Heledar swings but narrowly misses.
Talarin swings her whip but the arc suggests she was not looking to connect. As a by product of that effort it seems to have put off the fire elemental as it fails to connect with Rythanus.
Seeing that the fiery creature was badly injured, and not wanting to use up all his spells now with the cultists still ahead of them, Rythan gritted his teeth and moved to aid Grob, as Rain had done.
Rumha again passes luck onto Grob, hoping to finish the fight in one blow.
Heledar again presses his assault on the creature, shifting his positioning to try and obtain a flanking position.
Keeping up his swings with attempts to lay on the hurt, Grobradon is grateful for the aid of his fellows. Gee, now I can't really let them down, now can I?
With a flurry of activity, Grob's swing at the creature had almost eveyone supporting it.
And he didn't let anyone down - the fire elemental disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Rain sighs as the fiery creature dissipates and she coils her whip as she retrieves her crossbow. The lithe young woman takes a moment to reload the device before slipping it back into its holster on her hip. "Rythanus, are you ok? Maybe you'd be better off with this for the time being?" She extends the wand of shield to her magus friend, an understanding and thoughtful smile on her face.
"Thanks guys, you set it up really nicely for me," Grobradon looks over his blade to make sure it's held up against the heat. It has. Best sword I ever had.
Rythan coughed a little, wisps of smoke rising from his scorched hair and clothing. Despite the burns, which were much lesser than they had been before Heledar's healing magic, he grinned and shook his head at Rain.
"Nah, I think it has its rightful owner," he said, wrapping her hands back around it. "But maybe I'll borrow it later, if we know we're about in for a fight. Whew, they said curiosity killed the cat, but I didn't think it set it on fire! Thank you for your healing, Heledar. I was just about toasted, literally."
"I hope we find those Razmirans before we find any more monsters," he grumbled. "I'm running lower on magic than I like for that particular discussion."
"Everyone is safe?" - the Oracle looks over his companions - "Let us proceed then. I am still intrigued how the ones we pursue have been able to avoid these... Guardians?" - he ponders - "But then again, maybe they have been fighting their way inside like us"
Starting to move towards the 'center' of the city, he urges his companions to follow, but not before he channels divine power to make sure all are restored, as well as himself.
"Maybe, or maybe they have a better map or something than we do?" The half orc moves on
"Those lumps of metal we saw on that bridge by the golem-thing makes me think they're fighting their way through as well. They've got more people with them too." She shrugs. "Numbers won't matter if they don't make it to the center before the gold-flood. Let's keep heading inward as quick as we may."
In many ways the map is of little benefit. Despite the volume of ruined buildings, there is only one clear road and so you have to follow the path laid out. In fact, the map shows that only by following the path will you reach the bridges that cross the golden canals.
You reach another intersection with identical runes. Presuming you avoid triggering the trap this time, you head westwards in an arc that leads you to yet another rune intersection.
A sudden clanging of shields and weapons resounds as a pack of six flaming, gold-plated skeletons bearing golden scimitars rise up from the nearby ruins and advance on you.
They're currently 90 feet away.
Rain deadpans, "Well that's new." As she watches the skeleton hurry toward them, she draws the wand and hands it to Rythanus. "Here, quick - before they're on us!"
Rythan nodded his thanks, grabbing the wand and tapping his chest with it. As the magic sprang up around him, he handed it back to Rain.
"Let's see if we can take down these bozos without magic, and save what we have for the BIG bozos."
"Gold plated skeletons? I don't even..." Grobradon mutters under his breath, and since there is still SOME distance, prepares a sling. "Maybe I can soften one up before I take a sword to it." He fires on a central skeleton.
Heledar can think of nothing religious that is attached to the skeletons. Most likely they are some sort of magical trap and the gold-plating comes from being covered in gold when the trap was triggered previously.
Grob manages to hit one of the skeletons, knocking it a few steps back - although not taking it out completely.
Not sure if the gold-dipping with protect the skeletons, Rumha lets them get in range and then channels energy to destroy them.
With a single spell, Rumha is able to destroy the skeletons, as they all crumble when faced with that much energy.
Rain gives Rumha a playful elbow to the ribs, "Nicely done." She twirls the wand of shield through her fingers briefly before returning the magical tool to her belt. "That's a handy trick, Rumha."
Rumha looks surprised. "That went better than I expected. Well, let's press on."
Rythan whistled as all the skeletons dropped like puppets with their strings cut. "Nice! Remind me never to get on your deity's bad side, whoever it is." He took a moment to detect if there was anything magical about their golden gear before moving on with the others.
"Quite impressive my friend" - Heledar smiles at Rumha - "A testimony to the strength of one's convictions, and not only of Gods themselves" - he adds to his companion as they resume their course.
"Fortune sometimes favors the foolish... and I am nothing if not a periodic fool."
"I threw a rock," Grobradon reminds the others of his own contribution, though there's a touch of humor to his tone as they move forward
Rythan whistled as all the skeletons dropped like puppets with their strings cut. "Nice! Remind me never to get on your deity's bad side, whoever it is." He took a moment to detect if there was anything magical about their golden gear before moving on with the others.
Rythanus notices that each skeleton wears a gold-plated helmet and the crest that's still visible beneath the gold plating matches those worn by the soldiers depicted in the mural in the map room.
There is, however, nothing magical about anything.
You make progress along the only path you can realistically take. You then reach a bridge to take you over the canal once more as you realise you're being forced to make a long spiral journey to the centre of the city.
"No guardians this time. Good" - Heledar comments, but still focuses on his divine power to detect magic in the area.
Rain takes care not to step on the bridge and to stay out of Heledar's way, but she glances around for anything that might be trouble.
Heledar is aware of something magical hiding perhaps under the bridge? You sense something but can't see it. It seems to be at the other end of the bridge. And then abruptly the magical aura disappears.
Talarin thinks she sees something hiding on the other side of the bridge, but can't be 100% sure. It's as if there is something shimmering and then it's gone.
And there is no other way across.
"Somethings making the hairs on my neck stand up, but I can't tell what."
Having been taught caution by his last encounter, Rythan didn't approach the bridge, but rather peered at it from a distance.
By the time Rythanus looked at the bridge, there was nothing to see.
"So... send a scout or everyone and hope the bridge doesn't get cut?"
"Stay close friends, and ready to act if necessary, I will lead the way and try to draw out what may lie in wait ahead" - Heledar nods at his companions, then moves off towards the bridge, senses alert, and weapon ready.
"Hey, be careful.." Grob says, concerned.
Rain lets the whip at her hip fall into her hand as Heledar begins to approach the bridge. "I have a bad feeling about this..."
Rumha follows the Paladin closely onto and/or across the bridge.
Heledar gets all of the way across the bridge but nothing happens...
"You guys got me all worried and worked up," Grobradon accuses lightly with a smile, and then starts to head across the bridge.
Heledar takes another look around - "Now I am beginning to think we are being spied upon..."
Finding nothing of note, he shakes his head - "Guess there is nothing we can do about it for now, but I fear it will come back to haunt us" - he adds - "There is no further option but to keep on moving, as time is of the essence"
Still wheezing a little from their last few encounters, Rythan stayed close to the others as they crossed the bridge after Heledar. "Man, if they know we're coming? That's all we need," he grumbled, keeping an eye out for trouble.
The cleric opines, "I don't think it's them. Might be something local... and hopefully it left us alone because it likes us."