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"Stay with us, Schmooze!" Adeah wants to help him, but knows that until they put this thing down they're all still in danger.
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Round 5 (complete)
Adeah cries out as Grigori falls, then fires at the creature and hits it squarely. The wound seems less severe than it should have been at this range, though.
Rapunzel steps forward and slashes the beast, spraying foul ichor across the well. The creature reels from the impact, and both heads turn to glare at Rapunzel.
The creature steps over Grigori's fallen form, and then both sets of eyes roll back into their respective heads for a moment. Suddenly the creature's form multiplies, several identical copies shifting around in the same area. 2d4 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4 (Mirror image again.)
Lymwin fires again at the mass of creatures, but misses.
Roland curses and stabs at the creatures again. He manages to hit the correct creatures, and injures it badly!
End of round 5 - Adeah and Rapunzel are up!
Round 6 (partial)
Adeah fires again, following the old adage of combat first aid: "First, win the fight." She manages to avoid the mirror images and hit the real creature, almost knocking it off its feet.
Rapunzel can't quite land her blow, between the creature's dexterity and tough hide.
Grigori lies motionless.
The creature turns one head to Adeah, and steps in her direction, slashing her with a kukri. The attack misses, and the same head follows up with a claw attack.
The other head is already focused on Roland, and attacks him twice.
Lymwin, Roland are up!
Round 6 (complete)
Adeah fires again, following the old adage of combat first aid: "First, win the fight." She manages to avoid the mirror images and hit the real creature, almost knocking it off its feet.
Rapunzel can't quite land her blow, between the creature's dexterity and tough hide.
Grigori lies motionless.
The creature turns one head to Adeah, and steps in her direction, slashing her with a kukri. The attack misses, and the same head follows up with a claw attack.
The other head is already focused on Roland, and attacks him twice. Roland attempts to parry the first attack, but is hit by the second.
Lymwin fires another bolt, but misses.
Roland attacks again, skewering one of the images through the heart. It dissipates, leaving 4 images/creatures.
End of Round 6 - Adeah and Rapunzel are up!
No, it's clear with only light vegetation (standard terrain).
Round 7 (partial)
Adeah steps back onto the balcony to put some distance between her and the creature, and fires again. Beating the odds, she hits the "real" creature, winging it and further weakening it.
Rapunzel moves in and swings, her sense of urgency rising! She obliterates another mirror image but does no lasting damage.
The creature attacks wildly in a last frenzy of violence and self-preservation!
Roland uses a point of Panache to parry the first attack on him (the kukri attack). He is unable to parry it.
Roland, Lymwin are up!
Round 7 (complete)
Adeah steps back onto the balcony to put some distance between her and the creature, and fires again. Beating the odds, she hits the "real" creature, winging it and further weakening it.
Rapunzel moves in and swings, her sense of urgency rising! She obliterates another mirror image but does no lasting damage.
The creature attacks wildly in a last frenzy of violence and self-preservation!
kukri #1 - Roland: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (16) + 15 = 31 - hit! damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Roland uses a point of Panache to parry the first attack on him (the kukri attack). Parry: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26 He is unable to parry it.
kukri #2 - Rapunzel: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12 - miss!
claw #1 - Rapunzel: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19 - hit! damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
5' step
claw #2 - Adeah: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22 - hit! damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Lymwin moves forward and administers a charge from her wand to Grigori. His eyes flutter open, and he regains consciousness (barely).
Roland attacks. Also beating the odds, he manages to put his rapier through the creature's heart, and it lets out a long wail as it slumps to the ground and expires.
Current status (after Round 7 actions):
Adeah - HP 24/31
Grigori - HP 1/26
Rapunzel - HP 16/36
Lymwin - HP 32/38
Roland HP 18/39
The creature carried a pair of masterwork kukri, but nothing else of value. As you examine the rest of the room, the central shrine comes into view. It has been thoroughly damaged, almost precisely so; whoever damaged it did so exactly, and with a plan in mind. It was depicted a monkey-faced man sitting on a pedestal, but the statue’s arms and legs are missing, and deep scratches have been gouged into its face. Pieces of broken stone, rotting plant matter, and other assorted rubbish lie in heaps on the floor of this room. The smell of rot is particularly strong here. The statue wears an actual leather belt around its middle, and you notice an inlaid drawer in the pedestal under the statue.
What do you do?
Rapunzel: the leather belt around the statue's waist is magical, but there are no other new auras within range.
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The foppish priest startles to consciousness, exclaiming in a defensive tone, "No! I've never even met your vwife before! I svwear it!"
Blinking a few times, the priest regains his bearings after apparently having a tough dream. He politely thanks the gnomish healer. But a smile really comes over his face as Rapunzel nears. "My dear, I vwill always come for you." With a knowing wink, "Eventually."
Standing up, he looks on with disgust at the torn and blood-stained condition of his very expensive attire. "Curses! This shirt vwas of a rare silk! From Tian Xia!" Sighing, he holds his open palm over the fabric's tears where the devilish creature had slashed him, and he utters a brief prayer to the Lady of Graves. The material then seems to mend from an unseen hand. "This must do, for now, I suppose."
On his feet and dusted off, the priest offers further healing to anyone else in need. Though he acknowledges Roland's wounds and aids him as well, he of course pays particular attention to Adeah and Rapunzel. Both women notice a lingering hand here and there during their healings...
He then spies Rapunzel reaching for the belt. He warns her of the very danger she already is aware of, "Vwait, my dear. Don't go taking off his belt just yet... a trap might spring from his drawer." Even though he didn't mean it as such, this group of adventurers knows Grigori well enough to find it hard not to take his words as a double-entendre...
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Adeah flushes at Grigori's attention. "I'm just... Just glad you didn't die," she says, suddenly very interested in making sure her musket isn't damaged. Then, as he tends to her wounds, she uses the muzzle of her weapon to push his hand away when it starts to wander. "Watch it. I'm not that glad."
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No traps are detected on the statue, and the drawer proves to contain several large tomes and a thin journal. The belt proves to be a monkey belt, and the books are richly-illuminated texts written in Vudran. The thinner journal appears to be some sort of personal diary, also written in Vudran, and of great age.
You explore the rest of the temple, mapping it in detail and documenting the mosaic tiles and carvings that survive. Now that you are not distracted by the heat of battle, you recognize the creature you fought as an asura, an immortal fiend born out of divine accident. They live to destroy and desecrate holy sites, often taking centuries to do so so they can appreciate each stage of destruction.
What do you wish to do now? You have essentially completed your goal of exploring the temple.
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Adeah grins. "Sounds good to me. After the day we've had, I could use a good stiff one." She turns to leave, considers making it more clear that she meant a drink and not anything else, then decides to leave it be. Let him think what he wants, she thinks, a bit of color rising to her cheeks.
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The return journey is uneventful, and you arrive at the hunting lodge to find the Count and his entourage have left, bearing the body of the Baron back to Absalom. You are able to book passage on a ship about a week later, and make a roundabout journey back to Absalom to report your results to the Grand Lodge.
Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin is waiting in his office when you arrive, a stern look on his face. "Well, that could have gone better..." he mutters. "Let's hear your report."
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With dread and humility, Rapunzel speaks up to Venture-Captain Valsin, "Sir, I..." she beings and then stops. Breathing deeply and opening her mouth to start again, the braids in her hair begin to writhe. She again tries to speak and shakes her head. She removes a waterproof bag and very deliberately removes a small book, placing it on Valsin's desk. "It is my personal responsibility and failings which let this team down, and resulted in the death of the Baron. I accept full responsibility for what happened, and accept any punishment you, or the Ten, deem is appropriate. I will be making contact with the family and doing what I can to help arrange any sort of assistance that may be possible to return the Baron from his untimely departure. We were able to end the creature that taunted teh Baron, but it certainly was no tiger."
"I am pleased, however, to be able to report that were able to locate the temple, make a full survey of the location, and bring back several interesting books, including this journal from one of Maharaja Khiben-Sald's priestly assistants." Rapunzel bows her head, opening her arms in supplication as she steps back a few steps from the desk.
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"Don't flatter yourself, Beauty. It wasn't you that killed him." Adeah turns to the venture-captain. "The baron wanted to take on the beast himself, and he did." She shrugs. "It won. But we did kill it afterwards."
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Grigori moves in to console the blonde warrioress with a comforting arm. "Do not shoulder the burden yourself, my dear. For it vwas our combined failure, including the Baron's, which led to his untimely death."
Grim determination upon his visage, he addresses the Venture-Captain next. "All else is as my comrades have stated, my good Venture-Captain." He adds, with flair and a severe, dramatic tone one might expect from a fiery preacher, "There are times when even the best of us cannot change Lady Fate. The pieces were set before us... and the creature was keen to press its advantage, using the Baron's concern for the Count as a fatal vweapon to compel him into rushing to his death. Though vwe might not always see the good in some unfortunate outcomes, vwe must not lose faith that vwhat has happened has transpired according to Her Vision for a greater purpose."
In a more somber and reserved tone, he continues, "But at least vwe saw to it that the creature is no more." He continues to pat the blonde warrioress comfortingly. He compassionately glances to Adeah as well, but judges that a similarly open display would not quite get him anywhere with her. Smirking inwardly to himself, Hmmm. Perhaps later. I know just the thing to vwarm her strong heart...
The Venture-Captain sighs and leans back in his chair. "Well, not much that can be done at this point. Count Matsanda is having the Baron raised, but neither of them are likely to be useful to us in the future." He looks at each of you in turn, and then shakes his head slightly as his eyes go back to the mound of paperwork on his desk. "Write up your reports and drop them off as usual. Dismissed."
Chronicle - Roland
Chronicle - Rapunzel
Chronicle - Lymwin
Chronicle - Grigori
Chronicle - Adeah
Thanks again for playing! I will report the game asap. Keep in touch!
Scott