The party's attack is quick and brutal. Samuel's musket booms and the bandit's head snaps back as he falls dead. the bandit that Alec hit goes down with a spell from Letitia.
The last bandit in the room starts yelling "Ten-Penny! where the $%&# are you?! get out here!" He swings at the tiger in front of himself
snowpaw takes 6 damage
a fifth bandit comes around the corner of the house, firing a bow at Greadra who was a bit slow to react.
Greadra takes 1 damage
The door to the left of the door the party entered swings open and an arrow comes flying out toward Alec
two more bandits come out of the room, but look like they are not ready for a fight. both are not wearing any armor, but have blankets draped around them. they look quite sick. never the less, they attempt to attack with short swords
Alec takes 1 damage
Bold may act:
Greadra (round 1), Baradim, Letitia, Alec, Samuel,
bandits
Global Condition: None |Global Condition:
Greadra HP: 11/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Baradim HP: 4/10 (-1 non lethal)- AC: 16/12/14 Status: fatigued
Snowpaw HP: 10/18 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Letitia: HP: 7/8 - AC: 16/12/14 Status: mage armor,
Alec HP: 9/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Samuel HP: 3/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:NPCs:
Red Bandit HP: -9 - AC: 16 Status: dead
Yellow Bandit HP: -11 - AC: 14 Status: dead
Green Bandit HP: ??? - AC: ??? Status:
Blue Bandit HP: -9 - AC: 11 Status: dead
Pink Bandit HP: ??? - AC: ??? Status:
Lt BlueBandit HP: ??? - AC: ??? Status:
Brown Bandit HP: ??? - AC: ??? Status:
Orange Bandit HP: ??? - AC: ??? Status:
Purple Bandit HP: ??? - AC: ??? Status:
Letitia glares harshly at the bandit who wounded Baradim's animal. Her baleful stare weakens him, stripping away his defenses. "Surrender, quickly, before the beast rips out your throat," she says coldly.
Samuel lowers his musket as the bandit falls down. Noticing the arrow snatching at Geadra, he quickly reloads his musket with a paper cartridge and moves his musket around the back of the half-orc to have a clear shot at the new archer.
"Do not let them surround us!" Taking just a short and precise aim he shots again, this time to the new bandit with the pink clothing.
Again Alec stabbed forward with his spear, aiming to run the man through. Had the man not been actively trying to kill Alec, Alec may have felt pity for him in his diminished state. As it was, the blood running down his arm was enough to spur him to fight on.
After his spear thrust, Alec shifted his weight and reversed his position a few feet. He did not like seeing bandits threaten his companions. With one so close to Baradim, and the chill still taking it's toll, Alec meant to stop that one next.
Samuel and Alec each drop another bandit easily, keeping the party from being surrounded.
Greadra steps into the room and slashes with her claws at the first bandit inside the doorway
Snowpaw attacks the bandit in front of himself
The bandit goes down quickly to the barrage of tooth and claw
Baradim also slashes at the bandit in front of him
without armor on, the bandit is slashed open by the falchion and falls as well.
The last 2 bandits look quite shaken at seeing you tear through 7 of their companions in under 10 seconds. they drop their weapons and back into the room they are standing in to the side of the dining hall.
"Wise of you," Letitia says to the bandits who surrendered. "If you wish to live, you will tell us who else is in this lodge with you, and if there are any other traps in store for intruders."
"You better tell us the Sentinels are held safe somewhere near or you are going to have very bad time here!" shouts Samuel from the outside, while he reloads his musket and stays vigilant for any other bandit appearing in the road or a window.
"Blankets, and no armor? They look sick..."
Alec gave the men a once over, but dared not get any closer.
The smell of fresh blood fills the air, heat pouring from fresh wounds as red spills across the ground. It is in such an environment that Baradim seems almost comfortable, the bizarre mannerisms instead evaporating away insteads into that natural predator. Snowpaw walks alongside him as the others seem to drop their weapons, lifting their hands in surrender. The half-orc regards them from under his head, his tusk-filled maw wearing a wicked smile as he steps closer.
He hears Letitia's words and chuckles a low, dangerous laugh as he hoists the falchion up into the air. Crimson runs down the black blade's length, lifeblood glistening in what little light that was there. "If the prey is wise, they'll listen. We hope though...they won't." Snowpaw walks behind his partner and in the dark, both the druid and the animal's eyes catch the light and shine back with a bestial intent.
The men who are surrendering seem sufficiently frightened of the party, but they are not quick to answer your questions.
Lazlo hoots a warning and circles around Letitia, indicating the stairs.
Samuel whispers to the group "There is a man upstairs, just in the Maps Room. We probably should block these bandits in the room and go upstairs to uncover what is going on"
The Taldan moves swift through the room until he reaches a position just behind the chimney. There he tries to hide while he observes the stairs and waits for the others to start climbing up.
Letitia gives the bandits one more ice-cold glare of warning, then nods to Samuel. She shuts the door and slides a heavy object over to brace it shut.
Letitia shows a display of strength that the others wouldn't expect from such a small frame. she shoves a bench against the doorway, trapping the sick bandits in the side room. Greadra moves to help, but doesn't really affect anything.
Greadra hears something on the stairs, and calls out a warning just as Samuel sees two skeletons rush down the stairs, fairly nimbly for undead creatures.
the skeletons are not carrying any weapons, but they have sharp, dangerous looking claws. their claws and bodies are covered in icy frost.
Surprise Round
One skeleton spots Samuel behind the chimney and moves up to him.
Greadra may act in the surprise round since she was the only one who rolled high enough to hear the skeletons coming. Samuel may also act in the surprise round because the second skeleton was not able to spot him.
Bold may act:
Letitia, Alec,
skeletons, Greadra, Baradim, Samuel
Global Condition: None |Global Condition:
Greadra HP: 11/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Baradim HP: 4/10 (-1 non lethal)- AC: 16/12/14 Status: fatigued
Snowpaw HP: 10/18 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Letitia: HP: 7/8 - AC: 16/12/14 Status: mage armor,
Alec HP: 9/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Samuel HP: 3/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:NPCs:
Yellow Skeleton: HP:??? | AC: ???
Green Skeleton: HP:??? | AC: ???
Samuel barely has time to recognize the new danger moving over him "Skeletons! But ice covers their claws!"
Letitia rolls her eyes. Just great. I can't do anything against undead. Wait... ice? she thinks, then pulls out a flask of alchemists fire. She readies a throw at the first skeleton that comes down the hallway.
Alec squeezed passed Letitia and the stairs, approaching behind the skeleton moving toward Samuel. He kept his shield up but raised his spear higher and struck hard at the back of the undead's skull.
Samuel retreats, slipping away just as the skeleton reached out for him. Alec and Greadra pushed in to draw off the skeletons' attention from their ranged allies.
Alec's spear finds purchase in the joints in the skeleton's back, doing significant damage and almost removing the head form the body.
both Samuel and Alec feel a supernatural chill as they stand near the frosted skeletons.
the skeleton that was chasing Samuel turns around and slashes at Alec
Hit!
6 points of damage plus 4 cold damage.
Alec is gashed by the creature and barely stays standing, somehow shrugging off some of the icy chill of the skeleton.
the second skeleton finshes descending the stairs and turns the corner, pinning in Alec and slashing at Greadra. As it rounds the corner, Letitia tosses a well-aimed flask of fire at the undead, burning it and setting it on fire.
It keeps on coming, however, now both covered in ice and with the sheen of an oil fire as it reaches for Greadra
after the skeletons attack, everyone in the room other than Baradim feels a cold, dark, unnatural feeling in their gut. It doesn't hurt, but something about the room suddenly feels wrong. as you watch, some of the broken bones of the two skeletons knit back together and they seem to be restored somewhat.
Assuming you are still in lesser beast form and have scent, you can pick out the scent of another human coming from the base of the stairs, but you do not see anyone there.
Bold may act:
Round 1
Greadra, Baradim, Samuel,
Round 2
Letitia, Alec, ,
enemies
Global Condition: None |Global Condition:
Greadra HP: 11/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Baradim HP: 4/10 (-1 non lethal)- AC: 16/12/14 Status: fatigued
Snowpaw HP: 10/18 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Letitia: HP: 7/8 - AC: 16/12/14 Status: mage armor,
Alec HP: 1/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Samuel HP: 3/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:NPCs:
Yellow Skeleton: HP: -11? | AC: 18
Green Skeleton: HP: -4? | AC: ?/14/? | status: on fire
With Alec and Greadra taking the line, Samuel feels much less concerned by his own safety and much more by the safety of his friend. When the strange wave of energy recomposes the creatures the Sentinel cannot avoid a small shout "What?! Dark magic!"
He aims and shots at the yellow skeleton!
Samuel's musket booms, even louder in the enclosed space of the lodge. the bullet smashes into the skull of the monster, shattering it into hundreds of fragments.
the skeleton explodes in a shower of shards of ice, pelting Alec with shrapnel
4 cold damage
even with his resistance to the harsh cold, Alec can't keep going and falls down
Global Condition: None |Global Condition:
Greadra HP: 11/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Baradim HP: 4/10 (-1 non lethal)- AC: 16/12/14 Status: fatigued
Snowpaw HP: 10/18 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Letitia: HP: 7/8 - AC: 16/12/14 Status: mage armor,
Alec HP: -1/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status: unconscious and dying
Samuel HP: 3/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:NPCs:
Yellow Skeleton: HP: -24? | AC: 18/12 | destroyed
Green Skeleton: HP: -4? | AC: ?/14/? | status: on fire
Baradim doesn't catch the undead as they descend down upon his comrades but when he does, the sight of them fills him with rage. He thinks first to charge in but when the skeleton explodes, downing his comrade with frozen shrapnel, he hesitates. "My wounds are already great. Any worse and I will be in no better position." Putting away his falchion and instead drawing out his sling, the druid begins to spin it up as he shouts a command to Snowpaw.
The massive beast moves past Samuel, charging into the fray nearby Greadra. Eagerly and violently, it launches at the frozen skeleton that remains.
As the cold enveloped him and his blood ran freely from multiple wounds, Alec collapsed into a heap on the floor, his spear clattering loudly to the wooden floor of the cabin.
Letitia moves to stand near the fireplace as she digs out a torch from her pack. She sticks the end of it into the fire to get it burning. There now. This won't do much against its detonation, but it should keep it at bay, she thinks as the fight progresses.
Snowpaw bites at the remaining skeleton, finding purchase but not doing significant damage.
Greadra focuses on the skeleton, stepping to a point where it can't see her as well while fighting the tiger. the unnatural cold from the skeleton is starting to physically harm her:
her claw finds better purchase than her sword but is also not very effective.
the skeleton whips around to face the new threat
it is also still on fire:
it then moves out of the flank it was in. it appears that someone must be controlling it for it to move so intelligently, facing down the humanoid target and then getting out of danger.
a new bandit suddenly becomes visible on the steps, swinging a short sword at greadra.
Hit!
7 damage
Greadra falls to the ground, but it could have been worse as her body fights off a poison
Global Condition: None |Global Condition:
Greadra HP: -2/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status: unconscious and dying
Baradim HP: 4/10 (-1 non lethal)- AC: 16/12/14 Status: fatigued
Snowpaw HP: 10/18 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Letitia: HP: 7/8 - AC: 16/12/14 Status: mage armor,
Alec HP: -1/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status: unconscious but stable
Samuel HP: 3/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:NPCs:
Yellow Skeleton: HP: -24? | AC: 18/12 | destroyed
Green Skeleton: HP: -21? | AC: 18/14/? | status: on fire
Bold may act:
Greadra, Baradim, Letitia, Alec, Samuel,
skeleton, Bandit
The battle was going from bad to worse and Baradim was unsure of what to do. If he left, he would likely be able to survive out in the wilderness. Yet if he did so, he'd be condemning his allies to death at the hands of some foul necromancer. With his sling spinning, he took a step and analyzed the skeleton that his tiger was fighting.
Brandishing her torch, Letitia moves past Samuel into the next room, though she stays against the far wall. When she sees the bandit that attacked Greadra, she decides not to try anything against the skeleton on fire. Instead, she blasts the bandit with a ray of chilling cold.
Samuel covers his face as the skeleton explodes in a thousand cold sharps "NO!" he shouts as Alec falls to the ground of the lodge, feeling the guiltiness rise in himself.
The last Sentinel quickly loads his musket once more while Snowpaw takes good care of the last skeleton. It is then when he sees with total fear how Greadra bites the ground as well stabbed by someone he cannot reach to see "Baradim we need you! There is someone else in the stairs!"
Trying to finish the skeleton before it can attack once more, Samuel loads a flare alchemical cartridge and shots at it!
The last skeleton is killed by Baradim and snowpaw, but also explodes on the poor tiger
Letitia's spell blasts the man with cold. He looks up at her angrily, but pauses to reach down to the wounded Half-Orc at his feet who is shaking slightly but unconscious. Shhh... He whispers, dark energy seeping forth from his gloved hand
Greadra stops moving and the man laughs out loud
The man cast Death Knell on Greadra, which she failed to save against.
Global Condition: None |Global Condition:
Greadra HP: -2/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status: ???
Baradim HP: 4/10 (-1 non lethal)- AC: 16/12/14 Status: fatigued
Snowpaw HP: 6/18 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Letitia: HP: 7/8 - AC: 16/12/14 Status: mage armor,
Alec HP: -1/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status: unconscious but stable
Samuel HP: 3/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:NPCs:
Yellow Skeleton: HP: -24? | AC: 18/12 | destroyed
Green Skeleton: HP: -26? | AC: ?/14/? | status: destroyed
Bandit: HP: -3 | AC: ?/13/?
"He just killed her," Letitia says icily. Her eyes narrow and she again sends a blast of cold at him.
"See here, how the middle circle is bigger than those that it touches. What do you think?"
The young boy studied the print for almost a full minute before speaking. "Some kind of cat" he answered.
"Yes, what else do you notice?"
"It's big" the boy answered again.
"Yes. It's also deep in the snow. It's heavy, not just big. Probably carrying something. No blood around so it's not a fresh kill. Could be a mother carrying her young."
The young boy nodded. "Yes father."
"Come Alec. We'll go a different way. A mother protecting her young will fight harder than anything else in this world."
"Yes father." The two stood and backtracked a few steps before turning and heading off in a different direction. The comment stuck with Alec for years. Had his own mother fought to protect him? His father never really answered the question about her whereabouts and it was always in the back of his mind. He could just now start to see her face...
Bold may act:
Baradim, Samuel
Bandit,
Letitia, Alec
Samuel has an icy feeling through his back as the necromancer absorbs Greadra's vitality. His reckless nature triggers on though and he advances forward looking to see eye-to-eye the evil man "Letitia, only you can save Alec. Give him your potion" the words have strength and meaning, I trust you.
Setting himself in position he rises his musket and points at the necromancer, readying himself to attack him.
If the man comes for him, Samuel steps back 5 feet to avoid any AoO before he shots.
Baradim sees the second front line fighter go down, and decides to switch back to his falchion. he drops the sling and moves forward, standing side by side with his tiger companion between the bandit and the fallen ranger.
Snowpaw stalks forward 5 feet and slashes and bites at the human on the stairs
The bandit leader seems to stretch and distort as a copy of himself peels off of his skin and stands beside him. the new duplicate looks exactly like the real bandit, and mimics his every move.
Copycat (Sp): You can create an illusory double of yourself as a move action. This double functions as a single mirror image, and lasts for a number of rounds equal to your cleric level, or until the illusory duplicate is dispelled or destroyed. You can have no more than one copycat at a time. This ability does not stack with the mirror image spell. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
He then swings his sword at the tiger that was flailing at him.
As he swings, another booming report comes from Samuel's rifle, but it hits the banister beside the man leaving him untouched.
hit
snowpaw yelps as the sword finds flesh, but is still standing strong
Bold may act:
Baradim, Letitia, Alec, Samuel,
bandit
Global Condition: None |Global Condition:
Greadra HP: -2/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status: ???
Baradim HP: 4/10 (-1 non lethal)- AC: 16/12/14 Status: fatigued
Snowpaw HP: 3/18 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Letitia: HP: 7/8 - AC: 16/12/14 Status: mage armor,
Alec HP: -1/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status: unconscious but stable
Samuel HP: 3/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:NPCs:
Yellow Skeleton: HP: -24? | AC: 18/12 | destroyed
Green Skeleton: HP: -26? | AC: ?/14/? | status: destroyed
Bandit: HP: -4 | AC: ?/13/?
Letitia shakes her head, not liking how the fight was going thus far. However, Alec still breathed, and thanks to Samuel's show of trust, she makes her decision. She steps up to the fallen ranger and pours her last potion down his throat.
Baradim's rage has no bounds, not as he watches Wolf-Chosen's soul leave her body. The predatory instinct of the half-orc kicks into overdrive as he orders his friend to strike while he studies the movements of the vicious necromancer before swinging in with his own strike.
Two of snowpaw's attacks hit flesh and bone, injuring the bandit.
Baradim swings his massive falchion, but his senses are not as keen as his tiger's and he cuts through thin air as the illusory double dissipates with a soft popping noise.
Luckily the bandit is now more exposed to the rest of the group
Whenever you are attacked or are the target of a spell that requires an attack roll, there is a possibility that the attack targets one of your images instead. If the attack is a hit, roll randomly to see whether the selected target is real or a figment. If it is a figment, the figment is destroyed. If the attack misses by 5 or less, one of your figments is destroyed by the near miss.
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Alec's eyes fluttered open as he laid on the floor. He rolled over onto his back, staring straight up at the ceiling of the lodge, not really sure where he was. He heard the shouts of those around him, heard the growl from the great cat, and the ring of steel on steel, and instantly recognized what was happening. He sat up quickly, his arm reaching blindly for his spear.
The pain made him unsteady and caused him to wince. As his eyes opened again, he saw Snowpaw and Baradim in melee with another, one he did not recognize. He gave up on searching for the spear and forced himself to get up, his body still adjusting to the pain. Once on his feet, he stumbled to his side, drawing his falcata as he moved. Luckily, his shield was still lashed to his arm.
Samuel reloads his musket with a new bullet, sure that the group can hold some seconds more. The Taldan points precisely at the necromancer. He must hit this time.
as the tiger and half-orc tear into him, the bandit leader gets a quick view of the room and sees the number of downed bandits and sees Alec standing back to his feet.
The fight in his eyes dims, and he throws his sword to the ground. he takes a short step back up the stairs trying to take cover from the musket.
"Enough! please don't kill me! This isn't my fault, I didn't want anything to do with what happened here! the fey forced me to work for them! please, you have to believe me!
The man does seem in fear for his life, and seems to believe that he is a victim here. But there seems to be more to the story that he isn't saying.
As he is surrendering, he quickly tucked a small object into his sleeve. it didn't look like a weapon, but you didn't see exactly what it was.
bold may act:
Baradim, Letitia, Alec, Samuel, bandit
Global Condition: None |Global Condition:
Greadra HP: -2/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status: dead
Baradim HP: 4/10 (-1 non lethal)- AC: 16/12/14 Status: fatigued
Snowpaw HP: 3/18 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Letitia: HP: 7/8 - AC: 16/12/14 Status: mage armor,
Alec HP: 2/12 - AC: 17/12/15 Status:
Samuel HP: 3/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:NPCs:
Yellow Skeleton: HP: -24? | AC: 18/12 | destroyed
Green Skeleton: HP: -26? | AC: ?/14/? | destroyed
Bandit: HP: -16 | AC: ?/13/?
"What was that you just slipped up your sleeve? Who is they? What have you done with the Sentinels? And where's the lady?"
Alec was almost shocked at all the questions that came falling out of his mouth. He knew that they would all be asked by another if not himself. It was unlike him to be so forthcoming. For the first time in a while, he wasn't distracted by his father's passing. Maybe his near-death experience had unlocked something within him.
"Aye! Answer him" Samuel holds his aim while stepping forward to the stairs.
Baradim keeps his blade raised, his eyes filled with a terrible hatred in them. "Bringer of undeath. You writhe like a worm in water. Let me be the bird that plucks you out and brings you back into the cycle properly." The others had noticed that movement as he hid something in his pocket, Baradim's hand reaching out. "Give it to me or I will let Snowpaw rip you apart."
The man seemed to have surrendered, but the others apparently caught some sort of surreptitious action. She arches an eyebrow. "You have asked for quarter, so you must submit to our demands. Step down, slowly, and prostrate yourself."
The bandit gives Alec an appraising look
"Well, well you certainly have sharp eyes lad. Certainly sharper than the men you just killed anyways...
He slowly pulls something out of his sleeve that Alec spotted him trying to hide. he lays it on the ground in front of himself carefully.
It is a small pendant, in the shape of a black oval with a white star placed offset from the center slightly.
This is the holy symbol of Norgorber, god of secrets, poison and assassinations
"Now let's all calm down. I would be happy to help you, and give you the answers you seem to be looking for. I am an unwilling servant of the fey, but I can tell you the little I know of their plans..."