[PFS] GM Mjolbeard's "In Wrath's Shadow" (#4-02) (Inactive)

Game Master Mjolbeard89

When I'm out of paralysis, I can attempt to blind him with my dirty trick, wanted to do it earlier but was dissected by the ghast.

*Starting up Halfling-Bot*

Cade charges through the pillars, skirting along he edge of the central sigil. As he advances, he draws his kukri to wield along with his longsword, but brings the larger blade down toward Theorist. He just misses his attack as Tholrist twists out of the way.

Longsword, charge: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 7 + 2 = 26 Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Orophin heals his allies and continues his attack on the priest, but fails to harm him yet again.

Arnold, on the other hand, chases down Tholrist and plants his lance firmly in the priest's ribcage. The hit is solid, but not as deadly as it might have been on another foe.

INITIATIVE
The Mortification Shrine - Round 6
Bold may post!
[b]Kelumur (-3, paralyzed 1 rounds, prone)
Bartolomey (-0)/Brun (-0)
Flyn (-21)
Tholrist (-78)
Arnold (-0)/Friz (-0)
Orophin
Cade (-0)

I will forego Deadly Aim for the rest of this encounter to get a better shot at hitting Tholrist...while I'll lose a potential 4 damage per hit, it means nothing if I can't hit, so adding back the 2 on my to hit roll might be worth the trade-off...

Flyn nods in appreciation of Arnold's prowess with the lance as he takes careful aim...he murmurs a soft-spoken prayer, "Erastil, guide my arrows," before launching two more cold iron projectiles at Tholrist, followed by a shout out:

"Why...don't...you...DIE?!?!"

To Hit: Dex+Base, Magic, Weapon Focus, Precise Shot, Flurry of Blows, Deadeye Bowman, Favored Enemy

Damage: Strength, Magic, Favored Enemy

Longbow: 1d20 + 10 + 1 + 1 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 10 + 1 + 1 - 2 + 2 = 29

Concealment (Miss < 20): 1d100 ⇒ 58 (Just in case the pillar in front of Flyn gives Tholrist partial concealment)

Magic/Cold Iron Damage: 1d8 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 + 1 + 2 = 12

Longbow: 1d20 + 10 + 1 + 1 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 10 + 1 + 1 - 2 + 2 = 28

Concealment (Miss < 20): 1d100 ⇒ 49

Magic/Cold Iron Damage: 1d8 + 2 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 + 1 + 2 = 13

At long last, Tholrist gives in to Flyn's barrage of arrows and accepts his offer of death. The ancient high priest of Yamasoth finally collapses and disintegrates into dust as a mad and tormented scream rises from his remains.

Having destroyed Tholrist, you search what is left of him and discover he has been wearing the jawbone portion of the mask in place of his own jaw. This is the last component of the item, and it is covered with intricate etchings like those on the other pieces found in the temple complex. It radiates faint evocation magic and obviously attaches to the ends of the two cheek guards. In addition to the final part of the mask, Tholrist has a kit of obsidian scalpels, platinum needles, and other strange flesh-carving instruments in a porcelain case that are worth a small fortune to a collector.

It appears that you have cleared the temple at last, leaving it free for the Pathfinder explorers to explore and study safely.

Before departing, Arnold takes a moment to carry out the will of the Silver Crusade and anoints the preserved corpses of the temple's former supplicants with holy oil. Even as he does so, you all feel the atmosphere lighten, as if the evil of this place is finally beginning to lift after all these centuries.

Arnold, feel free to RP that one more if you want, but you knew what you had to do and planned to do it anyway, so I'm gonna call that good enough. There's your 1 prestige!

Once Arnold has completed his task, all of you make your way out of the underground temple complex. You make your way carefully back through the sanctuary and pass through the breached wall. As you step out into the sunlight, you find Pel and Saala waiting for you, and the final survivors of the dig crew who had fallen to the harpies and the wrathspawn make their way back the seaside excavation camp with you.

When you arrive at the camp, you are greeted with sober gratitude as Halla and her crew see that so few of their friends made it back alive. After a night of rest for the excavation crew and for your party, Halla instructs the laborers to break camp. They are leaving Rivenrake Isle...for now at least.

The excavation crew and their leader join you aboard the Winking Wyvern on its voyage back to Magnimar. On the voyage back, Halla examines any artifacts you brought back with you. The item that appears to hold the most interest for her is the mask, which she identifies as an Acrimony Veil, a rare ancient magic devices created by Alaznist, the Runelord of Wrath, which can send the wearer into a rage or empower spells of the evocation school.

Halla explains that she has every intention of returning to the dig at the earliest opportunity in order to study the temple complex—it’s obvious from your description that the most valuable information is painted and chiseled on the temple’s walls. Magnimar’s venture-captain is certain to recruit a new archaeological team now that you have cleared out the obvious threats....

TO BE CONTINUED???

"And good riddance," Arnold mutters, extracting his lance and turning back to check on the others.

Upon returning to the corpses of those who last inhabited the temple, the wayang tries to say his piece as he consecrates them. "There was no...justice here," he begins awkwardly. His voice grows a little more sure as he continues. "Not much we can do to completely rectify that. Nor am I so in touch with the benevolent deities of the Silver Crusade, but I can try. So rest in peace, wherever you now-shining souls are on your grand journey. Nothing more can be asked of you."

Trying not to dwell on the carnage, Arnold is silent most of the way back, to the camp and later the ship. He peruses the recovered artifacts with mild interest, and will as always spar with anyone who offers. (He shows great prowess in bare-handed fighting and nonlethal combat for one so small.)