Albus lets down Whisper, since thing appear to be moving forward. He checks for signs of the kids being moved through the ruins, to determine if they were shoved down the stairs or taken elsewhere, as he follows the others. "Hey boy, keep looking about, tell me if something bad's about"
Tracking kids, also see if any kobolds split off or additional ones joined. Also time since the last tracks made.
Nodding at Aelerie, "Yes. This area felt very unholy, Iomedae guard our path."
Albus will keep looking about, expecting an ambush or a cry, or something.
The room with the stairs is different from how you left it. The bodies have been removed by something though the stink of dry blood still suffuses Graypelt's former lair.
What catches your eye the most though is Gurtlekep the kobold scout's sack. For some reason it has been left untouched and there seems to be a... dim light... shining through it.
Aelerie hesitates at the door to Graypelt's lair. Memories of that day, that encounter, rush to the forefront of her mind. One bloodstain in particular catches her eye, and she is unpleasantly reminded of the few frightening moments when Albus lay bleeding and unconscious before the fearsome worg.
Pushing the disturbing memories from her mind, Aelerie continues to look for signs of the children when the light catches her eye. Stepping fully into the room, the arcanist holds a hand up to warn her friends from getting too close to the bag until she is certain it contains no harmful magic.
"Paljasta salaisuutesi."
Aelerie detects conjugation magic from within the sack. As she concentrates on it she can tell that it feels... Lawful and Good and Divine. Probably why the kobolds avoided it.
useful for making Craft (stonemasonry)
skill checks. In addition, there is a smaller
sack containing 62 gp in assorted coins
and a single ruby gemstone worth 300
gp. Although not magical itself, the gem-
stone radiates faint conjuration magic.
Whoever picks up the stone feels an odd connection going from the stone to the room in the south.
If Aelerie doesn't open the sack, Javell does so, and divides the coins between everyone , and looks curiously towards the south, "I think we're supposed to go this way," he tells the rest of the group, "There's definitely magic that way."
Albus has as little interest in the late Great Scout's stuff as he did last time. He'll take anything offered but really doesn't care about it, he mind is on one task only.
"We should keep on our mission, do you think this will help, in some way?" Albus looks quizzical while still seeming to look about for trouble, or troubled kids.
Aelerie gives Javell an odd look at his assertion, curious as to how he could possibly know such a thing until she takes the stone in her hands and senses the connection for herself. A sudden feeling of rightness and benevolence settles over her as the ruby sits in her cupped palms. "Javell is right. Whatever the source of the magic is, it's divine in nature and it's coming from the south. The shrine, maybe?"
Turning to Albus, Aelerie answers, "I think so, yes." She offers the gem to whichever of the men is going to take the lead. "Like you said, our odds are not good. A little help from the Gods could do wonders to improve them."
Albus nods and says, "Since this is a matter of gods, perhaps Javell would be best in lead, Lady Luck should aid her own; normally I'd take the rear then but maybe this isn't the time, who should go last, just in case something comes up behind us?"
Albus call to Whisper, "Hey Whisper, are you game to go down those bad steps?" He checks to see how Whisper behaves near the stairs.
Virdel is content to let the big folk lead the way. He is busy watching their flanks for any threats, recalling the danger of darkness here.
"I'll take the rear if you like and don't want me to lead into there." Laro says while they are looking for what to do with the gem.
Javell nods, and takes the lead, holding the gemstone in one hand and his glowing starknife in the other.
Javell and Albus take the lead in heading into the room directly south of Graypelt's former lair.
It is unnaturally dark in the room, masking the room's most salient features. Albus and Javell can tell though that this was an Altar room once upon a time. Even in the darkness though they manage to perceive a shadowy stalactite hanging from the roof of the monastery, this is unusual enough but both the ranger and the warpriest sight a flash of a claw. It's a creature of some sort!
If they relay this finding to the rest of the group
Aelerie recognizes theses as Dark Mantles! She knows these are aggressive creatures that can cast magical darkness which doesn't hamper them at all as they can see perfectly in the dark!
As soon as he sees the creatures, Javell quickly relays the sight to the rest, hoping one of them might know what it is. Fortunately, Aelerie did, and Javell gave a quick nod to Albus, and prepared his starknife, calling on Desna's luck to guide his strike.
Javell's aim is true but the darkness of the room conspires against the devotee of Desna. He misses.
"A dark mantle! Our lights and dancing torches will be of no use against them." Luckily, the arcanist knows of a creature with eyes keen enough to pierce the magical darkness. Drawing on her inner reserve of arcane might, Aelerie summons a celestial eagle to combat the darkness. The brief flash of light that heralds the arrival of her heavenly guardian is muted by the shadowy aura of the dark mantle.
Albus slides sideways into the room to allow other's to come in. As he does so he readies his bow and nocks an arrow. Very quietly he says, "We have to come through here, so however uneven the battle, we must win." He waits for the others to position themselves.
Laro moves into the room and waits for the creature to descend.
The eagle as soon as it appears bites at the darkmantle it has appeared next to.
But it's bite goes wide.
Then it slashes and bites at the suprised darkmantle, which is expecting to descent on unsuspecting prey, again.
Scoring two hits.
Albus and Javel you can see that the darkmantle lives yet.
Darkmantle 9
Javell draws his next dagger and sends it spinning towards the darkmantle once more.
The darkness conspires against the Desnan once again.
Laro readies his sword to attack if the creature comes into range.
When the creature first appears, Virdel instinctively calls out for the mysterious spirits' blessing upon his comrades. Then he draws out his crossbow and fires upon it.
Albus seeing the others start attacking follows suit.
Standard arrows, arrow attack, threatens critical on 20. Rapid shot 1,Bless
Longbow damage
If threat is made, confirm critical., Bless
Critical damage.
Standard arrows, arrow attack, threatens critical on 20. Rapid shot 2,Bless
Longbow damage
If threat is made, confirm critical., bless
Critical damage.
Not sure if miss chance is rolled per shot. I'll roll that way anyway.
Higher better.
Higher better.
Virdel misses but as he moves into the room he sees three more dark mantles hanging from various parts of the room!
The ceiling of the monastery are about 10 feet high.
The temperature around Aelerie drops steeply but briefly as the arcanist speaks another musical, lilting incantation, sending a bolt of chilled wind and ice shards streaming from her outstretched finger toward the nearest darkmantle.
The agile group moves into the dark room and lets loose a flurry of ranged attacks at the closest darkmantle which is already wounded by the celestial eagle.
Albus sends an arrow directly into the nearest darkmantle and it lets out a scream as it gets close to death, but holds on... until Aelerie's ice shards just push it over the edge into unconsciousness. It falls unceremoniously from the ceiling and lands with a thud on the floor of the former altar room. The ruby in Aelerie's hand seems to glow just a bit brighter as the darkmantle falls.
The three darkmantles that Virdel's keen eyesight spotted descend from the roof like shadows dripping down from the darkness. They fall on the three members of the group furthest into the dark room.
The one descending on Albus misses badly, Javell and Laro are attacked!
The two successful creatures attempt to wrap themselves around the halfing rogue and the grizzled warpriest.
They both manage to do so and they squeeze attempting to crush the life out of their prey.
Laro lashes out at the one that attacked him right before it gets to him. Unfortunately the darkness makes him miss!
The eagle whirls on the darkmantle attacking Laro, flanking it.
And it hits
Ambushed Darkmantle Unconscious
Laro Darkmantle 6 damage
Javell 10 damage, grappled
Laro 11 damage, grappled
Javell cries out as the darkmantle crushes him, and is lit by a brief glow as healing magic courses through him.
He lashes out with a dagger at the one holding him,
struggling against its grip.
Albus drops his bow and draws his axe. He attacks Laro's Darkmantle.
To hit target. Critical on a 20. Bless
Damage
To confirm a critical if rolled. Bless
Damage from critical.
Higher better.
Javell damages the darkmantle on him while Albus misses his swing on Laro's.
Ambushed Darkmantle Unconscious
Javell Darkmantle 6 damage
Laro Darkmantle 6 damage
Javell 10 damage, grappled
Laro 11 damage, grappled
Laro tries to struggle free from the grip of the darkmantle yelling as he does so, "Get this thing off me! It's gonna crush me to death!"
Laro is unable to slip out of the darkmantle's suffocating grasp.
Aelerie feels helpless as she watches the darkmantles descend upon Javell and Laro. With no other recourse available to her, she continues her melodic incantations, sending a blast of numbing cold at the darkmantle latched on to Laro.
Aelerie's ray misses due to the damnable darkness.
Virdel curses the darkness and fires again.
Virdel's bolt goes wide.
The darkmantle facing Albus swoops again at the ranger and manages to hurt him but fails to cling on.
The darkmantle constricting Javell cannot hold on to the warpriest
The one on Laro though continues to attempt to squeeze the life out of the unlucky halfling.
The eagle tears into that darkmantle though with beak and claw.
Ripping it to shreds. The darkmantle loosens its grip on Laro as it slides to the ground in bloody chunks.
The ruby in Aelerie's hand blazes to life as the darkmantle dies, lighting up the room with a brilliant white glow and banishing the magical darkness of the darkmantles.
Ambushed Darkmantle Pretty much dead
Javell Darkmantle 6 damage
Laro Darkmantle Dead
Javell 10 damage,
Laro 17 damage,
Albus 4 damage
"Now I see you. No more hiding."
Javell steps back, throwing his dagger at the one closest to him even as he draws the next.
The blade lodges deep into the soft underbelly of the darkmantle as it screeches in pain and a large gout of blood spurts out.
Laro withdraws out of the room,"I don't think I can take much more of that."
Albus sidesteps to get the flank and attacks his darkmantle.
To hit target. Critical on a 20. Bless, +2 if flanking works
Damage
To confirm a critical if rolled. Bless, +2 if flanking works.
Damage from critical.
Albus' axe bites deep into the armored part of the beast. Still doing a lot of damage to it.
Aelerie holds the ruby up high, banishing every last vestige of magical darkness from the room. With the darkmantles no longer able to hide in the shadows, the arcanist sweeps a hand out in front of her, sending two bolts of crackling magical energy toward the creatures.
Albus' darkmantle suffers a glancing blow from Aelerie's magic while Javell's takes a much more direct hit. It screeches and curls in on itself as it falls backward to the floor.
Blinded and frightened by the mystical light and heavily wounded the final darkmantle attempts to flee back up to the roof where it's roosted for so long, it's clumsy, wounded, flight is cut short by a neat swing from Albus' axe, ending its life as it is cut into two pieces.
As you catch your breath and look around you can see what was once a shrine.
Pews of darkwood lie tipped over and covered in dust on either side of it. At the far end sits a large ceremonial anvil, but its surface is defaced and ruined.
A bit of desecration that has lasted through the ages is a scrawl of black graffiti on the side of the ceremonial anvil. Perhaps it has lasted as it was this act that ended the consecrated nature of the place?
It reads
On top of the ceremonial anvil you find a beautiful engraved mural of dwarven design. Right in the center is a depression that looks like it will fit the ruby Aelrie is holding perfectly!
Aelerie breathes a sigh of relief as the last darkmantle falls. "I should have thought to lure them out into the courtyard... Laro, Javell, are you alright?" Moving deeper into the room, Aelerie climbs over the overturned pews to avoid having to step over the darkmantle corpses. She translates the Dwarven writing aloud before telling the others what little she knows of Droskar. "The last time we were here, I had assumed the kobold was responsible for defacing the altar." She could only wonder what could make the Dwarves forsake their God for another so seemingly dark. But it was a mystery for another time.
After admiring the Dwarven artwork on the anvil, Aelerie carefully fits the ruby into its rightful place.
Albus sighs in relief as another set of monsters are put down. Looks around for Whisper seeing what he is going on about, if it's not the strange creatures here. The insane girl could be following us, or something else could be outside.
Albus says "I'll check outside, make sure nothing is out there that we should know about, then will need to see where the kids are, if not in the bellies of those beasts. Doubtful they don't seem quite large enough to fit all of them." Trust Albus to bring rain-clouds to the shiniest of victories.
Perception check default okay or can be rolled.
Javell grunts slightly as the pressure is relieved. He mutters a quick prayer to Desna, and if showered with star motes as his wounds heal.
"I'm fine. A bit wounded, but nothing Desna can't take care of. I think we can be pretty sure the kids didn't come this way, though. This altar interest me, though."
Javell steps up to the defaced altar and examines it.
Laro stands breathing heavily and bleeding profusely, "No I am not alright. That thing had it's way with me. I'm lucky to be alive. Boy, do I need a drink. Need to remember to bring that next time."