Price of Immortality

Game Master Birch33

Heledar swings again at the acolyte who just attacked Grob - "Surrender fools - you have one last chance at redemption" - he urges them.

Bardiche Attack: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 8 - 4 = 17
Dmage if it hits: 1d10 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

--Status--
HP: 35/50
AC: 19
Spells spent: Lvl1(2/6)
Channel Energy spent: 2/5
Effects: Life Link

Heledar wipes out the remaining armed acolyte with ease.

OK, new round - Rumha and Talarin up first. Just the black robed woman and the unarmed cleric left

"Maybe it's you who should prostrate yourselves before us!" Rain's words are barely spoken before her whip threatens to bring the black robed cultist to the ground.

Trip: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Rumha closes with the (possibly tripped )black-robe and tries to put her down.

STAND: Hanbo (20/2x)
HIT: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
DAM: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Talarin is able to bring the woman down with one flick of her whip. Despite being relatively helpless, Rumha is unable to hit her.

The woman remains prone, rather than trying to stand.

Grob up next...

Grobradon frowns, he's not a fan of striking the unarmed or relatively helpless, but then again, both have spells, and that means they can't be as helpless as they look.

Still, it bothers him as he brings his sword down to finish off the black robed figure "You were given a chance to surrender, it's more than your foul cult gives all the people it shills, uses, and destroys!"

Power attack, adjustments already included
To hit: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21
Dmg if that hits the prone person 2d6 + 13 ⇒ (4, 5) + 13 = 22

Grob swings with a mighty blow. The damage is near-fatal but it's clear she's still not dead.

The remaining unarmed acolyte throws up his arms in surrender. "Dont' kill me, please..."

Ryanthus and Heledar left

Burned and blistered, Rythanus was still hesitant to kill a surrendered foe outright. "Get out of here, then! Leave this city! If we see you again, you won't be so lucky!"

Then he took up a guard position, watching for any other foes while Grob dealt with the black-robe.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

"Wait!" - Heledar adds to Rythan's words - "Stand fast! We would have some words with you - why did you attack us?" - he questions, motioning closer to the man, and keeping him under watch, looking away only to speak to Grob - "Please do not kill her - disarm, tie and gag the wretch - we can get information from the woman"

"Try anything funny, and you're dead" Grobradon says to the woman he wounded badly, "No spells, no nothing. Lay there and let us tie you up."

Intimidate:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

Both adversaries allow themselves to be bound.

In response to your questioning, the woman says, "Iramine was convinced you would come after her once she found out that you made it out of her temple in Tamran alive. When we heard the sounds of combat and traps being triggered from far behind us in the city, she knew for
certain that you had entered the city."

"So she left me in charge of a group of acolytes to watch for you approaching the gate to the Third Ring. I don't know how you've got this far, we've lost half of our numbers already."

"I guess we have been lucky somehow, or your group has been weeding out the worse obstacles ahead for us" - Heledar nods in a serious tone - "Where is Iramine headed - what is the plan?" - he adds - "Speak up, and you may still live"

Diplomacy?: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23

"She's heading for the Chamber of the Jewel. Her plan is to take all of the riches that were placed here by her and her comrades many years ago."

She seems weary of the battles she's faced so far and looks as though she'll tell you anything you want to know.

"How many people are in her group?"

"You realize this city is going to flood with molten gold don't you? Even if you had stopped us, do you think you'd have made it back to Iramine in time without any means to bypass the traps yourselves? She left you here to die, plain and simple."

Grobradon merely glares at their prisoners. He rather holds a grudge against the cult for what they did to his town, and what he observed while infiltrating them.

You can sense the inner turmoil - should she tell you the truth? News of the molten gold seems to swing it for you. "There are only four left, including Iramine."

"Just the four of them? Hmmm." Rain massages her chin between her thumb and forefinger as she considers the information. "Too few to leave any others as an ambush. Apart from the traps, it should be a straight shot to her then." She looks back at the two defeated cultists, "You don't have long to escape the city before the streets flood. If the traps reset behind us you could be in for a rough time trying to get to the exit. And once there, those lizardfolk you angered might be waiting for you and not exactly pleased to see you."

Other than their weapons, none have anything of real value with hem. There's 90gp between them though if you choose to keep it.

You allow the acolytes to flee. Pressing on (you've reached I on the map) you come across two gold-plated columns carved to resemble female warriors that flank the entrance to another bridge over one of the city’s canals.

Having been burned twice by his curiosity already, it appeared Rythan had learned his lesson. He stayed put with the others, only asking, "Think they're golems? Or would it make the columns collapse if they left them to attack intruders?"

Know:arcana: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31
Know:engineering: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Rythanus conducts a thorough review without getting too close.

They appear to be normal, albeit golden, statues supporting the bridge’s roof but the more you stare at them, the more you're convinced they're alove and if they moved, you suspect nothing would collapse.

These shining sentinels are armed with gold-plated falchions.

Rain stops in her tracks and turns to regard Rythanus, "You think the pillars aren't pillars? What's next, an illusory bridge beside an invisible one? Holy stront, I'm begining to really hate this place."

"My head hurts just thinking about that" Grobradon says.

If allowed, Grob would have stripped the weapons from the acoyltes before allowing them to flee. No need to keep ARMED folks behind us

"I'd swear those women are alive. Well, sort of. They certainly aren't integral to the structure. I don't know about you guys, but those falchions they're holding look plenty sharp to me... any ideas?"

Knowledge (engineering) 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Grobradon tries to figure out how it all might piece together and the safety of the bridge, "I wonder if they'd animate and somehow DAMAGE the bridge while anyone was on it?"

"My head hurts just thinking about that" Grobradon says.

If allowed, Grob would have stripped the weapons from the acoyltes before allowing them to flee. No need to keep ARMED folks behind us

Assume it happened

At present you are standing, weighing up the situation and the statues - for their part - are also stationary.

We press onwards?

Talarin looks at her whip and the tiny crossbow on her hip, "If those things to try to squish us into paste when we cross, I don't know how much help I'll be in hurting them." She adds a shrug and then shakes her head helplessly, "Doesn't matter though, I guess. We need to cross."

"We can always take some precautions" - Heledar nods - "You are right Talarin"

With a few gestures, he summons his powers to detect the presence of magic in the area, mainly on the statues and around them, while observing the area.

Casting Detect Magic.

Perception: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (18) - 2 = 16

"Just let me know if you want me to take point," Grob says though he sounds a bit spooked by the images Rain's suspicion has brought to mind.

The statues are definitely magic - you suspect they are shining sentinels.

How much of that info is available to us GM Birch? Cause there are some important 'details' there ;)

You can know it all - it's going to be a hard enough encounter anyway...

"Well, I'm sure not taking point," Rythan muttered. Louder, he said, "I have one last spell that may help us against those things, but only one of them. If you guys can distract it enough for me to get in a hit, I may be able to hurt it."

Basically, a bunch of Aid Anothers to plant a hit of shocking grasp. I'll do what I can to make it a crit. :P Use 3 arcane pool points to make the weapon +1, keen, and give a +4 insight bonus to his attacks. Then use spellstrike/spell combat to hit with the shocking grasp.
But as Rythan said, that would only affect one of them.

"How quick do you think they are? Maybe we can run past?" She looks ruefully at the statues. "Or...." she lets the word hang in the air before turning back to the others and whispering quietly, "do you think we could push them over into the canal? And by 'we' I do mean 'Grob'."

"Maybe if we all help trip them? I have some rope we could run around their legs with," Rythan suggested with a hopeful look at Grob. "Though they might cut that... I also have a smokestick? And a thunderstone."

Guys, I think we need to retcon some. If your hit points are updated, Life Link would heal 10 to Rythanus, and 15 to Grob, all in 3 rounds, meaning Heledar would be at... 10hp ;) Are your hp up to date?

"Smoke might afford some cover to run by them." Regardless of what the group decides on, as they near a decision Rain shares a tap of her wand with Rythanus. "Just in case," she adds with a wink.

I'm current, Heledar. Thanks for keeping the meatier lumps stitched together though =)

Thanks, Heledar and Talarin. Maybe this won't be 100% suicide. ;)

DM, what's on the other side of the bridge? Is it an open avenue, or a building we might lose pursuers at? Maybe we could throw the smokestick and run full tilt to relative safety? We might have to deal with them on the way back even if that worked, though...

I believe I'm at full again

The half orc looks amused at the idea of being the 'we' here, "Fine fine, let me know when to push."

DM, what's on the other side of the bridge?

The bridge represents the link between the Second and Third rings - and is sloped upwards as the Third Ring stands 40 feet above the level of the Second Ring.

As such, it's hard to see what's on the other side , other than a flat surface.

After making sure his companions are fully restored, Heledar nods and smiles - "It is a good thing that these seem to be mindless creatures. It allows us the chance to prepare ourselves"

Planning on healing myself and blessing the group, but would like Rumha to weigh in before we continue - his heals are really effective, and even more so on Heledar :D

"They do seem heavy, and possibly slow - if we could draw them to range, I believe it would be the safest tactic - I'm just not sure we will be able to pierce them with arrows..." - he adds.

I like the 'Grease, followed up by a BOOM from Rythanus' idea ;)

--Status--
HP: 10/50
AC: 19
Spells spent: Lvl1(2/6)
Channel Energy spent: 2/5
Effects: Life Link

I'm down to my last channel of the day but I have quite a number of spells that could be converted to heals... which might be the route to go because most of my spells aren't likely to do a thing against the sentinels. I'm happy to heal up whoever needs it. I'm inclined to save my Channel when things get dicey - which seems likely.

There MIGHT be a sneaky way out of this. I've got Obscuring Mist on deck. I could attempt to cast it around the sentinels to blind them to our movements (and hopefully prevent them from animating) and then we run past them.

Wanting to make sure they are ready to face the challenge ahead, Heledar uses his divine powers to heal himself and the others as best as possible.

CLW: 1d8 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 5 + 2 = 12

Channel: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 5) = 10

He heals a total of 12+10+4 = 26

'Lets move on then' - the Oracle adds resolute to Grob, standing close, with his weapon out defensively - 'Mist or no mist, we must proceed'

--Status--
HP: 36/50
AC: 19
Spells spent: Lvl1(3/6)
Channel Energy spent: 3/5
Effects: Life Link

Internet back next Monday. Meanwhile, I'd recommend you agree your plan of action. If I see something concrete between now and next week, I can post something useful.

I like the idea of using obscuring mist and running past. If not that, then we should probably just wake em up and fight them.

I agree, let's try the mist trick. Maybe grease the statues up at the same time, to keep them from coming after us effectively. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

Let's get misty then :)