The Beetle Man must be able to take wing as a beetle does.... And he must have a strong carapace.... My shoggoths and Mi-Go slaves shall weave for The Beatle Man a web as hard as dragonfired steel to drape over his ungainly form.... A mesh as light as subterranean dew, and as strong as dragon scales to ward him.... And within it, the power of flight....
And so the Great Old One, asleep and entombed beneath the waves of the Pacific in Sunken R'lyeh, yet commands through dreams his servitors to do his bidding....
"I wish I'd thought to grab one of those crossbows Father Renaud was handing out earlier." Alphonse says, mentally kicking himself.
Better armor up.... Sounds like trouble below....
The slightly deformed Necromancer's apprentice casts a quick abjuration....
Hisao slips on his ring and activates invisibility and follows Paddy and Nacht.
(French then English) Be careful, those who move to the Choker -- it is a Stealth predator, laying ambushes for its prey and, though it isn't quite clever, may be leading you to a lair with more Chokers lying stealthily in hunger.
Iommi-Tyr Magnusson has no way of knowing (no skill at Healing) that the Choker is disabled.
Round 1
Load Hand Crossbow and Ready to attack any new enemy, most likely another hidden Choker, but anything wicked that may come.
(English, with bits of French & Latin so others can follow along)
The Choker is a curious Aberration, first discovered on a Material Plane far away called "Gray-Hawk" by a Wizard named Bigby. Not much is known of that wizard except he had a major hand fetish and was once apprentice to an even greater wizard. Anyway, "Chokers" were so named because of their killing tactic and, despite much controversy over the years, never altered the name to the one used by the creatures when referring to themselves. It's much like the "Rust Monster," "Piercer" and "Enveloper" in this way. See, those old "Gray Hawk" wizards and adventurers cared less about an appropriate nomenclature than they did about calling creatures by a name that would help them identify the threat. In Iggwilv's , for example--
"It looks like it's out cold to me, and bleeding out." Alphonse says, and shrugs.
Alphonse follows along with the rest, scythe at the ready.
Paddy walks over to the monster cautiously and removes his dagger.
Might need this up further. Let's go.
Spirits of light and darkness between! Grant me eyes to see the unseen!
Hisao scouts ahead to see what is up ahead while also keeping an eye out for traps.
Iommi-Tyr Magnusson searches the Choker and looks around to see if its lair is nearby. (We still have absolutely no idea about , correct?)
.Perception Check Take 20 attempt (24 if enough time passes)
..Obviously, it's only a 14 (taking 10) if I only have a moment or two before Grenshek appears.
....And, also obviously, if Grenshek shows up immediately, my Perception is
Perception to see Hisao the ninja sneaking up the spiral stairs....
succeeds!
Chanting spidery words of magic, the malformed apprentice shambles away hastily from the oncoming blades of our heroes!
Round 3
=======
Nacht rushes forward dropping a dagger and slashing with a Longsword with his charge.
Alphonse charges in after him.
Paddy dashes forward, trying to gain an advantage by flanking the dark apprentice.
This could get interesting. Have at you!!
Hisao is confused by the flurry of activity. They really should let the invisible man finish scouting he thinks before shrugging and joining the dogpile.
22 -- what do I find / see?[/ooc]
When the others see Grenshek the Apprentice and charge him, Iommi-Tyr Magnusson will fire his crossbow.
Regular +3
Point Blank range +1
Firing into Melee -4
Round 3
=======Nacht rushes forward dropping a dagger and slashing with a Longsword with his charge.
[dice=Charging Longsword Slash]1d20+5; 1d8+3
Before the apprentice can act, Nacht rushes him and swings, but the mage's invisible armor spell deflects the blow!
The apprentice then shuffles away to cast his spell (fox's cunning), provoking an AoO from Nacht!
Alphonse charges in after him.
1d20+6
[dice=Damage?]2d4+6
Charging across the chamber after the backpedalling apprentice, Alphonse cuts a bloody gash in the villain's back!
AAAAACH!!
Paddy dashes forward, trying to gain an advantage by flanking the dark apprentice.
[dice=acrobatics] 1d20+9
[dice=attack] 1d20+5+2; 1d6; 1d6This could get interesting. Have at you!!
The nimble Irishman tumbles to flank the apprentice with Nacht, but his rapier thrust misses by an inch....
Hisao is confused by the flurry of activity. They really should let the invisible man finish scouting he thinks before shrugging and joining the dogpile.
[dice=acrobatics as Paddy]1d20+9
[dice=Flank blade slash]1d20+7;1d6+1+1d6
The ninja cartwheels into a flank with Alphonse, almost surrounding the apprentice with his allies, and deals a swift cut with his wakizashi just under the apprentice's right armpit!
YYYEEEEOOOOOWWWW!!!
The apprentice then slips out of the double flank and provokes AoOs from Nacht, Paddy, Alphonse, and Hisao!
22 -- what do I find / see?[/ooc]
When the others see Grenshek the Apprentice and charge him, Iommi-Tyr Magnusson will fire his crossbow.
Regular +3
Point Blank range +1
Firing into Melee -4
1) Nope
2) Nope and yes3) depends on when u act in initiative--if before Grenshek on 14 but after any of the PCs who rushed him, yes, firing into melee. If after Grenshek, or if before everyone else, not firing into melee.
Hisao continues his motion by reversing his grip on the blade and bringing it back across to open the wound wider.
[dice=Blade]1d20+ 7;1d6+1+1d6
Hisao continues his motion by reversing his grip on the blade and bringing it back across to open the wound wider.
[dice=Crit confrim and damage]1d20+7;1d6+1
The deadly sword techniques of the Yellow Reed Clan manifest in the well-trained young ninja, and his back slash opens the first cut wider with a spray of blood!
GAAAK!!
The malformed apprentice staggers and grimaces in pain, but manages to stay on his feet....
"You cannot escape justice, litlle necromancer."
Nacht sees the blood and for the moment, seems to mostly ignore the screams. Swiftly cutting at a tendon or two.
Next Round
Iommi-Tyr Magnusson reloads (Move) and shoots (Standard) and takes a 5' Step closer.
.
.
.
Hmmm, I think this old, beat-to-hell crossbow I found at the site of the Battle of Agincourt is broken -- this is twice in a row it fired untrue.
....Mayhaps I should focus more on studying alchemical bombs -- the Holy Water, Alchemist Fire & Acid Flasks were doing well for me. And I'm certain I could learn even greater alchemical formulae.
It makes sense, after all, even gathering all the knowledge I can of Conflagratious, we'll need more than an old crossbow from a fallen French idiot at the Battle of Agincourt to confront the Beast and its vile minions.
"You cannot escape justice, litlle necromancer."
1d20+6
A miss....
Nacht sees the blood and for the moment, seems to mostly ignore the screams. Swiftly cutting at a tendon or two.
[dice=Flanking Longsword Slash: AoO]1d20+5; 1d8+3
A narrow miss....
Next Round
Iommi-Tyr Magnusson reloads (Move) and shoots (Standard) and takes a 5' Step closer.
[dice=I'll get you this time!]1d20+4 -4
[dice=Damage]1d4+1.
.
.
Hmmm, I think this old, beat-to-hell crossbow I found at the site of the Battle of Agincourt is broken -- this is twice in a row it fired untrue.....Mayhaps I should focus more on studying alchemical bombs -- the Holy Water, Alchemist Fire & Acid Flasks were doing well for me. And I'm certain I could learn even greater alchemical formulae.
It makes sense, after all, even gathering all the knowledge I can of Conflagratious, we'll need more than an old crossbow from a fallen French idiot at the Battle of Agincourt to confront the Beast and its vile minions.
WWWWHHHIIIIIFFFF!!!!
The bolt sticks between two mortar stones in the chamber wall!
[dice=AoO] 1d20+5+2; 1d6; 1d6
The clever tiefling slices at the retreating apprentice's back, cutting him!
YYYYOOOWWW!!!
The malformed apprentice staggers a few feet away and collapses with a groan in an expanding pool of blood!
Seeing that the enemy was dealt with for now, Nacht looked around for anything else that may be hiding. The sound of buzzing wasps seem to echo from every direction.
Well done, laddies!! We shall drink to this success!
Paddy quickly checks the necromancer, then widens his search for anything useful or traps.
Hisao nods at the Irish thief's finishing blow and aids him in going through the newly dead man's pockets.
A search of the apprentice turns up a silver ring inscribed with wards of protection, an ermine-trimmed blue velvet cloak, a masterwork silvered dagger, a masterwork cold iron falchion, a pair of wands in leather holsters (wand of mount 20 charges, wand of magic missiles, CL 5th, 30 charges), several scrolls (invisibility, see invisibility, spider climb, expeditious retreat, Mage armor, shield), and several potions (cure light wounds x2, darkvision x2, water breathing x2), and a few pouches containing spell components, plus a dog-eared apprentice's spell book....
Well done, laddies!! We shall drink to this success!
Paddy quickly checks the necromancer, then widens his search for anything useful or traps.
[dice=perception] 1d20+7
As Hisao and Nacht finish looting the apprentice's corpse of any useful thing, Paddy begins scanning the chamber in which the wretch met his doom, and particularly the area of flagstones on the floor where the apprentice seemed to be heading....
He notes a nigh invisible seam in the stones, and delineates a square trapdoor, about 5 feet square....
Two other means of egress present themselves in this upper chamber: a colored glass window, roughly 3-ft-by-2-ft, located 5 feet up the south wall seems to reveal a view of a cobbled street at foot level--the creak of cart wheels, the clop of hooves, and the drumming of feet can be faintly heard from the street through this window; and a narrow (4-ft-wide) wooden stair ascends to a door 9 feet up the west wall....
Hmm...shall we ascend to Heaven or go down to Hades? Paddy smiles as he points out the two ways out of the room.
Personally, I am more inclined to heading down, but I think heading up would be more prudent. Don't want any nasty friend of his coming down behind us.
Nacht thinks of the possibilities before two arms pointing downward, as it made more sense the necromancer would be further from the surface.
Let us first see if we can find any tracks that indicate from where this villain cometh.
Let us first see if we can find any tracks that indicate from where this villain cometh.
DC 20 Survival check....
Note that the spacing of the spiral stair descending to the catacombs and the trapdoor discovered by Paddy in the upper chamber (about 40 feet apart) suggest the possibility that both descend to the same place, or at least to adjacent areas in the lower catacombs....
Trap Door would be more unexpected an entrance Hisao suggests.