Rhianni smiles as she hears that the gods look down on them kindly. "Onwards the Tomaru, I will follow." she picks up one of the unstrung bows looking at it, wondering how this is strung. Shrugging she puts it back, and starts to follow the others.
You continue onward. The exit tunnel is 40' long and ends in yet another small cave.
A deep ravine stretches across this cavern, splitting the room in half. Geodes and veins of glittering minerals shimmer along the walls of the chasm, which drops away into the dark. A ten-foot-wide wooden bridge spans the gulf.
The tunnel continues into darkness beyond the chasm.
"Recommend me wait a bit while Limmerick scouts ahead," Lym whispers. "[smaller]There are too many opportunities for ambush here.[/i]"
The Wizard mutters a cantrip over her bat and sends it ahead, to scout out the tunnel -- and return immediately if it spots danger.
The bat crosses the chasm in silence, magic-enhanced senses scanning ahead and ears primed for even a rustle of danger.
"Kellen," Praxim whispers. "Could you rig this bridge to collapse if something really heavy, like an ogre stepped onto it? Or so we could trigger a collapse from this side, if we had to make a retreat."
Rhianni looks at the bridge, whilst Lym's bat flies into the darkness. "It's a question of how safe that bridge might be for us, let alon an ogre." she whispers back at Praxim. But the darkness of the chasm and the certainty of death from a fall, makes her falter in her study of the bridge. "More light, I would need more light to see it properly." she says quietly under her breath.
"I suppose, it would be possible..."Kellen mutters at Praxim's question even as he examines the bridge, "although I confess I'm not as well versed in making traps as I am at taking them apart."
You aren't so much setting a trap as partially sabotaging a bridge, so Disable Device.
You aren't so much setting a trap as partially sabotaging a bridge, so Disable Device.
Tomaru wants the sabotaging done right. "May Lady Luck look upon your task with favor." He gives Kellen a Bit of Luck (reroll that Disable Device check and take the better of the two).
"There is a cave full of 'stone boxes' ahead," Lym reports to the others. "And there's a magical aura there, too."
"I don't think sabotaging will be necessary," Kellen remarks. "In fact, we'd best be careful ourselves - those timbers are so old it can't hold more than one of us at a time, much less anything as big as an ogre."
Kellen prepares some rope to tie off, as a safey for crossing the bridge. "I'll cross first, see if I spot anything else, then Thordak - I'll need the extra muscle in case anyone slips to pull them up - and after that one by one, eh?"
He pauses and looks at the magic casters in the room. "Unless one of you has a spell to float us all across or something?"
"I do not," Lym says.
The Wizard visibly steels herself, then says: "I should like to suggest that I go first, instead. I do not need lights to see, and I can detect how far the magical aura reaches, possibly identify it."
Kellen looks at her for a second in assessment and then extends an open arm to imply "go ahead." "It's against my better principles to let a lady go into danger first...be careful and tie that rope around yourself, eh?"
Lym ties off the rope, nods to the others -- and very carefully starts to cross the bridge, the words to the Fly spell foremost in her mind. About halfway across, though, she pauses to mutter the Word that allows her to see magic. Afterwards, she continues on into the dark.
Rhianni watches as the magic user crosses the bridge into the darkness.
Thordak watches as Lym crosses the bridge at a careful pace. Turning to the rogue, "Once she makes it across, we'll do as you planned initially, lad. I'll be right behind you once you make it across yourself."
Lym advances to the other side of the bridge, then beckons the others over. As soon as the first next person arrives, she points out the dead body. "That's the source of the aura," she whispers.
Kellen makes his way next - watching for any hazards. He nods at Lym's information and once Thordak crosses over, he responds.
"Alright, Miss Lym, I'll check it out. Any more information on those "stone boxes" you mentioned? Wondering if it was another cache of gear or the "backdoor" entrance."
"Thordak, can you keep an eye on that rope and the others until everyone is across?"
"It'a tomb," Lym says, her tone dark. "There are sarcophagi ahead of us."
Lym takes a step forward when a low moan sounds from underneath the bridge. The horrible sound echoes within the ravine, reverberating throughout the cave. A translucent, ghostly figure floats up through the bridge to face the wizard. It is dressed in the livery of the Black Arrows, and its limbs are broken and twisted, as if it fell from a great height.
The thing's face is twisted in an angry sneer as it reaches out to touch Lym. The cold, cold chill of the afterlife strikes her as the thing reaches into her chest. As it pulls its hand out, a thin wisp of Lym's soul comes with it.
Provided she does not turn around and flee in terror, Lym screams her agony -- and backs off while chanting a spell: "Sagittae magicae, omne errore vacuae, volete!" Darts of pure force fly forth from the Wizard's hand, impacting the ghostly opponent.
"Lym!" Praxim cries out in a husky rasp. He activates smite evil and unleashes arrows at the spirit.
The first arrow that hits does an extra 8 points.
Tomaru casts Fly then he and his Light spell go across the chasm to the aid of his companion.
The ghostly figure clenches its fist as the shred of Lym's soul swirls around it. It holds the fist to its chest, and absorbs the dark energy into itself.
The thing claws at her as she tries to escape. Impossibly, the wispy claws draw blood...and much more...
Praxim's arrows fly true, and the moan turns into a scream as they find their mark. Even so, the creatures ghostly nature seems to dissipate some of the effect.
The figure's dark eyes narrow as Tomaru flys across the chasm. It swiftly moves to attack the cleric. The swipe of its cruel claws is bone-chilling, your armor having no effect on its horrific attacks. Once again, it draws blood. And once again a shred of your soul is drawn with it.
"Blast ya, ya undead beast! Go back ta whence ya came!" Thordak's anger ignites his rage as he draws out the ogre hook while moving toward it, swinging it mightily at the ghost once he nears.
Seeing Thordak crossing the bridge, Kellen waits - fearing their combined weight will collapse the structure. He fires a crossbow in the meantime.
"Doubt that's going to do much...should've packed some Holy Water...Lym, do you need some help?"
"No!" Lym gasps, one arm outthrust to Thordak. "The bridge...! It'll collapse!"
Whimpering her pain, the Wizard limps onward to the other side of the bridge.
"Tomaru, keep away!" she begs. "You're the only one who can... fix me!"
HP: 12
Whimpering her pain, the Wizard limps onward to the other side of the bridge.
Little of Rhianni's magic can hurt the ethereal spectre, so hoping that her friends will benefit from greater speed in battle, she moves into the centre of her friends and casts a spell.
School transmutation; Level bard 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a shaving of licorice root)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets one creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
The transmuted creatures move and act more quickly than normal. This extra speed has several effects.
When making a full attack action, a hasted creature may make one extra attack with one natural or manufactured weapon. The attack is made using the creature's full base attack bonus, plus any modifiers appropriate to the situation. (This effect is not cumulative with similar effects, such as that provided by a speed weapon, nor does it actually grant an extra action, so you can't use it to cast a second spell or otherwise take an extra action in the round.)
A hasted creature gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves. Any condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) also makes you lose dodge bonuses.
All of the hasted creature's modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 30 feet, to a maximum of twice the subject's normal speed using that form of movement. This increase counts as an enhancement bonus, and it affects the creature's jumping distance as normal for increased speed. Multiple haste effects don't stack. Haste dispels and counters slow.
Can I use Bit of Luck here?
[dice=Will]1d20+12
Can I use Bit of Luck here?
The shred of Lym's soul swirls about the fist of the creature as it brings it down to its chest. At the last moment, before it can be absorbed, Lym saves herself by force of will. The shred tears itself away from the ghostly hand and returns to her.
Tomaru is not so lucky . The creature's attack wrenches a piece of his soul, this time crushing it in its fist and letting it pour down upon its upturned face. .
Thordak moves out onto the swaying bridge, but his attack is foiled by the uncertain footing. Kellen doesn't do much better, his shot clattering harmlessly off of the far wall of the cave.
Praxim growls with anger (and excitement) as Rhianni's spell affects him.
Pretty sure incorporeal are immune to crits, though
+
Kellen feels Rhianni's spell wash over him and moves to aid Thordak and Tomaru using the newfound speed to get across the bridge as quickly as possible.
Tomaru fights to regain his soul, only through sheer luck does he manage to wrest it from the ghostly figure.
Praxim, meanwhile, has its attention. The apparition of a long-dead Black Arrow howls in pain as the paladin's arrows hit it. While it doesn't take all the damage, it takes enough to notice. Trailing wisps of ether that resemble drops of blood, it flies over to Praxim and strikes. Its ghastly claws lock hold of his throat, cold, cold eyes boring into the elf's. Like a line of mist, a piece of Praxim's soul is torn from him, arching from his eyes to that of the creature.
Kellen rushes to Praxim's aid, 'cutting' through the creature, but finding no weak spot exploit.
Grrr...his touch AC is 18 against this guy, if that would have helped.
Lym wheezes in a desperate breath -- and chants a quick spell: "Sagittae, omne errore vacuae, e manu meu evolate!" Three bolts of force fly unerringly from the Wizard's hand and impact the spectre. "Hit it from all sides! Don't give it time to pick a target!"