"Easier said then done!" Illthir groans in tune. She could randomly glitter things but ... Hmph. Needed something better. Let's hammer the undead for now! She moves down to Yellow and smacks him with her [s]bardiche[/i] hammer!
**WHIFF! WHIFF!** goes the ghosts and the hammer. Combined they knock over a burnt table, and the only undamaged vase left in the room.
Terrion and Varn's man-at-arms continue to duel the undead.
Terrion's blows are parried, while Varns man run the gaunt figure straight through but it doesn't seem to faze the monster that much.
Drelev's wounded man backs away toward the center of the room.
The undead guardsmen return the favor.
Varn's man cries out in pain.
Then the couch slides into the spiked pit!
The crossbow men at the top of the steps fire down on the cluster of Fergus'. Two of them disappear with a pop.
Ser Richard charges forward and leaps upon the table gaining height over his foes.
With a broad sweep he takes the head from the wounded man holding the trophy up for all to see even as the body stands twitching for a long moment after.
The lich (or the illusion) looks on slightly bored from above from the third floor rail.
The headless man's body falls with a thud.
Round 5! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Ser Richard -7 hp
__ Mummified Manor guards (pink -7 hp, purple -7)
__ Illusion of Szam Tass
__ Fergus -7 hp, mirror image 2, shaken
__ Illthir shaken
__ Durgan -6 hp (pending reflex save DC 15)
__ Terrion -7 hp, shaken
__ Guy in Gold -21 hp, shaken
__ Mummified guards on the First floor (burgundy -12 hp; brown destroyed; yellow -12 hp; red destroyed; blue -10 hp)
Durgan dodges the couch.
He casts Fly and attempts to ascend, but doesn't make any progress this round.
Zokon steps out from where he was hiding blade down.. "Master Dool, good to see you, I see you also do not know your way out of this maze? Although you do seem a might comfortable...
"Zokon!?" says the startled wizard. Dool's eyes rove over the faux-ranger before landing hard upon his sword.
He almost doesn't have time to sneer at Zokon's mention of his footwear, before saying "You're alone." It's hard for Zokon to tell if that's question or not. "I thought I heard someone else out here yelling."
No more magic? That was a relief. A bit worrying someone were removing heads instead! Bleeeeeeeh. Bleh. Blehhh. At least hers was firmly attached to her shoulders for now.
Let's concentrate on the immediate problem of one undead guardsmen. Flurry of hammers!
Fergus jumps back at the sound of the bolts clattering across the floor before a spray of blood nearly gives him pause. With a surprisingly dwarven Harrumph, he then attempts to likewise clamber up onto a table, so he is once again almost equal in height to sir Richard before attempting to show him just what happens when you spook a dwarf.
Before swinging, nearly haphazardly, in a brutal, two-handed side chop at the man.
"Zokon!?" says the startled wizard. Dool's eyes rove over the faux-ranger before landing hard upon his sword.
He almost doesn't have time to sneer at Zokon's mention of his footwear, before saying "You're alone." It's hard for Zokon to tell if that's question or not. "I thought I heard someone else out here yelling."
He lowers his sword
"Yes the Erastil priest, Shephard Kheeg, but then he moved or was moved away. Have you noticed any peculiarities of this place?"
Inspired Rage (Su) At 1st level, affected allies gain a +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +1 morale bonus on Will saving throws, but also take a –1 penalty to AC. While under the effects of inspired rage, allies other than the skald cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration. At 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the song’s bonuses on Will saves increase by 1; the penalty to AC doesn’t change.
Dool looks long and hard at Zokon. "No."
He scans the area and frowns, he says some magical gobbledygook, and now with his eyes radiating a blue-white light looks around looks again.
"Curses...." The light goes out.
He looks around once again at the hedge walls and the stone steps back the way he came.
"Well then, ranger, I suggest we leave. My point of entry seems a likely path." Dool says and gestures to the stone path behind him, a gesture that indicates he intends that Zokon go first.
Alia finds herself seated on a stone bench in front of a statue of a swordsman amid some very tall and well-manicured hedges.
"Muttering to himself, not a ranger... " he stalks forward down the indicated path keeping an intent watch
"... not a ranger... "
"Muttering to himself, not a ranger... " he stalks forward down the indicated path keeping an intent watch
"If you see any strange doors along the way let me know."
Zokon hears a distant woman's scream from somewhere to the south.
Illthir and her train of spirits crush the skeleton in the corner.
Fergus levels a devastating blow to Ser Richard's gut, one that would have disemboweled an ordinary man, but the Aldori duelist makes no sign that he even felt it. Not a sound ushers from his lips. Then like a mist, the facade falters and Fergus can see what it is that he is battling. It is not Ser Richard, not really, but rather his desiccated, bone-thin corpse sans tongue, dressed in the tatters of his nobleman's garb. At this range not even the burnt, pungent floral bouquets that were spread about the room can obscure the reek of the tomb that surrounds him.
From somewhere outside a man screams. The sound is cut off abruptly.
Round 5! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Ser Richard -48 hp
__ Mummified Manor guards (pink -7 hp, purple -7)
__ Illusion of Szam Tass
__ Fergus -7 hp, mirror image 2, shaken
__ Illthir shaken
__ Durgan -6 hp
__ Terrion -7 hp, shaken
__ Guy in Gold -21 hp, shaken
__ Mummified guards on the First floor (burgundy -12 hp; brown destroyed; yellow destroyed; red destroyed; blue -10 hp)
Fergus's eyes widen as the sight before him is revealed.
By the stone.. Is all he mutters.
Terrion presses the attack against the undead guardsman.
Vanr's man, barely standing, has little choice but to press his own attack and hope he gets lucky.
The undead strike back but score no telling hits.
Ser Richard strikes to kill and pops two of Fergus's images leaving him just one twin.
The undead crossbowmen on the floor above take aim at Illthir.
One of the bolts grazes the half-elf.
Round 6! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Ser Richard -48 hp
__ Mummified Manor guards on the second floor (pink -7 hp, purple -7)
__ Illusion of Szam Tass on the third floor
__ Fergus -7 hp, mirror image 1, shaken (rd 2)
__ Illthir -2 hp, shaken (rd 2)
__ Durgan -6 hp
__ Terrion -7 hp, shaken (rd 2)
__ Guy in Gold -21 hp, shaken (rd 2)
__ Mummified guards on the first floor (burgundy -12 hp; brown destroyed; yellow destroyed; red destroyed; blue -10 hp)
Durgan attempts to ascend, but cannot.
Can he try again with another move action?
Illthir flinches a bit as the bolts whistle past, but they don't seem to do any great harm. It's just a tiny scratch. It's just a tiny scratch. N-now to fight the big undead monster. Gulp. With a few short steps she's in striking range, swinging at the 'lord'.
Finding herself in what seemed to be a deadend, Alia starts moving - she had been shifted by a similar effect before - and while she had not seen a hedge maze, there was a chance it was not a magical place but a real one she was scrambled into. Until such time as she would run into allies or opposition, there was little reason to stop, not when her friends faced such a threat.
Zokon sneaks further forward taking note of the screams he will try find a way to get to her
Finding herself in what seemed to be a deadend, Alia starts moving - she had been shifted by a similar effect before - and while she had not seen a hedge maze, there was a chance it was not a magical place but a real one she was scrambled into. Until such time as she would run into allies or opposition, there was little reason to stop, not when her friends faced such a threat.
Alia finds herself rounding a big hedge endcap sculpted into a stern giant megalith bust facing southward. The cobblestones give way to grass beneath her feet and she sees a 55-foot-long hedge corridor leading north toward a sharp corner leading west.
Zokon sneaks further forward taking note of the screams he will try find a way to get to her
Zokon and Dool quickly find themselves on the edge of a 20-foot square stone courtyard, just beyond an entry flanked by two bushes sculpted into a pair of frowning stone giant heads facing each other. Within the courtyard, off to one corner, sits a large topiary tiger in a stalking pose. A pair of steps lead down to a grass path on the opposite side of the space.
Seeing that the dimensions seem to extend farther than she hoped, Alia takes a moment to cast the prepared 'Expeditious Advance'-Spell, then resumes her Exploration of the hedge maze.
Alia casts her spell and turns onto the path. About four steps in she hears the grinding of stone on stone. Looking ahead sees part of the ivy-covered wall sliding into her path cutting her off. At the same time she hears a sound like a lot of tiny bowstrings releasing.
Alia is not caught completely flat-footed against the darts flying from from the ivy covered eastern wall.
Some of the darts still manage to hit her.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" says Alak Dool to Zokon. "You aren't afraid are you?"
He's holding his tea kettle in one hand, and a wand in the other.
From somewhere nearby Zokon hears the sound of a half-dozen arrows being fired in rapid succession.
Fergus gulps slightly as he is spared death this time around thanks to his magic. Though that was quickly dwindling. He takes up the song's power once again before striking the undead creature. He was a dwarf, and even if he was a dwarf who enjoyed the finer things, he would be damned if he showed fear. With a nod to Illthir, he can't resist the urge to mutter the words of a old dwarven warsong.
Fergus again manages to bury his axe into Ser Richard's side, but the silent corpse doesn't make a peep. There's no blood.
Terrion presses the attack against the undead guardsman.
With herculean effort the wounded soldier, fells his opponent.
The undead strike back but score no telling hits.
Ser Richard chops down the last of Fergus's twins and then begins carving Fergus himself.
The undead crossbowmen reload.
Round 7! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Ser Richard -62 hp
__ Mummified Manor guards on the second floor (pink -7 hp, purple -7)
__ Illusion of Szam Tass on the third floor
__ Fergus -17 hp
__ Illthir -2 hp
__ Durgan -6 hp
__ Terrion -7 hp
__ Guy in Gold -21 hp
__ Mummified guards on the first floor (burgundy destroyed; brown destroyed; yellow destroyed; red destroyed; blue -10 hp)
Durgan makes it up! He ascends out of the pit, moves into melee, and strikes at 'Ser Richard' with his battleaxe.
He stood facing a creature, far more than his match alone, though thankfully, he was not alone. He held no doubts in his mind that he and his companions would bring low this undead abomination. Determined and with his resolve returned to him, Fergus continued to slash at the foe in front of him. Wielding his axe in both hands.
Illthir dances to the side and swings at the undead monster once more. It didn't seem so scary anymore, with allies all around. "To victory!"
Zokon glancing askance as the plant tiger he will move tot he other side of the square.. he does expect something fishy may be up with the tiger so he is as least looking at it
"Ok ok yer meatshield is leading the way.. hopefully they are tactical.."
Not stopping her stride despite the darts being fired at her, Alia uses her newfound speed to jump as far forward as possible, expecting the traps to be triggered by pressure plates.
As she lands, she also reinforces her defense with a 'Shield'-Spell, hoping it would help against any further surprises in this maze.
For a moment, she considered shouting a warning, but chances were they were not alone in the maze, and she didn't want to risk drawing attention.
Illthir dances to the side and swings at the undead monster once more. It didn't seem so scary anymore, with allies all around. "To victory!"
The sudden appearance of Durgan out of the thin air causes the monster to turn and as it does the axes of both dwarves strike it just above the prominent hip bones separating the upper half from it's legs. The thing crashes down from the table and the lights in its eye sockets slowly gutter and fade.
Round 7! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Mummified Manor guards on the second floor (pink -7 hp, purple -7)
__ Illusion of Szam Tass on the third floor
__ Fergus -17 hp
__ Illthir -2 hp
__ Durgan -6 hp
__ Terrion -7 hp
__ Guy in Gold -21 hp
__ Mummified guards on the first floor (burgundy destroyed; brown destroyed; yellow destroyed; red destroyed; blue -10 hp)
Zokon glancing askance as the plant tiger he will move tot he other side of the square.. he does expect something fishy may be up with the tiger so he is as least looking at it
"Ok ok yer meatshield is leading the way.. hopefully they are tactical.."
"Is he?" Dool looks over Zokon's shoulder ahead of them into the space. "He is difficult to pick out naturally, but worse indoors."
Zokon moves across the space, Alak Dool watching him from the hedge. About halfway across Zokon feels a disturbing lack of cobblestone beneath his feet. Indded there is a general lack of anything for some way down beneath his feet as the ground opens up underneath him.
Not stopping her stride despite the darts being fired at her, Alia uses her newfound speed to jump as far forward as possible, expecting the traps to be triggered by pressure plates.
Alia leaps over the greater part of the path coming down just south of the sliding rock wall, touching off another hail of darts, but his time she lands in a crouch and all the missiles fly over her head.
The wall though is still moving but she has enough time to slip through to the other side. She has just completed her spell when she hears a strange flapping noise overhead.