Tristain doesn’t actively ‘look’ at the woman he can’t see, but does continue his magical sensing.
”Say...are you trapped up here? Locked away? Did your son lock you up here?” Tristain asks, curiously confused now that he can see the surroundings.
Waiting below, Albert climbs to the attic when he can. Once there he will sense for the presence of evil.
Kyffin climbs up the rope and, breathing a bit, also wonders at this woman's sanity. Rudely, he will cast light on some convenient bit in the attic near the woman and walk toward her so he can see her.
"My name is Kyffin, pleased to meet you. I'm sorry to say though, there were most definitely cannibals at the gate. Something is wrong here. How are you feeling?"
to aid?
"No!" the woman hollers as Kyffin approaches, seeing a familiar figure from the alley several days earlier -- an old woman, with pallid tentacles emerging from her form.
She begins to intone a spell in harsh gutteral words that feel as if they have too many consonants.
Tristain looks at what he can see in the darkness.
”What is that? Who is that? Woah...stay back...” Tristain wishes he could back away.
Know (planes/religion/arcana)
"Great tentacley gods!" Heinrich draws a bomb and flings it at the woman, his revulsion at the form of the tentacled woman overwhelming his manners!
for damage!
Kyffin brought light with him, or cast it near her on some object - or at least that was my plan.
Albert rushes forward with his blade flashing.
Heinrich: 22
Albert: 19
Antagonist: 13
Tristain: 11
Kyffin: 11
Tenebrynn: 6
Heinrich's bomb just catches their foe, illuminating her momentarily as Al closes the distance, though the attic is too cluttered for him to be able to reach her and attack.
She steps back and casts, two bolts of magical energy slamming into Al's form , even as her tentacles threaten to reach out and slam him despite the distance between them .
NL: 14
Round 1
Tristain moves up crouching behind a box but in a place he can see the woman.
"gad-ZOOKS!”
Wand of Magic Missile (5): 23/50 left
force damage
HP: 31/31
AC: 12
Points: 4/4 left
Spells: Lvl 1: 7/7 left (MM*0,IllOm*0,MurdCom*0,Vanish*0) dc 16
Spells: Lvl 2: 5/5 left (Kno*0,SpirW*0,Sugg*0) dc 17
Cure Used: 0/2 used
Scroll SMIII
"gad-ZOOKS!”
Wand of Magic Missile (5): 23/50 left
[ dice]3d4 + 3[/dice] force damage
Wand of Bless: 5/18 left
Bless (1/10): +1 to attacks and morale.
[ dice]1d6+1[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d20+8[/dice] CMB to trip vs. CMD
[ dice]1d20+2-4[/dice] to hit; ()
[ dice]1d8-1[/dice] piercing damage
[ dice]1d6+1[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d20+7[/dice] CMB to trip vs. CMD
[ dice]1d6+1[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d6+1[/dice] force damage
Albert shifts forward and slashes at the squid-lady again.
Round 1, Initiative: 11
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Cold Iron/Silver Blanch Bolts = 20/20
Cold Iron/Ghost Salt Bolts = 20/20
Conditions = Bull’s Strength (5/70r)
Scimitar: Attack: BAB +3, Str +4, Magic +1, Focus +1, (Power -1) Damage: Str +4, Magic +1, (Power +2) Crit: 18-20
Ranged: Attack: BAB +3, Dex +1 Damage: Str +4
Blessings (su)(5/5) (DC 14) (Holy Strike (std) or Powerful Healer) (sw)
Fervor (su, sw) (4/4) (DC 14, 2d6)
Sacred Weapon (su, sw)(5/5r)(+1)
Pearl of Power (first) 1/1
Spells (Caster Level 5, Concentration +7)
Zero (12): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Stabilize
First (13): Command, Divine Favor, Divine Favor, Divine Favor, Shield of Faith
Second (14):
Kyffin rushes across the room to join the battle (double move).
"Whoa! You again?!" Tenebrynn balks in surprise as the woman comes clearly into view. "Why were you attacking that woman on the street the other night, your high horribleness?"
Not waiting for an answer, Tenebrynn leaps over some of the clutter littering the attic floor, twisting and turning deftly through the air before landing by a corner. "Well, whatever the reason, your tentacularness won't be harassing or harming anyone else." The slight gnome then lets a blast fly to punctuate her words.
HP: 53/53
Nonlethal: 1
AC: 16 (13 T / 12 FF) // 25% miss chance for ranged attacks
Fort: +8 // Ref: +7 // Will: +2 (+2 vs illusion)
Talisman of Warrior's Courage: [ ]
Burn Accrued: 1/7
SLAs: dancing lights [ ], ghost sound [X], prestidigitation [ ], speak with animals [ ]
Ongoing Effects:
Warden of Nature: +1 to hit/+2 dodge bonus vs aberrations, oozes, vermin
Foe of the Strange: +1 to saves vs aberrations, -10 to confusion results
Point Blank Shot: +1/+1
Elemental overflow: +1 to hit, +2 damage, and visual effects on person as long as burn is present
Tristain: 11
Kyffin: 11
Tenebrynn: 6
Heinrich: 22
Albert: 19
Antagonist: 13
Tristain closes in, trying to figure out exactly what this woman is -- horrifyingly, he suspects she was indeed once a normal human, who was transformed into some sort of eldritch aberration. He thinks his wand should work -- unless she has some magic or something protecting her -- but a quick trial seems to show she doesn't, as she cries out when the missiles hit her.
Tenebrynn leaps forward, but her blast seems to not bother the woman at all, as she twists away from it, tentacle reaching out to slap at Kyffin as he closes in . Al steps in, but the tentacle slaps aside his blade, before the woman carefully casts a spell and reaches out with another tentacle. It caresses Kyffin's and he feels his muscles seize painfully as electricity courses through him.
Heinrich moves closer, throwing another bomb, which reverberates through the attic as it explodes against the wall, instead of its target, though it does splash her with fire.
NL: 29
Wind surges around Tenebrynn as the woman's tentacles lash out against her friends, the crates and boxes beside her trembling and shaking as the gusts swirl ever more violently. At one point, the briefest flash of lightning arcs within the growing tumult, as Tenebrynn releases a blast more potent than she's yet mustered.
HP: 53/53
Nonlethal: 1
AC: 16 (13 T / 12 FF) // 25% miss chance for ranged attacks
Fort: +8 // Ref: +7 // Will: +2 (+2 vs illusion)
Talisman of Warrior's Courage: [ ]
Burn Accrued: 1/7
SLAs: dancing lights [ ], ghost sound [X], prestidigitation [ ], speak with animals [ ]
Ongoing Effects:
Warden of Nature: +1 to hit/+2 dodge bonus vs aberrations, oozes, vermin
Foe of the Strange: +1 to saves vs aberrations, -10 to confusion results
Point Blank Shot: +1/+1
Elemental overflow: +1 to hit, +2 damage, and visual effects on person as long as burn is present
Round 2, Initiative: 11
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Cold Iron/Silver Blanch Bolts = 20/20
Cold Iron/Ghost Salt Bolts = 20/20
Conditions = Bull’s Strength (5/70r)
Scimitar: Attack: BAB +3, Str +4, Magic +1, Focus +1, (Power -1) Damage: Str +4, Magic +1, (Power +2) Crit: 18-20
Ranged: Attack: BAB +3, Dex +1 Damage: Str +4
Blessings (su)(5/5) (DC 14) (Holy Strike (std) or Powerful Healer) (sw)
Fervor (su, sw) (4/4) (DC 14, 2d6)
Sacred Weapon (su, sw)(5/5r)(+1)
Pearl of Power (first) 1/1
Spells (Caster Level 5, Concentration +7)
Zero (12): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Stabilize
First (13): Command, Divine Favor, Divine Favor, Divine Favor, Shield of Faith
Second (14):
Kyffin swears as he’s jolted, 5’ steps to meet her in the corner, and swings for the rafters back at the hag.
(bull) (bull)
Alas the electricity has muddled his muscles and his swing is less than what he wanted.
Round 2
Tristain fires his wand at the scary woman.
"gad-ZOOKS!”
Wand of Magic Missile (5): 22/50 left
force damage
HP: 31/31
AC: 12
Points: 4/4 left
Spells: Lvl 1: 7/7 left (MM*0,IllOm*0,MurdCom*0,Vanish*0) dc 16
Spells: Lvl 2: 5/5 left (Kno*0,SpirW*0,Sugg*0) dc 17
Cure Used: 0/2 used
Scroll SMIII
"gad-ZOOKS!”
Wand of Magic Missile (5): 22/50 left
[ dice]3d4 + 3[/dice] force damage
Wand of Bless: 5/18 left
Bless (1/10): +1 to attacks and morale.
[ dice]1d6+1[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d20+8[/dice] CMB to trip vs. CMD
[ dice]1d20+2-4[/dice] to hit; ()
[ dice]1d8-1[/dice] piercing damage
[ dice]1d6+1[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d20+7[/dice] CMB to trip vs. CMD
[ dice]1d6+1[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d6+1[/dice] force damage
Albert continues hacking at the horrible squid lady.
Tristain: 11
Kyffin: 11
Tenebrynn: 6
Heinrich: 22
Albert: 19
Antagonist: 13
With no room to throw a bomb, Heinrich pulls his truncheon, but hesitates, clearly not eager to rush into the scrum, where Al and Kyffin try to take the woman down. The former hits -- but fails to cut through her rubbery skin as a tentacle bats away the half-orc's blade. Tristain and Tenebrynn's magics slam into her, to much greater effect.
Still, she stays on her feet and -- trapped in a corner -- lashes out at her nearest attackers. Casting carefully, this time she touches Al with a tentacle and he feels shocking power run through him .
NL: 49
Heinrich frets as the others trade blows with the strange old woman. He steps up behind Al and draws an extract of long arm, ready to drink it!!
Round 3
Since it’s working just fine, Tristain fires his wand at the scary tentacle beast again.
"gad-ZOOKS!”
Wand of Magic Missile (5): 21/50 left
force damage
HP: 31/31
AC: 12
Points: 4/4 left
Spells: Lvl 1: 7/7 left (MM*0,IllOm*0,MurdCom*0,Vanish*0) dc 16
Spells: Lvl 2: 5/5 left (Kno*0,SpirW*0,Sugg*0) dc 17
Cure Used: 0/2 used
Scroll SMIII
"gad-ZOOKS!”
Wand of Magic Missile (5): 21/50 left
[ dice]3d4 + 3[/dice] force damage
Wand of Bless: 5/18 left
Bless (1/10): +1 to attacks and morale.
[ dice]1d6+1[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d20+8[/dice] CMB to trip vs. CMD
[ dice]1d20+2-4[/dice] to hit; ()
[ dice]1d8-1[/dice] piercing damage
[ dice]1d6+1[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d20+7[/dice] CMB to trip vs. CMD
[ dice]1d6+1[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d6+1[/dice] force damage
Round 3, Initiative: 11
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Cold Iron/Silver Blanch Bolts = 20/20
Cold Iron/Ghost Salt Bolts = 20/20
Conditions = Bull’s Strength (6/70r)
Scimitar: Attack: BAB +3, Str +4, Magic +1, Focus +1, (Power -1) Damage: Str +4, Magic +1, (Power +2) Crit: 18-20
Ranged: Attack: BAB +3, Dex +1 Damage: Str +4
Blessings (su)(5/5) (DC 14) (Holy Strike (std) or Powerful Healer) (sw)
Fervor (su, sw) (4/4) (DC 14, 2d6)
Sacred Weapon (su, sw)(5/5r)(+1)
Pearl of Power (first) 1/1
Spells (Caster Level 5, Concentration +7)
Zero (12): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Stabilize
First (13): Command, Divine Favor, Divine Favor, Divine Favor, Shield of Faith
Second (14):
Glad he wasn’t jolted, he tries to shake his rubbery muscles loose before swinging again.
(bull) (bull)
Before Heinrich gets a chance to drink, Kyffin and Tristain strike the old woman down.
Tristain holds his wand ready for a few moments before lowering it. He was expecting more attacks from any direction.
Slowly he will approach closer, just to look at the body and consider the circumstances of her lair in the attic.
"Wow, what a weird creature. Maybe we should be ready for anything here, after our experience with the asylum, then the fort. We should probably just burn this place down and save ourselves the trouble," Tristain suggests wisely.
Given a moment, Tristain will scour the area for magics, then bonk his head against the wall.
Spellcraft
As what appears to be the glow of defensive magic fades from her body, Tristain finds two items that radiate an aura of power.
It's a belt of mighty constitution +2.
It's a ring of protection +1
"What in the name of the eight famed solutions was wrong with that woman?!?" Heinrich kneels to examine the woman's tentacled form. "Is this mutation or intentional? Is it from birth or modified later?"
No answers to Heinrich's questions are clear from his examination.
Assuming Tristain identifies the belt, he takes a look at the ring.
"It looks familiar, but it's beyond my knowledge." he begins and glances at their opponent. "So's she. We should head downstairs. Someone may have heard the ruckus, and I've got spells going."
If everyone agrees, he'll move to the stairs as he heals himself with the wand. "Anyone need a touch?"
”I don’t know, Heinrich and fear what we might find below. Again, we can also just burn the place down after locking everyone inside, that might be best.”
Spellcraft (ring)
”Oh, it’s one of them nice protective rings,” Tristain says, handing it off. He is ready to follow Kyffin down the stairs.
Albert wipes some dirt across his own wounds.
"We ain't burning nothing down until we get some answers, or at least try to get some answers, about what's going on around here." Albert stands guard while the party searches. He fully expects more weird crab people and squid women and gill men to attack the party. Although he does take a moment to check out the belt.
"That's a good one for holding up your britches."
As the group leans on Tristain to find some magics, Tenebrynn scratches her head in confusion while she roots around the old fashioned way. As she rummages around the large room, she asks absently of the others, "Wasn't that creepy lady a ghost or something just a few nights ago attacking another woman in town? How did she change into a ghost and back?"
A quick search of the area doesn't reveal much more of interest, though it's large enough it might require a more thorough search later if the opportunity presents itself.
The staircase that leads down from the attic is dirty, dusty, and draped in thick cobwebs, leading to a locked door.
Tristain examines the door to see if it can be opened from within.
The door appears to be locked from the other side, though Heinrich could try to unlock it from within.
Heinrich notices the locked door tried by Tristain and moves over to aid.
If no one opposes, Kyffin slips the protective ring on his finger. He moves up with Heinrich so if the door opens to guards, he'll be ready. His scimitar is out.
"Good luck Heinrich!"
Heinrich takes a couple minutes, but eventually gets the lock to click.
Opening the door, you see a room decorated in a pseudo-Qadiran style, with intricate patterns carved in the wood paneling. A sumptuous four-poster bed with a minaret-like canopy sits against the southeastern wall. The furniture includes an ebony writing desk and a large, L-shaped armoire.
Kyffin heads into the room and looks around lightly for things that may jump out at him.
Then he moves cautiously to the first door on the left. He moves just beyond the door and waits for the group to finish their examination of the room before opening the door, scimitar out and ready.
Tristain peeks into the ornate room, wondering what horrors might be within.
"Watch out for the bed. I bet that bed eats people. I know it!" Tristain warns, trying to keep from banging his head into the wall. "I still think we should burn this place down. Probably after we leave though, not with us within. That would be crazy...and I'm not crazy. Nope."
Perception w/Detect Magic:
After the search, Al stands guard at the other unopened door with spear in hand and ready to chuck. As Kyffin gives the nod and reaches to open the portal, Albert aims his spear and waits...
As the others spread out to search the room or guard the possible entrances, Tristain begins trying to find magic and has just picked up an aura when its source becomes all too apparent -- A pale face framed by glossy black hair hangs in the air, trailing viscera from the ragged stump of its neck like a grisly tail as it appears out of nowhere! The head's human body collapses to the ground beneath her.
It's a penanggalen, a horrific vampiric monstrosity that appears to be a normal human by day, but at night or when provoked, its head rips free from the rest of her body, coils of viscera and entrails dangling from her throat as she launches into the air, seeking blood to sate her unholy thirst.
A split-second later, a cloud of golden particles covers Kyffin, Tristain and Heinrich, making it hard to see the floating head or anything else!
Round 1, Initiative: 18
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Cold Iron/Silver Blanch Bolts = 20/20
Cold Iron/Ghost Salt Bolts = 20/20
Conditions = Bull’s Strength (30/70r), Divine Favor (1/10r)
Scimitar: Attack: BAB +3, Str +4, Magic +1, Focus +1, (Power -1) Damage: Str +4, Magic +1, (Power +2) Crit: 18-20
Ranged: Attack: BAB +3, Dex +1 Damage: Str +4
Blessings (su)(5/5) (DC 14) (Holy Strike (std) or Powerful Healer) (sw)
Fervor (su, sw) (3/4) (DC 14, 2d6)
Sacred Weapon (su, sw)(5/5r)(+1)
Pearl of Power (first) 1/1
Spells (Caster Level 5, Concentration +7)
Zero (12): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Stabilize
First (13): Command,
Second (14):
"Well that's nasty. It's undead, vampiric to be exact. Destroy it!" he shouts even as he's covered in glitter.
vs DC 18 or blinded
Kyffin aids himself in combat*, then charges across the room to try and stop this monstrosity from hurting anyone else.
(bull, favor, charge) (bull, favor)
Tenebrynn shrieks in disgust as the creature appears, "Augh! That lady's head just popped off!" Wind begins whipping around the small gnome as her sudden surprise and fear briefly get the better of her. As Kyffin explains what it is, Tenebrynn arches one eyebrow incredulously. "Really? A vampire? I didn't know their heads just popped off like that!" She sends a blast of wind and debris hurtling into the vampire-head with a gesture. "How do we stake it in the heart if it's just a head?!"
HP: 53/53
Nonlethal: 1
AC: 16 (13 T / 12 FF) // 25% miss chance for ranged attacks
Fort: +8 // Ref: +7 // Will: +2 (+2 vs illusion)
Talisman of Warrior's Courage: [ ]
Burn Accrued: 1/7
SLAs: dancing lights [ ], ghost sound [X], prestidigitation [ ], speak with animals [ ]
Ongoing Effects:
Warden of Nature: +1 to hit/+2 dodge bonus vs aberrations, oozes, vermin
Foe of the Strange: +1 to saves vs aberrations, -10 to confusion results
Point Blank Shot: +1/+1
Elemental overflow: +1 to hit, +2 damage, and visual effects on person as long as burn is present
Round 1
Will
"My eyes! My eyes! And this is the house of the body stealers!" Tristain runs in a random direction, bonking into the wall and hitting his head. He wants to flee but can't!
Instead he draws his wand of bless and tries to blink the glitters out of his eyes.
Will
At the word 'vampire' Albert leaps into action. "Go back to the land of the dead you foul thing!" Rushing across the room, he hacks at the head with divine fury.
Heinrich: 4
Albert: 21
Tenebrynn: 20
Kyffin: 18
Tristain: 16
Antagonist: 12
Al rushes forward and just manages to hit the head, which lets out a shriek of pain as his blade cuts deeply. Kyffin is right behind, slamming his blade into it, though it seems to find more resistance than Al's.
Tenebrynn's blast is just a moment behind as Tristain blindly uses his wand -- hoping he has the right one in hand. The creature dips and dives its way away from the two men , then spins and casts a spell, a spray of razor sharp, crystalline shards appearing and slashing through her three attackers.
R: 59
Round 1:
Heinrich lets out a gasp as the world goes dark. Rather than flail about wildly, he freezes and concentrates on not accidentally stabbing or blowing anyone up.