male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
"We will destroy the creature, exactly as I promised," Teldon says readying his longspear. Then he stabs the unsuspecting imp.
Briana looks annoyed but says nothing as they turn back to address the Suzerain once more. Although she certainly didn't disagree with either Arsith or Teldon, she didn't appreciate the implication of being eager to deal with devils either.
We should've just slew it where it stood and not even bothered listening to it, especially since we would've ended up taking care of this 'Lord Baz' eventually anyway. Nothing but a waste of time.
Round 1
Wanting nothing more than to be done with this whole interlude, Briana stalks up to the imp after Teldon's surprise attack and takes a mighty swing with her mace.
Apparently taken by surprise as Teldon suddenly recommences hostilities against the Suzerain, Shadlah can’t gather enough force to fling rock at the imp…
The Suzerain is now Invisible: Teldon is still able to see the Suzerain.
…a fluttering of wings announces the Suzerain’s attempted escape from ‘The Seat of Little Erebus’…
Teldon, you may take 3 Attacks of Opportunity vs the Suzerain and everyone else may make a single AoO (with a 50% Total Concealment Miss Chance) as it flees to the corridor.
Everyone may also take their normal action.
Ziomarra – your action (which was a miss) was slightly out of turn (the Suzerain was before you on the Initiative Count) so you can retcon to something else as you wish.
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
Teldon attempts to end the creature before it can escape, thrusting his longspear at it as it moves...
AoO:1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 6 + 2 = 11, for:1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 2 = 12 unless there's something unusual going on, moving only provokes once per attacker even if you move through multiple threatened squares.
He scowls at his own failure then calls out the imp's location to everyone.
***my turn, when it comes up***
Teldon makes it a point to glance into the chained off room the imp emerged from before giving chase...
passive perception (under stress):1d20 + 11 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (12) + 11 + 2 + (1) = 26
Then he follows after the vile creature and tries again to stab it with his longspear
Longspear (studied combat):1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 2 = 28, for:1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 = 7 confirmation:1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 2 = 14, for an extra:1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 2 = 14 nat 20 for minimum damage, (probably) missed confirmation for max damage... Smh
Teldon – my bad, a slight misinterpretation of Combat Reflexes… As I now understand it; separate types of actions from one opponent can provoke separate AoO’s… but a move action, even through multiple threatened squares, still only provokes once. TLDR: you’re right.
Arsith feels the fiend flutter past her yet she cannot land a blow on the swiftly fleeing beast – Teldon is equally off-balance when he tries to spear it…
Teldon’s subsequent attack will be a hit (but the critical is not confirmed) – I will make a GM post about that once other folks have made their AoO’s
Shadlah, Ziomarra and Briana may take their turn now plus AoO as appropriate.
"Well, that takes care of that," she mutters. Although she doesn't have magic to help her see the invisible like Teldon can, she does have something to help sharpen her senses for a time. She chants a few words and suddenly it seems as though the world comes alive in a way that is normally outside of her perception.
"Much better. I don't like the idea of there being more invisible opponents down here."
Female Human (Shoanti) Geokineticist 7 | AC 22, T 16, FF 18 | DR 6/adamantine| Fortification 15% | hp 80/80 (21 nonlethal) | Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +5 | CMD 21 | Initiative +6 | Perception +13 | Burn 3/9 | 3 Hero Points
Can't make attacks of opportunity with a kinetic blast. =(
As Teldon calls out the imp's location, Shadlah grins and turns to the door behind her. She sweeps an arm around, then up, dropping into a crouch as she does so, and a wall of stone shoots up from the earth to block the door.
Using my kinetic cover utility talent to block off the door. Now, I'm hoping I can do this with "rule of cool", as the ability states I pick one side of a square, and the door is between two squares (and probably a little higher than 5 feet...)
Ah well, at any rate, it has hardness 0, AC 5, and 8 hp. Might slow the imp down a little.
In the spirit of keeping us moving along, let’s go with Ziomarra’s action as she originally posted – her flung card will be against the fleeing Suzerain (and will miss).
Running after the imp as it fizzes past his friends, Teldon strikes with his spear once more… he feels the satisfying jolt as the tip of his weapon strikes the devil but, despite his best efforts, he can’t slow its escape… Briana, running with Teldon, also manages to land a blow with her mace as it passes her – even though she can’t see it, she hears the creature curse as the weapon smashes against it. Her second attempt, aimed where Teldon is pointing, catches nothing but air…
GM Only:
The Suzerain = 9/16
Ziomarra, speculatively throwing a card after the imp, is less than surprised when it returns to her hand unscathed… and then Shadlah, attempting to block the escape, starts to move the stone within the corridor – but the imp is too fast and moves past the gathering rock before it completely blocks the doorway.
(A fly speed of 50 feet gets the Suzerain out into the corridor before Shadlah can act… Rule of Cool would normally apply but the GM kinda wants the Suzerain to survive this… as he says, ‘you will regret crossing the Suzerain’… cue Evil GM Laugh!!!)
…heading southwards, the Suzerain screams obscenities at the friends – turning to sneer at them one final time before darting down the first passageway that leads to the east…
Everyone may take their turn now or, if you are not pursuing, actions?
Just realised I didn’t give Teldon any indication of things behind the chains in the Suzerain’s room… there isn’t any sign of movement or danger… but you’d need to go past the chains to examine the room properly.
Unsure of where the creature is and doubting the wisdom of continuing the chase in unfamiliar territory, Briana skids to stop. "Wait! We can't just go charging blindly after him; that's just asking for trouble!"
If we stay in combat rounds, this is Briana holding her action.
Leaving the Suzerain to flee into the corridors to the south, the friends turn their attention to the area beyond the rusted chains... The room is devoid of furniture however the original decor across the walls is glorious - paintings of armies gathering before a huge representation of the woman depicted by the statue in the earlier room... All utterly spoiled by charcoal scribblings written in a particularly eldritch looking language...
Infernal:
The writings repeatedly declare this room as the domain of Little Erebus and under the reign of the Suzerain... There are numerous crude references to 'Lord Baz' and what teh Suzerain is going to do to him...
Female Human Warpriest (7) Ini +5 HP 65/65 CA 20 T 12 FF 18 Fort+9 Ref+4 Will +9 Perc +10 Speed 20 PH 4/4 Fervor +2d6 HP, 2/4
Teldon, those Infernal creatures.. what could you teach us about them? What are their weaknesses? Why are they here? Aren't they supposed to be summoned by magic only? Could there be a kind of portal permanently opened... into Hell?
Arsith seems reluctant to say these two last words, as if she was utterly disgusted by them.
Sorry for all theses questions. But you're probably the only one able to answer them.
Briana's face falls as she surveys the damage done to the paintings by the charcoal writings. "Ohh...they're ruined! Ruined with this ugly graffiti," she sighs. "It'd probably take magic to clean this up and restore it and we don't have that sort of time right now."
"A permanent portal to Hell?" The young woman's face pales at Arsith's words but then she shakes her head. "No, that can't be...we would have already found much stronger devils, right? It would be like the Worldwound all over again," she shivers.
Although I'm pretty sure Teldon has some sort of Comprehend Languages shenanigans up his sleeve I'm amused that Infernal is otherwise one of the few languages that no one in the party seems to know!
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
I don't have comprehend languages ready, but I do have a minimum linguistics check of 25 if I can relax and take 10...
Teldon frowns at his companions' reluctance to follow the imp... "I can only see him for a few minutes... If we're not going to follow that thing right away we may need to consider going back to the beginning and waiting until tomorrow so I can craft another extract for seeing the invisible."
Arsith- I didn't get any info to share on the imp... I'm not sure if my check wasn't high enough (unlikely), or if it just doesn't have anything?
"Go all the way back out and wait another day? But we've only gotten started!" Briana responds, clearly not enthused by the idea. "We can still follow after him, I just didn't want us to run headlong into any traps or ambushes - that's all. Come on, let's go see if we can find him then. We can always come back to this room later."
With a little more time to consider the Suzerain and what it may truly have been, Teldon concludes that it really was no more than a common imp - their ability to fly and to become invisible at will are well recorded (and perfectly demonstrated by the events of a few minutes earlier), Teldon also recalls that Good-aligned or Silver weapons are typically needed to fight effectively against such a creature and that they have supernaturally fast healing...
...as to the manner of their summoning:
Unlike most devils, imps often find themselves free and alone on the Material Plane, particularly after they’ve been summoned to serve as familiars and their masters have perished (often indirectly due to the machinations of the imp itself). With no way to return home, these imps, freed of their bonds to arcane masters, can become dangerous pests or even leaders of small tribes of savage humanoids like goblins or kobolds.
Are you folks heading southwards along the corridor?
I think so Zed; I can see that there are some branches off the corridor as we head south so I'd assume we'll stop and peer down the first one as we come to it.
As Teldon shares what he remembers of imps and their nature, Briana frowns. "So whoever summoned our friend is probably long dead then and he's been left to do as he pleases. It's a good thing that door has been kept closed all this time!"
Female Human Warpriest (7) Ini +5 HP 65/65 CA 20 T 12 FF 18 Fort+9 Ref+4 Will +9 Perc +10 Speed 20 PH 4/4 Fervor +2d6 HP, 2/4
So let's try to finish him if we can.It will be a blessing for everyone if we manage to rid this place of devils. Besides, we opened the door, so it's our responsability.
When Briana and Arsith suggest that heading in the same direction as the imp, and potentially chasing it down, is a better option than retreating and waiting, the friends leave behind the ‘Seat of Little Erebus’ and move southwards along the corridor. Ziomarra’s dancing cards provide illumination along the long passageway – picking out the two passageways that head to the east (the first of which being the ‘escape route’ that the Suzerain used), a sturdy door to the west and, some hundred feet or so to the south, the point at which the corridor turns to the east.
As the friends draw close to the first of the passageways to the east, they hear a familiar slurping sound accompanied by guttural barking – more of the Suzerain’s lemures!!!
Although not wanting to get too far ahead, Briana quickly moves up to where she can get a better view into the passage ahead. Upon seeing another of the lemure creatures from earlier she begins chanting, summoning forth a ghostly warhammer that attempts to strike at the lemure.
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
Teldon looks ruefully at the mithral shortsword on his hip when he finally recalls that imps are resistant to attacks from substances other than silver...
When Briana leads them in towards the fleeing imp he follows with a grin. In combat he moves forward to engage the closest lemure with his longspear, leaving room for Arsith to stand between him and the beast should it survive...
longspear:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13, for:1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Ziomarra, responding first to the lemures slowly slopping along the corridor, flings a card at the closest of the devils… it finds its target and, almost instantaneously, the lumbering fiend seems less mobile…
Lemure, Save vs Touch of Fatigue: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12, Save Failed – Lemure is Fatigued for 4 rounds
Briana and Teldon rush in, mace and spear combining to cut and bludgeon the near-mindless beast…
GMPC for Shadlah
Focussing on the creature behind the closest lemure, Shadlah bludgeons it with lumps of rock ripped from the walls of the corridor.
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
Teldon draws his mithril shortsword and steps forward to stab the lemure...
shortsword (silver):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22, for:1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Arsith welcome the lemure with a blow to the skull, but the impact could have been bigger.
Just noticed my Power attack should be -1 to hit/+2 dmg and not -2/+4, as my BaB is only +3. By the PRD "You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2"
Sorry for the confusion, as I added my STR bonus to my Bab, getting a total +5 to hit (+3 Bab, +2 STR)
Actually Briana didn't move into combat range on her last turn, she just moved up to where she could see into the corridor/room and then sent her Spiritual Weapon in. But if one of the lemures moved up to engage her, that's fine since she would've moved up this round anyway.
Round 2
As the first lemure moves up and strikes, Briana staggers back slightly as the attack somehow manages to simply knock the wind out of her rather than actually do her any damage. Recovering quickly, she swings her mace at the creature in an attempt to defend herself.
The lemures, lowest of the low within the hierarchy of hell, don't last long beneath the combined attacks of the friends... Shadlah's rocks detonate beneath the most injured devil, shredding it to formless tissue whilst, between them, Arsith, Briana and Teldon take care of the other devil in melee...
...like the proverbial lamb to the slaughter, the final of the lemures slides into combat - clawing artlessly at Arsith...
...and a familiar voice curses the friends for 'invaders' and 'allies to that damned Baz' as the Suzerain (still invisible to all but Teldon) darts around the corner at the southern end of the corridor...
Although she can hear the Suzerain's curses from somewhere to the south, Briana knows that they'll need Teldon's guidance to follow him and that they'll have a harder time doing so if they don't take care of the last lemure first.
As the creature slides up to Arsith, Briana sidesteps around it and attempts to bring her mace down on its flank.
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
Teldon smiles.
look at her... beautiful and kind... she's always been wise but now she's really starting to think tactically too...
He takes advantage of the opportunity for a tactical advantage that Briana created by shifting into position to flank the creature with her. Studying it's movements he stabs at it with his shortsword.
shortsword (silver) flank/studied combat:1d20 + 6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 2 + 2 = 12, for:1d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 = 5
He grimaces at his miss...
pay less attention to her for now and more attention to the devil...
Once again, Arsith beautifully crafted weapon hits his fiendish target.
The white haired warpriest seems happy, even joyful in battle, sending back ugly creatures to rot in their Hellish pits, her moves both precise and powerful.
CG Female Human (Azlanti) Witch (cartomancer)/VMC Cleric of Desna 5/Evangelist 2
stats:
hp 46/46 | AC 17; touch 17; flat-foot 12 | Fort +5; Ref +7; Will +9 | Init +5 | Perception +9
At the sound of the Suzerain's voice, Zee moves farther down the corner, bringing two of her dancing lights with her, while leaving the other two to illuminate the fight with the remaining devil.
Listening for movement and peering into the shadows, Zee attempts to locate the Suzerain's position.
Perception to locate its square:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7...and I'm thinking that's a 'no.'
Arsith and Briana both manage glancing blows against the lemure, their weapons slapping into the near formless flesh before Shadlah, ripping yet more rock from the ceiling, tries to pierce the creature with a jagged looking stalactite… but the rock crumbles beneath the force of her kinesis…
Meanwhile, Ziomarra – leaving her friends to defeat the quickly failing lemure – looks to the south where the antagonistic voice of the Suzerain is fading… but she sees nothing…
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
Teldon scowls at the still moving mound of flesh. Focusing his attention on the disgusting creature he tries again to stab it...
shortsword (silver), flank/studied:1d20 + 6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 6 + 2 + 2 = 17, for:1d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 2 = 7
If that kills it I'll follow Zee, otherwise I'll stay put to give Briana a flank.
Her palms slick with sweat, she very nearly loses her grip on her weapon and has to pull the swing at the last minute in order to keep hold of it.
That finishes it...:
With the remaining lemure dead, Briana looks at the others. "Is everyone okay?" Once she's certain that no one is seriously injured, she turns to Teldon. "Okay, let's go - we can't let Zee get too far ahead of us!"
Finally the third of the lemures falls, its tenuous grip on existence finally failing as Briana's summoned weapon smashes against it...
Combat Over
Taking in their surroundings for the first time, the area that the lemures had occupied appears to have once been an ancient alchemical laboratory, but most of the equipment here has been smashed...
Actions?
There is a door to the west, there are no noises from beyond the door - it remains ominously quiet despite the fight ensuing in the corridor, and to the south (where the Suzerain fled to) the passageway turns to the east...
CG Female Human (Azlanti) Witch (cartomancer)/VMC Cleric of Desna 5/Evangelist 2
stats:
hp 46/46 | AC 17; touch 17; flat-foot 12 | Fort +5; Ref +7; Will +9 | Init +5 | Perception +9
Not able to spot the imp, Zee returns to the rest of the party. "Before we open that door, perhaps we should see if there's anything of interest or value in this pile of rubble."
Holding a Harrow card over one eye, Zee casts detect magic and examines the rubble for any magical auras.
Ziomarra’s examination of the wreckage within the room where the lemures had been waiting suggests that this area may well have been used – a very long time ago – to brew potions and elixirs…
Languages - Thassilonian:
The faded labels of the smashed flasks and vessels suggest that the potions used here were Mutagens of some kind.
…time and the occupants of this area have not been gentle; there is nothing here of any value – salvage or otherwise.
male Human Investigator [empirist] (VMC Magus) 7 | HP: 52/52 | AC: 18/13/16 | F +4, R +8, W +7 (+9 v Illusion) | Init +2 | Perception +17 (+20 v traps)
Not wanting to waste any time, Teldon checks the door to the west for traps (perception:10 + 13 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ 10 + 13 + 2 + (1) = 26) then opens it and looks through while Zee scans the other chamber for magic.
As he surveys what lies beyond he says, "We really should keep moving... the imp will likely lead us to each of his soldiers in turn, hoping to exhaust the duration of my ability to see him..."
The door to the room to the west is carved stone, listening at it – Teldon hears nothing… a tentative push against it reveals that it has, at some point over the ages, shifted upon its hinges and become difficult to open. It takes a concerted effort from Teldon, Arsith and Shadlah to push it open sufficiently far that people can enter…
…when they do, illuminated by Ziomarra’s floating cards, they find a long-abandoned storeroom – the room is piled high with the crumbling remains of crates, barrels, urns and casks of all sizes and descriptions. It is obvious from even a cursory glance that the mundane furnishings stored in this area have long since decayed to worthless rubbish… but a keen eye notices, half-hidden beneath a filthy tarpaulin, a vaguely humanoid shape… standing erect beneath its cover, it appears to be perfectly motionless.
As Teldon and some of the others manage to push the western door open, Briana stands out in the hallway and does her best to keep an eye out for trouble. Now that she has a moment, she weaves a spell to help sharpen her senses and hopefully provide at least some small defense should the invisible Suzerain attempt to ambush them.
"So far so good, but it helps that so far there's really only been one obvious way to travel - and that we've cleared what's behind us," she softly calls to the others. "I'm ready to keep moving when the rest of you are."
