One skeleton wears:
a platinum and onyx nose ring (appraisal check worth 140 gp)
first silver ring (appraisal check worth 24 gp).
second silver ring (appraisal check worth 14 gp).
Another skeleton wears:
two matching silver armbands (appraisal check worth 90 gp)
a pair of malachite earrings (appraisal check worth 70 gp)
The skeleton answers Lililinda in a hollow voice, "Xaeen."
From where Kirzon stands he notices that another hole in ceiling can be seen.
“Lililinda, nice to meet you. What brings you to a place like this, Xaeen?”
Merelda shakes her head to Kirzon indicating the Cloak of Elvenkind she wears.
"Maybe on the next level we send a scout first? Cinder would be too easy a target I think, but I could go up first."
Xaeen looks at Lililinda "I am here at the behest Sister Yndryssa. We are here to study the artifact that lies within these caverns of Hrazhad-Kul."
Innis shakes her head "Scouting hasn't done us any good in such confined spaces. We continue in force. Cassandra can take care of her self."
The talking skeleton creeped Cassandra out rather badly and she wasn't quite sure if she should destroy it or not. Instead she resolved to ignore it and listened as they discussed how to go to the next level. At Innis' suggestion Cass simply nodded and said, "It worked before so it should again." She looked to the hole nervously and said, "I'm ready when the rest of you are."
"An artifact? How fascinating! Is it upstairs? What does it do?" Lililinda continues her cheerful interrogation.
"The artifact does not lie upstairs. It lies within the temple of Maramaga. It's power is great from what Sister Yndryssa has told us. Only she is allowed to commune with it." Xaeen tells Lililinda.
As Lililinda continues to converse with Xaeen while the others progress up the shaft. Cassandra goes first followed by Amigail and then an invisible Merelda.
Just like before the shaft slowly rises each of them to the next floor. This floor unlike the one below reeks of filth. Old bones and decaying animal carcasses lie piled against the south wall. Against the north wall sits an oak chest, atop which sits an impressive collection of humanoid skulls.
Against the southern wall you see the residents of this floor. Two goat-headed humanoids covered in mangy gray hide with muscular, gaunt frames point their wicked looking halberds at Merelda as she comes into view. They waste no time and charge.
When Cassanra saw the goat men at the top of the shaft this time she barely managed to say, "Oh s~#+!" before everything started. Sh could only hope her reactions were fast enough as they jumped.
As Merelda vanishes Innis digs her claws into the other woman as she pulls intent on heading up the tower after hearing Cassanda's gasp. Merelda feels like this is her lucky moment. "Find your time Sister" She advises before letting Merelda go. Innis the Trickster manifests her doppelganger as she prepares to head up the tower.
Trying to bide her time while invisible as Innis suggested, Merelda immediately steps back and away from Cassandra and the Minotaur-like creatures...what are they again?
If I still have time...Cast Protection from Evil on myself!
Re-Roll?
It appears the fickle goddess Calistria continues to test Merelda deeming that to bestow fortune onto both of her adherents would be an abominable use of her powers. Innis' blessing of fortune falls on deaf ears. Though she thinks she hears a laugh off in the distance.
Biding her time and hoping that Cassandra can take care of herself Merelda prepares to propel herself upward. It is then she hears boom-Boom-BOOM and a bestial bellow as whatever Cassandra is fighting slams it's hooves against the floor. Then she hears another set of hooves again followed by a bestial bellow!
At the same time that Merelda and the rest of the group are hearing this Cassandra braces herself for the charging creatures. She thrusts her glaive at the oncoming creatures. One strike misses the other skids off the creature's thick hide doing no harm.
The first creature rams it's horns into her side just as she turns and completely dodges the second charge!
Merelda pushes past Amigail and reaches the next floor where she sees firsthand what these creatures are, schir demons! As she moves to attempt to trip one of the demons they see through her invisibility and strike at her. One of hits her with its halberd.
Merelda attempts to trip one of the demons but does not even manage to move it. As she does so her invisibility wears off.
Also known as spite demons, schirs are among the most violent and vile-tempered inhabitants of the Abyss. Formed from the souls of mortals who either committed or framed others for heinous crimes—acts committed for the sole purpose of petty retribution. They serve as front-line infantry in demonic armies and while not especially intelligent, schirs are cunning warriors and able sentries.
They prefer to charge into combat, a schir’s natural jumping ability makes it a nimble enemy, capable of using its surroundings astutely. A schir will often jump on top of rocks, crumbling walls, or any other high place to hack with its disease-ridden halberd.
They are able to see through invisibility and are immune to electricity, poison or disease and are resistant to acid, fire and cold. The creatures are able to withstand (i.e., resist) magical attacks as well. Weapons of cold iron or good aligned will injure the schirs normally otherwise they are partially resistant to other weapons.
Re-Roll?
Cassandra gave a loud grunt of pain as the one goatman gored her badly. She didn't think she could take much more of this but knew she had to hold out. She stepped back and lashed out at the nearest of them once again.
Unfortunately she was too badly wounded from those horns and she had to use her glaive to catch her balance rather than strike.
Lililinda looks up at the next hole in the ceiling with a look of concern. “What is up there, Xaeen?” she asks the undead wizard, “And step over here, we go up in a moment.”
When Amigail reaches the top of the shaft she hacks swiftly, aiming for the demon's neck. Alas, she comes closer to the thing's kneecap.
for
Cassandra strikes at the schir demon, but misses as she regains her balance. Amigail emerges from the bottom floor and swings too wide to even come close to hitting the schir demon.
Once again Artsiv appears from it's plane of existence and pecks at the furthest demon ripping through the tough hide of demon with it's beak.
"Sister Yndryssa's guardians are above. They are from the Abyss. Then above that is the top of the tower. That is where Sister Yndryssa can be found." Xaeen moves to the shaft with Lililinda.
[ooc]Shir: -2 attack, saves, skills 1|???/ooc]
Innis ascends to the next floor. Due to the resistant nature of these new enemies she relies on the sheer weight of her personality to demoralize her enemies.
Calling upon her innate ability Innis stares down the demons causing both to shrink back from her. Although doubt creeps into the demons' minds they lash out at the party.
One schir attacks Artsiv! The halberd hacks down Artsiv and you watch as the celestial eagle vanishes returning back to wherever it came from.
The second schir attacks Amigail but she easily anticipates and avoids the uncoordinated attacks.
Stepping back, Merelda targets the Shir that killed Artsiv...
+ Daze
Although she expects she's stepping into a whole world of pain, Amigail moves into flanking position opposite Cassandra and hacks away at the demon's midsection, hopeful that she and Cassandra can take one of the foes out quickly.
for
Cass made use of Amigail's attack to strike at the demon while it was distracted by a different foe. Her weapon lashed out with as much force as she could manage at the goatman thing and looked right on target for a hard blow.
“And what exactly does Sister Yndryssa do up there?” Lililinda continues, “and get ready, I’ll need you to defend my friends and myself the moment you get up to the next floor.”
"I cannot say for certain other than Sister Yndryssa studies and practices her magic from that floor."
Kirzon is about to grab Boros and head up the shaft but it is obvious to both Lililinda and him that this might not be the wisest idea.
"Look's crowded up there. Might need to hold up until they call fer us."
Up above Merelda sends a scream that slams into one demon. Cassandra is able to hit the other demon thanks to Amigail moving into a flanking position.
Innis' dominating presence continues to ruthlessly assault the ego of the already shaken demon. It's pride is is laid-low, flustered by Innis' antagonizing words.
For the next minute, the target takes a –2 penalty on all attacks rolls made against creatures other than you and has a 10% spell failure chance on all spells that do not target you or that have you within their area of effect.
if only i could insult something to death...
Boros finds it's way up the shaft and strikes the furthest schir demon easily wrapping around it's frame and nearly crushing all of it's demonic bones.
Innis taunts the creatures causing their focus to shift towards her. The schir demon being crushed by Boros tries to gore the snake but barely has any strength left to make the attack it misses. The other demon tries to gore Amigail who swats away the attack with her buckler and then sweeps his halberd at Cassandra. She parries the blow with her glaive.
Lililinda readies her wands of Color Spray and Admonishing Ray and nudges her skeleton towards the lift. "Allright, up we go. Get ready to blast anything that actively threatens me or my companions."
Amigail keeps flanking and attacking.
for
Trying to flank the Green-furred monster with Boros (I'm assuming Boros cannot help flank while grappling blue) she strikes at the monster!
The demon's body turns to ash and returns to the Abyss as Boros ceases it's existence on this plane.
Cassandra lashed out once more using Amigail to help distract her target. Yet again she put tremendous force behind her strike in hopes of taking the thing down quickly.
Cassandra strikes with her glaive, but the demon easily knocks the glaive away with its own halberd. As it defends against Cassandra Amigail strikes with her falcata and the heavy blade tears into the creature's hide.
Merleda moves to stab her rapier into the demon's stomach but the blade fails to pierce.
Xaeen nods and heads up the shaft slowly being lifted. Reaching the top she directs a magic missile at the demon as she carefully avoids being hit by the demon however the spell dissipates as soon as it touches the demon.
Innis turns her ire towards the remaining shir demon. So vicious are her words that even a devil may cry.