Hamith's staggers for a moment almost dropping to the powerful blow but his toughness is too much and panting and wincing in pain he ends the devil.
The Twinhorns sigh in relief with the devil having been defeating.
Anok quickly shrinks back down to size as Medda recovers.
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The crowd of guards, onlookers, and concerned citizens outside the Blakros Museum quiets as Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin approaches a woman clad in furs exiting the museum. “My Pathfinder agents tell me that you are Medda of the Twinhorn following, is that correct?”
“Yes, I speak for the following.” Medda glares at Nigel Aldain, “I have come to reclaim what is rightfully ours. His agents stole our most sacred relic after we refused to sell it. We have traveled through dangerous lands to claim it back, and still he refused—”
“My agents claim they bought it,” Nigel protests. “I’m not going to just give it to you because you stomp into my office demanding priceless artifacts.”
Valsin interjects, “Nigel, let us listen to her story and decide how to proceed. Medda, tell us about this relic. Why is it so important to you?”
Medda takes a deep breath. “Over 900 years ago, a powerful warrior named Ivvora came into our camp. She spoke of an angel named Vildeis who guided her hunt for a great dark evil she called Eshimka. Several of our scouts had recently disappeared, later found ripped into pieces. The elders insisted that we help banish this evil and ensure the safety of our following. They laid a trap for the evil spirit, luring it to our sacred standing stones on the winter solstice. There, Ivvora and the great dark evil, Eshimka, fought a mighty battle that raged for hours. Just as the night was darkest, Ivvora dealt Eshimka a telling blow, digging her dagger deep into its flesh. The creature tried to escape, but it only snapped off the blade and then collapsed on the center stone. The elders finished their ritual and destroyed it completely.
“Ivvora rested with us for the winter before departing to eradicate more evil from the world, but not before leaving us the hilt of her weapon.” Medda withdraws a bundle of bloody cloth from her bag, then unwraps it to reveal a small hilt with a bloody fragment of black metal. “She told us to bring the hilt back to the standing stones every year at the winter solstice to keep evil away. We’ve had to travel for so long to retrieve the hilt, I’m afraid we won’t make it back in time for the solstice. Please, let me leave now.”
Ambrus Valsin contemplates Medda’s story for a moment, then nods, his brow furrowed. “Nigel, you should send for the Blakros agents who ‘obtained’ the hilt and hear what they have to say. Medda, I’m going to send as many Pathfinder agents as you deem necessary to travel with you and your following. I want to ensure we return this relic to its proper place.” Nigel starts to protest, but Valsin cuts him off. “Nigel, you wanted my help; you are getting it. I’m helping you fix a mistake your agents made. As for your museum,” Valsin takes a moment to survey the heavily damaged museum, ”I’m told most of the damage was done by your own security, not Medda and her following.
“Pathfinders, prepare to head north to the Realm of the Mammoth Lords.”
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“My Pathfinder allies, thank you for bringing us much needed support,” says Medda, the Twinhorn following’s spiritual leader. She stands beside Anok, her phantom and constant companion. “After the orc ambush sapped our supplies and strength, we pushed north to our winter home. We are only hours away from the stone circle and our encampment—if we are going to make it there by midnight, we need to press on. Once there, we will use Ivvora’s hilt to perform our time-honored ritual and keep evil from our lands.” Medda produces the small hilt of a broken weapon with only a fragment of its black metal blade remaining. “Let us move. There are dangers in these ancient woods: orc raiders, bears that topple trees, and worse. Stay in groups and don’t get lost.”
As the Kellids and Pathfinders reach the top of the hill next to the Twinhorn encampment, they notice splashes of blood and the occasional corpse dotting the landscape. Medda raises her voice, calling, “My brethren, our families are under attack! Secure the camp and drive back any who oppose you. Pathfinder allies, join us in defense of our home!” The landscape opens into a burned hillside where blackened trees stand like lifeless sentinels. A crude blockade shields the entrance to a natural cavern.
Plantive cries come from behind a barricaded cave entrances as a trio of shambling winged bodies that appear to be some crazed amalgamation of flesh rip the penultimate boards from the makeshift defenses. A 3rd abomination with unnatural purple skin and a burning hunger in it's eyes points it's greatsword at you and yells "Deal with them first!"
Initiative:
Buddy
Belinda
Myrd
Lya
Hamith
Idruzi
Purple
Shambling
Everybody is up!
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Idruzi moves forward while drawing his rapier. "Onward to battle!" he cries.
Still some distance from the enemy, he stops and pulls a strip of paper out of his bags. "Tip generously and with a smile!" he intones from the scripture as he casts Shield of Faith on himself.
Spells Remaining:
3rd--Fly (d), Prayer
2nd--Bull's Strength (d), Grace, Lesser Restoration, Resist Energy
1st--Bless, Enlarge Person (d), Remove Fear, Shield of Faith, Shield of Faith
Spells Active
Idruzi: Shield of Faith ~5 minutes
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"The trio are a fairly rare type of undead known as a Necrocraft. While they are customizable like putting together a construct these ones seem to be the base model and have limited flight and normal undead immunities. The purple undead is a Ragewight. Not only does its very touch energy drain people, it's melee weapons carry its deadly drain ass well. They also have an undead mockery of the blood pumping barbarian rage feature having them a massive increase to strength, toughness and a variety of rage powers. I advise to deal with the purple one first"
Myrd then sighs "It would be so much easier if you stayed together, so I could hasten all of you. Alas, we'll do this the hard way" and casts a scorching ray at purple
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"By the Gods that was amazing Hamith. Even death seems to have a hard time sticking to one with such a resolve."
Hamith rubbed his neck, leaning on his greatsword. "Thank you. I...I'm only a servant of the divine."
____
Hamith moves up past his companions smoothly drawing out his greatsword.
Undead monstrosities. A distraction? Delay tactic?
Idruzi moves forward and protects himself with the Drunkard's Blessing.
Belinda moves up and readies for the upcoming onslaught, only to be overtaken by Hamith.
Buddy drinks his special something and closes the distance a bit.
Lya moves up a bit while Myrd describes the undead.
The Ragewight charges forward and makes a lunging attack at Hamith, who's powerful armor is barely enough to turn a potentially deadly blow into a harmless glancing one.
Sending the weakness of its position the Ragewight motions for its undead companions to swarm the paladin.
Their claws and bites are ineffective at penetrating Hamith's armor but may keep him at bay.
Initiative:
Buddy
Belinda
Myrd
Lya
Hamith
Idruzi
Purple Ragewight -10
Red Shamble
Blue Shamble
Green Shamble
Everybody is up!
Despite Belinda's question, her rapier seems quite effective, nearly dropping the undead.
Lya can't find any purchase with her glaive but Hamith is able to take down the wounded green undead.
Buddy takes a pair of powerful shots at the red undead and drops it.
Initiative:
Buddy
Belinda
Myrd
Lya
Hamith
Idruzi
Purple Ragewight -10
Red Shamble
Blue Shamble
Green Shamble
Myrd is up!
Myrd moves up to cast haste.
Idruzi then moves up but before he can attack the Ragewight hits him with a powerful unexpected strike.
Despite his life draining out of him, Idruzi connects thanks to the benefits of haste and the wight's lunging extension.
Sensing weakness, the hunger in the wight's eyes only grows as it points to Idruzi's flank and waits for the remaining necrocraft to take the spot, it's claws and bite ineffective against Idruzi's defense.
The ragewight then steps into the flank and takes a furious, and powerful strike at cleaving strike at Idruzi.
It then takes a second swing at Belinda, as well as a bite but can't connect.
Initiative:
Buddy
Belinda
Myrd
Lya
Hamith
Idruzi (-41/27) 3 NL Dead :(
Blue Shamble
Purple Ragewight -26
Party is up!
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Hamith grinds his teeth down as Idruzi falls.
"No more," he whispers.
He steps to the side to try and get through the last necrocraft so that he can aid Belinda and also to flank with Lya. He strikes out at the undead servant, all the while keeping his gaze on the ragewight.
5 ft. step
Full attack Blue
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Myrd cries out as Idruzi falls "No! We will avenge you!"
Suddenly the ground bursts open where Idruzi fell and three small earth elementals burst forth that tear into the wight.
Idruzi's sudden stone shield seems to just barely keep him alive.
Hamith's and Belinda's attacks hasted are more than enough to destroy the wight, leaving Myrd and Buddy's assault to finish off the remaining Necrocraft.
[ooc]Out of Combat, I'll check in late tonight on the Idruzi situation nad hopefully move us forward.
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The Ragewight's slash deals a terrible blow across Idruzi's face, narrowly missing his eye and draining some of his life force as his flesh grows pale around the wound. Knowing that his death could be imminent, he calls upon the virtues he has learned as a member of the Silver Crusade to heal himself after striking the ragewight.
As the ragewight moves in to flank him, Idruzi gestures rapidly, calling up a block of earth to interpose itself between him and the dangerous undead creature. The ragewight's greatsword pierces the stone and sinks through the cleric's armor into his flesh, sending him tumbling to the ground.
Idruzi's allies are able to take down the Ragewight and the remaining Necrocraft.
Medda gathers the survivors and has a very brief discussing with them as the sun sets.
She then turns to you "Out camp is just over the next hill, take a few minutes to tend to your wounds while I take these survivors there and then make yourselves useful. I'm sure there's plenty to do at camp, Belka Irontusk here also says the undead have been pouring out of some sort of stone circle to the south east."
Arriving at the camp you see many tents with thick hide walls. Many kellids defend the small hill from the occasional undead assault, while other warriors lead sorties against batches of undead further out.
More sinister than the many zombies and other lesser undead you are the trio of barely visible and deathly silent moving shadows that are quickly moving up to the barricade with no intent of stopping. They are about 70 feet away.
Initiative:
Buddy
Myrd
Belinda
Blue Shadow
Red Shadow
Hamith
Lya
Yellow Shadow
Idruzi
Buddy Myrd and Belinda are up!
Buddy makes a pair of attacks, passing through the shadow, the magic on the arrows discorporating the shadow slightly.
Meanwhile Belinda takes a defensive position while Myrd hastes the party.
The wounded shadow then turns its onyx gaze towards you, where it charges directly into Belinda's waiting blade and is destroyed.
The midnight blue shadow charges, it's flaming eyes almost a point of light among these otherwise dark creatures. Although the tankard around Idruzi's neck gives it pause for a moment, it still flies into it's attack on Belinda.
Incorporeal Touch AC of 21. Assuming it hits, take 6 int damage.
Initiative:
Buddy
Myrd
Belinda (Shadow/Parry?)
Blue Shadow
Hamith
Lya
Yellow Shadow
Idruzi
Hamith and Lya are up.
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Hamith moves up past his companions and unsheathes his greatsword.
"More creatures of undeath? Who is sending them against us?"
He calls on the power of his goddess, pleading for her to send strength across the planes to him.
There is light behind the clouds. Light behind the clouds. Light behind the clouds.
Move into melee range (20 ft.), draw greatsword
Activate Smite Evil on blue
Attack blue
Lya prepares while Hamith smites the nearby shadow. It seems strangely resistant to Hamith's holy power.
The remaining burnt ochre shadow charges effortlessly through the air at Hamith, it's umbral limb reaching deep within the paladin.
[ooc]Hamith's header currently lists his touch at 16, but I don't see what's making it that high currently. Assuming a 15 incorporeal touch hits, that'll be 5 strength damage.
Initiative:
Buddy
Myrd
Belinda
Blue Shadow (-13)
Hamith (-5 str?)
Lya
Yellow Shadow
Idruzi
Idruzi, Buddy, Myrd and Belinda are up!
The shade shrinks back from Idruzi's channel, seemingly especially pained, although it fights through it.