Soumral backs away from the doorway and draws upon her knowledge of the Void to make the 1st skeleton's flaws and weaknesses apparent. She draws her wand for disruption necromantic energies.
Reveal Weakness (Su): When you activate this school power as a standard action, you select a foe within 30 feet. That creature takes a penalty to its AC and on saving throws equal to 1/2 your caster level (minimum –1) for 1 round. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence bonus.
Amenhep raises his spear, and brilliant light emanates from his golden holy symbol of Ra. ”Friends, fear not these abominations, together we will prevail!”
Fireday, the 30th day of Gozran, 4714 AR
Weather is clear and fairly hot by mid-afternoon.
Two hours after sunrise.
----------------------------------------------
Rediz darts away and hurls his bomb at one of the skeletons, but in his haste he hurries the throw and it rebounds off the corner of the doorway and explodes at Amenhep’s feet! The alchemist and his nearby allies are subjected to the acidic explosion, though so are two of the skeletal warriors (8 damage to Amenhep, Rediz and Francis – and the one in front collapses in a heap of partially melted bones. Soumral steps away and uses her magic to throw off the nearest of the skeletons (Green Skeleton at -3 penalty to AC and saves) as Amenhep calls out a prayer to Ra, infusing his allies with the blessings of the sun god!
The angry head of the old woman in the cage speaks words of magic, and suddenly Soumral feels as though a dark veil has been dropped in front of her eyes!
; range increment =1
vs DC 18 = Failure!
vs DC 18 = Failure!
--------------------------------------------
Round 2 – Initiative Order & Combat Notes
Elliander 54/57 [Shield is shedding Light (20’); Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 1 (of 10) damage this day; +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep]
Francis 39/47 [+1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep; Pending Reflex Save for +4 HP]
2 Skeletal Warriors Green – Wounded (15 damage; -3 to AC and saves for 1 round); Blue – Wounded (3 damage)
Rediz 27/35 [+4 to Perception and Darkvision 60’ (Crypt Breaker’s Draught) for 60 minutes; +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep; Pending Reflex Save for +4 HP]
Soumral 45/45 [+1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep; Pending Fort Save vs. Blindness]
Amenhep 34/51 [Spear is shedding Light (20’); +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds; Pending Reflex Save for +4 HP]
Severed Head Unwounded
Seeing the undead still up Francis again calls on the power of Pharasma to destroy them.
Knowing Francis channeling is even better than his own, Elliander this time lets the cleric again attack the skeletons before closing in an attacking himself.
Delay to after Francis.
If the green skeleton is still standing after Francis’ attack, then attack it first. Since its heavily wounded, save the channeling for the blue skeleton. If the green is down but the blue is still standing, then take a 5’-step inside and make the first attack WITH channeling on it. Then second attack without channeling on blue again is still standing.
If the green is destroyed by my first attack, then take a 5’-step inside and make a second at the blue skeleton WITH channeling. ELSE attack the green again with the second attack.
If BOTH green and blue go down with Francis’ attack, then take a 5’-step inside, sheath sword and pull mace, threatening to pummel the cage.
Could I then make an Intimidation check to the Head also, or next turn?
The Biter:
with Bane(Undead) and Arcane Strike
The Biter:
with Bane(Undead) and Arcane Strike
Channeling Disrupt Undead
So much strategy, and then rolling a 2 and a 3 to hit. :(
Fireday, the 30th day of Gozran, 4714 AR
Weather is clear and fairly hot by mid-afternoon.
Two hours after sunrise.
----------------------------------------------
Elliander misses with his attack, and though Francis is intimidated by the foul head in the cage, that doesn’t stop the cleric from unleashing a wave of positive energy that washes over the remaining skeletal warriors, and they both drop to the floor! The cage with the old woman’s head drops to the ground as well, the foul creature cursing and screaming like a sailor possessed by a dozen demons...
vs DC 17 = Success! 7 damage
vs DC 17 = Failure! 15 damage
--------------------------------------------
Round 2 – Initiative Order & Combat Notes
Elliander 54/57 [Shield is shedding Light (20’); Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 1 (of 10) damage this day; +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep]
Francis 39/47 [Intimidated (-1 to attack rolls/saves/skill checks); +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep]
Rediz 27/35 [+4 to Perception and Darkvision 60’ (Crypt Breaker’s Draught) for 60 minutes; +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep]
Soumral 45/45 [+1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep; Pending Fort Save vs. Blindness]
Amenhep 34/51 [Spear is shedding Light (20’); +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds; Pending Reflex Save for +4 HP]
Severed Head Unwounded
Francis glares at the disgusting thing on the ground. "Stick a sword through that thing and end its foul mouth!"
Amenhep slams the butt of his spear in the ground in front of him and the radiant light emitting from it shields him from the worst of the damage.
Though injured he steps into the room and takes a brief second to consider what in the cosmos this thing could even be before plunging his spear downwards and stabbing at the mummified head twice. He calls out, his voie full of righteous fury, "Be judged by the King of the Heavens!"
Elliander is just about to fight his way into the room, when Francis’ channeling manages to overcome the two remaining skeletons. The duskblade instead climbs over the fallen undead and exchanges his weapon for the heavy mace before Amenhep attacks the severed head in a cage. Elliander is not against smashing this cage and head to a pulp, but maybe they can get some info first?
”Wait a minute. That creature …, head ..., seemed to be bossing around those skeletons. It might know what we are looking for, so we don’t have to search everywhere.”.
Fireday, the 30th day of Gozran, 4714 AR
Weather is clear and fairly hot by mid-afternoon.
Two hours after sunrise.
----------------------------------------------
Soumral cries out as she is struck blind by the creature’s foul magic, but then realizes she can still see! Elliander moves into the room as he puts away his blade for the heavy mace as the others attack the head in the cage, calling out for restraint in case the awful thing has information they could use. Rediz tries to attack the thing with his mace, but it only clangs against the bars harmlessly (total cover from bludgeoning attacks, improved cover [+8 AC] vs slashing attacks and good cover [+4 AC] vs piercing attacks.) Amenhep’s spear proves much more effective, stabbing into the head twice and inflicting terrible wounds (34 damage) though the dismembered head seems far from helpless, rolling around almost comically within the cage in its vain effort to avoid the paladin’s spear.
The head continues to spew hateful words, mixed with vile profanities and magic syllables to boot! Amenhep feels his muscles begin to seize up as the thing’s evil magic tries to take hold…
vs DC 18 = Success!
--------------------------------------------
Round 3 – Initiative Order & Combat Notes
Elliander 54/57 [Shield is shedding Light (20’); Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 1 (of 10) damage this day; +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep]
Francis 39/47 [Intimidated (-1 to attack rolls/saves/skill checks); +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep]
Rediz 27/35 [+4 to Perception and Darkvision 60’ (Crypt Breaker’s Draught) for 60 minutes; +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep]
Soumral 45/45 [+1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep]
Amenhep 38/51 [Spear is shedding Light (20’); +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds; Pending Will Save]
Severed Head Wounded (34 damage)
"Don't waste time trying to speak with it. It'll only use the time trying to use its magic to harm us. Destroy the thing!"
Amenhep laughs in the face of the vile magic that the head spews at him. He is a champion of the light, and nothing will stop him from bringing that light to the darkest corners of Osirion.
He stabs twice, his spear finding deadly purchase once on the withered head.
When the others still attack the cage with the head, Elliander suspects that he might have been naïve thinking the head being quite harmless without its guarding skeletons. The idea to kill everything with intelligence and possible info about their quest, somehow seems wrong to him though. He follows his original instinct that the sword is not the best weapon against the cage’s bars and instead swings the adamantine mace to break it open.
Sunder attempt:
Adamantium Heavy Mace:
with Arcane Strike and weapon considered magical
IF he can make a second attack, THEN
__IF the cage is still holding, THEN make a new Sunder attempt,
__ELSE attack the exposed head instead, channeling Disrupt Undead
Adamantium Heavy Mace:
with Arcane Strike and weapon considered magical
Conditionally:
I assume the head hasn’t reach enough to make any AoO back through the bars.
...
Talking more than hitting. :(
Soumral's eyesight darkens briefly, but she throws off the curse or magic responsible. She goes on into the room to get a better look at the living head and see how she could help.
Fireday, the 30th day of Gozran, 4714 AR
Weather is clear and fairly hot by mid-afternoon.
Two hours after sunrise.
----------------------------------------------
Amenhep shakes off the effects of the spell with a scornful laugh as Elliander swings his adamantium mace at the cage. The flanged edges of the weapon tear through the bars and shear off the top of the cage, demolishing it easily! But as he reverses his swing and tries to smash the mace down upon the evil head, it rolls away from the blow, and the weapon instead clangs into the stone floor! Francis urges the destruction of the evil thing as Rediz changes up his weapon, loading his crossbow. Soumral also moves in to get a better look as Amenhep thrusts his spear again, this time skewering the grotesque thing through its right eye and straight through its brain! The mouth opens and closes a few times more, then hangs loosely as whatever unholy life the head once held is apparently drained away by the paladin’s weapon. With a sickly thud, it drops off the end of the spear and lies unmoving among the remains of its skeletal warrior guardians.
With the battle over and no other threats emerging, the party is able to take a good look around the chamber. The room is illuminated by a soft glow, revealing large wooden cabinets lining the walls, their fronts lined with numerous labeled drawers fitted with brass knobs. The walls of the room are of thick paneled wood. To the left, at the far end of the room, a large cedar table stands against the southern wall. The chamber’s soft illumination emanates from a flameless candle that sits upon the desk – upon which sits a journal that the corpse head had apparently been dictating for the skeletal warrior to transcribe into the latest entry on the open page.
--------------------------------------------
Party Health & Adventure Notes
Elliander 54/57 [Shield is shedding Light (20’); Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 1 (of 10) damage this day; +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep]
Francis 39/47 [Intimidated (-1 to attack rolls/saves/skill checks); +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep]
Rediz 27/35 [+4 to Perception and Darkvision 60’ (Crypt Breaker’s Draught) for 60 minutes; +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep]
Soumral 45/45 [+1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds and while within 30’ of Amenhep]
Amenhep 38/51 [Spear is shedding Light (20’); +1 to attack/damage/AC and saves vs fear for 10 rounds]
Soumral will get Detect Magic up and running. If the book checkes with no aura, she will start reading to see what it's about. If it does have an aura, she will check for problems before reading.
Amenhep clasps his hand to his holy symbol of Ra and murmurs a prayer to the Pharaoh of Dawn, imbuing his words with holy power that knit his wounds closed.
Elliander instinctively wipes off the mace, whether it has got any splatter from the destroyed head or not, before hooking it back to his belt. Its weight had felt good in his hand, but he knows that he’s generally better with the sword. Besides, The Biter is a ‘jealous lover’.
Elliander then renews his Light and Detect Magic spells, while watching the door for more enemies. He tries to get a feeling for the items in the room too.
With the battle over Francis moves around to check on the health of the team. He uses his healing wand as needed. He notices the paladin using his own healing and just nods.
"Sorry if I seemed a bit hasty calling for the destruction of that thing. But it had no reason to communicate with us. Its lackeys were destroyed. It had no purpose left but to hurt and kill. Pharasma's will aside, we had nothing to gain in delay."
Fireday, the 30th day of Gozran, 4714 AR
Weather is clear and fairly hot by mid-afternoon.
Nearly three hours after sunrise.
----------------------------------------------
Soumral finds that the journal is one of several that are non-magical and after a quick skim appear to be the ravings of a being named Neferekhu – apparently the angry, dismembered head that now lies on the floor behind the party. Another name, that of Nebta-Khufre, is also found in many places throughout the rambling thoughts that are written down on the pages. It appears that Neferekhu was an oracle of some kind, and that when she died Nebta-Khufre performed a ritual that brought her back to life – or at least her head, at any rate. There is much bitterness and venom aimed at her grandson for what he did to her, interspersed with angry rants against the living and a longing for destruction that would forever end her existence.
Given twenty minutes or so, the party learns further that Neferekhu had nightmarish visions of a cursed mask that once belonged to an entity she names as the ‘Forgotten Pharaoh’ - which haunted her even before her death. Her grandson, exiled from the desert city of Tephu, trekked through Osirion’s desert to Wati in search of the mask. Her most recent rantings include mentions of Nebta-Khufre’s necromantic powers, which he has used to create animated undead bodyguards that are his only company after the rest of his followers perished in the desert after being forced to leave Tephu. There is also mention of some ‘mysterious creature in the shadows’, which her grandson views as both a mentor and a teacher.
There may well be more information to be gleaned from the stream-of-consciousness rants that seem to fill the journals, but it would certainly take a few hours of focused reading to delve further into them. During this time, Amenhep treats his own wounds while Francis heals the mild injuries suffered by himself and Rediz. Elliander and the priest still have a few bruises and cuts, but they are quite minor.
--------------------------------------------
Party Health & Adventure Notes
Elliander 54/57 [Shield is shedding Light (20’); Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 1 (of 10) damage this day]
Francis 45/47
Rediz 35/35 [+4 to Perception and Darkvision 60’ (Crypt Breaker’s Draught) for 40 minutes]
Soumral 45/45
Amenhep 51/51 [Spear is shedding Light (20’)]
Soumral shrugs at Francis's apology as she concentrates on the book.
"I'm not bothered. It was nasty."
Elliander nods. ”Yeah, the head called us tomb robbers. That we were after some mask. So, it might be important.”
When there’s nothing more worth picking up, Elliander once again enters the corridor, and when the rest joins him, he rounds the corner going to the right to explore further. He keeps an eye in the stairwell going down too.
"No exact connections are described; it doesn't detail exactly how it's being done. But the circumstances can't be ignored. There's a talented necromancer with a powerful mask, cursed it claims. They show up here and all this starts. As for the Ka pulse, maybe this "creature in the shadows" taught Nebta-Khufre how to make it happen. We know who we're looking for now."
"If we find the necromancer and his undead guards, maybe we can finish this menace!"
Elliander continues along the corridor, passing the stairs. He wonders if the corridor circles back to where they started.
Fireday, the 30th day of Gozran, 4714 AR
Weather is clear and fairly hot by mid-afternoon.
Three hours after sunrise.
----------------------------------------------
The party continues to investigate this level, and finds the two remaining rooms are uninhabited. One, which backs against the room where they fought Neferekhu and the skeletal warriors, is a near mirror image to that chamber with dark-stained wooden cabinets and shelves, along with a mahogany table - upon which is a stunningly detailed map of Osirion and the kingdoms surrounding. The other, much larger room, contains sarcophagi and mummified creatures of every shape and size. Draft animals, wild animals, a good number of cats and even a massive elephant – which dominates the chamber. Detailed murals and carvings on the walls depict a wide variety of beasts from the surrounding area and far beyond. The party hunts about a bit, but other than learning that the library appears to contain detailed records of deaths dating back to the rule of Nefru Shepses back in 2953 AR and perhaps even beyond, there appears to be little of practical use to the adventurers.
Only the stairs that descend to the next level down remains to be explored…
--------------------------------------------
Party Health & Adventure Notes
Elliander 54/57 [Shield is shedding Light (20’); Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 1 (of 10) damage this day]
Francis 45/47
Rediz 35/35 [+4 to Perception and Darkvision 60’ (Crypt Breaker’s Draught) for 25 minutes]
Soumral 45/45
Amenhep 51/51 [Spear is shedding Light (20’)]
|
While the Soumral and the others check the empty rooms Rediz uses the time presenting itself to prepare a few more of his strange Smelling concoctions and prepare himself for the next battle. Then he starts moving down the stairs.
create Heigtened Awareness Extract and Barkskinn extract and imbibe both of them.
That leaves me with following inventory for the day:
L1
Detect Undead
Reduce Person
Targeted Bomb Admixture
1 unused extract
L2
Barkskin
Barkskin
Alchemical Allocation
See Invisibility
Elliander makes sure his Light and Detect Magic spells are again renewed, before descending the stairwell. He has his sword and shield ready.
Soumral renews her protection with her wand if the time is near, and Keeps her new wand of Magic Missile ready.
Fireday, the 30th day of Gozran, 4714 AR
Weather is clear and fairly hot by mid-afternoon.
Three hours after sunrise.
----------------------------------------------
The party girds themselves for descending the staircase and then do so, with Elliander in the lead, lighting the way with his glowing shield. The stairs wind down a considerable distance, at least fifty feet and probably more, and when they finally reach the bottom of the steps, Elliander is the first to find an immaculate chamber tiled in blue ceramic tiles. The duskblade can also see a pair of large, bronze double doors set in the southern wall from his vantage point on the steps. Aside from the doors, the tiled room appears to be entirely empty and Elliander detects no auras of magic.
--------------------------------------------
Party Health & Adventure Notes
Elliander 54/57 [Shield is shedding Light (20’); Detecting for Magic Auras; Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 1 (of 10) damage this day]
Francis 45/47
Rediz 35/35 [+4 to Perception and Darkvision 60’ (Crypt Breaker’s Draught) for 25 minutes; +2 to Perception and trained Knowledge checks (Heightened Awareness) for 60 minutes; +3 natural bonus to AC (Barkskin) for 60 minutes]
Soumral 45/45 [+4 armor bonus to AC (Mage Armor) for 60 minutes]
Amenhep 51/51 [Spear is shedding Light (20’)]
They have not found any magical mask, the possible source of the dark magic that causes the undead to walk about, so there might still be guards and traps to protect it and the other “bad guys” the scripts had been revealing. Channeling one’s opponents makes it generally easier to defend, so the stairwell is a likely place to set up surprises for intruders. Elliander takes the lead down but wants Rediz close enough to spot for traps too. They reach the bottom end of the stairs though after some climbing. The room down there seems empty and there’s a double-door on the opposite side.
The duskblade casts a glance behind him to check that everyone is ready, before continuing for the doorway. When crossing the floor, Elliander circles a little to the right, keeping his shield towards the doors.
As usual Soumral is toward the rear. She follows the lead of those ahead of her.
Francis scans the area, refreshing his light spell on the tip of his dagger. This deep he can understand a lack of dust, by why would it have ever been cleaned like this?
As Elliander scans the room, he realizes that he does indeed sense the aura of magic! The floor and the bronze doors are enspelled, so far as the duskblade can tell. He concentrates further, trying to learn more...
Hearing the words Francis moves to a position where he can see and casts his own Detect Magic spell.