Umm, maybe you should shoot the door? That bow seems powerful enough.
Anna steps back and lets Danica, Andjela and Tolvan bash the door.
The combined might of the four women is finally enough to burst the door free of it's closed state. Within stands a table surrounded by a few rickety chairs, along with a pair of moldy but serviceable cots. A winch affixed to the north wall raises and lowers the portcullis that allows entrance into the Oubliette. Sitting at the table with a crude but wicked looking handaxe is a headless skeleton. It sits as if waiting for you, and as you enter it stands and hefts it's axe, whoever it was in life was very, very large and powerful. Barely perceptible at first, a blue-ish flame starts along every surface of the skeleton, and then the entire creature bursts into a hot red flame. It turns to face you, and raises it's axe.
Headless Guardsman
Anna
Danica
Andjela
Kimberly
Tolvan
Yeah, Andjela, he's really your type.
Anna takes aim with her crossbow and blasts it.
Seeing the wisdom of Andjela's command, Tolvan backs up, maneuvering to get a clear shot.
The monk, with sword in hand, gets in front of it and tries to slice the creature's torso.
Headless Guardsman, body fully enflamed, charges Danica and barely manages to land a fiery blow with his gleaming handaxe, the flames from his body scorching her flesh and causing additional harm. He swing is powerful but wild, as he cannot actually see his intended target.
Anna takes aim with her crossbow and blasts it, the bolt smacking into a rib, but not doing as much damage as you expected.
The injured monk, with sword in hand, steps up and tries to slice the creature's torso, scoring a decent hit but the skeletal structure not allowing the sword to do much actual damage.
Andjela says, "I heard mention of a Protection Scroll... everyone back up!" Andjela moves south, away from the door, 10 feet.
Kimberly removes a scroll wrapped in white, quickly unfurling it and intoning a word found on it even as she moves north of Danica to touch her lightly on the shoulder, and then herself.
Seeing the wisdom of Andjela's command, Tolvan backs up, maneuvering to get a clear shot. His blunted arrow, expertly fired past Danica and Kimberly, slams into the burning creatures ribcage with enough force to knock off several rib bones!
- Headless Guardsman
- Anna
- Danica
- Andjela
- Kimberly
- Tolvan
Damn it. This guy is tough. I won't last another hit like that one.
Danica goes on the defensive, pulls forth a potion of CLW and drinks it.
"Kimmy...going to need a heal."
First :)
Maneuvering again Tolvan tries to line up a shot.
Danica will not attack, going into a defensive position, drink a potion of CLW. She will let the headless flaming skeleton pass her so Danica is behind it. Hopefully Danica and Anna/Andjela are in flanking position at the start of Round 3.
She'll take a 5-foot step away from it, to better give Tolvan a line of attack.
If it hits (and she's still up): Anna screams and retreats, full withdrawing into the larger burnt room.
Kimberly pulls out a little stick and starts to poke Dancia with it. after about the thrid poke dancia feels a but healthier
Suddenly not sensing the presence of Danica any longer, her turns toward another target, charging forward once again, flames writhing and dancing behind him as he moves right at the nearby Anna -his deadly,flaming axe swinging.
Anna dodges around the blade and counters by flinging the flask of holy water on it. "Cool off!" she quips, even as the holy water douses a portion of the flame, and the undead creature paws ineffectually at the damp spot. She'll starts to tumble to the north, twisting away from his blade, to better give Tolvan a line of attack and the guardsman takes a swing at her vulnerable back. The axe just misses, and the axe blow which surely would have dropped the beautiful rogue leaves only a faint scorch mark on her clothes -the skeletons inability to see the only thing which saved her.
Damn it. This guy is tough. I won't last another hit like that one. Danica goes on the defensive, pulls forth a potion of CLW and drinks it, some of the her more obvious hurts closing partially. "Kimmy...going to need a heal."
Angela steps up, flanking the skeletal being from the south and chops at the flaming skeleton. "Yes, Anna... But, I think the poor boy's lost his head over me. Wouldn't be the first."
Kimberly pulls out a little stick and starts to poke Dancia with it. after about the thrid poke Dancia feels a bit healthier.
Maneuvering again Tolvan tries to line up a shot, but the press of friendly bodies is too much and his shot is errant, the arrow slamming into a wall in a showever of crumbling stone. It surely would have been quite damaging if it had landed.
- Headless Guardsman
- Anna
- Danica
- Andjela
- Kimberly
- Tolvan
Kimberly once again calls on Pharasma's guidance and she turns to touch tolvan sending Pharasma's power into him to guide his next shot
Worried that this creature could kill one of his group, Tolvan moves as needed for a clear shot and tries to bring it down.
Turning to the closest visible foe, the guardsman swings its axe at Andjela this time, in a devastating swing from shoulder to hip. It's swing, had it been on target, isn't even skillful enough to penetrate the dark-haired womans defenses. Though it surely would have been strong enough to drop even the tough-as-nails paladin.
Anna stays clear of the battle, readying herself to assist.
Danica stays clear as well.
"Anna, wait for Tolvan, keep the firing lane open!" Andjela then attacks and steps south and back into Tolvan's firing lane. The swing of her cursed axe slicing effectively at the bony hip, despite the undead's natural resistance to such damage.
Kimberly once again calls on Pharasma's guidance and she turns to touch Tolvan sending Pharasma's power into him to guide his next shot.
Worried that this creature could kill one of his group, Tolvan moves rushes closer for a clear shot and tries to bring it down. His shot, without the danger or chaos of firing into a melee, slams into the creatures solar plexus, cracking the ribs apart, and collapsing the entire mess of bones. Lying on the stone floor, the flames which heated the bones slowly flicker and die out, darkness returning to the tunnel, except for your own meager light-sources.
Danica leans her back against the wall and slides down. The monk looks towards the oracle child, smiles and offers a thumbs up.
"Let's go back and check the treasure. There must be items that we can use for the next encounter."
Gratefull for the potion and the wand, the monk begins to touch the closed wound and the remaining, painfull blisters caused by the flaming ax.
Anna pats out a smoldering patch of her clothes as she gasps, By Sarenrae's burning buttocks! That was close! She leans up against the wall as her legs go wobbly.
She takes a few moments to calm down. Then she asks, So who was that, then? A burning, beheaded prisoner? Where does he fit in the rhyme?
Kimberly just looks at the remains casually she remarks. he doesn't. I wonder, did the warden burn? or was there more to it?
She stoops down and silently offers a burial prayer to the remains.
Maybe he was responsible for the Lopper's residency in that pit and killed by him? That's probably his head, down there. Let's check this room, before we go. Andjela steps into the guardroom.
Apparently satisfied with the devastating effect The Lopper's axe has, Andjela keeps her grip on it and foregoes her usual blade and crossbow.
Other than the extremely nice handaxe wielded by the skeleton, there's not much of value left in here, probably this room had long ago been looted completely. You do find some old bloodied and shredded clothing, very different than the threadbare prisoners garb you've seen. This is made of finer stuff and a name badge still sits on what was once the chest of the garment, reading; 'Captain Gurtis Vortch'.
Maybe he sided with or was bought off by the prisoners. This could be useful, Anna. Andjela picks up the other axe, balancing the two... one in each hand.
Anna rubs her shoulder at some phantom pain that persisted after that close call. She shrugs a bit at the captain's name, not recognizing it.
After surveying the guardroom, and making sure there are no secret passages or compartments , she heads to the northernmost cell block and gets ready to collect the objects in the pit. Okay, lower me down.
Tolvan, you sense this axe is magical? Andjela indicates the newly acquired one.
With dancing lights conjured Tolvan will cast Detect Magic, first checking the newly found axe for Andjela then the room and finally the Lopper's axe. [i]With the Lopper dead the ace could change.[i] he ponders.
After he will help lower Anna into the pit after cautioning here to take extra care.
Danica will help lower Anna down into the pit.
Tolvan detects necromancy magic on the Loppers axe, and none on the newly acquired one.
Once Anna is lowered and a light provided in the dark depths of the oubliette, the rogue is able to locate several interesting items.
- She finds:
- 420gp
- a high quality heavy crossbow
- a high quality longsword
- a heavy mace
- a superbly crafted dagger
- a perfectly round stone with some arcane symbols on it
- and a ring of keys.
The helmeted skull is in here as well, and you'd reckon the large size of the skull could indicate it was once attached to the skeleton you'd recently defeated. When/if Tolvan inspects the items with his magic senses, every weapon found has a definite aura of magic to it.
Andjela examines the items. Anyone remember seeing a shield, you'd think... Could they all have been wooden? Hells, this place is starting to get on my nerves!
And, you. Stop running into things. What else can you use as a weapon? The paladin rests her free hand on the monk's shoulder. Even in this seemingly darkest of hour. Iomedae has not forgotten her wayward child, giving strength.
Danica feels a tingling that is cold like a mountain stream and warm like the sun all at once.
Anna whoops in triumph as she displays the goods recovered from the pit. Spinning the dagger around on her finger, she says, Not bad, huh? The crossbow looks like your kind of thing, Andjela, at least until you get that bow you're going on about. Danica, the sword looks about your size. Any idea what this stone is?
Right now, I need a shield. Can anyone else use it?
Danica feels the warms of Andjela's healing magic. She looks over to her and says "It is my duty to help perserve the good. I was meant to shield you all from that devastating blow. It could have been meant for any one of us, so I decided it to be me. I was relying on the mage armor to protect me but I guess it wasn't enough."
The monk looks at her temple sword and nunchaku. "I have only trained with these weapons here, let's not forget my hands and feet, but in time I may get to learn something else."
"By the way, thank your for your healing touch. You have done a great service to a child of Sarenrae."
Danica accepts the +1 long sword. "I will learn to use it."
Anna hefts the monstrous crossbow, and tests the cranking mechanism. She aims it at a wall and dry-fires it.
It's not really my style, but I'll bet this thing packs a wallop. I'll use it if you want me to. I think I can handle it.
Andjela, what shield are you referring to?
Kimberly looks over the dagger it feels big in her small hands.
I'm sorry Tolvan but even though Pahrasma reveals the magic to me I still haven't learned how to interpret it she give the dagger back
perhaps when this is over you can show me how to read the auras I am shown
No shield... that's my point, asking if anyone saw one or would please keep an eye out for one.