You carefully cross the bridge but see nothing of note.
No sooner are you all across than you sense movement behind you. Appearing out of thin air is an emaciated figure that looks like a horned human skeleton smothered within a bone-tight hide of slimy leather. It is holding a longspear.
This looks out of odds with the creatures you've encountered so far - there is nothing golden about it whatsoever.
It's a babau demon
The creature has the drop on you and uses it's reach to hit Rumha with its spear.
"What the hell is this thing?" Grobradon asks And why do I seem to be asking that question more and more as I adventure? He moves forward, weaving as he closes.
"Hey, Ugly! Leave Rumha alone. I'm the one you want!" His blade lunges even as he keeps weaving
Grob manages to land a good blow on the creature. In return it clobbers him back with its spear.
Rain sends her whip darting out as soon as the shock of the creature's appearance fades, trying to wrench the terrible spear from its hands.
HP: 28/28
AC: 17 (13 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 16 (18 vs disarm)
F/R/W: +2/+6/+4
Second Chance: [ ]
Shadowstrikes used: 0/7
Shield charges used: 3/42
Spell Slots:
Cantrips (--) - arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, ghost sound, mage hand, prestidigitation
Level 1 (4+1) - [ ], [ ], [ ], [ ], [ ]
Ongoing Effects
The creature appears from out of nowhere, and before any of them except Grob were able to react, it had already inflicted nasty wounds on two of Heledar's companions.
The Life Link that connects them allows some of the wounds to heal.
The Oracle focuses and casts a divine blessing on the group.
Rumha staggers from the spear blow into his vitals even as he realises he knows nothing about this creature. Seeing it land another fell blow, the cleric decides to best course is to keep everyone up and fighting.
"A demon! I never thought I'd see one in person," Rythan exclaimed, moving to circle and flank the monster, harrying it to distract it from Grob. "Now that I have, I don't think I like it much."
Rain's whip snakes out but despite catching the spear, the creature is able to hold on to his weapon.
Rumha casts a spell, as does Heledar - whilst Rythanus moves to a more advantageous position.
"A DEMON? Gorum help me" He swings again, focusing less on defense this time since this thing seems to be hitting him anyway.
Grob lands a huge blow on the creature. It's certainly done a lot of damage but it continues to fight regardless.
And clearly seeing Grob as its main foe, it picks on his to retaliate. It's spear lands on target, clearly hurting Grob.
Grobradon was just healed, and now he's wounded again as the demon decides he's the big threat.
Oddly, that's of less concern to him than the sudden realization that acid like blood could really hurt his baby.
Rythan cursed under his breath, the words abruptly flowing into the syllables of a spell. His sword began to glow with a bluish light, frost crackling along the blade.
Then he closed with the demon, swinging his scimitar.
"Stop stabbing people with that!" Rain tries to snatch the spear from the demon's grasp once more.
HP: 28/28
AC: 17 (13 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 16 (18 vs disarm)
F/R/W: +2/+6/+4
Second Chance: [ ]
Shadowstrikes used: 0/7
Shield charges used: 3/42
Spell Slots:
Cantrips (--) - arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, ghost sound, mage hand, prestidigitation
Level 1 (4+1) - [ ], [ ], [ ], [ ], [ ]
Ongoing Effects
bless
Rythanus steps forward and swings his scimitar, the metal glowing blue. The blade connects and does typical damage but also imparts some magical damage too - the creature reacting to whatever spell Rythanus cast.
Once more Talarin allows her whip to flick at the creature's spear. This time it's successful and the weapon clatters to the floor.
Again his companions heal as Heledar shares their wounds.
Using his divine power, the paladin heals himself, and moves to try and flank the creature.
Rumha chants a magical phrase. A ghostly 10' long chain of pure force appears and lashes at the demon attempting to bind its legs and drive it to the ground.
Rumha produces a floating chain of force with hooks at each end and manages to wrap it around the demon's legs and knock it prone.
Heledar is able to take advantage of this to get into position and hit the creature with his bardiche. The creature looks really wounded now.
His blade endangered, Grobradon lets loose a sigh, "I'm sorry, Master smith... thank you for the gift." And he strikes
Did Grob pull his blow to save his blade or was it just a poor effort? You'll never know - but what is true is that Grob's sword tastes nothing but thin air.
Ignoring the spear on the ground, the creature lunges at Grob - teeth and claws flashing. One of its claws makes contact, tearing a hole in Grob's mail.
With his scimitar smoking from the last attack on the demon, and his magic running low, Rythan decided that his best bet was to ensure that the thing was distracted when Grob dealt out vengeance. He harried the monster, keeping its attention split between them without ever pressing the attack.
Not wanting to risk his main weapon, Heledar drops it, and drawns his longsword, stepping closer to the creature, and attacking again.
Seeing her allies' weapons hiss and burn as they come in contact with the demon, Rain frowns at her whip. She loops it up and returns it to her hip as she focuses on producing a less vulnerable tool. Shadows coil around her feet before darting up her legs and side. After a few moments, the tendrils of shadow converge at her hand and coalesce into an inky black blade.
HP: 28/28
AC: 17 (13 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 16 (18 vs disarm)
F/R/W: +2/+6/+4
Second Chance: [ ]
Shadowstrikes used: 0/7
Shield charges used: 3/42
Spell Slots:
Cantrips (--) - arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, ghost sound, mage hand, prestidigitation
Level 1 (4+1) - [X], [ ], [ ], [ ], [ ]
Ongoing Effects
bless
Rythanus moves and perhaps that was enough to distract the creature as Heledar is able to get in a huge blow that kills the demon.
"There" - Heledar roars as the creature goes down - "Either these cultists know something we don't, and are avoiding these monstrosities, or we may be on the wrong path" - he ponders, then looks at the creature - "I doubt this one would possess anything of use to us... Let us proceed friends"
Talarin gives Heledar an approving, playful elbow to the ribs. With a grin she adds, "Nice job."
Rythan looked around for something to wipe his still slightly smoking blade on, and finally settled for a polishing rag. He threw it away with a frown of disgust as it absorbed the last of the demon's acid, large holes appearing in the fabric. "Heledar is right. We haven't seen any cultists' bodies - maybe we're taking the hard way? But if we scout around for another path, we lose time and risk triggering more traps." He sighed, his teeth clenched in frustration.
"Let's go," he said as he followed Heledar, resigned.
It has been niggling on your mind since you saw the demon, but it seems out of odds with what you've seen so far. You have no proof of course, but the lack of gold and the fact that it's a demon makes you wonder if it was a trap that is part of the defences or a trap set by someone else...
You dust yourself off and progress along the only route that is possible.
Finally you reach the gates to the city’s Second Ring. Standing there are two hulking skeletons in shining golden breastplates, their thick
bones plated with gold. Their huge, gold-plated halberds are crossed in front of the gate, barring the way forward.
"There" - Heledar roars as the creature goes down - "Either these cultists know something we don't, and are avoiding these monstrosities, or we may be on the wrong path"
Talarin gives Heledar an approving, playful elbow to the ribs. With a grin she adds, "Nice job."
Heledar acknowledges the nudge with a wink - "Wasn't easy though..."
"Heledar is right. We haven't seen any cultists' bodies - maybe we're taking the hard way? But if we scout around for another path, we lose time and risk triggering more traps." He sighed, his teeth clenched in frustration.
"Let's go," he said as he followed Heledar, resigned.
Nodding at his companion, he adds - "I guess there isn't much that we can do about it. Just wanted to share with you the fact that this all seems odd - I get the feeling there has to be a way to bypass all of these monstrosities we are fighting no? I mean... A password? A symbol? Else they would attack everyone, even the ones that created all this in the first place, right?" - he shakes his head.
----
Staring at the huge skeletons, the Paladin stops in place - "I don't like this one bit" - he comments, staring intently at what seems to be the guards of this place.
"Then again, maybe the demon was summoned by the Razmirans, and tells us we're on the right path after all," Rythan mused. "Though that means they know we're coming somehow. But you're still right - we haven't found any bodies, or traces of combat, so they must be bypassing what we ran into somehow."
When they reached the guards of the gate, Rythan took a moment to catch his breath and eye them from a distance. "I don't suppose we could tell them we're just traveling merchants passing through," he quipped. "If we're going up against them, I think I'd like to borrow that wand again..."
Grobradon glances up at the two hulking skeletons "Yeah, those look like trouble." He considers just how the cultists are getting by, "It could be the cultists are using seals and stuff stolen from places like the crypt? I don't know, but it's the only idea coming to me."
Rain shrugs, all the boys' suggestions sounding plausible and sensible to her at least. As the skeletons come into to view, she stops short along with the others.
"Uhhhh... hi there?" She braces herself for some kind of violent response.
Following Grob's words, the writing on the parchment in the cultist's temple is suddenly fresh in your mind.
"Now that I have the completed amulet, I shall return to the City of Golden Death to finish what was started all those years ago."
The skeletons stand firm and do not respond. As you pay them more attention, you realise they are actually ogre skeletons.
"Beware" - Heledar alerts his companions - "These skeletal creatures radiate evil - perhaps you could use your holy energy to target them, while we form a defense around you Rumha?" - he adds - "Unless we find a way to bypass them without being assaulted - any ideas?"
Rumha examines the creatures to make sure they are undead, not some clever construct.
Rumha nods at Heledar's idea and steps back as far as he can while keeping the skeletons in range of his god-granted abilities. He waits for the team to set themselves before calling upon various deities of good to smite the skeletons with holy light.
"Let's hope this works then." Grobradon readies his beloved blade
Rythan readied his scimitar as well, moving out to the side so that they might flank the monstrous skeletons if Rumha's deities didn't strike them down immediately.
You get the drop on them as they were perhaps expecting a more direct approach.
Rumha identifies them as undead and unleashes holy energy that clearly has an effect on them.