Bulgo continues to scout on his own, while the others stay near Kalkamedes. He continually stays about 100 feet in front of the others. Suddenly, movement catches Bulgo's attention. The halfling quickly jumps into the bushes and sneaks a bit closer. About 40 feet removed from Bulgo sits a man in the bushes, holding a loaded sling and looking in the direction from which Bulgo came.
When taking a better look, Bulgo notices three more men. They all hold loaded slings, and have their eyes focused on the direction Kalkamedes and the other three party members are at. Bulgo takes a quick look in the direction of his allies, and sees they're now 80 feet removed from him.
|
Thinking quickly Bulgo feels around for a rock and tosses it Behind the men, so as to make a sound and hopefully have the fire their slings in that direction or at least turn around and make some noise.
After they have reacted (and assuming they haven't closed on him) he'll fire a sling stone at one of the men.
And then try to slowly move position.
Bulgo takes a rock from the ground and throws it at the intersection. The men seem confused at look that way to see what caused the noise. Meanwhile the party advances 40 feet.
One of the men is hit by Bulgo's sling stone. He has no idea where the attack came from and jumps into plain view as he drops his sling, drawing a light mace instead. "Who's attacking me?! Show yourself!"
While Bulgo slowly moves his position without being noticed by the men, the others in the party have moved another 40 feet forward. They're able to see the red man, which prevents them from walking into the ambush the men had planned for them. All the men with slings are flabbergasted by the red man's actions, and the red man doesn't know where to look due to Bulgo's attack.
Round 1:
Bulgo
Blue man
Negi
Green man
Red man -3HP
Rolan
Yellow man
S'arkee
Kalkamedes
While Negi draws his lance and Rolan his crossbow, S'arkee casts bless to boost his allies' attacks.
Bulgo hits the red man with another stone from his sling. The man finally realizes who's hitting him.
Bulgo launches a third stone at the red man, who's so dimwitted he hasn't yet moved. The stone hits the man against his head and knocks him out.
The blue man drops his sling and double moves toward the party, drawing a light mace as he moves forward. He swings the weapon wildly in the air above him. "You bastards! I'll get you for hurting him!"
Negi then charges forward, targeting the nearest target. This happens to be the blue man. Negi's lance pierces the man's chest, and the man drops to the ground before Jon can even try to bite him.
The green man then also drops his sling. He moves up to Negi while also drawing a light mace, and takes a swing at Negi.
Round 1:
Bulgo
Negi 9/16HP
Green man
Rolan
Yellow man
S'arkee
Kalkamedes
Rolan's bolt hits the green man in his leg, hurting him badly.
The yellow man moves closer, and slings a stone at Rolan.
The stone lands at Rolan's feet, barely missing him.
Round 1:
Bulgo
Negi 9/16HP
Green man -7HP
Rolan
Yellow man
S'arkee
Kalkamedes
S'arkee pulls the rope the party slipped around Kalkamedes when changing his path toward the bog, and puts his weight into it. Instead of changing the course of Kalkamedes's path, S'arkee tries to hold Kalkamedes back. Kalkamedes doesn't seem to agree with the plan.
Kalkamedes pulls the rope so hard it causes S'arkee to nearly land flat on his face. S'arkee tries to keep up with Kalakamedes while still pulling the rope to hold the ex-paladin back, but to no avail. The sleepwalking man moves directly up to Negi and the green man. He luckily takes a course that doesn't cause him to provoke extra attacks from the green man, but ends up directly next to the green man... and on top of the unconscious blue man.
"Oy! You're stepping on my mate!" the green man yells as Kalkamedes steps onto the downed blue man.
Round 2:
Bulgo
Negi 9/16HP
Green man -7HP
Rolan
Yellow man
S'arkee
Kalkamedes
Bulgo tries to combine sneaking with charging, but that combination doesn't work too well. Though the confused expression on the green man's face makes it all worth it.
Nevertheless Bulgo manages to get a hit in, inflicting a minor wound to the man.
Negi tries to stab the green man with his lance, but the man quickly dodges the weapon. "Yes, I'm mad at him!" he snaps at Negi. "What's he doing just walking on him?!"
The green man hits Kalkamedes with his light mace, then 5-foot steps away from him. "That that! Serves you right!"
Kalkamedes takes the hit and ignores the man's shouting.
Round 2:
Bulgo
Negi 9/16HP
Green man -7HP
Rolan
Yellow man
S'arkee
Kalkamedes -16HP
Rolan's arrow hits the green man in his arm.
"Retreat, Billy!" the yellow man calls out to his mate. "We'll all join them on the ground if we keep fighting!"
The yellow man withdraws, disappearing from the scene.
"Wait for me!" the green man yells over his shoulder.
The man seems to hesitate, but then says "I'm a... bandit... it's kinda what I do..."
"We were heading back to our camp, which is nearby, when we heard you. Our usual... uhm... hunting ground... is a bit further up..."
The bandit's eyes dart in the direction where his mate went off to. "Can I... go...?"
|
|
"Wealth redistribution, a long and ahh, well not noble, but a famous profession. You won't be the last, just as you are not the first. You may want to think about changing jobs though - someone not as nice as us... well..."
Bulgo leaves the words hanging in the air.
"I have some contacts that may be of use to you. Of course that is back in town...Speaking of being out here, can you tell us a bit more about the territory in that direction." here he points to where the sleep walking Kalkamedes is heading.
As the conversation goes on, so does Kalkamedes.
"If you go straight the way that... uhm... peculiar fellow is walking..." The bandit points at Kalkamedes. "You'll end up in a forest."
Bulgo quickly gives the bandit some names of contacts in town, and hurries after Kalkamedes with the other party members. Kalkamedes continues his trek, largely oblivious to anything around him. He journeys north and then gradually gravitates to the northwest for two more hours, heading for something else than the forest mentioned by the bandit.
The light of the sinking moon washes the sub-alpine valley ahead in silvery light. A squat, stone bunker crafted of dark rock sits nestled among the low trees, its domed roof barely peeking out from above the leafy canopy. As a cloud passes over the moon, the entire structure seems to fade from view, leaving a momentary void before the moon's light again illuminates it. Only a single entryway mars the smooth, windowless facade of the lone building.
You recognize the building from the sketch you found in Kalkamedes's cabin. The structure is the Black Edifice, an ancient waystation used by the Thrallkeepers thousands of years ago to summon and store dangerous creatures from the beyond. Most of the flat defensive tower's levels are deep underground. In order to conceal their dangerous summoning activity from inquisitive minds and curious neighbors, the keep's designers enchanted the structure's exterior to be invisible by day and visible only by the direct light of the moon. Fortunately for you, Kalkamedes's subconscious knows the way to the entrance, and he is not deceived by the illusory defense.
A ten-foot wide stone archway, its keystone inscribed with a seven-pointed star wreathed in ancient markings, offers ingress into an unlit corridor built of cut stone blocks. Weathered script snakes its way up and down each side of the entrance. Paw prints of dried mud left by resident animals show regular ingress and egress.
Steep stairs descend into this room, whose only other entrance is sealed by a massive set of iron double doors that block passage to the east and rest upon a dais of glistening black stone. To the west stands a statue of an elderly, robed man carved from the same dark stone, and in his hand he brandishes a slender golden wand that points toward the door. Ancient script winds around the statue's round base, and dried leaves, dirt, and small animal bones are scattered about the room.
Kalkamedes walks onto the dais and walks into the double doors. He repeatedly attempts to walk through the closed doors, but the doors don't open for him.
|
|
S'arkee translates the inscriptions for the party and spits after mentioning the Runelord of Sloth.
"Fools who have lost their way. Her true teachings were not of sloth." S'arkee seems visibly irritated by this mention "I will need to find others who will help me sanctify this place once we are done here."
When they enter the room he seems so taken aback he drops the rope holding Kalkamedes.
"The inscription says: "Those that would dare believe they are strong enough to oppose us shall learn that their strength is their weakness and our weaknesses are our very strengths." It must be a clue to open the doors. Can anyone check if that wand is trapped? I believe we may need it to open the door, but I do not wish to set off a trap."
The Nagaji then heads over to the door Kalkamedes is attempting to walk into and looks around for any possible symbols or other inscriptions upon the doors.
"This place was built during their downfall. They have perverted the virtues and I will set it right before she returns." S'arkee mutters more to himself than anyone else as he looks over the dias and the doors.
As S'arkee steps onto the dais he feels himself grow stronger.
Bulgo takes a good look at the statue, and notices that the golden wand looks a lot like a magic wand.
Meanwhile a giant skunk appears in the entrance to the room. It lets out a vicious shriek when it sees you inside its 'nest'.
Round 1
Bulgo
Kalkamedes
Giant skunk
Negi
Rolan
S'arkee
Bulgo tries to hit the giant skunk twice, but instead misses twice. As he steps back the skunk turns around and launches a foul smelling spray at him.
Lucky for Bulgo, the spray misses him.
Kalkamedes meanwhile continues to walk into one of the doors.
Round 1
~
Negi
Rolan
S'arkee
Round 2
Bulgo
Kalkamedes
Giant skunk
Negi
Rolan
S'arkee
Negi misses the skunk with his lance.
Bulgo feels stronger the moment he steps on the dais, and places a bedroll in between Kalkamedes and the doors.
Rolan draws his wakizashi and moves a little bit closer.
When S'arkee's no longer on the dais he feels his strength return to normal. He casts bless to grant everyone better fighting prowess, and takes a 5-foot step back from the skunk.
The skunk turns it behind toward Negi and lets out another spray. As it does, it provokes an attack from the lance-wielding halfling.
As Negi's last meal comes out through his mouth, Kalkamedes walks into the bedroll that separates him from the doors.
Round 2
~
Negi (Nauseated 4 rounds, then Sickened 3 rounds.)
Rolan
S'arkee
Round 3
Bulgo
Kalkamedes
Giant skunk
Negi
Rolan
S'arkee