Marigold casts protection from evil in the party then prayer, while Ryan casts shield of faith in both warriors. Meanwhile Maxim readies his wand and uses it an instant before the combat starts, covering himself in an aura of displacement.
You attempt to sneak as close as possible, and when you turn around the tube you do find a humanoid with tiger-face carrying a lantern of guidance and a lumbering giant with short stumpy legs and powerful, muscular arms, its hair and beard akin to fire.
As you approach Zaur Sza seems to notice you, but Motruk is just to distracted in his advance through the tube. The tiger-man looks back at you, staring at Kaurophon "Oh, it's you" and then looks at Kikinnin and JJ "You seem familiar too, haven't we seen each other before?" before finally seeming to notice Marigold's lantern "Understood" finally casting a spell effortlessly.
shield
Marigold feels something attempting to affect her and focuses her willpower on resisting whatever it might be...
"The tiger shields himself!" Ryan calls out to the others, raising the everpresent key at his neck "Abadar smite our enemies"
( or ) and blinded for 1 round
"You seem familiar too, haven't we seen each other before?"
"You're not wrong. You and the mountainous meathead broke into the Bluecrater Academy, back in Cauldron. You outnumbered me, so I had to watch from the shadows, and let you go about your business. Got the sense you knew I was sitting there. Can't say as I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Zaur Sza."
Ryan raises his holly symbol and bursts the fire giant into holly power, but Zaur Sza seems unperturbed by his magics.
"Oh yes! The Bluecrater Academy! You were hiding there like the craven you are" the tiger-humanoid starts to laugh at the dwarf "I am impressed though you have been able to join our rivals and follow us up to Occipitus"
Kikinnin looks up at the giant, before returning his gaze to the tiger-man. "Well, that's the pot calling the kettle black, if I've ever heard a conversation between two kitchen metals. You keep your giant back, and you and I can decide who's more craven, here and now."
JJ hurries forward, getting in close to the giant, and hoping he was not going to regret it.
While Kikinnin kept Sza talking, JJ put the plan to take out the giant into effect, swinging Alakast... at its food.
"That is for stealing from my hometown.
And we know which pot they are talking about now, don't we?
:
Whatever fell magicks their foes brought to bear, Maxim's stubborn will dismisses them with ease.
The gun-mage moves forward , raising his pistol at the melee before him. He squints, calling forth his own magicks at the giant
"Bliksem!"
:
"That I would like to see" Zaur Sza shows a feline smile to Kikinnin, but they are interrupted by JJ's charge that crashes Alakast on the giant's right foot.
That is immediately followed by Maxim's electrical bolt that partially shocks the giant.
"Ouch!" the giant starts swinging his large greatsword over his head and it erupts in fire "Do as you wish with the snoop dwarf but the blondies are mine!" the giant then descends its weapon on JJ.
The swings are brutal, but Marigold's pure faith maintains the sword away enough for JJ to survive the brutal assault, although considerably bloodied.
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As the giant's sword leaves JJ bloodied and bruised, JJ realizes that it didn't hurt near as much as it should, yet Ryan hisses with pain from nearby, blood seeping out from beneath his own breastplate and a large purple bruise showing on his own arm.
"JJ, Scion of Surabar, be you fleet of foot and stout of heart, lay that giant low and avoid his next swing."
Immediate action - Sacrificial Bond(SU) Ryan takes the 43 damage from the giant's sword hit, Go get him JJ!
Standard action - Inspiring word - +2 moral bonus to everything(rolls) but damage for 5 rounds
"Arrghhhh!" shouts JJ, trying his best to imitate the war cry of Beefinator the barbaric hero from his "novellas".
Again and again he crashes Alakast against the massive giant.
Seeing how little damage he does, for a moment the boy wonders
"Or maybe I should have targeted the master, not the servant."
Undaunted by the cat-man and his giant goon, Marigold steps forward next to Maxim and conjures a burst of holy power just behind the large giant!
______________
AC = 31 (+3 SoF)/ 35 vs. Motruk (+4 Dodge Bonus)
HP = 104/104
Weapon Equipped = +2 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = Prayer, PfE, SoF
Kikinnin lowers his head, looking at the tiger-man from under his lowered brow. The black beard shudders to think of JJ taking another one or two giant swings, so he makes a decision- strike at the rak, and provoke the brute.
"No shame in backing off, JJ. The lummox just needs the luck of one slash to cut you down. Alright, Sore, let's see if I can't make you live up to your name."
Ryan sacrifice in name of Abadar spares JJ from his injuries.
Marigold calls another wave of holly power. Zaur Sza seems to ignore it as much as it did with Ryan, but this time the fire giant is taken by the full burst of power and results blinded "Ah! Damn dwarves!"
Kikinnin follows on with a sacred swing of his axe, but the blade is deflected by arcane magics protecting the tiger-man that offers back another feline smile "Interesting but futile act of bravery"
Kaurophon waves his staff casting a spell "Don't jump like that over them. Protect yourselves first. These are not normal enemies"
shield
Stepping back Zaur Sza closes his fist with strength and both him and Motruk start moving at an accelerated speed.
haste
Still suffering from his sacrificial injuries, Ryan further inspires JJ's actions with his exhort.
JJ starts swinging Alakast with his usual dexterity. Despite Zaur sorceries, Motruk blindness impedes him to see the hits coming. The young man catches him off guard with two of his attacks cracking his left leg.
"Ah! I know you are there!" Motruk swings his greatsword blindly at JJ.
Sightless, the fire giant fails all his attacks "Aaah! Stop hidding!"
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AC = 31 (+3 SoF)/ 35 vs. Motruk (+4 Dodge Bonus)
HP = 104/104
Weapon Equipped = +2 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = Prayer, PfE, SoF
Kikinnin barks his frustration for missing what felt like a good swing. He understands magic's implications, and resigns himself to the moments denied him when the magic is employed against him. He would do the same, and can't fault Zaur Sza for it.
"You can step back all you like, Sore, but I'll catch you one of these times. There's more than me behind this Axe, you'll soon learn."
edit:
Marigold's Round 2
"ಔಟ್ ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿ, ಇದು ಒಂದು ಹಠಾತ್ ಕಾಗುಣಿತ ಆಗಿತ್ತು," Marigold warns as she conjures a healing light in the palm of her hand and then places said hand on Ryan's arm, mending some of his wounds.
"ಇಲ್ಲಿ - ಜೆ.ಜೆ. ಅವನ ಕಾಲುಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಇಡಲು ಅದು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಆದರೆ ನೀವು ಬದಲಾಗಿ ಬಿದ್ದಿದ್ದೀರಿ!"
"Watch out, that was a hastening spell!"
"Here - it won't do to keep JJ on his feet but have you fall instead!"
As their foes bring their own majicks to bear on the combat, and their guide does likewise Maxim attempts to discern what effects they ordain;
:
:
The canny gun-mage easily recognises the incantations and yells a warning to the group;
"Kaurophon's shielded hisself an the tiger-fella an' the jotun are hasted! Best make 'em dead... quick!"
He draws a bead on the giant before him before drawing from his own magical reserves to empower the firearm...
The gun glitters with frost as Maxim draws a bead and fires both barrels! (Standard Action):
:
:
:
:
Refocused, Kikinnin assaults once more on Zaur Sza, his axe bursting into holy power pushed by both his father and Abadar, it pierces through all magical shields and armors that protect the tiger-man and draws an incisive gash from the rakshasa's right shoulder to his left leg. The blood splashes everywhere and Zaur Sza barely manages to stand on fit, grasping strongly the cave walls.
With the reposition of his enemy, Kikinnin's second swing fails going straight through the air.
Marigold casts a spell touching Ryan and healing most of the sacred follower of Abadar wounds.
"Let's even out things" Kaurophon says some arcane words and the Cauldron Watchers start to move hastily!
Zaur Sza clumsily steps back trying to avoid falling from his massive wound, then casts a spell and touches Motruk, whose muscles suddenly grow. The rakshasa attempts to say something, but he seems to resign under the acute pain.
bull's strength
Maxim casually reloads both barrels of his pistol with alchemical cartridges .
As he does so the gun-mage observes the feline fiends magicks once again being used to potentially augment his giant ally...
:
"The jotunn's been bolstered again! This time with Strength o' Bulls! Ware his attacks Surabar big'n'll hit like a herd o' Aurochs now!"
"Thanks Marigold, that could be a problem" Ryan says in Celestial at Marigold's healing touch, ignoring his own wounds for the moment Ryan holds his palm out towards the Giant and speaks clearly
"Careful, JJ! His eyes don't look so glazed over..." Kikinnin looks down on the floor, his blade dripping tiger blood, and as much as he'd prefer waving off the half-fiend's magical energies, he doesn't object to the speed that's about to surge his attack against Zaur Sza.
"Uh, JJ, do you want to finish off the tiger man?"
"Nope. You stay with Mr Stripy, I'll keep pounding on this guys toes." retorts JJ.
"Unless you want to help with him too?"
He twirls Alakast around, hoping the added speed provided will make a difference. Again and again he smashes it into the giants toes, ankles and one big blow into its knees.
"I didn't want to fully rob you of your avenging your family, given the history. If I'm able to help in your retribution, I'll not wave the honor."
Kikinnin watches as the blood hits the floor, and wonders if he might just let nature take its course, until Zaur Sza lends the strength of a bull to the big lunk, and seals his fate.
With astonishing skill Maxim reloads his steamy gun.
JJ's augmented speed with Surabar's legendary staff strikes three times on weak spots of the giant armor, while the other two attacks touch the enormous giant on his tough natural skin deflecting the staff.
But the fire giant is no enemy to joke about, it swings back with his flaming greatsword with almost as much speed as JJ.
The first two slices produce deep cuts on his arms. With the third one Motruk shouts releasing tension and strength while he traverses JJ's belly with the blade "Aaaaaaaaaaah!" the metal protrudes from the young man's back all covered in blood. As the giant removes the sword from the body, JJ falls to the ground.
With the blonde man on the floor of the tube, the fire giant turns to Kikinnin and delivers yet another swing.
But the dwarf deflects the powerful blow with his shield, despite it requires great strength and focus.
Zaur Sza smiles following Kikinnin's last words and the fall of JJ and recomposing himself by the change of the tide the tiger-man speaks up "Ah! So that it is. The boy was somehow familiar to me. What a pity he has not been able to present himself before going down..."
Kikinnin watches in horror as the boy is slain within three savage strikes. He tries to utter his outrage, but his throat has seized up violently.
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AC = 32 (+3 SoF)/ 36 vs. Motruk (+4 Dodge Bonus) Hasted
HP = 104/104
Weapon Equipped = +2 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = Prayer, PfE, SoF, Haste
Kikinnin snaps out of it, spotting a weak heaving in the boy's chest. "Motruk, you watch what I'm going to do to Zaur here, and you consider your next moves carefully."
The black beard lashes out against the rakshasa, praying to Abadar that his first blow carry enough weight to wink out the light behind the feline eyes, so that his second or third swing might be leveled against Motruk, instead. As such, Kikinnin restrains himself a little, to make sure he connects as many times as possible.
edit:
Marigold's Round 3
Marigold's eyes widen with shock and horror as her brother JJ drops to the ground in a spray of blood. She utters an unintelligible shriek of pain and anger, channeling another burst of holy power directly at Motruk - that Zaur Sza is also in the blast radius is currently incidental to the halfling.
______________
Kikinnin swings his axe connecting a solid chop on the rakshasa's right shoulder, very close to his neck. Zaur Sza seems surprised the dwarf's axe is able to cut his skin. A second swing is deflected by the sorcerer's magics, but the quick last swing comes unexpected for him and the dwarf completes what his first swing started: to finally chop the rakshasa's head.
"Zaur Sza!!!! Nooo!!!!" Motruk growls angry just seconds before Marigold smites him with holly power leaving him blinded and in very bad shape.
Kaurophon growls with enthusiasm "Yes! We have them!" and raises his staff sending magic missiles to the giant.
Maxim's displacement fades out and disappears.
Ryan moves up next to JJ, worried that the giant's stumbling steps might finish off what his sword couldn't... stepping forward himself he appears beside the ranger's prostrate form.
Dimensional Hop 25' 5/20 hops used
"Come on JJ, no time to be laying about"
"Ugh.. ahh, what happened?" mutters JJ.
Shaking his head he gets groggily to his feet, blue light streaming from his wounds.
"That giant hit as hard at that thing back at your home Kikinnin." he mutters, sending a single weak thwack at the blinded giants nearby toe.
Kikinnin flinches as the boy stands up before the giant, before realizing that Marigold's magic blinded Motruk a second time. She packs a punch. Couldn't have timed that better.
"I don't doubt it for one moment, JJ..." Kikinnin is too busy looking at Maxim, hoping the blond beard can drop Motruk, before the giant buries his blade in the boy a second time...
Ryan suddenly appears next to JJ and the young man wounds are healed for Abadar's cause!
With a skillful hop by himself, JJ stands up and bashes the blinded giant with Alakast. Barely standing, Motruk curses the cauldronite "You bastards! You will pay for this!"
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As first JJ falls, then rises and Kikinnin takes the tiger's head, Maxim remains calm as he raises his loaded pistol.
Glaring down the double barrel he nods to himself as he imbues the already enchanted firearm with more arcane energy
Drawing a bead the gun-mage scowls and pulls the double hammer trigger;
:
:
:
:
He then loads one barrel with an alchemical cartridge and mulls his next course of action should the jotunn soak up more of his ammunition...
Smaug speaks aloud, and the jotun goes down hard. Blinded and unable to see the bullet coming, Maxim's frost colds down the flames totally disregarding the thick skin armor of Motruk. As the fire giant falls, the tube comes once more into silence.
Another lantern of guidance
10 days of bland dried food
belt of incredible dexterity +2
magical wand
scroll of plane shift
large masterwork half-plate
large +1 flaming greatsword
wand of slow with 12 charges
"Well... that is how they were intending to escape.." notes the rather sore JJ.
He spends a few moments tending to the worst of his own wounds.
Ryan lays his hand on JJ's shoulder speaking softly, most of the remaining injuries are healed only a few bruises remain
+68 =77/80 for JJ
Shaking his head the cleric gently admonishes the young man, "JJ, one of these days you're going to fight something we can't fix, but in the meantime nice work."
Looking over the items they found, "Hmm, with Abadar's Righteous Might I might be able to fill this out, wonder if it would shrink back to my size when the grace ended. Likely not."
"Struck home, and down he goes! Well done, 'Forge. Likely just saved JJ's life. Motruk had way too much luck here."
"JJ, one of these days..."
Kikinnin rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah, feels like I should have squared off with Motruk, instead of JJ. I let Zaur get the better of my pride, and I failed to follow our initial plan." The black beard looks over the priest and the boy.
"Only glad we overcame. Not sure where you found the strength to resist that attack, JJ, but you've got my respect for surviving it."
When it's clear they can continue, Kikinnin helps lug what they deem valuable, and makes his way through the tube, to whatever awaits them ahead.
"Those Lanterns. Magical, eh? Anyone passing the First Test gets one? Does Adimarcus let more than one pass all the Tests, if they can? Or is it first come, first serve?"
With the rivals defeated and JJ's wounds healed, Kikinnin opens the march upwards.
The tube's upward spiral ends in a round chamber with a doorway in the opposite end leading to a spiral staircase. Furniture in this room is limited to a massive iron throne festooned with spikes. Most of the back of the throne is missing, although the framework of the back remains. Before the throne lies a pile of wood-furniture debris from the looks of it.
There are ceramic shards on the floor; it looks as if someone smashed dozens of clay pots here.
You do hear a smashing sound behind the throne.
A lumbering figure sculpted from soft clay with a face only vaguely humanoid and wearing filthy rags and crude jewelry is smashing the throne from behind.
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"I don't think I'm supposed to die just yet." smiles JJ.
Then with a cheeky grin he adds "Too many pretty girls still to kiss."
He offers a light bow to Ryan. "My thanks to you and Abdar too. That is twice in one battle. I'm going to have a hell of a time explaining these scars to Sara."
At the thought of the pretty bar-maid, he bushes...whether due to his earlier comment or just a memory, who can tell.
"Look" he whispers "Another giant.. looks like it has made from claw - smashing that throne from behind."
With the magics of Prayer and Haste waning, Kikinnin doesn't waste time, leaping into the inevitable fight with the clay golem.
The black beard knows he's no quiet mouse when he's on the move in his metal, so expects that the clay man will know he's coming...
"Wh..wait..."
another fight?
JJ quickly hurries after Kikinnin, but doesn't get in front of the brave rat catcher.
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Maxim survey's the fallen corpses of their foes, holstering his pistol with a hard smile;
"Hard fought. Well done one an' all..."
He eyes the swag with professional interest - scrutinising the wand;
:
The gun-mage turns it o'er in his hand with a sage nod;
"Wand of Slow... Nice equaliser."
As their spearhead of JJ and Kikinnin spot and warn of the golem, Maxim urges caution while he dredges through his old teachings to recall anything on Clay Golems...
"En klang af ler? Pas på bror ..."
"A clay golem? Beware brother..."
:
Maxim takes some time to identify the new found loot but he quickly joins the group at time to hear JJ's alert. The dwarf does not recall meaningful information about clay golems, but he does know golems in general are immune to most magic and as constructs are immune to stunning and other mind dependent stuff in addition to having extremely hard physical resistance.
As soon as Kikinnin enters the room the golem stops smashing the throne and enters into a berserk action to stop the party.
You do know clay golems deal harmful wounds very difficult to remove even with healing spells .
Their tough clay requires adamantine+bludgeoning to fully damage them.
They have low saving throws, but they are immune to all magic that allows spell resistance, except for the following spells: move earth, disintegrate and earthquake. Additionally you know acid damage heals them.
"Hold a sec JJ" Ryan calls out before JJ can engage the clay golem. Laying a hand on the ranger's shoulder, JJ can feel his muscles growing in size. "Now those twacks from Alakast will carry a greater weight."
"Stay back Kikinnin, let it come to us!" calls out JJ.
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Marigold's Round 1
"ಔಟ್ ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿ, ಎಲ್ಲಾ ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾಯಾ ಮತ್ತು ಅವರು ಚಿಕಿತ್ಸೆ ಪ್ರತಿರೋಧಿಸುವ ವ್ಯವಹರಿಸಲು ಗಾಯಗಳು ವಿರೋಧಿಸಲು!" Marigold calls out as they step forward to square off against the clay golem. Almost as an afterthought she adds, "JJ ನಾನು ಈ ವಿಷಯವು ನಿಮಗೆ ಉತ್ತಮವಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿದರೆ ನಾನು ದೇವರಿಗೆ ಪ್ರತಿಜ್ಞೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ, ನಾನು ಭೂಮಿಯ ತುದಿಗಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ, ನಾನು ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಮರಳಿ ಕರೆತರುತ್ತೇನೆ, 'ನಾನು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದೇನೆ!'"
She draws her longspear moves forward, stopping just ahead of Ryan. Glancing over her shoulder she reaches out and taps the priest on the arm, calling on her faith in Sarenrae to shield her friend from harm.
"Watch out, those things are immune to all sorts of magic and the wounds they deal resist healing!"
"JJ I swear to the gods if you let this thing get the better of you I'll travel the ends of the earth to bring you back just so I can say, 'Told you so!'"
______________
AC = 30
HP = 114/114
Weapon Equipped = +2 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = Prayer, PfE, SoF, Haste
Kikinnin starts amassing the knowledge about clay golems, and regrets his initial enthusiasm. The obstacle/guardian's wound-making is decent discouragement. He looks over at Marigold, the Lantern Bearer, and takes a quick look for where the Light points.
"What are the odds we could just move around the golem, and leave him to his tantrum?"
The black beard listens to the young one, and waits for the creature to take some hits from a distance, before he engages with it, face-to-face.
"Alright, Abadar. Lend my Axe more might. Looks like I'm gonna need it."
As the brute construct turns in destructive intent upon the party Maxim cocks a bearded head at Marigold's babbled warning;
"Hell's Teeth! Got to learn me that heavenly tongue one o' these here days!"
Heedless of what she is saying he once again attempts to discern more on the clay-formed golem;
:
Auld knowledge filters back he bellows a warning;
"Apologies y'all if Lil' Miss just gave us the skinny on big an' loamy there! Ware his attacks as they won't heal beyond divine intervention! Need adamantine blunt force to truly hurt it, an' its resistant to most magicks save a few choice earth spells. Acid heals lumpy so avoid that too!"
As he shouts, the gun-mage pulls forth his Wand of Displacement, then moves up to JJ and Kikinnin and bestows its powers upon his bror