Looking down at Marik with a smirk across his face, Aerodus whispers to Taki. "Is there a way for me to become chief, without killing him?"
Taking the offered head (and blade?) Aerodus will hold each aloft, letting the short sword clatter at his feet.
"Yes! Aerodus chieftain Now!" Flexing his muscles.
Tony grimaces at the severed head. Politics he thinks with disgust.
He starts warily looking through the rest of the lighthouse for Shisa and anything else of use.
Perception:
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Taki seems horrified as Aerodus takes the scimitar, whilst the four concubines look expectantly between Aerodus holding the blade and Marik kneeling before him...
'To be new chief take sword and head of old chief,' Taki explains, 'Only chief allowed to touch sword! Now Aerodus have to chop off Marik head...' she winces, as if expecting the blow to fall any second, and turns her face away...
As Tony leaves the room, Sasha follows him out,
'Amusing as that is,' she comments, glancing back over her shoulder, 'and as tempting as that footlocker looks, I think you're right in wanting to check out the rest of this place before we go too much further... maybe bar that door downstairs too? Just in case...'
The two doors downstairs prove to lead to what seems to be a small guest room (complete with a crude but comfortable bed made out of driftwood and a homemade feather matress), and a larger room which appears to be cluttered with objects and remnants taken from crashed ships - the most prominant being an Asmodeus-shaped figurehead, looming as the centrepiece to the almost temple-like area.
The top of the lighthouse isn't quite finished. The massive bronze reflector and other machinery here look like they could be restored to working order in a few days time, with some skilled help - maybe a week or so without. That would enable efficient signalling of the shipping lanes to the southwest!
As your senses return, the first thing that hits you is an overwhelming stench of decay, thick in the air. As your eyes adjust to the dimmest of light, you can make out that you're in a low-ceilinged cavern. Opposite you, maybe sixty feet away, the ceiling on the far side of the cavern drops down to little more than three feet in height over a region strewn with bones and bits of old flesh. On your side of the cavern, however, the ceiling bulges upwards into a dome shape. Six circular, pod-like alcoves line the walls of the cave on this side - and it's into one of these that you've been stuffed. In the middle of the cavern wall to your right an opening appears to lead up, and in the wall to your left a similar opening seems to head downwards.
In the centre of the cavern squat two creatures - barely humanoid, they have corpse-like skin stretched over their bodies - bodies twisted into near-animalistic forms. Their skull-like heads have gaping mouths with massive fangs, and spikes of bone rise from their spines and joints. Festering pustules coat their flesh, and they appear to move about on all fours...
As you stir, the two feral ghoul-things glance in your direction, low gutteral grows suggesting that they'd not be too happy if you left your 'pod'...
Knowledge (History):
Tony looks at the remains of the rations.
"Interesting. These ration packs have the Jenivere's stamp on them. I thought WE got them all..."
We shut and bar the door to the lighthouse.
As her eyes adjust to the gloom, she stares at the two spiked creatures and sighs. "Great, just what I need. At least I'm alive, which is surprising all things considered," she mutters very quietly under her breath.
Taking into account the creature's movements and reaction, she quickly dismisses any thought of trying to run given her condition and lack of equipment. She gives a thought to yelling for help, but not being sure whether the others are alive or dead and remembering the last time she yelled out in frustration, she clamps her mouth shut.
"Maybe if I wait a bit, they'll wander off," she mutters. "Well, can't hurt.. let's see what happens.."
"Well Cayden.. or Nethys, whomever's listening.. I could seriously use some help here.. I'll even learn sorcery or something.." She risks a quick prayer just in case. After all, she believes in hedging her bets.
With a bit of resignation, she slumps down to the floor of the cavern with her back against the cold, damp dirt, and waits, keeping her eyes and ears perked for any glimmer of hope.
perception
Shaking his head, he lowers the sword. "What's important is that the old chieftain is gone. We can work on changing things here for the better, no matter which of us is chieftain. If they don't try to kill and eat us again first..." He says, extending a hand to pull Marik off the ground.
"We should see about retrieving our fellows.. and our missing Songstress. What happened after you jumped the wall?" Aerodus asks.
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"Interesting. These ration packs have the Jenivere's stamp on them. I thought WE got them all..."
Examining your find, Sasha frowns,
'You're right - these aren't from our camp... and the ship sank quite soon after we got what we could, didn't it? These don't look water-damaged either... Is it possible that someone else got off the ship before we did?'
"What's important is that the old chieftain is gone. We can work on changing things here for the better, no matter which of us is chieftain. If they don't try to kill and eat us again first..."
Taki unflinches after a bit, when she realises that the decapitating seems to have stopped for the moment... Glancing between Aerodus and Marik she looks puzzled,
'Only chieftain can touch sword - it always like that...' she pauses, then stares up at Aerodus, '... but Aerodus change things - then things not like that! Taki understand!' she glances at the four concubines, adding, '... Taki not so sure about other Thrunefang...'
You do, however, spot what looks like a strip of leather armour on the floor near your pod, with words scrawled in, it appears, blood covering it. A splinter of bone next to the leather fragment, one end coated in dried blood, looks like it was used as a makeshift pen...
'I am Captain Alizandru Kovack, betrayer of my crew and the destroyer of the good ship Jenivere. Hell would be a welcome escape from what hideous unlife looms before me, but it is no less a punsihment than I deserve. That I was enslaved mind and body to a serpentine demon who wore a Varisian's skin does not pardon me. It is my weakness that led the Jenivere, her crew, and her passengers to their doom. That Ieana has abandoned me here is nothing more than the fate I deserve. I do not beg forgiveness, but I despair that she lives still, and that she seeks something dire on this forsaken isle - she seemed particularly interested in Red Mountain. If you read this and you be a kind soul, seek out what I have become and destroy me, and then seek out Ieana and slay her as well. And to those whose lives I have helped destroy, I can only apologize from this, my dark cradle and darker grave.'
Reading the text on the scrap of leather, Shisa raises an eyebrow. "So, there really WAS something wrong with our good captain after all," she mutters quietly to herself more to hear the sound of a voice and break the stillness than anything. She spares a quick, apprehensive glance at the two spiked creatures as she does.
"Ok. So how do I get out of this one," she muses, "If only I could wrap some of the shadows around me, it'd be a lot easier." She giggles at the thought for a moment before wondering if her sanity is starting to slip. "Well, Jask DID say Nethys was a goddess of magic or some such." She wiggles her fingers and points at one of the creatures imagining herself casting a spell and choking the grotesque thing in wisps of shadowy tendrils. Her act brings another short giggle. "Gotcha!"
She settles down and begins glancing at the pile of refuse looking for something that may serve as a weapon.
perception
Tony frowns thoughtfully.
"Well... we never did find out who dragged us ashore, with our stuff to boot. And aside from the cook and the first mate, we never did account for the crew either. Maybe some of them got ashore as well. Whoever took the rations must have known the ship would sink; probably the poisoners!"
Tony jumps up excitedly.
"But... why would the poisoners haul us to shore? It just doesn't fit..."
Tony shrugs, giving up.
"The only thing I can think of is that there is another survivor of the Jenivere around."
Turning to address the concubines, Aerodus tries to flex his diplomatic muscles!
"No need kill old chief, to be chief. Old chief make new chief, then new chief... new chief!" Pointing to Marik, "Him old chief, make.." Pointing to himself "Me, new chief."
Diplomacy:
Whether or not his attempt was successful, Aerodus will hurry down to the lower entrance of the lighthouse, in order to retrieve their fallen comrades.
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"The only thing I can think of is that there is another survivor of the Jenivere around."
'Yes,' Sasha agrees, 'but why did they rate a room like this, while the rest of us got thrown into that pit to be tortured and eaten?'
Upstairs, the concubines exchange somewhat confused glances at Aerodus's words... but then crawl over to start worshipping him, instead of Marik...
'Hmph!,' Taki doesn't seem too pleased, but then she sighs, and tries to ignore the other womens' antics as she says, 'Marik have good idea: if Aerodus chief, Aerodus should go to balcony - show that he has sword, and Klorak is dead. Then Thrunefang do what Aerodus say. Aerodus good with words, Thrunefang listen to him...'
She keeps her eye on the one piece of bone that looks like it would hold up enough to be used as a weapon, but remains carefully in her alcove. Looking out of her alcove at the hideous things that seem to be keeping watch over her, she wonders how the rest of her companions are faring and if they are still alive.
Reaching up to push her hair back behind her ear, she calls out to one of them. "Hey! Spike! You don't mind if I call you spike do you? How about something to eat? Let's say hrm," she pauses a bit in thought before continuing, "I'll have a nice steak, some ale, and some fruit."
Quirking an eyebrow, she looks at the other. "If he's Spike, you must be Bones. So, Bones.. how about you show me the way out eh?"
With a sigh, she leans back and absentmindedly traces her finger in the dirt at her side trying to keep her mind focused on finding a way out. "Guys, I hope you're ok and you come quickly, I really don't want to end up like that pile of bones.. or worse," she mutters, feeling a warm dampness against her cheek.
She looks for something to pull the piece of leather to within reach. "If I can get that piece of leather, I can at least mark it so the others will know I was here.."
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Standing over the fondling concubines, Aerodus will look down at them, and point to a side of the room.
Pulling Taki close, Aerodus will whisper into her ear:
Calling down the stairwell, he calls: "If you could retrieve our sleeping companions and bring them inside, just in case this doesn't go as planned...."
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Taking Aerodus's hand Marik rises from his kneeling position. "After we escaped from the pen Shisa, Tony, and I made it through the jungle to the witch's hut. We surprised her as she slept and after a brief scuffle we defeated her, but her blasted monkey escaped. Shisa was going to attempt to get our equipment from what we believe was the supply shed. Last we saw her she was going to the camp disguised as Malakinda." Wheeling on the confused concubines Marik shouts
'but why did they rate a room like this, while the rest of us got thrown into that pit to be tortured and eaten?'
"A very good question; one I would like to put to whoever was here. But first, let us get the others inside."
Tony will help free and help the other prisoners to the lighthouse.
After that, he will go to Marik and Aerodus and show him the remains of the rations, with the Jenivere stamp on them.
"Can you ask the girls if they know and/or describe the person who ate these?"
Aerodus takes the ration and walks over to the 'girls', holding the ration is his open palm.
"Do you know who ate these?"
Kneeling down, Aerodus will invoke a prayer to his goddess. "Divine Queen of Heaven, your humble servant once again beseeches you. Grant my words strength and weight, that they may help save these people from the evil they have brought upon themselves and deliver them closer to your glory."
Striding out onto the balcony, with Taki (hopefully) at his side, takes in a deep breath, and lets his voice bellow from his vantage point:
"Children of Thrunefang, HEAR ME!" Waiting for the people to hopefully gather he continues.. "The old chief is dead!" Holding up the sword/head for the crowd to see, "And his witch along with him! Now is the time for new leaders!" Pulling Taki close to him once more, he points his sword out towards the interior of the island, "I ask you children of Thrune, you know our might, will you follow us to greatness and glory?!?! Or perish along with the old?"
Diplomacy:
Edit:
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Taki hugs Aerodus even closer as he 'pops the question', a smile managing to break onto her face desite her recent mistreatment...
Striding onto the balcony, Taki draped all over him, Aerodus brandishes Kloarak's severed head and 'chieftain's sword' both, as he makes his dramatic speech. The Thrunefang tribesmen rouse from the comunal hut, gathering beneath the balcony as Aerodus orates. Once he's finished a silence falls across the camp, punctured only by the crashing of the waves on the rocks beneath the lighthouse, and the chirps, howls, and buzzes of the surrounding jungle...
... Then, as one, the tribesmen cheer, yelling their praises to their new chieftain! All hail chief Aerodus the first!
Meanwhile, chieftain Aerodus's new concubines are being questioned...
"The woman that was with us, the elf, where is she? What happened to her? Tell me, NOW!"
Huddling together and quaking in the face of the bloodsoaked wizard's rage the concubines tremble, but manage to answer...
"Do you know who ate these?"
Obviously terified of Marik, the concubines answer quickly...
With the Thrunefang on-side (at least for the moment) it proves simple enough to have the others freed and brought into the (relative) safety of the lighthouse...
Shisa looks at the offered fare and wrinkles her nose. SHe picks up the piece of rotten meat with thumb and forefinger, holding it as far from herself as she can. "Eew. Um, I prefer fresh meat.. from a cow, or pig. Not sure where this came from and judging from the bones, I probably don't want to know," she says with disgust as she flips it over into the bone pile. "Yuk!"
Wiping her hand through the dirt, she grabs the bowl and peers into it. "Ok, not much better here, but at least it's clean..ish." She takes a tentative sip and promptly spits it out. "Ugh! Spike, fresh water you nit wit.. not salt water! Oh well, I can at least wash my hands after touching that..thing you gave me to eat." Without further ado, she pours a bit of the water into her hand and rubs them together as best she can. Setting aside the rest of the water, she continues to wait..
Breathing a sigh of relief at his acceptance, Aerodus waves one final time before heading inside, his chest puffed out as the wizard starts his interrogation.
Translating for the non-Infernal speaking members of the party: Tension can be heard in Aerodus's voice as he goes. "There were two survivors from the wreck, one was left to this 'underworld' and the other left. But more important: the Songstress was sent there as well..." Shaking his head as he swings the blade a few times, "Can you take us there?" he asks of Taki.
"We should gather our things as well.." he adds as an afterthought.
Tony quickly reequips himself.
"Oh baby, I've missed you so..." croons Tony to his sword as he kissed it.
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When Aerodus mentions the underworld... and worse, actually proposes going there... Taki grows pale, drawing away from the paladin and shaking her head...
'Go to underworld and become immortal - child of Mother Thrunefang... or food for her children! Aerodus not go there! Stay with Taki! If Shisa in underworld, then Shisa not coming back... not as Shisa...'
Meanwhile, it's a fairly simple matter to reclaim the group's belongings now that the good chief Aerodus is on the throne (so to speak...). Sasha joins Tony in his swordsman's delight as she takes back her own rapier and kukri, muttering something about 'the babarians not even oiling the blade' as she quickly sets about cleaning and polishing the weapons. For the moment she forgoes actually getting dressed...
'I am in desperate need of a bath,' she points out to Tony, 'and I'm not about to soil the one set of clothes I have any more than they have been already...'
Shisa tries her best to squirm and break away from the foul creatures as one begins to force open her mouth and shove the rotted substance between her teeth. Her eyes are wide with terror and tears begin to flow down her cheek as she is forced to eat.
With her heart pounding in fear, her mind calls out to Nethys, remembering more of her talks with Jask than of her own distant beliefs, "Help me, please.. don't let me turn into one of them!"
When the creatures finally release her to return to their seemingly favorite spot, she curls up as deep into her alcove as she can and promptly emptying her stomach. Between the violent contractions of her abdominal muscles, she can't help but wish she'd paid more attention to her mother's lessons..
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Ton grins at Sasha.
"No complaints here. If nothing else, we have an entire ocean of water to bathe in, if we can avoid being eaten."
After donning what's left of his clothing and equipment, Tony sheathes his sword with a flourish.
"Now. Let us recover Shisa, get this lighthouse working again and get the HELL off this island!"
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"I'm a paladin of Iomedae, we don't abandon our comrades, She empowers us through our self-sacrifice. I'll be sure to come back, I wouldn't want you to be lonely" As he walks down the steps of the lighthouse towards the storage hut.
Joining the others in re-obtaining their belongings, Aerodus will take Shisa's leather armour for himself along with the rest of his gear. As he is adjusting it: "Did the witch have any supplies we could use? My divine aid is exhausted this day..."
"I say we go right now!"
Can Aerodus take Klorak's string of red pearls?? I doubt he is going to resist....
"Before we delve into the 'underworld', we need to at least gather the other's things." As he finishes stuffing the rest of his gear (and any other he can fit into his backpack).
His arms saddled with his load, he releases 'Blinky' to provide illumination for the journey back to the lighthouse.
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Eventually the morning comes, and with it the revival of the various castaways.
Between the healing magics of Jask and Gelik the rag-tag group are soon on their feet... although some fairing better than others...
Both surprised and glad at Aerodus's ascension to power, the mood of the castaways is still subdued - they've lost a good friend, been tortured and beaten, and now Shisa's missing as well. Aerys seems ready to simply exit the lighthouse to start slaughtering the cannibals, but Ishirou does his best to keep her from doing so (even though it's pretty clear he wouldn't mind doing such a thing himself...). Gelik tries to make light of the situation...but even his usual tall stories over breakfast do little to raise everyone's spirits. Jask seems to bury himself in his healing duties, a quiet depression begining to settle over him. Sasha, on the other hand, seems quite chipper once she's managed to get a wash, back into her own clothes, and some good food into her (although she avoids any meat - as do the rest of the castaways - just in case...).
With some coaxing Taki reveals that a ten foot wide hole at the base of the lighthouse, to the northwest of the village's central fire pit, covered by a lid of bamboo and driftwood, is the entrance to 'the underworld', which she sometimes refers to as 'the caves of Mother Thrunefang'. A few stakes driven into the ground near the hole serve as anchors for nearby coils of vines, allowing descent into the pit (although the cannibals all seem terrified of the idea of doing so). In the daylight, once the lid is moved, it can be seen that the hole is a vertical shaft dropping ten feet of so before opening into a cave of some sort - the floor of which is another ten feet below the shaft (a twenty foot drop in total from the surface).
Moving back, away from the hole after the initial examination, Gelik shakes his head,
'I think I'll sit this one out, if it's all the same to you chaps,' he casts a quick glance towards Aerys and Ishirou, adding quietly, 'I have a feeling my particular talents will serve better up here in any case...'
Jask seems to have expended his magic on healing, and is getting on in years to boot, so doesn't seem a likely candidate to go spelunking either.
Sasha shrugs,
'I'm in the mood to kill something,' she comments, 'and if it's not this Mother Thrunefang and her little goblins... or whatever it is she's supposed to have down there... I feel it'll be Chief Aerodus's new subjects - the gods know they deserve it... and more - and I doubt that even our esteemed Master Gelik could stop me, Aerys, and Ishirou if it came to that.'
Shaking out her newly washed red tresses she grins at Aerodus, Marik, and Tony, then peers into the hole and asks,
'Okay boys - who's first?'
"I'll go first!" Tony says.
Tony will salute the rest of the castaways, grip a burning torch in his teeth and climb down one of the vines into the hole.
Climb:
She awakes slowly, every muscle in her stomach aches from the earlier retching. Her mind is slightly sluggish from lack of sleep. She can feel the bruises left by the rocks on the cavern floor digging into her body while she dozed.
Shisa shakes her head slowly, trying to clear her mind as the last vestiges of the dreams of her mother fade. With careful deliberation, she pushes herself up to a sitting position, brushing the tangled mess of her hair from her dirty and tear-streaked face.
As the smell from last night's dinner reaches her nose, her stomach threatens to empty itself yet again. Reaching for the bowl of brackish water, she quickly rinses out her mouth and spits the foul liquid into the dirt.
Shivering slightly at a sudden chill, she rests her head back against the side of the alcove. "Well crap, I'm still here," she mutters quietly, "but at least I'm still alive." She rubs her arms briskly trying to drive away the chill.
Settling back to wait, she passes the time trying to remember the words and gestures her mother once tried to teach her as a child. She starts by placing her arcane mark on the dirt wall. "The only one I was ever able to master," she says with a curt laugh, then goes back to work to keep her mind occupied in the silence of the cavern.
Checking his gear one more time, Aerodus will try and whisper to Gelik + Taki: "Try to keep them from hurting themselves or anyone else."
Following after Tony, Aerodus will descend into the darkness:
Take 10 on climb: or if need to roll
Climb:
Once at the bottom, Aerodus looses 'Blinky' to provide light, while drawing his magic sword and shield.
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"I'll go first!"
Watching first Tony, then Aerodus, descend into the hole, Sasha nudges Marik,
'Is it just me,' she asks with a smile, 'or do those two enjoy this stuff just a little too much?'
Then, despite her words, the redhead follows the other two, practically jumping into the hole to swiftly desend the vine ropes...
The uneven floor of the ten-foot-high cave you descend into is stained with blood and scattered with pieces of wood, fallen leaves, broken weapons, and in places, bits of bone. The cave's roughly twenty-five feet north-south, and forty feet west-east... but is far from a regular shape. Apart from the random debris - much of it probably dropped from above by the Thrunefang cannibals as 'tribute', based on what Taki's told you - the place seems bare and unoccupied... with no sign of Shisa. A single passage in the eastern side of the cave, maybe three or four feet wide, slopes downwards, and appears to be the only other exit, apart from the shaft in the ceiling...
Peering about in the flickering light cast by Tony's torch and blinky, Sasha crouches down, runs her fingers across the cave floor for a moment, then stands, drawing her rapier and kukri both,
'Someone was recently dragged off towards that passage,' she notes, nodding towards the passage to the east, 'whilst unconscious... or dead... by the looks of things. I'd say that two individuals... not quite human, judging by the claw prints... did the dragging. I'd guess that our Shisa was the draggee... but that's just a guess.'
"Don't let them close the door behind us!" He says to the topside crew.
After Sasha performs her tracking, Aerodus will take the lead. "If there are ghouls here, then let me take the brunt of their assaults."
AC: 14 HP: 19/19
Perception:
perception
Hearing a noise coming from the passage leading upward, she concentrates harder to make it out, smiling slightly as she recognizes the voices barely reaching her half-elf ears. Her eyes dart to the piece of bone she'd spotted earlier as a potential weapon, noting it's location.
Reaching down, she grabs the bowl from the ground and empties it onto the dirt, keeping her body between it and her two guardians.
"Hey Spike!" she calls out a bit loudly, "How about some more water? I'm thirsty!"
Not knowing who all may be coming or how badly they're hurt, she tries to draw one of the beasts away, even if for a few moments..
Huddled in her alcove, she grows tired of trying to recall lessons of years past. Reaching for the bowl of water, she swishes the remains around in her mouth before spitting it back out. Setting the empty bowl aside, she leans back and closes her eyes.
After a moment, she starts to sing in Elvish just to avoid the total silence broken only by the sounds of clawed feet across the pile of bones.
perform(sing) (now class trained..)
Now on the ground, Tony draws his sword and takes the torch into his left hand.
He grins at Sasha.
"Well than, shall we?" He bows to Sasha, then moves forward down the passage with her or without.
Perception:
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Aerodus takes the lead, heading down the narrow passage, Tony and Sasha follow on . The passage curves and twists, the natural rock formations uneven and damp underfoot, the ceiling dipping here and there, forcing the rescue detail to duck to get past. After thirty or forty feet the drip, drip, drip of water running down the cave walls gets joined by what sounds like some pleasant elven singing coming from up ahead...
'Can't be Shisa,' quips Sasha quietly, 'that actually sounds good...'
Eventually, after traversing sixty or seventy feet of passage in total, the way emerges into a low-ceilinged cavern...
... The first thing that hits you is an overwhelming stench of decay, thick in the air. The cavern's maybe sixty feet north-east to south-west, and to your right (the south west) the ceiling of the cavern drops down to little more than three feet in height over a region strewn with bones and bits of old flesh. On the other side of the cavern (the north east), however, the ceiling bulges upwards into a dome shape. Six circular, pod-like alcoves line the walls of the cave on this side - and into one of these is stuffed Shisa (battered, bruised, naked, and singing)! The passage you enter from emerges roughly in the middle of the cavern wall.
In the centre of the cavern squat two creatures - barely humanoid, they have corpse-like skin stretched over their bodies - bodies twisted into near-animalistic forms. Their skull-like heads have gaping mouths with massive fangs, and spikes of bone rise from their spines and joints. Festering pustules coat their flesh, and they appear to move about on all fours...
As you enter, the two feral ghoul-things quickly run forwards on all fours to attack!
Initiative:
"Songstress, we're here to save you!" Aerodus shouts, as he meets the 'ghoulions' on the field of battle!
Knowledge Religion (Ghoulions):
Init 5: Round 1
Aerodus will drop his sword + shield, and move forward drawing the vegepygmy chieftain's spear, readying himself for the ghoulions assault.
Free: Drop Chieftain Sword + Shield to use spear
Move: Move (just out of charge range) draw longspear
Standard: Ready to brace for charge
Attack:
Damage: + Brace
AC: 12 HP19/19
Trying to position himself to flank/provide shield cover for the others, Aerodus will shift and swing with righteous fury!
Move: 5ft shift (to either provide flank, or give shield bonus) or move/charge if they are out of range!
Standard: Attack +1 Scimitar!
Damage:
Immediate: Provide +2 Shield AC to Adjacent Ally if attacked!
AC:14 HP: 19/19
"I come to cleanse this den of evil!" He growls as they may/may not trade blows.
Initiative:
Tony shouts "En Guarde!" and lunges right at them.
Attack: for a possible piercing damage.
At the sound of clawed feet scrambling over bones, Shisa looks up and says, "Hey now! It wasn't that.. bad.." Her voice trails off as she hears Aerodus and Tony's voice. With a grin, she quickly stands and walks over to the pile of bones, picking up one in particular.
initiative
With careful, deliberate steps, she walks up behind the two foul beasts. Her eyes and lips set in abject hatred as she swings her club with both hands at the back of one of the beast's heads..
Attack:
Damage (bone club):
if flanked? Damage
****
HPs 3 / 14
AC 12 (Naked + dex)
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Back at camp:
At Sasha's suggestion of a hot bath, Marik smiles "Be careful of what you wish for. If you climb into a tub of hot water these little buggers might think you're volunteering to be the evening meal." Before donning his clothes Marik will cast Prestidigitation and let the blood and dirt slough off himself "Not as satisifying as a hot bath, but it'll have to do until there's proper time to do a bath justice." After getting dressed Marik will whistle for Yipper and will wait for him to come.
At the gaping maw of the Abyss:
"Yes, they seem to enjoy it. Perhaps, a little too much." Grabbing the rope to go down, Marik sighs "You would think I'd know better, but apparently not. Oh well, Fools rush in." so saying he lowers himself into the pit.
In the bowels of Hell:
Once he reaches the ground of the chamber, Marik will settle Yipper on his shoulder before casting Mage Armor on Aerodus "There you go, my lord. Wouldn't do for the new chieftan to get himself killed. If only because the tribe would kill us seconds after they found out." he says with a half serious expression on his face.
Initiative:
Happy at seeing Shisa still alive, Marik will curse at seeing the creatures guarding her "Damn, ghouls." So saying he conjures a little globe of acid and hurls it at the lead creature.
Attack (Ranged touch) roll:
Damage:
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As the battle commences, Shisa clambers from her 'pod' and starts out across the cavern...
"Damn, ghouls."
Marik hurls a conjured splash of acid which strikes the lead feral ghoul-thing. The acid hisses as it melts into the monster's putrid, pustule-covered, flesh... but does little to slow the thing down...
Moving as fast as horses as they charge forwards on all fours, the two feral ghoul-things leap at Aerodus and Tony. The lead monster's oversized jaws glance off the invisible field of force Marik's spell formed around the paladin, whilst Tony neatly sidesteps the one trying to bite him, skewing it as it passes by... the thing squeals in pain and rage at the wound, even as several of the pustules covering its body rupture, spraying Tony with foul, diseased, pus!
Moving to flank the creature wounded by Tony, Aerodus's strong cut finishes it off, but also rips open several boils, leaving him covered in the sickening pus too...
'Oh gods...' mutters Shasa as she steps to the second feral ghoul-thing, the one injured by Marik's acid, and hacks into it with a spinning rapier / kukri combo. Once more the wounds bite deep, causing the creature to squeal in pain, but Sasha is coated in the vile pus . Staggering backwards, the redhead doubles over and proceeds to vomit...
Fort Save:
Tony becomes Sickened for rounds.
Tony snarls with disgust as his gorge rises, but continues to fight, shifting to flank the last one (Acrobatics: ) and attacks. He resists the impulse to run and find water to wash off the foul undead excresions.
Attack: for a possible piercing damage.
Fort: Success!!
Spitting out some of the pus, Aerodus moves towards the next target.
AC: 16 HP:19/19 Init: 5 Round: 2
Move: (Flank if able!)
Standard: Attack!
Damage:
But the pus has clouded the paladin's vision, causing him to miss horribly.
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Shisa hurries across the length of the cavern, grabbing up the hefty-looking human thigh-bone she tagged as 'club-worthy' earlier.
Launching another splash of acid at the remaining feral ghoul-thing, Marik misses only because he's trying to avoid hitting his companions by accident.
The wounded feral ghoul-thing leaps on Aerodus, raking into the paladin's skin with its ragged claws even as it knocks him to the ground and its jaws rip out a mouthful of flesh - which it chews and swallows! After feasting on sweet, sweet, Aerodus-meat, the thing seems invigorated, and less troubled by its wounds...
Tony's thrust misses, striking the air where the thing was moments before it took Aerodus down. Aerodus's own flounderings also prove fruitless. Sasha, however, steps in, skewering the foul creature with her rapier, then hacking its head off with her kukri. More pus, as well as fetid black blood and bile, sprays everywhere...
Staggering back, panting, Sasha glances around then, noting no more immediate danger, drops both her weapons and starts to frantically wipe the gore off of herself, her face screwed up in an expression of utter disgust,
'Ewww!,' she whines, 'Marik! Quick! Do that cleaning thing Gelik loves so much! Oh gods - I have ghoul pus in my hair!'