanimity.
"Surely Chombo does not need to demonstrate his might on paltry doors and such. As, clearly, neither do the rest of us. I pray we shall find a task equal of Chombo on the other side of this door."
After retreating from the lizard, decidedly closing the small guy back in, your group makes the short journey up the stairs to the next possible stop - the third floor! Through the opened door, you see two stone altars, one black and one white. They sit at either end of this decidedly larger chamber, which takes up two wings of the tower on this level. The crumblign remains of wooden benches sag in front of each altar beneath rotting ceiling tapestries. Carved symbols and writings snake along the walls. The burnt corpses of two troglodytes lie on the floor in the center of the room.
This space is not without its dangers, though. There are two skeletons, wreathed in... fire? They're facing the doorway you've just opened, but have yet to move. They each hold a broken scimitar and stare, empty-eyed.
"This is all for Nethys..." Shae whispers and instintively pats Scarlett on her head when the wolf as the wolf moves next to her.
The destroyer of doors puts away the crowbar and re-equips his trusted shield and warhammer, falling in behind Shae. "It seem Nethys has left behind two defenders. Be careful. Skeletons aren't supposed to be standing upright like that. Right? Yeah, right."
All of today's strange things are starting to get to Aicard.
Giving the skeletons a worried glance Dakka stows his longbow and pulls out his sling, loading a bullet.
Keeping his voice low Urhan says, "Personally I'm glad the Trogs and their stink are dead. "
Dakka tries to clear his mind and extend his senses into the room.
"What did you just do Dakka? I just saw your face clear and then a look of...concentration?"
"Gas."
Laughing at Dakka Nobu and cheered at the sight of these strange new foes, Chombo holds up his greatsword, almost challenging their foes. "I'll show you mighty!" he calls out, and then leaps forward to attack the closer enemy.
Alas, his attack goes far wide and the flaming skeletons' jaws open as though in silent screams before they raise their weapons to attack.
Combat Round 1
Effects
Terrain
Those bolded below may act.
Aicard
Skeleton (Green)
Skeleton (Red)
Urhan Quinn
Dakka Nobu
Shae Sasogne
Chombo
"You're not scared are you Aicard? They are just flaming skeletons. What could go wrong?" Shae laughs in a "everything will probably go wrong with these skeletons" type of laugh. "You just had to ask him, Urhan." She shakes her head, clearly not amused with Dakka's response.
Shae watched as Chombo rushed in and failed at attacking the first skeleton.
"I hope you're more focused this time Scarlett," She pats her head then prepares for battle. Scarlett lowers her head and releases a minicing growl.
Don't say these things, Shae! The soldier inside Aicard cringes upon hearing Shae jinxing them all.
And so Aicard presses forward with his shield facing the skeletons and swings, but then Shae's jinx comes into effect. A moment of self doubt and the attack fails to connect.
Aicard's blow goes wide and the skeletons take their turns, each attacking the person directly before them with their broken scimitars. Both of their blows are easily turned aside, but both Chombo and Aicard find that standing near the skeletons is near scalding and they both take damage from the fiery aura the skeletons have.
Combat Round 2/3
Effects
Terrain
Those bolded below may act.
Skeleton (Green)
Skeleton (Red)
Urhan Quinn
Dakka Nobu
Shae Sasogne
Chombo - 2 damage
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Aicard - 2 damage
Dakka flings a bullet towards the green skeleton and reloads his sling.[ooc]Move Action.
Aicard squeels in a very unmanly manner when the skeleton's fiery radiance burns and singes him. The whole fighting burning undead was starting to get to the inexperienced adventurer. "Theses bastards are HOT!"
"Scarlett! Attack!," Shae commanded. Scarlett rushes forward, bites the flaming skeleton. Shae rushes along with her friend and slashing with her scimitar. She can feel the blade meet her enemy.
"Oh, it is getting warm in here. I hate the undead."
Chombo will attack and back off from the fiery skeleton.
"Take them down quickly!"
Urban moves up and swings his guisarme at Chombo's skeleton.
If your attack exceeds the target’s CMD, the target is knocked prone. If your attack fails by 10 or more, you are knocked prone instead. If the target has more than two legs, add +2 to the DC of the combat maneuver attack roll for each additional leg it has. Some creatures—such as oozes, creatures without legs, and flying creatures—cannot be tripped.
Stole that from here! To me, it appears that the trip would replace the attack.
What do you mean by a free attempt? o: I'm not seeing it in the wolf stat block, so I'm wondering if I'm missing something? @_@
-----
Urhan lands a solid blow, effectively slicing the skeleton into neat pieces with his guisarme. As the skeleton falls to the ground, though, it explodes, bursting into a bright flare of flame before fizzling out, leaving only the charred bones, a broken chain shirt, and a broken scimitar behind. Dakka Nobu's missile goes flying through where the skeleton might've been, almost as though to add its own bit of... not-charred-ness to the pile on the ground.
The others are having equally good fortune with their skeleton. Although Aicard suffers with the heat, missing his blow, the combined attack from Shae and Scarlett downs the burning creature. As it dies, it too explodes, burning those around it.
A careful search of the temple reveals that the altars haven't been disturbed since the original users of this place left. The silver altar services are intact, holding a total of 100 gold pieces. There's a silver holy symbol of Nethys on each altar, as well as a divine scroll, though the scrolls do not appear identical. Careful examination of the terrible handwriting reveals that the one atop the black altar is a scroll of shatter and the one atop the white altar is a scroll of shield other There are also two vials - they're labeled as potions of cure light wounds.
"Friends, our first loot together! Dakka happily hops over and paws through the sacred items. "Be sure to use rich word-colors for this one Urhan!" Dakka looks at the scrolls. "I feel like I should be able to use one of these." He shrugs.
"These findings should please our benefactor, but I suggest we rest and recover, and then push on. Surely there's more to be found in this forgotten place?"
.. right?
"Dakka, my friend. This encounter needs very little embellishment on my part. Brave companions facing off against the flaming bones of skeletons...a dark temple...the explosions, the grievous burn wounds. All I need is a love story and this is a saga unto itself. HAHA! We've come a long way since fighting off some ragged dogs, eh? Shall we split our loot here or would you like me to hold all of it and then we divvy it up when we return to Absalom?"
He turns to Aicard and says, "I do believe there is more."
"Wow, that was fun. Are we taking a long rest or a short one? I got burned a little back there. Ouch! Nice fight guys." Chombo says as he checks out his burns.
Dakka bobs his head. "Yes there is bound to be more!"
"I am only in need of a short rest...unless one of you mighty warriors needs longer. I will entertain you as we recoup our strength."
Urhan sits crosslegged with his back to the black altar and removes his backpack. The backpack is plain brown leather. Across the back of it is stitched arcane symbols in red. The symbols are particularly dense in the area of the pack that usually rests against Urhan's back.
He removes a small drum from the backpack and begins to softly create a rhythm. He slowly works his way up in tempo and then begins to softly sing.
He begins stringing together words describing - in very loose terms - the events of their adventure so far. Just as he finishes describing the smell of burned spider however he stops.
"Sorry companions. I do not have the muse with me right now. Perhaps later you will hear me sing in all of my glory." He makes no attempt to hide a look that is suitable miserable at the poor performance.
"I'm sure you'll think of a proper rhyme for spider soon Urhan, otherwise you're description of the smell was... vivid." Dakka will take the time to rest and inspect the area more thoroughly.
Dakka Nobu finds a secret door after pressing on a few stones in the wall. He's surprised and pleased to find it, but disappointed to realize the door itself moves slightly, but is still locked. There is, however a keyhole.