Celyne turns to the injured dog and uses the wand to heal him since she's obviously blind as a bat when it comes to a switch for the portcullis
Posh continues to try and distract the in-animate object with his rapier, making it an easier target for others.
"Grrr."
Boss Fight v DUNGEON OF ETERNAL SPITE Round 11
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Scarlet -5 hp, 1 nonlethal
__ Tamris
__ Celyne shaken
__ Luna
__ Numalar 1 nonlethal, shaken
__ Iron Maiden -36 hp
__ Zokon -6 hp
__ Alia 1 nonlethal, -4 hp, paralyzed rd 4
__ Rain
__ "Ed of Greenwood"
__ Sir Didymus -4 hp
__ Poshment shaken
The last gout of acid destroys whatever structural integrity was left in the thing and the iron maiden collapses into itself, a freestanding sinkhole.
Bong! Bong! Bong! can be heard for a little while at least while Zokon makes sure it's caput!
Scarlet catches her breath as she and Celyne finally locate the switch. "Okay. Hit it again, Zokon. What's with this place?"
She turns back to Tamris. "You said Rain was watching over Alia? Is she alright? Wait, are you alright?"
Scarlet feels her shoulder and digs out some of the soot. "Huh, I'm not too hot either. Celyne, can you use that wand on me a bit?"
"I guess we better take out the boss. Hopefully he doesn't scatter us to the four winds again."
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The last gout of acid destroys whatever structural integrity was left in the thing and the iron maiden collapses into itself, a freestanding sinkhole.
Numalar blinks with surprise, and then straightens himself up and brushes himself off, as if this happens every day.
Numalar heads over to the corner.
"Zokon! Are you all right?"
He looks past Zokon down the hall, and sees Tamris and a stranger.
"Hullo, Tamris! You picked a good time to turn up. Who's your friend?"
After the introductions are made, and after Numalar is reunited with Sir Didymus, Numalar turns to the wreckage of the Iron Maiden. He mutters something and his eyes turn gold.
"I guess we better take out the boss. Hopefully he doesn't scatter us to the four winds again."
"I don't know how good an idea that is. I am out of spells except for the most minor ones, and I suspect others are in the same boat. I'd hate to go against that thing as spent as we are."
"Besides, by all evidence that 'Thing' has been here for ages. I doubt he is going anywhere."
"I would prefer to make camp and try to rest and recuperate. But if you like we could finish investigating that 'Prison' to the north. There is an exit there, isn't there?"
Celyne turns to the injured dog and uses the wand to heal him since she's obviously blind as a bat when it comes to a switch for the portcullis
clw on didymus: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
"Woof!"
Sir Didymus barks happily at seeing everyone back together.
"Thankyou all for the save.. I remember Tamris Thnaks, but who is our new friend??" Indicating the mysterious mage in disguise
Zokon looks at the mace in his hand.. this should be good for the boss.
He gives the mace a few playful swings and grimaces mid swing.. "ah yes that evil anvil hit me a good one... I might have to get that looked at later."
Celyne spreads wand charges around as needed...
Tamris goes to answer when the stranger steps toward Scarlet and says, "What do you mean 'scatter you to the four winds'?"
Zokon answers the query
"Umm as in randomly teleport us all to different locations around the dungeon and even outside the dungeon, I assume someone got teleported to you as well?"
"That bastard's done it again!" Sputters the man. "A crypt-thing. Bloody crypt thing! Old Szam's having laugh right now. Probably rolling in his mosoleum right now laughing. Tamris, we're done here."
"Which bastard? and why are you done here? Could you help getting rid of it, please?"
"It wouldn't do you any good to know. In fact, you should rejoice in your ignorance." the man says ominously. "As for getting rid of it, I can not help you. Best leave it alone if you don't feel up to the task."
"We definitely need to rest. Now that we're all back together..." Scarlet takes a look around. "I still want to clean this place, but...we're tapped out."
She walks up to the man and offers a handshake. "I'm not sure why you won't reveal your name, but...any friend of Tamris is a friend of mine. You saved Zokon back there. Thanks."
"We definitely need to rest. Now that we're all back together..." Scarlet takes a look around. "I still want to clean this place, but...we're tapped out."
She walks up to the man and offers a handshake. "I'm not sure why you won't reveal your name, but...any friend of Tamris is a friend of mine. You saved Zokon back there. Thanks."
Posh looks around as Scarlet takes his man's hand, suspecious of him, but more concerned about Alia.
"Where is Alia? Is she hurt?" he asks looking around back where he and Tamris just came from and forgetting that he was carrying his light-source with him.
Alia runs up, Estoc drawn, just as the Iron Maiden goes down:"By the gods, you're all alive! I was worried! Did you get the weird skeleton?"
...
"Thank you both for helping to save my friends. I don't want to lose anybody else. Can we...can I help you, in any way? You seemed to not be in the vicinity of this place by chance. If I can repay you for saving me, and my friends, tell me how!"
Alia runs up, Estoc drawn, just as the Iron Maiden goes down:"By the gods, you're all alive! I was worried! Did you get the weird skeleton?"
...
"Thank you both for helping to save my friends. I don't want to lose anybody else. Can we...can I help you, in any way? You seemed to not be in the vicinity of this place by chance. If I can repay you for saving me, and my friends, tell me how!"
Posh scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Well you see...after the burst Celyne was left behind and I ended up next to him. We were so worried that you were all in danger we left the thing alone to go save you. Right, Celyne?"
You get the feeling that Posh might be telling the truth in being worried for the group, that wasn't the main reason for leaving the creature behind and his unconscious shaking at random moments is quite telling to how shaken has has been.
"Heh. That thing is pretty scary, eh Posh? I hate to admit it, but that thing brought back nightmares. Nightmares of my brother. If that thing didn't scatter me across the dungeon...To tell ya the truth I would have ran. I'm not proud to say that, but that just means I'll have to be more brave next time."
She turns to Alia. "That thing is still alive. I mean, dead. I mean, uh undead. Maybe we should scout everywhere but there? We're almost tapped for resources otherwise."
"Sounds good, lets get to the scouting."
Zokon checks his gear and the sunrod
She walks up to the man and offers a handshake. "I'm not sure why you won't reveal your name, but...any friend of Tamris is a friend of mine. You saved Zokon back there. Thanks."
"It's Ed."
Posh looks around as Scarlet takes his man's hand, suspicious of him, but more concerned about Alia.
Ed shakes hands as if he will be glad to stop. His handshake while lacking involvement is (little wonder) warm and firm. "Yes, yes, alright, alright then. Tamris say your goodbyes. We need to be off."
"Thank you both for helping to save my friends. I don't want to lose anybody else. Can we...can I help you, in any way? You seemed to not be in the vicinity of this place by chance. If I can repay you for saving me, and my friends, tell me how!"
"Perhaps." Ed says his eyes pondering Alia's strange sword before locking eyes with her again. "But not, I think, today."
He turns to address the party "Listen here. Your plan to clear out the dungeon before handling it's master is a good one, but know this, the typical crypt-thing can scatter their assailants but once a day, so you best do it quick. They vary in power though. Why I once encountered one that could paralyze their prey while simultaneously rendering them completely invisible, thereby forcing them to watch helplessly as the fiend butchered the few victims 'left behind'. Crypt-things are only guardians though, the caretakers of the catacombs you find them in. I do not know what other horrors might lurk here, but it is apparent by the little that I have seen that the place is meant to be a death trap to the unwary and a defensible bastion to whatever else resides here. This is foul place made fouler for the fact that it was mockingly built beneath a stained temple of Erastil. I suspect the Black Sisterhood of Gyronna is behind it at least originally. You can tell by the decor. They like to 'taint the well'. They crop up in the places you think would be the most secure and sacred--although I think this place may have already been lost before they arrived. Anyhow that may have been hundreds of years ago, and anything could be lurking in here now."
"He's right. Aside from a few really bad patches along the edge of the Slough, and the banks near Candlemere, this is one of the worst places to roam in all the Narlmarches." Tamris says.
hunch (sense motive DC 15): Show
perception DC 18, or Alia: Show
"I suspect the Black Sisterhood of Gyronna is behind it-"
"...Gyronna...Gyronna..." Posh mutters under his breath as he stares off into the distance and appears to blank out for a moment.
It was another pretty normal day for Posh as he gets invited into the chambers of the woman who saved his life. A young-woman with dark curly locks named Rachael Feainnewedd. Posh decided to knock on the door.
"Come in, dear. I did invite you, you know." comes her soothing and soft voice. Posh lets himself in and sees Rachael in a long black dress she often wore for her ceremonies. She was a Midwife in a small town in the River Kingdoms and would always spend time at this alter both after the ceremony and whenever she had a gentleman caller, as she'd call them.
The room was quite a small simple one made of wood, but the alter was made of well-crafted stone and covered in various leaves and flowers. A stone symbol on top of the alter would always show through, appearing like a orb, but with a cat's-eye gem in the centre that often made him feel like it was glaring at him. Posh pulls himself away from looking back at the leering eye to look over to Rachael, who still had her back turned to him as she was decorating her alter.
"You...wanted to talk about something?" he asks, not certain why she called him back from one of the safe houses.
"I wanted to know how you were, dear." she turns then with a warm smile on her face "I wanted to know if you had your eye on anyone special. You're a young man now and neither of us are getting any younger. One of these days you will get caught and you will have no chance at a family." as she states this blankly, Posh scratches the back of his neck. Despite how long he's lived, Rachael had never aged a day in his life, but regardless, he believed this was possibly the use of her own remedies she'd cook up or living such a filling life.
"I don't feel ready to settle down...I knew this one person, but I don't believe she's interested." he tries to awkwardly move off the question "I've never been in your room before. Who's that alter to?"
Rachael sighs and shakes her head before leering at him.
"Posh, did you forget who taught you to lie? I know who you have your eye on Posh. I know everything about you. Just tell her how you feel and figure the rest out." she gives a wink before turning back to her alter "It's to my Goddess, Gyronna. I was in a bad place many years ago and close to death, but she came to my aid. Through her I have helped many people and through her I was granted a vision of a pair of orphans who needed help. She had shown me their path if I left them there and never encouraged them to take action. Two dead children that had no parents and no one would shed a tear, but when rescued would aid me in my mission to heal the wounded, care for the misguided children and change this land for the better. A true paradise for people like us, Posh." at this he hesitates for a bit. Even at this time he didn't entirely agree with the scams or muggings and assassinations. She senses his hesitation and turns back to him, crouching down to his level "Posh, everything we do is for the greater good. Sure it might seem terrifying now, but our end goal is just."
Rachael then glances out the window for a few minutes, before back to Posh.
"I have seen your child, Posh. She'll be a beautiful human girl with long golden hair and mis-coloured eyes. One blue and another green. She will be just like her old man when she grows up with such a loving heart and want to help people, but able to defend herself so she doesn't get taken advantage of." as she says this Posh things for a moment of the image in his head. It was obvious who he thought to be the woman beside him with their beautiful and wild child.
"I hope she's not too much like me." Posh laughed for a moment, still enjoying the image he had in his mind. Maybe settling down wasn't out of a question.
"Go tell Raven, Posh. Tell her, then work things out." Rachael puts her hand on his shoulder to comfort him "Now, get back to work. There's a nobleman who has a small vault, but the only thing I'm interested in is a golden figure of a young woman. You and your friends can take whatever else for yourselves."
She ushers him on and as he closes the door at the last moment he just catches her sigh and mutter under her breath.
"It is such a pain to play match-maker." in a frustrated tone.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Five months later, it's a storming night with heavy rain and Posh has just managed to escape from the dungeon of the self-proclaimed king of the River Kingdoms. As his friends wait on horseback outside, Posh rushes inside the home, hoping that Rachael knew of some-kind of safe house for him to lie low in and then escape this place. As he entered, the building looked to have been rotten and marked. The walls no longer looked as they did outside and he rushed to the alter room, hearing incantations, but instead he saw some-kind of hideous creature in Rachael's dress. It's skin was red, it had three eyes, with the third looking bloodshot red and in this creature's maw were rows of vicious fangs and a split-tongue, much like a snake. The alter was bear with the body of a child on the alter and the blade held up high.
"R-Rachael?" the figure turned to address him, exposing him to a true horror of her appearance. Blade still in hand she leers angrily at him.
"YOU DISTURBED MY RITUAL!" she screamed and before she could lunge at him, he closed the door and moved a chair to block it before running back outside and onto the horse, telling his friends to flee north. The horses were already tired, but they needed to push them and get out of here.
His memory was filled with that terrible alter, the child he failed to save and the cat's-eye get turning a blood-red colour as it leered at him. Something in that chilled him and echoed in his mind one single word.
"Gyronna. Gyronna. Gyronna."
Posh snaps out of whatever had taken him and without another word takes his Rapier and thrusts it into the hideous eye on the baas relief with such anger before pulling it out. He then realises where he is and who was around him and tries to shrug it off.
"I- I thought I saw a spider, that's all." he states, trying to shake off whatever was bothering him. "Let's clear this place and kill that thing so we can get out of here."
Clearly, there was no spider and the aim of his blade was for the centre of that eye. Clearly this symbol means something to Posh after this strange mentioned the name Gyronna. Whatever it was, it's something that has terrified him.
|
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"It's Ed."
"Greetings, 'Ed.' It seems like you know who we are already, but as you have given us your name, I shall give you mine: I am Numalar Auritonius the ninth, of Valdralee." Numalar gives a little bow.
"I suspect that there is a bit more to you than simply 'Ed,' but that will do for now." Numalar smiles, a twinkle in his eye.
He turns to address the party "the typical crypt-thing can scatter their assailants but once a day, so you best do it quick. "
"I thank you for that; that is very useful information. Even so I am not sure if we are capable of facing it now. There is little I can do, certainly."
"If the rest of the area is cleared out, we might be able to face it tomorrow with a little planning. If we place lit torches here and there throughout the maze we can mitigate the effect of it scattering us and rendez-vous again to assault it."
"Crypt-things are only guardians though, ..."
"Do you mean to say that there might be some greater threat here that the Crypt Thing is only a gatekeeper for?"
"I suspect the Black Sisterhood of Gyronna is behind it at least originally. You can tell by the decor. "
"I am not familiar with them, though the name sounds ominous. Who are they? And who or what is this 'Gyronna?'"
"Hehe. I guess we hit the jackpot, huh? We clear this place out and maybe the taint can be removed. We should tell our friend about this place- I'm sure he'd love to consecrate it again for his god."
"Well met, Ed." Scarlet maintains a firm handshake, not really aware of Ed's reluctance. "We'll definitely repay you down the road. You have my word." Her Spider Sense uncanny instincts kick in and she reaches for her warhammer when she sees Posh lunge into the wall.
"A spider? I've seen bigger, Posh. Don't worry, I'll protect ya from them if another one shows up, haha." Sometimes you need to lighten up the modd a little.
As Ed leaves.. Zokon whispers "It's an illusion, Ed that is, only his magical sword is real."
"'Holy weapon balm'?" Naleksa frowns and thinks about it. She snaps her fingers and spins about 180 degrees with the 10-foot pole still balanced on her shoulder. From her supplies she produces a jar: Mina's Famous Nighttime Face Cream.
"I've only got the one. That'll be 55gp."
Ed, Tamris, and Rain lead the party out through the dungeon's southern exit and out into the afternoon air. The torrential morning rain leave the place smelling of damp, Spring trees and loam.
The dungeon opens upon a small camp--Ed's apparently.
"I suspect that there is a bit more to you than simply 'Ed,' but that will do for now." Numalar smiles, a twinkle in his eye.
Ed regards Numalar for a moment, then begins packing.
Tamris who seems to already be carrying all of his gear, moves off to the edge of the clearing and begins arranging smooth river stones in a sort of double circle pattern.
"Crypt-things are only guardians though, ...""Do you mean to say that there might be some greater threat here that the Crypt Thing is only a gatekeeper for?"
"Hard to tell, the Black Sisters rarely stay in one place for very long. Their lairs often become way stops for other evils, attracted to the hags aura of malicious spite. I would be very careful if ever I found one at home."
"I suspect the Black Sisterhood of Gyronna is behind it at least originally. You can tell by the decor.""I am not familiar with them, though the name sounds ominous. Who are they? And who or what is this 'Gyronna?'"
Ed pauses to reflect for a moment, though he doesn't turn to face Numalar.
"She a tired, old, spiteful b*+@% of a lesser goddess who's locus of faith lies pretty much here in the River Kingdoms."
Celyne approaches Ed before he leaves an gives him a guileless but knowing smile and a little wink as she says, "Your disguise is not as unassailable as you think, good sir. Might want to give it a little more juice, so to speak. Still it is a dashing disguise, and you make it look good. Your aid was more than we could possibly have hoped for. You saved Zokon for sure, and perhaps all of us... Thank you."
Celyne makes a point before the others leave to go over to Tamris and bid him a farewell. "Your aid turned the tide, yours and Ed's. Without you we may have failed and fallen here, as yet we may later or tomorrow, but you have given us another chance. How may we thank you in proportion to the gift of your aid?"
Quietly when all has subsided and their 'guests' have left, Celyne will pause by Posh's side and speak softly to him. "There was no spider, friend. And this iconography seems to trouble you overmuch... I sense it is more than just discomfort at the evilness of it, so if you ever want to talk about it, I am here and willing to listen."
Celyne approaches Ed before he leaves an gives him a guileless but knowing smile and a little wink as she says, "Your disguise is not as unassailable as you think, good sir. Might want to give it a little more juice, so to speak. Still it is a dashing disguise, and you make it look good. Your aid was more than we could possibly have hoped for. You saved Zokon for sure, and perhaps all of us... Thank you."
"Well. Heh, heh." He says smiling and chortling. He unconsciously gives his mustache a twirl. Then he clears his throat. "Alas, we must be away. Tamris?"
Celyne makes a point before the others leave to go over to Tamris and bid him a farewell. "Your aid turned the tide, yours and Ed's. Without you we may have failed and fallen here, as yet we may later or tomorrow, but you have given us another chance. How may we thank you in proportion to the gift of your aid?"
"Uh, No thanks necessary. I mean, um, you're welcome." He smiles.
"Huh? What disguise?" Scarlet scratches her head. "Anyway, good meeting you, Tamris. Say hello to Rain for me."
"...." Standing behind Scarlet, Rain lets out a little sigh.
"Perhaps." Ed says his eyes pondering Alia's strange sword before locking eyes with her again. "But not, I think, today."
Alia meets his gaze, holding her sword firm:"Do call on me, then. I owe you for your help. My kind lives long, and such debts can weigh heavy on one's soul if too many stay unrepaid. You would not wish to discomfort me by not allowing me a chance to return the help you have given, right? So stay safe until such a time comes, Ed. If I meet any of my half-sisters, I'll ask them if they are planning on spontaneously teleporting.", she ends with a slim smile playing on her lips.
Then she turns to the other 2:"Tamris, Rain - whatever brought you to this region, take care. If we can help, I am certain we would, so do ask for our help, if you can. If something is an enemy to you, likely, it is an enemy to us, as well. No need to take risks alone. You already know how that ends!", she teases him, trying to read from reactions if he told their previous history to Ed.
Alia meets his gaze, holding her sword firm:"Do call on me, then. I owe you for your help. My kind lives long, and such debts can weigh heavy on one's soul if too many stay unrepaid. You would not wish to discomfort me by not allowing me a chance to return the help you have given, right? So stay safe until such a time comes, Ed. If I meet any of my half-sisters, I'll ask them if they are planning on spontaneously teleporting.", she ends with a slim smile playing on her lips.
"I'll be around." He says and waggles his mustache. He pulls himself in his saddle.
Tamris looks all broody and quizzical, and then says, "Um, we live here."
Quietly when all has subsided and their 'guests' have left, Celyne will pause by Posh's side and speak softly to him. "There was no spider, friend. And this iconography seems to trouble you overmuch... I sense it is more than just discomfort at the evilness of it, so if you ever want to talk about it, I am here and willing to listen."
Posh just remains silent for the moment, struggling to look up at Celyne's beautiful face and giving a short nod before the group went to visit Naleksa.
"I suspect the Black Sisterhood of Gyronna is behind it at least originally. You can tell by the decor.""I am not familiar with them, though the name sounds ominous. Who are they? And who or what is this 'Gyronna?'"Ed pauses to reflect for a moment, though he doesn't turn to face Numalar.
"She a tired, old, spiteful b!+@* of a lesser goddess who's locus of faith lies pretty much here in the River Kingdoms."
Posh nods as he listens to this, gaining a little more knowledge than he had already, but what was just left him with more questions and a worried, quizzical look before he suddenly asks.
"These hags. What do they often look like?" he asks as he tries to think back on some knowledge himself "Have you ever known one to have a third eye?"
Posh just remains silent for the moment, struggling to look up at Celyne's beautiful face and giving a short nod before the group went to visit Naleksa.
Posh just remains silent for the moment, struggling to look up at Celyne's beautiful face and giving a short nod before the group went to visit Naleksa.
Posh looks up to her for a moment and sighs heavily.
he just shrugs the situation off for a moment and tries to carry on like nothing happened.