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Before the final teleport, Aram will cast shield of faith in case we drop into a combat zone. He moves to keep up with his companions, riding the phantom steed.
Aram shudders as he materializes in the Worldwound for the second time in his life. Dawnflower, grant us the fortitude to overcome!
"Those mounds... they seem to have exploded from below. Likely abyssal geys..." Aram begins, until events get ahead of him.
As the storm hits, Aram will activiate detect evil and scan the area around us.
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Ralph nods in agreement at Aram's observation.
"Those abyssal geysers explode with raw chaotic energy from pent up reserves beneath the earth. We want to spend as little time here as possible."
Ralph will fly low, staying 5ft off the ground, flying straight over the barrow towards Exiel. Path is straight line from the blue square to where he is on the map now.
Ralph sees the ash storm swirl up around them, and calls back to the others. "Take cover in that cave! We can't see where we're going with all this ash in the air, and we won't last very long either if this keeps up!"
Ralph looks back to see how his allies are doing, then curses when he notices the quicksand.
The transmuted creatures can tread on any liquid as if it were firm ground. Mud, oil, snow, quicksand, running water, ice, and even lava can be traversed easily, since the subjects' feet hover an inch or two above the surface.
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[ooc]yeah, it is iffie, but I am gonna pass on the flight check. With that said.... What should we do about the skeleton dragon by Exiel?[\ooc]
That skeleton dragon is just that, the bones of a dragon, which can't be collected or used in any form.
Since you guys have water walk, and hovering steeds, you can get to the cave within the 10 rounds remaining before the tornado arrives.
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3 rounds have passed since the end of the first round, if Lavode summons the mud elemental, then you guys can easily walk around the quicksand after pulling out the one who fell into it. However, you do take 3 more rounds of damage from the ash storm. You will be standing outside a stone door that leads into the side of the mountain. Damage taken is 3 fire damage and 6 non lethal damage.
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Exiel heads up to the door and uses detect magic and detect evil on the door. If it has neither, he will turn the door handle if there is one, and if not he will cast guidance on himself, then push against the door.
If the door opens or is already open, he will cast detect magic and detect evil into the room or passage beyond.
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once you open the door, you detect evil down the passage.
This long-emptied barrow seems strangely devoid of the Abyssal taint that was so potent beyond the cave’s entrance.
A dim lamp illuminates a small chamber at the end of the narrow tunnel, exposing a meager bedroll, scraps of devoured
carrion, and a bucket of fetid water.
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Exiel will hold up a hand to motion to the party to stop, then he puts a finger to his lip to indicate a request for silence. Meanwhile, he continues to concentrate on his detect evil spell-like ability for another round, and if nothing else happens then for a third round.
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Exiel detects 1 creature of strong (maybe overwhelming) evil aura in the cave.
This is the 5th round since the start of the adventure.
Exiel focuses till he pin-points the location of the evil aura, then dismounts from the phantom steed, nods to Aram and walks towards the location of the evil aura, his cold iron hooked lance at the ready.
Exiel's agitated wary state also prompts Lucien to emerge and trigger it's ioun stone to cast protection from evil on Exiel before melding back into tattoo form.
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Exiel focuses and discovers that the evil is coming from the malnourished woman in the cavern. As you approach her, you noticed that her armor is tarnished gold and blue, It's as if she has been in a battle. When she notices you coming, she backs up into the wall. "Please don't hurt me, I am Illayna Kradow, an Eagle Knight here fighting for the Mendevian Crusades. After my last battle, i found this cave. Can you help me?"
You can tell that she is wearing a disguise.
If you get the perception you get a +5 on the Sense Motive.
You can tell that she is lying about who she is and her true intentions are not as peaceful as she would let you believe.
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Exiel knows well enough that he is not skilled in the art of detecting lies. What he DOES know is that he can detect magic, and he proceeds to do so.
"Yes, well, I could, I suppose. Let me just see if there's anything wrong with you."
Exiel lowers his hooked lance so that it is held in one hand...
...then casts shield (surprise?).
If she does not react, he then casts detect magic on her.
If she allows Exiel to concentrate, he will concentrate for 3 rounds to see what, if any magical auras she has.
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Ralph would have activated his ring of invisibility before entering the cave.
Ralph automatically succeeds at identifying Exiel's spell and decides to do the same, knowing that he is far more proficient than Exiel at identifying magical auras.
Ralph automatically succeeds at identifying Exiel's spell and decides not to do anything yet, since doing so might cause him to break invisibility. He readies an action to cast an intensified heightened fireball at her if he sees her attempts to use any magic.
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casting any spell that does not require an action from the other player, does not break invisibility. (Spells like detect magic, fog, teleport, ect... ) do not break the invisibility. However, spells that target the opponent, or requires the opponent to react (i.e. saving throws) will break the invisibility.
That being said, lets get in round order for the next few rounds, and see how this works out.
Illayna
Exiel
Ralph
---Up Next---
Aram
Lavode
Balik
Alden
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Aram uses discern lies on the woman while catching up in the thread. If the woman is lying, Aram stops Alden from freeing her immediately.
"Your pardon, milady, but in such a place you can understand the need for caution."
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Exiel nearly loses his concentration on his spell as he tries to shake from his mind's eye the mental image of Balik with the harpy.
As soon as he is able to, Exiel will go back to gripping his hooked lance with both hands, but even in the World Wound, Exiel finds himself reluctant to smite first and ask questions later. He keeps concentrating on his detect magic spell until the woman makes a hostile move or changes her appearance into something obviously smite-worthy.
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Illayna will crain her head to try and listen to Exiel and Aram's conversation.
Illayna lifts up her chin and speaks "No need to whisper Paladins. If you want to know the magic that is effecting me, I will tell you. I am in disguise as this lady. She was a brave warrior who died on the battlefield beside me. Why I am in disguise, I cannot tell you, for I fear for my life."
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Alden, on his way over to help, stops in his tracks. "If you are disguised, that is a reason for us not to trust you. Reveal yourself to us, and I give you my word that no harm will come to you unless you harm us or distract us from our mission. I do not care what type of creature you are, if you are not an enemy."
Alden looks back at the paladins. "You heard me, I gave this creature my word."
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Exiel laughs openly as he recalls the hag they had encountered in Artrosa.
"The last time a young woman apparently in distress came to me pleading for rescue, she was also using a spell that changed her form. She tried to seduce a friend of mine, but she turned out to be a large hideous hag that tried to eat me and my friends for lunch. And compared to that place, the World Wound is...well, it's actually rather similar actually, as far as levels of hospitality are concerned," he says as he remembers the Bebilith, the porcupine-man and the eight-legged-giant-centaur, and the friend they had lost there.
"That being the case, I will say to you what I said to her. You must understand that in a place like this, I wish to see you as you truly are before I aid you. In fact, I must insist. Surely it is a small price to pay for the freedom you so desperately long for. Show yourself as you are..."
Exiel stops himself there. He had said a little more back then to the disguised hag, but with the events of Artrosa still fresh in his memory, seeing this "woman" without her magical disguise would only be a step towards him trusting her. She did after all possess a strong aura of evil about her.
----------------->And he continues concentrating on his spell.<--------------------