The Devourer of Reason deftly avoids the dwarf's axe. As the bard tumbles by, the ghoul reaches out to swipe with one of its claws.
But, the elf manages to avoid it.
Initiative Round Four Cont'd/Round Five Cont'd
Cazlin
Lem
Ironshanks -7 HP
Barcher
Ruvena
Devourer of Reason
Cazlin
|
Cazlin catches sight of the ghoulish creature engaged with Ironshanks and Barcher. Rather than risk getting stuck in the webs once more, he fires a pair of arrows through them!
"Th-that's Am-amunet? W-w...." 'The heck is the Devourer of Reason?'
He glances about the web-filled space, just in case the Devourer is another foe that hasn't yet revealed itself!
The halfling launch a number of projectiles at the ghoul, each of which strikes the undead.
With two Pathfinders immediately within reach, the Devourer of Reason decides to attack the one that most resembles a divine caster.
Summoning some of its inner arcane power, it first attempts to sink its claws into the gnome.
The gnome is rendered immobile.
Feeling the gnome become rigid and frozen, the ghoul next attempts to subdue the dwarf with its teeth.
But it has trouble getting its mouth on the dwarf.
Initiative Round Five Cont'd/Round Six Begins
Cazlin
Lem
Ironshanks -7 HP
Barcher
Ruvena -2 HP
Devourer of Reason -18 HP
Cazlin
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Ironshanks knocks the ghoulish teeth away with his shield, a bit of slobber left rolling down the darkwood "Dwarf meat's real tuff buddy, 'specially this ones! Leave dem kids alone and fight with the adults!"
He reaches back and swings are hard as he can at the magically inclined deadie.
"Ah shyte-hole! Keep thems arrows comin' boys!" He hollers as his axe misses.
Although the dwarf's axe failed to strike its mark, each of the arrows do, sinking deep into undead flesh. Yet, no cry of pain comes from the undead.
Initiative Round Six Cont'd
Lem
Ironshanks -7 HP
Barcher
Ruvena -2 HP
Devourer of Reason -35 HP
Cazlin
Lem reloads his slings continuing his performance.
With his view obscured by the strands of webbing, the halfling bard cannot identify his target.
Knowing that his continued unexistence depends upon avoiding the dwarf's axe, the Devourer of Reason reasons that he must first subdue the dwarf.
A look of horror overcomes the ghoul's face as it realizes that its flurry of attempts to get past the dwarf's armored shell has failed, leaving it open to attack!
Initiative Round Six Cont'd/Round Seven Begins
Cazlin
Lem
Ironshanks -7 HP
Barcher
Ruvena -2 HP
Devourer of Reason -18 HP
Cazlin
One of the halfling's arrows comes close to striking the ghoul, but instead strike cover.
Initiative Round Seven Begins
Lem
Ironshanks -7 HP
Barcher
Ruvena -2 HP
Devourer of Reason -35 HP
Cazlin
|
|
"Don't worry too much about me Kid, keep them arrows flyin' and songs a singin!"
A grin comes across the Dwarf's face as the familiar sounds of claws and teeth on metal echo through his old ears "Fergot yer can opener did ye? I brought mine..." He lashes out again, hoping to strike undead flesh this time.
This ghoul is a brain eater. It gains some of the skills and knowledge of a consumed foe by eating its brain.
As the elven bard recalls some potentially useful and frightening information, the blade of the dwarf's waraxe cuts deep into the Devourer, slicing through its hungry tongue and opening an enormous cavity within the ghoul, exposing its desiccated and nonfunctional organs. With an unholy cry, the Devourer of Reason falls. Its undead existence now ended.
In addition to the remains of the ghoul and the strands of webbing, which dematerialize after about ten minutes, the chamber vault contains a vast trove of scrolls and papers, which undoubtedly hold historical interest.
|
As the Devourer falls Barcher jumps up while raising his fist to the air, "Great Work there Mr. Magee!" he says as he walks over with the wands and administers any healing that is requested.
Once that is done he will look over the decrepit body, " Amunet. It's him alright. and a nice little parcel of goods too." he says as he goes through the rest of the loot.
|
|
Cazlin wriggles through the remaining spider webs (with some difficulty) and arrives on the eastern side of the room in time to share in the celebration. "W-we did it!" He grins at the team, then turns his attention to the ghoul.
In addition to the regular loot that Barcher identifies, Cazlin delicately handles the coppery scroll case. "S-something N-nigel might want?"
'Seems like this ghoul was here maybe looking for something, one of these scrolls maybe, but we stopped him before he could find it. Maybe we should warn Nigel about that too? The gate and the books Amunet was researching might lead another person to get turned into a ghoul and have this business start up again...'
|
|
Ironshanks pulls his axe from with a sickening, dry sucking sound and a grim smile on his face "Rest in pieces deadie. This is the land o the livin' not the land o the deadies." He takes his axe and removes the head of the ghoul before wiping it clean and stows it and his shield across his back.
"Well done kids. Keep yer eyes peeled though just in case, usually these deadies come in groups you know." Hell back in my day they came in swarms sometimes, at least that's what Gramps always told us before bed time.
He helps the others gather up the stuff, taking a long look at the metal scroll case with a Dwarven eye.
At the wing of the gnome's blade, hte head of the "deadie" rolls along the floor until it stops within a web-filled corner. Untouched, it will undoubtedly continue to lie there for centuries.
Having now avenged Anumet’s gruesome murder, collected the key to Ralzeros’s mysterious chamber, and discovered the fate of the band of Pathfinder known as “Daling’s Delvers”, the party has secured all of the information and artifacts that it presently can. The Tower is now quite secure, though rather quiet.
Upon your return to Skyreach, Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng eagerly receives your report. He confirms that the Society will dispatch agents to retrieve the recovered bodies of lost Pathfinders, Anumet Akrostera, and the agents of Daling's Delvers. Shortly thereafter, with the word of your successful mission spreading, you are toasted by your peers at the Grand Lodge. The Society locks away the mysterious key to the Ineffable Pattern until the time is right for Pathfinders to investigate the museum’s mysterious portal.
Nigel Aldain, curator of the famed Blakros museum, assures you and your superiors in the Society, that you each of have received his personal gratitude of Nigel Aldain as well as that of the well-connected Blakros family.
"Who knows?" Nigel ponders aloud, "Perhaps, there may yet be occasion for the museum to call upon you and your Pathfinder Society once again."
|
|
Ironshanks gives Barcher a bit of stare as he mentions 'leaving the remains for some rookies to clean up' "Hey. I know Elves n Dwarves don't always see eye to eye, but I'm pretty sure if you told yer Grandpap you were leavin' the dead behind so you didn't get yer hands dirty he'd conjure up some creepy arcane hand and slap ye silly!"
The old Dwarf huffs, quite put off by the idea of leaving the bodies down here for one minute longer than needed. "You all can leave if ye want, but I fer one am gettin' these fellas out now so their kin can meet with them sooner th'in later."
One by one he wraps up the remains in whatever he can find, be it his own bedding or something else, and climbs them back out of the tower and onto dry land above, returning finally for poor Anumet. May Torag's forge keep your souls warm before you find your final peace my friends. You have been avenged. He pauses to silently pray at each set of remains as he lays them down on the cliff overlooking the tower.
-----
Ironshanks keeps his mouth closed as Nigel speaks, not having a very high opinion of someone who allowed something like this to happen to poor Anumet. A simple grunt is all he issues forth at the meeting.
|
|
Cazlin pitches in to help his new idol Ironshanks haul the dead bodies of Daling's expedition back up to Absalom street level for a proper burial. While it's tough work for the halfling, seeing the old dwarf handle it with ease invigorates him to work harder.
-----
When Dreng and Nigel offer their gratitude, Cazlin shies away. "Uh, n-nothing. J-just n-normal..." Though when Nigel suggests that the museum might call on him again, he nods with enthusiasm.
Afterwards, he extends a hand to shake with Ironshanks. When the dwarf returns the shake, he finds a small folded note also passed to him.
I hope one day I can become a reliable Pathfinder like yourself. Even if I have a long way to go.
-Cazlin
|
|
Ironshanks nods to Cazlin as he shakes his hand like a stand up man should, taking the note to read at a later time "Ye did good kid. Yer pretty good with that bow, but don't let it get to yer head, ye can always get better." You're pretty sure that's a compliment, not something the old Dwarf gives out very often or smoothly.
Later when he's got some privacy he reads over the note. Ah, that's a good kid there. He's got a good future, he'll make a solid Pathfinder once he gains some years on 'im.