INITIATIVE Pyotr -> Stephan -> Henry -> Iliya -> Nilan -> Mathus
Pyotr steps into the room following Henry and Iliya, preparing himself to unleash his fury upon these dissenters. Stealthily making his way up the stairs, Stephan bounds up the stone slabs on all fours, reverting to his bestial nature. The door opened smoothly, allowing him to creep up on the distracted skeletons. The skeleton notches an arrow, ready to fire upon your allies below, but you interrupt its actions with a well placed knife in the back of its skull. The corrosive liquid softens the bone on contact and allows the blade to sink deep into its cranium. The skeleton drops lifelessly, tugging the knife with it as he falls, but you keep hold and prepare for the next enemy who has turned his attention towards you, an arrow directed at your head. Mathus sees this out of the corners of his eye, and launches his readied flask of alkahest fluid at the monster. Sacrificing damage for an assured hit, you direct it to land on the floor near the shambling bones. As it explodes, your perfect aim results in a splash of corrosive liquid that coats the skeleton, dissolving it in a liquid mire of emulsified bone.
Henry's confrontation with the skeleton is rendered futile as his anger blinds his swings, but Nilan aids him with a carefully placed flask of holy water that explodes on the back of the creature, sizzling as the unholy life force is drained from its bones.
Iliya, continuing in his fury-driven pursuit towards de Mon, twists around the pillars to reach the shapes on the other side. You are surprised to see a woman, cloaked in dark robes branded with the symbol of Orcus, chanting some dark ritual aimed at the portal. Regardless, your fury knows no bounds, she is responsible for the death of children and she must pay. Your axe cuts her down and she falls limp in a pool of her own blood. Behind her the other cultist remains standing, much older with a long white beard swaying in the portals torrential energy.
The fiery circle that swirls around the black void center expands to consume the black hole, speeding up and growing in fury. In a flash it recedes to its normal size and from the void a large fiery whip slings forth towards Iliya. The burning lash cuts deep across the barbarian's chest, cauterizing the wound in a single strike. The extradimensional weapon returns to the void and vanishes, but is quickly followed by a massive black claw, smoking with tendrils of void essence. The black hand slams down around the felled female cultist and grabs her corpse in its all encompassing grasp and lifts her into the air, squeezing the remaining blood from her body. It returns back to the void and as her corpse passes into the portal, it disintegrates into a plume of black smoke.
The remaining cultist retreats towards the altar and lets out an unholy sound directed at the barbarian. Only Iliya is able to see fiendish transformation as the robes of the cultist mold into a writhing mass of gnashing teeth and whipping tendrils.
The remaining skeletons on the eastern loft unleash a volley of arrows at Henry, hoping to stop the ranger where he stands. Both of the arrows clash against the pillar behind him, snapping as they miss their mark.
The de Mon son steps towards one of the dead cultists that lies next to the well, bends over and places a hand on its should. As he rises, so too does the corpse. When it is standing tall, the corpse's eyes burst with light and immediately follows de Mon's orders to eliminate the barbarian. The zombie charges past the pillars nearly falling down the steps as it does, and raises a heavy fist to slam into Iliya's skull. Unfamiliar with the new body, the raised cultist falls short of the barbarian and misses entirely.
Watching over the ensuing battle, the cult leader addresses all of you."You cannot stop death. But you can ease the pain by joining me, Nathanos de Mon, son of the great Deuston de Mon, and submit to my cause. By Orcus's command, we will elimate all life on Golarion. You included."
As if responding to the zealot's pious fervor, the body of the female cultist is thrown out of the portal, already transformed by the desecrating magic of necromancy and seeks to join the fray once again.
acid damage (replace the second 1d4 roll you made)
fire damage
rounds
Pyotr, given a straight line toward the zombie cultist, lashes out with his pale light to snare the zombie.
The faintly glowing tendril wraps around the cultist's body, and Pyotr tugs hard. The whip of light tears through undead flesh.
Completely focused at Nathanos, Iliya finishes a swing not even paying any attention to the creature he just fell. He makes another step forward towards the newly approaching zombie, when head priest's voice, coupled with necromantic spell from one of his aids combine in his own head, showing him a vision of dead Golarion, a lifeless, empty world. His eyes widening in surprise, Iliya shouts from the top of his lungs as the images in his head tug on his sanity. Not paying any attention to his own safety (or that of his comrades) he flees, trying to run from this horrific image.
This time the alchemist selects a holy water and hoicks the glass container to try to take out the two on the other side.
5pts dmg, DC15 for half.
Nilan moves up into the room and touches the cultist staggering him.
Memories flood Stephan, bringing him back to a harsh lesson that his father taught him. "Boy, you failed because you were distracted! Keep your eye on the prize, boy, if you want to make it anywhere!" Stephan flashes back to the present as his father strikes him with the bucket.
Stephan steps 20' past the skeletons, setting down the corrosive dagger and raises one of the shortbows....drawing a bead on de Mon!!
Stephan steps between the fallen skeletons, pulling out a vial of holy water and attacking the Zombie!
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Henry launches himself across the battlefield, warhammer in hand once again. Choosing the cultist ahead as his enemy, Henry knows: the living die easier than the damned, to be sure.
His training means he goes to smash the head. It isn't as effective on living bone, muscle and flesh, as it would be on chalky, dried bone. Still, the ranger strikes for effect!
The round begins with Pyotr lashing out at the newly summoned foe. His anti-undead lash whips around the zombie and severs its left arm which drops to the floor, still twitching a semblance of life. The creature continues to press on, almost unaware of the damage done.
Stephan steps forward along the loft, arming himself with bow and arrow salvaged from the skeletal corpses and takes aim directly at Nathanos de Mon.
With his previous enemy eliminated thanks to the help of Nilan, Henry charges forward, making advances on Nathanos by eliminating the lesser cultist. As his swift arm comes barreling down, it collides with the cultists skull letting out the sickening sound crack of bones. His beard begins to stain red with fresh blood as the feeble necromancer falls dead.
Iliya, overwhelmed by the scenes conjured up by the foul magics of the necromancer, is compelled to flee. Dropping his guard, he steps past the zombie, which, despite its slow reflexes, responds with a heavy fist in the back of the head.
Mathus, seeing how well his assault worked on the last skeleton, seeks to eliminate the remaining two in a single blow. He lobs another flask of holy water onto the loft, landing it directly between the two enemies. The bulk of the spray is directed towards one of the skeletons and manages to drop it, but the is mostly untouched and only suffers minor damage.
Nilan approaches the portal, seeking to stagger the new foe released by the portal, runs his hand into the black void, reaching for the shimmering outline on the other side. After swiping around in the impenetrable darkness, you realize you won't be able to reach her through the magical effect. When you pull back your hand, you find that it has been reduced to a decomposed husk - drained of blood, lacking muscle and spatters of flesh poorly covering the bones and tendons. You can still manage to manipulate it through what you feel to be supernatural means, however clumsy it might be. Burned across the bones in the palm of your hand is the unsettling rune of Orcus. You sense tremendous power in the hand, separate from your own.
The skeleton along the loft ignores his assaulter and continues to focus on the ranger, as he poses the greatest threat to Nathanos. The arrow is loosed directly at Henry, seeking to puncture his heart from behind. However, as the arrow reaches within a foot of him, it loses all momentum and drops weakly to the floor.
The zombie that had sought to strike at Iliya now turns to focus on Henry. His slow movements prevent him from attacking before the ranger, but at least he can provide a distraction. However, the newly risen ghoul of the former cultist lunges forward towards Henry with open claws seeking to swipe at the man, but the ranger's quick reflexes keep him out of harm's way.
Meanwhile, Nathanos continues with the ritual, making his way to one of the cages and opens the door. Much to his dismay, however, the portal begins to close as the delay between sacrifices grows.
Nilan screams in pain and clutches his ruined hand to his bosom. He shuffles forward out of the portal and touches the undead cultist? but his newly injured hand prevents him from being successful.
Pyotr watches Nathanos straight ahead and takes his chance. With a primal growl, talons erupt from the ends of his fingers as he charges, screaming, for the priest.
Mathus screams This will help! to Ilya and hurls an holy water at the ghoul
If hit
Dmg for Zombie is DC15
praying that he will not hit his friend, Stephan lets loose his arrow with a retracting claw.
9/10 arrows left
Despite all the heroics of his friends and their valiant fighting, Iliya's mind is still filled with images of terror. He continues running at his full speed towards the southern exit of the crypt.
Pyotr's abyssal blood takes over and sends him into fiendish melee combat. With shredding claws ripping from his fingertips, the tiefling's unleashes a frenzy of swipes, lacerating the preoccupied Nathanos. Stephan attempts to enter the fray as well, loosing an arrow directed at the cult leader. Unfortunately, the shot cut too close to the protruding corner and nicks the arrow sending it off course.
Henry, finding himself surrounded, switches to mass damage and takes on a more acrobatic means to combat. His hammer swings down hard against the zombies flesh, dislodging a few ribs but causing no serious harm. Perpetuating the momentum, he spins clockwise away from the ghoul allowing the motion to build up speed. Leaping into the air, you bring the hammer down on the ghoul once you've made full circle and deal considerable damage. Nilan once again seeks to aid Henry in combat and rushes up behind his adversary. Reaching out with his deformed hand in an attempt to fill the undead with resting energy, he finds that it recoils of its own volition, surprising the priest as well as filling him with horror. Mathus adds the final touch to the skirmish by lobbing a flask of holy water at the two undead. The ghoul-woman sizzles and disintegrates to a plume of black and red mist, just as she had when she entered the portal. The zombie is covered by an adequate amount of holy water to drop dead between the legs of Henry.
The skeletal archer continues to pester Henry with arrows, but does nothing ting the stone walls and floor.
Nathanos de Mon, being the last cultist remaining, fights for his dear life. Disappointing Orcus would have a worse fate than any man would face otherwise. Ignoring the sedated children in the cage, he stands up after the half-demon rends his back and bellows a prayer to Orcus. An apparently black sphere of negative energy emanates from the unholy priest, draining life from the living. It consumes Pyotr, Mathus and Henry before dissipating, stopping just at Stephan's feet.
Iliya once again returns to reality as he reaches the back doors at the sounds of wounded allies and enemies, realizing combat would go on with or without him and he'd damn well better be in there.
Pyotr keeps up with his frenzied rending, reveling in savagery.
Nilan flinches from the negative energy and its effects on his body. He lifts his Pharasmin symbol high with his good hand and uses his wounded one to hold the cane.
Lady of Graves, see to those who fight this evil!
Everyone except Pyotr is healed for 2
Mathus turns and hurls an Alkahest bomb at the last skeleton.
Bomb
Dmg
With a frustrated snarl, Stephan takes a step back and fires at de Mon again!
Stephan mutters "There is the prize...
With the spells grip finally loosening, Iliya stops and it takes him a few moments to understand where he is and what has happened. Shame for deserting his comrades and succumbing to fear overwhelms him, and barbarian almost cries in silent frustration. Gripping his weapon, he starts to race back as fast as he can, hoping that his friends are still alive.
Nathanos looks worried as he realizes he is the only one left as the final minion is dropped by Mathus's anti-undead bombs. He feels the wrath of your anger as you begin to tear into him. Firstly with Pyotr, whose rending claws tear away at his face, leaving nasty bleeding gashes that run from one ear to the next. You seem to have raked directly across his eyes and he howls out in pain, clasping both of his bloodied hands over the bleeding hollows. Immobilized with pain, he struck with a precise shot from Stephan. The arrow pierced his abdomen, and he keels over in pain. Both Henry and Iliya move in for the kill while Nilan discharges a burst of holy energy, healing his companions.
Now at his knees, the treacherous man with bloody tears pleads for your mercy. "Please, I can't have helped it! My father raised me into this, I knew nothing else but the worship of Orcus!" You can all hear is his echoing cries in the eerily still chamber. The portal in the middle of the room has reduced in size from nearly 10 feet in diameter to a mere 3 feet. Nathanos appears to have more to say, but only if you spare him those precious few seconds.
Your lies might sway another, but your sacrifice of children damns you in the eyes of gods and men. Die. Nilan draws his skarne and walks slowly toward the fallen man.
The alchemist walks towards the pitiful evil figure of a man, crossbow held to shoot.
Hold your strike - I would hear his full confession. What else de Mon? What else is there?
Stephan Shouts "The Sins of the Father DO NOT fall to the Son!! Speak! What's in the Sarcophagus?!"
Stephan knocks another arrow, aiming at the sarcophagus.
Pyotr scowls as he hears Stephan's words. Poised to give in to his savagery, he lets out a dark growl... and backs off.
"No..." he replies, "they do not."
Nilan halts his movement and turns to the catfolk with an eye raised The father did not murder these children. he thinks, but keeps silent, his skarne drawn.
As a few of you protest, there is enough of a pause to allow the man to get a few more words out.
"My father's coffin...it is empty."
Seeing Henry move galvanizes Nilan into action and he moves close, ready to cut the De Mon bastard's throat.
"Everybody stand down....he will give us no more information if he is dead. Somebody restrain him."
Stephan then picks up the corrosive dagger and climbs down the ladder to join the group.
Stephan's arrow flies through air and clashes with the stone coffin, doing little more than creating a few sparks and a quiet pang. The noise startles the cornered necromancer, who quickly responds to Henry's question. "I didn't do anything,"he says indignantly. He motions to the bloodied corpse of the elderly cultist, "Deathspeaker Varidius would speak of my father's final hours of the war being spent ceaselessly studying the Book of the Damned." His right hand fidgets with a silver symbol of Orcus hanging from a polished chain around his neck, staining it red with children's blood. In the cages behind him, the motionless infants suddenly stir with life and began wailing, creating deafening screams that pierce the still air. It appears there are only two remaining amongst the six cages.
Stephan, not knowing anything about this book, starts to search de Mon, taking everything off of him and throwing it to the ground in a pile. Stephan is looking for the keys to the cages.
While searching, Stephan reflects to himself... There is much in my education that is lacking....I must address that sometime
Knowledge Religion DM can add in the bonus if he thinks I qualify.
Knowledge Religion 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14 DM can add in the bonus if he thinks I qualify.
This book sounds awful, but speak no more...your time is through Nilan searches nearby for a gag.
While searching Nilan says Remove that abomination from his neck and bind him. Someone see to the children.
Nilan sheathes his skarne, he will let the authorities hang the man, too much blood has been spilt here this day.